ad caput ipso dicente prâ— Apostolorum Petro Tues Petrus super hanc Pâ— aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Sainct Papias also â— Protestants confesse to speake in their â— words taught Peters primacy and Romish Eâ—pality Sainct Martial a disciple of Sainct Peteâ—â—sent Martial ep ad Burdegal cap. 11. Hier. l. de vir Illust in Iren. epist 29. ad Theod. Tert. l. contra Valent Martyrol Rom. die 28. Iunij into Fraunce by the Apostolike Râ— Church and a member thereof teacheth thâ— Church of Christ is firme and can neuer be â— throwne or dissolued Firma Ecclesia Dei â— nec cadere nec disrumpi poterit vnquam Sainct Ireneus being by Sainct Hierome thâ— Romane Martyrologe and others scholler Polycarpus and Papias and neare the Apâ— time Apostolorum temporum vicimus must neeâ— and be learned in this age and both knowe â— followe the approued doctrine thereof beâ— most Catholike holy learned Sainct Martyâ— Doctour yet he witnesseth of the Roman Câ— Iren. l. 3. c. 3. that it hath principality ouer all others and â— fore euery Church all true beleeuers must concordance with it euer keeping the truâ— Christian Religion which the Apostles deliâ— Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitâ— necesse est omnem conuâ—nire Ecclesiam hoc est eâ— sunt vndique fidelâ—s in qua semper ab his qui sâ—â— dique conseruata est ca quae est ab Apostolis trâ— â—e saith this Church is the greatest most auncient â—owne to all founded by the two most glorious â—ostles Sainct Peter and S. Paul keeping inuiâ—â—le the faith they taught and confounding all â—t erre Maximae antiquissimae omnibus coâ—itae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo â—maefundatae constitutae Ecclesiae eam quam haâ— ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominiâ— fidem per successiones Episcoporum peruenientem â—que ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui â—quo modo velper sui placentiam malam vel vaâ— gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam â—terquam oportet colligunt Where this Church of â—me is euer pure and vnspotted free from errour â— Iudge and confounder of all wheresoeuer or â—wsoeuer erring and falling from the true Apoâ—like doctrine S. Simeon Metaphrastes die 29. Iunij Leland in Arthurio Harrison descr of Britaine Stow hist of Engl. Hollinsh his of Engl. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Caius antiquit Cautab Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. and Catal. of Bish. Io. Goscelin hist Manuscript Mat. parker Antiquit Brit. And particularly concerning Britaine So it â—s euer adiudged here wee receaued our first â—h from Sainct Peter and the Roman Church â—nct Peter stayed longe in Britaine conuerted â—y founded here Churches ordained Bishops â—ists and Deacons venit in Britanniam quo in loco â—o temporefuit moratus verbo gratiae multos illumiâ—it Ecclesias constituit Episcoposque Presbyteros â—iaconos ordinauit â—nd all our Protestant Antiquaries confesse that â— receaued this holy Apostolike faith and â—at this time and in euery age had Bishops and â—chers sent hither from Rome as Sainct Daâ—nus and Faganus with others from Pope Eleuâ—ius in the second age from Pope Victor wee â— many in the third age and Sainct Mellonius or Mello from Pope Stephen and S. Amphibalus with others from the same Romes authority in the same age In the fourth age one holy Emperesse Emperour Queene and King S. Helen with our whole Cleargy agreed with Sainct Syluester and others Popes there and Sainct Ninian with others of ours which where there consecrated and sent hither by that power Apostolike and many of our Bishops were then at diuers Councels as Arles in Fraunce Sardyce and others both ioyning with the Roman Church and acknowledging the supreame spirituall power thereof In the next and fift age Pope Celestine and other holy Popes sent hither S. Palladius Sainct Germanus S. Lupus Sainct Seuerus S. Patricius S. Dubricius Coelius Sedulius with others renowned in all the world In the sixt age the Sea of Rome sent hither and approued here Sainct Iuo Sainct Ethelardus S. Dauid Sainct Kentegern Sainct Asaph Sainct Molochus Sainct Augustine Mellitus Iustus with all that holy company sent hither by Sainct Gregory Pope then especially to the Pagan and noâ— yet beleeuing Saxons Now that our Christiaâ— Britains neuer forsooke or chaunged in any onâ— materiall point their first receaued Apostolike faith Io. Balaeus l. 2. de Act. Rom. Pontif. in Greg. 1. l. de scrip Centur. 1. in August Dauid powel Annotat. in l. â— Girald Cambren Haier Camb. cap. 1. wherein they were assisted by the Popes and Seâ— of Rome all this while to the cominge of S. Augustine in the end of the sixt hundred of yeares oâ— most esteemed Protestant Antiquaries directly tâ—stifie from Antiquities Two of them speake in these very same wordâ— apud Britannos vigebat veritat is praedicatio doctriâ— sincera purus Dei cultus qualis ab ipsis Apostoâ— mandato diuino Christianorum Ecclesijs tradiâ—us 〈◊〉 At the comminge of Augustine hither here florished among the Britans the preaching of the truth sincere doctrine and the pure worship of God which by the Apostles themselues by Gods commandement was deliuered to the Churches of Christians One of theÌ„ saith their doctrine was most sincere Doctrinae sincerissima Both of them cite the brittish history so they might haue cited the old manuscript history of Rochester with diuers others Two other principall Protestant Antiquaries the one an Archbishop with them say Euangelium quod primis Apostolorum Mat. Parker Antiq. Brit. p. 68. 9 45. alijs â—o Goscelin hist Eccles manuscr c. Britâ—nunq prolaff à fide Godwin conuers of Brit. p. 43. temporibus in Britannia nuntiatum non modo semper retentum firmiter sed singulis saeculis auctum dilatatum creuisse The Ghospell which was preached in Britaine in the first times of the Apostles was both euer firmely retained and encreased in euery age An other a Bishop in their congregation writeth The Britans continued still in the same tenour of pure doctrine which they had receaued in the first infancy of the Church The doctrine and discipline of their Church they had receaued from the Apostles of Christ An other hath thus among the Britains or welchmen Hollinsh hist of Engl. c. 21. p. 102. Foxe Act and monum pa. 463. edit an 1576. Fulke Answ to a counterf Cathol p. 40. Middleton Papistomast p. 202. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Christianity as yet remained in force which from the Apostles time had neuer failed in that nation An other hath thus The Britains after the receauing of the Faith neuer forsooke it for any manner of false preachinge of others An other thus witnesseth The Britains before Augustines cominge continued in the faith of Christ euen from the Apostles time The like haue many others to many to be cited not any of them contradicting it And by this they haue
words of Christ in S. Ihons Ghospell to be the forme and manner to make their pretended Bishops and ministers their pretended coÌ„secratours saying to all such at their admittance these words Take the holy Ghost whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen vnto them and whose you retaine they are retained And thereby claime as ample warrant and power as any Priest Bishop Prelate or Pope doth or euer did both to absolue from sinnes and pardon and giue Indulgence for all paine and punishment in any wise due or belonging to any sinne or sinnes how many or enormeous soeuer they be and by the greatest authority in their Religion presume to practise it in such manner For absolution and pardoning of all sinnes they haue the warrant of as many Parlaments as they haue kept since Queene Maryes time all the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth King Iames and Charles all their books of articles Canons Iniunctions and generall practise of their congregation Protestant in England now about 70. yeares allowing and exercising publikely their communion booke vtterly and vnder greate penalties forbidding all other Rituals or Church seruice in this euery minister doth may or is bound thus to say to men confessing their sinnes vnto them Our Lord Iesus Christ hath lest power to his Protest CommunioÌ„ booke Titul visitation of the Sicke Church to absolue all sinners which truely repent and beleeue in him and by his authority committed to me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen King Iames Supreame heade of their Church in his Prouinciall Councell or conference with his Protestant Bishops and Doctours thus defineth or declareth The particular and personall absolution King Iames and Protest Bishops at Hampton confer p. 13. from sinne after confession is Apostolicall and a very godly ordinance Where wee see that euery Parish pretended Preist or minister with our Protestants for so their directory is may and ought by their Religion attempt to giue plenary pardoÌ„s and Indulgences in as ample or rather more ample and illimited manner then any Pope did For by their religion this is to be or may be executed by any minister to any penitent whomesoeuer without any restriction and from all sinnes and punishments due to them which is most manifest by their last assertion and doctrine of denying purgatory and prayer for the deade onely constituting two places for the deceased hell and heauen and teaching that euery penitent so absolued and receauing Indulgence from them so dying doth immediately goe to heauen and so of necessity by their doctrine and practise they must needs hold that they giue plenary Indulgence to euery such confessing penitent This they confirme further proue practise in all their Ecclesiasticall Courts where they inflict and continue or at their pleasure forgiue pardon and giue Indulgence of all punishments and paines for sinne This they protest and declare with their publike authority in their Church seruice diuers times in the yeare their publike direction and commaunde openly in their Churches thus pronouncing Brethren in the primatiue Church Protest CommunioÌ„ booke Tit. a Commination against sinners there was a goodly discipline that at the beginning of lent such parsons as were notorious sinners were put to opeÌ„ pennaÌ„ce punished in this world that their soules might be saued in the day of the Lord and that other admonished by their example might be the more afraide to offend it were much to be wished the said discipline may be restored againe And this booke of articles it Protest artic of Relig. art selfe in the 33. article hath how after temporall pennance arbitrary by a Iudge hauing authority who may assigne more or lesse longer or shorter remit and pardon some or all the greatest sinners euen excommunicated are to haue Indulgence pardon and absolution Our Protestant ParlameÌ„ts Parlament 1. Elizabeth and Religion doe expressely receaue the first Nicen Councell wherein the doctrine of Indulgences Concil Nic. 1. c. 12. 11. practise of them is as expressely approued and calleth it the auncient and canonicall law antiqua canonica lex seruabitur and to be obserued and they leaue it in the power of the Bishop to be Iudge when and how they are to be vsed licebit Episcopo hâ—manius aliquid de â—is statuere And their priuate writers both in their publike sermons and bookes published with authority and for which some haue beene made Bishops among them doe thus confirme it As there is a death in Theoph higg ser 3. Mart. an 1610. sinne and a death to sinne so there is a double resurrection the first à culpa from sinne the second à poena from the punishment which followeth thereupon The Feild bookes of the Church l. 1. c. 17. p. 33. true Church admitteth and receaueth all that with sorrowfull repentance returne and seeke reconciliation how greate soeuer their offences haue beene not forgetting to vse due seuerity which yet she sometime remitteth The auncient Bishops were wâ—nt to cut of greate parts of enioyned pennance which remission and relaxation was called an Indulgence The like haue others and among other reasons Feild supr l. 1. c. 17. 1. Cor. 2. v. 8. 9. 10. and authorities for this old custome and doctrine they cite and expounde as Catholiks doe the practise and place of S. Paul to the Corinthians before alleadged Therefore hauing so ample and euident testimony and confession of our Protestants in this point wee may be more breife in relating the Fathers of this Apostolike age the doctrine in question being by all euen aduersaries thus confessed to haue beene deliuered by Christ Apostolicall and Godly First to begin with the See of Clem. Rom. epist 1. Leo 2. in epist decret Marian. Scot. l. 2. eâ—at 6. Flor. WigornieÌ„ chron in Siluan Oâ—ho Cons Rome Sainct Clement and many others are worthy witnesses that Sainct Peter the Apostle left vnto him his Successour in the Roman See this power in as ample maÌ„ner as Christ communicated it vnto Sainct Peter and calleth it a rule of the Church Ipsi trado à Domino mihi traditam potestatem ligandi soluendi vt de omnibus quibuscumque decreuerit in terris hoc decretum sit in coelis Ligabâ— enim quod oportet ligari soluet quod expedit solui tanquam qui ad liquidum Ecclesiae regulam nouerit And for all Bishops he setteth downe from the Apostles order that all Bishops should vse mercy humanity and indulgence towards penitents Primum Clem. Const Apost lib. 2. c. 13. 12. Cap. 18. potestate reum iudica deinde cum misericordia humanitate indulgentia eum concilia promittens ei salutem si morem mutauerit ad paenitentiam redierit Oportet poenitentes libenter admittere gaudentes illorum causa cum misericordia humanitate iudicantes eos qui deliquerunt He setteth downe the Cap.
buildeâ— before S. Ioseph and his holy companians caâ—â— hither and here founded by them wholly finished Antiquitat glast tabulis fix sup S. Augustinus in Ecclesia S. Edmundi Matth. parker Anâ—iquit Britan. c. 2. p. 3. edit Hanouiae an 1605. and perfected dedicated also to the blessed Virgiâ— Many Primi Catholicae legis Neophyta antiquaâ— Deâ— dictante repererunt Ecclesiam nulla hominion arte vâ— referunt constructam immo â—umanae saluti à Deo pâ—â—atam quam postmodum ipse caelorum fabricator mâ—ltis mirâ—culorum gestis multisque virtutum mysterij◠〈◊〉 Sanctaeque Dei Genitrâ—ci Mariae se consecrasse monstrauit This was in the â—1 yeare after the Passion of Christ and after the assumption of our lady 15. Anno post Passionem Domini 31. post Assumptioâ—eâ— Gloriosa Virginis 15. When few other Saincts in the lawe of Christ were deceased this life and then in heauen Thus were our Two first Churches dedicated here by greatest warrant to the honour of the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God where shee assisted and protected her Suppliant Seruants and petitioners there And S. Bede with all Antiquaries Catholiks Protestants consenteth that the Britans kept their first faith inuiolate and whole vntill the cruell persecution of Dioclesian Bed histor Eccl Angl. l. 1. cap. 4. susceptam fidem Britanni vsque in tempora Dioclesia◠〈◊〉 inuiolatam integramque quieta in pace seruaâ—â—â— And when this Kingdom was generally â—â—â—â—erted which happend in the succeding age all â—â—â— Temples before founded to false Gods were by common and greatest authoritie in all opinions 〈◊〉 now whatsoeuer of the holy pope S. Eleuâ—â—â—â—iâ—s his legats and our holy kinge S. Luâ—â—us câ—â—â—nged into Christian Churches dedicated to God and his Saincts Templa quae in honore plurimoâ—â—â— Galfrid histor Briton l. 4. c. 19. Matth. west an 185. Deorum fundata fuerant vni Deo eiusque Sanâ—â—â—â— dedicanerunt So they dedicated Churches to â—â—â— holy Angels namely S. Michael the Archangel â—â—â—oured and prayed vnto him and he protected Antiquitat glaston manuscript epistol S. Patricij Capgr catal in S. Patric Ioseph Bed hist l. 1. c. 7. Matth. westin An. 303. Manuscript Antiq. Iacob gemen in vit S. Amphibali Cap grau in eod in S. Alban Gradual antiq miss Sarisb in festo S. Albani litan Angl. antiq ante bapt commend animâ— â—â—em Phaganus Damianus Oratorium aedificauerunt in honore S. Michaelis Archangeli quatenus ibi ab hominibâ—â— haberet honorem qui homines in perpetuos honores iâ—â—ente Deo est introducturus So they prayed vnto the Saincts as is euident in the Examples of Sainct Heraclius our Martyr at the death of our fist Martyr S. Alban praying to him and heard and helped by him And S. Amphibalus that conuerted Saint Alban thus prayed vnto him both to be assisted by him and the holy Angels Sancte Albane Deum nostrum depreceris vt mihi Angelum bonum obuiam mittat ne mihi praedo truculentus obsistere nec Iter meum pars iniqua valeat impedire So it was in all after times which I am not to speake of in this place but thus may end this tedious and confused Article stuffed with so many fulshoods and aunciently condemned heresies I may be more breife in the rest of their followeing Articles not conteyning so many particulars THE IX CHAPTER The 23. article examined THeir next Article the 23. in number is this â— is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him â—â— office of publik preaching or ministring the Sacrameâ—â— in the Congregation before he be lawfully called â—â— sent to execute the same And those wee ought to Iudgâ— lawfully called and sent which be thosen and called â— this worke by men who haue publik authoritie giuâ— vnto them in the Congregation to call and send miâ—â—sters in the Lords vineyard This is the whole Article wherein there is no controuersie with or againâ— the Church of Rome neuer allowing any foâ— Preists or publike ministers of the holy Sacraments but such as are duely and truely consecrateâ— in the Sacrament of holy orders onely ministreâ— by lawfully and Canonically Sacred Bishops aâ— the doctryne and practise of this Apostolike agâ— was as I haue proued before and S. Ignatius witâ— S. Ignatius epist ad Smyrnen others thus proue vnto vs Non licet sine Episcopâ— baptizare neque offerre neque sacrificium immolâ—â—â— neque Dochen celebrare sed quodcumque illi visâ—â— fuerit secundum beneplacitum Dei vt tutum raâ—â—â—sit saci at is No Sacrament could be ministred nothing done in the Church without the Bishopâ— authoritie and approbation No man could be â— Preist minister Sacraments or exercise any Ecclesiasticall order or function but onely such as werâ— Epistol ad Heron. consecrated thereunto by lawfull Bishops Nihâ—â—sine Episcopis facito baptizant sacrificant eligâ—â—â— manus imponunt And these Protestants themselueâ— both in their Booke of their pretended consecration Protest Booke of consecrat pref per tot artic 36. infra prot glosse vpon the same canons Iniunctious c. and their 36. Article hereafter intituled of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers as also their publik glosse therevpon and common practise do thus testifie The Superioritie and authoritie which Bishops and Archbishops do exercise in ordering â—â—d consecrating of Bishops and Ecclesiasticall ministers iâ— grounded vpon the word of God From the Apostles dâ—â—es hither to there neuer wanted à Succession of Bisâ—ops neither in the East nor westerne Churches And from the first nursing of their Religion here in England they euer by their publik proceedings allowed that consecration which was in the Romane Church and most willingly without any addition or ceremony allowed such as were so consecrated to be Preists Ministers and Ecclesiasticall men among them if they would in wordly respects and in externall shew giue any allowance to their Religion And at this day they contend to deriue their owne pretended Bishops and Ministers by Consecration from our Catholik Roman Bishops This Article as their glosse expoundeth it seemeth to haue beene made agaynst the Mancerians Them Rogers Analis vpon the b. of Articles art 23. allowed by the lawf authoritie of the Church of Engl. Anabaptists family of loue and such others risen vp in their ProtestaÌ„t Schoole denying externall Ordination and calling of cleargie men But being well examined it doth both free the Roman Church as is proued and they confesse and condemneth all Protestants in the world First for forreyne Protestants none of them take or clayme ordination true or pretended from eyther true or pretended Bishops and so by that is already saide are vtterly condemned by this Article And for our English Protestants which pretended a calling and ordination by Bishops they are in the same case by their owne decree in this Article for therein they say that men lawfully called and sent be onely they which be chosen and called by men who haue publike
authoritie giuen vnto them in the congregation Churche they meane to call and send ministers in the Lords vineyard But I haue proued before in particular and euery of their Articles more then halfe of them in order without excepting any one inuincibly confuted proue the same that these men art no part parcell or congregation of the true Church of Christ and so no men among them can pretend to haue authoritie publike or other to send Ministers in the Lords vineyard being themselues no members or parsons commaundeing or to be commaunded consecrating or to be coÌ„secrated therein much lesse to haue such publike authoritie in it as this Article appointeth for this busines Secondly there were no men amonge them at the makinge of these Articles nor at the birth of thir Religion here in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth which had or possibly in their proceedings could haue any such publik authoritie to call and send Mininisters in the Lords vineyard For their whole congregation consisted of a woman Queene Elizabeth their pretended cleargie and others confessed meerely temporall men Lette vs take all these eyther ioyntly togeather as in parlament or by themselues seuerally and no such publik authoritie will be founde in them The Queene a woman by Sexe was neyther men nor man haueing such authoritie and their 37. Article denyeth any such prower in her eyther 〈◊〉 â—â—â—selfe or others All their pretended Bishops â—â—â—re by all Consistories Ecclesiasticall Tempoâ—â—ll euen the parlament and Iudgements in the Temporall lawe adiudged to haue no such authoâ—iâ—ie The first parlament of Q. Elizabeth which reâ—iued Stow hist in Q. Mary an 1. an 1. of Q. Elizabeth Parker Ant. Brit. in Tho. Cranmar Godwin Catal. of Bish. solpe Hollin hist of Engl. in Q. Mary Statutes of Q Eliz. K. Iames and K. Charles make Preisthood treason their Religion had not one true or pretended Bishop that had voyce in parlament that consâ—nted vnto it but all the Bishops which had and oâ—ely had such publik authoritie did disclayme â—nd disagree to that change the Temporall Lords â—â—ights and burgesses neyther had nor could giue which they had not such authoritie No forreyne Pope Patriarke Archbishop or Bishop did or could giue it here by their owne lawes For Q. Elizabeth King Iames and K. Charles by their parlaments and Statutes haue made holy preisthood Treason And this new Protestant Queene Elizabeth her Religion beginning here in the yeare 155â— and 1559. in her first parlament neuer had 〈◊〉 knowne publike allowed square rule forme â—â—nner Order or fashion whatsoeuer for any to hâ—ue publik authoritie to call make send or sette forth any pretended Minister vntil the yeare 1562. when their Religion was 4. yeares old and these The new Protestant booke of Consec an 2. Eduardi 6. in Parlam statut an r. Mariae Booke of arâ—icles an 1â—62 art 36. Articles were made in them the booke of King Edward the 6. about 10. or 11. yeares old when he sette it forth by parlament was first called from death werewith it perished in the first yeare of Queene Mary It hath beene pretended from a new borne Register of Matthew parker that hee was made a Bishop by Barlowe Scorye and 3. others by vertue of a commission from Queene Elizabeth and this new worke was acted on the 17. day of December but alas they had then no forme our order to do such a busines if they had beene such publik allowed and authorized men as this Article appointeth vntill 4. yeares after this pretended admittance alleadged to haue beene 17. Decemb. an 1559. And their owne publike confession is in the Register it selfe as they haue published it in Matthew parker their first pretended protestantly made Archbishope his booke and Register That none of those pretended Consecratours was admitted for a true or pretended Consecratour vntill after this supposed consecration of Matthew parker For they say from their pretended Register of Matthew parker Anno 1559. Matth. part cant cons Franc. Mason l. 3. c. 4. of cons p. 127. ex Regist Matth. park to 1. f. 2. 10. Godw. catal of Bish. in Canterb. 69. Matth. parker 17. Decem. by william Barlowe Ihon Scory Miles Couerdale Ihon hodgeskins by these Matthew parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury the seuententh day of December in the yeare 1559. Their Catalogue of Bishops saith he was consecrated December 17. 1559. by W. Barlowe Io Scory and Ihon hodgeskins This is vtterly false and vnpossible by their owne testimonies and proceedings to be true For their owne Register as it is published in Matthew parker his owne writings proueth directly that two of these 4. pretended Consecratouts were neuer allowed for such or Bishops or any men hauing such publike authoritie in their Protestant Religion as this their Article requireth of necessitie to call and send Ministers These were Miles Couerdale and Ihon Hodgeskings neuer hauing any such power in Q. Elizabeth her time And for the other two william Barlowe and Ihon Scory they were not allowed by these Protestants â—â—â— Bishops or such men vntill Matthew parker â—â—â— as they pretend by their Register consecrated by them william Barlowe stiled before D. of Diuinine or a preist Regular was allowed for such a man vpon the 20. day of December 1559. 3. dayes Register Episcopor Protestant Angl. apud Matth. park antiquit Britanniae pag. 39. edit Hanouiae an 1605. altâ—â— matthew parkers pretended ordination by him Will Barlowe Th. D. Presb. Reg. Conf. 1559. Decem. 20. and the other Ihon Scory then sâ—iled onely Bachelour of Diuiuitie and preist Regâ—lar was also first allowed the same 20. day of December Ioh Scory Th. Bac. Presb. Regn. Conf. 1559. Dec. 20. And their owne catalogue of their pretended Bishops assureth vs further that this Matthew parker was amoÌ„g them Archbishop Godwyâ— Catalog of Bishops in Durham 58. Cutbert Tunstall of Conterbury in the month of Iuly before So he could haue no consecration true or pretended by their owne proceeding I adde further concerning the pretended Register by which they haue thus vainely claymed an Inualid Title to Ecclesiasticall function and orders sette out in the booke of their first pretended Protestant Archbishop Matthew parker printed at Hanouia 1605. called Antiquitates Britannicae of the Archbishops of Canterbury there is no worde our mention at all of any such thing in that old manuscript copie thereof which I haue seene and diligently examined And any man reading the printed booke will manifestly see it is a meerely foisted and inserted thing hauing no connexion correspondence or affinitie either with that which goeth before or followeth it And conteyneth more things done after Matthew parker had written that Booke But of this their new founde consecration I shall entreate more largely hereafter in their 25. and 36. Articles whither it more properly belongeth and there vtterly disable it for making or leauing among them either true Bishop Preist or any other Ecclesiasticall person
as the holyest Sainct that euer was there is noe damnation there is noe hell at all This doctrine putteth downe that beastely saying of Epicurus to take all pleasure in this life because he thought there was none after death for this doth Breede all wantonnesse and yet promiseth euerlasting pleasures in the world to come Therefore although wee most freely doe and are so bounde to beleeue and professe that the passion merits of Christ are of infinite cure validity worth and value in themselues able to haue beene a perfect redemption propitiation and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole worlde and more then euer were shall or can be committed if Christ had so ordeyned and sinners so applyed them by such holy Instruments and meanes as Sacraments and others as he prouided and Instituted and they which are and shall be saued haue and will vse and apply to that end and purpose the meanes yet to those that doe not receaue and practise neither Christs oblation vpon the Crosse nor any thing he did or suffered can be a perfect redemption propitiation or satisfaction for all or any sinne And among these necessary Instruments meanes applications of Christs redemption propitiation and Satisfaction for sinners the holy sacrifice of Masse is one and most excellent eminent and honorable wherein the truely and duely consecrated Preists of Christs Church by vertue and power giuen them in their consecration doe offer Christ for the quicke and the deade to haue remission of paine or guilt which this article blasphemously faith were blasphemous fables and daungerous deceites And first our Protestants themselues euen King Iames the heade cheife interpretour of their Religion and congregation whilest he liued with his approued protestante writers Bishops Doctours and others publickly priuiledged and warranted by cheife authoritie in their proceedings thus confesse for truth this article to be hereticall Neither is Casanbon resp ad Card. Per. p. 51. 52. c. the King ignorant nor denyeth that the Fathers of the the primatiue Church did acknowledge one Sacrifice in the Christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the Sacrifices of Moses lawe Middlet Papistm pag. 92 113. 49. 137 138. 47. 45. The sacrifice of the Altare and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primatiue Church and the auncient Fathers called the sacrifice of the body blood of Christ a sacrifice The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altare for the deade sacrifice for the deade was atradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aërius Feild l. 3. pag. c. 29. p. 138. Couel exam pag. 114. condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altare and offerring the sacrifice of Eucharist for them and for this his rache and inconsiderate boldnesse and presumption in condemning the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Here we see by our Protestants themselues that vpon a second and better consideration they graūte from our first founders in Christ that the Catholike doctrine and custome so basely censured in this their Article is Orthodoxall the Religion and tradition of the Apostles Iudgment and practise of the vniuersall Church of Christ and that which this their article concludeth was iustly condemned for heresie Therefore I may be more breife in alleadging the Apostolike writers to such propose Sainct Paul witnesseth that euery high preist or Hebr. c. 8. Cap 5. preist is ordayned to offer Sacrifice to God for the people omnis Pontifox ad offerenduni munera hostias constituitur Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis He also with other Scriptures saith both that Christ was a Preist after this Order of Preisthood and Preists of this Order should be for euer Hebr. 7. Ps 109. in the lawe of the Ghospell Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech necessarium fuit secundum ordinem Melchisedech alium surgere Sacerdotem Translato Sacerdotio necesse est vt legis translatio fiat sempiternum habet Sacerdotium But it is also euident both by Scripture and all Apostolike writers that neither Christ nor any Christian Preist of that Order offered any other sacrifice hauing resemblance to the Sacrifice of Melchisedech in breade and wine then when Christ at his last supper offered gaue his blessed bodie and blood vnder those formes and gaue then power commaunde to his Apostles other Preists to doe the same as I haue aboundantly proued by the Fathers of this age and our Protestants haue so confessed before It was also so certaine among the old Hebrues before Christ that Christ the Messias should be such a Preist and offer such a sacrifice and his Preists after him and all sacrifices in the lawe should then cease and giue place vnto it That Theodor. Bibliandor de SS Trinit lib. 2. pag. 89. vit l. de test Miss Petr. Gallat l. de arcan fid ca. Franciscus Stancar Prot. Rasil in pref ad Petr. Gallat de Arcan Mort. Supr alij Protestants themselues thus confesse it Erat apud Veteres Hebraeos dogma receptissimum in aduentu Messiaebenedicti cessatura esse omnia legalia sacrificia tantumque celebrandum sacrificium Thoda illud peragendum pane vino sicut Melchizedech Rex Salem Sacerdos Dei altissimi temporibus Abrahami panem vinum protulit And the old Rabbines of the Iewes before Christ euen as they are commended vnto vs both by Catholike Protestant Antiquaries do most playnely deliuer vnto vs the same Catholike truth as hath beene before confessed by thes Protestāts that in this holie sacrifice offered for sinnes bread and wine are miraculously chaunged into the bodie and blood of the Messias Rabbi Samuel saith vpon the oblation of Melchisedech Rabbi Samuel in Bereschit Rabba ad cap. 14. Genes that he sacrificed and taught that Sacrifice Actus Sacerdotij tradidit erat ipse Sacrificans panem vinum Deo sancto benedicto So haue Rabbi Moses Hadarsan and Rabbi Enachinam Melchisedech proferens panem vinum ostendit quod docuit eum Sacerdotij actum quier at panem vinum sacrificare Et hoc est quod habetur in Psalmis Iurauit Dominus non paenitebit eum tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundrm ordinem Melchisedech And Rabbi Phinees saith most euidētly that in the time of Messias all other Sacrifices should cease and the Messias being a Preist after the Order of Melchisedech should except this alone and this onely should be vsed in this Religion Tempore Messiae omnia sacrisicia cessabunt sed sacrificium panis vini non cessauit sicut dictum est Gen. 14. Melchisedech Rex Salem protulit panem vinum Melchisedech enim Rex Messias excipiet a cessatione Sacrificiorum panis vini sicut dicitur psalmo Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum
ei vim sanandi depellendi morbum fugandi daemones expellendi insidias per Christum spem nostram And by Apostolike Alexander Pap. 1. epistol omnes orth authority commaunde those ceremonies especially of holy water to be perpetuallie vsed by Preists in all Churches aquam sale conspersam populis benedicimus vt ea cuncti aspersi sanctificentur purificentur Quod omnibus Sacerdotibus faciendum esse mandamus So auncient was this holie ceremonie of sanctifying water and salt so coÌ„tinuall generall and inuiolable which our Protestants themselues thus acknowledge Alexander Romanus aquam admixto Robert Barn l. de vit Pont. Roman in Alexandro 1. sale precibus benedicendam eamque in templo domi ad Satanam propellendum ad peccata tollenda seruari iussit So it was in hallowing the water of baptisme S. Clement and others deliuering the verie manner thereof deprecetur Sacerdos instante baptismo Et dicet Clem. const Apost l. 7. ca. 43 l. 8. c. 35. Aspice è Coelo sanctifica hanc aquam tribue gratiam vim qui baptizatur secundum mandatum Christi cum eo crucifixus commortuus consepultus consufutatus sit in adoptionem quae in eo fit vt mortuus quidem sit peccato viuat autem iustitiae There he deliuereth Cap. 42. also the forme and order of hallowing Chrisme to annoint the baptized Benedicitur oleum à Sacerdote in remissionem peccatorum There he deliuereth the abrenuntiation which was made before baptisme Abrenuntiatio sathanae Cap. 41. operibus eius pompis cultui Angelis machinationibus eius omnibus quae subipso sunt He deliuereth Cap. 23. ep 3. const Apost l. 3. c. 16. 10. Iustinus quaes 137. Missa S. Marci Clem. coÌ„st Apost l. 8. c. 12 Ciprianus ep 63. Miss S. Iacob Alexand. 1. ep 1. Iustin orat ad Ant. pium Ireneus l. 4. c. â—7 lib. 5. cap. 2 Dion Areop l. Eccl. Hier. c. 43. Clem. const Apost l. 3. c. 6. Ignat. epist ad Eph Iren. l 4 c. 20. c. 34. Euarist apud Burchar l. 1. cap. 27. Pius r. apud eund l. 5. c. 47 l. 3. c. 72. Tom. 1 conc c. Clem. can Apost 72. ep 2. the annointing of the baptized vnges oleo sancto caput eorum qui baptizantur siue viri sint siue mulieres It was Dominica Traditio the Tradition euen from Christ that in the chalice water should be mixed with the wine to be offered ne quid aliud fiat à nobis quà m quod pro nobis Dominus Priorfecerit vt calix qui in commemorationem eius offertur mixtus vino offeratur The Apostolike writers of this age assure vs there were altars and they consecrated to consecrate and offer vpon them the blessed and perpetuall sacrifice of Christs body and blood and how they were consecrated as now they are with holy oyle Diuini altaris consecrationem sanctissimorum mysteriorum lex sacratissimi vnguenti castissimis infusionibus perficit And deliuer the verie manner with incense and other ceremonies Pontifex vbi orationem sanctam super diuinum altare peregit ex ipso incensum adolere inchoans omnem plani ambitum circuit Demum ad sanctum altare iterum rediens psalmorum incipiens melos Qui verò ipsius ordinis praecipui sunt vnà cum Sacerdotibus sanctum panem benedictionis calicem sanctis altaribus imponunt So they write of chalices patens and veales hallowed vas aureum vel argenteum vel velum sanctificatum nemo amplius in suum vsum conuertat hoc enim fit contra ius contra leges So of the holie vestiments of Bishops Preists Deacons Subdeacons and others of the Cleargie Sacris induti vestimentis So our Protestants themselues Clem. ep 2. Anac ep 1. Robert Barnes l. de vit Pontif Rom. in Anacleâ—o confesse Anacletus Sacerdotem sacrificaturum ministros vestibus sacris indutos contestes custodes sibi adhibere ordinauit Episcopus verò vt plures ministros sibi in sacris faciendis adiungat I haue spoken of diuers others before and shall remember more in the 36. of consecration of Bishops and ministers hereafter And our auncient monuments are witnesses that as other nations so all the Churches of Britaine did in the Britans time receaue and followe these manners and ceremonies euen by authoritie of the Romane Church Omnes Britannicae Ecclesiae modum Manuscr an t in vit S. Dauidis Capgr Catal. in eodem regulam Romana authoritate acceperunt Therefore most certaine it is that euerie particular and nationall Church hath not against this article authority to ordaine chaunge and abolish such ceremonies or rites of the Churche as the Protestants of England haue done THE XXVI CHAPTER The 35. 36. articles intituled of homilies and of consecration of Bishops and ministers thus examined and condemned THeir next 35. article intituled of homilies doth onely receaue and allowe to be read in their Protestant Church 2. Bookes of homilies one set fourth in the time of King Eduard the sixt the other in the beginning of Queene Elizabeth her Reigne Of which the reader may easilie giue censure according to that is said and proued in the former articles for wherein soeuer either of those 2. bookes any homilie in them on anie part point or doctrine in anie one of them all doth differ from the first Apostolike Catholike true doctrine inuinciblie proued before those bookes homilies parcels or assertions of them are vtterlie to be reiected and renounced Which the verie times themselues of their publication the condemned erroneous dayes of that King and Queene and their Protestanâ— composers and publishers likewise condemned for their false teaching and writing doe manifest vnto vs. Their 36. article of Consecration of Bishops and ministers is thus The booke of consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Preists and Deacons lately set for the in the time of Edward the sixt and confirmed at the same time by authoritie of parliament doth conteine all things necessary to such consecration and ordering neither hath it any thinge that of it selfe is superstitious or vngodly And therefore whosoeuer are consecrated or ordered according to the rites of that booke since the second yeare of the a forenamed King Edward vnto this time or here after shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and and ordered Hitherto this article which in euery part thereof is fully confuted before in my Examination of their 23. Article intituled of ministring in the congregation Where I haue demonstratiuely proued that they neither haue any true lawfull Iurisdiction or ordination among them But to do a worke of Supererogation in this so much concerning the standing or ouerthâ—owe of our Protestants whole religion quite ouerthrowne by this one dispute if they haue no rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated Bishops Preists or Deacons I further thus
them They write how Ridley made Preist by Catholike Order but Bishop by their new fashion when he was to be degraded by B. Brooke Bishop of Glocester delegate thereto in Q. Maryes time hee did onely then degrade him concerning preisthood being iudged to be no Bishop Foxe tom 2. pag. 1604. Mason l. 2. pag. 92 Record degrad Rid. as our Protestants and Records thereof testifie in thes his words to Ridley we must proceede according to our commission to degrading taking from you the dignitie of preisthood for we take you for no Bishop So it was also adiudged by the common lawes Brooke Abridg an 1576. tiâ—ul leases num 68. of the land in that time Bishops in the time of King Edward the sixt were not consecrated and therefore a lease for yeares made by such and confirmed by the deane and chapter shall not binde their Successours because such were neuer Bishops Of thes pretended Bishops which were thus by publike Iudgment in lawe disabled to do teÌ„porall offices for want of true ordination and power how much more were they vnable to performe any spirituall function belonging to that highest holie Order yet this is published for law euen in Q. Elizabeth her time longe after thes new Protestant Bishops were so allowed and still remaineth among their receaued and adiudged lawes And so generall and vniuersall a consent was of all in authoritie Pope Prince Prelates and whosoeuer that this new Protestant forme gaue no consecration that their owne Protestant applauded writers thus confesse it Touching Articles of Q. Mary to Bish. Boner Consecrat l. 5. cap. 12. foxe Act. mon. vol. 2. p. 1295. such parsons as were here to fore promoted to any Orders after the new sorte and fashion of Orders they were not ordered in verie deed This was the common and publike sentence of Pope Prince and Prelates in Queene Mary her time of the preteÌ„ded Bishops of King Edward the 6. when there was more pretence for them theÌ„ these diuers Catholikely ordained Bishops then liuing and some helping in their new ordering now and from Q. Elizabeth her time not one at all And it is contained in our old lawes Iudex secularis non potest Bracton fol. 401. degradare clericum magis quà m ad ordines promouere A secular Iudge can no more degrade a Preist or Clearke then he can promote him to orders And it was publikly adiudge in lawe That the parlament Temp. Henrici 7. fol. 27. 28. could not make the Kinge being a lay parson to haue spirituall Iurisdiction Then much lesse could it giue to King Edward the sixt to speake Protestants Stow an 1. Edw. 6. Hist words proclaimed King of England and also of Ireland the supreame heade immediately in earth vnder God being of the age of nyne yeares and to Queene Elizabeth a woman by Sexe disabled in such things both to haue spirituall Iurisdiction and supreame spirituall Iurisdiction and spirituall power Episcopall or Pontificall to conferre and giue both spirituall highest order and Iurisdiction to whom and by what meanes it pleased them contrary to all Christians in the world Catholiks Protestants and whosoeueâ— none out of England so proceeding in such affaires Aâ—d in the time of Queene Elizabeth both particular wrâ—â—â—rs records and her parlament publikely in the 8. yearâ— of her Reigne assure vs that their new Bishops making was by diuers both doubted of and denied to be lawfull The Protestant cheife Iustice of the common plees Lord dyer setteth downe that Bishop â—onner publikely pleaded they were no Bishops and namely Doctour Horne so admitted and it wâ—s adiuged by all the Protestant Iudges that Bishâ—â— Bonner might so pleade And the Protestants would neuer come to tryall with him therein And the next Parlament in her 8. yeare cleared him and all other Catholikes so in iâ—pugning those Bishops offering the oath of supremaâ—y vnto them in these words Be it exacted that no person or persons Statut. in parliament an 8. Elizab. cap. 1. be empeached or molested in body lands or good by occasion are meane of any certificate by any Archbishop or Bishop heretofore made in the first session of this parlament touching or concerning the refusall of the oathe set fourth by act of parlament in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth And that all tenders of such oath made by any Archbishop or Bishop aforesaid and all refusals of the same oath so entered by any Archbishop or Bishop shall be voyde and of noe effect or validity in the lawe And to helpe afterward what they could thus they enact diuers questions haue lately growne vpon the Statut. in parliam an 8. Eliz supr c. 1. making and consecrating of Archbishops and Bishops within this realme whether the same were and be duely done according to the lawe or not Therefore it is thought conuenient hereby partly to touch such authorities as doth allowc and approue the making of the same Archbishops and Bishops to be duely and orderly dâ—â—e according to the lawes of this Realme her hâ—â—â—nesse in her letters patents vnder the greate Sâ—â—â—e of England directed to any Archbishop Bisâ—â—p or others for the confirming inuesting and coâ—secrating of any parson elected to the office or digâ—â—â—y of an Archbishop or Bishop hath not onely vsâ—â— such words and sentences as King Henry and King Edward did in their letters patents diuers other general words and sentences whereby her highnesse by her suâ—râ—ame power and authority hath dispenced with all â—auses or doubts of any imperfection or diasbility thâ—t can or may in any wise be obiected against the saâ—e These be the onâ—ly authorities the statute doth or could bringe â—eing all carnall and humane not one diuine or â—cclesiasticall vtterly vnable to make a lawfull true Bishop or confirme any for such being bâ—t meere phantasies letters patents the greate Seale of England of a woman such words and sentences as King Henry the eight and King Eduard his child contrary to the vniuersall Church of Christ vsed A womans supreame power authority and dispensation in all causes doubts Imperfections or disabilities in any wise to be obiected and that not onely their pretended Archbishops and Bishops but others neither true nor pretended Archbishops or bishops did as their words be plaine by this most straunge and infirme feminine commission confirme inuest and consecrate Archbishops Bishops which as they haue confessed before with all authorities none but true lawfull Bishops in approued receaued forme and manner can doe And yet this parlament doth thus approue all such as were thus made whether by the Queenes letters patent and men no Bihops true or pretended and without King Edwards forme or any other remembred or by King Edwards forme and fashion to be lawfull Bishops in these words All Statut. an 8. Eliz. supr acts and things made or done by any person or persons in or about any elected to the office of any Archbishop or Bishop by vertue of
Metropol l. 1. c. 6. Alexander next Successour to Pope Euaristus both of them liuing in this first age though dying by martyrdome in the seconde that he sent diuers Apostolike men hither to preach the faith of Christ and so they did These Popes haue taught vs the supreamacie of the Church of Rome ouer all Churches before So did the next holie Pope S. Sixtus euen Protestants Sixtus 1. ep 2. Rob. Barn l. de vit Pont. Rom. in Sixto 1. Telesph Higin pio Aniceâ—o Soâ—ero so confessing Ab Episcopo ad Romanum Pontificem appellandi ius dedit Ecclesiasticis ministris So they confesse of all Popes Telesphorus Higinius Pius anicetus and Soter vnto Pope Eleutherius vnder whome and by whose meanes and authoritie this Kingdome was wholly conuerted by all antiquities and testimonies made the first Christian Kingdome in the world This holie Pope as Rob. Barn sup in Eleutherio Eleuther ep ad Episcop Gall. cap. 2. our Protestants write did Order and practise and as the Apostles and their Successours had defined as he testifieth sicut ab Apostolis eorumque Successoribus multorum consensu Episcoporum definitum â—st that nothing should be proceeded in against Bishops vntil it was defined by the Pope of Rome accusationem contra Episcopos Episcopos audire permifit sed vt nihil nisi apud Pontificem definiretur cauet This highest spirituall Authoritie in the Pope of Damas in Eleuth Monolog Gâ—aec in eod Breuiar Roman die 26. Maij. Martyrol Roman eod die Bed l. 1. â—â—st c. 4. l. de 6. aeâ—aâ— Ado Chron. Marian. Scot. an 177. Martin Pol. Supput an 188. Galfrid monum hist l. 4. Virun l. 4. Radulp. de Dicet hist in Lucio Gul. Mal. l. Antiq. caenob glaston Math. west chron an 185. 186. 187. flor wâ—gor chron an 162. 184. Antiq Eccl. land Antiq. Eccl. wint Cambd. Brigant Stowe hist hollinsh hist of Engl. Theatr. of Brit. l 6 Hect. Boeth l. 5. Parker Godwin c. Eleuth ep ad Reg. Lucium Lambert l. de leg Stowe hist Godw conu of Brit. Mat. Parker Antiq. Brit. Mason of consecr foxe tom 1. Theat of Brit. l. 6. Bridg. def of the gouern l. 16. pag. 1355. Iewell ag hard old Booke of Const Guil. hall in lond l. Antiq. Brut Caius antiquit Cantabrig l. 1. leges Antiq. Reg. Edward cap. 17. Gul. Lambard l. 2. de priscis Angl. legib fol. 130. p. Hect. Boeth Scot. hist l. 5. f. 83. Godw. conuers of Brit. pag. 22. 23. Antiq. Eccl. Glastonien Galfrid monum l. 5. hist Reg. Brit. c. 1. Mat. west chron an 186. Rome was not vnknowne to the Christians and King Lucius in Britayne which moued that King as both Greeke and Latin Brittish and Saxon domesticall and forreyne Catholike and Protestant Antiquaries informe to write humble letters supplices litteras to that Pope entreating him obsecrans that by his commaundement he with his Kingdome might receaue Christianitie vt per eius mandatum Christianus efficeretur The Pope most willingly assented and sent his legates with full power to founde the Church of Britayne to Ordeyne three Archbishops and 28. Bishops with their particular Sees power and Iurisdiction who hauing established all things here returned to Rome to haue them confirmed by the Pope the Pope confirmed that they had done and they with many other preachers and the Popes confirmation returned agayne into Britayne Beati Antistites Romam redierunt cuncta quae fecerant à Pontifice confirmari impetrarunt confirmatione facta cum pluribus alijs redierunt in Britanniam Our King craued direction of that Pope also what lawes he should vse in his Kingdome and the Pope directed him therein as his epistle still extant witnesseth as our Protestants write and themselues testifie We haue seene the Bishop of Romes owne letter to King Lucius So witnesse these men This Pope went further in prescribing the limits bounds and circuites of the Dominions of this Kingdome and assigned vnto it all the Ilands to Denmarke and Norway by his sentence and by that definition ordonation they were parts of Britayne as is conteined in our old lawes many hundreds of yeares since published and approued by our Protestant lawyers and historians aswell as others Vniuersa terra tota Insulae omnes vsque Noruegiam vsque Daniam pertinent ad coronam Regni sunt de appendicijs dignitatibus Regis vna est monarchia vnum est Regnum Tales enim metas fines constituit imposuit coronae Regni Dominus Eleutherius Papa sententia sua qui primo destinauit coronam benedictam Britanniae Christianitatem Deo inspirante Lucio Regi Britonum Here also he seÌ„t first a crowne or hallowed crowne to our King being before as some Catholiks and Protestants write but a King by courtesie of the Romane Emperour and authoritie Lucus Britonibus Caesaris beneuolentia authoritate imperitabat He gaue Indulgences to our Churches namely to the old Church of Glastenbury ten yeares Indulgence as in the old antiquities of that holie place is recorded And by his Order and direction King Lucius endowed the Churches of Britayne with liberties regall Lucius Rex Ecclesias Britanniae libertatibus muniuit Gloriosus Britonum Rex Lucius cum infra Regnum suum verae fidei cultum magnificatum esse vidisset possessiones territoria Ecclesijs viris Ecclesiasticis abundanter conferens chartis munimentis omnia communiuit Ecclesias verò cum suis caemeterijs ita constituit esse liberas vt quicumque malefactor ad illa confugeret illaesus ab omnibus remaneret Thus reuerent and honourable was the spirituall power and supreamacie of the Church and Pope of Rome in Britayne and all places in these Apostolike dayes All those Apostolike men Popes or others which haue thus taught vs were glorious Saincts and King Lucius also Sainct Lucius who with all his Kingdome clergie and others so embraced it and though neither he nor the RomaÌ„s had then any temporall Rule or dominion in the Kingdome now called Scotland yet that glorious Pope by his spiriruall supreamacie subiected that contrie to the Archbishop of yorke in the land of an Enemie And this Papall supreamacie and Iurisdiction continued here euer after vntill It was taken away by King Henry the 8. taking first of all Kings the title and name of Supreame head of the Church of England neuer heard of before in any time as his owne historian Polydor virgill and all others both Catholike and Protestant English and other historians acknowledge Habetur concilium Londini Polydor. Virgil Anglic. Hist l. 27. p. 689. Stowe Howes hist an 1534. statut in Parliament an 26. Henr. 8 in quo Ecclesia Anglicana formam potestatis nullis ante temporibus visam induit Henricus enim Rex caput ipsius Ecclesiae constituitur And after King Henry the 8. had thus as he endeuoured expelled the Papall Authority spirituall out of England and assumed
any of the propositions from which it is deduced be or is of that nature Nothing can giue that to an other which it selfe wanteth and by noe meanes hath to giue A lying false or vncertaine humane witnesse or assertion can by no meanes possible make a constant and certainely true probation in any thing whatsoeuer much lesse in supernaturall matters articles of faith aboue mans capacity and therefore to be proued by diuine testimony which possibly cannot deceaue vs. And in this miserable and desolate estate and condition is the Protestant congregation of England in and for euery article pretended by them to be of faith which they hold against the Roman Church at this day and so they censure themselues by their owne definitiue sentence in this their owne cheefest Article and publikely authorized glosse thereof with diuers others of their Religion allowed and recommended writers among them Artic. 6. supr Confessio Wirtemberg cap. de Scriptura Protest glosse in art 6. p. 1. Willet Synop quaest 1. of scripture pag. 2. 3. â—dit an 1594. holnish chron f. 1299. Stowe hist an 1579. in Q. Elizabeth Io. BreÌ„t Apolog confess Wittemberg histor Dauidis Georg. Display Art 6. Magdeburg hist cent 3. ca. 11. In their Article receauing onely for canonicall bookes neuer doubted of in the Church and in the others to vse their owne authorizing words perused and by the lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publike plainely manifestly deliuering from all kinde of Authors Greeke and Latine old and late Catholike and Protestant That euery booke in particular not one excepted which they allowe for canonicall Scripture either â—n the old or new testament haue both beene â—oubted of and by their owne men Protestants deâ—ied for such Therefore it remaineth without question conâ—rary to this Protestante Article euen by themâ—elues and their best authority that neither all nor â—ny one of those bookes which vpon this vayne â—retence they haue blotted forth from the Canon â—f holy Scripture and the Roman Church still reâ—eaueth may be denyed by that Title of sometimes â—eing doubted of for wee should haue noe Scripture â—nonicall at all all bookes thereof hauing beene â—us doubted of By that colour wee might deny â—l Articles of faith which sometimes doubted of â—ue beene concluded and agreed vpon against the â—est heretiks that euer were and all their heresies â—th might and ought to be reuiued againe Sainct â—ul and Sainct Thomas Apostles were thus to â— denied Apostles and thrust out of heauen beâ—use they had doubted wee might and ought to â— that no conuerted Christian first doubting â—as â—rue Christian neither our first brittish Christian â—nge Sainct Lucius nor Kinge Ethelbert among our Saxons nor any of their first doubting and afterward conuerted Subiects and soe of the whole Christian world doubting or denying before it receaued the law of Christ All Courts Consistories Tribunals and Seates of Iustice and Iudgment ecclesiasticall and ciuil to decide and determine must be ouerthrowne no sentence or decision though of Kings Parlaments or any community is to bâ— obeyed no doubt no Controuersie hitherto eueâ— was or hereafter can or may be finally determined nothing but doubtes quarrels Controuersies anâ— contentions as wee see among Protestants nâ— peace quiet or vnion must be left vnto vs. Therâ— fore this Protestant paradoxe and presumption iâ— reiecting so many bookes of holy Scripture again both the Latine and Greeke Church onely vndeâ— colour of being sometime and by some doubteâ— of being thus grosse and absurd by their owâ— Iudgments and proceedings let vs examine whâ— this first pure and Apostolike age did Iudge of thâ— And first to begin with the scripture it selfe of tâ— The new testament by Protest â—râ—st published by King â—ames authority Matth. 6. 2. Cor. 9. Luc. 14. Ioan 9. Hebr. 5. 1. Cor. 1. Hebr. 1. new Testament euen as our Protestants receaâ— and translate it King Iames his new testament the 6. chapter of Sainct Matthew his ghospell aâ— the 9. chapter 2. Corinth citeth Ecclesiasticus â— two seuerall places In the 14. chapter of Saiâ— Luke the 4. chapter of Tobias is cited And in â— 10. chapter of Sainct Ihon the 4. chapter of the â— booke of Machabees And in the 5. chapter to â— Hebrewes the second booke And 7. chapter the Machabees In the 1. chapter 1. Corinth Tâ— first chapter of the booke of wisdome is cited chapter to the Hebrewes citeth the 7. chapter wisdome And the 9. chapter thereof is cited Roâ— Rom. 11. cap. 11. And yet wee shall scarcely finde any Text of diuers bookes of the old Testament which our Protestants allowe for canonicall to be cited at any time or place of their new testament as the 4. Booke of the Kings the 1. and 2. of Paralip the booke of the Iudges Ruth Esdras 1. and 2. Esther Ecclesiastes Cantica canticorum Abdias Sophonias Therefore wee are as well warranted by this argument of concordance of Scriptures and that holy authority to receaue for canonicall Scriptures of the old Testament all those bookes which our Protestants haue excluded as those they haue receaued The Canons ascribed to the Apostles and published by Sainct Clement per me Clementem Concil gener 6. can 2. Successour to S. Peter in this age are plainely acknowledged by the sixt generall Councell to haue beene receaued by the holy Fathers before them as deliuered from God firmi stabilesque maneant qui à sanctis patribus qui nos praecesserunt susceptiac confirmatisunt atque à Deo nobis etiam traditi sunt sanctoctorum Apostolorum nomine 85. Canones These doe Canon Apostolor can 85. vlâ— â—n the last Canon expressely receaue the books of â—he Machabees Esther and the booke of Ecclesiasticus for holy Scriptures of the old testament Veâ—erandi ac sacri libri veteris Testamenti In the very same maÌ„ner as they doe the others which our Proâ—estants allowe for such Sainct Clement often ciâ—eth Clem. epist 1. 2. Apostolic constitut li. 2. c. 4. cap. 21. c. 49. 51. cap. 63. l. 3. cap 3. l. 6. c. 19. 23. 29. l. 8. l. 7. and alloweth for bookes and parts of the old Testament Baruch Ecclesiasticus Sapientia Toâ—ias The prayer of Manasses the history of Suâ—anna the booke of Esther those parts of Daniel which our Protestants reiect the bookes of Maâ—habees and others Sainct Ignatius receaueth the booke of Daniel which our Protestants deny Ecclesiasticus Sainct Policarpus approueth Tobias Ignat. epist ad Philadelph epist ad maynesian epist ad Heron. Polycarp epist ad Philippen Dionis l. de diu nom cap. 4. Ecclesiast Hier. c. 2. de diu nom c. 7. Sainct Denys the Areopagite conuerted by Sainct Paul alloweth the booke of wisdome calleth the part of Daniel excluded by our Protestants diuine Scripture Diuina scripta These be all or the chiefest writers especially by Protestants allowance in this first age and consideringe how few of their works are
his councell King Iames Prot. Lords Bish. Doct. in Confer at HaÌ„pt Court p. 13. 18. 35. 36 10. 11 Couell ag the plea. of the Innoc. p. 104. Barlow Serm. before the K. Sept. 21 an 1607. part 3. cap. 2. Protestant Bishops and best learned Doctors assembled in publike confereÌ„ce haue left thus concluded The particular and personall absolution from sinne after confesson is apostolicall and a very Godly ordinance That baptisme is to be ministred by priuate persons in time of necessity is an holy Tradition Bishops and Archbishops be diuine ordinations confirmation iâ— an apostolicall traditioÌ„ And in their publike Rituall their communion booke they testifie that confirmation was a Tradition of the Apostles hath an externall signe also vsed by them and giueth grace which by the 25. Article of their religion maketh â— Communion booke of Engl. Protest Titul Confirmation §. Almighty Prot. of Religion art 25. a Sacrament So that to insist onely vpon these graunted Traditions not contained in Scripture by these Protestants and yet so necessary to saluation as they by their greatest allowance and authority deliuer wee may not say as this Article doth Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation These men also deliuer vnto vs with greate approbation Articul 6. supr makinge the Author of that worke and for the same a Bishop certaine sure rules to knowe such true Thraditions by in these words Rules by which wee may Iudge which are true and Indubitate Feild Books of the Church l. 4. pag. 242. August l. 4. contr Donat. c. 23. Traditions The first rule is deliuered by Sainct Augustine Quod vniuersa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliâ—â— Institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Whatsoeuer the whole Church holdeth not ordained by Councels but beinge euer holden it is most rightly belieued to haue beene deliuered by Apostolike authority The second Feild supr l. 4 c. 21. p. 242. c. 5. pag. 202. Kinge Iames and Confer at Hampton Couel def oâ— Hooker Ormer pict pap p. 184 Down l. 2. Antichr pag. 105. Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 57. rule is whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages haue constantly deliuered as receaued from them that went before them no man contradictinge or doubting of it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition The third rule is the constat Testimony of the Pastors of an Apostolike Church successiuely deliuered Amongst Apostolike Churches the Church of Rome is more specially to be obeyed reuerenced and respected The Church of Rome is our mother Church it was a rule to all both in doctrine and ceremonies when it was in her florishinge and best estate The Church of Rome was the cheife and onely Church It was a note of a good ChristiaÌ„ to cleane vnto the Romane Apostolicall Church Euery Church ought to haue respect to the Church of Rome for her eminent principality And our English Protestant antiquaries and Diuines haue generally giuen their allowance that the Church of Rome both in this and the next age when Britayne did receaue the most pure Religion of Christ from thence was most holy and vnspotted free from all error Therefore whatsoeuer wee doe or may bringe in generall or particular for vnwritten traditions either from this so renowned Apostolike Church in this time from the whole Church or the most famous and renowned in this age beinge our Protestants owne allowed rules and to be denied by none must needs be euidence and testimony vndeniable in this and all others their questioned Articles Frst I exemplifie in the Apostles Creede stiled by our Protestants before a sundry comprehension of the cheife heads of Christian Religion Protest supr Ruffin in exposit Symboli alij a rule of the Churches faith This was deliuered by the Apostles by tradition not by Scripture but before the Scriptures of the new Testament werâ— written as both they and the auncient Fathers by â— common consent of the whole Church of Christ are witnesses And the same consent of Christ Church with these our Protestants in these their Articles so conclude of Sainct Athanasius and the Art 8. of prot Religion Nicen Creede in these words The three Creeds Nicen Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to bâ— receaued beleeued And so generally they obserue although the reason which they immediatly yeelâ— thereof for they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture is childish and impertinentâ— for being confessed that the Apostles Creede waâ— deliuered onely by tradition of the Apostles and by that authoritie receaued before the Scriptures either receaued or written this Creede could not possibly be receaued by the written warrant of Scriptures but vnwritten tradition and warrant of thâ— Apostles And although the Nicen and S. Athanasius Creeds were written longe after this time yâ— they were both written receaued in the Churcâ— before the Scriptures were generally allowed anâ— receaued as both the auncent Fathers and Protestants haue acknowledged before and it is testifie by the publike warranted Protestant glosse vpoâ— Prot. Glosse by authority of Church of Engl. in Art 8. these their Articles that very many both old anâ— late writers euen whole sects and professionâ— namely to vse their owne words Ebionites Trâ—theits Antitrinitarians Apollinarians Arians Mâ—nichies Nestorians Origenians Familists and Anâ—baptists with others are Aduersaries vnto and deniers that these Creeds may be proued by holâ— Scripture Much more doe they and many other both Catholiks and Protestants themselues deny that all and singular their articles necessary to saluation may so be proued And to come to the holy and happy Apostolike writers and Saincts which liued and wrote in this first age and first hundred of yeares to wit S. Linus Sainct Clement Sainct Denys the Areopagite S. Martial Sainct Ignatius Sainct Policarpus or any other of whom any worke is extant I shall make it S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrn Theod. dialo Euseb l. 3. c. 31. Hieraâ— lib. de vir Illust S. Bern. Serm. 7. in ps 9. Marc. Michal Carnoten lib. de vir illustr Dion Carth. ad l. Areop de diuin nom Sint Sin lib. 2. Ignat. ep ad S. Ioh. 1. 2. ad B. Mar. Virg. B. Mar. epist ad Ignat. S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen Euseb hist l. 3. ca. 33. â— Chrisost orat de traÌ„sl S. Ignatij Foelix Rom. ep ad Zenon Imperat synod S. Constant Theodoret. Immutabil dialog 1. euident that in euery Article in this Protestant Religion contained in their booke of the Articles thereof they dissented from these Protestants and they and the Apostolike Church then vniuersally agreed in and professed the same doctrine which the present Roman Church doth at this day in all points This will plainely appeare in euery Article hereafter and therefore in this place I will onely cite Sainct Ignatius as a sufficient pawne or pledge
those â—hich liued not vnmarried and in pouerty after the â—anner of the Apostles could not be saued The Eucraâ—tae Irenaeus l. 1. c. 10 Epiph. l. 1. Tom. 3. haer in Tatian c. 46. vlt. Epiphan l. 2. Tom. 2. haer cap 67. cont Hieracit Schollers to Tatianus were drowned in the â—ke heresie docuerunt omnes Christianos debere à nupâ—ijs abstinâ—re caelibes viuere sic continentiam â—olebant esse praecepti non consilij Hierax and his Hieracitae maintained the like excluding all marâ—ied Christians from the Kingdome of heauen Non admittit nuptias concessum est ait in veteri testaâ—ento nuptias contraherc verum à Christi aduentu â—on amplius nuptias admitti neque posse ipsos possidere â—egnum caelorum Some of the Pelagians also held â—hat no man could be saued except he sold all he â—ad and gaue it to the poore neminem saluum esse August epist 89. â—osse nisi omnia venderet daret pauperibus quasi â—on consilium sed praeceptum hoc esset As if this were â—ot a counsaile but a commaundement Which the Protestants thus also plainely confesse in these Couel def of Hook p. 52. points all haue not holden the same opinions some thought the counsailâ—s to be of the same necessity with precepts as those heretiks called Apostolici Thus with publike approbation And yet this article in the reason it would make falleth into the same heresie plainely affirming that whatsoeuer worke of piety or perfection is or may be wrought or done in this life virginity chastity voluntary pouerty obedience or what such soeuer none excepted in this their doctrinall decree all men are beunde to doe they be bound in duty they are commaunded And so â— married men or women none that be rich noâ— that be in authority and rule spirituall or tempâ—rall Kinge Prince Prelate or whosoeuer tâ— liue not in virginity and chastity forsake not â— for Christs sake and followe him as the Apostlâ— and such did or liue not in professed obedienâ— which no Protestants doe or euer did can possibâ— be saued by the expresse conclusion of this articâ— leauing no place or hope of saluation for any of thâ— religion which hath vtterly to their power abaâ—doned all such holy estates and conditions of perfâ—ction When Christ himselfe and his Apostles aâ— the Apostolike writers of this age haue taught â— otherwise that the keepinge of the commaundâ—ments is sufficient to bringe men to saluation aâ— there be other perfections of counsaill and not nâ—cessity bringing greater glory and reward â— heauen Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata Aâ— Matth. c. 19. illi Iesus si vis perfectus esse vade vende omnia qâ— habes da pauperibus habebis the saurum in coelâ— veni sâ—quere me De virginibus praeceptum Domiâ— 1. Cor. cap. 7. non habeo consilium autem do Qui matrimonio iungâ— Matth. 19. virginem suam bene facit qui non iungit melius fâ—cit SuÌ„t eunuchi qui seipsos castrauerunt propter regnâ—â— caelorum qui potest capere capiat That these holy estates of perfection besides thâ— keepinge of the commaundements were professed Ignat. epist ad Philippen ep ad Philadelp epist ad Smy epist ad Polycarp Dion Areop supr Ignatius ep ad Heron. exercised and honored in this age I haue proued before by the Apostolike writers then Sainct Ignatius Sainct Denis and others And in his epistle tâ— Sainct Hero these holy virgins are stiled the pretious Iewels of honor vnto Christ Virgines serua vâ— pretiosa Christi monilia Sainct Iames in his liturgy â—aketh honorable mention of the liuers in monaâ—eries Dionysius Areop Eccl. Hierarc c. 6. in such condition Proijs qui in virginitate â—stitate in monasterijs degunt Dominum oremus S. â—ionisius giueth vnto them the greatest titles of â—onour perfection holinesse which this life can â—ue and next to God himselfe Ordo monachorum â— exactissimam perfectionem diuina ratione subuehiâ—r Vnde sancti patres nostri diuinis eos appellationibus â—nt prosecuti partim Therapentas id est cultores à â—cero Dei famulatu atque cultu partim monachos ab â—diuidua singulari vita appellantes vt quae illos â—nctis diuisibilium complicationibus in diuinam â—eo gratam monadem perfectionemque promoueat The â—der of monkes by a diuine manner is exalted to the most â—act perfection Whereupon our holy predecessors called â—em by diuine names partly Therapents that is worâ—ippers for their sincere seruinge and worshippinge of â—d partly also naming theÌ„ monkes for their indiuiduall â—d singular life exalting them to an hâ—auenly perfeâ—ion and acceptable vnto God Antiquaries recken Sainct Iohn Baptist greater â—en whome by the testimony of Christ himselfe â—e best witnesse no man was who was onely man â—er natos mulierum nâ—n surrexit maior Ioanne Bapâ—ta his chastity contempt of the world pouerty â—d austerity of life was a profession lesson and paâ—ne of this perfection Wee may recken such both â— Scriptures and histories all the Apostles which â—r the loue of Christ forsook all and followed â—m in holy chastity paines pennance and austeâ—y of life so longe as they liued And this was not â—gular and peculiar vnto them but a thinge alâ—ost common to very many Christians besides the â—postles and properly named disclples selling their possessions and giuing away their wealth Ricâ— of this world to serue God in more perfection aâ— to be made rich in heauen and were honored mâ— for so doing as the holy Scriptures and the mâ— worthy writers proue So at Hierusalem omnes â— Act. c. 2. eredebant habebant omnia communia Possessione â— substantias vendebant diuidebant illa omnibâ— prout euique opus erat Habentes gratiam ad omnem pâ—bem So at Alexandria vnder Sainct Marke as Phâ— then liuing seeing it Sainct Hierome and othâ— witnesse Philo disertissimus Iudaeorum videns â—lexandriae Philo l. de vita contempl Hieron l. de Script Eccl. in Marco Euangel Clem. l. 1. recogn in ep praesertim S. vita communi Vrban Papa ep decret Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Vrban 1. Ignat. Epistol ad Philadelp primam Ecclesiam adhuc Iudaizantem qâ— in laudem gentis suae librum super eorum conuersatâ— scripsit Et quomodo Lucas narrat Iero solymae credeâ— omnia habuisse communia siâ— ille quod Alexandâ— sub Marco fieri Doctore cernebat memoriae tradidit â— it was also in the Church of Rome vntill Pope Vâ—banus time as Sainct Clement and Sainct Vrbaâ— write and after as others proue And our Protestaâ— antiquaries consent affirming that Pope Vrbanâ— concluded and decreed in his time fundos vltrò â—clesiae oblatos accipiendos esse praedia debere esse comâ—nia prouentus vero viritim inter clericos distribuâ— dos esse iussit S. Ignatius speaking of the honoâ— and noblenesse of chastity and how it
recognit l. 1. he relateth it in the name of the Apostles a Councell which they kept at a feaste of Easter Cum nos duodecim Apostoliad diem Paschae cum ingenti multitudine conuenissemus ingressi Ecclesiam fratrum quae à nobis per loca singula gesta sint breuiter exponimus So of that their holy Councell wherein they decreed and composed the Creede which the Church euer since professeth and our Protestants before receaue as composed by them the history of it is expressely set downe by Sainct Clement Ruffinus and others Christo resurgente ascendente in coelum Clem. epist 1. Ruffin l. de expos Symb. misso sancto Spiritu collata Apostolis scientia linguarum adhuc in vno positi Symbolum quod fidelis nunc tenet Ecclesia vnusquisque quod sensit dicendo condiderunt vt discedentes ab inuicem hanc regulam per omnes gentes praedicarent And reciting the contents thereof concludeth that the Apostles penned it by instinct of the holy Ghost Hoc praedicti sancti Apostoli inter Clem. Const Apost l. 6. c. 14. 15. 16. 17. c. se per Spiritum sanctum salubriter vt dictum est condiderunt Diuers other such sacred Councels of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ wee might recite from approued writers and yet none of them was by the commauÌ„de or allowance of any temporall Prince or Potentate but otherwise And to make it manifest to all posterity that Princes teÌ„porall were not to haue any commaunde in such affaires as Protestants in this article pretend the same holy Apostles in their Canons by some readings in the 36. by others the 37. and by others 38. do thus decree that Bishops should twise Canon ApoÌ„stol can 36. 37. vel 38. in the yeare keepe councels and among themselues examine the decrees of religion and compose such Ecclesiasticall Controuersies as should arise first in the fourth weeke after Pentâ—cost and the second the 12. day of October Bis in anno fiat Episcoporum Synodus inter se examinent decreta religionis incidentes Ecclesiasticas controuersias componant semel quidem quarta hebdomade Pentecostes iterum autem Hyperbâ—retaei duodecimo And S. Clement from the same Apostles teacheth Clem. Apost constit l 2. c. 30 c. 26 in al. exempl further that Episcopall power and dignity was the greatest on earth Bishops were Mediatours betweene God and men in things belonging to diuine worship The Bishop is the Master of piety and Religion the Father of Christians vnder God their Prince their Leader their King their Ruler After God the earthly God who ought to enioy honour the Bishop must gouerne being adorned with the dignity of God whereby he hath power ouer the Cleargy and ruleth all the people Qui Episcopus est hic est minister verbi scientiae custos Mediator inter Deum homines in ijs quae ad eum colendum pertinent hic est magister pietatis religionis hic est secundum Deum pater vester hic Princeps Dux vester hic vester Rex praefectus hic post Deum terreus Deus qui honore vâ—stro frui debet Episcopus vobis praesideat vt dignitate Dei cohonâ—status qua clerum sub potestate sua tenâ—t toti populo pâ—aeest He tellâ—th vs againe by the same Apostolike warrant Cap. 11. that a Bishop representeth the example of God to men and ruleth all men Preists Kings Magistrats parents children and all subiects Stude Episcope vt mundus purusque sis locum tuum dignitatemque tuam actionibus declara vt pote qui exemplar Dei repraesentas praesidendo omnibus hominibus Sacerdotibus regibus Magistratibus parentibus filijs pariter cunctis Cap. 12. subditis And iudgeth with power as God doth Iudica Episcope potestate fretus tanquam Deus And as Moses by God was called a God so a Bishop Cap. 30. c. 34. 37. 13. is to be honoured as God By how much the soule is more excellent then a Kingdome Wee must loue a Bishop as a Father feare hym as a King honour him as Lord. It is graunted onely to Preists to Iudge in spirituall causes Lay men must obey the Bishop is Steward and dispenser Cap. 40. 39. of Ecclesiasticall things Wee must not aske an accompâ— of him nor obserue how he performeth his dispensation when with whom where well or ill or conueniently He hath God his Iudge who hath committed this dispensation into his hands Without a Bishop wee must do Cap. 31. nothing If any man doth any thing without the Bishop he doth it in vaine A Bishop is the heade and must noâ— Cap. 17. obey the foote a lay man but onely God He must rule hiâ— subiects not obey them The sonne doth not rule the Father nor the Seruant his Lord nor the Scholler his mastor nor the Souldier the King so the lay man must noâ— commaund the Bishop Si de parentibus secundum carnem lex diuina inquit honora patrem tuum matrem tuam quanto magis de spiritualibus parentibus vobâ— praeceptum est vt eos honoretis diligatis tanquam bâ—nâ—ficos ligatosque ad Deum Hos venerabiliter colite varijs honoribus Hos Principes Reges vestros pâ—tatote tributa tanquam Regibus penditote Si aliquid orationi addendum est plura hic Episcopus quam ille Rex olim Ille enim rem militarem tantum administrabat belli pacisque moderator ad tuenda corpora hic verò Dei Sacerdotium administrans corpus animam periculis liberat Quanto igitur corpore est excellentior tanto Sacerdotium Regno praestat Ligat enim id soluit supplicio vel indulgentia dignos Ideo Episcopum diligere debetis vt patrem timeré vt Regem honorare vt Dominum Non est aequum caput cum sis ô Episcope caudae obsequi hoc est laico homini seditioso in alterius perniciâ—m sed soli Deo Imperare enim debes subditis non parere nam neque filius imperat patri secundum originis rationem neque seruus Domino secundum potestatis rationem neque discipulus magistro neque miles Regi ita neque laïcus Episcopo The like he hath in diuers other places and in S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen ample manner S. Ignatius is as plaine in this point He telleth vs that all without exception of any must followe the Bishop as Christ his Father And none must doe any thing in matters belonging to the Church without the Bishop Omnes Episcopum siquimini vt Christus patrem Sine Episcopo nemo quicquam faciat eorum quae ad Ecclesiam spectant He manifestly maketh the Authority of Bishops greater then any regall or other on earth in these matters the Princes of Preists representing the Image of God and next to him to be honoured and obeyed and declareth it for a greater treason and disobedience to resist the Bishop then the
acta illa irrita esse quae praeâ—â—r sententiam Episcopi Romani constituuntur And those Bishops themselues in their common epistle acknowledge that the Church of Rome had primacy ouer all and with all as being the schoole of the Apostles and Metropolitaine City of piety euen from the beginning Literis suis fatebantur Ecclesiam Româ—â—â—â— Episcopi Antiochiae conuen epist ad Iulium Pap. Rom. Sozomen hist l. 2. cap. 7. Socrat. l. 2. c. 11. Concil Constantin 1. can 5. Socrat. hist l. 5. cap. 8. Primas apud omnes ferre vtpote quae Apostolorum schola pietatiâ— Metropolis licet authores Religiâ—â—â—â— Christianae primum ex oriente eo venissent iam â—â— initio fuisset Ecclesia Romana priuilegium praeter 〈◊〉 obtinet And after the City of Constantinople being made Imperiall claymed the greatest gloâ—y could be giuen vnto it the Church of Rome was still the cheife and primate euen by the Councell of Constantinople it selfe Decretum fuit vt Episcopus Constantinopolitanus proximè secundum Episcopum Romanum primas propterea obtinere quod illa ciuitas nona Roma esset appellata Our Protestants Rob. Barnes lib. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Marcello themselues acknowledge that Sainct Marcellus Pope decreed longe before any generall Councell that no Councell should be kept without the peculiar authority of the Pope of Rome Ne conciliuÌ„ sine peculiari Pontificis authoritate haberetur statuit But S. Marcellus euen in the place these doe citâ— deduceth this supreame authority to the S. Marcell ep 1. ad Episcop Antiochiae Prouinciae Church of Rome euer since Sainct Peters coming thither so writinge to the Bishops of Antioch yeelding when Sainct Peter was at Antioch the primacy was there but Sainct Peter coming from thence to Rome by Christs commauÌ„de Iubente Domino his See and primacy was translated thither Eiuâ— sedes Romam translata est And the See of Antioch at the first the cheifest thus yeelding to the See of Rome euery other must needs be subiect vnto it So were the decrees of the Apostles Who also ordayned that noe Councell might be kept without the authority of that See nor any Bishop iudged but in Councell called by that authority Si vestra Antiochena quae oliâ— prima erat Romanae cesset sedi nulla est quaecius non subiectae fit ditioni ad quam oâ—nes quasi ad caput iuxta Apostolorum eorumque Successoram Sanctiones Episcopi qâ—i voluerint velquibus necesse fuerit suffugere eamque appellare debent vt inde accipiant tuitionem liberationem Simulque ij dem inspirante Domino constituerunt vt nulla Synodus fieret praeter eiusdem sedis authoritatem nec vllus Episcopus nisi in legitima Synodo suo tempore Apostolica authoritate conuocata super quibuslibet criminibus pulsatur audiatur vel iudicetur Quia Episcoporum iudicia summarum causarum negotia siue cuncta dubia Apostolicae Sedis authoritate sunt agenda finienda Et omnia comprouintialia negotia huius sancta vniuersalis Apostolica Ecclesiae funt retractandaiudicio si huius Ecclesiae Pontifex praeceperit Sainct Alexander Pope liuing in this first Apostolike age is witnesse that Christ himselfe gaue this supreame Alexander 1. epist 1. Anaclet epist 1. Robert Barn l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Anacleto Edict Const to 1 Concil Isodor Hisp in hist Isod Iun. collect can Adrian 1. epist ad CoÌ„st Iren. 20. AbrahaÌ„ leuita chron Indiar R. Abraham Aben Esra ad cap. 11. Danielis Ammian Marcellin lib. 27. power to that Apostolike See Huic Sanctae Apostolicae Sedi summarum dispositiones causarum omnium negotia Ecclesiarum ab ipso Domino tradita saâ—â— quasi ad caput So hath S. Anacletus before him both Catholike and Protestants so acknowledging Ab ipso Domino primatum Romanae Ecclesiae super omnes Ecclesias vniuer sumque Christiani nominis populum concessum esse asseruit The words of Sainct Anacletus are more large and plaine then this Protestant allowance is And to come againe to the first generall Councell held at Nyce first the Edict of Constantine his donation and endowing the Romane Church and acknowledging therein as greate priuiledges to belonge to that Apostolike See as any Pope or learned Catholike now giueth vnto it was passed by all writers before Constantine his seating himselfe in the east and the callinge of the Nicen Councell This is manifest not onely by Christian antiquaries too many to be cited but Iewes and Pagans also By that donation it is euident that neither the Nicen nor any other such Councell could be called without the allowaaÌ„ce of the Pope of Rome secondly in the Councell of Rome consisting of 284. Bishops all subscribeing as Constantine himselfe present likewise did by all their harts and hands as greate primacy is graunted to that See as euer it claymed Nemo iudicabit primam Romanam Concil Rom. sub Syleustro can 20. sedem quoniam omnes sedes à prima sede iustitiam desiderant temperari Neque ab Augusto neque abomni clerâ— neque à Regibus neque à Populo Iudex indicabiâ—â—r Et Subscripserunt 284. Episcopi 45. Presbyteri 5. Diacont Augustus Constantinus mater eius Helena This was before the Nicen Councell by many arguments Thirdly the Fathers of the Nicen CouÌ„cell sent it in Latine to Pope Syluester Placuit vt haec omnia mitterentur ad Episcopum vrbis Nicen Conc. in praefat ep Concilij Nicaeni ad Syluestr Conest Rom. 3. Romae Syluestrum and he there in a CouÌ„cell of 275. Bishops thus confirmed it Syluester Episcopus Sanctae Apostolic aesedis vrbis Romae dixit quicquid in Niâ—aea Bithinia constitutum est adrobur sanctae matris Ecclesiae Catholicae Apostolicae à sanctis Sacerdotibus erecentis decem octo nostro ore conformiter confirmamus qui ausi fuerint dissoluere definitionem Sancti magni Concilij quod apud Nicaeam congregatum est anathematâ—zanius dixerunt omnes placet The Pope of Rome the Imperiall City of the Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant c. 7. Socrates hist l. 1 cap. 5. Theodorit world had his Preists there which supplied his place Vrbisillius penes quam Imperium est Episcopus ingrane sâ—ente aeâ—aâ—e praepeditus absuit eius tamen presbyteri qui adâ—rant locum eius suppleuerunt Their Hist l. 1. ca. 7. Sozomen hist l. 1. c. 16. names were Vitus and Vincentius Vitus Viâ—centius eiusdem Ecclesia Presbyteri pro illo adfuere What it was forthem being but onely Preists and not Bishops to supply the place of the Pope of Rome and to be present for him among so many Patriarks Archbishops and Bishops sufficiently declareth his dignity and their cheife authority iâ— Councell in that respect Which these auncient Authours of that time haue proued before assuring vs that no Councell might be kept or decree made without the Bishops of Rome
their allowance and Nicaen Conc. in Subscriptione ante nomina Episcoporum consent This is proued also by the auncient copie and subscriptions of this first generall Councell where these two Preists Legats for the Pope of Rome subscribe for him and by his power before all others Bishops Archbishops or Patriarks present whatsoeuer Victor or Victus Vinecentiâ—â— Presbyteri vrbis Romae pro venerabili vno Papa â— Episcopo nostro Syluestro subscripsimus ita credâ—â—â—â— ficut scriptum est And then after follow the subscriptions of the Bishops of Afrike Asia and Europe The Bishopâ— of Europe wherein Rome is beinge the last there in subscription these Legates of the Pope onely Preists subscribeing first of all Europe Asia or Afrike when of themselues as Preists they had â—â— place at all without power and authority from thâ— Apostolike See of Rome by which they had anâ— thus executed the cheifest in that first cheife anâ— generall Christian Councell of the world as it iâ— commonly accompted and by that title proposeâ— as an example and presideÌ„t for those that followed Which hath enforced me to continue my examination of this part of this Protestant Article thus longe in regard this Councell being so generally â—â—câ—â—ued by all may beâ— paterne square and rule vnto all in this kinde of Question The pretended onely reason which our Protestants before haue made to proue that which followeth in this article That generall Councels may erre sometimes haue erred euen in things pertaining vnto God being this forasmuch as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God is vaine Idle and to no purpose for so wee might discredit and deny all those Councels of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ before remembred especially all after the choosing of the seuen Deacons Sainct Stephen and therest For among these Nicolas authour of the Nicolaite heresie was one and so being so vnworthy an heretike may not be said to haue beene allwayes gouerned with the spirit and word of God And not finding any other generall Councell from that time vntill the first of Nice which our Protestants with generall applause receaue and all the Canons and decrees thereof being receiued by Parlaments statutes communion bookes Canons articles before and all authority they haue wee may still doubt or plainely say rather that this erred euen in things pertaining vnto God and the very nature of God himselfe the blessed Trinity And diuers others for although it consisted of the cheifest Prelates of all noble Churches in all Europe Afrike and Asia â—x â—â—nibus Ecclesijs quae frequentes in tota Europa Africa Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant cap 7. Socrat. Eccl. hist l. 1. cap. 5. Asia extiterunt Dei ministri qui facile primas ferre putabantur in vnum conuocati all Patriarkes either by themselues or Legats were there and the Emperour himselfe for such as require his consent yet they were all but an assembly of men whereof Ruffin hist Eccl. l. 1. ca. 5. Theodorit hist l. 1. Sozozomen Eccl. hist l. 1. c. 19. all were not gouerned with the spirit and word of God our Protestants goodly reason for by all writers therâ— were 17. knowne Arian heretiks amoÌ„g them and for such diuers of them with Arius condemned and exiled at that time and many more were absent in greate number And if wee should for this or any other pretended reason doubt of the truth of this men Councell it were in vayne euer to labour our seeke to haue a true generall and vndoubted Councell for a greater assembly and more likely to coÌ„clude the truth is not morally possible to be gathered For besides the Emperour all the Socrates hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 5. Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant cap. 9. Patriarks and aboue 300. Bishops there were learned Cleargy men there without number Iâ— hoc praesenti choro fuit Episcoporum multitudâ— ad nâ—morum 〈◊〉 torum aâ—plius Presbyterorâ—â— aâ—tem Diaconorum acolithorum aliorum qâ—â— istos comitabantur turbane muneraâ— quidem potest Atque ex 〈◊〉 Dei ministris alij prudenter discrtè dicendo alij vitae grauitate constanti rerum arduarum perpessione nonnulli quasi media inter istos interiecta viuendiratione eximij praeclara laudis insignia adepti sunt Thus Eusebius there present and others liuing in that time And if in ciuill and morall bodies such as the Church Councels Diets Parlaments and such like assemblies composed of many and diuers persons and conditions are wee should expect an vniuersall and generall coÌ„sent of men so assembled wee shall finde there were or haue beene or can be very few or none such in the world That first Parlament of Queene Elizabeth which ouerthrewe Catholike Religion and set vp that new profession which professeth and decreed the articles had but 4. or 5. voyces and suffrages more for their new Religion then were for the old and yet shee made so many new Protestant Lords for that purpose and vsed such irreligious practises to encrease the number for their new erection as their owne historians aboundantly haue testified The Cambd. hist Mar. Regio Scot. Stowe hist an 1. Elizab Roman and Catholike Church neuer proceeded with such poore shists and small difference of consents either in the Councell of Trent against protestants or any other former generall Councell in suppressing and condemning other heretiks and their heresies as is euident in this first generall Councell of Nice where as before so many agreed and so few dissented Constantine the greate Emperour if wee would followe Protestants for Princes Supremacy hath before made the Iudgment and sentence of the Nicen Councell the Infallible Iudgment and sentence of God and giueth the same infallibility to all such Councels Quicquid in Sanctis Episcoporum concilijs Constant ep ad Ecclesias apud Socrat. l. 1. hist Eccl. c. 6. Ruffin hist l. 1. c. 10. Episcopi Nicaeni Concil epist ad Episcopos Aegyptum Libyam Pentacol incol Socrat. supr l. 1. ca. 6. Theodorit l. 1. hist c 9. decernitur id vniuersum diuinae voluntati debet attribui If wee will beleeue hundreds of learned Bishops there assembled so they testifie quaeritè constituta decreta sint earata stabiliaque permaneant Dei Patris omnipotentis Domini nostri Iesu Christi auxilio vna cum Spiritus sancti gratia And they Anathematized the resisters of their decrees Quibus omnibus SaÌ„ctum Concilium indicit Anathema Placuit Concilio communibus suffragijs Anathema denuntiare It is euident by the 6. and 7. Canon of this Nicen Councell that the Pope of Rome Patriarke of Antioch Alexandria and by some Hierusalem had Iurisdiction ouer all Bishops in the world and they all assented if they could haue assented to errour the whole Church vnder them might haue erred Sainct Syluester Pope of Rome as before with 275. Bishops confirmed that Councell in all points
anathematizing all gaynesayers vnto it Omnes quâ— ausi fuerint dissoluere definitionem Sancti magâ—â— Concilij quod apud Nicaeam tongregatum est anathematizamus Et dixerint omnes placet Things concluded and confirmed for the whole Church by so many and greate authorities and their deniall so seuerely punished must needs be of highest and vnfallible truth The Apostles themselues in their Councels before haue giuen vndoubted testimony to this if they Ignat. epist â—d Polycarp epist ad Her had not by their Councels prefigured and giuen testimoy to the infallible verity of the decrees of generall Councels Their so many assembles and Councels might haue beene spared for whatsoeuer any one of them did or should haue decreed was without question true in matters of faith otherwise wee might call all their sacred writings the whole new testament into question The Apostolike men of the first age haue giuen like euidence before And among them S. Ignatius who would haue such councels often kept Crebrius celebrentur Conuentus Synodique doth make their decrees and constitutions of so greate and vnquestionable power and authority that he which doth otherwise although he is in other things worthy of credit although he fasteth although he liueth in virginity doth miracles and prophesieth is to be accompted for a wolfe which vnder a sheeps skin bringeth destruction and bane to the sheepe Quicunque dixerit quippiâ—â— praeterea quae constituta sunt tamet si fide dignus 〈◊〉 quamuis ieiunet quamuis in virginitate degat qâ—amnis signa edat quamuis prophetet pro lupo illum â—â—â—eas qui sub oninae pelle exitium pestemque adfert â—â—ibâ—â— So vnpossible he maketh it that such decrees should be vntrue And the first Nicen Councell Concil Nic. in Symbolo apud Ruffin l. 1. hist Eccl. c. â— Socrat. l. 1. hist c. 6. declaring that a generall Councell is the Catholike Church and reason so warrantinge by errour of such a Councell the whole Church might erre in articles of faith And that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Church euer most true might be false at sometimes which is a thing most prophane and Antichristian to be affirmed For if a generall Councell representing the whole Church ruling gouerning and teaching it in the cheifest Bishops and Pastours there present might erre the whole Church both the Gouernours and gouerned therein must needs be in the same desolate estate And our Protestant Bishops and Doctours Engl. Protest in Bilson Suru p. 82. Morton part 2. Apolog. p. 340. l. 4. c. 18. feild p. 228. with their publike allowance and approbation doe thus giue warrant vnto vs. The authority of generall Councels is most holsome in the Church A generall Councell is highest Iudge Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to subiect euery man that shall disobey such determinations as they consent vpon to excommunication and censures of like nature Wee must receaue and respect the authority L. 4. c. 5 pag. 202. of all Catholike Doctours whose doctrine and writings the Church alloweth wee must more regard the authority of Catholike Bishops more then these the authority of the Apostolike Churches amongst them more especially the Church of Rome of a generall Councell more then all these False it is that wee admitte no Iudge but Scriptures Sutcliff ag D. Kell pag. 40. 42. for wee appeale still to alawfull generall Councell This being thus generally written with authority and in the name of all Protestants especially in England they must needs graunt that generall Councels be of infallible IudgmeÌ„t in articles of religion otherwise there is no meanes left to finde the truth but wee might and must wander from one false deceitfull rule to an other without end And seeing euery Court and Consistory froÌ„ which appeales are or may be made is inferiour more vncertaine and of lesse authority then that Seate of Iudgment to whom it is appealed it is most certaine by these Protestants themselues that they which neuer had haue or as before can haue hereafter any generall Councell to which they must appeale as they doe cannot haue any possible title to true religion for themselues or the least colour or pretence of Iustice or Religion for such monstrous and horrible penalties and cruelties as are inflicted to enforce the Catholiks so many generall Councels consisting of diuers hundreds of learned and holy Bishops or to perswade them to embrace their Protestant professions which neuer had any lawfull Bishop according to this fift Councell Illud generaliter clarum est quod si quis praeter Concil Nic. can 6. Ruffin l. 1. hist Eccl. in Concil Nicen. sententiam Metropolitani fuerit factus Episcopus eum magna Synodus definiuit non esse Episcopum That is generally manifest that if any man is made a Bishop against the will or likeing of the Metropolitane this greate Councell doth define that he is no Bishop And so can make no Bishop or Preist So by this most holy Councell so often and authoritatiuely receaued by our English Protestants as is before declared they neither haue nor possibly hereafter by their proceedings can haue any one Archbishop Bishop Preist or Clâ—â—â—gy man among them for if their pretended â—â—â—ner of constitution were true which wee haue inâ—â—ncibly proued otherwise yet they themselues and all other writers confesse they had not the assent but vttermost dissent and disagreement of any domesticall or forreine Metropolitane for their new Religion or consecratioÌ„ But this sacred Councell euen in those Canons which our Protestants Nicen. Conâ— can 14. receaue doth vtterly condemne the pretended consecration and ministry of England erected against the Catholike sacrificing Preisthood assuring vs that true Preists did offer sacrifice and this Sacrifice was the body of Christ Presbyteri offerendi sacrificij habeÌ„t potestatem Offerunt corpus Christi It maintained the Popes Supremacy as before It receaued more Scriptures then Protestants doe librum Iudith Synodus Hieron praef in librum Iudith Concil Nic. can 11. 13. 14. Can. 3. Nicaena in numero Sanctarum scripturarum legitur computasse It approueth Indulgences in 4. Canons and giueth authority to Bishops in such cases It forbiddeth Clergy men to keepe any women in their howses but mother Sister grandmother Aunt They declared it to be the old tradition of the Church that Ecclesiasticall men might not marry and so commaunded Qui in clerum ante ascripti Socrates hist l. 2. c. 2. Sozomen hist Eccles l. 1. c. 22. erant quà m duxissent hi secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem deinceps à nuptijs se abstinerent By which the Protestants Church is vtterly disabled and ouerthrowne by their owne rule and article before neither hauing the true word preached Sacraments duely ministred Church rightly gouerned nor any one man among them to performe most needfull functions and duties by their owne definitiue sentence Their conclusion of this article Things ordained by
generall Councels as necessary vnto saluation hâ—â—e neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scriptures This is aboundantly before confuted where I entreated of their article of Scriptures So it is by that is deliuered in this Councell which they wholy and without any the least exception admit For in denyall of marriage vnto Cleargy men it hath done it by the old Apostolike tradition of the Church Can. 6. 7. secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem So they doe in the true gouernment of the Church by the Pope and Patriarkes Antiqua consuetudo Antiqua mores Mos antiquus Seruetur Seruentur Consuetudâ— obtinuit antiqua traditio Yet true gouernment of the Church is with them an essentiall property of the true Church vnseperable and so necessary to saluation So is the true Cleargy and consecration as also the holy Sacrifice Sacrament of the altar really containing the body of Christ yet by these men not to be declared by Scriptures they finding no such thing in them And these Protestants themselues with publike Protest of Engl. in feild libr. 4. of the Church pag. 228. allowance write Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to interpret Scriptures and by their authority to suppresse all them that gaine say such interpretation Therefore if there were question of truely interpreting Scripture Protestants must yeeld to generall Councels and not these to them particular Churches if the Protestant was such must of duty and necessity submit themselues to the vniuersall and Apostlike Catholike such as a generall Councell is as the first Nicen Councell in the Creede thereof which Protestants receaue doth declare it selfe and such generall Councels to be and so inflicteth censures Anathematizat Caâ—â—olica Symb. Niceâ— Ruffin lib. 1. hist c. 5. Soc. l. 1. hist c. 6. Apostolica Ecclesia Therefore wee are sure a generall Councell cannot erre in expounding Scriptures or any decree of faith That our Christian Britains were of this minde opinion and profâ—ssion their Bishops with longe and tedious labours present at the greate primitiue Councels of Arles Sardice Ariminum and others by all witnesses and with our King and Emperour at Nice in most probable Iudgment also Rome and the sacred Nicen Councell here then authentically receaued and embraced by all holy writers giue aboundant testimony THE X. CHAPTER The 22. Article thus likewise examined and condemned THE next article the 22. in number is intituled of Purgatory And is thus The Romish doctrine The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and other satisfaction for the true faithfull deceased practised in this first agâ— concerning Purgatory pardons worshipping and adoration aswell of Images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saincts is a fond thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warranty of Scripture but rather repâ—gnant to the word of God Much matter in few words many things peremptorily affirmed nothing proued All false and foolish also where as they would haue all thing grounded vpon warranty of Scripture so many times by theÌ„ affirmed and as often by me before confuted And to take their assertions in order beginning with their first about the Romish their phrase doctrine concerning Purgatory This is thus set downe in the Councels of Florence and Trent If men truely ponitent depart this life in the loue of God before they haue satisfied for their sinnes their soules are purged with the paines of Purgatory And that they may be releiued from such paines the suffrages of the saithfull aliue to wit sacrifice of Masse prayers and almes and other offices of piety which by the faithfull are vsed for other faithfull people according to the instituâ—â—ons Concil Flor. Concil Tâ—id Sessione 4. can 30. of the Church doe profit them Definimus si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfeâ—eriâ—â— omissis eorum animas paenis Purgatorij purgari Et vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur prodesse his viuorum fidelium suffragia Missarum scilicet sacrificio orationes eleemosynas pietatis officia quae à fidelibus proaijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt secundum Ecclesiae institutae Nor is this the Romish onely but also the Greekish and Catholike doctrine of the Church of Christ So is affirmed by Gennadius their learned Patriarke in his defence of the recited Councell of Florence The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and Sacrifice Gâ—nad Schol. in defens CoÌ„cil Floraent def â— cap. 3. for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles That which the Laâ—â—nes call purgatorium purgatory they of the Greeke Church name catharterion a purging place They were onely Scismaticorum Sectatores followers of Scismatikes which denied it This is likewise confessed Relation of Relig. c. 53. 54. 55. by our English Protestants and knowne vnto all trauaylers either into the contries or writers of the Greekes Now let vs see whether it was the doctrine of the Apostolike age or noe The Greeke Patriarke hath before affirmed it So will our Protestants hereafter And the Apostolike men of this age affirme and proue it Sainct Clement saith his Master and predecessour Sainct Clem. Rom. Epist 1. Peter among other things did teach mortuos sepelire diligenter corum exequias peragere proque eis orâ—â—e eleemosynas dare To bury the deade and diligently performe their funerals and pray and giue almes for them He deliuereth further how in their publike Constitut Apost l. 8. c. 19. Church seruice and Sacrifice of that time among their prayers for other necessaries they prayed for the faithfull departed out of this world Pro ijs qui infide quieuerunt oremus And from Iames Alphaeus named the Brother of our Lord frater Domini he setteth downe the manner how the Deacon vsed publikely to giue warning in the time of the holy Sacrifice to pray for the soules of the faithfull deceased deliuering the very prayer commonly vsed in such cases directly proueing a place of Purgatory and prayer for the deliuery of the faithfull departed from thence with a remission of all punishment they had deserued and were to suffer vntill they were by such meanes freed thereof Pro defunctis qui in Christo requieuerunt L. 8. supr cap. 47. iuxt al. 40. 41. postquam Diaconus edixit orandum esse adiunget etiam haec oremus profratribus nostris qui in Christo requieuerunt vt Deus summae erga homines charitatis qui animam defuncti suscepit remittat ei omne peccatum voluntarium non voluntarium propitius illi factus collocet eam in regione piorum qui laxati sunt in sinu Abrahae Isaac Iacob cum omnibus qui à saeculo condito Deo placuerunt vnde fugit dolor maeror gemitus And againe ipse nunc respice hunc seruum tuum quem in aliam sortem elegisti assumpsisti condona ei si quid tum volens tum
the other containing the Image of Christ and his 12. Apostles and was there worshipped in the Church Aliud quoque aliquanto maius linteum in Dorothaeus Synop. de vita morte propheâ—arum in Ierem. Ecclesia illa veneratur quod fertur à Sancta Maria contentum duodecim Apostolorum ipsius Domini continens Imagines vno latere rubro altero viridi S. Dorotheus writeth that Ieremy the Prophet prophesying of the coming of Christ gaue this for a certaine token and signe to know the time because all people then should worship the crosse Signum aduentus ipsius erâ—t â—obis quando vniuersae Pallad hist laus in vit Apollinis Soâ— hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Cassio l. 6. c. 42. Niceph. l. 10. c. 31. Guliel Eisengren centen 1. part 1. distinct 3. Volater câ—mmen l. 13. Pet. de Natal l. 3. c. 228. gentes lignum adorabunt And gaue an other signe as certaine and notorious as the other to the Preists of Egypt where he prophesied that when the Messias should be borne of a Virgin and ly in a manger all their Idols should be broken and fall downe which the Prophet Esay also thus foretold mouebuntur simulachrae Aegypti à facie eius Which all writers Greeke and Latine Catholiks and Protestants confesse and proue to haue beene â—ffected when Christ newly borne with his mother fledde into Egypt the Idols of that nation most Idolatrous then fallinge downe And to make euident euen to blinded men that Christian Images be not idols or forbidden but allowed and to be reuerenced at that very time when the idols were thus miraculously destroyed the holy Prophet both appointed the Egyptians to make Christian Images namely of Christ and his blessed mother and reuerence Dorothaeus supr them which they did And this was both publikly and by all practized and by their King as authentically examined and approued Ieremias signum dedit Sacerdotibus Aegyptiacis quòd oporteat simulachra eorum concuti decidere per seruatorem puerum ex virgine nasciturum in praesepi iaciturum propterea etiam nunc virginem in lecto Infantem in praesepio collocant adorant Et cum causam olim Ptolomaeus Rex percontaretur responderunt mysterium esse ipsis a maioribus traditum quod illi a sancto Propheta acceperint SuetoÌ„ in Aug. lactant firm Aug. l. de inuitat Mart. Polon chron in Augusto Ran. Highed hist l. 4. c 2. 3. Herâ—â— Schedel aetat 5. fol. 93. Speed Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Annal. Eccles Chart. in Gallia Francisc Belleforest Cosmog l. 2. p. 303. in Iud. v. druid alij This was likewise reuealed to Augustus the Emperour by the apparition of a Virgin with a child in her armes from heauen And he fell downe and worshipped the Image or apparition And is commended for it by all writers Apertum est coelum nimius splendor irruit supereum vidit in coelo pulcherrimam virginem stantem super altare puerum tenentem in brachijs Et miratus est nimis vocem dicentem audiuit Haec ara filij Dei est Qui statim proijciens se in terram adorauit This was the doctrine and practise of the Druides of this Kingdome aâ—d Fraunce whome our Protestants merueylouslie commend vnto vs for hauing a Prophesie among them that the Sauiour of the world should be borne of a virgin they erected Churches Images vnto theÌ„ namely at Charters in FrauÌ„ce Where their Prince and they both founded such a Church with an Image of the blessed virgin with Christ in her armes and worshipped it as the auncient tradition and Annals of that Church with others proue The Image or signe of the Crosse is not so resembling representatiue of Christ or his PassioÌ„ as the Images of Christ and his Saincts be of them especially that being a common Instrument of death in the greate Romane Empire at the death of Christ And yet in honour of Christ suffering death and râ—deeming the world by his passion vpon a Crosse The signe â—nd Image thereof was presently after his death euen by his Apostles disciples and first Christians in this age had and vsed with greate reuerence and honour I may be more breife in this matter seeing our Protestants by their greatest euen regall authority haue thus declared The signe King Iames and his B. B. confer at Hampt Couel ag Burg. p. 139. 124. 125. Communion Booke Tit. publike Baptisme of the Crosse is an Apostolicall constitution and Tradition And so they vse in their publike practicall communion booke at the baptisme of euery child thus prescribing for a rule and law The Preist shall make a Crosse vpon the childes forchead saying wee receaue this child into the congregation of Christs flocke and doe signe him with the signe of the Crosse in token that hereafter â—e shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to sight vnder his banner against sinne the world and the deuill and to continue Christs faithfull seruant vnto his lines end Amen Therefore if by so greate a Protestant warrant and profession the signe of the Crosse is so honorable that it is an Apostolicall constitution binding and commaunding all an Apostolicall tradition to be religiously kept and obserued of all so honorable and necessary a profession confession and testimony of our faith and Religion neuer to be denied that when wee were infants and could not doe this of our selues it was and ought to be performed by others for vs as our whole faith was so professed for vs in our baptisme much more ought all Christians coming to yeares of Iudgment and discretion performe those holy bondes and duties by themselues And that our Protestants need not feare they haue herein donne or graunted too much they shall heare the Apostolike men of this age from whom they haue in some sorte borrowed this their doctrine practise and confession deliuer the Apostolike doctrine vse custome farre more plainely amply and honorably in this busines The old Anonymus writer of the Apostles liues Fredic Nausea ep Vienn Prooemen in vit Apostol Anonym antiq in vit S. Thomae Apost Idem in vit S. Bartholomaei published by the learned Bishop Fredericus of Vienna allmost an hundred yeares since and then the exemplar exceeding old characteribus plusque vetustis inscriptum writeth that Sainct Thaddeus cured Kâ—ng Abgarus with the signe of the Crosse imposito Regi crucis signaculo ab omni eum languore sanauit An holy Angell engraued in square stones foure Crosses in euery corner of the Church one per quatuor angulos circumuolans digito sâ—â— in quadrâ—tis saxâ—s sculpsit signum crucis And gaue Charge to make the signe of the Crosse on their foreheads Quale signum ego sculpsi in his saxis tale vos digitâ— Id. in vit S. Ioan. Apost vestro facite in frontibus vestris omnia mala â—â—gient a vobis Sainct
Preist is to offer Sacrifice and Minister other Sacraments and Deacons are to Minister vnto them in such holie mysteries and so must needs haue power giuen them accordingly in their consecration and this was so with the Apostles and Ignat. epistol ad Heronem Diaconum the first Preists and Deacons Sacâ—rdotes sunt Tâ— verò Diaconus Sacerdotum Minister Baptizanâ— sacrificant manus imponunt tu verò illis ministras vt Sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo presbyteris qui Epistol ad Trallian erant Hierosolymis Oportet Diaconos mysteriorum Chtisti ministris per omnia placere nec enim ciborum potuum ministri sunt sed Ecclesiae Dei administratores Ipsi itaque tales sunt at vos reueremini illos vt Christum Iesum cuius vicarij sunt Episcopus Typum Dei Patris omnium gerit presbyteri verò sunt consessus quidam coniunctus Apostolorum chorus Sine his Ecclesia electa non est nullasine his Sanctoruâ— congregatio nulla Sanctorum electio Quid Sacerdotium aliud est quam sacer caetus consiliarij assessoreâ— Episcopi Quid verò Diaconi quà m imitatores Angelicarum virtutum quae purum inculpatum ministerium illi exhibent vt sanctus Stephanus beato Iacobo Timotheus â—nius Paulo Anacletus Clemens Petro Qui igitur his non obedit sine Deo prorsus impurus est Christum contemnit constitutionem eius imminuit S. Martial deliuereth plainely a cheife and principall cause of the honour and excellencie of this Sacrament of holie Orders because among other eminencies thereof Bishops and Preists offer and Deacon assist them therein the most holie sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood vpon an holie Altar the very same which the Iewes did by malice offer Martial epist ad Burdegal cap. 3. when they crucified Christ Sacerdotes honorabatis qui decipiebant vos sacrificijs suis qui mutis surdis statuis offerebant Nunc autem multò magis Sacerdotes Dei omnipotentis qui vitam vobis tribuunt in calice viuo pane honor are debetis Christi corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per Inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam The Britanâ— here so held praestandam mortem effugandam hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in sui commemoratioâ—em This was also the doctrine of our first Christian Gildas l. de excid conq Britan. c. 26. manuscript antiq de tit S. Patricij Capg in cod Giâ—ald Caâ—mb Britans Their Preists were consecrated to offer the heauenly Sacrifice at the holie Altar They conseâ—rated Christs bodie and blood with their mouthes â—roprio ore And of all the people in the world as â—heir Antiquities witnes they most honoured clearâ—ie men in such respects Ecclesiasticis viris longè â—agis quà m vllaÌ„ gentem honoreÌ„ deferentes Their Bishops were consecrated with holie Chrisme imposition in descript cambr c. 18. of hands and consecrating words in consecratione Pontificum capita eorum sacri Chrismatis infusione perungere cum Inuocatione sancti Spiritus manus impositione The hands of Preists were consecrated Gild. l. de excid Britan. in castigatione Cleri to offer and handle the blessed Sacrifice Benedictione initiantur Sacerdotum manus S. Paule in diuers places proueth it giueth grace so making it a true and proper holie Sacrament Noli negligere 1. Timoth. 4. gratiam quae in te est quae data est tibi cum impositione manuum presbyterij And admoneo te vt resuscites 2. Timoth. 1. gratiam Dei quae est in te per impositionem manuum mearum And Christ himselfe by his owne example and testimonie S. Iohn the Euangelist so recording affirmeth that the holie ghost and power to forgiue sins were giuen in this Sacramentall ceremonie Io 20. Accipe Spiritum fanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis And it is the witnesse of God that holie Orders is the worke of the holie ghost Dixit Spiritus sanctus Segregate mihi Saulum Act. 13. Barnabam in opus ad quod assumpsi eos Tunc iâ—iunantes orantes imponentesque eis manus dimiserunt illos It is confessed by the greatest Protestant authoritie in England of King Protestant Bishops K. Iames and his protest publike conference at hampton court Couell def of hooker p. 87. and others their best scollers in their publike examen of their Religion That this power of Orders giuen as they pretend by imposition of hands Iâ— diuinae Ordinationis and de iure diuino The ordinâ—â—ce of God and by his diuine lawe To these persons Gâ—â— imparted power ouer his mysticall bodie which is â—â— societie of soules and ouer that naturall which is himself Mod. exâ—minaâ— pag. 105. 155. def of hooker pag. which antiquitie doth call the making of Christ body The power of the ministry by blessing visâ—â— elements it maketh them inuisible grace giueth 87. 88. 91. daily the holy ghost it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules It is a power which neither Prince nor potentate King nor Caesar on earth can giue The Apostles did impart the same power to ordayne which was giuen to them And in their publikly authorized Rituall and Protest Booke of Consecrat in Order Bish. and Preists booke of consecration or making Protestant Bishops and Preists warranted by their parlaments in these very Articles and their generall practise in ordayning all their Church men it is diuers times and plainely confessed both by words and actions that the holy ghost grace and power to giue grace and forgiue sinnes is infallibly giuen Protest confat hampton Communion Booke Titul visitat of the sike by the externall signe or ceremony vsed therein And both their publike conference and examen of their Religion and the common booke of their Church seruice do proue and giue warrant from hence from their ministers to forgiue sinns by such power committed to them from God in their ordination Therefore if there be any ground or warrant for the Protestant Religion of England or any one point or article thereof though but such as they pretend for the proposers and authorizers thereof whether Protestant Prince parlament conuocation canons Articles the publik bookes and practise thereof or whatsoeuer els they can name in this kinde holie Orders and preisthood so vehemently persecuted by them is by their owne doctrine and Religion an holie Sacrament in such proper true sense and meaning as it is vsed in the Romane Church at this time and euer was They were the Messaliani or Massaliani Euchitae or Enthusiastae heretiks about the Damascen de haeresib hist tripart l. 7. Theod. l. 4 c 11.
sed vnum licet à multis offeratur sit vnum Corpus Christi cum illo quod suscepit in vtero virginali non multa corpora nec nunc quidem est aliud magnum aliud minus aliud hodie aliud eras offerimus sed semper idipsum aequam magnitudinem habens proinde vnum est hoc sacrificium Christi non diuersa Nam si aliter esset quoniam multis in locis offertur multi essent Christi quòd obsit Vnus ergo vbique est hic plenus existens illic Plenum vnum corpus vbique habens Et sicut qui vbique offertur vnum corpus est non multa corpora it a etiam vnum sacrificium I haue beene enforced by this Article forging S. Augustines authoritie for the grounde thereof to discend thus â—owe to defend him and shew the feeble and false foundation of our Protestants in this poynt THE XXII CHAPTER The 30. Article intituled of both kindes examined and where it is contrary to the Romane Church condemned THE 30. and next Article being intituled of both Kindes consisteth of these words The cuppe of the Lord is not to be denyed to the lay people For both the partes of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinaunce and commaundement ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike This is all this Article and it is confuted before where I haue proued that both in and immediately after the Apostles time and by their order and direction this blessed Sacrament was both honorably preserued onely vnder the forme of bread and so often ministred vnto the primatiue Christians which in no case or respect might be done if Christ had ordeyned and commaunded otherwise and the contrary as this Protestant Article pretendeth And so the Apostles themselues and the Apostolike Church then the true Church of Christ without all question both by Catholiks and Protestants had erred in a thing of necessitie requisite according to Christes ordinance in so greate a Sacrament and so by these men and their diuinitie in this Article the true Church of Christ was not the true Church and he neuer had a true Church for in their Article of the Church before they define it to be a congregation of faithfull men in which the Prot. Artiâ—l 19 sup of 〈◊〉 oâ— the Church pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duâ—ly ministred in all thâ—se things that of necessitie are requisite to the same Therefore this Protestant Article assirming that both the partes of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinaunce and commaundement ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike is false in itselfe and contradictorie to their owne most allowed proceedings for not onely diuers of their priuate writers but the parlament lawe of all our Protestant Princes King Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth Statute of King Edw. 6. Titul Sacram in both Kindes Stat. in parliam 1. Elizabeth Iames 1. Charles 1. King Iames and King Charles their Rule and warrant for this Article doth confesse enact and decree that in the true primatiue Church this Sacrament was not allwayes ministred in both Kindes but some times in both some times in one onely Therefore by these men the true primatiue Church neuer did nor could adiudge or hold that the ministration of this Sacrament allwaies in both Kindes was Christs Ordinance and commaundement otherwise by ministring it often in one onely Kinde as this cheâ—fe Protestant parlament and their religion therein confesse it had acknowledged itselfe to haue erred from Christs ordinance and commaundement in a Sacrament and necessitie requisite and so by these Articles not to haue beene Christs true Church and he had by these men no true Church at all Againe These Protestants standing in this Article vpon the Ordinance and commaundement of Christ confesse that he instituted and ordeyned this Sacrament at his laste supper and what he commaunded concerning it he then commaunded it and they also confesse the three Euangelists S. Matthew S. Marke and S. Luke to be the Euangelicall Registers of that his holie ordination But all thus do plainely testifie that none but his twelue Apostles were then present Discumbebat Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. cum duodecim discipulis eius Venit cum duodecim Vnus ex duodecim discubuit duodecim Apostoli cum eo Et ait illis desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum And our Protestants before in their most allowed publick communion booke haue so deliuered saying of the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread Iesus gaue it to his Disciples saying take eate this is my bodie which is giuen for you And of the other parte he gaue it to them saying drinke you all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shedd for you And all these witnesses the Euangelists S. Paule 1. Corinth 11. Catholiks Protestants do freely acknowledge that Christ then pronounced and spake these words hoc facite in meam commemorationem do this in commemoration of me vnto them all Giuing them thereby power and commaunde to do what he had donâ— in that misterie which was as is proued before to transubstantiate and chaunge breade and wine into the blessed bodie and blood giuen and shedd for the sinnes of the world and this euen our Protestants haue before acknowledged confessing that supernaturall power to haue beene in Christes Apostles then present Preists after them for there is no other place in scripture the Rule of these men wherein such power was communicated vnto them or Christ a Preist after the Order of Melchisedech exercised the office or Act of that preishood So that none but they which were then consecrated Preists which euer offer this Sacrifice in both Kindes were present to receaue this charge of them both And this is directly told vs not onely by all Catholike writers but Protestants with the greatest allowance their Religion can giue the authoritie of the supreame of their Church by the greatest champion externall which euer it had the Archbishop of Spalato which with King Iames Marc. Anton. l. 2. de repub Christian c. 2. pag. 167. and his cheifest Protestants warrant thus writeth Ad hoc Sacerdotium promoti sunt Apostoli à Christo Domino in vltima caena quando eis dixit hoc facite in meam commemorationem The Apostles were promoted to preisthood by Christ our Lord in his last supper when he said to them do this in my commemoration And agayne Quod consecrantes panem orationes fundamus c. 4. p. 219. eoque fideles pascamus Christi Iussum facimus qui id iniunxit dicens hoc facite in meam commemorationem hoc ipsum quod me nunc vidistis facere vos facite circa panis vini benedictionem Where the Apostles and Preists receaued and receaue power and commaunde to consecrate bread and wine into the bodie and blood of Christ as he then did And we must needs so say
Deacons and of women incapable of such degrees are not commaunded in Gods lawe ynto them before they voluntarilie vowe that holie state Yet none but monstrous men doe or can thinke but their vowes being so made doe binde then Thirdly whereas the lawe of God and these men in their publike practicall of Religion doe say that true Marriage is holy Matrimony an honorable estate Protest communioÌ„ booke Tit. Matrimony §. dearely c. instituted of God signifying vnto vs the mysticall vnion which is betweene Christ and his Church which holy estate Christ adorned and beatisied with his presence and first miracle The so called Marriage of Protestant Bishops Preists and Deacons was not such in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth by their owne lawes but quite contrarie the children betweene such men and women termed their wyues were not legitimate could not inherite either lands or honour from such a Father the Father being a gentleman the sonne could not giue his Armes but with a bend Sinister a testimony of bastardie nor inherite anie lands he had The woman had noe dower by their lawes giuing it to all lawfull wyues So that in these pretended lawfull Marriages there was nothing by their owne proceedings which belongeth to the lawfull holy honorable matrimonie the pretended husbands were fornicarious concubinaries their women harlots concubines all their children bastards and illegitimate and in this opprobrious shamefull condition though tolerated without further punishment they continued vntill King Iames after 44. yeares age Statute of King Iames for marriage of minist of their ReligioÌ„ by his Parlament lawe made such Bargaines men women and their children legitimate or not vnlawfull among English Protestants 4. The Protestant lawes and Religion of England haue not taken away or disabled the Canon lawe in which they freelie confesse the Marriage of all such men is forbidden and condemned further ther Stat. in Parliam 1. Eliz. An. 1. Iacobi it is contrarie to the lawe of God as in this point it is not but most conformable vnto vs as is euident before and shall be made most manifest hereafter Therefore these Protestants supplying those places of Bishops Preists and Deacons may not yet lawfullie marrie in their owne Iudgments and proceedings nor by the lawe of God in holie Scriptures themselues by their exposition of them For first it is euident in Scripture in manie places that the virginall Matth. 19. 11. 1. Corin. 7. 8. Apoc. 14. 4. 1. Reg. 21. Is 25. 1. Cor. 7. Ieuit. 20. Luc. 1. exod 19. Mat. S. Marc. 9. Luc. 14. c. Prot. art 6. and chaste life in respect of Religion is to be preferred before marriage and cleargie men by the same lawe being Pastours guides teachers light and example to others and called to the greatest perfection it is most needfull for them therefore if the 6. Protestant article decreeth truelie that things read in scripture or proued thereby are articles of faith and requisite necessarie to saluation they may not by Scripture allowe Bishops Preists and Deacons or any of them to marrie either by their owne discretioÌ„ which this Article contendeth or by their pretended Bishops allowance by their Iniunction noe Protestant Article or IniuctioÌ„ can be of greater authoritie then the lawe of God Christ himselfe our high Preist and Sacrifice a most pure Virgin and sonne according to his humanitie of the most immaculate Virgin who often in holy Scripture calleth vpon all Preists to followe him And promising to heare the petition of all that duely aske calleth vpon vs embrace Virginitie Sunt eunuchi qui Matth. 19. seipsos castrauerunt propter regnum caelorum Qui potest capere capiat He telleth vs by his Apostle virginitie and chastitie are more pleasinge to him and better for them that serue him especially in sacred functions then the married life Dico non nuptis viduis 1. Cor. 7. bonum est illis si sic permaneant sicut ego Qui sine vxore est solicitus est quae Domini sunt quomodo placeat Deo Qui non iungit matrimonio virginem suam melius facit And these virgins be they which followed Apocal. 14. Christ in this life and doe soe in heauen Hi sunt qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati Virgines enim sunt Hi sequuntur agnum quocunque ierit This chastitie could not soe virginallie and perpetuallie be kept by the Preists of Moyses lawe being onely of one tribe the tribe of leui and so could not be without marriage to keepe a successioÌ„ in that tribe yet although their Sacrifices and seruing God were then vnperfect in respect of those in the lawe of Christ and they serued not continuallie in the temple and at the altare as Christian Preists daylie doe but by their turnes and succeeding times yet when their times and turnes of seruing in the temple came they left their wyues aâ— Leuit. 21. 1. par 23. Luc. 1. Exod. 19. their contrie howses in their tribe and they in Hierusalem during their time of sacrifice and seruicâ— there performed it in holy chastity euen from theiâ— wyues And after knowledge of their wyues before they might serue at the altar were to be sanctified ne appropinquetis vxoribus was in some cases generally commaunded No Preist might marrya dishonest woman Scortum vile prostibulum non ducet vxorem nec eam quae repudiata est a marito quia consecratus est Deo suo panis propositionis offert sit ergo sanctus quia ego sanctus sum Dominus qui sanctifico vos The high Preist might Marrie none but a virgin Virginem ducet vxorem Neither was it lawfulâ— in that vnperfect figuratiue and marrying lawe either for Preist or other euen in need not chaste to eate things sacrificed as in the rase of Dauid and his company coming to Abimelech the high â— Reg. 21. Preist for releife and succour who hauing nothing to releiue theÌ„ with but the sacrificed breade would not giue it vnto them but first examining them whether they had abstained from women si mundi sunt pueri maximè à mulieribus And Dauid answeared they were Et respondit Dauid Sacerdoti dixit ei quidem si de mulieribus agetur continuimus nos ab heri nudius tertius quando egrediebamur fuerint vasa puerorum Sancta And the Preists which did eate this sacrificied breade and other oblations were absent from their wiues seruing in the Tabernacle and temple at such â—imes in chastitie And S. Epiphanius saith thaâ— â—piphan Haer. 79. Moyses himselfe the giuer of that lawe did euer after he was called to be a Profete absteyne from his wife Postquam prophet auit moyses non amplius coâ—â—â—â—ctus est vxori non amplius liberos genuit habet enim vitam domino vacantem vacare autem domino non potest qui marits officio fungitur Therefore seing the Preists of the lawe though marryed
be true nor the liberty therein allowed lawfull but wantonly licentious and damnable THE XXV CHAPTER Tbe 33. 34. Articles examined an in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned THeir 33. next article intituled of excommunicate persons how they are to be auoided containeth nothing contrarie to the doctrine or practise of the Church of Rome as is manifest in these the verie words thereof That person which by open denuntiation of the Church is rightly cut of from the vnity of the Church and excommunicate ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithfull as an heathen and publican vntill he be openly reconciled by pennance and receaued into the Church by a Iudge that hath authority thereto Therefore I passe it ouer and come to the next 34. article intituled Of the traditions of the Church and followeth in these words It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vterly like for at all times they haue beene diuers chaunged according to the diuersity of contries times and mens manners So that nothing be ordained against Gods word Whosoeuer through his priuate Iudgment willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be ordained and approued by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may feare to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authority of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren Hitherto this article seemeth to haue litle or no opposition to the Church of Rome but it may be passed ouer with silence The rest of it immediatelie thus followeth Euery particular and nationall Church hath authority to ordaine chaunge and abolish ceremonies orrites of the Church ordained onely by mans authority So that all things be done to edifying This clause is euidentlie false and prophane in itselfe for making euery particular Church many thousands such being in the world to be supreame iudge sentencer not onely to ordaine chaūge abolish ceremonies and rites of the vniuersall Catholike Church but to haue ouerruling authority to decree and commaund what is fit or fittest for edification taketh away all possible hope of edification and bringeth most certaine destruction confusion and desolation by making so many thousands of Supreame Iudges in these doubts as there be particular Churches which is a thinge most foolish and irreligious to affirme and vnpossible to be acted Further it is directly opposite repugnant to their owne 19. and 20. articles before of the Church and authoritie thereof In the 19. article they teach that all particular Churches euen the cheifest haue erred not onely in their liuing manner of ceremonies but also in matters of faith Therefore by these Protestants wee may neither admit so many or any one such erring false Iudge in such things Neither by their doctrine may wee stand to the censure of any particular nationall Church but onely of the one Catholike militant Church of Christ which as it is euer by that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Artic. 19. Church holy and vnspotted from errour so by these men in the same article it is thus assigned to be our onely true Iudge in these affaires The visible Churcb of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacramēts be dayly ministred according to Christs ordināce in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And in their next article of the same one onely Church thus they decree in these words of the authority of the Church The Church hath power to decrecrites or ceremonies and authority in Controuersies of faith And their best writers haue published with their common and best allowance this sentence in this Question The primatiue Councels haue condemned Couell Mod. exam p. 65. them as heretikes onely for being stiffely obstinate in this kinde of denying the ceremonies of the Church They exemplifie thus in Aerius Aerius Feild l. 3. cap. 29 pag. 138. Couel exam pag. condemned the custome of the Church For this his rash and inconfiderate boldnesse in cōdemnig the vniuersall Church of Christ was iustly condemned The custome ceremonie and tradition which this heretike denied and was therefore by these men iustlie condemned was as they confesse naming the deade at the altare and offering the sacrifice of Eucharist for them This is but a ceremony by them because they contend it is not contained is scripture nor may be proued thereby as they likewise haue pretended for all other things which their Articles before haue reiected both in Sacraments and other doctrines and customes which I haue proued against them and doe leaue them as alterable ceremonies vpon that feeble and vaine pretence Vnder this pretence they haue taken away all our Missals or orders of holie Masse vsed in all Churches with their religious ceremonie from the Apostles time as I haue proued before So they haue done by all rituals and ceremonials about the ministring the Communion Booke and Booke of Consecrat of King Edu 6. Franc. Mason and the Prot. of their consecrat in Mat. Parker Prot. art 36 infra Stat. in parlamento an 2. Eduardi 6. holy Sacraments and brought in their places the childish and womanlie deuises of a named communion booke by yong King Eduard 6. and Queene Elizabeth and an other named and stiled by them The forme and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons quite omitting all other orders euer vsed in all Churches from Christs time and these fashions neuer vsed before by their owne cōfession by anie Christian Britans Saxōs French or others in this Kingdome or all the world but to vse their owne words in these articles lately set fourth in the time of Eduard the sixt and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parlament the second yeare of the aforenamed King Edward He then being about eleuen yeares old a farre to yonge censurer Iudge and condemner of all Churches with their holie vniuersallie receaued ceremonies to bring in so straunge and childish an Innouation We are assured by the Apostolike men of this first age and others that euen from the Apostles there were manie particular ceremonies deliuered to be immutably vsed in all Churches Thus S. Clement and S. Dionisius the Areopagite Clem. Rom. Apost const lib. 8. cap. 29. Dion Areop Ecclesiastic Hierarc c. 2. with diuers others deliuer of hallowing oyle and water to heale diseases driue away deuils and and like effects settinge downe the verie manner how to sanctifie them Domine Deus Sabaoth Deus virtutum qui dedisti aquam ad bibendum oleum ad exhilarandum faciem in exultationem laetitiae ipse etiam nunc sanctifica per Christum hanc aquā oleum ex nomine eius qui obtulit tribue
demonstrate First then if the decree of this Article as they terme it were to be accepted and receaued for a iust and lawfull decree yet the first Protestant Bishops Preists and Deacons in Queene Elizabeth her time from which all that now bee in England or haue beene since then cannot be saide to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered by this verie Article it selfe For that supposed booke of King Edward the sixt being abrogated and taken away by Queene Maryes lawes and not afterward receaued by the Protestant lawes of Queene Elizabeth vntill in thes Articles in the yeare of Christ Booke of Articl an 1562. 1562. as their date is Queene Elizabeth beginning her Reigne on the 17. day of Nouember in the yeare 1558. all their first pretended Bishops Preists and Deacons must needs be vnrightly vnorderly and vnlawfully made though by that booke of King Eduard because there was no Protestant Right Order or lawe to make or admitte any into such places by that booke not approued or allowed by any Protestant Right Order or lawe all that time Againe the first Protestant consecration or admittance of any to bee a Bishop by that booke or order in Queene Elizabeth her Reigne Franc. Mason of consecrat Registr Matt. Parkeri Butler ep de consecrat ministr Suâ—cl ag D. Kell pag. 5. was on the 17. day of December in her second yeare as they pretend from their Register of Matthew Parker But their owne both priuate and publike Authorities proue that both Matthew Parker their first Protestant Archbishop and others were receaued and allowed for Archbishops and Bishops long before that time Franciâ— Franc. Godwin catal of Bishops in Durham 58. Cutberth Tunstoll Godwyn a Bishop among them saith Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterburie in the moneth of Iuly before about 6. Months before their first pretended consecration one the 17. of December Stow their historian then liuing and writing Stow Histor in Queene Elizab. an eius 1. testifieth that the same Matthew Parker Barlowe Scorie and Grindall were allowed and receaued for Bishops in the moneth of August the 9. day in publik solemnities The publik Iniunctions Iniunction Elizab. Regin â—n 1. Regin Iniunct 8. 28. 30. 51 53. of that Queene stiled Iniunctions giuen by the Qâ—eenes Maiestie Anno Domini 1559. the first of the Reigne of our Soueraigne lady Quâ—ene Elizaheth proue the same in diuers Iniunctions No man can say thes were onely Bishops Elect and not perfectly allowed or admitted for true Bishops For by the Statut. an 25 Henr. 8. an 1. Elizab. c. 1. statute of King Henry 8. an 25. reuiued by Queene Elizabeth in her first parlament anno 1. cap. 1. consecration must be within twenty dayes of election And their common consent in their greate Theater of great Brit. l. 9. cap. 24. col 20. Theater is that they were compleately allowed Bishops coÌ„secrated as they tearme that allowance many moneths before D. Parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury and of yorke D. Yong in steade of Heath who refused the oath and so of others Then went forth commissioners to suppresse those monasteryes restored by Queene Mary to cast out Images Hollinsh hist of Engl. an 1. Elizabeth Iniunct of Q. Elizab. Iniunct 23. sette vpp in Cburches So hath Hollinshed with others So in that Queenes pulike Iniunctions Thes commissions and commissioners being thus after those Protestant Bishops made or allowed went out so soone that as their histories confesse the religious howses were suppressed Protestant ministers were putte into westminster in place of monks all Church Images were pulled Stowe and howe 's histor in an 1. of Q. Elizab. downe and to speake in their owne words on the euen of S. Bartholomew the day and the morrow after were burned in Paules Church yarde Cheape and diuers other places of the citie of London all the Roodes and other Images of the Churches in some places the coapes vestiments altar cloathes bookes banners Sepulchres and rood lofts were burned The verie Iniunctions Iniunct 8. 30. 51. testifie that there were compleately receaued for Bishops diuers moneths before that 17. day of December both in the See of Conterburie yorke and in the other Diocesses with ample and full Episcopall power Therefore thes pretended Bishops could not possibly bee made but onely by a womanly presumed vayne and frustrate authoritie in such things Neither could any Register called Parkers Register be so termed except he had beene accepted and reputed for Archbishop before And all the first Protestant citers of this Register whether Matthew Parker himselfe as it is alleadged in his booke stiled Antiquitates Britannicae Antiquitat Brit. Hanouiae 1605. Butler ep de consec minist Sutcliffe contr Kell Godw catal of Bish. canterbur in Mat. Parker alijs Franc. MasoÌ„ booke of cons c. as Doctour Butler Doctour Sutclisse their Bishop Godwyn and Frauncys Mason do differ one from an other in citing thereof And whereas the printed Booke of Parkers Antiquitates Britannicae is the first that mentioneth any such pretended consecration of him and the rest and the others seeme to borrowe this from thence In the old manuscript of that booke which I haue seene and diligently examined there is not any mention or memorie at all of any such Register or consecration of either Matthew Parker or any one of those pretended Protestant Bishops as the obtruded Register speaketh of Neyther was there any one of the pretended consecratours of Matthew Parker from whome all the rest do clayme ordination a true and lawfull Bishop by Protestant proceedings Thes they name vnto vs william Barlowe Franc. Mason booke of consecrat pag. 127. Iohn Scory Miles Couerdale Iohn Hodgeskins by these Matthew Parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury the seuententh day of December in the yeare 1559. Two of thes 4. namely Couerdale and Hodgeskins were neuer allowed for Bishops in all Queene Elizabeth her time as the same pretended Register the printed Antiquitates Britannicae Godwyne Mason and others of them confesse confessing also that the other two were but Bishops elect Barlowe elect of Chichester Scory elect of Hereford But all men graunt both Catholiks and Protestants that men onely elect Bishops not consecrated or admitted cannot consecrate Bishops much lesse an Archbishop Metropolitan And Scory had beene adiudged before publickly to be no Bishop And Barlowe if he had beene a true Bishop neither would nor could in his owne Iudgement consecrate a Bishop For as thes men acknowledge both this Barlowe and Couerdale also held this horrible opinion against Episcopall Order The names of blasphemie against the Lord and hiâ— Barlowe and Couerdale apud Bal. l. Image of both Church Christ What els is Pope Patriarke Metropolitane primate Archbishop Diocesan and such like but very names of blasphemy Here is not one true consecratour Yet thes men in their pretended ordination of Bishops necessarily require to the admitting oâ— any such
Bishop especially an Archbishop botâ— the presence concurrence of a lawfull true Archbishop and others such Bishops as their owne pretended Prot. forme and manner of making Bishops Preists and minist Tiâ—ul consecrat of Bishops in praefat Rite and booke of consecrating Bishops doth thus plainely expresse Then the Archbishop and Bishops sent shall lay their hands vpon the head of the elected Bishop the Archbishop saying Take the holy ghost c. And it proueth further in these words It is euident vnto all men diligently reading holy scripture and auncient Authours that from the Apostles time there haue beene thes orders of ministers in Christs Church Bishops Preists and Deacons Therefore to the intent thes Orders should be continued aâ—d reuerently vsed in the Church of England it is requisite that no man not being at this present Bishop Preist nor Deacon shall execute any of them except he be called tryed examined and admitted according to the forme hereafter following Which is that booke of King Edward the sixt receaued in this article and approued by their greatest warrants parlament Princes Supreamacie and publike practise among them And therefore howsoeuer either with by or without this booke forme and manner of King Edward their first Protestant pretended Archbishop Matthew Parker maker and allower of all such after as they freely confesse was made his making and admittance was frustrate inualid voide and of noe force by their owne censure and doome against themselues so of all others made by him no Bishop pretending or clayming that honour dignitie and office after by that vaine Idle and vnpossible Title to challendge to haue that or any other thing from him or them which neither had it for themselues or to giue to others And this I haue proued before from the Apostolike men of this age and from the Apostles themselues that a Bishop cannot bee consecrated but by true and vndoubted Bishops Episcopum mandamus Clem. const Apost l 3 c. 20. Anacl ep 2. Clem. const Apost l. 8. c. 33. ordinari à tribus Episcopis velad minus à duobus non licere autem ab vno vobis constitui And againe Episcopus à tribus vel duobus Episcopis ordinetur Si quis ab vno ordinetur Episcopo deponatur ipse qui eum ordinauit This is sette downe for an Apostolicall decree Now lette vs come to King Edwards booke so dignified in this article and particularily examine and disproue the validitie or sufficiency of that forme in euery point thereof And first whereas it maketh mention onely of Clem. const Apost l. 3. c. 11. l. 8. c. 21. 22. 28. ep 2. Ignat. ep ad Antioch ep ad Philadelphien ep ad Philippenses Anacl ep 2. Synod Rom. sub Syluestr c. 7. 11. Canis ep ad faelicem c. 6. Clem. const Apost l. 2. c. 61. Clem. Supr l. 8. const Apost c. 21. concil corth 4. c. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Bishops Preists and Deacons to haue beene in the Church from the Apostles time This holie time assureth vs of all other orders now vsed in the Catholike Church to haue beene also in those dayes in vse and practise Subdeacons Acolythists Exorcists Lectours and Ostiarij with their particular and seuerall offices duties consecration or admittance to those degrees and that no man might be a Bishop Preist or Deacon except he had first receaued those orders nifi prius fuisset lector deinde exorcista postea caperet onus Acolithi vt acciperet onus Subdiaconi deinde ad diaconatus honorem pertingeret By their consecration they were ordeined to assist and minister at the holie sacrifice of Masse a Subdeacon for the holie vessels calice paten cruetts Tribue ei spiritum sanctum vt vasa ad ministrandum tibi Domine Deus facta dignè attrectet An Acolithus to light candels and prepare and minister wine for the sacrifice of masse accipiat ceroserarum cum cereo vt sciat sâ— ad accendenda Ecclesiae luminaria mancipari accipiat vrceolum vacuum ad suggerendum vinum in Eucharistiam sanguinis Christi An exorcist receaued the booke of Exorcismes and power against deuils accipiat de manu Episcopo libellum in quo scripti sunt exorcismi dicente sibi Episcopo accipe commenda memoriae habeto potestatem imponendi manus super energumenos So of Lectour and Ostiarius All thes be wanting in this booke of King Edward and this Protestant Religion and all is wanting in it for which they were ordeined except deuils and possessed persons They may well want both them No true clergie man among Protestants of England and first no Deacon The English Prot. forme of making Bish. pr. and Deac Titul Deacons all Bishops Preists and Deacons also as they do For first their pretended booke of consecration giueth a Deacon onely authoritie to reade the ghospell in their Church for allthough their pretended Bishop layeth his hands one the heade of euerie such parson at his admittance to that office and sayeth vnto him Take thou authoritie to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of God committed vnto thee Yet they presently interpret and limitte this office to be onely confined in reading the ghospell in thes words Take thou authoritie to reade the ghospell in the Church of God And such is their practise extending a Deacons office no further And they obstinatelie denie that he hath power or office to assist either Bishop or Preist in the holy Sacrifice of Christs blessed bodie and blood as that either Preist or Bishop may or can consecrate and offer the same We finde both the doctrine and practise of this first apostolike age to haue beene otherwise and the cheifest office of a Deacon as the very Greeke name it selfe still testifieth to be as Catholiks still vse it to minister vnto and assist thâ— Bishop or Preist in his holy Sacrifice So it is plainely witnessed in the old Masses and Miss S. Petri S. Iacobi S. Marci Clem. Const Apost l. 3. c. 20. l. 8. c 28. Missals ascribed to S. Peter S. Iames S. Marke and others S. Clement from the Apostles saith Diaconus ministret Episcopo Presbyteris oblatione ab Episcopo aut Presbytero facta ipse Diaconus dat populo non tanquam Sacerdos sed tanquam qui ministrat presbyteris And expresselie teacheth that it is the office and function of a Deacon thus to minister vnto Bishops and Preists this onelie or principally Diaconus L. 3. c. 20. sup ministret Episcopo Presbyteris id est agat Diaconum reliqua ne faciat And settinge downe the whole forme and Order of Masse sacrifice vsed and approued by the Apostles Bishops and Preists in his time euen from the beginning thereof vnto the end he bringeth in Deacons to performe their holie ministration and seruinge therein Praying to God to accept that Sacrifice Deaconus pronunciet Clem. supr l. 8. c. 19. Rogamus Deus Prodono oblato Domino
Deo oremuâ— Vt Deus suscipiat illud in caeleste altare suum in odorem suauitatis For all the people of God liuing and deade Pro vniuerso Ecclesiae caetu Pro ijs qui in fidâ— quieuerunt They deliuer the breade and wine to be consecrated Cap. 1â— to the Bishop or Preist that said Masse Diaconi offerant dona Episcopo ad altare They attend that nothing falleth into the chalices ne iâ— pocula incidant At the time of consecration they Cap. 20. called vpon the people for attention Diaconus dicat attendamus They hold the consecrated chalice and confessâ— it to be the blood of Christ the cuppe of life Diaconus teneat calicem quando tradit dicat sangâ—â— Christi calix vitae And after all had communicated they take that which is left and with reuerence preserue it Postquam omnes sump serunt accipiant Diaconi reliquias portent in pastiphoria And they said this prayer testifying it was the pretious bodie and blood of Christ which had beene there offered and receaued for remission of sinne and preseruation in pietie Diaconus dicat Percepto pretioso corpore pretioso Cap. 20. 2â— sanguine Christi gratias agamus ei qui dignos nos reddidit percipiendi sancta eius mysteria rogamus vt non in iudicium sed in salutem nobis fiant in vtilitatem animae corporis in custodiam pietatis in remissionem peccatorum in vitam futuri saeculi And as our Deacons now conclude and end Masse with Ite Cap. 23. Missa est So did they then with Ite inpace Et Diaconus dicat Ite in pace Thus from S. Clement and the Apostles by his relation S. Denis the Areopagite is witnesse to the Dion Areop Eccl. Hierar cap. 3. like where testifying of the most holie Sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood as is proued from him before he teacheth that as inferiour orders performed their duties therein So the Deacons more high in degree with the Preists more nearelie assisted at the altar about this blessed sacrifice Qui ipsius ordinis praecipuisunt vnà cum Sacerdotibus sanctum panem benedictionis calicem sacrosanctis altaribus imponunt So testifieth S. Ignatius writing to S. Hero a Deacon Ignat. epist ad Heronem Diaconum that such as he being Deacons did minister vnto Preists at Sacrifice and that so did S. Stephen to S. Iames and Preists in Hierusalem Sacerdotes Ep. ad Trallian aâ— Philadelph sunt tu Sacerdotem minister Sacrificant tu verò illis ministras vt sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo Presbyteris qui erant Hierosolymis So of all Deacons in other places Diaconi Imitatores Angelicarum virtâ—tum qui purum inculpatum ministerium illis Sacerdotibus exhibent vt S. Stephanus beato Iacobo And for the dignitie of their ministrie in so great misteries ought to be honoured as Christ Oportet Diaconis mysteriorum Christi ministris per omnia placereâ— nec enim ciborum potuum ministri sunt sed Ecclesiae Dei administratores Ipsi itaque tales sunt at vos reueremini illos vt Christum Iesum cuius vicarij sunt So Epist ad Heron. was saint Stephen to saint Iames saint Timothie and saint Linus to saint Paul saint Anacletus and Clemens to saint Peter He that obeyeth them not is an enemy to God and impure and contemneth Christ and diminisheth his ordinance Vt sanctus Stephanus beato Iacobo Timotheus Linus Paulo Anacletus Clemens Petro Qui his Diaconis non obedit sine Deo prorsus impurus est Christum contemnit constitutionem eius imminuit And speaking of the dignitie of the altare and Sacrifice of Christians wherein Deacons with Bishops and Preists haue so excellent Ignat. epist â—d Ephesios ministration he giueth charge to obey them assuring vs he that doth not so disobeyeth Christ and is an abiect Enitimini subiecti esse Episcopo presbyâ—eris Diaconis Qui enim his obedit obedit Christo qui hos constituit Qui vero his reluctatur reluctatur Christo Iesu qui autem non obedit filio non videbit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum Praefractus enim contentiosus superbus est qui non obtemperat superibus S. Anacletus Deacon to S. Peter as S. Ignatius before hath proued and made Preist by the same greate Apostle as he himselfe confesseth and so perfectly knowing both the doctrine and practise of the Apostles did when he came to be Pope ordaine â—s both Catholiks and Protestants acknowledge that Deacons in their holy vestiments should minister Anacletus ep 1. Robert Barn l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Anacleto vnto Preists and Bishops in the solemne sacrifices Sacerdotem sacrificaturum ministros vestibus sacris indutos adhibere ordinauit Episcopus verò vt plures ministros in sacris faciendis adiungat This is the doctrine of all holie Fathers after and of the whole Church of Christ the first generall Councell of Nice receaued in this Kingdome declareth that this was euer the rule and custome of Christs Church Regula consuetudo that Deacons Conc. Nicen. cap. 14. were ministers to Bishops in the holy sacrifice and vnder Preists to helpe them in their Sacrifice and not to offer sacrifice or giue the bodie of Christ to Preists that offer it Peruenit ad sanctum concilium quòd in locis quibusdam ciuitatibus presbyteris Sacramenta diaconi porrigant Hoc neque regula neque consuetudo tradidit vt hi qui offerendi sacrificij non habent potestatem his qui offerunt corpus Christi porrigant Haec amputentur maneant Diaconi intra propriam mensuram scientes quia Episcoporum ministri sunt Presbyteris autem inferiores sunt This is the cheife office of a Deacon so his name â—n Hebrewe in Greeke Latine signifie so his dutie to serue at the altare to minister there to the Bishop or Preist to prepare it to propose breade and wine to be consecrated and minister in the whole sacrifice So write our most auncient writers of these things from the oldest monuments and authorities Diaconus Graecè Hebraicè lâ—uita Latinè assumptus Albin flace Alcuin l. de diuin offic in Diacono vel minister interpretatur assumptus quia assumitur id est eligitur ad seruitium altaris minister quia ministrat Presbytero Ponit linteum in altare ponit panem calicem quae nec mittendi nec auferendi habet potestatem Presbyter si Diaconus adfuerit Sicut Presbytero officium consecrandi competit ita Diaconâ— ministrandi Therefore howsoeuer wee expounde this pretended Protestant making or admitting Deacons that they receaue their power or office when their pretended Bishop giueth to them the new Testament and saith vnto them Take authority to reade the Ghospell in the Church of God or when he saith Take thou authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of
God committed vnto thee or both together here is no true consecration of a Deacon in their owne proceedings nor Deacon so made if their pretended consecrating Bishop were a true a lawfull Bishop for first of giuing the new testament Act. 6. and power to reade the ghospell this cannot be the full and lawfull manner to make Deacons The first Deacons in the lawe of Christ being made otherwise by the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth and before the new testament or anie part thereof was written to be giuen to them or for them to reade the ghospels then vnwritten and vnpossible to be read by them or any at that time or longe after The other of taking authority to execute the office of a Deacon cannot be the manner for first no man can truely and lawfully execute that wherein he hath no power and here is no power of a Deacon giuen in all this their forme and order And Statut. in parliament an 27. Elizabethae Reg. ad 1. Jacobo their owne parlaments and highest authorities in their religion doe not onely disable any man in England Deacon or other to execute the office of a Deacon such as the Apostles and Apostolike men of this age haue deliuered vnto vs but make it an offence of high treason for any lawfull Deacon either to execute that office in any Church Chappell or other place or to be in England without executing any such office or function at all euen reading the ghospell or any other And so if we ioyne this Protestant pretended power to execute the offices of a Deacon and reade the ghospell in the Church together there is not the least power of a true Deacon thereby either giueÌ„ or permitted by them in all England vnto any such Deacon to doe or not doe such or any dutie of that holy function And thus much of Deacons No true Preist amonâ— English Protestants Now it can be no question but the pretended ProtestaÌ„t Ordination of Preists is altogether vaine Idle and friuolous for being so iuuincibly proued that the cheifest and principall office and function of a Deacon is to assist and minister vnto Preists Bishops in the holy Sacrifice of Christs blessed body and blood at Masse such Sacrificing Preists not heauing any such power before their consecration to holy Preisthood must needs receaue it aâ— that time otherwise they should still remaine without it as they did before And our Protestants vtterly before denying all such sacrifice and sacrificing power and in this their pretended forme and manner of consecration hauing no thing at all to receaue or allowe it but the quite contrary and by their lawes so straungely persecuting sacrificing Preists and Preisthood this their fashioÌ„ of making or ordering their pretended Preists must needs be voyde and frustrate and they still remaine in that lay state in this respect wherein they were before euen from their first birth into the world Their Practise in this pretended consecration is this The Bishops the Preists present shall lay their handâ— seuerally vpon the heade of euery one that receaueth orders Prot. forme and manner of makiâ—g consecr Bish. Preists and Deac Tit. forme of Order of Preists The receauers humbly kneelinge vpon their knees and the Bishop saying Receaue the holy ghost whose sinnes thou doest forgiue they are are forgiuen and whose sinnes thou doest retaine they are retained The Bishop shall deliuer to euery one of them the Bible in his hand saying Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy Sacraments in this congregation where thou shalt be so appointed Here is all their pretended consecration of Preists so farre from all meaning or intention to conferre any sacrificing power or Preisthood that before they come to this article in their 31. Article before they thus defined The Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly Prot. art 31. supr sayde that the Preists did offer Christ for the quicke and the deade to haue remission of paine or guilt were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceites In that place I haue inuincibly proued against them both this Sacrifice and sacrificing Preisthood and Preists Institution All his Apostles and all consecrated by them and their Successours were massing and sacrificing Preists all the Apostolike writers of this first age gaue testimony to that doctrine and practise All Masses Missales or publike liturgies of all Churches ascribed to the Apostles themselues and continued by continuall neuer interrupted generall tradition beare witnesse vnto it The holy Prophets so described the Messias by a perpetuall holy Sacrifice to be offered in all places in his time that he should be a Preist after the order of Melchisedech teach and establish that Preisthood neuer to end or cease in his Church Thus taught the most learned rabbines among the Iewes before Christ So the Fathers and common practise of both Greeke and Latine Church with the best least learned Protestant writers euen of England writing and published by their publike allowance and authority as I haue vndeniably proued in that article and there made demonstration by all authothority that Christ at his last Supper when he onely did execute the act and office of his Preisthood according to the order of Melchisedech did ordaine his Apostles sacrificing massing Preists at that time in expresse termes set downe in holy Scripture hoc facite in meam commemorationem To offer his consecrated holy body and blood in Martial ep ad Burdegal cast 3. Clem. Coust Apost l. 8. c. 3. Iustin dialog cum Triphon Irenaeus adu haer l. 4. c. â—2 Eus l. 1 cap. 10. demon Euang elicar Theod. in c. 8. ad Hebraeos Alexa. 1. ep 1. cap. 4. Cyprian l 2. epist 3. ep 63. Ambr. in Psal 38. Gandentius tractat 2. Aug. lib. 83. q. q. 61. Sacrifice as he had done So the Apostolike men of this first age assure vs. Vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut testatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam Hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in mei commemorationeÌ„ Domine omnipotens potestatem Apostolis dedisti offerendi tibi sacrificium mundum incruentum quod per Christum constituisti mysterium noui testamenti Suis discipulis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens hoc â—st corpus meum calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo This was the opinion profession and practise of the
whole Christian worlde in that generally confessed puer and vnspotted time both by Catholiks and Protestants And these men confessing that Christ did not in any other place of scripture giue this sacrificing Preistly power vnto his Apostles the cheife founders of his Church and yet being acknowledged before to be our high Preist according to that Order of Melchisedech and both to offer the Sacrifice thereof and establish it for his perpetuall Preisthood and sacrifice it cannot be said by any but his Apostles were by him ordained sacrificing Preists at that time The words of the power hee then gaue them hoc facite do that which he in that preistly act and office did or had done being spoken by him which had both ample power and intention to giue and continue that preistly order at and in his place and time of Sacrifice and now no longer to continue with his disciples be as significant of that power as the words of consecrating true Preists by true and lawfull Bishops euer vsed in the Church of Christ Accipe potestatem offerre Sacrificium Deo Pont. Rom. in ordinat Presbyteri missasque celebrare tam pro viuis quà m pro defunctis Receaue power to offer vpp sacrifice to God celebrate Masse both for the liuing and deade For as I haue proued before both Christ and his Apostles so did and left that preistly power and practise to posteritie for euer to offer Sacrifice both for the liuing and deade And our Protestants themselues haue with publike allowance confessed it was the generall custome of the primatiue Church so to do and such as impugned ordenied it were iustly condemned for so doing And they haue with Regall Is Casaub resp ad Card. peron pag. 51. 52. Middleton papist omast pag. 51. 92. 113. 44. 137. 138. morton appeale l. 3. cap. 13. sect 1. pag. 394. cap. 13. authoritie and direction from King Iames published that it was the Religion of the King and the whole Protestant Church of England Haec est Regis haec est fides Ecclesiae Anglicanae that the fathers of the primatiue Church did acknowledge one sacrifice in Christian Religion that succeeded in place of all the sacrifices in the lawe of Moses And the King with his Protestants agreed with the Catholiks in their opinion de duplici sacrificio expiationis nempe commemorationis siue Religionis Concerning two Kindes of sacrifice the one of expiation for the world the other commemoratiue or of Religion And this Sacrifice is the bodie of Christ in the Eucharist as Catholiks hold Nobis vobiscum de obiecto conuenit De hoc est fide firma tenemus quod sit Praesentiam credimus praesentiam inquam credimus nec minus quà m vos veram Therefore to giue Preists power to offer this sacrifice there must needs be some consecratorie words or forme to bestowe it vpon them which if we recurre to scripture as thes men must do we can finde nothing there but those words of hoc facite in meam commemorationem spoken at the sacrifice time and place by Christ to those he then ordeined sacrificing Preists And this is most plainely confessed by thes our English Protestants with common and publike warrant both confessing that the order of the preisthood in the lawe of Christ was to offer sacrifice this sacrifice was the bodie and blood of Christ he made his Apostles such Preists at his last supper when he saide those words vnto them Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Marc. Anton. lib. 2. cap. 1. num 3. Do this is my commemoration Ordinis potestatem intelligo ad conficiendam Eucharistiam sacrificij in cruce per Iesum Christum peracti memoriam celebrandam ad quod Sacerdotium quoddam est necessarium Ad hoc Sacerdotium promoti sunt Apostoli à Christo Domino in vltima caena quando eis dixit Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Quando Christus Eucharistiae conficiendae Apostolis dabat potestatem dixit eis Hoc facite in meam commemorationem cap. 3. pag. 193. nimirum id quod me videtis nunc facere vos facite Hoc est sumite panem benedicite frangite porrigite similiter vinum consequenter Apostoli ex ipso facto Christi instructi certè diuina Christi institutione dabant Eucharistiam And they say that Christ in those words gaue power to his Apostles to consecrate or transubstantiate breade into Christs bodie and wine into his blood as he himselfe had done Accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit cap. 4. pag. â—18 eis diâ—ens HOC EST CORPVS MEVM quod pro vobis datur Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Panis consecrationem in Corpus Christi vini in sanguiâ—em ipse coram Apostolis fecit eandem ipsi quoque vt facerent frangerent darent expressè mandauit Thus haue our Protestants published with their cheife authoritie Which I haue inuincibly proued before And the Apostles themselues best witnesses of their owne consecration to preisthood and how others are to be consecrated thereto so testifie and direct as S. Clement their disciple thus recordeth from their owne words Quare vos quoque Clem. const Apost l. 5. cap. 20. suscitato Domino offerte Sacrificium vestrum de quo vobis praecepit per nos dicens hoc facite in meam commemorationem The like testimonie is from them of themselues l. 8. const Apost cap. 5. and other Preists before offerendo Sacrificium mundum inâ—ruâ—ntum quod per Christum instituisti mysterium noui testamenti So haue others also before And to followe our Protestants Rule in expounding scriptures by comparing places and the new testament to preferre the Greeke Text S. Paule maketh it plaine vnto vs euen in our Protestants proceedings that those words of Christ to his Apostles Do this in commemoration of mee were spoken vnto them onely as Preists then consecrated For in S. Matthew and S. Marke they are not vsed Mat. 26. MaÌ„r 14. Luâ— 22. at all and in S. Luke they are onely at the deliuery of Christs bodie vnder the forme of bread hoc facite in meam commemorationem and not at the calice But S. Paule saith plainely that he had receaued from our Lord and so deliuered vnto others before he wrote it Ego enim accepi à Domino quod 1. Cor. 11. tradidi vobis and so writeth afterward that Christ said those words to this Apostles twice once at deliuering his bodie the other time at the calice yet it is euident before and our Protestants haue so graunted that lay people haue often communicated onely in one Kinde which had neuer beene lawfull if this commaunde and power in both had beene giuen to them therefore it must needs be a power and commaunde onely to Preists at their holie sacrifice who onely in the holie Masse haue euer and in all places both consecrated offered and there receaued in both Kindes
and no others so euer receaued at all times and places nor the Preists themselues as all writers Catholiks and Protestants confesse And this our Article Protestants themselues in their pretended booke and forme of consecration receaued in this Article Prot. forme and Manner of Making Bish. Preists and Deac in praef and other places do thus acknowledge It is euident vnto all men diligently reading holy scripture and auncient Authours that from the Apostles time there hath beene thes Orders of Ministers in Christs Church Bishops Preists and Deacons which officeâ— were euermore had in such reuerent estimation that no man by his priuate authoritie might presume to execute any of them except he were first called tryed examined and knowne to haue such qualities as were requisite for the same and also by publike prayer with imposition of hands approued and admitted there vnto Where we finde it thus plainely and authoritatiuely with them confessed that Bishops Preists and Deacons were euer in the Church and truely and lawfully ordeined by such forme Order of consecration as was then vsed and thes Preists as they haue confessed in thes their Articles before in thes words vsed the sacrifices of Masses in which it commonly said Proâ— Artic. 31. supr was that the Preists did offer Christ for the quick the dead to haue remission of payne or gilt they are so farre from disallowing or disabling our Catholikly consecrating Massing Preists of the Roman Church whom they make Traytours in England to be truely and duely consecrated Preists that if any of them for feare or any other wordly respects will ioyne with rhem in their new Church seruice or profession he is allowed a minister with them without any further pretended order or admittance and they dignifie their first Catholike ordination so much that as they haue bestowed their greatest Church liuing vpon such so they deduce Francis Mason booke of Consecr Maâ— Parker Print Antiq. Britan. Sutcliff alij Pont. Rom. in ordinat Presbyteri and deriue their owne pretended ordination onely from such men Matthew Parker Iohn Scory and Miles Couerdale as they freely confesse And yet all our Catholike Pontificals or bookes of ordination do plainely proue testifie that our Preists being Deacons before are consecrated Preists by those words of the Bishop Accipe potestatem offerre sacrificium Take power to offer sacrifice to God and celebrate Masses both for the liuing and dead And immediately before he calleth such a parson ordinandum and quem ordinat Episcopus a man to be ordered and to whom the Bishop giueth preistly order and presently after those words nameth him or them that were thus ordered ordinati Sacerdotes Presbiteri ordinati Preists that be ordered And being thus fully ordered before any other ceremonie vsed by Protestants or not they celebrate the rest of the Masse euen consecrating the blessed bodie and blood of Christ with their consecratour Bishop and as consecrated Preists Presbiteri ordinati post Pontificem in terra genuflexi habeant libros coram se dicentes Suscipe Sancte Pater c. omnia aliâ— de missa prout dicit Pontifex qui tamen bene aduerâ—at quòd secretas morosè dicat aliqaantulum altâ— ita vt ordinati Sacerdotes possint secum omnia dicere praesertim verba consâ—crationis quae dici debenâ— eodem momento per ordinatos quo dicuntur per Pontificem And to putte all things out of question in this matter The scripture itselfe is euident witnesse that the Apostles themselues were ordered Preists by those words of Christ vnto them Do this in my commemoration equiualent as I haue proued to the forme now vsed in the Roman Church recited for all writers Catholiks and Protestants agree that all the Apostles S. Thomas and the rest were true and most properly lawfull Preists all our preisthood claimed and deduced from them and that they were all present at his last supper when he said the words do this vnto them Discubuit Luc. 22. Mâ—â— 26. Mâ—rc 14 duodecim Apostoli cum eo Discumbebat cum duodecim discipulis suis Dedit eis dicens HOC EST CORPVS MEVM quod pro vobis datur hoc facite in meam commemorationem But when he said those words to his Apostles receaue the holie ghost whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen and whose sinnes you reteyne they are reteyned From and by which thes our Protestants do clayme or pretend ordination S. Iohn the Euangelist then and there present doth witnes all were not there and namely S. Thomas was absent Thomas vnus ex duodecim non erat cum eis quando venit Iesus And so could not possibly be made Preist then with those words Yet all agree he was a Preist as perfectly and fully as any Apostle Agayne Iudas the Traitour was a Preist present at the consecration in the last supper of Christ and as S. Peter saith connumeratus erat in nobis Actor c. 1. sortitus est sortem ministerij huius Scriptum est in libro psalmorum Episcopatum eius accipiat alter Psal 68. De loco ministerij Apostolatus praeuaricatus est Iudas Which is more then our Protestants pretend for their pretended Preists or ministers Yet he was haÌ„ged deade before Christ spooke the other words and so could not possibly be eyther made Preist or be present then And S. Paule defining a Preist whether of the lawe of Moyses or Christ Hebr. 5. saith euery high Preist or Preist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnis Prontifex is taken forth of men hauing no such power ex hominibus assumptus to offer sacrifice for sinnes Vâ—offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greeke words and reading which our Prorestants followe are most proper for sacrifice and sacrificing Preists and so both Catholike our Protestant linguists and lexiconaries confesse and translate Masse and Masse Preist Sacrificium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à sacrificio sacrificulus Thom. Thomas Scholae cantabrigien dictionar v. v. Sacrificium Sacrificulus alâ—are Morton Apolog. part 2. pag. 82. appeal l. 2. sect 1. cap. 6 pag. 162. sacrificus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Preist à Sacrificer à Masse Preist He setteth downe also the Sacrificing altar of Christians as thes our Protestants also translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altare altar and vnseparable correlatiue to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrifice as they confesse and the word proueth And the Apostle doth so appropriate that altare to our Christians at holie Masse and the sacrifice of Christs bodie that it can be applied to nothing els saying none but Christians may eate of the sacrifice offered there vpon Habemus altare de quo edere non habent potestatem qui tabernaculo deserâ—iunt When neither Iew nor gentile is forbidden to beleeue in Christ our Protestants eating but called and exhorted vnto it by all meanes in holie scriptures And the same Apostle
the Queenes letters patents shall be by authority of this Parlament be declared good any matter or thing that may be obiected to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding All persons that haue beene or shall be made Archbishops Bishops Preists ministers after the forme and Order prescribed in the order and forme how Archbishops and should be made by authority hereof be declared and shall be Archbishops Bishops Preists Ministers and rightly made any statute lawe canon or other thing to the contrary notwithstanding Hitherto this Protestant Parlament and Queene Elizabeth taking vpon them more then omnipotent and diuine power for God himselfe euer omnipotent cannot make that a thing done is not or was not done nor a thing ill done to haue beene well done or not ill done The light of reason the light of grace all Philosophers Christians and others agree non est potentia ad praeteritum there is no power or possibility to make a thing that is past not to be past nor otherwise passed theÌ„ it passed Therefore when it appeareth by so many testimonies before that men called Bishops by our Protestants were neuer truely and lawfully made Bishops and this Protestant parlament it selfe confesseth not onely that diuers questioÌ„s had beene whether it were duely orderly done according to the law or not but declareth their acts and effects done by them as Bishops to be voyde and of none effect or validitie in the lawe It farre surpassed a womans power or her parlament thereby or any power on earth or higher to make and proue by authoritie of this parlament in her 8. yeare such men by authoritie hereof be declared and shall be Archbishops Bishops Preists Ministers and rightly made any statute lawe canon or other thing to the contrary notwithstanding Producing no other reason but that her highnesse by her supreame power and authoritie hath dispenced with all causes or doubts of any imperfection or disabilitie that can or may in any wise be obiected against the same If Queene Elizabeth and her Protestants would make Episcopall Order and dignity onely an humane inuention she as a temporall greate Prince might haue had place for her dispensation for time to come Though not past in aboue 6. yeares when thousands of such Bishops and ministers were made among them But all Protestants of England King Bishops whosoeuer hauing decreed and deliuered before that it is diuinae ordinationis the ordinance of God an Apostolicall tradition manifest to all the world a canon or constitution of the whole Trinitie enacted for succeeding posteritie it is vtterly vnpossible that any Queens Kings or what dispensation soeuer on earth can or euer could make that which was and is questioned doubtfull imperfect and inualide to be without question doubt perfect and valide either from the beginning any time past or to come hereafter Thus howsoeuer wee examine the making of these Protestant Bishops and ministers by them either by holy scripture witnessing that God placed Bishops in his Church to gouerne it attendite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos spiritus sanctus posuit Episcopos regere Act. c. 20. 1. Timoth. 3. 4. Tit. 1. 1. Petr. 5. 2. Timoâ—h 1. Ecclesiam Dei quam acquisiuit sanguine suo And not a woman or child Queene Elizabeth and King Edward the 6. by a new deuised manner or by the Apostolike Fathers of this first age tradition of the Apostles all the old Orders of consecration in Britaine or what place soeuer by all Catholike Fathers or by these Protestants themselues we finde nothing but a desolation and an vndoubted want of all Episcopall and Ecclesiasticall holy orders among them But if we come to the Sacred Bishops of the Catholike and Romane Church the holie preisthood and other Orders we finde by all these testimonies all things in Order subordinate required and necessarie to this highest spirituall dignitie We haue with the Apostles and the Apostolike Can. Apost 43. Clem. const Apost l. 3. c. 11. l. 8. c. 21. c. 22. 28. epist 2. Ignat. epist ad Antioch ad Philadelph Philip. Engl. Protest in Abb. Prot. Archb. of canterb and Franc. Mas Booke of Consecrat l. 5. p. 96. 97. c. 1. p. 207. Fathers of this time S. Clement S. Ignatius and others Subdeacons Acolythists Exorcists Lectours and all We haue founde Deacons ministers to Bishops and Preists in the Sacrifice of Masse we haue founde true massing Sacrificing Preists and Protestants both by writing and practise so confessing as also in these words of them all by generall assent We thinke that no man possibly haue the Order of a Bishop which hath not the right Order of preisthood To the verie being of a Bishop the Order of preisthood is essentially required Thus they exclude themselues from and entitle Catholiks to this greatest Order And plainely confesse the Roman Church not onely to obserue and vse in the consecration of Bishops all things whatsoeuer in any opinion of Catholiks or Protestants essentiall and necessarie but also all ceremonies and ceremonialls therein vsed euer since and before England was conuerted to Christ plainely confessing that their first Protestant Archbishop Abbot and mason consecr in Mat. Park Matthew Parker being the 70. from S. Augustine was the first of all admitted without them and otherwise then they were and their publike continuall practise is so euer since that time The ceremonies of pastorall staffe ringe deliuerie of the booke of Ghospels to the new consecrated Bishop by the Consecratour and his Assistants taken from the sholders of the newly consecrated Miter and gloues we are assured to be ceremoniall onely all and euerie of them performed and done after the new Bishop is declared to be consecrated And yet these were so aunciently vsed by these Protestants that all our Bishops of England were consecrated they being vsed And before S. Augustine S. Asaphus and Capgrauius in vit S. Kentegerni came hither S. Kentegern in the Britans time being consecrated without them going to Rome ipso multoties petente with very often suite and desire the Pope then ministred them vnto him Sanctus Papa quae deerunt consecrationi eius supplens The Order of Consecration by which this S. Kentegern was made Bishop and all the Britans Scots and Irish vsed was more old then the canons of the ceremonies vsed in consecration and their old custome mos in Britannia inoleuerat when S. Kentegern about 1200. yeares past was consecrated was this In consecratione Episcopi tantummodo capita eorum sacri chrismatis infusione perungere cum inuocatione Sancti Spiritus benedictione manus impositione In the consecration of Bishops onely to anoynte their heads with holy Chrisme with inuocation of the holie ghost and benediction and imposition of hands This Order was adiudged by the Popes of Rome to be auayleable And all Protestants graunt the Britans haue true consecration and Bishops Here is neyther the ceremonie of saying take the holie ghost nor
Marc. Protestant consent so proue and deriue it S. Denis Anton. l. 2. de Republ. Eccl. caâ— 2. is so plaine that they plainely thus confesse it Areopagitae Dionysio tributum opusculum vnctionem ponit expressè So they confesse of S. Anacletus made Preist by S. Peter the Apostle addit vnctionem capitis Anacletus quae est antiquissima The words which he vseth deducing his doctrine Anacl ep 2. and practise from the Apostles be these Bishops are to be made by Imposition of hands of Bishops with the ghospels which they are to preach and holie vnction by the example of the Apostles because all sanctification consisteth in the holie ghost whose inuisible power is mixed with holie Chrisme and by this Rite solemne Ordination is to be celebrated Where we finde by this greate Apostolike authoritie that the grace of this Sacrament and power Episcopall is giuen by this Rite And these Protestants as by this they must and Prot. supr in Marc. Anton. are enforced confesse so of the holie fathers following both in the Greeke and Latin Church that they were consecrated Bishops by holie vnction Gregor Nazianc orat 20. de laudib Basil orat 5. ad Basil part Sim. Metaph. in vit Crisost Petr. Chrisolog Ser. de S. Seuero Isidor l. 2. de offic Eccl. c. 25. S. Iuo Ser. de reb Eccl. Steph. Aduen Sacr. alt c. 9. So of S. Basile vnctione sacrâ adhibitâ est ordinatus So of S. Gregorie Naziancen me Pontificem vngis So were S. Iohn Chrisostome and S. Seuerus Of S. Augustine S. Gregorie with others I haue spoken before To which we may ioyne S. Iuo Stephanus Aduensis and other auntient writers and expositours of holie mysteries and all Orders of Consecration By this it is euident how certayne and vndoubted a thing it is That the consecration vsed in the Romane Church is most true holie and honourable both for Order and Iurisdiction euer as is demonstrated before both in this and other nations from the Apostolike Roman see and in the old Orders of consecration the Bishop to be consecrated protesteth obedience to the Popes of Rome And how the case standeth with the Protestants both of England and all others it is as lamentable to know their desolate condition THE XXVII CHAPTER The 37. article intituled of the ciuill Magistrates thus examined and whosoeuer against the Roman Church condemned THeir 37. and next Article is intituled of the ciuill Magistrates And thus followeth The Kings Maiestie hath the cheife power in this Realme of EnglaÌ„d and other his dominions vnto whome the cheife gouernment of all estates of this Realme whether they be Ecclesiasticall or ciuill in all causes doth appertaine and is not nor ought to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction The Bishop of Rome hath no IurisdictioÌ„ in this Realme of England The rest of this article containeth an excuse of ProtestaÌ„ts that they did not giue to their temporall Prince power to preach and minister Sacraments as some interpreted their opinion and other things not questioned betweene Catholiks and English Protestants but betweene these Protestants and some other new sectaries among themselues and be these The lawes of the Realme may punish Christian men with death for heynous and grieuous offences It is lawfull for Christian men at the commaundement of the Magistrate to weare weapons serue in the warrs These positions are graunted and allowed by all Catholiks The first part of this article giuing vnto the King a temporall Gouernour and Ruler cheife gouernment ouer all estates in all causes Ecclesiasticall or ciuill as also their statute and oath of Princes Supremacy in spirituall things fighteth with and contradicted it selfe for thus it addeth we giue not to our Prince the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which the Iniunctions also sometime set fourth by Elizabeth our late Queene doe most plainely testifie Therefore seing Kings be not Teachers preachers Doctours Pastours and sheephards in the Church and fould of Christ to giue them some place therein members of it and not to be quite excluded from the name and number of Christians we must needs say they be of them which be taught preached vnto instructed sheepe and subiects fedde ruled and gouerned by them which haue authority and spirituall power in such things And these our Protestants haue accordingly this defined the Church before in these their articles The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached Protest art 19. sup and the Sacraments be duely ministred according to Christs ordinance They to whome the word is preached and Sacraments be ministred and neither haue power to preach nor minister Sacraments which this Article confesseth of their Protestant Kings and temporall Rulers cannot possibly in the respect be cheife Gouernours of theÌ„ to whome God himselfe hath power and preeminence The holy Scriptures do in many places commaund obedience both to temporall spirituall Rulers but obedieÌ„ce in matters of Religion in feeding and ruling soules the flocke of Christ gouerning his Church and such spirituall emnencies is onely appropriated in theÌ„ to spirituall gouernours Qui benè praesunt Presbyteri duplici honore digni sunt Pascite qui in vobis est gregem 1. Tim. 5. 1. Petr. 5. Ioh. 21. Act. 20. Hebr. 13. Dei pasce agnos meos Pasce oues meas Attendite vobis vniuer so gregi in quo vos Spiritus sanctus posuit Episcopos regere Ecclesiam Dei quam acquisiuit sanguine suo Mementote praepositorum vestrorum qui vobis locuti sunt verbuÌ„ Dei. Obedite praepositis vestris subiacete Ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri Where we see neither king nor Prince if he will belonge to the Church of Christ haue his soule purchased with his blood a care had of it and accompt made for it can be free from this obedience much lesse can he clayme it for himselfe from them to whom it so infallibly belongeth by the highest authority The Apostolike men of this first age haue testified this at large before in the examination Ignat. epist and Anâ—ioch Ep. ad Smyrn Epist ad Philadelph Magnesian Trallian of the last precedent article S. Ignatius hath taught vs a Bishop is aboue all principality and power Episcopus omni Principatu potestate superior est No man is more honorable then the Bishop Nemo Episcopo honorabilior Preists and Deacons all the clergy together with the people and Souldiars and Princes and the Emperour also must obey the Bishop Cum populo militibus at que Principibus sed Caesare obediant Episcopo Be subiect to the Bishop euen as to our Lord for he watcheth for your soules and is to make accompt for them Therefore it is needfull that you doe nothing without the Bishop No man may doe any thing that belongeth to the Church without the Bishop Sine
King and the Episcopall office more honourable then the Regall this consisting onely in the inferiour temporall affaires the Episcopall in superiour Ecclesiasticall and diuine Honora Deum vt omnium aâ—thorem Dominum Episcopum vero vt Principem Sacerdotum Imaginem Dei referentem Dei quidem propter principatum Christi vero propter Sacerdotium Honorare oportet Regem nec enim Deo quisquam potior est aut ei similis in rebus omnibus creatis nec Episcopo qui Deo consecratus est pro totius mundi salute quicquam maius in Ecclesia nec inter principes quisquam similis Regi pacem aequitatem subditis procuranti Qui honorat Episcopum à Deo honorabitur sicut qui ignominia afficit illum à Deo punictur Si enim Iure censebitur paena dignus qui aduersus Regem insurgit vt qui violet bonas legum constitutiones quanto putatis grauiori subiacebit supplicio qui sine Episcopo quid volet agere concordiam rumpens decentem rerum ordinem confundens And immediatly he further addeth this reason because preisthood is the heade and cheifest of all good things among men And so he that opposeth or rageth against it doth not offer reproch to man but to God and Christ Iesus by nature the high Preist of his Father Sacerdotium Ignat. epist ad Trallian enim est omnium bonorum quae in hominibus sunt Apex quiaduersus illud furit non hominemignominia afficit sed Deum Christum Iesum primigenitum qui natura solus est summus Sacerdos Patris And testifieth that the Apostles left this cuÌ„maundement of honouring Bishops And saith that a Bishop is aboue higher then any or all principality and power on earth and to be reuerenced as Christ Reueremini Episcopum vestrum sicut Christrum que madmodum beat inobis praeceperunt Apostoli Quid enim aliud est Episcopus quam is qui omni principatu potestate superior est quoad homini licet pro viribus Imitator Christi Dei factus And therefore it is needfull that whatsoeuer wee doe wee attempt nothing without the Bishop But wee must also obey Preists as the Apostles of Christ Episcopo subiecti estote velut Domino ipse enim vigilat pro animabus vestris vt quirationem Deo redditurus sit Necesse est it aque quicquid facitis vt sine Episcopo nihil tentetis Sed Preshyteris subiecti estote vt Christi Apostolis What soeuer Ignat. epist ad Ephes Bishop is placed to gouerne the Church of Christ wee must receaue him as him that sent him Wee must regard our Bishop as our Lord himselfe Quemcunque Episcopum paterfamilias mittit ad gubernandam familiam huncita accipere debetis vt illum ipsum qui mittit Episcopum igitur profecto aspicere oportet vt ipsum Dominum Wee must be subiect both to the Bishop and Priests and Deacons He that obeyeth them obeyeth Christ He that resisteth them resisteth Christ Iesus He is peruerse contentions and proud that obeyeth not Superiours Enitimini subiecti esse Episcopo Presbyteris Diaconis Qui enim his obedit obedit Christo qui hos constituit Qui verò his reluctatur reluctatur Christo Iesu Praefractus contentiosus superbus est qui non obtemperat Superioribus Sainct Euaristus Pope liuing in this age writeth as Sainct Ignatius also in diuers places doth which I haue not cited that preists are legates in the Church in the place of Christ Euarist epist 2. as the Church his spouse is ioyned to him So Bishops are ioyned to their Churches by proportion And the Church ought to obey the Bishop in all things Sacerdotes vico Christi legatione funguntur in Ecclesia Et sicut ei suaconiuncta est sponsa id est Ecclesia sic Episcopi tunguntur Ecclesiae vnicuique proportione sua Et Ecclesia Episcopo in omnibus obedire debet So our Protestants Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Euarist Barnes sup in Anacleto also testifie of him Ecclesiam debere Episcopo suo in omnibus obedire praecepit And that Sainct Anacletus his predecessour decreed that Ecclesiasticall causes should be hard onely before Ecclesiasticall Iudges the greater to be brought to the primate the lesser to the Metropolitane Bishop and onely temporall matters to be tryed before temporall Iudges In Ecclesiasticis negotijs grauiores causas ad primatem leuiores ad Metropolitanum Episcopum referendas secularia negotia ad prophanos Iudices agenda esse iussit And that all might appeale to the Ecclesiasticall Court Omnibus oppressis licere appellare Ecclesiasticum forum That he was an enemy to Christ whosoeuer should call Preists before temporall Iudges And reputed them as Murtherers which should take away the riches right of Christ his Church because saith he the Apostles by the commaunde of our Sauiour did commaund that the priuiledges of the Church and Preists should be kept inuiolate Christo alienos esse iudicabat qui Sacerdotes in ius vocarent Christi vel Ecclesiae pecunias auferentes homicidas iudicari debere censuit quia inquit priuilegia Ecclesiae Sacerdotum Apostoli Saluatoris iussu inviolata esse debere iusserunt And yet the holy Apostolike writers being thus farre from allowing Kings to haue any power to commaund councels of Bishops or any one Bishop in such busines doe giue vs assurance and some of them also commaundement that councels were to be assembled and kept euen in those times when there was no King Christian to call will or commaunde them and in all ages to succeede without any such commaunde or will of them Which our Protestants themselues plainely acknowledge and first in this last mentioned Pope Sainct Anacletus who as they confesse decreed that councels should be kept twise in the yeare And such causes as could not otherwise be determined should be decyded in Robert Barn in Anacleto supr Anacletus ep 1. Canon Apostol can 36. Clem ib concil Chalced. act 25. can 19. them Statuit congregationem virorum Ecclesiastici ordinis his in anno habendamâ— causas quae apud primarios Ecclesiastici ordinis componi non possent in quarto concilio finiendas esse In the place which these men cite that holy Pope saith that such councels were vsed and ought to be kept twise in the yeare Summorum congregata congregatio per singulos annos his ficri solet debet And the Apostles themselues as Sainct Clement and others witnesse made that decree that councels of Bishops should be kept twise in the yeare to determine Controuersies in religion and Ecclesiasticall contentions and expressely set downe the times of their assembling Bis in anno Episcoporum celebrator Synodus pietatis inter se dogmata in dispositionem vocanto nec non in Ecclesijs incidentes contradictiones dirimunto semel quidem quarta feria Pentecostes secundò duodecima hyperberetaei Which is receaued not
it to himselfe though he punished with death as others often since then haue done the professours thereof yet both he and all or Rulers temporall since Kings or Queens haue retained in their stile of honour that title Defensor fidei defendour of the faith which the Pope gaue him for defending before his fall the Catholike faith against Martine Luther though they all except Queene Mary impugned it And our present K. Charles whome together with his Queene Mary God blesse with all good and happines in his late publike declaration to all his louing Subiects among whome his Catholiks be not in the lowest place of duty and desert to him though not in like degree of his fauour to theÌ„ thus and thus vehemently protesteth wee call God to recorde before whome we stand that it is and alwaies hath beene our harts desire to be found worthy of that title which we accompt the most glorious in all our Crowne DEFENDOVR OF THE FAITH But to defend the faith is not to reprint the articles of Religion established in the time of Queene Elizabeth and by a declaration before those articles to ty and restraine all opinions to the sense of those articles as he speaketh immediately before and to persecute Bishops Preists and Catholiks as he doth That title was giuen by the Pope to King HeÌ„ry for defence of the true faith longe before the articles of Queene Elizabeth or she was borne Longe before hee K. Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth King Iames and King Charles persecuted Catholiks their faith whereof by their stile they should be defendours longe before their religion or any of them I except King Henry the 8. to whome it was giuen receaued beeing The true faith Catholike and Apostolike which by that regall stile and title they should defend against these articles I haue aboundantly by the best testimonies proued in euery point for the two last following articles the 38. intituled of Christian mens goods which are common and the 39. the last of a Christian mans oath doe not containe any coÌ„trouersie with Catholikes but were ordained against new Sectaries among themselues I hope no Protestant Parlament will hereafter glory that their religion was almost 80. yeares old though it wanteth 10. of that number and so extraordinarily contend to persecute that which I haue proued to exceed it aboue 1500. yeares in time and truth which they ought to embrace and honour and not so maliciously or ignorantly not being the most religious nor learned diuines to persecute it FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. 1. COncerning the first 5. Protestant Articles not differing from the Apostles Religion and the Romane Church pag. 1. Chap. 2. Examining their 6. Article about scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age p. 2. Chap. 3. The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Roman Church condemned by this first Apostolike age p. 53. Chap. 4. The 11. Article of the Iustification of man examined and condemned by the Apostolike Fathers of this first age p. 60. Chap. 5. The 12. Article examined and in whatsoeuer differing from the present Romane Church condemned by the Apostolike age So of the 13. and 14. Articles p. 67. Chap. 6. The 15. 16. 17. 18. Articles so examined and wheresoeuer repugnant to the Roman Church likewise condemned p. 82. Chap. 7. The 19. Article examined and condemned by the same authoritie p. 88. Chap. 8. The 20. Article thus examined and in whatsoeuer contrarie to the Church of Rome thus condemned p. 99. Chap. 9. The 21. article so examined and condemned p. 109. Chap. 10. The 22. article thus likewise examined and condemned p. 141. Chap. 11. The 23. article examined p. 207. Chap. 12. The 24. article likewise examined and condemned by this first Apostolike age and writers therein p. 212. Chap. 13. The 25. article intituled of the Sacraments thus examined and condemned in all things contrarie to Catholike doctrine p. 222. Chap. 14. Pennance so called in this article and by Catholikes The Sacrament of Pennance was so iudged and vsed in this Apostolike age p. 228. Chap. 15. Holy Orders contrary to this article was vsed and held à Sacrament in this first age p. 233. Chap. 16. Matrimonie thus proued a Sacrament p. 242. Chap. 17. Extreame vnction thus proued to be a Sacrament p. 249. Chap. 18. The rest of this article repugnant to the Catholike faith likewise condemned p. 252. Chap. 19. The 26. and 27. articles examined and Protestant doctrine in or by them condemned p. 258. Chap. 20. The 28. article intituled of the supper of the Lord examined and condemned p. 262. Chap. 21. The 29. article intituled of the wicked which do not eate the bodie and blood of Christ in the vse of the Lords supper examined and condemned p. 276. Chap. 22. The 30. article intituled of both Kindes examined and where it is contrarie to the Romane Church condemned p. 284. Chap. 23. The 31. article being intituled of the one oblation of Christ finished vpon the Crosse thus examined and condemned p. 297. Chap. 24. The 32. article intituled of the marriage of Preists thus examined and condemned p. 315. Chap. 25. The 33. 34. articles examined and in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned p. 339. Chap. 26. The 35. 36. articles intituled of homilies and of consecration of Bishops and ministe◠〈…〉 examined and condemned 〈…〉 Chap. 27. The 37. article intituled of the ciuiâ—â— Magistratus thus examined and whatsoeuer against the Roman Church condemned p. 390.