offertur â—ome sayth saynt Ambros 〈◊〉 recipiens passionem offers se ipse quasi sacerdos he is offred as maâ— and as receiuing or 〈◊〉 his passionâ— and he offreth him-selfe as Priest in which respect he is both Priest and sacrifice as wel now on the altar as he was in his passion vpon the crosse though for our greater comfort he vseth also therein the interuention and ministery of Priests who being nothing els but his instruments and exercysing all one Priestly function vnder him their head do all pertayne to that one aeternal Priest-hood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech which as Lactantius sayth must of necessity be in the Churche Iesus Christ sayth he being a Priest did make for him-selfe a great aeternal temple that is to say the Churche in quo templo aeternum sacerdotium habeat necesse est sâ—cundum ordinem Melchisedech in which temple he must needs haue an aeternal Priest-hood according to the order of Melchisedech so that the vnity of Christs priest-hood is not impeached by the multitude of his ministers no more then the vnity of a Kings monarchy by the multitude of his inferiour officers by whome he gouerneth And as for the multitude of masses which our aduersaries carp at as reiected by S. Paule the Fathers of the Churche shal answer for vs S. Chrisostome expouÌ„ding this epistle of S. Paule answereth this very same obiection that our aduersaries make agaynst vs This sacrifice sayth he is an example of that sacrifice vpon the crosse for wee alwayes offer the very self same thing not now one lambe and another to morrow but the very same therefore this is one sacrifice for otherwyse because it is offred in many places there should be many Christs thus farre saynt Chrysostome The very same argument and reason and the very lyke woords vseth saynt Ambrose to proue the vnity of this sacrifice and concludeth non enim aliud sacrificium sicut pontifex veteris legis sed idipsum semper offerimus we offer not an other or different sacrifice as did the Bishop of the old law but wee alwayes offer the self same Also Primasius the diuinity sayth he of the sonne of God which is euery where doth cause that they be not many sacrifices but one though they be offred by many it causeth in lyke manner that it is that body which was conceaued in the virgins wombe and not many bodyes as also that it is but one sacrifice and not dyuers as were the sacrifices of the Iewes Thus sayth he We read the very same in substance in Theopilaâ—â—us Oâ—cumenius Sedulius Haymo and others that haue written vpon saynt Paules epistle to the Hebrewes of whome the meanest may in any indifferent mannes iudgement counteruayl all the sectaryes of this tyme who framing new fantasies of their owne braynes or reuiuing old heresyes are forced for the mayntenance therof to wring and wrest the holy scriptures from the meaning of the holy ghost to their priuat sence and to coÌ„demne the iudgement of all the ancieÌ„t â—athers of the Churche who liuing in such tymes as these matters were not in controuersy can not be suspected of parciality and much lesse of ignorance of the scriptures seing their learned commentaries and expositions thereof geue sufficient testimony of their continual trauails labours therin besydes that their most vertuous lyues led in continual prayer pance and religious discipline for the which the Christian world admireth and honoreth them as great seruants of God and saynts is a sufficient argumeÌ„t that God rather assisted them with his spirit in the vnderstaÌ„ding of the scripture then Martin Luther Zwinglius Beza Caluin and such other flagitious and wicked apostatats whose vicious and leud lyues whereof the world is yet a witnes do manifestly declare with what kynd of spirit they were possessed Therefore he that would leaue the general consent of al the ancient fathers to follow the phantastical or rather phrenetical opinions of these new fangled fellowes deserueth to be deceiued and can haue no excuse of wilful blyndnes eyther before God or the world But now to conclude this question concerning the sacrifice of the Masse I draw out of all the premisses 4. conclusions The first is that which at the first I vndertook to proue to wit that the oblation of the blessed body and blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which wee caul the Masse ys the proper sacrifice of the new testament prophesied by Malachias prefigured by the sacrifice of Melchisedech promised instituted and offred by our Sauiour practised by his Apostles and by the Churche euer since The second is that it is propitiatory not only for the liuing but also for the dead The third that the heretykes of this tyme that contradict abolish the same hold not the law of the new Testament instituted by Christ seing they haue not the proper priesthood and sacrifice therof without the which the sayd law and Testament cannot be S. Paule teaching such a necessary concurrence of the one with the other that he affirmeth that the priesthood being translated the law must also of necessity be translated as I haue shewed before therfore seeing they haue not this priesthood and sacrifice it followith they haue not the law and Testament of Christ which can not be without the same The fourth poynt that followeth of the premisses is that they are most pernicious enemies of humainkind seing they labour to depriue vs of the most souerain remedy that God of his infinit goodnes hath left vs for the reparation of our dayly wracks by sinne and for the consolation both of the quick and the dead for which cause the old Christians in the persecutions vnder Dioclesian being persecuted for hearing masse as wee are now as I haue shewed in the beginning of this treatise answered the tyrants that the masse was spes salus que Christiantum the hope and health or saluation of Christians and that therfore they could not forgo it the reason whereof I haue declared before to wit for that therby are aplyed vnto vs the fruits of our Sauiours passion which is not only represented but also dayly renewed in the sacrifice of the masse as witnesseth saynt Gregory so often sayth he as wee offer the host of his passion so often wee renew his passion and as saynt Cyprian sayth passio Domini est sacrificium quod offerimus the sacrifice which wee offer is the passion of our Lord Lastly Martialis the most ancient martir and Disciple of Christ sayth that which the Iewes did sacrifice vpon the Altar of the crosse wee do propose on the sanctified altar for our saluation knowing that by that only remedy lyfe is to be geuen vs and death to be eschewed thus far the blessed martyr This remedy I say the heretykes of these our dayes doe seek by their pestilent doctrin to take from vs yea and do in deed
religion condemned and therfore as the whole Churche hath hetherto held and honored those old Christians for glorious martyrs so doth it now at this day and euer wil esteeme these other for no lesse as I haue shewed in my Apology more at large and therfore I wil proceed to speak a woord or two of the great iniustice donne since my Apology was writteÌ„ to two priests called M. Hunt and M. Sprat condemned and excuted at Lincolne in the yeare 1600. These two being taken in a search and confessing themselues only to be Catholykes were first imprisoned and then shortly after indited for hauing conspyred and practised the death of her Maiesty mooued her subiects to rebelion withdrawne them from theyr natural and due obedience and from the religion now established in England to the Roman fayth and finally for hauing mayntayned the autority of the Pope of all which poynts no one touching matter of state was proued against them no witnesse being produced nor so much as the least presumption of any attempt or coÌ„spiracy against her maiestyes person or state or that rhey had persuaded any man to the Catholyk religion ot sayd any thing in fauour of the Popes autority more then that which they answered to the captious question of the Queenes supremacy demaunded of them there after their apprehension lastly it was not so much as proued that they were Priests which though they denied not yet they did not confesse but put it to tryal vrging to haue it proued by witnesses or other sufficient arguments whereas there was none at all but light presumtioÌ„s therof as that there was found in thir males two breuiares which many lay men vse as wel as Priests and a few relicks and some holy oyle which they might haue carried for other mennes vse not their owne so that to conclude of all those great treasons whereof they were indited there was no one proued except the matter of the Queenes supremacy which is a meere poynt of religion as I am sure the puritans in England and all other heretykes abroad wil witnesse with vs who impugne the same as wel as wee and yet neither by the verdit of the Iury nor yet by the senteÌ„ce of the Iudge were they cleared of any one point but condemned for all as though they had bin guilty of all and so in truth executed for matter of religion though slandred with matter of state whereby their martyrdome was far more glorious the malice of our aduersaries more manifest the iniury donne vnto them vnexcusable the sinne of the Iudges and Iury most execrable which sufficiently appeared by the iustice of God extended vpon Iudge Glanduile who had shewed an extraordinary malice and fury agaynst them and was therfore as wel may bee presumed within a few dayes after strooken by the hand of God in such miraculous manÌ„er as the rest may take example therby yf their harts be not indurat And besydes these late martyrs before rehearsed M. Tichborne M. Fr. Page and M. R. Watkinson were arraigned condemned at London for beeing made Priestes beyond the seas and coming into England contrary to the statute were executed at Tiburne the 20. of April this present yeare 1602. beeing there not suffred to declare the truth of their cause and suffrance And this was donne euen at such tyme as hope was both giuen and conceaued of a more mylder cours of proceeding towards Catholykes then heretofore It is moste grieuous to consider how M. Tichborne by one of his owne cote was betrayed and apprehended almighty God vouchsafe to restore to that wretched man so great grace as he fel from in the dooing of that acte M. Page and M. Watkinson were apprehended in the tyme of the sessions the one by a wicked woman suborned to dissemble religion for such purposes the other by one Bomer who hauing late before playd the dissembling hypocrite spy at Doway returned into England there to become the disciple of his master Iudas At the same sessions was condemned for fellony and also executed one Iames Ducket a Catholyke lay man and another lay man with him about a treatise written by a martyr diuers yeares since concerning the cause of Catholyke sufferers OF THE IMPVDENCIE OF a minister who being present at the death of two martyrs aforesayd affirmed publykly that our country was conuerted by saynt Augustin the monke to the protestants religion by occasion whereof the truth of the poynt is euidently declared CHAP. IIII. I Can not omit to say somewhat here of the notable impudency of a foolish minister who being present at the death of the two martyrs at Lincolne aforenamed and hearing one of theÌ„ declare vnto the people his innoceÌ„cy protesting amongst other things that he dyed only for the profession of the Catholyke fayth to the which our country was conuerted from paganisme in the tyme of Pope Gregory the great was not ashamed to say publykly that the religion now taught preached there is the same wherto England was first conuerted And although I hold not this minister for a man of that woorth that he may merit my labour or any mans els seriously to confute his ydle babling yet for as much as the same hath bin oft published and preached by many others and many ignorant abused therby and seing the narration of our first conuersion may no lesse profit and edify the vnlearned reader with the testimony of the truth then content and delyte him for the pleasure of the history I wil breefly treat first of the coÌ„uersion of the Saxons or English in the tyme of King Edelbert and after of the conuersion of the Britains in the tyme of King Lucius euidently proue that our Catholyke faith was preached and planted in our country at both tymes and that our Kings and country continued euer after the latter conuersion in the obedience of the Church of Rome vntil the tyme of K. Henry the eyght It appeareth by our chronicles and histories that in the yere of our Lord 582. according to S. Bedes computation S. Gregory surnamed the great the first of that name sent into England saynt Augustin a monke with diuers others of his profession to preach the Christian fayth to the English and that they came thither bearing a siluer crosse for their banner and the Image of our Lord and sauiour as saynt Bede saith paynted in a table and hauing leaue of King Edelbert to preach to his subiects began first the exercyse of Christian Catholyk religion in the citty of Canterbury in an ancient Chutch which they found there dedicated to S. Martin from the tyme that the Romans liued there in which Church ipsi primo sayth saynt Bede conueâ—ire Psaâ—lâ—re orare missas facere praedicare baptizare coeperunt they first began to assemble themselues to sing to pray to say masse to preach and baptise vntil the King being conuerted they had â—eaue to buyld some Churches and
doing other workes of deuotion as I declared before he addeth mansit haec Christi capitis membrorum consonantia suauis donec Arriana perfidia c. this sweet consonance or agreement of the members of Christ the head remayned vntil the Arrian heresy spread her poyson there and although he insinuat as saynt Bede also doth that afterwards the people became new fangled and embraced other heresyes meaning no dout the Pelagian heresy which as I haue shewed before out of S. Bede was quickly extinguished there yet afterwards he signifieth playnly that neither the Arrian nor Pelagian nor any other heresy took root in Britany and that the Churche was cleare therof after the coÌ„ming in of the Saxons about the tyme of his byrth which was in the yere of our Lord 594. for speaking of the tyme and of the ouerthrow geuen by Ambrosius Aurelianus to the Saxons and Picts and of the great slaughter of them shortly after at blackamore in York-shire which as Polidore supposeth is called in Gildas mons Badonicus he sayth that the people hauing noted the punishment of God vpon them for their sinnes and his mercy in giuing them afterwards so greate victories ob hoc reges publici priuati sacerdotes ecclesiastics suum quique ordinem seruauerunt for this cause saith hee the Kings and others as wel publik as priuat personâ—â— Priests and ecclesiastical men did euery one their dutyes and although he declare presently after that by the extreame negligence of their Kings and gouernours ecclesiastical and temporal which immediatly succeded greate corruption was entred at the same tyme that he wrote yet it is euident ynough in him that it was not corruption of fayth but of manners as pryd ambition dissolutioÌ„ of lyfe droÌ„kenesse lying periury tyranny in the Kings simony couetousnesse in the clergy sildome sacrifices breach of vowes of chastity and of monastical lyfe profaning of altars and such lyke for the which he threatneth and as it were prophesyeth the vtter destruction of Britany which shortly after followed so that amongst other things which he was persuaded brought the plague of God vpon our country we see he taxed certayne customes peculiar to our aduersaries and the proper fruits of their religion tending only to the ouerthrow of ours therfore it playnly appeareth that ours was then in vre and receiued detriment by those who though they were not protestants in profession yet were protestants in humour and condition I meane profaners of Altars and holy things breakers of vowes of chastity and Apostatats from religious and monastical lyfe such as Luther and many of his followers haue ben since And now to come to later tymes after Gildas yf we consider the relicks of Christian religion which saynt Augustine found in Britany amongst other things the great monastery of Bangor wherein were aboue two thowsand monks it wil be manifest that the ancient religion of the Britains was our Catholike fayth for although in the space of a hundreth seuenty and three yeres that passed from the comming in of the Saxons vntil their conuersion the Britain Church was not only much decayed but also had receiued some aspersion of erronious and euil customes yet in fayth and opinion they diffred not from S. Augustine insomuch that he offred to hold communion with them if they would concurre with him in three things only the first in the tyme of celebrating the feast of easter the second in the manner of administring the sacrament of Baptisme and the third in preaching the faith to the Saxons all which the monkes of Bangor refused vpon no better reason then for that S. Augustine did not ryse to them when they came to the synod condemning him therefore to be a proud man notwithstanding that he had restored a blynd man to sight by his prayers in the presence of all the Bishops and clergy of Britany who vndertooke to do the lyke in confirmation of their customes but could not performe it Therfore as saynt Bede reporteth S. Augustine did foretel to the sayd Monkes of Bangor that seing they would not haue peace with their brethren they should haue warre with their enemies and yf they would not preach vnto the English nation the way of lyfe they should by their hands receiue reuenge of death which after was truly fulfilled for Edelfrid a pagan King of NorthumberlaÌ„d killed a thousand two hundred Monkes of that monastery at one tyme by the iust iudgement of God as saynt Bede sayth for their obstinacy Thus much for this matter wherby thou mayst see good reader that saynt Augustine found in wales amongst the Britains the same religion faith in substance that he then preached to the English or Saxons and which we Catholykes stil professe which being considered with that which I haue proued before concerning the continual practise therof in the primatiue Church of Britany whyles the same was in purity and integrity no man that hath common sence can dout that the same fayth was deliuered by Pope Eleutherius to King Lucius and generally professed throughout Christendom at those dayes in which respect we fynd honorable mention and testimony of the faith of the Britains in the Fathers both Greekes and Latins from the tyme of their conuersion as in Tertulian in K. Lucius tyme and in Origen presently after in S. Athanasius and S. Hilarius in the tyme of the Arrians of which two the first testifieth that the Bishops of Britany came to the councel of Sardica and the other commendeth the Britan Church for reiecting the Arrian heresy as I haue noted before also in S. Chrisostome and saynt Hierom who commendeth the deuotion of the Britans that came to Bethlem in pilgrimage in his dayes about the same tyme that the Saxons entred into Britany CERTAINE POINTS OF CONTROUERSY are discussed wherby it is prooued that King Lucius receiued our Catholyke fayth and first of the Popes supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes CHAP. VII BVT to the end that this vndouted truth may be cleared of all dout I wil ioyne Issue with our aduersaries vpon some two or three poynts now in controuersy betwyxt vs and them and breefly proue that the doctrin that we teach concerning the same was publykly held for truth throughout Christendome in King Lucius dayes and that therfore he could receiue no other then the same from the Church of Rome and this I vndertake the more willingly for that albeit all matters of controuersy haue ben very learnedly and sufficiently handled yea and whole volumes written of them by our English Catholykes in the beginning of her maiestyes raygne yet by reason of the strayt prohibition of the sayd bookes there are an infinit number in England especially of the younger sort that neuer saw the same to whome I desyre to giue in this treatyse at least some litle tast of the truth of our Catholyke religion so farre as my determined breuity wil permit First
who can with any reason deny that the Popes supremacy the confession whereof is now made treason in England was in King Lucius dayes acknowledged generally of all men for what moued him being so farre from Rome to seeke to receiue the faith of Christ from thence but that he desyred to haue it from the fountayne head were there not Christians at the same tyme in England as there had ben from the tyme of Ioseph of Arimathia by some of whome it is lyke he was conuerted and might haue ben Baptysed or yf there were no Christians there that might satisfy his deuotion and desyre in that behalfe was there not at the same tyme very learned Bishops in France by whome he might haue receiued satisfaction without sending so farre as to Rome what then moued him therto but that he vnderstood that the admission of all Christs sheep into his fold the Church belonged principally to the successor of S. Peter to whome our sauiour particularly commended the feeding of his flock which saynt Bede insinuateth sufficiently saying that King Lucius beseeched Eleutherius by his letters that he might be made a Christian per eius mandatum by his commandement Neither can there any other probable reason be geuen why a few yeres after Donaldus King of Scots sent to Pope victor the next successor of Eleutherius to receiue of him the Christian fayth which at the same tyme florished not only in France as before I haue sayd but also in England from whence he might haue had Bishops and Priests to instruct and baptise him and his people But for the more manifest proof of this poynt let vs heare what S. Ireneus who florished at the same tyme in France teacheth concerning the autority of the sea Apostolike gouerned then by Eleutherius from whome K. Lucius receiued the fayth VVhen we shew sayth he the tradition of the greatest and most AuncieÌ„t Church knowen to all men founded constitute at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles Peter Paule that the same tradition receiued from the sayd Apostles is deriued euen to this our tyme by the succession of Bishops we confound all those that any way eyther by an ouerweening of their owne wits or by vayne glory or by blyndnesse and euil opinion are led away with fals conceyts for euery Churche that is to say the saythful which are euery where must needs haue recours to this Church agree therewith propter potentioreÌ„ principalitatem for the greater or more mighty principality of the same wherein the tradition of the Apostles hath ben alwayes conserued by them which are euery where abroad and a litle after hauing declared the succession of the Bishops of Rome from saynt Peter to Eleutherius who he sayth was the twelfth he addeth by this ordination and succession the tradition which is in the Church from the Apostles and the preaching of the truth is come euen to vs hec est plenissima osteÌ„sio this is a most ful euident demonstration that the fayth which hath ben conserued in the Churche from the Apostles vntil now is that one true fayth which geueth lyfe Thus farre S. Ireneus out of whose words may be gathered three things very imporrant and manifest against our aduersaries The first the force of tradition in the Churche of God that the same alone being duly proued is sufficient to conuince all heretykes that teach any thing contrary therto The second that the continual succession of the Bishops of Rome in one seat and doctrin is an infalible argument of the truth The which also Tertulian in the same tyme not only obserued but also prescrybed for a rule against all heretykes in his book of Prescriptions To which purpose S. Augustin sayth the succession of Priests from the seat of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord recoÌ„mended his sheep to be fed holdeth me in the Catholyke Church and in another place number the Priests euen from the very seat of Peter and in that order of fathers see who succeded one an other that is the rock which the proud gaâ—â— of hel do not ouercome Optatus Mileuitanus in lyke sort vrgeth this succession of the Roman Bishops against the Donatists reckoning vp all the Bishops from S. Peter to Siricius with whome he sayth all the world did communicat and there-vpon concludeth therfore yow sayth he that challeÌ„ge to your selues a holy Churche tel vs the beginning of your chayre Thus reasoned these fathers against heretykes aboue 1200. yeres ago as also did S. Ireneus before in K. Lucius tyme and the same say wee now with no lesse reason against the heretykes of our tyme we shew them our doctrin conserued in a perpetual succession of Bishops from the Apostles vntil this day we demaund the lyke of them and seing they cannot shew it we conclude with S. Irenaeus that they remayne confounded and that they are to be registred in the number of those that eyther by an ouerweening of their owne wits or by vayne glory or by blyndnes and passion are led away with fals conceits The third poynt that I wish to be noted in the words of S. Irenaeus is the supreme dignity of the Roman Churche aboue all other seing that he cauleth it the greatest most ancient not in respect of tyme for the Churches of Hierusalem and Antioch were before it but for autority and therfor vrgeth it as a matter of necessity duty that all other Churches whatsoeuer and all faythful people throughout the world ought to haue recours therto and agree therwith propter potentioreÌ„ principalitateÌ„ for the greater and more powreful principality and autority therof which autority is founded vpon no other ground then vpon the institution of our Sauiour himselfe who gaue the gouerment of his Church to S. Peter the Apostle not only for him selfe but also for his successors which I wil prooue heare with as conuenient breuity as the importance of the matter wil permit THAT OVR SAVIOVR made S. Peter supreme head of his Churche CHAP. VIII THE supreme autority of S. Peter ouer the Churche of God is to be proued directly out of the holy scriptures by many places and arguments but 3. shal suffice for breuityes sake The first place is in S. Mathew where our sauiour promised to S. Peter to buyld his Church vpon him saying Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram adificabo Ecclesiam meam that is to say thou art Peter or a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche signifying by this allegory that he made him the foundation or head of his Church for the head is to the body the gouernour to the common welth as the foundation is to the buylding that is to say the principal part the stay strength and assurance therof and this appeareth more playnly in the Siriac tongue in which saynt Mathew wrote his gospel where
wil geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and Origen addeth further that there was no smalle differēce betwyxt the Apostles commission to bynd and loose and the commission of S. Peter which he affirmeth to be more ample because sayth he non erant in tanta perfectione sicut Petrus they were not in such perfection as Peter and therfore S. Leo sayth that the authority or power to bynd and loose was geuen Petro prae caeteris to Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles and the reason is for that he being their head and they subordinat to him he receiued the same for him selfe and them and they held it as from him vnder him though they had it also by Christs commissiō as wel as hee which S. Augustin teacheth clearly when he sayth that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen to S. Peter because he represented the whole church of which representatiō he yeildeth the reason adding immediatly Propter apostolatus sui primatum or as he sayth in an other place propter primatum quem in discipulis habuit by reason of the supremacy he had ouer the rest of the Apostles geuing to vnderstand therby that the keyes being geuen to S. Peter as head of the Apostles and consequently as head of the Church they were geuen also to the Apostles and to the whole Church for what is geuen to the king as king the same is geuen to the common wealth and from him or by him as head therof is communicated imparted to the whole body For this cause S. Chrisostome treating of the promis that our sauiour made to S. Peter to buyld his Churche vpō him and to geue him the keyes of the kingdome of heauen affirmeth that he made him head or gouuernour of the whole world Thus much for the second proof The third and last shal be the commission and charge that our sauiour gaue particularly to S. Peter to feed his sheep wherby he made him general Pastor ouer his whole flock whereof Eusebius Emissenus sayth thus first Christ comitted vnto him his lambs then his sheepe because he made him not only a pastor or shepherd but also the pastor of Pastors Therefore Peter feedeth the lambes he feedeth the sheepe he feedeth the young ones their dammes he gouerneth the subiects their prelats so that he is Pastor of all for besydes lambes sheepe there is nothing in the Church This is more euident in the Greeke wherein the gospel of S. Ihon was written then in our latin translation for where as we haue 3. tymes pasce that is to say feed the greeke hath in the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not only signify to feed but also to gouerne and rule wherby the Euangelist signifyed that Christ gaue to S. Peter commission not only to feed his flock with preaching and teaching but also to exercyse all pastoral authority ouer them that is to say to rule and gouern them in which sence the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often vsed in the holy Scriptures as in S. Mathew and Micheas the Prophet where it is sayd of Bethlem there shal come foorth of thee a caeptayne that shal gouern my people Israel and in the Apocalipse he shal rule them in an yron rod and againe in the Psalm thow shalt gouerne or rule theym in a rod of yron in which places as also in dyuers others of the scripture to lyke purpose the greeke hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the same sence our lord saith in the Prophet that the great Monark Cirus should be his Pastor because he should gouern and rule his people and Homer oftentymes cauleth king Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the king or Pastor of this people for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both and therfore S. Augustin expounding those words feede my sheep sayth that Christ recommended his sheepe to S. Peter pascendas id est docendas regendasque to be fed that is to say to be taught and gouerned Theophilactus also vpō the same place witnesseth that Christ gaue to S. Peter praesecturam ouium totius mundi the gouernment of the sheepe of the whole world and S. Chrisostome treating of those words of our sauiour sayth that he would haue S. Peter to be endewed with authority and farre to excel the other Apostles and agayne expounding the same words otherwhere he sayth that Christ spake vnto him only because he was the mouth head of the Apostles and committed vnto him curam fratrum suorum the charge of his brethren and a litle after that Christ gaue him the charge of the whole world which he also affirmeth in an other place of the vniuersal Churche saying that the supremacy and gouernment of the Churche throughout the whole world was geuen him by Christ. I wil conclude with S. Leo whereas saith he the power of bynding and loosing was geuen to Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles the care charge of feeding the sheepe of Christ was more specially committed to him to whome whosoeuer shal thinck the principality or supremacy is to be denied he cannot by any meanes diminish his dignity but being puft vp with the spirit of his owne pryde he casts him selfe head-long to hel Thus thow seest good reader that our doctrin of the supremacy of S. Peter is no nouelty of our inuention but the vniform and constant opinion of the most learned and anciēt Fathers of the Churche grounded vpon the scriptures in which respect we fynd in all the sayd auncient Docctors most eminent and excellent tytles of superioritie and praerogatiue attributed to S. Peter who in S. Hilary is cauled the blessed porter of heauen in S. Augustin the first or cheef of the Apostles in Eusebius the greatest of the Apostles and maister of the warfare of God in Epiphanius the captayn of the Disciples in S. Ciril Prince and head of the Apostles in S. Ambrose the Vicar that Christ left vs of his loue and to omit others for breuityes sake in S. Chrysostome the toppe or head of the congregation of the Apostles an vnconsumable rock the vnmoueable top of the buylding and lastly the pastor and head of the Churche THAT THE SVCCESSORS OF S. Peeter to wit the Bishops of Rome succeed him in the supremacy of the Churche CHAP. IX AND for as much as it is euident that our sauiour Christ gaue not this authority to S. Peeter for his owne particular benefit but for the general good of his Churche nor for his owne dayes only but during the tyme of the Churche militāt to the end that so long as their should be any sheep in his fold so long ther should be an vniuersal Pastor to feed and gouerne them and that his Churche which is a visible body
of the Eucharist to serue vs not only for a food and spiritual meate but also for a sacrifice offring the fame him-selfe first to his Father and then geuing commissioÌ„ and power to his Disciples to do that which he did to wit to offer and sacrifice the same saying hoc facite in nâ—eam commemorationeÌ„ that is to say do make or sacrifice this in remembrance of me for this woord facite as wel in the Syriac Hebrew and Greek as in the Laryn signifieth to sacrifice no lesse then to do or make as in Leuiticus faciet vnum pro peccate he shal sacrifice one of the turtle doues for remissioÌ„ of sinne and in the book of Kings faciam bovem alterum I wil sacrifice the other oxe the lyke may be seene in diuers other places of the holy scriptures where the Hebrew Greek woord which doth properly signify facere must needs be vnderstood to do sacrifice in which sence facâ—re is also vsed amongst the Latins as cum faciam vttulapro frugthus c. when I shal sacrifice a calfe for my corne c also in Plautus faciam tibâ— fideliam mulsiplenam I wil sacrifice vnto the a poâ—ful of sweete wyne and agayne in Cicero Iunoni omnes consules facere necesse est all the consuls must needs sacrifice to Iune But howsoeuer it is it litle importeth for the matter in questioÌ„ whether faecere do properly signify to sacrifice or no seing it is euident that all the doctors of the Churche do vnderstaÌ„d that Christ coÌ„maunding his Apostles to do that which he did commaunded them to sacrifice S. Denis who was conuerted by S. Paul at Athens declaring the practise of the Churche in his tyme fayth that the Bishop in the tyme of the holy mysteries excuseth himself to almighty God for that he is so bold to sacrifice the host that geueth health or saluation aleadging for his excuse our Sauiours commandment to wit hoc facite do this in my remembrance S. Clement in his Apostolical constitutions speaking to Priests in the name of the Apostles fayth suscitato Domino offerte saecrificium vestrum de quo vobis praecepit per nos hae facite in meam commemorationem on easter day when our Lord is risen offer your sacrifice as he commaunded yow by vs saying do this in my remembrance Martialis who also conuersed with the Apostles sayth that the Christians offred the body and blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ to lyfe euerlasting because he commaunded them to do it in remembrance of him Iustin the Philosopher and Martyr within 140. yeares after Christ sayth that God who receiueth sacrifice at the hands of none but of Priests did foretel by his Prophet that those sacrifices should be grateful to him which Iesus Christ commaunded to be offred in the Eucharist S. Cyprian sayth our Lord and God Iesus Christe is the cheefe Priest and offred first sacrifice to God the Father and commaunded that the same should be donne in his remembrance S. Chrysostome teaching that the sacrifice which is dayly offred in the Churche ys alwayes one and the self same sacrifice be it offred neuer so oft addeth that which we do is donne in remeÌ„brance of that which was donne by our Sauiour far he sayd do this in remembrance of me I omit for breuityes sake S. Augustin S. Ambrose Primasius Bishop of vtica S. Isidore Haymo and diuers others that testify in lyke manner that our Sauiour saying to his Apostles do this gaue them coÌ„mission and power to sacrifice and thus much for the institution of the masse by our Sauiour THAT THE APOSTLES practysed the commission geuen them by our Sauiours sacrificing or saying Masse them-selues and leauing the vse and practyse therof vnto the Churche and that the ancient Fathers not only in King Lucius tyme but also for the first 500. yeares after Christ teach it to be a true sacrifice and propitiatory for the liuing and for the dead CHAP. XVII NOW then to speake breefly of the practyse of the Apostles and of Gods Churche euer since It being manifest by that which I haue sayd already that our Sauiour himselfe did not only institute offer the sacrifice of his body and blood at his last super but also gaue commission and power to his disciples to do that which he did it cannot be douted but that they executed this power and commission and did not only consecrate and make the body of our sauiour as he did but also sacrificed the same Therefore whereas we read in the Acts of the Apostles that they vsed to assemble themselues together ad frangendum panem to break bread it is doutles to be vnderstood that they offred this sacrifice informe of bread according to the commission coÌ„maundmeÌ„t of our Sauiour that the same was the publike ministery wherein the scripture sayth they were occupied when they were commanded by the holy ghost to segregat Paul and Barnabas whereof it is sayd ministraÌ„tibus illis Domino ieiunantibus c. whyles they were ministring to our Lord and fasting c. which being in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify the ministery of sacrifice in which sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are taken in the scripture when they are vsed absolutely and spoken of any publyke and holy ministery wherof wee haue examples as wel in the epistieto the Hebrewes in dyuers places as also in the gospel of S. Luke author of the Acts of the Apostles who speaking of Zacharias the priest and of his ministery or office which was to offer sacrifice calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore Erasinus of whose iudgement in lyke cases our aduersaries are wont to make no smaâ—e account had great reason to translate the foresayd woords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. sacrificanâ—bus illu Domino c. as they were sacrifycing to our Lord c. and so coÌ„mon was this sence vnderstanding of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sacrifice that the grecians haue no other proper woord for the sacrifice of the Masse Furdermore that the ministery of the Apostles in breaking bread was a sacrifice it appeareth euidetly by S. Paule who to withdraw the Corinthians from sacrificing to Idols did represent vnto them the sacrifice which he and the Apostles did vse to offer in the breaking of bread making a playne antithesis betwyxt the one sacrifice and the other and comparing the bread which they brake as wel with the lawful sacrifices of the Iewes as also with the vnlawful sacrifices of the gentils Of the first he sayth Behold Israel according to the flesh are not those which eate of the sacrifices partakers of the Altar and agayne speaking of the other flie sayth he from the woorship that is to say the sacrifices of Idols and yeilding a reason thereof the cup sayth he which wee blesse
is it not a communication of the blood of our Lord the bread which wee breake is it not a participation of our Lords body and after more playnly those things which the gentils do sacrifice they sacrifice to deuils and not to God I wold not haue yow to be partakers with deuils yow cannot drinke the cup of our Lord and the cup of deuils yow can not be partakers of the table of our Lord and the table of deuils c. Thus farre the Apostle who as yow see euidently compareth or rather opposeth cup to cup table to table Altar to Altar sacrifice to sacrifice and therfore saynt Ambrose vnderstandeth in this place the table of our Lord to be the Altar faying he which is partaker of the table of Deuils mensae Domini id est altari obstrepit doth oppose himselfe against the table of our Lord that is to say the Altar and saynt â—ilary expoundeth it to be mensam sacrifictorum the table of sacrifices Also S. Chrisostome vpon these woords Calix beuedictionis the cup of blessing and the rest that followeth in the text sayth in the person of Christ if thou desyre blood sayth be do not sprinkle the Altar of Idols with the blood of brute beasts but my altar with my blood S. Augustin in lyke sort interpreteth this place of the sacrifice of the Churche saying that S. Paul teacheth the Corinthians ad qoud sacrificuÌ„ debeant pertimere to what sacrifice they ought to belong and Haymo who wrote about 800. yeres agoe sayth that calix benedictionis the cup of blessing which S. Paule speaketh of is that cup which is blessed a sacerdoâ—ibus in Altars of priests in the Altar so that if wee consider the circumstances of S. Paules woords with the interpretation of these learned Fathers it can not be denyed but that he and the other Apostles in the ceremony of breaking bread did not only administer the Sacrament of the eucharist to the people as our aduersaries would haue it but also offer sacrifice Which may sufficiently be coÌ„firmed as wel by the liturgy or masse of S. Iames the Apostle yet extant agreeing with ours for as much as concerneth the substance of the sacrifice as also by a constitution of the Apostles mentioned by S. Clement saynt Peters disciple wherein they decreed that nothing should be offred super Altare vpon the Altar more then our Lord had commaunded and speaking furder in the same decree of the sunday he signifyeth that they exercysed that day 3. seueral acts of religion that is to say euangelij praedictionemâ— oblationem sacrificij sacricibs dispensationem the preaching of the gospel oblation of sacrifice and the distribution of the holy meate that is to say the holy eucharist wherby it is euident that the publyke ministery of the Apostles consisted not only in preaching and ministring the Sacrament of the eucharist but also in oblation of sacrifice here to I may ad the testimony of saynt Andrew the Apostle Who being vrged by Egeas the proconsul to sacrifice to the fals God answered that he sacrificed dayly and distributed to the people the flesh of the immaculat lambe as witnesseth the Epistle of the churches of Achaia declaring the story of his passion besyds that Epiphanius a most auncient Father of the Churche doth testify that all the Apostles did sacrifice who writing against the sect of heretykes called Colliridians and reprehending them woorthely for hauing certayne women priests that offred sacrifice to our lady which could not be offred to any but to God alone sayth it was neuer heard of since the world beganne that any woman did sacrifice neither our first mother Eua nor any of the holy women in the old Testament no nor the virgin Mary her selfe nor the 4. daughters of Philip the deacon though they were prophetesses and then hauing named Zacharias father to saynt Iohn for one that offred sacrifice in the old law he addeth that all the 12. Apostles whome he nameth particulerly did sacrifice whereof it were a sufficient argument though there were no other that those Fathers who partly liued with them and receiued of them the Christian fayth and partly succeeded them immediatly do signify not only the vse of the sacrifice in the Churche in theyr tyme but also their constant and most reuerend opinion thereof as it may appeare sufficiently by that which I haue already aleadged out of S. Clement S. Denis S. Martial S. Iustin and S. Ireneus all which do vniformely teach that Christ deliuered this sacrifice to his Apostles and the last of them to wit S. Ireneus scholer to S. Policarp who was scholer to S. Iohn the Euangelist sayth that the Churche receining it of the Apostels did offer it throughout the world in his tyme which as I haue sayd before was in the tyme of K. Lucius and therfore I shal not neede to enlarge my selfe furder in this matter to produce the testimonies of the later fathers partly because I haue already accomplished my principal intention in this treatyse which is to proue that king Lucius could receaue from the Churche of Rome no other but our Gatholyke Roman fayth as wel in this poynt of the sacrifice of the Masse as in all other which wee professe and partly because in handling and explicating the prophecies and figures of the old testament and the actions and woords of our Sauiour and of his Apostles concerning the institution vse and practyse of this sacrifice I haue already aleadged so many playne and euident testimonies of the fathers that it is needles to aleadge any more Seeing it is most manyfest therby that all those of the first 500. yeares both taught our doctrin in this poynt and vnderstood the scriptures concerning the same as wee doe and that they speake not of this sacrifice as our aduersaries wil needs vnderstand them as of an improper sacrifice but in such sort that they euidently shew their opinions of the propriety verity and excellent dignity therof and therfore in S. Denis scholer to S. Paule it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Budaeus translateth sacrificium sacrificiorum the sacrifice of sacrifices In S. Cyprian verum plenum sacrificium a tiue and ful sacrifice which he sayth the priest doth offer in the person of Christ to God the Father In S. Chrisostome sacrificium tremendum horror is plenum caleste summéque venerandum sacrificium a dreadful sacrifice ful of horror a heauenly most reuerend sacrifice In S. Augustin singulare summum verissimum sacrificium cui omnia falsa sacrificia cesserunt the singuler and the most highest and most true sacrifice wherto all the salse sacrifices of the gentils haue geuen place In Eusebius sacrificium Deo plenum a sacrifice ful of God In S. Iohn Damascen tremendum vitale sacrificium a dreadful sacrifice and geuing lyfe In Theodoretus sacrificationem agni deminies the sacrificing of the
lambe of God and in the first general councel of Nice held by aboue 300. Fathers situm in sacra mensa agnum illum Dei tollentem peccata mundi incruente a sacerdotibus in molatum the lambe of God placed vpon the holy table the which lambe taketh away the sumes of the world and is vnbloodily sacrificed by the priests wherto may iustly be added the doctrin of all the Fathers that this sacrifice is propitiatory for the liuing and for the dead grounded no dout vpon the woords of our sauiour himselfe in his first institution and oblation therof when he said to his Apostles representing the whole Church this is my body which is geuen pro vobis for you that is to say for remission of your sinnes and more playnly in oblation of the cup this is my blood which is shed pro vobis or as saynt Math. sayth pro multis in remissioneÌ„ peccatorum for you for many to the remission of sinnes for this cause saynt Iames the Apostle in his liturgy saith offermius â—â—bi wee offer to thee o Lord the vnbloody sacrifice for our sinnes and the ignorance of the people and saynt Martial the most ancient martyr who as I haue sayd liued with the Apostles affirmeth that by the remedy of this sacrifice lyfe is to be geuen vs death to be eschewed and S. Denis a foresaid cauleth it salutarem bostiam the host or sacrifice that geueth health or saluation S. Athanasius sayth that the oblation of the vnbloody host is propitiatio a propitiation or remission of sinnes Origin cauleth it the only commemoration which makes God mercyful to men S. Cyprian termeth it medicamentum holocaustum ad sanandas infirmitates purgandas iniquitates a medicin burnt sacrifice for the healing of infirmityes and the purging of sinnes S. Ambrose speaking of the Eucharist sayth that Christ offreth him selfe therin quasi sacerdos vt peccata nostra dimittat as a priest that he may forgeue our sinnes S. Augustin considering that all the sacrifices of the old law were figures of this sacrifice as he often affirmeth that amongst infinit others there were some that were called hostiae pro peccato sacrifices for remission of sinne By the sacrifices saith he that were offred for sinnes this one of ours is signified wherein is true remission of sinne and to ad somewhat more hereto concerning the custome of Gods Churche to offer this sacrifice also as propitiatory for the dead S. Iames the Apostle in his liturgy prayeth to almighty God that the sacrifice may be acceptable vnto him for remission of the peoples sinnes and for the repose of the soules of the dead also saynt Clement reacheth for a constitution of the Apostles to offer the holy Eucharist in Churches and Churchyards for the dead S. Chrisostome also often affirmeth it for a decree of the Apostles to offer sacrifice for the dead saying it was not rashly decreed by the Apostles that in the most dreadful mysteries there should be commemoration made of the dead for when the people clergy stand with their hands listed vp to heauen the reuerend sacrifice set vpon the Altar how is it possible that praying for them wee should not pacify the wrath of God towards them S. Gregory Nissen in lyke manner proueth the vtility and profit therof by the authority of the Disciples of Christ that taught deliuered the custome to the Churche as witneseth saynt Iohn Damascen who affirming it to be an Apostical tradition confirmeth the same with the testimonies of S. Athanasius and saynt Gregory Nissen Tertullian often maketh mention of oblations offred for the dead yerely in their anniuersaries aleadging it amongst dyuers other for an ancient custome and vnwritten tradition of the Churche S. Cyprian also mentioneth a constitution made before his tyme that for such as make Priests their executors or tutors to their Children no oblation or sacrifice should be offred after their death which statute he ordayned should be executed vpon one called victor that had offended against the same S. Cyril Byshop of Hierusalem hauing spoken of other parts of the sacrifice of the masse sayth then wee pray for all those that are dead beleeuing that their soules for whome the prayer of the dreadful sacrifice is offred receiue very great help therby S. Augustin sayth that according to the tradition of the ancient fathers the whole Church vseth to pray and offer the sacrifice of the blessed body and blood of Christ for those that are dead and that it is not to be douted but that they are helped thereby and in his book of confessions he signifieth that the sacrifice of our redemption that is to say the blessed body and blood of our Sauiour was offred for his mothers soule when shee was dead S. Gregory the great to declare the excellent effect of the sacrifice of the masse offred for the dead telleth of one that being taken prisoner in the warre and thought to be dead was deliuered on certayne dayes of the weeke of his chaynes and fetters which fel from him so oft as his wyfe caused the sacrifice of the masse to bee offred for his soule and of this S. Gregory taketh witnes of many of his auditors whome as he sayth he presumed did know the same The lyke also in euery respect recounteth venerable Bede our countryman in the story of England which he wrote about 800. yeares agoe of one Imma seruant to King Elbum which Imma being prisoner in the hands of his enemies and chayned could not be tyed so fast but that his chaynes fel of once a day at a certayne hower when his brother called Iunna an Abbot sayd masse for him thinking he had ben slayne and this sayth saynt Bede he thought good to put into his history for that he took it for most certayne hauing vnderstood it of credible persons that had heard the party tel it to whome yt happened To conclude this custome of offring the blessed sacrifice of the masse for the dead was inuyolably kept in the Churche of God euen from the Apostle tyme without contradition vntil Aerius an Arrian heretyke impugned the same all prayer for the dead about 360. yeres after Christ for the which he is put in the Catologue of heretykes by saynt Augustin S. Epiphanius as our aduersaryes deserue also to be for teaching and defending the same haeresy AN ANSVVERE TO THE obiections of our aduersaries out of S. Paules epistle to the Hebrewes with a declaration that the heretykes of this tyme who abolish the sacrifice of the Masse haue not the new Testament of Christ and that they are most pernitious enemies to humain kynd CHAP. XVIII BVT now our aduersaries against vs or rather against these expresse scriptures and Fathers obiect some texts and arguments of S. Paule to the Hebrewes by the which he conuinceth
Catholykes were alienated froÌ„ him his frieÌ„ds in which respect he was fayne to wryte an Apology in defence of his book And at another tyme being him-self in Rome and writing against some vices of the clergy though in general tearmes he receiued such a violent impugnation and persecution of all the bad priests in the cittie that he was forced to depart thence which neuerthelesse how little it impayred his credit in the end he signified 30. yeres after in an epistle to Demetrias wherin he maketh mention of the said treatise that caused all that broyle against him and addeth further quid profuit armasse exercitum reclamantium vulnus conscientiae dâ—lore monstrasse liber mauet homines perierunt that is to say what did it auayle them to arme an army of clamarous men against me and to bewray the wound of their owne conscience by their greef the book is yet extant but the men ar dead and gon thus farre saint Hierome wherby he signifieth that although good men for good workes suffer somtymes great persecutions yet the good woorkes remayne and not only the persecution passeth away but also the persecutors themselues perish and come to nought which by the way I wish the heretyks Fa. Parsons aduersaries to note for let them rayle vpon him slander him and cry our against him neuer so much the memory and monuments that he shal leaue behynd him of his great seruice to God his Churche wil remayne honorable to all posterity when their clamours and slanders shal vanish away lyke smoke and they themselues shal be eyther cleane forgot or els remayne ignominious for their heresy and the persecution of him and other good men S. Chrisostome Bishop of Constantinople the ornament of the east Churche who made coÌ„tinual warre against paganisme heresy vyce as wel by the example of his saintly lyfe as by the force of his eloquence and deuyne preaching was so exagitat by the calumnious and contumelious tongues of heretykes and all sorts of wicked men that he was expelled twyse from his bishopryk by Catholyke Bishops being falsly accused of treasons and many heynous matters and dyed at length in banishment which shortly after God did punish notoriously in all his aduersaryes and calumniatours and in some of them as Palladius noteth by losse of their speech horrible paynes in their tongues in regard no dout of their contumelious speches and slanders geuen out against him and within a few yeres after his death his innocency was made so manifest to all men that his memory was celebrated in the Churche he serued for a great saint of God as he hath ben euer since I omit to speak particularly of S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Augustin S. Gregory Nazianzen and dyuers other notable antagonists of the heretykes of their tymes all of theÌ„ notably caluÌ„niated by their aduersaries whome I say I wil omit for breuityes sake conclude with S. Ciril Bishop of Alexandria the hammer of the NestoriaÌ„ heresy who in his epistle to the clergy of CoÌ„stantinople signifieth that Nestorius the heretyke did send abroad certeyn wicked aud lost companions to defame him euery where as now the heretykes of England deale with father Parsons whom they seek to disgrace and defame by their spyes that they send throughout Christendome whereof the experience hath ben seen these yeares past not only in other places but also in the very Seminaries of his owne erectioÌ„ in Spayne where haue ben discouered within these 2. or 3. yeres dyuers spyes sent from England who counterfeiting great holynes and zeale in religion endeuored nothing els but to alienate the students from the Iesuits their superiours and particulerly from Fa. Parsons filling their eares with such monstrous lyes that if God of his goodnes had not sooner discouered it one of those Seminaries had ben put in as great combustion as was the English colledge at Rome some yeres agoe But S. Ciril who receiued lyke measure at heretikes haÌ„ds as Fa. Parsons now doth shal answere for both who in certeyn letters of his to Nestorius him self saith thus They cast a brode against me reportes no lesse mad then malitious some say I haue iniuriously oprest the poort and blynd others say I drew a sword vpon my owne mother and others that I stole gold with the healp of a mayd seruant and some agayne say that I haue ben always suspected of such wickednes as a maÌ„ would be loth should be fouÌ„d in his greatest enemy But of these fellowes and such lyke I make smalle account least I may seeme to extend the measure of my weaknes aboue my maister and lord yea aboue all my predecessors for whatsoeuer cours of lyfe a man holdeth it is skant possible for him to escape the sharp teeth of malitious wicked backbyters But they hauing their mouths ful of slander malediction shal one day answere for it before the Iudge of all and I in the meane tyme wil discharge my part and do that which becommeth mee to wit admonish thee Nestorius of thy duty as my brother in our lord c. Thus sayd S. Ciril to the heretyk Nestorius and so wil I say in father Parsons behalf to the heretykes his aduersaries to wit that hee litle regardeth their rayling considering he cannot look to be more free from that kynd of persecution then his maister Christ and other seruants of God that haue laboured in the Churche before him and that therfore leauing them to answere for it before the iust and rigorous Iudge he wil in the meane whyle proceed to do his duty towards God and them as heatherto he hath donne repaying their malice with charity their fury with patience their rayling with prayers to God for them their slanderous pamphlets and libels with learned and godly bookes and their employing of spyes abroad to defame him with sending in priests from his Seminaries to conuert them and to saue their soules which is all the hurt he wisheth them for all the rancour and malice they beare him and the iniury they do him for the which he thinketh they rather deserue pitty then hatred for that as saynt Hierome sayth apud Christianos non qui patitur sed qui facit iniuriam miser est that is to say not he which suffreth the iniury but he which doth it is miserable And now to say somewhat particularly though very breefly of his labours in Gods Churche which makes him hateful to the diuel and all heretyks yf wee consider the same and the fruits therof as the soules he gayned to God whyles he was in England the notable bookes he hath written the foure notable Seminaries which he hath erected wherof 3. do stil florish in Spayne and Flanders besydes two residences for priests in S. Lucar and Bishon the important releef of two thowsand crownes rent
that he procured at one tyme for the Seminary at Doway erected by my Lord Cardinal the pacification of the scandalous tumults in the English Colledge at Rome atteÌ„pted by diuers in vayne and reserued as it should seeme by almighty God to him for the testimony of his wisdome and vertue the present gouernment of the sayd Colledge in such tranquility vnity loue such aeconomy discipline and such exercyse of all vertue and learning that it serueth for an example spectacle to all Rome so that all our Seminaries which are now the honour and hope of our afflicted Churche and in tyme wil be the bane of heresy in England haue either ben erected or releeued and repayred or otherwyse exceedingly benefited by him and yf wee consider withall the great care and paynes he hath taken in all this the many long and tedious iourneys to strange and remote countryes the difficulties he hath past by contradiction and opposition somtymes of great parsonages and the prudence longaminity and patience he hath shewed in all and if wee ad therto his religious lyfe so examplar for all kynd of vertue that those which maligne him most can fynd nothing iustly to reprehend therin and therfore to haue somewhat to say against him are fayne either to inueÌ„t manifest lyes such as here I haue touched or els to calumniate his good woorkes with vayne surmises vncharitable suspitions and fals interpretations from which kynd of calumniation neither the innocency of Gods saints nor yet the prefection of our Sauiour himself could be free lastly if with all this wee consider concurrence and manifest assistance of almighty God to his endeuours in the progresse of Catholyke religion in England aduanced â—otably as all men see no lesse by his bookes and other labours then by his Seminaries wee may euidently conclude â—â—ree things the first that God hauing of his infinit mercy and prouidence determined to repayre the wracked walles of our Hierusalem hath raysed him for a special meanes and instrument therof geuing him for that end extraordinary graces and blessings as wel of credit with Princes abroad as also of singuler zeale prudence fortitude longanimity patience and other vertues requisit to so heroycal and excellent a woork and no maruel seeing that for the buylding of his material tabernacle he bestowed vpon some of his people extraordinary gyfts of caruing grauing and woorking in wood or metal all kynd of woork wherof they had no skil before The second coÌ„clusion of these premisses is that it is not possible but that he beeing employed by almighty God in the seruice of his Churche so particulerly and with such fruit as wee see shal be impugned calummated persecuted by Gods enemies for the deuil seking by all meanes to ouerthrow the Churche of God employeth all his instruments and dischargeth the rage of his fury cheefly against those that are the cheef pillers and vpholders thereof The third last poynt is that yf he stil continue to the end and coÌ„summate his cours according to his beginning and proceedings hetherto as by Gods grace he wil he shal not only gayne an eternal crowne of glory in heauen but also leaue to all posterity an euerlasting fame of his Apostolical labours and much the rather for the contradiction hatred and persecution that he receiueth at the hands of Gods enemies which already maketh him famous throughout Christendome and wil euer remayn for an euident argument of his great vertue and merits Thus much I haue thought good to touch breefly and truly here to serue for a counterpeyse to the multitude of malitious slanders that O. E. heapeth vpon him in his two lybels the particular answere whereof I leaue to one that hath vndertaken the same meaning only for my part to examin here a litle furder how truly he auoucheth that none are put to death in England for religion which besydes former examples and many reasons alleadged in my Apology almost euery mannes experience in England may conuince for a notable vntruthe by the martirdome of those which haue suffred in diuers parts within these 3. yeres since the Apology was written EXAMPLES OF DIVERS Catholykes executed since the Apology was written for the same causes that the martirs were put to death in the primatiue Churche and of the great iniustice donne to two Priests condemned at Lincolne by Iudge Glanduyle CHAP. III. I Appeale to the remembrance of al those that were present at the araignment of M. Rigby a lay Gentleman in the yere 1600. whether there was any thing concerning matter of state or the least suspition thereof layd to his charge who being no way accused or called in question for any matter whatsoeuer but comming to the sessions at Newgate of meere charity to excuse the aparance of a Catholyke gentlewoman that was sick was examined of his religion and condemned within a few dayes after for being a reconcyled Catholyk wherof neuertheles he might haue ben discharged yf he would haue consented but only to haue gon to the Churche which was offred him both before the Iury gaue their verdiâ— and also after Further-more what matter of state was so much as obiected to M. Palaser the priest or to M. Talbot and to M. Iohn Norton condemned and executed the same yeare at Durham the first only for being a priest and the other two for hauing ben aquaynted with him not detecting him or to a vertuous wydow the last yere at York for harboring a priest called M. Christopher whartoÌ„ who was executed also with her or to M rs lyne the last yere at London for hauing receiued priests against whome no matter of state but only their religion and priesthood was proued which was also most euident in M. Iohn Pibush M. Mark Barkwoorth at London the last yere M. Robert Nutter M. Edward Thwing M. Thurstan Hunt M. Midleton at Lancaster as also in the case of M. Filcock now this yeare M Harrison at York all of them martyred only for beeing Catholyke Priests and a lay man for hauing receiued the foresaid N. Harrison into his house Therfore can O. E. or any man be so impudent to say that these lay men women dyed not for religion or that the priests for whose cause they were condemned or the other here mentioned were traytors in any other sorte or sence then were the priests of the primatiue Churche accounted in lyke manner rebels and traytors only for doing the function of Christian Catholyke Priests as appeareth in the story of the blessed S. Alban the protomartyr of Britany who was charged by the Iudge to haue receiued into his house conueyghed away rebellem and sacrilegum sacerdotem a trayterous and sacrilegious Priest for that he put on the Priests apparel and so offred himself to be taken by the searchers that the Priest might escape for the which
to make others of the â—emples of the Idols which saint Gregory ordayned shuld â—e donne with casting holy water therin buylding altars â—nd placing relikes of saynts commaunding further that â—easts should be celebrated in the dayes of the dedication of â—he sayd Churches in the natiuity of the martyrs whose â—elykes should be kept there besyds that he appoynted saynt Augustin to be Metropolitan of England and sent him holy vessels and vestiments for altars and Priests and relyckes of the Apostels and martyrs and granted him the vse of the pal ad sola missarum solemnia agenda only for the celebration of solemne masses and further gaue him order to ordayne 12. Bishops vnder himself and to make another Metropolitan at Yorke who when those parts should be coÌ„uerted should haue as many vnder him and be himself after saynt Augustins dayes dependant only vpon the sea Apostolyk and receiue the Pal from the same furthermore saynt Augustin caused King Edelbert to buyld a Church from the ground in honour of the blessed Apostles S. Peter S. Paule and a monastery not farre from Canturbury whereof the first Abbot called Peter was of so holy a lyfe that after his death it was testified from heauen by a continual light that appeared ouer his tombe Also King Edelbert caused S. Paules Church to be buylt in London and another in Rochester dedicated to S. Andrew the Apostle Hereto may be added the exercise of the Popes autority not only in the dayes of King Edelbert but also after in the raygne of other Christian Kings vntil the tyme that saynt Bede ended his history Pope Boniface sent the Pal to Iustus fourth Archbishop of Canturbury after saynt Augustin Honorius the Pope sent also the Pal to Honorius that succeded Iustus and to Paulinus Archbishop of York ordayning at the request of King Edwin and his wyfe that the longer liuer of them should consecrate a successor to the orher that should dy first to excuse so long a Iourney as to Rome The two Kings Oswy and Egbert the one of Northumberland and the other of kent sent Wigard to Rome to be made Primat when both the seas of Canturbury and Yorke were vacant and Wigard dying there Pope Vitalianus made Theodore a grecian primat in his steede Wilfrid Byshop of Yorke being twys vniustly expelled from his Bishoprik appealed both tymes to Rome first to Pope Agatho and after to Pope Iohn and being cleared by their sentences was restored to his Bishoprik and heer I wil ad a woord or two concerning the exceeding great zeale and deuotion of the Saxon Kinges to the sea Apostolyke in those dayes King Oswy determined to goe to Rome in Pilgrimage and had donne it yf death had not preuented him King Ceadwald weÌ„t thether to be baptysed dyed there King Hun his successor after he had raygned 37. yeares weÌ„t thether also in Pilgrimage as many sayth saynt Bede in those dayes both of the layty and clergy as wel women as men were wont to doe King Coenred did the lyke had in his company the sonne of Sigher King of the east Saxons and both of them entred into religion in Rome about the yeare of our Lord 709. not past 22. yeares before S. Bede ended his history which was almost 900. yeres a goe wherto may be added out of later historiographers the lyke examples of the extraordinary deuotion and obedience of our English Kings vnto the sea Apostolyke in â—uery age vntil after the conquest King Inas shortly after S. Bedes tyme about the yeare of our Lord 740. went to Rome and made his Kingdome tributary to the Pope ordayning the Peter pence the lyke did also afterwards Offa the King of the Mercians in the yeare of our Lord .775 Etheluolph King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 847. and made that part of England which his father Egbert had conquered tributary also to the Bishop of Rome King Edward being threatned with excommunication by Pope Iohn the teÌ„th for that he was carelesse to prouide the English Church of Bishops caused Pleimund the Bishop of Canterbury to make many and after to goe to Rome to purge him selfe of his negligence about the yeare of our Lord 920. King Edgar obtayned of Pope Iohn the 13. with licence to giue certayne liuings of secular Priests to Monkes about the yeare of our Lord .965 Canutus King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 1024. S. Edward King of England hauing made a vow to goe to Rome procured the same to be commuted by Pope Leo the nynth into the buylding of a monastery of S. Peter he also confirmed the payment of the yearly tribute to the sea Apostolyke about the yeare of our Lord 1060. which was not past 5. yeares before the conquest after the which there were no lesse notable examples of this matter King Henry the second who by Pope Adrian was first intituled Lord of Ireland sent legats to Rome to craue pardon of Pope Alexander for the murder committed by his occasion vpon saint Thomas of Canterbury where vpon two Cardinals were sent into England before whome the King lyke a publike penitent a priuat person submitted himselfe to the Ecclesiastical discipline in a publik assembly of the cleargy and nobility When King Richard the first was kept prisoner by Frederick the Emperour his mother wrote to Celestinus the Pope calling him the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ quem Dominus constituit super gentes regno in omni plenitudius potestatis whome our Lord had placed ouer nations and Kingdomes in all fulnesse of power and willed him to vse the spiritual sword against the Emperour as Alexander his predecessor had donne against Frederick his Father whome he did excommunicate King Iohn being excommunicated by the Pope was not absolued before he tooke his crowne of froÌ„ his owne head and deliuered it to Pandulfus the Popes legat promising for himselfe and his heyres that they should neuer receiue it afterwards but from the Bishop of Rome I omit others of later tyme seing no maÌ„ I think doubteth but that all the successors of King Iohn liued in the communion and obedience of the Roman Church paying the old yearely tribute called the Peter peÌ„ce vntil the tyme of King Henry the 8. her maiestyes father who being maried to his brother Arthurs widdow by dispeÌ„sation of the sea Apostolyke continued many yeares after in the obedience therof and in defence of the autority of the sayd sea wrote a learned book agaynst Luther for the which the honorable title of defender of the fayth was giuen him by Pope Leo which tytle her maiesty also vseth at this day so that no man can deny that our country was conuerted by S. Gregory to the Roman fayth or that it hath continued therin vntil K.
Henries tyme except he haue a brazen face and a â—eared conscience or els be ignorant of all antiquity But to returne to S. Augustin and those first two hundreth yeres comprysed in the history of S. Bede yf wee consider the notable miracles wherwith it pleased God to confirme this our Catholyke religion in those dayes for his owne glory and the conuersion of the panims no man can â—out that it is the true fayth except he be more faythlesse incredulous then those infidels that were conuerted therby Saynt Bede signifieth that S. Augustin wrought so many miracles whereof he declareth some that S. Gregory wrote vnto him to admonish him not to be proud therof he also declareth very many famous miracles donne by a crosse erected by King Oswald and after by his relickes as wel in Ireland and Germany as England and by the relickes of saynt Eartongatha daughter to the King of Kent and her cosen Edelburg both virgins and nunnes of S. Edelâ—â—eda the Queene that dyed a virgin in a monastery whose â—ody was taken vp whole vncorrupt after many yeares â—â— the discouery whereof diuels were expelled and many â—â—sseasses cured Also he recounteth the lyke notable miraâ—â—es of S. Chad S. Cutbert S. AEdelwald and saynt Iohn a Bishop which they did whyles they were yet liuing and others donne by holy oyle by the blessed sacrifice of the masse all which for breuities sake I omit remitting our aduersaries to the autor in the places aleaged in the margent OF THE FIRST CONUERSION of our country whyles it was called Britany in the tyme of King Lucius with euident proofes that our Catholyke fayth was then preached planted there CHAP. V. BVT for as much as our country hath ben twyse coÌ„uerted from paganisme first in the tyme of the Britains and after in the tyme of the Saxons or English they wil say perhaps that although we proue that the second tyme our Catholyke religion was planted and established there when many errors as they would haue the world to thinke were crept into the Church yet at the first conuersion in King Lucius dayes their religion was taught and deliuered to the Britains which some of their croniclers are not ashamed to intimat to their readers and namely Holinshed who yf my memory fayle me not for I haue not his book here maketh Eleutherius the Pope write a letter to King Lucius more lyke a minister of England then a Bishop of Rome Therefore I wil take a litle paynes to examine this poynt wil make it manifest that our Catholyke religion which saint Augustin planted amongst the English was deliuered 400. yeres before to King Lucius and the Britains by Fugatius and Damianus or as some say Donatianus sent into Britany by Pope Eleutherius in the yeare of our Lord 182. And although no ancient historiographer or writer for ought I haue seene do signify particularly what poynts of religion were preached to King Lucius at his conuersion partly for that matters of so great antiquity are but very breefly and obscurely handled and partly because in those dayes when there was no other but our Catholyke religioÌ„ vniuersally professed this of the protestants not so much as dreamt of it was needlesse to signify the poynts or articles therof for that it could not be immagined to be any other bur the Roman fayth yet in the discourse of the tymes and ages next ensewing the conuersion of King Lucius whyles the fayth which he receiued remayned pure and vncorrupt the cleare light of truth doth snfficiently shew it selfe through the clouds of the obscure breuity wherewith the matters of those tymes are treated To this purpose it is to be vnderstood that as our famous countryman S. Bede testifieth the fayth preached to King Lucius and the Britains remayned in integrity and purity vntil the tyme of the Arrians which was for the space of almost 200. yeares and although he signify that from that tyme forward the people of Britany weare geuen to noueltyes and harkened to euery new doctrine yet it is euident in him that neyther the Arrian heresy nor yet the Pelagian afterwards took any root there or could infect the whole body of the Britain Church but only troobled the peace thereof for a short tyme in so much that it should seeme the first was rooted out by the industry of the good Pastors and Bishops of Britany whereof some were present at the great councel of Sardica held against the Arrians shortly after that of Nice in which respect S. Hilary doth worthely prayse the Britain Bishops for that they wholy reiected the Arrian heresy and the later I meane the heresy of Pelagius which saynt Bede sayth the britains would nullaâ—enus suscipere in no sort receiue was suppressed by S. German and saint Lupus two Bishops of France who at the request of the Britains came into Britany and confounded the Pelagians in open disputation whereby the people were so â—ncensed against the said heretykes that they could hardly â—old theire hands from them and in conclusion banished those that would not yeld to the true Catholyke faith and here vpon ensewed such peace and tranquility in the britan Church that for a long tyme after as saynt Bede testifieth the fayth remayned there intemerata vncorrupt wherby it appeareth that after the expulsion of the Pelagians which was about the yeare of our Lord 450. the Church of Britany reteyned the same fayth that it receiued at the first conuersion and therfore yf we fynd the vse and practise of our religion vntil these tymes it may serue for a testimony that the same was deliuered to King Lucius First we read that presently after the persecution of Dioclesian wherin our protomartyr saynt Alban with some others was put to death about the yeare of our Lord 286. the Christians that had liued before in woods and caues not only repayred the Churches which the persecuters had destroyed but also made new in honour of the martyrs celebrated festiual dayes and buylt amongst others a most sumptuous Church in honour of S. Alban where many miracles were wount to be donne continually vntil the tyme of S. Bede as he himselfe witnesseth afterwards when the Pelagian heresy had somwhat infected the country saynt German going thether out of France to confound the Pelagians at the request of the Britans themselues as I haue declared before appeased a great storme at sea with casting therein a little water in the name of the Trinity which no dout was holy water and being arriued there he restored sight vnto a noble mans daughter applying vnto her eyes certayne relyckes which he caryed about him c. after hauing confuted the Pelagians and reduced all to the purity of fayth as saynt Bede sayth meaning therby the fayth first preached to King Lucius he went to the toomb of S. Alban to geue thankes to God per ipsum by
him sayth saynt Bede that is to say by his meanes or meditatioÌ„ causing the sayd toÌ„be to be opened he placed very honorably therin certayne relickes of the Apostles dyuers other martyrs going to the place where the blood of the blessed martyr was shed he took away with him some of the dust which was stil bloody Furthermore it hapned after in the tyme that the Britans kept their lent a litle before the feast of the resurrection of our Lord that they were molested by the Picts and SaxoÌ„s whyles saynt German was yet there and therefore they craued the help of his prayers and direction dispayring altogeather of theyr owne forces and he vndertaking the conduct of them ordayned that when they should come to ioyne battayle all the army of the Britains should cry out a loud three tymes Alleluya which they did and therewith they put their enemyes to flight and gayned a notable victory This being donne and the affayres of the Iland both spiritual and temporal wel composed saynt Bede sayth the holy Bishops had a prosperous returne partly by their owne merits partly by the intercession of blessed saynt Alban whereby he geueth to vnderstand that such was their opinion according to the great deuotion they had shewed before to the blessed martyr It is also to be gathered playnly out of S. Bede that there were monasteries of Monkes and religious men in Britany before this tyme for speaking of the rebellion of Constantinus against Honorius which was in the yeare of our Lord 407. he sayth that hauing proclaymed himselfe Emperour he made his sonne Constance Caesarem ex monacho Caesar of a monk Here I wish thee to note Good reader that saynt Bede in his breefe introduction to his Ecclesiastical history where he intended to treat specially of the second conuersion of our country in the tyme of the Saxons toucheth the 400. yeares before from the tyme of King Lucius so breefely that he passeth with silence about 350. yeres therof at one tyme and other noting only some things by the way aswel concerning the temporal as spiritual affayres in diuers tymes ages to make some conexion of his history from the beginning Therfore I leaue it to thy consideration what testimony and euidence we should haue found of our Catholyke religion yf he had treated those matters particularly and at large â—eâ—ngâ—n the course of so few yeres as he runneth ouer and in so few leaues lynes of a part only of his first book which is also very breefe wee fynd the practyse of so many poynts of our religion testified and confirmed as buylding of Churches in the honour of martyres the reuerend vse of saynts relyckes and greate miracles donne by the same the intercession of saynts for vs and the custome to prayse and geue God thankes by them also monastical lyfe which includeth vowes of religion and chastity the vse of hollywater the custome which in our Church is yet most frequent of Alleluya whereby it may be gathered that the seruice of the Church out of the which the same no dout was then taken was not in the vulgar tongue finally the keeping of lent easter and others feastes wherby playnly appeareth the vse force of traditioÌ„ in the Church of God without the testimony of expresse scripture and all this we see was vsed in the Church of Britanny when the fayth deliuered to King Lucius was yet in purity which proueth euidently that he was conuerted to the â—ame Catholyke religion that saynt Augustine planted after-wards amongst the English Saxons which wee that be Catholykes professe vntil this day THE SAME IS CONFIRMED and proued out of Gildas CHAP. VI. THis may easely be confirmed out of Gildas the britan surnamed the sage who wrote shortly after the Saxons came into Britany almost 200. yeares before S. Bede in whose treatyse of the distruction of Britany and in his reprehension of the Ecclesiastical men of those dayes it is euident ynough what religion was professed from Lucius tyme vntil his for first speaking of the persecution vnder Dioclesian he sayth that electi sacerdotes gregis domini the chosen Priests of our Lords flock were killed meaning such priests as did offer sacrifice vpon the altar for so he sufficiently interpreteth him selfe when he reprehendeth the negligeÌ„ce or the Britain Priests of his dayes whome he calleth sacerdotes raro sacrificantes ac raro puro corde inter altaria stantes Priests sacrifising sildome and seldome comming to the Altar with a pure harte and tearmeth the Altars venerabiles aras and sacrosancta altaria sedem Caelestis sacrificij the reuerend and holly altars and the seat of the heauenly sacrifice and calleth that which is offred therein sacrosancta Christi sacrificia the holly sacrifices of Christ and further geueth to vnderstand that the hands of the Priestes were consecrated at those dayes as yet they are in the Catholyke Church when holy orders are geuen wherby wee may playnly see that the Priests of our primatiue Church in England and their function consisting principally in offring to almighty God sacrifice vpon the Altar is all one with ours Furthermore treating of the martirdome of S. Alban and his fellowes he sayth that yâ— God had not permitted for che great sinnes of the Britains that the barbarous nations which were entred he meaneth the Picts and Saxons did depriue the People of the toombs of saynt Alban and of the other martyrs and of the place of their martyrdomes the same might stryk vnto them a feruor of deuotion and deuine charity insinuating therby the great consolation and spiritual benefite that the Christians were wont to receiue by the visitation of those holy places Also he sayth that before ful 10. yeares past after that persecution the Christians repayred the old Churches distroyed by the persecutors and buylt now in honour of the martyrs and kept festiual and holy dayes lastly he playnly signifieth that the Christians vsed in his tyme to make vowes of chastity and that their were monasteries wherin religious and monastical life was exercysed for he maketh mention of an holy Abot called Amphibalus and most bitterly reprehendeth two wicked Princes Cuneglasus and Maglocunus the first for marying a widdow that had vowed perpetual chastity and the other for that being become a monke he returned to the world and maryed hauing a former wyfe then liuing wherein he also geueth to vnderstaÌ„d that it was not then lawful for him post monachi votum irritum after the breach of his monastical vow to returne to his owne wyfe and much lesse to mary another To this purpose also it may be obserued in Gildas as before I noted in saynt Bede that vntil the tyme of the Arrians there entred no infectioÌ„ of heresy into Britany therfory hauing signifyed the sincerity and zeale of the Christians after saynt Albans death in buylding Churches of martyrs keping feastiual dayes and
and cauled him Cephas to signify the same the which word Cephas is interpreted Petrus in our Latin translation and Peter in English for where as the Euangelist himselfe expoundeth Cephas by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greeke saying quod interpretatur Petús that is to say which is interpreted a rock the Latin translator saith quod interpretatur Petrus which is interpreted Peter meaning therby also a rock or a man that metaphorically was a rock for other wyse he geueth not the true sence of Cephas nor of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agayne in this sentence tu es Petrus super hanc Petram thow art Peter and vpon this rock c. these words super hanc Petram do playnly expound Petrus to signify a rock for that the pronoun this can not haue so proper relation to any other word as to the next antecedent which is Petrus so that the sence must needs be thus thou art a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Church Here also may be considered the correspondence that the words of our sauiour to S. Peter haue with S. Peters words to him for when our sauiour asked his Apostles quem me esse dicitis who say you that I am he asked not what they called his name but what they sayd was his quality dignity and therfore saynt Peter answered not thou art Iesus which was the name that was geuen him at his circumsision but thou art Messias that is to say the anoynted or as we commonly say Christ the sonne of the liuing God which our sauiour recompensed not by telling him his name which was Simon but by giuing him another name and such a one as signified the office qualitie and dignitie that he bestowed vpon him and therfore he sayd vnto him thou art Cephas or Petrus that is to say a rock or Peter and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche which saynt Leo expresly noteth saying in the person of Christ to S. Peter thus as my father hath made knowen vnto thee my diuinity euen so I make knowne to thee thy excellency that thou art Peter that is to say a rock c. and S. Hierome expounding the same words of our sauiour and speaking also in his person sayth thus because thow Symon hast sayd to mee thou art Christ the sonne of God I also say to thee not with a vayne or Idle speeche that hath no operation or effect but quia meum dixisse fecisse est because my saying is a doing or a making therfore I say vnto thee thow art Peter or a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche thus farre S. Hierom signifieng that Christ both made him a rock and cauled him a rock which yet he declareth more playnly in that which he addeth immediatly as Christ sayth he being himselfe the light granted to his disciples that they should be cauled the light of the world ita Simoni qui credebat in Pertam Christum petri largitus est nomen so to Simon who beleued in Christ the rock he gaue the name of a rock for yf we expound not Petri so the similitude is to no purpose and therfore it followeth immediatly and according to the metaphor of a rock it is truly sayd to him I wil buyld my Churche vpon thee here yow see S. Hierome vnderstandeth Petrum Petram that is to say Peter a rock to be all one and so doth S. Ambrose expounding tu es Petrus thow art Peter he is cauled saith he a rock because he first layd the foundation of fayth amongst the gentils and lyke an vnmoueable stone doth hold vp or susteyn the frame and weight of the whole Christian woork This may be confirmed out of saynt Basil who sayth Petrus dixerat tu es filius deiviui vicissim audierat se esse Petram Peter sayd thou art the sonne of God and heard agayne that he him selfe was a rock which according to our Latin and English translation of the scripture is not trew if Petrus and Peter do not signify a rock and thus wee see that Petrus being spoken in the scriptures of S. Peter and especially in those words of our sauiour Tu es Petrus doth signify a rock no lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greeke or cepha in the Hebrew which in our Latin translatiō is interpreted Petrus in our English Peter In this respect Tertulian in K. Lucius tyme cauleth S. Peter aedificandae ecclesiae Petram the rock where vpon the Church was to be buylt Origen in the same age for he was borne about the tyme of King Lucius his conuersion or within fyue or six yeres after tearmeth him magnū illud ecclesiae fundamentum Petram solidissimam super quam Christus fundauit Ecclesiam that is to say the great foundation of the Churche and the most solid or stedfast rock where-vpon Christ founded his Churche S. Cypriā who florished also within 40. or 50. yeres after the conuersion of K. Lucius hauing rehearsed these words of our sauiour thow art Peter c. concludeth thus super illum vnum adificat ecclesiam suam ills pascendas mandat oue◠suas that is to say vpon him beiug one he buyldeth his Churche and to him he commendeth his sheep to be fed and after declaring the cause therof and the reason why our sauiour made him cheese or head of his Apostles though they were otherwyse equal with him in honour and power of the Apostleship yet sayth he to manifest vnity he cōstituted one chayre and so disposed by his autority that vnity should haue beginning from one and a litle after Primatus Petro datur vt vna Ecclesia Christs Cathedra vna monstretur the supremacy is geuen to Peter that the Churche of Christ may be shewed to be one and one chayre wherby he signifieth that our sauiour to conserue vnity aswel amongst his Apostles as also in his whole Church and to auoyd the occasion of schisme which ordinarily ryseth of pluralitie of heads ordeyned and appoynted one head ouer all to wit S. Peter the which reason ys also obserued by Optatus Miliuitanus and other most learned and auncient fathers who acknowledge neuerthelesse an equalitie of Apostolical autoritie in all the Apostles which I note here the rather for that our aduersaries are wont to obiect the same agaynst the supremacy of S. Peter as though the one did contradict or ouerthrowe the other whereas they may learne of saynt Hierome that although all the Apostles receiued the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen yea and that the strength of the Churche was established vpon them equaly that is to say aswel vpon one of them as vpon an other though not in lyke degree vpon euery one yet sayth he one was chosen amongst twelue to the end that a head being appoynted all occasion of schisme may be taken away and S.
might haue continually a visible head no lesse now in the new law theÌ„ heretofore in the old which was a figure of the new and had a continual succession of Bishops from Aaron therfore I say all the ancient fathers worthely acknowledged this our sauiours institution and this autority of an vniuersal Pastor not only in S. Peter but also in his successors where vpon S. Chrisostome saith that Christ committed the care of his sheep tum Peâ—ro tum Petri successorebus both to Peeter and to Peeters successors and Petrus Bishop of Rauena in his epistle to Eutyches blessed Peeter sayth he liues gouerns stil in his owne seat and Leo magnus affirmeth that Peeter continueth and liueth in his successors and therfore the great councel of Chalcedon abouesayd hauing heard the epistle of the sayd Leo condemning the heresy of Eutyches sayd Petrus per Leonem locutus est Peter hath spoken by the mouth of Leo. In this respect also the blessed martyr S. Cyprian who as I sayd before wrote soone after the conuersion of K. Lucius cauleth the Roman Church CathedraÌ„ Petri ecclesiam principaleÌ„ vnde vnuas sacerdotaelis exorta est the chayre of Peeter the principal or cheef Churche from whence springeth all Priestly vnity signifieng therby that as the vnity of the natural body consisteth in that dyuers members being combyned vnder one head do all receiue from the same the influence of one lyfe so also the vnity of the mistical body of Christ consisteth in that diuers Churches being conioyned vnder one head which is the Roman Churche or chayre of Peter do all receiue from the same the influence of one spirit and doctrin which he declareth playnly in his book of the vnity of the Churche where he sayth eueÌ„ as there are many beames of the Sunne and one light many bowes of one tree and yet one strength founded in one root many brookes flowing from one fountayne a vnity therof conserued in the spring euen so the Churche of our Lord casting foorth her light euery where stretcheth her beames through out the world yet the light is one shee extends her bowes ouer the whole earth spreads her flowing riuers farre neare and yet there is one head one beginning and one fruitful and plentiful mother Thus far this famous martyr who speaking also other where of Peters chayre declareth the miserable state of those that are deuided seperated from the same which I wish our aduersaryes diligently to note there is sayth he one God one Christ one Churche one chayre founded vpon Peeter by our Lords woords an other Altar caÌ„not be erected nor a new priesthood ordayned whosoeuer gathereth any where els scattreth it is counterfeyt wicked and sacrilegious whatsoeuer humain fury doth institute ordayne to violate the ordenance of God and agayne to the same purpose he which holdeth not sayth he this vnity of the Churche doth he beleeue that he holds the fayth of the churche he which forsakes the chayre of Peeter where vpon the churche was fouÌ„ded can he hope to be in the churche Finally this blessed martyr writting to S. Cornelius the Pope calleth the Roman Church Marricem radicem catholicae Ecclesiae the mother root of the Catholyke Churche which he wisheth all men to acknowledge and hold most firmly and transferring the same presently after to the person of Cornelius he sayth that he would haue all his collegues retayne hold stedfastly his communion that is as much to say sayth he as to hold the vnity charity of the Catholyke church geuing to vnderstand that he which doth not communicate with the bishop of Rome the chayre of Peter the fountayne of vnity the root and mother of the Catholyke Churche he is not a member of the same nor gathereth with Christ but scattreth The very same in substaÌ„ce the famous Doctor S. Hierom teacheth as wel of S. Peeter as of his chayre and successors of S. Peeter he sayth that he was therfore chosen of our sauiour one only amongst twelue that a head being appoynted all occasions of schisme diuision might be taken away and of his chayre and successors he sayth to S. Damasus the Pope qui cathedrae Petri iungitur meus est he which is ioyned to the chayre of Peter he is myne and agayne to him in an other Epistle I sayth he following no cheef but Christ am lincked in communioÌ„ with thy beatitude that is to say with the chayre of Peter vpon that rock the Churche was buylt whosoeuer eateth the lambe out of this house is profane if any man be not in the arke of Noe he shal perish in the flud and a litle after I know not Vitalis I refuse Meletius I know not Paulinus whosoeuer doth not gather with thee scattreth he which is not of Christ is of Antichrist thus far S. Hierome of the supremacy of Peeters chayre and particularly of Pope Damasus of whome S. Ambrose in the same tyme acknowledged no lesse saying Ecclesia domus Deâ— dicitur cuius rector hodâ—e est Damasus the Churche is cauled the house of God the gouernour whereof at this day is Damasus with these all other Doctors of the Churche Greekes and Latins agree concerning the supremacy of the bishops of Rome as Epiphanius Athanasius Basilius Gregorius Nazianzenus Chrysostomus Cyrillus Theodoretus Sozomenus Optatus Ambrosius Augustinus Prosper Victor Vticensis Vincentius Lirinensis and Cassiodorus all which did wryte aboue 1000. yeres ago and playnly acknowledged the supremacy of the bishop of Rome as appeareth in the places aleaged in the margent wherto I remit our aduersaries to auoyd prolixitie concluding with the great councel of Chalcedon abouesayd wherein Pope Leo was cauled vniuersal Bishop dyuers tymes besyds that in an epistle written to him by the whole councel it is playnly signified that the Vineyard of our Lord that is to say the Churche was committed to his charge and custody To returne therfore to S. Ireneus in the tyme of King Lucius thou seest good reader how true is that which he sayth of the necessitie and obligation that all faythful people haue to agree with the Roman Churche propter potentioreÌ„ principalitatem for the mightier or more powerful principalitie therof that is to say for the supreme dignity it hath ouer all other churches as the mother ouer her children the head ouer the body and the spring and root of vnity THAT THE BISHOPS OF Rome exercysed supreme authoritie and iurisdiction in the tyme of king Lucius CHAP. X. NOW then let vs consider how the byshops of Rome did exercyse this theyr authority before and in the tyme of K. Lucius and neare vnto the same the which may appeare partly by the appellatioÌ„s out of all parts to the sea Apostolyke and the restitution or deposition of bishops by the
sayd sea and partly by the decrees made by the same for the whole Churche and the censures layd vpon such as would not receiue and obey them Wee read in Tertulian who liued in king Lucius tyme that Montanus Prisca and Maximilla fals prophets in Phrigia being excomunicat and expelled by their bishops came to Rome to be restored by Pope Victor whome they had almost circumuented hauing obtayned of him letters to the churches of Asia for their restitution which letters neuerthelesse Pope Victor reuoked by the aduise of Praxeas who discouered to him their trechery wherof Tertulian complayneth bitterly being then become an obstinate Montanist saying that otherwyse Pope Victor had restored MoÌ„tanus and geuen peace to the churches of Asia lo then how great was the authoritie of the bishops of Rome in forayn remote parts by the testimony of Tertulian who was then an heretyke and a great enemy to the Roman Churche S. Cyprian about 250. yeares after Christ testifyeth that Fortunatus and Felix being deposed in Afrike by him appealed to Pope Cornelius and that Basilides in lyke manner being deposed in Spayne appealed to Pope Steuen who suceeded Cornelius and although S. Cyprian shew that Basilides being iustly condemned did vniustly appeale and deceiue the Pope by fals suggestion that therfore his appellation could not auayle him yet he confesseth that the Pope receiued the appellation wherein he sayth he was not to be blamed but Basilides for deceauing him so that wee see the custome of appealing to the bishop of Rome out of al partes is most ancient whereof I wil also alleadge some other examples of later tymes though aboue 1000. yeres agoe Athanasius being deposed by the Arrians in Greece appealed vnto Iulius the first bishop of Rome and by him was restored 1300. yeres agoe and the ecclesiastical histories do witnesse that not only he but also Paulus byshop of Constantinople Marcellus byshop of Ancira and Asâ—lepa byshop of Gaza and Lucianus of Hadrianopolis were all at Rome at one tyme iniustly expelled from their bishoprikes and that Pope Iulius discussing the crymes obiected to euery one of them tanquam omnium curam gerens propter propriae sedis dignitatem as one that had care of them all for the dignity of his owne sea restored euery one of them to their Churches wrote to the Byshops of the east blaming them for the wrong they had donne them and threatning them that he would not suffer it if they proceeded to do the lyke hereafter S. Chrysostome byshop of Constantinople appealed to Pope Innocentius the first and Flauianus byshop of the same citty and Theodoretus byshop of Cyrus appealed in the same age to Pope Leo who restored Theodoretus as testifieth the great general councel of Calcedon saying restituit ei Episcopatum S inus Archiepiscopus Leo. The most holy Archbishop Leo restored to him his bishoprik And S. Gregory the great byshop of Rome did excomunicate a byshop of Greece called Iohn for that he had presumed to Iudge an other byshop that had appealed to the sea Apostolyke Lastly this custome of appealing to the Bishop of Rome was confirmed by two seueral cannons in the second great general councel held at Sardica in the tyme of Athanasius the great whereat were present some byshops of Britany and this shal suffise for the appellatioÌ„ of byshops to Rome and their restitution Now to speak a word or two of the deposition of Byshops wee fynd an euident example therof within 40. or 50. yeares after the coÌ„uersion of K. Lucius for S. Cyprian wrote to Steuen the Pope to desyre him to excomunicat depose Marcian the Bishop of Arles in France and to substitute an other in his place by vertue of his letters to the people there further desyred him to aduertyse him who should succede him that he the Bishops of Africk might know to whome to direct their letters so that wee see the authority and custome in the Church of Rome to depose forraine Bishops is no new thing nor a iurisdiction vsurped in later tymes by fauour of Christian Emperours seing in the great persecutions in the primitiue Churche when none were more persecuted by the Emperours then the Popes them selues who vntil this tyme were almost all martired they exercysed this authority as their successors haue done euer since indiffereÌ„tly without exception vpon all Bishops whosoeuer yea vpon the 4. principal patriarkes of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem in so much that Nicolaus the first Pope of that name writing to Michael Emperour of Constantinople about a 1000. yeres ago reckoneth 8. Patriarchs of that Churche deposed by Bishops of Rome before his tyme and Flauianus Patriarch of Antioch was deposed by Pope Damasus 1200. yeares ago and although the Emperour Theodosius labored to restore him yet he commaunded him to go to Rome to answere for him selfe and both S. Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople and also Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria were intercessors for him to the Pope to conclude he could not hold his Bishoprik in peace vntil the Pope being pacified was conteÌ„t therwith and promised to receaue his legats therfore Flauianus presently sent him many Byshops and some of the cheef of the Clergy of Antioch Also Pope Sixtus the 3. deposed Polichronius Bishop of Hierusalem I omit later examples wherof there are many to say somewhat of the general decrees of Popes made before or in the dayes of K. Lucius Wee read in Tertullian who as I sayd before florished in King Lucius tyme that the Bishops of Rome made decrees agaynst the heresyes of Montanus and his followers and although Tertulian was then an egregious Montanist himselfe an enemy to the Roman Churche which had condemned his heresyes neuerthelesse in that which he wryteth agaynst one of the sayd edicts he sufficiently sheweth what was the authority of the Byshops of Rome in those dayes recyting the edict in this manner Pontifex Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum dicit c. that is to say the cheef or greatest Bishop the Bishop of Bishops doth say c. wherby it appeareth what was the title of the Bishop of Rome at those dayes for although it should be true that Tertulian being then an heretyk and condemned by the Bishop of Rome vsed those words of Pontifex Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum ironice yet is it manifest that he did it eyther for that such were the tytles of the edict which was most probable or els because he was generally so called at that tyme by all those that held communion with him But before this tyme Pius the first Pope of that name about 160. yeres after Christ made an edict about the keeping of Easter which was after confirmed by Pope Victor the Churches of Asia were excomunicated by him for not receiuing the same But to the end good reader thou mayst the better vnderstand how this
matter passed and euidently see the supreme autoritie of the Bishops of Rome in those dayes it is to be considered that there hauing been from the tyme of the Apostles a different manner of keeping Easter in the Churche of Rome and the Churches of the lesser Asia the Romans keeping it alwayes vpon the sunday according to the tradition of the Apostles S. Peter and saynt Paule they of Asia obseruing the tyme and custome of the Iewes pretending the example and tradition of S. Iohn the Euangelist Pius the first of that name Bishop of Rome desyring to reduce all the Churche to vniformity made a decree that the feast of Easter should be celebrated only vpō sunday but for that the Churches of Asia made great dificulty to leaue their tradition as wel Pius as Anicetus Soter and Eleutherius forbore for peace and quietnesse sake to compel them by Ecclesiastical censures to the obseruation therof but afterwards Victor who succeeded Eleutherius noting that not only those which inclyned to keep the ceremonies of the old law were much confirmed therby in their opinion but also some in Rome namely one Blastus sought to introduce that custome there and Iudaysme withall cauled a councel of the Bishops of Italy neere adioyning and not only caused other councels to be assembled in France but also directed his commaundements to the Bishops of the east to do the lyke namely to Theophilus Bishop of Caesarea as that S. Bede reporteth in these words victor the Pope Bishop of the citty of Rome dixerit authoritatem that is to say directed a commaundement to Theophilus Byshop of Caesarea and Palaestina that it should be determined how the easter should be celebrated there where our Lord the sauiour of the world conuersed Therfore perceptae qutoritate the authority or commaundement being receiued Theophilus assembled Bishops not only out of his owne prouince but also out of diuers other cuntryes and when they were come togeather in great numbers Theophilus protulit autoritatem ad se missam Papae Victoris Theophilus shewed the autority or commaundment that Pope Victor had sent him declared quid sibi operis fuisset iniunctum what was enioyned him to do c. herein by the way I wish to be noted how the Bishop of Rome in those dayes that is to say in the tyme of Lucius exercised his autority in calling of councels both of the Byshops of the Latin or west Church also of the east seing Theophilus Byshop of Palaestina assembled the prelats not only of his owne prouince but also of diuers other by vertue of the commission geuen him by Pope Victor But to proceed yt being determined by all those coūcels that the feast of Easter should be kept on the sunday according to the custome of the Romā Churche Victor the Pope renewed the decree of Pius his predecessor and denounced excomunication against all the Churches of Asia that would not cōforme them-selues therto which though some holy and learned Bishops amongst other Irenaeus thought to bee rigorously done and not with such consideratiō as it seemed to them the peace of the Church required yet none of them nor any of the schismatykes themselues took any exception to his autority as though he had donne more then he might do which no dout they would haue done yf he had exceeded the limits of his power therfore Eusebius sayth that Irenaeus did admonish him that he would not cut of from the body of the whole Church so many Churches for obseruing a tradition vsed amongst them according to an old custome and Nicephorus testifieth that they aduised him vt benignius statueret that should determine therof with more benignity and myldnes wherin wee see Pope Victors authoritie and power to excommunicat all other Bishops sufficiently acknowledged though there was question of the iustnesse of the cause and conueniency of the fact neuerthelesse yt appeared afterwards by the determination of the whole Churche of God yea of the greatest part of the Asian Churches themselues that Victor had reason in that which he did for as Nicephorus testifieth not only Asia did at lēgth yeild therin but also vbique terrarum in orbe decretum est it was decreed through out the world that the feast of Easter should be celebrated vpō the sunday in so much that those which would not yeild therto were held for heretykes cauled quarta decimani for so they are accounted and termed by Nicephorus saynt Augustin Epiphanius Philastrius and the councels of Antioch and Laodicea and to conclude this poynt yt shal not be impertinent to the matter in hād to consider how this controuersy about the keeping of easter ended many yeares after in England betwyxt the English Byshops mayntayning the custome of Rome and the Scottish that were Schismatykes and obserued the custome of Asia which venerable Bede recounteth saying that Bishop Colman with his Scotish elergy being assembled in Northumberland with Agilbert Bishop of the east Saxons his Priests Wilfred and Agathon in the presence of King Oswy after long debating the matter on both sydes Wilfred answered to Colman who relyed vpon the autority of Anatholius and Columba his predecessors although quoth he Columba was a holy man yet could he not be perferred before Peter the most blessed Prince of the Apostles to whome our Lord sayd thou art Peter and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche hel gates shal not preuayle against it and to thee I wil geue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen when Wilfrid had sayd this King Oswy who had ben brought vp by the Scots and infected with their schisme asked Colman wheather he could proue that so great autority was geuen to Columba and Colman answered no and do you on both syds sayth the King grant without controuersy that this was sayd principally to Peter and that the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen were geuen him by our Lord and both parts answered yea nay then quoth the King merily I assure yow I wil not in any thing contradict that porter but as farre as my knowledge and power shal extend I wil obey his commaundments least perhaps when I shal come to heauen and haue him my enemy that keepeth the keyes no man wil open me the gates The King hauing sayd thus all that were present both litle and great sayth saynt Bede allowed therof and yeilded to receiue the Catholyke custome of keeping Easter on the sunday Thus wee see this great controuersy ended also in England neere a thousand yeres agoe by the autority of the sea Apostolyke so that to returne to Pope Victor wee may truly say he had the victory or rather that saynt Peeter by him and his successors vanquished all such as opposed themselues to this traditiō of the Roman Churche Seing then in the tyme of K. Lucius the Bishops of Rome both claymed and exercised supreme authority ouer all
in heauen or earth but yf wee consider the circumstances the end and reason of the commaundement it maketh nothing at all against vs for it is manifest that the scope and end therof is only to forbid Idolatry and the making of Idols that is to say such Images only as are made with intent to adore them for Gods and therfore as Tertulian noteth expresly it presently followeth non adorabis ea neque coles thou shalt not adore nor worship them which yet appeareth more playnly in Leuiticus where the same prohibition being renewed the intent or end is expresly added ad adorandum according to the Septuaginta or as S. Hierome translateth it vt adoretis that is to say to the end to do godly honor therto so that where that end or intent is not the making or vse of an Image is not forbidden for that it is no Idole and therfore the Septuaginta in steede of Sculptile haue Idolum for that a grauē Image is not to be vnderstood to be forbidden by that commandment but when it is an Idole which interpretatiō of the Septuaginta both Origin and Theodoret do follow in that place as I haue noted before besydes that almighty God commaunded afterwards the brazen Serpent to be set vp in the wildernes also Cherubins in the tēple where the Iewes were wount to adore the which had ben contrary to his owne commaundement yf he had absolutly forbidden the making of Images or hauing them in temples and Churches yea wee may playnly gather out of saynt Hierome that there was woorship and reuerence donne to the Cherubins for he sayth that the Sancta Sanctorum was woorshiped of the Iewes because the Cherubins the Arke and the Manna were there to which purpose saynt Austugin geueth a general rule in his book of Christian doctrin saying that all profitable signes instituted by almighty God ought to be reuerenced and woorshipped for that the honor donne to them doth passe to that which they represent in his book of the blessed Trinity speaking of signes that being dedicated to some religious vse deserue veneratiō he putteth for example the brazen Serpent set vp in the wildernesse which neuertheles was afterwards worthely destroyed by K. Ezechias when the Iewes committed Idolatry therto who douteth but that the holy scriptures holy vessels or any other thing dedicated to the seruice of God is to be vsed with reuerēce respect that God is honored therby So that neither the making of Images ordayned for Gods honor seruice nor yet the reuerend vse therof was forbidden by that comandemēt but only the abuse which was Idolatry and therfore our aduersaries do shamefully abuse the people and impudently bely vs when they say wee make Idols of the Images of Christ and his saynts shew themselues very grosse in that they seeke to abolish altogeather the vse of Images or pictures because some abuse perhaps is or may be incident therto for there is nothing in the world so necessary so excelent or holy but yf it be vsed it is or may be abused the remedy wherof is not to take away wholy the vse of the thing but to correct the abuse as not to forbid wyne to all men because some are drunk therwith but to teach drunkards to vse it with moderation and hereof the Churche hath such care in the matter of Images that the people are sufficiently instructed of the vse therof by their curats pastors and preachers in so much that no Catholyke man nor yet any chyld I dare say that hath but learned his Catechisme is ignorant that the image of Christ is no more Christ himselfe then the Image of the Queene is the Queene and that the honor donne therto resteth not in the Image but redoundeth to Christ who is represented therby and therfore is no more Idolatry then the reuerence donne to the Queenes picture or cloth of estate is treason To come then to the practyse of the Churche the vse of images was not only alowed but also ordayned by a cannon of the Apostles wherin they decreed that the image of our Sauiour Iesus Christ God and man and of his saynts should be made by the hands of men and erected against Idols and Iewes for the confusion of both So farre were they from thinking the vse of Images to be Idolatry that they ordayned the same for confusion and ouerthrow of Idols and Idolaters and it is not to be douted that the Apostles made such a decree for the vse of Images seeing the seuenth general councel of Nice maketh mention therof relying vpon the authority of saynt Basil affirming that it was ordayned by the Apostles that Images should be erected and honored besyds that Pamphilus the martyr doth testify that he found in Origens library the decrees of the Apostles made at Antioch amongst the which is this the which may also bee confirmed by the vse and practyse of the Churche of God since the tyme of Christ and his Apostles Wee read that Nicodemus that came to Christ by night made an Image of him crucified and that before his death he gaue it to Gamaliel who deliuered it to Iames byshop of Hierusalem and he to Simeon and Simeon to Zacheus and Zacheus to his successors and that so it passed from one to an other vntil the Christians were forced to remoue from thence to Beritus a citty of Siria where afterwards the Iewes finding it vsed it most opprobriously pearced it with a lance out of the which issued great aboundance of blood that did many miracles and this was so notorious that the blood was sent to dyuers parts and a feast celebrated in Greece in memory therof in the moneth of Nouember this story was read in the second councel of Nice and approued by 350. byshops aboue 800. yeres agoe Eusebius witnesseth that the woman which was cured by our sauiour of a flux of blood did set vp in the citty of Caesarea in memory of the benefit a brazen Image of our Sauiour and that there grew an herb at the foot therof which when it once touched the hem of his garment had the vertue to cure all disseases and this Image Eusebius sayth he saw himselfe in his tyme and the ecclesiastical histories written after do signify that it remayned there vntil Iulian the Apostata caused it to be taken doune and his owne Image to be set vp in the place which was shrotly after ouerthrowen and burnt with fyre from heauen wherin it is to be noted that almighty God did not only confirme the vse of Images by the continual miracles of the hearb but also in destroying the Image of Iulian set vp in the place of his shewed his indignation towards all such as contemne his Image or do any iniury therto Eusebius also sayth that he had seene ancient Images of S. Peter saynt
Paule kept by the Christians in his tyme. Euagrius Nicephorus and S. Iohn Damascen do declare that amongst other auncient monuments of the Citty of Edessa therwas a long tyme kept a true portrait of our sauiour Christ which he himselfe sent to Abgarus king of that citty and Leo a reader of Constantinople affirmed before the whole councel of Nice aforesayd that he had seene it and Euagrius and Theophanes recount great miracles donne therby in so much that the Greekes celebrated a solemne feast therof in September as appeareth in the menologio or kalender of the Greekes Nicephorus also sayth that the holy Euangelist S. Luke did draw the true pourtraicts of our blessed Lady and the Apostle S. Peter which was kept at Constantinople in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperour Tertullian maketh mention of the picture of our sauiour in the forme of the good sheepheard carying a sheepe vpon his back ordinarily paynted vpon the chalices that were vsed in the Churche in his tyme which was in the raygne of king Lucius so that there is no dout but the vse of Images and pictures hath ben receiued in the Church of God euer since the Apostels tyme although by reason of the great persecutions vnder the Pagan Emperours they could neither be so frequent nor publyk as after they began to bee in the tyme of Constantine the great who buylding gorgious temples adorned the same not only with the signe of the crosse but also with the Images of our sauiour and of the twelue Apostels of Angels and of S. Iohn Baptist. S. Augustin noteth that the paynims might see our sauiour Christ paynted with S. Peter and S. Paule in many places S. Hierome coÌ„mendeth the feruor and deuotion of Paula that went vp the mountayne of Caluary and prostrayting her selfe before the Crosse adored it as though she had seene our sauiour hanging theron S. Chrysostome in his liturgy which Erasmus translated signifieth that the priest going foorth with the gospel in his hand and a candel caried before him vsed to bow downe his head to do reuerence to an Image of Christ. S. Basil S. Gregory Nissen Euodius Prudentius and S. Paulinus do make honorable mention of the Images of S. Barlaam S. Theodorus S. Steeuen S. Cassian S. Martin in Churches in their tyme which was 1200. yeres agoe and yf good reader I should alledge the testimonies of all the fathers that from the tyme of Constantine did witnes approue the publyk vse of Images in the Churche I should write a whole volume of this matter and therfore it may suffyse the to vnderstand that although some auncient Fathers as S. Ireneus Epiphanius and S. Augustin do reproue somtymes the abuse of some Images as that the heretykes called Gnostici and others of the sect of Simon placed the images of Christ and of S. Peter and S. Paule with other of Pithagoras Homer Aristotle Helen Minerua and such lyke and adored them as Gods with sacrifices and incense after the manner of the gentils yet they neuer disalowed the lawful vse therof and therfore those that haue at any tyme reiected the â—ame haue ben alwayes noted and abhorred of all as heretykes and called Iconomachi or Iconoclastae against whome was assembled 800. yeres agoe the seuenth great general Councel at Nice where they were condemned for heretykes and woors then Samaritans by 350. Bishops OF THE RELICKS of Saynts CHAP. XIII NOW to say somewhat of holy relicks There is no dout but the vse thereof proceeded of the examples in H. Scripture of the great miracles doÌ„ne by the touching of Christs garment by the handkerchef and gyrdle of S. Paule by the shadow of S. Peter and in the old Testament by the body of Elizeus wherewith a dead man was reuiued by all which the first Christians were â—nduced to reuerence and honour euery thing that pertayned to the seruants of God and to expect consolation therby wherfore when S. Peter and S. Paule suffred at Rome the Christians of the east came thether to haue theyr relycks as belonging to them by right for that they were their cuntrymen when S. Ignatius who was thyrd byshop of Antioch after S. Peter was martyred at Rome the ChristiaÌ„s caryed his relickes with great solemnity to Antioch and as S. Chrysostome testifieth many miracles were donne by the same At the martyrdome of S. Policarp byshop of Smyrna who also liued in the Apostles tyme was put to death not aboue 12. yeres before king Lucius receiued the sayth the Christians of his diocesse that were present gathered vp his relikes vsed them with great reuereÌ„ce as they themselues witnessed in an epistle which Eusebius recyteth at large wherin amongst other things they say thus Afterwards hauing gathered out of the ashes his bones more worthy then precious stones and more pure then gold we placed them in a place seemely and fit for them where assembling our selues sometymes wee may by the help of our Lord celebrat the day of his martyrdome as of his natiuity with great ioy and exultation thus farre the ChristiaÌ„s of the Churche of Smyrna S. CipriaÌ„ besydes the yerely celebration of martyrs feasts maketh often mention of oblations and sacrifices offred in memory of them so doth also Tertullian so that by these testimonies it appeareth that in the tyme not only of King Lucius but also of the Apostles and their Disciples the relikes of Gods seruants were kept and highly honored and feasts of their martyrdome celebrated vnder tytle of their natiuityes as stil it is vsed in our Cathol Churche and no maruel seing the Christians at that tyme vsed to creep and kisse their chaynes whyles they were yet liuing in prison as Tertullian witnesseth and yf we coÌ„sider the vniforme consent of all fathers in all ages concerning this poynt wee may wel wounder at the malice of our aduersaries that do deny it especially seing in the primatiue Church it was so euident that the very paynims knew it and therfore were wont to cast the ashes bones of the martyrs into riuers or otherwyse to make them a way to the end the Christians should not recouer them and Eunapius Sardianus of Alexandria a paynim writteth that the Christians in his tyme honored their martyrs being dead kneeling and prostrating them selues before their tombs and making them their Embassadours to deliuer their prayers to God But to returne to the fathers of the Churche S. Augustin to confound the gentils reherseth many miracles donne by the very flowers that had but only touched the rehearies where the relickes of saynts were kept S. Gregory Nissen sayth that the Christians that came to the tombs of saynts did take it for a great fauour that they might be suffred to cary away some of the dust that was about the same S. Augustin also telleth
that the sonne of one Irenaus was restored to lyfe being anoynted only with the oyle of a lamp that did hang before the tomb of a martyr in lyke manner Theodoret Venantius Fortunatus Paulus Diaconus recount wonderful miracles donne by the oyle of lamps that burned by martyrs tombs yea S. Gregory Nazianzen sayth of his owne knowledge that not only a litle dust or bone of the martyrs but also the very remembrance of them supplyeth sometymes the want of their whole bodyes and concludeth with this exclamation O rem predigiosam salutem assort sola recordatio o prodigious thing the only remembrance of them giueth health and in his oration in prayse of S. Ciprian he calleth to witnesse many that knew by their owne tryal and experience what great vertue power was in this very dust ashes to expel diuels to cure diseases and for the foreknowing of things to come S. Ambrose asketh why faythful men should not honour relickes of saynts which the very diuels reuerence and feare who also signifieth that he had a reuelation from almighty God of the place where the bodyes of S. Ceruas and Protase were buryed in Millan wher-vpon he took them vp with great solemnity as S. Augstin also witnesseth who was present and reporteth a great miracle of a blynd man that recouered his sight at the same tyme and diuels expeld by the merits of those blessed martyrs S. Chrisostome proueth against the Painims by the honour donne to saynts relicks that Christ is God to whose power and omnipotency he sayth it is to be ascrybed that his disciples and seruants who whyles they were liuing did seeme most contemtible became after they were dead more venerable then Kings in so much that at Rome and Constantinople Kings and praesidents sayth he runne to the tombe of a fisher and take it for a great fauour that their bodyes may be buried not hard by the Apostles bodyes but without the circuit of their tombs and be made as it were porters of Fishermen Furthermore in his book against the gentils where he discourseth at large of the lyfe death of S. Babilas the martyr he signifieth that his body being placed in the suburbs of Antioch neare to a temple where there was an Oracle of Apollo it put the diuel to silence and when Iulian the Apostata thought by the remoue of it to remedy the same the Temple and Idole were presently after destroyed with fire from heauen wherwith as saynt Chrisostome testifieth Iulian and all the gentils were wounderfully confounded and so may our heretykes be in lyke manner seing that they not only impugne with them this euident argument of the diuinity of Christ but also hold that for Idolatry which maistreth the diuel ouerthroweth Idols and confoundeth Idolaters I omit infinit others for breuities sake conclude with saynt Hierome who declareth the custome of the whole Churche of God both in his tyme and longe before therby to confute Vigilantius the heretyke that taught the same doctrine in this behalfe that our heretykes teach at this day whosoeuer sayth he adored martyrs who euer taught men to be God yt greueth vigilantius to see the relickes of martyrs couered with costly and precious veyles belyke Constantin the Emperour committed sacrilege when he translated to Constantinople the holly relyckes of saynt Andrew S. Luke S. Timothe wheraâ— the diuels roare and now also Arcadius the Emperour belyke committeth sacriledge who after so long tyme hath translated the bones of Samuel the Prophet into Thratia and all the Bishops that caryed the ashes laye in silk and in a vessel of gold are to be condemned for fooles and sacrilegious persons yea then the faythful people of all Churches are fooles also for going to receiue the same with no lesse Ioy then if they had serue the Prophet aliue in so much that froÌ„ Palestina to Calcedon ther was all the way 〈◊〉 of people that with one voyce sounded forth the praise of Christ lastly so shal wee say that the Bishop of Rome doth il when he offreth sacrifice to our Lord ouer S. Peter and saynt Paules venerable bones as wee tearme them though thou caulest them vâ—le dust and when he taketh their tombs for the altars of Christ lo here good reader the vse of Images and relykes and the honor due to them approued by the Fathers of all ages confirmed by the custome of all Christian nations ratyfied by miracles acknowledged by infidels and Paynims confessed by diuels and yet denied and deryded by the heretyks of this tyme are they not then more obstinat and malicious then heathens yea then diuels themselues THAT OVR DOCTRIN concerning the sacrifice of the Masse was generally receiued and beleued in the tyme of king Lucius first that it was foretold prophecyed by Malachias CHAP. XIIII BVT I wil passe to an other importaÌ„t poynt I mean the sacrifice of the Masse to see whether our doctrin concerning the same or theirs was deliuered by our sauiour to the Apostles and taught in king Lucius tyme or no. The sacrifice of the Masse consisting in the oblation of the blessed body and blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ was prophesyed by Malachias praefigured by the sacrifice of Melchifedeth instituted and offred by our sauiour at his last supper deliuered by him to his Apostles practysed by them and by the Churche of God euer since Malachias the Prophet foretelling the reiection of the Iewes and the election of the gentils signifieth withall the translation of the Iewes law and priesthood into a new law and a new priesthood and compareth or rather opposeth the priests of the one to the priests of the other sacrifice to sacrifice place to place altar to altar and a poluted bread which they were woÌ„t to offer only in Hierusalem to a cleane oblatioÌ„ which should be offred to God amongst the Gentils euery where throughout the whole world saying to the priests of the Iewes in the person of God that seing they dispysed his name and offred vpon his altars a polluted bread and blynd and lame sacrifices non est mihi voluntas in vobis c. sayth hee my wil is no longer to be serued of you neyther wil I accept any more sacrifice at your hands for my name is great amongst the Gentils euen from the east to the west there is a cleane oblation offred to my name in euery place c. Thus farre the Prophet who cannot be vnderstood to speake of any other sacrifice then of the Masse which being nothing els but the oblation of the blessed body and blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ in forme of bread and wyne is a most pure and cleane oblation and cannot be polluted by the wickednes of the priests as the bread offred in the old law was wont to be to which purpose it may be noted that the Prophet speaking of dyuers kinds of sacrifices some consisting
of beasts or catel which he signifyed by the words blynd and lame and other in bread he attributeth the word polluted or defiled to the bread only not without mistery to oppose therto the cleane sacrifice of the gentils in forme of bread cauling it a cleane oblation and putting the special force of the antithesis betwyxt the figure and the verity for that the shew bread or bread of proposition being as S. Hierome sayth the bread which the priests polluted was a proper figure of the holy eucharist as he also testifyeth Furdermore this sacrifice cannot be vnderstood of the sacrifice of our sauiour vpon the crosse which was offred only once and in one place and not amongst the gentils neither yet of spiritual sacrifices as of thankes geuing prayer fasting and other good workes which are improperly cauled sacrifices and therfore it is to be noted that whensoeuer this woord sacrifyce is improperly taken in the scripture some other woord is alwayes ioyned thereto to signify the same as hâ—stiae laudis saecrificium iustitiae Saecrificium cordis contriti the host or sacrifice of prayse the sacrifice of iustice the sacrifice of ae contrit hart and on the other syde whensoeuer it is alone without any woord adioyned to restrayne or diminish the sence as it is in this prophesy it signifyeth a true and proper sacrifice This difference may wel be noted where it is said miscricordiam volui non sacrificium I wil haue mercy and not sacrifice and agayne obedientiae est melior quam victima obedience is better then sacrifice in which sentences sacrifyce properly taken is opposed to mercy and obedience which also may improperly be cauled sacrifices as wel as thankes geuing prayse of God or any other good worke whatsoeuer Agayne the prophet speaketh heere of a sacrifice or oblation which should be but one cauling it a cleane oblation but the spiritual sacrifices are as many as there are good woorkes of the faythful Also he speaketh of a sacrifice proper to the new law and to the gentils such a one as should succeede the sacrifices of the Iewes and be offred in steede therof but spiritual sacrifices haue ben in all tymes and common both to Iewes and gentils But howsoeuer other men may vnderstand this prophesy our aduersaryes cannot with any reason expound it of the good woorks of Christians seeing they teach that the best woorkes of the iustest men are polluted and vncleane sinful and damnable which therfore cannot according to their doctrin be that sacrifice which almighty God himselfe cauled by the mouth of his prophet a cleane oblation Lastly the most learned and auncient fathers of the Churche do vniformly expound this prophesy of the sacrifice of the masse as S. Iustin the learned Philosopher and famous martyr within 150. yeres after Christ sayth that of the sacrifices of the gentils that are offred in euery place videlicet the bread and cup of the Eucharist Malachâ—â— the Prophet euen then spoke and foretold that wee should glorify his name therby Ireneus also hauing declared in what manner our sauiour did institute the blessed SacrameÌ„t of the Eucharist at his last supper and that the Churche receyuing the same of the Apostles offreth it to God throughout the world addeth de quo in duodecim prophetis Malachias sic praesignificauit non est mihi voluntas in vobis c. that is to say wherof Malachias one of the twelue prophets did signify before hand speaking to the Iewes in this manner my wil is no longer to be serued by you c. S. Chrysostome hauing alledged the same Prophesy concludeth Behold sayth he how clearly and playnly he hath interpreted the mistical table which is the vnbloody host He that listeth to see more testimonyes of the fathers let him read Tertulian S. Ciprian S. Hierome S. Augustin S. Ciâ—il Eusebius Theodoretus and S. Ihon Damascen in the places alledged in the margent THAT NOT ONLY THE SACRIFICE of Melchisedech but also the sacrifices of the old law were figures of the sacrifice of the masse are changed into the same and by the way is declared the necessity of sacrifice as wel for common welth as for religion CHAP. XV. NOw to speake of the sacrifice of Melchisedech I think our aduersaries wil not deny that our sauiour was and is a Priest according to the order of Melchisedech and that he shal be so for euer as the Prophet Dauid testifieth of him saying tu es sacerdos in eternuÌ„ secundum ordinem Melchisedech thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech the which saynt Paule also sheweth amply in his epistle to the Hebrews the which being granted two things do euidently follow thereon The first is that for as much as priesthood and sacrifice ar correlatiues and cannot be the one without the other in which respect saynt Paule sayth that a Priest or Bishop is ordeyned vt offer at dona sacrificiae to offer gifts and sacrifices agayne that our sauiour being a Priest must needs haue somewhat to offer and seing his sacrifice vpon the crosse was offred by him but once neither can euer be reiterat in that manner and therfore cannot be that continual sacrifice which must needs correspond to his eternal priesthood bee continually offred in his Church I coÌ„clude that besydes his sacrifice vpon the crosse he did institut and leaue behind him some other to be offred dayly not only for remission of dayly sinnes but also for a most deuine act of religion wherby all faythful people may dayly do to almighty God the due worship seruice they owe him the which kind of worship by publik sacrifice was not only vsed in the law of Moyses but also in the law of nature is so due to God from man and proceedeth so â—â—rinsecally from the very grounds and principles of nature it selfe that their can be no perfect religion nor good common welth without it For as for religion whereas the special office and end therof is to acknowledge by external acts the seruice and subiection wee owe to our Lord and creator and the dominion he hath ouer vs it is manifest that no external act of religion doth so fully and conueniently expresse and signify the same as sacrifice wherby wee gratefully offer to almighty God his owne creatures not only rendring him part of his owne gifts and yeilding him thankes therfore but also destroying them in his honour to testify as wel that he is souuerayn Lord of lyfe and death as that we hold our beeing and all wee haue of him and depend wholy of his wil and prouidence yea and that we owe our owne lyfe to him in sacrifice and doe as it were redeeme the same with the death or destruction of an other creature in signification wherof he which in the old law did present to the priest any beast to be sacrifised did hold him by
it is also to be noted that the most ancient and learned fathers do teach that the sacrifices of the old lawe as wel bloody as vnbloody were figures of this sacrifice the which they affirme not only of the bread of proposition and the flowre which was offreâ— for them that were cleansed from leprosy but also of the sacrifice of the Paschal lambe and saynt Augustin teacheth expressely that all the sacrifices of the old law were no lesse figures of this sacrifice of the Churche then of the sacrifice of of the crosse â—aying that singulare sacriflâ—sum c. the singuler or most excolleÌ„t sacrifice which spiritual Israel that is to say the Churche doth offer euery where according to the order of Melchisedech was signified by the shadowes of sacrifices wherein the people of the Iewes did serue and agayne in the same place he sayth that omnia genera priorant sacrificiorum all kinds of former sacrifices were shadowes of the sacrifice of the Churche Whereof the reason may be gathered out of him selfe to wit because this sacrifice of the Churche is the selfe same that was offred vpon the crosse that is to say our sauiour him selfe whome all the sacrifices of the old law did properly prefigure the which reason S. August seemeth himself to yeild saying that our sauiour sent those whome he healed of their leprosy to the Priests of the old law to offer sacrifice because the sacrifice which was to be celebrated in the Churche in steede of all the sacrifices of the old law was not then instituted and geuing as it were a further reason therof he sayth qiâ—a illis-omnibus ipse praenunsciabatur because he him selfe was fore shewed or signified by them all as though he should say that for as much as our sauiour who was prefigured by all the sacrifices of the old law was to bee offred in the sacrifice of the Churche or new law therfore the sayd sacrifice of the Churche was also prefigured by all those former sacrifices to be offred in steede of them which other where he teacheth expressely in these woords the table sayth he which the priest of the new testament that is to say our sauiour Christ doth exhibit is of his owne body and bloodâ— for that is the sacrifice which succeedeth all the sacrifices of the old law that were offred in shadow or figure of that which was to come and a litle after in steede of all those sacrifices his 〈◊〉 is offred and ministred to the commâ—â—nants thus farre saynt Augustin to whome I wil ad twoo or threâ— other of the most famous fathers of the churche S. Leo surnamed the great sayth now that the varietyes of carnal fleshly sacrifices dâ— ceasse thy body aud blood o Lord doth supply for all the differences of hosts and sacrifices in the old law And S. Chrisostome hauing mentioned particulerly the many and diuers sacrifices of the old law addeth all which the grace of the new testament doth comprehend in one sacrifice ordeyning one the same a true host in which woords saynt Chrisostome meaneth the sacrifice of the Eucharist which he cauleth a litle before the mistical table a pure and vnbloody host a heauenly most reuerend sacrifice which also he confirmeth other where saying that Christ did change the sacrifices of the old law and in steede therof commanded himselfe to be offred in the eucharist Lastly S. Cyprian speaking of the flesh of our sauiour left to his Churche for a sacrifice sayth that it was so to be prepared that it might continually be offred least yf it were consumed as other flesh is that is bought in the market and eaten it could not suffice for all the christian world to serue them for an host or sacrifice of christian religion in so much that he affirmeth that yf it were consumed it semed ther could be no more religion signifying therby not only the necessary concurrence of religion and sacrifice whereof I haue spoken before but also that the sacrifice of the masse is the proper sacrifice of the new testament and that the eternity of the said testament dependeth vpon the eternity of this sacrifice which is the first point that as I vndertook to proue doth necessarily follow of the eternal priesthood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech The secoÌ„d poynt which I gather of Christs Priest-hood is that seeing he fulfilled the figures of all the bloody sacrifices offred by the Priests of the order of Aaron of which order he himselfe was not it were absurd to say that he fulfilled not the special proper sacrifice of Melchisedech of whose order he was The proper sacrifice of Melchisedech consisted in bread and wyne as it appeareth in genesis where it is sayd that when Melchisedech went to meete Abraham protulit or as saynt Cyprian also readeth it obtulit paneÌ„ vinum he brought forth or offred bread and wyne and to shew that reason therof it followeth immediatly â—rat cum saâ—erdot Dei altissimi for he was the Priest of the highest God wherby it is signified that bread and wyne were the proper obiects wherein he exercised his priestly function and the only matter of his sacrifice But for as much as the vnderstanding of this scripture is much controuersed betwyxt vs and our aduersaries who deny that Melchisedechs sacrifice consisted of bread and wyne which they say he brought forth only to releeue Abraham and his company and not to offer to God in sacrifice I remit me to the opinion or rather to the vniforme coÌ„sent of the most ancieÌ„t learned fathers of the Churche who do not only vnderstand this scripture as wee do but also teach that Christ fulfilled this figure of Malchisedechs sacrifice at his last super Clemens Alexandrinus doth signify that Melchisedech did with some particuler ceremonies consecrat or dedicat the bread and wyne whiche he gaue to Abraham for he sayth that he gaue him panem vinum sanctificatum nutrimentu in typum euchaâ—istis a sâ—â—ctified or consecrated meate in figurâ— of the eucharist S. Cyprian sayth we see the Sacrament or mistery of our Lords sacrifice praefigured in the priesthood of Melchisedech as the deâ—â—â—â— scripture testifieth saying Melchisedech King of Salem brought foorth bread and wyne for he was the Priest of the highest God and blessed Abraham a litle after he sayth that our sauiours order of Priesthood was deriued of Melchisedechs sacrifice for that our sauiour offred sacrifice to God his Father and offred the same that Melchisedech offred to wit bread and wyne that is to say his body and blood S. Augustin speaking of the oblation of Melchisedech when he went to meet Abraham There appeared first sayth he the sacrifice that now is offred to God by Christians throughout the world S. Hierome to Marcella sayth thou shalt fynd in genesis Melchisedeth King of Salem who euen then
depryue vs of it in our country not only by their doctrine but also by rigorous and violent lawes resembling therin as wel the old persecutors of Gods Churche that did the lyke as also Antichrist that is to come who as Daniel the Prophet fortelleth shal take a way iuge sacrificium the cōtinual sacrifice of the Churche which is the sacrifice of the masse and the ancient Byshop and martyr Hypolitus doth testify in his book of the consummation of the world that in the tyme of Antichrist Churches shal be lyke cottages and that the precious body and blood of Christ shal not be in those dayes the liturgy shal be taken a way the singing of the Psalmes shal ceasse and the reading of the scripture shal not be heard thus farre saynt Hipolitus that wrote within 250. yeares after Christ. Seing then the Caluinists and Lutherans abolish the sacrifice of the masse yea and bring christian religion to a very desolation and ruine ouerthrowing altars churches monasteries images relickes of saynts the signe of the crosse sacraments ceremonies and all external memories and monuments of christianity and in steed of the blessed body and blood of our sauiour bring into the churche nothing but a bare signe therof what els are they but true figures or the forerunners of Antichrist that shal set vp the abomination of desolation in the temple of God as sayth the Prophet that is to say shal bring an abominable desolation vpon the Churche and true religion of Christ OVR DOCTRIN OF THE merits of woorkes and Iustification is proued and cleared from the slanders of our aduersaries commonly publyshed in their Sermons and lately insinuated in a book set forth concerning the conuiction of my Lord of Essex CAP. XIX FOR as much as my intention in this treatise was to detect and confute certayn slanderous lyes of our aduersaryes spread abroad agaynst vs in some of theyr late bookes and lybels no lesse touching matter of religion then matter of state I can not forbeare to discouer vnto thee here good reader their notable impudency in charging vs to be enemies of the Passion of Christ and to euacuate the merits therof by ascribing our saluatiō to our owne workes which they are wount to publish in their sermons and common table talke and haue of late insinuated in a pamphlet concerning the conuiction of my Lord of Essex wherein treating of Sir Christofer Blunt that he protested to dy a Catholyke some foolish minister I think foysted in an aparenthesis signifying that he dyed not such a Catholyk but that he hoped to be saued by the merits of Christs passion not ascribing his saluation to his owne workes as though other Catholykes that teach merits of workes did not hope to be saued by the passion of Christ wherin I know not whether I should wounder more at their ignorance or their malice their ignorance if they know not what we hold and their malice if they know it and yet slander vs. For who knoweth not that wee acknowledge the blessed passion of our Sauiour to be the root and ground of our redemption and reconciliation to God and the fountayne from whence floweth all our iustification and saluation saying with S. Peter that we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ the immaculat lambe and with S. Paule that wee are iustified in his blood shal be saued from wrath by him and that there is no other name wherein wee can be saued but the name of IESVS neuerthelesse wee know withall that though his passion be most meritorious the redemption that wee haue therby most copious yet it was his wil that wee shuld doe somewhat of our parts to haue the benefit therof which our aduersaries cannot but grant confessing as they doe that to be partakers therof they must be baptysed they must beleeue they must repēt after they haue sinned seeing vpon the warrāt of the holy scriptures they ad all this to the passion of Christ without derogation to the dignity therof what reason haue they to blame vs if vpon the same warrant we ad another condition no lesse expresse in scripture then any of the rest seeing our sauiour himselfe sayth if thou wilt enter into lyfe keepe the commaundments to which purpose S. Paule also sayth omnibus obremperantibus sibi factus est causa salutis that is to say he was made a cause of saluation to all such as obey him and in another place the dooers of the law shal be iustified before God and not the hearers only and S. Iames wee think a man to be iustified by workes and not by faith only and our Sauiour himselfe not euery one sayth he that sayth to mee Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he which doth the wil of my Father by all which wee see that good workes are necessary to saluation and must concurre therto with the merits of Christs passion which being the root fountayne of all mannes merit giueth as it were lyfe and force both to fayth and also to the good workes of faythful men to make them meritorious before God wherin three things are to be noted for the better explication of this matter The first is that there is two manners of iustification the one the iustification of the wicked man be he infidel or christian in mortal sinne the other the iustification of the iust man or an increase of Iustice the first proceedeth merely of the grace of God without merit of workes for that it is not in the power of nature being auerted and alienat from God to conuert it selfe vnto him without his grace vocation therfore S. Paule worthely excludeth frō the first iustificatiō both of the Iewes the gentils all merit of man The second which is the iustification of the iust man or encrease of Iustice is procured by good woorkes proceeding of Gods grace without the which their can be no iustification and therfore the Catholikes do teach not only the precedence of Gods grace before euery good woork according to that of the prophet misericordia eius praeueniet me his mercy shal preuent or goe before me but also the concurrence therof according as S. Paule sayth non ego sed gratia Dei mecum not I but the grace of God with me and as our Sauiour sayth sine me nihil potestis facere without me you can do nothing and agayne S. Paule omnia possum in eo qui me comfortat I can do all things in him that strengthneth or comforteth me Of the first iustification S. Paule sayth in diners places that wee are iustified gratis freely or for nothing by the grace of God by fayth and not by woorkes as meritorious and of the second he sayth speaking of the effect of almes yt shal multiply your seed and shal augment the increase of the fruit of your iustice and saynt Iames a
poynts which I haue handled what hath alwayes bin the doctrin of the Churche of God concernâ—ng the same and that therfore King Lucius could receiue no other froÌ„ the Catholyke RomaÌ„ Churche by the which he was conuerted to the Christian fayth and yf I thought it needful to rip vp euery other particuler point controuersed betwyxt our aduersaries and vs I could easely shew the same in euery one But what needeth it seing they cannot proue that any Pope I wil not say from S. Eleutherius to S. Gregory but from S. Peter to Clement the eight that now gouerneth the Churche hath taught and decreed any different doctrin from his predecessors whereas on the other syde wee shew euidently that in a perpetual succession of our Roman Bishops there hath ben also a continual succession of one the selfe same doctrin where vpon it followeth infalibly that King Ethelbert and the English could not receiue from S. Gregory the Pope any other fayth then King Lucius and the britans receiued from saynt Eleutherius and that wee which now hold communion with the Roman Churche teache no other doctrin then that which was taught by them to our ancestors and hath successiuely come from S. Peter consequently from our Sauiour Christ. Therefore thou mayst wel wonder good reader at the impudency of our English ministers that are not a shamed to preache teache the contrary wherby thow mayst also see how lamentable is the case of our poor country wherein such haue the charge and cure of soules as haue not so much as common honesty to say the truth in matters as cleare as the Sunne and teach such a religion as for lack of better reasons and arguments they are forst to mayntayne it with manifest lyes slanders yea and murders of innocent men whome they execute for fayned crymes vnder colour of matter of state acknowledging therby sufficiently the truth of our Catholyk fayth seing they are ashamed to aâ—ow that they trooble any man for it whyles they confesse that they punish and put to death heretykes namely the Anabaptists directly for their religion and their impudency is so much the more notorious for that their publyk proceedings in the dayly execution of penal and capital lawes touching only matter of religion doth contradict and conuince their sayings and writings wherein they affirme that they put none to death for religion But for as much as I haue treated this matter at large in diuers partes of my Apology besydes that I vnderstand that some others also entend to treate thereof in the answere of a ridiculous challenge made by O. E. fraught with most absurd paradoxes as wel concerning this poynt as others touching our Catholyke fayth I remit thee good reader therto and so conclude this treatys beseeching almighty God to geue our aduersaries the light of his grace and vs in the meane tyme pacience and constancy and to thee indifferency to iudge of maters so much importing the eternal good and saluation of thy soule which I hartely wish no lesse then my owne FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THIS TREATISE THE preface wherein are declared the causes of the long delay of printing the Apology and withall is noted the impudency of a late wryter in England disguysing his name with the letters O. E. who auoweth the fiction of Squyres employment for a truth and affirmeth that none are put to death in England for religion An Answere to two malitious slanders auowched in the foresayd libels concerning the conquest of England falsly supposed to be pretended sollicited by the Catholyks touching the late enterprise of the King of Spayne in Ireland Also concerning sir VVilliam Stanley and the Iesuits calumniated by the lybellers CHAP. 1. Concerning father Parsons in particular and that the extreame malice that the heretyks beare him is an euident argument of his great vertue CHAP. 2. That the Catholykes are persecuted martyred now in England for the same causes that the martyrs dyed in the primatiue Churche and of the great iniustice donne to two Priests condemned at Lincolne by Iudge Glanduile CHAP. 3. Of the impudeÌ„cy of a minister who being present at the death of the two martyrs aforesaid affirmed publykly that our country was conuerted by saynt Augustin the monk to the protestants religion by occasion where-of the truth of that poynt is euidently declared CHAP. 4. Of the first conuersion of our country whyles it was called Britany in the tyme of King Lucius with euideÌ„t proofes that our Catholyk fayth was then preached and planted there CHAP. 5. The same is coÌ„firmed proued out of Gildas the sage Ca. 6. Certayne poynts of controuersy are discussed whereby it is proued that King Lucius receiued our Catholyke fayth and first of the Popes supremacy in Ecclesiasticall causes CHAP. 7. That our Sauiour made S. Peter supreme head of the churche CHAP. 8. That the successors of saynt Peter to wit the Bishops of Rome succeed him in the supremacy of the Churche CHAP. 9. That the Bishops of Rome exercised supreme autority in the tyme of King Lucius CHAP. 10. The matter of holy Images is debated and the vse thereof proued to haue ben in the Churche of God euer since our Sauiours tyme. Chap. 11. The commandment of God touching Images is explicated the practise of the Churche declared Chap. 12. Concerning the relicks of saynts and the reuerend vse thereof Chap. 13. That our doctrin concerning the sacrifice of the Masse was generaly receiued and beleeued in the tyme of King Lucius and first that it was foretold and prophecyed by Malachias Chap. 14. That not only the sacrifice of Melchisedech but also all the sacrifices of the old law were figures of the sacrifice of the masse and are changed into the same and by the way is declared the necessity of sacrifice as wel for common welth as for religion Chap. 15. That our Sauiour Christ instituted and offred at his last supper the sacrifice of his blessed body and blood proued by his owne woords by the expositions of the Fathers with a declaration how he is sacrificed in the masse and lastly that he gaue commission and power to his Disciples to offer his body and blood in sacrifice that is to say to say the Masse Chap. 16. That the Apostles practised the commission geuen them by our Sauiour sacrificing or saying Masse them-selues and leauing the vse and practise thereof vnto the Churche that the ancient Fathers not only in King Lucius tyme but also for all the first 500. yeares afeer Christ taught it to bee a true sacrifice and propitiatory for the liuing for the dead Chap. 17 An answere to the obiections of our aduersaries out of S. Paules epistle to the Hebrewes with a declaration that the heretyks of this tyme that abolish the sacrifice of the Masse haue not the new testameÌ„t of Christ and that they shew themselues to be most pernicious enemies of humain kynd Chap. 18.
may haue therin the which may be considered eyther as common to all the enemies of Catholyke religiō or els as particuler to these our Aduersaries now a dayes of the first I haue spoken before discoursing of the concurrēce of calumniation and persecution where I proued that it hath beene alwayes the custome of the persecutours of Catholykes to seek by imputation of fals crymes to obscure the true cause of their sufferings and consequently the glorie of their martyrdomes wherin neuerthelesse how much they haue fayled of their purpose I meane as wel these of our tyme as those other their praedecessours it is euident by common experience seing almightie God hath in all ages so disposed and day he doth for his owne glorie that the cleare light of truth and innocencie hath dispersed the clouds of calumniation in such sort that his seruants haue triumphed ouer all the malice of men and remayned no lesse glorious with a double crowne of martyrdome then their enemies ignominious and odious for there double persecution For the proof hereof let vs look back to former tymes see what the persecutors of Gods Churche haue gayned by the lyke deuises haue they therby any iote obscured the glorie of Gods seruants who are esteemed honoured and serued through-out the Christian world for glorious Martyrs and saynts of God and receyue more honour glorie in one festiual day of theirs then all the Monarks of the world in all the feasts of their lyfe Are not the Altars Temples buylded to God in their memories more triumphant then the thrones and trophes of all earthly Kings doth any Princes power extend it selfe so farre as theirs whose dominion reacheth from the east to the west frō the one Pole to the other whose subiects seruāts and supplyants are not only the common people but Princes and potentates Kings Emperours that crouch kneele and present their petitions at their toombes and monuments or whersoeuer ther is any litle memory of them Are all the royal robes crownes and diademes of Emperours and Kings so much esteemed and reuerenced in their owne Kingdomes as is throughout Christendome the least rag or relyke of any one of them wherto we see Almightie God geueth no lesse vertue and power oftentymes when it is for his glorie and their manifestation to cure the sicke to heale the lame to rayse the dead to cast out Deuils then he gaue to the hemme of our Sauiours garment to the handkerchefs that touched S. Paules body to the shadow of S. Peter This hath alwayes beene so notorious in Gods Churche that S. Chrisostome speaking of the great miracles done by the body and relykes of the blessed martyr saint Babilas maketh the same a manifest argument against the Paynims to proue that Christ is God which I wish by the way that our Protestants in England may note for their confusion seing that denying the vertue of saynts Reliks they do paganize with them and do deny therby an euident argument of Christs diuinitie but to proceed On the other syde what honour haue their calumniatours and persecutours purchased to themselues are not their very names odious and execrable to all posteritie as the memory of the other is aeternized with immortal glorie is not theirs buryed in aeternal infamie To this purpose sayth the book of wisedome that the wicked shal see the end of the iust man and shal not vnderstand what God hath determined of him and why our Lord did humble him they shal see him and contemne him but our Lord shal deride them for they shal fal afterwards without honour shal euer be amōgst the dead in shame and infamie Hereby may our aduersaries partly iudge what they shal gayne in the end by murdering so many Catholyks as they do vnder colour of treasons and enormious crymes but for their further satisfaction in this point let them look abroad into Christendome and see what acount is alreadie made of their supposed traytors I meane such as die directlie for religion made lately treason who of all Christian Catholyke people in the world are held for no lesse glorious martyrs thē those of the primitiue Churche as appeareth not only by the publike testimonie of the most famous wryters of this age but also by the deuotion that all Catholyks yea and the greatest Princes and potentates of Christendome do beare to the least relyke of any one of them which they think themselues happie to haue keep with all due respect and reuerence besydes that it hath pleased almightie God to glorifie his name already with diuers notable miracles donne by the same which hereafter wil be knowne with sufficient testimony of the truth therof and as for their martyrdomes I haue no doubt but as alreadie they are knowne acknowledged and honoured by all true Catholykes so in tyme also conuenient they wil be approued by the authoritie of the whole Churche whiles in the meane tyme the memory of their persecutors shal be damned eyther to the deep pit of obliuion or els to euerlasting ignominie as they may see it hath alreadie happened to their praedecessours and thus much for the end common to all persecutours OF OTHER ENDS PARTICULER to our English aduersaries and of their disloyaltie therin towards her Maiestie CHAP. XVII THE other ends particuler to our home aduersaries at this day may be thought to be partlie publyke and for the common good as they in the depth of their wisedome or rather in the height of their follie do imagin and partlie for their owne particular profit or emolument The publyke are these first to incense the Queenes Ma tie against vs to the end she may geue them leaue to exercise freelie all crueltie vpon vs wherby they hope in tyme to destroy vs and to extinguish the memorie of Catholyke religion wherin I wish them by the way to note how farre they are deceyued of their expectation how almightie God doth daylie infatuate and frustrate their councels and turne them to their owne confusion seing that notwithstanding all their rigour there are at this day many more recusants in England and sincere Catholyks that wil geue their liues for their Religion then ther were when the persecution first began so that we see how true it is which Tertulian sayth Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae the blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Churche But to proceede The second is to irritate also her Ma tie against the King Catholyke who is therfore cōmōly made an abettor of all those fayned conspiracies least otherwayes she being of her owne inclination desirous of peace might come to some cōposition with him so Christendome be brought to repose which these mē imagin would in tyme grow to be daungerous to their gospel or rather to their particular states commodities which they may be presumed to esteeme more then any ghospel but how this piece of pollicie standeth with true reason of