Apostle in his Epistle to the Thessalonians change your law and dissipate the eternall league of the new and eternall testament It will here be expected perhaps that I deliuer my sense and Catholike beleefe touching this most venerable Sacrament It is truly the same with that of the ancient Fathers of the Church in whose words I will by and by expresse my faith the which I see also most clearely agreeing with the reformed Lyturgie of the English Church and the articles concluded and agreed vpon by publike consent in the conuocations of the English Church which Lyturgie and Articles when I lately most seriously perused considered I saw a vehement propension resolution in the authors of thē with all reuerence to embrace what was most agreeing to the word of God to that which the ancient Primitiue Church taught deliuered the which had I neuer read I could neuer so haue thoght of thē the english church Lyturgy therof both are in such vile obloquies with the Pontificiās But I now perceiue that the aduersaries g Isai 28. posuerūt spē fuā mendaciū they haue made not one ly but infinte lies and calumniations against the Church of England their hope for in their schooles and Seminaries they commonly make their aduersaries speake what they list and so to impugne and confute them and teach their young souldiers of Sanders his holy quarrell to doe the like But to returne to my purpose my Catholike faith concerning this dreadfull Sacrament I will deliuer in the words of some of the ancient and Catholike Fathers Saint Austen expounding that h Iob. 6. sentence and commandement of our Sauiour nisi mandus aueritis c. vnlesse you shall eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you i August lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 16. saith thus he seemeth to commaund a crime and a wickednesse it is a figure therefore commanding vs to communicate with our Lords passion and that we profitably and sweetly lay vp in our memory that his flesh was wounded and crucified for vs. The same he confirmeth in his k Tractat. 27. in John Treatise vpon S. Iohn where he greatly taxeth the ignorance and mistaking of the Capharnaites who thought that Christ intended to giue them such flesh to eat as themselues were that is true flesh whereas saith Saint Austen Christ in those words couered a grace And in another place vpon the l Psal 98. Psalmes thus he writeth most perspicuously Spiritualiter intelligite c. vnderstand that which I haue spoken spiritually not this bodie which you see you shall eate neither shall you drinke that bloud which they who shall crucisie me will shead I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacramēt which being spiritually vnderstood will quicken you And how this Diuine misterie being a Sacrament taketh the name of the thing whereof it is a Sacrament heare him clearely declaring the same to m Epist 23. ad Bonif. Bonifacius an Earle in Africke Sacraments saith he haue a certaine resemblance of the things whereof they are Sacraments * See Theodoret for this purpose in dialog impatib and for that resemblance they take the names commonly of the things themselues and therefore as the Sacrament of Christs bodie is after a sort Christs bodie and the Sacrament of Christ bloud his bloud so the Sacrament of faith to wit Baptisme is faith thus he like is the authoritie related in their n De consecrat dist 2. cap. hoc est quod Canon Law Sicut ergo celestis c. Therefore euen as the heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ after this manner is called the bodie whereas it is truly a Sacrament of the bodie of Christ that which visible palpable mortall was put on the Crosse and the verie immolation which is done by the hands of the Priest is called the passion of Christ the death of Christ and the crucifying of Christ not in truth of the thing but in a signifying misterie so the Sacrament of faith which is Baptisme is vnderstood faith Againe f Contra adimāt cap. 13. Saint Austen non dubit auit c. Our Lord doubted not to say this is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his bodie and therefore vpon Saint c Tract 59. in Iohn Iohn although hee acknowledged Iudas to haue receiued buccellam dominicam the Lords morsell yet he receiued not saith hee bread the Lord but the bread of the Lord of which words what other meaning can there be But that bread of the Lord is onely the outward Sacrament which Iudas receiued but bread the Lord is the same Sacrament receiued by the religious and faithfull who withall beleeueth thinketh loueth and hopeth in and vpon Christ crucified as his Sauiour and so in soule by faith and loue eateth him and receiueth bread the Lord according to that of the same u August tract 25. in Ioh. Father beleeue and thou hast eaten and that of Saint x Bernard serm 3. in Psal qui habitat Bernard when they heard him say vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud they said that this is an hard speech and departed from him and what is to eate his flesh and drinke his bloud but to communicate with his passion and to imitate that conuersation which he held To these Fathers for this purpose I adioyne Saint y Ephrem in Harding against the challenge of D. lewel Ephrem thus confessing Inspice diligenter c. Beholde diligently how taking bread into his hands hee blesseth and breaketh it in a figure of his immaculate bodie and in a figure of his precious bloud he blesseth and giueth the Cup to his disciples thus he z Lib. 4. contra Marcio cap 40. Tertullian when he was a sound Christian Catholike thus pronounced Iesus Christ when he tooke bread and distributed it to his disciples made it his bodie saying this is my bodie that is to say the figure of my bodie And a gaine in another a Lib. 3 cap. 19. contra Mar. place he speaketh thus to Marcion God in your Gospell called bread his bodie that by the same thou maist vnderstand that to bread he hath giuen to be a figure of his bodie but a figure it should not be if it were not a bodie of truth thus he I will adioyne two places out of Eusebius who liued then when the Pastours of the Church were most vigilant against all errours and heresies and therefore they would not haue suffered this doctrine in Eusebius touching the Sacrament if it had not beene agreeing to the Catholike faith of that time Christ hauing offered b Eusebius de demonst Euang. lib. 1. cap. 10. saith he himselfe for a soueraigne sacrifice to his Father ordained that we should offer a remembrance thereof vnto God in steede of a Sacrifice which remembrance we celebrate by the
THE MOTIVES of Richard Sheldon Pr. for his iust voluntary and free renouncing of Communion with the Bishop of Rome PAVL the 5. and his Church I saw the woman drunke with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus and I admired when I saw her with great admiration Apocal. cap. 17. 6. Goe out of her my people that you be not partakers of her Sinnes nor receiue of her punishments Apocal. 18. 4. Published by Authority London printed for NATHANIEL BVTTER and are to be sold at his shop neere S. Austines gate 1612. To Mr. George Birker the Arch-Priest and all other Priests with the rest professing in England communion with PAVL the 5. Bishop of Rome that now is THese my inducements passing ouer with silence many others by which I haue resolued to relinquish renounce the communion of the present Bishop of Rome and to adioyne my selfe to the Catholike and truly Apostolike Church of England I doe not therefore addresse vnto you thereby to craue your patronages but to require your seuerest censures expecting only and humbly begging and doe daily multiply obloquies against me yea and libell also against me in respect of my booke written in defence of my Prince and Countrie doe presume to Dedicate these my Motiues which will proue nothing acceptable to Rome or to some of your tastes to your worthy persons and names the truth is the cause of this is my considence in truth which I deliuer the which being gratefull to her veriest enemies cannot but be grateful to many of you to whom I know the verie sound of truth is pleasant though through the seducements of your leadâ—rs and your little reading of Gods Word and bookes of controuersie you are now misled mâ—gnâ—rance but veritas filta temporis truth is the daughter of time shee doth not alwaies appeare at the first as God wot shee hath very latelie would God sooner to me yet now shee is come and appeareth I professe without lying God is my witnesse I senâ—â—bile feele in such sort as the soule can feele my vnderstanding and souâ—e as it were a new inlightned illustrated consorted and encouraged by a new change and translation out of the h 〈◊〉 1. shadow of darkenesse into the i Ad Colâ—ss 1. Kingdome of Gods beloued sonne Iesus for whose testimonie Oh how happie should I bee to suffer euen death it selfe But because I am growne of late so contemptible with you wherein I reioice haue and doe vndergoe the same fortune which my k 〈◊〉 6. deare Sauiour and onelie Master Iesus did sustaine being conuersant vpon earth in respect of the honor of the cause which I haue vndertaken sufferte modicum quid insipientiae meae suffer a little of my folly to vse the words of the l 2 Ad Cor. 11. Apostle in like sort beginning to commend himself in commending of my self to you in such things whereof for some circumstances I take now no comfort but rather am ashamed of them and with my very soule doe lament them When I liued in the Romane English Colledge I begin there if any one can say any great ill of me before that time or since let him not spare to speake hee hath good leaue it is well knowne how I was reputed to haue profited being there better esteemed then I euer thought of my selfe and for learning compared with your Doctor Norrice a man of farre worthier partes then my selfe with whom also had not his oppositions against the gouernours of the English Colledge and the generall commotion of the same Colledge letted it at that very time I had defended publike Theses and Conclusions out of the whole corps and body of Diuinity the same being with their Epistle Dedicatorie allowed and readie printed for that purpose but because Doctor Norrice might not haue that honor in respect he was theÌ„ in opposition against the Superiours I was desired not to expect lest also the Bishop of Cassano Doctour Norrices Patron and fauourer then should bee discontented thereat the same at Rome but I was promised to performe it in Spaine whether I was sent with letters of as fauourable commendations both from the superiours of the Colledge and their Generall Claudius Aquauiua as euer anie English Priest had and also with as ample faculties into England yea in some things as it is well known concerning The Rect â—r of the English Colledge â—iâ—hed me to set downe in writing what faculties I desired and that hee would procute from the Cardinall protector confirmation allowance of the same which was accordingly done so largely as none had so large before whereof I haue a Copy to shew dispensations in all degrees of marriages contracted or to be contracted touching all Ecclesiasticall positiue impediments letting or dissoluing marriage more ample then any other euer had before mee as any Priest or Ignatian then in England had And if I was not in good esteeme then and there why did the Superiors of the English Colledge request me onely alone aboue others to write a short letter rather then a Petition to the Pope who then was Clement the 8. by the same to giue testimonie to that Pope of their vpright gouernment in the Colledge which then was so eagerly called in question by most of the English there I could vse more folly courteous Reader in adding many more very fauourable particulars as of my free accesse to Cardinall Catetane Protector to their General Aquauiua c. but I haue been too foolish already being constrained thereunto Since my comming into this Kingdome it is well knowne I haue been too too industrious in exhorting preaching c. And it is as well knowne that my conuersation and entertainement hath beene with the best Honourable not excepted let those who haue knowne me last and longest who are very Worshipfull very true hearted English and vnacquainted with the Equiuocating Spirit Speake what my carriage and conuersation hath beene But good Iesus why doe I thus trouble my selfe thus to waste paper and inke calumniated I am and most disgracefully calumniated I shall be as the Right Honourable my Lord of Canterbury his Grace presaged to me when I first told his Grace of my resolution but I will reioyce therein and shall esteeme all as dungge so that I may glory m Ad Galat. 6. in the Crosse of Iesus Christ the onely comfort and ioy of my soule the n Act. 4. onlie hope of my saluation Let hell it selfe spew out against mee all most disgracefull taunts and calumniations I will to God commend my cause hee will bring the truth of my innocency in the end to light I will in the meane vse patience the anker of all Christian soules in times of any tribulations and distresses Thus most humbly beâ—eeching with heart prostrate and in all your behalfes the mercies of the o 1 Ad Tim. 2. onely Aduocate and Sauiour of Mankind that you may returne to
7. 8 in Silucst 2 Renedict 9. in Ioh. 8. they themselues account Apostaticall and not Apostolicall who only are related in histories to make vppe the externall number of succession and I pray you what was the case of so many hundreds of Prelates and your owne Cardinals who at Pisa departed from the Romane true Bishoppe true I say for externall succession what of the Prelates of the Councell of Basile which consisted of most Bishoppes of the West who departed from the communion of Eugenius with the Pontificians the vndoubted Bishoppe of Rome What of the Clergy and part of the Church of Rome it selfe who departed from Liberius when Eusebius one of the Romane Church with some others were grieuously persecuted It is a vaine narration of our Ignatians and others to say that this Apostasie prophesied by the Apostle and Christ must be interpreted from the Bishoppe of Rome for it is most euident that it must bee from Iesus Christ himselfe and the true iustifying beleefe in him onely and most vain it is for them to say that the infallibility of doctrine was so tyed to the visible succession of Bishoppes in the Roman particular See for if so how comes it to passe that against Iohn the 23. the true Pope for succession it was proued in a generall i Can constant Sess Councell that hee had pertinatiously thought and often taught that there was no immortality of the soule no resurrection of the body what might not a man haue departed from the communion of this Pope if not then the whole Romane Church which in the councell of Constance apostated from him made that Apostacy of which the Apostle foretold Which if it be true what will become of Paul the fift with his congregation The Remists fearing that the defection from the Romane Empire and destruction of the same should bee a steppe to proue that he who hath ouerthrown the same and set another forme of gouernment in Rome absolute and soueraigne and yet not as of the Romane Emperour doe therefore most shamelesly in their m Annotat. 17. Apocalyps vpon the word Babylon annotations vpon the Apocalipse so separate the gouernment of Rome and of the Church in Rome as though they were not vnited together but remained still in that sort in which they both were in the time when the Apostle made this prediction for thus they write in expresse termes whereby it is plaine say they that whether Babylon or the great Whore doe signifie Rome here or no yet it cannot signifie the Church of Rome which is now and euer was distinct from the terrene empire of the same Thus they without all shame or learning where they would faine put off from the Pope and his Cardinals the reproch of hauing the terrene Empire or gouernment of Rome in their hands which I verily suppose they doe hold so fast that they will not leaue the same n Apocâ—l 7. vntill the tenne hornes which earst as Kinges haue receiued power after the beast that is vpon the decaying and desolation of the beast and haue also ioined for the appointed time power with the beast against the lamb because iointly concurring to vphold the impious superstitions and abhominations of the Whore of whose cuppe they haue all drunke euen almost till they haue vomited it vp againe God putting into the hearts shall eate the Harlots flesh and make her naked desolate consume her with fire This harlot which shall be so eaten and burned by those Kings who had earst drunke of the cup of her whoredomes Whom can shee designe but as * Ibidem Saint Iohn saith that City which had command ouer the Kings of the earth to wit earst in her Emperours after in her Popes and Cardinals should haue power and command ouer the Kings of the Earth the which who seeth not is verified in the City of Rome it selfe as not onely certaine Ancient Fathers but certain p Ribera in 14. Apocal. viega in 17. Reâ—ist in Apocal Bellarmin lib. de Rom Pont. Ignatians themselues also expound it and if it signifie not Rome let the Aduersary produce some other City heere described so that the Beast that was and is not to wit the rule and command of the City of Rome which was before in the Consuls Senators and Commonwealth buf now it is not because it is in the Emperours shall be againe in the * Pontifâ—x c. The Pope and the Purpured Fathers iudge the world Coquae contra Praemon Pope and his purpured Cardinals To proceed where should this defection rather be then in Babylon which S. Iohn hath foretold Now that by Babylon Rome according to the exposition q Hieron in prologo Didimi epist 17. ad Marcel Tertul. lib. aduer Judaeos of the Ancient Fathers is to to vnderstood r Annotâ—m 17. Apocal. the Remists themselues dare not stiffely deny it now as cleare as the Sumit is that therefore Rome is called Babylon because shee hath made drunke with the cup of her whordomes all Kings of the Earth and all Nations who haue pledged her which by no meanes can be expounded of Rome heathenish both in respect that shee did not infect with her whoredomes the Countries and prouinces which she conquered but rather she obteined no Countrey nor Prouince of whose whordomes she drunke not her self by bringing their gods Images into her Capitoll to bee worshipped and adored with the Images of their Romane gods And manifest it is that the Prophet speaketh of a cup of fornication which Kings and Nations were to drinke of somwhat after his time but Rome heathenish and heâ— Emperours were in their ruffe and most triumphing when S. Iohn made this Prophesie againe Å¿ Tertull de resurrect carais cap. 25 Bellar. vnderstandeth that the tâ—n Kings which shal hate the Whore shall diuide the Romane Empire taking kingdomâ— to themseâ—â—es afterwâ—rd destroy Rome it selfe Bellar. lib. 3. de Pout cap. 13. the Kings of the Earth who were to drinke of the cuppe were afterwards to hate this Whore and to make her desolate therefore and in respect of her abominations now this can by no meanes be vnderstood of Heathenish Rome which was long agoe conuerted to Christ and her blemishes of Idolatry washed out by the blood of the Lambe in the the time of Constantine And to say that Rome Christian should be punished for the cup of Whordomes which Rome Heathenish gaue to the Kings of the Earth to drinke of is a meere chimera vnlesse they can shew that the most iust God will punish Jacke as is said for Gill or else they can prooue vnto vs a Pithagarian transmigration of soules from Rome Heathenish into Rome Christian Further it is most apparent as I haue mentioned aboue that the cupps of whordomes heere spoken of should be in the hands of one who had been first r Hierom. epist 17. ad Marcel Rome was then in part the purpured