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A07192 Of the consecration of the bishops in the Church of England with their succession, iurisdiction, and other things incident to their calling: as also of the ordination of priests and deacons. Fiue bookes: wherein they are cleared from the slanders and odious imputations of Bellarmine, Sanders, Bristow, Harding, Allen, Stapleton, Parsons, Kellison, Eudemon, Becanus, and other romanists: and iustified to containe nothing contrary to the Scriptures, councels, Fathers, or approued examples of primitiue antiquitie. By Francis Mason, Batchelour of Diuinitie, and sometimes fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxeford. Mason, Francis, 1566?-1621. 1613 (1613) STC 17597; ESTC S114294 344,300 282

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omni loco incensum offertur nomini meo sacrificium purum Incensa autem Ioannes in Apocalypsi orationes esse ait sanctorum That is In euery place incense is offered to my Name and a pure sacrifice But Iohn in the Apocalyps saith Incense is the prayers of Saints And Austen speaking of this very place of Malachy saith Incensum quòd graecè Thymiama sicut exponit Iohannes in Apocalypsi Orationes sunt sanctorum that is Incense which in Greeke is Thymiama as Iohn expoundeth it in the Apocalyps is the praiers of the Saints So Ierome saith Thymiama hoc est sanctorum orationes Incense that is the praiers of the Saints Eusebius calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the incense of praiers Yea Malachy himselfe saith the Lord shall purifie the sonnes of Leui as gold and siluer that they may offer an offering to the Lord in righteousnesse PHIL. The words sacrifice oblation and such like when they are taken spiritually are alwaies restrained with some addition as the sacrifice of praier of thanksgiuing c. But here the Prophet saith onely a pure offering without any addition or limitation Now the word so taken by it selfe without any restraining tearmes is alwaies in the Scripture taken properlie for the act of outward sacrifice ORTHOD. That rule is not generally true for the Prophet Esay saith They shall bring of their brethren for an offering to the Lord o●t of all Nations where he vseth the very same word that Malachi here vseth and yet it is not meant that the Gentiles shal be offered carnally but spiritually PHIL. This sacrifice of which the Prophet speaketh is one but the spirituall sacrifices are so many as are the good workes of Christianity ORTHO Though the word vsed by the Prophet bee of the singular number yet by that offering many offerings may bee signified as when it is said Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not haue PHIL. Spirituall sacrifices are common to vs with the Iewes but the Prophet speaketh of an oblation not common but proper to the Gentiles and the new law ORTHOD. They might euery where pray and praise God as well as wee but this was not a discharge of their dutie vnlesse to these spirituall sacrifices they annexed Carnall to be offered at the time and place appointed so their spirituall sacrifices were mixed but ours are merely spirituall and these are proper to the Gospell PHIL. The offering spoken of by Malachi doth succeed the offerings of the Iewes and is offered in their place but praier fasting and the workes of charity succeed no sacrifices but are ioyned with all kinds and sorts of sacrifices ORTHO Though the spirituall sacrifices of the Iewes and of the Christians were all one in substance yet they differed in manner because as I said theirs were mixtly ours merely spirituall and the meerely succeed the mixed PHIL. Our good workes how beautifull soeuer they seeme are stained and vncleane especially in the iudgement of hereticks but this propheticall oblation is cleane of it selfe and so cleane in respect of other sacrifices that it cannot be polluted by vs nor by any Priests how wicked soeuer they are ORTHOD. Are all our spirituall offerings vncleane then all our good workes are vnperfect and if they be vnperfect they cannot iustifie they are not meritorious nor satisfactory PHIL. And if they be cleane as they must be if they be the pure offering mentioned in Malachi then may they iustifie then are they meritorious and satisfactory ORTHO Not so for they are cleane but vnperfectly they are cleane because they proceed from the Chrystalline fountaine of the spirit of grace they are vnperfect because they are wrought by the will of man which is regenerate onely in part and so the pure Water gathereth mud because it runneth through a muddie channel PHIL. If they bee muddie how can they bee called the pure offering in Malachi ORTHOD. Because the denomination is of the worthier part and the graces of God in his children are like vnto the light which shineth more more vnto the perfect day though the flesh rebelleth against the spirit yet at length the spirit shall haue the victory and the flesh shal be abolished In the meane time though our good workes be stained with the flesh yet God looketh not vpon them as an angry Iudge but as a louing Father crowning his owne graces in vs and pardoning our offences Now because they are imperfect they cannot iustifie merit nor satisfie yet because they are Gods graces they are the pure offering in Malachi PHIL. Christ himselfe may seeme to expound the Prophet Malachi as we doe and withall to prophesie of the sacrifice of the masse in these words to the woman of Samaria The houre commeth and now it is when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and verity for the Father also seeketh such to adore him For in this place by adoration is not meant euery adoration but solemne and publike which is by sacrifice properly so called which may bee proued because the Samaritane speaketh of adoration tyed to a certaine place Our father 's worshipped in this mountaine and yee say that in Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worship which cannot bee meant but onely of adoration by sacrifice and therefore if Christ answere the point he must likewise speake of adoration by sacrifice ORTHOD. Christ answered her question directlie when hee said You adore that you know not wee adore that wee know for saluation is of the Iewes thereby teaching that the Iewes which sacrificed at Ierusalem did according to knowledge grounded vpon the word of God but the Samaritanes which sacrificed in mount Garizim had not the true knowledge of God and when hee had thus answered her question concerning adoration by externall sacrifice hee tooke occasion to declare the adoration which should bee in the New Testament not by externall sacrifices but in spirit and truth as though hee should say the place of solemne worship was Ierusalem the manner by sacrifice but now approcheth the time of the New Testament wherein true worshippers that is all true Christians shall worship God both priuatelie and publikelie not onelie at Ierusalem but euery where not by externall sacrifices which were corporall and Typicall as in the time of the Law but in spirit and truth euery where lifting vp holy and pure hands vnto the Lord of heauen So this place affoards smal comfort either for the Masse or the Massmonger CHAP. V Of their argument drawen from the words of the institution of the Eucharist PHIL. THE words of institution yeelde inuincible proofe that Christ at his last Supper sacrificed his very body and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine to God the Father and commanded his Apostles and their successours to doe the same vnto the end of the world ORTHO First you must proue that the very body and
his former mariage condemned by such a world of witnesses so grounding their iudgements vpon the blessed word of God as was sufficient to settle any mans conscience proceeded the 14. of Nouember in the 24. yeere of his reigne to marrie the Lady Anne Bullen who the seuenth of September following brought forth the Ladie ELIZABETH the Ioy of England the Starre of Europe and the Phoenix of the world a Glasse of Gods prouidence and the Mirrour of his mercie When the Royall infant was yet in her mothers wombe Pope Clement the seuenth the base borne sonne of Iulianus Medices the Florentine fauouring the Lady Katharine Dowager sought by all meanes to dissolue the lawfull mariage of Queene Anne and to make her issue vncapable of the crowne For which purpose being inraged like a Dragon hee disgorged his poyson and spit fiery flames against the king the Queene the Realme the blessed babe before she was borne But death closed vp his eyes with darkenesse while the yong Lady beganne to behold the light of heauen arysing like a luckie starre in the middest of a storme shining to the Church of God with tokens of ioy and deliuerance but to the Pope and his adherents like a blazing or fatall Comet portending the ouerthrow of Antichrist Which in part came to passe about a yeere after that the yong Lady was borne For whereas the Bishop of Rome like the daw in Aesop had decked and adorned himselfe with the faire feathers of other birds and ietted vp and downe with pride and disdaine tyrannizing ouer all the foules that flie in the midle of heauen King Henry the eight the Eagle of England plucked his owne feather out of the Popes wing and resumed to himselfe the rich plume of the Princes supremacy that is the lawful authoritie which God had giuen him Then Paul the third flashed out his excomunications like lightnings and interdicted the kingdome hoping thereby to reduce it to his obedience or at least to disable the yong Lady for the succession of the crowne Yet after a while the angrie old man withered away but the yong Lady did grow vp like the lilly and flourished like the Rose plant of Prouince Now though for extirpating the Popes iurisdiction this renowned King had the honour before and aboue all Christian Princes yet the glorie of abolishing Popish religion was by diuine prouidence reserued to his blessed children Edward and Elizabeth They pulled vp superstition by the very roots whereas their father for God reuealed his truth by degrees did onely hew at a few branches Hitherto of the Popes expulsion NOw for as much as Archbishop Cranmer was a principall meanes thereof the Papists did hate him worse then a scorpion heaping vpon him whatsoeuer wit sharpened with malice could possibly deuise Hee resorted sometimes to the Dolphin in Cambridge where hee placed his wife the mistresse of the house being her cousin therupon they blazed abroad that he was an Hostler and vnlearned He kept his wife secret for feare of the law they reported that she was caried vp and downe in a Chest and that at Graues end the wrong end of the Chest was set vpward And surely King Henry did foresee that one day if they might preuaile they would haue his blood and burne him at a stake Therefore whereas hee gaue the three Cranes the ancient armes of his house the King caused him to change them into three Pelicanes presaging that he should feed the flock of Christ with his deerest blood and dye a Martyr which came to passe in the dayes of Queene Mary when they disgorged all their poisoned malice vpon him They disrobed him of his Episcopall ornaments and put him into a lay mans gowne they cited him to appeare at Rome within eightie dayes and put him to death before twentie of them were expired They caused Alphonso the Spanish Fryer to draw him to a recantation by sweet promises of life yet they had a setled purpose to put him to death They had no intention by Alphonso to do him good but sought a colour by his recantation to iustifie themselues so they clapped their hands and reioyced at his fall But as hee sinned and denyed his Master with Peter so God gaue him grace to repent with Peter And as he lamented all his sinnes so especially he bewailed his subscribing to Popery with his vnworthy right hand Wherefore when he came to the fire for a godly reuenge hee thrust it like another Scaeuola into the flame and did not so much as draw backe his arme till it was wholly consumed thus lifting vp his eyes to heauen in the middest of the furious flames hee said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and so gaue vp the Ghost When his bodie and the wood were consumed to ashes behold his heart was found whole and perfect as hauing escaped the force of the fire concerning which these verses were written by a learned man Ecce inuicta fides cor inuiolabile seruat Nec medijs flammis corda perire sinit Cranmer amid the fiery flames thy heart vnscorcht was found For why behold vndaunted faith preseru'd it safe and sound CHAP. VIII Whether to renounce the Pope be Schisme and Heresie PHIL. WEll though you and your crew commend Cranmer yet I will proue in spite of all Hereticks that when he reuolted from the Pope both he and all his consorts became notorious Schismaticks ORTHOD. Then you will proue in spite of all Hereticks that Stephen Gardener was a Schismaticke Edmund Bonner a schismatick Cutbert Tunstall a schismaticke Nicholas Heath a schismaticke Iohn Stokesly a schismaticke and in a word that all the Bishops of your Catholicke Church which were in England after the banishing of the Pope till the end of the raigne of King Henry by the space of 12. yeeres were notorious schismatickes For they all reuolted from the Pope Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester onely excepted who was then lately made Cardinall but lost his head before his Hat came ouer What will you proue that there were so many schismaticks at once in your Catholicke Church PHIL. They were not then of the Catholicke Church for that worthy Bishop of Winchester Stephen Gardener affirmed That when K Henry did first take vpon him to be head of the Church it was then no Church at all And Doct. Sanders saith That Bishops were made in Schismate Henriciano extra vel potiùs contra Ecclesiam 1. in the schisme of Henry the 8. without the Church or rather against it ORTHOD. Pope Nicholas defineth the Catholicke Church to be a congregation of Catholicks PHIL. When they renounced the Pope they were no Catholicks ORTHOD. They were Masse-priests and professed that faith which you call Catholicke Why then should you deny them the name of Catholicks PHIL. Because they did not professe it vnder the Bishop of Rome from whose communion whosoeuer renteth himselfe is a schismaticke
same Gildas a little after speaking against such Bishops as ordained Symoniacall persons saith Nicholaum in locum Stephani martyris statuunt they install Nicholas into the place of the Martyr Saint Steuen Doth this proue that the Martyr Saint Steuen was locally in England or that either the whole Church of Britaine or any particular place of deuotion was founded by him No more doth the other concerning Saint Peter PHIL. What then will you make to be the meaning of Gildas ORTHOD. Hee lamenteth to see those Churches which had beene gouerned by zealous men like to Saint Peter and Saint Steuen now to be defiled with vncleane persons like vnto Iudas and Nicholas the Deacon PHIL. Why should he rather name Peter then any other Apostle if Peter were not in England ORTHOD. The speech of Christ concerning the feeding of his flocke was directed in a speciall manner to Peter whence it commeth to passe that all to whom the care of feeding Christs flocke is committed are called Saint Peters successors Saint Chrysostome saith Why did Christ shed his blood truly that he might purchase those sheepe the charge where of the committed to Peter and Peters successours And this he saith to Saint Basil to incourage him in the Episcopall office Whereby it is euident that Chrysostome calleth all that feed Christes flocke Saint Peters successours In like manner they may bee saide to occupie Saint Peters seate not locally but in respect of their doctrine and holy conuersation And all such as by Simony inuade this holy function all that defile it with heresie or leaudenesse of life may bee saide to vsurpe the seate of Peter with vncleane feete Thus much for the place of Gildas PHIL. Alredus Rienuallus an English Abbot left written aboue 500. yeeres agone a certaine reuelation or apparition of Saint Peter to an holy man in the time of King Edward the confessour shewing him how hee had preached himselfe in England and consequently the particular care hee had of that Church and nation ORTHOD. This your fashion when you cannot proue a thing by sufficient testimonies you runne to dreames and reuelations not worth the answering And yet this doting dreame extendeth not so farre as Parsons dreameth For Alredus in that place relateth how in the time of King Edward the Confessour Saint Peter appeared vpon the night in a vision to a certaine recluse who had liued in a caue vnder the ground many yeeres and bad him tell the King that he had dispensed with his vowe concerning his going a pilgrimage and instead thereof had commaunded him by the Pope to builde a Monasterie which hee thus described Est mihi locus c. I haue quoth Saint Peter a place in the West part of London chosen by my selfe and deare vnto mee which sometimes I did dedicate with my owne handes renowne with my presence and illustrate with diuine miracles the name whereof is Thorneia This is all in effect which he saith and yet here is no mention of his preaching in England Therefore Parsons hath committed a notable falsification PHIL. Is it not said that he did dedicate it with his owne hands renown it with his presence and illustrate it with diuine miracles ORTHOD. That doth not proue the point in question For Alredus presently after declareth how in the dayes of Ethelbert King of Kent Sebertus King of the East Saxons built without the walls of London Westward a Monastery to S. Peter and withall addeth how the night before the dedication Saint Peter appeared in the habit of a Pilgrim to a certaine Fisherman vpon the Thames and being transported by him to Westminster went presently to the Church where there was suddenly a glorious light a multitude of Angels heauenly melodie with an vnspeakable fragrancy of sweet odours Now the solemnitie of the dedication being finished he returned to the Fisherman who at his command cast his net into the riuer and tooke a great draught of fishes which Saint Peter bad him take for his passage reseruing onely one of extraordinarie greatnesse to himselfe which hee sent for a token to Mellitus Bishop of London Here is his miracle his presence and his dedication of the Church with his owne hands but here is no preaching or if there were then he preached more then 500. yeeres after he was dead But why doe I dwell so long vpon so fond a fable Or what is this to the first Conuersion of England Wherefore I conclude that though S. Peter were a famous Fisher searched innumerable streames through the wide world and catched many thousand soules yet father Parsons hath not made it appeare by any sound authoritie that euer hee spred hisnet in the English Ocean PHIL. IF he did not conuert the nation in his owne person yet it was conuerted by such as he sent ORTHOD. If this blessed worke were performed by S. Paul or Simon of Canany then we may boldly say that the first conuerters were not sent by S. Peter For they were Apostles and had commission to teach all nations not from S. Peter but from Christ. Concerning S. Pauls comming Parsons produceth the authorities of Theodoret Sophronius and Venantius Fortunatus to which he addeth Arnaldus Mirmianus affirming that he passed into Britaine in the fourth yeere of Nero being the yere of our Lord 59. And verely that he was here is a point not without probability He was the Apostle of the Gentiles in labours abundant in perils often and that by Sea he was a Starre swiftly gliding from East to West a Herauld proclaiming the acceptable day of the Lord and a shrill trumpet sounding out the Name of Iesus Now though father Parsons say that for his being in Britaine there are not so many particular testimonies yet those which he hath brought are farre more pregnant then the former for the comming of S. Peter To passe ouer the rest what can be more plaine and direct then that of Venantius Transit Oceanum vel quà facit insula portum Quasque Britannus habet terras atque vltima Thule Saint Paul did passe the Seas where I le makes ships in harbour stand Arriuing on the Brittish Coast and cape of Thule land COncerning Simon Zelotes Nicephorus saith that hauing receiued the holy Ghost comming downe from heauen he passed through Egypt Cyrene Africke Mauritania and all Libya preaching the Gospel yea he did cary it to the Westerne Ocean and the Ilands of Britaine Dorotheus whom Parsons calleth a very ancient writer saith that he was crucified slaine and buried in Britaine In the Greeke Menologe it is said that going into Britaine when he had inlightned many with the word of the Gospel he was there crucified and buried Which authorities what weight soeuer they cary surely they ouer ballance all that Parsons hath produced for the comming of S. Peter Now from the Apostles let vs come to the Apostolicke men Aristobulus and Ioseph of Arimathea PHIL. OF
his wordes should bee taken properly but to expresse the similitude most emphatically Euen so our Lord Iesus willing to expresse in how liuely manner the Bread and Wine doe represent his Body and Blood doth not say that they signifie his Body and Blood or that they are signes and Sacraments of his Body and Blood but speaking most significantly hee saith this Bread is my Body this Wine is my Blood Another reason is because our sweete Sauiour would seale all his comfortable blessings vnto the soule of the worthie receiuer as if a King bestowing a Castle vpon one of his subiects and reaching vnto him the sealed writing containing the graunt should say vnto him behold here take what I giue thee it is such a Castle For though hee might haue said this writing doth signifie the gift of such a Castle yet it is more significant and more comfortable to say it is such a Castle For so the king doth cheere vp his heart and by that writing doth put him into actuall possession of the Castle Euen so our Lord Iesus though he might haue said this is a sacrament of my body yet to giue vs more cordiall comfort he saith this is my body assuring vs thereby that in giuing vs that Bread hee giueth vs himselfe and putteth vs in actuall possession of his graces and blessings purchased vnto vs by his body and blood PHIL. Suppose we should grant that the pronoune this did signifie the bread what could you conclude ORTHOD. Bellarmine may teach you who declareth out of the writings of Luther that the words of the Euangelist this is my body according to Luther do cary this sence this bread is my body Which sentence saith Bellarmine must eyther be taken tropically that the bread may be the body of Christ by way of signification or it is plainely absurde and impossible For it cannot be that bread should be the body of Christ properly wherefore the schollers of Luther had rather runne backe to a trope then admit a manifest absurditie Here is a cleere confession that if by this be meant this bread then the proposition must needs be taken tropically that is as we take it or otherwise it is absurde and impossible But it were blasphemy to say that Christ spake absurdities and impossibilities therfore if the pronoune this doe demonstrate the bread the proposition must needes carry that sence which we make of it and then the Protestants haue gotten the victory by the confession of your most learned Cardinall For great is the trueth and preuaileth So your carnall presence and consequently both your sacrifice and Priesthood doe fall to the ground ANd if for disputations sake wee should faine though indeed it bee a meere fiction that the body of Christ were corporally and carnally in the Sacrament yet for all this you are neuer able to proue your Sacrifice vpon which your Priesthood dependeth because the Scripture acknowledgeth no other then that vpon the Crosse. For neither by the blood of goates and calues but by his owne blood which the Scripture elsewhere calleth the blood of the Crosse entred he in once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs. Hee is entred into the very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs Not that he should offer himselfe often as the high Priest entred into the holy place euery yeare with other blood for then must hee haue often suffered since the foundation of the world but now in the end of the world he hath appeared once to put away sinne by the Sacrifice of himselfe And as it is appointed vnto men that they shall once die and after that commeth the iudgement so Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from henceforth tarieth till his enemies be made his footestoole For with one offering hath he Consecrated for euer them that are sanctified If Christ haue shed offered and sacrificed his blood not often but once and that vpon the Crosse then can it not bee really shed offered and sacrificed in the Eucharist If by one oblation he hath obtained an eternall redemption put away sinne and Consecrated for euer those that are sanctified then your sacrificing of him is vaine and vnprofitable contrary to the Scripture and iniurious to the all-sufficient sacrifice of Iesus Christ. PHIL. He was sacrificed once and not often in that manner as he was vpon the Crosse yet hee was sacrificed in the Eucharist also as I will prooue both by the words of Christ and by his actions First by his wordes for hee said this is my body which is giuen for you or as it is in Saint Paul which is broken for you And againe this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you Is shed is broken is giuen not to you but to God for you Doe not these words argue a reall actuall and proper sacrifice ORTHOD. They argue a sacrifice to God not in the Supper but on the Crosse. PHIL. You must consider that it is not said which shall bee giuen shall bee broken shall be shed but which is giuen is broken is shed which argues that the place is not to be expounded of the sacrifice of the Crosse that was to come but of a sacrifice in the Eucharist which was present ORTHOD. The present tense is vsed for the future funditur for fundetur for proofe wherof I wil produce two witnesses which with you are most authentical the vulgar translation and the Canon of the Masse in both which it is not funditur is shed but fundetur shall be shed Whereby you may learne that the present tense vsed in the Greeke is to be expounded by the future vsed in the Latin and consequently it is to bee vnderstood of the sacrifice of the Crosse which was to come PHIL. Both are true and neither of the readings ought to be denyed and especially that of the present tense because the Euangelists and S. Paul did write in the present tense ORTHOD. Ex ore tuo serue nequam Is funditur in the present tense lesse to be denyed because the Euangelists and S. Paul did write in the present tense is it so indeede albeit the Canon of the Masse and your vulgar translation which may not be reiected vnder any pretence haue fundetur in the future tense then it seemeth that the blessed originalls are to be preferred before a translation whatsoeuer the Counsell of Trent haue said to the contrary O the force of trueth which breaketh out like lightning and shineth in darkenesse though the darkenes comprehendeth it not but this by the way Now for the present point though the vulgar hath not expressed the letter of the text yet it hath
Christs breathing For as in the second of the Acts hee gaue the Spirit in the forme of tongues Because then hee gaue them the gift of preaching so here he gaue it by breathing because hee gaue them the gift of forgiuing of sinnes not by preaching as you dreame but plainely by quenching and dissoluing them For as the winde doth quench the fire and scater the clouds so the absolution of the Priest doth scatter sinnes and maketh them to vanish according to which Metaphor we read in Esay I haue blotted out thy sinnes as a cloud ORTHOD. Christ did breath to signifie that this heauenly gift proceeded from himselfe and therefore our Bishops when they vtter these words doe not breath because they are not Authors of this spiritual power but only Gods delegates and assignes to giue men possession of his graces Moreouer Christ by breathing did signifie that none was fit for this heauenly function but such as he enabled with his spirit and also that this holy spirit should assist his ministers in the dispelling of sins Neither is the place of Esay for your purpose when the sky is darkned with clouds and mists the Lord sendeth a wind out of his treasure house whereby they are scattered the skie cleared and the golden beames of the sunne restored euen so when the poore soule and conscience is ouercast with clouds of sin and mists of sorrow God by his holy spirit concurring with his blessed word bringeth men to faith and repentance and so forgiueth their sins that he will neuer remember them any more But what is this to your Popish absolution PHIL. THe sixth argument is drawne from the authority of the Fathers and first of Chrysostome out of whose third booke of Priesthood our learned Cardinall produceth sixe places the first where it is said that God hath giuen such power to those that are in earth as it was not his will to giue either to Angels or Archangels for it was not said vnto them what soeuer you bind in earth shal bee bound in heauen but surely the Angels may declare vnto men that if they beleeue their sins are forgiuen therfore in the iudgement of Chrysostome power is giuen vnto the Priest truely to bind and loose and not by way of declaration ORTHOD. Though the Angels being ministring spirits may when it pleaseth the Lord declare vnto men that if they beleeue their sins are forgiuen aswel as the Angel said to Cornelius b Thy prayers thy almes are come vp into remembrance before God yet this is rare and extraordinary but the Priest doth it by his ordinary office in which regard Chrysostome hath reason to say that such power is giuen to Priests as is neither giuen to Angels nor Archangels PHIL. Chrysostome proceedeth and telleth how earthly Princes haue power To bind the body only but the Priests bond toucheth the soule and reacheth vnto heauen Now earthly Princes doe not declare who is bound or loosed but bind or loose their bodies indeed and therefore the Priests in binding and loosing of soules doe not declare who are bound or loosed but by authority in the roome of Christ doe bind or loose them indeed if the comparison of Chrysostome be of any value ORTHO He compareth them in respect of the obiects not in respect of the manner the obiect of the Princes bond is the body the obiect of the Priest is the soule but doth follow because the Prince doth bind or loose the body properly that therfore binding or loosing of the soule is attributed in the like propriety of speech vnto the Priest PHIL. Chrysostome vpon these words whose sins you retaine they are retained saith What power I pray you can be greater then this but it is no great matter to declare that sins are forgiuen to the beleeuers and retained to the vnbeleeuers For any man may perfourme it which can read the Gospell neither Priests onely but the layity also neither Catholikes onely but Heretikes also yea and the diuells themselues ORTHOD. It is no great matter to pronounce the words but the excellency of the Ministery consisteth in this that they doe it ex officio and that according to Gods owne ordinance therefore in the reuerend performance therof they may expect a comfortable blessing PHIL. Chrysostome saith The Father hath giuen al maner of power to his sonne and I see the same power in all variety giuen to them by the sonne but the Father did not giue to the sonne a bare ability to declare the Gospell but by authority to forgiue sinnes therefore the like is giuen to the Priests ORTHOD. The power which the Father gaue to Christ conteineth all power in heauen and in earth but I hope you will not say that Christ gaue all power in heauen and earth to his disciples therefore the words of Chrysostome need a gentle interpretation and must not bee taken litterally as they sound but for a rhetoricall amplification Againe the power to forgiue sins is giuen to Christ and to his Disciples but not in the same manner for God the Father forgiueth sinnes by not imputing them Christ God and Man meritoriously the Ministers onely Ministerially as you heard before PHIL. Chrysostome compareth a Priest not with the kings Herald which only declareth what is done but with one who hath power to east into prison and deliuer out of prison how could he more openly declare that the Priests power is truly iudiciall ORTH. The Herald only proclaimeth the kings pardon and is no instrument to effect it but the minister so proclaimeth saluation by Iesus Christ that he is Gods instrument to worke it so the ministeriall declaration is not a bare but an effectuall declaration that mens sinnes are forgiuen For first the Law must bee effectually preached to humble the soule then the Gospell must bee effectually applied to kindle true faith And as the Minister is Gods effectuall instrument in working so he is his Ambassadour effectually to minister comfort to the penitent soule Yet for all this he doth not forgiue sinnes properlie but onely ministerially The like is to bee said of his deliuering the soules of men out of prison For that it cannot bee meant properly may appeare by the other branch because the Minister doth not properly cast any man into the spirituall prison but the wicked being already imprisoned and ●ettered with the chaine of their owne sins and refusing the light of the Gospel when it shines vnto them the sweet mercies of God in Iesus Christ are said to bee bound by a Priest because hee retaineth that is pronounceth that they are tied and bound with the chaines of darkenesse and denounceth the iudgements of God against them so long as they remaine impenitent PHIL. Chrysostome makes an other comparison betweene the legall Priests and the Euangelicall for the Legall did purge the leprosie of the body or rather not purge it but examine those that were purged But
of the late King of most worthy memorie King Edward the sixth or now vsed in the raigne of our most gracious soueraigne Lady before the feast of the Natiuitie of Christ next following shall in the presence of the Bishop or Gardian of the spiritualties of some one Diocesse where hee hath or shall haue Ecclesiasticall liuing declare his assent and subscribe to all the Articles of Religion which onely concerne the confession of the true Christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacraments comprised in a Booke imprinted intituled Articles c. Among which Articles this is one The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption propitiation and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole world both originall and actuall and there is no other satisfaction for sinne but that alone Wherefore the Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly said that the Priest did offer Christ for the quicke and the dead to haue remission of paine or guilt were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits By this you may plainely perceiue that no popish Priest can possibly be admitted in the Church of England vnlesse he vtterly disclaime and renounce the first function of your Priesthood which consisteth in Massing and Sacrifising and the latter also so farre as it is contrary to the doctrine of the Church of England But whatsoeuer is in it from God and according to the true sence of the Scripture as for example the power of forgiuing sinnes by the ministery of reconciliation that we embrace and acknowledge It is a Rose which is found in the Romish wildernes but the plants thereof were deriued from the garden of God It is a riuer which runneth in Egypt but the fountaine and spring of it is in Paradise it is a beame which is seene in Babylon but the original of it is from the sphere of heauen Wherefore when your Priestes returne to vs. Our Church paring away their pollutions suffereth them to execute their ministeriall function according to the true meaning of Christs words THe like moderation is vsed in other reformed Churches as witnesseth Prince Anhalt Hac vtimur moderatione vt ad parochialia munera euocatos si verbum posthac purè docere Sacramenta iuxta Christi institutionem administrare se velle permittant recipiamus horumque contenti vocatione muneris demandati commissione ordinationem manus impositionem non iteremus i. We vse this moderation that we receiue such as are called to the charge of particular Parishes if they promise that they will henceforth teach the word purely and administer the Sacraments according to the institution of Christ and we being content with their calling and commission of their function already committed vnto them doe not reiterate their ordination and imposition of hands This is agreeable to the iudgement of the learned Authors of the Articuli Smalcaldici si Episcopi suo officio recte fungerentur curam Ecclesiae Euangelij gererent posset illis nomine charitatis tranquillitatis non ex necessitate permitti vt nos nostros concionatores ordinarent confirmarent hac tamen conditione vt seponerentur omnes laruae prestigiae deliramenta spectra pompae Ethnicae i. If the Bishops would rightly performe their office and carie a care of the Church and Gospell it might bee permitted vnto them in regard of loue and peace though not of necessitie that they should ordaine and confirme vs and our Preachers yet vpon this condition that all visards deceits all dotages and shewes of heathenish pompe should bee set aside This and the rest of the Articles were subscribed vnto by Martin Luther Iustus Ionas Philip Melancthon vrbanus Regius Osiander Brentius and many moe To these wee may ioyne the iudgment of Caluin vbi sese ipsi offerunt ad munus illud deinceps praestandum non mole illis ab Ecclesia conceditur quod ab ipsis ante minus legitimè vsurpatum erat Duo sunt in illo statu summa vitia vnum quod non recta ratione instituti sunt ●d munus Ecclesiasticum alterum quod de illo grad● sese deiecerunt dum nihil eius praesti●erunt quod ad rem pertineret Sed illud non facit quo minus agnoscantur pro ministris ordinariis vbi sese Ecclesiae coniungere paratos ostendunt atque ita de nouo confirmentur demum ad corrigendum praecedentem defectum When such as haue bene popish Priests doe offer themselues from henceforth to performe the ministeriall function that which before was vsurped of them vnlawfully is now not amisse granted vnto them by the Church For there are two great faults in that state one that they are not rightly instituted to the Ecclesiasticall office another that they haue depriued themselues from that degeee by doing nothing belonging to the matter But this doth not hinder that they may be acknowledged for ordinarie ministers when they shew themselues ready to ioyne themselues to the Church so may be confirmed againe a new to correct their former default And againe Constat non posse haberi pro Christianis pastoribus nisi prius abrenuncient sacerdotio papali ad quod prouecti erant vt Christum sacrificarēt quodest blasphemiae genus omnibus modis detestandum Praeterea etiam requiritur vt aperte profiteāturse abstinere omnino velle ab omnibus illis superstitionibus faeditatibus quae simplicitati Euangelij repugnant i. It is euident that they cannot bee esteemed for Christian pastours vnlesse first they renounce the Popish Priesthood to which they were promoted that they might sacrifice Christ which is a kind of blasphemie by all meanes to bee detested Moreouer there is required that they make an open profession that they will altogether refraine from all those superstitions and impurities which are repugnant to the simplicitie of the Gospell PHIL. BVt one of your Ministers cannot so easily be metamorphised into a Catholicke Priest first the diuell must bee coniured out of him in this manner Exorcizo te immunde spiritus c. I coniure thee thou foule spirit by God the Father almighty and by Iesus Christ his Sonne and by the holy Spirit that thou depart out of this seruant of God whom God and our Lord vouchsafeth to deliuer from errours and from thy deceits and to call backe to the Catholicke and Apostolicke holy Mother Church Thou cursed and damned spirit he commandeth thee who hauing suffered and being dead and buried for the saluation of men hath conquered thee and all thy forces and rising againe is ascended into heauen whence he will come to iudge both the quicke and the dead and the world by fire This is the forme of the Church in recōciling all Apostataes Hereticks Schismaticks ORTHOD. Who so duely considereth your positions and practises may very well thinke that you are more likely to coniure the deuill into a man then out of him Woe to you Seminaries and Iesuites Hypocrites