haue to euery place picked by M. Abbot out of S. Paul in fauour of their religion opposed another out of the same Epistle that speaketh more plainly against them for vs I vvil here out of the aboundance of testimonies vvhich the same S. Paul vvhom the simple Protestants take to be wholy for them beareth to our doctrine set downe some store euen in defence of those very points vvhich M. Abbot hath made special choise off to object against vs. To beginne with the first there is plaine testimony that we are justified before God by vvorkes vvhich I cited before Rom. 2. v 13. With God the doers of the law shal be justified There is much for freewil witnesse this Ibid 6. vers 12. 13. Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortal body that you obey the concupiscence thereof but neither doe you exhibite your members instruments of iniquitty vnto sinne but exhibite your selues to God of dead men aliue and your members instruments of justice to God for sinne shal not haue dominion ouer you for you are not vnder the law but vnder grace See how the Apostle maketh it in the power and vvil of euery man indued with Gods grace either to doe wel or to doe euil and that sinne hath no such dominion ouer them but that they may doe wel if they wil concurre with Gods grace Item that it is not grace which doth al but a man must worke with grace and exhibite the powers of his soule as instruments towardes the producing of good workes vvhich is flatly our doctrine of freewil And before we depart from this matter of justification as M. Abbot doth very quickly you shal heare more of it out of the same Apostle he teacheth expresly that a man in the state of grace may fulfil the law in these wordes Ibid. cap. 8. vers 3. For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakned by flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damned sinne in the flesh that the justfication of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Which is seconded in the thirtenth chapter where he concludeth Ibid. vers 9. 10. loue to be the fulnesse of the law hauing before said that he who loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the law And as for that certainty of saluation vvhich many Protestants bragge off the Apostle doth vvholy dispossesse them of it first in the place before cited vvhere he willeth Rom. 11. vers 20. them that stand right in the true faith to beware that they fal not and assureth them that they shal fal as others had done before them if they did not diligently looke vnto it Else vvhere he aduiseth vs Philip. 2. vers 12. with feare and trembling to worke our saluation Marke how two points of the Protestant doctrine be wounded in one sentence and two of ours confirmed both that vve must worke our saluation it comes not then by only faith and that with feare and trembling we are not then assured of it before hand by the certainty of faith which excludeth al feare and doubt of it Now that we ought to haue a firme hope of saluation S. Paul teacheth vs Rom. 5. v. 2. We haue accesse through faith in to this his grace wherein we stand and glory in the hope of the Sonnes of God Also Ibid. 8. v. 24. For by hope we are saued Item vve giue thankes to God c. Colloss 1. v. 5. for the hope that is laid vp for you in heauen With whom S. Peter consorteth 1. Pet. 1. vers 3. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ who according to his great mercy hath regenerated you into a liuely hope vnto an incorruptible crowne c. laid vp in heauen Not to prosecute al the particular points of justification which haue euery one good ground in the Apostle S. Paul as in that question may be seene the very faith whereby Abraham was and we are justified is no such kind of faith as the Protestants claime to be justified by that is by an apprehension and drawing of Christs righteousnesse to themselues but that faith vvhereby we beleeue al thinges to be true which God hath reuealed as S. Paul declareth in the fourth to the Romans where he reporteth Rom. 4. v. 19. Abraham to haue beene justified by beleeuing that God according to his promise would giue him a Sonne and make him the Father of many nations so that finally there is not a word in S. Paul vvhich in his owne meaning maketh for any one peece of the Protestants justification but heapes of testimonies for euery branch of justification as we beleeue it Now I come to the other points named by M. Abbot There is nothing saith he in S. Paul for the merit of single life But he is greatly mistaken for the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7. vers 32.33 34. That the care of the single and vnmarried is to please God and their study to thinke vpon those thinges that appertaine vnto God and how they may be holy both in body and in spirit vvhich must needes be more acceptable in Gods sight then to be carping for this world and caring how to please their yoke-mate To this we adde Monkish vowes of which if he were worthy to be a good Abbot he vvould speake more respectiuely somwhat S. Paul hath of the vow of chastity which is one of their principal vowes for he auoucheth 1. Tim. 5. vers 12. certaine widowes worthy of damnation because they broke the same former vow of chastity And S. Paul himselfe Act. 18. vers 18. shoare his head in Cenchris because he had a vow vvhich was the vow of a Nazarite not much vnlike for the time though much inferiour vnto the vow of religious persons see of that vow the sixt Chapter of the booke of Numbers There is nothing saith M. Abbot in S. Paul of praier for the dead vvhich is not true for he teacheth that some of the faithful who haue 1. Cor. 3. v. 13 built vpon the right foundation hay stubble and such like trash shal notwithstanding at the day of our Lord be saued yet so as through fire Which the ancient * SS Aug. in ps 37. Hier. l. 2. cōt Iouin 13. Ambros in hūc locū Gregor in psal 3. poenit entialē Doctors doe take to be the fire of Purgatory Now if many vvhiles the drosse of their vvorkes be purged doe lie in fire it wil easily follow thereof that euery good soule who hath any Christian compassion in him vvil pray for the release of their Christian brother out of those torments I come now to Images and Relikes of vvhich he affirmeth that S Paul saith nothing vvhere was the good-mans memory vvhen he wrote this or remembring the matter vvel enough was he so
of the present Roman Church he may vpon very smal consideration be reclaimed and brought to reforme his errours For to S. Peter himselfe who was afterwards Bishop of Rome was giuen euen by our Sauiour Christ IESVS ful power and authority to pardon whatsoeuer he saw fit to be pardoned Math. 16. vers 19. To thee I giue saith he the keies of the Kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou loosest or doest pardon vpon earth shal be pardoned in heauen And if S. Peter might loose any sinne how hainous soeuer much more might he release some part of the temporal paine which was due to sinne vvhich is properly to giue a libel of pardon the like power had S. Paul who did in the person of Christ 2. Cor. 2. vers 10. Cyprian l. 3. Epist 15. Pardon the incestuous Corinthian by cutting off some part of his penance vvhich otherwise he had beene to suffer for his former sinnes vvhich were then forgiuen S. Cyprian and the Bishops and Clergy in those auncient daies of the primitiue Church did vse to pardon and release the penance injoyned to grieuous offendours after their repentance at the intercession and request of the Confessors and designed Martirs as hath beene before declared The most authentike Councel of Nice doth declare Cōcil Nicen. cap. 12. that it is lawful for Bishops to deale more mildly and fauourably vvith them vvhom they saw to performe their injoyned penance seriously vvhich was to graunt them a pardon Leo. Epist 77 ad Nicetum num 6. The very same doth Leo the great vvho was Bishop of Rome aboue 1100. yeares past teach most plainly willing the Bishop to release of the due penance injoined what he thought good which is properly to giue indulgence or pardon I omit here Pope Siluester his predecessour and S. Gregory the great one of his successours because I haue before alleaged them not doubting but that these few so auncient so graue so learned vvil suffice to satisfie and instruct him that is willing to learne And as for communicating the same authority to others vvho can reasonably doubt of it considering that the power of absoluing from sinne which is farre greater then the other is imparted to al both Bishops and Parish Priests I haue also before proued most manifestly Leo. Epist 82 ad Anastat Gregor lib. 4. Epist 6. ad Episcop Arelat that both S. Leo and S. Gregory most worthy Bishops did as delegate their authority vnto other Bishops so reserue vnto their owne hearing and judgement the causes of greatest difficulty vvherefore M. Abbot if he wil hearken vnto reason cannot choose but hold himselfe therein fully satisfied He recuiles backe to Indulgences and multiplieth his demands about one and the same matter like to a Cooke that hauing but one sort of meate to serue in doth mince it into many mammocks and then make thereof sundry dishes Can the Pope saith he for saying such or such praiers or for doing this or that release a man from Purgatory for an hundreth or a thousand yeares What a question is this if the Pope can distribute indulgences as hath beene before proued no doubt but he can the rather doe it by injoyning the party that receiueth them to say vvithal some praiers or to doe some other good vvorkes for thereby the party doth the better deserue to be made partaker of the other grace But can he release a soule out of Purgatory for a thousand yeares Yes marry can he and that too not for some certaine number of yeares but for euer and euer The reason is for that the soules there are members of the same body that we are and there capable of the same graces of pardon vvhereof also they stand in very great neede according to the truth of Christian doctrine howsoeuer the Protestants doe erroneously thinke the contrary reade the Question of Purgatory And touching the present purpose among many other pardons graunted by S. Gregory the great there is to be seene vntil this day one Altar by him erected in the Monastery of S. Andrewes in Rome where he was himselfe first Nouice and afterwardes Abbot where at vvhosoeuer said Masse for a soule in Purgatory shal deliuer one there-hence Concerning the Iubilee which is free and ful pardon graunted once in fiue and twenty yeares vnto euery one that shal visit seauen Churches in Rome that yeare some fifteene times or thereabouts what new difficulty can there be about that yea it is as the most renowmed pardon that is graunted so the most reasonable for it can be obtained but once in fiue and twenty yeares and then exceeding hardly by vnder going a long costly and painful journey to the citty of Rome and by exercising there al the workes of piety and mercy as fasting praying and giuing of almes making general confession and receiuing the blessed Sacrament and often visiting of many Churches and Altars Those most godly meanes of training men to true repentance and satisfaction for their former faults and amendmēt of their liues if the Protestant religion were acquainted withal there would be among them some checke and stoppe of their vvicked courses But if they vvil needes sinne on themselues and neuer giue ouer nor amend vntil Gods judgments fal vpon them yet let them not be offended at vs that doe aduise al men to labour in time for such indulgences that they may escape the due punishment of their sinnes either in this vvorld or in the next Is it not also most probable and likely if those good soules vvho to doe some satisfaction for their former euil liues and to serue God more deuoutly in those holy places where some of the holy Apostles and an innumerable company of valiant Martirs and holy Confessors liued and died doe die by the way in that Godly purpose that they are carried by Angels to heauen as Lazarus was into Paradise we pray to God to command such by his holy Angels to be brought into Abrahams bosome as may be seene in the Masse for the dead But Balaeus in Latin and Bale the Irish Apostata in English M. Abbots worthy authour reporteth that Clement the sixt himselfe did command the Angels to carry them into Paradise No great regard is to be had vvhat such a lying lewd fellow relates and so I thinke him vnworthy any other answere Touching Canonization of Saints we hold that the Bishops of the prouinces vvhere their vertuous liues and most godly deathes cōfirmed by miracles are best knowne did alwaies from the beginning of christian religion declare and testifie to the Church that they were to be esteemed of al men for Saints Since it hath beene found most expedient that the vvhole course of the life and death of such being by most diligent inquisition tried out and taken in the places of their aboade be afterwardes sent to Rome there to be also throughly examined first and then accordingly to be declared Saints by the highest Pastor of the Church that
to the Catholikes Churches the Protestants are not behinde but goe farre beyond the Donatists Lastly they haue also compounded and framed a new kinde of Psalmes called Geneua Psalmes to be songe before their sermons See M. Abbot how jointly the Donatists and Protestants walke as it were hand in hand together shew not your selfe therefore so vndutiful a childe to your natural parents as not to acknowledge them for such for you are euen as like vnto them in the face and whole feature of both doctrine and manners as if you had beene spit out of their mouthes Doe not for very shame hit vs in the teeth any more vvith the Donatists before you haue by as sound vvitnesses proued vs to participate with them in the proper qualities of their profession To be wily like Aspes and to rage like Lions are not the peculiar recognizances and badges of their sect but may agree vnto many others and perhaps to few other more truly then to Protestants who when they be vnder as they haue beene in England and are now in the greatest Kingdomes of Europe they are as wily as Foxes the greatest commenders of clemency that may be no man is then to be punished for his conscience specially they that seeke after nothing but reformation of mens manners and the purity of the Gospel but vvhen they are gotten vp and sit at the sterne of gouernement the case is cleane altered they become then as fierce as Lions Our Fathers were beguiled by their vvilinesse vve feele their open professed violence and were it not for the moderation of the chiefe Pilot and some others in authority I feare the vvorld should quickly perceiue how Lion-like they would rage thus much by the way to discouer how impertinently and vntruly M. Abbot doth cite the ancient Doctors sentences If he thought their vvordes proper for his purpose though they vsed them not in the same sence as he doth he might wel haue vsed the like wordes but he ought in no case to adde the Fathers authority when they meant no such matter as he citeth their wordes for But what wil you necessity hath no law either he must haue omitted their authority and so haue put foorth a leane barren and penurious peece of worke not worth the looking on or else so vse and abuse their wordes as he doth For in their true meaning they vvil afford neither him nor any Protestant any fauour or defence at al. To draw now to the conclusion of his Epistle I haue not vvith any calumnious libel traduced and slandered the Protestants doctrine but haue out of my duty towardes Gods truth and loue of my deare country-mens saluation very truly and in as faire sort as I could set downe the errours of their deuises that the wel minded amongst them may by the helpe of Gods grace the better perceiue them beware of them and fly from them in time least they draw them along with them into euerlasting damnation Which my dutiful endeauours if the enemies of truth doe calumniate and loade with opprobrious lies and slanders I must take it patiently and comfort my selfe with these sacred wordes of our sweet Sauiour Math. 5. v. 11. 12. Blessed be you when they shal reuile you and persecute you and speake al that is naught against you vntruly for my sake be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heauen for so they persecuted the Prophets that were before you Now whereas M. Abbot saith in his owne commendation that he carrieth himselfe in this worke of his faithfully and vprightly as to God and his Prince I am sorry to see him make so slender reckoning both of his faith to God and fealty to his Prince for by this that hath beene already said and much more by that which followeth shal it appeare that he maketh no conscience to dally vvith Gods vvord and to mangle it most pitifully to abuse the holy Fathers sentences by al manner of meanes that any gracelesse creature can doe to cast most wrongfully al kinde of contumelies taunts and slanders vpon Catholikes that he could deuise and finally to incense his most excellent Majesty to bathe his sworde in the bloud of innocents This may be peraduenture to behaue himselfe like a true Minister of the new Gospel But if he cal this faithful and vpright carriage as to God and his Prince as I am sure he can looke for no reward of God for such leude behauiour who cannot be deceiued so I doubt not but if his Majesties leasure would permit him to peruse M. Abbots railing and vnlearned writinges pestred with innumerable of palpable vntruthes he should thereby picke smal thankes at his Highnesse handes Thus vvishing no lesse then any Protestant whosoeuer perfect knowledge of Gods truth vnto his Majesty and grace from heauen to embrace maintaine and defend it vvith al happinesse vnto his Highnesse raigne ouer vs I end my answere vnto M. Abbots Epistle dedicatory MASTER ABBOTS PREFACE TO THE READER LET it be no offence to thee good Christian Reader that for the present I giue an answere to a Dedicatory Epistle in steede of an answere to a whole booke it was now in Ianuary last past a ful yeare since D oct Bishops booke was sent vnto me by the most reuerend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace my very good Lord with direction to vse the best expedition that I could for the answere of it it found me at that time vnder the Surgeons handes of a grieuous infirmity in mine eies by meanes whereof for some good space and indeede longer then I expected I was hindered from ablenesse to intend in any conuenient sort to any such important worke But taking the soonest and best oportunity that I could after that I had gone ouer some good part of the booke to furnish my selfe with such matter as should serue for confutation of it at length about the beginning of Iuly being desirous to bring somewhat to effect I addressed my selfe with al instant endeauour to giue answere to the Epistle Dedicatory to the Kings most excellent Majesty which as I accounted the principal matter in the booke so I held it my duty to vse very special care for the repulsing of those calumnies and slanders which the author hath gathered and contriued into it which being finished at Michaelmasse hath beene since thought fit to be published for the time til the rest of the worke wherein as time hath serued I haue hitherto further proceeded may fully be performed THE ANSWERE TO M. ABBOTS PREFACE TO THE READER VVILLIAM BISHOP COVRTEOVS Reader I would haue let passe this narration as impertinent had it beene somewhat more probable but because it discouereth and setteth foorth the humour of the man it is worth the noting I beare with that incōgruity It was now in Ianuary last past if it were now which designeth the time present how was it in Ianuary then past but I take his
out of diuinity for his Majesties title For it is but by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King but by the law of God no man is to be made King that doth not truly serue God then the law of God being to be preferred before the law of man it followeth that whosoeuer wil not truly serue God is not to be made King M. Abbot should haue done wel to haue solued this argument vvhich is not vnworthy the maker and taken as he meant it insoluble and may happen to trouble many of his readers but he loueth not this fight at the short sword but to range a loofe off and to defend his part vvith foule vvordes rather then vvith any sound reasons I vvil helpe him out of the briars this once and say that in case of free election of a King that argument of Cardinal Bellarmines is most sound for no good Christian ought to make choise of him for a King or to yeeld their consent to him whom he knoweth vnlikely euer to serue Iesus Christ the Soueraigne King of heauen earth Marry vvhen the Kingdome goeth not by free choise and election but by ordinary succession then the subjects must accept of him whom it pleaseth God to giue them For our diuinity teacheth vs that God sometimes giueth Kinges in his wrath and not alwaies such as wil serue him as they ought to doe vvhich are notwithstanding their vndutifulnesse to God to be receiued and obeied of their subjects dutifully in al ciuil causes And although God at the first left it to the free liberty of euery country to make choise of vvhat kinde of ciuil gouernement they liked best vvhereof it proceedeth that it is by the law of man that vve haue this or that man to be our King yet when such a succession is once established by the law of man and confirmed by long custome then the law of God doth binde al men to the keeping of that just and good law of man Thus much briefly to shew how I could very wel by the rules of our diuinity defend his Majesties title to the crowne and to certifie them that are in greater jealousie of our obedience then they haue just cause that vve take our selues bound aswel by the lawes of God as of man to obey his Majesty and dutifully to serue him in al temporal affaires howbeit we take the religion professed by his Majesty and his proceedings therein not to be according to the good wil and pleasure of God and therefore doe daily pray vnto the diuine Majesty to send him grace to see and amend it and to giue vs perfect patience in the meane season to endure vvhatsoeuer shal be laid vpon vs for the constant profession of his only true and sincere religion As for my skil either in this point or in any other part of diuinity I know it to be very meane in comparison of thousands among the Catholikes and am very wel content that it be put to the proofe Only I require an indifferent reader and one that wil not take vaine wordes for good paiment but waigh diligently our arguments together and try out by seing the places who citeth his testimony both of holy Scriptures and ancient Fathers more truly and pertinently SECT 2. W. BISHOP WHEREVNTO I may conueniently enter with that golden sentence with which your Majesty beganne the conference c. A loue principium conformable to this in holy writ Apocal. 1. vers 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and end saith our Lord and applying it to Princes I may be bold to say that nothing is more expedient and necessary for Kinges nothing more honourable and of better assurance for their estate then that in the very beginning of their raigne they take special order that the supreame and most puisant Monarke of heauen and earth be purely vprightly serued as wel in their owne examplar liues as through their Dominions for of almighty God his meere bounty and great grace they receiue and hold their Diademes and Princely Scepters and cannot possesse and enjoy them their mighty forces and prudent counsailes notwithstanding one day longer then during his diuine wil and pleasure Which the wisest King witnesseth speaking also in the person of Gods wisdome Prouer. 8 15. Per me Reges regnant By me Kinges doe raigne and Dan. 4. Nabuchodonoser sometime King of Babilon was turned out to grase with beastes for seauen yeares and made to know and confesse that the highest doth command ouer the Kingdomes of men and disposeth of them as pleaseth his diuine wisdome but I neede not stand vpon this point it being so wel knowne and acknowledged by your Majesty ROBERT ABBOT PLVTARCH reporteth that the Nobles of Lacedemon approuing a speech that vvas deliuered by a man of euil behauiour De auditione caused the same to be vttered by another of honest life and conuersation that it might carry the greater waight vvhen it proceeded from a man whose doings were answerable to his wordes M. Bishop hath vttered a goodly speech but it soundeth not effectually from his mouth or pen it vvere fit that some other man of other profession and comportment should be the writer and speaker of this matter for he denieth to his Majesty that supreme gouernement in causes Ecclesiastical whereby he should take vpon him to doe that that he perswadeth him and being sworne to the Pope he cannot but maintaine those lawes of his Distinct 96. Si Imperator vvhereby he inhibiteth Kinges and Princes to meddle with matters of religion and of the Church and reserueth the same wholy to be decreed by himselfe and his Prelates and as for Princes they must receiue and practise the same according to his order WILLIAM BISHOP HERE commeth to my memory that vvorthy obseruation of the diuine Preacher Eccles 13. vers 28. The rich man spake and al men held their peace and did extol his wordes vp to the skies but when a poore man spake they said who is this It becommeth not a Diuine saith our new gospeller to discourse of matters of diuinity but Princes doe them brauely To M. Abbot I answere first that his prophane story is besides the purpose for the Lacedemonians tooke exception against that persons speech because his life vvas not answerable but he cauilleth at my discourse not for default of my manners but for other points of doctrine Belike he thought it not expedient notwithstanding his example of the Lacedemonians did leade him thereunto to put mens doctrine to be tried by their life and conuersation least their new Gospel should by that rule be condemned and rejected because their Preachers and Ministers liues be not conformable to the precepts of Christes Gospel Besides the disproportion of this example that is also very false which he inferreth against me That I doe deny his Majesty to haue authority to doe that which I perswade him to doe to
crowne In eo enim sibi justitiae consortem coronae statuit promeritorem cum operum quibus erat illa repromissa corona habere dignatus est coadjutorem For therein did God appoint man to be copartner of his justice and meritour of the crowne when be vouchsafed to haue him coadjutour of those workes vnto which that crowne of glory was againe and againe promised So that God is the Authour of merits both by giuing man grace to doe them and by ordaining them to such a reward Otherwise saith S. Bernard those which we cal merits might be more properly called the way to the Kingdome not the cause of raigning Obserue that he saith vnlesse you take them otherwise then he had before spoken of them But we must beare with M. Abbot for snatching here and there a sentence out of the Fathers so abruptly otherwise he could make no shew for his part out of them because they vvere so ful and wholy Roman Catholikes Besides the misconstruing of S. Gregories wordes and the corrupting of S. Bernards M. Abbot falsifieth both the Councel of Trent and the Annotations of the Rhemes Testament for the Councel of Trent hath not simply that good workes doe fully satisfie the law of God but with this qualification Pro huius vitae statu As farre forth as the state of this life doth permit And whereas M. Abbot fableth that in those Annotations the justice of God is charged not in respect of his owne promise but in respect of the merit and desert of the workes it is a palpable vntruth as euery man may see that wil but turne to the place for there are these expresse wordes Annot. in 2. Tim. cap. 4. vers 8. Heauen is the goale the marke the price the hire of al striuing running labouring due both by promise and by couenant and right debt vvhere you see as wel Gods promise and couenant as the worth of the workes to be mentioned Which is also set downe distinctly in that very Chapter of the Councel of Trent vvhich M. Abbot cited in these vvordes Eternal life is to be propounded to them that worke wel Concil Trid. sess 6. c. 16. and trust in God both as a merciful grace promised to the sonnes of God through Christ and as a reward or hire by the promise of God to be rendred to their good workes and merits Thus you see how roundly and familiarly M. Abbot is wont to auouch vntruthes and that which testifieth a good conscience in the man euen clearely contrary to his owne knowledge for in the very same both Chapter of the Councel and Annotation vpon the Testament which he alleageth there is to be seene the plaine affirmation of that which he denieth vvhich doth conuince him to be one of the most carelesse men of his credit that euer set pen to paper ROBERT ABBOT Citat in Orthodoxo consensu de sacra Eucharistia cap. 1. ex Lyturg Georgij Cassandri THE same Gregory affirmeth that Missa the Masse was so called for that they were to be dismissed or sent away by the Deacon that did not receiue the holy communion for that they that should not be present at the celebration of the Sacrament were commanded to goe forth therefore saith he vnlesse at the voice of the Deacon after the manner of our Ancestors they that doe not communicate be willed to goe forth the seruice which is called the Masse is not rightly performed But now the Romish Masse is thought to be rightly performed albeit no man communicate but the Priest and vvithout any dismissing of them that doe not adde themselues to the communion the people as was said before being only the spectatours and lookers on WILLIAM BISHOP M. ABBOT is very penurious and wants matter that comes forth with such idle stuffe as this not taken out of S. Gregories owne vvorkes neither for no such fond and vnlearned thing is there to be seene but on the report of one George Cassander a man of smal credit and therefore deserueth no answere Besides these wordes Ite Missa est are not pronounced in the Masse by the Deacon or Priest vntil the communion be wholy past euen at the very end of the Masse when the people are licensed to depart as may be seene in al Masse bookes and the ancient expositours of the Masse vvherefore they could not serue to dismisse any before the holy communion Lastly why on Gods name must they al be sent away that wil not communicate themselues shal they receiue any harme by their beholding either the blessed Sacrament or others receiuing of it deuoutly vvere it not better they assisted the communicants there continuing in praier then to walke abroade idly or is there any reason vvhy the communicants should be offended vvith their presence that no way seeke to disquiet them but rather honour them for their greater feruour in deuotion and assist them with their praiers Idle and irreuerent gazers on we allow not off nor like of their presence at any time of the Masse but I see no cause at al why other orderly and deuout people should be driuen out of the Church at the time of communion ROBERT ABBOT THE same Gregory affirmed That whosoeuer called himselfe Gregor lib. 6. Epist 30. Item lib. 4. Epistola 32.36.38 or desired to be called the vniuersal Bishop was the fore-runner of Antichrist and did propose to himselfe to follow him who despising the legion of Angels that were placed in society with him did endeauour to grow vp to the toppe of singularity that so he might seeme to be vnder none and himselfe alone to be aboue al. He calleth it a new name a name of errour a fond name proude peruerse rash wicked prophane which saith he none of my Predecessours consented to vse by which no man hath presumed to be called that was in truth a holy man Decret Gregorij de foro comp c. Licet But soone after the time of Gregory the Bishop of Rome tooke vpon him that hateful name and hath since continued the same challenging the whole vvorld to be his Dyocesse and is growne to that height of pride as that he doubteth not to proclaime Extrauag de Maio. Obed ca. Vnam Sanctam That it standeth vpon the necessity of saluation for euery soule to be subject to the Bishop of Rome WILLIAM BISHOP THIS is a pretious argument with the Protestants and though it hath beene an hundred times I weene sufficiently answered by ours yet they doe as freshly propose it and as eagerly follow it as if it were not to be satisfied whereas in truth it is but a meere sophistication A vocibus ad res as the learned tearme it from the word vniuersal vnto the supreme authority of gouernement thus The Patriarke of Constantinople cannot be called an vniuersal Bishop nor any Bishop of Rome hath consented to take that name of vniuersal Bishop vpon him ergo no Bishop of Rome hath
by most holy Personages witnesse these his vvordes Homil. 37. in Euang. Most deare bretheren many of you haue knowne Cassius the Bishop of Maruiensis whose custome was to offer vp to God daily sacrifice so that almost no day of his life passed in which he did not offer to God almighty the propitiatory Host whose life also was very conformable therevnto and then declareth how in a vision he receiued a commandement from God to hold on and to continue to doe as he did And at the feast of S. Peter and S. Paul thou shalt saith God come to me and I wil repay thee thy reward Againe he relateth of the most blessed Pope Agapitus that hauing a dumbe and lame man presented vnto him by his friendes who professed their confidence in the power of God and authority of S. Peter he presently bent himselfe to praier And beginning the solemnities of Masse Lib. 3. Dialog cap. 3. he offereth vp sacrifice in the sight of almighty God which being ended he went from the Altar tooke the lame man by the hand and the people beholding of it he presently set him vpright vpon his feete and putting the body of our Lord into his mouth his tongue that before was dumbe then beganne to speake Besides of him selfe thus S. Gregory saith Homil. 8. in Euang. Lib. 4. Dialog cap. 55. Because we are by Gods grace this day of Christes Natiuity to celebrate Masse three times we cannot long speake of the Gospel And further He caused the sacrifice of the Masse to be offered thirty daies together for the soule of one Iustus a Monke vntil he was by the oblation of that comfortable sauing Host deliuered from paines This may suffice for his testimony of the sacrifice of the Masse that it is a true propitiatory sacrifice and to be daily offered both for the quicke and the dead Now touching the Real presence of which S. Gregory writeth in this manner Christ liuing now in himselfe immortally Dialog lib. 4. cap. 58. is yet sacrificed for vs in this mistery of the holy oblation for his body is there receiued his flesh is distributed to the saluation of the people his bloud is not now shed by the handes of Infidels but is powred into the mouthes of the faithful Item he saith vpon these wordes Homil. 14. in Euang. A good sheepe-heard giues his life for his sheepe Christ is that good Pastour who gaue his life for his sheepe that he might turne his body and bloud into the Sacrament and fil those sheepe which he had redeemed with the foode of his owne flesh Moreouer expounding these wordes of Iob Who wil grant vs that we may be filled with his flesh The Iewes saith he and the beleeuing Gentils doe both desire to be filled with Christs flesh the obstinate Iewes in striuing to extinguish it by spilling of it but the good Gentils in coueting to feede their hungry mindes with his flesh in the daily sacrifice This I hope be plaine enough for the Real presence Now to the Inuocaton of Saints and the worshipping their Relikes and Images S. Gregory perswades vs to pray to the Saints both because they are Patrones very gratious with our judge IESVS Christ and we very sinful creatures that without the fauourable helpe of others are most like to be condemned Hom. 32. super Euang. In fine Wherefore saith he sue to those blessed Martirs that they may helpe you with their praiers get them to be Protectours of your guiltinesse They looke to be requested and as it were seeke that they may be sought vnto In the same place he sheweth vvhat miracles were wrought at their tombes and what gifts God bestowed on them that came to pray there The sicke men saith he doe come and are cured perjured persons presenting themselues there are vexed by the Deuil men possed with euil spirits be there deliuered How gloriously then doe they liue there where they liue that is in heauen if they liue so miraculously here where they are dead He propoundeth this question how it comes to passe that Martirs doe many times shew greater fauours and worke greater miracles in places where their bodies lie not and answereth in these wordes Where holy Martirs rest in their bodies 2. Dialog cap. vlt. no doubt but that they can doe many miracles as they doe vnto them that with a pure mind seeke for them but because weake mindes might doubt whether they be present to heare there where their bodies be not it is necessary that there they worke greater maruailes least weakelings should doubt of their presence but they whose mindes be fastned vpon God haue so much the more merit for that they know them not to lie there in body and yet not to faile to heare them Doe you note how he reputeth it to be a weakenesse of faith to doubt vvhether the Saints in heauen doe heare our praiers or no vvhich very doubt he resolueth in proper tearmes in another place where treating of the knowledge vvhich the soules departed haue doth say of the blessed soules in heauen 12. Moral cap. 13. Seing that the soules of the Saints doe inwardly behold the brightnesse of God almighty we must in no case beleeue that there is any thing without it which they are ignorant off That Churches were dedicated in the honour of Martirs and holy daies kept in remembrance of their deathes he vvitnesseth in twenty places That Masse was also said daily in eorum veneratione to their worship Lib. 7. Epist cap. 29. That Candels were lighted in the honour of S. Paul to testifie that he with the light of his preaching filled the world Lib. 12. Epist 9. See the last Epistle of the same booke vvhere he ordaineth that lights be taken to serue the high Altar of S. Medard Now for the loue and reuerence vvhich we ought to cary to their holy relikes let this serue A most religious Princesse vvho had in her owne Pallace built a Church in the honour of S. Paul made sute vnto S. Gregory to haue S. Paules Head or Handkercheefe to sanctifie and inrich the same to vvhom S. Gregory vvrote this answere Lib. 3. Epist 30. that he was very willing to pleasure her yet as sorry that he could not doe it in that sort For saith he the bodies of S. Peter and S. Paul doe in their Church glister and lighten with so many miracles and terrours that no man dare approach neere them not so much as to worship them without great dread but he trusted shee should not want the vertue of those holy Apostles whom with al her hart shee loued to protect her And touching the hand-kercheefe which shee demanded it did lie with the body and could not be touched more then the body it selfe yet that her most excellent grace might not be wholy frustrate of her religious desire he would send her some part of those chaines which S. Paul carried both about his necke and