Popish Glorying in Antiquity Turned to their Shame, Appendix
AN APPENDIX, For discerning of Counterfeyts.
FIrst, there are 30 Epistles, or there-about, of ancient Romane Bishops, obtruded vntounto vsus, for the Pope's Supremacie, and other Popish Errours, vvhichwhich to bee altogether counterfeyt, heere-by may bee knowne.
1. By the matter contained in them, of pleading for Supremacie, which was never so much as once thought vponupon by those holie Bishops, as their owne Duaren, Duaren. l. 3. de saer. Eccl. m…nist. c. 1.out of ancient Records, testifieth, and concludeth, saying, Nec dubium est quin vetustiores, sancteor…s que urbis Romae Episcopi, sede Ecclesia que propria contenti, …e…quis Episcopis Ecclesiarum ipsis commissarum liberam administrationem reliquerint, quasi urbis unius magis quam orbis Episcopi: that is, It is no doubt, but that the more ancient and holie Bishops of Rome, contenting them-selues with their owne proper Seat, and Church, did leaue to other Bishops the free administration of their Churches in like manner; as being Bishops rather of one Citie, than of the whole World, (to wit, by the new, and now claimed vniversall Supremacie.) A Pope of their owne testifying likewise,Aeneas Sylvius, alias P…us, 2. Epist. 22…. that before the Councell of Nice, small respect vvas had to the Church of Rome, but everie Bishop lived to himselfe:Duaren, l…co supra cit. Cusan. concord. l. 2. c. 12. and as the same Duaren, and Cardinall Cusanus testifieth, it beeing but later, that the Bishops that succeeded those, did farre transgresse those limits of ancient Moderation.
Next, those Epistles are farced vvith the injunction of an heape of Ceremonies, vvhichwhich were not, not onlie in their times heard of, but a long time after in the Church of CHRIST,Aug. Epist. 119. ad la…rium, B. Rhenan. an…ot. in T…rt. de corona … Sa…n. I…s. tom. 9. tract. 32. p. 253. as Augustine, and Rbenanus witnesseth: and the reason vvhere-of, their owne Salmeron giveth to bee this, Quia primitivi magis essentialibus fid…i plantandis, quam ceremoniis vacabant: that is, Because the primitiue Bishops did vake more, and …ooke care to plant the essentiall Doctrines of Faith, than to plant Ceremonies in the Church of CHRIST.
2. By the manner, or forme of speach vsed in them, as by a cleare Shibboleth, they may bee discerned counterfeyt; beeing written in such a barbarous sort of Diction, vvhichwhich was no wayes to bee heard, especiallie amongst such learned Bishops, as then vvere in Rome; the Latine Language in those times being there (as it were, at the Fountaine head) pure, terse and neate, in the mouthes of all Men.
3. Their Style is all one, which never hapneth to bee so, vvithout diversitie, amongst diversitie of W…ters, except these foreign onlie: vvho vvere the Spirits Pen men, of Sacred and holie Scripture, where one was onlie Indyter, altho the Scribes were diverse.
4. There is no alleadgeance of them, in the most famous Councels, by anie Romane Bishops, or their Deputies, where either Lawes were made against anie such Supremacie, as in the Councels of Constantinople, Chalcedon, Conc…l. Const…t. c. 5. Con…l…. Chal…ed … 16. Concil. Ephes. c. 6.and Ephesus, or where hottest contestation was for anie such; either by the Bishop of Rome, for himselfe, as in the fact of Zozimus, at the Councell of Carthage, or in the impugning the vsurpatiō of it by another, as in the writings of Gregorie is apparent, against the Patriarch of Constantinople.
5. There is no mention of those Epistles in the works and writings of the most ancient and primitiue Doctors, that either lived then, or a long time there-after, in the first 400 yeares, & aboue: which doubtlesse, if anie such had beene, they had not escaped so their notice, nor they omitted some-where, and vponupon some occasions, to made mention thereof.
Secondlie, for discerning betweene the true vvrytinges of Fathers, and those that are counterfeyt, and palliate vnderunder their names.
1. The diversitie of the Stile, discovers the diversitie of the writers, to a judicious Remarker; so that, as Augustine speaketh of Cyprian, Aug. Epist. 48.saying, Cypriani stylus habet propriam quandam faciem, qua possit agnosci: that is, Cyprian's Style hath a certayne proper Face, or resemblance, where-by it may bee knowne: Even so, the verie lyke may bee sayde of others. And by this Note of Cognisance, Bellarmine him-selfe maketh sequestration, of sundrie Patches, from the other Workes of ancient Wryters, whose name they pretende.
2. The grosse Slips, which are found in those counterfeyt Additions show, that they goe masked onelie, vnderunder false Titles, which proceedeth from Ignorance, or neglect of computation of Tymes: and those Slips are eyther in nomination of persons, or recording of Heresies, or mentionating of Actions.
By the first sorte, are discovered, Iustinus Questions to bee none of his, because in the 82 Question, mention is made of Origen, who was not borne an hundreth and od yeares after. So is Dionysius Areopagita, dignosced to bee counterfeyt, in hi… Booke, De Divinis nominibus; Clements Stromateus beeing cited, who lived not 200 after. So is Chrysostome's Liturgie, Pope Nicolas being made mention of there-in, who lived almost 300 yeares after. So are Eucherius Commentaries, where-in hee citeth Gregorius, who lived 100 yeares there-after. As also, so are judged Saynct Ambrose Epistles: in the 82 where-of, mention is made of Venice, which was not builded, nor begun, long after his death.
By the second sorte, are discovered, Cyprian's Exposition of the Creede, to bee none of his; Because Arrius, Eunomius, & Photinus, Heretickes, who were not borne in Cyprian's tyme, are by him refuted. So is that booke of Eusebius Emissenus, dignosced to be counterfeyt; wherin hee maketh mention of the Pelagian Heresie, which was not a long tyme broached after his death. In lyke manner, Saynct Ambrose Epistles are discovered, to bee of the same Stampe, where-in the same Heresie is mentionated: which vntounto Saynct Ambrose was vtterlie vnknowne. And Tertullian's booke, De Trinitate, is made to march in the same Ranke; Because the Sabellians are there refuted, who rose not in his tyme.
By the last sort, is that Epistle of Pope Clement, Bell l. 3. debo…. … sect. … rum.to S. Iames, B…shop of Ierusalem, by Bellarmine himselfe thus proven to be counterfeyt; Because Saynct Iames died seaven years before Saynct Peter's death; after whom Clement then onelie succeed…d: and therefore beeing Bishop seaven yeares after the death of Saynct Iames, could not therefore as Bishop of Rome written to Sainct Iames, who had died (as sayde is) seaven yeares before.
An-other notable Example I will set downe, How that counterfeyt Letter,… 206. of that notable Popish Impostor, as written by Saynct Cyrill, Bishop of Ierusalem, vntounto Saynct Augustine, touching the Miracles of Saynct Ierome, is clearlie discovered. This counterfeyt Pedler, sharplie taxeth the Grecians, for their denyall of Purgatorie, saying, These wicked Sectaries did also mayntayne, That there was no place of Purgatorie, where-in the Soules, which had not done full Pennance for their sinnes in this worlde, might bee purged, (sayeth hee.) Then he telleth a Tale, how Sainct Ierome, being at that tyme after his death with God, for the confutation of this New-sprung-vp Heresie, raysed vp three Men from the dead, after that he had first led their Soules into Paradise, Purgatorie, and Hell: to the ende, that they might make knowne to all men, the thinges that were done there. Now remarke, that Saynct Cyrill, who is made the Relater to Saynct Augustine, of this Miracle, which Saynct Ierome wrought after his death, died before Saynct Ierome, the space of 30 yeares, (as is known to everie one, who knoweth the Historie of those tymes.) And so hee maketh Saynct Cyrill to wryte 30 yeares after his death; as if hee had beene the Surviver of Saynct Ierome: where-as, on the contrarie, Saynct Ierome was his Surviver so long after. And therefore, it would hauehave fitted him, rather to wryte of anie thing, that fell foorth after the death of Saynct Cyrill, than Saynct Cyrill to hauehave related, what befell after the death of Ierome. And yet, not-with-standing of the palpablenesse of such Forgerie,Suarez, in 3. part. Thomae. tom. 4. disp. 45. sect. 1. Suarez is not ashamed, to bring such Baggage as this, in the cleare Nooneday, to purchase Credit of Antiquitie, to their new Staple of Purgatorie: while as their owne B. Fisher, playnlie proclaymeth, that it is but Sero cognitum & receptum: that is, That it is but of late onelie knowne,Ross…ns. adv. Luther. art. 18. p. 314. and received in their catholick Church: De quo apud priscos illos, nulla vel quam rarissima fiebat mentio, sed & Graecis ad bunc usque diem non est creditum Purgatorium esse: that is, Of the which (sayth hee) there is no mention at all in the Ancients, or if there was anie, it was most seldome; and even vntounto this day, the Grecian Church believeth no Purgatorie. And yet remarke, how this Impostor would hauehave cleare mention made thereof, in a most ancient Doctor, and a Grecian Father to patronize, what the whole Grecian Church hitherto ever did reject.
3. The contrarietie that is found in the writings of Ancients, discovereth clearlie, that manie things goe vnderunder their names ofttimes, where-vntounto they were never accessorie: and by this Bellarmine him-selfe proveth, that pretended Epistle written by Pope Clement, to S. Iames the Apostle, to bee a plaine Counterfeyt; it beeing maintained there-in, That all things should bee common: which else-where S. Clement had refuted. And therefore, Quis credat ea à S. Clemente Christianis tradi, Bell. l. 3. de bonis oper, in part. c. 11. §. caterum.(saith Bellarmine) quae ipse idem alibi à Faustiniano ethnico refutavit? that is, Who can belieue, (saith he) that such things were taught vntounto Christians by S. Clement, which he him-selfe else-where did refute, against an Heathen Faustinian?
4. The Application also of the pretended writinges of the most ancient Doctors, vntounto those times where-in they lived, will serue much lyke-wyse, to discover such Counterfeyts, which march insidiouslie vnderunder wrong Colours: as when wee see them made Patrons of Errours, which were never hatched, nor durst peepe out, in the Sunne-shyne of those cleare Dayes: as namelie,Bell. lib. 1. de sanct. c. 19. Bell. lib. 1. de purg. c. 6. Bell. lib. 2. de mon. c. 27. Bell. ib 3. de Euchl c. 2. Bell. l. de b…pt. c. 25. Bell. lib. 2. de pont▪ c. 14. Dionysius, the Areopagite, in the Apostles tymes, to maintaine the Invocation of Saynctes, and Purgatorie: Martialis, the Disciple of Christ, to mayntayne forced Continencie in the Clergie: Iustinus Martyr, to mayntayne Transsubstantiation, Vnction in Baptisme, and Papall Confirmation: and Clements, the verie Successour of Peter, immediatelie, to stand for the Supremacie: with manie such, which the puritie of those primitiue tymes, together with the deposition of after Records, and Historie, joyned oft tymes with the verie confession of our Partie, declareth, and discovereth manifestlie, their Forgerie.