The By-Way, Treatise · Section 13
SECT. XIII. Saint Gregory pretended to bee the Founder of the Romane Religion in England, by ſending Auſten the Monke for conuerſion of this Nation; in his vndoubted writings, directly oppoſeth the Romiſh faith, in the maine poynts thereof.
AVsten the Monke, was ſent into England by Gregorie the Great, about the yeere 600, and is tearmed by the Romaniſts of this latter age, Englands Apoſtle. To ſay nothing of the haughtineſſe of his perſon, (through whoſe pride and contempt twelue hundred poor Chriſtians and holy men of Bangor were murdered, as it is related by Venerable Bede, Bede. Hiſt. Ang l. 2. c. 2) let vsus obſerue the doctrine of that age: and becauſe we hauehave no Records of the Monkes doctrine, let vsus reflect vponupon Gregory the Great, whoſe writings are extant; and who without doubt, profeſſed the ſubſtance of that Faith, which by his Warrant and Commiſſion was then publiſhed in England by Auſten the Monke.
It is the generall vote of the Romaniſts in this latter age, that the Faith which Gregorie deliuered in his dayes, was ſo true and Catholike, that If an Angell from heauen ſhould teach other doctrine, then that we hauehave receiued from Gregorie, wee are not to heare him. Canus the Biſhop of Canaries well vnderſtood, that this Aſſumpſit was of too large an extent, and therfore wiſely by way of preuention, giues this caueat to the Reader:Canus li. 11 loc. Theol. c. 6. p. 540. It is fitting for a Diuine to bee admoniſhed, and not ſuddenly to bee perſwaded, that all things are perfect which great and learned Authors hauehave written: as for example, Gregorie and Bede, the one in his Historie of England, the other in his Bookes of Dialogues, hauehave publiſhed ſuch miracles, commonly receiued and beleeued, which the cenſurers of this age will thinke to be (doubtfull) and vncertaine. I ſpeake not this to decline the doctrine of Gregorie, Quid eſt hoc quaeſo te qd in hi… extremis temporibus t…m multa de animabus, &c Greg. Dial lib 4. cap. 40.for howſoeuer many ceremonies and ſtrange opinions, through viſions and apparitions of dead men, (which Gregorie in his Dialogues complained of) ſprung vp in his dayes, yet the principall poynts of doctrine did as yet remaine ſound and ſtable: ſo that (ſetting aſide his Dialogues, which are but Aniles fabulae, no way fit to prooue Articles of Faith:) In his vndoubted Writings, there will bee found few or no ſubſtantiall points which are not agreeable to the Tenets of our Church, and altogether different frō the Roman: and that this may become more manifeſt to the Reader, I hauehave compared the Trent Doctrine and ours with Gregorie, that by parallelling the Articles on both ſides, the Antiquitie of the true Church may viſibly appeare by the faith of Gregory.
The Canonicall Bookes of Scripture.
Gregorie] We doe not amiſſe,Non inordinatè agimꝰ ſi ex libris licet nō Canonicis, ſed tamen ad edificationē Eccleſia editis teſtimonium proferamꝰ. Greg. Moral lib. 19. ca 13. Artic 6. if wee bring forth a teſtimony out of (the bookes of Maccabees) which though they are not Canonicall, yet are they ſet forth for the edification and inſtruction of the Church.
Church of England] The books of Maccabees the Church doeth reade for example of life and inſtruction of manners; but yet it doth not apply them to eſtabliſh any doctrine.
Conc. Trid. Seſſ 4.Church of Rome] If any ſhall refuſe the books of Maccabees for Canonicall Scriptures, let him be accurſed.In hoc volumine omnia quae crudiūt cuncta quae aedificant ſcripta cōtinētur. Greg. in Ezek. l. 1. Hom 9. A…tic. 6. Scripturae ſine Traditionibꝰ nec fuerūt ſimplicitèr neceſſaria nec ſufficientes Bell. de ver. D nō ſcrip. c. 4. et Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 4 decret. 1.
The ſufficiencie of the Scriptures.
Gregory.] Whatſoeuer ſerueth for edification and inſtruction, is conteined in the Volume of the Scriptures.
Church of England.] Holy Scriptures containe all things neceſſarie to ſaluation.
Church of Rome] Scriptures, without Traditions, are neither ſimply neceſſary, nor ſufficient.
Reading of the Scriptures.
Gregorie.] The Scripture is an Epiſtle ſent from God to his creature, (that is, to Prieſt and people) If thou receiuest a letter from an earthly King,Greg. lib. 4. Epiſt 40. ad Theedor. Medicum. This inſtructiō was to a Phyſician a lay man. thou wilt neuer reſt nor ſleepe before thou vnderſtand it. The King of Heauen, and God of men and Angels, hath ſent his Letters vntounto thee for the good of thy ſoule, and yet thou neglectest the reading of them. I pray thee therefore ſtudie them, and daily meditate of the words of thy Creator, and learne the heart and mind of God, in the words of God.
Church of England] The Scriptures are Manna, and gi-giuen vsus from heauen, to feed vsus in the deſert of this world.Iewel in his Treatiſe of the holy Scriptures pag. 46. 47. Let vsus reade them, and behold them, and reaſon of them, and learne one of another, what profit may come to vsus by them: — for all hauehave right to heare the word of God, all hauehave need to know the word of God.
Index lib. prohib in obſeruat. circa Regulam. 4.Church of Rome] Wheras it is manifest by experience, that if the holy Bible ſhould be permitted (to be read) in the vulgar tongue, it would bring more danger then benefit, by the raſhneſſe of men; therefore they are forbidden to the common people,See Hard. in Iewel. Art 15. diuiſ. 3. yea and to Regulars to reade or retaine any vulgar Tranſlation, without the licence of their Biſhops, or Inquiſitor.
The Reall Preſence.
Gregorie. Precioſi ſā guin… effuſione genus humanum Chriſtus redemit, & ſacroſancti vi…sficies car poris ſui & ſanguinis myſterium mēbris ſuis tribu…, cuius perceptione corpus ſuum qd eſt Eccleſia, paſcitur & potatur, abluitur & ſanctificatur. Greg. in 6 Pſal. poenitent.] Chriſt with the effuſion of his most precious blood, redeemed mankind, and giueth vntounto his members the most holy myſteries of his quickening body and blood, by the participation whereof, his body which is the Church, is nouriſhed with meat and drinke, and is waſhed and ſanctified. Here Gregorie makes a plaine difference betweene the body of Chriſt offered on the Croſſe, and the myſterie of that body offered in the Sacrament: and that we might know, it was not a corporall but a myſticall body, he tels vsus, Chriſts Body is the Church: and that wee might yet further know, the members of Chriſt were not fed with reall fleſh and blood: for, there is nothing more abſurd, (ſaith Bellarmin) then to think the ſubſtance of our fleſh ſhould bee nouriſhed with the fleſh of Chriſt:Bellar. de Euch. lib. 2. cap 4. hee tels vsus, they are nouriſhed with meat & drinke, and withall are waſhed and ſanctified, by the myſterie of his body. And to remoue all imaginations of a carnal preſence, hee proclaimes it elſewhere in the words of an Angel: Greg. Hom. in Euan 21Hee is riſen, hee is not here: Chriſt (ſaith hee) is not here in the preſence of his fleſh, yet hee is abſent no where, by the preſence of his Deitie.
Church of England] The Body of Chriſt is giuen,Iewel Art. 5. p. 238. taken and eaten in the Supper, onelyonly after a heauenly and ſpirituall maner. Wee ſeeke Chriſt aboue in heauen, and imagine not him to bee bodily preſent vponupon the earth.
Church of Rome. Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 13. c. 1.] In the Sacrament of the Euchariſt, after conſecration, our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, true God and man, is truely, really, and ſubſtantially contained vnderunder the forme of ſenſible things.Si fuiſſent mille hoſtiae in mille locis, eo tempore quo Chriſtꝰ perpendit in cruce, Criſtꝰ fuſſet crucifi…ous in mille locis Holcot in Sentent que Inſomuch as Holcot the Ieſuit profeſſeth, If there had been a thouſand Hoſts in a thouſand places, at that very time when Christ hung vponupon the Croſſe, then had Christ been crucified in a thouſand places.
Priuate Maſſe.
Gregorie.] Let not the Priest alone celebrate Maſſe: for as hee cannot performe it without the preſence of the Prieſt and people:Sacerdos Miſſam ſolꝰ nequaquam celebret. Greg. in lib. Capitulari cap. 7. apud. Caſſand. Liturg. 33. p. 83. ſo likewiſe it ought not to bee performed by one alone: for there ought to be preſent (ſome) to whom he ought to ſpeake, and who in like maner ought to anſwere him: and hee must withall remember that ſaying of Chriſt, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I will be preſent with them.
Church of England.] The breaking of bread which is now vſed in the Maſſe,Iewel. Art. 1. in fine ſignifieth a diſtribution of the Sacrament vntounto the people; as Saint Austen ſaith vntounto Paulinus, It is broken, to the end it may bee diuided.
Church of Rome.] If any ſhall ſay that Priuate Maſſes, in which the Prieſt alone doth Sacramentally communicate,Conc. Trid. Can. 8. Seſſ. 22. are vnlawfull, and therefore ought to bee abrogated: let him bee accurſed.
Communion in both kinds.
Gregorie.] You hauehave learned what the blood of the Lamb is, not by hearing,De Conſecrat Diſt. 2. Q…i… ſit ſanguis §. but by drinking. Againe, The blood of Chriſt is not powred into the hands of vnbeleeuers, but into the mouthes of the faithfull (people.)
Church of England.] The Cup of the Lord is not to bee denied to the lay people:Arti…. 30. for both the parts of the Lords Sacrament, by Chriſts ordinance and commandement ought to be miniſtred to all Chriſtian men alike.
Church of Rome.] Although our Sauiour did exhibite in both kinds,Conc. Trid. cap. 3. Seſſ. 21. yet if any ſhall ſay, the holy Catholique Church was not induced, for iuſt cauſes, to communicate the lay people vnderunder one kinde, and ſhall ſay they erred in ſo doing, let him be accurſed.
Merit of workes.
Sunt nonnulli qui ſaluos ſe ſuis viribꝰ exultāt ſuiſ que praecedentibus meritis redemptos ſe eſſe gloriantur, quorum profectò aſſertio, inuenitur ſibinetipſis contraria, quia dum Innocentes ſe aſſerunt, et redemptos, hoc ipſū in ſe redēptionis nomē euacuant. In 28 1. Iob l. 18. c. 22. Aliud eſt ſecundum opera, aliud propter opera reddere. Idē 7. Pſal, Poenit.Gregorie.] There are ſome which glory that they are ſaued by their owne ſtrength, and brag that they are redeemed by their own precedent merits; but herein they contradict themſelues: for whilſt they affirm that they are innocent, and yet redeemed, they fruſtrate the name of Redemption in themſelues. Againe, If the bleſſedneſſe of the Saints bee acquired by mercy, not by merits, how is it ſaid, He will render to eueryevery man according to his workes? If it bee according to his workes, how is it giuen of merciemercy? It is one thing (ſaith hee) to giuegive according to their workes, another thing to giuegive for their workes ſake. And from this ground hee makes this his confeſſion. I pray to bee ſaued,Idem in 1. Pſal. Paenit. not truſting to my merits, but preſuming to obtaine that by thy merciemercy alone, which I hope not for by merit.
Church of England.] We are accounted righteous before God onelyonly,Art. 11. by the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, by Faith, and not our owne workes: For to hauehave affiance in our workes,Homily of goodworks as by merit of them to purchaſe to our ſelues remiſsion of ſinnes, and eternall life, is blaſphemy.
Church of Rome.] Good workes are meritorious,Rhem. Annot. in Heb. 6. ver. 10. and the very cauſe of ſaluation, ſo farre that God ſhould be vniuſt, if he rendered not Heauen for the ſame. Againe, All good works done by Gods grace, after the first juſtification,Idem in 2. Tim. 4.8. bee truely and properly meritorious, and fully worthy of euerlaſting life, and that thereupon Heauen is the due and iust ſtipend, crowne or recompenſe, which God by his Iuſtice oweth to the perſons ſo working by his grace, for hee rendreth or repayeth heauen, as a iust Iudge, and not onelyonly as a mercifull Giuer; and the Crowne which hee payeth, is not onelyonly of merciemercy, or fauour, or grace, but alſo of juſtice.
Worſhip of Images.
Gregorie.] In his Epiſtle to Serenus, Biſhop of Maſilia, ſaith: Greg. lib. 7. Epiſt. 109.Your Brotherhood ſeeing certaine worſhippers of Images, broke the ſaid Images, and caſt them out of the Church: the zeale which you had, that nothing made with hands ſhould be worſhipped, we praiſe: but wee thinke you ſhould not hauehave broken them downe. For Painting is therefore vſed in Churches, that they which are vnlearned, may by ſight reade that on the walles, which in bookes they cannot. Your brotherhood ſhould therefore hauehave ſpared the breaking of them, and yet reſtrained the people from worſhipping them,Adorationē omnibꝰ modis deuita. Lib. 9. Ep. 5. that the rude might hauehave had how to come by the knowledge of the Story, and yet the people not ſinne in worſhipping the picture.
Church of England.] The Romiſh doctrine concerning the worſhipping and adoration,Art. 22. as well of Images, as of Reliques, is a fond thing, vainely inuented, and grounded vponupon no Warrant of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the VVord of God.
Church of Rome.] Wee teach,Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 25. that the Images of Chriſt, the Virgin Mother of God, and other Saints, are chiefely in Churches to bee had, and retained, and that due honor & worſhip is to be giuen vntounto them.
The Popes Supremacie.
Gregorie.Ego fidenter dico. Lib. 6. ep. 30 Mauricio Auguſto. Idem lib. 6. ep 24. lib. 4. ep 32. 34. 36 38. 39.] I ſay confidently, Whoſoeuer calls himſelfe, or deſires to be called the (Vniuerſall Biſhop) in the pride of his heart, is the forerunner of Antichriſt. For, the title of (vniuerſall Biſhop) is the puffe of arrogancie, the word of pride, a new, pompous, a peruerſe, fooliſh, a raſh, a ſuperſtitious, a profane, an vngodly and wicked name, a name of ſingularitie, a name of errour, a name of hypocriſie, a name of vanitie, and a name of blaſphemie. And writing to Eulogius Biſhop of Alexandria, hee makes this profeſſion: For mine owne part, Greg. lib. 7. ep. 30.I ſeeke to increaſe in vertues, and not in words; for if you call me Vniuerſall Biſhop, you denie your ſelues to be that, which you confeſſe to be wholly in me: but God forbid, let vsus rather put farre from vsus theſe words which puffe vp pride, and vanitie, and wound Charitie to the death.
Church of England.] It is plaine, that the Biſhop of Rome challengeth this day a title that St. Peter neuer had, Iewel. Art. 4 Diuiſ. 4.that no holy nor godly man would euer take vponupon him, that St. Gregorie vtterly refuſed, and deteſted, and called blaſphemy.
Church of Rome.] The Supremacie of the Biſhop of Rome may bee prooued by fifteene ſeuerall Names or Titles,Bell. de Pōt. lib. 2. c. 31. as namely, the Prince of Prieſts, the High Priest, the Vicar of Christ, the vniuerſall Biſhop, and the like: and from thoſe high and mightie Titles, they hauehave created this Article of faith. Wee declare, Subeſſe Romano Pont. omni humanae creaturae declaramꝰ, dicimus, definimus, & pronunciamus omninò eſſe de neceſsitate ſalutis. Bonif. 8. in extran. de Maior. & Obed. Cap. Vnam Sanctā &c.we pronounce, wee define, that eueryevery creature vponupon neceſsitie of ſaluation, muſt be ſubiect to the Biſhop of Rome.
Thus briefly I hauehave giuen you the principall poynts of doctrine deliuered by Gregorie; and from theſe his ſeuerall confeſſions, I hope the Romaniſts will giuegive me leaue, to returne them their owne aſſertion: If an Angel from heauen teach other doctrine (Touching the books of Maccabees, the All-ſufficiencie, and reading of the Scriptures, the Reall preſence, Priuate Maſſe, Communion in both kinds, Merit of workes, Worſhip of Images, and the Popes Supremacy) I ſay with our aduerſaries, If an Angel frō heauen teach other doctrine then (in theſe particulars) we hauehave receiued from Gregorie, we are not to heare him.
I proceed from Fathers to Councels; and vponupon a reviewe of the Fathers Doctrine, I will here conclude, Since the ancient Doctors are no Rules of our Faith, nor hauehave any power to bind (as Bellarmine▪ confeſſeth,) ſince their bookes are ſometimes purged, their authorities ſometimes condemned as ſpurious and counterfet, as their Inquiſitors confeſſe; ſince their Expoſitions with an vniforme conſent, are ſometimes decreed for an Article of Faith,Bulla Pij 4. Artic. 2. ſometimes declined by their beſt learned Romaniſts, as namely, Card. Bellarmine, Andradius, Card. Cajetan, and Card. Baronius profeſſe: And laſtly, ſince the Scripture is the most certaine and moſt ſafe Rule of faith, Scriptura regula credendi certiſsima, tutiſsimaque. Bellar.(as it is acknowledged on both ſides:) I ſay to leaue this certaine and ſafe rule, and to follow the Fathers in all, and tread in their ſteps, as children doe in ſport, it is Via Dubia, a doubtfull and vncertaine way, it is Via Devia, a wandring and By-way.