religion condemned and therfore as the whole Churche hath hetherto held and honored those old Christians for glorious martyrs so doth it now at this day and euer wil esteeme these other for no lesse as I haue shewed in my Apology more at large and therfore I wil proceed to speak a woord or two of the great iniustice donne since my Apology was writteÌ„ to two priests called M. Hunt and M. Sprat condemned and excuted at Lincolne in the yeare 1600. These two being taken in a search and confessing themselues only to be Catholykes were first imprisoned and then shortly after indited for hauing conspyred and practised the death of her Maiesty mooued her subiects to rebelion withdrawne them from theyr natural and due obedience and from the religion now established in England to the Roman fayth and finally for hauing mayntayned the autority of the Pope of all which poynts no one touching matter of state was proued against them no witnesse being produced nor so much as the least presumption of any attempt or coÌ„spiracy against her maiestyes person or state or that rhey had persuaded any man to the Catholyk religion ot sayd any thing in fauour of the Popes autority more then that which they answered to the captious question of the Queenes supremacy demaunded of them there after their apprehension lastly it was not so much as proued that they were Priests which though they denied not yet they did not confesse but put it to tryal vrging to haue it proued by witnesses or other sufficient arguments whereas there was none at all but light presumtioÌ„s therof as that there was found in thir males two breuiares which many lay men vse as wel as Priests and a few relicks and some holy oyle which they might haue carried for other mennes vse not their owne so that to conclude of all those great treasons whereof they were indited there was no one proued except the matter of the Queenes supremacy which is a meere poynt of religion as I am sure the puritans in England and all other heretykes abroad wil witnesse with vs who impugne the same as wel as wee and yet neither by the verdit of the Iury nor yet by the senteÌ„ce of the Iudge were they cleared of any one point but condemned for all as though they had bin guilty of all and so in truth executed for matter of religion though slandred with matter of state whereby their martyrdome was far more glorious the malice of our aduersaries more manifest the iniury donne vnto them vnexcusable the sinne of the Iudges and Iury most execrable which sufficiently appeared by the iustice of God extended vpon Iudge Glanduile who had shewed an extraordinary malice and fury agaynst them and was therfore as wel may bee presumed within a few dayes after strooken by the hand of God in such miraculous manÌ„er as the rest may take example therby yf their harts be not indurat And besydes these late martyrs before rehearsed M. Tichborne M. Fr. Page and M. R. Watkinson were arraigned condemned at London for beeing made Priestes beyond the seas and coming into England contrary to the statute were executed at Tiburne the 20. of April this present yeare 1602. beeing there not suffred to declare the truth of their cause and suffrance And this was donne euen at such tyme as hope was both giuen and conceaued of a more mylder cours of proceeding towards Catholykes then heretofore It is moste grieuous to consider how M. Tichborne by one of his owne cote was betrayed and apprehended almighty God vouchsafe to restore to that wretched man so great grace as he fel from in the dooing of that acte M. Page and M. Watkinson were apprehended in the tyme of the sessions the one by a wicked woman suborned to dissemble religion for such purposes the other by one Bomer who hauing late before playd the dissembling hypocrite spy at Doway returned into England there to become the disciple of his master Iudas At the same sessions was condemned for fellony and also executed one Iames Ducket a Catholyke lay man and another lay man with him about a treatise written by a martyr diuers yeares since concerning the cause of Catholyke sufferers OF THE IMPVDENCIE OF a minister who being present at the death of two martyrs aforesayd affirmed publykly that our country was conuerted by saynt Augustin the monke to the protestants religion by occasion whereof the truth of the poynt is euidently declared CHAP. IIII. I Can not omit to say somewhat here of the notable impudency of a foolish minister who being present at the death of the two martyrs at Lincolne aforenamed and hearing one of theÌ„ declare vnto the people his innoceÌ„cy protesting amongst other things that he dyed only for the profession of the Catholyke fayth to the which our country was conuerted from paganisme in the tyme of Pope Gregory the great was not ashamed to say publykly that the religion now taught preached there is the same wherto England was first conuerted And although I hold not this minister for a man of that woorth that he may merit my labour or any mans els seriously to confute his ydle babling yet for as much as the same hath bin oft published and preached by many others and many ignorant abused therby and seing the narration of our first conuersion may no lesse profit and edify the vnlearned reader with the testimony of the truth then content and delyte him for the pleasure of the history I wil breefly treat first of the coÌ„uersion of the Saxons or English in the tyme of King Edelbert and after of the conuersion of the Britains in the tyme of King Lucius euidently proue that our Catholyke faith was preached and planted in our country at both tymes and that our Kings and country continued euer after the latter conuersion in the obedience of the Church of Rome vntil the tyme of K. Henry the eyght It appeareth by our chronicles and histories that in the yere of our Lord 582. according to S. Bedes computation S. Gregory surnamed the great the first of that name sent into England saynt Augustin a monke with diuers others of his profession to preach the Christian fayth to the English and that they came thither bearing a siluer crosse for their banner and the Image of our Lord and sauiour as saynt Bede saith paynted in a table and hauing leaue of King Edelbert to preach to his subiects began first the exercyse of Christian Catholyk religion in the citty of Canterbury in an ancient Chutch which they found there dedicated to S. Martin from the tyme that the Romans liued there in which Church ipsi primo sayth saynt Bede conueâ—ire Psaâ—lâ—re orare missas facere praedicare baptizare coeperunt they first began to assemble themselues to sing to pray to say masse to preach and baptise vntil the King being conuerted they had â—eaue to buyld some Churches and
and cauled him Cephas to signify the same the which word Cephas is interpreted Petrus in our Latin translation and Peter in English for where as the Euangelist himselfe expoundeth Cephas by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greeke saying quod interpretatur Petús that is to say which is interpreted a rock the Latin translator saith quod interpretatur Petrus which is interpreted Peter meaning therby also a rock or a man that metaphorically was a rock for other wyse he geueth not the true sence of Cephas nor of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agayne in this sentence tu es Petrus super hanc Petram thow art Peter and vpon this rock c. these words super hanc Petram do playnly expound Petrus to signify a rock for that the pronoun this can not haue so proper relation to any other word as to the next antecedent which is Petrus so that the sence must needs be thus thou art a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Church Here also may be considered the correspondence that the words of our sauiour to S. Peter haue with S. Peters words to him for when our sauiour asked his Apostles quem me esse dicitis who say you that I am he asked not what they called his name but what they sayd was his quality dignity and therfore saynt Peter answered not thou art Iesus which was the name that was geuen him at his circumsision but thou art Messias that is to say the anoynted or as we commonly say Christ the sonne of the liuing God which our sauiour recompensed not by telling him his name which was Simon but by giuing him another name and such a one as signified the office qualitie and dignitie that he bestowed vpon him and therfore he sayd vnto him thou art Cephas or Petrus that is to say a rock or Peter and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche which saynt Leo expresly noteth saying in the person of Christ to S. Peter thus as my father hath made knowen vnto thee my diuinity euen so I make knowne to thee thy excellency that thou art Peter that is to say a rock c. and S. Hierome expounding the same words of our sauiour and speaking also in his person sayth thus because thow Symon hast sayd to mee thou art Christ the sonne of God I also say to thee not with a vayne or Idle speeche that hath no operation or effect but quia meum dixisse fecisse est because my saying is a doing or a making therfore I say vnto thee thow art Peter or a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche thus farre S. Hierom signifieng that Christ both made him a rock and cauled him a rock which yet he declareth more playnly in that which he addeth immediatly as Christ sayth he being himselfe the light granted to his disciples that they should be cauled the light of the world ita Simoni qui credebat in Pertam Christum petri largitus est nomen so to Simon who beleued in Christ the rock he gaue the name of a rock for yf we expound not Petri so the similitude is to no purpose and therfore it followeth immediatly and according to the metaphor of a rock it is truly sayd to him I wil buyld my Churche vpon thee here yow see S. Hierome vnderstandeth Petrum Petram that is to say Peter a rock to be all one and so doth S. Ambrose expounding tu es Petrus thow art Peter he is cauled saith he a rock because he first layd the foundation of fayth amongst the gentils and lyke an vnmoueable stone doth hold vp or susteyn the frame and weight of the whole Christian woork This may be confirmed out of saynt Basil who sayth Petrus dixerat tu es filius deiviui vicissim audierat se esse Petram Peter sayd thou art the sonne of God and heard agayne that he him selfe was a rock which according to our Latin and English translation of the scripture is not trew if Petrus and Peter do not signify a rock and thus wee see that Petrus being spoken in the scriptures of S. Peter and especially in those words of our sauiour Tu es Petrus doth signify a rock no lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greeke or cepha in the Hebrew which in our Latin translatiō is interpreted Petrus in our English Peter In this respect Tertulian in K. Lucius tyme cauleth S. Peter aedificandae ecclesiae Petram the rock where vpon the Church was to be buylt Origen in the same age for he was borne about the tyme of King Lucius his conuersion or within fyue or six yeres after tearmeth him magnū illud ecclesiae fundamentum Petram solidissimam super quam Christus fundauit Ecclesiam that is to say the great foundation of the Churche and the most solid or stedfast rock where-vpon Christ founded his Churche S. Cypriā who florished also within 40. or 50. yeres after the conuersion of K. Lucius hauing rehearsed these words of our sauiour thow art Peter c. concludeth thus super illum vnum adificat ecclesiam suam ills pascendas mandat oue◠suas that is to say vpon him beiug one he buyldeth his Churche and to him he commendeth his sheep to be fed and after declaring the cause therof and the reason why our sauiour made him cheese or head of his Apostles though they were otherwyse equal with him in honour and power of the Apostleship yet sayth he to manifest vnity he cōstituted one chayre and so disposed by his autority that vnity should haue beginning from one and a litle after Primatus Petro datur vt vna Ecclesia Christs Cathedra vna monstretur the supremacy is geuen to Peter that the Churche of Christ may be shewed to be one and one chayre wherby he signifieth that our sauiour to conserue vnity aswel amongst his Apostles as also in his whole Church and to auoyd the occasion of schisme which ordinarily ryseth of pluralitie of heads ordeyned and appoynted one head ouer all to wit S. Peter the which reason ys also obserued by Optatus Miliuitanus and other most learned and auncient fathers who acknowledge neuerthelesse an equalitie of Apostolical autoritie in all the Apostles which I note here the rather for that our aduersaries are wont to obiect the same agaynst the supremacy of S. Peter as though the one did contradict or ouerthrowe the other whereas they may learne of saynt Hierome that although all the Apostles receiued the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen yea and that the strength of the Churche was established vpon them equaly that is to say aswel vpon one of them as vpon an other though not in lyke degree vpon euery one yet sayth he one was chosen amongst twelue to the end that a head being appoynted all occasion of schisme may be taken away and S.
lambe of God and in the first general councel of Nice held by aboue 300. Fathers situm in sacra mensa agnum illum Dei tollentem peccata mundi incruente a sacerdotibus in molatum the lambe of God placed vpon the holy table the which lambe taketh away the sumes of the world and is vnbloodily sacrificed by the priests wherto may iustly be added the doctrin of all the Fathers that this sacrifice is propitiatory for the liuing and for the dead grounded no dout vpon the woords of our sauiour himselfe in his first institution and oblation therof when he said to his Apostles representing the whole Church this is my body which is geuen pro vobis for you that is to say for remission of your sinnes and more playnly in oblation of the cup this is my blood which is shed pro vobis or as saynt Math. sayth pro multis in remissioneÌ„ peccatorum for you for many to the remission of sinnes for this cause saynt Iames the Apostle in his liturgy saith offermius â—â—bi wee offer to thee o Lord the vnbloody sacrifice for our sinnes and the ignorance of the people and saynt Martial the most ancient martyr who as I haue sayd liued with the Apostles affirmeth that by the remedy of this sacrifice lyfe is to be geuen vs death to be eschewed and S. Denis a foresaid cauleth it salutarem bostiam the host or sacrifice that geueth health or saluation S. Athanasius sayth that the oblation of the vnbloody host is propitiatio a propitiation or remission of sinnes Origin cauleth it the only commemoration which makes God mercyful to men S. Cyprian termeth it medicamentum holocaustum ad sanandas infirmitates purgandas iniquitates a medicin burnt sacrifice for the healing of infirmityes and the purging of sinnes S. Ambrose speaking of the Eucharist sayth that Christ offreth him selfe therin quasi sacerdos vt peccata nostra dimittat as a priest that he may forgeue our sinnes S. Augustin considering that all the sacrifices of the old law were figures of this sacrifice as he often affirmeth that amongst infinit others there were some that were called hostiae pro peccato sacrifices for remission of sinne By the sacrifices saith he that were offred for sinnes this one of ours is signified wherein is true remission of sinne and to ad somewhat more hereto concerning the custome of Gods Churche to offer this sacrifice also as propitiatory for the dead S. Iames the Apostle in his liturgy prayeth to almighty God that the sacrifice may be acceptable vnto him for remission of the peoples sinnes and for the repose of the soules of the dead also saynt Clement reacheth for a constitution of the Apostles to offer the holy Eucharist in Churches and Churchyards for the dead S. Chrisostome also often affirmeth it for a decree of the Apostles to offer sacrifice for the dead saying it was not rashly decreed by the Apostles that in the most dreadful mysteries there should be commemoration made of the dead for when the people clergy stand with their hands listed vp to heauen the reuerend sacrifice set vpon the Altar how is it possible that praying for them wee should not pacify the wrath of God towards them S. Gregory Nissen in lyke manner proueth the vtility and profit therof by the authority of the Disciples of Christ that taught deliuered the custome to the Churche as witneseth saynt Iohn Damascen who affirming it to be an Apostical tradition confirmeth the same with the testimonies of S. Athanasius and saynt Gregory Nissen Tertullian often maketh mention of oblations offred for the dead yerely in their anniuersaries aleadging it amongst dyuers other for an ancient custome and vnwritten tradition of the Churche S. Cyprian also mentioneth a constitution made before his tyme that for such as make Priests their executors or tutors to their Children no oblation or sacrifice should be offred after their death which statute he ordayned should be executed vpon one called victor that had offended against the same S. Cyril Byshop of Hierusalem hauing spoken of other parts of the sacrifice of the masse sayth then wee pray for all those that are dead beleeuing that their soules for whome the prayer of the dreadful sacrifice is offred receiue very great help therby S. Augustin sayth that according to the tradition of the ancient fathers the whole Church vseth to pray and offer the sacrifice of the blessed body and blood of Christ for those that are dead and that it is not to be douted but that they are helped thereby and in his book of confessions he signifieth that the sacrifice of our redemption that is to say the blessed body and blood of our Sauiour was offred for his mothers soule when shee was dead S. Gregory the great to declare the excellent effect of the sacrifice of the masse offred for the dead telleth of one that being taken prisoner in the warre and thought to be dead was deliuered on certayne dayes of the weeke of his chaynes and fetters which fel from him so oft as his wyfe caused the sacrifice of the masse to bee offred for his soule and of this S. Gregory taketh witnes of many of his auditors whome as he sayth he presumed did know the same The lyke also in euery respect recounteth venerable Bede our countryman in the story of England which he wrote about 800. yeares agoe of one Imma seruant to King Elbum which Imma being prisoner in the hands of his enemies and chayned could not be tyed so fast but that his chaynes fel of once a day at a certayne hower when his brother called Iunna an Abbot sayd masse for him thinking he had ben slayne and this sayth saynt Bede he thought good to put into his history for that he took it for most certayne hauing vnderstood it of credible persons that had heard the party tel it to whome yt happened To conclude this custome of offring the blessed sacrifice of the masse for the dead was inuyolably kept in the Churche of God euen from the Apostle tyme without contradition vntil Aerius an Arrian heretyke impugned the same all prayer for the dead about 360. yeres after Christ for the which he is put in the Catologue of heretykes by saynt Augustin S. Epiphanius as our aduersaryes deserue also to be for teaching and defending the same haeresy AN ANSVVERE TO THE obiections of our aduersaries out of S. Paules epistle to the Hebrewes with a declaration that the heretykes of this tyme who abolish the sacrifice of the Masse haue not the new Testament of Christ and that they are most pernitious enemies to humain kynd CHAP. XVIII BVT now our aduersaries against vs or rather against these expresse scriptures and Fathers obiect some texts and arguments of S. Paule to the Hebrewes by the which he conuinceth
of their primacy in causes ecclesiastical Seing then your religion so far as it is distinct from others hath no other ground then reason of state I doubt not but yf the matter were wel examined what God they beleeued in that persuaded her Ma tie therto or yow and your fellowes that manitayne it vpon the same reason and by such vnchristian practises as yow do yow would be found to be coÌ„preheÌ„ded in the third diuisioÌ„ of varro who said that 3. kynds of men had three different kynds of Gods the Poëts one the Philosophers an other and statists or Polityks a third that euery one of them had a different religion according to the difference of their Gods as that the religion of the Poets was fabulous the other of the Philosophers natural the third of the Statists polityke and accomodated to gouernment And this is that which yow professe For the God yow beleeue in is the Prince your scriptures are the actes of Parliament your religion is to conserue the state persas uefas and therfore as all good Christians do measure the reason of state by religion which is the true rule and the end therof and from the which it cannot in reason dissent or disagre so yow on the other syde reduce and frame religion to your fals reason of state and by that meanes peruert all the order both of nature and grace preferring the body before the soule temporal things before spiritual humayn before deuine earth before heauen the world before God and which is more yow subiect both earth heauen body soule the world yea God and all to the priuate pleasure and profit of the Prince as though he were the end the Lord and God of all the world and of nature it self whervpon ensew those monstrous pollicies which wee fee fraught with all frand hipocrisy periuries slauÌ„ders murders and all kynd of cruelty oppression and impiety which haue ruined infinite Kinges with their countries Kingdomes and what they wil bring our poore country vnto in the end tyme wil tel wherto I remit me for as the Italian prouerb sayth La vita il sine â—l di lâ—da La sera the end prayseth the lyfe and the euening the day OF THE TRVE CAVSES OF more moderation vsed in the beginning then afterwards of the difference made by the Lawes betwixt Seminarie and I Mary priests CHAP. XXIII BVt to proceed in your obseruations you go forward to geue example that there is moderation vsed in ecclesiastical causes where matter of state is not mixt with religion saying for els I would gladly learne what should make the difference the temper of the lawes in the first yeare of the Queene and in the 23. and 27. but that at the one tyme they were papists in conscience and at the other they were growne papists in faction or what should make the difference at this day in law betwixt a Queene Marie priest a Seminary priest saue that the one is a priest of suspition and the other a priest of sedition Hereto I answere that because you say you would gladly learne and that I take yow to be of a good wit and docile I wil take paynes to teach you this poynt that you say you would so fayne learne Know you therfore that there were diuers causes of more moderation and lenity vsed for some yeares in the beginning then afterwards yet not those which you speak of and so you shew your self eyther ignorant or malitious in both The first an ordinary rule of state which those great statists that procured this change could not neglect I meane in case of innouation to vse no suddayne violence but to proceed by degrees especially in matter of religion which is seldome changed without tumult and trouble wherof they had seene the experience in the tymes of both the kings Henry and Edward therfore they had great reason to water their wyne at the beginning and to vse moderation at least for some yeares vntil the state and gouernment were setled The second cause was the doctrine of your owne gospellers in Q. Maryes tyme who because some of their folowers were burnt for heresy according to the Canons and lawes of the Churche cryed out that they were persecuted and published in their bookes and sermons that faith ought to be free and not forced that therfore it was against all conscience to punish or trouble men for their religion in which respect the authors of the change that serued themselues of them in the ecclesiastical and pastoral dignityes could not for shame at the very first vse the bloody proceeding which afterwards they did though neuerthelesse they forbore not in the very beginning to imprison and otherwise to afflict all Bishops and cheif pastours and such others as would not subscribe come to their Churches for the which cause I remember that besydes a great number of ecclesiastical and temporal persons some of my owne kindred and familie were called to London and imprisoned in the second yeare of her Maiesties raigne and so remayned prisoners many yeares after The third cause was the vayne hope that those polityks had that a religion so sensual and ful of liberty as theirs authorized with the power of the Prince vpholden with lawes promulgate with all artifice of writers preachers and perswaders would easely within a fewe yeares infinuate it self into the hartes of all men especially of the youth wherby they made accompte that the elder sort being worne out there would be within a fewe yeares litle memorie or none at all left of Catholike religion but when they saw after some yeares experience how much they were deceiued of their expectation and that through the zealous endeauours of the learned English Catholikes abroad learned bookes written Colledges Seminaryes erected priests made and sent in therby infinite numbers reduced to the vnity of the Catholike Churche not only of the schismatiks that fel at the first eyther by ignorance or for feare but also of the ProtestaÌ„ts themselues and amongst them euen many ministers and principal preachers and none sooner conuerted or more zealously affected to Catholike religion then the yongest and fynest wits wherwith our new Seminaryes beganne to be peopled when those statists I say saw this they thought it then tyme to bestyrre themselues and to persecute in good earnest and yet to do it in such sort as they might if it were possible auoyd the name suspition of persecutors both at home and abroad and therfore they vsed the same pollicy that Iulian the Apostata did of whom S. Gregory Nazianzenus writeth that he professed not externally his impiety with the courage that other persecutors his predecessours were wont to do neyther did he oppose himself against our faith lyke an Emperour that would gayne honour in shewing his might and power by open oppression of the Catholyks but made warre vpon them in a cowardly and base maÌ„ner couering
to make others of the â—emples of the Idols which saint Gregory ordayned shuld â—e donne with casting holy water therin buylding altars â—nd placing relikes of saynts commaunding further that â—easts should be celebrated in the dayes of the dedication of â—he sayd Churches in the natiuity of the martyrs whose â—elykes should be kept there besyds that he appoynted saynt Augustin to be Metropolitan of England and sent him holy vessels and vestiments for altars and Priests and relyckes of the Apostels and martyrs and granted him the vse of the pal ad sola missarum solemnia agenda only for the celebration of solemne masses and further gaue him order to ordayne 12. Bishops vnder himself and to make another Metropolitan at Yorke who when those parts should be coÌ„uerted should haue as many vnder him and be himself after saynt Augustins dayes dependant only vpon the sea Apostolyk and receiue the Pal from the same furthermore saynt Augustin caused King Edelbert to buyld a Church from the ground in honour of the blessed Apostles S. Peter S. Paule and a monastery not farre from Canturbury whereof the first Abbot called Peter was of so holy a lyfe that after his death it was testified from heauen by a continual light that appeared ouer his tombe Also King Edelbert caused S. Paules Church to be buylt in London and another in Rochester dedicated to S. Andrew the Apostle Hereto may be added the exercise of the Popes autority not only in the dayes of King Edelbert but also after in the raygne of other Christian Kings vntil the tyme that saynt Bede ended his history Pope Boniface sent the Pal to Iustus fourth Archbishop of Canturbury after saynt Augustin Honorius the Pope sent also the Pal to Honorius that succeded Iustus and to Paulinus Archbishop of York ordayning at the request of King Edwin and his wyfe that the longer liuer of them should consecrate a successor to the orher that should dy first to excuse so long a Iourney as to Rome The two Kings Oswy and Egbert the one of Northumberland and the other of kent sent Wigard to Rome to be made Primat when both the seas of Canturbury and Yorke were vacant and Wigard dying there Pope Vitalianus made Theodore a grecian primat in his steede Wilfrid Byshop of Yorke being twys vniustly expelled from his Bishoprik appealed both tymes to Rome first to Pope Agatho and after to Pope Iohn and being cleared by their sentences was restored to his Bishoprik and heer I wil ad a woord or two concerning the exceeding great zeale and deuotion of the Saxon Kinges to the sea Apostolyke in those dayes King Oswy determined to goe to Rome in Pilgrimage and had donne it yf death had not preuented him King Ceadwald weÌ„t thether to be baptysed dyed there King Hun his successor after he had raygned 37. yeares weÌ„t thether also in Pilgrimage as many sayth saynt Bede in those dayes both of the layty and clergy as wel women as men were wont to doe King Coenred did the lyke had in his company the sonne of Sigher King of the east Saxons and both of them entred into religion in Rome about the yeare of our Lord 709. not past 22. yeares before S. Bede ended his history which was almost 900. yeres a goe wherto may be added out of later historiographers the lyke examples of the extraordinary deuotion and obedience of our English Kings vnto the sea Apostolyke in â—uery age vntil after the conquest King Inas shortly after S. Bedes tyme about the yeare of our Lord 740. went to Rome and made his Kingdome tributary to the Pope ordayning the Peter pence the lyke did also afterwards Offa the King of the Mercians in the yeare of our Lord .775 Etheluolph King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 847. and made that part of England which his father Egbert had conquered tributary also to the Bishop of Rome King Edward being threatned with excommunication by Pope Iohn the teÌ„th for that he was carelesse to prouide the English Church of Bishops caused Pleimund the Bishop of Canterbury to make many and after to goe to Rome to purge him selfe of his negligence about the yeare of our Lord 920. King Edgar obtayned of Pope Iohn the 13. with licence to giue certayne liuings of secular Priests to Monkes about the yeare of our Lord .965 Canutus King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 1024. S. Edward King of England hauing made a vow to goe to Rome procured the same to be commuted by Pope Leo the nynth into the buylding of a monastery of S. Peter he also confirmed the payment of the yearly tribute to the sea Apostolyke about the yeare of our Lord 1060. which was not past 5. yeares before the conquest after the which there were no lesse notable examples of this matter King Henry the second who by Pope Adrian was first intituled Lord of Ireland sent legats to Rome to craue pardon of Pope Alexander for the murder committed by his occasion vpon saint Thomas of Canterbury where vpon two Cardinals were sent into England before whome the King lyke a publike penitent a priuat person submitted himselfe to the Ecclesiastical discipline in a publik assembly of the cleargy and nobility When King Richard the first was kept prisoner by Frederick the Emperour his mother wrote to Celestinus the Pope calling him the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ quem Dominus constituit super gentes regno in omni plenitudius potestatis whome our Lord had placed ouer nations and Kingdomes in all fulnesse of power and willed him to vse the spiritual sword against the Emperour as Alexander his predecessor had donne against Frederick his Father whome he did excommunicate King Iohn being excommunicated by the Pope was not absolued before he tooke his crowne of froÌ„ his owne head and deliuered it to Pandulfus the Popes legat promising for himselfe and his heyres that they should neuer receiue it afterwards but from the Bishop of Rome I omit others of later tyme seing no maÌ„ I think doubteth but that all the successors of King Iohn liued in the communion and obedience of the Roman Church paying the old yearely tribute called the Peter peÌ„ce vntil the tyme of King Henry the 8. her maiestyes father who being maried to his brother Arthurs widdow by dispeÌ„sation of the sea Apostolyke continued many yeares after in the obedience therof and in defence of the autority of the sayd sea wrote a learned book agaynst Luther for the which the honorable title of defender of the fayth was giuen him by Pope Leo which tytle her maiesty also vseth at this day so that no man can deny that our country was conuerted by S. Gregory to the Roman fayth or that it hath continued therin vntil K.
Henries tyme except he haue a brazen face and a â—eared conscience or els be ignorant of all antiquity But to returne to S. Augustin and those first two hundreth yeres comprysed in the history of S. Bede yf wee consider the notable miracles wherwith it pleased God to confirme this our Catholyke religion in those dayes for his owne glory and the conuersion of the panims no man can â—out that it is the true fayth except he be more faythlesse incredulous then those infidels that were conuerted therby Saynt Bede signifieth that S. Augustin wrought so many miracles whereof he declareth some that S. Gregory wrote vnto him to admonish him not to be proud therof he also declareth very many famous miracles donne by a crosse erected by King Oswald and after by his relickes as wel in Ireland and Germany as England and by the relickes of saynt Eartongatha daughter to the King of Kent and her cosen Edelburg both virgins and nunnes of S. Edelâ—â—eda the Queene that dyed a virgin in a monastery whose â—ody was taken vp whole vncorrupt after many yeares â—â— the discouery whereof diuels were expelled and many â—â—sseasses cured Also he recounteth the lyke notable miraâ—â—es of S. Chad S. Cutbert S. AEdelwald and saynt Iohn a Bishop which they did whyles they were yet liuing and others donne by holy oyle by the blessed sacrifice of the masse all which for breuities sake I omit remitting our aduersaries to the autor in the places aleaged in the margent OF THE FIRST CONUERSION of our country whyles it was called Britany in the tyme of King Lucius with euident proofes that our Catholyke fayth was then preached planted there CHAP. V. BVT for as much as our country hath ben twyse coÌ„uerted from paganisme first in the tyme of the Britains and after in the tyme of the Saxons or English they wil say perhaps that although we proue that the second tyme our Catholyke religion was planted and established there when many errors as they would haue the world to thinke were crept into the Church yet at the first conuersion in King Lucius dayes their religion was taught and deliuered to the Britains which some of their croniclers are not ashamed to intimat to their readers and namely Holinshed who yf my memory fayle me not for I haue not his book here maketh Eleutherius the Pope write a letter to King Lucius more lyke a minister of England then a Bishop of Rome Therefore I wil take a litle paynes to examine this poynt wil make it manifest that our Catholyke religion which saint Augustin planted amongst the English was deliuered 400. yeres before to King Lucius and the Britains by Fugatius and Damianus or as some say Donatianus sent into Britany by Pope Eleutherius in the yeare of our Lord 182. And although no ancient historiographer or writer for ought I haue seene do signify particularly what poynts of religion were preached to King Lucius at his conuersion partly for that matters of so great antiquity are but very breefly and obscurely handled and partly because in those dayes when there was no other but our Catholyke religioÌ„ vniuersally professed this of the protestants not so much as dreamt of it was needlesse to signify the poynts or articles therof for that it could not be immagined to be any other bur the Roman fayth yet in the discourse of the tymes and ages next ensewing the conuersion of King Lucius whyles the fayth which he receiued remayned pure and vncorrupt the cleare light of truth doth snfficiently shew it selfe through the clouds of the obscure breuity wherewith the matters of those tymes are treated To this purpose it is to be vnderstood that as our famous countryman S. Bede testifieth the fayth preached to King Lucius and the Britains remayned in integrity and purity vntil the tyme of the Arrians which was for the space of almost 200. yeares and although he signify that from that tyme forward the people of Britany weare geuen to noueltyes and harkened to euery new doctrine yet it is euident in him that neyther the Arrian heresy nor yet the Pelagian afterwards took any root there or could infect the whole body of the Britain Church but only troobled the peace thereof for a short tyme in so much that it should seeme the first was rooted out by the industry of the good Pastors and Bishops of Britany whereof some were present at the great councel of Sardica held against the Arrians shortly after that of Nice in which respect S. Hilary doth worthely prayse the Britain Bishops for that they wholy reiected the Arrian heresy and the later I meane the heresy of Pelagius which saynt Bede sayth the britains would nullaâ—enus suscipere in no sort receiue was suppressed by S. German and saint Lupus two Bishops of France who at the request of the Britains came into Britany and confounded the Pelagians in open disputation whereby the people were so â—ncensed against the said heretykes that they could hardly â—old theire hands from them and in conclusion banished those that would not yeld to the true Catholyke faith and here vpon ensewed such peace and tranquility in the britan Church that for a long tyme after as saynt Bede testifieth the fayth remayned there intemerata vncorrupt wherby it appeareth that after the expulsion of the Pelagians which was about the yeare of our Lord 450. the Church of Britany reteyned the same fayth that it receiued at the first conuersion and therfore yf we fynd the vse and practise of our religion vntil these tymes it may serue for a testimony that the same was deliuered to King Lucius First we read that presently after the persecution of Dioclesian wherin our protomartyr saynt Alban with some others was put to death about the yeare of our Lord 286. the Christians that had liued before in woods and caues not only repayred the Churches which the persecuters had destroyed but also made new in honour of the martyrs celebrated festiual dayes and buylt amongst others a most sumptuous Church in honour of S. Alban where many miracles were wount to be donne continually vntil the tyme of S. Bede as he himselfe witnesseth afterwards when the Pelagian heresy had somwhat infected the country saynt German going thether out of France to confound the Pelagians at the request of the Britans themselues as I haue declared before appeased a great storme at sea with casting therein a little water in the name of the Trinity which no dout was holy water and being arriued there he restored sight vnto a noble mans daughter applying vnto her eyes certayne relyckes which he caryed about him c. after hauing confuted the Pelagians and reduced all to the purity of fayth as saynt Bede sayth meaning therby the fayth first preached to King Lucius he went to the toomb of S. Alban to geue thankes to God per ipsum by
doing other workes of deuotion as I declared before he addeth mansit haec Christi capitis membrorum consonantia suauis donec Arriana perfidia c. this sweet consonance or agreement of the members of Christ the head remayned vntil the Arrian heresy spread her poyson there and although he insinuat as saynt Bede also doth that afterwards the people became new fangled and embraced other heresyes meaning no dout the Pelagian heresy which as I haue shewed before out of S. Bede was quickly extinguished there yet afterwards he signifieth playnly that neither the Arrian nor Pelagian nor any other heresy took root in Britany and that the Churche was cleare therof after the coÌ„ming in of the Saxons about the tyme of his byrth which was in the yere of our Lord 594. for speaking of the tyme and of the ouerthrow geuen by Ambrosius Aurelianus to the Saxons and Picts and of the great slaughter of them shortly after at blackamore in York-shire which as Polidore supposeth is called in Gildas mons Badonicus he sayth that the people hauing noted the punishment of God vpon them for their sinnes and his mercy in giuing them afterwards so greate victories ob hoc reges publici priuati sacerdotes ecclesiastics suum quique ordinem seruauerunt for this cause saith hee the Kings and others as wel publik as priuat personâ—â— Priests and ecclesiastical men did euery one their dutyes and although he declare presently after that by the extreame negligence of their Kings and gouernours ecclesiastical and temporal which immediatly succeded greate corruption was entred at the same tyme that he wrote yet it is euident ynough in him that it was not corruption of fayth but of manners as pryd ambition dissolutioÌ„ of lyfe droÌ„kenesse lying periury tyranny in the Kings simony couetousnesse in the clergy sildome sacrifices breach of vowes of chastity and of monastical lyfe profaning of altars and such lyke for the which he threatneth and as it were prophesyeth the vtter destruction of Britany which shortly after followed so that amongst other things which he was persuaded brought the plague of God vpon our country we see he taxed certayne customes peculiar to our aduersaries and the proper fruits of their religion tending only to the ouerthrow of ours therfore it playnly appeareth that ours was then in vre and receiued detriment by those who though they were not protestants in profession yet were protestants in humour and condition I meane profaners of Altars and holy things breakers of vowes of chastity and Apostatats from religious and monastical lyfe such as Luther and many of his followers haue ben since And now to come to later tymes after Gildas yf we consider the relicks of Christian religion which saynt Augustine found in Britany amongst other things the great monastery of Bangor wherein were aboue two thowsand monks it wil be manifest that the ancient religion of the Britains was our Catholike fayth for although in the space of a hundreth seuenty and three yeres that passed from the comming in of the Saxons vntil their conuersion the Britain Church was not only much decayed but also had receiued some aspersion of erronious and euil customes yet in fayth and opinion they diffred not from S. Augustine insomuch that he offred to hold communion with them if they would concurre with him in three things only the first in the tyme of celebrating the feast of easter the second in the manner of administring the sacrament of Baptisme and the third in preaching the faith to the Saxons all which the monkes of Bangor refused vpon no better reason then for that S. Augustine did not ryse to them when they came to the synod condemning him therefore to be a proud man notwithstanding that he had restored a blynd man to sight by his prayers in the presence of all the Bishops and clergy of Britany who vndertooke to do the lyke in confirmation of their customes but could not performe it Therfore as saynt Bede reporteth S. Augustine did foretel to the sayd Monkes of Bangor that seing they would not haue peace with their brethren they should haue warre with their enemies and yf they would not preach vnto the English nation the way of lyfe they should by their hands receiue reuenge of death which after was truly fulfilled for Edelfrid a pagan King of NorthumberlaÌ„d killed a thousand two hundred Monkes of that monastery at one tyme by the iust iudgement of God as saynt Bede sayth for their obstinacy Thus much for this matter wherby thou mayst see good reader that saynt Augustine found in wales amongst the Britains the same religion faith in substance that he then preached to the English or Saxons and which we Catholykes stil professe which being considered with that which I haue proued before concerning the continual practise therof in the primatiue Church of Britany whyles the same was in purity and integrity no man that hath common sence can dout that the same fayth was deliuered by Pope Eleutherius to King Lucius and generally professed throughout Christendom at those dayes in which respect we fynd honorable mention and testimony of the faith of the Britains in the Fathers both Greekes and Latins from the tyme of their conuersion as in Tertulian in K. Lucius tyme and in Origen presently after in S. Athanasius and S. Hilarius in the tyme of the Arrians of which two the first testifieth that the Bishops of Britany came to the councel of Sardica and the other commendeth the Britan Church for reiecting the Arrian heresy as I haue noted before also in S. Chrisostome and saynt Hierom who commendeth the deuotion of the Britans that came to Bethlem in pilgrimage in his dayes about the same tyme that the Saxons entred into Britany CERTAINE POINTS OF CONTROUERSY are discussed wherby it is prooued that King Lucius receiued our Catholyke fayth and first of the Popes supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes CHAP. VII BVT to the end that this vndouted truth may be cleared of all dout I wil ioyne Issue with our aduersaries vpon some two or three poynts now in controuersy betwyxt vs and them and breefly proue that the doctrin that we teach concerning the same was publykly held for truth throughout Christendome in King Lucius dayes and that therfore he could receiue no other then the same from the Church of Rome and this I vndertake the more willingly for that albeit all matters of controuersy haue ben very learnedly and sufficiently handled yea and whole volumes written of them by our English Catholykes in the beginning of her maiestyes raygne yet by reason of the strayt prohibition of the sayd bookes there are an infinit number in England especially of the younger sort that neuer saw the same to whome I desyre to giue in this treatyse at least some litle tast of the truth of our Catholyke religion so farre as my determined breuity wil permit First
who can with any reason deny that the Popes supremacy the confession whereof is now made treason in England was in King Lucius dayes acknowledged generally of all men for what moued him being so farre from Rome to seeke to receiue the faith of Christ from thence but that he desyred to haue it from the fountayne head were there not Christians at the same tyme in England as there had ben from the tyme of Ioseph of Arimathia by some of whome it is lyke he was conuerted and might haue ben Baptysed or yf there were no Christians there that might satisfy his deuotion and desyre in that behalfe was there not at the same tyme very learned Bishops in France by whome he might haue receiued satisfaction without sending so farre as to Rome what then moued him therto but that he vnderstood that the admission of all Christs sheep into his fold the Church belonged principally to the successor of S. Peter to whome our sauiour particularly commended the feeding of his flock which saynt Bede insinuateth sufficiently saying that King Lucius beseeched Eleutherius by his letters that he might be made a Christian per eius mandatum by his commandement Neither can there any other probable reason be geuen why a few yeres after Donaldus King of Scots sent to Pope victor the next successor of Eleutherius to receiue of him the Christian fayth which at the same tyme florished not only in France as before I haue sayd but also in England from whence he might haue had Bishops and Priests to instruct and baptise him and his people But for the more manifest proof of this poynt let vs heare what S. Ireneus who florished at the same tyme in France teacheth concerning the autority of the sea Apostolike gouerned then by Eleutherius from whome K. Lucius receiued the fayth VVhen we shew sayth he the tradition of the greatest and most AuncieÌ„t Church knowen to all men founded constitute at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles Peter Paule that the same tradition receiued from the sayd Apostles is deriued euen to this our tyme by the succession of Bishops we confound all those that any way eyther by an ouerweening of their owne wits or by vayne glory or by blyndnesse and euil opinion are led away with fals conceyts for euery Churche that is to say the saythful which are euery where must needs haue recours to this Church agree therewith propter potentioreÌ„ principalitatem for the greater or more mighty principality of the same wherein the tradition of the Apostles hath ben alwayes conserued by them which are euery where abroad and a litle after hauing declared the succession of the Bishops of Rome from saynt Peter to Eleutherius who he sayth was the twelfth he addeth by this ordination and succession the tradition which is in the Church from the Apostles and the preaching of the truth is come euen to vs hec est plenissima osteÌ„sio this is a most ful euident demonstration that the fayth which hath ben conserued in the Churche from the Apostles vntil now is that one true fayth which geueth lyfe Thus farre S. Ireneus out of whose words may be gathered three things very imporrant and manifest against our aduersaries The first the force of tradition in the Churche of God that the same alone being duly proued is sufficient to conuince all heretykes that teach any thing contrary therto The second that the continual succession of the Bishops of Rome in one seat and doctrin is an infalible argument of the truth The which also Tertulian in the same tyme not only obserued but also prescrybed for a rule against all heretykes in his book of Prescriptions To which purpose S. Augustin sayth the succession of Priests from the seat of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord recoÌ„mended his sheep to be fed holdeth me in the Catholyke Church and in another place number the Priests euen from the very seat of Peter and in that order of fathers see who succeded one an other that is the rock which the proud gaâ—â— of hel do not ouercome Optatus Mileuitanus in lyke sort vrgeth this succession of the Roman Bishops against the Donatists reckoning vp all the Bishops from S. Peter to Siricius with whome he sayth all the world did communicat and there-vpon concludeth therfore yow sayth he that challeÌ„ge to your selues a holy Churche tel vs the beginning of your chayre Thus reasoned these fathers against heretykes aboue 1200. yeres ago as also did S. Ireneus before in K. Lucius tyme and the same say wee now with no lesse reason against the heretykes of our tyme we shew them our doctrin conserued in a perpetual succession of Bishops from the Apostles vntil this day we demaund the lyke of them and seing they cannot shew it we conclude with S. Irenaeus that they remayne confounded and that they are to be registred in the number of those that eyther by an ouerweening of their owne wits or by vayne glory or by blyndnes and passion are led away with fals conceits The third poynt that I wish to be noted in the words of S. Irenaeus is the supreme dignity of the Roman Churche aboue all other seing that he cauleth it the greatest most ancient not in respect of tyme for the Churches of Hierusalem and Antioch were before it but for autority and therfor vrgeth it as a matter of necessity duty that all other Churches whatsoeuer and all faythful people throughout the world ought to haue recours therto and agree therwith propter potentioreÌ„ principalitateÌ„ for the greater and more powreful principality and autority therof which autority is founded vpon no other ground then vpon the institution of our Sauiour himselfe who gaue the gouerment of his Church to S. Peter the Apostle not only for him selfe but also for his successors which I wil prooue heare with as conuenient breuity as the importance of the matter wil permit THAT OVR SAVIOVR made S. Peter supreme head of his Churche CHAP. VIII THE supreme autority of S. Peter ouer the Churche of God is to be proued directly out of the holy scriptures by many places and arguments but 3. shal suffice for breuityes sake The first place is in S. Mathew where our sauiour promised to S. Peter to buyld his Church vpon him saying Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram adificabo Ecclesiam meam that is to say thou art Peter or a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche signifying by this allegory that he made him the foundation or head of his Church for the head is to the body the gouernour to the common welth as the foundation is to the buylding that is to say the principal part the stay strength and assurance therof and this appeareth more playnly in the Siriac tongue in which saynt Mathew wrote his gospel where
sayd sea and partly by the decrees made by the same for the whole Churche and the censures layd vpon such as would not receiue and obey them Wee read in Tertulian who liued in king Lucius tyme that Montanus Prisca and Maximilla fals prophets in Phrigia being excomunicat and expelled by their bishops came to Rome to be restored by Pope Victor whome they had almost circumuented hauing obtayned of him letters to the churches of Asia for their restitution which letters neuerthelesse Pope Victor reuoked by the aduise of Praxeas who discouered to him their trechery wherof Tertulian complayneth bitterly being then become an obstinate Montanist saying that otherwyse Pope Victor had restored MoÌ„tanus and geuen peace to the churches of Asia lo then how great was the authoritie of the bishops of Rome in forayn remote parts by the testimony of Tertulian who was then an heretyke and a great enemy to the Roman Churche S. Cyprian about 250. yeares after Christ testifyeth that Fortunatus and Felix being deposed in Afrike by him appealed to Pope Cornelius and that Basilides in lyke manner being deposed in Spayne appealed to Pope Steuen who suceeded Cornelius and although S. Cyprian shew that Basilides being iustly condemned did vniustly appeale and deceiue the Pope by fals suggestion that therfore his appellation could not auayle him yet he confesseth that the Pope receiued the appellation wherein he sayth he was not to be blamed but Basilides for deceauing him so that wee see the custome of appealing to the bishop of Rome out of al partes is most ancient whereof I wil also alleadge some other examples of later tymes though aboue 1000. yeres agoe Athanasius being deposed by the Arrians in Greece appealed vnto Iulius the first bishop of Rome and by him was restored 1300. yeres agoe and the ecclesiastical histories do witnesse that not only he but also Paulus byshop of Constantinople Marcellus byshop of Ancira and Asâ—lepa byshop of Gaza and Lucianus of Hadrianopolis were all at Rome at one tyme iniustly expelled from their bishoprikes and that Pope Iulius discussing the crymes obiected to euery one of them tanquam omnium curam gerens propter propriae sedis dignitatem as one that had care of them all for the dignity of his owne sea restored euery one of them to their Churches wrote to the Byshops of the east blaming them for the wrong they had donne them and threatning them that he would not suffer it if they proceeded to do the lyke hereafter S. Chrysostome byshop of Constantinople appealed to Pope Innocentius the first and Flauianus byshop of the same citty and Theodoretus byshop of Cyrus appealed in the same age to Pope Leo who restored Theodoretus as testifieth the great general councel of Calcedon saying restituit ei Episcopatum S inus Archiepiscopus Leo. The most holy Archbishop Leo restored to him his bishoprik And S. Gregory the great byshop of Rome did excomunicate a byshop of Greece called Iohn for that he had presumed to Iudge an other byshop that had appealed to the sea Apostolyke Lastly this custome of appealing to the Bishop of Rome was confirmed by two seueral cannons in the second great general councel held at Sardica in the tyme of Athanasius the great whereat were present some byshops of Britany and this shal suffise for the appellatioÌ„ of byshops to Rome and their restitution Now to speak a word or two of the deposition of Byshops wee fynd an euident example therof within 40. or 50. yeares after the coÌ„uersion of K. Lucius for S. Cyprian wrote to Steuen the Pope to desyre him to excomunicat depose Marcian the Bishop of Arles in France and to substitute an other in his place by vertue of his letters to the people there further desyred him to aduertyse him who should succede him that he the Bishops of Africk might know to whome to direct their letters so that wee see the authority and custome in the Church of Rome to depose forraine Bishops is no new thing nor a iurisdiction vsurped in later tymes by fauour of Christian Emperours seing in the great persecutions in the primitiue Churche when none were more persecuted by the Emperours then the Popes them selues who vntil this tyme were almost all martired they exercysed this authority as their successors haue done euer since indiffereÌ„tly without exception vpon all Bishops whosoeuer yea vpon the 4. principal patriarkes of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem in so much that Nicolaus the first Pope of that name writing to Michael Emperour of Constantinople about a 1000. yeres ago reckoneth 8. Patriarchs of that Churche deposed by Bishops of Rome before his tyme and Flauianus Patriarch of Antioch was deposed by Pope Damasus 1200. yeares ago and although the Emperour Theodosius labored to restore him yet he commaunded him to go to Rome to answere for him selfe and both S. Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople and also Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria were intercessors for him to the Pope to conclude he could not hold his Bishoprik in peace vntil the Pope being pacified was conteÌ„t therwith and promised to receaue his legats therfore Flauianus presently sent him many Byshops and some of the cheef of the Clergy of Antioch Also Pope Sixtus the 3. deposed Polichronius Bishop of Hierusalem I omit later examples wherof there are many to say somewhat of the general decrees of Popes made before or in the dayes of K. Lucius Wee read in Tertullian who as I sayd before florished in King Lucius tyme that the Bishops of Rome made decrees agaynst the heresyes of Montanus and his followers and although Tertulian was then an egregious Montanist himselfe an enemy to the Roman Churche which had condemned his heresyes neuerthelesse in that which he wryteth agaynst one of the sayd edicts he sufficiently sheweth what was the authority of the Byshops of Rome in those dayes recyting the edict in this manner Pontifex Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum dicit c. that is to say the cheef or greatest Bishop the Bishop of Bishops doth say c. wherby it appeareth what was the title of the Bishop of Rome at those dayes for although it should be true that Tertulian being then an heretyk and condemned by the Bishop of Rome vsed those words of Pontifex Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum ironice yet is it manifest that he did it eyther for that such were the tytles of the edict which was most probable or els because he was generally so called at that tyme by all those that held communion with him But before this tyme Pius the first Pope of that name about 160. yeres after Christ made an edict about the keeping of Easter which was after confirmed by Pope Victor the Churches of Asia were excomunicated by him for not receiuing the same But to the end good reader thou mayst the better vnderstand how this
matter passed and euidently see the supreme autoritie of the Bishops of Rome in those dayes it is to be considered that there hauing been from the tyme of the Apostles a different manner of keeping Easter in the Churche of Rome and the Churches of the lesser Asia the Romans keeping it alwayes vpon the sunday according to the tradition of the Apostles S. Peter and saynt Paule they of Asia obseruing the tyme and custome of the Iewes pretending the example and tradition of S. Iohn the Euangelist Pius the first of that name Bishop of Rome desyring to reduce all the Churche to vniformity made a decree that the feast of Easter should be celebrated only vpō sunday but for that the Churches of Asia made great dificulty to leaue their tradition as wel Pius as Anicetus Soter and Eleutherius forbore for peace and quietnesse sake to compel them by Ecclesiastical censures to the obseruation therof but afterwards Victor who succeeded Eleutherius noting that not only those which inclyned to keep the ceremonies of the old law were much confirmed therby in their opinion but also some in Rome namely one Blastus sought to introduce that custome there and Iudaysme withall cauled a councel of the Bishops of Italy neere adioyning and not only caused other councels to be assembled in France but also directed his commaundements to the Bishops of the east to do the lyke namely to Theophilus Bishop of Caesarea as that S. Bede reporteth in these words victor the Pope Bishop of the citty of Rome dixerit authoritatem that is to say directed a commaundement to Theophilus Byshop of Caesarea and Palaestina that it should be determined how the easter should be celebrated there where our Lord the sauiour of the world conuersed Therfore perceptae qutoritate the authority or commaundement being receiued Theophilus assembled Bishops not only out of his owne prouince but also out of diuers other cuntryes and when they were come togeather in great numbers Theophilus protulit autoritatem ad se missam Papae Victoris Theophilus shewed the autority or commaundment that Pope Victor had sent him declared quid sibi operis fuisset iniunctum what was enioyned him to do c. herein by the way I wish to be noted how the Bishop of Rome in those dayes that is to say in the tyme of Lucius exercised his autority in calling of councels both of the Byshops of the Latin or west Church also of the east seing Theophilus Byshop of Palaestina assembled the prelats not only of his owne prouince but also of diuers other by vertue of the commission geuen him by Pope Victor But to proceed yt being determined by all those coūcels that the feast of Easter should be kept on the sunday according to the custome of the Romā Churche Victor the Pope renewed the decree of Pius his predecessor and denounced excomunication against all the Churches of Asia that would not cōforme them-selues therto which though some holy and learned Bishops amongst other Irenaeus thought to bee rigorously done and not with such consideratiō as it seemed to them the peace of the Church required yet none of them nor any of the schismatykes themselues took any exception to his autority as though he had donne more then he might do which no dout they would haue done yf he had exceeded the limits of his power therfore Eusebius sayth that Irenaeus did admonish him that he would not cut of from the body of the whole Church so many Churches for obseruing a tradition vsed amongst them according to an old custome and Nicephorus testifieth that they aduised him vt benignius statueret that should determine therof with more benignity and myldnes wherin wee see Pope Victors authoritie and power to excommunicat all other Bishops sufficiently acknowledged though there was question of the iustnesse of the cause and conueniency of the fact neuerthelesse yt appeared afterwards by the determination of the whole Churche of God yea of the greatest part of the Asian Churches themselues that Victor had reason in that which he did for as Nicephorus testifieth not only Asia did at lēgth yeild therin but also vbique terrarum in orbe decretum est it was decreed through out the world that the feast of Easter should be celebrated vpō the sunday in so much that those which would not yeild therto were held for heretykes cauled quarta decimani for so they are accounted and termed by Nicephorus saynt Augustin Epiphanius Philastrius and the councels of Antioch and Laodicea and to conclude this poynt yt shal not be impertinent to the matter in hād to consider how this controuersy about the keeping of easter ended many yeares after in England betwyxt the English Byshops mayntayning the custome of Rome and the Scottish that were Schismatykes and obserued the custome of Asia which venerable Bede recounteth saying that Bishop Colman with his Scotish elergy being assembled in Northumberland with Agilbert Bishop of the east Saxons his Priests Wilfred and Agathon in the presence of King Oswy after long debating the matter on both sydes Wilfred answered to Colman who relyed vpon the autority of Anatholius and Columba his predecessors although quoth he Columba was a holy man yet could he not be perferred before Peter the most blessed Prince of the Apostles to whome our Lord sayd thou art Peter and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche hel gates shal not preuayle against it and to thee I wil geue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen when Wilfrid had sayd this King Oswy who had ben brought vp by the Scots and infected with their schisme asked Colman wheather he could proue that so great autority was geuen to Columba and Colman answered no and do you on both syds sayth the King grant without controuersy that this was sayd principally to Peter and that the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen were geuen him by our Lord and both parts answered yea nay then quoth the King merily I assure yow I wil not in any thing contradict that porter but as farre as my knowledge and power shal extend I wil obey his commaundments least perhaps when I shal come to heauen and haue him my enemy that keepeth the keyes no man wil open me the gates The King hauing sayd thus all that were present both litle and great sayth saynt Bede allowed therof and yeilded to receiue the Catholyke custome of keeping Easter on the sunday Thus wee see this great controuersy ended also in England neere a thousand yeres agoe by the autority of the sea Apostolyke so that to returne to Pope Victor wee may truly say he had the victory or rather that saynt Peeter by him and his successors vanquished all such as opposed themselues to this traditiō of the Roman Churche Seing then in the tyme of K. Lucius the Bishops of Rome both claymed and exercised supreme authority ouer all
Paule kept by the Christians in his tyme. Euagrius Nicephorus and S. Iohn Damascen do declare that amongst other auncient monuments of the Citty of Edessa therwas a long tyme kept a true portrait of our sauiour Christ which he himselfe sent to Abgarus king of that citty and Leo a reader of Constantinople affirmed before the whole councel of Nice aforesayd that he had seene it and Euagrius and Theophanes recount great miracles donne therby in so much that the Greekes celebrated a solemne feast therof in September as appeareth in the menologio or kalender of the Greekes Nicephorus also sayth that the holy Euangelist S. Luke did draw the true pourtraicts of our blessed Lady and the Apostle S. Peter which was kept at Constantinople in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperour Tertullian maketh mention of the picture of our sauiour in the forme of the good sheepheard carying a sheepe vpon his back ordinarily paynted vpon the chalices that were vsed in the Churche in his tyme which was in the raygne of king Lucius so that there is no dout but the vse of Images and pictures hath ben receiued in the Church of God euer since the Apostels tyme although by reason of the great persecutions vnder the Pagan Emperours they could neither be so frequent nor publyk as after they began to bee in the tyme of Constantine the great who buylding gorgious temples adorned the same not only with the signe of the crosse but also with the Images of our sauiour and of the twelue Apostels of Angels and of S. Iohn Baptist. S. Augustin noteth that the paynims might see our sauiour Christ paynted with S. Peter and S. Paule in many places S. Hierome coÌ„mendeth the feruor and deuotion of Paula that went vp the mountayne of Caluary and prostrayting her selfe before the Crosse adored it as though she had seene our sauiour hanging theron S. Chrysostome in his liturgy which Erasmus translated signifieth that the priest going foorth with the gospel in his hand and a candel caried before him vsed to bow downe his head to do reuerence to an Image of Christ. S. Basil S. Gregory Nissen Euodius Prudentius and S. Paulinus do make honorable mention of the Images of S. Barlaam S. Theodorus S. Steeuen S. Cassian S. Martin in Churches in their tyme which was 1200. yeres agoe and yf good reader I should alledge the testimonies of all the fathers that from the tyme of Constantine did witnes approue the publyk vse of Images in the Churche I should write a whole volume of this matter and therfore it may suffyse the to vnderstand that although some auncient Fathers as S. Ireneus Epiphanius and S. Augustin do reproue somtymes the abuse of some Images as that the heretykes called Gnostici and others of the sect of Simon placed the images of Christ and of S. Peter and S. Paule with other of Pithagoras Homer Aristotle Helen Minerua and such lyke and adored them as Gods with sacrifices and incense after the manner of the gentils yet they neuer disalowed the lawful vse therof and therfore those that haue at any tyme reiected the â—ame haue ben alwayes noted and abhorred of all as heretykes and called Iconomachi or Iconoclastae against whome was assembled 800. yeres agoe the seuenth great general Councel at Nice where they were condemned for heretykes and woors then Samaritans by 350. Bishops OF THE RELICKS of Saynts CHAP. XIII NOW to say somewhat of holy relicks There is no dout but the vse thereof proceeded of the examples in H. Scripture of the great miracles doÌ„ne by the touching of Christs garment by the handkerchef and gyrdle of S. Paule by the shadow of S. Peter and in the old Testament by the body of Elizeus wherewith a dead man was reuiued by all which the first Christians were â—nduced to reuerence and honour euery thing that pertayned to the seruants of God and to expect consolation therby wherfore when S. Peter and S. Paule suffred at Rome the Christians of the east came thether to haue theyr relycks as belonging to them by right for that they were their cuntrymen when S. Ignatius who was thyrd byshop of Antioch after S. Peter was martyred at Rome the ChristiaÌ„s caryed his relickes with great solemnity to Antioch and as S. Chrysostome testifieth many miracles were donne by the same At the martyrdome of S. Policarp byshop of Smyrna who also liued in the Apostles tyme was put to death not aboue 12. yeres before king Lucius receiued the sayth the Christians of his diocesse that were present gathered vp his relikes vsed them with great reuereÌ„ce as they themselues witnessed in an epistle which Eusebius recyteth at large wherin amongst other things they say thus Afterwards hauing gathered out of the ashes his bones more worthy then precious stones and more pure then gold we placed them in a place seemely and fit for them where assembling our selues sometymes wee may by the help of our Lord celebrat the day of his martyrdome as of his natiuity with great ioy and exultation thus farre the ChristiaÌ„s of the Churche of Smyrna S. CipriaÌ„ besydes the yerely celebration of martyrs feasts maketh often mention of oblations and sacrifices offred in memory of them so doth also Tertullian so that by these testimonies it appeareth that in the tyme not only of King Lucius but also of the Apostles and their Disciples the relikes of Gods seruants were kept and highly honored and feasts of their martyrdome celebrated vnder tytle of their natiuityes as stil it is vsed in our Cathol Churche and no maruel seing the Christians at that tyme vsed to creep and kisse their chaynes whyles they were yet liuing in prison as Tertullian witnesseth and yf we coÌ„sider the vniforme consent of all fathers in all ages concerning this poynt wee may wel wounder at the malice of our aduersaries that do deny it especially seing in the primatiue Church it was so euident that the very paynims knew it and therfore were wont to cast the ashes bones of the martyrs into riuers or otherwyse to make them a way to the end the Christians should not recouer them and Eunapius Sardianus of Alexandria a paynim writteth that the Christians in his tyme honored their martyrs being dead kneeling and prostrating them selues before their tombs and making them their Embassadours to deliuer their prayers to God But to returne to the fathers of the Churche S. Augustin to confound the gentils reherseth many miracles donne by the very flowers that had but only touched the rehearies where the relickes of saynts were kept S. Gregory Nissen sayth that the Christians that came to the tombs of saynts did take it for a great fauour that they might be suffred to cary away some of the dust that was about the same S. Augustin also telleth
of beasts or catel which he signifyed by the words blynd and lame and other in bread he attributeth the word polluted or defiled to the bread only not without mistery to oppose therto the cleane sacrifice of the gentils in forme of bread cauling it a cleane oblation and putting the special force of the antithesis betwyxt the figure and the verity for that the shew bread or bread of proposition being as S. Hierome sayth the bread which the priests polluted was a proper figure of the holy eucharist as he also testifyeth Furdermore this sacrifice cannot be vnderstood of the sacrifice of our sauiour vpon the crosse which was offred only once and in one place and not amongst the gentils neither yet of spiritual sacrifices as of thankes geuing prayer fasting and other good workes which are improperly cauled sacrifices and therfore it is to be noted that whensoeuer this woord sacrifyce is improperly taken in the scripture some other woord is alwayes ioyned thereto to signify the same as hâ—stiae laudis saecrificium iustitiae Saecrificium cordis contriti the host or sacrifice of prayse the sacrifice of iustice the sacrifice of ae contrit hart and on the other syde whensoeuer it is alone without any woord adioyned to restrayne or diminish the sence as it is in this prophesy it signifyeth a true and proper sacrifice This difference may wel be noted where it is said miscricordiam volui non sacrificium I wil haue mercy and not sacrifice and agayne obedientiae est melior quam victima obedience is better then sacrifice in which sentences sacrifyce properly taken is opposed to mercy and obedience which also may improperly be cauled sacrifices as wel as thankes geuing prayse of God or any other good worke whatsoeuer Agayne the prophet speaketh heere of a sacrifice or oblation which should be but one cauling it a cleane oblation but the spiritual sacrifices are as many as there are good woorkes of the faythful Also he speaketh of a sacrifice proper to the new law and to the gentils such a one as should succeede the sacrifices of the Iewes and be offred in steede therof but spiritual sacrifices haue ben in all tymes and common both to Iewes and gentils But howsoeuer other men may vnderstand this prophesy our aduersaryes cannot with any reason expound it of the good woorks of Christians seeing they teach that the best woorkes of the iustest men are polluted and vncleane sinful and damnable which therfore cannot according to their doctrin be that sacrifice which almighty God himselfe cauled by the mouth of his prophet a cleane oblation Lastly the most learned and auncient fathers of the Churche do vniformly expound this prophesy of the sacrifice of the masse as S. Iustin the learned Philosopher and famous martyr within 150. yeres after Christ sayth that of the sacrifices of the gentils that are offred in euery place videlicet the bread and cup of the Eucharist Malachâ—â— the Prophet euen then spoke and foretold that wee should glorify his name therby Ireneus also hauing declared in what manner our sauiour did institute the blessed SacrameÌ„t of the Eucharist at his last supper and that the Churche receyuing the same of the Apostles offreth it to God throughout the world addeth de quo in duodecim prophetis Malachias sic praesignificauit non est mihi voluntas in vobis c. that is to say wherof Malachias one of the twelue prophets did signify before hand speaking to the Iewes in this manner my wil is no longer to be serued by you c. S. Chrysostome hauing alledged the same Prophesy concludeth Behold sayth he how clearly and playnly he hath interpreted the mistical table which is the vnbloody host He that listeth to see more testimonyes of the fathers let him read Tertulian S. Ciprian S. Hierome S. Augustin S. Ciâ—il Eusebius Theodoretus and S. Ihon Damascen in the places alledged in the margent THAT NOT ONLY THE SACRIFICE of Melchisedech but also the sacrifices of the old law were figures of the sacrifice of the masse are changed into the same and by the way is declared the necessity of sacrifice as wel for common welth as for religion CHAP. XV. NOw to speake of the sacrifice of Melchisedech I think our aduersaries wil not deny that our sauiour was and is a Priest according to the order of Melchisedech and that he shal be so for euer as the Prophet Dauid testifieth of him saying tu es sacerdos in eternuÌ„ secundum ordinem Melchisedech thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech the which saynt Paule also sheweth amply in his epistle to the Hebrews the which being granted two things do euidently follow thereon The first is that for as much as priesthood and sacrifice ar correlatiues and cannot be the one without the other in which respect saynt Paule sayth that a Priest or Bishop is ordeyned vt offer at dona sacrificiae to offer gifts and sacrifices agayne that our sauiour being a Priest must needs haue somewhat to offer and seing his sacrifice vpon the crosse was offred by him but once neither can euer be reiterat in that manner and therfore cannot be that continual sacrifice which must needs correspond to his eternal priesthood bee continually offred in his Church I coÌ„clude that besydes his sacrifice vpon the crosse he did institut and leaue behind him some other to be offred dayly not only for remission of dayly sinnes but also for a most deuine act of religion wherby all faythful people may dayly do to almighty God the due worship seruice they owe him the which kind of worship by publik sacrifice was not only vsed in the law of Moyses but also in the law of nature is so due to God from man and proceedeth so â—â—rinsecally from the very grounds and principles of nature it selfe that their can be no perfect religion nor good common welth without it For as for religion whereas the special office and end therof is to acknowledge by external acts the seruice and subiection wee owe to our Lord and creator and the dominion he hath ouer vs it is manifest that no external act of religion doth so fully and conueniently expresse and signify the same as sacrifice wherby wee gratefully offer to almighty God his owne creatures not only rendring him part of his owne gifts and yeilding him thankes therfore but also destroying them in his honour to testify as wel that he is souuerayn Lord of lyfe and death as that we hold our beeing and all wee haue of him and depend wholy of his wil and prouidence yea and that we owe our owne lyfe to him in sacrifice and doe as it were redeeme the same with the death or destruction of an other creature in signification wherof he which in the old law did present to the priest any beast to be sacrifised did hold him by
of the Eucharist to serue vs not only for a food and spiritual meate but also for a sacrifice offring the fame him-selfe first to his Father and then geuing commissioÌ„ and power to his Disciples to do that which he did to wit to offer and sacrifice the same saying hoc facite in nâ—eam commemorationeÌ„ that is to say do make or sacrifice this in remembrance of me for this woord facite as wel in the Syriac Hebrew and Greek as in the Laryn signifieth to sacrifice no lesse then to do or make as in Leuiticus faciet vnum pro peccate he shal sacrifice one of the turtle doues for remissioÌ„ of sinne and in the book of Kings faciam bovem alterum I wil sacrifice the other oxe the lyke may be seene in diuers other places of the holy scriptures where the Hebrew Greek woord which doth properly signify facere must needs be vnderstood to do sacrifice in which sence facâ—re is also vsed amongst the Latins as cum faciam vttulapro frugthus c. when I shal sacrifice a calfe for my corne c also in Plautus faciam tibâ— fideliam mulsiplenam I wil sacrifice vnto the a poâ—ful of sweete wyne and agayne in Cicero Iunoni omnes consules facere necesse est all the consuls must needs sacrifice to Iune But howsoeuer it is it litle importeth for the matter in questioÌ„ whether faecere do properly signify to sacrifice or no seing it is euident that all the doctors of the Churche do vnderstaÌ„d that Christ coÌ„maunding his Apostles to do that which he did commaunded them to sacrifice S. Denis who was conuerted by S. Paul at Athens declaring the practise of the Churche in his tyme fayth that the Bishop in the tyme of the holy mysteries excuseth himself to almighty God for that he is so bold to sacrifice the host that geueth health or saluation aleadging for his excuse our Sauiours commandment to wit hoc facite do this in my remembrance S. Clement in his Apostolical constitutions speaking to Priests in the name of the Apostles fayth suscitato Domino offerte saecrificium vestrum de quo vobis praecepit per nos hae facite in meam commemorationem on easter day when our Lord is risen offer your sacrifice as he commaunded yow by vs saying do this in my remembrance Martialis who also conuersed with the Apostles sayth that the Christians offred the body and blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ to lyfe euerlasting because he commaunded them to do it in remembrance of him Iustin the Philosopher and Martyr within 140. yeares after Christ sayth that God who receiueth sacrifice at the hands of none but of Priests did foretel by his Prophet that those sacrifices should be grateful to him which Iesus Christ commaunded to be offred in the Eucharist S. Cyprian sayth our Lord and God Iesus Christe is the cheefe Priest and offred first sacrifice to God the Father and commaunded that the same should be donne in his remembrance S. Chrysostome teaching that the sacrifice which is dayly offred in the Churche ys alwayes one and the self same sacrifice be it offred neuer so oft addeth that which we do is donne in remeÌ„brance of that which was donne by our Sauiour far he sayd do this in remembrance of me I omit for breuityes sake S. Augustin S. Ambrose Primasius Bishop of vtica S. Isidore Haymo and diuers others that testify in lyke manner that our Sauiour saying to his Apostles do this gaue them coÌ„mission and power to sacrifice and thus much for the institution of the masse by our Sauiour THAT THE APOSTLES practysed the commission geuen them by our Sauiours sacrificing or saying Masse them-selues and leauing the vse and practyse therof vnto the Churche and that the ancient Fathers not only in King Lucius tyme but also for the first 500. yeares after Christ teach it to be a true sacrifice and propitiatory for the liuing and for the dead CHAP. XVII NOW then to speake breefly of the practyse of the Apostles and of Gods Churche euer since It being manifest by that which I haue sayd already that our Sauiour himselfe did not only institute offer the sacrifice of his body and blood at his last super but also gaue commission and power to his disciples to do that which he did it cannot be douted but that they executed this power and commission and did not only consecrate and make the body of our sauiour as he did but also sacrificed the same Therefore whereas we read in the Acts of the Apostles that they vsed to assemble themselues together ad frangendum panem to break bread it is doutles to be vnderstood that they offred this sacrifice informe of bread according to the commission coÌ„maundmeÌ„t of our Sauiour that the same was the publike ministery wherein the scripture sayth they were occupied when they were commanded by the holy ghost to segregat Paul and Barnabas whereof it is sayd ministraÌ„tibus illis Domino ieiunantibus c. whyles they were ministring to our Lord and fasting c. which being in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify the ministery of sacrifice in which sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are taken in the scripture when they are vsed absolutely and spoken of any publyke and holy ministery wherof wee haue examples as wel in the epistieto the Hebrewes in dyuers places as also in the gospel of S. Luke author of the Acts of the Apostles who speaking of Zacharias the priest and of his ministery or office which was to offer sacrifice calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore Erasinus of whose iudgement in lyke cases our aduersaries are wont to make no smaâ—e account had great reason to translate the foresayd woords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. sacrificanâ—bus illu Domino c. as they were sacrifycing to our Lord c. and so coÌ„mon was this sence vnderstanding of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sacrifice that the grecians haue no other proper woord for the sacrifice of the Masse Furdermore that the ministery of the Apostles in breaking bread was a sacrifice it appeareth euidetly by S. Paule who to withdraw the Corinthians from sacrificing to Idols did represent vnto them the sacrifice which he and the Apostles did vse to offer in the breaking of bread making a playne antithesis betwyxt the one sacrifice and the other and comparing the bread which they brake as wel with the lawful sacrifices of the Iewes as also with the vnlawful sacrifices of the gentils Of the first he sayth Behold Israel according to the flesh are not those which eate of the sacrifices partakers of the Altar and agayne speaking of the other flie sayth he from the woorship that is to say the sacrifices of Idols and yeilding a reason thereof the cup sayth he which wee blesse
poynts which I haue handled what hath alwayes bin the doctrin of the Churche of God concernâ—ng the same and that therfore King Lucius could receiue no other froÌ„ the Catholyke RomaÌ„ Churche by the which he was conuerted to the Christian fayth and yf I thought it needful to rip vp euery other particuler point controuersed betwyxt our aduersaries and vs I could easely shew the same in euery one But what needeth it seing they cannot proue that any Pope I wil not say from S. Eleutherius to S. Gregory but from S. Peter to Clement the eight that now gouerneth the Churche hath taught and decreed any different doctrin from his predecessors whereas on the other syde wee shew euidently that in a perpetual succession of our Roman Bishops there hath ben also a continual succession of one the selfe same doctrin where vpon it followeth infalibly that King Ethelbert and the English could not receiue from S. Gregory the Pope any other fayth then King Lucius and the britans receiued from saynt Eleutherius and that wee which now hold communion with the Roman Churche teache no other doctrin then that which was taught by them to our ancestors and hath successiuely come from S. Peter consequently from our Sauiour Christ. Therefore thou mayst wel wonder good reader at the impudency of our English ministers that are not a shamed to preache teache the contrary wherby thow mayst also see how lamentable is the case of our poor country wherein such haue the charge and cure of soules as haue not so much as common honesty to say the truth in matters as cleare as the Sunne and teach such a religion as for lack of better reasons and arguments they are forst to mayntayne it with manifest lyes slanders yea and murders of innocent men whome they execute for fayned crymes vnder colour of matter of state acknowledging therby sufficiently the truth of our Catholyk fayth seing they are ashamed to aâ—ow that they trooble any man for it whyles they confesse that they punish and put to death heretykes namely the Anabaptists directly for their religion and their impudency is so much the more notorious for that their publyk proceedings in the dayly execution of penal and capital lawes touching only matter of religion doth contradict and conuince their sayings and writings wherein they affirme that they put none to death for religion But for as much as I haue treated this matter at large in diuers partes of my Apology besydes that I vnderstand that some others also entend to treate thereof in the answere of a ridiculous challenge made by O. E. fraught with most absurd paradoxes as wel concerning this poynt as others touching our Catholyke fayth I remit thee good reader therto and so conclude this treatys beseeching almighty God to geue our aduersaries the light of his grace and vs in the meane tyme pacience and constancy and to thee indifferency to iudge of maters so much importing the eternal good and saluation of thy soule which I hartely wish no lesse then my owne FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THIS TREATISE THE preface wherein are declared the causes of the long delay of printing the Apology and withall is noted the impudency of a late wryter in England disguysing his name with the letters O. E. who auoweth the fiction of Squyres employment for a truth and affirmeth that none are put to death in England for religion An Answere to two malitious slanders auowched in the foresayd libels concerning the conquest of England falsly supposed to be pretended sollicited by the Catholyks touching the late enterprise of the King of Spayne in Ireland Also concerning sir VVilliam Stanley and the Iesuits calumniated by the lybellers CHAP. 1. Concerning father Parsons in particular and that the extreame malice that the heretyks beare him is an euident argument of his great vertue CHAP. 2. That the Catholykes are persecuted martyred now in England for the same causes that the martyrs dyed in the primatiue Churche and of the great iniustice donne to two Priests condemned at Lincolne by Iudge Glanduile CHAP. 3. Of the impudeÌ„cy of a minister who being present at the death of the two martyrs aforesaid affirmed publykly that our country was conuerted by saynt Augustin the monk to the protestants religion by occasion where-of the truth of that poynt is euidently declared CHAP. 4. Of the first conuersion of our country whyles it was called Britany in the tyme of King Lucius with euideÌ„t proofes that our Catholyk fayth was then preached and planted there CHAP. 5. The same is coÌ„firmed proued out of Gildas the sage Ca. 6. Certayne poynts of controuersy are discussed whereby it is proued that King Lucius receiued our Catholyke fayth and first of the Popes supremacy in Ecclesiasticall causes CHAP. 7. That our Sauiour made S. Peter supreme head of the churche CHAP. 8. That the successors of saynt Peter to wit the Bishops of Rome succeed him in the supremacy of the Churche CHAP. 9. That the Bishops of Rome exercised supreme autority in the tyme of King Lucius CHAP. 10. The matter of holy Images is debated and the vse thereof proued to haue ben in the Churche of God euer since our Sauiours tyme. Chap. 11. The commandment of God touching Images is explicated the practise of the Churche declared Chap. 12. Concerning the relicks of saynts and the reuerend vse thereof Chap. 13. That our doctrin concerning the sacrifice of the Masse was generaly receiued and beleeued in the tyme of King Lucius and first that it was foretold and prophecyed by Malachias Chap. 14. That not only the sacrifice of Melchisedech but also all the sacrifices of the old law were figures of the sacrifice of the masse and are changed into the same and by the way is declared the necessity of sacrifice as wel for common welth as for religion Chap. 15. That our Sauiour Christ instituted and offred at his last supper the sacrifice of his blessed body and blood proued by his owne woords by the expositions of the Fathers with a declaration how he is sacrificed in the masse and lastly that he gaue commission and power to his Disciples to offer his body and blood in sacrifice that is to say to say the Masse Chap. 16. That the Apostles practised the commission geuen them by our Sauiour sacrificing or saying Masse them-selues and leauing the vse and practise thereof vnto the Churche that the ancient Fathers not only in King Lucius tyme but also for all the first 500. yeares afeer Christ taught it to bee a true sacrifice and propitiatory for the liuing for the dead Chap. 17 An answere to the obiections of our aduersaries out of S. Paules epistle to the Hebrewes with a declaration that the heretyks of this tyme that abolish the sacrifice of the Masse haue not the new testameÌ„t of Christ and that they shew themselues to be most pernicious enemies of humain kynd Chap. 18.
that he procured at one tyme for the Seminary at Doway erected by my Lord Cardinal the pacification of the scandalous tumults in the English Colledge at Rome atteÌ„pted by diuers in vayne and reserued as it should seeme by almighty God to him for the testimony of his wisdome and vertue the present gouernment of the sayd Colledge in such tranquility vnity loue such aeconomy discipline and such exercyse of all vertue and learning that it serueth for an example spectacle to all Rome so that all our Seminaries which are now the honour and hope of our afflicted Churche and in tyme wil be the bane of heresy in England haue either ben erected or releeued and repayred or otherwyse exceedingly benefited by him and yf wee consider withall the great care and paynes he hath taken in all this the many long and tedious iourneys to strange and remote countryes the difficulties he hath past by contradiction and opposition somtymes of great parsonages and the prudence longaminity and patience he hath shewed in all and if wee ad therto his religious lyfe so examplar for all kynd of vertue that those which maligne him most can fynd nothing iustly to reprehend therin and therfore to haue somewhat to say against him are fayne either to inueÌ„t manifest lyes such as here I haue touched or els to calumniate his good woorkes with vayne surmises vncharitable suspitions and fals interpretations from which kynd of calumniation neither the innocency of Gods saints nor yet the prefection of our Sauiour himself could be free lastly if with all this wee consider concurrence and manifest assistance of almighty God to his endeuours in the progresse of Catholyke religion in England aduanced â—otably as all men see no lesse by his bookes and other labours then by his Seminaries wee may euidently conclude â—â—ree things the first that God hauing of his infinit mercy and prouidence determined to repayre the wracked walles of our Hierusalem hath raysed him for a special meanes and instrument therof geuing him for that end extraordinary graces and blessings as wel of credit with Princes abroad as also of singuler zeale prudence fortitude longanimity patience and other vertues requisit to so heroycal and excellent a woork and no maruel seeing that for the buylding of his material tabernacle he bestowed vpon some of his people extraordinary gyfts of caruing grauing and woorking in wood or metal all kynd of woork wherof they had no skil before The second coÌ„clusion of these premisses is that it is not possible but that he beeing employed by almighty God in the seruice of his Churche so particulerly and with such fruit as wee see shal be impugned calummated persecuted by Gods enemies for the deuil seking by all meanes to ouerthrow the Churche of God employeth all his instruments and dischargeth the rage of his fury cheefly against those that are the cheef pillers and vpholders thereof The third last poynt is that yf he stil continue to the end and coÌ„summate his cours according to his beginning and proceedings hetherto as by Gods grace he wil he shal not only gayne an eternal crowne of glory in heauen but also leaue to all posterity an euerlasting fame of his Apostolical labours and much the rather for the contradiction hatred and persecution that he receiueth at the hands of Gods enemies which already maketh him famous throughout Christendome and wil euer remayn for an euident argument of his great vertue and merits Thus much I haue thought good to touch breefly and truly here to serue for a counterpeyse to the multitude of malitious slanders that O. E. heapeth vpon him in his two lybels the particular answere whereof I leaue to one that hath vndertaken the same meaning only for my part to examin here a litle furder how truly he auoucheth that none are put to death in England for religion which besydes former examples and many reasons alleadged in my Apology almost euery mannes experience in England may conuince for a notable vntruthe by the martirdome of those which haue suffred in diuers parts within these 3. yeres since the Apology was written EXAMPLES OF DIVERS Catholykes executed since the Apology was written for the same causes that the martirs were put to death in the primatiue Churche and of the great iniustice donne to two Priests condemned at Lincolne by Iudge Glanduyle CHAP. III. I Appeale to the remembrance of al those that were present at the araignment of M. Rigby a lay Gentleman in the yere 1600. whether there was any thing concerning matter of state or the least suspition thereof layd to his charge who being no way accused or called in question for any matter whatsoeuer but comming to the sessions at Newgate of meere charity to excuse the aparance of a Catholyke gentlewoman that was sick was examined of his religion and condemned within a few dayes after for being a reconcyled Catholyk wherof neuertheles he might haue ben discharged yf he would haue consented but only to haue gon to the Churche which was offred him both before the Iury gaue their verdiâ— and also after Further-more what matter of state was so much as obiected to M. Palaser the priest or to M. Talbot and to M. Iohn Norton condemned and executed the same yeare at Durham the first only for being a priest and the other two for hauing ben aquaynted with him not detecting him or to a vertuous wydow the last yere at York for harboring a priest called M. Christopher whartoÌ„ who was executed also with her or to M rs lyne the last yere at London for hauing receiued priests against whome no matter of state but only their religion and priesthood was proued which was also most euident in M. Iohn Pibush M. Mark Barkwoorth at London the last yere M. Robert Nutter M. Edward Thwing M. Thurstan Hunt M. Midleton at Lancaster as also in the case of M. Filcock now this yeare M Harrison at York all of them martyred only for beeing Catholyke Priests and a lay man for hauing receiued the foresaid N. Harrison into his house Therfore can O. E. or any man be so impudent to say that these lay men women dyed not for religion or that the priests for whose cause they were condemned or the other here mentioned were traytors in any other sorte or sence then were the priests of the primatiue Churche accounted in lyke manner rebels and traytors only for doing the function of Christian Catholyke Priests as appeareth in the story of the blessed S. Alban the protomartyr of Britany who was charged by the Iudge to haue receiued into his house conueyghed away rebellem and sacrilegum sacerdotem a trayterous and sacrilegious Priest for that he put on the Priests apparel and so offred himself to be taken by the searchers that the Priest might escape for the which
there is no difference betwyxt Petrus Petra Peter and a rook For in steede of thou art Peter c. the Siriac hath thow art a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche For this cause as S. Ciril S. Chrisostome S. Hilary and others do note the name of S. Peter being first Simon was changed by our Sauiour who sayd vnto him tu vocaberis cephaâ— thou shalt bee called Cephas which the Euangelist expoundeth saying quod interpretatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is interpreted a rock or stone for so signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greeke and therfore Cirillus Bishop of Alexandria saith vpon those words now our sauiour Christ fortelleth that his name shal be no more Simon but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a rock signifieng aptly by the very word it selfe that he would buyld his Churche vpon him as vpon a most sure rock and stone whereto S. Hilary agreeth expounding the same woords and speaking to S. Peter thus O happy foundation of the Churche by imposition of thy new name in this respect S. Peter is called in the greeke text sometymes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by making a greek word of the Siriac and sometymes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are synonima and do both of them signify a rock Therfore I cannot omit to discouer vnto thee here good reader a suttle shift of our aduersaries in translating those words of our sauiour Tu es Petrus super banc Petram for although they censure and controle all the translations that the Catholyke Church vseth and professe to translate the scriptures immediatly out of the hebrew yet in translating this place they follow the latin because the hebrew is far more cleare against them in this controuersy for the better vnderstanding whereof it is to be considered that all the ambiguity dout therin ryseth of the difference that may be noted in the greeke Latin and English translations not only of them all from the Siriac or Hebrew but also of one from another for that euery translator obseruing the dialect or propriety of his owne tongue hath some variety from the rest and the English most of all for although in the greeke Latin all other languages deriued of them the name of Peter and a rock or stone is eyther all one as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greeke or els haue great affinity and a manifest allusion the one to the other as in Latin Petrus and Petra in Italian Pietro Pietra in the Spanish Pedro and Piedra in the portugues Pedro Pedra and in the french Pierre for both though ther be difference in the gender yet in our English tongue Peter neither signifieth a rock nor a stone neyther yet hath any alusion nor affinity therwith in which respect our English translation much lesse expresseth the force and true sence of our sauiours words in the hebrew then eyther the greeke or the Latin of both which I will treate a litle for the better explication of this question and first of the greeke Albeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greek is more commonly vsed for a rock then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the masculine gender hath also the same signification yt seemed more fit to be applyed to the name of a man then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whervpon yt followed that when not only saynt Peter was commonly cauled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the greekes to expresse therby in their language the Syriac woord Cephas but also many others had takeÌ„ vnto them that name for the honour they bore to S. Peter the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came to haue two significations the one a rock or stone and the other the name of a man which wee cal Peter and therfore he that translated S. Mathewes gospel into the greeke out of the Siriac or hebrew vsed both the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in translating thow art a rock and vpon this rok I wil buyld my Church for in the first place he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to denote in the first as wel the trew significatioÌ„ of Cephas that is to say a rock as also the name by the which S. Peter was best knowen to the greekes and to expresse in the later the allegory of a rock according to the very words of our sauiour lest perhaps otherwyse the readers attending more to the name thâ—n to the signification therof should not perceiue the force of our sauiours allegory who to signify the strength and stabilitie of his Churche gaue the name of a rock to saynt Peter vpon whome he meant to buyld the same and therfore I say the greeke translator elegantly vseth both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explicating the first by the later and expressing the allegory in both And as for the Latin translation it is manifest that it followeth the greek and not the hebrew nor Siriac and that therfore for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath Petrus partly for the allusion that Petrus hath both to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greeke also to Petra in Latin both which signify a rock and partly for that from the tyme that saynt Peter was knowne by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Romans Petrus which is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by turning os into vs to make it a Latin word was no lesse vsed for his name and other mens amoÌ„gst them then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the greekes And although now in common vse Petrus doth signify nothing els but Peter in which respect it may seeme that the Latyn translator rather expresseth the bare name of a maÌ„ then the true sence or signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Cephas neuerthelesse the circumstances being considered yt is euident that Petrus or Peter in the scripture doth not only signify the name of a man but also a rock To which purpose there is to be noted a great difference in Petrus when it is spoken of the Apostle S. Peter when it is spoken of any other man as for example Cook is a name now common to many of good cauling though perhaps at first it grew to be a name from some one that by reason of his office was commonly cauled Cook and therfore though now in such as haue no such office yt signifieth nothing but a bare name yet in him that was first cauled so it signified rather his office then his name and in lyke maÌ„ner though Petrus now haue no other signification but the proper name of a man as Thomas or Iohn and the lyke yet in S. Peter the Apostle who was the first that was cauled so it signified the office and quality which Christ gaue him when he made him a rock to buyld his Church vpon
reuenge thereof and S. Chrysostome complayneth greeuously of the indignity donne to the Emperour therin The lyke was iudged in England of the violeÌ„ce doÌ„ne by Hacket to the Queenes picture which was iustly held for a disloyal act agaynst her Magestyes person And who knoweth not that he which standeth bare headed in the presence chaÌ„ber before the Queenes chayre and cloth of state doth honour the Queene therein Also it was the custome in tymes past to adore the images of the Roman Emperours which the Christians refused not to do in which respect Iulian the Apostata thinking either to draw them to adore his fals Gods or els to haue some pretence to punish them for contempt of his person placed his owne image amongst the images of false Gods as I haue noted in my Apology vpon an other occasion whervpon S. Gregory Nazianzen sayth that the simple Christians who did not fal into account of the deceat were to be excused of ignorance for that they thought they adored no more but the Emperours image if therfore it be lawful to adore the image of an Emperour or earthly king for that he is the image of almighty God I meane if it bee lawful to adore the image of Gods image how much more is it lawful to do reuerence to the image of God him selfe I meane of Christ God and man And sure I am that many in England which wil not haue nor reuerence the image of our sauiour for feare of committing idolatry wil make no bones at all to keep some picture or remembrance of their Maistres to kisse it and to vse other tokens of affection and respect towards it to shew therby their good wil to her And how many are there in England that condemne catholykes for keeping images and pictures to moue them to deuotion and yet make no scruple to keep lasciuious pictures to prouoke themselues to lust wherby they might see by their owne experience if they were not wilfully blynd what is the effect of good and deuout pictures in wel disposed mynds and what it would bee in themselues if they were as spiritual and feruerous in the loue of God as they are carnal and fyry in sensual appetyt for who douteth that deuout representatioÌ„s do as easely moue pious and godly minds to holy cogitations and affections as lasciuious obiects do kindle carnal mynds to concupiscence and lust and therfore S. Gregory Nissen sayth that he neuer beheld the picture of Abraham sacrifising his sonne Isaac but hee was moued to teares and yet it is likely that he had often read the story therof without any such effect as Basilius byshop of Ancyra noted very wel in the 7. general councel of Nice when the same was aleaged there out of S. Gregory aboue 800. yeres agoe wherevpoÌ„ Theodorus byshop of Catane also inferred in the same councel that much more may the story of our sauiours passion represented by picture woorke the lyke effect in deuout persons that behold the same Wherof I think good to declare here a manifest example of my owne knowledge It chaÌ„ced in the house of a Catholyke where I was that a young mayd of 15. or 16. yeres of age who had ben alwayes brought vp amongsts protestaÌ„tes comming thether and seeing a picture of Christ crusified demaunded whose picture it was and being told that it was the picture of our sauiour Christ wherby she might see what he suffred for vs she was moued with such compassion that after she had stedfastly beheld it a whyle she burst out first into sighes after into teares saying that shee had often heard of it but neuer seene it before adding further our Lord helpe vs if he suffred all this for vs. Wherby it may appeare how true is that which saynt Gregory the greate sayth of Images to wit that they are the bookes of the ignorant who are many tymes more moued with pictures then with preaching and vnderstand that which is taught theÌ„ much better when it is by Images or pictures represented to their eyes for as the Poet sayth Segnius irritant animos immissa per auros Quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus That is to say those things that are conceaued by hearing do lesse moue the mynds of men then such thinges as are committed to the sight This the deuil knoweth so wel as to hinder the same all other good effects of holy Images and deuour pictures yea and to exterminat as much as in him lyeth all external monuments and memories of the lyfe and passion of our sauiour and his saynts and so by degrees to root out all Christian religion he hath stirred vp in all ages his instruments and seruants to make warre against holy Images vnder colour of zeale to Gods honour and glory To this purpose it may be noted that the first and cheef impugners of the lawful vse of Images for some hundreth yeares togeather were eyther Iewes or magicians or manifest heretikes or otherwyse know in for most wicked men The first wherof was a perâ—â—◠〈…〉 about 500. yeres after Christ whome 〈…〉 cauleth the seruant of Satan saying that he made himselfe a Bishop before he was baptised and that he was the first that taught that the Image of Christ and of his saynts ought not to be woorshiped and almost 200. yeres after in the yere of our Lord 676. the Iewes impugned the vse of Images in their Talmud and about the yere of our Lord 700. a Iew persuaded a Mahometan King in Arabia to burne all the Images in the Churches of the Christians and shortly after Leo Isaurus the Emperour did the lyke by persuasion of a Iew whose example his sonne Leo Copronimus followed being a magician and a nestorian heretyk and about the yere 800. Leo Armenius the Emperour and his successors Michael Balbus and Theophilus all three most wicked men the last addicted both to iudaisme and necromancy made a new warre against Images which the wyclefists also did 500. yeares after and now of late the Lutherans and Caluinists whereas all those that defended the vse of Images against Leo and those other Emperours were most holy and learned men as Gregorius and Hadrianus Bishops of Rome in those dayes and Germanus and Tharasius Bishops of Constantinople S. Iohn Damascen Methodius Leontius Ionas Aurelianensis Paulus Diaconus and diuers others all of them men of singuler learning and vertue by the testimony of all autors both Greeks Latins THE COMMANDEMENT OF God touching images explicated and the practise of the Churche declared CHAP. XII BVT our aduersaries obiect against vs the commaÌ„dement of God to wit thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor any similitude of any thing c. wherto I answere yf they take the bare letter without the true sence and circumstances no man may make any Image whatsoeuer nor so much as any lyknesse of any thing
it is also to be noted that the most ancient and learned fathers do teach that the sacrifices of the old lawe as wel bloody as vnbloody were figures of this sacrifice the which they affirme not only of the bread of proposition and the flowre which was offreâ— for them that were cleansed from leprosy but also of the sacrifice of the Paschal lambe and saynt Augustin teacheth expressely that all the sacrifices of the old law were no lesse figures of this sacrifice of the Churche then of the sacrifice of of the crosse â—aying that singulare sacriflâ—sum c. the singuler or most excolleÌ„t sacrifice which spiritual Israel that is to say the Churche doth offer euery where according to the order of Melchisedech was signified by the shadowes of sacrifices wherein the people of the Iewes did serue and agayne in the same place he sayth that omnia genera priorant sacrificiorum all kinds of former sacrifices were shadowes of the sacrifice of the Churche Whereof the reason may be gathered out of him selfe to wit because this sacrifice of the Churche is the selfe same that was offred vpon the crosse that is to say our sauiour him selfe whome all the sacrifices of the old law did properly prefigure the which reason S. August seemeth himself to yeild saying that our sauiour sent those whome he healed of their leprosy to the Priests of the old law to offer sacrifice because the sacrifice which was to be celebrated in the Churche in steede of all the sacrifices of the old law was not then instituted and geuing as it were a further reason therof he sayth qiâ—a illis-omnibus ipse praenunsciabatur because he him selfe was fore shewed or signified by them all as though he should say that for as much as our sauiour who was prefigured by all the sacrifices of the old law was to bee offred in the sacrifice of the Churche or new law therfore the sayd sacrifice of the Churche was also prefigured by all those former sacrifices to be offred in steede of them which other where he teacheth expressely in these woords the table sayth he which the priest of the new testament that is to say our sauiour Christ doth exhibit is of his owne body and bloodâ— for that is the sacrifice which succeedeth all the sacrifices of the old law that were offred in shadow or figure of that which was to come and a litle after in steede of all those sacrifices his 〈◊〉 is offred and ministred to the commâ—â—nants thus farre saynt Augustin to whome I wil ad twoo or threâ— other of the most famous fathers of the churche S. Leo surnamed the great sayth now that the varietyes of carnal fleshly sacrifices dâ— ceasse thy body aud blood o Lord doth supply for all the differences of hosts and sacrifices in the old law And S. Chrisostome hauing mentioned particulerly the many and diuers sacrifices of the old law addeth all which the grace of the new testament doth comprehend in one sacrifice ordeyning one the same a true host in which woords saynt Chrisostome meaneth the sacrifice of the Eucharist which he cauleth a litle before the mistical table a pure and vnbloody host a heauenly most reuerend sacrifice which also he confirmeth other where saying that Christ did change the sacrifices of the old law and in steede therof commanded himselfe to be offred in the eucharist Lastly S. Cyprian speaking of the flesh of our sauiour left to his Churche for a sacrifice sayth that it was so to be prepared that it might continually be offred least yf it were consumed as other flesh is that is bought in the market and eaten it could not suffice for all the christian world to serue them for an host or sacrifice of christian religion in so much that he affirmeth that yf it were consumed it semed ther could be no more religion signifying therby not only the necessary concurrence of religion and sacrifice whereof I haue spoken before but also that the sacrifice of the masse is the proper sacrifice of the new testament and that the eternity of the said testament dependeth vpon the eternity of this sacrifice which is the first point that as I vndertook to proue doth necessarily follow of the eternal priesthood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech The secoÌ„d poynt which I gather of Christs Priest-hood is that seeing he fulfilled the figures of all the bloody sacrifices offred by the Priests of the order of Aaron of which order he himselfe was not it were absurd to say that he fulfilled not the special proper sacrifice of Melchisedech of whose order he was The proper sacrifice of Melchisedech consisted in bread and wyne as it appeareth in genesis where it is sayd that when Melchisedech went to meete Abraham protulit or as saynt Cyprian also readeth it obtulit paneÌ„ vinum he brought forth or offred bread and wyne and to shew that reason therof it followeth immediatly â—rat cum saâ—erdot Dei altissimi for he was the Priest of the highest God wherby it is signified that bread and wyne were the proper obiects wherein he exercised his priestly function and the only matter of his sacrifice But for as much as the vnderstanding of this scripture is much controuersed betwyxt vs and our aduersaries who deny that Melchisedechs sacrifice consisted of bread and wyne which they say he brought forth only to releeue Abraham and his company and not to offer to God in sacrifice I remit me to the opinion or rather to the vniforme coÌ„sent of the most ancieÌ„t learned fathers of the Churche who do not only vnderstand this scripture as wee do but also teach that Christ fulfilled this figure of Malchisedechs sacrifice at his last super Clemens Alexandrinus doth signify that Melchisedech did with some particuler ceremonies consecrat or dedicat the bread and wyne whiche he gaue to Abraham for he sayth that he gaue him panem vinum sanctificatum nutrimentu in typum euchaâ—istis a sâ—â—ctified or consecrated meate in figurâ— of the eucharist S. Cyprian sayth we see the Sacrament or mistery of our Lords sacrifice praefigured in the priesthood of Melchisedech as the deâ—â—â—â— scripture testifieth saying Melchisedech King of Salem brought foorth bread and wyne for he was the Priest of the highest God and blessed Abraham a litle after he sayth that our sauiours order of Priesthood was deriued of Melchisedechs sacrifice for that our sauiour offred sacrifice to God his Father and offred the same that Melchisedech offred to wit bread and wyne that is to say his body and blood S. Augustin speaking of the oblation of Melchisedech when he went to meet Abraham There appeared first sayth he the sacrifice that now is offred to God by Christians throughout the world S. Hierome to Marcella sayth thou shalt fynd in genesis Melchisedeth King of Salem who euen then
is it not a communication of the blood of our Lord the bread which wee breake is it not a participation of our Lords body and after more playnly those things which the gentils do sacrifice they sacrifice to deuils and not to God I wold not haue yow to be partakers with deuils yow cannot drinke the cup of our Lord and the cup of deuils yow can not be partakers of the table of our Lord and the table of deuils c. Thus farre the Apostle who as yow see euidently compareth or rather opposeth cup to cup table to table Altar to Altar sacrifice to sacrifice and therfore saynt Ambrose vnderstandeth in this place the table of our Lord to be the Altar faying he which is partaker of the table of Deuils mensae Domini id est altari obstrepit doth oppose himselfe against the table of our Lord that is to say the Altar and saynt â—ilary expoundeth it to be mensam sacrifictorum the table of sacrifices Also S. Chrisostome vpon these woords Calix beuedictionis the cup of blessing and the rest that followeth in the text sayth in the person of Christ if thou desyre blood sayth be do not sprinkle the Altar of Idols with the blood of brute beasts but my altar with my blood S. Augustin in lyke sort interpreteth this place of the sacrifice of the Churche saying that S. Paul teacheth the Corinthians ad qoud sacrificuÌ„ debeant pertimere to what sacrifice they ought to belong and Haymo who wrote about 800. yeres agoe sayth that calix benedictionis the cup of blessing which S. Paule speaketh of is that cup which is blessed a sacerdoâ—ibus in Altars of priests in the Altar so that if wee consider the circumstances of S. Paules woords with the interpretation of these learned Fathers it can not be denyed but that he and the other Apostles in the ceremony of breaking bread did not only administer the Sacrament of the eucharist to the people as our aduersaries would haue it but also offer sacrifice Which may sufficiently be coÌ„firmed as wel by the liturgy or masse of S. Iames the Apostle yet extant agreeing with ours for as much as concerneth the substance of the sacrifice as also by a constitution of the Apostles mentioned by S. Clement saynt Peters disciple wherein they decreed that nothing should be offred super Altare vpon the Altar more then our Lord had commaunded and speaking furder in the same decree of the sunday he signifyeth that they exercysed that day 3. seueral acts of religion that is to say euangelij praedictionemâ— oblationem sacrificij sacricibs dispensationem the preaching of the gospel oblation of sacrifice and the distribution of the holy meate that is to say the holy eucharist wherby it is euident that the publyke ministery of the Apostles consisted not only in preaching and ministring the Sacrament of the eucharist but also in oblation of sacrifice here to I may ad the testimony of saynt Andrew the Apostle Who being vrged by Egeas the proconsul to sacrifice to the fals God answered that he sacrificed dayly and distributed to the people the flesh of the immaculat lambe as witnesseth the Epistle of the churches of Achaia declaring the story of his passion besyds that Epiphanius a most auncient Father of the Churche doth testify that all the Apostles did sacrifice who writing against the sect of heretykes called Colliridians and reprehending them woorthely for hauing certayne women priests that offred sacrifice to our lady which could not be offred to any but to God alone sayth it was neuer heard of since the world beganne that any woman did sacrifice neither our first mother Eua nor any of the holy women in the old Testament no nor the virgin Mary her selfe nor the 4. daughters of Philip the deacon though they were prophetesses and then hauing named Zacharias father to saynt Iohn for one that offred sacrifice in the old law he addeth that all the 12. Apostles whome he nameth particulerly did sacrifice whereof it were a sufficient argument though there were no other that those Fathers who partly liued with them and receiued of them the Christian fayth and partly succeeded them immediatly do signify not only the vse of the sacrifice in the Churche in theyr tyme but also their constant and most reuerend opinion thereof as it may appeare sufficiently by that which I haue already aleadged out of S. Clement S. Denis S. Martial S. Iustin and S. Ireneus all which do vniformely teach that Christ deliuered this sacrifice to his Apostles and the last of them to wit S. Ireneus scholer to S. Policarp who was scholer to S. Iohn the Euangelist sayth that the Churche receining it of the Apostels did offer it throughout the world in his tyme which as I haue sayd before was in the tyme of K. Lucius and therfore I shal not neede to enlarge my selfe furder in this matter to produce the testimonies of the later fathers partly because I haue already accomplished my principal intention in this treatyse which is to proue that king Lucius could receaue from the Churche of Rome no other but our Gatholyke Roman fayth as wel in this poynt of the sacrifice of the Masse as in all other which wee professe and partly because in handling and explicating the prophecies and figures of the old testament and the actions and woords of our Sauiour and of his Apostles concerning the institution vse and practyse of this sacrifice I haue already aleadged so many playne and euident testimonies of the fathers that it is needles to aleadge any more Seeing it is most manyfest therby that all those of the first 500. yeares both taught our doctrin in this poynt and vnderstood the scriptures concerning the same as wee doe and that they speake not of this sacrifice as our aduersaries wil needs vnderstand them as of an improper sacrifice but in such sort that they euidently shew their opinions of the propriety verity and excellent dignity therof and therfore in S. Denis scholer to S. Paule it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Budaeus translateth sacrificium sacrificiorum the sacrifice of sacrifices In S. Cyprian verum plenum sacrificium a tiue and ful sacrifice which he sayth the priest doth offer in the person of Christ to God the Father In S. Chrisostome sacrificium tremendum horror is plenum caleste summéque venerandum sacrificium a dreadful sacrifice ful of horror a heauenly most reuerend sacrifice In S. Augustin singulare summum verissimum sacrificium cui omnia falsa sacrificia cesserunt the singuler and the most highest and most true sacrifice wherto all the salse sacrifices of the gentils haue geuen place In Eusebius sacrificium Deo plenum a sacrifice ful of God In S. Iohn Damascen tremendum vitale sacrificium a dreadful sacrifice and geuing lyfe In Theodoretus sacrificationem agni deminies the sacrificing of the
offertur â—ome sayth saynt Ambros 〈◊〉 recipiens passionem offers se ipse quasi sacerdos he is offred as maâ— and as receiuing or 〈◊〉 his passionâ— and he offreth him-selfe as Priest in which respect he is both Priest and sacrifice as wel now on the altar as he was in his passion vpon the crosse though for our greater comfort he vseth also therein the interuention and ministery of Priests who being nothing els but his instruments and exercysing all one Priestly function vnder him their head do all pertayne to that one aeternal Priest-hood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech which as Lactantius sayth must of necessity be in the Churche Iesus Christ sayth he being a Priest did make for him-selfe a great aeternal temple that is to say the Churche in quo templo aeternum sacerdotium habeat necesse est sâ—cundum ordinem Melchisedech in which temple he must needs haue an aeternal Priest-hood according to the order of Melchisedech so that the vnity of Christs priest-hood is not impeached by the multitude of his ministers no more then the vnity of a Kings monarchy by the multitude of his inferiour officers by whome he gouerneth And as for the multitude of masses which our aduersaries carp at as reiected by S. Paule the Fathers of the Churche shal answer for vs S. Chrisostome expouÌ„ding this epistle of S. Paule answereth this very same obiection that our aduersaries make agaynst vs This sacrifice sayth he is an example of that sacrifice vpon the crosse for wee alwayes offer the very self same thing not now one lambe and another to morrow but the very same therefore this is one sacrifice for otherwyse because it is offred in many places there should be many Christs thus farre saynt Chrysostome The very same argument and reason and the very lyke woords vseth saynt Ambrose to proue the vnity of this sacrifice and concludeth non enim aliud sacrificium sicut pontifex veteris legis sed idipsum semper offerimus we offer not an other or different sacrifice as did the Bishop of the old law but wee alwayes offer the self same Also Primasius the diuinity sayth he of the sonne of God which is euery where doth cause that they be not many sacrifices but one though they be offred by many it causeth in lyke manner that it is that body which was conceaued in the virgins wombe and not many bodyes as also that it is but one sacrifice and not dyuers as were the sacrifices of the Iewes Thus sayth he We read the very same in substance in Theopilaâ—â—us Oâ—cumenius Sedulius Haymo and others that haue written vpon saynt Paules epistle to the Hebrewes of whome the meanest may in any indifferent mannes iudgement counteruayl all the sectaryes of this tyme who framing new fantasies of their owne braynes or reuiuing old heresyes are forced for the mayntenance therof to wring and wrest the holy scriptures from the meaning of the holy ghost to their priuat sence and to coÌ„demne the iudgement of all the ancieÌ„t â—athers of the Churche who liuing in such tymes as these matters were not in controuersy can not be suspected of parciality and much lesse of ignorance of the scriptures seing their learned commentaries and expositions thereof geue sufficient testimony of their continual trauails labours therin besydes that their most vertuous lyues led in continual prayer pance and religious discipline for the which the Christian world admireth and honoreth them as great seruants of God and saynts is a sufficient argumeÌ„t that God rather assisted them with his spirit in the vnderstaÌ„ding of the scripture then Martin Luther Zwinglius Beza Caluin and such other flagitious and wicked apostatats whose vicious and leud lyues whereof the world is yet a witnes do manifestly declare with what kynd of spirit they were possessed Therefore he that would leaue the general consent of al the ancient fathers to follow the phantastical or rather phrenetical opinions of these new fangled fellowes deserueth to be deceiued and can haue no excuse of wilful blyndnes eyther before God or the world But now to conclude this question concerning the sacrifice of the Masse I draw out of all the premisses 4. conclusions The first is that which at the first I vndertook to proue to wit that the oblation of the blessed body and blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which wee caul the Masse ys the proper sacrifice of the new testament prophesied by Malachias prefigured by the sacrifice of Melchisedech promised instituted and offred by our Sauiour practised by his Apostles and by the Churche euer since The second is that it is propitiatory not only for the liuing but also for the dead The third that the heretykes of this tyme that contradict abolish the same hold not the law of the new Testament instituted by Christ seing they haue not the proper priesthood and sacrifice therof without the which the sayd law and Testament cannot be S. Paule teaching such a necessary concurrence of the one with the other that he affirmeth that the priesthood being translated the law must also of necessity be translated as I haue shewed before therfore seeing they haue not this priesthood and sacrifice it followith they haue not the law and Testament of Christ which can not be without the same The fourth poynt that followeth of the premisses is that they are most pernicious enemies of humainkind seing they labour to depriue vs of the most souerain remedy that God of his infinit goodnes hath left vs for the reparation of our dayly wracks by sinne and for the consolation both of the quick and the dead for which cause the old Christians in the persecutions vnder Dioclesian being persecuted for hearing masse as wee are now as I haue shewed in the beginning of this treatise answered the tyrants that the masse was spes salus que Christiantum the hope and health or saluation of Christians and that therfore they could not forgo it the reason whereof I haue declared before to wit for that therby are aplyed vnto vs the fruits of our Sauiours passion which is not only represented but also dayly renewed in the sacrifice of the masse as witnesseth saynt Gregory so often sayth he as wee offer the host of his passion so often wee renew his passion and as saynt Cyprian sayth passio Domini est sacrificium quod offerimus the sacrifice which wee offer is the passion of our Lord Lastly Martialis the most ancient martir and Disciple of Christ sayth that which the Iewes did sacrifice vpon the Altar of the crosse wee do propose on the sanctified altar for our saluation knowing that by that only remedy lyfe is to be geuen vs and death to be eschewed thus far the blessed martyr This remedy I say the heretykes of these our dayes doe seek by their pestilent doctrin to take from vs yea and do in deed
man sayth he is iustified by woorkes and not by fayth only and saynt Iohn he which doth iustice is iust and in the Apocalipse he which is iust let him be iustifyed stil and of both these iustifications sayth the autor of the imperfect woorke vpon S. Mathew the first iustice is to know God the Father and Christ his sonne and the last iustice is to do good workes finally S. Augustin witnesseth that for as much as there were some that taught in the very tyme of the Apostles that fayth without woorkes might suffise to saluation which errour he sayth did grow of the corrupt il vnderstanding of saynt Paules Epistles S. Peter S. Iohn S. Iames and S. Iude did expressely direct their intentions in their Epistles to proue the necessity of good workes and iustification therby and thus much for the first poynt The second poynt that I wish to be noted is that where woorkes are at any tyme excluded in the scriptures Fathers or councels from iustification it is alwayes to be vnderstood eyther of woorkes done by the only force of nature before fayth or of woorkes of the law of Moyses proceeding only of the force of the law or of woorkes of the faythful not proceeding of Gods grace The third poynt is that all the reason of merit in maÌ„nes fayth or woorkes proceedeth of two grounds the one the grace of God which moueth enableth a man therto the other the promisse of almighty God to reward thesame in both which the merits of Christs passion are euer presuposed to be the first foundation of all the buylding with which presupposition our Sauiour sayth he which geues but a cup of cold water in my name shal not loose his reward and agayne to his Disciples your reward is copious in heauen speaking of the Iudgement at the later day he playnly ascribeth the reward of lyfe euerlasting to workes saying come yee blessed of my Father and possesse the Kingdome prepared for you for when I was hungry you gaue me to eate when I was naked you clothed me c. And therefore S. Iohn and S. Paule say God wil render vnto euery one according to his workes to this purpose also the Prophet Dauid sayth I enclyned my hart o Lord to do thy iustifications for reward and S. Paule I haue sayth he fought a good fyght I haue kept my fayth I haue consummated or ended my course now there is layed vp for me the croune of iustice which our Lord the iust Iudge wil render me in that day vpon these words of S. Paule OEcumenius sayth consider that he craues it as due when he sayth reddet mihi non dabit he wil render it vnto me and not he wil giue it me which he also signifieth in that he cauleth him the iust iudge Theophilactus also sayth the same vpon the same words and concludeth thus the croune is a debt by reason of the iustice of the iudge S. Augustin aleadging the same place of S. Paule in his book of grace and free wil sayth he now rehearseth meritae sua bona his good deserts or merits that he which after his il deserts got grace may after his good merits get the croune c. but let vs heare concerning this matter of merit some two or 3. about king Lucius tyme S. Ignatius disciple to saynt Iohn the Euangelist sayth in his epistle to the Romans being condemned to be deuowred of wild beasts suffer me to be the soul or was of beasts that I may promerori Deum gayn or as a man may say earne almighty God Tertullian sayth how at their many mansions in the Fathers house but according to the variety of mens merits and Clemens Alexandrinus there are sayth he many mansions according to the worthinesse and merits of those which beleeue and origen teacheth that God doth not giue according to nature but according to merits S. Cyprian sayth that a penitent man promereâ—ur Dominum obsequijs suis operibus iustis doth deserue or as I sayd before earne our Lord with his obedience and iust woorkes and in his book of the vnity of the Churche speaking of them that hauing donne great miracles in the name of Christ shal be reiected of him at the day of Iudgment he sayth iustice or righteousnes is needful vt promerere quis possit Deum iudicem that a man may gayne God the iudge which in the words next folowing he expoundeth saying preceptis eius monitis obtemperandum est vt merita nostra accipiant mercedem wee must obey his precepts and admonitions that our merits may receiue reward there to I wil ad S. Augustin explicating notably this questioÌ„ according to our Catholyk fayth euer taught in the Churche of God when grace sayth he is geuen then begin also our good merits by the meanes of that grace for yf grace be taken away man doth presently fal head-long by his owne free wil therfore when a man beginneth to haue good merits he ought not to atribute them vnto himselfe but to God to whome it is sayd in the Psalme o Lord be my healper and do not forsake me c. Thus farre S. Augustin but to auoyd the multitude of allegations which might be infinit to this purpose I wil conclude with the secoÌ„d councel of Aurange celebrated 1200. yeres agoe reward sayth the councel is due to good workes yf they bee donne but grace which is not due or giuen by desert doth goe before that they may be donne Thus thow seest good reader the doctrin of Catholykes concerning merit or good woorkes conforme to the scriptures and fathers and no way preiuditial to the dignity honour of our Sauiours passion but most honorable to the same seing wee teach that all good merits receiue their vigour and force from the merits therof he hauing therby obtayned for vs of his father not only remission of sinne but also grace to doe works acceptable to him and meritorious of eternal saluation which woorkes though they be ours in respect of the concurrence of our free wil yet for as much as they be his gifts in that they proceede of his grace they deserue the reward that he hath promised for the same therfore respecting any woorks of man whatsoeuer as of them-selues wee say with saynt Paule that the passions or suffrings of this lyfe are not worthy of the future glory that shal be reueyled in vs but considering the same as the gyfts of God and ennobled with his grace wee say also with him that the short and light tribulation which wee suffer here doth woorke an eternal weyghâ— of glory in vs. Therfore I wil end with S. Augustin saying that when God doth croune our merits he doth croune his owne gyfts seing then this is the vniforme doctrin of all Catholykes wherin do we derogate any thing from the
held but for a cold and weake Catholyk and the later suspected to be a protestant as in deede he was then newly come from England without any recommendation or testimony of his affection to Catholyke religion or of his good behauiour could winne so much credit so quickly amongst such principal Catholykes as to be admitted to their councels yf they had held any and to bee made partakers of so high a secret especially seing that the Catholykes on this syde the sea are not ignorant that spyes are dayly sent from England to discouer what passeth amongst them in which respect they are so farre from trusting in weighty affayres those they know not as they hold suspected those of their owne religioÌ„ that come from thence and bring not sufficient recommendation what shew otherwyse soeuer they make of zeale to the Catholyke sayth Is it then credible that so many graue personages Doctors Priests and gentlemen all of them wyse and men of experience would recommend such a matter as the killing of her Ma tie to men vnknowen vnto them suspected yea and mercenary seing as the pamphlet sayth they ment to do yt for hyre did they not know seing all the world knoweth yt that no man can attempt such a maâ—er without loosing his owne lyfe or putting the same in euident daunger whether hee hit or misse whereof the late examples aswel of those that killed the Prince of Orange and the last King of France as of those that haue fayled to kil him that now raygneth do geeue sufficient testimony in which respect neither those two that were supposed to vndertake this act for recoÌ„pence could haue any probable hope euer to enioy the reward promised neyther those Priests and gentlemen could persuade themselues with any reason that these or any others that should promise to doe the same for any such consideration of reward would euer execute it Furdermore is yt probable that those two which should doe the fear would consent that a matter so daungerous for them should be communicated to so many or that the principal of the sayd supposed councelers being men of greate consideration dayly practised in affayres would condiscend to treate such a matter in a councel of men so different in quality and humours as it is wel knowne they were that the pamphlet nameth seing some of them for causes not vnknowne I am sure to the pamphleter did fears communicate togeather in matters of common conuersation and much les in matters of such importance yea and that some others of them were held suspected of 〈◊〉 of that company to haue secret intelliligence with some councellours in EnglaÌ„d for the which they were afterwards cauled in question and therefore it were an absurd thing to think that so many so diuersly disposed and affected and some of them suspected of the rest should treat togeather a matter of so great secresie weight and daunger as the killing of her Mayesty besyds that it is euident and vpon my knowledge I affirme it that of those which were named to be of this immaginary councel at Brussels some did resyde ordinarily in Antwerp some at S. Omers and some at Mastrich yea and were in the sayd places of their ordinary residence at the same tyme that the pamphleter sayth they held these couÌ„cels at Brussels which being knowne in Flanders to be most true did serue notably for the detection of this slauÌ„derous fiction among the wyser sorâ— of those of that country which did read the pamphlet in french or duitch who wondred no lesse at the autors impudency in this behalf then they laughed also hartely at his folly when they noted the ridiculous iest of fâ— Holts carying the blessed Sacrament to the supposed councel his kissing it swearing vpon it when he did minister it to Williams and Yorke which are things so farre from the custome and vse of the Catholyke Churche as euery child on this syde the sea knoweth it to be an impudent and grosse lye And where as the pamphleter relyeth wholy vpon their confessions for the iustification of their condemnation yt is most certayne that howsoeuer they might be forced by torment secretly to confesse those particulers or otherwyse falsly to accuse themselues as Squyre was yet Williams at his death vtterly denyed the same and as for York yt was euident ynough that he dyed distracted of his sences and was not in case to deny or confesse any thing at that tyme as all those that were present at their deaths maye wel remember And as for Patrick Cullen of whome I wil speak a woord or two yt is manifest that he neuer confessed eyther publikly or priuatly that he was any way employed against her Ma tie person which at his death M. Toplif acknowledged sufficiently when he sayd vnto him yt is now no more tyme Cullen to disguise the matter seing thou must dy and therefore confesse thy treason and aske her Ma tie forgiuenes whereto he answered that he called God to witnes that he was neuer employed against her Ma tie noâ— came into England which any such intention and yet the pamphleter affirmeth that he was also condemned vpon his owne confession though he lay downe no particularities nor circumstances therof in which respect it needeth no furder answere and therefore to conclude yt resteth only that I here protest as I do before God that I beâ—ng at Brussels at the same tyme that these men were executed and the pamphlet published some of the principal of those gentlemen that were slandered with these matters did sweare vnto me and take it most deepely vpon the charge of their soules that they neuer had any acquaintance or conference with Williams and York in their liues nor euer knew them otherwyse then by sight that there was neuer held amongst them any such councels or assemblies nor any of those 3. anie way employed against her Ma ties person for ought they knew which as I take my selfe in conscience bound to beleeue knowing the greate integrity and vertue of the parties as I do so I haue thought good vpon this occasion to testify it vnto your Lordships and to all others that shal read this Apology for your more aboundant satisfaction in this behalf OF THE ENDS THAT OVR Aduersaryes haue or may haue in slaundering Catholykes with such treasonable attemptes first of the end that they haue common with all persecutors of Gods Churche and how much they faile of their purpose therin CHAP. XVI IT appeareth my Lords by these examples that the slaundering of Catholykes with treasonable attempts in our coutry is no new practise but an old for many yeares and so oft reiterate that it is now growne to be stale and a common custome or rather held for a special and necessarie point of state but with what benefit to the state it shal be discussed after when I shal haue brieflie declared the ends that the Autors of these calumniations haue or
peace these later yeres Impossibilites of conquest Her maiesties propensioÌ„ to peace and to geue toleration to Catholyks The heretyks measure Catholyks by themselues The charity of Catholyks tovvards their enemies The Catholyks desyre restitution of religioÌ„ by svveet meaâ—es The erection of Seminaryes tendeth not to force of armes The svvoord needles vvhere the vvoord preuayleth Heresy dayly decaying The vvyse gouernours can not but note Gods handivvork in the progresse of Catholyk religioÌ„ in England VVhat conquest the Catholyks desyre in England Neyther F. Pars. at Rome nor any Englishman in Spayn made priuy thereto The prudent manner of proceeding of the councel of Spayn The circumspection of the Yrish VVitnes maye be takeÌ„ of Hugh Buy agent of late for Odonel in Spayn and novv in her maiestyes seruice Not lykly that Syr VVilliam Stanley could approue the plot that vvas executed The ridiculous folly of a lybeller in obiecting to sir VVilliam Stanley his deliuering of Deuenter to the true ovvner Syr VVilliaÌ„s generosity sincerity in tendring Dauenter The hatred of heretyks is a notable testimony of F. Parsons his great vertue The greatest saynts of God alvvayes calumniated As the church vvas planted so it must be restored Ioan. 7 10. Luc. 2â— Act. 6. 14. 17. 21. 24. 23. Gods seruaÌ„ts so cunningly calumniated by euil men that good men sometymes held them suspected S. Athanasius extremly caâ—lumniated Baron anno 336. 339. 335. Theodoret. lib. 1. cap. 30â— Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 21. Epiph. haer 68. Athan. Apoâ—log ad Constant Baron anno 363. 371. S. Basil. Basil. Ep. 7â— epist. 79. Basil. ad Eustachium epist. S. Hierome Baron To. anno 39â— â—roâ—â—anno â— Hieron epist. ad Demetria The good vvoorks of good men remayn honorable vvhyles their persecutours perish vvith ignoâ—iny S. Chrisostome so calumniated that he vvas tvvys banished by Catholyk Bishops Baron annâ— 427. Baron anno 369. * Greg. Nazian oratione ad 150. Episc. in vita sua Idem an 387 Aug. contra IulianuÌ„ lib. 6 cap. 12. Baron anno 426. Item epist. â— editio nouae Ciril epist. 7â— 14. Baron anno 429. S. Ciril slandered by meÌ„ sent abrode of purpose to defame him Spyes sent abroad to defame F. Parsons Spyes discouered in the seminaries of Spayne Baron â—od an Ciryl epist. 8. S. Cirils ansvver to Nestorius applyed to F. Pars. Parsons repayeth the malice of his enemies vvith charity Hiero. epist. â—7 Miserable to do iniury but not to suffer it Of F. Pars. his great profitable labours in gods Church His notable books Soules gayned to God by him in England 4. Notable Seminaries erected and 2. residences for priests 2000 Crovvnes rent procured for the seminary of Dovvay The tumults of the English in Rome pacified His vvyse examplar gouernment of the English colledge at Rome All our Seminaries eyther erected or releeued or exceedingly benefyted by him His lyfe so religious that his greatest enemies can iustly repreheÌ„d nothing therein F. Parsons charged for lack of better matter vvith the actions of his very enemyes His good vvoorks calumniated il interpreted as our Sauiours vvere Gods manifest coÌ„curreÌ„ce vvith his labours in the progres of Cathol religioÌ„ Three conâ—lusions â—ravvn of â—he premisses God hath â—aysed F. Parsons for a special instrument to repayre his Church in England Exod. 31. â—5 3â— It is not possible but that F. pars being employed by almighty God shal be impugned by the deuil and all his instruments His Apostolical labours shal be the more glorious to all posterity for the great coÌ„tradiction he receaueth of Gods enemies The autor proceedeth to the discouery of the impudency of O. E affiâ—â—â—ing that none are puâ— to death in Engl. for religion M. Iohn Righby exeâ—cuted in the yere 1600. M. Palaser M. Talbot M. Ihon Norton Mrs. Lyne M. Ihon Pibush M. Mark Barkvvorth M. Robert Nutter M. Edvvard Thvving M. Thurstan Hunt M. MiddletoÌ„ M. Harrison â— a lay man Catholyke Priests traytors novv in to other â—ort then vvere the Christian Priests in the primatiue Church Beda histor Eccles. lib. 1. S. Alban our first martyr charged vvith receauing a trayterous Priest S. Alban martyred about the yere of our Lord. 300. An example for Catholyks Matth 10. Christians martyred in the primatiue Church by paynims for the same points of religion that Catholyke are persecuted novv Baron To. 2. anno 303. Surius 11. Februa The sacrifice of the Masse forbidden vpon payne of death by Dioclesian Concil Roman sub Siluestro 1. Con. Carth. â— can 3. Leo Mag. Epist 81 Aug. ser. 9â— de tempore Ambros. li. 5. epist. 33. Liturg. Dionys Basil. Chrisost. Tertul lib. 3. ad vxorem li. de Castira li. de oratione Cypria 63. Ibidem Christians martyred vnder Diocletian for heating masse The ansvvere of the martyrs concerning the necessity of masse To heare masse in England is treason by consequence A coÌ„parison of the proceedings of the old persecutours vvith those of this tyme in Engl. The ansvver of the old martyrs conform to ours novv Act. cap. 5. The old martyrs vvere condemned for disobedience to the temporal lavves as Catholyks are novv Treason pretended but religion condemned as vvel in the old martyrs as in ours novv Notable iniustice donne to M Hunt and M. Sprat condemned at Lincolne anno 1600. Iudge Glanâ—duile punished exemâ—plarly by alâ—mighty God â—â—lâ—en the â—inister Beda hist. Angl. li. 1. c 23. Lib. 1. ca. 26. Ibid. ca. 29. â—p 29. â—p 33. â—â—b 2. cap. 3. â—id 2 cap â— â—ib 2. cap. 7. 1â— â—l 3 ca. 29. Lib. 4. cap. 1. Lib. 5. ca. â—0 Lib. cap. 5. Lib. 5. cap. 7. Ibibem Lib. 5. cap. 20 Polid. lib. 4. hist. Angl. Polid. lib. 6. Ibidem Polid. lib 7. Alâ—ed invita S. Eduuardi Gulielmus NeubriceÌ„ li. â— ca. 25. 34. Petrus blesensis epist. 44. â—olid vergil lib. â—5 Polid. lib. 27. Lib. 3. ca. 2. quest 10. 11. 12. 13. Lib. 3. cap. â— Lib. 4. ca. 10. Lib. 5. ca. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. lib 3. cap. 15. Polid. lib. 2. Platina in Eleuther Beda hist. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 4. Lib. 1. hist. eccles ca. 17 Athan. Apoâ— log 2. contra arrianos Hilari epist. ad Epistolos c. Ibid. cap. 21 Cap. 7 â— Beda Eccl. hist. lib. 1. cap. 17. Ibid. ca. Lib. 1. ca. Gildas in â— stigatio in eccles ordinem Ibidem Ibidem Ibidem Ibidem Ibidem Polido verg hist. Angl. lib. 3. Gildas de excidio Britaniae Beda hist. Angl. lib. cap. 2. Lib. 2 cap. 2. Ibidem Tertul. li. aduersus Iudeos Origen in Ezech. hom 4. in hom 6. in luâ— Athanas. 2. Apolo Hilar. sinodi soft hâ— in Maâ— Hieroâ— marcel migret Bethleâ— â—lido lib. 1. Angl. â—an 21. â—eda hist. â—ngl â— â— ca. 4. â—ector Boeâ—ius hist. coâ— lib. 6. â—reneus lib. 3. â—ap 3. Tertul. lib prescrip Ang. cont epist. Man chaei quaâ— vocat Funmenti Aug. in P mo contra parteÌ„ Doâ— Optams â—