The grand imposture of the (now) Church of Rome manifested in this one article of the new Romane creede, viz: the holy, catholike, and apostolike Romane Church, mother and mistresse of all other churches, without which there is no saluation. Proued to ba a new, false, sacrilegious, scandalous, schismaticall, hereticall, and blasphemous article (respectiuely) and euerie way damnable. The last chapter containeth a determination of the whole question, concerning the separation of Protestants from the present Church of Rome: whereby may be discerned whether side is to be accounted schismaticall, or may more iustly pleade soules saluation. By the B. of Couentrie & Lichfield.

The right Estimation that ought to be had of the aforesaid Britaine, Scottish, yea and Irish Churches, notwithstanding their Separation from Rome. SECT. 16.

BE it that these Scottish and Brittish Churches were Schis∣matikes, as you call them, because not subiect to the Ro∣mane Church, will you therefore haue no better estimation of them, than of soules separated from the Catholike and Vni∣uersall Church, and consequently depriued of Saluation? So charitable indeede is your k 1.1 Baronius in his censure against the Britanes: But l 1.2 Galfridus giueth vs better hopes of them, calling the Praelates then in Wales, in the time of Augustine the Monke, Most religious Bishops; telling vs of Two thou∣sand Monkes, vnder the Abbot Dinoth, who getting their li∣uing with their owne hands, stood out, with others, and denied subiection to the Church of Rome: of which number A thou∣sand two hundred died vnder the bloudy hands of Pagans, and were thereby (saith he) crowned with Martyrdome, and made inhabitants of the kingdome of heauen.

As for the Scots, your Baronius will plead for them, because

(saith m 1.3 hee) Although they did not celebrate the Feast of Ea∣ster at the time obserued by the Church of Rome, yet did they not keepe that Feast at the time vsed by the Iewes, and therefore were not separated from the communion of the Church of Rome. With as good reason might hee haue iustified the Britaines, who though they did celebrate Easter after the manner of the Iewes, in respect of the day; yet did they it not with the same minde and Faith of the Iewes, as thinking it necessary. But the Cardinall regardeth not what hee saith, being herein contra∣dicted by Beda, who witnesseth that the Scots were in Op∣position against Rome herein; and also contradicting him∣selfe, in that he hath already called the Scots Schismatikes. As for Bede, hee reckoneth among other Scots, the Bishop Aida∣nus, and although n 1.4 Condemning and detesting his Opposition against the Church of Rome, in the point of Celebration of Ea¦ster; yet notwithstanding he testifieth of him, that o 1.5 Hee was a mercifull Bishop, indued with the spirit of Prophecie, and famous for his miracles done after his death. So he.

You may read of the like Opposition of the Irish Bishops a∣gainst the See of Rome, about the same time, in the very same Question of Easter, in a late Treatise set out by a learned p 1.6 Ser∣uant of God, excellently verst and professed in the Mysteries of Antiquitie.

CHALLENGE.

IVstly therefore may we conclude, that no Doctrin or Article can be more Scandalous, than this, to taxe so infinite soules truely professing the Faith of Christ; nor more Schismaticall, than to hold them Schismatikes, who being vnited to the Church Catholike, were onely not subiect to the Church of Rome; nor more Damnable, than to condemne them, whom all Christians are to honour in their memories, as the holy and blessed Saints of God.

Notes

• k 1.1

  Britanni & Scoti erant Disces∣sionis ab Ecclesiâ Rom. rei, ob idque feris Barbaris tra∣diti, Anglis sc. & Saxonibus. Quare dicit Hier. cap. 5. Quia reliquisti me, & seruiisti dijs alienis &c. — Deos plane alie∣nos colere omnes Schismatici con∣••incuntur. Baronius An. 604. Num. 56.
• l 1.2

  Galfridus Monu∣metens. Hist. Britt. li. 11. ca. 12. & 13. cited by the Centu∣rists, Cent. 6. cap. 3. Religio sissimis Praesulibus muniti —omnes labore manuum suarum viuentes. — Abbas eorum Dinoth vo∣cabatur, mirè liberalibus artibus eruditus—diuersis monstrauit Argumentis ipsos Augustino [à Gregorio Pp. Misso] nullam subiectionem debere.—Edelbertus ergò—Edelfridum Regem Nortdan-humbrorum instimulauit,—vt Abbatem Dinoth & caeteros Clericos perditum iret,—qui collecto mirabili exercitu &c. mille ducenti eorum ea ipsâ die Martyrio decorati regni caelestis adepti sunt sedem.—Duces Briton∣um Edelfridum vulneratum in fugam propulerunt, & decem millia sexaginta sex perierunt. Haec Galfridus ci••ant. Cent. quo supra. Tit. de Tranquillitate & persecutione sub Mauritio Sacerdote. pag. 37.
• m 1.3

  Scotorum Ec∣clesia, licet di∣uerso tempore — a communi ritu Catholicae Eccle∣siae Pascha cele∣braret, non tamen ob id a communi∣one sedis Aposto∣licae separatam fuisse— quia etsi non Romano, neque tamen Iu∣daico more Pas∣cha celebrarent. &c. Baronius Tom. 8. Anno 634. Num. 11.
• n 1.4

  Nequaquam laudans quod de Paschae obseruati∣one minus perfectè sapiebat, imò haec multum detestans. Beda Hist. Anglic. lib. 1. cap. 17.
• o 1.5

  Erat Episcopus multum miseri∣cors. Beda Hist. Angl. lib. 3. c. 14. Vir Dei Spiritu Prophetiae prae∣dicens tempesta∣tem futuram, & virtute eiusdem spiritus sopiuit eam. Cap. 15. Mi∣raculis post mor∣tem celebris. Ca. 17
• p 1.6

  Doctor Vsher L. Primate of Ar∣magh. Tract. of the Religion of Jre∣land.