saw the evill that came upon the place Besides these learned Trium virs there lived in this age Theodoret bishop of Cyrus a towne in Syria Cyrill bishop of Alexandria Leo the great and Gelasius bishops of Rome Vincentius Lirinensis a great impugner of Heresies as also Sedulius of Scotland whose Collections are extant upon Saint Pauls Epistlâ—s and his testimonies frequently cited by the learned L. Primate Doctour Vsher in his Trâ—atise of the ancient Irish Religion Oâ— the Scâ—iptures sufficiencie Saint Augustine saith In those things which are layd downe plainely in the Scriptures all those things are found which appertaine to faith and direction of life Bellarmine would shift off this place by saying That Austine meant that in Scripture are contayned all such points as are simply necessary for all to wit the Creed and the Commandements but beside these other things necessary for Bishops and Pastors were delivered by tradition but this stands not with Austines drift for in the Treatise alleadged de Doctrinâ— Christianâ hee purposely instructeth not the people but Christian Doctors and Teachers so that where he saith In the Scriptures are plainely set downe all things which containe Faith Hope and Charity he meaneth as elsewhere hee expresseth himselfe all things which are necessarily to bee believed or done not onely of the Lay people but even of Ecclesiastickes In like sort the same father saith Those things which seemed sufficient to the salvation of believers were chosen to bee written Vincentius Lirinensis saith that the Canon or Rule of Scripture is perfect abundantly sufficent in it selfe for all things yea more than sufficient neither is this a false supposall as a Iesuit pretends it to be but a grounded truth and the Authors doctrine Liâ—inensis indeed maketh first one generall sufficient Rule for all things the sacred Scriptures Secondly another usefull in some cases onely yet never to be used in those cases without Scriptures which is the Tradition of the Vniversall Church and generall consent of Fathers The first was used by the ancient Church from the worth that is in it selfe the other is used to avoyd the jarring interpretations of pervâ—rse Heretikeâ— that many times abuse the sacred Rule Standard of the Scripture Now we admit the Churches Interpretation as ministeriall to holy Scripture so it be conformable thereunto And wee say with the learned Rejoynder to the Iesuit Malounes Reply Bring us now one Scripture expounded according to Lirinensis his Rule by the Vniversall consent of the Primitive Church to prove Prayer to Saints Image worship in your sense and we will receive it Saint Cyril saith that All things which Christ did are not written but so much as holy writers judged sufficient both for good manners and Godly faith And in another place he saith The holy Scripture is sufficient to make them which are brought uâ— in it wise and most approved and furnished with most sufficient understanding Saint Hierome reasoneth Negatively from the Scriptures saying As we deny not those things that are written so we refuse those things that are not written That God was borne of a Virgin we believe because we reade it That Mary did marry after shee was delivered we beleeve not because we reade it not Saint Chrysostome saith that All those things that are in holy writ are right and cleere that Whatsoever is necessarie is manifest therein yea he calleth the Scripture The most exact Balance Square and Rule of Divine veritie This was the Fathers Rule of Faith of old and the same a perfect one but the Papists now adayes make it but a part of a Rule halfe a Rule and piece it with Tradition Of the Scripture Canon Saint Hierome who was well skilled in the tongues travailed much and saw the choycest Monuments of Antiquitie as also the best Libraries that the Easterne Parts could afford and was therefore likely to meete with the best Canon nameth all the Bookes which we admit and afterwards addeth Whatsoever is besides these is to be put amongst the Apocrypha and that therfore the Booke of Wisedome of Iesus the Sonne of Syrach of Iudith Tobias and Pastor are not in the Canon The same Hierome having mentioned the Booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus and delivered his opinion that it is untruly called the Wisedome of Salomon and attributed to him then addeth That as the Church readeth Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees but receiveth them not â—or Canonicall Scriptures so these two Bookes â—amely the Wisedome of Salâ—mon and Iesus the Sonne of Syrach doth the Church reade for the edification of the pâ—ople not to confirme the authority of any doctrine in the Church Objection The Carthaginian Councel received those Books which you account Apocryphall Answer They received them in Canonem Morum not in Canonem Fidei It is true indâ—ed that Saint Austine and the African Bishops of his time and some other in that Age finding these Bookes which Hierome and others rejâ—ct as Apocryphall to be joyned with the other and together read with them in the Church seeme to account them to be Canonicall but they received them onely into the Ecclesiasticke Canon serving for Example of life and instruction of manners and not into any part of the Rule of Faith or Divine Canon as Saint Austine speaking of the Bookes of the Maccabees distinguisheth saying This reckoning is not found in the Canonicall Scriptures but in other Bookes as in the Maccabees plainely distinguishing betweene the Canonicall Scriptures and the Bookes of the Maccabees Wherein saith he There may be something found worthy to be joyned with the number of those miracles yet hereof will we have no care for that we intend the miracles Divini Canonis which are received in the Divine Canon Of the booke of Iudith he tels us The Iewes never received it into the Canon of Scriptures and withall there he professeth That the Canon of the â—ewes was most Authenticall Touching the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus he tels us that They were called Salomons onely for some likâ—nâ—sse of Stile but the Learned doubt whether they bâ—e his Lastly the Councel of Carthage whereat Saint Austine was present Prescribing that no bookes should be read in the Church as Canonicall but such as indeed are Canonicall leaveth out the booke of Maccabees as it appeareth by the Greeke Edition though they have shuffled them into the Latine which argueth suspicion of a forged Canon Now to this ancient evidence of Hierome and Austine the Papists make but a poore Reply Canus saith that Hierome is no rule of Faith and that the matter was not then sufficiently sifièd Bellarmine saith I admit that Hierome was of that opinion because as yet a Generall Councel had decreed nothing touching those bookes and Saint Austin might likewise doubt thereof so that by Bellarmines confession Hierome
7 makes this inference In this doe wee give glory to him when we doe confesse that by no precedent merits of our good deeds but by his mercie onely wee have attained unto so great a dignitie And Rabanus in his commentaries upon the Lamentations of Ieremie least they should say our Fathers were accepted for their Merit and therefore they obtained such great things at the hands of the Lord he adjoyneth that it was not given to their Merits but because it so pleased God whose free gift is whatsoever he bestoweth I will close up this Age onely with producing an Evidence drawne about the yeare 860 namely a learned Epistle which Huldericke Bishop of Ausburg in Germanie wrote to Pope Nicolas in defence of Priests Marriage From this holy discretion saith he thou hast no a little swarved when as thou woâ—ldst have those Cleargy-men whom thou oughtest only to advise to abstinence from mariage compelled unto it by a certaine imperious violence for is not this justly in the judgement of all Wise men to be accounted violence when as against the Evangelicall institution and the charge of the Holy Ghost any man is constrained to the execution of private Decrees The Lord in the old Law appointed marriage to his Priest which he is never read afterwards to have forbidden PA. Master Brerely saith that this Epistle is forged under the name of Ulrick Bishop of Augusta PRO. Your Spanish Inquisitors have suppressed this Tesâ—imonie and strucke it dead with a Deleatur Let that whole Epistle be blotted out but our learned bishop Doctor Hall prooves that this Huldericke wrote such a Treatise and about the time assigned and also that this Record is Authenticke that it is extant as Illyricus saith in the Libraries of Germanie that ouâ— Archbishop Parker bishop Iewell Iohn Foxe had Copies of it in Parchment of great Antiquitie Besides your owne man Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope Pius the second almost two hundred yeares agoe mentions it and reports the Argument of it for speaking of Ausburg he saith Saint Vdalricus huic praesidet qui papam arguit de Concubinis Vdalricke is the Saint of that City who reproved the Pope concerning Concubines THE TENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 900. to 1000. PAPIST WE are now drawing on to the thousandth yeare what say you to this tenth Age PROTESTANT By the fall of the Romane Empiâ—e Learning was now decayed and the publike Service no longer to be understood by reason of the change of the vulgar Tongues Wernerus a Carthusian Monke saith of this Age That holinesse had left the Popes and fled to the Emperours Bellarmine saith There was no Age so unlearned so unluckie And Baronius complaines saying What was then the face of the Roman Church when potent and base Whores bare all the sway at Rome at whose lust Sees were changed Bishoprickes bestowed and their Lovers thrust into Saint Peters Chaire Insomuch as Baronius is glad to prepare his Reader with a Preface before he would have him venter upon the Annals of this Age Lest a weake man seeing in the Story of those times the abomination of Desolation sitting in the Temple should bee offended and not rather wonder that there followed not immediatly the Desolation of the Temple And he had reason to Preface as much considering the corruption that grew in this Thousandth yeare wherein Satan was let loose For at thiâ— time they of Rome forbad others to marâ—y and in the meane whiles themselves slept in an unlawfull bed They also devised a carnall Presence of Christ in the Sacrament so that as the noble Morney saith The lesse that they beleeved God in hâ—aven the more carefull were they to affirme him to bee in the Bread in the Priests hands in his words in his nods and that by these meanes when it pleased them they could make him appeare upon earth Thus dishonesty accompanied infidelitie and no marvell since as Ockam saith A lewd life oftentimes blindâ—th the understanding But leâ— us see whether in this Monkish Age during this mist in Aegypt wee can discover any light in the Land of Goshen In this Age lived the Monke Radulphus Flaviaceâ—sis Stephanus Edvensis Bishop Smaragdus Abbot of Saint Michaels in Germany and Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie about the yeare 975. Of the Scriptures sufâ—iciencie and Canon Flaviacensis compares the Scripture to a well-furnished Table or Ordinarie It is saith hee our spirituall refection and Cordiall given to us against the heart-qualmes of our enemies The same Author speaking of Bookes pertainning to sacred Historie saith The Bookes of Tobit Iudith and of the Machabees though they bee read â—or the Churches instruction yet they have not any perfect Authoritie In like sort Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie in his Saxon Treatie of the old Testament tell us There are two Bookes more placed with Salomons workes as if he had made them which for likenesse of Stile and profitable vse have gone for his but Iesus the sonne of Syrach composed them one is called Liber Sapientiae the Booke of Wisdome and the other Ecclesiasticus very large Bookes and read in the Church of long custome for much good instruction amongst these Bookes the Church hath accustomed to place two other tending to the glory of God and intituled Maccabaeorum I have turned them into English and so reade them you may if you please for your owne instruction Now by this Saxon Treatise written by Aelfricus Abbas about the time of King Edgar seven hundred yeares agoe it appeares what was the Canon of holy Scripture here then received and that the Church of England had it so long agoe in her Mother tongue Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Stephanus Edvensis saith These gifâ—s or benefits â—re dayly performed unto us when the Body and Bloud of Christ is taken at the Altar Aelfricke mentions but two Sacraments of Baptisme aâ—d the Lords Supper the same which Gods people had under the Law who though they had many Rites and Ceremonies yet in proper sense but two Sacraments his words are these The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. chap. 10. vers 1 2 3 4. That the Israelites did eate the same ghostly meate and drinke the same ghostly drinke because that heavenly meate that fed them fortie yeares and that water which from the Stone did flow had signification of Christs Body and his Bloud that now bee offered dayly in Gods Church So that as a good Author saith This Age acknowledged onely two Sacraments Of the Eucharist Our English Abbot Aelfricke in his Saxon Homily which was appointed publikely to be read to the people in England on Easter day before they received the Communion hath these wordes All our Forâ—fathers they did eate the same Ghostly meate and dranke the same Ghostly drinke they dranke truely of the stone that followed them and that stone was Christ neither was
have beene called Lollards of Lollium cockle or darnell and so saith the glosse in Linwood as also in the Squires prologue in Chaucer I smell a Loller in the wâ—nde quoth hee abideth for Gods digne passion for mee shall have a predication this Loller here will preach us sâ—mewhat here shall hee not preach here shall he no Gospell glose ne teach he beleeueth all in the great God quâ—th he he would sowne some difficulty or spring cockle in our cleare corne But they were called Lollards from one Raynard Lollard who at the first was a Franciscan Monke and an enemy to the Waldenses but yet a man carried with a sanctified desire to finde the way of salvation Hee afterwards taught the doctrine of the Waldenses was apprehended in Germany by the Monkes Inquisitours and being delivered to the secular power was burnt at Cologne He wrote a Commentary upon the Apocalyps wherein he applied many things to the Pope as to the Roman Antichrist This was he of whom the faithfull in England were called Lollards where he taught witnesse that Tower in London which at this present is called by his name Lollards Tower where the faithfull that profeâ—sed his religion were imprisoned Iohn lâ— Maire in the third part of the difference of Schismes puts him in the ranke of those holy men that have foretold by divine revelation many things that have come to passe in his time such as were Boccace Saint Vincent of Valence of the order of preaching Friers Ioâ—chim Abbot of Gaâ—abria to them he adjoyneth the Frier Râ—ynard Lollard And so I proceede to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures sufficiâ—nâ—y and Canon VVIckliffe saith that Christs law sufficeth by it selfe to rule Christs Church that a Christian 〈◊〉 well underâ—tanding it may thence gather sufficient knowledge during his pilgrimagâ— hâ—re on earth Lyra upon those words in the Gospell They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Luke 16.29 makes this inference Moses he taught morâ—lity and what was our duty to doe the Prophets taught mysteries and what we are to beleeve Et ista sufficiunt ad salutem and these are sufficient for our salvation and therefore it followes Heare them so that hee reduceth all to two heads the Agenda or practicall partâ— and the Credenda or Articles of the Creede and these essentiall necessaries contained in the Scriptures he makes sufficient to salvation Amongst the sundry opinions which Ockam reckons vp this is one sayth Ockam That onely those verities are to be esteemed Catholike and such as are necessarily to be beleeved for the attaining of salvation which either expressely are delivered in â—cripture or by necessary consequence may be inferred from things so expressed Richard Fitz-Raphe Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland saith It is defined in generall Councels that there are two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Nicholas Lyra the converted Iew is plentifull in this argument Now that I have by Gods helpe saith he written upon the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture beginning at Genesis and so going on to the end trusting to the helpe of the same God I intend to write upon those other bookes that are not Canonicall such as are the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Macchabes and withall addeth that it is to be considered that these bookes which are not Canonicall are received by the Church and read in the same for the information of manners yet is their authority thought to be weake to prove things that are in controversie And the same Lyra writing vpon the first of Esdras the first Chapter saith That though the bookes of Tobias Iudith and the Maccabes be Historicall bookes yet he intendeth for the present to passe by them and not to comment on them and he gives his reason namely quia non sunt de Canone apud Iudaeos nec apud Christianos because they are not in the Canon neither with the Iewes nor with the Christians Wickliffe also held that there are but two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments THe custome of communicating in both kinds was not abolished in the beginning of this Age but was retained in certaine places especially in Monasteries untill the yeere of our Lord thirteene hundred and more Thus writeth Cassander Beatus Rhenanus saith that Conradus Pellicanus a man of wonderfull sanctity and learning did finde in the first constitution of the Carthusians That they were forbidden to possesse any vessels of price besides a silver Chalice and a pipe whereby the lay-people might sucke the blood of our Lord. Durand their profound Doctor denieth Matrimony to be a Sacrament properly so named and of the same nature with the rest or to give grace Robert Holcot our countrey-man denied that Confirmation was from Christs Institution now Bellarmine saith that Christ onely can institute a Sacrament Alphonsus à Castro telleth us and that from the testimony of Iodocus Clichtoveus and Thomas Walden a bitter adversary of Wickliffes that Wickliffe held extreame unction or annealing was not a Sacrament Of the Eucharist Ockam saith There are three opinions of Transubstantiation of which the first supposeth a conversion of the Sacramentall Elements the second an annihilation the third affirmeth the bread to be in such sort transubstantiated into the body of Christ that it is no way changed in substance or substantially converted into Christs body or doth cease to be but onely that the body of Christ in every part of it becomes present in every part of the bread This opinion he saith the Master of Sentences mentioneth not much disliking it yet it is not commonly holden Their owne Proctours and Canonists Hostiensis and Gaufridus tell us that there were divers in those dayes who taught that the substance of bread did remaine and this opinion say they was not to be rejected Durand was of opinion That the materiall part of the consecrated bread was not converted insomuch that Bellarmine professeth that saying of Durand is hereticall although he is no heretike because he is ready to submit to the judgement of the Church Wickliffe saith that Friers perverten the right faith of the Sacrament of the Auter and bringen in a new heresie of an Accident withouten subject and whence Holy writ sayes openly that this Sacrament is bread that wee breaken and Gods body they sayen that it is nother bread nor Gods body but accident withouten subject and nought and thus they leaven holy writ and taken new heresie on Christ and his Apostles and on Austin Ierom Ambrose Isidore and other Saints and the Court of Rome and all true Christian men that holden the faith of the Gospell Now for his owne opinion he expresseth it in these termes that the body of Christ was really truely in the Sacrament in his
in all matters of Religion he agreed fully with the Catholike Roman Church PRO. What his Religion was let his owne workes testifie Guicciâ—rdine saith that amongâ—â— other things hâ—e was charged That his doctrine was not fully Catholike hee meaneth Roman Catholike and Comminees saith That one of the Frier Minorites his professed adversary charged him to be an Heretike so that in his opinion he was not in each point a Roman Catholike And to take the Popes procesâ—e which was published against him as wee find it in Guicciardine Therein it is given out that Savonarola had a holy desire that by his meanes a Generall Councell might be called wherein the corrupt customes of the Clergy might bee reformed and the estate of the Church of God so farre wandred and gone astray might bee reduced so farre forth as was possible to the likenesse of that it was in the Apostles time or those that were neerest unto them and if he could bring so great and so profitable a worke to effect hee would thinke it a farre greater glory then to obtaine the Pope-dome it sâ—lfe in the same Processe it is contained how hee despised the Popes commandements and returned publikely to his olâ— office of preaching affirming that the Popâ—s censures published against him were unjust and of no force as also that the matters by him prophesiâ—d were not pronounced by divine revelation but by his proper opinion grounded upon the doctrine and observation of holy Scripture And now let the Reader consider by that which Guicciardine reports of Savonarola and namely touching the opinion he had of the Popes authoritie and his excommunications touching generall Councels and the deformitie and degeneration of the Churches state in respect of antiquitie as also what Comminees saith of his preaching of the Reformation of the Church and that by the Sword as formerly our Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne foretold and then let him judge of what profession he was likely to be Now for the poynt of faction and sedition It is true indeâ—d that there was a great faction in Florence not onely amongst the Laity but the Spiritualty alâ—o but it doth not appeare that Hierome was the Author or nourisher of this discord or that he had any hand in that tumult wherein Francisco Valori a principall favourer of Savonarola was slaine When Saint Paul preached the Gospel in Asia the whole Citty of Ephâ—sus was full of confusion and they rushed into the Common place and caught Gajus and Aristarchus Pauls companions of his journey Act. 19. ver 29. Was Paul or his companions the occasion of this tumult Savonarola preached the word of God in Florence his adversaries tooke Armes entred the Monasterie of Saint Marke where hee was and drew him and two of his brethren Dominick and Silvester out of the Covent and put them into the common prisons upon occasion of a mutinie in the Citie but Hierome and his fâ—llowes occasioned not this tumult It was indeed pâ—â—tended thaâ— he sided with the one faction in Florence but Philip de Comminees who knew him better than Paâ—sons toucheth that which brought the Frâ—er to the sâ—ake namâ—ly In that hee prophâ—sied and that so vehemently and freely of the comming in of forraine forces and of a King that by force of Armes should reforme the corrupt state of the Church and chastise the Tyrants of Italy this was it saith he which made the Pope and the state of Florence hate him Thus have we heard of his life and death there remaineth nothing now but his Epiâ—aph wherewith Flaminius a famous Poet of Italy hath honoured him And thus it is Dum fera flaâ—ma tuos Hieronyme pascitur artus Religio flevit dilaniâ—ta comas Flevit et ô dixit crudeles parcite flammae Paâ—ite sunt isto viscera nostra rogo That is Whiles Hiâ—rome to the firy stake was led Religion tore her haire and wept and said You cruell flames oh spare this tender heart For whiles he burns Religion feels the smart And so I proceed to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Geâ—son makes the word of Christ the sole authenticall ground of faith and the onely infallible rule to decide controvâ—rsies The Scriptures saith he is given unto us as a sufficient and infallible Rule for the governement of the whole body of â—he Church and each part thereof unto the end of the world What evill saith the same Gerson hath followed upon the contempt of holy Scripture which doubtlesse is sufficient for the government of the Church for otherwise Christ had beene an unperfect Law giveâ— experâ—eâ—ce will teach That Wickliffe affirmeth that nâ—ither Friers nor Prelates may define aâ—y thing in matters of faith unlesse they have the auâ—hority of sacred Scripture or some speciall revelation I dislikâ— not saith Waldensis but his waywardnesse and craft I condemne and thinke it necessary lest wee wrest the Scâ—â—ptures and erre in the interpretation of them to follow the â—radition of the Church expounding them unto us and not to trust to our own private singular conceits This is that which Vincentius Lirinensis long since delivered Alphonsus Tostatus saith Although the bookes in question bee received of the Church yet are thâ—y not of any solide auâ—hority and thâ—refore they are improfitable to prove and confirme those things which are called in question according to Saint Hierome Thomas Waldensis cites out of Hierome the Canâ—n of the old Testament in these words As there are twâ—nty two letters by which we write in Hebrew all that we speake so there are accounted twenty two bookes by which as letters wee are instructed in the doctrine of God and withall addeth That the whole Canonicall Scripture is contained in the two and twenty bookes Dionysius Carthusiâ—nus in writing upon Ecclesiasticus saith That booke is not of the Conon that is amongst the Canonicall Scriptures although there be no doubt made of the truth of that booke This is likewise confessed by Pererius the Iesuite saying Dionysius Carthusianus and Lyra doe not deny the History of Susanna to be true but they deny the bookes of Iudith Tobit and the Maccabees to apertaine to the Cononicall Scriptures And the like observation touching Lyra is made by Picus Mirandula and Picus himselfe would have us note that many things which in the Decrees are reckoned for Apocryphall and so accounted by Hierome are neverthelesse read in the Divine Service and many things also which some hold not to bee truâ— Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments The Councel of Constance did not simply forbid the ministring of the Sacrament in both kinds but the teaching of the people that of necessity it must be so ministred for so we find in the thirteenth Session of the said Councel That if any should obstinately maintaine that it was unlawfull or â—rronious to receive in one kind he ought to be punished
wont to say In old time there were golden Prelates and woodden Chalices but in his time woodden Prelates and golden Chalices knowledge was now decayed Princes Prelates and others were now more busied in building or beautifying materiall Temples and Chappels than in the gathering together of living stones and reedifying Gods spirituall Temple so that in this time of Monkery many religious Houses were erected either out of voluntary Devotion or enjoyned Penance Now insteed of the right administration of the Word and Sacraments came in the dumbe guize of the Masse and the people instead of the pure milke of the Word were intertained with feigned Liturgies Legends and Miracles their consciences loaden with a number of unprofitable Ceremonies and unwarrantable Traditions now there was great conâ—idence put in holy Graines hallowed Beades Agnus Dei's and the like Babies and the honour due to the Creator was given to the creaâ—ure Now the people made many fond vowes went many merry Pilgrimages and beheld many garish Processions now they were taught that abâ—tinence from meates and drinkes was Meritorious that the opus operatum the worke done was sufficient in their Sacraments and their Devotions and much of this service performed in an unknowne tongue Now the crownes of Martyrdome wherewith the first Bishops of Rome were honoured were changed into a Triple Crowne and the Pastorall Staffe beganne to quarrell with the Princely Scepter and all these things were carried by the name of the Church the People many of them beleeving as the Church beleeved and this Church was the Roman and this Roman Church was the Pope Concerning the Church in the next 500. yeares even to these our times the Church began to recover her strengthâ— and the light of the Gospell was notably discovered by Waldus in France and his followers Wickliffe in England Iohn Hus and Martin Luther in Germanie Now also by the benefit of Printing which was found out in the fifteenth Century the Tongues came to bee knowne Knowledge increased Bookes were dispersed and Learning communicated the Scriptures were perused the Doctors and Fathers read Stories opened Times compared Truth discerned and Falshood detected Now because there hath already and will hereafter be occasion to speak of Antichrist I will therfore heere point out his severall Ages About the yeare 607. Antichrist began in part to appeare and show himselfe rising by degrees untill he came to the height of impietie for as other things so Antichrist also was to have his rising growth height and fall even as monstrous and huge Beasts goe with their young ones many yeares as other creatures doe many monthes The maine strength of the Romish Antichrist consisted in those two Swords the Spirituall and Temporall now the Pope did not at once attaine to the managing of these two Swords but by degrees he came to usurpe this two-handed Sword The first step that hee made to the throne of pride was about the yeare 607 when Pope Boniface the third by the grant of that murderer Phocas tooke to himselfe the Title Authoritie and Supremacie over the whole Church The next time that he notoriously shewed himselfe was after the thousand yeare when Gregory the â—eventh claimed and usurped both the Swords that is a Soveraigne and Universall Iurisdiction not onely Ecclesiasticall over the Clergie but also Temporall over Kings and Emperours unto this second Soveraigntie they had long aspired but never attained untill the time of this Hildebrand in whom Antichrist came to his growth yea the Pope was discovered to be Antichrist by those Catholike Bishops the Bishop of Florence and Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne and others Vpon this discovery of the Man of Sinne sundry of Gods people refusing the Marke of the Beast severed themselves from the Papall Communion whereupon the Pope and his Faction raised grievous persecutions against the servants of God To speake yet more particularly the degrees of Antichrist may thus be reckoned He had his Birth or rising in Boniface the third who tooke to himselfe that Antichristian title of universall Bishop which his Predecessor Gregorie so greatly condemned Hee had his growth or increase in the time of Pope Adrian the first and the second Councell of Nice who jointly agreed to set up the Adoration of Images and the practice therof to be generally received in the Church Hee came to his Kingdome and reigned in Pope Hildebrand who excommunicated and deposed Henry the fourth the lawfull Emperour and gave away his Empire to Rodulph and after his death to others He was in his jollitie and triumphed in Pope Leo the tenth and his Lateran Councell sâ—ewing himselfe a God in pardoning sinnes delivering soules out of Purgatorie defining Faith setting himselfe above a generall Councell controuling and judging all men himselfe to be judged by none professing for so it is recorded of Gregory the seventh That he was a God and could not erre In a word as my learned kinsman hath deciphered him when he usurped an universall authoritie over all Bishops the Pope was but Antichrist Nascent when he maintained the doctrine of Adoration of Images he was Antichrist Crescent when hee exalted himselfe above all Kings and Emperours hee became Antichrist regnant but when he was made Lord of the Catholike Faith so that none must beleeve more nor lesse nor otherwise then hee prescribed hee became Antichrist Triumphant Thus did the Pope in processe of time become a perfect Antichrist playing the Hypocrite and Tyrant both in Church and State exalting himselfe aâ— a Monarch over Gods house making his owne word and definition of equall authoritie with holy Scripture usurping temporal Iurisdiction over Civill States murthering Christs servants that yeelded not to his becke His last Age is his declining age wherein the Lord by the spirit of his mouth 2 Thess. 2.8 that is by the Ministerie of his Word Shall consume this Man of Sinne and this is come to passe in part For hee is already fallen into a Consumption whereon he irrecoverably languisheth notwithstanding all the help that can be made him by his Colledge of Physicians Canonists Schoolemen Priests and Iesuits but for his finall Destruction wee must expect it at the glorious comming of our blessed Saviour The summe of all is this the Pope having pearkt himselfe above his fellow Bishops it grieved him to be subject to Kings and Emperours not to exalt himself above them he distracted both Church and State in the point of Image-worship which occasioned much bloodshed in Christendome and then having weakened the Empire he became superior to Kings and Emperours there being nothing now but the Church in his way he preuailed over it by his Lateran Flatterers who set the Pope above a generall Councel that is aboue Gods Church a Generall Councell being indeed the Representative Church of God here on earth and the Pope himselfe being the Vertuall Church for so Gretser confesseth that by the Church
Pulpit before the weaker the truth whereof he is not able to justifie in the Schooles before the best learned Neither weâ—e they whom Chrysostome taxed so very lazâ—e but rather such as tooke more paines than needed and as hee saith went a long way about by seâ—king to their patrons mediatours and favourites whereas hee shewes them a neerer may to wit to goe immediately to the Master of Requests Christ Iesus Objection You have produced diverse Fathers against Saintly invocation and much pressed Saint Chrysostome's testimony whereas hee makes for us for Chrysostâ—me saith that the Emperour laying aside all princely state stood humbly praying unto the Saints to bee intercessours for him unto God Answer Bellarmine indeed alleadgeth Chrysostome's sixty sixt Homily Antiochenumâ— and yet the same Bellarmine upon better advise when he is out of the heat of his polemick controversies comes to a pacifick Treatise of the Writings of the Fathers then hee tells us that Chrysostome made but one and twenty Homilies to the people of Antioch and that no more are to bee found in the ancient Libraries And yet posito sed non concesso admit that these words were Châ—ysostome's indeed yet they reach not home for they speake onely what the Emperour did factoâ— not dâ— jure it is onely a relation what hee did out of his private devotion it is no approbation of the thing done Now what some one or two shall doe carryed away with their owne devout affection is not straight way a rule of the Church Besides though the Saints interceded for us yet it will not hence follow that wee are to invocate them having no warrant from God so to doe now in such a high poynt of his worship wee must keepe us to his command and that must guide ouâ— devotiâ—n The other places of Chrysoâ—tome alleadged by Bâ—llarmine speake of the Saints living and not of the Saints deceased Lastly Chrysostome as hath beene observed in the poynt of the Eâ—chaâ—ist speakâ—s oftentimes rather out of his rhetorickâ— than out of his divinity Sixtus Senensis delivereth this observation concerning the Fathers and hee names Chrysostome That in their sermons we may not take their words strictâ—y and in rigour because they many times breake out into declamations and declare and repeat matters by Hyperboles and other figurative speeches In a word whatsoever Chrysostome report of others himselfe as wee have heard was all for our immediate addresse of our Prayers unto God Objection Bellarmine saith that Theodoret shutteth up the story of the Fatherâ— lives in these termes My suit and request is that by the Prayers and intercession of the Saints I may finde divine assistance And the same Bellarmine saith that Theodoret in his booke of the Greekes hath much touching Prayer to Saints Answer Theodoret saith onely Rogo quaeso I beseech and intreat not thâ—s nor that Saâ—nt but God alone to this end and purpâ—se that by their intercession and prayers I may have assiâ—â—ance Now to the booke de curandis Graecorum affectibus questioned whether iâ— be Theodoret's or no wee oppose that which is Theodoret's out of question upon the second and third Chapters to the Colossians where hee expâ—essely sayes and that by the auâ—hority of the Councell of Laodicea Angels are not to be prayed to and if not Angels then not Saints and Maâ—tyrs Objection Saint Austine sayth It is injurie to pray for a Martyr by whose prayers we on the other side ought to be recommended Answer This place is not to the puâ—pose for he sayth onely that the Saints pray for us which thing we have never denyed We doe out of Godly consideâ—ations presume that albeit they know not the necessity of particular men yet they pray for the Church in generall But that wee should for this cause invocate them or yield them any religious service S. Austine doth not avouch The other testimonies alleadged by Bellaâ—mine out of Saint Austine are all for Martyrs and not for Saints now in Saint Austâ—nes opinion the Martyrs had an espâ—ciall priviledge above other Saints Bâ—sides they might well have spared the alleadging of Saint Austine Theodoret Chrysostome Prudentius Saint Ambrose Origen Irenaeus and otheâ—s in proofe of Saiâ—tly invocation inaâ—much as these with divers others are by their great Author Sixtus Senensis reckoned up amongst them that held the Saints departed did not injoy the presence of God â—ill after thâ— generall Resurrection which if they hâ—ld that they did not then would they not hold that they were to bee prayed to they being secluded from Gods presence being onely in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Some certaine Receptacles or Wards attending in the porch or base Court abroad not admâ—tted to the presence of the Almighty and so not seeingâ— hearing nor knowing whether prayer were made to them at all or no being but as yet in Atrijs as Bernard would have it For in such Retiring or drawing roomes they placed the soules of all the faithfull except those of the Martyrs Objection Maximus Taurinensis in his Sermon upon Saint Agnes sayth By all such Prayers and Orizons as I can conceive I beseech theâ— vouchsafe to remember me Answer Theâ—e Sermons of Maximus as great as he was in name they are not greatly to be esteemed inasmuch as they goe with an Aliâs sometimes under one name sometimes under another having indeâ—d no certaine knowne Father so that they are not to goe for Maximes in divinity or rules of Faith But suppose they be his owne words they are but a Rhetoricall flourish which he used in his commendatorie Panegyricall Sermon upon Saint Agnes her Anniversarie and he speakes but faintly Quibus possumus precibus in effect as I can so I direct this my addresse unto thee heare and helpe me accordingly as thou canst and maist so the man in the point was not so fully perswaded of that or any Saints assistance as that hee went farther than opinion Objection Victor Bishop of Vtica when the Church was pestered with the barbarous Vandals calleth to the Angels Prophets Patriarks and Apostles to Deprecate and Pray for the distressed Church Answer Victor Bishop of Vtica is an Historian and such are Narratores relaters of other mens Acts not Expositores of their owne opinions narrations have no more weight or worth then have those Authors from whence they proceed But Vicâ—or in this place laying aside the person of an Historian takes up the carriage of a Panegyrist meerely as appeares by his expostulating with Saint Peter and chiding him which was not really and indeed but onely Rhetorically and Figuratively saying Why art thou Blessed Saint Peter silent Why dost not thou above all the rest take care of the Sheepe and Lambes committed unto thee Now if this were a straine of Rhetoricke why also is not that his compellation of the Saints Triumphant to assist the Church Millitant and then distressed Object
Church as if Saint Peter whose successour he pretends to be had hâ—ld the Apostolike chayre as it weâ—e in Fee for him and his Successours for ever and the other eleven had held theiâ—s for terme of life onely And now to looke homâ—waâ—ds to our Britaine in this Age we find our auâ—cestors besides their common enemies the Scots Picts and Saxons troubled with another more secret but as dangerous to wiâ— the Pelagian heresie wherewith Pelagius a Romane Monke borne in Little Britaine with his Disciple Celestius beganne to infect these Northerne parts But after they and their heresies were condemned in the Councels of Carthage and Mela Pope Celestine sent Palladius into Scotland as also our neighbours the French bishops at the request of the Catholique English sâ—nt Germanus bishop of Aâ—xerre and Lupus bishop of Troys in Champeigne into England to beat downe Pelagianisme which they happily suppressed Now also there was a Provinciall Councel held in Britaine for the reforming of Religion and repairing of the ruin'd Churches which the Pagan marriage of Vortiger had decayed to the great griâ—fe of the people A plaine token that their zeale continued evâ—n unto those dayâ—s for so it was whiles Vortiger a British Prince marryed with the fayre but Infidel Rowena Hengists daughter this Saxon match had almost undone both Church and State whilest as Bede complaines Priest's were slaine standing at the Altar and bishops with thâ—ir flocks weâ—e murdered till at length they assembled a Councel to repayre those decayes which this marriage had made Now to close up this Age the Reader may observe that we have surveyed the first foure Generall Councels which Gregorie the Great proâ—essed that he â—mbraced as the foure Gospels and indeed they were called agâ—inst those foure Arch-heretickes that pestered the Câ—urch the first was hâ—ld at Nice against Arrius a Priâ—st of Alâ—xandria who held that Christ was neither God nor eternall but an excellent creature created before all creatures The second at Constantinople against Macedonius who held that Christ was not of the same essence not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall and of the same substance with the Father but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to him and that the Holy Ghost was not God but Gods Minister and a creature not eternall The third at Ephâ—suâ— against Nestorius who held that Christ had two severall persons but not two wills and that the Virgin Mary was not to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of Christ. The fourth at Chalcedon where Dioscorus and Eutyches were condemned This Eutyches confuting Nestorius fell into other heresies and confounded the two natures of Christ making him after his union to have but the divine nature onely Besides the Reader may farther observe that upon the survey of these first foure Generall Councells so much esteemed by S. Gregory it is found that they confined the bishop of Rome to his bounds with other Patriarkes and they equalled other Patriarchall Seas to the Romane so that hereby is discovered the vanity of Campian's flourish saying Generall Councells are all ours the first and the last and the middle For we imbrace such Generall Councells as were held in those golden Ages within the first sixe hundâ—ed yeares or thereabouts The middle ranke beginning at the second Nicene unto the Councell of Florence held in the Ages of the mingled and confused Church they are neither wholly theirs nor ours The two last the one at Lateran the other at Trâ—nt these being held by the drosse of the Church are theirs AN APPENDIX to the fiâ—th CENTVRIE Of the Fathers Authoritie PAPIST YOu have produced the Fathers for these five or sixe hundred yeares as if they had beene of your Faith whereas you dissent from thâ—m and refuse their tryall but wee honour them and appeale to the joynt coâ—sent of Anâ—iquity PROTESTANT Where wee seâ—me to vary from them it is eithâ—r in things humane arbitrarie and indifferent or in matters not fully discussed by the ancient or in poynts which were not delivered by joynt consent of the ancient or in things which are reproved by plaine demonstration of holy Scripture and wherein the Fathers permit liberty of dissenting and the Papists themsâ—lves usually take it Neither would Saint Austine the faiâ—est flower of Antiquity have his Reader follow him farther than hee followeth the Truth not denying but that as in his maners so in his writings many things might justly be taxed Neither doe we refuse the triall of the Fathers truely alleadged and rightly understood witnesse the challenge made by Bishop Iewell and seconded by Doctor Whitaker and Doctor Featly yea Doctor Whitaker as Scultetus observeth was confident That the Fathers although in some matters they be variable and partly theirs partly ours yet in the materiall poynts they be wholly ours and theirs in matters of lesser moment and some few Tenets Likewise that great light of Oxford Doctor Reinolds in his Conference with Master Hart solemnely protested that in his opinion not one of all the Fathers was a Papist for saith he The very being and essence of a Papist consists in the opinion of the Popes supremacie but the Popes supremacie was not allowed by any of the Fathers as he there proveth against Hart not one then of all the Fathers was a Papist PA. May wee not ground our Faith upon the Fathers Testimonies PRO. Wee reverence the ancient Fathers but still with reservation of the respect wee owe to that Ancient of dayes Daniel 7.6 their father and ours who taught young Elihu Iob. 32.6 to reprove his Ancients even holy Iob amongst them Iob 33.12 him alone doe we acknowledge for the father of our Faith on whom wee may safely ground in things that are to bee believed For every Article of Christian Faith must bee grounded on divine revelation but all opinions of the Fathers are not divine revelations neither doe the Fathers challenge to themselves infallibility of judgement Sâ—int Austine saith This reverence and honour have I learnt to give to those Bookes of Scripture onely which are called Canonicall that I most firmely believe none of their Authors could any whit erre in writing But others I so reade that with how great sanctity and learning soever they doe excell I therefore thinke not any thing to be true because they sâ— thought it but because they were able to perswade me either by those Canonicall Authours or by some probâ—ble reason that it did not swerve from truth Neither doe our Adversaries yield infâ—llibilâ—ty of judgement tâ— the Fathers Baronius saith The Church doth not alwayes and in all things follow the Fathers interpretation of Scripture Bellarmine saith Their writings are no rules of Faith neither have they authority to binde Canus tells us That the ancient Fathers sometime erre and against the ordinary course of nature bring forth
Eleutherius time or in the Apostles dayes for had it beene so the Britaines who changed not their Faith but kept still the substantiall grounds thereof would likewise have held the Popes Supremacie yea doubtlesse those Catholike Bishops of Britaine had they but knowne and believed as now it is given out the Pope to be Iure divinâ— by divine right and Gods appointment the Monarch of the whole Church they would have yeelded obedience to Austine and in him to the Pope but they opposed it as being urged by those of the Romish faction so that it was not then as now it is made one of the chiefe heads of the Romish Faith for now a dayes men are made to believe that out of the Communion of the Romane Church nothing but hell can be looked for and subjection to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Vniversall Church Is required as a matter necessary to salvation But this was no part nor Article of the ancient Britaines Creed and therefore they withstood it and if it were no Article of Faith them surely it is none now a dayes To close up this point hereby is overthrowne the maine Article of the Romane Creed For if as the Papists say and sweare there be no salvation out of the Romane Communion then is the case like to goe hard with the one thousand two hundred British Monks of Bangor stiled Saints and Martyrs that died out of the Roman Communion and yet within the Communion of Saints But this Grand Imposture of the now Romane Church is notably discovered by the learned and zealous Bishop of Coventrie and Lichfield Doctor Morton now Lord Bishop of Durham My conclusion shall be this out of the holy Catholike Church of the Creede there is no salvation but out of the fellowship of the Romane Church there hath beene and is salvation as appeares in the case of these our British Martyrs therefore the present Romane Church is not as it is pretended the Catholike Church of the old Creede but a particular of the new Trent Creede THE SEVENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 600. to 700. PAPIST PRoceede to name your men PROTESTANT I name Gregory the great whom Bellarmine usually placeth in this seventh Age for that hee lived unto the yeare 605 what time as Trithemius saith he dyed Now also lived his Scholler Isidore Bishop of Sivil in Spaine usually termed Isidore the younger Now also by Bellarmine's account though others make him much ancienter lived Hesychius Bishop of Hierusalem with other Worthies as namely the Britaines of Wales as also Saint Aidan and Finan now also was held the sixth Generall Councell PA. I challenge Saint Gregory hee is ours PRO. Gregorie indeed lived in a troublesome time whiles the Goths and Vandals overranne Italie and Rome was besieged by the Lombards There was then also great decay in knowledge and scarcity of able men to furnish the Church withall and few in Italie as Baronius saith that were skilled both in Greeke and Latine Yea Gregory himselfe proâ—esseth that hee was ignorant of the Greeke tongue yet was he stâ—led the great and yet not so great as godly and modest It is commonly said of him That he was the last of the good Bishops of Rome and the first of the bad ones That he was the first Pope and leader of the Pontifician companies and the last Bishop of Rome Hee was supeâ—stitious in diverse things hee lived in a declining age and as in time so in some truths came short of his predecessours yet he taught not as your Trent Papists doe but joyned with us in diverse weighty poynts of Religion Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Gregory held the Scriptures sufficiencie saying Whatsoever serveth for edification is contayned in the volume of the Scriptures wherein are all resolutions of doubts fully and plentifully to be found they being like a full Spring that cannot be drawne drye Hee approved the vulgar use of the Scriptures exhorting a Lay-man to study them because saith hee they bee as it were Gods Letter or Epistle to his Creature wherein he reveales his whole minde to him And lest any complaine of the difficulty of the Scriptures he compares them to a River wherein there are as well shallow Foords for Lambes to wade in as depths for the Elephant to swim in And Isidore saith that the Scripture is common to petty Schollers and to Proficients And whereas Heretickes use to alleadge Scripture for themselves Gregory saith they may bee confuted by Scripture it selfe even as Goliath was slaine with his owne sword Gregory held the bookes of Maccabees Apocryphall Wee doe not amisse saith he if wee produce a testimony out of the booke of Maccabees though not Canonicall yet published for the iâ—struction of the Church And Occham accordingly reports Gregories judgement saying The booke of Iudith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and Wisedom are not to bee received for the confirmation of any doctrine of Faith Isidore saith In these Apocryphall although there be some truth to be found yet by reason of the many errours therein they are not of Canonicall authâ—rity Of Communion under both kindes and number of Sacraments Saint Gregory in his Dialogues if they be his tells us of some that were going to Sea some whereof happily were Lay-men carryed with them the consecratâ—d body and bloud of the Lord in the Ship and there received it And againe His body is there recâ—ived his flesh is there divided for the peoples salvation his bloud is not now powred out upon the hands of Infidels but into the mouth of the Faithfull Hee speakes expressely of the Faithfull and of the people And in his Homily touching the Passeover he saith What is meant by the bloud of Christ you have now learned not by hearing of it but by drinking of it which bloud is then put on both posts when it is drawne in both by the mouth of the body and of the heart Herein Gregory resembles the partaking of Christ's bloud in the Eucharist to the bloud of the Paschall Lambe in the twelfth of Exodus striken upon both poâ—ts of the doore thereby noting the mouth and the heart each whereof after their manner receive Christ for with the mouth and corporally wee receive the wine which is the Sacrament of his bloud and with our heart and by faith we receive the thing Sacramentall the bloud it selfe Besides hee speakes expressely of drinking and the termes hee useth hauritur and perfunditur That Christ's bloud is shed and taken as a draught demonstrate that he speaks not of partaking Christ's bloud as it is joyned to his body and inclosed in his veines but as severed from it as my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly hath observed Isidore saiâ—h The fourth prayer is brought in for the kisse of Peace that all bâ—ing reconciled by charity may
Image-worship yet in some other things he was Orthodoxe and in those we comply with him Now also was held a famous Councel at Constantinople in the East and another at Frankford in the West both of them opposing the second Nicen Synod Now also lived Adelbert of France Samson of Scotland and Claudius Clemens of the same nation Bishop of Auxerâ—e in France Thâ—se with others opposâ—d Boniface the Popes factour whiles he sought to stablish Papall Supremacie adoration of Reliques and Images Pargatorie prayer for â—he dead and to impose single life on the Clâ—rgie and for â—his they were persecuted under Pope Zacharie with bonds and imprisonment Aventinâ— saiâ—h â—haâ— Albertus Gallus and other Bishops and Priestâ— of his sect so calls he the way after which they worshipâ—â—od did mightily withstand this Boniface or Winifrid an Engâ—iâ—â—â—an bishop of Meâ—tz Toward the laâ—er end of this Age there lived though they flourished in the ninth Age Claudius Clemens Scotus as also Ioannes Mailrosius Scotus called Madrosius haply for that he lived in the Monastery of Mailros planted by bishop Aidan and his followers in Northumberland where also Saint Cuthbert had his education PA. I claime Saint Bede for one of ours PRO. You will lose your claime for though he were tainted with superstition and slipt into the corruptions of the Times wherin he lived Beleeving and reporting divers Fabulous Miracles and incredible Stories as some of your owne men haue censured him neither doe we defend all hee wrot yet in divers maine grounds of Religion he was an Adversarie to your Trent Faith Bede was a Priest he lived in the Monasterie of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Weere-mouth neere Durham A great Clerke and writer of the English Story Alcwin or Alwin was a Yorke-shiere man as appeares by his name Alwin which in these parts continues to this day He was Keeper of the Library at Yorke erected by Archbishop Egberâ— He was also Schoole-master to Rabanus and in great favour with his Pupill Carolus Magnus whom hee perswaded to found the Vniversitie of Paris He wrot three bookes of the Trinitie and Dedicated them to Charles The Papists charge Calvin to have made these bookes and to have set them forth in Alcuinus name Alcuin and Calvin being all one name by changing the Letters but this is untrue since both the note of the beginning and ending of this booke is to be seene in an ancâ—ent Manuscript in Lincolne Colledge and the very Copie it selfe written as it may be conjectured above five hundred yeeres agoe is to be seene in the Princes Library at Saint Iames. Besides that my selfe have seene Alcwin's booke of the Trinitie Printed in the yeare 1525. whereas Calvin by Bellarmines account shewed not himselfe untill the yeere 1538. Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Damascen saith Whatsoever is delivered unto us in the Law and the Prophets by the Apostles and Evangelists that wee receive acknowledge and reverence and besidâ—s these wee require nothing else The same Damascen numbers all those bookes and those onely as Canonicall that we doe and addeth That the Bookes of Wisdome and Iesus the Sonne of Syrach are good Bookes and containe good Lessons but that they are not numbred in this account neither were layd up in the Arke And our Alcuinus Abbot of Saint Martins at Tours in France writing against Elipantus bishop of Toledo tels him that he urged authoriâ—ies out of the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach but saith he Saint Hierome and Isidore doe testiâ—ie that without question it was to be reputed amongst the Apocryphall and doubtfull Bookes Of Communion under both kinds and the number of Sacraments Charles the Great saith The mystery of the body and bloud of Christ is daily received by the faithfull in the Sacrament of his â—lesh and bloud in â—anis ac vini figurâ in the figure oâ— bread and wine And that â—he Sacrament is in it owne naâ—ure brâ—ad and wine but the body and bloud of Christ by Mysticall and Sacrameâ—tall relation hee shewes in the same termes as Isidore did before him and Rabanus after him Becausâ— bread saith Bede confirmes the bâ—dy and wine doth worke bloud in the flesh therefore the one is mystically refâ—rred to the body of Christ the other to his bloud But to leave particular men we have the suffrage of a whole Councel held at Constantinople in the yeare 754 wherein it was maintained that Christ chose no other shape or type under heaven to represent his Incarnation by but the Sacrament which he delivered to his Ministers for a type and a most effectuall commemoration thereof Commanding the substance of bread to bee offered and this bread they affirme to be a true Image of his naturall flesh And these assertions of theirs they are to be found in the third tome of the sixth Action of the second Councel of Nice Of Images and Prayer to Saints Concerning Images venerable Bede as we find him cited by Gerson the Chancellour of Paris saith That Images are not simply forbidden to bee made but they are utterly forbidden to bee made to this end to bee worshipped and adored Charles the Great as Cassander saith hath pithily and wittily stated this question of Images that it is no prejudice to want tâ—em nor priviledge to have them that such as utterly reject them may be taxed with â—icklenesse and they that worship them branded with folly In this Age there arose great contention in the Church touching the matter of Images the Greeke Empâ—rouâ—s Leo Isaurus Constantine Nicâ—phorus Stauratius Leo Armenus Michael Balbus Theophilus and others their â—ucâ—essours opposiâ—g them in the East and on the other side Gregorie the second and third Paul the first Stephen the fourth Adrian the first and other Popes of Rome as stiffly upholding them in the West In a Councel of 338 Bishops held at Constantinople Anno 754 they were solemnly condemned for they banished all other Images and determined That there was one onely Image appointed by Christ to wit the blessed bread and wine in the Eucharist which represent to us the body and bloud of Christ there was decreed under Constantine nicknamed Câ—pronymus That none should privately in houses or publikely in Churches procure keepe or worship any Image uâ—on paine of deposition Zonaras saith That in the hearing of all the people they openly forbad the worship of Images calling all such as adored thâ—m Idolaters and speaking of the Emperour Leo Armenus hee saith He was mightily bent against them insomuch as he decreed utterly to abandon them Thus did those Ezekiah's of Greece being strongly opposed by the Papall foâ—ces Now so it was afterwards in another Coâ—nâ—el of 350 bishop held at Nice in the yeare 787. Images were set on foote againe and this Councel was calâ—ed and swayed under that Doctresse Irene the Empresse
examining them The like may be sayd of Bede Gregorie and others that holding Christ the foundation a right and groaning under the weight of mens Traditions humane satisfactions and the like popish trash they by unfained repentaÌ„ce for their errours lapses knowne and unknowne and by an assured faith in their Saviour did finde favour with the Lord these and the like we hold to be Gods servants and propter meliorem saniorem partem by reason of their better and sounder part to be with us lively members of the true Church though in some things they were mistaken and that they may be termed professours of our faith inasmuch as the denomination is to be taken from the better part and not alwayes from the greater For example sake there is much water and little wine mixed in a glasse yet it is called a glasse of wine so say we of professors S. Bernard and such like there is in them some bad parts some superstition and Poperie and some good in that they hold Christ Iesus the foundation aright in this case they may in respect of their better part be termed and denominated true professors and therefore you must give us againe Saint Bernard with others to whoÌ„ you have no right or claime unlesse it be to their errours which they suckt in from the corrupt breasts of some of your side and so I proceed to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Saint Bernard as wee heard approveth such a Councell wherein the Traditions of men are not obstinately defended but the revealed will of God enquired after for that this is all in all Claudius Seyssel Archbishop of Turin in Piedmont one that was Neighbour to the Waldenses and laboured to enforme himselfe touching their positions and also to confute them saith that they admitted onely the text of the old and new Testaments so that they denyed unwritten traditions to be the Rule of Faith Petrus Cluniacensis after he had reckoned up the canonicall bookes saith There are besides the authenticall bookes sixe other not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Macchabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are received of the Church as containing necessary and profitable doctrine Hugo de Sancto victore saith All the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament are twentie two there are other bookes also as namely the Wisedome of Salomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Machabees which are read but not written in the Canon The Bible was translated into English some hundred yeares as it is probably conjectured before Wickliffs translation came forth a coppie of which auncient translation my selfe have seene in our Queenes Colledge Librarie in Oxford in the praeface whereof it may be seene that the translatour held the controverted bookes for Apocrypha for thus he saith what ever booke of the Old Testament is out of these he maketh the same â—anon with us twentie five before sayd shall be set among Apocrypha that is without authoritie of beleefe Therefore the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith and Tobie bee not of beleefe Hierome saith all this sentence in the prologue on the first booke of Kings now if at that time the above sayd bookes had beene accounted Authenticall by the Church and of beleefe he would have sayd but this opinion of Hieromes is not approved by the Church as Doctor Iames hath well observed Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments HVgo de Sancto victore giveth a reason of the entire communicating in both kinds Therefore saith he the Sacrament is taken in both kindes that thereby a double effect might be signified For it hath force as S. Ambrose saith to preserve both body and soule Gratian rehearseth many ancient Canons and constitutions for communicating in both kinds Saint Bernard in his third Sermon on Palme Sunday maketh the Sacrament of Christs body and blood the Christians foode Touching the Sacrament of Christs body and blood saith he there is no man who knoweth not that this so singular a food was on that day first exhibited on that day coÌ„mended and coÌ„manded to be frequently received Saint Bernards words have reference to the Institution of Christ now at our Saviours last Supper there was Wine as well as Bread and Bernard treating thereof saith it was commanded to be frequently received now if the whole Church were enjoyned so to doe then also is every particular beleever who is of age fitted thereunto enjoyned to receive it accordingly The precise number of seaven Sacraments was not held for catholike doctrine no not in the Church of Rome untill more than a thousand yeares after Christ this is ingenuously confessed by Cassander Vntill the dayes of Peter Lombard who lived about the yeere 1145 you shall scarce finde any authour saith their Cassander who set downe any certaine and definite number of Sacraments neither did all the schoolemen call all those sâ—ven proper Sacraments but this is without all controversie saith the same Cassander that there are two chiefe Sacraments of our Salvation that is to say Baptisme and the Lords Supper and so speake Rupertus and Hugo de Sancto victore and he saith true for Rupertus putteth the question and asketh Which be the chiefe sacraments of our salvation and hee answereth Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Of the Eucharist IN this age â—ratian the Monke affoordeth us a notable testimony against transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ his coÌ„parison is thus drawne This holy bread is after its manner called the body of Christ as the offering thereof by the hands of the Priest is called Christs passion now the Priests oblation is not properly and literally in strict termes and sence the passion of Christ but as the Glosse hath it the Sacrament representing the body of Christ is therefore called Christ's flesh not in verity of the thing but in a mystery namely as the representation of Christ therein is called his Passion Gratians words are these As the heavenly bread which is Christ's flesh after a sort is called Christ's body whereas indeed it is the Sacrament of his body and the sacrificing of the flesh of Christ which is done by the Priest's hands is sayd to be his passion not in the truth of the thing but in a signifying mistery Iâ—annes Semeca who was the first that glossed upon Gratians decrees telleth us how this comparison is to be meant This Sacrament saith the Glosse because it doth represent the flesh of Christ is called the Body of Christ but improperly not in the truth of the thing but in the mysticall sence to wit it is called the Body of â—hrist that is it signifieth his Body From these premisses we inferre that after consecration the Sacrament is not in truth Christ's Body but onely in a
knowledge of Letters and study of Tongues specially the Greeke Latin began to spread abâ—â—ad thorow divers parts of the West Of this number were Emanuel Chrysoloras of Constantinople Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica Georgius Trapezuntius Cardinall Bessarion and others in like sort also afterwards Iohn Capâ—io brought the use of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues into Germany as Faber Stapulensis observeth And in the beginning of this age Hebrew was first taught in Oxford as our accurat Chronologer Mr. Isaacson hath observed Now also lived Nicholas de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible In this age there were divers both of the Greeke and Latin Church who stood for Regall Iurisdiction against Papall usurpation and namely Barlaam the Monke Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica Marsilius Patavinus Michael Cesenas Generall of the gray Friers Dante the Italian Poet and William Ockam the English man sometime fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford surnamed the Invincible Doctor and Scholler to Scotus the subtile Doctor Now also lived Durand de S. Porciano Nilus alleadgeth divers passages out of the generall Councels against the Popes supremacy and thence inferreth as followeth That Rome can not challenge preheminence over other Seas because Rome is named in order before them for by the same reason Constantinople should have the preheminence over Alexandria which yet she hath not From the severall and distinct boundaries of the Patriarchall Seas he argueth that neither is Rome set over other Seas nor others subject to Rome That whereas Rome stands upon the priviledge that other places appeale to Rome he saith That so others appeale to Constantinople which yet hath not thereby Iurisdiction over other places That whereas it is said the Bishop of Rome judgeth others and himselfe is not judged of any other he saith That St. Peter whose successour he pretends himselfe to be suffred himselfe to be reproved by S. Paul and yet the Pope tyrant-like will not have any enquire after his doings Barlaam prooveth out of the Chalcedon Councell Canon 28. That the Pope had not any primacy over other Bishops from Christ or S. Peter but many ages after the Apostles by the gift of holy Fathers and Emperours if the Bishop of Rome sayth hee had anciently the supremacy and that S. Peter had appointed him to be the Pastour of the whole Church what needed those godly Emperours decree the same as a thing within the verge of their owne power and jurisdiction Marsilius Patavinus wrote a booke called Defensor Pacis on the behalfe of Lewis Duke of Baviere and Emperour against the Pope for challenging power to invest and depose Kings Hee held that Christ hath excluded and purposed to exclude himselfe and his Apostles from principality or contentious jurisdiction or regiment or any coactive judgement in this world His other Tenets are reported to be these 1 That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishops much lesse to the Emperour 2. That things are to be decided by Scripture 3. That learned men of the Laiety are to have voyces in Councels 4. That the Cleargy and the Pope himselfe are to be subject to Magistrates 5. That the Church is the whole coÌ„pany of the faithfull 6. That Christ is the Head of the Church and appointâ—d none to be his Vicar 7. That Priests may marry 8. That St. Peter was never at Rome 9. That the popish â—ynagogue is a denne of theeves 10. That the Popes doctrine is not to be followed With this Marsilius of Pâ—dua there joyned in opinioÌ„ Iohn of Gandune and they both held that Clerkes are and should be subject to secular powers both in payment of Tribute and in iudgâ—ments specially not Ecclesiasticall so that they stood against the Exemption of Clerkes Michael Cesenas Generall of the Order of Franciscans stood up in the same quarrell and was therefore deprived of his dignities by Pope Iohn the two and twentieth from whom he appealed to the Catholicke universâ—ll Church and to the next generall Councell About this time also lived the noble Florentine Poet Dante a learned Philosopher and Divine who wrote a booke against the Pope concerning the Monarchy of the Emperour but for taking part with him the Pope banished him But of all the rest our Countrey-man Ockam stucke close to the Emperour to whom he sayd that if he would defend him with the sword he againe would defend him with the Word Ockam argueth the case and inclineth to this opinion that in temporall matters the Pope ought to be subject to the Emperour in as much as Christ himselfe as he was man professeth that Pilate had power to judge him given of God as also that neither Peter nor any of the Apostles had temporall power given them by Christ and hereof he gives testimony from Bernard and Gregory Ockams writings were so displeasing to the Pope as that he excommunicated him for his labour and caused his treatise or worke of ninety dayes as also his Dialogues to be put into the blacke bill of bookes prohibited and forbidden It is true indeed that Ockam submitted his writings to the censure and judgement of the Church but as hee saith to the judgement of the Church Catholike not of the Church malignant The same Ockam spoke excellently in the point of generall Councels Hee held that Councels are not called generall because they are congregated by the authority of the Romane Pope and that if Princes and Lay-men please they may be present have to deale with matters treated in general Councels That a generall Councell or that congregation which is commonly reputed a generall Councell by the world may erre in matters of faith and in case such a generall Councell should erre yet God would not leave his Church destitute of all meanes of saving truth but would raise up spirituall children to Abraham out of the rubbish of the Laiety despised Christians and dispersed Catholikes Wee have heard the judgement of the learned abroad touching Iurisdiction Regall and Papall let us now see the practice of our owne Church and State In the Reigne of King Edward the third sundry expresse Statutes were made that if any procured any Provisions from Rome of any Abbeyes Priories or Benefices in England in destruction of the Realme and holy Religion if any man sued any Processe out of the Court of Rome or procured any personall Citation from Rome upon causes whose cognisance and finall discussion pertained to the Kings Court that they should be put out of the Kings protection and their lands goods and chattels forfeited to the King In the Reigne of King Richard the second it was enacted That no Appeale should thenceforth be made to the Sea of Rome upon the penalty of a Praemunire which extended to perpetuall banishment and losse of all their lands and goods the words of the statute are If any purchase or pursue
amisse and not to prosecute Luther but this Councel was not followed wherupon divers parts according to Gersons Councel began this worke of Reformation so much desired by all good men howsoever opposed by the pope and his adherents PA. A Reformation presupposeth that things were amisse will you charge the Catholicke Church with errour PRO. Wee say that particular Churches and such is that of Rome may erre and divers have erred Sixtus Senensis reckons up many Fathers that held the Millenary errour mistaking that place in the Revelation 20.5 They said that there should be two Resurrections the first of the godly to live with Christ a thousand yeares on earth in all wordly happinesse before the wicked should awake out of the sleepe of death and after that thousand yeares the second Resurrection of the wicked should bee to eternall death and the godly should ascend to eternall life this errour continued almost two hundred yeares after it began before it was condemned for an heresie and was held by so many Church-men of great account and Martyrs that Saint Augustine and Ierome did very modestly dissent saith the same Senensis The opinion of the necessity of Infants receiving the Sacrament of the Lords body and blood as well as Baptisme did possesse the minds of many in the Church for certaine hundreds of yeares as appeareth by that which Saint Austine writeth of it in his time and Hugo de Sancto victoâ—e many hundred of yeares after him Were there not also superstition and abuses in the primitive Churches did not a Councell forbid those night vigils which some Christians then used at the graves of the Martyrs in honour of the deceased Saints and are not these Vigils now abolished Doth not Saint Aâ—stine confesse there were certaine Adoratores sepulchrâ—rum â—t picturarum worshippers of tombes and pictures in the Church in his time and doth not the same Father taxe them for it To come to later times Thomas Bradwardine complayned That the whole world almoâ—t was gone after Pelagius into errour arise therefore O Lord saith hee and judge thine owne cause Gregorius Ariminensis saith That to affirme that man by his naturall strength without the speciall helpe of God can doe any vertuous action or morally good is one of the damned heresies of Pelagius or if in any thing it differ from his heresie it is further from truth The same Gregory saith The heresies of Pelagius were taught in the Church and that not by a few or them meane men but so many and of so great place that hee almost feared to follow the doctrine of the Fathers and oppose himselfe against them therein Cardinall Contaren saith That there were some who pretended to be Catholikes and opposite to Luther who whiles they laboured to advance free-will too high they detracted too much from the free-grace of God and so became adversaries to the greatest lights of the Church and friends to Pelagius It is not strange then that weâ— say there hath beene a defection not onely of Heretikes from the Câ—urch and faithâ— but also in the Church of her owne children from the sincerity of faiâ—h dâ—livered by Christ and his Apostles not for that all or the whole Church at any time did forsake the true faith but for that many fell from it according to that of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 4.1 In the last times some shall depart from the faith attâ—nding to spirits of errour Besides such a famine of the word as fell out in these later times must needs have brought in corruption in doctrine and this was it that called for Reformation For in sundry ages last past the Roman Church hath behaved her selfe more like a step-dame then a naturall mother insomuch as shee hath deprived her children of a principall portion of the food of life the word of God her publike readings and service were in an unknowne tongue the holy Scriptures were closed up that people might not cast their eyes upon them fabulous Legends were read and preached insteed of Gods word but as Claudius Espencaeus a Doctor of Paris a bitter enemy to Bâ—za and therefore more worthy of credit in this bâ—halfe saith Our Ancestors as devoutly affâ—cted to the Saints as we thought is not fit that the rehearsall of the Saints lives should shoulder out the bookes of the old and new Testament and the reading thereof And hereby it came to passe as one of their owne Authors saiâ—h That the greater number of people understood no more concerning God and things divine in particular and distinct notions then Infidels or heathen people And here in England there was such a dearth of the word in these later times of popeâ—y that some gave five markes some more some lesse for an English booke some gave a load of hay for a few Chapters of Saint Iames or of Saint Paul in English Was it not now high time to reforme these things but Rome would neither acknowledge her errours nor reâ—orme them but rather sought to defend them persecuting such as by authority established laboured this reformation How easie and safe had it beene for Rome had shee tendered the peace of Christendome to have according as the truth required permitted the uâ—e of the Cup as sometime the Councell of Basil allowed it to the Bohemians and the publike service of God in a knowne language as was sometimes granted to the Slavons as also to have abolished the worship of Imâ—ges and the like without which the Church wâ—s and that very well for a long time But Rome would not yeeld in one point lest shee should bee suspected to have erred in the rest and therely the Infallibility of the Roman Oracle the Pope bee called in question PA. That which is reformed remaines the same in substance that it was before And therefore the Catholike Religion and the substantiall exercise thereof should have remayned in England upon the Reformation but you have set up another Religion PRO. We doe not say that the Catholike Religion is reformed for that cannot bee amended but that wee have reformed Religion in that we have purged it from certaine devises and corruptions which had crept into it Before this reformation Religion was like to a certaine lumpâ— or masâ—e consisting partly of gold aâ—d partly of other refuse mettall and drosse to a sicke body wherein besides the flesh blood and bones and vitall spirits there were also divers naughty humours that had surprised the body our reformation tooke not away your gold to wit those fundamentall truths wherein you agree with us but purged it from the drosse it drew not the good blood from the body but onely purged out the pestilent humour so that we have retained whatsoever was sound Catholike and primitively ancient onely those things that were patched to the ground-soles of Religion that wee have pared away as superfluous wee have not removed the ancient land-markes
were held as you say not by the best members of the Church but by a domineering faction therein how came it that the prevailing faction suffered others to dissent from them in judgement Answer So long as men yeelded outward obedience to the Church-ceremonies without scandall in other things they were suffered to abound in their owne sense so that they submitted themsâ—lves to the obedience of the Church of Rome Besides the Church of Râ—me had not so strictly defined those Tenets in any Councel before as afterwards they did in the Councel of Tâ—ent PA. Our name Catholicke is ancient your Protestant name came not in till after Luther Besides it is a scandalous thing for your Church to derive authoritie from Wickliffâ— Husse Luther and Calvin PRO. Indeed the name Protestant began upon the protâ—sting of the Elector and Laâ—d grave against the Edict howsoever the Faith is ancient though the name bee not and yet if you stand upon names wee are called Christians and into that name were wee Baptized and that is anciâ—nter than your Roman catholicke Now you are called Catholickes but it is with an aliâs or addition Roman-Caâ—holickes as much as to say Particular Vniversall the part is the whole one Citty the woâ—ld and it is your selves that terme you Catholickes Now if one Papist call another so it is but as if one Mule should claw another The Hagarens boldly usurped the name of Sarazens although they were only the brood that sprang from the wombe of Hagar the hand-maid of Sara The Papists by this terme Catholicke worke upon simple people arguing from the one to the other as if all the priviledges of the Catholicke Church belonged to the Romane but we tell them as Optatus did the Donatists who pinned up the Church in a corner of Africke as the Romanists now conâ—ine her to their See that Their Church is Quasi Ecclesia in some sort a Church but not the Catholicke Church but an unsound member thereof We doe not derive our Church from any other than the Primitive Catholicke and Apoâ—tolickâ— Chuâ—ch The Lord is not farre from every â—â—e of us for we are also his off spring Christ Iesus is the top of our kiâ—ne and Religion the stocke Your Pedegre mâ—y be drawne in part from some of the ancient Hereâ—iâ—kes in â—espect of your Invocaâ—ion of Sainâ—s and Angelsâ— you are a kinne at least by the halfe bloud to the Angelici Who as Saint Austâ—ne saith were inclined to the worship of Angels and were from thence as Isidore noteth Called Angelici because they did worship Angelâ— By your Hyperdalâ—a and wâ—â—ship given to the blessed Virgin you shew your selves allied to the Collyridian Hereâ—ikes whom Epiphanius termes Idolaters now thâ—y were called Collyridians from the Collyrides or Cakes which at a certaine time of the yeare they used to offer unto the blessed Virgin sacrificing to her as to the Qâ—eene of heavâ—n By your doctrine of merit and workes of supererogâ—tion you resemble the Pelagians or Catharists Isidore notes it for a propertie of the Catharists or ancient Puritans To glory of their merits Thomas Waldâ—n saith It was a branch of the Pelagian heresie to â—old that according to the measure of meritorious workes God will reward a man so meriâ—ing Now the Rhemists a sprig of this branch mainâ—aine That they doe woâ—ke by their owne freewill and thereby deserve their salvation as also that Good workes are meritorious and the very cause of salvatâ—on so farre that God should be unjust if he rendred not hâ—aven for the same Now concerning the names of Wicklâ—ffe and Husse Luther and Calvin wherewith you pressâ—uâ— you shâ—ll not hereby drive us from holding that with them which thâ—y held of God for though wee rejoyce not in names drawnâ— from men but in the name of Christians into the which we are bapâ—ized yet wee know no great harme by them nor you we thinke set slaunders apaâ—t why we shâ—uld bee ashamed of them more than oâ—r Fathers were of Caecilian of whom the Dâ—natists câ—lled thâ—m Caeciâ—ianists but had they beene as evill almost as their enemies report them from which impâ—tations they are alrâ—aâ—y cleared anâ— theiâ— doctâ—ine â—ixâ— with lâ—â—ven as was the Phâ—risees yet Saint Paul hath tauâ—ht us to acknowledge our selves even Pâ—â—â—iseâ—s iâ— need be not onely Lutherans or Waldensâ—s in that the Pharisees taught a truth of Christian faith to wit the Resurrection of the dead In a word we esteeme of Calvin and Luther and the rest of the first Reformers as worthy men but wee make them not Lords over our faith PA. What thinke you of our fore-fathers that lived and died in the time of Poperie as you call it they were of our Religion PRO. I thinke charitably of them that they might bee saved for many of them were well meaning men and wanting meanes of better instruction they were carried with the sway of the times and as Saint Paul saith 1. Tim. 1.13 Did it ignorantly like those two hundred 2. Sam. 15.11 who in simplicity of heart followed Absalon knowing nothing of his treason and rebellion intended they knew not the depth and mysterie of poperie not their Merit of condignity nor their severall sorts of adoration their Latria Dulia and Hyperdulia Indeed the Scriptures and Church-service were lockt up in an unknowne tongue and yet even in the depth of Poperie as appeares by a Councell held at Clyffe and also by a Provinciall Constitution of Iohn Peckam Arch-bishop of Canterbury The Priests were enjoyned to teach the people the heads of Christian faith and Religion and namely to expound unto them the Creed the ten Commandements and the Sacraments and that vulgariter that is as the Glosse there saith in the vulgar and mother tongue to wit in English to the native English and in French to the French-borne so that even in those daâ—ker times there was a measure of explicite faith required at the hands of Lay-people and they were to be trained up in the knowledge of those Credendorum so farre as the Letter of the Creed might leade them and Faciendorum such as the Decalogue appointed them and Petendorum comprised in the Lords prayer and Recipiendorum tendred in the Sacraments It is Lyrae's conceit that when Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 14.19 Hee had ratâ—er in the Church speake five words with his undeâ—standing then ten thousand in a strange tongue that those five words were those Agenda and Credenda which concerne our faith and manners as also those Vitanda Timenda and Speranda which the Pastors were to declare unto the people Besides there were divers parcels of the Creed concerning Christ and namely touching his Incarnation Passion his Resurrection and Ascension that were wont to be represented to their memories and meditations in the severall Festivities and Holy-dayes which the Church solemnized Besides wee hope the better for that they erred in points of