who would relie for his saluation vpon the publike and most conspicuous Church professing Christ what should hee haue done in the time of Constantius the Arrian Emperour when the whole visible conspicuous Church ouerwhelmed with Arrianisme decreed in councels so greatly and so dangerously that as u Hierom. aduers Lucâ—feria Saint Hierome reporteth the whole world maruailed how it was become an Arian yea and most lamentable was the face of the visible Church especially in Rome it selfe when Liberius returning out of banishment * Hieron lib. de scriptoribus in fortunat in Châ—on Libertus ipse in Epist ad Episc Orient apud Bellar lib. 4. cap. 9. de Pont. Bellar. ibidâ—m Athanas in Epâ—st ad Soâ—â—t vitam agentes Damasus Pope in Liberio Hilar. lib. contra Constant â—ozom lib. â— cap. 14. Nicepb lib. 9 cap. 37. alij subscribed to the Arian faith which had beene before decreed in diuers publike almost vniuersall Councels of the whole Church as at Millaine at Ariminum c. and by the same subscription confirmed and decreed as a point of Catholike faith what the Bishops before had resolued vpon and subscribed vnto for in the subscription of Bishops and confirmation of Popes consisteth the robour and strength of Romane Articles of faith so infallibly that the whole Romane Church is bound to receiue them to professe them after such decrees and subscriptions And truly the answer which Liberius made before his banishment and whilest hee was constant in the Catholike faith vnto Constantius the Emperor is for the same purpose very worthy reading for whereas the Emperour thus obiected vnto him what was hee and what thought hee of himselfe who would oppose himselfe against all Bishops of the world hee answered not thinking as our men now doe of the Popes sole inerrablenesse neither as daunted with the whole visible multitude against him most resolutely y Theodoret. lib 2. hist cap 16. thus that although hee and Athanasius were z Vbi suut tandem c. Where are they now who exprobrate vnto vs pouerty and do insolently brag of their wealth where are they who define the Church by a multitude and despile the little flocke Gregor Nazianz in Arianos Orat. 11. alone yet the cause of faith was nothing the worse for long ago said hee there were onely three who withstood the Kings hee meaneth Nabuchodonozor commandement but doubtlesse these men who stood so much vpon the visibility of succession and vpon the greatest multitude would vpon the returne of Liberius backe to Rome his sitting in that chaire also some good time before hee againe renounced the communion with the Arrians and their faith to which hee had subscribed before they would surely haue communicated with Liberius and haue despised the contemptible and persecuted Church of Athanasius and Felix with some few Romanes who then rightly beleeued and professed Christ Besides if it bee necessary to ioyne with the greatest multitude professing Christ after the Romane fashion doubtlesse haue was the case of their Romanists in times of their very many very great and grieuous a Certaine Decades of most horrible schismes haue beene in the Romane Church Platina Baron per Anal. schismes when their whole Church hath beene ouerwhelmed with the power of some Anti-Popes besides to argue ad hominem in the time of the Councell of Franck ford when the Bishops of France Germany and England with diuers of Italy decreed against your second Nicene Councell commanding adoration and worshipping of Images what might a faithfull Christian of the West haue done was hee to obey the decree of Franck ford or not if you say yea then your Nicene Councell is condemned if not then alwaies the greatest multitude and the publike visible Pastors though assembled in Councell are not to be obeied which was then very great and conspicuous especially if you had adioyned their authorities with all those Prelates of the East Church who in diuers and suÌ„dry councels vnder Constantine the two Leos who had before condemned the adoration of Images you should haue found the same farre to haue surpassed that of your Tridentine Councell in Germany consisting for most part of your Titulary Italian Bishops In time of the b Coâ—cil Baâ—â— Sess 34. See the Epistle of the Fathers of the Councell of Basile to the Electors of the Empire Tom. 3. Constitutio Imperial pag. 456. Councell of Basile when Eugenius the 4. Pope was deposed and accused by that Councell and Felix elected in his roome by the Bishoppes of France Germany and England with diuers also of Italy and some also of Spaine tell mee were the secret Eugenians in those Kingdomes if there were any bound to follow the greatest multitude of Prelates beware you graunt it for it will not stand with the credite of your visible succession Doubtlesse the state of the Christian Church was such at that time that a Chrrstian was bound onely to adhere to the euerlasting and indeffectible head of his Church Christ Iesus and was no more bound to follow Felix then Eugenius with his councell at Florence the which Schismaticall councell to note by the way was the first that publikely decreed the number of seuen Sacraments and Purgatory fire as soundly and as catholikly as some few yeers after the Tridentine fathers assembled of a few French or Spanish but most Italian Bishops whereof also many were Titular onely and were made to fill vp the number decreed many heretical and most pernicious positions against the ancient and apostolike faith and it is no maruaile they did so egregiously erre for they were not to determine any thing which might displease Rome therefore so soone as some of them beganne to consult about reformation of the Court and Church of Rome with the Bishoppes thereof presently by a peremptory Placet of Pius the fourth the whole Councell was dissolued and their good intentions wholy frustrated they onely leauing behind them their subscriptions to their corrupt decrees which subscriptions notwithstaÌ„ding were neuer made so ful and perfect that the number of the Prelates subscribing hapned to bee one whole hundreth at c Concilium Trident editum a â—innio anie one of their sessions and generall subscriptions But to returne to my purpose if Saint Iohn in his Reuelation doe so clearely pronounce that the woman by whom the Church of Christ is described according to the exposition almost of all is to flee into the desert there to be nourished fauoured and protected by God per tempora tempus dimidium temporis for times for a time and for halfe a time by Apoc. 12. which flight is vnderstood the secretnesse hiddennesse and inuisibility of the true Church not only for three yeers and a halfe as all the Pontificians for most part eagerly doe contend but for some longer time sufficient for the accomplishment of all such things which haue beene foretold by the Prophets but because I would incline
to interprete this flight of the woman to haue been about the time of Constantius or else to signifie some other particular desolation destitution of the Church when shee was persecuted by the Gentiles I doe not much insist vpon it and yet although this generall destitution of the Church should last but for a short time as they desire yet it quite ouerthroweth their ground of the Churches * Almost all Pontificians acknowledge that in Antichrists time the true Church shall bee in conspicuous without any publike â—â—uicâ— so Bellarmine Dried Sâ—aâ—es Valâ—nt Râ—mists clearely vpon the 2. to the Thes 2. continuall and neuer intermitted manifest and vniuersall conspicuity Further without all question if the e Apocal. 13 whole world shall admire after the image of the beast which image of the beast must of necessity be vnderstood of some kind of Monarchicall gouernment Empire or rule the which like an Image shall represent and stand as it were in stead of the Romane Empire it selfe then doubtlesse the number of those which shall refuse to adore the Image of the beast and to acknowledge the Popes temporall and spirituall absolute Monarchy will not be great but small at the very first till God by the spirite of his mouth shall vouchsafe by degrees to destroy the harlot where the image of this beast resideth To confirme what I haue said I will annexe the prophesie of one Hildegard a religious Virgine whom the aduersaries repute a Saint and f Theodoric Niem 2. lâ—b de priuilegijs Imperij cap. de Oâ—b 2. 3. whose bookes in the which this prophesie is Eugenius the third in a Councel at Treuers at which Saint Bernard was present receiued and approued This deuout Virgine hauing prophesied of a defection that should bee from the Romane Empire she foretelleth also of a general diuision that should be in the church and withall how by reason of the wickednesse pride and neglect of Religion which all would see in the Popes Apostolicall as shee calleth them all Kingdomes * This her prophesie is agâ—â—ing to the doctrine of lâ—aâ—ned 〈◊〉 in his booke of the auâ—â—â—â—ibility oâ— the Pope and in the time of Pope Juliâ—s all the Prelates of France at Touâ—es in a Councell there affiâ—med the same as Iohn dâ— Sâ—â—â—s relateth in Lewis the 12. would thereupon choose vnto themselues Archbishops and Gouernours of other names vnder whom they might and would professe Christ and his pure Religion leauing saith she vnto the Pope Rome alone with a few territories adioyning thereunto vnder such Gouernours and Archbishops saith shee Peoples and Kingdomes shall embrace iustice obserue the ancient customes and disciplines as the ancieÌ„ts were accustomed to do Thus she by which prophecie it is euident what this Saint and all those who approued her books thought of necessary subiection to the Bishop and Church of Rome Not vnlike is that which they write of their Prophetisse g Lib. 4. reuelat cap 57. Brigit shee bringeth in the mother of Christ thus speaking to her sonne Rome is a plentifull field to whom Christ answered thou sayest true but cockle hath ouergrowne this field and therefore it must bee clensed with a sharpe iron it must bee purged with fire and plowed with oxen therefore I will deale with it as he who remoueth plants into another place for h The Bishop of Eâ—hesus was threatned by God to haue his Candlesticke â—emooued out of his â—lace foâ— leauing of his first charity Apocal 2 What presumption therefore 〈◊〉 the Roman Popâ—s to thinke theis Candlestick cannoâ—â—â— remoued who haue abandâ—ned all the primitiue chaâ—ity of the Apostles and are whol degene rated into aâ— câ—taâ—iâ—â— of sin bâ—t I wish theÌ„ to â—ead the â—â— of S. Pauls epist to them such a punishment is prouided for that City as if the Iudge would say flea off the whole skinne draw out of the flesh all the bloud cut all the flesh into peeces and breake all the bones that all the marrow may flow away thus there and if the prophesie of the worthy virgine Meethildis be truly related from her the controuersie with Rome is at an end for shee in expresse termes foretelleth that the Church of Rome should wholy apostotate from the faith of Christ and that there should remain in Germany a poore and persecuted Church which should serue and worship God religiously and purely This is cleare likewise that of Iohn Capistran is as cleare that Rome in time would be so purged and the Popes and Cardinals brought so in order that there would bee none found who would make haste to be Pope contrary to the fashion now i Read dist 79 cap si quis and Baron Anno 912. vsed when no one almost entereth canonically but either by fauor canuasing of some Cardinall or procurement of some Prince or by bargaine as Simon would haue bought power to haue giuen the holy Ghost This Iohn Capistrane whom I mentioned was reputed a Saint by them as likewise was Iohn of Calabria as k Possâ—â—ine in a par verbo Câ—â—â—llus Posseuine in his Apparate affirmeth of him of whome Roger Houeden reporteth that hee should affirme that one l Houâ—d in Ric. 1. who should be Antichrist and a Pope was then born in Rome vulgar is the like prophesie of Ioakim Abbot by me mentioned aboue of Antichrist then born in Rome sundry are the like prophesies which them selues also admit amongst themselues to their owne confusion and yet forsooth they would tie all vnder pain of damnation against all Scriptures and all Antiquity to embrace their nouelties and in no case to forsake Rome but against this their paradoxe I may most iustly vse the words of l Tertul. Apolog. cap. 6. Tertullian vnto them vsed by him in like case vbi religio vbi veneratio c. Where is Religion where worship and reuerence due from you to your Elders in habit liuing discipline sense and last of all euen in speech you haue renounced your Ancestors you alwaies prayse Antiquity but day by day you liue newly thus he so these men in all their vanities of Pardons graines round wafers merites of Saints Purgatory fire transubstantiation adoration of Images c. pretend Apostolicall Tradition but being vrged to shew them to be ancient and to carry them vpward towards the Apostles they faint in the midway and when forsooth they faile they will then vow professe pronounce and protest that although they know no mention made of them yet sure they were all vsed before that time euen from the Apostles dayes and here they stumble into that absurdity which they vainely obiect against others to witte of inuisible inaudible and vnlegible Traditions one of their Rules of faith the practise whereof in ancient times they cannot shew and although the pure Church of Christ had beene for many yeares together so inuisible so inconspicuous that there could no known nor set Congregation be defined
being therevnto vrged by manifest truth and reason that it is not enough for them vpon their bare wordes to affirme this or that is a tradition Apostolicall or this or that is a doctrine Apostolicall because it is now generally obserued through out all those Churches which communicate with the Bishop of Rome no though at such times when there was no notorious or famous Church on earth to oppose against her and whereof no expresse beginning can bee shewed vnlesse they can withall for such their Traditions ascending vpwards euen vnto the Apostles times or the dayes of their immediate Successors and Schollers clearly and soundly deduct by graue testimonies of Ancient and Catholike authours that such thinges were euer more or lesse obserued and receiued as from the Apostles themselues throughout the Church of Christ if they will refuse this honorable triall of their Traditions and stand only vpon this idle answere and defence that the Church Romane now generally hath them and there is no beginning of them to bee shewed ergo they are Apostolicall they shall shew themselues to be meere wranglers wilfully wedded to most corrupt errours as I will most clearly demonstrate And herein I dare boldly challenge being most confident of this truth any Pontifician whatsoeuer be he Benedictine Fransciscan or Ignatian to shew me some ancient sufficient authority out of Councels or ancient Fathers that whatsoeuer might be obserued or should bee obserued in the later times of the Romane Church whereof no expresse beginning could be shewed should be therfore accounted Apostolicall because generally obserued in her g Epist 118. ad Ianuar. St. Austen indeede is vrged by the Aduersaries to affirme so much of some vnwritten Traditions in his time generally obserued throughout the whole Church but St. Austen is misvnderstood and his rule commonly cited not without corruption misvnderstood because his rule is of such Traditions whereof although nothing is written in holy Scripture yet they are mentioned in approued Authours and Historians more or lesse from the Apostles daies till his times besides great is the difference of 1200. yeares for so long is the time from St. Austens daies to vs for carrying downe of Traditions from the Apostles and in so many ages many thinges vnapostolicall h See Onuphr Genebrard and Platina supra pag. 3. might creepe into particular Churches and consequently into the whole whereof no certaine beginning might be shewed Againe St. Austens rule is commonly mis-cited For whereas that Father writeth thus in effect in his Epistle to i Epist 118. Ianuarius If the authority of diuine Scripture prescribe in any of these rites and ceremonies what is to bee done I I cite not the expresse words of the Father because editions are so different but all haue thus in effect answere there is no doubt to be made but that wee must doe as we reade the like I say if any of these rites which we obserue and the whole Church throughout the world at this present time obserueth for to dispure that we should doe otherwise were insolent madnesse but the Aduersaries commonly when they cite this place leaue out first what he writeth in the beginning of the sentence touching the authority of Scriptures Againe they leaue out commonly those words which restraine his meaning to his daies And in Saint Austens time it is manifest that the Christian Churches were not so diuided as since his times they haue beene and withall that a little before his time the generall Councels of Nice and Sardica had ordered most things and brought many things to light and yet notwithstanding this rule it is well knowne how Saint S. Aust in the same Epistle pronounceth that Christ instituted very few ceremonies Epist 118. Austen complained against multiplicitie of rites and ceremonies brought into diuers particular Churches in his daies wherewith the Christians were more heauily clogged then the ancient Iewes had beene vnder Moses which if it were euer true then it is now amongst the Pontificians most true who haue from their Popes some 1000 of rites and haue also innuerable lawes binding vnder the censure of their curses and heauiest excommunications and so frequently that a man may iustly suppose that there are few of that profession who are not more or lesse touched It is not credible to what number their Excommunications are growne since their tyranical vse of them See Nauar. Man cap. 27. num 50. by their lesser or greater excommunications his holinesse onely excepted who will be bound to no lawes no not to those which he sweareth inuiolably to keepe â—e being indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exlex iniqnus outlaw which Saint k 2. Thes 2. Paul hath prophecied should sit in the Temple of God as I will more fully declare hereafter But I will demonstrate that there are diuers practises and customes obserued throughout their Roman Church vniuersally wherof no beinning can be shewed which themselues wil not dare to affirme to be Apostolicall and so their rule by their owne confessions shall to the ground First is it not an vniuersall though impious practise throughout the Pontifician Church to paint God the Father in the forme of an old man and God the holy Ghost in the forme of a Doue by the same not onely to represent two persons of the most inenarrable and inexpressible Trinitie but also by the same and in the same to adore and worship those two infinite Persons what will they or can they shew me when this custome prâ—cisely began No I wis what must it therefore be a tradition Apostolicall it were impudencie or meere ignorance so to affirme and I thinke there is none of them as yet so shamelesse as to affirme it Nouell I am assured it is vtterly forbidden by the ancient Fathers of the sixt l Sinod 6. Cano. 82. generall Councell reputed an impudent thing by worthy Iohn m Damas Orthodox sid lib. 4. â—ap 17. Sinod Nicen. 2. act 4. 5. 6. 7. Damascene reputed a renowned Saint in their Church and a famous Patrone for the vse of other Images and by their Italian n Polid. lib. de inuentor Polidore Virgil accounted meere folly and which of their own men o Abulens Lira Alij commenting vpon the fourth of Exodus do not more or lesse condemne it and yet now the present Romane Church is so generally infected thereby with the leprosie of superstitious Idolatry that no man whose heart is zealous of Gods honour cannot seeing it but lament therefore Of this kinde also is the prostrate adoring of the Crucifixe it selfe vpon good Friday generally obserued throughout the Romane Church Can their best antiquarie amongst them shew me a beginning hereof no God wot what is it therefore a tradition Apostolicall shame will not suffer them to affirme it To this I adioyne their most Catholike and vaine custome of adorning their Images like as the old Paynims adorned Venus Iuno Ceres their vaine Gods
and yet should neuer vse the same being so much m Acts. cap. 6. 13. giuen to prayers and preaching but celebrate the diuine misteries with our Lords prayer onely as not onely n Greg. lib. 7. Epist. 64 Cardin Cusan ep 7. Ama larius de Eccle. officys lid 3. Rupert de diuinis off lib. 2. Hieron lib. 3. contra Pelag. Naucler Platina Cassander alii Saint Gregorie but diuers others doe deliuer vsing a Lyturgie as it is described by Saint Iustine doubtlesse more like the English Lyturgie then the Romane Masse I obserued also that downe must the authoritie of all those Historians Platina Almarius Polidore Durandus Durantus and very many others who attribute the institution and ordaining of all parts of the Masse to diuers Popes liuing long after the Apostles down also must that notable miracle written by o Iacobus in vita Grego primi Iacobus à Voragine an Archbishop amongst them in Italy at Genoa the miracle was thus and shewed in the time of Adrian Pope when there was great contention in the Church about the Canon of the Masse Thus it was the missall of Gregorie was laid with that of Saint Ambrose together vpon the Altar in Saint Peters Church and left thereupon all night that God would vouchsafe by miracle to demonstrate which of those two he would approue for the vse of the whole westerne Church God did so accordingly saith the wise Archbishop For the missall of Saint Gregorie was * The Roman Canon hath euer worst successe at such trials for as it was heere rent so Don Rodrigo Archbishop of Toledo aboue 300. and 40. yeares ago reporteth lib 6. cap. 25. of his historie that when trial was made betwixt the Gothian and Toletan Canon and the Romane first by priuate combate of two Knights after by fire et both trials the Toletan Canon preuailed the Knight for the Romane Canon was ouercome and at the second triall the fire consumed the Popes Canon that of Toledo being vntouched rent into leaues and cast vp and downe the bodie of the Church but that of Saint Ambrose laid open vpon the Altar readie to be read and so those ancient sages with Adrian their head gathered that the renting of Saint Gregories missall and scattering of the leaues of the same about the Church did shew that it was Gods will that the same should be vsed throughout the whole westerne Church but Saint Ambroses missall because it was laid open in Saint Peters Church vpon an Altar as readie to be there vsed therefore the same forsooth must be vsed onely in Saint Ambroses Church of Millane What wise coniecturer would not rather haue gathered the contrarie that the missall of Ambrose should be vsed but that of Gregorie despised but had you gone O ye Pontificians ad legem ad testimonium to the law and testimonie to the diuine Scriptures as you p Isai 8. are commaunded and not tempt God with expecting of testimonies from the dead which is dangerous superstitious damnable you would neuer haue so shamefully forgotten your selues And how is it imaginable that if the Apostles instituted a Canon of Masse deliuered to the Romane Church which also Saint Ambrose being made of a Catechumen a Bishop could not but find vsed and practised in his Church of Millane how durst that Bishop afterwards attempt to frame a new Canon for his Church omitting to vse that of the Apostles but perhaps he vsed theirs in the forenoone his own in the afternoone or else the two Canons had their turnes one after another Alas how are the sages of Pharaoh caught in their coniecturing And consider Christian Reader how can this miracle stand if the Canon of Masse had beene instituted by the Apostles and accordingly had beene practised both in France and Italy and other Churches for I hope Masse was said throughout Italie and France before the miracle what needed then Charles the Great to haue assisted with his Imperiall authoritie Adrian the Pope for the bringing in to vse the missall of * It is meere vanity to think that the Canon as it is now was so in Saint Gregories daies Saint Gregorie and the exclusion of that of Saint Ambrose Millane onely excepted where it is now vsed from all other Churches away away with these vanities Againe I demaund how could Scholasticus a priuate person of the Church or Citie of Rome or some otâ—er Church although p Bellarm. lib. 2. de missa cap. 12. Bellarmine the profound Cardinall would to the laughter of all faine q Bellarmine called great pillar of the Church and the Auflen of our time by Eudaemon in his confutation of Anticott pa. 48. haue Saint Peter signified vnder the name of Scholasticus compose the Canon of the Masse if the Apostles had made it and the whole Christian westerne Church had practised it before Did Saint Gregorie know that the Apostle made the Canon and that Scholasticus was onely gatherer or setter together in some better methode of that which the Apostles had composed and the Church of Rome in some sort perhaps neglected till Scholasticus his time and so to need his ordering and amending doubtlesse S. Gregorie nameth r M. Thomas Iames worthily obserueth out of S. Gregorie that Scholastians was a vsual name and often mentioned in S. Greg. lib. 2. epist missa scholastico duci lib. 9. epist 14. epist missa scholastic defensori lib. 7. ep 32. lib. 6. ep 26. lib. 3. ep 38. lib. 6. cp 45. alias Scholasticus as a man wel known to Iohn of Siracuse to whom he wrote that Epistle and I thinke it would proue the wits of Bellarmine and all the Ignatians to find where S. Peter or any of the twelue Apostles were surnamed by the name Scholasticus if S. Gregorie knew this why doth he not expresse it nay why doth he most expresly insinuate the contrary affirming expresly that the Apostles celebrated the dreadful misteries only with the Lords praier In his 64 Epistle of his 7. booke these are his words Orationem vero dominicam c. the Lords praier we therefore said presently after the praiers because it was the custome of the Apostles that they did consecrate the host of oblation at our Lords prayor onely and it seemed to me verie inconuenient that wee should say the prayer which Scholastious had composed ouer the oblation and should not vse the tradition which our Lord had composed ouer his bodie and bloud Thus most expresly Saint Gregorie the which authoritie must downe to the ground or else S. Gregorie be appeached of equiuocating or of ignorance that he knew not the tradition vpon which the Canon of Masse was founded as our present Romanists would now perswade the world But nothing be it neuer so manifest must ouerthrow the Canon of their Masse which indeed is the verie life of the present Pontifician Church and the liuelihood of their Priests Monkes and Prelates and yet through
errour and no Apostolicall tradition because not clearely knowne nor receiued in Saint Austens time who most expresly in the learnedst and perhaps the last booke he euer wrote except his Retractations affirmeth that y August lib. de ciuit dei 21 cap. 26. see also the 16. chapter perhaps it is true note the word perhaps that there is a purging fire after death by which it is most manifest according to other places of him that the Church in his time did not make Purgatorie sire a tradition Apostolicall or article of faith but of late the Pseudosinode and Schismaticall Councell vnder Eugenius the fourth gathered against that of Basil which had deposed Eugenius before and substituted Felix contrarie to the ancient faith of the Latine and Grecke Church determined Purgatotie pains for a point of faith But of these imaginarie and fatuous flames else where perhaps more largely The word of God as it is expounded of the ancient Fathers doth dispell condemne explode them for if there z Epist ad Rom. 8. 2. ad Corinth 5. ad Thes 1. cap. 4. Apoc. cap. 14. be no damnation to those who die in Christ Iesus beleeuing in him with faith working by charitier and if all those who die in him euen from that moment of death rest from their labors and that no sooner the earthly habitation is left off but an heauenly habitation is put on and those who beleeuing Christ loue Christ desiring to be dissolued and to be with him are with him and if generally the Apostle exhorteth and commaundeth that Christians should not be so much as contristated for those who die in Christ in Iesus and by Iesus by whom and in whom they sleepe with many such like sayings who that is not eyther seduced by his education in poperie or else for his ouercredulitie to their Priests misled will beleeue the imaginarie flames of Purgatorie And heere I constantly affirme and the contrarie cannot be shewed to wit that all those Fathers who alowed praier for the dead were more or lesse to be touched with some one of these errours either that the states of the faithfull departed could not be certaine vntill the day of iudgement and that they were to be kept in certaine receptacles till that time and that none of the departed were to see Gods face vntill the day of iudgement a Austen writeth doubt fully here of in his Enchirid cap. 109. where he affirmeth that sacrifice is offered for the dead either that they may haue full remission or else that their damnation may be more tolerable He teacheth the like lib. 1. de orig enime cap 9. 10. lib. de cura pro mortuiâ— cap. 1. Azor. lib. institut 10. cap. 22. affirmeth that it was the doctrine of certaine ancient that their Masse did profit and ease the soules damned in hell or else that the verie soules of the damned in hell might be holden by prayers as Iohn b Damascen erat de mortuis ciacon Aquinas alis Damascene approuingly relating the historie of Trajanes soule doliuered by Saint Gregorie seemeth to hold and all those who account the historie of Falconillas deliuerie by the prayers of Tecla to be authenticall seeme to affirme And as for the historie of Traians deliuerie by Saint Gregories prayers although it be impugned by some later authors yet the historie is to be seene painted in Saint Gregories Monasterie at Rome the which also the great Ignatian Salmeron acknowledgeth by which it is most manifest that the opinion teaching that damned soules in Hell might be holpen or eased by the prayers of some liuing seemed not so extrauagant and improbable in the Romane Church when time was by all which and much * Ciprian seemeth to shew how the commemoratâ—ue sacrifice was offered for martyrs in coÌ„memoration of them Cyprian epist 62. lib. 3. lib. 4. epist 5. in like sort Ciril speaketh in Cateches more that might be said to the same purpose the courteous Reader may obserue how one errour breedeth another to wit vncertaintie of estate of the soules departed vntill the day of iudgement prayers for them prayers for them Purgatorie fire Purgatorie fire requiem Masses and Purgatorie sacrifices for them and their fabulous Indulgences with such like errours There be many other things which I might iustly taxe in the Canon of their Masse as repugnant to all antiquitie and consequently not Apostolicall the dreadfull eleuation of the Sacrament not onely to be reuerenced as a Sacrament of God but to be adored and inuocated as the diuine Maiestie it selfe their carrying vp and downe the said Sacrament in their processions But as execrable rather then as inexcusable I doe abhominate that Papall custome and Nouell fashion of theirs by which they set the Sacrament vpon a white palfrey to be caried before their holinesses whithersoeuer they shall make their progresse to shew perhaps that they will be like the virginall Saints in heauen b Apoc. 14. who follow the Lambe wheresoe uer he goeth O mercifull Sauiour of mankind c Psal 118. tempus faciendi dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time to doe they haue dissipated thy law in steede of thy diuine Maiestie they haue set vp a God dwelling in their tabernacles in their towers and call the same their God the God of fortitude the God of strength and insteed of that thy onely sacrifice of the Crosse daily honoured inuocated commemorated by thy faithfull Seruants the Chimericall and imaginarie reall carnall sacrifice of your selfe in bread and wine vpon their idolatrous Altars Open their eyes thou who art the onely Sacrifice oblation redemption and deliuerance of all mankinde by that oblation which thou diddest once make for vs all vpon the Crosse looke downe and consider how they abuse thy holy rite and institution which thy Maiestie appointed and all thy ancient Church receiued according as thy d Math. 28. Mark 14. Luke 22. 6. Paul 1 ad corinth 11. Euangelists and Apostle deliuered vnto them that all thy faithfull should receiue the Sacrament whole and intire in both kinds yet now c Conc. Trident. sess 21. comes the Tridentine Fathers and they do not only decree one kind to be enough but they also accurse and execrate they curse and thou wilt blesse all those who shall obserue and teach as necessarie thy institution and shall practise according as all the Prime and ancient Churches did and this their treacherie they will excuse by protesting take a Helen without an excuse so the TrideÌ„tine is named by Espencaus in his Commentarie vpon Titus that the ancient Church neuer vsed the Sacrament vnder both kinds out of opinion of necessity as though your holy institution your commandement deliuered and inculcated by the Apostles and Euangelists did not bind vnder necessitie But they will thus at their pleasures only like the f 2. Thess 2. Outlaw or lawlesse man by whom they were authorised for this described by your
he not the tongue which the seruice is sung in Now the Vicar of Saint Fooles should be his ghostly Father were he liuing How is this Rabby taken in his folly these words are to be vnderstood that the People must haue vnderstanding of the sense of the words but not vnderstand the words Helpe out your Doctor you of Doway for doubtlesse he is grauelled what would heere become of him if more of the sentences of the ancient Fathers which comment vpon the 14. Corinthians first Epistle had beene by himselfe produced and other out of Saint Austen vpon Genesis ad literam he would doubtlesse haue runne out of the field or else haue beene stroken downe to the ground especially if he had heard that miraculous voice from heauen which Pius the second Pope writeth of The Doctour was much delighted with visions in his life time and therefore I will now for his sake set one downe for the Dowists to demurre vpon it There was a great controuersie betwixt the Pope and his Cardinals as a f Pius 2. hist Bohem. cap. 13. Pope relateth whether the Morauians and the Russians conuerted to the Christian faith by Ciril should be permitted to haue the publike Lyturgie and seruice in their knowne tongue or not Their Apostle Ciril was earnest for it with some of the Cardinals others contradicted it which contradiction miraculously was checked with a voice heard from heauen speaking thus to them Let euerie spirit praise the Lord and euerie tongue confesse him and so the Pope with his Cardinals were by the Angelicall vision instructed how to vnderstand those Scriptures by the Angell cited and therupon gaue way to Cirils request that the Morauians Russians should haue their publike seruice in their own tongue which they haue to this day wherein they doubtlesse find such a comfort that by no meanes they will relinquish that holy vse though some haue often attempted against it I haue obserued how since the English Pontificians haue had their Primers set forth both in English and Latine together that they do farre more willingly and more deuoutly read their prayers in the English tongue thē in the Latin protesting that they receiue far greater comfort thereby wishing also that the publike Church-seruice might to their like comfort be proposed in that tongue which they vnderstood Before God of his mercy first touched my hart to listē vnto his gospel I would sometimes out of a contemptuous kind of curiositie where I was not knowne heare a peece of a Sermon in some of the English Churches heere in London but by no means wold I stay or listen to the hearing of the singing of their Psalms for I did both loath and detest them but when God vouchsafed to touch my heart first with consideration of the Romane abuses both for doctrine and discipline I began sometimes to commune with my selfe whether perhaps the English Church Lyturgie were not calumniated Whereupon I would sometimes more considerately and where I was not to be knowne begin to giue more carefull listening vnto the English Preachers and also most curiously obserue the manner of the singing in the Churches both which at very first me thought were performed with that simplicitie integritie and grauitie that I began to thinke thus perhaps God is amongst them but when vpon often and further more curious obseruations I found that all their seruice except some few prayers and those verie holy also was composed out of the infallible word of God his holy Scriptures I resolued that the same must needs be good if no essential part of seruice were otherwise wanting And when I found also that the Preachers continually did inculcate to their Auditors integritie of conscience and holinesse of conuersation with necessitie of good works and of that faith which g Ad Galat. 5. worketh by charitie to saluation I well and clearely perceiued how the Church of England was most egregiously calumniated by the Romane Doctors And when I found also the ministration of the two principallest and singularly so termed Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the holy Eucharist so sincerely and Euangelically and so voide of all superstition ministred in their Churches and withall found that Confirmation Penance Marriage Orders Visitation of the sicke were for the substances thereof religiously vsed in their Churches I was not a little edified But that which most edified me was to obserue how in their publike Lyturgies their minds seemed to me or at lest that they might to concurre ioyntly with their tongues and with their religious and pious sounds to beate the gates of heauen and begge mercie at his handes onely whom with the most blessed Father and the holy Ghost I saw onely worshipped with diuine worship in their Churches And although I wanted in some sewer that lowly humble and religious carriage which the place the manner of prayers and assembly required especially in some of the young sort yet in the ministers themselues and the matrones with many aged men and others of riper yeares I saw them often kneeling with great deuotion and attention to my great edification There I obserued not that drowsie oscitancie leaning and yawning which is so frequent in the papisticall Churches yea euen amongst the h Bern. in coena Domini cap. 3. religious Monkes There I obserued not the impudent and shamelesse attendings courtings and obseruings of fine dames within their Churches the which how intolerable it is in the papisticall Churches especially in Italy and at Rome it selfe I referre to the iudgement of all indifferent trauailers doubtlesse their Churches there be still repleate with i 2 Pet. 2. adulterous lasciuious wanton and incestuous eyes Obseruing these things O how happy thought I art thou O England if as thou enioyest the light of Christs Gospell so also thou wouldest more and more by holy and pure conuersation labour to excell the Churches of Sodoma and Gomorha where all impure Idolatry and abhominations doe reigne Heere I obserued also the glorie of God euer commended Faith Hope and Loue in Iesus Christ incessantly inculcated the Fathers of the ancient Church reuerently cited the memories of the most blessed Virgine Mary and Christs Apostles reuerenced and honored yea in their publike Prayers and Sermons their vertues and noble acts preached commended inculcated to be followed and imitated The buriall of the dead verie religious and pious and altogether Apostolicall which obseruing me thought these men sure doe striue onely for truth reiecting all vncertaine traditions And then with all I could not but inwardly be moued in my verie soule against Stapleton Sanders Allen Parsons Bellarmine and other like Pontificians for their horrible calumniations against the Church of England and the gouernment thereof as though they buried their dead like dogs perswaded not their people to good life but onely to faith that they ministred their Sacraments very irreligiously with such like imputations all which I found to be meere calumniations And I found the
Ignatians will make outcries against such a man as would in any publike seruice pray but for the conuersion of their Soueraigne by them reputed an Heretike but to adde a prayer for his prosperitie or safeguard it were not sufferable but no more of this it toucheth to the quicke Yet God from whose knowledge nothing is hidde knoweth that this which I write is true c. I haue heard very crediblie of a superstitious Monke who hath often protested that hee will not by name in Masse pray for the conuersion of any one no not of his owne Father O hypocrisin blasphemam O more then most blasphemous hypocrisie damned Diues had in Hell greater charitie when by name and specially in what hee could hee desired and procured the saluation of his Brethren vpon earth Some one will reply perhaps and say that in speciall and by name they pray for all Iewes Infidels and Heretikes vpon Good-Friday I graunt it but heare withall that vpon Good-Friday they haue no Propitiatorie sacrifice offered which may bee polluted with publike prayers for the conuersion of Infidels and here by the way I maruaile what mysterie is in it that specially vpon that Anniuersarie day when Christ suffered they will haue no Propitiatorie sacrifice offered no receiuing of the Lordes Supper vsed in their Churches For some one of their Priests in euery Church receiuing and offering of Christ onely vnder the forme of bread doth not with them offer a perfect and proper sacrifice Christ forsooth must bee vnder both kindes else hee is not a perfect and proper Sacrifice according to the k Bellar. lib. recog pag. 85. where he citeth many for the same opinion Bellarminian doctrine Who detesteth not such fopperies the wise are caught in their wisedome Oh that they were rather conuerted then confounded Further what a maruaile that they who pretend to bee so zealous for conuersion of sinners that they willingly trauaile l Math. 23. ouer Sea and Land for that purpose and to make their Proselytes twofold more children of hell should bee so hypocritically pure that in that sacrifice which themselues make to bee the propitiation of the whole world there should not bee some commemoration had at least for the conuersion of such their Magistrates and Soueraignes whom they repute Heretikes The ancient Iewes and their holy Priests did pray in their publike sacrifices yea offered m 1. Mach. 12. 2. Mach. 3. Esdr 1. cap. 6. Baruch saepe publike sacrifices for such as were Aliens from the worship of the true God although ioyned in amitie with them as the Machabees doe expresly deliuer The ancient n Clemens l. 8. Constitut cap. 15 Ignat. epist ad Smir. Tertnll Apolog ad scapulaÌ„ cap. 2. Ambros Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Aug. Epist 59 alibi saepissime Prosp de vocatione Getium l 1. cap. 4. Chrysost hom 79 ad Pop. Antio l. 6. de Sacer. hom 77. in Ioh. homil de Adam Euaâ—â—iturg Iacob Basil Chrysost Some IgnatiaÌ„s to temper this vncharitable position so mince the matter that you may pray for increase of faith in that place where none but Heretikes are prouided that you doe not personat any So my Master in Rome Azor. aly Christians with their most religious Bishops praied publikely and offered sacrifice so saith Tertullian for the health and safetie of the Emperour and all antiquitie concurreth herein with ioynt approuance of publike praier for all If the Aduersarie reply and say such excommunicated persons such Infidels are not capable of any good from the sacrifice what not of conuersion not of repentance not of reconcilement apagesis is your sacrifice so weake that it is not potent and powerfull to doe any good that way yea but the Church hath forbid it for a correction of the excommunicated what for a correction of the Infidels also indeede your Church that is your Pope hath of later yeares since they put on tiphum secli secular pride haue forbid it but it was not so of old let vs aske our Fathers and they will tell vs it was not so of old bring out one ancient Father O yee Pontificians that ioyneth with you in this I am assured you cannot God forbid you could staine ancient Christian doctrine so farre as that it should forbid any publike praier to be vsed for the conuersion of Infidels Heretikes c. or for the temporall prosperitie and safetie of lawfull Soueraignes whatsoeuer by and from such Priests and Prelates as are their subiects The second Law HYpocriticall also and vaine is that custome and law by which they strictly forbid the eating of flesh vpon their appointed Fasts and yet permit and allow the drinking of wines of all sorts and in what quantitie it shal please with eating also of preserues and conserues of any kind marchpanes with spiced and sugred cakes only prouided there be no dramme of butter nor creame in them when they are vsed either in lent or vpon fasting-nights so that their fasts seeme to pinch and afflict only the poore whose purses reach not to dainties not the rich who may drinke wine till they surfet and yet not breake their Papisticall fast And whereas the Primitiue Christians in their solemne fasts according as the ancient Iewes fasted till night which custom continued a long time after o Caput solent de coÌ„secrat dist 2. Epiph. Haeres 80 Tertull. aduers Psychi c. 14. but was afterwards fully broken for aboue some 1000. yeares ago since when the time of eating vpon publike fasting daies beganne to bee vsed about three of the clocke in the afternoone from which custome they are now so farre degenerated that the Ignatianed Pontificians will most commonly preuent noone a whole houre and the precisest of them marke the superstition say it is enough to keepe the fast so that a man be in the middest of his repast iust at noone and now also the precisest fasters will haue their drinkings at night and almost all of them will eate either a good quantitie of bread with sweet meats with fruits or some kind of broth so that their fastings as they are now vsed are indeede meere mockeries I should say as they are commonly vsed and yet forsooth these men must be reputed the precise * The Pontificians who staÌ„d so strictly for their maÌ„ner of fasting I aske them why haue they brokeÌ„ the fast of the fourth sixth Ferie and Saterday in Rome which the ancient Romane Church held for a Tradition Apostolicall See Innocent 1 Epist ad Decent cap. Sabbato de coÌ„secrat dist 3. cap. Quia diâ—s distin 5. de consecrat Conc. Elibert Can 26. Clem. constit lib. 5. cap. 16. 19. vlt. Canon Apost Can. 68. Ignat. Epist. 3. ad Phill. Epiph. â—eres 80. 75. caput de esu carn dist 3. de consecrat Pene omnes antiqui Imitatours of the Apostles in their fasting and none reputed to fast but they no though they abstaine
some great matter to be acted about the Powder time For when I was last beyond the seas a graue person reported in my hearing and in the hearing of a reuerend Priest that the l R. V. meeter-maker of their English hymnes spoke openly in Antwerpe at a table where diuers were drinking together some fiue or six weekes before the Powder-treasoÌ„ time that there was some great attempt in hand in England Perhaps the good man knew not the whole secret if he did then perchance for very shame he concealed it for I hardly thinke he would detest the fact who so eagerly commended the stinking Ignatian Queres or Pruritanus and the most villanous Polonian Exetasis against his Maiesties most excellent state and person which bookes also are most singularly esteemed by some beyond seas of which I thinke if the most excellent Arch-duke knew they should not be so dearly esteemed of by him But I surcease to write any more of this kind I haue perpaps discouered so much of the Ignatian spirit that some of them will attempt by some meanes or other to attenuat my spirit but I weigh it not for nothing more welcome to me then death it self so that I may be found prouided and ready to meet him and to be with him after whom my soule longeth and breatheth so much as this corruptible flesh of mine will permit me My redeemer hath numbred my daies and m Psal 138. hath put my imperfections in his sight and before he calleth me no man can thrust me hence his truth is witnesse to my soule that in this writing I seeke onely his glory in whom confiding I feare no man And I humbly wish the English Recusants to beware of such seducers as come vnder the garments of sheepe but inwardly are rauening wolues who plotting to bring to passe their conuersion of England seeke nothing but the subuersion thereof rather then their desires should not take effect And therefore as themselues well know are euer inculcating matters to the disgrace of the Church and state-gouernment of this Kingdome cannot well indure that any Priest in his Sermons should so much as commend and inculcate obedience to temporall magistrates I my selfe was at my first comming sixteene yeeres since into this Kingdome not a little reprehended by two Ignatian Priests because vpon that text a Matth. 22 Marke 12. Giue vnto God that which is Gods and to Caesar that which is Caesars I had said they too much insisted vpon the latter part thereof in perswading of obedience to the temporal magistrate and yet in that sermon which was not aboue an houre and halfe long I am assured I discoursed not twenty lines of that subiect To proceed I gather another tricke of naughty Spirits especially in the elder and latter Pontifician Monkes and Friers who haue set forth so many counterfet and comentitious treatises in the ancient Fathers names by that meanes to establish and confirme their doctrines of their transubstantiation their Popes supremacy their confiding in merits of Saints adoration of Images c. Wherein I do constantly affirme that the most pregnant and clearest proofes which they pretend for most of their Romane positions are taken out either of such counterfeit bookes as some of the learnedst Pontificians call in question or else out of such commentitious bookes and putatiue workes of ancient Fathers which by very sufficient proofe may bee shewed to bee not currant And when withall I obserue what order they haue taken with their * Indices expurgatorij Romanus Neapolitanus Hispanus Belgicus editià Povtificijs Expurgatory Indices not onely to giue annotations but further to corrupt the very texts of Authours so that none of later Pontifician Authors in short time such as Caietane Ferus Stella Ludouicus Granatensis Polidore Virgill Claudius Espex c. shall bee found sound and to speake like themselues yea they sticke not to corrupt the very texts of ancient Fathers whose editions they daylie innouate at Rome Paris Lions c. The industrious * His Treatise of corruption of Scriptures Fathers Councels by the Pontificians M. Thomas James hath produced many of such corruptions and promiseth much more one of them for a tast which I also obserued long agoe and proposed to a learned man but receiued no satisfaction I will heere giue to the Reader it is a corruption of a saying of S. Gregorie Nissene which is this Illam solummodo naturam quae increata est colere ac venerari didicimus were haue learned onely to worship and adore that nature which is increate but the Spanish Expurgatorie Indices say the word onelie must bee put out of the text a good cause why the reader cannot but obserue the mysterie therefore I passe it with silence Doubtlesse these men who are so impudent to set foorth their owne late Authours otherwise then themselues wrote and are not ashamed to corrupt the texts of ancient Fathers workes it is no maruell that they do so shamefully in their ranslations peruert the sacred word abhorring nothing more then in those places of controuersies in which they dissent from the reformed Churches to haue their translations reformed according to the originalls of sacred Scripture in which the word of God was first written by the Authours thereof Many shifts p Bellarm. lib. 2. de â—erbo Dei Bellarmine Stapleton Harding others deuise to wash away this dastardly tergiuersation of theirs in refusing trial by the originals of Gods Scripture but the imputation is iust and vnremooueable and will help to bring their Babell to her confusion together with her Expurgatory Indices of late and ancient Authours Further the naughty spirits of many Pontificians as Bellarmine Stapleton c. haue seemed manifest to me in that they doe most egregiously to bring the reformed Churches in hate and contempt calumniate them to teach such doctrines as they vtterly detest and disclaime from As first they accuse them that they giue iustification to faith onely meaning ostentimes such a naked faith as they teach void of charity that is faith informed as they speake a mere calumniation For who knoweth not that the resormed Churches make iustifying faith that which inseparably p Galat. 5. worketh by charitie as the Apostle speaketh againe they are accused to exclude necessity of good works to saluation and all reward also of good workes at saluation meere imputations For as they continually inculcate and commend necessity of good works in their pulpits more effectually then in many of the Pontifician Churches whose Preachers are much busied with extolling the merits of Saints the worth of indulgences c. So likewise they publikehe professe that God will not bee vnmindfull of the least good worke done as it ought for his sake to reward the same They are generally calumniated amongst the good English Pontificians who meane well that thy make Gods he Authour and impeller of and to sinne a meere calumniation There are
the p Isai 51. ad Corinth 1. cap. 10. Rock vnde exctsiestis from which you are cut and here after build onely vpon the q Ad Corin. 3. rock foundation Iesus Christ commending you all to his mercies and protection I take my leaue of you all this present Sunday being the 26. of Ianuary Anno Salutis 1612. Yours in Iesus Christ RICHARD SHELDON Priest TO THE CHRISTIAN AND CHARITABLE READER THE God of mercies in his most gracious prouidence concerning such as hee hath segregated to himselfe from all eternities doth often contrarie to their intended purposes and designes dispose and designe of them then working their conuersions to him when they least dreame thereof yea when they are purposely and obstinatelie striuing against it So hee dealt with Saul who brought vp at the a Acts 22 26. feet of Gamaliell profited so much in Iudaisme that by profession hee became a Pharisey and so zealous b Galat. 1. an Emulatour of his forefathers traditiens that at the mercifull appearance of the Saviour of mankind Iesus Christ hee was so repleat with Ignorant zeale and so c Acts 9. breathing out of threatnings against Christ that hee obteined letters of commission from the d Acts 12. Chiefe Priest in Hierusalem to goe into Samaria and to bring vp bound all those who should professe his name But prosecuting this designe because hee did it in c 1. Ad Timoth. 11. ignorance hee obtained mercie and therefore by the most gracious voice and shining light of him whom hee persecuted hee was most happilie prostrated to the ground in his way to Damascus and beeing led to Samaria the Place where hee intended most to oppose against Christ hee was there not onely conuerted by the ministerie of Ananias but hee was further so conforted and strengthned by the Spirit of God that of an instrument of wrath hee became a most Holy vessell of Election f Ibidem confounding the Iewes in their Synagogues the Iewes I say in their Synagogues who were erst the elect People of God g Ad Rom. 9. whose were the Promises and the Lawgiuing who iustlie gloried in that they were the h Ioh. 8. Children of Abraham to whom the i 2 Râ—g 3 Ierem. 33. Eternall Couenant with him and his posterity was made by God of whose temple God had promised to make k Psal 13â— his dwelling place for ener But these Jewes first so peculiarlie elected by God yea and euen then in some sort his true Church though afterwards wholly reiected and abandoned this most excellent witnesse of Christ did k Act 9. confound euery where throughout their Synagogues teaching that Iesus the Iust one whom they had denied and betraied was the Messias m Genes 22. promised to Abraham and his seede for euer Myselfe who a farre of can onely admire the vertues of this admirable witnesse doe most humblie intreat of God that I may in the lest modell imitate his zeale in the professing and testifying of Christs truth Hauing beene brought vp in Papisme and much profited therein I became so zealous an Imitatour and defender of all Romysh humane traditions and doctrines that I would most willinglie haue spent my bloud for the profession of the same earnestlie labouring by preaching exhorting writing early and late to draw all to a zealous profession of all doctrines of that Church for so much as meerlie concerned matter of Religion as diuers both may can and will witnesse which course I also prosecuted most zealouslie beeing grounded as I then thought vpon an inuincible Rocke to wit the Authority of the present Romane Church And although I call the heauens to witnesse euer since I entred into the studie of Diuinitie and serious perusing and discussing of diuers controuersies as to wit of the worshipping and adoration of Images of Indulgences of Purgatory of Merits and inuocations of Saints as necessarie to saluation of the Popes transcendent Supremacy of the imagined transubstantiation of the Canon of the Masse of the Publike seruicâ— in vnknown tongues and most speciallie of the maine principall and fundamentall controuersie of Iustification I oftentimes remained much vnsatisfied in my vnderstanding notwithstanding all I could read in Bellarmine Stapleton Sanders Vasques c. against all such doubts as eiâ—her out of Scriptures ancient Fathers or Councels were produced against the doctrines of these controuersies as they are now most stiflie maintained by the Romane Church yet in respect of the misconceiued dignitie and inerrabilitie of that See and her Bishops supposing that shee would decree nothing nor had decreed nothing as matter of faith but by generall consent of the whole Church I did so captiuate my vnderstanding in obedience to her and so firmelie receiue all that shee taught as faith that I would haue accounted my selfe most happie to haue suffered death for any point of her doctrine deliuered as a point of faith by her Thus walking in the way from Hierusalem into Samaria it pleased him who as I most confidently trust hath assumed mee to his mercies to knocke at my conscience and to prostrate my soule to a humiliation in her selfe to open my eies and eares to the hearkning of his voice bidding mee beware of the way in which I walked and looke whiâ—herunto the corruptions of that Church which I followed did lead mee the which hee vouchsafed so sweetlie to worke with his gracious illustrating and freeing of my vnderstanding that I could not much doubt at first but that it was n Psal 117. dextra Domini the right hand of the Lord which did touch my vnderstanding and as hee thus wrought in my vnderstanding so hee did also internally and immanentlie as me thought moue my will to a most sweet sincere and burning o 1. Iohn 4. Prou. 8. Iohn 14. loue of his Maiestie to a most resolute detestation of all my former sinnes greater or smaller euen to lament them p Isai 38. in amaritudine animae in bitternesse of soule purely for his loue onely moouing mee also to a longing desire to bee out of this wretched world and to bee q Ad Philip. 1. dissolued and to bee with him and withall so long as I should breath to beare a resolute resignation to auoid all occasions of sinnes whatsoeuer which also since my illustration hath so accompanied mee that looke as when I resolue to follow the truth offered so I increase in detestation of sinne looke as I haue temptations and suggestions moouing mee to wauer from the same either in respect of credite loue of my old acquaintance and of the world or of former meanes and maintenance so also I had inclinations to yeeld to other sinnes and a weakenesse also to withstand temptations as before It pleased also his infinite goodnesse at these times iointly to inspire and suggest vnto my soule that in his mercies and by his death and passion only I was redeemed and
to be saued not as with a wretchlesse presumption beleeuing r Iacob 2. this out of a dead faith but withall that by his holy assistance I was necessarily to liue and perseuere in his holy loue and feare and in the Å¿ Math. 7 obseruation of all his most holy commandements so farre as humane infirmity or ignorance would permit mee Thus beeing touched pardon mee Christian Reader for this disclosing the secrets of my soule I did often prostrate my soule and my heart beseeching that t Ad Titum 3. humanitie and benignitie of Iesus my onely Aduocate that hee would not for my u Psal 78. former sinnes and ignorances of my youth abandon me but that he would Psal 24. vouchsafe to x Psal 5 confirme mee with his principall spirit and to remooue from my soule all shadowes and deceits of Satan and to bring mee to his iotes for in him onlie with him onely and for him onely I desired to liue or die yea so resolued therein that whatsoeuer should betide mee either in this life or the next yet I esteemed it all happinesse that his name should be glorified in me either by iustice or mercy As my Soule was thus communing with herselfe and my Sauiour iointlie did present themselues to my memory many my former thoughts against the Romane humaine traditions and doctrines especially the pernicious Breefes of Paul the fift against the Oath of allegiance yea and euen thâ—n by happie occasion chanced into my hands a Remes â— estament where happily I light vpon y Annotat. in 22 Luc vpon those words Simon Simon and Annâ—tat vpon the first of the Acts and vpon the 1. 10 the Corinth 14. some of their corruptions and abuses yea and one pernicious errour or rather heresie the which as I had often obserued before but had passed it ouer in respect of my blind obedience to their doctrines so then I reconsidered more seriouslie and withall proposed it to some in this place who are worthily esteemed learned but they gaue mee little satisfaction because as the corruptions were wilfull and inexcusable so the errour was pernicious and indefensible But aboue all other two considerations then did offer themselues to my serious and pensiue vnderstanding first how not onlie the Bishop of Roâ—e himselfe but also all his Canonists some verie few onely excepted all those of the societie of Ignatius and all other the greatest firmaments of the present Roman religion doe obstinately maintaine that the Popes iudgement alone teaching the whole â—hurch was to bee beleeued beleeued I say as the infalible Oracle of God which to my vnderstanding and faith was so cleare an heresie and blasphemy against God contrarie to all Scriptures all ancient Councels Fathers yea all Ancients some few Popes only excepted whose testimonies are either counterfeited or else giuing testimony for themselues their testimonies are not true and worth-receiuing that I fully resolued not to giue an obedient and obsequious eare to the present Romane Church therein because shee did so perniciously erre in the verie rule of faith it selfe For if the square and rule bee crooked or vneuen how can any thing that is to bee leuelled therewith bee right and streight the blinde leading the blind both fall into the ditch z Luc. 6. saith Christ Secondlie I obserued by what preposterous meanes contrary to all Antiquity and Christs most expresse institution in a Mat. 22. Mar. 12. S. Matthew the Popes doe now challeng and assume power to depose Princes dispose of Kingdoms dissolue fidelity though with oath confirmed not onlie in case of heresie in the Prince by him so termed although this his mysticall power was at first onely pretended by the learnedst Ignatians against notorious Heretikes and manifest Apostates but in case also of any enormous delict or insufficiencie in any Princes whatsoeuer yea and to speake plaine English in what case soeuer it shall please his holinesse iudicially to proceed For who of the Pontificians dare b See pag. 43. following retract his sentence who euer resisted him and had peace or was not thundred against with excommunication deposition or depriuation which when I seriouslie pondered as in the sight of God I could not but thinke that it was soueraigntie not religion increase of possession not saluation of soules which the later Popes aimed at as also I shall most clearely deliuer in my motiues following Further I obserued that for the fortifying of this mysticall power of the Image of the Romane Empire they endeauoured to make heereof a newe article of Faith for indirect furthering whereof most impudently without all forehead c Vpon the feast of the inuention of the Crosse P. W. in a publike assembly at a publike panegericall oration made for the Martyrs honour at Loâ—aine prayed thus vnto him S. Henrice intercede pro noâ—is Holy Henry pray for vs I doe not heare that hee made R. Houldcorne a Saint which may wel be admired diuers of the Ignatians doe labour tooth and naiâ—e to make the late Arch-traitour Garnet a martyr a fit martyr indeede with his Consorts for this their new article of faith and by a pseudoprodigious and mendacious straw the imaginary face of which was first obserued and found by a notorious dicing and carding priest c to make the Authour of all goodnesse as a witnesse of the innocencie and integrity of that man who with other his Complices was not onely acquainted but also as the publike records of this Realme published accordingly to his triall made in the face of the whole Kingdome doe witnesse was a Concealer an Abettour and principall Furtherer of the same I must needs confesse Christian Reader that these two considerations did produce in my soule a kind of horrour and dread to bee partaker of that Church which was to bee supported by so weake and fallible a rule of faith as the Popes variable iudgement is and to bee ampliated and enlarged by such meanes as none but the verie smoakie d Apocal. 9. Locusts arising from out of the bottomlesse pit would offer to attempt Thus my soule wauering and being tossed I with all humility knocked often at the gates of his mercie who e Math. 7. promiseth to open to all such as confidentlie knocke thereat I entred into a more serious search of these matters I read with great diligence I conferred also with such as are reputed learned and Chiesetaines in this place so long as I saw * One of these M. G. B. Archp. being very lately dead is falsely by some reported to haue changed his opinion for the Oath of Allegiance them willing to giue me any satisfaction but when I clearelie obserued that their answers to the sacred Scriptures and ancient Authorities produced by mee were meere tergiuersations and that they resolutely rested vpon the authority of the present Roman Church and her practise disesteeming whatsoeuer was clearely brought against her against whose
authoritie command and Breefes notwithstanding some of them doe practise I could not but resolue to leaue off conference with them remembring that of the f Isai 6. Act. 28. Prophet Esay vnto the Iewes and vsed also by the Apostle S. Paul in like case Incrassatum est cor populihuius c. The heart of this people is become grosse and with their eares they haue heard heauily and they haue closed their eies lest perchance they should see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and bee conuerted and I heale them This their estate as I did and do from the very bottome of my heart lament so it did greatly increase my doubts mustring themselues to my Conscience against the nouell traditions and vncatholike doctrines of the Church of Rome whereof Christian Reader with thy patience and good acceptance I will communicate part to thy courteous view not because I esteeme my selfe so learned as though I were able to produce any new learning neuer thought on before for in very deed I doe ranke my selfe amongst the meanest of Gods seruants and Priests nor because I doe seeke in matters of Religion to bee applauded by the worlds iudgement or to please humaine censures but alonely that thou maist consider vpon how waightie inducements I haue relinquished the intollerable and pernicious burthen of humaine traditions reared vp against Gods institution that if thou bee wauering from the Firmament of Truth of Gods word and holy ancient Church thou maist with mee bee staied if thou art alreadie seduâ—ed as I haue been thou maist be reclaimed to the sweet yoke of Iesus Christ My heart bleeds to thinke how many in this Kingdome and some of them my speciall acquaintance vertuously and zealously disposed are caried away with most dangerous errors obtruded vnto them only vpon the Roman Bishops prerogatiue of not erring and yet heauen and earth proclaimes that Popes may erre and be Heretikes God of his infinite mercy vouchsafe to open their eies that they may receiue the charity of Truth that they may see that defection and apostasie accomplished in them and their defendants which the g 2 ad Thess 2 vessell of election so long agoe forâ—told and whereof the Prophet and h Apoc. 17. Apostle in his Reuelation so clearelie discourseth shewing that Kings and Nations should be drunke and be bewitched with the Cup of Romes Fornications Fornications hee saith thereby most clearely demonstrating that some Romane Church or Congregation for most cleare it is and best Pontificians deny it not that of Rome hee prophecieth earst a Spouse but after a Strmpet in respect of her spirituall aduoutries first pure but after most impure first Christian but after Antichristian for her doctrines and practises against the most pure doctrine and humble conuersation of Christ first with a cup of Christian simplicity in her hands deuoid of humane dregs but after with a i Ibidem cup full of abominations and corruptions with which shee should delude all Nations and Kingdomes of the earth making merchandize negotiating with the souls of men the which if it should not be already fulfilled in the Roman Church it must bee heereafter at least if the Prophet truly haue forespoken The later of which especiallie touching the merchandizing of soules in auarice how clearlie it is already compleated in the Roman Church diuers earnest professors agreeing in all points of faith with the Romane Church in their times will plainely b In ementitam Constantini donationem testifie a Saepissime as Baptista Mantuanus c In Henr. 3. Valla Robertus Lincolriensis in c Matthew of Paris d In Epist 1. ad Titum Claudius Espencaeus S. e â—ab Cons ad Eugenium Bernard f Constitut Imperial pag. 39 Frederike the Emperour in his Epistle to all Prelates g Baronius 992. Arnulphus in a Synod at Rhemes in Baronius and read Baronius also in the yeere 912. where you shall find him affirming how at the lust of whores diuers Popes most wicked luxurious and auaricious were thrust into Peters chaire and how that custome lasted not for a short while only * Claudius Espencaeus as hee is now set forth is vvholly corrupted you must read his first Edition All these with infinite others do demonstrate the corruptions of the Roman Church would God effectually for the conuersion of seduced soules Wherein I can conceiue no great hope first of all such popish seruants as reape profitte or liuing by that profession nor of such children as are vnder the command of some obstinate recusants nor of any such bankrupts and malecontents as expect alterations and long for troubled waters to fish in nor of such scrupulous good soules as will not dare to peruse or read any part of holy Scripture though of the Rhemists Testament it selfe falsified with their Annotations lest they should proue Heretikes as some of them haue told me or else remaine perplexed in their Consciences nor of some of their Priests who are resolued for the maintenance of their credit conseruing of their meanes and some such other respects with their fauoritesses I meane such like fauours as will mooue men to trauell vp to Rome to procure dispensations for mariages and yet in their absences and long pilgrimages such painfull pilgrimes notwithstanding stripped of their fauouritesses by some of their own brotherhood which haue come betwixt them and home are ready without examination of Scriptures or Fathers to receiue whatsoeuer the Roman Church shal obtrude vnto them Neither may I conceiue hope of any such yonger persons who expect preferment by h One of the most speciall practises of the Pontificians in England to enlarge their religion is to procure matches in mariages doe thou make the inferences Christian Reader There is a mysterie in it if the natures of young spirits be considered who commonly at such seasons are rather full of the heate of carnall loue then of that fire which Christ came to send into this world Luk. 12. matching into some stocke and family the which as it abhorreth the reading of the Scriptures so also is inueterated in Papistrie My chiefest hope may be of those who as they are iudicious so embrace that faith meerely out of conscience and are nothing dependant of others who either through the peremptory auaricious factious and vnchast liues of their Priests or generally for the hatefull opposings and vncharitablenesse amongst them all by which they demonstrate themselues to be no disciples of Christ whose proper badge and stemme is i Ioh. 13. dilection and loue of each other or else through the vaine multiplicity of deuised fables and miracles out of their old Legends and withall through the inexcusable ignorance of their Priests in Gods sacred Scriptures which I dare boldly affirme is so great that there are scarse a hundred amongst diuers hundreths of them in this Kingdome who can tell either how many
bookes there are of Gods Scripture or how many Chapters there are in any of the bookes Or else through the inuallid successes or euents of their vows beeing either not heard or not regarded by them to whom they are made or else through the contiuuall disquietnesse and torment of their consciences in the * I disproue not ' but highly commend the vse of Auricular Confession when it is voluntary without sacrilege vsed for comfort not abused as the very means and cause by which sinners are iustified in the sight of God much like as the Mexicans vsed Auricular Confession Botero Relationi vniuersali Part. 4. lib. 2. nel fine vse of their Sacrament of confession as it is now by them most peruersly abused to the iniurie of Christ subuersion of diuers soules receiuing no * It is not imaginable what inconsolable liues some that are frequente in the vse of Confession as necessary to saluation doe lead there is no stony heart which would not pitie them knowing their torments rest day nor night k Ierem. 16 as seruing Gods who cannot giue it them are growne into some distrust of the Romane Church Of these might bee conceiued some iust hope of their conuersions if they would vouchsafe either to read holie Scriptures or else to read some learned bookes written by some learned Priest or Preacher of the reformed and Catholike Churches of Christendom but I greatly doubt they wil not dare without leaue of their Priests so to doc and I am most assured that by them they shal neuer be permitted A certaine Bishoppe of Italy was not ashamed to tell l Claud Espene Comeut in cap. 1 ad titum Claudius Espencaeus a famous Pontifician that the learned men in Italy it self were afraid to study the holy Scriptures lest thereby they should become Heretikes and that therefore they imployed themselues in commenting vpon the Popes law-bookes deerees and the Decretals the which Booke thoughfull of lies contradictions impertinencies yet because it is the Popes Booke it must be respected whilest the holie Scripture lyeth as it were in the streetes neglected But to these may not that of Christ be iustly obiected Serui nequam wicked seruants out of your owne mouthes I condemn you Assuredly these and like Italianized Prelates of m Luk. 19. which for greatest number consisted the Tridentine Councell are none of those who are reputed blessed by the Prophet n Psalm 2 Dauid for meditating in the law of God day and night But to shorten this my letter addressed vnto thee Christian and Catholike Reader I humblie request thee to accept with charitable interpretation these my Motiues and to pray for my constancy in profession of Gods truth I must needes confesse that I did find great difficulties in this my conuersion First some suggestions by Sathan suborned how greatly this my conuersion would turne to my disestimation with all of the present Roman faith and those my deare and old acquaintance of whom I affirme that they are vertuously disposed for whose saluations vtinam vt Anathema superimpenderer Would God to speake with the o Ad Rom. 9. 2. ad Corint 12 Apostle I might as an Anatheme be sacrificed yea offered and offered againe so that they might be saued Some other lesser difficulties I found all were humane terrene but when I considered that of the p Ad Galat. 1 Apostle if I should seeke to pleasemen I should not bee the seruant of Christ and that of q Luk. 12 Christ Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the iustice thereof and then all these things will bee added vnto you I fully resolued for the charity and r Ad Philip. 3 supereminent knowledge of Christ to esteeme all that is in the world as verie dung and rather to dwell poore Å¿ Psal 83 in the house of God then to dwell in the rich Tabernacles of sinners And in this my resolution I was somewhat the more confirmed in respect that from my verie youth euen then when I was too too zealous an Emulator of all Romane superstitions I haue euer had often suggestions and inspirations in my mind that a time would come when I should be calumniated and greatly abused by the Papists and persecuted by the Pope himselfe whom I then admired as an heauenly Oracle vpon earth but most of all I was filled with such foreapprehensions and presages being in Rome vpon t Anno Dom. 1594 the 20. of June the same day and houre when that glorious and renowned Christian Marsh suffered the cutting off of his right hand the gagging of his mouth by the Counsel of the Ignatian Cowlin who boasteth himself thereof in England after that the pulling tearing and burning of his flesh with hote glowing pincers for many howres together thorow many streetes of the City of Rome and lastly death it selfe by fire with such admirable patience and constancy that the Romanes themselues did greatly admire him therfore His act for which hee was so tormented was because hee had throwne downe their Sacrament as it was publikely carried thorow the streetes of Rome in publike Procession to be adored worshipped and inuocated as God himselfe an idolatrous superstition latelie crept into that Church contrary to the custom and practise of all auncient Churches whatsoeuer And yet notwitstanding all such suggestions and inspirations at that time which I constantly reiected as temptations I did beeing earnestly intreated and vrged thereunto by the Superiours of the English Colledge make an Oration and a most vehement * This Oration was ready penned to me because I had little aboue a day to prouide my selfe for the prpnouncing thereof before so publike an Audience inuectiue against that fact of his in the presence of diuers Cardinals and Prelates assembled together in the English Church to keepe a solemne Masse of the Sacrament some moneth after the death of that glorious Christian But what may I now vpon this euent interpret those presages inspirations and forewarnings else to haue been then sweet motions and inducements from him who as I trust hath segregated mee to preach the Gospell of his beloued Sonne Iesus the which then I passed ouer with a deafe eare but his goodnesse vouchsafing now to open my eare I may not contradict but blesse him eternally for that he hath made me a child of u Ad Rom. 8. â— Pâ—t 2 adoption of acquisition and election beleeuing with x Ad Rom 10. heart and confessing with mouth for my iustification and saluation onely and alonely in Iesus Christ But before I conclude I intreat the Courteous Reader that y Ad Galat. 5. Iacob 2. both by faith and conuersation by godly z Act. 2 frequenting of the most venerable Sacrament of Christs body and bloud by deuout a Ad Col. 3. Jacob. 1 attendance and hearkning to Gods word so daily so clearely so liuely preached in this Kingdome by daily b
Psal 1. meditating in Gods holy Scriptures and aboue all by conseruing his soule c Jacob. 1. 2. Pet. 3. Luk. 8 Matth. 3 impolluted from alliniquity of sinne and the contagion of al worldly desires and solicitudes by exercising d 2. Ad Corint 9 chearefully plentifullie all charitable offices to all such as are in affliction and necessity by keeping his bodie e 1. Ad Thess 4 a cleare vessell from all impurity and impudicity and his tongue from all scurrill f Ad Ephes 5 Ad Rom. 13 and vnseemely speeches seriously to endeauour to make g 2. Pet. 2 sure his vocation and to h 1. Pet. 2. stop the mouthes of such who in respect that some of the reformed Churches especially of the Clergy liue not conformably to their doctrine do blaspheme the sacred Truth of Christs immaculate Gospell I haue seene much into the liues of the Aduerse part the which although I find to bee more impure auaricious proud vncharitable then euer I could haue imagined yet that is not the cause why I left them but the impurities abominations and superstitious impertinencies of their doctrines worships laws and customes which my soule hateth assuring it selfe that if I should still continue in communion with them I could haue no part with Christ my Sauiour to whom for hauing most mercifully i 2. Ad Corint 5. reconciled mee to his Father in himselfe bee onely and alonely with his Father and the holie Ghost Honour and Glorie for euer Amen Yours in Christ Iesus R. S. The Contents of this booke of MOTIVES THe Preface shewing the first occasions inducements and maner of the Authors conuersion The diuision of the Motiues 1. Into Motiues out of the Pontificious Erroneous Doctrines 2. Out of their dangerous and wicked Lawes 3. Out of certaine obseruations touching the dangerous Spirits of sundrie Chiefe English Romanists Page 1. Motiues of Doctrine FIrst Motiue touching Doctrine is out of the Pontifician vnsound rule of Faith to wit the Popes sole Iudgement defining ex Cathedra out of the Chaire as Pastor of the Church Pag. 2. Second Motiue is out of another rule of their faith to wit Apocriphall Scriptures Pag. 27. Third Motiue is out of their most Idle rule of Faith traditions as they doe pretend them Pag. 31. Fourth Motiue is out of the vsurped transcendent power of Popes in Temporals and Spirituals Pag. 41. Fifth Motiue is out of the most Superstitious Romane Doctrine for the Adoration and worshipping of Images Pag. 69. Sixth Motiue is out of diuers obseruations touching sundry superstitious fooleries contradictions and impertinences of the Romane Masse Pag. 86. Seuenth Motiue is out of their most vaine and intollerable Doctrines and abuses touching Indulgences Pag. 119. Eight Motiue is out of their irreligious Doctrine against the vse of the publike Liturgies and Church seruices in knowen tongues pag. 128. Ninth Motiue briefly toucheth their most vnchristian Doctrine of Aequiuocation pag. 137. Tenth Motiue briefly taxeth their tyrannicall denying of Indifferent Reading of holy Scriptures in the vulgar tongues pag. 140. Concerning their wicked Customes and Lawes the Author toucheth onelie a few FIrst the wicked custome and Law by which their Popes strictly forbid that there be any publike commemoration in their Masses for the conuersion of any Infidels Heretikes or excommunicated persons c. or for the temporall prosperity and safety of Soueraignes being by them reputed Heretikes pag. 144. Second hypocriticall law and custome touching their fastings and daies of fasting pag. 148. Third most impure permissiue law for their houses of prostitution euen in Rome it selfe not without great gaine to the Popes Coffers pag. 151. Fourth most vnchristian law that in case of no extremity the venerable Sacrament may bee celebrated without their Massing vestiments altarstones c. and such like humane deuises and institutions pag. 152. Fifth most iniurious law by the which the Laity contrary to the Institution of Christ and practise of all antiquity is debarred of the cup in the most holy and dreadfull Sacrament pag. 153. Sixth vnchristian law is the necessary annexing of the vow of Chastity to all their greater holy orders by occasion of which law the vile impurities of the Romane Cougregation are growne innumerable and inexpressible pag. 154. Touching certaine obseruations out of the Pontifician Spirits FIrst the Author discouereth by diuers notable particulars the disloiall and vnnaturall Spirits of the Ignatian Cheefetaines of the English in the maner of their preaching and their propagation of the Romane Gospell in England pag. 1. alpha 2. Secondly he sheweth in diuers particulars how they doe most shamefully calumniate the Church of England for her Doctrines and her publike Liturgie pag. 13. alpha 2. Thirdly hee sheweth how generally all Pontificians denie consent of Ancient Fathers being produced against diuers points of their nouell Doctrines pag. 20. Fourthly he sheweth how the younger Ignatians doe imitate the vnnaturall and disloiall Spirits of the old pag. 24. In the Conclusion he sheweth more largely both out of Scriptures and Fathers that the Church of Rome notwithstanding her visibility and Conspicuity may Iustly and in respect of her corruptions necessarily ought to be forsaken pag. 32. THE NOVELL AND HERETICALL Rule of the Romane FAITH Diuision of the Motiues THE Sauiour of mankind who hath vouchsafed to illustrate the eyes of him who sate in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death to know his truth will also I hope vouchsafe so to confort him that hee may rather conuert some then confound any of those who call themselues true Iewes and Catholikes which they are not but are indeede only the Synagogues and Congregations of the Bishops of Rome who in a Dictatus Greg. 7. apud Baron anno 1175. As Bell. admitteth Papa properly signifieth a Father that begetteth children and therfore all begotten of him and to him are denominated of him Papists Gregorie the V 11. did first of all by decree assume vnto themselues excluding all other Priests and Bishops from that name Papa the name of Fathers of the whole Church to wit to be only called Papae from which name all their children by denomination are called Papists rather then from Christ Christians which Papae Fathers also somewhat before that time at that time and now also doe peremptorily challenge to bee the only Vniuersall Catholike and immediate Pastours and Fathers of all who do b Ad Rom. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greek preposition signifieth properly as much as the Latine preposition pro for so taken Math. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Math. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in composition it signifieth properly for insteed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In some words of composition it signifieth also opposition as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is also in such a signification to be indifferētly vsed according to the naturall signification of the word inuocate the name of
where are such violent enemies against the Oath of allegeance and esteeme all such as take or allow of it as Heretikes as lapsed from the Catholike Romane faith because say they the Pope in his Briefes hath defined and decreed that there are diuers points in it against the Catholike faith Romane he should say and yet I suppose as very cleare that none of the English Secular Priests did expresly know against what speciall points of faith the Oath was till now of late a certaine i A Briefe declaration c. together with a recapitulation c. by H. I. Ignatian recapitulater vnder a double title promising a double book but bringing forth only a short pamphlet and that a namelesse one and therefore a Libell hath shewed in his namelesse defence of the Romane faith that Pope Paul the 5. in his Breues hath k Pag. 32. Ibidem pag. 56. defined the same Oath to bee hereticall and vnlawfull because it denyeth the Popes power to depose Princes and dispose of Kingdomes an article of faith with him in his libell although not naming himselfe I may iustly say l Rom 1. My eares haue heard many Ignatian Priests constantly affirme that Paul the 5. had defined in his late Breues that the oath could not be taken and that his Briefe was a definitioÌ„ of faith so R. B. G. B. I. F. R. L. M. W. T. T T. F. I. K. with diuers others of that profession erubescit cuangelium he is ashamed of his Ghospell But no meruaile that the Ignatians are so well acquainted with the mysteries of the Popes faith for since their Father Ignatius his beatifying vvho had so many m Apud Ribadin in vita Ignat. idle reuelations I doubt not but that they haue receiued newe illustrations from that Code and Deske of all law faith and right the Popes brest which the ancient Church neuer knew But when n The Recapitulater in the Title of his vnlearned and seditious pamphet and for his traiterous doctrine see him page 43. Promised Leonard Lessius commeth forth with his demonstrations for he would seeme to demonstrate in all his bookes as this pamphletter of Louaine not H. I. but P. W. hath couertly promised doubtlesse he will reueale the hidden mysterie which was not knowne in the Primitiue Church though then darkly working but was to be o 2. Thess 2. reuealed in these times with which the world is likely to end But to returne to what I haue to proue It being manifest that Popes and the Romane particular Church with all those of the societie of Ignatius not excepting any one doe dogmatically maintaine that the Pope defining ex Cathedra is the infallible vncontrollable vnappellable and onely necessarie Iudge in all controuersies of faith it should be lost labour in me to stand to proue that this their position is beleeued by them as a point and article of their faith nay I should say as a principle and very maxime of their faith For can any the simplest idiote doubt but that the infallible rule of faith which declareth faith squareth faith must be beleeued as faith and by faith But by this their nouell article of faith by ineuitable consequence it followeth that they differ in the most fundamentall point of beleefe from all such Fathers Councels and Doctors as did maintaine or as yet doe that the most infallible rule of faith is the doctrine of the Scriptures especially when it is publikely declared out of the same Scriptures by the authoritie of free Generall Councels and the publike voice of the vniuersall Christian Church the which rule of faith as I am most assured all p Conc. Hierosol Act. 15. Greg. in ep 1. ad Corinâ—h apud pateriuÌ„ Vinc Lirin contra hereses cap. 4. S. Austen most clearely contra Donat. lib. 2. contra epist funda tract vltimo in Ioh. contra Crescon alibi sepissime Cyprian lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae in epist ad Pomp. Patres conc chal cedo Sinod 6. 7. 8. conc Constan Basil ConstaÌ„tinus apud Euseb in eius vita Con. Constantinopol in epist ad epâ—sc Rom. congregatos â—arissime apud Zozom l. 5. c. 9. l At this preâ—ent now in â—aris it is required of the Ignatians amongst other articles to wit that the Pope cannot depose Princes c. to subscribe also to the superiority of the general Councel â—boue the Pope ancient Fathers did teach and beleeue so it cannot be doubted but that many learned both in Germanie England and q France doe still professe and maintaine to all whom as to the ancient Fathers and Councels the later Popes with their Pontificians who obstinately maintaine and beleeue this nouell rule of faith must in truth be reputed heretikes yea obstinate heretikes because pertinaciously erring in the very fundamentall rule of all faith And if any learned Priest retort against me and say that as I heere confesse all Papists concurre not to maintaine this pontifician rule of faith and that many Sorbonist Doctors teach it not neither do beleeue it This is true indeed but let him take this inference with him that notwithstanding all their bragges for the certainty of their faith they are yet most vncertaine as being not as yet agreed vpon the rule of faith yea they are so opposite that one side beleeueth as the Pope with his what the other disbeleeueth and condemneth as erroneous yea and this in Councels as in those r Conc. Constan Basil opposite to the Lateran vnder Leo the 10. and the Florent vnder Eugenius the 4. deposed by the Fathers at Basil of Laterane Florence Constance Basill Frankeford Colen c. which being so that themselues are not agreed vpon the rule of faith why will they not giue leaue and allow to true Christians the word of God as it is expounded clearely constantly and vniuersally by the ancient Fathers to be the inerrable rule of faith as his most excellent Maiestie in his learned premonition to Christian Princes iustly requireth and exacteth according to ancient and learned Å¿ Vincent contra heres cap. 4. Vincentius his rule It followeth that I demonstrate this rule of faith deuised by the Popes and Pontificians to support the Romane soueraignties to be meere noueltie and so to prescribe against it by antiquitie This I must now doe contractly not doubting but that I shall haue occasion more to enlarge my authorities and reasons when these my motiues shall be impugned as doubtlesse they will be vnlesse it seeme good to the wise men of Saint Omers as their owne libel termes them to answere them by some libelling ballade as they of late haue thought meete to answere t An answere made vpon Sheldons booke to a priuate friend beginning laugh laugh c. which libell hath ofteÌ„ moued the persons against whom it is to very much laughing at the Ignatians follies and wisdomes with a libell a certaine Priests booke for the oath of allegeance for Quicquid
affirmed not that the * See Austen epist 112. epist 1. 9. de Vnit. Eccles ca. 16. clarissime sacred word of God contained in the old and new Testament was an infallible and fundamentall rule of faith but concerning this rule of faith two of the Romane rules of faith to wit Sixtus the fifth and Clement the eight haue beene egregiously ouerruled with the spirit of error and heresie for they haue by their n Epist decret Sixti 5. Clement 8 ante editiones suas two decretall and definitiue Epistles defined two opposite contrary and contradictorious editions by themselues and their deputies being discussed and rediscussed to be the very sayings letter and sentences of the holy Ghost charging and decreeing the same to all Christians vnder the curse of separation from the Church and Gods beauiest displeasure So that Sixtus hath accursed Clement and all approuers of his Bible Clement Sixtus and all the followers and defenders of his edition and although it hath pleased the Authors of the o Praefatio in Biblia Clementis 8. ibidem Preface to Clements edition to auouch in a few lines many thousands of vntruthes and that against their owne knowledge and consciences to wit that Clement did onely amend certaine scapes of the print in Sixtus his edition the which Sixtus himselfe intended to haue corrected as there most lyingly they affirme when as it is as cleare as the Sunne that their two editions haue in them innumerable substantiall differences of whole lines and sentences The which being so can any man but of ordinary iudgement beleeue in good earnest that Romane Bishops with their Cardinals defining ex Cathedra cannot erre For what can be an errour or heresie ex Cathedra if to define hereticall editions of the Bible commaunding the whole Church vnder paine of greatest curse to receiue them be not errour and heresie ex Cathedra This matter tormenteth the aduersarie greatly and by diuers it is diuersly repulsed Some there were in Clements time who excused Clement with the Romane Church which hath receiued his edition but condemned Sixtus The dead indeed bite not and it most concerned the liuing Romanes that their liuing rule erred not This opinion was most strong in Clement his time when I was in Rome and it was greatly fauoured by the Ignatians Others forsooth consider how wilfully they are wedded to the Popes infallibilitie eyther impudently or most ignorantly denie that Sixtus euer made any such decretall Epistle A manifest vntruth to be confuted by a world of witnesses Others grant the Epistle but say it was neuer published This is so manifolde an vntruth as there were editions of Sixtus Quintus Bible before Clements edition all which had his decretal Epistle before them I my selfe haue seene and read of them in Rome but leauing those who make p Isai 28. spem suam mendacium a lie their hope others as Doctor B. and P. W. c. doe affirme that Sixtus indeede did write and publish such an Epistle but he did it as a priuate q This is their câ—mon refuge that wheÌ„ Popes in their decre tall Epistles or their prouinciall Synodes as Celestine Stephen the sixth Honorius Greg. the second decreâ— any hereticall doctrins they doe it all as priuate persons not as Popes althogh it be most euident that they intend to command all and to teach all to doe according to their decrees which by them are concluded in their Synodes person not as Pope and so he might erre O immortall God haue these men eyes and yet see not or will not see are not Sixtus his wordes most expresse that he defineth he decreeth and that out of the fulnesse of his Apostolicall power and doth he not annexe the sentences of excommunication and Gods heauiest displeasure against all such as should refuse or reiect his edition Iesus Christ vouchsafe to open the eies of the misled that they may see the ambitious and erroneous proceedings of those Bishops and renounce their communion and returne to the rocke of thy sacred word which is so by them in part neglected or rather wholly abandoned But I may not thus leaue Clement and Sixtus for I must needs tell their followers that against their owne knowledge and therefore more inexcusably they haue decreed that to be the very sentence of the holy Ghost which without al doubt they could not but more then probably wittingly thinke to be otherwise I will at this present to discouer the ignominie of their fallible Spirits insist only vpon two or three examples and dare herein challenge as in many like all the Pontificians sworne to the Popes infallibilitie to cleare the heads of their Church from most manifest and wilfull errour herein Their first corruption is in Genesis where r In vulgat editio lussu Clem. 8. Genes 3. they reade ipsa conteret caput tuum she shall bruise thy head putting the feminine article for the masculine appropriating that to the Virgin Mary who most worthily is Å¿ Luc. 1. blessed and to bee blessed amongst all women which the holy Ghost prophetically intended precisely of him who was to cast Satan t Ioh. 12. out of his Kingdome and by whose only name and power both his Mother and we doe daily u Rom. 16. treade Satan vnder our feete They publish St. Hieromes either whole or amended translation for they agree not yet whether but the Vulgar x Rhemist Pref. vpon the Testament they confidently call it and because some few manuscripts and readings had the feminine ipsa shee although some of them had otherwise as the y Theolog. Louani in notat Fransc luc Louanists confesse and a Hieron tradit Hebrai in Genes cap. 3. St Hierome also accounteth the other the better reading and doth also so expound it and diuers also of their owne learned b Canus de locis lib. 2. alij Authours suspect that the letter a which maketh of the masculine a feminine crept in by the negligence of the manuscribers yet these Papall correctors contrary to all the Hebrew originals and Chaldaick Paraphrases contrary to all translations of the Septuaginta contrary to the best learned of the Roman Church will needs reade c Genes 3. ipsa shee for the Virgin not ipse he for Christ thereby giuing vs to thinke that they had rather vnderstand this prophecie that the Virgin Mary rather then Christ should bruise the Serpents head out of which doctrine goodly inferences may bee inferred against them I doe in good earnest aske of these Interpreters wherein Satans power ouer mankinde did consist if they answere in sinne as they needes must then according to their owne reading not a hee but a shee bruised the Serpents head and deliuered mankinde from the guilt of sinne Alas into what errours would these ouer-ruling Popes leade vs All the faith of the ancient Churches in the Hebrew Originals Chaldaick Paraphrases and Greeke
editions of the Septuaginta reading otherwise then these Popes do must be corrupt all the ancient Fathers Greeke and Latine two or three only excepted misexpound and misinterpret rather then e Sixtus and ClemeÌ„t in their editions Sixtus and Clement who haue some 1000. of other irreconciliable â—arres although they agree in this must be thought to haue done amisse And I demaund of the Romanists * Genes 3. why might not the Manuscribers in some of the copies change e into a and thereby make shee of hee as well as some late Romanists either wilfully or through the fault of Manuscribers haue changed in f Li. 4. Epist 38. S. Gregorie exercitus Sacerdotum an armie of Priests into exitus Sacerdotum the destructions or ends of Priests a manifest corruption it is and I hope Saint Boromeus would not with his coadiutours wilfully doe it because it most clearly sheweth that an armie of Priests was to serue and set vp the King of Pride some Bishop a great step indeede to shew that Bishop who now is serued with the whole armie of all the Priests of the Romane Church and who calleth himselfe the only vniuersall Bishop which is the ambitious and Antichristian title of the King of Pride against whom that Father inueigheth to be the very King of Pride prophetically delineated by that ancient Father and Pope Reade the Epistle courteous reader and passe thy iudgement as thou shalt see cause The second place of their corruption is in the g 2. Mach. 12. Machabees where to establish the Chymera of their Purgatorie fire both in their h Biblia Missalia edita Iussa Clement 8. Bibles and Missals they reade pro peccatis mortuorum for sinnes of the dead whereas they should reade thus only pro peccato for sinne and yet this in their owne knowledge is against i Edition Grec Venet. German Complut all the Editions in the Greeke yea and against an ancient Latin Vatican edition set out by Sixtus and also against some other ancient Latine Manuscripts and yet forsooth for Purgatory sake al those readings must be corrupt and Iudas Machabeus with the whole true Church of God with him be made so ignorant and superstitious as to make sinne-offerings for the dead whereas they full well knew that there was no such sacrifice appointed by God neither in the law of Nature nor in the law of Moses not no ceremonies nor rites ordained for the same neither doe the Iewes at this day practise or beleeue any such sinne sacrifice for the dead This their corruption in the wordes of sacred Scripture is by addition but by the patience of the courteous reader I will in this place somewhat fit for the purpose mention one of their corruptions by the figure of Subtraction In their k Breuiar edit Iussu Clement 8. last Editions of their Breuiâ—ries they haue pared out of the Praier of the Feast of St. Peters chaire at Antioch at Antioch I say for the feast of Peters chaire at Rome is a deuise of later Popes deuised by Paul the 4. as l Angelus Rocca Schol. in SacrameÌ„t Greg. prim Rocca affirmeth the word animas Soules least the same word should according to the faith of the ancient Church restraine the Popes omnipotency so called in late Neapolitane Theses to the spirituall bands and chaines of the soule only but that word and doctrine cannot agree with the Spirits of those men who challenge power to command and dispose of Kings and Kingdomes m Bellarm. against a certaine Venet. Doct. Bellarmine busily endeuoureth to defend this change the worke of his owne fingers But n Rocca annot in Sacrament Greg. 1. Rocca will tell him that the most principall and ancientest Manuscript in the Vatican had the word animas Soules and I must tell him that all the best readings haue it so and with iust cause I aske him why they haue not rather substracted the fabulous tale of Siluester consecrating Altar stones and the fabulous Legende of S. Catherine the Martyrs dispuâ—ing with 50. Philosophers and conuerting of the Empresse His brother o Baron in annot in Martyr Baronius turnes and windes himselfe not knowing how to defend the Historie p Brouiar reformata edita Iussu Pij Quint. some of their Breuiaries haue this Title ouer the Legend of Catherine Ex historia Ecclesiastica out of the Ecclesiasticall historie others haue Ex Eusebio lib. 7. cap. 26. out of Eusebius the 7. Booke and 26. Chapter and yet I suppose hee that shall finde this fable in any authenticall historie or in Eusebius himselfe shall bee a greater Historian then Baronius himselfe Fourthly against the infallibility of this their rule thus I argue That which maketh the Pope and all his followers therein heretikes cannot be the rule of Christian faith But the Popes proper and peculiar iudgement doth this Therefore The first Proposition I suppose the second or the assumption thus I proue Proper and peculiar choise and election to define in matter of faith in whomsoeuer it be is forbidden and q Ad Titum 3. 2. Pet. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haeresis heresie and apparent it is that choise and election to define and beleeue is alwaies taken for heresie when it is singular and alone in any one person vnlesse it be grounded vpon some speciall and immediate reuelation now that it is single Obis vera niex nostro arbitrio licet inducere sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit It is not lawfull for vs in matter of faith to bring in any thing out of our own choise neither to choose any thing which another by his choise shall bring in Tertul. lib. de Praeser and alone in the Pope I suppose it as the very proper and speciall position of the Aduersarie maintained by all Pontificians but impugned by all true Catholikes That the Pope ordinarily hath no new immediate reuelations from God I suppose as truth till any one shall be so impudent as to affirme the contrary The Pope then being an heretike because the rule of his faith to wit priuate choise and election in matters of faith is heresie r Ad Tit. 3. 2. Pet. 2. Heresies are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 electiones choises which taketh place in Popes also What meruaile if the Ignatians giue infallibility of not erring in faith to the Pope when they chalâ—enge the same to euery one of their owne Order as learned Caussabon proueth in his booke to Frontoduc pag 52. citing out of the Apologist for the Ignatians these wordes It night and day may be ioyned together in one and darknesse with light heat with cold health with sicknesse life with death then there may be some hope that heresie can fall into the head of a Iesuit thus he According to this if Clement with the two or three hundred Ignatians assembled in Rome had ioyned in Councell there
consider their goodly inferences thereupon once conuerted should after that for euer confirme establish or vphold the rest in their faith which is to say Peter is that man whom he would make Superiour ouer them and the whole Church whereby we may learne that it was fit in the prouidence of God that he who should be the head of the Church should haue a speciall priuiledge by Christs prayer and promise neuer to faile in faith that none other eyther Apostle Bishop or Priest may challenge any such singular and speciall prerogatiue eyther of his office or person otherwise then in ioyning in faith with Peter and by holding of him Thus they with much more to like purpose wherein the Christian Reader cannot but obserue how eagerly for the Popes sake they pursue Peters priuiledge and would most perniciously against the verie foundation of our Christian religion shew that Christ prayed onely for Peter and that neither the Apostles nor Euangelists by vertue of their Apostleship Offices or any other meanes had infallibility of not erring in faith but by ioyning with Peter and holding of Peter So that Saint Paul writing his fourteene Epistles whereof one was to the Romanes the onely infallible Sea the onely Catholike Apostolike one and holy Church if you beleeue the Pontificians espccially o Valentia in aualis lib. 6. in titulis cap. 9. 10 11. 12. 13. 14. Valentia Saint Iames Saint Iohn and Iude their Epistles Saint Iohn his Reuelation Saint Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn their Gospels had therein instruction from Peter and holding from him thereby they had infallibility that they could not erre otherwise they might haue erred in faith had not Peter to vse their owne phrases confirmed established and vpheld them in their faith If this be not pernicious doctrine subuerting the very bulwarks of Christian Religion what can be such for tell me I pray you all yee the Dowists their successors in often reprinting those corrupt annotations where did eyther the Apostles or Euangelists confesse this dependancie from Peter what record of Scripture or other authenticall Author doth deliuer vnto vs that Peter assisted the Euangelists when they wrote their Gospels Doth not Saint Paul p Galat. 2. expresly protest that he neither receiued the Gospell which he preached neque per hominem neque ab hominibus neither by man nor from men but from Iesus Christ his immediate reuelations doth not the same Apostle expresly say of Peter nihil mihi contulit he gaue me he furthered me nothing meaning of the Gospell of Christ nay rather did not the same Apostle giue somwhat to Peter q Ibidem Quia non ambulante sequndum veritatem Euangelij epist ad Galat. 2. Peter walked not according to the truth of the Gospell and after he was conuerted was heere once strengthened by his brother Paul when indewed with the holy Ghost he reprehended his humane spirit with which moued and misled he walked p not according to the truth of the Gospell What Christian did not euer as reueuerently and religiously embrace any part of Saint Lukes Actes of the Apostles because it was Saint Lukes as the whole Epistle of Saint Peter because it was Saint Peters But these men regard not how they weaken the very foundations of Christian religion so r Ad Ephcs cap. 2. Apocal cap. 21. termed in holy Scripture so that they may enhanse the Popes monarchicall supremacie which is the very life and soule of their religion whom they pretend to be Saint Peters successor in place and Sea and we grant it as the Bishops of Alexandria Antioch Hierusalem Ephesus at this day succeed S. Marke S. Peter S. Iames and Saint Iohn but heauen and earth will proclaime that in conuersation they doe nothing at all succeed Peter and as for doctrine and faith the sacred Scriptures and ancientest Churches prescribe against them Would God imitating Saint Peter they would Å¿ 1. Pet. 5. Pascere gregem verbo Feed their flocke with preaching of the word and holy example of life but alas by temporall possessions giuen by Constantine as it is writteÌ„ in the life of ancient Siluester Pope an Angell pronounced that poyson was cast into the church which more or lesse euer since hath Sanctitatem in pontificibus c. Sanctitie in Popes no man requireth in these times they are reputed best if they be but a little good or not so euill as other mortall men vse to be Papirius Masson in his booke of the Bishops of the Citie in â—ulius the third which booke he writeth notwithstanding to set forth the worthy actes of Popes infected the Bishops of Rome hauing put on for Peters pouertic tiphum seculi wordly pride and pompe not keeping themselues within their owne precincts and limites but thrusting their Sythes into the haruests of other dominering but not ruling the Cleargie and dominering ouer the Princes of the earth to whom they were first subiect both in fact and of right * Bellar. li. 2. de Rom. Pont. c. 29 as Bellarmine himselfe once confessed before his red hat and into what proud auaritious ambitious secular and worldly conuersation and vsurpations the Bishops of Rome haue degenerated the t Contaren Sadolet Poole alij Concil delect Cardin. alior Praelat tomo vltimo Conc. Cornelius Mus or at in Conc. Triden Espen in TituÌ„ Bernard li. 1. de considerat best of their Prelates and learned cannot denie and what maruaile then if they be found to degenerate in faith for the shipwracke of faith either sooner or later euer followeth the shipwracke of good consciences and life The See of the Popes to wit the Romane Particular Church was a branch inserted into the tree of the Iewes Iewish Church for so he is described by the Apostle in his u C. 11. ad Rom. Epistle to the Romanes and therefore she was carefully to looke to her selfe that she fell not for if she should grow proud she should saith the Apostle be shaked off as well as the tree it selfe was reiected and that her onely way to remaine stedfast and firme was to be x Ibidem permanent in goodnesse I wish with my whole heart that the Popes were so good and so religious that they might still deserue to haue the honour due vnto the chiefe Partriark of the West according as his most excellent Maiestie z In his kingly premonition to ChristiaÌ„ Princes professeth he would be willing to acknowledge them if they would returne to that faith and Apostolike beleefe of the Christian Church from which they are horribly degenerated Hauing thus traced the Rhemists with thy patience courteous Reader let me giue thee a taste of Bellarmines dealing for the same proiect to enhance the Popes supremacie In his Dictates at Rome not in his printed worke for they doe not alwaies print what they dictate he most egregiously depraued the sense of that sentence of the holy Ghost a Isai 28. Ecce
ego pono in Sion lapidem c. Behold I put in Sion an approued a corner stone and a precious one laid in the foundation This prophecy although S. Peter b 1. Peâ— 2. most expresly expoundeth it of Christ himselfe yet Bellarmine in his dictates would needs haue it to be vnderstood of Peter not of Christ His profound reason is forsooth because the c Isai 28. Prophet addeth of this stone that it must be in fundamento fundatus founded in the foundation that is laid in the foundation which may not be vnderstood of Christ but fitly of Peter founded vpon Christ So Bellarmine but in his d Bellar in praesat in lib. de pont Rom. printed Preface he hath somewhat mended the matter for he is content to vnderstand principally this prophecie of Christ secondarily of Peter so that Christ and Peter must still ranke together Christ principally but Peter secondarily Baronius in his Voto against the Venetians to Paul the 5. in Consistory publikely applied to him to be the stone vpon which e Matth. 21. whosoeuer falleth saith the holy Ghost shall be bruised and vpon whomsoeuer it falleth it shall breake them in peeces but alas the Cardinall failed the Pope in his Prophecie for by his sentences of excomcommunications interdicts c. he did so little bruise the Venetians who so constantly opposed against him that The manner of the Venetians reconcilement with the Pope for which the Ignatians euerywhere exclaim against that state onely they are warie before whom they could not by any meanes be brought to make any submission for any offence imputed to them or to acknowledge any fault so that at the last the Pope was contented to accept of a shew of submission made to him by some third persons and as it is reported suborned also by the court of Rome thereunto and so with his honour to be reconciled vnto them againe a notable example for posterity against the vsurpations of Popes I could here more enlarge my discourse to shew how Bellarmine Sanders Baronius Stapleton do all they can and labour earnestly though most vnsouÌ„dly to bring all ChristiaÌ„s to that pernicious perswasioÌ„ faith to wit that it is not inough according to f Decretal Bonifa 8. vnam sanctam Bonifaces decree for their saluations to be in communion with the Catholike Church dispersed through the world and with the head thereof Christ Iesus vnlesse they be in actual communion and blind obedience to the Bishop of Rome as the onely one and supreme head of the visible Church It is a sufficient assecurance for my conscience that according to the sense of ancient Church it is against S. g 1. Cor. cap. 1. Pauls expresse doctrine who in his Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s doth most grieuously reproue all such as went about to make a speciall ioyning either with Peter Paul or Apollo nothing herein differencing S. Peter from Apollo or himselfe doubtlesse he was nothing acquainted with the present necessary subiection and vnion to the Bishops of Rome the pretended onely successors of Saint Peter But rather he instructed and most earnestly h Jhidem commaunded all Christians to acknowledge Chrâ—st Iesus for their onely head of whom they were named in whose name they were baptised and who onely was for them crucified dead and buried risen againe to life Surely if Saint Paul did beleeue such a necessary headship in the Bishops of Rome doubtlesse his faith therein was onely implicit for his expresse doctrine is against it but I dare heere boldly saie that if per impossibile by an impossibilitie such a headship in the Popes had beene respected in the Primitiue Churches yet later Popes are now so degenerate from what their predecessors were into all most abhominable and tirannicall conuersations to the corruption of faith against the temporalty and spiritualty that Gods infinite mercy would excuse such who to giue them most iust cause and motiues to ranke themselues in their owne degrees should leaue their communion with them and adhere onely to Iesus Christ to whom vpon him onely resting with King i Psal 118. Dauid I humbly complaine tempus faciendi domine dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time O Lord to doe for they haue dissipated and and broken thy law The second Motiue THus they hauing most egregiously erred in coÌ„stituting a false rule of their faith to support the present Roman profession to the same end they haue perniciously depraued the true rule of faith by adding to the sacred word of God such bookes as antiquity worthily reiected for Apocriphall that is of doubtfull vncertaine authority not fit to confirme and proue the dogmaticall doctrines and articles of Christian faith thereby distinguishing them from the Canonicall Scriptures Gods infallible word Such are k Hieron in Prolog Galeat Epiph. lib. de mensur August de ciuit dei lib. 18. cap. 36. Athanas in Sinop Epipha haere 8. 76. esteemed accounted the books of Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Toby the Machabies all such like doubtfull parts of Chapters of the old Testament as by neither the Iews before nor in Christs time nor in the Nicene Laodicenc Councels nor ancient Fathers purposely setting down and defining the Canons of holy Scripture were euer receiued into the Canon 1 Con. Nice Laodic in Cano. de Canonicis scripturis Hieron epist 10. 115. Joseph contra Appto lib. 1 Russin de Simbol Apost and rule of Christian Faith Against this their deuised rule it is most easily and manifestly shewed that considering the Iewish Synagogue when it was the true Church of God receiued not these bookes into their Canon wee ought not to receiue them hauing no new reuelations for them nor no better warrant then they had especially considering that the Septuaginta interpreters who tooke vpon them to interpret all the bookes of Gods word to Ptolomeus neglected them Christ and his Apostles neuer cited any thing out of any of them as they did out of the other Scriptures And further the thrice reuereÌ„d Fathers of the Nicene Councell and those worthies of the Councell of Laodicea both which Councells were celebrated in the East nearer the place and time where and when Christs Church might best informe her selfe which were the bookes of Sacred Scripture reiected and cashired them out of sacred Canon of holy Scripture Neither is there any new reuelation for them now nor any iust cause why the Pope and Pontificians should be so eager to put them into Canon of Scripture but for that they seeme in some places contrary to the vndoubted Scriptures to fauor some of their vaine and corrupt doctrines as of Purgatorie Praier for the Dead Merits of good workes c. As for * The contra dictioÌ„ betwixt the 5. châ—pter of Iudith and the 10. â—â—irreconcilable so manâ—â—est that the same euinceth the author of the same booke not to bee the holy Ghost who caÌ„not lie See
courteous Reader how Bellarmine tra uaileth to defend this booke from contradiction Bellar de verb. Dei lib 1. c. 12. Iudiths booke in particular I cannot but meruaile how any one can thinke that the holy Ghost would euer approue that decking and trimming vp of her selfe for such an impure and luxurious proiect thereby to draw m Iud. 10. 12 Holofernes into an vnlawfull burning lust and concupiscence of her if so they will teach and affirme may I not heere charge their doctrine with affirming God to bee the approuer and Authour of sinne more iustlie then they charge Caluin therewith Was not that of the holy Ghost in n Rom 3. St. Paul law and right in Iudiths daies Non sunt facienda mala vt eueniant bona Things that are euill are not to bee done that good may come thereby Besides it is too too apparent that in the story there are some vntruths and vnreconcilable contradictions which are clearelie against the other sacred Scriptures And therefore by euident consequence it is to bee affirmed that the booke is Apocriphall and not of that vndoubted and certaine authority which holy Canonicall Scriptures haue by which onely Dogmata fidei articles of Faith are to bee decreed and tried as the ancient Church euer beleft from whose faith because faith must euer be the same no Christian can without hazard of Saluation depart Against the books of Machabees many particular and vnanswerable doubts might be produced I will content my selfe with two or three Doth not the Author of them I should say the abbreuiatour of Iasons larger history as himselfe p 2. Mach. 2. professeth to be against the faith and doctrine of vndoubted Scriptures approue and admire the fact of q 2. Mach. 14. Razias murthering himselfe doth he not craue pardon of the Reader if he haue not answerably to the condition of a good r 2. Mach. vlt. Historian behaued himselfe belike the holy Ghost who is not accustomed nor cannot acknowledge himselfe nor his Scribes to bee subiect to any humane errour in writing thus here left him but not aboue in the 12. Chapter of this Å¿ 2. Mach. 12 booke where he mentioneth prayers and sacrifices for the dead and yet this by the helpe of false fingers also and therefore he here not there craued pardon if he had not arightly performed his office Doubtlesse hee who will thinke the holy Ghost can craue pardon of man as though he might be subiect to errour hath little of the holy Ghosts grace in him Which things considered with diuers other impossibilities against the truth of historie I cannot be perswaded that t Lib. de Ciuit. Dei 18. c. 36. St. Austin and the Fathers of the Councell of Carthage did otherwise approue them to be read then as a probable historie contayning some good morall matter if reade with u Cont. GaudeÌ„t sobriety to vse St. Austens owne phrase but not as to receiue them into the Canon of sacred Scripture of Gods word And if St. Austen may not bee thought to contradict himselfe within the compasse of halfe a dozen of lines some Manuscriber hath egregiously corrupted him for x Aug. lib. 18. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 36. first hee seemeth clearly and absolutely to affirme that they are not Canonicall and proueth thereupon a truth vpon which hee there discourseth and presently he is made to say thus that although the Iewes receiue not the Machabees into Canon yet the Church of Christ receiueth them but who smelleth not false fingers here especially if infinite like forgeries of Manuscribers be obserued Further I am more confirmed in my iudgement against these bookes because y Dist 15. cap. Sancta Romana Gelasius a Pope of Rome before any greater corruptions had deeply tainted that Church did with a whole Synode in Rome recounting a Canon of the Apostles for the same purpose exclude the Machabees out of the Canon of holy Scriptures and although the Canon beginning Sancta Romana c. in which this exclusion was be now so maymed and mangled that no man can iustly say this part or line of it is sound yet z Anton. 3. part summ l. 18. c. 6. Antonine Archbishop of Florence and a Saint in their Church confesseth that he himselfe had read the exclusion of these bookes out of Canon of Scripture in that decree of Gelasius and according to the Canon of the Apostles there mentioned All these things concurring out of Antiquitie and the vndoubted Churches of Christ with the authority also of some learned Pontificians their later Doctors and that of a Tertull. lib. de praescript Tertullian euer taking place in Christs Church Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most ancient is most true What may bee thought of that b Conc. Trident. Sess 4. congregation at Trent who hath giuen equal authority to them with the vndoubted word of God and haue accursed with their idle Anatheme all those who shall with the ancient Church of the Iewes the Nicene Councell which St. Gregorie esteemed as the Gospell with the I aodicene reuerend Fathers and almost all other ancient Fathers reiect them as Apocriphaâ—l Doubtlesse the curse of God against the idle curses of men may be iustly giuen vnto them who c Apocal. vlt. haue added the word of man to his word and haue made the word of man equall with his most infallible and inuiolable word d Iud. Epist Imperet illis Dominus The Lord God reproue them It is not possible if these men had esteemed of the vndoubted Scriptures as all the e Aug Epist 71 ad Marcell in prolog lib 3. de Trin. Epist 1â—1 Ep 166. ad Dâ—natist 〈◊〉 Epist 62 Basil 〈◊〉 de si de 〈◊〉 me Chrysost in opere imâ—â—rfect homâ—lia 49. ancient Fathers did who euer required the writings of all men to be examined and tryed by the certaine word of God they would neuer haue coupled humane authority with diuine and haue equalized them in one degree of truth but they may bee excused in dealing so warily and politikely herein for their desperate cause of Porgatorie fire praier for the dead c. otherwise would to the ground with many like of their superstitious trumperies The third Motiue BEsides the corrupting of the true rule of faith by adding the Apocriphall bookes they haue also depraued the same f Conc. Trident. Sess 4. rule by their vnwritten Traditions Anathematizing all who shall refuse or disesteeme the same Traditions and not hold them in equall reputation with Gods most vndoubted word This rule of Traditions they hold to bee an vnwritten Deposit left in the Romane Church and kept inuiolably by her vntill these times which if they can shew what good Christian is there who wil not with reuerenced esteeme receiue or commend whatsoeuer those most irreprehensible Founders of the Church haue deliuered either concerning faith or Church discipline But I must tell them
Images with rich attire imbrodered garments and robes vpon their massie bodies crownes of gold vpon their stony heads rings vpon their marble or wodden singers bracelets of Amber or Pearle vpon their wristes rich Iewels of Pearle and precious stones hanging about their neckes downe euen to their shining and lasciâ—iouslike breasts drawen by the painters rather to giue occasion of impudike thoughts then religious cogitations Of this their prophane and heathenish custome in their most religious places can they precisely shew me a beginning no I warrant you belike therefore it is an Apostolicall tradition so to affirme I could account it no lesse then blasphemie At least if it will please the Ladies amongst the Pontificians to heare with patience it is no tradition Apostolicall that their sacred Images are often trimmed with the rayments of strompets a thing very frequent in other countries like as in England where very often their Priests * This is a custome so frequent and so common in England that no Priest who hath either shame or honestie can denie it Massing vestiments are framed of the petticotes kirtles or gownes of such persons whereof some are not of the best fame so loathsome a thing that doubtlesse if their images which they adore had sense they would exclaime against the abuse thereof and cry fie These Romane customes so vniuersally obserued doth any man once imagine to be Apostolicall Reade two of Saint p Grèg Epist ad Secundin Epist ad Seren. Gregories epistles read q Epipha Epist ad Johan Hiero. Epiphanius read Thrasius the Patriarks discourse in the seuenth synode at Nice Saint r Augu. in Psal 113. de fid Symbol Austen vpon the Psalms and you will vnderstand what manner of Tradition the vse of God the fathers image and the adoration of images is But here of more anone Againe touching their vniuersall and generall custome of receiuing of the Sacrament vnder one kind as so onely necessary so onely sufficient so onely commaunded for a mans whole life can they shew me an expresse beginning thereof no God wot what must it be therefore a tradition Apostolicall I will not deny but that perhaps some ancient particular Churches might sometimes practise in one kind and yet most of their examples which they bring for that purpose are either of counterfeit bookes or else little to the purpose but I denye and challenge the Aduersary to prooue the contrary that euer any Ancient Apostolicall Church held it sufficient as onely necessary onely commanded to receiue the Sacrament in one kind for a mans whole life They bring some places of Å¿ Luc. 24. Act. 2. 20. Scripture for this purpose But first if the places proue their vse then it is not onely a tradition but a written truth Againe it is as manifest as the sunne that those places they bring doe proue as well against them that their Masse may bee vsed in one kind the Sacrament consecrated in one kind which they detest as the greatest impiety and sacriledge making the sacrifice to consist most intrinsecally and essentially in both kindes that no Pope can dispense against it Again t Rhemist in ca. 1. act Baron annalib anno 48. Christ num 17. Zuares Isingr Catherinus aâ—â—â— their beleefe touching the assumption of the blessed Virgin Maries body at whose due honours I greatly reioyce and beseech Iesus her sonne and Sauiour euer to indue me with a reuerent respect of her greatnesse and her blessings aboue all Women is it not generally receiued and the feast thereof vniuersally practised throughout the Romane Church And is there any one who can shew the time when this beleefe began no God wot What must it bee therefore a Tradition Apostolicall nothing lesse u Baron anno Christ 48. num 9 12. 13. Baronius his Doctrine will ouerthrow that Tradition The x Annotations vpon the first of the Acts verse 14. Rhemists in their annotations vppon the Acts of the Apostles endeuor to proue it out of a counterfeit book of Dionise of Areopage Saint Pauls scholler and they are not there with content vnlesse they may abuse egregiously the same booke also by their manifest and wilfull corruption for they dare assirme that St. Dionyse in that y Dionis lib. de Diuin nomin the Rhemists cite it Epist ad Timoth. booke reporteth that he himselfe heard the melodious singing of Angels at the Virgins monument which lasted for three daies together a thing no where to bee found in that book Again they affirm that Dionyse of Areopage was present at the Virgins departure which hapned as themselues z Their Table of S. Paul and Baro. affirmeth anno Christ 52. deliuer the 48. of Christ And yet withal they auouch that S. Paul came not to Athens til the 52. of Christ where and when S. Dionyse was with Damaris a Acts 17. conuerted so that by their contradictorious account Saint Dionyse was conuerted and made a Christian and presently also at the blessed Virgins death before his conuersion Thus the Rhemish lights of the English Pontificians are caught in their folly when of late I obiected this wilfull corruption and mayne contradiction of the Rhemists to a certain graund b I. C. cheefetaine in this place where I now am I had onely a kind of â—ush for an answere with this graue epiphoneme it is an ill bird that beraieth his owne neast might not I more iustly inueigh against such seducers of youth who by such deprauations seduce their young Fâ—ye and beray their young birds in the neasts of their seminaries where they must take all vpon trust euen as their masters shall please to dictate vnto them and be you most assured they shall heare nothing that shall iarre from the Popes behests and Romane Churches practise whose Souldiers they are trained to fight his battell or holy quarrel as * Sanders in his Letters to an Irish Gentleman Saunders calleth it Againe concerning the vniuersall practise of â—ating of bloud and strangled meates throughout the Pontifician Church can they precisely tell mee when the same began no in sooth what is it therefore a Tradition Apostolicall aske the Apostles and whole Church of Hierusalem concerning this Tradition who decreed by expresse c Acts 15. Canon that Christians should absteine from things immolated to idols from bloud from strangled meate and fornication Loe here is a custome generally obserued no beginning thereof be â—ound and yet no tradition Apostolicall Further it is manifest that the vow or promise of Chastity is d Thom Aquin. 2. 2. q 88. Durand lib. 4 Dist 35 37. aly Scholastâ—c communiter ibidem Sotâ—s de iure iustitia lib. 7. Petrus de Soto in institut sacerd lect 5. Valentia de Celibatu lib. 2. Scotus 4. dist 37. Caiâ—t quod 1. q. â—2 See S. Athanasius Epist ad dracont Sincsius Epist ad Euoptium Polid. lib. de inuento 5. Alphonsus a Castro
verbo sacerdot here 's 4. Euseb li. 4. ca 23. Niceph. lib. 4. cap. 55. not by Gods institution either in the olde or newe Testament annexed to priesthood or Episcopacy and yet as euident it is that now it is generally obserued throughout the pontifician Church to promise chastity but not to keepe it and can any pontifician shewe mee when the custome of adioining of the promise of chast life to priesthood and other holy orders begun no I wis some attributing it to Siricius Pope others to Gregory the first others to Gregory the second others to Gregory the seuenth and what must it be therefore an Apostolicall tradition The Apostles will tell you in one of their Canons where they haue thus decreed e Can. 6. Let not a Bishop or Priest by any meanes vnder pretence of Religion cast off his owne wife but if he shal cast her off let him be excommunicated and if he perseuere let him bee deposed thus they This their tradition they learned not of f Ignati Epist ad Philadâ—lp Ignatius nor g Iâ—â—o Epist 85. Leo the first Pope nor out of the sixth Generall Synode nor the Councell of Gangres nor out of the first Councell of Toledo out of which Gratian h Dist 34. Can. is qui noâ— habet relateth a Canon the seuenteenth in number that he who hath not a wife must or may haue a concubine vnlesse those fathers thought a wife or a Concubine necessary for the laickes only in that hot climate but were perswaded sufficiently of the Continency of their Clergy if so out alasse how is Spaine now become so reretrograde and therefore the permission for concubines in steed of wiues excuseth not them yet by their leaue curteous Reader I cannot but thinke that the like merry custome with that which i Lib. de praesulib simâ—â—iacis Clemangis recordeth is some occasion out of this Canon to wit that the people were so perswaded of their Clergies incontinency that in many parishes they would not otherwise accept of their Priests vnlesse they had their concubines thereby as they thought prouiding for the chastity of their wiues And truly if they would but seriously consider what turpitudes impunities nefarious and abhominable lusts haue repleated the Romane Clergy both religious and secular they would haue little cause to bragge of this their Tradition Apostolicall but this surely is as much Apostolicall as that their other most friuolous and irreligious vse of their hallowed graynes meddals c. the which as they are generally obserued receiued and beleeued throughout the whole Pontifician Church so it is as manifest that they are meere nouelties without any seeming shew of Antiquity at all And yet as nouell as they are to find out the precise beginning of them it would trouble their best Antiquary Let any one of them do it and he shall weare the Lawrell bough for his paines Their vniuersall vse of their round Wafercakes which they vse in their most religious seruice at Masse and for their consecrations will they call them Apostolicall who would not laugh thereat and yet very nouell they are although no expresse beginning of them can be shewed by any aduersary What said I no expresse beginning of them yes the Author of the Roman order as Cassander in his Liâ—urgick reporteth at the beginning bringing in of them into the Church greatly complaineth against them because insteed of great loaues which were offered before by It is very probable that Round wafers and eleuation came into gether but it can not by any Pontifician whatsoeuer be specified when they precisely were brought in although Gâ—mma animae seemeth to bring them in aboue a thousand a hundred yeeres after Christ Gem. an cap. 29. some cite idly a sentence out of Epiphan in Ancorat for this purpose the people now such scraps to vse his words were brought and offered Doubtlesse when Idolatry grew ripest and the eleuation most frequent then came in the round wafers for in all antiquitie there is no other mention made of other bread of the Eucharist then such as good Christian women made at home brought with them to the Churches to be offered and distributed Whereof themselues also tooke part at the holy communion and carried also part away home in cleane linnen cloathes to receiue at conuenient times as Tertulian k Tertul. lib. 2. ad vxorem reporteth whose saying the Papists abuse Such is also their obseruations of Lent as it precisely consisteth of fortie sixe daies of fast and abstinence containing Sundaies and Feries and I challenge any aduersary to shew me a beginning of such a precise Lent of sixe and fortie daies They cannot doe it What must it be therefore in this precise fashion a tradition Apostolicall who would not smile thereat to heare of such a tradition who haue read l Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 24 Socrat lib. 5. ca 21 Zozamen lib. 7. cap. 19. See Niceph lib. 11. cap. 34. 35. Eusebius Socrates Zozomenus three ancient Historians well acquainted wiâ—h the Lents of the Primitiue Churches who doe so differently distinguish the different obseruation of Lent in diuers Apostolicall Churches of the East and West that whereas Saint Hierome and Saint Ignatius affirme that the fast oâ— Lent or Quadragesme is a tradition Apostolicall they must not be vnderstood of the precise fast of forty daies or sixe and fortie daies abstinence vsed by the Romanes but of some certaine set fast before the holy feast of Easter which was diuersly obserued according to the diuers acceptances of the Catholike and Apostolicall Churches of those times Heare Saint Austen much for this purpose clearly pronouÌ„cing If you m August Epis 8â— ad Cassâ—â— aske my opinion concerning this matter of fasting I finde in the writings of the Euangelists and the Apostles and all the new Testament that we are commaunded to fast but what daies must we fast and what daies we must not fast I finde it not determined by any commaundement of Christ or his Apostles Thus he I haue beene very large courteous Reader in producing many instances to shew that rule of theirs to be vaine vpon which their traditions are built to wit that whatsoeuer the Romane Church generally obscrueth whereof no beginning can be shewed that must needs be a tradition Apostolical infinite like instances might be made yea and most iustly and soundly in all such rites lawes customes and articles of faith which they teach contrary to the true reformed Churches But I haue heere produced so many that I thinke my selfe to haue beene too carefull in prouing that which otherwise of it selfe is most cleare but seeing the life of the Romane religion resteth vpon traditions which they pretend to be Apostolicall ouerthrow them and downe must all that same religion as a learned Priest lately in this house acknowledged to my selfe being vrged thereunto by force of argument and euidence of truth And so to
conclude these my Motiues about their idle rules of faith the Christian Reader who is carefull of his owne saluation and giueth obedient eare to that propheticall light of Gods sacred Scriptures expounded by the ancient Church which Scriptures Saint Peter n 2. Pet. 1. preferreth aboue that vision which he and his brethren had of Christ in mount Thabor he cannot but easily obserue what consequences are likely to follow out of three such corrupt Rules of faith as are in request amongst the Pontificians to wit infallibility solely and onely in the Popes definitiue iudgement authority of Apophricall Scriptures and the vaine authority of their traditions pretended to be Apostolicall where as they are nothing lesse The aduersary will for the validitie of these rules stand vpon the authority of their present Romane Church which hath receiued them of which their defence conformably to all antiquitie and ancient Fathers who taught otherwise we must also conformably to their proceedings search out of Gods word whether the Church of which they bragge so much be the true Church Succession in Sees onely will not suffice as by their owne confession is manifest in the Churches of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople c. but there is required also successioÌ„ in doctrine according to Gods word by which triall must be made of all Churches and of all doctrines and all after-traditions to which if they be not agreeable without perill of damnation they must not be receiued and this is the most expresse doctrine and faith of Saint Austen in o August lib. 1. de doctrina Christiana cap. 37. lib. de unitate Ecclesi cap. 2. but cap. 16. so clearly that I do suppose no Pontifician Priest dare scarce read that Chapter to his family sundrie places yea of Bellarmine p Bellarm. lib. 2. de verbo doi cap. 2. Basil serm de fide himselfe though as it may be thought he not very willingly confesseth this truth Other means saith he may deceiue but nothing is more certaine then the Scripture and therefore by confession of all both ancient and moderne writers the triall by Gods word is most firme and assured The fourth Motiue THe fourth Motiue and that very effectuall The fourth Motiue with me is that transcendent power both in all temporals and spirituals which later Popes contrary to Christs institution and practise of holy Primitiue Popes challenge and which the Romane Canonists and Cardinals ouer-liberal of that wherwith they haue nothing to doe doe flatteringly thrust vpon their Romane Monarches In spirituals he challengeth and they grant vnto him to be the onely supreme and immediate Pastor ouer Christs flocke so that looke how ample and immediate Christs iurisdiction for saluation of soules was so is his he glorieth in that title and they giue it him which q Greg lib. 4. epist 38. S. Gregory so much detested as the very badge of Antichrist he will in the gouernment of Christs flocke haue no Peere nor Colleage He is content to be honoured with that title yea and aboue that ambitious title the which Constantius the Arian required for he was content with numen nostrum our power or diuinitie but the Pope can willingly acept of supremum in terris numen the supreme and highest diuinitie or power vpon earth O ye heauens be astonished and euerlasting gates be desolated the pretended only Vicar of Christ the successor in some sort of that poore fisher who r Act 3. gloried in that he had neither gold nor siluer must heare and that from renowned * Proesat ad Grego 13. in principia doctri Stapletons mouth the Spanish kings professor in Louane the English Pontificians chiefe champion thus thy supreme diuinity vpon earth iust God how more iustly may we lament with those words of Saint Gregory against Iohn of Constantinople for his extraordinary fasting surnamed Ieiunator the faster f Grego lib. 4. â—p 38. O alasse all things that haue beene forespoken are come to passe the King of pride is at hand and that which is a wickednesse to be spoken a whole Army of priests is prepared for him because those serue the proud necke of elation and pride who haue beene set to giue example of meekenesse and humility Thus that Father in those times when the mysterie of iniquity began to worke most apparantly in the Patriarke of Constantinople but appeared more clearly in one of his next Successors to wit Boniface 3 who emulating the Constantinopolitan Patriarks for their pride obteined of Phocas that hatefull and traiterous vsurper rather then Emperour to decree by constitution that the title of Vniuersall Bishop should for euer after belong and be giuen only to the Bishops of Rome this is a matter vndoubted of by auncient t Sabel Aenead â— lib. 6. Platin. in Bonifac. 3. Otho lib. 5. Paulus de gostis Longobard Marianus anno Dom. 608. Duerenus de sacris Ecclesioe ministris lib. 1. cap 10 Abbas in Phoca poene emnis aly Sigebert Regino Luitpran Anasta Baron annal ad annum 606. Historians and yet perchance this Boniface did not assume by that title so much vnto him as these latter Popes doe to wit to be immediate pastors of all the whole Church comprehending all Partriarkes Bishops c or that there is no power nor iurisdiction in any Prelate or Pastor of the Church whatsoeuer which is not dependantly from them and of them so that they can and may peremptorily call to their court all causes greater or smaller and according to course of law or otherwise finally and * Iudicare c. to iudge and decree whether it be necessary to depose a Prince belongeth to the Pope of whose iudgement whether it be right or not no man may iudge Bellar. contra Barck ca. 12. vnappellably ende and determine them and if any either Emperour Prince Prelate or Vniuersity would offer to appeale from any of their sentences though most exorbitant and tirannicall they should thereby deserue to bee cursed with Bell Booke and Candle I cannot thinke that in Bonifaces time the Romane Bishops were growne to that height of Antichristian pride that was left for later times when the Diuell was to be let loose after the thousand yeeres of his binding Notwithstanding he challenged by Phocas his constitution to be only called vniuersall Bishop of the Church against which title Saint Gregory so vehemently and Christianly exclaimeth in u Greg lib 4. ep 32. 34. 38. 39. diuers Epistles testifying and demonstrating most plainly that that Antichristian title robbeth all Bishops of their honour and maketh that the Assumer thereof should bee reputed Antichrist This being so in this Auncient Father how durst D. Stapleton x Staple principi doctr lib. 6. cap. 7. that renowned Professour of diuinity endeuour to make Saint Gregory speake against himselfe in this very epistle and out of him labour to proue the present Romane supremacy and Monarchy which that Father so much
detested Whereas y Lib. 4. epist 38. S. Gregory in a learned discourse writing against the Patriarke of Constantinople Iohn who claimed to bee vniuersall Bishop of the Church and had procured Maurice the Emperour to write to Saint Gregory for the same purpose sheweth that Christ is onely head of his Church and that there is no other head but hee adding much to that purpose he adioyneth thus Certe Potrus Apostolus primum membrum sanctoe c. Certainly Peter the Apostle the first member of the holy Vniuersall Church Paul Andrew Iohn what else are they but heads of particular people and yet notwithstanding they are all members of the Church vnder one head and that I may bind vp all within a short compasse of speech the Saints before the Law Saints vnder Law Saints vnder Grace all these perfiting one body of our Lord are all placed in the members of the Church and no one would euer haue himselfe called vniuersall Thus farre hee with much more in that Epistle the which whosoeuer shall reade if hee respect Saint Gregories authority confirming his doctrine also out of Scriptures it is not possible hee should beleeue the present Romane Monarchy How then thou wilt demand can Doctour Stapleton find any thing in this very Epistle for the Popes exorbitant supremacy he hath found somwhat yea in this very sentence by me cyted but he hath vsed a certaine figure called of addition by thrusting into the text as he citeth it the word Petro Peter And maketh Saint Gregory speake thus Truly Peter is the first member of the Vniuersall Church Paul Andrew and Iohn what are they else but of singular flocks heads and yet all vnder one head Peter are members of the Vniuersall Church Thus hee Some Dowists and precise Pontificians will perhaps say it is not possible that learned Stapleton should so corrupt this auncient Father let such take paines to examine z Grego lib 4. epist 38. Staple principia doctrina lib 6. c. 8. and then iudge as they find I could shew also how he corrupteth by subtracting but that vpon some other occasion I must needs confesse when I reade this egregious corruption in him that I resolued neuer to trust Pontifician doctour againe without triall citing any sentence for the Popes monarchie It is not imaginable what suppositious books haue bene obtruded vpon the world to support this declining Monarchy but ruet ruet it will fall it will fall and God graunt it may rather be ruinated Lino as an auncient Sibile prophecyed that is with paper to wit learned books rather then with fire sword famine cold as the Sibill Delphicke prophecied vnder Romulus raigning and Rome triumphing and according as Saint Iohn a Apoc. cap. 18. hath fore-prophecied in his Reuelation I cannot now stand prolixly to ouerthrow b See for this purpose Cusanus concoâ—d Cathol lib. 2. ca. 20. and Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 25 26. especially consider how the Councell of Chalcedon in the 16. action did most resolutely oppose against the Pope their decree hath preuailed this ambitious Monarchy of the Popes by the decrees and constitutions of auncient and later Councels of Nice of Constantinople the first and eight of Chalcedon of Sardica Carthage Constance Basile and by vniforme consent practise of the Greeke Church I will therefore heere onely adioyne somwhat concerning the other branch of this my motiue to wit the Popes arrogant and persumptuous claime c Bulla Pij 5. in Elizabet Clemen 7. in Henri 8. Clement 8. in Henric. 4. Franc. Sixti Quinti c. ouer Princes and kingdomes wherin he assumeth that honour and power which was neuer giuen him by Christ the mysterie of which iniquity hath wrought so powerfully in these latter Popes to fulfill the prediction of d 2. Thess 2. Saint Paul that the Romane Empire according to the exposition of the ancient e August 20. de ciuit 19. Tertul lib. de resurrect carnis Hieron epist ad AlgasiaÌ„ q. 11. in Danielem Aeneas Sâ—luius lib. de ortu Roman Imperij Irenae Theod. Bellarminus lib. 3. de Roma Pont. Ribera viegas in Apoc. Chrisost Amb. Theoph. Primas in 2. ad Thessal 2. fathers was not to be taken away vntill a certaine Antichrist should come I said a certaine Antichrist not because there shall bee onely onely one in number or person but to distinguish him from some other kinds of Antichrists described in some places of the Reuelation and other parts of holy Scripture but then at his comming the empire must De medio fieri be done or taken out of the way but whether it shall be taken out of the waie by the direct meanes of Antichrist or not the Scriptures do not expresly affirme it some of the Fathers yea the Rhemists doe incline to thinke so and doubtlesse it is most probable that the holy Ghost meant so because he maketh the standing of the Romane Empire to be a let and hindrance against the comming of that man of sin Antichrist which f 2. Thess 2. is here prophecied by the Apostle the which thing if it be true it cannot possibly be auoided but that the later Popes be that Antichrist of which the Apostle heere foretelleth who mounted not to their perfect height of iniquity vntill the Romane Empire was made out of the way which was done by them as I will anone shewe For my part I doe very resolutely affirme that whosoeuer shall haue taken the Romane Empire out of the way and shall haue made himselfe the direct or indirect supreame Monarch of the world and withall shall sit in the temple of God that is shall challenge onely to sitte without peere and equall in the vniuersall Church of Christ to Teach all Gouerne all Censure all Command all and necessarily not to be taught censured or corrected by any whatsoeuer The Popes extoll theÌ„selues neither the triple crown nor adoration was first freely giueÌ„ but exacted by themselues that this must needs be the man of sinne the sonne of perdition the outlaw or man without law who extolleth himselfe aboue all that is called God marke extolleth himselfe or that is worshipped Now whereas it is manifest that the Popes by their practise and decrees doe challenge the later to wit the spirituall Monarchy and vniuersall supremacy in the chaire of Gods temple yet they haue not perhaps professedly by decrees challenged to be the supreme direct monarchs of the whole World in temporals I said perhaps for the decrees g Alexander the 6. his decree of diuiding the East and West Indies which he pretendeth to doe ex plenitudine potestatis and gratuito out of the fulnesse of his power frankly Bonif. 8. his decree vnam sanctaÌ„ and his Epistle to Kâ—ng Philp the faire a king of France Leo 10. as Petrarâ—h reporteth him lib. de rebus me mâ—randâ—s gaue the kingdome of Saracens to Sanctius who required him wih the Caliphship of
Baldach of certaine Popes make mee thinke there wanteth no good will but onely meanes and possâ—ssion which their Canonists and Ignatians labour a pace in euery place where they can finde footing by their preachings secret conferences and bookes to procure vnto him And consider this what bookes are with more fauour receiued printed and published at Rome then those of this stampe and kinde For this respect Pesantius Bozius and such like shal be cherished there Bellâ—rmine in the time of Sixtus the Monarch of the world who had deuoured England in his vaiâ—e Psendopropheticall hope Bellâ—rmine I say because hee applauded not the Papall Monarchy of Sixtus but wrote against it found no fauour but was glad to auoid Rome for feare of frying but h Bâ—llar against Barkley and his anâ—wer to a Ve netiaÌ„ Doctor saepâ—ssime de Rom Pon. â— 5. c. 6 now by end euouring to bâ—ing the Monarchy of christendome vnder the Popes command with the distinction of indirect direct he hath profited so much that hee hath purchased a Cardinals hat the next steppe to the Romane Monarchy it selfe the which if he euer obtaine doubtlesse he will speake as Sixtus did for as his doctrine is much changed from that it was in Sixtus time so doubtlesse if he proue Pope it will * Hanores mutant moâ—â—s come to greater perfection i Baron in annalibus saepissime Steuch lib. de donat Constant Bozius alij Cardinall Baronius good God how he trauaileth as though he were wich child to bring forth this Monarchy throughout his Annals and Augustinus Steuch more earnest then he if it may be how carelfully doth he record Diplomes and Charters by which the Popes challenge the direct and supreame Soueraignties ouer most kingdomes of the West as of Spaine France England Ireland Hungary Norway Sicily and of which not but such baubles I passe ouer the trying of those Charters I put off to those whome it concerneth I will onely a little examine how this man of sinne that sitteth in the Temple of God is saide to sit in Gods Temple doubtlesse it cannot otherwise bee well vnderstood then of some principall part of the externe and visible Church of Christ there beeing no other temple of God of which it may with any probability bee expounded To expound it of the Temple in Hierusalem were very incongruous yea impossible coÌ„sidering the same is destroied and that the desolation thereof shall continue til the end as k Dan. 9. Hieron ibidem Daniel the Prophet hath foretold yea and Christ himselfe seemeth also to haue l Math. 24. In the time of Iulian the Apostata when the Iewes atteÌ„pted to haue reedified their temple in Hierusalem they were miraculously letted by God a tokeÌ„ that the same shal neuer bee reedified Baronius his Annals in Iuliano Theod Socrates lib. 3. foretold so much to say that Antichrist when he commeth shall reedifie the Temple of Hierusalem in the same place where that of Salomon stood and it therefore to be called the Temple of God by the Apostle is too too improbably and idlely said with as much congruity as to say that the turkish moskyes in Constantinople are the Church of God because standing in the same places and within the same materiall walls in which once the True and onely God Iesus Christ was worshipped The Pontificians would be offended to heare their Church of the blessed Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs in Rome to be now called the Temple of all false Gods because it was so once called by the name of Pantheon Besides if wee will beleeue the Rhemists * The substaÌ„ce of Lessius demonstrating book coÌ„sisteth in that hâ— confoundeth diuers predictioÌ„s concerning the states of diuers enemies of Christ and diuers calamities of the Church to the imagined 3. yeeres and a halfes raigne of one singular maÌ„ Antichrist Leonard Lessius in his laborious and demonstratiue booke of Antichrist we must think that Antichrist when he commeth shall worship no God a toy for if so how then shall he be thought to build a temple to the true God what Worship no God and yet build a Temple to the true God a Paradoxe But most cleare it is and to me it hath beene often confessed by diuers learned Papists that Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God because he shall vse a tirannical proud vsurped imperious gouernment in the visible Church excluding the society paritie of any other in that vsurped office of his changing that forme of gouernment which Christ left in his Church and by tiranny seeking to draw all to himself m Annotation in 2. ad thes 2. an 5 as the Rhemists themselues affirme But that this Antichrist of which Saint Paul speaketh shall sitte in the visible Church of Christ visible I said for so they are to be expounded diuers auncient n Aug lib. 20. de ciuita cap. 19. Hieron ad AlgasiaÌ„ q. 11. Greg. l. 4. epist 34. 38. 39 et in 2. ad Thes cap. 2. apud Paterium clarissime Robertus lincolniens apud Math. Paris in Henrico 3. anno 1162. Coruelius mussorat habita in con Trid. dominica 3. adueÌ„tus Athanas in epist ad solitar vitam agentes Hilar. li. cont Constan Lucifer in lib. moriendum pro filio dei Bernar. ser in conc Rem et serm 33. in cantica Hieron in Dan. 11. Hila. cont Auxent This greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist in properlinar gie significatioÌ„ according to the differeÌ„t vse of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke signifieth one that is for insteed or against another all which three significations are vnited in the man of sinne called Antichrist beeing annointed insteed and against the true annointed Lord Iesus Christ Fathers eyther expresly affirme or by most euident consequence it is deduced out of them S. Austin S. Ierome S. Gregory and others expresly Cornelius Mus seemeth to affirme so much although hee dare not speake it expresly Athanasius also agreeingly with Hilary and Lucifer Calaritane make therefore Constantius the Arian Emperour Antichrist because he assumed to himselfe all rule tiranically in the Church and against Church-men Saint Bernard not farre from this conceit where hee chargeth the Church-men for seruing Antichrist Saint Gregory is most cleare for otherwise how vnworthy an argument were it in that Father to call Iohn of Constantinople Antichrist and the Title of Vniuersall Bishop Antichristian if Antichrist when hee should come was not to bee either a Bishop or not to challenge any such vsurped power or any such name Along while King Henry the eight Queene Elizabeth both of renowned memory were certaine Antichrists with the Pontificians in respect they challenged the titles of cheefe Gouernours in the Church of England the sense whereof being now sufficiently explaned and by the same made euident that they require no more then what their predecessors had and vsed though not with the name
desire them to point me out some illustrious person some Arrogant Bishoppe who sitting in the Church challengeth all rule and Empire to himselfe to iudge all to bee iudged by none who challengeth to bee honoured and worshipped as an earthly God extolling himselfe aboue all things that are called God marke what the k 2. ad Thes 2. Apostle saith which is called God not thus which is God again shewing himself as if he were a God but not the true and onely God for it is a meere imagination that the Antichrist here described shal make himselfe to be the very true God indeed for he shall only by his tyrannicall outlawish Godlike behauiour in vsurping in commanding doing vndoing in dispensing binding against al lawes diuine and humane heare himselfe as if he were a God Reade to this purpose l Greg. in 2. ad Thes 2. apud Paterium Baron ad anno 992. Saint Gregory and withall the resolute verdict of Arnulphus a French Prelate cited by Barontus in his Annals But if the expositions of some learned Pontificians bee true that Antiochus Epiphanes who adored the God Maâ—zim and despised the Gods of his Fathers Antichrist was prefigured then doubtlesse he shall worship some God And if the exposition of some other Pontificians take place that m Dan. 11. Daniel in that Chapter prophecied of Antichrist himselfe and that hee should worship the God Maozim who will gainsay it and affirme that Antichrist shall worshipe no God but here I desire the Reader by the way to remember that of the word Maozim there is a treble interpretatio by some it is interpreted summi roboris or fortitudinis of greatest strength or fortitude so that the God Maozim is the God of greatest power I finde also that Maozim is interpreted inhabitatio tabernaculi in-dwelling of a Tabernacle so the interpreter of the Hebrew wordes in the old Bibles of Saint Hieromes edition it is interpreted also turris fortitudinis a tower of fortitude or strength c. by all which interpretations fitly agreeing to the nature of the word I leaue it to the Christian Reader to iudge whether the God of the Tabernalces or Sacramentall towers amongst the pontificians bee the God Maozam God of Fortitude of which the Prophet foretold that Antichrist should worship One thinge I meruaile at why the interpreter of the Hebrew wordes in the last editions of the bibles interpret not this word Maozim which is so greatly to the purpose for one side or other as for my parte I will absolutely iudge nothinge of these interpretations Iesus Chrisi vouchsafe to open our eyes that we may both see his truth and imbrace it and beware that wee worshippe not falselie and idolatrouslie any false God in Turrets or Tabernacles The Romane Empire thus dissipated and ouerthrowne and dissolued into diuers Kingdomes accordinge as it was prophecied by n Daniel 2. Daniel The Popes still by their vndermining indirect power and by the earnest defenders of the same the Ignatians and other fauourites doe strongly endeauor to bringe all Kingdomes of the world vnder their command wherin hee vseth the spirituall power as hee would seeme of the lambe pretending to proceed onely against Kings and Kingdoms in holy Churches necessity and for the temporall quietnesse and necessary safety of common weales but not for that he aymeth at any profit therby but onely to reduce them to holy Churches obedience Wherein for my part I giue no more credit vnto such a saying then I did to the great Admiral of Spaine some 16. yeares agoe who in my hearing affirmed that his * Philip the 2. King of Spain Master the King of Spaine sent not the great Armado in 88. so much to make a conquest of England as to conuert it to the Church and to make it a friend for my Master the King said he hath already so many Kingdomes that hee is scarce able to gouern them with peace and content and surely the proceedings of Pandulph Legat with King Iohn do liuely demonstrate what the Popes ayme at when they presume to correct Princes and dispose of Kingdomes our Historians will tell vs that it was not inough to haue the kingdome to be idlye made feudatary by that King to the Pope but also there must be yeerely summes sent vp to Rome in token of this subiection Doubtlesse p Platina in vita Paschalis 2. Paschal the second was well acquainted what Popes aymed at by their direct and indirect powers when at his installing a mysticall girdle with seuen keyes seuen seales hanging at it was put about him I haue spoken sufficiently against this indirect power in my booke vpon the oath of Allegeance which as yet I see no otherwise answered then by a libell from some of the wise mens punies of Saint Omers as is reported who esteeme the same a sufficient answere to it doubtlesse desperata causa theire cause is desperate beeing growne to libelling But alasse that is too too common with them for what booke almost commeth from them with any name q Iohn 3. or any more insinuation of the Author then with N. D. H. I. or some two like letters the truth is they are ashamed or afraid of their Gospell and therefore as children of darknesse they deale so couertly and will not come to the light because they feare reproouing yet before I leaue this matter I will set downe a sentence or two out of two of the Pontificians bookes by the which the Curteous Reader may gather to what their indirect power of Popes tendeth Heare their r Coquae pa. 170. Coquaeus in his most seâ—itious booke against his Maiesties Premonition to Christian Princes thundering rather against our Soueraignes Person whom he reputeth a notorious Heretike and his Kingdome rather then against his Doctrine Si autem crimen haeresees sit notorium et publicum c. But if the crime of heresie saith he be notorious or publike in a Prince * Was not this Catsbyes atheistical position on which the powdermine of the IgnatiaÌ„s and the Ignatianed was grounded the subiects may lawfullie before any declaratiue sentence of the crime if they haue strength withdraw themselues from the obedience of such a Prince for euident notice of such a fact is insteed of a sentence Whereas therefore the crime of Heresie is notorious in the King of England so that by no tergiuersation it can be auoided it is certaine that neither for the forme of the Oathe nor for any respect of the person to whom the Oath is made that his subiects are bound therewith Thus the most seditious Coquaeus but if I should heereto adioyne how in his 48. or 49. page hee in the like case of notorious crime of heresie approueth the murthering of Princes non expectata sententia Iudicis no sentence of any Iudge expected and endeuoureth also most prophanely to proue the same out of Å¿ Deut. cap. 13. holy Scripture
with a sincere faith in a stonc or by a stone He teacheth also that a maÌ„ may worship God by the deuils substance as he is cited by Eudaemon l. 3. numer 31. Caieta in 3. q. 25. art 3. Azor institut lib. 9. cap. 6. Valentia lib. 2 de idololat cap. 7. Bananent Albertus Richar in 3. dist 9. alâ—i poene omnes by Thomas Aquinas their Angelicall Doctor by the very Councell of Trent as Suares and Vasquez expound it of diuine adoration of Images and other Ignatian Readers of diuinitie at Rome as I haue often heard It is the most expresse doctrine of rheir famous Casuist Nauarre and almost all their Summists of Valentia wherein he is most vehement of Vasquez who as Eudaemon citeth him teacheth that a man may worship God with a sincere faith per lapidem vel in lapide by a stone or in a stone and if I forget not he affirmeth that a man may sincerely worship God in and by the Diuels substance u Bellarmine would seeme to haue an opinion and explication by himselfe but wherein he would seeme to differ he affirmeth as badly if not farre worse then others doe he would haue forsooth the prototipon or person to be worshiped directly and per se for it selfe or by it selfe but the Image per accidens accidentally and indirectly as it is considered and vsed as an actuall representation of the Prototipon by which doctrine hee composeth in truth a certaine Idol of Christs Images and the Images of Saints with their persons making of them and their Images one obiect of adoration x Valentia lib. 2. de Iodol cap. 7. Valentia seemeth in this doctrine to be impudent persons for the good Ignatian will not sticke to affirme that diuine worship honour may and must be giuen directly per se to the Images so it be not giuen to theÌ„ as to Gods theÌ„selues and so saith he it is not Idolatrie O curuam animam O earthly and crooked soule It were impertineÌ„t to cite Authors for this purpose it is generally by them all most expresly affirmed by famous Cardinall Palliotto and Azorius the Ignatian my master in Rome deliuereth y Azorius lib. 9. institut cap. 6. that it is generally the doctrine of all their doctors that Images are to be adored and worshipped with the very worship of the Persons which they represent for the PersoÌ„s sake But I here protest before God that as often as I haue read this doctrine in the Pontifician doctours yet I neuer receiued it and euer I haue perswaded my acquaintance neither to beleeue it nor to practise it and therefore as I hope I haue the sooner found mercy but yet I am blame-worthy that I would so long continue in communion with such impious and most abominable Idolaters yea and also sometimes do some externall worship before Images but my intention was euer caried from the Images to God and his Saints I call this doctrine of adoration of Images most impious and abominable because most expresly against the sacred z Deut. 4. Exod. 20. Sapi. 14. ad Rom. 1. Epist. Ioh. 1. cap. 4. Isai Ierem. Baruch Psalm saepissime word of God and his second eternall commaundement of the decalogue which they curtalled and mamed doe deliuer in their Catechismes because they would not haue ther ignominie discouered it is also a-against the authoritie of all ancient Fathers whatsoeuer and I challenge all the adorers and worshippers of Images to produce but one authenticall sentence on t of some ancient Doctor of the Church for their adoration and worship They that will vnderstand what the ancient Church did beleeue concerning the adoration of Images may read Saint a August in Psal 113. epist 119. 59 Tertul lib. de idololatria soepe Amb deebitu Theodosij in epist ad Valentinian 31. non â—ult se deus in lapidibus coli God will not be worshipped in stones Et in epist D. Pau. ad Eph. And in his comment vpon the Epistle to to the Romans by what reason or by what authority may the Images of Saints or Angels be adored when as the Angels and Saints would not suffer themselues to be adored Lactant sapissime Hieron m 2. Dani Minutius Felix in Octauio alii omnes Austen with other Fathers fully and clearely pronouncing against the adoring of such creatures The Councel of Frankford consisting of all the Bishops of the West assembled in the time of Charles the Great against the Nicene Speudosinode vnder Constantine and Iraenes where the adoration and worshipping of Images although not so abhominably as is now taught by the Pontificians Ignatians was decreed vtterly condemned and detested the adoration of Images But it is a world to see how b Bellar lib. 2 de imag cap. 14. Bellarmine endeuours to shift of the authoritie of this Councell of Frankford which sometimes hee would gladly haue â—o be counterfaite sometimes he endeuoreth to say that the Fathers at Frankford did not condemne the second Nicence Councell which commanded the adoration of Images but another Councel of Constantinople which consisting of almost al the Bishops of the East did command the abolishing of all Images in respect of the horrible abuses committed in the worshipping of them the which Councell ought to take place as being both before and as frequent an assembly of Easterne Prelates as that of Nice was but it is too too apparant in the Councell of c Liber Caroli magni prafat See Roger Houe den continuat Bedae anno 792. Regino adann 594. Hinâ—ma Archbishop of Rhemes in his Epistle against Hinâ—mar of Laoun affirmeth as much clonas Episc Aurelâ—an lib de cultu Imag. Abbas Vrsper Also testifieth as much although the word Constantinople be foisted into his Historic Chron. 793. Frankford that they condemned that Easterne Councell of Nice in expresse termes which had commanded the adoration of Images and therefore the Fathers with ioynt voyce concurring pronounced that although sacred Images were to be kept yet notwithstanding they would not adore or worship them least by so doing they should make c Idols of them Obserue Christian reader the cunning impietie of the Pontificians God hauing proclaimed in the institution of his law by Moses in the second commaundement against the adoration and worshipping of any Images of any thing in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath yea and of himselfe as is there most perspicuously deliuered according to the exposition of the ancient d Origen contra Celsum lib. 4. Damasc de orthod fide lib. 4. cap. 17. Theod. in Deuteron q. 1 Sinod Nicen. 2. Act. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. August de fide Simbol c. 7. Nicet lib. de imaginibus Abulensis in 4. Deutron Lira Arnobius contra gentes lib. 8. Omnes antiqui ex recentioribus quamplu res Fathers and their owne best later doctours they haue to blinde the eyes of the simple depriued them in their Catechismes of the second
Image of Sichem stood which being framed into a picture and representing the image of Sichem was at Saint Omers by the Bishop of that City superstitiously dedicated and set vp to bee adored in the French Ignatians Church with such often incensings adorings bowings prostratings lifting vp of hands that truly it might iustly be meruailed how Gods vengeance did not fall vpon such impudent Idolaters or the earth not open swallow them vp but great was the commodity and profit which thereby redounded to the Ignatians and therefore the rather such contemptible creatures may and ought to bee honoured with diuine worship though they haue neither tradition Scripture nor Ancient Father to iustifie their proceeding herein The Clerke of a poore Church A pretty prank of a Saint Omeristiā Clark in that City obseruing what immense profite came to the Ignatians there by to bring some commodity to his poore neglected Church deuiseth a prety pranke for that purpose He cunningly and secretly remoueth a picture of the blessed Virgin from an obscure place in which it stood into a more eminent and principall place of the same Church making and giuing out as though the blessed Virgins picture discontented with her former standing had remoued it selfe to a place fitter for adoration and worship This picture was by some superstitious people presently admired and frequented and the miracle by the Bishop and the Ignatians also defended as probable considering said the wise men of S. Omers the dayly wondrous operations of the Images at Sichem and Loretto but the Estcheuines and Magistrates of the Citie suspecting some legerdemaine very shortly by great diligence found the knauery and according to his deserts caused the vilanous Clerke to be punished But heere I obserue how easily the superstitious Bishop and Ignatians might haue beene seduced and how credulous they are in such things Like credulity was obserued certain yeers since in the learned and Peerelesse Vniuersitie of Doway where in a certaine small and poore Chappell was the picture of the blessed Virgin Mary as lying in Childebedde after trauaile such fopperies were permitted in that famous Vniuersity the which also was with a linnen veile couered as the fashion is for women lying in Childbed this image vpon a certain time to some deuout and simple women which came to supplicate for happy deliuerance seemed to moue and stirre it selfe the report whereof flew vp and downe the City as if the Virgin her selfe had beene come downe to lye in child-bed againe This report caused admiration amongst the Dowists admiration caused great deuotion deuotion frequentation to the picture frequentation a necessary purpose to remoue the picture and to place it in some more capable Church or Chappell the remoouall wherof being attempted those Masons who went about it insteed of the Mother of Clemency and Virgin Mary felt the wrathfull vengeance of the iust Iudge for one of them was with stones that fell downe vpon him presently slaine the second wounded and the third very hardly escaped Torment a paucorum exempla sunt omnium the Torments of a few are examples for many But a 2. ad Corin. 2. the God of this world hath so blinded the eies of these men that seeing these things they see them not but still most eagerly giue themselues to beleeue lies doubtlesse these are the times of which b Greg. apud Paterium expos in 2. ad Thessal 2. S. Gregory so liuely discourseth shewing that Antichrist and his Ministers shall work so many lying prodigies and wonders that all which the true Church shall doe in comparison of them shall seeme nothing at all But to proceed although this Adoration and worshipping of creatures in this sort be most inexcusable yet more inexcuseable is their inuocation of the pictures crosse it selfe I doe not heere impute this error to the learned who are acquainted with the figure of Prosopopeia taking one person for another and inuocating one in steed of another but in respect of the simple and ignorant for how can they without manifest danger of idolatry vnderstand that inuocation of the Crosse it selfe O crux Aue c. All haile O Crosse the * In passion weeke the crosse or crucifixe is the only hope but at other times whē Salue regina is song the blessed Virgin is their hope and life also It is not imaginable what like abuses of prayers were vsed in the old time deuised by the superstitious monks onely hope in this time of Passion increase iustice to the pious giue pardon to the guilty And how can they vnderstand that the Crosse should increase Iustice giue pardon But there is a praier to be made to the face it selfe of Veronica to the deuout rehearsing of which Iohn the 22. Pope gaue Indulgences of a thousand yeares as it is expressed in a booke intituled Antidotary of the soule This praier cannot be excused by the figure of Prosopopey by one person being taken for another for the praier is directly made to the corruptible figure that it would bring the suppliant to the incorruptible face Thus it is in meeter Salue nostrum gaudium in hac vita dura Labili et fragili cito peritura Nos deduc ad propria O foelix figura Ad videndam faciem quae est Christi pura All haile our ioy in this hard life Both slippery frail and swift in her decay O happy figure bring us all to our true life To see Christ his pure face for euer and for aye In which prayer I cannot but wonder what excellency Iohn the 22. could find to grant to the deuout rehearsing therof a 1000. yeers pardon it may be because he held that the blessed Saints should not see Gods face vntill the general resurrection the same perswasion moued him to giue such a liberall pardon to those who would deuoutly behold and inuocat e a materiall and corruptible shadow and figure of that infinitely resplendant and shining maiesty Surely this kind of inuocating figures and pictures was in some sort practised by those three of tenne wicked Diuels cast out of one Catharine Bus as * Roberts Chambers in his booke of the miracles of Sichem page 214. that the Diuels words were these in french Uine◠nostre Dame de mountagu qui nous sait sortir Which he englisheth thus Honour be to our Lady of Mountagu who maketh vs to depart Chambers reporteth who at their going out cried out thus Viue nostre dame du Sichem Uiue nostre dame du Sichem Liue our Lady of Sichem Liue our Lady of Sichem who constraineth vs to go out What may it bee thought these wicked Fiends did call vppon the most blessed Virgin Mary of Heauen with the name of our Lady of Sichem what meant they tell me O Chambers when they called the Image of Sichem our Lady of Sichem was it because the same is there worshipped and adored too too diuinely yea with more honour then the most blessed Virgin
her selfe would accept of if shee were conuersant amongst vs vpon earth doubtlesse for no other respect did they call that image nostre Dame Our Lady but because therein God is most prophanely dispoiled of a great part of his honour which is giuen to the Image and taken from God I should be blasphemous to call any image which may represent that immaculate Virgin and sacred Mother of my Sauiour Iesus in that respect only that it doth represent her or put vs in minde of the great y Luke 1. things which God hath done vnto her and for which she shall be called blessed for al generations I repeat and say againe blessed for all Generations But I dare pronounce with the Fathers of the Councel of Francford and Constantinople and withall the Ancient Church that not onely any of that blessed Virgins pictures but euen the Pictures of God himselfe are to bee accounted as very Idols if they bee adored and worshipped with religious worship such as is due to the persons whome they represent and that indeed such Images beeing so adored and worshipped with religious worship such as is due to the persons may bee deseruingly so called by Belzebub and all his crue our Lords our Ladies O immortall God what meruaile that they thus superstitiously abuse and adore thy images when they giue such religious worship to their holy water to their Agnus Deis beeing small peeces of waxe with a little Balsamum and Oyle mingled together What iniury do they to thy pretious bloud Missalia in forma benedict aquae when safety both of body and soule is both prayed for and hoped for by sprinkling of a little holy water salui facti sunt omnes ad quos peruenit aquaista they are all saued say they to whom this water commeth or vpon whom this water commeth saith their Priest sprinkling holy water What blasphemy against the Merits of your sacred passion that they should a Laber ceremonial cap. de consecra Agnus dei Their late S. Boromey did in his Councel at Millaine prouide diuers superstitious ordets for the worshipping of these Vanities teach thus of their Agnus Deis little peeces of waxe with the forme of a lambe vpon them omne malignum frangit ficut Christi sanguis et angit they driue away all that is malignant and breake sinne as the blood of Christ O intollerable blasphemy no meruaile that our Pontificians will keepe them with the hazard of a premunire if they bee of like force with the bloud of the lambe that they think no plague no pestilence no * A prodigious huffing out of a Candle by an Agnus Dei is reported by a certain IgnatiaÌ„ doctor Nor. my old school-fellow It is thus two or 3. Gallants put to a burning candle an Agnus Dei to make triall whether as it is reported it had force against fire or not Heare the miracle the candle was twice huffed out the beholders left in darknesse and at sight of the prodigy 2. or 3. of the beholders were conuerted to the Popish Church as the said D. glorieth fire no Diuell can annoy them if they haue one of these Iewels But I protest heere before the heauens that I haue known diuers much addicted to them and to the wearing of them and yet inconsolably tempted and afflicted yea and it is most assured the Diuell hath not so much power ouer any as ouer such that leaue to put their whole asfiance in the inuincible name and power of Iesus and do flee to such base elements and contemptible Creatures deuised by their Popes rather for wares of Marchandize to their Courtiers then otherwise But as pretious Iewels as they are you shall scarce know any Priests to vse them I haue interpreted the neglect of them in Priests to their knowledge of the weakenesse of them and the veneration of them in the laity to meere ignorance as likewise of their grains which are so eagerly sought for by the most ignorant but little regarded by the iudicious and intelligent yet the Marchandise of graynes is so profitable that many of their Priests inculcate and commende the vse of them to their Families amongst whom you shall find some few of that superstitious Noble Iaponians disposition and iudgement who being newly conuerted to the Popes Faith and baptized by one of the Ignatians presently b Literae Iaponicae in which I haue read this often was enterteined with the losse of al that euer he had by fire but he found forsooth a ful recompense and happy exchange for one of the Ignatians bestowed a blessed graine vpon him by which hee should assuredly get a plenary indulgence and escape the fire of purgatory Although he had here lost all his worldly substance by fire and he was so glad of â—hat graine that if it please you to beleeue the Ignatian relater hee esteemed the losse of all his wealth as nothing hauing gotten such a * An Agnus dei after losse by fire would haue come too late therfore a grayne against purgatory fire Iewell O vanity of vanities how forcibly doth the spirit of errour worke with such who haue not receiued the Charity of truth but if the graine of the Iaponian stood him in no more steed for a plenary then the plenary absolution which a certaine Pope appointed his Ghostly Father to giue himselfe at his death he might perhaps escape purgatory fire and light vpon a worse fire notwithstanding his graine The History of that Pope is thus written by one Iaco. de parad Carthusi in speculo magno Exempl verbo indulgentia p. 424. Iacobus a Pontifician The Pope beeing neer his end called a Priest and gaue him authority to giue to himselfe a plenary pardon the which hee deuoutly receiuing so dyed with his plenary not long after he appeared to the Priest like a man damned to whom saith the Priest what are you damned why did not you receiue a plenary indulgence I did so saith the Pope but the Supreme Iudge did not approue that absolution doubtlesse the supreme Iudge approueth none of their vain indulgences by grains by which they draw Christians from their onely affiance in the blood of his sonne in whose name d Acts 4. only is saluation and to put hope of Sanctification and saluation where none is nor can be Dreadfull are their abuses in many of their confecrations how horrible that * For mae Orationum ad benedicendum in manual secundum vsum sarum in vsu apud nostros Anglor when they require beseech the diuine grace should come downe into their Patents the holy Ghost should come downe into such bookes as they blesse the holy Ghost should come downe into their belles which they most superstitiously and vainely blesse and consecrate with an apish kind of Baptisme Yea they annoint the bels with their most sacred oyles into which oyles the very Holy Ghost by meanes of their inuocations e Pontificall in forma conserat
Chrism doth specially reside and dwell as they openly professe pronounce in their Pontificalls Many of these things are found In their rituall according to the vse of Sarum and now vsed in England with Master Maihews the Monkes and my old Romane Schoolefellows annotations vpon it and they haue for conclusion of many of their fopperies this * Note of what omnipotency ouer the grace of the holy Ghost the Popish Church maketh her Priests to be sanctifying prayer by which any Priest may blesse or consecrate any creature he shall please so effectually that to vse f Benedictio ad omnia quaecunque volueris A form of blessing vpon what things soeuer thou wilt Manual vsed by English Priests page 168. their owne words by the comming downe of the holy Ghost vppon it by the religious vses thereof any one may obteine both safety of soule and health of body Infinitely are their corruptions and vanities All which when I now obserue with my selfe not onely as abuses and practises of priuate men through corrupt affections but as lawes and ceremonies generally obserued throughout the Romane Church I do not without greate confusion and shame lament and bewail my bewitching to think with my selfe that either I or any one but of ordinary knowledge of Christs doctrine should haue liued in the idle seruitude of such comtemptible creatures and to haue giuen any iot of that honor and confidence which is due and peculiar to the immortall and euerliuing God by ioyning or partaking with such who haue ioined the adoration of diuine Maiesty with the adoration of earthly corruptible cretures his Images surely as the Saint omeristian Libell which is out against mee calleth mee for my writing the booke for the Oath of Allegeance lunatike I was so then when I beleeued such trumperies bewitched with Romes cup. Of what force good God is education in any religion present possession and profession of any faith but now with hart prostrate I adore that Clemency of Iesus the man God orient who g Luke 1. through the bowels of mercy hath illuminated me who sate in darknes directed my feet into the way of his peace I could neuer whilst I was in Rome and a trauailer through other hot countries heare of the ouerflowing and inundation of those most nefarious abhominable and not to be named sinnes amongst them nor neuer read the first Chapter of Saint Pauls Epistle to the Romanes where the exectable crimes of Idolatrie and the other nefarious and not to be named crimes are by the Apostle coupled and associated together as indiuiduall companions following each from other either by corruption of nature likenesse of spirits or Gods secret iudgement but I euer had withall some secret suggestions lest as the old Paynims and heathenish Philosophers were deliuered ouer into reprobate senses to change naturall vse into abhomination for that they had changed Gods glorie and giuen the same to corruptible creatures and corruptible Images so also the Romanists in respect of like changing of Gods glorie and communicating part thereof to corruptible Images were giuen ouer to such reprobate sense as to change naturall vse into almost nefarious abhominations Pardon me O ye Pontifician Prelates Laikes c. God knoweth I write not this to calumniate you or to aggrauate against you what was the sinne of h Ezech. 16. Sodome heare the holy Ghost telling you pride of life saturitie of bread and idlenesse of life O most mercifull Sauiour of mankinde open their eyes that they may see and lament all the abhominations which be committed within thy house within thy wals and inspire into their harts to keepe their vessels in sanctification and rather to vse that remedie by thee and nature prouided then to commit one of those nefarious sinnes for which onely thy most iust wrath might be iustly moued to desolate the whole world and to destroy not only the actors but their associates and partakers in their idolatries although otherwise themselues not to be touched with those enormious crimes for which thy iust wrath with fire consumed those fiue Cities of old as in like sort within this thy kingdome thou diddest with fire consume for like abhomination a Monasterie Gen. 19. of certaine religious as i lib. 4. hist ca. 25 Beda relateth and as at Valencine in the Low countries it is fearefully and horribly reported by a k M. R. P. reuerend Priest there that it is doubted in that Citie by religious persons that thy wrath did consume with fire the Church and house of the Capuchine friers for some like abhomination committed in their Church although by some others it is giuen out that the heretikes so they call those of the reformed Church did for malice cast fire vpon their Church which was first of all with that reuengefull flame consumed The sixth Motiue THE sixth Motiue I deduct out of certaine obseruations touching the Masse These The sixt motiue sixteene yeares and vpward hauing practised the same I haue oftentimes had cleare suggestions against the authoritie of it as not to be Apostolicall and of Christ and his Apostles institution as they most eagerly not without cause it being the very foundation of their religion pretend but any substantiall reason for their pretended Apostolicall tradition herein I could neuer read I rather found in Platina Gulielmus Durandus Stephanus Durantus Almarius Sigibertus Gabriel Biel Polidore Vrgil and diuers other their Pontifician Doctors who either haue commented vpon their rites or mentioned the institutions and beginnings of the substantiall parts of their Masse that they did attribute all the parts of the Masse to the institution and ordaining of such Popes as liued after the Apostles times yea many of them diuers hundreds of yeares yea they related these things so weakely and with so small shew of proofe out of antiquitie iust none at all that sometimes I greatly suspected the Masse to be like a garment of ragges patched together and gathered from diuers places vnknowne so the Masse to be patched vp with diuers prayers and parts the Authors whereof could not possibly by any meanes certainly be produced but that which most of all troubled me was to read in Saint l Grego lib. 7. Epist 64. Gregory himselfe confessing that the Apostles did cōsecrate with the Lords prayer onely and withall acknowledging that one called Scholasticus had composed the office and Canon of the Masse not withstanding all these doubts I reiected then as temptations not doubting but that the Canon of the Masse was of the Apostles instituting although I saw euident demonstrations to the contrary so powerfull with me was the authoritie of the present visible Romane Church but quia ignorans feci misericordiam consecutus sum because I did it with most zealous ignorance I haue obtained mercie I now plainly see that it is a thing morally impossible that the Apostles should be the authors of the Romane Canon of the Masse
incessantly in that dreadfull fire of Purgatory for extremity and anguish equalized by the Pontificians with the fire of the damned dost thou vnderstand Christian Reader dost thou thinke that Scholasticus if hee were the Author of this prayer would call the burning flames of purgatory the rest in peace the sleepe of peace a very sweete rest of peace doubtlesse for such especially as shall continue in it vntill the day of Iudgement for they affirme so much that some who are burning in that rest shall restlessely there rest vntill the generall resurrection and perhaps when they end their Masses of purgatory rest and of requiems they p In fine missâ— thus conclude them requiescant in pace let them rest in peace dâ—siring thereby that the soules departed may rest in Purgatory yea rest in Purgatory still Doubtlesse whatsoeuer they meane in their daily requiem-Masses the Author of the Praier whosoeuer hee were desired that they might rest in peace and in the sleepe of peace to wit in some place of rest vntill the day of Generall iudgement and resurrection For most probable it is that the Author of this prayer for the dead was of opinion of many of the q Tertull. lib. de anima cap. 55. deliuereth it as a matter assured in his time that all soules of the faithful departed are kept in some lower part vntill the generall iudgment Laotant lib. 7. cap. 21. Yea in Saint Bernards time this errour was rife hee helde it Serm. 3. De omnibus sanctis and who is ignorant that Iohn the 22. Pope held it and would haue defined it and caused preachers publikely to teach it Gerson Serm. de pasch Ioh. Viltan in Historia See S. Austin in Psal 36. and his Enchirid. cap. 108. the like haue S. Chrisost and Theoph. in 1. ad Corinth 11. Iustin lib. Questiq 60. et 67. r Grego Niss orat 3. Auncient Fathers of the Church and some latter Popes to wit that the soules of the Faithfull departed remained in some certaine appointed place of rest vntill the day of Iudgement which place some of them call vnder the Altar but most manifest it is that if the Author of the praier were in his wits hee would not esteeme the dreadfull flames of purgatorie for a sleepe of rest peace of Christ sleepe of peace vnlesse it may bee saide that hee thought that soules departed doe put on the natures of Salamanders small little beasts who as fishes doe swimme in the waters so they liue and breath in the fire it selfe Or else perhaps hee was of Saint Gregory Nissenes opinion with some of the other Auncients of the Church who in one of his Orations vppon the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ writeth thus animam vero per se separatam c. But the soule beeing by it selfe and separated from the bodie fire cannot touch neither can darkenesse bee irkesome or greeuous vnto it because shee wanteth eies and therefore with these agreeing considerations and reasons wee are compelled to approoue the resurrection of the deade thus bee proouing by the impassibility of the soules separated a resurrection of the body that in it the soule might bee punished and afflicted and so according to this Fathers opinion the flames of purgatory should nothing at all afflict the soules departed and therfore they might bee said to rest in them and to sleepe also a slecepe of peace in them Or else most probable it is that he thought the state of the soules departed in respect of damnation or saluation was in some sort vncertaine vntill the generall iudgement according as many of the ancient Fathers seeme to haue taught and this vntill the sentence of damnation or saluation were by the Iudge pronounced and therefore although they were in a kinde of rest and expectation of that which was to come yet in respect of the communion of charitie which is betwixt all members of the Church he might thinke that prayers of the liuing might be auaileable for them so that by them they might finde their Iudge more propitious And this verie aptly yoa necessarily accordeth with other like euident matters in their Masses for the dead for as by their f Missal in comemorat omnium fideliuâ—â— defunct sequence which beginneth thus diet irae dies illa c. A day of wrath is that day they haue often relation to the day of generall iudgement and to the generall account which is to be made that day and therefore the whole sequence is purposely pronounced as in the persons of the dead who t See all this most euidently in their sequence dies Ire c. ibidem desire â—â— fauourable and a mercifull iudgement at that day and to be deliuered then when the Goates shall be set on the left hand and the sheepe vpon the right hand so that there can be no tergiuersation at all but that the authour of that sequence prayed that the soules of all faithfull departed for bee prayeth for all faithfull departed none excepted might finde a mercifull iudgement at the daye of the Generall account And agreelingly to this are liuers prayers also of the dead And most expresly is their 〈◊〉 in their daily Masses of the dead which is thus u In missis quotidianis pre defunctis Domine Iesu Christe c. Lord Iesus Christ deliuer the soules of the faithfull departed from the paines of hell and the deep lake deliuer them from the mouth of the Lion that hel may not note this sentence swallow them vp that they fall not into the darke but let thy flander bearer or Signifer Michael represent and exhibite them into that holy light which thou hast promised to Abraham and to his seede for euer Thus there he who seriously considering this prayer pondereth those words the soules of all faithfull departed and those that they may be deliuered from the deepe lake and that they be not swallowed vp by hell nor fall into the darke he cannot easily be perswaded to thinke otherwise then that the Authour of this prayer did thinke as many ancients did that the state of the soules departed * August lil 1. retract 14. 12. de ciuit cap. 9. epist. 111. ad Fortunat. Irenae lib. 5. cap. ult Ambros lib. 2. de Cain cap. 2 lib. de bono mortis cap. 10. Chrisost homel 28. Haeb. Origen hom 7. in Leuit. Hilarius in Psal 138. Theoph in 1. ad Corinth 11. in 11. ad Hoebr Theodor. ibidem was not certaine vntill the day of Iudgement and that none of them were to see the glorie and face of God vntill after the day of Iudgement and generall resurrection when they should receiue the promises as Theophilactus proueth and discourseth This errour had very many and ancient patrons as Bellarmine himselfe cannot denie and without all question it may be thought the parent of another errour of praying for the soules departed to deliuer them from the fire of Porgatorie Doubtlesse a Nouell
Apostle in his Epistle to the Thessalonians change your law and dissipate the eternall league of the new and eternall testament It will here be expected perhaps that I deliuer my sense and Catholike beleefe touching this most venerable Sacrament It is truly the same with that of the ancient Fathers of the Church in whose words I will by and by expresse my faith the which I see also most clearely agreeing with the reformed Lyturgie of the English Church and the articles concluded and agreed vpon by publike consent in the conuocations of the English Church which Lyturgie and Articles when I lately most seriously perused considered I saw a vehement propension resolution in the authors of thē with all reuerence to embrace what was most agreeing to the word of God to that which the ancient Primitiue Church taught deliuered the which had I neuer read I could neuer so haue thoght of thē the english church Lyturgy therof both are in such vile obloquies with the Pontificiās But I now perceiue that the aduersaries g Isai 28. posuerūt spē fuā mendaciū they haue made not one ly but infinte lies and calumniations against the Church of England their hope for in their schooles and Seminaries they commonly make their aduersaries speake what they list and so to impugne and confute them and teach their young souldiers of Sanders his holy quarrell to doe the like But to returne to my purpose my Catholike faith concerning this dreadfull Sacrament I will deliuer in the words of some of the ancient and Catholike Fathers Saint Austen expounding that h Iob. 6. sentence and commandement of our Sauiour nisi mandus aueritis c. vnlesse you shall eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you i August lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 16. saith thus he seemeth to commaund a crime and a wickednesse it is a figure therefore commanding vs to communicate with our Lords passion and that we profitably and sweetly lay vp in our memory that his flesh was wounded and crucified for vs. The same he confirmeth in his k Tractat. 27. in John Treatise vpon S. Iohn where he greatly taxeth the ignorance and mistaking of the Capharnaites who thought that Christ intended to giue them such flesh to eat as themselues were that is true flesh whereas saith Saint Austen Christ in those words couered a grace And in another place vpon the l Psal 98. Psalmes thus he writeth most perspicuously Spiritualiter intelligite c. vnderstand that which I haue spoken spiritually not this bodie which you see you shall eate neither shall you drinke that bloud which they who shall crucisie me will shead I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacramēt which being spiritually vnderstood will quicken you And how this Diuine misterie being a Sacrament taketh the name of the thing whereof it is a Sacrament heare him clearely declaring the same to m Epist 23. ad Bonif. Bonifacius an Earle in Africke Sacraments saith he haue a certaine resemblance of the things whereof they are Sacraments * See Theodoret for this purpose in dialog impatib and for that resemblance they take the names commonly of the things themselues and therefore as the Sacrament of Christs bodie is after a sort Christs bodie and the Sacrament of Christ bloud his bloud so the Sacrament of faith to wit Baptisme is faith thus he like is the authoritie related in their n De consecrat dist 2. cap. hoc est quod Canon Law Sicut ergo celestis c. Therefore euen as the heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ after this manner is called the bodie whereas it is truly a Sacrament of the bodie of Christ that which visible palpable mortall was put on the Crosse and the verie immolation which is done by the hands of the Priest is called the passion of Christ the death of Christ and the crucifying of Christ not in truth of the thing but in a signifying misterie so the Sacrament of faith which is Baptisme is vnderstood faith Againe f Contra adimāt cap. 13. Saint Austen non dubit auit c. Our Lord doubted not to say this is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his bodie and therefore vpon Saint c Tract 59. in Iohn Iohn although hee acknowledged Iudas to haue receiued buccellam dominicam the Lords morsell yet he receiued not saith hee bread the Lord but the bread of the Lord of which words what other meaning can there be But that bread of the Lord is onely the outward Sacrament which Iudas receiued but bread the Lord is the same Sacrament receiued by the religious and faithfull who withall beleeueth thinketh loueth and hopeth in and vpon Christ crucified as his Sauiour and so in soule by faith and loue eateth him and receiueth bread the Lord according to that of the same u August tract 25. in Ioh. Father beleeue and thou hast eaten and that of Saint x Bernard serm 3. in Psal qui habitat Bernard when they heard him say vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud they said that this is an hard speech and departed from him and what is to eate his flesh and drinke his bloud but to communicate with his passion and to imitate that conuersation which he held To these Fathers for this purpose I adioyne Saint y Ephrem in Harding against the challenge of D. lewel Ephrem thus confessing Inspice diligenter c. Beholde diligently how taking bread into his hands hee blesseth and breaketh it in a figure of his immaculate bodie and in a figure of his precious bloud he blesseth and giueth the Cup to his disciples thus he z Lib. 4. contra Marcio cap 40. Tertullian when he was a sound Christian Catholike thus pronounced Iesus Christ when he tooke bread and distributed it to his disciples made it his bodie saying this is my bodie that is to say the figure of my bodie And a gaine in another a Lib. 3 cap. 19. contra Mar. place he speaketh thus to Marcion God in your Gospell called bread his bodie that by the same thou maist vnderstand that to bread he hath giuen to be a figure of his bodie but a figure it should not be if it were not a bodie of truth thus he I will adioyne two places out of Eusebius who liued then when the Pastours of the Church were most vigilant against all errours and heresies and therefore they would not haue suffered this doctrine in Eusebius touching the Sacrament if it had not beene agreeing to the Catholike faith of that time Christ hauing offered b Eusebius de demonst Euang. lib. 1. cap. 10. saith he himselfe for a soueraigne sacrifice to his Father ordained that we should offer a remembrance thereof vnto God in steede of a Sacrifice which remembrance we celebrate by the
139. Doctor Harding commendeth and produceth to proue the Romane presence in the Sacrament the similitude wherewith Martin q Bucer in comment in 16. Math. Bucer vsed to expresse the manner of Christs presence and how his bodie worketh those graces in the soules of worthie receiuers I will it being as fit as similitudes vse to be heere vse the same vt sol vere in vno loco coeli visibilis circumscriptus c. Euen as saith he the visible Sunne is truly circumscribed in one place of heauen and yet as present in his beames is truly and substantially exhibited throughout the world So the Lord although he be circumscribed in one place of the arcane and diuine heauen that is of the glorie of his Father notwithstanding by his word and sacred Simboles truly as whole God and Man he * Obseruing this sentence out of Bucer may not Parsons his calumniating spirit be called in question who reporteth that Martin Bucer should affirme to the Duke of Norfolke who asked his opinion of the reall presence that if all the Euangelists had written were true then Christs bodie must needs be there what presence hee taught you haue heere heard by himselfe confested and by Harding approued but Parsons bringeth his answere to the Duke as thogh that worthie man had doubtâ—d of the truth of th Euangelist a manifest caâ—umny as you here see but Parsons is sul of such stuffe is as present exhibited in the sacred Supper and for that really substantially which presence the minde doth not lesse certainly acknowledge beleeuing these words and simboles of the Lord then the eies see and haue the Sunne presentially demonstrated and exhibited by the corporall light This is a hidden thing and of the new Testament a thing of faith therefore hither are not to be admitted cogitations of the presentation of a bodie which is consisting after the manner of this passible and fluxible life we must simply adhere vnto the word of our Lord and faith must yeeld supply to the defect of senses thus farre that learned man and I wish the Reader to obserue the simplicitie of Doctor Harding who produceth this place against Bishop lewel as prouing the Romane transubstantiation It proueth indeed that Christ in his graces is truly and exhibited to the worthy receiuers of the Sacrament which the Church of England in her Iâ—yturgie and articles of the conuocation constantly with all the ancient Church Catholike delinereth O how happy had it beene for Christendome if learned men leauing off too deepely to search into this dread full misterie had with a Christian simplicitie applied themselues onely to the deuout and frequent vse of the same and not so peremptorily to haue defined Christ really corporally to be present eyther by impanation as Rupertus Abbot or consubstantiation as the Lutherans or transubstantiation which is most improbable and against the verie light of all antiquitie as Pope Innocent and his I ateranists but such is the pride of the Romane Bishops all their Doctrines forsooth must be vncontrollable all their vses vnreprehensible all their sentences vnappellable but if they would haue vouchsafed to haue squared their faith to the ancient Church they would haue perswaded and inculcated the reuerent and deuout often receiuing of it as of a diuine Sacrament but as for the manner of Christs presence seeing his Maiestie hath not more expresly deliuered it then as in a Sacrament they would haue beene reuerently silent But the r Apocalip 17. Cuppe of abhominations was to come from Rome for which one day she will be consumed and destroyed euen by those Kings and Kingdomes who haue beene drunke with the Cup of her fornications and abhominations The seuenth Motiue ANother Motiue with me and very forcible The seuenth Motiue is their intollerable or rather execrable abuse in their vaine indulgences the which being void of all foundation in holy Scripture are nothing at all to be grounded Å¿ See â—ajetan lib de Indulgent cap. 1. Roffensis consutat assert Lutheri Act. 18. Alphons aduersus hereses verbe indulgentia vpon any Apostolical tradition or authoritie of ancient Fathers Those pardons lay as hidden little regarded vntil that prophane Pope Boniface the eight of whom his predecessor Celestine reputed by the Romanists for a Saint prophecied that as he had entered like a Foxe so he should liue like a Lion and die like a Dog as accordingly it fell out did by his impious and superstitious Buls giue pardons to the visiters of Rome in the yeares of Iubilies t Platina in vita Bonifa appointing the same to be kept euery hundreth yeare although they are now ordained to be kept euery fiue and twentie by Sixtus the fourth as a little before they were kept every fiftie yeare by the ordinance of Clement the sixth and in the same his Buls did cast abroad the dregs of the filthy Cup of his abhominations I call them dregs of the Cup because being so iniurious to the death and passion of Christ so perniciously ouerthrowing all discipline and as a canker destroying good life that I can hardly thinke of a name vile enough for them Dregges they are therefore because partly founded vpon the imperfect and impure defects of sinfull men of whom there was neuer yet found one without many sinnes or so perfect that he could u Psal 48. make redemption for himselfe much lesse for his brother Dregs because this treasure vpon which papall Pardons are grounded is blasphemously compounded ioyntly of the infinite merits of Christ and his Saints they seeme to acknowledge Christs merits to be inexhaustible and infinite and yet they will needs haue compartners with him as Saint Laurence Saint Paul c. in the founding of this Pontifician treasurie Dregs and most vaine dregs because this treasurie is founded vpon the actions and merits of Saints not as they were meritorious for so say they they are rewarded in their owne persons but as they were satisfactorious forsooth as though an action in that it is painefull may not be and is not also meritorious according to their owne principles and therefore because there were some Saints who had more satisfactions then their sinnes required as though euerie sinne though in Saints had not an infinite malice according to their owne principles and euerie action in that it is satisfactorious according to their owne principles also had not a finite and a limited vertue these their satisfactions remaining in the Popes Vatican treasurie he may dispense thereof to whom he shall thinke meete What need then of the pecuniarie taxe of the Apostolicall Chancery or penitentiarie if there be such a treasurie yes that is to fill the purse but not to inrich the spiritual treasurie of merits of Saints and rather to buy some of them which are inexhaustible I demaunded not long since of the x M. G. B. Archpriest that was vpon what authoritie of Scripture the Pontifician treasurie of Indulgences
the diuine and publique seruice throughout all Churches of the West what else do they intend but that the Pope may reigne throughout all those Churches which more or lesse through his excommunications interdicts promotions presentations and through the imbecility of Princes and the blinde ignorance of Christian people he hath conquered to his tiranny Baptizing them after the name of his See of Rome Romane Catholikes not after the name of Christ Christian Catholikes for Christian is a name now out of vse vnlesse it bee in the reformed Churches of Christ where Christ is truly and only honoured and glorified but howsoeuer the Popes tiranny bee applauded in seruice of vnknowne tongues doubtlesse the u 1. Petr. 5. Roaring Lion laugheth thereat to see by his institution warres to bee proclaimed against Gods Scriptures and all Antiquity God to bee depriued of his Honour which consisteth in the vnderstanding seruice and religion of the heart for he being a spirit x Iohn 4. in spirit and truth hee must bee adored the Christian flocke to bee dispoiled of their spirituall deuotion and comfort which is not possibly to bee had without the conceiuing and vnderstanding of such things by which the spiritual comfort is to be brought and ingendred in their soules They pretend forsooth that the misteries of their Masse will bee had in greater admiration if they be not in a tongue vnderstood by the common people Alas how wisely for I hope their people must vnderstand the mysteries of the Masse and therein be instructed as their Tridentine Catechisme commaundeth and as the Rhemists glory in their preface to the new Testament and if they must bee instructed to vnderstand the Diuine rites and Ceremonies Why may they not bee permitted to haue the seruice in a tongue that they doe vnderstand Their goodly argument that some of the auncient Fathers carried the mysteries of the Church closely in the primitiue daies falleth of it selfe for was not that done in respect of the Infidels and Catechumens but as for the faithfull they all well knew that phrase norunt fideles the faithfull haue knowen and they vnderstood all the mysteries for the most part The primitiue Church practised faithfully that of Christ y Mat. 8. Luc. 12 quod in aure c that which you heare in the eare preach vpon the tops of houses but although you were iustly afraid to haue your Masse mysteries celebrated in known tongues in respect of infinite impertinencies and contradictions that are in it why should you not suffer so much as is read of holy Scriptures in your Liturgies to bee read and song in tongues known to the Church And what may bee thought that Christs Apostles would write their Gospels and Epistles in the Greeke tongue Saint Mathew in his Gospell and Saint Paul in his Epistle to his Countrimen writing in the Hebrew tongue onely excepted but for that the Greeke tongue was most common throughout the East part of the world where Christian Religion was first planted And in the Primitiue Church al * I desire the learned Pontificians to tell me whether the Apoâ—riphall Liturgies of Iames Basil Chrisostom Ambrose yea of S. Peter also which they falsly pretend were not written by them in the most vulgar tongues vsed then in their churches confesse your tiranny O yee Romans and abuse Gods Church no longer Church-seruice was in this part of the World of Europe and that of Asia for most part in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine tongues because the same were more or lesse common where Christianity was first planted as for other countries where the Gospell was preached as first in AEthiopia who is ignorant but that the Churches Liturgie was from the time of the Eunuch vntill this day in the AEthiopian tongue Sclauonians had the like Armenians the like Egiptians the like Grecians the like Latines the like Hebrews the like and what doubt can bee made but that the Indian Conuerts by Saint Thomas had the like And wheresoeuer the Apostles planted any Churches what question can be made but that they did obserue the rule and z 1. Corin. 14. commaundement of the Lord to his Apostles that euery thing should bee done to edification and that glorious prophecie should bee fulfilled euery a Philip. 2. tongue shall confesse to his name yea the very Formes of all Church-seruices doe clearely shew that the People and Clergie were answerablye to conioyne their prayers together and to answere each other as it is deliuered in the b Constitut Apostol Clementis Cirill in Catech. mistagog Iustin Apolog. 2. ad Antoâ—mum liturgiae Iacobi Chrisosto Ambro. Basil saepe constitutions of the Apostles the olde Liturgies and other Auncient Fathers and what else did the comming downe of the Holy Ghost in the formes of so many fiery tongues at Whitsontide else portend and signifie but that euery tongue should confesse the name of our Lorde IESVS and where this more meetely then in their publique assemblies where they were to honour GOD and yeelde to each other all spirituall Comforte and consolation which could not nor cannot bee performed in dumbe and barbarous shewes I cannot heere omit to set downe a point of simplicity of their great Doctor Doctor Harding who answering an obiection made by D. Iewel out of Saint c Basil Hexamer hom 4. Basil affirming that the people together men women and children made a sound in their answers in the Churches in the publike seruice to God like to the sound of a waue striking vpon the Seabanks This profound d Harding answere to Bishop Iewels challenge page 8. Doctor would haue Saint Basil vnderstood onely of the peoples sounding the word Amen wisely insooth Doubtlesse the Doctor was in a dreame or else forgot what Countryman Saint Basil was or of what countrey people that Father speaketh e August in Psal 16. expos 2 Harding supra if he had remembred Greece or euer read any of the Greeke Lyturgies or seene the Greeke publike seruice which vpon the day of Saint Athanasius the Grecians are permitted to celebrate in their owne tongue in Rome he would haue well vnderstood that the Grecian Christians make longer answers and responses in the publike Church seruice then Amen But his answere to an authoritie produced by that learned Bishop out of Saint Austen perhaps is wiser no insooth more fond heare it Quid hoc sit c. what this is saith Saint Austen after we haue prayed to God to make vs cleane from our priuate sinnes we must vnderstand that we ought to sing as with humane reason not with voice as birds doe for Owsels Popiniayes Rauens and Pyes and such like birds oftentimes be taught of men to sound they know not what thus Saint Austen Now it is manifest that these words are to be taken of vnderstanding what is sung but what answereth Doctor Harding to them marry thus These words are to be taken of the vnderstanding of the sense saith
much of his credit away with charging the booke with lies and fables that his authoritie alone may not carrie away such a matter as this is The fifth Law THat Law and custome by which they commaund the Laitie to receiue the Sacrament vnder one kind onely is sacrilegious to vse Pope Gelasius his phrase and is an errour in excusable But the Tridentine Fathers haue found out an excuse for this inexcusable errour this forsooth that although Christ instituted and commaunded all to drinke of the sacramentall Cup the Apostles ordained as much and withall the primitiue Church euer so practised yet this was all done not as a matter of necessitie but of election or choice for the faithful to receiue vnder one kind or both Å¿ Epist Iude. Imperet vobis Dominus Our Lord coÌ„maund you and let the mouthes of such as speake so wicked things be stopped What a doctrine of diuels is this to say that the institution of Christ the commaundement of Christ ordinance of the Apostles touching the vse of the chiefest Sacrament of the Church maketh not a law of necessitie when their imagined transubstantiation came in then also by degrees brought they in the receiuing vnder one kinde as sufficient for a mans whole life pretending that whole Christ is really and substantially vnder both kindes yea vnder any the least particle that may fall from the host or any lest moysture of wine-liquour that may hang and sticke vpon their Chalice side or vpon their Priests lips which being by them thus professed beleeued I maruaile and note by the way how Henry Garnets great t M. A. V. fauouritisse in presence of him and of other Ignatians and diuers worshipfull did scorne publikely at table one D. Cecill for his licking with his finger the patten which he vsed at celebration of the Masse I desire the reader to iudge of their spirits I my selfe hearig her derision excused the Doctor seriously but since that time some one and twenty yeares I was neuer very gratefull to her nor to her reuerend Father Henry Garnet they had then opposition with that Doctor and therefore he was derided for licking vp such crummes as they esteemed their God The sixth Law THey annexe to holy Orders the vow of Chastitie and yet few who take Orders make the said vow expresly although all such consent to vndergoe their law of chastitie by which they most strictly command neither Priest nor Bishop to marry if any were maried before Orders then after them they must abstaine from the lawfull vse of their wiues This is one of their traditions such a one as S. Paul spoke of when u 1. Ad Tim. 4. he foretold that some would come in later times teaching the doctrines of diuels forbidding to marrie c. By occasion of this law their presumptuous spirits haue implied almost the whole Romane Cleargie more or lesse with all kinde of impurities yea some so nefarious as are not by a modest penne to be expressed perhaps though very rashly and inconsiderately the first Authors of the Law intended to haue brought in Chastitie and puritie into the liues of their Cleargie but it hath fallen out farre otherwise for it is a shame to speake what is done by many of them in secret It is a shame saith x Bernard serm 33 in Cantica see him in serm ad Pastores in Sinodo congregat lib. 4. de considerat cap. 2. alibi S. Bernard to vtter what they doe in darke yet what should I shame to speake that which they are not ashamed to doe O worthy Bernard might you iustly write thus in your time A stinking contagioÌ„ creepeth this day through out the whole bodie of the Church all are friends and yet all are enemies yea all seeke their owne they are the Ministers of Christ yet doe seruice to Antichrist And a little after these are the men and yet they will needs be Church-Gouernours Diuines Archbishops Bishops how doe these men keepe their chastitie who being giuen into a reprobate sense doe things that are vnmeete for it is a shame to vtter what they doe in the darke yet why should I be ashamed to speake that which they are not ashamed to doe thus Saint Bernard the which with infinite much more that might be cited out of all zealous Pontifician preachers as Cornelius Musse Panigarole Ferus Granatensis Stella Espencaeus Genebrard Bapt Mantuan Aluarus Pelagius Nicholas Clemangis Polydore Mathew of Paris I touch onely to shew what abhominable impurities and filth hath redounded by vertue of that Law into their vowing Cleargie whom they permit notwithstanding to eate and drinke liberally and indifferently of wines and all manner of meates as the laitie and to liue also freely and to conuerse indifferently amongst women They impose a necessitie of that which Christ himselfe ordained should be free in such as haue the y Math. 19. gift of continencie but they will perhaps say none is restrained to this law of Chastitie but such as doe freely enter into holy orders vnto which this law of chastitie is annexed and such as haue made triall of themselues before good God what triall is made of such persons whom they nourish and mew vp in the prime of their youth in their Seminaries and Colledges farre from all societie of women whom if they would keepe still at short diet and without wines I could not condemne their vowiâ—g who neuer made trial of themselues whether they had the gift of continency or not how many are there of your Cleargie who eyther because their parents so appoint it or else because they finde it a readie way and steppe to promotion are willing to addict themselues to that course of life before they know by experience whether they can be continent or not nay rather which of them is there I appeale to their owne consciences who by often yeelding more or lesse to some of the morosous cogitations as they call them doe not finde by experience before they take holy Orderrs that they haue not the gift of contiuencie but doe more or lesse burne with their morosous desires and cogitations The Pontificians are such fauourers of Vowes of chastitie that I know some married couples who liuing together commit horrible impurities and yet they will not preuent them by the remedy of nature because against their owne vowes I know diuers Ignatians are verie forward to perswade married couples to vow such pernicious continencie I could heere particularize somewhat but will not hauing appealed to their owne consciences and the consciences of such ghostly Fathers as heare the confessions of their Diuines who are at the next steppe to Orders But let their ancient Histories be searched and they shall finde that the Church of the East where religion was first planted and the ordinances of the Apostles well knowne would neuer admit of the necessitie of continencie in Cleargie men which some endeuoured to impose vpon them In
Anall Platin. in Adrian Irene caused the same by a Synod of Bishops to bee decreed in Nice And I pray you doe you thinke worse of your Iubilies because y Platina in Bonif 8. Walsing in Edward 1. Polychron lib. 7. cap. 40. Boniface the 8. who entred most ambiciously like a Foxe liued like a Lion and died like a Dogge brought them in beware of such mislikes it will not be for the profit of Romes purse Againe the Church of England is calumniated euery day by all the Ignatians as though she had no true orders or iurisdiction I dare affirme that in it there is as certaine and as assured a succession of orders spirituall iurisdiction as in the Church of Rome it selfe which hath so often tottered with so many schismes and hath bin pestered with so many Apostatical Popes as both Baronius and Genebrard deliuer I my selfe very lately searched for my own satisfaction the Records and I find clearly that Archbishop Parker was sufficiently truly and canonically ordered and consecrated by such Bishops as had receiued orders and consecration according to the Romane Church he swore not thou wilt perhaps obiect obedience to the Bishop of Rome a toy Where in all antiquity finde you the vse ofswearing subiection to the Bishop of Rome Romane Tyranny brought it in to the Church and Christian liberty hath exploded it It is indeede the soule of your Religion that subiection to the Bishop of Rome is a meane necessary to saluauation as necessary as Baptisme it selfe O prodigious Doctrin it is not enough say these men to saluation to be vnited with Christ and subiected to our immediate Pastors who are in vnion with the whole Catholike Church touching the Catholike faith vnlesse we be also vnited by immediate subiectiō vnto the Pope of Rome who may both be an Heretike and also contaminate the Church with his pernicious Lawes So that if a Pope Nerolike as Boniface the 8. would by pernicious Lawes draw you from Christ and like as a Heliogabalus as Iohn the 12. would draw you to all impurities and teach you to diuide the Church by opposing against the true Pope after his iust deposition by the whole Romane Clergy most Bishops of Italy assembled in a Synod or Ottomanlike as Paul the 5. will teach you against Christs institution not to yeelde temporall obedience to your lawfull Soueraigne if hee out of his throne take vpon him to dethrone him vnlesse forsooth you be subiect to such Vicars of Christ you cannot haue saluation in Christ O prodigious and vaine Doctrine of these times the holy Prophets O ye Britaine 's haue forewarned vs let vs beware of them What vile calumniation is that by which the reformed Churches of England are charged to deny the seeing of Gods face and glory vnto the Saints departed vntill the day of Iudgement What a slander that she respects no Holy daies of Christ or his Apostles I dare say that the memories of the Apostles are in many places of this Kingdome as religiously obserued as the Sundaies are with them but in the obseruation of the Sabbath our Lords day the Church of England doth so farre surpasse all Papistical Churches yea of Rome it selfe that it were a sinne to make any comparison therein betwixt them a Caluino Turcismo William Rainolds calumniateth Caluin that hee teacheth that Christ by his corporall death redeemed not mankinde A meere Calumnious imputation his doctrine is that Christ by his meere Corporal death had he not subiected himself to haue vndergone his fathers displeasure against mankinde and to haue clothed himselfe as it were with the deserts punishment and guilt of man he had not fully made that satisfactiō for mankind of which the Scripture so often speake of which doctrin who can be ignorant who is acquainted with holy writ Great is their spight against that man but notwithstanding all their malice against him he liued peaceably laboured faithfully and died Christianly leauing such a posterity of books behinde him which checketh the daily continual innouations of Rome Grieuous is the imputation to the English Church for condemning and contemning the ancient Fathers whereas the most it striueth for is to support that of b Tertull. lib. de prescriptio Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most Ancient euen in the Fathers is most true At first when counterfeit Martials Abdias Clements Markes Dionises were produced the Prelats of the reformed Churches were more afrighted then hurt and to such Fathers they might iustly giue the Anatheme because such fathers had impugned and contradicted that Gospell of Christ the which whosoeuer though an Angell from heauen shall doe we are warranted by the c ad Galat. 1. Apostle to giue him the Anatheme But in and for true Fathers the Church of England reuerently and constantly auoucheth that of d Vincent Lirin contra Heres cap. 4. Tertull. de praescript Vincentius Lirinensis to take place Quicquid non unus aut duo c. Whatsoeuer not one or two but al together with one and the same consent openly frequently and constantly shall bee knowne to haue held written and taught that she also without any doubt knoweth must by her bee beleeued and this most iustly the English Church admitteth it being as cleare as the verie no one daies that all Fathers of the Ancient Church neuer taught helde nor wrot any thing in this sort which is not clearely agreeing to Gods word which is the onely Rule of Christian faith But iustly to retort vpon them who knoweth not that for most of their Roman nouel positions the Aduersaries haue no Ancient Fathers and therefore to defend themselues being vrged they do not produce Fathers but stand to their imagined Traditions written no where in Antiquity but only reserued in the Romane Bishops and Churches brests as they pretende this is their City of refuge as for example When a world of Fathers concurring with sacred Scripture is produced to shew that the Virgin Mary whose name bee euer blessed amongst and aboue all women was conceiued in Originall sinne yea some of them with S. Anselme auouching that shee was borne in sinne which I can hardly beleeue doe they heere sticke to the Fathers nothing lesse their imagined traditions must take place Againe when whole centuries of Fathers and those assembled in Synods bee produced to affirme that Popes haue beene and may bee Heretikes will they heare admit of the Fathers nothing lesse all records must be coūterfeit their own best Authors deceiued rather then the Fathers authorities admitted against their Popes infallibilies When irrefragable authorities of most ancient Fathers are produced to shew that the holy Scriptures are the onely inerrable rule of Christian Catholike faith and the square by which the writings and faith of all men and all Churches must be examined and tried will they heere allow the Fathers No alas they flye the field and seeke after some maimed sentences
us free by your behests From all the sinnes that vs restraine To whose commaunding subiect are Infirmittes and healthes of all Our ill disposed customes cure And vnto vertue vs recall Whose eyes are not shut if here he doe not plainlie obserue how they haue taken the glory of onelie Redeemershippe and Aduocacy from Christ and haue transferred it vpon his Creature how plaine is it that they beg those things from the Apostles which Christ onely doth giue and from whose onely hands we are to expect them to wit peace and saluation Vouchsafe O Christ to open their eyes that seeing they may see and be conuerted and thou O God heale them thou O God restore them to all vertues I should here declare somewhat how the Romane Church trauaileth to make her Religion to seeme and appeare magnificent pompous glorious by deuised shewes a fitte deuise indeed to draw the simple but wiser trauailers and indicious persons obseruing such artificiall and stagelike representations * Diuerse both noble and very worthy Gentlemen haue taken great offence at the Spanish Fopperies in their processions and haue been greatly confirmed to continue still in the single and sincere integrity of the reformed Churches gather another conclusion thereout to wit that their Religion is humane not diuine not agreeing to the true ancient Christian simplicity of Christs Church Do they think that their sumptuous carrying their God vp and downe streetes their publike incensing and adoring of it their deuising of many rich representations to set forth their solemnities will draw the wiser people of such couÌ„tries as are auerted from the Romance Church no God wot there is nothing more auerteth them then such open and heathenish-like kind of worshippes which were neuer dreamed of in ancient Churches nor commended by any ancient institution of any Gouernours of the same The Conclusion But I will make haste towardes the Conclusion of these my motiues yet before I end I am constrained for the satisfaction of others to shew with what conscience and reason I dare aduenture to leaue communion with that Church which is so famous and so conspicuous and which hath beene euer visible for so much as concerneth externall succession an outward kind of profession of many pointes of Christian Doctrme since Christs time as like continuing of succession can be shewed in the Churches of Hierusalem Alexandria c. It cannot be denied but that the Romane Church in the Apostles time was a pure and sound part of the Christian Catholike Church although in her very infancy shee was sliding if you beleeue Onuphrius which moued S. Peter to hasten and returne vnto her and although Onuphrius in annotatan Platmam in vitam Petri. a Euseb lib. 3. hist cap. 31. Eusebius relateth Egesippus to affirme that whilest the Apostles liued the Church was an immaculate Virgine and pure from errour but they being dead there did presently arise those who did impugne the Apostolicall truth notwithstanding these things I doubt not to say that the Romane Church continued long time found in all substantiall matters of Christian doctrine vntill humane Traditions beganne to entermixe themselues with religion instituted by diuine authority which then most apparantlie began when the Church came to enioy temporall peace and prosperity presently after the dayes of Constantine the Emperour in whose time and by whose donation poyson was powred into the Church as the b Vita Silaestri approbata life of Siluester Pope deliuereth of a certain Angelical voice pronouncing as much the operation of which poison shewed it self partly in effect in the time of Damasus when by reason of the competency and contention which was betwixt him and c Ammian Marcellia lib 27. cap. 2 Ra on in Annal. Vrsisine for the Romane See so much bloud was shed that I hope if d I Cortil 2. Marcellin ibid. Sâ—crates l. 2. ca. 11 affirmeth how the Bishop of Rome exalting themselus aboue the limits of Priesthood into temporall dominion contended for the Primcay ouer all other Churches Saint Pauls argument bee true the Romane Church was then very carnall oppressed with such grieuous contentions and not being in vnity of spirite thinking the same thing but hauing such horrible schismes amongst them and I doubt not to affirme but that Damasus more or lesse as hee was delighted according to the fashion of Romane Bishops with sumptuous attendance in his person so also more or lesse brought in sumptuous seruice and pompous ceremonies into the Church and this the Pontificians cannot deny if diuers thinges that bee in Damasus his Pontificall bee truly attributed to that Popes institution and collection which in sundry thinges I beleeue not but this Bishoppe is made a Saint in the Romane calender the Lord knowes for what vertue or when he was first fainted perhappes for his tumultuous entrance or pompuous conuersation in the chaire of Rome in which respect hee may be reputed in some degree the Protoparent of many his Successors These beginnings and entrances of corruption vanity into the Church of Rome obserued which in succeeding times and in ages after ages grew into most horrible grieuous prophanations by the subtlety of Satan whilest the Gouernours of the Churches g Math. 13. were a sleepe that is were lulled with temporall peace and prosperity I seriously first consider those Propheticall wordes of our h Luc. 13. Sauiour in which hee hath foretold that when hee should come he should hardly find faith vpon earth which defection from faith as it was to bee and generally to ouerwhelme the whole world before Christs second comming so who coulde long agoe precisely say when it was to beginne onely after-experience hath demonstrated it and doth tell vs that according to another Propheticall prediction of the most blessed 2 ad Thes 2. Apostle who hath expresly deliuered that this defection and Apostacy should bee when that man should sitte in the temple that is the Church at whose comming the Romane Empire should be taken out of the way and who should extoll himselfe sitting in the Temple aboue all that is called or worshipped as God vpon earth who should also in himselfe and by his followers worke wonders and miraculous prodigies bosting and bragging therein who should also Apostatat from the charity of truth that is from the iustifying faith in Christ Iesus onely that iustifying faith in Christ Iesus onely which is so much and so often commended in sacred Scripture who also should Apostatate from most Articles of Christian doctrine For vaine is that exposition of the Remists who would faine interprete this Apostasie of which the Apostle speaketh to bee from the Pope and from his Primacie and particular Romane Church vaine I say for who will say that a man might not iustly haue departed from the communion of such Popes as k Genehrard lib. 4 Chronol sâ—â—ulo 10. Baron ad aun 900. anno 908. Plaim in vita sapissime in Bonifa