A DEFENCE OF THE CATHOLICKE FAITH CONTAINED IN THE BOOKE OF THE MOST Mightie and most Gracious King IAMES the first King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the FAITH AGAINST THE ANSWERE OF N. Coeffeteau Doctour of Diuinitie and Vicar Generall of the Dominican Preaching FRIARS Written in French by PIERRE DV MOVLIN Minister of the word of God in the Church of PARIS Translated into English according to his first Coppie by himselfe reuiewed and corrected LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for Nathaniel Butter and Martin Clerke 1610. To the KINGS most Excellent MAIESTIE I Take mine Authors word and mine owne experience for warrant from beyond the Seas most Dread Soueraigne that your Maiesties excellent knowledge and learning haue wonne you admiration among forraine Nations And for home-affections it is well knowen that your Maiesties sincere loue to the truth of Religion and constant Confession of the Catholicke Faith whereof your Maiestie is worthily stiled The Defender haue knit the hearts of your people vnto you Who well perceiue by your Kingly Apology directed to the Princes of Christendome that God hath made your Maiesty such a one as was DAVID The sweet Singer of Israel euen a Propheticall King 2. â—am 23.1 and a Kingly Prophet whose bold profession it is Psal 119. I will speake of thy testimonies Psal 119.46 euen before Kings and will not be ashamed Such as the Kings also among the Heathen are said to haue beene both Princes and Prophets Rex Anius Virg. Aeneid 3. rex idem hominum Phoebique Sacerdos Concerning the Authour and Pen-man of this booke I neede not say any thing Authorem commendat opus Touching my selfe vpon whom this taske was secundarily imposed I know the Translation will blab out mine imperfections Your Maiesty is apt to pardon greater offences and therfore I hope these The ground worke is your Maiesties owne which maketh me bold to vse that saying toward your Maiesty my Soueraigne Lord wherewith Paulus Orosius dedicateth his Story to S. Austin his Master and Tutor Totum tuum sit quod ex te In initio ad te redit It is all your Maiesties owne doing which comming from you I returne it back againe vnto you And so I dedicate you to your selfe In Apologet. cap. 30. concluding with that which Tertullian reporteth to haue beene the auncient Christians Prayer for the safety of their Emperours and is now in vse also in the Church of Rome if we may beleeue Doctor Coeffeteau but I feare me not with like true affection Fol. 5. Vitam Maiestati tuae prolixam Imperium securum domum tutam exercitum fortem Senatum fiaelem populum probum regnum quietum obnixè precor Your Maiesties most humble and faithfull Subiect IOHN SANFORD To the most Mighty and Gracious King IAMES the first King of great Brittaine and of Ireland SIR AS your greatnesse no way needeth our seruice so your exquisite learning wants not any defence For your greatest enemies to whom your power is redoubtable haue your learning in admiration But were it so that you had vse of any mans pen yet should you haue litle cause to seeke further then your owne kingdomes since amongst your subiects there is so great a number of learned men to whom we are in all regards inferiour Yet notwithstanding we haue held it necessary to declare vnto the world that that religion which you defend is the same which we professe and that it befits vs to make resistance to such as in your particuler person assault the generall truth This vndertaking of mine is great and my abilities but ordinarie besides my vocation very laborious neither is a tempest a fit time to write in or a banke of an vnquiet torrent a fit place for serious meditation But SIR the perfection of your worke may supply my defect for to fight after you cannot be properly termed fighting but the pursuite of your victory for though the point of truth be euer sharpe yet it entreth and pierceth more or lesse according to the force and vigour of the arme It is not then to be maruelled if it strike cleane through errors being guided by so strong and powerfull a hand To you then SIR belongs the glory of this holy worke to vs remaines the good and benefit of following your example for the easiest way to speake well for you is to speake that which we haue learned of you neither is it possible that any one should write well in your defence that writes not in your imitation Wherein these my paines can no way merit to be compared For your Maiesty poureth out largely with a royall hand into the Threasury of the Sanctuary whilest I like the poore widow make offer of my mite the which I do with the more affection boldnesse in respect that our Kings participate with you in the cause and that we do see our crowne already foiled and our kings life endangered for want of considering those things which your Maiesty in your booke propoundeth and God grant that your Maiesties warnings be not prophesies and that our good mercifull and victorious king who flourisheth equally in peace as he is feared in warre being endued with an admired vigor both of body and mind may be long preserued amongst vs who hauing had so good experience and in so many places of our fidelity will not we hope be displeased with this our liberty in defending of our religion to which we are not drawne by the hatred of any but by our zeale to the cause of God and through compassion of the poore peopla who being carried along with the streame of custome thinke they do God good seruice to hate vs yea so farre are they transported as they are become iealous and suspitious of the holy Scriptures fearing lest by the word of God they should be misled and seduced for the saluation of whose enthralled soules we would willingly expose our liues and will not cease daily to pray to God to enlighten them in the truth whom we likewise pray that he will preserue your Maiesty from all euill and blesse your person and kingdomes and the Church that liueth vnder the shade and quiet of your gouernment with praier from my heart I recommend to God remaining From Paris the 20. of Ianuary 1610. Your Maiesties most humble and most obedient seruant P. D. M. The Translator to the Reader Gentle Reader I here present thee a worke very worthy of thy study and Meditation if eyther thou beare a loue to Gods truth or good affection towards thy Soueraigne Onely let me intreat thee out of a common feeling of humane frailty to pardon and before thou reade to amend the faults that haue herein escaped through ouersight of the Printers my sickenesse at that time and the distance of place not giuing me leaue to be alwayes present to preuent the same In the Translation I haue not nicely tyed my selfe to the wordes neyther was it requisite
out of Saint Cyprian is altogether disguised and clipped and is nothing to the purpose Saint Cyprian speaketh to the faithfull who assayled with contagion had seene their Fathers their bretheren their children die before them and enter into Paradise before them He saith then vnto them our Fathers Magnus illic nos charorum numerus expectat parentum fratrum filiorum freques noâ— copiosa turba desiderat iam de sua immortaletate secura adhuc de nostra sollicita Mothers bretheren and Children waite for vs in great number and a great troupe doth desire vs being assured of their owne immortality but in care of our Father To what purpose is this to defend the seruiceand titles which they yeeld to the Virgin Mary To what purpose is the generall mention of the Saints deceased seeing that he speaketh onely of them who haue knowne vs in this life And though he should speake of all the Saints what doth this make against vs who haue neuer denyed but that the Saints doe desire our saluation and pray for the Church in Generall although they doe not know the necessities nor the prayers of particular persons This falsehood of Coeeffeteaus is followed with another of the interpreter of Ireneus who speaketh thus Euen as Eue was seduced to turne away from God Sicut illa seducta est vt effuge ret Deum sic haec sua sa est obedire Deo vti virginis Euae virgo Maria fieret aduocata so Mary was counsailed to obey God to the end that the Virgin Mary might become aduocate for the Virgin Eue. The very reading doth make the place to be suspected so litle comelinesse hath it and lesse sence It was in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt fieret consolatrix that is to say to the end that Mary might be the comforter of Eue. For God hauing condemned Eue gaue her this seed of the Woman which is the Virgine Mary for a consolation The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in S. Iohn ca. 14.26 signifieth a comforter is also vs ed by Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 2.1 to fignifie an aduocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue an aduocate with the Father The same Ambiguitie deceiued Tertullian Cap. 9. of his Booke against Praxeas where he thus rendreth the wordes of Iesus Christ Ioh. 14.16 I will pray vnto the Father and hee shall giue you another aduocate The same fault is found in the booke of Nouation of the Trinity cap. 28.29 After these come other two false peeces namely the Liturgies of S. Basil and of Chrysostome which all the learned acknowledge to be forged yea so grossely that euen in the Liturgie attributed to S. Chrysostome there is mention made of the Emperor Alexius who was borne some seuen hundred years after Chrysostome Moreouer there is prayer made for Nicholas Pope of Rome which was neuer the custome of the auncient Greeke Church Nay further the fashood is double for not onely the parcels alleadged are false in themselues but also it is falsly said by Coeffeteau that in the Liâ—urgie of Basil the Virgin is inuocated It is one thing to pray vnto her another to make a commemoration of her We will close vp these false passages with a true one out of S. Epiphanius in his 79. Heresie which is the Heresie of the Collyridians Surely the Virgin was a Virgin worthy to be honoured but yet she was not giuen vs to be adored for euen she her selfe adored him who was borne of her according to the flesh but came downe from heauen out of the bosome of the Father And therefore the Gospell doth arme vs against this abuse telling vs that the Lord himselfe said vnto her What haue I to doe with thee woman mine howre is not yet come To the end that no man should presume more then he óught vpon the Virgin Mary nor should attribute to her too much excellency he calleth her woman as it were prophecying of the things that should come to passe in the world by reason of Schismes and Heresies for feâ—re least some out of too much admiration of her should fall into the dotages of this Heresie Now hee speaketh of an Herefie which offered a cake to the Virgin Mary but yet did not yeelde her the fourth part of the honour which the Church of Rome doth vnto her Most singular is that aboue the rest which he addeth Let MARY be had in honour but let the Father and the Sonne be adored Let no man adore MARY I say not a woman but neyther man himselfe It is to God that this mystery is duc The Angels themselues are not capable of such an honour And it is worth the noting that he girdeth at this Title of the Queene of Heauen and I beseech the Reader to obserue it Let Ieremy saith he represse those odde house-wiues that they trouble the world no more and that they may no longer haue this word in their mouthes We honour the Queene of heauen And so S. Ambrose in his third booke of the Holy Ghost And for feare saith he least some man would deriue this same to the Virgin MARY Lib. 3. cap. 12. Mary was indeede the Temple of God but she was not God And therefore we must adore him alone who wrought in this Temple Let Coeffeteau then cease to pay vs in this false coyne and let him not shew vs like a cousening Lapidary his counterfeit Iewels in the darke was he not affraid to lay open his false dealing in this Theatour Or did he thinke that he had to do with a King that was blinde and without reading The best is that al this seruice of the Virgin which they call now adayes Hyperdulia and which maketh vp a good part of the Romane Religion hath no foundation in the word of God Onely our Aduersaries bring in men speaking to this point but they put their speeches before hand in their mouthes and make them say that which they neuer beleeued How commeth it to passe that Saint Iohn who serued the Virgin Mary as a sonne after the death of Iesus Christ and the rest of the Apostles who loued and honoured her had yet neuer recourse to her intercession they might haue said in themselues we haue in heauen a Lady Aduocate one that is so neere vnto vs and who now is Queene of heauen and yet neuerthelesse if we beleeue this people they were so ill aduised as not to make profite thereof they did not value nor make vse vnto themselues of this aduantage neyther haue they councelled vs to addresse our selues vnto her but what boldenes is this in wormes of the earth to attribute vnto a creature the Empire of heauen and of the world without being instructed what was the will of God therein As if the breefe flyes or Hornets had taken vpon them to establish some man in the Popedome Let the word of God then bee heard therevpon which is the thing that we will doe in
to no purpose For in his 10. Epistle to Gregory Nazianzen after he had aduised him to take heede that hee vsed no requests or intreatyes towards the Bishop of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for feare lest hee waxe proud thereupon he addeth these words If the wrath of God continue what helpe shall we receiue from these Westerlings who neither know the truth neither can they indure to bee taught it Coeffeteau subioyneth that S. Chrysostome beeing banished and driuen from his Bishoppricke he had recourse to Pope Innocent and implored the assistance of his authority But he should also haue added that Innocent taking the defence of Chrysostome in hand wrote two Letters which are found in Sozomen lib. 8. cap. 26. The first of which is nothing but a Consolatorie Epistle to Chrysostome exhorting him to patience without promising him any assistance which hee would doubtlesse haue done if it had bin in his power to haue re-established him into his charge The second Letter was written to the people Clergie of Constantinople in which there is no commandement giuen to restore Chrysostom to the possessioÌ„ of his charge but onely a complaint of infringing the Canons of the Church an aduise to summon a generall Councell Sozomen further addeth in the 28. chapter Ioannis hostes apud Constantinopolim hanc rem quasi in contumeliam eius imperij fieret calumaiati sunt vt illi tanquam transmarini imperij turbator s ablegarentur effâ—cerunt tum etiam vt ipse Iobâ—naâ—s etiam vlteâ—â—us Pâ—â—yâ—atem scilicet exulatum transferretuâ— pro. urarunt that the Deputies sent by the Pope to sollicite Chrysostomes restitution were sent backe without preuailing any thing and were further * accused towards the Emperour Arcadius as hauing medled in this busines with contempt of the Empire and as troublers of the state of the transmarine Empire And indeede were the cause why Chrysostome was sent farther away into banishment So little did men then care for the Counsells or aduertisements of the Bishop of Rome So also al his intercession was onely by way of aduise and request and not by commaundement neither shall you finde that S. Chrysostome or his successours did euer demaund the Bishop of Romes Letters of Inuestiture or euer receiued the Pall from him Our Doctor addeth Lib. 3. cap. 7. that Iulius the first restored Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria Paul Bishop of Constantinople and many others because saith Sozomen that the care of all things belonged to the Bishop of Rome by reason of his Sea he restored their Churches to each of them It would be in vaine to expect from this Doctor any passages faithfully alleadged the course and order of the story sheweth that they were not restored at all and that the Easterne Churches made little account of the Bishop of Rome For in the lines following it appeareth that the Easterne Bishops did nothing at all of what Iulius wrote vnto them but returned Letters of mockerie taxing his pride They spake indeede honourably of the Church of Rome by reason of the greatnesse of the Citie and because that the Apostles had taught there but withall they adde Tamen indignati sunt se posteriores ideo ferre quod magnitudine Ecclesiae superarentur idque cum virtute viuendi instituto longè superiores essent That they were moued with indignation that they should be thought to be of a lower rancke vnder a pretence that their Church was not so great seeing that if they respected vertue or gouernement of life they were farre before the Church of Rome And to the end that the Bishop of Rome should not be doing with their affaires they tell him that they intermedled not with his And that the Bishops and Priests of the East their predecessors did not oppose themselues to the Bishop of Rome when he cut off Nouatus from the Church And further the same Sozomen cap. 10. witnesseth that the same Orientall Bishops deposed Iulius Bishop of Rome with Osius Maximus and others They were indeed Arrians and proceeded vniustly against Iulius who defended the truth but yet we shall not finde that this hath beene reckoned among the errours of the Arrians that they did not acknowledâ—e the Bishop of Rome to be head of the Church They were ignorant of the true nature of Iesus Christ but they well knew what was the Ecclesiasticall policy and how farre the bounds of the Bishop of Rome did extend And if it be found in story that Iulius Bishop of Rome wrote his Letters to re-integrate any expulsed Bishops into their Charges we finde also that Liberius Bishop of Rome Scribunt literas Faelici tum Ecclesiae Romanae Antistiti Clero eiusdem Ecclesiae vti Liberium recipiant ambo pariter Ecclesiam Apostolicam administrent being put from his Bishopricke is sent backe with the letters of the Easterne Bishops and by their commaundement re-established as Sozomen witnesseth lib. 4. cap. 14. And yet this is not taken vp for a proofe of superiority of the Easterne Bishops ouer the Bishops of Rome but to testifie the mutuall helpe which the Churches lend one to another in their necessities no more then when we read in the story of Socrates l. 7. cap. 33. that Cyrill of Alexandria deposed Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople that Nestoriê° degraded Cyrill as also that Iohn of Antioch and Cyrill condemne excommunicate one another this is not a proof of Superiority So S. Hilary Bishop of Poictiers in the fragments of his Epistles oftentimes saith Anathema tibi a me Liberi and so excommunicateth the Bishop of Rome without any pretence of Superiority ouer him As for that which Sozomen saith that the Bishop of Rome had the care of all Churches by reason of the dignity of his Sea this is true not onely in the Bishop of Rome but also of all the Patriarches Thus haue we heretofore seene that Basil saith that Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria had the care of all Churches as Basil had of his particular Church and that the Patriarch of Antioch was ouer the whole body of the Church We haue also but euen now produced an example in which the Bishops of the East shew to haue had care of the West But this point hath neede of more cleare demonstration To fetch the matter then a little higher we must vnderstand that from the first Nicene Councell held Anno 328. the Histories doe make manifest that in the auncient Church Bishops had precedency each of other according to the dignities of their Cities which precedency was without any Superiority or Iurisdiction ouer one another No more nor lesse then the Counsellors of the Court goe in rancke according as they were admitted although they be equall in charge Or as when Christian Princes or their Ambassadours meete together to deliberate of the affaires of Christendome one hath precedencie and place before another yet without rule or dominion one ouer another So fared it with
which is there kept for a relique The first Author of this Fable is vnknown but it was deuised to perswade the people that S. Peter hauing layde aside his Crosier wore the triple Crowne as Monarch of the earth of hell and of heauen or as gouernour of Asia Affricke and Europe Now it is not without cause that this Crowne is called the Kingdome because the Pope quallifieth himselfe with the Titles of King and Monarch The last Councell of Lateran Sess 10. speaketh thus to the Pope The Empire of your Holinesse and Sess 9. Regale Romanorum Pontificum genus The Royall race of the Romane Bishops Imperium Sanctitatis verstrae Papa Sacerdos Rex and in the 3. Sess The Pope is Priest and King and in the first Session he is called Princeps totius orbis Prince of the whole world and therefore he preacheth no more Sometimes he saith Masse on some solemne day but in that Masse he causeth himselfe at sundry times to be adored If any King be present he must holde the Napkin but it must be vpon his knee as did King Charles the eight to Pope Alexander the sixth And for his better reading in the Missall he hath a Cardinall that poynteth to the letters with his finger Liber sacrarum Cerem l. 2. sect 1 as men vse to teach young children he then changeth his Hose and Shooes many times hee sucketh the Chalice with a reede at his going away he swelleth and puffeth vp his cheekes and giueth the benediction by blowing vpon them as though he gaue the holy Ghost As touching the Titles of Head of the faith supreame Iudge of all Controuersies which his Maiesty of England vpbraydeth the Pope withall Coeffeteau passeth that ouer and speaketh nothing as thinking it a thing not able to be maintayned So doth he disclaime that Title of Monarch of the world condemning therein the Councell of Lateran before alleadged that calleth him King and Prince of the whole world And we haue before produced certaine Theses lately disputed of at Naples and dedicated to the Pope now reigning Paulo 5. Vice-Deo Christiani orbis monarch wherein he is called Vice-God Monarch of the Christian world Titles of greater Antiquity THese new titles being thus taken away Coeffeteau comes on with a fresh supply and bringeth such as are more auncient and herein he craueth the assistance of the Fathers but first he racketh and tortureth them and by strayning constrayneth them to speake things against their will The first place is out of Tertullian cap. 1. of his booke of chastity Pontifex scilicet Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum dicit ego moechiae fornicationis delicta poenitentia functis dimitto O edectum cui ascribi non potest bonum foctum where he calleth the Bishop of Rome Soueraigne Bishop Bishop of Bishops The Reader that will giue himselfe leisure but to looke vpon the place shall finde that Tertullian speaketh this by way of flouting and mocking the Bishop of Rome for these are his words Yea indeed the chiefe Bishop the Bishop of Bishops saith thus I forgiue the sinnes of Adultery and Fornication to those that haue performed their due time of Penance O Edict vpon which a man may write It was the custome of the â—â—omanes to write ouer their Edicts B. F. Bonumfactum a good deed Sueton. in Iulio cap. 81. in Vitellio cap. 14. Plautus Poenulo Banum factum edicta vt seruetis mea THAT SHALL BE WEL DONE Besides we know not whether he spake of the Bishop of Rome or of the Bishop of Carthage a Metrapolitane in Affricke but howsoeuer cap. 21. he followeth the Bishop of Rome farre more plainely faying If because the Lord said vnto Peter vpon this Rocke I will build my Church therefore thou pretendest that the power to binde and loose is deriued vnto thee that is to say to euery Church that hath an affinity or neerenesse with S. Peter who art thou that changest and ouerthrowest the manifest meaning of Iesus Christ Si quia dixerat Petro Dominus super hanc petram c. id circo praesumis ad te deriuasse soluendi alligandi potestatem qualis es euertens atque commutansmanifestam Domiâ—â— intentionem personaliter hos Petro conferentem who conferred the same personally vnto Peter The next is S. Ierome who calleth the Bishop of Rome soueraigne Priest a name which the Ancients giue to euery Bishop as doth also the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The name also of a Foundation of the Church is common the all the Apostles as wee haue shewed and to all their true Successors S. Ierome sayth not that the Bishop of Rome is the only Foundation of the Church and if hee should haue so sayd he would surely haue beene suspected of flattering his Bishop as being himselfe a Roman Priest which neuerthelesse did not hinder him in an Epistle written to Euagrius to affirme that all Bishops are of equall dignity and to place the Bishop of Rome but in equality with others The place is very remarkeable In what place soeuer saith he a Bishop be whether he be at Rome at Agubium at Constantinople at Rhegium at Alexandria or at Tanis he hath one and the same priesthood the power of wealth or basenesse of pouerty maketh not one Bishop higher or lower then another In briefe they are all the successors of the Apostles But thou wilt say vnto me how commeth to passe that at Rome a Prest is receiued to his charge vpon the testimony of one Deacon To this obiection propounded to the end to haue all other Churches ruled after the example of the Romane he answereth thus Why bringest thou me in here the custome of one towne why dost thou bring in a small number by whose meanes pride is crept in among the lawes of the Churches In the third place he alledgeth S. Augustine saying That in the Romane Church the principality of the Apostolike Sea hath alwaies flourished If he had read the ancient histories he should haue learned that antiquity giueth also this principality to the Churches of Antioch Alexandria and of Ierusalem Sozomene chap. 16. of his booke eleuenth speaking of the Councell of Nice Fluic Concilio interfuere in Episcopis qui sedes tenebaÌ„t Apostolicas Macarius Hierosolymorum Antistes c. At this Councell were present amongst the Bishops that held the Apostolike Seas Macharius Bishop of Ierusalem Eustance Bishop of Antioch and Alexander Bishop of Alexandria 〈◊〉 Ruffinus lib. 2. chap. 21. saith that Damasus at Rome Timothy in Alexandria and Iohn in Ierusalem reestableshed the Seas Apostolike In Theodoret lib. 5. chap. 9. the Church of Antioch is called the most ancient Church of all the most Apostolike presently after the mother of all the Churches as it is likewise called in many other places Coeffeteau after these addeth a falshood he saith that the Councell of Chalcedon acknowledgeth the Bishop of Rome to be head of
and of such or such a Saint wee commit vnto you the Church of S. Sabina or of S. Chrisogonus c. that is he committeth to him one of the Parishes of Rome which is nothing but a bare formality and wordes without substance for after this ceremony this new Cardinall returneth home it may be into Fraunce or Sapine without euer setting his foote againe into the Church of which he beares the title And from thence it grew that for a long time there was in Rome but eight and twenty Cardinall Priests according to the number of the auncient Parishes in Rome which was seuen Churches vnder euery one of the foure principall and Patriarchall Churches of Rome as for the fift that is the Church of Lateran where the Pope made his residence that was aboue the other foure This number of eight and twenty Cardinall Parishes that is to say Parsons of Parishes continued in Rome vntill the time of Honorius the second father of the Cordeliers in the yeare 1125. as Onuphrius sheweth since which time the number hath encreased or lessened according to the pleasures of the Popes who were at that time in the height of their glory And the dignity of the Bishoppes of Millaine and Rauenna being decayed which before were held equall with the Bishop of Rome Since that there hath beene little speech but onely of the Cardinals of Rome As touching Deacons the custome of the City of Rome was to haue onely seuen following the example of the sixt Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles whose charge was to keepe and distribute the almes and to carry the Eucharist in the Church to the faithfull and to remoue the holy table and to cause those which were not yet fully instructed in the Christian Religion Catechumeni to goe out of the Church before the communion and to read the Gospell c. S. Laurence that suffered Martyrdome vnder Decius in the yeare 252. was one of those seuen Deacons as Prudentius testifieth Hic vnus ex septem viris Qui stant ad aram proximi Leuita sublimis gradu c. Likewise in the time of S. Cyprian there were but seuen as appeareth by the Epistle hee wrote to Cornelius in the sixt booke of Eusebius chap. 42. which agreeth with the twelfth Canon of the Counsell of Neocaesaria Now when the Church was growne to be in peace and quiet peace bringing plentie and plenty pride these Deacons became proude and insolent of which S. Augustine complaineth Falcidius duce stultitia Romanae ciuitatis iactantia Leuitas Sacerdotib ' equare contendit Quanquam Romanae Ecclesiae Diaconi modico inuericundiores videntur in his booke of questions of the olde and new Testament saying That one called Falcidius lead by folly and following the arrogancy and vaunting of the Citie of Rome would equal the Romane Deacons with other Priests and a little after saith that The Deacons of the Church of Rome seeme to be a little too impudent Pride was then in blooming but it is now full eared which sheweth that Haruest is at hand In the succeeding ages the number of Christians being greatly increased it is to be presumed the number of Deacons increased likewise amongst whom those which were the cheefest were called by the name of Cardinall Deacons which is as much to say as principall Looke Eusebius in the Election of Fabian Anno 240. It is not to be omitted that the election of the Bishoppes of Rome was long after this made by the voyces of the common people and Clergy the first mention of any Pope that was elected by Cardinals that I can finde in Platina is in the life of Nicholas the second in the yeare 1059. And yet a little after he ioyneth with them both the layetie and Clergy Onuphrius saith that Gregory the seuenth called Hildebrand See likewise Sigonius Ann. 1059. Nos Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinales Clerici acolythi presentibus Episcopis abbatibus multisque tum Ecclesiastici tum laici ordinis eligimus c. in the yeare 1072. and yet Platina affirmeth that he was elected not onely by the Cardinals but also by the whole Clergie in the presence of the people So that the custome which reserueth to Cardinals onely the elections of the Popes is of a new constitution as likewise those goodly vses they now haue to shut the Cardinals into the conclaue to put their meate in at a hole to serue their drinke in cleare bottles and their bread cut into little morsels to make them dyne euery one alone by themselues prohibiting them to serue one another diminishing euery day their allowance and when the name of a new elected Cardinall is declared out at the window to the people to runne home to his house and robbe and spoyle it as likewise that custome by which the elected Pope giueth to whom he list his place and Cardinals hatte as Pope Iulius the third did in the year 1505. who bestowed his place vpon a little boy called Innocentius who kept him an Ape Augusti Thrani Histor lib. 6. But chiefely that corruption by which euery Cardinall selleth his suffrage receiuing from Princes great pensions to giue their voyces with one of their faction Now after this bargaine and sale we must yet beleeue that such a purchast Pope cannot erre in faith By what which is already faid it appeareth that the Cardinals now a dayes haue no more resemblance of those of former times then the Pope hath of S. Peter or the Masse of the Lords supper first the auncient Cardinals were Pastors or Deacons of the Parishes of Rome to teach and to administer the Sacraments but the Cardinals now neyther teach nor haue any cure of soules secondly then the Cardinalship was a function now it is a dignitie Most ordinarily the creation of Cardinals is in vse one of the ember weekes thirdly then a Cardinall was not made but vpon the death of some other because that the Parish might not remaine without a Pastor But now the Pope createth when he pleaseth and as many as he pleaseth by which it hath happened that the Pope being carelesse thereof the number hath beene so strangely diminished that when Vrban the fourth was elected there were only two Cardinals Onuphrius so contrary to this Leo the tenth created eight and thirty in one day fourthly Then the Romane Cardinals were onely in the City of Rome whereas now they are euery where else and rule the Counsels of diuers Kings It is likewise to be presumed that in auncient time election was made of Cardinall Priests of the Inhabitants of Rome and such as were of most sufficiency but now the Cardinalshippe is bestowed vpon Infants and Princes children that are altogether vnlearned as likewise vpon others at the request and intreaty of Kings in recompence of their seruices Then the title of Cardinall Priests did not lift him vp higher then his fellowes but onely in some kinde of precedency
c. that if they had been able they would certainly haue done it but that they feared to prouoke this Emperor against them to haue drawn persecution against the Christians O blessed Apostle how fitly to the purpose dost thou stop this euasion furnishest vs with an answer that cutteth off all difficultie for he saith That we must be subiect to Princes not only for wrath but euen for conscience sake He wil that we obey Princes not only for feare of incurring thier displeasure but also to satisfie the conscience and our duety towards God And S. Peter in like manner in his first Epistle and second Chapter Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as to the Superiour c. This then is to be done not only to stoope and yeelde to the present necessity but also for Gods sake And to say truth could not S. Peter at whose word Ananias and Saphyra gaue vp the ghost and S. Paul who in reasoning with Elymas the Sorcerer strooke him with blindenesse could not they I say by the same power haue crushed this monster Nero or haue throne him from the height of the Capitoll But what wil they say if we produce ages wherin Orthodox Christians were the stronger party and yet did they abstaine from the life or Crowne of the Emperour Constantius was an Arrian against whom Liberius Bishoppe of Rome did not cast forth his lightnings neyther did hee attempt to dispossesse him but vpon the Emperours commaund hee went into banishment After his decease Iulian the Apostata mightily laboured to restore Paganisme at what time almost the whole Empire was Christian and that which is more his Armies were composed of Christian souldiers as Ruffinus witnesseth in the first booke of his Story cap. 1. Theodoret lib 4. cap. 1. Socrates lib. 3. cap. 19. And indeed when the Armies after his death conferred the Empire vpon Iouinian a christian Prince they cryed with one voyce We are Christians What could there be more easie then to haue thrust this Apostata from the Empire And if God hath giuen to the Bishop of Rome this power to degrade Monarches why was he then wanting to this his duety when there was such a pressing necessity and so great a facility to haue done it There liued at that time Gregory Nazianzen the ornament of his age who in his first Oration against Iulian saith that the Christians at that time had no other remedy against the persecutors saue onely their teares But if our Popes now a dayes had then liued This passage is alleadged in the 11. Decree Quaest 3. c. Iulianus and might haue beene beleeued they would easily haue furnished other meanes S. Austin vpon the 124. Psal speaking of the obedience that the Christians yeelded to this Iulian Distinguebant Dominum aeternum a Domino temporali tamen subditi erāt propter Dominū aeternum etiam Domino temporali They made a difference saith he betweene the Lord eternall and the Lord temporall and yet they were subiect to their temporall Lord because of the Lord eternall Such a like example we haue in the Emperour Valens an Arrian and a persecutor whose officers and people were for the most part faithfull beleeuers but their Religion neuer brake out into rebellion The Emperour Valentinian the yonger was infected with Arrianisme as we see by the 33. Epistle of S. Ambrose where Valentinian sendeth his Colonels and Captaines to dispossesse the Orthodox Christians of the Temple in the City of Milan to put in the Arrians Ambrose the Christian people withstood him but with modesty saying Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus Non timemus sed rogamus Whereat Valentinian was so much offended that he called S. Ambrose ‡ Si Tyrannus es scrire volo vt sciam quemadmodum me aduersum te praeparem tyrant At the same time one * Sosomen lib. 7. cap. 13. Maximus a Catholick Prince rebelled against Valentinian and made him to forsake Italy taking in hand the defence of the true faith against an Emperour that was an Hereticke What did the Christians then Did S. Ambrose or the Bishop of Rome commaund the people to obey Maximus and to rebell against Valentinian Nothing lesse nay rather Valentinian by the helpe of Theodosius and the Orthodoxes was re-established in his authority which greatly serued to set him in the right way To be short we finde in the auncient Church many Bishops banished and chastised by Emperours but neuer any Emperour dispossessed of his Empire by the Bishoppe of Rome So then Cardinall Bellarmine doth accuse the auncient Bishops of Rome for that during the oppression of the Church they vsed not those means and remedies which they had in their hands in that they drew onely the spirituall sword whereas our new Popes skirmish with both hands and flourish both swords besides all other dexterities Yea futher if the auncient Bishoppes of Rome were in doubt to prouoke the Emperors for feare of being cause of much slaughter and confusion why did not this feare with-hold the late Popes from thundring against the Emperours Fredericke Barbarossa and Henry the fourth Why did they draw on those horrible confusions which filled the west Empire with blood sacked many townes and caused threescore maine battels to bee fought It is then a manifest corruption of the Scripture when in the same place he produceth the Epistle of S. Paul saying to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 6. that rather then they shold go to law before vngodly men or Infidels they should erect those who were of least estimation in the Church Iudges amongst them Then he addeth Is it so that there is not a wise man amongst you not one that can iudge betweene his brethren From this Text Bellarmine maketh this collection that the Corinthians might establish new Iudges This is to take the Scriptures cleane contrary to the meaning of them For first S. Paul doth not speake of deposing Magistrates secondly he doth not speake of erecting new ordinary Offices in the Common-wealth but to chuse out from among the faithfull some persons to compose their differences by arbitrement peacable meanes rather then to draw blame vpon the Church by bringing their suits and quarrels before Infidels This is the exposition that Theodoret and Chrysostome giue vpon this place and Lyranus and Thomas vpon this Epistle Now if the Cardinall maintaine that S. Paul doth speake of forsaking the ordinary Iudges to institute new in their places let him produce some examples hereof let him shew vs the practise of it There he is silent and for good cause for who maketh any doubt but that the Christians if they should haue set vp ordinary Iudges in place of Imperiall Officers should haue beene held culpable of Leze-maiesty The danger which he pretendeth to be intolerating an heretical King cannot beare skale against the commaundement of God Adde hereunto that this reason is but
course But to this I reply that for this opposition he was forged both to forsake England and quit his Bishopricke The contradiction of one of the Popes pensionary Prelates opposing his Soueraigne is of small moment in this behalfe for Anselme was accounted the Popes not the Kings subiect Nor is it any greater wonder if Mathew Paris who so often magnifies this King Henry doe now and then cast some imputation vpon him in as much as he was a superstitious Monke and liued soone after who in euery passage complaining of the tyrannie and exactions of the Popes doth yet sometimes restrain himselfe for some idle respects in which he oftener gropes for the truth then he doth see or finde it We must also obserue that the principall quarrell betweene the King of England and the Pope being for inuesting men with spirituall promotions the Pope hath bestowed very glorious Titles on those persons that suffered for this quarrell as if he should write Rubarbe vpon a pot of Rats-bane So hath he placed this Anselme in the Kalender of Saints and Confessours and Thomas of Canterbury in the Catalogue of Martyrs that lost his life not for the profession of the Gospell but for a Controuersie of Prebends and the right of Inuestiture Coeffeteau doth here adde That the Kings of England in the matter of ordination of Priests haue neuer violated the Discipline of the Church The King of England alleadgeth these and many other examples of like nature And I suppose that hee had not vouchsafed the reading of the booke against which he writes For the Kings book saith that Henry the first inuested an Archbishop in his Archbishopricke with his Ringe and Crosier-staffe without the Popes leaue which is flat repugnant to the discipline of the Church of Rome Fol. 15. pag. 1 And besides the now Pope Paul the fift doth pretend that the Venetians in punishing the criminall offences of their Clergy doe derogate from the liberty of the Church Edward then the first and second by inflicting corporall punishment vpon the Clergy that would hold a dependancy from the Pope haue by this reckoning derogated from the liberty of the Church To conclude our Doctor sayth that Henry the first did in other things submit himselfe to the lawes of the Church that in the Records of England most of the monuments speake of yeelding obedience to the See Apostolique that his Maiestie embraceth a Religion which his Predecessors neuer possessed but haue euer acknowledged the authority of Rome in all matters depending vpon matter of conscience First I answere that this is to wander from the question for heere is nothing questioned but the Popes Supremacy ouer Kings in matters temporall Secondly that barely to affirme and to confirme nothing especially writing against a King doth eyther discouer much weakenesse or argue ouer-much neglect and indeede his whole allegation is vntrue Concerning Henry the first I confesse that he ascribed too much honour to the Church of Rome for he liued in a dark ignorant age and in the height of the Popes tyranny to which England of all Countries was most enthralled which cannot bee proued of the times more auncient It may well appeare that the Citie of Rome being the seat of the Empire was by consequent the resort of all nations by which meanes the Church of that citie how poore and miserable soeuer might haue aduertisements from all parties and haue intelligence with all the Churches within the Empire and consequently which is the Church of great Brittaine which was originally planted by some of S Iohn Disciples that came thither out of Asia whereof we haue this proofe that euen to the time of August which was sent into England by Gregogorie the first about the yere 596. the Church of the Iland did keepe the feast of Easter according to the custome of Asia vpon the 14. day of the month which if it had beene vnder the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome no question but it had abrogated that custome when Victor in the yeare 200. did excommunicate the Churches which made any precise obseruation of the 14. day Helene mother vnto Constantine was of the Iland and held no points of Papistrie maintained at this day Pelagius was also of this Iland and sauing the points of free will and originall sinne dissented not in any opinions from S. Angustine Now S. Angustine receiued no Popish opinions now defended as we haue proued in the 20. chapter of my booke of the Eucharist in another place In the twenty Chapter of my booke of the Eucharist Pontificus Verumnius lib. 4. Jo. Lelandus that he died excommunicate from the Church of Rome The first Christian King of great Brittaine that can be remembred was Lucius that possessed a part of the Iland in the time of Marcus Aurelius who questionlesse had commerce with the Bishop of Rome for he had beene at Rome and held correspondence with the Emperour but that he should be subiect to the Bishop of Rome or acknowledge him the head of the Vniuersal Church admits no manner of proofe In the yeare of our Lord 530. that Warlike Prince Arthur raigned in great Britaine of whom being a Christian it doth not appeare that eyther he depended vpon the Bishops of Rome or that they intermedled in the election or inuesting of the Britaine Bishops during the raigne of Arthur or his Successors In the yeare 596. soone after that the English Saxons being Almaines and at that time Infidels had inuaded Britaine then did Gregory the first send Austen into this Iland a man full of faction and arrogancy to plant the Christian faith although the Christian Religion had beene planted here more then foure hundred yeares before But by the Christian faith these men doe now vnderstand the authority of the Pope This Austen was strongly and stoutly opposed by the Christians of that Countrey who refused to change their auncient forme of Religion which they had receiued from such as were Disciples to the Apostles They had seuen Bishopricks and one Archbishopricke the seat whereof being first errected at Carleon was afterward translated to S. Dauids as it is recorded by Rainulphus Cestrensis lib. 1. cap. 52. for the Archbishop of London was of a later foundation besides they had a Colledge of 2100. religious persons at Bangor who about the yeare 550. when the Order of S. Benet began to flourish in this I le were called by the new name of Monkes Men that adicting themselues to the study of Diuinity got their liuing by the labour of their handes not being tyed to the rigorous obseruation of a Vow whereunto no man by the ancient Order of S. Benet is obliged This Austen then found meanes to insinuate himselfe into the familiar acquaintance of one of the petty Kings of the Countrey called Ethelfred King of Northumberland who was an enemy to the auncient Christians of that land and had inuaded their Countrey and wasted many Churches with this Austen then
he celebrated the Eucharist and that his body was already dead Lactantius in his fourth booke and fourteenth Chapter dooth formally denie the Diuinity of Iesus Christ and in his seuenth booke and one and twenty chapter he saith that the soules of men as well good as bad In vna communique custodia detinentur are detained in one common prison Saint Gregory Nazianzen in his Sermon of Baptisme willeth that vnlesse it be in case of vrgent necessity the Baptisme of young children be deferred vntill such time as they may be capable to aunswere and to yeeld account of their faith Himselfe in his Epitaph vpon Basill doth preferre him before Enoch Contemninus n. Phegor omnem ignominiam eius scientes quod qui in carne sunt non possunt placere Deo and compareth him to Abraham Saint Ierome in his first booke against Iouinian often calleth marriage an vnchast state of life and an ignominy and that the fruite of it is death and that a woman that doth marry the second time ought not to participate of the Almes no nor of the body of the Lord. The Church of Rome doth no longer beleeue the Purgatorie of Gregory the first which hee placeth sometimes in Bathes sometimes in the winde sometime in the water Nor the opinion of Honorius Bishop of Rome who was a Monothelite the Epistles whereof are inserted in the fift and sixt generall Councels For all these good seruants of God were subiect to mistaking and had their faults and vices like warts in a faire face to the end that in reading them a man should haue alwayes in his hand the Compasse of the holy Scripture and the rule of the word of God And that a man should beleeue that which they haue well said not because they haue said it but because it is found in the word of God if they erre in any thing Antiquity cannot authorize an errour There can be no prescription against the truth And a time there was when these Fathers were no Fathers and before they wrote the Christians were ruled by the word of God As touching that which the King of great Britaine saith that they doe contradict one another the verification of it is easie For euery man knoweth the contentions betweene Chrysostome and Epiphanius the Disputes betweene Cyrill and Theodoret the sharpe Epistles and full of gall of Saint Ierome to Saint Austin And S. Austin speaketh farre otherwise of Free-wil of Predestination and of the gift of Perseuerance then all the Greeke Fathers of his age He that will haue a cleare mirrour of this their discord let him compare the Commentaries of S. Austin vpon the Psalmes with those of Saint Ierome and he shall scarcely finde them to agree in two verses together It is then with very iust reason that Coeffeteau doth graunt this to the King of great Britaine and doth acknowledge the faults and contradictions of the auncients whom notwithstanding we ought to loue and honour as great lights in their times and worthy seruants of God who hauing combatted Heresies in their life time doe yet beat downe Popery after their deaths For we maintaine against whosoeuer he be that in the foure first ages and yet wee might discend much lower there shall not be found out any one man who hath had a Religion not so much as approaching to that of the Romish Church now-a-dayes And in this challenge I will lay downe my Ministers cloake ready to be frocked and cladde in a Monks-coule if I shall finde a man that will satisfie me in this point And to the end to expresse my selfe more clearly I say that betweene vs and our aduersaries there be two kindes of Controuersies for some there be vpon which they are wont to produce some passages for proofes But eyther they be quotations altogether false or maimed and curtalled or of no vse to proue the point in question or else places taken contrary to the authours meaning Yet being a thing ordinary with these Messieus to put the ancient Fathers vpon the racke to make them speake in fauour of an vntruth Such is the question of transubstantiation of praying for the dead or Purgatory and of the Sacrifice of the Masse But there are other Controuersies no lesse important and more in number In which they are cleane destitute of all authority of the auncient Church and vpon which being interrogated they answere besides the matter For changing the question they endeauour to proue that which is not demaunded of them See here some examples 1. They cannot shew that any auncient Church did celebrate the eucharist without communicants as it is done ordinarily in the Church of Rome yea and sometimes also without any assistants 2. They cannot shew that any ancient Church hath excluded that people from the communion of the cuppe or chalice 3. Or that in any ancient Church the publike seruice was done in a language not vnderstood of the people 4 Or that any ancient Church hath hindered the people from reading the holy Scripture As it is no way permitted in those Countries where the Pope is absolutely obeyed without speciall priuilege 5. Or that in any ancient Church they haue made Images of God and representations of the Trinity in stone or in picture 6. Also they cannot proue vnto vs that in any ancient Church the people hath beene instructed to pray without vnderstanding that which they say speaking in a tongue not vnderstood of himselfe that prayeth 7. Or that any ancient Church did yeeld worship or religious seruice to the Images of creatures kissing them decking them with robes kneeling before them and presenting them gifts and offerings c. 8. Or that the ancient Church hath beleeued that the Virgin Mary is crowned Queene of the heauens and Lady of the world as this is painted throughout all their Churches 9. Or that the ancient Church hath giuen to the Saints diuers charges as to one the commaund euer such a country to another the cure ouer such a maladie to a third to be Patron ouer such a trade and mysterie 10. Or that the ancient Church hath beleeued that the Pope can giue and take away Kingdomes And dispense with subiects for the oath of their alleageance Can canonize Saints and dispense with Vowes and promises solemnly made to God c. 11. Or that in the ancient Church the Pope by his pardons did distribute supererogatory satisfactions of the Saints for the remission of paine and punishment of other mens sinnes 12. Or that the Pope did then place his pardons in one Church and not in another In one Towne and not in another and that sometimes for an hundred and two hundred thousand yeares of pardon 13. Or that the auncient Church hath beleeued the Limbe of little children 14. Or that the auncient Church hath adored the host which the Priest holdeth vp with the worship of Latria which is done to God alone And to this end the Priest hath caused the Eleuation of
the Host to be vsed at the Masse 15. Or that the auncient Church hath held the bookes of Machabees for Canonicall 16. Or that the auncient Church hath beleeued that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre in faith 17. Or that the auncient Church hath beleeued that Iesus Christ by his death and sufferinges did clearely discharge vs of the paine and punishment of the sinnes that went before baptisme But as touching the paine of the sinnes committed after baptisme he hath onely changed it from eternall to temporall and that it lyeth in vs to satisfie the iustice of God for the same which is indeede the most important point of all Christian religion For he that would descend to smaller things and demaund of Coeffeteau if in any of the auncients there be mention made of Iubilees of Agnus Dei or holy Graines consecrated Medals of Cordelier-Friars or Iacobins or Iesuites and an infinite sort of religions and new deuotions I beleeue he would finde himselfe terribly puzled In all this as in those other seauenteene points before handled they receiue not the Fathers for Iudges Those auncient Doctors were not yet arriued to any so high point of learning But these messieurs our masters supply and support their ignorance in these matters In other controuersies they admit and receiue the Fathers for Iudges but with this caution and condition that themselues may be Iudges of the Fathers They allow the auncients to be interpreters of the Scriptures But themselues will be the interpreters of the auncients to the end to make them speake thinges contrary to the Scriptures ARTICLE IIII. Touching the authority of the holy Scriptures The KINGS Confession I Thinke also that no man doubteth but that I settle my faith and beleefe vpon the holy Scriptures according to the duty of a Christian Hereat Coeffeteau holdeth his peace and by his silence approueth the confession of the King of England For he doth not allow of the blasphemies which his companions disgorge against the sacred bookes of the word of God He hath not dared to say with Bellarmine Bellar. lib. 4. de verbo non scripto cap. 12. §. Respondeo Scripturae finem propriū praecipuum nō esse vt esset Regula Fidei Dico secundo Scripturam esseregulam Fidei nō totalem sed partialem that the Scripture is but a peece of a Rule and not the whole entire Rule of faith And that it was not properly made to bee the Rule of our faith It may be also that he doth not approue of Bellarmines saying who in his fourth Chapter of the fourth Booke of the word not written saith * Quarto Necesse nosse extare aliquos libros verè diuines quod certè ex sacris Scripturis haheri nullo modo possunt c. that a man cannot know by the testimony of the Scripture that there be any bookes of diuine inspiration albeit the Scripture doth say it and his reason is Because we reade aswell in the Alcoran of Mahomet that the Alcoran was sent from heauen It may be also that Coeffeteau hath not dared in this place to vse the tearmes of Doctor Charron in his booke called La troisiesme veritè where he saith that the Scripture is a Forrest to forrage in where Atheists lie in ambushments and that by reading it a man becommeth an Atheist Thou beleeuest saith he because thou readest so thou art not then a Christian It is cleare then that his Maiesty of England doth yeeld a thousand times more respect to the holy Scriptures then the Church of Rome or the Councel of Trent which ordaineth in the fourth Session that Traditions be receiued with like affection of piety and reuerence with the holy Scripture equalling mens Traditions with Gods diuine ordinances For the Pope hath letters of credit And we must presuppose that besides the new-Testament Iesus Christ hath made a Codicill or little booke which the Pope hath in his priuate custody whence hee draweth the ordinances that are not contained in the Scripture Yet this is but little For Bellarmine goeth farther and saith that Sunt quaedam Traditiones maiores quod ad obligationem quà m quaedam Scripturae That there are some traditions greater in respect of obligation then some partes of Scripture That is to say to which we are more bound to adhere Hauing good hope that in the end we shall see God to become Disciple to the Bishop of Rome ART V. Touching the Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes of Scripture The KINGS Confession In exposit Symboli BVt euen for the Apocrypha I hold them in the same account that the Auncients did They are still printed and bound with our Bibles and publikely read in our Churches I reuerence them as the writings of holy and good men but since they are not found in the Canon we account them to be secundae lectionis or ordinis which is Bellarmines owne distinction and therefore not sufficient whereupon alone to ground any article of faith except it be confirmed by some other place of Canonicall Scripture Concluding this point with Ruffinus who is no Nouelist I hope that the Apocryphall bookes were by the Fathers permitted to be read not for confirmation of Doctrine but only for instruction of the people Here Coeffeteau begins to put himselfe into the field In exposit Symb. we expected him long agoe He bringeth only two testimonies of the auncients and they are both false howbeit not through his fault for the falsification was made by others before him The first testimony is of S. Austen in his second booke of Christian Doctrine cap. 8. where he maketh an enumeration of the Canonical bookes almost agreeably to the Councell of Trent To this testimony hee adioyneth the third Councell of Carthage which also putteth Iudith Tobie the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees among the Canonicall bookes He saith that it is not iust nor fit to alleage the opinions of particulars where question is of the publike faith testified auouched by this Councell In saying so little as this he spendeth three leaues Answere and yet he contradicteth himselfe and condemneth himselfe of iniustice by alleaging S. Austin who is but one particular If he say that S. Austin doth but report that which was the common beleefe I answere that those particular witnesses whom he reiecteth doe report the same also Againe * Tenebit hunc modum in Scripturis Canonicis vt eas quae ab om nibus recipiuntu Ecclesijs Catholicis praeponat eis quas quaedam non accipiunt it is false that S. Austen doth relate the common beleefe for a little before he had said that there are some books among the Canonicall which were not receiued for such of al the Churches Moreouer Coeffeteau hereby contradicteth the Church of Rome who doth not hold the Councels of Carthage for generall Councels nor their Canons for the publike beleefe of the vniuersall Church 1. To cleare this matter then the
tanquam discipulos immitatores Domini diligimus which thing was done without any precise necessity of making it holy-day Secondly he doth malitiously dissemble the excellent words which goe before where the Church of Smyrnaspeaketh in this manner They are ignorant that we neuer leaue Christ who died for the saluation of them of the world who are to be saued and that we can yeelde seruice to none other but to him For him we adore as the sonne of God but we loue the Martyrs as his Disciples and imitators Wordes which shew to what end and in what manner the Smyrnians honoured the memory of Polycarpe So is it also falfe that S. Basill recommendeth the Feasts of S. Iulitta and the forty Martyrs for in those two Homilies there is no speech at all of Feasts But the falfest peece that hee produceth is the Oration of Gregory Nyssene in praise of the Martyr Theodore which was ridiculously framed by some Greeke Monke in the time that the Scythians otherwise called the Huns and Tartars ouer-ran Galatia Cappadocia and Armenia which In Rhodes began in the yeare 520 as both Cedrenus and Zonaras teach Cedrenus in Anastasio Ann. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For about the ende of this Oration the Authour entreateth this Martyr to defend his Countrey against he incursions of the Scythians of which there was neuer word spoken in the time of Gregory Nyssene for they fell out about one hundred and twenty yeares after The whole story also of this Martyr is euedently fabulous The Authour saith that he was of Iobs Country and consequently an Arabian whereas Theodorus is a Greeke name Within a little while after contradicting himselfe he saith that he suffered at Amasia a Cittie of Cappadocia and that the place of his death was also his Countrey He saith that he was a Souldier in the Romane bandes But at that time to wit vnder Dioclesian and Maximinian the Romanes did not entertaine the Arabians in seruice Moreouer the Story of his Martyrdome is plainely fabulous Being interrogated and examined by his Paynim Iudges with all gentlenesse and mildenes he answered at the first day with iniurious speeches comparing the Godddesse whom they serued to an hare or to a sow All this notwithstanding the Iudges sent him away and gaue him time to bethinke himselfe aduisedly he in stead of retracting any thing set fire on the great Temple of the mother of the Gods and being called for againe by the Iudges confessed the fact thereupon the Iudges flatter him euen so far as to promise to this simple souldier which was a ridiculous thing to make him Bishoppe But this Theodore burst out a laughing for a long time together mocking for that the Emperours tooke vpon them the title and purple of Bishops The Angels singe melodiously with him in prison and lighten all the Towne ouer with Torches But he that knoweth how vnder Dioclesian they burnt whole Christian Townes without any forme of processe and that this monster made a butchery a slaughter and channell-house of the whole Empire will acknowledge the falshood of this Story which hath beene forged by some worshipper of Images and Reliques about the time of the second Councell of Nice I put not in among his falsifications that Coeffeteau hath put in the margent the eighteenth Oration of Nazianzene for the fifteenth hee that borroweth his Allegations and writeth vpon trust is easily deceiued Now to his falshoods let vs adde the vnprofitablenesse of his impertinent quotations which surely doe not touch the Question For if the Church of Smyrna did celebrate the feast of Polycarpe or the Church of Caesaria that of S. Iulitta what is that to England who did no more then then nowadayes it doth celebrate those Feasts no more then doe the Churches of Spaine or of Fraunce And why should England be more bound therevnto now at this day Secondly to what purpose is it to speake of the Feasts of the auncient Christians and of the solemnity of the Martyrs to establish the Feasts of the Church of Rome which are cleane different and haue no community with them See here the differences 1 This commemoration of the Martyrs in the auncient Church was done in the Church-yards and vpon the Tombes Vpon which the Christians did often celebrate * Thence commeth the custome of the Church of Rome to haue bones hid vnder the Altar Nonne vides ad memorias Martyrum CristianuÌ„ a Christiano cogi ad ebrietatem the Eucharist and then fell to banquet vpon the same Tombes where oftentimes the Christians committed many abuses and excesses euen so farre as to drinke drunke and to bury their reason vpon those Sepulchres as witnesseth the Authour of the booke of Double Martyrdome attributed to S. Cyprian and S. Austin in his first booke of the manners of the Catholicke Church cap. 34. And against * Qui in memorijs Martyrum inebriantur c. Faustus Manicheus in his twentieth booke chap. 1. where namely he saith that he was constrained to tolerate this custome The Church of Rome hath left this abuse of the auncient Feasts 2 The commemoration of the Martyrs was done in times past in euery Church according to the ordinance and appointment of the Bishoppes and Pastors of the place without attending the commandement or aduise of the Bishop of Rome thereupon In the booke of the holy Ceremonies lib. 1. Sect. 6. who at that time did not Canonize Saints For now-adayes to be held a Saint a man must haue the Pope to bee fauourable vnto him and his cause must be pleaded in the Consistorie If it be iudged that he ought to be acknowledged for a Saint then his Holinesse doth ordaine a Feast or Holy-day to this new Saint 3 Then this solemnity carried with it an Anniuersary commemoration but did not bring with it any necessity of keeping Holy-day whereas now-adayes there be many Saints Feasts which they keepe Holy-day with more scruple and are celebrated with more solemnity then the Sunday it selfe 4 Againe then these dayes of commemoration of Martyrs were few in number in stead that now there is scarcely any day in the Calender which doth not carry the name of some Saint And there is such a number of Feasts to be kept holy that many poore people crie out they are famished They make them deuout whether they will or noe for they be kept and hindered by this superstition from working to get bread for their children hauing their handes bound with a scrupulous slothfulnesse and a forced idlenesse Epist 174. Nouam inducendo Celebritatem quam ritus Ecclesiae nescit non probat ratâ—o non commeâ—dat antiqua Traditio c. 5 Then also men were ignorant of so many new-made holy-dayes as the feast of the conception of the Virgine Mary which S. Bernard saith to haue beene instituted against reason and the auncient Tradition the Feast of the Assumption the Feast of S Peters Chaire the Gods feast otherwise
bodie c Wherupon the question is asked to whom the Priest speakes when he saith Brethren pray for me Pope Innocent the third doth answere finely in the second booke of the mysteries of the Masse chap. 25. It must saith he be religiously beleeued that the Angels doe beare them companie that pray according to the saying of the Prophet I will sing vnto thee in the presence of the Angels Which will also serue to resolue other doubts presuming that when the Priest saith Take eate he doth invite the Angels to eate for they come with good stomackes And so of the rest At length the place of Austin is brought which is the onely passage of antiquity that Coeffeteau can finde This Father lib. 22. De ciuit Dei speaking of a place haunted with euill spirits saith that one of his Priests went and offered a Sacrifice there wherupon Coeffeteau saith that this could not be done but priuately and without solemnity but he dares not to affirme that he had no assistants or communicants which is that which he should or else the place makes not to the purpose And indeede we may presume the contrary forasmuch as S Austin speakes of a great house and of some great person of quality that sent not for a Minister of the Church of Carthage to celebrate the holy Sacrament Nusquam expresse legimus a veter ibus oblatum sacrificium sine communione alâ—cuius ve aliquorum to leaue him alone without assistants or communicants and indeede Bellarmine confesseth the impertinency of this place lib. 2. de Missa cap. 9. where he acknowledgeth That there is no expresse place sound where the auncrents haue offered the Sacrifice without some Communicants The common excuse and the same which the Councel of Trent vseth in the seuenth Session is that it comes to passe through the indeuotion of the people which speech doth both confes and yet approue the abuse for the same Councell addeth The holy Councell doth not forbid those Masses wherein the Priest alone doth communicate sacramentally as priuate and vnlawfull but doth approue and commend them which their practise doth proue for if it be through the want of deuotion in the people why doe they not endeauour the remedie for if there be any question of casting into the boxe if any busines fall out concerning tithes and offerings they easily finde the meanes to holde the people in the humor of contribution neither do I finde that the Cardinalls and Bishops doe communicate ofâ—ener then the people For the Priests hinder the people from assisting them because they say an infinite number of Masses in priuate and vpon the sudden of which they giue no warning For three sundry persons will one Priest dispatch three Masses to euery one his own that each of them may pay for a whole Masse And they that will haue yearely Masses doe found yearely Pensions for neuer was any priuate Masse said for him that gaue nothing they vse not to make God for nothing Masses are sold for more or lesse according to the prouision that is made if one pay for one Masse is it any reason that another should equally share with him Yea they buy Masses for the soules of young children dying soone after baptisme which they hold must needes be in Paradice for if Masses doe no good to them that are dead yet they profite those that are aliue Doubtlesse it is couereousnesse that hath hatched this abuse and superstition hath fomented it These men do againe reply although but weakly for say they if no Communicants offer themselues must the Sacrifice be therefore discontinued Let them heare S. Chrysostome thundring thereupon in the third Homily vpon the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O custome O presumption in vaine is Sacrifice daily offered in vaine doe we stand at the Altar and none communicate And a little after Whosoeuer doth not communicate in these mysteries is impudent and rash in standing by And further adde that they do falsly presume that the holy supper is a Sacrifice in that sense which they take the word Sacrifice as we shal presently see Now let vs heare the testimonies of the Auncients Peracta consecratione omnes communic ent qui noluerint Ecclesiasticis carere liminibus Sic enim Apostoli sta tuerunt Sancta Romana tenet Ecclesia Tanta in altario holocausta offerantur quanta populo sufficere debeant c. The auncient rule of the Church of the Citie of Rome which is found in the second Distinction of the consecration vnder the name of Anaclet in the Canon Peracta is this The consecration being ended let all those communicate that will not be excluded out of the bounds of the Church for so haue the Apostles ordained and the Church of Rome obserueth And in the Canon Tribus gradibus of the same Distinction Let as many offerings be laid vpon the Table as will serue for all the people to communicate and if any doe remaine let them not be kept vntill the morrow And in the first Distinction of the Consecration in the Canon Hoc quoque the Pope speakes thus It is ordained that no Priest presume to celebrate the solemnities of the Masse if he haue not two others that may answere him and that the Priest be the third because when he saith in the plurall number The Lord be with you and that which he saith in secret pray for me it is apparantly requisite that answere be made to his salutation Iustin Martyr in the second of his Apologie The Deacons doe disiribute the bread to euery one that is present Ignatius in the Epistle to the Philadelphians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominica Coena omnibus debet esse communis One loafe hath beene broken to all S. Ierome vpon the first to the Corinth cap. II. The supper of the Lord ought to be common vnto all The Reader may compare this word the common Supper with the priuate Masse The Authour of the Constitutions ascribed vnto Clement lib. 2. cap. 61. Let euery one receiue the bodie of the Lord. And so haue all the auncient Liturgies Accipiant singuli per se Dominicum corpus although they be much falsified yea and some traces thereof are to be seene in the Masse where the Priest though he be alone doth alwaies speake as vnto many communicants Cum ex more Diaconus clamaret Si quis non communi at det locum Gregory the first Bishop of Rome in the second booke of his Dialogues chap. 13. saith that the Deacon according to the custome crieth if there be any that doth not communicate let him depart And this was sixe hundred yeares after Christ and we could disscend lower But this sufficeth against a man that feares the triall who being not able to alleadge against the King of great Britaine any syllable of Scripture no nor any of the Auncients that speake of priuate Masses doth flie from the matter and desperately
to euery haire for as much as they hold that his body is wholly and entire in euery drop But it were better that men were without Mustachoes then want the Sacrament of the blood of Christ and at least there is no such danger for women and young people He saith also that it is done for feare least the wine being kept should waxe sower or grow flat but they should be free from this danger if they did communicate with the people in the publique assembly not reseruing the Sacraments till the morrow Expresly contrary to the defence of the auncient Church comprized in the Canon Tribus gradibus in the second Distinction of the Consecration where Bishop Clement ordaineth that so many offerings be set vpon the Altar Tanta in altario bolocausta offerantur quanta populo â—ussicere debeant Quod si remanserint in crast num non reseruentur as will serue for the whole assembly to communicate and if any remaine that they be not kept till the next day But how comes it to passe that Iesus Christ being included as they will haue it in the Chalice doth not preserue it from taking winde or waxing sharpe seeing they keepe Aarons rod and the milke of the holy Virgin among their Reliques vnto this day without corruption And why shall not Iesus Christ haue the same vertue To conclude whosoeuer shal here pretend wisedome and discretion desires to be wiser then Christ and his Apostles neyther can there be any inconuenience alleadged which Christ Iesus hath not preuented Neither is it said to any purpose that the Church of Rome would by this meanes stop an heresie for we must not redresse one euill by another or reforme an error by an abuse or helpe the ignorance of men by disobedience vnto God Yea wee shall hereafter see that this taking away of the Cup hath not preuented any errour but hath heaped vp one heresie vpon another and to support their Transubstantiation it hath made Idolatry against God to serue for their tyrannizing ouer the people Touching that which Coeffeteau subioyneth that in former times it hath beene free to take the communion vnder one or both kindes it is a plaine shift for he makes shew not to conceiue what the King of great Britaine meaneth when he saith that the mutilation of the Sacrament is a new inuention For he would say and it is true that in the ancient Church there cannot be found any ordinance custome or constitution that hath depriued the people of the Cup No nor any one man that hath made conscience in giuing the Cup to the people requiring it No nor any of the people that haue beene scrupulous in requiring it But in stead hereof doth Coeffeteau say that it was free to take it vnder one or both kindes which makes nothing to the purpose for we complaine that it is not free to receiue both kindes And yet that which he saith is vntrue St. Austin in the seuen and fiftieth question vpon Leuiticus All that will haue life are exhorted to drinke the blood Ad bibendum sanguinem omnes exhortantur qui volunt habere vitam c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none is hindred and all are exhorted It was not then free Ignatius in the Epistle to the Philadelphians One bread hath beene broken vnto all and one Cup is distributed vnto all then was none exempted Iustin Martyr in his second Apologitique The Deacons distribute VNTO EVERY ONE the bread and wine with water Obserue to euery one S. Cyprian who hath already tolde vs of a maide that after she had dranke cast vp the wine complains in the third Epistle of the third booke that some eyther thorough ignorance or simplicity In calice Domini sanctificando plebi ministrando in consecrating the cup and administring to the PEOPLE did it not conformably vnto the example of Iesus Christ Sanguis Abel significat sanguinem Christi quo vniuersa Ecclesia accepto dicit Amen S. Austin in the sixty fiue booke of Questions the fortie nine Quaest Tom. 4 The blood of Abel signifieth the blood of Christ which the WHOLE Church hauing receiued saith Amen He saith the whole Church not as Coeffeteau Some receiuing one kinde onely and some both kindes which is eyther an audacious falshood or very grosse ignorance in Antiquity for euen the Canon Comperimê° in the second Dist of the Consecration saith that to forbeare the Cup is sacriledge and a diuiding of the Mysterie and therefore ordaineth that such Ought eyther to receiue the Sacraments entier or to be wholly excluded from them These wordes Recipiant Aut integra Sacramenta recipiant aut ab integris arceantur and Arceantur which he vseth doe euidently proue that he speaks of the people who doe not of themselues receiue the Sacrament but from the hand of the Minister And this word Arceantur signifies that they were not admitted when they offered themselues therefore was it not free as Coeffeteau affirmeth Who alleadgeth against himselfe the custome of those that carried home the bread which they receiued in the Church inasmuch as the Church of Rome hath reiected this custome hauing well perceiued that this custome of so doing doth testifie that the auncient Church did not beleeue transubstantiation for the Priest would haue thought it a horrible prophanation to put God into the handes of the common people for them to put him into their pocket to carry him home to their houses exposing him to the danger of a thousand reproaches and to the neglect or contempt of the first commer Besides by the generall practise of the Church formerly declared it appeares that if any one did carry home with him the sacramentall bread yet he communicated in the Cup with the whole Congregation The place which he alleadgeth out of Ierome is vntruely produced for S. Ierome speakes not there in any sort of the Communion vnder one kinde but of those who being debarred from enting into the Church because they were thought to be vncleane were made to bring the bread for the Sacrament with them Touching the recrimination which he vseth that we haue destroyed the whole Sacrament we shall see in the Article following how iniurious this accusation is ARTICLE XI Of Transubstantiation THe King of great Britaine doth recken Transubstantiation also among the Nouelties brought into the Church since the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ Against this Coeffeteau alleadgeth onely foure places out of the Fathers whereof the two first are false and suppositious the third is fraudulently maimed and mangled and the fourth is mis-vnderstood The first is taken out of the Catechismes of Cyril of Ierusalem which we formerly proued not to be Cyrils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but made by one Iohn of Ierusalem who liued some foure hundred yeares after when the superstition of Reliques was in force which made him say in the fourth Catechisme that the wood of the Crosse was then so growne and multiplied
which did neyther sweat nor suffer Which of these two was our Sauiour If hee bee but one how is he contrary to himselfe For we haue shewed else where that the Distinction of diuers respects cannot be but when onething is compared to diuers things at one time as when one and the same man is poore and rich little and great in comparison of diuers persons But here they apply these diuers respects to the body of Iesus Christ without comparing him to any other body nay they oppose him to himselfe That I may not further say that this doctrine doth annihilate the body of our Lord by being receiued into the stomacke for when the formes are altered in the stomacke by the digestion they say that the body of the Lord is no longer there neyther yet is it come forth it must follow then that eyther it is reduced to nothing or changed into something else Both the one and the other are alike blasphemous ARTICLE XII Touching the Adoration of the Host THe Confession of the Kings Booke doth place among the new inuentions of the Church of Rome The Adoration of the Host and the Eleuation which is made to haue it adored This poynt is important and which doth surprise our spirits with a heauinesse mixt with horrour when at the sound of a little Bell the Priest lifteth vp the breade and euery man prostrateth himselfe to adore it Or when the people doth not let to kneele in the dyrt to adore their God which passeth along the street inclosed in a Pixe or Boxe It had beene greatly therefore to haue beene wished that Coeffeteau could haue produced some commandement of God for the same or some example of the Apostles but that could he not doe neyther hath any man done it hithervnto He commeth therefore to the Fathers and produceth for the same three passages the one of Chrysostome in his foure and twentieth Homily vpon the first to the Corinth the other of S. Ambrose in his third booke of the Sacraments chap. 12. And the last of S. Austin vpon the foure-score and eighteene Psalme All three exhort the faithful to adore the flesh of Iesus Christ and that which is more to adore him in the Eucharist Neuer did man more abuse his Reader and he seemeth to thinke that we are beside our selues for is there any thing in all this which we doe not willingly graunt him Is there any amongst vs who hath euer denied that wee ought not to adore the flesh of Iesus Christ Yea who hath euer doubted that we ought not to adore him in the Eucharist Ought not God the Father also to be adored And what is this to the purpose to inclose Iesus Christ vnder formes He that doth adore Iesus Christ in the Eucharist doth not for al that adore that which the Priest holdeth in his hand but he adoreth Iesus Christ which is in heauen Of these three places that which our aduersaries doe most presse is the place of S. Austin vpon the foure-score and eyghteene Psalme where hee saith that no man doth eate this flesh vnlesse hee haue first adored it Nemo carnem illam manducat nisi prius adorauerit An excellent passage For doth not S. Austin speake of the true and serious adoration Iudas then did not eate this flesh for he did not adore it According to this rule the Hypocrites who partake of the Sacrament doe not eate the flesh of the Lord for they doe not adore it Now what it is to eate the flesh of the Lord himselfe hath tolde vs as hath beene before alleadged Lib. 3. de Doctr. Christ cap 16. That to eate his flesh is a figure which signifieth to communicate of his passion and to meditate thereof in our memories And as he speaketh in his twenty sixe Tract vpon S. Iohn To beleeue in him is to eate the bread of life Credere in eum hoc est manducare panem vivumâ—qui credit in eum manducat eum he that doth beleeue in him doth eate him We hoped then that Coeffeteau would here haue produced the publique customes to shewe that it was then the custome to adore the Host which the Priest doth holde vp with diuine worship called Latria but he hath not beene able to finde any Dionysius who in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy discribeth very exactly the forme of the publique seruice which was some foure hundred yeares after Iesus Christ and the Apostolical constitutions of Clement where all the Ceremony of that time is depainted and the auncient Liturgies howsoeuer fouly falsified doe in no wise speake of this adoration of the Host Theodoret saith indeede that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the signes are reuerenced This word Signes sheweth sufficiently that he doth not speake of diuine adoration which they call Cultus Latriae For that should be impiety ARTICLE XIII Touching the Eleuation of the Host to haue it to be Adored THe King of great Britaine demaunded proofes out of the fiue first ages or first fiue hundred yeares after Christ that is to say aswell Scripture as the auncient Doctors by which it might appeare that Iesus Christ or his Apostles made eleuation of the host Hereat Coeffeteau holdeth his peace Fol. 50. pag. 2. and in stead thereof saith that the auncient Church did shew the mysteries or sacraments to the people by drawing a Vaile or Curtaine from before the Table which is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and he hath learned that out of my booke of the Apology of the Lords Supper Chrysostome in his third Homily vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians When thou shalt see the double Curtaines to be drawne then thinke that heauen doth open and inlarge it selfe And Dionysius in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy The Bishop discouereth and setteth out to open view the thing celebrated by the signes holily proposed And Basil in like manner in his booke of the holy Ghost Who is it of the Saints who hath left in writing the wordes of the prayer when they shew abroad the bread of the Eucharist and the Cup of blessing This vncouering of the Sacrament was done saith Coeffeteau to cause it to be adored and as he speaketh this without all proofe so doth he it most falsely and was not able to alleadge any one authority where mention is made eyther of the eleuation or of the Adoration of the host but in stead thereof he bringeth certaine passages which speake of the vncouering of the bread and of the drawing of a Curtaine ARTICLE XIIII Touching the carrying of God in the Procession The KINGS Confession Pope Vrbane the fourth instituted this feast in the yeare 1264. THe God-feast or Corpus Christi day and the walking or Circumportation of the Sacrament in procession is of this ranck and the King of great Britaine doth place it among the Nouelties Hereupon Coeffeteau fearing the touch and triall maketh an honest retreat without standing vpon his defence for he onely saith Fol 51
he had seene any to speake to a peece of wood and to salute the Crosse as if it vnderstood them saying to it Aue lignum triumphale haile triumphant wood And O aue crux spes vnica auge pijs iusticiam reisque dona veniam Haile Crosse our onely hope encrease righteousnesse vnto the faithfull and pardon the sinfull as our aduersaries doe For I aske to whom they speake doe they speake to Iesus Christ why he is neither called wood nor Crosse doe they speake to the Crosse why that vnderstands them not do they speak to the Crosse in honour of Christ or doe they worshippe the Crosse with a relatiue adoration hauing reference vnto Iesus Christ then should that whereunto they speak in honour of Christ vnderstand what they say and he that should speake to the timber of the Kings chaire in honour of the King would be taken for a foole neither should the King bee more honoured thereby and to giue a relatiue worship vnto the Crosse is to worship the Crosse we may not worship a dead thing to honor Christ thereby nor must wee honour God by transgressing his commanndement Now our aduersaries tell vs of twosorts of Crosses which must bee worshipped one is the true Crosse which neuerthelesse is not now a Crosse because it hath beene cut out into little peeces the other is the image of the Crosse such as are the common Crosses Concerning the true Crosse the Author of the Catechismes falsey ascribed vnto Cyrill of Ierusalem in the fourth Catechisme saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that this wood is so growne and multiplyed that in a manner the whole conntrey is full of it I thinke one may build a Cittie of it for as time and experience makes menwiser so haue the Christians at length thought good to haue some little chip of the true Crosse in their chest or about their necke as a holy defensatiue against deuills Whence it appeares that the Apostles and the Christians in their time that might each of them haue had a cut of the true Crosse and yet left it whole and vntouched without any search for it for 300. yeares together were either more barren in invention or colder in deuotion In the yeare 1239 Iohn naming himselfe King of Ierusalem who was afterward Emperour of Constantinople beeing hunger-starued for want of money began a traffique of reliques and solde great store of them to the westerne Princes that were not so subtile as himselfe he sold the Crowne of thornes to King Lewes the ninth and the true Crosse to the Venetians which the said King Lewes bought of them againe making them gainers halfe in halfe he bought also the sponge wherewith they offered drinke vnto Christ and the yron of the speare wherewith S. Longis pierced his side and recouered his sight thereby The holy Chappell of the Pallace was purposely built for the reseruation and the adoration of these reliques Touching the worshippe and adoration of this Crosse Thomas 3. parte Quaest 25. Art 3. Alexander 3. part quaest 30. art vltimo Caietanus in Thomā 3. part quaest 25. art 3. Bonauentura Marcellus Almain Carthusianus Capreolus in 3. dist 9. Henr. Quod libetico 10. q. 6. Namclantus in Epist ad Rom. cap. 1. I finde that all the Doctors of the Church of Rome Bellarmine and some inferiour Iesuites excepted do agree that the true Crosse ought to be worshipped with Latria that is to say with the very worship which is giuen to God himselfe An abhominable Doctrine giuing to a dead creature as great worship as vnto the high God which cannot be excused that this worship of the Crosse hath relation vnto God or is referred vnto Iesus Christ for to adore Iesus Christ and to adore the Crosse in honour of Iesus Christ must needes bee two different adorations We must not in honour of God adore the creature with honour equalling the worship of God for in seeking thus to honour God we shall dishonour him reproach him by such worship by such respect disrespect him neglect him by such seruice in a word this is to make ex opposito appositum to descend in clyming and to get heate by freezing Besides what honour or respect soeuer you may shew vnto the King it can neuer be made good that any can honour him the more by giuing like reuerence to his chaire or his cloke the chief point is that if such worship of the Crosse be lawfull then hath God commaunded it For we may not adore any thing but what he hath commaunded vs to adore and here are our aduersaries tongue-tied and alleadge no one word of Gods commaundement This is the reason why Cardinall Bellarmine thinkes it better to say that the Crosse ought to be worshipped with an inferiour adoration wherein he plainely confesseth that the adoration of the Crosse differs from the adoration of Iesus Christ in that it is inferiour and so his meaning is that the dead creature be worshipped in it selfe and with a differing worshippe from that by which Christ is worshipped Secondly he doth thereby confound the vnderstanding of the poore people who when they fall downe before the Crosse thinke of performing no more then one worship but Bellarmine will haue them to performe two seruices one to Christ and the other to the Crosse and in the one instant to cut their deuotion in two peeces deuiding their thoughts betweene two kindes of worships It were extreamely absurd to hope that hee or any other should produce any commandement of God touching this religious worship subordinate to the worship of Christ without saying that the people adoring a piece of the Crosse must assuredly beleeue that it is a piece of the true Crosse and that it is not suppositious whereof notwithstanding there can be no assurance For the other kinde of Crosse which is the Image of the Crosse in woode or siluer the Church of Rome doth worship that also and at the eleuation thereof they say Ecce crux adoremus And therefore Cardinall Bellarmine in the thirtieth chapter of his booke of Images speakes thus We worship all Crosses §. Ad quartum Omnes cruces adoramus quia omnes sunt imagines verae crucis because they are all Images of the true Crosse yea the bare Crosses without a Crucifix We worship saith he the Crosse yea without Christ crucified All which is a Medley of absurdity with impiety For none worshippeth the Image of the Crosse with like worshippe as hee doth the true Crosse and if the true Crosse be to be adored with a worship subordinate to that yeelded to Christ then behold three sorts of religious worship Now if we must adore a Crosse without a crucifixe for that it is an Image and resemblance of the Crosse why doe they not worship the barres of windows or the Sayle-yardes of Ships seeing they resemble the Crosse of Christ Why shall we not worship all the nayles and all the linnen clothes in the world seeing they better
through the instigation of the Diuell In the 20. chapter of my Apologie for the Supper of the Lord. An Epistle which witnesseth that S. Austen died excommunicated out of the Church of Rome which also wee haue elsewhere defended against Coeffeteaus accusations Neither was this the first ordinance by which these Bishops sought to stifle the growing tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome wherby he laboured to draw the appeales of the causes of Affrica to himselfe his purpose being that they who were condemned in Affrica by the Councels might make their appeale ouer the Sea that is into Italy For these same Bishops in another Councell assembled at Mileuitum in the two and twentieth Canon say If they who are condemned by the neighbour Bishops thinke that they may appeale from their iudgement Quod si ab cis prouocandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Affricana Concilia vel ad Primates prouinciarum suarum ad Transmarina autem qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Affricam in communione suscipiatur let them not appeale any whither else then to the Councels of Affrica or to the Primates of their Prouinces But whosoeuer shall appeale beyond the Sea let him not be admitted to the Communion by any in all Affrica These men feared neuer a whit least there might come from Rome a lapse vpon their Benefices or a deuolution to the Pope they did not expect from him the Archbishops Pall nor the Cardinals Hat nor any liberality of consecrated grains nor feared they his excommunication whose power in those dayes passed little further then mount Apennine And here out of this Discourse the Reader shall further learne that this very Canon is found in the Romane Decrees in the second Cause in the Canon Placuit but wholly corrupted and miserably falsified for after these wordes Whosoeuer shall appeale beyond the Sea let him not be receiued by any to the Communion there is a peece of another stuffe and another coulour vnhandsomely patched on vnlesse he appeale to the Sea of Rome Nisi forte Romanam sedem appellancrit how could this exception be allowable seeing that this Canon of the Councell was expresly made against the Sea of Rome So is it also against the truth and euidence of all the Coppies Yea so farre are the auncient customes and ordinances from giuing any Iurisdiction to the Bishop of Rome ouer other Patriarches that here is a flat Canon of the Councell of Nice recyted by Ruffinus to the contrary in his first booke and fift chapter They ordaine also that in Alexandria and in the Citie of Rome the auncient custome be kept to wit Et vt apud Aleandriam in vrbe Roma vetusta consuetudo seruetur vt vel ille Aegypti vel hic suburbicarum Ecclesiarum solicitudinem gerat that he of Alexandria haue the care of Egypt the Bishop of Rome of all suburbicary Churches that is of all the Cities that were vnder the authoritie and ciuill iurisdiction of the citie of Rome These Fathers did liberally cut him out a large share as the times then were but scant enough according to his ambition as now it is S. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage wrote many Epistles to Cornelius Bishop of Rome al which beare this inscription Cyprian to Cornelius his brother sendeth greeting which had bin a great vnreuerence if Cornelius had bin head of the Vniuersall Church or if he had had power of Iurisdiction ouer S. Cyprian So likewise in the fourth booke of Socrates cap. 11. the Eastern Bishops who write to Liberius Bishop of Rome Socrates lib. 4. cap. 9. Domino fratri collegae nostro call him nothing but Brother and Companion yea they speake like Masters for qualifying themselues the Catholike and Apostolike Church they denounce Anathema against the Councel of Ariminum without expecting the iudgement or the will and pleasure of Liberius Thereupon Leo the first This is the Title of the three first Epistles albeit he speake bigge in his Epistles neuerthelesse he commonly taketh no other Title to him but onely this Leo Bishop of the Citie of Rome to such and such sendeth greeting See here a notable Example The auncient custome of the Church was that the penitents should confesse their faults aloude in the face of the Church But the Church being growne into wealth and riches many men refused to vndergoe this shame Sozom. l. 7. c. 16. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 19. and iudged it intollerable To giue them content herein an order was established that euery Church should haue a Penetenciary Priest who should receiue their confessions in secret This order hauing beene euery where receiued Neuerthelesse Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople abolished this custome throughout all the East without asking the Bishop of Romes counsel who also did not reprehend him for it and this hath euer since so remained Thereupon I say that if Nectarius had beene subiect to the Bishop of Rome he would neuer haue vndertaken so great a matter without his aduise and contrary to his example Should a Bishop of Paris or Lyons bee borne withall now adaies if of his owne authority without aduise from the Pope he should put away auricular confession out of his Bishopricke Here are other examples It appeareth by S. Austens 118. Epistle to Ianuarius This Epistle is found in the 1. Tome of the Councels in the page 461. of the Collen Edition that in Rome they fasted on the Satterday but at Millan they did not so Damasus Bishop of Rome writing to S. Ierome complayneth that the seruice and the singing in the Church of Rome was performed with ill grace and vnseemly and with too great simplicity and requesteth Ierome to teach him the custome of the singing and seruice of the Greeke Church that he might bring it into the Church of Rome Is it credible that the Church of Rome would haue dayned to be the Disciple of other Churches and to correct her faults by the example of her neyghbour Churches if she had ruled and gouerned all other Churches as she doth to this day S. Ierome in an Epistle to Euagrius sheweth that the custome of other Churches touching Deacons was better then that of Rome which he saith was but a City from whence pride first sprunge So the Canon Aliter in the 31. Distinction saith That the Tradition of the Easterne Churches is one and that of the Church of Rome another for there the Priests and Deacons doe marry but here not And this Canon is attributed to Pope Steuen to whom Cyprian writeth Socrates lib. 5. cap. 21. maketh a long Bed-roule of diuers Church-customs and sheweth how different the Churches were in the obseruation of Fastes of the marriage of Churchmen and of the dayes of publique Assemblies which diuersity is an euident proofe that they were not all gouerned by one onely vniuersall head otherwise they should all haue beene conformed to the Ordinanances of the Church of Rome
assembled according to the vsuall forme and there was good order kept in the first Sessions So Menas and Euticheus Patriarches of Constantinople sate Presidents in the fift Councell of Constantinople albeit Vigilius Bishop of Rome were in the same Towne which doubtlesse was the cause why he refused to be present at the Councell All which notwithstanding after the close and conclusion of the Councell he approued the Acts. Read carefully the second Councell of Nice and you shal see that in reckoning vp the Bishops who were assisting thereat hee who hath translated the Acts of the Councell hath oftentimes placed to gratifie the Pope the Deputies of Rome the first yet notwithstanding the whole action of the councell doth plainely shew that they were not Presidents at all they speake almost neuer a word and they giue in their opinions sometimes amongst the rest But Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople speaketh to euery matter gouerneth the whole action pronounceth the conclusions and is cheefe President in the Councell And to come vp a little higher the most famous Councell that euer was was the first Councell of Nice in which surely the Bishop of Rome was not President but if we will beleeue the testimony of Athanasius who was there present Hosius Bishop of Corduba in Spaine sate in the first place His testimony is reported by Theodoret in the second booke of his story and fifteenth chapter where he saith that there was no Councell helde wherein Hosius was not President And this hee speaketh agreeable to that which the same Athanasius saith in his Epistle to them that liue in the desert The first speaker was Eustachius Bishop of Antioch who sate at the Emperours right hand Which hath made some men to thinke that he was President but it appeareth not throughout the whole action that the deputies of Rome did any thing In the Tomes of the Councels though made for the Popes greatest aduantage yet Hosius subscribeth the first and the deputies of Rome vnder him And least any man should say that he was the Bishop of Romes Legate he subscribeth apart in these wordes Hosius Episcopus Cordubensis Ita credo Then the deputies of Rome subscribe apart Victor Vincentius Presbyteri vrbis Romae pro venerabili Papa Syluestro subscripsimus For if they had beene all three deputies for the Bishop of Rome they would thus haue subscribed Hosius Victor Vincentius pro Syluestro c. And Hosius should rather haue taken this title then to be qualified only Bishop of Corduba c. Whosoeuer hath neuer so little looked into the stories knoweth that the Bishops of Constantinople considering that the dignity of the sea of Rome came for that Rome had for a long time beene the seate of the Empire and seeing that the Empire was now translated to Constantinople haue laboured to haue themselues to be credited and preferred before the Bishop of Rome Euen so farre forth that Iohn the Bishoppe of Constantinople whom Greekes call S. Iohn the Almosner began vnder the Emperour Mauritius about the yeare sixe hundred to call himselfe the first and chiefe Bishop and Oecumenicall Bishop that is to say Vniuersall Whereupon Gregory the first Bishop of Rome doth not complaine that Iohn did set footing vpon the Sea of Rome or that he did him any wrong by vsurping that which belonged to the Bishop of Rome but saith that this was a new Title and That he which will be called vniuersal Bishop is the forerunner of Antichrist because that in the Pride of his heart he preferreth himselfe before others Now the intent of this Iohn was not to haue denyed the others to haue beene Bishops also but he said that he was the first and aboue the rest And indeede this Iohns successors continued this title and are so called in Zonaras and Cedrenus And further in the second Councel of Nice the second Action there is an Epistle of Adrian Bishop of Rome wherein he calleth n = a Dilecto fratri Tharasio generali Patriarchae Tharasius Bishop of Constantinople vniuersall Patriarch Howbeit Gregory in his Epistles thinketh that he who will be vniuersall Bishop doth by consequent ruine the Bishopricke of others and seeketh if not directly yet at leastwise by consequence to be the onely Bishop the Bishopricke of others after that being nothing else but a bare name without substance as is the charge of Bishops vnder the Papacy Thus hath God pluckt out of the mouth of Gregory the condemnation of his Successors for this good man was not aware that in so speaking he called Boniface the third his Successour the forerunner of Antichrist to whom the Emperour Phocas gaue the title of vniuersall Supremacy within a while after the death of Gregory And yet for all this the Bishops of Constantinople would neuer acknowledge themselues inferiors to the Bishop of Rome no nor those of Antioch and Alexandria vntil that the Turkes and Saracens hauing ouerthrowne all the rest the Bishop of Rome onely finding in our Kings soft spirits and that they were litle seene and versed in Diuinity drew from them huge liberalities perswading them to whatsoeuer he would euen to subiect their Crownes vnto him and to pill and rifle their Kingdomes and to take vpon him n = b Gregor in Registro l. 4. Epist 32. Epist. 24. Epist 36. Epist 38. li. 6. Ep. 30. Ad Mauricium c. those Titles of which we shall speake anone He that wil see how much the Pope hath exalted himselfe let him compare the foure first Councels where all thinges are passed by common voices with the Councell of Florence in which they gaue power and authority to the Pope to make new articles of faith And with the latter Lateran Councell in which all is referred to the will of Pope Leo the tenth who there is called the diuine Maiestie the corner stone laid in Sion the Lyon of Iuda the King and Prince of all the world whom all the Kinges of the earth ought to adore To such Councels the Pope doth willingly affoord his personall presence because he doth there rule and domineere with absolute authority but in the ancient Councels he refused to bee present because there hee should haue found Bishops as stout and as strong and as ambitious as himselfe Adde hereunto that in the generall Councels they vsed the Church of Rome and her Bishop no otherwise then they did their particular Churches So in the sixe generall Councels re-assembled at the Pallace Pope Honorius is condemned for an Hereticke And the thirteenth Canon doth by name condemne the Church of Rome because it disalowed the marriage of Priests And further in the 55. Canon the Church of Rome is expresly forbidde to fast any more the Satterdy and the Sunday vpon payne of incurring the rigour of the Canon of the Apostles which saith This is the 65. Canon of the Apostles If a Clerke be found fasting on the Satterday or the Sunday one onely excepted let
first if the Pope may erre in the question of fact it followeth also that he may erre in the question of Right seeing that the one dependeth vpon the other if he may be ignorant whether Iesus Christ came into the world or whether hee died for vs he may also be ignorant whether we ought to beleeue in him or no. So likewise if he may erre in maners it followeth that he may teach false doctrine for to lie and to speake against his conscience is certainly a defaillance in manners If then the Pope cannot be ignorant of the true doctrine and yet through malitiousnesse will bury the truth wilfully to deceiue to what end serueth this truth hidden in the Popes vnderstanding if the people in the meane time be fed with lies But this is an absurdity aboue the rest to thinke that the Pope may erre as man or as a particular Doctor but not as Pope for why doth not the Pope correct the doctor Or when Pope Boniface or Clement doe erre as Boniface but not as Pope why doth not Boniface aske counsell of the Pope why dooth hee not consult himselfe why doth he not betake himselfe from his priuate chaire to the Popes Seate to the end to change his opinion If the Popes diuine knowledge be tyed to his Chaire or Papall habite it followeth that when he riseth from his seat or putteth off his Robes Titulo 2. de Constitutionib cap. licet in 6. that withall he strippeth himselfe out of his knowledge And that Boniface the eight was to blame to inclose the Popes knowledge in his breast Shall we thinke that these men haue a desire to be credited and that by these pleasant distinctions they do not mocke the Pope Put the case that all this may be reconciled and that the Pope may be contrary to himselfe and worse then himselfe and at one instant both Hereticke and an Orthodox what doth all this auaile the people seeing that in what sort soeuer the Pope teacheth whether as Pope or as Doctor he will alwayes be beleeued Neyther can the people discerne these subtle Distinctions Neyther may wee omit that the Pope vpon Maundy Thursday doth excommunicate all Heretickes whence it should follow that if himselfe be an hereticke as man he is also excommunicate and consequently is out of the Church and so it should come to passe that the man may be out of the Church but the Pope be within it which is as if I should say that the King at the same instant is within his Palace as King but without it as man or that Coeffeteau is at the same time in the Refectory or dyning-hall as Fryer and without as man so that a man shall finde him in two places at once It was then a great vnhappinesse to the auncient Fathers to haue beene ignorant of this Distinction and to haue assembled so many Councels so long and so painful for the deciding of differents in Religion seing that they needed only to haue addressed themselues to the Bishop of Rome and to intreate him not as man or as Doctor but as Pope to pronounce the sentence giue decision of the Controuersie Whence also it followeth that then the Popes had but small zeale to the publique good of the Church seeing that they refused to be present at generall Councels which were the speciall places in which they ought to haue put on this their Infallibility As also when the Romane Bishop had giuen his aduise by his Deputies the Councels did not forbeare for all that to sound and examine the matter to the bottome and to heare the opinions of others Howbeit Coeffeteau produceth this Scripture to shew that the Pope cannot erre he saith that our Lord said to S. Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile Whence he concludeth that the Pope cannot erre in faith Surely wee haue no greater proofe of the patience of God then that he suffreth his holy word thus to be abused for first is there any mention here of the Pope Is all that that was spoken to S. Peter spoken also to the Bishop of Rome If that be so then must we needes say that that which our Sauiour said to Peter Mat. 16. he said also to the Pope Get thee behinde me Sathan Secondly adde that which wee will hereafter shew that the Pope is not the Successour of S. Peter vnlesse it be as sickenesse succeedeth health Thirdly and albeit this had beene spoken to the Pope yet by these words Christ doth not promise to S. Peter that he should not erre at all in faith for it is one thing not to faile another thing not vtterly to fall away There be many that misse and faile but yet doe they not wholly miscarrie whence ensueth that though Christ should haue prayed for the Pope that his faith should not vtterly faile yet can he not for all that be exempted from power of erring Fourthly if the Successors of S. Peter enter also vpon this vertue of his neuer to erre then should the Bishop of Antioch who stileth himselfe Peters Successor be exempted also from erring Fiftly seeing that Saint Iohn S Paul S. Iames c. were no lesse exempted from this power of erring then was S. Peter why should not their Successours inherite the infallibility of the rest of the Apostles as well as the Successors of S. Peter Sixtly but without any more adoe let vs looke vpon the place and reade with one breath the verses following and we shall finde that Christ in that place did foretell to S. Peter his fall and deniall and promiseth that his faith should not vtterly be vanquished in that temptation that was then personall and peculiar to S. Peter yet so that our Sauiour would haue his fall and rising againe to serue to confirme his brethrē Here by the way the Reader may note that this Passage and Text of Scripture is the onely foundation that the Church of Rome can finde to prop vp the Popes infallibility which is as if a man would plant and reare vp an huge Colossus vpon Reedes or from a thing of nothing to make a long chaine of Consequences to depend Wherefore Coeffeteau being put off from Scripture he hath recourse to the Fathers and saith that S. Cyprian is bold to say that the Church of Rome is that to which treachery and false hood can haue no accesse Cyprian thereby vnderstands that it cannot be the refuge of perfidious men neyther can they be receiued there to finde shelter which is true of euery Orthodox Church for Cyprian varied from the Bishop of Rome vpon the poynt of Rebaptization of heretickes which is an euident proofe that he did not beleeue that the Bishop of Rome could not erre and indeede in the Epistle to Pompeius written after that which Coeffeteau alleadgeth he saith that Stephen Bishop of Rome was in an errour Stephani errorē denotabis inter caetera vel superuacanea vel ad rem
non pertinentia vel sibi ipsi contraria quae imperite atque improuidè scripsit and that hee had written many things idle and contradictory very ignorantly and vnwisely It is not materiall to enquire whether Cyprian were in an errour or no it is sufficient that Cyprian thought that the Bishop of Rome was subiect to erre and to mistake Our Doctor addeth S. Ierome who in his third Apology against Ruffinus saith That the Romane faith Romanam fidem Apostolica voce baudatam istiusmodi praestigias non recipere commended by the voyce of the Apostle doth not admit any such iuglings For so is it read and not as Coeffeteau doth falsly alleadge it The Trickes of which he speaketh were to put the title of a good Authour to an euill booke so that this place is neyther to the purpose nor yet faithfully alleadged and if it were to the purpose yet doth hee not say that the Church of Rome or her Bishop cannot erre in faith but sayth that the Faith which S. Paul commended in the Romans could not subsist together with such impostures for the faith which S. Paul prayseth in them was the true faith which doth not approue of any seducing The same may be said of the fayth of the Ephesians and Thessalonians to whom the same Apostle giueth the same testimony as well as to the Romanes to wit that their faith was spread abroad in all quarters 1. Thes 18. Now that S. Ierome did not beleeue that the Bishop of Rome could not erre in the faith in hoc habetur detestabilis quod Liberium Romanae vrbis Episcopum pro fide ad exilium pergentem primus sollicitauit ac fregit ad subscripti onem haereseos compulit it appeareth by this that in the Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall writers he thus speaketh of Fortunatianus In this he is accounted detestable that he was the first that solicited Liberius Bishop of Rome who went into banishment for the faith and made him to yeelde hauing induced him to subscribe to Heresie And in the same Catalogue he calleth Felix Bishop of Rome Arrian as doth also Socrates lib. 2. cap. 2. S. Hilary in his fragments lately published by Monsieur le Feure doth often excommunicate Liberius in these termes Anathema tibi a me Liberi For hauing subscribed to the Confession of the Arrians framed at Sirmium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Athanasius an inward friend to Liberius in his Epistle to them that liued in the Desert after that he had greatly commended Liberius he saith that after two yeares banishment he yeelded and subscribed As also the Arrians would neuer haue giuen him Letters to restore him to his Bishopricke Tomo 1. Concil p. 431. Ingressus Liberius in vibeÌ„ 6. Nonas Augusti consensit Constantio haeretico perseâ—â— utio magna fuit in vrbe Roma if he had still persisted in the true faith Damasus in the Pontificall alleadged in ther. Tome of the Councels saith that Liberius being re-entred into the Citie consented to the Emperour Constantius an Hereticke and that vpon his arriuall there happened a great persecution at Rome Liberatus a great flatterer of the Bishoppes of Rome hath written a booke which is found in the second Tome of the Councels where in the two and twentieth Chapter is produced an Epistle of Vigilius Bishop of Rome written to the Eutychian Heretickes in which he declareth himselfe an Eutychian and denyeth two natures in Christ euen so farre as to excommunicate those that say the contrary Honori the first is condemned for a Monothelite hereticke by three Councels which our aduersaries call Generall to wit by the sixth seuenth and eighth that is to say by a thousand witnesses the Deputies of Rome then and there present neuer gainsaying it On the contrary his Successors Agatho and Leo the second doe there accurse and detest him for hauing polluted the Sea of Rome through his heresie Who will beleeue that these Popes would haue defamed their owne Sea with a false accusation Or that so many witnesses had beene ill informed seeing that euen in these Councels the Epistles of Honorius in which he defendeth heresie are produced and alleadged And although they should haue condemned him vniustly yet it appeareth hereby that they held it in those times for a thing certaine that the Bishop of Rome might erre Bellarmine in his fourth booke de Pontifice Romano maketh no difficulty to say Potest dici Pontificem ex ignorantia lapsum esse that Pope Gregory the third who taught that a man whose wife was through sickenesse become vnfit for the dueties of marriage might take another woman had erred and failed through ignorance Iohn the two and twentieth beleeued and taught that the soules of the faithfull did not see God be fore the resurrection as wee haue proued heretofore by many witnesses Iohn the three and twentieth out-stripped and exceeded them all for he denyed the immortality of the soule and maintained that there was neither Heauen nor hell For which cause besides many other crimes laid downe in the eleuenth Session of the Councell of Constance he was deposed from the Papacy by the same Councell whose wordes are these IOHN the three and twentieth hath often and many a time in the presence of diuers Prelates and other honest men of worth said held determined and obstinately maintained by the instigation of the diuell that there is no life eternall nor any other after this life yea and hath obstinately said and beleeued that the soule of man dieth together with the body and is extinguished as that of brute beasts and hath said that a man once dead shall not rise againe the last day And to the end that no man may doubt of the truth of the Accusation it is a little after added that it is publiquely and notoriously knowne Note also that the Councell before that it deposed him acknowledged him for lawfull Pope and all the Church of Rome doth reckon him among the number of Popes Furthermore that prodigious Canon which beginneth Si Papa in the fortieth Distinction after it hath said Si Papa suae â— fraternae salut s negligens innumerabiles popules secum ducit primo mancip io gehennae cum ipso plagis multis in aeternum vapulaturos huius cu pas istic reprehendere praesumit mortalium nullus c. that though the Pope should draw with him an innumerable multitude of soules into hell there to be euerlastingly tormented yet no man should presume to reproue him because he that iudgeth all men ought to be iudged of no man Addeth this exception Nisi deprehendatur a fide deuius vnlesse he be found to haue swarued from the faith Passages of Scripture touching this matter THe King of great Britain alleadged against the Ecclesiasticall Monarchy these wordes of our Sauiour Luc. 22. The Kings of the Nations rule ouer them but it shall not be so among you Coeffeteau answereth that hereby Christ sought
the Church and the first of all other and this is found in the 16 Session But note that it is not the Councell which speaketh thus but Paschasin deputed from Rome who pleadeth his owne cause and yet this hindred not this Councell from making a Canon expresly declaring and defining that the Bishop of Constantinople is equall with him of Rome in all things yea euen in causes Ecclesiasticall the Canon hath beene produced by vs before He further saith that Irenaeus chap. 3. lib. 3. doth attribute vnto the Church of Rome a principality more powerfull thē vnto others which is most false and an euident corruption of the place Irenaeus speaketh of the principality and power of the city for being the seate of the Empire the faithfull of all Churches had necessary occasions to repaire thither The words are these Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem conuenire c. Ecclesiam vnto this Church by reason of the more mighty principality it is necessary that euery Church should resort As if I should say that all the Churches of France should come to that of Paris because there is the principality and power of the Realme and yet can I not for all this say that the faithfull ministers of the Church of Paris haue a principality ouer the rest Saint Cyprian in the third Epistle of his first booke doth directly call the Church of Rome the principall Church because in all the West there was no Church so great or so remarkable as it He saith that the vnity of Priesthood came from thence because his opinion was Hoc crant vtique caeteri Apostoli quod Petrus pari consortio honoris potestatis sed exordium ab vnitate proficisc it ur vt Ecclesia vna monstretur that albeit the Apostles were all equall in power and honour yet S. Peter was entertained into his charge some small time before the other Apostles Iesus Christ hauing a determination to begin from one to the end to shew the vnity of the Church as he saith in his treatise of the simplicity of Prelates He beleeued then that S. Peter who for a season held the sacerdo tall dignity alone to testifie the vnity of the Church had beene at Rome and that from thence Christiā religion spred it selfe into the West Now in this Cyprian goeth about to soften and to gratifie the Bishop of Rome to the end to prepare him the better to taste and to brooke the checkes and reproofes which afterwards he adioyneth whereby he proueth to Cornelius that he hath no power at all ouer Affricke and that he neither could nor ought to receiue the causes of those whom the Bishops of Affricke had condemned for saith he presently after seeing it is ordered among vs all and that it is a thing iust and reasonable that euery mans cause should be examined where the crime was committed and that vnto euery Pastor there is allotted a portion of the flocke which each one ought to gouerne and leade as being to render an account vnto the Lord of his carriage and behauiour there is no reason that those whom we guide should runne from one place to another and through their fraudulent rashnesse seeke to breake the concord of Bishops friendly knit together but that they should there pleade their causes where they may haue accusers and witnesses of their crimes lest it fall out that some desperate and forlorne persons should thinke that the authority of the Bishops of Affricke who haue condemned them should be lesse then others their cause hath beene alreadie examined the sentence hath beene alreadie pronounced To conclude he maintaineth that Cornelius may not take knowledge of any causes determined by the Bishops of Affrica without accusing them of lightnesse and vustaydnesse and so trouble the peace and quiet of the Church This is the cause that made Cyprian to gild his pill to extol the dignity of the Church of Rome before he would shew him that he ought not to thrust himselfe into the affaires of other Churches For it is diligently to be noted that those among the ancient Fathers that affirme that the Bishop of Rome is successour to Peter doe thereby vnderstand that he is successour in the charge of Bishop of Rome but not in the Apostleship After this sort also the Bishops of Ephesus were successors to S. Iohn and S. Paul the Bishops of Ierusalem successors to S. Iames so farre as these Apostles were Bishops of Ephesus and Ierusalem but they neuer were successors to the Apostleship and to the gouernment of the Church Vniuersall Nor is there any reason why the Bishop of Rome should be successor to Peter in his Apostleship and yet the Bishop of Ierusalem should be onely successor to S. Iames in his Bishoppricke Besides the Bishop of Antioch more auncient then the Bishop of Rome hath alwaies beene called the successor of S. Peter and why should it not be aswell in the Apostleship and gouernment of the Vniuersall Church If you will say that Peter hath taken away the prerogatiue and preheminence from Antioch and hath transported it to Rome we vtterly deny it and thereof no proofe worthy the receiuing can be brought If they further say that Peter dyed at Rome I will also say that Iesus Christ dyed at Ierusalem And why should not Christ his death at Ierusalem haue in it more power and vertue to make the Bishop of Ierusalem chiefe of the Church then the death of S. Peter at Rome to conferre this great dignity vpon the Bishop of Rome I leaue it likewise to the Readers to iudge who after the death of Peter ought of right to bee the chiefe of the Vniuersall Church For S. Iames liued yet at Ierusalem after S. Peter was dead And the Apostle S. Iohn out-liued him 32 yeares Eusebius in his Chronicle saith that Peter and Paul died the yeare of our Lord 69. and that S. Iohn dyed at Ephesus in the yeare 101. according to the accompt of Eusebius and Irenaeus Is it a thing to bee beleeued that S. Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loued who leaned on his breast vnto whom he recommended his mother at his death whose writings are diuine oracles as the Reuelations in the Apocalips doe witnes that he should bee inferior to Linus the Disciple of Paul and indeed our aduer saries themselues haue inserred into the first Tome of their Councels certaine Epistles which they say were Clements Bishoppe of Rome amongst which there is one to S. Iames Bishop of Ierusalem and thus it beginneth Clemens to Iames brother of the Lord Bishop of Bishops gouerning the holy Church of the Hebrewes which is in Ierusalem Clemens Iacobo fratri Domini Episcopo Episcoporum yea all the Churches which are founded euery where by the prouidence of God And a little after hee calleth him his Lord words which witnesse that Clemens acknowledged Iames for his superior and chiefe of all
the Bishops of the world We graunt then willingly that the auncient Bishops of Rome before the corruption of Doctrine and vsurpation of the Monarchie in the Church were successors of S. Peter in the Bishoppricke of Rome onely euen as the Bishop of Corinth was successor to S. Paul but withall we adde this that through the corruption of Doctrine which hath by little little crept into the Church of Rome euery age hauing added and contributed thereunto hee is now wholy and iustly falne from that succession For he may not in no wise be called Peters successor who oppugneth the Doctrine preached by S. Peter and who in the Chaire of verity doth establish a lie The Turke may not bee called successor to the Emperour of Greece albeit he be seated in his place seeing that he is rather his subuerter I would haue one shew me that euer S. Peter preached any other purgatory then the bloud of Iesus Christ or any other satisfaction to the iustice of God then his obedience any other sacrifice propitiatory then his death That euer he gaue pardons for an hundred thousand yeares or drew soules out of Purgatory with buls and indulgences that he euer degraded Emperours that he tooke away from the people the reading of the holy Scriptures or the Communion of the Cup or that he commaunded the worshipping of Images and publique Seruice to bee said in an vnknowne tongue or that he euer constrayned other Bishops to take from him letters of Inuestiture and to pay vnto him Annates Or that euer S. Peter was called God on earth the Spouse of the Church and caused himselfe to be worshipped or that euer he sung Masse or commaunded the Host to be adored or that euer he left off preaching the Gospell or quitted the Crosier-staffe to take vnto him a triple Diaderne If I say they can shew me that S. Peter euer did these things then though the Pope were Bishop but of one Village alone I will willingly acknowledge him for S. Peters Successor but still in the Bishopricke only and not in the Apostleship which ended in his person and is not deriued vnto his Successors in particular Churches THus doth the confession of the King of Englands faith remain firme and vnshaken against which Coeffeteau hath armed himselfe with humane testimonies being vtterly destitute of any authority out of the booke of God For as they that are ready to drowne catch hold on any thing so these men in a desperate cause embrace all defences but least of all those that be good Againe whatsoeuer this Doctor alleadgeth out of the Fathers is found to be eyther false or clipt or vtterly counterfeit This payment is not currant especially to such a Prince who hath consecrated his penne to the defence of the truth But this is not to be imputed to Coeffeteaus disability but to the vnlawfulnesse of the cause vnto which we haue in such sort satisfied as whosoeuer shall examine my worke he shall finde an answere to Bellarmines booke also which he hath not long since made against the said booke of the King of great Britaine with more weakenesse and lesse dexterity then Coeffeteau hath done There remayneth the last part of his Maiesties booke wherein with a straine of admirable wit assisted by the spirit of God hee openeth the booke closed with seuen seales and piercing into the secrets of sacred Prophesies he findeth in the seat of Rome the full accomplishment of the Apocalyps When hate and bitternesse shall be extinguished through time Posterity shall admire both the worke and the person and looking backe into ages past for the like patterne shall not be able to finde any thing to be compared with it We will not feare then to enter into these darkenesses vnder so great a guide for it is hard eyther to stumble or to stray where so faire a Torch doth light and shine before vs. But we must here take breath a while before we enter into this taske For the sudden death of our King like a great cracke of Thunder benummeth our handes with astonishment and troubleth our spirits with griefe and anguish Let vs then giue place to necessity and leaue to write that we may haue leisure to lament and let Posterity carefully bethinke it selfe of remedies and hold it for a thing most certaine that hee that setteth light by his owne life is master of another mans and that there is nothing so forcible to make vs to contemne our owne liues as this new doctrine which by the murther of Kings openeth the way to the Kingdome of heauen FINIS Faults necessarily to bee corrected The first number noteth the Page the second the Line The letter R. standeth for Reade L. signifieth the line in the same PAGE PAge 13.25 r. Siloe 14.20 r. Enfant 17.19 r. Armies l. 24. r. these 20.15 r. villanies 42.13 for that r. as l. 19. r. State 49.25 r. things that appeare are more feared c. 56. l. vlt. r retorted 62.2 r. infinity of businesses 71.3 for or r. and. 74.2 r. differents 79.24 r. in the Bookes of the Acts and Charters 81.1 r. See and in the margent paulum annixus 82.1 r. whom l. 3 r. giue it l. 20. r. Ostia 84.25 r. deuolued 90.27 r. Ruota 91.4 r. fifth part or fifth penny 95.14 blot out he l. 25. r. Distinction 97.23 for alleadged r. already 99.18 make it 560.100.26 r. no wayes for now adayes 101.24 for take r. make 102 17. r. aboue 104.24 for Sinnes r. Summes 106.25 r Bellisarius 107.20 r. Conon 108.4 r. debonnaire l. 7. for to r. doe 110.1 for penalty r. priuity 119.12 Consiglio l. 17. r. retchlesse 125.7 for which is r. with l. 11. r. Augustin l. 25. for as r. and. in the margent Ponticus verunnius 127.20 r. different 136.24 blot out kinde in the marg r. communia debere 140.9 r messieurs l. 12. r. of for or 147.15 r. receiued them 158.2 r. or no more 160.25 r. Nattiers 161.1 blot out the. 168.4 r. Doctors l. 17. madonna 27. Letanies 169.22 for Fathers r. saluation 173.11 r. the brecz-flies 174.9 r. discourse l. 19. r. she for he 177. l. the last r. Antonine 178 27. r. places for phrases 180.18 r. as not being 182.18 r. lauour l. 20. r. washed 188.18 r. but saith 193.11 r no prescription 197.27 for toward r. ouer vs. 203.20 r. out of the 217.23 for ouer turnes r. powreth out of l. the last r. therefore 221.1 blot out the. 229.28 r. they saw well that if they should breake 261.3 for tongues r. Fire-tongs 281.11 r. commanded 300.1 r. meditation 301.8 for defectiue r. wanting 305.4 r. another 307.22 blot out that l. 23. r. should 308.1 blot out bad 309.25 r. with l. 28. r. istud 349.14 for if r. though 369.28 r. Suppositions
and stirre vp the mildest spirits and was desirous by pardoning the wicked to make them become good and though he could not find cause in them why to pardon he fouÌ„d it in himselfe for though they no way deserued mercy yet he shewed himself worthy of his greatnesse in doing good to those of so euill demerite He considered that God whom hee represents sendeth raine vpon the Bryers and Thistles as well as on fruit Trees and makes the Sunne to rise alike to the good and to the euill or else it may be that his clemency was accompanied and assisted with a neglect of his enemies esteeming many of them not worthy of his wrath But for the better preuenting of such conspiracies in future times the Parliament together with the King framed a forme of Oath to be administred to all his Maiesties subiects which is to this effect That they acknowledge IAMES the first King of great Britaine for their lawfull King and that the Pope cannot by any right whatsoeuer depose him from his Kingdomes nor discharge his subiects of their obedience to him nor giue them licence to beare Armes against him Also that notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of ExcoÌ„munication made or granted or to be made or granted against the said King his Successors they wil beare faith and true alleageance to him his heyrs Successors him and theÌ„ wil defend to the vttermost of their power against all attempts conspiracies whatsoeuer And that they wil reueale al treasons and trayterous Conspiracies which they shall know or heare of against him or any of them And that they do abhor detest and abiure this damnable position that Princes which be excommunicated by the Pope may be deposed or murdered by their subiects And that they beleeue and in conscience are resclued that the Pope hath no power to absolue them of this Oath or any part thereof And renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary And that without any Equiuocation mentall Euasion or secret Reseruation whatsoeuer they doe sincerely acknowledge and sweare all these things and doe make this acknowledgement heartely willingly and truely So helpe them God This Oath being offered to those of the Romish Church diuers of them tooke it without difficulty and amongst the rest Blackwell the Arch-Priest who then was and still remaines in England These things being come to the knowledge of the Bishop of Rome Paul the fift that raignes at this present he dispatches presently for England a breue or as they terme it letters Apostolique bearing date the two twentieth of September 1606. by which he declares That this Oath cannot be taken with good conscience exhorting them rather to vndergoe all cruell torments whatsoeuer yea Death it selfe rather then to offend the Maiestie of God by such an Oath and to imitate the constancy and fortitude of the other English Martyrs willing them to haue their loynes girt about with verity and to haue the Brest-plate of righteousnes and to take the shield of faith That God that hath begunne this good worke might finish it in them who wil not leaue them Orphants c. And finally willeth them exactly to put in practise that which is commaunded in the Letters of Clement the eight his Predecessor written to Mr. George Black well the Arch-priest of England by which Letters all Princes of any Religion contrary to their owne are excluded from the kingdome of England These Letters being come into England were not receiued by those of the Romish Church with such respect as the Pope expected for many iudged them ridiculous as exhorting them to suffer Martyrdome for ill doing since none can be a Martyr but for hauing done well As also for that they declare that this Oath is contrary to the Catholique faith without telling why or wherefore as likewise for that the exhortations of holy Scripture to shun vice and to perseuere in the profession of the Gospell and to resist the Diuell are in this Papall breue drawne to a contrary sense to kindle sedition and to incite subiects to disobedience And aboue all for that these Letters ingaging the subiects to reuolt doe necessarily plucke vpon them persecution and the iust anger of their natural Prince who being vnwilling to require any caution of them in any thing contrary to their beliefe demaundeth no more of them but fidelity and ciuill obedience For these considerations some part of the Priests and Friers of England said that these Letters of the Pope were shufled in by their Aduersaries and forged by the Heretiques for so they of their goodnes are pleased to tearme vs to kindle the anger of the King against them which was already prouoked by the plot of the Powder-mine which onely fell out to ruine the vndertakers By reason whereof the same Pope being aduertised that through these doubts whether they were true or fained the Authority of his Letters were infringed hee writ others more expresly bearing date the three and twentieth of August 1607. In which he seemeth to wonder that they any way suspect the truth of the Apostolique letters Non solum motu proprio exceâ—â—a nostra scientia verum etiam post longam grauem deliberationem that vnder that pretence they might exempt themselues from his commaunds and therefore declareth vnto them that those letters were written not onely vpon his proper motion and of his certaine knowledge but also after long and weighty deliberation and therfore again inioyneth them fully to obserue them for such is his will and pleasure To these letters giuing the Alarums to rebellion for their greater confirmation were added the letters of Cardinall Bellarmine to George Blackewell the Arch-Priest In which after he had put him in minde of their auncient acquaintance hee greatly blameth him for taking the Oath the which vnder colour of modifications hath no other aime or drift but to transferre the authority of the Pope the head of the Church to a Successor of HENRY the eight by the examples of his Predecessors he exhorreth him constantly to defend the primacy of the Pope whom he calleth the head of the faith But he sheweth neyther what wordes or clauses in this Oath are contrary to the faith of the Romish Church nor wherefore this Arch-Priest should rather chuse to die then to obliege himselfe by Oath to be loyall to his King in things meerly ciuill and which no way meddle with the Primacy of the Pope and yet this is the onely thing whereof question is made and whereof proose is expected These letters both of the Pope and Cardinall being fallen into the handes of his Maiestie might wel haue kindled the anger of a very patient Prince and haue armed and stirred him vp against those with whom these Papall letters were of more power then eyther their faith to their King or their obedience to God For what Prince can permit in his Kingdome subiects that acknowledge him not or that to retaine
and the other Monarchy And in the Chapter Venerabilem de Electione Innocent the third maintayneth that it is in him to aduance to the Empire whom he pleaseth Apostolica sedes Romanum Jmperium à Graecis transtulit in Germanos and that it was the Apostolique Sea that translated the Empire from the Greekes to the Germanes And that we may spare to produce the clauses of Sixtus Quintus his Bull Anno 1585. which was the first thunder-clap that caused all the confusions in these later times and which speake more arrogantly and insolently then all this that hath beene said Let vs appeale to Cardinall Bellarmine for Iudge These are his wordes De Rom. Pontif. li. 5. c. 6. § Quartum Papa potest mutare regna vni auferre atque alteri conferre tanquaÌ„ summus princeps spiritualis si id necessarium sit ad animaruâ—â— salutem The Pope can change Kingdomes he can take them from one and giue them to another as a Soueraigne spirituall Prince when it shall be necessary for the saluation of soules Of which necessity he will haue the Pope also to be Iudge Consonant whereto one Alexander Pesantius a Doctor of the Citie of Rome hath written a booke of the immunities of Ecclesiasticall persons and of the power of the Pope dedicated to the now-Pope Paul the fift where he saith p. 45. The Soueraine Bishop hath by Diuine right a most full power ouer all the earth as well in causes Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill adding in the margent Papa iure diuino est directe Dominus orbis The Pope by diuine right is directly Lord of the world Yea within these few dayes there haue beene certaine Theses printed and defended at Naples in which were figured the Turkes Turbanes the Imperiall and Regall Crownes Le Cornet Paulo 5. Vice-Deo Christiani orbis Monarchae Pontificiae omnipotentiae assertori c. and the Coronet of the Dukes of Venice to hang in labels from the Popes Miter and wherein the Pope is styled Vice-God Monarch of the Christian world and defender of the PAPALL OMNIPOTENCY where the Pope hath accepted the bargaine which our Sauior refused at the Diuels hands Mat 4.9 Which was to become Monarch ouer all the Kingdomes of the earth Thus is the Church become an Hierarchie and the spirituall kingdome conuerted into a temporall Monarchy In witnesse whereof the Popes triple Crowne is called by no other name then Il regno the Kingdome And the last Lateran Councell calleth the Pope in the first Session Prince of the whole world in the third Session Priest and King and in the ninth and tenth Session his charge is called His Holinesse Empire Who will now make any doubt but that Coeffeteau pleadeth the Popes cause vpon good warrant and approbation And he goeth about to teach them more modesty in speach then they are willing to learne vnlesse that perhaps to tumble downe a Prince from the height of his Empire with flashes of lightning or to skimme away the whole wealth of his Countrey be not to be termed a touching of their temporalties And indeede there is some reason for that for temporall goods when they come into his Holinesse handes they become spirituall according to the stile which this witty age vseth who by a Bishops spiritualties vnderstandeth the rents and reuenues of his Bishoppricke The misery of Princes in this case is that if the Pope for their sinnes impose this penance vpon them to lay down their Crownes and to giue place to another yet this Penance once done is neuer followed with Absolution for he that seizeth vpon their place by a right of conueniency Droit de bienseance doth neuer quit or forgoe it but by force There be steppes and degrees indeede to clymbe vp to a kingdome but there is no other discent then a headlong downe-fall It is a thing seldome seene that a Prince should suruiue his kingdome or that he should saue life or liberty after he is diuested of Maiesty And that which is more Coeffeteau hauing taken from the Pope the power of disposing of the temporalties of Kings pag. 13. Doth he not in the next leaf following restore it to him againe in these wordes If Kings depart from their Duty and in stead of defending the faith seeke to ruine it then it is in the Popes power to reclaime them being in errour and to bring forth his iust censures to the end to turne away the mischiefe which threatneth Religion Now these censures are the degrading of the Prince the absoluing his subiects from their Oath of Alleageance and interdicting his Kingdome And to shew that hee ought to proceede forcibly and by way of fact Coeffeteau addeth That the Pope ought to oppose himselfe herein euen to the perill of his life And if we will exactly weigh the wordes of this Doctrine fol. 7. we shall easily finde that where he saith that the Pope doth not pretend any thing ouer the temporalties of Princes hee meaneth all the while Romish Catholicke Princes who obey the Pope that is to say that if they bee not such as are now a dayes called Catholicks the Pope may depriue them of their Kingdomes True it is that he reporteth vpon vs by way of recrimination Pag. 15. That those Princes who haue shaken off the yoake of the spirituall power of the Church that is of the Pope see themselues exposed to the rigour of their Ministers whom by way of honor he calleth Tyrans I looked all the while when hee would produce examples of Ministers who had eyther degraded or murthered their Kings or who had beene trumpets of rebellion or fire-brands of sedition or who had skummed a Countrey of their money or punished sinnes by the purse Or who after the example of Innocent the third This is found in the Bull of Innocent 3. at the end of the Lateran CouÌ„sell Salutis aeternae pollicemur augmentum Ad Scapulum cap. 2. Nunquam Albiniani nec Nigriani nec Cassiani inueniri potuerunt Christiani sed ijdem ipsi qui per genios Imperatorum iurauerant haue giuen to those who haue armed themselues at their commaundement a degree of honour in Paradise aboue others who haue nothing for their reward but bare life euerlasting But of all this he could alleadge no one example For vnto vs agreeth that commendation which Tertullian giueth to the Christians we neuer were saith he of the league and conspiracy of Albinius Niger or Cassius but those rather who sware by the life and Genius of the Emperour The faithfull Pastors hauing stripped themselues of all this tyrannicall pride haue only reserued to themselues the censuring of mens manners by publicke and priuate reprehensions and in case men stand out and rebell against the word of God after many rebukes they haue reserued onely the power of excluding them out of the Church as Pagans and Publicans vntill such time as by true humiliation they haue made their repentance to appeare These sentences
of bindeing and loosing in the mouth of the Pastors are inlocutorie Decrees which God doth ratifie in heauen till that himselfe in the last day pronounce the Definitiue sentence They be the keyes which depend vpon the word of God and are annexed to the Gospell Keyes which open the Kingdome of heauen that is open to the penitent sinner an entrance into the Church which in an hundred places in the Gospell is called the Kingdome of heauen Keyes which the Pope hath not at all seeing he hath not that whereupon they depend to wit the true benefites of Iesus Christ contayned in the Gospell and if he had them yet can they not serue his turne seeing he hath changed the lockes and hath made other gates to enter into the kingdome of God Being then sufficiently cleared in this point touching the Popes pretences and Coeffeteaus intention it were nor amisse a little to heare their reasons Euery man knoweth that in the yeare 1301. Nicholas Giles Pope Boniface the eight wrote very arrogant letters to Philip the faire contayning these words I will that thou know that thou art subiect to me in temporall things they that maintaine the contrary we hold them madmen we know also how this vigilant and couragious King handled the Pope This Pope hath made an authenticke Bull which is amongst the extrauagants and beginneth with V nam Sanctam wherein he reproueth the Popes Souerainty both ouer the Spiritualty and Temporalty by certaine passages of Scripture brought in by such an extrauagant by as that we should thinke it ridiculous were it not the Pope that speaketh it who hath all law in the Chest of his breast Licet Romanus Pontifex qui iura omnia in scrinio pectoris sui censetur habere In hac Ecclesia eiusque potostate duos esse gladios spiritualeÌ„ videlicet temporale Euangelicis dictis instruimur Nam dicentibê° Apostolis Ecce gladij duo hic in Ecclesia scilicet cum Apostoli loquerentur non respondit Dominê° nimis esse sed satis Certe qui in potestate Petri temporalem gladâ—um esse negat male verbum attendit Domini dicentis Conuerte gladium tuuÌ„ in vaginam Cum dicat Apostolus non est potestas nisi a Deo quae autem sunt a Deo ordinata sunt non autem ordinata essent nisi gladius esset subgladio De Ecclesiastica potestate verificatur vaticiniuÌ„ Ieremiae Ecce constitui te hodie super gentes regna Si suprema potestas deuiat a solo Deo non ab homine potest iudicari testante Apostolo Spiritalis homo iudicat omnia c. Nisi duo sicut Manichaeus fin gat esse principia quod falsum haereticum iudicamus quia testante Moyse non in principijs sed in principio coelum Deus creauit terram as himselfe saith cap. Licet De Constitutionibus in 6. These then be his Texts and Quotations I beseech the Reader to lend his attention 1. The Apostles said to Iesus Christ Here are two Swordes and Iesus Christ did not answere that is too much but that is enough Therefore the Pope hath the Spirituall and the Temporall Sword 2. Iesus Christ said to S. Peter Put vp thy sword into thy sheath 3. S. Paul Rom. 13. sayth that there is no power but is ordained of God It must needes then be that the Temporall sword be subiect to the spirituall 4. God sending the Prophet Ieremy to preach and prophesie to diuers people and nations saith vnto him cap. 1. I haue set thee this day ouer people and Nations This is a prophesie if wee beleeue this Bontface which giueth to the Pope power ouer the Temporalty of Kings 5 S. Paul 1 Cor. 2.15 speaking of all the faithfull whom he calleth spirituall to oppose them to the Carnall man of whom he speaketh in the former verse he saith that the spiritual man iudgeth and discerneth all things and he is not iudged of any This spirituall man is the Pope the soueraigne Iudge and who cannot be iudged 6. Iesus Christ said to S. Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde in earth shall be bound in heauen Therefore the Pope is cheefe ouer the Temporaltie 7. He addeth that to acknowledge two Soueraigne powers is to be a Manichee 8. That there can be but one beginning and one cheefe Soueraigne because Moses saith in the beginning of Genesis not In the beginnings but in the Beginning God created the heauen and the earth By all these Scientificall Demonstrations hee proueth that the Pope is cheefe ouer the Temporaltie as well as ouer the Spiritualty and thereuppon admiring himselfe in his own plumes he concludeth by a new Article of faith We declare affirm define and pronounce that it is altogether necessary to saluation to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome I would refute each of these reasons were it not that I am perswaded that the Pope did but mocke when he thus spake and had no meaning to be beleeued For surely Shamgars goade or Gedeons bottels may as well prooue the Popes Empire ouer Kings as any of the former places And indeede Bellarmine who commendeth this Bull in generall as holy and good hath beene ashamed to produce these goodly reasons in speciall and by retaile it is confutation enough for them onely to haue proposed them For to dispute by Scripture against them were to vnsheath the sword of the Gospell against a filthy dung-hil Such reasons be fit to be proposed but with the sword in hand for they are not receiued farther then he that proposeth them is feared And to very good purpose the King doth here apply the Fable that when the Lyon would haue the Asses eares to be hornes the other beasts were bound to beleeue it So these fooleries must passe for verities because his Holinesse will haue it so Such a like May-game do we find in Bellarmine and in all their late Diuines who willing to cloake this their foule fact haue inuented new termes to expresse the same thing They say that the Pope as Pope hath not this power ouer the Temporalty directly but indirectly and so farre forth as it is auaileable for the spirituall good But a King dispoyled of his Throne cannot take a few distinctions for a sufficient payment for what is it to him whether he be deposed directly or indirectly seeing that he looseth his Kingdome be it in what sort soeuer it is as if a man should comfort one vpon the scaffold going to his execution telling him thou shalt not be beheaded with a sword but with a Fauchin And indeed who doth not see that this distinction is but a meere contradiction For that which is in it selfe euill being done by a direct course cannot be done iustly by an indirect course If a subiect be forbidden to wrong his Prince directly shall it be lawfull for him to hurt him indirectly Surely that which I ought not to take away directly I may not filtch away indirectly and by wrongfull dealing
out of the auncient Councels authorising these exemptions may serue indeede to exhort Clerkes to addresse themselues to their Bishops to compose their differents in Ecclesiasticall matters But now a dayes to exempt Church-lands from paying taxe and Subsidy nor to take from the Magistrate the power of punishing any Clerke that is a wicked man and attaynted of some cryme which is punishable by the law Secondly I say that Clerkes cannot be iudged by the validity of their owne exemptions seeing they are made altogether in fauour of them and to their owne profite And being Iudges and parties they will take heed I trow of condemning themselues I say further for I mayntaine this truth That Princes cannot free Clergy men from their ciuill subiection and obedience seeing that God himselfe hath subiected them thereunto So a father cannot free his children from that due obedience which they owe vnto him Neyther can he by any damnable induldence and facility toward his children loose those bands of nature which God moreouer alloweth and authorizeth in his word That good indeed or that good turne is iniurious that byndeth a man to doe ill or that exempteth him from well doing And not to speake but of Magistrates only I say that God hauing commanded the Israelites to subdue the Cananites and Amorrhites and to make them their seruants They should haue offended God if they had let them goe free and at liberty I leaue this also to any mans iudgement whether a Prince may take any Donations by the which both himselfe and his Successors may loose the third part of their Dominion If any man be an angryed with his money he may giue it away and make hauocke of it if he please but he cannot binde his posterity to the like humour Neyther can his personall liberalities make vniuerfall Lawes Especially when by experienâ—e it is knowne to be true that those persons on whom the good deedes haue beene done doe waxe the worse by them and the benefites extended towards them corrupt in their owne bosomes For not to speake of those manyfold vices which haue thronged in at this gate by troupes Clergy-men are become very ill acknowledgers of those good deedes which Princes haue conferred on them For now they maintayne that these immunities belong vnto them by Gods law and by Diuine right and that they holde all this from God and not from man and that the Pope hauing exempted Clergy-men from the subiection of Princes they are no more their subiects neyther are Princes any longer their superiours This doctrine is constantly vpheld in Rome and mayntayned by all the Doctors that are of any marke in that Church But about all by the lesuites diuers of whose testimomes touching this point we haue heretofore produced Out auncient Kings neuer heard of any such propositions in their dayes And without doubt that which now-a dayes is called in our law Le droit de Regale and L'appell comme d'abus and likewise the Inhibition of the Annates by the pragmatical Sanction of which there remayneth no more now-a-dayes then the bare name these are the reliques of the auncient power of our Kings by the which they did dispose of Ecclesiasticall mens goods as well as of Secular persons But now-a-dayes after a lamentable manner of speaking and iniuri ous to our Kings these things are called Priuiledges of the Gallicane Church As if for a man not to be robbed or riffeled were a priuiledge vnto him Or as if it were a speciall grace graunted by the Pope that a man should haue power to be Master in his owne house Non est Priuilegium sed prauilegium And yet this priuiledge is not obserued And hereupon I beseech the Reader to consider how handsomely Cardinall Bellarmine doth carry himselfe in this poynt who in the eight and twentieth chapter of his booke of Clerkes § Secunda to the end to gratifie Princes with something he will that Clerkes should conforme themselues to ciuill lawes in certaine menial small things as in the buying of any Merchandize or not to go abroad in the night without a Lanthorne But within a short space after he plucketh backe all that which before he had giuen willing them to be subiects indeede Fol. 128. Obligatione non coactiua sed solum directiua by Obligation of direction not of coertion That is to say that they may be commanded but not constrained to yeeld obedience they shall obey as farre as themselues list and this is not to be a subiect in any regard That law is no lawe that onely hath reference to their discretion for whom it is enacted A law that wants his annexed punishment is ridiculous and should bee called an entreatie or good counsaile rather then a command And farther obserue that the matters wherein he maketh the clergie subiect to the law are trifles and things of no moment But to be vigilant for the safetie of his soueraigne or to mayntaine the peace of the Countrey or to shunne priuate intelligence with forrayners or to be punished for robbing or rauishing or for treason are matters wherein hee doth not subiect them to the power of Kings So he dazels the eyes of Princes with Schoole-distinctions of Directiue and Coactiue flatly denying the while that Princes haue superiority ouer their Clergy Lib. de exemp Cler. cap. 1. And he maytaines that Kingdomes are not held by a Diuine right § Ad confirmationem that is are not immediately appoynted by God nor established by Gods ordinance directly crossing the Apostle Saint Paul saying That there is no power but of God Rom. 13. and the powers that be are ordained of God By this meanes taking from subiects all religious regard due to Princes whom in a wicked disdayne he calles Prophane persons toward the end of the second Chapter of his booke of the exemption of the Clergy in these wordes * Quis dicere audeatius esse profane homini in ea quae sancta sanctorum id est sanctissima dici meruerunt Is there any that dares auerre that â—â—â—rophane man hath any power ouer matters that deserâ—â— to be stiled Sancta sanctorum that is most holy He giues also this title to Ecclesiasticall goods so that if the mony of a Kingdome be swept away vnder colour of Indulgences If sinnes be leuyed vpon the Curtyzans of Rome If any of the common people doe robbe their children to enrich the Fryers this wealth and these possessions are the holy of holies things most holy O grosse abuse and open mockery O enmity with God himselfe Thus is our simplicity seduced These then are the men that to shake off the yoake of Kings call them Prophane persons Kings who are the annointed of the Lord Gods image vpon earth the noursing fathers of the Church the Princes of the people of God of whom the very Angels speake not without reuerence Well may their glory be aduanced and the kingdome of the sonne of God established in
called Corpus Christi day to giue him contentment For seeing that euery Saint had his Feast it was iust and reasonable that God should haue his also 6 Then they sung no Masses in honour of the Saint whose Feast they celebrated And these Masses carry now a dayes the name of the Saint There is the Masse of S. Geneuiefue the Masse of S. Roth the Masse of S. Anthony c. Amongst which Masses we see in the same rancke the Masse of the Holy Ghost to testifie that the rest are not of that stampe 7 Then they did not diuersifie the furniture and preparation for their Masses in singing great or lesser Masses according to the greatnesse of the Feast Men were ignorant also of the distinction of high and low Masses Drie Masses and running Masses Masses in white or in greene There is nothing so pie-bald and new-fangled The Apostles vnderstood nothing in a manner in all this 8 Also in those times men knew not what it was to ground Feasts vpon an Allusion of Sillables As now adayes the Feast of the Mat-makers which they call Nattices is the day of the Natiuity of our Lady the Feast of Fel-mongers is Magdalen tyde La Magdalaine because they make L'amas de Laine an heape of wooll the Feast of Cooke-rosters is the Assumption of our Lady because assum is Latine for rosted The Feast of the Tylers or Slatters is Ascension day because they ascende and climbe the tops of houses Because Alga alludeth to Algeo which is to quake with colde So in the Physicke Alga aduersus querquerum as Apuleius speaketh You must giue Sea-weede or Sea-ore to one that is in a shiuering colde fit of the Ague Or to giue to a man that is hard bound a bunch of Keyes because there is nothing more opening Oh what a good time haue my Masters the Prelates had and how haue they dallied with Religion at their idle howers 9 But I would willingly know how it commeth to passe that those auncient Patriarkes such excellent personages Abraham Moses Dauid Daniel to whom there will not any be found comparable of all that haue liued within these fifteene hundred yeares how they notwithstanding all this haue no Feasts in the Church of Rome that no man prayeth in particular to Moses nor Samuel c. that no Temple beareth their name that it would indeede seeme a thing ridiculous to say S. Moses or S. Daniel or S. Iosaphat seeing that for a man but to beare the name of Isaac or Daniel or Abraham is enough to make a man to be suspected as a marke of Heresie If a man demaund whence commeth this great multitude of Feasts I say that auarice hath hatched them and that ambition hath bred them vp for the more Festiuall holy-dayes that there be the more often men goe to the offering and the pardons are more frequent when artisans and tradsemen shut vp their shoppes then the Priests open theirs The Prelates also are herein much honored for it is a great honour to these great Masters that at their commaundement the trafficke ceaseth the shops are shut vp the Sessions of the Iustices and of the Priuy Councell are by them broken vp And therefore when they are among themselues they gaude and mocke at the simplicity of the people For indeede they liue vpon their blindenes Let them then set vp the auncient simplicity againe let them restore to the Churches the liberty of gouerning themselues heerein according to the exigence of the time and place and we will not condemne their Feasts For indeede we doe not condemne this celebration of the memory of Martyrs and of Saints We like well the custome of the English Churches who haue certaine dayes affected and applyed to the commemoration of the Apostles for they are done without imposing necessity of keeping strict Holy-dayes and without opinion of merite without commandement of the Pope and without condemning the French Churches who hitherto haue feared to assigne any Feasts to any man because that liuing in a Countrey where superstitions doe swarme their people would easily be drawne into abuse and attainted with that running and ouer-spreading contagion which is to attribute that to the creature which belongeth to the Creator Meane while we let not to celebrate in our Churches the memory of the Saints and Martyrs but without any set day And we hold this rule for inuariable that God hauing said in his law in expresse termes Sixe dayes shalt thou labour he opposeth himselfe against God who saith Thou shalt not worke sixe dayes but thou shalt keepe holy those Feasts on the weeke dayes which I commaund thee Now if in the old Testament there be found any solemnities or Feasts besides the Sabboth day they are very few in number and ordayned by God himselfe who as he can giue the rules so also can he giue the exceptions Or if there be any feast found that was instituted by men you shall neuer be able to prooue that it was held vnlawfull to trauell vpon that day There should yet remaine to speake somewhat of Legends but I see that Coeffeteau is ashamed of them and would cast the blame vpon some particulars Legends neuerthelesse which haue beene for a long time yet are both in Italy and Spaine the subiect of Sermons yea very Fraunce is not exempt And those very miracles of which Coeffeteau is ashamed are those which we see painted on the walles and in the hangings of the Church As at Paris in the Cloyster of S. Geruase an Asse worshippeth and adoreth the Hoste neere thereto adioyning the Bees build a Chappell of waxe for an Hoste which they found in the fieldes In the Temple of S. Paul behinde the Quire on the left hand after the miracles of S. Roche painted promise is made vnto the people that they shall be healed of the swelling of the plague by adoring his pretious body at S. Benedict or S. Benets Cloyster wee see the said Saint tumbling himselfe starke naked amongst thornes and stopping the dogges with the signe of the Crosse In the forefront of the Church called Des Billettes an Hoste being pricked and stabbed by a Iew bleedeth with great droppes and being cast into a seething Caldron became a man in his visible greatnesse that is to say Iesus Christ boyling in a Caldron An infinite company of such things are so publick that Coeffeteau cannot condemne them without opposing himselfe to the whole Church of Rome Fictions that were built vp by the fauour of the night whiles they put the holy Scripture the onely light of our soules vnder a bushell And indeede very lately there haue beene composed two great Tomes of the Chronicles of S. Frauncis which challenge all the Legends and giue place to none of them for lies Insomuch that S. Dominicke Coeffeteaus Patron will henceforward be nothing in comparison of S. Frauncis ARTICLE VII Touching the Virgin Mary The KINGS Confession AND first for the blessed Virgin Mary I
yeelde her that which the Angell Gabriel pronounced of her and that which in her Canticle she prophesied of her selfe that is That she ¶ Luc. 1.28 is blessed amongst women and * Ibid. ver 48. That all generations shall call her blessed I reuerence her as the Mother of Christ whom of our Sauiour tooke his flesh and so the mother of God since the Diuinity and Humanity of Christ are inseperable And I freely confesse that she is in glory both aboue Angels and men her owne Sonne that is both God and man onely excepted But I dare not mocke her and blaspheme against God calling her not onely Diua but Dea and praying her to commaund and controule her Sonne who is her God and her Sauiour Nor yet can J thinke that she hath no other thing to doe in heauen then to heare euery idle mans suite and bufie her selfe in their errands whiles requesting whiles commanding her sonne whiles comming downe to kisse and make loue with Priests and whiles disputing and brawling with Diuels In heauen she is in eternall glory and ioy neuer to be interrupted with any worldly businesse and there I leaue her with her blessed Sonne our Sauiour and hers in eternall felicity Here Coeffeteau playeth the sugitiue and that little which he murmureth in flying are partely falsehoods partely disguisings of the beliefe of his Church He graunteth to the King that she ought not to be called Goddesse and reiecteth with him a thousand ridiculous things and the false honours which superstition hath inuented Now I cannot diuine what Religion it is that giueth to the holy Virgin ridiculous or excessiue honours saue onely the Romane Religion It is onely the Romane religion that calleth her Queene of heauen the gate of Paradise Regina coeli pâ—rta paradisi Domina mundi hauing rule and dominion ouer the world they are the Titles which are giuen to her in the prayer that Sixtus the fourth hath willed to be said before the Image of our Ladie of Loretto with graunt of eleauen thousand yeares pardon I my selfe haue seene in the great Missâ—lles of Paris before the late Popes new plastered them ouer these Sapphicke verses barborously elegant O fellix puer pera Nostra pians scelera Iure matris impera Redemptori It is also in the Church of Rome that throughout all the Churches the Virgin Mary is painted lifted vp and assumed into heauen in body and solemnly crowned Queene of heauen and of all the world without being able to produce any witnes of worth for the same Seeing there is none that euer came backe from heauen that had said that he had seene it to be so And God saith nothing of it in his word neither doth the Auncient Church speake of it It is the Church of Rome also which maketh the Virgin Mary much more inclined to procure our good then Iesus Christ euen so farre as that shee must appease the wrath and indignation of her sonne against vs as they sing vpon the Feast of Alhallowes or Al-Saints Christe redemptor gentium Conserua tuos famulos Beatae semper Virginis Placatus sanctis precibus And so Pope Innocent the third speaketh in the Hymne of Christ and the Virgin to which hee addeth great indulgences Precor te regina caeli Me habeto excusatum Apud Christum tuum gnatum Cuius iram pertimesco Et furorem expauesco This Church of Rome who in her houres Rosaries and Letaines calleth the Holy Virgin Mother of mercie Gate of Heauen our Saluation She that hath bruised the head of the Serpent as also Genesis 3.15 this propertie of bruising the Serpents head which is there giuen to the seede of the Woman in the vulgar translation is attributed to the Woman by a wicked falsification In a word for the toppe of all abuses there are in the Church of Rome two Psalters of our Ladie one of which is called Saint Bonauenture Psalter which is nothing else but the one hundred and fifty Psalmes of Dauid in which they haue taken away the name of God and in it's roome haue put the name of Mary which hauing beene printed an infiuite number of times in Latine hath since beene translated into French and printed at Paris a At Paris by Claudius Chappelet in S. Iames his street at the signe of the Vnicorne 1601. Printed at Paris by Nicolas du Fosse in S. Iames his streete at the golden pot 1601. with priuilede and approbation of the Sorbonne The other Psalter is digested into fifteene Demaunds with like approbation of the Doctrines In which the Virgin Mary is called the first cause of our saluatioÌ„ the finder out of grace that turneth away the indignation of Iesus Christ by vncouering her paps vnto him The Rose by whose smell the dead are raised vp who by the faire Lillies of her face made the King of Heauen in loue with her who at the last day shall moderate the sentence of the Iudge euen so far haue they proceeded as to place her before Iesus Christ in these wordes Glory be to you O Virgin and to Iesus Christ c. It would doe well to report the wole booke Moreouer euery one knoweth how in Italy they speake with much more respect of La madoma then of God whom they call by a terme full of mis-regard Messer Domene Dio Lect. 80. Confugimus primo ad beatissiman vir ginem coelorum reginam cui Rex regum pater celestis dimidium regni sui dedit Quod significatum est in Ester regina Sic pater coelestis cum habeat institiam misericordiam iustitia sibi retenta misericordiam matri virgini concessit Of whom also Gabriel Biel a famous Doctor saith in his exposition of the Canon of the Masse That God hath diuided his Kingdome at halfes with the Virgin Mary hauing reserued Iustice to himselfe and left mercy vnto her Now these things are not drawne out of any obscure authours but out of their owne Missalles Letonies and publicke prayers out of the writings of their Popes and Psalters publickly allowed to the end that Coeffeteau may know that in condemning these things hee warreth against the whole Church of Rome and commeth no longer with a cold dissimulation to disguise his owne priuate beleefe Which shall serue for an answere to that place of Cyril which he alleadgeth where the virgin Mary is called the singular ornameÌ„t of the world A lampe that neuer goeth out the Crown of Virginitie c. For in all this there is not any one of these titles wicked such as are those which we haue before represented no nor the title which Coeffeteau giueth her calling her the Spouse of the Father which is a title which the Scripture giueth to the whole Church not to the Virgin Mary It is not for vs in things of so high nature out of iollity to forge new terms which are to the weake occasion of error or of stumbling The passage which hee alleadgeth
of Diuinity As touching publique seruice it is certaine that at the celebration of the Eucharist there was commemoration made of the Saints deceased but without inuocating them as S. Austin witnesseth in his two and twentieth booke of the Citie of God chap 10. t Ad quod sacrificium sicut homines Dei qui mundum eius confessione vicerunt fuo loco ordine nominantur Non tamen a sacerdote qui sacrificat inuocantur At this sacrifice the Martyrs as men of God who haue ouercome the world in confessing him are named in their place and in their ranke but They are not Inuocated by the Priest who sacrificeth And to the same end the third Councell of Carthage in the three and twentieth Canon ordayneth very expresly u Cum ad altare assistitur semper ad patrem d rigatur Oratio that when they stand at the Altar the praier be alwayes addressed to God the Father not then to the Saints as they doe now adaies in many Masses In his twentieth booke against Faustus the Manichee x Cap. 21 Colimus martyres eo cultu dilectionis societatis quo in hac vita coluntur sancti homines We honour the Martyrs with the same honour of loue and society wherewith men honor the holy men of God which are in this life True it is that he acknowledgeth that it is with more assurance because they haue surpassed all danger but he alwaies acknowledgeth that it is one and the same kind of honour It is not then to inuocate them or to adore them and it is that seruice which is yeelded to liuing men which he affirmeth to be called Dulia whence it followeth that it is not a religious worship And therfore also in his booke of the true Religion c. 55. y Tom 1 Non sit vobis religio cultus hominum mortuorum quia si pie vixerunt non sic habentur vt tales quaerant honores sed illum a nobis coli volunt quo illuminante laetantur merito sui nos esse consortes Let not the seruice saith he of men departed be your religion if they haue liued holily they are in that state that they craue not these honors And a little after We must honour them for imitation but we must not adore them by any Religion The same Authour in his manuall to Laurentius cap. 114. z Non nisi a Domino Deo petere debemus quicquid speramus nos vel boni operaturos vel pro bonis operibus adepturos We ought not to craue from any other but from God the good which we hope eyther to doe or to procure as a Stipend of our good workes In his booke of Ecclesiasticall Determinations cap. 81. * Secreta cogitationis solus ille nouit ad quem dicitur Tu solus nosti corda filiorum bominum He alone knoweth the secrets of the hearts to whom it is said Thou alone knowest the hearts of the sonnes of men These passages a few amongst many shal suffice for this time against which our aduersaries produce some places drawne out of forged bookes or out of the ill gouerned deuotion of some particular men contrary to the publicke beleefe And if there be any examples found of some few who haue prayed Ad memorias Martyrum before or neere the sepulchres of the Martyrs our aduersaries perswade the ignorant that these prayers were made vnto the Martyrs in stead that they were made vnto God to praise him for the assistance giuen vnto the Martyrs and to craue of God the like grace Aboue all it is considerable that Coeffeteau doth touch but the half of the question and wardeth but halfe the blows for he endeuoreth to proue that we must inuocate the Saints which is but a litle peece of the abuse For the Church of Rome doth not stay there she craueth of God saluation not onely through the intercession of the Saint but also through their merites Quorum precibê° meritisque rogamê° Which is not to goe to God by the Saints but contrariwise to lead God to the Saints and to represent him their merites This is also to pray vnto God with an indiscretion which would be accounted impudent in speaking to a King If any man should aske him a fauour or benefite for the merites of another And this so vnworthy a prayer is accompanied with a superstitious iesture Oramus te Domine per merita Sanctorum quorum relliquiae hic sunt omnium sanctorum vt indulgere digneris omnia pâ—ccata mea when the Priest bowing himself ouer the Altar saith We pray thee O Lord by the merites of the Saints whose reliques are here for euery Altar is a Tombe and generally of all the Saints that thou wilt vouchsafe to pardon all my sinnes Of such a prayer Coeffeteau hath not been able to produce any example No more then of this damnable opinion which holdeth that the merites of the Saints doe serue to fill vp the measure of the merites of Iesus Christ Lib. 1 de Indulg cap 4. in that being adioyned to the merites of Iesus Christ and put together into the treasurie of the Church they are employed by the Pope for the redemption and discharge of the punishment of our sinnes whence also it is that Cardinall Bellarmine saith that in some sort they are our redeemers How comes it to passe that Coeffeteau holdeth his peace hereat and alleadgeth not any father and hath forgotten to excuse the Priest who in his Confiteor which he saith at the entrance of the Masse confesseth his sinnes to God to the Virgin Marie to Michael th'arch-Angell and to the Saints but not to Iesus Christ ARTICLE IX Touching Masses without Communicants and without Assistants BVt if the Romish Church hath coyned new Articles of faith The KINGS Confession neuer heard of in the first 500. years after Christ I hope I shall neuer be condemned for an Hereticke for not being a Nouelist Such are the priuate Masses where the Priest playeth the part both of the Priest and of the people If euer man turned his backe and shamefully fledde it is Coeffeteau in this place We expected from him the defence of priuate Masses by the word of God or at least that he should haue produced vnto vs the practise of the auncient Church or some examples of priuate masses in the first fiue hundred yeares after Iesus Christ seeing that the King of great Britain doth limit him to that terme but of all this not a word But rather he turneth aside his Discourse casteth himselfe vpon the sacrifice of the masse Fol. 22. pag. 1. heaping vp many passages of the Fathers who cal the Eucharist a sacrifice He saith onely that it is not necessary that a sacrifice be offered by many that in times past the greatest sacrifice of the Synagogue was done by the high Priest alone in the holy of holies that the fathers in many places called the
doth not employ any creature to be presented vnto his Father to call Christ by the name of good things yea of things which God createth and doth alwayes blesse and sanctifie this is to mocke Iesus Christ who cannot bee called by the name of good things that God createth not nor alwaies sanctifieth And yet to offer these things by Iesus Christ that is to say to offer Christ by Christ is to be vtterly voyde of all sense Now to know what the Father 's beleeued in this point we must search the places where they doe expresly speake thereof The nineteenth chapter of S. Austines booke of faith ad Petrum Diaconum handles no other matter where thus he saith The Vniuersall Church throughout the world ceaseth not to offer a Sacrifice of bread and wine in faith and charity In isto autem sacrificio gratiarū actio atque commemoratio est carnis Christi quam pro nobis obtulit sanguinis quem pro nobis idem Deus effudit for in the carnall Sacrifices of the old Testament there was a representation of the flesh of Christ which he himselfe being without sinne was to offer for our sinnes and of the blood which he was to shed for the remission of our sinnes But in this Sacrifice of the Eucharist there is a giuing of thankes and a commemoration of the flesh of Christ which he hath offered for vs and of the blood which the same God hath shed for vs. Obserue that he saith that this is a sacrifice of bread and wine therefore not a sacrifice where the flesh of Christ is really sacrificed Aboue all this word of Wine is full of force for the bloud of the Lord was neuer called Wine Againe he saith that it is a sacrifice of thankesgiuing and of commemoration but not of propitiation or redemption The same Father in the three and twentieth Epistle to Boniface saith When Easter approacheth we say thus to morrow or after is the passion of the Lord howbeit he suffered so many yeares since and that this passion was but once indeede vpon the Saboath we say to day the Lord rose againe although so many yeares be past since the resurrection Why is there no body so vaine is to reproue vs for lying when we speake thus But because we name those dayes according to the resemblance which they haue with the daies wherin these things were done so that this day is called the same day which is not the same but resembling the same by the reuolution of time Was not Christ once sacrificed by himselfe and yet is he sacrificed vnto the people in a sacred signe not onely at euery solemnity of Easter but also euery day neyther doth he lie who being asked makes answere that he is sacrificed For if the Sacraments haue not some resemblance with the things whereof they are Sacraments they should be no Sacraments Now because of this resemblance they doe most commonly take the names of the thinges themselues This place ought very heedfully to be considered He sheweth how Iesus Christ is sacrificed in the Sacrament and doth illustrate the same by two examples to wit that it is all one as when we say two daies before Easter to day is the passion of Iesus Christ and when vpon the Saboath we say to day is the resurrection of Iesus Christ not that it is so indeede but because of the resemblance and commemoration for that the Sacraments take the names of the things signified Agreeable whereunto is the Canon Hoc est taken out of S. Austin in the second Distinction of the consecration Non rei veritate sed significante mysterio the offering of the flesh which is done by the handes of the Priest is called the passion the death and crucifixion NOT IN TRVTH BVT IN A SIGNIFYING MYSTERIE In like manner as the Sacrament of faith by which we vnderstand baptisme is the faith The same Doctor in the booke of Sentences gathered by Prosper alleadged in the same Distinction saith that Iesus Christ hath beene sacrificed but once by himselfe and yet he is continually sacrificed in a holy signe He is not then sacrificed by himselfe or in his owne person in the Eucharist For stronger confirmation whereof the auncient Glosses of the Church of Rome doe adde this marginall note Christus immolatur id est eius immolatio representatur fit memoria passionis Christ is sactificed that is his sacrifice is represented and the commemoration of his passion is solemnized Crysostome in the seuenteenth Homily vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after hee hath said that that which we offer is a figure of the sacrifice addeth these decyding wordes of that difference We alwaies offer the same sacrifice or rather we make a commemoration of that Sacrifice Herein doth it especially appeare that the auncients beleeued not that the body of Christ was really sacrificed included vnder the formes forasmuch as their opinion was that the sacrifice was sanctified by the offerers that it was pure according to the purity of the persons that offered Now Iesus Christ is neyther sanctified nor purified by men S. Austin against Petilian lib. 2. cap. 52. Such as euery one is that commeth to commenicate Tale cuiusq sacrificium quale est is qui accedit vt sumat omnia munda mundis such is his sacrifice to the pure all things are pure The first that directly handled this question at large was Lombard lib. 4. Dist 12. in the letter G. where he resolues this question by the wordes of S. Austin and S. Ambrose in these words If any aske whether that which the Priest doth he properly called a sacrifice or an offering or whether Christ be continually sacrificed or hath beene sacrificed but once whereunto we may shortly answere that that which is offered and consecrated by the Priest is called a Sacrifice and an oblation because it is the memory and representation of the true sacrifice and of the offering made vpon the Altar of the Crosse Christ died once vpon the Crosse and hath beene once sacrificed in person but he is continually sacrificed in the Sacrament because in the Sacrament there is a commemoration made of that which is once done Wherefore Austin saith that we are sure that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more yet for feare that we should forget that which was done but once it is done euery yeare for our remembrance to wit at all times and as often as Easter is celebrated is Christ therefore slaine so often No BVT ONELY the anniuersary commemoration representeth that which is already done Obserue this word Onely that none doe say the Eucharist is indeede the commemoration of the sacrifice of the Crosse but because Christ ceaseth to be really sacrificed Besides it is not compatible that a thing should be a representation of it selfe and that in the same action there should be both the signe and the thing
the light in putting out his eyes A medicine is not applyed by poyson How then shall a free pardon in Iesus Christ be applyed by punishment and torture How shal the soueraigne testimony of Gods mercy be applied by the execution of his iustice How shall the acquittance of our debt discharged by Iesus Christ be applied vnto vs in making vs pay it our selues 2. Adde hereunto that for proofe of a matter of such importance as is the meane of applying vnto vs the merites of Iesus Christ at least some passage of Scripture should be alleadged 3. As also a Playster is not applyed by a Playster so one satisfaction is not applyable by another 4. Faith the Word Baptisme and the holy Supper are the meanes appointed in the holy Scripture Ioh. 14.23 Eph 3.17 Gal. 3.27 1. Cor. 10.26 to apply Iesus Christ vnto vs but the application of him by satisfactorie punishments is not any where mentioned 1 But aboue all we desire to know who hath put the sufferings of Saints into the Popes Treasurie 2. When this distribution had this beginning 3. How we may bee secured that God will rest satisfied with this payment 4. Whether the Pope hath also stored vp in the Treasurie of the Church the afflictions and trauels of Noah of Abraham of Iacob c. 5. And why the high Priests made no diuision of them to the faithfull in their times 6. Where the superaboundant satisfaction of the Patriarches hath so long time lay hidden without any employment 7. Especially how it comes to passe that neyther Christ nor his Apostles nor their Disciples nor the auncient Church for many ages haue spoken any word of this Treasure nor distributed by Indulgences the remainder of humane satisfactions nor celebrated any Iubile For we must obserue that Cardinal Caietan in the beginnlng of his booke of Indulgences acknowledgeth that in the whole course of Antiquity there is not any thing found concerning Indulgences Gabriel Biel in the seuen and fiftieth Lecture vpon the Canon of the Masse affirmeth the same and enquiring the reason why they are so common now a daies answers himselfe well to the purpose with the wordes of Christ Act. 4. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power So he learnes vs to be sober Durandus Anthony and Roffensis affirme the same S. Cyprian indeed in his Serm. de Lapsis and Tertullian in his booke of Chastity and c. 1. of his book Ad Martyres speakes of Martyrs held in durance for the Gospell at whose intercession the Bishop receiued excommunicate and repentant persons into the Church But 1. These Martyrs were liuing and 2. did imploy their meditation to the Bishop not their superaboundant satisfactions vnto God 3. The Pope did not rake their sufferings into his Store-house 4. And then euery Bishop inflicted or released penalties and excommunications among those of his own flocke without expecting any directories from the Bishop of Rome 5. And yet this custome of releasing penance enioyned to offendors at the instance of Christians imprisoned for the Gospell Cypriau Serm. de Lapsis Mandant aliquid Martyres fieri Si insta Si licita c. Nemo fratres dilectissimi infamet Martyrum dignitatem is condemned by S. Cyprian in his Sermon De lapsis He willeth that none giue way to the requests of Martyrs if their demaunds be vniust and saith that this recourse had vnto them did turne to their discredite Tertullian goes farther for in the two and twentieth Chapter of his booke of Chastity hee complaines that many did of purpose cause themselues to be committed that so they might haue meanes to become intercessors for some one or other of their friends or rather * Violantur viri faeminae in tenebris planè ex vsu tibidimum notes Et pacem ab his quaerunt paenitentes qui de sua pericletantur Suf ficit Martyri propria deâ—icta purgasse Ingrati velsuperbi est in al os quóque Spargere quod pro magno fuerit consecutus Quis alienam mortem sua soluit nisi so lus Dei filius to play the wantons with such women as were prisoners in the same Ward and in the end makes this conclusion That it is enough for a Martyr to haue purged his owne sinnes It is a signe of ingratitude or of pride to diuide among others that which hath beene bestowed vpon himselfe as o great fauor Who hath made his own death the price of auother mans life but onely the Sonne of God Now to the end that euery one may know how iniurious these sufferings and satisfactions of men imaginarily heaped into this Treasure are vnto Iesus Christ and his benefites we must vnderstand that Pope Clement the sixth in the extrauagant Vnigenitus speaking of the merites of Iesus Christ in the Treasury of the Church saith * Ad cuins thesauri cumulum beatae genetricis omnium electorum merita adminiculum praestare noscuntur that The merites of the mother of God and of all the elect doe serue as helpes to encrease this Treasure As if the merites of men did so assist the merites of Iesus Christ that this Treasurie could not be filled if the merites of men were detectiue Bellarmine makes the case worse for in consideration of these satisfactory sufferings of Saints which he saith are allowed vnto vs and which the Pope turneth to the forgiuing of our sinnes he affirmeth that the Saints are after a sort our Redeemers in the first booke of Indulgences the fourth chapter Touching our owne satisfactions his speech driues to this point That besides our owne there is no actuall Satisfaction and that Christ hath not actually satisfied for vs but only hath giuen power to our satisfactions This is to affirme that the Apostle is deceiued in saying that Iesus Christ is giuen a ransom for vs 1. Tim. 2. seeing he doth only enable vs to pay our ransome and make our owne peace so in the second booke of Indulgences Si quis post gratiam reconciliationis adeptam adbuc sit reus luendae paenae temporatis is non ne essario egetur meritis Christi Et poteret nou requirere tantem liberalitatem contentus ipse laboribus suis the first ch although he attribute some power to the death of Iesus Christ yet he saith That if after a man hath obtained the grace of reconciliation he haue not yet satisfied for temporall punishment such as is the torment of Purgatory that such a one doth not necessarily want the merite of Iesus and that he may forbeare to seeke so great a largesse at Gods hands but content himselfe with the merite of his owne ende uours As if he should say vnto God thou wouldest acquit me but I will not haue it so for my owne troubles and afflictions shall make thee satisfaction These men haue courage in them indeede they dare neglect euen Christ himselfe for it is
worship which S. Paul condemneth Coloss 2. calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is will worship or voluntarie deuotion And there can bee no Religious worship how meane so euer but turnes to an abuse when it is transferred to a dead thing Sith that the Church of Rome doeth speake to these reliques and salutes the Napkin the Speare the Teares the Crosse saying Aue sancta facies c. And Aue lignum triumphale And hee that shall obserue with what zeale the people is caried to the Adoration of these Reliques shall find that the seruice of God in comparison thereof is key-cold At Paris when the Caskets of S. Geneueifues S. Marcellus Relickes being carried about come to meete each other the people are made to beleeue that the bearers haue much adoe to plucke them asunder they bee such sociable Reliques and louing bones that they should haue beene lodged in one Tombe to giue them contentment In this solemnitie it is a wonder to see the zeale of the people and with what a tumult they throng and presse to come neere to it All the Angels together haue not the one quarter of this honour And the Soules of Moyses Abraham Noe c. are much lesse honoured then Saint Francis breeches or a peece of his Pilgrims staffe It is to small purpose to say that this is done in honour of the Saints For it should first be shewed that God hath commanded it Secondly we ought to be well assured that the Saints are well pleased with this seruice Add further if a King should put off his Doublet I thinke there is no man vnlesse he haue his wits crazed that would salute it much lesse to say vnto it God saue thee Doublet as they doe in the Church of Rome where men say I greete thee O teare And God saue thee O triumphall wood If you salute any thing in honour of Iesus Christ or of whomsoeuer it ought in reason to vnderstand what you say And here we haue the first strength of antiquitie on our side Eusebius in the fourth Booke Nullus ad Aegyptum meas perferat reliquias ne vano corpus honore scruetur Ne vituperati ritus a me vt nostis etiam circa me seruentur obsequia Vos igitur humo tegite vos patris operite corpusculum Et illud quoque senis vestri custodite mandatum vt nemo praeter vestraÌ„ dilectionem locum tumuli mei nouerit Chapter fifteene of his Historie speaking of the Martyrdom of Polycarpe saith that the Christians were charie of his Ashes and that they had procured them to bee buried but hee doeth not speake of any seruice or Religious worship or adoration done to the ashes Saint Athanasius in the life of S. Anthonie is most pregnant to this purpose where he saith that these were the last words of Anthony when he lay dying Let no man carie my Reliques into Egypt for feare lest my body be honoured with vaine honour for feare least Obsequies and Funerall solemnities which I haue blamed as you know be practised vpon my selfe For I am especially returned to this place to auoide it doe you then hide and couer this poore body with earth and obserue the commandement of your aged father that no man beside your selues know the place where I am buried Out of this place appeareth that the Christians euen from that time were excessiuely giuen to honour the bodies of the beleeuers that died And we must not thinke that S. Anthony was afraid that the Christians would adore him for GOD after his death For Bellarmine doeth acknowledge that which indeede is a truth That * it was neuer heard that any Christians did conferre Diuine honours vpon the Reliques of Saints The custome of the ancient Church was to burie the bodies of Martyrs and not to put them in Caskets out of the ground to carie them about in Procession In the eight Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles the Christians doe there burie Steuen without mention of any seruice done vnto his body The same was done to Polycarpus as Eusebius witnesseth Saint Ambrose had appointed the place which was vnder the Altar or the Communion Table for his buriall as appeareth by his last Epistle for in those dayes the Altar was most commonly a Table of wood easie to be remooued so that the pauement vnderneath might well be broken vp to lay a dead body Gaudens autem quae aderat multitudo corpora Sanctorum diligenti tradidit sepulturae Victor in his third Booke of the Vandals persecution The multitude did with ioy and withall diligence lay vp the bodyes of the Saints in a Tombe The Poet Prudentius about the end of his Hymne vpon Eulalia Relliquias Cineresque sacros Seruat humus veneranda sinu And in the beginning of the Hymne next following Bis nouem noster populus sub vno Martyrum seruat cineres sepulchro Theodoret in the first Booke of his Storie Chapter eighteene doeth sufficiently shew that the Christians Cap. 4 de relliq Sanct. § Dices Nuaquam est auditum apud Christianos ot aliqui sanctorum reliquijs dâ—uinos honores detulerint then knew not what it meant to yeeld Religious worship to Reliques in that hee saith that Constantine hauing recouered the nayles of our Sauiours Crosse set some of them in his Helmet the rest hee thrust into the Bit of his Horses bridle That is he put two * in his Head peece and the other two in the Bridle Thus did this venerable Horse chew Reliques What it was that mooued this Emperour to doe it is another matter But I say that the Bishoppes of that time would neuer haue suffered that to haue beene done if they had thought that any Religious seruice or adoration had beene due to those Nayles In the meane while it is a thing to be wondred at how these Nayles hauing beene lost for three hundred yeeres space were thus found altogether so fitte to the purpose And how Helena the Emperours mother could discerne them from the Nayles of the two theeues and how the fourth Nayle was lost For the Crosse had in the middle a little * Plautus Mostellaria Act 2. Vt affigantur bis pedes bis brachia Irenaeus lâ—bro secundo cap 42. Vnum in medio vbi requâ—escit qui clauis affigitur Super hanc tabulam tanquam hominis sâ—antis sacrae affixe sunt plantae boorde vpon which the feete of the malefactors to bee Crucified were set and each foote was Nayled a part and so also our Sauiour way Nayled as Iustin Martyr teacheth in his Dialogue against Tryphon and Ireneus lib. 2. Cap. 42. Nazianzen in his verses of Christ suffering And Theodoret before alleadged But especially Gregorie of Tours in his booke of the praise of Martyrs And therefore it was a negligence in Helen that shee did not imploye her selfe to finde out the fourth nayle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there were foure Nayles Cypriani liber
to his Lordlinesse They alleadge the Images of the Cherubins made by the Commaundement of God which makes very much for our side for they were fastened in the Sanctuary where the people came not at all for God concealing them from the sight of the people preuented their Idolatry Whence appeareth the strange boldenesse of Bellarmine in the 12. Chapter of his booke of Images Imagines Cherubin super arcaÌ„ existentes necessario adorabantur ab ijs qui arcam adorabant where without any purpose he presumeth to affirme that the Israclites did worship the Cherubins with the Arke If so be the Iewes worshipped not the Angels how would they haue worshipped their Images hee should first then haue prooued that the people of God worshipped the Angels in the Temple or addressed their prayers vnto them And had the children of Israel worshipped the Arke as he falsely supposeth may it thence be concluded that they worshipped the Cherubins placed on the Arke he that saluteth the King doth he salute his hat or his habit this hath neither reason nor likelyhood Neither was the brasen Serpent worshipped or adored for as soone as the people began to performe any worship vnto it Ezechias brake it in pieces now it is impossible that the Israelites should haue thought that this peece of brasse was God the wit of man was neuer so blunted but they performed a respectiue seruice vnto the Serpent because of the power of God wherof that was a memoriall These men mend not their market by telling vs that they worship not the Images of false Gods as did the Paynims but the Images of the friends and seruants of God for Idolatry is called in the Scripture adultery and an adulterous woman cannot be excused in saying that she betakes not her selfe to her husbands enemies but onely to his friendes and in so ticklish a point and whereof God is so â—ealous we must be grounded vpon the commaundement of God and to make it appeare that God would haue vs to worship the Images of his seruants or that we should yeeld them some religious seruice or bow our knee before them and not shiftingly to shunne the question in shewing that it is lawfull to make pictures whereas the question is concerning the seruice that ought to bee performed vnto them Being thus vrged in place of alleaging the commandement of God they bring vs a distinction of Latria and Dulia and cast these greeke wordes like a handfull of sand in the peoples eyes It would be easie for vs to shew by a great number of greeke authorities that Dulia belongeth also vnto God * 2. Chron. 12.8 Which is the 4. c. in the greek And 1. Sam. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obserue also that S. Austin by the word Dulia vnderstaÌ„ds not religious worship but a ciuil reuereÌ„ce yeelded vnto men aliue yea vnto God onlie when it signifies religious seruice and that Latria is often referred vnto men But this matters not inasmuch as the seruice and inferiour adoration which they attribute vnto the Saints to their Images is alwaies a religious seruice and a voluntarie worship tending to the attainement of saluation Therefore they are perpetually foyled seing they can neither proue that this inferior worship belongeth vnto the Saints or to their Images nor that God hath commanded that anie religious seruice should be yeelded vnto their Images They being vnfurnished with proofes out of the word of God they flie vnto miracles and that they haue done of late For the second Councell of Nice saith that b â—ct 4. Quamobrem miracula a nostris imaginibus non eduntur cui sanè ita sit resposum Miracula non creditibê° data sunt then none were made c Lib de imaginibus cap §. Quid quod Bellarmine tels of a Deuil that promised a Heremite that he would trouble him no more vpon condition that hee would promise him not to worship any longer the Image of the Virgin Marie The Image of our Ladie of Montferrat in Spaine that fell from heauen was painted by S. Luke who was a painter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 19.35 if these men may be credited Which S. Hierome in his catalogue hath omitted S. Paul saith that he was a Phisitian But the Church of Rome hath made him a painter since he went to heauen Coloss 4.13 whence also come our Images Certainly we may well say that Clemens Alexandrinus and Tertullian would not haue thought the Art of painting to be wicked and vnlawfull if they had knowne S. Luke had beene a painter and it is strange that the auncient writers make no mention of his Images and where were they al the foure first ages that the Churches of the Christians were without pictures With like abuse doe they auerre that our Ladie of Loretto drawne by the same hand There is one also made by S. Luk at Rome in S. Maries in Porticu Villamont l 1 c. 14. and one at S. Iustines at Padua made also by S. Luke was carryed by Angels through the aire together with the chamber wherein shee was kept from Nazaret into Italie in the yeare 1369. for this fable is of no greater antiquity And it is strange how the auncient Christians which were in Syria neglected that chamber and that Image of such excellencie and how that image could subsist among the spoiles of the Turkes and Saracens which turnde all thinges vpside downe and that it should not be seene till after fourteene hundred yeares and that the Angels had not bethought themselues of transporting it sooner And that so rare a storie should not haue any authour worthie the naming To this Image hath Pope Sixtus the fourth granted an indulgence of eleuen thousand yeares for saying a short praier of three lines which is publikelie sold By reason of the multitude of offerings in his time the farming thereof was enhanced to a price incredible but the gaines are now shrunke to the one halfe There is much adoe made at Rome about the picture of Christ which he sent vnto King Agbarus drawne vpon a peece of linnen concerning which the first that made anie mention is Euagrius whose storie determineth about the sixt hundred yeare of our Lord. Which is doubtlesse a matter admirable that none hath mentioned it before and that Eusebius who neare the end of the first booke of his hystorie speaketh at large of this Agbarus and of certaine Epistles sent from him vnto Christ and from Christ vnto him hath not a word of this picture And yet notwithstanding Gelasius Bishop of Rome in the fifteenth distinction of the Decrees and after him Isidore account these Epistles fabulous and Apocryphall Sith that Eusebius makes him speake erroneously to Thadeus the Apostle sent vnto Agbarus saying that in the death of Iesus Christ his Deitie was diminished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And which is more if this hystorie of Agbarus were true then had S. Paul told an vntruth
whom we see and consider c. Tertullian in the vnderstanding of these thinges is not inferior to any of the auncients and yet he takes and Image and an Idoll for the same thing in his booke of Idolatrie cap. 3. Idos in greeke signifies a figure or representation whence comes the diminutiue Idolon which signifies a little forme or fashion and therefore euery little representation or figure must be called an Idoll If then it be absurd in French to call the Cherubins Idols in Greeke it shall be no absurditie at all But what neede we dispute whether we ougth to say Thou shalt not make any grauen Image or Idoll seing it is added nor any likenesse or resemblance what soeuer And that it is also forbidden to kneele or bow downe before it or at all to worship it and consequently this Dulia is forbidden which signifieth nothing else but worship Therefore neither had the Israelites the pictures of Abraham or Iacob or Dauid in the Temple or in their Synagogues being men that deserued to bee worshipped and adored at least aswell as S. Dominicke or S. Guerlicon or their good S. Francis They being farre from yeelding them worship or adoration Neither had the primitiue Christians anie of them and when in the fifth age they began to haue them in Church-yardes in some places they made nothing but painted hystories without any worshipping of them We haue heretofore seene that Tertullian condemneth alike all kindes of painting yea without any reference to religion Clement of Alexandria hath the like in his Protrepticon where speaking of Painting and Caruing he saith We are altogether forbidden to practise this deceitfull Art And hee discourseth very largely thereof in his sixth Booke of his Stromata Irenaeus * Frenaeus lib 1. Cap. 23. 24. Etiam imagines quasdam depictas quasdam de reliqua materia fabricatas habent dicentes forman Christi factam à Pilato reckons it among the abuses of the Gnostickes That they had certaine Painted Images and others made of other stuffe saying that it was the Picture of Christ made by Pilate Epiphanius saith the same Lib. 1. Tom. 2. Haeres 27. Origen in his eight Booke against Celsus Wee ought to Dedicate vnto the Lord not Images made by the hands of Craftesmen but framed by the word of God which are vertuous examples In the Dialogue of Minutius Faelix Caecilius a Pagan doth aske of the Christians e Cur nullas aras habent Christiani Templa nulla nulla nota simulacra Whence it comes that the Christians haue no Altars no Temples no Images that are obserued The testimonie of the Historian Lampridius in the life of Alexander Seuerus is remarkeable who saith that in fauour of the Christians f Quod Adrianus factitasse fertur qui Templa in omnibê° ciuitatibê° sine simulacris iusserat fieri quae hodie idcirco quia non habent numina dicuntur Hadriaâ— quae ille ad hoc parasse dicebatur Sed probibitus est as his qui consulentes sacra repererunt omnes Christianos suturos siad optatato euenisset The Emperour Adrian commanded that in euery Citie Churches should be built without Images which at this day are called Adrians Churches because they haue no Gods in them which they said he made for that end to wit to pleasure the Christians Saint Austen in his Booke of Heresies cap. 7. speaking of the Carpocratian heretickes a Colebanâ—â—â—magines Iâ—â—â—â—â—â—as adorando inâ—ensum ponendo They worshipped the Images of Christ adoring and burning incense vnto them Amphilochius Bishop of Iconia reporteth in the second Synod of Nice b Non enim nobis sanctorum corporales vultus in tabulis coloribus vultus in tabulis coloribus effigiare curae est quoniam his opus non habemus sed politiae illoruÌ„ virtutum memores essedeb emus We take no care of colouring in Tables the corporall visages of the Saints for wee haue nothing to doe with them but we ought to call to remembrance their vertuous conuersations Saint Austen vpon the hundred and thirteene Psalme expounding these words of Dauid that Idols haue a mouth and speake not eyes and see not that they are the worke of mens hands makes this obiection that the Church hath also instruments made with mens hands but hee answers that this is true * Et sanè profecto ista instrumenta vel vasa quid aliud quam opera manuum hominum veruntamen nuaquid os habent non loquuntur c. But haue these instruments mouths and speake not Or eyes and see not Doe we addresse our Prayers to them c. Surely he could not haue spoken thus if hee had had Images in Churches or if Images had beene a part of the Churches mooueables The same Father in his first Booke Noui multos esse sepulchrorum picturarum adoratores De moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae cap. 34. complaining of the superstition of certaine Christians that in Churchyards did kneedle before the Tombs of the Martyrs and before the Painted Histories of their sufferings saith I know some who worshippe Sepulchres and Pictures I know many that drinke largely ouer the dead It is not credible that these Christians thought these Images to be Gods for Christians neuer called a Saint God and much lesse his Image this is the reason why Bellarmine cap. 16. saith that S. Augustin was as yet but a nouice in Christianitie when he wrote this and that afterward he changed his opinion when he was better instructed Placuit picturas in Ecclesia esse non debere ne quod adoratur in parietibus depingatur The Eliberin Councell held at the same time as was the first of Nice in the thirtie and sixe Canon saith It is ordained that there be no Pictures in Churches for feare least that which is worshipped and adored be Painted in the Wals. The Iesuite Sanders in the second Booke of the worship of Images cap. 4. saith That then it was necessarie but that now the matter is without danger as if mans nature were now adayes not so prone vnto Idolatrie Others say that this Councell forbids the Painting of Pictures vpon wals but not the hauing of them in Frames with which conceite the Councell meetes not onely forbidding Painting in wals but ordaining also that there should bee no Painting in Churches It hath beene ordained saith the Councell that there bee no Painting in the Church but if Painted frames be fastned to the wals are they not in the Church In the second Tome of S. Ieromes Epistles there is an Epistle of Epiphanius which Ierome himselfe hath vouchsafed to Translate into Latine whereof obserue these words * Cum ergo hoc vidissem in Ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem scidi illud Et magis dedi consilium custodibâ—eius loci vt pauperem mortuum eo obuoluerent Et deinceps praecipere eiusmodi vela quae contra religionem
nostram veniunt non appendi As I was in a Village called Anablata seeing as I walked along a burning lampe and perceiuing that it was a Church I went in to pray and found in the porch a veile hung vp coloured and painted hauing in it the picture as it were of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember of what hauing then seene that in the Church of Christ there was hung vp the Image of a man contrarie to the authority of the Scriptures I rent it and aduised the keepers of the place to burie some poore dead bodie in it He addeth that hee sent another veile without any Image for recompence of that which he had torne to content the keepers that murmured at it after that he saith I pray you that in the Church of Christ such veiles be no more hung vp which are opposite to our religion And this same Epistle is in the same wordes alleaged in the Councell of Paris held vnder Lewes le debonaire in the yeare 824 that none may thinke it a peece of new forgerie Gregorie of Tours speaking of the Baptisme of King Clouis and his children witnesseth that the adorning of Churches was to hang the Church with veiles or white linnen Of which S. Ambrose speakes Epist 33. and this custome doth yet continue in Lent An euident proofe that then they had no Images for to what end should they then keepe them couered and this was about the yeare of our Lord fiue hundred Out of Monsieur Pithou his librarie who was a man rarelie learned we haue the Councell of Paris against Images wherein King Lewes le debonaires and the French Bishops doe make remonstrances vnto Pope Eugenius who defended Images tooth and naile For the Popes laide handfast vpon this occasionn to shake off the yoke of their master the Emperour of the East vnder a coulour that he puld downe Images Not long before in the yeare 794. Charlemaigne assembled the Councell of Franckford against the worshipping of Images Adonis Chronicon in an 795. Abbas Vspergensis in anno 793. Hinemarus Remensis lib. 20. coÌ„tra Episc Iandunensem Matth. WestmonasterieÌ„s in hyst an 793. Auentinus Annonius Regino Vignier c. wherein the second Nicene Councell was condemned before which Councell of Nice a generall Councell was held at Constantinople in the yeare 750 where there were three hundred and thirty eight Bishops some parts of which Councel are alleaged in the secoÌ„d Councell of Nice howsoeuer maymed yet stronger then that which those Nicence Bishops opposed against it About the yeare 600. Serenus Bishop of Marsilia puld downe all the Images found in Churches because the people worshipped them Greg. Epist 109. ad Serenum Episc Massiliensem lib. 9. Epist 9. and it is not by any meanes credible that the Christians accounted Images for Gods or worshipped them as God Nor doe we find that the said Serenus erected them againe notwithstanding hee was controuled by Gregorie Bishop of Rome Petrus Pithoeus in praefatione in hystorias Miscellas à Paulo Aquilegiensi Diacono collectas Nuper admâ—dâ—m nostri homines imaginosi esse coeperuÌ„t And indeede Monsieur Pithou hath good ground to say that the French-men beganne verie soone after to be addicted vnto Images For Anastasius keeper of the Librarie one superstitiously giuen in the preface to the second Councel of Nice saith that the Gaules had not yet receiued Images because the truth was not yet reuealed vnto them that is to say more then eight hundred yeares after Christ And Nicetas Choniates in the second booke of the raigne of Augustus Angelus saith that the Armenians did gladly receiue the Almaines because Apud Alemannos Armenios Imaginum adoratio aequè interdicta est among the Almaines and Armenians the worshipping of Images was forbidden alike For Charlemaigne had so farre reiected the worshipping of Images that hee himselfe wrote a booke against it which is yet extant And soone after Agobardus Bishop of Lyons compiled a great volume against Images which is also extant and newly printed at Paris To conclude whosoeuer shall diligently reade the scornefull inuectiues of the primitiue Christians flouting the Images of the auncient Pagans shall finde that their reprehensions had beene ridiculous if the Christians had then had Images in their Churches as when Lactantius lib. 2. cap. 4. doth call the Statues in the Pagan-temples Grandes puppas great babies and when cap. 2. he saith that the Images of the Gods are of no vse if they be present and that if they be in heauen then we should rather direct our prayers toward heauen And when S. Austin vpon the 113. Psalme saith that they draw the deuotion of the people in that they haue a humane shape and are set in some high roome And doubtlesse the Infidels would haue returnde the reproofe and reproach to the Christians and to their Images of the Saints and the worshipping of their Statues which they doe not But we haue heretofore heard that they aske the Christians for what cause they haue no Images that any could see ARTICLE XIX Of the Image of God The KINGS Confession YEa the Image of God himselfe is not only expresly forbidden to bee worshipped but euen to bee made The reason is giuen that no eye euer saw God and how can we paint his face when Moses the man that euer was most familiar which God neuer saw but his backe parts Surely since he cannot be drawne to the viue it is a thankelesse labour to marre it with a false representation which no Prince nor scarce any other man will be contented with in their owne pictures Let them therefore that maintaine this doctrine answere it to Christ at the latter day when he shall accuse them of Idolatrie And then I doubt if he will be payed with such nice sophisticall Distinctions For answere whereunto Coeffeteau saith that the Images of God are not made to represent his essence but onlie to expresse the formes wherein he hath appeared That none is so brutish to beleeue that any can paint an essence immortall infinite c. I expected that M. Coeffeteau would haue produced some commandement of God for his ground of the Images of God or some place to shew that God was pleased to haue his Images made seing they are not made to represent his essence at least some auncient example either true or false after his old manner But here is none of these he only saith that Images doe not expresse his being I answere that this may bee said aswell of the Images of men yea of beastes for their pictures doe not represent their essence and neuer was any man so vnreasonable as to thinke that the essence of anie thing could be expressed in a picture Then in like manner doe I say that if these Images be not the Images of God because they represent not his essence then the Images of Saints are not their Images because they represent not
offered vnto vs are faith Ephes 3.17 The Sacrament of Baptisme Galat. 2.27 The bread broken in the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 10.16 The word of God Rom. 10.17 And if so be they wil adde their Purgatory they must shew some place that saith that God would haue the merits of his sonne applied vnto vs by a fiery torment 2 But who will beleeue that the benefites of Iesus Christ are applyed vnto vs by a meane that is opposite to this benefite Doth any apply a medicine by poison Or the light of the Sunne by putting out the eyes How then doe they apply vnto vs the benefites of Christ which is the remission and cancelling of our debts in forcing vs to make payment Will they haue a pardon to be applyed vnto vs by our punishment Or will they haue the merite of Christ which is the supreame testimony of Gods mercy to be applyed vnto vs by the execution of his iustice Christ hath suffered torments to deliuer vs from torment but these men tell vs the application of the fruit of this deliuerance consisteth in our torments this impiety is basely absurd 3 Moreouer the meanes wherby to lay hold on this grace must be actiue and apprehensiue of Iesus Christ not a passion or torment as these our Masters will haue it who will perforce be fried in Purgatorie and not bee so much beholding vnto God 4 Lastly the means of applying or apprehending a thing must differ from the thing applyed or apprehended no man applies one playster or medicine by another nor consequently the satisfaction of Christ by another satisfaction This is also a playster without salue and that which Coeffeteau saith Fol. 71. pag. 1. astonisheth the simple people that in the fire of Purgatorie soules are purged by that power which the bloud of Christ hath imprinted in it His meaning is that the bloud of Christ giueth power to the fire of Purgatory to satisfie Gods iustice and to purge our sinnes This he onely saith not prouing it by Scripture and it is against common reason for the bloud of Christ doth not giue power to any thing in the world to pay a debt that is paide already and to satisfie for that for which himselfe hath made full satisfaction God exacteth not two payments for one debt especially when the first payment made by Christ is more then sufficient But he is mightily ouer-seene in mixing fire and torment with the graces of God turning in the middest of this fire the bloud of the eternal sonne of God For if it be Gods mercy to enable any one to satisfie his iustice by suffering of torments Thence shall it follow that they that suffer most receiue most mercy from God and that the Diuels are his fauourites from whom he drawes a full satisfaction Then al these reasons which he proposeth without Scripture are but matches without brimstone that cannot kindle this imaginarie sire that hath beene purposely inuented for lucre The Bishop of Rome hauing built this burning prison that himselfe might be the Iaylor and let out soules by his Indulgences and merchandise of Masses which are as profitable to the Priests as vnprofitable to the dead which doth clearely discouer both abuse and tyranny For if the Pope be able eyther by power of Iurisdiction or by way of Suffrage as they terme it to bring soules out of Purgatorie why doth he deliuer no more thence Why doth hee leaue so many thousand soules to lie downe in this sire being able to set them free But that he heedes not for should he bring out the soules that haue burned there for many ages an infinite number of Masses and other gainfull seruices would faile and euery one would say the Pope will presently deliuer me and therefore I neede not begger my children to erect Masses after I am dead The opinion of the auncient Fathers touching prayer for the dead and Purgatory Mr. Coeffeteau's opinion is that whosoeuer prayes for the dead presupposeth a Purgatorie wherein he is deceiued For many haue prayed and doe pray for the dead that beleeue no Purgatory first the Authour of the second booke of Maccabees cap. 12. ver 43. speakes of Iudas Maccabeus his prayer for the dead but hee saith that he did it hauing reference vnto the resurrection Doing herein saith he iustly and religiously to thinke of the resurrection Then Iudas prayed not that they might goe out of Purgatorie but that they might rise againe vnto saluation secondly and indeede the Greeke Church that before the sacke of Constantinople was greater then the Church of Rome doth vnto this day pray for the dead and yet denie a Purgatory thirdly S. Austen wrote a whole booke of care to be taken for the dead but in the whole booke you shall not finde one word of Purgatorie fourthly Epiphanius accuseth Aerius of heresie for refusing prayer for the dead and refelleth him by all the reasons that he is able yet makes no mention of Purgatory Certainely it is a place whereof no speech was made for a long season fiftly Dionysius Areopagita lib. de Hierarchia Ecclesiastica reasoning of the vtility of prayer for the dead doth not onely make no mention of Purgatory and yet the place was proper for it but also continually presumeth that they who are praied for are in happinesse and that they are set forth for example of such as are aliue and the subiect of charitable actions sixtly S. Cyprian Lib. 5. Epist 4 and Lib. 3. Epist. 6. speakes of offerings and prayers for holy Martyrs and Saints departed that yet were not beleeued by any to be tormented in the fire of Purgatory For it was the manner of the auncient Church to pray for the Patriarches See the Constitutions of Clement lib 8. cap. 18. Offerimus pro ys qui tibi placuerunt à seculo pro sanctis Patriarchis Prophetis c. Prophets and Apostles of whose happy estate it were impiety to make any question seuenthly Chrysostome Homil. 37. in Matth. saith that they called the Pr ests to pray for the dead and yet there he saith that the partie for whom they pray is arriued in the hauen and that to be vexed for him is to desire to draw him out of the hauen into the storm againe A place which our aduersaries haue falsified hauing translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fieldes of flowers and so haue sent soules into fieldes of flowers in stead of sending them into the harbor eightly S. Auston in the thirteenth chapter of his ninth booke of Confessions prayeth for his mother Monica Damascen saith the same of Falcouilla a Heaâ—hen woman deliuered out of hell by the prayers of the first Martyr and yet he saith that he beleeues that all his peritions are already graunted to wit that she is out of paine and that God hath forgiuen all her debts Of Purgatorie he speakes not a word ninthly Damascen in his Sermon of the dead and after him Tho. Aquinas Durandus and Richardus
Thom. in 4. Dist 45. quaest 2. doe testifie that the soule of Traian a heathen Emperour was deliuered our of hell by the praiers of Pope Gregorie Gabriel Biel holdes the same in the fifty sixe Lecture vpon the Canon of the Masse and Ciacconus hath particularly written an Apology for this Story This Pope then prayed not for Traians soule to the end he might bring him out of Purgatorie 10 In the Masse there are among many new patches some auncient clauses and among others the Memento for the dead of which these wordes are a part The Reader shall note that in this place where the two letters N N are the Priest doth softly name some persons deceased for whom their parents haue payde Memento Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N N. qui nos praecesserunt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis That is Remember Lord thy seruants which haue gone before vs with the signe of faith and doe sleepe in the rest of peace The words are very remarkable clearely euidencing that when these prayers were made Purgatory was not beleeued but it was beleeued that the soules did sleepe in a peaceable rest waiting for the resurrection and that in this sleepe they receiued some ioyfull refreshing by their prayers that were aliue 11 But aboue all haue I often wondred at the forme of the prayer ordinarily vsed for the dead for it makes no wordes of Purgatory but onely desireth of God that the soules of the dead may be deliuered from euerlasting death and from the last iudgement Libera Domine de morte aeterna in die illa tremenda Quando caeli mouendi sunt terra Cum veneris iudicare saeculum per ignem Trèmens factus sum c. Obserue this whole prayer Deliuer O Lord from eternall death in that dreadfull day when the heauens and the earth shall be mooued when thou shalt come to iudge the world by fire I feare and tremble when the triall and wrath to come shall be at hand this day of wrath of calamity and misery this great and wonderfull bitter day And note that this prayer wherein the soule of the departed is brought in apprehending that it shall be sent to Hell at the day of iudgement is said also for the soule of the Pope Lib. 1. Sacrarum Cerem Sect. 15. cap. 1. in the solemnization of his obsequies by which it appeareth that there is some feare that he may be in hell but of Purgatory there is nothing mentioned no more then in all the publique prayers of the Church of Rome for the dead for they onely craue deliuerance from eternall death and to rise in glory as in this Absolue quaesumus Domine animam famuli tui N. ab omni vinculo delictorum vt in resurrectionis gloria inter sanctos electos tuos resuscilatus respiret I beseech thee O Lord to loose the soule of thy seruant from the bond of all his sinnes that beeing raised vp among the Saints I may reioyce and be lifted vp in the glory of the resurrection which is the prayer for the dead in the second book of Machabees made only for the resurrection 12 What will we haue more let our aduersaries be iudges in this cause doe not the Priests oftentimes take money for saying Masses and seruice for young children dying soone after Baptisme which yet they beleeue not to be either in hell or in Purgatory doe they this through ignorance or auariâ—â— for want of science or of conscience for by theâ—â— owne rules the prayers made for children are to no purpose forasmuch as they are in Paradise By these many examples it appears that many do pray for the dead without beleeuing purgatory and that Coeff by admitting no prayer for the dead but only to draw men out of purgatory condeÌ„neth not onely the auncient Church but also the Romish and the second booke of Macchabees which himselfe doth ranke among the sacred canonicall bookes This shal more euidently appeare vnto vs when we shall haue learned what was the opinion of the Fathers touching the condition of the dead and to what end they prayed for them The common opinion of the most part of the Fathers is that the soules of the faithfull after they are gone out of the body doe not yet enioy heauenly beatitude but either they remaine in the earthly Paradise as Irenaeus teacheth in his fifth booke About the end of the booke and Origen in his second booke de principijs else they lie in hell or in some hidden receptacles vntill the day of the generall resurrection before which they shall not see God And although sometimes they be forced through the truth to say that the dead after the departure of the soule from the body do enter into heauenly felicity yet for the most part they are carried away with the current of the common opinion Constituimus omnem animam apud inferos sequestrari in diem Domini Quae infra terram iacent neque ipsa sunt digestis ordinatis potestatibus vacua Locus enim est quo piorum animae impiorum ducuntur c. Omnes in vna communique custodia detinentur donec tempus adueniat quo maximus iudex meritorum faciat examen Tertullian chap. 55. of his booke of the soule We hould for certaine that euery soule is sequestred into hell vntil the day of the Lord. He saith the same more at large in his fourth booke against Marcioâ—â— c. 34. Nouatian in the first chapter of his booke of the Trinitie those things which are vnder the earth are not without their powers and well digested orders for it is the place whither the soules of the faithfull as well as of the wicked are led as feeling already the fore-apprehensions of the iudgement to come Lactantius in his seauenth booke c. 21. let no man thinke that the soules are iudged immediately after death for they are all detained in one common prison vntill the time come that the great Iudge bring them to an examination of what they haue deserued Victorin the Martyr saith vpon Apo. 6. that S. Iohn saw vnder the Altar the soules of the Martyrs and them that were slaine expounding these wordes vnder the Altar Sub ara id est subterra that is to say vnder the earth Hee then placeth the soules of Saints and Martyrs vnder the earth Haec humanae lex necessitatis est vt sepultis corporibus animae ad inferos descendant Quam descensionem Dominus ad consummationem veri hominis non recusauit S. Hilarie vpon the Psal 138. It is the law of necessitie whereunto men are subiect that the soules should descend vnto hell after that the bodies are buried which descent Iesus Christ himselfe did not refuse to shew him selfe a compleate man He doth not say Haec lex fuit but Haec lex est to the end that a man should not say that he speaketh of the
is that the Fathers being so vnresolued in this point and so tainted with erronious opinions which our aduersaries reiect as well as we they are no way fit to be Iudges to decide this matter 2. The other is that the prayers which they make for the dead are condemned by the Church of Rome seeing that it receiueth no other prayer for the dead but that which is made to ease the soules in Purgatorie and by consequent also doth reiect the prayers of the Auncients for the resurrection and refreshing of the soules that lie and sleepe in their supposed receptacles As also the prayers vsed in the auncient Church for the Saints and Martyrs Whence the Reader may informe his iudgement with what care and circumspection the Fathers ought to be read seeing it is so hard a matter to vnderstand their termes and to finde out their meaning But we now liue in an admirable age in which all the world is become learned without study and in which they who scarcely vnderstand their Pater noster speake of the Fathers both Greeke and Latine with an incredible assurance Among these such men as Coeffeteau is doe easily beare sway and do Lesson and Lecture them at large See here a notable proofe hereof which we haue not hitherto touched Coeffeteau alleadgeth this passage out of S. Austin Pol. 71. pag. 2. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 21. cap. 16. Let no man thinke that there are any Purgatorie paines but such as be before the last and fearefull iudgement These words seeme very plaine and such as may easily make an ignorant man to rest vpon them but the iugling cousenage is manifest for if hee had but turned the leafe he should haue found that S. Austen speaketh of such purgatory and expiatory paines as a man suffereth in this life and before his death We confesse saith he that in this mortall life there be certaine purging paines Nos vero etiam in hac quidem morrali vita esse quasdam poenas purgatorias cimfitemur non ijs qui affliguntur quorum vita non inde fit melior vel polê° inde fit peior sed illis sunt purgatoriae qui illis coerciti corriguntur but they are purgatiue onely to those who being chastised and exercised by them they become bettered and amended thereby And cap. 26. The FIRE OF AFFLICTION shal burne away such delights and earthly loues as are not condemnable by reason of the bond of Matrimony To which fire also belong the losse of friends and kinsfolke and all other calamities which take away these things from vs. Yea the very next lines before this place cyted by Coeffeteau shew that he speaketh of a clensing done in the life present for hee saith Hee that desireth to escape the euerlasting paines let him not onely be baptized but also let him be iustified that so by forsaking the diuell he may betake himselfe to Christs side Hereunto he will haue certaine purging paines to be added without waiting for the day of iudgement So likewise S. Cyprian lib. 4. Epist 2. calleth that affliction of an offendor whom the Church doth for a long time detaine among the Penitents a purging fire But aboue all S. Austens irresolution in this matter is very considerable who sometimes as in the sixteenth chapter before alleadged saith that besides the Purgatory-paines of this life there are others after this life sometimes as chapt 26. hee saith that he doubteth whether it be so or no and it may be that it is true In many other places hee saith plainely that there is none at all and that the soules are in an instant transported into heauen ARTICLE XXII Of Anarchy and of the degrees of superiority in the Church AFter the refutation of so many abuses the King of great Britaine setteth downe for the shutting vp of his confession the Article of the Monarchy of the Church and of the primacy of the Pope the which his Maiesty affirmeth to be the cheefe of all other Controuersies and indeede vppon iust cause for all other errors serue to vphold this superstition helpeth to support tyranny Other pointes there are but this is that for which we dispute Whosoeuer shal examine al our Controuersies with a iudgement not forestalled nor pre-occupied shall finde that euery errour is a pillar of the Popes Empire and a prop of his Dominion and that the Articles of Faith haue beene skilfully bended and fitted to the aduantage of his Holinesse To this may be also added that if the Pope cannot erre in the decision of doubts the case is then cleare without further difficulty Neyther shall it be needefull hereafter to assemble Councels nor to search into Scriptures but onely to consult this Papall Oracle and so to content our selues with what it determineth It is therefore vpon iust cause that his Maiesty saith this point is the principall Controuersie and therefore insisteth vpon it more then vpon any other and therein displayeth the admirable ability of his wit of which I confesse I am rather a learner then a defender hauing first learned to speake of him before I did speake for him But before he entreth into the matter he saith that to haue Bishops in the Church is an Apostolique Institution and appointed by God and saith that he hath alwayes abhorred Anarchie and that in heauen the blessed spirits are distinguished by diuers degrees and that the very diuels themselues are digested and parted into Legions and haue their Princes that by the same reason no humane society can subsist without this order and difference in degrees and thereupon complayneth of certain turbulent persons that haue persecuted him euen from his mothers wombe pursuing his death before he entred into life But who these persons were that with so hasty murther would not haue expected his birth it is best knowne vnto his Maiesty and it is not to bee doubted but they haue beene punished according to the lawes And for such any punishment is too little But it is true that there is nothing so turbulent as an Anarchy in which there is no Master because euery one is such a one where euery one by being too free becommeth a slaue for in a State it is better to be vnder an ill Master then vnder none at all and Tyrannie is more tollerable then such a freedome which vnder the title of liberty introduceth licentiousnesse and this licentiousnesse bringeth in extreame seruitude So is it in Families and Common-wealths in Armies yea euen amongst the Angels themselues yea if we discend to Bees and Cranes wee see not these meaner creatures without a naturall pollicy and a kinde of superioritie The Church is no way exempt from this order in which God hath established Pastors and Bishops and aboue them Assemblies which the auncient Church called Synodes and Councels of which it is likewise necessary that some one should be President to direct and order the businesses But if one demaund what differences of degrees these should be
Peter pascere oues and also what a cloude of witnesses there is both of Auncients and euen of late Popish writers yea diuers Cardinals that doe all agree that both these speeches vsed to Peter were meant to all the Apostles represented in his person Otherwise how could Paul diâ—ect the Church of Corinth 1. Cor. 5.4 to excommunicate the incestuous person cu spiritum suo whereas he should then haue said cumspiritu Petri And how could all the Apostles haue otherwise vsed all their censures onely in Christs name and neuer a word of his Vicar Peter wee reade did in all the Apostles meetings sit amongst them as one of their number And when chosen men were sent to Antiochia from that great Apostolike Councell at Ierusalem Acts 15. The text saith Act. 15.22 23. It seemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send chosen men but no mention made of the Head thereof and so in their Letters no mention is made of Peter but onely of the Apostles Elders and Brethren And it is a wonder why Paul rebuketh the Church of Corinth for making exceptions of persons because some followed Paul some Apollos some Cephas if Peter was their visible Head 1. Cor. 1.12 for then those that followed not Peter or Cephas renounced the Catholik faith But it appeareth well that Paul knew little of our new doctrine Galat. 2. since he handleth Peter so rudely as he not only compareth but preferreth himselfe vnto him But our Cardinall prooues Peters superiority Gal. 1.18 by Pauls going to visite him Indeede Paul saith he went to Ierusalem to visite Peter and conferre with him but he should haue added and to kisse his feete To conclude then The truth is that Peter was both in age and in the time of Christs calling him one of the first of the Apostles in order the principall of the first twelue and one of the three whom Christ for order sake preferred to all the rest And no further did the Bishop of Rome claime for three hundreth years after Christ subiect they were to the generall Councels and euen but of late did the Councell of Constance depose three Popes and set vp the fourth And vntill Phocas dayes that murthered his master were they subiect to Emperours But how they are now come to be Christs Vicars nay Gods on earth triple crowned Kings of Heauen earth and hell Iudges of all the world and none to iudge them Heads of the faith Absolute deciders of all Controuersies by the infallibility of their spirite hauing all power both Spirituall and Temporall in their handes the high Bishoppes Monarches of the whole earth Superiours to all Emperours and Kings yea Supreame Vice-gods who whether they will or not cannot erre how they are now become I say to that toppe of greatnes I know not but sure I am Wee that are Kings haue greatest neede to looke vnto it As for me Paul and Peter I know but these men I know not And yet to doubt of this is to denie the Catholique faith Nay the world it selfe must bee turned vpside downe and the order of Nature inuerted making the left hand to haue the place before the right Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 1. c. 17. and the last named to be the first in honour that this primacy may be maintained Thus haue I now made a free Confession of my Faith And J hope I haue fully cleared my selfe from being an Apostate and as farre from being an Hereticke as one may be that beleeueth the Scriptures and the three Creedes and acknowledgeth the foure first generall Councels If J be loath to beleeue too much especially of Nouelties men of greater knowledge may well pitie my weakenesse but J am sure none will condemne me for an hereticke saue such as make the Pope their God and thinke him such a speaking Scripture as they can define heresie no otherwise but to be whatsoeuer Opinion is maintained against the Popes definition of faith And I will sincerely promise that when euer any point of the Religion I professe shall be proued to be new and not Auncient Catholike and Apostolike I meane for matter of Faith I will as soone renounce it closing vp this head with the maxime of Vincentius Lirinensis Libello aduersus haereses that I will neuer refuse to imbrace any opinion in Diuinity necessary to saluation which the whole Catholike Church with an vnanim consent haue constantly taught and beleeued euen from the Apostles daies for the space of many ages thereafter without interruption This discourse beeing nothing else Fol. 74. but a rich piece of tyssue wrought full of Demonstrations and the very language of truth in the mouth of a King deserued an exact answer But M. Coeffeteau not daring to confront the King to his face doth treacherously assaile â—im side-wise for in stead of satisfying his proofes drawne out of holy Scripture hee entrencheth himselfe in his hold of custome and produceth some testimonies of men He saith then that Basil writing to Athanasius aduiseth him to aduertise the Church of Rome of certaine schismes that happened in his countrey Epist 32. to the end that hee by interposing his authority might send learned and able men to extinguish those diuisions which troubled the East But withal he should haue added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Basil doth not intreat him to shew forth his power in punishing the obstinate and refractarie but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reprehend and admonish the froward men of our countrey For as touching the title of Head of the Church S. Basil in the same Epistle doth so qualifie not the Bishop of Rome but Athanasius Patriarcke of Alexandria in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we thought that we could not better giue entrance to our affaires then by hauing recourse to your perfection as to him who is the vniuersall Head and by winning you to be counsellour and conductour of our Actions Now he thus speaketh not because Alexandria was the first Sea but because there was not then any Bishop who did not willingly giue precedence to Athanasius because of his vertue As for the priority of the Bishops-sea it appeareth by his 50. Epistle that S. Basill thought it due to Antioch when he exhorteth Athanasius to adioyne himselfe to Miletius Patriarcke of Antioch of whome hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is he who as we may so say sitteth as ruler ouer the whole Church And saith also He so calleth the Bishop of Rome that the Bishops of the West giue consent thereunto it is a thing remarke-able aboue the rest that S. Basill purposing to addresse himselfe to the Bishop of Rome that he should lend his helpe to pacifie some differences stirred vp in Asia confesseth in one of his Epistles that men are deceiued to hope for any succour from thence and taking offence at his pride he accounteth all such deputations idle and
him be deposed Or if he be a Lay-man let him be excommunicated Would they thus haue spoken if they had beleeued the Pope to haue beene their Superiour or the Church of Rome cheefe ouer other Churches and that it could not erre That the Passages of the Fathers alleadged by Coeffeteau for the Primacy of S. Peter are partly false Fol. 77. 78. partly maymed and partly impertinent FRom this point Doctor Coeffeteau passeth ouer to the Primacy of S. Peter Fol. 76. howbeit before he commeth thereto he giueth in passing by a blow to his Holinesse affirming that he is not Lord ouer any Towne thus doth he dispute the Souerainty of the City of Rome Wee leaue themselues to cleare this doubt and end this Processe He alleadgeth then for the Primacy of S. Peter the 11. Homily of S. Chrysostome and that very falsely for in all the Homily there is no mention of S. Peter nor of his Primacy But Bellarmine did deceiue him out of whom Coeffeteau copied his allegations This other is like it S. Cyprian saith Coeffeteau affirmeth Hoc erant vtique caeteri Apostoli quod Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis sed exordium ab vnâ—tate proficiâ— citâ—r vâ—â—â—â—â—â—sia vna monstretur that the other Apostles were certainly the same that S. Peter was fellowes and partners of his honour and of his power but the beginning proceedeth from Vnitie and therefore the Primacy was giuen to S. Peter the true reading is this the Apostles inde de were the same things that S. Peter was hauing ONE EQVALL SOCIETY In honour and in power but the beginning was made by one to shew the vnity of the Church Coeffeteau hath razed out the word EQVAL which troubled him and hath clapt on a Tayle of a sentence which is not in Cyprian and therefore the Primacy was giuen to S. Peter S Cyprian had said a little before that Iesus Christ after his resurrection gaue a like power to his Apostles and yet to shew the vnity of the Church he so disposed by his authority that the fountaine of this vnity should begin from one That is to say that he gaue to all his Apostles an equall power but to shew that the Church is one he gaue his power first vnto one namely to Peter and afterwards gaue equall power to the rest With like falshood he dealeth with S. Ierome Fol. 78. pag. 2. lib 1. against Iouinian whom he thus alleadgeth One is chosen among the twelue to the end that there being one head established all occasion of Schisme might be taken away At dicis super PetruÌ„ fundatur Ecclesia licet id ipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat cuncti claues regni coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solideturâ—sed vnus eligitur vt capite constituto seismatist ollatur occasio But he omitteth the wordes that went before thou tellest me that the Church is founded vpon S. Peter notwithstanding that the same is done vpon al the other Apostles and that all do receiue the keyes of the Kingdom of heauen and that vpon them the stability of the Church is EQVALLY grounded whence appeareth that the Head and cheefe of which he speaketh is nothing else but a superiority in ranke without any Iurisdiction and power ouer his fellowes seeing that they had all the Keyes alike and were alike the foundations of the Church VVhich may serue to the end we may not trouble our selues with examining the rest of his falsifications for solution of all the rest of Coeffeteaus quotations in which S. Peter is called head and first among the Apostles S. Austen indeede in the beginning of his second booke of Baptisme which place Coeffeteau alleadgeth calleth S. Peter the first of the Apostles but he saith also in the same place that for all that he did not presume that the new-commers Nee Petrus queÌ„ primum Dominus elegit super quem aedificauit EcclesiaÌ„ suam cum secum Paulus de circumcisione disceptaret postmodum vindicauit sibi aliquid insolenter aut arroganter assumpsit vt diceret se primatum tenere obtemperari à nouellis posteris sibi potius debcri and latter Apostles were to yeelde him obedience The same S. Austen as he is alleadged in the 24. Cause Quaest 1. Canon Quodcunque speaketh thus S. Peter when he receiued the Keyes represented the Church if then all the good were signified in the person of Peter so were all the wicked also signified in the person of Iudas Seeing then that S. Peter was the same among the faithful that Iudas was among the wicked it followeth that as Iudas was not the head of the wicked to haue power and Iurisdiction ouer them but onely was the most remarkeable among them so S. Peter should be such a one among the beleeuers He might haue had perhaps a priority eyther in age or in vertue or in zeale or in eloquence or in preseance and taking the first place but yet without Dominion or power of Iurisdiction As touching that which somtimes he saith that the Church is founded vpon S. Peter we shall see hereafter that he retracted that ouer sight afterwards and we haue heard before S. Ierome to haue said that the Church is Equally founded vpon all the Apostles As for that which he saith that he that is without the Communion of the Church is to be accounted prophane and that he that is without the Arke shall perish in the floud the same may be said of euery other Church which holdeth the true Orthodox Doctrine yea of the least of the faithfull for that a man cannot separate and withdraw himselfe from him but by renouncing the truth Now in the quarrell which then was in debate Damasus maintained the truth and sounder opinion Whether the Pope may erre in faith or no. TO that which the King of great Britaine denieth that there is any Monarch of the Church on earth whose wordes ought to be held for laws who hath the gift to be able not to erre Fol. 80. Coeffeteau thus answereth We know that the Pope is a sinfull man as another man is and therefore may erre in Doctrine and Manners if we consider him in particular but in the quality of S. Peters Successour hee cannot teach any thing contrary to piety This is it which is commonly said that the Pope indeede may erre as he is a man and a particular Doctor but not as he is Pope Or that he may erre in manners but not in faith Cap. licet titulo 2 de Constitutioni in 6. They say also that he may erre in the question de facto but not in the question de Iure For as Boniface the eighth saith the Pope hath all law and right in the chest of his breast A man had neede of a good stomach to digest this And I doe not see how all this can agree For
offend against the Maiesty of God And in the booke of the Penitentiary Taxe in the chapter of Absolutions the falsifying of Letters Apostolical is taxed at seuenteene groats whereas for a man to company with his mother but at fiue groates onely Seeing then that about this inequality of the Keyes which giueth a superiority to S. Peter aboue the other Apostles our aduersaries cannot defend themselues by any authority out of the holy Scripture let vs see whether wee can furnish our selues with any places directly against it 1 I say then that if the Apostles had not the Keyes of heauen nor the power to binde and lose but subordinately vnder S. Peter the Apostle S. Paul should haue spoken very vnaduisedly in saying 2. Cor. 11.5 I thinke that I haue not in any thing beene inferiour to the rest of the Apostles when hee sayth in any thing he admitteth no exception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Adde hereunto that if he had beene subiect to S. Peter he should much haue forgotten himselfe when Galat. 2. he said that there was no difference betweene him and those that seemed to bee the chiefe for then there must needes haue been great difference betwixt their charges 3 And againe this that he speaketh is yet much more That those who were in the greatest account among the Apostles added nothing vnto him whereas doubtlesse S. Peter would at the least haue giuen authority to S. Pauls charge if it had depended from the authority of S. Peter 4 But cheefely that which Paul addeth is worthy of consideration that the charge of preaching to those of the vncircumcision was in as large a maner committed vnto him as that of the circumcision was vnto Peter See here how they parted the labour betwixt them it fel vnto S. Peters lot to preach vnto the Iewes and S. Pauls to preach vnto the Gentiles a thing that would be ridiculous and strange now a dayes if any Bishop should seeke to diuide the charge of gouerning Churches betweene him and the Pope or should send the Pope to preach in Almaine or Spaine to conuert the Iewes 5 It is also worth the noting that S. Paul in the same place verse 9. naming those three Apostles Iames Cephas and Iohn placeth Cephas which is Peter after Iames. Now in these our dayes if a man should speake thus The Bishop of Lyons the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Ambrun men would holde him for a madde man But S. Paul in setting Peter betweene others he sheweth that he had not yet learned that S. Peter was chiefe of the Church vniuersall or that he had iurisdiction ouer the rest of the Apostles For their last assault and encounter they produce the wordes of Iesus Christ vnto Peter Feede my Lambes which wordes they haue made wonderfull fruitfull and full of many consequences for thus they expound them Thou Peter and thy Successours Popes of Rome feede you alone all my lambes and doe you take vpon you a soueraignty ouer all other Pastors How many strange and venterous Glosses are here on the Text And how haue they peeced out this latchet to make it reach home For though Iesus Christ doe expresly commaund Peter to feede his sheepe yet he excludeth not the other Apostles They are all called Pastors and all faithfull Bishops and Ministers are enioyned to feed the Church of God Acts 20.28 True it is that S. Peter was Pastor of all the sheepe of Iesus Christ throughout the world but so were likewise the other Apostles For S. Paul also 2. Cor. 11. verse 28. saith that he hath the care of all Churches their charge was to walke and to haue an eye euery where for thus saith Iesus to them all Acts 1. And you shall be witnesses vnto me to the very endes of the earth And hereupon S. Augustine is very plaine in the thirtieth chapter of his booke of the christian combate When the Lord saith vnto Peter Cum dicit Petro amas me pasce oues meas idem dixit caeteris Louest thou me feede my sheepe he saith the same vnto all But why speaketh he to him alone Because not long before he onely had denyed him He onely that fel had onely neede to be raised vp and to be re established in his charge for otherwise a man might well haue called his Apostleship into question And why doth he rehearse the same wordes vnto him thrice Because he had denied the Lord three times as many fals so many restorings These be not raisings of him vnto dignity but strengthnings of his infirmity As saith S. Augustine Treatis 123. vpon S. Iohn A triple deniall is recompenced with a threefold confession Redditur negationi trina confessio ne minus amori lingua seruiat quam timori c. to the end that his tongue might serue him no lesse to declare his loue then it had done in disclosing his feare In the meane time albeit all the Apostles had a generall care ouer all Churches yet this doth not hinder but that each of them might haue a peculiar charge besides their generall S. Paul was charged with instructing the Gentils and S. Peter with teaching the Iewes and it appeareth not that this his commission was at any time changed and that in stead of being the speciall Teacher of the Iewes he was made Bishop of Rome Besides that his dwelling at Rome could not well haue sorted and agreed with the teaching of the Iewes Act. 18.11 who now were banished from Rome vnder Claudius the Emperor which was the very time of S. Peters preaching during which time he visited the Iewes scatteredinto Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithinia and into all Asia as appeareth by the first verse of his first Epistle This was somewhat too farre from his Bishopricke of Rome and nothing sutable with the dignity of the Monarch of the Vniuersall Church We will not here contend whether S. Peter were euer at Rome for albeit this History be full of darknesse yet I am enclyned to beleeue that he suffered Martyrdome at Rome because Tertullian Eusebius and others doe affirme the same But yet the day-light is not more cleare then it is euident that stayed there but a very small time and not twenty fiue yeares as our aduersaries doe calculate One proofe shall serue to be added to those which are alleadged by others We graunt then that S. Peter and S. Paul did suffer Martyrdome at Rome vpon one and the same day as Eusebius and some others affirme This being so we will shew most plainly that S. Peter had not yet beene at Rome three yeares before his death For S. Paul being to depart from Corinth to goe towards Ierusalem wrote an Epistle to the Romanes as appeareth by the subscription of his Epistle dated from Corinth and by the fiue and twentieth verse of the fifteenth Chapter Now I goe vp to Ierusalem His voyage to Ierusalem is described in the 18 19 and 20. chapters of the Acts