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A07146 The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times past bene brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherentes: faithfully gathered out of the moste faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and nowe newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singuler profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563. Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567. 1563 (1563) STC 1755; ESTC S101368 243,805 590

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Byshop of Rome euer after helde him content made no more businesse with them seing he had nought to say to the contrarye In the syxte article of the said coūcel it was also determined that in the Orient or Easte partes the Byshop of Antioche should be chiefe in Egipt the Bishop of Alexandria about Rome the Bishop of Rome and likewyse in other countreyes the Metropolitanes shoulde haue theire preeminence so that the byshop of Rome neuer had medling in those countries And in the nexte article following the byshop of Hierusalem which citie before had bene destroyed and almost desolate is restored to his olde prerogatiue to be chiefe in Palestine and in y e countrey of Iewrye which Church of Hierusalem if places should be regarded shuld be the chiefe For there was accomplished y e mystery of our redemption and Christ himselfe the eternall worde Sonne of God there preached in his own person and after his ascencion all the Apostles and Disciples c. Furthermore in y e councel Constantinople it was ordayned that byshops should not be troubled out from theyr diocesse nor one shuld meddle with an others iurisdiction but the bishops of Alexandria shuld haue the gouernance of the orientall parties the honoure of primacie reserued to the church of Antioche as it was ordayned in the Nicene councell And euen so that the byshops of Asia shoulde ouersee Asia and order all thinges pertayning to Asia Likewise that y e bishop of Pont shuld gouerne the diocesse of Pont. And the byshops of Thracia their diocesse so y t thys councell also denyeth Prelacie or Supremacie to Rome to the bishop thereof reseruyng euery diocesse to his own bishop Likewise in the Councell Mileuitane it was prouided that all causes concerning one prouince shulde be determined in the same Of these councells aforesayd it manifestlye appeareth that the byshop of Rome hath no such preheminence authority supremacie iurisdiction ouer al other bishops and ouer their prouinces and diocesse as he vniustly chalengeth and wickedly vsurpeth but that his power is only in Italy al other bishops being in al other pointes of like authoritie with him euery one hauing the same authoritie and power in hys owne diocesse that the Byshoppe of Rome hath in Italye Sainte Ciprian calleth the Byshop of Rome in his Epystles whiche he wrote vnto hym Brother to declare that they were of lyke authoritie and Fellow ministers in the laboure of the Gospell He maintaineth also with S. Austen that there is none which is Bishop of other bishops and that it is a great tyranny to desire to be Lorde ouer other bishops S. Gregory writeth expressely that he which would be bishop of al other bishops shal not haue the place of Christ in earth but of Lucifer shalbe very Antichrist himself He saith moreouer that to bee called the vniuersall bishop or head of all other bishops is contrary to the ordinaunce of y e gospel contrary to the decrees of the Canons yea saith hee it is a newe name and a name of blasphemie whereby y e honour of all priests is greatly diminished and abased He addeth moreouer that the name of the vniuersall bishop for y e gouernour of blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles was offred to the bishop of Rome at the counsel Chalcedonense yet notw tstāding none of all his predecessors woulde euer take vnto thē that name of singularitie neither wold thei cōsent to vse it lest while such priuate prerogatiue should be giuē to one mā all other priests should be defrauded of their due honor c. Greg. li. 4. epi. 76.78 And the aforesaid S. Gregorye willing to shew how greatly he abhorred the name of the vniuersall Byshop or Supreme head of the whole Church of Christ dispersed throughout y e world in all his letters Epistles called himself the seruaunt of Gods seruauntes which stile and māner of writing his successours do also at thys present vse but most falsely and vniustly being in dede in pride Lucifer in ambitiō Alexander in tyranny Nero and in al kind of wickednesse Antiochus Of these things aforesaid it is plain and euident y t thys supremacye vniuersall power whiche the Byshop of Rome chalengeth ouer all other Byshops is both forged fained and hath no ground in the worde of God nor in the auncient councels but with much labour corruption was at the last obtayned of that tyraunt Phocas y e Emperour through the suttletie of Pope Boniface the thyrd as we haue to fore heard not only to the great dishonour of Christ the alone head of his church but also to the vnworthy abasemente of the Ecclesiasticall ministerye as I may speake nothing of the losse of many thousand soules whiche being perswaded that the Popes authoritie is no lesse than he and hys trumpetters blow and boste haue put the affiaunce of theyr saluation in his pardons and ceremonyes But let vs beholde moe of theyr decrees whereby they haue stablyshed their tirannical power Pope Innocent the fyrst made a law that the Sea of Rome shuld be of greater authoritie than y e Sea of any other byshop throughout the world and that it shuld be lawfull for the sea of Rome to iudge of al other Seas but that one and alone Sea of Rome to be subiecte to the iudgement of none other In the yeare of our Lord. 408. Caus. 9. Quaest. 3. Nemo iudicabit Pantaleon Pope Iulius the fyrst in like manner made a decree y t if any man did suspecte his iudge he should appeale vnto y e sea of Rome as a place to iudge al mē but to be iudged of none In y e yere c. 338. Chron. Ioan. Tit. 2.9.6 cap. placuit Pope Stephan the fyrst decreed that whatsoeuer statutes y e church of Rome maketh they ought of al men necessarily to be obserued In the yere c. 361. Gratianus Dist. 19. Enimuero Pope Nicolas the fyrst decreed that the Popes lawes and letters shuld bee of equall authoritie w t the holy Scriptures In the yere of our Lord. 871. Anselmus Rid ▪ That same decree is also attributed but falsely to Pope Anacletus which liued c. 101. Chron. germ Pope Calicte the seconde made a decree that it is not lawfull for any man to dissent frō the church of Rome For sayth he as the Sonne came to do y e will of the father so must Christen men do the will of their mother whiche is the church of Rome In the yeare c. 1120. Dist. 12. Non decet Pope Marcellus ordayned that from that time forward a generall councell shuld be of no authoritie except the bishop of Rome do affyrme and allowe the same In the yere of our Lord. 304. Lib ▪ Concil Polyd. Vergil Dist. 17 Synodū This decree also is ascribed to pope Iulius the fyrst Ioan ▪ Laziardus Pope Clement ordained that no man should be frendly vnto
Iginius made a decree that no Archbishop shuld condemne his suffragane but in the syghte and hearing of other suffraganes and bishops of the same prouince In the yeare c. 14. Ranulphus Cestrensis Polichron Pope Theodorus ordained that no bishop should meddle in the diocesse of any other Byshops but diligently loke to his owne cure In the yeare c. 673. Lib. Concil Christian. Massaeus Pope Siluester instituted y t byshops only should halowe oyle and creame confyrme children In the yere c. 315. Chron. Platina Pope Felix the third appointed that bishops only should halow Churches In the yere c. 486. Volat. Poli. Pantal. Pope Liberius ordayned that no bishop or beneficed mā shuld forsake hys flocke for any persecution or trouble though death should ensue accordyng to thys saying of Christ A good shepeheard geueth hys life for his shepe In the yeare c. 354. Anselmus Ryd Pope Antherus made a decree that a bishop might be remoued frō one bishoprike to another if the necessitye or profite of the congregation so require but yet not without the authority and licence of the Byshop of Rome In the yeare of our Lorde 239. Platina Volat. Lib. concil Pope Pius the first decreed that the commō people should not accuse their bishop nor the shepe their shepeheard For saieth he neither is the disciple aboue his maister nor the seruaunte aboue his lord In the yere of our lorde 147. lib. Con. Pope Nicolas the first ordained that bishops should not entangle themselues with worldlye businesses nor apply their minds to feates of warre but geue their whole mind to the study of holy Scriptures to preaching and to prayer In the yeare of our Lorde 871. Quest. 23 ▪ cap Reprehensibile Pope Iohn the xxiii decreed that bishops should not geue their mindes to hunting In the yere c. 1409. Dist. 34. Cau. Quorundam Pope Eugenius the first ordained that bishops should haue persons to punish such priestes as offend In the yeare of our Lorde 650. Volat. Chron. Grat. Doc. Barnes Pope Eugenius also commaunded that bishops in their Diocesse shoulde diligently prouide that there might be learned scholemaisters to trade vp the Christen youthe in good letters and liberall artes Ex sinodo Eugenii Lib. Concil Pope Anacletus made a lawe that Bishops should perseuer and continue styll stedfaste and diligente in settyng forth the truth of Gods word thoughe neuer so great trouble folow of it For saith he blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse In the yeare of our Lorde 101. Dist. 43. Scimus Ioannes Hus whome the bloudy papistes notwithstandyng the Emperours safe conduct most cruelly brente vnto ashes at the councell of Constāce where as some write were gathered together iii. M.ix C. and xl prelates and their Uicares affirmed opēly and constantlye that it is not lawfull for ecclesiastical persons to haue any temporall iurisdiction In the yere of oure Lorde 1415. Aeneas Siluius Plat. Christ. Massaeus Pope Paschalis beyng Bishoppe of Rome there was a Councell holden at Aquisgranum in the which it was ordayned that no Ecclesiasticall persōs shuld weare any sumptuous garmēts nor rings or ouches vpō their fingers but byshops only yea and that at suche times only as they say masse and be in their Pontificalibus In the yeare c. 827 Christ. Massae Lib. Concil The Councel Aureliane decreed that euery byshop in hys diocesse shoulde to the vttermost of hys power make prouisiō for such poore of y e same as haue not wherof to fynde thēselues Again as are sycke and so weake that they ar not able to labour for their liuing Dist 82. Cau. Episcopus In the Councell Toletane the thirde it was enacted that at all bishops and priestes tables there should be no idle talke nor telling of wanton tales but reading hearing and talking of the holy Scriptures Lib. Concil The forme of the Othe which the Popyshe Byshoppes vse at the tyme of their consecration as it is specifyed in the Popes decretalles De iuramento C. Ego I. N. Byshop frō this houre foreward shall be faythfull to s. Peter and to the holy Apostolique Church of Rome and to my Lord. N. the pope and to his successours that enter in according to the rule of the Canons I shall not bee neither in councel nor in dede that he shuld lose his life or membre or otherwyse be euil entreated The councell which eyther by himself or by letters or by any messanger he shal open vnto me I shall declare it to no mā vnto his hindraunce The papacie of the Churche of Rome and the rules of the holy Fathers I shall be an helper to defende and to mayntaine my order being safe against al mē Being called vnto any Sinode or coūcell I shall come except I haue a lawful let The legate of the Apostolique sea whom I shal knowe to be certain I shal honourablye entertayne both at his comming and at hys departure or going away The churches of the Apostles at Rome I shal visite euery yere eyther by my self or by some sure messanger except I obtayne licence of the holy Father to the contrarye So God helpe me these holy Gospels of God After thys there was inuented and receaued a newer forme and māner of an othe whiche the Byshops at theyr consecration sware to the pope both larger and more to the purpose to stablyshe and defende the tirannye of the Romish Bishop In thys newer and later othe are these wordes contayned The papacie of Rome and the Regal or prince like honoure and dominions of S. Peter I shalbe an helper to retayne and to defende agaynste all men The lawes the honoures the priuileges and the authoritye of the Churche of Rome and of our Lorde the Pope and of hys successoures I shall to the vttermoste of my power laboure to conserue to defende to encrease and to aduaunce Neyther shall I bee in councell in deede or in affayres wherein any sinister or preiudiciall thynges of persons lawe honoure state and power shall be imagined and deuysed agaynst that our Lorde Pope or against that Churche of Rome and if so bee I know suche thynges to bee handled deuysed or procured of any person or persons I shall hynder and lette it to the vttermoste of my power and so soone as is possible with all conueniente speede I shall sygnifye it and make it knowen to the same oure Lorde the Pope or to some other by whome it maye come to hys knowledge The rules of the holy Fathers the decrees the ordinaunces the sentences or iudgementes the dispositions the preseruations the prouisions and the Apostolique commaundements I shall obserue with all my power and cause them also to be obserued of other heretikes Schismatikes and all suche as rebell and stryue agaynste our Lord the Pope or hys successoures I shal to the vttermoste of my power
will number them amonge suche as are borne onelye to consume the good frutes of the earth Partelye that other seyng thys my trauaile dedicate to youre Lordeshippe maye be the more allured and prouoked vnto the readyng of this treatise and so at the laste learne to discerne good from euill sweete from soure light from darkenesse truth from falshode Religion from superstition Christe from Antichrist God from Baal c. and from hence forth serue the Lorde oure GOD not as blynde reason fantasieth and filthy fleshe imagineth but as Goddes worde pre●cribeth that is to saye in holynesse and ryghteousnesse all the dayes of oure lyfe that after the shorte pilgrimage of this oure frayle lyfe we maye attayne and come vnto that blessed immortall life where he reygneth whiche is the true and perfecte lyfe namelye Christe Iesus the Sonne of the lyuing GOD as concernyng hys Godhead and the Sonne of the blessed Uirgine Marye as touchyng hys manhoode our alone Sauioure and Redemer oure alone Mediatoure and Aduocate oure alone Lawful fille● and peace maker our alone health and eternall felicitye in whome and from whome I wishe vnto your honourable Lordeshippe all good thynges both of body and mynde Amen From Cauntorbury the sixte of Iune In the yeare of oure Lorde 1563. Septemb. 30. The Reliques of Rome Of the Pope and of his vsurped power and fayned authoritie POpe Boniface the third thorowe great and earnest sute although many good and Godly learned men resisted hym in thys behalfe vtterly condemning this his ambition and Luciferlike pride in exalting and lifting vp himselfe aboue his fellowe Byshops and chalenging vnto hym y t Supremacie and authoritie which the holy Scripture in no place geueth him neither had any of his predecessours y e Byshops of Rome tofore enioyed the same nor once desyred it but rather both written and spoken against such vsurped power as we may see in the writings of Pope Gregorye the fyrste against Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople whiche attempted the lyke wicked enterprise but was resisted to Phocas the Emperour at the last obtayned of hym that he and his successours for euer after should be taken for y e chiefe byshop and supreme head of the vniuersall Church of Christ throughoute the worlde and y t the Church of Rome from that daye foreward should be called and so admitted and receaued the chiefe and principall head Church of y e whole world Againe that the Church of Rome should be in subiectiō to none other Church but that al Churches vniuersall shuld be obedient and in subiection vnto it For vntil that time the Church of Constantinople was counted the highest and of greatest authoritie bicause of the imperial see in that city This thing was brought to passe about the yeare of our Lord .vi. C.vii. Flatina Christianus Massaeus Henricus Pantaleon Paulus Dia●onus Anselmus Rid. Polichronicon Albertus Krantz Abbas vrspergēsis Hermannus Contractus c This Phocas as histories make mētion was a great and cruell tyraunt by force violence obtayned the Empyre And that he myght the more quietlye enioye it he wrought not onely treason against his Lord and Maister that was Emperour before him called Mauritius a mā both noble vertuous but he also most shamefully and traytorously slewe hym not onely him but al his children also y t none of his flocke might lyue to make any clayme to the Emperiall Crowne after him A Tyraunt mete to set vp the tiranny of the Byshop of Rome contrary to y e worde of God and the determination of the auncient Cannons But thys trayterous murtherer receaued a iuste reward of thys his tirannye For as he vniustlye slewe so was he most iustly slayne As he deposed his Lord and Master so was he deposed put down As he against al right toke away the Empire frō his Lord so was it againe taken a way from him As he suffered none of his masters children to liue so dyed he without childrē one doughter only excepted Loke with what measure he mette vnto his lorde and master with the same was he paid home again sauing that his death was more vilanous and shameful than the death of his master For thys tyraunte after he had reygned certayne yeares had fyrst of all his handes and his feete cut of afterward bicause he had bene a famous and notable adulterer his priuy membres with his heade were cut of also As for the residue of his bodye was burnt to ashes An ende worthye such a tirant Zonaras Paulus Vuarnefridus Ioannes Monachus Paulus Diaconus Ioannes Cuspinianus Sebastianus Frank. Pope Benet the seconde obtayned of the Emperour Constantine that the Bishop of Rome for euer after should be taken of all men for Christes true vicar in earth and saint Peters lawful successor This Pope also broughte it to passe that the bishop of Rome only should be called Pope that is to say the father of fathers For before that time all Bishoppes generallye were called Popes it maye be gathered of diuerse writers In the yere of oure Lorde si●e hundred .lxvii. Anselmus Ryd Achilles Perminius Sebastianus Franck. c. Pope Vigilius as they fayne made a decree with the consente of his adherents that the Sea of Rome shoulde be taken for the head and maistresse of al churches thorowout the worlde In the yere c. v. C. xxxv according to the doctrine of these two verses Dogmate papali datur simul ac imperiali vt sim cunctarum mater caput ecclesiarū That same decree also made Pope Simplicius as they write in the yere of our Lorde 471. Moreouer the papistes go forth and say that when Pope Siluester was Bishop of Rome Constantine the Emperour did exalte and aduance the Sea of Rome that he gaue vnto it not only an ecclesiasticall but also an Imperiall power appoynting the church of Rome to be the chief church through out y e world to haue autority rule preeminence no lesse ouer those foure principall Churches Antioch Alexandria Cōstantinople and Hierusalē than ouer al other churches cōtayned vnder the heauens Agayn y t the bishop of Rome should be higher of greter autority than al the bishops and priests of the whole worlde and y t whatsoeuer should be determined concerning matters of religion shuld depend only vpon the popes iugement eyther to be receiued or to be reiected He appointed also as the papistes go forth to lye that the pope should haue fre liberty to weare the apparel either of an emperoure or of a byshop at his pleasure and that he shoulde haue all manner of officers to attend vpon as the Emperours maiesty hath Moreouer the aforesaid Emperor Constantine gaue to Pope Siluester and to his such cessors the city of Rome and al Italye withe the prouinces places and cities of all the weast parts to be S. Peters patrimony for euer addeth furthermore these words
tenour of theyr rule The brethren of thys order heare confessions and preache at hye feastes This order also admitteth Lay brethrē as in many places moe to do their businesse abroade They fayne that thys order was confyrmed of Pope Vrban y e fyft at the commaundement of Christ. In the yeare c. 1353. Volat. Plati Polichron Pol Libro Germ. c. Of the Nunnes of S. Katerines order of Sene. POpe Gregorye the .xi. bearyng rule Katerine of Sene a Dyers daughter refusyng the state of matrimonye tooke vpon her the thyrd order of S. Dominicke or of the Fryer Preachers They say that Christ shuld haue maryed her with a ryng wherein were foure pearles one diamonde taken her harte from her and geuen her hys in steade therof The Nunnes of thys order weare garmentes lyke to the black Fryers Theyr cloke vayle are blacke theyr cote is white In the yeare of oure Lorde .1455 Volat. Lib. Germ. Chron. I passe ouer the Nunnes that be of the Iustinians order of Marye Magdalenes orders of Austens order c which all are wrapped full of superstition and hipocrisye seking their saluation not in Christ thorow fayth but in mens inuentions by folishe and popish workes But let vs heare the Popes pleasure more at large concerning the poore Nunnes Rules concerning all orders of Nunnes POpe Pius the fyrst made a decree that no mayde shoulde be admitted to bee a Nunne or a religious person before she were .xxv. yeres of age and that shee shoulde be professed and consecrated only vpon the feastful day of the Epiphanye commonly called Twelfday In the yeare of our Lorde 147. Ranulphus Cestrensis Ioannes Stella Phil. Bergom Pope Sother ordained that a Nunne shoulde not handle the towels of the altare nor the Chalice patenne or corporasse clothe nor yet put incense into the senser but that shee shoulde alwayes weare a vayle vppon her head and a wymple vnder her chynne In the yeare of oure Lorde 168. Polichron Chron. Ang. c.. Pope Gregorye the fyrst ordayned that no man shoulde frequent the monasteries of Nunnes again he forbad that Nunnes shoulde be Godmothers to children In the yeare c. 590 Chron. Ioan. Stella Pope Leo the fyrste made a decree that none shuld be made a Nunne except shee were founde to haue lyued afore continentlye and honestly by the space of .xl. yeres In the yere c. 444. Phil. Bergom Pope Gregorye the eyght made a decree y t no man should once be so hardye as to take a Nunne out of her cloyster In the yeare of our Lorde 1186. Tom. 1. Concil Of the Monasticall apparell IN times paste whē with most earneste diligence I searched for the originall beginning of the monasticall or monkish apparel and could by no meanes finde any thing thereof in writing at the laste I repaired vnto the paynters in y e entries porches of y e friers wher for y e most part a mā may se y e historyes of both testamentes paynted liuely setforth in colours I sought for the matter diligently And when in al the olde testament I could not fynde any of the Patriarches or of the priests or of the Prophetes or of the Leuites no nor yet Helias hymselfe whom notwithstandyng the Carmelites or white friers make their Patrone fyrste founder of their Religion to weare a coule and to be clad with Monkysh apparel● I went streyghtwayes vnto the newe testament There I founde Zacharye Simeō Iohn Baptist Iosephe Christ the Apostles the Disciples y e Scribes the Pharesees the Byshops Annas Cayphas Herode Pilate and manye other but no where coulde I fynde or perceaue the coule or monkysh habite Examining once again more diligently euen from the beginnyng al singular things out of hande euen at the very beginning of the historye in a manner the deuill appeared shewed himself clad in a coule euē y e very same deuil y t tēpted Christ in y e deserte or wildernesse I was excedīg glad reioyced beyond al measure y t I had found y t in picture which I could neuer find afore in scripture I meane that the deuill was the first author inuentor and finder out of the coule and Monkishe habite of whom afterward I thinke verely the other Monkes and Fryers borowed their coules and disgysed apparell set forth in diuerse colours some white some blacke some graye some russet some blewe some blouncket c. or elles paraduenture they receaued and tooke the same as lefte vnto them for inheritaunce from the deuill their father Cornelius Agrippa de incertitudine vanitate scientiarum Of Temples or Churches POpe Siluester bearing rule Constantine the Emperour built diuerse Churches for the Christians gaue other libertie so to do to the end that so many as professe Christ might openly and without any feare come together to praye prayse God to heare the readyng and Preachyng of the holy Scriptures to receaue the blessed Sacramentes and to occupye themselues in suche Godly and vertuous exercises as God requyreth of them in hys Sacred worde For vnto that tyme the Christians were so extremelye persecuted of tyrauntes that they had no certayne publyque place to repare vnto but so many as professed Christ assembled themselues together priuatelye and praysed God in hollowe caues and dennes for the feare of the vnfaythfull as Laurentius Valla sayeth in hys booke de donatione Constantini In tymes paste sayeth he before the dayes of Constantyne the greate the Christians had no Temples but secrete and close places holye lyttle houses but no greate and gorgious buyldynges Chappelles no Temples Oratoryes within priuate walles no publyque and open Churches In the yeare of our Lord. 315. Ranulphus Cestrensis ▪ Valla. Westmerus Pope Iginius ordayned that the Temples or Churches shoulde be halowed withall solemnitye and that no Churche shoulde be halowed without a Masse agayne that Churches should be made neyther greater nor smaller without the consent of the Metropolitane In the yeare of our Lord. 143. De Consecr Dist. 1. Cap. Omnes Basiliae Eusebius Sabell Phil. Bergom c. An admonition to the Reader HEre must I warne thee moste gentle Reader of the craftye iuglynges of the Papistes which whē they haue once inuented of theyr idle brayne with out the authoritye of Goddes worde a balde and lousye ceremonie or a wicked and a superstitious lawe streyghtwayes father the same vppon some Godly auncient and learned Byshop that by thys meanes it maye be of the more force and of the greater authoritye with men and the more easlye disceane the people Of thys their practyse here haste thou an euident example They set forthe in their deuilyshe decrees wicked writinges that this holy Byshop Iginius commaunded the halowyng of Churches when many yeares after as thou hast tofore ▪ heard the Christiās had no Churches but secretly assembled themselues together in corners in priuate houses in
penaūce And Pope Innocent the fourth hath graunted to all the brethrē of the same Faternitie pardon of all sinnes forgotten of all vowes brokē except the vowe vnto the holy land at their latter ●nd remission forgeuenesse of all their sinnes A paena culpa so that to euery brother sister of that Fraternitie being cōfessed absolued their cōfessour may well say on thys manner as it is specified in the printed pardon ▪ Iohn or Ioan ▪ as free I make thee As heart may thinke or eye may see Of this pardon it is also thus written Omnibus in annis qui turbāt iura Ioannis Ter execrantur damnati iure probantur THe pardō graūted to the Fraternity of s. Cornelis at Westminster for such as geue any thynge vnto it cōmeth in y e yere to MM vii C. ix dayes for euer to endure graūted by the holy father in god Thomas of the title of S Cecily Cardinall priest of Rome and Legate Archebyshop of Yorke and Chauncelour of England c. and of diuerse other Cardinalles and Bishops Certayne Popes of Rome haue committed and geuen authoritie power to Priestes hauyng cure and charge of soules to absolue their ghostly childrē and parishioners the whiche be brethrē or sistern to y e holy Fraternitie of the sepulchre of our Lord Iesu Christ of all sinnes and crimes either confessed or forgotten of penance not well done Also of vsurye rapine pollynge and pyllyng extortion or other good euell gotten excepte they knowe to whom they ought to make restitution they are absolued And of all manner of offences done to father and mother if they were not done w e laying handes on thē with violence Also the sentence of cursyng done vnknowingly also of of vowes broken the vowe of Ierusalem signed with the crosse in the body and the vow of Religion with solemnitye professed onely excepted Also priestes and Clarkes that haue made any offence in saying their seruice Also the aforesayd holy Fathers haue graunted to the brethren and sistern of the sayd place the Stations of Rome and the indulgences of the pilgrimages of the holy lande whiche sūme of indulgence is lxxx M. yeres of pardō Also our holy father Vrban the fourth of that name hath giuen graunted to all brethern and sisterne of the sayd Fraternitie at the trāslation of Saint Swithein and at the Octaues of the same and at the Natiuitye of our Lorde the Octaues of the same and vpon good Fryday vpon Easter day with the Octaues of the same to be released of the seuenth part of their penaunce foure yeares and foure Lentes of pardon Our sayd holy father willeth also that they that be brethern and sisterne of the said Fraternitie haue ecclesiasticall sepulture without deniall of whatsoeuer death they chaūce to die except they be opēly and by name excommunicate To the Fraternitie or brothehoode of S. Erasmus beside y e deliueraunce of many soules out of y e bitter paynes of purgatorye with innumerable indulgences pardons for them y t be alyue are graunted fiue special gifts singulare benefites Fyrst he shal haue reasonable goodes to his liues ende Secondly his enemies shal haue no power on him Thirdly what lawfull peticion he asketh of God shal be graunted him Fourthly he shall be vnbounde of his tribulation and disease Fyftly at his laste end he shal receaue the blessed body of oure Sauioure Christ Iesu in fourme of bread to his saluation by the gracious prayer peticion of this blessed Martyr S. Erasmus Al these pardōs indulgences priuileges giftes benefites shal al they haue y t geue any part or porcion of their goodes to y e vpholding and maintaining of the holy place of S. Erasmus Many other raggemans roules could I here haue placed which contayne also innumerable pardons infinite indulgences great giftes singulare priuileges wonderfull liberties maruelous deliuerances spedy remedies of soules out of purgatorye c but these may seme to suffice at thys presēt For hereof mayest y u euidentlye perceaue what reliques we haue receaued from Rome what good stuffe the popyshe pardoners haue broughte vs in tymes paste frō y e moste holy father or rather frō y e romish Antichrist al for money Do what thou wilte liue as y u wilte if money come y u art out of hande made cleane and absolued frō all thy synnes A paena culpa toties quoties art made as pure faultlesse as y u were in time of thy baptisme so y t now by the vertue of these pardons thou mayest boldelye stand before y ● iudging place of Christ and be free from y e sentence of damnation and in fine be made fellow heyre with Christ of euerlasting saluation But if thou wilte haue the true pardon and remission of thy synnes and be deliuered A paena culpa toties quoties take thys order Fyrst repent thee of thy former lyfe Secondly flee vnto God the Father in the name of hys derely beloued Sonne Christ Iesu our alone Sauioure and Redemer crauyng at his handes with stronge faith mercy and forgeuenesse of thy synnes Thyrdelye take a newe life vnto thee euer desyring strengthe from aboue to walke dayly more and more in the holy wayes of Goddes moste holy lawe If thou do thys doubt thou not but y t thou shalt haue abundauntly vnto the great consolation and comforte of thy soule remission of all thy synnes quietnesse of conscience the gift of the holy Ghost Goddes fauoure grace and mercye and after thys transitorye life euerlastyng lyfe with al heauenly ioye and vnoutspeakeable felicitie yea and that without these Antichristians pardons whiche are nothyng ells than nets for mony deceauings of y e people defacyng of Christes death obscuryngs of Gods free grace very spurres vnto all leudnesse of lyfe and a ryght patheway vnto euerlasting dānation Heare what god sayth by y e prophet Come to the waters al ye y t be thirstye and ye y t haue no money Come bye y t ye maye haue to eate Come bye wine milke without any money or money worth Wherfore do you lay out your money for the thing y e fedeth you not spende your labour about the thyng y e satisfyeth you not But harken harkē rather vnto me and ye shal eate of the beste your soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse Enclyne your eares come vnto me take hede I say your soules shal liue c. Are not these the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Come vnto me al ye that laboure and are laden and I shall ease you Agayne Let him that is a thyrst come And let who soeuer will take of the water of lyfe freely and without any money Of thē that wil seke remission of their synnes and pardon of their wicked life or any other spirituall and heauenly gift but only at hys hande
Corpus Christi The beginning of the feast of Corpus Christi The doctrine of the festiual concerning the feaste of Corpus Christi Pardon be longyng to the feast of Corpus Christi Midsommer day The Inuētion of the Crosse. The exaltacion of the Crosse. The transfiguration of oure Lorde The doctrine of the festiuall Thassmu●ion of our Lady Michelmasse day Dedicatiō daye or Churche holy day The feaste of al saint● The feaste of al soules The beginnyng of the feast of all Soules The cōceptiō and presentatiō of mary with the feastes of Aun● Ioseph Fraunces The visitacion of Marye Candelmasseday The feasts of the foure Euangelistes and of the foure Doctours Sonday A godlye lawe and worthy to be obserued This godly decree is s●lenderly obserued in Englande A generall rule for holy dayes The cōceptiō of mary The Annunciation of Mary The visitatiō of mary The beginning of saintes making Dominik● Fraunces Anthonye de padua Fryers Elizabeth ▪ Saintes Clara Peter Marter Stanislaus Saintes Lewes byshop of Colossa T●of Aquine Thomas byshop of Hereforde Saintes Bernardine the Grayfrier sainted Uincent Edmunde● Osmunde saintes Katerine sainted Iuo a saint Bonauenture a saint Bernarde a saint Heliopolde a saint Hughe of Lincolne a saint Hedwigis a saint Brigit a saint Vuolfgang a saint Iohn Gaulbert a saint Hughe the Monke a saint Lewes King of Fraunce a saint Edmund Peter de verona sainted Nicolas de Toleto a saint Pope Celestine a saint Charles y e great sainted Fraunces a sainte Thomas Becket sainted Of Beckettes translation Note A new idol set vp Becket the popes martyr saint A lousye saint an vnclenly Beckets penaunce very homely None saintes but such as the pope admi Swarmes of saintes The popes Sainctes ☜ Reliques set out to sale Reliques honoured Sainctes bones honored with Masses Hands of Shrines A good and godly acte but not profitable for the Popes market The anaūce● of Pilgrimages Pilgrimages ma●e not be hindred Pilgrimes may not be euill entreated Gregorye the firste a greate promoter of pardons Popes pardons nets for money and allurements vnto vice The ye●●● of Iubile A prophecye The yeare of Iubile altered ☞ Stations Christes natles worshipped Greate giftes for so litle labour Pardon beades Stringing of beades Note these scholepoīts The fyue Pardons beades The pardō that belōg to y e ●eads Bostō pardon Ghostly father Uowes chaunged Seruice neglected pardoned An ante di● The chappel of Scal● caeli Purgato●● White meates Fleshe Buriall Large promises They al at ●ow by the word of god brought to nought according to 〈◊〉 prophecy of christ Euery plāt that my heauenly ●ather hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the rootes The price of y e pardon The pardō of s Trinitye of hoūdeslowe Pardōs innumerable and good cheape ▪ Graciously considered Pardon of the Austen Friers Burton Lazare ▪ The pardō of Sainet Mary of ●unciuall ☞ Giue and it shall be giuen to you Giue money and the smoke of Rome shall be giuē to you The pardō of Saint Iohn of Beuerlay ☞ The pard●● of Saint Cornelis at We●●minster The sepulchre pardon̄ S. Erasmus pardon Fiue special giftes Money is the Marchant in all the popes affayres What is to be done that wee may haue true pardō What the popes pardons are Esay lv Math. xi Apoc. xxii Iere. ii Psal. xi The inuetour of the popes purgatory is not knowē The studie of Sathan The true purgatorye is y e bloud of Christ. The popes purgatorye diuersely maintained Where purgatorye is Luke xv The varietye of papists in placing of purgatorye The tormentes of Purgatory 1. Cor. iii. Psal. 66. Dist. 7. cap. Nullus ☞ Serm. 41. de animabus What most greuous paynes there are in Purgatory Example Howe is this proued The infinite multitude of soules in Purgatorye ☜ Iob. xix Remedies deuised by the papists agaynst the tormē●s of Purgatory The churches Church militant Church trinu●phant Church expectant Prayer for soules in Purgatory ☞ Prayer almosse Fasting pilgrimage pardons and Masses deliuer soules out of Purgatorye The profit of euerye Masse The doctrine of the festiuall cōcerning soules in Porgatory Of prayer for soules A narratiō A straunge sight Well proued substauncially of Almosse deedes for soules A narratiō Of Masses for soules ▪ ☜ A narratiō An other narration prodicious wōderful The great vertue of the masse Ten remedies to deliuer soules out of purgatorye Candles Sensing of the altare Sprinckeling of holy water Prayer for the dead Oblations for y e soules departed Fastinges ▪ watchings c. Q. xiii c. ii Animae Paying the dets of the dead Offering vp of bread and wine Fulfilling of y e deades penaunce The celebration of masses A narratiō Monstri simili Missa wherof it is deriued The vertues of the masse ☞ A fond fansye of the papistes Spedy deliueraunce of soules out of purgatorye Note this tale All is not golde that glistereth A trentall of Masses and what they are Trinities of Masses The .xii. vertues of the masse Psal. 9● Luke xxiii Luke vii ☞ ☜ Math. vii The vertues of the masse out of y ● Festiual The vertue of the masse out of Stella Clericorum No coūcell of force without y e consent of the Pope Al bishops must be at a general councell A good an● necessary deuice Sene twice in the yere ☜ No coūcell lauful with out the consent of the Pope What is to be done if matters cānot be quietly cōposed in y e lesser Sinodes Appeare or elsaccursed The authoritie of the popes decrees Popes decrees equal w t the word of God All thinges ar subiect to the pope Popeiudge of al ▪ iudged of none ☜ A lawful general coūcel is abou● the pope The preeminence of the pope Heretikes banished Heretikes put to death by the secular power The temporall offices the ●opyshe Byshops butchers Ioan. viii ☜ Fraunces Martyrs Of the state of the faithful after this life Heretikes expelled out of the Churche A good law Note well The cōpanie of Heretikes is to be eschued auoyded The great councell Laterane Heretikes condemned to be committed to the seculer powers so put to death Priests degraded Prieste● goodes Laye men● goodes Suspect of heresie The temporall rulers sworn to roote out heretikes Note O tyranny A newe kinde of Heresie Heresiarch ▪ Dead men excommunicate The company of heretiques is to be eschued Understād by heretikes all suche as in anye point resiste the pope or his decrees No cōpany with excōmunicate persons Ioan. Ep. ii Spoylers of y e church excommunicate A good a godly law ☞ The names of excōmunicate persons published One excōmunicate person may not excommunicate an other Hinderers of pilgrimages or spoylers of pilgrimes accursed Smiters of byshops or priestes ▪ spoylers or burners of churches accursed Spoylers of pilgrimes Chaplens ▪ Clarkes monks c ▪ accursed Disobediēt to bishops accursed This pope mitigateth y ● rigor of y e ecclesiastical censure A frendly decree Thys is wicked Neither ba●●el better her ring The pope deposeth Princes Practise ▪ Destroyers of Abbeies excommunicate Preachers not authorised by the Pope or some bishop accursed No man ought to be excōmunicate before his matter be knowē Paiment of tythes ☞ The penaunce of him that hath slayne his mother What opinion of mariage had this Pope thinke ye A Pope more reasonable Note how loth the Popes are to go from their olde Mumsimꝰ A foolishe diuine of so wise a head 1. Cor. vii The penaunce of them that are negligent about the Sacrament of the Altare Beholde hys curiositye ☜ The penāce of the Clergy cōuicte of great fauts Penaunce dispensed with Penaunce enioyned of the ghostly Father A rule for penaunce A greate priuilege A reasonable order Note thys well Ioan. xi Sed perquā●egulam A decree not to be despised Absolution must be receaued knelyng Pope The colledge of Cardinals Holy lande Holy crosse Bishops Abbot● pr●ours mōks Chanons Friers nūnes c. Curates ▪ Persons Uicares Priestes Clarks c. The king Quene c. Duke Earles Barōs c Parisheners True tithers Tillers Shipmen Marchāts Benefactors of the Churche Pilgrimes and Palmers Sicke persons Women in our Ladies bondes The holye bread giuer Prayeng for soules departed The three estates of holy church The generall sētence red foure tymes in the yeare What cursing is Enemies to holy church are fyrst accursed as most greuous offendours ▪ ☜ ☞ In Popish Churches all thynges are in Latib besydes surfyng ☞ A Caueat What this word curs● signifyeth Two manner of curses The lesser curse ☜ The more curse Note ☜ Wakings Reasons why the sacramental wine is not reserued in churches as y e sacramentall bread is Buriall The order of halowing churches The vertue of holy water The order of halowing altares The popes power The pope is Melchizedech Ioan i Psa cxlviii ▪ Gene xix Exod. vii Ioan ii ▪ Miracles This man for lacke of scripture to proue hys popysh trāsubstantiation fleeth to carnall reasons fleshly similitudes as al other papistes doe A wise reason and a cupstantial 4 Reg. iiii The ●biqu●●ty of christs bodye The monstrous and vnreasonable doctrine of transubstantiation Fabula sin● capite An homely shifte and a soule Corin. xii Why y e host is lifted vp aboue the priests head Phil ii Rom x Amōstrous kinde of doctrine Chebbiquity of christ●● bodye The signe of the crosse helpeth forward transubstātiatiō ☜ What is to be done if gods bloud be frosen in the chalice An h●e point in a lowe house i. Corin. ii Titus i. Sacramentes iustifye after the doctrine of the papists Howe the sacrament is to be eaten The masse excelleth al prayses done to god Mary ledeth to heauen Prayer vnto Marye the Uirgin Suffrages of saintes Fasting Crosse. Confirmation or smering of the infantes forehead The greate vertue of cōfirmation Note Mary oure intercessour Three degrees of soules Soules maruelouslye good Soules maruelously euill Soules meanely euill Soules in purgatorye knowe what is done for thē in thys worlde Soules in heauen know what is done here
Christe in his members than he was in tymes paste The aduersaries of Gods truth haue no delight nor pleasure in heauenly and spirituall thyngs but like bellie beastes only borne to consume the good frutes of the earth they desire and seke after nothyng but the thynges of this world that their sonnes as the Psalmographe sayth may grow vp as the younge plantes and that their doughters maye be as the polyshed corners of the temple that their garners maye be full and plenteous with all manner of store ▪ that their shepe may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in their stretes that their Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no decay no leding into captiuitie and no complayning in their stretes If all thinges go well and prosperously with them then are they mery and diligently offer sacrifice to to their God the belly But if any aduersity come then knitte they the forehead and worke their malice vpon Gods word and the faithfull professours of the same The worde they call heresie erroure doctrine new and straunge seditious and cause of rebellion of all other plages wherwith the commō weale is afflicted The professoures of thys worde they blaspheme they ●aile vpon they curse with booke bell candle they excommunicate they apprehende they accuse they condemne they stocke they cheane they manacle ▪ they racke and in fine they most cruelly with sweard fyre and halter brynge them vnto an ende so farre is it of that these Epicures and bellygods do as they ought render thankes to God for his corporall benefites so richely poured vpon them and vpon other his creatures Now as touching the spiritual benefites and heauenly giftes of the minde as the knowledge of the holy scriptures the vnderstanding of the Lordes blessed will the preaching of the Gospel the true administration of the Sacramēts the abolishment of all false worshippings superstitions c. wherwith God in this our age hath most mercifully blessed vs ▪ far passing many other nations that be vnder the heauens as these wise wicked worldlinges knowledge not the benefits of the body nor yet are thanckfull to God for them so likewise are they altogether vnthanckfull for the gifts of the minde whiche do so far excel the other as gold surmoūteth coper or siluer tynne For lyke as Owles cā not abyde the golden and glysteryng beames of the Sunne nor the light of y e day so in lyke māner cā not these bellygods and Antichristes slaues suffer the glorious and pleasaunt light of Christes most glorious and pleasaunt Gospel They crye out with the wicked of whō the Prophet maketh mētion on thys manner Se not Loke not out right thynges for vs but speake fayre wordes vnto vs. Loke out erroures Get you out of this way Depart out of this pathe and turne the holy one of Israel frō vs. In the trifling traditiōs ▪ croked constitutions idle inuētiōs drousy dreames deuilish decrees false fables fond fantasies of mē is theyr whole delight as for the sincere pure religion of God that they vtterly neglect set at nought cōtēne despise And if for shame they seme to approue alowe any part therof yet they do so māgle it bring it in captiuitie to the traditiōs of mē that it looseth the sincere simplicitie simple sinceritie whiche it receaued of the holye Ghost Some of thē are not ashamed so to diminish the authoritie of Gods sacred scriptures that they affirme the word of God to be so far the worde of God as the Church doth allowe it meaning the pope his spiritual shauelinges as though God gaue vs in his holy Scriptures an vnperfecte doctrine and not sufficiently authorised of him without the consent of Antichrist of hys broode Is not this to set God to schole and to make him a Nouice So should it follow that the word of God is grounded on the Church not the Churche on the worde of God Is not this right Antichrist that should turne y e rootes of trees vpwarde Christ saith speaking of his Church My shepe heare my voyce Againe he that is of god heareth the wordes of god Itē Euery one that is of y e truth heareth my voice And the holy Apostle saith speaking to the faithfull congregation of God Ye are no straungers and forreyners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christe hymselfe beyng the head corner stone in whome what buyldyng soeuer is coupled together it groweth vnto an holye temple in the Lorde The worde of God is not buylte vpon men althoughe neuer so holye and perfect neyther receaueth it any authoritie of mā although of neuer so greate excellencie wysedome and power but such as are the congregation of God are built vpon the worde of God whatsoeuer authoritie they haue euerye one in their degree and office they haue it altogether of Gods worde without the whiche word there can be no Church for asmuch as there cā be no faith as the Apostle saith Faith cōmeth by hearing and hearing commeth by the worde of God so farre is it of that either pope or Cardinall or anye other person hath any power to geue authoritie to the worde of God whiche already is authorized by the most hygh and supreme power euen God himselfe Some obiect olde and aūcient customes affirming that this our religion as they terme it new and straunge dissēteth in order and vsage greatly from the manner heretofore practised in our temples I graunt neither can the sinceritie of Gods worde suffer and abyde such olde vnsauory croked customes as heretofore haue bene vsed in the popish Religion as the coniuring of salte water bread bowes flowers fire ashes cādles c. creping to the crosse worshipping of Images calling vpon dead Sainctes sensing of altares Idols praying in a straūge tong offering the missall sacrifice for the quicke and for the dead receauyng of the Sacrament vnder one kind with a thousand moe errours and heresies and other greuous abuses which of longe vsage and custome in tymes past haue bene exercised among vs taken for true Godlynesse But who knoweth not ▪ that custome ought to geue place to reason and truth for reason and truth exclude alwaye put out of place custome be it neuer so olde and auncient laudable and commendable Christ is the truth therfore ought we rather to followe the truth than the custome If thou lay to our charge custome sayth S. Gregorye Thou must marke what the Lorde saith I am saith he the way the truth and the life He sayd not I am the custome but I am the truth Custome without truth saith Saint Cyprian is nothing els thā an olde errour Therfore leauing the error let vs followe the truth When the truth is once come to light saith Saint Austen let custome geue place For who doubteth that
we kylled al the day lōg and are counted as shepe appointed to be slayne As I may among many touche one Ecclesiastical history What shall I speake of the vnhappye time of that most vnhappy and wicked heritike Arrius Although the Fathers of the councell Nicene did iudge truly rightly according to the doctrine of the holy Scripture of the true euerlasting diuinitie or Godhead of Christ the Sonne of God Yet not long after that wicked heresie of Arrius dyd so preuaile and take roote in the heartes of men that it was not receaued only in one realme or two but also Pope Liberius Bishop of Rome with the Emperoure and all the East parte of the world admitted that most damnable heresie to be most sounde and wholesome doctrine persecuting most cruelly al such as defended the cōtrary whereof was a very little number as Athanasius Paulinus and verye fewe other Byshops whiche by no meanes would geue place to so great furour and madnesse although most miserably entreated In a Councell also holden at Nice a great nūber of Byshops with other gathered there together consented to disanull and put away the mariage of Priestes or spirituall ministers contrary to the practise of gods Churche from the begynning and contrary to the doctrine of the holy ghost which saith Wedlocke is honourable among all men and the bed vndefiled for what purpose I knowe not nor with what reasōs persuaded am I able to say Notwithstanding the holy and blessed Confessour Pahnutius although vnmaried withstood them all and by no meanes would consent vnto theyr entreprise and deuise but franckely and freely confessed that the mariage of Ministers is honourable and that it is chastitie for a man to lye with his owne wyfe By thys meanes he persuaded the councel that they proceded no further in this matter but sette euerye man at hys lyberty to marrye or not to marrye Whoe seeth not nowe howe foolyshe a thynge it is and muche vnworthye a Christen man to leane to the multitude whiche for the moste parte is nothynge elles than a beaste of manye heades Seyng we haue euidentlye shewed that the greater parte in matters that appertayne to Christes Religion is alwayes the worsest parte and the lesser parte dothe more earnestlye embrace the truthe of Gods worde so that not withoute a cause Christ calleth his people a litle flocke ▪ Feare not ye lyttle flocke sayeth Christe for it hath pleased my father to geue you a kyngdome Thys therefore is a vayne obiection of the aduersaries to saye We haue the greater number on our syde therefore haue we the truth on our syde For the deuill the worlde and the fleshe haue a greater company attendyng vpon them than Christe hath vpon hym seyng that the greatest parte of this worlde rather embraceth thinges present than with ioye looketh for thinges to come Finallye some can by no meanes fynde in their hearte to approue and allowe that present state of Religion whiche is nowe receaued among vs bicause it greatlye differeth saye they from the old● and accustomed order It is demaunded in what points It is answered In these Fyrste The Byshop of Rome is not knowledged and receaued anye more to be Supreme head of the vniuersall Churche of Christe I aunswere We knowe no Supreme head of the Churche by the worde of God but Christ alone and vnder Christe euery Prince in hys owne Realme Secondly The Sacrament is receaued vnder both kyndes I aunswere So hath Christe commaunded saying Drinke of this all ye Also the Apostle so oft as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of the cup c. Thyrdly The seruice and publique prayer is done in the tēples no more in the latin tong as heretofore but in the common and Englishe speache I answere So hath the custome bene from the beginning in the Church of Christ in al places and is so vsed at this present generally wheresoeuer the Byshop of Rome hath no authoritie And God by his holy Apostle commaundeth vs that in our congregations all thinges should be done to edifie approuing and allowing rather fiue wordes so spokē that they may be vnderstanded than ten thousand otherwise Fourthly All the laudable ceremonies are neglected and set a side as the halowing of salt water bread candles palmes fire ashes c. I aunswere All these are the triflyng traditions of men and haue bene the cause of much Idolatrye and superstition And it is written They worship me in vaine teaching doctrines which are the commaundementes of men Item God is a spirite they that worship hym must worship him in spirite and truth Fiftly Purgatory is denied I answere we know none other purgatorye for the soule but the precious bloud of our Lorde and Sauiour Christe Iesu as it is writtē The bloud of Iesus Christ gods sonne maketh vs cleane frō all sinne Sixtly The Sacrifice of the Masse is vtterly reiected and caste awaye as a pestilence moste hurtfull blasphemous and iniurious to the passion and death of Christ ▪ I answere The word of God teacheth vs in all places that there is no sacrifice for sinne but the death of Christ alone But Christ dreth no more Therfore is there no more sacrifice offered vp for sinne With one only oblation sayth the Apostle hath Christ that euerlasting Byshop made perfecte for euer them that are sanctified Agayn we are sanctified made holye by the offeryng vp of the bodye of Iesu Christ done once for al. Seuenthly The inuocation and intercessiō of Saintes is cleane omitted and left I answere God alone is to be called vpon as he himselfe ▪ commaundeth saying Call on me in the tyme of trouble and I will deliuer thee We knowe by the worde of God no Mediatour no Intercessour but Christ alone as it is written There is one God one Mediatour he sayth not many Mediatoures betwene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ whiche gaue himselfe a raunsome for all men Againe if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the father he sayth not Aduocates Iesus Christe the righteous one And he it is that obtayneth mercy for our sinnes not for our sinnes onely but also for all the worlde Item Christ is on the right hād of God and maketh intercession for vs. He saith not Saintes make intercession for vs. And our sauiour Christ him self sayth Whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he sayth not in the names of the saītes he will geue it you Eyghtly The article of trāssubstantiation is reiected and cast awaye as an errour or heresie I answere The holy Scripture knoweth no suche article neither haue the holy old fathers euer taught or left writtē such doctrine behinde them It is a new and late inuention brought in by the Pope and his adherentes Saint Paule calleth the Sacramentall bread ▪ not onely bread before the consecration but also after the consecration And our Sauiour Christ calleth
If any mā do infringe break transgresse contemne and condemne this our ordinance euerlasting damnation hang ouer his head and the holy and chiefe apostles of God Peter and Paule be his enemies and immortal foes both in this world and in the world to come yea perish mought he in the lowest part of hell and so be damned for euer and euer withe the deuill and all the wicked Furthermore this Emperoure as the Romanists fayne when he hadde made this donation to the Churche of Rome plucked of the imperial crown made of moste fine golde garnished w t all kind of precious stones pearles and iewels from his own heade and set it vpon pope Siluesters pate for the reuerence y t he bare to s. Peter caused y e Romish bishop to be set vpon a costlye richely appareled palfrey to be solemnely caried aboute thorow the citie of Rome in the presence of al y e citizēs y e Emperour himself running on foote like a lacky by the Popes side holding his horses bridle in his hāde as a most vile page These thinges done y e Emperour Constantine departed from the West parts of the world which he had now giuē ouer to Pope Siluester and to his successors for euer to be s. Peters patrimony with all the priuileges emoluments commodities profites of the same and wēt himselfe into y e East partes euen vnto the citie Bizantium which being in great ruine he repared and amplified beautifying it with many noble and sumptuous buildings called it Constantinople according to his name He caried also with him almost al the noble men of the Romanes and the whole order of y e Senatours with their wiues children bicause the pope and his complices as it maye appere shuld haue elboughroume inough as few to trouble his holines as might be In the yere c. 315. Bartolomaeus Picerius de monte arduo Ioānes Laziardus Edic Constant Policronicon c. But how vayne false forged lying and counterfayte this bragging of the papistes is concerning the donation of the emperoure Constantine to the Sea of Rome and the supremacye of that Romishe bishop aboue all other bishops yea aboue Emperors Kings Princes c. diuers faythful learned expert writers do aboundantly testify Nicolaus de causa Laurentius Valla Antoninus Archiep. Florent Volateranus Hieronimus Paulus Cathalanus Albertus Crantzius Huldrichus Huttenus c. But this is the properti of the papists alwaies to father theyr lies theyr idle inuentions theyre drowsye dreames theyr croked constitutions theyr diuelish decrees c. Upon such as liued manye yeares before and vpon suche as were mē in theyr dayes of great learning and vertue that by this meanes theyr trifeling traditions might seme to be of the greter autority in the eies of the simple and vnlearned people so althoughe plaine erroures yet at y e last thorow the colour of antiquity be receiued for moste manifest verities vndoubted truthes Notwithstāding this must we nedes cōfesse which thīg the histories doe also testify that after y e church of Rome was endowed with temporal possessiōs it was euer after more studiouse of y e world thā of god of secular businesse thā of spiritual excercises of outward pomp pride ▪ thā of inward deuotiō christen holines of making their owne traditions and degrees than of setting forth gods holy commaundements lawes of enriching themselues than of edifyinge the flock of Christ so that not without a cause it is written y t what time the Church receaued temporal possessions y e olde enemy cried with a loude voice in y e ayer This daye is poison shed forth into the Church of Christ. Therfore saint Ierome in vitas patrum saith Sithens that holye Church encreased in possessiōs it hath decreased in vertues according to this cōmon saying Religio peperit diuitias Filia deuorauit matrē y t is to say Religion brought forth richesse the daughter hath deuoured the Mother Polichron Moreouer the Papistes fayne that the aforesaid Siluester being Byshop of Rome the councell of Nice gaue thys priuilege to the Byshop of Rome that he should be aboue all other Byshops as y e emperour is aboue al other kings and that he should be called Pope that is to say the chiefe father or the father of fathers But this is so false that nothing can be more contrary to y e truth For in the councel of Nice which was celebrate by the commaundemente of Constantine the Emperour in y e yeare of oure Lorde .iii. C.xxiiii where also wer present and gathered together .iii. C. xviii Bishops and holy fathers it was determined that the Byshops of Alexandria Antiochia and vniuersally all other primates should haue al the gouernance preheminence of al y e countryes that were nere vnto them as y e byshop of Rome had in Italy c. We will say they y t the old custome and manner shal continue in Egipte Libie and Pentapali which is that y e Bishop of Alexandria shal haue gouernaunce and rule ouer all these for tha● there is a lyke custome for y e Byshop of Rome In like manner we wil that at Antioche other prouinces euery one shal haue their due honour Moreouer when Faustinus Legate to the byshop of Rome alleaged in y e sixte councell Cartaginense that the bishop of Rome ought to haue the ordering of al great matters in al places by his supreme authoritie he alleaged no scripture for him for at that tyme no scripture was thought to make for it but he alleaged vntruely the fyrst general councell Nicene in whiche Arrius the heretyke was condemned to make for that purpose Which after y e boke was brought forth no suche article found in it but the contrary yet the councel at that tyme sent to Constantinople Alexandria and Antioche where y e Patriarchall Sees were to haue the true copy of y e Councell Nicene which was sent vnto them also frō Rome whether thei sent also for that purpose And after they found no suche article in it but in the fyrst chapter therof the contrary that al causes ecclesiastical shuld eyther be determined within y e diocesse or els if any wer greued thē to appeale to the Councell prouinciall and there the matter to take full end so that for no such causes men shoulde goe out of there prouince y e whole councell Cartaginense wrote to Celestine at y e tyme being Byshop of Rome that since the councell Nicene had no such article in it as was vntruely alleaged by Faustinus but the contrary they desired hym to abstayne after to make any more such demaunde denouncing vnto him that they woulde not suffer any cause great or smal to be brought by appeale out of their countrey therupon made a lawe that no man shuld appeale out of the countrey of Aphricke vpō paine to be denounced accursed Wherewith the
such as the pope fauoureth not but that he shuld rather eschew them as enemies turne away from them as heathen persons For seing sayeth he that the dead that is to say y e pope abhorreth thē much more y e fete that is all Princes Kyngs Rulers all other kinde of people ought so to do and vtterly deteste them Ioan. Laziardus Pope Clement the fyrst made a constitution that all Emperours kings princes shuld be subiecte to the church of Rome both in spirituall and temporall matters acknowledge the pope to be their head Chron. Ioan. Laziardus Celestinus Pope Sixtus made a decree that if any man wer euill entreated of his Metropolitane it shuld be lawfull for him to appeale vnto the Sea of Rome mother and head of the vniuersall churche of Christ throughout al y e worlde 2. Q 6. Cap. Si quis putauerit Pope Fabian the fyrst ordained that euery mā might lawfully appeale vnto the sea of Rome although sentence wer pronoūced against him In y e yere ▪ c. 242.2 Qu 6. ca. Licet Iac. Phili. Bergō Pope Leo the thyrde made a decree that the decrees of the bishop of Rome should be more regarded set by than al the iudgementes writings bo●●es of the best learned In the yere c. 817. Iacob Phil. Bergom Pope Eugenius the fourth gathered a councel at Florence in the which wer present many great learned men both Grekes and Latines In thys councell it was required of the Grekes and of the Indians that they shuld celebrate the Lordes Supper with vnleuended bread according to the decree of Pope Alexander the fyrst and y t they shoulde graūt y t there is a purgatorie to purge soules after this life agayne that they shuld confesse the bishop of Rome to be the true vicare of Christ the very successour of Peter and the supreme head of Christs church thorowout y e world But they woulde not obey the Popes request but boldly answered that they would continew in the fayth and doctrine whiche their Churches from the beginnyng had receaued of the Apostles In the yeare c. 1433. Ioan. Philip. Bergom Chron. Pope Boniface the eyght vpon a certayn great and solemne feast apparelled in hys Pontificalibus was caried about the citie of Rome on mens shoulders gaue the people large blessings with wagging his fyngers ouer them on euery syde The nexte daye after he put on an imperial robe decking himself like an Emperour and cōmaunded a naked sweard to be borne before him and he himself sitting vpon his moyle gloriously cryed out with a loud voice saying Ecce duo gladij hic Behold here are two sweardes calling himself Lord of the whole worlde concerning both temporal and spiritual matters This is that monsture of whom it is writtē Intrauit vt Vulpes vixit vt Leo moritur vt Canis That is to saye he entred in as a fore he liued as a lyō he dyed as a dogge In the yeare of our Lord. 1290. Albertus Crantzius Fascic Temp. Pantal. Pope Leo the fourth so greatly estemed both himselfe and his authoritye that he offered hys feete vnto princes to be kyssed and honoured In the yere c. 858. Volat. Plat. Pantal. Pope Innocent the thyrd fyrste of all crowned Otho the Emperour and afterward depriued him agayne saying It lyeth in my power both to set vp to plucke down emperours kings and princes at my pleasure For all power is geuen vnto me both in heauen and in earth In the yere of our Lord 1195. Sebast. Frank. Chron. Temton Fasc Temp● Paulus Phrig c. Pope Alexander the thyrde did not only with martiall armours resiste the Godly and noble Emperour Frederike but at the laste thorow the might of other princes subduing him compelled y ● aforesayd Emperour before he wuld geue hym absolution be at one with him to lye flatte down vpō the ground before hym in the syght of the people and the pope setting hys foote in the emperors necke cried out with a loude voyce and sayd Scriptū est Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis conculcabis leonem draconem That is to saye It is written Upon the Adder the Cockatrice shalt thou walke and thou shalt treade downe the lion the dragon In the yeare c. 1161. Nauclerus ▪ Sabel Iaco. Phil. Ioan. Char. This pope made compelled Lewes King of Fraunce and Henrye King of Englande to be his lackies to runne on fote by him y e one holding his horses bridle on the right side the other on the left syde leading him with greate pompe thorow the citie Totiacum vnto Ligris Chroni Sigebertus Pope Hadriane the fourth was not a little angrye bicause the Emperoure helde with his hand the left stirrope and not the right when he came down of hys horse aboute the yeare c. 1158. Albertus Crantz Otho Frisius Pantaleon Pope Calixtus the second whē he returned vnto Rome caused pope Benet whom the Emperor had before set vp to be apprehended and to be set vpon an horse so ryde before him vilanously al the way his face being turned vnto the horses arse holding the horse tayle being in his hande in steade of a bridle Afterwarde he threw him into prison where he most miserably dyed About the yere c. 1120. Chron. Fasciculus temporum c. Pope Celestine the third crowned the emperour Henry the fyfte holding the crowne betwene his fete And whē he had put the crown vpō the emperours heade he smote it of with his fote againe saying y t he had power to make Emperours and to put them down agayne In the yeare c. 1195. Crantz Pope Cornelius ordayned y t no othe shoulde be required of the pope excepte it were for the mayntaynaunce of holy church In the yeare c. 255. Ranulphus Cestrensis Chron. Pope Gregorye the seuenth for dyspleasure that he bare vnto Henrye the Emperoure wrote vnto the princes people that liued vnder y e Emperours dominion that they should by no meanes obey the Emperour but rather resiste hym and hys authoritie and take him no more for Emperour but rather for an vsurper of the empyre The emperour perceauing this malicious purpose of y e pope wrote againe vnto him on this manner When Christ cōmitted the sheepe vnto Peter he excepted Kings The pope aunswered the Emperor in his letters on this wise Whē Christ gaue y e keyes vnto Peter he excepted no man by this meanes chalēging power authoritie ouer al Emperours Kings Princes and Rulers vnto whom notw tstanding by y e worde of God both pope Bishop w t all the spiritualty as they terme them ought to shewe obedience euen from the very heart not only for conscience sake In the yeare c. 1073. Christianus Massaeus Sabast. Frank. Chron. Pope Boniface the eight wrote vnto
liberty of holy church for the Catholyke fayth for the safegarde of the people In the yere c. 1193 Ioan. Laziard Ioannes Stella Christianus Massaeus c. Of Byshops POpe Clement the fyrste ordayned that no Byshop ought to be appoynted by the clergye but with the consente of the common people He commaunded also that the byshops seate shoulde be set in an hygher and more honourable place than the seates and places of other In the yere c. 92. Ioan. Laziard Chron. Pope Boniface the thyrd commaunded that the clergye and the people of the diocesse shoulde chose theyr owne Byshop In the yeare of our Lord. 605 Platina Sabell Pope Gregory the seuenth ordayned that no priest should take a bishoprike of any lay man If he did that he shuld be excommunicate and lose his bishoprike In the yeare of oure Lorde 1073. Lib. Concil Pope Boniface the fourth made a decree that so long as the bishop liued no man should entreate of the new election of his successour but differ the matter vnto the thyrd day after his death In the yere of our Lord. 106. Ranulph Cestrensis Pope Sixtus the fyrst made a decree that if any Byshopryke wer voyde no man shuld presume to be bishop therof except he were fyrste admitted vnto it by the popes letters In the yere c. 129. Chron. Angl. Lib. Concil Pope Anacletus made a decree that a byshop shoulde be consecrated of no lesse than of three byshops yea those of the same prouince For sayth he an example of ordring bishops was shewed vnto the Christianes in Iames the lesser byshop of Ierusalem which was ordayned appoynted Byshop of these three Peter Iames and Iohn But if the Metropolitane shall be cōsecrated thē must al the bishops of the prouince be presente at his consecration In the yere of our Lord 101. Dist. 66 Cap. Archiepiscopus Ioan. Laziard Iacob Phil. Lib. Concil The aforesayd pope also ordayned that bishops shuld not be consecrated but on the sonday 75. Dist. Cap. Ordinationes episcoporum Pope Anicetus ordayned y t no Archbyshops should be called primates but such as had special priuilege graunted them of the most holy father the pope and that al suche so priuileged mighte also be lawfully called patriarches In the yere c. 169. Dist. 98. ca. Nulli Isuar Pope Lucius made an order that a Byshop should haue at al times and in al places attending vpō him .ii. priests and .iii. deacons to testifye both of hys lyfe and of his doctrine In the yere c. 258. De consec Dist. 1. Cap. Iubemus Volat. Plat. Massaeus D. Barns Pope Euaristus ordayned that seuen Deacons should attende vpon the Bishop and kepe him while he preached least the enemyes of Gods truth wuld accuse him wrongfully and say that he erred agayne that he should be hearde with the more reuerence had in the greater honoure In the yeare c. 110. Ioan. Stella Ranulphus Cestrensis Pope Calixte the seconde made a decree that the church may neither chose an other Bishop nor put hym awaye nor yet be obedient to the ordinaunce of any other bishop so long as her proper byshop is a liue seyng that the Apostle sayth The wyfe is bound to the law of her husband so long as her husbande liueth But whē he is once dead she is losoned from the law of her husband so that she may marry with whō she will so it be in the Lorde that is to say sayeth he the church may chose an other Byshop so that it be done Regulariter that is after y e order appointment of our mother holy Churche In y e yere c. 1120. Quaest. 7.5 Sicut alterius This decree also is ascribed to Pope Euaristus Lib. Concil Pope Euaristus made a law y t without exceding great necessitye a Bishop might no more forsake hys church thā the husband his wife For it is writtē saith hee he that seeth a woman lusteth after in his hart he hath commitadultery In the yeare of our Lord. 110. Lib. Concil Pope Innocent the sixt made a decree that bishops and all other ecclesiastical persons should repair home vnto their owne houses and cures maintain hospitalitie for the relief of the poore and suffer no idle nor loytering lubbers to remayne in their houses but only norishe suche as are vertuously occupied and apply themselues diligently to the study of the holy Scripture and to the readyng of the auncient wryters that they mighte afterwarde serue in the church of Christe In the yeare c. 1343 Chron. Ioannes Stella Pope Gregory the eleuenth said to a certayne bishop being absent from his bishopricke Thou bishoppe why goest thou not home to thy bishoprick The bishop aunswered againe with a stout courage And thou Pope which callest thy selfe father of fathers and the chief of all bishoppes whiche oughtest also to geue exaumple of dooing well to other Bishoppes prelates and priests why art thou so farre from Rome and art not resident vpon thy bishoprick at Rome In the yeare c. 1362. Albertus Crant Ioan. Stella Chron. Pope Leo the second ordayned that the Archbishops shuld pay nothing for theyr paul to the bishop of Rome but haue it freely geuen the. In the yere c 607. Albertus Crant Chron. Pope Anacletus made a decree that no bishop should presume to admit any persons vnto holy orders that dwel in an other bishoppes diocesse In the yere c. 101. Quest. 7. Cap. 1. Epis. in diocesi aliena Pope Anicetus made a law that whē an Archbishop which is the Metropolitane should be consecrated all the bishoppes of that prouince ought to bee present euen as they all are bounde to obey hym In the yeare of our lord 159. Distinc. 66. Cap. ab omnibus phil Berg. Pope Zepherinus decreed that a bishop called into iudgemēt either of the patriarch or of the Primate or of the Metropolitane shoulde not bee condemned without the authority licence and consent of the Apostolique sea In the yeare c. 208. Iac. Phil. Bergom Pope Eusebius ordained that no prophane persons whom we cal lay men should presume to accuse or to cal into iudgement their Byshop In the yere c 309. Lib. Concil Iacob Philip. Bergom D. Barns Pope Innocent y e fyrst made a decree y t those byshops which sell prebendes benefices deanryes Abbotships priorships or any other ecclesiasticall dignityes eyther Sacraments or sacramentals as holy oyle chrisme halowing of altares c shoulde be adiudged Simoniakes and be punished as persons giltie of Simonye In the yere c. 408. Qu 1. Cap. 3. Si quis praebendas Philip. Bergom ●oan Stella Pope Hormisda decreed that no secular person shuld be chosen to be bishop but one of the number of priestes In the yeare of our Lord. 514. Dist. 61. Cap. 18. In sacerdotibus Pope
against any person ▪ In the yeare c. 498. Ioannes Laziardus Celestinus Pope Innocent the seconde decreed that no man should strike a pr●est For it is written saieth he Touche not my annointed If anye manne contrarye to hys commaundemente didde presume to smite the annointed priest he pronounced him excommunicate ipso facto and accursed that by no meanes he should be absolued except he stoode in daunger of death but only of y e pope of Rome In the yeare of our Lorde 11●1 Causa 17. Quest Si quis Ioan. Stella Chron. Pope Euaristus enacted that priestes should not be disquieted nor euill entreated of the laity but that they shuld be had in high reuerence and honour In the yeare ▪ c. 110. Isidor Tem. 3. Conc. Polid. Pantaleon Pope Pontianus ordained that prists should be accused of none but onely of priestes and bishops In the yeare c. 230. Gratian. Isidor polidor Pope Fabiā also made a decree y t neither priests shuld be admitted to accuse the laity nor the laity the priests In the yere of our Lorde 242. Caus. 2. Qu. 7. Sicut Pope Calixt the firste ordained that in the accusation of a priest no suspicious personnes or of euill name and fame either anye suche as bee enemies to the priest should be admitted to geue euidence against him In the yere c. 217. Quest. 3. Cap. 5. Accusatores Ioan. Laziard Pope Alexander the firste ordayned that the Laitye shoulde haue nothing to do with the cleargy and that the spiritualty should be vtterly exēpted from all the iurisdiction authority and power of the secular rulers In the yere of our Lorde 119. Albertus Crantz Pope Caius made a decree that no lay personne should presume to accuse or to call into iudgemente beefore a secular iudge either prieste or any other that is within holye orders In the yeare of our Lorde 284. Iacob Phillip Bergom Pope Siluester the first commaunded y t no priest shuld be compelled to plead his cause before any secular person or in any temporall court In the yere c. 315. Quest. 11.1 Cap. Testimonium Cap. Si quis Pope Iulius the .i. made a decre also y t a priest shuld not haue his cause heard or pleaded before any temporall iudge onely In the yeare c. 338. Iacob Phil. Bergom Lib. Concil Pope Boniface the eight in a general councel ordayned that temporall Rulers should not charge the people with any kind of payments if they did that the priests shuld pay them none except the Pope gaue them licence In the yere c. 1190. Polidor lib. 17. Angl. Hist. Pope Nicolas the first ordained that no temporall man wer he king or emperour should haue ought to doe wyth those things that appertain vnto priestes In the yere c. 871. Anselmus Ryd Pope Gregory the fourth made a decree that priestes should bee free from all kinde of worldlye bondages taxes paymentes c. In the yeare c. 846. Sabel Platina Pope Vrban the second enacted notwithstanding that the priestes shouldr paye tribute to the higher powers for the defence of their countrey In the yere c. 1086. Qu 23. Cap. Tributum Pope Leo the ninth apointed that y e priests houses shuld be built nigh vnto the churches that the pastours mighte alway be at hand whē the parishners shoulde haue nede of theym and that the poore people might know where to haue succour and reliefe in the time of their necessitie In the yeare of our Lord. 1049. Qu. 12. cap. 1. Necessaria Nau. Ioan. Stella D. Barns Pope Simmachus ordained that a prieste shoulde kepe no woman in hys house except she were his kinswoman his mother his sister or his wife whō he ought godly to gouern In the yere c. 499. Dist. 81. cap. Volumus Volat. Pope Liberius made a law that no prieste should forsake his cure for anye persecution or trouble though deathe should ensue according to this saying of Christ A good shepeherd geueth his life for his sheepe In the yeare of our Lorde 254. Anselmus Rid. Pope Iohn the eighte ordained that the priestes which were absente from their benefices without a dispensation from the Pope should be compelled to return vnto them and there to be resident In the yere c. 887. Ioan. Laziard Pope Simplicius ordained that no clearke or prieste should receiue the inuestiture of his benefice or of his office at any Laymens hand In the yeare c 471. Ranulpus Cestrensis Ioan. Laziardus Pope Gregory the first made a decree in a certain councel holden at Rome that the Ministers of the altare should geue their mind to preachyng and not to singyng For said he while mē seke a swete voice in holy seruice couenable life is set apart and the singer w t his maners hurteth the people though w t his voice he greatly delighteth them In the yere c. 590. Polichron Lib. 5. Pope Victor the second in a certayne councell holden at Florence ordained that all bishops and priests whiche he proued giltye either of Simonye or of fornicatiō should be depriued of their Bishoprickes benefices and all other ecclesiasticall promotions and dignities In the yere of our lord 1053. Pope Eleutherius made a decree y t no priest should be degraded or put frō the degree of his priesthode except he wer first lawfully accused and conuict For saith he our Sauiour knew well that Iudas was a theefe and should betray him but forasmuch as he was not accused he put him not doun but al that he did in the mean time among the Apostles for y e estate of his dignitie it was alowed and stoode fyrme and stable In the yere c. 177. Ranulp Cest. lib. 4. In the councell Toletane the third it was decreed y t at priestes tables there shuld be no idle talk nor telling of wāton tales but reading hearing and talking of the holy scriptures Lib. concil Of the syngle lyfe of Priestes POpe Calixte the first made a decree that so many as would bee made priests should abstayne from mariage In the yere c 217. dist 62. Cap. presbyteris Ioannes Stella Phillip Bergom Pope Siricius the first forbadde not onelye the priestes but also the Deacons to marry In the yere c. 337. lib. Concil Polyd. Pope Pelagius the second did not only prohibite priests and Deacons to marry but also the Subdeacons In y e yere c. 580. Chron. lib. Con. Poly. Pope Gregory y e i. bicause he thought it to much violence cruelty and tiranny to diuorce such as came vnto y e ministery maried from their wiues ordayned that from his tyme none shuld be Subdeacon vnlesse he vowed chastitie before In the yeare of our Lord. 590. Chroni Concil Poli. Notwithstandyng the lawes afore made tooke no effect among the priestes vntill the tyme of Gregorye the Seuenth whiche was
of Aungels Martyrs virgins saints yea and of Christ and burnt them in the opē market made a law that whosoeuer resisted his procedinges in this behalfe he should suffer death In the yeare of our Lord. 784 Blondus Eutropius Platin. Matth. Palme●us c. Constantine the Emperour kept a coūcell at Constantinople in the which were present a greate number of godly Bishops and other learned men where it was lykewyse decreed that Images should be cast out of Churches and by no meanes be suffred in such places as christen men resorte vnto for to praye vnto their Lorde God In the yere c. 739 Sigesb P. Aemilus Pantal. The noble and Godly Emperours Valens and Theodosius made a law that no man shoulde make or cause to bee made any Image of oure Sauioure Christ neyther by paynting nor by grauyng nor yet by any other waye but that wheresoeuer any such Image shoulde bee found it shoulde vtterlye bee taken awaye and destroyed And whosoeuer woulde attempte to doe contrarye to thys theyr acte they appoynted certayne greuous punyshementes to be executed vpon the transgressoures and breakers thereof as a lawe grounded both vpon the worde of God and vppon the decrees and constitutions of the most worthy aunciente Emperours and reuerende byshops Petrus Crinitus Lib. 9. de honestae disciplina Sabanus King of y e Bulgarians made also the lyke lawe in hys Realme for y e abolyshmente of Images oute of the Churches In the yeare of our Lorde 765. Sabell Mass. Pantal. Philip y e Emperour likewise made a straight lawe for the abolishyng of Images In the yeare of our Lorde 730. Sabel Paulus Diaconus The noble Emperoure Adrian commaunded y t there shuld be no Images set vp in temples or Churches Ioan. Laziardus Calcobertus King of England destroyed in hys Realme when he receaued the faith of Christ all the Idolls poppettes Maumettes and Images that he founde or coulde come by In the yeare of oure Lord. 640. Ioan. Laziard ▪ Vincentius Pope Gregory the fyrst after that he was appoynted Byshop of Rome cōmaunded that all the Idolles and Images of the Heathen should vtterlye be defaced theyr heades cutte of and theyr other members in all poyntes mangled and disgraced and so in fine destroyed that no occasion of Idolatry mighte afterwarde be geuen In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Ioan. Laziard Chronica Pope Constantine the second whom the seditious tirannicall and superstitious papistes did afterward violently depose cruelly thrust into a monastery as into a vyle and stincking prison and most vnmercifully put oute hys eyes commaunded that no Christian shuld worship any Image eyther of God or of any Saint or inuocate or call vpon the Uirgine Marye or any other saint in heauen with their prayers but worship God in spirite and truth and call vpō his glorious name thorow Iesus Christ our alone Mediatour Aduocate and Intercessoure In the yere c. 769. Ioan. Laziard The Councel Agathense made a decree that there shoulde be no pictures in Churches and that no thyng should be painted on the walles of Churches that is honoured and worshipped In the yeare of oure Lorde 440. Libro Concil Durand The Councell Toletane the twelfth holden in Spayne made constitutions both agaynst Images and agaynst the worshippers of images In the yere c. 712. Chron. Concil The Councell Elibertine likewise holden in Spayne decreed that all pictures should be had out of churches and that nothyng that is honoured or worshipped shoulde be paynted on the church walles In the yeare c. 345. Isidorus Tom. 1. Concil The holy Byshop Epiphanius commyng into a churche to praye sawe a vayle there hāging wherin was paynted y e image of Christ or of some saint So sone as he saw it he cutte y e Image away and sayd that it is contrarye to the authoritye of the holy scriptures to haue the Image of any man in the Churche of Christ. In the yere of oure Lord. 565. S. Hieronymus Chron. Thys Epystle which the aforesaid holy and godly learned Byshop Epiphanius wrote of thys matter vnto Iohn Byshop of Ierusalem in the Greke toung and Sainte Hierome translated into Latyn and the words are these in Englishe WHen we went forth together vnto the holye place whiche is called Bethel y t we shuld make there a collectiō for the poore accordyng to the custome of Christs Church came vnto a village which is called Anablatha and as I passed by sawe there a candle burning I demaunded what place it was And when I had learned that it was a Churche I entred into it for to praye where I found a vayle hanging on the dore of the same church dyed paynted and hauing an Image as it were of Christ or of some saint For I do not well remember whose Image it was Therefore when I sawe thys in the church of Christ contrary to the authority of the scriptures that the Image of a man did hang there I cutte it away and gaue rather coūcell to the kepers of y e same place that thei shuld lappe and burye some poore dead man in it But they murmured at the matter and said If he wuld cutte it it wer conuenient that he shoulde geue an other vayle in the steade of the other Which thing whē I heard I promised y t I would geue thē one send it vnto them out of hand But while I sought to send a good vaile for y e other I haue made some delay in the matter For I thought I shuld haue had one sent vnto me frō Cyprus But now haue I sent such as I could gette and I pray thee y t thou wilt commaunde the priests of the same place to receaue the vayle of the bringer y t we haue sente to geue commaundement y t frō henceforth no such vayles be hanged vp in y e church of Christ as be contrary to our religion Here thys most Godly byshop with manyfest playne and euident wordes pronounceth and declareth that it is agaynst the holy scripture our religiō that the Image of Christ shuld be had in the temples of the Christians so far is it of that the Images of any saints ought to be placed in thē Hereof maye we easely gather that S Hierome also and all the other godly Byshoppes whiche were both before and in hys tyme dyd agree in thys poynte with Epiphanius that the Images of Christe and of the Saintes are by no meanes to bee suffered in the Churches of the Christians For in the tyme of Saint Hierome and certayn yeres after him we do not reade that any Byshop beeing of a sounde and perfect iudgement coulde euer abyde that images should be placed in the temples of such as professe Christ. The Godlye learned Byshop S. Athanasius proueth euidentlye agaynste all Imagemongers that men maye learne to knowe God better by liuyng creatures whether they be
ought by their office to haue giuen their minde to the preaching of the gospell and the prouision making for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caryng how they liued afore god so that with their voyces they might please y e world He was therefore compelled to make a decree that all suche as be in the holy ministery should from thenceforth vnder the payne of excommunicatiō geue their minds no more to singing but apply themselues to the studies of the holy scriptures and the reading of the gospell In Regist. part 5. cap. 44. Undoubtedly sayth S. Gregory true prayer c●̄sisteth not in the voyce of the mouth but in the thoughts of y e heart For our words do not make the voices the pithier of y e greater force to come vnto the most secret eares of God but our desire and affections Therefore sayth the Lord in the gospel Enter into thy closette sparre the doore He sparreth the doore and prayeth in hys closet whiche holdeth his peace with his mouth poureth out the affection of his minde in the sight of god aboue Moral Lib. 22. cap. 18. S. Iohn Chrisostome also writeth on this maner It is the duty of a deuout mynde to praye to God not with the voice or with the soūd of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the fayth of the heart Agayne he saith the crieng of the voyce is not the worke in prayer vnto god whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secretes of the heart but the crieng of faith and the deuotion of a godly and pure mind Therfore the beste waye to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule and and inwarde man Hō 44. de Ioan. Paul Festo The Emperoure Iustiniane made a law that all byshops and priestes both in the time of diuine seruice and also in the ministration of the holy sacramēts should with so open and cleare voyce pronounce all thynges in the tounge which the people vnderstand that they might therby be the better edified and also be the more feruently stirred vnto deuotion and prayinge to God For sayth he so doth the holy Apostle teache in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying If thou geue thankes onely in the spirite that is to say in an vnknowen tounge howe shall he that occupyeth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen at thy thankes geuinge seynge he vnderstādeth not what thou sayest Thou verely geuest thankes well but y e other is not edified● And again in his Epistle to the Romans he sayth on thys manner to beleue with the heart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouthe maketh a man safe In consideration whereof sayth that Godly Emperoure it is conuenient that amonge other prayers those thynges also whiche are sayde in the holy oblation that is to saye in the ministration of the Lordes super or the hloy communiō of the body and bloud of Christ be vttered spoken with a loude voice of the deuout Byshops priest to our Lord Iesu Christ one God with the father and the holy ghost willyng thē to know that if they neglect any of these things they shall not only geue accōpt therof in y e dreadeful iudgement of the great God our sauiour Iesu Christ but we also hauing knowledge herof wil not be cōtent nor leaue the things vnreuenged In constitut Authen 123. Guilihelmus Durandus sayth that the vse of singing was ordained for carnal and fleshlye men and not for spirituall and godly minded men Rat. di off Polidorus ●ergilius writeth on thys manner Howe greatly that ordinaūce of singyng brought into the Churche by Pope Damasus and Sainct Ambrose began euen in those dayes to be profitable Sainct Austen declareth euidentlye in the booke of hys Confessions where he asketh forgeuenesse of God bicause he had giuen more heede and better eare to the singing than to the weighty matter of y e holy wordes But now adayes saith Polidore it appereth euidently y t it is much lesse profitable for our commen wealth seyng our singers make such a chattering charme in the tēples that nothyng can be heard but the voice and they that are present they are present so many as are in the Citie being content with such a noyse as delight their eares care nothyng at all for the vertue pithe and strength of the wordes so that nowe it is come to this point that with the common sort of people all the worshippyng of God semeth to be set in these singsters although generally there is no kynde of people more light nor more leud And yet the greater parte of the people for to heare them boing bleating and yelling ●locke into the Churches as into a common gameplace They hire them with money they cherishe and feede them yea to be short they thinke them alone to be the ornamentes and precious iewels of Gods house c. Wherefore without doubt it were better for religion to cast out ●f y e churches suche chatteryng and ●anglyng ●ayes or els so to appoynt them that when they sing they should rather rehearse the songes after the manner of such as reade than followe the fashion of chatteryng charmers whiche thyng S. Austen in his aforesayde booke doth witnesse that S. Athanasius Byshop of Alexandria dyd in hys diocesse and he commendeth him greatly for it Lib. 6. de inuent rerum Cap. 2. Cornelius Agrippa writeth of singing in churches on this manner Athanasius dyd forbyd singing in hys Churches bycause of the vanitye thereof But Ambrose as one more desyrous of Ceremonyes and pompe ordayned the vse of singing and makyng melodye in Churches Austen as a man indifferent betwixt both in hys booke de confessionibus graunteth that by this meanes he was in a greate perplexitie and doubt concernyng thys matter But nowe a dayes Musicke is growne to such and so greate licentiousnesse that euen at the ministration of y e holy Sacramente all kynde of wanton leude trifelyng songes with pipyng of Organs haue theyr place and course As for the diuine seruice and common prayer it is so chaunted mynsed and mangled of oure costlye hired curious and nise Musitions not to instructe the audience withall nor to stirre vp mens mindes vnto deuotion but with an whoryshe armonye to tickle theyr eares that it may iustly seme not to be a noyse made of men but rather a bleating of brute beastes while y e children ney discant as it were a sorte of coltes other bellowe a tenoure as it were a companye of oxen other barke a counterpoynt as it were a number of dogges other roare out a treble lyke a sort of bulles other grunte out a base as it were a number of hogges so that a foule euel fauoured noyse is made but as for the wordes and sentences and the very matter it selfe is nothing vnderstranded at all but the authoritye and power of iudgemente is taken
prophecie of our Sauiour Christ shall for euer euer abide true Euery plāt that my heauenly father hath not plāted shall be plucked vp by the rootes Of the Massing Priest FOrasmuche as no man hath authoritie and power to consecrat make and offer the body and bloud of Christ as the Papistes teach but he onely whiche is a priest lawfully made and appointed no neither Aungels nor Archaungels neyther blessed Mary nor any Sainct in Heauen Pope Gaius the firste of that name ordayned that he whiche shoulde be a Massemonger or Godmaker that is to saye a prieste shoulde as it were by degrees ascende and come vp vnto the order of priesthoode Therefore he appoynted that suche one as woulde be a priest and saye Masse shoulde fyrst of all be a doorekeper secondelye a Reader thyrdelye an Exorciste or Coniurare fourthlye an Acholute a lyghter and carier of Candles fyftlye a Subdeacon sixtly a Deacon and seuēthly a priest Plat. Polid. c. Pope Calixte the fyrst appoynted y t y e aforesayd orders shuld be geuē foure times in the yeare y t is to say at y e Embring dayes whereas before they wer geuen only in y e moneth of December so y t whosoeuer wil be a Massing priest must diligently attend vpō those times Plat. Valent. Vannius Pope Boniface the fyrst made a decree y t no man shoulde be made a Massyng Prieste before he were thirtye yeres of age Grat. Dist. 78. Cap. Si quis triginta Pope Zacharius the fyrst notwithstāding fearyng that Ladye Masse would wante Chaplens and customers dispenseth wyth the former acte and graunted that a man might bee made a Massyng Prieste at the age of .xxv. yeares if necessitye so required Lib. Conc●l Pope Anicetus ordayned y t the Massing priest should weare no long haire nor bearde but y t he should haue Aures patentes and y t he shuld haue his crown shauen as rounde as a bowle Gratian. Dist. 23. Cap. Prohibere fratres Plat. Pope Leo the fyrst made a decree y t no man that is bonde should be admitted to be a Massemonger Dist. 54. Cap. Episcoporum Nullus Pope Bonifacius the fyrst commaunded y t no banckeroute or endebted person shuld be admitted vnto y e Clergye Plat. Lib. Concil Pope Calixt y e first appointed y t whosoeuer wil take vpon hym the order of a Massing priest must forsweare mariage leade a single lyfe Grat. Dist. 27. Ca. Presbyteres Nauclerus Pope Gregorye the fyrst made a decree y t none y t had bene twice maryed shuld be admitted to be a priest Dist. 33. Cap. Maritum duarum Pope Gelasius the fyrst ordained y t no dismembred person shuld be admitted vnto y e order of priesthode Grat. Dist. 55 Cap. Si euangelica Pope Clement the fyrst appoynted y t the priest after he had sayde Masse should continue fastyng by the space of three houres before he eyther eate or drinke Dist. 2. de consec De tribus Gradibus And Gratianus witnesseth that a priest also ought to come to Masse fasting De cons. Dist. 2 Can. Liquido Item Cap. Sacramenta altaris Of the dignitie and power of the Massing Priest and of the honour that is due vnto hym be he good or bad PRiestes are worthye to be honoured of all men for the dignitie whiche they haue of GOD. For God hath geuen them power to bynde and to loose as it is written Whatsoeuer ye shall bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen And whatsoeuer ye shall losen vppon earth shal bee losoned also in heauen For a priest after a certaine manner is lyke Mary the Virgine And thys is declared by three thinges Fyrst as the blessed Virgine dyd conceaue Iesus Christ by fyue woordes as is it mentioned in the Gospell of Luke Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum So lykewyse the Prieste maketh the true bodye of Christ by these fyue woordes Hoc est enim corpus meum And as whole Christ immediatly after the consent of Mary was in her wombe so lykewyse immediatly after y e pronunciation of y e wordes of consecration the breade is transsubstātiated turned into y e true body of Christ. Secondly as the blessed Virgine after shee had broughte forth Christ dyd beare hym in her handes layde hym in y e maunger so likewyse y e priest after the consecration immediatly lyfteth vp the body of Christ and laieth him down again beareth him handleth him in his hands Thirdly as y e blessed Virgine was sāctifyed in y e wombe before she conceaued Christ so likewise y e priest receaueth orders is annoynted before he consecrateth For without taking orders he could consecrate nothing and therfore a lay-man although he be neuer so holy can do nothing in this matter although he should pronounce the wordes of consecration In consideration whereof we must know y t the dignitie of priests after a certayne manner doth farre excel the dignitie of Angels For power to make y e body of Christ is geuē to none of the Angells so that the baseste and moste inferioure prieste in the worlde can doe that whiche the greatest and highest Aungell in heauen can not do Therefore Barnarde sayeth O the worshipfull dignitye of priestes in whose handes the Sonne of God as in the Virgines wombe is incarnate Wherefore Austen sayeth that in the consecration of the holy hoste all the heauenly courte serueth hym that is to say the priest and the Lorde of heauen commeth downe vnto hym Ambrose therefore also sayth writing vpon Luke Doubte thou not but y t the Angels are there present when Christ is present vpon the altare so y t priests are to be honoured aboue all Kinges Princes Knyghtes and men of Nobilitie For a prieste is higher than Kynges more blessed and happye than Aungells beyng the maker of hys maker and therefore he is worthye to bee honoured c. Yea let it be graunted that the priest bee euill yet is he to be honoured for y e dignitye of priesthoode as it is declared in the decrees Priestes although they bee euill yet ought we to honoure them for the sacramentes sake 1. Quaest. 1. Sacramenta c. Sermones Discipuli in Sermon 28. De honore As there are nine quiers or orders of Angells in heauen so like wise ar there nyne dignities of priestes Fyrst Priestes are aboue all Kynges and Princes of the earth as God sayeth by Ieremye I haue set thee thys daye ouer Nations and Kingdomes And this to bee true appeareth thus The dignitye of the prieste is such and so great y t it lyeth in his power to consecrate and make Kinges but all the Kynges of the worlde are not able to make one Priest And for a profe thereof that priestes be greater and of farre more excellencye than Kinges are it is to be noted y t there is no Prince so greate whiche doth not bowe
downe hys necke in confession to the Prieste and humble hymselfe before the priest as before God being in dede Goddes vicare Therefore God oute of hands exalted the Priestes aboue al men and aboue all creatures as a certaine Doctor sayth speakyng of Priestes Although by nature ye bee men yet in dignitye ye excell all men Agayne A Prieste is hygher than Kynges more blessed and happye than Aungells and the maker of hys maker Secondly God hath honoured them in temporall thinges For those thinges which God reserued vnto himself that is to say the tenthes y e offerings the fyrst frutes and the other Patrimonyes of Christe crucifyed he hath freely geuen to y e priests for the sustentation and mainteinaunce of their body that they being free from laboure when other mē must nedes worke for their liuing may y e more quietly serue God in spirituall thinges Thyrdly God hath honoured them in geuing them suche immunities priuileges liberties and fredomes that no earthlye Prince hath iurisdiction ouer them neither king neither Prince neither any other seculare mā no neither dare any man lay violente hande vpon them no not vppon the lessest of y e order For whosoeuer doth the contrary he is excommunicate with the greater excommunication eo facto both in heauen and in earth Uerely God doth so defend thē y t none dare trouble thē eyther in worde or in deede insomuche y t whatsoeuer displeasure is done vnto any of them he thynketh it to be done to hymselfe as the Lorde hymselfe sayeth by y e Prophete Zacharye He y e toucheth you toucheth the apple of myne eye Agayne in the Psalme he sayeth touch not myne annoynted so y t priests are not to bee molested so muche as with a worde but they ar to be honoured as the Lorde sayde to Moses and Aaron I wil blesse them y e blesse you and curse them that curse you In consideration wherof the priestes and mē of the church are priuileged insomuche that whosoeuer doe make or cause to bee made or to be kepte any statutes that bee agaynste the libertyes of the priestes and men of the Clergye they are strayght wayes excommunicate accursed Item no worldely Prince dare make exactions vppon the Clergye neyther dare any man aske any kynde of paymentes or take any thing of the Clergye For if he doe he is out of hande excommunicate neyther can he be absolued from the aforesayd excommunication excepte he make restitution at the full Fourthly God hath honored the priestes in that he hath committed vnto them the soules of the faythfull that is to say the holy Churche of the whiche Chrisostome saith The church is more honourable than heauen and the aungels all other creatures Christ hath loued the Churche more than himselfe for whose sake he came downe from heauen into this world and serued for it xxxiii yeares and at the laste suffred bitter death for it and doth nowe geue vnto it his body for meate his bloud for drinke and after this life he geueth himselfe vnto it for a rewarde Moreouer he hath committed thys welbeloued Churche to priestes with all the giftes that is to say the Sacramentes For the order of priesthood onely hath power to baptise except it be in necessitie at whiche tyme it is lawefull for euery man and woman to baptise Also he alone hath aucthoritie to minister the Sacrament of confirmation Item the priest alone hathe power to heare confession to geue absolution and to enioyne penaunce accordynge to this saying of Christ take the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye forgeue they are forgeuen them but whose synnes ye do retayne they are retayned Itē he alone hath power to minister the Sacramēt of extreme vnction c. In this incomprehensible dignitye God hath singularely honoured them aboue all other men Ye are that lyght of the worlde sayth he For as the worlde shoulde be nothynge without lyght euen so is the Churche nothyng without priestes Fiftly God hath honored thē in this that he hath streightly charged all men to be obedient vnto them as vnto him selfe of what condition or state so euer they be as he sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Whatsoeuer is not lawefull sayth Austen it is the shepheardes office to forbyd and the duty of the flock to heare and to obey Therfore all men muste obey the Priestes euen as Christ when they commaunde them to faste to kepe holy day c. Therfore the Lorde threatneth them that are disobedient and rebell agaynst the commaundement of Priestes saying he that is proude and will not obey the commaundement of the Priest let hym dye the death An example hereof haue we in Dathan Abiron and Chore whiche rebelled agaynste Moses and Aaron and therefore the earth opened and swalowed them vp quick Sixtly God hath honored them by giuyng them power to bynde and to loosen as it is written Whatsoeuer ye shall binde vpon the earth c. This power of binding and losoning is vnderstande one waye of excommunication whiche is the spirituall swearde and it is greatly to be feared An other way this power is to be vnderstand of the absolution of sinnes Therfore the Bishop whē he maketh priestes bloweth and breatheth vpon them saying Take the holy Ghost c. Seuenthly God hath honored them in that they are called aungels in the scriptures Therefore sayth Gregory All that are termed by the name of a priest are called Aungels But wherefore are they called aungels Verelye bicause they haue certayne properties with the angels First bicause it is the office of aungels to minister vnto God and vnto men as the Apostle saith All Aūgels are ministring spirits So likewise is it the dutye of priestes to serue God day night and to minister vnto men with the Sacramentes Secondly bicause an aungell is pure in lyfe so in lyke maner ought euery priest to be chast and pure in his life and conuersation For to liue chast is an aungelike life as Ambrose saith they that are not maried nor do mary are as aungels in earth Damascen sayth Abstinence from mariage is the folowyng of aungels Thyrdly it is the office of Aungels to enforme and instructe men by good inspiration So likewise is it the priestes duty to do by the word of god Fourthly it is y e duty of aungels to prayse god so likewise are the priestes bounde vnder payne of deadly synne to say eueryday theyr mattens prime and houres euen ●ong c. vnto the prayse of God Eyghtly God hath honored y e priests in this that they are in some poyntes like to the most blessed virgine Mary First as the most blessed virgin Mary did conceaue thorowe fyue wordes the true body of Christ Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum so likewise the priest thorow fiue words Hoc est enim corpus meū maketh the body of
afterward Concil Polyd. Pope Felix the second ordayned y t al byshops should come to y e general coūcel or els signifye to y e popes holinesse Why thei can not come In the yere c. 370. Dist. 18. Cap. Non oportet Lib. Concil Ioan. Laziard This decree was afterward renued in a councel holden at Chartage In a Synode holdē at Constantia it was decreed y t frō henceforth general councells should be holden from ten yeare to ten yeare to thys ende y t the Lordes fielde might be purged from al bryers thystles thornes heresyes erroures schismes c. Notwithstandyng reseruyng thys authoritie and power to y e pope y t he may not only euery .x. yere but at all other tymes also appoynt a general counsel when his pleasure is Ioan. Laziard Cest. It was decreed at y e councell of Nice y t every byshop shoulde twice yearelye haue a Synode or Sene general within hys diocesse to correcte and reforme such thyngs as were out of order But nowe y e matter is so handled y t Senes be only Courts to gather Senage and Proxye no correction of manners or erroures or of any other absurdityes had in those assemblyes Libro Concil Polydor. Pope Pelagius the fyrst made a lawe that the Councell which is celebrated without the mynde and consent of the Romyshe Byshop should be called not Concilium but Conuenticulum or Conciliabulum and that whatsoeuer is enacted or agreed vppon in suche a Councell should be frustrate voyde and of none effecte In the yeare of oure Lorde 552. Dist. 17. Capit. Multis denuo Libro Concil The same Pope also enacted that al such matters of doubt and question as could not be quietly deuided brought vnto perfecte agreemente in the lesser Sinodes or councels shuld be referred vnto a greater See if they cā not there be determined iustly and truly y t then they shall be brought vnto the Apostolique See Ibidem In the councell Agathense it was decreed y t such as wer accited to come vnto the councell and refused so to doe shoulde be accursed Dist. 18. Capit. Siquis Si Episcopus Pope Agatho made a decree y t al the cōstitutions ordinaunces of y e church of Rome shuld be receaued and taken as thinges establyshed and confyrmed with the very diuine and Godly voyce of Peter himself In the yeare c. 673. Dist. 19. Cap. Sic omnes Pope Stephen the fyrste ordayned y t whatsoeuer the churche of Rome doth decree and appoynt it should for euer without breach be obserued of al men In the yeare of our Lorde 261. Dist. 19. Cap. Enimuero Pope Antberius ordayned y t whatsoeuer was decreed of other Byshops mighte bee dissolued of the byshop of Rome as one y t hath power to ●udge of al churches In the yere c. 239 Cau. 9. Qu. 3. Cap. Cuncta Pope Innocent made a lawe y t no mā should presume to iudge y e Bishop of Rome For he being iudge of all men ought to be iudged neither of y e Emperour nor of all y e clergyc nor of Kings nor of the cōmon people Caus. 9. Qu. 3. Cap. Nemo indicabit The same decree made also pope Nicolas Pope Gelasius Pope Anastasius c. A certayn councel holden of diuerse wise learned and Godly men at Constantia obiected agaynst Pope Iohn the xxiii of y e name being there present diuerse borrible faultes of the which he was openly conuict to y e nūber of moe thā forty yea those most greuous sinnes The pope secretly fleing was apprehended deposed caste into prison Afterward in y e councel it was decreed that a general councel lawfully gathered together is aboue the pope and hath authoritie immediatly of Christ which alone is the head of the Church Christ. Massoe in Chron. Thys acte of y e councell semeth to be contrarye vnto that whiche sayeth y t the pope and hys See are not bounde to be subiect to the councels and determinations of other Cap. Significasti de elect And y t the pope hath in his hearte al manner of lawes Agayn y t he is not bounde to purge and clere of himselfe such crimes and faults as are obiected against him c. Of Heretykes POpe Siritius ordayned y t Heretikes should be banyshed and y t no Christians shuld communicate or kepe company with thē agayn if any of them did reuoke their errours and heresyes that they should be thrust into Monasteries as into prisons perpetually there vnto death to remayne geuyng themselues to fastyng prayer In the yeare c. 389. Ioannes Stella Lib. Concil Pope Pelagius the fyrst not content with thys former punyshement made a decree that all heretikes and Schismatikes with al such as be contumaciter disobediente to holy Churches ordinaunces should be put to death by the seculare power Prouided alway that the Popishe bloudy butcherlyke Byshops with their woluishe wicked officers and Antichristian adherētes doe first of all persecute thē emprison thē accite them Coram nobis accuse them cōdemne them and afterward accordyng to their deuilishe decrees commit them to the secular power and temporal magistrates as vnto their butchers hāg men to dispatche them out of the waye either by fyre swearde or halter For these holy and charitable Fathers crye out with their forefathers and Pope-like predecessours Non licet nobis interficere quenquam It is not lawful for vs to put any man to death In the yeare of our Lord. 552.24 q. cap. 5. Relegentes Angl. Chron. Ioan. Laziard Pope Iohn the .xxii. made a decree y t whosoeuer did affirme that Christ and his Apostles had no possessiōs neyther in proper nor in cōmune y e same should be taken for an heretike Agayne that whosoeuer did holde this opinion that it was not lawfull for Christe and hys Apostles to enioye those things which the Scripture testifieth that they had nor to giue them nor by the occupying of thē to get winne more for y e maintenaunce of their lyuing he lykewise shoulde be adiudged an heretike Of this it folowed that many Friers and Nunnes of Fraūces order were brent as heretikes in diuers places of the worlde in resisting this decree of y e Pope for the maintenāce of their monasticall and wilfull pouertie In the yeare of our Lorde 958. Math. Palmer Ioan. Laziard Pope Benet the twelfth after a certaine disputation had amonge learned men whether the soules of the faithful haue the fruition of Gods Maiestie in heauen before the day of iudgement or no made this resolute determination that the soules of the faithfull Christians after their departure haue nothīg in them worthy to be purged but all pure cleane and without sinne and y t therfore so sone as they departe hence they go straightwaies vnto Heauen beholde the face of God Thaforesayde Pope also commaunded that no man
242. Lib. Concil Carrantza Pope Lucius the fyrst decreed y t all such as spoyle robbe take away the churche goodes or in any case vexe or trouble the churches or any appertaynyng vnto them shoulde be excommunicate and accursed In the yere c. 258 In epist. 1. Ad episcopos Galliae et Hispaniae Lib. Concil Pope Gregorye the fyrst cōmaunded y t no byshop should excommunicate any man for priuate iniuries wronges and displeasures done agaynst himself which sayth he ought eyther patiently to be suffred or els vtterly to be dissembled but only for such sinnes as ar cōmitted agaynst God or agaynst our neighbour to the slaunder of the fayth and doctrine whiche we professe In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Caus. 2. Qu. 4. Cap. Inter querelas Pope Honorius the fyrste made a decree y t the names of suche as were excommunicate shoulde be published to al Byshops Curates and Churches y t be nighe again that their names with the excommunication shoulde be set in places where most resort of people is y t by this meanes al men may eschewe them and forbyd them to come into their companyes In the yeare of oure Lorde 622. Lib. Concil Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Curae sit Pope Alexander the second ordayned y t he which is already excommunicate should not presume to excommunicate an other In the yeare c. 1063. Caus. 14. Quaest. 1. Cap. Audiuimus Pope Calixt the fyrst decreed that all suche as either hinder let or trouble those persons y t go to Rome on pilgrimage to visite the holy Apostles Peter and Paule or ells any other where to seeke and visite y e Oratoryes of other Saintes eyther spoyle or take away any of their thinges y t they carye with them shalbe excōmunicate and so remayne til they haue made ful and perfecte satisfaction In the yeare of oure Lorde 217. Caus. 24. Quaest. 3. Cap. Si quis Romipetas Pope Gregory the fyrst made a decree y t whosoeuer striketh Bishop or prieste or spoyleth or setteth on fyre churches the same shal be excommunicate hys goodes confiscate and he hymselfe enclosed in a monasterye and there do penaunce al the daies of his life For sayeth he suche a person hath committed most greuous sacriledge In the yeare of oure Lorde 590. Lib. Concil Caus. 24. Qu. 3. Cap. Quisquis Pope Nicolas the fyrst pronounced al them accursed that spoyle pilgrimes or Oratours of any Saint or Clerks or Monkes or women or poore people y t beare no weapon or elles take awaye theyre goodes or do them anye other kinde of harme In the yeare c. 871 Caus. 24. Qu. 3. Cap. Illi qui. Pope Vrban the fyrst proclaymed also al thē excommunicate y t trouble the Curates of any churches or Clerkes or Monks or the Conuerses Nouices that appertayne vnto thē In the yere c. 222. Lib. Concil Pope Vrban the seconde made a decree y t no man ought to kepe company nor to eate and drinke with suche as y e Byshop hath excommunicated In the yeare of our lord 1086. Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Quibus Pope Clement the fyrst made a law y t if the priestes and other of the Clergye yea and all Princes and Rulers whether they be of hye or lowe degree with al y e cōmon people doe refuse to obey the byshops al such shuld not only loose their good name but also bee banyshed out of the kingdome of God put out of the company of the faythful yea and vtterly estraunged from al doings with the holy churche of God In the yeare c. 92. Caus. 11. Qu. 3. Cap. Si aeutem vobis Episcopis Pope Gregory the seuenth decreed y t although hys predecessours the popes according to the rigoure of the ecclesiasticall censure dyd forbyd generallye al men to keepe companye to praye to eate drinke bye sell c with suche as be excommunicate and accursed yet from henceforth it shall be lawfull for wiues to keepe companye to eate and drinke c with their husbandes children with their parentes seruauntes and hande maydes with their maisters and mastresses c although they be excommunicate He also exempteth thē by the Apostolyke authoritie from the bonde of excommunication which ignorantlye communicate with them y t are excommunicate In the yere of our lorde 1073. Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Quoniam multos Pope Zacharye the fyrst determined y t although men kepe companye eate and drinke with them that are excommunicate yet if they doe it not of an euill purpose nor inwardly consente to their iniquitie thei receaue no domage thereby neither are they excommunicate In the yeare c. 752. Caus. 11. Qu. 3. Cap. Quod precessor Pope Vrban the second made a law y e subiectes are not bounde to kepe theyr othes made vnto their princes if they be excommunicate eyther of the pope or of any Byshop In the yere c. 1086. 15. Quaest. 6. Cap. Iuratos Pope Gregorye y e eyght likewise by his Apostolique authoritie absolued al thē from their fidelitye othe and promise which they haue made owe to their heades rulers and gouernours being now excommunicate streyghtly charging to shew thē no obedience or loyaltye till they haue made satisfaction In the yeare c. 1186. Ibidem Cap. Nos sanctorum Pope Zacharias as Pope Gelasius writeth to Anastasius the Emperoure dyd depose from hys kyngdome the Kyng of Fraunce not so greatly for hys euil behauiour as y t he was vnprofitable to so greate a power and placed in hys roume Pipine father of Charles y e Emperour and absolued and made free all the Frenchmen from the othe of theyr fidelitie vnto the king which thing holy Church many tymes doth of her authoritye as in deliueryng the Souldioures from the bonde of their othe whiche they haue made to their Emperoure and Captayne Thys thyng also holy Church practiseth of those bishops which by the Apostolyke authoritye are deposed and put downe from their pontifical degree Ibidē cap. Alius In the Councel ●halcedonense it was decreed y t whosoeuer attempteth to spoyle to robbe to destroye to dissolue c any monasterye or Abbay the same should be excommunicate and vtterly banyshed from y e Kingdome of God so y t no goodnesse eyther of Fayth or of workes shall profyt hym vnto saluation forasmuch as he hath destroyed the way of so noble and wholesome a lyfe Lib. Concil Carrantza In the councell Laterane it was determined y t al they which being either forbidden or not sente presume take vpō thē eyther publiquely or priuately y e office of preaching w tout y e authority of y e pope or of some Catholike bishop shoulde be excommunicate and if notwithstandyng they goe forth and will not cease that then some other punishmente agreable to theyr disobedience shalbe exercised vpon them Lib. Concil In the councel Toletane it was
that faulte fortye dayes c. In the yeare of our Lorde 147. De consec dist 2. cap. Si per negligentiam In the Cautels of the Masse we rede thus If thorow negligence there droppe downe any thing of the bloude vpon a bord that sticketh to the earth let it be lyckt vp by the Prieste with hys tounge and the place of the borde scraped and the scrapyng brent in the fire and let the ashes be layd vp beside the altare with the reliques and let hym to whome that happened do .xl. dayes penance If the chalice drop vppon the altare let the droppe be supte vp and let hym haue iii. dayes penance But if the drop came thorow vpon a linnen cloth vnto an other thinge let him haue .iiii. daies penance If it come thorowe to the thirde thinge let hym haue .ix. dayes penaunce In a drop of the bloud come thorowe to the fourth thynge let him do penaunce twentye dayes And as for the linnen geare that the droppe hath touched let the priest or deacon wash them the chalice being set vnder and let the washing be kept with y e reliques Itē if a mā by any chaūce of glotony do spue out y e sament the same spuyng must be brent and the ashes ought to be layde vp byside the altare And if he be a clarke a Religious man Priest or a deacon let hym do forty dayes penance A Bishop lxx dayes a lay man .xxx. dayes But if he did spue by reason of infirmitie let him do penance .v. dayes Who so doth not kepe the Sacramēt so y t a mouse or an other beast eateth it let hym haue xl dayes penance But who so looseth it or if a part of it fall and be not foūd let hym do penaunce .xxx. dayes The same penance semeth the Prieste to be worthy of ▪ by whose negligence the consecrated hostes do putrifie Upon the sayde dayes must the penitent faste and abstaine from the communion and from celebration Pope Innocent the third decreed that they whiche are of the clergye beyng founde gilty of thefte or of any other great faultes shoulde on this manner be punished Firste they shalbe degraded Secondly they shalbe depriued of all their ecclesiasticall promocions Thirdly they shall be strayghtly kept in some monastery there to do penance al their lyfe time Lib. Cōcil Decret Gregorii de paenis tit 36 cap. Tuae discretionis In the Councell Triburiense it was ordayned that if any were enioyned penāce to eate nothing but bread certain dayes and could get no bread to eate it should be lawfull for them to eate fish leekes or any such kynd of meat seyng the necessitie doth so require Prouided alway y t they eate not those meates for pleasure sake but for the sustentation of theyr hungrye bodyes Decret Gregorij 9. Libro 5. de penet et remiss Tit. 18. Cap. Licet In a certayn general councel it was decreed y t at the least once in the yeare euery person both of mankynde and womā kynde being of reasonable age and sufficient discretion shuld priuately confesse hys synnes to hys own Curate and to the vttermost of hys power fulfyll all suche penaunce as hys Ghostly father hath enioyned hym Ibidem Capit. Omnis vtriusque sexus Libro Concil In the eyght Synode it was agreed y t suche penaunce shoulde be enioyned of y e ghostly father to his ghostly childe as is agreable to the qualitie and quātitye of sinne Caus. 26. Quaest. 7. Capit. Proqualitate In the same Synode it was also determined y t the priestes shuld haue authoritie and power to enioyne what penaunce they wuld and for how long a tyme and after what sort Ibidem Ca. Hoc sit positum Of Absolution POpe Gelasius the fyrst ordayned y t if a man were vniustlye excōmunicate accursed he shoulde not regard it nor yet go aboute to seke absolution from y e sentence or censure which was vniustlye layde vpon hym In the yeare c. 494. Caus. 11. Quaest. 3. Cap. Cui est Pope Gregorye the fyrst affyrmeth y t the priest can absolue no man excepte God hath absolued him fyrst alleging the historye of Lazarus whom the Lord raised vp vnto life before he cōmaunded his Disciples to losen hym and to set hym at libertye In the yere of oure Lorde 590. Ibidem Cap. Tunc vera est absolutio Pope Nicolas the fyrste ordayned y t the Byshop of Rome mighte absolue men from their lawfull othe promyse fidelitie made to princes seing y t it lyeth also in hys power to depriue kings and Emperours of their kingdomes dignities In the yeare c. 871. Caus. 15. Q. 7. Cap. Autoritatem The same readest thou also in y e Canō following which beginneth Alius item Pope Gregorye the fyrst made a decree y t no Prelate shuld lightly forgeue absolue men frō those sinnes y t they haue committed against God The offences committed agaynst vs saith he we may easely forgeue but the synnes which are done agaynst God we maye not release without great discretion penaunce doing In the yeare c. 590. Caus. 23. Quaest. 4. Cap. Si is qui. In the councell Carthaginense it was decreed y t the person which shoulde bee absolued should mekely and reuerently knele downe to take the absolution and y t the Priest should laye hys hande vpon hys ghostly childes head when he absolueth hym Caus. 26. Quaest. 7. Capit. Sacerdos Libro Concil Martinus frater Certayne fourmes of Absolution OURE Lord Iesus Christ whiche hath full power to absolue he moughte absolue thee And I by the authoritye of him of y e holy Apostles Peter and Paule and of oure Mother holye Churche and by the authoritie y t is committed vnto me in this behalfe as much as I can and am bounde to absolue thee do fyrst of al absolue thee from the bond of y e lesser excommunication if thou be failen into it I absolue thee also from y e fault of companye kepyng with excommunicate persons if thou haue nede and by the same authoritye I absolue thee from all thy synnes mortal criminall and veniall being confessed vnto me I absolue thee also frō all other sinnes forgotten confessed committed and neglected as much as I can so farre as my dutye is in y e vertue of our Lord Iesu Christes passion and in y e blessing of the father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost AMEN And the very passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ the merites of all he Saintes and shee Saintes and all the passions of y e holy Martyrs and the suffrages of y e church Militante and the remissions of the same and also the pardons prayers pilgrimages whatsoeuer good dedes besydes all other faythfull Christians haue wrought Agayne the fastynges almosse deedes and the workes of mercye whiche thou haste done or shalt do or entendest to doe moreouer whatsoeuer tribulation thou
haste pacientlye suffered all thys I geue vnto thee for the satisfaction of thys penaunce that I haue enioyned thee and vnto the furtheraunce and helpe of the remission and forgeuenesse of al thy synnes and vnto the deliueraunce from the paines of hell and purgatorye whiche thou haste deserued for thy synnes and vnto y e obtayning of grace in this present world and euerlasting life in the world to come Amen An other fourme of Absolution OUr Lorde Iesus Christ whiche created redemed thee mought absolue thee And I by the authoritie which I haue of hym as muche as lyeth in my power accordyng to my dutye I doe absolue thee from all bondes of the lesser excommunication if thou bee bounde and I restore thee to the holy Sacramentes of the church if thou haue nede Agayn I absolue thee from all thy synnes confessed and forgotten mortall and veniall with al theyr circumstaunces The passion of oure Lorde Iesu Christ and all the good dedes that thou hast done or shalte doe and all the aduersityes and troubles whiche thou haste suffered or shalt suffer myght be vnto thee for penaunce and remission of thy sinnes and for the encrease of Goddes grace In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen Ex Speculo confessorum Fratris Bartholomaei de Chaimis An other fourme of Absolution BY the authoritye of God and of y e blessed Apostles Peter Paule and by y e authoritye of the Churche of Rome cōmitted vnto me and graunted vnto thee I absolue thee from all sentence either of the greater or lesser curse and from all suspension and interdiction if thou be bounde with any of them And I restore thee to the vnitie of the faythful and to y e holy Sacraments of y e church and by the same authoritye committed vnto me I absolue the from all thy synnes confessed contrite and forgotten Item by the authority of God and of y e blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of y e Churche of Rome yea and also by the authoritie of oure Lorde the Popethe high Byshop committed vnto me in thys behalfe and so muche as I am bounde and able to doe if thou dye at thys tyme I absolue thee from all the paynes due vnto thee in purgatorye for y e faultes and offences which y u haste committed agaynst God and by all y e authoritye y t I haue I restore thee to the innocencie wherein thou were when thou were baptised But if y u doe not dye at thys tyme I reserue the full pardon graunted to thee of oure Lorde the Pope tyll thou dye In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost AMEN Ibidem An other fourme of Absolution ALmightye God haue mercye on thee forgeue thee al thy sinnes bring thee vnto euerlasting life AMEN The almighty merciful Lorde geue vnto thee indulgence and absolution of al thy sinnes AMEN The almightye father y e Godly and merciful Lord mought geue vnto thee indulgence absolution and remission of al thys synnes AMEN Most dere brother The greatest and hyghest penaunce is to be sorye for the sinnes committed and to repent and to beware and to take heede that thou sinne no more For the wholesome penaunce at thys present thou shalt say iii. Pater nosters .iii. Aues a Crede or thou shalt say the Psalme of mercy called Miserere meideus knelyng vppon thy knees before y e blessed sacramente of the altare or y u shalte cause y e Masse of the fiue woundes of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be song or sayde for thee or thou shalt go thys or y t pilgrimage gyld thys or y e Image c. This penaunce and the merite of the passion of Iesu Christ and al the good dedes y t thou hast done or here after shalte doe might profyte thee and stande thee instead for the remission of al thy synnes And our Lord Iesus Christ by his holy moste pitiefull mercy might absolue thee And I absolue thee frō y e sentence of the lesser excommunication or curse if thou be fallen into it and also from all thy sinnes In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holye ghost Amen Ex instructione seu Alphabeto sacerdotum A speciall note of the Papistes concerning Absolution ABout Absolution is to be cōsidered the due or proper perfect forme In that note y t as euery Sacrament hath his proper forme so in like manner hath the Sacrament of penance which is this Ego te absoluo That is to say I geue thee and bestowe vpon thee the Sacrament or ministery of Absolutiō It doth not importe as some falsely reporte Ego te absoluo id est absolutum te ostēdo I absolue thee that is I declare vnto thee that thou art absolued For so should it followe that in the Sacramentes of the newe lawe there should be nothing but a shewyng or signification whiche is false bicause y t the Sacramentes of the new law do not only figure and signifie as the Sacraments of the the law but they also conferre geue truly and effectually the thynge whiche they figure and represente Ex speculo confes Bartholo de Caimis The forme or manner of byddyng the beades on the Sonday in the Popish parishe Churches taken out of the English Festiuall YE shal knele downe on your knees lift vp your hartes makyng your prayers vnto almightie god for the good state and peace of al holy church y t god maintayne saue and kepe it For our holy father the Pope with all his true college of Cardinals that God for his mercy them maintaine and kepe in the right beleue it holde and encrease al misbeleue and heresy he lesse and destroy Also ye shal pray for the holy lād for the holy crosse y t Iesu died on for the redemption of mās soule y t it come into the power of Christen men the more to be honored for our prayers Also ye shall pray for all Archbishops and Bishops in especiall for the Archebishop of Cauntorburye our Metropolitane for the Bishop of N. our Diocesan that God of his mercye giue thē grace so to gouerne and rule holye Church y t it may be to the honour and worship of him saluation of our soules Ye shall also praye for Abbotes Priors Monckes Chanons Friers for al men women of religiō in what order estate or degree y t they stand in from the highest estat vnto the lowest degree Ye shall also pray for all them that haue charge cure of Christē mēs soules as curates persons vicares priests clerkes and in especial for the person the Curate of this Churche for al y e Priests Ministers that seruen therein or haue serued therin And for all them that haue taken anye order that GOD gyue them grace well to keepe and
bonde of sinne that thei being resuscitate or raised vp in y e glorie of the resurrection maye liue among y e saintes and chosen people Thorowe Christ our Lord. So be it A shorter forme or manner of bidding the beades MAsters and frendes as for holy dayes and fasting dayes ye shal haue none thys weke but y t ye maye doe all manner of good workes y t shall bee to the honoure of God and y e profyt of your own soules And therefore after a laudable consuetude and a lawfull custome of our mother holy Churche ye shal knele down mouyng your heartes vnto almightye God and makyng your speciall prayers for the .iii. estates concernyng all Christen people that is to saye for the Spiritualtye the Temporaltie and y e soules being in the paynes of purgatorye Fyrst for our holy father the Pope with all hys Cardinalls for all Archebyshops and Byshops and in especiall for my Lorde Archbishop of Cantorburye your Metropolitane and also my Lorde Bishop of this diocesse N. and in generall for all persons vicares parishe priests hauing cure of mannes soule with the ministers of Christes church as wel religious as not religious Secondly ye shal pray for y e vnitie and peace of al Christen Realmes and specially for the noble Realme of England for our soueraigne Lord y e King for the Prince for my Ladye y e Kinges Mother with all their progenye and for al y e Lords of y e councel and al other of the nobilitie whiche dwell in the countreyes hauing protection and gouernaunce of y e same y t almightie God may sende them grace so to gouerne rule the lande y t it maye bee pleasing vnto almightye God wealth and profyte to the lande and saluation to their soules Also ye shall praye for all those that haue honoured the church wyth light Lampe Uestmente or Bell or with any ornamentes by the whiche the seruice of almightye God is the better maintayned and kepte Furthermore ye shall praye for all true trauailers tillers of the earth y t trulye and duelye done their dutye to God holye church as they be bounde to do Also ye shal pray for al manner of frutes y t be done vppon the grounde or shal be y t almightye God of hys greate pitye and mercye maye sende suche wederynges y t they maye come to the sustenaunce of man Ye shall praye also for al those y t be in debt or deadly sinne y t almightye GOD maye geue them grace to come oute thereof and the soner by our prayer Also ye shall praye for all those y t bee sicke or diseased eyther in bodye or in soule y ● almyghtye God maye sende them y e thing whiche is moste profitable aswel bodilye as ghostly Also ye shall praye for all pilgrimes and Palmers y t haue taken the waye to Rome to S. Iames or Ierusalem or to any other place y t almightye God maye geue them grace to go safe and come safe and geue vs grace to haue parte of their prayers and they parte of oures Also ye shal praye for y e holy Crosse y t is in the possession and hands of vnryghtful people y e almightye God may sende it into y e possession of Christen people when it pleaseth hym Furthermore I commit vnto your deuoute prayers all women y t be in our ladyes bondes y t almighty God may sende thē grace y e childe to receaue y e sacrament of baptisme and y e mother purification Also ye shall praye for the good man or woman y t thys daye geueth bread to make the holy lofe and for all those y t fyrste began it and them y e longest continue For these and for al true Christen people euery man and womā say a Pater noster an Aue. Deu● misereatur nostri c cum Gloria patri c. Thirdly ye shal pray for your frends soules as your fathers soule your mothers soule your brethrens soule your sisters soule your Godfathers soule your Godmothers soule for all those soules whose bones rest in this church or Churchyarde or in any other holye place for al y e soules being in paines of purgatorye but specially and aboue al for those soules whose names be accustomed to be rehearsed in y e beadrolle as I shall rehearse them vnto you by y e grace of God c. For these in speciall and for all other in generall that it is needefull to praye for for euery man and woman saie a Pater Noster and an Aue. De profūdis c cum Oremus Absolue quesumus c. The general sentence taken out of the Englyshe Festiuall GOod men and women I doe you to vnderstande y t we that haue cure of your soules bee commaunded of oure ordinaryes and by the constitutions lawes of holy church to shewe to you foure tymes in the yeare in eche quarter of y e yeare once when the people is moste plenarye in the church the articles of the sentence So y t not for our default no man nor woman fal therein And if any be therin fallen he may through the helpe of God almightye and al holy church with shrifte and penaunce makyng good for his sinne vprise and hym amende ▪ Wherefore I doe you to vnderstande y t cursing is such a vengeaunce takyng that it departeth a man from the blysse of heauen from housel shrifte and all the Sacramentes of holye Churche and betaketh hym to the deuill and to the paynes of hell wythoute ende but if he haue grace of hym to amende But therefore see y t no man nor woman saye that I curse them For it longeth not to me but to shewe the pointes and y e articles of the sentence of cursyng For I doe you wel to wite who so doth agaynste any of y e pointes y t I shall shewe you he is accursed in the deede doing of the Pope Archebyshop Byshop and of al holy Church And y t god almighty geue you grace to kepe you out of cursing listen and heare and I shal thorowe y e helpe of God the father almighty to you thē tell and shewe By the authoritye of God y e Sonne and the holy Ghost and hys glorious Mother and mayden oure Lady Saint Marye and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and all Apostles Martyrs Confessours and virgines and the halowes of God I denounce and shewe for accursed all thoe that fraūches of holye Churche breake or distrouble or beene agaynst the state of holy church or thereto assente wyth deede or councell And also all thoe that depriue holy Churche of any ryghte or make of holy churche any Laye fee y t is halowed or sanctified And all thoe y t withholde the rites of holy church y t is for to say offringes tithes rents or fredome of holye Churche let or distrouble or breake that is to saye if any man flee to the Churche or Churchyarde Who so
any other thing Also al thoe that letters purchasē in any lords courte that no processe of right may be determined ne iudged in holy churche courte Also al thoe y e bloud drawen of any man or woman in violence or in any other vilonye in churche or in the churchyarde where thorowe y e churche or churchyarde is interdited polluted or suspended And all robbers rouers by day or by night that any mās good stelen for the whiche goodes a mā or woman were worthye to heare iudgement And al those that out of houses of holy church graunges personages or vicaries or any maneries of mens of holy church agaynst her will or her kepers wil any māner of goodes with violence beren out of holy place church or abbey or any house of religiō which weren lefte there for sikernesse or succour for to kepe all that therto assenten Also al thoe that withholdē a wydow her right or her dowry after her husbandes death or taken her good wrongfully All that procuren or geuē leue or commaundement any other to flea or to maime or to beate or by any other waye a greue any Ordinarye or iudge of y e lawe in body or in goods Al these aforesayd bene accursed with the greater curse Et cetera Many other pointes also longen vnto this greate sentence but I trowe to God it be no neede to rehearse here no mo Et sic finitur BUt thorowe authoritie of oure Lord God almightye our Lady S. Marye and all Saintes of heauen of all Aungells or Archeaungells Patriarches and Prophetes Euangelists Apostles Martyrs Confessours and Virgines also by y e power of all holy church y t oure Lord Iesu Christ gaue to S. Peter We denounce all thoe accursed y t we haue thus reckned to you And all thoe y e mayntayne hem in her sinnes or geuen hem thereto eyther helpe or councell so that thei bee departed from God and all holye churche and that they haue no parte of the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ ne of no Sacramentes that beene in holye Church ne no parte of the prayers among Christen folke but y e they bee accursed of God and of holy church fro the sole of theyr foote vnto the crowne of her heade sleapyng and wakyng sitting and standing and in all her wordes and in all her workes and but if they haue grace of GOD for to amende hem here in this life for to dwel in the payne of hel for euer withouten ende Fiat Fiat Do to the boke Quenche the candle Ring the bell AMEN AMEN Here folowe certayne Fragmentes of papistrye WE haue tofore heard where we entreated of the Lordes supper howe y e Pope Innocent the thyrde ordayned that the mysterye of Christes bodye otherwise called the sacramental bread should be kepte in churches continuallye vnder locke and keye to the entent to bee in a redinesse at all tymes leaste sayeth he they that are sicke shoulde wante y e spirituall comforte in the troublesome tyme of death Some curious fellowe peraduenture will here demaund why the sacramental wine is not also reserued and hanged vp as well as y ● bread seing Christ gaue thys generall commaundemente and sayde Drinke ye all of thys To thys question aunswereth Guilielmus Durandus saying The bloud of Christ is not reserued and kept for diuerse causes The fyrst is bycause wine which is liquide may easely thorowe negligence be spilt The seconde is bycause y t by the chalice whiche is on Maundye thursdaye receaued the ende of the olde lawe is vnderstanded The third is bicause y e body y t is reserued is not without bloude The fourth is that in y e the bloud is not reserued it is declared y e the olde sacrifice ought to cease For the bread signifyeth the newe testament but the wine signifyeth y e old testament To make euident pr●se of this matter the Lord when he ha● dronke sayde Consumatum est It is finished Therfore the chalice is receaued and the bread is reserued bycause the lawe hath now his ende the Gospel hath his beginning The fift cause is bycause Christ at the Lordes supper sayd Uerely I say vnto you I wil not from henceforth drinke any more of this frute of the Uine til I drinke that newe in the kingdome of my father He spake not of the body or of eatyng Yea we fynde that afterwarde he dyd eate part of the broyled fyshe and also of the hony combe but we do not finde that he euer dronke after Durandus in Rat. di off Lib. 6. Cap. 79. No bodye or Corps ought to be buried in the Churche or nigh vnto the place where the body and bloud of the Lorde is made but the bodyes of holye fathers whiche are called Patroni that is to saye defenders whiche thorowe theyr worthye and noble actes defende all the countreye Agayne Byshops and Abbottes and worthye Priestes and laye men whiche be of most highe holynesse As for all other they oughte to be buryed aboute the churche as in the yarde or in the porch or in y e voltes and suche lyke places as are nigh vnto the Churche Durandus in Ratio di off Lib. 1. When any Churche is to be halowed thys order muste be obserued Fyrst all the people muste departe out of the Church and the Deacon must remaine there onely hauyng all the doores shut faste vnto hym The Byshop with the Clergye shall stande withoute before the Churche doore and make holy water mingled with salt In the meane season within the churche there muste be set vp .xii. candles brennyng before xii crosses that are appoynted vppon the churche walles Afterwarde the bishop accompanied with the Clergye people shall goe thrice aboute the church without and the bishop hauing in hys hande a staffe with a bunche of Ysope on the ende shall with the same cast holy water vpon y e church walles and at euery time the bishop shal come vnto y e church dore strike y e threshold therof with his Crossierstaffe and say Tollite portas Principes vestras et eleuami●i portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae That is Lifte vp your gates O ye Princes and be ye lyfte vp O ye euerlasting gates the King of glorye shal enter in Then shal the Deacon or minister that is within saye Quis est iste Rex gloriae That is Who is thys king of glorye To whom the Byshop shall aunswere and saye Dominus fortis et potens Dominus potens in praelio That is It is the Lord strong and mightie euē y e Lord mightye in battayle At y e third time the Deacon shall open the church doore and the Byshop shall enter into the churche accompanied with a fewe ministers the clergye and the people abiding still without Entring into the church the Byshop shall saye Pax hui● domui That is Peace be vnto thys house And afterward the Bishop with