SEING your selues are as it were, the principall passages vnder his Maiestie, in, and by which is transported, whatsoeuer is done in exe­cution of Iustice. In which course, of your great and weighty Imployment, as you are continually occasioned, and somtimes im­portuned, Iudiciously to obserue and discerne both of causes, & persons brought in question before you: So are there none, whome neccessity hath so [Page 2] much prouoked, to become in this kinde your hum­ble Suppliants, as are the dailie deiected, disgraced, & impouerished Catholikes

And for as much, as Religion is the matter of their calamity, we haue presumed bereby, (with all humble remōstrance) in their behalfe, to commend the same, vnto the serious, and retired view of your leasurable, iudicious, & graue Considerations. The which also we do with more confident, (I confesse) & peculiar respect, in that the method, & grounds of proofe, which shalbe obserued, and prose­cuted, throughout this our humble Application, are in them selues correspondent, to the like receiued principles of your owne lawes, and as being such, do therefore after a more then ordinary manner, ap­propriate them selues to your iudgment.

An ex­position of cer­taine dif­ficult & obscure words & termes of the lawes of this Realme printed A 1602 Fol 25. Fol 26.For if I mistake not, but do rightly informe my selfe from your booke of The termes of the law: your procedings in case of Attainder are threefold: as by Outlary, where the partie doth not appeare to answere the law: by Verdict, which is the triall of honest Iu­rors, vpon his appearing to answere the law: and by Confession, which is the parties owne acknowledge­ment of his offence Also in case of Title to tempe­rall possessions, there be certaine receaued grounds in your law of great force to demōstrate the right as faire, ancient, & vnsuspected Euidence, the Testimony [Page 3] of credible witnesses, and euen Praescription it selfe, where of no memory occurreth to the contrary. In so much as by the statute of Limitation, no man is inhabled to commence, & prosecute suite, Fol. 140 for any landes, whereof him selfe, or his Ancestors, haue not bene before seised, within a certaine time in that be­halfe limited: The only Priority of possession recei­uing also this fauour in your law, that to the partie disseised of such his possession, you afford speciall remedy, by VVritt of Assise, Fol 24. Fol. 47. Fol. 47. allowing him also the benefit of his Continuall Claime, to preuent Descent vpō the other parties dying seised. Moreouer where the letter of your Statute law appeareth to be in some cases doubtfull, you are reported to hold that sense, and vnderstanding thereof for most reasona­ble, which is found most agreable, with the knowne answerable Practise of ensewing times.

Besides all this, there are established with you, for the finall ending of all arising cōtrouersies High cours of Iudgment to giue definitiue sentence, and the same so giuē, not by the law it selfe but by your selues placed, as Iudges to pronounce, & determine what is the law: Against which sentence so once or­derly giuen, No VVritt of errour, or Appeale lieth, Fol. 82. whereby to support the partie so cōuicted, in the far­ther humor of his vnsatisfied and endles conten­tion. Of all which I haue informed my self, partly [Page 4] from your foresaid booke of the Termes of the law, and some by conference with others. So as I am to craue pardon, if exceeding herein the boldnesse of my profession, I haue mistaken, or not dewly ob­serued the apte proprietie of wordes, retaining yet (I hope) the substance of the matter.

And for as much, as these your ciuill obserua­tions, prescribed for the inquiry, & setting forth of right, are in themselues no other, then as liuely re­semblances, & imitations of those maine grounds, which facred Theologie affordeth, to the demon­stration of Truth: I am now likewise to craue fur­ther leaue, to entreate you of your serious, & retired view, of your leasurable, Iudicious, and graue consi­derations, of this our short Application, of some prin­cipall parts thereof, to the like answerable grounds, and principles, so plentifully abounding, in proofe of our Catholike Religion. But least I should be tedions to your honors attention, I will but set downe one point, for the which Catholikes are so often commanded, to appeare before your honors to answere to the law, & are dailie deiected, disgra­ced & Impouerished: The point is knowne to you all, to witt, for entertaining of Massing Priests.

FIrst therfore, concerning your proceeding by Iu­rors: if that may be esteemed to be a true Verdict, which is so, by such giuen, you haue then here the same, giuen in the fore said point (which might be giuen in other points likewise of our Catholike Faith,) by the Ancient Fathers, who being assembled in Generall Councells, & Synodes, & sworne vpon the perill of their soules, haue in this, & other many speciall cases directly found for vs. & to that effect, that those of our Iury, may be the lesse suspected of you, we will bring them of the first 400. yeares after Christ, the which Ages, euen your owne Doctors being Iudges, were freest from all corruption, & al­teratiō of the true Religiō, & Faith deliuered by the Apostles D. Fulke in his Answere to a counterfaite Catholike pag. 36. saith. The Religion of the Papistes came in, & preuailed the yeare of God: Anno 607, in the which time (saith he) The Reuelation of Antichrist with the Church fled in to the wildernesse to witt in A ^o. 607. And Simō de Voyō one of your Protestāte Doctors, Simō de Voyō in his epist. to the Reader. in his discourse vpon the Catalogue of Doctors, in the Epistle to the Reader, post medium; affirmeth, [Page 6] that Anno 605. VVhen Pope Boniface was enstalled in the Papall throne, Powell pa. 105 then falshood gott the victory. And M ^r. Gabriel Powell, in his Considerations of the Pa­pists reasons saith: I grant that from the yeare of Christ 605. The professant Companie of Poperie hath bene very visible and perspicuous. Perkins 307. And M ^r. Perkins in his exposition of the Creed affirmeth: That during the space of 900. yeares the Popish heresie hath spread it selfe ouer the whole earth. Whit. p. 35. And M ^r. Whitaker de Anti­christo contra Sanderum, saith: During all that time (to witt of 600. yeares,) The Church was pure and flouri­shing, and inuiolably taught, & defended the faith, deliuered from the Apostles.

And the like acknowledgement is made by ma­ny other learned Protestants which were tedions to your honors, In his booke of Institut set out in frēch printed at Geneua 1562. to sett downe in this our short. Ap­plication. Only we will conclude which Caluine your cheife man: who albeit he doth not graunt the flo­rishing estate of the Romane Church, the full space of the first. 600. yeares, after Christ, yet doth ac­knowledge, that no chāge of Faith was made vntill the times of S. Augustine, Epiphanius, Optatus, &c. which was for 440. yeares after Christ, These be his owne wordes in his booke of Institutions set forth in French: It was athing (saith he) notorions & with­out doubt, that after the Apostles age, vntil those times, no change was made in doctrine, neither at Rome, nor at other citties. Thus Caluine.

[Page 7]Therefore hauing freed our iury from all suspi­tion, euen our enemies being our Iudges, Whitg. in his defence p. 330. we wil pla­ce as Fore-man of our Iury, that notable and famous Councell of Nice; the which (saith M ^r. Whitgift a protestante writer,) is of al wise, & learned men reue­renced, esteemed, & embraced next vnto the Scrip­tures themselues. The 1. Coūcell of Nice. can. 3. This Councell was celebrated the yeare of Christ 325. at the which was present 318. Bis­hops, who did decree, that Priests that did say Masse, & offer sacrifice, It is not let at liberty to marry, because ex­ception is taken at wo­men but the mother, etc should not keepe cōpanie with any womā, but with their mother, sister, fathers sisters, and mothers sisters; but should liue chaste, And in the 14 Canon. it makes mention of Priests that do sacrifice as S. Basile expoundeth this Canon, in his Epist. to Par­corius. Epi.stry. As appeareth in the third Canon, and acknowledged by all the Doctors of your Church. And not only this point, is ap­proued by this Councell, Theod. li 1 hist. cap. 8. Doctri­na de Baptis. Can 69. ca. 10. ca. 11. but likewise sundry others As 1. vnwritten Traditions 2. that the Sacraments by the institution of Christ do conferre grace. 3. that extreame Vnction was a Sacrament. The Reall presence, Indulgences, with many other points of Catholike Doctrine, maintained to this day in the Church of Rome

Your honors then do see, that this Councell [Page 8] which we haue placed as Fore-man, is altogether for vs, cōcerning Catholike Priesthood, & many other points of Religion in controuersy at this day.

2. Conc. Arelat. An. 330For the second Iuror we shall place the Councell holden at Arles, called Arelatense Concilium, cele­brated shortly after the Nicene Councell, as some do thinke, Anno 330. in the 2. & 3. Canon, doth pro­hibite the marriage of Priests, & therefore is repro­ued by Szegedin, a protestāt writer. This Priesthood, can be vnderstood of no other Priesthood, In locis com. p. 327. then the Catholike Priesthood, our aduersaries being Iudges; With many other points of Catholike Doctrine, making most of those Canons, out of the Nicene Councell: a manifest proofe, that the Nicene Co­uncell did not leaue the matter at libertie, of priests marriage.

The third Iury man shall be the Romane Coun­cell Anno 324, Can. 81. the which maketh mentiō of Cardinals, Bisshops, Priests, Deacons, Subdeacons, Acolytes, Exorcistes, Readers, and Doore-keepers, The which sacred Orders, are no where to be found, but in our Catholike Church. Which is acknowledged by the Centurywriters, Cent. 4. col. 873. mē much esteemed of, by the Church of England, & disclaimed by others, as by M ^r. Fulke, in his Retentiue, in these words: pag. 67. VVith all our hart we defie abhorre detest, & spit at your greasie Antichristian Orders, But you may see by [Page 9] these his wordes, that he is vnmindfull of the An­tiquitie of these sacred Orders.

The fourth of our Iury, shalbe the Councell of Ne­ocaesarea holden Anno 314. and approued by the Councel of Nice, which doth decree Can. 1. Can. 1. That Priests who do marry, should be deposed of their charge, with many other things concerning maners & good life.

The fift of our Iury is the Councel of Laodicea cele­brated about the yeare 364. The which decreed Can. 13. that the Priest should not bee elected by the people. Pacteo­lus in Sene Concil. Also Can 19. concerning certaine Rites in publicke seruice time, as namely some prayers in silence, others pronounced, then the Pax (or kisse of peace) to be giuen, and the oblation to be offered; And Can. 21. That the Subdeacon might not enter into the Vestry and handle the holy vessells. And Can. 48. that the Baptised after Baptisme should receaue holy Chrisme. And Can. 50. the fift of lent: and an. 52. not to marry in lent: All the which Canons Osiander a learned protestant disclai­mes from, & rebukes bitterly albeit vndeseruedly. Osiand. Cent. 4. p 393. Now if this Councell maketh for vs Catholikes, or you of the Church of England, I Appeale to your graue Iudgment and serious considerations.

The Sixt of our Iury is your Councell called Elibertinum, Anno 305. no lesse antcient then the fore said [Page 10] Councells; this Councell: can. 27, & can. 33. de­creed most plainlie against priestes, who marry af­ter they haue taken vpon them priesthood; This Councell was celebrated about the yeare 305 in Spaine; The which Councell the Doctors of your Church vse to obiect against Catholikes concer­ning Images, mistaking the intention of the Councell.

Anno 396. sub Suiciovt quidem volunt.The Seuenth of our Iury is the 2. Councell of of Carthage Anno 386 wherat S. Austine was pre­sent & subscribed therto which doubted not in like manner to ground this point vpon antiquitie, and the Apostles doctrine; so that in the 2. Canon. it saith these wordes: Omnibus placet &c In pleaseth vs all, that Bishops▪ Priests, and Deacons, &c, shall ob­steine from wiues, which the Apostles did teach and Antiquitie did keepe, let vs likewise obserue; & many other points doth this Councell decree for Catho­liks.

The eight of our Iury is the 3. Councell of Car­thage celebrated in the yeare. Anno 397. 397. at the which like­wise S. Austin was present & subscribed therto; alloweth of Confession made to a Prieste can. 32. and likewise of other points of Catholike doctrine, as of Purgatory. can. 29. &c.

Anno 398.The 9. of our Iury is the 4. Councell of Cartha­ge in the yeare 398. to the which subscribed S. [Page 11] Austine being there present. Asoc. vult anno 418. This Councell de­creeth can 5.6.7.8.9. for the inferior Orders of Readers, Exorcist, Acolyth, doorkeepers, and Sub­deacons, further mentioning there according to the offices yet vsed, a booke of Exorcismes for the Exorcist, the Church lightes for the Accolite, pat­ten, chalice, litle cruets full of water, and Towell for the priests handes: All which are confessed, and reproued by the Protestant writer Luke Osiander: in his Epitom. cent. 5. p. 4.

The tenth of our Iury is the famous and Generall Councell of Ephesus celebrated about the yeare 431 by 200. Anno 431. Bishops which amongst other Articles and points of our Cath doctrine saith in plaine wordes: Incruentam celebramus in Ecclesiis sacrificii ser­uitutem: we do celebrate and offer vp in our Chur­ches, an vnbloody sacrifice: and in the wordes follo­wing approoues euidētly the reall presence, Concil Nic. cap 10. causing the Canōs of the Nicene Councell to be publickly read with these wordes. Incruentum, &c.

The eleuenth of our Iury is the first Toletane Councell in the yeare 405. which decreed can. 20. Anno. 405. sub. for consecration of Chrisme by a Bishop, and his sending therof to the Priests, through his diocesse at easter yearly; Also can. 1. for the dailie offering Sacrifice, &c to the great dislike of the Protestant writer Osiander: who saith therupon; Cent. 5. p 46. who com­manded [Page 12] them to offer vp Sacrifice euery day.

The twelft of our Iury is the Councell Mileui­tane about the yeare 416. Anno 416. which decreed can. 12. that Masses prayers and ceremonies should not be vsed but such as where allowed by the Councell, so doth the Councell of Chalcedon Anno 451. can. 15.

The second generall Councell of Nice in the 3. tom. act, 6. saith in most plaine termes: Neuer any of the Apostles or Fathers did call our vnbloody sacrifice (meaning the masse) done in commemoration of the passion of our Sauiour, to be the signe or figure of his body: for he did not say, take you, eate you, the signe of my body, but take you eate you this my body, &c: Albeit be sore the wordes of the Fathers did call it [...], the symbole or figure of his body: So plainly doth the 350. Bishops assembled in this Councell deliuer their sentence in our behalf

You see (Right honorable, Reuerend, Graue, and Learned Lords) the compleate number of our Iury, at whom no exceptions can be taken, euen the Do­ctors of your Church being Iudges, they being all not only within the first 600. yeares, in which time was no corruption in Religion according to the confession of many of our aduersaries hereto­fore alleadged, but in the most florishing estate of the Church. Of which time your chiefe man Caluine saith: It was a matter out of all doubt, [Page 13] that from the beginning euen vntill that time, Lib. 4. Instit. cap. 2. §. 2. (viz to S. Austins daies,) nothing was changed in do­ctrine. Also in his booke of Institutions in French printed at Geneua by Conradus Badius Anno 1562. he saith expresly: That it was a thing notorious & without doubt, that after the Apostles age vntill those times, no change was made in doctrine nei­ther at Rome, nor at other citties. So plainely do our learned Aduersaries acknowledge, that no change of faith was made by the Romane Church from the Apostles age vntill the time of S. Austin, Epiphanius, Optatus, &c. which was 440. yeares after Christ, M ^r. Fulke followeth his Maister Cal­uine in this pointe saying in his Retentine: Pag 85. The Popish church is but an Hereticall assembly, de­parted from the vniuersall church, long since Au­gustines departure ont of this life. This is the most common opinion of all Protestant writers, And thus much with your good fauours concerning the application of your terme of law called Verdict, which is the Triall of honest Iurors.

SECONDLY: if you respect VVitnesses, you shall find all the Ancient Fathers for our cau­se, in so much that sundry of our learned Ad­uersaries doubt not therefore, to make generall dis­claime in the ancient Fathers. Hence it is that M ^r. Whitaker a Learned Protestant affirmeth: cont Duraen p. 423. The Popish Religion to be a patc­hed couerlett of the Fathers errors, In libel. vita I wely printed Londini pag 212. id [...]m Fulk. in his pe­tent. pag 55. Stratag Satanae li. 6. pag. 296 sowed together. And that also M ^r. D. Humfrey did greuously reprehend M ^r. Iewell for his so bould appealing to the Fathers, affirming therefore of M ^r. Iewell that herein he gaue the Papists to large a scope, that he was iniurious to himself, and after a manner spoiled himself, & the church. And Iacobus Acontius in his Treatise, dedicated to Queene Elizab. speaking of the bad successe that Protestants writers had in citing the Fathers, exhorts them to for beare the citing of them saying: Equidem perniciosissimam om­ninoque fugiendam hanc esse arbitror consuetudmem. Cer­tainly I hold this custome viz of, &c. to be very dangerous & wholy to be auoyded viz: of citing the Fathers to the writers disaduantage.

[Page 15]But for feare of suspicion of our VVitnesses, we shall bring men so indifferent to our aduersaries & vs, that we may say of them, (as S. Aust▪ in like case disputing against the Pelagians saith, of the Fa­thers before his time:) August. adu Iul. Pelag. lib. 2. prope fi­nem & lib. 3. cap. 17. & lib. 4. cap 12. Neque nobis neque vobis irati s [...]nt, &c They be angrie neither at you nor at vs: what they haue found in the Church, that they haue held: they haue taught, what they haue learned: and what they haue receaued from their Forefathers they haue deliured to po­sterity. In so much as your owne learned writers are not wanting in their like answerable commen­dation. Caluine speaking of them saith: They in­deed, (speaking of catholikes, Caluin. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 2. Sect. 3. alleadging Antiqui­ty,) sett forth their churches very gloriously, &c they report out of Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Augustin, & others, how highly they esteemed this succession wherto he there answereth & giueth his like reason therof saying: considering it was a matter out of all doubt, that from the beginning vntill that time nothing was chāged in doctrine the holy Doctors tooke in argument that, which was sufficient for the ouer­throwing of all new errors: to witt, that they, viz, the Heretiques, oppugned the doctrine, which euen frō the very Apostles themselues had beene invio­lably & with one consent retained. And M ^r. Iewell a famous Protestant in his replye to M ^r. Harding. pag. 266, saith. The godly Fathers, (meaning them [Page 16] before S. Austins time,) sought to the church of Rome, which then for puritie in Religion, and con­stancie in thesame, was most famous, aboue all others, this fore said time was the first. 440, yeares after christ. Therfore for the further satisfaction of our aduersaryes, wee shall bring for witnesses euen them, who liued within the fore said time, viz. within & before S. Augustin his time.

If need were, we might bring for witnesses S. An­drew the Apostle; In Epist. ad Ec­cles. Achaiae cap. 1. who in a booke made by him­self and written by his disciples and generally re­ceaued for authenticall by the whole Churche & Christian world, these wordes are recorded to haue beene spoken by himself: I daylie sacrifice to Al­mighty God the immaculate lamb, who notwithstanding that he is truely sacrificed, and his flesh truely eaten by the people, yet doth he still remayne whole & liuing.

S. Clemens Epist 3, no priest ought to say mask without the Bishops leaue. S. Martial Epist. ad Bur­degalensis. cap. 3. A sacrifice is offered vpon the Altar is God the creator, not to man, or Angell Of the said S. clement there is mention made in the Apostle S. Paule his Epistle to the Philippi. ca [...] 4. vers. 3. where he is numbred among the follo­wers of S. Paul, and who was third Pope after S. Peter; who did write many things which he had o [...] [Page 17] verball tradition of the Apostles, who liued about the yeare. 80. The afore said S. Martiall was sent by Saint Peter into France, who afterwards was Bish. of Limoge in France, who liued in the yeare 50. of whom Baronius doth write. Likewise may be allea­ged the fiue liturgies or Masses of the Apostles, In Mart. 30. Iun. Proclus de Tra­dit. diui­na. The first of S. Peter, in defence of which, Willaim Lindane a learned Catholike writeth an Apologie. The second of S Iames the greater, alleaged by S. Proclus Patriarch of Constantinople, who liued in the yeare 460, The third of S. Iames the lesser, alleaged by the fore said proclus, wherof mention is made likewise in the Councell of Trull. in the yeare 680. The fourth, the liturgie of S. Mathew, which the Aethiopians do vse, and is called in their language Corbon, that is Missah in Hebrew, and in Latin Oblatio; of this Liturgy or terme of Masse writeth Genebrard. Gen. in finc pri­mia sae­culi. Vbi sup.

The fift is that of S. Mark vsed long time in Alexandria, of this likewise writeth Genebrard. Of these Liturgies writeth Coccius, lib. de Euchar. art. 1.4. likewise mention is made of them, in the booke cal­led Bibliotheca Patrum in the 6. Tom. of the edi­tion. 1589.

But least we become tedious to your graue At­tention, we will bring onely the Testimonies of some holy Fathers, who liued in the most flouris­hing [Page 18] estate of Christs Church, who be most com­mended of our Aduersaries.

The first of or VVitnesses shalbe S. Denis Areopa­gite disciple of S. Paul, of whom there is mention made in the actes of the Apostles, Act. 17 14. who liued in the yeare 90. of whom Sutcliffe the Protestant writer saith: de presb cap. 13. pag. 91 Orm. in his picture of a Puritan. pa. 1605. Eccl. hist. cap. 3. Dionysius antiquitatis optimus sanè testis, videtur enim esse antiquissimus This S. Denis then, who (as M ^r Oliuier Ormerod a learned Protestant writeth) liued in the Apostles times; in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie setteth downe the most of the Ceremo­nies, that the Catholike Church vseth in celebra­ting the Masse: viz the prayers the burning of Frankincense about the Altar, the singing of Psal­mes, parcells of scripture which be read, the washing of handes, the giuing of the Pax, the Eleuation of the holy Hoste, the Adoration of thesame, the Comunion & receauing of the Sacramēt, yea, he af­firmeth, that no sooner the B. Sacrament is on the Altar, but there be present troopes of Saints, This ancient Father in all his books maketh, so much for vs, both in this & all other pointes of our Catholike Faith, and against our Aduersaries, that Caluine, Lib 1. ca 1 §. 4 C [...]n [...] 1. li. 2 c 10 col 637. & the Century writers haue no other re­fuge, but to call in question the bookes of S. Denis, albeit most vniustly, preferring the saying and false opinion of Erasmus & Laurentius Valla (both Gram­mariās) before the authority of an infinite number [Page 19] of ancient Doctors. Origen, Orig. hom. 2. indiuers ante med. Athanas in Scho­li [...]s in o­pera [...]ionysii Chrys. epist. ad Carolū Caluum gric. hom. 34 Fulk. in his con­fut. of Purgat. pag 353. Coup in his dict. at the wo d Diony­ [...]ius. pag. 105. who liued in the yeare 230. in one of his Homilies alleadging a passage of S. Denis his Caelestiall Hierarchy, termeth him Great S. Denise Areopagite, S. Athanasius, who liued in the yeare 319 that Great Diuine. S. Chrysostome, who liued in the yeare 390 that Caelestiall birde. S. Gregor. the Great, who liued in the yeare 590. Calleth him ancient & venerable Father. And not only are his bookes acknowledged by the ancient Fathers, but euen by our late Protestante writers, as by M ^r Fulk, Hermanus, D. Bridges Lord Bishop of Oxford, who did thinke him to haue beene before S. Basils dayes, who liued in the yeare 370. by M ^r. Cooper late Bishop of winchester; by M ^r. Oliuier Ormrod in his picture of a puritane in proofe of the Crosse made in Baptisme; And by the Archbishop of Canterb, in his answere to an admonition. And this concerning our first witnes.

The second of our VVitnesses is S. Ignatius, Scholler vnto S. Iohn the Euangelist, who liued in the yeare 100. writeth thus in his vndoubted Epistle ad Smyr­nenses, Ad Smyr­nenses. that the Bishop is as highe Priest in respecte of his Priesthood, affirming further, that in the Church nothing is greater then the Bishop who sacrificeth vnto God for the safety of the whole world, because it is (saith he) not lawfull without a Bishop to offer immaculate Sacrifice, Ibidem. to celebrate [Page 20] the masse, &c. This saying of S. Ignatius is acknow­ledged, & not gainsaid by the late Bishop of Can­terb. M ^r. Whitgift in his Def. pag. 408. For fur­ther proofe of this and like sayings of S. Ignatius see S. Hierom lib. de viris illustribus. ibidem: it is not lawfull without a Bishop to offer Sacrifice, or to ce­lebrate masse.

The third VVitnesse is S. Irenaeus Scoller to S. Po­licarpus, who was Disciple to S. Iohn Euangelist, and liued in the yeare 170, who some times was Bishop of Lyons in France; Lib. 4. aduersus Hae­res. This Irenaeus affirmeth, that, besides the spirituall Priestly Order of all the Iust, another peculiar Priesthood of the Apostles, who are in respect therof to attend dailye vpon God & the Altar.

Dialog. cum Tryph.The fourth VVitnesse is Iustinus Mart. who liued in the yeare 130. he affirmeth, that the sacrifice of the Eucharist is by the Institution of Iesus Christ, & that it is celebrated throughout all the world by the Christians, Euseb. li. 4 c. 17 Hier. in catalog. and that by the Priests only, his bookes and workes are reported by Eusebius and S. Hierom.

Origen. hom 21. in Num.The fift VVitnesse is Origen, who liued the yeare 230. In his 21 homily on the booke of Numeri, (the which homilies he did write before his falling into error,) doth Iudge, that it appertaineth only to thē, that liue chast continually, to offer sacrifice,

[Page 21]The sixt VVitnesse is S. Cyprian, Epist. 63 ad Caecil. who liued in the yeare 240. in his Epistle ad Caecilium saith thus: If Iesus Christ our Sauiour & God, be himself cheif Priest of his Father, and the first who did offer vp himself as a sacrifice to God the Father, & com­manded vs to doe the same in commemoration of him; Truely it followeth, that the Priest, who imi­tates that, which Christ did doe, is in the place of Christ, and doth offer vp to God the Father a true, and full sacrifice, whensoeuer he beginneth to offer according to that manner, as was offered by Iesus Christ, this S. Cyprian; for the which wordes the Century writers do reproue and reiect him.

The seuenth VVitnesse is S. Basil, Liturg. Eccles. Cappad. apud Cocc. li. de Euch. who professed a monasticall life, and liued in the yeare 370. He setteth downe the ceremonies & forme of the sacri­fice of the masse, which were obserued within his diocesse, he being then Bishop of Caesarea in Cap­padocia.

The 8. VVitnesse is S Iohn Chrysostome, Lib de Sacerd. who liued in the yeare 390. in his booke de Sacerdotio. speaking of the consecration of the host in the sacrifice of the masse saith thus. The wordes are pronoūced by the Priest, and are consecrated by the grace, Chrys. orat. cō ­tra gētes qd. vnus est Deus. & ver­tue of God. The booke, which he maketh of Priest­hood, is a sufficient proofe of his opinion, in this and other points of our Catholike Religion, in [Page 22] the which book he affirmeth, that in Britanie there were Altaria Christo dedicata.

The 9 VVitnesse is Tertullian one of the Latine Churche, who liued in the yeare 220. whose autho­ritie is reuerenced, not only by the Ancient Fa­thers, In his picture of a Pu­rit. pa 3 but likewise by our aduersaryes. Ormerod a Protestant writer doth alledge Tertullian his opiniō of the signe of the crosse Baptisme against his Puritane Brethren. This Tertullian amongst the other traditions of the Catholike Churche, Lib. de Coron. milit cap. 3. reports of the saying of masse, or oblation at the end of the yeare for the Soules departed The which sentence is acknowledged by M ^r. Fulk to be of Tertullian. And in his booke de cultu faeminarum, In his confut. of purg pag. 362 he saith, that a woman should not goe abrode, vnlesse it be to vi­si [...]t the sicke, heare the sermon, or assiste in the Churche at masse.

The Ninth VVitnesse is S. Ambrose, who liued in the yeare 3 [...]0. and whome the Century-writers do reiect, Lib 4 cap 4 col. 295 for his to much writing in fauor of the sacri­fice of the masse & Catholike Priesthood. Amongst other of his sayings he confessed of himself, that tumult being risen in the assembly where he was, Ambro. lib. 5 Epist. 3 yet he was not forgetfull of his office, but did be­ginne the masse.

The eleuenth of our VVitnesses is S. Augustine Scoller to S. Ambrose, he died in the yeare 430. he is [Page 23] plentifull in this & other points of Catholike do­ctrine, euen in the Iudgment of our Aduersaryes, Chem­nit [...]us in his Exā. part. 3. pag. 3. he named the word masse in one of his Sermons saying, lett no man be absent from the masse on son­day. And againe he named the word masse in ano­ther Sermon saying, these words, which shalbe read at the masse, and else where. August. serm. 51 de tem­pore. Ser. 91. de tem. Ser. 337. Vniustly therefore do our aduersaryes obiect against vs, saying that S. August. did neuer name the word masse. And with­in S. Austins time the 2. Councell of Carthage in the 3. chap and the Mileuitan Councell cap. 12. doth name the word masse. And before S. Austin, S. Ambrose, who liued anno 390. in his 5. book of Epistles, Epist 33 S. Damasus Pope, who liued about the yeare. 384. in his book of the liues of the Popes. And S. Macharius, who liued about anno 319. in his decret. de consecrat. named the word masse. S. Fa­bianus Pope in one of his Decrees, who liued about the yeare 242. S. Sother Pope & Martyr, who liued about the yeare 171. in one of his Decrees which are extant Tom. Concil. S. Pius Pope Anno 147▪ in one of his Decrees. S. Higinus Pope & Martyr Anno 144. in his Decree as Ino. lib. 2. testifieth. S. Alexander Pope & Martyr Anno 121. Epist. 1 ad omnes Orthodoxos, which is to be seene in the Councell of Tribury cap. 19. S. Clement third Pope after S. Peter Epist. 3. Anno 111. S. Ignatius the [Page 24] Apostles Scoller. Epist. ad Smyrnenses. All which holy men did name the word Masse properly, and in that same sense, that the Catholikes at this day do vse. Yet for all this forsooth our Aduersaryes would make the world belieue, that the word Masse, is a word newly inuented, & not found in the primitiue Churche. But they deale with vs in this, as in many other things, which must proceed either of malice, or of grosse ignorance.

The twelfe of our VVitnesses is S. Hierome, who liued in the same time that S. Austin, did. A ^o. 430. He is generally holden of our Aduersaries to be for the Catholike Religion in this, Epist. ad Heliod. & other points: He did reuerence & respect holy Priesthood very much, saying: God forbid I should speake amisse of them, who succeding, doe consecrate with their mouth the body, Cyrillus Catech Cyrillus Hieros. catech. 12. Gregor N [...]ssen orat. in mulierē peccat. Ep ph. Haeres. 73. & blood of Iesus Christ. To these VVitnesses wee might adde infinite more, if it were not tedious to your honors. As S. Cyrill of Alexan­dria contemporaneo to S. Hieron. S, Cyrillus Hie­rosolymitanus Anno 320. S. Gregory of Nyssen. Epipha­nius, Athanasius Anno 319. Optatus Anno 350. lib. 6. aduersus Haeres. Athan. quaest. 34.

Right honorable, Reuerend, Graue, and Learned, these be our VVitnesses who did direct our fore said Iury in their Verdict: at whom our Aduersaries can take no exception iustly, seing they were men in­different [Page 25] and not angrie neither at our Aduersa­ries not at vs; and who be much esteemed of, by the more aduised and sober Protestants, chemint exam. Concil. Trid. part. 1, pag. 74. who (to vse their owne words) doubt not, but that the primi­tiue Churche re [...]eaued from the Apostles, and A­postolicall men, not only the text of Scripture, but also the right and natiue sense therof; And that we are greatly confirmed, Confes­sio Bo­hemi pag. 400 in the true & sound sense of Scripture, by testimonies of the ancient Fathers; And that they are the true and best Masters of posteritie, going before & leading vs the way: and as M ^r. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterb, saith: Bancr. survey. pag. 379. for M ^r Caluin and M ^r. Beza I doe thinke of them as their writings deserue, but yet I thinke better of the ancient Fathers, I must confesse.

THIRDLY if the parties owne Confes­sion be of force (as doubtles in all reason it is no lesse then Conuincing) your Wis­domes shall heare the grauest of your Aduersaryes confirme by their ouwne Confession, this point of doctrine for vs.

[Page 26]1. Caluine our Aduersaries prime man speaking of Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, August: and others, how highly they esteemed the Church of Rome, Inst lib 4 cap 2. §. 2. in re­spect of the Succession of the Romane Bishops, answereth & giueth his like reason there of saying: Considering it was a matter out of all doubt, that from the beginning euen vntill that time (viz till S. Austins time) nothing was changed in doctrine, the holy doctors tooke in argument that which was sufficient for the ouerthrowing of all new er­rors; viz, that they viz: the heretikes oppugned the doctrin, which euen from the very Apostles them­selues had beene inuiolably and with one consent retained Againe in his booke of Institutions set forth in French he saith expresly, Instit in French printed at Gena­ua anno 1561. that it was a thing no­torious & without doubt, that after the Apostles age vntill those times viz: ( S. August his time) no change was made in doctrine, neither at Rome nor at other cittyes. Now seeing aluine affirmeth that without all doubt there was no change of doctrine in the Church of Rome, from the beginning (that is from the Apostles times) vntill S. Aug. his time, which was for 400. and odd yeares after Christ, it must follow in Caluins opinion, that the doctrine we haue heretofore alleaged, by the testimony of our Iury (viz the Councells) and witnesses (viz the Fathers) they being all both Iury and witnesses [Page 27] within the said first 400. and od yeares; is pure do­ctrine, & inuiolably & with one consent retained, from the very Apostles themselues.

2. BEZA Scoller to Caluin, Confess. Gen ca. 7. Sect. 12. saith that Leo who was Pope Anno Domini 440. did clearly breath forth, the arrogancie of the Antichristian Romane Sea. Now seing S. Sixtus 3. who was predecessor to this Leo, did confirme the Canons of the generall Councell of Ephesus, which proueth the masse to be a Sacrifice, vt supra & that vnbloody which is offered daylie in the Church, therefore I say it followeth, according to Beza his opinion, that this Pope Sixtus did breath forth no arroganty nor Antichristan doctrine, seing he was before Leo, who was the An­tichrist according to Bezas saying, & consequently the masse not to be Antichristian doctrine, but Christian & true doctrine.

3. MELANCTHON saith: In locis postre­mo edi­tis. Zozimus (who was Pope Anno 420) was the first Antichrist; & that since there was neuer any true Bishop of Rome. Now if Zozimus was the first Antichrist & false Bishop, it followeth that Innocentius (who allowed of absolu­tion from sinnes by a priest, Innocēt Epist. 1. Vecen­tiū ca 7. who was predecessor to Zozimus) was no Antichrist, but a good Christian and true Bishop, & did teach Christian and true doctrine, And not only he, but also all the rest of the Bishops of the Romane Sea, who were before [Page 28] Innocentius the first (the number of which amoun­ted to 41.) were true Bishops & did teach true do­ctrine, And consequently Catholike Priesthood teached, allowed and practised by them, is true and Christian doctrine, euen according to Melancthon his opinion.

Lib. de Anti­chr sto contra Sand pag. 35.4 MR. WHITAKER a learned Aduersary, being vr­ged by the Catholike writer D. Sanders, who affir­meth that the Catholike & Romane Church was not chāged during the first 600. yeares after Christ; acknowledged the same to be true saying, during all that time the Church was pure & florishing, and inuiolably taught and defended the Faith deli­uered from the Apostles. Now according to this Aduersaryes Confession, it followeth that Catho­like Priesthood, & other points of doctrine, taught by those Ancient Fathers, brought as witnesses he­retofore in defence of our cause, must be pure doctrine, & inuiolably deliuered from the Apostles. 5. In his Conf. of purgat. pag. 373 MR. FVLK doth graunt that the cause why Ire­naeus, Cyprian. Tertull. Optatus, and Vincentius Lyrinen­sis, Hierom, & Augustine did name the Church of Rome, was because the Church of Rome at that time, as it was founded by the Apostles, so it con­tinued in the doctrine of the Apostles. Now seing those very same Fathers, are alleaged by vs as Wit­nesses, in defence of our cause, it followeth, by M ^r. [Page 29] Fulkes owne Confession; that our doctrine in this point, is the doctrine of the Apostles.

6. MR. NAPPER (that renouned Protestant) auou­ched to his Maiestie that Pope Siluester who liued about Anno 313. Vppon the re­uelat. p. 66. 68. was the Antichrist but seing all these Popes, who were before Pope Siluester his time (he being but the thirty fourth Pope) were all Priests and practised ther Priesthood by saying of masse, &c did practise or teach no Antichristian doctrine, seing (as M ^r. Napper affirmeth) the Antichrist was not as yet come, but Christian & holsome doctrine was taught by them, and consequently a Massing Priest, to be no new or Antichristian doctrine.

7. MR. GIFFORD in his demonstrations that Brownists are Donatists, &c. saith: pag. 38. To offer oblation for the dead, was generall in the Church, long be­fore the dayes of S. Austin, as appeareth in Cyprian & Tertullian. Now seing that Cyprian & Tertullian liued within 240. yeares after Christ, all the which time yea euen to S. Austins time, the Churche did florish, and did maintanie the doctrine of the A­postles heretofore confessed; It must follow that Oblation for the dead was good, and faithfull do­ctrine, seing it was generally holden, & maintained by the Church. Of the Church li. 3 c 29 pa. 138.

8. MR. FIELD reporting the errors of Aerius the heretike saith: Aerius condemned the custome of [Page 30] the Church, in naming the dead at the Altar, and offering the sacrifice of the Eucharist, that is, of thankesgeuing for them: hee disliked of sett Fastes, and would not admitt any difference betweene a Bishop & a Presbyter, &c. he was iustly condemned thus hee. Now seing that M ^r. Field saith, that Ae­rius was iustly condemned, for not allowing the mention of the dead, made at the Altar, & the offe­ring the sacrifice of the Altar, &c it followeth, that M ^r. Field allowes of mention to be made for the dead at an Altar, and of a sacrifice, (albeit he call this sacrifice of the Eucharist a Thanksgiuing, but I must confesse most improperly,) but none of those be practised this day in the Church of En­gland, all Altars being destroyed, & the word (Sacri­fice) banished; And consequently in M ^r Field his opinion, mentioning the dead at the Altar, and of­fering sacrifice is sound doctrine, & the contrary is error, iustly condemned by the Church.

Pag 3.MR. GODWIN [...] in his Catalogue of the Bishops of England, speaking of S. Gregory the great Bishop of Rome, saith: That blessed and holy Father S. Gregory was the occasion of replanting the Chri­stian Faith in our countrey: But none of our Ad­uersaries can denie, but S. Gregory did allow of mas­sing Priests, yea he being one himself, and likewise of euery particular point of our now professed Ca­tholike [Page 31] Faith, As Altars, Vestiments, Images, Cha­lices, Crosses, Candlestikes, Censers, holy vessels, holy water, the sprinkling therof: with many other points, & Ceremonies reported by the Protestant writer D. Humfrey in Iesuitismi part. 2. And there­fore according to M ^r. Godwine it must follow, Cap. 5. pag. 5. that all these points, are points of Christian do­ctrine, seing these be the points in which we En­glishmen were first instructed, by S. Augustine, sent for that purpose into England, by S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome.

MR. IEWEL, Hooker. l. 2. sect. 6 p. 112. (whom M ^r. Hooker in his Ec­cles. Policij, termeth the worthiest diuine, that chri­stendome breed for some hundred yeares past,) in his reply to M ^r. Harding pag. 246. saith: Aswell S. Austin as also other godly Fathers, rightly yelded reuerence to the Sea of Rome, &c. for the purity of Religion, which was there preserued a long time without sport: thus hee. But seing not only after, but likewise before S. Austins daies, the Church of Rome did allowe of massing Priests, & other points of our now professed Catholike Faith (as we haue shewed at lardge heretofore in our said Iurye: Therfore according to M ^r. Iewells saying, Catho­like Priesthood is a pure & Christian doctrine.

MR. RIDLEY saith in M ^r Fox Actes and Mo­numents: pa. 1359. the Patriarch of Rome (so he termeth the [Page 32] Pope) in the Apostles times and long after, was a great maintainer and setter forth of Christs glory, in the which aboue all other countreyes, and re­gions was preached the true Gospell, the Sacramēts were most duely administred, &c: After the Em­pors became Christians (saith he) the Gospell there florished most: But all the Popes who were in the first, second, and third hundred yeares, did allow of Catholike Priesthood, Witnesse of this is S. Cle­ment Pope, who was third Pope after S. Peter, and liued about the yeare 102 who saith, Ep. 3. thus in one of his Epistles: Let noe Priest say masse in his Parish, without the licence of his Bishop. And by saying of Masse, the Eucharist was giuen and receiued o [...] the people, as is witnessed by S. Dionyse, S. Ignatius, & S. Marcellus who liued in the second Age, as be­fore hath beene shewed: After S. Clement succeeded S. Anaclete, Anacle­tus Ep. 1 in the yeare 03 who commaunded that masse should be celebrated, only in holy places After him S, Alexander who died for the Faith in the yeare 131. Baron. in mart. 3 May. he did confirme the Apostolike con­stitution, of mingling wine with water in the sacri­fice of the masse. In de­cretis Sixti Papae. After him was S. Sixtus Romanus, in the yeare 142. who commaunded, that the sacred vessels vsed at masse, & at other times should not be handled, nor touched by any man, but by the who were in holy Orders. After him was S, Felesphor [...] [Page 33] who had binan anchorite in Greece, he died in the yeare 154. he ordained, that the masse should be celebrated in the night in Christmasse euen, &c. After him succeeded S. Pius an Italian, who died in the yeare 167. in one of his Epistles to Iustus Bis­hop of Vienna he saith: Tom. 1. Biblio SS. Patrū we do celebrate the masse in the Churche of Euprepia, &c. After him, (or as some say, before him) succeeded S. Anicet, who died in the yeare 175. he would that the Priest should beare a shauen crowne; Anacle­tus Ep. ad Gal­los. his decrees are extant Tom. 1. Concil. After him succeeded Soter, and died 179. who commaunded, that none should celebrate masse without one to help him. And so successi­uely one after another vntill S. Siluesters time, who was Pope in the time of Constantine the great, the first Christian Emperor, who was Christened by the said S. Siluester. These be the Bishops of Rome, (whom M ^r. Ridley termeth Patriarkes) who did maintaine pure doctrine. All of them being before Constantine the first true Christian Emperor. And as for that he saith, that in the first Christian Em­perors times the Gospell did florish, it is most manifest that Cōstantine, who was Emperor in the yeare of our Lord 306. did allow of Monkes through out Syria, Palestina, Bithynia, &c. Cent. cent. 4. col 2441. did keepe in his company & court Massing Priests, with all prouision to that effect, as Zozimus affirmeth; he [Page 34] did attribut supremacie to the Bishop of Rome, Zozim. hist. li. 1 cap. 8. Frig. in his pal­ma ad Sereniss Reginā Aug. as affirmeth Frigiuellaus Gauius a Protestant Writer: with other points of our Catholike doctrine, in whose time, the Churches doctrine was one and the same as it is at this day, concerning Freewill, iustification by workes, Confession of sinnes to a Priest, Inioined penance; Absolution of such as had confessed, giuen by imposition of handes; Also with affirming penance to be the second table after Shipwrack, vnwritten Traditions, inuocation of Saints, Purgatory, Altars consecrated, with the signe of the Crosse & Chrisme, the reall presence, & Transubstantation, Cent. 4. sacrificing for the dead, and many other points which the Centurists of Magde­burg call errors, of that time, Now seeing that Maister Ridley saith, that the first Bishops of Rome, & the first Christian Emperors did set out Christs glory, and did admi­nister duely the Sacraments; It followeth, that in his opinion these points defended, and taught by the Churche in those times, are no lesse now pure & true doctrine, and that the Eucharist is duely ad­ministred by massing Priests.

Sect 6.MR. HOOKER in his praeface to his bookes of Eccl. Policy saith: That wee are right sure of this, that nature, Scripture, & experience haue all taught the world to seek for the ending of contentions, by submitting it self vnto some Iudiciall and [Page 35] definitiue sentence, whervnto neither parties that contend, may vnder any pretence refuse to stand. Now seing all Generall & Prouinciall Councells, haue giuen their Iudiciall, & definitiue sentence concerning this point in fauor of vs Ca­tholikes; And on the other side, seing neither M ^r. Hooker, nor any Protestant can alleadge any gene­rall Councell or Prouinciall, or any Synodicall Conuenticle before this last. 100. yeares, to the contrary: It followeth, according to M ^r. Hooker, that wee should allow of the Sacrifice of the Masse, seing Councclls in their Iudiciall, & definitiue sen­tēces haue allowed of it. And much more because he affirmeth most constantly in his bookes of Eccl. Pol. that the Church of Rome is to be reputed as a part, and limme of the Church, Lib. 5. pag. 188. and house of God.

But because I can not tell whether our aduer­saries, Will allow what their followes did write or teache in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth, seing they defend, (as D. Doue a Protestant writer affir­meth perswas. pag. 31.) they may often change, and doe (at least) at the change of euery Prince. These be his own woordes, VVhen the masse was first Put down, King Henry had his English Liturgie, that was iudged absolute without exception But when Edward came to the Crowne, that was condemned, and an other put [Page 36] in the place, which Peeter Martyr, and Bucer did approue as very consonant to Gods woord. VVhen Queen Elisabeth beganne her raigne, the former was iudged to be full of imperfections, and a new was diuised, and allowed by the consent of the Clergie. But about the midle of her raigne, we grew weary of that book and great meanes haue beene wrought to abandon that, and establish another, which, although it was not obtayned, yet we doe (at the least at euery change of Prince,) change our book of common prayer, we be so wanton, that we know not what we would haue. Thus Doctor Doue. Therfore to giue our Aduersaries all aduantages, you shall heare the re­porte of those Protestant writers, who haue written since the beginning of his Maiesties raigne in En­gland, and so much, and so incharitably against vs Catholikes, that for that cause one of their owne number, (Ormer pict. Pap. in postscript.) adiudgeth many of their bookes to the fire, and their Authors worthie of death.

MR. MIDLETON Papistomast. pag. 137. 138. graunteth with S. Chrysost. S. Aug. S. Epiphan. That Sacrifice, and Prayer for the dead was an Apostolicall Tradition.

D SVTCLIFFE against the three Conuers. pag. 791. saith: Christes true Church is a diligent, and wary keeper of doctrines committed to her, and changeth nothing at any time, diminisheth nothing, addeth nothing superflius, [Page 37] looseth not her owne, nor vsurpeth things belonging to others. But seing. D. SVTCLIFFE can not deny, but the church of Rome was once Chrysts true church, therfore it followeth, according to D. Sutcliffe opinion, that the church of Rome must needes haue diligently, and warely kept the doctrine of such a maine, and essentiall point of her cheife function, as is the Sacrifice of the Masse, nor chan­ging nor adding any thing superfluous thervnto.

MR. WILLET antilog, pag 144. assureth you, that diuerse of the Romane Church, not only of the ignorant, but of the Learned, be saued and Saintes in heauen. His wordes be these. It is not denied, by any Protestant, but many renowned Kinges & Queenes, (who might not plead ignorance of the Romane Faith) are saintes in heauen. And speaking of his maie­sties Mother, he attributeth such holinesse, and truth to her Religion and her, that it preuailed with God, not only for her self, but her sonne our soueraigne also, his wordes be. Willet antilog Engl. praef. to the K. The child of such Prayers, and teares, cannot possibly fall away. Now if to assist at the cele­bration of the Masse, is to committ idolatry, (as our aduersaries would haue it,) M ^r. Willet could neuer haue accounted these Kinges and Queenes, to be saintes in heauen, whose cheiffe and dayly exercice of deuotion was to assist therat.

[Page 38]D. Couell writeth of the Churche in these woordes in his def. of M ^r. Hooker pag. 30 art. 4. That, which by her Ecclesiasticall authoritie she shall probably think, and define to be true or good, most in congruity of reason ouer rule all other inferior iudgments, whatsoeuer; & to thē, that out of a singularitie of their owne, aske vs, why we thus hang our iudgments on the Churches sleeue, we answere with Salomon. Two are better then one, for when in matters of lesse moment, it was neuer thought safe, to neglect the iudgment of many, and hassly to follow the fancy and opinion of some fewe. Now, but that the Church of Rome hath had the definition of gene­rall Councells, and consent of Fathers in behalf of Catholike Priesthood and other pointes of Religion contradicted this day, neither D. Couel, nor any man euer douted, & hence it is, that D Couel (vbi supra pag. 73.) concludeth thus. It is strange for any man to deny them of the Church of Rome to be of the Church.

D. Murton part. 2. apol. pag. 340. lib. 4. cap. 18 auoucheth confidētly, that a generall Coūcell is highes [...] iudge; so doth the Bishop of Winchester, (B. Bilso [...] suruey pag. 85.) and others; but all men know, th [...] Protestants not to be able to produce any genera [...] Councell consisting of meere Protestantes, as th [...] Protestant Relator of Religion. (Relat. of Relig [...] cap. 47.) ingeniously confesseth, and let it suffise t [...] [Page 36] Catholikes to bring the late generall Councell of Trent, at the which Protestants Religion was no­minatim condemned as heresie by six Cardinals, foure Legates, three Patriarches, two and thirtie Archbishops, 228. Bishops, and 4. Abbots. And so D. Morton must acknowledge the highest iudge to be for vs.

D. Doue pleading for an vnion betwixt Ca­tholikes and Protestantes, speaking in fauour of the Church of Rome, saith. No Church can be con­demned, and adiudged hereticall by any priuate censure, but it must be publicke by a generall Councell. (D. Doue persuas. pag. 14.) and pag 27. 28, he saith, that ac­cording to the Catholikes definition of a Sacra­ment, there be as many as they teach, and this shall not breed any such iarre betwene vs, that therfore we should refuse to communicate togeather, and transubstantation it selfe shall be no bar. The Bishop of Winchester in his suruey, (B. Bilsons suruey pag. 85.) writeth thus. The ancient consent of Godly Fathers, is with great care to be scearched, and followed of vs, cheifly in the rule of faith. Now seing the ancient Fathers make for vs in this point, as hath thertofore beene shewed, it followeth the B. of Winchester must allow of this point in controuer­sie, seing it is there doctrine

M ^r. Parkes against Limbom [...]stix pag. 86. [Page 40] citeth, and approueth the Councell of Lateran, as a rule of Faith, but that this Councell alloweth of transubstantation, Can. 1. of Confession to a Priest, Can. 21. Celebrating of Masse, Can. 58. of Reliques, can 62. may easely be seen by any man, who will but read this Councell.

D, Downam lib. 2. Antichrist. pag. 165. graun­teth with S. Aug. and Victor Vticensis, that, to adheare to the Church of Rome, was a marcke of a true Catholike in those times. But what the Church of Rome held in those dayes concerning Catholike Priesthood, and other pointes of controuersie, it may be seen by that, which hath beene heretofore said.

But not to seeme tedious to your wisdomes, I will conclude this section with the reporte, which one of our aduersaries thēselues maketh of Catho­likes, and of their Religion, Relation of the stat. of Relig. cap 48. the Authors wordes be; There are among them, (vndoubtedly) in great multitude, men ver­tuous, Learned, fraught with the loue of God, and the truth aboue all thinges, men of memorable integritie of harte an affections, (cap 6.) in their Sermons much matter, both of Faith and piety is eloquently deliuered by men of wonderfull zeale and spirit, &c. (Ibidem.) The outward state and glorie of their seruice doth ingender, quicken, in­crease, and nourrishe the inward reuerence, respect, and [Page 41] deuotion, which is dve vnto Soueraigne Maiestie, & power (cap. 9.) there deedes of charitie are exceeding, (cap. 48.) we find amongst them excellent order of gouerment, sin­gular helpes for increase of godlines, and deuotion, for the profiting of vertue.

RIGHT wise and Learned Iudges, we are not ignorant, but that Prioritie of Possession amongst you receaueth this fauour in your lawe, that to the party disseised of such his possession you afford speciall remedy by Writt of Assise, allowing him also the benefitt of his cōtinuall claime, to preuent discent vpon the other parties dying seysed. Therefore we require your graue considerations concerning this pointe of Prioritie of Possession, how it maketh for vs, and against our aduersaries, euen they being Iudges.

The holy Fathers doubt not vpon this ground of Prioritie of Possession to vrge the Succession of the Romane Bishops, as a strong & vnanswerable argument against the Heretikes of those times. So [Page 42] Irenaeus against the Heretikes of his time; you ought (saith he) to obey those, Irenaeus lib. 3. adu haereses. cap. 3. who haue their Suc­cession from the Apostles, &c So Tertull. lib. de prae­script. aduersus haeres. let haeretikes set forth the be­ginnig of their Churches, let them recount the order of their succeeding Bishops, if they can. And after setting downe in ranke the Bishops of Rome from S. Peter to Eleutherius, he saith: Confingant tale quid Haeretici [...] &c. let Heretikes bring forth any such thing, S. Hier. vnic. Lyr. &c. So S. Hierom in Apol. 1. adu. Ruffinum. So Vincentius Lyrinensis adu. Haereses. Commendeth the Romane Church for maintayning alwayes, with so great force, study, and contention, (Susceptae semel Religionis integritatem) the puritie of Religiō, which it first receaued. So did S. Austin against Manichaeus; these be his wordes: August cōt. Ep. Manich cap. 4. Tom. 7. Multa sunt quae in Ecclesiae gremio me iustissime teuent, &c. I am held in the besome of the Church by the Successiō of Priests, & Bishops, that haue come downe euen from the first Seate of S. Peter the Apostle to the present Bishop of Rome Anastasius, that holdeth the Seate at this day; thus he. Reyn in his con­fer with M. Hart. pag. 443 The which saying of S. Aug. being vrged by a Catholike Writer M ^r. Hart against M ^r. Rey­noldes; He maketh him aknowledge, that the Suc­cession of the Romane Bishops was a proofe of true Faith in the time of S. Augustine, Epiphan, Op­tatus, Tertullian, & Irenaeus. The like acknowledgmēt [Page 43] or answere thereto is made by many other Lear­ned Protestants, as by M ^r. Ridley in M ^r Fox his Acts & Mon. pag. 1359. by M ^r. Iewell in his Reply to M ^r. Harding. pag. 246. by Caluin in his Instit. li. 4. ca. 2. Now if Possession and Succession of some hundred yeares were so esteemed of by those holy Fathers, yea euen by our aduersaryes them­selues, as a proofe of true Faith and Apostolicall doctrine; Shall not the Possession with a conti­nuall, & not interrupted Successiō of 239. Bishops, during a thousand sixe hundred and odde yeares, be of great force & valew? and shall not such a Prioritie of Possession receaue fauour in your lawe? seing it is but the last day, and as yet within your owne appointed time of Limitation, since we in this kingdome were thrust out of our former rightfull, & so long continued possession, (all contrary to the Auncient lawes of Nations) condemned of crime, and transgression in the matter of Religion, not so much as hauing our accusers before vs, nor place to defend vs concer­ning the crime.

But our Aduersaryes, beeing not able to denie this Succession of Bishops in the Sea of Rome, for so doing it were to oppose themselues against all writers, both sacred, & prophane; they Imagine [Page 44] a supposed change of Religion during the fore said succession.

Pleaseth it therefore your wisedomes, we shew further demonstration of her not change in this point mentioned in our application, neither in any Article of Faith, by manifest testimonie of our learned aduersaries. It is generally confessed by our Aduersaries, that our now professed Cath. Faith concerning Cath. Priesthood, & likewise all other needfull points of Faith, professed not only by the Catholiks of England, but of all Nations where the Cath. Faith is professed, is one and the same, which hath beene taught, & defended these last 1000. yeares, euen since our conuersion from Pa­ganisme to the Christian Faith by S. Austine the Monke, sent by Pope Gregory into England; that it was most vndoubtedly our now professed Cath. Faith, it remaineth yet to this present day euident in two speciall respects: As first by our established continuance in our Cath. Faith without any other noted, or known beginning thereof, or of any one part thereof from this present age, vp to the first time of our first conuersion, for otherwise, could the English Cronographers of euery of those meane ages make dalie mention of the other Alte­rations, & changes, which happened in this King­dome either in temporall, or Church affaires? could [Page 45] could they recite in particular the noted heresies arising, (As the heresies of Lollards, Wicklifists, & the rest, arising in England & noted by the ancient Historiographers, & by our late Writers, M ^r Stow, Holinshead, Fox, and the Century-writers in the fifth chapter of very Ctntury,) of foundations of so many Bishops Seas, cathedrall Churches, colleges, Monasteries, &c. (as are noted by M ^r. Harrison in his description of England,) Cap. 2. pa. 140. Togethr also with the alteration of our temporall lawes, and so many mutations in gouerment by Saxons, Danes, Nor­mans; and otherwise the many battailes fought, the many rebellions attempted, the succession of Kings, & times of their deathes, the creation of no­bilitie, the onerthrow of noble families; and be withall yet wholy silent in that so great change of Religion? M ^r. Godwin in his catalogue of the Bishops of England, reporting distinctly the very names, & succession in so many seuerall Seas of our English Catholike Bishops, euen from this present age vp to the foresaid Augustine, once Bishop of Canterbury, reporting likewise their actes good or euill; yett makes no mention of any change or innouation brought, or assented to by any one of these many Bishops, so much as but in any one point of our now professed Catholike Faith. Whe­reas, (on the contrary part) we are able to shew to [Page 46] them the beginning, & contradiction of the aduerse doctrine, not only of these innouatouts here in England, as of Wicliffs & Tindall, their old & new Apostles; but likewise of all haeresies, Innouation, Contradiction with the time & place thereof, euen since the Apostles times. Your wisedomes therefore may discerne, that our now professed Cath. doctri­ne, thus perpetuating it selfe by the hand of time with a current, & not interrupted successiō but cō ­tinued euen from the Raigne of King Henry the 8. vp to the first time of our said cōuersion, demon­strateth it selfe most plainly therby, to be the same vndoubted Cath. Religion, whereto we English­men were first conuerted by S. Austin.

Secondly this point is made as yet much more certaine & euident, in that sundry of our aduersa­ries, yea the most learned amongst them as D. Humfrey, Humf. in Iesuit. part 2. ra [...]. 5. p. 5 Carion. l. 4. in Cron. p. 567. Luke Osiander in his Epit. hist. Eccl. cent. 6. pag. 289. & 290. the Cen­tury-writers of Magdeburch. Cent. 6. cap. 10. col 148 & others, do describe the particulars of Religion, so then taught, & professed by S. Gregory & S. Augu­stine, writing and affirming the said particulars, to be Altars, Vestiments, Images, Chalices, Crosses, Candlestickes, Censars, holy Vessels, holy water, the sprinkling thereof, Reliques, Translation of Reliques, Dedicating of Churches to the bones, & [Page 47] ashes of Saints, consecrating of Altars, Chalices, & Corporalls, consecration of the Font of Baptisme, Chrisme, & Oyle, Consecration of Churches with sprinkling of holy water, Celebration of Masse, the Archbishops Pallatt solemne Masse-time, Ro­mane Masse bookes, a burden, (as they terme it) of ceremonies, Free will, Merite, and Iustification by workes, Penance, Satisfaction, Purgatory, the Vnmarried life of Priests, publique inuocation of Saints, and their worship, the worshipping of Ima­ges, Exorcismes, Pardons, Vowes, Monachisme, Transubstantatiō, Praier for the dead, the Romane Bishops claime, & exercise of Iurisdiction, and pri­macy ouer all Churches; and lastly euen the whole Chaos of Popish superstition, (as these Protestant Writers blasphemously terme it.) So farre the fore­said writers affirme these particulars to haue bene taught by the Churche of Rome, and in the which the English men were first instructed by S. Augu­stine, sent by S. Gregory, Printed at Basil. 1558. as Io. Bale in Act. Rom Pont. pag. 44. 45. 46. saith, that Augustine was sent from Gregory to season the English Saxons with Popish faith.

Euen here, (Right honorable & wise) might we make our stand, and so presume without all further proceeding humbly to offer vp to your graue con­siderations; whether it were not a point of high [Page 48] Iudgement, & altogether vnworthy your mature & learned iudgements, to condemne, reiect, and make penall, Catholike Priesthood, and that faith so long continued, not only in England by En­glish Catholikes, but likewise throughout all Christendome, whervnto we Englishmen were conuerted by S. Greg. one of those Fathers, by whom Mr. Iewell, (a famous Protestant) in his pu­blique Sermō at Paules Crosse desired to be tried, which neuer the lesse the bouldest aduersary, (as I belieue) dare not performe.

Neither did our now professed Cath. Faith take its beginning in S. Gregories time, but reached vp euen to the Apostles times, which appeareth also by conferring our foresaid confessed Religion, taught vs by S. Greg. and S. August with that pri­mitiue Faith, whervnto the Brittains of VVales were conuerted in the Apostles times: For whereas our learned aduersaries do affirme, that our neighbours the Britains of VVales receaued the faith of Christ by the preaching of the Apostles, and held that Faith at Austins comming; so affirmeth Mr. Cam­den in his Britannia, Pag. 40 Mr. Harrison in his description of Britannie volum. 1. p. 23 Mr. Fulke his booke against Heskin Sanders, Pag 561. &c. by Godwin in his Ca­ta. og. of Bishops pag. 1. Mr. Foxe in his Acts and Mon. pag. 463. saith: The Britains after the [Page 49] receauing of the Faith neuer forsooke it, for any manner of false preaching of others, nor for tor­ments, &c. Againe Mr. Midleton in his Papisto­mastix proueth by ancient Authors, that the Gos­pell was taught & preached there by Simon Zelotes, Ioseph of Arimathaea, S. Paul the Apostle. More ouer, Beda hist 2. ca. 2. Holmist vol. 1. li. 1. ca. 21. it is also recorded by the Protest. writers, that vpon conference betwixt S. Augustine & the British Bis­hops then had at a place called in S. Bedes time, Austin-izet, of the which place maketh like men­tion Holinshead in his great Chronicle of the last edition. The greatest difference then stood vpon betwene Austine and them, were expresly, and only mentioned to be certaine tolerable differences: viz: Their dissent from the vse of the Romane Church in their Ceremonies, or ministring of Baptisme, & keeping of Easter. Beda in his history reporteth, how Austine said to the Britaines, viz: Li. 2. ca. 2. Si in tribus his obtemperare mihi vultis, vt Pascha suo tempore celebre­tis, vt ministerium baptizandi, quo Deo renascimur iuxta morem Romanae & Apostolicae Ecclesiae compleatis, vt genti Angelorum vna nobiscum praedicetis verbum Do­mini, caetera, quae agitis quamuis moribus nostris cōtraria, aequanimiter cuncta tolerabimus. By which their so earnest dissenting about these only matters of smaller importance, is most plainly signified their full agreement in all other substantiall, and head [Page 50] points of Faith; for the Brittaines, who contradicted Austine so earnestly in these so few, & smaler points, would neuer haue bine silent, but much the rather haue with-stood him in the other so many, & in­comparably much greater points of Faith, had they in like sort disagreed from him therin, which thing is also as yet more certainly euident, aswell in that the Brittain Bishops then confessed, that it was the right way of Iustice, & righteousnes, which Austine taught, (as Bede doth testifie; Bed. hist li 2. ca. 2. Fulk. in his conf. of purg. pa. 335.) As also for that Austine did, (as Mr. Fulke affirmeth) at the last obtaine the aide of the British Bishops to the conuersion of the Saxons; The same affirmeth Holinshead heretofore alleadged. So euidently therefore doth that Faith, which S. Austine taught vs, and which our aduer­saries acknowledge for Popish, demonstrate in ge­nerall to be consonante, and agreable with that Primitiue Faith, whereunto the Brittains of VVales were, (as is confessed) conuerted in the Apostles times. Which pointe is also made euident by like further obseruations of so many other remote na­tions, conuerted in the Apostles times, as namely of Graecia, as appeareth by S. Pauls Epistles to sun­dry of that nation, as to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Thessalonians; of Armenia, by S. Bartholomew; of India by Saint Thomas; which although they be in some things departed from the faith wherunto [Page 51] they were first conuerted, yet by their remnant of Religion to this day preserued, sufficiently appee­reth, which faith it was whether, Catholicke or Pro­testante, whereto they were at first cōuerted; witnes hereof are the seuerall publike Liturgies of the Grae­cians, Armenians, &c. the which, trauailers affirme & make so knowne & certaine, as impudencie it selfe may not deny it. Andrew Theuet an Author of greate credite in his Cosmographie vniuersall Printed in French at Paris Anno 1575. Tom. 1. Fol. 137. affirmeth vpon the experience of his trauailes, that he founde at Hierusalem in the holy Passion weeke more then 4000. Christians of seuerall Nations, as Abissines, Armenians, Monouites, Georgians of Persia, Nestorians, Iacobits, Sirians, Iauians, Butirians, Darians, men of Quin­say most remote of all the Orientall India, &c. him­selfe being sole among them with an Almaine of the Romane Church; The which Nations, (saith he) Chantent la Messe auec pareille opinion sur le Reall praesence du corps & sang de nostre Seigneur cōme nous la tenons, that is: Do celebrate Masse, holding the like opinion of the Reall presence of the body and bloud of our Lord, as we (of the Latine Church) hould. Nothwithstanding, (saith he) that they do not acknowledge either Pope or Cardinall, King or Emperor of ours, but professe themselues to haue receaued their sacred misteries from the [Page 52] Apostles. The like testimonie giues the Protestante writer, Pag. 22 D. Philippus Nicholai in his comment. de re­gno Christi of these remote Nations; by which fo­resaid examples of so many remote Nations so farre distante each from other, conuerted vndoub­tedly in the Apostles times, and agreeing so farre with vs, and against our aduersaries, in so many principall points of Faith, is not obscurely signi­fied, that our now Catholike Religion is that Pri­mitiue Faith, which the Apostles themselues first planted in all Nations.

The Antiquitie and Prioritie of this our Pos­session of our professed Catholike doctrine thus shewed and handled, but in generall, is also made as yet much more probable, or rather euident throughout each particular, by that which our learned aduersaries themselues do acknowledge, chardging the most ancient Fathers their opinions in these points, as errours. To go through euery particular would be ouer tedious. But the Reader for better satisfactiō may read the Protestants Apologie, Tract 1. Sect. 3. Subdi. 1 where he shall finde all things at large set downe, & most cleerly and euidently handled. Forbearing therefore all other points, we will giue instance only in that pointe vndertaken chiefly in this our Application, viz: of Cath. Priesthood.

The Priesthood of our spirituall Pastors in this [Page 53] out Cath. Churche, who as, S. Aug. saith, are now, not improperly but properly called Priests in the Church: De ciuit. Dei li. 20 cap 10. & to whome therefore the word Presbiter and Sacerdos are indifferently referred, (as likewise S. August. there affirmeth) in respect of the Blessed Sacrament, which is by them offered to God vnder Christ the high Preeist, and in his steed & place. (as S. Ambrose & S. Cypr. do affirme) as the Churches externall and acceptable oblatiō, Ambr. in 1. Tim. ca. 4.14. S. Cypr. li. 2 Ep. 3 & acknowledged by learned Protestants to haue bene for such ac­cordingly offered, not only for these thousand yeares last past, but also for so many other praece­dent Ages.

For these last thousand yeares it is a generall opinion amongst Protestants. Fol. 344. Mr. Beacon in his Treatise intituled, The Reliques of Rome, affirmeth saying, The Masse was fully finished by Gregory the first about Anno 600 &c. And from Charles the Greate vnto Charles the 5. the Masse raigned, as a most mightie Queene in all the Churches of the west part of the world. Melancth. lib. 4. Fol. 186. Chronic. in Henr. 4 saith of S. Greg. that he allowed by publike authority the sacrifice of Christs Body & Bloud, not only for the liuing, but also for the dead; The­same is affirmed by many other Protestante writers. Before Gregorie, was Pelagius, whome Mas­culus loc. com. de Caena Domini, pag. 336. And Mr. [Page 54] Simonds vpon the Reuel. pag. 81. (both of them being Protestante writers) do directly charge with the opinion of the Masse helping the dead. Sy­machus was Bishop of Rome Anno 501. of whome the Century-writers say, Cent. 6. ca. 10. col. 664. Fol. 27. Notas Antichristi & hic ha­buit, Missam enim in formam redigit. Before him was S. Leo Anno 440. of whome Mr. Bale in his Pa­geant of Popes saith: Leo the first allowed the sa­crifice of the Masse, &c. Before Leo was the fourth and fift, Councell of Carthage at which was present S. Augustine▪ the one reproued by Pelargus in his Scho­la fidei for allowing prayer, Pag. 13. & Masse for the dead, the other by Luke Osiander cent, 4 pag. 16. for that in the 27. Canon of this fourth Councell mentiō was made of Prayers, & oblations for the dead, Before these Councells was S. Ambrose Anno 370. whome the Cent. writers cent. 4. ca. 4. col. 295. Do charge with not writing well de Transubstantia­tione & applicatione pro mortuis. Before him was Gre­gory Nissen of the Greeke Church Anno 340, whom Andraeas Crastonius in his booke against Bellarmine chargeth for allowing the Euchariste to be likewise a sacrifice. Crasto. de opifi­cio Missae. lib. 1. Sect 146. Also S. Cyrill. of Hierusalem another Father of the Greekes florished Anno 320. Hol­pinianus chargeth him for his acknowledgment of Masse, Hosp. in Hist. Sa­cram. pag. 167. & Prayer for the dead. Before these times liued S. Cyprian Anno 240. of whome the Cent. [Page 55] writers do say: cent. 3. cap. 4. col. 89. Sacerdotem vice Christi fungi in Coena Domini superstitiose asserit Cyprianus. The same affirmeth Mr. Fulk. against Sanders: pag, 100 Before him liued Tertullian Anno 220. whom Osiander cent. 3. lib. 1. cap. 5. and Mr. Fulk in his Conf. of Purg. pa, 265. do charge for allowing of Masse for the dead. Before him was Irenaeus Anno 170. whom Caluine chargeth for af­firming the sacrifice of Melchisedech to haue bene a figure of the sacrifice of the Masse. Cal lib. de vera Eccl. refor. Cent 2. cap. 4. col. 63. Before him liued Ignatius, the Apostles vndoubted Scoller An­no 90 whome the Cent. writers do charge for saying, that it was not lawfull to offer, or to sacri­fice without a Bishop. Lastly Mr. Beacon in his re­liques of Rome, being a great diuine amongst our Aduersaries, affirmeth seriously saying, Fol. 344. the Masse was begotten, conceaued, & borne anon after the Apostles times, if all be true that Historiographers do write. This same saith Sebastianus Francus; Heb Ep. de ab­rog stat. Eccl. and Hospinianus in Hist. Sacram. li. 1. ca. 6. pag. 20. af­firmeth, that in the very Apostles times this was the opinion of many men.

Now therefore may it vouch safe your wise­domes to consider duly this Priority of our pos­session, and successiue continuance of this our Cath. doctrine, deduced from the Apostles times, euen our Enemies being Iudges: And take heed [Page 56] of that saying of S. Aug. in no, & vet. Test. quaest. no. Heretickes, (saith he) do trouble & breake the order of succeeding Bishops begunne by S. Petr. and brought downe by ofspring, one Bishop succee­ding another, and so challenge vnto themselues a certaine order with out beginning.

IF Praescription it self, wherof no me­mory occurreth to the contrary, be a matter of any importance, with your honors, (Right graue & Learned Iudges) you shall then here finde our now professed Ca­tholike Religion deduced from the Apostles ti­mes, & by your learned writers confessed. Surely I perswade my selfe that if any one Baron, Earle, or Duke in England could shew, but half of these yeares, we can shew for the continuance and pos­session of any temporall state, Lordship, or land in England, he would highly esteeme therof, and ther­by make a glorious defence against any wrangling companion, that should pretend thesame, and de­priue him therof, if he should truely say, & proue, (as we do the cause of our Church;) neither were [Page 57] it credible, that the Iudges of his cause should giue the definitiue against him; But no man can prescribe any such time in temporall matters, and therfore are they well called temporall, for that they chāge in a litle time; No Dukedome or Earledome, continuing lightly 3. or 4. generations together in any one name or family, as may be easily seene in Camdens story, where he taketh vpon him to re­count the Earles, & Dukes that had their states & titles ouer such a shire. But, as for matters of Reli­gion, Almighty God hath giuen another manner of force, vnto succession both of men & faith; as for example, in the law of nature he made thesame to endure, by only tradition without writing for more then 2500. yeares vnder the Ancient Patri­arches before, & after the Flood of Noe. And after­ward againe in the written lawe, the iewes conti­nued the possession of their religion by succession of Bishops, and Ecclesiasticall Gouernors from Moyses vnto Christ aboue 1500. yeares, not withstanding of all the varietie of times, & calamities. And no lesse from Christ to our age, hath he con­tinued the same in a much more gratious sorte, & manner, notwithstanding so many mutations, both in the Romane Empire, & all other Realmes & Kingdomes, & yet euer hath succession of Pastours & vnion of faith remained,

[Page 58]First therfore our aduersaries will not sticke vpon the first 100. yeares, which reached to S. Gre­gories time, but will graunt vnto vs that the Masse, & Catholike Priesthood was a generall doctrine throughout the whole world. Pow. Pag 105. So Mr. Powell in his considerations of the Papish reasons: I grant (saith he) that from the yeare of Christ 605. the profes­sant company of popery hath bene very visible, & perspicuous. Perk. pa. 307. Mr. Perkins in his exposition of the creed affirmeth, that from Gregories daies to Lu­thers, (which was 900. yeares) the Popish heresy had spredd it self ouer the whole earth. The like acknowledgement doth make Simon de Voyon, Mr. Fulk & others heretofore cited.

Nap. pag. 68.Mr. Napper, that so greatly commended aduer­sary, in his Treatise vpon the Reuel. dedicated to the K. Maiesty, granted vs 1260. yeares of prescrip­tion, saying, that betwixt the yeare of Christ 300. & 316. Anti-christiā raigne began raigning vniuersally, & without any debatable contradictiō 1260. yeares; & thesame affirmeth Mr. Brocard vpō the reuelatiō Mr. Gifford against the Brownists pag. 38. graunteth vs 1300, Fo. 110. & odder yeares saying: to offer oblation for the dead was generall in the Church lōg before the daies of S. Austine, as appeareth in S. Cyprian. & Ter­tull. who liued about the yeare 240. Hamelmannus de Traditionibus, Fol 741. reacheth vp to S. Denis of Areopag. [Page 59] who liued in the in the Apostles times, saying, that Denis did write much of Churches, of Altars, of places sanctified, of Consecrations, Monkes, and sundry Ceremonies. Sebastianus Francus Epist. de abrogandis statut. Eccles. saith, that immediatly after the Apostles times the Masse begun. Hospinianus in hist. Sacram. lib. 1. ca. 6. affirmeth, that it was euen in the Apostles times, they being yet aliue. Mr. Ascham, a prime protestant in his Apol. pro caena Dom. pag. 31. acknowledged, that no beginning therof can. be shewed. Mr. Gab. Powell, pag. 43. in his consideration of the Papistes Supplication; being prouoked; that, if our Catholike doctrine be er­rour, then to tell vs when it came in? who was the Author of it? &c. Answereth thereto acknowledg­ing and saying. We cannot tell by whome, or at what time the Enemie did sow it, neither indeed do we know, who was the first Author of euery one of your blasphemous opinions. And Mr. VVhita­ker in Resp. ad Camp. rat. 7. pag. 101. confesseth, that the Romane Churches change cannot easily be tould.

Now if that rule, Aug Ep. 118. or proofe of Apostolical do­ctrine of S. Aug. be true: viz. Whatsoeuer opinion is not knowne to haue begun since the Apostles times, thesame is not new or secondary, but re­ceiued, it is originall from the Apostles themselues. [Page 60] The which Rule saith Mr. VVhitgift, (some times Archb of Canterb.) in his defence pag. 352. was of credit with the writers of our time, namely with Mr. Zuinglius, Mr. Caluine, & Mr. Gualter; and surelie, (saith he) I thinke no learned man doth dissent from them: the which Rule he likewise vrgeth against Mr. Cartwright his Puritane Brother, in defence of the names Metropolitanes, Cartwr. ag. whilg. pag [...]03. & 352. and Bishops, to whome Mr. Cartwr. answeareth saying. I appeale to the Iudgement of all men, if this be not to bring in Poperie againe, to allow of S. Augustins saying, &c. Further he affirmeth, that therby a window is open to bring in all Popery. Therfore seeing, accor­ding to S. Augustins rule, the opinion & doctrine, whose beginning is not knowne, & whose Anti­quity cannot be found, is a proofe of Apostolike Doctrine; it followeth, that the opinion, whose be­ginning is knowne, the Antiquity & Author ther­of found, is a sufficient proofe of false doctrine. And hence it is that S. Hierome saith: To reduce an heresie to a beginning is a confutation of it. Hiero. ad Cle­siphont. And seing, that our aduersaries cā shew no beginning or Author of the foresaid pointe of Catholike Priest­hood, (yea not of any one necessary, and essentiall Article of Catholike doctrine;) & on the other part, seing we cā reduce euery pointe of aduerse doctrine to his beginning, Author, time & place frō Christ [Page 61] to this day, according to the promise made by God himself to his Catholike Church, that Pastors, Eph. 4.12. Isa. 6 [...].6. & Doctors must be in the Church till the Consum­mation of Saints, who shalbe as watchmen all the day and all the night, for euer they shall not hould their peace, but shall alwayes resist false opinions, & innouations with open reprehension. Cōsequently it followeth, this our Catholike doctrine, wherto we were so many Ages since conuerted, to be no new or secondary, since the Apostles times, but truely primitiue, and vndoubtedly Apostolike. And con­trariwise, our aduersaries doctrine to be new, secon­dary, false, and Apostaticke. And this concerning Praescription.

IF Continuall Claime be a matter amongst you, wherby Right & title are preserued: It is more then euident, that this our Catholike Church hath bene euer wa­king, & ready, euen within the yeare, & day so to preserue her right in this, and other points, against all Sects and heresies whatsoeuer, and howsoeuer deuided otherwise among themselues, did generally [Page 62] conspire to oppose themselues, as against their ca­pitall enemie. This is euident to this day in Ana­baptistes, Swenckfeldians, Libertines, Antrinitarians, etc. Who thinke the reformation of Religion to con­sist specially in the abnegation of our Catholike Faith, terming themselues in such respect reformed Churches, and euery one of them thinking them­selues so much more reformed then others, by how much they are further, then others, dissenting from our Catholike Religion, it needeth no better proofe, then that of the Protestants & Puritanes in England. We haue not bene wanting to this Continuall Claime before Luthers time, by reason of our former confessed quiet possession euen in the iudgement of our very aduersaries. And our need since his time hath bene but in some countries, in which our Claime, hath bene so dailie con­tinued, as we hould it needlesse to proue the same: so that our aduersaries are forced to say, their Church was for many yeares inuisible, con­trary to that promise made by God himselfe to his Church, Esay 62.2. saying: vpon thy Walles ô Hierusalem haue I set watchmen all the day & night, for euer they shall not be silent.

Pag. 191. 188.Mr. Napper in his booke vpon the Reuelation dedicated to the Kings Maiestie, affirmeth, that this abiding of Gods Temple so long latent, and [Page 63] obscure is most certaine: Noe true visible Church, nor sincere doctrine publiquely opened, that any man may haue accesse vnto. Againe, from the yeare of Christ 316. Pag. 161. God hath withdrawne his Church from open assemblies into the harts of particular godly men, where it abode inuisible to these our daies, the space of 1260. yeares, acknowled­ging likewise, that during the foresaid space of 1260 yeares, the Catholike Romane Church did possesse the foresaid Continuall Claime, affirming that from Constantines time till those our daies euen 1260. years the Pope, & his Clergie haue possessed the outward visible Church of Christians. Pag 43. Mr. Gab. Powell in his consideration of the Papistes suppli­cation, saith: We cannot tell by whome, or at what time the enemie did sowe, &c. (meaning our Ca­tholike doctrine.) Mr. Fulk. in his Reioined, Pag. 265. being vrged with this demand, I answeare (quoth he) my text saith it was a misterie not reuealed, & therfore could not be at the first preached against. And Mr. D. Field of the Church answereth our demaund in this manner, saying: Pag. 8 [...]. The errours of the Church of Rome were so brought in, that both they, that were the Authors of them, & others, that neuer fell into them were of one Communion, and therefore it is most absurd to require vs to shew these circum­stances, viz: concerning any beginning of our Ca­tholike [Page 64] doctrine since the Apostles times. But I appeale to your honors graue Iudgments, if the answer of this diuine be not more absurd, then the demaund. But such euasorie arguments as these, be all we can gett of our Aduersaries.

Hier. 33.18.The Prophet Hieremie speaking of the Pastors of Gods Church, saith: that they shalbe multiplied to minister vnto him, not with interrupted seasōs, but continually euen as the Prophet Isay saith, from month to month, Isa. 66.21. Dan. 2.44. & from Sabaoth to Sa­baoth: neither, (saith Daniell) shall this kingdome of the Church be giuen ouer to another people, but shall stand for euer, Isay. 60. Againe Isay saith in plaine termes, that Kings shall minister vnto the Church, & her grates shalbe continually open, neither day nor night shall they be shutt, that men may bring to her the riches of the Gentiles. Hence it is, that one of your writers confesseth, The say­ing of one of their la­te wri­ters. that if our faith hath bene interrupted, (quoth he) since Christs time so much as one yeare, month, or day-were sufficient to proue vs no part of the Church of God, so Mr. VVhite in his booke, the way to the true Church, pag. 86.

Matth. 16.The like promises are mentioned in the new Te­stament: Vpon this Rocke, (saith our Sauiour) will I build my Church, and hell gates shall not pre­uaile against it. Againe: Lo I am with you euen to [Page 65] the consummation of the world. And S. Paul, Matth. vlt. spea­king of the priuiledges granted to the Church, saith▪ He gaue some Apostles, and some Prophets, Eph. 4. and other some Euangelistes, and other some Pa­stors and Doctors to the consummation of the Saints, vnto the worke of the ministrie, vnto the edifying of the body of Christ, vntill we meete all vnto the vnity of faith, & knowledge of the loue of God into a perfect man, into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ: That is, according to all Expositors euen Protestants, Cal. Inst ca. 8. Melan. in loc. com. Fulk. against the Rhem. Testam. vnto the worlds end. But those ministeriall offices of Pastors and Doctors, &c. cannot be exercised, where the Pa­stors know not their sheepe, nor the sheepe their Pastors; which could not be when the Church was inuisible, & withdrawne from open assemblies to the harts of particular godly men for the space of 1260. yeares, as Mr. Napper affirmeth on the re­uel, pag. 161. Neither can it be said, which D. Field in his foresaid Answer affirmeth, that they, who where of the true Church, and they that were not, were of one Communion: seing that no man can be saued, that inwardly houldeth one Religion and onwardly professeth another, as our Sauiour teacheth Math. 10, and the Apost. Rom. 10. For so Mr. D. Field will haue mē to be in the true Church, & yet not be saued. Which implieth a flat contra­diction, [Page 66] and so he imagines absurdities in other mens sayings, but he seeth not the contradictions in his owne. If S. Austine were aliue, he would deale in no better termes with these our aduersaries, then he did disputing against the Donatists for maintai­ning of a pretended inuisible Church: these be his wordes: Aug. in Psa 101. Belike (saith he) that Church, which was the Church of all Nations, is now no more, she is gone, she is lost, this say they that are not in her; ô impudent speech, she is not, because you are not in her; take heed least thou thy self be not there­fore, for she shalbe, though thou be not: And then doth he bring in the Church speaking thus: How long time shall I be in this world? Tell me for their sakes that say, there hath bene a Church, but now there is none, she is become Apostata, she is bani­shed away from all nations. It was shewed me. Who shewed me? euen the way himself. When? Lo I am with you euen to the consummation of the world. Neither can it be said, that S. Austine speaketh of a Church inuisible, for that neuer to haue perished the Donatists did willingly admit, as here also he te­stifieth. What other argument (I pray you) did Lu­ther vse against the Iewes to proue, that the Messias was come, but that these promises of the Prophets were fulfilled, not in their Sinagogs, which were for so long time together scattered, these be Luthers [Page 67] wordes. Quomodo hoc quadrabit, Luther. lib. de Iudae is Tom. 7. printed at Wit­temb. legem ipsorum esse du­raturam in aeternum, cum iam annis plus 1500. sacerdotium templum, cultus, omnia deleta & funditus euersa iaceant, supra modum & vehementer ridiculum est, quod nos Gentes, Iudaei persuadere volunt ad suam inter-mortuam absoletam legem, quae nunc per annos 1500, antiquata & abolita est, &c. Was not this pretended latencie and Inuisibility cause of the reuolt of sundry of the learnedest men among our aduersaries? Bernardine Ochine, (whom all Italy could not match for lear­ning, Cal. lib. de scād. as Caluine saith) hauing entred but into exa­mination of this forsaid scruple, began here vpon to stagger, & become perplexed, saying: When I did consider how Christ by his power, wisdome, Bern. Ochin. in praef. suorum Dialog. and goodnes had founded & estabished his Church, washed it with his bloud, & enriched it with his spi­rit; and againe I had discerned, how the same was vtterly ouer throwne, I could not but wonder, and being desirous to know the cause, I found there had bene Popes, In so much as hee proceeded from this conceipt of the Popes preuailing, further to teach Circumcision and Poligamie; in defence of the which last point, he wrote a booke in Italian. In hist. Georgij Dauid is printed at Anno 1568. Dauid George the Hollander, considering the pro­mises made by God himself of the continuance of his Church, & not fulfilled in the Protestants Church, became a blasphemours Apostata, affir­ming, [Page 68] our B. Sauiour to be a seducer: saying; If the doctrine of Christ & his Apostles had bene true & perfect, the Church, which they planted, &c. should haue continued, &c. The like befell vnto Sebastian Castalion a learned Caluinist, Castal. in the preface to his Latin Bible. who stagge­ring in his Religion, fell to doubtfull searches of our Christian Faith. Neither is England wanting examples of diuers Professours, who haue in the end denied the diuinitie of Christ, whereof in Q. Elizabeths time two were burned at Norwich. Rogers of the Church of En­gland pag. 9. By these examples your VVisedomes may easily perceiue the inueterate, and more then Vatinian hatred, wher­with preiudice of opinion hath so strongly posses­sed our Aduersaries against our Church & Reli­gion, that not discerning themselues able to iusti­fie their owne Church in accomplishment hi­therto of those praedictions, which are fore told of Christs true Church, many and not the meanest of them: yea rather then they would yeald to pre­serue in this common danger their Christian pro­fession by acknowledgment of our Catholike Church, in which the said praedictions are most clearly accomplished, haue finally, (ô tempora! ô mo­res!) betaken themselues to most dreadfull Apo­stasy.

Therefore we appeale to your graue Iudgemente and serious considerations, if this solate entry (since [Page 69] King Henry the 8. time only) made by our aduer­saries at their owne hand, on this our possession, be not against all course of law, and they conuict of secret and stolne Disseisnie. And thus much briefly concerning Continuall Claime.

MOREOVER if where the letter of your Statute law appeareth to be in some cases doubtfull, you hould that sense and vnderstanding therof for most reasonable, which is found most agreable with the knowne answerable practise of the ensuing times. Then your Wisdomes shall find the doubt­full letter, (whether of scripture, or of certaine ob­scure sayings of the Fathers) made plaine on our part by the answerable practise of all succeeding times concerning this pointe of Catholike Priest­hood, (and other points of our forsaid Catholike doctrine) by consent of Councells, iudgment of Fathers, and confession of our aduersaries, as hath bene most plainly heretofore throughout demon­strated. For what fairer euidences can be desired, [Page 68] [...] [Page 69] [...] [Page 70] then the consent of 18. Generall Councells, viz: of Nice vnder Pope Siluester about the yeare 325. at the which were present 318. Bishops: Of Constanti­nople the first vnder Pope Damasus in the yeare 384. Of Ephesus the first vnder Pope Caelestine about the yeare 434. at the which were present 220 Prelates: Of Calcedon vnder Pope Leo the great about the yeare 454. at which were present 630. Bishops. Of Constantinople in the yeare 553. ended vnder Pope Vigilio, at which were present 165. Bishops: Of Con­stantinople the 3. in the yeare 681. vnder Pope Aga­thon; being there present. 290. Bishops: Of Nice the 2. vnder Pope Adrian in the yeare 781. there being present 370. Bishops: Of Constantinople the 4. in the yeare 819. vnder Pope Adrian the 2. at which were present 375. Bishops: Of Lateran the first vn­der Pope Calist the 2. in the yeare 1119. at which were present [...]00. Bishops. The 3. Councell of Lateran vnder Alexander the 3. in the yeare 1180. there being present 300. Bishops: The 4. Councell of Lateran vnder Pope Innocent 3. in the yeare 1215. in which were present 1200. Bishops: The first Coūcell of Lions vnder Innocent 4, in the yeare 1245. at which were present 140. Bishops. The 2. Coun­cell of Lions in the yeare 1274. vnder Pope Greg. the 10. being present there 700. Bishops. The Councell of Vienna vnder Clement the 5. in the [Page 71] yeare 1311. there being present 300. Bishops: The Councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the 4. in the yeare 1459. there being present 141. Bishops. The 5. Councell of Lateran vnder Pope Leo the 10. in the yeare 1517. being present 114. Bishops. The Councell of Trent in the yeare 1545. vnder Paul the 3. and continued vnder Iulius the 4. Marcellus the 2. and Paull the 4. and finished vnder Pius the 4. in the yeare 1563. These be all Generall and approued Councells, one succeeding another from age to age. Neither were there wanting throughout all these Centuries of yeares, Fathers & Doctors, who did maintaine this our Catholike doctrine. For in the 1 Century were Martiall, Denis of Areopag. who were in the first hundred yeares after Christ: In the 2. Centurie Ignatius, Policarpus, Iustinus, Irenaeus: In the 3. Cent. were Clemens Alex, Cyprianus, Arnobius. In the 4. Cent. Lactantius, Victor, Afer, Hilarins, Atha­nasius, Cyrillus Basilius, Epiphanius, Gregorius Niss, Gre­gorius Nazian. Optatus, Ambros. Ruffinus. In the 5. Cent. were Chrysostomus, Hieronimus, Augustinus, Pau­linus, Cassianus, Theodoretus, Chrysologus, Hilarius, Leo Magnus, Prosper, Fulgentius In the 6. Cent. were Eu­sebius Emiss. Cassiodorus, Climacus, Gregorius Turonensis, Euagarius, Gregorius Magnus. In the 7. Cent. Leon­tius, Sophronius, Isidorus Hispal. Leander, Branlius, Hil­dephonsus. In the 8. Cent, Venerabilis Beda, Ioannes [Page 72] Damascenus, Paulus Diaconus, Alcuinus, Vsuardus, Pau­linus Aquiliensis. In the 9. Cent. Haymo, Rabanus, Ioannes Diaconus, Theophilactus, Anastasius, Hincmarus. In the 10. Cent. Odo cluniac. Ado Viennensis, Lint­prandus, Radulphus, Rathodius, Abbas Floriacensis. In the 11. Cent, Petrus Damianus, Humbertus, Lanfran­cus, Anselmus, Algerus, Oecumen. Bruno, Iuo. In the 12. Cent. cedrenus, Rupertus, Bernardus, Euthymius, Gra­tianus, Richardus de S. Victore. In the 13. Cent. caesa­rius, Alexander de Hales, Albertus, Thomas Aquinas, cantipratensis, Durandus, Scotus, Bonauentura. In the 14. Cent. Nicephorus, Paludanus, Aureolus, Occam, Ly­ranus. In the 15. Cent. Thomas de Kemp Laur. Iu­stinianus, Bernardinns, Bessarius, Tostanis. In the 16. Cent, Ioannes Eccius, Thomas Morus, Roffensis, A castro, Sanderus, Hosius, Alanus, Driedo, Baronius, Bel­larminus, Suarez, Salmeron, and many others; by the testimonies of these Fathers renowned for their vertue, pietie, & learning throughout all the world, (euen our aduersaries being Iudges) their workes bearing witnesse, you shall find the doubtfull letter of Scripture or of certaine obscure sayings of some Fathers made plaine by the answerable practise of all these precedent ages, concerning this point of Cath. Priesthood, yea they being Priests thēselues. Now as Tertullian lib. praescr. adu. haeres, confingant tale quid haeretici. Let heretiques deuise such a prooffe.

BESIDES all this, there are established with you for the finall ending of all ari­sing controuersies & suites of law, high Courts of Iudgmēt & parliamēt to giue definitine sentence; and thesame so giuen, not by the law it selfe, but by your selues, placed as Iudges to pronounce & determine, what is the law, against which sentence so once orderly giuen in your hi­ghest court of Iudgement, & perliament, no writt of errour or appeale lieth, wherby to support the partie so conuicted in the further humor of his vn­satisfied & endlesse contention. Therfore if high Courtes & perliament be authenticall, and of so much credit with you, then you shall find on our behalf so many generall Councells, iudgemente of Fathers, (euen in the time of the primitiue Church) concerning this point of Catholike Priesthood, (& other points of controuersie) pronunced and de­termined against Nouellists, and heretikes of those ancient times. S. Ambrose witnesseth of the Noua­tians, Lib. 1. de Paen. cap. 2. who denied, that Priests could remit sinnes; [Page 74] And S. Augustine of Aerius for denying the sacrifice of the Eucharist for the dead; Haer. 53. For the which D. Field a Protestant diuine saith, Field of the Chur. l. 3. c. 29. pag. 138. that Aerius was iustly condemned. All these twelue Councells before al­leaged by vs in setting downe of our Iury are most plaine in this point, & neede no more proofe, then what hath bene there said. Now if one high Court or parliament gathered of the most suffi­cient, and wisest men of one Kingdome be of so great force, that no place of contention, writ of errour or appeale remaineth to the partie once conuicted, shall not a generall Councell gathered, not of the wisest & learnedest men of one King­dome only, but of many Kingdomes, and assisted by the holy Ghost, (ô shall it not) haue no force, nor no credit for the finall ending of arrising con­trouersies, & contentions in matters of Religion? but notwithstanding the sentence pronounced & arrest giuen, yet it shalbe lawfull for euery one to follow his priuate iudgement, appealing to the written law of only Scripture; the which course your owne answerable groundes, & principles do sufficiētly informe you, that their endeuour herein is no other then absurde, preposterous, & infinitly contentious. Who is so blinde, as seeth not this to be the very same escape, & flight of the Nouellists of these our times? Thus Mr. Cartwright, (the Puritane [Page 75] Brother in Mr VVhitgifts defence pag. 111.) auoy­deth the Protestants arguments. In this sort is Be­za himself noted to euade, saying; Bancro. survey. pag. 219. If any shall op­pose against my exposition of the authoritie of certaine of the Ancient Fathers: ad verbum Dei pro­uoco. I do appeale to the word. Where vpon Mr. Bancroff▪ somtimes Bish. of Canterb▪ inferreth, saying: How crankis Beza with the ancient Fa­thers? Thus the Brownistes of Amsterdam (in their Apologie pag. 103.) labour to shrowde themselues. Thus do the Anabaptists seeke to escape. Thus also doth Socimus giue the slip in defence of his errour against the diuinity of Christ, saying to his Protest. Socimus in lib. de Christi natura contra Volanū pag. 2. aduersarij Volanus: we propound to vs in the que­stion none for Master or Interpreter, but only the holy Ghost, &c. We do not thinke, that we are to stand to Iudgement of any man, though neuer so learned; of any Councells, though in shew neuer so holy and lawfully assembled; of any visible Church, though neuer so perfect and vniuersall, &c. thus he.

This kind of tergiuersation vnder pretence of only Scripture, is, & hath bene the ordinary euasiō, wherby almost all Nouellists of present, & former times haue dalie exempted themselues from all authoritie of contrary Iudgemente. Hence it is, that there be so many Sects amongst the Prote­stants [Page 76] in England, & other countreis. Hence it is, that many of the bookes of the scripture it selfe are reiected, euen by the chiefest Protestants, as S. Pauls Epistle to the Hebrewes, the Epistle of S. Ia­mes, & S. Iude, the 2. of S. Peter, the 2. & 3. of S. Iohn, & the Apocalipse, by Luther, Brentius, Kemnitius, & the Magdeburgians. Hence it is, that the manifold, variable, and different translations of Scripture, the translation of the new Testament by Luther is condemned by Zuinglius, saying: ad Lutherum de Sacram. pag. 412. Thou Luther dost corrupt the word of God, Hospin. in hist. Sacram. Parte al­tera. fol 183. Beza in resp. Castal. Beza in Annot. in Matt. &c. Luther in like manner doth reiect the translations of Zuinglius. The transla­tion sett forth by Oecolampadinis, & the Diuines of Basile is reproued by Beza, calling it wicked, and altogether differing from the mind of the Holy Ghost, The translation of Castalio, so much com­mended by Protestants, is condemned by Beza. As being sacrilegious, wicked, and Ethnicall. And cō ­cerning Caluines translation, the learned Protestant Writer Carolus Molinaeus in translat. Test. noui part. 12, fol. 110. saith thereof; Caluine in his Harmony ma­keth the text of the Gospell to leape vp & downe, he vseth violence to the letter of the Gospell, and besides this, addeth to the Text. As touching Beza his translation, the foresaid Molinaeus ibidem part. 20 30. &c. saith of him; He actually changed the text, [Page 77] And Castalio, that learned Caluinist saith of Beza, that to note all his errours in translation would require a great volume. All which confirmeth the Kings Maiesties Graue and learned censure in thinking the Geneua translation to be worst of all. In the sum of the confer. before the K. Maiesty, pag. 46. And concerning the English translations; Mr. Car­leil, in his booke that Christ descended not in to hell, pag. 116. saith: that they haue depraued the sense, obscured the truth, & deceaued the ignorant, that in many places they do detort the scriptures from the right sense, they shew themselues to loue darknesse more then light, falshood more then truth. The Ministers of Lincolue diocesse in the ab­ridgement of their booke to his Maiestie, giue their like publique testimony, tearming the English translation, that taketh away from the text, that addeth to the text, &c. a translation which is ab­surd and senslesse. And the Puritanes in their peti­tion to his Maiesty pag. 76. do charge the tran­slation of the Psalmes to differ from the truth of the Hebrew in addition, substraction, & alteration in 200. places at the least: in so much as they do therefore professe to rest doubtfull, whether a man with a safe conscience may subscribe therunto. Not without cause did his Maiesty therefore affirme in the conference before him pag. 46. that he could neuer yet see a Bible well translated in English. And [Page 78] as our learned aduersaries do thus agree to disagree in their owne translations mutually condemning each other, so also haue they vpon a second and more due consideration afforded honorable testi­mony euen of our vulgar Latin translation had from Rome Beza annot. in 1 cap Luc. vers. 1. saith: The old Interpreter, (meaning our Latine edition) seemeth to haue interpreted the holy bookes with meruailous sinceritie and Religiō. Conrad. praefat. in Psalt. Couelin his An­swer to Burges pag. 94. The which reli­gious obseruation is acknowledged by D. Humfrey de rat. interpret. pag. 74. by Carolus Molinaeus, by Conrardus Pelicanus, by D. Couel, & other Protestants.

Wherefore iustly may we exclaime with S. Aug. cont. Donatist. cap. 24. saying: O truth more forcible to wring out confession, then is any rack or torment!

And for so much, (most honorable Lordes and graue Lawiers) as it is the course of our aduersa­ries, vnder the deceiptfull vaile of this their so na­ked, vncertaine, and doubtfull pretence of only scripture, to vndertake liberty of reiecting all proo­fes, and arguments drawne from the authority of all generall Councells, though neuer so ancient, neuer so vniuersall, & neuer so lawfully assembled; from the Iudgement and consent of the Fathers, though neuer so learned, neuer so holy, and neur so ancient; from the practise of the Church though neuer so continuall neuer so agreable, neuer so [Page 79] vniuersall, and neuer so primitiue; And so therby in the end making themselues, & euery of their fol­lowers Iudges both of Scriptures, and of all Inter­preters, restrayning all things to their cōferring of places, which they can in their owne priuate opi­nion, collect to be true; In so much that we may say with S. Hierome Epist. ad Paulinum: Sola Scriptura ars est, quam sibi passim omnes vendicant, hanc garrula anus, hanc delirus senex, hanc Sophista verbosus, hanc vni­uersi praesumunt, lacerant, docent antequam discant. The Scripture only is an arte (or sciēce) which euery one challengeth to themselues, this the chatting old wife, this the doting oldman, this the prating So­phister, this euery body presumes, rent, & teach be­fore they learne. Againe writing against the Lucife­rians, tom. 3. he saith: Nec sibi blandiantur, si de scriptu­rarum capitulis videntur sibi affimare quod dicunt, cum & Diabolus de Scripturis aliqua sit locutus, & scripturae non in legendo, sed intelligendo consistant. Neither is this different from the publike doctrine thus decreed in the 20. article of their Religion▪ The Church (say they) hath power to decree rites or ceremonies, & authority in controuersies of Faith.

I appeale therfore to your learned Iudgemente, that if your temporall high Courte & parliamēte be of such force, that men are to rest & rely on the Iudgement giuen, and sentence once pronounced, [Page 80] our spirituall high Courts of Generall, Nationall, and Prouinciall Councells, vnitie of the Church, and consent of the Fathers, be any waies inferiour to your temporall high courts, and to haue no au­thority, no force, to giue out Iudgment, pronounce sentence, and decide controuersies, so that no writ of errour or appeale lieth, wherby to support the party so conuicted in the further humor of his vn­satisfied & endlesse contention.

And to omit much other correspondence that may be alleaged, and applied euen to your owne principles, not to seeme offensiue or tedious, we will here briefly insinuate some other proofes, of no lesse force then the precedents.

VOVCHsafe therfore, (Graue & learned) to adde vnto that, which hath bene spo­ken, the answerable doctrine of these re­ligious, & ancient Iewes, (who liued be­fore Christs coming) foretelling & writing (by speciall instinct) concerning our Cath. Church, and B. Sacrifice commonly termed the Masse, & that so plainly, that as Galatinus a learned catholike [Page 81] in his, arcanis Catholicae veritatis, lib. 2. cap. 3. affir­meth, they may be thought not so much to haue foretould things to come, as to haue reported Euangelicall things already done. To this end saith Rabbi Cahana: The Sacrifice, Rabbi Cahana ad cap. 49. Gen. Vers. 2. which shalbe offe­red of wine, shall not only be changed into the substance of the blood of the Messias, but also into the substance of his body. The Sacrifice, which shalbe of bread, notwithstanding that it be white as milke, shalbe conuerted into the substance of the body of the Messias. Rabbi Iudas, In like manner Rabbi Iudas in 23. Exod. saith: The bread shalbe changed, when it shalbe sacrificed, from the substance of bread in to the substance of the body of the Messias, who shall descend from heauen, & he himself shalbe the sacrifice. Rabbi Simeon, Rabbi Simeon. saith: in libro de reuelatione secretorum: The Sacrifice, which after the Messias his com­ming, Priests shall make, &c. they shall make it of bread & wine, &c. and that sacrifice, which shalbe celebrated vpon euery altar, shalbe turned into the body of the Messias. Rabbi Barachias in Ecclesiast. Rabbi Barach. teacheth, that at the comming of the Messias food shall come from heauen litle a like cake; This same is affirmed by Rabbi Ionathas lib. collect. in Psal. 72. Rabbi Iona­thas. Rabbi Moses. and Rabbi Hardarsan in Psal. 136. & also by others alleadged by Petrus Galatinus de arcanis Catholicae ve­ritatis. These Rabbines affirme likewise, that Melchi­sedechs offering of bread & wine in sacrifice, was a [Page 82] prefiguration of that Sacrifice, which was to be offered after the Messias his comming. So Rabbi Sa­muel in Bereschith in cap. 14. Rabbi Samuel. Genes. auerreth, saying: Mechisedech set forth the actes of Priesthood, for he sacrificed bread & wine to the Holy God. Rabbi Phinees Rabbi Phinees ibidem, saith: In the time of the Messias all sacrifice shall cease, but the sacrifice of bread and wine shall not cease, &c. As it is sayd Psal. 110. Thou art a Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchise­dech. Thesame affirmeth Rabbi Moyses Hardarsan, ibid. in cap. 14. Genes This point is so euident in the old Iewish Rabbins, that Theodorus Bibliander, (a Pro­testant of great fame) lib. 2. de SS. Trinit. pag. 89. doubted not accordingly to confesse thesame; In so much also as the ancient Fathers of the primi­tiue Church are likewise by our learned aduersa­ries, (as Mr. Fulk against Heskins pag. 99. Andreas Crastonius, de opific. Missae, lib. 1. pag. 28. sect. 66. con­fessed to haue belieued accordingly the foresaid sa­crifice of Melchisedech.

Neither are the Prophets wanting in this point foretelling a Priesthood and sacrifice; and thesame, not the offering vpon the Crosse, which is now an acte of Sacrifice transitory & past, but to continue for euer; and not in bloudy manner, but according to the order of Melchisedech. Psal. 10. Malach. ca. 1.10. So the Prophet Ma­lachy fore shewing the reiecting of the Legall Priest­hood [Page 83] & sacrifice, foretelleth of the now Sacrifice of the Christian Gentiles to succeed, which he termeth a cleane Oblation; which is the Sacrifice of the Masse. The Prophet Daniell fore shewing likewise the end of the world & Antichrists comming, Dan. ca. 12.11. foretelleth in like manner that as then the daily Sacrifice shalbe taken away; which one Sacrifice cannot be vnder­stood of the many spirituall sacrifices of praier & thankesgiuing; for that Antichrists persecution shall rather increase, then take these away. Neither can Malachies prediction of that one Oblation be taken to signifie those said spirituall sacrifices, because that they are many, and but improperly called Sa­crifices, or were not new or peculiar only to the Gentills, but were also belonging to those of the old Testament, no lesse then now are to vs, Adora­tion, inuocation, Psalmes, Festiuall daies, fasting, al­mes deedes, & the like. The Prophet Isay foretel­ling the Ecclesiasticall Ministers of the new Testa­ment termeth them Priests, which hath relation to a sacrifice.

More ouer the wordes of the Euangelist Matth. 26.28. Mar 14.24. Luk 22.19.20. And of S. Paul. 1. Cor. 11.24. are literally answerable hereunto, saying: not that, which (shalbe) giuen or offered; but, which (is) giuen: and not (to you,) but (for you;) the Greeke being the present tense in all the Euange­lists, [Page 84] and in S. Pauls epist. speaking of the body, and in S. Luke also in the Latine; & our aduersaries thē ­selues so put it in their translations. Heb. 13.10. The Apostle to his effect called our table [...], an Al­tar for sacrifice. Ignat. A word vsed by S. Ignatius, the A­postles vndoubted Scoller in his Epist. ad Phila­delp. by Nazianzenus, Nazian. in oratione pro Gorgonia. By Chrysostome, Chryso. in demonstrat. quod Christus sit Deus, & by S. Austine Epist. 86. Aug. and that in a very proper sense to sacrifice Christs body vpon, and so called of them in respect of the said body sacrificed.

Fourtly this is euident by the institution of the Euchariste it selfe: for Christ commanded his Apostles, & in them there Successours, to do the same which he did: But he did truely sacrifice, as performing the office of a Priest according to the order of Melchised. King of Salem, who offered vp bread and wine: Therefore necessary it was, that Christ should institute an vnbloudy sacrifice vn­der the formes of bread & wine, and that to con­tinue in his Church vntill the worlds end, because he otherwise could not be truely said to be a Priest for euer; for Priest, & Sacrifice cannot be asunder: Neither is he Priest, that hath no Sacrifice to offer vp as S. Paul saith: Heb. 5.8 and seing the sacrifice of the Crosse was to be performed as once, and cannot be againe repeated, it must follow consequently, that [Page 85] there is in the Church some other sacrifice, which Christ the high Priest may be said to offer by his Ministers for euer; which can be no other then the Sacrifice of the Masse, once offered vp by him­self instituting the Euchariste, and now by his Mi­nisters.

Fiftly seing the figures of the old testament, as the Paschall Lambe, the bloud of the Testament, & generally all the sacrifice of the old law, were, (ac­cording to the vniforme doctrine of all the ancient Fathers) signes and figures of the Euchariste: But they were truely Sacrifices: therefore the Eucha­riste no lesse: otherwise it should follow the figures to haue bene more perfect, then the things figured.

Sixtly, Act. 4. If Miracles in all ages haue bene of great force to confirme true doctrine, (as we may see in our Sauiour & in his Apostles▪) so that S. Aug. Aug. cont. ep. Manich. cap. 4 & lib. 8. de Ciuit. Dei. pla­ceth thesame among these things, which most iust­ly held him in the Churches besome: Then, who will but read the Fathers, shall find them plentifull euen in Miracles wrought in confirmation of the Sacrifice of the Masse. S. Austine reporteth of his owne time and countrey; Aug. de Cant. Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. how that one Hesperius hauing his house infested with wicked Spirites, to the affliction of his beasts, & seruāts, desired, (saith S. Austine) in my absence certaine of our Priestes, that some would go thither, &c. one went, and [Page 86] offered there, (saith he) the Sacrificie of the body of Christ, praying what he might, that the vexation the might cease; & God being therupon mercifull, it ceased. Chrys. Greg. In like manner S. Chrysostome lib. 6. Sacerd. S. Gregorij lib. 4. Mor. and S. Bede hist. lib. 4. cap. 22. do report sundry miracles to this same effect.

Seauently reason, & nature do confirme this; For Religion & Sacrifice are so conioyned toge­ther, that the one cannot be without the other; for neuer was there yet any nation in the world, that had not some kinde of Religion and worhipping, and that did not thinke Sacrifice necessary to the worship of God, seing Sacrifice is the highest exter­nall worship, that can be exhibited by man to God, for, things are more excellēt then wordes, specially whose substance is consumed vpon Gods honor. But certainly the vniuersall consent of all nations proceedeth from the instinct of nature.

Lastly, the more sober and learned sort of our aduersaries do afford to vs Catholikes the hopefull promises of saluation, affirming this to be the iudgment of all learned Protestants: as D. Some af­firmeth in his defence against Penry the Puritane, pag. 176. D. Som. Couell. This same auerreth Mr. Couell in his de­fence of Mr. Hooker pag 68. accusing his brethren that affirme the contrary, Cassan­der. of ignorant zeale. Georg. Cassander lib. de officio pij viri, pag. 14. saith: The [Page 87] Church of Rome is to be reuerenced, as being the true Church and temple of God. Hooker. Mr. Hooker lib. 5. pag. 188. saith in his Eccl. Policij: that the Church of Rome is to be reputed a part of the house of God, a limme of the visible Church of Christ, &c. So saith Mr. Bunney in his Treatise ten­ding to pacification, sect. 8. pag 109. Bunney. Baro. Morton So Mr. Baro in one of his sermons; serm. 3. So Mr. Morton in his Treatise of the kingdome of Israel, & of the Church, pag. 94. So Mr. Field in his Treatise of the Church lib. 3. cap. 46. And Mr. Couell in his treatise pu­blished by authority, & dedicated to the Lo. Arch. of Canterbury, defended this opinion at large, and concludeth saying: VVee affirme them of the Church of Rome to be parts of the Church of Christ, and that tho­se, that liue and die in that Church may not withstanding be saued.

THIS then (Right honorable, Reuerend, Graue, and learned) being our confessed Religion & Catholike doctrine, & thus made so euidēt by so many conuincing [Page 88] arguments, & irrefragable proofes: I am now like­wise most humbly to intreate you, not to seeme of­fensiue or tedious, if also I make bould to put your Wisedomes in remembrance, by what instinct this soo generally confirmed, receaued, & continued do­ctrine of the Masse it selfe, (become as now to you so odious, & to vs by your lawes so penall) hath bene now of late so impugned & traduced. The principall man & most notorious was an Apostata Monke Martin Luther, Luther. Whitak. in resp. ad rat. Campi. Iewell in his def. pag. 426. Alberus contra Carol­stadia­nos. Powell in his cōside­rations. Luther tom. 7. Wittēb. an. 1558. lib. de Missa priuata fol. 443 whome Protestants reue­rence and name their Father, and a most ex­cellēt man, sent of God to lighten the whole world, and whome the Lutherans gloriously vaunt to haue bene the first, that impugned the Masse. Mr. Powell a Protestant writer termeth him, holy S. Luther. But by what instinction or genius, from what ground worke, (I pray you) it was, which so directed Luther to impugne the Masse: not by any other, but by the suggestion and perswasion of Sathan, (with whose affrighting and apparitions he had bene in­fested from his youth:) For it chanced, that vpon a certaine time, (as himself reporteth the matter) he was sodainly awaked about midnight, then (saith he) Sathan began this disputation with me, saying: Hearken right learned Doctor Luther, thou hast celebrated priuate Masse the space of 15. yeares &c. And so the Deuill with arguments, (which [Page 89] Luther himself there at large setteth downe) endea­uoring to dissuade Luther, any more to say Masse: but as yet Luther standing in defence therof, iusti­fying to the Deuill his saying of Masse. Tom. 7. Wittēb. of anno 1558 fol. 229. But (saith Luther) Sathan replied more vehemently, &c. Ther­vpon in the end Luther yeldeth, and embraceth the doctrine so deliuered by Sathan, & ther vpon now altogether abandoneth the Masse. This is confes­sedly defended euen by Luthers dearest Scollers, as Hospinianus in histor. Sacram▪ fol. 131. part. altera: Hospin. Io. Re­gius. Ioan­nes Regius considerat. censurae, pag. 123. Neither was this conference betweene the Deuill & Luther spi­rituall only, or a dreame; but as Balduinus, Baldui­nus. (a fol­lower of Luther lib. de disput. Luther cap. 4. pag. 83.) saith: a reall truth written by Luther (saith he) not hyperbolically, but seriously, and according to the truth of the history. And if we looke to Luthers life after his Apostacie, we shall find it answerable to his doctrine, both tending to libertie; it needeth not any other testimonie, then that, which the Protestants themselues acknow­ledge: For (say they) Luther became so arrogant, Ioac. Camar. de con­ [...]ugio Lutheri. Conrad. Regius de caena Dom. insolent, and possessed with the sinne of Pride, that God therefore did withdraw his true spiritt from him. This we may manifestly gather out of his owne writings, Tom. 2, Germ. Fol. 9. & praefat. lib. de abrog. Miss. where he acknowledged his con­science [Page 90] accusing him, & condemning him of singu­larity against the whole Christian world, all times, places, persons, and authorities; These be his owne wordes: how often hath my heart panted & repre­hended me obiecting against me! what? art thou only wise? can it be credible, that all others do erre, & haue erred so long time? haue all generations so often euer bene deceaued? What if thou dost erre, & bring so many into errour, that shalbe damned for euer? art thou only he, which hath the true pure word of God? Hath no man in the world thesame but thou? that, which the Church of Christ hath hitherto defined, and so many yeares obserued as good, dost thou ouerthrow it, as though it were euill, & so dost dissipate by thy doctrine both Ec­clesiasticall, & ciuill common weales? Thus his cō ­science, so long as he had any, cōdemned him, thus he repented his disobedience, and said, ( in praef. in tom. 1. Germ. Ientacul.) that he hoped the bookes which he had written, would be burnt & infect no more; but when the bridle of Obedience was al­together broken, his conscience extinguished, and the plumes of pride, & sensualitie had mounted so high, and carried him so farre, he behaued himself in his apostacie, Suet. as by the testimonie of Suetonius (in vita Iul. Caes.) Iulius Caesar did in his temporall Re­bellion against the Roman state; who in the begin­ning [Page 91] doubted, whether he should go forward, or no; Luther in col­loq. Mensal. fol. 241. Tom 5. Germ. 121. Osiand. cent. 13. lib. 1. cap. 4. pag. 329 The cēt. writers▪ cent. 13. cap. 5. Fulk. in his re­tentiue. pag 124. Melāct. loc. cō. de po­test. Ec­clesiast. Whitak. cap. 18. Osiand. Epist. cent. 16. pag. 86. Conrad. in Theol Calui­nist in proaem. but when he had cast of shame, he brake out into this speech Iacta est alea: my chance is throwne. So Luther whē shipwracke was made of shamefastnes, vttered his vnreasonable resolution of obstinate persisting in these termes: Because, (saith he) I haue entred into this cause, now I must looke vnto it, & of necessity say, it is iust: If you aske a reason, Do­ctor Martin Luther will haue it so: sic volo, sic iubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas. And thus much briefly of Sathans labouring by the ministry of Luther to im­pugne the Masse, and neuer knowne to haue bene in any age before impugned, otherwise then by the Albigenses, Apostolici, Almericus, VVickliffs, and such other, as in regard of their other opinions, were cō ­fessedly euen in the Iudgment of our very aduer­saries all of them noted, & knowne heretikes: whose opinions in this, & other particulars were priuate, & by the said parties afterwards recanted & called backe, or else died with them. And as for Carolosta­dius, & Zuinglius, cōtemporanean to Luther, (whome Protestants name brethren) their proceedings to impugne the Masse, was not different from that of Luthers, viz: by illusions of Sathan, as Protestants themselues do with dislike report of them Luther in loc com class. 5 pag 47. speaking of Carolosta­dius, calleth him a man giuen ouer into a reprobate [Page 92] sense; and of Zuinglius he saith, he condemned & auoyded him with all his hart, as despayring of his saluation, as Hospinianus witnesseth in histor. Sa­cram. part. Whitak. contra camp. rat. 8. alt. pag. 187. And the same they thinke of Luther. So well agree the Fathers, & the Brethren as Protestants call them.

PARDON me therefore, (Right honora­ble, Reuerend, & learned) if I be so bould now to appeale to your VVisedomes graue and mature Iudgement: Vt sup. whether Lu­thers doctrine concerning the Masse, which had its growth in this age by apparitions from the Deuill, (as him self & his dearest Schollers do accordingly confesse) be of greater credit & authority, then that doctrine & Religion, whose vndoubted proo­fes are answerable & correspondent to the like re­ceiued principles & groundes of your owne lawes: then that Religiō, which remaineth in it self beau­tified with manifold & confessed ornaments from ancient and memorable testimonies of your owne nation, of all Christian nations, & of all precedent times: then that Religion, whereto the English [Page 93] nation was in the Apostles times confessedly first conuerted: Then that Religion, which hath foun­ded your ancient municipall lawes and courts of iudgement, erected your Churches, Bishops-seas, Religious houses, Colledges, Vniuersities, and many other knowne monuments of pietie: Then that Religion, to which so many Kings & Kingdo­mes of Gentils haue bene conuerted according to the sundry plaine praedictions of the Prophets, had in that behalfe of Christs true Church, which said praedictions otherwise then in, & by this Religion are yet hitherto cōfessedly left vnperformed. Then that Religion, whose Priesthood and sacrifice was foretould by the Prophetes, and acknowledged by the Apostles. Then that Religion, which is answe­rable to the doctrine of those Religious Iewes, who liued before Christ: Then that Religion, which euen then long since was vniuersally professed in the Christian world: Then that Religion, in which was then also confirmed to vs from heauen with testimony of vndoubted miracles: Then that Re­ligion & Faith, approued of by the consent of so many Generall, Nationall, and Prouinciall Coun­cels, by the Iudgment of so many holy, learned, & ancient Fathers practise of all times, and ages, and euen by the confession of our aduersaries: Then that Religion, against which all Sects & heresies [Page 94] whatsoeuer, (howsoeuer deuided otherwise amōgst themselues) do yet generally conspire: Then that Religion, to which our aduersaries afford to the members & Professours, therof the hopefull pro­mises of saluation: Then that Religion, which only is ratified by all authoritie, all Scriptures, Tradi­tions, Prophetes, & Sibills Rabbins before Christ, by the Apostles, Euangelists, all holy & learned Fa­thers, Historians, Antiquaries, and Monuments, all Sinods, Councels, lawes, Parliaments, Canons, & decrees of Popes, Emperors, Kings, & Rulers; all Martyrs, Confessors, and holy Witnesses; by all Friends & Enemies, euen Mahometans, Iewes, Pa­gans, infidells, all former Heretikes, Schismatikes, and these Protestants themselues, when they were most probable to speake truth; and all Testimo­nies that can be deuised, not only in this world, but of God, of Angells, and glorified soules, whose euidence cannot be vntrue; of deuills and damned soules in hell condemned for their contempt, or negligence thereof; of soules in Purgatorie, and whatsoeuer can be cited for witnesse in such cases, as is most euident in this brief treatise.

In respect whereof, your knowne Wisedomes in other matters, cannot be wanting, or transported herein with generall preiudice of our cause; but obseruing your owne principles, and abandoning [Page 45] all preiudice of opinion, try the spirits if they be of God, and proue all things, houlding that which is good, as S. Iohn saith in his 4. Chapt.

To the reading therefore & carefull examinatiō of this our Application do we humbly request you, and that by the tender care had of your countrey, by the deare respect of your saluation, by your Christian zeale vnto true Religion, & by whatsoeuer else is sacred and holy,