to be counted of according to the greatnes of the promises annexed to the succession as namely the succession of DAVID of whom God said His seede also will I make to endure for euer his throne as the dayes of heauen Psal. 89. 29 againe ver 35. 36. I haue sworne once by my holynesse that I will not faile Dauid saying his seede shal endure for euer and his throne shall be as the Sunne before me Here are ample promises to DAVID his succession confirmed by the Lordes oath by the Sun Moone as faithfull witnesses in heauen And that which was more then all the rest this succession of DAVID was a line leading to the great King Christ Iesus who should sit in the throne of his father DAVID of his kingdome there should be none end Luc. 1. for all these causes the succession of DAVID was greatly regarded Yet it is to be marked that all the promises othes testimonies honors did not carie with them a necessity that euery successour of DAVID should be in faith and religion like vnto DAVID but rather God foreseeing the contrarie faith If his ch◅ldren forsake my Law and walke not in my Judgements if they breake my statutes and keepe not my ordinances then w◅ll I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquitte with strokes ibid ver 30. 31. 32. I suppone that no succession euer had more glorious and ample promises then the succession of DAVID yet these promises inferred no necessitie that euery king sitting on the throne of DAVID should bee heire also of the religion and faith of DAVID as well as of his kingdome And therfore to inferre vpon this ground that ample promises are made to the Apostles their successours that euery one who succeedeth to the Apostolick chaire shall keepe the true faith of the Apostles it is but a foolish and impertinent conclusion If any man shall replie that this was a succession of ciuill gouernours but the question now contrauerted is anent succession of Bishops and men in a spirituall calling True it is that DAVIDS successors succeeded to a ciuill gouernment yet seeing this succession was ratified by the oath of God and led also to Christ who is soueraine Lorde both of soule and body whatsoeuer priuiledge of standing in a good estate can be alledged in any succession the patterne of it is to be found in the succession of DAVID But this priuiledge that the successors of DAVID cannot erre in the true faith is not found no not in the great succession of DAVID Now to come to ecclesiasticall succession The priesthood of AARON was institute by God Numb 17. ver 5. It was confirmed by the miracle of the budding rodde ibid. ver 23. The vsarpers of AARONS office without a calling were also miraculously destroyed by fire that came downe from heauen Numb 16. Others were debarred from it euen in the dayes of NEHEMIAH Nehem. 7. ver 64. This succession of AARON was personall the son succeeding to the father in the Priesthood except some mutilation of a member or impotencie did hinder or any such like cause After AARON ELEAZAR and his son PHINEAS ABISHVA PHINEAS son and BVKKI HVZZI ZERACHIA MERAIOTH AMARIA ACHITVB ZADOK AHIMAAZ 1. Chron. 6. ver 50. 51. 52. 53. Many others after them were Priests of the stock of AARON yet did not all keepe fast the faith and religion of AARON yea some Priestes of AARONS stocke were notable Idolaters men-pleasers such as VRIAH in the dayes of AHAZ king of Juda who set vp an altar at the kings commandement according to the similitude of the altar of Damascus and offered sacrifices thereon 2. Reg. 16. Anent the succession of the Prophets euen when one good man succeeded to another good man the historie of scripture clearely declareth that men pointed out by God himselfe successours to an office yet by this are they not made succ◅ssours to their giftes for ELIZEVS was pointed out by God as successor to ELIAS in his prophetical office 1. Reg. 19. ver 16. yet by this was he not successor to his gifts as ELIZEVS petition of a double measure of the spirit of ELIAS clearely declareth 2. Reg. 2 ver 9 If the gift did necessarly accompany the succession what needed ELIZEVS to be carefull of the gift seeing he was sure of the succession The holy Apostles of Christ haue had a successiō shal haue vnto the end of the world to whō belōgeth the promise of Christ Behold I am with you vnto the end of the world Mat. 28. 20 But who are to be called true successors of the Apostles we haue declared already in the 1. Centurie taking our groūd out of scripture Act. 20 29. And out of Nazian in laudem Athanasii that darknes succeeding to light is not counted the true successor of lignt for the dissimilitude that is betweene darknes light But heere the question ariseth whether or not al Churches keeping the holy Apostolicke doctrine are bound to shew in write their succession from the Apostles◅ as the Priestes of the stocke of AARON after the captiuitie produced in write their lineal descent from AARON Nehem. 7. To this Tertul answereth lib. de pres◅ript adversus baret that Churches truely keeping the Apostolicke doctrine albeit they could not shew in write their succession from the Apostles yet are they to be counted Apostolicke Churches propter consang uinitatem doctrinae that is for their consanguinitie of doctrine But to come neerer and to examine whether the Romaine church hath kept Apostolicke doctrine in their succession without all spot of heresie as they affirme or not And first the chaire of Rome was not free of the heresie of EVTYCHES as clearly appeareth by the sixt generall Councill which was the third of those Councils which were gathered at Constantinople in the 12. yeere of the empire of CONSTANTINVS POGONATVS Ann. 681. Buco◅ In this Councill MACARIVS Patriarch of Antiochia and STEPHANVS his disciple stood vp pertinaciously defended the error of EVTYCHES were excommunicate by the Councill yet they had defended their opinion by the Synodicke letter of HONORIVS sometime B. of Rome written to SERGIVS B. of Constantinople Wherein it was clearely knowne that HONORIVS was infected with the errour of EVTYCHES for the which cause HONORIVS B. of Rome after his death in the sixt generall Councill was also excommunicat as an Heretique Tom Concil hist. Magdeb. This is not vnknown to some writers who notwithstanding defend this opinion that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre in maters of ◅aith ONVPHRIVS saith that the Acts of the sixt generall Councill containing a condemnatory sentence against HONORIVS Bishop of Rome were corrupted by the Grecians and that the Canons of this Councill as they are set foorth are supposititious and false Forsooth ONVPHRIVS is a worthy aduocate to pleade such a bad and reprobat cause The faith of the Romanists leaning vpon two
lifted vp against him for the litle stone hewed out of the rocke without hands it dashed in pieces and bruised into powder the golde siluer brasse and Iron of the hudge and terrible image set against it Daniel 2. euen so the veritie wherof Christ is the author is like vnto himselfe in outward appearance weake but in operation strong and mightie defacing and abolishing all the apparent pompe glory and power of the lie To this well agreeth the ruine and ignominious fall of DAGON to the very breaking of his necke and palmes of his hands 1. Sam 5. In the third roome consider what reuerence loue and honour we ought to carie to this ancient veritie after it be manifested vnto vs. Bee not like the babes of Alexandria in the dayes of PTOLEMEVS PHILOPATER when the maine huge and great ancre of the ship Thalmegos was laide out vpon the shore the children did ride on the stalke and crept through the ring of the ancre as it had beene made for the pastime of children but wise ship-men knewe it was appointed for a better vse namely to stable and make sure that great vessel in time of great and tempestuous stormes euen so when wee haue found the ancient veritic of God let vs carie a great reuerence to it as vnto the holy and sacred ancre fashioned by God to stablish our soules that no tempest of false doctrine or cruell perfecution make vs to shrinke from that ancient veritie of the Almightie Moreouer consider what commandement is giuen from God euen concerning hoare headed men Leuit. 19. ver 32. to whome we are commanded to rise and to honour their countenance but greater reuerence is to be caried toward the hoare-headed veritie for the commandement giuen concerning ancient men sustaineth some exceptions The soueraigne King of a nation and his honourable counsellers for the eminencie of their places will not arise to honour ancient men but ancient men rather arise to honour them as IACOB arose sat in the bed because his infirmitie could not permit him to rise and stand on his feete to doe honour vnto IOSEPH Gen. 48. ver 2 But as concerning the ancient veritie of God it should be honoured of al men without exception EGLON King of Moab arose out of his chaire when EHVD said vnto him that he had a message vnto him from God Iudg. 3. ver 20. and BALAAM vttering his propheticall reuelation saith Rise Balak and heare and take heede vnto me thou sonne of Zippor Numb 23. ver 22. With reuerence should be joyned an ardent loue and constant following of the ancient trueth vnto the end following the worthy example of godly IOSIAS who despised not the holy booke of the Couenant of God because it had beene long misregarded despised vnreade and far lesse expounded vnto the people in the dayes of his father AMON and of his goodsire MANASSE for the booke of the Lordes Couenant all this while lay in an obscure corner of the Temple neglected and couered with dust yet when it was drawen out of the dust and presented vnto the King hee receiued it reuerently hee loued it ardently and followed this holy Couenant euen vnto the daye of his death so ought wee to loue the ancient veritie of God at all times but specially when it is despised and misregarded by men as IOSIAS did 2. King 22. The loue of the natural mother when she pleaded before SALOMON for the liuing child was not abated but rather inflammed increased by the apparent danger of her child 1. King 22. And that which is more admirable the loue that IEZABEL caried toward the idolatrous seruice of BAAL was not quenched by all these dashes that BAALS seruice got from heauen aboue and in the earth beneath The fire that came miraculously from heauen witnessed the falsh oode of the worship of BAAL and the couenant made betweene HELIAS and the priestes of BAAL with aduise of the King and whole body of the people whereinto the priestes of BAAL with shame skaith and vnspeakable disgrace succumbed 1. King 18. Yet all this I say quenched not the fond loue that IEZABEL caried to that idolatrous worship as appeareth 1. King 19. where shee bindeth her selfe with an oath to pursue HELIAS to the death Should we not then be ashamed to carie lesse loue to the veritie of God which bringeth rest vnto our soules then this woman did to a false worship which led her soule headlong to perdition As touching Antiquitie of errour it is to be marked that whatsoeuer honour antiquitie addeth vnto the veritie the like dishonour rebuke and shame it heapeth vpon the errour For Satan himselfe who is the author of all errours when he is called metaphorically a serpent hee is thereby rebuked but when hee is called an olde serpent Apocal. 12. ver 9 hee is more mightily rebuked euen so when antiquitie is joyned with errour then errour is not graced but utterly disgraced as who would say this woman is an olde harlot or this man is an olde foole or this canker or rottennesse in the flesh is an old feaster all these are reprochful speeches pointing out the maladie of an vnsupportable euil So the paines that are taken in our daies to proue error to be an old thing is al takeÌ„ in vaine for by so doing they only discouer the turpitude shame of the error The Grecians bragged much of antiquity so do the Papists But the Chaldeans Egyptians Phenicians to whoÌ„ antiquitie was better known said no lesse confidently then truely of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat in Timeo Theodo serns 1. de fide The like I say of the Papists who brag of antiquitie more then of any other thing that in such heads of doctrin wherin they differ from vs they are not so much as countenanced by antiquitie As touching their foolish questions demanding of vs where was our Church 600 yeeres before our time I answere by two other questions First Where was their church 1600 yeres ago that is WheÌ„ the Apostles called by Christ immediatly were dispensators of the Gospell to the world where was there a Church saying Masses worshipping images beleeuing Purgatorie They will answere that the Apostle PAVL himselfe said Masse at Rome In testimonie whereof they keepe vntil this day amongst their reliques that table or altar whereupon the Apostle PAVL said Masse at Rome But I will replye that Poperie is a kingdome of lies For the Apostle in his epistle to the Hebâ—…wes setteth down these two things as flat opposit the one to the other a sacrifice propitiatorie and vnbloodie saying Without shedding of blood there is noremission Heb. 9. ver 22. But the Papists will confidently affirme that the Masse that PAVL said at Rome was propitiatorium sacrificium and incruenta hostia that is to say a propitiatorie vnbloodie sacrifice which is vnpossible and repugnant vnto his owne doctrine Secondly I demand of them another question anent
more dutifull to their enemies then others were vnto their friends If any man would defend worshipping of images to be an ancient custome in the Church by the two brasen images which wer set vp in Caesarea Philippi for a memorial of the miracle that Christ wrought in curing of the woman who had the bloodie issue Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 18. the foresaide place of EVSEBIVS wil make nothing for him For these images were not mâ—…de for adoratioÌ„ neither were they set vp in teÌ„ples nor worshipping places but in the very street before the doore of the womaÌ„ who had ben cured The places wherunto Christians were gathered together for diuine seruice at this time are called in the mandat of the Emperour GALLIENVS Coemiteria Euseb. li. 7. cap. 13. In these places no man readeth that images were set vp Beside this these images were grauen or moiten by the handes of Pagans and not of Christians and this fact was done by imitation of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to the custome of the Gentiles he faith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the custome of her owne kinred but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as said is Yet may we take warning by this place to beware of the small beginnings of errour Images haue bene like vnto a base borne fellowe who at the first can haue no credite to set his head into the Kings palace but afterward he getteth ingresse into the vtter court in end his credite dayly increasing by degrees he getteth fauour to ly in the Kings bed chalmer euen so in the first 300. yeere of our Lord images were not brought in into places of holy conuentions afterward they were brought in into Churches but not worshipped as the Epistle of GREGORIVS the first written to SEVERVS B. of Marsil clearely testifieth But in end adoration of images was in so frequent vse as if it had beene the principall point of the worship of God Claudius Quintilius CLAVDIVS after GALLIENVS reigned 2. yeeres Euseb. lib 7 cap. 29. And his brother QVINTILIVS 17. dayes He is not reckoned by EVSEBIVS in the rol of Emperours Aurelianus AFter QVINTILIVS AVRELIANVS possessed the crown 6. yeeres Euseb. lib. 7. cap 30. In the beginning of his reigne he was not a great disturber of Christians Notwithstanding in continuance of time his nature somewhat inclinable to seueritie was altered to plaine tyrannic which tyrannie first he shewed beginning with the murther of his own sisters sonne as witnesseth EVTROPIVS After that he proceedeth to moue the ninth persecution against Christians albeit the mercifull working of God did soone ouerthrow all the wicked purpose of the Emperour For as the edict and proclamation should haue bene denounced for the persecuting of Christians the mightie hand of the Lord from aboue did suddenly stop his purpose clearely declaring to all men that there is no power to worke any violence against the seruants of God vnlesse his permission doe suffer them and giue them lieue Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. Func Chron. Here I see that D. I. FOXE writer of the booke of martyres taketh lieue of VINCENTIVS martyrologie If others had done the like they had not heaped vp so many martyres in the dayes of CLAVDIVS QVINTILIVS and AVRELIAN as they haue done For EVSEBIVS had assuredly made mention of it if the number had beene so great as VINCENTIVS recordeth Before the Emperours minde was altered and inclined to tyranme against Christians hee assisted with his authoritie the Bishops conueened at Antiochia for the deposition and excommunication of the Heretique SAMOSATENVS And so the Emperours authoritie beeing interponed this proud Heretique was compelled to stoop and to giue place and with great ignominie was driuen from the towne of Antiochia Euseb. lib. 7 cap. 30. In his place DOMNVS was elected to be Bishop of Antiochia a man endued with good graces the sonne of DEMETRIAN who immediatly before SAMOSATENVS gouerned the Church of Antiochia And heere againe it is to be marked that the Bishops at this time albeit it was a time of persecution yet did they not abhorre from mariage for DEMETRIANVS Bishop of Antiochia was a maried man and had children and DOMNVS was his sonne so that the prohibition of mariage to men in spirituall offices is not an ancient doctrine Annius Tacitus Florianus AFter AVRELIAN was flaine betweene Bizans and Heraclea the imperial chaire was vacant 6. months The Senat of Rome elected ANNIVS TACITVS to be Emperour He continued but 6. months in his gouernment EVSEBIVS oue rpasseth his name with silâ—…nce as likâ—…wise the name of his brother FLORIANVS who aspired to the imperiall dignitie Func Chron. Aurelius Probus AVRELIVS PROBVS a gentle and peaceable Emperour reigned 6. yeeres 3. months Euseb. Func chron He was inuied by his captaines souldiers because hee appointed them to plant vineyardes and saide there was no great neede of souldiers where no enemie was to be feared Hee was slaine by his souldiers Func Chron. Bucolc Carus Carinus Numerianus CARVS with his two sonnes CARINVS and NVMERIANVS reigned after PROBVS All these three continued not aboue the space of 3. yeeres Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 30. And NVMERIANVS was slaine by his owne father in law called APER Func Chron. CARVS was slaine by thunder and CARINVS was ouercome in battell and slaine by DIOCLETIAN whome the Romaine armie had declared to be Emperor while CARINVS was yet aliue Bucolc Index chro Diocletianus Maximianus Like as DIOCLETIAN ouercame CARINVS the sonne of CARVS in battell euen so likewise he slew APER the father in lawe of NVMERIANVS with his owne hands Func Chron. Whether this was done for detestation of sin or for desire of gouernment it is vncertaine Alwayes some affirme that his concubine DRVAS had said vnto him that he should kill a wilde Boare before he should be Emperour And after the killing of APER which name by interpretation signifieth a wilde Boare hee became Emperour In the beginning of his reigne he chused for his college MAXIMIANVS surnamed HERCVLEVS father to MAXENTIVS And these two chused other two viz. GALERIVS CONSTANTIVS CHLORVS the father of CONSTANTINE whoÌ„ they called Casars but the honourable title of AVGVSTVS DIOCLETIAN MAXIMIAN retained to themselues These two A A. reigned 20 yeers CONSTANTIVS CHLORVS CAESAR continued 15. yeeres GALERIVS CAESAR 21. yeeres DIOCLETIAN and MAXIMIANVS HERCVLEVS abstained from persecuting of Christians vntill the 19 yeere of their reigne Before I touch the historie of the tenth persecution three things are to be premitted First that after the persecution of VALERIAN the 8. persecuter the Church enjoyed great peace which albeit it was like to be cut off by the altered minde of AVRELIAN yet the wise dispensation of the wisdome of God prouided that all his cruell enterprises were disappointed The righteous Lord cutted the cords of the wicked Psal. 129. ver 4. Secondly Christians were in great fauour and credite with Emperours and
of his Gospell and CYPRIAN a sorcerer to bee a worthy preacher and martyre this same gratious Lord I say in the multitude of his vnspeakable compassions drewe AVGVSTINE out of this filthie mire of abominable heresie and made him like vnto a bright starre sending foorth the beames of light to the comfort of Gods house The opinion of MANES anent the creation of the world and the creation of man the manifestation of Christ in our nature rather in shewe and appearance then in veritie and the horrible abomination of their vile Eucharist no man can be ignorant of these things who hath read but a litle of the bookes of AVGVSTINE written against the Manicheans In ende like as MANES exceeded all the rest of the Heretiques in madnesse of foolish opinions euen so the Lorde pointed him out among all the rest to be a a spectacle of his wrath and vengeance For the king of Persia hearing of the fame of MANES sent for him to cure his sonne who was deadly diseased but when he sawe that his sonne died in his hands he cast him into prison and was purposed to put him to death but hee escaped out of prison and fled to Mesopotamia Neuerthelesse the king of Persia vnderstanding in what place MANES did lurke sent men who pursued him tooke him and excoriated his body and stopped his skinne full of chaffe and set it vp before the entrie of a certaine citie of Mesopotamia Socrat. eccles hist. lib. 1. cap. 22. If any man bee desirous to haue greater knowledge of this remarkable Heretique both in respect of his life and death he may reade the fore mentioned chapter of the ecclesiasticall historie of SOCRATES and hee shall finde that the first man called MANICHEVS who renued the errour of two beginnings was a man of Scythia He had a disciple first called BVDDAS afterward TEREBYNTHVS who dwelt in Babylon This man TEREBYNTHVS was the composer of these bookes which MANES gaue out vnder his owne name MANES was but a slauish boy bought with money by a woman of Babylon in whose house TEREBYNTHVS had lodged and shee brought vp the boy at schoole his name was CVRBICVS when he was bought but when this woman died she left in legacie to CVRBICVS the money and bookes of TEREBYNTHVS and he went from Babylon to Persia changed his name and called himselfe MANES and set forth the bookes of TEREBYNTHVS as if they had beene composed by himselfe so that hee added vnto the rest of his villanies this fault also that he was from his very youth a dissembled and deceitfull fellow Reade the historie of Socrat lib. 1. cap. 22. After MANES sprang vp HIERAX who spake of the Father and the Sonne as of two lights different in substance He damned mariage denied the resurrection of the body excluded infants from the kingdome of God Epiph. contrahaeres Hist Magd. Marke in this Catalogue of the heresies of the first three hundreth yeres how many of the deuils trumpeters sounded the doctrine of the prohibition of mariage The Nicolaitans Gnostici Encratitae Montanistae Apostolici Origeniani called Turpes Manichei and Hieracitae Satan hateth mariage to the end that his kingdome might be aduanced by fornication and all kinde of vncleannesse CENT 3. A Treatise of Purgatorie and prayer for the dead IN this Centurie also the opinion of ORIGEN anent purgatory paines before a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen giueth me manifest occasion to speak of Purgatorie In the beginning of this treatise I protest that I detest the worshipping of reliques and the conceit of Purgatorie fire as two heades of doctrine borrowed from Ethnickes and Pagans The bones of THESEVS saith PLVTARCH being transported placed in the middle part of the towne of Athens they honoured his ashes as if hee himselfe had beene returned to the towne and gaue vnto him all these diuine honours calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he who diuerteth euill from them also they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a patron a helper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is who receiueth the supplications of the humble What was this else but to honour THESEVS with diuine honours And the excessiue honours attributed to the reliques of saints in the Popish church with confidence to be helped and better heard of God because they were prostrate before the reliques of saints what was it else but a counterfaiting of the superstition of the Pagans In like maner the opinion of Purgatorie is but an Ethnicke inuention PLATO seemeth to be the first authour of it except any man of greater reading can reduce it to a more ancient beginning for PLATO in his dialogue called Phedo vel de anima hath three opinions concerning the soules of men First hee thinketh that the soules of men who haue liued a very honest and vnreproouable life when they depart out of their bodies they goe to a place of vnspeakable happinesse Secondly he thinketh that the soules of men who haue continued into incorrigible wickednesse they goe to a place called Tartarus there to be punished with endlesse paines These two foresaide opinions PLATO by his trauelling to Egypt where the people of the Iewes had remained a long time might haue learned to wit that the soules of good men goe to heauen and the soules of euill men goe to hell But PLATO thought by Philosophie to mend the want that was in ancient Theologie and he deuised a third place whereinto soules should be both tried and purged and after suffering of paines should be set at libertie namely the soules of men who had heauily grieued their parents afterward repented or had committed filthie murthers and afterward repented these mens soules I say according to the opinion of PLATO behooued to goe through infernall floods specially through Acheron Câ—…ytus and Phlegeton to be tried purged in end to be set at libertie prouiding they had fully satisfied the persons whom they had offended These beginnings of PLATOES conceites had neuer hurt Christian religion if CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS and after him ORIGEN had not mingled prophane Philosophie with Theologie But when the question is riped vp to the very ground the defenders of Purgatorie fire worshipping of reliques haue cause to be ashamed as disciples of Pagans and not of the holy Apostles in these two points of doctrine The foolishnes of CLEMENS and ORIGEN hath beene very pernicious to the Church of God because they borrowed not from PLATO siluer and golde as the Iowes borrowed from the Egyptians by warrant of Gods commandement Exod. 11. but they borrowed chaffe and doung lies and fables which some time spreading sometime growing sometime altering the first similitude fashioned in the combes of PLATO in end became an article of Popish faith and was so straitly vrged that they who would not beleeue the fained fire of Purgatorie were burned as Heretiques with true flammes of tormenting fire AMBROSE and HILARIVS as foolishly
Righteousnesse the affaires of their Kingdome Bambaâ—… King of Gothes which nation reigned in Spaine resigned the title of his Royall authouritie to Euringus and entred into a Monâ—…erie Sâ—…bbus King of the Orientall Saxons left his Kingdome and entred into a Monasterie to the end that it might seeme that GOD gaue allowance vnto this superstition false miracles were inuented to grace this fact of sebbus for the tombe whereinto his bodie was laide beeing â—…n length an hand brâ—… shorter then his corpes was miraculously enlarged and lengthened to the just proportion of his dead bodie so that in the seuenth CENTURIE and about the dayes of Pope Vitaliaâ—…s it was a prouerbe in the mouthes of the people that three adm rable thing s feil out in their age First innumerable Abbaciâ—…s were builded Secondly the heads of King were shauen and they entred into Monastries Thirdly that whoredome waâ—… canonized that is notable â—…arlots were counted Saintes So with the increasing number of Monastâ—…ies superstition false miracles and a lewde conuersation in like maner daily increased In the eight CENTURIE Rachis King of Lom-bardis entred into the Abbacie called Cassinerse in Italie and his brother Aistulphus gouerned the affaires of the Kingdome in the dayes of Pope Zachariâ—… Caralomannus the elder brother of Pipinus King of France was first in the Monasterie builded vpon the Mount Sarapte afterwarde in the Monasterie called Cassinâ—…nse whether voluntarily or against his will I dispute not and hee ended his life in the Monasterie of Vienne in France beeing transported thither against his heart by the violence of his brother Pipinus In the ninth and tenth CENTURIES the Bilshops of Rome finding that their estate was mightily aduanced by Abbacies and Nunneries they also on the other part endeuoured to aduance the Monasticke life in so farre that Kings Princes were allured to profefâ—… themselues to be of the order of Monkes with dispensation not the lesse to them from the Bisshop of Rome vnder whose souereignity all high powers began to stoupe to gouerne their owne Kingdomes prouiding alwayes that with liberall giftes they had enriched the chaire of Rome So it came to passe that the world saw a rare and vnquoth spectacle to wit Kingly Monks and Monkes Kinges Yea and Kings were so bewitched with seducing speaches that they who would not abase their Royall estate with participation of Monkish orders yet they thought it was so holy and meritorious a turne to build Monasteries that by so doing they might merite forgiuenes of hainous sins As Edgarus king of England a man contaminated with many vild spots of sinne such as adultery murther tyranny and an aâ—…tender vpon three notable harlots yet because hee was accustomed euery yeere to build an Abbacy this holy fact abolished the remembraÌ„ce of all his faultes and made him worthie afâ—…er his death to haue his name togâ—…ther with the name of Wâ—…frida an holy Nunne and yet the Kings whore the name of her daughter Edâ—…ha whom she did beare to the King All their names I say were counted worthie to bee enrolled in the Catalogue of Saintes Caziminus King of Poll beeing driuen from his Kingdome entered into a Monasterie of France in the dayes of Benedict the ninth and the Poloâ—…ian Ambassadours who came to France to entrait their king to returne againe to his Kingdome wâ—…re fore grieued at his negatiue an were Yet by the meanes of Pope Benedict the ninth at whose handes all thinges might haue beâ—…ne obtained for money they obtained their King againe with libertie to him to marrie and to procreate children If Monasticke vowes bee lawfull the loosing of the bandes of Monasticke vowes for money was not lawfull This Benedâ—…ctus the ninth is he of whom Platina writeth that after his death his effigie appeared vnto a câ—…rtaine man horrible and monstrous more like the similituâ—…e of a Beast then of a man which betokened the beastly conuersation of this vnhappie Pope in his lifetime The examples of late dayes that are recent in all mens memorie of Lordes Earles Dukes Ladies yea and of the Emperour Charles the fift in his olde dayes who entered into Monastries and Nunneries whether to leade or to conclude their lifetime I passe ouer with silence This was the glorie of Monkes since the six hundreth yeere of our LORD vntill our dayes that Kinges Monarches Popes and mightie men in the world magnified their estate by repairing olde Monasteries building new Abbacies and bestowing great reuenewes and rents vpon them and some times as saide is entering themselues into Monastries either to leade or to ende their liues Monasteries also of late dayes became places of imprisonment especiallie of Noble persons dejected from their anteriour dignities so that Pope Christophorus himselfe in the dayes of the Emperour LODOVICUS the thirde beeing dejected from his Papall dignitie was thrust into a Monasterie Unicum 〈◊〉 refugium as saieth Platina that is the onely refuge of men who were in calamitie Constantine the sonne of the Emperour Leo thrust his brethren into a Monasterie rendri gâ—…vnto them a just recompence of the like inhumanitie that they had practised against their owne father Likewise Monastries became places whereinto men entered to sorrowe for by-past offences imagining that by the strickt obseruation of the rules of the Monasticke life they might obtaine forgiuenesse of sins at the handes of GOD. Paulus Cyprius Bishop of CONSTANTINOPLE before the seconde Councill of NICE entered into a Monasterie and lamented for that hee had consented to the abolishing of Images in the Councill assembled by CONSTANTINUS COPRONYMUS This PAULUS CYPRIUS was a man of a base timorous and feeble spirite who neuer knewe what the Godlie sorrowe described by the Apostle PAULE did meane which causeth repentance to saluation not to bee repented for hee had great neede to haue repented this his repentance and his sorrowe was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof Paul speaketh 2. Corint 7. This bastard glorie aboue specified whereof Monkes rejoiced when the firâ—…t ornamentes were lost did rather belong to the Conuentuall Monkes than to the Anachorites Wee reade not of Kinges who delited to exchange their Kingdomes with the solitarie liuing by themselues apart in the Wildernesse except Suatacopius King of Moravia who beeing ouercome in battell by the Emperour Arnulphus hee went to the Wildernesse wherin hee continued vntill the day of his death eating hearbes and drinking water with greater contentment of mind then hee liued before in the pleasures of his Kingdome As concerning â—…saphat King of India of whom Damascene writeth that hee forsooke his Kingdome and went to the Wildernesse and exercised himselfe continually in reading and praying for the space of fiue and thirtie yeeres it is but a fabulous narration and the writer of it cannot cite so much as one approued Author for confirmation of his alleadged Historie But the purpose of Damascene is to confirme a
Chastity seeing that Marriage is honourable among all and the bed vndefiled But the vow of Virginall chastitie is the sacrifice of fooles as if a man would vow to bee a Preacher before hee were perswaded that GOD had vouchsafed vpon him the gift of preaching Euen so it is a foolish thing to any man to binde himselfe by a solemne vow to Virginall chastitie before hee bee fully perswaded that GOD hath vouchsafed vpon him that rare gift Vnder pretence of the vow of pouertie a number of Monks especiallie Abbots Channons and Capitulare Monkes as it were Bishops chiefe Counsellers haue heaped vp infinite riches and in pompe wealth ciuile preheminence and splendor of worldly magnificence haue ouer-went Earles Lordes and Barons in many Countreys and in the meane time they were but a nest of idle bellies keeping for a fashion seuen Canonicall houres which they spent in reading singing oftener by their substitutes then by themselues as if they had beene ca◅led Canonici for keeping Canonicall houres and not for st◅dying holy Canonicke Scripture to the ende they might bee able to interprete it to the vtilitie of others Concerning the vowe of obedience kept in all Orders but more stricktly amongst the Layolites then all the rest The commandement of GOD should haue beene obserued whereinto the authoritie of the father must bee regarded in such sort that if hee ratifie not the vowe of his young daughter remaining as yet in his house then her vowe is vndone and cannot stande Euen so the vowes that mortall men doe make in earth if they bee not ratified by the allowance of our Heauenly Father they are vndone and cannot consist and stand Notwithstanding the commanders amongst the Layolites will trie the obedience of their disciples in maters vnhonest vncomly vngodly and deuilish such as to walter themselues into a filthie mire if so it please the commander to enjoine to violate the commandement of the Phis◅ion in rubbing that thing outwardly vpon the bodie which the Phisition commanded to bee eaten by the diseased person and in drinking that liquor of oile wherewith the Phisition appointed the bodie to be anointed Also in commanding ◅heir disciples to kill Christian Princes Hath GOD kept silence in his blessed word and by his taciturnitie giuen a secrete allowance to such vngodly commandementes Reade the Scriptures of GOD whereinto hee forbiddeth to touch the Anointed of the LORD but they haue touched the Anointed of the LORD euen betwixt the Porch and the Altar not ashamed to defile their holy sacrament of auricular confession with treasonable consultations against the Anointed of the LORD To conclude The Orders of Monkes from appearance of commendable beginninges haue degenerated so farre that they who seemed to bee Starres fixed in Heauen and shining with the splendor of Celestiall light in end they are become busie-bodies practisers of treasons vnder colour of late inuented sacraments whom the LORD in his owne time with the tempest of his wrath will scatter as dust and no man shall bee able to gather them againe FINIS CENTVRIE V. CHAP I OF EMPEROVRS Arcadius and Honorius THE good Emperour Theodosius left behind him two sonnes Arcadius to gouerne the East parts and Honorius the West Arcadius reigned 14. yeeres Hee was a meeke and godly Emperour but not couragious as his father had bene His simplicitie was abused by Eudoxia his wife Ruffinus his chiefe Counseller and Gania his chiefe Captaine Eudoxia was offended at the freedome that Chrysostome vsed in reprouing of sinne And by the meanes of Theophilus B. of Alexandria procured his deposition Theophilus had gathered a Synode at the oake of Chalcedon because Chrysostome beeing warned refused to compeare they conuict him of contumacie and deposed him after deposition followed banishment from which the affectioned minds of the people toward their Pastor constrained the Emperour to reduce him againe yet Eudoxia continued in her malice and procured by the meanes of Theophilus his second deposition and banishment with commandement to iourney his weake body with excessiue trauailes from place to place vntill he concluded his life Reffinus stirred vp Alaricus King of the Gothes to fight against Arcadius secretly presuming to the kingdome but his tre sonable interprises beeing espied he was slaine his head and right hand were hung vp vpon the port of Constantinople Gama of a simple souldier was made generall commander of Arcadius his armie he waxed insolent and proud affected the Kingdome beeing in blood a stranger of the Nation of the Gothes in religion an Arrian Hee craued a petition of the Emperour that he might haue one of the Churches of Constantinople whereinto hee might serue GOD according to his owne forme but this petition by the prudent aduise of Chrysostome giuen to the Emperour was reiected and the pride of Gaina for a time was something abated Honorius reigned in the West a'l the dayes of his brother Arcadius and 15. yeere after his death The whole time of his gouernment was very troublesome Gildo his lieuetenant in Africke vsurped the dominion of Africke and Maseelzer his brother who at the first detested treasonable interprises in his brother yet afterward followed his brothers footsteps and receiued the iust deserued reward of his vnconstancie for hee was slaine by his owne souldiers In like maner Stilico the Emperours father in law for Honorius maried his daughter and the Emperours chiefe Counseller presumed to drawe the Kingdome to Eucherius his sonne and stirred vp the Uandales Burgundians Almans and diuerso others to inuade the Kingdome of France to the end that Honorius beeing ouercharged with the multitude of vnsupportable businesses might permit Stilics to set forward to the designes of his own heart About this time Rhadagisus a S◅ythian accompanied with an armie of two hundreth thousand Gothes came to Italie And the helpe of Valdinus and Sarus captaines of the Hunnes and Gothes beeing obtained Rhadagisus was suddenly surprised himselfe was taken strangled many were slaine the most part were sold whereupon followed incredible cheapnesse of seruants so that flockes of seruants were sold for one piece of gold in Italie The next great trouble came by Alaricus King of the Westerne Gothes who inuaded Italie and camped about Ravenna with whome Honorius entred into a capitulation and promised to him and his retinue a dwelling place in France The Gothes matched toward their appointed dwelling place But Stilico the Emperours father in law followed after them and set vpon them at vnawares when they suspected none euill and slew a great number of them By this the Emperour clearely perceiued the treason of Stilico and caused him and his sonne to be slaine but to his owne great hurt he appointed no generall cōmander of the armie in his place Alaricus and his armie were inraged partly by their losse and partly by remembrance of the couenant made with them and incontinent violated Therefore they turned backe againe inuaded
Italie with all their might and besieged Rome two yeeres and tooke it in the yeere of our LORD 410 or as some reckone 412. In the mids of burning slaying robbing militare outrage some fauour was showne by the expresse commandement of Alaricus to such as fled to Christian Churches for safetie of their liues Alaricus led his armie from Rome and was purposed to saile to Africke there to settle his abode but beeing driuen backe with tempestuous windes hee wintred in Consentia where hee ended his life Alaricus in his lifetime had giuen in marriage Placidia the sister of Honorius to Ataulphus his neerest kinsman and Ataulphus after the death of Alaricus reigned ouer the Gothes The Gothes vnder the conduct of Ataulphus retarned backe againe to Rome Placidia through her intercession purchased great well to the towne of Rome the Gothes abstained from burning and shedding of blood and addressed themselues toward France and Spaine Theodosius 2. and Valentinian 3. AFter Arcadius reigned his sonne Theodosius the second 42. yeeres His vncle Honorius gouerned in the West After whose death the whole gouernment perteined to Yheodosius who associated vnto himselfe Valentinian the third the sonne of Placidia his fathers sister Theodosius in godlines was like vnto his grandfather in collecting a great labrarie of good bookes nothing inferiour to Ptolemaus Philadelphus In collecting in one short summe the lawes of kings princes he tread a path whereinto Iustinian walked following Theodosius example and benefited all men desirous of learning His house was like vnto a sanctuarie for exercises of reading of holy Scripture and deuote prayers He was of a meeke and tractable nature almost beyond measure his facilitie in subscribing vnread letters was corrected by the prudent aduise of his sister Pulcheria In these two Emperours time the estate was mightily crossed and troubled by strangers By the procurement of Bonifacius deputie of Africke the Vandales vnder the cōduct of Gensericus their King came into Africke tooke the towne of Carthage other principall townes and settled their abode in that countrie Valentinian 3. Emperour of the West was compelled to bind vp a couenant with the Vandales and to assigne vnto them a limited bounds in Africke for their dwelling place The Vandales were partly Pagans and partly Arrians whereby it came to passe that the true Church in Africke was persecuted with no lesse inhumanitie and barbarous crueltie by Gensericus King of the Vandales than it was in the dayes of the Emperour Dioclesiane Attila King of the Hunnes encombred the Romane empire with greater troubles Theodosius Emperour of the East bought peace with payment of a yeerely tribute of gold to Attila Valentinian the third by the meanes of Aëtius his chiefe Counseller allured Theodoricus King of the Westerne Gothes to take his part The parties fought in the fieldes called Catalaunici a great fight whereinto a hundreth and fourescore thousand men were slaine And Theodoricus King of the Gothes in this battell lost his life Attila was compelled to flee Thrasimundus the sonne of Theodoricus was very willing to pursue Attila for desire hee had to reuenge his fathers slaughter but hee was stayed by Aëtius This counsell seemes to bee the occasion of his death for Valentinian commanded to cutt off Aëtius Attila finding that the Romane armie was destitute of the conduct of so wise a gouernour as Aëtius was hee tooke courage againe and in great rage set himselfe against Italie tooke the townes of Aquileia Ticinum and Millane sacked and ruined them and set himselfe directly against Rome of intention to haue vsed the like crueltie also against it But Leo bishop of Rome went foorth and with gentle words so mitigated his mind that he left sieging of the towne of Rome Soone after this Attila died the terrour of the world and the whip wherewith GOD scourged many nations Valentinian the thirde after he had reigned in whole 30. yeeres was cut off for the slaughter of Aetius Maximus vsurped the Kingdome and violently tooke vnto himselfe Endoxia the relict of Valentinian but she was relieued againe by Gensericus King of Vandales who led an armie to Rome and spoyled the towne relieued Eudoxia and caried her and her daughters to Africke and gaue Honoricus his sonne in marriage vnto her eldest daughter Maximus was cut in pieces by the people and his body was cast into Tyber From this time foorth the Empire vtterly decayed in the West vntill the dayes of Carolus Magnus so that Auitus Richimex Maioranus Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Nepos Orestes and his sonne Augustulus they continued so shorte time and gouerned so vnprosperously that their names may bee left out of the rolle of Emperours Nowe to returne againe to Theodosius Emperour in the East a King beloued of GOD in so much that by praier he obtained of GOD a wonderfull deliuerance to Ardaburius captaine of his armie When his vncle had ended his life Ardaburius was sent against a tyrant Iohn who did vsurpe the Kingdome in the West The ship whereinto Ardaburius sailed by tempest of weather was driuen to Rauenna where the tyrant Iohn tooke him prisoner Aspar the captaines sonne beeing conducted by an Angell of GOD as Socrates writtteth entred into Rauenna by the passage of the loch which was neuer found dried vp before that time the portes of the towne were patent so that Aspar and his armie entred into the towne slew the tyrant Iohn and relieued Ardaburius his father This miraculous deliuerance is thought to bee the fruite of the effectuall prayers of the godly Emperour His death was procured by a fall from his horse after which hee was diseased and died an Emperour worthie of euerlasting remembrance Martianus MARTIANVS by the meanes of Pulcheria the sister of Theodosius was aduanced to the Kingdome with whome Valentinian the thirde of whome I haue already spoken reigned 4. yeeres Martianus albeit he obtained the gouernment in a time most troublesome when the Gothes Vandales Hunnes and Herulis had disquieted the estate of the Romane empire out of measure yet by the prouidence of GOD the short time of his gouernment was peaceable for he reigned not fully 7. yeere and he left behind him great griefe in the hearts of the people because a gouernement so good and godly endured so short time Anent the councell of Chalcedon assembled by him it is to be referred vnto the owne place Leo. AFTER Martianus succeeded Leo and gouerned 17. yeeres He was godly and peaceable not vnlike to Martianus his predecessor Hee interponed his authoritie to suppresse those who proudly despised the councell of Chalcedon and obstinatly maintained the heresie of Eutyches Notwithstanding the madnes and rage of Eutychian heretiques began in his time immediatly after the report of the death of Martianus Procerius B. of Alexandria was cruelly slaine by them in the Church harled through the streets and with beastly cruelty they chewed the intrals of his body hauing before ordained
their lifetime This was thought by the Fathers of the Councill to be pertinently spoken when his answer came to the eares of the Emperour Iustinian hee appointed that hee should be or deined bishop of Constantinople for Menas died suddenly in time of the Councill Vigilius B. of Rome was in Constantinople in time of this Councill but would not bee present at the Councill lest the dignitie of the Romane chaire should bee impaired if the Patriarch of Constantinople had beene equalled with him in honour for Eutychius after Menas was moderator of the Councill The generall conuention tooke thiâ—… effect That the writings of Theodorus B. of Mopsuesta were vtterly condemned and the replyes of Theodoretus to the 12. heades of Cyrilus together with the letter of Ibas written to Maris a Persian were damned Finally the errours of Origen were damned and Theodorus Ascidas together with the Monks of Nova Laura who defended the errors of Origen all were excommunicated and the 4. preceeding generall Councils were confirmed with full allowance The Councill of Mopsuesta immediatly following tended onely to this to knowe when the name of Theodorus sometime B. of Mopsuesta a towne of Cilicia was razed out of the rolle called sacra dipiycha And the ancients both of Clergie people assured the Emperour Iustinian that the name of Theodorus was razed out of the rolle of holy bishops before their time Vnder the reigne of Childebertus King of France were frequent meetings of Bishops in Aurelia a towne of France commonly called Orleans Many superstitious constitutions were hatched amongst them especially anent prohibition of mariage for this doctrine of Deuils had now gotten great vpper hand in the West The verse of Homer may bee written in the frontispice of these Councills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is It is a shame to tarie long and to returne emptie If they met so oft some fruites worthie of their meeting should haue beene brought out to the world but it is a wearisome thing to trauell a long time in the wildernesse of Arabia albeit in it there bee large fieldes yet it is a barren ground and the paine of wearisome trauelling is not recompensed with the delite of any refreshment that can bee had there This I write not to hinder any man from the reading of these Councils also for some good things are to bee found in them but to wish that the short time we haue to liue in this world should not be vnfruitfully spent In the second Councill simonie is damned the receiuing of money for admitting a man to a spirituall office is vtterly detested In the thirde Councill periurie is abhorred in a man hauing a spirituall calling but softly punished by 2. yeeres excluding of him from the communion In the fourth Councill it is ordeined that in the offering of the holy Calice nothing shall be presented except wine onely vnmixed with water because it is a sacrilegious thing to transgresse the holy mandate and institution of our Sauiour CHRIST In the fifth Councill it is condescended that no man shall be ordained bishop without consent of King Clergie and people according to the ancient constitutions of the Church and that no spirituall office shall be bought by money The heape of constitutions anent the keeping of Pasche day and Lent anent the prohibition of mariage betwixt Christians and vnconuerted Iewes anent seruants not to bee admitted to Ecclesiastical orders anent assemblies to be at the least yeerely conuocated by bishops anent Ecclesiasticall rents not to be dilapidated The nature of a short Compend cannot permit mee to insist in such things Vnder the reigne of Theodobertus King of France the Fathers who were present at the Councill of Aurelia conueened also in the Council of 〈◊〉 ordeined that no man should presume to the office of a bishop by the fauour of mâ—…n 〈◊〉 but by the merites of an honest and 〈◊〉 That the dead body of a bishop in time of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not be couered with the pall otherwise called Opertorâ—… 〈◊〉 corporis which couered the Altar lest the honour done to the body should be a polluting of the Altar with many other constitutions which of purpose I ouerpasse with silence Vnder the reigne of Aribertus King of France a Council was assembled at Tours In this Councill it was ordeined that the Clergie people in euery CongregatioÌ„ should prouide support for their owne poore not permit them to wander to vncouth places for indeed this custome of wandering hath brought in Atheisme amongst the poore when they leaue their owne Congregation they leauealso their owne Pastor who attended vpon their conuersation and they fall into the snare of the deuil It was also statute and ordeined that a bishop should count his wife as his sister and that he should no maner of way companie with her and for this cause hee should haue Presbyters Deacons so familiarly conuersant with him that they might beare testimonie of his honest behauiour to wit that he neuer companied with his wife The Romanists who count the prohibition of marriage to bee the soule of their religion could not ouerpasse this Canon without a censure Now let vs heare what Censura saith Intellige hunc Canonem uixta usum Orientalis ecclesia in qua coâ—…iugatus promovebatur adsacerdotium that is Vnderstand this Canon according to the custome of the Orientall Church wherein a maried man was promoted to the Priesthood well excused The bishops of Rowen Burges Tours c. are conueened in the towne of Tours to prescribe rules to the Orientall Church or at least rules vnto their owne bishops to liue after the forme of the Orientall Church which neuer came in their mind to doe as may evidently be knowne by the sixt generall Councill Moreouer it was statute and ordeined that no Priest or Monke should receiue in bed with him another Priest or Monke to the ende they might bee so vnreproouable that they would abstaine from all appearance of euill In this Councill was set downe very strict prohibitions that no man should oppresse the Church and conuert vnto his own vse any thing duely belonging to them lest he incurrethemalediction of Iudas who was a thiefe and kept the bag and conuerted to his owne vse a part of that money which belonged to the poore In the Councill holden at Paris order was taken concerning admitting of bishops to their offices that no man should be admitted bishop without the full consent of Clergie and people and that no man should presume by fauour of Princes onely without the consents foresaide to become bishoppe in any place Recaredus King of Spaine and of the discent of the Gothes who were miserably insected with the Arrian heresie assen bled 2 Councill of 62. bishops at Toledo where he renounced the Arâ—… heresie and embraced the true faith and the whole nation of the West Gothes in Spaine did the like about the
doe the like Example in ABRAHAM who had a warrant to kill his owne sonâ—…e The people of Israel had a warrant to borrow from the Aegyptians vessels of siluer gold and costly rayment and Moses had a warrant to make Cherubimes and a brasen Serpent but those thinges are not lawfull to others who want the like warrant The next Argument borrowed from Scripture is this IACOB worshipped the top of IOSEPHS staffe therefore it is lawfull to worship Images The Councill of Francford answereth to this Argument that like as there is no such wordes in the Hebrew text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of the Apost in the Epistle to the 〈◊〉 cap 〈◊〉 vers 21 conteineth no such thing where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee worshipped leaningaboue the top of his scepter but he worshipped not his Scepter And Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis affirmeth that he worshipped GOD and not the staffe of IOSEPH The third Argument taken out of Scripture is out of the booke of the Psalmes O Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house Of this they concluded that images should be loued worshipped seeing they are the beautie and ornament of GODS house To this argument it is answered by the Councill of Francford that this argument is grounded vpon a wrong interpretation of Scâ—…ipture for by the house of GOD is not meant a materiall Temple and the ornament of GODS house is not Images but spirituall vertues Many other places of Scripture are filthily abused but I will haue some regarde to the Readeâ—… that he be not wearâ—…ed in reading an heape of friuolous arguments Many arguments are taken out of the writings of Fathers to proue the adoration of Images but these following are the chiefe and principall First they say that Basilius Mag us affirmeth that the honour done to the Image redoundeth to him whose image it is This he peaketh of Christ who is the Image of the inuisible God Coloss. 1. vers 5. And who is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingrauen forme of his person Heb. 1. vers 3. buth e is not speaking of Images formed by the hands of men The testimonie of Gregorius Nyssâ—…nus is cited who writeth that when he passed by the image of Abraham viuely pictured with the knife drawne readie to kill his sonne he could not abstaine from shedding of teares This argument is counted friuolous albeir Gregorius Nysserus wept yeâ—… he bowed not his knee to worship the imâ—…ge of Ab aâ—…an Moreouer the Councill of Franckford alleadged that the bookes of Gregorius Nyssenus were not extant Amongst argumentes taken from naturall reason to prooue adoration of Images this is the chiefe The Emperours Image is honoured therefore the Image of Christ should be honoured To this argument the Council of Francford 〈◊〉 this answere that GOD is not like vnto a morteli King locally circumscribed so that wheÌ„ he is in one place he cannot be at that same selfe time in another place Therefore to intertaine a 〈◊〉 rence in the peoples hearts towards their Prince this Custome of honouring the Kings image was found out But God who is euery where present whom no place can conteine he is not to bee sought in Images neither was that forme of worshipping either commanded or allowed by GOD. The argument inuented of later dayes to prooue adoration of Images is sophisticall the dishonour done to the Image of CHRIST redoundeth to himsâ—…lfe 〈◊〉 the honour done to the Image of Christ redoundeth also to Christ is an honouring of Christ himselfe The antecedent is prooued by the fact of Iulian the apostate in breaking in pieces the Image of Christ in Caesarea Philippi To this it may bee answered that the breaking downe of the brasen Image in Casarea Philippi was not a dishonouring of Christ in respect of the fact that Iulian did but in respect of the intention of the doer but when this is proued the consequent will not follow For albeit an euill intention be eneugh to bring a man within the compasse of such as dishonour Christ yet a good intention is not eneugh to proue that we are honourers of Christ but our actions also must bee ruled according to the commandements of Christ and therefore they who haue only an intention to honour Christ but in the meane time violateth his commandements by worshipping him into an Image shall neuer be counted honourers of Christ. The fourth rancke of argumentes is taken from miracles wrought by Images This argument is weake and faultie in all sides The antecedent is false as shall be declared hereafter But suppone that miracles had beene wrought in Images or by images it followeth not that they should be worshipped In the wildernesse God cured his people miraculously by looking to the brasen Serpent yet it was not lawfull to worship the brasen Serpent and when the people worshipped it HEZEKIAS brake it in pieces and called it Nâ—…hustan In like maner GOD wrought a notable miracle by the ministrie of PAVL and BARNABAS at Lystra yet would they not suffer the people to worship them and the comming of the Antichrist is foretold to be mighty by lying wonders yet is not the Antichrist to bee worshipped Therefore this argument is of no force albeit it were true that miracles had beene wrought by Images But let vs examine the antecedent of this argument they say that miracles haue beene wrought by Images For confirmation of this they bring in the viue similitude of Christes face printed into a cloth and by Christ his application of the cloth to his blessed face with his owne handes which portrature of his face he deliuered to the painter of King Agbarus to bee caried to him because the painter dazled with the splendore of CHRISTES face could not paint his similitude Now say they the very effigie of CHRISTS face miraculously by touching only stamped in the clothe declareth that GOD worketh miracles both in Images and by Images I answere this fable of Agbarus painter was not heard before the 700. yeere of our LORD that Damascene maketh mention of it The Apostles and Euangelists make no mention of any such thing neither yet Eusebius who had conuenient time to write of this miracle of the Painter if any such thing had beene true when hee writeth of the letter of King Agbarus sent to CHRIST and CHRISTS answere returned againe to him The miracle of the Image of CHRIST crucified by the Iewes in Berythus a towne of Syria out of the pierced side whereof flowed blood and water in great abundance and this blood mixed with water had a medicinall vertue to cure all diseases The writing of this miracle is ascribed to Athanasius but the very stile ditement and phrase of writing declareth that it is a booke supposicitious and not belonging to Athanasius Like as many other bookes giuen out vnder the name
doctrine so that they who loue the trueth of GOD haue no neede to follow a false doctrine in regarde there is no man that dare gainesay it For I dare say to the commendation of the Councill of Francford that the Ibides of Aegypt were neuer more readie to deuoure the flying Serpents of Arabia so that they would not suffer them to light in the coastes of Aegypt than the Councill of Francford was readie to vndoe all the foolish arguments of the second Councill of Nice proouing the adoration of Images Before I set these Councills in opposite tearmes of contradiction the one to the other the preludie of the Councill is worthie to bee marked Adrian bishop of Rome sent a letter to the second Councill of Nice fraughted with lies and affirming that the Emperour Constantine was a leper that hee endeuourâ—…d to cure his disease by shedding of innocent babes blood that PETER and PAVL appeared to him in a vision by night and bade him goe and bee baptized by SILVESTER and his disease should bee healed and that in remembrance of this benefite CONSTANTINE builded Churches in Rome and adorned them with the Images of PETER and PAVL The groundes of this letter conteineth a masse of impudent lies CONSTANTINE was not a leper but a man gifted in soule beautifull in body and furnished with great giftes both of soule and body and meete for great workes as EVSEBIVS witneâ—…seth who liued in CONSTANTINES time and was familiarly acquainted with him Neither was hee baptized by SILVESTER in Rome but by EVSEBIVS in Nicomedia For SILVESTER and MARCVS his successour were both deade before that CONSTANTINE was baptized The rest of his letter is like vnto the sandie ground and fabulous narration whereupon it is grounded The arguments of the second Councill of Nice prouing adoration of Images may be distributed into foure rancks Some are taken out of Scripture others out of Fathers the third rancke from common reason the fourth from miracles If I propound their arguments into an intelligible order and likewise the â—…nsweres to them I doe a benefite to the Reader The Cherubims and the brasen Serpent were made by Gods commandement and the Cherubimes were seated in the place of adoration ergo Images may bee brought into the places of adoration There is a threefolde difference betwixt Images set vp in Churches to bee worshipped and the Cherubimes in the Temple First the Cherubimes are made by the expresse commandement of GOD but the images set vp in Temples are made expresse contrare to the Commandement of GOD. Secondly the Cherubimes and brasen Serpent were represâ—…ntations of diuine mysteries Thirdly neither the Cherubimes nor brasen Serpent were made for adoration as images are that are set vp in Temples If any man bee not fully resolued with these answeres let him vnderstand that the Law-giuer hath absolute authoritie to make exceptions from his owne Lawe but it is not lawfull to others without warrant of GODS commandement to doe the like Example in ABRAHAM who had a warrant to kill his owne sonne The people of Israel had a warrant to borrow from the Aegyptians vessels of siluer gold and costly rayment and Moses had a warrant to make Cheâ—…ubimes and a brasen Serpent but those thinges are not lawfull to others who want the like warrant The next Argument borrowed from Scripture is this IACOâ—… worshipped the top of IOSEPHS staffe therefoâ—…e it is lâ—…wfull to worship Images The Councill of Francford answereth to this Argument that like as there is no such wordes in the Hâ—…brew text euen so the words of the Apost in the Epistle to the Hâ—…brewes cap 11 vers 21 conteineth no such thing where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee worshipped leaning aboue the top of hiâ—… scepter but he worshipped not his Scepter And Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis affirmeth that he worshipped GOD and not the staffe of IOSEPH The third Argument taken out of Scripture is out of the booke of the Psalmes O Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house Of this they concluded that images should be loued worshipped seeing they are the beautie and ornament of GODS house To this argument it is answered by the Councill of Francford that this argument is grounded vpon a wrong interpretation of Scripture for by the house of GOD is not meant a materiall Temple and the ornament of GODS house is not Images but spirituall vertues Many other places of Scripture are filthily abused but I will haue some regarde to the Reader that he be not wearied in reading an heape of friuolous arguments Many arguments are taken out of the writings of Fathers to proue the adoration of Images but these following are the chiefe and principall First they say that Bâ—…silius Magâ—…us affirmeth that the honour done to the Image redoundeâ—…h to him whose image it is This he â—…peaketh of Christ who is the Imâ—…ge of the inuisible God Coloss. 1. vers 5. And who is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingrauen forme of his person Heb. 1. vers 3. but heâ—… is not speaking of Images formed by the hands of men The testimonie of Gregorius Nyssenus is cited who writeth that when he passed by the image of Abraham viuely pictured with the knife drawne readie to kill his sonne he could not abstaine from shedding of teares This argument is counted friuolous albeit Gregorius Nyssenus wept yet he bowed not his knee to worship the image of Abraham Moreouer the Councill of Franckford alleadged that the bookes of Gregorius Nyssenus were not extant Amongst argumenâ—…es taken from naturall reason to prooue adoration of Images this is the chiefe The Emperours Image is honoured therefore the Image of Christ should be honoured To this argument the Council of Francford 〈◊〉 this answere that GOD is not like vnto a mortall King locally circumscribed so that wheÌ„ he is in one place he cannot be at that same selfe time in another place Therefore to intertaine a reuâ—…rence in the peoples hearts towards their Prince this custome of honouring the Kings image was found out But God who is euery where present whom no place can conteine he is not to bee sought in Images neâ—…ther was that forme of worshipping either commanded or allowed by GOD. The argument inuented of later dayes to prooue adoration of Images is sophisticall the dishonour done to the Image of CHRIST redoundeth to himselfe â—…go the honour done to the Image of Christ redoundeth also to Christ is an honouring of Christ himselfe The antecedent is prooued by the fact of Julian the apostate in breaking in pieces the Image of Christ in Caesarea Philippi To this it may bee answered that the breaking downe of the brasen Image in Caesarea Philipps was not a dishonouring of Christ in respect of the fact that Iulian did but in respect of the intention of the doer but when this is
like maner I say to Papistes that their naked assertions not confirmed by testimonies of holy Scripture are nothing to vs but wee may lay them aside with as great libertie as they are prodigall in allcadging them Wee will answere to such arguments as seeme to be countenanced with some appearance of Scripture Now they say that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequently vsed in Scripture importeth the merite of our good workes because GOD vouchsafeth vpon them a rewarde To this I answere that if Scripture be conserred with Scripture that same thing which in one place is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a reward in another place it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an heritage in these wordes Come yee blessed of my father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world When that thing which properly is an inheritance is called a reward it is spoken metaphorically in respect it is giuen in the end of the world as an hire is giuen to a feruant in the end of the day The second argument proouing the merite of mens works and consequently Iustification by workes in a part is this that some men in Scripture are called worthie as when it is saide to the Angell of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a few names yet in Sardis which haue not defiled their garments and they shall walke with me in white for they are worthie To this I answere the godly are called worthie not in themselues but in Christ who hath made them Kings and Priestes vnto GOD. In themselues they are called vnworthie as when it is said No man was found wortbie to open and to read the booke And in another place it is saide that the afflictions of this present time are not Wortlne of the glorie that it to be shewed vnto vs. Nowe it is knowne that patient suffering of euill for Christes sake is a degree of greater obedience than willing doing of good and if the suffering of the Sainctes be not worthie of the glory that is to be reueiled how much lesse can our doings bee worthie of that glorious inheritance The third argument is taken from the nature of a conditionall couenant bound vp betwixt two parties which doe import that condition should bee keeped but so it is that GOD hath couenanted with such as liue a godly life that they shall dwell in the holy mountaine of God therefore by vertue of this Couenant men who ieades a good life are worthie to dwel in heauen To this I answere that this couenant foresaid is either Legal or Euangelicall if it be Legall we cannot fulfill the condition thereof because the Law requireth a perfect obedience which we cannot attaine vnto If it bee an Euangelicall couenant the Mediator of the newe couenant IESVS Christ is present at the couenant making for whose sake I grant that GOD promiseth vnto vs a dwelling place in heauen and for his sake also he performeth his promise giueth vnto vs a resting place in his holy Mountaine and in all this haue we no cause to reioyce in our selues but in the mercies of our GOD. Concerning our satisfactions whereby the Romane Church saith That sinnes committed after baptisme should be pardoned This belongeth to another Treatise of Indulgences and satisfactions for the present I ouerpasse this point of mens merites with silence The Romane Church that Mistresse of errour hath not onely learned vs to leane vpon our owne merites but also to leane vpon the merites of other men such as holy Prophets Apostâ—…es and Martyres because some of them haue not onely fulfilled the Commandements of GOD but also haue done more than the Law of GOD commanded For example the Lawe of GOD forbiddeth to commit adulterie fornication and all kind of vncleannesse but many of the Apostles Prophets Martyres not only abstained from all kind of whordome but also from mariage such workes are called in the Romane Church workes of supererogation these doe come into the treasure of the Bishop of Rome as the Vicar of Christ and he is a dispensator of them to such as haue need O deepenesse of errours forged by Sathan repugnant vnto it selfe If abstinence from mariage bee a worke of supererogation then either must mariage euen in men hauing a spirituall calling bee counted a thing lawfull and agreable to GODS holy Law or else the abstinence from it cannot bee called a worke of supererogation I grant that some fathers counted abstinence from mariage a worke of Evangelicall perfection like as the selling of all their possessions and distributing them to the poore but it entred not in their hearts to call such workes of Evangelicall perfection workes of supererogation to bee sent to the treasure of the bishop of Rome that he might bee a dispensator of them to such as had neede But nowe suppone that any such workes had beene in the Sainctes of GOD howe can they bee imperted and communicated to others Can the oyle of the wise Virgines bee distributed to the foolish Virgines It cannot be because it cannot suffice them both Likewise when wee compeare before the iudge of the worlde wee must compeare clad with the innocencie of CHRIST and not with the merites of his Sainctes for the Apostle saith Put on the Lord Iesus but hee saith not Put on the merites of the Sainctes Moreouer wee must bee acceptable as the holy Prophets Apostles and Martyres were acceptable but so it is that they were acceptable to GOD onely in Christ as the Apostle saith If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust Here none exception is made of Prophets Apostles Martyres but all must be acceptable to GOD for Christs sake allanerly Finally the holymen of God when they die they rest from their labours and their workes follow them If the soules of the holy fathers doe goe to heauen to the bosome of ABRAHAM to the paradise of GOD howe can wee thinke that their workes doe goe to the treasure of the bishop of Rome except they would say that the soules of all the holy fathers are gone to the treasure of the bishop of Rome also and their works and merites following them are altogether lighted in his treasure But lest I should anticipate the treatise of Indulgences I referre all farder discourse vnto the owne place Intreating the Lord Iesus of his vnspeakable fauour to remooue the mistie cloud of ignorance from our soules that our heartes bee not transported from the loue of the Creator to the loue of the creatures but that we may seeke saluation in Christ in whom only it may be found to whom be praise for euer AMEN FINIS A SHORT COMPEND of the grouth of the ROMANE ANTICHRIST Comprised in the VII VIII and IX CENTURIES WHEREVNTO ARE ADDED TREATISES CLEARLY declaring the noueltie of POPISH RELIGION EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ANDRO HART ANNO 1616. TO THE
MOST NOBLE VERTVOVS AND ELECT LADIE LADIE MARIE COVNTESSE OF MARRE P. S. wisheth grace mercie and eternall felicitie WHatsoeuer thing I haue hitherto written Most noble Ladie concerning controuersies of Religion it is of that nature that incase no further were added it would bee the more easilie comported with for manie of the Romane Church condiscende vnto this that worshipping of Images is not necessarily required nor an essential point of Christian Religion Neither can they find one example in all the Booke of God of Inuocation of Saincts Purgatorie is an opinion whereinto they themselues much differ and they talke of it sometimes with derision and mocking words Reade the History of Thuanus what was thought of the soule of Francis the first P. Castellanus was in one opinion the Doctors of Sorbone in another Mendosa as a courtesant in the third opinion assuring himselfe that if king Francis soule went to Purgatory it stayed not long there because it was neuer his custome in his life time to stay long in one place But now Madam the course of the History hath led me so far forward that I must touch the very apple of their eye and enter into their most holy place and declare that their seruice which they count most holy is but vile abomination in the sight of GOD And their doctrine concerning the Vicar of Christ the successour of Peter and the holinesse of the Masse and the plurality of their Sacraments added to Baptisme and the Lordes Supper is but like wind And wee are warned by the Apostle Paul that wee should no more bee children wauering and carrie◅ about with euery winde of doctrine for false doctrine is justly compared to winde in the baddest quality of it Sometimes it is easterne cold stormy withering so that the eares of corne blasted with the easterne wind are counted thinne and empty eares Euen so false doctrine exicateth dryeth vp that appearance of sap grace that seemed to be amongst people The Romane Church in our dayes bring vp their disciples as the harlots of Heliopolis in Phaenitia brought vp their children before the dayes of the good Emperour Constantine These children afore-saide knewe not their Fathers for they were strangers and the Harlots of Heliopolis had liberty to prostitute themselues to the lust of strangers so it came to passe if children had bene procreated in this libidinus copulation the stranger was gone and the procreated child depended onely vpon the mother for hee knewe not his father Euen so in the subsequent Centuries the Romane Church disacquaint their children with the voyce of God sounding in Holy Scripture It is now enough to beleeue as the Romane Church the mother of all Churches beleeueth and the chaire of Rome in matters of Faith it cannot erre But wee must depende vpon the voyce of God our Heauenly Father who hath begotten vs by the vncorruptible seede of His word who hath also fostered vs with the sincere reasonable milke of His word who hath anointed vs with the Balme of Gilead who maketh glad His owne citie euen with the waters of His own Sanctuarie The lowde sounding trumpet of vaine and railing wordes wee leaue to the aduersaries of the trueth for that is their armour wherewith they fight against the Gospell of Christ. Yet let them vnderstand that God hath hanged vp a thousand shields in the towre of Dauid euē all the targats of the strong men Thus leaning vpon the strength of the armour of God I set forward to the Historie and Treatises beseeching the Lord of His vnspekeable fauour and grace to blesse your Ladiship and all your Noble house for euer Amen Your Lad. humble seruant PAT SIMSON A CATALOGUE OF ALL THE TREATISES contained in the nine CENTVRIES CENTVRIE I. Of Antiquitie Heresie The foundation of the Church CENT II. Of Scripture and Tradition The doctrine of Deuils Succession CENT III. Of Purgatorie and prayer for the dead The reliquikes of Saincts The supremacie of the Bishop of Rome CENT IIII. Of Inuocation of Saincts The authoritie of Councels The Monasticke Life CENT V. Of Mans free will Originall sinne Iustification onely by faith CENTVRIE VI. Of Worshipping of Images Pardons and indulgences Diuers errours that crept in in this Centurie CENT VII Of The vniuersall Bishop The Antichrist The Sacrifice of the Masse CENT VIII Of Trans-substantiation The Sacrament of Pennance The Sacrament of Confirmation CENT IX Of The Sacrament of extreamevnction The Sacrament of orders The Sacrament of Matrimonie TO THE READER LIke as in the Tabernacle of GOD all things were holy and that thing that was within the vaile and hidden from the eyes of the people was moste holy In the Court there was an Altar of brasse in the Sanctuary there was an altar of gold but in the most holy place there was an holy Oracle sounding the blessed will of God from aboue the propitiatorie To the which Oracle neither the brasen Altar nor the golden Altar could bee compared yea both heauen and earth is not worthie to bee compared vnto the Oracle and word of the Lord. Euen so good Christian Reader vnderstand that when the history leadeth you to a consideration of the mystery of iniquity then you shall see a beginning and a progresse of vngodlinesse vntill in end the Antichrist is permitted to sit in the temple of God and to extoll himselfe against all that is called God or is worshipped And when ye reade this horrible defection of the visible Church let not your heart bee troubled this was fore-spoken by the Apostle and this be◅ued to come to passe So that thou mayest see the great power of the wrath of God punishing the contempt of His trueth His holy Couenant Albeit we be filthy beasts nothing regarding that precious treasure of the L◅es Couenant yet the Lord is vnchangeable and like vnto Himselfe and Hee counteth more of the worthinesse of His holie Couenant than of the pompe and glorie of all the kingdomes of the world Whom like as He destroyed in the dayes of Noah with a flood of waters because they prefirred the concupiscence of their flesh to the religion of God Euen so in the last age of the world Hee suffered the hearts of men to bee ouer-whelmed with the floods of horrible ignorance because they reuerenced not as became them the holie Couenant of the Almightie God Let vs learne to reuerence our God euen when Hee is clothed with His red garments when He casteth all Nations like grapes into the Wine-presse of His wrath The Lord vouchsafe vpon vs such measure of grace out of His rich treasure as may teach vs to reuerence not onelie the workes of His mercie but also the workes of His justice at the Angels did who cryed Holie holie holie Lord God of Hostes euen at that time when a sentence of induration and reprobation was going foorth from the Tribunall of God against the vnthankefull Iewes God
high Bishop and great Sheepheard of our soules only remaine with Christ who is only worthie of such high dignitie For like as many comforters came out of Hierusalem to comfort the two sisters Martha and Marie who lamented for the death of their brother Lazarus yet there was but onely one great comforter to wit Iesus Christ who could raise Lazarus out of the graue restore him to life again Euen so there are many bishops but there is only one great and vniuersall Bishop who can conferre eternall life to all that beleeue in him Let this royall garment bee laide vp in the Kinges wardrope and let none other man honour his owne bodie with it Let this oyle of consecration be kept in the Lords Sanctuary and let not the flesh of a stranger be annointed with it Let this inaccessible dignitie remaine as a fixed starre in heauen wherevnto no mortall man can reach his hand Let the death resurrection ascension and glorious sitting of Christ in heauen at the right hand of his Father budding foorth better fruite than the rodde of Aaron did testifie that this honour of the great Bishop of our soules belongeth only to Christ And finally Let him who onely is called the King of kinges the Lord of lordes the Prince of Prophets bee counted also the Bishop of all bishops who is worthie to be glorified for euer AMEN Vpon the necke of this Treatise if the next Treatise coÌ„cerning the Antichrist be subjoyned let no man maruell For in my opinion when the Popes hyrelinges cast themselues downe at his feete they testifie that they will bee subject vnto him as to the only Vicare of Christ vpon earth as to the Uniuersall bishop of the Church as to him that cannot erre in the Decrees of Doctrine concerning Faith and finallie as to whome onely it is lawfull as he listeth himselfe to determine of Religion and Christian Discipline So that these outwarde submissions of the bodie doe then appertaine to Idolatry when they are testimonies that the minde attributeth more vnto a creature than is meete But the miserie of all miseries is this that as it were by hereditarie succession euerie man who is seated in the chaire of Rome shall also haue right to gouerne the affaires of the whole Church how beit they bee not good common Christians let bee good Bishops and by the testimonie of their owne writers they be ambitious auaritious contentious and libidinous monsters Surelie before wee should conferre the glorie of CHRIST to such vile persons it were better that men should sacrifice their life for the honour of CHRIST For euen the LACEDEMONIANS when they were commanded to render their children answered to the MACEDONIANS Si grauiora morte imperatis mori volumus that is If yee commaunde thinges more grieuous than death wee will choose rather to die to wit than to obey such commaundementes And the verie Asse of Balaam is set downe vnto vs as an example of striuing against the vnlawfull commaundementes of vnlawfull prelates because the sword of the Angell of GOD is more terrible than the staffe of Balaam And albeit with Balaams Asse wee were thrise beaten with the staffe yet it is better to remember the by-past euilles which wee haue suffered than with the rich glutton to bee tormented not onelie with the sense of present paine but also with the remembrance of by-past pleasures which wee haue moste vnrighteously abused The Romane Church after the six hundreth yeere of our Lord had the wisedome of dogs who are wiser in senting than in barking for they knew that ambition was ambition and that verie fewe climbed vp to the papale dignitie by vertue but rather by procuration friendship bribes and other vnlawfull meanes but fewe durst barke against their doinges as dogges will not barke against men with whome they are familarly acquainted yea and men whome neceslitie of the extraordinary lewde conuersatioÌ„ of Pâ—…pes compelled at some times to barke Onuphrius the Aduocate of all cuill causes is ready with snurling words to reproue the reprehenders of them and by impudent deniall of the veritie of the historie to blind-folde the eyes of the simple and ignorant Reader Nowe is the way of righteousnesse made rough and difficill and the broad way is smoothe and easie and many walke therein But whensoeuer it pleaseth God to exercise the faith of his Saincts with difficill times it is not to mooue them to forsake a good course but rather to be well shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Indeede incase the course of vngodlinesse be made rough and difficill then the Lord hath set thorny hedges in our way to the ende that wee may repâ—…nt and returne to our owne husband againe from whom we haue wandered And happie is he who can discerne the way and the cause wherefore the Lord hath made it either rough or smoothe Now is the time come wherein Church-men are become like vnto carnall Iewes who loathed MANNA and the waters of the spirituall Rocke and the cloude of God and the holy Tabernacle yea and the flesh-pots of Aegypt are laide in ballance with all the treasures of the goodnesse of God bestowed vpon a carnall people Euen so Church-men at Rome after the sixe hundreth yeere of our Lord began to loathe the humilitie of Christ the patient suffering of the Apostles the riches of faith and other spirituall treasures which were the glorious ornamentes of the Primitiue Church whereunto are preferred the riches and honours of this world justly called by Nazianzenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Precious dungue IN the second head of this TREATISE it followeth to be declared that the bishops of Rome sought this dignitie of Papal supremacie vnhonestly and vsed it tyrannously and impiouslie after they had obtained it Concerning the seeking of it Philip Morney that Phoenix of FRANCE from whom I am not a shamed to borrow many things in this TREATISE hee prooueth by the testimonies of Paulus Diaconus Freculfus Regino Anastatius Hermannus Contractus Marianus Scotus Sabellicus Blondus Pomponius Laetus Platina Author compilationis Chronologicae and Otho Episcopus Frisingensis that Bonifacius the third begged at the handes of the Emperour Phocas that the Church of Rome should be called the head of all other Churches Hee who sought this supremacie was a flatterer hee at whose handes it was sought was a traitor a parricide and the vile excrement of all gouernours and the time wherein he sought it was at that time wherein the wordes of Gregorie the first vttered against Ioannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bishop of Constantinople were in recent remembrance to wit That whosoeuer did vsurpe such a magnificke stile to be called Uniuersall Bishop hee was the fore-runner of the Antichrist But seeing the time was nowe come wherein the purpurate Harlot was to sit vpon the Citie of seuen Mountaines in her first entrie she laieth aside all shamefastnesse and modestie she wipeth her mouth
and saith shee hath committed none iniquitie ambition so blindeth her eyes that vnconstancie is counted no fault and taking deepe roote in her heart hideth from the eyes of her mind the sight of heauen and all heauenly vertues such as humilitie modestie constancie and vprightnesse of a siable and vnwauering heart The preheminence that God licenciateth to bee sought ouer brethren is like to the preheminence of Moses ouer the Elders he ascended higher vpon the mountaine of God than they did and when he came downe againe from the mountaine of God his face shined with greater splendor of celestiall glorie than the faces of others did Would God Pastors could striue to attaine to such preheminence for the striuing for prerogatiue of places hath bred many vnnecessary and vnfruitfull contentions in the Church as an ancient Father hath well marked This supremacie aforesaid so vnhonestly sought was vsed tyrannously vnrighteously Pope Bonifacius the fourth dedicated the Temple called Pantheon wherein all the Gentile gods were worshipped this Temple I say he dedicated to the Virgine Marie and to all the Martyrs rather changing than correcting the vile abomination of Idolatrie Honorius the first in the sixt generall Councell was found to haue bene an Eutychian heretique The Popes Martinus the first and Eugenius the first Vitalianus and Adeodatus were so puft vp in pride that they counted the Bishops of Râ—…uenna heretiques onely for this because they receiued not their ordination from the Bishops of Rome were not subject to their authoritie And this heresie they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pope Sergius 1. obstinately refused to subscribe the decrees of the sixt generall Councell partlie because in it the doctrine and lawes of prohibition of marriage to men in spirituall functions was damned and partlie also because the Bishop of Constantinople was equalled in honour with the bishop of Rome Constantinus the first and Gregorius the second were the first open and auowed traitors against the Emperours the one of them rased the name of the Emperour Philippicâ—…s out of charters the other assoyled the subjects of Italie from the oath of all edgeance to the Emperour Leo Isaurus because these two Emperours dâ—…tested the worshipping of Images What villanie was in Pope Stephanus the thirde who perswaded CAROLVS MAGNVS king of FRANCE to repudiate his wife BERTHA the daughter of DESIDERIVS king of LOMBARDIS abusing in moste impudent manner the wordes of holie Scripture What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse 2. Coriâ—…t chap. 6. vers 14. In that place the Apostle is giuing counsell to Christians who are disposed to marrie not to couple themselues in matrimoniall band with infideles but the counsell of the Apostle to them who are alreadie married euen with infideles is this If any brother haue a wife that beleeueth not if she be content to dwell with him let him not for sake her 1. Cor. 7. 12. So that albeit Bertha the daughter of Desiderius had bene an infidell shee beeing willing to cohabite with her husband there was no reason to repudiate her But now the bishops of Rome are become wiser than the Apostles of Christ and they bid repudiat the wife with whome the Apostle Paul in expresse wordes biddeth a Christian man cohabite It is more intolerable that Suphanus the third calleth Bertha an infidell was she not baptised in the name of Christe was not her father Desiderius before him Aistulphus partakers of the Lordes holie Sacramentes was not Rachis the brother of Aislulphus so deuout according to the superstitious forme at that time commended in the Romane Church that hee forsooke his kingdome and entered into a Monasterie there to leade his life But the bishops of Rome are become so prodigall of their reproachfull speaches that all persons are counted Infideles who followe not absolutely all the conceites of their changeable mindes Pope Adrian the first with aduise of a great Councell ordained that no man should bee consecrated bishop of Rome before hee had receiued investment by staffe and ring by the Emperour but Gregorius 7. by the contrarie cursed them who receiued inuestment from the Emperour anno 1073. These two popes speak contradictory things yet they must be counted holy Fathers who cannot erre Pope Leo the third tooke vpon him boldnesse to change the Empire and to proclaime Charles the Great king of FRANCE to be Emperour in the West And Baronius the moste inâ—…pt expounder of Scriptures of anie learned men of late dayes defendeth this doing of Lâ—…o by a place of Scripture The moste High beareth rule ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to whome hee will Dan. 4. 22. Daniel in that place speaketh of the Eternall GOD who indeede is moste high and giueth the kingdomes of the worlde to whome hee pleaseth but Baronius applieth this to the bishop of Rome as if hee were moste high and had the kingdomes of the worlde at his owne dispensation to giue them to whome he pleased So saide the Deuill of himselfe Luke 4. 6. but hee lied for hee had no such power and Baronius attributing this power vnto the Pope lieth as impudentlie as the Deuill did sergius the second with his brother Benedictus for gaining vanta e vnto themselues were not ashamed to sell bishoprickes and to preferre men to spirituall offices not for the worthinesse of their giftes but for the weight of their numbered money and so the chaire of ROME was filthilie spotted with simonic Yea it came to passe that the pridâ—… and simonicall auarice of the bishops of ROME brangled their late vsurped authoritie so that AVGVIBERTVS bishop of MILLANE with allowance of many bishops of ITALIE disclaimed the authority of the bishop of ROME and with great difficultie after the issue of two hundreth yeeres was the chaire of MILLANE reduced againe to the obedience of the bishop of ROME in the dayes of Pope Stephanus the ninth It grieued the bishops of ROME that they were bound by the constitution of Adrian the first to haue the allowance of the Emperour to their election and therefore by degrees they endeuoured to shake off that yoke of bondage Stephanus the fourth was elected without the fore-knowledge of Ludovicus ' Pius but he pacified the Emperours wrath by his comming to FRANCE Pascalis the first in like manner was chosen bishop of Rome without the foreknowledge of the Emperour Neuerthelesse by his letters sent to the Emperour Ludouicus he excused himselfe and ratified the constitution of Adrian In like manner Leo the fourth following the example of his predecessors was admitted without the fore-knowledge of Lotharius hee likewise excused himselfe to the Emperours sonne Ludouicus pretending that the sudden incursion of the Saracenes was the cause mouing the people to precipitate his election and hindering himselfe to make due aduertisement to the Emperour Lotharius in whose time he was elected But the issue after following declared that all these excuses
and he married another woman named Hildegarde of the Dukerie of Sweue These are the fruits of antichristian pride to threaten the torments of hell against the princes of the worlde for marriage if so be they fore-see anie damnage may redound to the chaite of Rome by the marriage of princes After Stephanus the thirde succeeded Adrian the first and gouerned 23. yeeres ten monethes and seuenteene da◅es In his dayes Charles the Great came into Italie with an armie and banished Desiderius king of Lombardes his wife and children to Lions in France and vtterly suodued the kingdome of the Lombardes which had continued in Italie 204. yeeres Nowe in the yeere of our Lord 776. this kingdome was abolished vndone by Charles the Great king of France for the fauour he carried towards the chaire of Rome Likewise he augmented the donation of his father Pipinus and he bestowed vpon the Church of Rome the Isle of Corsica and the places interjacent betwixt Luca and Parma with the Dukedomes of Spoleto and Beneuento This being done Charles returned backe againe to France carying with him Bertha his brothers wife and hir children who came to Adrian bishop of Rome hoping for fauour at his handes and that hee should haue annointed her sonnes to be kings of France seeing Carolomannus their father was now dead but hee deliuered them into the hands of Charles and so Charles the Great reigned without exception as absolute commander of France Irene the Empresse of the East during the time of Adrians popedome assembled a great Councell at Nice in Bythinia where the adoration of images was allowed In this Councell the popes Ambassadours were present and his owne letter was read in the Councell no man gaue greater allowance to the worshipping of images than pope Adrian did as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels It is to be marked that Platina writing of the death of Constantinus Copronymus is compelled to beare witnesse to the trueth and testifie that the opinion of the leprosie of Constantine the Great was a notable fable and that it sprang vp by occasion of the disease of Constantinus Copronymus the father in law of the Empresse Irene To Adrian succeeded Leo the third and gouerned 21. yeeres he was hated by Pascalis and Campulus who lay in waite for him at the Church of Sainct Syluester threw him downe to the ground spoy led him of his pontificall garments beate him with manie strokes and finally cast him into prison and bands but he escaped by the meanes of a cubiculare named Albinus lurked in the Vaticane vntill the time that Unigisius duke of Spoleto conuoyed him safely vnto his boundes At this time Charles king of France had warres against the Saxones The bishop of Rome who came to him to complaine of the injuries which hee had receiued was sent back againe verie honourably accompanied with the souldiours of Charles king of France and with promise that hee shoulde without delay addresse his journey towardes Italie When Charles came to Italie the popes enemies were so dashed with feare that they durst not appeare to accuse him and the Clergie of Rome thought meete that no man shoulde judge of the Apostolike chaire but the bishop of Rome should be his own judge Leo tooke the booke of the Gospell in his handes and swore that he was innocēt of all the crimes objected against him and so he was absolued Pascalis Campulus the friēds of the late deceassed pope Adrian were counted worthy of death but pope Leo intercided for safetie of their liues so they were banished to France For this benefite Leo caused Charles to bee declared Emperour of the West and crowned him with the Emperiall Diademe And from that time forwardes the custome beganne that Emperoures shoulde receiue their Coronation from the Bishop of ROME Notwithstanding of this it was ordained that no man shoulde bee elected Bishop of ROME without aduice of the Emperour of the West and without receiuing inuestment from him THE Patriarches of Constantinople in this CENTVRIE were placed and displaced according to the changeable conceits of the Emperours Vnder the reigne of Iustinian the seconde Cyrus was Patriarch whom Philippicus remoued and aduanced one named Ihonne who had fore-tolde that he should be made Emperour This Ihonne was infected with the heresie of the Monothelites and was remoued by Artemius by whome Germanus was aduanced to the chaire of Constantinople Germanus continued vntill the reigne of Constantinus Copronymus Hee was deposed and excommunicated by the Generall Councell assembled by Constantinus because hee allowed the worshipping of images To him succeeded Anastasius who albeit hee disliked images yet hee was vnthankefull to the Emperour and fauoured the seditious attemptes of the people of Constantinople who aduanced Artabasdus to the Emperiall dignitie More-ouer hee slandered the Emperour as if he had spoken against the diuinitie of Christ. Hee receiued a just recompense of his vnthankefulnesse for hee was deposed and scourged and set vpon an Asse with his face towards the Asses taile and made a ridiculous spectacle to the people After him Constantine a Mōke was made Patriarch who at the first seemed to damne images but afterward he was found to be a maintainer and allower of them The Emp. banished him to Iberia where hee spake contumeliouslie both of the Emperour and of the Councell holden at Constantinople therefore hee was brought backe againe from banishment and was beheaded and his bodie was trailed through the towne with a corde casten into a pit where the bodies of male-factors were accustomed to bee casten After him succeeded Nicetas a man vnlearned aduāced by the Em. Const. Copron. for none other cause but only for his zeale against the worshipping of images After him succeeded Paulus Cyprius who in the dayes of Const. Copron. damned the worshipping of images but afterward repented vnder the reigne of Irene entered into a Monastery lamented that he had cōsented to the abolishing of images The vaine repentance of this timorous and superstitious man was the chiefe occasion of the conuocation of the seconde Councell of Nice by the Empresse Irene To him succeeded Tarasius who was present at the second Councell of Nice and gaue allowance to the adoration of images The preuailing power of the Saracenes in Alexandria Antiochia and Hierusalem did so obscure the names of the Patriarches of these cities that I haue no remarkeable thing to write of them in this CENTVRIE IN this declining age wherein spirituall grace dayly decayed and nothing encreased except an heape of earthly treasures which God permitteth to be powred into the bosomes of them who loue the wages of iniquitie Alwayes euen at this time some men of good literature and learning did manifest themselues vnto the world such as Bonifacius bishop of Mentz Damascene alearned Monke Paulus Diaconus a learned writer of histories and Beda a man counted venerable in his time yet all