Catholique traditions. Or A treatise of the beliefe of the Christians of Asia, Europa, and Africa, in the principall controuersies of our time In fauour of the louers of the catholicke trueth, and the peace of the Church. Written in French by Th. A.I.C. and translated into English, by L.O.

¶The Conclusion of this Treatise.

THe Councell of Basil hath declared the Pope to bee subiect vnto the Church. If the same were beleeued at this day by the Latines, as it is by all other Christians, it were sufficient to make a peace. If the Pope may transport that Sea out of Rome, the Church may doe it farre better; yea the East Church might haue done it at such time, as it was greater then the Latine. It followeth also, that all that the Popes haue ordained, approued, or tollerated, is vnder correction. If there had not beene ambition in him, or in his Clergie of Rome, hee would haue heard the Catholike voyce of the Church: This ambition is the cause, wherefore the Grecians doe call him an Arch-hereticke, the Indians a reprobate Bishoppe, the Prote∣stants the sonne of perdition. Those that liue vnder him vse not these termes: Neuerthelesse they are not farre wide from this beleefe. If the Duke of Venice should presume to call him∣selfe Monarch, and that the most part tooke armes against him, calling him Tyrant, Capitall and Principall enemy of the Com∣mon-wealth; and that there were others more patient then they, which confessed that in truth he was not such a one, as he counted himselfe to be: neuerthelesse beleeued that he ought to be supported: I pray you would not all these Cittizens a∣gree together in the principall point, although they were of di∣uers opinions in the manner of proceeding?

Fathera 1.1 Coton after many others, maketh an argument here, which he thinketh to be inuincible: The Sonne of Perdition (saith he) must sit in the Temple of God according to Saint Paul, that is to say, in the Church of God, according tob 1.2 Cry∣sostome: And we must not goe out of the Church, for out of it there is no saluation; therefore we must continue vnder the sonne of perdition.

Answere. The Temple of God is all the earth: in this Tem∣ple there are many Episcopall Chaires, which (as Pope Pelagius saith) are one nuptiall bed of Christ, that is to say, which make

but one Church, which begetteth children to God by baptis∣me. Well then, if hee that sitteth in S. Peters Chaire teacheth not at all, who will gaine-say, but that without forsaking the Church, one may goe to heare him which sittes in Saint Peters chaire at Antioch, among thec 1.3 Armenians, or in the seate of S. Andrew in Constantinople? Some will say that the Protestants doe not take this way: But we haue shewed that if ceremo∣nies were laid apart, and that Logomachies were eschued, there would want but little of agreement: and scarce would there be any discord, but onely in these foure points: First, about Ima∣ges: Secondly, praiers to Saints: Thirdly, the time of making Monasticall vows: Fourthly, about the conuersion of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist, and peraduenture not so great as is imagined.

For the first, it is decreed in the second Councel of Nice, that one should put off his Hat in passing before a Church, a Crosse, an Altar, an Image or portraict of a Saint, hauing the heart lif∣ted vp to God. The Protestants doe call the same superstition. See, here is a great heresie, a trimme subiect to diuide Christia∣nitie! Panigarolas confesseth that one may altogether let passe Images, why not then this ceremonie? The Catholicke Romans know well enough, that sometimes they were not vsed at all. And Wicelius saith that wee ought to eschew all appearance of euill. In the time of S. Basil there was tolleration herein. Vigi∣lantius brake the peace, peraduenture his iniurious speeches haue beene the cause, why men did more in hate of him.

The second Question, whether one ought to recommend himselfe to the Prayers of the Saints, is of the same nature. They of the East Churches doe confesse, that the Saints doe not vnderstand our Prayers: Neuerthelesse, that the holy Ghost which they haue, doeth induce them to pray and to crie Abba father, (saith S. Paul) that is to say, in generall, for those that recommend themselues to their Prayers. The Protestants doe confesse that the Saints doe pray, and that one may wish or de∣sire, that they would so doe; notwithstanding, they hold it ab∣surd to addresse our Prayers vnto them, seeing that wee doe

know that they vnderstand vs not. Melancton thinketh that one might peraduenture vse the ancient maner, that is, to direct our Prayers to God, in making mention of the Prayers which the Saints doe make: So that all doe tend to the same end, but doe differ in termes.

The third difference is of lesser importance. It is certaine that in the time of the Apostles, the widowes were receiued, without any regard to their age: If there had beene no abuse, S. Paul would not haue made mention of Reformation. If the Ca∣loiers of the East, and the Antonians or Estafarus of Aethiop, are not good people, it is for the Bishops of those Prouinces to prouide and see to it, as also they ought not to thinke much, that other Nations haue found out a lawfull remedie.

The fourth and last point, is the Question so much disputed vpon now a dayes, touching the changing of the Eucharist. Here without doubt is a difference in mens beliefe. But the Reformed Churches haue not debated against the Catholike Church, and are not seperated from them of the East and the Africans, for they were not in their vnion. Moreouer, those that denie it, shewe themselues ready to communicate with them that beleeue Consubstantiation, which not withstanding by their saying, is almost as contrarie to the Articles of Faith, as the Romane Transubstantiation. Lesse occasion haue they to hold themselues seperated from the other Apostolicke Chur∣ches, which (as hath beene said) beleeue not Iesus Christ to be any where else then in heauen, touching his humanitie: And their beliefe, containeth not any thing that doeth contradict the Scriptures, although they be not able to conclude the same necessarily out of the Scriptures.

The beliefe of these Churches is, that by Prayers the Bread is changed into the body of the Lord, as Christians are, and that in both there is a change not onely in name but really. Be∣cause that some supernaturall thing proceeding from the mat∣ter of the body of the Lord, which is onely in heauen, is infused into the matter of bread, and from thence passeth into the soule of the Communicant, and hath the place of forme both in the

one and in the other, and causeth that both the one and the o∣ther be called, after a speciall fashion, the body of Christ: Be∣cause that they suffer a change through the obtaining of a new forme, or else their forme suffereth a change through the ob∣taining of new faculties. And that is the reason, why aswell the said Churches as the Reformed, doe confesse that (as S. Paul writeth) The bread is the Communion of the body of the Lord; The difficultie therefore lieth in this point, to wit, whether the Bread hath positiuely in it selfe this forme or faculties: to com∣municate them vnto the Soule by it selfe: Or whether the soule receiueth them of the Bread, because that the holy Ghost which is present in the Bread, as in all things, causeth that when one receiueth this bread, he receiueth the body of Christ, by meanes of this essence, or faculties which proceede immediatly from the same body. If there were as much Charitie in men as zeale, they might find this aboue mentioned tollerable, vntill an vni∣uersall and lawfull Councell.

In the meane time, it is the part of the louers of truth, and e∣nemies of heresies, to search and seek out the truth, sufficiently contained in the holy Scriptures, wherein if they find any ob∣scuritie (which they shall not in those things necessarie to sal∣uation) it is their part to haue recourse vnto the voice of the Churches, to the which our Lord hath promised his assistance. And if they be not of one accord, then to suspend their iudge∣ment: or else with a holy libertie to trie all, and to retaine that which they take to be good in euery one of them. If you pro∣ceede thus (Christian Reader) you will no more say, I am of Paul, and I am of Cephas, but rather you shall bee true Catho∣lickes and Orthodox Christians, and in no maner Idolaters or Heretickes, Grecians nor Romanes, Papists nor Huguenots, Lutheranes nor Caluinists, Protestants nor Puritanes: and make them lyers, that seeke to staine your beautifull and holy profession, with names so infamous and vnworthy of honour∣able people and true Christians.

Notes

• a 1.1

  De Sacr.
• b 1.2

  Vpon the 2. Epistle to the Thess. cap 2. 4.
• c 1.3

  Stan. Or••ch. Ep. ad Ho∣siu••••.