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A00430 Catholique traditions. Or A treatise of the beliefe of the Christians of Asia, Europa, and Africa, in the principall controuersies of our time In fauour of the louers of the catholicke trueth, and the peace of the Church. Written in French by Th. A.I.C. and translated into English, by L.O.; Tradition catholique. English Eudes, Morton.; Owen, Lewis, 1572-1633. 1609 (1609) STC 10561; ESTC S101746 137,760 254

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more because Princes and Soueraigne Magistrates should beare sole authority and by their absolute commaundement should testifie their good will therein and employ the prudent aduise of their Ecclesiasticall subiects not the wisest onely but the best and godliest also not so much to dispute and winne the victory as to conferre and amiably to agree The God of peace will giue the fruit of peace to his glory and our good But I know not by what Inchantment or destinie Kings for the most part know not their forces and willingly do dispoyle themselues of a greate part of their owne Authoritie and many times perceiue it too late As for the particulars many doe know and see the euill but doe perswade themselues that the remedie is most dangerous of all or else for feare will not bee singular in opinion be it neuer so good louing rather to suffer themselues to bee caried away with the torrent and streame of diuision and to be of the common fashion that they may the better follow their priuate affaires Euery one doth bragge and vaunt himselfe of his faith but few or none will practise charitie and what is faith without charitie more then a tree without fruite or a body without a soule I haue beene here emboldened to addresse my selfe to your Highnesse for the reasons aboue said and to the end that vnder the lustre of your name this little Treatise written onely for the publike vtilitie might be the more fauourably receiued and respected of all men especially of the subiects of the kings Maiestie your father amongst whom are more learned Diuines well practised in the art of disputation in the reading of the Fathers and in all the Histories of the Church then peraduenture in three or foure other as great Countries Their writings doe testifie it insomuch that wee doe admire thereat in these parts and the English Liturgie gathered according to the modell of the Auncients the purest of them in the which through the aduise of so many excellent men in learning and pietie English men and others hath beene reserued for reuerence of Antiquitie all which might be left with a good conscience Also it is very likely that it shall endure perpetually and serue for a patterne or example for those which are not as yet reformed The praise whereof next vnto God shall be to the good and wise Kings of Great Britane the Predecessors whereof haue receiued and embraced with the first the faith of Iesus Christ and not with the last the Reformation which was necessary in the Church The principal cause truely or rather the only cause of this long peace prosperity wherwith God hath blessed the Kingdomes of your Iland besides many benedictions wherewith he hath fauoured your Royall house and your Highnesse in particular who haue after his Maiestie the first place in age in valour and dignitie and who for the gratious respect which naturally you doe shew vnto all men which through any merite or seruice doe seeke the honor of your fauour will mooue you I am assured to receiue this little present as from him who will thinke himselfe happy all the dayes of his life to say * ⁎ * Your Highnesse most humble and most obedient seruant Th. A. J. C. ❧ The Preface ¶ First Diuision of Christian people THe vniuersitie of Christians is diuided into sixe principall parts which doe equally vaunt themselues of the Name of the Church of God The East Church doth pretend that the first ranke or seate is due to her without any contradiction in regard of her prerogatiues and priuiledges a Countrey of great largenesse almost all the Apostolicke Seas and the most part of the Patriarkes The maiestie of an Empire which during the space of more then a thousand yeeres hath withstood Paganisme and Mahometisme The authoritie of seuen vniuersall Councels celebrated within her iurisdiction The Syrian language wherein the Sonne of God pronounced his Oracles and the Greeke tongue in the which they were registred In this Church doth the Oecumenicall Patriarcke of Constantinople preside or gouerne It is composed of Grecians a Nation acknowledged as a mother by her proper aduersaries of Syrians Iberians Sclauonians Russians Muscouites and others scattered into many places of Asia and Africa al which do call themselues Orthodoxe Catholickes and do not differ or varie among themselues but onely in fewe ceremonies The Latine or Catholicke Romane Church might conueniently be placed in the second place Her primate is called in Latine Pontifex or more commonly Papa in English Pope a name which all they of the East Church doe giue vnto all their Priests This Pope is acknowledged by the Italians Frenchmen Spaniards by some Germanes and Polanders and withall by some Americans and Indians which of late are conquered and conuerted by the Spaniards The Romane Catholickes do say and affirme themselues to be very strongly vnited together because that they depend vpon one head or chiefe Neuerthelesse they are not all of one accord so farre as his authoritie doth extend Some doe attribute vnto him full authoritie ouer the Church and Councels and ouer Kings and Common-wealthes others doe contradict it Neuerthelesse these doe tollerate the Pope in his attempts vnto the very execution of them which is the cause that Christendome is noted to be in schismes and scandals and her people in warres and dissentions The third Christian nation is the South or Meridionall Church which containeth the Nubians and the Abyssins subiects of Negus of Ethiop otherwise called Prester-Iohn and many that are scattered in Egypt Arabia and Chaldea which are called Iacobits or Israelites because that they are of the linage or race of Iacob otherwise called Israel But some are of opinion that they take name of one Iacob an hereticke They are called of some in Greeke Cophites or in Hebrew Cophtes because that they vse Circumcision Their Primate maketh his residence in Caire and is called Patriarcke of Alexandria his substitute or Deputy in Ethiop is called Abuna The fourth Christian nation are the Nestorians accused to hold the heresies of old Nestor which are dispersed here and there in Tartaria Persia and in the Kingdomes of the East Indies Their Prelat resideth in Mosal or Seleucie and is called Iascelich The Historiographers doe not exactly report the truth what is or in times past hath beene their beliefe which is the reason wherefore we do not aleadge them very often The fift Nation is that of Armenia which peraduenture might be thought to be of the Romane Church because that they haue offered themselues to her in hate of the Grecians and their Catholike for so they call their chiefe head did submit himselfe to the Pope of Rome but the truth is that the Romane Church doeth hold them all for heretickes although that shee doeth deale more discreetly with them for to withdraw them
by little and little to her obedience The Protestants or reformed Christians doe make the sixt Church of Christians they inhabite a great part of Germanie and the Kingdoms of England Scotland Denmarke and Swethia and haue Churches in France Flanders and Poland This reformation attempted and desired by the Albigeans and Valdians was receiued in Bohemia in the yeere 1400. or there abouts and afterwards in the yeere of 1517. established in the said Regions by the doctrine of Luther Melanchton Zuinglius Bucer Caluin and others The reformed haue not Primate in common neither any generall Synods which are the Markes and Bands of Vnitie and from thence haue proceeded and entred amongst them with great scandale the diuisions and names of Hussits Lutherans Caluins and Puritans ¶ Secondly Certaintie of Christian Religion FOrasmuch as we intend to intreate of diuers points of the Euangelicall veritie It seemeth necessarie vnto vs before all things to establish and shew the foundation The which shall bee of more authoritie if we insert here the end of a learned discourse of Gennade Patriarke of Constantinople made by him in the presence of Mahomet the second Emperour of the Turkes Besides these reasons saith he there are seuen which doe altogether assure vs of our faith The first because that the Prophets of the Iewes the which we doe receiue haue foretold of IESVS and all that which he did and his Disciples after him through his power And in like maner the Oracles of the Grecians by the permission of GOD and the Astronomers of Persia and of Greece did foretell of him The second because the holy Scriptures is altogether conformable to our Faith for that those which did write them had all one teacher to wit the grace of God for if the same had not beene they had differed and varied in some point The third because that men receiued this faith although new and strange with great care among all nations and in great daungers And not onely the foolish but also the wise and prudent and all Diabolicke deceit was perfectly reuersed and ouerthrowne The fourth because that this faith contayneth nothing that is impossible and which disagreeth with it selfe and that there is no corporall thing therein but rather spirituall and it is the way which leadeth the soule to the loue of God and to the hope of euerlasting life The fift because that those which haue receiued this faith and that haue liued vertuously according to the loue of Christ haue receiued great gifts of God and haue wrought many miracles the which could not haue beene done had not the faith beene true The sixt because that all that which may be obiected against it is easily refuted with firme arguments The seuenth because that the Kings of Paganisme Countries haue made Warres against this faith with infinite power and cruelties during many ages and haue profited nothing at all but rather the faith hath preuailed so well insomuch that it doth persist vntill this present and when the Lord doth come he shall finde it To the same Iesus our Lord and true God be glory for euer Amen ¶ Thirdly the Subiect and end of this Treatise IF the Schismes doe ruinate Christendome by the aduantage that the Infidels doe take it is nothing lesse endamaged by the scandall which Christians themselues doe receiue the one of the other the one liueth vncertaine of that which he ought to beleeue the other perswadeth himselfe that he followeth the right way and animated out of measure against the opinion of the rest he doth but attend the houre to renew those auncient Furors If any man speake of a Councell or to correct and eschue those vitious and scandalous extremities he is so soone reproued by those which haue the eares of Kings and people I seeke peace saith the Prophet and when I talke thereof they are bent to warres The saying of Zaga Bishop of Ethiope and Embassadour of Prester Iohn is more charitable It is a miserable thing saith he that Christian strangers should be so sharpely reprooued as enemies as I haue beene heere and other things which concerne not the true faith But it should be farr more conuenient to support all Christians be they Grecians be they Armenians be they Ethiopians be they of any one of the seuen Christian Churches with charity and loue of CHRIST and to permit them to liue and conuerse amongst other christian brethren without any iniurie because that we are all Infants of one Baptisme and doe hold truely the true faith and there is no reason to dispute so sharpely touching ceremonies but rather that euery one should obserue and keepe his owne without hating or troubling the other and not to be excluded out of the commerce of the Church if being a stranger in other Prouinces hee keepe and obserue the customes of his owne Country This is the Discourse of a Moore which should make vs blush But seeing that ignorance obscureth the vnderstanding and that anger stoppeth the eares and shutteth the eyes of the men of this world It resteth for the Louers of peace and trueth to put in practise the commandement of our Sauiour Take heede saith he of the leauen of the Pharisees For who can assure himselfe that this commaundement hath not more scope But some man will say what meanes is there to discerne this leauen and these Pharisees in so great a conflict of reason The answere is that when the Scriptures the which all Christians doe claime haue not sufficient light for to make the trueth in the doctrine of controuersies to bee apparently perceiued Yet may a man now a dayes vse that meanes which S. Ireneus councelleth vs which is that he haue a recourse to the Churches where the Apostles haue conuersed for to learne the Apostolicke tradition But men are farre enough from taking this way The one perswadeth himselfe that the Apostolicke Churches are perished the other calleth them plaine heretickes For it is manifest that we must beleeue the promise of the Son of God who said to his Apostles yea as well to them as to the Colledge of their successors Goe through the vniuersall world behold I am with you vntill the consumation of the world Here is the full But of this Treatise to make men see by Testimonie of Historiographers being ocular witnesses and of vnreproueable Authors that there are Churches in the Apostolicke Sees and for to shew that they are conformable among themselues and to the Scripture in that which is necessarie to saluation As for ceremonies or curious Questions it matters not if euery one of them doeth make or beleeue that which seemeth him best That which is worst of all is the diuision which proceedeth of zeale but with little charitie and it will not be amisse to recite the moderation which Saint Paul commandeth If you saith he bee otherwise minded GOD shall reueale euen the same vnto you As
Grecians Againe the Georgians doe obserue altogether the ceremonies and errours of the Grecians in their Sacrament Louis Regius The Empire of the king of Moscouia dooth extend towards the East almost vnto the kingdome of Persia THE SOVTH CHVRCH VIllamont The Abyssines are a people of Ethiope that is to say a part of Affrica and the greater part thereof by reason of their large scope Their King is by them called Negus and in the Persian tongue Prester-Iohn or Catholik which Prester-Iohn heretofore dwelt in Tartaria neuerthelesse he is yet one of the greatest Kinges of the East and of the greatest power and might in all Affrica and his Kingdome doth extend from the end of Egipt vnto the Indies This king hath more then fortie kingdomes vnder him The Iacobites doe inhabite a great part of Asia and liue pell-mell with the Turkes Persians and Tartarians some of them inhabite neare the Riuer Nubius which is in the confines of Egipt and hold a good part of Ethiope and of the higher Indies insomuch that it was told me that they occupy very neare fortie kingdomes They call themselues christians of the first conuersion say that they were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ by S. Matthew the Apostle before the other nations They circumcise their children after the fashion and manner of the Sarrasins THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The fourth marke of the Church is the greatnesse or multitude and diuersitie of the beleeuers for the church that is truely Catholike ought not onely to comprehend all times but also all places all nations and all sorts of people And that our Roman church is the true Church may be proued by this argument that is that before the time of Luther there was not in the world any more Religions then these that is to say Paganisme Mahometisme the Greekes the Nestorians the heresies of the Hussites and the Romane Church THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Heluetian confession Forasmuch as there is but one God and one Mediator betwene God and men Iesus Christ the Messias one holy Ghost one Saluation one faith one couenant it followeth necessarily that there is but one Church which is the cause that we call it Catholike because that it is Vniuersal and spread through all parts of the world and extendeth her selfe vnto all times not being inclosed within any time or place We condemne therfore the Donatists which inclose the Church in a certaine corner of Affrica And we approue not the Clergie of Rome who affirme the Romane church to be the onely Catholike Church ANNOTATION THere are two or three hundreth yeeres past since that it hath beene very hard to iudge by the multitude whether the name of the Catholicke Church appertained to the Greeke Church or the Latine Church The Greeke Church had the Empires of Constantinople and Trebizonde and the Northern nations who did maintaine her But now shee is diminished by the oppression of the Turkes as the Latine is increased by the conquests of the Spaniards farre otherwise then it was heretofore For Almanie was halfe Pagans and Spaine Sarrazins and this was at such time as there was diuision betweene the Greekes and Latines So that if the multitude did giue the Name of Catholickes the Grecians should haue had it and the certaine time when they lost this Title is not to be knowen Notwithstanding all this these two Churches and that of the Iacobites doe professe themselues to be Catholickes the passages or proofes before alleged doe shew that euery one of them is extended very wide Vnder the name of Iacobites wee will comprehend the Cophites and the Abyssins and we may adde thereunto the Nestorians For Masius telleth vs that these people are rather differing in name then in Religion whose Testimonie is reported to be very true The reason wherefore they haue in Ierusalem diuerse Churches and Oratories the one neere the other is to the end euery nation might vse that language which he best vnderstandeth Bellarmine also seemeth to account these three for one for it is certaine that before Luthers time there were Cophites Abyssines and Iacobites The rest the same Masius as it were dischargeth of the crime of heresie which was imputed to them I am assured saith he they are free and exempt from that wicked Doctrine of that infamous hereticke Nestor For hauing read a great Volume of their solemne Prayers which they make to God I haue found nothing that might offend any man of sound opinion in our Religion if it be not this that I suspect them because that they in many places call not the Virgine Marie mother of God But instead of this Title they call her the mother of life and of light Here is to bee noted that Villamont had some notice that Prester Iohn had sent to the Pope to submit himselfe to the Church of Rome and Cotion the Iesuite affirmeth that the Patriarch of the Cophites had done the like But wee haue now fresher newes and know that there is no such matter Well then if all those people doe make but one Church the same is as great or rather greater and ampler then the Latin Church and if the multitude be the marke of the true Church it must be attributed to them as the greater number of people But because it appeareth not that either they or the Greeke Churches doe constitute or appoint the multitude for a marke of the true Church and that it doth not appeare where that multitude is moreouer because that those which now are fewe in number may exceed the rest hereafter and that the multitude of the Latins is not so great to induce others to turne to their religion we will conclude that according to their beliefe The multitude of people or the greatnesse or largenesse of Regions are not markes of the true Church QVESTION VI. Whether the Primate of the Church hath any power or authoritie ouer the Temporaltie of Common-weales THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought to obey all principalities and power and not onely of good Princes but also of euill Princes and to obserue inuiolably their lawes notwithstanding that we must obey God rather then men And in another place he that resisteth soueraigne power shall be condemned Sacranus The Emperours of Greece haue had the power and right to holde vnder their yoakes the Patriarches and all the Clergie the which they placed and displaced when it seemed them best Nicholas The Patriarches of Constantinople Ierusalem Antioch and Alexandria possesse neither townes nor Castles and entertaine no Souldiers or Archers for their guard much lesse doe they cloath themselues eyther with cloath of golde veluet or purple and haue no more Reuenues toward their maintenance habites and books then about 200. Ducats by the yeare In their habites they differ nothing from the other people and they are no more richly cloathed then the simpler sort Sacranus The Princes of