three hote moneths of the yeare And Iohannes a Casa Archbishop of Beneuentum and Legate to Pope Iulius the third set forth a Booke in Italian Meeter in commendation of this execrable sinne 6. Adultery and fornication But they affirme and hold that the Pope hath power to dispence with all manner of persons in the contract of Matrimonie the Father with his daughter and the mother with her Sonne onely excepted And therefore Vladislaus King of Hungarie and Ludouicus the French King by meanes of dispensation purchased from the Pope put away their lawfull wiues and married others And for Fornication the Popes Canon is famous Hee that hath not a wife but for a wife or instead of a wife a Concubine let him not for that be kept from the Communion And Bellarmines doctrine confirmeth the same Canon of the Pope and crosseth the Canon of Christ for thus he writeth that speech of the Apostle they that cannot containe let them marrie for it is better to marrie then to burne cannot bee rightly said of them that haue vowed for both are naught both to burne and to marrie yea it is worse of the two to marrie whatsoeuer the Protestants say to the contrarie This is the 75. Grauamen complained of by the Germanes that the Bishops and their Officials did tolerate Priests to haue Concubines vnder the paiment of a certaine annuall rent of money Which also Espensâ—â—s a learned Bishop of their owne confesseth and complayneth of both in his second Booke de Continentia and in his Commentarie vpon Titus Nay that which is horrible to speake and almost incredible to beleeue the Germans in their 91. Grauamen coÌ„plained that not onely those Priests that had their whores payd yearely rent for it but euen those that were continent and would haue no Conenbines must pay the rent and then be it at their choyce whether they would haue a Concubine or no. And lest any should thinke that Priests onely were thus dispensed withall and that their Concubines were in stead of wiues though for the auoyding of scandall they might not haue that name as if the name of a wife were more scandalous then the name of a Concubine O height of impiety let all the world know that not onely the Clergie but also the Laity were in this case dispensed withall as might be prooued by many examples if need were May not this Church than rightly be sâ—led The Whore of Babylon which thus authoriseth whoredome in all degrees and turneth a filthy sinne into a lawfull and warrantable act 7. Periurie But it is a prouerbe in the Popes Court as testifieth Peter Martyr Quòd non est Regum Magistratuum sed Mercatorum stare iuramentis It is not the part of Kings and Magistrates but of Marchants to stand to their oaths And this is one of their renowned positions The Pope may dispense with any oath be it neuer so lawfull Vpon which ground Azorius the Iesuite defendeth Pope Gregorie the twelfth who in the time of a great schisme did openly and solemnly sweare that if he were made Pope he would giue it ouer againe but being elected he performed nothing lesse And also the same Iesuite auoucheth that other mens oaths may be dissolued by the Pope And the glosse vpon the Decretals sayth That a man is no further bound to the obseruation of any oath then it shall like the Pope And the reason is added Quia in omni iurament o excipitur authoritas maioris in euery oath the authority of a superiour must bee excepted which superiour by their doctrine is the Pope And for their practice herein I appeale to Cardinall Iulian the Popes Legate in Hungarie who not onely licenced but perswaded Vladislaus the King to breake the league and falsifie his oath made to Amurath the Turke which was the cause not onely of his ouerthrow but of the losse of a great part of that famous Kingdome behold the fruits of these Romane Prophets And to leape from a Cardinall to a Pope I call to witnesse Clement the 7. who dispensed with Francis the French King for his oath sworne to Charles the fift at his deliuery out of prison And lest any should thinke this to be a particular blot of one Pope adde to him Gregorie the 7. who released Rodolph the King of Sueâ—ia from his oath of obedience to the Emperour Henrie the 4. and conferred the Empire vpon him And Pope Zachary Boniface the eight and Benedict de la lune who freed the French men from their oath of obedience which they ought vnto their Kings And lastly Pius Quintus who by his Bull of excommunication against our late famous Queene of blessed memory discharged her subiects from their oath of allegeance whereby many open rebellions were raised vp against the State and secret treasâ—ns plotted against her sacred person 8. Disobedience to Parents Rebellion against lawfull Princes and murdering of them also if they stand in their way but the Pope can dispense with children if they shall take vpon them the vow of single life after fourteene yeares of age and enter into a Sodomiticall Cloyster and the Father hath nothing to doe with his childe being there once encloistered except he cannot liue without his helpe And for Princes if the Pope shall excommunicate a Prince or suborne a wicked traytor to murder his Soueraigne then is this rebellion and murther not onely a warrantable but also a meritorious and an heroicall act Witnesse at home the Irish rebellion heartened forward by Doctor Saunders by the Popes instigation and abroad the murther of Henry the third the French King by Iames Clement which bloudy deed was after highly commended by the Pope in his consistoriall Oration to be seene in print And of Henry the fourth of late dayes by hellish Rauilliac with many such like which I could here produce but that fitter occasion will be offered hereafter for their larger discouery 9. These few particulars are sufficient to shew what a gap is layd open to all loosnes by this Romish doctrine of dispensations which that it is not our malicious collection as they affirme but a necessary consequence One of their owne learned Fryers confesseth as much Vidâ—mâ—â— quotidie à Romana curia c. We see daily sayth hee so large yea so dissolute dispensations come from the Court of ROME that the world is not able to endure them neither doe they tend onely to the scandall of the weake but of those also that are strong I omit here the Popes dispensing with the cure of soules whereby hee plainely declareth that though hee proudly stileth himselfe supremus pastor animarum the chiefe shepheard of soules yet he is maximus vastator animarum the greatest hauocker of soules that is on the earth the Deuill onely excepted who goeth beyond him a little I must needes confesse for when he licenceth some of his Cardinals to enioy some
him why he did so to whom the Diuell answered that there was a man called Christ which was hanged on the Crosse in feare of whom as oft as he saw the signe of the Crosse he fled from it for which cause Saint Christopher perceiuing that Christ was a greater King renounced the Deuill and betooke himselfe to the seruice of Christ and was called Christopher whereas before his name was Reprobus He that would read a merry tale indeed let him read the Legend of Saint Christopher As for a fearefull tale let him goe to Saint Brandons Legend all the old wiues tales that euer were told in a chimney corner are not to be compared to these two 19. It is no newes amongst them for Images to speake nod the head shake the hand sweat and such like or at least for some crafty Priest to worke these feates to delude the people The Image of the blessed Virgin Mary is sayd to haue spoken diuers times to Saint Bernard when she bad him good morrow whereupon the good man should answere that she broke the Canons of the Church because it was forbidden that a woman should speake in the Church To Saint Hyacinth who flying from the Tartarians the Image thus cryed vpon him with a loud voyce O my sonne Hiacinthus doest thou escape the hands of the Tartarians and leauest me and my sonne to be cut in pieces and trampled vnder feet To whom Hiacinthus answering O glorious Virgin this thy Image is too heauy how shall I he able to carry it The Virgin replyed Take it for my sonne will lighten the burden And to Alexius who staying long in the Church-porch the Image of our Lady spoke and bade the Sexten let him in So the Crucifix is sayd to haue spoken to Thomas Aquinas when he was praying before it in great deuotion Thou hast written well of me Thomas what reward therefore wilt thou haue And to the Councill at Winchester gathered together about the question oâ— Priests mariages in these words Take Dunstans wayes vnto you for they are the best Polidore Virgill otherwise a strong Papist yet smelâ— out this to be Dunstanes legerdemayne and so may any other that hath not lost his senting and thus we haue two talking Images that the Heathen might not goe before them in this who by Bellarmines confession out of Valerius Maximus had two also that spoke the one of Iuuo Moneta at the taking of Veyes which being asked in iest by a Souldier whither she would goe to Rome answered that she would the other of Fortune who vttered these words Yee haue rightly seene mee O nation and rightly dedicated mee 20. But that Images vsed to beck and mooue their heads and stir their hands there are so many examples that it would be lost labour to stand vpon them onely the image of Saint Nicholas at Westchester may discouer the trick of all the rest for at the burning of it in the Market-place of the city there was discouered this trick of fast and loose the Image was made with such a deuice that if one standing behinde did pull a certaine string which was in the back part thereof it would mooue the hand as if it blessed the people The like may we thinke of that Roode of Poyters which when William Longshampe Bishop of Ely lay a dying did piteously weepe and lament so that the teares fell downe from his eyes as it had been a floud of water but no meruaile for as they say it was the accustomed vse of that Roode alwayes to mourne when a Bishop departed A pretty story there is in one of the Legends of the Virgin Mary of a woman who prayed deuoutly to that Image for the deliuering of her sonne out of prison and when shee saw that her prayers preuailed nothing shee tooke away from the Virgin her sonne out of her armes and carryed it home whereupon our Lady presently went to the prison and deliuered the womans sonne out of hold then the woman sayth the tale brought backe the Virgin Maries sonne and gaue it her againe saying O blessed Virgine now thou hast restored my sonne vnto mee behold againe thy sonne vnto thee and so both parties were well pleased 21. For Purgatory and prayer for the dead there be infinite tales deuised of all which we may giue the same censure which Saint Augustine doth of lying myracles that they are vel figmenta mendacium hominum vel portenta fallacium spirituum either fictions of lying men or wonders of deceitfull spirits of the first kind was that reported by diuers authors of certaine Priests that dwelling not far from the sea side tooke a number of sea-crabs and tyed vnto each of them light and so put them vpon dead mens graues in the Church-yards to make the poore country people beleeue that Spirits did walke but in one place the legerdemaine was deprehended for the Carpenters and Masons comming the next day after all Soules night to worke found among the timber and broken bricks some of the Crabs with their candles on their backs extinguished whereby the knauery of this miracle was discouered Of the second kind it may be was that recorded by Saint Gregory in his Dialogues if that booke be his as is iustly doubted for he telleth there a tale of a Beare which was commaunded to keepe the Hermite Florences sheepe a thing not sauouring of Saint Gregories spirit or if it did then it argueth him to haue been too credulous of lying reports as he is taxed by their own Canus of a soule appearing vnto a Priest that bathed himselfe often in a water officiously pulling off his shoes with an earnest desire to enioy his prayers and oblations for his deliuerance which being performed when he returned to the bath and found the soule no more there hee concluded that his prayers had deliuered him out of Purgatory 22. In one of these two ranks are all the strange stories published by these Dialogues Beda Brigitta Dionisius Carthusianus touching walking ghosts for eyther they were iugling tricks of imposters to deceiue the simple or deceits of deuils to delude the learned and this may in no poynt more playnely be proued then against Priests mariages for the disgracing whereof and aduancing single life aboue it an Idoll at Winchester must speake as before hath been shewed The Emperour Lewes the second must be tormented in Purgatory because he would not regard the admonitions of Gabriell the Archangell against Priests mariages Emma mother to Saint Edward King of this land must goe bare-foot vpon nine burning plowshares of yron to try her chastity and Alwynes the Bishop of Winchester with whom she was suspected to haue committed fleshly villany but she was borne ouer them betwixt two Bishops so that she needed not to hurt her feet A yong Nunne being got with child by a yong Monke two Midwiues must come from heauen being sent by Henry
faith he doth neuer erre Gretzer saith that the generall lawfull and ordinarie Iudge of controuersies is the Bishop of Rome whether hee define any thing alone or with a Generall Councill this Iudge is always infallible Staplet on saith that the foundation of our Religion is placed of necessitie vpon the authority of this manâ— teaching in whom wee heare God himselfe speaking And another of them saith Si toâ—us mundus sententiaret contra Papam If the whole world should determine against the Pope yet we must stand to his sentence To conclude the Canon Law saith that it were heresie to thinke that our Lord God the Pope might not decree as hee doth yea that his rescripts and decretall Epistles are not Canonicall Scripture 34. Thus we see the Pope is that which they meane by the Church and he is the onely compendious Iudge and therefore when they talke of the Church it is but a vayne vaunt for when all comes to all they entend nothing by the Church but their Lord God the Pope as the Canonists call him who is ens secundae intentionis compofitum ex Deo homine Abeing of the second intention compounded of God and man and quasi Deus in terris c. as it were a God vpon earth greater then man and lesse then God hauing the fulnesse of power Now by this that hath beene said the truth of my second proposition doth euidently appeare to wit that the Romanists will allow no other Iudges in matter of controuersie but themselues alone and so giue iust cause to all that are not blinded with errour at least to suspect their Religion if not vtterly to abandon it which is the conclusion necessarily following vpon these premises 35. Which that it is of most necessarie consequence appeareth by this because it is against all reason that the same should be both the party and the Iudge yea in equity is it fit that we should stand to his iudgement whom we accuse to be a falsifier of the Scripture and euen Antichrist himselfe or that that Church should bee our Church which wee affirme and proue to be an Apostate and an harlot seeing that a Iudge should be indifferent and vnpartiall and not a party as the Church and Pope of Rome is in all cases of controuersie depending betwixt them and vs as for example in the controuersie of the Church the question being which is the true Church The Iudge to determine thereof we say is the Scripture they cry The Church meaning their owne Church as I haue shewed Doe they not by their doctrine aduance themselues into the tribunall seate and make their Church the Iudge whether it bee the Church or no so in the question touching the Popes Supremacy who shall be Iudge whether this supreme power be in the Pope or no Mary the Pope himselfe for they admit no other Iudge Sure he must needes gaine the cause when hee is thus his owne Iudge If this bee not a plaine tergâ—ueâ—sâ—tion I know not what is if this doth not bewray the weakenesse of their cause let any indifferent man consider and giue sentence 36. For as on ourside in the question of the Kings Supremacie whether euery King in his owne dominion bee the supreme Gouernour of the Church vnder Christ or no if wee should in this case admit no Iudge but the King himselfe Or in the question of our Church whether wee be the true Church of Christ or no if wee should refuse all other triall saue that which ariseth from the iudgement of our owne Church and the Bishops and Prelates thereof would not all men laugh at our folly and thinke our cause weake and desperate So may all men thinke of the Romish Religion that it be wrayeth manifest folly in the maintayners and apparent weakenesse in the grounds thereof in that it will not bee iudged but by itselfe especially seeing it is the property of selfe-loue whereof no man liuing is freed to make men blinde in their owne causes and partiall on their owne sides To conclude therefore as the Lion in Esope that challenged to himselfe the whole prey that was caught and would not stand to the equall partition of his fellow-hunters proued himselfe thereby to be a tyrant and his title naught so the Pope of Rome and his Proctours in refusing to be iudged by any saue themselues and by that right clayming a title to the truth discouereth both his tyrannie ouer the Church of God and the holy Scriptures and the badnesse of his weake cause seeing truth like a chaste matrone though it be slandered yet is so bold and powerfull that it feareth not to bee tried by those that are the greatest enemies thereof Spectatum admissirisum teneatis amici MOTIVE VI. That Religion doth iustly deserue to bee suspected which doth purposely disgrace the sacred Scriptures But such is the Religion of the Church of Rome Ergo c. OVr Aduersaries may fitly be likened to churlish and angrie Mastifes whose property it is to rend with their teeth those that are vnarmed and not able to resist but if they meet with an armed man that can keepe them off and entertaine them with sharpe blowes then they wreak all their teene vpon the cudgell or weapon wherewith they are annoyed so they seeing themselues well banged and beaten by our men at Armes I meane our Champions that defend the quarrell of our Church with the staffe of the Scripture and their hairy scalpes wounded with the stones fetcht out of Dauids scrip fall a snarling and biting the staffe and the stones which haue beene the instruments of their sorrow whereas if they finde any without a staffe in his hand or a stone in his sling that is vnfurnished with Scripture to fight with them ouer him they domineere take him captiue and leade him to their denne for a prey This their malice against the sacred Scripture which is the only engine of their destruction I hope by Gods fauourable assistance so to discouer in this Chapter that they themselues shall euer bee reputed as blasphemers of the truth and their religion as odious and abominable to all posterity 2. The Maior or first proposition in this demonstration though it bee of an vndoubted truth yet for the greater illustratio thereof two poynts are to be considered first what this Scripture is which is opposed against and secondly what they are to be esteemed which oppose themselues vnto the Scripture The Scripture contained in the Olde and new Testament is in a word the holy and sacred word of the eternall God which to haue said of it is an ascription of the greatest dignitie vnto it as can bee deuised for if it bee the holy and sacred word of the eternall God then must it needs be perfect excellent pure vpright cleane permanent wife sweet and what else may be spoken for the setting forth of the excellency of a thing all which attributes are giuen
shew also how good workes to wit almse-deedes pilgrimages workes of supererogation vowed chastity voluntary pouerty Monkish obedience which they esteeme the chiefest good workes are made Idols in that they repose the confidence of their heart and the hope of saluation in them through the power of meriting which they ascribe vnto them as also how they turne their Sacraments into Idols by teaching that they conferre grace Ex opere operato by the very worke done and that effectiuely actiuely and immediatly they produce in the heart the grace of regeneration and iustification which is the proper and immediate worke of the Godhead but I passe ouer these many other things because they admit in shew some probable exception though no sound confutation and I insist in those things onely in which euery Ideot and almost Infant may discerne most grosse and palpable Idolatry And those are these fiue in number the bread in the Sacrament Images Reliques Angels and Saints departed And lastly the Crosse and Crucifix of which in order 14. The blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ ordayned for a perpetuall remembrance of his death and passion and for the strengthning and nourishing of the soules of the faithfull to eternall life is transhaped by them into a most horrible Idoll For this they teach and practise that that very thing which to all the senses is but bread being but lately moulded and knead by the Baker is to be worshipped and adored with diuine worship because forsooth after consecration it is the true and naturall body of Christ And therefore at the Priests eleuation of the hoast they all fall downe vpon their knees and worship it with great deuotion and expect from it forgiuenesse of their sinnes and all manner of earthly and temporall blessings and whosoeuer refuseth to doe this is an Heretike 15. Their Apologie is that there is a reall and naturall presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament and therefore not the bread but the body of Christ into which the bread is transubstantiate is worshipped of them and so they thinke to free themselues To which I answere that if that were certaine then their defence was iust and their practice godly and we in calling them Idolaters for this cause should bee slanderers of the truth but seeing the contrary is rather certaine to wit that Christ is not corporally in the Sacrament but in heauen and that the bread remayneth still true bread both for matter and forme after consecration they cannot be excused from notorious Idolatry in worshipping a piece of Bakers bread in stead of Christ the eternall Sonne of God for to the outward senses it beareth the shape taste figure and colour of bread This is certaine and to the vnderstanding in reason it is bread because accidents cannot be without a substance this is as certaine and to faith it is bread because the Word which is the foundation of saith so calleth it after the words of consecration neither is there any Scripture to auouch the contrary saue that which may well receiue our interpretation as well yea better then theirs as the best learned amongst them confesse for Bellarmine confesseth that it may iustly bee doubted whether the Text this is my body be cleare inough to enforce transubstantiation And Scotus and Cameracensis thinke our opinion more agreeable to the words of institution and thus they haue against them sense and reason and faith and for them onely a doubtfull Exposition of two or three places of Scripture and therefore three to one but they are guilty of Idolatry 16. Besides graunt that there is a reall transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ yet the accidents of bread and wine remaine vnchanged and the forme and shape Now howsoeuer the learned may here distinguish their worship from the outward accidents to the inward substance yet the common people are not able so to doe but worship confusedly the outward accidents together with Christ contayned vnder them and so in that respect are Idolaters also for accidents be creatures as well as substances Yea and Bellarmine also doth allow them so to dâ—e for thus he writeth Diuine worship doth appertaine to the Symboles and signes of bread and wine so farre forth as they are apprehended as being vnited to Christ whom they containe Euen as they that worshipped Christ vpon earth being clothed did not worship him alone but after a sort his garments also Here is a braue straine of Diuinity they worshipped Christ in his clothes therfore they worshipped Christs clothes So Christ is worshipped vnder the formes of bread and wine therefore the formes of bread and wine must be worshipped This is like the Asse which bore vpon his backe the Image of Isis and when men fell downe before the Image he thought they worshipped him but hee was corrected with a cudgell for his sawcinesse and so are they worthy for their folly that cannot distinguish betwixt a man and his garments Christ and the signes of Christ but promiscuously confound the worship of the one with the other Rather therefore may we thus conclude they which worshipped Christ on earth did not worship his garments that he wore therefore they which will worship Christ in the Sacrament must not worship the outward Elements and so it will follow that as it had beene Idolatry in any to worship the garments of Christ so it is in the Romanists to worship the accidents of bread and wine 17. Lastly let it be supposed that there is such a reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament yet according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome no man can be certaine when it is because it depends vpon the intention of the Priest for thus they teach if the Priest should say the words of consecration without intention to consecrate the bread and wine he should effect nothing or if hee intend to consecrate but one hoast and there chance to be two or more then nothing is consecrated at all and so the intention of the Priest being vncertaine to the people there must needes be an vncertaine adoration and the Priest oftentimes intending nothing lesse then the matter it selfe which hee hath in hand there must needes be certaine and vndoubted Idolatry for if the bread and wine be not effectually consecrated as they are not without the Priests intention then Christ is not really present and so nothing is worshipped but the bare bread for remedy hereof they haue deuised two poore shifts one that the people must adore vpon a condition to wit if the due forme in consecrating bee obserued the other that an actuall intention is not necessarily required but onely a vertuall that is when an actuall intention to consecrate is not present at the very time of consecration by reason of some vagation of the minde yet it was present a little before the operation is in vertue
God in them and therefore the worship of them is called the feare of Iehouah and yet they are branded for Idolaters in that respect The like I might say of the golden Calfe in the wildernesse and of that Image which Micha erected Fourthly and lastly that the true God worshipped in or before an Image is made an Idol because as Saint Augustine saith they that worship God in any other sort then he hath appointed worship not him but that which they had fayned that is an Idoll of their owne fancy and therefore the Scripture saith when the Iewes worshipped God in the golden Calfe they turned God into the likenesse of a beast which eateth grasse 21. The second conclusion to bee obserued is that by their doctrine the Images of Christ are to be adored with such worship as is belonging vnto Christ himselfe though improperly and that this worship is to be bounded within the compasse of the Image without relation to the Samplar By which is euident First that by their owne confession they are Idolaters improperly and secondly that trust and confidence is to be put in such an Image vowes and prayers and sacrifices to be made vnto it for all these are parts of diuine worship which must be confined to the Image and so they are not improperly but properly Idolaters and then by this we may see that the caueat inserted in the decree of the Councill of Trent is but a meere sophistication for whereas the decree saith that Images must be so worshipped that trust and confidence be not placed in them in affirming that some ought to bee worshipped with Latria they enioyne plainely that men should repose their trust and confidence in them and thus they bewray the fraud of the decree and their owne secret impiety 22. The third conclusion is that same Hyperdulia or extraordinary reuerence which they say is due to the Image of the blessed Virgin and that Dulia or common seruice which they assigne to the Images of other Saints is no lesse then Idolatry let them extenuate the matter neuer so much by titles and distinctions for it is religious worship all which is due vnto God onely Reuel 19. 10. and 22. 9. The Angel would not suffer Iohn to performe any outward worship vnto him nor so much as prostrate himselfe before him but commanded him to worship God and yet Iohn knew him to be but an Angel and therefore meant not to giue him any thing but outward reuerence yet he refused it vpon this ground that all religious worship both outward and inward belongeth onely vnto God So Mardochee the Iew refused to bow the knee to Haman the Agagite because the honour which was giuen vnto him was more then ciuill for he was made a petty God and therefore in the fragments of Hester this reason is giuen by himselfe I did it because I would not preferre the honour of a man before the glory of God and would not worship any but thee my Lord therefore the bowing of the knee or prostrating of the body after a religious manner is due onely vnto God and is part of diuine worship to bow the knee and prostrate the body after a ciuill manner is lawfull to Kings and Princes and others that are either exalted in gouernment or endued with excellent gifts and graces of God but to doe the same in a religious respect is proper onely to God because it presupposeth the knowing of the heart an omni-presence and an infinite power to helpe And thus this same Hyperdulia and Dulia wherewith they worship the Image of the Virgin and other Saints is open and plaine Idolatry and the rather because it is seldome or neuer seuered from Latria that is the inward worship of the soule which as they say is onely due vnto God as by their practice more plainely shall appeare 23. Thus we see the morrow and mystery of their doctrine discouered now let vs take a view of their practice And first what worship can bee more performed vnto God then they giue vnto their Images they kneele to them they pray to them they vow vowes to them they offer offerings to them they sweare by them they prostrate their bodies before them let Polydore Virgill one of their owne sworne fauorites who would not we may presume speake any thing too lauishly of his owne but rather bee sparing in their disgrace describe their manners Men saith hee are growne to that madnesse that this part of piety is little differing from flat impiety for there are very many of the rude and ignorant which worship the very Images of wood or stone of marble or brasse or pictures painted vpon the walls not as figures but euen as if they had verily sense and doe put more trust in them then they doe in Christ or other Saints to whom they are dedicated Thus doth this man describe the practice of their Idolatry and much more might be found in him to that purpose but that the Spanish Censours haue taken order by their Index Expurgatorius that he shall not doe them much hurt But if this mans testimony will not serue the turne let vs heare another of the same ranke a man of great learning and iudgement Cornelius Agrippa who thus complaineth The corrupt manner and false Religion of the Gentiles hath infected our Religion and hath brought into the Church Images and pictures with many vaine ceremonies of externall pompe none whereof was found amongst the first and true Christians Hence wee began to bring into our Churches dumbe Images and to place them vpon Gods Altars with great reuerence and whither we account it vnlawfull for a man the true Image of God to ascend thither we translate senselesse Images to them we bow our heads giue kisses offer lights hang vp gifts apply myracles buy pardons of them To conclude to them we goe a pilgrimage to them we make vowes them we inwardly worship and not only outwardly adore neither can it be vttered how great superstition that I may not say Idolatry is nourished amongst the rude and ignorant people in Images the Priests winking thereat and reaping thereby no small gaine to their purses Adde vnto these Cassanders testimony another learned man of an indifferent spirit It is more manifest saith he then that it needeth any long explication that the worship of Images hath too much preuailed and that the affection or rather superstition of the people hath beene too much fauoured in this regard so that Christians seeme to be nothing inferiour to Pagans in the adoration which they vsed to exhibite to their Idols and in the vanity which they shewed in making and adorning their Images And a little after he bringeth in a saying of Gabriel Biell to this effect The blockish errour of certaine men is so great and they are so affected to Images that they thinke that some diuine grace or sanctity resideth in them by which
they are able to worke myracles and giue health and for that cause they worship them to the end they might obtaine some such benefit at their hands and their simplicity is so great that they worship with greater deuotion faire Images then foule new then old those that are adorned with gold and purple then those that are naked and bare yea they make vowes and binde themselues to goe a pilgrimage now to this now to that Church in regard of certaine Images supposing that greater vertues doe shine forth in one then another 24. Thus doth this learned man together with the two former describe the miserable Idolatry of the Church of Rome which is committed by the worshipping of Images They were all three Romanists and no doubt but would speake of their owne fauourites as fauourably as they could and therefore we may well imagine that their impiety was farre more grosse when it wrested out of their owne mouthes this plaine confession But if a Protestant should speake hee would tell another tale and make them march in equipage with the Pagans in Idolatry as Cassander after a sort confesseth and that not without great reason For first the Paynims when they bowed to stockes stones pretended that they worshipped not the Images but them after whose likenesse they were figured as testifie Lactantius Augustine Chrysostome and Seneca Now the Romanists doe vse the very same excuse to cloke their Idolatry that they worship not the Images properly but God Christ Angels Saints in them and at them Secondly the Paynims Idols are described in the 115. Psalme To haue eyes and not to see eares and not to heare â—oses and not to smell c. And finally to haue no breath in their nostrils but the Romish Images are in euery respect like vnto them let them shew that their Images can heare see speake smell and goe better then theirs and then we will not say their Idols to be like to theirs 25. Peraduenture they will instance in the Roode of Winchester which in the yeare of our Lord 1475. at a solemne Councill there holden about the marriage of Priests spake in the behalfe of Dunstane against the poore Priests or in the Image of our Lady that bade Saint Bernard good morrow when he came into the Church as it is reported or in that Image of Saint Nicholas at Chester which vsed to mooue the hand to blesse the people or in that Image of our Lady neere to the Abby of Ramsey which vsed to sweat when it was offered vnto and happy was he that could get any of that sweet sweat into his handkercheife for it was of soueraigne vse for many purposes and cures But that they begunne to be halfe ashamed of such fables especially seeing Polidore Virgil a man not meanely affected towards their Religion censured the first to be a Legerdemaine of Dunstane to worke his purpose and reported that diuers others vsed to doe the same at that day And S. Bernard in a iesting answere discouered the second when he answered that it was against the Canons for her Ladyship to speake in the Church being a woman And the Bishop of Chester discredited the third when he manifested in the open Market place that the Image was made with such a deuice that at the pulling of a certaine string the hand would mooue vp and downe And the last euery olde man and woman in the Countrie could tell to bee but a iuggling tricke of a crafty Priest first anoynting the Image without and then heating it within for it was hollow with a chafingdish of coales from whence grew out that soueraigne and excellent sweat 26. Thirdly the Paynim plants a tree and after cuts it downe and with one part thereof hee warmes himselfe with another part he rosts his meate and of the third hee makes himselfe a God as the Prophet Esay saith and when he hath done he censeth that Image and lighteth Tapers before iâ— and falls downe and worships it They of the Romish Church doe the very same by their Images in euery respect Fourâ—hly the Paynims say that Images were Elements or Letters to know God by and they vsed Images and other ceremonies to procure the presence of Angels and celestiall powers the Romanists say and doe the same they say that Images are Lay-mens Bookes and that their worship of them doth procure the fauour of those heauenly things whose representations they beare Lastly Paynims put their trust and affiance in their Idols so doe the Romanists in their Images as appeareth by the consecration of them and their Prayers vnto them thus they consecrate the Image of the blessed Virgin Sanctifica Deus hanc formulam c. O God sanctifie this forme of the blessed Virgin that it may minister the succour of wholesome helpe to thy faithfull people that hurtfull thunder and lightnings may be speedily auoyded inundations of waters commotion of warre c. may be suppressed Againe thus they consecrate the Image of Saint Iohn the Euangelist Grant that all which behold this Image with deuotion and make their prayers before it may be heard for what necessity soeuer they pray let this Image be a holy expulsion of deuils an aduocation of Angels a protection of the faithfull c. Why should not affiance bee placed in these Images that are thus qualified But beare their prayers To the Image of Veronica they pray thus Haile holy face imprinted on a clont Purge vs from all sinne within and without And ioyne vs in the fellowship of the blessed rout Bring vs to that Country O holy Picture Where we may see the face of Christ which is most pure Be vnto vs a safe helpe a sweet refreshing And comfort vs euermore with thy blessing That no force of enemie may vs annoy But that we may eternall rest enioy Before the famous Image of the Lady of Lauretto men and women of all sorts fall downe and pray when they are in any danger or extremity to her they go a pilgrimage and assoone as they come neere to the Towne of Lauretto and behold the place where the Image is they fall downe and worship and so they doe againe at the Temple dore and after in the Temple they humble themselues in a most seruile and base manner by all which it is euident that they affie and trust in the Image as that Falkoner did who being vpon the gallows ready to be hanged for suspition of conuaying away his Masters Hawke by onely conceiuing a prayer in his heart vnto this Ladie of Lauretto the Hawke came gingling in the ayre and light vpon the gallowes and so the poore man escaped the halter He that will reade the fiue Bookes of Turselline the Iesuite concerning this Lady shall easily perceiue that she is made a Goddesse amongst them and worshipped with the very same worship which is due vnto God And thus it is as cleare as the Sun both by their
be tormented restlessely in those burning flames which in their iudgement are equall for extremitie and anguish excepting onely continuance to the paines of Hell to be at rest and to sleepe in peace is Purgatorie become a Paradise and the skirts of Hell the suburbes of Heauen this is new strange Doctrine and yet this must needes bee if both their practice of praying for the dead in their Masse and their doctrine of the same in their bookes bee true 56. Concerning inuocation of Saints it is intangled with diuers absurd contrarieties for first if it bee true which the former Doctrine requires that wee must pray for the Saints which are in blisse that their glorie may bee increased then it is false that wee must pray vnto them For if they stand in need of our Praiers as they doe if by them their glorie is increased then they should pray vnto vs aswell as wee vnto them and if they stand in need of our helpe being in Heauen how can they helpe vs being on Earth if we be Mediatours for them how are they Mediatours for vs True it is that here below one man prayeth for another because they stand in need of one another but by another Doctrine which is also the truth the Saints enioy the sight and presence of God and therefore are most blessed for in him they enioy all sinnesse of ioy and glorie so that nothing can bee added to that happinesse which in their soules they enioy and therefore one of these two necessarily are false either we must not pray vnto them or we need not pray for them 57. Againe they a leage testimonies out of the olde Testament to prooue the inuocation of Saints as that Praier of Moses Remember O Lord Abraham Isaac and Iacob thy seruants and Ier. 25. If Moses and Samuel stand before mee my soule should not bee to this people and Gen. 48. 16. and Iob the 51. 2. Machabees 15. with diuers others and yet they teach that before Christ there was no Saint in Heauen but all in Lymbo Now if they were in Lymbo and could not help themselues vntil the Mediatour came how could they help others and if they did not enioy the presence of God themselues how could they be certified thereby as by a glasse of the necessities and Praiers of the liuing so that it must needes follow that either the Saints were not praied vnto or else if they were then they were in Heauen and not in Lymbo Especially seeing Bellarmine confesseth that the Saints in Lymbo did not ordinarily know the necessities of the liuing that being a prerogatiue of perfect blessednesse neyther tooke care of humane affaires nor were protectors of the Church as the Saints in Heauen are Bellarmine indeede seeing this absurditie acknowledgeth that for the reasons afore alleaged it was not a custome in the olde Testament to direct their Praiers purposely to the Saints but in their praiers to God to alleage the merits of the Saints but herein hee both crosseth himselfe and all his fellowes for if it be so why doth he and they produce testimonies out of the olde Testament to prooue their inuocation which is made directly vnto the Saints 58. Lastly they affirme that no Saints may bee worshipped publikely that is in the name of the Church vnlesse hee be canonized by the Pope for the auoiding of misprision and yet they confesse that none were canonized till 800. yeeres after Christ by Pope Leo the third and also that it is lawfull priuately to worship any of whose sanctity I haue an opinion now I would gladly know if this bee a way to auoide mistaking why was it forborne so long or why is it not vrged priuately aswell as publikely if canonization were necessary 800. yeeres after Christ to auoide mistaking then there was much mistaking before or else this remedy would not haue beene hatched and if it was necessary in the publicke seruice then is it much more in priuate deuotions seeing priuate men are more propense to false suppositions then a whole congregation is and so this new doctrine of canonization not onely condemneth the Idolatry offormer times in the inuocation of Saints but also openeth a wide doore to priuate superstition in that kind and so indeed crosseth and vndermineth it selfe for Bellarmine confesseth out of Sulpitius that the people did long celebrate one for a martyr who after appeared and tolde them that hee was damned and Alexander the third reprehendeth certaine men for giuing the honour of a martyr to one that dyed drunke and no doubt but many such Saints are in their Martyrologe at this day notwithstanding their canonization so that by canonizing they preuent mistaking by giuing liberty to priuate inuocation they giue occasion if not cause of mistaking then which what can be more contradictory 59. Againe when they barre all children that are vnbaptized out of Heauen and confine them to Limbo there to endure the punishment of losse for euer doe they not contradict another doctrine of theirs which teacheth that men dying without the baptisme of water if they haue baptismum flaminis vel sanguinis that is either suffer martyrdome for Christs sake or bee regenerated by his Spirit and so haue a desire to bee initiated by that Sacrament but are preuented by some meanes may notwithstanding goe to Heauen for if want of baptisme bee a sufficient cause to keepe from Heauen then it is so as well in men growne as in infants and if it bee not a sufficient cause to shut vp Heauen gates against men of yeeres then how can it be to yong infants especially seeing infants by their doctrine are equall to men in two things first that they may bee martyrs as well as they as the children whom Herod slew in Bethlâ—em are celebrated in their leiturgies and secondly that they may bee sanctified as well as they as Iohn Baptist was in his mothers wombe and in these two are precedent vnto them first that they are void of actuall transgressions with which men of yeeres are infinitely stayned and so neerer to Heauen then those and secondly though they haue no desire of baptisme in themselues yet they are deuoted thereunto both by the desire of their parents and by the purpose and intent of the Church And therefore all considerations being equall in the persons and the oddes remaining if there be any on the infants side it can bee no lesse then a direct contradiction that children vnbaptized cannot bee saued and men vnbaptized may bee saued for it implieth thus much in effect that the outward baptisme of water is necessary to saluation and yet the outward baptisme of water is not necessary to saluation 60. Againe concupiscence in the regenerate is denyed by them all to bee in it owne nature sinne and yet they all confesse that it is malum an euill and vitium a vice Is any thing naturally euill which is
Laterane himselfe sitting in his Pontificall Throne and the Emperour kneeling before him and holding vp his hands vnto him as vnto God Did Peter euer doe the like Gregory the third deposed Leo surnamed Iconomachus for defacing Images set vp in Churches to bee worshipped Pope Stephen deposed Childerick King of France and set vp Pipin in his roome for no haynous offence by him committed but onely because hee was in his iudgement vnprofitable for the kingdome Gregory the seuenth called Hildebrand would haue deposed Henry the fourth and haue aduanced Rodolph Duke of Sueuia into his throne but that Gods iustice preuented his purpose by bringing Rodolph to an vntimely end and the Pope himselfe to a miserable and fearefull destruction yet afterwards the same Henry was surprised by his owne sonne Henry the fift at the inspiration of the succeeding Popes and depriued and imprisoned and brought to his graue Hadrian the fourth discharged the subiects of William King of Sicilia of their oath and alleageance because hee would not yeeld Apulia to the Pope for inlarging of Saint Peters patrimony Alexander the fift excommunicated the Emperour Frederick as also he had done his predecessour Hadrian and thundred out great curses vpon him and sent letters abroad to all Princes and people to raise tumults against him for punishing some dissolute persons of the Clergy and claiming by warre some rebellious Cities in Italy as they pretended Innocent the third excommunicated Philip and raised vp Otho against him seeking to dispossesse him of his kingdome and after when Otho was inuested with the Empyre hee set vp Frederick the sonne of Henry the sixt against him and deposed Otho Honorius the third persecuted this Frederick depriued him and stirred vp his subiects against him absoluted them from their faith oath and alleageance And the like also did Gregory the ninth and Celestine the fourth and Innocent the fourth against the same man After the same manner was serued King Iohn of England by the fore-named Innocent the fourth because hee banished the Monks that had chosen Stephen Langton to bee Archbishop of Canterbury contrary to his minde 16. What should I reckon Raymundus Earle of Tholouse Or Conrade the son of Frederick the second Or Mamphred the bastard sonne of Frederick Or Peter King of Arragon Or Philip the faire King of France Or Henry the seuenth who being persecuted by Clement the fift was at last poysoned in the Eucharist by a Iacobine Fryer suborned to worke that feate Or Lewes of Bauary Charles the fourth or Wenceslaus or George King of Bohemia or Iohn King of Naâ—arre all which were grieuously persecuted if not vtterly deposed by sundry Popes And lastly our late Queene of famous memory whose life was not once or twise but often assaulted by the Popes instruments and her kingdome so farre as lay in the Popes power taken from her and translated to the Spanish faction Did euer Peter doe the like 17. But to descend from Kings to Bishopâ— the Pope doth challenge to himselfe the fulnesse of power ouer all other Bishops that the fountaine of iurisdiction the authority of the keyes is resident onely in his person and that all other Bishops are subdelegate vnder him and receâ—â—â— their power from him and that they ought to receiue their inuestitures from him alone Did Peter euer doe the like No Hee esteemed all the rest of the Apostles his equals and so our Sauiour Christ inioyned an equality and parity to be among the Apostles albeit they had a superiority ouer the seuenty disciples and all Bishops are the vndoubted successors of the Apostles witnesse Irenaeus Cyprian and Hierome and therefore must needs haue equall power of iurisdiction as those from whom they receiued it were equall this Saint Ierome auoucheth in direct termes when hee sayth Vbicunque fuâ—rit Episcopus c. Wheresoeuer he be Bishop whether at Rome or at Eugubium c. hee is of the same merit and of the same Priesthood And Saint Cyprian Episcopatus vnus est cuius à singulis pars in solidum tenetur The Bishopricke is one whereof euery Bishop hath a found and entyre part 18. Againe the Pope claimeth a Soueraignetâ—e ouer a Councell and that not onely to call it at his pleasure and to dissolue it againe when hee will but also to allow and approue what he lusteth and to disanull whatsoeuer is distastefull vnto his humorous palate in which respect it is set downe as a ruled case amongst them that Although in a generall Councell the vniuersall Church is represented insomuch that nothing is greater then a Councell notwithstanding the Pope surpasseth the same in all manner authoritie and therefore if the whole world should giue sentence against the Pope yet the Popes sentence is to be stood vnto and all other reiected And the reason is giuen because hee is of greater perfection then the whole bodie of the Church beside Did euer Peter doe the like In that Councell of the Apostles and Disciples in the eleuenth of the Acts when as diuers Christians of the Circumcision contended against him for preaching and baptizing Cornelius and his houshold at Cesarea which were of the Gentiles he did not arrogate this supereminencie to himselfe that he was their chiefe and head and therefore ought not to be called to an account by them 〈…〉 that they ought to subiect themselues to his power as one that could not erre no he doth no such matter but meekly rendreth a reckoning of his carriage in this businesse and submitteth himselfe to their censure So Acts 15. when the Apostles and Elders of the Church came together in a Councell to decide that great Controuerfie then mooued in the Church about Circumcision Peter behaueth not himselfe as a Iudge nor taketh vpon him any authoritie aboue the rest but as one of the Apostles giueth his opinion and the determination of the question is set downe not vnder his name onely but in the name of the Apostles Elders and brethren that were present yea Iames was president of that Councell and not Peter if we will beleeue Gerson and Lyran of their owne and Chrysostome of the ancients 19. Againe the Pope taketh vpon him to exempt Clarks though offending by Murder Treason Theft Adulterie or such like from all temporall Courts of Princes and punishment of the Laytie except the Church proceed against them first and make them no Clarkes Thus Pope Nicholas the first wrote to Michael the Emperour Christian Emperors haue no right at all to make any inquisition for Monkes vnlesse it be in fauour to pittie them Thus Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterburie quarrelled with Henrie the Second for this cause principally as both Houeden and Fabain report for that the King went about to punish such of the Clergie as were malefactors by the temporall Lawes of the Land which the Archbishop vtterly denyed to be lawfull For this he said that if a Clarke being