History of the Catholic Church from 600 to 1600, Preface
THE PREFACE.
THE experience of alterations in the Church, ſuffereth The Hiſtory of the Church is divided into five Ages or Parts.the Hiſtory to be divided into five parts. The firſt Age or Part, is of the Church ſpreading and ſuffering, when the Word of the Goſpel was in ſowing thorow the World, and the Profeſſours thereof were under Perſecution, about the ſpace of 300. years, until the days of Conſtantine the Great. The ſecond Age, is of the Church flouriſhing and wreſtling with Hereſies the ſpace of other 300. years, until the days of Phocas Emperour. The Hiſtory of theſe two Ages is plainly written by diverſe both ancient and late Writers; but the other three are not ſo eaſie to be found: therefore was I moved to gather theſe Obſervations out of ſundry Authors for my particular uſe. The third Age, is of the Church Fading, and of Antichriſt Riſing, which contains 400. years and more, till the days of Pope Gregory the VI. during which time Churchmen did ſwell in pride and ambition, and were no little changed from the ſimple ſincerity of the primitive times: albeit in outward profeſſion then was ſome face of a Church, yet corruption of Doctrine, Superſtition, and Hypocriſie came apace; and the Roman Empire being removed, Antichriſt or the Biſhop of Rome, by degrees lifteth up his head above all that is called …od. Bernard (who lived about the year 1140.) comparing theſe three Ages in a Sermon, which he calleth Parabola de Nuptiis Fily Regis, ſaith, when Satan ſaw that he could not by open Battel prevail againſt the Church in the days of the Apoſtles and Martyrs, but that ſhe did ſpread and increaſe, he turneth to hid and fraudulent perſecution, to deceive ſome of her Members, by whom, the more powerfully and ſubtily he might execute his malice: ſo by his craft he ſtirreth up Arrius, Pelagius, Photinus and ſuch others, who feigning themſelves to be the ſervants of Chriſt, might lead away his Spouſe into Errors: which Policy when the Holy Teachers did perceive, they did oppoſe, wreſtle by diſputations, confute the Hereticks, and brought their Lady again into the way of Truth......Behold the enemy is overcome both in his open perſecutions, and hid ſeductions! and now the Spouſe having no enemy, walketh in pomp. Nevertheleſs the crafty Serpent indeavoureth to ſpoil her, and what he cannot do in the high way, he layeth ſnares by the way ſide: here he ſetteth Mony-changers with much gold and ſilver; there he ſetteth the Sellers of precious cloaths and ornaments; in another place wines and pleaſant drinks, and all ſort of meats; in another, the Triumphs of them that glory in worldly pomp; in another, he ſhews fair maids and all enticements of Luſt: but who is wiſe, walks with the Bride in the right way; and the fools leave the way, and take their pleaſure in the Divels Tents, and prefer them unto Chriſt. And what ſhall I ſay of them who when they ſhould rule the Church of God, and having entred into the right way, do look aſide with admiration into the Tents of the Divel, do look upon the things there, and not finding to ſatisfie their deſires, do ſpoil the Bride of her Ornaments, and waſt them filthily fulfilling their wicked luſts? ſo ſhe goeth in rags and few abide with her: ſo far Bernard. The fourth Age is worſe, of Antichriſt reigning, and the Church lurking; and contains the ſpace of almoſt 300. years; in which time both doctrine and holineſs of converſation was almoſt utterly extinguiſhed. In the Eaſt the Mahumetiſts did prevail thorow Aſia and Affrick; and in the Weſt the Biſhops of Rome turn all up ſide down, except that in ſome places and perſons as well in the Eaſt as Weſt holineſs of life, and purity of doctrine did in ſome meaſure remain: but Pope Gregory the VII. and his ſucceſſors, ſo far as they could, did wreſt all religion to ſerve their gain and ambition: and to this end they violate all order, diſſolve all diſcipline, deface all religion, and domineer over Princes, Emperours, Nations and Conſciences of men. Before that time one might have ſpoken freely for the true Faith: but now whatſoever the Pope willeth that muſt ſtand for an Oracle, becauſe the Pope cannot err, forſooth! and whatſoever is ſpoken againſt him, ipſo facto it is black hereſie, and punſhied with fire and ſword. Then it might have been ſaid, the Church is gone into the Wilderneſs; yet ſending forth ſufficient witneſſes, whoſe names are not obſcure, nor their doctrine unknown, of whom ſome are mentioned here; but for brevity I have paſſed over many, who are recorded by others; and many thouſands who bowed not their knee to Baal, nor received the Mark of the Beaſt, are unknown. The Fifth Age is of the Church reverting, and Antichriſt raging, untill this preſent age, when Reformation was aimed at and begun in the Weſt, Antichriſtian pride was detected, and the number of true Believers did increaſe. Then Satan was let looſe again, the thouſand years of his binding, from the daies of Conſtantine, being expirēd: then perſecutions were frequent; Antichriſt foamed and opened his mouth wide to devour the ſheep of Jeſus. But he who preſerved the Woman in the Wilderneſs, is the ſtronger, ſo that the Gates of Hell were not able nor ſhall be able to prevail againſt her; yea by the breath of his mouth and preaching of the Word, her enemies are ſcattered, Antichriſt is revealed, and true Chriſtians are multiplied. And in theſe five diverſities of times (I ſuppoſe) the Church-hiſtory may well be compriſed. Herein my aim hath been, to ſee where the true Church was before Martine Luther, as the Papiſts are oft objecting; and when the Romiſh Virgin became an Whore. And for better method herein, I have diſtinguiſhed the foreſaid Ages into their own Centuries, and every Century into five Chapters. The firſt Chapter is of Emperours, becauſe times were reckoned by them, and in the ſecond age they became chief Members of the Church (under Chriſt the only Head) both in degree and authority; and we have juſt reaſon to think that ſome chapters (or large paſſages) of the Holy Revelation are underſtood of their eſtate, ſeeing the Viſions of Daniel run for the moſt part upon the civil Monarchies. The ſecond chapter is of the Biſhops or Popes of Rome, that we may know, when the Tyranny of Antichriſt did ariſe, and how it came to ſuch height. The third is, of divers Countries, and contains the moſt notable things that have befallen in other parts of the World. The fourth is of Britain, that we be not ſtrangers at home. The laſt chapter is of Councels, and declares the moſt remarkable Acts of the Church: yet all the Canons that I have picked out, are not of one ſort: for ſome are to be embraced, and others are to be rejected: which I have marked to let ſee, that ſuch errours and ungodly conſtitutions have not been alwaies in the Church, as the vain glorious Papiſts believe, or would make us believe. Theſe things (howſoever worthy of conſideration) cannot be declared, but we ſhall therewith receive many other uſefull inſtructions: eſpecially what hath been the eſtate of the Catholick and true Church thorow theſe laſt thouſand years; in what places and perſons the Truth hath had her abode; and where and when Hereſies did begin, and what oppoſition was againſt them both in their birth and growth; when a Nation or two was infected with an errour, in the midſt of the ſame erroneous Church were ſome Souldiers of Truth, ſome ſtanding up for one article or more; and others maintaining other points; albeit in ſome points the ſame Souldiers were infected with the poiſonous milk of their diſeaſed Teachers. Or to ſpeak more plainly, we will ſee in the Weſtern Church (as it was wont to be called) ſome following the Truth zealouſly in all points fundamental; and therefore have been ſeparated from the Church of Rome, which being once a true Church, and firſt in order by humane conſtitution, hath in divers ages hatched many errours (for ſhe hath not abandoned all the principles of Chriſtianity, nor became ſo corrupt, all at once) and by her enchantments of worldly policy, or by violence hath cauſed theſe nations to follow her; now deceiving one Nation, and then another. Yet ſo, that the Romiſh Church was like to a lump of ſundry Mettles, wherein are ſome pieces of gold and ſilver, but more of braſs and baſer mettle, all mingled in one cake: as there every one cannot point out where the good Mettle is, yet a cunning Mineraliſt knows, there is gold in that lump, and can ſever the richer Mettle from the baſer, and then purifie every Mettle from their own droſs, and put another form upon them, that every one, who is not altogether ignorant, may know them. So in the Church of Rome, though Potentates and Nations for ignorance or fear of enmity, and ſometimes for hope of advantage againſt their enemies, did cleave unto Rome, and ſeemed to make one viſible Church; yet in all Countries, even in Italy under the face of Antichriſt, many both of the Teachers and teached did deteſt the Tyranny and avaricious errours of the Pope; and in their hearts wiſhed a Reformation, and by writ have publiſhed to the World all the Truth: for beſides them who did openly conteſt with her, there is ſcarcely any article of controverſie, but we ſhall find ſome of their School-men and Monks, diſputing with us againſt the now-Romiſh errours. At laſt it pleaſed God, to put into the hearts of his refining Preachers and Princes to break the faction of the Romiſh Church, and purifie themſelves with their adherents from the droſs, that their Anceſtors had contracted, and to unite themſelves into another form of government. And as the Refiner cannot be ſaid to make new gold, but only refineth the praeexiſtent Mettle, and gives it the face it had before the commixtion; ſo the Reformed Church is not a new Church (for that ſuppoſeth a new Church never heard of before) but they have taken themſelves unto the old Truth, which was obſcured for a ſpace in the Weſt, with corruption in the domineering part, and they have returned into the Diſcipline of the Primitive Church, that was interrupted, and they are become like unto them who were ſeparate from the Romiſh Church; and both theſe have joined hands and hearts againſt the common errours. Herein wholeſom is the direction of Cyprian to Pompey, contrà Epiſtolam Steph. pap. ſaying, Devote and ingenious minds will readily lay aſide errour, and ſearch and find the Truth. For if we return to the Head and Fountain of Divine Tradition, human errour ceaſeth, and the way of Heavenly Myſteries being perceived, whatſoever was darkly lurking under a cloud, is diſcovered by the light of Truth. If a pipe of a Conduit, which was wont to flow abundantly, ſhall fail at any time, will not men go unto the Fountain, that the cauſe of the failing may be known▪ whether it hath dried in the head, or whether that being whole and full, the fault be in the mid-way? But if it have failed by the fault of the broken and ſinking pipe, that the water could not flow conſtantly, they amend and make ſtrong the pipe, that the water may be brought for the uſe of the City, with the ſame aboundance and integrity as it comes from the Fountain. This ſhould the Prieſts of God do, which will keep his commands, that if truth ſhould be in doubt or changed, we ſhould return unto the Divine Fountain, the Evangelical and Apoſtolical tradition; and from thence let the reaſon of our acting ariſe, whence was the order and original. It hath been delivered unto us, that there is one God, and one Chriſt, and one Hope, and one Faith, one Church, and but one Baptiſm ordained in that one Church: from which whoſoever departeth, he muſt be found among Hereticks: and if he will maintain them againſt the Church, he fights againſt the myſtery of Divine Tradition. So far Cyprian.