the late Romish church bewitched vs. CHAP. XVII Of Popish Excommunications IF I should relate verbatim the huge Masse of popish Excommunications time would sooner faile me then matter to write A fewe of them I purpose in God to rehearse by which the indifferent Reader may easily esteeme the nature and qualitie of the rest But before I come to the depth of the Mysterie I haue thought it good to admonish the Reader of these speciall points First that by popish proceeding none can excommunicate himselfe and consequently when either the Pope or other inferiour Byshops shal excommunicate al adulterers fornicators drunkards Symonists and such like then neither the Pope nor such Byshops are excommunicate albeit they be drowned vp to the eares in the selfe same sinnes Secondly that the Pope himselfe can not bee excommunicated neither by any lawe nor yet by the power of any man vnlesse it bee for heresie for which he may both bee iudged and deposed Thirdly that the Pope may graunt and giue Commission to meere Lay-persons euen vnto women to thunder out excommunications against supposed offendors These Preambles being seriously pondered let vs viewe the substance of the Text. The 28. Excommunication in number is against al such as shal appeale to a future generall councell from the sentence decree constitution or mandate of the Pope This Law was made vpon great pollicie for the maintenance of the Popes vsurped primacie First by pope Pius the 2. in the yeare 1458. and after that confirmed and extended by Pope Iulius the second in his extravagant in the yeare 1503. Materia inquit Caietanus est sacrilegium contra sedis apostolicae primatum Englished thus The matter of the Decretal or extravagant saith our Cardinall Caietain is sacriledge against the primacie of the Apostolique seate If I should recite all that the Cardinal saith in defence of this execrable excommunication I should be tedious to the Reader and he reape small or rather no commoditie by the fact This is enough for the Reader to know herein that the generall Councell of Constance which was holden in the yeare 1439. A.D. 1439 did decree flatly and constantly that the Byshop of Rome now adayes called Pope was subiect to a generall Councell and that it had authoritie to summon him to punish him and to depose him Which power they manifested practically when they deposed three popes and placed a fourth man in the pope-dome Yea the Councell auoucheth constantly and most christianly that the councell is aboue the pope as is already proued To countermaund which decree and Constitution Pope Pius the 2. Iulius the 2. published their decrees with a terrible excōmunication annexed therunto For this purpose also did pope Boniface the 8. publish his antichristian extravagāt A.D. 1297 in which he callenged both the spirituall and the temporall sword But the wortheist the wisest and the best learned papists doe this day make small reckoning of such thunderbolts The 29. Excommunication in reckoning is against the Colledge of the Cardinals of the Romish Church who by Symonie or Symonicall pacts procure themselues to be aduaunced to the pope-dome by vertue of which Excommunication all such as are made Popes by Symony or Symonicall pacts doe ipso facto incurre the sentence of excōmunication frō which they can neuer be absolved but by one that is pope in deede and canonically elected therevnto Vpon which Excommunication one of the popes Inquisitors Bartholomaeus Fumus a very learned Dominican Fryer and consequently a man of high esteeme in the Church of Rome hath published this Commentarie for the true sense and meaning of that axtravagant which pope Iulius the second devulged in that behalfe A.D. 1503 These are his expresse words Nota hic bene papa simoniacè electus non est vere papa Englished thus Note heere and that to good purpose that the Pope which is elected by Symonie is not the true Pope indeede Marke gentle Reader for Christs sake euen as thou tendrest thine owne saluation for this doctrine with the circumstances adiacent is Prora puppis for thine instruction and for the euerlasting detestation of the late vpstart Romish religion We see here most euidently by the popes owne constitution and flat decree which no man may withstand or gaine-say that whosoeuer is chosen pope by Symonie is no pope in deed Now sir let vs proceed and let vs looke circumspectly into this matter as which is of so great importance as nothing can be more Baptista Platina a man both very neere and very deere vnto the popes as who was by office Abbreviator apostolicus and consequently best acquainted with the manners and dealings of popes telleth vs roundly and constantly that the popes of latter dayes crept into the popedome by giftes bribes and Symonie These are his expresse words Eo n. tum pontificatus devenerat vt qui plus largitione ambitione non dico sanctitate vitae doctrina valeret is tantummodo dignitatis gradum bonis oppressis reiectis obtineret quem morem vtinam aliquando non retinuissent nostra tempora Englished thus For to that passe was popedō now brought that whosoeuer was able to preuaile most in giuing bribes in ambition I say not in good life doctrin that man only should haue the degree of honour and good men should be reiected Which custome would to God our dayes had neuer knowne Againe in another place the same Platina hath these words Adeò n. inoleverat hic mos vt iam cuique ambitioso liceret Petri sedem invadere Englished thus For this custome did so increase that now euery ambitious fellow might invade Peters seate or Chaire Gregorie the fift was by sedition thrust out of his throne and pope Iohn the 18. by tyrannie occupied the popedome So write both Platina and Carranza Yea Platina proceedeth further and saith thus qua quidē beatitudine Iohannes caruit fur certè in pontificatu latro non n vt par fuerat per ostium intravit Englished thus Which happie life pope Iohn wanted as who was a theefe and a robber for hee entred not in by the doore as hee ought to haue done To be briefe pope Bonifacius the 8. may sound the Trumpet for all the rest Of him Carranza the popish Fryer writeth in this manner Intravit vt Vulpes regnavit vt Lupus mortuus est vt Canis Hee entred as a Foxe he raigned as a Woolfe he dyed as a Dog See more to this effect in the tenth Chapter afore-going Thus gentle Reader two things are cleered which are of so great importance weight and moment as they are able to batter downe poperie and to draw it vnder foote For first what Byshop soeuer is made pope by giftes bribes and Simonie that Byshop is not pope indeed Secondly the Byshops of Rome for a long time haue been very wicked men haue aspired to the pope-dō by bribes and Simonie To which 2. things
many Lordly titles and more then royall power ascribed to the Pope addeth these expresse words Sed glossatores iuris hoc dominium dederunt Papae cum ipsi essent pauperes rebus doctrina Englished thus But the Glossers and Interpreters of the Popes lawe gaue this dominion and these royall titles vnto the Pope themselues being blind Bayards and beggerly fellowes Thus writeth the Popes learned Doctour and religious Fryer by whose verdict it is most apparant to the world that pouertie and ignorance two gallant Romish courtiers were the beginning of al royall Pope-dom And no maruaile for by reason of their pouertie they flattered and sought to please the Pope and by reason of their ignorance they desperately published many things which they did not vnderstand The vsual practise of Papists in their Commentaries Bookes and Glosses hath bin such so intollerable in wresting the holy Scriptures as their owne deare brethren and great Doctors can not for shame denie or conceale the same Polidorus Virgilius a famous papist hath these words Non secus isti iurisconsulti aliquoties detorquent sacras literas quò volunt ac sutores sordidas solent dentibus extendere pelles Englished thus These popish Legists and Canonists doe now and then so wrest and writhe the holy Scriptures to that sense which themselues like best euen as Coblers do gnaw with their teeth and stretch out their filthy skinnes 1 Out of these words I obserue first that this Polidore was a great Papist himselfe and consequently that his testimonie must needes be of great force against the Papists Secondly that he speaketh not of the meanest and worst sort of Papists but euē of their best renowmed Doctors viz. of Hostiensis their grand and famous Doctor Thirdly that their mangling and wresting of the holy Scriptures is most intollerable that without the same they cannot possibly maintaine their wicked doctrine This is that which Doctor Fisher the late Byshoppe of Rochester hath freely confessed in his answere to the Articles of M. Luther which hee could not in truth withstand or gainesay These are his expresse wordes Contendentibus itaque nobiscum haereticis nos alio subsidio nostram oportet tueri causam quam scriptura sacrae Englished thus Therefore when Heretiques contend with vs we must defend our cause by other meanes then by the holy Scripture These are the very expresse wordes I neither adde any thing nor take any thing away of their owne famous popish byshop of their owne holy Saint of their glorious martyr a learned man in deed who laboured with might and maine for the popes vsurped soueraigntie and defended the same in the best manner he was able and to the vttermost of his skill And yet for all that hee hath boulted out vnawares against his will such is the force of trueth which must needs in time preuaile so much in plaine tearmes as is sufficient to ouerthrow all poperie for euer and to cause all people that haue any care of their saluation to renounce the pope his abominable doctrine to their liues end For our popish Byshoppe being put to his best trumpe telleth vs plainely and without all dissimulation his mouth being now opened by him who caused Balaams Asse to speake that they must not because forsooth they cannot defend and mantaine their poperie by the authoritie of the Scripture but by some other way and meanes Viz. by mans forged inuentions and popish vnwritten vanities which they terme the Churches Traditions Now gentle Reader how can any papist who is not giuen vp in Reprobum sensum for his iust deserts read such testimonies against poperie freely confessed and plainely published to the world and that by the pennes of most learned and renowned papists euen while they bestirre themselues busily to defend their pope and his popish doctrine for all that continue papists stil and be carryed away headlong into perdition beleeuing obeying that doctrine which as themselues confesse cannot be defended by the holy Scripture Me-thinkes they should bee ashamed to hold and beleeue that doctrine in defence whereof they can yeeld no better reason Alas alas how hath the late Romish Church seduced vs CHAP. III. Of kissing the Popes feet TOuching the kissing of the Popes feet the truth is this that some Christian kings and Emperours vppon a blinde zeale not grounded in knowledge did humble themselues to the Byshops of Rome and did yeeld vp their soueraigne rights vnto them and thereby opened the windowe to all Antichristian tyrannie For in short time after the Romish Byshoppes became so Lordly and insolent that they tooke roundly vpon them to despose the Emperours to translate their Empires to dispose at their owne pleasures of their royal scepters regalties Yea to be reuerenced honored and adored as Gods for that end must al faithfull Christians kisse the Popes feete Here for the better credite of mine assertion I will put downe the flat testimonie of their Saint Antoninus their religious Fryer who was sometime the Arch-byshop of Florence These are his expresse words Nulli ergo angelo commissa iurisdictio cura totius orbis sed papae totius mundi iurisdictio cura commissa est cum solum vt nomine mundi importatur terza sed etiam vt nomine mundi importatur caelum que super calum terram iurisdictione accepit Sequitur vnde papae recipit a fidelibus adorationes prostrationes oscula pedum quod non permisit angelus a Iohanne Euangelista sibi fieri Englished thus Therefore the iurisdiction and charge of the whole world is committed to none of the Angels but the iurisdiction and care of the whole world is committed to the Pope not onely as the name of the world doth import the earth but euen as it doth also signifie Heauen because hee hath receiued iurisdiction both ouer Heauen and Earth Wherefore the Pope receiueth of the faithfull adorations prostrations and the kissing of his feete which thing the Angel would not suffer Iohn the Euangelist to doe vnto him Thus writeth this popish Doctor For the better vnderstanding of whose discourse I note First that this Antoninus was not a bare papist but a man of great authoritie and high esteeme among the papists Viz. a canonized Saint a religious Fryer a Dominican and a most reuerend Arch-bishop and consequently that whatsoeuer he hath deliuered either touching the pope or poperie must needes bee of good credite and great force against the papists Secondly that the popes power and authoritie doth farre exceed the power of Angels Thirdly that the pope hath iurisdiction not onely ouer the earth but also ouer heauen it selfe Fourthly that by the reason of this exceeding and surpassing power the pope doth admit and receiue that homage which the Angel refused and prohibited S. Iohn to doe vnto him Alas alas how hath the late Romish Church deceiued vs CHAP. IIII. Of power ascribed to the pope The
first Paragraph of his power in generall CHristus per passionem suam meruit iudiciariam potestatem super omnē creaturam Vnde ipse resurgens ait data est mihi omnis potestas in Caelo in terra Cū autem vicarius Christi sit papa nullus potest seipsum subtrahere ab obedientia eius de iure sicut nullus de iure potest se subtrahere ab obedientia Dei sicut recepit Christus a patre ducatum sceptrū ecclesiae gentiū ex Israel egrediens super omnē principatū potestatē super omne quodcumque est vt ei genua cuncta curuentur sic ipse Petro successoribus eius plenissimam potestatem commisit Englished thus Christ merited by his passion iudiciare power ouer all creatures wherefore when hee arose from death hee sayd all power is giuen me in heauen and on earth Now seeing the Pope is Christs Vicar none can lawfully withdrawe their obedience from him no more then they may withdraw their obedience from God himselfe For as Christ receiued the Dukedome and Scepter of the Church ouer all principate and power and ouer all whatsoeuer else hath being that al knees do bowe vnto him euen so did he commit most full and large power vnto Peter and his Successors the Byshops popes of Rome Thus writeth Antoninus that holy Archbyshop and religious Fryer Augustinus de Ancona an other religious Fryer in that booke which he dedicated to pope Iohn the twelft of that name singeth the same song with Antoninus his popish brother These are his words papa tanquam vicarius dei filij coelestis imperatoris iurisdictionē habet vniuersalem super omnia Regna Imperia Englished thus The Pope as he is the Vicar of the sonne of God the heauenly Emperour hath vniuersall iurisdiction ouer all Kingdomes and Empires Gerson a famous papist who was sometime chancelour of Paris maketh rehearsall of intollerable titles power more then royall ascribed to the pope and derideth the same Sicut non est potestas nisi a Deo sic nec aliqua temporalis vel ecclesiastica imperialis vel regalls nisi a papa in cuius foemore scripsit Christus Rex regū dominus dominantium de cuius potestate disputare instar sacrilegij est cui neque quisquam dicere potest cur ita facit Englished thus Like as there is no power but of God so is there neither any Temporall nor Ecclesiastical neither imperiall nor regal but of the Pope in whose thigh Christ hath writen the King of kings Lord of Lords of whose power to dispute is as meere Sacriledge to whom none may say why doest thou so The pope himselfe from his owne pen Gregorie the ninth deliuereth vs this doctrine Ad firmamentum caeli hoc est vniuersalis ecclesiae fecit Deus duo magna luminaria id est duas instituit dignitates quae sunt pontificalis authoritas regalis potestas Sequitur vt quanta est inter solem lunam tanta inter pontifices reges differentia cognoscatur Englished thus To the Firmaments of of heauen that is of the vniuersal Church God made two lights pontificall authoritie and power royall that wee may know there is as much difference betweene Popes and Kings as there is betweene the Sunne and the Moone The Glosse setteth downe precisely how farre a King is inferiour to a pope that is to euery Byshop of Rome in these words Restat vt pontificalis dignitas quadragesies septies sit maior regali dignitate Englished thus It remaineth that the dignitie of the pope bee fortie times seuen times greater then is the power of the King Where the Reader must seriously obserue with me that this Gregorie being himselfe one of the Byshops of Rome who now adayes are called popes Cat'exochen liued 1227. years after Christ A.D. 1227 and had either forgotten or neuer once learned that the good Byshoppe Gregorie the first acknowledged himselfe to be the Emperours subiect and yeelded all loyall obedience vnto him The popish Canons do so plainly ascribe diuine titles to the pope that none without blusing can possibly deny the same For in the popes owne decretals I find these expresse words Sic papa dicitur habere coeleste arbitrium ideo etiam naturam rerum immutat substantiam vnius rei applicādo alij de nihilo potest aliquid facere Englished thus So the pope is said to haue coelestial arbitrement and therefore doth he alter the nature of things by applying the substantiall parts of one thing to another and hee can make of nothing something Thus doe the papists write of their pope he is well pleased therewith For without his good pleasure and liking such doctrine glosses could not be currant in the Church of Rome Yea the Expositors do gather their sense euen out of the bowels of the text and this collections are as authenticall as is the text it selfe Pope Nicholas as Gratianus telleth vs was of the same minde and in effect taught the same Doctrine These are his expresse words Christus beato Petro aeternae vitae clauigero terreni simul coelestis imperij iura commisit Englished thus Christ committed to S. Peter who beareth the keyes of eternall life the right both of earthly and heauenly empire Where the glosse ascribeth the same power to the pope in these words Argumentum quod papa habet vtrunque gladium spirtiualem temporalem Englished thus This is an argument that the pope hath both the swords aswel the spiritual as the temporal And in the marginal note the Reader may finde these expresse wordes Papa habens vtrumque gladiū transtulit imperia Englished thus The pope hauing both swords translated the Empire A.D. 1294 To conclude pope Boniface the eight made a flat Constitution and Decree in which he affirmed arrogantly that himselfe was both Spirituall and Temporall Lord of the whole world The second Paragraph of power ascribed to the pope in speciall BArtholomaeus Fumus a famous Summist affirmeth boldly and resolutely the popes power to bee so exding great that he is able with his word to deliuer out of purgatorie all the soules that are boyling there in fire These are his words Papa potest liberare omnes animus purgatorij etiam si plures essent si quis pro eis faceret quod iuberet peccaret tamen indiscretè consedendo Englished thus The pope could set at libertie all the soules in purgatorie though neuer so many if any would doe that for them which hee appointeth to be done marry hee should sinne by his vndiscreet pardoning Siluester prieras a learned famous popish Canonist sometime Magister sacripalatij hath these words Sicut potest papa liberare a poena peccatorum debita in hoc mundo omnes qui sunt in mundo si faciant quod mandat etiāsi essent millies plores quam sunt ita liberare potest
omnes qui sunt in purgatorio si quis pro eis faciat quodiubet Englished thus As the pope can deliuer all that are in this world from paine due for sinne in this world if they doe that which he appointeth though they were many thousands moe then they be euen so can hee deliuer all that are in purgatorie if any doe that for them which he commandeth Viguerius a famous popish Fryer Dominican Doctor and professor of Thealogie proceedeth somewhat further then Siluester and Fumus auouching it to be neither inconuenient nor against Gods iustice These are his expresse wordes Nec est inconueniens quod papa posset purgatorium â—â—â—cuare Non enim per hoc aliquid detraheretur diuinae iustitiae Englished thus Neither is it conuenient that the pope can harrow hell for that doth nothing derogate from the iustice of God Aquinas the popish angelicall Doctor whose Doctrine no papist may reiect because sundry popes haue coÌ„firmed the same for authentical hath these words Christus poterat relaxare ergo et Paulus potuit ergo et papa potest qui non est minoris potestatis in ecclesia quam paulus fuit Englished thus Christ could pardon therefore Paul could also pardon and therefore the pope can likewise pardon as who hath no lesse power authoritie in the Church then Paul himselfe had So then the pope can doe as much as Christ if we belieue popish Doctors and Doctrine He can make the deafe to heare the dumbe to speake the lame to walke the blind to see and the dead to arise to life againe which I must first see ere I can belieue it howsoeuer Aquinas with his fellow Fryers doe write in that behalfe and doubtlesse this Doctrine and this supereminent power ascribed to the pope is plaine diabolicall and meere Antichristian Alas alas how hath the late Romish Church seduced vs. CHAP. V. Of the qualitie and condition of the Popes pardons together with the antiquitie thereof The first Section of the qualitie of popish pardons SIluester Prieras hath these words qui plenariaÌ„ indulgentiam rite assequutus est si eo instanti moreretur euolaret statim in caelum Englished thus He that hath lawfully gotten a plenarie pardon if that man should dye at that instant he should incontinently go 〈…〉 Aquinas Fumus Viguerius Antoninus Augustinus de Aneona and other papists teach the same Doctrine But it is needelesse to alledge more authoritie for this point seeing as it is already proued the pope hath as large power as Christ himselfe by the constant doctrine of best approued popish writers I wil therfore at this present onely name some pardons that haue bin granted the places and times where and when they were granted and the popes that did grant and giue the same referring the reader for a larger discourse therein vnto my booke of Motiues First many pardons are set down in the old english primars which giue many thousands of yeares pardon to all that shall but say very short prayers Before the prayer called Auste omnes animae there the reader shal finde in Latine set down in red letters that pope Iohn the twelft granted to all them that would say that prayer following so many yeares of pardon as there haue bin bodies buried in that church-yard since the originall therof A great reward for a very small labour for the prayer containeth but ten lines Before the prayer called Aue vulnus the reader shal find in latin red letters that Pope Innocent the second graunted 4000. yeares of pardon to euery one that should say the same prayer This was a greater reward because the prayer is shorter then the other Before the prayer called Aue domina there is set down in red letters that whosoeuer shall say the short prayer following shall enioy eleuen thousand yeares of pardon and withal shal see the blessed Virgin so many dayes before his death as he shall continue yeares in saying the same praier A large bountiful reward indeed Secondly huge infinit number of pardons are hanged vp in pardoning-tables at the pillars of euery Church for the most part in Rome not my selfe onely but many others haue both seene and read the same Thirdly there is a little pamphlet of the marueilous things of Rome which is commonly to be sold euery where in Rome one of which my selfe brought from thence and haue it at this houre which pamphlet sheweth many pardons for many thousands of yeares to be graunted to many Churches for such as will but come vnto them and there pray and visit the relikes thereof some fewe I am content to rehearse for the good of the readers In the Church of Saint Iohn Lateran there are euery day graunted to all that come thither 6048. yeares of pardon vpon the festiuall day of Saint Iohn the Euangelist 28. thousand yeares of pardon with so many quarantenes and plenarie remissions of their sinnes In the church of Saint Peter in Vaticano are so many yeares of pardon giuen as no man can number them Vi sono indulgentie senza numero there are pardons without number In the Church of Saint Paul there are giuen euery day 6048. yeares of pardon to all that come thither to pray Many other like pardons are named in the foresaid Pamphlet with the deliuery of certaine soules out of purgatorie But these fewe may bee a sufficient patterne how to giue iudgement of the rest peruse the 13. Chapter of purgatory and note it well for the explication hereof The second section of the antiquitie of Popish pardons THat the Doctrine of popish pardons is strange and new and that neither Christ nor his Apostles euer taught or practised the same as the late Romish Church hath vsed and daily vseth them Syluester a Papist so famous that he was not onely reputed but as it were surnamed Absolutus Theologus hath these words Indulgentia nobis per scripturam minime innotuit licet inducatur illud apostoâ—i si quid donaui vobis sed nec per dicta antiquorum doctorum sed modernorum Englished thus The popes pardons saith the popes owne deare Doctor sometime the maister of his sacred pallace were neuer known to vs by the scriptures although some doe alleage S. Paul for that purpose neither were they known by the auncient fathers but onely by late writers Antoninus the popes famous Arch-byshoppe and canonized saint hath the very same words and holdeth the selfesame opinion with Syluester he addeth some thing as it were for an explication of the matter These are his words Dicitur tamen Gregorius imposuisse indulgentias septennes instationibus Romae quia ecclesia hoc facit seruat non est credendum quod erret Englished thus Yet Gregorie is reported to haue graunted seuen yeares pardons when the stations were kept at Rome And because the Church vseth to practise this kind of pardoning we may not thinke that it erreth therein Or as