The history of the Church of Englande. Compiled by Venerable Bede, Englishman. Translated out of Latin in to English by Thomas Stapleton student in diuinite

Differences in doctrine.

Our Apostles saied masse. In the first book, the xxv. Chap. it is men∣tioned. [ 6] Item of their successours in the fourth book the xiiij. and xxij. chap. Nothing is more horrible in the sight of protestants then Masse.

In the Masse is an externall sacrifice offred to God the Father the blessed body and bloud off Christ him selfe. In the fi••fe booke the xxij. [ 7] chap. this doctrine is expressely reported. This semeth an extreme blas∣phemy to protestants.

This sacrifice is taught to ••e propitiatory in the iiii. booke, the xxii. [ 8] chap. Protestants abhorre vtterly such doctrine.

Off confession off sinnes made to the priest the fourth booke doth [ 9] witnesse in the xxv. chap. and xxvii. chap. This sacrament in the faith off protestants off our countre is abolished.

Satisfaction and penaunce for sinne enioyned, appereth in the fourth [ 10] book the xxv. chap. also: which in like maner the court off protestants

admitteth not.

[ 11] Merit off good works in the history is eftesoones iustified. In the. 4. book the 14. and 15. chap. This doctrine semeth to protestants preiudic••all they saie to Gods glory, but in dede to their licentious liberte.

[ 12] Intercession off Saints protestants abhorre. The practise theroff ap∣peareth in this history in the first booke the xx. chapter before we had the faith, and in the iiii. booke the xiiii. chap. after the faith receaued.

[ 13] The clergy off our primitiue church after holy orders taken, do not mary. In the first booke the xxvii. chap. Now after holy orders and vowe both to the contrary, priestes do mary.

[ 14] In our primitiue church the vow of chastite both off men and wemen was thought godly and practised. See the history the 3. book the 8. and 27. chap. the 4. b. the 23. chap. and in many other places. Such vowes now are broken, are estemed damnable, are not so much as allowed in suche as woulde embrace that perfection commended in the ghospell and vni∣uersally practised in the primitiue church off the first v. C. yeares.

[ 15] Such monkes and virgins liued in cloister, in obediēce, in pouerty. It appeareth through out all the three last bookes off the history. Namely in the 3. booke the 8. chap. and the 4. booke the 6. chap. All such cloy∣sters and orders the religion off protestants hath ouer throwen as a sta∣te damnable and wicked.

[ 16] Praier for the dead, dirige ouer night and Requiē Masse on the mornīg was an accustomed matter in our primitiue church. Witnesseth this history the iij. booke and ij. chap. I tē the iiij. boo. the xxj. chap. This deuotiō the sober faith of protestāts estemeth as abhominatiō before god.

[ 17] Reseruation of the blessed Sacramēt thought no superstitiō in our primitiue church, or prophanation of the sacrament. lib. 4. cap. 24.

[ 18] Howseling before death vsed as necessary for al true christiās. As the practise specified in this history witnesseth lib. 4. ca. 3. & 24. Protestāts vnder pretence of a cōmuniō do wickedly bereue christē folcke thereof.

[ 19] Consecrating of Mōkes and Nunnes by the hāds of bishops a pra∣ctised solēnite in our primitiue church. It appeareth in the 4. booke the 19. and 23. chap. Protestāts by the liberty of their gospel laugh and scor∣ne thereat.

Commemoration of Saintes at Masse time. In the fourth booke the [ 20] 14. and 18. chapters. In the communion of protestants such commemo∣rations are excluded as superstitious and vnlaufull.

Pilgrimage to holy places especially to Rome a much wount matter [ 21] of all estates of our countre in our primitiue church, the history wit∣nesseth in the iiij. booke the 3. a••d xxiij. chapter. Item in the v. booke, the vii. chap. Nothing soundeth more prophane or barbarous in the religious eares of protestants then such deu••tion.

Of relikes of holy men, of the reuerence vsed tow••rdes them and off [ 22] miracles wrought by them the history is full. Namely the first booke the 29. chap. the 3. booke the 29. the iiij. booke, the 6. chap. Nothinge is more vile in the sight of protestants, then suche reuerence of Chri∣stians.

Blessing with the signe of the Crosse, accompted no superstition but [ 23] practised for godly and good, in our primitiue church, witnesseth the history in the iiij. booke the xxiiij. chapter: and in the v. booke the ij. chapter. In the deuotion of protestants it is estemed for magicke.

Solemnites of Christen buriall protestants despise and sett light by, [ 24] terming it a vaine of gentilite or heathen superstition. The deuotion of our primitiue church was to be buried in monasteries, churches and chappels, as it appeareth in the history, in the second booke the iij. chap. the third booke the viii. chap. and otherwhere.

Benediction of the bishop, whereby the superiorite of the spirituall [ 25] pastour ouer the laie, according to the reasoning of S. Paule, euident∣ly appeareth, is to be read in this history of our primitiue Churche,* 1.1 in the iiii. booke, the xi. chap. Protestants confounding all good order, do scorne at this also.

The seruice of the church was at the first planting of our faith in the [ 26] latin and lerned tounge, as it may appeare in the first booke, the xxix. chapter and the iiii. booke the xviii. chap. This protestants haue alte∣red bothe against due or••er, and condemning wickedly other partes of Christendom for the contrary.

Aultars protestants haue plucked downe contrary to the order of [ 27]

our primitiue faith, as this history witnesseth in the first booke, the xxix. chap. And in the second booke, the xiiij. chap.

[ 28] Aultar clothes and holy vestements the prophane saith of protestāts admitteth not. Our primitiue church vsed them, witnesseth the Histo∣ry, in the first booke the xxix. chap.

[ 29] Holy vessels in like maner for the due administration of Christes holy Sacraments, protestans bothe diminishing the number of them and prophaning the right vse of such as they kepe, knowe none. Our first faith had and vsed thē. The history reporteth it in the first booke the xxix. chap. and in the second booke the last chapter.

[ 30] Holy water protestants abhorre. Our first faith vsed it. In the history 〈◊〉〈◊〉 appeareth. In the first booke the xxix. chap.

[ 31] Nothinge is more reuiled of protestants, then the ecclesiasticall ton∣sure of the clergy. How, after what maner, and wherefore the church of Christ vseth it, the history disputeth and sheweth at large, in the fifte booke the xxii. chapter, toward the ende.

[ 32] Our primitiue church was gouuerned by Synods of the clergy only, in determining controuersies ecclesiasticall. The History declareth this practise in the first booke, the ii. chap. the fourth booke the v. chap. the xvii. chap. and xxviii. chap. Protestants haue called the determination of ecclesiasticall matters from thence to the laie Courte only.

[ 33] The spirituall rulers of our primitiue church were bishops and pa∣stours duly consecrated. It appereth in the History, the first booke the 27. chap. and the second booke the 3. chap. Protestants haue no such due consecration, no true bishops at all.

[ 34] Protestants haue brought the supreme gouuernement of the church to the laie authorite. In the primitiue faith of our countre the laie was subiect to the bishop in spirituall causes, Peruse the xiii. and xxii. chap∣ters of the third booke.

[ 35] Last of all, the finall determination of spirituall causes in our pri∣mitiue Church rested in the See Apostolike of Rome. This practise ap∣peareth in the second booke the iiii. the xvii. and the xx. chapters. Item in the fifte booke the xx. chap. How farre that See is nowe detested by

the sober religion of protestants, all men do see.

To note how differently the Catholike faith of al Christendom was first planted in our countre, and the parted faith of protestants hathe corrupted the same, the first difference is clere herin that our first Ca∣tholik faith we receaued of the See of Rome. This heresy hath begon∣ne [ 36] by first departing from that See. The Apostles of our faith came from Rome, the messangers of these schismes beganne first by scattering frō the See Apostolik of Rome. How we receiued our faith of Rome, the later chapters of the first booke, and the first of the secōd do testifie.

Againe our faith was first preached with Crosse and procession. [ 37] Lib. 1. cap. 25. These heresies first raged by throwing downe the Crosse, and altering the procession therewith.

Our first Apostles were monkes. See the first booke, the xxiii. chap. [ 38] and the third booke the iii. chap. The first preachers of protestants haue ben Apostatas. Luther, Oecolampadius, Bucer, Peter Martyr, Bar∣nes, Barlow and other.

The first impes off our faith, the first scholers off oure Apostles [ 39] were holy and vertuous mē. Reade the xxvj. chap. of the third booke.* 1.2 The broode of protestants in the very first issue hath ben so enormous, that Luther the holy Father thereof confesseth his scholers to be vn∣der him farre more wicked, then they were before vnder the Pope.

The first preaechers of our faith liued Apostolically in voluntary [ 40] pouerty, as the history reporteth in the first booke the xxvj. chap. This Apostolicall perfection, protestāts bearing thē selues for the Apostles of England, neither practise them selues, neither can abide it in other.

As touching the effect and consequences of both religions, our faith [ 41] builded vp monasteries and chirches as the history reporteth in the fir∣ste booke the 32. chap. in the third booke, the iij. and xxxiij. chap. Itē in the fourth booke the iij. chap. Protestants haue throwen down many, e∣rected none.

By the first Christians off our faith, God was both serued day and [ 42] night, as in the fourth booke the vij. chap. it is expressely mencioned. Protestants haue abolished al seruice off God by night, and done to the

deuill a most acceptable sacrifice.

[ 43] By the deuotion of the people first embracing our catholike faithe much voluntary oblations were made to the church, as in the first boo∣ke the xxvij. chap. it appeareth. By the rechelesse religion off protestants due oblations are denied to the church.

[ 44] Princes endued the church with possessions and reuenues, moued with deuotion and feare of God.* 1.3 The loose lewdenes off protestants ha∣ue stirred Princes to take from the church possessions so geuen.

[ 45] Last of all our first faith reduced the Scottishmen liuing then in schisme to the vnite of the Catholike church.* 1.4 This late alteration hath remoued them from vnite to schisme.

All these differences touching doctrine and ecclesiasticall gouerne∣ment, are proued to concurre with the belefe and practise of the first vj. C. yeares, in the second part of the Fortresse of our first faith set for∣the presently with the History.

ET Priuati & Brabātici Regiae Maiestatis Consilij di∣plomate cautum est ne quis infra quadriennium proxi∣mum Historiam ecclesiasticam gentis Anglorum, Authore Venerabili Beda Presb. a Thoma Stapletono in Anglicum sermonem versam, per omnes Burgundicae ditionis regiones imprimat aut alibi impressam distrahat aliter quám eidem Thomae videbitur, sub poena in Diplomate constituta.

Datum Bruxellae. 20. & 23. Iunij. 1565.

Subsig. Bourgeois. Facuwez.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hebr. 7.
• * 1.2

  In postilla magna in Dom. ••. Ad.
• * 1.3

  Li. 2. ca. 3. lib. 4. ca. 3. & 16.
• * 1.4

  Li. 2. ca. 4. li. 3. ca. 25.