vaunt himselfe to be the chiefe Prelate Bishop of Bishoppes and head of the whole vniuersal Church Wherein hee may thinke it lawefull for him to do what him lusteth through the which slipping his neck out of the coller of his dewe obedience to the higher powers he may presume to enforce vnder his yoake kinges and countreys and therby set al nations in vproare with fire and sworde and vsurpe more then lordly controllership ouer al other Churches and himself lyke a tragical king vppon a stage sitting in a golden chayre crowned with a tryple crowne garnished in a coape of tyssue with kingly scepâ—er in haÌ„d twoo swords and a golden Dyademe beset with pearle and precious stoanes ryde lyke a lurdeiâ— lordling I would say vpon noble mens shoulders O sweeâ—â— Sainct Peter Is this to succeede Peter in Apostleshippe is this to sit in Peters chayre without any sparke of Peters qualities or is it to sit in the chayre of pestilence And what if the Turke spoyling the Pope of the same chayre should sit therein would the dignitie of the place make him Peters successor foorthwith or what if the Pope himselfe as hee sitteth in Peters chayre had also nowe in possession Peters fisherboate shoulde hee therefore for Peters fisherboate become any whiâ—â—e the more skilful fisherman Wherein to my simple conâ—eite seemeth to haue chaunced too the Pope a matter not much vnlike to that whereof wee reade mention made by Lucian of one Neanthus the sonne of Pittacus who hauing Orpheus harpe altogither â—ccording to the olde prouerbe an asse vpon the harpe conceauing a vaine foolishe opinion of himselfe was perswaded that immediatly vpon the sounding of the harpe hee shoulde make wooddes and rockes to runne hopping after him This cockeborrel clowne therefâ—re wâ—ndering abroade ouer hilles and dales and merueling that â—he woodes rocks would noâ— sturre out of their place at the soâ—â—de of the harpe but stande stil as before vnmoueable neuer left stryking streâ—ching thumping and sounding the harp vntil at length hee made himselfe to bee loathed of the brute beasts with the hâ—rshe and confused noyse skraping the sâ—rings and so became a pray to dogges which tare him in pieces and did gnaw his flesh and boanes into gobbets And what els dooth this Romishe prelate present vnto vs with his stately stoole whervpon hâ—e doateth no lesse fondly franticke â—hen the seely caytif vpoÌ„ his harpe For what shold let it but that Orpheus harpe may aswel make a cunning harper as Peters chayre an holy bishop if wee haue therein no further consideration then of the material chayre But heere loe againe a freshe reply of a long and neuer discontinued succeeding of bishoppes rusheth out against vs wherby they sucke out the very source and welspring of their succession euen from the Apostles themselues and to countenaâ—ce out the matter amongest the auncient doctors are alledged as champions of valour Tertullian Irene and Augustine who doo not a little aduaunce the dignitie of ecclesiastical succession They doo yeelde to the Church honor in deede but how and when forsooth in their disputations to confirme the antiquity of the scriptures against such as did vtterly deny them Let vs also consider the tyme when they did so foorsooth euen then when as the very auncient integritie of godlinesse vertue true religion and sinceritie of doctryne was resiaunt in the succession of Bishoppes and when as yet the Sea of Rome taught nothing else but that which was agreable too the Catholicke doctrine approued and allowed in Christian Churches Hithertoo yet was no cause giuen why they shoulde make any special complaint against that Sea the fundation whereof they had hearde say might bee attributed too Peter especially byâ—ause they perceaued that the countenaunce thereof auailed much to the appeasing of schismes But if Augustine and the other auncient Fathers were lyuing nowe and shoulde heare and see these horrible heresies monstruouse maskinges and peeuishe puppettes wherewith this holy Sea ouerwhelmeth the whole world at this present they woulde chaunge their note and sing a farre other manner of song of the intollerable pryde and ambition of this Sea and woulde with no lesse vehemency of spirite then other godly mynisters at this present bende themselues tooth and nayle against the same And yâ—t touching that beadrol of succession wherevppon they bragge as neuer at any time discontinued with what face dare these Romish Rutterkynes face it out with a carde of tenne as it were which hath beene so many yeeres turmoyled with schismes encombred with so many chaunces and chaunges of bishoppes eche striuing against other for the title of that Sea where many tymes three Popes and for the more parte twoo Popes haue challenged the chayre not vnlyke lusty gallaunces who bee ielouse of theyr paramoures in so much that it coulde not bee easily discerned who ought to bee receaued for the true Pope that I speake nothing meanewhyles of al those which by fraude by symony by violence by murthers by witchecraft necromancy and diuelishe practises I say not haue crept couertly in but rudely rusht vppon the foresaide succession To passe also ouer that filthy discontinuance of the same Sea wherin was chopt into chayre as successor not Iohn a bishop but Ioane that shamelesse struÌ„pet whose successors they must needes confesse themselues to bee euen as yet if to deriue the succeeding order of successiue Prelates from the direct lyne of the predecessors bee of so greate emportaunce But of Peter and his succession ynough nowe whome albeeit wee yeelde to haue sometyme sitte as Bishoppe in Rome which maketh not so greatly to the purpose yet what is that to the Pope of Rome nowe forsoothe Christ gaue charge you 〈◊〉 sâ—a of his sheepe to Peter This is true indeede but it was to the ende hee shoulde feede them and not to plucke their skinnes from of their backes But you feede not but suck the blood of Christs sheepe and yet requyre to be accompted Christes vicars and Peters successors And thinke you in this so glorious a light of good learninge and Euangelicall doctryne to finde such bloâ—kish bussardes whome yee may persuade that your bragges bee true wherewith yee may bee able too bleat the eyes of men any longer with that glauering shadowe of vaine tytle and name If you bee of that minde by your leaue syr you doo erre wonderfully if at least the â—ishop of Rome may possibly erre But I wâ—l not say you do erre if you see it notâ— but I wil boldely affirme you are starke madde rather For what shal I say doo yee not perceaue howe your councelles â—ee discouered daâ— yee not feele your craftes fraudes disceits practiâ—es robberies lyes filthinesse crakes vanities errours blasphemies dâ—uises too bee lâ—ide open before al mens eyes Is it not apparaunt vnto you that mens consciences do nowe perfectly beholde your cankred malice and cursed conspiring against Christes Gospel â—hat I neede not meane whyles rippe
the doctrine and opinion touching the substaunce and fayth of this sacrament was then in that olde auncient age amongest those Catholike and godly auncient fathers and howe farre this your newe vpstart chaungeling of â—raÌ„substantiation doth differre not only from al auncient antiquity but also from the trueth of the scripture it selfe which many of your own frateâ—ny Impes of this later age did not onely very wisely forsee but very frankely confesse as your selfe do know wel ynough For I suppose the name of the Author or the wordes of the Author at the least bee not vnknowen vnto you who albeit neuer durst deny transubstantiation himselfe yet feared nothing â—o vâ—ter his iudgement thereof freely The Churche saieth hee did but very lately set down the determination touching transubstantiation for before that it was thought sufficient that the true body of Christ was conteined really either vnder consecrated bread or by any meanes els but afterwardes when the churche began to looke more narrowly into the substaunce of the matter and to enter into more exact consideration therof it gaue foorth a more resolute determinatioÌ„ of the same c. To the same effect almost writeth also Iohn Fisher bishop of Rochester not the least Apostle of the Romish church who in his booke entituled A Defeâ—ce for the King of England discoursing vppon transubstantiation and the vse of the sacrament commeth at the last to this conclusion to wit that TraÌ„substantiation is grouÌ„ded more vpoÌ„ the authoritie aud determination of the church then can be iustifiable by the scriptures of God the Gospel Wherein he did not amisse For who doth not know that in that first nourcery of the Primitiue Churche yea and many hundred yeeres after whenas Bede Bertram and Rabanus Maurus were liuing in the world euen vnto that vnlucky hatching of Hildebrande and Innocent the thiâ—de not so much as this name Transubstantiation was euer hearde of vntill at the length in a Councell holdâ—n at Laterane in Rome the solemne edicte was established of banishing the substaunce of bread quytâ— out of the sacrament For if at any tyme before that councel the church had defyned any certain and grounded docâ—rine touching the same how falleth it out theÌ„ that there is such a continual falling â—ut amongest theÌ„ that folowed after in diuersities of opinion and iudgement about that transubstantiatiâ—n which some of them do stoutly maintaine some do vtterly deny it some do by coniecture think that others wil not graunt vnto some others haue supposed some doo so deliuer out that the substaunce of bread wyne doth remaine Lombarde himselfe doth think that there is a certain enterchaunge but what manner of enterchanuge that is whether formal or substantial or of some other fashion hee dareth not of himselfe determine any certainty Likewyse Gabriel Biel sticking fast in the same quauemyre vnable too vnwelde him selfe cleane from out the same is faine at the length too set downe by a plaine denial that in the whole Canonical scriptures can not possibly be founde in expresse woordes whether this transubstantiation dooth beginne by enterchaunging of any somwhat into the body or do without enterchaunging beginne too bee the body with the bread the substaunce and accidentes of bread remaining still What shall wee say to this that euen by the testimony of Pope Innocent the thirde his owne mouth were some persons knowen that did affirme that as the very accidentes of bread did remaine after consecration so also did the very substaunce of bread remaine withal Whereby appeareth manifestly that before that late councel of Laterane was no certaine doctryne established touching transubstantiation To the lyke effect wryteth Nicholas Cusanus Some of the auncient fathers saieth hee are founde too haue beene of this minde that the bread is not transubstantiated but is inuested with a certain substauÌ„â—e of more high valour O notable groundwoorke of transubstantiation perdy builded vppon none other platte fourme then vppon so brittle a fundation as that ridiculous decree of the Romish Church being so late an vpstarte as the which was not so much as by name onely euer hearde of or knowen which neuer peeped abroade into the worlde before Satan being let loose out of Hell after the thousande yeeres of his captiuitie was permitted too raunge openly abroade and too defile all thinges with abhominable stenche and corruption For on this wyse dyd Satan after hee was let loose beginne his first practises very neere the tyme wherein Hildebrande or not long after him Innocent the thyrd began too prop vp theyr Ierarchie ouer the worlde O Sacred and Catholike doctrine of Transubstantiation issuing from so gracious a stocke forsooth and grafted in suche an holy and seasonable a time O neate and fine forgers of fraude of whom notwithstanding if any man will demaunde for the firste Originall of y â— theyr doctrine they wyll not be ashamed to fetche the pedigree thereof euen from the very Apostles themselues and too deduce the auncientie of this theyr transubstantiation euen vnto Melchisedech not much vnlike too theyr neere Cozens the Gebaonites which too colour theyr falshoode shewed foorth theyr olde shoes so do these Romanists make a shew of the auctoritie of theyr owne Churche and the same aduaunce alofâ— as it were Gorgones heade before the eyes and eares of the vnlettered multitude with very solemne protestations Wherein theyr fraudulent guâ—le had not beene altogeather amisse if that the holy Scriptures had not long before discouered vntoo vs that same gracious Church of theirs which they glorifie with the title of Catholike to bee none other then that abhominable strumpet of Babylon And yet for all this these Gentlemen spare not too claime holde of Christe himselfe also as an especiall Patrone of theyr error but not muche vnlike their owne great graundsire Satan who long sithens gaue assaulte vpon the same Christ in his owne person with the words of Scripture synisterly wrest after the bare sense of the letter and as the Iewes doe at this present hacke the Propheticall Scriptures of the old Testament of whom Ierome maketh mention Who following the bare construction of the letter sayeth hee slew the sonne of God The selfe same almost may seeme very aptly appliable vnto them who following the bare letter of the newe Testament doe change the Sacramentes into Idolles doe extinguishe the spirite of the Scripture and doe crucifie Christe with the Iewes a frâ—she in his members againe besides this also because they doe not perceiue sufficient sauetie enough set downe for them in the scriptures they runne by heapes to the chiefe Fortresse of Gods omnipotent power What say they did not Christe affirme in plaine woordes This is my body shall wee doubt that hee was not able to perfourme that which hee spake If Christe woulde vouchsafe vpon his departure from hence to leaue behind him too his dearely beloued Spouse some speciall token or remembrance of him selfe
notably magnified with the blood of glorious martyrs most aboundantly flourishing with godly and learned Bishops who employed all their industrie and endeuour to none other ende then to the publique peace and tranquilitie of the Church Restore againe this peace vnto vs holy father if you may and this you may easily doe if yee wil depart from that proude primacie which you nowe stande vpon altogether agaynst all Gods lawe agaynst all mans lawe and quite contrarie to the example of all the auncient fathers Lay downe that peruerse imperious obstinacie vaile lowe your stately topgallant and shake off that vnweldie clogge of Lordlinesse which you haue vndertaken the weight whereof is able to ouerpeyse I say not your shoulders but the strongest shoulders of the stoutest man in the worlde Let errours giue place to truth Let humaine glorie assubiect it selfe to the glorie of Christ. Let the Romishe Broker call backe againe his Romish counterfeyt trash which he hath foysted into the Church without any warrant of the Scriptures I meane Masses Sacrifices Satisfactions Pylgrimages Image-worshippers false doctrine Monkish vowes Purgatorie merits Routes of Regulars combersome clogges of consciences Let him pâ—â—mit Kings and Monarches to inioy their owne soueraintie ouer their Kingdomes and territories and to amende their errours Let him restore general Councels to their auncient liberties without the which can no sure meanes bee founde for establishing the truth For what can bee more auayleable for the maintenaunce of the trueth then that where Religion is free there also shoulde all voyces bee free and such Councels summoned which shoulde bee lawfull not a stolne Councell where matters might bee decided by free voyces not by extort speeches by vpright and sincere and freer determinatioÌ„s of the learned not by procured affections not by practises of confederates nor by the foreiudgements of men but by the onely authoritie of God and where the best approued and auncient orders of the fathers might bee obserued that it might bee lawfull for euerie person to vtter freely what hee thought without feare without peril not where all must bee measured after the lust of one person alone But nowe where all men are enforced to sweare vnto the woordes of one man and all voyces rackâ—e to satisfie the appetite of one person which person so ruleth the rost that no man shall bee admitted to bee present but suche as shall thinke as hee thinketh and that it shall not bee lawfull lykewise for anie to determine ought but which shall bee consonant to his will What successe I beseeche you may anie man surmise to bee hoped for in such Councels but such as shal tende to the breach and dissolution of the libertie of the Churche And shall seeme not to aduaunce the glorie of Christ but to enhaunce the onely tyrannous loftinesse of mans ambicious Lordlinesse to the vtter ruine ouerthrowe and rooting out of all sincere and most pure Religion By reason whereof it behooueth you holy father of Romeâ— to take so much the more especiall regarde that veyling that proude bonnet of greedinesse to beare soueraintie and altogether abandoning this straunge neuer heard of noueltie of heathenish ambicion yee reclayme your selfe wholy to that auncient and more moderate humilitie of the most auncient most true Catholike and Apostolique Church Examples bee extant euerie where whiche may endure you to bee better resolued Whether you enter into dewe consideration of the life of Christ what can bee more milde or whether yee beholde the platte formes and proceedings of the Apostles what can bee more contrarie more repugnant and more vnlike the course of your Court Let vs come one degree lower to the next succeeding age after the Apostles what shall a man finde in those graue fathers of the Primitiue church that is not altogither discrepant to these your outragies and disorders But to make no long rehearsal we will for examples sake put you in remembrance of one man alone a verie godly person namely that notable ornament of the Church Cyprian whom I thought good to vouch by name at this present not so much bycause you should read his wordes as that by him you might learne the maner of the auncient discipline and the most excellent integritie of that age For in his Epistle written to Iubaianus he maketh this report Wee sayeth Cyprian as much as in vs lyeth doe not contenâ—e with our companions and our fellow Bishops with whom wee doe ioyne in godly concorde and Christes peace especially for that the Apostle saith If any maÌ„ amongst you be thought to be contentious wee haue no such custome nor yet the Church of God The loue and charitie of the minde the honour of mutual societie the bonde of fayth and the vniforme agreeablenesse of Priesthoode is preserued amongest vs in pacience and lenitie Moreouer the same Cyprian in his Preface which hee prefixed before the councel of Carthage It remaineth nowe that euery of vs particularly pronounce what we think foreiudging no man neither reiecting any man though hee thinke otherwyse then we do For neyther hath any of vs taken vppon him too bee a Bishoppe ouer Bishoppes nor hath enforced any of our fellowe Bishoppes too any necessitie of obedience by any tyrannous constraint for as much as euery bishoppe is endued with his proper peculiar iudgement according too the freedome of his owne liberty and power as that hee may not bee iudged of an other howe then may him selfe iudge any other person But let vs all depende vppon the iudgement of our Lorde Iesu Christ who onely and alone is of power both too appoint vs superintendentes in the gouernement of his Church and to iudge vs according to our vsage proceedinges therein c. Heere nowe haue you set downe before your eyes a president yf I bee not deceaued not vnfit and a commendable ymage of auncient Apostolique modesty which floorished long sithence amongest our graundesyres the first and principal guides and capteynes of Christes Churche Untoo the which rule of humilitie if you coulde addresse that your intollerable hawty courage which you might easily doo if yee woulde and woâ—lde frame your selfe too marche in order amongest your other felowe Bishops certes these troublesome commotions and disordered factions of most pernitious vproares wherewith the peace and concorde of Christians is so lamentably shaken and rent asunder at this present woulde easily be quailed or for the more parte woulde surely growe much more calme But these thicke clowdes cease not as yet too threaten dayly farre more daungerous tempestes and from whence they proceede I know not except they grow froÌ„ out these stinking bogges of that Romishe ryot onely and those pestilent drugges of Papisticall doctrine which woulde once content it selfe too bee refourmed and reduced to the rule of Euangelical simplicity there woulde bee no hurly burly in the worlde nowe no outragious factions woulde molest oppressed common weales at this present Al which enormities woulde easily at
vpon them mens traditions pelting gloses and olde wiues tales in steede of Christes Gospell that yee may rob the lay people of the woorde of God with holding it fast lockt from them in an vnknowne and barbarous tongue That yee may scatter abroade the doctrine of Diuelles But the Lorde be highly thanked for it there lacketh no store of godly personages amongst them which are able too execute that holy function of preaching Gods woorde and do execute it indeede without ayde of the Laterane Bishopp freely and with good successe yea so muche the more freely by howe muche they bee seuered from your tyranny by distaunce of place What is the cause theÌ„ that ye may determin their causes and controuersies But where may controuersies bee more happily decided and more speedily ended then where the speciall circumstances of the greeuances began first and are best knowne Heere of came that sacred decree of those godly Fathers in the Africane Councell as Cyprian doth testifie That euery mans cause should bee pleaded in the same prouince where the offence was coÌ„mitted wher also might be both accusers and witnesses of the cryme And for this cause it was decreed further That to euery pastor some particular portion of the flocke shoulde bee appoynted which euery of them shoulde rule and direct rendering accounte of his proceedings therein to the Lorde c. In their Englishe affayres therefore what interest may the Romishe Inquisition challenge sithens the States of his owne Nation of Affricke haue vtterly renounced it But happily the authoritie of the Pope is holden verie necessarie to choose Byshoppes and to dispose other orders Ecclesiastical for this they mainteyne for inuiolable that all maner election of Bishops is vtterly vnlawfull except they bee consecrated by the Romishe Sea But what is this else then to robbe the Churche of her lawfull right and interest in her free election and to yeeld ouer the Church her selfe which ought to be the Spouse of Christ a seruile bondmayde to the Pope and not the Pope to the Church when as notwithstanding the Apostle Paule writing to the Corinthians doubted nothing at all to make the Apostles themselues subiect to the Church speaking on this wise All thinges are yours sayeth he whether it bee Paule or Cephas or Apollo whether they be thinges present or things to come but you are Christes hee doth not say you are the Popes and Christ is God Briefely as concerning that laying on of handes which the Papistes account altogither vnlawfull without the Popes annoynting why shoulde it bee lesse lawfull for vs to put the same in execution in our Churches in ecclesiasticall elections and ordering our owne Ministers and Pastours then the Cardinalles of Rome in the choise of their Pope For sithens in Rome it selfe is no such necessarie succession of personages or Palles but that which is purchased for the penie and sithens no consecration almost doeth passe there that is not rather besmeared with Oyle of money then with any Oyle else I beseech youâ— what should be the cause why the proceedings of our Churches may not bee adiudged more legitimaâ—e and canoâ—icall being exeâ—uted according to the prescript ordinaunces of the Canons not without due trial of learning good consideration of conuersation common consent and voyces oâ— the Congregation namely for as much as the Lorde hath promised wheresoeuer two or three doe agree together in any one thing in his name that the Father will graunte them theyr requestes Which being agreed vppon I demaunde what cause of iuste complaint you can alleadge against vs ye Romane Bishop or what iniury haue you susteyned at our handes If none at all why doe ye fret and fume wherefore doth your choler boyle so monstrously to what ende are those thunder clappes of bulles and warlike wild sier scattered abroade wherewith like a most vnmercifull Caligula ye seeme ready bent to scorch and cut all our heads from our shoulders at one blow if you were able The stay wherof surely proceded not of any relent of your crueltie nor of any your fearefulnesse too commit the facte but from Gods onely merciful benignitie which doth for the most part rebounde back malitious attemptes either vpon the wicked authours themselues or as vapours and clowdes scatter them to naught But goe to let vs graunt vnto you that by this excluding of you some particular Churche haue beene iniurioâ—s to your maiestie which being neuerthelesse most vntrue yet let vs imagine it to be euen so It behooued you notwithstanding to call to your remembrance of what spirite ye were ofâ— if at the least ye belong to Christe whose vicar you doe challenge your self to be Of whom if you haue not yet learned the lesson which ought to haue bin first chiefly learned too wit To pray for your enimies ye should at the least not haue forgotten the lesson next vnto the same That whatsoeuer iniury had bene offred you against equitie right yee may not be iudge yet of your own priuate grieuauÌ„ce but haue committed the same wholy to be auenged of the Lorde For so you reade commaunded by Gods owne mouth Vengeaunce is myne and I wil rewarde saith the Lord. So might you not in any wyse haue misdoughted but that he vpon some good liking of your cause vndertaking the defence thereof woulde of his sincere Iustice both more orderly more mightely haue repulsed the iniury then your self were able too doo For proofe wherof as there be sundry examples in the scripture so amongst al other that counsel of Gamaliel wherewith he appeased the outragious insolency of the Pharisees from sleing the Apostles ought to haue bin remembred agreeing with Gamaliel in counsel If that which these men do be of men or the counsel of men it will come too nought of it self But if this couÌ„sel be of God theÌ„ shall I as wickedly as in vayne striue against it as one not only rebellious against men but against God himselfe Al which I do hither too debate with you in such sorte as if you had iust cause of complaint were it neuer so litle against vs for empayring your dignity which if it were true yet doth not the Apostolique grauitie vsually let loose the reynes of priuate reuenge so grieuously nor any of the scripture enstruct therevnto The milde lenytie of the Gospel wold rather allure too deale more fauourably with the brethren yea though they were faulty who albeit they be not Romaines yet bicause wee bee Christians behooued you euen for Christes sake whom we do woorshippe though wee woorshippe not you to haue had dewe consideration of the mutual amytie and necessary bondes that ought too bee betwixt Christians if at leste yee bee a true Christian your selfe Certes this rayling and slaunderous reproches wherewith yee doo practize and procure vs too bee hated of all and our common weales and kingdomes to bee rent asunder withall and brought to vtter confusion doeth iâ— no
nothing to recompte the same fayth to bee the onelie and infallible shoote anker of saluation by what lawe then will he adiudge them as outcastes worthie to be banished from the Catholike and Apostolike Church which professe the self same fayth of Christ that the Apostles and other Catholike Churches did profeâ—â—e But the Pope I suppose will denie That to beleeue in Christ and to worship him in heauen as our onely heade sufficeth to true fayth and saluation vnlesse we doe withall professe the Pope of Rome to be chiefe heade of the Church here on earth and our selues generally all to be members of the same Church If it be so that the fayth of Christ be not suffâ—cient ynough for the faythfull vnto saluation except the pompe of the Pope bee propt vp togither with the Maiestie of God what can bee more agreeable with reason then to make vs here three Tabernacles one to Christ an other to the Pope and the thirde and good will to the Cardinals To conclude This also ministreth no small cause of maruelling why the Pope doth not require vs likewise to correct the fourme and wordes of our Baptisme for as much as the fayth which we haue vowed to Christ in our Baptisme auayleth nothing to enfranchise vs nor to make vs free denezens of the Catholike Church except to this necessitie of fayth be tyed withall an other tagge of humble obedience to the Pope of Rome That wee correct I say the wordes of our Baptisme That whosoeuer bee baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost be baptized also in the name of our most holy Lorde the Pope But if this bee true the cerâ—entie whereof cannot be denied That wee were neuer admitted into the participation of holy Churche in the Popes name and that the want thereof is no maner of Estoppell to barre vs any way from being vnited vnto Christ as members of his bodie howe dare that lying mouâ—h be so monstruously impudent as to condemne the seruaunts of Christ for Heretiques to exclaime agaynst vs as Apostataes and runnagates from the Church to accuse kinges and Queeâ—es to bee supporters of Heretikes Nay rather by what reason or Scripture will he defenâ—e himselfe so that all the worlde may not plainly perceyue him to bee the verie selfe same whome Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Thessalonians doth by most euident demonstration forewarne them shoulde come who sitting in the Temple of God shoulde keepe a sturre not as a minister of Christe but most arrogantly vaunt himselfe to be as a God Which woordes sithence doe so in all pointes accorde with the life and manners of the Pope as that they can not seeme to signifie any other Let the Pope bee throughly well aduised first howe hee may bee able to cleare himselfe before God before he accuse others before men But an other time shal serue more fit for this treaty hereafter more at large God willing THE POPE CONFVTED THE HOLY AND APOSTOLICAL CHVRCHE CONFVTING THE ERROVRS OF THE POPES DOCTRINE THE SECOND ACTION IT appeareth manifesâ—ly ynough I suppose by the former discourse that wee haue not departed from out the Church of Christ in that we haue sequestreâ— our selues from the Romish Sinagogue In this present action therefore nowe it may seeme conuenient that we render the reason that moued vs to renouÌ„ce that Romish route and set downe as briefly as we may the verie pointes withall wherein we swarue from them Wherein neuerthelesse shal not bee altogither amisse to aduertise the gentle Readers hereof chiefly That we entred into this controuersie agaynst the aduersaries not of anie set purpose to rayse contention and debate in the Church nor of any desire to quarell and contende nor yet of any euill affection that wee beare to the persons themselues agaynst whome wee maintaine argument nâ— yet for that we woulde not much more willingly bee coupled with them in one lincke of Christian vnitie and concord if the vnitie which they offered vnto vs were such as we might by any meanes yeeld vnto without preiudice of the fayth and glorie of Christ without staine of conscience without manifest treachery and Apostasie or without vnauoydable daunger of the safetie of our soule But the matter being now growne to this poynt that we can by no possible meanes be at vnitie with Christ if we partake with them what remaineth then at the length wherin they may eyther iustify agaynst vs or alledge for further defence in their owne behalfe If they accuse vs of Apostasie or falling from them let them then first by plaine demonstration make manifest the verie nature of right Apostasie Surely if those that haue seuered themselues from the Primitiue and true Catholilike Church and be reuolted from the first founders of Christian faith from the auncient Fathers from the Apostles from the infallible principles of the Euangelical doctrine to an other doctrine to mens traditions to forreine forged nouelties of Religion to worshipping of Idols to a strange Gospel altogether vnknowne to the Apostles to patter praiers in vnknowne and barbarous speeches may rightly be called plaine runnagates no men in the worlde deserue to be called Apostataes in my iudgement more properly and truly than this generation of Papists broode But here againe will some one of them replie that they stande vpon a good grounde of possession not able to be gainesayde which they holde of the holy and Catholike Church neuer discontinued since the verie age and time of the Apostles themselues from the which they say that wee being but fewe in number hedgecreepers as it were in corners through treacherous backsliding haue as it were abandoning our natiue Country shrowding our selues in the hil Auentine withdraweÌ„ our selues like rebels To stoppe those slaunders againe let this answere suffice First as concerning the number whether we bâ—e many or fewe it maketh little to purpose In the Church of Christ sayeth Augustine consideration must bee had of the grauitie of the matter and not of the number of voyces and it happeneth oftentimes that the greater number preuayleth agaynst the better by number of polles rather than by trial of trueth yea Christ himselfe viewing the number of his flocke pronounceth it to be very smal so also when hee confesseth that many bee called yet hee addeth foorthwith that the elect be not many but fewe in number in so much that he seemeth to doubt whether the same sonne of man shall finde fayth in the earth when hee shal come Yet for al this if a true computation may be yeelded of men of nations and people by the poll it self of al such as with al their hartes do detest the fraudes and contagion of the Romishe false religion there wil not so small a number appeare in their eyes as happly either they coniecture themselues or at lest ought to make so slender accompt of But as concerning the Churche it self let
them vnderstand persuade themselues thus That wheresoeuer the true church of Christ is resiaunt there we do plead in possession iustifie our true and vndoubted tenure therein Of which church they be called tenauÌ„ts in deed by name but haue vtterly lost their whole interest and right therof To make the same more plainly discernable let vs with due consideration make a proportion of both the churches of Rome to wit the auncient first church there and this new vpstart synagogue that is nowe and compare togither our popishe massemongers that bee nowe with those auncient ministers doctors of that first age by line by leuel as they say So wil it appeare easily how much they differ eche from other For how carefully reuerently did those auncient fathers behaue themselues in the old tyme in that holy fuÌ„ction of mynistery which by lawful calling was committed vnto them whose only delight and endeuor consisted wholy in instructing them that went astray in conuincing the stifnecked with the powâ—r of the word in curing the canker of them that were wounded To this painful trauail in teaching was annexed no lesse carefulnesse to leade a blamelesse life as that they might not only vaunte them of an vndefiled conscience which might boldly appeare before God but also that no such blemish might be found in their conuersation as might bee offensiue to man whose whole trade of life was employed not in idlenes pleasurable delights but in the earnest study of holy scriptures in the enlargement of the kingdom of Christ. They were shepherds of the flock neuerthelesse sheepe of the flock also themselues not woolues amongst the sheep they were not garded with train of souldiours but in mightines of faith in soundnes of doctrine in exercise of holines in sincerity of loue not so lofty in glory as affable and friendly in speeche finally endued with such a sweetnes of maners and mildnes of minde as that they would not willingly endamage their enemies They â—xecuted nothing with violence their only weapon was the sword of the spirit power of the word they threw none into prison they drew none to the stake they polled none of their possessions or goods they sauored not of warres nor breathed out bloodthirstines nor teazed meÌ„ to armes ne set Princes togither by the eares at any time as they were themseluâ—s peacemakers messengers of peace so did they allure al men to peace by al meanes possible They neuer groaped after tiâ—les of vniuersality nor trusted at any time in the confederacy of treachorâ— in seditiouse factions in conspiracies nor in crafâ—y couÌ„cels They neuer haled scepters from out princes possessions nor tread euer vpon Princes neckes but liued quietly vnder Ethnicke magistrates with an especial foresight prouiding alwaies that they mynistred no occasion of sedition yelding honor humbly to whome honor was dew paying taxe tribute where taxe tribute was payeable They vsed continual exhortation to the nouices in Christ to huÌ„ble themselues duetifully euen too al Idolatrous magistrates and too pray dayly for their good preseruation to God On this wise did those ancient Apostles Apostolicke fathers traine the world at the first therby enlarged the Churche dayly To the furtherance whereof it is skarse credible to be spoken how much auailed not only the force of their miracles butâ— with aâ— the sweetnes of their demeanor vprightnes of life their cheerful courage in afflictions their lenity in suffring iniuries of minde milde and gentle imagining no hurt to any and endeuouring to deserue wel of al raysing it self aboue wordly poÌ„pe making no accompt of this life exempt from al encombrance of wordly affaires to the end they might the more freely attend the preaching of the word So also were the bishops of that most happy age mainteined with the only beneuolence of the people contented with the basenes of their own estate In the meane time if there remained any surplus beyond dayly necessities the same was deliuered back to the poore At what tyme palaces of prelats were nought els but treasuries of the poore For as yet the royalties of S. Peter rolled on no mans toung what shal we say to this that of that beadrol of bishops many liued so beggerly that at the time of their death skarse one penny could be fouÌ„d to pay for their graue as we reade recorded of Theodoret But this kind of men are loÌ„g sithence dead and rotten yea there remaineth skarse at this day any sparckles of their manners The Catte is so altogither tourned in the panne amongst these Romishe reuellers that whoso wil now compare these present prelates with the first proportionally and enter into dewe consideration of the licentiousnes of these shauelinges of their cruelty ambition tyraÌ„ny fraudes coÌ„spiracies loftines delicacy idlenes riches brauery troupes of attendants pallaces lauishnes of life greedines of reuenge shal finde theÌ„ more like lordings then bishops rather monarches theÌ„ muÌ„cks shal skarsely discerne whether a maÌ„ may rightly cal theÌ„ preachers or treachors Teachers or deceauers prelates or Pylaâ—es as Bernard did And yet after al this howe they blush nothing at al to bee deemed their successors from whome they haue so degendred in al actions of their liues as that not so much as any memorial at al of that primitiue auncient integrity may be fouÌ„d to shine in theÌ„ And yet might this somewhat bee borne withal if they woulde permitte vs quietly to enioye the same doctrine at the least which those auncient elders and Apostolical founders left behind thâ—m to be receaued of Christian congregations But as nowe euen on this behalfe al things are so vnlike that any may wel doubt whether their life seeme lesse Apostolike or their doctrine more agreeable with Apostasie The nature and nouelty of which doctrine being altogither so newfangled as that it carieth no resemblaunce of Apostolical spirit no likenes of auÌ„cient antiquitie it is a wonder to see how these fyne fellows wil not cease in the meane time to accuse vs of nouelty as though al antiquitie both of the scriptures of the Apostles and most learned fathers did not by all maner of meanes cry open warres against them If this bee not true let them discouer vnto vs from what antiâ—uitie this Laterane transubstantiation and confession as they tearme it auricular receaued to bee publiquely authorised at the first both which Pope Innocent the 3. did in that barbarons age thrust vpon the church by force and power without any probable reason of the scriptures but enacted by the coÌ„spiring decrees of certeine euil disposed persons Again out of what progeny peeped priuate masses first Trentals yerely obites that dayly sacriâ—ice of the Altar ordeined for the clensing of sinnes the one parte of the coÌ„munion cut of by the ruÌ„pâ— pilgrimages prayers for the dead prayers in an vnknoweÌ„ barbarous louÌ„g muÌ„bled in a bâ—adrol by roat Or
as in very deed they were the broode of the deuil Neither wanâ—ed such like busibodies in the Apostles tyme whome S. Paul worthely reprouing spared not to cal false Apostles false brethren dogs euil workmen enemies of Christes crosse The Angel in the Apocalipse speaketh of theÌ„ on this wise they would be accompted Iewes but in very deede they be the synagogue of Sathan To conclude with what sort of people hath not only Christes churche but al commoÌ„ weales also bene pestered more at any time then with such kinde of naughtipackes which when either can not or wil not walke the right way to true renowme do foorthwith not only seeke pilladge of the people but procure also the hassard of their soules health couÌ„terfait hypocrites gloasing flattering the vulgar sort of people entraping the simple The like crafty colour vsed the sect of Mahomet who bicause would not seeme to be Agarenes coyned theÌ„ selues the name of Saracenes as though they were generation of Sara so deceaued the people And the beast mentioned in the Apocalips beeing nothing lesse then a Lambe did wonderfully bewitche men vnder the counterfaict face and hornes of a lambe But here again happly wil some friend of the Romish Churche take me vp for stumbling saying what a matter is this do ye on this wise compare so sacred a Sea to the Agarenes and Saracenes seeing that these do carry no shewe or any resemblance at all of the visible churche neither ought to be named by the name of ChristiaÌ„s On the other side though the Patriarke of Rome be not allowed amongst you as head of the church yet can he not be denied to bee a member of the visible churche and to haue a place amoÌ„gst the Christian congregation For as much then as this bishop hath his place of a Christian in the Christian church for this cause surely it doth not beseeme Christians to sâ—quester them â—elues from Christians What needeth longer answere hereto then at one worâ—e to answere with Cicero Why should I hearken to speeches when I see deedes Certes if he bee a Christian byshop as he requireth to be accompted his offence is so much the more haynous in this that vnder the visor of a Christian he executeth such outrage so furiously and so sauadgly breathing out slaughter vtter destruction of Christians as that no man may doute but that this Abadon hath murthered burnte and oppressed greater heapes of Christian carcasses then any one of all the heathenish sauadge which proclayme them selues to bee open enemies of Christianitie Yea by so much the more is he to be detested then the Saracenes by how much lesse an open enemy hurteâ—h in respect of the priuie lurking and domesticall Scorpion whereof the one may somewhat be preuented by foresight but this other doth â—urther at vnawares before any notice or warning giuen Moreouer to admitte also to be true that this same prelate hath the place of greatest preeminence not onely amongest the Christians but also in the very bosome of the visible churche howe farre forth I pray you will this aâ—ayle for as much as Antichriâ—t him selfe must plante his seate in the chiefest temple of God garded with so great a guarrison of humble attendauntes the multitude whereof is described vnto vs by the prophetical scripture in these woordes And hee made all bothe small and great ryche and poore free and bonde to receiue a marke in their right hande or their foreheades And that no man might buye or sell but hee that had the marke of the name of the beast or the number of his name c. Nowe therefore if a man doe shunne and flee from this poyson and venimous contagion though it be enshrined neuer so gloriously in the visible churche it foloweth not therefore hereupon necessarily that the same doth vtterly renounce the visible church of Christe No more is this true likewyse though the Pope with his shauelings and Cardinals be some part and portion of a visible church that therefore the state of the vâ—â—uersall churche consisteth wholy in them But they proceede neuerthelesse too their suttle â—ophismes What say they doth not the vniuersal church of Christe embrace the faith of Rome euery where Go to and what then I praye you Ergo he that seâ—ludeth him selfe from the faith of Rome can not choose but renounce the vniuersall church of Christe What answere shall I frame better too this suttle sophisme but too deny both partes thereof both the assumption and conclusion For the church did neither heretofore alwayes confesse the Romish faith that is now to be vniuersall neither doth the vniuersall churche of the whole worlde confesse the same at this present as the which groundeth her ankerholde vpon the Apostolike faith and not vpon the Romishe faith Neither we though we do not allowe but abrogate vtterly all singuler the assertions of the Romish religion being now in vre haue therefore renounced the vniuersal church Ouer besides to yelde thus much also y â— a great yart of the vnlettered multitude do at this preseâ—â— receiue the Romish ragges yet behoueth vs to haue consideration not of that which the common people do affectionate but what may be iustifiable by the touchstone of truth So neither must we regarde what the Romish faith is at this present rather we must be wel aduised what the first faith thereof was and what it ought to be now also That person surely which withdraweth him selfe from erroneous doctrine chopt into the churche through the ignorance and treacherie of some teachers doth not fall away from the church but rather â—oth seeke to salue the soares of the church If the Pope of Rome such as professe them selues to be pillers of the Romishe churche will make proofe vntoo vs that their Romishe church swarueth nothing from the Apostolike churche that their faith withal is not defiled with many filthy vnsauery dregges errors then let them condemne vs of Apostasy for our departure from them But if they be not able to do soâ— yea if they theÌ„ selues haue not by much more probable arguments renouncing the doctrine of the Apostles the discipline of the best approued church transfourmed them selues into a certein newfangled doctrine let the indiffereÌ„t reader iudge hereof whether they or we desâ—rue most iustly to be condemned of Apostasie But you were sometime militant in the same churche where we be now will they say from whence you are nowe fallen awaye and departed from vs. It is true in deede So did your predecessours agree once well and godly wiâ—h Christ with his Apostles with the ancient and godly fathers why haue you abandoned them and changed your tippeâ—tes theâ— If you may thinke it lawfull for you to raunge at randon out of â—he true track of religion wherein you did treade sometime a right and to suffer your sâ—lues to be carried away through rockâ—s and â—ragges
small resemblance betwixt the true bodie and mystical bodie of Christ yet doth not euerie similitude make a Sacrament though euerie Sacrament doe conteine some certaine similitude But from whence hath Lombarde pyked out this that he teacheth that the true natural bodie of Christ shoulde bee the Sacrament of his mysticall bodie Is it bycause it doeth set foorth the likenesse thereof But there be many things in the frame of creation that resemble eche other yet bee they not Sacraments If no Sacraments ought be receyued into the Church but such as the Lorde himselfe hath instituted let Lombarde tel vs where the Lord did euer institute or deliuer his natural bodie to bee a Sacrament of his mysticall bodie Moreouer when hee hath shewed it howe shall hee honestly auoyde as great an absurditie to witte to clogge the Church with eight Sacraments of verie necessitie For if the Church bee possessed of sixe Sacramentes besides the Sacrament of Eucharist and that out of the same Sacrament of Eucharist also two other Sacraments doe spring vp the one whereof must bee a visible forme conteyning and signifying both the true and mysticall bodie of Christ the other muste bee the verie naturall bodie which must beare the expresse ymage of his mysticall bodie then muste it needes followe that by this meanes the Churche shall bee enlarged with eight Sacraments In the thirde place commeth in nowe to entreate of an other speciall note of that which is the thing and no Sacrament Wherin to admit likewise that which Lombard disputeth of the mystical vnitie of the Church and of the many members of one bodie yet doth not this vnitie belong any thing at al to the thing of the Sacrament Neither was this supper ordeyned to any such end that it should note vnto vs the vnitie of the mysticall bodie but that it should be a memorial of the natural body that was deliuered to death on the crosse for our sakes Which the Lord himselfe doth verifie to be true in most plaine and euident speeches Take ye sayth he Eate ye this is my body that shal be deliuered for you Therefore the very material substance of this Sacrament is not the church but the natural bodie crucifiâ—d and slaine for vs. Neither will any man confesse that the Church of Chriâ—t was crucified for vs. Besides this albeit this vnitie haue some place in the holy Supper yet is this blockish and false which he teacheth that the Sacrament of this mysticall bodie is resiant in the natural bodie of Christ for as much as S. Paul doth apply this mystical vnion not to Christs bodie which was crucified for vs but vnto the elements of bread and wine We bee many one bread sayth he and one bodie As much to say One loafe many graines one Church many members Which similitude of the Apostles if must be so necessarily combined to the sacramentall bread as Lombard himself doth affirme what conueniencie wil here be of a similitude betwixt graines of bread and the members of the Church if this Papists brood wil vouchsafe vs in the Sacrament neither bread no not so much as one graine of bread But hereâ— I trowe Lombardes diuinitie will helpe at a pinche calling vs backe againe from the substaunce of breade vnto the bodie of Christ vnder formes for thus he speaketh This bodie sayeth he hath a likenesse with y e mystical thing which is the vnitie of â—he faithful c. But Saint Paâ—l contrariwise doeth dâ—duce all the proportion of this similitude from the bread saying We bee many one bread and one body of the Churche Whereupon take heere and Argument Lombarde framed by vs agaynst you taken out of Paul and Augustine As one Loafe of bread is made of many Graines and as Wine is brought forth of many grapes so the body of a perfect Churche is combined togeather in perfect coniunction out of many persons of them that doe beleeue But there bee no graynâ—s nor grapes in the visible formes nor in the natural body of Christe Ergo All this similitude of the mysticall vnion of the Churche is deduced not from bare formes nor from the body of Christ but from the bread and Wyne onely Euery Sacrament is instituted by Christe expresly to make a plaine demonstration of some certen thing The body of Christe in respect that it consisteth of many members is not any where instituted by Christe for a Sacrament to signifie the vnion of the Churche Ergo The vnion of the Churche is not the thyng of this Sacrament wherof Lombard maketh mention Euery Relatiue hath his Correlatiue answerable vnto him which can bee but one answerable to one All Sacramentes as they be signes of thinges significant be Relatiues Ergo The visible forme as it is a Sacramente by Lombardes doctrine can not bee a Sacramenâ— of a double thing Wherfore heerein appeareth a threefolde error of Lombarde Frist where he maketh the visible forme to be the SacrameÌ„t of the true mystical body of Christ. Secondly whereas hee setteth downe Christes body as an eight Sacrament to signifie the vnion of the Church considering that Christe did neuer institute his body for a Sacrament nor gaue it at the Supper too any suche ende that it shoulde signifie any vnion Thirdly where as hee maketh the selfe same vnion of the Churche suche a thing as shoulde bee answerable to both Sacramentall signes as the proper correlatiue of both signes Whiche of all other cannot possibly be for as much as to haue a double correlatiue answerable to one only Relatiue is a most grosse absurditie Beholde now â—riendly Reader whatsoeuer thou be howe wickedly these Diuines doe rake out of the Sacrament all substaunce of bread thereby too choppe in theyr horrible sacriledges for if this mysticall vnion of the faithful be the thing of the Sacrament and if bread be not the Sacrament of this thing but the naturall body of Christ borne of the Uirgin as they stifly contend Then it followeth heereof of very necessitie that the Churche ought to be by so much the more honorable then the body of Christ by how much the signes are lesse valuable then the things to the which they be applied Signes be of lesse value then the things whereof they made significant The natural body of Christ is a signe of the ecclesiastical vnitie according to Lombarde Ergo The naturall body of Christe is of lesse value then the Ecclesiasticall vnitie Which being a matter horrible to be vttered yet this doeth so muche the more aggrauate the horror that these choppers and chaungers doe so chaunge the substaunce and naturall vigour of the Sacrament which ought be ascribed properly to the Lordes death and passion from the power of Christes passion to Christes vnion from the body of Gods owne sonne to the Church as thougâ— the holy memoriall of this sacred Supper were institutâ—d to none other ende then to certifie the vnion
THE POPE CONFVTED The holy and Apostolique Church confuting the Pope The first Action Translated out of Latine into English by Iames Bell. PSAL. 27. Dominus illuminatio mea salus mea quem timebo Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson for Richard Sergier 1580. The Translator to the Reader THe Authour who coÌ„piled this litle booke contented with the testimonie of a good conscience hath by an honest veyle made the concealement of his name excusable with all such as bee indued with like mildnesse of spirit And it becommeth his modesty very wel whosoeuer he be Whose example I purposed once to haue imitated and had in deed deliuered my simple labours herein without notice of name likewise had I not by good chaâ—nce whâ—les I was yet trauailing in my translation chaunced vpon an enemie of the truth whereof there be to many lurking in corners if it might please God otherwise a friend of the Pope who vpon conference vpon some matters confuted in this tâ—eatie charged me with my falling from them I meane from their common errours in this behalfe adding withal that it was not thought credible amongst many of the like stragglers that I had slipped the coller and become as he tearmed me an Apostata Whom after I had assured of my calling with some circumstances of the maner of mine escape out of that Laâ—erane Laberinth not without some earnâ—st praiers for his like reclaime though to no purpose I began to bethinke my self that I could do no better than to manifest my name in this place yeelding most heartie and humble thanks to the Lord that I happened vpoÌ„ so good an occasion to wipe away my blemish In deed I wandered long in the selfe same mizmaze nooseled therin by the gray headed of that schoole whose countenance caried mee from my Christ to the Swinstie of Sorbone which had swalowed me vp if the Lord had not preuented me with his mercie betimes I was I say as they are I am now as I am Christ Iesus be thanked a conuert I confesse The Lord graunt I may stand fast to the glorie of his name and the good example of others whose like conuersion I do hartily wish in the Lord. And so desiring thy good praiers to Iesus Christ gentle Reader to assist me with his grace that I may perseuer in this his gracious calling to the ende I wil no longer abuse thy pacience The Lord Iesus gouerne and guide thee in the true obedience of his glorious Gospel to the glorie of his name Amen Thy louing fellow seruant in the Lord Iames Bell. ¶ The Athour to the freendly Reader WHEREas this little treatise offereth it selfe to the viewe without the Authors name herein whosoeuer he be that compiled it whether hee bee Dutch French or English desireth to hold him excused Hee thought it more conuenient to produce the holy vniuersall and Apostolique Churche it selfe speaking in her owne person name and voyce that so she might debate her owne cause being publique not priuat against her aduersary the Pope with greater grauitie and maiestie For as the Lorde hath not geuen equabilitie of estate to all persons alike as one and the selfe same maner of speache accordeth not with all sortes of men So was it not seemely to depende the generall greeuaunce of all nations the vniuersall complaint of all people vpon the mouth of any one priuate person as neither woulde one maner of pleading in so weightie a matter become any one priuate Aduocate With another maner of couÌ„tenaÌ„ce speaketh Cicero as a Consul and Iudge then when as a priuate Orator hee pleadeth at the common barre Certes our lot hath beene so vnluckie to light vppon these dayes nowe all matters being so on all parts enuenimed with poyson and so on all sides waxen cankred and incurable that neither indeuoure nor petition praier nor wholsome admonition of any priuate person were able in any respect to auaile For this Romane rufler maketh not so slender an accompt of his Peacockes plummes as to vouchsafe any priuate counsale or correction This hydeous Hydre requireth too be matched with mightier countenances and powers of greater estate whether the Lord Christ himself wyl vouchsafe to destroy this monster with the breath of his mouth froÌ„ out of heaueÌ„ or whether the excellent maiestie of mightie Potentates and Monarches of the earth vniting all theyr Councelles in one wyl not disdaine of their authorities royal to become publique Vmpieres here yeeld their princely assistaÌ„ce to the suppressing of this insoleÌ„t outrage Wherfore if ought in this treatie may seeme gentle Reader to haue byn vttered with ouermuch bitternesse of speach Imagine in thy minde of this discourse as though it proceeded not from any one particular member of the Churche alone but from the whole Church it selfe or from Peter or Paul or else froÌ„ the whole parliament of the Apostles proclaiming their generall consentes voyces and mutuall agreements by their authoritie Apostolique who as did in times past with incredible trauaile and industrie plant and enlarge the boundes of Christs Church so if they were liuing now and beheld with their eyes the merueilous misdemeanors and disorders of the Churche without all peraduenture they woulde thunder out far more bitter and sharper stormes of reproouing speaches against this horrible aduersarie of Christe The Lorde Iesu blesse thee Christian Reader Faultes escaped in the printing Fol. 5. a. for least reade last fol. 6. a. so not for not so fol. 8. b for insolencie reade influence fol. 11. a. for soueraigne reade soueraigntie fol. 14. a for vvhereas reade vvhenas fol 21. a for death reade the death fol. 21. b for be prooued reade ye prooued folâ— 22. a fâ—r your mightie maiâ—stie reade the mightie maiestie fol. eodem b for neither kingâ— reade vvhether king fol. 28. b for heare therefore reade heere â—herefore fol. 24. b for vvill iustifie reade vvill I iustifie fol. 37 a for light of the vvoâ—rde reade light of the vvorld fol. 42. for VVith reade VVhich fol. 59 b for byhange reade Byhanger fol. 60 reade causes linked vviâ—h fol. 62. a for of the supercelest reade but of the supercelestiall fol. eodem a reade to the great fol. 95. a for elsevvhere in reade elsevvhere then fol. 65. b for hope revvarde reade hope of â—evvarde fol. 69. a for righteously reade righteous by fol. 71. b. for in any our reade in any one thing fol 75. b. for our selfe same reade one selfe same folâ— 76 a for eare reade â—aâ—e Fol. 83. b. for this maner reade his maner A DEFENCE OF THE holy and Apostolyke Church against the Bishop of Rome THE FIRST ACTION HOwe long at the length wil you abuse our gentle suffâ—raunce ye Pope of Rome Howe long shall your fury and counterfeyte hypocrisie delude vs What kynde of inordinate licentiousnes is this that so much disteâ—â—pereth you What doeth your outragious insolencie import what doeth it practize whether will iâ— raâ—ngeâ— what measure
and maister whome your selues doe professe I beseech you Sir is not our request agreeable with equitie But if the matter go otherwise and that you wil be exempt from the place of a seruaunt as no fit member of our Church but doe require rather to bee enstalled a Lorde ouer our fayth then knowe ye for certaintie that your banishment from our Kingdomes is not procured by our onely meanes but authorised by the very sacred Scriptures wherein we finde moste euidently one onely Lord to be attended vponâ— and one onely fayth to be directed by Euen as wee reade in the same Apostle else where Not bycause we are Lordes of your fayth sayth he So also neither Peter himselfe farre vnlike to an Imperious Apostle câ—ulde not at any time permit in the Clergie the name of Lordly estate neither did euer presume to chalenge any such title to himselfe as the which he reproued verie sharpely in others For he right wel remembred what Lorde hee was disciple vnto namely the same Lord who being alwayes the greatest despiser of worldly pompe would neuer contende for honour and seignorie but in al lowlinesse rather would yeelde humble seruice to all persones without respect But loe a replie forthwith of some of this crew What say they do we not call them Lordes commonly who as Gods Ministers do exercise princely authoritie and regiment ouer the earth Yes truely and therefore let euerie prouince haue his peculiar seignior who according to Gods appointment may exercise this function of bearing gouernement and rule But what is this to Peter What is this to the Apostles and Apostolique Ministers who be called to this function to this onely ende to profite the congregation of Christ and not ouerrule them as Princes and Potentates to nourishe and feede the flocke of their Lord not Lordly and loftily to ouercrowe them as Lordes of the flocke For their estate is not an estate of stately domination and tyrannical superioritie but an office a charge and a shepeherdes estate And as it is a charge so ought the same charge be stretched no further than for whose sake properly it is vndertaken so also neither ought it be applied otherwise in any respect then as it shall apperteine to the proper and peculiar benefite of the flocke For neither the Scholemaister may therefore take vpon him to ouerrule his pupilles as Parents do their children or as Princes their subiectes bycause his office is to instruct theÌ„ in learning neither is he otherwise worthie the place of a Schoolemaister then in that respect that he may teach good and wholesome doctrine In like maner whereas the office of a godly pastor consisteth in this onely to direct the consciences of Christians to employ all his studie and trauel to the enlargement of Christes kingdome he ought for this cause abide vnremoueable within the bounds of his charge therein behaue himselfe as a shepeheard not as a Lorde as a seruant not as a maister It is one thing to beare soueraintie by publike and Christian authoritie an other thing to be a seruant in feeding the flocke and to be subiect to the state And yet neither doeth this kinde of seruice want his proper and peculiar dignitie As in all common weales the most renowmed famous actions do of their owne nature allure the wel liking and laudable commendation of the godly So Ministers of the Church also such as being endued with heauenly giftes of spiritual blessing and the mightie power of Christ Iesus though they groape not greedily for promotion shall neuer yet bee destitute of their due honour and reuerence which of it owne nature doth alwayes attend vpon and accompanie godly and famous personages I meane not any such dignity notw tstanding as should raise theÌ„ to the state of princes nor make them Lordes of the earth ne yet aduaunce them to Monarchies nor so much as priuiledge them froÌ„ due obedience to the state nor to the Lawes and Statutes of the higher powers Therefore as concerning the prerogatiue of Princes sithens there is so great a number of Regions Nations and people such a varietie of Lawes and tongues nothing can be more seemely nor more consonant for the ordinance of God then that in al societies and estates of Nations a special preeminence and singular superiority should be yeelded to some one personage as to a certaine chiefe gouernour and heade by whose authoritie and soueraigntie al others may be trayned vnder whom also seueral offices and charges may be seuerally distributed as shal seeme necessarie and commodious for the well ordering of euery weale publike Hereof is it That the higher powers do of right beare a necessarie preeminence directly vnder God as the Apostle witnesseth And yet euen the selfe same powers are empaleâ— compassed in within their prescripts listes limits boundes according to Gods ordinance But as to that vniuersalitie and Ierarchie ouer the whole Church of Christ or to be onely and entier Lord and ruler ouer our fayth besides Christ onely we acknowledge neither king nor keyser whatsoeuer And what was he then that at any time hath authorised you yee Prelate of Rome to bee chiefe gouernour and Lorde ouer the vniuersall Church of Christ so farre and wide ouerstretched ouer the face of the whole earth Or who euer besides you hath beene heard of that durst presume vpon so prowde a Title of superioritie eyther in the Apostles tyme or in the whole succeeding age vntill this your chalenge without great reproche and greeuous controulement of euerie good man Or with what face at the length dare your selfe so arrogantly rayse vppe your crest so Luciferlyke as to bee magnified for the onely and principall Bishoppe and Monarchie of the whole state of Christianitie vnlesse ye were Antichrist him selfe In this case therefore aduise and bethinke your selfe well yee Romish Prelate what ye nowe doe or rather what ye ought to doe If yee thinke that the credite of your Maiestie is crackt by them bycause they haue banished you out of theyr Coasts I pray you heartely when it commeth to your minde to make a true account howe much they haue bene beneficial vnto you others of your crew whiles they were your vassals tel vs now this one thing what secrete insolencie lurketh in that authoritie of your maiestie that may by an vnauoidable necessitie enforce them to the lyke superfluous pillage any longer For why shoulde they so do is it because you may graunt them saluation and blesse them But their saluation is already plentifull sufficient and euerlasting for them in our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Is it because you may geue them remission of sinnes but the same is also geuen them freely in the faith of the Gospell without any other ayde What is it then Because you may preach the woorde of God to Gods people or is it rather because ye may as ye haue hitherto accustomed thrust
in the Synagogues and gape after greetings in the maâ—ket place and to bee called of men Rabby For there is but one maister but all you be brethren What coulde haue beene vttered by Gregorie more distinctly and more apâ—ly for the purpose of whose authoritie if you make any reckoning as reason is you shoulde why may not wee as lawfully vse the same authoritie ouer you and by the same woordes exhort you yee breâ—thren and fathers of Rome as wel as hee First that no vaine opinion conceaued of that Sâ—agelyke state make you stande too much vpon the Slippers of reputation as though the Chaire of estate which you chalenge to bee at Rome shoulâ—e make a difference betwixt your brethren and you for by the place sayeth Gregorie you bee all brethren Moreouer that you esteeme not so highly of your owne honour as that you become iniuâ—ious to the rest which are ioyned with you in the same felowshippe and equabilitie of dignitie but iniuried they bee by the testimonie of Gregorie when your aduauncement ariseth by the abacement of your brethren and when as the generall grace powred out vpon all indifferently is abridged by you Last of all wee doe admonishe you not without cause with Gregories owne woordes That you â—xalt not your state so arrogantly aboue the Starres of heauen that is to say That yee extoll not your selues so loftily with a presumptuous brauerie of superioritie aboue other Bishoppes least the olde Prouerbe maye bee verified of you at the length whereof Solomon maketh mention Hee that buildeth his house too high seeketh the ruine thereof But why do I vouch this one testimonie of Gregorie onely when as neuer any one so much of all Gregories predecessours was euer heard of which woulde take vppon him the name of vniuersall Bishoppe or the heade of the vniuersall Church But loe here a sodaine rebounde backe againe to Saint Peter not much vnlike the tale whereof report is made by Esope in his fables of an Asse wrapt in a Lions skinne looking as a Lion vpon other little beastes what say they was not Peter the chiefe placed Bishop amongest the Apostles Was not the principalitie ouer the rest graunted him by the Lorde himselfe whome wee doe succeede in the same succession of Sea Whereof hearken I pray you what Gregorie teacheth plainly Truly Peter the Apostle sayeth hee iâ— the first member of the holy and vniuersall Church Paul Andrewe and Iohn what els be they then parâ—icular heades of other seuerall Churches And yet vnder one head they be all members of the Churchâ— And to shut vpp all at a worde The holy ones before the lawe the holy ones vnder the lawe the holy ones vnder grace all these are members of the Church appointed to consummate make perfect the whole body of our Lord and there was neuer any one that durst presume to call him selfe vniuersall c. Heare therefore yea heare ye Popishe Prelate if credite may be giuen to Gregory that besides Christe there is no heade of the Churche that ought to bee reputed for vniuersall appliable neyther to Paul neyther to Peter nor to any other of all the Apostles And dare you yet challendge to your selfe that which Gregory dareth not yelde to the chiefest Apostles which also the scripture it selfe denieth vnto them Byd adue to those vaineglorious titles of proude hautinesse which doe as Gregory sayeth buddle from out that filâ—hie puddle of vanitie Let vs well consider of the matter it selfe And because the principall proppe of all your tottering Monarchie consisteth in Peter alone may wee bee so bolde as to parle a fewe woordes with you touching Peter him selfe whome to confesse as you doe to be a principle member of the Church and the first that was called by the name of an Apostle yet this wyll wee not graunt surely that hee was heade of the Churche or the vniuersall Apostle The one whereof Gregory doeth discharge him off the other the infallible trueth of the sacred Scripture doeth vtterly deny him For what can be more manifest or more substantiall then that true saying of Paule wherein he holdly pronounceth that the Apostleshyppe of Peter stretched not out generally ouer all but was streighted to the boundes of the Circumcised only limitted thereunto as it were by specially lotte and that vnto him selfe authoritie was geuen directly from the Lorde to bee an Apostle of the Gentiles which also Christe himself the holy Ghoste doe verifie to bee true by an vndoubted Oracle when as leauing Peter in his natiue Countrey hee commaunded Barnabas and Saule to bee separated vnto him for the woorke whereunto he had called them Nowe what kinde of woorke was this else but that they shoulde bee sente foorth a farre of vnto the Gentyles whereby appeareth without all controuersie that this generall charge and ouersight of the whole worlde was not more peculiarly layde vpon the shoulders of Peter then vpon Paule Barnabas and the other Apostles Heereof also came it that to bee the Apostle of the Gentyles was properly and peculiarly ascribed vnto Paule and not vnto Peter by the generall testimonie of all men In like maner Chrysostome making mention of Paul And he tooke vnto him as alotted the vniuersall Prouince of the whole and in him selfe hee bare all men c And where is nowe that speciall Prerogatiue of superioritie which you Romish Rutterkins so grosâ—y rake too your rotten Sea vnder the cloke of Peters authoritie whereupon also you vaunt your selfe altogeather as vnadvisedly God saith Paule doeth not accept of any person and will hee accept of any place Paule acknowledged no maner of Superiorie in Peter aboue the reste of the Apostles testifiyng plainly that he auayled him nothing at al and that they ioyned handes as fellowes of one societie And will the successor of Peter bee so foole hardie as to admit no mate in the ministery of Christes commission with him what horrible iugling lying and legerdemaine is this what more then shamelesse and whorish impudencie is this But to surceasse those vehement yet deseruedly imputable bitternesse of speache let vs deâ—le somewhat more mildely and I will nowe so frame my taâ—ke with you not after any clamorous and brawling maner wherewith neuerthelesse I might most iustâ—y exclaime against you as against the most sworne enemie of Christ but that I maye seeme too debate with you better then you doe deserue coldly as it were and with soft and calme woordes And â—irst this wyl iustifie against you That â—ur graunde Captaine and most woorthie Soueraigne Authour of our redemption left no such lawe custome nor President neither was of any suche minde at anye time that in his Churche any of his Ministers shoulde so stand vppon his Pantobles as presuming vpon any singularitie of Lordlinesse shoulde bee so bolde too enter alone vpon any soueraigntie or stately controulership ouer the other ministers and pastours of Christe If these woordes spoken by Christe
his owne mouth be true As the liuing Father sent me euen so do I also send you Then must this also bee most true that sithens by this speache hee noted no one particularly therefore ought no person challendge any such prerogatiue as to execute heere his office as his onely Uicar on earth And yet I alleadge not this to the ende I woulde perswade to disanull or roote out of Gods Churche receiued and approoued degrees estates and orders of the Churche nor those degrees of superiour placing in holy Churches discretely deliuered from the auncient Fathers namely That in euery Diocesse shoulde bee some one superintendent ouer the inferiour Churches vnto whom the reste might resorte for Counsell and for auoyding of schismes But what is this too that maiesticall royalltie of Sainâ— Peter or too that prerogatiue of Uniuersalitie too bee resiaunt in one only Sea which the Romane Prelate pruneth vpon of the whole vniuersall Churche we gaynesay no decent nor necessarie orders in execution of Ecclesiastical discipline But these proude peacockes plumes and Luciferlike loftie loâ—kes of this Uniuersall Iâ—rarchie neyther dyd Christ bring into the Churche nor the Apostles vsurpe at any time What meaneth this that our Lorde himselfe in his Gospell dyd vrge no one commaundement more precisely and more earnestly amongst all other preceptes and documentes then too drawe the mindes of his Disciples from al desire of glory and ambition vnto most humble abacement lowlinesse and humilitie as when hee willeth them too bee contented with the lowest places at feastes and banquettes when as in his owne person hee washeth their feete alluring them thereby to followe his example and againe where hee exhorteth them to bee as mildly minded as little children and when as hee commaundeth them too shunne the first places in the Sinagogues and stately salutations in the Streates when as hee calleth them backe so busily to abandon the pride and hautinesse of this worlde too eschewe the mightie thinges of this worlde to imbrace the basenesse of the Spirite and paciently to susteyne all iniuries of aduersaries When as Peter also forbad so expresly That yee become not Lords ouer the Cleargie and Paule likewise not too frame their life according to the fashioÌ„ of this world I haue now declared sufficiently howe that the very meaning of Christe and the continuall course of his discipline in the holy Scriptures coulde neuer digest that vniuersall and more then kingly ambitious seeking of superiorite of this Sea Now would I faine learn what you ean replie against it what answere yee can make sir Pope what ye haue to alleadge yea what can yee imagine to colour this glorious title withal what was not Peter wil ye say prince of the apostles what a ieast is this As though the apostles were not al of one spirit all of one callyng or as though ye can vouch any one place in all the Scriptures to iustifie that Peter was inuested in any superioritie of power aboue the rest which either he receiued at any time or which Christe euer gaue him Or as though the times were suche in theyr dayes as woulde permit the holy Apostles to be so idlely disposed as once to think or to dreame vpoÌ„ any principalitie being as then in hurly burly turmoyled and broyled with daily feares and continuall perrils Yet I wyl not denie but Peter hath byn sundry times blazed out with that braue name of Prince of Apostles in many mens writings and Commentaries wherein I doe not altogether condemne the godly affections of those writers but I note heerein theyr phrase of speache which in my iudgement seemeth to bee none otherwise then as the vsuall and dayly speach importeth wherein we customably call him a Prince of his Arte that excelleth in the facultie which he professeth singularly aboue others The Grecians doe say theÌ„ Too beare the bell which do surpasse all others in any maner of science As if a question be mooued who is the chiefe or Captaine of the schoole some one or other is noted foorthwith yet is hee not therefore a Prince ouer his fellowes nor his fellowes subiect vnto him After the same maner of speach vsually and dayly in vre wee call Cicero the Father of eloquence and prince of the Latine excellencie Homer the Captaine of Poeticall finnesse vnto whom notwithstanding wee attribute not for that cause any preheminence or state of gouernment in common weales where they were coÌ„uersant aboue that which was peculiar vnto them And yet too returne againe vnto Peter where dyd Christe at any time euer dignifie Peter with anye suche Title of honour as to name him prince of the Apostles when before what auditorie in what Chapter with what proofes and argumentes can you fortifie it too bee true I will make thee sayth Christe a fiâ—her of men hee dooth not say I will make thee a prince of men or a Lorde of Fishers neither was this spoken so precisely to Peter alone but was also in the plural number vttered to the rest ioyning them in one I will make you fishers of men And although afterwardes poweâ— were giuen to Peter by name to become a fisher and a feeder yet doeth this make him neuer a deale the rather a prince ouer menâ— then transforme men themselues into fiâ—hes and sheepe If the Lorde had vttered these woordes in that sense meaning thereby to aduaunce Peter to chaire of estate why did hee not also geue him togeather with that vniuersall principalitie riches and power meete for the dignitie and renowme of so mightie maiestie But O most famous Prince of princes Peter who beeing so poore a Peter was not able to blesse a poore begger with one crosse of coyne when hee craued his almes Nay rather O singâ—lar man of God who as neuer gaped after any worldly riches promotion or pompe refusing them vtterly as baggage and pelfe so hee neuer affected anye Titles of singular preheminence but despised them alwayes We speake not this as though we were willyng to haue any iotte of Peters due authoritie empayred who doubtles was one of the chiefest Apostles but because you do so blockishly patche vp that mootheaten beggerly cloake of beeing Prince of Apostles too couler that disguised visor of your pretensed fulnesse of absolute power and there withall make the whole Churche of Christe your bond maiden and thrall For this cause thought I good too beate vppon this point so muche not against Peter but against you for him on his behalfe Which Peter if were nowe in Rome euen at this instaunte woulde so nothing at all acquaint himselfe with any those braueries wherewithall you now blaze forth his armes as that he woulde more bitterly and chidingly inueigh against you then hee did once agaynst Simon Magus Whom as he condemned with his money and merchandize so woulde he much eagerly curse you all in the same bitâ—ernesse of speache Thy money be with thee to thy
Charles to flight taking his sonne prisoner brought the matter to such passe as that at the sound of a bel aboue 8000. Frenche which were at that time in guarrison in Sicil were miserably slayne and hauocke made of man woman childe without pitie or mercy And yet for all this could not this Scorpionlike serpent of Romish riot bee any thing appeased for Pope Martin the 4. takes partie again with the French practiseth with Philip the French king to pursue Peter king of Arragon commaundes him to inuade his kingdome him self soundeth the alarme and giueth the onset They rush eche vpoÌ„ other as cruel Tigres grâ—edy of the pray all handes be embrued with goare amiddes which hurly burly skarse one whole yere was ouer past before y e pope Martine dieth After whose death Honorius 4. the next successor practised with Rodolphe king of Romans to come speedely to Rome and receiuing at his handes the name and maiestie Imperiall to chase the Frenche and Spanyardes out of Champaigne Calabre Apulia and Sicil and to vnite the same to the Roman Empire By meanes of which tumulte of the Popâ— the whole naâ—ion of Italy state of Germany had byn reÌ„t in pieces with horrible slaughter of the people if death had not snatchâ— away that pestiferous Pope betimes What should I rehearse here the furies of Nicholas 4. who bicause hee would not be altogether vnlike his forerunners was coÌ„tented to annexe to the infamous contumâ—ly of the popes maiestie to the euerlasting reproche of his own name this shamelesse acte To wit To proclaime the great curse against the Earle of Tyrol besides many oâ—heâ— his mischieuouse treacheries against him vpon none 〈◊〉 cause but onely bicause the Earle would not yelde ouer his true and lawful inheritance to the Bishop of TrideÌ„t who made chalenge thereto contrarie to all â—quitie law and Iustice. But I can not say whether any one of all the rable afore rehearsed may seeme to exceede Boniface the 8. in pride in villanies Who was so moÌ„strously puft vp with pride beyond all imagination vnmeasurably swâ—â—â—en with vnshamefast insolencie that he shamed not to interdict Philip the French king by his legate fortified with most arrogant bulles commanding him as hee woulde answere the authoritie Papane to resigne the kingdome of Fraunce to the Sea Apostolike What more impudâ—t demande could haue byn imagined of the most villanous Pyrate of the worlâ— What more currish commande deliuered from any though more madde then a march hare What action more resembling the Turkish fury certes there could nothing haue byn done or deuised more disagreeable and lesse beseeming an Apostle or the successor of an Apostle In good felowship pope of Rome speak euen for the reuerence ye beare to S. Peter S. Paul Did the Apostle Peter giue euer any such president whiles he liued Or if he liued nowe would he commit any such outrage as did Pope Clement 5. without all regarde of shame who procuring the Emperour Henry 5. to mainteine most cruel battaile against Robert king of Apuliaâ— whiles the two princes were by the eares turned his tip pet and ioyned in armes against the said Emperour on the behalf of the said king or would Peter haue byn euer sâ— mad as with the next Pope folowing Iohn the 22. by bâ—ll proclaimed him self father and prince of all ChristeÌ„dome chiefe legate of the high God or vaunted him selfe to be of full power and highest authoritie able to dispose kingdomes Empires where and vpon whom him listed Who in the end of his bul gaue in special coÌ„mandement to Lodowike the Emperour to relinquish the Empire within three monethes and to resigne the name and title of a king not presuming from thencefoorth to reenter vpon any such dignitie without his speciall license warrante vpon refusall whereof hee further chargeth all his nobles estates aswel spiritual as temporal to abaÌ„don their king and compell him to yelde his necke vnder the yoake of Apostolical obedience I should neuer skarsly finde an end of this beadrol if I should decipher out of histories al that I could touching Vrbane the 6. Clement Martine the 5. Pius the 2. Sixtus the 4. Iulius the 2. Paule the thirde and such like the number wherof being infinite I passe ouer if I should I say rippe abroade the wofull and no lesse loathesome remeÌ„brance of al their cruel tragedies schismes broiles conspiracies horrible treasons and rebellions against kings Emperours Massacres murthers pillages of people practises of warre subuersion of Monarches nations the remeÌ„brance thereof would be no lesse loathsome then tedious But I leaue all this to a more ample treatie for the manifestation whereof according to the marueilous varietie of their treacheries abhominatioÌ„s I doute me whether any time toung or pen may suffice For what mischief hath at any time these many yeeres now byn executed in all Christendome what treachery or treason hath long sithence troubled wasted kingdomes and Empires which this holy famous successour of Peter hath not either for the more part fathered furthered or byn the chief procurer piller I beseech you tel vs plainely holy father What abhomination hath your Sea byn cleare of What iniquitie wanted to fulfil your rage what destruction did not your practises procure What crueltie spared your Consistories to put in execution how many slaughters of most innocent Christians how many flames of skorched martyrs how many bloody bucheries of your owne naturall brethren remaine at this present manifest testimonies of your infamoâ—s sauadgenesse and damnable horror To passe ouer in silence meanewhiles those couert packes of your pestilent impietie which for very shame I spare to speake O most holy yea thrise most sacred successor of â—hapostle Peter Nay rather O beastly and shamelesse impudency of an harlot past all shame O most insolent and forlorne arrogancie of a most vile varlet dare you for shame once take in your mouth the name of Peter of Paul of Christe or of any of his Apostles or of the catholike church by any meanes Whose life is not onely not correspoâ—dent but the whole state and course of doctrine also direcâ—ly discrepant from the liues and preachings of Peter and Paul who doest practise al wayes possible to shake asunder the prescript lawe of the Gospell to chaunge the countenaunce of Christes schoole to confounde the peace of Christians and the libertie of Christian churches and to deface the life of the godly with shamefull slauâ—ders and lyes For what els emporte whereunto tende these your so many peeuish puppettes in your churches your so many pelting patrones in heauen so many blasphemous brayings in your prayers and worshippings so many sowterly sacrifices in Masses so many sauadge sacriledges in sacramentes such horrible bloodthirstinesse in your iudgements such woluishe rauening in your decrees but to forclose vs all saluation in heauen and all
peace on earth And yet after all those your abhominations and cruelties dare you be so presumptuously arrogant as to take once the name of Christ in your mouth holding al others in subiection and chalenge to your selfe onely the keyes and authoritie of lieutenantship by him whom you doe persecute in all your actions of life with fier sword And why do ye so at the length sir I beseeche you is it because like a lazy lurdeine ye loiter in the chayre where Peter once sate A trimme and skilfull shift of lieger de mayne I promise you as though it maketh ought at all to the matter in what place a man sit so that he sit in Christ that is to saye so that he teache sounde doctrine Or as though bicause in politique gouernements the ciuil law hath ordeined that a king should succeede a king in his throane as he is neerest of blood the same course ought to be reteined in ecclesiasticall gouernement by like title of succession It is not dignitie sayth one nor the place of the godly that maketh a bishop but the good life nor is euery one to be accepted for a Doue that can say peace be vnto you The grace of God is promised to true holinesse and true faith not to any chaire or succession for the chaires do not make the churche but be subiect to the ordinance of the church Wherein consideration must be had not of the continuance of the place but of the sinceritie of the successor For as Chrysostome teacheth The chaire dignifieth not the prieste but the priest dignifieth the chaire The place doth not sanctifie the man but the man doth sanctifie the place He that sitteâ—h worthely in the chaire doth receiue the honor of the chaire but hee that sitteth vnworthily doth commit an heinous iniury against the chaire c. Ierome also vtâ—ering the like wordes almost They bee not sonnes of saintes which sit in saintes places but such as do practise the maners and liues of saintes And therefore their grossenes is worthely to be scorned which as is vsually accustomed in state politique so in the spirituall kingdome of Christ do entangle the church of Christe by humaine constitutions to a carnall necessitie of externall succession and enforce all iurisdiction so vnauoydeably to Peters chaire onely as that whosoeuer sit not therein be he otherwise neuer so godly a pastor may not be accompted Peters successor in any wise and that whosoeuer sit therein be he neuer so barbarous a brothell neuer so swinish a pigge altogether vnlike Peter in his whole course of conuersation must yet of necessitie be suppreame head of the church the true and vndouted successor of Peter as it was concluded by that detestable decree of the couÌ„cell of Constance then the which what can bee vttered more blockish or brutish As though the wisdom of God whose propertie is and alwayes hath byn most free to worke where it pleased might be possâ—bly empaled or hedged in by any ordinaÌ„ce of man or limited to any certentie of place as the which by extraordinarie meanes vtterly breaking or inuerting ordinary courses of things doth many times dispose the riches of his grace after a certein preposterous maner and waye beyond all â—ope contrary to the opinion of man namely in things apperteining to God not after the appointement of man but according to his owne good will and pleasure On this wise in times past refusing Cayn Ismael Esau and others to whom the honor of priesthood promised seed appertained by right of ordinary succession he made choyse of Abel Isaac Iaacob to whom the ordinarie succession was not dewe So also reiecting the family of Saul he translated the kingdome into the ofspring of Dauid In like maner supplanting the synagogue of the Iewes he planted the Gentâ—les in order contrary to order displacing the naturall oliues and placing in the wilde And will you so strictly vrge and choake vp as it were within so narrowe a pinfolde the incomprehensible farre outstretched grace of Christ to one place and to one chaire That where all other churches may erre the onely Romishe Churche may in no wise slippe her foote which also may moreouer so replenishe that one Romishe vicar with al her absolute fulnesse that she may not emparte any parcel thereof to any other pastours be they neuer so godly and true worshippers of Christ. If the case bee such that this ordinary antiquity of dayly succession do auayle so much before God to the obteining of grace Manasses did long sithence succeede Dauid Caiphas succeeded Aaron Certes the Iewes can conâ—ey vnto themselues far more auncient pedigrees and the same also neuer discontinued from Abraham theÌ„ you can fetch from Peter Yea the Iewes blushed nothing at al to vrge Christ with the very same argumeÌ„t crying out with open mouth we be the seede of AbrahaÌ„ Abraham is our father c. But what couÌ„ter buffe did the scripture giue them for this God is of power out of these stones to rayse vp childreÌ„ to Abraham And so he did indeed And is not God as mighty nowe and as powerable to rayse vp successors of Peter whome he wil and where he will yes no doubt and so he doth continually What say they did not the Scribes and Pharisees sitte in Mâ—yses chaire whom Christe commaunded to hearken vnto He doth so commande in deede but when they teache the truthe neither doth he commaunde so in respect of the chayre but in respect of the doctrine Moreouer why did Christe and his Apostles sequester them selues from the selfe same Iewes Scribes and Pharisees if that succession could not erre What saye yâ—u to this that Christe him selfe being reiected of the ordinary priestes who enforced the selfe same argument ought not to be hearkened vnto if your Romishe Pharisees may be credited in their lustie vaunte of succession Goe to and what shal be sayde of the Apostles then who hauing no maner of right in ordinary succession were the first founders of the churche of Christe and renounced vtterly the ordinary priesthood To be briefe If to sitte in a place bee of such efficacie and force I suppose the temple of God be farre more honourable then the chayre of Peter And yet in this very temple of God Antichriste must haue his chayre according to the testimony of the propheticall scriptures Shall Antichrist be therefore called holy Antichriste in respecte of his seate To conclude Let it be as forcible as it may for the church to haue what seate or what foundation it will so that it holde fast the liuely spirite of Christe his holy worde and sacramentes by the which it is begotten sanctified and made holy But you will saye Peter taught at Rome I heare you well but taught hee no where els then in Rome Moreouer too confesse that hee taught at Rome did hee teache there as
the Iudge became first an accuser of others Semblably and with no lesse shamelesse impudencie this Laterane not Terentian Phormio accuseth them for Heretiques Apostataes And why so I pray you because they haue reuoulted from Christe at any time denyed or shronke cowardly from faith No not so but because they haue forsaken that sacred Sea of Romishe Churche wherein they were once settled Yea is it so Shall there bee no Church then but that only Churche of Rome Shal they bee all accounted to be without the body of Christe which doe acknowledge Christe for their supreme head What is it of more emportance to be slaues vnto the Pope then to bee souldiers vnto Chrisâ— No But they affirme that there is no Churche where the Pope is not head What Church then I pray you was that in Asia and Palestine before Peter euer sawe Rome Yea put the case Peter had neuer seene Rome in all his life shoulde there therefore haue beene no Churche at all Doth the state of Bishops make the Churche of Christe to be a Churche or doth the authoritie of the Churche make Bishops But they say there is no hope of saluation without the church I do heare it and confesse it to be true yet this is no good argument to prooue that there is no Church at al except it be subiect to the Pope I adde moreouer That where they say that there is no hope of saluation without the Church that this saying is to be construed to apperteine to that church only which is the very vndoubted spouse of Christe and which is also married vnto Christe her husbande not because saluation is so necessarily tyed to the Churche as though the Churche bestowed it of her owne meere liberalitie and bountie but for the mutuall immutable coupling together of the head with y e body Whereby it commeth to passe that whosoeuer is made partaker of sauing health in Christ being the head the same can in no wise bee a straunger from the socieâ—ie of the Church And againe neither can such a one be an outcast from the Church vnlesse hee bee first cast off by Christ the heade and prince of the Church Which beeing concluded vpon with what arguments nowe doth this counterfeyte successour of Peter conuince vs for outcasts and Apostataes from partaking with the bodie who through fayth bee engraffed into Christ Who bee not seuered from the true and Catholike fayth of Christ For if nothing else make an vtter separation from Christ but obstinate rebellion from Christian fayth and Christian conuersation what treacherous rebellion eyther in our doctrine or in our maners can these Romanistes espie in vs so blame worthie which may not much more iustly be rebounded vpon their owne backes Forsooth say they bycause wee holde not the Catholike fayth Go to then Sith they standâ— so nicely vppon this poynt let vs faythfully discusse what maner of fayth that is which they call Catholike If the same be the Catholike fayth which Athanasius dooth sette out in his Creede or which the Councell of Nyce did determine vppon for inuiolableâ— From which article of the Creede can you shewe that they haue reuolted But here againe some iangling Iay of this Sea will vrge that bycause they holde not the Catholike fayth of the Romaine Church therefore they holde not the true Catholike fayth Well sayde Hereby then I do perceyue that it auayleth no whitte to bee accounted Christians and Catholikes vnlesse they be Romanistes also Let vs learne therefore of these Romanistes what it meaneth to be a Romanist Truly I beleeue it is thiâ— That the Pope of Rome must of necessitie be accounted for the very and vndoubted vniuersal Bishop of Bishops the Pope of Rome must be esteemed chiefe head generall Lorde of the whole Catholike Churche vnto whom and vnto all whose commaundementes statutes and decrees all people and nations must bee buxam and bonnaire vpon paine of damnation Is it so in deede whosoeuer reteigne not this fayth though he holde fast and firmely mâ—inâ—eyne all other thinges agreeable with the holie ordinaunces of God and all the Articles of the Creede and fayth of the Church shall not the same bee adiudged for Catholike No Sir I trowe But if this be true surely neyther the Churches of Alexandria of Antyoche â— of â—erusalem of Constantinople of Affricke nor yet that auncient Church of little Brytaine shall be reckoned for Catholike To what purpose then spake Basil these woordes where making mention of the Church in his Epistles hee sayeth The Catholike and Apostolical Church abandoneth c. When as yet notwithstanding in that Church of Greece which hee auoweth to bee Catholike and Apostolike the stately loftinesse of Rome had not so highly aduaunced it selfe And therefore wee must needes scrape out of the Kaleâ—der of Catholikes Basil Athanasius Nazianzen Tertullian Augustine Cyprian Eusebius Theodorete and all 〈◊〉 the most famous Bishoppes of the Greeke and Latine Churches all which though doubted nothing but that they were true Catholikes yet did no one of them professe himselfe to bee a Romanist after this rule Neither can the grosse ignorance of manie learned Fathers be any wise excused who first framed the Articles of our Creede vnto vs. For if no Church ought to be reputed for Christian or Catholike but that which is of Rome then were those auncient Fathers much to blame who in setting downe the Articles of the Creede did neglect and so lightly passe ouer this vpstart Article of the Romish Sea that where we bee commaunded to beleeue one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church they did not in like maner commaund vs to beleeue the Romaine Church withal Hereby you perceiue well ynough holie Father into what combersome straightes and absâ—rdities you haue whirled your selfe by your blinde vnaduised rashnesse For firstâ— if no certaintie of saluation bee to bee hoped for out of the Church which Church must be without all question that same verie Church of Rome as you frame your arguments and that the Church of Rome be none other but the same which is â—trayned and streighted to the vniuersal commaundes and decrees of the Bishop of Rome now then you do exempt out of the priuiledge of the Church not that one English Nation alone foreclosing them all passable way to saluation but togither with them also you do exclude out of the number of the Catholikes infinit other famous learned Clearkes of the auncient and pure age of the Church Doctours Patriarches and Bishops yea amongest these also all the Bishoppes of Rome as many as were Gregories pâ—edecessors But what neede manie prooues in a matter of it selfe so manifest and well knowne Undoubtedly sithence Christ woulde vouchsafe to lay the first foundation yea and to builde vp that beautifull and euerlasting buylding of his owne houâ—e vppon none other groundwoorke than vpon that corâ—er stone of Christian fayth and Christian confession And if Paul doubted
froÌ„ what auÌ„cieÌ„t brood were broached at y â— first their absoluâ—ions pardons â—â—pish buls romish stations continual gaddings to the apostles toÌ„bs dedication of temples shryâ—ing of saincts conâ—uringâ— of salt water of coâ—ps bowgâ—s that endles consecration of such like trumperies couple heerewith also mâ—â—kishe vowes rules shauings plates myters attires besmearings palls iubiles and I maruel that circumcision and the sacrifices of the olde lawe were not likewyse chopt in amongst the rest But when the Apostolique doctrine displayed his bright beames to the world first as it was heauenly and auaileable for the sauety of the world so did they proclaim nothing else but that which they sawe with their eyes heard with their eares they published nothing but what was foreshadowed before by many waies figures foretold agreable with the oracles of the Prophets And where I pray you at the leÌ„gth haue these meÌ„ euer heard with eares which they debate so lustely of purgatory of satisfactorie merites of choise of meates not to be receaued with thanksgiuing of matrimony not free nor grauÌ„ted indifferently to al men of ymages setvp to bee woorshipped or out of what puddle were plumped first their proude crakes of the absolute power of the vniuersal bishop of the Apostolique succession of the Romish Sea of the keye that neuer erred of the absolute authoritie therof which ought to be esteemed better then al councelles not to be comptrolled of any person The Apostles which established the principal part of our saluation in the power of faith taught vs long ago on this wise namely that Christ was our rightuousnes our wisdom sanctification redemption And from whence then receaued these men this which they wil enforce vs to beleue that man of his own power worketh works meritorious that wee meritte euerlasting life euen by due desert That the blessed virgin may commaund her sonne reigning with the father to graunt this or that mans petitions In the Apostles tyâ—ne it was decreed by publique authoritie and by inspiration of the holy ghoste that it should not be lawful for any man to charge the Gentiles with grieuous tradiâ—ions neither did any man wheÌ„ Paul preached grieâ—e his brother for eating fleshe so that it were priuately and without offence to the weak brother And from whence now haue â—ssued these so great fluddes of mâ—ns traditionsâ— wâ—erewith consciences are clâ—gged both publiquely and priuately far more rigorous then the state of the Iewes so that he shal be in daunger of losse of life as an heretique whosoeuer shal dare touch an egge in the lent or oughâ— else then that which the Pope authoriseth yea though sicknes or necessitie require him therto Is any man so madde as to think these burdeins and clogges proceeded froâ— the holy ghost whom sithence it pleased to make churches free in the time of the holy Apostles surely it is not likely that he would now alter his good pleasure and charge the churches w t more grieuous burdeins then before In like manner in times past Bishops were created by the voices of the people not without the consent of Princes Emperours this also vpon due examination of learning life according to the institution of the old Canons Now to passe ouer many other things at the naming wherof godly hartes may tremble for feare fain would I haue them aunswere me how this canonical election without al examination whithout the peoples voices without allowaunce of the prince hath bene poasted ouer to a fewe Cardinales or peraduenture solde to the faâ—test in purse where this tooke thâ— original of antiquitie or when it first sprang vp Therfore to conclude this discourse of antiquitie if according to Tertulâ— iudgement that which is most auÌ„cient must be deemed most true again whatsoeuer is crept vp of lâ—te must be taken for couÌ„terfait if Irene combatâ—ng against the heretiques of his time bee adiudged to haue don wel in that he appealed to the most auÌ„cieÌ„t churches as the w t drawing neerest vnto christ were beleued to erre lest finally if we ought to holde that for autentick w t was established by the authority of the Nicene câ—uÌ„cel Lâ—t the ancient determinaâ—ioÌ„ stand if likewise we following tâ—eir â—xaÌ„ple be willing to returne to that purest pateâ—ne of the most ancient Church which you haue forsaken wil cal backe our selues al our acâ—ions to the direction therof wil any maÌ„ accompt this in vs to be a departure from the Church or an accesse rather to the primitiue Church But much matter is vsually obiected heere touching the visible church wherin for as much as both good and bad be conuersaunt they say that the good ought to be receaued and the ill neuerthelesse not to be reiected for the churches sake wherin they abide We deny not that in y e visible church be alway resideÌ„t both good euil so also as we do embrace the good we do not cast out the euil rashly for the churches sake And yet foloweth no good coÌ„sequenâ— herevpon that they w t do shunne the coÌ„pany of the wicked in the church do therfore reiect the church it self For although in the church the wicked are mixed togither w t the good yet be not these euil persoÌ„s the church of christ It behoueth therfore to make euideÌ„t now which be those good ones which be those wicked ones of whome weâ— speke here now an â—stimaâ— must be made not in respect of their conuersation but in respect of their religion that so as oâ— the one side we may deeme theÌ„ properly good w t teach purely sincerely Iesus Christ the sacrameÌ„ts so on the other side we cal theÌ„ euil which defile the sinceritie of Christian faith depraue his sacramentes vnder colour of the church do persecute the true churche of Christ. Such to haue bene in al Churches and in al ages of the Churche euen from the first age of the Patriarches Prophetes and Aposâ—les alwaies vntil this prâ—sent is more then manifest which hauing no sparke of true religion but a false vysor of counterfaicte holynes haue abused the name and title of pietie chiefly to ouerthrow true pietie Of this number were Ismael and Esau in the tyme of Isaac and Iacob â— in the tyme of Ioseph his owne naturall brethren who lyke treacherous traytoures conspireâ— the murthering of their innoceÌ„t brother Those also that ioyned in confederacy against Moyses with Dathan and Abyron and many other times likewyse they that ioyned traiterously in armes against Dauid their liege Lorde and king Such were the false prophets that withstood Elias Michea Esaias and the true prophets of God such were they who when Ieremy did prophecy exclamed against him The teÌ„ple of the Lord The temple of the Lord when as in deede their speech was nought else but very lyes like as the scribes pharisees vpbraided Christ himself that they were the generation of Abraham when
why may it not be as lawfull for vs to call our selues back into the true way of saâ—uatioÌ„ after so many our waÌ„drings maskings renouÌ„cing al by pathes of errors Now therfore beâ—hink your selues welâ— whether it staÌ„d w t more reason for vs that we should retourne into the right way or raunge at randon still with you Wee do assure our selues that it is not lawefull for vs to doe any other thing nor treade any other path then wee doe now by any meanes for as much as the authoritie of the scripture the truth of Christes Gospell doth binde vs hereto with a necessitie vnauoidable We were once of the same minde that you bee I confesse it stragglers I meane together in the selfe same couples of errours What theÌ„ If bicause we wandred in errours being yong men shall we not therefore bee refourmed beeing growen to more iudgemeÌ„t But so was Moses conuersant once in the familie of Pharao AbrahaÌ„ in Chaldea Loth amongst the Sodomites The children of Israel in Egipt Daniel the Prophets in Babylon Christ amongst the Iewes Paul with the Pharisees Peter amongest fishermen Augustine a Manychean All maner of departures therefore neither the departures of all persones ne yet from all societie of companies ought to bee accompted blameworthy Although wee forsake to be ioyned in the felloweship of some that are named Christians now yet are we not therefore fallen from the visible church But for as much as in the visible church be two sortes of men the one part of theÌ„ which occupie the functioÌ„ of teachers preachers the other of them which with the vnlettered multitude be hearers and learners We therefore do reproue certen assertions opinioÌ„s in some false teachers from whom we sequester our selues of very necessitie yet in such wise as we depart not at al froÌ„ the visible church in the which we haue our being and resiancie as well as they yea we be many times conuersant as Christians euen with our very aduersaries within one citie many â—imes also vnder one roofe And although we dissent froÌ„ the errors of certen particular persons yet doe we not otherwise but wisâ— will the best that may be to the persons them selues and recompt our selues rather forsaken of them then them forsaken of vs and are enforced to deparâ— from them rather by violeÌ„ce plaine thrusting out then of any our voluÌ„tary willingnesse so that to set down the matter in plaine termes it may be saide more properly that we do disagree and dissent from them rather then depart from them In which disagreement notwithstanding we do not so altogether reâ—de in pieces all the articles of their popes and deuines nor so altogether condemne them as though nothing were sound amongst thâ—m neither do we contend with al that church so as though there remained no shape of a visible church in all that citie of Rome for they haue baptisme there wherein they make a profession of the name of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost They haue also the law of God the Gospel yea they reteine the woâ—shipping of Christ professe the same articles of the Crede that we doe They retaine also after a certen sort the sacraments though they abuse them after a filthy maner All which do carry some prety shewe of Christianitie amongst men not much vnlike as the olde Iewes in times past whilest Christ liued were in possession of the holy citie wherin the most holy name of God was magnified in the which they obserued the worship of God together with the lawes ordinances after a certen outward resemblance wherein also those that sate in Moyses chaire taught many things peradueâ—ture not altogether amisse Whenas neuertheâ—esse vnder this coÌ„terfaite visor of religion lurked most abhominable hypocrisie treacherous treason against God him selfe Of whome spake God him selfe by the mouth of his Prophet You be not my people Semblably if eiâ—her the Romishe church or any other church whatsoeuer do obserue orderly and teache sincerely truely therein doe we not deâ—â— to partake with them But bicause the churche of Rome treading the track of the olde Synagogue hath yelded to be lead awaye blyndefolded into strange vnknowen by-pathes of doctrine into most horrible contagion of errors detestable absurdities idolatrous worshippings blasphemies impieties sectes and heresies from the platfourme of most true and infallible doctrine from the pure and sincere worshipping of God and the vndouted squarier of Christian religion from the principles of their owne profession from the practise meaning of the Aposâ—les from the examples and steppes of their predâ—cessourâ— and haue chalenged vnto it selfe câ—ief only and most absolute soueraintie ouer all other churches of Chrisâ—e fully fraught with crueltie bloodsheadings pillages heâ—ein if we do farre awaye seuer our selues from their societie who can be so senslesse or endewed with no conscience at all who seeing so many and so iust causes of departure wil not thinke that wee haue rather departed away too late then without good occasion namely sithence we are not whirled theretoo of any gyddy lightnesse as it wâ—re with a puffe of winde but enforced of very conscience not of any desire of nouelty but of meere necessitie not so much of any our voluntary affection as warranted to departe from amongst them by special commaundement of Gods owne mouth But some one wil make a question heere demaunde what kind of filthines what coÌ„tagiouse errors do remain in the popes doctrine Surely if the matter of it self were such as that it were altogither in couert and not openly manifest in the eyes of al men I wold think that I ought to bestow some large discourse for the better demonstration therof Yet somwhat to relieue the ignoraunce â—f the vnlettered let vs if we may apply somewhat in that behalâ— For I do see very many that being bewitched with a certain blind admiratioÌ„ of the popes popeholy religioÌ„ are caried away captiue into his erroures for none other cause but for that they wil not looke into the truth when they may see it Therefore remouing away those disguisings visours let vs prye somewhat narrowely into the things them selues and let vs throughly beholde this whole Romish Troiane horse not what it emporteth outwardly but what it crowdeth couertly and shrowdeth in the very closets thereof I am not ignorant that the name of the churche is a very plausible name that the names of Christe Peter and Paule be honorable that the remembraunce of ancient antiquitie is wonderfully well liked of that the authoritie of the fathers is much esteemed that the vniâ—ie Apostolique and catholique consent is of great valoure and that the keyes of the churche be of no small authoritie in deede if they bee true keyes but if they be not true nothing is more forcible to deceiue Therefore may not the Romish churche thinke it enough to vouche bare and fruitlesse titles it
be found which being famous raysed aloft as a citie builded vpon an high hill may bee seene of al people a farre of and ought to bee credited of all the Nations of the earth And bicause this shape of a Church can not be seene any where at this present but amongst that people and nation onely ouer whom the Bishop of Rome must be acknowledged for chief head hereof must it follow of necessitie That there is no true and glorious Church of Christ except this onely Romish Church and that al other Churches besides be foreiners infamous and no Churches at al as the which being not able to deriue any certenâ—ie of their discent and antiquity ought not in any respect beare the name of Christian Churches but must be accounted rather for dennes and conuenticles of heretiques And thus much nowe by the way touching the Church the treatie whereof God willing shall bee sette forth with larger discourse in other bokes hereafter This lesson in the meane â—pace will not bee amisse to bee foretolde That if it bee true that Christ himselfe did plainly pronounce that his kingdome was not of this worlde and this also as true which hee doth else where affirme that the things which doe seeme mightie and glorious to the iudgement of men are accounted for vile drosse and abhomination in the sight of God finally if the estate of the most holy Apostles and Martyrs of Christ was alwayes such as it became rather odious to the worlde then accepted or of any estimation that such as applied neerest to Christ were alwayes despised most and that the Disciple cannot bee greater than his maister certes it can not possibly bee that this Churche of the Pope so mightie and glorious in the worlde so renowmed and famous in worldly pompe and excâ—sse so magnified and fawned vpon with the wel likings and alliances of Princes should haue any affâ—nitie or alliance at all with Christ the onely head of the Church or any fellowship with the Apostles I come nowe to other partes of the Romish doctrine in the which the Papists do seeme no lesse Iewish then in the shaping and fashioning of their Church as I sayd before For if the doctrine of Paule bee most true where discoursing of the reiection of the Iewes that sought their iustification by the lawe he rendered a reason wherefore they could not attaine thereto Bycause sayth he they sought to be come righâ—eous not by faith but by workes Lâ—t vs see I pray you what else doth the Romish religion proclaime at this day then that wee oughâ— to make our way passable to heaueÌ„ by industrious works precepts of good life reposing the whole shoote anker of assured affiance trust in the same not bycause we beleue on him that doth iustifie the sinner but in doing workes of this life which do exclude all impietie How shall we say that the great Clearkes and Doctours which teach this such like doctrine do differ from naturall Iewishnesse If the Iewes seeking to be iustiâ—ied by woorkes were for this only cause cleane cut of from true rightuousnesse according to the testimonie of Paule what hope may they conceyâ—e at the length to attaine true rightuousnesse which thrusting faith into a corner do raise vppe the whole building of their iustification vpon that tickle and sandle foundation of workes But thou wilt say these men doe not so altogether abrogate fayth but that they couple her together with works by a necessarie and an inseparable coniunction I do know indeede that fayth is peraduenture in some estimation amongst them yet such an estimation this is as that they will in no wise yeeld vnto her her true dignitie and due place of estate For whereas no one thing is resiant in vs nor giueÌ„ vnto vs miserable wretches fâ—oÌ„ aboue that may make vs acceptable vnto God may obteine his fauour may cure our diseases may deliuer from the fetters and chaines of sinne may turne away wrath and vengeance may ouercome the worlde may crush in peeces the horrible tyrannie of death and the deuill may stande boldely and vnuanquishable in the face â—f hell gates finally which may ouerspreade vs poore forlorne caâ—â—iues drowned in the doung and durt of the earth with the gladsome sunneshine of heauenly life and vnspeakeable glorie of immortalitie besides this onely inestimable Iewel namely fayth in Christ in the which all our hope and riches togither with all the promises of God are fast locked vp as it were in a certaine Arke of couenant when as also the selfe same fayth linked and vnited togither with other vertues doth not onely farre surmount al those vertues in her singular excellencie and power but also of her owne force onely and alone satisfie and accomplish all the partes of our redemption yea and so accomplishe the same as that where she leadeth alwaies whole troups of most excellent vertues with her needeth not neuerthelesse any their helpe at al towards the procuring of Gods fauour I beseech you for the loue you beare to Christ what peruerse peuishnâ—sse and I know not whether more malicious or shamelesse impudencie of men is this I say of the false docâ—ors of Rome which being addicted to the Romish ragges seeme by a certaine destinie as it were borne of purpose for the vtter ouerthrowe of Christes Church so to embase this same faith in Christ euen vnder al other vertues as a very naked bare fruitlesse thing of it selfe as that they scarcely can finde in their heartes to graunt her any commendation in heauen or any place of acceptance in earth For what else doe these wordes of theirs import wherewith they tearme this fayth onely onely rashnesse yea and no fayth at al but impudencie temeritie and arrogancie Where they affirme the Gospel whereof we make mention to be sediâ—ious full of fraude and deceyte Moreouer where in all their bookes and writings they doe so vtterly suppresse this fayth of Christ as that they dare presume to say that there is no passable way to heauen but that which is purchased with holy workes and most excellent integritie of life I will couple herewith though not out of the foresayd Authour but out of the publike instrument and decree of the late Tridentine Councell In which Councell whereas those gay iolly gallants did most filthily erre in many thinges yet played they not the Philosophers in any one decree more perilously then where they vttered their Stoicall opinion in the doctrine of Iustification by Christ. Which being proclaymed vnto vs throughout the whole tenour of the Scriptures to bee freely giuen without all mediation of any other thing besides the onely promise of God through fayth in Iesus Christ our Lorde contrariwise those gracious fathers do so iumble and wrappe vp this grace of God full of sauing health and freely offered wholy replenished with most comfortable consolation and safety in one hotchpot mingled as it were with
made one bodie with Christ which is quite contrarie to that mysticall prophecie of the Psalmyâ—t whereby wee are taught that Christ his most holâ— fleshe is dignified with â—uch an especiall estâ—te and condition that it should alwayes continue free from all maner of corruption not to inferre here any mention meane whiles of that which cannot bee gainesayde of them that are dayly conuersant with their sacred â—akes I meane euen those cakes also that be so curiouslâ— kept in Pixe for a season after they haue blessed them which holy cakes vsuâ—lly wax moâ—ldie and rotten and shiâ—er to dust being scarce toucht with their fingers Wherein either the body of our most blessed Sauâ—our muâ—t suffer this vâ—speakeable iniurie or else it muâ—â— needs bee confessed that this their framshâ—pen chaungeling Transubâ—tantiation must be matter ridiculous matter of nought or surely no matter at all Beholde here if it may please yâ—ur holy fathâ—â—hood somewhat vttered concerning many partes of your doctrine Wherein you see nothing sounde almost noâ—hing cleare yea nothing that is not of all parâ—es deâ—iled wiâ—h monstrous errourâ— And yet after all these so horrible and vnsâ—eakeable blasphemies doe you require to be accounted for a father and a principall soâ—â—raine of the Churcâ— Whereof no man that knoweth you may wiâ—h saâ—e conscience acknowledge you for so much as a reasonable member And is your shamelesse impudencie crawled so aloft to the toppe gallant yea aboue al whoorâ—sh shamelesnesse moreouer doth your insolent arrogancie so farre exceede all impudencie that ye shame noâ—hing at allâ— with more then Turkish crueltie to hale harmelâ—sse aâ—d inâ—ocent sheepe of the Lords flocke as euerie of them is most sounde and of a most vndeâ—iled fayth to the stake and to condemne thâ—m for Heretikes and with them also no lesse infamously accuse kings and Queenes as accessaries harborers recettours and supporters of Hereâ—â—es Whereas your selfe meane whiles swaâ—ming on al parâ—s with so many so monstrous and more than herâ—ticall â—rrours do so exâ—crably exceede all the whole crew of Heretiques and do so alone like an Arâ—hringleader surpâ—sse al other Herâ—tikes that to speake at a wâ—â—dâ— â—his your Papisme can sâ—eme scarcâ— ought else then a plaiâ—e canker and gaâ—ing gulfe deuouring aâ—d swalâ—owing vp all true and Christian religion Bâ—t I surcâ—asâ— now and make here an â—nde of contâ—nding with you albâ—it this is not a â—oÌ„â—â—ntion but a deâ—â—nce rather not entred into of any vnaduised temeritie but vndertaken vpon great and vrgâ—nt causâ—â—nd nâ—câ—ssitâ—e Wherein if wee shall seemâ— to haue desenâ—ed our cause soâ—what more eageâ—ly thaÌ„ may seâ—me agreeable with the lâ—nitie of ouâ— naâ—ures or to haue reprâ—uâ—d you somewâ—at more bitterly then you would willingly heare of pleaseth it your holinesse to accept these speeches as not vttered by vs but to be the verie wordes of truth it selfe Neither do wee sillie faythfull members of the vniuersall Catholike Church complayne agaynst you but the Scriptures of God do mainteine our quarel herein and in our behalfe doe bende their whole force agaynst you the verie voyce of the Lord the verie breath of Christes owne mouth togither with the whole armie both of Christs Church and of heauen and with these also all the holy companie of heauen do not only vrge this disputation against you but also doe ioyne in league preparing all togethers greater forces agaynst your triple royaltie For the selfe same will either vtterly roote you ere it bee long from out that maiestical Sea which you do against al equitie and right vsurpe most iniuriously or else you must of fine force throw into vtter exile the selfe same Scriptures and banish withal Christ himselfe and his Apostles from out all and euerie Church I doe knowe that the Church is molested many times with many great and grieuous assaults and conflictes of encounterings and many times infected with diuerse noysome diseases and stench of contagious corruptions to the clensing and curing whereof I thinke it needefull to applie milde and gentle maner of speeches and conference as becommâ—th modest and mild dispositions So earnestly alwayes hath our affection loathed that capâ—ious snatching and quareling amongest the learned But yet this your pesâ—iferous poyson of impietie holy father of Rome linked with such sauage phalarisme wherwith you haue not only deâ—iled the very welsprings purest source of all Christian religion but also vtterly spoyled and defaced it is such that it cannot bee cured nowe with any milde potion of mediciâ—able restoratiue You haue forced the afflicted estate of tormented Christians to such a lamentable extremitie with your horrible crampes and execrable crueltie that you are not now any more to be confuted with arguments as an heretique but as Antichrist himselfe the most butcherly bloodsucker of Christians to be abhorred and accursed with the general detestation of all the godly insomuch that whatsoeuer person be not from the bottom of his heart your professed enemie can in no wise bee in league with the glorie of Iesus Christ. For as much therefore as the matter is come to this passe and that your tottering state standeth in worse case nowe than any man can expresse what better prouision may you make for your selfe or what more wholesome counsel may I giue vnto you then that ye reclaime your selfe speedily and returne againe betimes Whither shal I returne wil you say Returne Romane ruffler from whence you are fallen Returne to humilitie to the which you bee called Returne againe vnto the charge wherevnto you are appoynted If the Lorde haue called you into his Uineyarde hee hath called you to toyle and labour not to scrape riches togither to ministerie and submission not to maistrie and soueraintie Bestowe cost and dresse the Lordes vineyarde therefore doe not spoyle and moyle the Uineyarde For it is no Uineyarde of yours which though were your owne yet ought you not roote and turne it vp with such boarishe sauagenesse For it is the Lordes Uineyarde and not yours Who if haue waged you amongest other his woorkemen returne therefore to your worke and holde you contented with your place and vaunte not your Peacockes taile more than becommeth your plumes and be satisfied with your penie whether you come in the first houre or the last houre of the day one kinde of payment is due to euerie woorkeman alike There is no prerogatiue amongest woorkemen The Lordes benignity is extended to al alike Therfore if you be wise let your Romain Sea content you bicause you are placed in Rome and permit others that be ouerseers ouer others to gouerne their owne prouinces And would God the Lorde woulde once vouchsafe imprint such an heart in you as might earnestly seriously ponder these things and that you might returne from whence you are fallen The time was when this your Citie of Rome was famous and noble replenished with most woorthy woorshippers of Christ adorned with excellent wittes and most commendable conuersation of life
once be silent and calme if you alone woulde vouchsafe too bee quiet Albeeit why doo I exhorte you heerevntoo that am sure shal little or nothing preuaile with you for may any man conceaue by ymagination of minde that you wil become in any respect other then you haue yet hithertoo alwaies bene one whome either feare of God may breake or charitie bend back again or whome reason or any wholesome counsel may euer allure too amendement And woulde God wee coulde obteine so much at your handes by our earnest requestes louing aduertisementes or by any other way else whatsoeuer But bicause I do see your minds so throughly bent against the speeches and voices of all men I surcease heeâ—e to deale any further with you O holy father and leauing you nowe in the plaine field I will turne the rest of my communication too others euen too all those whosoeuer the churche of Christe dooth possesse for industrious and faithful embracers of true pyety But aboue al others chiefly I doo appeale vntoo you O yee renoumed prinâ—es and noble potentates peeres of the world vppon whome Gods diuine liberality hath powred foorth this prerogatiue of supplying his place in al manner of affaires ciuil politique and ecclesiasticall for I am throughly persuaded that it apperteineth vnto you to foresee that Christian common weales suffer no dammage nor detriment and to prouyde that nothing may bee committed by violence and fraude that may obscure the glory of Christ that may ouerthrowe the peace of the people or preiudice their sauety Wherefore I huÌ„bly beseech you for the loue you beare to the state wherin the Lord hath aduaunced you to beare chiefe souereignty heere on earth bee yee careful againe and againe that the fraudulent practises of the enemies preuaile not more then your power and authority You can by no meanes forget the treacherous troubles wherewith this Calidon boare hath moiled your nations with what an vnmerciful slaughter with what a monstruous butchery hee hath deuoured the seely flocke of the Lorde these many yeeres now with howe incredible calamity hee hath oppressed your sobiectes and howe horribly iniuriouse hee hath behaued himself against your own persons states seignories For amongst the whole order of your puissant estate what one Prince hath beene of long tyme nowe so mighty in power in whose kingdomes the Popes practises coulde not preuaile further then your renowme authority in the which hee hath not deuoured more of your owne subiectes with faggot and tortures then any of you durst preserue from his tyranny In the which hee hath not enioyed more friendly hartes more faithful subiects then you your selues haue but why doo I speake heere of your subiects whenas I do see none more humble and obedient vassalles vnto him then your selues For when you punish them whome he commaundes you to punishe when you committe to fire flame at his commaundemeÌ„t and lust whome hee condemneth too the stake when you do more eagerly and more straightly exequute the lawes of his inquisition more then your owne lawes when yee bid battel to your owne subiects without any cause without any their fault or misdemeanor by the only iustigation and procurement of the Pope seeking the sackes and blood of your frieÌ„ds for your deadly enemies sake herein what seeme you els then bondslaues too him whose souereignes and Lords behoued you to be Which albeit may seeme it selfe matter most detestable and most vnwoorthy your excellent renowme yet I wil not much impute the same too any your cowardyse as to your tymorousnes rather ne yet so much to your tymorousnes as too the general ignoraunce of those barbarous tymes For I do knowe by what crampes and pernicious practizes they crept into the hartes of princes at the first Namely vnder the beautiful countenaunce of the Churche with a false vysor of religion by crooked conueyances wrything and wresting the testimonies of holy scripture hither and thither with which bugbeares blazing Gorgones head as it were they had so vndermyned al the most mighty potentates of the worlde that they might easily induce them to beleeue that all thinges were well and godly atchieued whatsoeuer were vndertaken by the commaundementes of those holy fathers which coulde not erre by any meanes possible And euen heerehence loe stepte foorth vppon the stage the first prolocutor of al this whole tragedy But this present age no we requireth other maners Neither coulde the olde prouerbe bee more truely verified at any tyme so much as nowe to witte Truth is the daughter of time For what so cloudy ignorance can possibly ouerwhelme the senses of any sensible man so much as that in this so manifest a sunneshyne of Euangelical glory hee can not easily conceaue by ymagination that this ecclesiasticall monarchie of the seruauntes of Christ was neuer erected by Christ the founder thereof ne yet euer at any time permitted of him but many tymes forbidden most grieuously rebuked euery where Yea it wold be matter of no greate difficulty too deliâ—er by manifest demonstration from out their owne recordes and registers the very first tyme and chiefe original Author vnder whome this pompouse pryde of pontifical Lordelynesse began too growe into some credite Namely sithence wee reade iâ— History written by Platina theyr owne Countryman and domesticall witnesse on this wyse Boniface the thirde sayeth hee a Romaine borne did obteyne of Phocas the Emperor yet not without great contention that the Sea of the Apostle Peter which is the head of al Churches should be so called and reputed of al men which soueraignty the Church of Constantinople did trauaile to procure vnto it self Whose challenge many Princes fauoured meanwhiles and affirmed that the chiefe Sea ought to be resiaunt in that place where the chiefe state of the Empyre was at that tyme. By the which it may easily appeare vntoo you what you ought too do For if the chiefe foundations of this Sea be grounded vppon no lawe nor ordinaunce of God as is declared before but propt vp by mans appointment onely what shall let I pray you why that stately chaire which receaued no prerogatyue of superioritie from God but onely from you at the first shoulde not stoupe nowe againe and lay downe these Peacocks plumes by your general assent and commaundement If beeing carried on the blinde side long agoe your selues were the firste donors of this primacy altogither against the wil of christ what more notable exployt may you bring too passe at this present then to reuoke backe that gifte as AEsopes litle byrdes did sometymes plume away their owne feathers from the chattering crowe which was either extorted from you against equitie and right by treachery mischief or procured by fraud and villanie For why beeing nowe better aduised and endued with more heauenly vnderstanding may ye not more rightfully supplant that which without cause ye did of old tyme plant vnlawfully albeit why do I say that you may
counsell wee suspende our vnderstanding vppon the wordes of the Lorde and not imagine that to be written which our selues haue taken holde of before we reade it with our owne eyes nor that wee attributâ— so highly to the imaginations of our owne fansies as that with toothe and nayle wee defende that which wee haue once entred vpon but that we search first by carefull inqâ—isition those thinges which we do holde And therefore wee be commaunded to search the scriptures vnto the which it behoueth to assubiect al our determinations altogether not to wrest the scriptures to the fansies of our owne imaginations There may be many and sundrie persons so grossely blockishe and so bluntishe of iudgement who wil allowe of nothing at all but that which they haue receiued of their forefathers and which by olde custome hath beene frequented as though the forefathers coulde not possibly erre or as though truth were wont to be the mother and not the daughter of time Which order if we shal be enforced to obserue to wit that wee accept of nothing to bee safe and sounde in matters of religion but that which hath beene priuiledged by custome of elder yeeres after this rule surely neither Paul nor Peter neither any one of the Apostles at all should euer haue beene a Christian neither shall any the Turkes hereafter bee conuerted into our faith being so many yeeres enured nooseled vp in their owne errors Go to nowe I woulde faine learne of these felowes that doo so stoutly stande vpon the imitation of their forefathers what aunswere they will yelde touching Antichriste whether he is yet to come or when hee commeth where they will saye his kingdome shall bee planted If they will affirme that it shall bee in the Churche what seasons of that churche whyles Antichrist beareth swaye will they describe vnto mee whether it shal be the churche of truthe or of errour And howe can it otherwyse bee but that as long as Antichrist reigneth and possesseth the heartes of men the truth must bee suppressed for a season and errour must possesse the greater part of the churche And where will these men place the churche of Christ then Whether mounted aloft vpon the toppe of a hill which shal be famous and glorious in all mens eyes or shrowding close in some corner rather when as persecution surrounding al places with horror the woman cloathed with the sunne shal be faine to flee into the wildernes when the saintes must be ouercome when the strumpet being drunken with the blood of the saintes shall triumphe in her maiestie where shall nowe become this publique I saye this publique euerlasting victory of truth which many persuade them selues to enioy in the church What shall become of that churche which can not erre when the sainctes shal be slayne in the churche when that false Prophet shall rule the roste euery where when he shall defyle all places with the blood of the holy ones when as also the very elect shall be in great hasard to be seduced finally when as so merciles a gulf shall swallowe vp the godly that the very horrour of the perill shall procure the ende of all euils long before the determined tyme when as the childe of perdition shall be shryned in the temple of the Lorde all which if we see plainely accomplished alrâ—ady and that it can not bee denyed but that Antichrist hath sitten long sithence in the Temple of God and with all is reuealed what mad men are they nowe that goe about to persuade vs toothe vsages of the fathers and custome of the tymes which were subiect vnto the tyranny of Antichriste which also bragge so lustely vppoâ— their pontificall Papane succession neuer empayred nor vndiscontinued since the very age of the Apostles in as much as Antichriste hath reigned so many yeeres nowe in the Churche of God But if they wyl deny that this enemy of Christe is not as yet come O miserable and to much forlorne estate of seely Christians For if within these fewe yeeres synce the tyme that Crosses were fastened first vppon the garmentes of Christians namely in the tyme of Maximilian the Emperour so incredible hauocke hath beene made of Christian martyrs by the onely butchery of the Pope of Rome as is skarse credible too bee beleeued Certes if soo many thousandes of Christians haue beene swallowed vpp and deuoured with soo manye and soo monstruouse tortures heretofore for Christe and the Gospels sake in these peacible and calme regimentes of Christian princes what shall poore Christians expect to befall them hereafter vnder the tyranny of Antichriste Which beeing as you see more manifest then the sunneshine in midday plucke vp your heartes therefore you men and brethren and fellowe souldiours in Christe and according to your wisdomes atchieue an enterprise worthy your wisedomes not whereuÌ„to vnaduised custome doth entise you but which truth it self doth sweetely perswade you haue regarde vnto not that whereunto better and more considerat times doe prouoke you that yee may not seeme to be more willing to wander in the wayward course of their errours then with these to be endued with sounder vnderstanding and knowledge For here is matter of no smal emportaÌ„ce peril beleue me haÌ„dling in hande yea so much the more daungerous by howe much the more your insufficiency to attaine the knoweâ—â—dge of the truth is supported by great abundance of supply and helpe For albeit your forefathers did erre in olde time yet is their excuse more colourable then yours If they being at any time carried away by suttle practises of their Popes were affectionated to fables according to the barbarous grossenesse of those dayes either bicause they were not instructed more soundly or bicause those helpes and aydes of bookes and good literature was not as yet extant from out the Printers shoppes or els bicause that childe of perdition was not yet reuealed this may be lesse cause to maruell of your forefathers ignorance yet them selues also bee in that respect somewhat the more pardonable But now in this so cleare and orient a glasse of discouering all thinges so many helpes and aydes of speaking and hearing beeing already prepared for your behoofe sithence nowe the spirite of the mouth of Christ hath discouered displayed abroade and portrayed out this Antichrisâ—e in his very liniamentes and liuely colours as it were so that the eyes of all men may plainely discerne him and that there can not be any man so blinde except such a one as will of set purpose close his eyes fast but that hee must needes manifestly discerne this horrible traitour of Chrisâ—e Certes no man can possibly beare any zeale or fauour towardes him but he that will be a notorious creaâ—hour in deede and will likewyse partake with him in the selfe lake of perdiâ—ion And for this cause the Angell in the Apocalipse doth with so terrible a threatening call vs away from him denouncing the cup of Gods wrath and