England if it were not as Cardinal Poole in an Oration made in the Parliamēt house Anno 1554. Nouember 28. importeth of all other Ilands the first that imbraced the faith of Christ yet that it was worthie for the antiquitie therof to be numbred among the first may by diuerse and good testimonies be sufficiently prooued Nicepho li. 2. cap. 40. Gildas de victo Aurel. Ambros Nicephorus sayeth that Simon Zelotes came into this Iland of Britaine for so was it then called Gildas saith that Ioseph of Aramathie which begged the bodie of Iesus after the dispersion of the Iewes was sent of Philip the Apostle from France to Britaine about the yéere of our Lorde 63 Anno. 63. and here remained in this land all his time and so with his fellowes laid the first foundation of Christian faith among the Britaine people Whereupon other teachers and preachers comming afterward Beda confirmed the same And for better proofe hereof that is to be obserued which Beda testifieth of this lād namely that in his time and almost a thousand yéeres after Christ here in Britaine Easter day was kept after the maner of the East Church to wit in the full of the Moone what day in the wéeke soeuer it fell on and not on the Sunday as the Church of Rome did then and we do now Wherby it falleth out most likely that the first planters of religion in this lande came out from the East parts of the world where it was so vsed rather then from Rome where it was not so vsed The second Chapter What successe the Gospel had in this land at the first YEt notwithstanding because wée find no certaine relation of a generall reformation profession of Christian faith in this lande both by prince and subiects vntill the time of Eleutherius Bishop of Rome and Lucius king of this lande thereby it is very probable and likely that albeit the labours and trauailes of those auncient fathers which first turned vp the furrowes of Idolatrie and sowed the séeds of pure religion in this lande albeit I say their labours were not vnfruitful yet they preuailed not so farre foorth as vnto an vniuersall and publique reformation throughout the whole land So hard and difficult a matter it is to withdraw the minds of men frō that wherin through long continuance they haue taken déepe roote Thus also it pleaseth God to worke that by degrées which he coulde bring to passe all at once and to finish that by one which was begunne by another And so he brought that as it were to a perfect building in this lande by the ministerie of Eleutherius whereof hee had laide the foundation by Simon Zelotes Iosephus or some other Apostolicall men The third Chapter How Religion increased and was confirmed THe séeds of true Religion being thus in sort measure scattered here and there by the ministers of Christ in this poore distressed land were shortly after by the malice of Satan either vtterly choked or else so repressed that vntill the time of king Lucius sonne of Coilus which builded Colchester which was about the yéere 180. Anno. 180. they beganne but little to appeare foorth vnto the world At which time the sayd Lucius then king of this land hearing of the great miracles and wonders done by Christians of that time in diuerse places directed his letters to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome to receiue the Christian faith Who hearing the request of this king and glad to sée the godly towardnesse of his well disposed minde sendeth him certaine teachers and preachers called Fugatius or by some Fuganus Damianus or Dimianus which conuerted the king and people of Brytaine and baptized them with the baptisme and Sacrament of Christs faith The fourth Chapter What publike alteration folowed this generall conuersion THe inhabitants of this lande being thus turned from their diuerse and many gods to serue one liuing God true religion with syncere fayth increased superstition decayed prophane temples with al rites and monuments of Idolatrie were subuerted and the whole state of the common wealth was now cleane changed and altered For whereas before this time there were in this kingdome 28. head Priests which they called Flamines and thrée Archpriests which were called Archflamins hauing the ouersight of their maners and as it were iudges ouer the rest These 28. Flamines they turned to 28. Bishops and the thrée Archflamines to thrée Archbishops hauing then their seates in thrée principall Cities of the Realme that is in London in Yorke and in Clamorgantia videlicet Vrbe Legionum by Wales And thus the Countries of the whole Realme being diuided euery one vnder his owne Bishop and all things setled in good order the faith of Christ continued here the space of 216. yéeres till the comming of the Saxons into this lande who then were Pagans and heathen people by whom the faith and faithfull people of this land were suppressed The fifth Chapter What maner of doctrine was at the first planted here BEcause many thinke that the doctrine and faith which is now taught in this realme is not the same which at the first was planted here by Simon Zelotes Ioseph of Aramathea or some other of their felowes whosoeuer they were that first inuaded this land by the sword of Gods word to subdue it vnder the obedience of Christ and afterwarde was confirmed by Eleutherius his sending but that it was many hundred of yéers since deuised by mans inuention and through the might of humane authoritie thrust vpon the people and that the doctrine now taught and holden at Rome is the olde and ancient doctrine which first was planted here by those Apostolicall fathers and after was confirmed augmented or setled by Eleutherius Bishop of Rome I suppose it will not be altogether vnprofitable in some and the chiefest points of doctrine to shew what was the faith iudgemēt and opinion of the godly learned in the ancient primitiue time of the church For such faith iudgement and knowledge as was in them no doubt they did not onely by vocall preaching labour to perswade in others but also in their writings haue left behinde them for all posterities to sée and knowe And because there are none either for antiquitie more to be reuerenced or for fidelitie more to be trusted thē the Apostles of Christ our sauiour we will especially enquire after their faith and iudgement and comparing their iudgements with the faith doctrine of the Church of Rome at this day we shall soone perceiue not onely how much they are fallen from the ancient faith of Rome but also how néere at this day we come vnto the same And that this reformation or alteration of religion in England is not the beginning of any newe Church of our owne but a renuing of the olde ancient Church of Christ not a swaruing from the Church of Rome but a reducing to the true Church of Rome The sixt Chapter Of the Ecclesiasticall
1. 2 The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs frō all sinne And in the second Chapter of the same Epistle speaking of Christ he saith He is the atonement for our sins and not for ours onely but also of the whole world And Rom. 8. Rom. 8. Now there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus And Reuel cap. 14. Apoc. 14. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they rest from their labors But if they go from this world to purgatorie they haue but small rest The paines of this painted fire indureth in some longer in some shorter time according as their sinnes haue deserued which time being expired then God of his mercy translateth them to heauen for Christs sake But first they must abide in that imaginarie fire so long till it haue cleane fretted and scowred away the rustie spots of euery sinfull soule vnlesse they be cleansed by the Popes pardons and indulgences sacrifice of the altar diriges and trentals prayer fasting meritorious déeds out of the treasure house of the Church almes and charitable déeds of the liuing in satisfying Gods iustice c. And for all the pope can as they teach deliuer the souls out of that wofull paine of purgatorie which is so great that if all the beggers of the world were séene on the one side and but one soule of purgatorie on the other side the whole world would pity more that one then all the other yet is this prelate so mercilesse and hard harted that he will not rid thē out But he knoweth right well that if the people should beléeue that either there were no purgatorie at al or els vnderstand that the popes good grace had put out the fire of purgatorie then would the chimneis of his kitchin sone cease to smoke For the smoke that commeth frō the fire of purgatory is artificially conueyed through the Popes chimney Besides these ther are many other false erors great deformities which abound in this later Church of Rome Howbeit gentle reader these may suffice to let thée sée not onely how farre they are fallen frō their first foundation but also how néere at this day through the grace of Christ we come to that ancient faith religion profession of doctrine which at the first was not only plāted in Rome but also in England and other kingdomes of the world and that this reformation here in England as in other parts of the world is not a falling away frō the faith of Rome but rather a reducing to the true ancient faith of Rome The eternall father and God of al mercy grant vs for his christs sake grace cōtinually to grow vp more and more in thankfulnesse towards his maiestie for the same that whiles England doth liue the truth of his Gospel may neuer die Amen A prayer O Eternal God and most merciful father holy in all thy wayes and true in all thy promises which neuer failest them that faithfully call vpon thy name We heartily thanke thy diuine maiesty for that it hath pleased thee of thy great goodnesse to heare the prayers and grant the petitiōs of vs thy vnworthy seruants which then with sorowfull and heauy hearts we powred out before thee when our enemies approched to destroy vs and our countrey And forasmuch O Lord God as thou hast vouchsafed vntill this present day not onely to preserue vs our Queene and realme from the laying in wait of many and mightie aduersaries both at home by secret conspiracies and abroad by forrein inuasions but also vnder a most gracious christian Queene hast giuē vs helth welth peace with liberty of bodies minds now by the space of xxx yeres Most humbly we beseech thy fatherly goodnes to graunt vs grace that in word deed and heart we may shew our selues truely thankefull and obedient to thee for the same and that we may continually growe vp more and more in thankfulnesse towards thee That like as by thy deliuering of vs thou hast declared thy selfe to be our mercifull God sauiour so we also by our seruing of thee according to thy most holy worde may shewe our selues to be thy faithful and obedient seruants Maintaine O Lord and increase the honorable estate of our gracious souereigne and al hir noble councellors magistrates with the whole body of this cōmon weale let thy fauour so preserue them thy holy spirit so gouern them that thy true religiō may be purely maintained maners reformed sin superstition restrained according to the precise rule of thy sacred heauenly word Conuert or else subuert all those wicked studies counsels and practises whatsoeuer the deuill or man doth worke against vs. Comfort those that are afflicted with any kind of crosse or tribulation specially those which suffer for the testimonie of thy truth Grant thy Gospel a free passage and send vs euerlasting peace in Christ Amen FINIS
as may appeare not onely by the decrée of Boniface the eight wherein he commaundeth euery man vpon paine of damnation not onely to beléeue but also to be subiect to the primacie or supreme authoritie of the Bishope But also by that they doe euery where burne those for heretikes which acknowledge not the same The seuenth Chapter Howe the Bishops of Rome in olde time were subiect to ciuill Magistrates AND as in olde time the Bishops of Rome kept themselues within the bounds limits of their own prouince and precinct so were they also as wel as all other ecclesiastical persons subiect to their Emperors lawful magistrates yea and that not onely in causes ciuill but also in ecclesiasticall gouernement Gregorius surnamed Magnus was subiect to Mauritius called him Lord saying you were then my Lord when you were not Lorde of the whole Empire Gregor ad Mauritium August lib. Epist 3. Epist 61. behold Christ himselfe shall make you answer by me which am his most simplest seruant and yours And before him Eleutherius his predecessor bishop of Rome writing to Lucius king of this realme calleth him by the name of Christs vicar Boniface also the first by humble supplication obteined of Honorius his Emperour that a lawe was established none should be made Bishop of Rome by ambition Dist 97. ca. Ecclesiae ca. Victor Iustinian also Emperour of Rome ordeined and constituted many wholesome lawes for the ordering and gouernement of the Cleargie as that no Bishop or Priest should excommunicate any man before his cause were knowen and proued to be such as for the which the auncient Canons of the Church woulde him to be excommunicate And if any should otherwise procéed contrarie to the same then the excommunicate person to bée absolued by an higher degree and the excommunicator to be sequestred from the Communion 24. q 3. cap. dc illicita so long as it should be thought méete by him that had the execution thereof c. Besides these many other such like examples if it were not to auoyde tediousnesse might be inferred But séeing the question groweth to this issue whether the Bishops of Rome ought by the diuine law of Gods word to be subiect to their lawful magistrates or not we will omit and cease to heape vp a multitude of examples out of mās law and produce a fewe witnesses out of the worde of God And first of all Christ our Sauiour did not onely commaund his disciples to giue their alleageance to Cesar but also himselfe paide tribute And the Apostle Paul writing to the ancient Romanes saith Rom. 13. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers vnder whose obedience neither Pope Cardinall Patriarch Bishop Priest Frier nor Monke is excepted nor exempted Theophil as Theophilactus expounding the same place declareth saying Hee teacheth all sorts whether he be Priest or Monke or else Apostle that they should submit themselues vnder their Princes And S. Augustine writing ad Bonifacium sayeth in such like sort Whosoeuer refuseth to obey the lawes of the Emperour which make for the veritie of God incurreth the danger of great punishment Aug. contra Cresco lib. 3 cap. 5. Also writing vnto Cresconium hee hath these wordes Kings according as it is inioyned them of God doe serue God in that they are kings if they in their kingdome commaund those things that be good and forbid things that be euill such as appertaine not onely to humane societie but also to Gods religion Vnder the olde Testament were not the Priests and Leuites subiect to the ciuill Magistrates yea euen in matters of Ecclesiasticall gouernement when king Dauid disposed them into foure and twentie orders or courses appointing them continually to serue in the ministerie 1. Para. 23. 24. 25 euery one in his proper order and turne as came aboute And when good king Ezechias renued the same institution of the Cleargie being decayed 2. Para. 31. 2. Parapo Chap. 31. But the Byshop of Rome at this day with his shaued Cleargie can not in anie kinde abide to bée ordered or disposed by any and therefore iudge good Christian Reader whether wée or they in this respect come nearer vnto the auncient constitution of the Primitiue Church The eight Chapter Of iustification NOw as we haue heard how the ancient Bishops in former time neither exempted themselues frō subiection to their lawful magistrates nor chalenged vnto themselues any vniuersall iurisdiction ouer others so let vs also in other points of their religion doctrine compare them with the first and primitiue time and we shall most plainly sée they are altogether vnlike vnto themselues And here to begin with the article of iustification first the blessed Apostles thēselues in al their writings and namely Paul the doctor teacher of the gentiles setteth forth no other meanes for iustificatiō or remission of sinnes but only faith aprehending the body or person of Christ Iesus crucified For as there is no way into the house but by the doore so is there no comming to God but by Christ alone which is by fayth And as the mortall bodie without bodily sustenance of bread and drinke can not but perish so the spirituall soule of man hath no other refreshing but only by faith in the bodie blood of Christ Iesus And for this cause it is saide To him doe all the Prophets witnesse that through his name Acts. 10. all that beléeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Hee that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. and be that obeyeth not the sonne Ephes 2. shal not sée life but the wrath of God abideth on him For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God When the kéeper of the prison at Philippos asked Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saued they answered him Acts 16. saying Beléeue in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued With this Charge and to this end our Sauiour sent foorth his disciples into all the world saying He that beléeueth and is baptised shal be saued but he that will not beléeue shall bee damned So Paul witnesseth that hee was called and sent of God to call the people to repentance that they might receyue forgiuenesse of sinnes Acts 16. and inheritance among them which are sanctified by fayth in Christ Thus the Apostles preached and thus were the olde Romanes to whom Paul sent a worthie Epistle notably deciding this question taught Acts. 10. The same did Cornelius a Romane and first that was baptised of all the Gentiles learne of Peter when he receiued the holy Ghost not by his own workes which he did according to the lawe but onely by hearing the fayth of Iesus preached And in this faith and doctrine not only the Church of Rome but the whole congregation of Gods people continued many yéeres as more plainely may appeare by the
that which is written to the Hebrews Where it is sayd Mariage is honourable among all Heb. 13. and the bed vndefiled But also was freely permitted to all sorts of men that were apt therunto and had néed of the same as it is written 1. Cor. 7. to auoid fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her husband But now the newe Catholikes of the Popes Church repute and cal mariage astate of imperfection and preferre single life be it neuer so impure before the same pretending that whereas the one replenisheth the earth the other filleth heauen Wherupō pope Ciricius in his decrées citeth that saying of the Apostle to wit they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. against those that are lawfully maried And for this cause they haue of late dayes not regarding whether they had the gift of cōtinencie or no through coacted vowes restrained many both men and women from holy wedlocke not to the filling of heauen but rather to the stuffing vp of hel For from hence haue procéeded adulteries fornicatiōs Sodomitrie with great occasiō of murthering infants as we reade of infants heads that were taken vp in pope Gregories mote by hūdreds what time the lawful wedlock of ministers began first to be restrained Anno. 600. By which occasion the said pope Gregorie reuoked the canon he had made a little before inhibiting the lawfull mariage of ministers And Pope Pius the second said he saw many causes why ministers were to be restrained of mariage Platina in vita Pij 2. but he saw mo greater why they were to be permitted to marry Yea this is most certain that the nearer we come to the ancient time of the Church the lesse ancient shal we find the Romish doctrine in this point And to beginne with the Apostles and their owne examples canons who although they were not all maried yet diuers of them were and the rest had power and liberty to haue kéepe their wiues as witnesseth Paul saying 1. Cor. 9. haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister as well as the rest of the Apostles Albeit Clemens Alexandrinus which was 200. yéeres after Christ denieth not but that Paul was maried beeing an Apostle as well as Peter and Philip. The Canons also which are said to be the Apostles say If any teach that a priest for religion sake ought to contemne his owne wife Can. Apost 6. Canon let him bee accursed Anno. 180. In the yeare of our Lord 180. we read of Policrates Bishop of Ephesus who dissenting from pope Victor about a certaine controuersie of Easter day alledgeth for himself how his progenitors before him seuen together one after another succéeded in that state he now the eight was placed in the same place Vsing this discent of his parents not onely as a defence of his cause but also a glory to himselfe In the Nicene councell Anno. 400. when some went about to restraine ministers from mariage Paphnutius a godly father himselfe béeing vnmaried resisted the same And likewise before this Anno. 300. Gangren Concil dist 28. the councell of Gangren which was Anno. 300. did establish the libertie of priests mariage as a thing both good and godly Moreouer procéeding yet in times and Chronicles of the Church we shall come to the sixt councel Concil Cōstant dist 35. cap. quoniam called the councel of Constantinople almost 700. yéeres after Christ The wordes of which councell be alledged in the decrées and be these in English Because in the order of the Romane Canon wee knowe it so to bee receyued that such as be Deacons and Priestes shall professe themselues to haue no more copulation with their wiues we following the ancient Canon of the diligent Apostles and constitutions of holy men enact that such lawfull marriage from hencefoorth shall stande in force in no case dissoluing their coniunction with their wiues neither depriuing them of their mutuall societie and familiaritie together in such time as they shall thinke conuenient Hitherto you haue heard the Decrée heare nowe the penaltie in the same Decree and destinction conteyned If anie therefore shall presume agaynst the Canons of the Apostles to depriue eyther Priest or Deacon from the touching and companie of his lawfull wife let him bee depriued Finally here in England till the comming of Anselme in the dayes of William Rufus Guiliel Malmsb. li. 1. de gestis pont and king Henrie the first of pope Hildebrand 1067. the restraint of ministers lawfull mariage was not publikely established for a law And as it was not yet entered in here no more was it in many other places of the world For Auentinus a faithfull writer of his time Exact syno Mediola Anno. 1070 who writing of the councell of Hildebrand saith Priests at that time had publikely wiues and did procreate children as other Christians Gebuilerus One of the Popes crew testifieth that in the time of the emperour Henrie 4. Anno. 1057. Anno. 1057 to the number of 24 Bishoppes both in Germanie Spaine France were maried with the Cleargie also of their Dioces Pope Symmachus disti 80. saith let Priests be restrained from the conuersation of all women except it be their mother sister or their owne wife Where the glose in the margent giueth this note Here he speaketh according to the ancient times Truly therefore is that verified in this later church of Rome which so many yéeres ago Paul prophecied foretold of namely that in the later times there shoulde some depart from the faith 1. Tim. 4. hearkening vnto spirits of error to the doctrines of deuils forbidding to marrie and cōmanding to abstain from meats which the Lord hath created to be taken with thankesgiuing To conclude therefore mariage in it selfe is either good or euil if it be good why do they forbid it if it be euil why do they make a sacramēt of it The xvij Chapter Of Magistrates and ciuill gouernement AS concerning Magistrates and ciuill gouernment what hath bene in old time the iudgement of the godly may manifestly appeare by that which Paul writeth to the Romanes saying Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13. for there is no power but of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to thēselues iudgement Where first it is to be noted that the Apostles would that euery soule should be subiect to his lawfull magistrate Which words Chrysostome as hath beene alreadie shewed expoundeth of Priests Monkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists and what soeuer For if any pretende to bee exempted because hee is spirituall let him consider that none euer had such abundance of the spirite as Christ and yet was he subiect to the ciuill gouernement And if holinesse of life coulde discharge men from obedience to ciuill rulers who more holy then