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A18209 A defence of Catholikes persecuted in England invincibly prouing their holy religion to be that which is the only true religion of Christ; and that they in professing it, are become most faithfull, dutifull, and loyall subiects, to God, their King and country. And therefore are rather to be honoured and respected, then persecuted or molested. Composed by an ould studient in diuinitie. Broughton, Richard. 1630 (1630) STC 4833; ESTC S107625 93,830 235

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these Westerne parts that both Catholik and Protestant Antiquaries thus deliuer vnto vs ●raedi●abat ad flumen vsque ●ordens● ad mare S●o●um vbi Caledonios Athalos Horestos ac vicina●m Ion. Ba●●● descript Briten in 〈◊〉 Albaniae regionum In●olas docendo monendo ●r ando ad veritatis obseruationē●nstigauit Ex d●s●ults suis quosdam ad Orchades Insulas ad Norwe●● Islandiam misit vt ●orum instructioni●us fi●i quo que lumen recipe●ent Nam in Elguensi Collegio ●centos sexaginta quinque literatos viros ad id ●mper para●os habebat praet●r reliquos alijs exercitijs ●ditos He preached a● farre as to the riuer of Forde ● the Scotish sea where he sti●ed vp the Caledo●ns Athali●ns Ho●ests and the Inhabita●ts of ● neighboring k●ngdoms to A●bion vnto the obserua●n of ●●ue●h by teaching admonishing and 〈◊〉 ing ● sent some 〈…〉 disciples to the Iles of Or●i ades to ● waye and ●sland that 〈…〉 instru●●ions they 〈…〉 receiue the light of ●aith For in ●he Coll●dge ●●●gue he ●ad 365. learned ●●n alwaise readie for ● purpose besides others imploted in other exer●● Saint Asaph his scholler a Bishop of ●●tanie who as Protestants sai● from Ro●n power Au●h●●itatem ●nct●nem acce●it ● tooke authorit● and 〈◊〉 Suc●ceded h●m ● that great charge and gouernment of at Apostolike Colledge in VVales This S. ●ntegern being by all accounts a Bishop ●0 yeares and disciple to S. ●●●uanus con●●a●ed Bishop by S. Pa●●ad it●s who was sen● ther from S. Celestine Pope in or about the are 431. must need● be liuing with Saint ●aph at or a litle before Saint Augustin●●m●ning And as our Protestants sa●e Sa●●●aph ioyned with Saint Augustine So Saint Asaph writer of his maister S. Kentegerns li● proueth that S. Kentegern was at Rome wh● S. Gregorie was Pope and submitted hi●selfe to him in all things and was approue● by him also in his Apostolike proceedings 16. In this time in the yeare 596. Sai● Augustine was sent Legate hither by the sa● holy and learned Pope S. Gregorie who b● his supreame Pastorall power gaue him sp●rituall authoritie ouer all Bishops and othe● here in these his owne words vnto him B● tanniarum omnes Episcopos tuae Fraternitati commi●mus Beda l. 1. Eccles hist gentis Angl. c. 27. vt indocti doceantur infirmi persuasione rebor●tur peruersi authoritate corrigantur We commit ● the Bishops of Britanie to your Fraternitie that the ● learned may be taught the weake by persuasiō streng●●ned the wicked corrected by authoritie By this Pap● power and authoritie all things were orde● in the Church of Englād in S. Augustins ti● and all his Successours by the same aut●ritie were setled in that Archiepiscopall S● which he translated after 400. yeares fro● London to Cāterburie All those Bishops v● to the first Protestant Bishop called Math● Parker who was made by Q. Elizabeth b● will and manner receiued Consecratio● Pall power and Iurisdiction from the See Rome and they swore obedience vnto it their owne Parker Godwin Ioceline a● others in the liues of them and those Yorke together with all Registers Recor● Annals and Antiquities doe prooue parti●●arly In generall for this place it sufficeth in these Protestants publikely approued confessions to write it in their owne words Archbishop Parker being the 70. Archbishop after Augustine yet of all that number he was the onely man and the first of all which receiued Consecration without the Popes Bulls 17. They assure vs that vntill the 23. of King Henry the eight a ssuming supreamacie to himselfe euery Bishop in England swore ●uch obedience vnto the Pope Hoc Iuramentum ● singulis Episcopis Papae praestari consueuit Obediens ●ro Beato Petro Sanctaeque Romanae Ec●lesiae Domino meo Domino Papae suisque successoribus Papatum Romanum R●galia S. Petri adiutor ero ad retinendum defendendum saluo meo ordine contra ●mnem ●ominem This Oath was accustomed to be taken by ●uery Bishop I will be ob●dient to S. Peter and to the Lord my Lord the Pope and to his Successours I will ●e an helpe● to hold and defend the Popedome of Rome ●nd R●t● of S. Peter against all men In the yeare of Christ 1536. and 23. of King Henry S. they ●are and the Statuts themselues so prooue Leges in Parlamento lataesunt de Rege supremo Ecclesiae Anglicanae Capite declarando de Clero Anglicano Regifulij●iendo Ne quid deinceps amplius Papae aut Romanae Cu●iae quot unque praetextu ex Anglia pendatur De Episcopis consecrandis alijsque quae Roma an●ea ge●ebantur intra Regnum persierendis De Eccle●●asticorum beneficiorum primitijs atque decimis Principi in perpetuum soluendis His legibus potentia Papalis quae nongentis amplius annis in Angli● durauis ●entidi● Lawes were enacted in the Parliament of declaring the King to be supreame head of the English Church of subiecting the English Cle●gie to the King That nothing heareafter vnder what pretence so●uer in England shall depend of the Pope or the Court of Rome Of cons●crating Bishops and performing other a●●air●● within the kingdome which before were done at Rome Of paying p●rpetually to the Prince the fi●st fruites of Ecclesiasticall Benefices and Ti●hes By these lawes the Papall power which hath b●ne in for●● for these nine hundred yeares did fall And this was ●o strang a thing and wonder in the world to see the supremacie of the Pope of Rome thus taken from him by a temporall Prince af●er so many hundreds of yeares continuance and a lay man to stile himselfe supreame head of the Church that his very flatterers themselues crye out Habetur Con●ilium Londini i● quo Eccle●ia Angli●an● formam potesta●●s nullis a●te temporibus visum induit Henricus enim Rex caput i●sius Eccl●si● constituitur At London there is holden a Councell in which the English Church ha●h put on a power which in no times past was seene For King Henry is constituted head of that Church So large testimonie haue we from our greatest Adu●rsaries witnessing that the Catholikes of England giue no other power or Iurisdiction to t●e Pope of Rome then he had euer without any inte●ruption And in this we haue ●he generall assent of all our Kings Princes Bishops and others and all the Christians in the world from the tim● of Christ vntill long a●ter the greater part of King Henrie the eight his reigne No King against it but he whom the Protestant Sir VValter Ralegh sufficiently discribeth his young sonne King Edward the sixth of that name ouerruled by Protestant Protectours and Q●eene Elizabeth a woman King Iames wiser then any of them hath le●t it thus publick●y in open assembly declared by his Regall sentence The kings Resolution is that no Church ought further to se●erate he●selfe frō the Church of Rome either in doctrine or Ceremonies then she hath departed from herselfe when she was in her flo●ishing
be cōtained in Scr●tures or to be professed which Catholi● doctrines against these Protestants in th● Articles of Religion they themselues acnowledge 〈◊〉 ●al l. 2 〈◊〉 Romā 〈…〉 to be contained in the old Masse● the Britans the Papisticall Masse Missae P●s●ica as some of them terme it before S. ●lestins time 3. And to speake in order of euery pa●cu●ar in their Articles that is now questned Antiquit. ●last Gulielm M●l●● l. de antiq coe●●b Glast Io. Capgr●u Catalog in ● Iosep● Arimath omitting the rest Their Article intitul● of the Iustification of man asscribing Iustificat●● to faith onely is vtterly condemned by ● Penitentiall an Order as I haue recited fr● the Britans their so many Monasteries in ● ages by the liues of our first Religious S● Ioseph of Arimathaea and his fellowes liu● Eremits all their life in watchings fastin● and praiers so performing their deuout ● ●es to God and the blessed virgin In vigilijs ●iunijs or●tionibus vacantes De● Beatae Vir●●● deuota exhibentes obsequia So did their ●uc●essours after them and all British Religious ● other places So kings and Princes Bishops ●d greatest learned men all which by our ●●o●estan●s truely beleiued and had true ●ith though they vndertooke such penall ad ●tisfactorie course● of life And there great ●arned Doctour Priest Historian and Reli●ous man in that Penitentiall O●d●r Saint Gild. Prolog in lib. ●● exci● c●nqu●●t 〈◊〉 ●ildas wrote Sciebam misericordiam Domini sed ● iudicium timebam Laudaham gratiam sed reddi●nem vnicuique secundum opera sua verebar I did ●owe t●e m●rcie of our Lord but yet I did ●eare his ●dgment I praysed his grace but I did dread his re●ard ac●ording to euery ones worckes which con●mneth our Protestants pretended assuring ●sti●ying faith 4. Their Article stiled Of workes of supere●gation teaching such work●s cannot be tau●ht ●thout arrogancie is confuted by those Britans ● that is ●aid as an arrogant saying ●or if ●e Britans or any other peop●● had beene ●ounde to such workes of Perfection such ●haritie Chastitie Obedience voluntarie ●ouertie to so many Religious Foundations ● they performed and the like they that ●e not so must needs be damned because ● grossely they breake God Commaunde●ent among which Protestants recount ●ese and whatsoeuer man is able to doe in this life in this their Article 5. The Britans did not hold with thes● Protestants in their Article intituled of th● Church That the Church of Rome had erred in ma●ters of faith otherwise they would not as before haue so diligently and dutifully followed and obeyed it in all ages and if th● Church of Rome had then erred the Britan● still following the doctrine thereof ●ad als● erred ●n such thinges which our Protestan● haue before generally denied And the ●●preme head of the Protestants Church ● England King Iames in open Parlame● K. Iames speache in ●is 1. Parlam pronounced of the Church of Rome It w● a Rule to all both in doctrine and Ceremonies wh● it was in her florishing and best estate w●●ch 〈◊〉 he acknowledgeth to haue beene 〈…〉 in that time And being it is proued to be su● in such estate still it must be a Rule as th● it was 6. Concerning their Article Of the Auth●ritie Protestāt in their Theater of great Brit. l. 6. with others of generall Councells our Britans who tr●uailed so farre vnto such Councells subscr●bed vnto them in many Articles contrary ● these of Protestants and euer had them ● great reuerence as our Protestants co●fesse and attributed more to them then the● men doe 7. Their Article stiled Of Purgatorie fighteth against the Catholike doctrine of Pu●gatorie Pardons Indulgences Relicks ●mages and Inuocation of Saincts In a● ●ich by our Britans they are condemned ●d first in Purgatorie and praying for the dead Antiquit. Gl●ston Manuscr tabul●● fix Guli●●●● Malm●●b l. de an●●q 〈◊〉 gl●st C●●pgr●● in S P●tricio Chart. Arth. an 531. apud Ca●um l. 1. de an●●quit ●a●●ab Acad●m pag. 69. 70. Manuscri antiq de primo statu La●dauen eccl●siae ●he old Antiquities of Glastenburie teach ●at Masse and Praiers were there dayly offe●d for the Christians buried there Matthew ● westminster and others witnesse that our ●oto martyr S. Alban praied for the d●ad ●mmending them to God King Arthur ●th the cōsent of all the Bishops and Nobles Britanie and with licence of the Pope by ● Charter of Immunitie to the Schollers of ●mbridge reserued praier for the sou●es of ● the kings of Britanie his Auncestours Pro●edio animarum antecessorum meorum Britanniae ●um So did King Mauricus to the old ●urch of Landaffe in S. Dubritius time to ●ie for his soule the soules of all the kings Britanie and all faithfull soules departed ● this dayly was to be done Oratione quo●i●â ecclesiastico seruitio pro anima illius ani●us ●arentum suorum Regum Prin●ipum Bri●iae omnium fidelium defunctorum In dayly ●er and Church seruice for his soule and the soules ●is parents Kings and Princes of Britanie and of ●he faithfull dead The Britans in London ●nded a Church to such purpose to con●ue for euer In qua pro ipso Rege fide●ibus Car●●oe Naucarb●nen ●ist de vit S. Gildae man an●i● ●nctis obsequia aeternaliter celebrarentur diuina In ●●b diuine seruice should be allwa●se celebrated for ● the King and the faithfull which are dead ●nt Gildas praied dayly for the soule of his other deceased Orabat pro spiri●u fraterno quotidiè So too many to be recited 8. Concerning Pardons or Indulgences S. and Antiquit. Gl●st Chare S. Pariti Guli●lm Malmesb. l. Antiq. ●oen●b Gl●st Gapgrau in S. Patric●o Io. Leland in Artha Antiqui● G●●st Tabul Fix Pope Eleutherius by the mediatio of our Apostles Saint Damianus and Phaganus graunted Decē annos Indulgentiae tenne yeares Indulgēce for all Pi●grim● to Glast●burie and 30. yeare● Indulgence to Bishops Pilgrims And Sain● Celestine Pope graunted 12. yeares Indulgē● to it And Saint Patricke an hundred dai● Indulgence S. Patricius dedit centum dies Indugentiae 9. Touching holy Images from the fir● entrance of Christians heere they were he●vied with due reuerence Saint Ioseph and h● holy compan●e brought hither vsed here an● after their deathe●● left here the Image● of t● Crosse and others Figura● nostrae R●demptio●● aliasque figuras manifestas And these and suc● holy signes ●ere ●uch certa●ne signes of Chr●stians that when Saint Damianus and Ph●ganus Britan Antiquus Manuscript Antiq Capgrau in vit S. Alb●n Ia●ob Gēnuen in ●od Probus in vit S. Patricij Capgrau in ●od ● came hither they certainely knew ● them that Christians had dwelled here b●fore Quibus bene cognouerunt quod Christiani prilocum Inhabitauerun● Saint Amphibalus and ● Alban vsed the Image off the Crucifixe wi● such reuerence as if Christ crucified h● beene present Quasi pendentem Dominum Ies● in Cruce
great if euery one that is persecuted for Iustice shall haue his reward in heauen what will their honour be which haue suffered so much and so long time for that cause Your Protestant Aduersaries and Persecutours themselues taking the altitude of your miseries and suffrings for this greatest iustice haue found their eleuation to be raised to the hight of all former Persecutours who were Pagans professed enimies to Christ and all Christians They which professe Christ and Christianitie may not be such Great was the persecution of Nero and yet Britonie felt it not but was then a Refuge A●yle and as a Sanctuarie to receiue and defend the persecuted Bitter was Dioclesiaus Persecutiō here in Britonie but as our Gildas telleth vs it was but N●u●nnis of nine yeares onely at which time the Scots ●●cts Saxons Gormundians A●ricans and D●nes ●ll Pagans persecuted the Christi●s here But neuer any bearing the name of Christ before ●hese dayes persecuted the Catholike Chri●tians of this Kingdome All those Pagans ●ersecuted Christians as enimies to their old Gods and Religion and for not ioyning ●ith them in Idolatrie deeming Christian ●eligion newe and erroneous Our Protestāt Persecutours persecute vs for defending the old Religion of Christ which cannot be vntrue and for not imbracing their newe which in the Schoole of Christ cannot be true 13. All the Pagans that euer persecuted here distroied not ●o many Churches and Chappels as King Henrie the eight and his daughter Elizabeth nor tooke from the Church the halfe of that which they did Halse such a Fine and Ransome as the Catholikes paid to them aboue the third part of England in Religious Church-lands possessed by the Clergie here Sixhundred yeares since besides other for fitures would haue stopped the Pagans Persecution The Saxons greatest Persecution next to Dioclesians soone slacked and relēted no soon ●r had the Saxons driuē Theonus and Thadiocus Archbishops of Lōdon and Yorke with other Bishops Priests and Religious from ●heir Sees and Residences in the yeare of Christ 586. But King Ethelbert of Kent ruling vnto Húber by meanes of his blessed Christiā Queen● Bertha and her holy Bishop S. Lethard gau● ease and peace to Christians here before S. Augustines and his Associates comming hither and they were receiued by Ethelber● not yet a Christian with honours and no● indignities All they were strangers and forrainers to the persecuted Our Persecutour● be of the same Nation blood and kinred and stiled Christians with them whom thus they persecute for Christs true Religion If King S. Ethelbert Queene S. Bertha and Bishop S. Lethard were now liuing Catholikes would not be persecuted THE II. CHAPTER That the Religion of our English Catholikes as well from the Saxons as Britons is the same with their first Apostles and deduced from them and first of the Saxons conuerted by S. Augustine and his Roman Mission NOw because our Protestants and Persecutours before haue deliuered it For greate glorie to our Nation to deriue our spirituall degree from so noble a Father as S. Peter We will ●riue and deduce from him a continuall ●d neuer interrupted Succession both of ●iscopall and Priestlie function and do●ine also in euery point now questioned by ●r Persecutours frō that so noble a Father ● these Protestant times And to begge more ●ce and fauour from these our enimies in ●s cause they themselues shall briefly make ●s deduction ● And first concerning Bishops and Massing Priests sent hither or consecrated here by S. Peter's or his Roman Successours Iu●●●diction such as they now so greuiously d●● 〈◊〉 ●hey confesse publickly that they had ●o 〈◊〉 but so consecrated as the Roman Church did from the begining and stil● doth consecrate vn●ill their ne●● booke o● pretended Consecration ma●● by King Edward th● S●●th ● child hi●●●thoritie brought in thei● 〈…〉 a●d they acknowledge 〈…〉 consecra●e● 〈…〉 Pries●● 〈…〉 and doe 〈…〉 ●●stifie 〈…〉 Engl. Prote●● in Rogers Booke of articles Annal. Burton an 140. Caiu●●●tiq 〈…〉 Ann●l 〈…〉 ●n Mans●● 〈…〉 1. 6. Harrison descript of Brit. wa● o●r Archbishop 〈…〉 moreouer that this our 〈…〉 was se●l●d by this grea●est A●ost●● in ●he 〈◊〉 y●are of Nero and 67. 〈…〉 ● Peter returned againe to 〈…〉 d●uers of th●se our Bishops and 〈…〉 Nation as S. Man●uetus S. 〈◊〉 S. Ma●cellus or Marcellinus the reno●ned Priests and Preachers of Cambridge ●n and afte● the yeare 140. S. Marcellus being and liuin● Bishop after King Lucius and Britonie wa● conuerted when three Archbisbops an●●●ventie eight Bishops were here placed an● all Ecclesiasticall thinges established an● confirmed by Papall power in this Kingdome ● To make this Succession without a● question they deliuer vnto vs the names a● ●me Episcopall Acts of our Archbishops Hollin●h Hist of England Stow●s Hist. Godwin conuers of Britan. Cata● of Bishops in London Yorke and S. Dauids ●f Londō Yorke and Caerlegion In London ●e chiefe Metropolitan See S. Theanus S. luanus Cadar Obinus Conanus Palla●us Stephanus I'tutus Theodwynus or ●edwynus Thedredus Hillarius Guiteli●s Restitutus Fastidius Vodinus Theo●s Others adde S. Augulus Ternokinus ●d Gormcelinus They confesse that Theo●s the last Archbishop of London with full ●risdiction continued in his Archiepiscopall ●e notwithstanding the Pagon Saxons inua●n and persecutiō vntill the yeare of Christ ●● which was but 10. yeares before S. Augu●●● coming hither So they testifie of Tha●●us Matth. West an 586. Archbishop of Yorke the same ye●●e ●auing his See and with the Archbishop of 〈◊〉 and many of their Clergie flying into ●al●● and Cornewall to the Christian Bis●ps Priests and people there They re●pt in th● Archb●●●op See of Yorke Theo●sius Sampso●●● Taurinus ●eruan●s Sampson●● 〈◊〉 and the ●enamed Thadiocu● 〈…〉 ●egion they ● downe Tremonus S. 〈◊〉 S Da●id ●iud Conanc Theliaus E●b●dus wholi●d in S. Augustins time and after him im●ediatly succeeding in Archiepiscopall dig●tie fourty or more vntill the time of Ber●rd who in the yeare 1115. lost that honour ●om that See by Papall order as all Anti●aries Catholikes and Protestants agree 4. These men also deliuer vnto vs a Catalogue of learned holy writers in euery ag● and in the age wh● S. Augustine came hithe● they recount vnto vs the most noble Sain● and Doctours Dubritius Iltut●s Congellu● Dauid Gildas Kentige●n●s Brendant Asaphus and others wh●ly ●nd absolut● agreeing with the Church of ●ome They ●● downe our Vniu●rsi●ies 〈…〉 a● among others 〈…〉 from all e●ror Our 〈…〉 in the gre●●ouncel●s 〈…〉 ●he same fai● with t●e whole 〈…〉 they had m● entercour●e 〈◊〉 ●●●munica●●on next to t● Popes of 〈…〉 the mo●● Catholike a● renow●●d 〈…〉 Churc● of Christ ● Athana●●●● 〈…〉 S. Martine and ma● more and b●th ●●●se Tertul●●an S. Chry●stome with 〈◊〉 did highly commēd th● our 〈…〉 true Religion 5. An● beca●●● some Pro●estants to mu● 〈…〉 libertie cannot well e●dure 〈…〉 ●●ckes and Religious s● king w●a● 〈…〉 can ●o disgrace su● as o●her● 〈◊〉 ●●nowned Clergie especial● the 〈◊〉 of S. Benedicts Order
North neither was it in his ●wer so to doe vntill he was Bishop there ●ich was not vntill the yeare of Christ 670. there about by all Authours which was ●ge after S. Benedict Biscops being Abbot ●th in Northumberland and Canterburie ●d whereas some Monckes now would haue Aigulphus a Benedictine Moncke first to ●ie persuaded the Monckes of Lyrinum to Ma●●h VVestm ●●r●n Flo●ent VVigorn chron Sig●bert a●●● ●eiue S. Benedict's Rule this cannot be for Aigulphus was a Moncke of Floriacū Mo●sterie which was not builded many yeares ●er this time and so it is not certaine but ●th the Monckes of Canterburie and those Northumberland vnder this holy Abbot Benedict Biscope hitherto were Lyrinian and not Benedictine Monckes and yet as before they were of the most Religious an● learned Monckes and Apostolike men in th● Christian world as the rest of our Britis● Mo●ckes euen by Protestants confession ● also were 11. ●nd this is the glorie of this our E●glish Nation to haue had generally both i● Kent where S. Augustine was and in all oth● par●s c●nuerted to Christ such renowne● Fathers and Protogenitours in him For suc● were the Monckes of S. Gregories Monast●rie Io. Diac●n in vita S. Gregorij l. 2. c. 11. in Rome from which S. Augustine ar● his fellowes learned and holy Disciples ● the most learned and holy Pope S. Gregori● were sent as our Protestants them selues ac●nowledge that euer was And so learne were the Monckes of this his Monasterie● aboue other Italian Monckes in that tim● that besides the Apostolike men about 4● in number which S. Gregorie sent into E●gland he made Maximianus his Abbot the● Bishop of Siracusas Marimanus a Monc● thereof Archbishop of Rauennas and Pr●bus another of his Monckes of his Monast●rie Mari● S●●put l. 2. atate 6. in S. Benedicto Trithemius l. de script Eccles in S. Benedicto he sent to Hierusalem to build a Monste●ie there we haue also warrant from ● Church of God so witnessing in S. Greg●ries publike office that S. Augustine and ● Monckes he sent into Bri●anie about 40. number were learned and holy men Missi● Britanniam Doctis Sanctis viris Augustino ● ●lijs Monachis Sending into Britanie learned and holy men Augustine and other Monckes 12. But whether S. Augustine and those who came into England with him to conuert it as they most happily did were indeede Monckes of S. Benedicts Order I will not heare dispute leauing it perchance to some other worke in hand it being all one ●o this my purpose whether S. Augustine ●nd his companie were Benedicton or other Monckes I onely intending now to shew that from our first Conuersion in S. Peters time vnto these times there was a continuall succession of Priests and of the same Religon for which now in Englād we are so persecu●ed And that S. Augustine and his companie were most ho●y and learned men Docti and Breuiar Romandie 12. Martij in festo S. Gregor Bed Hist. Eccles Angl. l. 2. Matth. VVes● in Chron. F●orent VVig●r Chroni● G●liel Malmesbur●●● d●g●st Reg. Angl. ●ancti viri that they taught our Predeces●ours the same faith we now professe and that ●hey conuerted to the faith of Christ Ethel●ert King of Kent and his Kingdome of Kēt ●nd Sebert or Sigebert King of the East Saxons with his Kingdome and preached in many other places o● England conuerting in ●hem many to Christian Religion I saie with ●hem and the whole Christian world then Asia Africke and Europe agreeing with S. Gregorie who sent hither these so holy and ●earned men and therefore is rightly by Saint Beade instiled Apostle of England in Religion vsing his masse and honouring him for a Sainct as our Protestants confesse that their doctrine and Religion was true and for this part of the world Italie frō whence they came France through which they came England or Britanie whether they came Ireland Scotland and Germanie where some of our Britans and English then were acknowledging S. Augustines Religion to be true so prooue vnto vs. So S. Augustine prooued it both by humaine and diuine testimonie So his Opposits and our persecuting Protestants confesse To vse their words The Britans confessed indeede that to be the way of Protestāt in Stowes ●●st righteousnesse which Augustine had preached and sbewed vnto them 13. And he is a simple witted man if he can vnderstand but the Latine tongue that doth not most clearely see and confesse the same if he will but reade the publicke Church seruice Masse and the others which our Protestants confesse S. Gregorie perused and published the Latine and Greeke Church vsing his Masse translated into Gre●ke as they doe S. Basiles and S. Chrysostomes as also his holy learned workes which he ● Doctour of the Church and as our Protestants stile him The most holy and learned Pop● that euer was did publish and are now extant Thus he and his L●gates s●nt hither into England generally taught the same Doctrine in all points which we Catholikes now professe euen those for which we are so pittifully persecuted Roman Supremacie Sa●ifice of Ma●●e Sacrificing Priesthood such ●piscopall Roman Ordination and what●euer elsse now controuersed by Protestants ● I shall demonstra●e against them in euery ●ticle of their Religion when I come to the ●onuersion o● t●e other Parts of England ● those which were of our old British Or●er and Re●ig●on And yet our English Pro●stants publickly generally and with such ●thoritie protest and testifie that in the first ●0 yeares of Christ within which S. Gre●rie and his Legates liued and ●aught the ●hurch of Rome was pure and free from er●r And if she had or should haue erred in ●is publicke doctrinall practises and orders ●ncerning the whole Church the whole ●hurch which these men denie should also ●ue erred For they constantly thus ack●wledge that this most holy and learned ●pe so published and proposed them Gre●ius Io. Bal. d● Roman Pon●ifice Art l. 2. in Gregor Magno Robert ●arnes ● de vit ●ontif Rom. in ●od Magdebur his● Ecclesiasc in Greg. Magnu● omnium Pontificum R●manorum do●inâ vi●â praestantissimus Scholas Canto●um in●uit Ambrosi● more ec●lesiasti●as cantiones qua●●aecè dicimus Antiphonas composuit Officiarium ●clesiae fecit Antiphonarium nocturnum diurnum ●po●uit Sacrorum normas digessit Missarum ritus ●●planauit eius Canonem consar●inauit Gregorie ● great the most worthies● of all the Bishops of Rome ● doctrine and life instituted Schooles of singer● and ●er Ambrose his manner composed Ecclesiasticall ●ges which in Greeke we call Antiphones He made ●e office of the Church be ordered the nightlie and daylie Antiphonarie he digested the Rites of t● Church he polished the Ceremonies of the Masse a● the Canon thereof he gathered together 14. It will be very hard for the quicke● sighted Persecuting Protestant to finde a● one of their Articles of Religion which w● not condemned and of Catholikes not p●blickly
old●esse of the Record is not remēbred Quis is●e Rex fuit scedulae ve●ustas negat scire he was their Be●efactour and gaue them or confirmed to ●hem Inswitrin Terram quae appellatur Inswitrin ●d Ecclesiam ve●ustam concessit ad petitionem Mor●ret ●iusdem loci Abbatis The land which is called ●nswitrin he granted to the old Church by the p●ti●iō of Morgret Abbot of that place and their Bishop Manuto wrote and cōfirmed it Ego Manuto Epis●opus hanc chartam scripsi I Bishop Manute wrote t●i●●aper 14. Besides this Bishop England had then ●t Saint Augustines cōming diuers Bishops ●ere ordered or sent by the Popes authori●ie Saint Asaph in the west S. Iuo in Hun●ingtonsyhre S. Lethard in Kent and others not vnprobably in other places besides ou● British Bishops in VVales and those of Scot●and And to remember but the names of our first Bishops in England after S. Augustines comming besides Kent and London where ●he and his Associats were Bishops all which vndoubtedly by all writers Catholike and Protestant old or new Monasticall or others either were of our British old Order or ioyned with them that were at that time here 15. VVe haue in the North Saint Aidan● Finan Colman Tuda Eata Cuthbert Fo● Yorke S. Paulinus the first by Marianus wa● ex Francia and staied but onely 6. yeares after him S. Cedda S. Wilfride Bosa Sain● Iohn called of Beuerlaie brought vp in Sain● Hilda her old Monasterie At winchester w● had S. Birinus spoakē of before who restored in that Monasterie our old Mōckes and ioy●ned with the Northumbers Agilbertus ● Frenchman who preached long in Ireland ioyned ●lso with the Northumbers VVin● also a Frenchman and Eleutherius remembred before In Li●hfeild we had Diuma o● Dwyna a Scot hauing all Middle England for his Dioces so had sixe or seuen of his Successours all such vntill the yeare 678. Cellac●● Scot Trumhere Ianuman Cedda winfride Saxulf I passe ouer all the old Sees i● wales knowne and confessed by all to haue had none but such Bishops 16. Such also was the ordinarie ād vniuersall pietie and sanctitie of our old holy Priest● and Preachers of that time before any later Order was receiued euen of the laie people conuerted and taught by them as the learned Saint Bede then liuing much be waileth the great change and alteration saying In tantum Beda l. 3. Hist ●ccles Angl. cap. 5. au●●m vita ill●us Aidani à nostri temporis segnitia dist●bat vt omnes qui cum eo incedebant siue aettonsi ●●ue laici meditari debe●ent id est aut legendi● Scripturis aut Psalmis discendis S. Aidan his lif● ●as so farre different from the slouthfulnesse of our ●e that all those which went with him wheather ●onckes or Laickes were to meditate that is they ●ere to bestowe their time either in reading Scripture ● learning the Psalmes And in an other place ●●aieth thus of Bishop Colman who dispu●d with Saint VVilfrid and of his Prede●ssours Bed hist● ecclesiast l. 3. ca. 26. Quantae autem parsimoniae ●uiusque conti●tiae fueri● ipse cum praedecessoribus suis testabatur ●am ipse locu quem regeba● Of how great abstinen● and continencie he was with his Predecessours the ●ce it selfe which he ruled did witnesse where ●en they went away very few howses besides the ●urch remained and these howses onely without ●ch ciuill conuersation could not continue They had ●onie nothing but cattell If they receiued any mo● of the riche presently they gaue it to the poore All care of those Doctours then was to serue God and not worlde All their desire was for the soule and no●●bellie wherevpon in that time the habite of Reli● was in greate reuerence so that wheresoeuer ●●st or Moncke did come he was ioyfully receiued ●ll as the Seruant of God And if any trauailing ●eir iornie did meete him a Priest bending ●selues they reioyced to be signed with his hande ●ssed by his mouth They gaue diligent eare to his ●rtatiōs Vpō the sondayes they floc●ed to the Church ●onasteries to be instructed in the word of God If Priest chanced to come into a villadge the Inha●ts presently came together and desired to receiue ●ord of life from him For there was no other cause ●riests or Ecclesiasticall men to goe to villadges but to speake briefely to ●uer soules And they were so 〈◊〉 from all infection of couetousnesse that they would n● except compelled by the riche men of the world ●●ceiue lands or possessions to build Monaste●ies Whi● custome was gen●rally obserued in the Churc●es of t●●ingdome of Northumberland sometime af●erward● Thus of Saint Aidan their first Ap●st●e an● of his Dis●iples and people by him conue●ced and although he kept Easter otherwi● then those did which came from Rome y● he was and worthily beloued of all euen ● the Archbishop of Canterburie Honori● for his workes of faith pietie and chariti● and during his life that difference was patie●tly endured And this was not an errour c●mon to all Scots but to some of thē for Ro● and others impugned it And whē it was ro●ted out it was not done by Mōckes or othe● Bed l. 3. 4. 5. Guliel Malmesb. Matth. Westm Floren. ●●ig●rn from Rome but as Saint ●ede and othe● prooue either by the Po●es admonitiō as ● Ireland by Bishop Agilbertus and Sai● Wilfride in Northumberland and in oth● place by Saint Egbertus Adamnanus a● others of their old owne Order and prof●sion 17. In this I haue the longer insisted ●● onely for the glorie and honour of those o● Fathers in Christ not iustly to be tak● from them to be giuen vnto others and t● it is the honor of our English Priests a● Catholiks to be heires successours a● children to such Antecessours and parent● Religion But because it is the most common Dauid P●w●ll ●● anno●a● in l. 2. ●●raldi Cābren de 〈◊〉 Cambr. Io. Bal. in Act. R●man po●●ific l. 2 ●● G●egor 1. Francis Godwin conuers of B●i● p. 4● Fulk answ 〈◊〉 cont Cain p 4 Middl●to papist pag. 202. Foxe A●● and Me● pag. 463. edit an 1576. Io. G●s● lin H●●●or e●clesiast Matth. parker Antiqui● Brit. pag. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. receiued allowed and approued opinion and confession of our English Protestants and those their best learned in their estimatiō to write in their owne very words At the comming of Augustine there florished with ●he Britans the preaching of the truth sincere do●trine liuelie faith and the pure worship ●f God ●uch as from the Apostles themselues was by Gods cō●aundement deliuered to the Churches The Britans ●efore Augustines comming continued in the ●aith of ●hrist euen from the Apostles time After the Britans ●mbraced the saith of Christ they neuer forsooke i● nei●er when Augustine came into the Iland So many ●nd so great a number of the old names of Priests ●oncks Abbots Prelates Bishops Churches Ab●eyes and Sees which haue beene in euery age doth ●fficiētly
from Bishops Neque laico permi●u●ous facere opus aliquod Sacerdotale vt sacrificium aut Baptismum aut impositionem man us aut benedictionem siue paruam siue magnam Nemo enim sibi sumit honorem sed qui vocatur a Domine huiusmodi namque gratia per impositionem manuum Episcopi datur Neque Presbyteris potestatem damus ordinandi Diaconos aut Lectores aut Ministros sed Episcopis tantum Hic enim est Ecclesiasticus ordo Cum à Deo consequen●iam rerum didicerimus Episcopis quidem assignauimus a●tribuimus quae ad principatum Sacerdotij pertin●nt Presbyteris vero quae ad Sacerdotium Deinde Diaconis quae ad ministrandum vtriusque vt pu●è castè fiant quae ad Religionem pertinent Neque enim sas est Diacono sacrificium offerre aut baptizare aut benedictionem fiue paruam siue magnam facere neque Presbytero ordinationem Clericorūfacere Ostensum est An●istitum Ordinem perficientem esse perfectionis authorem Non licet sine Episcopo baptiz●●e neque dothen celebrare Neither doe we permit ●he Lae●ie to doe any Priestly functi●n as to offer Sacrifice baptize impose hands or to giue any Benediction either litle or great For no man taketh this honour to himselfe but ●e who is called by God Because this grace is giuen by the imposition of the Bishops hands Neither doe we giue vnto Priestes the power of ordaining Deacons or Lectours or Ministers but onely to Bishops This is the order of the Church When we did lerne the sequell of things from God indeede what appertained to the principalitie of P●iestes we assigned and gaue it to Bishops and to Priestes what belonged to Priestehoode afterward to Deacons what appertained to the assistance of both that these things which concerned Religion might be performed chastly and cleanely Neither is it lawfull for a Deacon to offer Sacrifice or to baptize or to make any Benediction either litle or great neither for Priestes to ordaine Clergie-men It is declared the Order of the Bishops is the perfecting Order and authour of perfection It is not lawfull without a Bishop to baptize nor to offer Sacrifice nor to saie Masse 6. Wherevppon the English Protestants in their most publicke and authorised proceedings thus acknowledge It is euident vnto all men diligently reading holy Scripturs and auntient authors that from the Apostles time there hath beene these orders of ministers in Christ Church Bishops Priests and Deacōs which offices were euermore had in such reuerent estimation that no man might presume to execute any of them except he were first by publike praier and imposition of hands approued and admitted therevnto And these orders should be continued and reuerently vsed and esteemed in this Church of England And in this both their booke intituled Of Consecration of Archbishops Bishops Priests as their Articles of Religion and cōmon practise doe onely allowe and commit such thinges to them whome they call and apprehend to be Bishops saying Allmightie God giuer of all good things by his holy spirit hath appointed them in the Church Episcopall Order is of diuine Ordination and by law diuine Christ acted it by the hands of the Apostles It is an ordinance Apostolicall He hath enacted it for succeding posteritie and so it is a Canon or Constitution of the whole Trinitie Wherevpon the Protestant Puritās conclude If prelacie be de Iure diuino by the lawe of God it receiueth both breath and life from the Religion of Rome And this they offer Publikly to defend and the Parlament Protestants so graūte claiming that Ministrie they haue by ordination from Rome Wherevpon these Puritans with generall assent haue thus concluded They cannot see how possibly by the Rules of Diuinitie the separation of our Chu●ches from the Church of Rome and from the Pope head thereof can be iustified They protest to all the worlde that the Pope and the Church of Rome and in thē God and Christ Iesus himselfe haue had great wronge and Indignitie offered vnto them and that the Protestant Churches are scismaticall in forsaking the vnitie and communion with them If the English Protestant opinion he maintained That Bishops Iurisdiction is de Iure diuino by the lawe of God his Magestie and all the Nobilite ought to be Sub●ect to Excommunication 7. Which neither king Nobles or vnnoble no meanest Protestants of England can ●oubt feare or pretend against the Bishop of Chalcedon he neither hauing or claiming the ●easte spirituall power or Iurisdiction ouer ●ny one great or little highe or lowest Protestant in Englād His Episcopall both Order ●nd Iurisdiction which as he construeth be●ongeth vnto it extending onely to Catho●iks of this kingedome to keepe them in good order and loyall dutie both to God and ●heir king as good Catholik Bishops doe ●nd are bounde to doe Which must needs be an helpe and no hurt or offence to any Common-wealth Bishops learned louing and knowing their dutie and hauing charge whereof they must render a seuere accompt to God attended with watchfull and reuengfull eyes vpon them for loue will not or feare dare not concurre vnto or suffer vnder them disobediēce to heauenly or earthly Prince They which cannot endure spirituall dutie are in most daunger of lapse into temporall disobedience hauing reiected spirituall power keeping them in awe and dutie to temporall VVhich perhaps caused Constantine our wise king and Emperour to saie vpon experience as he did of staggerers in Religion and faithfulnesse to God No doubt but both the Pope of Rome and Rich of Chalcedon know their offices sufficiently without any admonishments They are not ignorant who said and how it concerned them Non possumus aliquid aduersus veritatem sed pro veritate VVe cannot any thing against 2. Cor. 13. the truth but for the truth and potestatem quam Dominus dedit mihi in aedification●m non destructionem The power which our Lord hath giuen me vnto edification and not vnto destruction 8. There is great difference in hauing and exercising power from Rome The first should not feare them which would feare without cause of feare neither secret and prudent exercise in necessitie to redesse or preuent euills Greater meetings and assemblies be often made by some in and of as great daunger and to lesse purpose then would serue priuately to examine witnesses or so to giue a sentence where the litigants be and ought to be secret To doe many vsuall and necessarie act● of Religion be as daungerous and require as great and greater assemblies A publike setled Consisto●ie in any place or ●laces to be set vp could not but with ●onde ●maginations be thought vpon were the Iudg ●ad not vbi reclinet caput suum Probate of pu●like wills administrations Tithes Con●racts Marriages Diuorces Alimonie Bas●erdie and publike slanders among Protestāts ●aue publike Protestant Courts and all or ●any mixt with our temporall lawes Many ●f the remembred instances as Tithes and ●asterdies concerning inheriting
Gospells from the shoulders of the ●nsecrated But this maketh not much to the ●rpose it being onely as I haue saied a Ceremonie and not essentiall to the Consecration of a Bishop and that true and vndouted Bishops were made before the Gospells were written Otherwise the whol● Church then euer after and now and eue● had wanted it and had no Ecclesiastical Order at all Which is the lamentable and desperate condition of such as persecute a tru● Bishop and Priest for their Order and power thereby confessing their want both of tha● which is essentiall in this high office as als● consecratours to performe it consecrat tru● Priests or confer any Ecclesiasticall Orde● or degree at all not the meanest in that kin● to any person 20. All Authors agree euen Protestants i● their Catalogues of British and English Bi●hops that we had continuall succession o● such here in great numbers vntill Queen Elizabeth by her supreamacie depriued an● deposed them And to keepe it farre from th●●●me of an Innouation to haue one such Bishop Successour to so many if we haue tha● libertie in time of Persecution when Bishop are driuen from their Sees vsuall in histories to remember and honour them in Exi● and Persecution we haue still kept a Succesion of Bishops in or of this nation Of tho●● which were depriued of their Bishop pricke we haue Richard Pates Bishop of worcheste who subscribed to the Councell of Trent h● being there present by this Title Richard● Patus wigorniēsis Episcopus Thomas Goldwell Bishop Godw. Catal. of Bish. in Worcest in Ric. Pates in S. Asaph in Thom. Goldwell of Asaph liued at Rome 20. yeares after that deposing Thomas watson Bishop of Lincolne was committed to prison in the I le of Elie and died about the yeare 1584. Thus the Protestants themselues deliuer and moreouer they deliuer much praise and commendatiōs of thē and all others our renowned Bishops 14. or more in number who were deposed and persecuted by Queene Elizabeth yea far more and greater thē they doe of those which were intruded into their places Before or soone after the death of Bishop Wa●son of Lincolne Owen Lew is of this our Nation was consecrated Bishop of Cassan in whose life-time our most Illustrious Cardinall William Allan was honoured with that dignitie and consecrated Archbishop of Ma●k●en who liued with these honours vntill the 16. day of October in the yeare of Christ 1594. ●n his time William Gifford was by Pope Clement the eight made Deane Ecclesiae Diui Petri Insulensis Of Saint Peters Church at Lile And afterward he was ordained Archbishop of Rhemes in Champaine in France where he lately liued And whilst he liued Archbishop both VVilliam of Chalcedon and Richard also who is now so persecuted were by highest Papall authoritie cōsecrated ad sent into England And what man of ordinarie knowledge Iudgement or vnderstanding will aduenture to saie but all these were renowned men as also diuerse of our renowned Priests most worthie of Episcopall honour ād dignitie in equall times honourably stiled and registred for all posteritie not onely as great glories of their Coūtrie England but the whole Church of Christ Therefore to haue one of such worthie men a Bishop in his natiue Countrie bearing for auoyding offence his Title of a place so farre hence which frō the first Conuersion thereof to Christ had 3. Archbishops ād many Bishops aboue 1400. yeares past should not in the new English Religion teaching the Church of God neuer wanted Bishops and acknowledging both him and all Catholikely consecrated Bishops and Priests to be true and lawfull Bishops and Priests vndoubtedly by right ordination be offensiue but desired such Order Function and dignitie being by their publike testimonies most needefull excellēt and honourable with all true Professours of Christian Religion 21. Thus we see a Succession of English Bishops though not all in England but in other Coūtries some of them consecrated and remaining a thing not vnusuall in times of Persecution and bannishment of Bishops as in the great lights in their time of Gods Church S. Hilarius S. Athanasius S. Chrysostome and others lōg time exiled yet thereby did not interrupt a continuall Succession in their Sees What least exception then can be taken against our renowned Bishop of Chalcedon for Order and degree so honourable and eminent by all testimonies for his owne worthines and worthily therefore to be had in high reuerence euen with his Persecutours he bringeth able witnesses with him his knowne loue ād honour to our king Queene and Coūtrie his owne holy life and conuersation his learned works and writings with all at home and abroad he hath euer piously and gratefully conuersed and with honour defended and iustified himselfe against Male●olants Among all English Catholick● o● Protestants few are to be found which haue more defēded the honour of our Soueraigne ●one more acceptable to his Maiesties frieds ●nd Allyes in marriage no mā among so ma●y renowned Priests of England worthie of ●reatest honour in equall times adiudged so ●t to supply such place by that highest Pa●or which hath shewed great care and loue four king Queene and hoped Posteritie ●nd Countrie And since Persecution and ●roclamation against him what could such a ●an in Persecution doe more then he hath ●one in decreeing and Ordering that all ●riests and Catholiks should daily with de●otion praie for our king Queene State and Countrie And both since the comming in of ●im and VVilliam of Chalcedon of happie ●emorie his Predecessour as likewise before ●e Catholiks of England haue bene and now ●e knowne to be the most loyall dutifull and liuing Subiects in our dearest Countrie of England THE VI. CHAPTER That our English Priests who teach al● things with the Apostolicall Religio● are truely cōsecrated worthie men an● are to be honoured and not persecuted 1. Hauing redeemed Episcopall Ord●● and dignitie conferred by the S● of Rome from all Imputation of wick● obloquies and made it knowne to be so hig● and honourable we might spare all furth● labour for exemption and defence of Prie●●lie Function seeing euery Bishop of nece●sitie must be a Priest and whatsoeuer of th● calling is noble and glorious in a Bishop must needs be such in Priests Episcopal h●nour and consecration addeth an higher a● greater worthinesse to him that was befor● Priest but cannot take away or diminish a● excellencie or renowne he had before T● Protestants of Scotland doe confesse whi●● all knowe that after Catholike Religiō w● ouerthrowne there they had not any prete●ded Bishops before King Iames accordi●● to his manner of making such gaue su● Titles to them And their Knoxe Buchanan Forbs Bale and others both of England ●nd Scotland are not ashamed to saie that ●efore the sending of Saint Palladius thither ●y Saint Celestine Pope about the yeare 430. ●lonckes who were onely Priests supplied ●he place of that dignitie with that People ●ut malice to Episcopall worthinesse and ●ower their owne
Missa●que celebrare t●pro viuis qu● pro de●●eris in nomine Domini And the prayer being endea taking the holy oyle he shall make a Crosse ●● both the hāds of the Priests saying Thou shalt vouchsafē● Lord to conse●●t and sanctifie these hands by this holy ●yntement and our benedi●●ion that whatsoeuer they shall cens●●rat may be ●onsecrated and whatsoeuer they shall ●lesse may be blessed and sanctified in ●he name of our Lord I●sus Christ ●● is finished ●e s●all take the patten with the hoste ●nd Chal●●e with the wine and shall giue it 〈…〉 saying ●ake yea power to offer Sacrifice to God ●nd saye masse as well for the liuing a●●r the dead in the name of our Lord. ●his is the most auntient Pontificall which ●tiquitie hath preserued and del●●ered vnto ● vniformely agreeing with the now vsed ●ntificall in the Roman Church which dif●eth not from but ag●eath with the most ●ntient Manuscript Copies and Examplare ●tant in the most renowned Labraries And ●erefore our old British Antiquities deliuer Manus●● antiq Cap●● in 〈…〉 Histor. 〈…〉 Arthur dip● ap●● Cam. ● for a receiued Tradition ād custome here in other places for the Priests thereof ac●●ding to their Office and Consecration to ●er Sacrifice both for the liuing ād the dead ●t consuetudo tam pro vi●● qu●● defunctis ho● D●o immolare And this was so generall a ●●ued truth and custome in the whole ●●ch from the Apostles time and Tradition ●● them that is was and iustly adiudged Heresie the Protestants thus acknowleging ●ngl Protest in Feild ●●oke● of the Church ● 3. ca. 25. pag. ●●8 Ciu●● 〈◊〉 pag 〈…〉 to denie it Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming t●● dead at the Altar and ●ffering the Sacrifice of 〈◊〉 ●or them and for this his rash● and inconsidera●●●oldnesse and presumption in condemning t●e ●●●●e●sall C●urch of C●rist ●● was 〈◊〉 ●o ●●emned So S. Epiphanius S. Augustine Isodorus Dama●c●nus and others demonstrate 10. And for England where holy Priests an● Priest●ood are so greuously persecuted w● thus suc●●ss●uely and without any Interrupti● deduce it in a●● times and changes to the● daies Saint Peter a massing Prieste Bishop● and Apostle preaching and consecrati●● Priests and Bishops here could consecrat a●● ordaine no others but such as were to be ● his owne Order So Saint C●ement his confe●sed massing and Sacri●icing Sucessor dircted to se●d such into these parts Pope Ele●●herius who by his holy Mission of Prie● and Bishops hither conuerted this kingdome being also a Massing Priest and Pop● could send no other P●●ests but such And ● Churches and sacrificing Massing Altars e●ct●d in them all to such vse and end con●sed by all wri●ers Ca●holi●s and Protesta● doe so demonstrate All agree we ●ad q●i●●essesse 〈…〉 Relig●● and agreeme●● 〈◊〉 vntill D●ocl●lian his Persecution wh●n ●●o●g others pers●●u●●ed the holy Pr●●● Massin● Pri●sts as Saint Gildas before ●● proued and others 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Electi Sacerdotes trucidati and they which escaped did as often as they could sai● Masse in places whether they fled to escape da●●ger as in Scotland whether the Persecution did not come ●t not being vnder the Romans We had many Massing Priests as Saint Amph●labus ●odocus Priseus Calanus Ferranus Am●ianus Carno●us ●d others who ●●●ed thith●●●ut of our Britanie now England and were maintained by king Crath●●●●en to ●a●e Masse ●ho founded all things necessarie to such ●urpose Churches Altars Chal●●● P●●ens ●adlesticks and all things else Se● Crathlint●us ●ex sacram Antistitis adem mun●●ibus ornaui● an●●●ssini●s Hect. Boeth 〈◊〉 6 Sco● Hist fol. 99. ●● Calicib●●s Patenis Candelabris al●●sque s●●●lib●● ad sacrorum ●vsum commodis ex argen●o aur●●e fabrefactis Altarique cupro are cla●●●o ●●prouen●●s ad ca●x agris in sacrae aedis vicin●● constitu●● But ●● King Crathline adorn●d the Sacred house of the Bis●p with most ample gifts Chalices Patens Cand●stikes and such like necessaries made of ●●l●er and ●ld for the vse of the Church with an Altar also e●●ased in Copper and Br●se to doe all which he allotte●●yearely rents of the fields neare adioyning to that s●●a house 11. Britanie after this vntill the Pelagian ●●resi● was quiet for Religion and the●●●pe Caelestine who was so ●arre a Massing ●pe and Priest that although the Masse wa●●pisticall before as he Protestants acknow●lge yet he added the Introi●● Graduall ●sponsorie Tract and O●●e●torie vnto it strictly commaunding that Priests shoul● knowe the Popes ●ano● ad ●e sent such Ma●sing Bishops and P●●est with them in●o the●● kingdom●● 〈◊〉 g●●d S●otland and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●tro●um 〈◊〉 responsorium ●ra●●● 〈…〉 ins●ruit atque vt 〈◊〉 cod●●e● 〈◊〉 Ca●ones scirent ar●●e pr●cep● Cerman●m in 〈◊〉 Palladium in Scott●●● ● P●●r●●ium cum quod●● 〈◊〉 in ●iberniam ●● P●lagianas ●aer●ses 〈◊〉 E●iscopos misi● Caelestin●●●d a●de to the 〈◊〉 all ●asse the Introite C●a●us● Resp●nsori● Tra●●● and Offertorie and be stric● c●mmaunded that the Priests should knowe the Ca●●● of the Bishops He sent Bishops ●erm●nus into 〈◊〉 Pa●●●●ius into ●●otland and Patricius with one Sege● into ●reland that they mig●t extirpate thēce the P●gia ●●erisse All m● acknowledge that these w●● Massing Priests and Bishops and that t●● con●ecrated Such in great numbers bot● England Scotland and Ireland Ne●●usuing neare or in the time of Saint Patri● writeth thus of him Ordinauit Episcopo● tre●●● fexagint● quin●ue aut amplius in quibus sp●●itus ● 〈◊〉 ●rat P●●sbiteros au●em vs●ue ad tr●a 〈◊〉 ●in●●it He conse●ra●ed more then 365. Bi●hops whome wa● the sp●●it of our Lord but P●●●sts 〈◊〉 ●cd ●000 And of The●● diuers we●t so ●a as to Ameri●a ●d there e●ecu●ed their Pri●●●e O●der ●n o●●ering the sacred bodie a●bl●●od of Christ at M●●se on consecra●ed ●●ar● in one place of America were l●uing 〈◊〉 the time of Saint 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ●is life and trauailes allmost 1000. yeare●●ast 24. Priests which were Saint Patricks ●isciples daily hauing Mas●e am●ng them ●nd others in other p●aces Immola●●nt agnu●●a ●macula●um ●mnes ad communionem ven●●bant ●●entes Ho● sacrum corpus Dom●n● Saluatoris s●●●ite sanguinem vo●●s in vitam ●ternam● They sacri●ed the imma●ulate Lawbe● and all came to the Com●union saying Ta●e yea this bodie and blood of our ●●d and Sauiour which will be to you l●se euerla●●g And to manifest vnto all the vndoubted ●uth of Saint B●●ndans trauai●es and rela●n of these things i● is set downe in memo●ble Antiquities diuers h●ndred● of ●eares fore the Spa●iards or Por●ugals enterance to America that there it was thus Prophe●ally reuealed vnto him Post 〈◊〉 Anneru●●●●cul● d●●larabitur ist● te●r● vestris Successo●●●us 〈◊〉 Christiano●●●n super●ene●i● 〈◊〉 After ●● yeares this land shall be discouered ●● your Su●●urs wh● P●rs●●●tion ●hall come 〈◊〉 the Christians 2. That S. German S. Lupus S. Seue●● S. Paladius and all th●se which S. Ce●●ne that Massing Pop● s●nt hither into Br●●●ie were Massing Bishops and Priests as al●●
th●t were co●s●crated by thē is confes● by all VVe haue the most worthie wi●●●e of our old B●●tish antiquities written ●ut 1000 yeares since intituled euen by ●estants glosses Prima ●nstituti● varu●as ●siasti●● seruitij The first Institution and var●etie ●●●ch s●ru●ce The Masse and publike offic● which in the time of S. German S. Lupus and S. Patricke was by thē and others vsed in Britanie Scotland and Ireland was the ●ame which was composed by Saint Marke the Euangelist And thus it continued here so long as the Britans ruled and after they were expelled by the Saxons with the which remained in wales ad Cornewall and the● Scots and Irish. All our Archbishops both o● London Yorke and Ca●rlegion Theonus Dubriti●s Sampson Dauid and the res● with all Bishops and Priests vnder them wer● sacrificing and Massing Priests Altars fo● Masse were in all Churches and one t●● th● sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood was offered in Masse All which appeareth in ●ann● histories and their destructiō by the Paga● Saxōs in all Churches doth witnesse it Eccl●● Ecclesiastica omnia ad solū vs● destruebā● Sacerd●●es iuxta a●iaria trucidabāt They destroyed euen to ●● ground the C●urc●es and all Ecclesiasticall t●ings t●e ●illed the Priests at the Al●ars Such were the Pr●lats Bishops Priests Abbots and their Se●● Monasteries and Churches where Ma●● was vsed in great number and aboundanc● in euery age ●y the ●rotestants confession ●o Go●●olin histor Eccles Matth. Parker Antiquis Britannis pag. 8. Tot tant●qu● Pres●●●●rorum M●nac●orum Praesulu● Episcoporum Ecclesiarum Coenobiorum S●dium● vetusta nomina quae quos●● saculo extiterunt Se 〈◊〉 old names of Priests Monckes Prelats Bis●o● Churches Monasteric● and Episcopall Se●s were in ●uery ●●ge extante 13. And among the Saxons the first Christian Priests that were permitted here were Massing Priests their Sacrifice was the sacrifice of Masse their Church at Canterburie had Altars and Saint Le●hard the Bishop which came hither with the F●enth Catho●ike Christian Ladie Queene Bertha married ●o the Saxon king Ethe●bert of kent and the Priests with him were all Massing Priests and ●aied Masse in that Church allotted to thē to ●hat end In antiquissima sancti P●aesulis Mar●in● Ecclesiâ sub vrbe sua beato Pontisi●e Lethard● praesi●ente frequentabat Regina Missarum Ora●io●um ●acra cum suorum co●itum samili● Christian● ●● the auncient Chu●ch of Saint M●rtin citu●●d neare vnto the citie Lethardus the Bishop gouer●ng it the Queene wi●h her Christian samil●● heard ●asse frequently This was diuers yeares before ●aint Greg●ri● that most holy and ●●arned ●ope Gregori●s magnus Romanus omnium ●ontisi●m Romanorum doctrin● vitâ pr●stantissimu● ●egorie the greate a Roman the worthiest of ad the ●oman Bishops in doctrin and life As Protestants ●le him sent Saint Augustine with his holy ●mpanie hither and king Ethelbert as these ●otestants saie by the persuasion of Queene ●rtha his wise and her Clergie receiued the ●ole Roman Religion Conu●rsus vxoris Ber● persuasione Ethelberius Rex Romanismum susce● And Saint Augustine brought in among ●her things Altars holy vestiments and ●ssel● Relicks bookes of Ceremonies the Sacrafice of Masse and in a Councell assembled commaunded the Roman customes to be obserued euery where Introduxit Altaria vestimenta Vasa sacra Reliquias Ceremoniarum codices Prinum corum Studium erat cir●a Missarum oblationes Sedes ●piscopal●● ac de●imas coactà Syno do mādauit Romanas v●iq c●s●ctu●in●s s●ruari And the Masse which S. Augustin● brought hither f●om ● G●ego●ie was the same which S. Grego●●e and the Roman Church then vsed and the present R●man Church and Catholike● of England doe vse at this time and the very same which was in vse before Saint Gregorie He onely add●●● vnto it as the Protestants them●elues confesse ●ew things not questione● by them as 〈…〉 Lord haue m●●●ie ●pon ●● to be diuers times ●●i●erated which they confesse the Greeke Church d●d vse long before He added also Di●sque ●ostros in ●uâ pace di●●onas And d●spose our dai●s in thy peace And commaund we ●e deliuered frō euerlasting damnatiō and numbred in the s●ock of thy elect● But the Protestants allow and vse all these a● also where they sa●e he hadded Alleluia som● times to be vsed it being vsed in Scripture and the saying or singing our Lords praye● Pater noster ordained by Christ and by Protestants confess●ō vsed in Masse in the Apostle● time S. Alde●me our holy Bishop and Countrie m● who cal●eth S. Gregorie his Ma●●● writeth that he added in the daily Canon w●● the solenities of Mas●e are celebrated in the C●●alogue of ●●●tyr● S. 〈…〉 ioyning the 〈◊〉 S. 〈◊〉 S. Anas●●si● and ●thers Q●●● 〈◊〉 Agatha ●Lu●ia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noster Grego●●●●n Canone 〈…〉 ●m●●a cele●r●tur ●opul●sse 〈…〉 ●●●logo 〈…〉 ●ga●●a Luci● VVhich S. 〈…〉 and Pedagoge ●regorie ●s 〈…〉 in the d●●ly Canon 〈…〉 them after this m●ner 〈◊〉 Catalogue 〈…〉 Anast●si● Aga●●a 〈…〉 Saint Gregorie added no 〈…〉 to the holy Masse For hereby 〈…〉 the whole Canon was vs●d before an● 〈◊〉 Saint Agat●a and Saint Lucia to the o●h●r holy women Martyrs proueth enough 〈◊〉 ●is Act to be holy by former autho●●tie and ●xample those o●●er holy Martyrs being by ●he Church of Christ placed and 〈◊〉 in ●he Canon before S. Gregorie h●s 〈◊〉 and S. ●gatha and S●in● Lucia in the Ca●●●ders of Protestants 〈◊〉 acknowledged and 〈◊〉 holy 〈◊〉 Saints and Martyrs For Sai●● Gre●o●●e to ioyne Saints to Saints in honour ●ould ●e no ●nsainctlike Act in him N●ither ●h● Priests of Eng●and doe d●serue su●h pe●al●ies punishments and pe●s●●uciors as ●hey na●e long suffered and now full ●oe ●nd●●e ●or exe●cising their most honourabl● Functi● ●n offering their most diuine Sacri●i●e instituted by Christ offered by him his ●oly Apostles and in all Ages after in this so approued and receiued Order and forme o● Masse vntill it was first here disallowed by king Edward 6 a child and made so penall by Queenes Elizabeths strang proceedings in such affaires For king Henry 8. though otherwise a most strang Enimie to Christs ●oly Church yet concerning Massing Priests an● Masse he ordained by his laste will and Testament as is still to be seene Mass●● That they should continue in England to the ●nd of the worl● willing and charging Prince Edward his sonne a● his Executors all his heires and Successours th● should be kings of this Realme ●s they will answear before allmightie God at the dreadfull daie of Iudgmēt that they and euery of thē drese● it performed Neithe● euer was there in England before that yo● kings time or in any other nation whe● Protestant Communion hath in these thei● late daies opposed against Catholike Rel●gion Priests and Masse any other Churc● seruice but Catholike Masse and Sacri●ie● founde heard off or remembred in Antiquities 14. Therefore seeing the honour and dignitie of holy Priesthood in the respect o● the most sacred and heauenlie
in the heauens and ●hatsoeuer yee shall loose on earth shal be loosed in ●e heauens God hath subiected to the hands of the ●riests the Regall head thea●hing vs that this Prince greater thē that The thron● power authoritie ●nd dignitie of Priests is aboue Regall this ●leth onely in things temporall the Priest ● heauenly The king of heauen hath giuen his power to his Priests and hath subiected ●e Regall head to th● hands of the Priests ●eclaring vnto vs that this is a greater Prince ●en he Neither hath he giuē such power vnto ●ngels or Archangels as to Pri●sts Sa●erdotib●●●●um est vt potestatem hab●ant quam Deus neque Chrys●st lib. 3. de Sacerdotio ●ngelis neque Archangel●s datam esse voluit Neque ●im ad illos dictum est Quae●unque alligaueritis in ●rrâ erunt alligata in coelo Et quaecunque soluereti●● terrâ erunt soluta in ●oel● It is giuen to Priests ●at they shall haue power which God would haue ●uen neither to Angells nor Ar●hange●●s For it is not ●ed to them Whatsoeuer you ●hall bind vpon earth ●all be bound also in heauen and whatsoeuer you shall ●ose on earth shall be loosed in heauen The power ●f binding which is in Princes is onely ouer ●odies that of Priests ouer soules and exten●eth to heauen Habent terrestres Principes vin●li potestatem verum corp●rum solum Id autem quod Chryso●● ibide● ●●o Sacordotum vinculum ipsam e●iam animam con●ngitatque ad coelos vsque peruadit Terreane Princes ●lso haue the power of fetters but of the bodie onely ●ut that which I saie the bonds of Priests toucheth the ●ule it selfe and passeth vnto the heauens This is the doctrine deliuered by Christ so exp●●nded both by the Gr●●ke and ●●●ine Church in Britani● and all places with all persons all good Emperours Kinges and Prince● of England and which the whole Christian worlde ha●e euer prof●ssed and declared 17. And the world will witnesse euery where against persecuting England that the Cath●lik● P●iest and Clergie thereof be as le●●ned ●●ly religious and as sa●● f●●m exception and eue● haue bene since they were persecuted ●●mber for number as any ●●●gi●●● all Ch●●stian re●owned Na●ions And of all Eng●●●h people they ha●e most ●o●o●red ●n●●east 〈…〉 offended their P●inces or 〈…〉 C●●●crie Most of them be and 〈…〉 of noble or 〈◊〉 famili●● and al●●●bred ●● and discended that th●y ha●e 〈◊〉 at home and abroad without 〈…〉 or hu●e They 〈◊〉 left 〈…〉 places i● 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Engl●●d 〈…〉 and all They 〈…〉 B●shopr●cks 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 but leaue 〈◊〉 to th●●●r 〈…〉 any 〈◊〉 Trib●●es or 〈…〉 From their Aduersa●ies The Catholike● of ●nglan● 〈◊〉 these ●o 〈…〉 more the Protestants doe 〈…〉 or many 〈◊〉 Presentations and 〈◊〉 which be●o●ged 〈◊〉 their ●o ●●ll into the lapse for the Protestant Bishops to bestowe as th●y will Ou● Catholik● Priests haue no wiues or children to trouble the Cōmon ●ealth with●ll Pari●he●●nd p●aces of birth be not postered or charged with any ●u●h n●r Scho●●erships or Fel●owships in Vn●uersitie● which are not or●ained for Minister● children● Tenan●s are ●ot put out of their liuings nor the Church Ri●ches and liuings horded vp beggars made ●ut not releeued for any 〈◊〉 of Priests ●r Priests fauourers All that be of their ac●uintance in Religion are instructed in dutie ●o God and Prince and be most true and ●utifull Subiect● to ●heir king ●n all occasiōs ●h●se cānot be the 〈◊〉 of a bad Religion 18. Their Religion vnder pre●en●e where●f they are presecuted they haue of●ē in pub●shed bookes proued in euery point and ●rticle to be onely true and now doe cō●● it ●●t to p●e●se which will so demonstrate 〈◊〉 euery Article of th● P●●se●utours Re●ion euen by the Apostle● and Apo●olike men and Fathers of that age in ●hich they liued holy Scripturs and Pro●stants themselue● and they haue often ●ade most earnest and hūb●e petitions late● p●blished in print to the Parlament 〈◊〉 publickly euen with vnequall condi●ons to themselues and their caus●●● dispute ●d m●intain● all and euery part of the do●ine they hold and 〈◊〉 against the best ●arned Protestant Bishops or 〈◊〉 their Persecutours And yet if mē would or should speake doe and proceede consequently as they which tak●●pon them to be teachers instructours and Reformers in Religion of all men in all times and places ought and without vtterly disabling themselues therein are bound A Prieste or Bishop that saieth Ma●se absolueth penitents or reconci●eth men to the Catholike faith by power authoritie or Iurisdiction from Rome is no more guiltie of so ●ermed treason by the Parlamēt Protestant Acts and lawes then all other Ecclesiasticall Parlamēt an 〈◊〉 Elizab. Statute 2. Parlam 1. Iacob Parlam ● Car●li person● d●acons or others inferiours Religious of what name title or degree soeuer as Subdeacōs Acolythists Exorcists or others wanting all such power as is euident by that o● Queene Elizabeth receiued and prosecute● by king Iames ād king Charles Priests therefore are not or should not be so prosecute● for their Priestlie functions God forbyd any English minded man or louer of Englan● should thinke or wish it a thing so penall an● capitall for any Inhabitāt of England or English man to be borne abid or remaine in hi● beloued natiue Countrie of England thoug● he we●e a meaner and more vnworthie ma● then any meanest Priest of England is 19. The Protestants thus deriue our Clerg●● Succession Th● first Parlament of Q● C●mbd Annal pag 36. ●●izabeth being ended the Oath of th● Queens supreamacie was proposed to the Catholike Bishops and Ecclesiasticall Persons many as refused to sweare were depriued their benefices dignities and Bishopriks ● Rulers of Churches 50. Prebendaries 5. ●isters of Colledges 12 Archdeacons 12. ●anes and 14. Bishops all that then ●emai● except one Anthonie Bishop of Landaffe ● calamitie of his See and ●ome commit●ed prison in the Tower Fleete Marshallea ● kings Bench. How reuerend and learned ●n those of our Clergie then we●e and they ●ch immediately ioyned with the and cōti●d a Successiō of renowned Clergie Priests ● memorable bookes and writings of very ●y of them in defence of Catholike Reli●n ther honour therby registred among ● must worthie writers and their glorie in whole Church of Christ are warrant to posteritie I am an vnworthie witnesse ● many older and of more frequēt conuersa● with Priests then I can better testifie that ●hin 25 yeares of the Reigne of Queene E●beth when so many from our Seminaries ● come hither that at one time there were ● of them Prisoners in the Marshallea and ●y of them put to death There were then ●y of Queene Maries Priests depriued and ●secuted by Queene Elizabeth still liuing ● labouring here in this holy cau●e and ●st of them were very learned as they were ● which were sent from our Seminaries to ●plie their number and ioyne with them as ●ers published bookes from them their
and best estate Wherfore as ●he Bishop o● Chalcedon and Catholiks o● England may not depart from the Church of Rome in this question So it will be a great wonder if King Charles and his Councell should thus persecute that which to them and all should be so honourable They may not persecute him for his Episcopall Order for that likewise is prooued the most glorious calling in the Church of Christ All English Parlamentarie Protestants confesse the Bishop of Chalchedon and all cons●crated as he was by the Roman Order containing all and more then they vse and by most true and lawfull Consecratours to be an vndoubted true and lawfull Bishop And so it must needs be for whether we will follow the present Roman Order euer vsed here since Saint Augustins time before their new deuised forme of so called Consecration made by King Edward the Sixth a child and altered by his Sister Elizabeth Queene a woman or that which the Britans Scots and Irish vsed long before ●t is out of question by all that the Bishop of Chalcedon and euery one such is a true and most vndoubted lawfull Bishop hauing by due and true Consecratours whatsoeuer is contained or prescribed to be done in either of both which the new Protestant forme if they had true Consec●atours cometh short and wanteth euen in things essentiall both by all others and their owne iudgment and practise 18. The present Roman Order hath more though Ceremoniall then that of our Britās Scots and Irish therefore I exemplifie onely in this and the rather to giue Satisfaction to our Protestants so extolling them for their Apostolik Religion neuer changed or altered as they saie Before S. Kentegern was consecrated Bishop all most 1200. yeares since this was their old vse and māner herein as Saint Asaph his Scholler a Bishop and others prooue Mos in Britannia inoleuerat in Consecratione Pontificum tantummodo capita corum sacri Cbrismatis infusione perungere cum inuocatione Sancti Spiritus benedictione manus impositione It was an auntient custome among the Britans that in the Consecration of Bishops they onely annoynted them on their heads with holy Chrisme inuocation of the Holy Ghost Benediction and imposi●ion of ●ands This was done by consecrating Bis●ops And this was Mos Britonum Scotorum ● Hibernia The Custome of the Britans Scots and in ●eland In those times when Canons of Coun●ells were not made of this matter or not ●nowne here by reason of great troubles in ●ese parts as our Antiquaries write and yet ●ey were excused as hauing true and essen●ally needfull Consecration Insulam enim quasi ●ira orbem positi emergentibus Paganorum infesta●onibus Canonum erantignari Ecclesiastica ideo Cen●ra ipsis condiscendens excusationem illorum admit tit ●ha●●arte Fo● the inhabitants of the Iland being as were placed out of the world were ignorant of the anons by reason of the Continuall inuasions of the Pa●ans and therfore the Ecclesiasticall Censure yelding ●nto them in this parte adm●●ted their excusation But ●ur Protestants cannot be excused being not ●gnorant but Cōtemners of the Canons and ●ot this onely but omitting that which by ●he custome of the Britans Scots and Irish ●he old Roman Order in that time as Al●uinus Amalarius and others 800. yeares ●nce terme it in their dayes was vsed then and is now all of them deliuering that ●oly vnction by true Bishops to be necessa●ie and essentiall euer naming the man to be ●onsecrated Bishop Bishop elect onely vntill Dieny●●us A●eop l. de Eccl●sia●t H●erarchia ●hat vnctiō be ended and then Bishop cōsecrated ●piscopus consecratus Our Protestants t●ēselues ●ublickly haue written ad warranted that ●aint Denys the Areopagite Vnctionem ponit expressè Doth expresely put vnction Anaclet● wrote Bishop● are to be made by imposition of han● Anacletus Epist 2. §. ● of Bishops and ●oly ●uction by the exampse of the Apostles because all sa●ctification consisteth in the ho● ghoste whose mu●●●ble power is mixed with ho● Chrisme and by this R●●e s●lemne ordination is to ● celebrated O●● Protestants a ●o confes●e th● the holy Fathers both of the Greeke and L●tine Church were thus co●ecrated Of Sain● Basile Vn●●ion● s●c●a adh●b●ta est ●●dinatus He w● ordained by applying holy ●nnointing Of S. G●●gorie Nazianzen Me ●ontifi●em vngis So of ● Iohn Chrysostome and Saint Seuerus So ● Augustine Vi●arius Christi Pontifex efficitur i● in capite vngitur imitādo illū qui caput est to●iu● Eccl●siae per vnctionis grati● sit ipse caput Eccl●siae sibi ●missae The Vicare of Christ is made Bishop ād therf● he is annointed on the head in imitatiō of him who the head of the whole Church and he by the grace the ●nnointing is made the head of the Chu●● committed vnto him So Saint Gregorie Qui S. Gregor mag in c. 10. l. 1. Regum culmine ponitur Sacramenta sus●ipit vnctionis qu● ve ò ipsa vnctio Sacramentum est is qui pr●mou●●● benè soris vngi●ur s●●ntus virtute Sa●ra●ē●● rob●re●● He that is p●a●ed in the top ta●eth the Sacraments ● annointing b●caus● the annointing it selfe is a Sacram● he that is to be promoted is to be ●nnointed well wi●l ●● if he would be str●ng●hned within with the ●e●tue ● the Sacrament An●●● this T●●e he adiudge the Epi●copa●l c●n●●●●ation of the Britan● Scots a●d I●i●h ●● be essentially vali●e S Saint Bede Amal●●●●s S. Iuo Stephant Eduensis and other auntient writers and Expositours of holy mysteries 19. Concerning the Ceremonie of the Booke of Gospels laied vpon the Consecrated though Alcuinus saieth Non reperitur in Alcuinus l●b d● 〈…〉 c. ●● ●uthoritate veteri neque nouâ sed neque in Romanâ ●raditione It is not found in authoritie either auncient ●● newe yea not in the Roman tradition And Ama●arius Neque vetu● authoritas intimat neque Apostolica traditio neque Canoni●a authoritas Neither auncient authoritie neither Aposteli●all tradition nor Canonicall authoritie doth intimate ●ny such thing Yet we find this Cerem●nie to ●aue bene obserued in the time of S. Denis for ●n his booke of the Ecclesiasticall Hiera●chie ●e hath these words Pontifex quidem qui ad perfe●ionem Dionisiu● 〈…〉 virtutemque pontifice dignam eu●●i●ur vt●o●e genu flexo ante altare supra caput habet libros à to traditos manumque pontifi●is The Bishop indeede ●hich is eleuated to worthy perfection and vertue of a ●i●hop kneling on both knees before the Altar hath ●on his head the bookes giuen from God and the hand ● the Bishop Which Ceremonie is also vsed ●ily in the Catholike Church as is to be ●ene in the Rub●iks of the Roman Pontifi●ll for after the ring is put on the finger of ●e newe Consecrated Bishop this direction ●●ntificale ●omanum de Cons●cratione El●cti ●n Episc●●●● giuen Tum Consecrator accipit librum Euangelio●● de spatulis Consecrati Then the Consecratour ta●h the booke of the
petitions and challendges of d●sputatiō bo● in the Marshal sea and Tower and their cofuting and confounding their Protestant auersaries doe sufficiently ●estifie 20. W● may take some proportion of th● labours and wor●hinesse ●ere if we call ● minde the s●a●e of such affair in Eng●and ● the time of Q●eene Elizabe●h before a●y R●ligious men came ●●ther the Cle●g●e Prie● heing here a●lmost alone without other asistance and compare it with the present c●dition when so many Orders of them ●sides the old Clergie be and haue bene h● diuers yeares and we shall not finde feaer the auntient Nobilitie scarce●y more of ● chiefest gentrie and not many more othe● Catholikes now then in those daies T● which be old may remember it others ● Iudgment in histories and Records may fi● it so the time of Persecution threatning ● commaundeth vnto me silence in particul● Yet all that are so desirous to examine ● 〈◊〉 Ann●l p● 27. 21. 22. 36. 39. Row●s preface historicall in Qu●ene El●●●beth Stowes 〈◊〉 yeare of Q. 〈◊〉 comparison may easily prooue that mo●● I am not in error if they will but read●● Protestant Historicall relations Ca●d● Howes Stowe and others they will s●e w● Pollicie was vsed to put downe Cathol● Religiō ād by thē it will also appeare how ●●tholike Coūcellours were ●●moued Cathol● Iudges Sherifes Iustices of peace and oth●● were displaced and Protestants put in t● places fiue nowe Protestant Lords made i● ●ounties Protestant B●●gesses chosen for ●rlament Plures è Protestantibu● datâ operâ è ●nitatibus tum è ●iuitatib●● Burgis fuisse electos ●ny of the Protestants of set purpose were chosen one 〈◊〉 Counties as well out of Cities as Townes And ●hough the Ca●holike Bishops were also ●cluded from that Parlament that so Pro●tant Religion might be the more easily es●lished by Parlament yet the P●o●estant ●tie exceeded onely in Sixe voices the Ca●olikes who there prof●s●ed themselues to ●uch and all for the most part of them for ●ong time remained so The Queene her●e openly then in that Parlament protested ●●●he would neuer vexe or trouble the Roman Ca●ikes concerning any difference in Religion ●ough we found and felt since how farre ●he ● altered frō this thē her intetion ad deternatiō What I haue saied is found to be true all the opinion● of friends and aduersaries 21. And this sufficiently argueth a true ●st lawfull and neuer defectiue knowne suc●ion of worthie and learned Priests of the ●ular Clergie who defended in all times ●holy cau●e of God in this our Countrie ● conserued still the Catholike Religion in hearts of the Nobilitie gentrie and others ●ll so●ts No Order of the Religious can ● so The Iesuits came first of all the Reli●us hither but they were not heare before ● went away againe not returning of some ●res The Dominicās and Franciscans came ●er before the Benedictins but neither they nor any other ●id or could make this clai● For our secular Priests haue as is be●● often declared continued alwaies their s●ces●ion and in this last persecution she● the way and broaken the ice vnto all ● Religious by their Mission of Priests hith● from their Colledges beyond the s● which I speacke not with any intention dishonour our Reuerend Religious bu● honour the Secular Clergie and to defend Authour of the Protestās Plea and Petition t● Parlamēt for Catholikes Against whom a cert● Benedictine Moncke in his prefatorie Ep● to Saint Augustins Meditations Soliloq● and Manuall translated by him into Eng● writeth I here neuer hath beene any Interrup● Benedictine Preachers and Teachers in England ● to prooue this his assertion he reciteth ●ly three such Mon●kes Abbot Fecknam a● Moncke to vse his word● whole name was ●rie Stile as I take it Who though bli● bodie yet cleare sighted in minde in the Ch●●● Westminster publi●ly and ●●outely confuted in an ● none Sermon a precedent rail●ng Sermon ● D. Horne by appointment of the Councell s●● in the eares of the people to disgrace the profes●● Monckes and Catholike Religion and D. S●● Buckly and he seemeth to be offend●d ● the foresaied Author of the Plea as thoug● had done wrong to their Order in supp●sing D. Abbot Fecknam his nam● say ●e might haue remembred the famous and ●● ● Abbot Fecknam But a●as this is farre frō accusing truely that Author or excusing himselfe or prouing what he said before For that Author in that very booke maketh twice an honourable memorie of that noble Abbot in one pl●ce setting downe to his honour the Orat●●● he made in the first Parlament of Q. Elizabeth in defence of Religion And ●hat Author of the Plea was so farre and ●till is from being otherwise then a lo●ing friend and no enimy to the Order of ●aint Benedict that in the time of Q. Eliza●eth before any Monckes came hither He ●rote in honour thereof in his Apologie for Catholiks to the Councell of Q. Elizabeth Apolog. ●p●st ●o Q Elizab Councall prius an 601. pag 83. ● these words The onely order of Saint Benedict so ●nowned in our Nation hath had abou● twenti● kings ●d Emperours aboue an hundred gr●●t Princes many ●opes sixteene hund●ed Archbishops 4000. Bishops ●000 famous men and 15600. most honourable ca●nised Saints Thus farre ranne his penne with ●eir Moncke and most commender Trithe●ius 22. When the first Moncks from Spaine ●me hither about the death of Q Elizabeth ●d had no Faculties this Author at the re●iest of one of them his deare fr●ēd wrote ef●ctually to the then Archpriest Maister ●ack well to giue them ordinarie Faculties ●hich he did and these were the first Facul●s that Congregation in my memorie as ●e Moncks themselues confessed had in England vntill more ample were afterwards and otherwise procured vnto them And that Author hath euer liued ingreat peace loue vnitie and concorde with all the worthiest o● that and other Orders of his acquaintance but to that excepting Moncke he ●as no● knowne And now at this time and 〈◊〉 afte● both that Author and I that write as his an● their louing friend will be so farre fro● being an enimy vnto the Moncks of Sain● Ben●dicts Order that except their auntien● learned Moncks Historians and such as the● accompt most fauouring to their Order i● matter of Historie shall offend and be again● them of this time we will not offend the● bringing nothing but from these men the● selues and such But yet that assertion T● there neuer hath beene any Interruption of Benedi●●● Preachers and teachers in England cannot be s● by Moncks and this Moncks owne conf●sion For if it had bene a thing lawfull fo● Moncke or any Cathol●ke to goe twise ●● day to a Protestant Church where once ● goe i● d●mnable such a Moncke could not ● a tru● Preacher and Catholike otherwise a● learned man vnder pretente to cōfute Pro●stants by word or writing might goe to the● Churches and deliuer themselues from p●●alties Further this Moncke as they confe● went soone after out
of England and died ● of ●t Abbot Fecknam by Moncks and ● d●ed in the yeare 1585. And then by ●● Monckes and all mens confession there liued here in England of the old English Monkes onely F. Buckley no great Preacher or learned man So this onely such Moncke could not ab●e that proposition There n●●er hath bene any Interruption of Benedictine Preachers and tea●●e●● in England One no Preacher cannot be such and in the plurall number 23. And that Author made no more men●ion in particular of Benedictine Moncks ●hen of other Religious Orders all o● them ●ailing in learned Priests except of ●he Cler●ie to ●heach and defend true R●●igion He ●id not meane there was not any one either ●earned or vnlearned If any such thing is ●here printed it was the printers and not his ●oing neither can any of equa●l Iudgement ●inke otherwise for that authour well k●ew ●at Father Sebert Buckley was thē liuin● he ●eing well and very louingly acquain●e● with ●aister Sadler and maister Mahu Priests ●hich first ioyned with that F. Buckley hea●ng from them the manner thereof And he ●ath seene vnder one of their han●s more ●en euer he wrote or held That it was ●oubted whether that father Buckley was a ●rofessed Moncke or no and the reasons of ●ch doubt are thus set downe written with ●ne of their hands Quia hoc neque per scripturam ●e publicum Instrumentum neque per testem quirem ●sam nouerat probatum vidit Because he had no●●ne this prooued by writing or pu●like Instrument nor witnesse that knew it This is more then my friend needeth in this matter or this case now requireth And he euer thought he was a Monke So doe I and honour the Order of S. Benedict and all other Religious Orders and loue and honour all my worthie friēds and acquaintance of them as much as euer I did which some of them know to be very much and as they can wish or desire and euer shall yet verita● vincit THE VII CHAPTER That the Catholikes of England taugh● and directed by such guides in Religio● as our Priests be are not to be persecuted but protected defended and imployed as true and faithfull subiect● in all things 1. THe honour dignitie glorie and renowne of consecrated Bishops an● Priests being thus great ample excellēt an● necessarie among all true beleuing Christian● Instituted and ordained by Christ himselfe ā● according to his owne most holy Order fo● all professours of his faith and Religion in a● ●nd places vntill this life and world is to end and that the publik Sacrifice they offer and celebrate is so holy and heauenly the Religion generally which they professe preach and ●eache vndoubtedly true and that the highest spirituall power by which their Mission is so certaine so a●ntiently honourable and honoured and without manifest and vnexcusable offence both to the greatest authoritie on earth or in heauen so to be receiued and reuereuced of all twyce happie blessed and honourable is then your state cause and condition Most Noble and Renowned Confessours of the Nobilitie Gentrie and other Catholike laietie of England in chosing in such times such guides of your soules professing such Religion and which giueth you a second and greater felicitie to be for such a cause so persecuted in your Natiue Countrie of your owne Countriemen kindred and called Christians 2. To suffer Persecution for Iustice is a blessednesse and bringeth to eternall blisse But to endure it in such measure and manner as you haue done and doe it will eleuate you ●o the highest and neuer fading ioyes your ●osse may be of temporarie but your pur●hase thereby will be of much better and euer ●uting things Terreane glorie flattering and deceitfull honour is often valued bought and solde at too deare a rate but that which Persecution for the cause you suffer in will for euer endowe you with will farre exceede the worth of any price you can bestowe to possesse it Id enim quod in praesenti saieth ● ad Cor. 4. Saint Paule est momentaneum leue tribulationis nostrae supra modum in sublimitate aeternum gloriae pondus operatur in nobis non contemplantibus nobis quae videntur sed quae non videntur Quae enim videntur temporalia sunt quae autem non videntur aeterna sunt For that our tribulation which presently is momentarie and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glorie in vs we not considering the things that are seene but that are not seene For things that be seene are temporall but those that be not seene are eternall And c. 5. in an other place he addeth Scimus enim quoniam si terrestris domus nostra huius habitationis dissoluatur quod aedificationem ex Deo habemus domum ●on manufactam aeternam in caelis For we know that if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolued that we haue a building of God a house n●● made with hand eternall in heauen Your liues your lands your liberties honours and what soeuer in things temporall and to be forsakē or spoyled and depriued off deare vnto you were lent giuen and but for a time bestowed vpon you as also his most pretious blood and life was after many other Miserie 's sustained for your Ransome ād Redēption by him for whose right and cause you stand and patiently endure afflictions for the same so often so much and so long time Thus he himselfe founde the way and returned to his owne kingedome and glorie immense and eternall and he said at his departure hence to his heauenly throane vnto his blessed Apostles Disciples to you and all that shall serue and suffer for him to the end of the world In domo Patris mei Io 1● mansiones multae sunt vado parare vobis locum Et ●● abiero praeparauero vobis locum iterum venio accipiam vos ad meipsum vt vbi sum eg vos sitis Et quo ego vado scitis viam s●●●is In my fathers house there be many mansions I goe to prepa●e you a place I come againe and will take you to my s●lf● that where I am you also may be And wither I goe you knowe and the way you knowe Euery Mansion in heauen in the howse of God farre surpasseth all Pallaces and pleasures of this world and to be with Christ in eternall glorie infinitely exceedeth all delights and honours here And the glorie and reward of them that come nearest to Christ in sufferings here ●●ll be ●he highest and greatest with him there in loyes for euer Ecce Taberna●ulum Dei cum hominibus Apo●al ●1 habitabit cum eis ipsi populus ●ius erunt ipse Deus cum eis er●t corū Deus E● absterget Deus omnem Lachrymam ab oculis eorum m●rs vltrà non erit neque luctus neque clamor neque dolor erit vltrà quae prima abierunt Behold the Tabernacle of