and Sainct Luke they were not all thought able â— condemne those named hereticks which S. Ihâ— confounded Amonge the Epistles onely that of â— Paul to the Romans was sent into these parts â— was in a language wee did not vnderstand aâ— written after the faith of the Romans was spreâ— both in Britaine and all the world as Sainct Pâ— witnesseth fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuâ— Rom. 1. mundo The two Epistles of Sainct Peter accordiâ— to antiquity were written in Rome and after Bâ—taine had receaued the faith especially the last aâ— the first being longe doubted of was sent quite coâ— â—rary from Britayne vnto the contries of PoÌ„tus Gaâ—atia 2. Petr. 1. Capadocia Asia and Bithynia in the easterne â—arts Wee finde no memory after of Scripture reâ—eaued here vntill longe time after in the second â—ge expressed in Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to our â—ing Lucius And yet all our ProtestaÌ„t antiquaries â—ue before assured vs that Britaine had in the Aâ—stles time and longe before any Scripture came â—ther or probably was written and possibly in â—orall Iudgment could come hither receaued the â—ith of Christ so fully purely and sincerely that it â—euer changed it in any materiall point after the â—riptures were receaued here nor diuers hundreds â— yeares after And if wee will be directed by Scriptures in this â—int those which our Protestants allowe for such â—e testimony to vnwritten Traditions in many â—ces To exemplifie onely in Sainct Paul which â—ote most in the new Testament hee chargeth S. 1. Tim. 6. â—mothy and all others in him to keepe obserue â—ngs so deliuered without writinge O Timothee 2. Tim. 2. â—ositum custodi This in his first Epistle not haâ—ge written vnto him before And in his second â—stle hee giueth him commaund that the things â—ich he had heard froÌ„ Sainct Paul he should deâ—er vnto others fit to teach them Quae audisti a me â— multos testes haec commenda fidelibus hominibus â—idonei erunt alios docere And expressely comâ—undeth 2. Thessal 2. the Thessalonians and in them all in â— second epistle to them to obserue and keepe the â—aditions which they had learned either by word â— writinge State tenete traditiones quas didiciâ— siue per sermonem siue per epistolam nostram â—hich the Fathers expound of the necessity of keepinge vnwritten traditions as Catholiks now doe Hinc est perspicuum quòd non omnia per epistolaâ— Chrisost in 2. Thess orat 4. tradiderunt sed multa etiam fine scriptis eaquoque sunt fide digna Quamobrem Ecclesiae quoque traditionem censeamus esse fide dignam Est traditio nihil quaeras amplius And expoundinge that of S. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians hoâ— they kept his commaundements by word beforâ— he wrote vnto them sicuttradidi vobis praecepta mâ—tenetis he doth inferre the doctrine of Traditions ergo fine literis mult a tradidâ—rat quod alibi saepe meminit And Sainct Hierome vpon the same words Hier. in eadem Verba Tom. 9. quasi legem praecepta meatenetis scientes illum in â— spiritum loqui qui in lege locutus est prophetis Thâ— like hath S. Ambrose vpon the same and S. Epphanius Ambros in 1. Cor. Epiph. haeresi 69. oportet traditione vti non enim omnia diuina Scriptura possunt accipi Quapropter aliqua â— traditione Sancti Apostoli tradiderunt Quemadmdum dicit Sanctus Apostolus Sicut tradidi vobis â— alibi sic doceo sic tradidi in Ecclesijs Thus the best learned both Greeke and Latiâ— Fathers expounded these to inferre a necessity Traditions and their equality with Scriptuâ— Which our best Protestant writters with thâ— common allowance thus confirme Our aduer sarâ— Feild l. 4. c. 20. pag 238. meaninge Catholiks make traditions equall with words precepts and doctrines of Christ the Apostâ— and Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writinge â—ther is there any reason why they should not so doe they could proue any such vnwritten verities for not the writinge that giueth things their authority the worth and credit of him that deliuereth thâ— though by word and liuely voyce onely Thus tâ— confesse and the reason which they giue so enâ—ceth them the worth and credit of the reuealer and deliuerer or proposer of holy misteries supernaturall being the motiue and cause of mans assent so firme and vnmoueable in articles of faith not to be proued by humane reason and not the writinge or not writinge being fallible and subiect to many casualties corruptions and vncertainties which we are sure are not to be found in Christ the reuealer nor his holy Church the vndoubted true proposer of his mysteries and reuelations And both these are the same and as certaine in traditions not written such as Catholiks maintaine as in the written Scriptures For wee doe not defend any one vnwritten tradition that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation which be the very words of this Protestant Article of Religion but wee produce the Artic of Protest Relig. 20. highest authority in their owne publike Iudgment also in these their Articles the true primatiue Church of Christ to warrant it The which Church hath power and authority in controuersies of faith That euery tradition came from Christ and his Apostles to be receaued professed in Christian Religion As to instance in some and those which most concerne euen in our Protestants proceedings and by their owne confessions and testimonies vnwritten Traditions are necessary For first in this Engl Protest Rel. artic 6. very article they haue giuen their finall sentence in the very first words thereof that the holy Scriptures are of this nature Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation So that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation And yet in the immediatly following words they plainely declare and professe that wee haue noe warrant in Scripture for any booke chapter or sentence of Scripture to be such holy Scripture but for euery least percell thereof wee must resorâ— to Tradition and the Churches Iudgment In thâ— name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose authority was neuer any doubt in the Church Where weâ— are assured from these men that the Church anâ— Tradition vnwritten is supreme Iudge of all questions in Religion euen of the Scriptures themselues And so necessarily they must say confesse or els leaue no Religion or Scripture at all to bâ— proued or proue vnto vs. For it is vnquestionablâ— that no part of Scripture doth propose vnto vs anâ— Catalogue or Canon of Scriptures Which the thus further testifie in their publikely approueâ— Feild l. 4. pa. 238. c. 20.
writers much coÌ„ntention there hath beene about tradâ—tions some vrginge the necessity of them and others râ—iectinge them For the clearinge whereof wee must oâ—serue that wee reiect not all for first wee receaue tâ— number and names of the Authors of bookes diuine aâ— Couell cont Burg pag. 60. whitaker ib. Wotton def of Perk. pag. 442. Couell def of hook pag. 31. 34 32. 33. feild l. 4. c. 5. pag. 203. Ormer pict Pap. pag 93. Sutcliffeag the 3. conu pag. 79. canonicall as deliuered by tradition This tradition wâ— admit The number Authors and Integrity of the partâ— of these bookes wee receaue as deliuered by tradition Tâ— Church of Christ according to her authority receaued â— him hath warrant to approue the Scriptures to acknoâ—ledge to receaue to publish and commaunde vnto â— children The Church of Rome teacheth noe badde opâ—nion to affirme that the Scriptures are holy and diuiâ— in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority the Church That the Scriptures ar true wee haue it froâ— the Church Wee say that wee are taught to receaue â— word of God from the authoritie of the Church wee see her Iudgment wee heare her voyce and in humility subscribe vnto all this The Church hath fower singular offices towards the Scripture First to be of them as it were afaithfull register Secondly to discerne and Iudge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect The third to publish and diuulge to proclaime as a Crier the true Edict of our Lord himselfe The last is to be an Interpreter and in that followinge the safest rule to be a most faithfull Expositor of his owne meaninge Wee thinke that particular men and Churches may erre damnably But that the whole Church at one time cannot so erre for that the Church should cease vtterly for a time and so not be Catholike beinge not at all times Christ should sometimes be without a Church The Church is called a pillar because it is like vnto a pillar For as a pillar doth support and vnderproppe a buildinge and maketh it more stable firme and stronge So the Church doth sustaine and supporte the truth for the truth is no where preserued but in the Church Christs true Church is a diligent and wary keeper of doctrines committed to her and changeth nothinge at any time diminisheth nothinge addeth nothinge superfluous looseth not her owne nor vsurpeth things belonginge to others And this is publikely warranted in Protest Reli. of Engl. Art 19. these their Articles and Rule of their Religion where thus they define the Church The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached And the Sacraments be duely ministred accordinge to Christs ordinance Art 8. Catech. com Booke Iniunct Canons feild l. 4. c. 20. pag. 238. 239. in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same Secondly those men in their Rules of Religion and their priuate writers affirme that the Apostles Creede which by all Antiquity was by them deliuered to the Church and by these Protestants as Rule of faith before the Scriptures of the new Testament were written is an vnwritten Tradition yet by their words a summary comprehension of thâ— cheife heades of Christian Religion a Rule of thâ— Churches faith And yet it is constantly maintaineâ— by many Protestants that diuers articles thereoâ— as our Ladies perpetuall virginity natus ex Marâ— Virgine Christs descending into hell descendit aâ— inferos The communion of Saincts and forgiuenesse of sinnes Sanctorum communionem Râ—missioneâ— peccatorum and others by diuers others Protestantâ— are not contained in any Scripture written beforâ— or after And this Creede deliuered by word anâ— tradition onely by the Apostles before the new tâ—stament written this Scripture could not possiblâ— be a rule or direction vnto it but rather otherwisâ— for euery rule hath priority to the thinge ruled anâ— the things ruled posterity to their rule Matters aâ— done without rule when there is no rule vntill aftâ— they be acted These Parlament Protestants proceede furthâ— Feild supr pag. 239. in this question and plainely say with greate aâ—lowance The third kind of Tradition is that somme â— Christian doctrine and explication of the seuerall parâ— thereof which the first Christians receauinge of the saâ— Apostles that deliuered to them the Scriptures coâ—mended to posteritie This may rightly be named a tradâ—tion for that wee neede a plaine and distinct explicatiâ— of things which are somewhat obscurely contained the Scripture The fourth kinde of tradition is the contâ—nued practise of such as neither are contained in tâ— Scripture expressely nor the example of such practiâ— expressely there deliuered of this sorte is the Baptisme of Infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely deliuered in the Scripture that the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there founde that they should doe it Which their rule of Religion in these Articles thus further iustifieth The Baptisme of yonge children is in any wise to be retained Art of Engl. Prote Relig. Art 17. CommunioÌ„ Booke Tit. Baptisme The. Rog. in Art 27. Q. Elizab. and k. K. Iames Iniunct and Canons in the Church as most agreable with the institution of Christ Where they plainely in their publike rule of Religion make it a tradition and no Scripture article And by the coÌ„mon practicall of their religion their communion booke so they practise baptizinge all infants and sayinge all Christian Churches allowe of the baptisme of infants And these Protestants are onely baptized when they are infants and not after and yet confesse it is most necessary to saluation And whereas they reiect all other Sacraments besides Art of Relig. art 25. this and the Eucharist or the CoÌ„munion as they terme it confessing that these Sacraments be necessary to saluation And yet denyinge the Eucharist to be as Catholiks professe the true body and blood of Christ and sacrifice for the lyuinge and deade they contradict themselues for that they confesse that in this sinse it was generally vsed in Kinge Iames and Casanb resp ad Card. per. pa. 51. 52. 20. Middleâ— Papistom 20. p. 92. 113. 49. 137. 138. 47. 45. Feild l. 3. cap 29. p. 138. Couell Exa pag. 114. primitiue Church that the Apostles so deliuered it by tradition all Churches so obserued it and it was heresie to deny it Their words be The sacrifice of the altar and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primitiue Church The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altar for the deade sacrifice for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altar and offeringe the sacrifice of Eucharist from them and for this his rash and inconsiderate boldenesse and presumption in condemninge the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Their whole congregation Kinge Iames
nuncupamus quod sit vniuersalis diffundatur per omnes mundi partes ad omnia se tempora extendat nullis vel locis inclusa vel temporibus Seing alwayes there is onely one God one mediatour of God and men Iâ—sus the Messias also one Sheepheard of the vniuersall flocke one heade of this body to conclude one holy Ghost one saluation one saith one testament or league it necessarily followeth that there onely is one Church Which therefore wee name Catholike because it is Vniuersall and diffused through all parts of the world and extendeth it selfe to all times not concluded within any places or times This holy Church of God is called the house of the liueinge God builded of liuely and spirituall stones and seated vpon an vnmoueable rocke and vpon a foundation on which no other thing can be placed and therefore it is called the pillar and supporter of truth Haec Ecclesia Dei sancta vocatur domus Dei viuentis extructa ex lapidibus viuis spiritualibus imposita super petraÌ„ immotaÌ„ super fundamentuÌ„ quo aliud loc ari noÌ„ potest ideo nuncupatur etiam coluÌ„na basis verit atiâ— 1. Tim. 3. The Lutheran Religion or confession of Wittemberge saith credimus confitemur quod vna sit Confess Wirtemberg cap. de Eccl. sancta Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia iuxta Symbolum Apostolorum Nicaenum Quod haec Ecclesia â— Spiritu sancto ita gubernetur vt conseruct eum perpetuo ne vel erroribus vel peccatis pereat Quod in hac Ecclesi asit verapeccatorum remissio Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius iudicandi de omnibus doctrinis Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius interpret and aescripturae Ecclesia habet certam promissionem perpetuae praesentiae Christi Cap. de Concilijs gubernatur à Spiritu sancto Wee beleeue coÌ„fessâ— that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and Nicen Councell That this Church is so gouerned by the holy Ghost that he preserueth it for euer that it perish not either by errours or sinnes That in this Church there is true remissioÌ„ of sinnes thâ—â— this Church hath authority to Iudge of all doctrines That this Church hath authority to interpret the Scripture The Church hath certaine promise of the perpetuall presence of Christ and is gouerned by the holy Ghost By this it is euident by all Testimonies of this Apostolike age and these Protestants themselues that the true Church of Christ neuer did shall or can erre in any Iudgment decree sentence or profession in matters of faith but is pure Catholike and Apostolike in all such in all times and places And this article either denying or doubting of such power and prerogatiue in the true Church is very Idle or Antichristian taking away all certaine and holy Religion of Christ As also that the Church which was when these heresies began euen Catholike and vniuersall in all places and had beene so in all times before hath beene so euer since and still so continueth and florisheth is that true holy Catholike Apostolike Church which the holy Scriptures Fathers of this age and the Article of our Creede giue testimony vnto And the Protestant particular Confessions and congregations of Heluetia Fraunce England Scotland Belgia Poland Argentine Ausburgh Saxony Wittemberge the Palatine of Rheine Boheme and perhaps some others being onely of particular Contryes or Townes and onely of some and not all persons of them cannot be possibly Catholike for place and as vnpossibly for time the eldest of them by their owne testimony and confession vnknowne vntill the yeare of Christ 1530. the Confession of Ausburge first began not printed vntill the yeare 1540. the Confession of Boheme 1532. Heleutia 1536. Saxony 1551. England 1562. Scotland 1581. the like of the rest These nor any of them by the same reason can be Apostolike arising so many hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time None of all these can be that one Church which was euer those being diuers from that among themselues at warres both for Sacraments discipline doctrine None of their coÌ„gregations or coÌ„fessions yet hath brought forth any one man or woman knowne which in their owne Iudgment or senteÌ„ce is honoured or calendred for a Saint though their calenders chronicles and histories be full of Saints which were of the Roman Church and Religion They haue taken away and ouerthrowne many thousand foundations of holynesse and piety their owne first foundation in such kinde is yet to begin this cannot be the one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ which our Creeds doe teach vs being in all respects diametrically opposite or rather contradictory to whatsoeuer is or can be defined or described as they themselues define the true Church by those attributes properties or distinctiue differences to be one to be holy to be Catholike and vniuersall in all times places and points of doctrine and Sacraments and to be Apostolicall continued without intermission from the Apostles in sound and Apostolicall Christian Religion in all articles and matters of faith And thus it was confessed and professed by our Christian Britains from their first couersion in the Apostles time as these men themselues haue before deliuered THE IX CHAPTER The 21. Article so examined and condemned THE Article which followeth 21. in number is intituled of the authority of generall Councels And in these their words Generall Councels may not be grathered to gether without the commaundement and will of Princes And when they be gathered for asmuch as they be an assembly of meÌ„ whereof all be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God they may erre and some time haue erred euen in thinges pertaining vnto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to saluation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture Hitherto this English Protestant Article The first part of it requiring of necessity the commaundement and will of Princes for the validity of Councels is singular not onely against Catholiks but all Confessions of Protestants not any one consenting in this matter with our English Protestants as is euident in those confessions Neither doe the Protestants of Britaine agree herein but all they whom they terme Puritans or Disciplinarians are quite of an other opinion And the Parlament Protestants themselues of best Iudgment doe euen with publike allowance condemne it Thus with such approbation they write of themselues Protestant relation of Religion cap. 47. The Protestants are seuered bandes or rather scattered troopes each drawing diuers wayes without any meanes to pacifie their quarrels to take vp their controuersies No Prince with any preeminence of Iurisdiction aboue the rest no Patriarcke one or more to haue a common superintendance of care of their Churches for correspondancy and vnity no ordinary way to assemble a generall Councell the onely hope remaining euer to
for defence of the Catholike Faith and Iastlie by your Maiestie our last Queene MARIE by whom this land is blessed by a royall issue and as we hope shall in time be madâ— happie by restitution of the Catholike Religion ether in your owne oâ— your childrens dayes And the ratheâ— when England shall see by the Iudgement of the Apostles that the Catholike religioÌ„ aggreeth in all point with the religion taught deliuereâ— by the Apostles and first Apostolicalâ— preachers and that the Protestant religioÌ„ is discouÌ„tenaunced discarded condemned by them This shall appeare by this booke which I youâ— Maiesties most humble subiect aâ— old student in holie learning doe iâ— all dutifull manner present vnto youâ— wishing to your Gracious Maiestie and to our noble Souueraigne your deare Spouse a long and happie raigne in our great Brittainie such a temporall raigne amongst your subiectes as you may both raigne in heauen eternallie with God his Saintes and Angelles Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted subiect R. B. APPROBATIO CVm mihi constiterit ex testimonio fide digni S. Theol. Doctoris in hoc libro cui tituluâ— Apostolorum iudicium c. nihil inueniri Catholicae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium sed multâ— quae ostendunt religionem Catholicorum esse Apostolicam haereticorum verò Apostaticam censuâ— vtiliter praelo committi posse Actum Duaci die 23. Iunij 1632. GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Gollegiatâ— Ecclesiae S. Petri Praepositus Duaâ— censis Academiae Cancellarius librorum Censor THE FIRST CHAPTER CONCERNINGE THE FIRST 5. PROtestants Articles not differinge from the Apostles Religion and the Roman Church BEEINGE to enter into the Examen and comparison of the parlament protestant Articled Religion of England with the Religion of the present Church of Rome and â—e whole Christian world named Catholike â—or profession whereof the Catholiks of England â—y the protestants thereof haue longe tyme suffâ—red and still most constantly endure most bitter persecutions by the first knowne and confessed â—ue Christian Catholike Apostolike Religion â— the Apostles and that their happy age wee finde â—t in the first fiue Articles of this new Religion â—y difference or difficulty to be thus decided both â—atholicks and parlameÌ„tary protestants agreeing them all and they all beeing ordeyned by these proâ—tants against other Sectaries so soone within 4. â—ares of the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her Reigne reâ—eing old condemned heresies amongst them as their â—tories and registers remember and therefore it will â—re suffice onely to recite the Titles of these arâ—les to giue notice thereof The contents and title â— the first article are Of faith in the holy Trinity The second of the word or sonne of God which was made verymaÌ„ The 3. Of the going downe of Christ into hell The 4. Of the Resurrection of Christ The 5. Of the Holy Ghost The whole Article the Title being subiect to doubt is The holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne is of one substance Maiesty and glory with the Father and the Sonne very and eternall God Hitherto wee finde nothing against the doctrine of the Catholike Church Which noâ— vnlikely these men did rather to winnesome crediâ— at their entrance to be thought louers of truth then that they hated the enemies of these articles not yet suppressed among them THE SECOND CHAPTER Examining their 6. Article about Scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age THEIR next sixt Article intituled of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for Saluation â— thus holy Scripture containeth all things necessary â— saluation Soe that what soeuer is not read therein nâ— may be proued thereby is not to be required of any maâ— that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or â— thought requisite or necessary to saluation By the naâ— of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicâ— bookes of the old and new testament of whose authâ—rity was neuer any doubt in the Church And from tâ— number of those bookes which there they allowâ— to be canonicall They doe in expresse words aâ— tearmes reiect The booke of Tobias the booke of Iuditâ— the rest of the booke of Esther the booke of wisdomâ— Iesus the sonne of Sirach Baruch the Prophet the songe of the three children the story of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon the prayer of Manasses the first and second Bookes of the Machabees Concerning the new testament thus they adde all the bookes of the new testament as they are commonly receiued wee doe receiue and accompte them for canonicall This their Article is in their proceedings as the grounde worke and foundation whereupon their Religion is wholy framed and builded and yet so weake Feeble totteringe ruinous arid deceitefull that not any one true certaine and infallible point of doctrine as euery Article in true religion is can be framed vpoÌ„ it or from it so deduced by the expresse graunt of this article it selfe and of all English Protestants professed and sworne maintainers of it For whereas they sentence and define In the Art 6. supr name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose Field Booke of the Church lib. 4. cap. 5. wotton def of perk pa. 442. Couell ag Burg. pag. 60. def of Hooker pag. 31. 32. 33. proâ—â—st glosse on the 6. art Tho. Rogers ibid. authority was neuer any doubt in the Church They plainely make the Iudgment of the Church to be the highest tribunall in spirituall questions euen of the scriptures themselues And thus their best and cheife writers published by authority doe glosse and expound this article And of necessity so they must say except at their first entrance they will plainely confesse their religion and congregation their Church of England as they terme it to be erroneous or hereticall and to haue noe power or warrant at all to doubt deny or determine and propose what bookes be or be not Scriptures canonicall either of the old or new testament Or what one chapter or sentence in them is part or not part of such canonicall and vndoubted holy Scriptures for this power and prerogatiue being onely committed to the true Church by their Article and professors before if these men doubt or Iudge otherwise in this case then the true confessed Church hath hitherto done They can be noe part or members of that true Church And whatsoeuer is read or may be deduced from vntrue or doubted Scriptures cannot be possibly any certaine and vndoubted article of faith and religion For noe conclusion can be more certaine and vndoubted then the Maximes and authorities from which it is concluded but as the light of nature common law and vndeniable Maxime of true reasoning teacheth all men and all men truely acknowledge for a verity most certaine it euer followeth the weaker part euer erroneous doubtfull vncertaine or false if both or
be true nor the liberty therein allowed lawfull but wantonly licentious and damnable THE XXV CHAPTER Tbe 33. 34. Articles examined an in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned THeir 33. next article intituled of excommunicate persons how they are to be auoided containeth nothing contrarie to the doctrine or practise of the Church of Rome as is manifest in these the verie words thereof That person which by open denuntiation of the Church is rightly cut of from the vnity of the Church and excommunicate ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithfull as an heathen and publican vntill he be openly reconciled by pennance and receaued into the Church by a Iudge that hath authority thereto Therefore I passe it ouer and come to the next 34. article intituled Of the traditions of the Church and followeth in these words It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vterly like for at all times they haue beene diuers chaunged according to the diuersity of contries times and mens manners So that nothing be ordained against Gods word Whosoeuer through his priuate Iudgment willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be ordained and approued by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may feare to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authority of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren Hitherto this article seemeth to haue litle or no opposition to the Church of Rome but it may be passed ouer with silence The rest of it immediatelie thus followeth Euery particular and nationall Church hath authority to ordaine chaunge and abolish ceremonies orrites of the Church ordained onely by mans authority So that all things be done to edifying This clause is euidentlie false and prophane in itselfe for making euery particular Church many thousands such being in the world to be supreame iudge sentencer not onely to ordaine chaūge abolish ceremonies and rites of the vniuersall Catholike Church but to haue ouerruling authority to decree and commaund what is fit or fittest for edification taketh away all possible hope of edification and bringeth most certaine destruction confusion and desolation by making so many thousands of Supreame Iudges in these doubts as there be particular Churches which is a thinge most foolish and irreligious to affirme and vnpossible to be acted Further it is directly opposite repugnant to their owne 19. and 20. articles before of the Church and authoritie thereof In the 19. article they teach that all particular Churches euen the cheifest haue erred not onely in their liuing manner of ceremonies but also in matters of faith Therefore by these Protestants wee may neither admit so many or any one such erring false Iudge in such things Neither by their doctrine may wee stand to the censure of any particular nationall Church but onely of the one Catholike militant Church of Christ which as it is euer by that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Artic. 19. Church holy and vnspotted from errour so by these men in the same article it is thus assigned to be our onely true Iudge in these affaires The visible Churcb of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacramēts be dayly ministred according to Christs ordināce in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And in their next article of the same one onely Church thus they decree in these words of the authority of the Church The Church hath power to decrecrites or ceremonies and authority in Controuersies of faith And their best writers haue published with their common and best allowance this sentence in this Question The primatiue Councels haue condemned Couell Mod. exam p. 65. them as heretikes onely for being stiffely obstinate in this kinde of denying the ceremonies of the Church They exemplifie thus in Aerius Aerius Feild l. 3. cap. 29 pag. 138. Couel exam pag. condemned the custome of the Church For this his rash and inconfiderate boldnesse in cōdemnig the vniuersall Church of Christ was iustly condemned The custome ceremonie and tradition which this heretike denied and was therefore by these men iustlie condemned was as they confesse naming the deade at the altare and offering the sacrifice of Eucharist for them This is but a ceremony by them because they contend it is not contained is scripture nor may be proued thereby as they likewise haue pretended for all other things which their Articles before haue reiected both in Sacraments and other doctrines and customes which I haue proued against them and doe leaue them as alterable ceremonies vpon that feeble and vaine pretence Vnder this pretence they haue taken away all our Missals or orders of holie Masse vsed in all Churches with their religious ceremonie from the Apostles time as I haue proued before So they haue done by all rituals and ceremonials about the ministring the Communion Booke and Booke of Consecrat of King Edu 6. Franc. Mason and the Prot. of their consecrat in Mat. Parker Prot. art 36 infra Stat. in parlamento an 2. Eduardi 6. holy Sacraments and brought in their places the childish and womanlie deuises of a named communion booke by yong King Eduard 6. and Queene Elizabeth and an other named and stiled by them The forme and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons quite omitting all other orders euer vsed in all Churches from Christs time and these fashions neuer vsed before by their owne cōfession by anie Christian Britans Saxōs French or others in this Kingdome or all the world but to vse their owne words in these articles lately set fourth in the time of Eduard the sixt and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parlament the second yeare of the aforenamed King Edward He then being about eleuen yeares old a farre to yonge censurer Iudge and condemner of all Churches with their holie vniuersallie receaued ceremonies to bring in so straunge and childish an Innouation We are assured by the Apostolike men of this first age and others that euen from the Apostles there were manie particular ceremonies deliuered to be immutably vsed in all Churches Thus S. Clement and S. Dionisius the Areopagite Clem. Rom. Apost const lib. 8. cap. 29. Dion Areop Ecclesiastic Hierarc c. 2. with diuers others deliuer of hallowing oyle and water to heale diseases driue away deuils and and like effects settinge downe the verie manner how to sanctifie them Domine Deus Sabaoth Deus virtutum qui dedisti aquam ad bibendum oleum ad exhilarandum faciem in exultationem laetitiae ipse etiam nunc sanctifica per Christum hanc aquā oleum ex nomine eius qui obtulit tribue
the dead reueâ—nced the signe of the crosse other holy Images â—d sacred Reliks said or heard Masse and praâ—ized other Christian rites and duties which proâ—stants deny to be contained in or proued by â—cripture Tertullian lyuing and writing as many testifie â—en Protestants before Pope Eleutherius time Tertull. l. de praescription Magdeburg Centuâ— 3. col 34. c. 4. col 240. 241. Sutcl subu p. 4. Whitg def Respon pag. 96. â—d witnessing Britayne had in his dayes receaued â—e faith of Christ euen in those parts thereof wheâ—er the Pagan Romans could neuer come loca â—omanis inaccessa speaketh of the traditions before â—membred as both his owne works Catholiks â—d Protestants proue in these words Tertullianus â— genere de doctrina suae aetatis inquit eam consentire cum Ecclesijs Apostolicis eamque consensum câ— cordiam communem esse omniuÌ„ Ecclesiarum in Europâ— in Asia in Africatestatur That this the doctrine his time did agree with all Apostolike Churches thaâ— was the common consent and concordance of all â— Churches in Europe in Asia in Afrike And thouâ— wee assigne a somewhat later time to Tertullian others doe in the later end of the second age â— when he so confidently and generally assignâ— this common consent of all Churches of Britaiâ— Fraunce Spaine Italy all Europe Asia and Afriâ— in these holy Christian doctrines thus impugned Protestants hauing therein the consent of all Aâ—stolik Churches wee must needs say whether tâ— were receaued and professed from Scriptures Traditions being longe before any generall Coâ—cels kept by the generall confessed rule of the â—thers and Protestants before they must needâ— deliuered by authority of the Apostles non â— authoritate Apostolica traditum certissimè crediturâ— And the first receauing of the holy Scriptureâ— Britayne which wee finde in Antiquities was in â— time of Pope Eleutherius and from the Churcâ— Rome the same Catalogue of Scriptures it tâ— vsed and still vseth as wee finde in the epistlâ— Eleuth Pap. epist ad Lucium Regem Britan. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. in epist Eleuther Stow. hist Romans that holy Pope to Kinge Lucius suscepistis nâ— miseratione diuina in Regno Britaniae legem fiâ— Christi Habetis penes vos in Regno vtramque pagiâ— You haue there in your Kingdome both testamentâ— our Protestants translate it or both parts of Scripturâ— THE THIRD CHAPTER The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Romane Church condemned by this first Apostolike age HAVING thus absolutely and at large confuted and ouerthrowne by the Apostolike â—ge the last Article the erroneous ground of all â—rotestant Religion wee may be more breife in â—he rest being all at the least generally confuted â—nd ouerthrowne in their false foundation so deâ—royed And vntill wee come to their 11. Article â—tituled of the Iustification of man It may be queâ—ioned whether any of them doth in common and â—robable construction and meaninge oppose the â—oman Church or no. And for the two next the 7. â—nd 8. Articles it is most certaine and euident the â—rst of them being intituled of the old testament only â—acheth The old Testament is not contrary to the new â—nd the other stiled of the three Creeds is in tâ—e â—me condition onely affirming The three Creedes â—icene Creede Athanasius Creede and tâ—â—â—â—hich is â—mmonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly â— be receaued and beleeued But the reason hereof â—hich thus they yeeld for they may be proued by most â—rtaine warrantes of holy Scripture is both before â—onfuted very friuolous for neither is the Scripâ—re the compleate Rule of Religion neither was â—e Scriptures of the new testament written when â—e Apostles deliuered their Creede to the Church â—or the Scriptures agreed vpon vntill after both â—e Creedes of the Nicene Councell and Sainct Athanasius were generally receaued and professâ— by all Catholiks as is already made manifest eueâ— by Protestants themselues aswell as other Authoâ— of more worthy credit The next Article is intâ—tuled of Originall or birth sinne And was expresseâ— concluded by them against the Pelagians denyiâ— originall sinne in man as they expouÌ„d themseluâ— naming the Pelagians and their heresie there wiâ— a confutation of it in their proceedings holdiâ— that Originall sinne in those that be not baptizeâ— deserueth Gods wrath and damnation Yet in the lâ— and concluding words of the Article their phraâ— of speach hath perhaps giuen occasion to some pâ—ritane Nouelists to thinke they held as these mâ— Caluin and such doe that concupiscence withoâ— assent is sinne The words be Although there is â— Artic. 9. supr condâ—mnation for them that beleeue and are baptizâ— yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence lâ— Thomas Rogers in Articul 9. Confes Helu 2. c 9. Saxon. ar 2. 20. hath of it selfe the nature of sinne A Puritane glosser vpon this place saith Conâ—piscence euen in the regenerate is sinnâ— Among foâ—tâ—ene Protestant Confessions he citeth but two fâ— his opinion by his owne exposition And so seauâ— to one by his owne argument of Protestant authâ—rity he is deceaued And the Puritan Heluetian â—sembly Protest Engl. Art art 10. Caluin lib. 1. Instit c. 5. l. 2 c. 2. 3. a. lib. l 3. c. 3. Ant Wotton against D. Bish pa. 112. ruled by Caluine holdeth this besides tâ— other errour which our English Protestants deâ— in ther next article that man hath not free will â— doe well or fly sinne And he plainely confesseâ— that all the primatiue Fathers sufficient for tâ— purpose are against him holding concupiscenâ— without assent to be no sinne Omnium sententâ—â— So do our English Puritans also which hold thâ— errour acknowledge and it is apparant euen â— â—e words of this article before related that the Enâ—ish Protestants doe no otherwise terme coÌ„cupisâ—nce sinne then materially as the Apostle doth â—hose onely authority they vse in that matter and â—ot properly and formally as sinne is truely and â— right sense vsed and taken hauing liberty and â—nsent of minde annexed vnto it otherwise Inâ—nts Ideots frantike madde men without iudgâ—ent and men sleepinge doinge the materiall part â— things sinfull should also sinne or if the flesh of â— selfe the vegetatiue or sensitiue power abstraâ—ing from reason could sinne creatures onely haâ—ng beeing vegetation and sense might and should â—nne equally as those that be reasonable Beasts â—shes fowles plants herbes and trees would be â—oth capable and guilty of sinne And our English Protestants in their commuâ—on booke of as greate credit and approued by as â—reate authority with them and their Religion as â—ese articles acknowledge that the baptized are deade Communion Booke Titul ministrat of publike Baptisme And Catechisme â— sinne And the whole body of sinne is vtterly aboliâ—ed in them They promise and vowe to for sake the â—uill and all his workes the carnall desires of the flesh â—d not to followe and be ledde by them obediently to â—epe Gods commaundements
proued by the greate temporall prouision of Horses other beasts and instruments of carriage in care peragenda multum attulit subsidij authoritas Imperatoris ac nutus qui nonnullis fecit potestatem equis publicè ad iter celeriter conficiendum dispositis vtendi alijs permagnum iumentorum instratorum quibus vcherentur numerum suppeditauit This is manifest by his prouision of the place of their assembly with Seats dyet all necessaries in his owne palace and he himselfe would not set downe vnlesse entreated or vrged by the Bishops Non priùs sedit Ecseb sup ca. 10. Socrates l. 2. hist cap. 5. quam Episcopi ad id innuissent And to put it out of all contradiction or question that he onely vsed his temporall power in this busines referring all spirirituall things to the Bishops and nothing of that nature to himselfe he did in open councell protest and confesse that they had power from God to Iudge of Kings and Emperours and these no such power at all ouer Bishops None but God could Iudge them They by God were constituted as Gods ouer men no man could bee their Iudge Ait ad Episcopos Deus vos constituit Ruffin lib. 1. histor cap. 2. Sozomen hist Eccl. l. 1. cap. 16. Sacerdotes potestatem vobis dedit de nobis quoque iudicandi ideo nos à vobis rectè iudicamur Vos autem non potestis ab omnibus iudicari Propter quod Dei so lius inter vos expectate iudicium Vos nobis à Deo dati estis dij conueniens non est vt homo iudicet Deos sed ille solus de quo scriptum est Deus stetit in Synagoga deorum in medio autem Deos discernit Mihi non est fas cum homo sim eiusmodi causarum cognitiâ—nem arrogare Theodorit saith that he would not Theodorit l. 1. hist Eccl. cap. 7. sit downe vntill he had first asked and obtained leaue of the Bishops Paruo in soliolo posito assedit praefatus veniam prius petita concessione ab Episcopis Hee did not intermeddle in defining or deecreing Ruffin hist Eccl. l. 1. ca 5. Sozom. hâ—st Eccl. l. 1. c. 19. the Canons of that councell but left that to the holy Bishops And when they had giuen their sentence and subscribed vnto it being brought to the Emperour he reuerenced it as the sentence of God protesting to bannish whosoeuer should oppose against it as contradicting the decrees of God Defertur ad Constantinum Sacerdotalis concilij sententia Ille tanquam à Deo prolatam veneratur Cui si quis tentasset obniti velut contra diuina statuta venientem in exilium se protestatur acturum Which he performed to Arius and 6. others all the rest subscribing Sex soli cum Ario se patiuntur expâ—lli reliqui Epist Const apud Euseb l. 3. de vita c. 16. 17. 18. Socrat. lib 1. c. 6 hist Theodor. hist lib. 1. cap. 10. Constant ep ad Ecclesias de Nic. Synodo apud Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant ca. 16. alios vndecim consilio inter se habito acquicscunt ad subscribendum manu sola non mente So he himselfe writeth in diuers epistles recorded by Eusebius Socrates Theodorit and others neuer taking vpon him to be a Iudge or commaunder in or ouer Ecclesiasticall men and matters But wholly leauing such affaires to the councell of Bishops protesting that in such times of controuersies as that was vnity of faith sincere charity and true worship in Religion could not be preserued except either all or the greatest part of the Bishops should assemble together and euery of them giue his Iudgment in things belonging to most holy Religion Vt in Sanctissima Catholicae Ecclesiae multitudine vna fides sincera charitas consentiens erga Deum omnipotentem religionis cultus seruaretur Istud haud poterat in loco tuto firmoque collocari nisi vel omnes Episcopi vel maxima eorum pars in vnum conuenisset singulique sâ—â—â— iudicium de rebus ad sacratissimam Religionem pertiâ—entibus interposuissent And by this it also appeareth to whom the title right and authoritatiue power of callinge councels euen generall which concerne the whole Catholike Church of Christ belongeth To no temporall King Emperour or Prince as is manifest before and in it selfe euident when hitherto no such man had or claimed any power spirituall or temporall in or ouer those contries and Kingdomes from which came to many coÌ„fessed generall councels hundreds of Bishops and so wee should deny there euer was any one lawfull generall councell when all agree there haue beene 20. or more and our Protestant of England by publike Parlaments Canons statutes decrees and practise haue receaued many for such And so the Church of God hath euer from Christ beene destitute of this Soueraigne helpe and so is now and euer like to be in that desolate condition in hauing no remedy to end the Controuersies which now be and hereafter are to growe to the end of the world For it is rashe and madde lyeing foolinesse to affirme or coniecture that there either now is or euer shall be such an vniuersally ouerruling temporall Prince in the world No spirituall Patriarke or potentate of Antioche Alexandria Hierusalem or Constantinople euer claymed this prerogatiue and if they had it could not possibly be their due Constantinople was not builded when this first generall Councell was kept and the Patriarkes of them all haue beene either quite ouerthrowne or very obscure and wanting all meanes and power diuers hundreds of yeares when many confesseâ— generall Councels haue beene called and assembled Mutuall assent without a Superiours commaunding ability is by experience vnpossible aâ— ordinary or equall Bishop or Bishops could not do it hauing no iurisdiction the one ouer the other par in parem non habet authoritatem much lesse oueâ— Superiours whose presence is more and most requisite and needfull in such cases places and times Therefore wee must of necessity coÌ„fesse this power to be the peculiar right of the onely Popes of Româ— for the times beeing They in these and such controuersies from the dayes of the Apostles and by their order and allowance both claymed and practized and so wee after so many hundreds of yeares in times of Controuersie and contention may not deny it especially when denying it wee shall deny all hope and meanes to decide and end the most daungerous debates in Religion Pope Iulius in his epistle to Bishops assembled at Antioche a patriarchall See claymeth that Councels could not be called without the Pope of Rome that the Eccleasticall Canon was so and decrees otherwise made were voyde Canon Ecclesiasticus vetat ne decreta Iulius Pap. ep ad Episcopos Antiochiae Socrates hist Eccl. l 2. c. 13. Sozomen hist Eccl. l. 2. cap. 9. absque sententia Episcopi Romani Ecclesijs sanciantur Legem esse ad Sacerdotij dignitatem spectaâ—tem quae pronunciat
anathematizing all gaynesayers vnto it Omnes quâ— ausi fuerint dissoluere definitionem Sancti magâ—â— Concilij quod apud Nicaeam tongregatum est anathematizamus Et dixerint omnes placet Things concluded and confirmed for the whole Church by so many and greate authorities and their deniall so seuerely punished must needs be of highest and vnfallible truth The Apostles themselues in their Councels before haue giuen vndoubted testimony to this if they Ignat. epist â—d Polycarp epist ad Her had not by their Councels prefigured and giuen testimoy to the infallible verity of the decrees of generall Councels Their so many assembles and Councels might haue beene spared for whatsoeuer any one of them did or should haue decreed was without question true in matters of faith otherwise wee might call all their sacred writings the whole new testament into question The Apostolike men of the first age haue giuen like euidence before And among them S. Ignatius who would haue such councels often kept Crebrius celebrentur Conuentus Synodique doth make their decrees and constitutions of so greate and vnquestionable power and authority that he which doth otherwise although he is in other things worthy of credit although he fasteth although he liueth in virginity doth miracles and prophesieth is to be accompted for a wolfe which vnder a sheeps skin bringeth destruction and bane to the sheepe Quicunque dixerit quippiâ—â— praeterea quae constituta sunt tamet si fide dignus 〈◊〉 quamuis ieiunet quamuis in virginitate degat qâ—amnis signa edat quamuis prophetet pro lupo illum â—â—â—eas qui sub oninae pelle exitium pestemque adfert â—â—ibâ—â— So vnpossible he maketh it that such decrees should be vntrue And the first Nicen Councell Concil Nic. in Symbolo apud Ruffin l. 1. hist Eccl. c. â— Socrat. l. 1. hist c. 6. declaring that a generall Councell is the Catholike Church and reason so warrantinge by errour of such a Councell the whole Church might erre in articles of faith And that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Church euer most true might be false at sometimes which is a thing most prophane and Antichristian to be affirmed For if a generall Councell representing the whole Church ruling gouerning and teaching it in the cheifest Bishops and Pastours there present might erre the whole Church both the Gouernours and gouerned therein must needs be in the same desolate estate And our Protestant Bishops and Doctours Engl. Protest in Bilson Suru p. 82. Morton part 2. Apolog. p. 340. l. 4. c. 18. feild p. 228. with their publike allowance and approbation doe thus giue warrant vnto vs. The authority of generall Councels is most holsome in the Church A generall Councell is highest Iudge Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to subiect euery man that shall disobey such determinations as they consent vpon to excommunication and censures of like nature Wee must receaue and respect the authority L. 4. c. 5 pag. 202. of all Catholike Doctours whose doctrine and writings the Church alloweth wee must more regard the authority of Catholike Bishops more then these the authority of the Apostolike Churches amongst them more especially the Church of Rome of a generall Councell more then all these False it is that wee admitte no Iudge but Scriptures Sutcliff ag D. Kell pag. 40. 42. for wee appeale still to alawfull generall Councell This being thus generally written with authority and in the name of all Protestants especially in England they must needs graunt that generall Councels be of infallible IudgmeÌ„t in articles of religion otherwise there is no meanes left to finde the truth but wee might and must wander from one false deceitfull rule to an other without end And seeing euery Court and Consistory froÌ„ which appeales are or may be made is inferiour more vncertaine and of lesse authority then that Seate of Iudgment to whom it is appealed it is most certaine by these Protestants themselues that they which neuer had haue or as before can haue hereafter any generall Councell to which they must appeale as they doe cannot haue any possible title to true religion for themselues or the least colour or pretence of Iustice or Religion for such monstrous and horrible penalties and cruelties as are inflicted to enforce the Catholiks so many generall Councels consisting of diuers hundreds of learned and holy Bishops or to perswade them to embrace their Protestant professions which neuer had any lawfull Bishop according to this fift Councell Illud generaliter clarum est quod si quis praeter Concil Nic. can 6. Ruffin l. 1. hist Eccl. in Concil Nicen. sententiam Metropolitani fuerit factus Episcopus eum magna Synodus definiuit non esse Episcopum That is generally manifest that if any man is made a Bishop against the will or likeing of the Metropolitane this greate Councell doth define that he is no Bishop And so can make no Bishop or Preist So by this most holy Councell so often and authoritatiuely receaued by our English Protestants as is before declared they neither haue nor possibly hereafter by their proceedings can haue any one Archbishop Bishop Preist or Clâ—â—â—gy man among them for if their pretended â—â—â—ner of constitution were true which wee haue inâ—â—ncibly proued otherwise yet they themselues and all other writers confesse they had not the assent but vttermost dissent and disagreement of any domesticall or forreine Metropolitane for their new Religion or consecratioÌ„ But this sacred Councell euen in those Canons which our Protestants Nicen. Conâ— can 14. receaue doth vtterly condemne the pretended consecration and ministry of England erected against the Catholike sacrificing Preisthood assuring vs that true Preists did offer sacrifice and this Sacrifice was the body of Christ Presbyteri offerendi sacrificij habeÌ„t potestatem Offerunt corpus Christi It maintained the Popes Supremacy as before It receaued more Scriptures then Protestants doe librum Iudith Synodus Hieron praef in librum Iudith Concil Nic. can 11. 13. 14. Can. 3. Nicaena in numero Sanctarum scripturarum legitur computasse It approueth Indulgences in 4. Canons and giueth authority to Bishops in such cases It forbiddeth Clergy men to keepe any women in their howses but mother Sister grandmother Aunt They declared it to be the old tradition of the Church that Ecclesiasticall men might not marry and so commaunded Qui in clerum ante ascripti Socrates hist l. 2. c. 2. Sozomen hist Eccles l. 1. c. 22. erant quà m duxissent hi secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem deinceps à nuptijs se abstinerent By which the Protestants Church is vtterly disabled and ouerthrowne by their owne rule and article before neither hauing the true word preached Sacraments duely ministred Church rightly gouerned nor any one man among them to performe most needfull functions and duties by their owne definitiue sentence Their conclusion of this article Things ordained by
generall Councels as necessary vnto saluation hâ—â—e neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scriptures This is aboundantly before confuted where I entreated of their article of Scriptures So it is by that is deliuered in this Councell which they wholy and without any the least exception admit For in denyall of marriage vnto Cleargy men it hath done it by the old Apostolike tradition of the Church Can. 6. 7. secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem So they doe in the true gouernment of the Church by the Pope and Patriarkes Antiqua consuetudo Antiqua mores Mos antiquus Seruetur Seruentur Consuetudâ— obtinuit antiqua traditio Yet true gouernment of the Church is with them an essentiall property of the true Church vnseperable and so necessary to saluation So is the true Cleargy and consecration as also the holy Sacrifice Sacrament of the altar really containing the body of Christ yet by these men not to be declared by Scriptures they finding no such thing in them And these Protestants themselues with publike Protest of Engl. in feild libr. 4. of the Church pag. 228. allowance write Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to interpret Scriptures and by their authority to suppresse all them that gaine say such interpretation Therefore if there were question of truely interpreting Scripture Protestants must yeeld to generall Councels and not these to them particular Churches if the Protestant was such must of duty and necessity submit themselues to the vniuersall and Apostlike Catholike such as a generall Councell is as the first Nicen Councell in the Creede thereof which Protestants receaue doth declare it selfe and such generall Councels to be and so inflicteth censures Anathematizat Caâ—â—olica Symb. Niceâ— Ruffin lib. 1. hist c. 5. Soc. l. 1. hist c. 6. Apostolica Ecclesia Therefore wee are sure a generall Councell cannot erre in expounding Scriptures or any decree of faith That our Christian Britains were of this minde opinion and profâ—ssion their Bishops with longe and tedious labours present at the greate primitiue Councels of Arles Sardice Ariminum and others by all witnesses and with our King and Emperour at Nice in most probable Iudgment also Rome and the sacred Nicen Councell here then authentically receaued and embraced by all holy writers giue aboundant testimony THE X. CHAPTER The 22. Article thus likewise examined and condemned THE next article the 22. in number is intituled of Purgatory And is thus The Romish doctrine The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and other satisfaction for the true faithfull deceased practised in this first agâ— concerning Purgatory pardons worshipping and adoration aswell of Images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saincts is a fond thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warranty of Scripture but rather repâ—gnant to the word of God Much matter in few words many things peremptorily affirmed nothing proued All false and foolish also where as they would haue all thing grounded vpon warranty of Scripture so many times by theÌ„ affirmed and as often by me before confuted And to take their assertions in order beginning with their first about the Romish their phrase doctrine concerning Purgatory This is thus set downe in the Councels of Florence and Trent If men truely ponitent depart this life in the loue of God before they haue satisfied for their sinnes their soules are purged with the paines of Purgatory And that they may be releiued from such paines the suffrages of the saithfull aliue to wit sacrifice of Masse prayers and almes and other offices of piety which by the faithfull are vsed for other faithfull people according to the instituâ—â—ons Concil Flor. Concil Tâ—id Sessione 4. can 30. of the Church doe profit them Definimus si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfeâ—eriâ—â— omissis eorum animas paenis Purgatorij purgari Et vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur prodesse his viuorum fidelium suffragia Missarum scilicet sacrificio orationes eleemosynas pietatis officia quae à fidelibus proaijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt secundum Ecclesiae institutae Nor is this the Romish onely but also the Greekish and Catholike doctrine of the Church of Christ So is affirmed by Gennadius their learned Patriarke in his defence of the recited Councell of Florence The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and Sacrifice Gâ—nad Schol. in defens CoÌ„cil Floraent def â— cap. 3. for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles That which the Laâ—â—nes call purgatorium purgatory they of the Greeke Church name catharterion a purging place They were onely Scismaticorum Sectatores followers of Scismatikes which denied it This is likewise confessed Relation of Relig. c. 53. 54. 55. by our English Protestants and knowne vnto all trauaylers either into the contries or writers of the Greekes Now let vs see whether it was the doctrine of the Apostolike age or noe The Greeke Patriarke hath before affirmed it So will our Protestants hereafter And the Apostolike men of this age affirme and proue it Sainct Clement saith his Master and predecessour Sainct Clem. Rom. Epist 1. Peter among other things did teach mortuos sepelire diligenter corum exequias peragere proque eis orâ—â—e eleemosynas dare To bury the deade and diligently performe their funerals and pray and giue almes for them He deliuereth further how in their publike Constitut Apost l. 8. c. 19. Church seruice and Sacrifice of that time among their prayers for other necessaries they prayed for the faithfull departed out of this world Pro ijs qui infide quieuerunt oremus And from Iames Alphaeus named the Brother of our Lord frater Domini he setteth downe the manner how the Deacon vsed publikely to giue warning in the time of the holy Sacrifice to pray for the soules of the faithfull deceased deliuering the very prayer commonly vsed in such cases directly proueing a place of Purgatory and prayer for the deliuery of the faithfull departed from thence with a remission of all punishment they had deserued and were to suffer vntill they were by such meanes freed thereof Pro defunctis qui in Christo requieuerunt L. 8. supr cap. 47. iuxt al. 40. 41. postquam Diaconus edixit orandum esse adiunget etiam haec oremus profratribus nostris qui in Christo requieuerunt vt Deus summae erga homines charitatis qui animam defuncti suscepit remittat ei omne peccatum voluntarium non voluntarium propitius illi factus collocet eam in regione piorum qui laxati sunt in sinu Abrahae Isaac Iacob cum omnibus qui à saeculo condito Deo placuerunt vnde fugit dolor maeror gemitus And againe ipse nunc respice hunc seruum tuum quem in aliam sortem elegisti assumpsisti condona ei si quid tum volens tum
the other containing the Image of Christ and his 12. Apostles and was there worshipped in the Church Aliud quoque aliquanto maius linteum in Dorothaeus Synop. de vita morte propheâ—arum in Ierem. Ecclesia illa veneratur quod fertur à Sancta Maria contentum duodecim Apostolorum ipsius Domini continens Imagines vno latere rubro altero viridi S. Dorotheus writeth that Ieremy the Prophet prophesying of the coming of Christ gaue this for a certaine token and signe to know the time because all people then should worship the crosse Signum aduentus ipsius erâ—t â—obis quando vniuersae Pallad hist laus in vit Apollinis Soâ— hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Cassio l. 6. c. 42. Niceph. l. 10. c. 31. Guliel Eisengren centen 1. part 1. distinct 3. Volater câ—mmen l. 13. Pet. de Natal l. 3. c. 228. gentes lignum adorabunt And gaue an other signe as certaine and notorious as the other to the Preists of Egypt where he prophesied that when the Messias should be borne of a Virgin and ly in a manger all their Idols should be broken and fall downe which the Prophet Esay also thus foretold mouebuntur simulachrae Aegypti à facie eius Which all writers Greeke and Latine Catholiks and Protestants confesse and proue to haue beene â—ffected when Christ newly borne with his mother fledde into Egypt the Idols of that nation most Idolatrous then fallinge downe And to make euident euen to blinded men that Christian Images be not idols or forbidden but allowed and to be reuerenced at that very time when the idols were thus miraculously destroyed the holy Prophet both appointed the Egyptians to make Christian Images namely of Christ and his blessed mother and reuerence Dorothaeus supr them which they did And this was both publikly and by all practized and by their King as authentically examined and approued Ieremias signum dedit Sacerdotibus Aegyptiacis quòd oporteat simulachra eorum concuti decidere per seruatorem puerum ex virgine nasciturum in praesepi iaciturum propterea etiam nunc virginem in lecto Infantem in praesepio collocant adorant Et cum causam olim Ptolomaeus Rex percontaretur responderunt mysterium esse ipsis a maioribus traditum quod illi a sancto Propheta acceperint SuetoÌ„ in Aug. lactant firm Aug. l. de inuitat Mart. Polon chron in Augusto Ran. Highed hist l. 4. c 2. 3. Herâ—â— Schedel aetat 5. fol. 93. Speed Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Annal. Eccles Chart. in Gallia Francisc Belleforest Cosmog l. 2. p. 303. in Iud. v. druid alij This was likewise reuealed to Augustus the Emperour by the apparition of a Virgin with a child in her armes from heauen And he fell downe and worshipped the Image or apparition And is commended for it by all writers Apertum est coelum nimius splendor irruit supereum vidit in coelo pulcherrimam virginem stantem super altare puerum tenentem in brachijs Et miratus est nimis vocem dicentem audiuit Haec ara filij Dei est Qui statim proijciens se in terram adorauit This was the doctrine and practise of the Druides of this Kingdome aâ—d Fraunce whome our Protestants merueylouslie commend vnto vs for hauing a Prophesie among them that the Sauiour of the world should be borne of a virgin they erected Churches Images vnto theÌ„ namely at Charters in FrauÌ„ce Where their Prince and they both founded such a Church with an Image of the blessed virgin with Christ in her armes and worshipped it as the auncient tradition and Annals of that Church with others proue The Image or signe of the Crosse is not so resembling representatiue of Christ or his PassioÌ„ as the Images of Christ and his Saincts be of them especially that being a common Instrument of death in the greate Romane Empire at the death of Christ And yet in honour of Christ suffering death and râ—deeming the world by his passion vpon a Crosse The signe â—nd Image thereof was presently after his death euen by his Apostles disciples and first Christians in this age had and vsed with greate reuerence and honour I may be more breife in this matter seeing our Protestants by their greatest euen regall authority haue thus declared The signe King Iames and his B. B. confer at Hampt Couel ag Burg. p. 139. 124. 125. Communion Booke Tit. publike Baptisme of the Crosse is an Apostolicall constitution and Tradition And so they vse in their publike practicall communion booke at the baptisme of euery child thus prescribing for a rule and law The Preist shall make a Crosse vpon the childes forchead saying wee receaue this child into the congregation of Christs flocke and doe signe him with the signe of the Crosse in token that hereafter â—e shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to sight vnder his banner against sinne the world and the deuill and to continue Christs faithfull seruant vnto his lines end Amen Therefore if by so greate a Protestant warrant and profession the signe of the Crosse is so honorable that it is an Apostolicall constitution binding and commaunding all an Apostolicall tradition to be religiously kept and obserued of all so honorable and necessary a profession confession and testimony of our faith and Religion neuer to be denied that when wee were infants and could not doe this of our selues it was and ought to be performed by others for vs as our whole faith was so professed for vs in our baptisme much more ought all Christians coming to yeares of Iudgment and discretion performe those holy bondes and duties by themselues And that our Protestants need not feare they haue herein donne or graunted too much they shall heare the Apostolike men of this age from whom they haue in some sorte borrowed this their doctrine practise and confession deliuer the Apostolike doctrine vse custome farre more plainely amply and honorably in this busines The old Anonymus writer of the Apostles liues Fredic Nausea ep Vienn Prooemen in vit Apostol Anonym antiq in vit S. Thomae Apost Idem in vit S. Bartholomaei published by the learned Bishop Fredericus of Vienna allmost an hundred yeares since and then the exemplar exceeding old characteribus plusque vetustis inscriptum writeth that Sainct Thaddeus cured Kâ—ng Abgarus with the signe of the Crosse imposito Regi crucis signaculo ab omni eum languore sanauit An holy Angell engraued in square stones foure Crosses in euery corner of the Church one per quatuor angulos circumuolans digito sâ—â— in quadrâ—tis saxâ—s sculpsit signum crucis And gaue Charge to make the signe of the Crosse on their foreheads Quale signum ego sculpsi in his saxis tale vos digitâ— Id. in vit S. Ioan. Apost vestro facite in frontibus vestris omnia mala â—â—gient a vobis Sainct
authoritie giuen vnto them in the congregation Churche they meane to call and send ministers in the Lords vineyard But I haue proued before in particular and euery of their Articles more then halfe of them in order without excepting any one inuincibly confuted proue the same that these men art no part parcell or congregation of the true Church of Christ and so no men among them can pretend to haue authoritie publike or other to send Ministers in the Lords vineyard being themselues no members or parsons commaundeing or to be commaunded consecrating or to be coÌ„secrated therein much lesse to haue such publike authoritie in it as this Article appointeth for this busines Secondly there were no men amonge them at the makinge of these Articles nor at the birth of thir Religion here in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth which had or possibly in their proceedings could haue any such publik authoritie to call and send Mininisters in the Lords vineyard For their whole congregation consisted of a woman Queene Elizabeth their pretended cleargie and others confessed meerely temporall men Lette vs take all these eyther ioyntly togeather as in parlament or by themselues seuerally and no such publik authoritie will be founde in them The Queene a woman by Sexe was neyther men nor man haueing such authoritie and their 37. Article denyeth any such prower in her eyther 〈◊〉 â—â—â—selfe or others All their pretended Bishops â—â—â—re by all Consistories Ecclesiasticall Tempoâ—â—ll euen the parlament and Iudgements in the Temporall lawe adiudged to haue no such authoâ—iâ—ie The first parlament of Q. Elizabeth which reâ—iued Stow hist in Q. Mary an 1. an 1. of Q. Elizabeth Parker Ant. Brit. in Tho. Cranmar Godwin Catal. of Bish. solpe Hollin hist of Engl. in Q. Mary Statutes of Q Eliz. K. Iames and K. Charles make Preisthood treason their Religion had not one true or pretended Bishop that had voyce in parlament that consâ—nted vnto it but all the Bishops which had and oâ—ely had such publik authoritie did disclayme â—nd disagree to that change the Temporall Lords â—â—ights and burgesses neyther had nor could giue which they had not such authoritie No forreyne Pope Patriarke Archbishop or Bishop did or could giue it here by their owne lawes For Q. Elizabeth King Iames and K. Charles by their parlaments and Statutes haue made holy preisthood Treason And this new Protestant Queene Elizabeth her Religion beginning here in the yeare 155â— and 1559. in her first parlament neuer had 〈◊〉 knowne publike allowed square rule forme â—â—nner Order or fashion whatsoeuer for any to hâ—ue publik authoritie to call make send or sette forth any pretended Minister vntil the yeare 1562. when their Religion was 4. yeares old and these The new Protestant booke of Consec an 2. Eduardi 6. in Parlam statut an r. Mariae Booke of arâ—icles an 1â—62 art 36. Articles were made in them the booke of King Edward the 6. about 10. or 11. yeares old when he sette it forth by parlament was first called from death werewith it perished in the first yeare of Queene Mary It hath beene pretended from a new borne Register of Matthew parker that hee was made a Bishop by Barlowe Scorye and 3. others by vertue of a commission from Queene Elizabeth and this new worke was acted on the 17. day of December but alas they had then no forme our order to do such a busines if they had beene such publik allowed and authorized men as this Article appointeth vntill 4. yeares after this pretended admittance alleadged to haue beene 17. Decemb. an 1559. And their owne publike confession is in the Register it selfe as they haue published it in Matthew parker their first pretended protestantly made Archbishope his booke and Register That none of those pretended Consecratours was admitted for a true or pretended Consecratour vntill after this supposed consecration of Matthew parker For they say from their pretended Register of Matthew parker Anno 1559. Matth. part cant cons Franc. Mason l. 3. c. 4. of cons p. 127. ex Regist Matth. park to 1. f. 2. 10. Godw. catal of Bish. in Canterb. 69. Matth. parker 17. Decem. by william Barlowe Ihon Scory Miles Couerdale Ihon hodgeskins by these Matthew parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury the seuententh day of December in the yeare 1559. Their Catalogue of Bishops saith he was consecrated December 17. 1559. by W. Barlowe Io Scory and Ihon hodgeskins This is vtterly false and vnpossible by their owne testimonies and proceedings to be true For their owne Register as it is published in Matthew parker his owne writings proueth directly that two of these 4. pretended Consecratouts were neuer allowed for such or Bishops or any men hauing such publike authoritie in their Protestant Religion as this their Article requireth of necessitie to call and send Ministers These were Miles Couerdale and Ihon Hodgeskings neuer hauing any such power in Q. Elizabeth her time And for the other two william Barlowe and Ihon Scory they were not allowed by these Protestants â—â—â— Bishops or such men vntill Matthew parker â—â—â— as they pretend by their Register consecrated by them william Barlowe stiled before D. of Diuinine or a preist Regular was allowed for such a man vpon the 20. day of December 1559. 3. dayes Register Episcopor Protestant Angl. apud Matth. park antiquit Britanniae pag. 39. edit Hanouiae an 1605. altâ—â— matthew parkers pretended ordination by him Will Barlowe Th. D. Presb. Reg. Conf. 1559. Decem. 20. and the other Ihon Scory then sâ—iled onely Bachelour of Diuiuitie and preist Regâ—lar was also first allowed the same 20. day of December Ioh Scory Th. Bac. Presb. Regn. Conf. 1559. Dec. 20. And their owne catalogue of their pretended Bishops assureth vs further that this Matthew parker was amoÌ„g them Archbishop Godwyâ— Catalog of Bishops in Durham 58. Cutbert Tunstall of Conterbury in the month of Iuly before So he could haue no consecration true or pretended by their owne proceeding I adde further concerning the pretended Register by which they haue thus vainely claymed an Inualid Title to Ecclesiasticall function and orders sette out in the booke of their first pretended Protestant Archbishop Matthew parker printed at Hanouia 1605. called Antiquitates Britannicae of the Archbishops of Canterbury there is no worde our mention at all of any such thing in that old manuscript copie thereof which I haue seene and diligently examined And any man reading the printed booke will manifestly see it is a meerely foisted and inserted thing hauing no connexion correspondence or affinitie either with that which goeth before or followeth it And conteyneth more things done after Matthew parker had written that Booke But of this their new founde consecration I shall entreate more largely hereafter in their 25. and 36. Articles whither it more properly belongeth and there vtterly disable it for making or leauing among them either true Bishop Preist or any other Ecclesiasticall person
fasting the Apostles not fasting Liquidò apparet quando primùm acceperunt disâ—ipuli Corpus Sanguinem Domini non eos accepisse ieiunos Nunquid tamen propterea calumniandum est vniuersae Ecclesiâ— quòd à Ieiunijs semper accipitur hoc placuit spintui sancto vt in honorem tanti Sacramenti in os Christiani prius dominicum corpus intraret quà m caeâ—â—â— cibi Nam ideò per vniuersum orbem mos iste serâ—â—tur And in an other place that the Christians receaue Christs bodie and his blood De Agni iâ—maculati corpore partim sumere in poculo sangâ—â—nem He saith that all communicants receaue by l. 2. contra Aduers Leg. Prophetar cap. 9. their mouth the flesh of Christ Carnem suam â—â— sumamus Christ gaue in this Sacrament and communicants there receaue that flesh of Christ which he tooke of the flesh of his mother that whereâ—â— In Psal 98. he walked on earth and no man cateth that flesh â—â— he adoreth it before Christus de carne Mariae carnâ—â— accepit quia in ipsa carne hic ambulauit ipsâ—â— carnem nobis manducandam ad salutem dedit 〈◊〉 autem illam carnem manducat nisi prius adoraueâ—â— He saith the bread is made Christs bodie by consecration Noster panis calix non quilibet sâ—â— l. 20. contra faustum certa consecratione mysticus fit nobis Corpus Chrisâ—â— He relateth how his Mother S. Monica desireâ— to be remembred after her death at Masse at tâ—â— l. 9. confess cap. 13. holie Altare from which that sacrifice is dispenseâ— which redeemed the world Memoriam sui ad alâ—â—re fiâ—ri dâ—siderauit vndesciret dispensari victimâ—â— qua deâ—â—tum est chirographum quod â—rat contrarâ—â— nobis He saith it is Made the bodie of Christ oâ— l. 4. Trinitaâ— cap. 4. high Preist Corpus effectum Sâ—cerdotis nostri Tâ—â— bodie of Christ doth enter into the mouthes â— Christians Ex ore Christianorum vbi Corpus 〈◊〉 ingreditur And in this very â—lace obiected in â—â— Protestant Article S. Augustine saith plainely that both the good Aug. Tract 26. 67. in Iohan. and wicked do receaue Christs bodie and blood in this Sacrament Carnem Christi Sanguinem Christi non edamus tantum in Sacramento quod multi mali sed vsque ad spiritus participationem manducemus bibamus vt in Domini Corpore tanquam membra maneamus And againe de mensa Dominica sumitur quibusdam ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium And this which both the good and wicked there receaue is the same bodie of Christ norunt fideles Corpus Christi where he so expoundeth S. Paule as others do quam multi de altari accipiunt moriuntur accipiendo moriuntur vnde dicit Apostolus Iudicium sibi manducat bibit And this which bringeth this Iudgment and condemnation to them is Christs bodie which they vnworthely receaue carnem suam dat nobis Christus manducare and distinguished a double receauing the one foris externall which the wicked do as the godly the other intus internall also giueing grace to the worthie receauers which is not so with the wicked not participating grace but Iudgment and damnation so dishonouring Christ and his holie Institution Yet all both the l. Sentent prosperi Gratian Dist 2. de consecrat good and bade receaue the bodie of Christ vnder the forme of bread and his blood vnder the forme of wine Caro eius est quam forma panis opertam in Sacramento accipimus Et Sanguis eius quem sub vini specie sapore potamus And in the same place thus prophanely cited by this Article he solueth the obiections vsually made against this holie Sacrament first how Christ could giue vs his flesh to eate Quomodo potest hic carnem suam dare nobis ad manducandum That by Christs asceÌ„sion into heauen with his immortall Aug. supr tract 26. bodie we should see it could not be consumed though receaued in these mysteries non eâ— modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum Certe vel tunc intelligetis quia gratia eius non consumitur morsibus And that caro non prodest quicquam flesh profiteth nothing he answeareth it was onely true in such wicked sense as the prophane capharnites conceaued as of dead peeces of flesh and not of the flesh of Christ as hee gaue it gyuing life O Domine Magister bone quomodo caro non prodest quicquam cum tu dixeris nisi quis manducauerit carnem meam biberit sanguinem meum non habebit in se vitam an vita non prodest quicquam quid est ergo non prodest quicquam sed quomodo illi intellexerunt carnem quippe sic intellexerunt quomodo in cadauere dilaniatur aut in macello venditur non quomodo spiritu vegetatur Spiritus ergo est qui viuificat caro non prodest quicquam Sicut illi intellexerunt carnem non sic ego do ad manducandum carnem meam And concerning their cauill that one bodie naturally they should say cannot be at one time in diuers places he proueth directly against Iewes and others that this one bodie of Christ is that sacrifice spoken of by the Prophet Malachie to be offered in all places in all the world Ipse de corpore Aug. in Psal 33. l. 1. cont aduers legis Prophetar c. 20. l. 16. de ciuâ—tat Dei c. 22. l. 18. ciuit cap. 35. orat contra Iuâ—â—os c. 9. sanguine suo instituit sacrificium secundum ordinem Melchisedech Vident tale sacrificium nunc offerri toto orbe terrarum Sacrifiâ—ium quod non à Christianis offertur toto orbeterrarum Hoc sacrificium per Sacerdotium Christi secundum ordinem Melchsedech in omni loco à solis ortu vsque ad occasum 〈◊〉 videamus offerri Quid ad haec respondet is aperâ—â— oculos tandâ—m aliquando videte ab oriente 〈◊〉 vsque ad occidentem non in vno sed in omm loco sacrificium Christianorum offerri ei qui ista praedixit Deo Israel No man can better witnesse what was S. Augustines doctrine or interprete him in this question then Primasius Bishop of vtica his renowned and learned scholler which setteth downe this question and the present Catholike Religion therein as plainely as any present Catholike writer doth Istud Sacrificium nostrum cum causa infirmitatis Primasius Episc vticen in Africa discipulus S. Augustini in cap. 10. ad Hebr. suae repetitur quod nonpossit perfectam salutem conferre sed in commemorationem Passionis Christi sicut ipse dixit hoc facite inquiens in meam commemorationem vna est haec hostia non multae cum à multis diuersiis in locis diuersisque temporibus offeratur Aptissimè ergo aduertendum est quia diuinitas verbi Dei quae est vna omnia replet tota vbique est ipsa facit vt non sint plura sacrificia
Deacons and of women incapable of such degrees are not commaunded in Gods lawe ynto them before they voluntarilie vowe that holie state Yet none but monstrous men doe or can thinke but their vowes being so made doe binde then Thirdly whereas the lawe of God and these men in their publike practicall of Religion doe say that true Marriage is holy Matrimony an honorable estate Protest communioÌ„ booke Tit. Matrimony §. dearely c. instituted of God signifying vnto vs the mysticall vnion which is betweene Christ and his Church which holy estate Christ adorned and beatisied with his presence and first miracle The so called Marriage of Protestant Bishops Preists and Deacons was not such in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth by their owne lawes but quite contrarie the children betweene such men and women termed their wyues were not legitimate could not inherite either lands or honour from such a Father the Father being a gentleman the sonne could not giue his Armes but with a bend Sinister a testimony of bastardie nor inherite anie lands he had The woman had noe dower by their lawes giuing it to all lawfull wyues So that in these pretended lawfull Marriages there was nothing by their owne proceedings which belongeth to the lawfull holy honorable matrimonie the pretended husbands were fornicarious concubinaries their women harlots concubines all their children bastards and illegitimate and in this opprobrious shamefull condition though tolerated without further punishment they continued vntill King Iames after 44. yeares age Statute of King Iames for marriage of minist of their ReligioÌ„ by his Parlament lawe made such Bargaines men women and their children legitimate or not vnlawfull among English Protestants 4. The Protestant lawes and Religion of England haue not taken away or disabled the Canon lawe in which they freelie confesse the Marriage of all such men is forbidden and condemned further ther Stat. in Parliam 1. Eliz. An. 1. Iacobi it is contrarie to the lawe of God as in this point it is not but most conformable vnto vs as is euident before and shall be made most manifest hereafter Therefore these Protestants supplying those places of Bishops Preists and Deacons may not yet lawfullie marrie in their owne Iudgments and proceedings nor by the lawe of God in holie Scriptures themselues by their exposition of them For first it is euident in Scripture in manie places that the virginall Matth. 19. 11. 1. Corin. 7. 8. Apoc. 14. 4. 1. Reg. 21. Is 25. 1. Cor. 7. Ieuit. 20. Luc. 1. exod 19. Mat. S. Marc. 9. Luc. 14. c. Prot. art 6. and chaste life in respect of Religion is to be preferred before marriage and cleargie men by the same lawe being Pastours guides teachers light and example to others and called to the greatest perfection it is most needfull for them therefore if the 6. Protestant article decreeth truelie that things read in scripture or proued thereby are articles of faith and requisite necessarie to saluation they may not by Scripture allowe Bishops Preists and Deacons or any of them to marrie either by their owne discretioÌ„ which this Article contendeth or by their pretended Bishops allowance by their Iniunction noe Protestant Article or IniuctioÌ„ can be of greater authoritie then the lawe of God Christ himselfe our high Preist and Sacrifice a most pure Virgin and sonne according to his humanitie of the most immaculate Virgin who often in holy Scripture calleth vpon all Preists to followe him And promising to heare the petition of all that duely aske calleth vpon vs embrace Virginitie Sunt eunuchi qui Matth. 19. seipsos castrauerunt propter regnum caelorum Qui potest capere capiat He telleth vs by his Apostle virginitie and chastitie are more pleasinge to him and better for them that serue him especially in sacred functions then the married life Dico non nuptis viduis 1. Cor. 7. bonum est illis si sic permaneant sicut ego Qui sine vxore est solicitus est quae Domini sunt quomodo placeat Deo Qui non iungit matrimonio virginem suam melius facit And these virgins be they which followed Apocal. 14. Christ in this life and doe soe in heauen Hi sunt qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati Virgines enim sunt Hi sequuntur agnum quocunque ierit This chastitie could not soe virginallie and perpetuallie be kept by the Preists of Moyses lawe being onely of one tribe the tribe of leui and so could not be without marriage to keepe a successioÌ„ in that tribe yet although their Sacrifices and seruing God were then vnperfect in respect of those in the lawe of Christ and they serued not continuallie in the temple and at the altare as Christian Preists daylie doe but by their turnes and succeeding times yet when their times and turnes of seruing in the temple came they left their wyues aâ— Leuit. 21. 1. par 23. Luc. 1. Exod. 19. their contrie howses in their tribe and they in Hierusalem during their time of sacrifice and seruicâ— there performed it in holy chastity euen from theiâ— wyues And after knowledge of their wyues before they might serue at the altar were to be sanctified ne appropinquetis vxoribus was in some cases generally commaunded No Preist might marrya dishonest woman Scortum vile prostibulum non ducet vxorem nec eam quae repudiata est a marito quia consecratus est Deo suo panis propositionis offert sit ergo sanctus quia ego sanctus sum Dominus qui sanctifico vos The high Preist might Marrie none but a virgin Virginem ducet vxorem Neither was it lawfulâ— in that vnperfect figuratiue and marrying lawe either for Preist or other euen in need not chaste to eate things sacrificed as in the rase of Dauid and his company coming to Abimelech the high â— Reg. 21. Preist for releife and succour who hauing nothing to releiue theÌ„ with but the sacrificed breade would not giue it vnto them but first examining them whether they had abstained from women si mundi sunt pueri maximè à mulieribus And Dauid answeared they were Et respondit Dauid Sacerdoti dixit ei quidem si de mulieribus agetur continuimus nos ab heri nudius tertius quando egrediebamur fuerint vasa puerorum Sancta And the Preists which did eate this sacrificied breade and other oblations were absent from their wiues seruing in the Tabernacle and temple at such â—imes in chastitie And S. Epiphanius saith thaâ— â—piphan Haer. 79. Moyses himselfe the giuer of that lawe did euer after he was called to be a Profete absteyne from his wife Postquam prophet auit moyses non amplius coâ—â—â—â—ctus est vxori non amplius liberos genuit habet enim vitam domino vacantem vacare autem domino non potest qui marits officio fungitur Therefore seing the Preists of the lawe though marryed
them They write how Ridley made Preist by Catholike Order but Bishop by their new fashion when he was to be degraded by B. Brooke Bishop of Glocester delegate thereto in Q. Maryes time hee did onely then degrade him concerning preisthood being iudged to be no Bishop Foxe tom 2. pag. 1604. Mason l. 2. pag. 92 Record degrad Rid. as our Protestants and Records thereof testifie in thes his words to Ridley we must proceede according to our commission to degrading taking from you the dignitie of preisthood for we take you for no Bishop So it was also adiudged by the common lawes Brooke Abridg an 1576. tiâ—ul leases num 68. of the land in that time Bishops in the time of King Edward the sixt were not consecrated and therefore a lease for yeares made by such and confirmed by the deane and chapter shall not binde their Successours because such were neuer Bishops Of thes pretended Bishops which were thus by publike Iudgment in lawe disabled to do teÌ„porall offices for want of true ordination and power how much more were they vnable to performe any spirituall function belonging to that highest holie Order yet this is published for law euen in Q. Elizabeth her time longe after thes new Protestant Bishops were so allowed and still remaineth among their receaued and adiudged lawes And so generall and vniuersall a consent was of all in authoritie Pope Prince Prelates and whosoeuer that this new Protestant forme gaue no consecration that their owne Protestant applauded writers thus confesse it Touching Articles of Q. Mary to Bish. Boner Consecrat l. 5. cap. 12. foxe Act. mon. vol. 2. p. 1295. such parsons as were here to fore promoted to any Orders after the new sorte and fashion of Orders they were not ordered in verie deed This was the common and publike sentence of Pope Prince and Prelates in Queene Mary her time of the preteÌ„ded Bishops of King Edward the 6. when there was more pretence for them theÌ„ these diuers Catholikely ordained Bishops then liuing and some helping in their new ordering now and from Q. Elizabeth her time not one at all And it is contained in our old lawes Iudex secularis non potest Bracton fol. 401. degradare clericum magis quà m ad ordines promouere A secular Iudge can no more degrade a Preist or Clearke then he can promote him to orders And it was publikly adiudge in lawe That the parlament Temp. Henrici 7. fol. 27. 28. could not make the Kinge being a lay parson to haue spirituall Iurisdiction Then much lesse could it giue to King Edward the sixt to speake Protestants Stow an 1. Edw. 6. Hist words proclaimed King of England and also of Ireland the supreame heade immediately in earth vnder God being of the age of nyne yeares and to Queene Elizabeth a woman by Sexe disabled in such things both to haue spirituall Iurisdiction and supreame spirituall Iurisdiction and spirituall power Episcopall or Pontificall to conferre and giue both spirituall highest order and Iurisdiction to whom and by what meanes it pleased them contrary to all Christians in the world Catholiks Protestants and whosoeueâ— none out of England so proceeding in such affaires Aâ—d in the time of Queene Elizabeth both particular wrâ—â—â—rs records and her parlament publikely in the 8. yearâ— of her Reigne assure vs that their new Bishops making was by diuers both doubted of and denied to be lawfull The Protestant cheife Iustice of the common plees Lord dyer setteth downe that Bishop â—onner publikely pleaded they were no Bishops and namely Doctour Horne so admitted and it wâ—s adiuged by all the Protestant Iudges that Bishâ—â— Bonner might so pleade And the Protestants would neuer come to tryall with him therein And the next Parlament in her 8. yeare cleared him and all other Catholikes so in iâ—pugning those Bishops offering the oath of supremaâ—y vnto them in these words Be it exacted that no person or persons Statut. in parliament an 8. Elizab. cap. 1. be empeached or molested in body lands or good by occasion are meane of any certificate by any Archbishop or Bishop heretofore made in the first session of this parlament touching or concerning the refusall of the oathe set fourth by act of parlament in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth And that all tenders of such oath made by any Archbishop or Bishop aforesaid and all refusals of the same oath so entered by any Archbishop or Bishop shall be voyde and of noe effect or validity in the lawe And to helpe afterward what they could thus they enact diuers questions haue lately growne vpon the Statut. in parliam an 8. Eliz supr c. 1. making and consecrating of Archbishops and Bishops within this realme whether the same were and be duely done according to the lawe or not Therefore it is thought conuenient hereby partly to touch such authorities as doth allowc and approue the making of the same Archbishops and Bishops to be duely and orderly dâ—â—e according to the lawes of this Realme her hâ—â—â—nesse in her letters patents vnder the greate Sâ—â—â—e of England directed to any Archbishop Bisâ—â—p or others for the confirming inuesting and coâ—secrating of any parson elected to the office or digâ—â—â—y of an Archbishop or Bishop hath not onely vsâ—â— such words and sentences as King Henry and King Edward did in their letters patents diuers other general words and sentences whereby her highnesse by her suâ—râ—ame power and authority hath dispenced with all â—auses or doubts of any imperfection or diasbility thâ—t can or may in any wise be obiected against the saâ—e These be the onâ—ly authorities the statute doth or could bringe â—eing all carnall and humane not one diuine or â—cclesiasticall vtterly vnable to make a lawfull true Bishop or confirme any for such being bâ—t meere phantasies letters patents the greate Seale of England of a woman such words and sentences as King Henry the eight and King Eduard his child contrary to the vniuersall Church of Christ vsed A womans supreame power authority and dispensation in all causes doubts Imperfections or disabilities in any wise to be obiected and that not onely their pretended Archbishops and Bishops but others neither true nor pretended Archbishops or bishops did as their words be plaine by this most straunge and infirme feminine commission confirme inuest and consecrate Archbishops Bishops which as they haue confessed before with all authorities none but true lawfull Bishops in approued receaued forme and manner can doe And yet this parlament doth thus approue all such as were thus made whether by the Queenes letters patent and men no Bihops true or pretended and without King Edwards forme or any other remembred or by King Edwards forme and fashion to be lawfull Bishops in these words All Statut. an 8. Eliz. supr acts and things made or done by any person or persons in or about any elected to the office of any Archbishop or Bishop by vertue of