in EVROPE Protestants Greekes and Muscovites Secondly in ASIA The Christians under the Patriarch of Ierusalem Antioch The Armenians The Georgians The Mengrellians The Cinassians The Christians in Asia the lesse Muscovite Christians in Asia Christians under the Patriarch of Musall The Jacobites Christians of St. Thome The Maronites Besides the Curdi Morduites Drusi and the Christians of Taprobana Thirdly in AFRICA The Cophti under the Patriarch of Alexandria The Abassines or Ethiopian Christians The contents of the second Chapter The severall habitations of these Christians in Europe Asia and Africa The contents of the third Chapter The Vnitie and how these Churches agree with us in the principall points wherein wee differ from the Church of Rome Jn this chapter is set downe 1 The principall differences betweene the Church of Rome and us 2 The points in which these Churches agree with us with some of their Liturgies 3 That I finde these Churches are not hereticall but orthodox in the maine 4 Of the harmony of the Protestants among themselves 5 Of the differences and want of Vnity amongst the Romanists 6 Our Vnity with the ancient East West and South Churches and especially with Gregory who is pretended to be the founder of the Romish Religion amongst us 7 Our agreement with the ancient Britans our forefathers 8 The lives and conversations of those Churches comparatively The Contents of the fourth Chap. Of the Antiquity of these Churches 1 Some of them are more ancient then the Romish Church 2 The old Church of Rome and the now church are not one but different 3 The now church of Rome as it is a new church so likewise it hath new Articles of Faith c. The Contents of the fift Chapter A Succession of Bishops in Hierusalem Antioch Alexandria Rome for 600. yeeres In Constantinople for some yeeres The Metropolites and Bishoprickes of Constantinople Antioch Hierusalem Africa The Bishops of Constantinople from Stachys to this day That the Roman Bishops since Gregory differ in Title Iurisdiction Life and Doctrine from the former A Succession of the Emperors of Constantinople and of Aethiopia The Contents of the sixt Chapter By what meanes the Papall Monarchie hath beene raised and how it hath been and is upheld in which is set downe 1. The primitive estate of the Roman Bishops 2. How they got the title of head of all other Churches and how they increased their Jurisdiction 3 The Popes Temporalties 4 How the Pope got Superiority above the Emperors 5 Of their inventions to get money 6 Of the Popes state and magnificence 7 Of the Popes munificence and gifts 8 Guicchardines relation of the Popes rising 9 How the Popes keepe that they have Jn giving of Kingdomes to Princes In dispensing with marriages and oathes Their Corrupting the Fathers Suppressing the reading of holy Scriptures Their inventing scandalous lies and Bookes c. The Conclusion A letter sent from the Patriarch of Alexandria to the late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and his Answer to the same CHRISTIANOGRAPHIE or the description of the sundrie sorts of Christians in the world not subject to the Pope AMongst the usuall and false pretences wherewith our Adversaries of Rome have long gone about to deceive the simple and ignorant One of the principall is the Paucitie of the Professors of the Reformed Religion and the Multitude and Amplitude of them and their Religion as if all the Christian Kings Emperouns and Bishops before King Henry the Eight and Archbishop Cranmer and also the whole Church of God had beene subiect to the Bishop of Rome but onely a few Protestants shut up in an obscure corner of Europe To discover the falshood of these their vaine and glorious boasting I purpose to set downe 1 The Churches of Christians in the world not subiect to the Pope or differing in Religio from him 2 The places of their Dwellings and large Habitations 3 Their VNITIE and how they do agree with us in the principall points in Controverfie betweene the Church of Rome and its 4 The ANTIQVITY of these Churches some of them being more ancient then the Church of Rome 5 A SVCCESSION of Bishops in some of their Patriarchall Churches and other Episcopall Sees 6 How the Church of Rome hath beene advanced above other Churches and how it hath beene since supported and held up The seuerall sortes of Christians In the world not subiect to the Pope or differing in Religion from him CAP. I. CHristianity is not confined to one Countrey or Nation but it is dispersed over the face of the whole Earth Our Lord and Saviour being ready to ascend into Heaven commanded his Apostles Mat. 28 19 saying Goe yee and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And this his commandement the holy Apostles put in execution Mar. 16.20 They went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them In the Ecclesiasticall histories the contries Nations are named in which and to whom they preached Peter preached in Iudea Pererius ad Roman cap. 30 sect 27. ANTIOCH Galatia Cappadocia Pontus in Asia Bithinia and Rome James The sonne of Zebedee in Iudea and Spaine Iohn in Iudaea and Asia the lesse ex Origene Dorotheo En sebio Hierony mo Isidore aliisque Andrew in Scythia Europea in Epirus Thratia and Achaia Iames the brother of our Lord in Hierusalem Philip in Scythia and Phrygia Bartholmew in the farther India and Armenia the great Matthew in Ethiopia Thomas to the Parthians Medes Persians Brachmans Hircanians Bactrians and Jndians Simon in Mesopotamia Judas in Aegypt and both after in Persia Matthias in the higher Ethiopia Also Paul and Barnabas in many countries of Europe and Asia All these published the same faith for substance Per Dei voluntatem in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum et columnā fidei nostrae futuram Co len 1625. Irenaeus advers haeres lib. 3. cap. 1 Mat. 28.20 which we at this day professe in the Church of England for they taught those things that Christ commanded them which are set downe by the will of God in holy Scripture to be the pillar and foundation of our faith as Irenaeus writeh And although men are generally perswaded that these Churches are perished or become Hereticks yet according to Gods promise of assistance not onely to themselves viz Lo I am with you alway but also to their Successors preaching after them even to the latter end of the world Christianity remaineth in many of these Regions to this day maugre the cruelty of the Tyrants and malice of the divel as will appeare afterwards by the testimony of Historiographers and other unreproveable Authors Some make but six sorts of Christians in the world First the East Church which challengeth to her selfe the first place in regard of her prerogatives and priviledges as having almost all the Apostolicke Sees The greatest number of Patriarcks the Maiesty of the Empire of
eate thy holy quickning and saving body O Lord Iesus Christ let it be to me to the absolution and remission of my sinnes Drinking of the Cup. By Faith J drinke thy holy and unmingled blood blotting out my Jinnes Lord Iesus Christ for remission of my sinnes In this Liturgie the Eucharist is administred in both kindes No private Masse is Celebrated all must Communicate No Transubstantiation acknowledged They receive by faith Married Priests administer They celebrate divine service in their owne tongue And there is no sacrifice for delivery of soules out of Purgatory But I do not take upon me to iustifie all things in these Liturgies The Maronites before their reconciliation Boterus They professe obedience to their owne Patriarch 1 Boter Relat. par 3 lib. 2 cap. de maronit but have been subiect to the Patriarch of Antioch Patriarcha Maronitarum Our Laicks 2 Interrog 3 apud Thomam a Iesu lib. 7 part 2 cap. 5 pag 485 Laici nostri sub utraque specie communicant receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kindes Idem In leavened bread 3 Idem Ibidem in azymo his verbis benedixit fregit dedit que etc. with these words He blessed and brake and gaue to his Disciples saying take eate Matth 26.26 Idem They doe not reserve the Sacrament 4 Idem Ibidem non asservatur sacra mentum Eucharistiae Possevine Their Priests are married 5 In apparatu sacro in maron These Christians reconciled themselues to the Roman Church at what time the Latins held the holy Land But when those parts were againe taken by Saladine These Maronites forsooke the Roman Communion untill of late in the time of Gregorie the 13 and Clement the 8 They have acknowledged the Popes Iurisdiction But not all of them as I heare since Hierusalem THE Patriarch of Hierusalem keepeth Residence in Hierusalem in which there remaine 10 or more Christian Churches as before It is reported that Theophanes is now Patriarch of Hierusalem Thom a Iesu Cosm lib. 9 apud Cath. traditi pag 10. The Liturgie of St. Iames. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is a Greeke and of their Communion The Patriarch of Hierusalem doth vsually excommunicate the Pope The Liturgie of Saint Iames Bishop of Hierusalem Which beginneth O Lord doe not despise me defiled with the multitude of my iniquities for behold I come to this thy divine and heavenly Mysterie not as one worthy but trusting in thy goodnesse J lift vp my voyce to thee O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I haue sinned against heaven and against thee and am not worthy to turne my eyes towards thy holy and Spirituall Table in which thy onely begotten Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ is mystically proposed for a Sacrifice for me who am a sinner and polluted with all sinne c. As in this prayer he calleth the Sacrament A divine and Celestiall mystery a spirituall table in which the Sonne of God is mystically set downe before them After he craveth of God to declare manifestly that which he setteth forth in signes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he perswadeth the people to lift up their hearts on high The Institution of the supper is rehearsed sincerely to which the people answere wee declare the death of the Lord and confesse his resurrection Afterwards he prayeth that God would send his spirit on the gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the bread may be made sacramentally Christs holy body And the Cup his precious blood and that it may be to them that partake thereof for the remission of their sinnes In this Liturgie 1 I finde no propitiatorie sacrifice to be made by the Priest but a mysticall 2 The Sacrament to be administred in both kindes 3 Nor private Masse all must communicate 4 A confession against merit 5 After the words of Consecration prayer is made that God would by his holy spirit sanctifie the Bread and the Cup. In this Liturgy there are some things that cannot be S Iames his but are inserted since his time As a prayer for Monkes in Monasteries c. Iacobites THey for their Ecclesiasticall Government are under their own Patriarch 1 Boter Relat. par 3 lib. 2 cap. de Iacobitis whose Patriarchall Church is in the Monasterie of Saphron his residence is at Caramite They admit not of Purgatory 2 Purgatorium non admittunt Tho a Iesu lib. 7. par 1. cap. 23. de conversione omnium gentium Nor pray for the dead 3 Nec pro defunctis preces admittunt Thom a Iesu loc citat They minister the Sacrament 4 Mr. George Sands of the Lords Supper in both kinds In vnleavened bread 5 Salign Iter. Hieros Tom. 8. cap. 1. apud Brerwood Their Priests are married 6 Sands loco citat They doe not beleeue aright 7 Non firmiter sentiunt de primatu Romanae ecclesiae Thomas a Iesu loco citat concerning the primacy of the Roman Church The Sacrament of extreame Vnction 8 Sacramentum extremae vnctionis fere non agnoscunt Tho a Iesu lib. 7. par 1. cap. 23. in a manner they doe not acknowledge For their error of Eutiches beleeving one onely nature to be in Christ is long since abolished as appeareth by the Confession of the Iacobites of Mesopotamia Aegipt Aethiopia Armenia The Iacobites inhabiting in Mesopotamia Brerwood pa. 194. Babylon Palestine Syria and Cyprus have their Liturgies in the Syriaque language In which language the new Testament hath beene printed at Vienna the Copie being brought into Europe by Moses Mardenus a Iacobite It is thought The Liturgie of the Iacobites that the Liturgie called Anaphora Basilii translated out of Syriaque into Latin by Masius which is to be found in Bibliotheca veterum patrum in Latin is the Liturgie of those Iacobites Which beginneth O eternall God who in the beginning created men c. afterwards he left to vs a memorie of his passion these things which we set before you c. As often as you doe this set forth my death untill I come The people answer Lord wee remember thy death c. and let thy mercy be upon us all Priest Make this bread the glorious body of our Lord Iesus Christ for expiation of our faâ—â—â— remission of our sinnes and life everlasting to them that take it The people Amen The Priest Make this Cup the pretious bloud of our Lord God c. for expiation of sinnes c. to them that receive it Christians vnder the Patriarch of Musall falsely called Nestorians FOr their Ecclesiasticall Government 1 Villam voiag lib. 2. cap. 23. leur chef et Primat qu'ils nomment Catholique et qu'ils reverent comme leur Pape they are subiect to the Patriarch of Musall Their Primate whom they call Catholicke they reverence as their Pope The Nestorians 2 Les Nestoriens appellant le Pape Evesque reprouve
approved him and so it may be said of many others Moreover their want of unitie will appeare in that the Popes of Rome as Lawgivers set them down in St. Peters Chaire as they pretend and made lawes and constitutions contrary to Gods commandements and Christs institutions As Clement the 5 gathered a Councell at Vienna 1311 in which it was ordeined that the Emperor should give his oath of Allegiance to the Pope Roman 13.1 1 Pet. 2 13. contrary to the written word of God Let every soule be subiect to higher powers And to the King as supreme Also in the Councell at Constance Anno 1414 the Pope and his Prelates altered the Testamentall legacy of Christ himselfe in taking from the Laitie the use of the Cup in the Sacrament the holy Symboll of Christs bloud which caused many true hearted Christians to tremble for that their Prelates durst set their mouthes against heaven and correct the ordinance of Christ himselfe and in that rude manner that although Christ did administer to his disciples under the formes of bread and wine c. Yet they commanded no Priest to communicate to the people in both kindes under the paine of excommunication And last of all Paul the third summoned a Councell at Mantua after removed to Irent wherein some few Bishops assembled being the Popes Creatures Flaccus Illyricus in prote statione adversus concilium Tridentinum of which holy fathers some were titular as Richard Pates Bishop of Worcester and blind Sr. Robert Bishop of Armagh and also two of them were taken in Adultery as Illyricus reporteth the one stroken with a dart the other taken in a trap by the husband Bp. Iuell defence pag. 625. hanged by the neck out of a window these helped to make the new articles of faith before mentioned and upon this Councell the now Roman Church dependeth Against this assembly Bellarm. de effect Sacrament lib. 2 cap. 25. Francis the French King protested and held it but for a private Conventicle and divers other Christian Nations have disavowed the same Many of the Canons therein decreed and established for Articles of faith are repugnant to the holy Scriptures as for example they decreed That Images may be made to be worshipped contrary to Deut. 27 15. and to the very second Commandement it selfe That prayers may be made to the Virgin Mary and to the Saints departed contrary to Math. 6.9 contrary to the practise of the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles and holy men in Scripture That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be ministred and received in one kinde contrary to Christs institution Mat. 26.27 1 Cor 10.16 They that desire to see more particulars of the popish doctrines Barnard pag. 18.19.20 contrary to holy Scriptures let them read Mr. Barnards booke called Looke beyond Luther Doct Feild of the Church lib. 5 pag. 114. Frequentur accidit ut quae opinio paucis ab hinc annis usu non erat modo communi consensione recipiatur in Gallia et Germania nonulli scriptores tradide runt Crucem non esse colendam hono re et veneratione â—atriae sed alio infe viore cultu at in Hispania communi consensione doce tur Cruci cultum et honorem latriae deferendum Azori mora â—instit Tom 1. lib. 2 cap. 13. And moreover their opinions are different according to times places as Azorius the Iesuit saith it fals out that that which was the Comon opinion a few yeares since is not the opinion now and that which is the common opinion of Papists in one place is not the opinion in another As for example it is the comon opinion in Spaine and Italy that Latria or divine honor is due to the Crosse which in France and Germany is not so but some inferror kinde of worship is due thereunto And Navare the Iesuit saith that at Rome no man may say that the Councell is above the Pope nor at Paris that the Pope is above the Councell and thu s much of their want of unity difference between the Romanists VI. The Agreement of the antient Roman East and South Churches with us in these points following Which sent Austen the Monke to us and especially of Gregorie Bishop of Rome who is pretended to be the founder of the Roman Religion amongst us who lived about the yeere 600. which Tenets are condemned by the now Roman Church which plainely sheweth the Noveltie of the Doctrine of the now Romish Church and the Antiquitie of ours 1. The Popes Supremacie GRegory I say confidently The old Roman Church Ego autem sidenter dice quia quisquis se universalem sacerdâ—tem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua Antichristum pracurrit lib. 6. Epist 30. whosoever calleth himselfe or desires to bee called the universall Bishop is in the pride of his heart the forerunner of Antichrist None of my Predecessors Bishops of Rome Nullus unquam decessorum meerum hoc tam profane vocabulo uti concessit lib. 4. Epist 36. Distinct 99. Vniversalis autem nee etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur ever consented to use this so profane a name Pope Pelagius Gregories Predecessor decreed that no Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe ought to be called universall Bishop Saint Chrysostom The Easterne Church Distinct. 40. C. multi ex Chrysos Quicunque desideraverit Primatum in terra inveniet confusionem in coelo nec inter servos Christi computabitur qui de primatu tractaverit Chrysost hom 3. ad Popul Antiochen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 474. Savil. Patriarch of Constantinople He that seeketh primacy in earth in Heaven hee shall finde confusion and hee that doth but once intreate of primacie is not worthy to bee numbred amongst the servants of Christ Our Citie of Antioch is most dearest to Christ above all others and like as Peter did first preach among the Apostles so among Cities this had first of all the name of Christians as a certaine wonderfull Crowne Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo in Aphrick The South Church Saint August de Verb. Domini Ser. 13. Super me aedificabo te non me super te Cyprian in sententijs Concil Carthag ad QuirinuÌ„ On these words thou art Peter and on this rocke which thou hast confessed I will build my Church I will build thee upon me and not me upon thee None of us maketh himselfe a Bishop of Bishops neither was Peter so arrogant to take things so insolently upon him as to advance himselfe as primate and one unto whom the rest as novices and punies should bee subject The old Roman Church Greg. moral lib. 19 c. 13. art 6. de qua re non inordinate agimus si ex libris licet non canonicis sed tamen ad adificationem Eccl. editis testimoniuÌ„ proferamus Eleazar namque c. 2. Canonicall Scripture Gregory Wee doe not amisse if wee bring forth a testimony out of the bookes