wisedome And a little after And let him gather together the vpright and true kinde of Christians that hee together with them may repaire the spirâ—tuall breaches of my Church the which verily hath departed too farre from me 19 If the Church of Rome were not cleane departed from Christ and the true Christian Church then would not their Platina haue sayd thus of the vniuersall heads thereof a Platina in Ioan. 10. The Popes are cleane departed from Peters steps Neither would their owne prophesie haue fore-told b In Clunies Librarie That they would follow the footesteppes not of Simon Peter but of Simon Magus Neither would their Petracha haue said thus of the mother of their Church c Petracha in his 20. Epistle Rome the whoore of Babylon is the mother of all Idolatry and fornication the Sanctuary of heresie and schoole of errour Neither would their Mantuanus haue giuen this councell to all true Christians saying d Baptista Mantuanus All that will liue godly be packing from Rome for there all things else are lawfull but to liue godlily it is not lawfull Neither would their Bishop Cataldus haue sayd thus of Rome e Cataldus in his Prediction Thou vnhappy Babylon the damned pit of priests Neither would their Abbot Ioacham haue said thus of the whole Romish Church f Ioacham vpon the first and second chapter of Jeremy This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his seate Neither would their Saint Katherine in her Prayer haue said thus of the Church of Rome g Katherine ibidem O Tabernacle but of the diuell And also thus in the person of Christ to the whole Clergie of Rome I haue chosen you to be like vnto Angels on earth but yee are rather incarnate Diuels Neither would their Saint Bridget haue said h Bridget in her fourth booke 135. chapter They are accursed and worse then the Diuell and therefore except they amend they shall be drowned deeper then all the diuells in Hell Neither would she haue sayd to the Pope thus of his whole Sea Thy Sea like vnto an heauy stone shall go downe into the deepest deepe I say if the Church of Rome had not cleane departed from the true and most auncient Apostolike Church then would not these most holiest of their Church haue thus written But forasmuch as the case is cleare that she is departed from the most auntient Christian Church our Church must needes be that most antient Christian Church because there are none other Christian Churches in all the world but what are comprehended vnder these two Titles Christian and Antichristian which wee now commonly call Protestants and Papists But yet for the better clearing of this point namely that our Church is the most auntient by 606. yeares next after Christ his incarnation our fift chapter shal plainly demonstrate And thus much for the prouing Christian Rome in her latter dayes to be that Babylon which the Angell in the seauenteenth chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angell in the eighteenth chapter saith Is fallen and become the habitation of dinells the hold of all foule spirits and eage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird And as wee in this our age haue seene the spirituall fall of Babylon the Church of Rome so by the iudgement of some of the Learned our young children shall see the corporall and finall desolation of the citie of Rome After which time as they write she shall be the corporall habitation of foule diuells and diuellish spirits as I haue shewed shee is now of incarnate diuells filthy and hatefull birds CHAP. IIII. Tending to resolue all men that as Saint Iohn in his 17. chapter of the Reuelation declareth the Church of Antichrist to be a Church professing Christ and yet an Idolatrous Church so the Popish Church must needes bee that idolatrous Church because there is no more Churches in the World professing Christ but theirs which vse Images and ours which vse none which are now distinguished therefore by the titles of Papists and Protestants 1 THE Papists beare the World in hand they are no Idolaters and that for these three causes First for that notwithstanding they vse the Image of God in the worship and seruice of God yet they take it not for God Yea they say they no more take it for God then Dogges doe take a painted Foxe for a Foxe or a painted Hare for a Hare Secondly because as they say they worship not the Image but God by it Thirdly because as they also say they receiued the same manner of worshipping See Bilson 580. page by tradition from the Apostles who were no Idolaters therefore they are no Idolaters to which three illusions wee answere 2 It is euident by this first illusion that God in his iust iudgement hath giuen them the spirit of slumbering eyes that they should not see for notwithstanding their great learning they suppose that there are no Idolaters but such onely as outwardly worship the image for God therefore touching this first point we answere first by the 17. cap. of Iudges Iudges 17.5 1 Kings 15.13 2 Chro. 25.14.15 2 Chron. 33.1.2.3.10 2 Kings 7.33.34 which condemneth Micha for an Idolater Secondly by the 15. cap. of the first booke of Kings which condemned Maachah for an idolater Thirdly by the 25. cap. of the second booke of Chronicles which condemned Amaziah for an Idolater Fourthly by the 33. cap. of the same booke which condemned Manasseh for an Idolater and yet not any one of these worshipped their image for God but all of them acknowledged the true God Lastly we answere them by the 17. cap. of the second booke of Kings which condemned certaine Samaritans for Idolaters of whom the Text saith They feared the Lord and serued their images also So that if our counterfait Catholikes did no more worship the image for God then the Iewes did but feared God and serued their images as those Samaritans did or that it were true that they no more take their image for God then dogges doe take painted Foxes and Hares for Foxes and Hares yet we see that euen by their affecting images and vsing them in the spirituall worship and seruice of God they are plainely proued Idolaters 3 And now whereas they say they no more take the image for God then dogges doe take painted Foxes and Hares for those liuing creatures that will we further trie with them euen by these two effects For whereas dogges vse neither to runne nor to open their mouths vpon those sencelesse pictures they haue accustomably vsed to gad vnto them from Towne to Towne and from Countrey to Countrey As to the Lady of Walsingham to the Lady of the Towre of Couentrie to S. Mudwne of Burtone to the sweet Rood of Chester and diuers others vsing before them such holy humble and reuerend gestures as to God himselfe prostrating themselues at their feete kneeling
the Church doe without any quallification adore the Image with the same kinde of worship that is due to the originall Moreouer f In the false Councel of the Greekes Citantur in libro Caroli Magni He that adoreth an Image and saith this is Christ offendeth not he offendeth that adoreth not an Image he that refuseth to adore an Image is an heretique wee must adore an Image with the same kinde of worship and reuerence wherewith we adore the holy Trinity Now if this be onely to worship God by the Image which as we proued before is damnable Idolatrie and not the Image also for God let the discreete Reader iudge As also whether Idolatrie can be committed in any higher degree then to pray thus to the image of the Crosse g A prayer to the Crosse All haile O crosse our only hope in this time of thy passion in faithfull people grace increase and grant of sinne remission And thus also to say of it h Tho. Aquin. part 3. quest 25. The Crosse of Christ is to be worshipped with the same worship that Christ is to be worshipped with Yea and whether this Doctrine of worshipping the very Image it selfe may not truely be said to be the doctrine of the whole Church of Rome seeing it was as the Popes owne Decretall testifieth established by the Pope with the assent of many hundred Bishops and seeing also it hath beene maintained euer since by Gregory the third and by all his successours let the Reader iudge And thus much for the second point to proue whether the Papists be Idolaters or not 6 Thirdly and lastly they say they are no Idolaters for they receiued their manner of worshipping God by Images from the tradition of the Apostles wherein wee may note first their blasphemie secondly their shamelesnesse that bash not to make those blessed Apostles of Christ the authors of their most damnable idolatrie But as in this so in many other principles of their religion do they deale with those holy ones fathering all vpon their Traditions be the things neuer so vile But what will they answere I suppose they will say they are able to proue that that same kinde of Doctrine was taught and the same manner of worshipping practised euen by the very Christians in the time of the Apostles and we answere We beleeue they are able but withall we beleeue also that they are as well able to proue how the same was approued of among the Apostles For albeit that Clement the first and one of the seuenty Disciples testifieth that some of the new conuerted Gentiles did so and that in the very time of the Apostles yet the same Disciple testifieth also how himselfe did approue of it when writing to Saint Iames the Apostle for redresse thus complained against it i Clement to James the Iust and Bishop of Ierusalem worshipping God by Images came from the Diuell The diuell said hee by the mouth of others vseth to bring forth these words Wee to the worship of the inuisible God worship the visible Image Now in that he saith the diuell this maketh the matter manifest how that doctrine of worshipping God by Images was not approued of among the Apostles and Disciples of Christ and also that it came from the diuells suggestions and not from the Apostles traditions Wherefore this openly conuicteth the Papists of most horrible impietie in fathering this diuellish deuice vpon the holy Apostles of Christ And the rather because they cannot possibly be ignorant that it was brought into the Church by those new conuerts which were not then cleane remoued from their olde Heathenish superstition and condemned by the Apostles and Disciples of Christ for diuellish and damnable 7 Furthermore it is cleare that if this argument could haue held good namely that because those new conuerted Christians supposed that as they had vsed to worship their false gods by Images so they should worship the true God by Images and that this their practise began in the time of the Apostles that therefore it was a tradition of the Apostles then might wee also conclude that because certaine Israelites in the time of Moses and Aaron and others of the Prophets vsed the like it was a tradition of Moses and Aaron and other of the Prophets but how Moses Aaron and the Prophets did approue of their doings all those iudgements which they haue denounced against them for so doing doth plainely declare through out the old Testament as we shall see anon by the places which wee will cite but in the meane while let vs see how the ancient Fathers approued of it after the Apostles 8 That auncient Father Eusebius speaking of the manner of those new conuerted Christians worshipping saith k Euseb lib. 7. cap. 18. It is no maruell though the Heathen which receyued so great benefits by our Sauiour did these things for we haue seene the Image of Paul of Peter and of Christ drawne in collours and it is well to be thought that men in olde time beeing not yet remoued from their olde superstition of their Fathers vsed after this manner to worship them by an Heathenish custome Also that most notable Diuine Athanasius in reprouing such superstitious Christians as would be taught to know God by images said thus vnto them l Athanas against the Gentiles If a liuing man cannot teach thee to know God how shall a carued stocke or a stone doe it that is dead Also that ancient Father Epiphanius to reclaime some of that Sect in his time thus dehorted them from their olde Heathenish superstition saying m Epiphanius lib. 3. tom 2. against Coll. 79. heresie My deare Brethren be yee mindfull that yee bring no images into the Churches and that ye erect none at the burials of the dead Saints but euermore carrie God in your hearts Nay said hee suffer not Images to be no not in your Houses for it is not lawfull to leade a Christian man by his eyes but rather by the studie and exercise of his minde Also Charles the Great most sharpely reprehended such saying n Charles lib. 4. cap. 2. of Images An vnhappie memorie is that which to remember Christ who neuer ought to depart out of the heart of the iust man standeth in neede of a sightfull conceit nor otherwise can haue the presence of Christ within him vnlesse he haue his Image painted on the wall or expressed in some other matter And a little after Most madnesse is that saith hee that our mindes by the meanes of materiall Images must be put in remembrance lest we forget him Likewise that ancient Father Lactantius thus reproueth their folly and condemneth their madnesse saying o Lactant. lib. 2. cap. 2. They are afraid lest their Religion be voyd and to no purpose if they see nothing that they may worship and therefore they make them counterfeits And a litle after he saith What madnesse is this either to frame those things which
the fifth Section in that when as Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria offered to Gregory in the superscription of his Letters the title of vniuersall Pope Gregory not onely flowted him for his folly but also besought his holinesse to offer it him no more for that as he said it was a title beyond all reason to be giuen to any 15 The first that I find that went about to arrogate vnto himselfe the Title of Pope The first that souâ—ht to bring in the name Pope was Leo Bishop of Rome as may appeare in that his Legates in the Councell of Chalceden contended both for the title and authority howbeit they were withstood by the whole Councell and decreed against as I shall proue in the 19. Section of the 8. Chapter 16 Well then all things being made cleare that before there was a Church planted at Rome there was a Christian Church which had then none other vniuersall head but Christ and that seeing the Church which wee haue now doth acknowledge none other head who can iustly denie our Church to be a true member of the most ancient Apostolique Church Againe forasmuch as the matter is made as apparant that the Church planted afterwards by Peter and Paul for by both of them was the Romish Church planted to Gregories dayes to wit to the yeere of Christ 605. did not approue nor tollerate any other vniuersall head who can denie the Church of Rome during that time to be a fellow member with our Church of the most ancient Catholique Church 17 But now albeit we haue proued that for want of an vniuersall Pope to be head so many hundred yeeres there could be no body or Popish Church yet forasmuch as we see that there is now such a Church and know also that it hath beene of long continuance it resteth that in the next Chapter we shew both when it first began how far and wide it did extend it selfe and how ignorantly many haue dealt in their writings to giue that title of Popish Gouernours to the successours of Saint Peter calling them Popes and more wickedly the Papists in calling them vniuersall Popes to the horrible deluding of the multitude in making them to beleeue that the Popish Church and the Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome were both one and the same which if it be true then was the founder thereof Antichrist for so saith their Saint Bernard the Pope is And so saith their Ioacham the Abbot And so saith their Auentine and so saith Gregory the Great And so saith their Saint Vincent and proueth Boniface the third to be the head as the other and diuers moe proueth his successours to be his incorporate body as appeareth in our second Chapter and as now in the next Chapter we shall more largely proue CHAP. VI. Tending to resolue all men that the Popish Church and the succession of singular vniuersall Popes had their first beginning but in the yeere of Christ 607. and that also from that time that they had a Church wee had a Church continually among them till about 20. yeeres before Luthers time And as before they had a Church which did extend it selfe farre and wide so euen then and at all times in other parts of Christendome as in Asia Affrica Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muschouia c. we had as great a Church as they if not greater Which being proued both their antiquity vniuersality and succession of vniuersall Popes will proue but a fond fable and a meere illusion of Antichrist 1 THE Papists haue of long time borne the World in hand that we had no Church before Luthers time howbeit as we proued in the former Chap. by sufficient testimonies that for the first 606. yeeres next after Christ they had no Church so will we now God willing in this Chapter proue that their Church had her first beginning but in the yeere of Christ 607. Note therefore Christian Reader what their Writer Vrspergensis saith his words be these a Vrspergensis in Phoca At the request and suite of Pope Boniface the Emperour Phocas appointed the Sea of the Apostolike Church of Rome to be head of all Churches Also their Writer Sabellicus saith b Sabellicus Ennead 8. l. 6. Pope Boniface the third at the first enterance into his office was an earnest suâ—ter vnto the Emperour Phocas that the Church of Rome might be head of all Churches which thing hardly and with great labour was granted to the Apostolique Sea of Rome Now Christian Reader iudge thou how true it is like to be that the Church of Rome had preeminence from Saint Peters time seeing it is granted vnto her but now in the yeere of Christ 607. as also the Popes owne Decretall and Platina doth witnesse as we shewed in the former Chapter Wherefore the Bishop of Rome being now in this yeere first made and established vniuersall Father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the mother of all Christian Churches it is cleare that in this yeere of Christ their Church first began For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church But now an vniuersall Pope being made and established supreame head of the Church they may be bold to say they haue a Church and we may be as bold to say that from this yeere of Christ and no further they may demand of vs where our Church was to Luthers time and also to answere them The head of Antichrist and the body of Antichrist that so much of it as was comprehended within the Romish iurisdiction was from thence first vnder this head of Antichrist Boniface after him vnder this his incorporate body of Popes Boniface 2. Popes Callender Vitalius 1. Iohn 3. Steuen 2. Dusdedit 1. Deodatus 1. Iohn 4. Hadrian 1. Boniface 3. Domnus 1. Sisinus 1. Leo 2. Honorius 1. Agatho 1. Constantinus 1. Steuen 3. Seuerinus 1. Leo 1. Gregory 1. Paschalis 1. Iohn 1. Benedict 1. Gregory 2. Eugenius 2. Theodore 1. Iohn 2. Zacharie 1. Valentine 1. Martin 1. Cuno 1. Steuen 1. Gregory 3. Eugenius 1. Sergius 1. Paul 1. Sergius 2. Leo 3. Iohn 10. Honorius 2. Bonifacius 6. Benedict 2. Domnus 2. Inocentius 1. Benedict 8. Nicolas 1. Benedict 4. Calestinus 1. Clement 4. Hadrian 2. Boniface 5. Lucius 1. Iohn 18. Iohn 5. Benedict 5. Eugenius 3. Benedict 9. Martinus 2. Iohn 11. Anastatius 2. Clement 5. Hadrian 3. Iohn 12. Hadrian 4. Inocentius 5. Steuen 4. Iohn 13. Alexander 2. Vrbanus 4. Formosus 1. Gregory 4. Lucius 2. Gregory 10. Bonifacius 4. Siluester 1. Vrbanus 2. Vrbanus 5. Steuen 5. Iohn 14. Gregory 7. Boniface 7. Romane 1. Iohn 15. Clement 2. Inocentius 6. Theodore 2. Sergius 4. Calestinus 2. Gregory 11. Iohn 6. Benedict 6. Innocentius 2. Alexander 4. Benedict 3. Iohn 16. Honorius 3. Iohn 19. Leo 4. Benedict 7. Gregory 8. Martin 5. Christopher 1. Gregory 5. Calestinus 3. Eugenius 4. Sergius 3. Clement
the Countrey why should we thinke otherwise of such now or that Bellarmines consequence can be true That the Bishop of Romes superioritie was euer aboue all 6 About the yeare of Christ 325. the first general Councell was holden by three hundred and eighteene Bishops at Bethynia in the citie of Nice which Councell finding the Bishop of Rome to intrude himselfe vpon the iurisdiction of the Patriarkes of Antioch and Alexandria to preuent his proceeding made this Decree e Nicen Councell Cannon 6. Let the old custome be of force which is in Aegypt Libia and Pentipolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue authoritie ouer all these because the Bishop of Rome obserueth the like custome Whereby wee see that as the Bishop of Rome did gouerne his owne Patriarkedome and would not suffer his fellowes to incroch vpon his right no more would this Councell suffer him to doe vpon theirs but that euen according to the old and ancient custome their priuiledges should be like to his And hereof it is which Ruffinus who liued about the same time wrote thus f Ruffinus of the Histories of the Church lib. 1. cap. 6. It was decreed in the Councell of Nice that in Alexandria and in Rome the olde custome should be kept that the Bishop of Alexandria should rule ouer Aegypt and the Bishop of Rome ouer the Churches of his suburbes And yet more largely it is thus expounded by Nilus g Nilus in his Booke of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome That it may the more plainly appeare that the Pope hath no gouernment ouer all other Churches reade the sixt Cannon of the Councell of Nice there it is expresly commanded that the Bishop of Alexandria shall haue the rule ouer certaine Churches and the Bishop of Rome ouer certaine and the Bishop of Antioch ouer certaine and that it should not be lawfull for any one of them to inuade anothers iurisdiction if any one not content with his owne craue dominion ouer others he ought of right to be called a breaker of the customes and also of the holy Cannons 7 Now then forasmuch as the first of all the generall Councels reduced the Bishop of Rome to his first order and thereby hedged him in to rule onely his owne Patriarkedome how is that true which Bellarmine affirmeth namely that all Councels and Fathers throughout the Christian World euer approued of the Popes vniuersall supremacy Yea or how can that be true which is so common among them namely that this Councell gaue that prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome to be vniuersall Father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the Mother of all Christian Churches seeing that great Diuine Athanasius who as some write sate as chiefe in that Councell saith h Athanas ad solitarium vita Magentes Rome is the Mother of the Romish iurisdiction Nay seeing their owne great Doctor Master Harding saith as expresly i Harding Apologie c. 23. Diuision 2. Rome is the mother of the west Churches If but of the Romish or West Churches then not vniuersally of all Wherefore this proueth Bellarmines alligation most vntrue that all the Christian World ouer the Pope was euer held to be supreame head of all Christian Bishoppes and Rome the vniuersall mother of all Christian Churches And the rather because Aeneas Syluius a little before he was Pope Pius the second wrote these plaine and expresse words k Aenâ—as Siluius Epist 288. Before the Councell of Nice euery Bishop liued seuerally to himselfe a little regard was there then had of the Church of Rome 8 About the yeere of Christ 379. the second generall Councell was holden by 150. Bishops in the City of Constantinople where for the conseruing each Patriarkes priuiledges and other Bishops rights it was thus decreed l Councell of Constantinople cap. 2. Let not the Bishops which haue their seuerall Diocesse incroch vpon the Churches that are without their bonds neither let them confound their Churches but according to the Cannons let the Bishop of Alexandria gouerne onely those things that are in Aegypt and let the East gouerne onely the East and let the Church of Antioch retaine her dignity declared in the Nicone Synod Vpon which decree Socrates writeth thus m Socrat. lib. hist eccl 3. They confirmed the faith deliuered by the Nicene Synod and they appointed Patriarkes in the described Prouinces that Bishops being placed and set ouer a certaine Diocesse might not thrust themselues into other mens charges And a little after Notwithstanding reseruing to the Church of Antioch the chiefe degree of honour and dignity Therefore most vntrue is it that all Councels and Fathers granted the Bishop of Rome to be supreame head of all Bishops or Rome to haue the chiefe degree of dignity aboue all Churches 9 About this time liued Saint Hierome who because he saw many flatterers to ascribe vnto the Bishop of Rome to be the alone Apostolicall successour and the Bishops themselues to haue made a custome of vsurping authority ouer their fellowes and to challenge a more excellency of dignitie he wrote thus against their arrogancy n Hierome to Euagrius Neither riches nor pouerty maketh a Bishop higher or lower all Bishops are of one worthinesse and all the Apostles successours What bring you me the custome of Rome being but one City if we seeke for authority the whole World is greater then the City of Rome Now then if this worthy Priest of Rome yoaked all Bishops of the World in equality of dignity with the Bishop of Rome and affirmeth that all Bishops are the Apostles successours as well as he how can the consequent of Bellarmines assertion be true that all Councels and Fathers all the Christian World ouer euer approued of the Popes singular supremacy and acknowledged him to be the alone Apostolike successour 10 About the yeere of Christ 383. liued Saint Augustine who finding the Bishop of Rome to goe about to draw all appeales vnto himselfe and the multitude to begin to flocke vnto him for the redresse thereof he with the assent of 216. Bishops in the Councell of Affrica made this decree o Concilij Affrica cap. 9.2 If any doe appeale to tribunals abroade let none within Affrica receiue him to communion And this is that whereof Saint Cyprian an hundred yeeres before Saint Augustines dayes in the Councell of Affrica reprehended the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the fifth Section Againe when as the Bishop of Rome had begun to take and receiue proud and haughty titles and other of the Patriarkes to follow in the same Councell wherein Saint Augustine was present it was thus decreed p The third Councell â—6 Cannon Let not the Bishops of any of the first Seas be called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or by any other like name but onely a Bishop of a first Sea And how then is the consequence of Bellarmines assertion true that all Councels and Fathers all the World ouer euer
Fiftly Leo whose Legates in his behalfe stood for the Title and Authority of Vniuersall Bishop in the Councell of Chalcedon which Councell would not yeeld him that prerogatiue onely because his Sea was the most auncient seate of the Emperor hee should haue the highest place in Councells and Assemblies and that was all as we proued in our thirteenth Section I say when as the Bishops of Rome saw that the Bishop of Constantinople was like to be made and established Vniuersall Bishop of Bishops which they could neuer attaine vnto then as we heard in the first Section of our fift Chapter Pelagius the second Bshop of Rome of that name decreed That no Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe should be called Vniuersall Bishop Gregory the Great when he came he made an out-crie against the Title calling it an vngodly title a title of shame and fit for no Christian but for Antichrist alone and sought to cleare all his predecessours from either receiuing or desiring the Title or Dignitie as appeareth in the fift Section of the fift Chapter where he said * Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 32.36 None of my predecessors Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name We the Bishops of Rome would neuer take vpon vs the name of singularitie we would neuer receiue that honour being offered vnto vs. To be briefe to induce the people to beleeue that notwithstanding these words of Gregory yet he had the vniuersall dominion ouer all Bishops Cardinall Allen biddeth them not looke to his words but to his practise I answere If the practise of Gregory was such as his owne words condemned for vngodly blasphemous and Antichristian we were best to be led by his Words and not by his Practise Againe whereas their Doctour M. Harding saith f Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 3. Giue vs the Thing and we will not striue for the Name as though Gregory had had all Bishops vniuersally vnder his gouernment nothing can be made more plaine to the contrary then these words of Gregory himselfe hath made it where he found himselfe grieued that Maximus Bishop of Salona was made Bishop without his consent and maintained in his place by the Emperour notwithstanding hee was a criminall person g Gregor lib. 4. cap. 78. If said hee the faults of those Bishops which be committed to my charge be borne out by my gracious Lords c. What make I heere in this Church while that mine owne Bishops contemne me Which maketh the case cleare that he had Bishops of his owne and a peculiar charge to gouerne and not an vniuersall dominion ouer all All which proueth Bellarmines assertion most vntrue that by all Councells and Fathers the Popes vniuersall supremacie was approued of from Saint Peters time To conclude forasmuch as both by Councells and Fathers wee haue ouerthrowne the antiquitie of their Church their vniuersality the Popes supremacie Succession of vniuersall Popes and generall consent and proued that they were not approued of by generall consent nor publiquely established before Gregories decease which was in the yeere of Christ 605. nor of two yeeres after when as the great Antichrist rose in Rome let them bring neuer so many testimonies out of those Councells and Fathers which were afterwards I would wish no man to vouchsafe the answering any one of them but vtterly to disclaime them all as Antichristian For what should wee looke for vnder Antichrist but that all things should be ordered and done to vphold him and to maintaine his kingdome And thus much for this point But now for that the maine foundation whereupon all their Assertions are grounded is an imagined conceit of Saint Peters supreame and vniuersal authoritie let vs see what we can say to that point more specially CHAP. VIII Tending to resolue all men that the Apostle Saint Peters authority was but the same that the other Apostles was and therefore that supreame authority which the Pope Claymeth from Saint Peter is fabilous That Christ alone is the supreame head of the Church euen of that part that is Millitant as that which is Triumphant That Ierusalem is the most ancient Mother of the Catholique Church that the Popish is the Church of Antichrist and therefore it is blasphemy to affirme it to be the same which Saint Peter first planted in Rome That there was no Church planted in Rome till the yeere of Christ 44 before which time there were many Christian Churches planted in the World therefore Rome could not be the Mother but a Daughter of the Mother Church 1 IT hath of long time gone for currant Doctrine Christian Reader that our Sauiour Christ made Saint Peter supreame head and Prince of all the Apostles That vnto him onely he committed the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen That vnto him hee committed the care and charge of his whole Church That vnto him onely he committed the office of feeding both Sheepe and Lambes olde and young That hee was that Rocke on which Christ said hee would build his Church and against which the gates of hell should not preuaile That for him the prayer was made Finally that he alone had an ordinary power from whence all the other Apostles receiued their powers and authority and that the Pope receiued the same ordinary power from him whereby he taketh vpon him to giue power and authority to all Bishops Pastors and Ministers All this I say during the time of Popish blindnesse went through the Romish iurisdiction for Catholique doctrine which God-willing shall be proued but fond fables 2 First then whereas they say that Christ made Saint Peter Prince and head of all the Apostles this may easily be proued a fable because there is nothing in all the Scriptures made more manifest then Saint Mathew Saint Marke and Saint Luke hath made it to the contrary Luke 22.23.24.25.26 For as Saint Luke declareth that there was a strife risen among the Apostles about principalitie and supreame dignity and that they began to enquire among themselues which of them should seeme to be the greatest So Saint Matthew and Saint Marke declareth that when their Master Christ perceiued whereabout they went he did not make so light a matter of it as to giue them leaue to determine it among themselues but with great care he called them vnto him and sate downe and as they all stood before him Matthew 20 25.26 he decided their question according to Saint Matthew thus Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them and they that are great exercise authority ouer them but it shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant According to Saint Marke thus Marke 9.33.34.35 If any desire to be first the same shall be last of all and seruant vnto all So that by this wee see it very apparant that Christ allowed no supremacy or principality at all among the Apostles therefore the
in their proper shape and true likenesse And this was also at the time of the rising of Luther when as there was neither sound doctrine true faith nor religion to be found in all the Romish iurisdiction according to that Prophecie of their S. Hildegard a Nunne which saith In the Apostolike order to wit in the Roman Sea no religion shall be found Truely Christian Reader it seemeth very apparent that God hath made speciall choyse of England aboue all the Nations in the world to be the chiefe for the recouering and reducing of that part of his Church the Romish iurisdiction and the ouerthrow of Antichrists kingdome and religion For whereas in the 17. chapter of the Reuelation the tenne hornes are declared to be the maine strength of the seauen-hilled Citie to wit Rome and that the text declareth also those hornes to be so many kingdomes and that the learned expound them to be these tenne head kingdomes of the Romish iurisdiction England Scotland Denmarke c. the first whereof that withdrew her power from Rome was England it is manifest England is the chiefe I know Christian Reader it would be thought strange to say that that which was done by King Henry was foretold in the booke of the Reuelation Neuerthelesse a very learned man writing vpon these words in the 13. verse of the 11. chap. And the tenth part of the Citie shall fall saith plainely It is a thousand to one but that it is meant of King Henry meaning his withdrawing his power from Rome And indeed it is tenne thousand to one but that it is meant of him For plaine experience doth euidently demonstrate England to be the chiefe of those tenne Kingdomes also which the 16. verse of the 17. chap. declareth shall be the meanes of the finall fall of the Citie of Rome and power of Antichrist for that after this worke was set abroach by King Henry we saw it so greatly to preuaile vnder the raigne of that famous Queene his Daughter Elizabeth that at her decease the Pope had scarce three of those Kingdomes signified by those hornes left to adhere with him intirely And I doe finde also by diuers of the olde Romish Predictions that as God made King Henry the maine beginner of the ruine and decay of the strength of Romish Babylon so he hath ordained a most worthy King of the name of Iacob to second him in that worke And as touching that which shall be further effected by him thus hath their Robertus a Dominican Frier written long agoe in his second Sermon But Iacob flying from the Serpents face which Serpent in his third vision hee affirmeth the spirit told him was Antichrist the Pope is ioyned to those that doe praise my name For which cause hee declareth the Pope whom in the same Sermon hee compareth to Esau should put in practise the destruction of the spirituall Iacob as also for refusing to ioyne with him and to be of his societie For there hee bringeth in the Pope speaking in this manner to his spirituall sonnes Goe to my Sonnes and enter into a consultation among your selues how I may bring him vnder for by his destruction my treasure shall bee exceedingly increased I haue neede of much because the name of my house is great vpon the face of the earth Deglutiamus eum virum Come therefore let vs swallow him vp aliue Which Prophecie albeit wee saw fulfilled in the Powder-treason yet as the same Frier sheweth that all the Pope could doe should nothing at all preuaile so thankes be to our good God we saw it did not Againe the same Frier in his sixeteenth Sermon fore-sheweth that it shall come to passe that the same Iacob whom there hee calleth the Lyon King shall visite the Emperour and the rest of the Roman and other Catholique Princes of Christendome by his Christian and royall exhortations to helpe to subdue the Pope and to bring the Church of Rome into the same state of primitiue puritie as it was in the happy dayes of Constantine the Great Theodosius Valentinian c. Whereby he declareth not onely how greatly the Church of Rome is fallen from her primitiue purity in religion but also that shee shall be reformed by the speciall meanes of our Nation of England And to the like effect are these words of their Saint Bridgit cannonized for a Saint by Pope Boniface the ninth in her sixt booke of Reuelations 26. chap. where she bringeth in Christ complayning of the decaied state of the Church of Rome shewing him to exhort all Christian Kings what course to take for the perfect reformation thereof saying Wherefore the King for whom thou dost pray ought to call and assemble a Councell of Spirituall men such as are wise through my wisedome and he ought to enquire diligently of those that haue my spirite and aske their aduice how and by what meanes the wall of my Church may be built againe amongst Christians how God may be restored to his honour true Religion made to flourish anew godly charity made more feruent my passion more deepely imprinted in the hearts and mindes of men and my Commaundements loued with greater zeale and respect Let him therefore gather together the vpright and true kinde of Christians that hee together with them may repaire the spirituall breaches of my Church the which verily hath departed too farre from mee By which wee see shee giueth all true Christian Princes to vnderstand that God requireth of them that they ioyne together and vse all meanes by godly and learned instructers to reclayme the Romish Church and to reduce her to that most auncient Catholique faith and religion which Saint Paul so commended her for at the first which albeit at the first or on the sodaine shee will not receiue but as their Abbot Ioachim vpon the 22. chapter of Ieremy sayth Will stoppe her eares lest shee should heare the charming of the inchaunter the voyce of him that admonisheth her yet vpon the 15.17.18.21 and 22. chapters he showeth that those admonitions shall in short time so worke that not onely the Germaine Empire shall forsake the Church of Rome but the Church it selfe with her Colledge of Cardinalls shal be diuided and fall into discord among themselues And vpon the 50. and 51. of Ieremy he sheweth by the effect that those admonitions shall so greatly preuaile that the Pope and the whole order of his Clergie his Consistorie and State shall be exceedingly impaired For saith he The Nobles of the Romaine Church shall perish the Monasteries shall be diminished the High Priest shall be purified and Christian Religion shall be winnowed as with a fanne And the same also did their Saint Katharine of Sienne foresee as may appeare by these her words written in a prayer of hers But what shall the Lord doe to these euill husband men he shall come and destroy them and let out his Vineyard vnto others c. By tribulations and afflictions and in such a manner
and most auncient Church had but two Sacraments How the other fiue crept into the Church That the Masse by their owne confession was made by diuers Bishops of Rome long after the Apostles That it tendeth to the vtter dissoluing of the whole Harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion and the casting mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation 10 That the words of Christ touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud as also his other words concerning the sacrament are but figuratiue speeches 11 That wee ought to pray to God alone and not to Saints And to worship God alone and not Saints That none can be mediatour betweene God and man but onely he that is partaker of the natures both of God and man 12 That the originall authours of the doctrine of Purgatory were the Heathen Philosophers How it doth confound the iudgement of the Popish writers and how it doth deny the bloud of Christ to be sufficient for the purging of sinne The Chapter of Conclusion sheweth that we are iustified in the sight of God by faith onely without workes That we possesse Heauen only by the meanes of faith and being there the fruits thereof are rewarded with the degrees of glorie That the high way to damnation is to seeke saluation by merites The Popes deadly wound Tending to resolue all Men in the chiefe and principall Points now in controuersie betweene the Papists and Vs. CHAPTER I. This Chapter tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Protestants and Papists professe but one God one Faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 1 IT hath beene imagined Christian Reader that forasmuch as the Papists and wee professe one and the same God c. there might well be an vnion betweene vs and them to make one and the same Vniuersall Church but I trust through the helpe of Gods spirit it shall be made manifest to the whole Church of God that it is no more possible then by mixing with the puritie of the Gospell the Abomination of desolation by which Saint Hierome saith a Hierome in his booke vpon thâ— 24. of Saint Matth. w. We may vnderstand all manner of peruerse and false doctrine there can bee made one and the same true Christian Religion True it is that many notable Heretikes of former times haue professed one and the same God with the Church and as Saint Chrysostome saith * Chrysostome of the Worke vpon Matth. Had gotten the notes and markes of the true Church to wit sayth he Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other orders of Clarkes and likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe but yet as he sheweth that the true Church of Christ would not admit them into the fellowship thereof nor take them for true members of the same The reason was for that with their profession they mingled such erronious opinions of God as made him no God according to that which Saint Hilary saith b Hilary in Ps 1. To deuise fancies of God is as horrible as to say there is no God 2 For wee beleeue and professe but one diuine God according to Deuter. 4.35 and one mediatour betweene God and man Euen the man Christ Iesus according to Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.5 The Papists professe that the Lord he is God but not God onely and that Christ is mediatour but neither wholly nor only as this first Chapter shall plainly demonstrate from their owne Doctors for one writeth thus c Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God The Bishop of Aeix saith d Contr Bassinet vt Hist. Gallica Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth In their Extrauagants he is termed e Extra coment in glossa Our Lord God the Pope besides their Councell of Trident f Trident. in sexto de lect decreed him to be God In the Councell of Lateraine one saluted the Pope with this title g Latr. sess 4. Thou art another God on earth which the Pope accepted as his due euen as Pope Nicholas seeking authority whereby he might claime that dignitie found these words treasured vp in the Popes Library * Nicholas Dist. 96. satis euidenter It is well knowne that the Pope of the godly Prince Constantine was called God To which words Augustine Steuche the keeper of the Popes Librarie added h Steuche libr. Donat. Constant. pag. 141. Dost thou not heare that the highest Bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God and worshipped as God with diuine honour Whereby it plainely appeareth that this title is not giuen him of flatterers against his will neyther fell it out of their fingers rashly or by chance but with good consideration and therefore they ascribe also vnto him the great power and authority not of a terrestiall God but euen of a celestiall and that in foure respects 3 First in graunting to him as large commaund as to God himselfe for thus they write i Extrauag De translat-Episcopi Quinto Hostin Sinne excepted the Pope in a manner may doe all that God may doe Againe k Counsel Lat. Leo. 10. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Also l Extrauag De Constitu lib. Statuta The Pope hath power ouer the Angells both good and bad And m Agrippa de vanitat Scient The Pope hath power to command the Angells and hath power ouer the dead Againe n Baldus in li. Barbarius De officio praetoris The Pope is all and aboue all Furthermore o L. Sacrilegij c. de crim sacril ind c. Ecclesia vt tit pend It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power * for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause Lastly p In Bull. Clem. 6. in Ant. Flo. The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in hell that he may deliuer by his Indulgences place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many Soules as he will So that in his power of commaunding hee is made equall with God as if hee might be bold to say with our Sauiour Matth. 28. All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth 4 Secondly they match him with God in giuing him priuiledge and exemption from all censure saying q Dist. Satis lib. Don. Constant. pag. 141. The Pope cannot at all be eyther bound or loosed by the Secular power
not fully sufficient to proue the Pope that great Antichrist foretolde by Saint Hierome c Hierome ad Algasia Quest 11. that should sit in the Church as if hee were Christ the Sauiour But for asmuch as they deny it and that the whole Church of Rome at this day dependeth vpon Bellarmines iudgement out of whose workes as it is verily supposed Parsons hath published to the view of the world and deluding of many tenne seueral Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist it resteth that in the next Chapter we answere those obiections that so all doubts may be remoued And heerein as the originall Authour I will vse onely the name of Bellarmine In the meane time I demaund what hope of comfort we can looke to haue at these Popish Gods and Sauiours seeing their owne Saint Bridget whom Boniface the ninth Pope of that name canonized saith d Bridget in her first booke c. 41 All their followers and fauourers shal be cut off dis-ioynted and pulled in pieces like vnto a wall that is a casting downe where is not left one stone standing vpon an other neyther shall my loue and mercie euer warme them nor build them vp againe into eternall mansion And as we see the question resolued what will be the end of those that depend vpon these Gods and Sauiors so shall wee see heereafter what will bee the end of those Gods and Sauiours CHAP. II. Contayning tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing if it had beene possible the Pope from being Antichrist set forth vnder the letters N. D. with answeres thereunto THou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that whom Saint Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 1 Iohn 2.22 2. called Antichrists in the 22. verse hee declared to haue meant certaine Disciples which were fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles and others that by their meanes went abroad teaching doctrine whereby Christ was denyed to be the true Messias So that because such Antichristian teachers were then crept into the church by whom the great mystery of iniquity was begunne which when the great Antichrist should come should be fully perfected hee did not sticke to say but that Antichrist was then come whereas notwithstanding the great Antichrist was not then come 2 Thess 2.7 For as Saint Paul declared to the Thessalonians Epist 2. cha 2. there was then an impediment that did stay his comming which said He shall let till hee be taken out of the way Which as Tertullian Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome expoundeth was the Roman Emperor and likewise Saint Hierome in these words a Hierome to Algasia The Romaine Emperour which now keepeth all Nations in subiection must first be ouerthrowne and then shall Antichrist come the fountaine of iniquity By which it is cleare that by Saint Iohns Antichrists we cannot vnderstand the great Antichrist therefore the question is who the great Antichrist should be we say he is the Pope of Rome they say he shall be a Iew of Ierusalem but this is but our yea and their nay and how then shall it be tried who is in the right Bellarmine supposed in his Wardword the answere to Sir Francis Hastings Watchword page 91.92 hath set downe tenne seuerall Obiections to prooue him a Iew which God willing by these our Answeres shall be proued a Gentile THE FIRST OBIECTION 2 First then saith Bellarmine That the Popes of Rome be Antichrist or the man of sinne whereof the Prophet Daniel our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles do speake and that Rome is Babylon in that sense that these good fellowes doe meane that is Rome christened is a meere iest For that as the true Christ was one singular man so shall the true Antichrist be one singular man also and not a succession of men one after another as the Popes of Rome are And this is euidently gathered by the auncient Fathers out of the words of holy Scriptures namely Daniel 7. and 11. Iohn 5.2 2 Thessalonians 2. 1 Iohn 2. Apocal 13. and 17. THE ANSWERE 3 Heere Christian Reader seemeth a very great likelihood that by the great Antichrist should be meant onely one person seeing he produceth no lesse then seauen places of Scripture to testifie the same But it is a wonder to see that a man learned and seeming deuout should so apparently wrest the Scriptures For it is without all contradiction that not any one of his places doe proue his assertion The likeliest place is the 2. 2. Thess 2.3 Thessal 2. in which Saint Paul calleth Antichrist The man of sinne but doth it therefore follow that he meant onely one man no no more then by calling him in the same chapter The sonne of perdition he meant one person For in the Scriptures it is very apparant that by such like titles are not alwayes meant one singular person Esay 43.27 seeing we finde in the 43. chapter of Esay 27. verse is meant a great number of men included in the name Father Exod. 4.23 Rom. 9.27 Dan. 11. And in Exodus the 4. chap. 23. verse all the Israelites whose number Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.27 are as the sandâ— of the Sea are included in the title of a Sonne And in Daniell 11. the whole succession of Kings in their seuerall kingdomes are included in the person of one King And therefore seeing that vnder the title of a Man or a Sonne is included more thousands then the Popes are hundreds Bellarmines ignorance in the manner phrase of the Scriptures is laid open and his mouth stopped for accusing vs of ignorance in including all the Popes in the person of the man of sinne or Sonne of perdition And the rather because they themselues ordinarily vse also the like phrase of speech as when they call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Christs Church Therefore if the Scriptures had not taught vs so to speake we might yet haue learned of them how to call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Antichrists church 4 And whereas to dazle the eies of the ignorant he produceth the Fathers vpon his places of Scriptures as though they by Antichrist had meant one proper person Let him heare therefore how they haue vsed to speake of him Saint Hierome said b Hierome in his booke vpon Matth. 24. The abomination of desolation shall stand in the Church vntill the consummation of time and shew himselfe as God Now it is cleare he could not meane this of one particular person for that he knew as well as we no one man could liue to the consummation and end of time Also that auncient Writer Eusebius speaketh of Antichrist in the plurall number thus c Eusebius in his 7. book of Preparation This is a token not that he but that they hate God for that they will haue themselues called by the name of God Againe their Saint Bridget saith that she was commanded in a vision to signifie to d Bridget in her
g Elizabeth in her 2. booke of Visions chapter 18. Woe be vnto you Hypocrites which hide the Gold and the Siluer to wit the Word of God and the Law of the Lord which is more pretious then eyther Gold or Siluer but howsoeuer yee seeme vnto men religious and innocent you are full of craftinesse and vncleannesse And lib. 3. cap. 14. Christ saith therefore Your Religion doth accuse you before mee Their Saint Katherine saith thus also of the Romish Clergie h Katherine of Siene in a prayer of hers The religious Orders are become the weapons or souldiers of the Deuill corrupting Religion inwardly in themselues and outwardly in the secular sort and Laitie And a little after she saith The Laitie and secular persons are seduced and deceiued by their blinde guides which are alas ignorant Idiots Their Saint Hildegard saith i Hildegard in her second booke of Sciuias I saw in a vision a monstrous blacke Head in the Church with fierie eyes an Asses eares a Lyons nosthrils with a mouth breathing out the furie of vnlawfull fire with the vnpleasant noyse of contradiction among Men whereby the white puritie of true Religion is obscured and diminished in the children of the Church Abbot Ioacham saith k Ioacham vpon the first and second chapter of Ieremie The infancie of Salomon representeth vnto vs the zeale of the Primitiue Church and his olde age signifieth or shadoweth out the present corrupt state of the Church and that as Salomon in his olde age fell into Idolatrie so hath the Church of Rome done Againe vpon the seauenteenth chapter of Saint Iohns Reuelation he saith * Vpon the 17 of the Reuelation The very Text it selfe doth teach that the Woman begilded with Gold and which committeth spirituall Fornication with the Princes of the Earth is the verie Church of Rome which Babylon like playeth spiritually the Whore with Stockes and stones To be briefe whereas their Robertus a Dominican Frier l Robertus Gallus a Frier in his 5.6 and 8. Sermon affirmeth the Pope to be the great and head Idol of the Romish Church whom the first part of our first Chapter sheweth plainely the Church of Rome holdeth to be a celestiall God and that their Saint Bridgit saith in the person of God m Bridgit in her 4. Booke chap. 133. They make an Idol of mee What fall can possibly be in Religion then to make the arch-Idol of the world God and the God of all worlds an Idol 16 Lastly concerning the fourth poynt which hath three diuisions The first concerneth the falling from God The second from Christ The third from the true Church Which because the three former hath in part proued a generall Apostacie I will but briefely touch Their Saint Bridgit saith as it were in the person of God n Bridgit ibidem Israel doth now neglect mee that is to say saith hee the Priests and they loue another God For they loue as I said before the golden Calfe c. Moreouer they make an Idol of mee and shut vpon mee lest I should enter o In her 135. chapter Thus doe these cursed Priests by mee And a little after I call them to mee as the Bridegroome doth his Bride or the Husband his wedded Wife I doe all I can but the more that I call them the further they goe from me Ioacham sheweth that the whole Clergie of Rome is so farre falne from God that as he saith p Ioacham vpon the first and second chapter of Ieremie They haue chosen the Deuill for God 17 Touching the second deuision Their Mathilde a Prophetesse thus exclaimeth against the Romish Clergie saying q Mathilde in a Prophesie of hers They are falne away from Christ and become rauening Wolues deuouring and cutting the throats of Christs Sheepe Ioacham Abbas saith r Ioacham vpon the 1. and 2. chap. of Iere. The Church of Rome like vnto another Tribe hath departed from Christ Hating all such as their S. Bridgit saith Å¿ Bridgit in her 1. Booke 56 chap. as walke in his wayes Yea and as in another place she saith of Pope Gregorie then t Lib. 4. cap. 142. Hee hateth Christ hee robbeth him of his sheepe hee plucketh them violently out of his hand and sendeth them to Hell fire By which the case is made cleare that all that are wonne to the Pope are lost from Christ And as Ioacham in that place before cited shewed the Church of Rome to be so farre falne from God as that she chose the Deuill for God so in the same place he sheweth that she is so far falne from Christ that she hath chosen Antichrist for Christ 18 Now for the third deuision concerning the falling from the true Church their Robertus bringeth in Christ thus repr ouing the Romish Church for falling away from the true and antient Christian Church v Frier Robertus in his 12. Sermon Daughter of Babylon saith he thou art estranged from thy mother my Doue that bare thee and art gone after gold and siluer and precious ornaments Like an adultresse thou hast forsaken mee and hast ioyned thy selfe vnto strangers Thou liest prostrate and such as are pleased to play the whoore repaire vnto thee And in the same Sermon in the person of Christ hee saith Ibidem Why haue the children of my Doue departed from mee and are become blacke They are become estranged by abandoning the simplicity of their mother Againe in the same Sermon Ibidem hee calleth the Clergie of Rome A disloyall generation and the adultrous sons of Christs Doue And in his thirty two Sermon the Lord saith thus vnto him * 2â— Sermon All the children of my beloued sauing onely a few shall play the Apostates And in his twentie one Sermon the Lord saith thus to the whole Clergy of Rome This mine house shall be destroyed because of you which make the children of my beloued to play the Apostates And this is it which Ioacham fore-tolde where hee sayth * Ioacham vpon the seauentâ—enth chapter of the Reuâ—laâ—tion The Lord shall stirre vp as it were with an hissing voyce the French men and Germanes to conspire against the Church which hath played the Apostate in the person of the warrefaring Popes who with their Clergie and their adherents as a prophecie had out of the Abbot of Clunies Library sayth x In an olde booke shall fight against the true Church Also the Abbot Ioacham painteth out one most cruell Pope which hee sayth y Ioacham in his 9. Prediction Shall wound and scourge with most cruell stripes the most meeke Lambe opening his mouth against Christ the Lord and darkening the Starres of heauen Wherefore saith Saint Bridgit to the Pope z Bridgit in her 6. booke of her Reuelation 26 chapter The King for whom thou doest pray ought to assemble and call a Councell of spirituall men such as are wise through my
Christ himselfe first planted that Faith and Religion which afterwards by meanes of his Apostles should be made Catholique 14. yeeres before Peter came to Rome So that hereby wee shall see the Antiquity of their Church ouerthrowne and Ierusalem to be the most ancient and true figure of the vniuersall Mother Church to wit heauenly Ierusalem and not Rome 1 THeir Cardinall Cusanus saith a Cusanus ad Behemos Epist 2. The members vnited to the Chaire and ioyned to the Pope make the Church By which he granteth that without an vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Now that for the first 605. yeeres next after Christ there was no vniuersall Pope approued of nor publikely allowed to be the head of the members of the body of Christ these testimonies of Pelagius the second and Gregory the first will make it most manifest Pelagius in his dayes perceiuing that Mauricius the Emperour went about to make and establish an vniuersall Pope very bitterly inueighed against it and not onely so but thus Decreed against it b Pelagi Distin 99. an 580. No Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe ought to be called vniuersall Bishop Gregory the successour of Pelagius likewise finding the Emperour to persist in his enterprise wrote diuers Epistles vnto him to let him vnderstand that he went about an vnlawfull thing amongst which in one Epistle he sought to disswade him by this reason because said he c Greg. lib. 4. Epist 32. Peter is not called vniuersall Apostle inferring that seeing Peter was not none of the other Apostles were and then how could it be lawfull for any Bishop to take that title vpon him Againe when as he perceiued the Emperours Bishop which was then Iohn of Constantinople willing to take that title and supreame authority vpon him he thus inueighed against his arrogancy and saide d Greg. lib. 4. Epist 38. What wilt thou answer to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church at the last iudgement that thus goest about by the name of vniuersall Bishop to make all his members subiect to thee Whom doest thou imitate in this so peruerse a name but Lucifer that would haue beene singular and alone ouer all his fellow Angels Againe he saith e Greg. lib. 6. Epist 30. I speake it boldly whosoeuer calleth himselfe vniuersall Bishop or desireth so to be called is in the pride of his heart the fore-runner of Antichrist because he preferreth himselfe before all others and would be alone without any equall Now by the best Authours we find that this Gregory ended his dayes about the yeere of Christ 605. therefore we see this point standeth cleare that during so many hundred yeeres and odde after Christ there was not an vniuersall Pope approued of nor allowed by the Bishops of Rome themselues to be head of the members of Christ and therefore as yet there could be no Popish Church 2 But now to cast a must before the eyes of the ignorant they come in with this blinde distinction and say Notwithstanding this be spoken both by Pelagius and Gregory against the hauing an vniuersall Pope to be head of the vniuersall Church yet the question is what manner of Popes or vniuersall Bishops they meant whether such as the Bishops of Rome who allowed other Bishops vnder them or such as the Bishop of Constantinople The B. of Constantinople no more sought to exclude all other Bishops then the Bishop of Rome euer did who would haue had none other in all Christendome but himselfe I answer this is but a deluding distinction for that the Bishop of Constantinople no more sought to exclude all other Bishops then the Bishop of Rome euer did for had he of Constantinople once attempted that that had beene nuttes for Gregory for then might he in some one Epistle or other haue charged him therewith but we finde not any such matter neither in any of these Epistles doth hee charge him with any such thing onely he condemneth him of arrogancy for preferring himselfe before all other Bishops and for seeking to bring them into such subiection vnder him as whereby he might haue raigned ouer them as Lord and King And euen herein onely was it that hee charged him to imitate Lucifer Therefore this distinction of titles is but a meere misty matter Yea their owne records and some of their owne English Doctors plainely confesse that the same title and dignity which the Bishop of Constantinople sought to obtaine was onely one and the same which Boniface Bishop of Rome attained vnto by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour two yeeres after Gregories death and which they haue holden euer since For in their Booke called Chronicon f Chroni Euscbij An. 607. they are proued both one Also their Writer Sabilicus g Sabilicus Ennead 8. lib. 6. affirmeth them to be one and the same Likewise their Writer Vrspergensis h Vrspergensis in Phoca acknowledgeth the same And that which is more the chiefe of their adherents here in England in their answere returned to me Page 4. in these plaine and expresse words confesse the same The Emperour Phocas defended the righteous and ancient title of the Popes supremacy and iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall Church of Christ and suppressed the arrogancy of the Patriarke of Constantinople who challenged to be vniuersall Bishop And thus we see how themselues haue confounded their subtile distinction of titles 3 But yet for all this they will proue that the Bishop of Constantinople would haue had excluded all other Bishops because Gregory wrote thus to some of the chiefe of them i Gregory lib. 7. Epist 69. If one be vniuersall Bishop it remaineth that you be no Bishops Howbeit it is very apparant that Gregory meant by these words that if one should be admitted to be vniuersall head ouer all Bishops their powers then consisting onely in that one they by a consequent should be as none For to the very same effect are these his owne words k Gregory lib. 4. Epist 36. If one Patriarke be called vniuersall he derogateth from the other Patriarkes And a little after If this name may goe currant honour is taken away from all the Patriarkes But farre may it be from any Christian minde that any man should desire to take that vnto himselfe whereby the honour of his brethren should seeme in the least wise to be diminished By which it is most manifest that hee did not meane that Iohn of Constantinople would haue excluded all Bishops neither his fellow Patriarkes but that by diminishing their titles and honours hee would make them as no Bishops euen as all Bishops vnder the Popes are made by tollerating an vniuersall head ouer them For as their Cardinall Sabarella saith l Sabarella Citanture ad Illyrico De Sectis The Pope hath inuaded and entered vpon the right of all the inferiour Churches so that all the inferiour Bishops may goe for naught And vnlesse God helpe
the state of the Church the vniuersall Church is in danger 4 But now notwithstanding they come in yet with another obiection and say that Gregory hath also these words * Gregory in their answer to me Page 1. Whosoeuer he be that desireth to be Priest alone or the onely Priest By which they would inferre that the Bishop of Constantinople would haue beene Bishop alone without any others neuerthelesse it is cleare by these his words that follow He exalteth himselfe aboue other Priests he meant that he whosoeuer exalted himselfe for to be vniuersall Bishop or supreame head ouer all other Bishops would be Priest alone because hee would not admit any equall with him And for this cause in the words going before hee compared Iohn of Constantinople to Lucifer who he doth not say would haue had no Angels but himselfe for that had beene more then hee could haue proued And therefore we see it is onely this kinde of Priesthood which Gregory meant that would admit no manner of equality which we shall see anon he said would be the downefall of the ancient order of Priesthood 5 But now in the meane time wee may not let passe to answere another Obiection which happily may arise out of our English Catholikes words which before wee cited For in that they say The Title which the Bishop of Constantinople tooke vpon him was the Bishop of Romes right and auncient Title they would beare the world in hand that Gregory condemned it for vnlawfull in the Bishop of Constantinople onely but allowed it in the Bishop of Rome for their right and lawfull Title for to this effect indeed did they alleadge these very words Howbeit we shall see plainely by Gregories testimonies following that he condemned the Title to be as vnlawfull in the Bishop of Rome as in the Bishop of Constantinople For hee writing to the Emperour against his Bishop for his arrogant pride in taking vpon him the Title of Vniuersall Bishop said m Gregory lib. 4. Epist. 32. O my gracious Lord doe I heerein quarrell for mine owne right * Lib. 6. 30. Epist. I speake it boldly whosoeuer calleth himselfe Vniuersall Bishop or desireth so to be called is in the pride of his heart the forerunner of Antichrist and more then so he saith n Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 38. He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called Vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him Yea it is cleare that he knew both the Title and Office to be odious euen in the Bishops of Rome else would hee not haue sought to haue purged all before his time from it as from a Title of shame setting downe the manner of his purgation thus o Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 32. 36. None of my predecessours Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him that name of singularitie wee the Bishops of Rome would neuer receiue this honour being offered vnto vs. Also in that Eulogius his fellow Patriarke of Alexandria seeing the Bishop of Constantinople so willing to haue taken the Title vpon him would rather that Gregory then Bishop of Rome should haue had it and therefore to vrge him to haue taken it vpon him in the superscriptions of certaine Letters which he wrote vnto him offered him the Title but Gregory to declare his detestation thereof not onely besought him to offer it him no more but because he saw hee would not giue ouer vrging him he thus flowted him for his folly p Gregor lib. 7. Epist. 30. Ecce saith he behold euen the Title of your Letter yee haue written the proud poesie meaning mee the Vniuersall Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseech your Holinesse doe so no more for whatsoeuer is giuen to any aboue reason is taken from your selues Also when as he saw that such an Officer was like to be established in the Church as should be made Prince of all Christian Priests he counted that his rising to that dignitie would be the deadly downfall of the olde and auncient order of Priesthood and therefore said q Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 52. 55 Seeing the order of Priesthood is fallen within it cannot now stand long without By which he plainely declareth that it was contrary to the auncient order of Priesthood that one should be vniuersall head of all Priests Againe to declare how dangerous a thing it would be if one should be made supreame head of the whole vniuersall Church he said further thus r Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 32. Admaueri If we haue but one head the fall of that head is the fall of the Whole Church If any man presume to take vpon him the name of Vniuersall Bishop the whole Church falleth downe from her estate when hee falleth which is called Vniuersall but farre may that name of blasphemie be from all Christian mindes 6 So that hereby Christian reader we see the case to stand cleare that notwithstanding Gregory the great Bishop of Rome allowed the order of Bishops in the vniuersall Church yet did he acknowledge it vtterly vnlawfull for himselfe or any other Christian Bishop to take vpon him the title of vniuersall Bishop and to be supreame head of the vniuersall Church condemning it for vngodly blasphemous and Antichristian and therefore dehorteth all true Christians to be farre from that minde And here wee may further note that forasmuch as himselfe would none of it he condemneth that brag for a very fond fable that the title and dignity of vniuersall Bishop descended to the Bishops of Rome by succession from S. Peter the Apostle Gregorie condemneth that for a fable that the title of vniuersall Bishop descended to the Bishop of Rome from S. Peter Also seeing he confesseth as we heard before that Peter himselfe was not called vniuersall Apostle he doth acknowledge it could not come from him And thus much for the prouing that the Papists had no Church for the first 605. yeeres after Christ For as no husband no wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes And therefore the most auntient and Apostolike Church next after Christ was the same true Catholique Church yea the very selfe and same whereof we are now which as now so then it had no other vniuersall head but Christ Iesus onely and alone euen as Gregory also maketh it most manifest in that when as he reproued Iohn of Constantinople for seeking to be head of the vniuersall Church asked him as we heard right now how he could answere that point at the dreadfull day of iudgement to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church as did S. Augustine before his dayes as appeareth in his booke of the vnity of the Church cap. 2. cap. 3. cap. 16. 7 Now it remaineth that we speake of the other yeere to make out our number of 606. Decretall Know yee that next after Gregory succeeded Sabinianus who
Athanasius Zambadas Leontius Marcus  Hermon Eudoxius Iulius  Matarius Anianus Liberius  Maximus Meletus Damasus  Cyriâ—â—ius Euzoius Siricus  Herenius Dorotheus Anastatius  Herenius Paulinus Innocentius  Heraclius Euagrius Zozimus  Hilarius Dorothus Bonifacius  Cyrillius Meletus Calestinus  Iohn Flauianas Xistus  Nepos Prophirus Leo.  Prayllius Alexander Hilarius  Iuuenalis Theodotius Simplicius  Polychronius Iohn Felix  Theodosius Domnus Boniface  Anastasius Maximus Iohn  Martrius Martyrus Agapetus  Salustius Iulianus Siluerius  Helias Basilius Vigilius  Petrus Peter Pelagius  Marcari Steuen Iohn  Eustochius Martirus Benedict  Iohn Calandio Pelagius   Petrus Gregorie the   Cnapheus Great   Palladius    Flauianus    Seuerus    Paulus    Euphremius    Domnus    Maximus   Yet he proueth Rome to be but one of the foure Patriarkdomes and but the third in antiquitie and consequently the Bishop of Rome but one of foure equals and therefore no singular supreame vniuersall head ouer all Wherefore how vainely doe they stand vpon Ireneus his numbering the Bishops of Rome to his time and Saint Augustine to his time to proue the succession of Popes from Peters time seeing neither of them gaue them the name of Popes but Bishops and Priestes Number the Priests from Peters seat saith S. Augustine * August in Psal contra partem Donati and see who succeeded one another in that rowe of Fathers And elswhere he gaue them the name of Bishops but neuer the name Popes therefore to his time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christ those that Ireneus and he two hundred yeares after numbered were not Popes as the Popes of Rome are now but such Bishops as we haue now Also with small credit can they stand vpon the succession of vniuersall Popes seeing their Prophetesse Saint Bridgit saith of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope x Bridgit in her 27. chap. of her third Booke Hee did mount vp to fit in the Chaire of pride Which sheweth the Popes Chaire not to bee the Chaire of Peter Also their Paâ—acelsus in a Prophesie of his said thus to the Pope y Paracelsus in his 12. figured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue for thou art a yoake and a burthen too heauie to be borne hence it is holy Father S. P. that thou fallest Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God and hee shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Againe in vaine doe the Popes themselues boast to be of that sort of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter seeing their Saint Elizabeth saith thus vnto them in the person of Christ z Elizabeth against the Church of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They swallow vp the carnall and temporall things of my people and doe not minister vnto them spirituall things and euen they that doe walke vnder my name doe not feare to persecute mee in my members Behold and consider saith to her the Angel of her vision how the soueraigne high Priest the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his obedience walked in the middest of his Disciples not in the height and haughtinesse of a Lord but in the humilitie of a seruant c. Behold his blessed seede the ministers of your spirituall vocation the holy Apostles and their successors of whose societie yee doe glorie c. Consider if their waies were like yours doe not beleeue that they were for their waies were faire and streight but yours are disordered filthie and foule They did not walke in the haughtinesse of their hearts nor in the tumultuousnesse of a proud traine nor in couetousnesse of worldly wealth nor in the costlinesse of clothing c. Neyther was there running after Hawkes and Hounds but in all sinceritie they traced the footsteps of the great Pastor c. Behold the head of the Church crieth but his members are dead for the Apostolicall Sea is beset with pride and auarice and is filled with iniquities and wickednesse They scandalize my sheepe and make my people to erre Againe their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ expostulating the matter with Pope Gregorie the eleuenth saith thus vnto him a Bridgit lib. c. â—ap 142. Why doest thou hate me so much and wherefore is thy boldnesse and presumption so great against me for thy worldly Court marreth and spoyleth mine that is heauenly and thou presumptiously robbest me of my Sheepe Moreouer thou pluckest from me violently innumerable soules and sendeth to Hell fire almost all that come to thy Court because thou doest not giue diligent heed to those things that belong to my Court. Therefore how can we beleeue that these Popes are of the same ranke of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter or what credit doth the Church of Rome gaine by the succession of her Popes 9 Againe They are neuer able to proue that Peter was euer called by the Popes titles or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse how can we beleeue that the Popes are the successours of Saint Peter seeing they are neuer able to proue that Peter or any of those Bishops which next succeeded him was euer called by any of the Popes titles For in what booke or Chapter of the Scriptures doe they find that Peter was euer called Our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth Not a pure man but a true God as we proued in our first Chapter and second Section the Pope is called Or where find they that any one of all the Apostles euer called Peter Lord of Lords and King of Kings Or Supreame head of the vniuersall Church or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse as the Pope doth If they cannot shew so much as any one place to proue it what reason haue we to beleeue it Therefore forasmuch as we finde vniuersall Popes not to be the successours of S. Peter but of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope made and established in the yeare of Christ 607. And that they all hold that without an vniuersall Pope to be head there can be no Church it is without all contradiction that for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ the Papists had no Church For as no head no body no husband no wife so no vniuersall Popes no vniuersall spouse of the Popes By which wee see that plainely condemned for a meere illusion of Antichrist which is so common among them namely that the Popish Church was the most ancient mother of all Christian Churches And as we see it not to bee true so shall we further see also that neither was that first Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome the most ancient and mother Church For as both Ierome b Jerom. catalog eccles Scrip. and Eusebius testifieth c
Euseb eccles his lib. 2. cap. 14.16 Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ 44. and foureteene yeares after hee was called to be an Apostle During which time hee and the other Apostles had planted many Churches in the world and yet was none of them the mother Church For that onely must needes be the mother which was first in which Christ himselfe first planted and taught that Faith and Religion which afterwards by the meanes of his Apostles should be made Catholique which as S. Matth. Matth. 26. Luke 21. Matth. 10.5.6 chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 sheweth was Ierusalem which Faith and Religion as appeareth in Matthew 10. Christ commaunded not to reueale to the Gentiles till they had spread it throughout the Regions of Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the first and most ancient Church 10. Againe when as afterwards the Gospell was preached to the Gentiles it was not first taught to the Romans no not by S. Peter himselfe For as themselues confesse Peter after he had preached well neere seuen yeares about the coasts of Ierusalem went to Antioch and taught there other 7. yeares before hee came to Rome therefore that verie first Church of Rome could not be the most ancient Mother of the true Catholique Faith and Religion If not the first which was planted by Peter then not the second that was planted by Boniface aboue fiue hundred yeares after 11 And that it may yet more manifestly appeare that shee was not the Mother but one of the chiefe Daughters not the head but a chiefe member of the Mother Church these words of Tertullian which liued in the next age after the Apostles will make it plaine d Tertul. de praescription contra Haereticos Runne ouer said he and behold the Apostolike Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyces and representing the faces of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome And further to proue Rome but one of the chiefe members of the whole Church he saith thus e Tertul. De praescription contra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolique in that they follow all one vnitie By which who seeth not but that euen that same Church of Rome which was first was but one of the Daughters of Ierusalem from which the Church Triumphant had her name deriued and not from Rome and yet indeed was shee but the figure of the vniuersall Mother Church For as Saint Paul said Galathians 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue Galat. 4.26 is the Mother of vs all therefore it is flat blasphemy to say that Rome is the vniuersall Mother of all Christian Churches and the rather for that as her state standeth now the Angell saith Reuelat. 17. Shee is the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth 12 Againe The Church triumphant and the church millitant being but one can haue therefore but one head in that the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is aboue is the mother of vs all it sheweth the Church Triumphant and the Church millitant to make both but one Church And therefore whereas the Papists would make these two parts of the Church two seuerall Churches that so they might set vpon the millitant part another head besides Christ what else doe they thereby but make that part an adultresse and consequently the Whore of Babylon For by Saint Pauls doctrine Romans 7.3 Romans 7. shee that hath two Husbands at one time is an Whore And doubtlesse howsoeuer shee is rightly called Babylon for resembling olde Babylon in Tyrany Idolatry and other abominations yet is shee called an Whore chiefly for coupling her selfe to another Husband besides Christ 13 In the time of the Apostles Christ onely is the Head it is cleare by Saint Paul in diuers of his Epistles that both the parts of the Church as well that beneath as that aboue and both together Christ onely is the head had none other head but Christ For first Ephesians 1. cap. verses 20.21.22 he speaking of Christ saith Ephes 1.20.21.22 God set him at his right hand in the heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this World onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body And Colossians 1.18.19 He is the head of the body of the Church Colos 1.18.19 he is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Also to shew that the Church hath onely but this one head hee writing to the Church of Corinth 2 Epistle 11.2 said thus vnto her 2 Cor. 11.2 I haue prepared you for one Husband to present you as a pure Virgin to Christ Which plainly declareth that as the Church vnder the Law had none other Husband but God himselfe Vnder the Law the Church had no husband but God For as the Prophet Esay said to the Church of the Iewes cap. 45.5 He that made thee is thine Husband whose name is the Lord of Hostes so likewise vnder the Gospell that the Church hath none other Husband but onely the Sonne of God 14 And now also that it may as plainely appeare that for 605. yeeres next after Christ this doctrine of one headship was onely approued of euen by the Bishop of Rome himselfe to wit Gregory the Great these his owne words written against the Bishop of Constantinople which sought to be vniuersall head with Christ will make it cleare f Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. If said he Saint Paul would not haue the members of the Lords body to be subiect to any heads but to Christ no not to the Apostles themselues what wilt thou answer to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church in the last day of iudgement which goeth about to haue all his members subiect to thee by the title of vniuersall Whom doest thou imitate in so peruerse a name but Lucifer So that here we see the case made cleare that the Romish Church with two heads Christ and the Pope as yet had not any being at all neither the name of Pope approued of as wee shewed in
Church And bid them now bragge of the visibilitie of their Church and of the standing state it alwaies had since it was a Church because thou canst not deny it them but withall giue them to vnderstand that euen thereby is our Church proued that true Church which the Angel in that chapter foretold should be driuen from home and dispierced abroad and theirs to be the tyrannicall and persecuting Church which should driue it out of her Countrie And thus much for the prouing when their Church first began and how farre it did extend it selfe as also the first beginning of vniuersall Popes to bee sixe hundred and sixe yeares after Christ whereby both their antiquitie and vniuersalitie is vtterly ouerthrowne Now to the conclusion of all 8 Forasmuch as we which now are distinguished from them by the title of Protestants confesse that in this their Romish iurisdiction we had no Church left at the rising of Luther they demaund of vs from whence our Bishops had their callings and how our Ministers which they haue ordained euer since can haue lawfull callings seeing there was then no Protestant Bishops to ordaine them neither that by the Apostles euer any Christians had that title giuen them We answer For the title Protestant wee stand not vpon for wee graunt that in the time of the Apostles there was not any Christians called by that name no more then there was any called by that name Catholique The onely title proper to the professours of Christ was giuen by the Apostles in the Citie of Antioch which was to be called Christians as appeareth in the 11. of the Acts of the Apostles but afterwards when as counterfait professours of Christ as the Arians Macedonians Eunâ—nians were growne to be Sectaries and Heretiques and each of them to challenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church There was another sort in Rome called Homousians which were indeede of the true Church these to distinguish themselues from those counterfait Christians intituled themselues Christian Catholiques Whereupon as Socrates testifieth k Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. that worthie Prince Theodosius hearing thereof caused these foure sorts of Christians to be brought before him and euery Sect to bring their seuerall opinions in writing which when hee and his Bishops there assembled had throughly pervsed and examined he tore in pieces the Papers of the three Heretiques and approued onely of the Homousians finding it onely to agree with the Doctrine of the Scriptures And thereupon made this Decree All people subiect to our Empire How and when the name Catholique was giuen to Christians we will haue to continue in that Religion which Saint Peter the Apostle deliuered to the Romans as the faith kept from his time to this day doth declare and the which it is euident Bishop Damassus and Peter Bishop of Alexandria a man of Apostolique sanctitie doe professe to wit that according to the Apostolique and Euangelique Doctrine wee beleeue one Godhead of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of like maiestie in sacred Trinitie The obseruers of this Law we commaund to be taken for Christian Catholiques the rest as mad and frantike we adiudge to beare the reproach of Heretiques which must looke to feele first the vengeance of God and next such penalties as the motion of our hearts directed from aboue shall appoynt And this was about two hundred yeares before the Papists had a Church therefore this act being done onely in our Church it is without all contradiction we onely must needs be of that sort of Christians vnto whom the title Catholique was then giuen and consequently of the true and most auncient Catholique and Apostolique Church So likewise afterwards when as the West part of the Church did vnder the title of Christian Catholiques professe Christ after an Antichristian manner then certaine true Christians withstanding them protested a contrary manner of Christian profession agreeable to the auncient Catholique Faith and Religion and by their protesting did distinguish themselues from that counterfait companie which they then saw as we now haue declared at large in our former Chapters were cleane swarued from the true Faith and Religion And from thence we following their true Faith and religion retain the same title to distinguish our selues from our most counterfait Christian Catholiques But would God both these new titles were laid away and that both sorts might be called by their owne proper titles to wit Christians and Antichristians for so the Church of Christ should the better be knowne from the Church of Antichrist 9 Now for the lawfulnesse of our Bishops callings wee say that when the time drew neere that the Gospel which Antichrist had suppressed in the Romish iurisdiction should be set vp againe according to that old Romish prophesie intituled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis written I know not how many hundred yeares agoe bearing that after the yeare of Christs Incarnation 1534. In an olde Booke Good Law good Religion good peace together with Faith Truth and sound Doctrine should returne againe into the World in their proper shape and true likenesse then about that time when by the meanes of that man of Cod Luther some Bishops were conuerted to true Christianitie againe and that others had time to conuerse with them concerning the present necessitie of electing and ordaining Christian Ministers then they entered by the olde ordinances of those Christian Bishops which were before Poperie was and so ordained ministers by the rules and authoritie of the first Apostolicke order which had alwaies continued in those other parts of our Churches which as wee shewed were neuer members of the Popish Church For otherwise had they not bin first conuerted they and all the Ministers which they haue ordained should haue been the seruants of Antichrist euen as those were before and at this day are which haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope For so their S. Bernard speaking of Bishops and Ministers which haue their calling from and by the Popes ordination saith l Bernard supra cant Serm. 33. They serue Antichrist Also their Albertus Magnus saith m Albert in Jehn 10. They bee the Ministers of Antichrist and the vnderminers of the flocke of Christ. And therefore whether it be likely that our Ministers which be ordained by Bishops of an ordinarie calling from the Apostles of Christ haue lawfull callings or such as haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope let the Christian Reader iudge And the more to inlighten his iudgement and better discerning the truth hereof let him consider these fruits and effects of their calling Their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus complayning of the Romish Clergie n Bridgit lib. 1. cap. 56. They faine themselues to be mine and in the meane time they worke wickedly against mee Their Saint Elizabeth bringeth in Christ thus reporting of them o Elizabeth against the corruptions of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They that walk vnder my name doe not feare to
persecute mee in my members Their Prophetesse Mathilde saith p Mathilde in a prophesie of hers They are falne from Christ and become rauening Wolues deuouring and cutting the throats of Christs Sheepe 10 And that the vnpartial Reader may yet be the more fully resolued that these Priests which haue their callings from the Pope are not the Priests of Christ their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus disclaiming them vtterly saying q Bridgit lib. 1.47 Behold such Priests are not my Priests but very traytours for they both sell mee and betray mee like Iudas Wherefore notwithstanding they carrie the name of the Priests of Christ as Iudas carried the name of an Apostle of Christ yet the Reader may plainely see they are but counterfaits and as verie traytours to Christ as Iudas himselfe was And thus much for the answering these obiections namely that their Church was the most ancient and Apostolique Church That the succession of Popes descended from Saint Peter That wee had no Church till Luthers time That our Protestant Bishops and Ministers haue no lawfull callings Now it resteth in the next Chapter to trie whether the Popes owne calling be proued a lawfull calling by generall consent of Councels and Fathers as they avow or whether it be not a meere illusion of Antichrist so to say CHAP. VII Tending to resolue all men that the Papists great boasting of their generall consent from Saint Peters time is but a very Antichristian illusion that their antiquiy of the Popes vniuersall Supremacie is but a fallacie that the succession of vniuersall Popes descended from Saint Peter is without veritie and all of them together flat forgeries euen as wee haue already proued their other Principles to be and as in this Chapter God willing we shall proue them all to be FIrst N. D. in his Wardword Bellarmines assertion the Answere to Sir Frances Hastings Watchword page 102. wherof Bellarmine is supposed to be the originall Authour to enduce vs to beleeue that from Saint Peters time the Popes vniuersall Supremacie was approued of by all Councells and Fathers saith All the Christian world hath euer made this most certaine and infallible deduction that Christ gaue not to Saint Peter these imminent prerogatiues of authoritie and superioritie for himselfe alone but for his posterity and successours also that should ensue him in his seate and charge ouer the Church of Christ to the worlds end For this cause haue they reuerenced and respected so much the Bishops of Rome as by all generall Councels and Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Histories appeare THE ANSWERE 2 First as touching the ground of his Argument namely Peters Supremacie we shall proue at large in our next Chapter that it was but the same that the other Apostles had and therefore from him the Pope cannot claime any such prerogatiue of authoritie to be called vniuersall Bishop Christs Vicar generall or head of his vniuersall Church Secondly we haue already proued in our fifth Chapter that for the first 606. yeres next after Christ there was no vniuersall Pope approued of nor established Thirdly their great Doctour Maister Harding saith a Harding Apolog cap. 4. diuis 2 affirmeth the first supreame gouernement to be by foure therefore not by one In great Cities where the Highest courts for iustice were kept and where the chiefe pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after the comming of Christ were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weighty matters of Bishops should be decided Which if they will haue vs graunt to be true then must they graunt that from the Apostles times the first supreame gouernement that was ouer Bishops and their great and weightie matters was by certaine head Bishops and not by one and how then can that be true that from Saint Peters time the Bishop of Rome was supreame head ouer all 3 The first of all the Prelates that beganne to insult ouer other were the Bishops of Rome for that more honour beganne to be giuen to the Bishop of that Sea partly because Rome was then the most famous for Religion and partly also because it was then the Seate of the Emperour of the world they beganne proudly to vsurpe authoritie ouer their fellowes the first of which was Victor whose arrogancie when other Bishops espied they opposed themselues against Amongst whom was Policrates and Irenaeus who most sharpely reprehended him for it as Eusebius witnesseth b Eusebius And this was about the yeare of Christ 189. and therefore how is the consequent of Bellarmines assertion true that by the testimonies of all Histories the Christian world euer approued of the Popes superioritie aboue all 4 To the yeare of Christ 205. Euery Bishop sateâ— chiefe in his owne Citie or neare thereabout were holden these chiefe Synodes or Councels The first in Rome the second in Caesarea the third in Pontus the fourth in France the fifth in Ostroena and the sixt in Ephesus of which if they can proue the Bishop of Rome to sit as chiefe in any but in that of his owne Citie the victorie shall be theirs But it is euident by all these testimonies of Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 21. 22. 23. 24. lib. 1.21 and other places of his bookes that the Bishop of Rome sate as chiefe onely in his and the other in theirs wherefore how can that be true that all Councels and Fathers from Saint Peters time euer approued of the Popes chiefâ—tie 5 About the yeare of Christ 254. a Councell was holden at Carthage in which Saint Cyprian being Bishop of the same Prouince sate as chiefe who openly thus inueighed against the superioritie which Stephen then Bishop of Rome beganne to claime from Saint Peter and also thus cleared himselfe and the other Bishops there assembled from that arrogancie saying c Cyprian in sententijs Concilij Carthag ad Quirinum None of vs maketh himselfe a Bishop of Bishops neyther was Peter so arrogant to take things so insolently vpon him as to aduance himselfe as Primate and one vnto whom the rest as Nouices and Punies should be subiect Now therefore seeing Peter neuer had that prerogatiue of Superioritie and that so soone after Saint Peters death this Councell condemned the Bishop of Rome for attempting to aspire to that height of pride how is Bellarmines allegation true that all Councels and Fathers euer approued of the Popes Supremacie and the rather for that Saint Cyprian reprouing Cornelius Bishop of Rome for receiuing Appeales from others iurisdictions wrote thus vnto him d Cyprian lib. â— Epist. 3. Those that be vnder vs must not runne thus about to Rome vnlesse perhappes a few desperate and loose companions take the authoritie of the Bishops of Affrica to be lesse then at Rome Now then if those in that time so neare the Apostles which counted the authority of the Roman Bishops higher then the Affrican Bishops were accounted but as the offscomes of
the Church hath none other head but Christ yea as well that part that is Millitant as that that is Triumphant and both together because they both make but one Church And therefore writing to the Church of Corinth in his 2 Epistle 11. chapter 2. verse he said thus vnto her I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ And to the intent that all might know that the Church Triumphant and the Church Millitant hath both but one and the same head hee writing to the Church of Ephesus chapter 1.20.21.22.23 said thus vnto them of Christ God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery Name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things And to the Colossians chapter 1. verses 16.17.18 thus For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And hee is before all things and in him all things consist And hee is the head of the body of the Church hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell By which it is manifest Christ Iesus alone is the head of the whole Church The Pope cannot claime antiquity of Bishopricke from Peter because Peter was not the first bishop but Iames. and not Peter and therefore the Pope cannot rightly claime the vniuersall headship from him If Peter had beene the supreame head of the Church why was hee not then the first Bishop of the Church but agreed with Iames and Iohn to make Iames the Iust the first Bishop as Clement the first witnesseth in these words * Clement lib. 6. Hypotip Ierusalem the most ancient mother church and not Rome Peter Iames and Iohn after the Assumption of our Sauiour challenged not this prerogatiue vnto themselues but appoynted Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem And as these words of Clement proue Peter not to be the first Bishop so doe they proue Rome not to be the first Church where the first Apostolicall Bishop was placed but Ierusalem therefore not Rome but Ierusalem must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church 14 That must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church whose ministers Christ himselfe appointed the Apostles first to be which was the Church of Iewrie as appeareth by S. Mathew chap. 10.5.6 where after he had repeated the names of the twelue Apostles which Christ had chosen said These twelue did Iesus send forth and commanded them saying Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather to the lost sheepe of the bouse of Israell Therefore the Church of Ierusalem was the most auncient Apostolike Church and not the Church of Rome which was the chiefe of the Gentiles 15 Againe that Church must needes be the Mother of the most auncient Catholique hâ—urch in which Christ himselfe first planted the Faith and Religion which should be Catholique and by the meanes of whose Ministers the Catholique Church should receiue it which Faith and Religion Saint Mathew chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 witnesseth Christ taught vnto the people daily in the Temple of Ierusalem and commaunded her Ministers the Apostles to publish the same afterwards to the vniuersall world Mathew 28.19.20 therefore Ierusalem and not Rome is the Mother of the most auncient Catholique Church 16 MoreoueÌ„r There was no Romish Church at all 14. yeeres after Peter was called to be an Apostle Ierusalem must needs be the mother Church of all Christian Nations for that in her all the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost and the gifts of tougues that euery Nation might be taught by them in their owne language what to beleeue and doe to be saued the which they had largely put in practise during well-neere foureteene yeeres immediately after their calling before Peter came to Rome For they cannot denie but that Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ his incarnation 44. Before which time Peter planted many Churches in diuers Coasts For themselues affirme in their Rozarie that before he came to Rome hee spent his time preaching in Iewry Syria Antiochia and other places Many Churches were planted in the world before Peter came to Rome Therefore seeing that besides those other Churches which were planted by the rest of the Apostles Peter planted many before he planted a Church at Rome it is cleare that when as he had planted a Church in Rome shee could be but one of the Daughters and not the Mother of the most ancient Catholique and Apostolike Church 17 Lastly it must needs be the most ancient Church and the Mother of all the Churches Millitant from which the Church Triumphant hath her name deriued but Saint Paul Galathians 4 and Saint Iohn Reuelations 21. sheweth her name to be deriued from Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the Mother of all Christian Churches Millitant That is to say the onely figure of the vniuersall Mother for as Saint Matthew Chapter 23.9 sheweth the vniuersall Father to be not in earth but in Heauen so Saint Paul Galathians 4.26 sheweth the vniuersall Mother not to be in earth That must needs be the most anâ—iâ—nt Church Millitant troÌ„ which the Church Triumphant hath her name derâ—ued but in Heauen 18 And now Christian Reader as wee shewed thee at large in our fifth Chapter that before the yeere of Christ 607. there was no Popish Church in Rome and here that before the yeere of Christs incarnation 44. there was no Romish Church at all so will we now shew thee more plainly that after there was a Romish Church and that shee was become most famous for her Faith and Religion that yet euen then shee was not the Mother but a Daughter not the head but a chiefe member of the Apostolike and Catholike Church Tertullian who liued in the next age after the Apostles wrote thus b Tertul. de praescription centra Haereticos Runne ouer and behold the Apostolique Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyce and representing the face of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe
Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseech your holinesse doe so no more Againe if the Title had been a lawfull Title why did he call Iohn Bishop of Constantinople m Gregory lib. 6. Epist 30. The fore-runner of Antichrist for seeking to bring it into the Church And say n Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. By this pride of his what else is signified but that the time of Antichrist is at hand o Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. The King of pride is at hand and an Army of Priests is prepared which is a lamentable thing to be spoken Yea and why to make all men to know him by that Title did hee thus describe him saying p Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him And also to seeke to cleare all his Predecessours to Peters time from euer claiming that Antichristian Title saying q Gregory lib. 4. Epist 32.36 None of my Predecessours Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him that name of singularitie And further to shew what an vnlawfull Title it was to be called the vniuersall head of Christs Church and the danger that might ensue said r Gregory lib. 4. Epist 32. If we haue but one head the fall of that head is the fall of the whole Church If any man presume to take vpon him the name of vniuersall Bishop the whole Church falleth downe from her estate when hee falleth which is called vniuersall but farre may that name of blasphemy be from all Christian mindes By which it appeareth plainely that the Romish that is now which hath an vniuersall Pope for her Husband and head is not the Church of Saint Peter but the Church of Saint Antichrist And therefore to say that the Romish Church which Saint Peter first planted in Rome was one and the same that the Church of Rome is now is most horrible blasphemie and a meanes to bring a great scandall vpon that part of the Primitiue Church For if she was the same then was shee that Whore of Babylon mentioned by the Angell in the 17. Chapter of the Reuelation For so saith Ioacham Abbas of the Popish Church Å¿ Joacham on the 17. chapter of the Reuelation The very Text it selfe doth teach saith he how that the woman beguiled with gold and which committeth pirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the very Church of Rome which Babylon-like playeth spiritually the Whore with stockes and stones Againe if that first Church of Rome was the same that this Church vnder vniuersall Popes is then was shee the same which the Angell in the 18. Chapter of the Reuelation saith Is falne and become the habitation of Diuels for so their Saint Katharine of Siene saith the Church vnder the Popes is t Katharine in a prayer for the reformation Selling saith she through Symony the grace of the holy Ghost abusing ecclesiasticall matters corrupting and killing the soules which Christ hath redeemed with his blood c. O Tabernacle but of the Diuell And of which Ioacham also saith v Ioacham vpon the 1. and 2. chapters of Jeâ—emy This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his seate Therefore to say that this second Church of Rome is the same that Saint Peter first planted in Rome is most damnable blasphemie And thus much for the conclusion of all that which wee haue hitherto intreated of Now let vs proceede CHAP. IX Tending to resolue all men that the Popish Church cannot be the true and most auncient Catholique Church because the most auncient Apostolike Church was knowne by hauing onely two Sacraments and theirs hath seauen which iust number as they can not bee found in Scriptures so can they not be found once named by any of the foure first generall Councels or any Prouinciall Councell or any of the auncient Fathers till after the rising of the great Antichrist in Rome Also that their Masse was inuented by man and not the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles That it tendeth to the ouerthrow of the power of Christs Sacrifice on the Crosse casteth mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation and finally dissolueth the whole harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall 1 THE Papists haue wonderfully deluded the multitude in making them to beleeue that the most auncient Catholique Church receiued from the institution of Christ and the ordinance of the Apostles these seauen Sacraments The first the Sacrament of Baptisme The second the Sacrament of Confirmation The third the Sacrament of the Altar The fourth the Sacrament of Matrimony The fift the Sacrament of Orders The sixt the Sacrament of Penance The seauenth the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction But because they cannot proue by any one place of Scripture these seauen to be Sacraments nor the number of seauen to come from the institution of Christ or the ordinance of the Apostles some of them would proue it by this reason The books in the Apocalypse haue seauen Seales The seauen Angels haue their seauen Trumpets Christ hath in his right hand seauen Starres Christ walketh in the middes of seauen golden Candlestickes Zacharie saw seauen Eyes vpon a stone There were seauen Candlestickes in the Tabernacle Now if this manner of reasoning will serue to proue that in the true Church of Christ there must needs be seauen Sacraments then will this manner of reasoning proue there must needes be but two First for that the first Church consisted onely but of two persons Adam and Heuah Secondly for that the first publike places wherein God appoynted himselfe to be serued was in number but two the Tabernacle and the Temple Thirdly for that God gaue his Law to the Church in two Tables Fourthly for that the whole tenure of the Doctrine wherein God would haue his Church instructed is contained in two testaments Old and New Fiftly for that the witnesses of those testaments are said to be two Sixtly for that the supreame gouernours which God set ouer his Church were but two Moses and Aaron Lastly because the whole duety of all Church-gouernours are included in these two words Vrim and Thummim there must be but two Sacraments in the Church of Christ But their Doctour M. Harding well perceiuing that this manner of proofe will not serue the turne he taketh a better course as he thinketh for he will proue his fiue added Ceremonies to be Sacraments because they were called Sacraments by some of the auncient Fathers as indeede wee graunt they were but what of this seeing we can proue that they called not onely fiue other Ceremonies Sacraments but many moe as for example Tertullian called the generall state of the Christian Faith The Sacrament of Christian Religion a Tertull. contra Marcionem li. 4. Saint Hierome called Martyrdome a Sacrament b Hierome ad Oceanum Saint Augustine
called the forme of the Crosse a Sacrament c Aug. in Serm. De Sanctis 19. Leo called the Vowe of Virginitie a Sacrament d Leo inter Decreta Leonis cap. 14. Saint Bernard hee called the washing of feete The Sacrament of daily sinnes e Bern. in Serm. de Coena Dom. And yet besides these other fiue were many moe called Sacraments Saint Hillarie f Hilar. in Mat. Cannon 11.12 23. in diuers places of his writings calleth Prayer a Sacrament Fasting a Sacrament Weeping a Sacrament and the whole tenure of the Scriptures a Sacrament For as the Iewes before the comming of Christ had brought into a custome to call their Oblations and whatsoeuer tended to the worship and seruice of God Sacrifices So after the comming of Christ had the Christians brought into a custome to call almost all whatsoeuer tended to the worship and seruice of Christ Sacraments Saint Augustine speaking of these and other such new deuices which were then crept into the Church saith g August in his 219. Epistle Albeit they be not against the faith yet with seruile burdens they so oppresse our very religion which God of his mercy would haue to be free vnder few and most manifest Sacraments of diuine seruice that the state of the Iewes is much more tolerable for the Iewes notwithstanding they knew the time of libertie yet were they subiect onely to the pacts and burdens of the Law of God and not to the deuices of men Againe hee saith h In his third Booke of Christian Doctrine 6. cap. Our Lord and his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacraments instead of many and the same in doing most easie in signification most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Againe in another place hee saith i De Symbolo ad Catechumenos These be the two Sacraments of the Church If these two then not Scauen 2 Furthermore that it may plainely appeare that the true Christian Church is to be knowne onely by hauing two Sacraments and not Seauen Let vs heare what Saint Chrysostome saith his words be these k Chrysost of the Workâ— vpon Matth. hom 49. All those things which appertained to Christ indeede haue the Heretikes in their Schismes Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other order of Clerkes likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe So that hereby we see it plainly proued that to Saint Chrysostomes time which was about two hundred yeeres before the Papists had a Church the true Church of Christ was knowne by hauing two Sacraments and not Seauen and therefore the Popish Church by retaining seauen Sacraments is apparently knowne to be not the true Church of Christ That man of God Martin Luther which before had beene a Papist speaking of this matter saith thus l Luth. Babilonicall Captin In proper speach those we call Sacraments which are promises with signes annexed the rest that haue no signes are bare promises wherefore speaking hereof precisely and strictly there are onely two Sacraments in the Church of God Baptisme and the Bread forasmuch as in these onely we find the signes ordayned of God and also the promise of remission of sinnes But here because it may be they will obiect and say that Luther was but of a latter hatch and but of lesse then one hundred yeers standing let them heare what he saith that liued but in one age next after the Apostles Tertullian by name thus he wrote against Martion the Heretike m Tertull. lib. 4. against Marti How doest thou breake marriage neither coupling the man and the woman together nor being coupled otherwise admitting them to the Sacrament of Baptisme and thankesgiuing Note saith the Translatour how he striketh away fiue of the Popish Sacraments which of their owne heads they haue deuised Yea and let them heare what hee saith that liued in the next age after that S. Cyprian by name thus hee saith n Cypr. lib. 2. Epist 1. ad Stephan Then may they be throughly sanctified and become the children of God if they be new borne by both the Sacraments Now in that hee saith both it is cleare that hee acknowledged but onely two Sacraments But why should wee trouble the Reader any longer about this matter seeing the question is resolued by these two Writers of their owne Bessarion and Paschasius Bessarion saith o Bessa of the Euchar. We reade that these onely two Sacraments were deliuered vs plainely in the Gospell Paschasius saith p Pascha of the Supper of our Lord. These be the Sacraments of Christ in the Catholique Church Baptisme and the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Therefore forasmuch as by Scripture they cannot proue their fiue ceremonies to be Sacraments nor by the auncient Fathers before the rising of Antichrist the number of Seauen onely and that we haue proued that for foure hundred yeeres next after Christ there was but onely our two Sacraments in the Christian Church that must needes be a counterfeit Christian Church and of a latter hatch that will be knowne to be the true Catholique Church by retaining more then two nay then three times two Sacraments And that indeed it may more plainely appeare that by retaining more then two it is not the true Church one of the Popes owne Pen men describing the true Church by her owne notes and markes saith thus * Nicol. Cusanus De potestate Ecclesiae Romanae Epist. 1. In this sensible world that is heere beneath wee must learne by sensible Tokens to know the very Church of Christ for otherwise we are not able to reach the truth And a little after This Church standeth of them that declare by sensible and outward tokens that they be partakers of Christ as they be that confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God And therefore this Church hath certaine holy Tokens or Sacraments ordained to that end that thereby wee may know them that be of Christ so farre forth as by such Tokens coniecturall knowledge may be gathered Therefore I say That this Church of Christ by this coniecturall iudgement is counted holy notwithstanding wicked men and Hypocrites couer themselues vnder the same outward tokens And what those tokens are he expresseth in these words following And receiue Baptisme and the Lords Supper as well as the Godly And thus much for this point Now let vs see what wee can say to the Sacrament of the Altar or Masse 3 Their Masse they would beare the world in hand was the ordinance of Christ and formed and framed by the Apostles and that Saint Peter said their Masse at Rome and Saint Iames at Ierusalem But how true this is these words of their Iohannes Boemos will plainly demonstrate q Iohan. Bohem. In his Booke of the beginning of things cap. 1â— The Masse saith hee so call they the Sacrifice was
neither giue nor grant our requests If we pray to God in the name of Christ hee hath promised Iohn 14. Chapter that both his Father and he will heare our petitions and grant our requests And this is it which Saint Cyrill saith of Christ x Cyrill in his 11. Booke vpon John He put to in my name to shew that he was a Mediatour and a granter and a giuer with God which prerogatiue no Saint hath 9 Againe forasmuch as Christ himselfe saith Iohn 10. By me if any man enter in he shall be saued and in the 1. verse He that entereth not in by the doore into the sheepe fold but climeth vp another way he is a thiefe and a robber it is cleare that all those that enter into the Church by any other way then by Christ or into the Kingdome of Heauen by the meanes and mediation of Saints they are but theeues and robbers therefore if they repent not and forsake their errour they shall be sure to haue their part and portion with theeues and robbers And thus much touching praying to Saints Now a word or two touching the worshipping of Saints which we will but briefly touch because the matter is so plaine in the Scriptures that nothing can be made more plaine to be erronious therefore it neede not any long discourse 10 In the 14. Acts 14.8 to the 16. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles mention is made that Saint Paul hauing healed a criple that was borne lame the people did so admire thereat that they supposed Paul and Barnabas to haue beene Gods come downe from Heauen in the likenesse of men whereupon as the Text saith They brought Bulles with garlands beasts bedecked with flowers to haue sacrificed vnto them of which as the Text also saith When Paul and Barnabas heard they rent their cloathes and ranne in among the people crying and saying O men why doe ye these things we are euen men subiect to the like passions as ye be By which it is cleare it was not lawfull to worship the Apostles if not the Apostles then not any other Saint Reuel 19.10 Also in the 19. Chapter of the Reuelation the Text declareth that Saint Iohn fell downe before the feete of the Angell to haue worshipped him but he said vnto him see thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus worship God Now therefore if neither the holy Apostles of Christ nor the glorious and vnspotted Angels of Heauen may be worshipped how may any other inferiour Saint be worshipped Wherefore this vtterly condemneth the Papists of most pestilent peruersenesse that will so directly contrary to so euident a truth teach men to worship Saints yea and not onely so but that which is most horrible to heare the very dumbe pictures and Images of Saints 11 Saint Augustine writing against Fostus the heretique bringeth in these two places of Scripture to proue that it is not lawfull to worship Saints for said he y August an his 20. book against Faustus Chap 201. The very Saints themselues whether they be dead men or Angels will not haue honour giuen to them which onely is due to God This saith he appeareth in Paul and Barnabas when the men of Licaonia astonied at their miracles would haue done sacrifice vnto them as if they had beene Gods For they renting their garments confessing and perswading them that they were not Gods forbad such things to be done vnto them This said he appeared also in the Angels as we reade in the Apocalips The Angell forbidding himselfe to be worshipped And therefore in another place he saith z In his Books of true Religion 55. Chap. Let not the worshipping of dead men be counted holinesse among vs. And a little after The thing that the highest Angell worshippeth must also the lowest man worship Let vs beleeue this that the best Angels and the most excellent Ministers would that we should worship one God with them That ancient Father Epiphanius speaking against old doting and ignorant women which then worshipped the Virgin Mary saith a Epipha in his 3. Booke of Heresies 59. heresie Let no man eate of this errour touching Saint Mary For though the tree be faire yet is not this fruite to be eaten Although Mary be beautifull and holy and honourable yet is shee not to be adored and worshipped but these women worshipping Saint Mary renew againe the sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddesse Fortuna and prepare a Table for the Diuell and not for God Also Saint August writing against Maximinus the Arian Bishop saith b August in his 1. Book against Maximinus If we should make a Temple for an holy Angell should we not be accursed from God and the truth of Christ and from the Church of God because we exhibite that seruice to a creature that is due to God alone By which then who seeth not but that to worship Saints yea though not with Lateria but with hyperdulia is to make our selues the accursed of God for in Gods diuine worship and seruice he will haue all or none euen as our Sauiour himselfe saith Matthew 4. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And yet besides the worship done to all other Saints in their Rosarie they haue twelue parts of spirituall worship of which tenne is giuen to the Virgin Marie and but two to God And notwithstanding the worshipping of Saints was forbidden both by the Apostles and the Angell and condemned by these ancient Fathers for deuilish and damnable long before the Popish Church was yet after they had a Church and that Antichrist the Pope was installed in his throne that he might share with God herein as in other parts of his glorious prerogatiues this was established for one principle of Popish Religion And thus much touching praying to Saints and worshipping of them CHAP. XII Tending to resolue all men who were the first founders of the Doctrine of Purgatory the first place of Scripture that was brought to confirme the Doctrine and to proue a third place of rest for the soules departed and how soone it had corrupted the Church and confounded the iudgements of the ancient Fathers and what confusion it hath bred amongst the Papists themselues and how it tendeth to the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion AS touching the originall foundation of the Doctrine of Purgatory Purgatory had her originall from the Heathen Philosophers thou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that it came first from the Heathen Philosophers in whom although there were the sparkes of diuine knowledge as there is naturally in all men and that by exercising themselues in the contemplation of the glorious workes of Gods creation they were able to write some thing of God and diuine things yet for want of the knowledge of his Word and the rules of his testimonies they could
the sinnes of others Thirdly to stay their soules from death Fourthly to purchase Heauen And lastly to lift vp and place their soules in Heauen They will haue all by their owne deseruings or they will haue none all by merits or else no bargaine therefore let vs see what wee can say further vnto them touching this point 25 Our Sauiour Christ Matthew 5. saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Now this word Poore is a metaphor taken from a man that is so very poore as that hee hath not wherewith to sustaine his owne life but is faine to seeke to others for succour And such are they which finde themselues so greatly destitute of soules sustenance as that they are glad to seeke to others for reliefe euen to God for his mercy and to Christ for his merites 26 Such a blessed poore man was Saint Basil as may appeare by these his words h Basil vpon the 32. Psalm He that trusteth not in his owne good deeds nor hopeth to be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercies of God Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Augustine as appeareth by these his words i Aug. vpon the 142. Psal Lord for thy name sake shalt thou quicken mee in thy righteousnesse Not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercy on me Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Hierome as appeareth by these his words k Hier. 64. of Esay If we behold our owne merits wee shall be driuen to desperation Yea and notwithstanding Saint Bernard acknowledgeth himselfe also to be one of these poore Publicans in that he saith of himselfe l Ber. vpon the Psal qui habitat My merites is the mercy of God yet they will rather be condemned with the proud Pharises then be iuslified with the poore Publicans To be briefe whereas their Master Harding saith m D. Harding in his booke A direction of sundry soule errours lies c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth Here he hath condemned their doctrine of iustification by workes to be most false and erroneous but in that that hee includeth that workes may deserue the grace that God giueth he hath proued himselfe a notable heretique For as Saint Augustine saith n Aug. in his 46. Epistle Vnderstand that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an Elder of the Church of Rome is written against the Pelagians the new heretiques which affirme the grace of God to be giuen according to merits that he that glorieth should not glorie in the Lord but in himselfe that is in man and not in the Lord. And therefore in another place hee saith o In the same Epistle Let no man say that for the merits of his workes or for the merits of his prayers or for the merit of his faith the grace of God is giuen vnto him And so that which those heretiques say be counted true namely that according to our merits the grace of God is giuen then the which nothing can be more false But as he saith in another place p In his booke of predestination of Saints chap. 9. They that glorie should not glorie in their owne merits which they perceiue to be like vnto the merits of them that shall be damned but should glorie in the Lord. Whereupon saith Saint Ambrose q Ambrose in his 1. booke and 5. chapter of the calling of the Gentiles Like as there is none so detestable outragious as can restraine the free gift of grace so can there be no worke so excellent that this which is freely giuen should be due vnto them by action of debt for then the redemption of Christ should in deed be no thing worth neither should the worthinesse of mans workes be inferiour to the mercie of God Whereupon their Writer Waldensis saith r Walden in his booke against Wilelesse I take him therefore to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholique and more agreeable to the holy Scriptures that vtterly denieth all such kinde of merits And thus much for the conclusion of the twelue Chapters referring the whole matter to be iudged by all that shall reade them Whether they can possibly be true Catholique Christians which in stead of one God will haue hundreds as appeareth in our first Chapter and in stead of one Sauiour to haue many thousands as appeareth in the same Chapter That will haue the Pope to be the very Vicar of Christ whom in our second Chapter wee proued to be that great Antichrist shewed by Saint Paul 2 Thessa 2. to be the Arch-enemie of Christ and all true Christians That will haue Rome to be the Mother of all Christian Churches which in our third Chapter we proued to be that Babylon which the Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of Whordomes and abhominations of the earth That will haue his Church as it is now Christian to be the true Church of Christ Which in our fourth Chapter we proued to be the same idolatrous Church professing Christ mentioned by the Angell in the 13. Chapter and 17. Chapter of the Reuelation That will haue their Church to be the most auncient Apostolique and Catholique Church which in our fifth Chapter we proued had no being at all for the space of sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ That will haue the succession of Vniuersall Popes to descend from Saint Peter which we proued in our sixth Chapter to descend but from Boniface the third Bishop of Rome of that name made Vniuersal Pope by that Murtherer Phocas â—he Emperour in the yeare of Christ 607. In which yeare the first Vniuersall Pope being made the Popish Church must needes first begin For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an Vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Therefore their Church hauing her first beginning but sixe hundred and seauen yeares after Christ the antiquity thereof is ouerthrowne our Church proued to be more ancient by sixe hundred and sixe yeares That will haue the Popes supreame title and dignitie approued of by generall consent of Councells and Fathers which in our seauenth Chapter we proued to be gain said and withstood by Councells and Fathers till the yeare of Christ 607. That will haue Peter to be made supreame Head of all the Apostles by Christ himselfe the contrary whereof wee proued in our eighth Chapter by Christs expresse Commaundement and therefore the Pope cannot claime his Supremacie from Peter That will haue the true Church knowne by retaining seauen Sacraments which in our ninth Chapter we proued that to Saint Chrisostomes time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christs Incarnation it was knowne by retaining onely two Sacraments and afterwards no Christian Church knowne by the iust number of seauen till Antichrist was borne in Rome That will haue the idolatrous Masse to be the ordinance of Christ which in the same Chapter we proued cannot be because it tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion as also because it was not begun to be framed till about one hundred and nineteene yeares after Christ and not finished of more then sixe hundred yeares after And confessed by their Iohannes Boemos to be inuented by certaine Bishoppes of Rome whose names wee haue produced in the same Chapter as himselfe nominated them That will haue those words in the sixt chapter of Saint Iohns Cospel touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud to bee meant of a corporall kinde of eating which heresie wee proued in our tenth Chapter Christ reproued the carnall Capernaites for As also will haue those words in the sixe and twentieth Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel Take eate this is my Body to be literally vnderstood that they might worship the bread for Christ and make an Idoll of it That will haue Saints prayed vnto and worshipped which as we proued in our eleuenth Chapter is to robbe God of two speciall parts of his glory Lastly that will haue men to make a better satisfaction for sinne then Christ hath made for them be better purged from their sinne in the fire of Purgatory then Christ hath by his bloud or be holden from life and libertie for euer which as we proued in our twelfth Chapter tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all that Christ hath done for the saluation of man kinde To conclude we see in this Chapter of Conclusion they will haue men to seeke iustification by the workes of the Law that so they might be brought vnder the curse and condemnation of it for not fulfilling all that the Law requireth They will haue men to purchase heauen by their owne deseruing thereby to proue his death to be needlesse and faith in him of none effect And notwithstanding that case to stand cleare that these be paâ—â— of those Antichristian lies wherewith Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. shewed the great Antichrist should deceiue those that loued not the truth But had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They bash not to say The Pope cannot be holden with any Religion of a lie FINIS