Hiera dakrya, Ecclesiae anglicanae suspiria, The tears, sighs, complaints, and prayers of the Church of England setting forth her former constitution, compared with her present condition : also the visible causes and probable cures of her distempers : in IV books / by John Gauden ...

CHAP. XVI.

* 1.1I Shall not need (here) to enumerate at large, and in par∣ticular points, those many and great differences in Reli∣gion, which make your and your posterities return to the Roman compliance and communion impossible; if you have judgements to understand, or consciences to act ac∣cording to their dictates out of the Word of God, understood in the sense of the Catholick Doctors and Councils of the first 600 years after Christ. The work is already done by so many able Wri∣ters in this Church, that it is needlesse to repeat, and scarce possible to adde more weight to what hath been by them alledged, to justi∣fie their protestation against, and reformation of the errours, abuses and corruptions of the Church of Rome.

* 1.2He that seriously considers the Fraud, Falsity and Pertinacy of the Romanists in that one grand point, the Canon of the Scripture, which is and must be (when all is done that Policy and Art can invent) the main pillar and standard of true Religion, cannot but grow very jea∣lous of their honesty in particular points of lesser concernments, when he shall see, beyond all reply or forehead, that they have in the Coun∣cil of Trent, under the highest Anathema's or Curses of all that dif∣fer from them, assumed into the Canon of Scriptures divinely inspi∣red, written and delivered to the Church as the Word of God, those Apocryphal Books, which however we (with the Ancient Churches) value according to their Worth, Truth, Credit and use, yet we re∣ceive them not into the canon or rule of Faith; because we find for certain, that neither the Greek nor Latin Churches of old, neither Jews nor Christians, Councils nor Fathers, for 1400 years, did ever so own or receive them. Which Truth, after many others, and be∣yond any other (if I may say it without envy) is exactly and fully cleared of late by a person,* 1.3 whose reputation formerly clouded by some popular jealousies (as to his Sincerity and Constancy in the Re∣formed Religion of the Church of England) deserves to have its true lustre for Love and Honour with every true Protestant at home, as he hath abroad, for that learned Industry, Courage and Honesty, which he hath shewed in that particular, to assert the main hinge of Religion, the Canon of the Scriptures, against the Papists effrontery in that particular; which hath engaged them in such a Dilemma, as is

hard to be avoyded by the greatest sophisters of the Roman party. For if the Canon of the Scriptures be such, as they now obtrude, inclu∣ding the Apocryphall books, then did their Church erre for so many hundred years before it so owned them for properly Canonicall;* 1.4 as Cardinall Cajetan confesseth, who saith, that all Fathers and Councils in their expressions as to the larger Canon of Scriptures, must be re∣duced ad Hieronymi limam, to S. Jeroms file. If the Canon be such, as we with the Ancient Churches, with Josephus, S. Jerom, Ruffinus,* 1.5 the Council of Laodicea, Gregory Nazianzen, S. Austin in his riper years, and others, did and do hold, as to the Old Testament; then is the Church of Rome now in a very great and obstinate errour. So that one way or other the Popes Infallibility and his party is shrewdly endangered, unless they distinguish (to salve their credit) the books into Protocanonicos & Deuterocanonicos, Books of Divine Authority and Ecclesiasticall use, as Sixtus Sen. Bibl. l. 1. and Stapleton Fid. doct. l. 9. c. 6. do.

To tell you further, how undigestible to sober Christians (be∣cause Preter-scripturall and Anti-scripturall) the Roman practise and opinion is, of worshipping and praying to Saints departed, and to Angels; of worshipping with Divine worship the Images, Crosses, and Reliques, which they so credulously and highly prize; their so unprofitable using of a Language in their Divine and publick Services, which to common people is not understood; so far from Religion and the A∣postles Rule, that it is against all sense and reason,* 1.6 against the end of speech and devotion, which is to instruct or edifie the hearers; their snares of celibacy, and such vowes as many have cause to repent full sore, either that they made them, or no better kept them. Adde to these, their profitable and popular imaginations of Pur∣gatory, they applying not onely Prayers, but Masses and Oblations, Pardons and Indulgences, yea other mens merits besides Christs, to those that are dead as well as to the living: and this in so mercenary a way, as makes the most ingenuous Papists not a little ashamed, to see Piety so much a servant to Policy, and Religion a lacquay to Supersti∣tion. Adde to all these so oft decantated Instances of Papall errours and presumptions, which have so little Scripture for them, one enor∣mous Errour both in practise and opinion, which hath so much Scripture-evidence against it, as nothing can be desired more; yet in this, when we would have healed Babylon, she refused to be healed.* 1.7

This is their so great,* 1.8 rude and sacrilegious maiming of the Lords Supper, by their partial communicating of the Bread only to the people, without the Cup; then their strange racking of Christians Faith against all sense and reason, nay beyond all Scripture-phrase and proportion of Sacramentall expressions, or mysterious predications, to believe they doe not receive so much as Bread, but another substance under the accidents and shews of Bread.

What learned Romanist can deny, but that both Clergy and Laity did, * 1.9 for above a thousand years, receive the Lords Supper in both kinds, after the constant use of all Primitive Churches, the Apostles

Practise, and Christs Institution? Nor is there any more doubt, but that the ancient Churches received those holy Mysteries with an high veneration indeed of that Body and Blood of Christ,* 1.10 which was there∣by signified, conveyed and sealed to them in the truth and merits of his Passion; but yet without any Divine Adoration of the Bread and Wine, or any imagination that they were transubstantiated from their own seeming Essence and Nature to the very Body and Blood of Christ.* 1.11 Which fancy of (Metemsomasis) changing the Body and Sub∣stance of Sacramental signes into the bodily Substance of the Thing signified and represented by them (as the incomparable Primate of Ire∣land hath observed out of Irenaeus) began from the juglings of one Marcus a Greek Impostor, or jugling Presbyter, who using long Prayers at the Celebration of the Eucharist, had some device to make the Cup and Wine appear of a purple, or red and bloody colour, that the people might think, at his invocation the Grace from above did distill Blood into the Cup. After this the imagination spred from Greeks to Latins, by popular and credulous fancies, promoted much by one a 1.12 Paschasius Radhertus, who in a legendary spirit tells us of Flesh and Blood, of a Lamb and a little Child, of appearing to those Receivers that were doubtfull of Christs corporall presence; so he tells of limbs and little fingers found in the hands and mouths of Communicants. From hence Damascen among the Greeks, and P. Lumbard among the Latins, carri∣ed on this credulity, or vain curiosity, using all their wits to make good this strange and impossible transmutation of disparate subjects and substances: in which having nothing from Sense or Reason, Nature or Philosophy, from Scripture-Analogy, or Sacramentall and Ty∣picall predications,* 1.13 frequent in Scripture (as the Lamb is called the Passeover, so Christ our Passeover; Christ the Rock, Vine, Door; these drie bones are the house of Israel; the seven eares of corne are seven years, &c. the Tree is thou, O King) to prove the Miracle, they flie to absolute omnipotency, whether God will or no, and shut out all rea∣soning from Sense, Philosophy, Scripture. Nor do they regard ancient Fathers and Councils: all which, though highly and justly magnify∣ing the great Mystery, yea, and the Elements consecrated, as related to and united with the Body of Christ, as Signs and Seals of its Reality, Truth, use and merit to a sinner; yet generally they held them to be substantially and physically Bread and Wine, but Sacramentally, re∣latively, or representatively (onely) the Body and Blood of Christ: as the Council of Constantinople anno 754 consisting of 338 Bishops,* 1.14 did affirm, the Bread to be the Body of Christ, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not in sub∣stance, but in resemblance, use and appointment. Which Doctrine, as Catholick, was maintained to the Emperour Carolus Calvus, by Bertramus or Patrannus, anno 880. which was also maintained in Eng∣land by Johannes Scotus in King Alfreds time, untill Lanfranks days, anno 1060. who condemned that Book of Scotus about the Sacra∣ment, agreeable to the opinion of Bertram; whose Homily expres∣sing his judgement at large against Transubstantiation, was formerly read publickly in Churches on Easter day, in order to prepare men

for the right understanding and due receiving the Lords Supper.

Nor did the Doctrine of Transubstantiation obtain in the Church, untill the year 1225. when Pope Innocent the third in the Council of Lateran published it for an Oracle,* 1.15 That the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are truly contained under the forms of Bread and Wine, the Bread being transubstantiated into the Body of Christ, and the Wine into the Blood of Christ, by the power of God.

Hence followed the invention of Concomitancy, which presuming that the Communicant received under the accidents and shew of Bread, the whole Body of Christ, and so his Blood, it was judged rather su∣perfluous than necessary (yea and lesse safe in some respects) for the Lay-people to receive the Cup, or Wine, and Blood of Christ apart, as he instituted, and the Church of old, even the Roman, constantly practised, as do the Greeks at this day, according to what Christ commanded, and in what sense he gave it, and called it reall Bread and Wine: for such he took, such he brake, such he blessed, such he gave to the Disciples, when he said, that is, this Bread, is my Body, this cup is my Blood; such S. Paul understood them to be, and so declares this the mind of Christ, as he had received it immediately from Christ, The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? For we are all partakers of that one Bread. So,* 1.16 whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup unworthily. Let a man examine himself before he eat of that bread.

Certainly either the Apostles expressions must be affectedly very dark, and his meaning different from his words, or he was quite of another mind than the Papists are at this day, who durst, in the all-daring Council of Trent, damn all those who follow Christs example, use his words, and are of the Apostles judgement, expressing their sense of the blessed Sacrament in his words; which we think much safer to follow, both in the use of Sacramentall Bread and Wine, communica∣ted to all Receivers, and in the perswasion we have of our receiving true Bread and Wine, yet duly consecrated, and so Sacramentally uni∣ted to the reall Body and Blood of Christ, which we faithfully behold, thankfully receive, and reverently adore in that blessed Mysterie, accor∣ding to the ancient Faith, Judgement, Reverence and Devotion of the Church of Christ, void of sacrilegious novelties, and incredible superstitious vanities.

If we Christians of the reformed Church of England had no other wall of separation to keep us from the Papall communion, than these two so palpable and gross opinions, with their consequences, so rigidly enjoyned upon all Christians under pain of Gods eternall curse, yet both so dissonant from and opposite to the example of Christ and the words of the Apostle; these were sufficient to keep sober Christians at an eternall distance from them, lest (knowingly) partaking of their sins, and abetting their wilfull and obstinate sacriledge,* 1.17 we also par∣take of their punishment, who in vain serve God after the command∣ments and traditions of men, contrary to the Divine Word and Prescri∣ption.

Nor will the silly shifts and pitifull salvoes serve here, which are used by some Romanists, whose Learning, Wit and Sophistry are all set on work to take off the aspersion, odium and envy of these grosse and rude Innovations. How childish & ridiculous is it to talk of the Popes imaginary infallibility, or the Roman Churches usurped Supreme Autho∣rity, in cases expresly contrary to the Institution of Christ, and the A∣postles explication; from whom the Church of Rome professe to derive their Religion! Nor may they with any foreheads or modesty, be∣coming good Christians, so rudely vary from them; if they desire to have the name and merit of faithfull and good Christians; whose greatest Liberty,* 1.18 Duty and Honour is, if they love Christ, to keep his commandements, and neither for pride nor policy to warp from them, and after clear remonstrances to refuse to return in case of straying to a conformity with them: which obstinacy makes little for the Pope's infallibility, or Rome's supreme Authority, never challenged by Popes, or owned by any other Bishops in the Church for 600 yeares after Christ, nor by Pope Gregory the Great, who, as an holy and humble Bishop, abhorred the title and pride of that name, Universal Bishop, as appears in his works, and others of the Ancients, of whom I gave a particular account in my Hieraspistes, p. 249. Yet these two are the main hinges on which the unhappy disputes of Christendome do turn, and the chief anvils on which the animosities between Protestants and Pa∣pists are now hammered, as otherwhere, so here in England. The ruine of which famous Church is the greatest prize which the Romish party hath gotten since Luther's dayes, who began, not without his passions and infirmities, that pious Apostasie; which being found just and holy, moved, as other Churches, so this of England, not to for∣sake the communion of the Church of Rome, so far as it was or is a Church of Christ, but onely so far as it seemed to have been oppressed with a Synagogue of Satan, deformed with such sinfull deformities and sottish fedities, besides their Court-tyrannies, as became no Christians to en∣dure, who were either not in the dark (and so could see the need they had to get out of such a dungeon, full of mire and darknesse) or were at their own dispose, as was the state of the Nation and Church of England, depending on none, nor subject to any, but God a∣lone.

These so oft recocted Crambes of Popish controversies, as I delight not to aggravate, so I am forced here to touch some of them, to shew you (my honoured Countrey-men) as what cause the Church of England had to reform her self, with what prudence she did it; so how incon∣sistent it must be with good conscience, for us in Engl. to revert to the Popish Communion, being of so different perswasions from them: which wretched Apostasie (being the grand design and agitation of Roman Counsels) will in time draw this Nation away from Gods recti∣tudes to mans obliquities, if the Roman furnace and bellows be so plied and advanced for them by these operators of severall sects and factions, whose end will be, whatever their aime is, quite to melt down the former fashion of the Church of England, and its well-reformed

state of Religion, that it may by degrees run into the Roman mould and form.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Irreconcilable differences be∣tween Reform∣ed Truths and Romish Er∣rors, which are as manifest and obstinate.
• * 1.2

  Papists perti∣nacy against the true Ca∣non of Scri∣pture.
• * 1.3

  Dr. Cosins his late History of the Scriptures.
• * 1.4

  Cajetan in c. 10. Estheri.
• * 1.5

  Aug. de civ. Dei c. 36. & cont. 2. Gaudentii epis. c. 23. Hieron. in Pro. Gal. & ad De∣metriad. Ruffi. in Symb.
• * 1.6

  1 Corin. 14 9. 1 Cor. 14.19.
• * 1.7

  Jerem. 51.9.
• * 1.8

  The sacrilegi∣ous obstinacy of Romanists in the Lords Supper, as to the Cup, &c.
• * 1.9

  Olim omnes fideles qualibet die cum sacer∣dote corpori & sanguini Christi communica∣bant. Durand. Rat. off. div. l. 4.
• * 1.10

  Roman obsti∣nacy and credulity in Transubstan∣tiation.
• * 1.11

  B. Ushers An∣swer to the Je∣suits Chal∣lenge about real Presence. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. Iren. l. 1. c. 9.
• a 1.12

  Lib. de corp. & Sang. Christ. Who lived an. 850. Videtur agnus in mani∣bus, & cruor in calice, &c.
• * 1.13

  Exod. 12.21. 1 Cor. 5.7. 1 Cor. 0.4. Ezek. 37.11. Gen. 41.26. Dan. 4.22.
• * 1.14

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Bertramus li. de corp. & sang. Christi. Panis ille vinumque figuratè Christi corpus & san∣guis existit.
• * 1.15

  Conc. Later. c. 1. Christi cor∣pus & sanguis in Sacramento altaris sub spe∣ciebus panis & vini veraciter continentur; Transubstanti∣atis pane in cor∣pus & vino in sanguinem di∣vina potestate.
• * 1.16

  1 Cor. 10.17. 1 Cor. 11.27.
• * 1.17

  Rev. 18.4. Mal. 15.3, 6.
• * 1.18

  Joh. 14.21, 24.