t from i^e £,i6rarg of in (^emorg of ^ub^e ^amuef (Qtiffer (grecfttnribge ^reeenfcb fig ^amuef (gtiffer (jBrecftinribge feong to f^ &i6rari? of (prtnceton S^eofogicaf ^emindrj COLLECTION OF PURITAN AND ENGLISH THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE 4Li^ LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ^ O PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY t4J ri I f ♦ — ; J^ ^ -.^c^^;'^' ■.i/:}':W^hM;'^ :i»,..^:.^^. {^Mi\ %^" w^^Ti;^:^:-^ _ v^'t- -?;-ji;-::i •''^' liJ*r, Hammond toOy if, his Commentary upon the New Xeflament had been known to him, any where elfe than in Poor^ Synop- fis. And really thefe great Men Very well deferVdy that a^ particular Regard JJpould be had to them ; their Mifiake in the pomt of Anttchrift having proVd as advantageous to the Church of Rome, as their learned Works can be profitable to the Trotejiants. !But it is yet a more furpri:^ing thing to fee the 'Bifijop make this Charge of the Albigenfes a- gainfi the Tope, a CharaSler of tWir being Mani- chees, which none that haVe eVer writ againfl them be- fore, haVe taken the leaft notice of. Whatever the Succefs may be of fo groundlefs ^ Charge, IJhall make it appear, that the 'Bifi?op of Meaux could not accufe the Albigenies, ivlthout mahnggreat Numbers of his befi Catholicks [ufpeBed, and xiv The PREFACE. and Jbettors of the Manicheifmo/ the Albigenfes in this Voint, I thought it ivds my Duty to clear Wicklef ani his Difcifles from the Slanders cafi upon them by the (BiJ]?op of Meaux : Iknouf 'Uety well^ that he has done nothings but repeat the old Calumnies wherewith tJje ^apijis formerly endeavoured to blacken that great Many without taking the leaft notice ff the Apologies that haVe been made in his behalf !But either Men mujl refolve neVer to write againjl thefe Getitlemenj or be content to undergo the Drudgery of ref eating puhlickly thofe [olid Anfwers that ha'Ve been returned to their Jccufations before ,• which the Writers of the Romifh Tarty always think fit to diffemble, I hope hoy^eVer^ that feeing the Matter I undertake to treat of naturally engaged me to take notice of great TSlumhers of Matters of FaBy which were 7iecef]ary to be examined towards the clearmg of this SuhjeB ; and that the Malice and Cruelty of the Enemies of thefe antient Qmjiians haVe robb\l us ofti^hat 7?tight be mofi material for their Jufiification: the Reader will not expeEly I Jhould put thefe ^marks into any other form, than that in which I wrote jny Remarks up- on the Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of the Churches of The PREFACE. xv of piedmont. For I could neither ti?rite a conti^ lined Hijlory^ nor difpenfe with the Examination of federal Matters of FaEl^ which could not be cleared fo It: ell as they ought ^ imthoutfome critical Enquiries , thai will be unpleafant to all thofe who f ear ch for any thlngelfe but Truth. 1 baVe confined myfelfhere entirely to the enquiry after^ and illujlration of that alone ^ and lam perfuadedj that thofe who will take th pains to weigh what I have faid in thefe folloiving Sheets with care, will be of the fame Opinion, And I heartily wljhy that it may triumph (f^er Falfpoody and Innocence pre- Vail agalnfl all the Jffaults of Obloquy and Slan^- der» € O R^ XVI C O R p. I G E N D A. THe Reader h delired to make Allowances for thefe Alterations in tliefirft loo Pagts-, becaufe the Publifherhad not the Original French Copy till tbofc Sheets were \\ rcughc off j and he thirks, that all Men will fconer excafe him for annexing tl.em to the Preface, where they may appearnot fo beautiful, than if I-e Ihculd h^ve fuft'eied them to paf^ unregarded, fince that might have led the Re;der into Mifiakes, and a: lail reflcded upon himfelf. He fays this the more v\ illin^ly , becauie he is confident that no Man will charge the Author with it in the leaft, fmce his Unacquaintednefs with our Language, eafily jufti- fies him from any manner of Imputa:ion upon that Account. Page 6. Line 20. read GjuIs, which they nmuimd, p»7. 1. 21. for Photihusv. Tothinus. p. 10. 1. penult, r. by Feunrdintim. p, 19. 1. 31. r. preferved us one of his Booi:;^s. p. 2^.1. 24. r. trafiingCh^liityTvith any. p. 27. 1. 20. r. Fof'f Syricius to Hymerius. p. 50. 1. i. r. But tht phaianteft thing of all is, that St. Jerome. ' 1. II. f. DciifH x.Dim. p. 31. 1. II. for Deo read alio. p. 33. I. 22. x'. Ecdsfuf CathoHc.'e^ cap. 34. p. 37. 1. 24. r. being ill- adzifed. p. 39. 1. 7. from the bottom, for Ihjit great Emperor, r. Maximus the Emperor. Page 47. 1. 19. zker mentem, add, Nam tditer ferme omnes agmt^ uteesnontam pates antea posnittntijm criminim egiffe^ quam pojiea ipfms pmiter.tice pmitere : nee tarn prUiS panituiffe quod male zixerint, quam pofita quod ft promiferint bene ejfe viclnros: Novum prorfus convtrfionis genus ! licita nonfaciunt, & illicit a commit- tMt. Terripirant a concubitu., & von temptrfint a rapina. Quid agis jidta. pafujjio / Peccata inttrdixit Dens non Matrimonii! j non conveniunt jludiis zefiris fail a. vefirx : non debet is effe amid criminm, qui dicitis vos fe£la,tores ejfe zirtutum. " Who under a fhew of Religion, are Slaves to the Vices of this World j who " having taken upon themielves a Title of Holinefs, after the Reproaches and " Scandals of former Crim.s, do net alter their Lives by a new Ccnverfition, '* but change their Names by a new Profcflion ; and thinking that the Sum of " the Worfhip of God lies more in their Clothes than their Aftions, they have *' only c hanged their Garmer,ts,not their Minds : for the) do almoft all things,^^. P. (52. 1. 4. from bott. for thi Prayer r. Prayirs. p. 6^. 1. 3. r. ufe of again, p.70. I /^.r.fin.i'.olzedin. P. 78. 1. ^2. once mentioned ihou'd be inltalick. pSr.1. 19. from concerning Ex- pdftors to tvhichfort of ll'ritings, niufl be Hruck out j and thefe Words put in-, *■• The bkirtd Fa her Ai-ghflin has told us, that we ought to have quite another '• Opinion of Expofidons, d-,an that which }ou hold •, wI.oinhisBookagainfl " Faulhs the AUnichte, fpeaks not only of thcfe which have been blamed by " Learned Men, but alfo of thofe which have been approved of, after this man- " r.er. Which fort of Wricirgs, &c. P. 88. 1. 1 1. dde gizirg that account of. p. 113. 1. 18. r. continual, y. 141. ]. 5. dele nf p, i^d.l. 18^ f. Hoars x.Times. p. 180. 1. 7.r. the condkfi. p. 183. l; 13. r. Hinfus. p. 2o5, col. i.l. 17. for A giicu^ which feems to be a Miff ke either in the Copy, •r in the Original MS. r. Aigdicl. I. 25. {.fne r, (tie. p. 208. col. 1. 1. 5. f. (nimt. em* p. 227. 1. 1 5. dele , . P. 248. 1, 10. r. Sttri of * * * ^ xvu c THE CONTENTS. CHAP. I. p3g^ Oncerning the Original of the Churches of Gallia Narbonenfis and Aquitain, i C H A P. II. The Faith of the Church of the Gauls i» the Second Cen- turyy 7 CHAP. III. The Faith of Gallia Aquitanica, and Narbonenfis, it$ the Fourth Century^ 14 CHAP. IV. An Examination of the Opinions of Vigilantius, 21 C H A P. V. The State of the Churches of Aquitain and Narbon in the Fifth Century, #3 5 CHAP. VI. The State of thefe Dioceffes in the Sixth Century y 5 5 CHAP. VII. The State of the Dioceffes of Aquitain, and Narbon, in the Seventh Century. 60 b CHAP. xviii The CONTENTS. J' Page ' CHAP. VIII. The Opinion of the Churches of Aquitain And. Narbon in the Eighth Century^ 72 CHAP. IX. The Faith of the Churches of Aquitain and Narbon, in the Ninth Century, 79 CHAP. X. The State of thefe Dioceffes in the Tenth Century, 89 CHAP. XI. The Beginning of the Manichees in Aquitain, and the State of thofe Churches as to Religion in that Age, 95 CHAP. XII. That thefe Diocejfes continued independent of the Popes, until the Beginning of the Twelfth Century^ 102 CHAP. XIIL Of the Ofpofition that was made by a Fart of thefe Churches^ ^0 the Attempts of the PopeSy and of their Separa- tion from the Communion of Rome before Peter Waldo, 112 CHAP. XIV. Of the Opinions of Peter de Bruis, and Henry, and their DifcipleSy and whether they were Manichees or not^ 121 C H A P. The C O N T E N T S. xix CHAP. XV. Page That it doth not appear from the Conference of A I by, that the Albigenfes rvere Manichees, 131 CHAP. XVI. The Albigenfes jufiifed by a Conference, whereof we have an Account written by Bernard of Foncaud, 140 CHAP. XVII. The Calumnies raifed againji the Albigenfes, refuted by the Conference at Montreal, 153 CHAP. XVIII. Reflexions on the ConviXions of Manicheifm, which rvere faid to be proved ttfon the Albigenfes, 160 CHAP. XIX. Whether the Albigenfes were Manichees, becmfe they accufed the 'Pop of being the Antichrift^ ' 1 7 J CHAP. XX. Of the Morals of the Albigenfes, and of their Ecclefafli- cal Government, 1 80 C H A P. XXI. Concerning the Perfecutions which the Albigenfes have fuffered from the Pofe and his Party, 1 90 CHAP. XX The CONTENTS. Page C H A P. XXII. 7'h odigious Stupidity of the People of that Church, who feed rhemfelves with Stories more fabulous than thofe of AmadU of Gaul, and make them the Subjed of their Devotion. We read in the Life of St. Manleilis^ that after the Sainthad converted Limoges, he there confecrated Churches to the Honour of Jefus Chrift, of the H. Virgin 2iudi Si. Stephen, whofeCoufinhe was. We read that he raifed to Life the Priefts of the Idol, whom God had ftruck dead with a Clap of Thunder, for their poifoning St. Martialis -^dind that, after their Refurredtion, he converted them. We find that he admitted to the Vow of Virginity a Perfon called Valeria, who fome time after having had her Head cut off, by order of the Duke of Cuienyie^ whofe Courtfhip fhe had flighted, immediately took up her Head, and carried it to St. Marti alit, as he was fay- ing Mafs. We find him there going to Rome to give an account toSt.Pf^fr of hisCommiffion; all this is very gravely related hy i\\z Legendaries 'j yea, the Impudence of thefe Knaves pro- ceeded to that Point, as in the ninth Century, to conciliate Au- thority to thefe fabulous Relations.Several Councils were affem- h\tdi?ii Limoges^ where with intolerable Impudence they im- pofed two Epiftles upon St. Manialis, the one as writ to thofe ofTholopife, and the other to thofe of 5oWf^«r, and which bear much alikeRefemblancetotheApoftolical Writings of thofe times, as Afles do to Lions : and all that thefe infipid Authors tell us about it, is fo entirely framed according to the Manners, Notions and Cuftoms of the later Ages, that we can find nothing in their Writings but what fome ftupid Monks have infolently invented and patch'd together, with (o little regard to Reafon, that one of diefe extravagant Fellows maintains chat the ^marks upon the the BleiTed Virgin was faying her Rofary at tlie time rtie was vifited by the Angel Gabriel. It is not certainly known whether the Books which St. /r^*. nxmh^s written againft the Valemimms^ ought to perfwade us that thofe Hereticks had then already fpread themfelves among the Gaptb 5 for feeing he writ them in Greek, this Work feems to have been deligned againft the Elereticks of the Eaft 5 for though we have a Tranflation of thefe Books, more ancient than the time of S.Auflw^ytt we have no Proof that it was done with Defign to refute Perfons who had endeavoured to corrupt the Faith from the very Beginning of itsEftabliihment mGaul, True it is, that in the fourth Century, AHanifm had confi- derably corrupted and infected the Purity of thefe DiocefTes : Saturnims Bifliop o^ Aries, and thofe of his Cabal, having con- demned St. Hilary Bifliop of Poitiers^ for an Heretick, be- caufe he oppofed Arianifm with all his Might •, but foon after Ave find that Truth raifed her felf again from under its Ruins : For though at the beginning of the fifth Century the Vijl- Gothes who were Arians, had made themfelves Matters of thefe Provinces of the Ganls^ and which they remain pofTefs'd of till they were taken from them by Clovis King of France \ yet we do not find that Arianifm ever prevailed there, the Vigi- lance of the Paftors having prevented the Peoples yielding fo far to the Authority of thefe Arian Kings, as to follow them in their Error, the very Nature of thefe Difputes ingaging the Enemies of the Church to maintain fuch Maxims, as put a ftop to the Peoples Superftition, with re- fpe6t to the Veneration of Martyrs. I am not ignorant that SLGandentipu takes notice that feve- ral Prifcillianifis were fcattered up and down thefe Provinces, and PriJcilHamfm was nothing elfe but Ma,ucheifm in Perfecti- on, as appears from the Writings of St. A fiin. But this evil Plant withered foon after-, both the Arians, who were Matters, and the Orthodox, equally joining their Endeavours to con- found that Herefy. Neither indeed do we find after the fixth Century, any mention made of PrifcillUnlfts in thefe parts-, fo that we may affirm that Chrittianity was preferved there with much Purity in thofe primitive times, and arrived to fuch a De- gree Jnclait Churches of the Albigenfes. gree of Strength and Vigor, as to baniOi both thofe Herefies, whereof the one attacked the Father of our Saviour, and [he other denied the Divinity of the Son. But vvhati have already faid in general, is not fufficientto give us a competent and juft Idea of the Chriftianity which was planted in thefe Provinces^ and which the yJlbigenfes have fo happily afferted, both by their Preachings and Suffer- ings. We muft therefore take a Review of thefe Primitive Ages, and confider a little wherein confided that Religion which thefe DiocefTes received from thofe firft Minifters of Jefus Chrift, who conveyed thither the Dodrine of the Go- fpel, and tranfmitted the fame to Poflerity, as a facred Trufl committed to them. CHAP. II. The Faith of the Church of the Gauls in the Second Century, WE have no Ga/Ilck, Author, whofe Name Is fo fa- mous as St. IrenxHi •, he was a Difciple of St. Po/j- E"^'^'"' ^- ^ carp Bifhop of Smyrna ^^ and being fent into Gaul by that Apoftolick Man, he wa^ firft Prieft of the Church of Li- MSj and afterwards fucceeded Photims, firft Bifbop of that Ci'y j it was in his lime that the Church fuffered the fifth Per- fecution under the Government of the Emperors Veruj and MarcHi Jurelim. Etifebins has preferved the Relation of the Martyrdom of the Believers of Lions and Vienna^ which accord- ing to all Probability is judged to have been made by St. Ire-ruf^ in the Name of both thefe Churches. This Relation tells us firfl of all, that the Roman Prefidenc having caufedfome Slaves to be apprehended that belonged to Chriftians, made them coafefs, at the Sigk of Tortures pre- pared C. 20, 8 (S^marks upon the pared for them, that the Chriftians did eat Children in their Allemblies, and that they there promifcuoufly polluted them- felves by abominable Incefts '-■, which was afterwards confirmed by weak Chriftians, who for fear of Torments abjured their Religion. 2. That the Chriftians having confuted this Calumny, by their Conftancy in induring the Torments, and above all the reft Blandina, who after a whole day's fufFering Tortures, having cried with a loud Voice, I am a Chrlfiian : there is m fVickednefs committed amongft m : (which was feconded by Bjblh^ who before had abjured) How, faid {lie, floould the ChrifiUns, to whom it is not lawful to eat the Blood of Beafls^ devour Infants ? 3. Blandina is reprefented to us in thefe Ad:s, as praying to God with great Affedion, and as it were converfing with Je- fus Chrift in Prayer, ^ttalm being fet in a Chair of Iron, to be there burnt, and perceiving the fmell of his broiled Flefh, faid to the Speculators in Latin , in hoc demum efl homines vorare ^md agitis 5 nos vero neque homines voramtHy neque omnino qnic' qHammali facimtu. " This that ye do here is indeed to de- ** vour Men •, but as for us, we neither devour Men, nor do any ** thing at all that is evil. Lafily t, The Church was defirous to bury what remained of their Bodies, as the Relation informs us, but the Fury of the Pagans who burnt them to Afties, hindred them : Thefe are the chiefeft Heads of this Relation, where we tind nothing but God and Jefus Chrift called upon, where we do not fee the Belie- vers troubling themfelves to explain or qualify the corporal Manducation of the Body of Jefus Chrift, as it became them to have done, had they believed their eating of him with their bodily Mouth 5 and where there is not the leaft Word that might give us to underftand that thefe Churches took care to preferve thefe fo precious Relicks, to honour them with their Adorations, as in latter times has been done. We find here alfo the Spirit of Calumny tranfporting the Heathens againft the Difciples of Jefus Chrift ^ and how far the Cruelty of Torments may prevail to make Men confefs the moft enormous Calumnies to be true. The Reader muft not forget thefe two Characters of old Rowe^ becaufe the In- ii quifitors Ancient Qhurches of the Albigenfes. quiiicors have renewed thefe very fame Slanders agalnfl: the Al- bigenfes, and have pretended to confirm them by Confeilions •which the Cruelty of their Tortures have forced from them. Neither is it only in this Work of his, that St. Irenam in- forms us, what in his time was the Faith of thefe Churches planted in Gaul^ for he hath left us five Books, and EM[ebiii4 has preferved for us fome Epiftles of that ancient Billiop, alto- gether refulgent with the Purity of the Faith delivered by the Apoftles. I . St, Ire-zixHi gives us this for one Charader of the Gnoflicks, that they embraced Do(5lrines which were not to be found in the Writings of the Prophets or the Apoflles, Ub. i.cap. i.f.3}. And 'tis with the fame Spirit that he attributes to Hereticks, theaccuiing of the Scripture for being unintelligible,without the Help of Tradition, whereas he maintains that that which had been preached, was committed to Writing by the fpecial Will of God, to the end it might be the Ground and Pillar of our Faith, Lib.'^.c.i,& z. And that it is to make the Apoflles Hypocrites, to fuppofe that they taught fome things in publick, and others in private -■, whence it appears clearly, that when he makes ufe of Tradition, he only does it with refpe(5t to thofe fcriptural Dodirines which the Hereticks oppofed, and whereof they pretended that the Apoflles had left the contrary to thofe that fucceeded them. Lib. 3. c. z. Tis upon this occafion that he alledgeth the Teffimony of the Church of Rome, founded by the Apoflles St. Peter and St. I'aui, as of one that was moil ■ known; yid banc e-nlm Ecclefum (faith he) pr»ptey fotentlorem PrincipaHiatem, fjecejfe efl omnem convemre Ecclefiam, hoc efl eos qui funt undl(iPie fide/es, in quo fem^er ab his qui funt tmdique cori' Jervata eft ea, quA eft ab ApoftoHs Traditio'j " For tO this *' Church, becaufe of its more powerful Superiority, it be- *' hoves the whole Church to com.e, that is, the Believers " of all Parts, for as much as therein the Tradition from the *' Apoflles has always peen pieferved by the Believers of all " parts. It is apparent that whatfoever Defign he may have had to raife the Authority of the Church of Pome 5 he makes no other ufe of it, than to make out, that it was irapolTible thofe Doctrines which the Hereticks gave out for Apoftolical, C (hould 10 ^marks upon the ihould be really fo, feeing they were unknown to a Church which had had the Apoftlesand their SucceiTors for her Guides, more efpecially feeing that Church was placed in the very Seat of the Empire, which continually drew to Rome a vaft number of Believers from all the different places of the Empire, from whence they brought not along with them a different Tradition from that which they found in the Bofom of the Church of Fomr. That Sr. Irenat^i had no other aim but this, is owned by F. Refuel in his Notes upon the tenth Epiftle of St. Leo, pa^. 8op. And this appears evidently, becaufe afrer all that Efteem which lie had for the Church of Rome, he was not afraid to "write to her Bilhop very cenfuring Letters, upon the account of his having excommunicated the Churches of y^Jta, that ce- lebrated Eafter the fourteenth of the Moon of March -^ as al- fo becaufe he continued in the Communion of thofe Churches of Jjia, without being concerned at the Excommunicatioii of the Pope of Rome. 2. He reduces the whole Faith of Chriflians throughout the World, to that which we call the Apoftles Creed, without mentioning fo much as a Word of thofe Do(5trines which the Church of RomehdiS luperadded co it, pretending to confirm them by Tradition, Lib, i.c.i, 3. H« maintains the Scriptures to be both dear and perfe(5i:, Ltb. 2. c, 47. • 4. He rejedls the Dodlrines which the Hereticks grounded upon the Explication of fome Parables, maintaining that no- thing ought to beeftablidied, but upon clear and evident places of Scripture, 1/^.2.^.45. y. It appears by his Writings, that Penance at that time was publicK, without difpenfing with Women that were over- taken with the Sins of Uncleannefs, by which means being ex- pofed to extream Confufion, it made fome of them abjure Chriftianity, Lib. i. r. 9. 6, He makes it appear that Cdibat was not yet known in ^fia^ whence thefe firft Chriftians of the Ganls derived their Original, which is acknowledged by the Fevardemifis, Lib, i, ^. ^. 7« He Ancient Chwdes of the Albigenfes. II 7. Hf affi-^ps to the Marcofims the cuftom of anointing thofe :iiey rcctived into their Cori;muiiion, with Balm, [p^o- balfamo] wiiich (lieu's, thdC at that time extream Undion was not known ; And we may make the fame Obfervation from hibiijiputiiig tu odier Hfiecicks the anointing of Perfons at the Point of Death, with Oil and Water, Lib. i. c. 18. 8. He attributes to the Gnofticks, the Imitation of the Hea- thens, becaufe they had the Images of Jefus Chrift, Lib. i.e. 24. which makes it evident that the Chriftians had no Images, much lefs that they gave to them any religious Worihip. And indeed we find him reafoning, lib, 2. c. 6. after fuch a manner, as fliews that the Chriftians were yet in full PoiTeffion of a Right to reproach the Heathens with all thofe Abfurdities that arile from the Ufe of Images. The famie may alfo be gathered from />^. 2. <:. 42. w^herc he divides the Law into two Tables, in a manner very different from that of the Dodors of the Roman Church, and altogether conform.able to the Judgment of Jofefhni and other Jewilh Do(ftors. 9. He makes it appear that he knew nothing of the Separa- bility of Accidents from their Subjeds, which is the fole Sup- port of Tranfubftantiation, lib. 2. c. 14. I o. He in plain terms rejects the Invocation of Angels, ia- ftead thereof recommending that of our Saviour Jefjs Chrift, lib. z. c.vns, after the famous Baptifla Aiamaamsj obfcrving that the Law for the Celifcacy of the Clergy was not yet introduced, and that before that time, as St. Jerom expreffeth it, _ they rather made choice of married Perfons, than unmarried, becaufe the former were judged more proper for the Fundions of the Holy Miniftry. But tliis is not the only Article wherein he differ 'd from Po- pery, as well as the Church of Atiuitain, I • He counts the Canonical Books as we do, and plain- ly holds them for Apocryphal, which we rejed, as we find in the Preface to his Commentary upon the Book of Pfalms. 2. He lays it down for an Error and piece of Impiety to look upon the Scripture as imperfei^, mPfalm 1 18. Lit. Van, 3. Heaflerts that Ignorance is not capable of excufing Men, feeing the Scrip.jreis propofed to us as the Rule of our Faith and Manners: ^^J^'n habct veniam igmratio VGluntatis'^ quia fub fcientia facultdtc nefcire^ re^ndiatA magisy c^uam non reperta fcien- tiiC efi reatfis : Ob id entm longe a PeccAtoribus falus^ quia non exqui' fierint JufiificanoNes Dei : Nam utique mn ob a/iud conjignata literSf munent. qaam nt ad nmverfortim fcientiam, mtionemque defluerent, " Ignorance of the Divine Will gives no Excufe 5 becaufe to ** be ignorant when we may learn, niakes us guilty of rejediing *' Knoivledg, rather than miffing of it : For thertfore is Salva- *! tion far from Sinners, becaufe they (earch not after that t which Ancient Chwches of the Albigenfes. i < '* which jufllfies b^f'^re Qo6i, and which indeed is for no other ***rearon v^reierv'd in Writing, but that it might be derived " to the Knowledg and Underftanding of all. Thisisa Stile, and thele are Maxims very different from thereof the Church of Rome, 4. He affirms that we are to be ignorant of whatfoever the Scripture doth not teach us: and after having alTerted, that it is the Charaifter of Hereticks to conceal the Holy Scripture, /(?/. 204. he maintains that it is another Mark of Herefy to believe beyond what the Gofpel teacheth us. Th qui ultra E- vnyigelitim f.fii^ necejfe efl at alius al bi arcanorum doBriyfiSj cogmti- oJiemPaterninominisadeptHS fi(. *' Thou who art wife beyond *' tie Gofpel, it muft necJs be that thou haft elfewhfR by *' other fecfet Do(flrines, attained the Knov. !ecg of God the " Father, ^/ 13^- J. He afferts, that it was the Will of God, that the Scripture (liould be plain and clear, ^anta emm pctult Domi- nHS^verborum fimj^licitAte evaKgelicam f.dem locfitus eji-, ^ ;V; tantam ^d inteUigentlAm ntftram fermones aftavit^ in quantum natUYA nofira ferret wfirrrltM, non tamen ut qulcquam minus dignnm nature fuA vMJeflate loqueretur, "' The Lord hath exprefs'd the Faith of *' the Gofpel in the greateft Simplicity of Words he could, " and fo fa:- accommodated his Speech to our Underftanding, *' as the Weaknefs of our Nature would bear, yet fo as not to *' fpeak any thing unbecoming the Majefty of his Nature. 6. He there alTo confirms the Fulnefs of Scripture after a moft Authentick manner: Lib.d.deTrin. Non efl hnmano aut feculi fenfu in Dei rebus loquendum 5 " In the things of God PVC " are not to fpeak according to a humane or worldly fenfe and " meaning. And a little after s ^^ fcripta funt legamus, & qua legerimus intelligamus, & tunc ferfeEia fdei officio fungemur, *' Let US read what is written, and underftand what we read, " fo (hall we difcharge the Duty of perfed Faith. So likevvife, lib. J. p. 4^. Non eft de Deo humanis 'judiciu fentiendum^ neque in nobis ea nature eft^ ut fe in coeleftem crgr.itionem fuis viribus ejferat 5 a Leo difcendum eft, cjuid ex Deo inte//:gendum Jity ^uia non niji fe authore cognofcitur, " We muft not think of God according to " humane Judgment, for neither is our Nature fuch, to be !' able I (5 ^marh upon the " able coraife ic felf by its own Strength to Heavenly Knovv- *' ledg 5 we muft learn of God whatfoever is to be under- " ftood of him, becaufe he is not to be known any further " than as he is the Author of our Knowledg. And a little after , Lnciuendum ergo mn allter de Deo efi^ quam ut ipfe ad intel- ligentiam noflram ^e fe lecutus e(i : " Wherefore WC are no " otherwise to fpeak of God, than as he in Compliance with *' ourllnderflanding, hath fpoketo us concerning himfelf. 7. He owns no other Foundation of the Church, befides the Confeflion of the Divinity of our Saviour, made by St. Pe- ter^ inftead of referring it to the Perfon of St. Peter , or to the Fun(5tions of his Apoftlefhip^ lib. z. Vmm iglmr hoc eft immobile futtdamentuWj una hac eft fcelix fidei Petra, Petri ore - confefjay Tu es filif^s Dei vivi. *' This is the only immoveable " "Foundation, this is the only happy Rock of Faith confefs'd *' by the iMouth of Peter^ Thou art the Son of the living " God. And fo like wift, //^. ^. />. 77. Super banc igitur Con- fcffionis Petram Ecc/ejia adificatio eft : " Wherefore upon the " Rock of this ConfelTion the Church is built. 9. He overthrows all the Exceptions of the Church of Rofne in favour of the Adoration of Angels, by maintaining that the Angel who appeared to Mr^ham was Jefus Chrift j de Trift. ■ lib. 4. ^' lib, de Sjnodis contra Arianos. 10. He was fo little of the Belief, that the Faith of the Peo- ple depends upon that of their Paftors, that he afferts and •proves in his Book againfl: the Arians or Anxentius, that the People may continue Orthodox under Heretical Paftors. 1 1. He overthrows all Woriliipping of Creatures, which is pradifed by the Church of Rome^ by maintaining, that it any iliould worlhip Jefus Chrift, believing him to be a Creature, he would be accurfed. Lib. ii.de Trinit. 12. He dream'd fo little of the lafallibllity of the Pope, which a great part of the Church of Rome owns as the greateft Article, into which the Faith of all Chriftians muft berefolved, that he pronounces many Anathema's againft Libcrins, becaufe he had fubfcribed to an Arian ConfelTion of Faith 5 as may be feenin the Fragments of Sr. miarji^ publifiied by Pith^ns. 13. He Ancient Qhurches of the Albigenles. 17 I J. He lays it down for a Maxim, that Jefus Chrift alone was witliouc Sin, in his Difcourfe upon Pfalm y8, and 138. 14. He owns God only to have the Power of forgiving Sins, Can. 8. in Matth. fofar was he fron:i attributing this Pow- er to Minifters, as tlie Qiurch of Rome doth at this day. 1 5-. He formally alTerts that the good Works of one Man are of no avail to deliver another from Punilliment, which overthrows the great Foundation of Satisfadions and Purgato- ry, after the manner that the Church of Rome makes ufe of them, Can. 27. in Afatth. The wife Virgins tell the foolifh, that they cannot give to them of their Oil 5 ^ia non ft forte ijuod omnibfis f tit is Jit, ^.Hcnis fcilicet operibus & merit is neminem adjuvandtimj o^tiia Hniciiiqne Umpadi fudt emere oleHr/t ft necejfe. *' Left perhaps there might not be enough for them all, toin- " timate that no Body can be helped by tiie Works and Me- " ritsof another, becaufe it is necefTary for every one to buy "Oil for his own Lamp. 1 6. He was fo far from believing the Merit of Works, as the Church of Rome at prefent doth, that he difcourfeth thus upon /y^/. iiS. lit. Coph. In o^eribus qtiidem Bonitatis tot us per- feCtus efl^ fed fatis ejje hoc fihi non fntat ad falutem^ nifi fecHndum miferationerty Dei & judicia, miferationem confequatur, " He is *' indeed wholly perfed in all the Works of Goodnefs> but *' he doth not think this fufficient for his Salvation, except ac- " cording to the Mercy of God and his Judgm.ents, he obtain ** Mercy; And it is the fame Notion he gives us, (peaking of . the Parable of the Labourers, upon PfaL i}o. Mercedemnon operis fed miferi cor dies, tindecim£ horce operarii confequnntur, 17. We cannot deny but that St. i-iiUry believed a Purgato- ry, but yet in that Point he differed much from the Church of Rome: He owns a Baptifm of Fire after this Life, butfucba Baptifm as was to be conferred at the laft Day, viz. the Day of Judgment, Matth.Can,z. And that which muft needs greatly fcandaiize the Papifts, is, that St. HiLirji maintains that all Be- lievers, without excepting fo much as the Bleiled Virgin, mull endure the Fire, which he exprelly affirms on Pfal. 1 1 8. 18. If we have a Mind to know whether he allowed the Notion of the Church of Rome, which believes that we can ^ D . per- 1 8 %?»Z^r^5 upon the perfedly fulfil the Law of God 5 we may eafily be refolved by his manner of treating the young Man, ^ who boafted him- felf before Jefus Chrift, as if he had done it : He accufes him of Infolence in feveral places of his Works, for pretending to be juftified by his Works. De Trinity lib, p. Can, i^. in Matth, & Lib. de Patris & Filii unit ate. 19. He overturns the common Notion of the Church of Home, which is, that when Jefus Chrift entred in to his Dif- ciples, the Doors being (hut, he had not loft the Solidity of his Body, and confequently that there was a Penetration of Dimenfions : St. Hilary reje(5i:s this Notion as abfurd, account- ing this Penetration of Dimenfions impoflible, lib, -^.dcTrinit. 20. He aflerrs that theEucharift is celebrated in breaking of Bread, and that the Difciples of Jefus Chrift did drink of the Fruit of the Vine at the Lord's Supper, and mentions not fo much as one Word of Tranfubftr.ntiation, in a place where he particularly explains the Inftituticn of the Eucharift, Can. 30. in Matth. To fpeak the Truth, how could he have any other Thoughts, who maintains that Jefus Chrift isnolvongeronthe Earth, in refped of his Body, becaufe it is impoflible for a Body to be in more places than one ? Adefl enim & cum fideliter invocatur per naturam [nam prdfens efl 5 (piritus enim eft omnia pe- netrans & continens'j non enim fecundam nos corporalis eft, ut cum ali- cubi adftty abfit aliunde, fed virtute prafenti, er fe qmcunque ejt^ forrigenti, cum replente omnia ejus jpiritu in omnibm ft, tamen «, qui in eum credat adfftit. " For hc is prcfent by his Nature, " when he is call'd upon with Faith, he being a Spirit pene- " trating and containing all things ; for he is not like us corpo- *' real, fo as that when he is in one place, he fliould beabfent " from another, but he is in all places by the Prefence of his " Power which extendeth it felf where- ever he is, and his Spi- *' rit that fillethall things 5 yet he is in a more peculiar manner " with him that believes in him. 21. He was fo far from approving the Romifh Inquifition, that he calls the Emperor Conftantiw Antichrift, for perfecuting thofe that were not of his Opinion, lib. in Conftant. Augufl. Yea he judg d all Force to be fo contrary to tlie Spirit of the Chrifti- an Religion, that he maintains that ihejce can be no Religion where Force is made ufe of, Laftly-j Ancient Churches of the Albigenics. Lajlljs He was fo far from believing that rhe Amichri/l, whereof St. Johit fpeaks, was already come ; chat he main- tains that he would be revealed in the Churches that were then pofTefled by the Arians, and that the Faith being thus attacked, the true Believers would be forced to look out for Shelter a- mongft the Mountains in Woods and Caves, leaving the Anti- chrift Mafter of the publick places confecrated to the Worship of God. This is the Sum of what may be gathered from the Writings of St. Hilary. I make no mention of fome Errors of this great Man, becaufe CUudUnm Mamirtm having confuted them about the end of the fifth Century, has made it appear that they were only fome particular Opinions of this great Con- feflTor, and that we cannot look upon them as the common Faith of the Diocefs where he was fecled. But the fame can- not be laid of the Articles I have noted 5 ClaudianHs is fo far from blaming them, that he approves them by his Silence, and fliews that his Dodrine in this Refpe(5tj was the Dodtrine of the Church of GahI. We have nothing left us of the Works of Rhodanlm Bifhop of Tholofife, who was contemporary with St. Hilary : But it ap- pears clear to us, that this Holy ConfciTor having been fent in- to Banifhment with St. Hilaryy after the Council of Beziersy by the Cabal of SatHminus Bifhop of Arles^ Favourer of the jirians •, we are tg confider Rhedanius as a Defender of the fame Faith, and an illuftrious Witnefs of the Belief of his Diocefs : And we ought to make the fame Judgment of FhSadim Bifhop ol Jgetty who was fo much engaged in the fame Quarrel, and who acquired fo great a Name by the vigorous Oppofition he made againft the Errors of Arius : But Providence has pre- ferved us none of his Works. In eflfed,this great Man, who wrote in the Year ^SJ- as ap- pears by his Be ^k againft the Arians, gives us fufficiently to un- dcrftand what his Faith was in divers Articles, and what was the Dodtrine of the Diocefs. J. He maintains that the Catholick Faith is found with thofe who fpeak according to the Holy Scripture, and not amongft thofe who only make ufe of Prejudices. Aftei: having quoted 4C D i feveral 20 Remarks upon the feveral places of Scripture, to prove againft the ArUifs the Eter- nity of the Son, he concludes in this manner, B. Patr. T. 4. /. 174. Voleyjtes igitur a Patre Fil'ium fcindere^ dr ir^ra Deum fo- nere^ de Evangelio prafcrlbunt : '' Tliofe therefore who WOuld " rend the Father ifrom the Son, and place him below God, " give Law to the Gofpel. He expreffeth himfelf yet more fttongly to this purpofe, towards the end of his Book, ib. f. 180. Hoc credimHSy hoc tenemus^ quia hoc accepimus a Prophet u i, hoc nobis Evayjgelia locutd funt^ hoc Apofloli tradiderunt^ hoc Marty- Yes in fafpone confejji funt ^ in hoc mentibm fidei etiam huemus^ contra quod fi Angelas de Coelo annfintiaverlty Anathema fit. -E^^^ nt fu^ra dixintuSj frtejudicata opinionis anthoritoi nihil valebit\^ qttia contra femetipfam, ipfa confiflit. " This we believe, this we " hold faft, becaufe 'tis this we have received from the Pro- " phets, this the Gofpels have declared to us, this the Apo- *' ftles have left us, this the Martyrs in their Sufferings have " confeffed, and to this we adhere with our Minds by Faith, *' fo that if an Angel from Heaven (liould preach contrary to *' this, let him be accurfed. — - Wherefore, as was faid before, " the Authority of a prejudicate Opinion can be of no force, " becaufe it ftands againft it felf. z. He makes it appear that the Name of Catholick was not fufficient to be a true Chriftian, when he reprefents that Arianifm had fo hx feized the Minds of all the World, that ic was neceffary to efpoufe the Arian Herefy,* to procure the Name of being Catholicks, ib. p. 169. Sed quia aut Hxrefis fufcipienda eft ut Catholici dicamur, aut vere Catholici non futnri 5 fi Hterejin non repudiamns^ ad hanc traUatus conditionem^ necefjitate defcendintfis, *' But becaufe we are either to become Here- *' ticks, that we may be called Catholicks, or ceafe to be Ca- " tholicks indeed 5 by becoming Hereticks we are neceflitated *' to write this Treatife. 3. He aflerts that the Revelation of Holy Scripture is fo perfect, with refped to the Divinity of our Saviour^ that Anathemas are to be pronounced againlt all thofe that advance any other Dodtrine. This appears from the great number of Paffages which he quotes from thence, />. 173, ^ 1 78." to v\hich he joins the Anathema, whereof I have already fpoke before. 4. He Jncicnt Churches of the Albigenfes. • 4. He obferves exprefly that the fame Honours rendred to JeSis Chrift in the Liturgy, as to God, do demonftrate hisE- quality with God, f. 174. ^od fi ita efi, faith he, quotidie ilafphemamtis in gratiarum a^ionihus ^ oblationibus facrificiorHm^ commmU h£C Patri ^ filio confitenteSy &c, " If it be fo, VVe '' blafpheme daily in our Thankfgivingsand Offerings of Sacri- *' fice, in confeffmg thefe things common to Father and Son. Thus doth he implicitly overthrow the fit^ Principles of the Church of Rome^ viz. the Imperfedion of the Holy Scrip- ture in Matters of Faith, the Authority aud NeceiTity of Tra- ditions, which arc the compleating of it, and other fuchlike Do6lrines. We iliould now proceed to examine what the State of thefe Diocefles was in the following Century, but that the Bifhop of Meaux ftops us, to refle(5t upon the Hiftory and Do6lrine of Figilamm^ whofe Name is too famous, and his Memory too unworthily torn by that Bifhop, not to afford him that Defence which his Zeal againft Superftition doth juftly deferve. 21 CHAP. IV. An Examination of the Opinions of Vigilantius. Vlgilamlm was born in Ajnitain, as is proved by de Manay in a Dilfertation of his which is not yet publiflied, and Prieft in the Diocefs of Bircelona ^ he had contradled a particu- lar Friendlliip with St. PAnUms, who was ordained Prieft at BArceloHA-^ St. Paftlinzs recommended him in particular to St. Jerome as he paffed through Cam^Anui^ where St. P^m/ims was Billiop, in his way to Jerufalem 5 St. Jerome received him with all the Af!e6tion poffiblc, in the Year 394. and calls him the Holy Pvkiif^igilantiM, in his i yh Epiltle to St. Pan/ims. He made no long ftay in the Holj Land-^ it is probable that the Dif- pmes about origcr.ifwj which troubled that Province, obliged him. IX Remarks upon the him to return tfie fooner. St- ferom (eems to infinuate that Vi- glLintins had been gained by Rufinm^ Enemy to St. 'jerom, and that ^ii^iV'tgiUnUHi was come into Bgyp^ and in fome other Provinces, he accufed St. yrom for haying too great a Liking for the Writings of Orlgen^ &c. decrying him every-where as an Origemfi. This was the true Caafe of the Hate and Rage of St. Jerom againft VigUantiusj whc;cof we have a very fenfible Inftance in his 75?^Epiftle, wb.ich ne wrote againft Vi- giUnthu about the Year 3^7. where he treats him with the greateft Indignity. VigUamius being returned into Gaul, feems to have made his abode there, and to have publi(hed a certain Treatife, about the Year 405. againft the worfliipping of Re- licks, which about 60 Years before, was introduced into the Church. St. ferom being informed hereof, had an Occafion offered him of defending the Superftition of the common Peo- ple againft the Cenfures of Vigilantiufy and of unloading againft him the moft injurious Language that Hatred could infpire. The Writers of the Church of Rome have not been wanting long fince, to draw their Advantage from thefe Invedives of St. Jerom againft the Proteftants, and never fpeak of VigUitmms but as a Heretick. The Bifliop oiMeaux hath carefully traced their Steps : he tells us therefore after his manner very confi- dently, ' that even in the fourth Century, the moft clear- sighted of all the reft, there was found but one only, VigHantlusy who oppofed himfelf againft the Honours given to the Saints, and the worfliipping of their Relicks, yet he is look'd upon by the Proteftants, as the Perfon who has preferved the Depofi- tnm, that is to fay, the Succeflion of the Apoftolical Do- drine, and is preferred by them to St. Jerm, who hath the whole Church for him. This of Neceflity obligeth us to take a particular view of the Opinions of VigUamus, I fhali not make a ftop to inva- lidate what the Bimop faith that Vigilamut wrote in the fourth Century, nor at his endeavouring to cloak the Notion of his Church concerning the religious Worftiip they give to Saints and to Relicks, under the indeterminate Expreffion of the Honours of Saints,and the Worfliip of Relicks ; But to come to the thing it felfj maintain, that MVigiUnths had the Misfortune of Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 2 ^ of falling under the Difpleafure of St. Jermy by the Cenfure he pronounced againft the popular Superfticion of rendring vari- ous Honours to the Relicks of Saints, yet was he never con- demned by the Church that then was, nor treated as an Here- tick. Gennadifis owns that FigiUntifis had an elegant Stile, and that his Zeal for Religion had engaged him to write. I own that he charges him with a Miftake in his Explication of the fecond Vifion of Damel^ and in fome other Articles for which he reckoneth him amongft Hereticks. But we are to take notice, ly?, that Gennjdms wrote an hundred Years after Vigi- Umius, and fo follows the Judgment St. ferom had given before of him. i^/y, That he calls thefe Articles Heretical, after the manner of ancient Authors, wlio very frankly beftowed the Name of Herefy on every thing that difpleafed them, though it had never been condemned by the Scripture, nor reje(5ted by the Body of the Church, s^'/y. That he look'd upon thefe pre- tended Herefies as of very fmall Importance, becaufe he fpeaks of an abfurd Explication of the fecond Vifion of Da-^ fuel, which St. feromhzd revived, as of an Error more confide- rablethanthofeof f'/^/Z^wf/^/, which he does notexprcfs_, and mentions them as Trifles. However be it as it will if the Bifiiop of Meaffx maintains thefe two things 5 ifi. That Vigi- Untius was the only Man that oppofed the Honours of the Saints, and the WorQiip of Relicks •, and ^dl). That St. Jerom had the whole Church on his fide in his Anfwer 5 I main- tain againft the Biftiop, that either he is deceived himfelf, or was willing to deceive his Reader, in both thefe things. TheFalfity of the firft will appear to every one that can read St. ^roms Book againft ViglUntim 5 St. Jerom himfelf witneffeth, that the holy BiQiop, inwhofe Diocefs r?;g//^;7?/Vj was a Prieft, chat is to fay, the Bifliop of Barcelom, was of VigiUmms Opinion •• fo that we have already difcovered one Bifhop, whom St. Jerom endeavoured to conceal from us 5 but we fhall find a greater number whom St. Jerom himfelf owns to have ap- proved FigUantitis\ Opinion, left we (hould imagine that Vigi- Untim and his Bifhop were Schifmacicks : '' O horrible 1 faidi *' St. Jerom, fome Bifhops alfo are faid to be Partakers of his " Crimes : And we may judg of St. Jerom'% Moderation by that which i4 ^marh upon the which follows j Si tamen Epifcopi nominmdi funty qui non ordinani Diacoms nifi frimo uxores dnxerht^ nulli c^Hhi credentes fudicitiam : *' If we may call them Biiliops, who ordain none to be *' Deacons except they be married, not trufting the Chafticy " of any unmarried Perfon. What then (liall we conclude that fo many Churches whofe BiQiops and Priefls were all mar- ried, liad no lawful Bilhops or Prielh ? Can any thing be con- ceived more extravagant than this ? To this Acknowledgment of Sr. Jerom we may add what he faith himfelf on the 6ph Chapter of Ifalah ^ for he owns that Vigilamus's blaming of that popular Superftition, had induced divers Perfons in Gat^l, to abftain from frequenting the Churches of the Martyrs, and to withdraw themfelves from the Prayers that were made there. TheFalfity of the fecond Article will be no lefs evident, if we examine the manner of St. Jerom's defending himfelf againft ViglUnt'iHs -J for though he had undertaken to run down VigiUn- tim, yet after all he agrees with him in the main. St. Jerom owns in his n^ Epiftle, which he writes to Riparius^ that VigiUmus had writ twice againft the Wordiip of Relicks, and that he called thofe that adored them, Cinerarii and Idolaters, qui mortMorum ho'mlmm ojfa venerarentur^ who did honour the Bones of dead Men 3 for which St- ferqm cd\\s liim a Samaritan and a Jew, becaufe he counted dead Bodies to be un- clean, as if Chriflians flill lived under the Law. Wher|as ViglUntlHs blamed the Cuftom of honouring them in the Churches, becaufe it was a piece of Superftition in a Place dedicated to religious VVorfhip, to beftow, any Venera- tion upon Creatures> though the moft holy and mofl excel- lent that might be. St. Jerom is- forced to prevaricate upon this Charge j his way of defending this matter is fuch as would never pleafe the Palat of the Church of Rome. Nos autem non dico AiartyrHmreUqmAS^ fed ne Solem quidem (jr Lu- nam^ non Angelas , non u4r change los^ non Chertibin, non Seraphim^ ^ omne nomen quod nomlnatur^ ^ in pr^fenti fdculo ^ infuturo^ co- limHs & iidoramus, ne ferviamus Creature fotius quam Creatori, qui efl Beneditlfis infxcula. Honor amns autem reliquias Martyr um^ ut eum, cujns [unt JUartyres adoremuiy honoramus fervos, ut honor fervornm redundet ad Dormimm, qni ait, qui vos fufcipitj me fttfci- ^ Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 25 fit. Ergo Petri & Pauli immmdat funt Reliquiaj ergo Afoyfi corf vin- culum imrnHndum erit, quodjuxta Hebraicam veritatem, ab ipfo fe- pu/tum efi Domino 5 & quetiefcttnque Apofiolorum & Profhetarum er omnium Afartyrum Bafi/ic^ ingredimur, toties Idolcrum templa vene- ramur^ acccK/i^jue ante ttimulos eorum cerei Idololatriat injignia funt, ** But we neither worfhlp nor adore, I do not fay the Relicks " of Martyrs, but not fo much as the Sun and Moon, &c, " nor any Name that is named in this World, or in that which " is to come, left we (hould ferve the Creature rather than " God, who is blefled for ever : But we honour the Relicks '' of the Martyrs, in worlliipping him whofe they are 5 we " honour the Servants, that their Honour may redound to the " Lord, who faith. He that receives you, receives me : What *' are the Relicks then of Peter and PauU unclean? Is the Body '^ of Mofes unclean ? which according to the Hebrew Truth " was buried by the Lord himfelf 5 and as often as we enter ** the Churches of the Apoftles, Prophets, and Martyrs, do " we worfhip the Temples of Idols ? and (hall we fay that the *' Tapers which burn before their Monuments are the Marks y of Idolatry? What a fine Application doth St. ferom make here of that PafTage ? He that receives you, receives me ; and how folid an Anfwer doth he return to a folid Objection, when he tells us, We honour the Servanti in wor/hifping him whofe they are ? What a Confeqaence is this ? Is there any other Honour due to Re- licks, befides that of being interred ? Was not this the Cuftom ufed to the Chriftians of old, before the time of Conftantim ? It is well enough feen, that the good Father skips over the Difficulty, and under a general Proteftation of worlliipping nothing but God, he endeavours to flielter a Cuftom which had been introduced aRer the Emperor Co»flamim\ time, that is to fay, about 60 Years before. VigUcwtim blamed the Cuftom which but a little before had been int/oduced of lighting Ta- pers before the Tombs of Martyrs, and paiTing the Night by them in Prayer, wherein he-followed v \t Madms of the Coun- cil of Elvira, held Under the Empire of Co-zijlantine, about 90 Years before. After vvjiat m.anner doth St. ferom refute the(e Complaints of VigilantiM ? he tells us of the Prefence of the E. Angels 2 6 Remarks upon the Angels at the Grave of Jefus Chrif: --, he relies upon the Ex- ample of the Apoftles, who buried the Body of St. Stephen: He produceth the Cuftom o^ Daniel and the Apofties, who fpent the Night in Prayer-, and all this.without doubt extream- ly to the purpofe, and the Proteftants are much in the wrong, to prefer the Opinions of f^igiUmim to fuch folid Reafonings as tiiefe. But it may be replied, yhdxSt.Jerom difputed only (lightly, and for Argument's fake, in his Epiftle to Riparius, not having then feen the Writing of VigiUmHSy and therefore handled the matter only as a Declaimer. This indeed is the beft Excufe that can be alledged to make the Reader digeft the furious Tranfports and Inve&ves of this famous Monk, who treats ViglUnt'iHi no othei wife titan as ano- ther fHlUn the Apofiate, and feems very willing to have had fiim deftroyed by the Law mentioned in the i yh of Deuteronomy, And after all this, St. '^erom is the fame in- his Book againfl: Vigi- Untltu, \yhich follows this Epiftle. After a Preface vvhich out-does all th'- Monfters that either the Scripttire or Fables fpeak of, he begins thus ^ Exortm efi fy.blto T'igiLirtttHS^ feu verita Dormltantiw, qui r/^mutido fpirt'tupug- Ket centra Ch rift i fpiritum, ^ Afartjrum neget [ef-.-lcra veneranda^ d,imna-/iciits dlcat'ejfe Vigi/ias,* rHvquant nift in Pafchji Allelajd cintafi' dum^ conti'ientiam Hare/if}, Padicitiam Lihiditiis femiyuri tm 5 c^ qaomodo Eftfhcrbus in Pjtkigora re;iatu^ ej[e ferhilretur ^ fie i:i i/^o fovifiia-^'i me/js prdva fm-rexit^ ut in ilh^ ^ in hoc Diaboli rejpo-.ide- re Qcg^iwur infdiis, " Here is fuddenly ftarted up one Fixif-^.n^ *' tins, or rather Dormtamiu^ who with an unclean Spirir fights ^' againft the Spirit of Chrift, and denies that any \ eneration " ought to be given to the Sepulchres of Martyrs, condemns " the Watchingsat them, affirms that Alleluja's ought to be " fungatno time exc( pt Eafier^ calls Continence Herefy, and " Chaftity the Nurfery.of Luft^ fo that as Fuphorhu was faid " to b? born again in PjthagorM, in like manner in hiin feems to " be revived lovim^.r.ws Wickedncfs, in whom as we were -" forced to opj^ofe oar felves againft tlie Wiles of the Devil, " fo lik?'A;!"- are we now equally obliged tooppofe this Man's " Errors. What ov^row^^ Eloquence is this? What arrange Account of things is here > But Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 27 But there is fomething wotfe behind, fee what Stories he tells oi'Joviman : Ecc/efa Aptthoritate damnatm inter Phafides aves ^ carries fmllnf^ non tarn emijit {piritMm^ quum eryMAvit^ ifie Caubo CalUguritanui^ & in pci-verfum propter nomen viculi, mutus Quintilianus : Mifcet a([ua.m vim^ & de frifllm artificio, ffia VC' ne-fia perfidU Catholics fidei foctare conatnY^ itnfugnare virglnltA' tent J odjjfe pudicitiam, in conyivio feculariam contra fantloram Aze^ mia procUmare, dum inter phiaUs philofophatur^ ^ ad pUcentOi It" guriens, Pfalmorum modtdatione mulcetur^ ut tantum inter Epulas David & Idithum cr Afaph ^ filiorum Core cmticn andire dignetur. Surely the good St. Jerom did not think of what he fai J, fo ex- treamly was he tranfported with an inconfiderate Zeal for Ce- libacy •, hue liowever, this Zeal of his had a reafonable Mo- tive; Prohnefasl faid he. This is the firft Herefy of /^/^/A?;;- tiwi, he would have it allowed to Minifters to marry, whereas in the ten'Provinces fubje<5t to tlie Pope, in the feventeen Pro- vinces of the Jurifdidion of Ephefm^ and in the fivt Pro- vinces of Egjpt they foil )wed a contrary Cuftom. This without doubt was a crying Herefy; and yet it ap- pears from the Decretal of Pope to Vymerita Bifliop of Tarracona^ i[\?s it had made fo little Impreilion upon the Minds of Men,thar h-.tcnt I. was fain to write A. D.405, to Exuperiu^ Billiop cf •'iholouje^ upon the fame Subjed of the Celibacy of the Clergy, f ) much oppolition did that Bufinefs every where meet with ar that time. We muft confider further the manner how St. '^erorn applies the Paffage, which only regards Adultery, to the Celibacy of the Clergy : But this is only by way of Preface. St. Jeront tells US at firfl, that he had received VigiUntiw% Book, by the Care of E iparit^ dnd Dejiderim, who lived near the Countries that VigHtntim had infe(5ted with his Opinions, and that he had been informed by them, that there vverefome there who favoured his Vices, and were pleafed with his BLiphem.ies: After having branded his Book for a Ifupid piece of Ignorance, and whichdid notdeferve tobedilcufsU were it not for the fake of iome fill;^ Women^ laden with Sins, of whom St. P^«i fpeaks, zTim./^.6. he affaulrs VigHantim upon the account of the place of his Birth 5 he was born at Calaguri, E ^ where- g ^.eniarks upon the wliereupon St. ferom makes a learned Dirquifition into the Ori- ginal of that People, from Powpejs time : Nimirtim^ faith he, refpondet generi fuOj ut qui de Latronnm dr- Convenarptm natm efi Je- mine^ qaos Cm. Pompeius, edomith Hifpania, ^ ad TriHmphum redire feflinans^ de Pj/renai JMgis depofah, & in unttm oppidum congregavity unde d^ ConvenarHm urbs nomen accepit, ht4cufque Litrecinetur contra Ecclefiam.^ 0^ de Ve^onibus ^ Arrebacisy,CeltiberifqMe defcendensy in- curfet Galliarum Eccle/ias, portetqf^e hequaqi^am vexilitim Chrifiiy fed infigne Diaboli. Fecit hoc idem Pompeius etiam in Orientis parti- bus^ ut Cilicibus & Ifauris Piratis, Latronibufcjue ffiperatis, fui no- minis inter Ciliciam & Jfauriam conderet civitatem. S'ed hac urbs hodie fervat fcita Adajorum, dt nu litis in ea ortus efl Dormitantius : Gallia vernaculum hofiem fuftinentj & hominem moti capitis^ at que HippQcraticis vinculi^ alligandam, fedentem (inttnt in Ecclefia &■ inter cetera verba Blafphemia, &c, " He indeed (faith he) every " way anfwers his Extradion *, for being defcended from Rob- *' bers^ and a mix'd Rabble drawn together from feveral parts, *' whom Pompey after he had conquered Spain, and hafting to " his Triumph, removed from the tops of the Pyrenean Hills, " and gathered them into one City, which therefore was called *' the City of Strangeis •■, what wonder is it then, if being fuch " a one, he ravage and fpoil the Church, and if deriving his " Pedigree from the VeBones^ Arrebaci and Celtiberi, he make *' Incurfions upon the Gallick Churches, fighting not under '' Chrift's but the Devil's Banner ? Pompey alfo did the fame in " the Eaft, where after he had overcome the Pirates and Rob- *' bers of Cillcia and Jfauria, lie built a City bearing his own *' Name, between a lid a and Ifamia : but to this day that Ci- '' ty obferves their Fore-fathers Cuftoms, and never produced " any Dormitantius-^ whereas Gaul maintains an home-bred " Enemy, and fuffers a Man that is half mad, one fit to be *' bound in Hippocrates's Bands, to fit in the Church, &c. Here is a violent Tranfport of Rage : What horrid thing then is it that this Robber hath attem.pted ? Why he faid --, jQ^id necejfe efi te tanto honors^ non fohim honorarey fed etiam adorare illnd nefcio quid, quod in modico vafculo transferendo colis ? Et rmfum in eodem libro t Q^uid pulverem linteamine circuvdatum adorando cfcularis ? Et in confequentibusj prope ritum Gentilium videmus fub pratextu Religioni^^ Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. Feligioms, iKtrcdu^uin in Ecclejias ^ Sole adhuc fulgent e^ moles cere- orum accendi^ (fr ublcunque fulvtfculum nefcio (juod^ in modico vafat- lo^ fretiojo linteamine cinundatum ofculantes adorare. Adagnum ho- norem frdtbent htijufmodi homines beatijfimis A^artyribus, cjttos putant de vlH/Jimis cereoUs illuflrandos^ quos Agnus qui efi- in medio 7 hrorJ^ cum omni fulgore Majefiatis [u::is^ ftcut frf^ftra calumni-irisy fed ut yioBU tenehras hoc folatio temperemus^ (y- vigilempu ad Luh^en^ ne- tcrum dcrmiawHS in tene- hris, Slnod (i aU<^u% propter imperitiam & [mplicitatem f^cularium hominum^ vel certe religiofArum feu^i.-.trum^ de quibus vere pof[umpts die ere confieor Zelum Dei habe-'t^ fed non fecundum fcientiam^ hoc pro honorf Martyrum faciunt^ CjUid inde perdis ? Caufabmtur quondam ^ Apojloli^ quod periret un^uentum, fed Domini voce cor- repti ftint., neque enim Chriftus indigebat ungtiento, nee Aiartyres Lfiwine Cereorum, and yet becaufe tl\e Woman did it in honour to *' Chrift, her Devotion is accepted of 5 and fo they who light " wax Tapers, receive a reward according to their Faith 5 for " the Apoftle tells us, Let every one abound in his own Senfe. One cannot avoid taking notice how St. Jerom abufeth this PafTage of St. TmU and the Pretence he gives for adjudging Rewards, to all forts of Superftition •, however we muft ac- knowledg that in this Article St. hr^m hath many more Ap- provers than VigiUnt'iHs. f'igilmms call'd them Idolaters, who by lighting Wax Ta- pers by Day- light, did imitate the Cuftoms of the Heathens. How does St. '^erom anfwer him. Firft, He tells him,that what was done of this kind to Idols, was deteftable, but that the fame thing when done out of refpe^d: to the Martyrs, is very commendable. 2/y,Tliat the Eaftern Churches lighted Candles at the reading of the Gofpel, though there be no Relicks of the Martyrs. 3/)-, That Jefus Chrift affigns to the wife Vir- gins Lamps lighted. 4/r, He oppofeth to VigiUntms the Exam- ple of the Billiop of Ronte^ who celebrated the Mafs upon the Tombs of the Apoities, as upon an xAkar. I fear*I fliould tire the Patience of my Reader, ihould I go about to examine this Piece of St. "jerom^ throughout- this Specimen may fuffice to judg of the W'hole Work. I fhall therefore only reduce to fome few Articles, what I have further to add, in order to the full clearing of this Queftion. 1. I Ancient Qhurches of th Albigenfes. 7 2 I.* I affirm, that the Blfliop of Meanx had no reafon to fay that Vigilanthis oppofed himfelf againft the Honours done to Saints. St. ferom does not accufe him of it in any part of his Works, he only blames him becaufe he was not for giving them fo great Honour as other Men did. ^U Mecejfe eji tamo homre, m-/t tantum honorare^ fed etlain adorare iltud nefclo quid ? ** Wiiat neceiTity is there not only to honour, but even to adore *' and worlhip I know not what, with fo very great Honour ? 2. Tis for the Biiliop of Meaux to tell us, whether he be- lieves with St. Jerom^ that Vigilantius was an Herecick for deny- ing that the Souls of Saints are prefent at their Graves •, and whether Sz. ferom doth folidly prove, that we ought to believe them to be every svhere, where Jefus Chrift is -■, becaufe it is faid in the Revelations, that the Virgins follow the Lamh rphi- therfoeve-'^ he goes. 3. Tlie truth is, Figilantius ftretch'd the Point too far, in maintainiiig, that after we are dead, the Prayer of any one for another cavnot be heard. Probably alfo he might be too ri- gid, in refufing to enter inro the Churches of the Apoftles and Martyrs, to fignify his Avtrfion to the Superfticion which then began to be introduc'd, as St. Auflin complains, De moribus Ecclef. — ca^. 31. 1. But it is falfe, that becaufe Vigilamus found fault with the Adoration of Relicks 5 therefore St. ferom maintain'd the fame " to be lawful : he was fo far from that, that he upbraids Vlgilan- tins with calumniating the Church by this his Accufation. ^uis O infanum caput ! aliquando Martyres adoravit ? ^nis ho' minem putavit Deum ? '' Who ever, O foolilh Man, adored " the Martyrs ? Who ever took a Man to be God ? It is e- vident that St. Jerom takes Adoracion to be an A6t due to God alone, and which he does not divide in two forts, as the Church of Rome does at this day, which indeed makes three xiifferent forts of it. 2. It is falfe, that St. Jerom maintains that the Church prayed to Saints, whereof VigiUntius accufech thofe againft whom he had writ. He agrees with VigiUntius^ that the Saints ought not F to 34 ^jmrks upon the to be prayed to even as Friends to Chrift, and Interce0brs with God '■, Ne Ht Amlci quidem Dei G^ com^recaHres ad Beum^ Is it not manifeft that the Bilhop of Meanx abuf^s the World, when he quotes St. y-rom in favour of the Church of Rome^ which prays to Saints on both thefe accounts, which are fo exprefly reje(5^ed bySt. Jeroyn ^ and when he upbraids the Pro- teftants for following of ViglUntius in an Article which St. Jercm owns as v/ell as he, and the whole Church at th.at riihe? But to fpeak the truth. The whole of VigiUntius his Crime, confifts : ifi, In that he was willing to bring the Difcipline of the Council of Elvira in force again, which was affembled at the beginning of the ^th Century j the Conftitutiops where- of were undervalued towards the end of the fame Age, after the Chriftian Religion began to bear down all its Oppofers, under the Reign of Confiamine and his Children. 2/7, Be- caufe he attributes to the Church fome Cuftoms, which were not all of them authorized, though they were already generally received and maintained by the Ignorant and Superftitlous fort of People, ^ly, Becaufe he oppofed fome Cuftoms as general, which were capable of being explained in a tolerable Senfe. But indeed at the bottom, St. Jerom and yigiUntius were very well agreed upon the Point we con- demn in the Church of Rome 5 neither do we find that the Church, to vyhich VigiUmws did belong, did ever except a- gainft him. Thus it is evident, that the Proceftants may look upon Vigikntlus as a zealous Defender of the Chriftian • Purity, and one of thofe who opposed themfelves againft Superfiition in its firft rife. CHAP. Ancient Chwches of the Albigenies. -i c CHAP. V. 7he State of the Churches o/Aquicain ajul Narbon in the Fifth Century, THis Age furnifheth us with feveral confidcrable Wltnef- fes. Sr. ferow, whom the Bifliop of Adeaux has endea- voufd to reprefenc as our Antagonift, is the firft of them. He faith, fpeaking Q^Exu^erim Billiopof Thohufe, that this ^txhzAnZi- holy Biiliop carried the Eacharift in a Wicker- Basket, a way ^^^^^''^^' by no roeans agj-eeable to the Cuftom of the Church of Rcme^ where it is accompanied with quite different Ceremo- nies, ly?, Becaufe it -is made the Object of Adoration, and that in the very Streets, ^ly, Becaufe People dare not touch the leaft Crumb of it, as being perfuaded that the Body of Jefus Chrift which is in the Hoft, multiplies according to the number of the Crumbs, into which the Hoft may be broken. 3/7, Becaufe by this means it might come to be trod under foot or loft, upon which a thoufand Inconveniencies muft fol- low. It is worth obferving here concerning this Cuftom of carry- ing the Eueharift about, which was in ufe in the ^d Centuryj as appears from the Writings of fc.jiU Aiartyr ^ that it differ'd very much from what we find in the Romiih Cfiurch, fince the I ^th Century. For indeed fince that time, Rome has taken great care to obtain Laws whereby all that vvalk in the Streets, whether Jews, Heathens or Chriftians, maight be compelled to adere, what (he looks upon as her God. But we find nothing like this in any Law of the Emperors or Chriitian Princes in favour of the Adoration of the Eucharilf. The zd W^itnejs whom v/e may confult about the State of tliefe Dioceffes, is SalpitiHj Severn^, Monk of PrlmuHacum m GHienne. And fmce he Vv'i ote at a time, when the Zeal for that kind of Life did tranfport the heft Men, we need not wonder that he hath inferted fo many Fables in the Books F 2 we J 6 Remarks u^on the we have of his, though fetting thofe afide, nothing was finer in that Age than his Writings. But after all, it is certain, thai: notwithflanding all this lea- ven of a Monaftick Spirit, we find many Chara6ters cf a very pare Divinity in liis Books j tliis will appear from the fol- lowing Obfervations : whence it is obvious to conclude,that he was not engaged in Popifli Maxims. I. He maintains, That it was Jefus Chrift that wreftled with facoi> 5 which Pafifage the Doctors of the Church of Rowe corrupt, to have an occafion thence to conclude that a r. 7. B. p. meer Angel had blefled facoh-j Pridie, faith he, quam inter pag. 170. ft fratres convenirent, VominM^hfimana fpecie ajfumpta, colli^SiatPis cnm Jacob refertur. Et cum adverfm DominHin pravalmjfet, tamen mn ejfe mertalem Mon igrtoravit ; benedict fibi ab eo flagitabat, " The day. before the Brothers met, the Lord is faid tohave '' wreftlcd with Jacob in a humane Form •, and though he pre- *' vailed againft the Lord, yet he knew him not to be mortal, ** and defired to be blelfed by him. Pag. 175. 2. He owns the fecond Commandment, and diftinguiflieth it from the firft. Non erunt tlbi Dit allem prater me. Non fades tibi Idolum. " ThoG llialt haVe no other Gods but me. Thoa " fhuiL not make to thy felf a Graven Image. Neither doth he fplit the laft Command Into two, as the Church of Rome does at prefent : for he concludes the Decalogue in this Man- ner, Non falfum teftimonium dices advcrfm Vroximum tuum. Non concupfces qmdqf^am Proximi ttii ? " Thou flialt not bear falfe *' witnefs againft thy Ndghbour. Thou flialt not covet any !^ any thing thac is thy Neighbours. 3. He was fo little perfuaded that the Name of Catholick was a folid Charader of the true Church, that he confelTes that Ariar.ifm had infeded all the World. See how he ex- preifeth himfelf, F.oqMe his certaminibpu proteffumj ut ijiiufmodi ftacuHs crbis terrarum implicaretftr, nam Italiam, lit^yricum atque Orientem Vakns ^ Vrfacius^ caterique, cjuorum nomina edidimniy infe.cerant, *' And thefe Contefts proceeded fo far, that the *' whole World became involv'd in this Wickednefs •• for *' Valens and Vrfacius, with the reft, whofe Names we have *' mentioned, had infeded italj/^ l/ijri^tim, and the Eafi. 4- He J)icicnt Churches of the Albigenles. ? j 4. He minded tlie Pope's Power of fupprefiTing Herefy fo lit- tle, that heowns St. H/7^r> tohave preferved CW; lilud, faith P.ig. 210. he, a^udomnes canjiitity unipts Hilariibeyiefcio^ G a Hi as no fir ai vincu- lo Hirefis Hberatas : " Thus much was known to all, th-it by " tlie fole Endeavours of Hilarj, our CtW was delivered from *' the Infection of Herefy. 5. He ihews fo violenc an Averfion to the Spirit of Perfecu- tion,that he very Iharply reproves ///7-Tf/«/, for uiing the PrifdlU- anifis hardly, who were a Branch of the Munkhets that had fettled themfelves in S^aln and for perfwading the Emperor Gratian to banilh them: /j, faith he, viz,. It had ft Sy vero fiae^^g' 2U> modo cfr ultra, quam oportfiit, Idtidum fcdofcjue ejus /acejjens, f.icem qptandam nafcenti incendio fnbdldity tit exafperaverh tnalos potius (jU4m eompre^erit. 7Ww vera Idadtts atqae IthaaHS acrius in- fiare— arbltrantes pojje inter initio, malum comprimi 3 fed parum fanis COnfiliis f^cuUres judices adeunty ut eorum decretis at que executioni- buSj H!fiUi\xx. if either the violence of the Difeafe be fuch, or the ^ " carelefnefs of the Sick hath been fo gieat as to i'ontinue in " their fpiritual Infetftion till they are a dying,then I don't know " what to fay, or what to promife. - — It is better indeed to " leave nothing unattempted, than to negled a dying Perfon 5 " efpecially, becaufe I do not know, whether to endeavour " any thing at the lafl Gafp may be a Medicine •, fure it is, that " to try nothing, is certain Perdition. 7. He exprefly excludes the Dodrine of Merits. '^ For this ^ ,P '* alone what Equivalent can Man pay, for whom Chrift Lib.* '2 " g^ive himfelf. by the fuffering of moft extream Pains ? Or " what will he render to the Lord worthy of him, who " owns God himfelf to be God, by whom he was re- ^' deemed ? I ought in this Place to mention a Canon of the firf^ Coun- cil of Orange held in the year 441, at which 15 of the Biihops of GallU Narbonenfps, and the Country about Lions alTifled. ' ris the XVII Canon j the firfl: Words are thefe, Cr4m Capfa & Calix offerendus eft (other MSS. have infer endpu, which feems more agreeabfe to rearon)c^ admixitione Eucharifli£coyfecr4nd!44. We find that thii Canon does hint at thefe two things very clearly, i/?, That at that time they kept the Bread of the Eucharift in a Casket or Coffer, fo far were- they from making Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 49 making it an Objed of their Adoration, ^d, That thie ming- ling only of the Bread that was conftcrated before, with the Wine that was not confecrated, made them look upon the Wine, though not confecrated by the Words of Jefus Chrift, as the Blood of Jefus Chrift 5 which is the moft extravagant and fenflefs Notion in the World, if we fuppofe that thefe Fathers were feafon'd with the Dodrineof Tranfubftantiation, which attributes to the Words of Chrift, only the \'irtue of changing the Subftance of the Wine into the Subftance of the Blood of Chrift. AlUtlm takes a great deal of pains to avoid this Argument, which fliews, that the Greek Church, that believes the fame, cannot be of the Faith of the Church of Rome, In the mean time, the thing is certain, and Mn- billon has ingenuoufly acknowledged, that this is the true fenfe ord°ine%onf^ of that Canon. And indeed there are many Proofs that make pag. 1 39 °'"* it evident, that both the C7m^ and /^^//« Fathers were of this Opinion. Salonim one of the moft famous BlfllOpS 0^ Gallia Narhonenjis^ owns no o^.her Doctrine but that of the Old and New-Tefta- ment. Drink waters ont of thine or»nCifi em t, and rnnning Waters g p -r cHt of thine own Well, S. " By Ciftem he means the Catholick pag. ** Do(5trine, that is, that of the Old and New-Teftament ; and " by the Well, he underftands the Depth and Height of the *' fame Catholick Dodrine, that is, the various meanings of *' holy Scripture : For in thefe Words, he teacheth us to be- '* ware of the Dodrine of Hereticks, and to attend to the rea- *' ding of Holy Scripture. He will have the Author's Meaning, and not Tradition, to be the Explication of Scripture. Do not remove the amient Pag. 141 Land-mark^ or Bounds vohich thy Fathers have fet. S, *' By thean- '' tient Bounds he underftands the Bounds of Truth and Faith, " which Catholick Dodors have plac'd from the beginning. He would have no Man therefore receive the Truth of Ho- ly Faith and Gofpel-Dodrine, any othervvife than it hath been handed down to them by the Holy Fathers 5 and likewife commands that no Man interpret the Words of Holy Scrip- ture, othervvife than according to the Intention of each Writer. H He I. 134. < o Remarks upon the He doth not own the ^focry^ha. How many Books did So- Pag. 147. lomon publiili? S. " Three only, according to the number of " their Titles, Preverhsr, Ecckfiajfes, and Canticles. F. What " doth Solomo}} fay in the Proverbs, or what doth he teach in Ec " cUftafles, and his Songs ? He affigns but two Places whither the Soul goes immedi- Pag. 157' ^^t\y. " For, by the Tree, Man is underftood, becaufe every " Man is as it were a Tree in the Wood of Mankind j by the *' South, which is a warm Wind, is fignified the Reft of Para- *' dife h and by the North, which is cold, is fignified the Pain " of Hell : and the meaning of it is, Wherefoever Man pre- " pares a Place for his future abode, if to the South, when he '^ falls (that is, dies) he ihall abide to all Eternity in the Reft of '' Paradife, and the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. He makes it the greateft Abfurdity, that a Man fliould eat his own Flefh ^ which yet follows from the Doiftrine of Tranfub- Bag. 155' ftantiation. " But that Expreilion, He eats his own Fle(h, is " {poke by an Hyperbole. ^. What is an Hyperbole? ^y.When " ^ny thing is expreft that is incredible. V. How is this expreS " hyperbolically, lie eats his own Flefh > S. Becaufe it is incre- " dible that any Man fhould eat his own Flelli --, but to aggra- ^' vate the flothfulnefs of this FooJ, he faith, that he eats his *' own Fleih, to fliew that a Fool rather deiires his Flefli " fliould wafle by Hunger, and be confumed by the Mife- " ry of Want, than to fupport it by the labour of his Hands^ Thefe are all Maxims concerning divers important Articles*, very different from the prefent Maxims of the Church of SionTie, \ grant that Proffer, who was a Native of A^yitaln, was no more than a Lay-man, but he was in fo great a Reputation,. that there were but few Bifliops of his time, that have lliewn mere Knowledg, or expreft more Zeal for the defence of God ' Truth, than he did. This Teftimony is given of him by r.i'.^i^.^uCaJJiodorm, P hot I hs znd Fafquez. Wherefore his Teftimony cap. 11,' concerning the Faith of his Country, muft be of great weight with us. . . , „ Would we know the Opinion of the Church of this Dio- Bimid. Tcir.p, ^^^^^ ^^ tdlsusof a fmallpartof the Body of Jefus Chrift, thereby. Ancient Churches of the Albigeiifes. 5 i thereby meaning the Eucharift or the Sacrament, which was given in little Bits. And it is in the fame fenfe that he fpeaks of a fmall part of the Sacrifice -■, ExprefTions that are utterly inconfiftent with the Notion of the Church of Rome, concer- ning the carnal Prefence. And indeed it is plain in all his Writings, that he follows the fteps of St. Jugufim^ in his Ex- preffions and Judgments of things which are contrary to thofe of the Church o^Rome. This we may fee in his Extrad of the Sentences of St. ^«- gnflin^ where he repeats what that Father had faid upon J^falm 33. upon occafion of thefe Words of the vulgar Verfion, which fays, that David ferebatur in mambus fuis, in the prefence of jichifh. Where it clearly appears, that he underftood thofe Words as well as St. ^ugMftin did, of the Sacrament of his Body, which may be called his Body in fomc fenfe 5 that is to fay, by way of Likenefs, as St. Auguflin exprelTeth himfelf con^ cerning it. I cite nothing here from thofe other Works, which are at> tributed to him, becaufe indeed they are none of his. I {hall only obferve two things : The firft is, that in his E- piftle to Tiemetrim he plainly (hews, that he kneiv nothing of the Dodtrine of the Church o^ Rome, concerning the NeceSity of the Miniffers Intention for the Validity of the Sacraments : for there he attributes all to the Work of God, and not to that of the Minifter, according to the Do(ftrine of St. Auguflin, upon the Queftion of the Validity of Baptifm conferred by He- reticks. The other is, that as he follows St. Augafiin in the Matter of Free Grace, as one may fee in his Poems gathered from the Opinions of St. Auguftin and his Sentences, fo he rejeds the Doctrine of Merit and Works, as a pure Pelagian Do(i^rine, in feveral Places of his Writings. Laftly, We muft join with thefe Authors, Amohim the Rhetorician (fince it is very probable that he lived in Gallia Narbonenfis, becaufe he has dedicated fome of his Works to Leontlm Bifhop of Aries, to the Biihop of Narbonne, and Fan- fins Bidiop of Riez, who died about the year 485.) Amobim explains his Belief in the Matter of the Eucharill: after this H i manner. ^ 2 ^marks upon the manner, w? have received, faith he upon the 4th Pfalm, wheat in the Bo^j, TVine in the Blood, ar:d Oil in Chrifme. So likewifc on Pfal. 104, he faith of Jefus Chrift, that he adminifters, not miy the ffecies of Bread, hut alfo of JVine and Oil. Thus it is he delcrijes the Eucharift and Baptifm. We nnay obferve like- wife, that as he recommends to Believers the confideration of ^ p^^j j2o.^h^^^ Wo^'^^s, furfam Cor da, at the Moment of their receiving ' ' * thefe Myfteries, {0 he doth not own that any receive the Bo- dy of Chrift befides thofe that fear him, and who by Faith are made the Sanduary of God ; thus he argues in his Commenta- ries upon Pfal. zi, &: 132. As for FaujlM Bilhop of Riet., whatever Conteftshe had with thofe who defended the Dodrine of St. Attguflin in the matter of Grace, which made Pope Gelafipu condemn his Writings •, yet certain it is, that France has always had the higheft efteem for him poflfible *, and his Name is regiftred in the Catalogue of her Saints, in the Roman Marty rology, till it was expunged by MoUnes in the laft Century. Neither hath this hindred, but that to this Day he is honoured, and prayed unto as a Saint in the Diocefs of Riei^. His Dodrine is as follows. T. 2. B. P. K He rejeds the Merits of good Works, and Works of pag. 148. Supererrogation, as particularly, as if he had had an Eye to the Papifts : " Wherefore (faith he) though we endeavour with " all Labours of Soul and Body 5 though we exercife our " felves with all the might of our Obedience-, yet nothing of *' all this is of fufficient Worth to be rendred or offer 'd up by " us as a deferving Recompence for Heavenly-good Things. " No temporal Obedience whatfoever can be equivalent to *' the Joys of Eternal Life. Though our Limbs may be wea- *' ried with Watchings, and our Faces difcolour'd with Fa- " ftings, yet when all is done, the Sufferings of this time Rom. 8. " vvill never be woithy to be compared with that Glory Book 2.ciiap.4. *' which fliall be revealed in us.. He difcourfeth much at gag. 725. the fime rare concerning Grace and Free-will. 2. We fee clearly that he did not own the Exiftence of the Body of Jefus Chrift in the Eucharift, in the manner of a Spi- i;ir,^ becaufe he maintains ail Creatures to be corporeal 5 and that Ancient Churches of //;e Aibigenles. r> that the Soul is diftin(ftly in a certain place, becaufe if it were Lib. de Crear otherwife, we muft conclude it to be every where. That ^^%- 59^- whicii is very ftrange, is, that Mc.mertm, who hath refuted him, doth yet more direclly thwart this Doclrine of Rome, by the various Hypothefes which he propofeth when he con- futes this Fauflm Biihop of Riez. But this Century hath de- tained me too long s I proceed now therefore to confider the State of thefeDioceffes in the Sixth Century. CHAP. VI. Tht State of thefe Vloceffes in the Sixth Century, WE do not find fo many Authors of thefe Diocefles in the Sixth Century, as we have had in the foregoing : but however, thofe we have of them, are fufficient to inform us what their State was. I begin with St. Cafarim Biihop of Aries, who affifled at the Council of Agde in the year J02, and died in )-42 •, io that he reach'd almoft the middle of this Cen- tury. This great Man fully reprefents the Notion that he had of the Eucharift, when he lliews, that in Baptifm there is the fame Change., and the fame Prefence'of the Blood of Jefus Chrift which he owns in the Eucharift •, as appears in his ^th and jr^ Pag. a^g; Bomlly, But in his 7^^ He;?;//;, he fpeaks in fuch a manner as needs no Commentary : " And therefore fince he was now " about to withdraw his a/Tumed Body from our Eyes, and *' carry it up to Heaven, it was needful that the fame day he " fliould confecrate for us the Sacrament of his Body and " Blood, that he might continually be remembred by the *' Myftery which was once ofFer'd up for our Redemption : that fo feeing his IncercefTion for the Salvation of Man was daily and continual, the offe.ing up of our Redemption might be perpetual alfo, that this everlafting Sacrifice might live iaoui- Memory^ and be always prefenc by Grace. z. Though <^ Remarks upon the 2. Though he fpeaks of the Eucharift as changed into the Body of Jeius Chrift by the Power of God, yet he maintains that it is by Faith, and by the Ads of Underftanding, that we can partake thereof. See how he fpeaks to a Chriftian who hath been regenerated by Baptifnp. *' Wherefore as without " any bodily feeling, having laid afide what before thou e- " fteemedft advantageous, thou art (uddenly become clothed " with a new Dignity : and as it is not thy Eyes, but thy Ui> " derftanding that perfuades thee that God hath healed what " was wounded in thee, blotted out thy Sins, and waflVd away " thy Stains •, fo when thou goeft up to the venerable Altar to '' be fatisfied with Food, thou may 'll fee the facred Body and " Blood of thy God by Faith, admire it with Reverence, reach *' it with thy Mind, receive it with thy Heart, and above all, " take it in with thy Soul. 3. He expredy afTerts, that the Body which the Prieft diftri- butes, is as well in a little Part as in the Whole j which agrees only with the Sacrament, and not with the natural Body of Je- fus Chrift. 4. He maintains, that the Oblation of the Bread and Wine made by MelchUedeci, did typically lignify the Sacrifice of Je- fus Chrift h which is abfolutely falfe, if it be true that the Confecration deftroys the Nature of the things offered, as the Church of Rome believes. Hear what he faith : " He there- " fore, in MeUhUedeck^ (whofe Genealogy or Original was " unknown to thofe of that time) by the offering of Bread and " Wine did forelliew this Sacrifice of Chrift : of whom the " Prophet pronounceth, Thou ai t a Prieft tor ever, according *' loxh^oiiitto^Mclchizedeck. And Blefted ^t^<>/f/ alfo (peaking *' of this Myftery, fignifies die Wine and Blood with one " W^ord '■, Long before, (pointing St the Lord's Piiftion) in the " Blejjing of the Patrinrchjje Jhall Tvafh his Givnnent in Wine^And his " Clothes in the Blood of the Grape. Mark how evidently it ap- '' peai-s, that the Creature Wine is called die Blood of Chrift. " Confider what thou art further to enquire concerning this " twofold Species,feeing the Lord himfelf witnefietb. " Ex- " cept, faith he, you (hall eat the Flelli of the Son of Man, '.' and drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you 5 which Tefti- *' mony Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. c and died in 581. We find in the Rule that he writ for Monks, that he fetled in his Diocefsan uncommon Strain of Piety. 1 . We do not find him to demand the Approbation of this his Rule at Fomcy as ha^ been done for fome Ages fince. He fends to the Biflup 0^ Die^ to deiire his Advice, and afterwards publilhed it with the Approbation only of that Bilhop, with- out troubling himfelf about any other Authority. 2. He orders liis M M»ks to work with their Hands, that they might not be chargeable to the Publick, as all the Orders of Cap, 5.Reg«j, Mendicants areattuis time. I 3. He 8 Remarks upon the 3. He receives none but fuch as are come to Mens Eftate, and will have them tried before they be admitted, whereas St. Ben»et ordained, that thofe whom their Parents had prefented Cap. ir. to a Monaftery, fliould from their Infancy be received and . abide there. 4. He will have the great Employment of the Monks to be the reading of the Pfalms, which he will have them go through every Week. 5. He will have them on Anniverfary Days of the Martyr- dom of the Saints, to read the Adls of their Martyrdom, for a worthy Celebration of the Memory of their PafTion •■, but not a Word of incouraging the Monks to offer up Prayers to ¥.6.i2. them on thefe folemn Days. 6. Above all he requires of every Monk daily to read the Scripture, and not to difpenfe w'ith ir, upon any Pretence, or becaufe of any other Bufinets whaj^foever- FortHnatHi was born in Italy^ out coming into France in the Year 57 '. he ftayed there in the Service of St. Radegunda, and was ordained Priefl at Poitiers, where he lived in great Repu- tation till the end of that Century. Some will have him to have been raifed to the Epifcopal Dignity in the fame City, but this appears to be wholly uncertain. Grego-lm Turonenjis^ who often mentions him as his Friend, never giv'es him any other Title but that of Prieft. However it be, it appears by his Writings, that he was very far from Popery 5 in thefe fol- lowing Articles. 1. He never in the Life of S>\., Mmln attributes to thu holy Man, tliat upon any occafion he pra^^ed to the Saints for the Eoo'-j 5. pag. working of his Miracles. This we may fee in his Relation of 7^4. Bib. Patr. St. Martins railing a Child to Life. 2. He looks upon all Billiops as the Vicars of St. Peter -^ ac- cordingly he faith to the BifllOp of Metz •, Jipprret Petri vol me- rmfe vices : It appears you have deferved to be St. Pete/s Vicar. 3. We meet with nothing more commonly in the Epitaphs which he made, than this Notion, that dece^^ fed Believers are in Heaven •, from fuch ExprefTions as thefe •, Hnnc tenet ulna Dei, Inter /i^oftolicos credimtis ejfe choros, Non banc flere decet^ cvam Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. ^p gfj,im Par^idlfm hdet. Accordingly alfo he maintains that j^hra- ham's Bofom is the Heavenly Glory. Pag. 75^. Lafily ^ It appears from an Expoiition he hath made (^ the Apoftles Creed, that he owned no Dodrines, be/ides thoie contained in that ancient Formulary, as Articles of his Faith, becaufe he makes no mention at all of thofc nevv Articles which the Church oi Rome hath added to that Creed, and which iLe impofeth on her I^eople, as another part of that which makes the Objedt of Faith. It cannot be denied but that the Spirit of Superftition had already made a confiderable Progrefs in all places h we meet with an illuftrious Example thereof in the Diocefs of Afar- feiUes, which joined to Ga/iia Narhonenjis : The People there began to render a religious Worfliip to Images, whereupon Serenns the Bifhop of Marfeilles was forced to follow the Me- thod of St. Efifhamusy in breaking the Images to pieces, which drew upon him the Cenfures of Gregory I. who exhorts Lib. 9. Ep. 9. him to eredt them again, though he commends him for having oppofed himfelf to their Adoration, and exhorts him care- fully to inttrud the People, to prevent their falling again into Idolatry. And it is natural to conclude, that this Ex- cefs of the People met with the fame Checks in many other places. • I 2 CHAP. (5o Remarks u^on the p CHAP. VII The State of the D'toce/Jes of Aquitain, a?id Narbon, in the Seyenth Qentury* I am come to the Seventh Century, of which I have two pieces of great Authority to produce : The firft concerns the Purity of thefe Dioceiles,^ in regard to their Faith. There was a Council held at Toledo in the Year 6^-^, whereat SUva Bi(hop of Narbon aififted, in the Name of the Biiliops of Galiia Narbomnfis, and they began the Synod with a Confellion of Faith, which (hews beyond all Controverfy, that nothing was look'd upon by them as an Article of Faith, that was not received for fuch in the Creed of the ancient Chriftians 5 for there was not fo much as one Word to be found there of all thofe Articles which the Church of Rome impofeth upon thofe of her Communion, as an Addition to the primitive Faith. The fecond regards the Practice of the publick A(5ts of Re- ligion, and that is the Gothkk Liturgy, which of a long time wasuled in thefe DiocelTes-, wherefore to make a fuller Difco- very of the Religion of thefe Provinces, it will be of Im- portance to make fome Remarks upon this Liturgy, which was in ufe there. It is not probable that all the Parts of it are of equal Anti- quity, as may be feen by the Office of the Aflumption of the Blelled Virgin in Soul and Body, which was reje(5ted in Trmce^ as a thing uncertain, towards the end of the ^th Century, ac- cording to the Teftimony of Vfmrdw, One may make the fame Judgment of divers other Offices, which are found in this Gothkk Liturgy 5 the Barbarifm which appears in all its parts, fufficiently ihows its Age ; In the mean time fuch as it is, it does not want the Marks of a confiderable Purity, which itfeems, obliged^'r^^oy; Yllo toabolifh and fupprefs it with all his Might, I. We Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. - 6 1 1. We find In it the Recital of the Apoftles Creed, as the only ProfefTion of Faith, which the Churches of thefe Pro- vinces required of thofe who would be Partakers of her Com- munion 2. We don't find in it any Prayer addrefs'd to Saints. It fuppofeth all along from one end to the other, that the Saints pray in general for the Church, and on this Ground it is, that therein they defire God to have regard to their Prayers, and to receive their Interceflion, their Suffrages, and fo forth. P^trochia, There is no greater ftrefs laid upon the Power of the BleflTed Virgin with God, than on that of the Patriarchs and Apoftles, yea, of the Anchorets and Virgins. True it is, that there is a folemn Commemoration of divers Saints, but it may eafiiy be perceived, that it is only done out of a Defign to glorify God, by reprefenting to themfelves their Examples, and form- ing or difpofing themfelves to imitate them. This is done in the Office of St. Forrefim and Ferucio. We find divers ConfelTions to God before the Liturgy, but ^^S- 27 »• none at all made to Angels, to the BlefTed Virgin or Saints, as at this day is done in the Romifh Mafs. 3. We find there no particular Diftin(5lion for the Billiop of Rome, only that the Birtiop of the City of Rome is called pag.27^. the firft of Bifhops. ^^^///o« in his Pi eface triumphs, becaufe of this Title, butheisextreamiy out in his account 5 for hath the firft Bi(hop any Jurifdioiion over the fecond ? the fecond pag. 266. over the third ? We find there the Prayer for the Feaft of St. Peter^ but with a Claufe which MabUbn owns to be found in all the ancient Mifials, and is ftruck out of the Roman Liturgy, in order to extend the Papal Monarchy over all the Earth. We do not find therein the leaft Foot.ftep of Prayers for the Pope, which (hews that the Decree of the Council of Vai~ fan, wherein it was ordained that Prayers fliould be made to God for the Bilhop of Rome, was not obferved throughout Gauli, yea what is more, the fame Liturgy gives the Title of Head of the Church to St. Paul, as w ell as to St Feter. We find therein no Adoration of the Crofson Good- Friday. 4. We find therein an Office for St. Saturmnui Bifliop of ■^thokiifey who is looked upon as come from the Eaton Parts in 62 Remarks upon the in the place of St. Peter, which (hews that all theBifiiopsof Frayjce confidered themfelves as the Vicars of St. Peter, as well Pag. 220. as the BifllOp of ^velties. Bat let us ;Tuceed to take a view of the State of theie Diocdies in the Zih Century. CHAP. VIU. The Opinion of the Churches of Aquitain and Nar- bon in the Eighth Century, THere was no part of Ganl fo (haken and laid wafte by the Wars, as Aquitaln and Gallia Narbonenfis wtre in ths ^th Century : Though all France fuffer'd in fome meafure, yet thefe two Provinces were, during a loijg feries of Years, the Theatre of War and Calamity. However, we may fay that thefe Miiliaps ferv'd only to awaken the Zeal of thefe Peo- ple, and to make them, the more fenfible of 1 he Averfion they ought to have to the Idolatry which reigned in the E^ft j and which it feems God was willing to punilh with tl.r Sccuige of the Saracens^ the great Enemies of Images and Idolatry. For not only did the Bifbops o{ thefe DiocefTes preRrr-j their Pu- rity in the Faith, \\hich they made ai^pear at the en 1 of this Century, by their oppoling the Opinions oT FHix Kilhop of Vrgel^ and of Ell^^^ndns Arch-bifliop of Toledo^ who revived Nefior' Jncient Q?urches of the Albigenfes. 72 Nej%riamfm'^ buc they alfo gave a publick Teftlmony of their Averfion to the wordiipping of Images, which the Popes afferted in Conjunction with thofe of the Eaft. The Judgment of thefe DioceiTes concerning Images ap- pear'd in Publick, when their Deputies aflifted at the Coun- cil of Francfertj which condemned the zd Council of Nice^ notwithftanding that it had been approved by the Pope. The zd Council of Nice had in the year 787, ordain'd the Adora- tion of Images, under the Penalty of being Anathematiz'd. The Eaft was entirely over-run with this Superflition j and what we have already feen of Serenpts Biihop of Marfeille, makes it evident, that it had likewife made great Progrefs in the Wefl. CharUmain and the whole Body of the We- ftern Churches, if we except Rome and Tome Partifans of the Pope in Italj^ were defirous to flop this torrent ; England con- demned the Decrees of the Nlcene Council, and cenfured them by the Pen of the famous Alculn. His Writings were fub- fcribed by all the Bifhops of England, and fent to Charlemain. This great Emperor thereupon, in the year 794, afTembled at Francfort a Council of the Bifliops under his Government 3 that is, thofe of Italy, AqHitain, and Provence, as well to Condemn Elifandm Arch-bifhop of Toledo, and Felix Bifhop of Vrgel, as to make an enquiry into the kCts of the id Council of Nice. They were examin'd in prefence of the Pope's Legats. And this Council finding that the zd Council of Nice had Anathe- matized all thofe who refufed to render to the Images of the Saints, the Worfhip and Adoration which are only due to the Trinity j fhe denied the Sei vice and Adoration of Images, defpifed the Nicene Adls, and condemned thofe whp received them. Now that we may exadly know the Opinions which obtaln'd in thefe Diocefles, whofe Bifliops approved the Book of Char- lemain 5 the Reader needs only confider carefully the Poficions of charlemain againfl (everal Opinions which have fince pre- vailed in the Church g{ Reme. I. In his Preface, he exprefly rejeds Traditions *, when he faith, " That as for them fe Ives, they were content with Pro-. " phetical, Evangelical and Apoflolick Writings. L 2. He 74 ^marks upon the Lib. I. cap. 15. 2. He maintains 5 " That we are principally to believe the pag. 84.. ^ " f j;m;|^ q[ ^h^ Hel>rew Original s Hehaa veritati fotiffmum fides (xcihlber.dn efi-,, Thus he exprefleth himfelf by way of oppofition to Tranflations, and the vulgar Latin in particular. 5. He lays it down. for a Rule, that God alone is the lav^r- P^- 3^- ful Objed of religious Woriliip. " It is no fmall Error to " ferve any thing with religious Worship befides him who *' faith, Then [halt worjhl^ the Lord thy God, and him o>ily. ^' Jhalt. thou ferve. And he repeats this afterwards-, Nei- Lib. 2. cap. 5. " ther do we read that any thing is to be worfhipped be- pag, 184, cc ^^g5 Qq^j ^ becaufe it is written, Thou fhAit tvorfht^ the " Lord thy Go\ and hint only fhdlt thou ferve. 4. Would we know his Opinion concerning the Worfhip which at this day is given to Angels and Saints? We may find it, Lib. I. caj^. 9. f. 6p. '' Moreover, faith he, for as much as *' we fee that fohn in the Revelation is reftrain'd by the An- *' gel from worfhipping him-, and that Peter the Paftor of the ^' Church forbad the Worililp of the Centurion •, and that " the chofen VelTel, together with Bamda^, wich a ftrong " Oppofition, rejed:ed the Adorations of the Lycaoma»s 5 we " are without doubt to conclude from thefe Examples, that *' Adoration, which only belongs to God, who alone is to be " worihipp'd and alone to be ferv'd, is not to be rendied to *' any Creature vYhatfoever, except only by way of Saluta- Lib.i5.cap.2 5.** tion, to exprefs our Humility. So afterwcirds j '^ The pag. 227. P^^nem. p.. who have writ fiace Theopha»es, 3°p« • CHAP. IX. T/;e Faith vf the Churches of Aquicain and Nar- bon, in the Ninth Century, Charlemaln^ that great Man, who lived till the Year 814.- maintained the Spirit of Oppofition againft the Errors and Superftitions of the Church of Rome, that efpoufed the In- tereft of the Image- Worfliippers, by approving the fecond Council of Nice. This Council having eftabliilied the Au- thority of Tradition, as being a neceffary Principle to fjpporf the WorQiip of Images •, we find that the Churches of A^ui- tmn and NArbon^ kept themfelves firmly to the Authority of the Scriptures, grounding their Faith thereon, and regulating , their Woifliip according to the fame. Of this vvc hive an illuftrioas Example in the Council of Arles^ affembled in the Year 8 1 3, by the Order of Charles main, whereat the Arch-biihop of Narbon aflifted with his- Suffragans. For the Fathers of this Council thought fit to be- gin it with a ProfefTion of their Faith, which is nothing but an Extra(5t of that Creed, which bears the Name of Jthamfui, . and: (J^marh upon the and this is that which they ordain Qiould be preached to the People for the Catholick Faith, without fo much as mention- ing one Word of thofe Articles of Faith that the Church of Mows now impofeth. Charlemain had ordered aColledion of Homilies to be made out of the Works of Orlgen^ St. Amhroje^ St- Chryfofiom^ St. Jerom^ St. Auguftin, Sx. Leo^ St. Adaximm, St. Gregorj ^nd Bede, which he caufed to be publiilied in thefe Diocefles, as well as the reft of his Empire 5 now thefe Homilies do fo ftrongly oppofe the moft part of thofe Novelties, which were then en- deavoured to be introduced, that this Book for a long time ferved as a Bar, to hinder People from leaning too much to- wards thofe things that incline Men to Superftition. There is no Protefiant in the leaft verfed in the Matters of Controversy, who feeing the Names of thofe ancient Dodlors comprized in this ColleSion, will not remember how much thefe Fathers have oppofed themfelves to a Multitude of Corruptions which prevailed at laft, by the fadious Endeavours of fome of the latter Popes*, wherefore I may excufe my felf from making an Extrad of this Colledion, choofing rather to produce other WitneflTes, which the fame Diocefs affords us concerning the Faith of thefe Dioceffes in the ninth Century. I can only produce three or four 3 but to recompenfe the fmallnefs of their Number, they are Men againft whofe Au- thority the moft contentious Adverfaries will have nothing to oppofe. In the firft place it is certain,that as the Biiliops oFAqul- tain and Narbon had fet themfelves againft the Superftition and Idolatry of the Greeks and the Pope in the matter of Images at the Council of Frdncfort 5 fo their Succeftbrs imitated their Zealand Vigor in the Synod at Paris in 814, upon the fame Queftion -■, where they determin'd that Pope Adrian, who had writ an Anfwer to the Book of charlemain, and therein under- taken the Defence of the fecond Council of Nke^ had made ufe of in the faid Reply, fuperftitiom Teftimonles, and not at all to the pHrpofe, anfwer Ingtvh At he thought fit , and not what was agreea- ble. And befides they drew up a new Colledion of great Num- bers of Arguments againft this fuperftitious Worftiip, to recal Pope Pafchal and thofe of his Party from their doating on Images. We Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 8 1 _We can (hew further, that the fame Zeal was continued in this Diocefs. BalHi^i^ hath acknowledged, and fo has Maffo- Ktu before him, that the Book of Agobardm Arch billiop of Z/W. concerning Piduies, exprelleth no more thanthe gene* ral Opinions of the Bilhops of Fra}ice and Germmy^ concern- ing this Point. But it may not be ami is to quote it in particu- lar, not only to flievv what were theOpiiiions of theChuiciies of Aqmtain and Narbon (becaufe thoug'i he was born in S^n'm, yet he had continued for a long time in A.yitain^ whither he was invited, becaufe of the general Efleem he had gained, to be the Coadjutor to Lel^radm i\rch-billiop of Llons^ to whom he fucceededj) but alfo becaufe it appears by his Works, that the moft illuftrious Bilhops of GaRU Narbonenfis carefully confulted him in Matters of Difficulty, as their Ma- fter, being indeed a moft famous Doctor, able to inflru(5t and inform them. I . He declares, as St. ^ngnfiin did before him, that we can never equalize the Authority of any Interpreter whatfqever, to that of the Apoftles : Concerning Expopors alfo St. Auftin ^« 9- S. P. Pu- huth delivered'^ " That we are to hold far othervvife than you ''"' r^g- 1245. " do, whom not only in his Book, which he hath writ againft *' FanflHs the Manichee, concerning thofe who have been blamed *' by the Doiftors, yea the beft of them, fpeaks thus^ which *^ fort of Writings, that is to fay Expofitions, are not to be " read with a Necelfity of believing, but with a Liberty of ** judging •, for thofe Books only, that are of Divine Authori- '* ty, are to be read not with a Liberty of judging, but with " a necelfity of believing, which form the Apoitle himfelf de- ^ *' livered, faying, ^nench not the spirit, defpife not ProphecieSy " try all things, hold fafi Tvbat is good, ahfiain from every Ap- ** pearance of Evil. Which is ablolutely faife, if an infalli- ble Principle has continued in the Qmrch •, whether in the Perfon of the Pope, or in Councils, or that wc muft of Ne- ceffity explain Scripture according to the Senfe of the Fathers, as the Church of Rome has defined. ^. We fee v;ith what force he maintains the Canons of the Gallican Church, againft the Contempt which fome caf^ upon them, becaufe they had been made w'ithout the Pope's Con- H^' ^^i"; currence. M a. We *^ '^' '^' g 2 (K^mcirks upon the 3. We do not find,that in his timCjthey applied to the Bleffed Virgin the Words of the firft Pj^omife, by reading, Ipfa ttmm Pag. 1183. conteret caput, She fliall bruife thy Head 5 for he reads, Iffe tuum. He ihall bruife, &c, when he difputes againft Felix '2>\i\\0^ 0{ Vrgel. ^ , , 4. He maintains in the fame place, that the Notion of a Peo- ples being without Sin,who yet confefs themfelves to be Sinners rag. 1243. out of Humility, is pure Pelagianifw, " That if this is the " Property of humble Saints, why then doth John the Apoftle *' fay, // "^e /^y ^^^^ '^^ ^'^^ ^^ ^^^^ "^^ deceive our felves^ and " the Truth is not in Hi 5 but if we confefs our Sins, he is faithful " and }uii to forgive m our Sins ^ Who if like you, he had been ^' inclined to have not mean, but great Thoughts of himfelfs '' he had whereof he might glory, becaufe he lay in the Bofom " of his Lord, and was beloved of him above the reft of his " Difciples. fames the Apoftle alfo faith, In man) things me " opnd all'j which if any fliall imagine not to be fpokein '' Truth, but by way of Humility, let him know that therein ^ he follows VelagitiS, 5. He plainly declares that our Communion in the Sacra- ment is the fame with that of the Believers of old, when he applies that PafTage of the 1/ to the Corinthians, chap, lo,ver^ 1 , and 1. of the drinking of the Holy Ghoft, and main- tains in thefe terms that there is no other Difference between sjg. 1 2 50, the Believers of the Old and New Teftament, but this, '' That *' the great Sacraments of Salvation which are wrought by the " Mediator for us and for them, fave us as being already paft, " but them as yet to come, becaufe we believe and hold wh^t • " is paft, they believed and held what was to come ; they held " them only in their Minds, as Figures of future things, but " we in an open Profeflfion, Vows and Declaration of things '* paft, under the Signification of fenfible Sacraments, as ^' thofe two who carried one Cluffer of Grapes upon a Staff, *' did indifferently do the fame Work, only that the one of ^' them had it behind his Back, and the otbiCr before his Face. I ihould be obliged to tranfcribe his whole Book againft Figures and Images, if I fhould go abom to extrad: all that ic coutains in Oppolitionto the Opinions of the Church of Rome. Ic Ancient Churches of the Albigenres. It will be fufficient for us to obferve, that the Romijh Index Ex. furgatorim, hath forbid this Book, as well as &iq reft, til! its Errors be expunged : and indeed it did deierve no lefs ; for it maintains, according to the Dodrine of St. Augiiftiyj, chat we ought not to adore any Image of God, but only that which is God himfelf, even his eternal Son 5 and that it is a piece of Folly and Sacriledg, to vouchfafe any Worfliip to Images, and to call them Holy, as the fecond Council of Nice had done., He refutes the Excufe of the Council of Trent, which only confiders thofe as Idolaters, that attribute fomething of Divi- nity to the Image. He maintains it to be mere Paganifm to have Images for any other ufe than that of a Memorial 5 and at the fame time afferts, that Images are of as little Ufe and Ad- vantage as the Pidure of a Mower, or of fome Hero in Ar- mour, can advantage a Movi^er or Souldier, who looks upon thofe Pidures. In a Word, he fpeaks exacflly like a true Iconockfl J for after he had faid, that it was impofTible any longer to bear with the Abufes againft which he bad taken Pen in hand, he adds: " From whence we may plainly infer, that *' if Hezekiah, a Godly and Religious King, brake the brazen ** Serpent, made by God's exprefs Command, becaufe the " miltaken Multitude began to worlliip it as an Idol, for which *' his Piety was very much commended 5 much more religi- '* ou(I7*may and ought the Images of the Saints (they them- '' felves approving it) be broken and ground to Pouder, which ^' were never fet up by God's Command, but are abfolutely " human Inventions. But befides this, there are four "other Articles, which areas difrelilliing to the Church of Rome as thefe : 1. He maintains that there is no other Mediator between rag. 1267. God and Men, fave Jefus Chrift God and Man, which he proves by the Authority of St. AMgnflin^ de Civ. Dei, 1. 9. c. 1 5-. 2. He looks upon thofe as worthy to be anathematized and excommunicated from the Church of God, who (liould under- take to dedicate a Church to the moft excellent of Saints or Angels. " If any of us, faith he, (hould make a Temple of Pag. 1272. *' Wood or Stone to any, though themoft excellent of Saints, " we ought for doing that to be anathematized from the Truth M z "of gA Remarks upon the ". of Chrift, and from the Church of God, becaufe by fodo- '' ing we lliould give that Worlhip to the Creature, which is '' only due to the Creator. 3. Having given a Relation of the manner how the Faithful 12-5 gathered up the Bones of St. Poljcar^, and interred them in a ^^' place where they intended to meet and celebrate his Memory, £0 encourage Believers to imitate the conftancy of that Mar- tyr •> he declares that all manner of VVorfhip or Honour done to them over and above this, 'is unlawful, religious Worfliip being due to God alone. 4. He proves that his Judgment concerning thefe Points Pag. 128 1, & is founded upon the Example of the anticnc Doctors, up- 1282. (j^eir Opinions, and upon the Book of the Sacraments of the Church of Rome, that it was the ground of the antient Dodtors of the Church, who reje(5ted the Worlliip which the Arians gave to Jefus Chrift as idolatrous, iho they owned him to be no more than a Man. The Reader needs not take much pains to apprehend why Rome thought fit to condemn thefe Books of Agobardm •, tho he may be at a lofs, how it comes to pafs, that notwithftan- ding all this, he Is at this day hekl for a Saint, and publickly ador'd at Lions under the Name of St. Agobo, This is a Riddle which has ftrangly perpleiied the Learned Jefuit, Theophi- Jm Raymldtn, as well as le Colnte^ ia his Annals of the'^hurch of France. But he is not the only Perfon that has oppos'd the Belief and Worship of the Church of Rome, and is publickly ador'dby her. I have anoth.er Author to produce, who gives us fo clear an Idea of the belief of this Diocefs, wherein he was born, concerning the Eucharift, that the Papifts have never been a- ble to return any pertinent Anfwer to it, fave only this, that the Paflage we quote is fuppofiritious. The Perfon we fpeak of, is Chriflianiu DrHthmaruSy Monk of Ci^^^/V, whom it feems God was willing to oppofe to the corrupt Notions of Pafchafnis RaSertr^i, his Abbot. The Paffage is this, {^And as they were at ffipper, fsfas tool^ Bread, andblejfed it and brake it^ " After t!:at '' he had fulfilled the Commaad concerning the old PafTover, " and put aa end to the old Shadows, he makes a beginning of *' new Jiicient Churches of the Albigenles. 8'c '^ new Grace, and of a new Sacrifice. He cook Bread which *' ftrengthens the Heart of Man, and which doth moft of all " fupport Mens Bodies, and in it placeth the Sacrament of his *' Love : but much more doth that fpiritual Bread fully " ftrengthen and comfort all forts of Creatures h becaufe in ^' him we move and haveour Being : Firft, he blefled it, be- " caufe in himfelf v;ho wm Man^ he bleflfed all Mankind --, for '* having taken humane Nature upon him from the BlelTed " Virgin, he thereby demonftrated that the Blelfing and Po- ** wer of the Divine Immortality, was really therein. He " brake the Bread him lelf, becaufe he voluntarily off er'd up " himfelf to fuffer^ and that he might fill and fatisfy us, he " made no difficulty to break the Manfion of his Soul, as him- " felf faid : I have Power to lay down my Life, and have " Power to take it up again. \_Andga,'ve it to his Blfcifks^ and *^y^;W, Take, eat^ this is mj Bodj~] He gave to his Difciples the *^ Sacrament of his Body for the Remiflion of Sins, and Pre- '* fervation of Charity, that they remembringthis A(5tof his, ** might always perform that in a Figure, which he was now " about to do for them, and might not forget that, This is " my Body, that is in the Sacrament. \_Andhe tooi^ theCaf, and ** gave Thanks^ and gave it to them^ ftiyingy] Forafmuch as a- *' mongft all forts of Food, Bread and Wine are found to be " the moft effe<5tual to ftrengthen, and refreih our weak Bo- ** dies 5 he with good reafon thought fit by thefe two, to ra- ** tify and confirm the Miniffry of his Sacrament 5 for Wine ** not only exhilarates, but alfo encreafes Blood, and therefore ** is the Blood of Chrifl very properly typified thereby •, be- *' caufe whatfoever comes to us from himjdoth enliven us ** with a true Joy, and encrcafeth all our good. And laftly, ** ■ As when a Perfon that is to take a far Journey, leaves to *' his Fi lends that love him, fome Pledgor Token of his Love ** upon this Condition, . that they ufe it every day, that they *' may not forget him : So likewife hath God commanded " us, having fpiritually changed his Body into Bread, and. " the Wine into Blood, by thefe two, to remai^ber what he *' hach done, for us with his Body and Blood, and not to " be unthankful to his moft endearing Love ' and Charity; r And.: '"86 Remarks upon the s " And becaufe Water is mingled with the Sacrament of his " Blood, it reprefents his People, for -whom he was pleafed " to die. And neither is the Wine without Water, nor the " Water without Wine 5 becaufe as he died for us, (o mufl " we die for him, or for our Brethren, that is, for the Church. *' Wherefore alfo Water and Blood came forth from his Bo- *' dy. And whereas he faith, This is my Blood of the New Tefia- " mm -, this is added in contradiftindtion to that of the Old " Teftamcnt, which by the Blood of Goats, could not " purge away Sin from thofe who- were ftill in bondage to *' Sin. [_But I fay nntoyoH^ I will mi drlnk^he nee forth of this Trmt " of the Viney until that day when I fhall drink, it new with you in *' my Father s Kingdom.'^ The Vine is f^dcea, the Wine that of ** the Patriarchs, Prophets, and other Ekd. For till that " time, fudaa had brought forth Clufters of Grapes, from *^ whence Wine flowed forth, that is, Works done in Faith ; " but from the Death of our Lord wild Grapes only, until the " time that Enoch and EUas fliall carry them up into the " Kingdom, that is, the Church of Chrift, at the end of the " World. Or elfe more fimply the Words may be thus " taken. That from the hour of his fupping with his Difciples, " he would drink no more Wine, until he was become im- " mortal and incorruptible after his Refurredion. Where- *' as alfo he was pleafed not to adminifter the Sacrament of his " Body and Blood to his Difciples till after they had fupp'd^ " and that we are not commanded to take itFaflingj this *' may be the reafon, the Lord had a mind to ihew that " the figurative Teftament was only commanded till the " true was come, and he had now put an end to the Old *' Teflament, and inftituted a New One, and therefore it " w'as that he celebrated the Old before the. New. The *' Apoflles alfo for a long time continued the fame Cuftom, *' and after their other Food, took this by the Lord's Ap- " pointment 5 but afterwards when many Jews came to com- " municate, it was enjoined in a Synod, that every one (if he " was cleanfed from other Sins) ihould firll: take the Repaft *' of Spiritual Bread, before he took that of the Tem- " poral. This Ancient Churches of the Albigenfts. ^7 This place, which contains an exadt Commentary upon the Inftitution of the Holy Supper, has much enrag'd the Papifts •, and they have wrefted it into all Senfes, to avoid the threatning Blow. Sixtus Senenfis tells us, that in another Co- py, after the words, This is my Budy^ that is in a Sacrament^ was added, truly fubfiflin^. But this Copy was never yec pro- duc'd, though they who reprinte.d the Work of Dmthmarr^ in the BlbHotheca PatrHtn of the Cologne Edition, have been pleas'd to put this Falfification of SixtPts Senenfis in the Mar- gent. Cardinal Perron, who was as able as any Man of France to juftify the fair dealing of Sixtns Senenfis in the bufinefs of this Manufcript of Lions, but did not care to concern him- felf about it, hath boldly maintained, that he might with the more eafe flip his Neck out of the Collar, that this Paffage of Druthmarm had been corrupted by the Proteftants, But it hath already (hewn, that the Edition publifhed in 15-14, by wimfelingim, before Luther htgmi to write agalnft Leo X. of which the Reverend Dr. Tenifon hath a Copy in his Library, with the Priviledg of the Emperor Maximilian, and the Arms of Pope Leo X. contains this Paflage whole and entire. So that it is obvious to judge, that 'Druthmarm who was born in A^main, taught nothing at Corbie, but what he had learned from his Infancy, and that which was the common Dodrine, before Pafchafim had undertaken to publiili his Extra- vagancies, which he did not till the year of our Lord 835-. We ought alfo here, to take notice of an A(5lion that hap- ned in this Century concerning the Eucharift. In the year 844, Bernard'EdilA 0^ Barcelona 2iW^'D\3kQQi Septimania, made a Treaty with King Charles the Bald, near the City of Tholonfe in the Abby of St. Satumlnus, where they mingled the Blood of the Eucharift with fome Ink, to fign the Treaty they had agreed upon. The thing has been publifhed by the famous Baluzipts, in his Notes»i»pon Agohardvu, and is lately reprinted by the fame Author. The words of odo Ari^ertm, who re- Marc^ Hifpan. lates the matter, tranflated, run thus : '* The Peace therefore Lib. 4. pag. *' being feverally ratified and fealed by the King and Earl 533} & 534v " with the Blood of the Eucharift 5 Bernard Count oiThoioufe, !! came 88 Remarks upon the " came from Barcekm to ThoUufe^ and did Homage to King *' Charles in the Abby of St. SatHmlnHi near Tholoufe. DeReDiplom. Mdlllon acknowledges that this was not a Fatft without .L.2.c.2 2.§.2i. Example. Now let aiiy Man jmigine if he can, wi^.ether People that believe Tranlubftantiacion, would ever have been capable of fuch a Profanation of the Blood of Jefus Chrift, or whether the Monks, in whofe Abby the thing was done, would ever have fuffer'd it, had the thing appeai'd as liorrible unto them, as it muft of neceffity appear to thofe who defend the Opinion of the Churcli of Rome. I (hall conclude this Chapter, with giving an account of that courageous Oppofition which the Bifhops of Aiiuitaln and Narbon made in the year 875, in the Council o^Pomjon^ againft the Enterprizes of Pope fohn VIII •, who being back'd by the Emperor Charles the BaU, had a mind to fubjedt all the Bi(hops of France and Germany tO Anfegifnt, ArchbiQlOp of Sens, as their Primate •■> but at the fame time as to his Vi- car, that he might execute his Decrees, and inform him of the moft important Affairs of thofe Churches, which he pretended, ought to be decided and ended at Romey which if fo, would have aboliflied the Power of Synods and Me- tropolitans. This was in a manner the laft confiderable Ef- fort they ever made, to preferve their antient Difcipline ; for foon after the Popes knew to manage the Kings, that fiood in need of them in Ita/j, Co well, that by little and little they at laft gained the Point, and fo made themfelves abfolute, the Synods and Metropolitans retaining only an empty Name, without almoft any Authority at all. CHAP. Ancient Qhurches of the Albigenfts. CHAP. X. The State ofthefe Viocejfes in the Tenth Coitury, WE are now come to the Tenth Century, in which Ig- norance and Barbarifm overwhelm'd well nigh all the Weft •, and the Church of Rome fell at the fame time into (uch monftrous Corruptions, that thofe who have wrote the Hiftory thereof, do not mention it without Horror. I don't intend to make any ftop here, in alledging Proofs for what I fay, from the concurrent Teftimonies of Genebrard, Baronitny and other Dodors of the Church of Rome, 'Tis a thing not deny'd by any one, that hath ever heard fpeak of the Hiftory of the Church 5 and hath been particularly fee forth by Gerber- tm Archbiftiop of Rheims, who was afterwards advanced to the Papacy, But yet in the mean time, whatever the Corruption may have been, which was fcatter'd elfewhere 5 we have good ground to believe, that it had not quite ftifled the antient Dodtrine and Religion ofthefe Diocefles, which may be eafily made ouc by the following Obiervations. I.I own that we find in the Writings of Odo, the firft Ab- bot of Clugny, who was born in Aquitain, fome Expreffions which import that he inclin'd to the Opinions of Pafchafi^^ as appears in his Collations ; which might make one judg that this Notion began then already to be propagated in A- quitain, whofe Duke William was the Founder of Clngny. But we muft here take notice of two things : The firft is, That the antient Cuftoms of this Monaftry do plainly (how, that when this Congregation was founded, thofe who were the Authors of thefe Cuftoms, were not of Pafihaftms Opinion. This is evident from chaf. 30. of the fecond Book, and from chaf. z8. of the third. The fecond is, That though odo might have entertained this Opinion of Pafchapm concerning the car-, nal Prefence of Jefus Chrift, yet we may eafily obferve that N he i,-r oQ ^niarks upon the he never' owned the Confequences of it. For we find in the Relation of the Death of this Odo, who died at Rome in the year ^42, that he received the Eucharift, but there is no mention made of any Adoration that he paid at his, receiving it. z. We are to obferve, that in this Defcription of oJo's De- parture, which was made by one of his Difciples, we meet with neither ConfefTion before the receiving of the Eucha- rift, nor the receiving of the Sacrament of Extreme Undion, which are fafficient Proofs that he knew nothing of thefe Sa- craments. 3. It appears by the Writings of Gerbertm^ who was educated in the Monaftery oi Am-UUc^whdii was the Faith of this Diocefs.. He had been the Tutor of Roben Son to Bugh Capet, who rai- fed him to the Archbillioprick of Rhelm in the year 95? i, in the room of Armlfhpu^ who was depofed. He hath writ an Apology for the Council which depofed Jmulphm, wherein he gives full evidence what efteem he had for the Pope, and how little he believ'd the Papacy neceflary to the Church, not only becaufe of the Vices of the Popes of his time, but alfo for feveral political Reafons, which engage every Church not Tom.io.Baron. to fubje^l themfelves to a foreign Power. " Suppofe, faith ?ag.899. n.50. '^ he, that by the warlike Incurfions of barbarous Nations, " there be no way open for us to go to Rome 5 or that Rome it " felf, being become fubjed to fome barbarous Prince, be at *• his Pieafure made part of his Kingdom, fliali we in this cafe " be reduc'd to the neceflity of having no Councils at all > or " (liall the Bidaops of the World, to the lofs and ruin of their " own Kings, exped the Advice and Counfels of their Ene- " miesi for the Management of the Affairs of Church and " State. We may fee another Aflertion of his in a Letter to Segmnni fag. QQt. ArchbiOiop of Sens : " I do refolvedly affirm, That if the * * ' " Pope of Rome himfelf Pnould fin againft his Brother, and '' being often admoniihed, (llould not hear the Church, that *'" this fame Pope of Rome ought to be look'd upon as a Hea- " then and Publican. Whereupon Baronlm exclaims, Here is A SeHtence indeed, worthy only to proceed from the Mouth cf fome great Heretkk,^ of- of fome mof^ impudent SchifmaticJ^, which abrogates ail facred Ancient Clmrck's of the Albigenfcs. 9 1 [acred, Councils at once^ cuts the Throat of CafJOffSj flrayigles Tra- ditions^ and tre.xds under foot all the Rights of the Chftrch, that it feems im^offihle that a Catholick^ fhould ever dream rf fuch thin^Sy much lefs^ fo fauclly utter anda(\ert them. We may alfo gather from tl)e fubfequent Words, whether or no he conceiv'd Communion with the Church of -Ron-je^ to be of sbfolute ne- ceffity. " If he (rhe Pope of Rcme) do therefore judg us ibidem, ** unworthy of his Communion, becaufe none of us will com- ^' ply with him in his Anti-evangelical Sentiments, yet he " cannof feparate us from the Communion of Chrift ; feeing *' a Prieft ought not to be removed from his Function, ex- " cept he have confeft, or be convicl of the Crime laid to his " charge; efpecially when the Apoftle faith, ivho fh all feparate *' zu from the Love cf Chrlfi ? And again, / am certain that " neither Death nor Life^ &c. And what greater Separation *' can there be, than to debar any Believer from the Body " and Blood of the Son of God, which is daily ofc'd up for " our Salvation ? And if he be a Murtherer, that takes away *' the Bodily Life from himfelf or his Neighbour, he that " robs himfelf or another of Eternal Life, by what Name fhall ** we call him? We find in another Letter which he wrote to wllderodm Bifhop of Strasburg^ what work he makes with thofe falfe Decretals, which were foifted in on purpofe to make the whole Churc-h fubmit to the Papal Yoak, as if before Sjrlclus all the Eaft and Weft had belonged to the Papal Jurifdi(5lion 5 wherein he exa(5tly follovv's the Foot-fteps oiBincmar^ who con- futed them with all his Might. - If we enquire into the refl of his Opinions, we fnall find, that he did not believe that the Popes had received the Keys of the Kiagdom of Heaven, in any other manner, than all 0- ther Billiops. See how he explains himfelf in a Difcourfe to Billiops, when he was Bifhop either of Rhelms or Ravenna, " And as wo is me if I do not preach the Gofpel, or if I Anaiea. r, :. '* hide long in my Heart the Treafire that I have received, Pjg. 217- '' burying it in the Ground 5 or if I keep the Candle of the ** Diviire Word cover'd under a Bufhel, and do not expofe '' it on a Candleftick to the Eyes of all ; fa likewife if 1 do N 2 " not pi ^marks upon the *' not open the Locks of human Ignorance, with thofe Keys " of the Kingdom of Heaven, which all of us, who are Priefts, " have received in the Perfon of St. Peter -, fo that upon this *' account, I may defer ve according to my fmall meafure, " to hear that, ff^e/l done good and faithful Servant^ becaufe thou ** hafi been faithful over a few things^ I tvUl fet thee over many, Pag. 219. And again ♦, " For fo the Lord faid to St. Peter, Simon Peter, " lovefi thou me ? and he. Thou knowefi, Lordy that I love thee, Pag, 220. " And when he had ask'd this a third time, and had been as '* often anfwered, the Lord repeated a third time. Feed my " Sheejf, Which Sheep, and which Flock, St. Veter not only " received at that time, but alfo hath received them with us, " and all of us have received them with him. He fhews that he did not believe the neceflity of the Priefts Intention in the Sacraments, when he faith in the fame piece, fpeaking to thofe that were guilty of Simony, ?ag. 233. *' I do once more enquire of my Brother Bifhop, left we " fhould feem to have omitted any thing that belongs to a " true Proof and Trial, Who is it, Brother Bifhop, that.con- *' fers Epifcopal Grace ? is it God or Man ? God without " doubt, but yet by Man. Man lays on his Hand, and God " confers Grace 5 the Prieft ferves God with his fuppliant " Hand, and God blefTeth with his powerful Right-hand : - *' The Bifliop admits thee into the Order, but God makes " thee worthy of it. O Juftice ! O Equity ! If Money be gi- " ven to a Man, who in Ordination does no more but dif- " charge a piece of Service laid upon him, why is the whole " denied to God, who beftows the Order it felf upon thee > " Doth it feem juft to thee, to honour the Servant, whilft " thou doft affront the Lord ? And whilft the Prieft unrigh- " teoufly takes Money, (hall God be injured by Man ? And " feeing God expe(5t3 nothing from thee ' for the Order be- ^' ftowed upon thee, why doth the Prieft impudently look " for Money ? God is willing to beftow it upon Man for no- *^' thing, but the ravenous Biftiop demands Money. God of his " Kindnefs and Love vouchfafes it for nought, but the mali- ** cious Prieft captivates him and ties him to Terms : For '[ what haft thou, that thou haft not receiv'd ? And if thou " have Jncknt Churches of the Albigenfes. p j " have received it, why doft thou boafl as if thou hadfl not re- " ceived it? Laftly, We fee in his z6th Epiftle the ConfefTion of Faith that he makes, which contains nothing befides the Symbol or the Apoftles Creed, to which he adds only what follows : " I do not forbid Marriage , . . . I do not condemn fe- " cond Marriages j I do not blame the eating of Flelh ^ I own " that reconciled Penitents ought to be admitted to the Com- " munion. I believe that in Baptilm all Sins whether ori- " ginal or adual, are forgiven ; and do profefs that out of the " Catliolick Church no Body can be faved •, and I confirm " and ratify the four holy Univerfal Synods, which the Mo; *' ther-Church confirms and approves of. 'Tis worth obferving, that he doth not fpeak one word con- cerning the Romilli Traditions 5 fo far was he from autho- rizing the Definitions of the fecond Council of Nke, which the Church of Rome hath been plea fed to authorize in the Council o( Trent, . Laftly, We may take notice, that LenthericHs Archbifliop of Sens, who died in the year 1032, had been the Difciple of this Cerbertui, W'hich is attefted by the Continuator of Al- Lib.5.cap.45, mointu : and CUriui Monk of St. Peter le V'lf at Sens^ has acCU- fed Letftherlcm of having laid the Beginning, and caft the Seeds oi BerengArimi Hferefy. I don't believe any one will think ftrange that I have quoted Cerberttu amongft the Writers of A^uitJiin, under pretence, tliat probably he might have chang d his Opinions, after that he was elevated to the Papacy, under the Name of Sjhejier IL It is but too well known to be cuftoraary,. for thofe who us'd to fpeak according to their own Judgment, and the Opinions of the Place where they were educated, as foon as they have been elevated to the Papal Dignity, to change their Notes. Of this we have an illuftrious Example in-^^neAs i>/z'/V/^,whom ive find quite transformed into another Man as Toon as he had taken upon him the Name of Pi^is IL the Papal Diadem having chang'd him from White to Black. And 1 am much miftaken if the I ir^ Century doth not furniili us an Example every w hit as remarkable, in the Perfon of G/ ego>y the 7th, who having been p^ (Remarks upon the been before Prior of the Mouaflry of C//^.^^, the Cuftoms whereof, as I have hinted, did not fuit well with the Doctrine of Pafchafwsy feems thence to have deriv'd his Opinions con- cerning the Eucharift -■, for Vrfpergoi/is takes notice that the Council o^Brefe, where he was depofed by 30 Bidiops, laid to his charge, That he was of Berengaru^iis Opinion, as being his antient Difciple •, and we fliali find this Accufation not to be without ground, if we caft our Eyes on his Commentary on St. Matthew 5 of which I have elfewhere given an Extrad. Yet for all this, we lee, that this Pope, complying with his own Intereft, became afterwards one of the moft ftirious Perfecutors of Be- rcngartHi, I fuppofe thefe few Remarks will be fufficient for my pur- pofe : tho I might add, that St. Fulbert as well as Lemheric\ having been the Difciple of Cerhen, had deriv'd the fame Dodtrine concerning the Eucharift from iiim 5 this is fo certain, that a Dodor of the Sorbome named VilHers, found no other means, about the beginning of this Century, to make him fpeak to his mind, in publifliing of his Works, than by inlerting fome Words in the Text, which might makejt to be look a upon as the Objedion of Hereticks ^ whereas indeed it is an Anfwsr of his own, wherein he fets down his Opinion, and he doth it in the felf fame Terras us'd by St. Auguflin. But 1 keep my felf within the Bounds of what concerns thofe Dioceffes, whofe Hiftory I am upon. I fliall only take leave to add one thing, which is, that tho Cerbertm feems in his z6th Letter,'which contains his Coiifeilion of Faith, to make an AUufion to fome of the Opinions of the Manichees 5 yet we may be fure, that he did not exprefs him- felf ill this manner, to (how, that he held nothing of their Tenets •, no, he had other Reafons for it, which it is not ne- cefTary to unfold here. Befides, it is notorious that the AUnl- chces did not fpread themfelves in A^uitaln^ till he was a very old Man ; at leaft, it is true, that Ademeirm doth not make them to appear in A^^juitaln till the year ion, and that the firft Synod held againfl: them, did not meet at TbcloHfet\\\ the year 1019, that is to fay, 16 years after his Death, which hapned in 1003. CHAR Jjicient Churches of the Albigenfes. p r CHAP. xr. The hginnhig of the Manichees In Aquitain, and the State of fhoje Churches as to ^li^ion in that Age, THere appeared in Lombardy and in France (orat AfdMlchees- chafed from the Eaft by the Emperors of Conflantimfle, AdemarHi Cabannenjts Monk of Sc. Ef cirque at Limcges, fays, that they firft were taken notice of in Aqmta'm^ a little after the Year loio. and he afterwards fpeaks of a Council aflfembied at Charoux, againft them. The Biiliop of Mennx makes no Queftion, but that this gave rife of the Athlgenfes •, and to evi- dence the Solidity of his Conjedure, he accufeth. befides fome Writers of the wth Century, the Canons whom Robert caufed to be burnt at Orleans^ to have been the firft Difciples of thefe Manicheesy fuppofing all this while that the Albigenfes de- rive themfelves from the fame fource, and that they defended the fame Opinions. Now becaufe it is a matter of fmall Importance to the Hi- ftory of the Albigenfes^ whether the Canons of Orleans were Manichees or not, I might very v^ll excufe my felf from entring upon that Enquiry. They hiay have been Mmkhees^ and yet the Churches of Aqmtaln and NarbonnoiihQ leafl: con- cerned in the matter. Neither do I think my felf obliged to repeat here, what I have already delivered, concerning the differing Opinions of the ancient and modern Mmkhees in the ijf^, \6th^ and ijth Chapters of my Rem'arks upon the Flifto- ry of the Churches of the Vallies of Piedmont, fuppoiing that my Reader may eafily hp.ve Reccurfe to them. Our Bulinefs is to fee what was the Faith- of thefe DiocefTes, and queftion ' not but we ihall make it appear in t!;r! Sequel, that thofc whom theBliTioppreftndstoconvid of Ma?ilchclfm, are faldy charged therewith 5 the RomiOi Party having beftowed that Name up- on. n5 ^marks upon the on them, only to make them the more execrable to thofe of their Communion. Neverthelefs, becaufe Ademarm CdjimeMjis teftifies, that thefe Canons of Orleans had been inftrudted, not by a Woman, come from Italy^ as their Hiftory records the Story, but by a Country-fellow (as (ome MS. Copies of AAemarm tell us) • of Ptrigtieux^ I am not unwilling to enquire a littte into the Au- thority of this Hiftory. GUber relates it, Lik ^.cap. B,pag, Tom,2.spiciieg. soS. but befides his Relation D' y^c/j^o* hath given us, chough not the very Ads of the Synod that condemned them, but the account of a private Man of Chartres, who profeffeth that he fet down in Writing what pafs'd in that Synod, which feems to be of fufficicnt Authority. Be it as it will, they fuppofe from thefe Proofs, that thefe Canons were Mankhees^ and I own they are very like them, in the Relation that is given of this Synod, as well as in AdemArus. But yet after all, there are feveral things which feem to give us ground to doubt of the Truth of this whole Relation, i/, It fcarcely feems probable, that a Woman, who was a Stranger, or a Peafant, fliould have been able in fo fhort a time to make fo many Profelytes amongft the Canons and Citizens of Or- leaus, as to be able to form fecret Conventicles amongft them, and to propagate fuch monftrous Dodrines as thofe of the Ma- mdees were. Neither can we, with any appearance of reafon, fuppofe, that one -of thefe Canons, who formerly had been Confeffor to the Queen, was fo ftupid a Fellow, as all on a fuddento fallinto theEntRufiafmoftheyI//^«anns •, Amofi Learned Mon\^ the Mafier cf Alcuinus *, for Bede taught Simplicius, afidSm- plicius, Rabanus, {whom the Emperor Charles /^^^ for front beyond Sea, and made a Bijhop in France,) Vfho infiruEled Alcuinus, and Alcuinus informed Smaragdus, Smaragdus again taught Theodul- phus of Oj-!eans> and Theodulphus, Elias a Scotchman^ Bifhop o/Angoulefmj f/?A»- Elias /»/?r«ration. Moreover, We are to obferve, that the Latin word Adorare^ when fpoken of the Crofs imports only a Reverence, which we own was pradis'd on thefe Occafions long before this time, becaufe the Crofs being no Image, tliere was no fear of in- curring the Sin of Idolatry in faluting of it. This Count died in the year 1028. But Jncicnt Clkirches of the Albigenfes. i o i But fince this Eleventh Century was in a manner wholly taken up by the Papids, in oppofing Berengarius, who, upon feveral Attaques maintained the Intereft of Truth, againft Fafchapm and his Followers 5 it will be- our Bufinefs to repre- fent how far thefe Difputes were ferviceable in iiindring the Opinions of Pafch^fi^ from getting the upper-hand in the Diocefles of j^quitah and Nurbor,^ and how this prepar'd their Minds for a Separation from the Church o^Rome. Never was any Man fo often condemned as Berengarhsi never was any Man more back'd than he, nor ever did any Man give more trouble to thofe who endeavour'd to crulli him, than he did. An Autlior of the i ^th Century hath writ a Book, Coricerning Bercngarius'j manifold Condemnation 5 and De Mulciplici Mabillon hath taken care to colled the Names, and the Times fi^rengarij of all thofe AfTemblies wherein he was condemned 5 but ^i°"ef"''^^* withal v;e may aflTert, that the Reafons and Authorities he produc'd, gave his Enemies a terrible deal of Trouble. His Adverfaries have employ'd their utmoft Efforts to a^ bolifli the Memory of his Works •, but a fuiiicient part of them have been preferv'd by their own care, to enable u> to judg of the Injuftice of their Calumnies againft him, and of the Purity of his Faith in the Matter of the Eucharift. And for as much as he was of confiderable ufe to the Mbi- genfes, in their oppoiing of the Dodrine of the Carnal Pre- fence, which the Fadion of Pafchajim and his Followers endeavoured to introduce and eftabliih under the ftlfclter and favour of that grofs Ignorance, which reigned at this time, I fuppofe I may affirm, that his Works, whereof Lanfrank: hath given us an Extratft, were of no fmall Service to oblige thofe, who undertook his Defence, to fcparate them.- felves from the Communion of the Pope, or rather, to- hinder him from fubjeding them to his Yoak --, feeing it was at this very time, that the Popes began to make them felves Mafters of the Churches of the W^eft. It will be of great moment to prove that the Popes had . not as yet miade themfelves abfolute Mafters of this Part of the Church, which was always careful to maintain its Rights againft. tlieir Encroachments and Ufurpations. My intenc. there^ 101 Remarks upon the therefore, is to employ the following Chapter upon this Subje(5l, before I proceed to enquire how the Faith was preferved in ihefe Diocefles in the next Age, when they re- fufed to fubmit themielves to the Authority of the Popes oiRome. . CHAP. Xll, Tl^at thefe Dioce/fes continued independent of the Topesy until the 'beginning of the Twelfth Century. IAcknowledg, that were the bufinefs to be dQcid^td by the modern Pretenfions of the Popes of Rome^ to the Empire of all the Churches of the World, and in particular to a Patriarchate over all the Churches of the Weft, we (hould be forced to own, that they had been fubjed to them ever fince the time that the Gofpel was firft preached in Gaul, in both thefe refpeds. They have made it their bufinefs to per- fuade Mankind that the whole World is but the Pope's Pari/h; and that more particularly, the Churches of the Weft, which have been founded by their Anceftors, who fent them the firft Preacher* of the Go'pel, do belong to their Patriarchate j as if thefe Envoys of the antient Popes, in their Endeavours to propagate the Gofpel of lefus Chrift throughout the World, had defign d to eftablilli the Papal Empire over all the New Conquefts that they acquired to the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift. But notwithftanding all thefe new-found Claims and Pre- tenfions of the Popes, v^ e can prove, that nothing can be irna- gin'd more vain, or more defticute of ny Ground or Foun- dation than they a e. For ir is not v:\m^ that thofe Churches, which have received the Goij^el fronvauocher, are therefore fubjed to ir, as we can demonftrarively evince by t!ie Exam- ples of the Churches oiViema and Uom^ which were founded by Ancient G?urches of the Albigenfes. j o i by Perfons fent from tlie Churches of JJj^,'^ upon which ac- count it was, that St. Iren^m fent them a Relation of the Per- fecution they fuffered. Neither is_^ it true, that the antient Popes, how careful foever other wife they might be to promote their own Authority, did ever p.etend to be the Patriarchs of all the Weft, or of Gar.l in particular. ^ This is a Truth we can unmiwerably prove, by the Tefti- mony of the firft Council of iV/V?, which affigns no other Jurif- didion to the Pope, fwe that which he enjoyed in thofe which Rufin'M calls the Snburhlcari.Tn Regions, and which the Learned Men of the Churcii of Rome at prefent own to have been comprehended within the ten Provinces of Italj, to which the Papal Ordination did befong, as we fee it was under Ho- mnui, and which were diftinguilli'd fl'om the Diocefs o^ Italy ^ properly fo called, that is to fay, the feven Provinces, which conftiruted the Diocefs of Milan. This Canon therefore looks upon it as a thing not to be queftioned, that CahI was a Diocefs diftind fiom that of the Popes, having its Authori- ty within it felf, governed by its own Synods, without having the Ordination of its Clergy, the Determination of its Affairs, or the Authority of its Aflemblies fubjected to the Pope's Au- thority, as their Superiour. If we had not this Canon of the fir ft Council o[ Nice, which diftindtly determines the Pope's Diocefs, yet would it be very eafy to prove it by other Arguments, fuch as thefe -■, I. We find that the Churches of Gaf/l convocated a Synod, upon the conteft about Eafler, towards the end of the irf' Century, without receiving any Orders from Pope ?^/^er for / fo doing. a. We find, that when the Domtifis were condemned by the Pope, they defired the Emperor that they might be jud- ^^"^" ^^'^' ged-by the BiQiops of Gaul : and accordingly we find that Aiarinns Bifhop of Arks, prefided in the great Council of Aries in the year 314, at which were prefent 83 Biiliops, twenty One of Italy, eleven of Spain, eleven of Africa, five of Britain^ and thirty five of GmL Since 1.04 * ^marks upon the Since the Council of Nlce^ we. find the Chui'ches of Gaul go- verning rhemfelves with the fame Independency, under the Condu(5t of their feveral Metropolitans. We are to obferve in general, that thefe Churches had their peculiar Code of Canons, made by themlelves, and that thefe Canons continued to have the force of a Law till the fth Century, when their Difcipline began to receive a great Alteration, by the cares of Bomfacius Bilhop o{ Mem-c, and his r. I. Eibi. jur. SuccefTors. This is amply proved by Juftel^ in the Preface to On. pag 21, iijs Colledion of the antient Canons. Now it is vifible, that a 22, 2?, 24. Qim-^{-j which had its particular Rules, could not be dependent on the Pope, whofe Diocefs had its ov/n particular Rules and Canons. We can truly affirm, that the. Biiliops of Gatt^ vvere fo far from acknowledging the Pope as their Patriarch,that his Name was not fo much as ever recited in the Churches of Gaul till the year 5x9, as may be clearly colleui:ed from the Coun- cil of Vaifon 5 where it was firft determin'd, that the Pope fhould be mention 'd in their publick Prayers. And indeed if we enquire into the conftant Condu(5t of the BiQiops of Gaul, throughout the feveral Centuries that are pad fince the Council of Nice, we iliall eafily perceive, that rhey never conceiv'd themfelves to be fubje(fi to the Pope of Rente. In the year 337, Maximums Bifhop of Triers, defends St. Athanafiui, as Pope fulim alfo did, and admits to his Communi- on PWBiihop of Co«/^;jn'»of/^, and writes in favour of him to the Council oiSardica, In 3)5, Saturnims BiQiop of Aries, convened the Council of Sellers, which condemned St. Hilary o[ Poitiers, in confequencc of which he was fent into Banifliment. In 358, The Bifliops of Gaul condemned the Confeflion of Faith of Sirmiuwy as w'e are informed by Sulpcii^ Sever us. In the year 360, St. Hilary vigoroufly defended the Faith a- gainft the Arian Party, in favour of which Pope Liberius had deciar'd himfelf^ and 'tis well known what Anathemas weredif- Sozom. Lib. 5. charged in Gaul by St. Hilary and his Friends, againft that A- cajj. 8. poflatePope. Pope Ancient Qhurckes of the Albigenfes. loj Pope Leo was fo fully convinc'd of their Authority as inde- pendent upon his, that he fent to them in the year 4^0, that dogmatical Epiftle, which he was to fend to the Eaft, as foon as the Synods of (^aul had approv'd of it. And it was upon the fame account, that he fent them the Decrees of the Council of Chalcedon againft the Eutj- chians. In the 6th Century we find Avitus Biihop of Viema u- (ing his utmoft Endeavours to appeafe the Differences be- tween the Church o^Rome, and that oiConflAntlmple, We find likewife Pope Hormifda communicating to the Tom. r. con- Bifhops of Gaul^ his Reconciliation with the Patriarchs of ^'^- ^^'^- P^s- Conflantinoj^le, *^^- We find in ^ip, the Fathers of the Council of Orange Tom.i.concii. handling the Queflions about Grace, and fending their Gail. pag. 21 5, Decrees to Boniface II, who approved them the year fol- 223. lowing. In 5 JO, Pope Vigilitis gives an account to the Churches of T°'^- '• ^on, Gaul, of what had pafs'd in the Eaft-, and the Prelates of Italy *^g- ^^^ P^^- entreat the Biiliops of Gaul, to endeavour to appeafe fHfiim'an, ^ ^' ^^'^' in favour o^VigiUus and Dacipu BiOiop oi Atilayt. In the 7th Century, we find that the Galilean Biiliops confirmed the Lateran Council that was alTembled under Martin I. We find Pope Agatho inviting the Bilhops of Gaul to come to a Council that he intended to call, whither alfo they fent their Deputies at his Requeft. The 8r^ Century being in a manner wholly fpent in Wars, affords us little or nothing confiderable in this matter j how- ever, we may eafily difcern that this Diocefs did even then maintain its Authority, in fpice of all the Popes Endeavours to the contrary : whereof we have two moff evident Inrtances. !#, Pope Adrian \. was fo little infonr.ed of vvhat pafs'd in Trance^ that he knew not whether the City of Bonrges was fubjeil to the Jurifdiiftion of another Archbilliop or no 5 as appears from the Codex CaroUmu, Epifi. 87. id/j. Their In- dependency clearly appears from the feveral Councils allem- bled about the Controverfy of Images, contrary to the P Defigns Xo6 ^marks upon the Defigns of the Popes, and particularly from the Council of Francfort, We find the fame Spirit alfo in the following Century. And to fpeak truth, what ever Change the antient Difcipline un- der-went by occafion of the new Decretals, which the Pope's Emiflaries had publiflied, in order to fubjugate all the Weft, and France in particular 5 yet we find that the BiQiops of France hindred the Popes from concerning themfelves with their Affairs : The Buiinefs of Hincmdr of Laon alone, evi- dently (hews, that they did not acknowledg that new Right, invented to make them buckle to the Papal Yoak ; for we fee that they maintained, that the Determinations of their Synods, were not to be alter'd by the Popes, they having no power to concern themlelves about their Ordination, or any part of their Jurifdidtion. About the end of the 10th Century, ia the year 991, we find the Bifhops of France that were affem- bled at Kheims, maintaining themfelves by the Canons of the Jfrican Code, in oppofing the Pope's Encroachments, who w^ould, in purfuance of thofe fpurious Decretals of the an- tient Popes, arrogate to himfelf a Right of reviewing and altering the Determinations that were made by the Synods of France, I own, that fince the middle of the ph Century, we find the Popes granted a kind of Vicar iliip to fome of the Bifhops oiSomh-Gauhj but withal, we know that this Power was fo extreamly wavering, that it ftood in need of being confirmed at the Inftance of Leo I. by the Emperor Valentinlan IIL ily. That thefe were in a manner of no Efficacy at all, thefe Vi- cars having fcarcely had the Power of convening Synods, but in virtue of the Right they had as they were Metropolitans, and little or no Authority as to the Ordination of Bifhops in ge- neral, and of Metropolitans in particular. It cannot be denied alfo. but^that the Popes fince the %th Century, began to grant divers Priviledges, to the violating of the antient Difcipline, though under the pretence of pre- ferving it in the Monafleries, againft the Attempts of the Bi- fhops, becaufe moft of the BiOiops^ being turnd Souldiers, thought of nothing elfe but Robbing them, under colour of /Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 1 07 of holding their Vifications. But it is worcii our while, to con- fider the efteem that Hinmar of Rhelws had of thefe fort of Priviledges in his Letter to Nicholas I. " Now I did nor, '^ faith he,de{ire the Priviledges of the Apoftolical See, asfup- " pofing that the Holy Canons and Decrees which the Church " of Rome grants to every Metropolitan, were not fufficient 5 ** neither did I,nor do I defire any other or ampler Priviledges, '^ than what have been formerly granted to the Church of ** Rheims •, but becaufe not only my Diocefs, but alfo my '' Province, is divided between two Kingdoms, belonging to *' two feveral Kings 5 and becaufe the Concerns of the Church, " committed to my Charge, feem to lie under the Jurifdidi- " on of feveral Princes, from whom our Church can reap lit- *' tie or no Advantages becaufe the antient Conftitutions " being already condemned by fome carnal and brutal Men, *' they might at leaft be frightned by thefe new Decretals, " into a more reverential Carriage towards the Church, *' which is committed to the Care of me, though unworthy. From whence we may fee what it was that Biftcmar meant. We may make the fame Reflection upon thofe Vicarfhips afore-mentioned : We have an illuftrious Example to this pur- pofe, in the Cafe of Anfegifm Archbiihop of Sens^ xi Kdend, lulj, Indidion IX. *^ After the Bifhops were met together, " and the Gofpels were read before the Synod, and in view of " the Imperial Throne, (which were afterwards kid up at '' Pontpn) the Emperor Charles came with the Legats of the *' Apoftolical See, and after the finging of feveral Hymns, " and a Prayer pronounced by fohn Bifliop of TujcHlanum^ " the Emperor took his Seat in the Synod. After which, " 'John the Eilhop (dlTufcuUr.yim^ read fome Letters fent from *'• the Pope, and am.ongft them one, recommending to them " Anfegifus Archbifliop Q>{ !iens for their Primate j that as oft as " the Intereft of tlie Church (liould require it, either in calling '* of Synods, or in the managing of other Concerns in France " and Germany, he might be look'd upon as the Apoftolical *' Vicar •, and fo by his. means, the Decrees of the Apoflolical " See, might be made known to the Bifliops •, and on the o- " ther hand, that any Matters of importance might by him V ^ ^ "be io8 (^marks upon ih " be communicated to the Apoftoli^k See, and that all Af- " fairs of moment and difficulty, mighc by his Suggeftion be " recommended to the Apoftolick See, to be cleared and de- " termined. Whereupon, the Emperor demanded of the *' Biiliops, what Anfwer they defigned to return to thefe A- " poftolical Letters : who anfwer'd to this effed:, That faving " the Right and Priviledges of each Metropolitan, according *' to the facred Canons, and the Decrees of the Popes of the " See of Rowe, promulg'd from the faid facred Canons, they *' would obey the Apoftolical Commands of Pope fohn. *' And when the Emperor, and the Apoftolical Legacs had " done their utmoft Endeavours to perfwade the Bifhops to " an abfolute Anfwer, that they would obey without referve, *' in accepting of Anfeglfus for their Primate, as the Pope had " written •, yet could they never draw from them any other " Anfwer. Then the Emperor commanded a Chair to be fet " above all the Bifhops of his Cifalfme Kingdom, next to fohn *' Bifliop of 7>//Jr»/^««»?, who fat at his Right-hand, and com- " manded AnfeglfHs to take place of all the BiOiops that had " been ordained before him, and to fit down in that Chair 5 ** the Archbifliop of Rheims procefting againft it, in the hear- *' ing of them all, as a thing dire(5lly contrary to the facred " Canons. In like manner, the day before the Ides of JhIj^ " the fame Letter concerning the Primacy oi Anfe^lfus, was " read a fecond time, at the Emperor's Command, and the " Bifiiops Anfwer demanded thereupon. Whereupon, the *' Archbi(hops anfwered feverally for themfelves, That as *' their Prcdeceflbrs had been regularly obedient to his Pre- *' deceffors, fo would they be to his Decrees. So likewife, •* at the Command of the Apoftolical Legats, that the Bi- " ftiops ftiould meet the 17th day before the Kalends of ** AugMft 'j the Emperor entred the Synod at nine a Clock in *' the Morning ■ being accompanied by the Apoftolical '' Legates and all took their Placts as before. Then '' fohannes Aret'mus read a certain Paper, wb.ich had neither " Reafon nor Authority. Afterwards Odo Bilhop of BeauvaU ^ read fome Articles fet down by the Apoftolical Legats, •' and by AnfegifMs and Odo^ without the Knowledg of the '* Synod, Jncient Churches of the Albigen(cs. i oo " Synod, between-; ■ containing no- " thing to the purpofe -■, and befides, void of all Reafon and " Authority, which for that reafon, are not here added. *• And then again, a Motion was made concerning the Prin:ia- ** cy of Anfegifm^ who after all, could obtain no more this " laft time, than he did at the firii day of the Synod. From which account, it is mod evident, that notwithftanding all the pains Charles the Bald took to oblige the Pope, whofe Friend- fhip he had occaiion for, and whofe Ambition he maintain'd, by trampling upon the Ecclefiaftical Laws, and the Rights of the Prelats of France \ yet the Biihops continued firm in their Judgments, and would not fuffer themfelves to be enflaved, as the Pope would fain have had them. This hapned In the year 876. In particular we may juftly obferve concerning thefe Parts, where the Albigenfes have appear'd with the greateft luftre, i/, That the greateft part of thefe DiocefTes, being rent oft from the Empire after the year 409, when Alaric m.ade Tho- losife the Seat of the Kingdom of the Fiji- Goths, it continued fo divided, till it was again reduc'd under the Power of the French by Clovis, in the year of our Lord 507. zdly, That fince that time, we find that thefe parts of France, have been almoft always united with the Churches of Spain, as appears from the Subfcriptions of the Synods held in Spain. {d!y. That they were never, to fpeak properly, re- united with the Body of the Churches of France., till the Reign of the Emperor Charlemain, ^thly, That the Power of the PopeS in France, . hath been fo very inconfiderable, that a Legat of the Pope having undertaken to confecrate a Chappel in ^njott by the Duke's Order, but without confent of the Biiliop; Radf^/- fhiis Glaber, who relates this Hiftory, could not forbear ex- claiming againft this Encroachment: Baronlm on the other hand, florms againff Glaber.^ but the one of them writ what thofe of his time thought and fpoke concerning it 5 whereas the other gave himfelf entirely up to the Power of Prejudice, and followed the Defign he had undertaken of accommoda- ting antient Hift ory with the Intered of the Court of Rome., on which he had his Dependance. . But no ' Achery. Thus the Legantine Power in the Diocefs of Aufch was gi- ven after the year 1 102, to wilHam Archbiihop of Aufch^ as De pag. 278. Marca fliews, on the Council of Clermont. What I have juft now obferved, is fo certain, that Mez^eray hath publickly own'd it in his Chronological Abridgment. From the time of the %th Century, the Popes found ways to lefTen the Power of Metropolitans, by obliging them by the De- cree of a Council held at Mentz, by St. Boniface^ which forced them to receive the Pallium at Rome, and to fubje(5l themfelves, and be canonically obedient in all Points to the Church of Rome 'j which ProfefTion was afterwards changed into an Oath of Fidelity, under Gregory VII. They alio attributed to themfelves, excluding all others, the Power of annulling the Spiritual Marriage, which a Bifliop contrads with his Church, and to give him the liberty to efpoufe another. They had extended their Patriarchal Jurifdidion all over the Weft, by obliging the Bifliops 10 take Confirmation from them, for which they paid certain Dues, which in procefs of time, were changed into what they call Annates, and by taking cognizance of thofe things, which belonged to the Billiops only. Nay what is more, they had in a manner wholly aboliOied the Pro- vincial Councils, in taking away their Soveraignty, by nulling of d^eir Decrees •, fo that thefe Airembli:^s were at la[t wholly left off as ufelefs, becaufe they afforded nothing to thofe who affifted at them, fave die Difpleafure of frequently feeing their Determinations made void at Rome, without once hearing their Reafons. Gregory VII. eftabliihed it for a Rule of Common Right, that no Body Ihould dare to condemn any Perfon, who had appeal'd to the Holy See. But they never made a greater Breach upon the Liberties of the Galilean Ciiurch, than when they Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. they introduced this Opinion, that no Council could be aflem- bled without their Authority •, and when after feveral Attempts to eftabliili perpetual Vicars in Gaul, they found the way of having their Legats received there. To this purpofe, they firft made ufe of a Canon of the Council o^SarMca, which gave them Power to fend Legats into the Provinces, to examine the Pro- ceflfes, and the Depofitions of any Biihops, in Cafes where any complaint was made. After that they had thus accuftomed the FreMch Bifliops to admit their Legats in this Cafe, they by little and little gain'd another Point, when the Princes were weak, which was to fend fomeamongft them without any Complaint or Appeal at all 5 and at laft; after they had fubmicted to the Yoak, Alexander II. eftabliflied it as a Rule, that the Pope ought to have the Government and Adminiftration of all Churches. Of thefe Legats, fome had a whole Kingdom under their Jurifdidion, others fome part only : they came thither with full Power to depofe Biiliops, yea, the Metropolitan himfelf, when ever they pleafed to affemble the Councils of their Diftri<5l, and to prefide therein with the Metropolitan ; but taking place of him, to make Canons, to fend the Decifion of thofe Matters to the Pope, to which the Bifliops would not give their Confent, as likewife all the A(5ts of the Council, whereof hedifpofed at his Will and Pleafure. And it is to be obferved, that their Suffrages cutvveigh'd thofe of all the Bithops together, and that oftentimes by their fimple Authority, they judg'd and determin'd the Caufes of the Ele(5lions,of Bifliops, of Benefices,of the Excommunicati- ons of Lay-men, and the like. Infomuch, that thefe Afll'emblies which before were fo Sacred and fo Soveraign, for the fuppor- ting and maintaining of Difcipline, having no Power any longer, were, to fpeak properly, rather Councils to authorize and ratify the Will and Pleafure of the Pope, than any lawful or free Councils. So that it was not till the Papacy of Alexander II. and 'Gregory VII. that the Churches of /iqultain faw themfelves in danger of lofing their Liberty, by fubmitting to the Papal Yoak, as well as the reft of the French Churches. We are now to fee how they a- voided this Yoak, which was thus impofed upon them in fome meafure. CHAP. 1 1 1 I 12 (^marks upon the CHAP. XIH. Of the Oppofttion that was made hy a Tart of thefe Churches y to the Attempts of the Topes ^ and of their Separation from the Communion of Rome before Peter Waldo. 1 T is difficult precifely to fet down the Year, wherein a confiderable Part of thefe Diocefles, rejed:ed the Power of the Pope's Legats, and lowdly condemned the Errors which they would have introduced, under the Name of Councils, which the Popes had fo often alTembled againft Berengarim, But we have great reafon to conclude, that it happened under Gregory VII. when he undertook to oblige the Bifliops of France to fwear an Oath of Fidelity to him, in much a like Form as Vaffals fwear to the Lords of the Fee, for in reality it is the very fame •, this ftrange Piece of Novelty, \^hich at one Blow deftroy'd all the Rights of the Church, excited both Paflors and People to defend their Liberties, and to rejed this V irnperious Yoak. Then it was alfo, that he endeavour'd to diange the Common Service of the Church, by ffriking out all that was not agreeable to the Roman Service, which was very proper to inflame the Minds of the People, and make them more watchful for the Prefervation of the Dodrine and Ceremonies of Religion, which they had received from their Anceftors. For inftance, It is certain that in the i if/? Century, they changed the Collects which concern'd the Prayer for the Dead. Lib. 5. Tit. 41. We have an Example of it that was inferred in the Decretal cap. 6, of Gregory IX. 'Tis an Anfwer of InnocentWl. to John de Beaux- nu'wsy ArchbiQiop of I?W, who at that time was retired in the Abby of Clairvaux. It contains the Queftion which that ArchbiQiop, who was the Perfecutor and Condemner of Peter Waldo^ Ancient Qhwches of the Albigenfes. 1 1 walh, propounds to Innocent III. together with the Pope's Anfwer. " Your Brotherihip has enquif d why there was a Change " made in the Service of Saint Leo-^ {o that whereas the *' antient Books exprefs the Prayer thus, Grant to us, Lord, '* that this Offering may be of advantage to the Soul of thy *^ Servant Leo-j in the modern Books it is expreil thus, " Grant to us, O Lord, we befeech thee, thatjDy the In- " terceffion of St. Leoy this Offering may be of advantage " to us? *' To which we anfwer, faith the Pope, That fince the " Authority of Scripture alfures us, that he doth an Injury to " a Martyr, w^ho prays for a Martyr, we are by a Parity of " Reafon to judg the fame of other Saints, becaufe they need " not our Prayers, as being perfectly happy, and enjoying all " things according to their Wiihes : but it is we rather that ** ftand in need of their Prayers, who being miferable, are in " continuable trouble, by reafon of the Evils that furround us. " Wherefore fuch Expreffions as thefe. That fuch an ofering *' way be of advantage to this or that Saints for their Glory and Ho- *' fiour, which we meet with in moft Prayers, are thus to be " underftood. That it may conduce to this end, that he may be " more and more glorified by the Faithful here on Earth. " Though moft fuppofe it a thing not unworthy of the Saints, " to affert that their Glory is continually encreafed until the " Day of Judgment j and therefore that the Church may in *' the mean time, lawfully wifh for the encreafe of their Glo- *' rification. But whet-lier in this Point that Diftindion may " take place, which teacheth us, that of thofe who are dead, " fome are very good, others very bad, others indifferently " good, and others indifferently bad -j and therefore whether " the Suffrages of Believers in the Church for the very good, *' are Thankfgiving •, for the very bad^Comforts to the Living ♦, " for thofe who are indifferently good. Expiations j and for " the indifferently bad, Propitiations , I leave to your Pru- *' dence to enquire. Moreover, the Popes, Nicholas II, and his Succeffors, under- took to defend the Celibacy of the Clergy, by which means 114 ^marks upon the a great many Paftors were deprived of the Fundions of their Miniftry, which obliged alfo a vaft number of them to fe- parate themfelves from the Communion of the Pope, whofe Creatures, after the Decree was paft for authorizng Celibacy, look'd upon the married Clergy to be no more than fimple Lay-men 5 not to mention now that the Multiplicity of Schifms and Anti- popes, had reduced moft of the Diocefles of France into^ flrange Conf ufion, fome holding for one Pope, o- thers for another. But though we cannot afifign the precife Epocha of the be- ginning of this contagious Oppofition to the See of Rome, which had no other Original, but the juft Defence of their Li- berties, and the Defire of preferving their antient Truths h yet thus much Teems to be certain, as far as we can gather from the poor Remainder of Records which the Barbarity of the Inqui- fitors hath fuffer'd to come down to us 5 1. That this publick Oppofition againfl: the Efforts of Popery, was made about the beginning c3" the i zth Century. 2. That without great Ignorance both in Hiftory and Chro- nology, it cannot be fuppofed that the Aibige>]fes were the Dif- ciples oi Peter Waldo, and that confequently they are to be look'd wpon as a Colony of the Vaudois, It is neceflary, that we prove both thefe Articles with the greateft ciearnefs that may be •, as well, on the one hand, to make it appear, that the Bifhop of Meaux hath no ground to ftippofe that thefe DioceflTes were peaceably united to the Church of Rome, and in dependence upon it, before the Ml. genfes appeared amongft them •, and on the other hand, to dif- abufe fome of our own People, who too lightly have belie- ved, becaufe the Alblgenfes are efteemed by fome to be the fame with the F^ndois. that they borrowed their Light from Peter Waldo. The firfl: Article can lie very folidly proved by an Argu- ment which feems beyond all Exception j I obferve therefore, that Radul^hm Abbot of Tron^ about the year mj", would not return from Italy through the Southern Parts of Francey j^ndiehat pollutam ejfe inveterata Bareji de Corpore C^ Sanguine Lomifii: " Becaufe he heard they were polluted with an " inveterate Ancient Churches of tie Albigetifes. \ i c " inveterate Herefy concerning the Body and Blood of our '' Lord. We fee clearly that the Herefy that reigned in thefe Dio- cefles, was that of Berengarita, who had bertowed the Title of Myftkdl Bdjlon upon the Church of Rome, and not that of the Manichees, This Parage of Rmdtil^hm of Tron, agrees per- fei5tly with what Petrus Clmiacenjis, and BaYQnim after him tell us, that Peter de Bmi* had preached in the Diocefs of Aries about the beginning of the i ith Century. Now it is ri- diculous to fuppofe, that one can declare a Country to be in- feded with an inveterate Herefy, except there be great num- bers of Men who publickly profefs it. True it is, that they beftow the Name of Petrohftfims upon the Difciples of Peter de Bruis, asif he had been the Author of that Se(5t 5 but this doth not overthrow what we have faid, and only (liows that the Papifts are ufually ready to beftow upon the Difciples the Name of their Mafters, thereby to refled upon them as Innovators. Thus they called the Fol- lowers of Berenn^arim, Berengarians, as if he had been an Inno- vator, who indeed took upon him the Defence of the old Notions, againft the Innovations of Pafchaftus Radbertm. In like manner, they called thofe Henridans, who followed the Doctrine of Henry, who yet followed and preached the Doctrine of Peter de Brnis and Berengarim 5 fo that it doth not follow from thence, that Henry was the firft that ever preached that Doctrine. Thus afterwards they gave the Name of Efperonites to the Difciplcs of Efferonpu, as if he had been the firft Author of that Se<5t. And is not this very confornjable to that antient Method, whereby L'mdanm Biihop of Rure- monde, made as many Heads of the Reformation as there were Men of note that had a hand in that great Work ? A different Method, or the leaft Article wherein they did not agree with their Brethren, ferving him for a fufficient Pretence to make them fo many different Heads of diftin(5t Parties. The Proofs I am about to produce in Confirmation of the fecond Article, do no lefs (liow the Truth of what I have laid down, that thele Diocefles had 2 long time fince a great number of People and Paftors, who were of different Opini- Qz ons 1(5 Remarks upon the ons from thofe of the Church of Rome. I do acknowledg that towards the end of the i ith Century, there may have been fome of the Difciples of Peter waldo in thefe Dioceffes of Aqmtain and Narbon, which has occafion'd that feveral Popiih Writers have almoft perfuaded fome Proteftants, that the Waldenfes were the Authors of the Reformation amongfl: the Alhlgenfes. Ferrin takes it for granted in the beginning of his Hiftory, v^hich he was the more eafily perfuaded to believe, fince he had obferved that the Albigenfes have maintained the (ame Faith with the Waldenfes, But it is not true that the WaUenfes ever carried their F^ith into thefe Countries, bat they found it there already eftabli- fhed, and they join'd themfelves to thofe who defended the fame, before ever any o[fValdos Difciples came thither to feek refuge for themfelves. This is a Matter of Fadl which it is eafy to prove beyond controverfy ; for feeing that St. Bernard was in that Country in the year 1 1 47, to preach there, and that he made but fmall progrefs in it, (fo firmly were they grounded in their Faith) we muft neceftarily infer from hence, that they had for a long time been engaged in the fame. And indeed, it appears from the manner of St. Bernard's exprefling himfelf in his Ser- mons, and in his Epiftle to the Count of St. Gilles, that thefe Opinions fo oppofite to thofe of the Church of Rotkc, had of a long time been entertained in thefe Countries. We have the ^th Canon of the Council of Tours in the •year 1 1 63, which declares the Antiquity of this pretended He- refy in Gafcoh and the Country about Tholoufe, and fpeaks of their Meetings, which the Title of the Canon ju(tly refers to T.io.p. 141 1, the Albigenfes, in thefe Words -■, *' In the Country about Tho- *' lotife, there fprung up long ago a damnable Herefy, which ** by little and little, like a Cancer, fpreading it felf to the *^ neighbouring Places in Gafco'm, hath already infeded many ** other Provinces 5 which whilft, like a Serpent, it hid it **■ felf in its own Windings and Twinings, crept on more fe- " ci^tly, and threatned more Danger to the Simple and Un- '' wiry. Wherefore we do command all Biihops and Pi ie/ls, :l* dwelling in thefe PartS; to keepa watchful. Eye upon thefe *' Herec Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 1 17 " Hereticks, andunder the pain of Excommunication, to fbr- " bid all Perfons, as foon as thefe Heiecicks are difcover'd, " from prefuming to afford them any Abode in their Coun- " tr>s or to lend them any Affiftance, or to entertain any " Commerce with them in Buying or Selling 5 that fo at leaft " by the lofs of the Advantages of human Society, they *' may be compell'd to repent of the Error of their Life. And *' if any Prince, making himfelf Partaker of their Iniquity, " Ihall endeavour to oppole thefe Decrees, let him be ftruck *' with the fame Anathema. And if they fhall be feized by " any Catholick Princes, and caft into Prifon, let them be pu- " nilh'd by Confifcation of all their Goods ; and becaufe *' they frequently come together from divers Parts into one *' hiding-place, and becaufe they have no other ground for " their dwelling together, fave only their Agreement and " Confent in Error -■, therefore we will, that fuch their Con- " venticles be both diligently fearch'd after, and when tRey are **. found, that they be examined according to Canonical Se- " verity. This Canon exprefly declares •, ly?, That this pretended Herefy had appeared a long time before. 2^/?, That it had infeded ieveral Provinces of thefe Diocefifes. 3^/y, That moft fever e Methods were made ufe of to reduce them. This appears by the Council of Lateran, in the year 1 1 79, ia the laft Chapter. And it is plain alfo from the Letters of the Archbifhop of Narbon to King Lewis VII j " My Lord the Epiftolxdiver- " King, we are extreamly prefTed with many Calamities, a- JJ^rum de Re- *' mongft which there is one that mofl: of all affeds us, which g ^if^*^"""^^^ " is, that the Catholick Faith is extreamly (hakenin thisour Ludovicif'vii., *' Diocefs, and St. Peters, Boat is fo violently tolled by the juniore scrip- " Waves, that it is in great danger of finking. Now fince taaNarbonen- Lewis VII died in the year 1180, having reigned ever fince ^' Archiepif-- the year 1 1 37, it appears clearly that LaMguedoc was full of the '^°^°* Difciples q[ Peter tk Brms^ and Henry, 2l long time before ever Waldo or any of his Difciples had begun to preach. We may gather the fame from what is related by Her.ry Abbot of CUirvaHX in the Annals of Hovede>t, Ar.m 1 178, y/here he faidv, That this Plague was come to fuch a Head in thati I g Remarks upon the that Comtry, that they had not ohIj made themfelves Priefis and Popesj but alfo had their Evangelifls. I own that Hoveden feems to fuppofe, that the Faith of thefe Jlbtgenfes came from //-^/y, by his calling them Pater ines ^. for as for the name of Publkafis, it was like that of Cathari, given them on purpofe to blacken them, and is the fame with that of BnlgarUns and Paphlagonians^ all relating to the Original of the Mamchees who came out of thofe Countries at firft. 3^/y. It appears from the Edicts quoted by Hoveden^ that they were made againft People of a more antient ftanding than the Difciples of JVaido, " Wherefore, becaufe the damnable Pag. 585- " Perverfnefs of thofe Hereticks, whom fome call Cathari, *' others PHbUcansy others Paterbies, and others by other " Names, is encreafed in Gafioh, the Country of M;i, and *' other Places, fo far that they do no more now, as in other ** Places, exercife their Impiety in private, but manifeft their "^^rrors publickly. Epift. 92. Stephen of Tournay is an unqueflionable Witnefs to the fame Truth j he wrote a Letter to Johannes de Beauxmalns BiOiop of Po'iEhiersy in the year 1 1 8 1 , to perfuade him to comply with the Eledion of thofe of Z/ow;, who defired him for their Arch- biihop, and lays before his Eyes the notorious Infidelity of Qa) County of the Dioccfles of Languedock^^ Gafcoln, and Seftiwania {a), and KoHjfiiion. the general Defolation of the Churches of the RomiOi Party in thofe Parts. " Far be it, Father, faith he, from your Cle- " mency, that you fhould have any Inclination for the Barba- (b) People of«' rity of the Gothes {b), the Levity of thQ Gafm us, or for the Langi^doc, ct ^^.^^j ^^^ favage Manners of thofe of Septimania, where In- icrGotltaXt- " fidelity is above Faith, Famine above Fame, Treachery and ciufe cheV///-" Trouble more than can be conceived. 1 lately fawinmy Gothes fettled *' Paflage, when the King fent me to Tholoufe, 9l terrible Image long there. '^ of Death, frequent and fervent in that Country, the Walls " of Churches half demolilhed, facred Buildings half burnt " down, their Foundations digged up, an^ where there were '^ formerly the Dwellings of Men, now nothing but the Ha- *' bitations of Beafts. I confefs I Ihak'd and trembled when I " heard you were invited to thofe Parts, in which the you " might chance to be a Biiliop, yet you might eafily be fo with- " out any Advantage. We Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. j j We have the concurrent Tedi'mony of the ArchblOiops and other Prelats aflembled at Lavaur againft the Albigenfes^ who declare in their Letters to Innocent III, that this Herefy had Cap. 66, been fown in thefe Countries long before, in thefe Terms : " For whereas the Heretical Peftilence, which of old time " hath been fown in tho(e Parts, was now grown to that " height, that Divine Worfliip was fcorned and derided, and " the Hereticks on one hand, and the Robbers on the other, " haralTed the Clergy and the Churches Revenue, and that " both Prince and People being given over to a reprobate ** Mind, fwerved from the true Faith, now by means of your " Armies, by which you have mofl wifely defigned to purge " away the Infecftion and Noifomnefs of this Peftilence, and " their moft Chriftian Leader, the Earl of Momfort^ an un- " daunted Warriour, and unconquered Fighter of the Lord's " Battels •, the Church which was lo miferably ruinated, be- " gins again to lift up her Head, and both Enemies and Er- " rors being for the moft part deftroyed, the Land which hatb *^ fo long been wafted by the Followers of thefe Opinions, will *• at length accuftom it felf again to the Worfhip of God. Lafilyy The fame thing appears by the Teftimony of Pe- ter a Monk of Veanx Cermyj in the firft Chapter of his Hiftory : " In the Province of Narbon, where formerly the Faith ^ ftourifhed, the Enemy of the Faith has begun to fow his " Tares. The People there are diftafted with the Sacraments *^ of Chrift, who is the Savour and Wifdom of God, being " become profane and unwife, by forfaking the Wifdom *' of true Godlinefs. And after having reprefented how .the Monks, Petrt^ de Caftro Novo and RadKlphns^ the Pope's Legats, had forced thofe of Thohufe to abjure their Faith for fear of Punifhments, but that foon after' they returned again to their former Opinions •, he adds, '* For being *' perjured, and relapfing into their former Calamity, they " conceal'd the Hereticks that preached at Midnight in *' their Conventicles. O how difficult a thing it is to pluck " up a deep-rooted Cuftom ! This treacherous City of Tho- " loufe^ from its very firft Foundation (as 'tis faid) hath fel- ^' dom or never been clear of this deceftable Plague •, this '' Poiiba 110 ^warks upon the *' Poifon of Heretical Pravicy, and fuperftitlcus Infidelity, " having been fuccelTively diffufed from Father to Son; " Wherefore ilie alfo, as a due Vengeance for fo great Wick- " ednefs, h:is endcr'd the Effects of avenging Hands, and " the Ruin of a juft Defolation. ~ Yea what is more, f!ie '• has fuffered this Heretical Nature, and home- bred Herefy, " after it had been driven oat by a well-deferved Severity, to '' return again upon her ; being defirous to imitate her An- " ceftors, and refufing to degenerate. By the Example of *' whofe Neighbourhood, as one rotten Grape taints another, *' and as a whole Herd of Swine are infeded by the Scabbi- '' nefs of a fingle Hog, fo the neighbouring Cities and Towns '' having once had thefe Arch-hereticks rooted amongft them, " are become wonderfully and miferably infedted with this " Plague, by the fpringing Shoots of their Infidelity. The " Barons of the feveral Lorddiips in thefe Provinces, . being " almofl all of them become the Defenders and Entertainers " of Hereticks, loving them fincerely, and defending them *' againft God and the Ghurch very warmly. Oile needs only to refleft upon what I have here produced, concerning the time -of the Promotion of phames de Beaux- mains to the Archbiflioprick of Z/o»/, and to recollect that ic was he that perfecuted Peter Waldo^ to make us acknowledg that we cannot fuppofe the Albigenfes to have been the Difci- pies of this Veter Waldo, --^ CHAP. Ancient Qhurches af the Albigenfes. CHAP. XIV. Of the Opinions of Peter de Bruis, and Henry, and their Vifciples, and tphether they were Manichees or not. WE find that tho fome Mamchees fetled themfelves In Langaedocy yet it feems they have only ferv'd to give the Papifts a colour, to accufe thofe whom their Errors, and their falfe Worfhip obliged them to look upon as an Anti- chriftian Church. This will appear yet more clearly, by the account we are about to give here of the Opinions of Peter de Bruisy of Henry^ and of their Difciples, whom the Bifhop of Memx would willingly have thought to have been Ma.ni^ €hees. Bdromui was not fo quick-fighted as the Bifhop j but becaufe it happens oft, that thofe who ftand upon the Shoul- ders of a tall Man can fee a little further than he, w^e muft enquire, by examining this Matter carefully, whether we are to believe Baromm, or the Bifhop of Meaux, The care of the Inquifition, has fcarely left us any record of Peter de Bruis 5 fo that we know fcarce any thing of what concerns him*, but what we have from the report of his Ene- mies, and thofe Enemies too to that degree, that they us'd Fire and Sword to deftroy him j which alone is fufficiently a ftrong Prefumption, that they had little or no Inclination to extenuate the Horridnefs of his Opinions, nor to put a reafo- nable Senfe upon them, when according to the Rules of Equi- ty, they could have given them^ a good one. Be it as it will, Peter Abbot of Clugnjy bears witnels that Peter de Bruis, from whom the j^lhigenfa have been called Petrohjtms, had taught almoft 20 years in the DiocelTes of ^rks, Emi>ru», and in Gafcoin, whither the Perrecution, which he fuff^r'J from the Bifl^.ops and ArchblJliops of thofe DiocefTes, ftiir'd up againft him by Peter de Clugny^ had forc'd him to take refuge. He R declares 121 til ^marks upon the declares that he had made a great number of Difclples, and ex- horts thefe Prelats to oppofe themfelves againft the Progrefs of his Dodrine, by forcing him in this his Retreat, not only by preaching againft him, but alfo if it were needful, Vi armata fer Lakos, with armed Force by Lay men. Thefe Bilhops anfwered thefe Exhortations of Peter de dug- ny perfedly well •, fo that after they had obliged him to keep more private, they watched him fo clofely by their Votaries, that at laft they feized him at St. GUles^ where they caus'd him to be burnt in the year 1 1 26, to the great fatisfadion of Teter de Clugnj and of BaromnSj who highly extol the Zeal of thofe, who by this means had avenged the Injury he had done to Crofles, in burning them to boil his Meat on Good- Friday. This is one of the Crimes laid to his Charge by Feter dc Clugrrf, a Crime of fuch a Nature, that King HezekUh may upon the fame account, be look'd upon as a moft profane Per- fon, though we know that his Zeal herein was approved by God himfelf. At this rate alfo, foh» of Jeruf^hm muft be iook'd upon as a very negligent Prelate for not burning St, £^hiphamm, who at AtiAbUtha, had torn the Hangings of a Church in which he found the PiiSlures of Jefus Chrift, and of fome other Saints. And Gregory I, muft pafs for a negligent ignorant Perfon for not burning Serenm Bidiop of Marfeillesj who broke down the Church-Images, as well as Peter de Bruu, in a Time when Idolatry was not yet come to its height. For as for his boiling Meat with the Wood of the Crofs on Good- Friday, and eating of the fame, fuppofing he had indeed done fo, (though there be great probability to the contrary, and that it was only one of thofe flanderous Imputations the Monks make ufe of to ftir up the Fury of the ignorant ^2ky ble) it would at the moil have been no more than a notable Adion to awaken thefe Idolaters, by fetting before them their own Pagan Folly, defcribed by the Prophet lit^lah in the 44/^ Chapter of his Propfiecy. But this was not the only Crime of Peter de Bmis \ he was not only an Image- breaker, but he had befi.-'ev, during thefe twenty Years of his Miniftry, preached up many Herefies; the chiefeft Ancient Churches of the Albigen fes. 1 1 chlcfeft of which Peter de Clugny reduceth to five Articles, as being more horrid than the reft. " And becaufe, faich he, " the firft Seeds of this erroneous Do(5trine were fown and " propagated by Veter de Bmis for almoft 20 years together, " they brought forth chiefly five poifonous Shoots, againft " which I oppos'd my felf as much as I was able. " The Firft confifted in denying that Infants could be faved " by Bapcifm, when they are under the Age of Reafon •, and " that the Faith of the Parents can be available to thofe who !' are not of Age to believe. * ^ The Second confifted in maintaining that no Temples or " Churches ought to be built, and that thofe already built, " ought to be deftroyed 5 and that Chriftians did not need " holy, that is, confecrated Places to worfhip God in, &c. ** The Third confifted in afterting that they ought to break " down and burn the holy Crofles, becaufe that Figure, and " that Inftmment wherewith Jefus Chrift had been fo cru- " elly tormented and put to Death, was fo far from being *' worthy of Adoration, Veneration, or any other kind of " Supplication, that it ought'to be difhonoured with Indigni- ** ty, broke to pieces and burnt, to revenge our Saviour's '* Torments and his Death. " The Fourth confifted, not only in denying the Truth of " the Body and Blood of our Lord, which is offer'd up every " day, and. continually by the Sacrament of the Church; '* but alfo in maintaining that it was nothing, and ought not to " beoftered. " The Fifth confifted in deriding all the Offerings* Prayers " and Alms, and other good Works done by the Faithful *' that are living, for thofe that are dead, becaufe they could " not by any of thefe means, afford them the leaft Comfort. Thefe were the Hercfics which Teter de Bruis had taught for 20 Years together, which is time enough to know the Opi- nions of one Man. And though Peter de CUgny^ by his Cha- ra^er of being a Monk, and his m^ortal Enemy, was eafily perfuaded to indulge his Credulity fo far as to believe fome Reports fpread abroad concerning the Difciples of Peter de BthU^ that they did not own the Old Teftament, which put R 2 him 124 Remarks upon the him upon proving the Divinity thereof, yet he infixed fo little upon it, that he fhows he was not perfuaded in his Con- icience that the Petrobuftans were Mankhees : and the Bilhop of Meaux ought to have imitated his Difcretion in the fame Matter. But, faith the Biiliop, they reje(5tcd Baptifm, which is one of the Charai^ers of the Mamchees, If he had faid that Peter de Br His had revived the Error of the Hieracites, whom St. E- fiphjimm fpeaks of, he would have had more Reafon on his fide 5 for the fir ft Article, as Prter de Clugnj hath expreffed it, comes very near the Opinion of the UleracUes .- but it is abfo- lutely falfe, that it agrees with the Belief of the Mmkhees con- cerning that Sacrament. The Mankhees abfolutely rejevfled Baptifm 5 whereas, if we will believe Peter de Chgny, the Petro- hnfiMs did not look upon it as needlefs, but only to Infants. In a word, Peter de ciugny attributes to them a kind of Ana- baptifm, which maintain'd, that Infants were not capable^of Baptifm, and that it was only x.^ be conferr'd upon fuch as were full grown, becaufe at the receiving of it, they were to make Profeflion of their Faith for themfelves. At this rate we might as well accufe TertuUia», St. Gregory Na^iayizen, and fVaUfridus Strabo of A^tanicheifm, We fliall find hereafter, that this Error was not general amongft them, becaufe the Difciples of Peter de Bruis and Henry, xQ\tCk it as a flanderous Imputation, and becaufe the Malice which appears in the wording of this Calumny, is nothing but the effeit of that Hatred wherewith Peter de Ciugny was inflamed againft thefe- pretended Hereticks. The fecond Article is vifibly nothing elfe, but a Confe- quence drawn from the Averfion the Petrobuftans had for the PopiQi Churches, becaufe of the Idolatries there committedi and of their Confecrations to the honour of Saints. It is no fuch ftrange thing to fee Men condemn Temples to be demo- liOied, which tliey believe to have been profaned by Idolatry.. Gregory I was one of the firft that ever confecrated Pagan Temples into Meeting-Places for Chriftians s whereas before, the Emperors had ordered them to be {hut up, and caus'd IbmeL of. them to be puU'd down. It is very ordinary for thofe Ancient Churches of the AIbigen(es. 125 -— r — — —————— —^———.^— ____—— thofe who deteft the Idolatry reigning in Churches, to be de- firous to remove all the Obje<5ls of it at the greatell diftance from thofe whofe Salvation they endeavour to procure. Laftly, We know that the PembptfiAns judg'd the Pope to be the Antichrift, which might very well prompt them to fo great an Averfion for thefe kind of Buildings, in which Anti- chrift had his Throne, as Su HiUry q{ Poitiers had diftindly foretold. But let Men think what they pleafe, this Article has nothing of Manicheifm in it. The third Herefy of the Petrobupans, hath ftill lefs of Mani- cheifm than the forrner. Ic is evident that this alfo is nothing but a popular Confequenee againft the Worfhip of the Crofs, which was then praciifed upon diverfe occafions, of which we have before feen an Example, at the Death of a great Lord of that Country. But whereas he fuppofeth tliat the Petre- btifians did acknowledg, that Jefus Chrift hath endured the Crofs, and that he died upon it ; in fo doing he fully acquits them of being Mankhees, (ince they did not own that our Lord Jefus Chrift truly died upon the Crofs. Moreover ic muft be confefs'd, that no Man could better have renewed the Dodrine of St. Agobardits, than Peter de Bruys, when he maintained that neither Veneration, Adoration, nor Suppli- cation were due to the Crofs, and. that they were to be broken in cafe People were found to beftow any fuch Worfhip upon them. For this was the Do(5trine of Jgobardm, in his Dif- courfe of Pidures. The fourth Herefy is exprefs'd in very odious terms, and Tom.p.Eib. after the Popifli manner, who own nothing to be real in the I'^i^r-P^nf. p. Sacrament, if the Flefh of Jefus Chrift and his Blood be not * ^'^ ' there in Subftance, and who do not believe he is prefent in the Sacrament upon any other account, but as he is oftered up to God before he is eaten. But yet here there is nothing in this double Article of Mar.lcheifm. On the contrary we may aflerc that the Romjh Opinion rather is a Branch of Maniche- ifm than thfirs : for is not the Body of Jefus Chrift in the Bread? and doth not the Subftance of the Bread become the Subftance of Jefus Chrift? and the Prieft, or the Faithful when they digeft it, do they not-reftore the Body of Chrift to Li- bert}',.. II 6. Remarks upon the berty , in freeing it of its Bonds, by which the Charm of Con- fecration tied it up ? The A(5t of Oblation which the Petrohnjlam blamed in the Mafs, is more clearly explained by their Difciples, as we fliall fee hereafter. In the mean time, it is worth obferving, that they oppofed the Change, which then began to be made in the Church of Rome, and which being accompliflied, pro- duced that Addition in the Liturgy, where they make the Prieft fay, Et fro qmbm tibi offerimHs, And for whomwe offer up to thee 5 whereas before the whole Offering refpedled only the People, ^i nbioffermt, Who offer up unto thee, in Al- lufion to that Cuftom of the People's offering the Bread and Wine which was ufed at the Communion. As foon as the Faith of the Real Prefence was once entertained, they pre- fently inquired what ufe might be made of it, and they found that it might be oflfered up to God, before it was offered to the People : and when they were once confirmed in the Belief of this Cuftom, they found it was neceffary for the Prieft to exprefs a Sacerdotal A(5t 5 whereas therefore the People before (imply offered the Bread and Wine to God, in order to cele- brate the Communion with it, after Confecration they thought good to fubftitute the Priefts offering of them up for the People. This was more diftindly pradtifed in the thir- teenth Century, ZS Menardststht BenediEiwe m{o:mS US in his Difcourfe upon the Sacrament arlfim o{ St. CJr^j^or^jthough before that time we find fome Footfteps of this Opinion. The fifth Article which rejeCls Purgatory, and maintains, that the Living cannot help the deceafed Believers by their Prayers, Alms or good Works, nor by any Maffes defignedly faid for them, has as little Adamcheifm as the former : For as the Petrobfiftans cannoc be faid to be Mamchees-, for condemning the Ufe of Infant Baptifm 5 fo neither can they beeffeemed Manichees for denying Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead. Let the Bifhop of Meattx turn over as long as he pleafeth the Catalogue of Herefies, he will no-where be able* to find that the rejedingof Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead, are Cha- ra(5ters of Aiankheifm. Is Jnc'wit Churches of the Albigenfes. 127 Is not the Bi(hop therefore, think we, very judicious, in takmgPeter de Bruys 2l^6. his Difciples for ^<««/V)(;^^j ? whereas he ought to have taken notice of two things in Peter deClugny .• The i/, is riiat Peter de Brujs^ whom they accufe of having boiled Meat on Good-Friday with broken pieces of the Crofs, eat of it when he had done, with thofe who allifted at that Execution. The ^d is, that he maintained, that Epin. 2. Priefts and Monks ought rather to marry, than to live in a Thef. ca'-h fingle State defiled with Impurity : Cocciui makes diis Article Tom'. 2. 1. L one of the Herefies of Peter de Brnys. Arc. 6. One clearly fees what folid Grounds the Biihop of Meaux had to accufe Peter de Bruys of Mamcheifm : Let US novv fee whether he hath any better Succefs with Henry the Diiciple of Peter de Bruys; The Burning of Peter de Bruys at St. Gilies, did not ftifle the Dodiine that he maintained, ic had taken too deep Root in thefe Diocefles : On the contrary itencreafed very conlidera- bly, after it was once watered with the Blood of that Martyr, The Oppofition which the Difciples of Peter de Bruys made to the falfe Worfhip of the Church of Rome^ which they indeavoured to introduce into thefe Diocefles, after that they had made them fubmit to her Yoak, was very ufeful to awaken the People. Pope Eugenins, the Difciple of St. Bernard, being then in France (where he was more exadly informed of thefe Difficulties than the Romaft Emiflaries) took the Alarm very hotly. See here how St. Bernard defcribes the State of Affairs, in a Letter of his to the Count St. Gilles. " How great Evils Epift. 240. . ** have w'e heard and known that Hemy the Heretick hath done *' and does every Day in the Churches of God ? He wanders " up and down in your Country in Sheeps Clothing, being " indeed a ravenous Wolf: But according to the Hint given "■ by our Lord, we know him by his Fruits- The Churches " are without People, People without Priefls, Priefts with- ** out due Reverence •, andlaftly, Chrifiians without Chrift. *' The Churches of Chrifl are looked upon as Synagogues, " the Sanctuary of God is denied to be holy, Sacraments are •* no longer efleemed (acred •, holy Feafts are deprived of "- feflival Solemnities •, Men die in their Sins •, Souls are fre- quently, , iiS ^marh upon the *' quently fnatch'd away to appear before the terrible Tribu- *' n:!, who are neither reconciled by Repentance, nor armed " with the facred Communion i The Life of Chrift is denied *' to Chriftian Infants, by refufing them the Grace of Eap- *' tifm ♦, nor are they fuffered to draw near unto Solvation, " though our Saviour tenderly cries on their Behalf, S^^er " littU Children to come UKto we. This Man is nCC of (jod, " who auls and fpeaks things To contrary to God 5 and yet " alas he is liftned to by many, and has a People that believe '* him. O moft unhappy People ! at the Voice of an Here- " tick all the Voices of the P/ophets and Apoftles are filenced, *' who from one Spirit of Truth,havc declared that the Church " is to be called by the Faith of Chrift out of all the Nations of " the World : So that the Divine Oracles have deceived us,the " Eyes and Souls of all Men are deluded,who fee the fame thing '' fulfilled,|wij:ch they read before to have been foretold : *' which Truth, though it be mod manifeft to all,he alone.by an " aftonifliing and altogether fudakal Blindnefs, either fees not, " or elfe is forry to fee it fulfilled 5 and at the fame time, by " I know not what Diabolical Art, perfwades the foolifh and " fenfelefs People not to believe their own Eyes, in a thing " that is fo manifeft 5 and that thofe that went before have de- " ceived, thofe that come after have been deceived ; that the *' whole World, even after the (liedding of Chrift's Blood, " lliall be loft, and that all the Riches of the Mercies of God, *' and the Grace of the Univerfe, are devoted upon thofe " alone whom he deceives. Pope Eugenlvu finding things in this Pofture, names Alheri- cm Bift^op of Gj^la for his Legat to the People of Tholctife, and to the Count of St. GUles. Burompu in his Annals gives us an Account of this Benry^ the Difciple of Teter de Brujs^ J,. ,:^ and his Death, in the Year 1147, which feems to be very ex- 't' • 24^' ^^^ became St. Bemard writ to the Count of St. GUles, to ex- hort him to drive Bemy out of his Country, where he preach- ed his Dodrine very freely: But the Earl died in the Holy Land, having been poifoned there (as it was faid) by the Queen: Wherefore in the Year 1147) ^^«>'7 fuffered Martyr- dom, at the Soilici cation of St. Bernard Abbot of CUirvauXj by the Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 120 the Cruelty of Alberkw BiQiop of ofiu^ Cardinal and Legate of Pope EugeniHi II at Tholoufe^ where he caufed him to be burnt, after they had brought him thither loaden with Irons. Baronitis fets down with great Care, whatever he thought might blemiihthe Reputation of the Martyr. He relates all that St. Bernard wrote againft him to AUephonfus Earl of St. GiUes, He quotes St. Bernard, who calls Henry an Apoftate Monk, and accufeth him of having made ufe of the great Ta- lents he had in Preaching, as a means to get Money to fpend at Gaming, and upon his Lufts. He fays, that Henry was a Man defiled with Adulteries, who for his frequent Crimes, durft not appear in fcveral Parts 0^ France and Germany, and who by Confequence was not to be indured in the Territories of the Count of St. Gilles : but yet he doth not lay any thing of Mani- chelfm to his Charge, no more than Peter de Clugny and St. Ber- rtard ; Nay, Baronius does more, for he formally diftinguifh- eth him from thofe Hereticks whom St, ^^rw^r^ oppofed under the Name of Jpef^oUck^s, in his 66th Homily upon the Can- ticles. How then could the Bifliop of Meaux make a Mankhee of him? Perhaps the loofe Life, whereof St. Bernard accufeth hinj, may be a Character of it. But not to undervalue the Vanity of this loofe Accufation, without any Proof, and pro- ceeding from a fworn and cruel Enemy, which was quite over- thrown by the couragious Martyrdom of Henry : At this rate the Clergy of the Church of Rome^ who were fo generally guil- ty of Sodomy, that St. Peter Damian writ a Book, intituled, GomorrhiHs, muft have been Mankhees \ and upon the fame Ground 'Johannes Cremenfs, a Cardinal, the Pope's Legate in England, for abolifhing the Marriage of the Priefts, muftlike- wife have been a Mankhee ; for the Eng/i/h Hiftorians fay that this Holy Cardinal, having affembled a Synod at fVefiminfier, wherein he reprefented to the Priefts, that it was the worft of Crimes to rife from a Whore to confecrate the Body of Je- fus Chrift, was himfeif furprized in Bed with a common Whore, the fame Day that he ha?! faid Mafs. Upon this Ac- count alfo the Legats of Anacletm, the Competitor of Etsge- nitu IL muft have been Mankhees, for they are taxed with S carrying 2 o ^mcirks upon the carrying Women along wkh them In Mens Habits, probably to avoid the Inconvenience that Johannes Cremenfts fell into in Ens^Lind, for want of taking this Care before-hand. They charge tienry with the fame Herefies which they attri- buted to Peter de Bruys •, fo that what I have already faid con- cerning the Herefies of the Pembuftans^ I need not repeat here. Baroniw adds,I confefs,that Henry had fuperadded to thefe Here- fies this Propofition, Mdltis irrUeri Tfeum Canticis Ecclefiafticisy That the Singing in Churches was but a mocking of God. And accordingly Peter de ClH7;^y refutes thispretended Herefy with a great deal of Earneftnefs: But if I may fpeak my Opinion in this matter, neither did this Propolicion contain any great De ofRc, p2g. Crime, For i,/?, Singing in general was owned by iftdore as an 184. & cap. 10. Innovation. It was about 70 Years before, that the Popes had abolillied the ancient Liturgies, to fubftitute the if^w4« Liturgy. The Gothkk^ Liturgy, which w*as ufed in the Dio- cefs of Languedoc\, and other neighbouring Diocefles, which at that time depended on the Kings of S^.w^ had been fup- prefTed, becaufe it was not over- favourable to the Opinions of the Church of Ror^e. _ zdly, Th.ey had at the fame time in- troduced a fort of riming Verfes, which they call Pro[es^ fo ri- diculous, fo fooliih, and fo full of Novelties, both as to the Worfliip of Saints, and as to the fabulous Stories they con- tained, that it was very difficult for thofe who looked for Wif- dom in their Prayers, not to take them for Profanations." The Hymncompofed by King Robert, in Honour of Queen Co«. ftantla, may give us an hint whit fort of things they were, o ConflantU Mmyrum, &c. And now let any one judg whe- ther Benry was ^ Mankhee^ becaufe he condemned this fort of Profanations. V\ This alfois what hath been owned by Mez^eraj^ in his Chro- j mlogk ill Abridgment of the Hijiory of France^ printed at Am^er- I Pag. 577. ^.tw in 1573, where upon the Year 11^3, he faith, '^ That /- " there were two forts of Hereticks, the one ignorant and *' loofe, who were a fort of M^imchces-^ the other more *^ learned and remote from fuch Filthinefs, who held much ^ the fame Opinions as the Calvinifts, and were called Henri^ " cUns Ancient Churches of tk Albigenfes. i } \ " cims or fValdenfesj though the People ignorancly confound- " ed them with the Cathari, Bulgarinnsj 6cc. Mezeray had fpoken more exadJy, had he faid, That the People were abufed by the Bifliops and Clergy, who purpofe- ]y confounded the ancient Followers of Feter de Eruys and Henry ^ with the Meinkhees and Cathari, tO make them odi- ous. CHAP. XV. That it doth not appear from the Conference 0/ Alby, that the Albigenfes were Manichees. HAving thus juftified Peter de Bruys, Henry^ and his Difci- ples, from the Imputation of Mankheifm^ which the Bifliop of MeAux has endeavoured to faften upon them ; We will yet further endeavour to clear this Point, by examining the Conference of Alby, from whence the Bifhop thinks that he has drawn a folid Argument to confirm his Imputation. Let us fee how this Conference is related by Roger Hoveden, in his Annals upon the Year 1176. " It was in this Year that the Ariaa Herefy was condemned, " which had well nigh infe(5led all the Province oiTholoufe. " There were, faith he, certain Hereticks in the Province of *' Tholotife, who called themfelves the Good Men 3 they were " fupported by the Militia of Umbez^ and preached and *' taught the People contrary to the CLi iiiian F'Jich, profeiling *' themfelves not to own the Law of Mofes. noi the Prophets, *' nor the Pfalms, nor any part of tiie Old Teftament, nor " the Doctors of the New Teftament, fave only the Gofpeis " and the Epiftles of St. Paid, w.th the kvm Canonical Epi- *' ftles, the A(5ts of the Apoftles and the Revelation. " Being queftion'd concerning their Faith, proceeds he, and *1 concerning the Baptifm of Infants, and whether they were S 2 *' faved ^ 2 ^y^emarks upon the *' faved by Baptifm 5 and concerning the Body and Blood of " our Lord, where ic was confecrated, or by whom, and *' who were thofe that received it 5 and whether it were more " or better confecrated by a good Man, than by a wicked " Man j and concerning Marriage, if a Man and Woman " could be faved, that knew one another carnally. They " anfwered, That they would fay nothing of their Faith, nor " of the Baptifm of Infants 5 neither were they obliged to " fay any thing of thofe Matters. Concerning the Body " and Blood of our Saviour they faid, That he who received " it worthily, was faved 5 and that he who received it unwor- " thily, procured his own Condemnation. Concerning Mar- " riage they faid, that a Man and Woman join themfelves to- " gether to avoid Fornication, as St. Paul faitli. They alfo " declared many things, without being queftioned 5 as that " they ought not to ufe any Oaths whatioever, as St. John " faid in his Gofpel, and St. fames in his Epiftle. They faid " alfo that St. Paf^l had foretold that they ought to ordain " Biftiops and Priefts in the Church, and that if thefe Orders " were not conferred upon fuch as he there commands, that " then they were neither Biftiops nor Priefts, but ravening " Wolves, Hypocrites and Deceivers, who loved the Salu- " tations in the Market-places, the firft Places, and the firft '' Seats at Feafts •, who love to be called Mafters, againft the *' the Commandment of Jefus Chrift •, who wear white and ^^ ftiining Garments 5 who wear Rings of Gold, and precious " Stones on their Fingers, which their Mafter never com- " manded them. Accordingly they maintained, that fince " the Biftiops and Priefts were like to thofe Priefts who be- " trayed our Saviour Jefus Qirift, they ought not to obey " them^ becaufe they were wicked. " After divers Reafons alledged on both fides in Prefence '*■ of the Biftiop of Jlhy they chofe and fetled Judges on both " fides, with Confent of tlie Biftiop of v^/^. After this, /?o- " ger Hoveden obferves, that the Prelates cited divers Authori- " tiesoutof the New Teftament (for thefe Hereticks, faith ^^ he, would not be determined but by die New Teftament), '* and that afterwards the Biftiop of Lions pronounced the de- " finitiveL- u (C (C Jncknt Churches of the Aibigenfts. 1 5 2 finitive Sentence, drawn from the New Teftament in thefe terms, I Giflehrt BiOiop of Lions, at the Command of the Birtiop of y4Ji>j and his Aflfeffors, do judg that they arc He- reticks -•, and I condemn the Opinions of Oliver and his Com- panions, where-ever they are: And we judg this from the New Teftament: I bring therefore for this Reafon, Proofs to confirm the Divinity of the Old Teftament, drawn from the New, and thereby oppofe thefe Hereticks, be- caufc they owned, that they received Mofes, the Prophets, and the Pfalms, only in thofe Particulars, which Jefus and his Apoftles had by their Teftimony approved, and not in others : whereupon he maintains with reafon, that if an In- ftrument or Teftimony in Writing is allowed of in one part, the whole muft needs be owned, or elfe wholly caft afide. " In the fecond place, faith he, We convid them, and judg, them to be Hereticks, by the Authorities of the -New Tefta- ment*, for we fay, that he has not the Catholick Faith, who doth not confefs it when he is required, and when it is expofed to any Danger; whence it is' that our Lord in the Ads of tlie Apoftles, faith to Amnios, fpeaking of /*<<«/, For he is to me a chofen Veftel, to carry my Name, &c, Thefe Hereticks alfo boaft themfelves, that they do not lie 5 whereas we maintain that they lie manifeftly, for there is Deceit in holding ones Peace as well as fpeaking ; where- fore alfo i'^/ boldly refifted -P^r^r to his Face, becaufe he gave way to the Circumcifed. " In the third place, faith he. We con vid and judg them to be Hereticks by the Authorities of the New Teftament 3 for we fay that God will have all Men to be faved, &c. After which he produces the Proofs for Infant- Baptifm, and folvesthe Obje<5tion, taken from Infants wanting Faith, without which it is impoffible to pleafe God: We fay that it is by the Faith of the Church, or of their God-fathers,, as the Man (ick of the Palfy was healed by the Faith of thofe who prefented him, land let him down thorow the.- Tiling.of the Houfe,. i.^ In -iA Remarks upon the cc cc " In the fourth place, faith he, We do convi(5t and judg them as Hereticks by the Authorities of the New Tefta- ment, becaufe the Body of our Lord cannot be confecrated but by a Prieft, be he good or bad •, which he proves, be- caufe Confecration is made by the Words of Jefus Chrift. Moreover, he proves that the Confecration of the Body of our Lord muft be celebrated in the Church, and by the Minifters of the Church only, whole Authority he aflerts from PalTages of Scripture. " Clerks therefore and Lay men, purfues ht, muft be obe- dient for God's Sake to thefe Priefts, Bifliops and Dea- cons, be they good or bad, according to what our Lord faith, The Scribes and the Pharifees fit in Mofe/s Chair, whatfoever therefore they fay, do ye s but do not according to their Works, for they fay, and do not. " In the fifth place, We convi(5t and judg them to be He- reticks by the Authority of the New Teftament, becaufe they will not own that Man and Wife, if carnally joined, can be faved , and yet they are wont to preach in'publick, that Man and Wife cannot be faved if they know one a- nother carnally : by flriving to preach up the Study of Virginity, faith he, they fcem to derogate from the State of Marriage, and to condemn it -, which he refutes by the common Proofs. " In the fixth place, faith he. We convid and judg by the Authorities of the New Teftament, that they are He- reticks, and feparated from the Unity of the Church ♦, for we fay, that the Lord hath given the Power to St. Petfr^ of binding and abfolving, faying, Whatfoever thou (halt bind on Earth, iliall be bound, &c, and St. f^mes fays, If any one among you be (ick, let him call for the Priefls of the Church, &c. and again, Behold, I fend unto you wife Men and Scribes 5 but as our Lord faith, All Men cannot comprehend this Saying. " Moreover, We fay, that they ought to have ftood up, in Anfwering and Difputing concerning the Gofpel, becaufe all Chriftians ftand when the Gofpels are read •, now if we ought to ftand when they are read, much more ought we *' to Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. i ? c " CO (land when they are read and expounded together. Nei- *' ther ought they to have fat down after that they had once " chofen to ftand. Befides, We have many Authorities, by " which it plainly appears, that we ought co be (landing when " the Gofpel is reading, as that, where it is faid, And Jefm *^ flood In the Plain 5 and again, Jefns flood and cryd^fajing 5 and *' again. There flands one in the mid[l of you, whom ye know not. " Moreover, Jefus was in a ftanding Pofture, when, after his " Refurrediion, he confirmed his Difciples, and preached unto *' them •, as it is written, 'fefus flood in the midfl of his Difci^les, ** and faid. Peace be tvith joff. And as for them, faith the " BiQiop, they liave no right to judg, but only to anfwer 5 ** for the Lord ought to fit, to whom all Judgment is com- *' mitted by the Father. But as for them, they judg not, but *' are judged, and it is not permitted to them to preach in the " Churches. Thefe Hereticks are fqph, as St. Paal foretels of, ** when he faith, that there (liall bis wicked Men and Sedu- " cers, who will go on to grow worfe and worfe, deceiving " and being deceived 5 for the time fliall come, that they " will not bear found Dodrine, but will turn their Ears away " from the Truth to Fables. And again, From which fome *' going artray, have give[i themfelves to vain things, who *t defiring to be Teachers of the Law, underftand not what " they fay or affirm. He maintains, that they ought to pu- *' nifh the Difobedience of thofe Hereticks, and to give them " publick Correction, accoiding to St. ?Ws faying, That " Sinners fliould be reproved openly in the Prefence of all " for their Amendment. St. Paul alfo fpeaking to Biihops, '* faith. Being always ready to reprove every 'Difobedience, *' and having Power to confute thofe that gainfay j and again, '^ Exhort^ rebukfy and refrove with all Authority ^ and again, " Ihave delivered theti) to Satan^ &:c. Moreover, Being abfent, I " have already judged^ &C. And laftly, Who ever fh all preach any '* other things let him he accurfed. " In the feventh place, the faid Bifliop queftioned them " concerning Repentance, whether it were faving when per- *^ formed at the lart: Gafp, or whether Souldiers mortally " wounded, may be faved if they repent at laft 5 or whether " every i')6 ^marh upon the ^' every one ought ro confefs their Sins to the Priefl and Mi- " nifters- of the Church, or to fome Lay- man, or to thofe '' of whom St. fan^es fays, Confefs ycur Sins one to another ? '' To which they anfwered, that it was Sufficient for thofe " that were fick, to confefs to whom they would. As for " Souldiers, they would anfwer nothing, becaufe St. James " there fpeaks only of the Sick. It was alfo asked them, " whether one fingle Act of Contrition of Heart, and one *' Confeffion of the Mouth were fufficient, or whether Sa- " tisfadion were neceflary, after Penance had been enjoined, " in deploring their Sins, by Fafting, Alms, and Afflidion, if " they had opportunity. To which they anfwered, faying, " that St. James faid, Confefs your Sins one to another, thnt jioh <* may be healed -^ fo that by thefe Words, they knetv that the " Apoftle did not enpin any thing elfe, but only to confefs to " one another 5 and that fo they fliould be faved, and that " they would not be better than the Apoftle, by adding any ** thing thereto of their own, as the BiQiops do. " The Hereticks added befides, that the Bi(hop who pro- " nonnced Sentence,was an Heretick, and not they •, and that " he was their Enemy, and a ravening Wolf, a Hypocrite, " and an Enemy of God, and that he had not judged rightly, " and that they would not anfwer any thing concerning their " Faith, becaufe they miftrufted him, as our Lord had com- *' manded them in the Gofpel s Beware of falfe ProphetSy who " come unto you in Sheets Clothings but inwardly are ravening " Wolves. And that he was their malicious Perfecutor, and " they were ready to make it appear from the Gofpels " and the Epiftles, that he was not a good Paftor, neither " he, nor ^11 the reft of the Biiliops and Pritfls, but rather " Hirelings. " The Bifhop anfwered. That the Sentence had been duly " pronounced againft them, and that he was ready to verify " the fame either in the Court of Ld. Alexander the Catho- '*■ lick Pope, or in the Court of Lewis King of France, or of " Raimond Earl of Tholoufe, or of his Wife who was prefent, " or in the Court of Frenkwel, who was there prefent, that " he had paffed a right Judgment, and that they were evi- " dently Jncient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 1 57 " dently Hereticks, and branded as fuch. He promifed :Mo " that he would indid them for Herefy, and that he would " denounce thenn to be fuch in all Catholick Courts. " Tlie Hereticks ^feeing themfelves convicted and con- " founded, turned themfelves towards all the People, faying, " Good People, the Faith which we now confefs, we confefs " for your Sakes. The Bifliop anfwered, You fay, That you " fpe.;k for the Sake of the People, and not for God's Sake. And they faid, " We believe that, there is one only Gody in three " Perfons, thi Fat her y the Son^ and. the Holy Ghofl 5 and th^J the " Son of (jod hath taken our Flefh upon him, that he was bapti^d irt " Jordan, that he fafled in the Wilde]^nefsy that he hath freached '' our Salvation j that he fujfered, died, and ivas buried 5 that he " defcended into He/l^ that he rofe again the third Day, that he af- '' cended into Heaven,- that he fent the Holy Ghofl on the Day of *"' Pentecofl, that he jhaR come at the Day of Judgment to judg both " the ^^uick^and the Dead, and that All (hall rife again. We k^rf " alfo, that what we believe with our Heart, we ought to confefs with " our Mouth. We believe, that he is not faved, who doth not eat the " Body of Jefus Chrifi^ and that the Body of Jefta Chrifl is not con- " fe crated but in the Church-) and by the Prieft be he good or bad ; " And that it is no better confecrated by a good than by a bad one, " We believe alfo, that none can be faved but thofe that are bapti' " z^d, and that little Children are faved by Baptifm. We believe '' alfo^ that Man and Wife are faved^ though they be carnally joined 5 " and that every one mufl repent with his Mouth and Heart, and be " baptized in the Church by a Priefl 5 and that if they could Jhoiv '' them more from the Go [pels and Epiflles, they would believe and " own it. " The faid Bi(hop cold them alfo, That if they (liould " fwear, they would be obliged to keep the Faith, and if " there were any thing elfe, that they ought to confefs it, be- " caufe before they had maintained wicked Opinions, and had " fpoken ill. They anfwered. That they could not fwear at " all, becaufe in fo doing, they fhould fin againft the Gofpel " and the Epiftles. Whereupon, they produced againft them " Authorities out of the New Teftament j and after they had T " been y 3 ^niarks upon the " been cited and heard on both fides, one of the Biiliops ftan- '' ding up, paft his Judgment in this manner. " I Go^eltn Bifhop of Lodeve, by permiflion and command " of the BiQiop oi Alby and his Afleflors^ do judg and declare " openly, That thefe Hereticks are in a wrong Opinion con- " cerning the matter of Oaths : they muft (wear, if fobe they '' defire to be received : for in Matters of Faith, Men ought " to fwear 5 and forafmuch as they are infamous and ftain'd " with Herefy, they muft clear their Innocence 5 and returning " to the Unity of the Church, they muft confirm their Faith *' by an Oath, as the Catholick Church holds and believes 5 *' that fo the weak ones xhat are in the Church be not cor- ^' rupted, and that the infected Sheep may not fpoil the "* whole Flock. Neither is this contrary to the Gofpel,, or ""^ CO the Epiftles of St. Paul ^ for though it be faid in the *' Gofpel, Let jour Communication be yea^yeA^nay^ nay \ and that* " /halt not fwear neither by the Heaven^ nor by the Earthy &c. " yet it is not forbidden to fwear by God, but only by the '' Creatures*, for the Heathens worfhipped the Creature*, " and if it were permitted to fwear by Creatures, we fhould " give to the Creatures the Refped and Honour which is " due to God alone --, and thus Idols and Creatures would be " a.dor'd as God. '' After feveral Arguments to prove the Lawfulne(s of ^ Swearing, he added 5 Or it may be thole Expreflfions ifi *•' the Gofpel and the Epiftle of St. James, are only by way of *•' Advice, and not by way of Precept, becaufe if Men did not *•' fwear, they would not be forfworn --, and whatfoeyer is more " thanthefe, cometh of Evil j that is, of Sin or of the Devil, " who perfuades Men to fwear by Creatures. Finding there- " fore, that they were convided in this Point alfo, they faid ^' that the Bidiop of Alby had agreed with them,, that he " would not force them to fwear -■, which the Biihop oi Alby " denied, and (landing up, faid, I confirm the Sentence which " Gozelin BiOiop of Lodeve hath pronounceci, which was given " by my Order, and I give notice to the Militia of Lombe^t^not '^ to protetl them. This was fign'd by the nine Bilhops, -t' Ciei-ks, Ancient Churches of the Albigeiifcs. i jp " Clerks,- Abbots, and Laymen, with this Conclufion, We " approve this Sentence, and we know they are Hereticks, " and we rejed their Opinion. This is the Subftance of what part at the Conference of Alhy^ according to the Relation of Roger Hoveden, One fees that he reprefents to us thefc three Things 5 i /?, The Accu- fations laid to the charge of the Albigenfes :^ they are accufed of feveral Articles, which are pure Mctnkheifm, zdl). The Arguments they brought to convict them. 3^/r, The Con- feflion of Faith of the AlHgenfesy in oppofition to their Ac- cufations. As for their Accufations, we are to obferve, that they are only Confequences of their being look'd upon as Hereticks, fuch as they pretended had been long fince condemned in the Councils held againft the Mamchees-j and accordingly they make a Recapitulation of the Errors, either ddend^d by the Cathari, or commonly attributed to them, 'and with thefe they charge the Alblgenfes without further Ceremo- ny. They produce indeed feme WitnefTes who a^cufe them, and maintain, That they have heard fome of them maintain Adanichean PrOpofitions. But the manner of their juftifying themfelves, confounds this Accufation, and thefe WitnefTes. i. They declare, That the Silence they kept, . was like that of Jefus Chrift, who fometimes held his Peace, without anfwering the Queftions of the Pharifecs. z. They cali'd the Perfons appointed to con- front them, falfe WitnefTes and Impoftors, in as handfom a Manner as could be fliown to Perfons of their Quality, who appeared againfl them. 3. They propound theii> Confeflion of Faith, in Terms wholly Orthodox, addrefTing themfelves to the People, who had been WitnefTes of thefe horrid Ac- eufations. Probably fome will fay? Here is a Company of Men a^ftu- ally accus'd of abominable Herefies, and here are Perfons pro- duc'd to prove it really uponthem. To this, I have three things to anfwer. i. That we have this Conference from the hand of their Enemies only. 2. That what is infifled on con- T ^ cerning ^ . Q (I{emarks upon the ceining the Authority of their Witneffes, is overthrown by a very natural Reflexion •, which is, That the Integrity of the TVaUenfes was fo well known, and their Adverfaries fo much noted for their Inclinations to Calumny, that the Princes and all the People favoured them. This is obferved by PuyUurens in his Chronicle, and it is taken notice of by Rlhera in his Antiquities of Thloufe^ and yet their Enemies have ftill gone on to accufe them of Mankheifm, CHAP. XVI. Tloe Albigenfes jufi'ified by a Conference y whereof we haVe an Account written by Bernard oyponcaud. • WHat I have here reprefented in general, might be fuf- ficient to clear the Albigenfes from the charge of Ma- nkheifm, w^hich the Bifhop of Memx after fo many Ages, hath improv'd againft them, but that we have fomething more to fay. This Bifhop, who makes \k\t walden[es only Schifma- ticks from the Church of Rome^ though he looks upon them as another fort of Schifmaticks than the Donatifls, hath pretended to prove this bufinefs infallibly, by the Conference, where- of Bernard Abbot of Foncaud hath given US the Relation, and which was held in Prefence of Bernard Archbiihop of Narhon, He obferves therefore, that it appears from the faid Confe- rence, that.thofe againft whom the Difpute was maintain'd, diifer'd from the Church of Rme^ only in the following Ar- ticles. " The Difpute, faith he, chiefly concern'd the Obedience " that is due to Paftors, which we find that the Waldenfes *■' denied, and that notwithf^anding all Prohibitions to the " contrary, they believ'd they had -power to preach, both Men " and Women --, and fince this their Difobedience could not ^' be grounded but upon the Unworthinefs of the Paftors* " die Jyicient Churches of the A 1 bige n (es. 141 " the Catholicks in proving Obedience to be due unto them, '• prove it to be due even to thofe that are wicked •, and that *' whacfoever the Channels be, Believers do not fail of rc- " ceiving Grace through them. For the fame reafon, they " fliew, that this fpeaking againft of their Paftors, whence the " pretence of difobeying them was taken, is forbidden by the " Law of God. Afterwards they confute the Liberty that Lay- " men took to themfelves of Preaching without leave of " their Paftors, and indeed in oppofition to their Prohibiti- " ons5 and they (hew that this leditious kind of Preaching, " tends to the Subverfion of the Weak and Ignorant. A- " bove all, they prove from Scripture, that Women, to whoni " Silence only is recommended, muft not undertake to teach. " LaiHy, They reprefent to the waldenfes, that they do ill in " reje(5ting Prayer for the Dead, which hath fo much Foun> " dation in Scripture, and (o clear a Succeffion in Tradition. " And as thefe Hereticks ablented themfelves from the " Churches, to pray amongft themfelves in private in their " Houfes, they tell them, that they ought not to leave the " Houfe of Prayer, the Holinefs whereof was fo much re- " commended in Scripture, and even by the Son of Godhim- " felf. Here we may fee the Albigenfes, in cafe they be the Perfons concerned, (though the Biiliop pretends they are the waldenfes) fufficiently cleared from all the Accufations of Mamchelfm thaE can be formed againft their Faith. For according to thefe Ar- ticles, if we believe the Bifhop of Meatix, they cannot be chai*ged with any thing of Arinnifm, much lefs of ManU cheifm. I cannot perfe(5lly a Jee to what the Bilhop of Afeaax con- cludes, from their examining only thefe pretended Differences, in the Conference held before the Archbiihop of Nitrbon, that there was no other Difference betwixt the Church of Rome^ and thofe againff whom the Paftfts difputed at this Conference. There are folid Reafons that hinder me from being of the Billiop s Opinion ; but however it be, he cannot defend him felf from having furniQied his Ad ver far ies with the mofV compen- dious way in the World, to overthrow without much enquiry, all 141 Remarks upon the all that he had done to prove that the Alblgeyifes were guilty of Manlcheifm, For in truth this Difpute, whereof the Abbot of FoMcaud gives us an account, was not maintain'd againft the Vmdois^ but againft the Alhlgen{es. For i . the Biiliop might eafily have dif- cover'd as much, from the Prefence of the Archbifhop o^Nar- i>on^ the Matter in queftion relating to the Intereft of his Dio- cefs. 2. Becaufe the Abbot oi Foncaud, who is the Relator, was one of the principal Adtors, his Abby being in the Diocefs of Narhm. 3. Becaufe this Conference, with fome others, ferved as a Prologue to the Cruelties exercifed againft the Albigenfes \ the Church of Rome and her Minifters, having air ready made u{e of ^ thefe Ways of Sweetnefs, before they came to the Extremities of a Creifade, which interrupted their other Projects towards C^r^^r^ and the Holy-LanJt. It follows clearly from hence, that according to the Ac- knowledgment of the Bifliop, the Alhlgenfes cannot be more juftly accufed oi Mankhelfm^ than the Vaudois^ concerning whom he pretends, that the Abbot of Foncaud fpeaks. I cannot imagine how the Bidiop can anfwer the Force of this Argument, except only by denying that he is miftaken, and pretending that this Conference was held with fome of the Vaudoii who had fled into the Diocefs oiNarbm^ and had fo con- fiderably propagated their Dodrine there, that a publick Difpute was judg'd ncceflary to ftop the progrefs of it. Bat i/, it would be very ftrange, that they fliould be able in fo Qiort a time to make themfelves more confiderable than the Fetrohuftms and the Henrldans, with whom we know that the DiocefTes of Jqintain and Narbon were already fill'd, according to the Teftimony of their Eftemies. zdlj. Were it £0, it would be neceflary to fuppofe, that Bernard Archbifliop of Narbon^ who died the fecond of O^ober ii5>r, made it his Bufinefs to ftop the Progrefs of fome of JValdos Difciples, who at that time, could fcarcely be known, {John de Beaux- mains ArchbiOiop of Lions, who condemned Peter waldo^ not having pofteffed his See above 10 Years, as far as we can judg, which he then quitted to retire to Clairvaux^ whilft in the mean time, he took no notice of the FembHfiam and H,f«- ricians. Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. ^43 ricUns, ^dly. It Is ridiculous to fuppofe, againft the Credit of all Hiftorians, that the Vaudois compos'd a diftin(5l Body from the j4lbigerifes^ who, as we (liall (liew hereafter, clearly fup- pofe, that there were no Fnudois that had Churches, and that made a diftind Body. ^thly. Neither do^ we find that the crue[ Inquificion made any fuch like diftindion about this Matter, in ufing more or leis Cruelty, according to the Degrees of Schifm and Herefy, as 'tis pretended they ought to do, in cafe they would ad juftly. But whatever Anfwer the Bifhop may invent to defend his Opinion, we have a fure Way to overthrow it without re- medy, and 'tis the fame which he himfelf hath furnifh'd us with 5 for he owns that the Conference of 1 205, mentioned by the Monk of Vaux Cenmy^ was a Conference with the VAudois. Befides, that which Bernard Abbot of FoMcaf/d hzih Pag. 2 22o (et down, we have another, faith he, in Peter of yaux Cermj^ about the year 1206, where the Fandois were confounded: now all Men know, tliat the Conference of 1 206, was held with the Albigenfes^ aS Peter of Vaux CernaJ^ who livcd at that time, aflures us in his Hiftory of the Jlblgenfes. But why then will the Biiliop fay, Did not they difpute be- fore the Biiliop 0^ Nifwes, and the Archbifhop oi Narhon^ but only upon thefe four Points ? The Queftion is eaiily anfwered : They difputed about many other Articles, but either he who wrote the Conference, did not give us a Relation of the whole, as not fuppofing it convenient to publilli their Objedions a- gainft thofe other Opinions and Superftitions, which the^/- blgenfes oppos'd j Or elfe they wanted time to examine the o- ther Articles of the Roman Faitli which they rejected. What 1 fay now, is not a Conjedure at random, produced only to flop the Bifliop's Anfwer, but is Matter of Fad: groun- ded upon the Relation which we have of the Conference of Aiontreal, as I (liall Qiew hereafter. All this will lead us to pafs a true Judgment on the Con- demnations v^ hich the Popes, King AlphpyjffiSy and the Emperor Frederic!^ II, ilTuci out againft the Albigenfes^ in their Bulls and Edids. They endeavoured in (hort, to make them be look'd upon. 144 ' ^marks upon the upon as infamous Mankhees, as a Company of ArUm^ and as the moft execrable Hereticks. The Popes prepoffe/Ted the Kings and Eii^perors with thefe Notions, by the reproachful Names which they faftned upon them, after they had gotten the power to lead them by the Nofe as fo many wild Beafts ; hence proceeds that iieap of Names which we find in the Bulls and Edids of that time. The Reflexion we ought to make on all thefe Terms of Obloquy, is this, that excepting only the Names of Pptblicans and Catharij particularly given to the Mankhees^ it appears from thefe Edicts, that the Alhigenjes and the wddenfes did both believe the fame thing. But if what I have faid is fufficient to fliew the Injuftice of the Bifliop of Meaux^ in making the Albigenfes pafs for Mam- chees j the matt'er may be ftill further cleared, if we turn over the Books of AUnm Magm^, furnamed the Vnherfal Contra Albim- ^^^^^h ^or it appears clearly from his Treatife againft the He- fes & Wdden- reticks of his time, and above all agaioft the Albigenfes, which is, Paganos & he dedicated to William Prince of MontpelUer -, that it was the jnd£os Opus Fafhion at that time to treat the Alhigenjes as Mamchees 'j and to quadnpartitim. ^onfound them with thofe Hereticks, whereas their Faith was very oppofite to that of the Mamchees •, for in his Refutation he huddles them altogether, without almoft any Diftin(5tion, though their Principles were very diflferenr. It feems he made ufe of this way, that he might make ufe of his common places the better , or elfe he did it to avoid frequent Repeti- tions. In the firft place therefore Alan^fs refutes the Mamchees, who afferted that there were two Principles, whereof the one was Good, the other Evil ♦, and maintained that the evil God had created the World 5 of '^hom alfo fome affirmed, that the Souls of Men were Apoftate Angels, who fliould be faved after their Abode In humane Bodies-, and that the Souls of the Patriarchs had no Ihare in the Salvation of Jefus Chrift. They held likewife that Jefus Chrift did not take upon him a true Body, and that he never eat or drunk. They believed that the Body of Man was the Workman(hip of the Devil, and that it (liould not rife again, and they feemed to think that Souls perilhed witlf their Bodies. He Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 145^ He refutes forae, who though they believed the Flefh of JefusChrift, yet denied him to be the Son of God: others who maintained that Jcfus Clirift had taken a celeftial Body •, that the Virgin had been created in Heaven, and had neither Father nor Mother. He takes up the iirft 34 Chapters of his firft Book in confuting thefe Opinions. Afterwards in his 3)?A Chapter, he refutes the Opinion of thofe who pretended that the Law of Aiofes was publidied by the Devil, and that the Fathers of the Old Teftament were all damned. As to the Sacraments, whereof he treats from the ^^th Chapter, he owns that fome of thofe Hereticks, whom he oppofeth in general, abfolutely rejedled Baptifm 5 thefe were Manichees\ that Others denied the Efficacy of it to Infants, de- nying Original Sin ♦, that others again believed it unprofitable to Children, and only ufeful for thofe of riper Years ; and he difputes'againft every one of thefe Opinions. In Chapter 4$-, hedifputes againft thofe who denied Bap- tifm to be ufeful without the Impofition of Hands. After- wards he confutes thofe that maintained, that we ought not, after having obtained the Pardon of our Sins in Baptifm, hope to obtain the fame Grace afecond time by Repentance, which obliged them to excommunicate thofe who relapfed into their Sins after Baptifm, which they proved from the 6th and i oth Chapters of the Epillle to the Hehrem^ and becaufe Penance was no more to be reiterated than Baptifm or Ordecs. It feems that thefe Jlhigenfes had a DiCcipline like that, which prevailed in the Cliurch, before the Council of Carthage ia Tertt^llians time, where they never admitted to the Commu- nion thofe who had committed any great Crimes after their Baptifm.' In the jo;« Chapter he attacks other Hereticks, whoafTefted that Penance did not procure Remiflion of Sins, becaufe it is God alone that can pardon Sins. One fees plainly enough what they meant, efpecially becaufe he adds, that they be- lieved it was fufficient to confefs their Sins to God, which tliey proved by the Authorities of St. AmWofe^ St. Maxmpuy and St. Chryfofiom. V He 14.6 ^marks upon the He fays that thefe Hereticks denied Tranfubftantiation. 'Tis worth obferving to fee with what Force and Subtilty they di- fputed againft this Dodrine : I (hall produce the Arguments themfelves of the Albigenfes^ which AUniu endeavours to con- fute. Et hoc Jic frobare conantur : Sifingulisdiebmfanisincorfus Pag. 243, Sc Chrijii mutaretfir, illud in infinitfim augeretur^ ^a It is forepaft Merit " and true Worth that makes one fit for any Fundion, what " need tlierefore is there of Orders } Concerning extrefm Un(5tion, they believe after this manner : Dicurit etiam extremam olei ZJnBionem., qU(Z datur in- firmis, fiec ejfe SacrArnentur/J, nee aiiquem habere ejfeBum^ riuia h'jC S ACT amentum VnUionii infirmorum ab Apoflolis infiitutujui non le- zitur ;■ 150 Remarks ufm the Chap. 58. gitMr : " They fay, that Extream UD<5lion which is con-. '' ferr'd upon iick Perfons, is neither a Sacrament, nor o- " therwife of any efficacy, becaufe this Sacrament of A- " nointing the Sick, is not found to be of Apoftolical In* " ftitution. As to Churches, we find that they follow'd the Opi- Chap. 69. nions of Henry the Dlfciplc of P£ter de Bruii : Non defmt qtti dicant locum waterialem mn ejfe Ecclejlam^ fed cenventHm fi- deiium fat]6ipim : qma, ut aimtj locus ad orationem non pertinet 5 Jtcut enim ubique efi Detn^ fic ublque adorari vet erari potefi. Hoc aut&m frobare nitmtur Authorhate Chrifli^ dkentis Samarl- tan£, Mulier crede mihi, venit hora^ quando nee in Monte hoc^ nee in Hierofolymis, aderabitis Patrem : Sed venit hora & nunc efi, quando veri adoratores adorabunt in SfiritH & Fentate.s Item, Si loctis facit ad Orationem, cur Her emit a antiqnitm in locis ab- ditis habitantes, Ecclejias non habebant ? Cur etiam Sacramenta ef- fe6lum fuum habent, etfi non celebrantur in loco qui dicitur Ec- clejia ? Item, quid operantur Parietes ad fupplicandum ei qui ubi- ' que ejl, cum in una loco non magis fit quam in alio ? Chrifium etiam in montibpts & locis defertis legimut orajfe, non in locis oration* dedicatis. Item, efine jruEluo[ior oratio qu-t fit in Tempio, quam ilia c^uA fit in agro, fi par fuerit devotio ? '* There be fomc " who affirm, that the Church is not a material Place, but " an holy Affembly of Believers 5 for, fay they, Place is " not of any concern to Prayer, becaufe as God is every " where, fo he may every where be v/orfhip'd and pi ay'd to. " This they endeavour to prove by the Authority of Chrift, " faying to the Samaritan Woman s Wom^^ believe me^ the *' hour comes when j/e fiiall neither in this Mountain, nor at Jeru- *' iS-l^m, wor/hip the Father 'j but the hmr cornes and now is^ when '* the true PVorfipippers floali worfhip the Father in Spirit and in " Truth, . Again, If the Place be any furtherance to " Prayer, why had not the Heimits of old, who liv'd in do- " fert PlaceSy their Churches to pray in ? Or how can the *' Sacraments be of any efficacy, wben they are not cele- *' brated in the Place call'd a Church. Again, What do Walls ** help us to pray to him who is every where, and not more " in one Place than he is in another. We read alfo, that :' Chrift Jncient Churches of the Albigenfes. i r i ** Chrift went afide to Mountains and defert Places to pray, " and not to Places appointed for Prayer. Again, Is the ^' Prayer that is perforin 'd in the Church of more efficacy *' than that which is offer'd up in the Field, fuppofing the ^' Devotion of both to be alike ? Againft the Prayers that are made to Saints, they objeded as follows : Dicmt etiam Heretki qui^aw^ Orationes SanUorum Chap. 72. non prodejfe vivis, nee vlvorum orationes mortptis : frobare etiam vU dentHY 5 ([Hod Sm^l non orant fro vivisy qni fciunt qui fint fahandi vet damnandi 5 fro Hits autem quos fciunt falvandos non or ant ^ quia fuferflua ejfet eratioj quia jive orent^ five non, fahahnntHr : Si vera srarent fro damnatis non ajfequerentur quod fetunt^ C^ ita beati non ejfent 5 beatm enim «■/?, cut omnia oftata fuccedunt, Item^ ^ui' libet judicabitur fecundum of era fua^ & non aliena merit a^ nee fro alienis meritis reddetur ei : ^ ideo orationes Sanliorum non frofum 5 vel quantum ad meritum^ vel quantum ad fr&mium 5 quia non au- gent merita vel framia. Item^ SanEii non funt in loco merendi^ fed recifiendi 3 ergo orationibfti nee aliis bonis merentur fibi vel aliis. Item J In Evangelio Lucce legitur, ^J*pd Abraham dixit anima Di- vitis qu<& erat in inferno. Magnum Chaos frmatum ejl inter nos C^ vos ; ubi Chaos nihil aliud vocavit, niji dijpmilitudinem bonorum ^ malorum t ant am, ut etiam fan fit damnatis non comfatiantur. Si vero non comfditiantur^ nee or Ant fro els, " Some Hereticks alfo " afTert, that the Prayers of Saints are of no ufe to the Li- " ving, nor thofe of the Living to the Dead. That the Saints " do not pray for the Living, they prove thus : Becaufethe " Saints knowing who (hall be faved, and who damned, th§y " can not pray for thofe they know Oiall be faved, fince their " Prayers would be fuperfluous, feeing whether they pray or " no, they will be faved : but fhould they pray for thofe that " fliall be damned, tliey would not obtain what they pray " for, and fo would not be happy j for he is only happy, who " has all his Defires. Again, Every one (liall be judged ac- *' cording to his Works, and not according to the Merits of *' another, neither (hall any Man receive according to the Me- " rits of other Men •, and therefore the Prayers of the Saints ** profit nothing, either in regard of Merit or Reward, becaufe '** they cannot encreafe either a Man's Merit or Reward. A- '! gain, I e f ^marks upon the " gain, The Saints are not in a Place wiiere they can merit, " but only where they receive-, and therefore by their Prayers '' or other good Works, can neither merit any Good for " themfelves or for others. Again, We read in the Gofpel " of St. Lfik^e^ that Abraham faid to the Soul of the rich Man *' that was in Hell, There is a great Gulf fixed between us and " you '■, where by Gulf he means nothing elfe but the Difa- *' greement there is between the Good and the Wicked, " which is fo great, that the Saints are neither fenfible, nor have *' any companion for the Damned •, now if fo, neither can we " fuppofe that they pray for them. At laft, He attributes to fome of them, the Belief that it is unlawful to eat Fle(h,upon very ridiculous Grounds, but fuch as have nothing common with the Dodtrine of the Mmkhees. It feems to me to be evident from this Book of AUnmy ifl. That he owned there were feveral forts of Hereticks in the Country of the -^/^^^/^j-, Mankhees^ QxCathari, who rejected the principal Articles of the Chriftian Religion. 2^/y, Ano- ther fort of People who renounced all the chief Dodrines of the Romifh Religion, which the Fr'efiants reje(5ted afterwards. And fince he quotes no Author in particular, it is obvious to judg, that he made but fmall Diflinftion of the Nature of the feveral Ob- jedions which he pretends to refute, and whidi he had fre- quently alTigned to the Albigenfes in general ; which without doubt, ought not to be attributed but to fome of them, and which pofTibly, and very probably too, was only taken up from the Mouths of the common Peopte amongft them, by thofe who had a Defign to expofe them. CHAP. Ancient Qhurches of the Albigenles. i c -t CHAP. XVII. 77;f Calumnies raifcd ao^ainfl tk Albigenfes, refu- ted by the Conference at Montreal. THofe who will refled a little upon the Innocence of the Primitive Chriftians, and the horrid Slanders caft up- on them, will not be much fiKpriz'd to fee tfie Innocence of the Alhi^enfes attack'd after the fame manner. The De- vil having found this Method fucceed in the firfl: Begin- nings of Chriftianity, was not fo carelefs of his Intereft to forget to employ the fame againft thofe who oppofed them- felves to the Corruptions which he had introduced> and whidi he was willing to fubftitute, inftead of the Religion of Jefus ChriO. He made ufc of the fame Method againft thofe of the Re- formed Religion. Whoever reads the Writings of the Je- fuits, (hall find that rhey have accufed our Reformers of the fame Herefies which the Devil rais'd to put a flop ro the progrefs of Chriftianity. The Jcfuit Gauthier alone may be a fufficient Witnefs hereof, in his Chronological Table •-, and we may well fay that in this Point, he hath at leaft equaliz'd the Impudence of Feuardentim, if he hath not out done him. Why fhould any Man therefore think ftrange, that the Church of Rome and her Adorers, Hiould take the fame courfe againil the Alhigenfes, which ihe pradis'd in our days •, and which llie hath not yet Mr.^ becaufe (he believ'd it would not fail of certain Succefs ? fo prodigious is the Stupidity of the People of her Communion. And truly the Managers for the Church of Rome, were no lefs diligent to employ thefe de- vililh Artifices againft the Alhli^enfes^ than againft us. Here are fome Inftances of it, for it is mpoftible to relate all, I be- gin with fome of the more general Articles, X i.Thev M4 ^marks upon the 1 . They accufed them of Novelty, fometimes fuppofing them to have been only known iince the time of Peter de Bruis, or of Henry his Difciple, though the contrary be evi- dent from the Hiftory of this Church, as we have fet it down ; and by the Publick Liturgy, which the Papifts themfelve^ have publiihed not long fince. 2. They accufed them of being the Difciples of Peter fValdo, and from thence rais'd this Accufation, that they were only a Company of Lay-men, without either Miniftry, or right to adminifter the Sacraments 5 whereas it is certain, that they had a lawful Miniftry, and indeed a thoufand times more lawful than that of the Church of Rome. 3. They accufed them in general of being Manlchees, per- haps becaufe formerly the PrifcilHamfls, who were a Branch of the Mamcheesy had had a Party in that Province, or near it, as Philaflritii tclIs US, and of whom fome were fcattered through Languedock^, after the year icio, though indeed the Al- bigenfes difputed againft them, and folidly confuted them, as we are informed by wUUam PuyUpirens. 4. They endeavour'd to make them own the Opinions and Crimes, that were proper to the Manichees, by producing falfe Witnefles to convidt them thereof. We have an illuftrious Example of this, in the Hiftory of the Earls of Tholoufe, William Catel, Counfellor for the King in the Parliament of Tkoloufe, tells us, that two Hereticks, whereof the one was called Raymond, the Other Benm, having appear'd before the Pope's Legate, it was witnefs'd againft them, that they had been heard to preach that there were two Gods, the one good, and the other evil *, that Priefts could not confecrate the Holy Hoft '■} that married Perfons could not be faved if they had to do with their Wives-, that Baptifm is not neceftary toln- fants,and many other Here{ies,which they would never acknow- ledg, notwichftanding all the VVitnefTes that appear'd againft them 5 but faid, they were falfe Witnefles, and that they be- lieved what the Catholick Religion engageth us to believe. But notwithftanding thefe their folemn Proteftations, they ■furclier obje(^ againft them all the Confequences of Mani- cheifm^ Ancient Chwches of the Albigeiifes. i c ^ cheifm, as natural Inferences from the former Opinions, of whidi tiiey pretended that they had convicfted them by Wit- nefles. This probably was the rife of thofe fine Controver- (ies we find in AUnm Magnui^ and other Polemical Writers who copied him. J. They have been charged with forfwearing themfelves before a Court of Juftice without fcruple, though at the fame time they are accufed for maintaining that every Lie is a mortal Sin. This is done by AUnm^ who falls upon them very heavily upon that account. 6. They are accufed of being ArlAns^ though AUnus diftin- guifheth them, and that the Popilli Priefts ought rather to be accufed of favouring Mankhelfm and Ariamfm, than the^/^/- ge»/fs, who fubtilly difputed againft thefe Herefies. But'it will be eafy to refute thefe Calumnies, by the Con- ference of Montreal^ in the year i2o5, related by the Monk of Vaux Cernay, It was ofFer'd tO the Bifhops by the Alhigen- fesy under certain Conditions, That there lliould be Modera- tors appointed on both (ides, Men of Authority, able to hin- der any Tumult or Sedition : Alfo, that the Place where the Conference was to be, might be free and fafe for all thofe that lliould aflift at it : Moreover, that the Subjects to be difputed upon, lliould be agreed to by joint confent, and not to be quit- ted till they were wholly difcufs'd --, and that thofe that could not maintain their Opinions by the Word of God, fhould be look'd upon as overcome. The Biiliops and Monks accepted of all thefe Conditions. The Place they agreed upon, was Mornreal ntzr Carcaffon^ in the year 1205; the Moderators a - greed on on both fides, were B. of Villeyieufve, and B. of Afixerre for the Blthops, and for the ^^^Iblgenfes, R. de Bot, and Anthony Riviere \ ArnoldMi Hot the Paftor of the Alhigenfei, accompanied with thofe that were thought fit for this Aition, appear 'd firft at the Place and Time afligned , and afterwards came the Bidiop of Ozmji^ and the Monk Domimc a Spanijrd, with two of the Pope's Legats, Peter Cafiel, an*d Radaiphus d^ Lujl, P^ozoi Candets, P. Bertra^id Pnor o{ A ftterive^ as alfo the Prior of PaUt, and feveral other Priefls and Monks. X 2 The 1^5 ^etnarks upon the The Thefes propounded by Amoldus, were, That the Mafs and Tranfubftantiacion were the Invention of Men, and not the Ordinance of Jefus Chrift or his Apoftles. That rlie Church of Rome was not the Spoufe of Chrift, but the Church of Confufion, drank with the Blood of the Martyrs. That the Polity of the Church of Rome was neither good nor holy, nor eftablillied by Jefus Chrift. Amaud fent thefe Propoiitions to the Biftiop, who demand- ed a Fortnight to prepare his Anfwer, which was granted. At the Day appointed the Biftiop fail'd not to appear with a large Writing •, whereupon Amxud Hot defired leave to be heard upon the Spot, extempore^ declaring that he would an- fwer all the Particulars contained inthefaid Writing, defiring the Auditors not to be tired^ if he took up (ome time in an- fwering fo long a Difcourie 5 they promifed he ftiould be heard with Attention and Patience, without the leaft Inter- ruption. He difcourfed at feveral Hours, for four days toge- ther, with fo much Admiration of the AiTiftants, and Dex- terity on his Part, that all the Biftiops, Abbots, Monks and Priefts, could have been willing to have been farther off^ for he deduced his Anfwer according to the feveral Points laid down in that Writing, with fo much Order and Perfpicuity, that he made his Auditors perceive, that though the Bilhop had writ much, yet he had concluded nothing that could be madeufeof, to the Advantage of the Church of /fow^, againft thefe Propofitions. This done, Amaud demanded, that fince the Biftiops and he ftood ingaged to one another at the beginning of their Confe- rence, to prove their AfTertions by the Word of God alone, ilie Biftiops and Priefts might be commanded to prove the Authority of the Mafs, as it was fung in Churches, piece by piece, that it was inftituted by the Son of God, and fung in the fame manner by his Apoftles, beglnng at the Introit^ as they call it, to the Ite mijfa efi: but the Biftiops could not prove thatany of thofe Parts had been inftituted for that Pur- pofe by Chrift or by his Apoftles. Here it was that theBi- fbops were covered with Shame and Regret, for Amand jiad reduced Jnctent Churches of the Albigenfes. itfes,]\idgtd and con- demned by them, have made of fundry Errors of the ManU chees. I diall produce an Extradl of the A(5ts of the Inquilition of Tholonfe, which are in the Hands of Mr. wetfiein Bookfeller at Amfterdam, as it was fent me out of Holland, and which was made by a Man of great Reputation. " The Albigenfes, faich "he, held fome Opinions, in common with the ^^Ww; as, " That to a Chriftian all Oaths are unlawful*, that the Con- " leflion of Sins, made to the Priefts of the Church of Rome^ *' is wholly unprofitable •, and that neither the Pope, nor any *' one elfe in the Romilh Church, can abfoive ?^ny Man of ** Sin : but that they have power to abfol've all thofe from *' their Sins, who will join themfelves to their Sed, by the " Laying on of Hands. This laft Claufe is alfo laid to the " charge of the VAudois •, viz.. That they have Power from '' God alone, as the Apoftles had, to hear Confeflions both " of Men and Women that btlieve them •, and of impofing " Penance upon fuch as confefs to them, as Falling, and fe- " veral Repetitions of the Lord's Pr-iyer, whereupon they "^ abfoive their Penitents : and that this Abfolution and " Penance is as available to the Salvation of their Souls, as " if they had been confelled to their own Pried. (That here *' is fome wreliing or mutilation of the Opinion of the *' VAudols^ is m.anifefl from the Confeflfion of a certain Wo- " man, who, as we read, declared herFaidi to this purpofe 5 *' That Cod alone forgives Sin, and that he to whom Con- *' felTion of Sins is made, gives only his Advice what the " Per- Ancient Qnirches of the Albigenfes. i ^i *' Perfon ought to do, and fo enjoins Penance, which any " wife and prudent Man may do, whether he be a Prieft " or no.) That the Opinions of the AUnge-zifes that were " proper to them were, that there be two Lores, the one *' Good and the other Evil: That the Body of Chrlftisnoc " in the Eucharift, but only meer Bread : That Baptifm is " of no ufe. One of the Albigenfes was fald to believe, that " the Baptifm of Water celebrated by the Church, ftands la- " fants in no (lead, becaufe they did not confenc to the " Sacrament, but cried at the receiving of it. {I believe, faith " he, tvho examined thefe AEls, that they denied Baptifm " to be the Inftrument of Regeneration -■, or perhaps they " might be againft Infant Baptifm.) That an external A- ^' nointing of the Sick, with material Oil, was of no ufe. " That the Orders of the Church of Rome^ had no Power " of binding and loofing, fince they tiiemfelves, who con- " ferred them, were great Sinners. That Marriage is al- '^ ways join'd with Sin, and never can be without Sin, and " that it could never have been inlHtuted by the good God. *' That our Lord did not aflume a real humane Body, and " true Flefh of our Nature, and that he did not truly, but " only in Likenefs, rife again in the fam.e, and perform the '' other Works of our Salvation 5 and that he never really " afcended to the right-hand of the Father. They deny the *' Refurredion of the Rody •-, (but in the Declaration of " Petrm Anterins, a chief Teacher amongft them -, this is *• more clearly and diftindly explained •, that they feign that " certain fpiritual Bodies, and a certain internal Man, Ihould *' rife again in fuch fort of Bodies. And elfewhere, they *' exprefi themfelves, that though the Souls of Men fhrJI " come to Judgment, yet they ihall not come in their own *' Bodies). They faid, that the Souls of Men were Spirits, '* which fell from Heaven for their Sins •■, fo that they feem " to have belie v'd the pre-exlftence of Souls. Man (they '' fay) muft not worfhip what he eats. Moreover, it is a- " fcribed to them, that they believe Man is faved, by the " Laying on of Hands, which they confer on their Be- Y " lievers, 6i Remarks upon the " lievers, and that by the Tame means, all Sins are forgiven '' without Confeflion and Satisfaction. That they can be- " ftow the Holy Ghoft for Salvation, upon thofe whom they ^' receive. That the Virgin A'larj never was a carnal Wo- *' man, but their Church, which they fay is true Repen- *' tance, and that this is the Virgin Mary. (Tiie very Ob- " fcurity of thefe Words, i'hews that this Opinion is wrefted 5 " becaufe it is better expreft in another place thus, That '* God never entred the Womb of the BlefTcd Virgin Mt- *' ry, and that he only is the jMother, Brother, and Sifter of " God, who keeps the Commandments of God the Father.) " Thefe are faid to be the Dodirines of the Almgenfes, where- " of none are afcribed to the Wdldenfes, but others different " from thefe, whereof we find no mention made in the " Opinions of the Alhigenfes ; and they are thefe •, That all " Judgment is forbid by God, and that it is contrary to " the divine Prohibition, for any Judg, in any Caufe " whatfoever, to judg or fentence any Man to Puniihmenc *' or Death. That Indulgencies granted by the Prelats of '' the Church of Rome., are of no ufe or efficacy. That *' there is no Purgatory for Souls after this Life 5 and that ** confequently the Prayers and Suffrages of Believers for " the Dead, are of no ufe to them. That the Soul when ** it departs from the Body, goes either to Paradife or Hell. *' That there are no more than three Orders in the Church, of " Bilhops, Priefts, and Deacons. From thefe Ads, it appears how much the Rites and Ce- remonies of the Alblgenfes differed from thofe praiflis'd by the Vmdols. ** Beiides, fahh the Author af the ExtraEt^ the ^ Rites and Inftitutions of them both were very different. ** Of the Alblgenfes there were two Sorts, fome who pro- " feffed their Faich and Rites, and they were called ^erfeEl or '■* comforted: Others ^vho had enrred into a Covenant with " the former Sort, called PerfeSty which they call ta Conve- " nenz.a^ the Agreement, that at the end of their Life, they *' ftiould be received by them into their Sed. This Re- " ception is frequently called by them Exercife, and is per- *' formed Ancient Churches of the AlbigenTes. i 6 " formed in this manner-, T/?^ Benedlcitecr //;^ BlefTmg con- " ferred nfon one Molinerius yvhcn he was ftck^. Bernard " Gees 0^^ of the Alb'igenfes^ held the Hands of the fick " Perfon between his own Hands -, and belides, held a cer- " tain Book over him, wherein he read the Gofpel of St. 'jchn^ " In the Beginning was the M^ord •, and deliver'd to the fick Per- " fon a fine Thread to tie about him as a Mark that he *' was admitted into their Herefy : upon fome others it is " faid, that they laid a white Linen Cloath, and be- " fides that many Genuflexions were performed by t^i\Q " Bedfide. This Reception was fuppofed to fave the Soul " of him who was received, and was call'd a Spiritual Bap- " tifm or Confolation, a Reception, and a good End, and *' fometimes a Melioration, by means of which they be- " liev'd -that the Perfon was fan6tiiied i fo that it was nor " lawful for a Woman to touch any one that was thus '' received. Now, becaufe it might fometime happen that " the Perfon thus received, after his recovery, might relapfe " into his former Defilements, therefore they always de- *' ferr'd this Reception till the extreameft Weaknefs, w'hen *' there was no longer hopes of Life, for fear they might " afterward lofe the Good they had received. For which '^ reafon alfo fome fick Perfons amongft them, though the " Perfon who thus initiated them was already come, yet " were not received, becaufe they were not believed to be *'• at the point of Death. But they who were thus received *' in their Sicknefs, were commanded to put themfelves up- '' on Hardlliip, that is, to haften their own Death, by ab- *' ftain'ng from all Meat ; and there are feveral Examples " of thofe, who are faid to have kill'd themfelves, not only " with Faftiflg, but by opening of a Vein, wounding of them- " felves, yea and fometimes too, by drinking Poifon. But " others who had no mind to fubmit themfelves zo fo hard " a Law, refufed to be received, though this their Teacher *' was come for that purpofe. They had alfo a peculiar Way " of faluting, by way of embracing one another, laying *' their Hands on each fide of one another, and turning their Y z " Head X (54 (Remarks upon the *' Head to both Shoulders, faying each time BenedlcUe: which " kind of Salutation feems to have been ufuaUmongft them, " becaufe it is to be met with in feveral Accounts of their " Opinions •, and fometimes it was perform'd with bended " Knees, fometimes with their Hands let down to the '' Ground. Which Salutation was fometimes call'd Melio- " ration. Neither did they only require this Salutation from " thofe who were received, but from them alfo who " were called PerfeEl amongft them, and received others, '' obferved the fame way of Salutation. We read alio in " many of their Books, that fuch a one did eat of the Blef- " fed Bread of the Heretich '•, and in fomc it is added, Andfaw " the Manner of blefin^ it ; but what that Manner was, is " no where defcribed, neither is any Circumftance added, " from whence it might be gathered, whether they blefs'd " the common Bread at their Dinners and Suppers, or whe- " ther this was only a Ceremony ufed by them at the ce- " lebrating of the Lord's Supper. Though it is added in " one place, that they call this blefled Bread, the Bread of " Prayer. Three days in the Week they keep a Faft with " Bread and Water. But we do not read that any of thefe " thing? were obferved by the waldenfes, but what was vaft- " ly different, as, That they had fome Elders of their own : " That even Lay-men blefs the Table before and after Meat \ '•'' they pray kneeling, and bowing themfelves to the Ground. *^' It is ufual for them to blefs the Table. They profefs to " obferve Apoftolical Poverty. And befides, they are faid " to differ from the common Converfation of other Believers " in their Life and Manners. Thefe are the chief things " we meet with in this Book concerning the Albigenfes and " wMenfes-j for there is no mention made of rfie Opinions " of any other Party. This is the Extracfl which was fent me, widi fome Paffages, wherein the Author gives his own Judgment. One would think, that nothing could be of greater force to convi(5t the Albigaifes of Afamcheifwj efpecially if we confrder, diat Emericw in his Diredory for the Inquifitors, afcribes Jncient Churches of the Albigenles. i 6^ afcribes almoft the very fame Opinions to the J/^»/f^^<'/of Par.a. cap.14. Italy, But I have three Things to fay, to take off this Prejudice 5 the firft is, That nothing ought to be more fufpedted by us than thefe Ads of the Inquifition 5 for he that is a Murthe- rer, is certainly a Liar and a Knave. 1 have fliewed in my Remarks ufon the Hiflory of the Valleys of Piedmont, that no- thing can be conceived more falfe than the Carriage of the In- quificors, and that they never pretended to any thing lefs than to Faithfulnefs in their Accounts of things. This appears from the Trials of the waUenfes, whom th° Monks have indeavoured to make the mod infamous Here- ticks j and yet in the mean time, if we will believe the Birtiop of Meanx^ they were very far from being Mankhees. What Authority therefore can the Teftimonies of the Inquifitors have againft the Albigenfes^ fince the Bifhop himfelf acknow- ledges that they can be of no Authority againft the walden- fes, who have been no lefs accufed of Mamcheffm, than the Albigenfes thcmfelves? Now that the Reader may be throughly convinced of the Juftice of this our denying to admit thefe Teftimonies of the Inquifitors, and Emerkm in particular, I might alledg here what Emericm hath faid of the Eternal Go(pel, attributed com- monly to John of Crema, the feventh General of the Cordeliers. Natalis Aiex^ This Book contained the moft horrid Propoficions iraagina- ander fecui. ble, and yet now it is pretended, that he was overborn by a p"'; osTg^^ Cabal of the Inquifition, and they indeavour to juftify him ' *' againft all the Accufations of Emerkus. But I can do more than this, for I have received from a Friend of Mr. G. Ad- vocate of N. an Extra(5t of the A(ftsof the Inquifition of Tho- loHJe, which may ferve as a Pattern to judg of their other Trials, which are found in that Pegifter, where there is fcarce any thing of thefe Accufations: The Extra(ft runs thus ■ Anno 'Domini 1283. 8'j Jdus?(iliii Gfiilhelmm de Maunhaco flius cjuonda'tn Gttilhelmi Arlojer de Maanhaco Diocefis Anicienfis^ edtiBus de carcere Iiiquifitorum conftitntns in pr-ffentia fratris Joannis Vigoro- Jf, ordinis Pradicatorhm, In.juiftoris h^trctka fravitatis^ rcqMijitus. Remarks upm the per diEham Jyt'iuifitorem qMod juraret ad fan^a Del Eva^gelia, ut vtrltatem dlceret de fde fna, rejpoiidlt^ c^uod non ji^rturet : laquijl- tuSj ji erat el licit um jar are fnfer fayid:a Dei Evangelia^ refpondit^ quod I10-/K I/iquiJitPis ft Papa Ecclefu Romans Domims Aiartinus qui yiunc cfl^ hahet fotefiatem ligandi atqae folvendi^ refpondit^ quod non, Inquijitus .Jl Ecclefa Romana, cui praeft Papa, fit caput fidei^ refpendity qaod nee Papa, nee Ecclefia cat praefl, efi capHt fidei^ nee Chrijlianitatisy nee agnofcit^ nee credit allquem hominem carnalem efe Papcim nifi lefum Chrijlum, InquifttHs ji Archiepifcopi, Lpifco- pi, & alii Ecclefiarptm Pr^lati per Romanam Ecelejiam ordinati funt veri Pr'i^latij & Ji hah en t pot efi at em ligandi at que fohendi, re [pan • dit, qptod mn. Inquijitus Ji aliquis baptiz^atur, ita quod baptizans die At, Ego te baptizo in nomine Patrisy (^ Filii, &• Spiritus fanStij Amen, vdeAt baptiz^ato^ ^ fi per talem Baptifmum habet remiffi' snem peecAtorum, rejpondit, quod non credit^ quod aliquis carnalis homo pojjlt baptizare nifi folus Deus. Inquifitus fi Sacr amentum confirmationis quod confert Epifcopus quamdo confirmat^ valet confir- mato, refpondity quod nihil valet ei, nee Saeramentum efi, nee ille qui confert Saeramentum efi Epifcopus, nee alijuid potefh, Inquifitus fi Saeramentum extreme 'On^tionis valet Infirmo, quando ei minifira^ tur a Sacerdote, refpondity quod non credit c^uod valeat ci^ nee quod fit Saeramentum, Inquifitus fi Saeramentum ordinis collatum ah E' pifcepo valet aliquid, ^ fi efi "^acr amentum, refpondity quod nihil valet y^ nee efi Sai^r amentum^ nee Epifcopus potefi aliquod Sacramen^ turn eonferre. In ^uifitus fi panis que ft Sacerdos tenet in manibui fuis dum celebrat, pofiquam facerdos protuiit verba eonfeeratiomSj Hoc efi corpus me urn, re wane t panis j re^pondit, quod panis erat ante^ & panis remanet pofi, (^ quod magn-.i injuria ft Deo, quod panis commutetur in corpus Ch> ifii. Inquifitus ft verba facerdotis abfoU ventis aliquem ei confejjiim de peccatis, dlcendo, Ego te abfolvo ab omnibus peccatis tuis^ valent eonfe[[o 3 refpondit, quod nihil valent conjejfo, nee e/t Saeramentum. Int^uifitus (i efi He i turn jurare fuper fan^a Dei Evangelia in aliquo cafu, dixit quod non, Inquifitus fi Rex Francia qui nunc efi:, comburit vel facit comburi alirjuem pro crimine Hdtrefis, vel facit fufpendi inli^uem pro aliquo crimine, pee^ cet, refpondit, quod peecat, nee elf ei lieitum faeere vindi^am nee fiifiitiam. Item requifitus fi vult credere Sacrament a Ecclefia Ro- mans Ancient Chioxhcs of the Albigenfes. 1 67 wanajtcut r.os credii^fis, c^ ficut Ecclejia Romautt frdtdicaf df oh- fervAt^ reffcndit^ quod mhil alind crederet niji quod fuperins dixit. H£C depcfuit Tho/ofx coram fr^itre Laureyitio AareliaKeyiJi^ e^ di^o frAtre Johanne Vigcrofo Inqaifitore^in frjtfentta & tefiimoniofrAtris Ar- n.ildi DelGras^fratris Bertrandi'facobi^& fratris Raymnndi Navar^ rii ordiKis fratrum Vrxdicatorum^ > fuHani Vafconii pul^licl t ho/ofe Notarii, qui hxc [crip Tit. '' In the Year of our Lord 1283, the " ^th of the Ides of Julj^ William of Mannhaco, formerly the " Son of JVilliam Arlnjer of Maunkico^ of the Diocefs of " Anecy, being brought out of the Prifon of the Inquifitors, " and fee in the Prefence of Brother lohn Vigorofus, of the " Order of Preachers, an Inquifitor of heretical Pravity, " being demanded by the faid Inquifitor to fwear by the Holy " Gofpels, that he would declare the Truth concerning his " Faich : he anfwered, that he would not fwear. Being de- '' manded, whether it were lawful for him to fwear upon the " Holy Gofpels? he anfwered, No. Being demanded, whe- " ther Lord Martifj^ tlie prefent Pope of the Church o( Romf, " hath the Power of binding and loofing: he anfwered, No. " Being demanded, whether the Church of Rome, over " which the Pope prefides, be the Head of the Faith ? he " anfwered,That neither the Pope,nor the Church he prefides " over, is Head of the Faith, or of the Chrifiian World : '' neither doth he own or believe that any carnal Man can be " Pope, but only Jefus Chrift. Being demanded, whether " Archbilhops, Biibops, and other Prelates of Churches, *-' ordained by the Church of Rorjie, were true Prelates, and " whether they have the Power of binding and loofing ? he an- " fwered, No. Being demanded, whether if any one be bap- " tized, the Baptizer faying, I baptiz'^ thee intheHimeof ^' the Father, and of the Son, and of che Holy Ghoft, Amen ; " whether this be of Efficacy to the Party baptized •, and " whether by fuch Baprifm he can obtain RemilTion of his " Sins ? he anfwered, That he did not believe that any car- " nal Man can baptize, but God alone. Being demanded, " whether the Sacrament of Confirmation, which the Biihop " confers, be of any Ufe to the Perfon confirmed ? he an- " fwered, 1 (5 g ^marh upon the " fvvered, That it was of no life at all ^ neirher is it a Sacra- '■'■ ment ^ neither is he who confers it a Biihop, nor hath the " Power to do any thing. Being demanded, whether the " Sacrament of extream Undion, be of any life to the " Sick, when it is adminiftred to him by a Prieit ? he anfwer- " ed, That he did not believe that it did him any good, or '^ that it is a Sacrament. Being demanded, whether the Sa- " crament of Orders conferred by the Bidiop, were of any '' life, and whether it be a Sacrament ? he anfwered, That " it is of no life ^^ neither is it a Sacrament ; neither can " a Bifliop confer any Sacrament. Being d^i.^anded, whe- " ther the Bread which the Prieft holds in his Hands, " whilft he celebrates, after he hatli pronouriced the " Words of Confecration, Thi^- is my Bodj^^ ftiH remains *■'■ Bread ? he anfwered, That it was Bread before, and con- " tinned Bread ftill, and that it was a g-eat Injury to God, " to fay that the Bread is changed into the Body of Chrift. " Being examined, whether the Words of a Priert, where- " by he abfolves one that hath confeflTed his Sins, fay- " ing, / abfolve thee of all thy Sins, be of any life tO the " Party confeffed? he anfwered, That they were of no "■ life, neither is it a Sacrament. Being examined, whe- *' ther it be lawful to fwear upon the Holy Gofpels of " God, in any Cafe? he anfwered. No. Being examin- " ed, whether the King of Frame that now is, by burning, '' or caufing any one to be burnt for the Crime of Here- " fy, or by hanging any other Criminal, doth Sin? he " anfwered. He doth 5 and that it is not lawful for him to " execute Vengeance, or do Juftice. Alfo being examined, " whether he was willing to believe the Sacraments of the " Church of Romej as we believe, and as the Church of " Rome preaches and obferves? he anfwered, That he be- "• lieves nothing but what he had faid before- Tliefe things " he depofed at Tholot^fe, before Brother Laurence of Orleans^ " and the forefaid Brother John rigorofm the Inquifitor , in " the Prefence of the WitnelTes Brother ArmU Bel (jras, " Brother Bertrand James, and Brother Raymond Navarr, of '' the Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenies. i 60 " the Order of Friars Preachers 5 and of fuUan Vafcon, pub- " lick Notary of Thdkufe^ who wrote this. The Letter which Mr. G. writ to my Friend,concluded with thefe Words. " 1 muft not forget to tell you, that accord- " ing to my Copy, the Alhigenfes faid of themfelves, that " they were de illis qui mn reddebant malum fro maio, of thofe ^ Tvho did not render Evil for Evil ; that boni homines^ good Men " were their Minifters. The Formality they obferved when " they made a Profelyte, was this, H'ith their Princes and Lords, of all thofe Crimes which many have call upon them, affirmir.g them to be wholly innocent, as having never done any thing elfe, but Z reprove 170 (Remarks upon the reprove the Vices and Abufes of the Prelats of the Church of Rowe. This is alfo acknowledged by fawfs de Ribera^ in his Col- Cacai. Teftium l^i^tions Concerning the City of Thokufe. " la thefe times veritac. pag. ct ^^^^ ^gj-g frequent Difputes held with the Hereticks feve- ^^ " ral times at V'mde 'Folium, and at Pamlers 5 but the famous Difputation was at MontreaU where two Noble-men were chofen Arbitrators, Bemardns de VUU mva, and Bermrdm Arre'/jfts 5 and two of the Commons, Raimond Godirts, and Armldm RiberAs but thcy who were accounted Here- ticks, could not agree about any thing 5 the Names of the chiefeft of them were thefe, Pomicm Jordanus, Ar- mldm Aurifanm, Armldm Otho^m, Philibertm Caflienfis, Ber.ediBm Thermm, They all conftantly affirmed, that the Church of Rome was not the Holy Church, nor the Spoufe of Chrift, but a Church that had imbibed the Doctrine of Devils % that (lie was that Bd^^lon which Sr. John defcribes in the Revelation, the Mother of Forni- cations and Abominations, cover'd over with the Blood of the Saints : That what the Church of Rome approved of, was not approved by the Lord : That the iVIafs was neither inftltuted by Chrift, nor by his x^poftles, but was meeiiy a human Invention. The fame hath been owned by CArolm AioHnem the Glory of the Bar of France, wjio declares that the Alblgenfes of Provence taught this vefy thing exprefly, in the Reign of Lertls XII, which was afterwards taught by thofe of the Reformed Religion in Frmce, This Teftimony is alledged by Camerarim in his Hiftorical Account of the Brethren of Bohemin. This obliged Fignier, in his Blfiorical Library, tO contemn all the Calumnies caft upon the Alblgenfes. In his Account of the year 120^, he relates, that a Gafcon, a Man of Reputation, a/Iiired liim, that he had read one of their Confeffions in the old G^fcon Language, which was pfeached before the late Chancellor de I'Ho/pltal, a little before the fe- cond Troubles of France, wliich had not one word of thefe Opinions, but only thofe Articles, which we formerly a- fcribcd Ancieyit Churches of the Albigenfes. 171 fcribed to the JvMenfes. Amongft winch tfiey exprefly de- clared, that they received the Canonical Books of the Old and New Teftament, and that they rejedled every Doctrine that was not grounded upon, or authorized by them, or was contrary to any one Point of Dodrine that may be found there. According to which Maxim, they confeffed that they rejected and condemned all the Ceremonies, Traditions, and Ordinances of the Church of Rome, which they declared to be a Den of Thieves, and the Whore that is fpoken of in the Revelation. Upon which account alfo, the Colloquies, Difputes, and Conferences, which the Legats of the Pope, and their CommifTioners, had together, were only upon thefe Points, as we fhall prove by the Teftimony of J^mes de Ribera^ in his Book eotituled, Hn Colle^ions about the City of Colleftanea TholoHfe. -^^Tholofa.. The third Thing that we are to obferve, is, that this Con- formity of Faith between the jvaldenfes and the Albigenfes^ has made many People take them for the very fame. I fuppole there is no Reader that is ever fo little juft, but will allow me to make a very great difference between the Accounts of the Inquifitors, and the Truth. The Inquifitors make the Albigenfes guilty of the Errors of the C^/^/- genfes have peculiarly aftetited to call the Pope Antichrift? which certainly muft be look'd upon a Charader of the Al- higenjcsj unlefs we ftiould find it to be a Chara<5ter of the Ma- nichees, as the Bifliop of Meaux pretends. The queftion would not have been fo difficult to refolve, had not the Biihop affeded to appear ignorant in a Queftion which he ought to have enquired into, fince he hath undertaken to handle it in a Commentary on purpofe. In Ancient Churches of the Albigenfcs. 17c In a word, France^ which firfl beftowed upon the Pope^ the temporal Dominions ihey now enjoy, long (ince owned the Pope to be the Antichrift. For Gregryy \^ having declared in twelve leveral Lerters written againft the Patriarch of Co^- finntlm^le, who adumed the Title of Univerfal Bilhop, that whoever claimed that Title for himfelf, was either the An- richrift, or the Forerunner of him : It was not long after, that Pope Bomfacs III, perfuaded Phoc/n to give him the Title of Univerfal, which ail his Succeflbrs took up after- wards with joy, and affeifted to ufe it : For whiclrreafon die French, fearing left they fhould fail of the refpedt which they had for St. Gregory^ if they lliould accufe themfelves of having fo often made ufe of a falle Way of reafoning, at laft called the Pope Antichrift. They were not therefore Mankhees that were come from the Eaft, in the 1 1 th Century, to fettle themfelves in the Weft, who firft fet on foot this Accufation : but they were the French^ who in a full Council at RheimsjdzQi: tht'iotb Century, called the Pope Antichrift. SeguiriHs Archbifhop of Sens, having maintained that Ar- ml^hta Biiliop of Rheims, could hot be depofed without the COnfent of the Pope •, Armd^hHS Bifhop of Orleans, who had the greatefl: Reputation of any Man of his Time, (olidly main- tained from the Canons and Caftoms of the Church, that the Pope's Sentence was not to be waited for in that Cafe , M eo refpor.fa pet ere, mar mora confulere efi ; " To defire an Aofwer " fi-om him, is to confult the Stones , fpeaking to the Af- fembly of the Council. He further faith, " Who do you " think that Man is, who fits in his high Chair ? he is, an- " fwers he, the Antichrift, who fits in the Temple of God, " and ("hews himfelf as God. And the reft of his Difcourfe is a fufficient Evidence, that he took the Pope to be the Anti- chrift, and that he acknowledged that the Myftery of Iniqui- ty was then coming in upon the Church. It was Geri^ertta, afterwards Pope, that digefted the Ads of that Council, and who in an Epiftle to Segnlnm Arclibilhop of Sens, makes it ap- pear, tliat in his time they were not much concerned for the Pope's Excommunications, and that it was not pretended that 1^6 ^marks upon the that he was the Center of Chriftlan Communion. No» efl er- go (fays he) dmda occajio m fir is amulis, tie Sacer dot turn quod ubi' que unum efi^ ficut Ecclefa h.:.i efl, It a urn fptbjici vldeatur, ut eo fecunla, grat!ay metH, vet ignorant ia corr;.pto, nemo facer doi ejfe poffit^ nifl quern ha virtutes comrMndavcrint : '' We OUghc not *' therefore to give an Opportunity to our Rivals, left the " Prieftbood, which is every-where one and the fame, as the " ChUiChis one, fliould come to be fo fubje(5ted to one, as " that he V)eing corrupted with Money, Favour, Fear, or " Ignoraoce, no Man fliould be able to obtain that Order, '* except he had thefe Vertues to recommend him. Here we fee the true Stile of ^tAlbigenfes^ before ever any Manichee was come from the Eaft into France. Now after this was once (et on foot, it was maintained from Century to Century, by thofe who were brought up, and that died in the Communion of the Chu!-ch o[Rome. It would be an eafy matter to give a Catalogue of thofe who have fpoke at this rate, to {how what heed rhere is to be given to the moft pofitive Auertions of the Bifhop of Meaux, If the Billiop of Meaux ^ in the lea ft defired to undeceive himfelf, he need only read what Aventinm fays in his An- Lib. 6. nals of Bavaria^ of Pope Gregorj VII, who there is termed Antichrift, by Perfons who^ were very far from being Afa- nichees : he need only read 'in the A6ts of the Life of i*^/- chal II, what the Biihop of Florence openly preached con- cent. 1 2. Mag. cerning this Matter ^ or to read in the Life of Richard I, iiourg. written by Roger Boveden, what Abbot Joachim maintained before Richard I, without being ever accufed of Manicheifm-^ or he may take notice in Matthew Paris, upon the year i Z) 3, what Notions Robert Groflhead BifllOp of Lincoln, one of the greateft Bifliops of his time, maintained ; . or he may perufe Lib. i.cap.41. the Revelations of St. Brigit, and the i6th Epiftle of Pe- trarch^ in his fecond Tome. And yet never were any of thefe Perfons accus'd of Mamchei/m. BuL this has been treated of at large already by fVo/fifu in his PUriom LeUions 3 and befides, this would lead us too far from the Subject we are up- on at prefent. I Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 1 77 I (liall content my felf therefore with obferving three things concerning this matter. The ij} is, That nothing was more common with the Popes and Ariii-Popes, than mutually to brand each other with the Title of Antichrid : And the Writers of both Parties kept always clofe to this Stile, and yet all of them lived and died in the Bofom of the Church of ii!ow^,and never w'ere thought to be the Difciples of the Mankhees, idljj That there are many Authors, and even feveral of thofe that^have been canonized, who have made ufe of the fame Notions, in fpeaking and writing of the Church of Rome, and yet none have ever condemned them of Mani- cheifm. The 3^ is, That ever fince the Reformation, though the Bifhop pretends that the Prophecy concerning the Beaft hath been already fulfilled 5 there is fcarcely (if you except the BiQiop) any one Popiih Author, who doth not own that Rome is to be the Seat of Antichrift. What I fay now, deferves to be confidered, becaufe in the Year 151^, December the 19th, in the 1 \th Seffion of the La- term Council, under Leo X, in whofe time Luther began to preach, we find that there was a Prohibition againft hand- ling the Queftion of Antichrift i*^ tee Pulpit, though un- der the Pretence of advancing foLiS ne\v Revelation concern- ing it, without having obtained leav^ From the Holy See, or from the Bifhop. The Words ofihe Canon which oblige all thofe who (hould ever undertake to preach on this Subjed, arethefe: " And we command all who bear this Charge, or " who (liall bear it for the future, that they preach and ex- " plain the Evangelical Truth, anci the Holy Scrip: are, ac-' '''' cording to the Expoiition and Interpretation of thofe " Do(5lors, whom the Church or long Tradition has ap- " proved, and has hitherto allowed to be read, or which fhali " be fo for time to come, without addlng^any thing that is " contrary to, or difagreeing from the proper Tenfe of them, " but that they always inlilt upon fuch Matters as do not dif- " agree with the Words of the Scripture, nor with the Inter- " pretations of theforefaid Dod:ors. Neither let them pre- A a " fume 1 7 g Remarks upon the " fume to fix in their Sermons any certain time of the Evils "' to come, of the coming of Antichrift, or of the Day of " Judgment •, for-afmuch as Truth alTures us, that it is not for " us to know the Times and Seafons. Moreover, if the '' Lord (liould be pleafed to reveal to any of them in the *' Church of God, future things by fome Infpiration, as he '*■ hath promifed by the Prophet ^mos ^ and feeing the Apo- " file Paul faith, Defplfe not Pro^hecy'mg, &c. we will not have " fuch as thefe reckoned amongft Impoftors and Liars, or *' that they (hall be any ways hindred : But becaufe it is a " matter of great Moment, and that we are not upon light " Grounds to believe every Spirit, but are to try them wlie- " ther they be of God •, we command that by a conftant Law " any fuch afler ted In fpi rations, before they be publilbed or " preached to the People, be henceforward underftood to be " referved to the Examination of the Apoftolical See : but in " Cafe this cannot be done without the Danger of too long " a Delay, or that urgent Necefifity fhould other wife per- " fwade 5 then obferving the fame Order, it may be fignified " to the Ordinary of the place, who taking along with him " three or four learned and grave Men, and diligently exa- " mining the matter with them, if they fee it expedient " (which we charge upon their Confciences) they may grant " them Liberty : but whofoever prefumes to commit any " thing^ontrary to thePremifes, (hall incur Excommunicati- " on, fi'om the which he (liall not be abfol ved but by the Pope *' himfelf 5 that fo by their Example others m;iy be deterred " from prefumingtodoany fuch thing, for which Reafon we " decree that they be for ever made incapable of the Office **" of Preaching, any Priviledges wh.itfoever to the contrary *'' notwithftanding., &c, 'Tis not our BuTinefs to examine the Queftion, whether {he Biihop of Meaax hath exacStly followed the Rules that this Canon prefcribes, in his Explication of the Scripture, and efpecially about the matter of Antichrift, though they be Rules by which Bifhops are no lefs bound, than the mean- eft Divines. It may be the Church of Rome finds the Bifliop s new Syftem fo much for her Intereft, tl\at it inclines her to fufpend Ancient Chwxhes of the Albigenfes. 170 rufpend the Severity of her Canons, in Favour of a Perfon, wfio has fo dexteroufty pluck'd a Thorn out of her Foot, which hath troubled her (0 iong, and which hath always caufed new Pains to her, as oft as any of her Doctors have indea- voured to pluck it out. But I fear I have infifkd too long upon (o vain a Conjev51:ure, and which fcarce deferved to be confuted. There are able Men of the Church of Romey uiio have taken the Pains to refute the Conj'edure of fome Pafifts who would needs have Mahomet tobe the Antichrift ; This was the Chimcera of ^/z- nlusoi Viterbo, a M 3nk famous for his Impoftures-, this like- wife was the Wiiimfy of Fevnrdentim 2nd fome others, whom Pereripis the Jc^fuit hath refuted fo folidly, as that he has put the Birtiop of ^ and who can doubt of their being Church-men ? 3^/y, That his own Bifhop Brum, Bifhop of Angers, where he \¥as Arch- deacon, declared himfelf for him. 4-thly, That in Aquitain in the Year 107^, Giraldns Legat of Pope Gregory VII, was ob- liged to call a Council at Poitiers, where Berengarms narrowly efcaped being murthered, as weare aiTured by the Chronicle of St. Maixant^ the Circumftances whereof there fet down, they that publiihed it took care to leave our. <)thly. That five Years after they were obliged to convocate another Coun- cil at Bourdeaux^ wheiQ BereKgarius gZVQ an AcCOUnt of bis Faith, as the Time Qironicle acquaints us. W-e ought natu- rally to obferve thjtfrom the Year io>o, wherem Berengarius appeared at RorKc, where he maintained his Opinions with fo much Courage, thai Leo of ofila. Abbot of Mont-CaJJin, owns that there was no Body able to oppofehira, until the Year 1 080, in Jncient Churches of the Albigenfts. i 8 1 in which the Council of Bourdeaux met 5 the Church of Rome could not overthrow Berengarms Party, though ilie had im- ployed by turns, both Councils and Violence, which fliows that there were amongft Berengariff/s Followers, a confidera- ble Party of the Clergy, and of thofe of ^quitain in parti- cular. Neither was it only tills Difference in Point of Doclirine that hvtng^^n'&Axh^ Bercfigarim Party, but alfo the Regulati- ons of Pope Nicholas II, and his Succeflbrs, and above all thofe q{ Gregory WW, in the Council o£ Rome^ in 1074, and 1 07^. We may fee the Ef!e(5t of his prohibiting Matrimony to Priefts, as Sigebert has recorded it upon the Year 1 074. " Gregory the Pope, faith he, at a Synod held by him, anathe- " matiz'd all that came into Preferments by Simony, and re- " moved all married Priefts from their Fundions, and forbad " Laymen to aflift at their Mades, by not only an unheard-of «■ Precedent, but alfo (as feveral People thought at that time) " by an inconfiderate Prejudice, contrary to the Opinion of " the Holy Fathers, w^ho have written, that the Sacraments " ufed in the Church, to wit, Baptifm, Chrifm, and the " Body and Blood of our Lord, have the felf-fame Efficacy *' by the fecret Operation of the Holy Ghoft, be the Dif- penfers of them good or bad. Wherefore then fince they are quickned by the Holy Spirit,fo that they are neither amplified by the Worthinefsof the good Difpenfers, nor leffened by the Sins of the Wicked, whence is this Man that baptizes ? which thing hath given fo great occafion of Scandal, that never was the ^ Holy Church rent with a more dangerous Schifm at any time by a prevailing Herefy, than it is now, whilft fomeadforRighteoufnefs, others againft it j fome openly are guilty of Simony, others cover the Stain of Co- vetoufnefs with an honeit Name, felling that under the Name of Charity, which they pretend to give freely, as Eh- febius faith of the Montanifts, whilft under the Name of Offerings, they more artificially receive Bribes. By this • means alio things are brought to that pafs, that there are very few that pradife Continence, whilfi: feme make only an hypocriflcal Shew " of it for Gain and Boaftlng s and ^ ' others it I 8 1 ^nw'ks upon the '^' others aggravate their Incontinence by forfwearing them- ■' (elves, and by multiplied Adulteries. Befides, upon this '' occafion Laymen rife up in Rebellion againft the Holy Or- " ders of the Church, (liaking ofF the Yoak of Eccleiiafti- '' cal Subjedion 5 Laymen prophanc Holy Myfteries, and " difpute about them, baptize Infants, ufing the filthy Ex- " crement of the Ears inftead of the Holy Oil and Chrifm^ " on their Death-Beds they fcorn to receive at the Hands of " married Priefls the Lord's Provifion for their laft Journey, " and the ufuai Service of Church- Burial. The Tithes that " are afligned to the Priefts they confume with Fire: and that " by one horrid Profanation you may make an Eftimate of " the reft, Laymen have been often feen to trample the Bo- " dy of our Lord, that had been confecrated by married *' Priefls, under their Feet, and wilfully fpill his Blood upon " the ground, and many fuch things againft the Laws of God " and Man are daily committed in the Church. By this " means alfo many falfe Teachers rife in the Church, who " by their prophane Innovations alienate the Minds of the " common People from the Difcipline of the Church. This therefore was the great occafion that was given to ma- ny of the Clergy and People of J^Hhain, not to entertain any Communion with the Church of Rome^ or to fubmit them- felves to the Yoak which ftie was preparing for all the Weftern Churches. I have in my Remarks upon the Hiftory of the Churches of Phdmofjt, given an Account of the Rife of the Opinion of thofe who believed that the Popes Excommunications de- prived fuch as had been duly ordained, of all Power to exer- cife their Fundtions, and did incapacitate them to confer Or- ders upon ether Minifters. This was the true Reafon that made all that maintained the Principles of the Church of Rome, look upon the Bifhops, Priefts and Deacons, who had thus renounced the Roman Communion, as a Company of Lay- men, and to confider their Ordinations as null. I need not repeat the fame here, it being lufficiently confirmed by the Paftage of Sigebcrtj v/hich I jull now quoted.. Ic Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. i 8 2 It appears therefore that the Dlfclpline of the Alhlgenfes was the fame that had been pra(5lifecl in the Primitive Church : They had their Biihops, their Prieils and their Deacons, whom the Church of Rome at fir(i: held for Schifmaticks, and whofe Mini/iry Ihe at lafl: abibiutely rejeded, for the fame Reafons, that made her confider the Minillry of the wMe»fes as null and void. We find in Peter the Abbot of Clttgny^ that ht teproacheth die Petrobaf^ans, for being join'd with Schilma- ticks j whereas they took the Name of Apoftolical Men. See how he fpeaksto them-, P^os Maglflri Errornm, & C£ci du- ces cacorum, faces Htcrejinm, & rellqulx Schlfmaticorum ! O you Matters of Errors, and blind Leaders of the Blind, the Dregs of Hereticks, and the Relicks of Schifmaticks ! Who were thefe Schifmaticks but the Berengarians ? It is manifefl: that U- nion with the Church of iJow^ being become impofTible, by reafon of the Errors (he had defined, and the Tyranny (he had ufurped over the State and Church: there was even before his time a Separation made of the greatefl: Part of the Dio- cefles of Narhon, Tholoufe^ Age», and Other places •, and thac Peter Brujs and his Difciples were of his Party, appears from his ^d Epiftle, which is confiderable, to this purpofe. " In " your Parts, faith he^ the People are re-baptized, the *' Churches profaned, the Altars overthrown, Croflesburntj " and Fle(h eaten an the very Day of our Saviour's Paflion, *' Priefts are whip'd, Monks imprifoned, and forced by Ter- ** rors and Torments to marry. The Heads of which Con- " tagion you have indeed by the Divine AiTiftance, and the ** Help of Catholick Princes, driven out of your Country 5 *' but the Members, as I have already faid, remain yet a-^ ** mongftyou, infeded with this deadly Poifon, as Imyfelf *' lately perceived. By which Padage we find that the fame Diforders had happened in thofe Dioce(res which he fpeaks of, that Slgebert had before obferved. Bonchet in his Annals of AquitAirty underdands the thing after the fame manner, where he fpeaks thus of the Voyage of Sr. Bernard. " In the mean ** time, whilft all thefe things were a doing, Godfry Bifliop of ** Chartres, and Imocenis Legate in France^ and St. Berndrdf " who were to employ 'd purge the Schifmaticks out of Aciui- 84 ^marks upon the " tai^, or to reduce them to the Union of the Church, went " drtt. to NafUes, &c. I h, to obtain of him Letters of Rccommendition from the Pope, that he might be fully ac- quitted of the Murder of the Monk Peter de ChafteanNeuf, whereof they had moft unjullly obliged him to confefs him- felf guilty, only becaufe the faid Murder had been committed in his Territories, for which the Legate MUo had impofed up- on him a moftunjuftand unheard-of Penance. From the Court of the King of France he went to Rome^ where ht re- ceived Abfolution immediately from the Hands of Pope inno- cent VX-^ this being a Cafe referved to him, the Pope re- ceived him very civilly, prefented him with a rich Robe, and a Ring of great Value, and granted him plenary RemilVion and Abfolution from the faid Murder, declaring that he look'd upon him as fufficiently cleared upon that Account. In the Year 1 209, the Army of thefe Crofs'd Souldiers, which confifled of no lefs than 500000 Men, entred I'^mgUedock^dxA attack'd the City of Beyers, being one of the flrongeft Places the Albigenfes had, took it by Force, and put all they found in it to the Swords fo that above (5oooo Perfons were kill'd there, as Mezeray informs us. There happtned one thing very remarkable at the taking of this City, which was. That the Zeal of thefe confecrated Souldiers was ^jch, that they put to the Sword all the Papifts and Romiili Clergy that were in the City. The Earl of Be- zirrs came out of the City, and caft himfelf at the Feet of ' the Legate Mi/o, begging his Grace in Behalf of his City of Be^tersy and intreating him, that he would not involve the Innocent in the Punilhmentof the Guilty, which would cer- tainly come to pafs, in cafe the City fliould be taken by Force, (which would foon be done by fuch a great and pow- erful Army, that was ready to fcale the Walls in every Part round the whole City) that it could not be other wife,^ but that in this Caie much Blood would be fpilt on both fides, which he might prevent. That there were in Bez^iers great Numbers of good Catholicks, who would bs involved in the fame Ruin, contrary to the Pope's Intention, whofe De- fign was only to chaftife the Albigenfes, That if he did not C c think I p 4 Remarks ufmi the think fie to fpare his Subjeds, for their own fakes, that 3t leaft he would be pleafed to take pity of his Age and Profeffi- on, fince the Lofs would be his, who was under Age, and an obedient Servant of the Pope, as having been educated in theCliurchof Rome, in the which he was refolved to live and die. That if he was offended that fuch Perfons as were Ene- mies to the Pope, had been tolerated in his Territories, that this ought not to be imputed to him, becaufe he had no other Subjeds, but fuch as his deceafed Father had left him j and that in this his Minority, and during the fhort time that he had been Mafler of his Eftate, he had neither been able by rea- fon of his Incapacity to difcern the Evil, or to fuit a Remedy to it •, though indeed this was his Intention, and that he hoped for the time to come, to give all manner of Satisfaction to the Pope and the Church of Rome, as became an obedient Son of both. The Pope's Legat's Anfwer was, That all his Excufes fhould be of no Ufe to him, and that he might fhift for himfelf the beft he could. The Earl of Bez,iers being returned to the City, called the People together, and reprefented to them, that after having fubmitted himfelf to the Pope's Legate, he had interceded for them, without being able to obtain any thing, but a Par- don, upon condition that thofe who profeiTed the Faith of the Albigenjes^ (hould abjure their Religion, and promife to live according to the Law s of the Church of Rome, The Ro- •mm Catholick^s befeeched them to give way to this extream Vi- olence, and not to be the caufe of their Death, becaufe the Legate was refolved not to pardon one of them, except they all unanimoufly refolved to live under the fame Laws. To which the Albige-ztfes anfwered, That they would never for- fake their Faith, for the bafe Price of this frail Life: That they were well affured that God could proted them, if it feemedgood unto him 5 but withal, neither were they ig- norant, that if he rather chofe to be glorified by the Con- felljon of their Faith, it would be an exceeding Honour to ihtm to die for Righteoufnefs fake. That they had much xd.- tlDer..dift>ieafe the Pope, who could only deftroy their Bodies, than . Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. i p ^ than offend God, who could deftroy Body snd Soul together. That they decefted the Thought of being alliamed of, or de- nying that Faith by which they had learned to know Chritf and his Righteoufnefsj and for fear of eternal Death to im- bracea Religion which intirely takes away the Merit of Jefus Chrift, and deftroys his Righteoufnefs --, that therefore they might make the beft terms for themfelves they could, without proir.ifing any thing that was contrary to the Duty of true Ciiriftians. As foon as the Roman Cathollckj underflfpd this, they fenc their Bi(biguedoc ^ the Earl of Montfon met him at Vienne, and the Legate at Valence ; when he was come to Sr. Cilles, Momfort, who accompanied him, received Bulls from the Pope, who, purfuant to the Decree of the Council of Montfellier held fome Months before, had given him the whole Territory of Tholoufe^ and all the reft he had conquer'd with his crofs'd Pilgrims, provided he could get Inveftiture from the King, and would pay him the accuftoired Homage : So that we may fay, that the Pope nominated him to his Dignity, and the King in compliance with the fald Nomina- tion, conferr'd it upon him- From thence Lewis went to Aiontpellier, and then to Betters, where he gave order for the demoliftiing of the Walls of Narhn and Thohufe. In the mean time, the Council of Lateran, notwithftaiiding the pitifut Remonftrances of the Earl of Thohufe, who was prefenc there in Perfon with his Son, adjudged the Propriety of his Lands to Montfort, referving only the Lands he had in Provence for his Son, and 400 Marks of Silver a Year for his own Subfiftence, and that too upon condition of his being obedi- ent to the Church. Afer thisi Montfort aftlimed the Title of Earl 0^ Thohufe, and came and received his Inveftiture from the King in the City o^Melun. I Ihould never have done, (hould I barely mention all the Cruelties and Barbarities which the Romifh Party exercifed for near twenty Years together by their continual Croifades, againft a People who were taken to be Hereticks as foon as they found a New Teftament in the vulgar Tongue about' them. I (lull conclude this Chapter with fetting down the Laws vvhicli the King. of France Qndi6iQd in the year naS, againft the. 2 00 %emarh upon ths the Albigenfes. " Wherefore becaufe the Hereticks have " now of a long time fpread their Poifon in your Parts, " pollnting our Mother the Church after feveral Manners •-, *' we do in order to their utter Extirpation decree, that all " Hereticks deviating from the Catholick Faith, by what " Name foever they are called, as foon as they are con- '^ demned of Herefy by the Bilhop of the Place, or by a- " ny other Ecclefiaftical Perfon that hath Power to do it, ^' be without delay punifhed ^ Ordaining alfo,' and firmly en- " ading, That no Man do prefume to harbour or proted: '^ the faid Hereticks, or favour or trufl: them --, and that if *' any one do prefume to commit any thing contrary to thefe '' Premifes, he be made incapable of being a Witnefs, or of " any Honour whatfoever, as alfo of making a Will, or in- " heriting any thing. Moreover, We enaSt, Tha'c all his *' Goods, real or perfonal, be i^fo fafto, confifcated, never " to return to him or any of his Pofterity. We alfo ena^ " and command, That all Barons of the Land, and our Bai- *' llfFs, and other our Subjects prefent and future, be careful " and diligent to purge the Land of Hereticks, and heretical " Contagion, commanding them to be very induflrious in " fearching them out, and faithful in difcovering them, and " as foon as they have found any of them, to prefent them " without delay before the Perfons above named, that fo " being convid in their Prefence of Error and Herefy, *' they may, fetting afide all Hatred, Entreaties, Rewards, *' Fear, Favour and Love, give Sentence againft them. And " that thofe who are diligent and careful in the fearching '' for, and feizing of Hereticks, may not want the En- " couragement of Honour and Reward, We do ena6t, will *' and command, that our Bailiffs, in whofe Bailiwicks the " faid Hereticks fhall be feized, pay to the Taker for e- " very Heretick, two Marks in Silver, for the Term of " two Years, and after that time expired, one Mark " only. Hitherto we have taken a View of what was charged upon the Magiflrates and Lords, to whom the Execution of thefe Laws was committed. Let us now confider what other Ancient Qmh-ches of the Albigenfes. 201 orher means the Church- of i?ow^ made ufe ofj which was, the ereding the Tribunal ot tlie Inquificion, the Maxims and Conduit whereof, Pope Gregory XIII, thought good to make known to the World, by publiQiing the Directory for Inquifitors. This Tribunal ereded by_ the Popes for the Extirpation of the Albigenfes^ is a Thing in it felf fo very horrid, that it ftrikes the Papifts themfelves with Hor- ror, that are not us'd to ir^ and yet fuch as it is? it hath juftly been efteemed, and is ftill to this day thought to be the right Hand of the Church of Rome, One may fee from lome of the publiiiied Regifters of thefe Inquiiitors, and by fome of their Tiials of the Alhigeyifes, the horrid Impoftures of tliefe Inquifitors, and the terrible Puniih- * ments they have infli(5ted upon the Albigenfes in all Places, where from Age to Age they have been able to difcover diem. C H A P. XXIL That the Docirine of the Albigenfes fpread it felf in England, and continued there till the time of the Reformation, HEnry Knighton tells US, that the Alligenfian Hereticks CamC De evcncibus over into England m the Reign of King John, and that Angi'i.2.c.i<;. fpme of them were burnt alive. But yet we murf not think that their Dodrine by this means' was wholly extinguilVd 5 for we find the fame appearing again in the Perfons of the Lollards and fvickjefites, I didinguiih the Lollards from the wickleftes, as being more antient thaa they, having ai'peared in Flanders and Germany from the beginning of the i^th Cen- tury, as appears from the Teftimonies of Johannes Hoefemim^ and of the Abbot Tritkemiw j though the fame Name was Dd after- 201 Remarks upm the afterwards given fo the wkkjefites, as is evident from the Writings of JValfmgham and rvilHam Thorn. They feem to have come from the Waldenfes and Albl^eyifes^ by what KUUnm tells us 7 LolUrdm qmque did tar Hereticm M^aldenfis : *' A Lollard *' is alfo called a Waldenfian Heretick. I need only therefore fpeak of their Numbers, which as Knighton affures us, covered all England : but lince they have been cl^rged with molt horrid Crimes, becaufs they fpoke againft the Images of the Saints, and the reft of the Romi/h Su- perftitions, as well as the Vices of the Clergy •■, it will be ab- Iblutely neceffary to clear them from thefe falfe Imputations, in the moft authentick Manner that may be. Let us therefore examine the Calumnies charged upon them by Trithemit^ in his Chronicle of Birfauge, on the year Sacui. i^.p. T. 1 31 6, as they were copied by Nat alls Alexander ^ a Jacobite g.587,&58S.p^.j3j.^ in his Ecclefiaftical Hiftory. The Heads of the He- refies which Trlthemlm reckons up, are thefe 5 " I. That MafTes were vain Things, to which neither " any Reverence was due, nor were they of any ufe or " profit. " II. That Lucifer with his Devils, being unjuftly driven " out of Heaven, iliould be reftored to Blifs again ; and that . " Michael, with all the Angels, fhould be fentenc'd to ever- ^' lafting Punifliment 5 and that all thofe that were not of '' their Sed, (liould be damned after the fame manner. " III. That the Blefled Virgin Mary^ if (he continued a '* Virgin after her Delivery, muft have brought forth not a " Man, but an Angel. " IV. They boafted themfelves to have twelve Apoftles, " who every year vifited the whole Empire •, and that two " of thefe being Elders in Order and ProfelTion, did eve- " ry year enter Paradife, and there received from Enoch *' and Elias^ the Power of Binding and Loofing, which they " afterwards communicated to the other Profelifors of their '' Se(5t. " V. They derided the Sacrament of Baptlfm 5 faying, '! If Baptifm be a Sacrament, then every Bath is a Sacra- !' menr. i( Ce Ancient Churches of the Al bigen fes. i g ment, and by confequence, every Keeper of a Bath mufi: be God. " VI. They fliamefullv abufed the Sacrament of Penance, by confelTing their Sins not to Priefts but Laymen, and' exprefling them only in general, and not in particular, and yet they hoped by this their ConfefTion, to obtain full and perfect Forgivenefs both of Guilt and l^unilliment, " VlI.The Sacrament of the Lord's Body,they did not believe at all, calling the confecrated Hoft, a God made with Hands. *' VIIL They called the Sacrament of Matrimony that was fworn to, Fornication. " IX. They derided the Sacrament of Extream Unc1:Ion ; and being examined what they thought of it, they unani- moufly anfwered, VVe believe that Herbs, the more they are laid in Oil, the better they are : And tBey vilified all the Gonfecrations and BlefTingsufedin the Church, as fo many vain and ufelefs Ceremonies. " X. They blafphemoufly aflerted, That God neither knew nor puniOied any Sins that were committed under the Earth, for which Reafon they ufed to meet in Caves and Places under ground, where Fathers committed Filchi- nefs promifcuoufly with their Daughters, and Brothers with their Sifters. " XL That the Church of Rome was not the Church of Chrift, but of infidel Heathens 5 and they defpifed all Ec- clefiaftical Laws, together with all the Bifhops and Mi- nifters of the Church. *' XIL Fafts they mocked at, eating Flefli at all times, . Good-friday not excepted. " XIII. They kept jio Holidays, but wrought even upon Eafter-day. " XlV. They deny'd that Perjury was a Sin. " XV. They deny'd that the Merits or IntercefTions of the Saints, could prevail with God for the Pardon of Mens Sins. And he fays, that befide thefe they profefTed many other Errors, which he omits, for fear of being tedious to his Readers. He adds alfo. That this Herefy did fo_ far pre- vail, that in Jaflria, Bohemia, and the neiglibouring Pro- D d 2 '! vinces, 2 ©4 ^marks upon the *' vinces, there were above fqur-fcore Thoufand- Men who " were fwcrn to the ProfeHlon of this Se(5t. From thefe " Dregs of Herefy, faith he, Bohemia being then infeded, " continues tainted with the fame to this Day. He fubjoins, *' that many of thefe Hereticks were at the fame time burnt *' in divers places of /^»y^^/^, who all of tliem continued ob- *' fiinarely in their Herefy, with great Ghearfulnefs until " Death. ^Va/ter^ a chief Man of that Sect, was burnt at " Co/ie-^ in the Year 132-5) iisTriihewimteWsns inhisChroni- *' cle of the Monaftery oiHirfau^en, in the Diocefs of Spires, Nothing can be imagined more horrid than thefe Calum- nies, and we need not doubt but they were fupported by ma- ny pretended Convidions made by the Inquifitors of Germar^: butitiseafy to demonftrate, that there is fcarce any ground for all thefe Accufations, which therefore is a plain Proof of what I have eife where maintained concerning thefe perfe- cuted Perfons, whoufed it for a Proverb in EngUvd^ He lies We have an authentick piece of the Lollards^ which Rager T>immock, a. Jacobite Friar hath confuted in a Manufcript,where- of there are two Copies at Camhidg^tht one in the publick Li- brary, and another older than that, in Trinitji Colledg. They prefented this Confeflion of theirs to the Parliament, which' gave occafion to this Monk -to infert it in E»glijh, together with his Latin Tranflation, into a Book which he dedicated to " King Richard II. I need only fet down the Original, with the Latin Tranflation o^ Roger Dimmock^, which will be fuffident to confound all the Calumnies of the Inquifitors. . ne Jndent Churches of f/;e Albigenfes. 205 The Petition of the- LOLLARDS. N^OS panperes homi- nes thcfaurarii fi- ve thefaurus Chri- fti &• Apofl-olorum ejus, cle- nunciamus vobis Dominis 8f Communibuspraefentis Par- liamenti certas Quaeftiones & Veritates pro Reformati- one ran£l:32 Ecclefise Angli- cans, quae caeca extitit &le- profa annis pluiimisper ma- nutenentiam fuperbae prscla- ci^ fupportatse adulatio- nibus privatarum religi- onum, five privatae reJigio- nis mukiplicats ad magnun:i onus,& eitefFedtus populiso- nerofus in Anglia. Secunda Conclufio banc continet Sententiam. Quando Ecclefia Anglica- na incoepit delirare in pof- fefHone temporal ium fecun- dum novercam fiiam mag- nam Romanam Ecclefiam, 8c Ecclefiae mortificatae e- rant five occifae per appro- priationem ^ pcrc ^rn %xt- ra2cc0 Df Cljrift ani5 W ^po(te»05 ticiicuncpii to ti:e la^ne^ antJ Cammen0 of tije pac- liiuiicut, certepn ConciuG^ oit^ anti ttteutfjesi fa^ tlje Eefocmation of ft)olt €k^u\i of Inglond, tgc ttJljICft {jat& lien Weim ann lepcoiife ma np pere,be tlje Q^apmenance of tjjc prcim ]3relaci5 feoijt up ftjit^ f iatecpno: of pci= Dat Eeligion. C&e tD6ic& 10 multiplleu to a Ofcete €Wm anti onecou]^ to ]^e-- pfljbere in Inglond. aH8an t6e Cfii'ccfi of Inglond tjegan to tiote in Cemperalte after \yx €>trp-' monrt tfee gtete Cj3irc6e of Rome, anD tlje Cfjircfte^ W.XZ flapn be appcopria- cton to nitjec^ jpiace? : 2o6 (^}7wks upon the priationem diverforum loco- ram: fides, fpes & caritas ccEperunt fugere extra Ec- clefiam noftram;. quia f;per- bia cum fua prcle pcrverfa peccatorum mortaliiimven- dicabant Ecckfiaiii noftram titi^lohsereditario. Ifta quac- ftio eft generalis & probata, ut dicunt, experientia k more, ut audies in fequenti- bus. H82C eftfecunda Quacftio : Sacerdotium noftrumufuale quodincoepic incivititeRo- inana fida altioris poteftatis poteftate Anglica, non eft Sacerdotium a Chrifto fuis Difcipulis ordinatum. Pro- batur fie hsec qusftio, Sa- cerdotium Romanumfi6lum cum fignis Sc ritibus ac E- pifcoporum BenediO:ioni- bus, eft pravas virtutis, nul- libi in facra Scriptura exem- platum : quia Ordinalia fi- ne rubricasEpifcoporum pra- vx funt fidei vel autoritatis in novo Teftamento, & ne- fcimus videre quod fpiritus fanttus dat dona fua prop- ter aliqua talia figna, quia- ipie & nobilia dona fua liare non fargon fo.2 to fie cut o'i out foil ocneaU=sp of XiOjti^ ^innt0 cijaiangttl) it, he Cicle of mtmQt. mM ConciuCiiin ijs aenciale, nm cuiimu am ^annecj m pcu imiiijzmxmzt. €rje feciinn ConcMoit id ttji0 : ©ur itfuel p^ieft^ Ijotie, tjje tofjicB began in Rome, f^pncn at a 13oSDCt i)tvtt t&ait a!in:el05 10 not tlje p^teiilj^Dej tlje Mjtcf) CfiriH 02iie]^u- n to !jts apo-- ilellis* C!)t0 Concttifion 10 of Rome 10 nmilte9 mitD €'ignc0,ia!te05anr! a5;fi)ope0 'BlciTpitgg, ann tfjai 10 of lite! gittii, no Wi)tt enfam- ple^ie in 80I1 ^cripturt, jf^o? tl)c TDil^qpe^ ^iOU nvM in tlje Beto Ceira- n\mt ben iicel of laeco^tj, anri n^e can natfe tOnttfie fom €q^ fo2 any fuel) eignes g^f^0 nni? e^ia^: fo,2 i>e anniji^ !)oi^ (^ifte^ mat Jncknt Churches of the Albigen fes. 207 non poiTunt cum peccato mortali in aliqua una per- fond. Corrolariahujusquaeftionis eft, quod valde extraneum five novum eft pluribus ho- minibus fapientibus videre Epifcopos ludere cum fpiri- tu [an6lo infuorum ordinum collatione, quia coronas con- ferunt m caradleribus loco fervorum alborum, 8c ilia eft liberata Antichrifti five ejus fignum in iftam Eccle- fiam introdutlum ad otium palliandum. Tertia quseftio dolorofa eft ifta, Lex continentias fa- cerdotio annexa quae in prae- judicium foeminarum fuit primitus introdu-^la, indu- cit Sodomiam in univerfa- lem fanftam Ecclefiam : fed per Bibliam exculamus nos propter fufpe^lum decretum quod dicic quia nempe non deberemus nominare jd pec- catum: ratio & experientia banc probat quseftionem, quia deliciofi cibi &■ potus Ecclefiafticorum requiritne- ceilariam purgationem na- turalem vel pejorem, experi- entia xmi not fiontJ uiitfi netselp ^l>nnc t!i no ninnncc per= fon» mjt Co^cclacp of xW Conclufion, tfjat it \^ M\ unftctf) to manp tfjat fee UJife, to fe X^tfijopcgi plap Mtl) tfje rpoii ^oft lit ma- tljct uif Ci0iunc0 I'tt Ca^ rcctct^j in (title of Uyit Ijertejs, ann tfiat 10 tlje y= ijerap of ^uticljctft ferouffljt into Ijoli Cfjutcfj to ccloui* atJlencf^. Cfje tti'D Conclufion fo* touifui to gcre, 10 t&at tijc LatM of Continence enetets to \pi\tm^U, tljat in ip^e= lunice of Cllpniien luasi firR oinej^netjinmicj^tlj €)Otio-- inp in aii Ijoli Cijii'cfj : ^^i^t m errnfe U0 fee tije Ooifele, fo^ tfje tiifpccte Deci*e tfjat faitlj, tijat toe iljall not * it. * nam?. ^efon nnn €ppei1cnce pro^ D))tTj tfeig Conclufion, for tie= iimm ^tm nnn Drpnkc^ of ^en of Wy\ Cfeircfc tuiil Ijaf netifui {iJni'ryation of S^intJ 0? mtxQ. Ctpecience fa? tf)e prop i^ilip offuclj ^3cn, 2C 8 (^marks twon tk . entiaocculrssprobationista- liLim, ergo non habent de- Itclationem in mulieribus, S( cum talem repereris, no- ta enirn bene, quia ipfe eftu- niisexillis. Correlariahujus qua^dionis edquod dignum valde cffec adnullare priva- tas rcligiones hujuspeccati iiiccsptores : fed Deus ex fua magna poteftate de peccatis privatls manifeftam fumat vindi6i:am» Quarta quseftio qux plus damnificat populum inno- centem,eftquiafiQ:ummira- culum facri panis inducitom- nes homines, paucis exceptis ad Idolatriam, quia ipfi aefti- mant quod corpus Domini quod nunquam exibit Coe- lum, virtute verborum fa- cerdotis fit in cxiguo pane quern ipfipopulooftendunt; led utinam vellent credere quod Do£lor Evangelicus dicit in fuo Trialogo, quia pa^i^ alturis efl habitudina- liter corpH'S Chrijli ; quia iiipponimus quod ifto mo- rnenro poteft quilibet vir & foemina in iegedivina confi- cere Sacramentum panis fine aliquo ^eit, t£i, tftat tliai life no coprnmen, ann Wm\ tiym pcouefl fucO a ^an, mack Oim UJ£le, fo^ i)e 10 m of tija* Clje Co^itlarp of tW Coitciufion, tljat tije p iunt Eeli0:ion0 OSfg^nnetis cf tW ^imite, ttierc nioa uio^ t\)\ to ben mwWz x t :!^ !?0ti of {)pj3 mtffftt of p.iije ^'PiUtei^ fmnopen^tngcance* W^zlttt^mtMim t6at maft ijainietlj tfjc innocent Pepef, ijs tlji0, x\m tlje fep-- neo Miracle of t&e ^acta^ mcnt of 'B?eti imticpUj al ^en but a feiBj, to 31101 ^tte 5 fo? tljai tocn toat ^om^ %m tijat neijere fcOal out of i|)e\)en, be inctu of p^ieo iis ^0^000 be clofeD efifentmlr in a !(tel OB^eti, tljat tfar lljetD to tlje people : bat luouin <^i5D t^'P UJoafti be- iiebe taljat tlje Doctor E- vangelicus M^ \\\ i(]i0 Tii- aloge, quod Panis akaris eft habitudinaliter Corpus Chrifti. ifo? UJC fuppofe tijnt on tijf UJiTe, xmi ei^erp tcelo ^an anD OLlomman m Ancient Qhurches of the Albigenfes. 209 altquotali miraculo. Cor- relarium hujus quaeftionis eft, quod fi corpus Chrifti fie dotatum gloria rsterna, offidum corporis Chrifti comp^firum per San£lum Thomam non eft verum, & depiftum plenum falfis mi- racu}is;&'hocnoneftmirum, quia frater Thomas illo tem- pore tenens cum Papa, vo- luit fecifle miraculum de 0- vo gallinae ; h bene novi- mus quod quodlibet menda- cium aperte praedicatum, cedit ilii in verecundiam &: injuriam, qui Temper eft fidelis & fine defe6lu. Quinta quaeftio eft haec, Exorcifmi, fandlificationes, confecrationes five benedi- £tiones fa^lae in Ecclefia fanda yini & panis, aquae, olei, Talis, cerei incenfi, fi- ve thuris,men{aealtaris,mu- rorum Ecclefiae, veftimen- torum mitrae, baculi pafto- ralis, baculorum peregrino- rum & hujuTmodi, vera praQ:ica Tunt Nigromancias potius quam Tandse Theolo- giae. Haec III ^otitie0 laui, ttia^ t^t ^nctaincnc of t&is OB^ue tuiMjout anj) fuel) Miracle* Cljc Co^rcliup of t()i0 Cc;i^ clufion 10, tljnf it Ctjiiffe^ 030151 be UoiuiD U)itl) ci^ec- iaftmjj aioi, t&e %zt\y2^ of Corpus Chrifti, UultlC ht Frere Thomas I0 tintfeiu, ann pcj^iiteti ftil of fajf 95i^ tacleg h auD tijat 10 no U)on= tier, fO^ Frere Thomas tljat fame tpme ijoiupttg luitlj tlje pope, U3olti ijaf ma^ a ^1= tacle of an pzn Cuffe : anD tue imotu tuell, tljat eiiecp lefjJitg opcnip picacljcn, tucnetfj \m to ailan? tjjat el3ei: loa^ treto, ann lmt|)0ut nefaut. €6e. fi'ft Conclufion 10 tf)i05 tIjat cj:o^fpm0 anu IjolQlapag man in tljc C6icc& ofSBine, oa^etie, antunap-- S^later, Salt, Opie, ana O^ncenfe, tjje atone of t&e aitfii5 ^upon^eClmEttt05p- * Some-, tei% Ccop^s ant! pilgrim thing Stai5t0, be tlje uera^j wanting p.ziictifof ii^pgcomancp, rt*= *" „^"^ toer iljan of tlje Ijoli Cljec^ ^^' lofii. Ee %W 210 Remarks upon the Haec quaeftio probatur fie, CfjfK? ConcMott ijS per tales exorcifmos 8c con- p|Ol3£t8 t!jU,5 3 fO^ tie fuc& fecrationes creaturae funt o- CjCO^f^mcS CrcatUrCiS ibe neratse efTe altioris virtutis CfjatUCt tO hZ Of Ijeper Oir- qnam funt ex natiira pro- tUt^tiX f)tt OtOltl^pnD, ailQ pria, & nihil mutationis vi- Uie fee ItOtfjUto: Of Cljattttge demus in hujufmodi creatu- m no fticft CteatUL*e, t6atl0 ris exorcizatis vel confecra- fo CljatmctJ but ht faljQi hZ' tis nifi per falfam fidem, lelJe, tlje tul)!Clj 10 tlje P^m- quse eft prineipale in omni Cipal Of tl)Z DeMe0 CCaft* arte diabolica. Correlarium fi liber qui Cfte Co^telatp Of tU09 exorcizat aquam benedi- tjat if tj)e OBOfee tljat Cfiac* Qam afperfam in Ecclefiap metlj Jjalt Wi^ttt Cp^etse Dei elTet totus verus nobis, tuece al teetoe, i\0 tljeitU UC- videturveraciter, quia aqua tClp, tjat IjOli Ollatet: Ufetl benedifta in fanda Ecclefia in Mi Cfjircft, fcfiuin be tfte ufitata optima efTet medi- beft ^etiecpit to all maiuiei: cina, cujus contrarium ex- Of ^ekues^. perimur. Sexta quaeftio quae fuften- C6e fpjJt CondUKon tfiat tatmultam fuperbiam, eft, mapntenetfj mytl)tl PliOZ quod Rex &: Pontifex in ea- l^^tljat aS^^ttg aim a ISlfiljOp dem perfona, Praelatus k al in on Perfoit, a Prelate Judex temporalis caufaSjCu- aitH a JUfflCe lit Cempecal ratus &- Oificiarius in fervi- Catlfe, a Curate aitil ait £)f^ cio mundiali quod libet reg- ficec tttafeen aitP Eoeill Ottt num reddit fine regula de- Of ffOtie EetUle* CijlJ? COIt= bita vel convenienti regimi- ClUfiOIt 13 OpOltlp fcljelueH/O? ne. H^c quaeftio probatur Cempeealte aitti 0pii:itu== fie, poteftas temporalis 8c alte be ttUO Pattl^ Of ait fpiritualis fijnt duae partes (jolt CljilXft^ aittl t&etefO^ tmius fandas Ecclefia: Sc in Ije tljat 6at& talteit Ijpm to ^ t&at Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 21 1 eoqui ft uni eorum depiita- vit non debcret fe interpo- nerecum altero, quia nemo poteft duobus dominis fer- vire, & nobis videtur quod Hermefodrita vel Ambidex- ter efTet conveniens nomen talibus hominibus duplicis flatus. Correlarium, nos procu- ratcres Dei in ifta caufa in- ftamus & profequimur ac petimus in ifto Parliamento, quod omnefmodi curatores tarn alti quanrballi fmt plene excufati ab omni officio tem- porali,&- fe occupent cum cu- ris ruis,8c de nullis aliis fe in- terponant. Septima qussftio quam nos potenter affirmamus,eft, quod rpeciales orationes fa- dix. in Ecclefia noftra pro a- nimabus defunctorum, pro- ferendo unum ex nomine potius quam alium, eft fal- fum fundamentum elemofi- nas fuper quod omnes domus elemofinarix in Anglia male fundantur. Haec quieftio probatur duplici ratione ; primo quia oratio meri- toria 8c valoris deberet efle opus itnt one fJjiiltJ net tnell fjnn UiitO tyat Ot{)er, Qjia nem.o poteft duobus Dominis fer'- virei, VM m tJlM tgat Hermifodrira 0^ Ambidex- ter, iaei*c a gooe si^ame i^ fucf) manner of ^cn of notu file eCate* €8e Co?re!arp is, tjat toe tlje P20iin:atoui:«i of <©on in tw Caufe, 5o profit to tw PaUement, t6at al manner of Curates, JiotD Sep anu lotu^ljcn fiiap ej:cufeti of temperel ©ffice, an5 oc* cupp Ijem UJitft 6er cure anti not eUc0» €6e (etjent Concltifion tijat toe mpuljtilp aitcrm 10, t6at fpecmi l^^aier^ fo^^ene ^tm ^ome0 mati in mit C6trc6, pjeferrinn: on be Ji^ame mm tftan anotljcr, C&i0 10 tse falf ijcounn of aimep £>eoe, on tfje loljiclj al ^Ime0 ipOllft^ of Inglond ben iDikfeiDIp groinuctJ, 'ZW ConC'.ufion ij? p?o^f^*» •bp ttJDa €)kille05 on i?5, fo? }3^mier meitco^p an^ of lialetu fc^om be a aierk E e 2 pio* Zll (Remarks upon the opus procedens ex alta cari- piocet^pitn; Of fiej) niliji pecfit tate, & ptrfe(5la caritas non Cfjai'Ite, . accept ItO Pec- accipitpeiTonas,quiadiliges imt0) quia diliges proxi- proximum, &e. quia pro- mum, rtC- ^IjecefO^C llgi pter nobis videtur donatio t6enke0 tffdt tl)t <^lft Of bonorum temporalium col- tcmporel <^Otse0 tO P^ieflC^, latorum facerdotibus &: do- atltl tO ^Ime0=|>OUfe03 !> mibus elemofinariis, eft cau- principal caufe Of fpeCial fa principalis hujufmodi o- p^aiCC, t!je tuljfclj t0 ncs fzt rationum fpecialium, quae fro Spmoitp. ^ItOtfiCt: ^kll non multum diftat a fimo- io^ fpcctal P^aiCt, mat! fo? nia; quia fpeciales oratio- C^en, tiampneH tO CHerla- nes fadse pro hominibus ftatttl Pi'^lie, 13 tO (^OU damnatis ad poenam aeter- gcctlj? Oifpiefant, nuH tljOtU nam multum Deo difpli- it hZ tsoiot, It IjS illtfl to cent, & quamvis dubium tcetoe- Cljiliteg pep!e> tfiat fit, taraen verifimile eft fi- tlje jfOUJnnet^ Of ^Imeg^ deli populo, quod fundatio- I^Ott)(e05 fO^ l)tt UeiipmOUlS nes domorum elemofinaria- Dotation faeil fO^ tlje moffi' rum propter ipforum vene- part palTetJ tfte blODt Wzp* nofam dotationem pro ma- CfjeCo^relarpl^atfjeP^aper jori parte tranfiifTent viam Of ijaltlC fp^muailD OUt Of latam, Correlarium. Oratio perfect CljaritC fCfiOlD em* valoris procedens a perfe£ta ts^ace III general, al tf)0 tljat caritare debet fe extendere ^otl tUOia Ijaf (illiCD, anH in generali ad omnes quos lelJC ^ercljauiWjSj nolU tlfj^U Deus vult ralvare,&- dimitte- fo^fpiritual \c>l^^Zt^) J>maOe re debent Mercancias orati- tO ^entiicatint^, Jt^'Ofief- onum fpiritualium modo u- fioner^, ailU Ot&er fOUl* fitatarumpromortuishomi- ^}iz^Z0y tlje tUi&lClj Ijen a nibus fadas mendicantibus- Pepel Of Jjrete Cbarge tO PoiTefTionaris & aliis Presby- a! tl)e Eeme mapntcupt! in *;eris peculiaribus anima- JUJeneS^ 5 fO.Ut toa^ P^OUetr rura^ in Ancient Churches of the Albigen(es. 21 rum, qui funt populus mag- nioneris toti regno inanu- tenentes in otio ; quia pro- batum extitit in quodam li- bro quern Rex audivit,qucd centum domus elemofina- rum fufficerent toti regno,Sr ex hoc contingeret maxi- mum commodum poflibile parti temporali. OQ:ava quasftio necefTaria referri populo decepto,pere- grinationes, orationes, & oblationes, caecis imagini- bus crucifixi 8c furdis ima- ginibus de ligno & lapide funt propinquae naturae Ido- latriae & multum diftant ab operibus caritatis five ele- mofinae, &• quamvis prohi- bitae imagines fint liber er- roris populo laical i, ad hue imagine fand-ae Trinitacis ufuaiis eft maxime abom i na- bihs. Hanc qusftionem De- us aperte monftravit, man- dando operam mifcricordias fieri hominibus indigenti- bus quia ipfi funt imago Dei in majori fimilitudine quam lignum vel lapis ; quiaDeus non dixit, Facia- mus lignum vel lapidem, &c. fed in a 'Bo^e, t&at t&c mpitrj Ijatu tftat a fmnn^ctl) of aime^Tpouf SxxMm to all t!)e Eem:, auD tljcre fcljoin fal tlje uccteft encrenfc poffibil to Ceiiipoici pac^ tu €6e eig^t Conclufion netful to tell to t!je pe- pel 6en;ileti, igi tlje Pilijci- na^e, Piaj^er^an^Oifermo: mane to Ijlmti EoBe^, ann to isefe f mage^ of €?e ann of %tm^ tfjat be net of kp to gDolatri^ ann fee ftro aime0 Dene. 3nn t|)oin tW foeboneu f magec^ be a 030110 of C^oe to tlje leUitie pepul, ml tlje f mage lifuel of tlje %i\x\\i% is molt abfiaminable. Cljijs Com cltifion ijpoti openlp Ccljeto^^ commnnn^ng to tio ^imes^ Detie to i^en tljat be nenj^, fo? tljai be tlje f mage of ^oti m "a mor liknc0 tljaii tfje 8)tok 0? 0tone:fo^ <^0B fai^ UOt^ faciamus "lig- num ad imaginem &: fimi- litudinem noftram, bot fa- * ciamus 114 ^marks upon the fed bcminem ad fimilitudi- nem noftram, quia altus ho- nor latria a Clericis vocatus ibli debet ur Deirati ; & ho- nor vocaius dulia debetur hoiTiini vel Angelis, & aliis creaturis inferioribus. Cor- relarium: cfficiurade ligno crucis bis in anno celebra- turn in noftra Ecclefia eft plenum idolatria,qnia fi lig- num crucis, Chrifti lancea, & clavi eflent tanto honore venerandi, tunc labia Judai proditoris folennes eflent re- liquis, f[ quis poflet ilia ob- tinere : fed nos rogamus te peregrine quam oblationem tacis oflibus fanclorum ia- crifmatorum in aliquo loco ut intendis relevare indul- gentiam fan£lam in Ccelo, vel domus pauperis Elemo- finariss quae ita bene dotatur* qui Deus novit quomodo ho- mines qui modo canonizan- tur,&ut apertius loquamur lideles Chrifti fupponunt qucd puncta propter quae moriebatur nooilis vir quern homines appellant fanftum Thomam, non funt caufa Martyrii nee fuerunr. Nona ciam.us hominem, CtC* fOJ tlje i)cp UiXntW tijat €itiu& Ciepeu Latria, ICHtgClS. tO tf)e ' Wiatm h foi if tlj : iioD.'-tre, j":iaii,^pcr5ann t&r C>ounte of ^00 iC)i\x\ U U ijic^c UiO.CfiipiO, iCl)7lt lucre Ju- das Ltppejo, U3?)3 fo mptjSt hmx gcte a mouBct gret aa.iick. 05ot m piap tfte li>iln:nne m to teif, U3&at tfjciu offergf to ^einteis fcljipntU in anp place, tu^e- n:t reletied pou toe ^zint tIjat 10 iit 051(0, J t^ po^e ^imed^ycu^ tfiat 10 fo luell cntJotocb fo? ^en canoni-- ?cT3 a:>a:i luot Ijoto. ann to fpcke 1110^: in plain, trelo Cij^il^cn C^cn fuppofen, tljat toe point of ti)at noble i^an*, tl;at ^cn clepcn 0e:'nt Thomas, tuete no caufc of ^^artimome. Cfje Jncknt Churches of the Albigenfes. 2 1 5 Nona qussftio qii9S depri- C^e mut ConcltirtOfl t\M mit populum, ell: quod arti- f|Oltie0 t!je t^epel lOtD i^, cuius confeflionis diftus ne- tljat tfiC article^ Cf CoitfeC^ ceflarius hominum falvati- fiOit tfiat i^ fattl ItecClfari tO oni cum -poteftate fida vel ^a!t)acion Of ^ait, IDitl) a praetenfa abfolutionis, exal- fepuetl POtDCj: Of ^bfOlUCt^ tat facerdotum fuperbiam, Oil, enbauitcetlj P^ieffeiS 8r dat iis opportunitatem P^llSe, aittl gpf (jem OpO?- occukae vocationis alterius timite Of p^ltie callmo:, 0- quam dicere volumus in t^Zt tijaU tUC Ml llOtU fap* praefenci : quia Domini &: ifO] MpU anU iaDp^ tseu Domingefunt arreftati pro- atreflCD t&at it^l tttt Of pter timorem fuorum con- l)Ztt Confeffotir^ t\)ZV, ^ItC feflbrum qui non audent di- ttOt fepn a CtCM(j> ^nl3 lit cere veritatem : & tempus tpme Of ConfefiiOll 10 tljc CiSnfelTionis eft tempus val- tieff tpitie Of 2BotnillO:, ailU de aptum precarioni & con- of p^ine Continuance Of tie- tinuationispeccatorummor- tielp %'^\mz. Cljai fep talium; dicuntetiamfeefle tW M\ ComiiTarie^ Of commiflariosDeiadjudican- 0Otl OX tieme Of f^Z^^ dum de quolibet peccato ad ^pnite, tO fOUlen ani3 tO deformandum &: purgan- ClCllfe MjOm fo tfjai like* dum illos quosvolunt. Di- Cfici Cat tijat tljai {jatie tfie cunt fe habere claves Coeli I^Z'^Z^ Of l)ZW\ anti Ot' & Inferni, &: excommuni- l^eH, . tfiej? map CUlfe ailti care pofTunt vel benedicere, h\Z% \s^m dm tUlSpntl, at ligare vel folvere fecundum gec CtDU Mi , mlomUC& propriam eorum volunta tern tfiat fO^ a 'BufH&el Of MMjZt^ in tantum quod propter bur- 0? ttuelW PetlCe foe pet, tftet fellum f rumenti vel duode- UiiU fell tlje Bllf^ Of |)etieil cim denarios annuatim ipfi lie Ctattfe Of ClaitfCj) Of volunt vendere gloria jegni ^acrautife e!t fele tnitl) cceleftiscum claufaWaran- tjje CaiBITUtn i^ele* Cl)l:S ti- Con- 2l6 ^marks upon the tifationis figiilata commii- ni figillo eoriim. Hoecquss- ftio eft vifa in ufu, qua: alia non indiget probatione. Correlarium : Papa Ro- manus fe Fingit altum the- Hiurarium totius Ecclefiae, habensdignum jocale pafli- onis Chrifti in ciifl:odia,curQ meritis omnium, fandlorum Coeli, per quod dat fiQ;am indulgentiam a poena .&■ a culpa, eft thefaurizarius maxime bannitus extra ca- ritatem ex quo poteft libera- re omnes prifinarios exiften- tesinpoenis ad voluntatem propriam, & fcriprum facere nunquam venire ibidem: fed quamlibet Chriftianus fide- liswbene poteft videre quod multa fecreta falfitas -eft ab- Icondita in Ecclefia noftra. Hsec eft decima quaeftio ; Homicidium per bellum vel per legem jufticiae aliquam prssteniam perpetratum pro- pter caufam temporalem vel. fpiritualem fine fpeciali re- velatione exprefTe eft con- trarium novo Teftamento, quod eft lex gratis^ & ple- num mifericordise. Haec quseftio Concltiftoit 10 fa feen m ufe, tfiat It mXi^tl) no otfiet Correlarium, ^Ije pope of Rome tljac ft^mt ijtm 8e|J Cicfo^crof iji!iCi)ii1), ija* Mn'u tlje mitl)i liiuel of €t)MtQ Pafiim lit i]P0 ke= Wm ti3l^j) tlyi Der,tte0 of nl Ipliomn of fpeairjit, lip Mrtl^ |)e iTe\)ct6 riic tepncD P,irD .It, a pfxnaSr a culpa, fie i^ a Ciefo^sf ai3(? Ijanpff mil or Cfijrae fipnfiemap tuir)j c d)t p^tfonerjai tfiat ften in pmi ac fj^p ouiit laill^ mn mak ijuttftif fa tljat Ije f:(jail itel^ei: com tfiere : i>r map eueri) tiem €bii"cn 90m mi fe tfiat tfjzt mitl) pntic foifljetie fiio lit out' €\)mi)z. C!je tent Cottclurioit i0y tW v^aiiHaut iie liatail o? onitXain of Eigt&iifeite^, tm tempoiel Catife o? ftii- rittiel, iDitijCUt fpecia! Ee-- DeMciort, 10 e^p^efle contra* tioiig to ti)z Bzto Ceaa- ment, tfie MM) is a lam 0f ^iztz awo Ml of ^axp* C!j!.^'*Cpn£luri0n tj3 opoit- Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 217 qusftio manifeile probatur exemplo Chriiti prxdican- tis hie in terra, qui maxi- me dccuit dimictere inimi- cis &■ mifereri adverfario- rum,&- non occidere eos: cu- jus ratio eft, pro majori e- nim parte quando homines pugnant poll primum iclum dirumpicur caritas, & qui- cunque caritate in morLC exuitur, tranfit re£la via acl inferna. ht ultra hoc nos be- ne novimusquod nullu:> clc- ricus fcit per iacram fcrir-iu- ram invenire vel rationem legalem oftendere quud poe- na mortis eft infligenda po- tius uni p-ccato mortali quam alieri i fed lexmiieri- cordix' qua elt novum tefta- mentum, prohibet omne ho- micidium in evangelic, di- dum eft antiquitus non oc- cides. Correlarium eft, fanfta rpoliatio pauperis populi, quando Domini \ premant indulgentias a poena &■ a cul- pi hiisquifubfidiaconferunt exercitui eorum collccto ad interficiendum Chnftiannm populum in terris remotis propter ip p^oueu Ije ^nfample of ^\ym^ P^ecljino: Ijecc in Crtfjc, tlje tupclje moft taui^te foi to lotue anti lycC(sz nicrcp of W €-\\zvc^^j m^ nagt fa? to tie Ijeuu ^\)t reafo:! 10 of tlji^, tljat fo^ tlj^ mo E Pactp tfier i^en fijt, afftec tlj ' ficii stroke Cftarite tis pbta.ie, an '^ tufjo fu tici^tt) am ot Cftacite got^ tj) I) P M)> to l)Z\l ^WiS 0- uet toi^b i^ knotD ojelv tljat no Clak cai fpDe ije Scripture 0^ lie Keafon, laiufulpumCrfimcnt of D^tfj, fo? on ueUcij) ^pneanti not fo? aitotijec* 05ot tlje iaui of ^cccp, tftat 10 t&e Bcto ^effamcnt, fo^beneal^an* flaUgtC in Evangelio, di- ftum eft antiquis non oc- cides. ^Ijc Cojre!atp iis, ft 10 Ijoli robbing of tlje pa:e pe- BliliJCnCC, a poena 8c a culpa, prsemiant, to ftvm, tljat &eipcti) to W on to '^ al tj)e Cljnaen ^en * /^jz^^^ of infcrre loiiBcs foi tempo- '"r^^/f rel (^om n^ itiUjn( fecit, kiif' Ff anu 2 1 8 Remarks upm the propter bona temporaliaob- ants linpgte^ tftat tCttlte tO tinenda ficut alias fieri vidi- pf^zmxt^ tO ptCIt |)mi a mus, & milites qui difcur- l^auie, lit fitting ol ^ZIX runt ad Paganiam ve! Sarra- get nipcfj ttiatlglX Cf tfiC cenos ad obtinendum fibi IRpnn: of Peeg 5 t0| (je magnum nomen in occifio- Q^ci^lttSi ailb ^niffitatlUCe, nebominum, acquirunt fi- mt 'BdClie tDa0 niUltlpIt- bi indignationem magnam e^l, aittl ligtCt^ aiia {^ait^ Regis pacis, quia per humi- HejJr^, Ijem Cfj^iCI {jatetO litatsm & tolcrantiam lex nittl ttianafTetS, Qui gla- noftra extitit multiplicata,& dio percutit gladio peri- pugnatores ac bomicidas 0- bit, dit Chiirtus,&:cirdem mina- turdicens, Qui gladio per- cutit gladio peribit. Conclufio undecima ve- Cf)C eliljent CoitClilClon recunda;di^um votumcon- p0 fdjam fo^ t^ fa^, tM tinencis faQum in noftra tl)t aUOltiC Of €mtintnct Ecclefia a mulieribus quas niatlC 111 CUC €i)ilti) CC funtfragiles&-inperfe6lx in th^^mwtlU tijt tDJ^if) tZU natura, ell cauia Iiorribi- fcbii ant! llllp.rfiiT ill kpn% liffimi peccati poflibilis na- !0 CjUfl Cf tlpnuin^ Of nid^ tuvx humanas ; quia quam- ^jI ib:! ^^lllie paflibic t0 vis occifio puerorum ante ^^ailk^HtS b fOv tijOtO il£'P|llf baptifmum eorum, procu- Ot ^Jilllirvn 0| tljei ten ratio aborcii, aut deftructio QL^MtiX'B)^M;t^2^t3 OJ ifrop-- fern inum ante for nia turn fcfi- lilg of ^liB ht ^tMlM tum,fadapermedicinas,fint bm fjl IpfUh ^itkWX^m^ gravia peccata valde:adhuc fj;- -^ fe! ^ di Emreafouable conjunclio mutua fcemina- "f^^i^y o| €ltutim tlMbt- rum contra naturam in a£lu Xtt'O HO.. palTpB ill OLIO^tfc^ carnali, vel earum coitus lUi0 tO iieit paiiElcSeD Ul cum beftia irratiuuali, "el pjipnc^ af Dtl!* cum " " ^^10^ Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 2 1 cum creatura infenfibili non viva, tranfcenditindemeri- toria adione, dignum poe- nis inferni. Correlarium; NosvelIe« €6e Coitelarp i% tftat mus quod v idus k tales quae SB^BeOSr^, ailD facfe a0 ^ilH voveruntcaftitatem,invefti- tafeea tt)e i^attcel, anti tfie t3£annulo&mantello,ddici- IS^pnU, DeltCIOUfljPClj fe^, lOC ose paftae, v el delicate nutri- iDOlU tfjCl WXZ ttl Iftetl) fO? tse eflent defponfatae, quia toe lie Cau emife &.m 0; p^?' eas nelcimubexcufare de oc- Up SpUC^* culris peccaris. Duodecimd quae^io ; Mul- Cf)e mz\t€mtMm lie?, titudo ariiuin non neceffari- tljat tfiC nuiltttutie Of arumhumini in noltra Ec- CtafftCS HOgt IteUfUi UfeU Itt cleria,muitum peccatumnu- OUt Cftftfje no^tft!) ttipM trie in fuperflaa curiofitate %^mz lit toaft CtltlOfit]? 8c diffi^uratione hominum attB dirgpfittg. C!)10 fc&elue0 per veiles curiofas : hoc o- Cjcpe^ence, aitti EcafOlt PJO-- ftendit experientia, 8c ratio Detf), fO| IfMUte tUitf) a fetD prohat, quia natura cum CtaffteK? fufficeB tO lietse Of paucis artibus fufficeret hu- ^an* ma nae nature. ^^ Correlarium; Ex quo A- €Ije Coitrclat? 10, t\)di poftolus Paulus dicit, haben- fai0 0eiltt PoulcjlSJe fja^jautl tes vidum 8c quibus tega- QUI bOiilip jfotse^ atlt! tliV-- mur, his content i fimus; no- ijjg iDe fCljUlt! ftaiU U0 papeS* bis videtur quod aurifabri, ^^ tfiiUi^ tfjat 0SlDfm|)tf]CS 8c fabri armorum, k omnia anU ScmOier05 miB ai mai> t^enera artium non neceffa- nil Crafft^^j ItOt lie'Ofal ta riarum homini fecundum A- 05an aftCC tl^Z ^p0{te!> poftolum, deftrui debent fcijUltJ ie tsetlrpetlj fO^ tfte propter augmentum virtue enCCCj* Of CliCUU ifO| tljOlO turn : F f 2 tfti,^ 220 ^marks upon the tuiii: qciaquamvisiftajdus tl)!0 tlmp Craffte^ IimiCtJ artcs nominates, necelTariGC iBCr mpci) mO,2eiieBfui Uttlje fuerunt in veteri lege ; no- £MQ lUlUj tlje ^?}zm 'Cefta-- viim tamen Teftamentum uifUt tjad HaplJeti tljcfc aUB lias artes cum multis aliis e- imiW Ot!jei% vacuavir. I fuppofe it is not neceffary, after the Perufal of this Piece, to obferve tiiat the R&mi/h Ckr^cid chofe Crimes upon the LolUrds^ whereof themfelves were guilty, and which the Lollards laid to their Charge in the Face of Heaven and Earth. It will be faid perhaps that this Petition contains feveral Errors : I own it: but we are to obferve, ifi, That it is parr of the Frailty of Mankind, to fall into the contrary Extream, whilll we endea- vour to avoid thofe things that appear to us to be mortal, zd/y, That thefe Failings may be ealily extenuated by tiie fame Charity which we commonly make ufe of, when we fpeak of the Ancien- eft Fathers of the Church. But this will fome objed:, refpei^s only the Lollards of England^ and cannot be extended to the jufiifying of the LolUrds of Germa- ny, who might have been guiky of tnu Crimes whereof they are accufed. To this Objedion I anfwer : i/, That fince the Lo/- iards, according to theTeftimony of Killantis, reported by M. du Cange, were the fame with the fValdenfes •, the Billiop of Meaux hath already drawn up their Apology, by maintaining that they diflFered only in a very few things fom the P.ipifts. idij, That if one (hould rejed the Bilhop's O^ i lion, yet fufficient Matter for their Juftification may be found in the Writings of the more honeft Authors of the Romlfh Communion, fuch as €/£- f}eas' Syhim and fome others, without fpeaking of their own Writings or Apologies, whereof we have fome few Remnants printed. Be it as it will, to return to our Englifli LolUrds s Fox in his Tom.i.p. ^^^ ^^^ Monuryients^ gives US a Bull of Pope Boniface IX, di- $745 8c redled to ^ohn Bi(hop of He-^eford, to oblige him to put King 57 §• Richard II, upon perfecuting of them. As likewife tlie Bull fent to King Richard on the fame SubjecITt; which imports, that Ancient Churches of the AIbigen(es. 221 that he had commanded the Archbifliops of CAmerbury and Tork^ to profecute them with the utmoft Rigor and Severi- ty 3 and afterwards lets down the Commiilion of Richard II, for the Trial of one Walter Brute, one of that Party. He hath alfo given us the Hiftory of the Manner of their being hang'd and burnt by the King's Order in 1414. But becaufe it will be of moment to acquaint the Publick, in what Points they chiefly differ 'd from the Church of Rome ; and becaufe there is come into my Hands a Regifter of fome of the antient BitTnops of Salisbury, wherein are con- tained many Trials of thefe antient Chrlftians, I thought it neceffary to add fome of thofe Trials at the end of this Book, faithfully copied from the Original. Tliere is no doubt but that there are many of them in the Regi- fters of Canterburj, of Tor\, and of feveral other Sees, which could demonftrate, that the Romipo Clergy have ne- ver, till the very Reformation, omitted their utmoft En- deavours towards the Extirpation, by Fire and Fagot, of all thofe that rebuked them for their Vices, and for the Corrup- tion of their Dodrine. CHAP, 112 (^marks upon th CHAP. XXIII. Of the DoEinne of Wicklef and his Difciples^ in England. BU T whether the Lollards maincain'd the Dodrlne of the Albigeyifes in England or no, certain it is, that it received new Luflre from the Learning of rvicklef, and thofe who joined with him in the defence of the Truth, againft the Fdars and Couit of Rome. My Deiign is not to examirje the whole Hiftory of TVlckJef, and of hisDiciples, to the bot- tom : The Billnip of Memx hath done lu> Endeavours to blacken them,anci co load thtm with ihc fouleft Calumnies j I only fay in ihort,that the biihop did nor take tiie pains to con- fult what Mr. Wood hath writ on this Subjed, in his Hiftory of the Vniverpty of Oxford 5 where he cites the Regifters of the Univerfity, which refute the greateft part of thofe Slanders that the .Romi[h Party have pubiillied againft wkk: lef However, thus much is evident, that 'fohn wkhlef was the moft renowned Man of that Age, both for Learning and Piety. He had been Educated at the Univcrficy of Oxford^ where Scholaftical Divinity had eQablilh'd its Empire, by the Care of Robert Groflhead^ John Dnns^ Occam, Richard of Armagh, and divers others. He there publickly profefs'd Divinity, and was at laft made Redor of Lmterrvorth in Leicejlerfhire, w'here he died peaceably, after great and long Troubles, which he fuffered for the defence of the Truth. The Pope had at this time ufur^ ..^d almoft the whole Roy- al Authority, and more efpeciall} in England, where, after King John had m^de himfelf a Vaflal of the Church of Rome^ under Innocent III, the Popes cominanded the Kings of Eng- land at pleafure. We fee by the Writings of ^ierveus Brito, who wrote at Pari^ about the Beginning of this Ccn ury, where Ancient Churches of the Albigeiifes. 223 where he was Profeflbr, that the temporal Power over all the World was direftly attributed to the Pope, neither did any Kings oppofe themfelves againft it. It is well known that the Canonifts, who had then the Reputation, had no 0- ther Song in their Mouths but that of the Pope's Divinity, his SuccelTion to the Rights of Jefus Chrift, and confequenc- ly his abfolute Empire over all the World. This we meet wi[h in all their Writings, and more efpecially in thofe who writ in defence of the Popes, againft the Emperor Lervis of Bavdria. The Friars Mendicants, whom Cardinal Albizl did very truly call the Pope's Souldiers, had ufurped all the Rights of the Secular Clergy, and advanc'd their Conquefts for the Pope to that Degree, that the Authority of the Princes and- Billiops fignified nothing any longer in EngUrJ, except on- ly when they afted in favour of the Monks. From the time of Matthew Paris, who gives us fo flrange a Defcrip- tion of their Infolence, and of their Attempts a:^ainft the Au- thority of the Clergy, things were carried to that height, that nothing was any longer able to oppofe them. Without doubt fhere was great need of Courage, as great as fvicklef's was, and Learning too as vaft as his, to flop fo impetuous a Torrent. This great Man fet himfelf againft it, and carried on his Defign after fuch a manner, that the Ef- fects and Confequences of ir, continued to the very Re- formation. It w^ould take up a Volume to give a parti- cular Account of what he wrote in the Reigns of Edward III, and Richard II. I iliall content my felf to take notice only of fome few Particulars, and I fhall afterw-ards treat of his Dodrine, which diffiis d it felf through Germany, and brought about a great Reformation there. I. He publickly oppos'd in his ProfelTor's Chair, feveral Evror*^ of the Church of Rome, which the Monks and Popes by their Authority, endeavour'd to maintain and ccu'^f^ ^ance 5 in which Undertaking, he uas always back'd by the Body of that Uoiverllty, where he had taught fo long time. 2.. He 214 ^marks upon the 2. He'maintain'd his Dodrine by the Favour of the Court, and the moft illuftrious and learned Members thereof, and with fo great a Satisfadtion of the People, that Kmghton is obliged to acknovvledg, that one half, yea, the greater Part of the People, owned his Dodtrine. 3. He had made fo great Progrefs amongft the Clergy, tha: he writes himfelf, that above a third Part of tiie Clergy were ready to defend his Dodlrine with the hazard of their Lives : Accordingly, he appeared boldly at the Synod of the Archbifliop of Canterburj^ in February i 377, to give an account of his Dodrine •, where he defended himfelf with that Vigor, that none durft gainfay him. He appeared there again the fame Year in May, neither durfl: the Arch- bifliop then decide any thing againft him. And when in the year 1382, they in his Abfence, condemned fome Ar- ticles which he maintain'd, yet he was there defended by the Deputies of the Univerfity of Oxford, who gave a publick and authentick Teltimony of his Piety, and his Purity in the Faith. „ 4. The Univerfity of Oxford had efpoufed his Quarrel with the Church of Rome fo far, t!ia: afier his having been attack'd by a Council at London^ in 1381, and after having maintain'd his Dodtrine from the year 13^7 with publick ap- plaufe, his Writings continued recommended by a Decree of the Univerfity, to all the Students both in the Publick Schools and Colledges, and were not forc'd from th.^m, till after his Condemnation, which happened at f'le Council c( Corjfiance, 28 years after his Death. We fe.' rl:eEjfleem rvicklef had in that Univerfity, by the Teit.; ;)ny they gave in 1406, againft thofe that endeavour'd co blemifh the Memory of this ^ great Man : for after they had fpoken of his Piety and Probity, as of a Thing known to all Men, after they had declared that he was a couragious Defen- P. 205.Hifl.& der of the Faith, they add, ^J* fm^uks mendkitAte fpontanea antiq. Llniver- Chrljii Rellgionem blafphemayites, facra ScrlptHra fententl'is cntho- fie. oxon. ii^'g expugnavlt : '' That he had in a Catholick W.iy, by " Texts of Scripture, overthrown all thofe, v\'ho by a vo- '^ luntary Poverty blafphemed the Religion of Chrift. And Ancient Qmrches of the Albigenfes. 225 And fince the Romljh Party had not at that time a more for- midable Enemy than wkklef, they were not wanting to mufteu all their Forces in order to fupprefs his Dodrine. In the Year 139^, wiHl-iin jvoodefordj a Cordelier, was chofen by Tl/ow^r Armdei^ ArchbiiliOp of Canterbury, tO write againft Wicklef ^ Trialogue, which he did accordingly, refuting 18 Articles of his Doctrine. This Book is printed in the Tafciculm, In the Year 141 1, Thomas WAlden m EngUfh-man^ deputed to the Council of Conjlancc, dedicated his DoBriml to Pope Martin V, againft ivicklef, where he accufeth him of above 800 Errors. This M'^nk, as able as he was, was really one of the moft paffionare Difputers that ever writ ; but withal it is true alio, that to follow his Meafures, we can fcarcely ima- gine a more particular Difcuflion of the Errors, Superflitions and falfe Suppofirions, which the Church of Ronie makes ufe of to maintain her Errors and falfe WorlLip, than that which fvickjef made ufe of. In the Account that fvaldeyi gives of it, we meet with a great Knowledg of Holy Scripture, and great Skill in Antiquity, whofe Authority he makes ufe of to con- found the Romi/h Novelties j we difcover there a great flrength in his way of reafoning, and an extraordinary Me* thod in his Confequences •, "fo that he feems to have fully pe- netrated the Weaknefs of theit^owZ/^Caufe, and overthrown its whole Foundations. One may plainly difcover this, by running over the Titles of the Do^rinal of Thomas Walden, upon Matters of Faith, Up- on the Sacraments, upon thofe which he calls facramental things, or that belong to Sacraments •, for w^e fcarcely meet with any Articles controverted between the Church of Rome and the Vrotejiams^ which wkhlcf\\^\}i\ not touched and handled, and that with fuffiienc Exadaefs too. This hath obliged the Papifts with fo much Care to reprint walden's Works againft jvick/ef, as containing a Body of their Controverfies againft the Proteftants. . I am not ignorant that wa/deyj objeds fome very harfli and impious Opinions to him, and that the Council of Coyjflance has mingled fevcral of that Nature amongft the 4> Articles of wick/efj which are there condemned. But here I mud defire Gg my zi6 Remarks upon the my Reader to call to mind four things, ifi, That rvoodeford hath obie(5ted no fuch thing to wkklef, which (liews that he ne- ver tav^4ht ^.y like Dodrine, but that they are only Confe- quences dr nvn by a fcholaftical Divine, who wasufed to car- ry things too tar. ^dly, That ivalden wrote at a time when the Popi(h Party had the upper-hand in the Court of Henry V, who had condemned the wkkjefites as guilty of high Treafon, which fValden takes notice of in his Dedication to Martin V. 3^/y, That it is very probable that this Catalogue of 45 Ar- ticles was drawn up by wMen himfelf, who was prefent at the Council of Conjiancey on purpofe to promote wic\lef% Con- demnation, ^thlj, That the Council oiConflance was the firft, where by publick Confent that Maxim, That Faith is mt to be keft rpith Hereticks, was ever put in Pradice. Now let any one judg what Equity or Truth can be expeifted from Villains of fuch profligate Principles, who think it an Ho- nour to a(ft in every thing according to them ? After all this I might well excufe my felf from fetting down the Opinions o{ivick,lef^ or from faying any thing for his Jufti- fication h but I am willing to do both the one and the other, for the Honour of this great Man, and for the Readers Satif- fadion. The Opinions of wicklef with relation to the Doctrine of Proteftants, are thefe. CHAP, Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 227 CHAP. XXIV. Of the Calumnies that haVe heen nnjujlly charged upon Wicklef hy the Tafifis, I. T T TIc}{lef owns but iz Canonical Books of Scripture, ex- VV eluding all the reft, which he calls Apocryphal W. Qa) De ver 2. He teaches that the Scripture contains all things necefTa- fcripc. pag. ly to Salvation. " Forafmuch, faith he, as in Scripture all '*°- " Truth is contained, it is evident that all Difputes that take " not their Rife thence, are prophane (^;. We are not to (l?) ibid, pag, " admit any Knowledg or Conclufion, which hath not its 39- " Teftimony from Scripture {c). CO i^id. pag, 3. He affirms, that every well-difpofed Chriftian may un- ^^• derftand the Holy Scripture (d). *' God hath appointed the (^d) ibid. p. *' common fenfible Scripture, to the comprehending of the 205- " Catholick Senfe, whereof God can never be wanting, be- *' caufe he always enlightneth fome particular Men, to which " Illumination Holinefs of Life conduceth very much, and it " is the Duty of Divines to continue it in our Mother the ** Church, which ought to keep within her Bounds ; fo that *' it is not lawful for Divines to frame ftrange Dodrines, be- *' fides the Faith of Catholick Scripture. For which End he lays down feveral Rules for the Underftanding of the Scrip- tures. 4. He afferts that the Scriptures ought to be tranflated into the vulgar Tongue. " (e) The Truth of God, faith he, is not CO Lib. Mif- " more co:.fined to one Language than to another, (f) Jefus ^eii. pag. 24. " Chrift delivered the Lord's Prayer in a known Language, {g) ^p ^^^'^' P^^' " Why then may not the Gofpel and other parts of Scripture ^jj jbij. pag. '* be writ in Englijh f (h) The Clergy ought to rejoice that the 24. " People know the Law of God. It was for this Rcafon (p) ibid. pag. that he tranflated the whole Bible, whereof feveral Copies ^^' are ftill to be found in the King's Library, and in feveral other Libraries in England, G g 1 We 228 Remarks upon the (i) De ver. fcripr. pag, io8. CO Art. 41. OKon.condem- nacus Reg. A- cad. (I) De veric. fcripc. pag. 411. Cm) Ibid. pag. (n) Ibidem. (0 li'id. pag. 565. (/>) EKpoficio Decalogij p. 5. (7} Art. 17. damnat.in Syn, Conft. Pag. 67. (f) De ver. icripc. pag. Q) Expof. De- cal. p. I2 3. (i) De ver. Icript. 457- pag- We may eafily know what he thought of Tradition from thefe Words. " (i) We have a perfect Knowledg of all " things neceflfary to Salvation, from the Faith of Scrip- " ture. ik) Decrees, Statutes and Rites, that are added ac- " cording to humane Traditions, are all infeparably finful, '•' becaufe they make the L:^w of God more difficult to be " kept, and hinder the Courfe of God's Word. (/) Traditi- " ons are hateful to God and the Church, except only fo far " as they are grounded on Scripture, (w) Mens own Inven- " [ions are chiefly to get Money : («) they all found for the " Churches Gain. 1. See what he faith of the Pope's Authority. " (ee0j in dumber, notbp I'fti.pag, 2. in " specif. ^'■*^' As to the Do(5lrine of Jufdfication, it is very plain, that he was not of the Opinion of the Church of Rome, as thefe Words ihew : " {d: The Merit of Chrirt is of it felf fuffici- CO ^^ ver. *^ entto redeem every Man from HelU ('^4- " buttl^infet^atf^eir^ent^^elp, (/;)ii^cnlu?5^c?t)fojnou0!;t,i32 ^ '^' " t^at 2 ? o ^marks upon the (}) Ibid. pag. " tljat i^, no ^ttit of our0, but fo? tl^p s^ercp : (0 Hojo, not to 3^8. « u0, but to t^p 3^ertp gtte t!)p 35op. As for what concerns the Lord's Supper, we find that this great Man did not believe Tranfubftantiation: See how he COConfeflT.de exprefies himfelf " (4) This Bread is fairly, truly and really, facr. Eucii. p. u fpiricQally,virtually and facramentally the Body of Chriftj (/) m Art. 4. in " ^s St. fohn the Baptift was figuratively Eii^y and not perfo- syn. Confi ** nally. (w) As Chrift is both God and Man at once, fo the damnar. ** confecratcd Hoft is the Body of Chrift, and true Bread at (m) Art. 49. « the fame time, becaufe it is the Body of Chrift at leaft, in a oxon. damnat. u pjg^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ g^.^^^ -^^ j^^ Nature •, or, which fignifies " the fame thing, it is true Bread naturally, and the Body of *' Chrift figuratively. Heconftantly affirmed that thisDo- (;«}DcBiafph. C4 ^rine W laftcD in t\ft C^urcli fo? a tl^oufano pe&v&, tiU ?«ubid D 2T " Sathanas lDa0 unftounD, anu (0) t!je i^eople bltnoeU bp i?rt- ^ ^ . F- ts7- tn0 ace calleD little ®iiiss in coatparifon of greater, anD \.^\ " (ir) denial, becaufc (©0D'{3 fi>on fo^gibe^ tijem. w ^^ ?. 3. He did not own the Necellity of Auricular Confefli- ^^^' "^°"* on : " Cv) Vocal ConfefTion made to the Prieft, introduc'd (/) Arr. 9. in '' by Innocent J is not (o neceflary. (7) If a Man be truly con- Syn. Conft. " trite, all outward ConfefTion is fuperfluous and unprofi- ^^mnar. " table to him. Vnlj^' V' 4. He wrote againft the Dodrine of Satisfaaion. " * The nac ' '' " prefent Pope has rcafon to blu(h for the modern Penance, * Arc. 47. ox= " eftabliihed by him without any Ground, lince it is not on- damnac. " lawful for any Mortals, no not for the Apoftles themfelves, " to make the Law of God difficult, beyond what he him- " felf hath limited. 5. His Judgment concerning Pardons and Indulgences he expreileth in thefe Words : "fit is afoolifhthingtorely upon tArt.42.L0nd. " the Indulgences of the Pope and the Birtiops. ^^^' ' 6. He gives this Rule concerning Farting. '•' i| In Works of llDever.fcripr. " Humanity we muft follow Chrift, by doing fuch Works P^^' ^' " as bear fome Proportion with his. — We muft faft 40 Days " from Sin, and as far as is polTible to Nature, from fuper- " fluous corporal Food. 7. Concerning Monks and their Vows, he fpeaks thus •, (^) CO vira fa- " ^rtaw ftiiDten to be riclj: {a) tijcp rob c^en bp begging-. ^%V'^^)ih\i p.77. " spen t^an to Cl;2ili. + vid.de vcr. 8. * He approved the Marriage of Priefts. ^'^"Pf- P- 37o> 9. He difapproved the Pra^ice of the Church 0^ Rome in ^°fcXp'f the Matter of Divorces. " f To make Divorce common, in- 65. ^' " numerable Subterfuges are invented. f MiiceU.p.j^f. 10. He blamed the Cuftom of the Church o^ Rome, in Exp.Decai.p. granting Difpenfations for marrying in cafe of Propinquity of "7* Blood. " II Such Difpenfations as thefe bring Confufion into ||Dever.fcrjpt. " the Church. p-spp.* II* He 2J1 ^marks upon the '^vid. capitui. ii. He Condemned all Equivocation, which fo many Ca- 1 5. de vcric. f^i^s of the Church of Ronje pretend to jaftify *. tJlul'di^J'thl ^ '' '^^ maintains that the King ought not to be fubjed: to sd^iciatilrie^.^^y ^oi:e\ga Jarifdiaion ^ " For otherwife, faith he, K'm^^ and p 207. ^' would not be able fully to keep the Peace in their own fDever.rcripc. ^' Kingdoms f. Jo'^v^' " •■ ^^' ^" blamed the too frequent Ufe of Excommuni- Lcc.'p. 124. 1 4* He maintained, " That a true Chriftian ought not to *' believe implicitly, but with an explicit Faith, that exprefles " the. Particulars, more or lefs according as they are more or "Dever.fcripc. " lefs obliged by God and his Gifts, and the Opportunity of p. iir. " time*. 1 5-. He had no great Veneration for the Doftrine of Purga- fDe ver.fcripc. ^^''J^' when he faith, '' What foe ver is faid of Purgatory, is p. 257. " only fpoke threatningly, as {o many pious Lies f. Thus we fee what was wicklef\ Faith, and what his Judg- ment was concerning the Su perditions and Corruptions of the Church of Rome •, from whence we may gather that he came very near to the Belief of the Proteftant Churches. It was no difficult matter therefore for Dr. fames to juftify him againrt the horrid Calumnies of fValden, by consulting his manufcript Works, which are to be found in feveral Li- braries in England. I. They objeded againfl: him, that he taught, that if a Prieft or a Bilfiop ordains or confecrates the Sacrament of the Altar, or adminifters Baptifm, whilft he is in mortal Sin, it can do him no Service. But the Falfhood of this Objeiflion, appears from wkk^- lef\ own Words, which aflureus of the contrary •■, '' Except " a Chriftian, fiith he, be united to Chrift by Grace, he hath '' not Chrift the Saviour \ nor wirhouc Fallhood, can he " pronounce the Sacramental Words, Ei;o W)iv map Iid poa *' to tijofe tDljo are capalile of tl;cm : for it behoves the Friefl I'^ever fcripc. " ^^^^^ confecrates, to be a Member of Chrift s and as fome p. 138.' ' " lioly Men exprefs it, to be in fome fort Chrift Iiimfelf [j . They objeded againft Iiim, that he had aflerted that it was not lawful for any Ecdeiiaftical Perfon to have any temporal R venue. But Aicient Qmrches of the Alh'igGnks, 235 Buc nothing is more falfe, for fvkk/ef only faith, that the Goods of the Clergy are temporal Things, what way foever they come by them 5 and chat the Polleffion of them, is to be regulated by the Laws, as well as the Eftates of Laymen •■, re-) De fund. *' (c) Cl^c(feooD0of fpirttual ^en, faith he, be temporal, in kg.Ang.Lib=i] '^ iD^at manner fcebec t^cp come to c&em , ann mull be Djoeceu cap. 52. " aftec tl)t temporal %n^i a0 t^e GooW of temporal spen *' muabe. They faid that it was his Opinion, that no Prelate ought to excommunicate any Perfon whatfoever, unlefs he knew that God himfelf had excommunicated him. But wicklef only fpeaks of thofe radi and precipitate Ex- communications, which never fail to produce bad Effeds, and which are only difcharged from carnal Refpedts. " (^) They (^d) Exp. De- *' like the High Priefts, Scribes and Pharifees, do not only cai. p. 130. " eat the Fledi, but the very Bones too --, they do not water " what is dry with the Word of God, but endeavour to cut " and break what is fat and full of Marrow. He faith alfo, " * that Excommunications are the Fruit of Pride, to terrify poor * ibid. p. 123, " Lawmen. They accus'd iiim of teaching, that a Man could not be either a Biiliop or Prieft, as long as he continued in Mortal Sin. But no fuch thing can be inferr'd from wkklefs Words 5 for he ftill aiming at the Reformation of the Clergy, which was very corrupt in his time, did not carry it too far when he faid, " That (e) it is not the Name that makes a Bifliop, CO d« ^^i'- " but the Life. (/) Whofoever has only the Name of a J^^.^^r^j.P-4i5- *^ Prieft or Bilbop, and does not endeavour to add to that ^-^ ^ ^ * *' Name the reafon of it, he is in truth neither Billiop nor '! Pried. They affirm'd, that he had taught that Soveraigns might deprive the Clergy of their PofleiTions, if they thought good, as often as they committed any Fault. But H^ickjef never preterided, that the Clergy ought to be deprived of the Goods they polTeded for flight Faults. True it is, he did not think the Government was obliged to main- tain fo many ufelefs Monks : but as to the Biihops and Priefts, Hh he 2 J 4 Remarks upon the he never taught, that they ought to be deprived of their Bene- fices, except they made themfelves unworthy of them by a perfedly fcandalous Life. He taught, fay they, that Tithes were only Alms, and that the Pariihioners migl it keep them back, and put them to what other Ufes they pleafed. I own, that wkk/ef often fald,that Tithes were nothing elfe butmeerAlms^ but it is falfe, that ever he aflei ted that the Parifhioners might keep them back ; on the contrary, he (g) De ver. faith, (g) " It belongs to Parifhioners for the good of their fcript. p. 415. « Souls, to minifter Tithes and Oblations to whom they are (fcj Ibidem. " due. (h) The Priefts of Chrift ought to withdraw the Word '* of God from thofe who are not rightly difpos'd for it 5 " that is, if the People (hould be fo obftinate and difobedient " to Holy-Mother the Church, as either to forbid, or not ta '* minifter the NecefTaries of Life to him who preaches the '* Gofpel to them. They obje(5t againft him, that he defpifed temporal Things too much, for the Love which he had for thofe that are eter- nal 'f and that he joined himfelf to the Mendicant-Friars, ap- proving their Poverty, and commending their Perfe<5tion. A tonge Crime indeed ! It is a furprizing Thing to fee them accufe rrkklef upon this account ^ but it is no lets aftonifliing to hear them aflert, that he had great inclination for the Begging- Friars ; to be con- vinc'd of the Falfity whereof, we need only read the complaint he made to the Parliament, and his Treatife againft the Order of Begging-Friars. He held, fay they, that Church men ought to beg. Whereas on the contrary, he maintained that God had con- demned Beggary, in the Old and New Teftament. See the fifth Chapter of his Book againft the Order of Friars Mendic. They accufe him for condemning lawful Oaths. But this is for want of having read his Works ; for it ap- pears by his Latin Expcpion of the third CcmmAvidment ^ and by his Book of the Truth of Scripure. fiiat he condemns all man- ner of Equivocations, and ambiguous Expreffions, whether with Oaths or without. He will not have any one to lie for a World, Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 2 j j World, or to fave an infinite number of Souls, and much lefs to fwear falfly. He taught, (ay they, that all Things come to pafs by an abfo- lute NeceflTity. We may ealily fee what ivicklef believ'd concerning this Matter. (0 " God promifeth no Man either Reward or Pu- CO De ver. " nifliment, but under either a tacit or exprefs Condition. ^"'P^- p- 5^5- " (0 Though all future Things do happen neceflarily •, yet (OExp.De- " God wills that good Things happen to his Servants, through cai. p. 81. *' the Efficacy of Prayer. He taught, faid they, Dodrines tending to Sedition •, as. That the Magiftrate ceafeth to be a Maglitrate, whilft he is under Mortal Sin 5 and that it is lawful for the People to chaftife their Princes, when ever they commit any Fault. This Accufation is only founded upon this, that wkklef put the King, and all other inferiour Magiftrates in mind, that they did not bear the Sword in vain. He faith, '' If a King fails to " do his Duty, and defpifeth the Engagements that lie up- " on him to govern his Subjeds well, that he is not pro- '' perly nor truly King, that is to fay, he doth not perform *' the Duty of a King 5 (/) Ferdens nomen officii e^ ordinii in (0 De ver, effe^H 5 '' Lofing in effed the Name of his Office and Or- ^'^"P^* P- 5i?' " der ; Which are the very Terms of Bra^on, the moft re- nowned Lawyer of England, who was never accufed of endea- vouring to incline the People to Rebellion. They accufed him of not having the Modefty that a Divine ought to have, and that he v^as too much given to Raillery. I grant that when he was a young Mao he was blamed for this Fault, which he returned in a very edifying manner. " I take God to witnefs, faith k, that I principally intend the De veric. *' Glory of God, and the Good of the Church, out of a Ve.- fcripturs, *' neration for the Scripture, and Obfervance of the Law of P^§* *45- *' Chrift^ but if with this Intention there may have crept in " any finifter Aim of Vain-glory, worldly Profit, and Defire '* of Revenge, I am forry for it, and by the Grace of God " (hall endeavour to avoid it for the time ro come. They accufed ^/<:Jt''<:/ that he was wont to diliemble his Opi- nions, to avoid the danger which he might otherwife have drawn upon himfelf. H h i But 2^6 Remarks upon the But we may with Truth give him this Teftimony, that he was fo little acquainted with diffembling in Matters of Religion^ that he was ready to fufFer Death for mod of the Opinions (m) De vec. that he maintain'd againit his Enemies, (w) " I am not fufpe- fcripc. p. 185. " died, faith he, of being afraid to own thefe Concluiions j ic " fliall appear by the Grace of God, that I am not afraid to '* anfwer him and his Complices, either to his Face, or in the («) Ibid. pag. " Schools. («■) If God will give me a teachable Heart, a perfe- ?8o, «« vering Conftancy, and Charity towards Chrift^ towards his " Church, and towards the Members of the Devil, who tear *' the Church of Chrift, that fo 1 may rebuke them out of pure '* Charity, how glorious a Caufe (hould I have ro die for ! They fay that his Rage againfl the Church of Rowe, was be- caufethe Archbiihop of Canter burj had deprived him of a Be- nefice. • But befides, that we cannot build much upon the Teftimony of Monks, who invented this Fable, wickjef himfelf protefls all along, that he had no particular Aim in all his Writings, and BeTeritJcripc. "'^'^at he Only dlfputes for the Honour of God^nd the Edification pag, 1 4V,& i 5 • of i^he Church. Laftly, They objeded againft him, that he maintained that e- very Creature was God ; and that God could not hinder him- felf firom obeying the Devil. EcHar. in Prxf. But the firft Part of this Objedion is ridiculous, and rais'd by Grtcs in de- Men in a Rage, who put a perverfe Senfe upon the following /'tiT'o' ^Dc- "^^^^s ' ^'^ " 'The word [God'] is to be taken in-a twofold %i pag. 46. " Manner, abfolutely, Lord of Lords ^ but when it is con- *^ tradted or fpecified by a Mark of Diminution, foit figniffes ** any Good that a Man loves moft. And the fecond Part of ir is wholly grounded upon his Manner of explaining the Do(ftrine of Providence in tiie cafe of Sin --, which is a Subjed wherein it would be an eafy matter to prove againft the Papifts that they have maintained Propofitions, that found as ill as any tiling of his •, and nothing buf the Spirit of Slander, can impuce ir as a Crime to Divines, that they make nfe of fome improper ExprefTions in a Matter which is fo difficult to be handled, without feeming to contradid tliC Idea's which we have of the Holinefs of God^ and his H?,tred of, Sin, GHAx^-, Jncient Churches of the Albigenles. 2 "> 7 CHAP. XXV. That the Votlnne of the Albigenles ti^as propagct' ted in Spain, a?id that it continued there till the ination. (^efon WHatever Perfecutions have been exercifed againft the Albigenfcs by their Enemies, yet we are not to think that they were ever utterly deftroy'd. We find that this Perfecution continued in a nnanner without Interruption, until the time of the Reformation. Frifon, z Divine of Paru-j in the Life of Sfondatim Bifhop of Pamiers, reports, that that Bi(hop found a Church of them in the Pjren^ea-n Mountains, where they had found a fafe Retreat from the Violence of their Perfecutors, and where they liv'd apart by themfelves. We find the fame thing alfo in Spain, where they fpread themfelves in great Numbers. I grant indeed that there they were very cruelly perfecoted ■ under the Reign of Alphonfo, whole Edi6ls againft them, and the wMenfes, are flill to be feen ; but their Calamities were doubled upon them after the Inquifition was fet up, which was not long before the middle of the 1 3/-/? Century. But with all this, it was thought necefTary to employ the Pen againft them, as well as Fire and other Torments. This appears from the Wrirings oiLuc^ Tudenfis, who wrote under Gregorji IXi and under his SuccefTor, and who jumbles and con- founds them with other Hereticks, and with the Manichees, to countenance the Method of the Inquilidon, and to autho- rize their bloody Executions. It appears from the Writings of this Lucai Tude/ifis^ that they difputed vigoroufly againft moft of thofe Articles which we find fault with in the Church of RcTKe -J and that to convince them, they were obliged coufe other Methods than thofe of Difputing,. that is, di::edt Vio- lence, . 2 5 8 ^marks upon the lence» which indeed they employ 'd in very good earneft 5 and we perceive by Emerkuss Book, entituled, The DireElory of , the hqmjitors, that they fpared neither Craft not Cruelty to furprize them, and bring them to Deftrudion. Rdnaldm tells US, that in the year i 344, one John dn Moulin Inquifitor of the Province o^ Tholoufe^ profecuting the Walm denfes violently that were fetled there, they retired from thence, fome into Beam^ and others into j^rragon^ where they were perfecuted at the Sollicitation of this Inquilitor, who made the Bifliop of Vam^elona take up Arms to fupprefs them. But yet after all this, we find that the Alblgenfes were pre- ferv'd there, and gave na fmall Trouble to the Inquificors. We have an illuftrious Teftimony hereof in the Work of a Friar Inquifitor, of the Order q{ Cordeliers, who wrote in the year 1461, his Fortditium Fidei-j In the nth Book, which he I'ag. 82, &c. entitles, De Bello Hareticoruwy he fets down thefe Herefies, which he afterwards refutes. The third Herefy is, that which fome Enemies of Chriftia- nity do profefs, who pretend, that ConfefTion has no Vir- tue of its owfl to procure the Remillion of his Sins to any Man. This they prove after this following Manner : Firft 5 They fay it is clear, that when God pardons Sin, he doth it not with any refped to the Merit of any Man, but of meerGrace-, whence it follows evidently, that the Remif- fion of Sins cannot be attributed to a Man's confeffing of them J for if it were fo, we muft own that the Remiffion is no longer of Free-gift, but that it is a Rccompencc given by God to the Merit of him that confefTeth. Secondly j They fay, if it be Confeifion that procures a Man the Pardon of his Sins, what will become of that Paf- fage in the third Chapter of the Epiflle to Titm, where it is exprefly declared, That God hath faved m of his Mercy J and not according to the Works of Right eoufnefs that we have done ? OrjhovV iliall we explain that in the ninth of the Romans, That it is not of him that rvilleth., mr of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth Mercy ? We know, that the firft Grace that God works in us, is the RemilTion of Sins : now if this Grace be abfo^ lutely Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. i^p lutely the Effect of the Mercy of God, it cannot be the EfFed of Confeflfion, which by Confequence is not neceflary to Salvation. And having thus endeavoured to defend their Opinion by Reafon, they endeavour alfo to back it by the Authority of the Fathers, and quote St. Amhrofcy who faith upon Lu\e^ St. Peter KPep^ becAufe his Sorrow rvm fo greaty that it did mt permit him to ffe^k, j Kve find that he wept, hat not that he J aid any thing 3 / read his Tears ^ but I find nothing of his Confeffion. The fourth Herefy is of thofe who acknowledg that we ought to confefs, but add, that we are not to confefs to Man. What need is there, [ay they^ to confefs to a Man, now under the Covenant of Grace, feeing that even under the Law it was fufficient to confefs to God, by a fingle Ad of Contri- tion. They alledg alfo the Authority of St. Chryfoflom^ who faith, upon the Epiftle to the Hebrews^ It is not faid, that yoti, need fublifh what your Sins are to the Worlds neither need you accufe your felf before all Alankind'^you are only enjoined topra^ife the Exhor- tation of David in the i^6th Pfalm, That you fpread all the "Parts of your Life in the Pre fence of God, that you confefs to him rvho is your true fudg, and that you rather exprefs your Repentance by the fecret Groans of your Confcience, than by the abundance of Words t this is the true rvay to obtain Grace from Heaven. They makeufe alfo of anotlier Paflagc of the fameFa'ther, where he faith, Jf thou defireft to have thy Sins blotted out, confefs them j but if thou beefl afloamed to difcover them to any Body, repeap them every "Day in the fecret of thine Heart : It is not necejfary to- tell them to Men, they might, it may be, afterwards reproach thee with them, but declare them rather to God, who onl'^ can give thee fuch a Remedy as thou wantefi ; and though thou fhouldefi not confefs them to him, yet he fliltfees thee, he was prefent, and lool^d upon thee whilfir thou didft commit them. From all which he concludes, That we eught to confefs our Sins only to God. And this deteftable Herefy^. which is pradifed in fecret Aifemblies, hath already infeded a great number of People. The fixth Herefy is of thofe, who maintain that it is not ne- ceffary to confefs to a Priefl, when a Man can confefs himfelf toaLaynoan. The: 240 ^marks upon the The feventh Herefy is, That we ought to obey none but God alone. This is the Error of a certain Arch- Heretick called J-P'Mo, from whom the Heredcks that we now call iPai- denfes, derive their Name. This miferable Wretch without be- ing fent from God, took upon him of his own Head to form a neiv Sedj and without the Permiffion of any Bi(hop,wi[hout Infpirarion, without Knowledg or Learning, let up for a Prea- cher-, fo that we may well fay of him,as Atanm doth in his Book againft Hereticks, that he is a wife Man without Reafon, a Pro- phet without a Vilion, an Apoftle without being fent, and a Dodor who never had Inftrudion. See here how his Followers undertake to defend his Herefy. " We fee, fay they^ in the sth " Chapter of the ABs, that St. Peter and St. fohn^ {peaking to *' the Scribes and Pharifees, tell chera, 'juAg ye -whether it be " reafonable to obey you rather than God, and not tO do what he *' commands us, becaufe you forbid us ? Moreover, thefe He- reticks maintain, '* That if we obey a Man, when we " ought not to obey him, we commit a Sin, becaufe then we *' don't obey God : Samuel^ fay they, faith to Saul, in the i$th " of the ifi Book of Samael, that Difobedience {or Rebellion) is " Ai the Sin ef Witchcraft : Now he that addi(5ls hlmfelf to Witchcraft, doth in a manner renounce God^ but he that re-" fufeth to obey a Man, doth not therefore commit the Sin of Wicdicraft, which Sin is not committed but where a Manre- fufethto obey God. We ought therefore to obey God and not Man, becaufe in difobeying Man we are not guilty of that Sin, but only when wedifobey God. Tiie eighth Herefy is what thefe fame waldenfes profefs, that fuppofing we ought to obey any Man, itmuftbefuch a Man as is not under Sinhimfelf, and that good Priefts only have the Power of binding and loofing. This* alfo was one of the Errors of hhn Havel, that is to fay, v^lcklef, an Engli{fy. man, who amongft many others which he taught, maintained, that a temporal Lord, a Biihop or Prelate, have no Authority as long as they are under mortal Sin. And he hath been fol- lowed by another Fox, who afferted the fame thing, fohn Hufs a Bohemian 5 and by another Viper, Jerom of Prague, who were both of them condemned for Hereticks in the Council held Aitcient Qburches of the Albigenfes. 241 held at Conflance In the Vear 1414, in the Prefence of Mar- tin V. They fay therefore that we ought to be obedient to good Prelats, that is to fay, to thofe who are no lefs Suc- ceilbrsof the Apoftles in their Lives and Converfation, than in their Charge and Funcftion •, but as for thofe whofe Life and Converfation has nothing in it Apoftolical, they are Hirelings, and no true Shepherds ; They endeavour to fupport this their Error firft, by the Words of St. AHftln, in his Book of Bap- tifm 5 " That God pardons Sins either immediately by him- " felf, or by the Members of his Dove, and that the Saints " can either abfolve us of our Sins, or retain them. He faith alfo upon £W^, fpeaking of the Plate of Gold, which was to be always upon the Fore-head of the High Prieft : " This Plate was the Teftimony of a good Life, and that he " only who hath the Teftimony of a good Life, not in a Fi- " gure, but in Truth and Reality, can forgive Sins. So likewife St. Gregory declares, " That they only in this " World have the Powder of binding and loofing, fo as the " Apoftles had, who retain their Dodrine, and imitate their " Examples. And Origen fpeaking of the Power of St. Pe- ter, faith, That the fame is alfo granted to thofe who imitate him, becaufe all thofe that follow the Foot-fteps of St. Peter, can alfo lawfully bind and loofe. Laftly, It is faid in Maia- chy, Chap. 2, / mli cur/e your Blejfmgs : And in E^ekiei, Chap. 13. JVo to thofe that quicken the dead Souls, and rvho de- clare thofe dead that dont die. If God, fay the Hereticks, do curfe the Bieffing of wicked Paftors, and declares that the Souls which they pretend to quicken, do not live ; how can he communicate his Grace through their Channel ? The ninth Herefy is profeffed by the fame Hereticks, who maintain that it is neither the O^cq nor the Order, but only the Merit of a good Life, which confers the Power of bind- ing and loofing, of confecrating and blefTing*, fo that this is their Conclufion, the Merit of a good and holy Life, fay they^ is of greater Efficacy to confer upon any one^ the Right of confecrating and blelTing, of binding and loofing, than the Order or Office : and therefore they have not received any Orders , yet they believe themfelyes to be juft, and to have li the 242 Remarks upmi the the Merits of the Apoflles, and Co they take upon them to blefs as the Priefts do, and fay, That they can ccnfecrate, bind and loofe ^ becaufe it is the Merit and not the Office that confers this Power. And becaufe they pretend to be the A- poftles Vicegerents, they fay, that their Merit, gives them this Charge. In this it is that they chiefly oppofe the Faith of the Church, and declare themfelves to be Hereticks. But they endeavour to defend their Herefy, by the Authority oiEftcitHy who faith, That the Priefts do not blefs by their own Autho- rity, but only becaufe they reprefent Jefus Chrift ^ and tliat it is becaufe Chrifl is in them, that they can beftow their plena- ry Benediction. And they fay, moreover, tliat not only a Prieft, but every one that hath Chrift in himfelf, and repre- fentshim in his Life, as A^ofes did, has the Power of confer- ring BleflTings. The tenth Herefy is likewife taught by the fame Hereticks, who maintain that the Difpenfations or Indulgences which a Bifhop grants at the Confecration of a Church, or upon any other occafion, are not of any Value. Their Reafon is this 5 Suppofe, fay they, that a Man be obliged to a Penance of • three Years, at the Confecration of a Church, and one Bifliop releafes him of a third part of his Penance •, a fecond and third Bifhop may do the like, and thus for three Half-pence a Man (hall be releafed of this three Years Penance : And which is more, thefe forts of Difpenfations are unjuft, for there is no Proportion between a Half-penny or a Crown, and one whole Years Penance. The eleventh Herefy is, That the Prayers which are made for the Dead,by thofe who are in any mortal Siujare unprofita- ble. For, fay thefe Hereticks, how can thefe Prayers do any Service to the Dead, fince they can do none at all to thofe who make them ? Can Prayers which are hurtful to them that make them, be of any Advantage to the Perfon for whom they are defigned? Item, in 3 cj. ingravion'i>^s, it is faid, W^hen a Judg is follicited for his Favour to a Malefidor, by any one that he hath no liking to, it ferves only to incenfe him fo much the more, and to make him pronounce a more fcvere Sentence : So in like manners if any Man prays without DqvO' Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 242 Devotion, it is the fame thing as if he defired his own Con- demnation s for how can any Man whofe very Prayer is Sin, obtain by that Prayer any good thing for his Neighbour ? Or, how can he whofe Prayer deferves nothing at the Hand of God but Punifhment, pray profitably for another, feeing God faith to the Sinner, Pfalm 45?. what hafl thou to do to declare my Sta- tutes, or why dofi thoH take my Covenant into thy AdoHth ? They call alfo Reafon to their AlTiftance -■, When a Prieii, fay they^ celebrates the Mafs, he being in mortal Sin, the Action that he doth is evil, and deferves eternal Punilhment, and by Confe- quence he cannot merit for another the Pardon of his Sins, be- caufe it is impolTible to merit Good and Evil, Reward and Punilhment by the felf-fame Action. They quote the Canon- Law alfo, which forbids us to aflift at the Mafs of a Prieft, who we are fure keeps a Concubine. Tiiey prove like wife by another Authority, that Men ought not to pray or fing Pfalms in the Church, as long as they are under mortal Sin. The twelfth Herely is of thofe who deny Purgatory, and who fay that it is a meer Invention of the Church to make the People give Alms and Offerings, and to be at the charge of pompous Funerals for the Souls of the deceaied, or other things of that Nature. Iconfefs he does not mention the v^/%^«/^j by Name, and that he confounds thefe pretended Hereiies of the AlHgenfesy withodiers that are much more hainous, and fome that were peculiar to fome few Monks, and that he attributes fome of them in particular to the Kwdols, as if they had been proper to them only. But one may juftly imagine that this Monk, who compiled this Work from the Writings of other Monks or Dodors of the Church of Rome, had his Eye upon the Albigenfes^ becaufe he acquaints us that he follows Alanm^ and that he copies his Arguments. Now we know that Alanm wrote againft the ivd- denfes and Alhigenfes, as the manufcript Tides of liis Books in- form us, though like the Author of the FortaHtinr/i fidei, he confounds them h\ his Tieatife with the Arlans^ Manichees, and other pernicious Hereticks, to render the waldenfes and Albigen- fes fufpeded of defending all thofc Herefiies which he oppoles. li z It 244 ^f narks upon the It may be thought ftrange perhaps that this Monk did not imitate AUffHs, in attributing to the Albigenfes the rejeding of Tranfubftantiation, and the Confequents thereof-, but the Wonder will ceafe, if we confider, that he defigned hereby to deprive the Jews, againft whom he difputes, of an Advantage which they might reafonably draw from fome Chriftians rcr jeding that Opinion, though they owned Jefus Chrift to be the Meffuhj and the Books of the New Teftament to be of Divine Authority at the fame time -■, and therefore he rather chofe to refute the Arguments againft Tranfubftanciation, as coming from the Mouths of the Jews^ than as Objedions made by the Albigenfes, And indeed, except the tenth Argument of the Jews a- gainft Tranfubrtantiation, which fuppoles the Chriftians who teach this Dodrine to be no better than brute Beafts, as not having Senfe enough to know that fefus Chrift being a few by Birth, could not by the Circumftances of his Inftitution of the Eucharift, intend any thing but a figurative meaning, as oppofed to a real, and that his Apoftles being ?^^>y/ like wife, could not form any other meaning in all this Ceremony, but fuch as was figurative 5 there isfcarce any other which this Monk hath not borrowed from the Difputes which the Albi- genfes and Vaudois have held with thofe of the Romijh Party. We cannot but look upon Petrtu Oxonienps, a Do(5tor of Salamanca^ in the Year 1479) as a Diiciple of the Albigenfes, in divers Points, efpecially thofe nine Conclufions which this Author was forced to retradl: by Sixtns IVth's Order, who authorized the ArchbiQiop of Toledo to condemn them. Any Caranza, pag. Man that reads thefe nine Propofitions which Caranz,a fets S80, and 8S I. ciown, would think that it was only thefe Opinions that offenced the Archbilhop of Toledo; but if we will but read nb"%o^r' tj'eBulIof ^/.v;?«]V, which has been publifhed hy Al^honfm confeinoTp. ^ (^^'-P^^ we fhall find that this Dodor oppofed m.any other 510. ' * Points of Popery : The Pope's Words which are very remar- kable are theie. Et alla^ propcl?tiones,(]uaf propter earum enorwltatem^ Ht nil qui de eis notitiam hahent oblivifcantur earum^ & qiii de eis notitiam non habent, ex prafentibm^ mn inftruantur in eis^ filentio praterminendas dnximm, '' And there are Other Propofitions, *' which Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 24^ " which are of fo foal a Nature, that we think it convenient " to pafs them over in filence, that fo thofe who know " them, may forget them, and thofe that do not know them, " may not be inftru(5ted in them by thefe our Letters. c N c L V s I N. THefe are the Remarks I thought fit to make upon the Hiftory of the Churches of the Albigenfes. I fuppofe the Reader will own that I have deduced their SucceSion from the Apoftles, and their Independence on the See of Eome with care enough, the the Barbarity of the Enemies of the Truth, has done its utmoft Endeavours to abolifh all the Monuments, which thefe illuftrious Witnelles of it had left in thefe Diocefles. Neither do I believe, that the Bifhop of Mea-^x will have any pretence for the future, to accufe them o[ Ma-fncheifm, nor to reproach the Proteftants, that they can find no other Pre- decefibrs in Antiquity, but a parcel of Men, whofe Dodrine and Lives were equally execrable. Nothing but a Spirit a- nimated with fuch a Rage and Fury as produc'd thofe Crujades, can obftinately maintain fuch horrid Calumnies, after all that we have here alledged for their Juftification. . I might perhaps have been more particular in the Accojjnts which I have given of the bad Conftrudion the Inquihtors have put upon their Belief-, but befides, that I have fuificient- ly difcovered the Injuftice of thefe Minifters of Hell j who is there amongft the Proteftancs, nay amongft the very Papifts themfelves, that is not fully convinc'd of the Iniquity and profound Malice of thefe Hearts of Tygers *, who under the name of Defenders of the Chriftian Faith, have rack'd their Brains to blacken the moft innocent Lives of the moft religi- ous 2a6 ^marks Upon the ous Chrlftians •, and who have made it their Diverfion to ex- terminate them by the moft difmal Torments ? The Bifhop of Meaux may write as long as he pleafes to maintain thefe diabolical Calumnies : I am perfuaded, that if any equitable Members of his Communion will take the pains to compare the Carriage of the Heathens towards the Primi- tive Chriftians, with the Behaviour of his Church under /«w- cent in, and Gregorj IX, againft the Albigenfes •, and the Pati- ence of the Albigenfes^ flandered and perfecuted by the Church o[ Rome, with the Condition of the Primitive Church, perfe- cuted and flandered by the Heathens, they will find it as dif- ficult to look upon the Church of Rome, as the Daughter of the Primitive Church, as it will be eafy for them to acknow- ledg the Albigenfes as the genuine OfF-fpring of thofe Primitive Chriftians. I did not think it necefTary for my Defign, to tie my felf Step by Step to every particular, which I might juflly have found fault with in the Book where the Bifliop of Memx handles the Hiftory of the Albigenfes .- It is an endlefs Labour to trace a Man that follows falfe Guides, and who hath nothing new befides the Art and turn of Exprelfion ; and becaufe the naked Truth hath always the better of Works of this nature, it is fufficient to fet it in a clear Light, for the extinguilliing that falfe Luflre which Men beftow upon Lies, by Ornaments put upon them only to hide their Deformity. And it is my Hope after all,_ that as God hath illudrioufly difplayed the Care of his Providence, in raifing ^the Church o{ Piedrngnt from thofe Ruiiis, under which the Spirit cf Per- fecution thought for ever to have buried it 5 fo he will be pleafed to vouchfafe the fame Protection to thofe defolate Flocks, whom the Violence of the Romifh Party hath con- ftrain'd to diffemble their Faith, by rnaking a Show of em- bracing the Roman Religion, to avoid the Extremities of their Perfecution. One would think that that God, who hath wrought fo many Wonders for their Prefervation, fo many Ages to- gether ; and who even then, when they feem'd reduc'd to nothing Ancient Churches of the Albigeii fes. 247 noching by the bloody Vigilance of the Inquifitors, who Age after Age have gleaned this Field, after the barbarous Rage of the Crufades was over, iliould be unwilling to fuffer this oppreflcd Light to be wholly extinguillied, but that he will make thefe his Witneffes rife from their Graves, now after the Church of Rome has fignaliz'd her Joy for their Death and Deftru(3:ion. God of his great Mercy be plea fed to reftore to thefe afflided Flocks the fame Joy and the fanae Comfort which their Anceftors felt at the time of the Reformation, when they gave fuch publick Evidence of their Zeal, and entred by Crowds into the Bofom of the Reformed Church, whofe Principles they had maintained fo many Ages before the Reformation ; and to open the Eyes of their Perfecutors, giving them Grace to acknovvledg, that they fight againfl God, whilft they flrive to force Mens Confciences, and to engage the People to own that Religion as Divine, wliich is only the Produd of human Policy, the very Sink of the Corruptions of thefe laft Times, and the OfF-fpring of the Spirit of Error. CHAP. 248 ^marks upon the EXTRACTS OF OF SOME Pretended Hereticks in the Dioceis of S A K V M, Taken out of an old Regifter. <^jEit!)elElamtof tlje|)olp Cnmte, iFatitr, Sou, 31 ^^^"^ ^M'^ <^olte, W blelTeti a^otiir, niiu al tfje '^^ ^Ol]> Compenp of |)el3Vn ^ U\t Auftyn Stere Of Herry Benette of Spene, William Brigger of Tha- chum, Richard Hignell, William Priour, ants Richard Goddard, Of Newbei:j^, mxs etierp Of U0 fe^emlip m tfje 23iocef0 of Sarum, gretelp notetr, tefeimeti, tie^- ttati aiiQ to you Ecuereno jfatiic iit ^©oD, Thomas, bp (^oti'0 ^Mce, OBifljopof Sarum, our Suirnfe atttJ D|' Umane, nenolDnceti foruntcetu faeleijpnn; ^01x5 aa^al- fo tijat tue anu zwzx^ of 110 (ftoin Ijoin, aHernie, mfje, ann nefentJc openip ann pn^elp ipercfie^, Cctour^^ fiit- jjulai: Dpmion^:, ann falfe D0annc0, contrarie totfje commeu 'Do^tmt of our ^onic ipoip Cfjurcij 3 ann UJitf) Ancient Qhurches of the Albigenfes. 249 TT" tlje ^ie0 of true fpmpiUe unuecfianninnf Cilfren Peo' pie, luljtclj be to us aao cbecp of 110 fei^ereli? notoe bp pouc ^uitorite piocetipuu of Office piomoteti, jutJlctallp obfecten. Firft, Cbat 31 Auguftyn Stere, fja^e \)m aOlscmets ann fepti, tbat tlje Cfiurcb of Ccifte 10 but a 8)mago8:e, aitu ait IDoufe of ^arcbantiife, ann tljat lg»^i{!i0 be but 0ct1bi0 aao pi)atifai05 not p^ofptino: tfj: €\}im\\ Peo- ple, but iDifrei)^])nn; tbem. Item, 3i ba'je boio affetmetijtauiyftt aun belebeti, tfjat irt tbe ^acramente of tbe ^uter 10 not tlje ijecp l5oi3j> of Ctiffe. jfactbetmo^e, fijctomn; anti feptng tljat P?if!(j3 ma? bie xxx fuclje (^oritJis foi one penp, anu tuill not felle one of tbem but foi ttoa peup0. Item, 31 \)d^t misibeiebcti, ann to Uplier^ xmw^Ml^ fljetuen tbat gmageg of ^epnt^ beuot to be uioifljippeD aftit: tbe Docctme of a oaofee of CommanDmeut0, tDljicb I babe bao in mp keptnn:, lub^i^^in 10 toreteit, tljat no {^au (ball uio^fljip enp tbmn; mane o^graben luitb maiuip0 ipanu attenning tbe eBo^bsi of tbe fame litte= rallp, ano not inclpnpnD: to tfje fenfe of tbe fame* Item, 3i baije fpofecn anti biijetfe tpmejs fljeloeD tljat Pnfii^ be tbe (Snemied of €\)Mz, Item, 31 babe belebpQ, faii ann taugbt, tbat %t. Petir turns uebec petite, but a little before W Detb» jfectbemto]e, flje-uini}: tbat Simeon Magos fi:ei3e bpm. bt^ Confui-e of p^prtbotie, anbm^ppteorbpt, (^on* lii0 (Hicai: contempiipnn; bp^ Potorc, calleti b^^m a pa- npec ^^akei:> Fyril, C6at31 Kerry Benett, babe bolrj aub feepte tbigOptnfan, tbat i:j)iln;cemag:gis be nattcibe maBc moebeb fo^tbi?? Caufe, fo? onlp <^ob 10 to be uiarfib?pei7» K k • " nun 2 c o Remarks upon the nm fo not tfjemmagi^ of Sapntis?, (nfoiiiocfj tljat 3! tooltj netiet goo a ptlatemage but 011^0, aim 3! ftalje oftpa t]?iiie0 rep^owo fuel) m tuoio fpentJ tl)tit 9^onty in Pilftx^nmp rsopitg, feuig; tijei mpsfjt better fpenn Ijit ot Ijome* Item, 31 6a^e not MtW ffetifafflp iit tlje ^^acca-- ntentof Cljautet, fepmgof ijittftigs uiife, tijat ift&ere tuere tljte ipoffp^ m one pim^, one of tjeim confe^ crate, anti tlje onir not confccrate, a ^ouife ma a^ luell ete tijat iporte confccrate m tlje onir tusaj^n iiw confecrate, tlje toljtcf) f)e mpgljt not if tljere tuere tlje uerpOBotip of Cri ue, fonf tijereloerct&e jfamr, @on, ann ipoi^ (S^oile, Ije mjjgfit not cte tl)epm. Fyrfte, -Cijat 31 William Brigger, fjalje erret! anD nip^'belcijets in tfje €)acramcnte of tlje auter, fepng ano f)Dltipno: tfjat tljere fljulD not be tlje uerp 'Bonp of Criffe, fo taugijt anti enfo^men in tln^ fame grete €r^ tour anti l^eiefie, bp one Richard Sawyer, late of N.ewbery. ' Item, 3i!jat)efpolteanti!join apniffe t^e ^acramentc of pennance, feing in tlji0 ttiife , 3lf 31 &aue take a ^ani0 iS^oonejO^ floie Iji^ Coloe, ann tie fo?p in 5)arte^ 3} tnaj? as tuell be fatiett ajs tljougij 3i toece l!j^et3:n tftereof^ fo? it 10 inotoe to be finfdt to ^on* Item, 31 1)ai3e fjelo auD feptie apeufie tfje T>mcim of P^pitp0, affermpno: of tgcm, tfjat ail P,p:ie0 tccfjetft n falfe ants a bipna t^ap to b]png U0 ail in to t^e a^per* jFertlicrmoie atJupng ijeitOj aiiti fepg, Ijotise map it be t!jatb:pnlseWi!liamHarpermapleBeanotiirblpime?^an to Newbsry, but batfj fall pit to tiie Dpiije, ronoaje all t!jc0 Piiftis to b^pag m alfe to Dampiiarioit. Fyrfte^, C!jat3i Richard Hisnel, IjaUf^mmX^myt^ b:lei5ei3 0f long tpme ill t'je Butmmmtc cftfie ^uter, fe^ns: Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 251 fepng tijat €WU cfe? b anb tJibei:^ tpme^ a):UJitit6at gmag 10 of ^epnt$ be not to be bsucibppeb, netbec Ob-- iacion0tobemit!e tmto tbeim, fepitg anb bolbingna fucb Wm t3 be inurflMppeb tbat 10 gcaben 0^ mabe bJitb nianp0 ipanbe* 31 Richard Goddard ill lotts t]?me bete befoje, babe bab gme boujjbt bome i^on mpgbt be in foraie of la^ebe m Cbauter, amofte fpn tbe ^eress of Difcce-- cion^ aitb nobje m feuie f eceja; tbougbt ann utteripbe= lebeb tbat iiiafmccb as «^ob 10 in ipebpit be fljuiD not be in tbe ^nccamente of Cbautet, aitb fa in tbiis ^ircouc babe cantlnelneb unto tlje tpme of iW nip p^efent ?ib^ juracion. €:be3 articuled, anb eberp oftbemafoie rebetfeb, aub to U0 Auftyn Stere, Kerry Benet, William Brig- ger, Richard Hignell, William Priour, ^X^ Richard Goddard, anb to ebecp 0f U0 febetellp bp poii iiibiciaHp obicctet*, bje anb ebetp of m Rnrtulcdp openlp ^nota^ lege out feiffe, anb confefle of out fte^^Hilletobabe Kk 2 bt^lb. 252 ^marks upon the ijoltij Uxntn anu beleuptJ, atuf fo ijau taugljt ann af« fermpB to etiii:, tuljicS ^rticule^ anU euecp of tljeim, agi U0 concernetl) feijercilp? ^z aittJ euccp of 110 uni^ecftaitt! annbeie-tje 5)ci:crie05 ant? cautcarp to tlje comin:n Do^ ctriite anti iDetei-nnnatiou of tfjc uuitierraUe Cljiu*c6 of Crtfle, ann. corifeUe 110 aitti tut^ of 110 Ijere to ftaije fee 8)ci*ettlxe05 lecitci-^ aiiti OLccfiec^ orfperefie^, €^ tour^j £^mion05 mmfaIfeDcctrine0> contcacietotfjc Cnaeit Sftitlh ^n'O foiMwtl) m It 10 fo tijat t6e LalDe0 of tl)z €ijatcl)t of Ciiite auti Ipofp Canoitp of 0apnt^ U gi'ounmD in ^ctcp, ant! 0oti tuol nottlje Detlj of a €)pncr5 butt&atlje b: con^ecteiJ antJfeUe* ^nti alfo tfie Cfiutclj cloCetS) not !jec lappc to Ijint, tOat itioilretocne: 2Ile tljerefo? anti eliecjj of 110, toillino: to lie pactuteris of tlM foifeio ^tttVr fo^fakeann itncimce all tljeis ^cticiile^ afo^e refjetfeo ajs u0 xoncctnctl) patticttlaup, ann confeOe tijeitti to hz iS)ere= Hess, €i'cour0, anti p^ofjtbite Doctcinet aitn nolue tonttiu anti fuKp i-cpentpng tijeim all ann enetp of tfieim, fiitiiciallp anti foicmpip tljeim foifa^c, abfute, anri tuilfullp cenoiunce fo^ euecmoc, anuuotonlptijeim, liut all otiir ipztttit^y €xtmt0) ann numpnable Doctcmeg contcarp to tfie Detecntination of tbe tminei-fali CljiiccS of Cctfte : aifa tfjat Uie ano eljertJ of uss fi>ili ncijec Ijeraftct be to sn^ Ml) pei'fon^ 01 t^^cfon, jfaijo^er^^ Counfclei:0, ^ainrcneV^, c: of enp fticlj pntielp 0^ openip 5 i)Ut; iC luc 01 enp of ti^ linatue cap fucij Ijeiv aftci*^ Uie ann etiecp of U131 iljall oenotDnce ants mfclole tljeim to poll l^elsercnn ifai3ic in ^^oti, pcur ^np ceiTo?0 0^ £pcers of tije fame3 01 zW to fucfj P:rfon0 of tlje Cl)Uixt) as ijatlj Ijurifaiition on tlje #ct:fcn0 fo fatotp, foljelp m *^o5 antJ ail poiv CDnngelt^, fiili^- m^tqm u0 an^ ei^erp of 110 openlp^ not coacte but of our » Ancient Churches of the AlhiQ^cnks, i^? cut fre uLiilic tc tljc pap, Eiucut: anti Sljaipitcfe ot tfje latue, tfint a Cgan relnpfetJ oiDijIjt to fufTrc in fucfjs cafe, If tne oi cnp of U0 e\jer no c? fiain contrauie ta t6(0 out* p^eCeiite abnicacion in pnttr, o> tlje jjole tS^r^ of: %n tJitncite tDf)eceof,\ ujc nl! aito elscrp of u0 fe= U^raUp fubfcrtbe UJitf) ouc l)tm% mdkcom a Crof0, ann teciuir aU Criltcn ^cn in geitcrali ftec p^^efeme^ ta tecorti, ann tiiitnes apcnft u0 aitu elietp of us, anD t6i0 our p^efcntc Confelfloit auti ^bfiiracfoit, if tue 02 enp of us from tlji^ Dap fo^ai;t!0 o6entie 02 no can= trane to tlje fame h aim pe v^aftcr^ fjer p^cfentc, . . . . Le6la &■ fafta fuit ifta Abjuracio coram Reverendo in Chrifto Patre & Domino Thoma, permiiTione di- vina Sarum Epifcopo, in Ecclefia parochiali Sandli Johannis de Wyndfour nova, per fupra fcriptos Au- guftinum Stere, Henricum Benet, Willielmum Brig- ger, Richardum Hignell, Willielmum Priour, 8c Ri- chardam Goddard, xxviii die men/is Januarii, anno Domini millefimo cccc nonagefimo, prssfentibus tunc ibidem venerabilibus viris magiftris Laurencio Cokks, Edmundo Martyn, Johanne Mayhowe decretorum do£loribus, Daye facrse theologige profeflbre, Radulpho Hethcote Canonico Ecclefia Cathedralis Sarum, Willielmo Thynlawe Vicario perpetuo Ecclefrx prae^ fatge, Briano & Willielmo Birley artium magiftris, 1 homa Gierke in legibus baccalareo, 8c Johanne Wely fcriba 8c Regiftrario per diclum Reverendum Patrem in hac parte afTumpto, 8c multis aliis. Quibus quidem die h loco idem Reverendus Pater injunxit prasfato Auguftino Stere, in parte pcenitentige fu(E, quod ipfe Auguftinus nudus tibias pedes Sc caput, corpore toga 8c camifia ac foemoralibus lineis tantum- modo 2^4 ^marks upon the mode indutus,unum fafliculum, five fagofiwi fuper hu- ir.eiLim (bum, Srunum facem anglice a b^OttOC in manu ejus geftans diebus &: locis infra (criptis, tviz. die fab- bati, xxix die menfis Januarii, anno praedi£lo, circa mercatum ville de Wyndefour nova, ubi Sc quando fu- erit populi multitudo die dominica extunc fequenti, viz. urcimo die menfis ejufdem., circa Ecclefiam paro- chialem, beatae Maris Rading die Sabbati, quinto die Februarii, circa mercatum de Newbery, die domini- ca extunc (equenti, circa Ecclefiam parochialem, ibidem die dominica prima quadragefime in Ecclefia Cathedrali Sarum , die martis extunc fequente, circa mercatum ibidem caeterifqus diebus diverfis per loca, fcil. per Monafteria de Serne, Milton, Ab- bottesbery, Abyndon Sc Shirborn, necnon circa Mer- catum ibidem Sarum Diocasfeos coram proceflionibus circa Ecclefias Monafteria & loca praedicia, aut in eif^ dem Iccis prout aeris temperies permiferit, utmoris. efl: faciendismore humilis poenitentis incederet, finitiC. que hujufmodi procelTionibus vel cum ab aliquo Cura- torum hujufmodi Ecclefiarum five locorum proceditur ad pulpitum quibufdam Uteris in Anglico (criptis erro- YtsSc opiniones dampnabiles prsedifti Augu(lini &:ip- iius Abjuracionem infecontinentibus,leQ:is& declaratis per ipfum AuguPcinum alta 8c intelligibili voce fua de- clarando, exponendo 8c recitando, ac confitendo pub- lice, .prout in eifdem Uteris continetur; de quaqui- dem pcenit^ntia per ipfum Auguftinum bene & fideliter perada prout fibi mandatum fuerit per curatos dc alios de quibus fupra fit mencio prsfatus Reverendus Pater 8c Dominus plenarie 8c fufficienter fuerit certificatus; unde poflea idem Reverendus Pater in tempore certifi- cationis hujufmodi fibi hd.x in complementum poe- nitentias Ancient Churches of the Albigenfes. 255 n i ten tiae fuss injunxitquod fingiilis dlebus vitaefuaeco* ram Ymagine crucifixi genufledendo diceret devote, quinquies oracionem Dominicam, & quinquiesfalutati- onem Angelicam, & femel Symbolum Apoftolorum, 8c quod injun£lo die paraflephes k vigiliis beatae Mari^ per ununi annum integrum immediate fequentem in pane &■ aqua. Item, quod lapfo termino dierum per didum Reverendum Patrem affignato ad villam de Newbery, vel ad aliquem locum fituatum infra fep- tem milliaria a villa de Newbery prasdida non accide- ret, nifi ex licentia prssifati Reverendi Patris petica pri- mitus &obtenta. F 1 N I s.. z^6 Books Lite!; fr'inted for Ricliaij Chifwell. THE fifteen Notes of ciic Church, as laid down by'CardinaI^r//drai'?, ex- amined and confuted, by feveral London Divines, i^to, Wicli a Table to die whole. The Texts whidi the P^p;fts cite out of the Bible for Proof of the Points of their Religion, o^aniined, and fhew'd to be alledged without Grcund; In twenty fivc^.if, .udT rOurfcs, by (cwctdH London Divines \ with a Table to tlie whole, anathe Autl:3rsNar/.ei. -^ Til? Liy C'-rilUri's Obligation to read the Holy Scriptures. "By Dr. Stnt- fo}d, now Lord Bifhop of Cb^j'Zw'. . . ; Soipc RemlMts upon the Ecclefiaftical Hiflory of the Ancient Churches o^ Phdriw;t, By pmr AU'n\ D. D. ^H. ■ Rcfleftions upon the Books of the Holy Scripture, to eflablifhihe Truth Oi" thv. Cm illian Religion. In two Pares. 2vo. By the fame Author. ■'The Judgments of God upon ttie Roman Gath6lick Church, from its firfl ri- gid Lans tor uuivcrfa! CunfJaiiicy t.- it, nr.to itslaftEnd; With a Profpcifl of thefe near approaching Hcvcluc'-ons : w>. (j.') the Kniiml of the Proteftant Prnfffio'i'm an i.nlvnt Kingioni, _vi>hcYe it ivas totally fuppreffed, (pJ) The laft End of all T:.:(^'b lloliilitles. (_3.^ Tl)e .turner aI Morfijicatm of the Power of the Ro, tnxn Church in ali Pirti of its Doml'ious. , •. ' . . Oer,Io:ia: Gra Difcour\c(ir..-..rr"-'S^ the Farth before the Deluge ; wherein the Form and Properties afcri'.-"d:<"» it, in a Book intituled [The Toeory of the Ean!>l are excepted againfl ; A id ii is marte appear. That the Diflblution of that Earth -.vas not c'.^e Ciufe of the Univerfa! Flood. Alfo a new Explication of that Flood is^ttempted. Bx/i ^fnus IVurrgi:, Reftor of Worlington in Suf folk: ¥0. . ' J^j^ , Theprefent State- of G£>7?ftW'>4,.ol-''^R Account of the Extent, Rife, Form' Weakh, Strength, Wcakr.cflcs, ahd Incerefts of that Empire .* The Preroga- tives of the Empercur, and t'.ie Pcj|riledges of the Eledors, Princes, and Free Cities, adapted to the prefer ,^cumftances of that Nation. By a Perfon of Qj-iaiity. 8-1?. ' \'' Memoirs of what part ia Cbiflendom. from the War begun 16'] 2, to the- Peace concluded J 579. S'jo. ' v. CL, G:i!iebniCaihdenl, & Ulujlrium virorum ad-G. Camdemm EpiflffU. Cnm A^^pendue varii Ariimmi. Acj:-IJ:ru;t A'iHalim'Rig".i Regis Jaeobi 1. Apparatus, &■ Comment mus de Antipitatjy Dignitate^: & Officio Comtis AfjrefiaUi Aigli