In Defense of the True Church of God, Treatise · Section 7 – Section 8
Of Dionyſius
There is one booke which Dionyſius writt touching the eccleſiaſtical hierarchy,This Dionyſius is thought to hauehave byn the Diſciple of Origen, and alſo thiefe ſchoolemaiſter of the ſchoole in the City of Alexā dria, Anno 250. and it is for the hiſtory profitable, the reſt conteyneth vaine matters of knowledge. For there the ceremonies of the Sacraments are ſet down, and the ordinaunces of the Church, & it appeareth in thoſe dayes, that there were mean ceremonies as yet. And eſpecially the ordināces of the Maſſe are there too be cōſidered, ſo that it appereth the later popes that hauehave byn in the church, hauehave in their time digreſſed farre frō the ancient rule of the church. They vſed to recite certein Pſalmes,Popes of the later times hauehave digreſſed from the auncient rule of the Church. & certeyne leſſons cut of the Goſpel, they made alſo Prayers for the church, & for the cōmon weale. After this, the prieſt ſtāding at the table, recited the wordes of Chriſte concerning the Lordes Supper. Furthermore he diſtributed the ſacramēt vntounto the people, & laſtly folowed a giuing of thāks. This was the ordinary maner of their maſſe, wherby it playnly appeareth, that the Maſſe was only a Communion, and that there were then no priuate Maſſes,Dionyſius teſtifieth that there was no Maſſe but Communion in his time. but that is alſo to be meruailed at, that there is no mention at all made of oblation: no nor ſo much as the rite or maner of him that doth offer. Theſe things ſpecially it is profitable too obſerue in Dionyſius, that wee may oppoſe antiquity againſt thoſe, which defend the abuſes of their Maſſes.
He maketh mention of Baptiſme, Anointing, Communion,His teſtimonies touching baptiſme annoynting Communion, ordering of prieſts and a godly order in burying the dead. and as I ſaid, of the ordeining of Prieſtes, and of them which made bowes, and of thoſe which annointed the dead: where he declareth, what maner ceremonies they vſed at funerals: when the dead body was placed in the Church, in preſence of the people, there were recited certeine leſſons out of the worde of God, touching reſurrection. The people alſo after this was bid to geue thanks in theyr prayers, that ſuche a one had departed out of this worlde in the knowledge of the Goſpel. And herevntoo was added an exhortation, that eueryevery one touching himſelf ſhuld pray for a Godly ende out of this life. This was an order very godly, and woorthy of commendation.
For, what greater benefites may be deuiſed, than in that greate agony firmely too retaine in minde the knowledge of Chriſte, to be helped of Chriſte, and ſaued by him. This better ceremony the latter age hath vtterly aboliſhed, retaining, and heaping vp of others farre woorſe.
Alſo Dionyſius addeth, that after this exhortation, the Prieſt we…t from his former place, and powred oyle vponupon the corps, and prayed that God woulde pardon his infirmity, which was remayning after the tyme of his conuerſion. Afterwardes the coarſe was laide ſtraightway in the earth. Theſe onelyonly were the ceremonies of burialles, at that tyme: there was, as yet no mention in the Maſſe, of them that were departed: much leſſe was the body of the Lorde offered for thoſe that were dead. This prophanation or abuſe of the Sacrament was added in the latter age.
Thus much,Ceremonies were the beginnings of monkery. concerning Dionyſius, wherin, although ceremonies apeare ſomewhat leſſe faulty, yet notwithſtanding were they the beginnings of Monkery, and this thing was woorthy of great reprehenſion that it maketh no difference, betweene the ſacramentes appointed by God and mans traditions. Touching thing anoynting hee ſpeaketh al one, as of Baptiſme, and he maketh by thinges equall with thinges of ſubſtaunce. And it preferreth the ordering of Monks, before the inſtitution of Miniſters; which is greatly too be diſprayſed when as the inſtitution of Miniſters, pertaineth vntounto the preaching of the Goſpel. And that ordering of Monks is ſuperſtitious, and is only ordained for a kinde of woorſhipping God, not allowed of according to that ſaying, They woorſhip me in vaine teaching traditions of men. Mat. 15. And yet Monkery is there called perfection.
Therfore let theſe teſtimonies of this Dionyſius be of force ſo far as they pertaine to the hiſtory, that wee may know what ceremonies were then vſed. But let no doctrine or lawes be inſtituted by his deſcriptions.
Of Tertullian.
Tertullian rightly confuted Martyon and other Heretikes of that ſeet.Tertullianus Apher was famous in Anno 230. He conteineth profitable teſtimonies of the Trinity not recyting his opinion therein, but the ancient opinion receaued from the Apoſtles. Againſt Praxea, he hath a large & lightſome teſtimony of the worde, that is, of the ſonne of God, that he is the ſecond perſon▪ yea, before he toke vpō him humane nature. But yet the auncient fathers doo alſo reprehende his errors: namely, that he diſalloweth the ſecond marriages,His errors touching mariage. and in that he very fondly alleadgeth. That a man may not lawefully marry the wife of a Chriſtian brother that is dead: for (ſaith he) who ſo marryeth the widow of a Chriſtian, marrieth the wife of a brother deceaſſed, therefore hee doth not right.
Hee doth alſo tryfle as touching the kingdome of the ſainctes,His errors touching Saincts. when they fained that it ſhoulde endure a thouſande yeeres in this corporall life; before the conſummation of the worlde, and before the laſt iudgement, too others by a little, and a little ryſing ſooner, & too others ryſing later.His errors touching traditions. This Iudaicall doting opinion is altogither to bee excluded out of the Churche.
In his litle booke De corona militis, hee ſpeaketh many things concerning mans traditions:And touching cuſtome. and very ſharply hee declameth, touching cuſtome that it is too bee reputed for a lawe. By meanes of theſe ſayinges wreſted a wrong way in the Churche, as it happeneth, might greate errours bee eſtabliſhed in all ages, bycauſe mans circumſpecyou and vigilancy can neuer bee ſuch and ſo greate, but that ſome peruerſe cuſtomes doo creepe into the churche ſome tyme.
Moreouer Tertullian rehearſeth very childiſh faſhions: namely,Alſo touching Baptiſme. that for ſeuen dayes after Baptiſme, there bee no vſing of bathe or entering into baine. Alſo that vntounto ſuch as wer… baptiſed, milke and hony ſhoulde be giuen too taſte. Hee ſayeth alſo there: Wee make once a yeere oblations for the ſoules departed, and for the byrth dayes of thoſe that are liuing.
That thing now do our aduerſaries vngodly apply vntoo Maſſes for the ſoules departed.Touching birthdayes and buriall daies. But why doo they leaue out the byrth dayes, if they giuegive ſo much credit to the autority of Tertullian? But hee maketh no mention of the Supper of the Lorde. But at the byrth dayes and buriall dayes, there was meate brought intoo the Churches, and other giftes was beſtowed vponupon the poore people. Theſe they called offeringes and feaſtes of charity. And this tradition was receaued of the Ethnicks, but ſomewhat reformed, and in better order. For the Ethnicks alſo gaue theyr feaſ…es in the Churches, at theyr byrth dayes and burial dayes: and afterwardes the Nicene councel and others, for bad this pompe, at the byrth dayes.
Therefore like as of the reſt I hauehave declared, ſo heere the teſtimonies hiſtorical in Tertullian, doo profit what the former churche did thinke. But as for his interpretations and diſputations, let them not be receaued for good doctrine, except ſo far as they agree with the wryting of the apoſtles.