tu dixisti hoc facite in meam commemorationem 33. And how carefull and diligent an obseruer and practiser of this massing doctrine hee was in act and deed daily in his whole life we may be assured by the worthie writers of his life and death Hilduinus Abbot of S. Denis in Fraunce where hee was buried about 800. yeares since Roswita or Roswida not longe after and others who confidently and from publick testimony write that neither his strict imprisonment in a dungeon could hinder him from performing this holy dutie but there both persuadinge the people present and writinge vnto others absent to confirme them more said Masse in that vnfit place to proue how acceptable it was Christ Iesus with a multitude of Angels appeared vnto them all with such a light from heauen as had beene seene at the very time when they were to communicate comforted his holy Martir Sed nec carcereis praesul praeclarus in antris desinit obsequium Domino persoluere dignum sed docuit plebem studiosè conuenientem ac celebrat sacrae solitò solemnia Missae Est vbi caelestem debebat frangere panem lux noua tristifico subito fulgebat in antro in qua sidereae regnator splendidus aulae scilicet angelica pariter comitante caterua apparens charum consolabatur amicum Trithem l. de scriptorib in Hildonio Roswida Hilduinus Abb. in vita S. Dionisij Areopag cap. 29. Roswita l. de vit S. Dionis Areopag alijs THE X. CHAPTER How all the rest of the Apostles in particular S. Andrew Iames the great Thomas Iames the lesse Philip Bartholomew Symon Thaddaeus and Matthias were sacrificinge Preists and Apostles and vsually offered the sacrifice of Masse NOw let vs come to the rest of the holie Apostles which haue not in scriptures written of these misteries and proue of them all and in order except S. Peter the first whom I haue promised to put in the last place that in their sacred functions they offered the most holy sacrifice of Masse And first to begin with S. Andrew It is a receaued opinion Iodoc. Cocc Tom. 2. l. 7. artic 5. de purgator that this holy Apostle did first deliuer that forme of Masse which was auntiently and from the beginninge vsed in the church of Constantinople and after called the Masse of S. Iohn Chrisostome the great and learned Patriarke of that place because it was enlarged by him and is stil as our protestants acknowledge vsed to this day in the churches of Greece Edwin Sands relation of Religion cap. 53. or 54. And that hee himselfe did vsually and daily offer this moste sacred oblation of Christs body and blood wee haue moste auncient and vndeniable testimonies whether we will professe our selues Catholicks or protestants in Religion for both these agree in this that S. Andrew was martyred by Aegeus Procōsull of Achaia in the citie Patras and they celebrate his day of festiuitie vppon the laste of Nouember And they doe or ought if they make not fictions of theire owne deduce the history of his passion from the auncient penners and relators thereof which bee the preists and deacons of Achaia which were eye witnesses and present at the same S. Cyprian or whosoeuer was the auncient Author of the booke amonge his workes de duplici Martyrio The old Anonimus who wrote the booke of the Apostles liues published by the learned Bishop of Vienna Fredericus Nausea S. Simeon Metaphrastes himself a learned grecian and auncient of those parts S. Iuo S. Bernard Algerus the auncient writer of the liues of Saints the whole latine church in the publicke seruice of the feast of S. Andrew the Apostle the auncient Breuiary of the church of Salisbury in England and others are witnesses that S. Andrew beeinge persuaded and threatned by Aegeus the Proconsull to sacrifice to the Pagan Gods answered publicklie vnto him in these wordes Ego omnipotenti Deo qui vnus verus est immolo quotidie non taurorum carnes nec hircorum sanguinem sed immaculatum Agnum in altari cuius carnem posteaque omnis multitudo credentium manducauerit Agnus qui sacrificatus est integer perseuerat viuus I doe daily sacricrifice to God almightie the onely true God not the flesh of bulls nor blood of goates but the immaculate Lambe vppon the altar whose flesh after all the multitude of beleeuers haue eaten the Lambe that is sacrificed remayneth whole and liuinge Breuiar Missale Rom. Martyrolog Rom. Bed Vsuard vlt. Nou. Protestant comm Booke in calendar Nouem infest vlt. Nouem Cooper v. Andreas Godw. conuers Magdeb cent 1. in Andr. Apostolo Act. S. Andrea per Presb. Diacon Achaiae Ciprian l. de duplic Mart. Anonim in mirac vit Pass Apost in S. Andrea Sim. Metaphr in S. Andr. S. Iuo Carnoten Episc serm de Sacram dedicat ser 4. Algerus contra Berengar S. Bernard apud Francisc Feuarden annotat in Frenaeum l. 4. contra haer cap. 32. pag. 361. Iacob Genuen Epis in vit S. Andrea vlt. Nouem Breu. Ecclesiae Salisbur ibidem 2. Thus it is euident that S. Andrewe the Apostle did offer this holy sacrifice of Masse and euery day and that the sacrifice was Christ himself the true Lambe of God that taketh away sinnes Amonge the holy auncient and renowned witnesses S. Iuo supr ser 4. speakinge of this holy sacrifice of Masse thus wtiteth In memoriam veniunt verba beati Andreae Apostoli quibus asserit in caelis esse corpus Domini de altari posse sumi corpus Domini Cuius inquit carnes cum sint comestae in terris à populo ipse tamen in caelestibus ad dexteram Patris integer perseuerat viuus The wordes of S. Andrew the Apostle doe come to memory in which hee affirmeth that the body of our Lord is in heauen and yet may his body bee receued from the altare Whose flesh saith hee when it is eaten of the people on earth yet he perseuereth whole and aliue in heauen at the right hand of his Father And this giueth full satisfaction for S. Andrew that hee was a sacrificinge and massinge preist 3. The next in order is S. Iames the brother of S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist martired by Kinge Herode as we reade in the 12. chapter of the Acts of the Apostles where our protestants thus reade About that time Herod the Kinge stretched forth his hand to vexe certaine of the church And he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Actor cap. 12. ver 1.2 Which his timely death hath taken from him such ample memory as is deliuered of some other Apostles that liued longer in histories But beeing assured before by all kinde of testimonies that he was one of them to whom our blessed Sauiour gaue power and commaundement to offer the holy sacrifice of his body and blood that he there being consecrated a preist and one of the three Apostles which our Sauiour most loued and hee him
note vppon this place the most eminent Christians then in Rome S. Chrisostom Theodoret in 2. Tim. 4. for S. Linus was a Bishop there ordeyned by S. Peter and the other three renowned for their harbouring of the Christians there at that time as most certaine it is of Pudens and Claudia and not vnprobable as I haue shewed in other places that Eubulus was our noble contriman and Father to Claudia and so for his hospitalitie to the Saints of God first remembred in this salutation all histories beeinge silent of him and no other nation claiming him to bee from them 3. Therefore this beeing then so renowned a receptacle and massinge house although S. Linus did not intermeddle in sendinge preists or preachers into this or any other countrie yet the Christian Britans which liued at home could not bee ignorant what was done in such things in this holy house of our so eminent Christians at Rome seeing there was continuall traffick and intercourse betweene Rome and Britanie at that time and so much euen in spirituall things by our best protestant antiquaries of this kingdom Theater of great Brit. l. 6. Matth. Parker antiquitat Britan. pag. 2.3 Godwin conuers of Britanie pag. 17.18 Cambd. in Britan. Stowe histor that they asscribe a great part of the labours and meanes of plantinge the faith of Christ in Britanie to our holy Brittish Lady Claudia and those of that house in Rome All of them beeing Christians as both Catholicks and Protestants write totamque suam familiam Christi fidem amplexos and that number so greate that there were in it in the beginning of the next age an hundred men wantinge foure nonaginta sex homines that were Christians and not fewer in this time by probable opinion the owners of the house beeing both so honorable and religious all of them hearers at the leaste and frequenters of this most holy sacrifice vit S. Pudentianae in Breuiar Rom. die 19. Maij. 4. And to speake in a Protestant Archbishops great aÌ„tiquaries words Matth. Parker antiquitat Britan. pag. 3. Nec verisimil solum sed verum iudicandum est in tam nobilâ—… familia faisse cum Claudia gentiles suos â—…tannos qui vna baptisati fuerunt à quibus Euangelij ignicula per totam gentem Britannicam dispersa viritim ad multos peruenerunt Neither is it onely to bee iudged likely but true that in so noble a family with Claudia there were Britans her countrimen which were baptised with her by whome the smale fiers of the ghospell dispersed throughout the whole nation of Britanie from man to man did come to many And not onely those reuerencers of holy Masse which were of the family of Lady Claudia but many others in Rome at that time both Romane and Brittish Christians in theire owne parsons cominge from thence into Britanie parsonally performed these holy offices as our Theater protestantes thus assure vs. Theater of great Britanie l. 6. cap. 9. it hath also passed with allowance among the learned Senate of our antiquaries that when Nero began a little before this time to banish and persecute the Christians in Rome many Romans and Britans beeing conuerted to the faith fled thence into these remote parts of the earth where they might and did more freely enioy the libertie of their professions Which an other Protestant Bishop and antiquary speakinge of these dayes of Claudia thus coÌ„firmeth Godwin conuers of Britanie pag. 18. cap. 3. Of these times wee speake of I doubt not wee may vse the words of Cassiodorus it was not counted vnlawful for those to bee Christians that dwelt beyond Italy and Fraunce as in Britanie Whereby vndoubtedly it came to passe that many professing Christ not daringe to abide nere vnto the hart of the Empire made choice of our Britanie vvhere to leade their liues in such sort as they might enioy libertie of conscience And hee noteth in the mergine Britanie a refuge for Christians 5. Therefore although wee should follow their opinion that say S. Linus and Cletus executed the papall function excluding S. Clement vntill after their death though wee finde no preists purposely sent by them vnto this kingdome or other nation yet the protestants themselues do freelie graunt The English Protestant Margin annot in Matth. Westm. an 59. Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. in Lino Damas seu Anastas in S. Lino Cleto Breu. Rom. die 26. April 23. Septemb. Martin Pol. in S. Lino Cleto that they were both made preists by the great massinge preist and Apostle S. Peter Petrus Apostolus Linum Cletum presbyteros ordinauit and both of them did also make preists S Linus 18. as both Catholicks and protestants teach and diuers Bishops and S. Cletus by S Peters commaund consecrated in the citie of Rome 25. preists which beeing commaunded by a massinge Apostle and performed by a massinge Bishop must needs bee massinge preists and all those so many Christians of these times by our protestants before either Britans or Romans which either by their concurreÌ„ce at Rome still staying there or by personall presence beinge come and stayinge here gaue assistance and helpe towardes the instruction and conuersion of this our Britanie must needes bee either sayers or hearers of Masse and practisers and approuers of that holy sacrifice and so ioyned themselues with those massinge preists and Bishops in this kingdome which I named before and liued longe after this time as I shall shewe hereafter Or if wee will rather incline to them that say these two were onely coadiutors and not Popes but giue the papacy in this time to S. Clement as some Protestants with many Catholicks before and others hold to speake in a protestants words Robert Barnes l. de vit Pontif Romanor in Petro. Petrus ordinauit Clementem sui officij vices ei committens Peter ordeyned Clement committinge the place of his office vnto him It must needs euen by that title bee that as hee was sacred and receaued this charge and power from that great massing preist and Bishop S. Peter so hee also receaued from him that holy sacrificinge preisthood and power and succeeded him in that as other sacred papall functions of whome I am to speake in the chapter followinge THE XIV CHAPTER How duringe the time of S. Clement his papacy and all this first hundred yeares of Christ our Christian Britans together with all others continued these holy doctrines and offices of sacrificing preisthood preistes and the sacrifice of the blessed body and blood of Christ in Masse THis holy and learned Pope and successor to S. Peter S. Clement whether hee presently executed that highest pastorall function or of humilitie gaue place to S. Linus and Cletus more aunciently consecrated Bishops at and for Rome by S. Peter beeing himselfe consecrated as before a massinge preist and most deuoutly and religiously as I shall demonstrate continually executinge that holy massinge and sacrificinge preistly power and duty did not onely in generall impart
S. Leo Missae sacrificium approbanit Hee did approue the sacrifice of Masse therfore Masse was termed and knowne to be so accepted a sacrifice before his time and approbation For a thinge approued or to bee approued vnseparably carrieth with it a precedency to the approbation that which is not cannot possibly bee approued as a thinge past or present and euery such allowance or approbation necessarily supposeth the thinge to bee so allowed or approued And this will suffice for S. Leo. 4. After whome in this age the onely Pope which is produced by these men to haue added or altered in the Masse is Gelasius of this Pope a protestant thus writeth Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. in Gelasio praefationem Missae verè dignuÌ„ iustum est instituit But this is euidentlie vntrue as I haue proued before for S. Ciprian and before him Tertullian informe vs it was in vse in the church before their times and S. Ciprian alleadgeth it is an apostolicall common known custome of the church Ciprian l. de orat Dominic and Foxe the protestant proueth Io. Foxe Tom. 2. in Q. Mary that this could not bee any inuention of Gelasius for that both the auncient Greeke church before that time and both S. Ciprian and S. Augustine so agree it was in vse before Ciprian sup Aug. de vera Religione cap. 3 therefore followeth therein the opinion of Thomas Waldensis that it could not bee the inuention of Pope Gelasius And Pope Vigilius which liued not longe after Gelasius who writinge to the Bishops of Germany and Fraunce desirous to know the order which the church of Rome obserued in the prefaces of Masse answereth in this maner Vigilius epistola ad Episcopos Germaniae Galliae Inuenimus has nouem praefationes in sacro catalogo tantumodo recipiendas quas long a retro veritas in Romana Ecclesia hactenus seruauit Wee finde that these 9. prefaces are to bee receued in the holy catalogue which truth hath longe time from former ages hitherto obserued in the Roman church And thus hee recoÌ„pteth them one of Easter another of the Ascension of our Lord the third of Pentecoste the fourth of the natiuitie of our Lord the fift of the apparition of our Lord the sixt of the Apostles the seuenth of the holy Trinitie the eight of the Crosse the ninth in Lent And thus concludeth has praefationes tenet custodit sancta Romana Ecclesia has tenendas vobis mandamus These prefaces the holy Roman church obserueth these wee commaund to bee kept by you And Houeden as our protestants haue published him reciteth all these out of the same authoritie to haue bene receued in England in a councel of our Bishops manie hundred yeares since setting downe the begininge of euery one of them and addeth the tenth of the blessed Virgin decimam de beata Virgine Roger. Houeden in annal part posterior in Henr. 2. 5. And our English Protestants themselues by their highest parlamentary authoritie in such things with them vse the same prefaces except that of the Apostles and blessed Virgine in their publick church seruice their communion booke Protest communion booke titul communion and yet in that of the blessed Virgine which seemeth to haue beene added after the dayes of Pope Vigilius there is no inuocation of her nor any matter now questioned by protestants found in it And concerninge that of the Apostles of matters questioned there is onely this clause or petition vnto God for preseruing his church vt gregem tuum Pastor aeterne non deseras sed per beatos Apostolos tuos continua protectione custodias vt ijsdem Rectortbus gubernetur quos operis tui Vicarios eidem contulisti praesse Pastores That God the eternall Pastor will not forsake his flocke but keepe by his blessed Apostles with continuall protection that it may bee gouerned by the same Rulers whome Vicars of his worke hee hath appointed Pastors to rule it Which is not a prayer immediatlie to the Apostles but to God for the protection of his Apostles and such as our protestants themselues in their publick seruice on S. Michael his day doe vse for the protection of Angels as is manifest in their collect or prayer of that feast being the old Catholick prayer word by word translated into English And yet if there were any immediate prayer vnto the Apostles or any other Saints or Angels in any oÌ„f these prefaces I haue proued before that it was the receaued doctrine of Christs church from the beginninge 6. And if wee should allow vnto protestants that Pope Gelasius did add in the prefaces all that clause verè dignum iustum est vnto per Christum Dominum nostrum What is there in it but holy and allowable and still practised by themselues in their church seruice This it is verè dignum iustum est aequum salutare nos tibi semper vbique gratias agere Domine sancte Pater omnipotens aterne Deus per Christum Dominum nostrum ô Lord holy Father omnipotent eternall God verely it is a thinge worthie and iust right and belonginge to saluation that wee alwayes and in all places giue thanks to thee by Christ our Lord. Are not all Christians in all iudgements bound to bee of this minde and this being a dutie so bindinge and belonginge vnto al that beleeue in Christ is it not the better the oftner and more publickly it be acknowledged oâ—… if it be good by protestants and in their publick practise how can it be ill in Catholicks or could bee so in Pope Gelasius And if hee had added Te igitur clementissime Pater per Iesum ChristuÌ„ filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ac petimus Therefore ô moste mercifull Father wee aske and beseeche thee by Iesus Christ thy sonne our Lord. It is the same reason as before this beinge a very Christian and holy prayer by Protestant Religion to aske all things of God in the name of Christ as hee himselfe said whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name that will I doe Io. c. 14. v. 13. and whatsoeuer yee shall aske of the Father in my name hee may giue it you Io. c. 15. v. 26. 7. Whereby these men may see that neither the primatiue church which vsed inuocation of Saints nor the present church of Rome insistinge therein did or doe diminish any honor or dutie to Christ by honoringe them which honor him and are honoured by him Yet S. Remigius witnesseth this prayer Te igitur clementissime Pater to haue beene vsed from the Apostles Remig. in epist. 1. ad Timoth. cap. 2. Wheras some protestants write of Pope Gelasius Balaeus l. 2. de actis Pontif. Rom. in Gelasio Gelasius hymnos prefationes gradualia collectas orationes praescripsit Pope Gelasius did prescribe hymnes prefaces graduals collects and prayers I haue proued by these protestants that all these were vsed in the church and laudably longe before and by the word praescripsit hee did
THE SECOND PART OF THE PROTESTANTS PLEA AND PETITION FOR PREISTS AND Papists Beeing an historie of the holy preisthood and sacrifice of the true Church of Christ Inuincibly prouing them to be the present sacrificing preisthood prouing also the sacrifice of the Masse vsed in the Catholike Roman church and that these were promised and foretold by the Prophets instituted by Christ and exercised by all his Apostles Moreouer that they haue euer from the first plantinge of Christianitie in this our Britanye in the dayes of the Apostles in euery age and hundred of yeares beene continued and preserued here All for the most part warranted by the writinges and testimonies of the best learned Protestant Doctors and antiquaries of England and others The preisthood beeing chaunged there is made of necessitie a chaunge also of the lawe Hebr. cap. 7. ver 12. WITH LICENCE Anno 1625. AN ADMONITION OF THE Author to all Readers of this his historie comprehending the Argument and contents thereof KNowinge well by longe and daiely purchased experience the great and greeuous persecutions which formerly haue beene raysed and persecuted in England against consecrated Preists of the Romane Church and professors of that Religion and for nothing more then holy priesthood and the sacred sunctions thereof And yet often hearinge all sorts of people euen persecutors themselues contestinge and cryinge out they would willingly stand to the Iudgement of and bee arbitrated by diuine Authoritie and reuerend antiquitie I an vnworthie member of that holy order a longe student in diuinitie to which these are either parts or haue a subordination for my discharge of dutie to God and his holy Church comfort and strengtheninge those that bee in truth and satisfying or confounding such as bee in error haue taken in hand to write a briefe history of this subiect beginning at the first originall of Christianitie especially in this Kingdome of great Britaine to which onely after my more generall Introduction and preface ended to preuent 〈…〉 both in writer and Readers I will confine my selfe And to winne the loue and likinge of all and auoide the dislike of any I meane to follow that most frendly and to all protestants fauourable maner and methode in writinge insinuated in the Title of this worke alwaies or moste commonly to carry with mee the allowance and warrant of the best learned Doctors and Antiquaries of their Religion And yet for Catholicks I trust none of them shall finde the least occasion of feare that though I shal walke vpon so vnlâ—…uell ground I will betray their moste iust and holy cause but rather adde a greater luster and splendor of glory then bringe any the least diminution of honor vnto it And make this matter so palpably manifest by all Authorities diuine and humane the scriptures both of the old and new testament and all kinde of expositors of them friends or ennemies that they which shall not acknowledge the vndoubted and onely truth of the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church in these misteries must needes bee said wilfully with malice to close their eyes against it And though the lawe of Moises wherein the Prophets liued and God spake by them was but a figure of thinges to come and gaue but a darke shadowe or glimeringe of the gratious brightnes and shininge which our blessed Sauiour the true light of the world reuealed vnto it in the lawe of the ghospell yet I shall in the very beginning as a preface to this holy historie so inuincibly proue by the scripture 〈◊〉 old testament by all original texts hebrue or greeke all Authors the Rabines before Christ the best learned Doctors of the primatiue Church of Christ and protestants themselues that the Messias promised and foretold by the Prophets was to ordeine a new sacrificing priesthood and that blessed sacrifice of his bodie and blood which wee coÌ„monly name the sacrifice of the Masse and this was one of the most apparant distinctiue signes to know him by so that whosoeuer denieth this consequently denieth Christ to bee the true Messias And the more plainely to demonstrate this when I come to the first plantinge of the faith of Christ in this kingdome in the Apostles time I will make manifest by all testimonies and antiquities that Christ our blessed Sauiour and Messias accordingly to the prophesies of him did institute this sacrificing priesthood and both celebrated and ordeined the sacrifice of Masse for his Church for euer That all his Apostles were sacrificing massing preists and offered that blessed sacrifice And that in this kingdome of Britanie in particular as in the whole Christian world besides in euery age and hundred of yeares from the first preachinge and receiuing of Christian Religion here in the Apostles time in the first second third fourthe fift and six hundred yeares of Christ and so longe as the best learned protestants affirme that holy primatiue Church remained vnspotted in the first receiued truthe and integritie thereof The same holy sacrificing priesthood a continual succession of sacrificinge massinge preists and Bishops and sacrifice of Masse euer continued here in the same maner as they are now vsed and obserued in the present Romane Church without any the least essentiall change or difference By reason whereof many cheife Articles in Religion now questioned as the supernaturall change or transubstantiation of bread and wine into the blessed body and blood of Christ there offered a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinne prayer to the blessed Virgin S. Mary other Saints and Angels prayer for the faithfull departed merit of sacrifice and good workes with insufficiencie of sole faith and other principall things which protestants commonly disallow in Catholicke Religion will bee thus proued and deduced in euerie age in this our Britanie euen with the allowance of our best learned protestants and such antiquities as they approue and cannot disallow One most materiall point of the Popes power and spirituall prerogatiue in this nation from the first embracinge of Christian Religion in all ages which I promised in my first parte I vnderstand to bee effectually performed already Therefore I shall sparinglie make mention thereof in this history except in some things and places where it shall bee needfull for the more perfect handlinge of the present subiect of this worke And hereby it will sufficiently appeare vnto all protestants and persecutors of the holy Catholike Romane Church that seeing the controuersie is whether the Catholike or protestant church is the true church of Christ that by no possibilitie the protestant congregation can bee this true and holie church For by their owne Articles of their Religion to which all protestant Bishops and ministers haue sworne and subscribed Articl of Engl. protest Relig articul 19. The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in which the pure worde of God is preached and the Sacraments bee duly ministred according to Christs ordinance in all those things that are requisite to the same Which bee the
known world by the holy Fathers before and appeareth in the most auncient Masse of S. Marke the Euangelist vsed among the first Christians of this nation as I shall shew hereafter in which thus wee finde Per quem Christum offerimns rationabilem incruentam oblationem hanc quam offerunt tibi Domine omnes gentes ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum à Septentrione ad meridiem Quia magnum nomen tuum in omnibus gentibus in omni loco incēsum offertur nomini tuo Sancto sacrificium oblatio By whome Christ wee offer this reasonable and vnbloody oblation which ô Lord all nations doe offer vnto thee from the rising of the sunne to the setting therof from North to South because thy name is great in all nations and in euery place incense and sacrifice oblation is offered to thy holy name Liturgia eccl Alexandr S. Marci Euang. M. S. per antiq tempore Britan. AN HISTORIE OF THE HOLY PREISTHOOD AND sacrifice of the true church The first age THE VIII CHAPTER Wherin is proued by all kinds of testimonies Catholicks Protestants and whatsoeuer that Christ the true Messias as his calling and dignitie required in abrogatinge the preisthood and sacrifices of Moses lawe instituted an other more perfect sacrificinge preisthood and sacrifice of his sacred body and blood in Masse HAuing declared and proued at large out of the holy Prophets and lawe of Moses by all learned languages and translations Hebrue Greeke and Latine by all learned interpreters of scriptures aswell before as after Christ the auncient Rabbines and primatiue Fathers of the church of Christ as they are allowed and receiued both by Catholicke and Protestant writers and their consent herein That our blessed Sauiour Christ our Redeemer and high preist after a more excellent manner accordinge to the order of Melchisedech was to euacuate the legall preisthood and sacrifices of the lawe of Moses as in themselues figuratiue and vmbraticall beeing to cease determine at the coming of the Messias to found and institute a preisthood and sacrifice more perfect effectuall as S. Paul stileth it Hebr. cap. 7. v. 24. and our protestants translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an vnchaungeable preisthood and consequently a sacrifice and law vnchaungeable for so these men translate the same holy Apostle euery high preist is ordeyned to offer guifts and sacrifices for sinnes and for the preisthood beeing chaunged there is made of necessitie a chaunge also of the lawe protest transl Hebr. cap. 5. v. 1. Hebr. cap. 7. v. 12. 2. Therefore the time of this most happie chaunge and alteration beeinge now come at his laste passouer or eating of the Paschall lambe a figure as I haue by greatest allowance and warrant formerly declared of this most holy christian sacrifice although our Sauiour had often celebrated that legall feast before or none or smal memory thereof left in scripture yet when in this laste hee was to end the olde and ordeine the new hee sent his two great Apostles and most beloued S Peter and Saint Iohn to prouide the first Christian church as some not vnworthly call it Proclus apud Flor. Rem l. 8 Luc. cap. 22. v. 12. to institute this most sacred preisthood sacrifice in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a large vpper Roome furnished as our English protestāts translate but as the Greeke word is and frēch Hugonots also do read a great Roome strewed with carpets Hugon gallic apud Florim Raemund supr de origin haeres l. 8. cap. 12 into which our high preist and Sauiour did enter vt Rabbinorum nonnulli affirmant veste sacra quam ipsi appellant Taleth indutus as some of the Rabbines affirme hauinge on a sacred or sacrificinge vestement which they call Taleth And there after hee had ended the ceremony of the lawe about the Paschall Lambe he instituted this new sacrifice of Christians and gaue power and commaundement to his Apostles present to doe the same Hoc facite doe this which I haue done in this mistery 3. Wee haue heard already and it is infidelitie to deny it that he was a preist according to the order of Melchisedech that hee must needes by that title offer a sacrifice with some resemblance to that of Melchisedech in bread and wine that he was to chaunge the lawe preisthood and sacrifice hee had not done any of these offices of the Messias and high preist before onely hee had in the sixt chapter of S. Iohn giuen his faithfull promise which he could not violate that he would performe it this was the laste day time and oportunitie wherein he could possiblie effect it with his holy Apostles to whom this charge before al others was first and chiefly to be recommended hee being that very night to be betrayed violently taken and seperated from them and neuer to communicate with them againe in the short time of his life Therefore now or neuer he was of necessitie to make performance of this most holy dutie and if not now the lawe preisthood and sacrifices of the lawe had not beene abrogated and chaunged but Iudaisme had beene still in force and Christ could not truely and lawfully haue enioyed the title of the true Messias if so excellent and euident signe and propertie of the holy Redeemer had beene wantinge and defectiue in him 4. Therefore all kinde of witnesses that be or then were in the world frends or enemies whether Iewes Gentiles or Mahumetans whether Christians Catholicks either the auncient Fathers or later writers and the best learned protestants themselues giue euidence that Christ at that time instituted a new sacrifice and sacrificinge preisthood The auncient Rabbines before Christ so expounded the scriptures of the old testament as I haue shewed before and both Catholicks and protestants so assure vs. Francisc Stancar Petr. Gallat l. 10. cap. 4.5.6.7 The Iewes that liued in the time of Christ soone after and at this day acknowledge it hauinge proued by their lamentable experience that after the institution of the new sacrifice and preisthood by Christ as hee forewarned them of the ceasing of their sacrifices and desolation of the Temple of Ierusalem where onely by their lawe they might bee offered they lie in that forsakē state which al the world obserueth and the Prophet thus by protestants translation foretold of them Osee c. 3. v. 4. The children of Israel shall abide manie yeares without a Kinge and without a Prince and without a sacrifice and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Seraphim preistly and sacrificing vestures Iudic. cap. 17. v. 5. 5. And al that write against the Iewes as the holy Archbishop S. Gregentius Iulianus Pomerius Archbishop of Toletum Rabbi Samuel Hieronymus a S. fide Paulus Burgensis Petrus Gallatinus Franciscus Stancarus a protestant and others and their owne Thalmud is witnes that the hate of the Iewes against Christ and Christians is not so great for any thing as that Christ at that
infallible truth in the Religion and iudgement of English Protestants Therefore some of their best learned Feild l. 3 cap. 29. pag. 138. Couell examin pag. 114. haue with publicke applause and warrant written that it is heresie to bee of other opinion For so they should deny and gainsay the vniuersally receaued and practised opinion of the primatiue church Whose custome vniuersall and from the beginninge was to offer the sacrifice of Masse both for the liuing and the dead Which all men know cannot be performed but by massing and sacrificing preists Masse and massinge preists sacrifice and sacrificing preists beeing vnseperable correlatiues in al euē humane knowledge and learninge both of Catholicks and Protestants Christians Iewes Mahumetans Pagans or whatsoeuer infidels professinge learninge or followinge the light and warrant of nature 9. And for the very vsuall name it selfe of this most holy sacrifice called generallie in the latine church Missa or sacrificium Missae Masse or the sacrifice of Masse seing it was to be the ōly external sacrifice of the whole church of Christ it could not possibly be named by any denomination more aptly then the word Missa Masse beeing by diuers learned in the holy tongs a name both in Greek Hebrue and latine fittly signifyinge sacrifice or equiualent thereof of the Greeke there is most difficultie and yet some learned gretians as Albericus dictione Missa testifie that Missa is a Greeke word signifyinge interpellation or intercession such as sacrifice to God ◅s That it is an Hebrue word and aptly taken for sacrifice we haue the consent allmost of all Hebritians both Catholicks and protestāts as of the first Alc◅atus Hector Pintus Claudius Sanctus Pamelius Demochares Casalius Capino Cauus Couarrunias Pauinus Heruetus and others Alciatus l. 7. parerg cap. 10 Hect. Pint. in cap. 3. Dan. Claud. Sainct praef ad Liturg. Pamel in Tertull l. de orat praef in Liturg. Graecor Demochar tract 2. de Miss c. 1. Casalius l. 1. sacrif Miss Io. Capr. Can. l. 12. de loc c. 13. Couarr l. 4. Var. resol c. 22. Pagn v. Mitza 10. And amonge Protestants Sebastian Munster Philip Melancthon and Iohn Froster Professors of Hebrue ar of the same opinion and to iustifie our English name of that holy sacrifice to be taken also from the Hebrue where wee call it Masse or Mas the worde or radix Mas in Hebrue signifieth tribute or due paiement such as wee owe in this sacrifice beeing commaunded to doe it hoc facite and the vnleuened breade that was eaten with the Paschall Lambe and consecrated by Christ is Massah in Hebrue Monster in gramatica lexic Hebraic Philip. Mel. Apolog. confess Augustan Iohn Froster in Lexic Hebraic edit Basil an 1557. Petr. Veg. in psal 101. And to come to the Latine word Missa Masse S. Albinus our learned countryman expoundinge those laste wordes in Masse ite missa est saith id est directa siue missa est id est perfecta est pro nobis oblatio oratio That is sacrifice or oblation and prayer for vs is directed or sent or perfected S. Albin l. de diuin officijs so doth Remigius Antisiodorensis saying Missa dicitur quasi transmissa vel quasi transmissio Remig. Antisiodoren expositio de celebrat missae And Petrus Lombardus Missa dicitur quia missa est hostia cuius commemoratio fit in illo officio vnde dicitur Ite missa est Petr. Lumbard l. 4. sent Where we see that it is called Missa because it is a sacrifice sent or offered vnto God and not of dismissinge the people Which is euident by the practise of the church in all places which at the ende of all Masses dismisseth the people but as our protestants themselues confesse Foxe tom 2. in Queene Mary saith not alwaies ita missa est but sometimes benedicamus Domino soometimes requiescant in pace and in the old Muzaraban Masse in solemne feasts where wee say in the end of Masse ite missa est they said solemnia completa sunt the solemne sacrifice is ended and in other feasts missa acta est masse or the sacrifice is ended missa Muzarab antiq in concil 4 Toletan alibi And in this sence it was alwayes accepted in all ages from the Apostles as our protestants themselues shall euidently confesse hereafter in this history THE IX CHAPTER Shewinge how the Apostles in generall being by Christ ordeyned sacrificinge preists did accordinge to that power and commaundement giuen vnto them offer the sacrifice of Christs body and blood in Masse and ordered other preists to that end ANd by this it is also manifest that the Apostles were sacrificinge and massinge preists and did as that preistly dignitie confered vpon them required offer this holy sacrifice accordinge to the warrant and commaundement of Christ vnto them to doe that which he did in that behalfe So that if we had no further authoritie for their sacrificinge preisthood and dutie to offer this blessed sacrifice but that they were as before is shewed made sacrificing preists by Christ seeing that preisthood and sacrifice was neuer to cease but to bee continued in the church of the Messias vnto the end of the world and these men were the cheifest instruments and rulers which our Sauiour instituted to conuert the nations and communicate this sacred preisthood and power to offer this sacrifice vnto others still to bee continued without interruption wee must enforcedlie yeelde that they left such a sacrificinge power and some maner and order how this sacrifice was to bee solemnized to succeedinge generations Which I shall proue of euery one of the Apostles in particular in the next chapters onely here of them all in general that this doctrine of consecration preisthood sacrifice of Masse they taught and deliuered to the churches where they liued and preached wee haue many and worthie arguments and witnesses 2. S. Chrisostome telleth vs plainly how the Apostles practisinge and deliuering the order of this sacrifice decreed that the faithfull departed should bee remembred then and prayed for Ab Apostolis sancitum est vt in celebratione venerandorum mysteriorum memoria fiat eorum qui hinc decesserunt Nouerunt illis multum hinc emolumenti fieri multum vtilitatis stante siquidem vniuerso populo manus in caelos extendente caetu etiam sacerdotali venerandoque posito sacrificio quomodo Deum non placaremas pro istis orantes Chrisostom Homil. 3 in cap. 1. epist. ad Philipp It was decreed by the Apostles that in the celebration of the venerable mysteries a memory should bee made of them that were departed this life They knew much gaine much profit did therby come to them for all the people standinge holdinge vp their hands to heauen the preistlie company and the venerable sacrifice offered how could it bee that wee shoulde not appease God prayinge for them The very like hee writeth in an other place Chrisost Homil. 69. ad popul Antiochen And S. Basile setting downe many
thinges deliuered by the tradition of the Apostles saith S. Basil l. 5. de vniuersal eccl this tradition did commend the words of long prayer and consecration ouer the breade and chalice set downe in order multifariam digesta super panem calicem prolixae orationis consecrationis verba commendauit Irenaeus saith the church receaued this order of sacrifice from the Apostles and in his time offered it to God in all the world Oblationem noui testamenti Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 32. contr haeres The auncient learned Bishop Stephanus Eduensis writtinge of this holy sacrifice setteth down the maner how the Apostles practised and preached it Stephan Eduen Episc l. de Sacramento Altaris cap. 20. Sicut Magister docuerat Apostoli se alios communicando consecrationem corporis sanguinis Domini facere caeperunt fieri per vniuersas Ecclesias instituerunt Primo sine aliquo ornatu fiebat canonis mysterium postea cum canone legebatur epistola Euangelium Deinde à Romanis Pontificibus quibusdam additis ad ornatum decoratum Ecclesiae celebranda aliqua susceperunt As Christ theire Master had taught them the Apostles communicating themselues and other began to make the consecration of the body and blood of our Lord and preachinge instituted it to bee done throughout all churches First without any ornament the mistery of the canon of Masse was practised afterward with the canon were reade the epistle and Ghospel After this somethings for ornament were therto added by the Popes of Rome the churches receiued the rest to be celebrated 3. Where wee see the whole body and substance of the Masse consistinge in the holy canon perfected practised and deliuered by the Apostles And what was after added by the Popes of Rome were onely ceremoniall for honor and ornament sake and not necessitie as hee there expresseth and I wil demonstrate herafter by our protestants themselues and for this place their prime man and first protestantlye made Archbishop testifieth as much as this holy Bishop hath done before For he saith plainlie Matth. Parker l. de Britan. antiq cap. 17. pag. 47. that the order and forme of Masse which the Apostles vsed and deliuered to the church ducētis āplius ānis in prima Ecclesia durauit continued aboue two hundred yeares in the primatiue church without alteration And then beeing somewhat altered by Pope S. Zepherine the chaunge which was made was to a more excellent forme and matter Ad pulchriorem materiam formamque S. Proclus Patriarch of Constantinople and successor to S. Chrisostome there testifieth that Saint Clement receaued the forme of Masse from the Apostles and published it to the world Proclus tractat de traditione diuin Liturgiae infra cap. Quia Sacrosancta illa mysteria à Sanctis Apostolis sibi reuelata in lucem edidit And how daily after Christs Ascension they assembled and found great comfort in this holy sacrifice of Christs body and blood said Masse with longe prayers Cum multam consolationem in mistico illo Dominici corporis sacrificio positam inuenissent fusissimè longa oratione Liturgiam decantabant and more plainely as hereafter preferringe it before all other holy duties and exercises And Amalarius Fortunatus maketh this reason why the forme and order of this sacrifice was by our Sauiour recommended to the care of the Apostles Amalar. Fortunat l. 3. de Eccles offic cap. Saluator quo vehementius commendaret mysterij illius altitudinem vltimum hoc voluit infigere cordibus memoriae discipulorum a quibus ad passionem digressurus erat ideo non praecipit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur vt Apostolis per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat seruaret hunc locum Our Sauiour that hee might more vehemently commend the worthines of that mistery would haue it the last thing hee was to fasten into the harts and memorie of his disciples from whom he was to depart to his passion and therefore did not commaund in what order it should afterwards bee receaued that hee might reserue that dutie to the Apostles by whom hee was to dispose the churches 4. To this all the holy Fathers before that testifie Christ ordeyned this holy sacrifice and recommended it to his Apostles beare witnes for none but Antichristians will say that the Apostles taught or practised otherwise then Christ instituted and commaunded And they were so zelous in this holy doctrine that as both Catholicks and Protestants haue proued before they were wicked Hereticks by S. Ignatius testimony that then denyed this B. sacrifice to bee the body and blood of Christ which were giuen and shed for the sinnes of the worlde Ignat. apud Theodoret. Bezam Whitaker al. supr And Leontius Bizantinus writing against the Hereticks Nestorius and Eutiches charging them first with denyinge the Nicen creed and producinge a pseudosimbolum of their owne inuention taxeth the Hereticke with an other prophane impietie not inferior to the other to deny the holy order of the sacrifice of Masse ordeyned and instituted by the Apostles receaued by the Fathers and that of S. Basil penned by the same holy spirit inuented an other Masse of his owne to susteine his heresie full of blasphemies Audet aliud malum non secundum ad superiora aliam enim Missam effutiuit praetor illam qua à patribus tradita est Ecclesijs neque reueritis illam Apostolorum nec illam magni Basilij in eodem spiritu conscriptum in qua Missa blasphemijs non precationibus mysterium Eucharistiae oppleuit And this wickednes was so great by this renowned author that hee calleth it Antichristianitie and the denier of the Apostles Masse Antichrist An vt alius Antichristus adhuc expectetur par est qui sic Christum oderit quae Christi sunt mutare nitatur And our English Protestants themselues both say that the sacrifice of Masse for the liuing and the dead was a tradition of the Apostles and Aerius was iustly condemned of heresy by the primatiue church for denyinge sacrifice for the dead And this is publickly and authoritatiuely approued by the remembred statute of Queene Elizabeth Kinge Eduard the 6. and Kinge Iames our present soueraigne assuringe vs that this holy sacrifice of the altare was instituted by Christ at his laste supper with his Apostles deliuered to thē and by them to the church and succeeding Christian preists to the end and conteyneth the oblation of the most sacred body and blood of Christ Middleton Papistom pag. 49.137.138.47.48 Feild l. 3. cap. 29. pag. 138. statut an 1. Edu 6. an 1. Elizab. an 1. Iacob Reg. THE X. CHAPTER Wherin is particularly proued of all the holy Apostles and Euangelists that they were sacrificinge massinge preists and did both practise and teach the same doctrines And first the 4. Euangelists and S. Paule who haue remēbred these misteries in holy scriptures THis being thus inuincibly proued and acknowledged
his body and blood broken and shed for remission of sinnes by the omnipotent words of Christ This is my body this is my blood being of eternall infallible and vndoubted truth so consecrated by truely and duely ordeyned preists vnto the end of the worlde Therefore most euident it is by all kinde of Arguments and testimonies that the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Matthew as the rest also did and of dutie was bound to offer the most holy sacrifice of Masse And that hee thus did as the rest of the Apostles also did it is manifest by diuers antiquities which wee haue of this holy Apostle 14. First it is commonly agreed vppon both by Catholicke and Protestant writers that hee preached and suffered Martyrdome in Ethiopia hauing first conuerted the Kinge and many others and that of all nations the Christians of Ethiopia were euer most deuout to the holy sacrifice of Masse the protestants themselues ar witnesses and as they haue had that holy sacrifice from their first receauinge the faith of Christ which in all things as transsubstantiation of bread and wine into the bodie and bloody of Christ according to the doctrine of S Matthew before and offeringe of the said blessed body and blood with inuocation of Saints and prayer for the deade so their tradition ascribeth it to S. Matthew the Apostle as ordinarily it is referred vnto him And not onely S. Abdias which liued in that time by his workes vsually receaued Iulius Africanus and others be witnesses that he said Masse and was martyred at the holy altare by Kinge Hirtacus but that vndoubted historie of his life and death which the vniuersall church of Christ followeth approueth and proposeth vnto vs so testifieth Origen in Genes Euseb histor lib. 3. cap. 1. Socrat. lib. 1. c. 15. Doroth. in Synops Magdeburg cent 1. l. 2. col 777.776 Edw. Grimston in Presbyter Iohn Pag. 1088.1089 Missa Aethiopum siue S. Matthaei Apostoli Biblioth SS Patr. Tom. 6. Iudoc Cocc Tom. 2. Sebastian Munster Cosmograph l. 6. cap 57. Abdias Iul Afr. c. l. de vita Apost in S. Math. Metaphrast in S. Matth. Anton. part 1. Petr. anot l. 8. cap. 100. 15. Rege mortuo Hirtacus eius successor Ephigeniam Regiam filiam vellet sibi dari in matrimonium Matthaeum cuius opera illa virginitatem Deo vouerat in Sancto proposito perseuerabat ad altare mysterium celebrantem iussit occidi vndecimo calendas Octobris Vita S. Matth. Apostoli in Breuiario die 21. Septembr Kinge Aeglippus whome S. Matthew had conuerted to the faith being deade Hirtacus his successor desiringe to Mary his daughter Ephigenia sheâ—… by the helpe of S. Matthew hauinge vowed virginitie to God and perseueringe in her holie purpose hee commaunded S. Matthew to bee killed as hee was celebrating Masse at the altare on the eleuenth of the calends of October Which history and relation must needs bee approued by the Protestant church of England keeping his festiuitie with the former histories the church of Rome the auncient Martyrolodges of Rome S. Bede Vsuardus and others vpon the same day Engl. Protest Comm Booke in fest S. Matth. Apostol calend 21. Septembr 11. cal Octobr. Martyr Rom. Bed Vsuard eod die Ado Treuer 16. To which the auncient Manuscript of an author Anonimus published in print all most an hundred yeares since by Fredericus Nausea Bishop of Vienna writtin as hee saith characteribus plusquam vetustis in exceedinge old characters in a most auncient library giueth this ample testimony hauinge before related the history of S. Matthewes preachinge there Cumque omnes respondissent Amen mysteria Domini celebrata fuissent Missam suscepisset omnis Ecclesia retinuit se Sanctus Matthaeus iuxta altare vbi corpus ab eo fuerat Christi confectum vt illic Martyrium expectauit nam expansis manibus orantem spiculator missus ab Hyrtaco à tergo puncti ictu feriens Apostolum Dei Christi Martyrem fecit And when all had answered Amen and the mysteries of our Lord were celebrated and all the Christian assembly had heard Masse S. Matthew kept himselfe still by the altare where the body of Christ was consecrated by him and expected Martyrdome For as hee was praying with his hands stretched forth the executioner beeing sent from Kinge Hyrtacus cominge behinde him thrust the Apostle of God throughe and made him a Martyr of Christ Anonymm antiq l. in vitas miracula passionis Apostolorum in pas S. Matth. Apost cap. 6. 16. And this may fully satisfie for S. Matthew the Apostle that he was a sacrificinge and massinge preist and did both say Masse and ordeyne other holy massing and sacrificinge preists and deliuered a forme of that holy sacrifice to the Christians of Ethiopia I haue bene more large in him because hee was the first amonge the Apostles which in his ghospell wrote of these sacred mysteries and beeinge an Apostle and confirmed in grace neither did nor could in this or any article of Christian Religion beleeue or practise otherwise then Christ commaunded and instituted and the rest of the Apostles and Euangelists did also beleeue teache and exercise as I haue taught in generall of them all Now in particular of euery of them with so much breuitie as I may the difficultie beeinge already cleared vntill I come to S. Peter in whom beeinge besides his primacy amonge the Apostles and in the whole church of Christ our protoparent Pastor and Father in Christ I must spend some longer time in that respect to deduce our holy sacrificinge and massing preisthood from him 17. The next of the Euangelistes and scripture writers which entreateth of this blessed mistery is S. Marke whose words in his ghospell as our protestants translate them concerninge Christs institution of this sacrifice are these Iesus tooke breade and blessed and brake it and gaue to them and said take eate This is my body and hee tooke the cup and when he had giuen thanks hee gaue it to them and they all dranke of it and hee said vnto them this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many Marc. cap. 14 ver 22.23 Where wee see as in S. Matthew before so heare S. Marke doth assure vs that the misteries there celebrated were Christs body and blood shedd for many and so accordinge to that which is already proued in this matter must needes bee an holy sacrifice in the iudgement of this Euangelist and that by his owne continual vse and practise of saying Masse and deliueringe a perfect forme and order thereof vnto the churches where hee preached and liued we haue many testimonies 18. First the very Masse it selfe which hee deliuered to the church of Alexandria and others which hee founded is yet vsed in those parts and knowne to all antiquaries Missa S. Marci seu Ecclesiae Alexandrinae in Biblioth patrum and it doth agree in all matters of substance with the Masse of the Latine church And he himselfe had
by them allowed what highest spirituall offices the same glorious Apostle and his disciples performed here TO proue more amply what hath beene said of S. Peters beeing and preachinge here and to shewe what hee did for the first foundinge of our church A protestant Archbishop from diuers authorities writeth Whit gifts Answ. to the Admonition pag. 65. sect 1. and def of the Answ. pag. 318. The Apostle Peter did in euery prouince appoint one Archbishop whom all other Bishops of the same prouince should obey An other with great priuiledge saith Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 3. Peter preached in â—…e place but hee there ordeyned Bishops and teachers and founded churches And to shew that all these and such benefits came to vs first from S. Peter and his holy see of Rome among other Marcus Antonius de Dominis now by the greate mercy of God a penitent in the catholicke church when hee was in profession a protestant in England Marcus Anton de Domin de Repub christian l. 4. cap. 10. with publick priuiledg in England and a chosen champion for that Religion against the Pope by cheifest protestant authoritie in England then testifieth Est caput Roma quatenus ab ea diffusum est euangelium in reliquas totius occidentis ecclesias in multas orientis atque in barbaras etiam extra Romanum Imperium nationes Rome is the head of the church in so much as from it the ghospell was diffused into the other churches of all the West and into many of the East and into barbarous nations also without the Romane Empire And our Soueraigne kings speach in parlam 1. publickly protested of this church of Rome It is our mother church and consequently that it first brought vs forthe in spirituall christian birth as mothers doe their natural children to the world and that wee except wee will turne bastardly vnnaturall and disobedient children doe owe and must performe all dutie and obedience vnto it our most holy mother in Christ And to further this our bounden dutie the protestants of England in their Theater of the Emp. of greate Britante pag. 203 l. 6. c. 9. num 5. will helpe vs foreward whoe write in this maner That S. Peter the Apostle preached the word of life in this Iland as to other gentiles hee did for whome God had chosen him that from his mouth they might heare the ghospell as himselfe alleadgeth and that hee here founded churches and ordeined preists and deacons which is reported by Simon Metaphrastes out of the greek Antiquities and Gulielmus Eisingrenius in the first of his Centuries Therfore this beeing written by soe learned and holy a man as S. Simon Metaphrastes was and soe auntient aboue 700. yeares since and out of such monuments and Authorities of the Gretians as in his time were honored with the Title of Antiquities this alone might content vs in this matter as it hath already the best learned protestant Antiquaries of this nation But because allowance is giuen to the authoritie which cannot be denyed because it is the maner of Protestants to mynce authorities I will cite that holy auntient Father and Saint S. Sim. Metaphr 29. die Iunij in his owne wordes which bee these RomaÌ„ redijt ex qua venit Mediolanum Photicen quae sunt ciuitates in Continente In quibus cum constituisset Episcopos Presbyteros venit in Britanniam Quo in loco cum longo tempore fuisset moratus multas gentes non nominatas attraxisset ad fidem Christi angelicam aspexit visionem quae dicebat Petre instat tempus tua resolutionts oportet te ire Romam in qua cum mortem per crucem sustinueris recipies mercedem Iustitiae Cum ergo propterea Deum glorificasset egisset gratias apud Britannos mansisset dies aliquot verbo gratiae multos illuminasset ecclesias constituisset episcoposque presbyteros diaconos ordinasset duodecimo anno Caesaris Neronis rursus Romam reuertitur S. Peter by reuelation came to Hierusalem at the death of the mother of God then returning into Egipt by Africk came againe to Rome From whence hee came to Milane and Photice which bee cities in the contineÌ„t in which when hee had constituted Bishops and preists hee came into Britanie where when hee had stayed a longe time and drawne many nations not named to the faith of Christ hee had an Angelicall vision which saide ô Peter the time of thy Resolution is at hande and thou must goe to Rome in which when thou hast suffered death by the crosse thou shalt receaue the reward of lustice Therfore when hee had glorified God and giuen thankes for it and remayned some dayes with the Britans and illuminated manie with the word of grace and founded churches ordeyned both Bishops priests and deacons hee returned againe to Rome in the twelueth years of the Emperor Nero. Hitherto the very words of this learned Saint soe precisely and particularly describeing the tyme and comming of that glorious Apostle into this Iland staying here with his returne to Rome againe that as noe man except an infidell will or can deny it no Author of antiquitie or credit auouching halfe so much for either S Paul or any other Apostle to haue beene here at all soe except wee of EnglaÌ„d wil shew our selues the most vngratefull disobedient to that our first and most glorious Pastor and parent of all nations in the world except HierusaleÌ„ Antioch and Rome wee ar most engaged to honor and reuerence this most glorious Apostle his Successors in his holy Sec for neither Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia or Bythinia which hee himselfe particularly remembreth 1. Pet. 1. v. 1. nor any other kingdome or nation mentioned in any Author of credit and Antiquitie and to bee paralelled with him whom I haue cited approued euen in this point with all Catholicks and the moste iudicious indifferently mynded and best learned protestants can constantly affirme and proue that they had receaued such benefites and blessings from S. Peter as this our Britanie which to visitt hee went soe farr stayed therein soe longe and enritched as with soe many and vnansweareable graces and fauors continuinge them soe longe vntill he was admonished from heaueÌ„ to returne from hence to Rome as before his cominge thither hee also was as Metaphrastes die 29. Iunij S. Leo serm de Apostol with others write directed to come helpe vs in the west And if wee will follow the Roman tradition Baron annotat in 9. Maij in Pudente that Domus Pudentis erat primum hospitium S. Petri Romae the house of Pudens was the first lodging of S. Peter of Rome wee are more strictly bound to Rome and Rome to vs that beeinge the house of our renowned christian contrywoman Lady Claudia as our protestant writers tell vs. Matth. Parker antiq Britan. pag. 2.3 Godwyn Conuers of Britanie Cambd. in Britan. Theater of Brit. l. 6. Now lett vs enquire and sett downe
Quē cùm benedictione consecrassent ab eius oculis elapsisunt And yett neither S. Sampson nor any other tooke this for a reall consecration but onely figuratiue of that which was after to bee done by the holie externall rite of the church of Christ vntill as wee reade in the same history our holy Archbishop S. Dubricius vpon the apparition and message of an Angell did truely and really externally consecrate him a Bishop nec multo post Angelus Domini beato Dubricio apparens Sampsonem ordinari Episcopum praecepit Capgr supr Soe I might exemplifie in many such cases only propheticall and figuratiue what should afterward bee done and not what was then effected Therfore if S. Ioseph was a Bishop as that antiquitie persuadeth by that figuratiue vision not cōsecrated before hee came into Britanie as is shewed before wee reade of no other which at that time made consecrated Bishops but S Peter I may probably at the leaste affirme that S. Iosephe was one of them which S. Peter at his departure hēce S. Iosephe beeing certainely here at that time was consecrated Bishop by Saint Peter here in Britanie And when I finde both Catholicks and Protestants affirme Martyrol Angl. 7. die Februarij Drekin Almin an 1620. 7. Feb. with others that S. Angulus was our Bishop of London martyr and yet noe historiā Catholick or Protestāt putteth him in the nūber of them which were Bishops there after the time of K. Lucius but quite leaue him out of that catalogue as appeareth by our Protestants Harrison Godwyne Stowe others which with al diligēce they could haue collected the auncient Bishops of London I must needs drawe him to an higher time then that of kinge Lucius was before which noe consecration of Bishops in Britany was or is so memorable as this by S. Peter the Apostle Harris de script of Brit Godw. Catalog of Bishop in London 1. Stowe and Howe l. hist Lucius Iocelin of Furnes l. de Episc Brit. And to end here the Relation of S. Peters proceedings in Britanie wee haue clearly deduced with the allowance of our best English Protestant Antiquaries and other Authors by them approued That S. Peter Prince of the Apostles was our first Father in Christ and renowned Apostle both immediately by himselfe and his holy disciples That hee performed here all cheife and eminent pastorall duties and offices when our Emperors with our Lieutenants here as also all our Kings were pagan Infidels That hee ordeyned and consecrated for vs Bishops preists and other clergie men and founded churches to the honor Religion of Christ and the honor of his blessed Mother S. Mary the Virgin few other christian Saints then deceased as that of Glastenbury not soe dedicated without his approbation beeing cheife in such affaires Hee consecrated other Britans out of this nation exemptinge them from the pagan seruice of those such remembred princes hee sent them by authoritie to preach the ghospell in other contries hee or his disciples conuerted Pomponia Graecina the Lord Lieutenants wife of Britanie as these Protestants haue proued and many in the like case their husbands continuing in their infidelitie and contradiction and many husbands and children the wiues and parents not allowinge as seruants in respect of their Lords and masters and Subiects in regard of soueraignes I a Catholick Preist now demaund of the best learned Protestāts Bishops of England whether these proceedings and prerogatiues in that moste glorious Apostle and his worthie disciples our first Masters in Christ were not as greate and ample as the renowned Preists and Catholicks of this kingedome now attribute and giue to the Popes of Rome his Apostolicke Successors Wee whoe haue reade moste and suffered much for this cause cannot see the difference or finde instance of disparitie except in number of parsons lesse or greater quantities of groundes and some improportions in such thinges which make noe essentiall diuersitie for otherwise wee haue beene told by the best learned Protestants with others that S. Peter and his disciples did manifestlie and directly transfer and chaunge those parsons places and propertie of thinges of this our Britanie from a temporall to al spirituall vse from the commande except in temporall dutie of the present Emperors Lieutenants Kings and Soueraignes alienated from Christiā Religion to the cōmande of Christ his Religion our moste holy Apostle and his disciples by his authoritie soe directinge THE III. CHAPTER How in the rest of this first Hundred yeares of Christ after Saint Peter The Apostolicke See of Rome still continued and exercised this supreame spirituall power in Britanie IT is a question not onely amonge Catholicks but some Protestants also whether S. Linus Cletus were Popes after S. Peter or onely Suffragan Bishops as soe ordeyned by him at the first And Pope Leo the second an holy Saint with there nowned of our Historians to omitt others S. Marianus Florentius Wigorniensis say plainely Si Petrus Apostolorum princeps adiutoris sibi asciuit Linum Cletum non tamen pontificij potestatem cis tradidit sed Clementi successori suo If Peter Prince of the Apostles did take Linus and Cletus to bee his Adiutors yett hee gaue not them the Papall power but to Clement his successor And Linus and Cletus did nothinge by their owne Lawes and power as popes but only soe much as was commaunded them by S. Peter S. Leo 2. in epist. decretal Marian. Scot. lib. 2. aetat 6. Florent Wigor in Siluan Otho Consul Robert Barns in vit Port. Rom. in Linum Therfore to omitt doubtfull and vncertaine thinges and to come next to S. Clement whoe moste certainely by all Cathololicks and Protestants was Pope of Rome nominated by S. Peter though Baronius and others whom he alleageth are of opinion that S. Clement yeelded his right and did not exercise the office of supreame pastour til after Linus and Cletus yet who in S. Peters life him were his Coadiutors after his death his successors before S. Clemēt to 1. Annal. p. 742.743.744.745 before any other by this Pope Doctors were sent into the west as our Protestants tell vs Margin annot vppon Matth. Westin an 94. Matth. Westm supr in greate numbers as S. Denis Nicasius Taurinus Trophimus Paulus Narbonensis Saturninus Martialis Gratianus Iulianus Lucianus Firminus Photinus all Bishops they add S. Regulus Whome although they setle thē with their Bishopricks in Fraunce yett it proueth the power spirituall commaund of that holy pope to haue extended it selfe aswell to this kingdome one and the same reason beeing for and against them both But wee finde diuers Authorities both late and auncient to induce vs to consent that some of these named holy Bishops sent at this time by S. Clement were sent by him into this kingdome of Britanie namely S. Taurinus and S. Nicasius and that S. Taurinus was Archbishop or Bishop of yorke Amonge others William Harrison a Protestant historian In descript of Britanie
that the church of Scotland shall bee immediatly subiect to the See Apostolicke Soe that it is most euident by all testimonies that this kingedome of Britanie was from the first conuersion thereof to Christ euer subiect to the See of Rome in spirituall things as farr as the Pope of Rome now requireth or Catholicks attribute vnto him Which these our Protestants of England and from Authenticall Antiquities as they say will more Amply proue vnto vs and in the highest degree of papall priuiledges For they tell vs that kinge Lucius did not onely receaue the Christian faith Iuridicall direction and settling of all spirituall and meerlie Religious affaires by the authoritie of the Pope of Rome but the same holy Pope not onely with the good likinge and consent of Kinge Lucius but by his suite and petition interposed himselfe in the ordeyninge alteringe or correctinge and settlinge the very temporal lawes theÌ„selues in this kingedome to gouerne Rule and direct it euen in ciuill and meerely humane thinges as is manifest in a certaine Epistle which these Protestants with generall consent asscribe to S. Eleutherius himselfe written to kinge Lucius as responsory and satisfactory to some letters which this kinge had written vnto him to such purpose to haue temporall lawes from him to gouerne this kingdome by Petistis à nobis leges Romanos Caesaris vobis transmitti You require of vs writeth this holy Pope to king Lucius the Romane Lawes and the Emperors to bee sent ouer vnto you vvhich you vvould practise and put in vre vvithin your Realme the Romane Lawes and the Emperors vvee may euer reproue but the Lawe of God vvee may not you haue receaued of late through gods mercy in the kingedome of Britanie the Lawe and faith of Christ. You haue vvith you vvithin the Realme both parts of the scriptures out of them by gods grace vvith the councell of your Realme take you a Lawe and by that Lavve by gods sufferance rule your kingedome of Britanie for you bee gods vicar in your kingedome Epist. Eleutherij Papae ad Lucium Reg. Britan. apud Foxe to 1. Iuel contra Hard. Franc. Mason l. 2. Godwyn Conuers of Brit. pag. 38. Lambert in leg S. Vsuardi Stow in Lucio Thus these Protestants translate that part of that Popes Epistle Whereby first it is manifest That Kinge Lucius now a Christian did not and in conscience coulde not write for or absolutely desire the Imperiall Lawes the Emperors then beeing pagans and their Lawes accordingely mayntaining the Idolatries of the gentiles but as they should bee moderated and corrected by the Lawes of Christ which noe man could with more authoritie and better performe then the holy Pope hauing then the supreame place in the church of God For otherwise he should haue beene an enemy to Christ his lawe which hee now professed and beeing in soe high grace and fauour with the Emperor and Roman Senate as these Protestants and other antiquities tell vs hee might should with farr more honor loue and likeinge haue receaued these Lawes from the Emperor himselfe the Senate of Rome or manie Romans here in Britanie whoe then liued accordinge to those Roman and Imperiall Lawes then from Pope Eleutherius whoe liued not as those Lawes commaunded but soe farr otherwise that hee and all the Popes of Rome before and many after him were both persecuted and putt to death for christian Religion by those lawes Therefore kinge Lucius requestinge such Lawes from Pope Eleutherius must needs hereby acknowledge that as by sendinge soe farr vnto him to be instructed in the faâ—…th of Christ and all such matters spirituall to bee settled and ordered here by his highest power soe in his temporall proceedings which to bee iust holy must needs haue a subordination vnto spirituall and the iudgement ouer Lawes Whether they ar holy iust and such as Christians in conscience and Religion ought to vse and bee directed by is to bee made by them cheifly whoe haue the greatest knowledged and commaunde in such cases and iudgements which bee the gouernors and Bishops of the church of God hee thought noe Lawes to bee vncontrolably warrantable but such as the cheife pastor of the church of Christ the Pope of Rome should giue validitie vnto by his confirmation and allowance For amonge soe many Lawes as soe ample and greate a kingedome was to bee ruled and gouerned by there must needs bee many which of necessitie were thus to bee examined by the Lawe of God and cheifest interpreters thereof Which Saint Eleutherius warned Kinge Lucius of when hee prescribed vnto him to haue his Lawes warranted by the scriptures and taken forth of them by the councell of the Realme and by that Lawe to Rule the kingedome where it is euident that hee appointeth the Lawe of Britanie to be conformable to the Lawe of God and to bee secure it should bee such it to bee enacted and concluded by the best councell of his Realme in such things which were the Bishops cleargie and learned diuines cheifely which S. Eleutherius had settled here for they were the onely or principall Interpreters of holy scriptures here at that time and others in a maner concerninge such things Catechumenes to bee instructed themselues and not to drawe Lawes out of scriptures to instruct and direct others And so a Protestant Bishop with such publick warrant expoundeth it in these wordes By the aduise of the cleargie of their dominion Bridges def l. 16. pag. 1355. And S. Eleutherius takinge vppon himselfe as Pope of Rome the supreamacy ouer the whole church as these Protestants haue told vs cannot by any but carelesse or ignoraÌ„t of truth bee interpreted to giue any such preeminence to a newly become Christian temporal prince but calleth him onely the Vicar or Vicegerent of God as all princes Christians and others ar or should bee to see iustice performed to all within their dominions which is sufficiently expressed in this very epistle it selfe where that holy Pope telleth Kinge Lucius what is the dutie and office of a king the wordes by Protestant traÌ„slation ar The people and nations of the kingedome of Britanie is yours such as ar diuided you should gather them together to the Lavve of Christ his holy church to peace and concord cherish maintayne protect gouerne and defend them from the iniurious malicious and their enemies A kinge hath his name of gouerninge and not of his kingedome soe longe you shall bee a kinge as you rule well otherwise you shall not bee soe named and loose that name vvhich God forbid God graunt that you may soe rule your Realme of Britanie that you may Reigne vvith him euerlastingely whose Vicar you ar in the said kingedome Epistol Eleuther apud Godwyn Conuers pag. 23. Foxe tom 1. Stowe and Hovves histor in Lucius Bridg. def p. 1355. Ieuel ag Hard. Lambard de legib Theater of Brit. and others Where wee see in what sence this holie Pope called Kinge Lucius the
cite Ranulphus Higeden whoe as they write citeth Gildas for the same history But NeÌ„nius hath it at lardg and saith of this Ketell soe erected Nennius M. S. in S. German Et omnes filij eius facti sunt Reges à semine eorum omnis Regio Prouisorum regitur vsque hodiernam diem And all his sonnes after him were kings and from their seede the whole Region of Pouis is ruled to this day From the time of S. German to the writinge of Nennius And it is euident by Nennius the Relator of this historie that S. German was not a deposer of this wicked kinge For first it is manifest by the history that hee was a pagan which was in noe wise subiect to Christian discipline or coercion secondly hee his kindred were miraculously destroyed and consumed by God and noe heyre left of that linadge to inherite Then if S. German with the consent of the nobles and people now destitute of a Ruler gaue way to the election of an other a worthie and holy man what wronge or iniurie in any opinion was here committed by him none at al but an action which all Religions doth allowe and commend vnto vs. But to leaue these things to Protestants as their propertie quarto modo in all places times when they haue preuailed and which I would not haue mentioned but beeinge thus called vppon by them wee are further taught by them that in this time our dependance here in Britanie was soe greate on the Popes of Rome that not soe much as as a publick schole was here kept without his allowance and the audience of other matters was referred to him These things appeare to bee soe in the case of the schole of Cambridge priuiledged by the holy Popes S. Leo and Simplicius in this age and S. Iltutus that renowned Master of many moste Learned Schollers Honor. Papa supr Caius Antiquitat Cantabrig l. 1. p. 147. lib. vit Sanctoaum Wall in Iltuto To vvhome magistralis cura concessa est à Pontifice The magistrall chardge was committed by the Pope How renowned this man was in this kinde as also S. Dubritius in the like case hauinge a thousand schollers as our Protestant testifie Caius supr p. 145.146 Bal. l. de script centur 1. in Dubrit Iltuto Godvvin Catalog S. Dauid 1. Bal. cent 1. in Macceo And Macceus a disciple of S. Patricke beeinge accused at Rome was constrayned to purge himselfe there edito libello Romanae vrbis pontifici satisfecit and satisfied the Pope of Rome in his booke published to that purpose Neither without great cause were these duties performed to the Pope from hence or hee did require them singularly of the Britans in this time for these our Protestants assure vs that the Pope in those daies claimed and exercised that their highest spirituall power ouer all churches and parsons how eminent soeuer temporall or spirituall For to insist in these mens very words Io Bal. l. 2. de Act. Rom. Pont. in Hilario Rob. Barns in vit Pontif. Rom. in Hilar. Hilarius decreta synodalia fecit per vniuersum mundum seruanda publicauit Pope Hilary about the yeare 142. did make synodall decrees and published them to bee kept throughout the whole world Faelix AchatiuÌ„ CoÌ„stantinopolitanum episcopum vna cum Petro Eutichiano excommunicat quod Eutichianum exilium propter baeresim puisum reuocauerat Pope Faelix the third did excommunicate Achatius patriarke of Constantinople with Peter an Eutichian heretick because he had recalled an Eutichian that for heresie was exiled Gelasius Anastasium Imperatorem à coetu Christianorum exclusit quòd Achatio alijs haereticis faueret Idem in Gelasio Gelasius the Pope did exclude Anastasius the Emperor from the companie of Christians because hee fauoured Achatius and other hereticks And they further tell vs Balaeus Barns in Anastasio 2. how Pope Anastasius the second did alsoe excommunicate the same Emperor for the like Soe it is euident by this our English Protestants that the Popes of Rome in al this age both claymed and exercised this their supreame spirituall power and commaunde in this kingedome of Britanie And because the kingedome of Ireland is now belonging to the crowne of greate Britanie and S. Patricke generally called the Apostle of that nation was borne in this our Britanie and sent to Ireland by the same Pope Celestine whoe sent S. Palladius Germanus and Lupus hither I must say some-what of him and his proceedings in this matter The very name of the Apostle of Ireland which is giuen vnto him in all Antiquities and that hee was thus sent from the Pope of Rome Saint Celestine with that highe spirituall power requisite in such a case of the conuersion of soe greate a contrye will sufficiently warrant the dependance of the same in spirituall things of the Apostolicke See of Rome For to speake nothinge of his miraculous powerable proceedings with greate opposites vnto him remembred by the writers of his life and others Nennius himselfe is thus farr a witnesse for this renowned Saint and Irish Apostle Nennius in manu-scripto codice antiq in Patricio Sanctus Patricius Euangelium Christi externis nationibus per annos 40. Praedicabat virtutes Apostolicos faciebat caecos illuminabat leprosos mundabat surdos audire faciebat daemones obsessis corporibus fugabat mortuos numero vsque nouem suscitauit captiuos multos vtriusque sexus proprijs donis redemit scripsit Abegetoria 300. sexaginta quinque aut amplius ecclesias quoque eodem numero fundauit trecentas sexaginta quinque ordinauit Episcâ—…pos 365. aut amplius in quibus spiritus Dei erat presbyteros autem vsque ad tria millia ordinauit duodecim milia hominum in vna Regione Conachta ad fidem Christi conuertit baptizauit quadraginta diebus totidemque noctiâ—…us in cacumine montis Eile ieiunauit S. Patrick did preache the ghospell of Christ 40. yeares to externe nations hee wrought Apostolicall miracles hee made the blinde to see cleansed lepers caused the deaffe to heare draue away deuills from possessed bodies hee raised to life nyne deade parsons hee redeemed many captiues of either sexe with his owne goods hee wrote Abegetories 365. or more hee founded churches in the same number three hundred sixtie fiue hee ordeyned three hundred three score fiue Bishops or more in whom there was the spirit of God hee ordeyned preists to the number of three thousande and hee conuerted to the faith of Christ and baptized twelue thousand men in one Region called Conacht hee fasted fourtie dayes soe many nights in the topp of the montaine Eile Thus this auntient Brittish Author comparing this holy Bishop S. Patrick to Moyses in fower thinges first for his speakinge with an Angell in rubo in a bushe secondlie for his fast of fourtie dayes and nights thirdlie for the yeares of his age 120. fourthlie for the place of his buriall vnknowne By which narration of Nennius soe auntient and
it to this nation as hee had care and charge of the whole church committed vnto him nor in particular because hee had residence and much continuance with our Christian Britans at Rome as S. Cletus Linus and Peter before had but because in all probable iudgement hee was longe time here in Britanie with S. Peter and after by the same greate Apostle charged in one of his laste admonitions vnto him to haue an especial care of this kingdome of Britanie in particular both which are easely proued by the words of S. Peter vnto S. Clement as hee himselfe thus relateth them and produceth them as one amonge other reasons why aboue all others so manie worthie men hee made choise of S. Clement to bee his successor Clemens Rom. epistol 1. ex verb. S. Petri mihi ab initio vsque ad finem comes itineris actuum fueris quaeque per singulas ciuitates me disputante solicitus Auditor exceperis Thou hast beene a companion of my trauailes and deedes from the beginninge vnto the end Thou as a carefull Auditor hast obserued what I haue preached in euerie citie 2. And to him againe If I had any other better then thou or any had beene so diligent helper of mee or any had so fully receaued my doctrine and learned my ecclesiasticall dispositions if I had any such other I woulde not compell the vnwillinge to vndertake this good vvorke Si esset alius melior si quis mihi alius adiutor tam sedulus adstitisset si quis tam plenè doctrinae meae rationem caepisset sed ecclesiasticas dispositiones à me tam plenè didicisset habens alium talem non te cogerem opus bonum suscipere nolentem And to the Christians at Rome in this maner When hee was to die Audite me fratres conserui mei quoniam vt edoctus sum ab eo qui me misit Domino Magistro meo Iesu Christo dies mortis meae instat Clementem hunc Episcopum vobis ordino cui soli meae praedicationis doctrinae cathedram trado Qui mihi ab initio vsque in finem comes in omnibus fuit per hoc veritatem totius meae praedicationis agnouit Qui in omnibus tentationibus meis socius extitit fideliter perseuerans Heare mee ô my brethren and fellow seruants because as I am taught by him that sent mee my Lord and Master Iesus Christ the day of my death is at hand I ordeine this Clement to bee your Bishop to whome alone I commit the chaire of my preachinge and doctrine who hath beene a companion vnto mee in all thinges or places from the begining to the end and thereby knoweth the truth of all my preachinge Who hath beene my fellow in al my tentations faithfully perseueringe Clem. supr epist 1. Marian Scot. in S. Petro. Flor. Wigorn. in chron in S. Petro. Leo Pap. 2. epistol decretal Alexander 1. epist 1. ad omnes orthodox To. 1. Concil 3. Therefore seing S. Peter was in Britanie as I haue shewed before and our protestant antiquaries allowe of those auncient recordes which almost 800. yeares since were alleaged for reuerende antiquities and say that S. Peter stayed longe time in this our Britanie conuerted many founded churches and ordeyned Bishops preists and deacons quo in loco cum longo tempore fuisset moratus verbo gratiae multos illuminasset Ecclesias constituisset Episcoposque presbyteros diaconos ordinasset Protestant Theater of great Brit. lib. 6. cap. 9 antiquitat graec apud Sim. Metaphrasten die 29. Iunij Laurent Sur. 29. Iunij and was such a massinge preist and Apostle as I haue shewed before S. Clement this his vnseparable companion in all times and places from the beginning to the end and the best learner follower and obseruer of his doctrine and practise in holy Religion must needs bee here in Britanie with him staying here longe time longo tempore and bee as his Master S. Peter was a massing preist And S. Peter hauinge consecrated for the Romans two Bishops S. Linus and Cletus before S. Clement could not bee onely for that place And the commissionall wordes of S. Peter to S. Clement are generall for all Christians without limitation of place or parsons to supply the place and parson of S. Peter who was cheife of all So this must needs include our Britans beinge so many of them then Christians at Rome and his bretheren and fellowe seruants in Christ as the wordes bee equally as the Romans or any others were and our noble contriwoman S. Claudia her house hauinge many more Christians in it then any other in Rome and the principall place of S. Peters residence when hee conuersed there it cannot seeme vnprobable that this great charge was committed to S. Clemēt by S. Peter in that house where the ordinarie assemblies of Christians were kept And so of all nations this our Britanie could not bee left out in that charge and commission which S. Clement himselfe doth sufficiētly proue in that epistle wherwith others thus hee writeth of S. Peters charge vnto him S. Clem. Rom. epist 1. Leo 2. epistol decretal Marian. Scot. in S. Clemente Florent Wigorn. in eod 4. Episcopos per singulas ciuitates quibus ille non miserat perdoctos prudentes sicut serpentes simplicesque sicut columbas iuxta Domini praeceptionem nobis mittere praecepit Quod etiam facere inchoauimus Domino opem ferente facturi sumus vos autem per vestras dioceses Episcopos sacrate mittite quia nos ad altas partes quod idem iusset agere curabimus Aliquos vero ad Gallias Hispaniasque mittemus quosdam ad Germaniam Italiam atque ad reliquas gentes dirigere cupimus Vbi autem ferociores rebelliores gentes esse cognouerimus illic dirigere sapientiores austeriores necesse habemus S. Peter commaunded vs to send Bishops very learned and wise as serpents and simple as doues according vnto the commaūdement of our Lord to all cities to which hee had not sent Which wee haue begun to doe and by the helpe of our Lord will doe hereafter and consecrate you writinge to the Bishop of Hierusalem and send Bishops throughout your diocesses because wee will haue care to doe it to other parts as hee commaunded Wee will send some to Fraunce and Spaine and some to Germany and Italy as wee desire to the other nations and where the people ar more feirce and rebellious thither we haue need to send more wise and austere men 5. Where wee euidently see by S. Clements owne testimonie consent of manie auncient learned men embracinge it that he was charged by S. Peter to send Bishops not onely into Italy Spaine Fraunce and Germany but into all these other nations atque ad reliquas gentes in which Britanie must needs bee comprehended consideringe in what state of barbarousnes this kingdome was in respect of Italy Spaine Fraunce and Germany also before