for the rest this Treatise is not for the learned sort of whom we are willing to receiue both councell and correction wheresoeuer it shall so fall out It is but for to solace those which desire to learne and haue not the meanes to read diuers authors especially the Greeke and Latin Those also that search discourses garnished and painted out with all sorts of flowers and coulers shall not bee here satisfied This subiect cannot permit any rhetoricall sentences and the fashion of the Treatise is farre wide from it here is but a Collection of diuerse passages Coppies and sentences of authors word by word with briefe and simple Annotations The breuity is to the end that the simplicity should not be enuious and the simplicity is because that it is conuenient both to the matter and argument In like manner because that which is most plainely spoken should haue lest suspicion and be more intelligible I doe not doubt that this breuity will giue any aduantage to the contentious But I shall haue better meanes hereafter to satisfie them God willing Let it then suffice thee for this present Catholicke Reader to haue here a beginning of the knowledge of this subiect a knowledge which will increase in thee through the loue of the truth The ancient Bishop Meliton as Eusebius writeth did visite the Churches of the East for to learne what were the Canonicall Bookes and true writings of the Apostles If thou doest read this abridgment thou shalt imitate without any paine the holy curiositie of this good man A TREATISE OF THE TRADITION AND BELIEFE of the Christians of Asia Europa and Affrica in the principall Controuersies of our time QVESTION I. Whether Saint Peter had authority ouer the other Apopostles or onely the Presidencie and whether his successors haue the same authority THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica The Apostles being in Hierusalem St. Peter tooke not vppon himselfe the Primacy neither said he is it lawfull for me to make a Canon vpon the same But the Apostles and the Priests assembled themselues together for to consult thereupon and Saint Peter reiected them not but he began to speake and after him Saint Iames spake and they all did condescend to the opinion of Saint Iames that is to say Saint Peter himselfe and the rest of the Apostles and Priests Barlaam Monachus Graecus I acknowledge that St. Peter was an Vniuersall Pastor and Teacher but hee was not alone but also euery one of the other Apostles was in honour equall with him It is true that our Sauiour promised the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen to Saint Peter the which he declareth to bee no other thing then the power to binde and vnbinde But it is manifest that he gaue the same power to the other Apostles saying Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall bee bound in Heauen Wee doe conclude then that all the Apostles had equall and like honour in that which was belonging to the Church but Saint Peter was preferred in this holy dozen and for that the others were present he propounded the question and peraduenture receiued the honour to be set in the first ranke Maior Anacletus saith that the Apostles receiued with Saint Peter an equall Communitie of honour and authoritie but they would that hee should bee their Prince And this saying of Anacletus is confirmed by this signe to wit that the Grecians doe follow the contradictorie of our conclusion that is to say of the beliefe of the Church of Rome and none ought to say that soe great a people are in errour a people I say that haue receiued the faith before the Romanes and the most part at the very first foundation or planting of the Church Sacranus The Muscouites deny that Saint Peter was a true Pope or a true Bishop of the sea of Rome or that hee was the onely head of the Militant Church And they say that he receiued not of Iesus Christ full authority The same they beleeue of the Bishop of Rome the which they maintaine to bee like other Bishops THE SOVTH-CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn sent to me to aske wherfore we haue diuided the Churches of Antioche and Rome seeing we professe to be Christians seeing that the Church of Antioche was in a manner the chiefest vntill the Councell of Pope Leo whom three hundred and eighteene Bishoppes assisted I answered as I had said once before to his greatnesse that indeed Antioche was heretofore the head of the Church which Saint Peter gouerned and dwelt in it fiue yeares and in Rome fiue and twenty yeares After that hee inquired whether we doe obay all that which the Pope commaunded vs I answered him that we doe and that we were obliged therunto by the Article of our holy faith which confesseth one holy Catholicke Church Whereupon hee replied that if the Pope would vsurpe so great prerogatiue as to vse towards them an vnlawfull commaundement they would not make any reckoning of it And if by such meanes their Abuna would presume so farre they would burne the Coppie of such commaundement Annot. By this discourse it is seene that the Aethiopian Church doth hold that the Primate of the Church may erre and commaund vnlawfull things although he doe it in the qualitie of a Primate for hee commandeth not by any other authority and that the Iudgement of the Church is good and valuable without the aduise and consent of the Primate THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE WEST THe Confession of England Christ is alwaies present in his Church and hath no neede of any Lieuetenant that should succeede him totally in the Church neither can any one mortall man embrace in his vnderstanding the Catholicke Church that is to say all the partes of the world much lesse to establish a good order and to administer and gouerne it well and duely The Apostles as Saint Cyprian sayth were all of an equall authoritie And the rest of them had the same authority as Saint Peter had It was spoken to them equally Feed goe through the Vniuersall world Preach the Gospell And as Saint Ierome saith All Bishops in-what place soeuer they be either in Rome or in Eugubio or in Constantinople or in Rhegium are of one selfe same merite or calling and of one selfe same Priesthood THE ROMAN OR LATIN CHVRCH POpe Leo. The Lord would that this holy charge should belong in such sort to all the Apostles that he hath appointed and ordained it in the person of Peter as soueraigne amongst the other Apostles Pope Stephan Forasmuch as the Romaine Church ouer the which wee doe sit and gouerne hath beene proposed for a mirror and example all that whatsoeuer she doth ordaine and command ought to be for euer inuiolably obserued Card. Bellarmine The Soueraigne Bishop is absolutely aboue the Councels and cannot subiect himselfe to their Coactiue sentence Besides this point is the most important of all Religion and to holde
that hee erred in the faith the words of the Lord are not in vaine That the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against the Church The piety and integrity of Religion may be firmely preserued in other Bishops It is then manifest that it is not peculiar to the Roman Church to bee founded vpon this stone for that should be hard and grieuous and not far differing from the Iewes basenesse to inclose the Church within Rome Well then Christ hath built his Church but he builded it vpon the faith and doctrine of Peter and vpon those that shal be keepers and obseruers of such a confession And if Saint Agathon affirmed that his Church to wit that of Rome neuer erred from the truth it is no wonder for it is because that indeed very seldome she falleth from the faith Otherwise how should a man interpret this place of Scripture All are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Moreouer when he saith that the Church of Rome is not stayed from the way of truth he speaketh of the time past and doth not include the time to come and that which is to bee noted Agathon spake that before the sixt Synode Theuet The Patriarch of Ierusalem as I haue seene did excommunicate out of the body of their Church the which they hold from al antiquity aswel the pope of Rome as also all Christian Princes to wit those of the Roman Church because that they are seperated from the Greeke Church the which receiued the Gospell before the Latine Church Villamont The Syrians doe boast themselues to be the first Christians of the world because that Saint Peter had his seate seauen yeares in Antioch before that euer he went to Rome which is the reason that the Syrians would neuer submit themselues to the Church of Rome Theuet The Christians of Traprobane and the Ilands neare thereunto doe not acknowledge nor their fathers did neuer acknowledge the popes Cardinalles or prelates of Rome Also the Nestorians and other Indians doe call the Pope a Bishop vnapproued Sacranus The Ruthenians and Moscouites doe say that the Pope is an Hereticke and doe excommunicate him and his Clergy at such times as they do celebrate the Lords supper THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn calling to remembrance that I had said that the Church had drawn these things that is to say the ceremonies of the Masse out of the passion he demaunded of me what was this Church and wherefore haue we two chiefe heads in Christendome the one at Constantinople in Greece and the other at Rome in Italy vnto whom I made answere that we acknowledged no more then one Head of the Church and although Constantinople was the chiefe in the beginning yet the same now was abolished for that the head of the Church ought to be where Saint Peter dwelleth because that Iesus Christ tolde him Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. And then when Saint Peter was in Antioch the Church was there by reason that the chiefe head was then there resident the which being now come to Rome there was the Ecclesiasticall Iudge established and so firmely placed that it remaineth there vntil this present Moreouer he told me then that I yeelded sufficient reason for the Church of Rome but hee asked me what I could say of the Church of Constantinople which was planted by St. Marke and of that of Greece whereof Saint Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria was head Annot. The reason of this great King is the very same with the Grecians in the controuersie against some Cardinals in these wordes If that your Roman Church be the chiefe and mother of the other Churches by reason that Saint Peter was her Pastor it is more reason that Antioch should obtaine these titles because she first embraced and receiued his preaching from thence it commeth that Antioch is called Theopolis the citie of God or else that Church of Ierusalem which obtained the great and Soueraigne Sacrificer who preached and offered himselfe a Sacrifice therein The vniuersall Histories of the Indies made mention that the Pope sent Ouiedo a Spaniard to drawe the Abyssins or Aethiopians to acknowledge the Romane Church but the Emperour Claudius of Ethiope then raigning chased him away and Ouiedo was compelled to hide himselfe THE REFORMED CHVRCH OF THE WEST THE confession of Wittenberg Wee beleeue and confesse that the Church ought to expound the Scripture but there are diuers opinions concerning the Church that is to say where it must be sought for and whether her iurisdiction be inclosed within certain limits Now wee doe thinke according to the holy Scripture and the holy Fathers that the Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tyed to any one certaine place to one nation or to one sort of people but that it is in that place and with those nations where the Gospell is sincerely preached The confession of the Swizers We doe condemne the Donatists which would inclose the Church in a corner of Affrica and we approue not the Clergie of Rome who attribute the name of Catholike onely to the Romane Church Annot. The Diuines of Tubinge in their letters doe call the Patriarch of Constantinople Oecumenicke and haue sought the Vnion of the East Churches THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH POpe Pelagius Although that all the Catholicke and Apostolike Churches established through the vniuersall world are a nuptiall bedde of Christ Neuerthelesse the holy Roman Church was not preferred before the other Churches by any constitutions of councels but rather obtained the Primacy from the holy words of our Lord. The Church of Rome is therefore the first Sea of the Apostle Peter she hath no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but in these things the higher her degree is the greater is her authoritie for the greater haue the power to commaund and the lesser are to yeelde obedience ANNOTATION SAint Peter ought to be considered foure manner of wayes first in the quality of an Apostle sent by God immediately as such a one that had no successor In the second place as an Apostle simply hauing charge to plant many Churches in such manner S. Marke and other Euangelistes their Substitutes which also are called Apostles were his Successors In the third place as a Bishoppe and President in euery Church where he was that is to say in Antioch Rome Ierusalem as Euodias did succeede him in Antioch Clement in Rome S. Iames the Apostle and S. Simeon in Ierusalem Fourthly S. Peter is to be considered as Primate in the Catholike Church in such manner S. Iohn the Apostle entirely beloued of the Lord succeeded him hauing out-liued S. Peter fiue and twenty or thirty yeares Moreouer that S. Iohn was preferred before all the Bishops of the world is apparent by that that he was taken for one of the three pillers of the Church and was one of the twelue foundations
vpon which the ordinarie Bishoppes of cities were constituted And withall Tradition confirmeth this for there is no Church in the world which nameth not the Apostles before the Bishops yea the Church of Rome preferreth the Apostles before the Popes It remaineth then for vs to search who was the successor of S. Iohn in the Catholike Primacy whether Polycarpus was his successor in Ephesus or Simeon successor to S. Peter in Ierusalem or Albinus of Alexandria successor of S. Marke successor and chosen of S. Peter or Ignatius successor of Euodias and of S. Peter in Antioch or Euaristus successor of Clement and of Linus and of S. Peter in Rome There are two Churches which haue contended herein more then eight hundred yeeres that is to say that of Constantinople and that of Rome The Romane Church saith that S. Peter hath ordained is from God that Rome should haue the Primacie and power to command and that for euer They of Constantinople say on the contrarie side that our Lord neuer spoke any such words much lesse Saint Peter himself and if any such thing had been some one of the Apostles would haue written of it this Article being the foundation of all the doctrine and gouernement of the Church Moreouer Saint Peter himselfe would haue Preached the same and Saint Iohn who succeeded and out-liued S. Peter would not haue stayed in Ephesus Well then you see that all the Churches planted by the Apostles not excepting any one doe testifie after many ages that neither they nor their fathers neuer beleeued nor held that the Primacie by diuine power was due to the Church of Rome but rather that it appertaineth to whosoeuer shall bee chosen and elected by the greater part of the Churches and that the Bishop of Rome alone ought not to be q beleeued much lesse in his owne proper cause In like maner many learned men of the Latine Church doe confesse that the reason wherefore Rome is helde to haue the Primacie in diuine affaires is an opinion of the vulgar sort So that rather to Constantinople appertaineth the Primacie seeing it was giuen her by the Apostolicke Churches which they gaue not then to Rome being one of the last seates of Saint Peter but onely in regard of the Imperiall seate Well then to make this the more intelligible it is necessarie to know how it happeneth that the Citie of Rome now a dayes pretendeth that the Primacie is due to her by diuine right The aboue mentioned Apostolicke Churches doe surmise as followeth and say First that Saint Peter had the first place among the Apostles for he was oftentimes demanded many things by the Lord and he answered in the name of his fellowes ouer whom neuerthelesse he had no iurisdiction nor authority although that some doe thinke that he resigned it to Saint Iames when they were together at Hierusalem after that S. Iames was instituted Bishoppe that is to say after that hee was staied that hee should make his ordinarie residence there Secondly that Saint Iohn during his life after the time of S. Peter had the first place amongst all the Euangelists and Bishoppes Thirdly that he neuer taught that Rome by Diuine right ought to be the Mistresse of the other Churches if he had S. Polycarpus his Disciple and others his successors in Ephesus had not debated so earnestly and obstinately against the Roman Church touching the feast of Easter Fourthly that after S. Iohn the Bishop of Rome obtained by iust title the first place among the Bishops which were vnder the Romane Empire for seeing that the Citizens of Rome then raigned ouer the Inhabitants of other Cities hee had been both proud audacious and vnreasonable which would haue preferred himselfe before their Bishop especially without any ordinance of a Councell Fiftly that the churches of Italy and other their neighbours through the laps of time gaue to the Bishop of Rome not only the first place but also the superintendancie ouer the Bishops neare them in particular for to giue his aduice in matters that happened till a Synode might be had Sixtly that the councell of Nice approued the same and ordained that Alexandria should in like manner haue the ouer-sight of the Churches of Egipt and of Affrica and that the church of Antioch should ouer-see those of the east And after a certaine time because the Emperiall seate was transported vnto Constantinople it was ordained that that Bishop should be ouer-seer of the Greeke Churches and the Bishop of Ierusalem should be admitted to be one of the fiue for Palestina and those fiue were called Patriarches Seuenthly that the Bishop of Rome all this while had the first seat but yet without any vniuersall iurisdiction but rather euery one of the foresaid fiue Patriarches iudged or rather gaue his aduise and opinion till a Councell might be had as euen to this day they of Constantinople although that they call themselues Oecumenicke are subiect to Synodes but yet of Greece onely Eightly that Maurice Emperour of Constantinople would haue taken away the primacie from Gregorie Bishoppe of Rome and giuen it to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who for a Marke of his place desired to haue the Title of a generall Bishoppe and that Gregorie did oppose himselfe against him least he should loose his place vrging how insolent that Title was and saying that Iohn would vsurpe Dominion ouer the other Bishops which peraduenture was not the intention of Iohn but he on the contrary side to shew that he was contented with the ranke or place of his predecessors called himselfe Seruus seruorum Dei The seruant of the seruants of God Ninthly that Phocas hauing slaine Maurice gaue to the Bishop of Rome which was then Boniface the first seate and Title of Generall or Vniuersall Bishop and yet without any iurisdiction or Dominion ouer the other patriarches which notwithstanding the churches acknowledged him not in that quality Tenthly that Charles the great King of France hauing subdued with armes a great part of Europe The citie of Rome craued his ayde against the Lombards who being ouer come by the same King the Romanes proclaimed him their Emperour 11 That then the Emperors of the East with the consent of the Patriarchall and Apostolicke Churches tooke from Rome the primacy and gaue it to the said Church of Constantinople 12 That then the Romanes seeing that by the Ecclesiasticall law they should loose the primacie began to say that the primacy belonged as of Diuine right to them and to their Bishop and consequently that the whole Church together could not take away from them the first ranke because that Rome is the Sea of S. Peter 13 That after that they of the East had rightly said that hee is successor of S. Peter which is elected confirmed and approued by the greatest part of the Churches in what place soeuer he maketh his residence and that imitateth S. Peter in doctrine and humilitie That the Bishoppes of
Rome haue brought into their church many errours and haue innouated many things without and against the decrees of the councels withall they haue added to the Symbole of Nice of their priuate authority that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne euen as from the Father That although that the vniuersall councell hath giuen the first seate to the bishoppe of Rome yet did not they beleeue that the church in future time could not take from him this place especially if the church of Rome should fall into any errour as they say she is already fallen 14 That in the meane while the prouinces of the Empire of Charles the great to wit Fraunce Italy Germanie and Spaine remained vnder the bishoppe of Rome as being their nearest Patriark which is the reason that they now go about to perswade men that the Primacie appertaineth vnto him by Gods Law but this should bee no preiudice to other Churches nor to the trueth 15. That the Bishops of Rome enriched with the gifts and Donations of the Kings of France and per aduenture beleeuing themselues to be that which was repated of them haue ouerthrowne both Spirituall and Temporall Monarkes and haue caused to bee receiued in places vnder obedience to them as well the Lawes of their predecessors the Popes made by the Church of Rome as also those Lawes which they themselues from time to time doe adde thereunto in somuch that the Churches of the East South and North with good reason haue opposed themselues against these enterprises The confession and beliefe of the Apostolicke Churches about this Question here in controuersie is this That the first seate which is by diuine Law so farr as is necessarie for the order of Councels and is meete to shew vnitie is by the Ecclesiasticall Law as also the Sea that appertaineth to any such Bishop whome the Catholicke Church shall iudge to be fit and capable of such a charge QVESTION III. Whether Miracles are sufficient proofes that a Christian Nation ought to bee held for a true Church and without errour THE EAST CHVRCHES MArcus Paulus a Venetian The Citizens of the Citie of Tauris are Mahomets but there are some Christians that inhabit there to wit Nestorians and Iacobites Neere to which Towne is a Mountaine which was once remoued out of his place by the occasion that followeth The Sarrazins willing to scandale the Gospel said that it was written If you haue faith as much as a grine of Mustard-seede you shall say vnto this Mountaine remoue hence to yonder place it shall remoue Well said the Sarrazins mocking the Christians if your saith be so excellent cause this Mountaine to remoue out of his place Then one of the Christians feruent in faith spake to the Mountaine with a great confidence Get thee hence The which incontinently remoued in the presence and fight of all the people The very same Author maketh mention of a Pillar hanging in the ayre which sustaineth the Vault of a Church in Sammarchan Vilimont Whosoeuer would see a thing worthy of memorie must goe to a little Towne called Sardinale inhabited by the Christians of the Church of the Syrians where Turkes Sarrazins or Moores cannot dwell but they die before the yeeres end Faber Not farre from the Citie of Muscouia there is a great Monasterie wherein is the Sepulchre of one Sergius an Abbot which Monasterie is very much frequented of the people for it was holden very famous for many miracles that were there wrought whereof it shall be sufficient to produce one Which is that two blind men were restored to their sight there The same Author It is a common thing amongst the Muscouits to enchant Serpents with words and chase away Diuels and deliuer and helpe them that are possessed Thomas Lopes The people of Mangalor say that they went very often to the Sepulchre of S. Thomas which is in their Countrey who wrought among them many miracles The Ecclesiasticall Historie of Constantinople maketh mention that Arsenius was instituted Bishop by the Pope hee being then become a member of the Church of Rome for which cause hee was Excommunicated by the Patriarcke Pachomius a little after that hee died and his soule went with the soules of Arrius and Eutiches hereticks and his body was found black swollen which caused great feare to those that saw him THE MERIDIAN CHVRCH ALuares There is a Sepulchre of one of the Sons of King Abram which they say was a Priest Amongst other miracles which they attribute vnto him they say that the Angels did minister bread and wine vnto him when he celebrated The same Author They attribute the title of a Saint to a certaine King whose name was Balibeta towards whom the people beare such great deuotion that all Ethiope doth runne thither where his body is buried which they report to worke great miracles Idem There is a Monastery called Abba Gariman retaining this name of one which as they report raigned in Greece who hauing forsaken his Kingdome retired to this place to do penance for his sinnes where he finished his daies very holily and they report that he at this present doth miracles THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH GLoss Canon glorios We must enquire of miracles done in the life time and after death And to the end that these may be true miracles foure things are requisite first that they be of God and not framed by arte or by the diuell for miracles are wrought by the wicked secondly that they be contrary to nature as that of the Rodde of Moses turned into a Serpent thirdly that they be not wrought by wordes but thorough the merites of a man fourthly that they be for the confirmation of the faith Annot. Whosoeuer would know more amply the Miracles of the Latin Church may reade the Legends and liues of the Saints THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the French-men We beleeue that the word conteined in the Canonicall Writings proceeded from God And forasmuch as it is the very rule of trueth it followeth that neither antiquity nor customes nor the multitude nor humane wisedome neither iudgements nor visions nor Miracles ought to be opposed to it ANNOTATION THe East Churches doe beleeue that the Roman and Ethiopian Churches doe holde an erroneous and Hereticall opinion although there are Miracles wrought amongst them In like manner the Romanes doe pronounce an Anathema against all Christians that haue not obeyed them as well against them of the East and South as also the North Church notwithstanding their Miracles the Church of Affricke refuse nay scorne to goe and submit or subiect themselues eyther to the Greeke Church or to the Latine Church notwithstanding their Miracles the Latin church in the foresaid Canon dooth confesse that Miracles are wrought by wicked persons The reformed Church saith that Miracles or the bruite of Miracles ought not to be taken as a Marke of the true church And which is more
Russia doe hold that it is lawfull for the secular Lords to beate and depose their Patriarches Bishops and Priests Louis Regius The king of Moscouia surpasseth in crueltie and rigour of commanding al the Monarches of the world and hath gotten such authority ouer all his subiects as well Ecclesiasticall as secular that he may dispose at his pleasure of their liues and goods They confesse publikely that the will of the Prince is the will of God and therefore they call him the keeper of the keyes of heauen and Gods Chamberlaine THE SOVTH-CHVRCH THeuet The Gerich that is to say the Emperour of Ethiope is as the Pope in his countrey and causeth all things to passe vnder his hands both the temporall and the most part of the spirituall Moreouer he bestoweth benefices vpon such men as are of good life and learning I meane the Ecclesiasticall and vpon none else THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Ausburg There hath beene great disputation concerning the authority and power of Bishops wherein some haue very ill handled both the Ecclesiasticall authority and the temporall power From this confusion haue sprung and arisen great warres and stirres during the time that the popes relying vpon the power of the keyes haue not onely instituted a new manner of worship charging mens consciences by reseruations of cases and by violent excommunications but also they haue attempted to transport the kingdomes of the world and to take the Empire from the Emperours But good men and those that were learned in the Church haue heretofore reproued these things THE ROMANE CHVRCH EXtraua Vnam sanctam Admit that the Grecians and others say that the Primacy of the Church was not giuen to S. Peter and his Successors then doubtlesse they must confesse that they are not of the flocke of Christ who said that there is one fould and one shepheard We are taught by the wordes of the Gospell that there is therein two swords that is to say the one a spirituall the other temporall For when the Apostles said Loe here are two swords the Lord answered not that there were too many but said it is enough Truely he that denieth that the temporall sword is not in the power of S. Peter taketh very little regard to the wordes of the Lord who said Put vp thy sword into the sheath the one and the other is therefore in the power of the Church to wit the spirituall and the materiall and both swords ought to be gouerned by the Church the one by the Priests the other by the hands of kings and men of war but according to the will and permission of the Priests for the one sword must be vnder the other sword ANNOTATION THe Bishop of Rome was obedient in times past to the Emperours of Constantinople but after such time as the Citie of Rome was taken away from the Emperours of of the East and King Charles sur-named the great had receiued from the said Bishop the title of Emperour He and his successors grewe so much obliged to the same Sea of Rome that the Popes perswasion ioyned with their deuotion hath caused that they haue giuen the higher place to them which ought as their predecessors did to shew themselues obedient to the secular power Notwithstanding this when the Latin Monarches saw their authority too much abated they could not suffer this indignity from thence arose those disorders which all Europe hath seene vnder the Frederickes Henries Philip sur-named the Faire the factions of the Guelphes and Gibellines and such like Tragedies Our Realme of France hath vnto this present maintained some liberties which were heretofore purloyned and taken away from Italy Spaine and England But now she fostereth and nourisheth in her bosome ingratefull children who daiely endeuour and seeke to receiue the Councell of Trent Besides if the Emperours of Germany haue opposed themselues against the attempts of Rome the Grecians haue passed farre beyond them The Pope would haue taken away before this time the Title of Emperour from the Emperour of Greece The Gretian by the consent of the Apostolike Sea had transported into the East S. Peters Chaire and notwithstanding the Anathemes and inforcements of the Romane Court the Empire of the East was maintained many ages that is to say vntill the yeare 1453. A fatall end at which time the prophecie of Daniel should be accomplished He shall plant the Tabernacles of his Palace betweene the Seas in the glorious and holy Mountaine yet he shall come to his end and none shall helpe him Vntill that time this Empire was not held but from God and by the sword as the Glosse of the Canon Si Imperator The Emperour say some men hath not his authority from the Pope but from God onely and the same doe I likewise allow of But where is that true Emperour It is he of Constantinople for the other that is to say he of Germany is but a maintainer and defender of the Church of Rome I must not passe ouer with silence how the Romanes doe open iniury to Charles the great King of Fraunce saying that the Pope gaue him the Empire of the West which is most false and vntrue for Charles obtained it by Armes and had conquered and brought the Citie of Rome it selfe into subiection if it had pleased him or if they had not willingly yeelded themselues vnto him If hee submitted himselfe to the Pope it was of curtesie and deuotion and not of any duetie As for the Christians of the East they haue beene called Melchites that is to say Royalists or Imperialists because that they haue neuer acknowledged none no not the greatest man in the World but the imperiall Maiestie In like manner the Christians of Affrica are also Melchites The auncient Catholike Church was Melchite more then seuen hundred yeares for there was neuer any Councell where the Emperour had not the highest place or that the Popes of Rome yeelded not their due obedience The holy Apostles haue also beene Melchites yea our Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe for he payed tribute aswell for himselfe as for S. Peter Likewise in the estate of the Israelites an estate ordained of God the Priestly Soueraigntie bowed to the secular authoritie although that that high sacrificer had an vnlimited iurisdiction and that he was the representatiue Image of the great and eternall Sacrificer Iesus And as those that ranke the high Priest vnder Emperours and Kings are Royalists and Emperialists in like manner in our time the reformed Christians haue called those of the contrary opinion Papists as who would say subiects of a Priest for in Greeke Papa signifieth a Priest a name neuerthelesse which doth not properly belong but to those that beleeue that the Pope hath power to iudge and depose Kings By this which hath bene spoken a man may see that the Imperialists are Catholikely spread through the foure quarters of the world and that their beliefe in this point hath bene from
more because Princes and Soueraigne Magistrates should beare sole authority and by their absolute commaundement should testifie their good will therein and employ the prudent aduise of their Ecclesiasticall subiects not the wisest onely but the best and godliest also not so much to dispute and winne the victory as to conferre and amiably to agree The God of peace will giue the fruit of peace to his glory and our good But I know not by what Inchantment or destinie Kings for the most part know not their forces and willingly do dispoyle themselues of a greate part of their owne Authoritie and many times perceiue it too late As for the particulars many doe know and see the euill but doe perswade themselues that the remedie is most dangerous of all or else for feare will not bee singular in opinion be it neuer so good louing rather to suffer themselues to bee caried away with the torrent and streame of diuision and to be of the common fashion that they may the better follow their priuate affaires Euery one doth bragge and vaunt himselfe of his faith but few or none will practise charitie and what is faith without charitie more then a tree without fruite or a body without a soule I haue beene here emboldened to addresse my selfe to your Highnesse for the reasons aboue said and to the end that vnder the lustre of your name this little Treatise written onely for the publike vtilitie might be the more fauourably receiued and respected of all men especially of the subiects of the kings Maiestie your father amongst whom are more learned Diuines well practised in the art of disputation in the reading of the Fathers and in all the Histories of the Church then peraduenture in three or foure other as great Countries Their writings doe testifie it insomuch that wee doe admire thereat in these parts and the English Liturgie gathered according to the modell of the Auncients the purest of them in the which through the aduise of so many excellent men in learning and pietie English men and others hath beene reserued for reuerence of Antiquitie all which might be left with a good conscience Also it is very likely that it shall endure perpetually and serue for a patterne or example for those which are not as yet reformed The praise whereof next vnto God shall be to the good and wise Kings of Great Britane the Predecessors whereof haue receiued and embraced with the first the faith of Iesus Christ and not with the last the Reformation which was necessary in the Church The principal cause truely or rather the only cause of this long peace prosperity wherwith God hath blessed the Kingdomes of your Iland besides many benedictions wherewith he hath fauoured your Royall house and your Highnesse in particular who haue after his Maiestie the first place in age in valour and dignitie and who for the gratious respect which naturally you doe shew vnto all men which through any merite or seruice doe seeke the honor of your fauour will mooue you I am assured to receiue this little present as from him who will thinke himselfe happy all the dayes of his life to say * ⎠* Your Highnesse most humble and most obedient seruant Th. A. J. C. ⧠The Preface ¶ First Diuision of Christian people THe vniuersitie of Christians is diuided into sixe principall parts which doe equally vaunt themselues of the Name of the Church of God The East Church doth pretend that the first ranke or seate is due to her without any contradiction in regard of her prerogatiues and priuiledges a Countrey of great largenesse almost all the Apostolicke Seas and the most part of the Patriarkes The maiestie of an Empire which during the space of more then a thousand yeeres hath withstood Paganisme and Mahometisme The authoritie of seuen vniuersall Councels celebrated within her iurisdiction The Syrian language wherein the Sonne of God pronounced his Oracles and the Greeke tongue in the which they were registred In this Church doth the Oecumenicall Patriarcke of Constantinople preside or gouerne It is composed of Grecians a Nation acknowledged as a mother by her proper aduersaries of Syrians Iberians Sclauonians Russians Muscouites and others scattered into many places of Asia and Africa al which do call themselues Orthodoxe Catholickes and do not differ or varie among themselues but onely in fewe ceremonies The Latine or Catholicke Romane Church might conueniently be placed in the second place Her primate is called in Latine Pontifex or more commonly Papa in English Pope a name which all they of the East Church doe giue vnto all their Priests This Pope is acknowledged by the Italians Frenchmen Spaniards by some Germanes and Polanders and withall by some Americans and Indians which of late are conquered and conuerted by the Spaniards The Romane Catholickes do say and affirme themselues to be very strongly vnited together because that they depend vpon one head or chiefe Neuerthelesse they are not all of one accord so farre as his authoritie doth extend Some doe attribute vnto him full authoritie ouer the Church and Councels and ouer Kings and Common-wealthes others doe contradict it Neuerthelesse these doe tollerate the Pope in his attempts vnto the very execution of them which is the cause that Christendome is noted to be in schismes and scandals and her people in warres and dissentions The third Christian nation is the South or Meridionall Church which containeth the Nubians and the Abyssins subiects of Negus of Ethiop otherwise called Prester-Iohn and many that are scattered in Egypt Arabia and Chaldea which are called Iacobits or Israelites because that they are of the linage or race of Iacob otherwise called Israel But some are of opinion that they take name of one Iacob an hereticke They are called of some in Greeke Cophites or in Hebrew Cophtes because that they vse Circumcision Their Primate maketh his residence in Caire and is called Patriarcke of Alexandria his substitute or Deputy in Ethiop is called Abuna The fourth Christian nation are the Nestorians accused to hold the heresies of old Nestor which are dispersed here and there in Tartaria Persia and in the Kingdomes of the East Indies Their Prelat resideth in Mosal or Seleucie and is called Iascelich The Historiographers doe not exactly report the truth what is or in times past hath beene their beliefe which is the reason wherefore we do not aleadge them very often The fift Nation is that of Armenia which peraduenture might be thought to be of the Romane Church because that they haue offered themselues to her in hate of the Grecians and their Catholike for so they call their chiefe head did submit himselfe to the Pope of Rome but the truth is that the Romane Church doeth hold them all for heretickes although that shee doeth deale more discreetly with them for to withdraw them
the contrary is as much as if one would say that the Church may perish and decay ANNOTATION THere is three manners of gouernement that is to say Monarchie Aristocracie and Democracie Monarchie is when one alone hath power to commaund Aristocracie is when the lesser part of the people hath the Soueraignetie in it selfe to giue a law to the rest of the people be it to all in generall or to some one in particular Democracie when all the people or the greater part of them haue the soueraigne authority Presidencie is when in a State Aristocratique or Democratique there is one that hath the first ranke and the charge to gouerne in the assemblies Magistracie or Superintendencie is when he that is President hath iurisdiction ouer the particulars for to cause the Lawes and Statutes of the Common-wealth or Monarche whereof he is a Subiect to bee obserued This charge and Iurisdiction is giuen sometimes for terme of life and instituted both in Title and Office Sometimes for a certaine time and in the forme of a Commission Some man may demand whether Saint Peter had simply the Primacy that is to say the first ranke or place amongst the Apostles or whether he had Iurisdiction ouer euery one of them in particular or whether he had a Monarchall authority ouer their company Also whether had he the Primacie in Diuine affaires and in such sort that it was not Lawfull for his fellowes to giue to vnto another The Romane Church doth holde that Saint Peter had authority in diuine matters ouer the company of the Apostles and that he that is elected and chosen to preside or gouerne in the Church hath the same authority ouer it and is not obliged to follow the greater voyce in giuing his sentence according to the consultations of the Councels For proofe whereof is aleaged Thou art Peter and vpon this Stone c. I wil giue thee the Keyes I haue prayed for thee Feede my Sheepe Strengthen thy Brethren And that the faith of the Romanes was renowned through the world This opinion of the Romane Church is so particular that not onely the Catholicke and Apostolicke Churches of the East South and of the North and the reformed Churches of the West but also the rest that make profession to beleeue the Roman Church cannot approue of this point Neuertheles this is the ground foundation of the others For when one makes profession of Christianitie it is necessarie that he be resolued to which hee ought to giue credit To wit whether to the holy Scripture expounded by the greater voice of Bishops and of the Apostolicke Seas which is the foundation of the East Churches or to a supreame head who hath assistance of the Bishops of his quarter which is the foundation of the Latine Church The Church of Rome pretendeth that her Bishop cannot erre in the things which he pronounceth in the quality of the head thereof although that one whole Councell was of a contrary opinion But the councel of Basil wherin was assembled all the Latine Church did hold the contrary Yea many Catholicke Romane Doctors doe mainetaine it in their writings Concilium esse supra Pontificem saith Bellarmine asserunt omnes haeretici idem asserunt Cardinalis Camaracensis Io. Gerson Iac. Almaricus Cusanus Panormitanus Cardinalis Florentinus Abulensis Moreouer it is the voice of the people that it be so and if one doe aske a Romaine Catholicke wherefore he belieueth or doth such and such things he answereth presently that the Church hath so ordained it In saying so hee confesseth that the Soueraigntie belongs to the Church For were not that a haynous crime so to obscure the Maiestie of a Monarch as to say that the Estates doe make Lawes and Edicts And it is manifest that the Romane Catholickes in soe doing doe accuse the Pope and the Church of Rome of errour to the which they giue neuerthelesse the title of Mistresse of all other Churches and do confesse that if there be any error in this there may be likewise in other opinions And consequently the Grecians and the Reformed Christians doe build vpon a farre more sure foundation As for the places of the holy Scripture alleaged by the Latine Church the foresaide Apostolicke Churches doe clearely and manifestly affirms that those places before alleaged doe conclude nothing for a Monarchie That the Church is founded vpon all the Apostles in like manner as vpon Saint Peter That our Lord prayed for them all That all had power to binde and vnbinde To Feede and confirme them And that the faith of the Church of Thessalonica which is now the faith of the Greek Church is spread and scattered into all places And moreouer that the Lord made a promise to the company of the Apostles more expresse then that which he made to S. Peter in particular I am saith he with you vntill the end of the world And withall two great Lawyers of that time viz. Hotman and Ranchin After many others haue very amply written thereof From hence therefore the Catholicke and Apostolicke conclusion is taken That the Church which in her foundation is a Monarchie because that Iesus Christ is the King ought to be gouerned Aristocratically by her Bishops which are equall in power although different in charge and degrees for the order and policie thereof QVESTION II. Vnto what Bishop appertaineth Presidencie in the Councels and whether this Presidencie be a Diuine Law or Ecclesiasticall THE EAST CHVRCH THe answere to the Councell of Ausburge Forasmuch as the Church of God which is with vs is the Princesse of all other Churches And that shee guideth the people of God in all knowledge and grace and glorieth in the pure sinceritie of the splendore of the Apostolicke Traditions and of the Fathers And for that also she hath born the first prerogatiue in the Orthodoxall veritie It is reason that all Christian common wealthes should celebrate the Diuine mysteries as she doth Nilus Archi-episcopus Thessalonicoensis The Latines say that the blessed Apostle Saint Peter was constituted by the Lord the Prince of the twelue Apostles and that he gaue into his hands the Keyes of Heauen against the which the Gates of Hell should neuer preuaile that hee also prayed that his faith should not faile and such like things as doe manifestly shew the Primacie of Saint Peter And they say that the Pope was constituted to be his successor and hath receiued of Saint Peter all the Primacie and that hee can all that Peter could in things concerning faith and that it is impossible that he should decline from the truth in matters of faith For if hee should faile all matters of faith would runne to ruine But Honorius Bishop of Rome was an heretike according to the seauenteenth decree of the sixt Vniuersall Councell It may bee then that the Pope might decline from the truth in matters of faith Yet graunt
they beleeue that they are not giuen them for confirmation of their doctrine because the same is sufficiently prooued in the holy Scripture although that the truth it selfe is oftentimes holden in suspition If then all the Sects of Christians doe vaunt themselues equally to haue Miracles how can he that is out of the foresaid churches and is willing to become a good and a true christian resolue himselfe by considering of their Miracles Surely if euery Nation doe say that the Miracles which are done amongst other people are not assured signes that the doctrine which they teach is altogether true We may herethen make this conclusion as Catholike and agreed vpon by all in generall That miracles are no prooffes of Doctrine neither markes of the true Church QVESTION IIII. Whether personall succession bee a Marke of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH BArlaam How absurd is it and out of reason to say that euery one of the Apostles was a Pastor and common Teacher of the Vniuersall world as S. Peter was and yet that none of them left any successors but S Peter onely because that if any one of the Apostles hath left for his successor eyther Bishoppes or Gouernours of the Church wherein any of them finished his dayes and yeelded vp his soule to God vpon what reason commandest thou that all should be created by the Pope Moreouer if I should affirme now that the other Apostles haue left successors behinde them amongst whom none was first or last but all equal and of one selfe same order peraduenture you would not beleeue me but if I shall bring you here some vnreproueable testimonie you will not be able to withstand it It shall be Saint Denis Areopagite in an Epistle which he wrote to Demophilus a Monke in these words Moderate thou then thy desires thy anger thy purposes as it is conuenient to the end that the holy Ministers may haue authority ouer thee and the Priests ouer them and the Bishoppes ouer the Priests and the Apostles ouer the Bishops the Successors of the Apostles for if any of them haue committed any fault in his office he may be corrected by them of the same order This man liued in the time of the Apostles and knew exactly the affaires and businesse of those dayes which saith that the successors of the Apostles are of one equall order and calling THE SOVTH CHVRCH LItourgia Ethiop Pray for our prince the prince of our Arch-Bishops the Lord Gabriel and the chiefe of the Church of Alexandria and for the chiefe of our countrey our venerable Archbishop Marke and for the Bishops priests and Deacons of the right faith THE REFORMED CHVRCH COnfessio Heluet. The celestiall father sent his onely sonne in whom is the Diuine wisedome which is powred vppon vs through his most holy most pure and most perfect doctrine for he hath chosen his disciples which he made Apostles and they being gone through the vniuersall world haue gathered together Churches by the preaching of the Gospell And afterwards they ordained Pastors in all the Churches of the World by the commaundement of CHRIST through whose Successors he hath vntill this present taught and gouerned the Church THE ROMANE CHVRCH CArd Bellarmine The fift marke of the Church is the succession of persons in the Romane Church continuing from the time of the Apostles vntill now for that is the reason that she is called Apostolike For if the ancient Fathers haue esteemed it so great an argument to proue the true Church by the continuance of twelue or twenty or fortie Bishops how much more ought we to esteeme the infallible succession of more then 200 Bishops especially because we see that the other Apostolicke Sees are decayed and failed that is to say those of Antioch Alexandria and Ierusalem wherin after that those places were taken away from the Romanes by the Persians and Sarrasins sithens which time there are nine hundred yeares past there hath beene no succession and if there were any the same was verie obscure ANNOTATION OVr Sauiour being now ready to ascend to heauen said to his Apostles Goe through the vniuersal world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures c. This commandement was executed as may appeare as well in the holy scripture as also in ancient histories that S. Peter was in Antioch S. Andrew in Greece and Moscouia S. Iames kept in Iudea S. Iohn went into Asia S. Philip into Assyria S. Thomas into India S. Matthew into Ethiope S. Thaddeus into Armenia S. Paul called from heauen preached in all countries from Arabia vnto Sclauonia Wel then euery one of them left successors and vntil this day there is not any one of those regions where there are not Christian Bishops which plead to haue succeeded the Apostles without any interruption Bellarmine saith that if there be any succession it is obscure Others doe answer him that it was no more obscure vnder the Persians and Sarrasins then it was in the time of the ancient Bishops of Rome vnder the Roman Pagans and persecuters of the Church The East Churches neuer cease to vaunt and brag of their Apostolicke seas The Christians of Africk doe exalt him of Alexandria and acknowledge no other head The Abyssines by antiquity doe hold the succession of that sea so certain that none amongst them can haue the imposition of hands but by the hands of him that is especially chosen by the Church whom they call Abuna and whom they doe beleeue to haue his succession from S. Peter and S. Marke the Euangelist Finally if by personall succession a man pretend to know the true Church he cannot know what part to take And although that the Latin Church only had the succession without Interruption that could not be a sure marke seeing all those nations which S. Ireneus writeth of do beleeue that the Roman Church is not the true Church notwithstanding her succession We might here insert the Catalogue of vniuersall Bishops according to the Greek Church proceeding from S. Peter vntill the time of Neophytus which now holdeth or latelie held the Sea at Constantinople But we will omit that for breuitie sake This then here shall bee the Catholick conclusion That the personall succession of the Church of Rome or of any other is not the make of a true beleefe QVESTION V. Whether the multitude of Christians or the greatnesse of Countries are markes of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH VIllamont The Church of the holy Sepulchre in Ireusalem is gouerned by diuerse sorts of Religious men some are Romane Catholickes others are Christians but Schismatickes and no adherents or louers of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion You haue in the first place the Grecians which are Masters and Lords of the chiefe place of the Church Moreouer there are there a certaine people which multiplie as well in Greece and Asia as also in Affrica Besides the Syrians doe very nearely imitate the vse customes and manners of the
Grecians Againe the Georgians doe obserue altogether the ceremonies and errours of the Grecians in their Sacrament Louis Regius The Empire of the king of Moscouia dooth extend towards the East almost vnto the kingdome of Persia THE SOVTH CHVRCH VIllamont The Abyssines are a people of Ethiope that is to say a part of Affrica and the greater part thereof by reason of their large scope Their King is by them called Negus and in the Persian tongue Prester-Iohn or Catholik which Prester-Iohn heretofore dwelt in Tartaria neuerthelesse he is yet one of the greatest Kinges of the East and of the greatest power and might in all Affrica and his Kingdome doth extend from the end of Egipt vnto the Indies This king hath more then fortie kingdomes vnder him The Iacobites doe inhabite a great part of Asia and liue pell-mell with the Turkes Persians and Tartarians some of them inhabite neare the Riuer Nubius which is in the confines of Egipt and hold a good part of Ethiope and of the higher Indies insomuch that it was told me that they occupy very neare fortie kingdomes They call themselues christians of the first conuersion say that they were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ by S. Matthew the Apostle before the other nations They circumcise their children after the fashion and manner of the Sarrasins THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The fourth marke of the Church is the greatnesse or multitude and diuersitie of the beleeuers for the church that is truely Catholike ought not onely to comprehend all times but also all places all nations and all sorts of people And that our Roman church is the true Church may be proued by this argument that is that before the time of Luther there was not in the world any more Religions then these that is to say Paganisme Mahometisme the Greekes the Nestorians the heresies of the Hussites and the Romane Church THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Heluetian confession Forasmuch as there is but one God and one Mediator betwene God and men Iesus Christ the Messias one holy Ghost one Saluation one faith one couenant it followeth necessarily that there is but one Church which is the cause that we call it Catholike because that it is Vniuersal and spread through all parts of the world and extendeth her selfe vnto all times not being inclosed within any time or place We condemne therfore the Donatists which inclose the Church in a certaine corner of Affrica And we approue not the Clergie of Rome who affirme the Romane church to be the onely Catholike Church ANNOTATION THere are two or three hundreth yeeres past since that it hath beene very hard to iudge by the multitude whether the name of the Catholicke Church appertained to the Greeke Church or the Latine Church The Greeke Church had the Empires of Constantinople and Trebizonde and the Northern nations who did maintaine her But now shee is diminished by the oppression of the Turkes as the Latine is increased by the conquests of the Spaniards farre otherwise then it was heretofore For Almanie was halfe Pagans and Spaine Sarrazins and this was at such time as there was diuision betweene the Greekes and Latines So that if the multitude did giue the Name of Catholickes the Grecians should haue had it and the certaine time when they lost this Title is not to be knowen Notwithstanding all this these two Churches and that of the Iacobites doe professe themselues to be Catholickes the passages or proofes before alleged doe shew that euery one of them is extended very wide Vnder the name of Iacobites wee will comprehend the Cophites and the Abyssins and we may adde thereunto the Nestorians For Masius telleth vs that these people are rather differing in name then in Religion whose Testimonie is reported to be very true The reason wherefore they haue in Ierusalem diuerse Churches and Oratories the one neere the other is to the end euery nation might vse that language which he best vnderstandeth Bellarmine also seemeth to account these three for one for it is certaine that before Luthers time there were Cophites Abyssines and Iacobites The rest the same Masius as it were dischargeth of the crime of heresie which was imputed to them I am assured saith he they are free and exempt from that wicked Doctrine of that infamous hereticke Nestor For hauing read a great Volume of their solemne Prayers which they make to God I haue found nothing that might offend any man of sound opinion in our Religion if it be not this that I suspect them because that they in many places call not the Virgine Marie mother of God But instead of this Title they call her the mother of life and of light Here is to bee noted that Villamont had some notice that Prester Iohn had sent to the Pope to submit himselfe to the Church of Rome and Cotion the Iesuite affirmeth that the Patriarch of the Cophites had done the like But wee haue now fresher newes and know that there is no such matter Well then if all those people doe make but one Church the same is as great or rather greater and ampler then the Latin Church and if the multitude be the marke of the true Church it must be attributed to them as the greater number of people But because it appeareth not that either they or the Greeke Churches doe constitute or appoint the multitude for a marke of the true Church and that it doth not appeare where that multitude is moreouer because that those which now are fewe in number may exceed the rest hereafter and that the multitude of the Latins is not so great to induce others to turne to their religion we will conclude that according to their beliefe The multitude of people or the greatnesse or largenesse of Regions are not markes of the true Church QVESTION VI. Whether the Primate of the Church hath any power or authoritie ouer the Temporaltie of Common-weales THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought to obey all principalities and power and not onely of good Princes but also of euill Princes and to obserue inuiolably their lawes notwithstanding that we must obey God rather then men And in another place he that resisteth soueraigne power shall be condemned Sacranus The Emperours of Greece haue had the power and right to holde vnder their yoakes the Patriarches and all the Clergie the which they placed and displaced when it seemed them best Nicholas The Patriarches of Constantinople Ierusalem Antioch and Alexandria possesse neither townes nor Castles and entertaine no Souldiers or Archers for their guard much lesse doe they cloath themselues eyther with cloath of golde veluet or purple and haue no more Reuenues toward their maintenance habites and books then about 200. Ducats by the yeare In their habites they differ nothing from the other people and they are no more richly cloathed then the simpler sort Sacranus The Princes of
taught vnto them by the Apostles Ieremie Oecumenicall Patriarch writeth thus to the Protestants of Germanie Let these things suffice you most deare brethren which as you see do best of all accord and agree with the Scriptures vnto vs diuinely giuen according to the interpretation and exposition of the most wise and holy Fathers inspired by God For wee are not permitted to trust vpon our owne particular interpretation or to vnderstand or teach but only that which agreeth with the holy Councels and Doctors of the Church for feare that being once drawen or ledde out of the way of the Euangelicall doctrine and the path of true wisedome and vnderstanding we do erre and that our iudgement be transported as an other Proteus one while to one fashion of beleefe another while to another Well some of you will demaund peraduenture by what meanes may a man attaine to this That shall he doe by the aide and assistance of God if he doe attempt nothing and follow but that which hath bene ordained by the Apostles and holy Councels For he that doth well and constantly continue within these limits shall march the very same pace and be of the very same faith and Communion with vs. Sacranus The Moscouites denie that the Church of Rome is the chiefe head of all other Churches saying also that the Sayings Statutes Writings Canons and Determinatiōs of the Councels of the Church of Rome are nothing and that all Councels after the seuen first Councels are not truely Catholicke because that they were holden without their consent and approbation THE CHVRCH OF THE SOVTH ALuares Againe it was demaunded of me what number of Bishops were at the Councell of Nicei whereunto I answered three hundred and eighteene Moreouer they asked me wherefore wee doe not obserue the Statutes and Articles of that holy Councell seeing it was therein ordained that Priests should mary I answered that of all that which was there ordained there was now nothing obserued but onely the great Symbole or Creede They put me also in mind of many other things which were broken and violated by Pope Leo and they prayed me to recite them But I excused my selfe saying that I knew them not although that in my iudgement if that hee infringed any they were such as sauoured of some heresie and that he had approued and caused to bee obserued those which hee knew to be holy and necessary The same Aluares Prester Iohn asked me whether wee had a booke diuided into eight parts which was composed by the Apostles assembled at Ierusalem which they call Manda and Abetilis the contents whereof was by them obserued but I answered him that I neuer knew any such because it was not to bee found in our Countries Zaga-zabo an Ethiopian Bishop Neither our Patriarch nor our Bishops doe beleeue that either of themselues or in Councell they may make any lawes vnto which any man should be bound vpon paine of mortal sinne THE REFORMED CHVRCHE IN THE WEST THe confession of the Swizers S. Peter the Apostle saith that the holy Scriptures are not of any priuate interpretation and therefore we approue not all interpretations neyther receiue as a lawful exposition that which is called the opinion of the Church of Rome We do not contemne the exposition of the Fathers which doe agree with the holy Scriptures we reiect all humane Traditions although neuer so well adorned with fine Titles if being conferred with the holy Scripture they doe differ and varie Zanchius We doe iudge that those Traditions must be retained and obserued in the Churches which doe manifestly appeare to be of the Apostles obserued euer in all the Churches although that there is no such commaundement in the Scripture It is not the part of a Christian man and one that feareth God to reiect that which is proued to haue bin receiued by the consent of all Churches to reiect that I say without iust and necessary cause but if hee attempt any such matter it must be debated in a generall Councell THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The Councell considering that all Doctrine and Discipline is contained in Bookes written and Traditions not written following the example of the Catholike Fathers and good interpreters of the faith doth receiue and honour with equal affection and pietie all the bookes of the old and new Testament and in like manner the Traditions which doe appertaine as well to faith as to good manners as hauing beene spoken eyther by the mouth of Iesus Christ or else by the holy Ghost and alwaies kept in the Catholike Church Romane by continuall succession ANNOTATION THere is no part of Christendome that holde not themselues to haue the best forme of gouernement The three principall that is to say the Grecians Romanes and Abissins or Aethiopians doe claime their Traditions from the Apostles notwithstanding that they are found eyther to be different or contrary but in Histories their Original is to be seen especially the Traditions of the Grecians and Latines As touching those of the Abissins or Aethiopians it is harder to find out the Authours Neuerthelesse they haue receiued some of the Greekes and Latines in the time of Iustinian the Emperour as hereafter shall be said But the most part of their ceremonies are taken from the law of Moses The Reformed Christians say that if ceremonies must be it is more conuenient to obserue those which God hath in times past ordained then to receiue any Paganisme superstition That which brought most nouelties into the Latine Church is the authority which is giuen to one alone for euery Pope would leaue some remembrance of faith from hence do proceed so many canonized saints and fashions to honour them feasts pilgrimages Religions or orders of monks and friars and such like blind deuotion wherein the Latins haue surpassed all people who accuse the foresaid Latines of presumption because they would make to passe for Catholike those customes which were neuer ordained by the seuen vniuersall Councels They of the East Church require the obseruation of those of the generall Councels but not of any particular The Reformed Christians doe protest that they dispute not against Catholike customes but against abuse and superstition or if any thing displeaseth them it is the multitude of ceremonies rather then any one of them considered in particular It is true that in reiecting those that haue beene brought onely in by the Church of Rome they haue not spared the Catholike ceremonies Luther thought that all Christian nations would reforme themselues the one after the other and also that that which seemed to be a particular attempt would be corroborated and confirmed by a Catholike approbation Howsoeuer it be the learned and greatest men amongst them doe protest to submit themselues to a generall and free Councell The Frenchmen likewise who haue of late time begun and had lesse means giuen them to errect
or institute such an estate and forme of Church as is to be seene in other Countries haue neuerthelesse protested in like manner in the conference at Poissy that it would be easier for them to fall into accord in ceremonies if the differences in doctrine were once appeased So it is that the contempt of Catholicke Gouernment doth get the said Reformed Christians an euill opinion among other Christians And that produceth two effects the one that the said Protestants considering ceremonies but as outward shewes and the Romane Catholickes doe confesse that ceremonies haue iustly that name doe condemne the customes of other nations without discerning those that are Catholike from other more particular or that are profitable and tollerable from those that are euill and naught And the other seeing themselues dispised and contemned without reason perswade themselues that it is all one when one reprehendeth them in a matter concerning faith Saint Paul saith that such ceremonies haue appearance of holines in that they spare not the body and haue no regard to cloath or feede the same but hee said not that they should abandon all Ceremonies rather sayd he he that eateth doth well and he that eateth not doth likewise well much lesse hath he approued that one should rent asunder or condemne the Catholike Church The other effect of condemning the Catholicke Church is that a man cannot now a dayes read the writings of the ancient Fathers nor the Histories of the Apostolicke Churches no not the holy Scripture it selfe without finding very many ceremonies and fashions of speaking not vsed amongst the Protestants of France from whence it happeneth that many doe change their beleefe being offended at the contemning of Councels as it is seene by their writings and conuersations and on the other side they of the Romane Church which doe relie too much vpon outward ceremonies are more and more confirmed in their opinion presuming that they follow and ymitate in all things the holy Scriptures and the Fathers nay the most learned and those that approue not in all points the Romane Church doe not thinke it in any wise reasonable to preferre the aduise or opinion of some particular and new writers before the iudgement of auncient Councels in that which concernes the Policie of the Church Heere it is to bee marked that the moderne Chronicles in writing the Ecclesiasticall Historie doe cause the readers very often to erre They write the names of the auncient Bishops of Romein Capitall letters naming them alone and recounting their actes liues they gather their lawes ordinances decrees and make no mention of the Canons which the other Bishops haue made in their Churches from thence grew the opinion that the said Bishops of Rome were Monarchs of all the world as the Emperours haue bene in temporall matters of their Empire and that such Lawes Traditions and Decrees which were but onely for the Church of Rome were lawes giuen to the Catholicke Church which is not so For it hath bene but of very late yeeres that France Spaine Germanie and England haue receiued them that is to say three or foure hundreth yeres since as for other nations they haue not receiued and approued the same as yet but haue inuented others In fine the reformed Christians say that the estate of the Church hath bene tollerable during the fiue first ages and they approue not Aerius and such like which in times past troubled the Church in reiecting the Ecclesiasticall customes and from thence it followeth that the Customes receiued during those first ages are not those which haue brought or doe nourish the Schisme in Christendome and therefore all nations doe auowe That Catholicke Traditions ought to be receiued if the inestimable good of peace and agreement might thereupon ensue alwayes prouided that you comprehend not vnder the name of Catholicke those which onely belong to the Greeke Church or the Latin or the Abyssin Aethiopian Armenian or any other particular Churches QVESTION XI Whether the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the sonne or from the Father onely THE EAST CHVRCH THe second answere to the confession of Ausburg You see how many absurdities doe arise on euery side if it bee concluded that the holy Ghost doth proceede from the Father and from the Sonne Hold not an euill opinion in the name of the Lord. For if the Latins the Church of Rome and others doe bring approued witnesses as it seemeth likely to them that is to say Augustine Ambrose and Ierome we likewise can produce farre more and more worthy of credit All which haue pronounced that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and haue prohibited vpon paine of a grieuous Anathema to hold any other beleefe THE ROMANE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH THe confession of faith by the Councell of Trent We beleeue in the holy Ghost the Lord and giuer of life which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne which is worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Sonne who spake by the Prophets THE SOVTH CHVRCH SAint Seuerus Patriarch of Alexandria I beleeue in one holy Ghost liuing which giueth life vnto all who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne The King of Aethiope In the name of God the Father Almightie Creator of all things visible and inuisible In the name of God the Sonne Iesus Christ which is one with the Father light of lights In the name of the holy Ghost God liuing which proceedeth from the Father I am King c. THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe English Confession Wee beleeue that the holy Ghost which is the third person in the holy Trinity is very God not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding from the one and from the other to wit from the Father and the Sonne in a manner vnknowen and vnspeakeable of men ANNOTATION LOmbard surnamed Master by the Schoole Doctors of the Latin Church saith as followeth touching the differēces between the Grecians and the Latins in this question The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth frō the Father only and not frō the Son which they hold because that the truth in the Gospel which cōtaineth wholy the faith speaking of the procession of the holy Ghost maketh mention onely of the Father and also that in the principallest Councels which were celebrated with them their Symbols or Credes haue bene so fortified by the Anathemaes added that it is not lawfull for any man to teach any thing touching the Trinitie otherwise then is therein contained in which Symbole or Creede the holy Ghost is fayd to proceede from the Father and not from the Sonne And therfore say they all those are Anathema that doe affirme that he proceedeth from the Sonne and a little after Wee doe conclude that the Grecians doe accord with the Latins in the matter it selfe although that they differ in words Behold here the opinion of the Master of sentences who to shew that there is no difference betweene the
a fashion as none can vtter or comprehend in like manner as the faithfull which receiue it are said to be changed into the true body of Christ QVESTION XXIII Whether the change of the signes bee made through these words Hoc est enim corpus meum or whether it be by prayers THE EAST CHVRCHES MArke Bishop of Ephesus in a Treatise expresly made vpon this point sheweth that the breade and wine in the Liturgie are not consecrated neither changed through these words This is my body but rather by prayers and supplications Socolouius The greatest part of the Grecians are of this opinion that the signes are consecrated by prayers and not through the words of Christ onely Scarga The Russians imagine that the body and blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ on the Altar are not made onely through the words of God that is to say by the pronuntiation of these words Hoc est enim corpus meum but also through the prayers of the Priests THE SOVTH CHVRCHES LIturgia Aethiop Translate O Lord this bread into thy true body and this wine into thy true blood Blesse sanctifie and purifie this bread and transport it into thy flesh without spot and this wine into thy precious blood and let them be made an ardent and acceptable sacrifice a remedie and sauing health both of our soules and bodies THE REFORMED CHVRCHES LIturg Gal. And as our Lord Iesus Christ not onely offered vnto thee O God vpon the Crosse his body and his blood for the remission of our sinnes but also would communicate them vnto vs as nourishment vnto eternall life vouchsafe vs this grace that with true sinceritie of heart and an ardent zeale wee may receiue from him so great a benefit that is that we through stedfast faith may inioy his body blood and that from him all intirely Beza The coniunction of the thing signified with the signes dependeth vpon the onely ordinance and promise of God although it be not locall nor in any naturall manner These men on the contrarie side that is to say the Latins will by the vertue of three or foure words haue the bread to be changed into the body and the wine into the blood of Iesus Christ which would be plaine sorcerie THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The true body of our Lord Iesus Christ his true blood together with his soule and his diuinity are vnder the form of bread wine but his bodie is vnder the forme of bread by the force and vertue of the words ANNOTATION IN the Liturgie of the Churches of the East and South there are three principall parts as wee haue beene instructed by those of that Countrey The first consisteth in the historie or narration of the institution of the holy Sacrament at that time say they although one doth pronounce these words This is my body it maketh not the consecration The second part is the prayer or prayers wherein they beseech God that the signes may be changed then say they is the consecration made For by prayers a man obtaineth that which he demaundeth and our Sauiour did the same after that he had taken bread for it is sayd that he blessed or consecrated it The third part is when they addresse their wordes to the people saying Take eate this is the body of the Lord Words which declare vnto the people and teach them that it is that which is presented vnto them In like manner our Lord Iesus Christ spake to his Apostles not to the bread when he sayd Take eate this is my body The Protestants doe say as the foresaid people that they doe blesse the bread and wine principally through prayers and not through those words to the which God hath not giuen any intrinsecall vertue to conuert substances The difference betweene the Church of Asia Africa and the Reformed is that those Reformed Churches aske not nor obtaine not by their prayers as the foresaid Churches do pretend that the bread bee changed into the body of Christ but do aske and obtaine that that body may be giuen them in the Communion which they ought to sue for All men alike doe condemne the opinion of the Latins who beleeue that transubstantiation is made by these words Hoc est enim corpus meum or to speake better by the last sillable Vm This opinion of the Church of Rome is the cause that the learned men amongst them who receiue it doe enter into very great difficulties and doubts amongst themselues in desiring to take away some by one meanes and others by other the absurdities which follow thereupon The Christian Reader may aduise himselfe which doctrine hee ought rather to follow whether that of the Latins or the Catholike which is That the consecration and Communion of the body of the Lord is obtained through the prayers of the Church and not through any vertue hidden in these words Hoc est enim corpus meum QVESTION XXIIII Whether the outward formes are really the body and blood of the Lord without vsing of them THE EAST CHVRCHES NIchol The Armenians doe make the consecration in a chalice of glasse or wood Sacranus The Russians doe say that the Sacrament of the Eucharist consecrated the day of the holy Supper is onely meete to be giuen to the sicke and not that which is consecrated euery day and they keepe it also all the yeere long in a Cup prepared for that purpose sometime till it be full of Wormes and spoyled and they giue it in a little spoone Moreouer they consecrate Salt in Chalices of wood and cast the kernels thereof being dried among their small linnen They consecrate for them that goe to the warres Wheaten bread in the body of Christ deliuer it into the hands of the lay people who vpon the very point of the battell doe fill with some liquor or other the first vessell that comes to their hands fit to containe meate or drinke and putting therein this bread they doe communicate in order THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares It is a marueilous thing to see the great harme and perill that the little children doe endure in Aethiope whom they make to swallow downe the Communion perforce powring water downe their mouthes as well because the host is of grosse past as because of their continuall groaning Besides they vse Chalices and spoones of wood THE REFORMED CHVRCH BEza The Sacraments are ordained to be vsed according to the word of God and therefore being otherwise vsed they are no Sacraments THE LATIN CHVRCH POpe Pius If through negligence there doth fall any of the blood downe to the ground it shall bee licked vp with the tongue the wood shall bee scraped and if it be not of wood the place shall be scraped to the end that it be not troden downe vnder feete and it shall be burnt and the ashes locked within the Altar and the Priest shall doe penance forty dayes ANNOTATION THe passages or
intercession of Saints the healing of diseases and such like If all this be besides and against the intention of Iesus Chrrist it is manifest that it were an abuse to cōuert it to other vses The Councell of Trent doth excommunicate those that hold this to be euill it would be knowen whether this Councell bee allowed by the Apostolicke Churches The Grecians say that in their Liturgie they make mention and remembrance of the Saints but this is not to say that they thinke that the Liturgie was ordained to that end Likewise although that the Armenians doe kisse and salute one another in the Liturgie yet no man will impute vnto them that they doe beleeue that it was instituted for to kisse salute one another If the Romane Catholikes cannot shew that the foresaid Nations doe say their Liturgies of purpose for to obtaine thereby the intercession of Saints It is a hazard but they will be found alone in that opinion attending to see if that will be we will here conclude as well vpon this last Article as vpon the precedents and will say That the Liturgie which the Latines call the Masse and the Protestants the Lords Supper is a Sacrifice wherein the Communicants by the receiuing of the Sacrament and Prayers doe obtaine forgiuenesse of their sinnes and by their prayers and offerings and not by the Communion doe profite those that Communicate not but this Sacrifice is not instituted to obtaine the intercession of the Saints nor for any other vses QVESTION XXXII Whether we ought to vse in the Church an vnknowen Language as Latin or any other and whether the people ought to read the holy Scripture or heare it read THE EAST CHVRCHES BElon When the Priest in Armenia readeth the Gospel the attendants doe salute one another both on the right hand and on the left euery one vnderstanding the Armenian tongue in which language it is alwayes read Vilamont The Iacobite doe vse many languages according to the seuerall Prouinces where they inhabite hauing neuerthelesse one particular language which they vse onely in Diuine Seruice but what language it was I could not discouer Idem The Nestorians vse the Chaldean language in their Liturgie or Diuine Seruice and in their Scriptures Idem The Armenians can speake diuers Languages but in their Diuine Seruice Masses Prayers and Ceremonies they vse the Armenian tongue which is vnderstood both of men and women throughout all their Countrey Nichol. The Grecians doe celebrate the Liturgie in their owne language to the end the common people may be able to vnderstand them Vilamont The Maronites doe vse the pure Syrian tongue in their Diuine Seruice Theuet The Moscouites haue fewe Preachers contenting themselues onely with the Lectures which the Priests make euery Sunday who reade vnto them the Gospell and Epistles of the Apostles and the bookes of learned men in a language that they vnderstand Cythraeus The Priests in Russia do consecrate with the words spoken by Iesus Christ but it is onely in the language of the Countrey THE SOVTH CHVRCH THeuet I haue seene many Bishoppes and haue heard their Masses which they say in the Abyssin language the which is very neare the Arabicke yea in the Characters themselues Aluares All their bookes whereof the number is great are of Parchment for they haue no other paper and their Scripture is read in the Tigique tongue which is Abyssin the first Countrey that receiued the doctrine of the Gospell THE REFORMED CHVRCH CAluin It is euident that publicke prayers ought to be pronounced not in Greeke amongst the Latines neyther in Latine amongst the French-men and English-men as heretofore hath beene vsed but in the vulgar tongue to the end that they might bee vnderstood by the people for it is conuenient that all bee done in the Church to edification for no man receiueth any fruite from an vnknowne language THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Albeit the Masse doth containe much instruction for faithfull people Neueruerthelesse it seemed not expedient to the Fathers that it should bee celebrated euery where in the vulgar tongue ANNOTATION IN the Catholike Church of the East VVest North and South is manifestly accomplished that Scripture which saith That all languages doe confesse the Lord. The Church of Rome onely say the Protestants labours to hinder the same They will not permit the Masse nor any part of Diuine seruice to bee celebrated in the French tongue in Fraunce and which is more they haue brought their Latine seruice into America But the people cannot say Amen to any purpose if they vnderstand not that which is said in the Church their vowes and their intentions cannot be ioyned together with those of the Priest The Priest and the people which speake a language vnknowne and barbarous each to other may thinke one thing and say another behold here the confusion Likewise one may gather by the places or sentences before alleadged that the foresaid Apostolicke Churches prohibite not at all the reading of the holy Scripture for if it be permitted to the Laicks yea commaunded to be present at the reading therof being written in the vulgar tongue it followeth that they may reade it also in priuate There are Romane Catholickes which on the contrary side doe abhorre and hate the same Their Doctors and Teachers not being ashamed to say that the Translation of the holy Scripture into the vulgar tongue is the mother of heresies But there are many Catholikes in the Church of Rome which are not of this opinion and who reade attentiuely the holy Scripture Immitating therefore the practise of the Catholike Church we will say That the language of the Countrey ought to bee vsed in euery Church and that it is good to read the holy Scriptures and to heare them read in the vulgar tongue QVESTION XXXIII Whether the Ordination of the Ministers of the Church doth depend on the Pope of Rome THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch Ordinations are no further respected of vs then the holy Canons haue prescribed And as touching the Ordination of a Bishoppe the first Canon of the Apostles teacheth vs thus That a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishoppes and a Priest by a Bishoppe in like manner the Deacons and the rest Nichol. The foure Patriarches are created and elected by the Metropolitans of the Prouinces who aboue all other things take great care to elect him who is amongst them the maturest in yeares wisedome and holinesse Gagninus All the Metropolitans of the Ruthenians and Moscouites haue their authoritie from the Patriarch of Constantinople and in the beginning the Metropolitan was elected and chosen by the iudgment and consent of the Bishops and Abbots and of all the spirituall orders but now the great Duke of Moscouia hath this authority Theuet Within the Iland of Gezert doth the Patriarch of the sect of the Nestorians make his residence And also there the
chiefest Bishoppe resideth being ordained to giue Orders of Priesthood and Ministerie according to the Perswasion and Custome of the Nestorians THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares The Patriarch of the great Negus who is ouer all Aethiopia is called Abuna without whom there is none found which hath authority to make Priests but by him alone THE REFORMED CHVRCH MOnsieur du Plessis If our aduersaries aske vs what was the vocation of those first Ministers which vndertooke the Reformation of the Church in these last dayes we wil answere that it is the very same vocation and succession whereof they bragge But that vocation which they abuse our men haue well vsed And to the vaine succession which they so much stand vpon wee haue added the succession of true doctrine without the which all succession is but continuance of abuse and a vaine title For Iohn Hus Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Capito Martyr and others out of whose schoole the Ministers are come forth were Priests Curates and Doctors in Diuinitie I forbeare to speake of Archbishops Bishops and Cardinals in Germany England Italy and Fraunce THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Canon Renouantes Renuing the auncient priuiledges of the Patriarchall Seates we doe ordaine that after the Romane Church which by the disposing of God obtaineth the principalitie of the ordinarie power and authority ouer al the rest as a Mother and Mistresse of all the faithfull Children of Christ that of Constantinople haue the first place that of Alexandria the second that of Antiochia the third and that of Ierusalem the fourth reseruing for each one her proper dignitie in such sort that after that their Prelates haue receiued the Pall or Robe of the Bishoppe of Rome the which is the liuery of the plenitude of the Pontificall Office and made vnto him the Oath of obedience and fidelity they likewise haue license to giue the foresaid Pall to their Suffragans receiuing of them the Canonicall profession and taking of them promise of obedience to the Church of Rome ANNOTATION THe question is not here to know in what part of Christendome the true succession and Ordination is to bee found and which is the Church that hath it not This cannot bee found out by the Tradition of the Churches and the greater number therof for euery one seuerally doth condemne in generall and in particular all the rest It is sufficient to know whether they beleeue that it is necessary for Bishops and Priests to take their ordination from one head or cheefe whosoeuer he be It may be gathered out of the Authors afore alleadged that they doe thinke that the Apostles hauing left Successors behind them in all parts and quarters those Successors had power to ordaine Bishops Neuerthelesse for order sake the Church hath giuen particular charge and authoritie to the Patriarkes and Metropolitanes to ordaine other Bishops Also the Bishops of Constantinople Ierusalem Antiochia Alexandria and others haue equall authoritie euery one in his owne quarter and they are installed into their charges by those of their quarter without incroaching one vpon another Also those of the Clergie of England haue their odinay and lawfull ordination for if the Church of England did voluntarily submit it selfe to receiue Ordination and Confirmation from the Church of Rome she might challenge her auncient right Touching the Pastors and Euangelicall Doctors of other places the Romane Catholikes doe thinke them as much or rather more intruded without vocation seeing that Luther and Zuinglius themselues and others were no Bishops and consequently excluded by their Canons from the power to ordaine But the answere is that indeed a Priest alone as a Priest cannot ordaine but a Priest authorised by a companie of Priests may for he hath the place and power of the body of the Presbetery If a companie of Priests cannot make a Priest a Bishop the Pope could not be a lawfull Bishop of Rome for he is not made Bishop of Rome but by Priests and Cardinall Deacons that is to say the principallest of the Church of Rome it followeth therefore That Ordination dependeth not vpon an vniuersall head but onely vpon the Patriarkes or Metroplitanes of euery place QVESTION XXXIIII Whether Priests and Deacons may marry as well by Gods law as by Ecclesiasticall law THE EAST CHVRCHES THeuet The Priests in India are married and neuerthelesse cease not to execute their duties and offices Item The Priests of the Armenians are married as all the rest of the East Countreyes Item No man is made Deacon in Moscouia that is not married neuerthelesse he is not permitted to marry twise and he that marrieth twise remaineth amongst the Lay people and he that remaineth continent although he cannot sacrifice by reason of age yet doth he assist at the Sacrifice Vilam In Syria the Priests are married as in Greece in briefe they doe imitate very neare the vse and customes of the Grecians Scarga The Russians and Moscouites admit no man to be Priest that hath not a wife Theuet In Cyprus the Bishops haue in all ages bin married as well as the Priests THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga Episcopus The reason why Priests are married with vs is because that Saint Paul thought it better both for the Clergie and Laitie to marrie then to burne He himselfe saith that a Bishop ought to be the husband of one wife irreprehensible and sober and the Deacons likewise Item The Bishops and Priests cannot marry twise vnlesse the Patriarke will dispence with them Aluares It was demaunded of me in the presence of Prester-Iohn wherefore we doe not obserue the Statutes of the holy Councell of Nice seeing therein it was ordained that Priests should marrie and a little after hee saith thus Besides his Maiesty caused me to speake more concerning the marriages of Priests asking me if it was euer knowen that the Apostles were married Wherevnto I answered that I remembred not that euer they married any woman after that they were called by Iesus Christ and although that Saint Peter had a daughter that was before such time as he was of the number of the Apostles but they told me that their bookes did commaund that they should marry the which expresly Saint Peter had in charge THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of England We say that marriage is holy and honourable in all kind of people and each estate and as Saint Chrysostome saith that it is lawfull for a married man to mount vp to the Episcopall Chaire THE LATIN CHVRCH POpe Lucius Let such Ministers Priests and Deacons of the Altar be chosen for the seruices of the Lord as obserue and keepe continency ANNOTATION THe Latines do note aboue all the rest that the Christians of the East South and North are contrary to them in this point as well as the Protestants The vulgar thinke that there is no other difference The foresaid people notwithstanding doe differ from the Protestants in this one point that
restraine them from becomming Lay-men againe THE EAST CHVRCHES GAgnin If any Priest that is a Widdower doe marry with another woman which is at liberty he is depriued of his charge and must not communicate with the Clergie THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares If it happen that a married Priest doe accompany with another woman he shall be prohibited to enter into the Church because that the Lay-people enter not within or doe not enter within the Closset where the Clerkes be and shall not participate of their Reuenues This I know to be true because that I saw one which was called before the Patriarch for being found a bedde with a woman the which he could not denie and confessed the same in my presence for punishment whereof hee was forbidden to carry anie more the Crosse in his hand and condemned to take vpon him the estate of a secular man Moreouer If a Priest that is a widdower doe happen to marrie with a woman that is to say without dispensation as Zaga sayth he must remaine amongst the Lay people Alphonsus de Castro The Armenians doe hold that in the Sacrament of orders there is no grace bestowed which they hold likewise of the rest of the Sacraments THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Ecclesiasticall Discipline of the Frenchmen The Ministers shall be deposed and degraded that teach false doctrine if after that they haue beene sufficiently aduertised they doe not desist THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Forasmuch as in this Sacrament of orders is imprinted a Character which cannot be defaced raised out or taken away as in Baptisme and in Confirmation The holy Councell hath iust occasion to reiect as damnable the opinion of those which say that Priests haue a power which endureth onely for a time and that they may retire backe againe into their first estate and condition of Lay people ANNOTATION THis before spoken sheweth the consent of foure Churches against the Councell of Trent It is true that the Grecians in their answer to the Diuines of Wittemberge doe speake of a Spragis a Seale or marke Socolouius interpreteth it a Character peraduenture willing to perswade men that the foresaid Churches do hold with the Romane Church that in the soules of Clerkes there is an indeleble and perpetuall Character so surely imprinted that after their death it may be knowen It appeareth not that they haue this opinion howsoeuer it be both they and the Africanes doe hold the opinion which the Councel of Trent doth call damnable to wit That there is not any such indeleble or perpetuall Character which hindereth a Clergie man to take againe vpon him the estate of a secular man QVESTION XXXVII Whether that the annointing of the sicke be a Sacrament and whether the obseruation thereof be now necessary THE EAST CHVRCH SAcranus The Russians doe say that the Sacrament of extreme vnction cannot giue any remedie against the staine of sinne and that S. Iames speaking of vnction did meane that it was onely to helpe and cure bodily infirmities Vilamont The Grecians doe denie the Sacrament of confirmation and Extreame Vnction THE SOVTH CHVRHCES THe Confession of Zaga It is to be noted that with vs confirmation and the Chrisme or the oile of extreame vnction are not held for Sacraments nay they are not in vse as I see here they are in these parts according to the custome of the Church of Rome Aluares The Abyssins vse neither Chrisme nor oyle of extreame vnction THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of the Swizers Confirmation and Extreame Vnction are mans inventions whereof the Church may ridde it selfe without any damage and we haue them not in our Churches THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent This holy Vnction or annointing of the sicke was instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ as a true and proper Sacrament of the newe Testament The vertue of this Sacrament is the grace of the holy Ghost the vnction whereof serues to wipe out the guilt of sinne if there be any as yet to purge ANNOTATION SAint Iames commaundeth to annoint the sicke and to pray for them and addeth that praier by faith bringeth health and remission of sinnes Here is a difference betweene the Romane Catholike Church and the reformed Church The Churches of Affrica and Asia which doe vse it are manifestly on the Protestants part As touching the Greeke Church those that haue trauelled those parts doe protest vnto vs that this vnction or anointing is not also in vse there Neuerthelesse Ieremie writeth that they hold it vntill this present time as a Mystery It is peraduenture likely that the vse of oyle hath beene deliuered by some one or other of the Apostles but it is cleare that it was ordained by S. Iames it is his Tradition which since his time hath beene obserued of vs. Those of that Countrey do tell vs that they holde it not necessary and therefore it is not vsed although they holde it as a Mysterie to fill vp the tale of the seuen holy numbers Sacranus witnesseth that in his time which is but a hundred yeares since the Moscouites and consequently the Grecians did beleeue that this oile was onely to heale diseases But because that Ieremie sayth that it serueth for the body and the soule and alleadgeth for it the very text of Saint Iames one may easily reconcile that place in saying that the vnction properly regardeth corporall diseases Neuerthelesse consequently it was a marke of remission because that God giueth not the one without the other And therefore a man may by this which hath beene spoken gather that the meaning of the Churches is That the annointing of the sicke is one of the seuen Mysteries Neuerthelesse the vse thereof is not at this time necessary in regard that the same was purposely Instituted for the miraculous healing of Diseases QVESTION XXXVIII VVhether there be seuen Mysteries in the Church and whether that two of them may be called Sacraments THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie In the Catholike Church of the Orthodox Christians there are seuen Mysteries or Celebrations that is to say Baptisme the annointing with holy oile the holy Communion imposition of hands marriage repentance and holy oyle THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe confession of Zaga It is to be noted that with vs Confirmation and Chrisme or the oyle of extreame vnction are not holden for Sacraments THE LATIN CHVRCH THe councell of Trent If any man say that the Sacraments of the new law haue not beene all instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ or that there are more or lesse then seuen that is to say Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Penance Extreame Vnction Orders and Marriage or that any one of them is not truely and properly a Sacrament Let him be accursed THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of England We doe acknowledge two Sacraments which ought to be called by that name that is to say Baptisme and the Eucharist ANNOTATION HEre is a question
he consider the persons time and place Those Fathers might defend themselues as hauing the Spirit resting vpon them insignes which is not granted to the meaner sort of people The Christians of the East haue beene alwayes giuen to ceremonies It was the custome to bowe the head before the Images of Kings and Princes Artabanus king of Persia saith Suetonius worshipped the Eagles and the Images of the Emperous The Grecians at this time doe argue thus If it be lawfull to vncouer the head in passing by the Image of a King why not in like manner by the Image of Iesus Christ They of these Countries doe answere that it is not the custome amongst them to vncouer their heads before the Images of Kings whosoeuer should doe it would be held ridiculous In like manner if a man should doe so before the Image of a Saint the Protestants would call it superstition The Romane Catholikes doe passe very often by Churches and Images without once mouing their hats or bowing their bodies Neither doe they so when they take in hand their Howers or the holy Bible The custome in these parts is to put off the hat when in publik acts the King is named Moreouer the Protestants in England doe ordaine that men put off their hats at Sermons when they heare the name of Iesus In like manner all countries haue their customes that which is ridiculous and superstitious in one place is held and esteemed comely and religious in another The most expedient way would be in stead of calling one another Idolaters and Heretickes to exhort one another charitably to doe all to edification to auoid the appeareance of euill and excesse and not to scandalize the Infidels and vnbeleeuers If any Infidell doe enter into the Church saith S. Paul will not he say that you are out of your wits In like manner when an Infidell or vnbeleeuer doth see a Christian praying with his eies fixed vpon an Image will not he say that he speaketh to the Image Intreaties obtestations and mutuall demonstrations doe serue sometimes to procure the peace of the Church but iniurious speeches will neuer take away schismes and the passages or places of Scripture which are alledged to make that seeme vnlawfull which is but vndecent do not cause eyther the superstitious to leaue their superstition or the lesse deuout their irreligion The strife founded vpon the Equiuocation of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edifies as little A great part of the Church will neuer consent to a manifest alteration Those that gouerne the Church doe sweare at their entrance to follow the tract of their Predecessors but it happeneth very often that euill customes doe ware away by laps of time although not so fast as those which are good The Church of Rome neuer staieth vpon these termes as Wicelius a Romane Catholike writeth yea one that was verie much affectionate If I would saith he I could produce the testimony of the Primitiue Church by the which the vse of the intercession of Saints is coroborated But as I doe affirme this so I also confesse that it doth greeue me that vnder pretext of I know not what Dulia it is affirmed that one may and ought to honour with adoration the Saints and their Images The Diuines of the auncient Church haue preached to the people that they must honour but not worshippe or adore the Saints Well then if they haue truely spoken thus of the Saints what thinke you would they haue said of the Statues and Images of Saints worshipped in Appearance and honored with the manner of Diuine worshippe Those who in Churches adore Images through any appearance seeme not much vnlike those which in times past worshipped Gods and Goddesses Where is the sobrietie of our vnderstanding to bow or stoope before carued or molten Images contrary to the law of God vnlesse peraduenture wee would offend the Iewes the Sarasins and those which are parted from vs through such like enormities The strange nations of whom we haue spoken to wit the Christians of the East and South haue very holily kept and obserued the law of God touching adoration and haue honoured the soules of the Saints in rendering to God that which appertaineth to God and to the Saints that which appertaineth to the Saints for who can find colours alwaies to excuse himselfe if he daily being too much giuen to vice doe foolishly search out extremities by mistaking the meane From this discourse of Wicelius a man may learne two things First that the Churches of the East and of Affrica are not fallen into the errour of the Latines Secondly that in the Church of Rome there are good people which will not be Idolaters no not in outward appeareance They are to be well aduised whether it be tollerable for them to stay in the Church of Rome and to call her Mother and Mistresse and to hold them for heretickes which doe depart from her and yet withall to call her Mother and Mistresse of Idolatrie For it is certaine that she approueth not onely the appeareance of euill which Wicelius condemneth but also the euill it selfe And for the same cause Thomas of Aquin. hath beene canonised by her yea honoured by a solemne feast as a Saint and a true Teacher and it is he that maintaineth that a man ought to adore and worshippe Images with the same adoration or worshippe as the thing represented to wit the Image of Iesus Christ with Latria and those of the Saints with Dulia in such sort that the Images are also the obiect of adoration against which doctrine the learned Earle Picus hath written who neuerthelesse denieth not that a man ought to adore Images but not saith he with that adoration which Thomas maintaineth Some man may aske if Thomas went beyond the meane in the adoration of Images how shall we call that errour and vice The Image adored with Latria shal it not be an Idole and he that adoreth it in like maner shal he not be called an Idolater But this opinion is not yet forgone in the Church of Rome Cardinall Bellarmine their great Doctor maintaineth it We must not saith hee adore the Images onely by accident or improperly as the Grecians say but also properly and in themselues The foresaid Christian people are also contrarie to the Church of Rome in that they will not haue the Diuine essence painted especially in the Churches and follow the opinion of their Doctor Damascen although that there are some Grecians in places neare to Italy which take libertie herein as may be seene in their Horologies printed at Venice Moreouer they abhorre Images of Gould Siluer wood and stone as smelling of Paganish idolatry and haue none but pictures The conclusion of this question according to the opinion of the foresaid people is That it is lawfull but not necessary neither peraduenture profitable to bow or vncouer the head before Churches Altars Crosses Pourtraitures or Images of Saints or
in handling holy Reliques or the bookes of the holy Scripture That it is some appearance of Idolatrie to passe these limits That it is plaine Idolatry to adore Images properly That it is an imitation of the Pagans to haue Images of releefe in Churches That it is follie and impiety to make an image of God QVESTION XLIII Whether it be lawfull to vowe single life whether Monkes ought to be of diuers Orders and whether it be lawfull for them to begge THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie the generall Patriarch You say that you prohibite not good workes Neuerthelesse you account holy-daies Ceremonies regular fasting and monastical life vnprofitable workes that is not well done neither doth it agree with the holy Fathers For if you doe approue al good works you will aproue these things for they are good and for instance Basil the great saith that a contemplatiue life hath one chiefe end that is to say the saluation of the soule Theuet Neare to mount Sinai you shall finde at this present a religious order of Monkes which are of good conuersation and holy life founded in times past by the great Emperour Iustinian The Grecians do say that it was the first Monasterie of their religion for others they haue none neither would the Grecian and Trapezontine Emperours euer haue any other order but that of S. Basil Bishoppe of Cesaria who instituted his order of Monkes in the East about the yeare of our Lord 380. He caused those that professed his order to vow chastitie which were not receiued till they had attayned to the age of eight and twenty yeares Gemistius Pletho If the people giuen to meditation doe not labour it is a superstition the third kind of impietie THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares In all the Dominions of Prester Iohn there is but one order of Religion which is of Saint Anthonie the Hermite Item the greatest traficke in Faires and Markets is made by Monkes Zaga-zabo Bishop of Aethiopia With vs the Priests Monkes and all the Ministers of the Church doe liue by their labour for the Church hath not nor receiueth not any Tythes Neuerthelesse the Church hath reuenues and lands which the Monkes doe Till and labour themselues and it is not lawfull for them to begge from doore to doore neither to wrest or wring any Almes from the people THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent In any Religion whatsoeuer as well of men as of women they must not make profession before sixteene yeres be accomplished Sixtus quartus Let not the Parish Priests hereafter say that heresies are arisen of Mendicant Friers seeing that in truth our faith hath beene illuminated and the Church exalted by them and especially by the Orders of the Iacobins and Franciscans THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of the Suizers Those that haue receiued from heauen the gift of a single life so that they are pure in heart and soule ought to serue the Lord in that vocation so farre forth as they feele themselues endued with this Diuine gift for such men are more fit to set their minds on heauenly things thē those that are distracted with the affaires of their families The Confession of Bohemia There are bountifull and peculiar promises made to them that are such and singular recompenses so that a great reward shall be giuen to this excellent worke to wit To him that shall voluntarily leaue Father Mother Brethren and Wife Those which haue receiued this gift ought to take heede lest they loose it Neuerthelesse there must no snares be laide for any Caluin We reiect not Monasticke vowes for any other reason but that they are rashly made by those which haue not the power to keepe them Idem Saint Austine prooueth that it is not lawful for Munkes to liue in idlenesse Idem Looke how many Monasteries there are in these dayes so many conuenticles are there of Schismatickes And to the end that their diuision might be better knowen they haue giuen themselues diuers names They are not ashamed to glory in that which S. Paule had in execration saying that the Corinthians did diuide Christ when they said I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ And now a daies they thinke that they may without doing any iniurie to Christ call themselues Benedictans Franciscans Dominicans ANNOTATION THere are three things to bee regarded in a Monasticall life First the will to liue in a Chaste single life ioyned with the deede Iesus Christ approueth this will and this estate That is the cause that the Grecians did extoll it following S. Basil but with hyperbolicall termes as may bee seene in their answere to the Diuines of Wittemberg They beleeue that if it be a Diuine and supernaturall guift then it ought not to bee esteemed vnprofitable neither as a humane inuention The hate which a man beareth to the abuse of a thing ought not to preiudice the true vse of it They call that life Angelicall Acertaine Grecian expounding that word hath told vs that they beleeue that the life of the Caloiers is Angelicall as long as they doe good but diabolicall as long as they doe euill Secondly is to be noted the Custome of those that will follow this institution to associate themselues in Colledges The Protestants condemne not that The Monasteries say they were in times past houses where some did labour and worke with their hands others did exercise themselues to serue in the Church The third thing to bee noted is the Vow The Protestants likewise do not absolutely condemne it but in that saith Caluin it is made by those that haue not the power to accomplish that which they haue vowed the same Author doth thinke that a Vow may be taken at threescore yeeres of age For S. Paul saith Let not a widdow be taken into the number vnder that age That Canon of Saint Paul hath not beene obserued by his successors for afterward were they receiued at fiftie yeeres of age and after that at fortie Neuerthelesse the same is continued and is as yet held in the East Churches because it is necessarie that he that Voweth should haue knowledge by long experience that he hath receiued of God power to accomplish and performe that which hee hath vowed contrarie to which the doctrine of the Councell of Trent is which saith that a Vowe may be made at sixteene yeeres of age The foresaid Churches would not allow of diuers Sects of Munkes and Friers and therein are differing from the Latine Church or rather contrarie to it As touching the begging of Munkes the proofes before alleadged doe shew that these Churches approoue it not Amongst the Latines themselues there were many which haue condemned it as Pope Nicholas the third saith In the Churches of Africa the solemne vowes of chastitie Pouertie Obedience are not vsed as in the Church of Rome Therfore the beliefe of the foresaid Churches is
CATHOLIQVE TRADITIONS OR A TREATISE OF THE BELIEFE OF THE CHRISTIANS OF ASIA EVROPA AND AFRICA in the Principall Controuersies of our TIME IN FAVOVR OF THE LOVERS Of the CATHOLICKE Trueth and the Peace of the CHVRCH Written in French by Th. A. I. C. And Translated into English by L. O. LONDON Printed by W. STANSBY for HENRY FETHERSTONE and are to be sold at his Shoppe in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Rose 1609. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE HENRY Prince of Great BRITAINE MY GRACIOVS LORD GReat Attempts become great Princes And is there a greater or a more worthy enterprise more holy in it selfe and more comfortable to the world then the re-establishing of peace in the Church and the refreshing of Christendome through the reconcilement of the differences which ignorance auarice and ambition haue hatched and which passion and stomacke doe as yet maintaine And is there any Prince more worthy for the sincerity of his life more capable for his solide iudgement and rare knowledge in all good sciences especially in those that belong to God and godlinesse then that great King your father the nurs-father of learning Who I say more fit for this great businesse then Hee as well for his eminent dignitie power credite and authority amongst the Christian Princes of the West as also for the experience which he hath in the managing of the like affaires hauing already well nigh pacified those diuisions which the ouermuch scruple of some and the too too much libertie of others had brought into the Church of England vnto the which conformity he hath also most happily reduced the Church of Scotland to be conioyned and re-vnited both in discipline and ceremonies that he may attainne to that marke which he aimes at that is a holy and strict vnion as well in the religion as in the state of all the people and Countries vnder his obedience Who I say can with more hope of good successe vndertake so excellent a peece of worke then he whom the heauens haue so richly endowed with such rare qualities as I haue sayed and other perfections truely heroique and admirable And you my renowned Lord after him and with him for to second him in such a goodly and honourable enterprise seeing that already by reason of the generosity of your spirit the happy education of your youth the imitation of so rare an example and that at home and of your owne Father and aboue all the rest by reason of the bountie and courage of your nature you are the second hope of great Britane and make men expect great and mighty desseignes at your hands and such shal be profitable to all Christendome and if it please God to be one day a principall instrument to tame these damnable Monsters of wicked factions and pernitious sects which haue almost made a spoile of the body of Christ his Church yet not so much doubtlesse through the diuersity of beleefes in the matter of faith which is the soule and essence of religion for the which we are greatly to praise God As for the differences of Ecclesiasticall rytes and ceremonies whereof your highnesse shall see here a patterne or plat-forme established only to shew to the world that in the three other Clymates yea euen among the blind Pagans and impious Mahometists the name of the Sonne of God is knowne and called vpon if not with so much puritie yet surely with more pietie although that their doctrine is not so subtilly expounded then amongst vs and shall be more and more God willing toward the end of the world according to the Propheticall and Euangelicall promises and in the issue to conuince and confound those which doe empale and enclose the Church of Iesus Christ within the circuite of their walles or within the limits of one Prouince or else within the regions of those people who hold one selfe same opinion and are obedient to one chiefe or head aboue all other Iesus Christ is the grand Soueraigne and vniuersal Patriarch of al his Church and the holy Ghost saith that it neither hath nor shall haue any other bounds or limits then the whole compasse of the round world and which is more that it shall haue his presence and assistance for euer although for the ingratitude of men not at all times nor in all places with like glorie and efficacie The Sunne neuer ceaseth to shine vpon the earth but not euery day and in euery place with the like brightnesse This enterprise of Reconciliation my gratious Lord hath been attempted not once or twice but often in ages past as well by calling of Councells as by publicke conferences as for example that with the Donatists through the mediation of Saint Augustine at Carthage where the end was happie enough and might in some sort serue for a paterne in the differences of this age as also the conference at Ratisbon vnder the authority of the Emperour Charles the fift for Germanie and for Fraunce that at Poisi in the raigne of Charles the ninth And besides these publicke meetings and conferences there haue beene found learned iudicious and moderate men not a a few from time to time who bearing a great zeale to the peace of the Church haue opened and shewed certaine meanes and wayes euery one according to his knowledge and conscience But these discoueries of the trueth haue found no place in the hearts of them that were lead with passion but will by all possibilitie bring foorth better fruit hereafter in their due season that is to say When as God being first ouercomeby our Repentance Cries and Prayers shall cause that lamentable Schisme to cease being one of the greatest Plagues that euer happned or could happen among Christians Your Highnesse shal see by marking that which I haue here compiled out of them and their writings how the difficultie of reconciliation for a great part of our controuersies whether it be with the East or South Churches or between our selues of the Westerne Churches lies not so much in the things themselues which fall in question as in the peruerse opinion of the disputants and that those things wherein we agree are a thousand times of more importance to the glorie of God and our saluation then those things wherein we varie and disagree and shall haue farre more reason to loue vs for those things wherein we agree then for to hate and persecute vs cruelly for those things which remaine as yet to be auoided from among vs yea seeing the greater part of our disputations happen for want of vnderstanding the state of the controuersies in question or els by reason of our termes and fashion of speaking but farre more for want of conceiuing the true sense of the holy Scripture which also some great men of our time haue shewed manifestly in certain points of doctrine which were iudged irreconcileable wherein was manifested Gods iustice against our sinnes of presumption curiosity vaine-glory enuie auarice and ambition I say the
the beginning therefore he that is a Melchite is a Catholike and whosoeuer holdeth a contrary opinion is an Hereticke It is this heresie that keepeth the kingdome of Nauarre vnder the Spanish yoke It is this heresie that brought that frowning fortune into our France and had bene the ruine of her if her great and inuincible Melech seconded by faithfull Melchites otherwise called Polititians had not preserued and defended her with the grace and assistance of him which is the onely giuer and translater of Monarchies It is this Heresie that the most Puissant and mightie King of Great Britaine indeuoreth to quench abolish in the hearts of his subiects a heresie which for a while lyeth hid vnder ashes but meeting with any proper matter will breake into a great combustion Euery one may here see that the most part of Christians doe reiect this opinion yea the Romanes themselues although they suffer the Pope of Rome to maintaine it in the Canons Wee will then conclude according to the generall voice That the Primate of the Catholike Church whether he be at Constantinople or at Rome or at Alexandria hath no power or authoritie ouer Temporall Common-wealthes QVESTION VII Whether all the doctrine necessarie to saluation may bee taken out of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica This is not then the cause of this difference and much lesse the whole bodie of the Scripture as if it were too short No it is not vttered openly and plainely wherof this question is for to accuse the Scripture is as great a fault as to accuse God but God is voyd of all blame Lombard The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth onely from the Father the which they beleeue say they because that the Gospell which containeth wholy the Faith that is to say the doctrine of the faith maketh mention of the Father onely The King of Moscouia If the Gospell had not bene written how could the word of God haue bene vnderstood and if the Apostles had not reduced into writing their delegation or Commission how had it bene knowen to the world that they were sent to men Sacranus The Russians say that the teachers of the Latin Church are not credible because they teach but that they receiue from the Greeke Doctors conditionally that they find nothing therein contrary to their owne opinion Annot. The Christians of the East are marueilous iealous of the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Fathers neuerthelesse they hold that the Scripture is necessarie against those that say that the Church may erre Moreouer they hold the same sufficient and a rule of Faith and therefore admit not altogether the Greeke and Latin Doctors but iudge of their doctrine which they could not doe but by examining it by the rule of Scripture THE SOVTH CHVRCH A Luares It was demaunded of me whether all those things that is to say the customes of the Romane Church were contained in our Bookes and whether they seemed better vnto me then those which they vse I answered that I found our bookes reduced into a better order then their bookes were because that since the time of the Apostles wee haue had alwayes great masters and teachers which were neuer imployed in any other vocation but to compose and gather together the holy Scriptures and passages of the Prophets and Apostles scattered in many volumes They replied vnto me that they had fourescore and one bookes of the olde and new Testament and asked whether we had more I answered that we had tenne times more drawne and extracted out of the olde and new Testament enriched with many expositions wherein was contained very deepe doctrine Prester-Iohn caused one to tell me that he was not ignorant of the great quantitie of bookes which we haue but that he desired verie much to know their names Damianus a Goes The Abyssins say that they haue all the writings of Moses and the Prophets and other bookes of the old Testament the foure Euangelists and all the Epistles of S. Paul and that they want not any booke of the holy Scripture whereof they recyted a Catalogue in my presence Neuerthelesse the Bishop Zaga an Ethiopian seemeeth to count the bookes of the Bible otherwise for he saith that in the new Testament there are fiue and thirtie peraduenture he comprehends those which Aluars saith that they call Manda and Abetilis diuided into eight parts but the same Abyssins doe beleeue that the holy Scripture is sufficient for saluation without those for they denie not the name of true Christians to those that haue not those bookes and therefore they hold them not to be of equall authority with the other The same Authour saith that the Abyssins beleeue not that there is any power whether Councel or whatsoeuer able to make lawes which binde the conscience much lesse such doctrine as is not grounded vpon the Scripture Annot. The Ethiopians are of the opinion of the Reformed if they meane those foure-score and one bookes which are in the Volume of the Bible for the same number is to be found if one reckon the Epistle of Ieremie for one booke by it selfe and if one doe seperate the Histories which are not found but in Greeke added to the bookes of Daniel and Hester Moreouer it is to be noted that the Abyssins do limite that which they holde for the word of God within the number of foure score and one bookes against the opinion of the word not written and they demand if the fashion and manner of celebrating the Masse is to be found in the holy Scripture Aluares a Roman Catholik answereth them cleane besides the matter saying that the Romane Church hath Doctors and Teachers which haue a doctrine farre greater and more perfect then that of the olde and new Testament The Reformed Church subscribe not willingly to this Article for they make a contrary Article as hereafter followeth THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the French Church We do beleeue that the word which is conteined in these bookes proceedes from God of whom it taketh his authority and not of men And forasmuch as it is the rule of all truth and verity conteining all that is necessary for the seruice of God and our saluation it is not lawfull for men neither for the Angels themselues to adde diminish or change it THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH I. Maior It is to be noted that wee doe hold many things to be diuine Law which are not expresly conteined in the Diuine law to wit in the holy Scripture neyther may they euidently be deduced from thence As for example not to ordaine a woman to be Priest or the institution of any one order In like manner we read not in the new Testament and much lesse in the old that the soueraigne Bishopricke was graunted to the Successors of S. Peter yet notwithstanding wee hold the soueraigne Bishopricke is by Diuine law The councell of Trent
were and haue beene since in the Canon of the Hebrewes wherein the books of the Maccabees VVisedome and the third and fourth booke of Esdras are not conteined That the Authours of these bookes were not as the Prophets inspired of God who confirmed their doctrine with Miracles this is the cause why the Church in that time receiued the one into the Canonicall authoritie and not the other That the Catholike Church much lesse the Romane cannot make newe Articles of Faith To affirme that the Auncient Church knewe not nor taught the verity in that behalfe and that the Church hath had since new reuelations is an absurd thing In fine that they first which numbred these Deutero-canonicall or Ecclesiasticall with the Propheticall intended not to equalize them but rather thought good to put them in the Volume of the holy Bible because that there are good precepts in them and Histories whereby one may see the estate of the Church after the time of the Prophees vntill the comming of the Redeemer The Councell of Trent doth hold likewise for Apocrypha and in suspect the 4. book of Esdras although it be in the volume of the Bible There are also learned men of great account in the Catholike Romane Church as Cardinall Caietane Nicholas de Lyra and others which hold not the bookes of Maccabees for authenticall books And the generall voyce is that The bookes of Wisedome Syrach the third and fourth of Esdras the Maccabees and others although that they may perhaps call them Canonicall haue not equall authority with the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles QVESTION IX Whether the Latine Translation be of the same authoritie with the Originall Hebrew and Greeke written by the Prophets and Apostles THE EAST CHVRCH NIcholas The christians of the East say that the Popes of Rome whom they hold for heretikes together with their Sectaries haue wholly corrupted and changed the Gospel and other books of our Religion in taking away and adding that which seemed to them most fit to serue their insatiable couetousnesse The King of Moscouia The Chapters which thou cytest out of Apostolicall epistles and Gospels agree not with ours Here Lasicius marke that which followeth The writings of the Apostles are otherwise distinguished by the Russians then by vs for in their language there is in S. Matthew 116. chapters the most part of them so little that there is sometimes but three little verses therein according as the sense of the discourse requireth and a little after he saith that all that was done by one Cyrillus a Priest of the Church of Constantinople which they doe obey who vnderstood the Sclauonian tongue Aug. Eugub saith that the Grecians hold the translation of the seuentie Interpreters which almost quite through differeth from the latine Translation Aluares saith that Prester-Iohn asked him how many of the Prophets had foretold the comming of Iesus Christ I answered saith he that there was not any one amongst them which made not some mention of his comming Afterward hee asked him how many bookes S. Paul had written who answered one booke diuided into many epistles Annot. This discourse sheweth that the Churches of Ethiope haue neuer seene the Latin Bible of the Church of Rome and regarded not to approue it if they found it differing from the Hebrew THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE VVEST THe confession of the Swizers We doe receiue onely that Interpretation of the Scriptures for Orthodoxal and lawful which is taken out of the Scripture it selfe expounded according to the true sense and meaning of the language wherein they were written VVhitaker Wee Englishmen doe hold that the Latine translation of the Church of Rome is in very many places miserably corrupted and falsified and that it is not authenticall and that the Hebrewe and Greeke edition is sincere Scripture THE ROMAN OCCIDENTAL CHVRCH THe councell of Trent The Councell considering that no smal profit would redound to the Church if of many Latine editions of the holy Scriptures one were knowne to be Authenticke doth ordaine and declare that the same vulgar edition bee held for such and that none be so bold to reiect it vpon what pretence soeuer ANNOTATION THe Authour of the vulgar Latin translation is not knowen The Romane Catholikes say that it is the labour of S. Ierome The Reformed Churches doe thinke that S. Ierome was not the Authour thereof Neuerthelesse the Councell of Trent doth authorise it Cardinall Bellarmine affirmeth that that Translation is true and that the originall is corrupted But there are many Romane Catholikes which doe hold the Catholike beleefe and haue made newe Translations and consequently corrected the vulgar Those of the East Churches hold that onely the Greeke Originals written by the Apostles are authenticall And as touching the bookes of the old Testament they allow of the Translation which is called the Translation of the seuentie or of Ptolomeus Neuerthelesse they hold it not for a certainty that those be altogether the translation of the seuenty which carry that name It is thought that the Apostles did vse the Translation of the said seuenty the which neuerthelesse was not altogether comformable with the Hebrew but if they haue approued it then it followeth that there was not any errour in that they haue alledged it Moreouer the Hebrew text is preferred before all other Translations The Latines doe obiect that it is not reasonable to receiue the Hebrew Bible of the Iewes The Greekes doe answere that our Sauiour and his Apostles had the Hebrew Bible and that they left the same to their successors from whom those of this present time haue receiued it from hand to hand and not from the vnbeleeuing Iewes and therefore the vulgar translation was taken from the Hebrew It followeth therefore that the Hebrew was then in the Church or else that the Romane Church hath taken it from the Iewes Masius saith that the Syrians hold for authenticall the Syrian translation of one Theodorus peraduenture they intend not to preferre or equalize it with the originall Hebrew and that the Grecians the Moscouites the Abyssines and the Armenians would attribute each one of them to the translation vsed in their Church as much as the Latins doe attribute to theirs which would be but so many particular opinions each one of them being reiected by the other and therfore the Catholicke assured opinion is That the Latin translation of the Romane Church or any other hath not equall authority with the originall Hebrew and Greeke of the Prophets and Apostles QVESTION X. VVhether the Traditions of the Latin Church are Catholicke and whether all Christian Nations are obliged to obserue them THE EAST CHVRCH NIcolas The Grecians say that they were the first Nations that were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and that in consideration and regard thereof they are the men that truely and purely hold the Traditions of the Primitiue Church as it was preached and
Greekes and the Latins in that point doth onely report the sayings and sentences of the ancient Grecians who say that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne But that hath not satisfied his followers which thinke that the modern Gretians hold not the beleefe of the ancient besids some of the Latin Doctors doe confesse that they vnderstand not well the intention and meaning of the Grecians others doe call them Heretickes and Schismatikes The reformed Churches doe leaue this question with the same irresolution We reiect saith Tilenus the errour or as others tearme it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the moderne Grecians This difference hath beene the cause or at least wise the pretext of the Schisme betwixt the East Churches and the VVest The East Churches who would transport the Primacie to Constantinople pretending that the Pope of Rome abuseth the Church doe take occasion to accuse the Pope vpon this Article that Pope was Nicholas the first by the report of Bellarmine who alledgeth Anthoninus or Adrianus as some will haue it because that he had beene so bolde as to adde of his owne authoritie to the Symbole of Nice that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the sonne and because peraduenture he hath not expounded it fully they of the East haue accused the Latines of constituting two principles and the Latines laying the fault vpon them doe impute vnto them blasphemie saying that they did derogate from the Diuinity of the Sonne of God Lombard and others say that the difference is in words and not in the matter it selfe Peraduenture the Grecians doe denie the procession of the holy Ghost to be from the sonne in one consideration and the Latines do affirme it in another for to know if it be so wee are constrained to enter into very curious considerations of Diuinitie It is therefore necessary to marke that the sonne is considered three manner of waies First as being the Diuine essence and the very same essence with the Father hoc sensu filius non spirat for the actions are of the persons and not of the essence considered apart Secondly the Sonne is to be considered as a Sonne and that formally So the Sonne produceth not the holy Ghost for he which is produced so farre as hee is produced produceth not In the third place the Sonne is to be considered as a person and that is it which S. Austen regarded when he saide that the Sonne hath from the father not onely to be sonne but also to be or his being that is to say to be a distinct person not to be simply the Diuine essence for the Sonne hath the same of himselfe and the person begetteth not the essence but the essence begetteth the person and if the sonne produce not in this maner that is to say as a person then the holy Ghost proceedes not from the Sonne in any wise for as it hath beene said the holy Ghost proceeds not from the Sonn eyther as an essence or as a Sonne Well then if the Grecians say not that he to wit the holy Ghost proceedeth from the essence of the Sonne being simply taken neyther from the Sonne as a Sonne the Latines should not take occasion to condemne them seeing that they say the same But because the Grecians say and that according to the Gospell that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father it is manifest that they denie not the procession of the holy Ghost to be from the Sonne because he proceedeth not from him either as an essence or as a Sonne for if that were so they should denie in like manner his procession to be from the father for the father produced not the holy Ghost as an essence simply for the essence produceth not neither as a father for if he had produced him as a father the holy Ghost should be then his sonne The Grecians doe hold that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father in such a sort as he cannot be saide to proceede from the sonne And they haue reason to say so because the holy Ghost is in the person and from the person of the Sonne the which the father hath begotten as a sonne and the father begot not a Sonne which had not the holy Ghost and his productiue grace and fertility Likewise the father is the cause the Greeke Doctors do vse this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the holy Ghost both as a person primo per se and as a father per filium But the Sonne inspireth not as a sonne primo per se neyther in producing another person which should produce the holy Ghost This obseruation remaineth obscure if it be taken without distinction that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and from the Sonne also the Grecians should seeme to speake more properly then the Latines The auncient Doctors confesse that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father proprie as hee speaketh more properly which saith the King commandeth then he that saith the King goeth for the commandement proceedeth from the King as a King but the King goeth as he is a man If then the Sonne be an inspirer the Father is the cause euen as a father But because that the Grecians do absolutely denie that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne denying thereby that his person is an inspirer a man must take heede least he fall into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if by the word proceede they vnderstand to haue his originall or beginning they say not ill considering the Father alone is the beginning The Diuines doe confesse as much when they call the Sonne Principium quasi Secundarium This word Secundarium destroieth the name of Principium and the word quasi sheweth that it is to speake improperly Yet here one cannot speake properly enough Therefore you may see that the holy Ghost is sayd to proceed from the Father alone in diuers sorts the which the Churches of the East doe regard But they regard not the reasons wherefore he may be said to proceed from the Sonne as also it is very hard to expresse how the person of the Sonne is an inspirer without considering him either as an essence simply or as begotten for in this person is considered but the essence and the relation as those schoole diuines affirme the which relation hath the place of forme from which the action ought to proceed It is likewise very hard to say how the Father inspireth as a person without inspiring neither as a Father nor as an Essence Neuerthelesse we must so say seeing the sonne of God himselfe hath sayd and taught so as his beloued Disciple Saint Iohn testifieth vnto vs which heard it of himselfe But because he hath not said that the holy Ghost proceeds from himselfe the Churches of the East will not say so but do consider the Father as Father and the Sonne as Sonne and they say with their great Doctor Saint Damascenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father
mentioned is gathered that the Churches of the East and South and many of the Catholike Church of Rome doe hold with the Reformed contrary to the Councell of Trent That the faith which God giueth to the repentant is a firme assurance of saluation and consequently that whosoeuer hath this assurance hath the faith which God giueth QVESTION XIII Whether a man may attaine faith or confidence by his free will or doe workes proceeding from faith and such as are profitable vnto saluation by the same THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie It is of vs to chuse and will but it is of God to performe and bring it to effect And beeause that which is most excellent is of him S. Paul attributeth all vnto him imitating therein the custome of men As when we see a house built we atttribute all to the chiefe builder yet neuerthelesse all is not done by him but by the workemen and by the owner that prouided the stuffe but we attribute all vnto him because he hath layed the foundation and is the chiefeth builder In like manner is it here for so saith S. Paul also It is not in him that willeth neither in him that runneth which saying preuenteth two mischiefes the one that no man exalt himselfe for graunt saith he that thou runnest or that thou doest endeuour yet thinke not that which is well done is thine for if thou art not inspired from aboue all is in vaine It is neuerthelesse confessed that thou shalt attaine vnto the end of that which thou desirest because that thou runnest and because thou labourest For he said not simply that wee runne in vaine but that we runne in vaine if we thinke that all is of vs and make not God the principall partie for God would not that all should be from him least he should seeme to crowne vs for no seruice neither that all should be of our selues least we should happen to fall into a foolish opinion of our selues for if we be proud of the least part thereof because it is in vs howe much more should we be if we had all in our selues Item in recyting of S. Chrysostome To the end that the greatnesse of his benefits exalt the not behold how he doth humble thee that is saith hee by giuing grace through faith On the contrary side to the ende that free-will haue no preiudice hee hath also added that which is of vs And againe he hath taken it away for the same saith he is not of vs nay faith it selfe is not of our selues For if he had not called vs how could wee haue beleeued It is the gift of God The Anaphor of the Cophites And therefore O Lord wee thy vnprofitable seruants and miserable strangers whom thou hast vouchsafed to make administrators of thy holy mysteries not by reason of our righteousnesse for wee haue done no good on the earth c. Liturgia Ethiop Giue vs thy holy spirit to the ende that with a pure heart perfect loue and firme hope wee may be bold with confidence and without feare to pronounce that prayer which thy dearely beloued Sonne hath taught his holy Apostles THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent If any one say that the free-will of a man being moued and stirred by God doth not cooperate at all in assenting to God which moued and called it to the end that hee dispose and prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of iustification and that he cannot consent if he would nay rather that he doth nothing at all as a thing without a soule and that he is onely a patient and no agent let him bee accursed Item If any one say that the freewill of a man hath beene so lost and razed out after the fall of Adam that it is a thing without a name or rather a name without a thing and to conclude That it is a fiction that Sathan hath brought into the Church let him be accursed THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the Saxons Those men that were well instructed haue alwaies distinguished outward discipline from the regeneration of the spirite which is the beginning of eternall life and haue taught that in man there is such a freedome of will to rule the externall motions of the body that those which are not regenerate may in some fashion accomplish that discipline which is an externall obedience according to the law But a man cannot deliuer himselfe from sinne and from eternall death by his naturall strength For this deliuerance conuersion of man to God is wrought by the Sonne of God which doth quicken vs through his holy spirit and the will hauing once receiued the holy spirit is neuer after idle or voide The confession of Ausburg Touching freewill the Churches doe teach that mans will hath some liberty to worke ciuill righteousnes and to chuse that which is conformeable vnto reason But it hath not the power to worke spirituall righteousnesse which is the righteousnes of God We confesse that all men haue free-will which haue the iudgement of reason neuerthelesse not such as that they are sufficient of themselues either to begin without God or to end without him in that which concerneth God but onely in the workes of this present life as well good as badde ANNOTATION SOme men doe thinke that the difference touching free-wil consisteth all in wordes which may be graunted because that the Romane Catholikes doe not hold any thing to be in a man that is regenerated which the protestants doe not confesse with them that is that it proceedeth either in all or in part from free-will But the difference is in this that the Protestants doe thinke it necessary that a man should haue an assured faith the which say they proceedeth in no wise from free-will nor by consequent from the workes that doe proceed from this faith for if it proceede totally from God it followeth that the effects ought to be imputed to him onely If the Latines would confesse that God giueth this confidence they should approue the opinion of the Protestants and indeede many doe so and therein are true Catholickes The Churches of Asia and Affrica which affirme that it is necessary to saluation to haue this confidence do also confesse that it commeth from God and therefore begge it of him and consequently denie therein free-will as the Protestants doe and are contrary to the Latines although that they doe not debate with them about it and though they know it not agree with the Protestants those Protestants I say which beleeue that the Grecians do contrary them as much or more then the Latines and so it is certaine that the fault is for want of vnderstanding the matter Now to comprehend well this thing a man must marke the propositions of the Patriarch Ieremie and explane them to the end he may gather his meaning by his owne discourse First he saith that a man hath power or ability to chuse the good as well as the euill
touching iustification for the learned agree in many things which in the beginning they had in great disputation all doe now confesse and mainetaine that faith is needfull that is to say confidence in Christ for the remission of sinnes of the which faith or confidence the Schoole men made no mention Melancthon did suppose that there were very many men in the Church of Rome whom they counted learned that were not of the opinion of the Councell of Trent but confessed with the Churches of the East and South and with the Reformed Church that a man both may and ought to haue assurance and confidence Neuerthelesse the Reformed cease not to debate vpon this point of iustification as also vpon that of free will not onely against the Latins but also against the Grecians The Author of a certaine discourse called Examen pacifique saith That these are but striuings about wordes inuented to trouble the Church because that one taketh this word Iustification in one sense and another in another sense one taketh the word Faith in one sense and another in another sense In such sort that both the one and the other saie true being taken according to their meaning although that they differ in words We haue said in the question precedent that the Latins and the Reformed agree vpon the point of free will if all the Latins would confesse that the Faith of the Elect is a full assurance wee say the very same in this point of Iustification but to shew where the difference is we ought not to vse the word Faith or Iustification without distinguishing of what faith or what iustification we speake The Councell of Trent saith foure things First that faith that is to say that which is without confidence which the Protestants call historicall for the Councell acknowledgeth none other is the beginning of mans saluation and that this faith commeth from God The Protestants doe acknowledge both the one and the other to wit that it is necessary first that one beleeue that the Gospell is a true historie and then that one cannot beleeue perfecty and as he ought without the grace of God as the same Councell saith Secondly that this historicall faith is the beginning and root of Iustification that is to say that it bringeth forth good workes which God doth approue and for which God iustifieth a man that is to say he holdeth and declareth him iust The Protestants say that this faith may bring forth a certain inherent iustice through the which a man is iustified Secondum quid that is in a sort but not absolutely for a man that doth one good worke doth a thousand bad workes which doe make him vniust so that the same man is good and bad iust and vniust approued of God and condemned of God againe God were vniust if he should not hold himiust whom he himselfe hath iustified well then he iustifieth men according to ciuill righteousnesse in giuing this historicall faith and in stirring vp in them charity such as it is that is proportionable to this faith One cannot saith Bellarmine loue God himselfe as the Author of nature if it bee not by the helpe of speciall grace And so there is no difference in this point In the third place the Councel saith that through this historicall faith a man is not absolued of his former sinnes The Protestants doe confesse as much and adde withall that no more is he through good works which proceed from thence which say they are not good but for humane societies sake In the fourth place the Councell saith that Saint Paul and S. Iames speaking of this faith in the example which they alleadge of Abraham the which saith the Councell was iustified that is to say found iust in that he beleeued God but plainely iustified that is to say held iust of all when he effected the commandement of God The Churches of the East doe approue this opinion but it is not needfull to debate much touching the intention and meaning of S. Paul The Scripture may receiue diuerse expositions and al orthodox It is certaine that Abraham was iustified in that he beleeued and more iust in that he laid his hands to the worke But there are two conclusions wherein the Apostolicke Churches and the Reformed Church are contrary in the sayd Councell The first is that the said Councell doth hold that through the workes which proceede of this historicall faith a man obtaineth others say a man meriteth that God should pardon his former sinnes in imputing vnto them that doe those good workes the merite of the passion of our Sauiour The Protestants on the contrary side say that such works proceeding from such historicall faith serue not to saluation Hereunto the Churches of the East do agree who say that the workes which proceede from a true faith are truely good and they call this faith Confidence which ought to be noted to the end that none should doubt the truth of the history for they declare sufficiently that they meane that it is not needfull that a repentant man should doubt of his saluation That is also seene more plainely in that that they of the East haue written before to the Protestants of Germany who presse very hard this point of Confidence wherein they of the East doe approue and confirme their saying The second difference is in that the Protestants say that a man is absolued they call it iustified at that instant that he receiueth this confidence by diuine inspiration and that without any consideration of precedent workes otherwise grace should be no grace as also without consideration of any future workes for it happeneth sometimes as it did to the good thiefe that a man shall haue no time to doe good works and if the faith of confidence sufficeth as soone as it is in fused yea and sufficeth as an instrumentall cause to put a man in possession of the passion of the Lord which is the formall cause of absolution it followeth that during all the tearme of a mans life he neede not seeke any other instrumental cause of this application For when our Sauiour healed the sicke he sayed not vnto them louest thou me although it was necessary that they should haue loued him but he said to them beleeuest thou for by this beleefe they were healed And that the Churches of the East doe beleeue that this confidence putteth a man in possession of the grace of God they shew in that which their Patriarch sayth that his confidence vniteth things separated and that distrust doth dis-vnite and seperate them for what vnion can there be with God without remission of sinnes Moreouer the Grecians confesse that God inspireth this confidence If it be so it followeth that at that very instant a man obtaineth pardon otherwise God should be the Authour of deceitfull and vaine confidence But some will then demaund to what end serue good workes The Grecians and the Protestants with one consent doe answere that
not absolutely promised but to those which haue perfect righteousnesse The Catholike conclusion in this Question is That a man meriteth not properly eternall life by his good workes although that they be worthy of reward that is to say that they make a man fit to receiue a recompence through the grace of God QVESTION XVI Whether that there be a fire of Purgatory or other torment where the soules are purified or punished and whether the prayers of the liuing doe helpe to deliuer them THE EAST CHVRCH NIcholas The Grecians doe denie purgatory affirming that the prayers of the liuing doe nothing profite the dead Villamont The Grecians doe denie purgatorie but you make them amased if you aske them this question seeing that they beleeue not that there is a purgatorie wherefore then doe they pray for the forgiuenes of their offences They answere that it is to the ende God would put them in a more glorious place and that they are in Mansions where the Angels visite them often Sacranus The Moscouites affirme that there is no purgatorie but that there is onely two receptacles or places of receit for soules that is to say heauen and hell The booke of a Grecian touching purgatory saith thus We haue not receiued by Tradition from our Teachers that there is any fire of purgatorie or any temporall punishment besides and wee knowe that the Church of the East doth beleeue so The same Authour Our Lord in the Gospell according to S. Luke teaching what shall bee the condition both of the one and the other saith that Lazarus as soone as he was dead was carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome and that the soule of the rich man as soone as he was dead was carried into hell and there tormented And also by the bosome of Abraham hee signifieth the finall estate of the beloued of God in blessed rest and by hell and torments finall damnation and eternall paine And hath left no other place betweene both hauing any temporall paine and saith that there is but one bottomlesse pit beyond the which none can passe which seperateth the one from the other and ordained an extreame and vtter contrariety betweene them THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares Being ariued in the Church they lay not the body within the graue but lay it neare to it without singing any part of any seruice for the dead nor any of the Psalmes of Dauid much lesse those of Iob whereupon I desiring to know what they said they answered me that they sang that is to say they pronounced aloud the Gospell of S. Iohn intirely Annot. By this it appeareth that the Churches of the South beleeue not that there is a purgatorie because they themselues do not make praiers at the burying of their dead Damianus a Goes reporteth by heare-say that they bury their dead with Crosse and praiers but Aluares who dwelt many yeares in that place denyeth it Peraduenture the same Damianus tooke the lecture of the Gospell for a prayer Dauid Emperour of Ethiope We haue caused a Church to be built in honour of the most holy Trinity where the bones of our deceased fathers are buried who enioyes as we hope eternall felicity Annot. Our Princes of the Latine Church which beleeue that there is a Purgatorie are wont to say speaking of their deceased parents God haue mercy on their soules THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the Swizers We beleeue that the faithfull are transported to Iesus Christ straight after corporall death and that they haue no neede of the prayers and suffrages of the liuing We beleeue also that the wicked are straight-way cast into hell from whence they cannot come forth And that same which some men teach touching the fire of purgatorie is contrary to Christian faith I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes and the al-sufficient purgation made by Iesus Christ and his word Verily verily I say vnto you that whosoeuer heareth my wordes and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement but passeth from death to life THE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Forasmuch as the holy Catholicke Church guided by the holy Ghost hath taught according to the holy Scriptures and the ancient Traditions of the Fathers in the holy Councels and lastly in that holy vniuersall Councell that there is a purgatory and that the soules which are there deteined are helped by the praiers of the faithfull and principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the Altar The holy Councell doth commaund the Bishops that they take paines and study diligently that the good and holy doctrine of Purgatory which the holy fathers and Councels haue deliuered be receiued held taught and preached euery where ANNOTATION THis point here hath no difficultie for as touching the praiers which they make in the East for the dead wee will intreat in that question where it shall be debated whether it be lawfull to praie for the Saints which are in heauen Onely it is to be noted that the Councelle of Trent doth faine that the holy Scriptures doe warrant Purgatorie which the Churches of the East doe denie And if the true Interpretations of Scripture ought to be taken out of the Apostolicke Churches which haue retained it from hand to hand from their Fathers it followeth that those places of Scripture which the Church of Rome doth alleadge to proue Purgatorie are wrested by them to another sense as the Grecians haue shewed in their Apologie in the Councell of Basil And the Author of the Treatise of the fire of Purgatory before alleadged doth proue it very slenderly Moreouer many Romane Catholike Doctors and of very good estimation doe confesse that Purgatorie cannot be proued by the Scripture Amongst the rest Alphonsus de Castro auoucheth not onely that it is not proued by the Scripture but also that the Fathers doe seldome make mention of it especially the Greeke Fathers From thence saith he it commeth that euen vntill this present time the Grecians doe denie Purgatorie The Catholicke Conclusion thererefore here is this That there is no fire of Purgatorie nor any other torment where soules are purged and punished and that prayers serue not to deliuer them but rather are superfluous and vnprofitable if that they be made to that intention QVESTION XVII Whether the Pope or any other can giue Indulgences or Pardons to deliuer men from temporall punishment THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch Gener. All these things ought to be done freely for Gods cause and not for any hope of gaine considering that there is nothing more agreeable to God then that Sacranus The Moscouites doe condemne Orders Blessings Priesthood Praiers Fastings Indulgences Iubiles and Ecclesiasticall offices and all that which the Church to wit of Rome doth dispence with by the authoritie of the Keyes In like manner they mocke at the obedience and authority Ecclesiasticall and yeelde no more to excommunication then to Indulgences THE CHVRCH OF THE
Exposition and that most ancient of all They hold with S. Chrysostome a very true Catholicke teacher that the soules of the Fathers were in Ades the Latines call that place Infernum Lymbus but improperly and that our Sauiour descended thither And that he was the very same day in Paradise and that Paradise is no other place but the same which the thiefe conceiued and meant for if our Sauiour had spoken of one place and the Thiefe had conceiued and meant another his vnderstanding had beene deceaued Now the Thiefe meant no other Paradise but that earthly Paradise for hee could not know what Paradise it was but by the Scripture of the old Testament which speaketh not of any other Paradise It followeth then that our Sauior was that same day in that Paradise and his soule was not left in hell It is there also whether the Fathers were conducted wherof some rose with the Lord and were seene in Ierusalem It is in this Paradise say they that Henoch and Elias were placed in their bodies and peraduenture Moses who appeared at the transfiguration of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and all the Fathers were rapt vp into heauen some in their bodies when our Sauiour ascended the other onely in soule when he rose from the dead as the same Saint Chrysostome saith And this opinion is not onely held by the Apostolicke Churches of the East as we haue vnderstood by themselues But it is very true by all likelihoode that the Christians of Africke doe consent thereunto for they are Cophites and of the same faith and Religion as the Cophites Syrians and Assyrians are for in all the Churches the sayd booke of Moyses Bar-cepha touching the Paradise before alleaged and the Author which he alledgeth who doe confirme the same exposition are very much approued Now this shall bee for the Catholike Reader to follow and approue that is to say either of the foresaid three opinions or else that of the Churches of the East and South which is That the soules of the Fathers were in hell called in Hebrew Scheol and in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ descended thither yet was not left there but the same day ascended into heauen QVESTION XIX Whether all Infants I meane those of the Elect aying without Baptisme are damned and whether it be permitted to the Lay people to baptise THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie In Baptisme the matter is the water The forme the words of the Priest to wit these This seruant of God is baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The instrumentall cause is the Priest although we doe not condemne altogether that which is done by one that is no Priest in time of necessity Iohannes Faber In Russia no man is thought sufficient to exercise the office of Baptizing if he be not a Priest what necessity soeuer doe happen Theuet The Moscouites baptize not at all but within their Churches vnlesse it be because they are verie farre from any Church THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares of the Ethiopians They minister Baptisme to their male children when they are fortie dayes olde and to the female when they are threescore dayes olde the infants not arriuing to that age die without Baptisme The which thing being come to my knowledge I could not detaine my selfe from publishing in many places the great fault and error which was committed against the Gospel where it is written That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Whereunto they answered me that for that matter the faith of the mother sufficed together with the communion which shee receiued being with childe They baptize not in Fonts as wee doe but in the Porch of the Church with a potte full of water and that the fortieth day Theuet The King of Maitachasi receiued the Gospell at the perswasion of King Cephalian which was a Christian and established in his Churches eight Bishoppes a notable company of Priests and other Ministers there was also established an Alcaide or Ismiel that is to say in their language a Priest aboue all the other Priests which within sixe daies preached a thousand heresies Amongst the rest that if a woman be deliuered and the child die it was depriued of eternal be atitude and on the contrary side it was decreede by a Synod holden at Quiticoi that if a woman being ready to be deliuered came to receiue the Sacrament after their vsage law and faith and that afterwards her childe should be borne dead by this Sacrament only the child was baptized and freede from punishment and damnation THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Translation into the estate of grace cannot be without the water of regeneration or a firme purpose to be baptized The Canon Praeter If peraduenture there be no Catholicke to be found it is better and more religious to receiue Baptisme of an Hereticke then to perish eternally The Canon Mulier That women presume not to baptize if it be not in case of necessity The Canon Romanus The Romane Bishop taketh it not to be the man that baptizeth but the spirit of God although he that baptizeth be a Pagan THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the Swizers We doe teach that Baptisme ought not to be administred by women for S. Paul forbiddes them Ecclesiasticall offices The confession of Ausburg Touching baptisme the Church doth teach that it is necessary to saluation as being a ceremony instituted by Iesus Christ The answere of the Diuines of Wirtenberg to the Grecians We doe reioyce that there are many points of agreement between vs and your holinesse and amongst other things that you hold that it must not be permitted to any to presume to take vpon him the office of Teaching in the Church and to administer the Sacraments which notwithstanding in case of necessity the Laickes may baptize ANNOTATION THe Protestants in France doe hold that the Infants of the faithfull dying without baptisme are neuerthelesse saued This word Faithfull seemes to be restrained to the Elect for there are wicked Christians against whom God denounceth that he will punish the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children Moreouer it may happen that the parents may be Gods Elect and neuerthelesse as all men are subiect to erre they may be negligent to procure Baptisme for their Infants Now it may be doubted whether this fault be any preiudice to the Infants These considerations perhaps haue moued Christian people to encline to this beleefe that the Church ought to hasten Baptisme because they know not who be the children of the Elect and that one cannot erre in prouiding for the saluation of these Infants by baptizing them by reason that in Baptisme a token or signe ordained by the Lord the inuocation of the holy Trinity is vsed and the pardon of originall
sinne is asked for him that is baptized wherein we must beleeue that God heareth his Church The churches alwaies are carried away some with more care others with lesse The Latin Church falleth into an extremitie and beleeueth the perdition of children not baptised in so much that she permitteth not onely the Laickes but also women to baptise yea Pagans and heretickes wherein she hath a particular opinion and that which the other Churches approue not to shew that they haue a better hope of the saluation of the same Infants And aboue all the rest the Church of Aethiope which beleeueth that they are sanctified in the wombes of their Mothers The Grecians doe permit the Laickes to baptize but they thinke not the same to be true baptisme And indeede the Moscouites who are vnited to the Church of Greece permit not the ministration of baptisme to any but vnto Priests and that within the Temple or at least wise that was the place in times past for Faber hath written so about a hundred yeares agoe peraduenture both they and the Greekes were then of this opinion and also now a daies they rebaptize them that are baptized by the Laickes The Protestants of Germanie doe permit the Laickes to baptize neuerthelesse they confesse that the children of the elect are saued without baptisme as it was concluded by them at Wirtenberg in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred thirtie sixe The Church of England imployeth all the diligence that may be possible Thus saith the Canon If any Minister being aduertised of any sickenesse and danger of death or finding any Infant within his Parish not baptized refuse to baptise them or do delay in such sort that being able to come in time where the Infant is to baptize him and the same Infant happen to die without baptisme by his fault the same Minister shall be suspended for three moneths and shall not receiue the fauour of absolution vntill he acknowledge his fault From that which hath beene said a man may drawe this conclusion as Catholike and Orthodoxall That Baptisme is the ordinary meanes for Infants to obtaine saluation yet neuerthelesse God saueth extraordinarily the Infants of the Elect which haue not neglected baptisme and that the Church which knoweth not the Elect ought to hasten by all good meanes the baptisme of their Infants QVESTION XX. Whether confirmation be a Sacrament that is to say a Ceremonie commaunded by God and whether it doth appertaine onely to Bishops THE EAST CHVRCH SAcranus The Russians say that there is no Sacrament of confirmation and therefore they receiue it not and ordaine their Priests without it Vilamont The Grecians denie the Sacraments of confirmation and of extreame vnction Gagninus The Moscouites abhorre this Sacrament of confirmation which they proue to be damnable because in all the Councels especially that of Nice it hath bene said I confesle one Baptisme and if there be but one Baptisme there is also but one vnction and the Priest and the Bishoppe haue the selfe same authority and vertue to dispence aswell with the one as with the other Theuet They also differ from our Romane Church in that they reiect the Sacrament of confirmation as a superfluous thing because say they he which was anointed by the Priest in holy Baptisme ought not to come vnder the hands of the Bishops seeing that therein the authoritie of the Bishoppe and of the Priest is alike THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe confession of Zaga-zabo Bishop of Aethiop Moreouer it is to be vnderstood that with vs confirmation and Chrisme or the oyle of extreame vnction are not holden for Sacraments neither are they in vse as I see they are here in the Romane Church THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Wirtemberg We doe not doubt but that the Apostles in the beginning of the Gospell reuealed and confirmed at the Feastiuall day of Pentecost haue giuen by the impositition of hands the admirable gift of the holy Ghost to those which beleeued in Christ to the end that they should speake in diuers languages But of a personall and temporall act of the Apostles there ought not to bee a generall and perpetual Sacrament in the Church without the commaundement of God And it is a horrible thing to heare it reported that the Sacrament of confirmation which the Bishops Suffragans haue accustomed to minister to infants excelleth in dignitie the Sacrament of Baptisme For there are some which feare not to affirme the same As it is a thing say they done by the greatest that is to say by the Bishops and cannot bee done by the meaner sort of Priests so ought it to bee held in greater honour and estimation THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent If any say that those which attribute any vertue to the holy oyntment of confirmation doe iniurie to the holy Ghost Anathema If any say that the ordinary Minister of holy confirmation is not a Bishop onely but also a Priest Anathema ANNOTATION THe Apostolick Churches of the East North and South doe vse oyle after Baptisme Socolouius thinketh that this is the Sacrament of confirmation We follow here a contrary opinion first because that his Authors before alleaged and others denie it Secondly Zaga a Bishop of Aethiop sayth plainely that there is no oyle amongst them that is held for a Sacrament Thirdly the foresaid Churches do not hold the vse of oyle in Baptisme by the institution and commaundement of God but by the ordinance of the Church which say they hath inuented many things so speakes the Patriarch Ieremie touching the vnction Fourthly the Tradition amongst those people was to permit the Bishops onely to administer the sayd oyle of Baptisme Fiftly They administer this oyle only to shew that in Baptisme the Infant receiueth grace to beare the name of a Christian a name which commeth from Christ which signifieth anointed that is it also which as Ieremie declareth alwayes is called vnction A mysterie wee will speake of this word in his place To end the Church of Rome doth both the one and the other they vse oyle in Baptisme as the other Apostolicke Churches but besides in particular they make it a Sacrament Moreouer if they will haue vnction to be a Sacrament a part it followes then vpon that that the foresaid Churches haue Baptisme well nigh in the same simplicitie or puritie wherein it was ordained by our Sauiour for they adde not any thing neither salt nor spittle As for the rest the Protestants doe approue confirmation by the imposition of hands as is to be seene in the Constitutions of England but yet as a ceremonie not calling it a Sacrament To conclude the Councell of Trent which was very neere wholy composed of Italians and Spaniards doth excommunicate all the Apostolicke Churches for these two Articles first because they hold not besides the vnction in Baptisme a Sacrament of the vnction of confirmation Secondly because they say that although it were a
punished by the Magistrate or dishonoured for euer But to shew how the Churches of the East doe proceed in pronouncing absolution without any confession made we are aduertised that the Popes that is to say the Priests doe it in particular But because that in that Church of the East there is a Patriarch which gouerneth it seemes vnto them hauing regard vnto all the Churches to whom the keyes were giuen that if hee declareth that absolution it is more authenticke and giueth more consolation to the conscience to content the curious reader we will insert here the forme or manner of a Synchorisme translated out of Greeke Theophanes by Gods mercy Archbishop of Constantinople new Rome and Oecumenique Patriarch Our mediocrity by the grace gift and power of the holy and liuing spirit which our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath giuen to his Diuine Disciples and the holy Apostles for to bind and loose the sinnes of men saying receiue the holy Ghost to whom you remit sinnes they shall be remitted and whose sinnes you shall retaine they shall be retained and those that you bind on earth shall be bound in heauen likewise and those you loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Wee hauing by a successiue descent receiued from them this Diuine grace doe absolue N. aspirituall sonne of the same in all things wherein he hath erred or sinned as a man and offended God in word deede or thought and in all his senses if he be vnder the cursse of the Bishop or Priest or of his father or mother or if he bee fallen into any of his owne sinnes hauing sworne by an oath and not performed it or if hee hath transgressed as a man in other sinnes and hath confessed them to his spirituall fathers and hath receiued of them the Canon exactly of all those things and others whereby he is bound wee doe vnbind and loose him by the power and grace of the most adored and holy Spirit and also of all things which he hath left vnconfessed whether they be by forgetfulnes or Shame All which be pardoned him of the most mercifull God which is blessed eternally Amen The Latines otherwise called the Romane Catholikes say that our Sauiour comaunded euery one to confesse particularly euery sinne and all the circumstances thereof to imploy all possible diligence to remember them and that hee that confesseth not all those memorable sinnes cannot be saued If their opinion be true the Apostolicke Churches of the East South North and the Reformed or Protestants in the West are damned and the gates of hell shall preuaile against the Catholicke Church He that list let him beleeue them so many there be that doe hold with one consent That our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath not comaunded any particular confession by numbring our sinnes but that it is an ordinance of the Church which neuerthelesse constraineth no man to confesse those sinnes which he is ashamed to declare QVESTION XXII Whether the Bread and Wine in the holy Sacrament are changed into the body and blood of the Lord. THE EAST CHVRCHES THe answere of the Patriarch Ieremie The tenth Chapter doth treat of the Lords Supper yet not amply but if we may so say obscurely For amongst you men vnderstand many things touching the same the which agree in no wise with vs. The Catholike Church therefore beleeueth that the bread after the sanctification is changed into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood by the holy Ghost prouided that the bread bee leauened not without leauen For the Lord in that night in which he was betraied hauing taken bread and giuen thankes broke it and sayd Take eate this is sayd he not bread without leauen or the figure of my body but my body and my blood Neuerthelesse at that time the flesh of the Lord which he carried about him was not giuen to the Apostles to eate nor his blood to drinke nor now in the diuine celebration of those mysteries as if the body of the Lord descended from heauen for it were a blasphemie to say so but both then and now by the inuocation and grace of the Almighty Spirit the beginner or Author of this mysterie the bread is conuerted and changed into the body of the Lord and the wine into his blood And in another place he sayth thus And from thence it commeth that the Masse or Lumpe of bread is broken in peeces it is not offered entyer or whole which figureth the passion of our Sauiour And at the time that this bread is offered it is Common Bread offered onely to God but afterwards it is made extraordinary bread and is chaunged in deede but if wee would by reasons causes and effectes debate and resolue thereof we should neede a thousand tongues and yet they would not bee sufficient But our Sauiour hath commaunded to doe this in remembrance of him And a little after he saith that the Church is signified in mysteries and not as in Symboles but as the members depend on the heart and as the boughes on the roote of the plant and as the Lord said in that fashion that the branch is in the stocke of the vine For here is not only a Communion of name or a similitude of Analogie but the identitie of the things themselues For the body and blood of the Lord are true mysteries which are not changed into any humane bodie but we are changed into them for the better things haue euer the preheminence Euen as Iron being vnited with fire becommeth fire but the fire neuer becomes Iron And euen as whe the Iron is glowing hot wee see not the Iron but only the fire the properties of the Iron not being apparant euen so also if a man might see the Church of God as it is vnited to him and participates of his body hee should see nothing else but the onely body of our Sauiour by reason whereof Saint Paul writeth Yee are the body of Christ THE SOVTH CHVRCH LIturgia Ethiopica O our Lord Iesus Christ whose substance was not created but art the pure word thou art the Sonne of the Father thou art the bread of life descending from heauen who wouldest come in the figure of a Lambe without spot for the redemption of the world Now O thou louer of mankinde wee doe most humbly beseech thy bounty praying thee that thou wouldest shew the light of thy countenance vpon this bread and vpon this portable Altar blesse sanctifie purifie and translate this bread into thy spotlesse flesh and this wine into thy precious bloud and let it be made an ardent and an acceptable sacrifice and the saluation of our soules and bodies for thou art our King THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Forasmuch as our Lord and redeemer Iesus Christ hath said that it was his true body which he offered vnder the forme of bread for this cause the Church of God hath alwaies had the same perswasion and this holy Councell doth
not Well then seeing that the bread and wine in the Sacrament are changed wee must examine their discourse to find who doth swarue from the Catholike faith There are foure things in a true bodie First the matter Secondly the accidents and essentiall properties Thirdly the forme which the Philosophers hold to giue life or being to a thing Fourthly the hidden properties which depend vpon the forme As touching the accidents and essentiall properties of the body of the Lord all doe confesse that they are not in the Sacrament but rather the accidents and properties of the bread As concerning the matter of the said body the Latins doe beleeue that it is inuisibly contained vnder the accidents of bread and that the matter of the bread becomes nothing but the beleefe of the Churches of the East and South seemeth to be quite contrary to that First the Patriarch Ieremie absolutely saith that the flesh of our Sauiour which he carried was not giuen to his Apostles to eate From whence it followeth that they did eate some other matter which neuerthelesse was also the body of Christ Moreouer hee expoundeth it saying that it is as Iron or Wood burnt which is called fire because that the fire surmounteth or ouercommeth and the mater of the Iron is not reduced to nothing As concerning the third he saith in like manner that those that doe communicate the Sacrament are chaunged into the body of Christ and that the Church is the true body of Christ Neuerthelesse euery one confesseth that the matter of humane bodies is not reduced or brought to nothing Likewise one may see that the Church is called the true body of Christ or else if the bread be called the true body of Christ this word True is put as opposite euen as the same Author doth expound it to the bare similitude figure or proportion and not as referred to the identitie of the matter The Churches of the South say the very same they do pray in their Liturgie or seruice that God would chaunge the bread and wine of the Sacrament as he changed the water into wine in Cana for the matter of the water was not reduced to nothing to giue place to other wine created a new but the water lost his forme and that matter which was before water receiued the internall forme and all the qualities and properties of wine These considerations and many others the which would bee too tedious to recite doe make some Latin writers and amongst the rest Durandus to beleeue that the bread looseth his forme and not his matter no more then the accidents and properties thereof It is also to be noted what the foresaid Ieremie saith against consubstantiation that there is not two things in the holy Sacrament to wit the bread and the body of Christ but one onely to wit the body of Christ giuing to note thereby that that matter which remaineth is no more the matter of bread but the matter of the body of Christ as in the miracle of Cana that matter which was then the matter of water whē it had the forme of water was the matter of wine when it had the form of wine And which is more there was no chaunge wherin the matter continued not the same And if one well waigh the sayings of the Fathers who beleeued some miracle to be in the Sacrament hee shall find that they doe accord heerein also they say that the substance of our flesh is augmented by the Eucharist and that there be two sorts of the flesh of Christ We must then obserue how they conceiue that the bread is chaunged into the body of Christ It seemes that they would onely haue it a matter be it that it loosed his forme as Durandus saith or loosed it not which should receiue the forme of the body of Christ and the hidden properties which doe proceede from that forme and that that forme being ioyned to the matter it is no more bread neither the matter of bread but it is the bodie of Christ and the matter of the body of Christ for as the Philosophers say forma dat esse rei Some wil say it is a dangerous curiositie to sound these mysteries but I aunswere that of two inconueniences the lesser is to be chosen and that it is a most dangerous carelesnesse to leaue the Church in diuision and to cause Christians to be wounded and slaine for want of teaching that the difference is not so great as it is imagined Moreouer the learned men of the Church of Rome haue a thousand times more curiously searched this point and haue left themselues nothing to say in such sort that that will suffice to make vp a peace which they haue searched out by debate amongst themselues This then may likely bee gathered out of the Liturgie of Christian people that the bread taketh the forme of the body of the Lord which for the matter and accidents thereof is but onely in heauen or that it receiueth the hidden properties of the forme of the body of Christ although that this forme be not without his matter These faculties and properties serue as the said Ieremie noteth to sanctifie a man and to make him capable of euerlasting life If it be demaunded what this forme is The Prince of Philosophers answereth that mans vnderstanding is as fitly disposed for the knowledge of naturall things as the eyes of an Owle to behold the brightnesse of the sunne And that learned Fernelius beginneth his booke of Physicke thus When the Spirit is free and vnbound seeing the naked and cleere substances of things it enioyeth a most perfect and cleere knowledge but whilest it is wrapped within the body it remaines in extreame ignorance The Philosophers and Phisitians seeing in nature sundry admirable effects haue iudged that they could not proceede from the matter which is one in all things but haue beene constrained to confesse that the forme or essence was the beginning and foundation of those effects But if they acknowledged mans vnderstanding vnfit to iudge of those formes much lesse can Diuines determine this effect which they confesse to proceede of the body of Iesus Christ Also that which we doe attribute to the Christians of the East and South touching the forme of the body of the Lord comming vpon the matter of the bread we cannot determine that their beleefe is such for they resolue vpon nothing saying That a thousand heads are not able to expresse it which is nothing else but to signifie that the Sacrament may bee sayd to bee the true bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ although it be graunted that the matter of the bodie of Christ is onely in heauen For it sufficeth for a change euen in things praeexistent that there be an identitie of form or else of qualities and hidden vertues As for the Protestants though they hold not the beleefe of the same people yet they haue not written against them but much against the Latins who doe
haue a custome to vse one fashion for the sick another for the Cōmunicants For the sicke it is kept all the yeare being consecrated the weeke before Easter Scarga Their Popes that is to say their Priests after dinner somtimes halfe drunk do eat with little or no reuerence the rest of the body of Christ which was not eaten by the faithfull Gagninus They keepe not holy the feast of the body of the Lord. THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga Ethiop The Sacrament of the Eucharist is not kept with vs in the Temples or Churches as they doe in Europe that is to say in the Roman Church The sicke receiue not the body of the Lord but at such time as they haue recouered their health This they do because the Priests and the Laickes doe vse to receiue twise euery weeke and all those that would receiue it goe to the Temple and it is not permitted neyther to the Patriarch himselfe nor to Prester-Iohn to doe otherwise THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Saxon. It is a manifest prophanation to carry about in procession a part of the Sacrament and to adore or worshippe it seeing that part is transferred to an vse quite contrary to the institution where the Text saith Take eate c. The Diuines of Wittenberg The Ministers of the Church are ordained amongst vs to baptise and celebrate the Lords supper both publikely in the Temples and particularly in the houses of those that are neare death THE ROMANE CHVRCH CLement We must principally employ our selues about the right vse of this liuely Sacrament of the body and blood of Iesus Christ which is the glory and crowne of all the Saints to the end that it may shine through a festiuall and speciall celebration to supplie thereby that which is omitted in the other Offices of the Masse ANNOTATION ALl Christian Nations doe agree together against the Romane Church that none ought to keepe the Sacrament to employ it to any other vse then that to which our Sauiour hath dedicated it to wit the Communion And therefore it ought not to be carried in Procession as Pope Clement hath of late time commaunded in the institution of the feast of God or Corpus Christi As for the reseruation which is made to be caried to the sicke it is not in vse in the Churches of Affrica but the Grecians and Latines doe approue it yea and the Protestants likewise as appeareth in the place before mentioned Thinkest thou saith Beza that none ought to celebrate the holy Supper of the Lord noe where else but onely in a publique assembly Answere In the beginning of the auncient Church it was the custome to send the Eucharist by the Deacons to the sicke being absent to whom I doubt not but that the same did bring great consolation I desire heartily that this custome were put in vse againe The Resolution of this question is That none ought to reserue or keepe the Sacrament but onely to carrie to the sicke QVESTION XXIX Whether the Sacrament ought to be eleuated or lifted vp by the Priest for to adore and worship it or for to Sacrifice through that externall ceremony THE EAST CHVRCH SAcranus The Russians as also some amongst the Grecians before that they prepare the Chalice doe light waxe Candles and shew to the people the bread that is to be consecrated with the wine and water powred in the Chalice and then the people fall downe bending their bodies to worshippe and to commit idolatry But being once set vpon the Altar and consecrated it is not worshipped of any neyther is it eleuated or lifted vp THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga In this Ministery the Sacrament is not shewed as I see they doe here in the Romane Church Aluares After that the Priest commeth speaking in his owne language after our fashion and the very same wordes but that he dooth not eleuate the Sacrament but couereth it THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Basil We adore not Iesus Christ in the signes of bread and wine which we commonly call Sacraments of the body and blood of the Lord But in heauen on the right hand of God the father from whence he shal come for to iudge the quicke and the dead THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Canon That euery Priest doe oftentimes teach his people to bow reuerently when in the celebration of the Masse the wholesome host is eleuated and that he doe the same when hee carrieth it to any sicke person ANNOTATION THere is no Catholicke saith Bellarmine that teacheth that the Sacramentall signes must be adored in themselues and properly with that worship which is called Latria but that they must be worshipped with a lesser honour which belongeth to all Sacraments But we say that Christ must be worshipped in himselfe and that adoration or worshippe dooth belong to the signes in regard that they are conceiued to be the same thing with Christ euen as they that adored Christ being cloathed vpon earth adored not him onely but also his habite for hee commaunded not himselfe to bee stript naked The Latines doe accuse the Protestants because that they worship not the Sacrament or Iesus Christ in the Sacrament but if a man consider the matter well he shall finde that they doe all that Bellarmine requireth Socolouius to shew that there is a great defect yea impiety in them layeth before them the example of all the Christians of the world who saith he doe worshippe or adore Iesus Christ in the Sacrament euery one Suo modo And if one can shew that the Protestants doe the same also Suo modo those that search out occasion to complaine shall they not haue reason to be content Bellarmine speaketh of the worshipping of the signes and of the worshipping of Iesus Christ signified In both these the Protestants doe vse such adoration as Bellarmine himselfe doth paint out Those that honoured our Sauiour being in his Clothes had not any intention or meaning to honour or adore his cloathes likewise following the example of Bellarmine be it that a man haue no intention to honour the Sacrament he is blamelesse If Bellarmine doe say that the Cloathes of the Lorde were worshipped per accidens I doe answere him that in like manner the Protestants doe honour the signes per accidens In Germany they receiue the Sacrament vpon their knees The constitutions of England do ordain the like In so doing they doe adore Iesus Christ before the Sacrament that is to say the Sacrament per accidens with a more humble ceremony then the Christians of the East doe who as Vilamont saith receiue it not vpon their knees The Churches of the South doe the like If the Frenchmen doe follow their example they adore it also eorum modo and Suo modo The Romane Catholikes themselues doe not kneele alwaies when they pray or adore as it is seene in the benediction of the table it sufficeth then in adoring to haue the head
to the Protestants but it is a curious question For they hold That the Saints which are in Heauen doe not enioy the vision or sight of God vntill the last day and that we ought to pray for them that is request that God would put them in a cleere place or that hee would keepe them if they are his owne or that he would raise them in the last day or that hee would pardon them at the day of the Resurrection QVESTION XL. Whether the Saints doe vnderstand or see by reason of the vision or sight of God or by any other meanes the Prayers and affaires of those that are vpon the earth and whether it be lawfull for them of this world to recommend themselues to their Prayers THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie Patriarch Generall Inuocation agreeeth properly to God alone and appertaineth to him both chiefely and very peculiarly But that which is done to the Saints is not properly due to them but if it may be so said rather by accident and grace for neither Peter nor Paul vnderstand nor heare those that call vpon them but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of Charitie that is in them according to that which was spoken by the Lord I will be with you vntill the consummation of the world THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe Liturgie of the Ethiopians Reioyce O Lady for we will pray for thy health O Virgin at all times mother of God and of Christ carrie vp our praiers on high vnto the eares of thy sonne to the end that our sinnes may be pardoned Reioyce O Lady for thou hast brought forth vnto vs the true light Iesus Christ Pray for vs vnto him to the end that he may haue pittie vpon our soules O thou good Minister S. Paul the healer of Diseases which hast receiued the Crown pray for vs that our soules may bee deliuered through the multitude of the mercies of Iesus Christ THE LATINE CHVRCH THe councell of Trent The holy Councell dooth commaund all Bishoppes and all others who haue charge to teach that they instruct the faithfull concerning the intercession and Inuocation of Saints teaching them that the Saints doe offer their prayers to God for men and that it is a thing both good and profitable to call vpon them humbly and to haue our refuge to their prayers THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Apologie of the confession of Ausburg We doe confesse that the Angels doe pray for vs yea euen in particular as in in Zacharie cap. 1. The Angell praied thus O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou be vnmercifull to Ierusalem Melancton If we must needes retaine some intercession by reason of the Custome receiued albeit that the same be dangerous neuerthelesse it would be determined whether it ought to be constituted in that forme which is in the auncient prayers of the Church where Inuocation is made to God and not to Saints and yet there is mention made of some intercession for it is certaine that the Saints in heauen doe pray for the Church in generall as godly men doe in this world The confession of VVittenberg The Angels doe pray to God for vs in some sort But for all the Prayers of the Saints which are in heauen we must not take occasion thereby to call vpon the Saints for in the holy Scripture there is neyther commandement nor example thereof And seeing that it is necessary that he that is called vpon should be a searcher of the hart the saints ought not to be called vpon ANNOTATION BEhold here two questions the one concerning faith or beleefe the other concerning the practise of the Church First A man may demaund Whether the Saints doe vnderstand our praiers The Romane Catholik Church doth answere that they vnderstand them in the vision or sight of God as in a glasse The beleefe of the East Church is contrary which saith that the Saints doe not vnderstand anie thing at all and indeede as it hath beene said in the precedent question they beleeue not that the Saints doe enioy perfect felicity in the vision of God But rather they hold with the Reformed Churches which doe abhorre this Inuocation of Saints especially because the Church of Rome doth attribute vnto them that which appertaineth to God and which God neuer communicated to any creature whatsoeuer to wit to haue an habituall knowledge of the thoughts of men for if any Prophet hath had by reuelation any knowledge the same was by an extraordinarie dispensation S. Augustine saith that if the Saints haue any care of the liuing it is euen as the liuing haue care of them to wit the one not hauing any particular knowledge of the estate of the other Secondly The other question is to know whether it be lawfull for a man to recommend himselfe to the praiers of the Saints Here they commit three Logomachies The first is in the word to Inuocate or Inuocation which sound so il in the eares of the Protestants that they therfore doe abhorre all other Christians Ieremie Bishoppe of Constantinople auoucheth that this word is improper It rests onely then to finde out a word more pleasing and fit Well then thus it must be to recommend a mans selfe to the praiers of Saints is to attribute vnto them some diuine matter but on the contrarie side it confesseth them to bee creatures subiect to the Creator nay it is to debase them when a man doth desire them to pray for him which is as much as to endeuour to stirre vp their piety and charity The second Logomachia is in the word Intercessor which they vse for want of another to signifie him that praieth for another Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that Iesus Christ is the onely Intercessor and therefore if the Saints are heard it is by reason of Iesus Christ the Intercessor as well for the liuing as for the dead In like maner the Saints dead and liuing are in the same ranke and the Saints departed are Intercessors vnto Iesus Christ himselfe for the liuing The third variance in words is in that the Grecians and the Latins doe pray thus Saint Peter helpe vs our Lady haue pittie vpon vs vs. Bellarmine saith that this is as if one should say Saint Peter helpe vs through thy prayers but the Protestants would that men should speake plainely and they are as farre from receiuing these tearmes as the Latines are little disposed to correct their Howers or the Grecians their Horologe for so they call their bookes of prayers It appeareth not that the Aethiopians vse this manner of speech yea Hondius in his Cosmographicall Cart or Map saith that they do in no wise call vpon the Saints Aluares neither saith not that they doe which he would hardly haue forgotten if it had bene so so that if they haue no other inuocation but that which is found in their Liturgie a man may thinke that these are rather Apostrophes and Prosopopaeaes to stirre them vp to deuotion then true
inuocatitions as also the Protestants doe sing with the Psalmist Prayse God yee Angels of great power yee Angels of God which doe all that he commaundeth as soone as you heare his voice As for other matters two things are obiected against this inuocation or exhortation of Saints practised by the Grecians Armenians other of the East the one that it is an idle vnprofitable interpellation seeing that the Saints vnderstand not at al those that pray vnto thē Whereunto they aunswere that the spirit of Charitie which they haue vnderstandeth the Prayers and knoweth the thoughts of men and that this spirit was promised them vntill the end of the world It seemes that by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they vse they meane the holy Ghost dwelling in the faithfull for the Patriarch Gennade taketh it in this sense in that place of Scripture which wee haue alleadged in the Preface of this Treatise where it is said that all the Apostles had one selfe same teacher to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the opinion of the Grecians should be this that it is good to recommend our soules to the prayers of Saints because that the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them and which vnderstandeth the prayers of them that are liuing doth moue the Saints to pray for them The other obiection is that there is no commaundement of God to recommend a mans selfe to the Prayers of the dead They answere that God commanded the friends of Iob to goe vnto Iob to pray him to pray to God for them and that there is no impediment why a man may not doe the like to the Saints that are dead The greatest argument herein is the custome receiued from antiquitie in the Catholike Church The intention or meaning thereof now a dayes is That the Saints doe not vnderstand the Prayers of the liuing neuerthelesse it is lawfull for vs to recommend our selues to their Prayers because that the holy Ghost the spirit of Charitie which dwelleth in them doth induce them to pray for the liuing either in generall or in particular for those that recommend themselues to their prayers QVESTION XLI Whether those that haue beene Canonized by the Pope are truely Saints THE EAST CHVRCH THeuet As concerning the Saints of the Latin Church which we reuerence the Indians acknowledge none of them except the Apostles and Prophets nor the Grecians and Iauians likewise Idem The Grecians do keepe holy the Feastiuall daies of Saints as well as we not for that they acknowledge those which the Latins and the Church of Rome doth reuerence Sacranus They speake ill of the Saints of the Catholike Church and faith vnder the Roman obedience Gagninus They reiect the Saints of the Church of Rome and doe hold them for great Heretickes THE SOVTH CHVRCH Theuet The Abyssins doe acknowledge but verie few of our Saints Honored in our Church except Catherine by reason that her body is in Mount Sinai Saint Anthonie an Egyptian and S. Helen except also the Virgin Marie whose name is acknowledged throughout the vniuersall world THE REFORMED CHVRCH CHemnitius Those of the Church of Rome doe worship many Saints which neuer liued as George Christopher and Catharine This saying hath been vsed in the Church of Rome that in earth men doe worship the reliques of many whose soules doe burne in hell They are worthy of the hate of al good men though there were no other reason but this that they haue depraued by their fables the Histories of the liues and deaths of the Saints which doubtlesse were very full of true doctrine and consolation THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Glosse of the Canon Gloriosus The Pope alone hath power not onely to extoll some amongst the Saints but also to Canonise them first because it is one of the greatest matters that can bee propounded amongst Christians Secondly because miracles are attributed vnto faith Thirdly because that if it appertainneth vnto the Pope to determine those things that are doubtfull in the Scripture then by farre greater reason ought he to iudge of holinesse Fourthly to the end that the people should not be deceiued through the simplicity of many Bishoppes and fiftly to the end there should not be an infinite number of Saints least that thereby deuotion should grow cold ANNOTATION IT is a thing confessed that particular Churches may erre namely in the Canonizing of Saints and by tradition of the Catholike Church the Church of Rome ought to bee held for a particular Church This aboue written doth shew that the most part of Christians doe not hold for Saints those which the Pope hath canonized If any man say that the Church cannot erre I will answere that from thence it followeth that it cannot be that she can vndertake to Canonize them whom she neuer did while they were in their bodies The Church cannot make a new article of Faith Pope Leo the third saith Bellarmine was the first which Canonized Saints before they were honoured by custome and not by law the same is retained as yet in the East Countries where they name none Saints but those auncients which liued about a thousand years agoe there are none in those Churches which thinke themselues able to know who those be whom God hath chosen Not because that none ought to hold for saints those whose holinesse the ancient Church did acknowledge it would be worse to doubt it then dangerous to beleeue it charitably That which induceth the Protestants to say that Catherine George and Christopher neuer liued is the falshood of their Legends Bellarmine confesseth that they are Apocrypha They of the East doe beleeue that there was a certaine man named Christopher but no Giant They hold likewise that there haue beene a S. Catherine and a S. George both very renowned in all the east But if credible histories doe contradict the Storie of their liues it may well be said that they were not to wit such as they are imagined to haue beene To end seeing that the Churches haue euery one the memorie of the Saints who haue liued in their Countries the surest way is not to condemne them without good and sufficient proofe Neuerthelesse it is not an Article of Faith that they should be al Saints no nor those neither of the Church of Rome for all the Churches do beleeue That those which the Pope Canonizeth are not vndoubtedly Saints QVESTION XLII Whether it be lawfull to paint God to bowe or kneele before Idoles or Images to bowe the head or vncouer it before Churches Crosses or Pictures of Saints or when we take in hand holy Relickes and the Books of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCHES DAmascen a Greeke Doctor Who can make an Image of God who is inuisible incorporall and incircumscriptible It is a great folly and impiety to seeke to giue a shape to him who is Diuine Sacranus The Russians doe abhorre the Images of the Romane Catholikes and
That such may vow Chastitie as know by sufficient experience that they haue power to accomplish performe their vowes And that Munkes ought not to beare the name of diuers Sects nor consume by their begging that which appertaineth vnto those which cannot labour QVESTION XLIIII VVhether the Church ought to haue Festiuall daies and fasting dayes appointed and whether there be any Diuine or generall Ecclesiasticall law about the same THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought not onely to performe the Commaundements but also ought not to dispise the institutions of Feasts hauing in remembrance the 53. Canon of the Apostles which saith If any one vpon festiuall daies eate not flesh c. And the 69. Canon saith If any doe not fast the holy Lent or VVednesdaies and Fridaies let him be deposed Nicholas The Armenians doe keepe Lent neither eating any earthly flesh or fish and to shew themselues much differing from the Grecians vpon certaine Fridaies they eate flesh and drinke wine and all other food that pleaseth them Vilamont The Grecians obserue not the foure times nor the Vigilles they eate flesh euery Saturday they haue foure Lents in the yeare The Armenians keepe not Christmas day holy Gagnin The Moscouites doe celebrate many feasts of saints but not vpon those daies that the Romanes doe celebrate them they haue not at all the feast of Corpus Christi vpon the festiuall daies the chiefest amongst them after seruice doe spend the time in eating and drinking but the Cittizens and Artificers doe betake themselues to labour and Domesticall affaires and other businesse saying that it is for Lords to keepe feasts and to abstaine from labour Genebrard hath brought to light the Calender of the Syrian Greeke and Latin Churches wherein one may see the difference touching feasts THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares The Aethiopians doe keepe Lent and do beginne it the Munday after Sexagesima ten daies after Shroue-Tewesday and so they make their Lent to continue fifteene daies longer taking those daies for aduantage because that they fast not on Saturdaies Their manner of fasting is NOT TO EATE vntill night communicating euery day which is the reason why they singe not the Masse during that time but only in the night and after seruice they communicate and then goe to supper And euen as they haue these fiftie daies of Lent In like manner they take other fifty dayes after Easter and the Pentecost wherein they fast not and then when it is not fasting day they celebrate Masse in the morning eating flesh during that time without excepting any one day The Lord of Escales hath brought to light the Calender of the Church of Aethiopia wherein one may see the feasts and the fasting dayes there and how much they differ from ours THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Lyons It must be declared to the Lay people what times they must keepe holy in the yeare to wit euery Sunday from eue to eue and to eschue all imitation of the Iewes they must also keepe these Feasts Christmas S. Steuen S. Iohn c. The Fasting-dayes of the Latine Church are ordained De Consecr dist 3. and elsewhere THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe constitutions of England Seeing that the Authoritie of the holy Fathers grounded vpon the example of the Apostles hath commanded to celebrate Prayers and Fasting in the solemne ordination of Ministers and to that end hath ordained certaine prefixed times for the foresaid Prayers and Fastings Wee honouring their Holy and Pious institution doe will and ordaine that hereafter no Priests nor Deacons bee ordained but vpon those Sundayes which follow immediatly after the Fasting of the fower times vulgarly called the Ember weekes hitherto kept in the Church of England The Synod at Torun in Poland We haue thought it necessarie to appease the wrath of God with Fasting and Prayers assembling our selues together with one consent at certaine times And to the end that wee may not ordaine any new thing touching this matter we haue Dedicated vnto Fasting the dayes accustomed foure times in the yeere which are vulgarly called the dayes of abstinence Neuerthelesse we will not hinder the faithfull to follow their deuotion in obseruing Fasting and Prayers at other times but on the contrarie side we doe exhort and stirre them vp thereunto Oecolampadius Wee haue not learned out of Gods word any distinction of meates Neuerthelesse that we may pray more sincerely wee doe abstaine not without fruit from meates not prohibited In consideration whereof the fathers haue consecrated fortie dayes before Easter for to Fast Zanchius The ancient institution of Lent cannot be simply condemned but the necessitie which is inforced Item Telesphorus about the yeere 139. maketh mention thereof as a thing obserued before his time We doe ordaine saith he that all the Clergie doe abstaine from flesh seuen whole weekes before Easter Saint Ambrose saith that before Lent continued but sixe weekes The feastiuall dayes of the Church of England are set downe in the Booke of Common Prayers of the said Church Chemnicius and Zanchius doe note those feasts which are kept by the Protestants of Germanie ANNOTATION THis Question might haue beene omitted Neuerthelesse because that there are too many scrupulous people which take more heede to the externall seruice of God then to the truth of beliefe it shall not bee much besides the purpose to giue here aduertisement touching Feastes and fasting It is therefore to be vnderstood that the Apostles neuer made in common any order touching Feasts and Fasting If they had it would haue beene knowne for the Tradition would haue beene alike amongst all Nations which is not nor neuer was Incontinently after the time of the Apostles the Churches of Asia where Saint Iohn gouerned yea where S. Peter and S. Paul taught were found to differ from the Church of Rome touching the Feast of Easter There is no doubt but that the Feasts of the Apostles were ordained a long time after their decease As touching fasting there are two sorts The one which is truely and properly fasting is abstinence from all kind of meate this fasting is obserued and very much vsed in Aethiop and amongst all the Iacobites The other kind of Fasting is an abstinence from the most delicate and delicious meates Against which Fasting the Protestants doe bring this sentence out of S. Paul The spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter dayes men shall giue heede vnto the spirits of errour and doctrine of Diuels which teach lies through hypocrisie commanding to abstaine from meates which GOD hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes Some will demaund whether the Protestants doe pretend that this place of Scripture is absolutely against Lent and obseruation of Fridayes Zanchius answereth no. Lent was instituted before the yeere 139. and the Author is not knowne For the constitution of Telesphorus serued but to confirme that which was then already receiued So that if some of the
Apostles were not the inuenters thereof yet it is certaine that it was some of their Disciples all the rest consenting thereunto The saying also of S. Paul cannot be applied to that institution for S. Paul saith that this forbidding should bee in the latter dayes The same Zanchius saith that Lent was free vntill the time of Pope Gregorie the seuenth that is to say vntill the yeare 1075. And that this Pope did forbid in the Latine Church to eate flesh vpon paine of mortall sinne And that this prohibition so absolute and exact is that whereof S. Paul speaketh For otherwise it is not a true prohibition or forbidding The Romane Catholikes do bring other exceptions to wit that these meates are not forbidden as euill of themselues Another answereth them that Saint Paul saith the vse of them must not be forbidden and speaketh in the same sort of Marriage which is not forbidden but onely to those which haue vowed neuer to marrie Also vnlesse one doe vow not to eate flesh the vse ought not to be absolutely forbidden him The Latines say also that they forbid it not but for certaine times The contrary part doth reply that it is euer a forbidding That which is white for one day saith Aristotle is no lesse white then if it had beene so a whole yeare As for the Christians of the East they are more exact obseruers of Fasting and abstinence then the Latines are although that their Church hath not this doctrine that it should be vnto them a mortall sinne Zeale and deuotion is many times imitated by superstition The Reformed Churches haue their Fasts and do keepe them straightly and the common people amongst them might fall into some scruple of conscience but that they are oftentimes aduertised of their Christian libertie It hath beene said before that the Ethiopians doe beleeue that the commandements of the Church doe not binde a man vpon paine of mortall sinne And in that point they are manifestly on the Protestants side as the Grecians also are if they hold that which their auncestors held all alike doe beleeue that the Bishoppes may both make lawes vse their censures and impose certaine punishments vpon the infringers or breakers of them but not forbidde as God If thou dost eate of this fruit thou shalt die the death both temporall and eternall So that some scruple is noted among Christians but the doctrine which they confesse is That the Church may ordaine holy or festiual daies together with abstinence of all or some kind of meats neuerthelesse not so as to bind the conscience without contempt or scandall and the diuers practise therof doth shew that there is no Catholike ecclesiasticall law which hath ordained either festiuall daies or fasting daies or the manner of keeping those feasts or fasts ¶ The Conclusion of this Treatise THe Councell of Basil hath declared the Pope to bee subiect vnto the Church If the same were beleeued at this day by the Latines as it is by all other Christians it were sufficient to make a peace If the Pope may transport that Sea out of Rome the Church may doe it farre better yea the East Church might haue done it at such time as it was greater then the Latine It followeth also that all that the Popes haue ordained approued or tollerated is vnder correction If there had not beene ambition in him or in his Clergie of Rome hee would haue heard the Catholike voyce of the Church This ambition is the cause wherefore the Grecians doe call him an Arch-hereticke the Indians a reprobate Bishoppe the Protestants the sonne of perdition Those that liue vnder him vse not these termes Neuerthelesse they are not farre wide from this beleefe If the Duke of Venice should presume to call himselfe Monarch and that the most part tooke armes against him calling him Tyrant Capitall and Principall enemy of the Common-wealth and that there were others more patient then they which confessed that in truth he was not such a one as he counted himselfe to be neuerthelesse beleeued that he ought to be supported I pray you would not all these Cittizens agree together in the principall point although they were of diuers opinions in the manner of proceeding Father Coton after many others maketh an argument here which he thinketh to be inuincible The Sonne of Perdition saith he must sit in the Temple of God according to Saint Paul that is to say in the Church of God according to Crysostome And we must not goe out of the Church for out of it there is no saluation therefore we must continue vnder the sonne of perdition Answere The Temple of God is all the earth in this Temple there are many Episcopall Chaires which as Pope Pelagius saith are one nuptiall bed of Christ that is to say which make but one Church which begetteth children to God by baptisme Well then if hee that sitteth in S. Peters Chaire teacheth not at all who will gaine-say but that without forsaking the Church one may goe to heare him which sittes in Saint Peters chaire at Antioch among the Armenians or in the seate of S. Andrew in Constantinople Some will say that the Protestants doe not take this way But we haue shewed that if ceremonies were laid apart and that Logomachies were eschued there would want but little of agreement and scarce would there be any discord but onely in these foure points First about Images Secondly praiers to Saints Thirdly the time of making Monasticall vows Fourthly about the conuersion of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist and peraduenture not so great as is imagined For the first it is decreed in the second Councel of Nice that one should put off his Hat in passing before a Church a Crosse an Altar an Image or portraict of a Saint hauing the heart lifted vp to God The Protestants doe call the same superstition See here is a great heresie a trimme subiect to diuide Christianitie Panigarolas confesseth that one may altogether let passe Images why not then this ceremonie The Catholicke Romans know well enough that sometimes they were not vsed at all And Wicelius saith that wee ought to eschew all appearance of euill In the time of S. Basil there was tolleration herein Vigilantius brake the peace peraduenture his iniurious speeches haue beene the cause why men did more in hate of him The second Question whether one ought to recommend himselfe to the Prayers of the Saints is of the same nature They of the East Churches doe confesse that the Saints doe not vnderstand our Prayers Neuerthelesse that the holy Ghost which they haue doeth induce them to pray and to crie Abba father saith S. Paul that is to say in generall for those that recommend themselues to their Prayers The Protestants doe confesse that the Saints doe pray and that one may wish or desire that they would so doe notwithstanding they hold it absurd to addresse our Prayers vnto them seeing that wee doe know that
to impute this vnto the Abyssins for an errour seeing that in the Church of Rome they baptize Bells and contrary to the practise of the Apostolicke Churches they sprincle water euery day entring into their Churches for remission of veniall sinnes a custome taken eyther from the Iewes as the Grecians doe reproach them or else from Pagan Idolaters The other accusation against the Iacobites is because that they tollerate Circumcision vpon which Berthius saith thus They circumcise their children both Male and Female but they borrow not that from the Iewes insomuch that the same is not for any Religion sake as Aluares also saith but it is an auncient custome for Herodotus witnesseth that the Ethiopians in times past likewised vsed it It hath beene likewise thought by some that the Iacobites baptize with fire But the Historiographers and those of the Countrey doe certifie vs that the same is not so but they make incisions in their temples either for comlines or els for their healths sake If the Ethiopians haue no other errours then those which appeare vnto vs we might peraduenture appropriate vnto them by better right that place of Scripture vbi cubas in meridie then the auncient Donatists could attribute it vnto themselues * ⎠* FINIS ¶ A TABLE OF THE MATTER CONTAINED IN THIS BOOKE OF the Popes spirituall authority Quest Quest 1. Of the first Seate Quest 2. Of Miracles Quest 3. Of personall Succession Quest 4. Of Multitude Quest 5. Of the Popes temporal authority Quest 6 Of the sufficiency of the holy scripture Quest 7. Of Canonicall bookes Quest 8. Of the Latine Translation of the holy Scripture Quest 9. Of Traditions Quest 10. Of the proceeding of the holy Ghost Quest 11. Of true faith Quest 12. Of Free-will Quest 13. Of Iustification Quest 14. Of the merite of good works Quest 15. Of Purgatory Quest 16. Of Pardons Quest 17. Of Christ his discention into hel Quest 18 Of the necessity of Baptisme Quest 19. Of Confirmation Quest 20. Of particular Confession Quest 21. Of the change of the signes in the Eucharist Quest 22. Of the words of consecration Quest 23 Of the Sacrament reserued Quest 24 Of the bread in the Sacrament Quest 25 Of mingling Wine and Water in the Chalice Quest 26 Of the Communion vnder both kindes Quest 27 Of carrying the Sacrament in Procession Quest 28 Of the eleuation of the Sacram. Quest 29 Of priuate Masses Quest 30 Of the Sacrifice of the Masse Quest 31 Of an vnknowne tongue in the Church Quest 32 Of the ordination of Ecclesiasticall persons Quest 33 Of the Marriage of Ecclesiasticall persons Quest 34 Of Ecclesiastical orders and offices Quest 35 Of the indeleble Character Quest 36 Of Extreame Vnction Quest 37 Of the number of Sacraments Quest 38 Of Praiers for the Saints Quest 39 Of the Inuocation of Saints Quest 40 Of the canonizing of Saints Quest 41 Of Images Quest 42 Of Monasticall vowes Quest 43 Of feasts and fasting Quest 44 a Sugil Turc spurc cap. 22. And other Authors do reckon ten they put sometimes three seueral Nations the which doe make but one Church b Respo Confess August cap. 13. c Generall d Orat. Corn. Epis Biton in concil Trid. e Theuet Cosm 1. lib. 18. cap. 13. f Cras Turcogr lib. 3. in ann g Barlaam de Papae princ cap. 15 h A Bridge-maker Fenest de Sacerd ca. 8. i Father k Panor de concil Basil l Theuet Cos lib. 4 cap. 2. m King n Apostolicke o Broken or Cut. p Our father q Isch-ja a man of God r Vilam l. 2. cap. 21. Å¿ M. Paule Venet. Hist Ind. orient Å¿ Sent from God Å¿ M. Masius in praef in lib Mosis de parad t Nichol. l. 4. cap. 19. u Vniuersal x Alphons de Castro de haeres passim y Vilamont l. 2. cap. 23. z Sleidan de Stat. Rel. lib. 1. c. â— a Cyprian de simpl Cl. Gennadius Confession Hist Eccl. de Const The Sybils To wit Pagans a Psal 120. 7. b Damian à Goes de morib Aethiop Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum c Mat. 16. 6. d Lib. 4. contra haeres e Mat. cap. vlt. 20 f Phil cap. 3. 15. g Hist Eccl. l. 4. cap. 22. a The causes of dissentions Eccl. 5 1. b De princip cap. 2. c In 4. Sent. dist 24. qu. 3. d 〈…〉 cr cap 2. e Descript Aeth cap. 29. f Art 4. g Simpl. prael h Ad Euagr. i Dist 19. Ita Dominus k Dist eadem enimuerò l Tom. 2. l. 2. c. 17. 18. m In praef de summo Pont. n Bodin Repub l. 2. c. 1. n Durand de sacris Eccl. lib. 3. c. 2. n Matth. 16. o Iohn p Rom. 1. p 2. Respon Jerem. fine q Apoc. 21. 14. r Ioh. 14. 16. Å¿ Mat. 18. 18 t 1. Pet. 5. 1. u Acts 14. 22 x 1. Thes 1. Mat. 28. 20. y De Statu Prim. Eccl. z Reuis Concil 1. Cor. 12. a Cap. 13. b De primat l. 2. c Mat. 16. 18 d Psal 14. 4. e Cosm lib. 9 f Voyages l. 2 cap. 22. i Cosm l. 10. c. 15. k Elucid c. 2. l Cap. 26. m Discept Graci Caldei n Chap. of Ethiop o Cap. 32. o Cap. 17. p Acta Theol Virtemb q Dist 21. Quamuis Å¿ Alexandria was the greatest Citie of the Empire after Rome Ioseph l. 4. c. 42. t Antioch was the third Citie Josep bello Iud. lib. 3. there was in this Citie 360. Churches of Christians u The Grecians doe call him Gregorie Dialoger x John nestentes That is to say the younger y Oecumenicos z S. Cypr. de simpl cl a Lib. 1. cap. 17. 18. Matt. 17. 20. b In the third Booke of his Voyages cap. 4 c Dâ—â—Kel Mâ—sc ad Ferd. d Ibidem e Nauigat de Lopes f Turcogr lib. 2. Pach. g Cap. 16. h Disc of Aeth cap. 17. i Cap. 11. k De reliq ven sanct tit 22. l Art 5. m De princ cap. 3. n Cap. 18. o De notis Eccl. cap. 8. p Mar. 15. 16 q L. 2. c. 21. r Lib. 2. ca. 22 Å¿ De viciss t Lib. 2. c. 24. u Idem l. 2. cap. 22. x De not Eccl. l. 4. c. 2. y Cap. 18. z Praef. in Anaph Basilij a Lib. 2. cap. 24. b De sacrifi c Resp 1. cap. 16. d Eluc cap 3. e Lib. 4. c. 36. f Cap. 3. g Viciss l. 8. h Lib. 2. c. 13 i Art 13. k De Maior obed Dan. 12. 45. l Melech a King m Fr Paul of Venice in Apologie n De Causis diss lib. 1. o Lib. 1. dist 11. b. p Iohn 15. q Resp Rohit r Elucid err Å¿ Cap. 31. t De indor leg art 11. u Art 5. x In 4. Sent. d. 24. q. 2. y 4. Sess decret 1. z 1. Tim. 2. 11. 1. Cor. 14. 34. a Smith apud P. Vermil Martyrem de caelib b 1. Cor. 7. 38.
SOVTH ZAga-Zabo Bishop of Abyssin It is likewise the office of the Patriarch to denounce excommunication against the obstinate the obseruation whereof is so straight that they let him that is obstinate die for hunger They giue nor graunt no Indulgences THE REFORMED CHVRCH COnfess Sax. In times past those that did penance to the end that it might be perceiued that they desired Pardon with all their heart and to the ende that their example should profite others were not receiued vpon a suddaine but the absolution was deferred for certaine daies to the end that they might be seene to aske it publickely Afterwards superstition encreased so much that fasting was ordained and abstinence from women many yeares These wil-worshippes being too much augmented the Bishops againe released them The relaxation of such customes were called Indulgences The Monks doe not consider the Historie of these things if they imagine that they make satisfaction for eternall paine or the paine of Purgatorie and others of this life or do adde that satisfactions were ordained by the Church to the end that these paines should be qualified Well we say that this application of Indulgences by the which the Pope applyeth the merites of the Saints is inuented at his pleasure THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Forasmuch as the power to conferre Indulgences hath beene giuen by Iesus Christ to the Church and hath beene vsed in very auncient time with the like power as it was diuinely giuen The holy Councell teacheth and commaundeth that the vsage of these Indulgences which are very necessarie for Christian people and approued by the Authoritie of the holy Councels ought to be receiued in the Church ANNOTATION THe Protestants say that the custome in times past was to appoint to repentant sinners a certaine terme during which by their good workes they might giue the Church testimonie of their repentance The same is as yet practised in the East and South Churches Ieremie Patriarcke of Constantinople discourseth hereupon as followeth Satisfactions are profitable if they be imposed as a medicine by the spiritual ministers that is to say for those that are Proude Couetous Gluttonous Incontinent Enuious Quarrelous or giuen to such like vices Who if they would conuert and repent ought to submit themselues to the rules made according to the aduise of the holy Fathers But if those satisfactions bee translated to the gaine and profit of those that giue them and not to the true end which is to prouide for the saluation of the Soule and to heale each sinne which is the intention for the which they were instituted In that fashion we doe reiect them and doe say that they were ordained in vaine which cannot by any meanes be denied And we doe pronounce remission of sinnes with some punishment adioyned for many considerations First to the end that a man for voluntarie affliction might escape the ineuitable paine of an other life Bring forth fruites worthy of Repentance saith S. Iohn Euery tree that beareth not good fruit shall be cut down and throwne into the fire to wit Euerlasting For God is not so much pleased with any thing as with affliction and therefore S. Gregorie saith Teares are recompensed with mercie Secondly to the end that the inclination of the flesh to voluptuousnesse which is the cause of vice should be taken away Thirdly to the end that that punishment should be a stay to the soule to the end it fall not into such like sinne or worse Fourthly to the end that a man should accustome himselfe to take paines for vertue is gotten with trauaile Fiftly to the end that a man might bee assured whether he perfectly hateth euill Neuerthelesse we doe leaue all these things in those that depart For we doe count that it is sufficient if in him that repenteth there bee a true conuersion Therefore we doe pronounce remission of sinnes according to the power of him that said If you remit sinnes they shall be Pardoned We beleeue that by the same meanes the punishment is pardoned for assurance whereof we doe giue the diuine gift of the Eucharist For repentance hath his seate in the soule of the sinner but not to vndergoe punishment is in the handes of God which for this cause hath really by his owne humanitie giuen remission as to the thiefe who did but desire of the Lord that hee would remember him when he came to his Kingdome See here the Doctrine of the Churches of the East touching satisfaction The Protestants doe proceede more compendiously they are content that in regard of vnknowen sinnes euery one doe apply according to his discretion the saying of S. Iohn Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance As concerning sinnes knowen by the most part of the Church satisfaction sufficeth not vnlesse it make a reparation or publike acknowledgment in asking pardon of God and the Church for the scandale and if the offence be knowne but to a few the same acknowledgement is made in their Consistories Those that refuse doe remaine suspended or excommunicated vntill that they doe obey and they giue no Indulgence There is also apappointed to the repentant a time of suspension from the Sacraments more or lesse according to the fault as well for a punishment as also to the end that the Church may see whether such repentance be true or fained by the fruits therof The auncient Church imposed punishments and sometimes so hard that they were constrained to release the rigor of them and that relaxation was called Indulgence The Churches of the South doe release or mittigate nothing at all and also reiect Indulgences in what sort soeuer they are taken for this euill proceedeth from appointing punishments so hard that they are constrained afterwards to reuoke them But if satisfaction doe consist in doing good workes It is very il done to dispence with men for doing all the good that is possible for them to doe The people of the East and of the South allow not of this abuse but they condemne rather the opinion of the Romane Church which ordaine satisfactions to auoide certaine paines of Purgatorie and teach that by Indulgences the said paines are escaped without performing or making of any satisfaction yea as if by Indulgences a man might be deliuered from the obligation whereby he is bound to God to doe all that is possible to obtaine pardon of him Also the Apostolicke Churches doe beleeue that there is neither Pope nor any other person which by Indulgences can deliuer men from the punishments that God inflicteth which if it be so that Indulgences do not deliuer a man from temporall punishments of this life as pouertie sickenesse and death it selfe how can they deliuer him from the paines of Purgatory For there is the same reason for the one as for the other It followeth vpon the premises that the Church cannot dispence with times and workes lawfully ordained for proofe and disproofe but may well release for iust and reasonable