tionis peragrant; putantes frequentatione horum locorum se a peccatis purgari, et impunè peccare. Accesserunt et alia mala; quòd, avaritiæ causâ, ad simplicem populum illiciendum, falsæ reliquiæ supponebantur, et ficta prædicabantur miracula; iisque miraculis populi superstitio alebatur, ut magis in admiratione miraculorum raperetur, quàm ad sanctorum imitationem provocaretur. Nonnunquam autem astu et illusione Dæmonis, hominum superstitione abutentis, per insomnia et visa, novæ reliquiæ revelabantur, et, ejusdem operatione miracula edi videbantur." Hæc ille; verè Germanusne, an Israelita?

At nos, edocti meliùs, liberè de nobis fidenterque prædicare audemus, quod, Christianorum omnium nomine, professus est olim Hieronymus ", " Nos, non dico martyrum reliquias, sed ne solem quidem et lunam, non angelos, non archangelos, non cherubim, non seraphim, et omne nomen quod nominatur, et in præsenti seculo, et in futuro, colimus et adoramus; ne serviamus creaturæ magis, quàm Creatori, qui est benedictus in secula."

Deinde verò, ut a reliquiis ad imagines descendamus; fierine potest, ut nobis aliquando non displiceat insana Romanæ Synagogæ superstitio? ut, contra sacras Dei tabulas, contra Apostolorum instituta, contra veteris Ecclesiæ morem, contra manifestissima Conciliorum decreta, contra Patrum clarissimas ubique refragationes, Deo et hominibus planè renitentibus, Christianorum basilicæ nihilò seciùs, ac Gentilium templa, simulachris undique repleantur? ut, quod olim questus est Hieronymus P, candor Ecclesiæ Ethnicorum sordibus_polluatur? ut, quod Eusebius amentiæ meritò insimulat, Deo Invisibili et Incorporeo imago visibilis et corporea statuatur? ut in Agnis Dei, granis, luminibus, rosis, gladiis, insignibus, campanulis, ridiculo more incantatis, fiducia collocetur? ut magicis quibusdam exorcizationibus, ab illis Dei creaturis arceatur Diabolus, quas nullus unquam occupârat? Inibimus profectò cum Satanâ ipso fœdus, ubi Diabolicis hisce éleλoopmakelais viam semel aut veniam concesserimus.

Profanum illud operis operati #apádoğov; otiosas peregrinarum precum submurmurationes; sacramentorum et numerum et virtutem; sacrilegam eucharistiæ mutilationem; et mille alia cùm opinionum, tum ceremoniarum prodigia, videns prudensque prætereo.

P Hier. Magno Oratori Rom. (Epist. 84.)

Lib. Sacr. Cercm. (p. 80-83. edit. Col. Agrip. 1557.)

These, that I have reckoned, are errors more than enough. And, I would to God, those, which we have here particularized, were not such, that there is no remedy, but that we must eternally fall out, either with God or with Rome.

Since, therefore, neither truth can ever yield, nor obstinacy will yield; let us serve cheerfully under the colours of our Heavenly Leader; and both proclaim and maintain an unreconcileable war with these Romish Heresies.

II. OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF THE MEANS OF

RECONCILIATION.

AND now, since no wise man can suspect of us, that we will ever grow to that height of madness, as to run perfidiously from the standard of God to the tents of that Roman Antichrist; is there any hope, that the Papists will ever be drawn back to the sound and pure judgment of the Primitive Antiquity? Oh, that God would vouchsafe this grace to the Christian World! that we could but comfort ourselves with the hope of so great happiness!

What a sight were this, how pleasant, how worthy of God and his angels; that, as it is said of the Novatian faction and the orthodox of old, men, women, children of both parts, without all guile and close harbours of discontentment, should mutually bring stones and matter to the building up of this temple of another, yet true, Resurrection!

We will gladly speak unto them (and, if need be, upon our knees) in Cyprian's words: "Since we may not come forth of the sound and true Church of God, and come unto you; let us beseech and entreat you, by whatsoever should be most dear unto you, that you would return to our fraternity, and into the bosom of that Mother Church whence ye are revolted:" and, as he said in Theocritus, " yet, at last, be persuaded. We are both brothers of one blood. Why will you needs fight more against yourselves, than your brethren?"

But, alas, sooner may God create a new Rome, than reform the old. Yea, needs must that Church put off itself, and cease to be what it is, ere it can begin to be once again what it was: for, as the Comic Poet said in the like; "Both substance, credit, fame, virtue, honour, have at once forsaken her; and by long disuse have left her worse than nought: neither do I see how these houses can be repaired, but they must be pulled down to the very foundations, and then built from the ground."

Socr. 1. ii. c. 38.
Cypr. Lib. iii. Ep. 2.

Satis nunc superque errorum est. Et utinam profectò hæc, quæ diximus, ejusmodi non essent, ut necesse nobis sit, in hisce omnibus, vel Deo vel Romæ æternùm disconvenire.

Dum igitur flecti nec possit veritas, nec velit erroris pertinacia; nos sub Imperatore Cœlesti merebimus usque alacres; et Hæresibus Pontificiis äoπovdov Tóλeμov et indicemus meritò, et inferemus.

II. DE MEDIORUM RECONCILIATIONIS IM

POSSIBILITATE.

JAM verò, cùm nemo sanus illud de nobis suspicari unquam possit, fore, eò uti insaniæ diveniamus aliquando, ut, relictis Dei signis, ad Antichristi illius Romani castra perfidè transfugiamus; ecqua spes est, posse demum Pontificios ad sanam mentem Primævæ Antiquitatis revocari? O, si indulgeret illud Deus Orbi Christiano! si liceret nos tantæ felicitatis vel omine solo consolari!

Quàm jucundum foret illud, dignumque Deo spectaculum; ut, quod de Novatianis et Orthodoxis fertur, viri, mulieres, pueri, patris utriusque, procul omni simultate, lapides cæmentumque ad 'AváoтаTIKоv verè templum comportaremus!

Compellabimus nos quidem illos, lubentes, (idque, si opus erit, sum missis genibus,) Cypriani verbis: "Quia nos, Ecclesiâ, sanâ scilicet, derelictâ, foras exire et ad vos venire non possumus; ut vos magis ad Ecclesiam Matrem, et ad nostram fraternitatem revertamini, quibus possumus hortamentis petimus et precamur:"

̓Αλλ' ἔτι καὶ νῦν

Πείθεσθ ̓· ἄμφω δ ̓ ἄμμιν ἀνεψὶω ἐκ πατρὸς ἐστόν·
Δαιμόνιοι, τί μάχης ἱμείρετε;

At, at, citiùs Romam novam creârit Deus, quàm reformârit veterem. Immo necesse est se prorsus exuat Ecclesia illa retexatque, quæque modo est esse desinat, priùs quàm ut, quæ olim fuit, esse nunc denuò incipiat:

Simul enim res, fides, fama, virtus,

Decusque deseruerunt: atque ipsa inusu
Facta est nimio nequior: nec videor mihi
Sarciri posse ædes hasce, quin tota
Perpetua ruant, quin cum fundamento
Perierint, nec quisquam esse auxilio queat ".

Theocr. Idyl. «ß'. (Aioσkoúpoi, v. 169, 170; 145.) "Plaut. Mostellar.

But, if there be any likelihood of remedy yet to be hoped for, surely, it must needs come either from herself or from others.

Can it be first from herself, which obstinately defends her errors, not only with tongue and pen, but with fire and sword too? which will not yield so much, as that she can err? which refused to amend those notorious abuses, which, by the moderate verdict of her elect Cardinals, were condemned? and, lastly, which, by the palpable flatteries of her last and worst parasites, the Jesuits, is grown, not secure only, but prouder than ever she was?

Can it be then from others? How oft hath this been endeavoured, in vain! Rome may be sacked and battered, as it hath often been, by military forces; but, purged by admonitions, convictions, censures, it will never be. I remember, on this occasion, what Sisinnius the lector advised Bishop Nectarius in the like case: That he had ever found disputations so far from reconciling of schisms, that they are still wont to inflame the minds of heretics to suffer contention.

What then? can it be from herself and others? Alas, how should it; unless either others had power, or herself had will, to be redressed? For, certainly, if there be any one spark of good hope yet alive, it must be in the aid and determination of a General Council: and such a Synod is no less impossible, than reconciliation itself. For, who shall call it? who shall sit president in it? who shall be present, and give their voices? what shall be the rule of the decisions? what the order of execution?

Let them bring forth, if they will, the sister or the daughter of that their Tridentine Assembly: who can hold from smiles and scorn? Forsooth, they would deal with us (as Luther wittily jested of the summoning of this Council by Paul the Third) much like unto them, that mock a hungry dog with a crust and a knife; who, instead of giving him the bread, let him feel the haft. Well may we resolve, with Nazianzen, to avoid all such meetings of Bishops; for that no such Synod ever did good, but tended rather to the decay than advantage of the Church.

I remember Isidore derives the Latin word Concilium, à ciliis oculorum; for that all direct the sight of their minds into one centre. There can, therefore, be no Council held by those, which profess a general and public disagreement of judgment. In vain should we endeavour any such course, unless every one of them would resolve to think of peace at home; and would persuade his heart, laying aside all prejudice and wilful re

x Socr. l. v. c. 10.

▾ Poteruntne verò pacem esse pati pacis dissolutores? Synod. Ariminens. ad Constant. apud Theod. Hist. Eccles. 1. ii. c. 29. (Labbe; tom. ii. p. 797.)

Quòd si ullum vel remedii specimen etiamnum à nobis sperari possit, illud certè vel a se, vel ab aliis, necessariò adhibebitur.

Nunquid à se; quæ suos errores pertinaciter, non calamo et linguâ modò, sed flammâ et ferro defendit? quæ vel errare se posse nunquam elargietur? quæ à moderatissimo selectorum Cardinalium judicio damnatas Kakоnoeías emendare pridem recusârit? quam denique novissimi pessimique parasitorum, Jesuitæ, blandis suppalpationibus non securam modò, sed et solito superbiorem præstiterint?

Nunquid ab aliis? Quoties hoc frustra tentatum! Expugnari quidem potest Roma, quod sæpius factitatum est, militum manu; monitis verò, criminumque et errorum convictionibus, censuris, literis expurgari non poterit. Succurrit mihi istic, quod olim Sisinnius lector Nectarium Episcopum monuisse dicitur*: Exploratum habere se, disceptationes non solùm non reconciliare schismata, sed hæreticos præterea ad contentionem multò magis accendere.

Denique, numquid à se et aliis? Nugæ, nisi aut alii possint, aut velint ipsi! Certè enim, si quid bonæ spei adhuc reliquum sit, illud totum in Concilii Ecumenici vindiciis decernendis situm est: talis autem Synodus non minùs quàm pax ipsa, impossibilis est. Quis etenim convocabit? quis præsidebit? qui intererunt, ferentque suffragia? quæ definiendi regula erit? quæ ratio exsequendi?

Ostentent nobis Tridentinæ seu sororem, seu filiam: quis non rideat simul et indignetur? Actum scilicet nobiscum erit, (quod ingeniosè Lutherus de indictione Concilii à Paulo 3,) ac ab illis solet, qui famelico cani illudunt frustulo et cultello. Quin stet nobis, cum Nazianzeno2, ejusmodi πávта σúλλoyov φεύγειν Επισκόπων· ὅτι μηδεμίας (τοιαύτης, nimirum) Συνόδου τέλος χρῆστον· μηδὲ λύσιν κακῶν μάλλον ἐσχηκυίας ή προσθήκην.

Concilium, à ciliis oculorum, memini dictum Isidoroa; quòd in unum omnes dirigant mentis obtutum. Concilium ergo agere non possunt, qui publicam usquequàque dissidentiam profitentur. Frustra nos hoc tentabimus, nisi illorum quisque apud se domi pacem meditari occœperit; animumque induxerit, abjecto omni præjudicio, ac pertinaci partium studio, veritati (ubi

(Epist. 42 ad. Procop. apud Whitaker. Respons. ad Campian. 1583, 4to. -A.)

a Ísid. in Præfat. Concil. Binii. (tom. i. p. 3. edit. Col. Agrip. 1618.)