which our louing mother the holy Church hath made vpon it let it bee allegoricall or anagogicall or what it will this is onelie that which makes mightie and liuing because this alone both agree with the iudgement of the holy Church of Rome And all they which doe truely follow her those are permitted to liue in all libertie and wealth yea although they do not beleue that there is a god Therefore whosoeuer will not accept this interpretation of the holie church and vnderstand the scripture ghostly or spiritually as the Catholikes doe vnderstande and interprete the same he is a damned Heretike and his processe is at an ende although he had all the textes of the scripture verie plaine the whole volume of the Bible on his side for the textes can not helpe him without the glasses hee is but a dead man yea though he had an hundred liues lying in a Chest especially if he come once in the handes of the holie Inquisition hee must abie for it it is but lost labour to talke further thereof And for this cause I doe maruell that our good master Gentian will breake his head about this matter namely to proue That the Scripture alone is not sufficient for our mother the holie Church as though that matter were not plaine and euident inough sithence we may daily both see and feele it And yet notwithstanding commes he out here with his profounde speculation in such sort as he hath almost therein forgotten himselfe I cannot iudge otherwise but that the vnmeasurable zeale which hee beares to the welfare of his deare mother the holy Church must haue perforce tumbled him topsie â—uruie ouerthwart the field that he did not well see what he said he is like to kine which are stâ—ung and chaced with a waspe or horseflie they runne on following their noses like mad beasts shun neither stock nor stone For here it seemes that his wittes be rauished For where hee doth say That the doctrine of the holy Trinitie cannot be proued by the Scripture that is farre too grosse Otherwise wee must condemne the foure first Councels of falshoode who did by approbation conclude vpon the same out of the holie Scriptures verie strongly and with vndoubted testimonies of truth yea and if we could as well defend the Masse with plaine textes of the Scripture as the blessed Trinitie may thereby be confirmeâ— a great manie priests no doubt shoulde not eate so leane brewes as now they do It is true that this worde Trinitie neither this worde Consubstantiall that is to say Euangelicall in being substance is not so printed in the scripture But the Huguenots say plainly that they will not make anie brabbling about these wordes but will simply followe the true ground meaning substance of the Scripture Now it is plainly wriâ—ten That there are three in heauen which giue witnes to wit the father the worde and the holie ghost that these three are al one There is likewise written That there is but one Baptisme and one God and yet notwithstanding we are coÌ„manded that we shall be baptised In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holie ghost So that it is apparant that the doctrine or approbation of the Trinitie was not sowed out of the Popes thumbe as purgatorie the holie Masse were but are plainly alledged in the scripture after the letter The like is to be said touching the two sacrameÌ„ts of Baptisme of the Supper of the lord For although this worde Sacrament is not found in the scripture yet the substance the being and the ground of the doctrine is without exception coÌ„cluded out of the scripture according to the letter plaine wordes of the text For the Circumcision and the Pascall lambe are openly called The promises of God and doe signifie the promises of God left in liuely remembrance of his mercie to the coÌ„firming of our iustificatioÌ„ by faith And now doth Paul teach that Circumcision is signified in Baptisme and that the sacrament of the Lords supper is likewise appointed by Christ in remembrance of his death passion Whervpon it is called The new promise in the bloud of Christ and ministred in place of the Pascall lamb Insomuch that heretikes out of that do teach That baptisme the supper of our Lord are onely sacraments that is holy tokens of Gods promises made in the bloud and passion of Iesus Christ. Which we cannot say of that holy oyle nor of their holy confirmation and other Sacraments which our deare mother the holie Church hath instituted of great deuotion and ioyned them to the two first for an help or assistance yea and the same likewise established and defended That Confirmation by her instituted is much more worthie than baptisme which Christ himselfe coÌ„manded And why Forsooth because it cannot be ministred or executed by any simple or common Priest as baptisme may but only by a Suffragane or Bishop and that it makes one ful christned and doth giue the holy ghost more plentifully effectually than baptism doth which was instituted by Christ. As in her decrees and booke of Sentences is in plaine wordes written Now besides all this the heretikes doe also say That wee are not able to alledge or bring out of the holie Scripture so much as one worde which speakes of the Masse nor of annoynting of priests nor of their sinne offrings of their priests office of their pardons Popes bulles no nor of the Pope himselfe nor of the praying to Saints images of our Ladie nor al those saints which do so many goodly miracles nor of their purgatorie nor of their auricular confession nor of their whorish chastitie of Priests Monks Nonnes In summe they will say it is nothing else but mens inuentions and deuises of diuels which the priests haue called to remeÌ„brance to bring in monie by heapes and to pamper their panches with daintie dishes but is not this a spiteful matter And yet our master Gentian letteth that slippe vntouched where he should haue proued That all these pointes are aswell concluded out of the scripture as the twelue articles of the faith He saith in deed that Ieremie had said before That the new lawe of the Gospell should bee written in mens hearts whereby we will conclude that men ought not to seeke them in the scripture but in the head and heart of the Pope of Rome of his holy Prelates for that the Pope hath all lawes both of God man shut vp in his bosome breast as hereafter shal be declared more at large But this serues to no purpose against the Heretikes for they are so lustie that they would make M. Gentian ashamed hereof if he had anie shame in his bodie Which I do not iudge of anie such great doctor who hath long ago put off his shamefast shooes and laid them aside nay â—ast them cleane away But
the meane space there follow a perfect resolute desire to accomplish the same then hath the man likewise eaten principallie in coÌ„senting resolutâ—lie with pretence of accomplishment and in that case it is a damnable and an heauie sinne c. Surelie this will trie Saint Mâ—chaels wittes and put him to his trumpe howe to obserue this rule in weying and iudging these sinnes vnlesse he come first for a while into the Vniuersitie of Louen or to the Sorbonistes of Paris there to loiter read ouer and learne to vnderstand the glosses and expositions of the Maister of the Sentences I knowe no other meane for him howe to deale vnlesse he can find out in one place or other some subtil Doctour of diuinitie and make him so much his friend that hee will helpe him through with the matter yet notwithstanding the principall knowledge and speculation may well be brought to passe and considered as That we are not of dutie bound to loue God with all our hearts with all our minde and with all our might in such sort as he by his lawe hath commaunded seeing that the soule can separate her selfe from him and so giue ouer her selfe to sinne and yet not plunge so deepe therein as to fall throughly into Gods wrath â–ª yea there is great recoÌ„pense deserued at Gods hand when as a man is prouoked to sinne and to fall from God that by his wisedome hee doeth withstand the same so as the serpent onelie doth eate of the forbidden fruite as the Maister of the Sentences hath in another place written Therefore it is that our mother the holie Church of Rome hath expounded that which our Sauiour Christ set foorth in the fift Chapter of S. Matthewe As to loue our enimies not to doe euill for euill not to desire another mans wife and such other like sayings more after the Pharisaicall manner As that it is no speciall commaundement but onelie a counsell and aduise and that therefore no man is bounde to obserue and keepe the same but such as haue professed and vowed chastitie as Monkes Ankers and other such like Whereby doeth euidentlie appeare either that GOD hath wholie created and shapen the soule and hearte of man or at the least that his Lawe is not altogethâ—r spirituall considering that he hath not the full gouernâ—ment of the spirite onelie through this occasion that reason did not consent and agree wholie to sinne For in conclusion you may not esteeme sinne thus as though all that is done against Gods lawe and commaundement were a deadlie sinne and could not bee recompensed by deseâ—uing or satisfaction but all sins offences must be weighed in the balance of our mother the holie church of Rome who saieth thus That for all ordinarie and light sinnes and offences a man may sufficientlie satisfie with saying a Pater noster and an Aue Maria with knocking vpon the breast and saying Peccaui with holie water and especially with hearing of a Masse as for deadly sinnes the like must be done but yet with much more force efficacie and deuotion And to say all in all satisfaction is necessarie and requisite for all sinnes according to the qualitie and quantitie of the same And although a man shoulde wholie returne to God yet can not that helpe vnles hee make full satisfaction For whereas these Heretikes doe say That when soeuer a sinner doeth conuert and repent him of his sinnes God doth pardon and forgiue him yea in such sorte as he doth wholie forgette the sinnes committed and casteth them as farre from him as the East is from the West yea and sinketh them down euen into the bottome of the sea yea maketh them consume to naught euen as smoke or as a cloude in so much as they are not once more thought vpon euen like as he doeth also vtterlie forget all the good deedes that a man hath done which in the end doth giue him selfe to mischiefe Take heede of that saying for it smelleth of a faggot For our mother the holie Church of Rome hath speciallie concluded That GOD doeth not forgiue anie sinnes vnlesse a man doe first make full satisfaction and payment for the same to the vttermost and last farthing shee can allowe that hee forgiueth the sinne but not the punishment and for that cause must hee likewise bee well recompensed doing after this manner As if a man should pardon his debter all whatsoeuer hee did owe him and giue him to vnderstande that hee cancelled his obligation and in the meane space caused him to be arrested and cast into prison there to remaine and lie till the whole debte were paide euen to the vttermost mite Were not that great mercie vsed and a liberall pardoning of debters After that manner will our deare mother the holie Church of Rome haue that remission of sinnes vnderstoode which wee haue obteined through the bloud and passion of Iesus christ For the bloud of Iesus Christ saieth shee hath washed away the sinnes but holie water the Masse and such other like satisfactions doe deliuer vs from the paine and punishement Or rather the bloud of IESVS Christ hath troden the path by the which Masses Pilgrimages Holie water and other satisfactions may runne post after our Lorde God to put him in remembrance to pardon vs of the punishment which we by our sinnes haue deserued And if they perhaps should come to late then are the merites of Saintes in a readinesse to shut vp and make euen the rest of the reckoning and accompt For our deare mother the holy church of Rome saieth plainlie by speciall textes of the Scripture That God doeth neuer clearelie forgiue and pardon the punishment for sinnes through the merites of the bloud and passion of Christ without a former satisfaction For all the Scriptures and examples which the Lutherans â–ª and Huguenotes alledge and bring in to proue That God doeth chasten his children with plagues and punishmentes to the end to bring them to perfect knowledge and vnderstanding of their miserie and calamitie and to proue their faith or that hee will thereby bring them from the diuelishe dissimulations of this worlde all this doeth our deare mother the holie Church of Rome alledge to proue that God hath onelie forgiuen them the offence but not the punishment as appeareth by the example of Adam who although after his fall hee receiued comfort againe at Gods hande yet was hee well punished euen by bodilie death and with manie calamities sorrowes and troubles by the which hee made satisfaction And likewise take example of the Prophet Dauid who hauing grieuouslie offended God and afterwardes returned by repentance obteined forgiuenesse of his sinnes and was yet afterwardes notwithstanding this sharplie punished so forth of manie other examples For our mother the holie church wil in no wise allow That God did so punish them onelie to the ende they should so feele his mightie hande as they should euer after walke in feare and
stet pro ratione voluntas Our pleasure is as we command Our lust for lawe perforce shall stand Or according to that which the Poet Horace saith in a verse Pictoribus atqué Poetis Quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas Painters and Poets haue licence to measure Their colours and verses euen at ther owne pleasure Secondarily whereas angels are couÌ„terfeited with wings that is taken out of Esaie Ezekiel who say That the Cherubims were shewed vnto them in a vision with wings And whereas S. Michael is made with a paire of balance in his hand that is because hee must wey the soules to see whether their good workes deserts be not heuier in weight than their sinnes of fences For as before we haue written the holy church hath appointed him that office because she esteemeth it a sure article that none can be saued by the merits bloud and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ onelie yet Paule doeth so teach but euerie man must by his owne good works deserts bee weyed out and saued making full satisfaction thereby of his sinnes and offences After this now where Moses is painted with hornes is vpon this occasion For that it is written to witte that the face of Moses did shine as Paule himselfe doeth set it forth that hath the common translation of the holie Church expounded thus That Moses had hornes for that he should be as it were a figure of our Bishoppes which now likewise we are two hornes And whereas they make of the three wise men that came out of the East three Kings and one of those as blacke as pitch like a Morian that is fetched out of the wordes of Dauid or Solomon saying Kings shall come out of the Moores lande to worship Christ. For this hath the holy Church interpreted to be spoken by the three wise men And although the Morians land lay much more to the West of Iurie than to the East from whence the wise men came that is of no importance for the holie Church can alter the lying and situation of the landes and make of the West the East Againe whereas they haue likewise set an Oxe and an Asse by the cribbe of their litle Iesus whiche doe warme him with their breath that is grounded vpon the plaine Text of Esaie who saith The Oxe doth know his maisters will and an Asse the cribbe of his maister but the people of Israel will vnderstande nothing at all c. Yea and it may be a verie good allusion that by the Oxe the Bishoppes Abbattes and Prelates are vnderstood because they weare hornes also like an Oxe and can roare out excellentlie well against these heretikes better than they can preache the worde of god And by the Asse may verie well be vnderstoode the graie Friers which are likewise as graie as asses and therewithall all the residue of Monkes Friers and poore Priestes who are not much better learned than Asses and doe esteeme Christ still as a young childe that lies yet in the cribbe and therefore go about to please him make him contented with goodlie images and puppets with belles rattelles with piping and daunsing and with such other like fonde toyes and ceremonies Againe where they paint S. Lungies who pricking Christ in the side with a speare receiued his sight by vertue of the bloud which sprinckled in his eyes that is likewise proued by good scriptures For Saint Iohn saith That a souldier with a speare did pearce Christes side And this speare in the Greeke was called Longi whereof the holy Church hath made a Saint and named the same S. Longinus And because the saide Iohn said That it came so to passe because the Scripture should bee fulfilled saying They shall looke vpon him whom they haue pearced Out of that haue they fetched the lies or Legend of S. Lungies as to say that he was blind and thinking to haue thrust his speare into a Crowe did thrust it into the side of Iesus Christ and so the bloud did spring out into his eyes wherby he receiued his sight and was long afterwards canonized by the Pope and put into the Kalendar for a Saint In summe all their paintings and all those dumbe images which are set vp in Churches as the Apostles with rounde trenchers behinde their heades and euerie one of them with his weapon in his hande our Ladie with her frisâ—ed haire and goodlie golden garmentes with her perukes fine kerchiefs and goodly set forth with all her conceites like a Princesse of this world and Saint Katharine and S. Barbara bare breasted with their embrodered and stitched workes as trimly deckâ— and painted as the Courtesans of Rome and Venice And all this can our deare mother fetch finely out of the scriptures yea and shee can finde you a threede for euerie needle So that these Heretikes haue nothing to say to this for whatsoeuer is done of a good intent and purpose and to the profite of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome that must bee by God accepted without anie doubt and hee must of necessitie passe it in his reckoning booke or else muscels were no fishe neither should you haue anie oysters at Billingsgate For a flaâ— conclusion wee must haue goodly images and braue painted tables in the Church yea and though it did not serue for anie other purpose but that young men and maidens will therefore the rather come to Church for thereby it happens often that when they come onelie to see the images and goodlie paintinges and fisnomies yet in the meane space some deuotion commes in their mindes to haue a snatch at a Masse or to heare a Salue Regina whereby they often obteine pardon of their sinnes euen halfe against their willes And therefore we care not a beane for all that these Heretikes can say to this but will manteine and vpholde our olde deuotion without anie iotte lacking The xv Chapter VVhich is touching the difference of meates NOwe as touching the forbidding to eate some kinde of meates in some certeine times that is likewise founded vpoÌ„ plain textes of the scripturs And first whereas God said to Adam Thou shalt not eate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge c. Out of that hath holie Church concluded That men may eate no fleshe vpon the fasting dayes Item after that Adam had sinned then did God curse the earth And now we doe knowe verie well that all fleshe which is to be eaten commeth of the earth Therefore hath our deare mother the holie Church streightlie defended and forbidden all men which on the moste principall and holie-fasting dayes must doe penance for their sinnes that in no wise they doe eate anie flesh on those dayes least they shoulde be partakers of the cursing of the earth like as the holie Bishop Durandus hath verie well set it forth Whereby it is apparant that the Corâ—e
and that must needes be the holie ghost which commeth with thunder and lightening Likewise vpon Ascension day they pull Christ vp on hie with ropes aboue the clouds by a vice deuised in the roofe of the church they hale him vp as if they would pull him vp to the gallowes and there stande the poore Priests and looke so pitifully after their God as a dogge for his dinner In summe a man doeth often spende a pennie or two to see a play of Robin hood or a Morisse daunse which were a great deale better bestowed vppon these apishe toies of these good Priests which counterfeite all these matters so handsomlie that it will do a man asmuch good to see them as in frostie weather to goe naked I speake not of their perambulations processions going about the towne cariing their crucifixes alongst the streetes there play and counterfeite the whole passion so trimlie with all the seuen sorrowes of our Lady as though it had ben nothing else but a simple and plaine Enterlude to make boyes laugh at and a litle to recreat heauie or sorrowfull hearts for these matters fal out onlie vpon church holy dayes or solemnities when the Catholikes are determined to be merrie drink thēselues so droncke that they tumble frō their seat as you shal see our Maisters of Louen doo euery yere in their solemnitie especially at the seuenth yeres procession which is of the seuen sorrowes of our Ladie All what soeuer Christ hath done must bee set abroch to be counterfeite And after the same manner wee play by the Lent. For because Christ did fast fourtie daies lōg therfore shal our dere mother the holie church bee content to fill her belly all sortes of fish onlie not once touching one morsell of flesh according to the special wordes of Paule who saith Eate it not Taste it not Handle it not And so likewise Moses did fast fourtie dayes for the establishing of the lawes of God which he presented vnto the people And now seeing the Bishops Prelates do weare hornes as Moses did wherefore should they not as well faste fourtie dayes as he did And if the Bishops doo faste then are the Leye people much more bounde to faste which haue no such power nor meane to obteine dispensations bulles or tollerations of our holie father the Pope as these holie Prelates haue Therefore we do now conclude without exception or contradiction That the holie time of Lent is as firmelie founded vpon the scripture as all the rest of the articles of the faith inuented and founded by our deare mother the holie church of Rome and therfore it is good reason that our mother the holie church of Rome do maintein her Lent fish dayes in great reputation not onelie to hold it for a good and holie work in it self but for a meritorious work whereby we may merit deserue heauen the mercie of God appease his wrath and do make sufficient satisfaction recompense for all our sins In so much that our deare mother doth esteeme her fasting yea in a manner better than the merites of the blessed bloud passion of Iesus Christ whervpon these Heretikes doe altogether boast themselues For consider this the holie church saith in one of her secretes vpon the Wednesday in the Ember weeke in the Aduent and on Friday in the Ember dayes after Whitsunday and vppon the Tuesday in Easter weeke O Lord we beseech thee that thou wilt accept this our fasting and that by it we may be made cleane purified worthie of thy mercie that it may bring vs vnto euerlasting saluation c. What can a man wish or desire more S. Iohn the Apostle will seeme to set foorth a speciall matter when hee saith That the bloud of Christ Iesus doth cleanse vs of our sinnes maketh vs acceptable before God the father but this other nowe doth growe all vpon our owne ground for with our fasting we can obteine that well inough which he doth attribute onelie to the bloud of Iesus Christ. What shall I neede to make much a doe for the festiual daies obseruing of them Of which our dere mother the holy church maketh so great account that shee doeth yerelie pray vnto God that her festiuall dayes may obteine for her meanes sufficient to liue wealthily in this world and after assurance of eternall saluation that she may by the perfect obseruing of the said dayes merit to enioye perpetuall saluation and blisse And of the hallowing of Easter eeuen shee doeth say plainlie as followeth Huius igitur sanctificatio noctis fugat scelera culpas lauat reddit innocentiam lapsis moestis laetitiam fugat odia concordiam parit curuat imperia That is to say The halowing of this night doth driue away sinnes doth purge faults doth restore such as are fallen to their innocencie againe and to the sorowfull giueth gladnesse and expelleth all hatred procureth concord and doth bow Empires or Kingdomes c. Consider nowe what a power the obseruing of these festiual dayes hath What a mischiefe ayles these Heretikes that they so raile vpon vs because wee make a difference and diuersitie of dayes They make a doe with vs saying That Iesus Christ with his precious bloud hath clearlie adnichilated and taken away the instrument which was against vs which consisted wholie in such ceremonies and commaundements of the lawe and hath made fast the same vnto his crosse so that no man else can hereafter iudge vs for our meates or drinkes nor for the obseruing of anie holie dayes of new Moones or Sabbaoths and still they are troubling of vs with that which Paule writeth to the Galathians saying Seeing that you haue nowe knowen God or rather that you are knowen of GOD howe doeth it happen that you returne your selues againe to obseruing and worshipping of weake elementes which you beginne and goe about to serue againe You obserue dayes monthes times and yeeres I am afraied on your behalfes that all my trauell amongst you will be spent in vaine ▪ c. But what haue we to do with this ▪ seeing our mother the holie Church doeth attribute as much power to the obseruing of our festiuall dayes as to the bloud of Christ it selfe and therefore haue our Catholike Doctours reason in teaching That the obseruation of certeine dayes feastes heretofore vsed by the Iewes are not in anie point taken away by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ as Paule goeth about to perswade so alway as the dayes bee something altered as Eckius hath verie finelie set foorth For in place of their Passeouer of the lawe wee haue our Easter and in place of their Pentecost we haue a Whitsuntide of our owne deuising and in steade of the feast of the newe Moone wee haue our Ladies dayes and in place of their Trumpet feasts we haue the Apostles dayes and in place of their
they shoulde haue dealte the Wine abroade the common people might haue thought whether that the long racked bodye were without bloud or at the least that there could be no right and perfite Transubstantiation and changing of the bread into the very body of our Lorde Iesus Christe In this behalfe hath she cōsidered further and hath bene better aduised than our Lord him selfe was and so hath forbiddē the laie people the Chalice For thus the Councel of Constance doeth decree That notwithstanding Christ after supper did ordeyne and minister vnto his Disciples the most blessed Sacrament vnder both kindes of bread and of wine And although that in the first ancient Church of the faithfull the same was alwayes vsed vnder both kindes neuerthelesse seeing that the contrarie vse custome is not without great occasion and willingly now put in vre for the auoyding and eschewing of some inconueniences and perilles therefore shal all Patriarches Prelates Archbishops Bishoppes curse and excommunicate all such as shall take vpon them to minister vnto the common people the Sacrament in that maner And so far forth as such do not turne recant then they to be deliuered into the handes of the temporall Iudges to be by them arbitrally executed And herevpon did the President of the Councell named Ostiensis in the name of all the whole College of Cardinals and all other Bishops after him answere Placet which is to say So it pleaseth vs. So that it is euident that the ancient maner good meaning of the Church maye cleane alter vtterly abolish the commandement of Christ the olde custome of the Apostles their Disciples We do likewise see that notwithstanding S. Paul by inspiration of the holy Ghost cōmanded That whosoeuer did feele that weakenes in him selfe that hee could not liue chaste should take a wife for that it was better to marrie than to burne And he did in a maner by speciall words command the same to the Bishops and other Ministers of Gods worde saying That they should haue their wiues their children brought vp in the feare of God. And further That mariage is holy and commendable in all men yea he did esteeme The forbidding of mariage for a doctrine of deuils And yet all this notwithstanding our holy Mother the Church of Rome seeing deeper into the matter and for the eschewing of manie inconueniences hath expresly and slatly commaunded Priestes Bishoppes and al spiritual persons that they in no wise shall take vpon them the state of Matrimonie teaching precisely the contrarie to the doctrine before specified That the state of Matrimonie is nothing else but plaine vncleanesse filthie and shamefull yea a great and foule spot vnto carnall copulation In so much that such as giue themselues therevnto cannot be acceptable before God for that it is writtē Who so liues after the flesh cannot be acceptable before God and haue therefore concluded that it is not decent that a holy Priest who is the temple of the holy Ghost should become a slaue to the lying with a woman and to fleshly lust Like as in the Popes decrees and Decretales is specially set forth Moreouer touching the same point it is concluded in the saide Decrees That the doctrine of the holy Church is nowe more perfite than either the doctrine of Iesus the sonne of God or of his Apostles hath bene in times past For thus the text saith Before that the Gospell was corrected amended and expounded there were manie things permitted which nowe since the time is come that all the doctrine is made perfit are clearely abolished and taken away as especially notwithstanding that the mariage of Priests was neither by the Lawe by the Gospell nor the doctrine of the Apostles forbidden yet hath the holy Church flatly forbiddē the same We do likewise plainely see that Iesus Christ hath streightly forbidden any dispēsation for Matrimonie hath specially declared That who soeuer doeth leaue his wife except it be for adulterie and doth marie another is a whooremonger Truly if it were not that our holy mother the Catholike Church of Rome had full power authoritie aboue Gods word and aboue the special cōmandement of Christ she would neuer haue takē vpō her to haue chāged nor put down this mariage of priests Now let vs further see that the most holy honorable Popes Iulius Innocentius Colestinus being with a great number of Bishops Prelates stately iudicially assembled in the holy Ghost in S. Peters church at Rome haue cōcluded iudged pronoūced whatsoeuer Christ notwithstāding had thereof spoken saide That if so be there were anie which were married together and had christened the children at the fount the one of the other before should be diuorced and the woman to haue her marriage good restored backe againe and within a yeere after it should be lawfull for her to marie another man and for him to marrie another woman Euē as our holy father the pope of Rome Deus dedit doth openly testifie in a letter which for a perpetuall memorie is written in the booke of Councels word for worde and likewise entred in the Register of the Popes decrees and ordinances yet ouer besides this the holy Church hath concluded that if any Nonne Baggine sister or other should marie a husbande the Bishop of that Diocesse where they dwelt should diuorce them cause the Nonne to returne and take vpon her againe her vowe of chastitie Like as in Concilio Triburino and by the Popes lawes is concluded commanded Out of the same authoritie hath the foresaid holy Church likewise cōcluded That what woman soeuer after the decease of her first husband should marrie agayne shee was an open and common harlotte not regarding at all that which S. Paule in his time had written directly to the cōtrarie yea had moreouer straitly charged and commanded the yong widowes That vnlesse they coulde well liue a continent and chast life they should marie againe After this did not S. Paul or rather the spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul directly forbid any straunge language to be vsed in the Churches and congregations ordeyned for the seruice of God neither in prayer nor in thankesgiuing nor in singing nor in prophesying Yea he did greatly rebuke the Corinthians for so doing in their congregations And yet men plainly see that the holy Church of Rome doth minister her Masses her Mattens Euensong prayers and song al in Latine and some times therewith doeth mingle Greeke and Hebrew wordes In such sort as that not onely the common people but the Priestes and Bishops likewise do not vnderstand it Yet will the holye Church haue it so done yea and puniseth such as woulde otherwise vse it like damned heretikes Like as out of Eckius Piggius Hosius and other Catholike writers is manifest and plaine to be seene Then hereby of
certein words and then he can neuer come in hell for all the diuels will runne away from before the crosses like a dogge before a fliâ—che of bacon And therefore must hee take vp his lodging either in the suburbes of hell or in Purgatorie where hee shall haue his house hire and firewood free till such time as he with soule Masses and Popes pardons haue gotten a platte of ground in heauen to build a house thervppon of merites and good workes And this same oyle is of such power that through it all our sinnes are forgiuen vs according to that which the Priestes mumble out in their Masse Per istam sanctam vnctionem piissimam suam misericordiam indulgeat tibi Deus quicquid peccasti per visum per aud itum odoratum tactum gustum c. that is to say Thorough this holie oyntment and by his meeke mercie will God forgiue thee all thy sinnes what soeuer thou hast committed by seeing by hearing by smelling by feeling and by tasting c. Consider nowe what can you looke for more to enioye by the pretious bloud shedding of Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD than that which the Priestes doe beare vs in hand to giue vs by the power and vertue of their holie oyle These Heretikes may if they will hold fâ—st on the offering vp of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ but the good Catholike subiectes of the holie church of Rome will in no wise forsake this holie oyntment We will rather bidde Christ him selfe Adieu then wee will suffer such a pretious thing to be wroung out of our handes It is verie true that these Heretikes doe herein againe mocke with our deare mother the holy Church saying that our Priestes are like vnto Apes and Monkies which will counterfeyte euerie thing that they see done before them though they haue neither knowledge nor vnderstanding of the matter and this doe they alledge hereof because that Marke doeth witnesse That the Apostles had receiued the gifte of the holie Ghost whereby they did make the sicke whole with their prayers and with anointing or laying on of handes or by some other apparant token As it doeth likewise appeare in Paule who amongest other apparant giftes of the holy Ghost did likewise deale with this gift of making the sicke whole and he him selfe did shewe a notable token ouer the dead falling vpon the dead carcase and embrasing it in his armes As we reade also of the Prophet Eliseus who did the like ouer the dead childe stretching forth his feete and his handes and set his mouth directlie on the mouth of the dead and his eies on the eies of the dead and so he with these notable tokens iointlie with his deuoute prayers did reuiue that dead carcase But nowe seeing there are no more such giftes amongst the Congregation for that nowe the preaching of the Gospell hath no neede of anie newe establishing by signes and miracles therefore will these Heretikes say that it is but verie Apes plaie to vse outwarde tokens where they haue no inwarde power nor might which may be shewed with the signe or token For otherwise the Priestes must rubbe all blind mens eies with spitle and clay and stretche them selues out vpon all dead carcases which were a verie beastlinesse seeing they haue not the power to make the blinde see nor to reuiue the dead neither can they with their oyle make anie sicke man whole And therefore they were better to burne the oyle in their lampes or grease their bootes withall rather than so to dissemble and mocke with God and his word This talke these Heretikes haue when they are gathered together but we doe not passe for them one haire For when wee shall finde anie of those that would grease his shoes with that holie oyle or oyntment yea if he will not pray vnto it and worship it vppon his knees as though it were God him selfe him we will burne in steade of oyle and make a good fire of him â–ª For we will stand vnto the wordes of Iames the example of the Apostles whether we haue the power to make whole or no we go foorth with our matter euen as we also grease the childrens eyes with clay and spitle although we haue not the power to make the blinde see yea and although the children are not blinde it is inough for vs that our mother the holie Church hath so ordeined Notwithstanding it is here greatlie to bee noted that maister Gentianus hath gone about to declare his innocencie herein saying that hee did bring this in onelie by manner of example and as children playe in iest For otherwise if it were in earnest hee would bring in other manner of stuffe for hee could say so much to the matter as hee would quicklie stoppe the mouthes of the Heretikes as men may easilie iudge by his goodlie vtterance and by his great learning which doth appeare of him on all partes Here doeth followe the declaration vpon the fourth parte of Maister Gentianus Epistle treating of the praying to images Howe they are holden and ordeined in the Churche of Rome And also of this worde or name Idololatria of the idolatrie of the Heathen of praying to Saintes and of the Sacrament with suche other like matters The first Chapter Of the name Idololatria and that men ought to pray to Images wâ—th suche prayers as do appertaine vnto those after whom the images are made And of the good felowâ—hippe and agreeing in one which is betwixt the Iewes and the Churche of Rome and of the hallowed Agnus Dei. THe fourth part is a weightie matter and of greate importaunce which doth make master Gentianus haue an vnquiet minde as he himselfe doeth say to wit That these Heretikes haue no more respect vnto these olde and deuoute Catholike men but for to esteeme them for seruers of false Gods worshippers of images and do call them Idololatras that is Idolaters Alas is not that greate pitie And are they not maruellous muche to blame whereas our deare mother the holie churche can in no wise beare with this name nor heare of it but hath finally concluded commaunded and ordeined vpon paine to be banished accursed excoÌ„municated anathematized That no man shall name her Saintes by that same Greeke worde Idola which is asmuch to say as an image or likenesse yea and hath flatlie determined that from hencefoorth this same worde shall no more be taken properly for images or likenesses made after any man or other thing to their worship like as it hath euermore from time to time bene taken and vsed aswel by the Greekes as Latinistes but shall now be taken for nothing else but onely for the false Gods of the Heathen or Iewes and such images as they heretofore haue vsed in their Temples Insomuch that the verie naturall and proper name and similitude of this worde is wholy transubstantiated and turned into an other
Sonne of God They woulde haue Bishops renouncing the name office of tyrannical Inquisitors to preache the gospell to leaue of their trapt Horses and Mules and goe on foote They did esteeme all manner of meates good and lawfull first saying grace in their mother tongues neither did they much regarde the eating of fleshe in Lent no not euen on Good Friday In Summe they went wholy about to bring in a new reformation of religion and discipline ecclesiasticall the like whereof was neuer seene of the holie Churche of Rome nor of our forefathers They tooke in hande to restore all againe to the olde and former state of the Apostles and Euangelistes what pitie what care what sorowe had this bene to our dearly beloued mother the holie Catholike Churche of Rome and to all her good subiectes But praised be our blessed Ladie of Antwerpe your honour did well foresee and in time diligently withstand that inconuenience in that you haue placed the inquisition in the lande driuen away the Gewses or Heretikes laide the Magistrates in prison banished and brought to the Butchers stall the Gentlemen and good subiectes made a way and open passage for the Spaniardes into the lande set vp fire and swoorde in token of victorie and in euerie corner reared vp gallowes and plentifully shed the blood of those newe Euangelistes In Summe your diligence your quicke expedition your great zeale your newe Bishoppes and your holie Inquisition haue so well aduised counselled perswaded or rather forced our Souereign Lord the king his Maiestie much rather to see the destruction of his Patrimoniall lande the ruine of his Subiectes yea the imprisonment and death of his owne onelie sonne then to permit the holie Catholike Church of Rome to suffer suche shame and that in place of the Popes decrees and decretals of the Masse booke Hortulus animae and suche other seruice bookes the Gospel holy Scripture onelie should succeed take possession Therefore your Honour is highly to be praised for such noble actes And euerie man is duely bound herein to assist further you in your enterprise to the vttermost of his knowledge abilitie This Right Honorable and blessed Bishop is the cause which hath moued me poore vnworthie brother of Saint Frauncis order to dedicate and sende this my simple present to your honour to the ende that I with this my small gifte of good will may somewhat though but a little helpe to strengthen repaire the decaied walles of the Romishe Church and establish againe the right perfect foundation of our most holie father the Pope Therefore hauing a while agoe seene marked that in the Citie of Antwerpe was a small booke sette foorth in French Flemish intituled named A Letter Missiue Or An Epistle directed vnto the Apostates Backsliders from the true Christian beleefe compiled and made by Maister Gentian Heruet c And for that the same booke was greatly desired and verie much esteemed of all good and Catholike hearts I haue with all diligence and circumspection perused and read ouer the same wherein I haue founde in effect that in the same is briefly declared and set foorth the whole grounde and foundation of the holie Romish religion which your Honour euen with fire and swoorde to the subuersion and vtter ruine of the whole land doth seke most zealously to mainteine And I am thereby persuaded that the same booke was most worthie to be read ouer of all men to the ende that all startbackes from the faith might returne into the right way and the good faithfull Catholikes thereby strengthened confirmed But nowe considering the saide booke to bee verie shorte and something darke for a matter of suche importaunce and likewise had either none or verie few proofes out of the Scriptures Councels holie Fathers and Decrees of the Popes therefore I haue thought good to set penne to Paper and to set foorth and declare the same at large that nothing needefull should be lacking Moreouer cōsidering that it is most necessarie to declare something more at large especially touching the woorthines and authoritie of the holie Churche of Rome and the true exposition of the holie Scripture wherevppon the summe of all our matters doe depende for that we haue alwayes beene forced to call vpon the Church especially now when there is none other shield or defence left vnto vs therefore haue I traueiled brieflie to shew of this matter where the sure grounde and foundation lies by what Scriptures by what holie fathers by what Councels by how many Decrees euerie point is defended and likewise howe and in what manner the Scripture and the holie Church of Rome are ioyned together and Catholikelie vnderstoode in suche order as the same shall in no wise serue the Heretikes anie thing at al to their purpose or aduantage And forsomuch as this woorke is sucked out of sundrie sortes of flowres gathered together therefore haue I named it The Bee hiue of the Romishe Churche thereby to geue to vnderstande ▪ that as the honie Bee doeth not gather her honie out of one flowre alone but out of manie and diuerse So doeth not the Churche of Rome stande vpon one Scripture Byble Councels or bokes of Decrees but doth catche and snatch out of eche of them that which best serueth her purpose as hereafter euerie man may plainelie perceiue and in the ende of this booke shall vnderstande more at large whereas the speciall causes are set foorth why and wherefore we haue christened this booke with such a name And now hauing vnderstoode that your Honour did a good while agoe set foorth a certaine booke against the confessiō of the faith of these newe Gospellers I did verie earnestly trauell to gette the same trusting that it might perhaps haue eased me of this my labour for that I thought your Honour shoulde haue set foorth these matters there at large But after that I had superficially and lightly reade ouer the saide booke not hauing the lucke to kepe the same lōg by me I was the more willing to set foorth this my Bee hiue for that I sawe it shoulde serue verie well to the opening and more plaine declaration of the foresaide booke which your Honour hath made and published considering that your honour is busie in euerie place with the aucthoritie and dignitie of the holie Churche of her ordinances or constitutions additions or traditions and of the spirituall exposition which shee hath made vppon the Scriptures perceiuing nothing to be clearly set foorth whereby one may finde out these constitutions and ordinances whether in the Scripture in the Fathers in the Decrees or in the Coūcels so that a simple man might alway stande in doubt what you will haue esteemed and holden for the commaundementes ordinances or traditions of the Churche and what men shall call the Churche and likewise what rule or inuiolable order this holie Churche doth commonly keepe and vse in the exposition of
You poore Heretikes saieth he howe can you be of a true beleefe if you do not first accept the twelfe articles of the faith And how should you accept them seeing you will not beleeue the holy Catholike Church For consider this he doeth take to serue his turne a most certeine and vndoubted point That no man can beleeue the holie Church but hee must ioyntly withall receiue and accept all whatsoeuer the saide Church doth set forth and beleeue And this is greatly to be coÌ„sidered seeing herevpon doth rest the most speâ—ial ground and strongest bulwarke of the holy Church of Rome For these Heretikes can very stedfastly say that they theÌ„selues are the church of god And to 〈◊〉 that they introduce and bring in many goodly textes out of the Scripture but they alledge them only according to the letter euen as though the Church were nothing els but an assemblie or congregation of holy men that is to say of such as through faith or beleefe are by the bloud of Iesus Christ blessed and chosen to be the sheepefolde of Iesus Christe the true and only sheepheard of our soules into which fold none are receiued but such alone as will hearken to the onely voyce of that onely shepheard and followe and goe after him onely forsaking and not knowing the voyce of any straunger Whereby they will nowe conclude that our great Maister the Pope with all the right honourable Bishops and Prelates which haue of them selues set forth manie goodly ordinances whereof Christ neuer knewe word should be those very straungers and hirelings which seeke onely the wooll of the sheepe and haue serued God feignedly setting forth and teaching the commandements and doctrine of men yea that they shuld be the theeues and murtherers that haue not entred in at the right doore which is Iesus Christ but are crept in a wrong way to steale kill and destroye And therfore do they cut vs cleane off notwithstanding what soeuer wee alleadge of the Church of God and of her authoritie power and woorthines But they alledge out of the Prophet Ieremie That al is but lyes and deceyt whervpon we establish our selues crying with the Iewes The Church of God The Church of God The Church of God. And herevpon doe they bring vs forth and alledge their Paul saying That the only true ground and foundation of the Church of God is established onely vppon the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles so that who soeuer he be that falleth from the same can not be accompted for a true member of Christs Church And then they bring forth an Esaie out of a corner and an Ezechiel an Oseas with diuers other out of the olde Testament which they set al together on a heape and will defend themselues therewith that the stedfast successioÌ„ and that long continued race of the Popes Cardinals Bishoppes and Archbishops are in no wise that right token and that vncounterfeyt marke of the Church but the onely the sincere worde of God when as that is in our mouthes and in our heartes and in the mouthes and heartes of our children accompanied with the right vse of the Sacraments according to the perfit ordeining of Christ Iesus who is the only head of the Church and congregation in whom all people are ioyntly vnited euery one according to the measure of the gift which he hath receiued of the head to the ful growth of the whole body in loue Well well when they haue done all their prating yet must this needes be true That they are but Heretikes and smel after the fagot the good yere and all the cause why For that they doe not beleeue all that the holy Church doth beleeue and without the Church is no saluation but all such as fall from her must be burnt like fagottes for to that end haue we a plaine text of Scripture which saith thus Who soeuer doeth not abyde in me shall be cast out of the vineyarde as a branche and there wither and men gather those branches and cast them in the fire and burne them And this same is apparent out of the second point of this Epistle nowe folowing Whereas Gentianus doeth openly coÌ„fesse that at al times and for euer there haue bin some men which haue helde the same opinions set forth the like learning that these Lutheranes and Huguenotes do nowe followe But he answereth the matter thus That such haue alway bene banished and cursed for heretikes and all this is verie true For euer since that Iohn the Archfather Patriarch of Constantinople began to take vpon him to be the vniuersall Bishop of all Bishops within Christendome which attempt the Pope of Rome dyd in the beginning stoutly withstande and that then afterwardes Boniface the thirde did obteyne that tytle for him selfe and was by the Emperour Phocas declared Cheefe or superiour Bishop ouer all Christendome and ordeined the head of the Church which thing was brought to passe in the yeere of our Lord 680. From that time forward I saye there haue alwayes bene many factious and busie fellowes stirring abroade which as well by writing as preaching haue withstoode the Pope and condemned his doctrine decrees and ordinances euen by the Scripture yea and blazed and set him selfe forth for an Antichrist alledging euen as our Heretikes nowe do that men ought to repose themselues and buyld vpon the sincere word of God onely and further to holde and esteeme all ordinances of the Popes not agreeing with the Scripture for deuilishe doctrine But as before is declared such haue alwayes bin reputed and condemned for Heretikes Therefore to the ende that no man shall thinke this to be nowe a new dealing of the holy Church to condemne these Lutheranes and Huguenotes for Heretikes and likewise that no man shall suppose that this their doctrine and Articles which they set forth are first growen in their gardens I will therefâ—â—e make here a brief discourse of such as haue here before set forth these matters as well by mouth as by writing to make it plainely appeare to the worlde that there is not one Article which they bring forth but iâ— hath bene long before â—et a bâ—â—che openly â–ª that the holy Church of Rome hath both punished and condemned it for heresie Then to begin withall it is plaine that the Grekes haue alwayes daâ—peâ—ly withstoode the holy Pope of Rome and would neuer acknowledge him neither for Pope nor for the head of the Church like as yet euen in these dayes they do not in so much as in the yere of our Lorde 1328. at which tyme Pope Iohn the 23. had written very wisely and sharpely to the Grekes and by many wordes defended the cause That first there was but one only Church whereof he ought to be the head vnder whom all Christendome ought to submit them selues they dyd againe sende him this answere which followeth We beleeue verely
which serues her turne to fill her hiue with pleasant and sweete honie and what soeuer is not appliable or agreeing to her purpose that she leaues vntouched Therefore the foundation of the holy Church of Rome may very wel be called A Bee hiue hauing the propertie of a tubbe wherein al maner of pleasant things are put The vii Chapter VVherin is declared that the Church of Rome can likevvise helpe her selfe vvith the opinions and doctrine of the olde Heretikes in follovving the same vvhen it serues for her purpose NOwe so farre it is from our deare mother the holy Church to be afraid to spring ouer the pales of the holie Scripture auncient Fathers Councelles and Decrees that often times she will go and solace her self in the pleasant medowes and greene fieldes of the olde heretikes which haue alwayes bin extreeme enemies and directly contrarie to the holy scripture and the Fathers and of them doeth she borrowe very many goodly iewelles too furnishe beautiefie her Gabanet or bee Hiue withall For it is wel knowen and euident that she hath learned of the Heretike Pelagius That we notwithstanding the fall of Adam do still possesse a free will and haue power to Iustifie our selues and to fulfil al the commaundementes of God if we our selues will and That it is not the onelye grace of God whereby we are iustified as Paule doth teache but an helper only after that we of our selues haue prepared our selues therevnto Also That Christ did by his death merit for original sinne onely and that for all other our daily sinnes we our selues must answere and make sufficient amendes Of the Messalians or Euchites likewise of the Pelagians she hath gathered that baptisme alone doth not make vs perfect Christians but is onely necessarie to washe away our originall sin to helpe vs out of our first shipwracke But if we fal againe so run in danger of a second shipwracke theÌ„ we must seke for another plaÌ„ke to helpe vs out of hazard Shee hath likewise sucked out of the breasts of the MessaliaÌ„s to mumble out her Mattines The seuen Psalmes and the Pater noster by â–ª number vpon a paire of beades and with a burning candle pretending thereby to obteine great pardones and to doe vnto God great seruice Also whereas she doeth vse spittle in baptizing after that the diuell is coniured that shee tooke of the Messalians who did teache That men might driue away the diuel with spitting Of the Saturnialles Ebeonites Tatians and Encratites shee hath learned That the state of Mariage is vncleane and spotted and that such as wil please God and be cleane purified must wholy refraine them selues from it Also That there is great holinesse in absteining from eating of fleshe and vsing of certeine other meates although she hath set the things out vnder another colour to the ende men might not knowe froÌ„ whence they come Besides this she hath borrowed of the Montanistes manie newe fasting dayes which she hath commaunded and coÌ„firmed to be obserued vpon paâ—ne of great punishment and beside that on or cemeÌ„ts In the schoole of the Coloredlanes shee hath learned to praye to the holye Virgine Marie and to immolate or offer vp her oblations Of Marcus the sorcerer and Heretike she hath learned to vse in her seruice sacrifices certeine strange wordes in Hebrewe and other languages Of the Anthropomorphites to painte God the Father in the forme of a man with a gray beard Of the Gnostikes and Carpocratians to set vp images of Christ and other Saints and to worship the same with censing and other maner of deuotions vnlesse men will say as Eusebius in the 7. booke of histories in the 18. chap. doth declare that this erecting of images did first spring from the Heathen And last of all she hath learned of Simon the sorcerer father of al Heretikes to giue Bishoprikes Benefices Masse Mattius and Sacraments for money and yet not to sell them For it is but a simple bargaine or contract which the Lawyers call Do vt des I giue that thou mayest giue againe Euen like to Simon who would giue money to receiue the holy ghost So that it is very plaine apparaunt that shee can helpe her selfe well ynough with the doctrines and opinions of Heretikes and sucke out of them what shee thinkes good to carie into her Bee hiue Yea shee doeth in manie things agree with the Alcaron of Mahomet and with the Turkes religion as specially in many pilgrimages in praying vnto dead Saints in the obseruing of fasting dayes in diuers sortes orders of Monkes and particularly in the doctrine of Freewill and iustification by workes Now whether they haue borrowed that of Mahomet or he receiued it from them by reason he had a holy Monke one Sergius for an assistent companion I referre that to the iudgement of the Doctors of Louen Thus much once by the waye that it is easie to be noted that it is all one per dominum and all diet in one fatte and that she is like to a cunning spinner which can make good thred of all sortes of flaxe The viii Chapter Declaring that the Church of Rome hath likevvise borrovved manye things of the levves vvhich shee doeth set forth and holde as articles of the faith NOwe as touching the Iewes shee hath not forgotten to followe them sundrie wayes and that is apparant ynough in that which our master Gentianus hath declared in this worke For hee will mainteine that the Transubstantiation of the bread into the very body of Christ and the changing or turning of the substaÌ„ce of the wine into his verie blood maye bee proued by the testimonies of the Iewishe Rabbines And that is without doubt for one of their Rabbines named Rabbi Moses Hazardan writing vppon the 136. Psalme where the Prophet saith O Lord thou giuest all fleshe their foode saieth thus This texte doth fully and wholy agree with that which is saide in the 34. Psalme Taste and see howe pleasant the Lord is For the bread or meate which he giues to euery man is his fleshe and with the tasting or with the eating it is turned into flesh Out of this hath a good Monke a Catholike writer concluded That this Iewish Rabbin did well vnderstand Transubstantiation which he doth yet againe coÌ„firme by another named Rabbie Cahana who vttereth maruelous woÌ„derful speculations vpoÌ„ that texte of Moses where Iacob did promise to his sonne Iuda an vnspeakable vnmesurable quantitie of wine milke by these wordes He shal binde his foales to the vinetree and his asses to the noble vine branches he shal wash his clothing in wine his mantle in the bloud of grapes his teeth are whiter than milk For out of these woordes of Iacob doeth the foresaid Rabbi conclude That the asse doeth here signifie Messias into whose bodie and bloud the wine shal
Scripture for that is but one witnes And it is a common prouerbe Vnus testis nullus testis One witnes no witnes but they must proue it to be directly against all these before rehearsed or else they remaine in the sacke and by this meanes shall we without doubt get the victorie and vpper hande ouer all our enimies For by this foundation are al the Lutheranes and Huguenotes condemned banished and accursed Vpon this grounde they are deliuered ouer into the hands of temporal officers as ranke Heretikes Vpon this foundation are they at the last pitifully murthered burnt And wherfore For this is the verie foote wherevpon men do condemne for Heretikes all such as do not beleue al whatsoeuer the holy church beleeueth It skils not out of what grounde they haue fetcht this whether out of S. Francis vineyard or out of the goldeÌ„ Legend liues of the ancient Fathers or out of the Decrees Decretals that is all one so that it tend to the benefiâ—e establishment of the holy Church of Rome For as it is before declared that is onelie the foundation of the holy Catholike and Romish Christen faith Therefore whatsoeuer dependeth therevpon must of necessitie be esteemed receiued and taken for a special article of our beliefe and whosoeuer will not so accept it they are damned without mercie yea although they had both Paul and Peter ten times for their aduocates and ten dozen of Bibles on their side will not serue for they shall neuer be demaunded whether they do beleeue the Scripture and the Bible or whether they holde the writing of Paule for the woord of God or whether they doe not acknowledge themselues to be poore miserable lost and condemned creatures by the fall of Adam and the children of wrath and damnation And that God of his meere mercie and pitie without any desertes hath loosed and redeemed them For all this is but brabbling it shall not be demanded of them whether they do not stedfastly beleeue that they onely through the onely oblation of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ once offered vpon the crosse are iustified before the face and iudgement seate of God For that is of no importance And much lesse shall it bee demaunded of them whether in time of their neede they do call onely vpon the onely liuing God through the mediation and intercession of our onely mediatour and intercessour Iesus Christ For that is altogether Lutherall What shall be demaunded of them then First and before all whether they doe not beleeue that the holy Church of Rome is the Ladie and Queene ouer all Churches and that the Pope of Rome is the heade of the same And whether they doe not beleeue all whatsoeuer this Church beleeueth After that if they do not beleue in the holy Masse in Purgatorie in the miracles of men Saints and women Saints Also what they doe thinke of the holy Reliques As for example If they do not beleeue in the foreskinne of our Lord Iesus which is at Antwerpe in a second which is at Rome in a thirde which is at Bezancon in a fourth which an Angel brought once from Hierusalem into the towne of Aken and lastly in one whiche is seene and worshipped in an Abbay at Poytears in Fraunce Item whether they do not beleeue in the Cribbe which is at Rome in our Ladies Church and in our Lordes shooes which are likewise at Rome in the holy place called Sancta Sanctorum Item in the Dice wherewith they did play vpon his coate whereof some are at Triers and some at S. Sauiours in Spaine In the Sponge wherewith they gaue him vinegre to drinke which is at Rome at S. Iohns de Laterane And in the tayle of the Asse whereon hee rode which is set foorth with great deuotion at the town of Genuen in Italie c What accompt they make of the three Kings which lie at Colen yet are likewise at Milane in Italie of S. Iohnâ— head which is to be seene at Ghent notwithstanding that they of Ameens conâ—ende that they haue it Item what they esteme of Iosephs breeches which are at Aken with our Ladies smocke And further what they thinke of our deare Ladies needles her sowing thred and her workebasket which lie in her siluer chist at Halle where many goodly miracles haue bene shewed and of her girdle which is there likewise by vertue whereof so many women haue conceiued with child of her milke which is so plentifull in manie places that seuen of the best kine in Holland are not able to giue so much milke in ten yeres Of the holye bloud at Bridges of the holy Sacrament of miracles at Bruxols at Saint Goels church which is a preâ—te litle round thing made of very bone of iuorie and yet our deare mother beleeues that it is very flesh and bloud After this shal be demaunded of them what they do beleeue of all the glorious Saintes As Saint Lieuen S. Gomâ—er S â–ª Rombolâ— S. Goele S. Iobâ— of Wâ—semale S. Ioyce in Flanders where men get children and mo such other like Saintes and Patrones of the holy church â–ª which haue wrought so manie miracles as in very deede no man can tell And if theâ— doe not beleeue al this then the matter is cleare that they beare the whole burden on their backes And wherefore Because they do not beleeue al that the holy church doeth beleeue and therefore they can be no good christen men Therefore is Maister Gentianus worthie to be shrined in golde and set vpon an altar seeing that hee hath with fewe wordes so substantially taught the very right way to bridle and bring vnder these heretikes and to put them all in a cloake bagge specially those which doe not beleeue whatsoeuer the Church beleeues all such are vnbeleeuing and damned Heretikes The xii Chap. VVherein is declared that the Lutheranes are with this foundation so valiantly assalted on all sides that it is not possible for them to escape any way and what is the last argument to be obiected against them is declared and proued by the example of Transubstantiation WHat maruel is it then that a simple yong man whom hee calleth Brother Ligier durst not dispute against Master Gentianus For who dare bee so bold as to looke such a stout Goliah in the face I let alone speaking to him no and I would not counsell the Huguenotes to take vpon them so to do For whereas they thinke perhaps with a sling to hit this Giant in the forehead with the corner stone of Gods worde and to fell him downe to the grounde yet must they knowe that all the matter is not ended there For in place of one there will starte vp by and by and innumerable companie of stout and valian Champions which will assault them on all sides For besides all the holy fathers the Popes of Rome besides all the noble and right honourable Cardinals all forkeheaded Bishops all fatte Abbats and proude
praâ—ing Prelates there will yet come as Gentianus here doeth bragge a great companie of men Saintes and women Saintes glorious Martyrs comlie Confessours and excellent Doctours of the Church which the Pope him selfe hath canonized and bestowed places vppon them in heauen These surely in consideration of the benefites they haue receiued at his hands will for the mainteining of his doctrine hazard both cappe and cowle Then siwâ—her there will come such a companie of goodly miracles which surely are so perfectly and also vnreproueably registred in the golden Legend that the Heretikes must nodes be packing away if they will do wisely and followe good counsell For if it were seâ— that this could not yet helpe then should come in the Doctours of Louen with their great coppintankes and Doctours hattes with their Aristotles breech on their heads and his Liripipium about their necks and they will bring in al their Syllogismes their Sortes currit their Quidditatâ—s Realitates Formalitates Ecceitates Identitates Secundas intentiones Instantias and manie more of like learning which they will quickly shoote vp in the aire in such sort that the multitude of their arrowes wil darken the Sunne And at the last they wil plucke out of their quiuer a strong and a swift bolte or argument which the scholemen cal Argumentum a fasciculis that neither Bible nor Testament neither Peter nor Paul shal be able to helpe the poore heretikes so they must altogether daunse into the fire and be burnâ— to ashes This is most true and apparant and needes no proofe or witnesse Notwithstanding seeing that Gentianus him selfe â–ª to shewe his stoutnesse and noble courage doeth alledge and bring forth a certeine example â–ª as it were for an attempt or skirmishe therefore will I take the same vpon me and explane it further â—o the ende that euerie man may see with what strong weapons our deare mother with all her souldiers horsemen and footemen is furnished And thus saith Maister Gentianus here That the Lutheranes and Huguenotes can in no wise be reputed and taken for right beleeuers so long as they doe not beleeue that the breade and the wine in the blessed Sacrament of the altar as soone as euer the fiue wordes are spoken ouer them are no more bread wine but by and by become the verie perfecte bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ as long and as broade as it was hanging vppon the crosse Nowe then who dares once kicke or winche against this Or howe can these Heretikes wrestle against this whereas to begin withal generally the holy Catholike Apostolicall Papisticall Romishe Church with her Pontificall seate and crowne with all her Cardinals haâ—tes Bishops myters Abbats slaues Priestes crownes Monkes cowles and Doctours hoodes doe not onely beleeue so but likewise do specially commande will so haue it in dede that al other persons shal so likewise beleeue and that vpon paine of deadly sinne Wel then it is a sealed â—loth â–ª there is no more to saye to the matter â–ª For Iohannes Scotus hath him selfe said absolutely That if those fiue woordes should be spoken in a market place or in a Bakers house where much breade were or in a seller where much wine were the said bread would by and by bee turned into flesh and the wine into bloud Yea this hath bene proued by manie wonderful tokens as you may see and heare at Bruxels in Saint Goels Church where the Iewes stand painted which did sticke the holy Sacrament there through with daggers and the red bloud came running out For you may yet see red spottes painted vpon it And at Padua in Italie in Saint Anthonies Church standes grauen vpon an altar Saint Anthonie of Padua going alongest the streete with the Sacrament and some Iewes that were there did mock it and would not kneele downe and by and by there came an Asse alongest the streete which seeing that it was verie flesh and bloud did fall verie deuoutely vpon his knees and did open his mouth so wide that Saint Anthonie of Padua did estâ—eme the same for such a great miracle as doth wholy confound these Heretikes with hide and haire thrust in their throtes as is in his Legend set forth more at large â–ª Was not that a goodly and wonderfull miracle What will these Heretikes say to this when that Asses do beleeue it and yet they esteeme it not We read likewise of Saint Gregorie howe he being busie at Masse and hauing spoken the fiue wordes the holy Sacrament was soudeinly through his prayer conuerted and turned into a fleshly and visible finger and that for a good Gentlewomans sake which could not well beleeue that it was fleshe Likewise it is written that there was a good and a deuout woman which had heard in secret of her Curate the fiue wordes and being with her Gossep kneeding of doaw to make bread she rehearsed by chaunce to her Gossep the secretes of the Masse which she had learned of the Priest and soudenly all the doaw was turned into flesh and the water wherwith she had wrought the doaw into verie bloud in so much that the poore women were maruellously affraide and were so bloudie as though they had lien ten yeares in the butchers slaughter house It is verie true that it will not frame so well with beggers who hauing vnderstood this matter would gladly haue plaâ—ed the like paâ—el to the intent to haue made of the craâ—tes of bread which they had begged with the saying of these fiue wordes a good flesh hotch-potch or gallemawfrie but it woulde not fadge because they had not the good intent which the Priestes haue when they say Masse which intent the Curate had surely put into that good Gossep secretely in shriuing her Now is it not plainly written in the booke of that holy Monke Leander Alberte of Bullein that beside the lake called Lago de Bolsena as a Priest was saying his Masse that holy Offertorie or oblation did droppe a great many droppes of bloud vpon the altar and vppon the white piece of cloth called the Corporall after this it skipt and leapt out of the handes of the sacrifising Priest away it went swiftly fleeing all about the Church like a birde still dropping droppes of bloud vpon the Marble stones which are seene there yet to this day Men may finde a hundred thousand such like miracles set foorth in manie goodly laudable and praise worthie Histories and golden Legendes and specially in the Historie of the notable learned wise and discrete man Lipomani who I dare say would not willingly lie if he could hit vpon the truth Then all these miracles and all the foresaid Saints iolly roysters would euen ioyntly together be vpon the bones of these heretikes After all this the Iewes Rabbines would march forwarde into the field with their Caballa with their Thalmood stoutly defend our transubstantiation The Ethnik poets specially Ouid
matter for otherwise if he had well knowen howe that Melchisedech had offered vp bread and wine he would then without doubt therevpon haue concluded with the Church of Rome That there must bee Priests to sing Masse and to offer vp Iesus Christ in fourme of bread and wine vnto God the Father For if this were not as the Doctours of Louen doe teache then could not the offering of Christ Iesus endure and last for euer after the order of Melchisedech as our Maister Gentianus hath verie wittilie here noted Consider I pray you if Christ had no Vicar nor Liefetenant as the saide Apostle pretendes how could he be an euerlasting Priest and continue his Priesthoode euermore in the person of the most holy Pope of Rome Howe could he offer vp his bodie a newe dailie in the Masse Therefore hee may thanke the Priestes greatly that they after his departure hence haue taken vppon them his place And for so much as his offering could not of it selfe sufficiently serue the turne therefore haue they founde out another sonne offering of the Masse whereby they applie or ioyne his offering to men as with a plaister notwithstanding they doe not name it onelie Sacrificium propitiatorium that is A sacrifice of mercie but also Sacrificium applicatorium that is An offring plaistered or put to Was not that a great ouersight of our Lorde that he had suffered such paines and yet al his suffering could not haue helped vs if the Priestes would not haue giuen vs that same addition by their Masse offering Therefore must the Apostle needes haue bene much ouerseene in his Epistle to the Hebrewes when hee tooke vppon him so earnestly to prooue that Christ had no neede of anie Deputie and that his sacrifice or oblation could not bee renewed nor offered againe but that it is giuen to vs made ours through faith or perhaps hee was so busily occupied with the Hebrewes Iewes that he did not once thinke vpon our holie Masse no nor had not the leasure to reade ouer the bookes of the Catholike Doctours of Louen nor the ordinances of the holie fathers of Rome For if hee had read those he should haue lerned something else as speciallie that the principal point of the priesthoode of Melchisedech did rest in the bread and wine which hee set before Abraham and his Souldiers to stake their hunger and thirst For of this bread and of this wine hath our deare mother the holie Church of Rome made a sacrifice and out of that concluded that the Priestes must likewise haue bread and wine to chaunge the same into fleshe and bloud and so to offer it vp But the Apostle had neuer heard anie such newes and therfore he is to be borne withall but these Heretikes who haue read ouer all these things with our Doctours yea they haue it at their fingers ends and yet they make but a mocke at it those felowes truelie are worthie to be looked at vnder the browes and to haue their heades set betwixt two eares Proceeding now as touching the order of Aaron he without doubte was a figure likewise not of Christ but of our Priestes For there is written in the Decrees and in the booke of Sentences That as well the hie Priestes as the Pater noster priestes were all ordeined by Moses when as he by the commaundement of God did institute Aaron an high Priest and did annoint his sonnes vnder priests The councel of Aken or Aquisgrain hath also plainlie concluded out of Isidore That the order of Priestes haue their beginning of Aarons children and that those which in the old Testament were called offring Priestes are the verie same which nowe are called Masse priests And those which at that time were called Hie priestes are nowe our Bishops So that it is easie to be noted that they are all of Caiphas his progenie For as touching that which the Apostle doeth say to the Hebrewes That by the comming of Christ the order of Leuie was cleane taken awaye that can not be true considering that yet at this day the holie Church hath her Leuites as out of the 7. Chapter of the said Councell and out of the 2. Chapter of the 21. Distinction doeth plainlie appeare where it is saide That the Leuites are in Greeke called Diaconi and in Latin Ministri And now these must needes bee our Deacons And therefore in the third Councell of Bracaren it was concluded in the 5. Chapter of the saide Councell That onelie the Leuites and not the Priestes might be pardoners and carrie about with them on their shoulders the reliques of Saint Anthonies swine and such other like hauing on their Albe which is to witte a long shirt aboue vpon their coates as was permitted to the Leuites only in the olde testament to carie or driue the Ark of the promise Is not this a sufficient proofe you are welcome home And likewise that the other Priestes are also come out of the order of Leui doth sufficiently appeare out of that which is before rehearsed Therefore is the Apostle much ouerseene in his Epistle to the Hebrewes where hee will take vpon him to mainteine that the order and succession of the Leuites should be wholy taken away and adnihilated or at least he must be thus vnderstoode as that the order of Leui is not taken away anie otherwise but that in place of the Iewish Leuites are entred in the Priestes Pardoners in place of their sacrifices is the Masse crept in For consider that which he doth write in his 5. and 8. Chapter concerning the Leuite priestes saying That euerie hie Priest is ordeined to offer gifts sacrifices pretending thereby to proue that then Christ must also haue something to offer that the holie Church of Rome vnderstandeth to be her Priests as though the Apostle would haue saide flatlie That the Romish Priestes are ordeined to offer giftes and sacrifices And for that cause the catholike Doctours haue that text continually in their mouth for the verifying of their Priesthoode So that it is euident that the Leuitical Priestes are risen vp againe in our Priestes And although the Heretikes do mocke at al such allegations saying that that text is directly against vs because the Apostle wil thereby proue that by the offering and Priesthoode of Christ Iesus all other offerings and Priesthoods are taken away and adnihilated considering that Christ could not be a Priest so farre as there were anie other Priest that did represent patronize him yea and although he were now here on earth we passe not for that For we will by and by bring out against them the plaine texte of the decrees out of the Councell called Sexta Synodus where it is said That Iames the brother of Christ after the flesh Basilius the Bishop of Caesarea did ioyntly bring in the Masse and ioyned it to the scripture Surely if Iames the lords
which is a God of such power that he causeth all them that will not honour him to be burnt In summe it is apparant that the name of the Masse is fetched out of the Scripture Nowe further whereas the Masse may not be long but vpon a foure cornered stone well foreseene with crosses and coniured with holie wordes all that is likewise fetched out of the scripture For Paule speaking to the Corinthians saieth That they ought not so to glorie in themselues for the sacrament coÌ„sidering that the people of Israel who notwithstanding were pitifully destroied by the hand of God had also euen the like sacrament in the beginning were also baptised and had likewise receiued the spirituall meat to wit Manna and dranke the spiritual drinke which did flow out of the Rocke and saith further there in most plaine wordes And the stone was Christ that is to say after the spirituall interpretation of the holie Church That the Masse must be soung vpon a stone Item Christ is also called A corner stone and which is more his graue was hewen out of a stone as Marke doeth wiâ—nesse Ergo it must needes follow that no Masâ—e may be soung without a stone And because he was wound in white linnen clothes therefore must white linnen be vsed in the Masse And so forth concerning all such Ceremonies as are vsed in the Masse you may touching these read the booke of Durandus or of Innocentius de officio Missae or the booke of Guido de monte Rocherii called Encheiridion Sacerdotum that is to say â–ª the manuel of Priests For there you you shall finde plainly set forth that all the partes of the Masse are finely founded and established vpon the scripture And to begin withall you shall find the times appointed for the Masse that it must be done at three of the clocke because it is written that the Iewes did at three of the clock crie Crucifie him crucifie him or at sixe of the clock for that at sixe of the clocke they did crucifie him or at nine because that then he gaue vp the ghost For although it be so that the Iewes at that time did reckon their houres otherwise than we do now so that three of the clocke was with them as viii or ix of the clock before noone is with vs and their sixe as our xii at noone and their ix as our three at after noone yet notwithstanding our deare mother the holie Church doth not gâ—e so narrowly to worke with her reckonings It is sufficient that simplie the names do agree and then she lettes the rest go where it will. After this now as touching the apparel and other consecrated or hallowed stuffe you shall finde her Albe or long white garment in the Scripture specially where it is written But he that continueth to the end shall bee saued For that long garment doth signifie long lasting or long continuance Concerning the girdle where it is written He that feareth God shall prepare his heart c. By the girdle which doth tucke vp the clothes is ment the feare of god Item the Maniples are fetched out of that saying in the Psalme Those that sowe with tears shall reape with ioy and bring home their sheaues with gladnesse c. For the sheaues are called in the Latine tongue Manipuli so that Dauid did there speake of the Priests maniples And the stole which they haue about their neckes commes out of the saying of Paule Beare in your bodies the dying of our Lord Iesus Christ And last of all the head is founded out of the saying of Peter But aboue all things haue perfite loue among you Let vs liue a perfite life Which is as much to say according to the exposition of the holy church Let vs put on a Cassuffle when wee sing Masse And yet besides all this you shall perceiue that the most part of all that which is read in the Masse is fetched out of the Psalmes and other places of holie Scripture here and there by patches and peeces swept together and trimly tied on a heape as if a man of a great manie peeces of golde as of Ducates Crownes Rosenobles and Portagues glued together with dirt woulde make a goodly doore for a Swinestie yet it is most true that euerie particular peece hath a particular Pope whiche did ioyne it to the rest and so were sewed together insomuche that it is a right beggers cloake as is well knowne to all men and as may easily be proued by the Decrees and Catholike Histories And to be plaine there is not anie thing great or small but they are able to bring in Scripture for it as wee can lightly proue by the foresaid Authours if neede were But wee had rather that those that long for such meate shoulde goe to the Market themselues and buy that they like best and let it bee dressed at the Tauerne or Tippling house according to their owne diâ—t It is ynough for vs that wee haue giuen them to vnderstand who can serue them of such vitaile and then further as the case shall require to proue plainely that the Masse is founded wholie on high euen vpon the flat Scripture The .iiii. Chapter Teaching that the transubstantiation of chaunging of the bread into the verie bodie of Christ and the wine into his bloud is grounded vpon the Scripture after the interpretation of the Church of Rome NOw as touching transubstantiation that is to say the plaine chaunging of the bread into the verie bodie of Christ notwithstanding the same was by the holie father Pope Innocentius 3. first set forth for an article of our beliefe about the yere of our Lord 1198. as by the Decretals is apparant yet haue we plaine proofes therof in the Scripture For first Christ in the sixt Chap. of Iohn saieth thus My flesh is verie meat and my bloud is verie drinke that is to say after the interpretation of our deare mother the holie Church My flesh is truely sensibly and bodily taken and eaten vnder the accident of the bread and my bloud is certeinly receiued and dronken vnder the accident of the wine For although Christ indeede doe otherwise interpret it teaching that this eating and drinking is to be vnderstoode of comming to him and of beleuing in him I am saieth he the liuely bread Whosoeuer coÌ„meth to me shall not hunger and whosoeuer doth beleeue in me shall neuer be athirst Againe It is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothing The wordes which I speake vnto you are spirite and life Yet all this notwithstanding so long as the holie Church of Rome will haue it to be vnderstoode of her transubstantiation as Syluester Prierias high Steward of the palace of Rome hath specially noted in his golden Rosarie wherein hee hath gathered all the pleasant Roses and floures of the Catholike interpreters together vpon one heape and considering that the
holy Church cannot erre Christ must haue patience transubstantiation must take place But we haue yet a much clearer text to witte where Christ himselfe saieth This is my bodie for by those wordes doeth the holie Church of Rome plainely vnderstand that the same which before was breade is nowe no more breade although Paule woulde call it breade a thousande times but is chaunged into the verie bodie of Iesus Christ as long and as broade as it was hanging vpon the Crosse. And for that cause it is that shee doeth disallowe all the expositions and interpretations which Basilius Tertullianus Theodoretus Augustinus and other holie Fathers haue sette foorth vpon the same saying That those woordes must bee figuratiuely and sacramentally vnderstoode as Christ himselfe hath plainely saide I am the vine or as Paule saieth The stone was Christ and as GOD spake to Abraham saying This is my promise Cut off the fore skinne c. Which is as muche to say that the breade shoulde not chaunge his nature nor the verie bodie of Christ bee there present but onelie that it shoulde bee a true and holie token a Sacrament a warrant and pledge a Seale and assuraunce whereby wee are assured and fullie certified that hee hath giuen vppe his bodie and bloud for our saluation And for this cause doe they call it a figure or token and in the Greeke Typus and Antitypa that is to say Speciall tokens But I doe tell you that the holie Church of Rome will not allowe anie such interpretations vnlesse it were so that men woulde vnderstand them as Damascenus doeth interprete them and as was in the seconde Councell of Nice concluded by the Fathers to witte That the breade shoulde bee such a seale pledge figure and holie token onely before it be consecrated which is to say It should be a Sacrament before it is become a Sacrament For that this is their conceite and meaning it is apparaunt out of this That long before the breade and the wine bee consecrated or made a holie Sacrament they doe offer vppe the same vnto God for remission of sinnes as well of the liuing as of the dead For in the Canon of the Masse yea before the bread bee turned into fleshe or the fiue holy wordes of consecration be heard the Priest doeth pray That God will accept that offering of breade and through that deliuer him from eternall death And then That hee will blesse the saide offering of breade in all pointes and make the same holie profitable meate and acceptable That is may become the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ. Yea and before hee hath yet put the wine into the Chalice immediately after the Offertorie he saith thus O holie Father almightie and euerlasting God take and receiue this vnspotted sacrifice which thine vnworthie seruaunt doeth offer vppe vnto thee for my sinnes and innumerable misdeedes for my forgetfulnesse and vnthankefulnesse yea and for all these which are here present and for all faithfull Christians as well those that be liuing as those that be dead that it may bee acceptable auailable and effectuall vnto the saluation both of me and of them vnto eternall life Amen And in one of the secretes which is commonly read vpon the 24. Sunday after Trinitie Sunday he saith thus O Lord take and receiue mercifully this offering through which thou art pleased contented and pacified and hast receiued vs againe vnto saluation through the almightinesse and vnspeakablenesse of thy mercie c. Consider now here doeth our deare mother the holie Church ascribe vnto this bread all things which may be attributed vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of God as to say That God is become mercifull to vs for the bread sake and hath pardoned vs our sinnes and that before the bread bee consecrated or in anie point transubstantiated or changed What maruell is it then that they doe make a God of it after the fiue wordes be spoken ouer it and yet make a Sacrament of it before it can be a Sacrament For as they can of a peece of breade make God himselfe and of nothing create something wherfore should not they likewise be able to make of no Sacrament a Sacrament and of a Sacrament no Sacrament That is to say that a simple peece of bread shoulde bee a holie token and seale of the bloud of Iesus Christ euen before it bee made holie and consecrated And then Econtra that the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ shall bee no more either a Sacrament or token but euen the verie bodie of Christ it selfe So that the holie Fathers must needes haue vnderstoode it so especially when they say that this Sacrament is but a token a seale and a pledge specialy before it is become a Sacrament For after that it is once a Sacrament then no remedie our deare mothers will is that it shall bee fleshe and bloud and not anie longer neither bread nor wine to signifie the fleshe and the bloud And therefore doeth she not make anie account of the exposition of Christ Iesus himselfe who after he had saide of the bread This is my bodie and afterward of the Chalice of Cuppe This is the new Testament in my bloud thereby declaring that those words This is my bodie must be so vnderstoode as if hee had saide This breade is the new promise in my bodie which shall bee broken for you For of that shoulde followe that the breade after the consecration and likewise after the speaking of the fiue wordes should still remaine breade and so bee but simplie a Sacrament and true token of the bodie of Iesus Christ as shewing vnto vs the promise of God made in the breaking of the bodie and shedding of the bloud of Christ Iesus our Sauiour as was saide of the Circumcision This is my couenant which I doe make with you to witte for that the Circumcision is a sure and holie promise a pledge and seale through which the promise of God is verie stronglie and substantiallie made vnto the faithfull No no I assure you that liketh the holie Church of Rome nothing at all She will lay fast holde vpon the first wordes of Christ and not seek after anie exposition or glosse how necessarie soeuer they bee And for that cause shall Paule go without anie Audiuit when he commeth in with his interpretation and saith That the bread which we do breake is the communion of the bodie of Christ. For thereby it should also seeme that it remaineth bread still after the consecration and that it is not the bodie it self but a remembrance of the bodie â–ª which thing the holie Church in no wise admitteth nor alloweth for life nor death But especiallie she will not accept nor like of the interpretation following wherein Paule proceeding doeth declare how and wherefore the bread is the communion of the bodie of Christ saying For al we which eate of one bread become one bodie Nowe truelie that
christian beliefe And for that cause did they drinke the bloud of Christ as the Catholike Doctours haue written according to the doctrine of Cyprianus saying how can they shed their owne bloud for Christes sake if they doe not drinke of Christs bloud But now there is no more tidings of those matters for the holy church of Rome wil not lose one drop of her bloud considering that she hath ynough to do for the defence of the holy Catholike faith to shed the bloud of the Lutherans and Caluinists like water in the streetes And therefore it is not any more needful that the Lay people should drinke the bloud of Christ out of the Chalice vnder the substance of wine They can digest it well inough rawe as it was shed out of the bodie of Christ Iesus yet for all that the priests haue this aduantage that they may drinke the bloud of Christ both waies And yet is not the bloud of Christ in the Sacrament taken quite away from the Lay people For when they do eate the whole body with flesh bones it is certeine that they gette in the bloud wall For the before named Bonauentura doth make mention of a certein miracle of one which would not beleue that there was any bloud in the holy Ost or singing bread vsed in the holie Masse and sodeinly there came bloud ruÌ„ning out And likewise Alexander de Ales doth declare that vpoÌ„ a time when the people would haue receiued the Sacrament vnder both kindes there was sodenlie before them a platter full of bloud whereof the good deuoute people being meruellously abashed were glad to content them selues with the one And that the bloud vndoubtedlie is with the bodie we haue here before by manie other miracles declared sufficientlie proued Therefore haue the Laie people no occasion to complaine as though the bloud of Christ were denied them for euen the Priestes them selues are contented with one kinde on the good Fridaie next after the shire Thursday when they haue had their sops in good Bastard or Romnay For then the next day being good Friday they sing a drie Masse and keepe a Mouses banket as well as the Laie people doe at Easter Before time likewise in the Iewish church the Laie people had no parte of the drinke offerings but the Priestes onelie For although that Chrysostome saith touching this matter that this is now changed and that in this Sacrament the Laie people must enioye the like meate and drinke as the Priestes doe so as nowe the one hath no more aduantage than the other as they had in the olde Lawe yet can not the saying of Chrysostome anie thing serue in this place For against Chrysostome wil we set Brother Barnard of Luxenburgh professour in Theologie and Iohn Eckius with all other good Catholike writers of our time who haue otherwise written and determined of this matter And as touching that which the Huguenotes do alledge out of Paule yea out of Iesus Christ him selfe saying That Paule did command all christen people to do according as Christ had ordeined and as Christ had saide Drinke all of this We do answere to that That this was onelie a simple permission and not a speciall commandement as he saith in another place Destroie this temple and I will builde it vp againe within three dayes for that is no commaundement but onely a permission as if he said If it be so in deede that you will destroie this temple of my bodie I will not forbidde you but I will builde him vp againe c. In like manner doeth our mother the hâ—lie Church saie that these woordes Drinke you all of this And As often as you drinke this you shall declare the death of the Lord Those wordes are thus to be vnderstoode as though he had said I doe not will you Laie people to doe so but the Priestes onelie notwithstanding if you will doe it and that the Priestes are contented withall I will not then bee against it Thus you see the game is won Nowe let vs to an other matter tending to the like ende The vii Chapter VVhich doeth treate of full satisfaction for sinnes of the desertes of good workes also of the merites of Christes passion and of Iustification of the difference betweene mortall sinnes and veniall sinnes and of the assured hope of saluation NOwe seeing that wee haue sufficientlie spoken of the holie Masse and the Sacrament of the altar and that our mother the holie Church of Rome doeth moreouer teache and set foorth for an article of the faith That wee by desert hearing a Masse and receiuing the Sacrament may make full amendes for our offences and sufficientlie satisfie for our sinnes therefore it is now verie necessarie that we something treate of satisfaction for sinnes and of deseruing by good works the rather because the Heretikes do with their scriptures so trouble vs touching this point as they turne both the spit and the rost meat into the ashes in so much that wee shall loose both the sheepe and the fleece if wee suffer this to be so plucked from vs And therefore it is necessarie to put all good Catholike children in remembrance that in no wise they doe giue anie eare to the Heretikes touching this point for feare lest therby they should be brought out of the right way and so by receiuing their goodlie reasons multitude of scriptures be persuaded from their due obedience to the holie Church of Rome And to the ende that euerie man should be warned and not by negligence sodenlie taken in a trappe therefore shall I set out something more at large their meaning touching this point to the ende that euery one may see whether our deare mother the holie Church haue not iust occasion so bitterlie to curse and banish their doctrine Then to beginne withall they do take vpon them to defende and mainteine by Scripture That all sinnes are deadlie mortall because that sinne is the breaking of Gods commaundements as S. Iohn saith And That who soeuer doeth not obserue all whatsoeuer God hath commaunded in his Lawe is accursed For S. Iames doeth witnesse That who soeuer transgresseth in one point of the Lawe is guiltie in the whole considering that the same God which câ—mmaunded the one did also commaunde the other In so much that all those which commit sinne are through sinne alienated and estranged from the life which is onelie to bee had at the hand of God and so must fall into the hand of heath seeing that The recoÌ„pense of sinne is death according to the saying of S. Paule whereby all men without anie exception which are vnder sinne are likewise vnder the bondage of eternall malediction death and damnation considering that all haue sinned are fallen away from that life which is of God into his wrath and do thereby become if the speciall mercie of God were not
house For by these followeth that the Churches must be trimmed vp with goodly images Item O Lord I seeke thy countenance Item O Lord the rich shall pray before thy face Item Let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs. For out of these textes do they conclude that men ought to haue our Lords visage goodly painted and to pray to it And for that cause it is that euerie yeare at Rome vpon good Friday the holie Veronica which is an old ouer worne cloute whereon they say our Lords face is painted which they pray vnto with great deuotion And the common people crie alowde Misericordia misericordia that is Mercie mercie The like is done also at Besanson in Burgonia and in manie other places For this same holie fisnomie of the Veronica was sette vpon good grounde and is therefore so well spâ—â—ung vp and in such plentie that there are to bee found a number of them all which do worke great miracles And besides this they bring forth these testimonies to witte that the beliefe commeth not onely by hearing but likewise by sight for that Iohn saith Like as we haue heard so haue we likewise sene Item That the Iewes did weare broade borders vpon their clothes Ergo so must wee likewise haue images in the church with many such other like proofes which close vp together as fitte as a spindle vpon a flesh pot So now when anie man hath a desire to see these goodly testimonies let him read ouer the whole proceeding of the saide Councell of Nice as it is sette foorth in the seconde booke of Councels or else he may reade another little booke which was set foorth about the same time in the name of the Emperour Carolus magnus touching the same Councell hee shall therein reioyce his spirites with reading of all those goodly copious and fine allegations brought out and alledged by those holie fathers to that end and purpose and with the dreames of Constantine who to heale his leprosie had shedde the bloud of young innocent children and was for the same comforted by Peter and Paule in his dreames And there you shall finde also a great manie of goodlie and notable miracles done by images taken out of the booke of Cosmus and Damianus and out of the booke of Sophronius of the miracles of Saints and other such like bookes which those holie fathers caused there to bee read and heard and by their iudgementes established them and allowed them for good So as there is no more doubtes to be put in them than vpon the golden Legende which standes authentike in the Masse booke And to the end that men shall haue the more desire to read them I will bring forth here one example out of them seruing greatly for our purpose to the ende you may perceiue by the nest what birdes are within it There was a liuely holie Monke whiche was continually tempted and troubled with a diuell euen till his olde dayes and when in the end he beganne to waxe wearie of it hee then did pray the diuell verie friendly that hee woulde let him alone in quiet wherevpon the diuell did answere him that so farre as he would promise to do and sweare to keepe secrete a thing that hee woulde commaunde him then hee woulde leaue off to trouble him anie more The Monke did promise him and tooke therevpon a deepe othe Then said the diuell If thou wilt that I shall trouble thee no more then thou must not pray anie more to that image and it was an image of our Ladie holding her childe in her armes But the Monke was more craftie than the diuel for he went and confessed him of it the next day to the Abbot and the Abbot did dispense with him for his othe vpon condition that hee should continue his praying to the image Is not that a fine and worthie testimonie borowed of the diuell whereby the holie Fathers in the foresaide Councell haue wonderfull strongly established the praying vnto images Truely it is worthie to be written vpon balkes and beames because calues shall not licke it off And our Champion maister Gentianus is worthie to carie the standard to be crowned with a three footed stoole seeing hee dare so boldly aduenture to lay the worthinesse of that Councell in the ballance against the second commaundement of God which doth sharpely forbid all worshipping and praying to images and likewise bringeth in the said Councell against the Councell of Eliberum which was kept in Spaine in the yeare of our Lorde 1200 and was consonant and agreeable vnto the worde of God. The xiiii Chapter VVhich treateth of some particular images and painted tables which the Church of Rome doth vse and for the establishing of the same by the Scripture NOwe because these Heretikes are most busie with some speciall images which the holie Church of Rome doe vse with great deuotion and with them doe these Heretikes mocke and ieast most of all it is verie necessarie that wee proue and establish the same out of the holy scripture Then to begin withall it is not to be mocked nor wondered at that they in their Churches and Masse bookes doe paint the Trinitie with three faces for our mother the holie Church did learne that at Rome where they were wont to paint or carue Ianus with two faces And then further there is written in Iohn That there are three in heauen which beare witnesse the Father the Worde and the Holie ghost and these three are one c. Then of necessitie they must be painted or made with three heades or three faces vpon one necke For whereas these heretikes say that it is plaine forbidden to make the likenesse of God any maner of way seeing God himselfe saith Thou didst heare a voyce out of the bush but thou sawest no likenesse Therfore be well warie that thou make not anie image after my likenesse That was spoken to the Iewes onelie and is now altered through the worthie custome and vsage of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome And whereas the holy Church hath also chosen to make the similitude of the father an olde man with a long gray beard and for the sonne a man hanging on the crosse and for knowledge of the holie Ghost a doue that is done of her owne inuention and free will. For she might as well haue made a bushe or a flame of fire or a cloude to counterfeite the father for that he did shewe himselfe in all these likenesses as well as in the likenesse of a man or they might as well haue made for Christ a childe in a cradle or a man teaching and instructing the people And likewise for the holie Ghost a tongue or a flame of fire as well as they doe a man crucified or a doue But therein shee doeth vse her libertie for that hath alwayes his course by the common rule which is Sic volo sic iubeo
pray to the crosse as to a creature or to a similitude or likenesse For there was neuer anie man so frantike or madde which would pray to anie thing in steade of God as a bare and simple creature yea the Iewes theÌ„selues as we haue seene when they did pray vnto their golden calfe did it not in worship of the golden creature as a creature but in remembrance of him which had broght them out of the lande of Egypt as they well witnessed them selues in naming it by the name of him after whom they had made it The like haue the Heathen alwayes done and in consideration thereof they did call their images idols or simulachra that is to say Likenesses or images because they did in making them attribute vnto them the power of god And therefore did the Egyptians pray vnto those creatures wherein they perceiued best Gods goodnesse to bee declared towardes vs as Oxen and Kine the Sunne and the Moone and other creatures wherin they founde anie speciall helpe or comfort as is to be seene by Iustinus Athenagoras Arnob. August Lactan. Eusebius Orosius and other such like which haue written against them and verie notoriouslie out of Esaie who speaking against the Iewes said That God by his eternall and vnspeakeable power did make heauen and earth And then he doth demauÌ„d of them Like vnto whom then will you make God Or wherwith will you make his image Giuing them thereby plainly to vnderstand that they did not praye to their blockes and stockes onelie as simple creatures but that they did through such resemblances likenesses thinke to haue an image and so a remembrance of God euen as Maister Gentianus doeth here likewise alledge And it was also thus concluded in the second Councell of Nice For sure a calfe may conceiue and see that our deare mother the holie church hath this discretion as well as the idolatrous Iewes and Heathen It may well happen that some simple people and olde deuoute wiues do esteeme that blocke or stocke it selfe where it standeth for a verie God especiallie when he beginneth to laugh vpon them or els to weepe bitter teares for great pitie But what then That is satisfied by their good intents and deuout meanings which the holie church doth applie to the best Yet notwithstanding her owne ground and foundation is no other but euen the same grouÌ„d of the Iewes and Heathen Alwayes excepted and to bee considered that the image of the Crosse hath a speciall prerogatiue before all other images likenesses for it is like to the Sextons Cowe and therefore may grase in the churchyard and she is by our deare mother prayed vnto with a three folde deuotion more than other But now that I do not forget the crosse of pardons which is commonly set vp in the church when anie bulles or letters of pardon are come down from Rome which crosse hath euen such power vnlesse men will make the Popes Legates ranke liers as the offring vp of the body bloud of Iesus Christ vpon the crosse for our sinnes And yet we must besides al this pray vnto and worship all small or ordinarie crosses with Latria that is to say with such worship as doeth apperteine vnto God onelie acording to the order coÌ„mon rule of their schoole here before rehearsed spoken of After this now the verie wood of the crosse which came from Hierusalem and which Christ was crucified vpon must bee by vs worshipped as a creature for it owne proper worthines praied vnto with Hyperdulia that is with such worship as is ascribeth vnto the virgin Marie â–ª especiallie coÌ„sidering the great miracle that is thervpon to be seene which is that it is so waxen increased that the pieces thereof would lade a good Hulke And lastly in reuerence of the most holie crosse we must worship al other tokens similitudes of the same â–ª Wherein our louing mother doeth attribute great preheminence to the holy crosse in respect of that which shee doeth shewe towardes all the reliques and holy things True it is that most deuoutlie she doeth worshippe a heape of speares wherwithal Christ his side was pearced and twoo or three dosen of the verie same nailes which our Sauiour was nailed with on the crosse yea shee hath also ordeined a holie day in â—â—uerence of the same and hath appointed a speciall Masse for it namelie In festo Lanceae Clauorum Domini And then greetes the same most friendlie with a Sonnet wherein shee singeth thus Aue ferrum triumphale Intrans pectus tu vitale Coeli pandis ostia Fecundata in cruore Foelix Hasta nos amore Per te fixi saucia c. with the rest that followeth which in our tongue might thus be englished All hayle O Speare triumphant which pearcing Christ his side Commaundedst as thy seruant heauen gates to open wide O happie Speare and blessed dyde Crimson red in blood Of loue saue vs distressed vouchsafe to be so good c. Thereafter hath she yet foure or fiue of the right sponges wherewithall Christ was refreshed with vineger which she deuoutlie doeth licke and kisse and reserues for a singular relique Moreouer shee hath the verie naturall tayle of the Asse whereon he rode and the same Manger wherein hee laie whereof she makes great store But what is all this to be compared by the reuerence which she doeth shewe to the holie Crosse For admit shee doeth worship fiue or sixe Speares and some Nailes yet will she not worship all the speares which are vsed in the warres nor all the nailes which are made in the smithes forges nor all the sponges which growe in the sea nor yet al the tailes wherewith the asses are couered behind nor all the mangers wherein horses haue their prouender like as she doth permit to worship all the crosses which can be made for then you should counterfeite the Ape to nigh yet may it seeme strange to some whether all other reliques or holy things haue pist against the moone because they cannot atteine to the like preferment For all the roddes of right might challenge the same priuilege in worship of the rod wherewith Christ was scourged and al ropes in worship of that with which he was bound all haithornes in worship of the thornes wherewith he was crowned But it behoues them to be content with their portion for they are sufficientlie prouided for if sobeit the holy church doth please to attribute more to the crosse it proceedes of her meere liberalitie and of the special loue which shee doeth beare to the same which for the same cause shee reuerenceth more than the verie body of Christ which did hang on the crosse or than his bloud which he hath spilt on the crosse For wee can not perceiue that in reuerence of the bodie of Christ all bodies much lesse all similitudes or likenesses of the bodie are had in reuerence or worship like as
not onlie all crosses but all figures likenesses of the crosse are worshipped reuerenced kist and lickt in reuerence of that onelie crosse whereon his bodie did hang. But it hath thus pleased our louing mother the holie church and not without most great and waightie occasions for without doubt the likenes of the holie crosse is of of such great power singular vertue that the deuill doeth take it for a bulbegger and flies from it as a dogge doeth from a piece of bacon Like as euidentlie appeareth in the golden Legend of Saint Christopher and in a number of other legendes where almost for feare hee beraied his breech so soone as a crosse was made And it is also the cudgell wherewith he was once beaten like as wee may plainlie see on all altars in processions where our Sauiour is counterfeited knocking with a crosse vpon the gates of hell at which all the deuils runne awaye as though they were possessed Moreouer it is the token with the which God hath created heauen earth and that is it which Esai would say according to the expositiō of our holy mother the church saying thus Who hath holden the waters in his fist Who hath measured heauen with his spanne hath comprehended all the worlde in their measures Who hath wayed the mountaines hilles in a balance Which is to say that God did with three fingers make a crosse when hee created heauen and earth Item our holie mother the church saith besides That Moses did with the figure of the crosse change the bitternes of the waters in the wildernesse and caused the water to flowe out of the stonie rocke And although the scripture doth not make mention of anie crosse but onelie of a rod wherwithall Moses did strike yet our mother the holy church hath thus expounded the same supposing that Moses did the like to the Bishops now who with their staffe do make a crosse so blesse the people Shee hath also fained that those which do sprinkle their thresholdes with the bloud of the Paschal lambe theron set the figure of a crosse that the striking Angel by meanes of the crosse doeth passe by it like as wee haue out of their sequences which they vpon the crosse dayes named Inuentio S. crucis signe here aboue rehearsed Besides that the same which Ezechiel doeth mention of Tau that is to say of the token or seale which is set vpon the foreheads of the elect therof hath she also made a crosse albeit that the letter Tau doth resemble the figure of the crosse no more then an aple doth an oyster for the one is written thus ת the other thus ✚ notwithstanding she doth not take the matter so neere wee must for clownes sift meale through a lattice and set them packing after the homeliest sort then may they bake their bread as they list This once is the issue that all cursing and coniuring all hallowing and blessing al mysteries and cōsecrations must be made with crosses The holy Masse is likewise ful of crosses from one end to another sometimes with two at once to saue both bodie and soule or to change both breade and wine sometime with three together in worshippe of the Father Sonne and holie Ghost sometime with fiue at once in reuerence of the fiue woundes of Christ Iesus The blessed holie water is made with crosses the waxe candles the salt the holy oyle the palmes the Agnus Dei the holie ashes and all the implementes pertaining to the Priestes are created with crosses yea the Priestes themselues without crosses cānot be made Priestes In al processions the crosse must go before Vpon all bables toyes sacrament boxes must stand a crosse least the diuell should put in his nose yea vppon all wafers trinkets vpon churches vppon steeples also vpon coine vpon Māmona iniquitatis a crosse must simper To conclude the crosse hath an oare in euerie boate and hath a place in all the ceremonies perteining to the holie Church of Rome There can not a Pageant bee plaied but shee must haue a part yea a Nunne durst scarse let a fyste but shee must blesse her selfe with a crosse And the Priestes are neuer worse at ease than when they haue neuer a crosse in their purse Therfore it is not without great vrgent occasion that our holie mother doth holde the crosse in such honour in so much as she hath for her sake ordeined and instituted three or foure holy or festiual dayes as namelie Inuentio crucis Rogationum Exaltatio crucis and other such like She hath also a speciall Masse in honour of the holie crosse which shee names Missa de sancta cruce and a seruice called Officium de sancta cruce And besides she hath more ordeined and charged that we should vpon the good Friday after Maunday thursday deuoutlie and sadlie creeping along the ground vpon our bare knees worship the crosse and there bestow a good fat offering and liberall almes to the benefit and maintenance of the poore Priestes so that they with crosses in their purses might be preserued against the diuell Wherevnto she hath franklie giuen a great heape of pardons to those which with great deuotion do the same For shee doeth esteeme and beleeue that the crosse hath no lesse force than the bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of god For behold these are the wordes with the which shee causeth the crosse to be consecrated or hallowed Oramus te Domine sancte pater c. vt digneris benedicere hoc lignū crucis tuae vt sit remedium salutare generi humano sit soliditas fidei bonorū operum profectus redemptio animarum sit solamen protectio ac tutela contra saeua iacula inimicorum c. That is We beseech thee O Lord heauenlie father that thou wilt so blesse this wood of the crosse that it may be a healthfull help to mankind a cōfirming or strengthening to faith a furtherance to good works and a redemption of soules that it may be our comfort our safegard defender against the noysome dartes of the enimies c. What can we ascribe more to Christ Iesus the sonne of God for the helpe consolation of man than our mother the holie church doeth ascribe here vnto the crosse yea all that Christ hath euer done all the good which can be thought that hath shee in like manner attributed to the figure of the crosse For these be her wordes Ista suos fortiores Semper facit victores Morbos sanat languores Reprimit daemonia Dat captiuis libertatem Vitae confert nouitatem Ad antiquam dignitatem Crux reduxit omnia O Crux lignum triumphale Mundi vera salus vale Inter ligna nullum tale Fronde ▪ flore germine Medicina Christiana Salua sanos aegros sana Quod non valet vis humana Fit in tuo nomine c. That is to say It makes her souldiers
commonlie to much tongue and therefore are often punished and if then they do not mend they are throwen into a dungeon or are closed somewhere betwixt two walles in a seller and there permit them to liue so long as they can Like as might haue bene seene a yeere ago at Antwerpe Ghaunt and other places more which haue remained there some eight or ten yeeres some twentie and thirtie yeeres Therefore it is no maruell though Monkes be vnlearned insomuch as in the Latin tongue is vsed a common prouerbe Monacho indoctior that is to say A great Asse or dolt and more vnlearned than a Monke Yea they haue a speciall Latin tongue for their own vse which the learned sorte them selues can not vnderstand and is called Friers latin or Kitchen latin But touching Priestes they neede no great learning for if they can but onelie repeate the fiue secrete wordes of the Masse without giuing Priscian or Despauter a bobbe on the face that is to say without intermingling of Friers latin than is the matter cocke sure They are more learned then the Angels in heauen for they can make God which thing the Angels can not doe And if besides that they knowe but howe to brewe of the smallest sort of latin withall then hath their sowe pigd they may bee bold to inuite their neighbors to the feast and serue out messes with the great Laten ladell for then they may not onelie bee parish Priestes but also Bishops Prelates Cardinals yea Popes them selues And what more can they craue For touching their life we must alwayes coniecture the best like as is commaunded in the Decrees and not to thinke that those which dailie do handle God would commit anie thing that is not to be allowed Therfore if a Priest do kisse a maid or grope her about the pappes we must suppose that he is about to shrieue her or doeth giue her absolution for her sinnes And if sobe any man doth take them opeÌ„lie with the manner he must couer or lap them about with his own cloake lest he make them ashamed For they are euen by nature verie shamefast change collour like a pewter platter otherwise may not anie correct or punish theÌ„ as is shewed before with the expressed wordes of the Sodomites which would not be corrected of Loth yea although they were the veriest smelsmocks which might liue For they are of that nuÌ„ber which plead Noli me taÌ„gere Touch me not The iii. Chapter VVhich treateth whether the spiritualtie doe likewise practise knauerie and here is repeated the high noble stocke of the Clergie their forefathers â–ª progenie brought into 32. degrees and ech set out and beautifiâ—d with his armes crestes banners and knightlie actes IN recording or calling to mind the suÌ„me hereof a deuout wel disposed catholike mind might suppose whether it were possible for the most reuerend spiritual professors whose daily exercise is to make god who are created and descended from the stocke of the most holie father the Pope of Rome might vse or were able to exercise any kind of knauerie or wicked dedes God forbid that anie such matters should passe in our thoughts For howe were that possible Seeing they are all sprong forth of so noble a stocke descended of so worthie so righteous holy forefathers whose footsteps they followe so feruently that a mans heart must melt away to heare the same rehearsed But to the end it may seme no iest I will as brieflie as I may define their noble worthie progenie and set it foorth to eche mans sight to the ende these birds may be knowen by their kind these coltes by their dammes And for that eche thing may appeare substantiall I will after the sagest and ancientest maner of these noble Dom Cannons of Colen Ludick bring their stocke into 32. degrees to wit eight from the fathers father eight from the fathers mother also eight froÌ„ the mothers father and eight from the mothers mother For whoso can describe these degrees in their proper and deserued armes banners without doubt there is nothing to be gainsaied but that he may not only be a dom CaÌ„non but also freely possesse al the priuiledges of a Gentleman and account himselfe to descend of the worthiest race Like as eche who herein hath anie knowledge will easilie condiscend Therefore if cace I can declare anie such thing of the old discent of the holie forefathers of the spiritualtie then is the case sixe and spite their teeth they must bee famous For the bloud wil not lie and a Goose can laie no Owles egges It must be most true and certein or Mussels are no fishe Concerning then the first eight quarters they proceede onlie of noble most famous and renoumed Heretikes notorious blasphemers of God and shameles deriders which haue plaied mocke holie daye with all religious and godlie setuice For in place of the first they haue the holie father Pope Liberius vpon whom they builde their stocke who after he had first stedfastlie professed the trueth for the same had bene banished by the Emperour Constantius did afterwardes reuoke and to please the Emperour did turne his coate and reputed him self amongst the Arrians which denied the eternall Deitie or godhead of christ And being for that cause banished was through the intreatie of the Noble Romane women which were also of the Arrians disposition called home againe from his banishment and restored anewe vnto his seate from whence hee had bene driuen before Insomuch as there was great dissention and brabling betwixt him and Pope Foelix who had in his absence occupied his place which Foelix Hierome and Eusebius also do witnes to haue bene an Heretike and for that cause obteined the Seate of Rome howbeit other Historiographers write the coÌ„trarie After that they count their discent from Anastasius the second who in the dayes of Anastasius the Emperour about the yeere of our Lord 500. did likewise decline from the trueth and consented to the Nestorians who denied the humanitie or manhood of Christ yea he sought by al meanes possible to call the Heretike Acatius from his banishment home againe and vsed likewise free accesse and companie with Photinus the heretike in so much that he was forsaken of al true beleeuing Bishops and at last being stroken by the hand of God did in easing him selfe voide all his intrailes and departed this life as Arrius did before him Thirdlie they boast them selues vppon Boniface the eight who reigned in the times of the Emperours Adolphus and Albertus this prouerbe in those dayes passing of him Intrauit vt vulpes regnauit vt leo mortuus est vt Canis that is to say He entred like a fox raigned like a lion and died like a dogge For when Coelestin the fift a good simple companion did possesse the Sea of Rome and for his honestie and specially for that he
Romish schole and take vpon them to face vs out with their Paul with their Esaie their Ieremie What a mischiefe Do they not know that those fellowes whome they alledge and bring vs forth were likewise esteemed for Heretikes as well as they are themselues Yea â–ª in so much that one of them was hanged another was burnt the third clouen thorough the middest with a saw the fourth set vpon a wheele c. And therefore are we no more moued for them than for a bladder full of beanes For the holy Church of Rome would neuer accept their doctrine but vpon this bargaine and condition to wit that shee might alway applie the same as she should thinke good and as might best come to passe for her selfe and that no reuoking nor reuolting nor appellatioÌ„ should be made against her doings no nor that the name of Iesus Christ should in that case serue like as shall by vs shortly in the part next folowing be declared at large For this verely is most true that if our blessed Lorde him selfe would haue followed the exposition and coÌ„mentarie which the Priestes Phariseis Doctours had at that time made vpon the holy Scriptures in the name of the holye Church he had neuer bene crucified or hanged vpon the crosse But because that hee would full wisely go and bring in newe matters and so set vp a newe reformation according to the text and doctrine of the Gospell like as these Heretikes go about nowe to do therfore did they deale so hardly with him Notwithstanding that nowe since the holy Church of Rome hath so finely handled and set forth this newe religion of Christ and brought it vnto such a trim frame that nowe it is very gladly receyued of euery one in a maner yea and if it were so that these Huguenotes would accept the same setting it forth likewise surely men would no more be so readie to bring them to a stake as heretofore they haue done yea and pretend hereafter to do But nowe to come to our matter againe it is necessarie that we well consider and substantially declare wherein the worthines and authoritie of the holy Church doth specially consist what commandements traditions and ordinances of the same men must receyue and accept without all contradiction or gainsaying And this for so much as our Doctors of Louen are troubled with so manye other profounde and deepe questions that they haue not the leasure to set out this point effectually is notwithstanding the right ground and fouÌ„dation of all their building yea and is most needefull to our saluation and to the extirpation and rooting out of all heresies For it may be demanded Whether men shall holde for commandementes and traditions of the Church only alone that which is plainely set forth in the scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes Or els that which the olde holy Fathers Doctours as Augustine Chrysostome Hierome and such like haue left behinde them in their bookes and writings or a great deale rather that which hath ben concluded in the holy Councels either els that which the holy Popes of Rome haue ordeined and enioyned or last of all that which is scraped together out of the one and the other all layd in one Pastie and baked in one Cake and which is nowe in our dayes obserued in the holy Catholike Church of Rome The 2. Chapter VVhereby is declared that the Church vvith her povver and authoritie can not be inclosed vvith in the pales of the holy Scripture but that the Church may adde to the Scripture or take from it vvhat she thinkes good and therevpon are many examples and profouÌ„d reasons alledged VPon this demande profound proposition very much might be saide but we will make short of the matter And to begin withal we conclude with our Master Gentianus and with the holy CouÌ„cell of Trent That all they which woulde inclose the power and the authoritie of the Church within the limites bounds of the holy Scripture as though the holy Catholike church of Rome could reade no further than is spelled before to her in the Bible are euill and naughty heretikes yea they are euen of those Apostataes or backsliders to whom our Master Gentianus hath written this his Epistle For as touching that for the defence of their opinions they bring forth howe it is written That none shall either put to it or take from it one iote that is simply spoken to the Iewes Rabbines onely so that they should not take any such thing vpon them as to change any words of the texte and to correct Magnificat like as they haue presumed to do as meÌ„ may see clearly without a candle by the honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke intituled De optimo genere interpretandi wâ—â—ch is to say Of the best and surest maner of expounding or interpreting For therein he doeth shew very plainly that al Hebrew textes of the Bible are falsified and embaced by the Iewes yea and the like is done to all the textes in Greeke of the new Testament by some Heretikes enemies of the trueth So that neither Christ nor his Apostles nor anie of the olde Doctours should haue had the right Bible but onelie our most holy Catholike Church of Rome which only was borne vnder the right Planet and shee alone hath shot downe the Popingaie Therefore must the texte before specified be vnderstoode and meant of the Iewes alone and of such like Heretikes which haue so falsified the textes of the Bible But you may not gather by this that the holy Church of Rome is not licenced to ad vnto the Scripture whatsoeuer shee doeth marke to be yet lacking and to innouate change and remoue al that tendeth not perfectly to her purpose For you see daily that she doeth freely take vpon her so to do and furthermore she doth punish for ranke Heretikes all such as will not allowe and accept her adding and changing for the perfite worde of God. Men do knowe very well that shee hath finely conueyed out of the Register of the ten commandements the seconde commandement which was That no Images should be made nor fashioned because shee did perceiue the Heretiks would alledge the same to the hinderance both of he she Saintes which stand vpon the altars in the Church Furthermore because men shuld not lacke the number of ten shee hath taken the last commandement speaking of desire and diuided the same in two so made the tailes agree iust And likewise notwithstanding that our Lord Iesus Christ had openly coÌ„manded That the Communion should bee ministred as wel with wine as with bread yet the holy Catholike Church of Rome considering the great daunger which was therein for that the wine might be spilt or being in the winter freeze or be turned into sowre vineger if it should be long kept in a Pixe or litle Sacrament Boxe And especiallye considering that when