church least also touching those things that I haue gathered out of their seruice bookes any should imagine them to be such as they themselues should now disclaime I haue sufficiently preuented these obiections in the addition it selfe shewing that the authors by me here traâ—uced had great allowance from the Popes owne vnholines and were of high estimation in their churches and likewise proouing their ancient seruice books in the things here expressed not to differ froÌ„ their new books newly reformed by the couÌ„cil of TreÌ„t neither yet to be any whit in a manner now reuoked Much other the like popish trash I might haue noted out of other the like popish bookes but to avoid tediousnes vnto other I did the more willingly spare my owne paines Thus committing your selues with the successe of these my labours vnto the Lord who worke both in you and in me more perfect hatred of popery and all other errours and more vnfained loue of his truth that we may the better continue therein and be the more plentiful in all the fruits thereof I do louingly take my leaue of you froÌ„ Billerim in Essex the seuenth of March in the yeere of our Lord according to the coÌ„putation of the church of England 1597. almost nowe ended Yours in the Lord vnfainedly Thomas Stoughton The generall summe of all all things comprehended in this treatise following The reasons why this worke was taken in hand and the state of this cause beeing first breefly declared then followe these generall arguments against popery and for our religion 1 All true religion and acceptable to God is wrought in the hearts of men by the ministerie of God his word conteiued in holy scripture Popery is not wrought by the ministerie of that worde in as much as where that word is most plentifully sincerely taught there popery most falleth and where that word is wanting there popery most abounde as also because papists will neither voluntarily come nor by authority be drawne either to the preaching or reading thereof in our Churches neither doe delight in the priuate reading thereof at home ergo Popery is not true religion c. 2 All true religion is vpheld and maintained by good and lawefull meanes needing no euill vnlavvefull meanes to vphold it But popery is vpheld and maintained by all vnlawfull meanes as by force and violence by fire and fagot corrupting adding vnto and diminishing the text of scriptures by false alleadging the authorities of men by clipping and mangling the works of the auncient fathers both in citing their testimonies and also in printing of the bookes themselues by authority of the popish church by lying miracles and such other indirect meanes ergo c. 3 The subiect matter of true religion is contained in the written word of God The subiect mat of poperie is not comprised in that written worde of God but is directly contrarie therevnto in all the principall points thereof ergo c. 4 The forme of true religion is also comprehended in the canonicall Scripture The forme of poperis is not there comprehended but is altogether diuers from the forme of God his worship in that word prescribed yea rather poperie hath in a manner no worship of God at all ergo 5 All true religion referreth all things to God his glorie Poperie referreth not all things to God his glorie but so aduanceth the Pope saints and man himselfe that it spoileth God of all his glorie ergo 6 True religion bringeth forth obedience to the â—orall law of God contained in the tenne commandements Poperie and not Papists onely baingeth forth no such obedience but transgresseth euery one of these commaundements and that in the highest degree ergo 7 True religion worketh true ioy and sound comfort in euery heart where it taketh true place as certifying she same both of the present fauour of God and also of the continuance thereof Poperie worketh no such ioy and comfort as the which depriueth men of the Scriptures whereby their eyes are to be opened and their mindes instructed in true wisdome as the which teacheth likewise that it is presumption for a man to say that he is perswaded of God his fauour and of his owne saluation and wherein no man euer knoweth whither he receiueth the true sacrament or not ergo 8 All true religion is wise as he that is the author thereof Poperie is not wise but most foolish and ridiculous grossely worshipping many homely relikes absurdly baptizing bells and Churches c. and without all wit and reason much more without diuinitie citing condemning and excommunicating them that are dead ergo 9 All true religion is vnsauorie and vnpleasant to the nature of man But poperie is most pleasant thereunto because it teacheth men not to take any paines in the scriptures yea forbiddeth all such paines because it affirmeth that the worke done is sufficient howsoeuer it be done and that therefore men neede not to be carefull about their hearts because also it commendeth especially the commandements of men giuing all libertie vnto men from the commaundements of God and teaching that what good soeuer is neglected or what euill soeuer is by any committed yet by confession of all this with the mouth by a little voluntarie afflicting of the bodie and especially by a peece of money a man may haue forgiuenes of all ergo The contrarie of all the former arguments is prooued of our religion from whence it follovveth that it is true and acceptable vnto God 10 Both the former conclusions the one against poperie the other for our religion are prooued by actuall testimonies of God These are shewed to be 1 The gifts of God promised to the latter times for the commendation of the Gospel 2 The works of God The gifts of God are shewed to haue beene 1 Excedingly decaied and almost dead and buried in the chiefe times of poperie 2 Repaired reuiued raised vp and greatly to haue flourished c. at the breaking forth of our religion out of the darknes of poperie The works of Godare either single against poperie against our religion or mixt both against poperie and for our religion All these former arguments beeing plentifully handled then followeth the conclusion wherein are exemplified the manifold vse of the whole treatise Concerning them which are of our religion all generally vveake and strong more particularly great persons and those also either generally all or specially Dauids Worthies not ofour religion Atheists and all of no religion Papists 1 weake erring onely of ignorance 2 obstinate and wilfull A GENERAL TREATISE AGAINST POPERIE AND IN DEFENCE OF the religion by publike authoritie professed in England and in other Churches reformed THE PREFACE IT cannot be denied but that many excellent learned and godly men haue both plentifully and soundly and also profitably and fruitfully written most worthie treatises for confutation of all particular points of poperie and like wise for confirmation of all particular points of our religion In this
thanks to God shee said to the deuill enarra mihi naturam tuam Tell me thy nature The deuill saide Take away thy foote from the crowne of my head that I may tell thee This beeing done the deuill saide I am as one of them whome Salomon shut vp in a brasen Salomon a coniurer Diuels may be locked vp in vessels vessell and when the Babylonians came they thought that it had beene full of golde and brake it open and by this meanes we flew out and euer sithence we haue laid snares for the iust After these and many other things the virgin said vnto him Auoide O tempter Sathan Then the earth opened her mouth and receiued him 4 In the seauenth and eight lesson next An other tale of the said Margaret following is added this historie of the saide virgin Margaret The gouernour Olymbrius hauing grieuously tormented her commanded her to be bound hand and foote and put into a great vessell of water The virgin praied that that water might be made a fountaine of baptisme vnto eternall life Then was a great earthquake and a doâ—e came from heauen and set a crowne of gold vpon her head By this sight fiue thousand men were conuerted besides women and children all which by the commandement of Olymbrius were beheaded and he seeing her constancie commanded her in like maÌ„ner to be put to death Beeing brought forth therefore to the place of execution shee desired the hangman to giue her leaue to praie This graunted and her praier made that euery one that should write her sufferings or reade it or heare it or make mention of it might merit pardon of This maketh well for me that write this historie so also for all them that shall read it c. his sinnes c. This praier I say made to this effect and more largely there were great thunders and a doue came from heauen saying Blessed art thou O spouse of Christ Margaret behold Christ hath graunted all thy petitions come therefore into the rest of thy heauenly couÌ„trey Then shee lifting vp her selfe badde the hangman execute his masters commaundement But he saide God forbid that I should kill thee Shee answered if thou doest it not thou canst haue no part with me Then he trembling cut off her head and falling at the feete of the virgin he gaue vp the ghost 5 Many other like fabulous things are reported in the same booke of other the like saints as of Saint Osmond Saint Kenelme the King of the seauen sleepers of whome they The 7. sleepers read likewise for a lesson in the church that they fleeing persequution and laying them downe in a caue to sleepe continued there sleeping 362. yeares Likewise of Saint Oswald the king of Saint Laurence Saint Dionis and his fellows Saint Edward the king of Saint Wenefred the virgin of these I saie and many other the like saints many fabulous things are there reported which I might here haue added but hauing beene long alreadie in these seruice bookes I dare not presume further vpon he patience of the reader For this cause also I forbeare further addition of many most foule and blasphemous prayers in the feast of the exaltation of the crosse the rather also because I haue noted the like before 6 Nowe it may be some will here obiect against these things thus gathered out of their seruice bookes that albeit it be most true indeede that sometimes there haue beene such praiers and such pardons annexed vnto them yet now the church of Rome hath vtterly disclaimed and reuoked them and likewise reformed such bookes as now especially they vse To this I answer first that if there be any such reuocation and reformation of the foresaide ridiculous toyes and horrible blasphemies because they were ridiculous and blasphemous then thereby it is graunted that the time hath beene when the Church of Rome was a foolish and blasphemous Church and their religion likewise foolish and blasphemous For otherwise what needed they to haue reuoked such things or to haue made any reformation of them Secondly I demand where this reuocation and reformation is They wil perhaps wonder at this demaund sith I my selfe haue before named their late booke intituled officium beatae Mariae virginis nuper reformatum pij quinti pontificis maximi iussâ—â— editum that is the seruice of blessed Marie the virgin lately reformed and by the commandement of Pius the fift high priest published They will perhaps referre me to this booke it selfe as pretended to be reformed and especially to the preface thereunto prefixed by the said pepe Pius wherein is a kinde of reuocation of some former seruices of the virgin 7 Touching the booke it selfe I doe onely repeat my answer before made namely that this booke is but onely said and pretended to be reformed and not reformed in truth at the least of the substantiall points most to be regarded This is manifest by such ridiculous blasphemous praiers as I haue before noted out of the same booke still remaining therein Therefore in setting this title before the booke The seruice of the Virgin lately reformed they doe but as many a false taylour doth with the garment which he hath marred in making and as some careles cooks with the meate which they serue vnto their masters table not throughly rosted or boiled As the taylour beeing blamed for the fault of the garment promiseth to mende it taking it home with him bringeth it againe facing out the owner that he hath mended it when he neuer did any thing more vnto it then at the first at least to any purpose and as the cooke beeing rebuked for his negligence oftentimes notwithstanding sendeth in the meat the second time as better rosted or boiled when either he neuer did put it againe on the spit or into the pot or if he did that yet it had neuer a turne more nor any more seething euen so the church of Rome being iustly blamed for the grosse and foule blottes of their former seruice bookes haue taken it againe into their shoppe or kitchin but yet returned it vnto vs or rather vnto their mistris and ladie onely giuing this word reformatum reformed that is facing vs or rather their mistris and ladie omnia esse bene that is that all things are well when in truth the chiefe and most principall absurdities and blasphemies doe yet remaine 8 Concerning the preface vnto the former booke so pretended to be reformed I graunt that therein seemeth to be a kinde of reuocation or disanulling of some former seruice The auncient popish seruice bookes before mentioned are not now disanulled or reuoked by the church of Rome bookes but not of such seruice bookes as out of which I haue gathered the things before set downe For in the same preface after the reuocation and disanulling of their former seruice bookes which it doth reuoke and disanull followeth a very large exception of three branches the first is
Princes as haue done and doe daily speake and doe so much for Christ in his gospel and in his members that they giue great incouragement to all persons of place fitte to haue accesse vnto them without feare to put them in continuall remembrance of further honouring of Christ If he were so bold for Christ Iesus beeing deade how much bolder ought all men to be for Christ Iesus raised vp from the dead yea verily he is twise risen againe once touching his bodie out of the sepulchre into which the same Ioseph did honourably lay him and againe touching his gospel out of the graue of poperie wherein it had lien twise so many hundred yeares at the least as his bodie had lien daies and nights in the former sepulchre How zealous therefore ought men to be for the honouring of the gospel of Christ Iesus with true honour wherein Christ Iesus himselfe thus raised vp and glorified cannot but be likewise honoured As such men ought to be thus zealous in speaking for Christ and his gospel at all times so especially then ought they to be most zealous when any speciall occasion requireth the same or when any speciall opportunitie is offered thereunto Salomon saith How good is a word spoken in due season Prov. 5. 25. He speaketh this by question and admiration and thereby teacheth that he himselfe the wisest that euer was Christ onely excepted could not well expresse how good a word was spoken in due season Therefore he saith againe A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer Prov. 25. 11. Such therefore as the Lord hath aduaunced to such place either in Church or in commonwealth as wherein at any time by word or deede they may further this religion in this booke thus cōmended I wish to watch all opportunitie of doing further good and any beeing offered not to neglect the same but wisely to take and follow it to the vtmost of their power Where any noble honourable or other great person seeth any conuenient time where his word may doe good to further religion thereby to aduance God his glorie let him thinke with himselfe as Mordecaie spake vnto Ester Ester 4. 14. who knoweth whither the Lord hath thus aduanced me for this time 2 Neither let any such person feare the losse of their labour touching themselues in speaking in such causes God whose religion ours is hath saide by his Prophet 1. Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour and he is faithfull that hath promised Hebr. 10. 23. This is manifest by many of the examples before mentioned The fruit indeede of such labour doth not alwaies appeare presently yet God is not vnrighteous that he should forget the worke and labour of such loue towardes his name c. Hebr. 6. 10. but he taketh such a note thereof yea of the least word spoken this waie that it shall most certenly be remembred to such persons themselues or to their posteritie euen in this life and touching the benefites thereof when all the world shall thinke it buried and euen as it were wholly consumed to ashes in the graue of obliuion It was not much that Iethro the father in law of Moses did called also Keni Iudg. 1. 16. and of whome descended the Kenites it was not much I say that this Iethro or Keni did for the Israelites For he did but onely giue counsaile to Moses his sonne in law for the better gouernement of the Israelites Exod. 18. 19. yet note what note the Lord kept of this small matter After the death of Moses after the death of Ioshua and the elders that ouerliued Ioshua after the death of Othniel Ehud Shamgar Debora Gedeon and the rest of the Iudges that iudged Israel mentioned in the whole booke of Iudges after the death of Eli and his sonnes after the gouernment of Samuel resigned into the hands of Saul after all this euen foure hundred yeares after the former counsell giuen by Iethro to Moses did the Lord thinke vpon this kindnes and recompenced it tenne fold to the Kenites the posteritie of Iethro Yea rather then it should not be recompenced he raised vp Saul to recompence the same euen vnnaturall vnthankfull and most cruell Saul that had sworne the death of his owne sonne Ionathan 1. Sam. 14. 44. who had saued Israel and would indeede haue killed him had not the people rescued him that afterward did daily hunt for the life of Dauid as for a partridge in the mountaines 1. Sam. 26. 20. who had notwithstanding killed the great Goliah whome all Israel durst not looke in the face 1. Sam. 17. 24. and gotten many other victories of the Philistims and married Saul his owne daughter that also killed all the Lord his priests at once 1. Sam 22. 18. euen this bloodie man did the Lord raise vp to recompense the kindnes of Iethro and to saue the liues of all the Kenites Yea though this Saul were a man most vnmercifull vnto them to whome he owed much mercie and other loue yet the Lord so wrought his heart for the recompencing of that that Iethro had done to Moses and for Israel that he was very earnest with the Kenites for the withdrawing themselues from the Amalakites that he might not destroy them with the Amalakites Therefore he saith not onely Goe but also depart yea also he addeth Get ye downe from among the Amalakites least I destroy you with them And why is he thus mercifull vnto them for saith he ye shewed mercy to all the children of Israel when they came vp from Egypt 1. Sam. 15. 6. Certenly this mercie whereof such a streame did flow from Saul towards the Kenites was onely of the Lord not of Saul himselfe Saul of himselfe as we haue heard was as the stonie rocke in the wildernes which notwithstanding the Lord made to giue drinke plētifully to the Israelites and their cattell Numb 20. 8. Saul of himselfe had neither the religion nor the manners to consider greater things done by those that were of his owne blood for himselfe and for the present generation of the Israelites Shall we then thinke that he had religion or manners to remember such olde good turnes done so many yeares before for the old forefathers of the Israelites Nowe what doth this example teach vs but that the Lord is iust to remember the like kindnes when all men shall thinke it vtterly forgotten yea to make such to consider the same as from whome in respect of their contrarie disposition no such matter can in reason be hoped for but rather the contrarie feared 3 But what shall I neede to call as it were so loud vnto antiquitie so farre off for an example whereby to iustifie the righteousnesse of God in honouring them that honour him Is not Queene Elizabeth yet liuing and many yeares more O blessed God may shee liue and raigne to thy glorie is not is not this our most noble gracious and Christian
things Right Honourable so much for the enlarging of your zeale towards the religion in this treatise following commended as for the better prouoking also and quickning of this zeale in all other the like noble persons The rather also and the more plentifully haue I beene bold to deale herein in this my epistle Dedicatorie because I thought it might be that some would read this epistle which would read but little else of this booke and that othersome would hereby be the more excited to the reading of the whole treatise Now what shall I say more The same God that hath begun this noble worke of zeale in your noble heart towards this religion make the same perfect The same God that hath so highly aduanced you vpon the earth that sometime you sit with most noble Queene Elizabeth cloathed with Parliament roabes in great dignitie so also exalt you that you may walke with his sonne Christ Iesus in heart clothed in white yea and that you may Rev. 3. 4. ad 2◠sit with him in his throne for euer as himselfe sitteth in the throne of his Father Thus most humblie crauing pardon of my boldnesse I doe also humbly take my leaue of your Honor. At Billerim in Essex the 7. of March in the yeare of our Lord according to the computation of the Church of England 1597. almost expired Your Honours most humble to command in the Lord Thomas Stoughton To the Christian readers especially to my VVorshipfull and other lo uing friends in Kent London Essex Suffolke and elswhere BEloved I am not ignorant howe dangerous a thing it is to write bookes in these daies partly in respect of the greate varietie of all learning in many vvhich thereby are able more easilie to finde a fault in any man his vvritings then the author for the most part himselfe and partly of the great curiosity of other vvhich are readie to reprehend the best and to finde a knot in a rush yea not onely to carpe at that vvhich deserueth no blame but oftentimes to condemne that vvhich they ought rather to commend or vvhich at the least they cannot amende The consideration of this did at the first make me for a long time to vvish this labour that I haue novve taken to haue beene set vpon by some other more able to haue gone as we say through-stitch therewith then my selfe before I durst once beginne to set my penne to paper for the writing my meditations thereof After also that I had begun ana finished this treatise in such sort as novv it commeth forth some smale things onely excepted I staied the publishing thereof to see if any other vvould haue preuented me in this argument that so I might not haue laide my selfe open to those reprehensions and censures vvhich nowe perhaps I may incurre and sustaine At the last seeing none other to deale therein and thinking it to be a thing very profitable yea beeing persvvaded of the profit thereof by some other whome I desired to read the same written as vvhose iudgements I did much better trust vnto then to my ovvne I laid aside all such feare and respecting the cōmon good of many more then mine owne priuate credit and estimation vvith a few I haue boldly committed it as ye see vnto the print and doe novve exhibite it vnto your reading Although therefore it may be that it shall passe through the fierie and sharpe purgatorie of many such quicke heads nimble tongues as to vvhich almost nothing will be welcome yet I hope that it shall also finde courteous and fauurable entertainment with many which will make such profitable vse thereof as I haue commended in the ende and in regard whereof I regard not all the obloquie of the other I craue also yea and trust that what faultes soeuer haue escaped me herein they may be the more fauourably interpteted and the more esilie pardoned because this treatise is not onely the first fruites of my labours thus published but also such an argument as wherein I doe not remember any other professedly to haue taken the like paines If hereafter any man of great learning generally and particularly of much reading and deepe iudgement in diuinitie shall thinke this worke to be insufficient in this kinde and shall therefore take the same theame in hand and handle it more substantially and sufficiently I shall not onely not enuy the same or be grieued therevvith but I will also vvillingly accept it reuerently esteemē it and be hartely glad of it In the meane time I entreat all Christian readers of this booke thankfully to looke and charitably to peruse the same euen as they would haue others to accept the like trauell of themselues Neither let them be offended vvith my plaine manner of handling these arguments but rather let them seriously vvaie the matter and substance it selfe For it is not finenesse of vvordes but pith of matter that must edifie to the vvorking confirming or increasing of true faith and godlines Good and whole some meate is not the vvorse to be liked for beeing serued to the table in a earthen or wodden vessell If also one argument please not yet let no man be discouraged but let him proceede to the next and so to them that followe Where there is varietie of dishes there men not liking of one vvill tast of an other The like fauour I entreat in the reading of these arguments hoping that the further men proceede in reading this treatise the better sauour they will finde therein Nowe as I entreat all Christian readers generally to accept courteously of my paines in this booke so more specially I pray the same of such as are my friends dwelling in the places before mentioned or elswhere For beeing specially bound vnto them either by kindnes or by kinred and beeing not able to doe that good to these that nature it selfe requireth I was the more willing to publish this treatise as a testimonie of my thankefulnes to the one and of my welwishing mind vnto the other As therefore in this speciall respect I doe offer this generall treatise vnto them both that they may make the more speciall vse thereof vnto themselues so I doe desire them especially to accept it Touching the addition of the dainties of poperie annexed to the treatise partly to shew the vnlearned learning of their popish great clarks in diuinitie when poperie it selfe was at her top and top gallant and partly to discouer the abominable blasphemies and blasphemous abominations of their religion vvhich to many perhaps were before secret and altogether vnknowne touching this addition I say of the se things I doe also desire that it may find the like courteous entertainment And least any man should thinke that these things thus added were gathered out of such authors as were of no account in their church as likewise many slender things might be collected out of the bookes of some simple writers amongst vs that are of no reputation in our
The like they doe with the Scriptures in many other places as appeareth by their vulgar translation edition of the Scriptures in latine the which although it were not theirs at the first yet because they condemne all other and do onelie commaund this as authenticall forbidding also anie man to appeale from the same to the originall text in the Hebrew and Greeke therefore it is to be accepted theirs In that translation and edition many things are wanting that are in the originall text and manie things also corrupted In the 9. of Matth. verse 13. Our Sauiour saith I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance In their trāslation are these two words to repentāce left out Rom. 11. 6. All these words are wanting in their translation If of workes then not of grace or else were worke no more worke Ioh. 14. 26. For these words he shal teach you al things and bringe all things to your remembrance which I haue told you For these words I saie which I haue told you their translation saith which I shall tell you Thus they reade for help of their traditions to make the common people beleeue that Christ speaketh in this place of some thinges which he would speak afterward that he had nor spoken before Manie other places there are in like manner either clipped or corrupted If their cause were good why should they susteine it by such vile meanes 6 Let vs here further remember their exceeding crueltie and most bloudie dealing for the continuall maintenance of their religion If fire faggot had not better holpen them then preaching disputing their religion had neuer been so vniuersall as it is For although the blood of the Martires be called the seed of the Church and haue been a notable meanes to confirme many in the profession of the Gospell Yet other also haue thereby been drawne from it and for feare haue receiued poperie As therefore the Priestes Scribes Pharises and other Iewes when they were not able by the Scriptures to resist the wisedome of our Sauiour of Stephan of the Apostles the spirit that spake in them did vse force and violence for their last chiefest argument euen so haue the Priestes Scribes and Pharises of the Church of Rome alwaies done Such alwaies hath bin their crueltie that as diuers wild beasts and birdes make the flesh and blood of other to be their nourishment and life so also the blood of the Protestants hath been their speciall releefe The crueltie exercised here in our owne lād as sometime before so especially in the late time of Queene Marie doth plētifully witnesse the same The like may be said of the Spanish inquisitiō the chiefe meanes of vpholding poperie not onely in Spaine it selfe but also in manie other countries The crueltie thereof is so great and barbarous that the crueltie of Nero Domitian and all other the like professed enemies vnto Christ Iesus and his Gospell is nothing to be compared thereto The copies thereof are to be seene printed in english for iustifying that which I write A man would thinke that all the deuills in hell should neuer haue deuised such tortures and most exquisite punishments except it were thus manifest Here also is to be considered the most bloodie massaker in Fraunce Anno 1572. in the which of noble men gentlemen learned men cōmon persons thought to be protestants in Paris were slaine and most violently cruellie murthered without anie proceeding by order of law the number at the least of ten thousand within three daies and within lesse then one moneth presently after in manie other cities townes of France were in like sort slaine murthered 20000. more So that as it should haue bin with the Iewes through all the prouinces of Ahashuerosh if the cursed purpose of Hamā had proceeded to effect so also was it with all the knowne or suspected protestants in Fraunce vpon whom the merciles Papists could lay hāds what doth this else witnesse but that the religion of the Papists is like vnto that wicked decree of Ahashuerosh from the same fountaine Neither may this be said to haue bin a fault onely of that nation For the great ioye of the Pope with all his Cardinalls at Rome their procession their gunshott and singing Te Deum in honor of the bloody act doe euidently shew both the approbation of the thing done by the whole Church of Rome and also that the said Pope and Cardinalls were acquainted with the matter before and had an hand stroke in it I confesse I note this out of the booke of Martires but no Papist is therefore to suspect the truth of the matter for this historie there reported is but briefly gathered out of the French Chronicles and Histories which do more largely describe the same Besids this act is so late was so notorious at the first committing thereof that there needeth not the testimony of anie writer to be suspected therein Thus we see that a piller of blood is the chiefe piller of the Romish Church such as now it is 7 The like obiection made against our religion from the execution of manie Seminarie priestes and Iesuites in our owne land hath bin sufficiently aunswered by others For they haue not been executed to maintaine and vphold our religion but for their haynous treasons whereby they haue sought the sacred life of her Maiestie in bringing in of forreyners here to vsurpe the kingdome and the ouerthrow of the whole land their owne naturall cūtrey Therefore this horrible treason against both their Prince and countrey beeing especially authorized by the Pope himself and his Clergie not onely for the seducing of the subiects from all obedience to her highnes but also for the shedding of her blood as also the like treasons of manie other to the same intent attēpted by the same authoritie doe plainely disclaime their religion as not beeing of God neither acceptable vnto God For truth seeketh no corners truth requireth no such stilts to goe by Neither did our Sauiour vse such meanes to commend himselfe his doctrine though he might haue commaunded more then twelue legions of Angels neither after his ascension did the Apostles or anie of thē so further the gospel 8 To these meanes before mentioned I may add their foule abusing of the simple people with pretended reuelations lying miracles thereby to make them to account their religion to be as diuine and from heauen as by the same meanes well looked into it doth manifestlie appeare to be altogether diuolish and from hell it self Such was the practise of certaine Monkes Friers with Elizabeth Barton a Nunne in Kent whom they called by the name of the holie maid of Kent This holie maide by the deuice of the foresaid Monkes and Fryers fained her selfe to liue with no other food then that which was brought vnto her immediately by the Angells of heauen shee made also as though oftentimes shee laie
next praier they call her the Queene of heauen the gate of paradise the Ladie of the world c. The head likewise of this praier is crowned with a promise of eleuen thousand yeares of pardon graunted by the munificence of the holy Father Sixtus Quartus Pope c. In an other praier they call her rerum omnium imperatricem the Empresse or commandreesse of all things Their other blasphemies in their other praiers vnto the Virgin are infinite and almost without number 3 To such as they account Saints in the same their printed portuus thus they praie as followeth To one S. Erkenwald Bishop as they thought of London they praie that he would make them with himselfe partaker of life without ende To S. Armigil they praie to be released from all griefe of sicknes To Sitha a holy virgin as they call her they praie for the glorie which shee had merited and to be released froÌ„ all euills in this life To S. Sebastian that they may merit to goe free and vnhurt of the plague To S. Christopher to be comforted in mind and released of all griefe To S. George that beeing washed from all their filthines they might with all ioy be with him in all glorie To William the Confessour to haue the spotts of their life taken away and the ioyes of the heauenly crowne giuen vnta them To Apollonia a virgin generally against all things hurtfull and particularly to be kept from the toothach To one King Henrie what king Henrie I think themselues know not that they might not die with sweate and griefe but liue and clappe their hands in heauen without ende and by him ouercome all their enemies In all these things doe we not see how they aske those things of their Saints which belong onely to God to worke and to bestow And what greater blasphemie can there be then this I might adde a thousand other like blasphemous petitions in their praiers were not the labour too great both to the reader and also for my selfe 4 For the praiers to the crosse or the similitude thereof though I might onely referre the reader to the Beehiue of the Romish Church in English booke the 4. chap. the third yet because it may be that euery one that readeth this my treatise shall not haue the booke at hand therefore I will heare expresse some of their praiers both in latine and english which that booke hath gathered out of the popish writings First of all therefore he setteth downe this praier to God himselfe touching the crosse Oramus te Domine sancte pater c. vt digneris benedicere hoc lignum crucis tuoe vt sit remedium salutare generi humano sit soliditas fidei bonorum operum profectus redemptio animarum sit solamen protectio ac tutela contra saeua iaculainimicorum that is We beseech thee O Lord heauenly father that thou wilt so blesse this woode of the crosse that it may be a heathfull helpe to mankinde a strengthning to faith a furtherance to good works and a redemption of soules that it may be our comfort our safegard our defendour against the noysome darts of the enemies Againe thus they commend the crosse and praie vnto it Ista suos fortiores Semper facit victores Morbos sanat languores Reprimit daemonia Dat captivis libertatem Vitae confert novitatem Ad antiquam dignitatem Crux reduxit omnia O crux lignum triumphale Mundi vera salus vale Inter ligna nullumtale Fronde flore germine Medicina Christiana Salva sanos aegros sana Quod non valet vis humana Fit in tuo nomine that is It maketh her soldiers excellent And crowneth them with victorie Restores the lame and impotent And healeth euery maladie The deuills of hell it conquereth Releaseth from imprisonment Newnes of life it offereth It hath all at commandement O crosse of wood incomparable To all the world most wholesome No woode is halfe so honourable In branch in budde or blossome O medicine which Christ did ordaine The sound saue euery houre The sicke and sore make whole againe By vertue of thy power And that which mans vnablenes Hath neuer comprehended Graunt by the name of holines It may be fully ended In these words although the English might haue beene translated somewhat more aptly to haue answered the Latin yet the difference beeing not great I thought not good to alter any thing because I would haue the reader to see both in the booke it selfe from whence I borrow these things Thus also they sing and prouoke all to praise the crosse in this manner Servi crucis crucem laudent Qui per crucem sibi gaudent Vitae dari munera Dicant omnes dicant singult Ave salus totius sacli Arbor salutifera that is as it is here translated The seruants of the holy crosse Her praise to heauen let them to see And they which in the crosse reioyce And of the gifts of life haue choice Let this of all both old and yong In solemne sort be said and sung O holy crosse which canst preuaile O tree of life all hayle all hayle And againe Ecce lignum crucis venite adoremus Behold here is the wood of the crosse come let vs worship And also O cruxspes vnica auge pijs justitâ—am donareis veniam O holy crosse our onely helpe encrease righteousnes to the godly and pardon the offences of the wicked What man that hath any pietie or sparke of true godlines wil not tremble to see and vnderstand such things so proper to God and his sonne Christ Iesus thus blasphemously ascribed to a tottring and rotten peece of woode Nay verely I am perswaded that if many that haue ignorantly with great deuotion said and sung these words had vnderstoode the meaning of them they would haue abhorred both them and all poperie for them long ere this time This shall be sufficient touching their blasphemies whereby they haue most deepely transgressed the thirde commandement Concerning the fourth commandement how can they sanctifie the sabbath according thereunto sith as we haue shewed before they haue not onely made many other holidaies equall vnto it but also aduanced and magnified many aboue it 5 This shall suffice touching their fruits of the first table Now because the second table is so ioyned with the first that the one cannot be neglected or contemned without neglect and contempt of the other because the obseruation of the duties of the second is also sometime called by the name of religion Iam. 1. 17. and because the Papists doe most of all boast of their good workes in obseruation of some things belonging to the second table I will therefore also take a suruey and giue the reader a sight of their obedience thereunto that thereby he may the better iudge of their religion Here in the first place let be considered the intollerable pride of him whome poperie and Papists account the Head of their church let I
Diuines of those times can testifie that which I saie of the bookes of Diuinitie For proofe notwithstanding thereof I referre the reader to that which that reuerende father and worthie man Master Iuel answereth to a vaine boast of Master Harding touching the learning of their side First hee biddeth him remember that their prouinciall constitutions doe beginne with these wordes Ignorantia socerdotum Then hee addeth as followeth It were no great masterie to charge the chiefe doctours of your side vvith some vvant of learning Ludouicus Vives saith Vt quidque his supertoribus seculis minâ—s tritum fuit studentium manibus it a purius ad nos peruenit For the space of certaine hundred yeares the lesse any bookes came into students handes the purer and better they came to vs meaning thereby that euery thing was the worse for your learned handling Of Thomas Scotus Hugo and others of whom you seeme to make so great account your owne friend Catharinus saith Scholastics multa inerudite comminiscuntur These schoole-doctours imagine matters vnlearnedly Erasmus saith Portenta quae nunc passino legimus in commentarijs recentium interpretum tam impudentia insulta sunt vt videantur suibus ea scripsisse non hominibus The monstrous follies that we commonly read in the commentaries of late interpreters wherby he meaneth the very croppe and the worthiest of all your scholasticall doctours are so farre without shame and so peeuish as if they had beene written for swine and not for men One of your doctors saith Apostolus dicitur ab apos quod est argumentum vel praeeminentia stolon quod est missio quasi praeeminenter missus Another saith Apocrisarij dicuntur nuntij Domini papâ— Nam crisis dicitur secretum apos dicitur nuntius Another saith Cathedra est nomen Graecum componitur à Cathos quod est â—ides edra quod est sponda Another saith Eleemosyna dicitur ab eleis quod est misereri mors quod est aequâ— More followeth to the same purpose in Iuel his defence of the apologie 5. part 12. chap. 2. diuision where the learned reader may see the quotation of those writers out of whome he boroweth these things By these things we sufficiently see the profaned diuinitie of the chiefe times of poperie 9 Touching philosophie the workes of Petrus de Bruxellis Iohannes de monte de ponte Dorbella Duns Toletus Titleman and many such like doe euidently confirme that which I haue saide Yea such is the rudenesse of these bookes that many young schollers in Cambridge and Oxenford for want of good direction too much addicting themselues to the reading of them can neuer afterward attaine vnto any true eloquence or knowledge of the Latin tongue neither yet to sound philosophie So also may it be saide of such Diuines as take too much delight in reading the works of those before mentioned Many distinctions in these bookes seeme wittie and haue shewe of some depth in those things whereof they intreat but if they be thoroughly with iudgement examined and as it were sifted or rather bolted they will be found but meere trifles more curious and troublesome then sound and profitable so farre also from illustrating and making lightsome the things whereto they are applied that rather they obscure and darken them Sometime perhaps a man may hitte vpon or by the waie meete with something somewhat worthie the obseruation but it is so rare that more time will be lost whilst a man sinde it out then the benefit of the thing will counteruaile when he meeteth with it 10 As those bookes before spoken of doe witnes the learning or rather ignorance of those times when they were written so many men also now liuing can testifie as much of the later times of poperie both touching all the learned tongues and also touching diuinitie and philosophie Notwithstanding I charge not all of those times and of that religion with such ignorance but onely the most some there were more learned but very few The greatest part of those that were brought vp in learning and which professed learning were as ignorant and vnlearned as I haue saide And how could it be otherwise so long as they taught that principle before spoken of that ignorance is the mother of deuotion And albeit they meant the ignorance of God and diuinitie yet therupon followeth that the knowledge of other things is also vnnecessarie For all other knowledge is especially to be referred to diuinitie as to the chiefe and principall ende thereof This beeing taken away what neede in a manner is there of other knowledge And indeede they desired that men should haue had no good learning at al as it is among the Turks that so they might neuer discerne the wickednes of their religion For they knew and feared that the true knowledge of tongues and arts and humanitie would quickly haue detected all the wickednesses and abominations of their religion Therefore also when they could no longer keepe vnder the knowledge of these tongues and arts but did see men to growe and flourish therein in despight of them they made a solemne and common law amongst them that the vulgar corrupt translation in latine of the Bible should onely be authenticall and that also no man should in any wise appeale from thence to the Hebrewe or Greeke text By this canon they prouided that although men grew to skill and knowledge of those tongues yet this skill and knowledge should little helpe them to any further learning of the holy Scriptures then before they might haue attained vnto by the latin tongue Yea so also they cunningly endeauoured to stoppe the course of such knowledge For who could haue any great heart to those studies whereby he should haue no helpe in diuinitie the Queene of all studies Againe touching that learning that was in the chiefe time or poperie for the most part it was greatest in them that inclined to our religion and that did not a little dislike of many grosse points of poperie and of many foule corruptions amongst the other Papists 11 Now to conclude this part of the argument touching the generall ignorance that was in the pride of poperie how will it stande with the rich and ample promises of God before mentioned for the powring out of water vpon the ground and his spirit vpon all flesh If poperie were the religion that came from God would God haue so pilled it and poulled it of all the gifts and graces of his holy spirit so often promised If it had beene the same religion which the Apostles taught after the ascension of Christ and the primitiue Church receiued from them would not the Lord haue commended it with his spirit as he then did If the Church of Rome were the onely daughter of God and spouse of Christ as she boasteth her selfe would the Lord haue left her so naked of all ornaments chiefly and principally beseeming her estate and most answerable to her royall discent
libertie Hauing shewed it to be a religion without all found ioy comfort hauing blamed it as a ridiculous and foolish religion nothing sauouring the excellent wisdome of God hauing likewise added that it is plausible and well liking to the naturall and vnregenerate man and therefore altogether disliking and vnpleasant vnto God and finally hauing obiected to the chiefe times of poperie great blindnes and ignorance as touching the sound and true knowledge of God so also touching other good learning in the learned toÌ„gues and in all learned arts and hauing in the saide treatise firmely though but briefly prooued all these things that so I might not therein be ouer-tedious to the reader sithence the finishing of the former worke I haue thought good to make this addition following for the more euident and plentifull demonstration of all those thingâ— before mentioned Such therefore as desire to see all things before touched and obiected to poperie more largely opened and prooued such I saie I call to this addition wherein they shall see the words of the popish Church it selfe more amply to iustifie all my former words yea they shall here see not onely their owne wordes buâ— also their owne syllables their owne letters their owne points For as nigh as I could yet in some things I may slippe because I found it an harder matter to set downe their false manner of writing then if all things had beene truly penned by them as nigh I say as I could I haue written all things in this addition abbreuiations onely excepted in the very same sort that I finde them written in their owne bookes Let not therefore the Christian and learned teader be here offended either with the rudenes of the latine it selfe or with the false manner of writing thereof without obseruation of any rules of orthographie For as sentences are written here without any true points as I haue set downe the words themselues without dipthongs without great letters for the most part at the beginning of sentences and especially of proper names one letter also sometimes for an other as K for C Y for I and such like and aduerbs that should be accented without any accents as I say these things are set downe by me so did I finde them so shall the reader finde them in auncient books out of which I haue taken them And thus I haue the rather done that thereby their ignorance their blindnes and rudenes euen in the latine tongue whereof notwithstanding they made most profession might the more euidently appeare euen to the children that haue learned any rules of grammar Touching the matter it selfe of these things here added it is either so blasphemous that it will make any christian heart to tremble at the reading or hearing thereof or so foolish and ridiculous that any man of reason will think it more fit for a stage then for the Church the place of God his worship and to make sport withall rather then to haue the name of religion In this addition for the most part I haue set downe the latine it selfe that so all men may the lesse suspect my faithfulnesse in reporting their wordes Notwithstanding sometime when there is no speciall thing in the latin either for phrase or for manner of writing worthie the noting and especially when the latin is very long I haue for breuities sake either altogether omitted the latin or onely set downe the beginning thereof sometimes also noting some special words in the margent Now although this addition may at the first seeme somewhat large yet to the reader it neede not be very painfull for that one halfe is in a manner the whole because if the reader be learned vnderstanding the latin tongue then he may read the latin onely omitting the english If the reader know no other tongue then the english then the reading onely of the english will be sufficieÌ„t Now to come to the things themselues which here I purpose to adde I will first beginne with their popish seruice bookes and proceede from them to the writings of some of their chiefe Doctours and finally conclude this whole addition with some of the miracles of the virgin Marie Now because their seruice bookes are full of many blasphemies as wherein they giue so many of God his peculiar attributes vnto the Saints especially to the virgin Marâ—e and to the crosse yea to the bare signe of the crosse that in truth they leaue nothing to God himselfe I will onely select the principal of them wherein are the highest blasphemies and omit the other as beeing of more labour to be written then of vse to be read These that follow are such that it may be many did neuer thinke so foolish and abominable stuffe had beene in their bookes vntill they did see their owne wordes 2 Therefore out of a booke intituled in some impressions horae beate virginis Marie ad legitimum sarisburiensis ecclesie ritum c. I haue gathered these things following These praiers following ought to be said ere ye depart out of your chamber at your vprising The Apostle teacheth to praie with vnderstanding but of thes praiers following as the language was vnknowne to the common people so the sentences of them doe not agree one with an other leafe 7. first side Auxiliatrix sis mihi irinitas sanctaâ— deus in nomine tuo leuabo manuâ— meas Crux triumphalis passionis domini nostri Iesâ— Christâ— Jesus Nazarenus rexâ— Iudeorâ—â—m fi lt dei miserere mei In nomine patris filij spiritus sancti Amen per signum sancte crucix X libera nos deus salutaris noster that is in english Helpe me O holy trinitie O God in thy name will I lift vp my hands The triumphant These sentences agree like light and darknes Note that here and many other places they say not by the crosse it selfe but by the signe of the crosse crosse of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ Iesus of Nazareth the king of the Iewes O sonne of God haue mercie on me In the name of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost Amen By the signe of the holy crosse deliuer vs O God of our saluation Againe in the same leafe When thou goest first out of thy house blisse thee saying thus Crux triumphatnis domini nostri Iesu Christ ecce viuifiee crucis dominicum sanctum fugite partes adverse The triumphant crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Behold the Lords signe of the quickning crosse Avoide ye that are my aduersaries When thou takest holy water say thus Aqua benedicta sit mihi salus vita presta mihi domine per hanc creaturam aspersionis aque sanitatem mentis integritatem corporis tutelam salutis securitatem spei corroborationem fidei nunc in futuro Pater noster Aue Maria. This blessed water be vnto me health and life worke in me O Lord What warrant haue they thus to pray by this creature of sprinkling of
of virgins the happie and blessed ladie Then they commend vnto her totum corpus animam totam vitam quinque sensus corporis omnia facta mortem that is the whole bodie and soule their whole life the fiue senses of their bodie all their works and their death then they adde cum sis benedicta in eternum vltra that is forasmuch as thou art blessed The Papists haue a time longer â—hâ— exernitie for euer and beyond 16 In the 73. leafe A. of the same booke there is a pardon of tenne hundred thousand yeares for deadly sinnes graunted by the holy father Iohn 22. pope of Rome to all them that shall deuoutly saie three praiers to Christ there following which were found written in the chappell of the holy crosse in Rome otherwise called sacellum sancto crucis septem Romanorum 17 In the 75. leafe there is this title to a praier vnto Christ Who that deuoutly beholdeth The Papists obtaine pardons not onely by praier but also by bare looking this armes of our Lord Iesus Christ shall obtaine sixe thousand yeares of pardon of our holy father S. Peter first pope of Rome and 30. other popes of the church of Rome successours after And our holy father pope Iohn 22. hath O that this pope Iohn had still liued for he was of good nature and full of pardons graunted to all then very contrite and truly confessed that saie these deuout praiers following in the coÌ„mendation of the bitter passion of our Lord Iesu Christ 3000 yeares of pardon for deadly sinnes and other 3000. for veniall sinnes and saie first a pater noster and Aue Maria. 18 In the 78. and 79. leafe there is a long luxurius title of a praier wherin to euery one that shall saie the praier to Iesus deuoutly with a contrite heart daily is made this promise Note that by poperie one in the state of damnation and therfore altogether without faith may merit God his fauour for his discharge that if he that saith that praier be in the state of eternall damnation his eternall paine shal be changed him in tempâ—rall paine of purgatorie or if he hath deserued the paine of purgatorie it shal be forgotten and forgiuen through the infinite mercie of God 19 In the 125. leafe of some bookes of some other the 123. leafe there are these wordes ouer certaine verses of the psalmes When S. Barnard was in his praiers the deuill It seemeth to be no small honour for S. Barnard to be the deuill his scholler yet Barnardus non vi 〈…〉 omnia said vnto him I know that there be certaine verses in the sawter who that say them daily shal not perish and he shall haue knowledge of the daie that he shall die but the fend would not shevve them to S. Barnard then said S. Barnard I shall saie daily the whole sawter The fend considering that S. Barnard should doe so much profit to labour so he shewed him these verses Then follow these verses intituled versus sancti Beruardi By these praiers and pardons annexed vnto them such libertie is graunted as that poperie seemeth to commend nothing but praier For what good soeuer a man omitteth or euil soeuer he committeth pardon ye see may be obtained for the same by saying deuoutly their prescribed praiers It is likewise to be obserued that if a man may haue so large a pardon of all his sinnes as before we haue heard for saying some one praier then for saying all the praiers what letteth but that he may haue all the pardons before mentioned And then also what followeth forsooth either that Christ shal not need to come vnto iudgement or that he shall not come till all that time for which all those pardons are graunted be expired or that purgatorie shall continue after his comming Otherwise what needed pardons for so many hundred so many thousands yea so many millions of yeares THE SECOND PART 1 IN an other popish seruice booke like vnto the former called Portiforium seâ— Breuiarium ad vsum ecclesie Sarisburiensâ—s castigatum suppletum marginalibus quotationibus This booke was printed at Paris anno 1555. adornatum that is A Portus or breuiarie for the vse of the Church of Salisburie corrected supplied and adorned with marginall quorations c. In this booke I say to omit the like blasphemous praiers to the virgin Marie as before haue beene noted I finde these speciall things following not mentioned in the former For the translation of Saint Martin there are these things read for the second and third lesson Lectio secunda Anno sexagessimo quarto post transitum beati Martini beatus Perpetuus predicte sedis episcopus corpus beati Martini transferre disposuit conuocatisque vicinis Abbatibus clericis cum hoc in kalendis â—ulij agere vellent vigilata prius vna nocte per totam diem laborantes nihil proficiebant Tunc quidaÌ„ ex clericis ait Scitis quod post triduâ— natalis episcopatus eius est forte in hac die nos transferrâ—se admonet Lectio tertia Quarta autem die accedentes non valebant mouere sepulchrum Pauore autem omnes exterriti vasculum terra cooperire cogit abant Tunc apparuit eis veneranda canitie senex dicens se abbatem ait quid turbamini tardatis Nonne videtis beatum Martinum astanteÌ„ vobis iuvare paratum simanus apponatis iactans pallium posuit manum cum alijs ad sarcophagim Quod pratinus cum summa leuitate commotum in locum quo nunc honoratur tuâ—â— hymnis domino annuente perducitur Post haec requiritur senex nec exite visus est nec ibi inuenitur The second lesson In the 64. yeare after the death of blessed Martin blessed Perpetuus bishop of the sea A tale of Saint Martin read in the Church for a lesson aforesaid that is of Toures in France determined to translate the bodie of blessed Martin And hauing called together the neighbour abbots and learned men when they would haue done it the first daie of Iuly hauing first watched a whole night they did also labour a whole daie and did no good Then one of the learned men saide Ye know that after three daies is the birthday of his bishopricke and peraduenture on that day he admonisheth vs to translate him The third lesson But when they came the fourth daie they could not remooue the sepulchre Now beeing stricken with feare they thought to coueâ— the vessell with earth Then appeared vnto them an old man with a reuerence hore headed that called himselfe an abbot and he he said Why are ye troubled and why prolong ye the time doe ye not see blessed Martin standing by you readie to helpe if ye put to your hands And throwing away his clocke he put to his hand with other vnto the sepulchre the which presently with very great case beeing remooued was by the fauour of God brought to the
of bookes printed in the latin tongue the second of bookes whose institution was expressely approoued and allowed by the Apostolike see the third of bookes that had beene in vse for two hundred yeares before The reuocation therefore and inhibition is onely of bookes published in the vulgar tongue whose first institution was not allowed by the apostolike sea and which had not beene vsed aboue two hundred yeares 9 Now the bookes out of which I haue gathered the former stuffe are not within the compasse of the saide inhibition but doe still remaine in force by the former exceptions For although the titles and pardons prefixed to the praiers in them contained be in the english tongue yet the praiers themselues and the other subiect matter of the saide booke is all in latin Againe their first institution was allowed by the Apostolike see otherwise they would neuer haue had such publike vse and sufferance especially in Cathedrall churches as they had Lastly although some few praiers as one in king Henrie and an other the pardon whereof was graunted at the instance of Queene Elizabeth wife to king Henrie the seauenth and a fewe more perhaps although I say some such praiers of late edition are here and there inserted yet as touching the principall substance of the bookes that they haue beene in vse farre aboue two hundred yeares it may euidently appeare to them that will compare the diuers bookes of diuers impressions together Wherefore as I haue heard that some great men in their last will and testament haue sometime made a gift vnto their wife of all their houshold stuff all their plate all their golden chaines and bracelets all their rings and iewels whatsoeuer and yet afterward haue excepted so many of the former things and giuen them to their other friends that their former gift to to their wife hath not come to any great value notwithstanding all the former great words euen so although the foresaide pope Pius the fi lt see me at the first to make a large Inhibition yet the exceptions following make the former inhibition in a manner nothing worth because there were scarse any former seruice bookes which might not chalenge their former vse and allowance by some of those exceptions Now further although in the same new booke aboue mentioned Pius quintus doe also admonish all coÌ„stantly to beleeue that in some former books not within chose former exceptions compâ—ised many faigned praiers are interlaced sub falsis confictis sanctorum nominibus vnder false and counterfaited names of saints and that there is no certen authoritie of the church for indulgences and pardons of sinnes graunted vnto them that say many of those praiers so interlaced although I say this admonition be giuen by that holy father yet this maketh not against those praiers and titles by me before expressed For many of them are made to God or Christ Iesus himselfe oâ— to the virgin Marie the other at least for the most part to such saints as whose names are not counterfaited but most certenly knowne to be such saints as the Romish church hath alwaies worshipped This therefore shall suffice to haue noted out of their bookes of common seruice THE THIRD PART NOw I come to note something likewise out of some of the principall popish Doctours Here I will doe as the marchant doth in selling his wines vnto the vintener For as he giueth not a taste of euery vessell but onely assuring the vintener the rest to be like vnto those whereof he giueth a tast so likewise will not I giue the reader a tast of euery popish vessell for that were infinite to me to write and to him to read but onely I wil deliuer him a tast of some few that therby he may see what all the rest are beeing of the same vintage or at the least of the grape of the same countrey But what doe I compare popish bookes to vessels of wine which is in price with all men and which is saide to delight God and man Iudg. 9. 13. nay rather I may compare them to vessells of filthie and fustie vineger whereby many haue beene are deceiued as the which they haue bought in stead of most wholesome and delectable wine As therefore a faithfull friend that would haue his friend to take heede of being so deceiued doth not giue him a tast of euery such vineger caske but onely of some and those of the best assuring him that such or worse are all the rest so likewise will I giue the reader a tast of the doctrine and writings of the greatest and most famous popish writers whereby he may know the other to be like or worse Here first I will begin with the works of one Bernardine de Bustâ— and that all men may know that this man was no obscure person but of high account for an exceeding profound clarke and his worke likewise in as great reckoning in the popish Church before I goe downe into the cellar it selfe to giue a tast of the liquour in the vessels therein I thinke it not amisse to point the reader vnto that which for the drawing of customers to buie the ware it selfe is written as it were vpon the doâ—e 2 This writing is double The inscription or title written as it seemeth by the author himselfe and the approbation allowance and commendation thereof by other The first written with great letters that all that passe by may read the same as it were running as the Prophet speaketh in an other matter is this Mariale eximij viri Barnardini de Busti ordinis seraphici francisci de singulis festiuitatibus beate virginis per modum sermonum tractans omni theologia copiosum denique vtriusque iuris authoritatibus applicatum arte humanitatis effectum in omnibus allegationibus promptissimum that is in english The Mariall of the renowmed man Bernardine This worke setmetâ— to haue bin puâ—lished anno dom 1480. as appeareth by the date of the Apostolike writing of Poâ—e 〈…〉 tuâ—â—he 4. forth allowance oâ— the serâ—ice oâ— the virgin therein contained see the 49. lease 〈◊〉 of Busti of the Seraphicall order of Francis intreating by waie of sermons of all the feasts of the blessed Virgin flowing with all diuinitie and finally with the application of authorities of both lawes replenished also with the skill of humanitie and most readie in all allegations In this title the word Mariall signifieth onely a worke made in commendation of the virgin Marie as it is manifest by the whole booke following For although the whole booke beeing in a large quarto and printed with a small letter containe 407. leaues which is aboue a hundred sheetes of paper yet through the whole booke is God skarse named except onely for the further magnifying of Marie The word Seraphicall is taken for Seraphim which signifieth burning or shining attributed in the scriptâ—res to angels to signifie their excellencie Yea the Papists making nine degrees of angels as we
patient and which beare much aduersitie patiently Fifthly that with vertues shall be placed the peacemakers and they that as much as in them lieth haue peace with all men Sixthly they with dominions shall be made blessed prelates as well ecclesiasticall as secular BeatificabuÌ„tur prelati tam ecciesiastics quam seculares Seauenthly that with thrones shall be placed they that perfectly for saking the world shall obserue wilfull pouertie Eightly that with Cherubims shall be placed the wise teachers of soules which shall not onely liue well themselues but shall also by their wisdome and doctrine bring other to eternall life Ninthly that with Seraphims shall stand they that shall be perfect in burning loue aboue all other as the Apostles and other like vnto them When shee had heard all this shee said further Et ego fili in quo ordine collocabor And in what order O sonne shall I be placed He answered because thou art perfecter then all the former therefore thou shalt not be in any of the former orders but shalt be exalted aboue all angelicall spirits Nam due cathedre sedes fulgentissime sunt nobis preparate in celo c. for there are two chaires and seates most fulgent or bright prepared for vs in heauen One for me wherein I shall sitte as king of heauen and an other for thee at my right hand wherein thou shalt sitte as the Queene of Angels and of all the Saints which was figured 3. King by Bathsheba 1. King 2. Salomon c. These things are much more largely set downe by him in his booke then by me in this place because I hasten to an ende Now who seeth not the vanitie and follie of these mysteries 15 In the first sermon of her coronation leafe 381. thus he writeth O igitur regina nostra serenissima c. that is O therefore our The virgins kingdome vniuersall and euerlasting most excellent Queene thou truly maist say Ezr. 1 that The Lord hath giueÌ„ me all the kingdomes of the earth And we may say vnto thee that Tob. 13. Thy kingdome is throughout all ages and psal 144. Thy kingdome is for all ages Psal 145. 3. and Dan. 2. A kingdome which shall neuer be broken Come therefore and take thou the kingdome ouer vs. Iudg. 9. for of thy kingdome may that be said psal 105. And his kingdome shall rule ouer all and Luc. 1. And of his kingdome there shall be none ende c. 16 In the second sermon of her coronation O how much adoe is there of the great singing in heauen by the angels and saints c. euery one hauing a seuerall antheme leafe 386. Afterward he telleth vs that shee was crowned with three crownes as the Emperours are wont to be crowned One crown is of iron in signum fortitudinis in token of her fortitude and strength the second was of Her three crownes siluer ratione purit at is in regard of her puritie the third crowne where with shee was crowned was of gold ratione superioritatis sufficientie in regard of her superioritie and sufficiencie In the same sermon leafe 391. he saith that in glorie shee doth as much excell the nature of angels and men both beeing ioyned together as the circumference of the firmament doth in greatnes exceede his center that is to speake more plainely that her glorie is as much greater then the glorie of the angels and of men as the whole highest heauen is greater then the earth In the same lease thus he speaketh vnto her O femina ab omnibus super omnia benedicta c. An heape of the virgins titles that is O woman of all and aboue all blessed Thou art the nobilitie and preseruation of mankind Thou art the breadth of merit and the perfect power of all things created Thou art the onely mother of God Thou art the Ladie of the whole earth and the Queene of the world Thou art the dispenser of all graces Thou art the coÌ„summation of the whole world and the beautie of the holy Church Thou art out worthie satisfaction before the giuer of all gifts Thou art the incomprehensible greatnes of all vertues gifts and graces 17 It were infinite to note the cithe onely of the foolish and blasphemous speaches concerning the virgin Marie contained in that one booke so highly allowed by the Popes holines To omit therefore the gathering of any more out of this Bernardine I come now to the sermons of Saint Vincent THE SIXTH PART THis Vincent was no obscure person but like wise of great account in the Romish Church For he is not onely called by the name of a Saint but also in the beginning of his Estivall sermons he is called Divini verbi preco interpres professor subtilissimus that is a most subtile or sharpe preacher interpretour and professour of the word of God In the ende also of the same booke he is called Iluminatissimus acutissimus sacre theologie professor a most illuminated and acute professour of sacred diuinitie Let vs therefore see what pretious ware this great marchant hath in his shoppe 2 First it is to be obserued that as Bernardine did so doth this man also beginne all or at the least most of his sermons with a deuout salutation of the Virgin Touching the speciall matter of his sermons it is as followeth In his first sermon for Easter daie he noteth chiefly and principally three points wherein consisteth as he saith all the practise of the blessed resurrection of Christ These three points he setteth downe thus Resurrectio Christi fuit celebrata affectuose demonstrata gratiose publicata virtuose The resurrection of Christ was celebrated with great affection shewed with great grace published with great power or vertue In the same sermon speaking of the virgin Marie he saith that shee had prepared against the resurrection of Christ cameram a chamber and Camara is vsed for a chamâ—er by the same author â—erm 2. pro Dominic 1 post feâ—â—â—â—â—nnitatis cathedram a chaire and that she said Hic sedebit filius meus hic loquar et Here shall my sonne sit and here will I speake vnto him What word is there of any such thing in the Scripture Then he addeth that when Christ and his mother met and Christ was set in the chaire he told his mother what he had done in hell how he had bound the deuill shewed her the holy fathers which he had taken from thence who did to the virgin great reuerence Then he setteth downe particularly the words of Adam and Eve of the Prophets and Angels c. to the virgin Marie 3 In his sermon for the fourth holy day of Easter hauing read his text which he saide was the gospel for that daie and hauing saluted the virgin he addeth these words In sacro euangelio sunt quatuor moralia circa apparitionem quam fecit Christus discipulus suis scilicet Occasio necessilosa Operatio
manner abhorre this Romish religion For although now all kinde of learning doe flourish by the meanes of the gospel yet if euer poperie preuaile as it hath done and recouer the former strength as I hope it shall neuer doe doubtles all learning will wither and decaie againe In the time of the Apostles in the age of the primitiue church the gifts of Gods spirit did much more abound then now they doe yet as poperie spread it selfe ouer the face of the earth so those gifts decaied vntill there was as much barbarisme as poperie Let the like therefore be feared if poperie should againe ascend the staires of her former dignitie 31 If any shall obiect against these things that I haue noted out of popish writings for the disgracing of poperie that in many of our books like wise there are some vanities absurdities I answer that though this should be An answer to an obiection touching the former popish testimonies graunted yet first the matters are not so blasphemous so grosse so rude and so ridiculous as these that I haue noted a thousand yea ten thousand the like Secondly the number of them is not so great Thirdly the persons that haue written such vanities are not of that credit in our whole church as these and other are with their Church Fourthly our mens books are not published by such high authoritie solemne allowance as the bookes before mentioned and other the like writings of theirs haue bin THE SEAVENTH PART IT remaineth now that according to my promise I make the reader a litle banquet with some of the Virgins miracles Herein I will be the briefer by how much the larger I haue bin in the former I will not therefore take all neither the largest dishes least I should leaue her table bare but I will onely make choice of the least but yet the daintiest iunkats that so the taking of them away may be the lesse espied Yet what neede I feare the missing of any thing from her table her power is such that as they say of the crosse vpon which Christ suffered that whatsoeuer is taken from it yet it is not diminished but remaineth as ample as it was at the first so we may like wise say of these her iunkats that though we should take neuerso many of them yet her table would be nothing the barer And therefore whereas the booke or rather the closet and storehouse of her miracles for so it is called Promptuarium discipuli de miraculis beate Marie virginis containeth but 99. miracles this may well be added vnto them for an other to make vp the whole hundred that whatsoeuer a man taketh away yet her table remaineth as fully furnished as at the first before any dish was touched And that no man may thinke these miracles to haue beene of meane account in the popish Church let him first vnderstand that both they were solemnly read in the churches for lessons in their publique seruice vpon such feastiuall daies as they did obserue vnto the virgin as also the great diuines of the popish Church did commonly alleadge theÌ„ in their sermons for authorities to prooue and confirme many of the points of their religion Both these things I haue made manifest Againe the gatherer together of these miracles in his prologue to the whole worke doth commend the dainties following to be Omni melle dulciora sweeter then any honie What is this but to compare them with the written word of God which is in like manner commended psal 19. 10. 2. Now for the manner of setting downe these miracles I will for the more breuities sake altogether omitthe latine except now and then some speciall word or phrase which I will put in the margent and content my selfe onely with the english faithfully translated And in case the whole miracle be very long I will onely set downe the summe therof briefly The contents of each example or miracle shall be placed in the margent And all this I will doe so faithfully that no Papist whatsoeuer shall be able iustly to charge me with any false dealing 3 To come then to the miracles themselues I will passe by the first and second example and beginne with the third the text whereof is this There was a certaine woman of honest conuersation who although being Marie deliuereth a woman from damnatioÌ„ whichin her confession wittingly concealed a great sinne maried she did weare a secular habite yet she liued a regular life Notwithstanding in her youth she had committed a great fault which for shame she durst not tell any man When she confessed her selfe to the priest cloking Palliato crimine sic conclusit Reddo me culpabilem her sinne thus she concluded Of all that I haue said or not said I yeelde my selfe guiltie and saying this oftentimes she sighed grieuously The priest perceiuing this did cunningly Calide tentabat◠〈…〉 â— trie to draw from her that which laie hidde when he could not he admonished her to reueale her conscience to the Prior of the next Monasterie and he aduised him warily Et ipsc caute euÌ„ investigaâ—e persuasit ◠〈…〉 â— to aske her but neither could he wrest any thing from her Notwithstanding this woman was wont dailybefore the altar or the image of the blessed virgin with weeping to open her foresaid fault At the last when she died in this manner and her daughter which dwelt in a village some what farre of was looked for at her buriall she at the length comming with howling and mourning and her haire spread abroad embraced the bodie of her mother and cryed out Alas mother why dost thou forsake me a wretched creature then with her lamentation she mooued the standers by and the soule of her mother presently returned and waking as it were out of sleepe said The Lord commanding I am reuiued One raised from â—he dead to confesse vnâ—o a priest a sinne before concealed take away the things wherewith I am couered and let me arise When she was thus set at libertie a priest was called for and the fault opened And she testifying that by the intercession of the blessed virgin she was deliuered saide vnto all them that flocked vnto the miracle I beeing deliuered to the tormentours was drawne to punishment but the blessed virgin succouring me said and asked theÌ„ that did lead me why they durst presume to lead her handmaid and bad them quickly Et vs cito donec a domino sententiarer me deponerent aiâ— So the deuills were very hastie to take her before sentence to let me goe vntill I had sentence of the Lord. The which beeing done she comming to her sonne praied saying I pray thee O sonne let not that soule be damned which did so often bewaile her sinne before me To whome the Lord said thou knowest mother that without confession she cannot be saued but because I can denie nothing vnto thee let her returne and confesse and so she