Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 4 · Section 5
Rastell.SECTIO. 5. From the first face of the 38. leafe to the 2 face of the 41. leafe.
Fulk.The Bishoppe said there is no ordinance or misterie so good▪ but through foly or frowardnes of men, it may be abused: & after reherseth many abuses of ye sacramēt. M. Rastel saith, if he can take him tardie but in one, he must be guiltie of all. A wise man I promise you, I hauehave taken him tardye alreadie in falsifying the scripture and Saint Augustine, yet will I not denye, but that some thing he saith is true. But let vsus see howe he taketh him tard…e. The abuse of baptizing dead men was condemned in the third Councell of Carthage, and the sixt Canon. But (saith Maister Rastell) in the seuenteene Canon of that Councel, strange women are forbidden to dwel with the Cleargie, whereas nowe (saith he) they doe not onelyonly receiue them to their seruantes, but also to their bedfellowes. And I pray you syr, hauehave not some Popish Priestes such seruants and bedfellowes also? Of seruants he will not deny, but bedfellowes if they hauehave, hee will say they hauehave them not as wiues, but as Concubines: So that belike it is better to hauehave Concubines then wiues. Neuerthelesse, the Canon which forbiddeth straunge women, forbiddeth not their wiues, as it is most manifest, nor yet their sonnes wiues, to dwell with any of the Cleargie, wherby you see he is taken tardie in his owne trip. It seemeth he neuer read the Councel, or else he is a most impudent reporter of that he readeth: As for the 27. Canon that he citeth in steed of yt 24. of water to be mixed with wine, I say he falsifieth the Councel, saying that it commaundeth water and wine both to be vsed in the sacrifice, the words be these: Vt in sacramentis corporis & sanguinis domini, nihil amplius offeratur quàm ipse Dominus tradidit, hóc est panis & vinum, aqua mixtum. Nec amplius in sacrificijs offeratur quàm de vuis & frumentis. That in the sacramentes of the body and bloud of our Lorde, nothing more be offered then our Lord himselfe deliuered, that is, bread and wine mixed with water. And let nothing more be offered in the sacrifices, but that which commeth of grapes and of corne. This last clause then excludeth water as any necessarie part. But yet he will presse vsus with the 36. Can which forbiddeth a Priest to consecrate the Chrisme, and licenseth him to cōsecrate virgins. And we (as he saith) hauehave taken away oyle, consecration, and virgines. In deed in such matters of ceremonies and externall discipline, we do not deny, but that we varie from thē, & vponupon good grounds: otherwise we are not bound to the determination of any Councels, but as they agree with Gods word. But seeing ye Papistes glorie, that al their doctrine, ceremonies, and discipline, are of Catholike or vniuersall antiquitie and consent, wee may iustly presse them, with eueryevery Canon of any auncient Councell, which they affirme can not erre. Namely with the 26. Can. of this present Councel, which forbiddeth, that the Bishop of Rome or any other Bishop of any principal See, should be called Princes of the Priestes, or the highest Priest, or by any like title: but only, the Bishop of the principall See. I might alledge many other Canons, wherein order is taken for the modest behauiour of the sonnes and daughters of Bishops, which proueth their mariages lawful, but for shortnes I passe them ouer. Another abuse the Bishop noteth, that in the time of Tertullian, and Cyprians time, the people tooke the sacrament home with them. This M. Rast. denieth to hauehave ben an abuse, & here he craketh of his equalitie with M. Iewel (howe wisely let other iudge) that his nay is as good as the Bishops yee. The matter therfore resteth vponupon proofe, whereof we shall consider in the next section.