a saying to be registred in the hearts printed vpon the fore-heads of turbulent and furious spirits now adayes who cannot indure but with gnashing of teeth that any Church or Countrey baptize with crossing after haue Organs or Altars Curats or Prebenders vse Cap or Surplise because they haue them not or rather will not haue them at all or else because they are in vse in the Popish Church a fine reason indeed I wonder that these men can indure preaching in a Church built by a Papist or ringing of Bells this being a custome vsed by the Papists or giuing of thankes after meat seeing the Papist doth the like And as those men loathe euery Ceremonie which the Romane Church hath so doth the Romish Church detest the Greeke Church and shee no lesse the Romish so that this question being propounded to Chomatianus by a Greeke Whether it was lawfull for a Greeke to enter into a Latin Church and worship there being desired he answered negatiuely Tom. 1. Iuris Graecorum Balsamon saith That all the ceremonies of the Latin church differing from the ceremonies of the holy Catholike Church he meaneth the Greeke Church are to be reiected and no societie to be kept with the Latines Ibidem Cabasila propounded a question to Iohn Bishop Citrius if the Greeks which were buried in the Latine Churches and had Hymnes sung at their Funeralls could be subiect to censure Yea after the Councell of Florence the rage of the Grecians was so great against those that were at the Councell and accorded to some Articles for the purchasing of ayd against the Turke who at that time tooke the neuer enough lamented citie of Constantinople that when they came home though subiect to the vncertaine and faithlesse mercy of the barbarous conquerour they excommunicated all those who accorded to the Articles and when their soules had taken their good night in parting from the body they cast them like dogs into ditches and denied them most barbarously the benefit of Christian buriall The Latine Church not being willing to be inferiour to her sister in these prankes doth serue the Protestants after the like manner for if any of the reformed Church die amongst them his soule is determinately sent packing to Hell by the Popes * For euery Holy Thursday he curseth all Protestants cursing his body it must either lie vnburied at all or else it must be carried to some place where Protestants vse to interre their dead O my soule what shalt thou think How must thou meditate vpon the barbarous and beastly crueltie against the dead bodies of them who liued to the eyes of all vnblameable perchance and died in the faith of the Lord Iesus holding him onely their Redeemer Sauiour and Mediatour baptized in the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost giuing testimonies of their comfort and gladnesse in the houre of their death shewing by their cheerfulnesse the Prognostications and infallible tokens of their entrance and fore-smelling of endlesse glory Such mens bones doe the Papists debarre from resting in that Portion of our Grand-mother Tellus where the former Saints bodies which now in part triumph in delight rest waiting for a glorious resurrection a perfect beatitude with a full and plenary indulgence acquittance from sin and her reward death for death is the wages and stipend of sinne Is not this a tyrannie going far beyond that of Nero surpassing that of Decius and an hundred times more execrable than that of Heliogabalus These men can suffer him whom they haue seene with their eyes die in a kennell stabbing and stabbed in a drunken humour or him who all his life time hath played the throat-cutting Ruffian or the leacherous whoremonger and who at last hath dyed in the Poxe without so much as poenitendi animus yea him whom they haue heard with their eares awake Stix Lethe and Acheron with hideous and fearfull bannings abuse with thunderbolts and cannon-shot volies of abominable oathes the great and glorious Name of the euerliuing God such men I say they can indure to be intombed incoffined with them and to haue their portion in their ground and to lie among them with abundance of peace whereas they would striue to ransacke Heauen and Earth yea Acheronta mouerent they would euen trouble Hell it selfe if they did know that any Protestants ashes did rest there O Lord how long wilt thou delay and suffer this vnheard of crueltie To returne to my purpose The reason of all these things is either the want of charitie or of prudent discretion of things necessary from things indifferent This age is pestered yea it is consumed with these fire-brands in matters indefinable Many good Christian people haue vsed direct and indirect meanes to cure this sore to quench these faggots with their Writings full of prudence and pietie but behold their reward both the parties haue persecuted them with calumnies calling them Neutralls neither hic nor haec Nullifidians Vbiquitaries yea the ordinary censure goeth so far as without soule and conscience now to call them Atheists Or else both the parties hate them in such a measure that they thrust them from their Communions This maketh the Speakers in this businesse to bee few but Writers almost none I remember that conferring with a learned man concerning this subiect I asked him why he did not write his iudgement in these controuersies His answer was Cui vsui reip Christianae et cui bono mihi telling me that it could not helpe the generall cause one whit but doe much hurt to the doer I know many such on both sides who lament the Schisme and yet cannot helpe it Oh that the Roman Church sometimes the beautifullest amongst women that fairest and most glistering Church amongst all her Sisters millitant vpon Earth would acknowledge her selfe to be a Sister and not a Mistris There was a time when she gaue her helping hand as at the famous Councells of Nice Ephesus Constantinople and Chalcedon and did not rule with a dictatory power There was a time when in an harmonicall concord she was moued with the rest of her planeticall and wandring Sisters in this vaile of sorrow and triall by the reuolution of her first mouer and did shine amongst them all like Phoebus in his Spheare imparting out of her deuotion and charytie that portion of light which her Redeemer had made her Hand-maide of euen then when Arrianisme had ouer-runne all the Orient and Affrick when Ierome cried out of it Ingemuit mundus se Arrianum esse factum but now the fogge of her smoakie vapours obscureth the declining rayes of Religion and Charity which in the latter ages are so fast rushing to their Sun-set yea to their lamentable and darkesome midnight Alas who shall furnish my eyes with floods of waters who shall make my head a liuing spring that from henceforth I may water my Couch with sorrowfull teares Let mee mourne with the Turtle and chatter with the Crow for the losse
and without repentance and therefore damnable I remember that once conferring with a Cousin of mine a prudent and learned Gentleman compleat in all endowments of body and mind his want of charitie onely being excepted he said Woe is mee that you should be in Hell when I am in Heauen seeing you are an Heretike Protestant he meant I answered Well Sir you are too rash in iudging I am as sure said hee of your damnation if you die a Protestant as that Christ is in heauen at the right hand of the Father I answered You that are Papists are very sure of our damnation I wonder greatly that your are neuer sure of your owne saluation But thus much I tell you I will not sit vpon Gods Tribunall to giue out the Sentence of condemnation against you yet since you lacke charitie towards me your Christian Brother and giue out the sentence of condemnation against me so peremptorily taking Gods part vpon you I thinke you will be damned except you repent you of your speech And take not my Iudgement for rash since I iudge the Tree by the Fruit and you by your Charitie which is the principall and cardinall Vertue of the law Deuout Preachers fill your Sermons from the Store-house of Scripture informe in faith from Saint Paul to the Romanes and from the first and second of Iames reforme manners from Ieremie Ezechiell Hosea and Ioel denounce iudgements from Zacharia Amos Ionas Michaiah teach your selues from Titus and Timothie This is all your taske and to liue well and goe before the people like the fierie Pillar in the night and the Cloud in the day to guide them and to preserue them from Schisme and Heresie Doe not spend your time in inventing Rhethoricke to admiration critticke Methods for emulation vnprofitable Questions breeding Controuersies Feed not the itching eares of the humerous people with Nouelties needlesse questions and vnhandsomely borrowed Similies In touching and taxing your Aduersaries in Pulpits which would to God you did more seldome doe not so much endeauour to make them odious to your people as to make your hearers commiserate their estate for whom Christ died and to mooue your Auditorie to pray for their conversion and not for their confusion Our prayer to God should be to suspend his Iudgements and to helpe vs with grace as he pleaseth to giue it for measure and when hee pleaseth to giue it for time Prayer should bee Optatiue desiring and wishing with feare and humilitie no wayes Imperatiue enioyning substance and circumstance to God that he would inflict such punishment at such time and in such place vpon such and such persons Popish curses and Excōmunications the Sword which vntie the Gordian knot of the Church the Hammer which broake the wall in the mids the noyse which must not be heard at the rebuilding of the Temple I abhorre with my soule since the peremptory and rash Excommunications the drawing of the Sword of God vpon euery idle occasion scandalously and many times in derision of God and his Church the cutting off men from the Communion for little causes for no causes yea for vertuous actions and reproouing of sinnes offensiue to God and opprobrious to man haue occasioned bred brought to light nourished and yet still foster the rent of the Church Lord giue vs affections to loue peace hearts to bewaile the Schisme and then will we hope for Vnion Which O Lord in thy due time performe to thy glory the honour of thy Sonne and the comfort of those who shall perseuere in thy grace to the end Amen Thine in the Lord I. R. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEENE THE Easterne and Westerne CHVRCHES THe causes of this lamētable Schisme which diuided the affections of Christians and brought vpon them the yoake of Turkish seruitude as I can gather them from Petrus Stewartius Leodius a man by discent of the Scottish blood for Religion a Romish Catholicke remarkable for his dignity Vice-Chauncelour and professor of Diuinitie in Ingolstade famous for the Iesuites renowned Schoole there neither adding nor diminishing from his words as they are set downe in his notes vpon Caleca who being a Greeke wrote against the Orientall Churches in defence of the Ceremonies of the Occidentall Churches you shall haue faithfully translated as here followeth Petrus Stewartius in Calecam Pag. 407. editione Ingolstadiensi 1608. Ex varijs Graecorum monumentis WE think that the causes or rather the excuses of the Schisme are foure 1. First the deuision of the Empire for albeit the Emperours who did raigne at Constantinople after Constantines departure from the Citie of Rome a He toucheth the forged donation of Constantine which I would wish no man to beleeue since it is refuted inuincibly by the learned of this Age. Reynolds with Hart. History of Magdenburge and the Booke intituled Constantines defence because they had by a donation bestowed it all as wee spake before vpon the Church had not right it Italy yet not withstanding sometimes they ruled b This indeed is not probable that they had no right at all in Rome and yet should rule euery where Iudge indifferent Reader euery where But when a barbarous Nation had rushed c Infra pro in videtur poni into Italy euen to Rome and the d Loe. 3. Pope had required the aide of Leo Emperour then at Constantinople who negligently refused aide to the Church the Pope was forced to recall e Anno Dom. 800. Charles-maine from the French Territories and make him Emperour in Italy and defender of the Church For this Pope Leo was a man much giuen to voluptuousnesse as we read and therefore too too remisse in his gouernement of the Empire whence it came to passe that in his time the Sarazens tooke Syria the Turks Capadocia and so the Roman Empire was diuided 2. The second cause of the deuision was because they were not called to the Counsell f Vltra montanum seu Lugdunense lib. Greg. x. beyond the hills when the word filioque and from the sonne was added 3. The third occasion was which they themselues sometimes in familiar conference did shew vnto vs the too great and extraordinary exaction of the Popes Legats for when they brought yearely the Chrisme from the Apostolicke Sea to Constantinople they would not depart from thence vnlesse they had eighty pound weight of gold besides other gifts bestowed vpon them I will be silent of the pompe and pride whereof they spake which the Legats shew there 4. The fourth and chiefest cause vpon the Clergies part was the deposition of their Patriarch Photius f Et in the Latine multiplied soundeth harshly the excommunicating of him with other Prelats and some Abbots Paulo infra These things were written in Constantinople by the preaching Friers for the edifying of the people and for the profiting of soules in the yeare of our Lord 1252. to the praise and glory of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Amen The Articles controuerted
The procession of the holy-Holy-Ghost not only from the Father but from the Sonne also of which Caleca writeth copiously in his first three Bookes The second Controuersie is the addition of the word filióque and from the Sonne to the Creede The third is vnleauened bread vsed in the Eucharist for leauened for the Easterne Churches say that Christ vsed leauened Bread The fourth is the blessed estate of the Saints and damnation of the wicked for the Grecians hold that though soules are fully clensed and purged from sinne in this life yet they inioy not their blessednesse in an instant after they part from the body but that they are suspended vntill the day of generall resurrection So they hold that the soules of Reprobates which die in their sins without repentance are not tormented in the highest measure before the day of Doome The fift is Purgatory concerning which point the Grecians wrote a Booke which now is translated into Latin and set out by a Protestant writer Vulcanius in which they refute Purgatory and answer to the Testimonies of Scripture and Fathers obiected against them for the defence of it The sixt is because in the Latine Church a Priest will execute the Office of a Deacon for the Grecians hold it vnlawfull that any man except he be a Deacon read their Liturgie or common seruice which the Latins call Masse whereas the Latin Church will suffer a Priest to doe the Office of a Deacon seeing that a Church man is ordained Deacon before he be Priest and the taking vpon him the Order of Priest-hood which is a superiour degree excludeth not the inferiour degree of Deaconship which he had before Now the Office of a Deacon is to giue the Cup to the Priest The seuenth is Images which the Greeke Church doth not worship as the Latine doth for in the dayes of Leo Isaurus called by others Iconomachus because he destroyed Images the Councell holden at Ephesus did condemne Image-worship and thereafter followed the breaking of them in pieces after a rude and scandalous manner indeed for which Gregorius 2. did excommunicate Leo and all his adherents anno 716. and did free the Subiects of Leo from their oath of Obedience which as * In Epitoma Historiarum Turselme the Iesuite relateth made the Romanes with those of Pentapolis Rauenna and Campania to reiect Leo their Emperour and to rebell against him The Pope in a Councell at Rome decreed That Images should bee kept to helpe the rude multitude and to be worshipped by them who could not reade Scripture And so the Pope and the Emperour running vpon two extremities the one too extreame in defacing and demolishing the Images barbarously the other in erecting and honouring them too much The Councell assembled at Franckford which did consist of Germane English French and Italian Bishops condemned the breaking and defacing of Images and reiected the worship of them by reason of the Canon of the Councell of Eliberis Ne quod colitur in parietibus pingatur Let not that be worshipped which is painted on walls And heere I must adde the words of Carolus lib. 4. contra Graecorum Synodum Cap. 9. Imagines nil si non habentur derogant nil si habentur praerogant cum tamen abdicatae quandam incautam leuitatem afferant adoratae vero culpam inurant Images derogate nothing from Christianitie if they bee not at all they helpe it nothing if they bee but to reiect them rashly it argueth a certaine foolish lightnesse and the worshipping of them doth make men faultie But that famous Writer G. Cassander lib. Consult cap. de Imaginibus sheweth that in the dayes next the Apostolicke times for many ages there was no vse of Images in the Basilickes and Churches But to speake of the opinion of the Grecians now adayes concerning Images the Controuersie betweene them and the Romish Church standeth in two poynts The Grecians will admit no Image of Christ and the Saints if it bee molten or grauen thinking it directly forbidden in the second Commandement but if it be painted then they like of it This distinction the Latines hold to bee foolish saying That the Grecians may as well gather out of that CoÌ„mandement that there should be no Pictures of Christ or the Saints Seeing that the Commaundement sayeth Thou shall not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the similitude of any thing that is in heauen aboue nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters vnder the earth Possevinus in sua Muscouia writeth thus and sheweth that the Rutheni worship the Images of Christ and Saints when they are painted The Grecians will worship no Image yea they will admit no Image so many to wit of the Grecians as allow of Image-worship which are the Rutheni but that which hath the Name of Christ and the Saints designing the Image the Type viz. carrying the name of the Prototype And if the name of Christ be written in Greeke letters they like the Picture if in Latine they reiect it Of those Possâ—vinus Ibidem Quod Rutheni tui mirantur c. Whereas the Russians wonder that wee adde not the names to the Images as they doe Vnderstand thou that if the addition of the names be onely necessary that the Saints may bee knowen then the names are not needfull to those that know the Images without names c. And if they will say that in the very name there is some vertue thou shalt doe well not to conceiue any vertue to bee in these notes but that in a liuely faith onely standeth all the vigour and strength of this businesse c. The eighth difference is this The Latines in making the signe of the Crosse vpon themselues begin at the right hand but the Grecians are contrary to them for they begin at the left hand but when the Grecians make the signe of the Crosse vpon any other then they begin at the right hand as Caleca writeth Lib. 4. de Crucis signo wherein he plainely wondreth and sheweth the wondring of some of the Latines at the rusticall humour of the Grecians who would haue rent the Vnitie of the Church for such an indifferent poynt of Ceremonie as for making the Signe either this way or that way It may be demaunded Obiect 1. Why the reformed Churches reiect the vse of the Crosse and refuse to carry it about their neckes and to make the signe of it daily vpon their bodies seeing that both the Latine Church and a great part of the Greekish Church vse the same frequently especially the Russians which in this Ceremonie are become pardon the word supersubstantiall and foolish in vsing of it I answere Answ That as the Crosse was one of the Instruments of mans saluation in the eye of the world it was disgracefull and odious so that Iewes Pagans and Infidels did obiect it to Christians as a matter of infamy and made the signe thereof in derision of Christianitie Christians therefore to shew that they were
if they be dishonoured how are they Christs 5. They celebrate Masse in the morning a time not appointed by the Catholicke Church 6. One and the same Priest celebrateth Masse twise or thrise a day either on the same Altar or on another and againe many Priests successiuely vpon the same Altar 7. They contemne the Liturgie made by Saint Chrysostome 8. In the Lent they say Masse euery day The thirteenth Article is Confirmation as the words of the Index beare reiected by the Greciās The words are these When the Baptized is come to age and is now subiect to actuall sinne they annoynt him with Oyle for remission of sins and so they seeme to baptize twice The fourteenth Article is in Baptisme they Baptize with once dipping pronouncing these words In the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost They baptize onely with water and they annoynt him that is to bee baptized with Spittle powred out vpon the palme of the left hand and againe taking it in the right hand they anoynt the baptized with it neither receiue they from the Catholike Church the appoynted oyntment The fifteenth Article is concerning Ordination Bishops at euery occasion consecrate not the Cleargie and Bishops but seldome in the yeare and superstitiously keepe set dayes in the weeke at the Equinoctialls and Solstices that is in the Spring Summer Haruest and Winter in March and September Iune and December and that in the first weeke of March but in the rest of the moneths on the fourth day they ordaine Priests and Deacons with others of the Clergy but vpon Saterday they ordaine Bishops and others of the higher Orders The Successour of the dead Pope is chosen after this manner The Synod chooseth him and bringeth him to the dead the * The liuing is the whole the dead the halfe viz a carkase Calumnie whole to the halfe and taking the dead Popes hand they put it vpon the necke of the liuing Pope and this they thinke to bee the Vnction and Consecration of the Successour who incontinent offereth sacrifice for the safetie of the dead Pope and thereafter hee stoutly and couragiously taketh the pontificall Offices vpon him as if hee were lawfully annoynted The sixteenth Article is Marriage they make vnlawfull marriages for two brethren marry two sisters and when one in the Latin Church giueth his Daughter in marriage to any man he againe asketh the daughter of him * Consoceri that is Father in Law to his Daughter for his Sonne brother or kinsman 2. They shut vp all Priests and Deacons from marriage by their Lawes and they hold it an abomination to receiue the Sacrament from a married Priest 2. If any married man be initiated in Priest-hood or Deaconship he must quit his wife and leaue her and this by a very strict Law they command to be kept in all the prouinces subiect vnto them but many were amongst them who vilipended this Law and married a second wife after the death of the first and so some married the third and yet they remained still in their sacred Office 4. There are many Churchmen amongst them who commit whordome and all kind of vncleanesse most securely without punishment taking their whores in the night time to their chambers and letting them againe depart being vailed neither doe they account this to be an act of vncleanesse but only an idle dreame or apparition Thus farre they accuse the Latines doctrine and Sacraments now follow the errours which they impute to them in their manners 1. The first errour in manners and ceremonies not so essentiall to the substance of Religion as they hold the rest is this Their Priests vse a certaine purging and washing which serues as they say for remission of sinnes and yet it is meerely Iudaisme 2. Their principall Bishops entring to their Masse in a Procession haue little naked children going before them whom they sprinckle with water affirming that this maketh them inuincibly strong in warrs 3. They vse the holy Eucharist most negligently Here there is some Calumny for going to the fields or countrey they carry it without light and giue it to the people without light and those fellowes that follow the warres carry it in their burse or put it vp after such a fashion 4. In the summer solstice they gather the bones of impure beasts as Asses Dogges and such like they burne them and put the ashes of them in water affirming that they serue for the purging and expiation of those persons whom they sprinckle with them In the beginning of Lent which is the fourth day called Wednesday with these ashes mingled with water they sprinckle all the Priests that come on the forehead and face thinking thereby to giue aide and helpe to their fast It is reported that they mingle these ashes with the bread that they eate O how great and how strange an abhomination is this 5. Vpon Easter day being the Lords day they kill a Lambe and roast it they bring it vnto the Altar and then to their Table Which Ceremonies being finished they eate the flesh of the Lambe and burne the bones and keepe the ashes all the yeare long to sprinckle those whom they would haue to be blessed They kill and are killed they commit murther how then can their Priests with those bloody hands offer the mysticall body and blood of Christ 6. Vpon the Lords passion day they build the Lords Tombe within the Church with common and base cloathes ordained for quotidian vse and running to this Tombe they worship it no lesse than if it were that same Tombe wherein the Lords body was laid Afterwards euery man pulleth to him his owne cloathes againe and vseth them for couering of his body sanctifying a prophane thing and prophaning that which is holy and so pull downe that Tombe like a prophane Stage which a little before was so worshipped by them sporting with things which are not matters of ieasting like little children building cabinets of straw which a little after they beate downe 7. They vse the Altar in stead of their common Table and the linnen belonging to the same which from the sacrifice they bring to their supper and from their supper to the Sacrifice againe 8. Any man that pleaseth may approach to the Altar yea when the action is in hand and that without regard of Sexe Age or Order and Layicks sit with Priests and other holy Orders yea they plead Actions at the Altar Sometimes the same Layicks carry Spurres vpon their heeles and carrying rods in their hands they keepe a foule noise Yea before the Altar they are bold euen to doe those things which they doe in the commonest Court in all the Country Sometimes women sit in the Chaire of a Bishop for those that among the Latins are most eminent in piety can no bettter discerne holy things from prophane Yea which is worse they suffer Dogges to enter into the Church and when the Priest is a sacrificing and celebrating the