truth whose communion we must embrace follow her directions rest in her iudgement liuing and dying therein to haue eternall life men might here by my censure and advice confine themselues and wade no further in so many intricate controversies of religion the second that I am or must bee of opinion that all those bookes which the church of Rome receiued for canonicall are indeede canonicall For answere to the former of these allegations First I professe before God men and Angels that I neither do nor euer did thinke the present Romane church to be the true church whose communion wee are bound to embrace but an hereticall church with which we may not communicate Secondly I professe in like sort that though I did and doe acknowledge the church wherein our Fathers liued before Luthers time to haue beene the true church of God in respect of the best and indeede the principall parts thereof which held a sauing profession of the truth in Christ howsoeuer many and they greatly prevailing erred damnably yet I neuer thought it to be that church in whose iudgement we are to rest without any farther doubt or question nor that it was safe to follow the greater part of the guides and rulers of it but the church in whose iudgement wee must absolutely and finally rest is that whole and entire societie of Holy ones which beginning at Hierusalem and filling the world continueth vnto this day To refuse the iudgement of this church or to resist against any thing deliuered ab omnibus ubique semper in all places at all times by all Christian pastors and people not noted for heresie or singularitie were extreame folly and madnesse so that as I noted in answer to the first chapter out of Waldensis it is not any particular church as the church of Africa nor the particular Romane church but the vniuersall church not gathered together in a generall councell which hath sometimes erred but the whole catholique church dispersed through the world from the baptisme of Christ vnto our times which doth vndoubtedly holde the true faith and faithfull testimony of IESVS and in whose iudgement we must absolutely rest without any farther question oâ—… doubting and hereunto agreeth t Vincentius Lirinensis prescribing this course to bee followed in matters questioned touching faith and religion If errour creepe into one part of the Church we must looke vnto other that still are sound and pure if into almost the whole present church we must looke vp higher into former times and the resolutions of them that haue beene since the Apostles times Thus I hope the Reader will easily perceiue that this first allegation is friuolous For I doe not thinke the present Church of Rome to be the true church of God whose communion we must embrace nor that the particular Romane church when it was at the best was that church in the judgement whereof we are absolutely to rest and therefore let no man confine himselfe here without farther wading into particular controuersies but let euery man as he tendreth the saluation of his owne soule looke to the judgement of other churches also and to the resolutions of former times Now let vs proceede to his second allegation concerning canonicall and apocryphall bookes of Scripture His words are The Protestant surueyor of the Communion-booke affirmeth plainely that the Protestants of England must approue for Canonicall all those bookes which the Romane Church doth and Doctour Field is of the same opinion or must be for thus he writeth The ancient and true-beleeuing Iewes before the comming of Christ especially such as liued in Greece and nations out of Iury commonly called Hellenists receiued those bookes for canonicall Scripture It is well hee saith not absolutely that I am of that opinion but that I am or must be for he is well assured I am not but he knoweth how to force me to bee whether I will or not by falsly reporting my wordes and making me say that I neuer thought nor said For doe I any where say the ancient and true â—…euing Iewes before the comming of Christ receiued those bookes for canonicall especially such as were dispersed among the Gentiles No surely but the contrary namely that the ancient church of the Iewes did receiue those only as diuine and canonicall which we doe and not those other in question I am verily perswaded these men thinke lying to be no sinne for otherwise it were not likely that bragging so much of their good workes and trusting to the merit thereof they would wittingly runne so often into such a sinne as we silly men thinke it to be and as the spirit of God assureth vs it is being of the number of those that shut men out of the kingdome of God and Christ according to that in the Reuelation Without shall be dogges and inchanters and whore-mongers and murtherers idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies But let vs see if hee deale not better in that which followeth Surely no hee is constant and euer like himselfe for hee saith Doctour Field writeth thus The ancient and true-beleeuing Iewes before the comming of Christ especially such as liued in Greece and nations out of Iury commonly called Hellenists receiued those bookes for canonicall Scripture and to vse his owne wordes Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double canon of Scripture to the Christian Churches Surely this is not to vse but to abuse my words For I was not so senselesse as to say the auncient and true-beleeuing Iewes receiued the bookes in question for Canonicall and that thence it came that they deliuered a double Canon of Scripture to the Christian Churches For if the Iewes generally had receiued all these bookes for canonicall but especially the Hellenists then they could not haue deliuered a double canon of Scripture but one onely Wherefore my words are not as hee reporteth them but hauing spoken of the 22 bookes of the old Testament I adde These onely did the auncient Church of the Iewes receiue as diuine Canonicall and that other bookes were added vnto these whose authoritie not being certaine and knowne are named Apocryphall fèll out in this sort The Iewes in their latter times before and at the comming of Christ were of two sorts some properly named Hebrewes commorant at Hierusalem in the holy land other named Hellenists Iewes of the dispersion mingled with the Grecians these had written sundry bookes in Greeke which they made vse of together with other parts of the old Testament which they had of the translation of the Septuagint but the Hebrewes receiued onely the 22 bookes before mentioned Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of the Scripture to the Christian Church the one pure indubitate diuine which is the Hebrew Canon the other in Greeke inriched with or rather adulterated by the addition of certaine other bookes written in those dayes when God raised vp no more Prophets among his people So that the
Iewes being of two sorts Hebrewes and Hellenistes The Hebrewes deliuered to the Christian church onely the 22 bookes of the old Testament whereof there is no question to bee the absolute rule and Canon of our faith and tooke no notice of the bookes now in question But the Hellenists deliuered with them these also that are questioned if not to be the canon of our faith yet to be a canon and rule of direction for matters of conuersation and manners and to bee read at least ad aedificationem plebis for the edification of the people though not for confirmation of matters of doctrine And truely I am perswaded it cannot bee proued that the Hellenists euer receiued these bookes in question as any part of the canon of faith or absolutely canonicall but in a sort only in that they containe a good direction of mens manners But saith hee D. Field speaking of this volume of the Hellenists addeth These bookes which are doubted of ioyned in one volume with those 22 whereof there is no question were translated out of Greeke into Latine and read by the Latine Church in that translation and intreating of Saint Augustine and the Latine Fathers especially in Africa and the third Carthaginian Councell writeth thus They reckon the bookes of Scripture according as they found them in vse in the Latine Church then Doctour Field hath absolutely granted that in the Latine Church vnder which England is these Scriptures were euer esteemed as Canonicall They seeme greatly to desire to end the controuersies betweene them and vs by publicke disputation and challenge vs in such sort as if we durst not shew our selues where they should appeare but surely if they performe no more when they come to disputing then they doe when they write nor bring no better arguments when they oppose in our schooles then they publish in their bookes the very boyes in our Vniuersities will hisse them out For how will this consequence euer be made good Augustine and the Africanes in the third Councell of Carthage reckon the bookes of Scripture as they found them joyned in one volume translated out of Greeke into Latine not exactly noting the difference that is betweene them and so seeme to admitte into the canon those bookes which wee reiect therefore the bookes which wee reiect were euer esteemed to bee canonicall in the Latine church seeing Hierome at the same time translating the Scriptures out of Hebrew exactly learning which bookes pertained to the Hebrew canon reiected all besides the 22 Hebrew bookes as the Grecians did before him and as after him almost all men of note in the Latine church did But hee will say Augustine and the Africanes found the bookes reiected by vs in vse in the Latine church as well as the other which wee admit to be canonicall therefore they were euer esteemed to be canonicall in the Latine Church vnder which England is This proofe is too weake for as I haue noted in the place cited by him the prayer of Manasses confessed by our Aduersaries to bee Apocryphall the third and fourth of Esdras and the booke called Pastor were likewise in vse in the Latine Church that is read by them of the Latine church cited by them in their writings and many things translated out of them into the publicke prayers liturgie of the church yet will it not follow that these bookes were euer esteemed as canonicall in the Latine church vnder which England was It is true indeede that Augustine when hee was blamed for citing some testimonies out of the bookes reiected by vs defended his so doing by the practise of the church which had anciently read the same in her publicke assemblies but not much pressing the authoritie of them saith hee can proue the things for proofe whereof he alleaged those bookes out of other that are not doubted of So that Caietanes opinion is not improbable that Augustine did not thinke these bookes to be absolutely canonicall but in a sort onely in that they containe many godly instructions and a good direction for mens manners That which hee addeth in the last place that these controuersed bookes being translated out of Greeke into Latine with the other originally written in Hebrew were in likelihood first deliuered by the Hellenists or Iewes of the dispersion to the Greeke Churches as being in Greeke amongst them is to no purpose For though we should graunt they were so deliuered all together yet they of the Greeke Church hauing an eye to the Canon of the Hebrewes put a difference betweene the one and the other and neuer accounted these to bee canonicall as I haue largely proued out of the testimonies of Melito Origen Athanasius Nazianzen Cyrill Epiphanius and Damascene Thus haue we examined the allegations of this chapter and found them very weake and frivolous CHAP. 5. IN the fifth chapter hee vndertaketh to proue that Protestants confesse the vulgar translation to bee the best and their own the worst But because he alleageth nothing to this purpose out of any thing that I haue written I will passe from this to the next not doubting but they who are wronged by him will make him know that he vndertaketh much and proueth little CHAP. 6. IN the sixth chapter wherein he vndertaketh to proue by the confession of Protestants that the true lawfull and iuridicall exposition of Scriptures is in the Romane Church not with the Protestants he endeauoureth to shew that I confesse so much His words are these D. Field confesseth that neither conference of places nor consideration of the Antecedentia Consequentia nor looking into the originals are of any force vnlesse we finde the things which we conceiue to be vnderstood meant in the places interpreted to be consonant to the rule of faith therefore hee confesseth that the warranted exposition of Scripture belongeth to the Romane church This consequence I deny as strange absurd wherefore let vs see if he make any shew of prouing it He addeth that I teach the rule of faith must be tryed either by the generall practise of the Church the renowned of all ages or the Pastors of an Apostolicall Church which as the world can witnesse no Protestant can make claime vnto as if from hence it would follow which is the thing he goeth about to proue or else he doth nothing that all warranted exposition of Scripture belongeth to the Romane Church Whatsoeuer become of the consequence of this argument there are many exceptions to be taken to the antecedent of it For first I doe not giue these three rules whereof he speaketh whereby to know the rule of faith but to know true traditions from false Secondly I do not say the generall practise of the Church the renowned of all ages the Pastors of an Apostolicall church are the rules whereby true traditions may be knowne from false but the generall practise of the church frō the beginning the report testimony of the most renowned
differ as much in iudgement as wee doe from the Papists at this day so that these Cardinals that opposed themselues against the furious purposes of the Pope intending to proceed against Grosthead for resisting his tyrannicall vsurpations and iustified Grosthead as a good man and the thinges hee stood vpon as right and iust and told the Pope of a departure from him which hee must looke for and by these ill courses intended by him he might hasten may be thought not to haue beene members of the Antichristian faction but of the poore Church oppressed and wronged by the same as Grosthead also was Neither is it so strange that Cardinalls who are so neere the Pope should bee auerse from his Antichristian courses For Cameracensis then whom that age had not a worthier man either for life or learning and Cusanus no way inferiour to him howsoeuer they were not free from all errours of Papisme yet wholly condemned the Papacie as wee doe at this day denying the Popes vniuersality of iurisdiction vncontroulable power infallible iudgement and right to meddle with Princes states making him nothing but the first Bishoppe in order and honour amongst the Bishops of the Christian Church And Contarenus as all men know condemned sundry errours of the Papisme and seemed no lesse to dislike the Papistes wilfull and obstinate maintayning of grosse errours abuses and confusions then the temerity of those that disorderedly as he thought sought to haue an alteration Thus is Master Higgons his great demaund easily answered Onely one great and vnexcusable fault I haue committed in that I say these Cardinals opposed themselues against the Pope when hee intended to proceede violently against Bishoppe Grosthead whereas I should haue said they interposed themselues The poore man it seemeth is very weake in his conceipt and therefore saith hee knoweth not what for did not the interposing of themselues in such sort as they did imply a contrariety of iudgement in them opposite to that of the Pope and was not their hindering crossing and stopping of him by all the meanes it was fitte for them to vse an opposing against his rash purpose and resolution Surely Master Higgons in this passage sheweth himselfe as very a babe as euer suckt a bottle For all men know that one may oppose himselfe vnto another as well by way of perswasion and entreaty as of authority or violence But to leaue these trifleling fooleries and to come to matter of substance because he saith I expresse not the matters of quarrell and differences betweene the Pope Bishop Grosthead particularly enough and that I conceale the correspondence hee held with the Romane Church in matters of faith I will relate the whole storie at large of such things as fell out betweene the Pope and this worthy Bishop whereby I doubt not but it will appeare that if Grosthead were now aliue he would detest such smattering companions as Higgons is that labour so carefully to reconcile him to that Antichrist with whom hee had warre both while he liued and after hee was dead The Popes in the time wherein Grosthead liued not contenting themselues with the preheminence of being Patriarches of the West which stood in confirming Metropolitanes by imposition of handes or by mission of the Pall and in calling Patriarchicall Synodes in certaine cases to heare and determine matters of greater consequence then could be ended in Prouinciall Synodes but taking vpon them as if the fulnesse of all Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction had rested in them alone admitted appeales out of all partes of the West not of Bishops only but of Presbyters inferiour Cleargy-men and Lay-men also reserued a great number of cases to their owne cognisance debarring the Bishoppes and Metropolitanes from medling with them exempted whom they pleased from the ordinary iurisdiction of their Bishoppes and challenged the right to conferre all kinde of dignities Ecclesiasticall whether presentatiue or electiue not onely when they were voyd but before whence came their expectatiue graces and prouisions and which much offended and grieued all good men bestowed the dignities of the Churches abroad in England and other places vpon strangers that neuer came to those Churches they were intitled to so that at one time a survay beeing taken it was found that strangers carried yearely more then threescore thousand Markes out of England which was more then the bare reuenew of the Crowne at that time Amongst others Bishoppe Grosthead receiued the Popes letters for the placing of certaine strangers in his Church of Lincolne which he refused to doe and wrote backe to the Pope to lette him know hee was opposite to Christ a murtherer of soules and an Hereticke in these his courses Vpon the receipt of which letters the Pope was halfe madde with anger and calling his Cardinals together sware by Peter and Paul that if it were not that he were ouercome by the goodnesse of his nature hee would cast downe this Bishoppe into the pitte of all confusion which thing hee said hee could easily doe for that the King of England was his Vassall and Slaue and hee could commaund him vnder paine of his high displeasure to cast him into prison or otherwise to proceede against him but that howsoeuer hee would make him an example to all such as should dare in like sort to disobey his Mandates Some of the Cardinals more aduised then the Pope sought to pacifie him what they could and to stoppe these his intended violent courses telling him Bishoppe Grosthead was in faith a Catholicke in life a most holy man of great learning and euery where much respected that the thinges hee stood vpon were iust and right and that therefore it was not safe for him to proceede against him least some tumult should follow which they besought him the rather to thinke of for that there must be a departure from the Church of Rome which they would not haue him to hasten by this meanes These perswasions prevailed so farre that Grosthead was not accursed nor deposed but dyed Bishop of Lincolne yet after his death it being easier to insult vpon a dead Lyon then a liuing dog the Pope tooke heart and was resolued to accurse him and to commaund his dead body to bee taken vp and to be buried in a dunghill But the night before this vile act should haue bin done Bishop Grosthead did appeare vnto him with his crosier staffe in his hand and so rebuked the wicked Pope for fauouring the wicked and persecuting the righteous and besides strooke him in such sort with his crosier staffe that he neuer enjoyed his Papall dignity after it This apparition happily was nothing else but the apprehension of his guilty conscience representing to him the person of him whom hee intended to wrong and terrifying him euen vnto the death Howsoeuer it appeareth by Mathew Paris that this worthy Bishop for so will I call him not-with-standing any thing prating Higgons can say to the contrary finding that the
OF THE CHURCH FIVE BOOKES BY RICHARD FIELD DOCTOR OF DIVINITY AND SOMETIMES DEANE OF GLOCESTER THE SECOND EDITION VERY MVCH AVGmented in the third booke and the Appendix to the same ·PECCATA·TOLLE·QVI·EMISTI·O·AGNE·DEI·IESV·CHRISTE ECCE·AGN DEI AT OXFORD Imprinted by WILLIAM TVRNER Printer to the famous Vniuersity 1628. TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE THE DVKE OF BVCKINGAM HIS GRACE LORD HIGH ADMIRALL OF ENGLAND c. RIGHT HONOURABLE THat especiall fauour which your Grace was pleased to shew vnto the Author of this worke while he liued hath imboldned me to commend the worke it selfe as it is now inlarged vnto your Gracious protection And though the Authors particular obligement had not directed me in my choyce I know not vnto whom I might more fitly haue presented it then vnto your Grace who in a more peculiar manner then others haue vndertaken the protection of Schollers One example amongst many this Author might haue beene had hee liued but a little longer of your honourable care for the aduancement of learning and encouragement of Schollers The volume which I present vnto your Grace for the bulke and bignesse is not great especially if it be compared with the writings of our Aduersaries whose voluminous workes would make the ignorant beleeue that they had ingrossed all learning vnto themselues But asmany times wee may find in little men that strength of body and vigour of mind which is wanting in those of greater stature so experience telleth vs that amongst bookes the greatest are not alwaies the best Saepius in libro memoratur Persius vno Quam leuis in tota Marsus Amazonide And those that are acquainted with the writings of our Aduersaries are not ignorant how for the most part their great volumes are stuffed If a man will take the paines to reade them like those that digge in mines for gold he must expect to finde paruum in magno but a little gold in a great deale of vnprofitable earth Of this worke I thinke I might safely say thus much that it compriseth much in a little but I intend not a Panegyrique in the praise thereof If I giue it not that praise which it deserues my neare relation vnto the Author may be my excuse seeing whatsoeuer I should say would seeme rather to proceede from affection then judgment VVhat my opinion of it is I thinke I haue sufficiently expressed in that I haue thought it not vnworthy your Graces patronage And thus praying for the continuance of your Graces prosperous and happy estate I remaine Your Graces most humbly obliged seruant NATHANIEL FIELD TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY GOOD LORD THE LORD Arch-bishop of CANTERBVRY his Grace Primate and Metropolitan of all England MOst Reuerend in Christ the consideration of the vnhappie diuisions of the Christian world and the infinite distractions of mens mindes not knowing in soe great variety of opinions what to thinke or to whom to joyne themselues euery faction boasting of the pure sincere profession of heauenly truth challenging to it selfe alone the name of the Church and fastning vpon all that dissent or are otherwise minded the hatefull note of Schisme and Heresie hath made me euer thinke that there is no part of heauenly knowledge more necessary than that which concerneth the Church For seeing the controuersies of Religion in our time are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue time and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remaineth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the Pillar and ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgement Hence it commeth that all wise and iudicious men do more esteeme bookes of doctrinall principles than those that are written of any other argument and that there was neuer any treasure holden more rich and precious by all them that knew how to prize and value things aright than bookes of prescription against the profane nouelties of Heretiques for that thereby men that are not willing or not able to examine the infinite differences that arise amongst men concerning the faith haue generall directions what to follow and what to avoid Wee admitte no man sayth Tertullian in his booke of prescriptions to any disputation concerning sacred and diuine things or to the scanning and examining of particular questions of Religion vnlesse hee first shew vs of whom he receiued the faith by whose meanes he became a Christian and whether hee admitte and hold the generall principles wherein all Christians do and euer did agree otherwise prescribing against him as a stranger from the common-wealth of the Israel of God and hauing no part nor fellowship in this businesse But as in the daies of the Fathers the Donatists and other Heretickes including the Church within the compasse of Africa and such other parts of the world where they their consorts found best entertainment reiected all other from the vnity of the Church excluded them from hope of saluation and appropriated all the glorious things that are spoken of it to themselues alone soe in our time there are some found so much in loue with the pompe and glory of the Church of Rome that they feare not to condemne all the inhabitants of the world and to pronounce them to be Anathema from the Lord Iesus if they dissent from that Church and the doctrine profession and obseruations of it So casting into hell all the Christians of Graecia Russia Armenia Syria and Aethiopia because they refuse to be subiect to the tyranny of the Pope and the Court of Rome besides the heauie sentence which they haue passed against all the famous States and Kingdomes of Europe which haue freed themselues from the Aegyptiacall bondage they were formerly holden in These men abuse many with the glorious pretences of antiquity Vnity Vniuersality Succession and the like making the simple beleeue that all is ancient which they professe that the consent of all ages is for them and that the Bishops succeeding one another in all the famous Churches of the world neuer taught nor beleeued any other thing than they now doe whereas it is easie to proue that all the things wherein they dissent from vs are nothing else but nouelties and vncertaineties that the greatest part of the Christian world hath beene diuided from them for certaine hundreds of yeares that none of the most famous and greatest Churches euer knew or admitted any of their heresies and that the things they now publish as Articles of faith to be beleeued by all that will bee saued are so farre from being Catholike that they were not the doctrines of that Church wherein they and wee sometimes liued together in one communion but the opinions onely of
and in the new there are eight Hugo cardinalis repeateth certaine verses expressing which bookes are Canonicall and which Apocryphall the verses are these Quinque libros Moisi Iosue Iudicum Samuelem Et Melachim tres praecipuos bis sexque Prophetas Hebraeus reliquis censet praecellere libris Quinque vocat legem reliquos vult esse Prophetas Post hagiographasunt Daniel Dauid Hester Esdras Iob Paralipomenon tres libri Solomonis Restant Apocrypha Iesus Sapientia Pastor Et Machabaeorum libri Iudith atque Tobias Hi quia sunt dubii sub canone non numerantur Sed quia vera canunt Ecclesia suscipit illos Here he numbreth the bookes Canonicall and Apocryphall as wee do And the same Hugo in prologū galeatum speaking of the bookes reiected by vs saith that these bookes are not receiued by the Church for proofe of doctrine but for information of manners And in another place he saith they are not counted amongst the Canonicall Cardinall Caietan sayth those bookes only are to be accounted Canonicall which Hierome so accounted and admitteth none of those that are now questioned this he wrote at Rome as himselfe telleth vs in the yeare 1532. From the Church of Rome which was the principall amongst these of the West let vs proceed to see what other Churches thought of this matter Thomas Aquinas proposing the question whether the soules of them that are departed doe know what things are done here it being obiected that the dead do often appeare vnto the liuing as Samuel appeared vnto Saul concerning Samuel he answereth that it may be sayd that he appeared by diuine reuelation according to that in Eccle siasticus 46. or else if the authority of that booke be not admitted because it is not in the Canon of the Hebrewes it may be sayd that that apparition was procured by the diuel Antoninus Archbishop of Florence affirmeth that the authority of the sixe bookes questioned is not sufficient to proue any thing that is in controuersie and that Thomas secunda secundae and Lyranus in his prologue before the booke of Tobias do say that those bookes are not ofsoe greate authority that any sufficient proofes may be drawne from them in matters of faith as from the other bookes And therefore pronounceth he thinketh they haue such authority as the writings of the Fathers approued by the Church And he mentioneth a certaine worke intitled Catholicon the authors name is not knowne but the same author as hee telleth vs pronounceth that none of these books were receiued for proofe of matters of faith but only for information of manners By this of Antoninus who was present at the councell of Florence it will easily appeare to be meerely supposititious that we find in the abridgment of that councell by Caranza that these bookes were pronounced to be canonicall for had they bin so neither would hee nor others haue reiected them after the holding of this councell neither would such a decree haue bin omitted by all others that put out the councells at large and abridged Radulphus Flaviacensis in his commentaries vpon Leuiticus speaking of bookes pertaining to the sacred history hath these words The books of Tobias Iudith and of the Macchabees though they be read for the edification of the Church yet haue no perfect authority Beda after the history of Ezra addeth thus farre the diuine scripture containeth the course of times what things afterwards wee found digested among the Iewes they are taken out of the booke of Macchabees Iosephus the writings of Africanus It appeareth by the Epistle of Hilarie B. of Arles that in Massilia in some other places of France there were that tooke exception to Augustine alleaging a place out of the booke of Wisdome cap. 4. Raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectam eius and affirmed that this testimonie as not beeing canonicall should haue beene omitted Hugo de sancto victore hauing reckoned the 22 bookes of the old Testament sayth there are besides certaine other bookes as the Wisdome of Solomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Iudith Tobias and the booke of Macchabees which are read but are not written in the canon these hee matcheth in authority with the writings of the Fathers Richardus de sancto victore deliuereth his opinion of the same bookes in the same sort and maketh them to be of no greater authority then the writings of the Fathers Petrus Cluniacensis abbas after an enumeration of all the bookes that are canonicall sayth there are yet besides these authenticall bookes 6 other books not to be rejected Iudith Tobias Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Macchabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are receiued of the Church as containing profitable and necessarie doctrine Ockam to the same purpose saith that according to Hierome in his Prologue before the booke of Proverbes and Gregory in his Moralls the booke of Iudith Tobias and the Macchabees Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisdome are not to be receiued for confirmation of any matter of faith For Hierome saith as Gregory also doth that the Church readeth the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Macchabees but accounteth them not amongst the Canonicall Scriptures So also it readeth those 2 volumes of Ecclesiasticus and Wisdome for the edification of the people but not for confirmation of points of faith and Religion Richardus Radulphus Archbishop of Armach and Primate of Ireland saith it is defined in generall Councels that there are 22 authenticall bookes of the Olde Testament Thomas Waldensis Provinciall of the Carmelites heere in England an enemy to Wickliff whose workes were greatly approued by Pope Martin and the Cardinals at that time hath these wordes The length breadth and depth of the city are equall for as in breadth it can enlarge it selfe no farther then to the loue of GOD and our neighbour nor in heigth nor depth then to GOD the rewarder of all so in length which is the Catholique Faith it cannot growe beyond the 12 Articles contained in the Symbole and found scattered in some of the 22 bookes especially seeing the Holy Ghost sayth in the conclusion of all Canonicall Scripture Let him that will take of the water of life freely I professe vnto euery one that heareth the words of this prophesie if any man shall adde GOD shall adde to his plague Lyra writeth thus Now that I haue by Gods helpe written vpon the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture beginning at Genesis and so going on to the end trusting to the helpe of the same GOD I intend to write vpon those other bookes that are not Canonicall such as are the book of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Macchabees and addeth that it is to bee considered that these bookes which are not Canonicall are receiued by the Church and read in the same for the
of God the Father concerning which things he admonisheth vs sufficiently and manifestly in his first Epistle to the Corinthians requiring vs no otherwise to speake with tongues but soe that wee may edifie the Church Neither is it contrarie to the right faith and sound doctrine to sing masse in the same Slauon tongue or to reade the holy Gospell or the diuine lessons of the old or new Testament rightly translated and interpreted or to sing all other parts of diuine seruice appointed for certaine houres and times because that hee that made 3 principall tongues to wit the Hebrew Greeke and Latine created also all other for to set forth his praise and glory Notwithstanding wee command that in all the Churches of your country the Gospell be first reade for the greater honour in Latine and afterwards the translation into the Slauonian tongue in the hearing of the people that vnderstandeth not Latine as it seemeth the custome is in some Churches and if it seeme good to thee and thy iudges and great men to heare masse rather in Latine wee command that the masse bee celebrated for thy selfe and them in Latine Aenaeas Syluius afterwards Pius the second reporteth that Cyrill hauing brought Suatocopius to become a ChristiaÌ„ to be baptized won the Moraâ—… and sundry other nations of the Slauonians to Christianity afterwards being at Rome besought the Pope that with his good liking hee might say seruice in the Slavonian tongue to the people of that Nation whom he had baptized concerning which thing when there was no little dispute in the sacred Senate and many disliked this motion there was suddainly heard a voice as it had beene from Heauen saying Let euery spirit praise the Lord and let euery tongue confesse vnto him whereupon the Pope yeelded to his motion gaue consent that he should doe as he desired There is no doubt but that there were many crossings in this kinde and that sometimes they had the seruice in one tongue and sometimes in another not onely in diuerse countreyes but euen in the same accordingly as the different factions prevailed Vuratizlaus Duke of the Bohemians desired of Pope Hildebrand that he would giue consent that they might say divine seruice in the Slavon tongue and it seemeth by the Popes answere it had bin so before as in other places so here for he sayth neque ad excusationem iuvat quod quidam religiosi viri hoc quod simplicitèr populus quaerit patienter tulerunt seu incorrectum dimiserunt cum Primitiva Ecclesia multa dissimulaverit quae à sanctis Patribus postmodum firmatâ christianitate religione crescente subtili examinatione correcta sunt That is neither doth it serue to excuse and make good this petition that some religious men patiently endured and suffered that to be done that the people simply desired or that they let it alone vncorrected or altered it not seeing the Primitiue Church was content to winke at diuerse things which the holy Fathers afterwards when Christianity was firmely settled and Religion increased vpon diligent and exact examination thought good to correct and alter Walafridus Strabo testifieth that in his time the divine seruice was still celebrated in the vulgar Germane tongue amongst certaine Scythian Nations especially those that are called Tomitani and that certaine Germans doe inhabite in those parts There was a third sort of people to whom the Gospell was preached that were so rude and vnlettered at the time of their conversion that they knew not how to write any thing in their owne tongue hauing no characters or letters of their owne nor any monuments of antiquity or report of things past but in the Latine tongue these could haue no forme of divine seruice deliuered vnto them at the first in their owne tongue So that happily to some in this case the Booke of God was at first deliuered in Latin to be expounded by such as vnderstood it to them that vnderstood it not not as thinking it best so to haue it in a tongue not vnderstood but because they could not doe otherwise And therefore Iohn the 8th vnderstanding that they of Moravia had an alphabet characters so that they could expresse things in writing commaundeth theÌ„ to haue their seruice in the Slauonian tongue And so in those places where they could not haue the booke of God in the vulgar tongue at the first yet so soone as they had meanes they caused the same to be put into the vulgar And therefore it is reported that Ludovicus the Emperour hauing a great care of Religion and seeking the saluation of his subjects soules whereas till that time the people of Germany that vnderstood nothing but the Theudiscall tongue could not read the Scriptures but the learned onely hauing now met with one Otfridus a learned and holy Monke commaunded him to translate the Old new testament into the German tongue quatenus non solum liteteratis verumetiam illiteratis sacra divinorum praeceptorum lectio panderetur that so the sacred reading of the divine precepts might be made coÌ„mon to the learned vnlearned which worke he took in hand perfected at the Emperors commaund very willingly hauing bin moued admonished from aboue so to doe it was approued by Luidbertus Archbishop of Mentz If the Index of prohibited bookes had beene out which Pius 4. first Clement the 8 t since published to the world the Emperour Archbish. Translator people vsing the translation had incurred grievous censures and had beene branded as Heretickes But this poynt of the new religion of Rome was not then knowen and therefore as they could in all parts of the world they translated the Scriptures into the vulgar tongue Whether the Saxons at the comming of Augustine into England could write any thing in their owne tongue it is much doubted and many thinke they could not so that happily the Bible was not deliuered to them in the vulgar at the first but afterwards when they knew how to write in that tongue it was For as we reade Beda translated a part of it into the Saxon tongue And the same Beda reporteth that before his time there was a certaine brother in the monasterie of the Abbesse Hilda who hauing receiued excellent grace of God was wont to make poems fit to set forward religion pietie so that whatsoeuer he learned by interpreters out of the holy bookes the same things presently after hee would expresse in verse in his owne tongue that is in English most sweetely and so as that he would peirce the hearts of such as heard him and therefore the abbesse commaunded that hee should bee taught the whole series and course of the holy historie that he might expresse the same in his owne tongue and so he did for whatsoeuer by hearing hee could possibly learne he turned into most sweete poems so that his teachers became his hearers for he composed poems
contenting themselues with their owne Church left the administration of other Churches free to their owne Bishoppes as rather thinking themselues Bishoppes of that one cittie then of the whole world which thing haply moued a certaine Bishoppe of whom Paulus Aemylius maketh mention to answere somewhat peremptorily to Gregory the Eleuenth asking him why hee went not to his Church for whereas Gregory satte at Auinion and not at Rome hee said vnto him If one should aske thee why thou goest not to Rome that hath beene so long forsaken of her Bishoppes thou wouldest haue much lesse to answere then I haue But the latter Bishoppes of Rome contented not themselues herewith neither did they thinke it enough to bee Bishoppes of Rome and prime Bishoppes amongst before the rest but they would needes bee vniuersall Bishoppes and therefore thought it no robbery to concurre with all other Bishoppes and to preuent them if they could in giuing voyde Benefices before them And because it was not easie to preuent the Bishoppes in this sort in Prouinces and Kingdomes farre remote therefore they found out a more certaine and ready way whereby to take from them their right and power for a custome grew in and preuayled vnknowne to former times of certaine Papall graunts wherein Benefices not voyde were commaunded to bee bestowed and conferred when they should be voyd vpon such as the Pope should thinke fit and specially vpon strangers These were called Gratiae expectatiuae and Mandata de prouidendo and hereof the whole state of England complayned to Innocentius the Fourth affirning that by vertue of these Prouisions there were so many Italians beneficed in England that the reuenues which they had from hence was 60000 markes which was more then the bare reuenue of the Kings and yet as if this had not beene enough there came one Martine with Commission from the Pope to wrong the poore Church of England a little more This man conferred certaine Benefices actually voyd of the value of thirty markes by the yeare vpon strangers and when they dyed hee put in others without the priuity of the Patrons and went about to assure to such as hee pleased the like Benefices not yet voyde whensoeuer they should bee voyde besides many other most vniust exactions wherewith hee vexed the poore English putting all such as resisted against him vnder the sentence of excommunication and interdiction taking more on him then euer any Legate did though he came not as a Legate to the great preiudice of the Crowne of England seeing no Legate was to come hither vnlesse he were desired by the King The Messengers that the State of England sent to the Pope to make knowne their greiuances and complaintes were greatly disliked by the Pope and their message no way acceptable to him and therefore though dissembling the matter hee gaue them some good words as if there should be no more such Prouisions made but onely for some particular persons and they not aboue twelue in number yet such was the good nature of the man as Matthew Paris noteth that he would not suffer the poore English though sore beaten with many stripes once to cry or complaine But because they published these their complaints in the Councell of Lyons which was holden at the time of their comming hee was exceeding angry and dealt with the French King to make warre against the King of England and eyther to depriue him of his Kingdome or to make him wholy to stoope to the pleasure of the pope and the Court of Rome which the French King vtterly refused to do After these things thus past betweene the Pope and the English he did worse then euer before Whereupon there was a new meeting of the States of England wherein these grieuances were made manifest and complained of First that the Pope was not content with his ordinary reuenew of Peter-pence but exacted other contributions without the Kings knowledge Secondly that the Patrons of Churches were not permitted to present Clearkes but Romanes were put into them who neyther vnderstood the Language nor euer meant to liue here but carried away the money out of the Realme So that neyther was the people instructed hospitality kept the Churches repaired nor any good done and beside the Originall Patrons were depriued of their right one Italian succeeding another in the Churches founded by them without their knowledge and that vnwelcome Messenger Non obstante too often sent vnto them These their complaints the King the Bishops Abbots Lords and Commons made knowne by their letters and messengers to the Pope with earnest desire of reformation and redresse but could receiue none other answere from him but that the King of England had his Counsell and so had he that the king began to kicke against him and to play the Fredericke And such was his displeasure that all English were repelled and driuen away as Schismatickes After this new letters were againe written to the Pope and in the end a priuiledge was graunted that noe Prouisions should be made for Italians Cardinalls or the Popes Nephewes before the King were first earnestly intreated to be content with thē only to abuse such as would be abused For the Pope went forward still in his prouisions as formerly hee had done as appeareth by his letters to the Abbot of Saint Albons and by the worthy letters of the Bishoppe of Lincolne written to the pope about these matters and his speeches against the Pope a little before his death And here by the way it is worth the noting that Matthew Paris hath that in the time of Gregory the Ninth vppon complaint of onde Robert Tewing Patron of the Church of Lathune the popes Graunt made in preiudice of his right was reuersed because it was not knowne that the Patrone of that Benefice was a Lay-man when it was giuen by the pope Soe that if it had beene in the gift of a Cleargy-mam it must haue stood so ready was the head of the Church to oppresse Church-men and their possessions of all other were most fitte for spoyle So little respect was there had to religion in those dayes and soe were all things returned to their old Chaos againe Whence it came that the heartes of all men went away from the pope and the Church of Rome whereof the one sought to bee esteemed a Father and the other a Mother to all Churches but the one of them proued a step-father and the other a step-mother Neyther did the pope like a wilde Bore make hauocke only in the Vine-yard of the Lord of Hosts planted in this Island which lay open to be spoyled by all passengers but he playd his part also in all other Kingdomes of the West though some resisted more against his intrusions then others Touching France wee read in the booke intituled Pro libertate Ecclesiae Gallicae aduersus Romanam aulam defensio Parisiensis Curiae Ludouico vndecimo Gallorum Regi