the Church hath none other head but Christ yea as well that part that is Millitant as that that is Triumphant and both together because they both make but one Church And therefore writing to the Church of Corinth in his 2 Epistle 11. chapter 2. verse he said thus vnto her I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ And to the intent that all might know that the Church Triumphant and the Church Millitant hath both but one and the same head hee writing to the Church of Ephesus chapter 1.20.21.22.23 said thus vnto them of Christ God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery Name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things And to the Colossians chapter 1. verses 16.17.18 thus For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And hee is before all things and in him all things consist And hee is the head of the body of the Church hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell By which it is manifest Christ Iesus alone is the head of the whole Church The Pope cannot claime antiquity of Bishopricke from Peter because Peter was not the first bishop but Iames. and not Peter and therefore the Pope cannot rightly claime the vniuersall headship from him If Peter had beene the supreame head of the Church why was hee not then the first Bishop of the Church but agreed with Iames and Iohn to make Iames the Iust the first Bishop as Clement the first witnesseth in these words * Clement lib. 6. Hypotip Ierusalem the most ancient mother church and not Rome Peter Iames and Iohn after the Assumption of our Sauiour challenged not this prerogatiue vnto themselues but appoynted Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem And as these words of Clement proue Peter not to be the first Bishop so doe they proue Rome not to be the first Church where the first Apostolicall Bishop was placed but Ierusalem therefore not Rome but Ierusalem must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church 14 That must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church whose ministers Christ himselfe appointed the Apostles first to be which was the Church of Iewrie as appeareth by S. Mathew chap. 10.5.6 where after he had repeated the names of the twelue Apostles which Christ had chosen said These twelue did Iesus send forth and commanded them saying Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather to the lost sheepe of the bouse of Israell Therefore the Church of Ierusalem was the most auncient Apostolike Church and not the Church of Rome which was the chiefe of the Gentiles 15 Againe that Church must needes be the Mother of the most auncient Catholique hâ—urch in which Christ himselfe first planted the Faith and Religion which should be Catholique and by the meanes of whose Ministers the Catholique Church should receiue it which Faith and Religion Saint Mathew chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 witnesseth Christ taught vnto the people daily in the Temple of Ierusalem and commaunded her Ministers the Apostles to publish the same afterwards to the vniuersall world Mathew 28.19.20 therefore Ierusalem and not Rome is the Mother of the most auncient Catholique Church 16 MoreoueÌ„r There was no Romish Church at all 14. yeeres after Peter was called to be an Apostle Ierusalem must needs be the mother Church of all Christian Nations for that in her all the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost and the gifts of tougues that euery Nation might be taught by them in their owne language what to beleeue and doe to be saued the which they had largely put in practise during well-neere foureteene yeeres immediately after their calling before Peter came to Rome For they cannot denie but that Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ his incarnation 44. Before which time Peter planted many Churches in diuers Coasts For themselues affirme in their Rozarie that before he came to Rome hee spent his time preaching in Iewry Syria Antiochia and other places Many Churches were planted in the world before Peter came to Rome Therefore seeing that besides those other Churches which were planted by the rest of the Apostles Peter planted many before he planted a Church at Rome it is cleare that when as he had planted a Church in Rome shee could be but one of the Daughters and not the Mother of the most ancient Catholique and Apostolike Church 17 Lastly it must needs be the most ancient Church and the Mother of all the Churches Millitant from which the Church Triumphant hath her name deriued but Saint Paul Galathians 4 and Saint Iohn Reuelations 21. sheweth her name to be deriued from Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the Mother of all Christian Churches Millitant That is to say the onely figure of the vniuersall Mother for as Saint Matthew Chapter 23.9 sheweth the vniuersall Father to be not in earth but in Heauen so Saint Paul Galathians 4.26 sheweth the vniuersall Mother not to be in earth That must needs be the most anâ—iâ—nt Church Millitant troÌ„ which the Church Triumphant hath her name derâ—ued but in Heauen 18 And now Christian Reader as wee shewed thee at large in our fifth Chapter that before the yeere of Christ 607. there was no Popish Church in Rome and here that before the yeere of Christs incarnation 44. there was no Romish Church at all so will we now shew thee more plainly that after there was a Romish Church and that shee was become most famous for her Faith and Religion that yet euen then shee was not the Mother but a Daughter not the head but a chiefe member of the Apostolike and Catholike Church Tertullian who liued in the next age after the Apostles wrote thus b Tertul. de praescription centra Haereticos Runne ouer and behold the Apostolique Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyce and representing the face of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe
horrible blasphemer that will call it The most auncient true and holy Catholique religion Againe forasmuch as the Apostle Saint Paul 2. Thessalon 2. declareth that the comming of Antichrist shall be with great signes and wonders yea so great and wonderfull that as our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 24. If it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. Hee therefore that will say the Church of Rome must needes be the true Church because shee worketh miracles is a most horrible blasphemer Miracles are wrought in the Church of Rome by the spirits of Diuels as appeareth in the 16. chapter and 14. verse of the Reuelation Therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church And this appeareth also in the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy where we may see that a most vile kinde of people euen such as God abhorred wrought miracles to draw others to their religion And Saint Paul also declareth 2. Thessalon 2. verse 10. that Antichrist shall worke his miracles among them that perish therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church Againe our Sauiour Christ Matthew 7.22 declareth that at the day of Iudgement certaine Christian Ministers that were wont to confirme their doctrine by miracles when they shall see themselues cast out to be damned with reprobates they will admire and say thus to Christ Lord Lord haue we not by thy Name prophecied and by thy Name cast out Diuels and done many great workes And then saith Christ I will professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquitie Popish Ministers worke miracles our Ministers worke none they themselues therefore shall be iudges in this case to which of these sort of Ministers this Scripture may iustly be applyed Certainely the greatest iudgement that God doth lay vpon men in this life is to blinde their vnderstanding with Poperie for then they are willing to receiue any errour and to reiect the truth to be marked with the marke of the Beast and to receiue the print of his name and to perish with the Beast and the false Prophet as it is most certaine they shall For thus it is written in the nineteenth chapter of the Reuelation verse 20. But the Beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him whereby he deceiued them that receiued the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his image These both were aliue cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Therefore to conclude this I say to all those that haue receiued the marke of the Beast in their forehead or on their hand that is they that haue outwardly professed with their mouthes and gestures and those also that haue defended by Armes written Bookes wrought Miracles or any way laid to their helping hand to do any thing whereby the Popes kingdome and state is maintained Damnation shall be their end For as the Angell of God in the foureteenth chapter of the same booke 9.10 and 11. verses saith If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on their hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the Cup of his wrath and he shal be termented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angells and before the Lambe and the smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoeuer receiueth the print of his name That is whosoeuer is content to be called by any such name as whereby he may be knowne to be the Popes faithfull subiect Therefore I aduertise them all in the name of God that they receiue his fatherly admonitions and call to minde how louingly the Lord in the fourth verse of the eighteenth chapter of the same Booke calleth his Elect out of Babylon that they be not partakers of her sinnes lest they should also receiue of her plagues As for those that regard not this louing fauour of God but will notwithstanding abide in her still and goe on with her in her abhominations let them goe and doe what they will He that is vniust saith the Lord in the 22. chapter let him be vniust still and he that is filthy let him be filthie still and hee that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still And behold I come shortly and my reward is with mee to giue to euery man as his worke shall be ¶ The Titles demonstrating the seuerall points contained in each of the Chapters 1 CErtaine Chapters contayning the summe and substance of the Christian Churches confutations of the Popish or Antichristian Churches errours heresies and blasphemies The first whereof tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Papists and Protestants professe but one God one faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they both should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 2 An answere to tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist whereof Bellarmine is supposed to be the originall authour 3 That Christian Rome now in her latter dayes is that Babylon the seate of Antichrist which the Angell in the 17 chapter of the Reuelation calleth the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angel in the 18. chapter saith is fallen and become the habitation of Diuels and holde of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird and out of which the Lord from Heauen calleth all his Elect lest they should be partakers of her sinnes and consequently of her plagues 4 That the Popish Church is the same idolatrous Church yet professing Christ which Saint Iohn in his 13. and 17. chapters of the Reuelation sheweth to be the Church of Antichrist 5 That for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ there was no Popish Church neither could be because there was not as yet an vniuersall Pope established in Rome to make it a Popish Church Therefore as no Husband no Wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes 6 That in the yeare of Christ 607. the Church of Poperie and the succession of vniuersall Popes first began From whence our Church had her first beginning before Luther and how our Protestant Bishops and Ministers which they haue ordayned haue lawfull callings 7 Their generall Consent ouerthrowne by generall consent of Councels and Fathers 8 That the Apostle Saint Peters authoritie was but the same that the other Apostles were and therefore the Pope cannot iustly claime from him to be called Vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops That the title of Vniuersall Father is forbidden by Christ to be giuen to any but to his owne Father 9 That the true
Christ himselfe first planted that Faith and Religion which afterwards by meanes of his Apostles should be made Catholique 14. yeeres before Peter came to Rome So that hereby wee shall see the Antiquity of their Church ouerthrowne and Ierusalem to be the most ancient and true figure of the vniuersall Mother Church to wit heauenly Ierusalem and not Rome 1 THeir Cardinall Cusanus saith a Cusanus ad Behemos Epist 2. The members vnited to the Chaire and ioyned to the Pope make the Church By which he granteth that without an vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Now that for the first 605. yeeres next after Christ there was no vniuersall Pope approued of nor publikely allowed to be the head of the members of the body of Christ these testimonies of Pelagius the second and Gregory the first will make it most manifest Pelagius in his dayes perceiuing that Mauricius the Emperour went about to make and establish an vniuersall Pope very bitterly inueighed against it and not onely so but thus Decreed against it b Pelagi Distin 99. an 580. No Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe ought to be called vniuersall Bishop Gregory the successour of Pelagius likewise finding the Emperour to persist in his enterprise wrote diuers Epistles vnto him to let him vnderstand that he went about an vnlawfull thing amongst which in one Epistle he sought to disswade him by this reason because said he c Greg. lib. 4. Epist 32. Peter is not called vniuersall Apostle inferring that seeing Peter was not none of the other Apostles were and then how could it be lawfull for any Bishop to take that title vpon him Againe when as he perceiued the Emperours Bishop which was then Iohn of Constantinople willing to take that title and supreame authority vpon him he thus inueighed against his arrogancy and saide d Greg. lib. 4. Epist 38. What wilt thou answer to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church at the last iudgement that thus goest about by the name of vniuersall Bishop to make all his members subiect to thee Whom doest thou imitate in this so peruerse a name but Lucifer that would haue beene singular and alone ouer all his fellow Angels Againe he saith e Greg. lib. 6. Epist 30. I speake it boldly whosoeuer calleth himselfe vniuersall Bishop or desireth so to be called is in the pride of his heart the fore-runner of Antichrist because he preferreth himselfe before all others and would be alone without any equall Now by the best Authours we find that this Gregory ended his dayes about the yeere of Christ 605. therefore we see this point standeth cleare that during so many hundred yeeres and odde after Christ there was not an vniuersall Pope approued of nor allowed by the Bishops of Rome themselues to be head of the members of Christ and therefore as yet there could be no Popish Church 2 But now to cast a must before the eyes of the ignorant they come in with this blinde distinction and say Notwithstanding this be spoken both by Pelagius and Gregory against the hauing an vniuersall Pope to be head of the vniuersall Church yet the question is what manner of Popes or vniuersall Bishops they meant whether such as the Bishops of Rome who allowed other Bishops vnder them or such as the Bishop of Constantinople The B. of Constantinople no more sought to exclude all other Bishops then the Bishop of Rome euer did who would haue had none other in all Christendome but himselfe I answer this is but a deluding distinction for that the Bishop of Constantinople no more sought to exclude all other Bishops then the Bishop of Rome euer did for had he of Constantinople once attempted that that had beene nuttes for Gregory for then might he in some one Epistle or other haue charged him therewith but we finde not any such matter neither in any of these Epistles doth hee charge him with any such thing onely he condemneth him of arrogancy for preferring himselfe before all other Bishops and for seeking to bring them into such subiection vnder him as whereby he might haue raigned ouer them as Lord and King And euen herein onely was it that hee charged him to imitate Lucifer Therefore this distinction of titles is but a meere misty matter Yea their owne records and some of their owne English Doctors plainely confesse that the same title and dignity which the Bishop of Constantinople sought to obtaine was onely one and the same which Boniface Bishop of Rome attained vnto by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour two yeeres after Gregories death and which they haue holden euer since For in their Booke called Chronicon f Chroni Euscbij An. 607. they are proued both one Also their Writer Sabilicus g Sabilicus Ennead 8. lib. 6. affirmeth them to be one and the same Likewise their Writer Vrspergensis h Vrspergensis in Phoca acknowledgeth the same And that which is more the chiefe of their adherents here in England in their answere returned to me Page 4. in these plaine and expresse words confesse the same The Emperour Phocas defended the righteous and ancient title of the Popes supremacy and iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall Church of Christ and suppressed the arrogancy of the Patriarke of Constantinople who challenged to be vniuersall Bishop And thus we see how themselues haue confounded their subtile distinction of titles 3 But yet for all this they will proue that the Bishop of Constantinople would haue had excluded all other Bishops because Gregory wrote thus to some of the chiefe of them i Gregory lib. 7. Epist 69. If one be vniuersall Bishop it remaineth that you be no Bishops Howbeit it is very apparant that Gregory meant by these words that if one should be admitted to be vniuersall head ouer all Bishops their powers then consisting onely in that one they by a consequent should be as none For to the very same effect are these his owne words k Gregory lib. 4. Epist 36. If one Patriarke be called vniuersall he derogateth from the other Patriarkes And a little after If this name may goe currant honour is taken away from all the Patriarkes But farre may it be from any Christian minde that any man should desire to take that vnto himselfe whereby the honour of his brethren should seeme in the least wise to be diminished By which it is most manifest that hee did not meane that Iohn of Constantinople would haue excluded all Bishops neither his fellow Patriarkes but that by diminishing their titles and honours hee would make them as no Bishops euen as all Bishops vnder the Popes are made by tollerating an vniuersall head ouer them For as their Cardinall Sabarella saith l Sabarella Citanture ad Illyrico De Sectis The Pope hath inuaded and entered vpon the right of all the inferiour Churches so that all the inferiour Bishops may goe for naught And vnlesse God helpe
the state of the Church the vniuersall Church is in danger 4 But now notwithstanding they come in yet with another obiection and say that Gregory hath also these words * Gregory in their answer to me Page 1. Whosoeuer he be that desireth to be Priest alone or the onely Priest By which they would inferre that the Bishop of Constantinople would haue beene Bishop alone without any others neuerthelesse it is cleare by these his words that follow He exalteth himselfe aboue other Priests he meant that he whosoeuer exalted himselfe for to be vniuersall Bishop or supreame head ouer all other Bishops would be Priest alone because hee would not admit any equall with him And for this cause in the words going before hee compared Iohn of Constantinople to Lucifer who he doth not say would haue had no Angels but himselfe for that had beene more then hee could haue proued And therefore we see it is onely this kinde of Priesthood which Gregory meant that would admit no manner of equality which we shall see anon he said would be the downefall of the ancient order of Priesthood 5 But now in the meane time wee may not let passe to answere another Obiection which happily may arise out of our English Catholikes words which before wee cited For in that they say The Title which the Bishop of Constantinople tooke vpon him was the Bishop of Romes right and auncient Title they would beare the world in hand that Gregory condemned it for vnlawfull in the Bishop of Constantinople onely but allowed it in the Bishop of Rome for their right and lawfull Title for to this effect indeed did they alleadge these very words Howbeit we shall see plainely by Gregories testimonies following that he condemned the Title to be as vnlawfull in the Bishop of Rome as in the Bishop of Constantinople For hee writing to the Emperour against his Bishop for his arrogant pride in taking vpon him the Title of Vniuersall Bishop said m Gregory lib. 4. Epist. 32. O my gracious Lord doe I heerein quarrell for mine owne right * Lib. 6. 30. Epist. I speake it boldly whosoeuer calleth himselfe Vniuersall Bishop or desireth so to be called is in the pride of his heart the forerunner of Antichrist and more then so he saith n Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 38. He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called Vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him Yea it is cleare that he knew both the Title and Office to be odious euen in the Bishops of Rome else would hee not haue sought to haue purged all before his time from it as from a Title of shame setting downe the manner of his purgation thus o Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 32. 36. None of my predecessours Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him that name of singularitie wee the Bishops of Rome would neuer receiue this honour being offered vnto vs. Also in that Eulogius his fellow Patriarke of Alexandria seeing the Bishop of Constantinople so willing to haue taken the Title vpon him would rather that Gregory then Bishop of Rome should haue had it and therefore to vrge him to haue taken it vpon him in the superscriptions of certaine Letters which he wrote vnto him offered him the Title but Gregory to declare his detestation thereof not onely besought him to offer it him no more but because he saw hee would not giue ouer vrging him he thus flowted him for his folly p Gregor lib. 7. Epist. 30. Ecce saith he behold euen the Title of your Letter yee haue written the proud poesie meaning mee the Vniuersall Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseech your Holinesse doe so no more for whatsoeuer is giuen to any aboue reason is taken from your selues Also when as he saw that such an Officer was like to be established in the Church as should be made Prince of all Christian Priests he counted that his rising to that dignitie would be the deadly downfall of the olde and auncient order of Priesthood and therefore said q Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 52. 55 Seeing the order of Priesthood is fallen within it cannot now stand long without By which he plainely declareth that it was contrary to the auncient order of Priesthood that one should be vniuersall head of all Priests Againe to declare how dangerous a thing it would be if one should be made supreame head of the whole vniuersall Church he said further thus r Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 32. Admaueri If we haue but one head the fall of that head is the fall of the Whole Church If any man presume to take vpon him the name of Vniuersall Bishop the whole Church falleth downe from her estate when hee falleth which is called Vniuersall but farre may that name of blasphemie be from all Christian mindes 6 So that hereby Christian reader we see the case to stand cleare that notwithstanding Gregory the great Bishop of Rome allowed the order of Bishops in the vniuersall Church yet did he acknowledge it vtterly vnlawfull for himselfe or any other Christian Bishop to take vpon him the title of vniuersall Bishop and to be supreame head of the vniuersall Church condemning it for vngodly blasphemous and Antichristian and therefore dehorteth all true Christians to be farre from that minde And here wee may further note that forasmuch as himselfe would none of it he condemneth that brag for a very fond fable that the title and dignity of vniuersall Bishop descended to the Bishops of Rome by succession from S. Peter the Apostle Gregorie condemneth that for a fable that the title of vniuersall Bishop descended to the Bishop of Rome from S. Peter Also seeing he confesseth as we heard before that Peter himselfe was not called vniuersall Apostle he doth acknowledge it could not come from him And thus much for the prouing that the Papists had no Church for the first 605. yeeres after Christ For as no husband no wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes And therefore the most auntient and Apostolike Church next after Christ was the same true Catholique Church yea the very selfe and same whereof we are now which as now so then it had no other vniuersall head but Christ Iesus onely and alone euen as Gregory also maketh it most manifest in that when as he reproued Iohn of Constantinople for seeking to be head of the vniuersall Church asked him as we heard right now how he could answere that point at the dreadfull day of iudgement to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church as did S. Augustine before his dayes as appeareth in his booke of the vnity of the Church cap. 2. cap. 3. cap. 16. 7 Now it remaineth that we speake of the other yeere to make out our number of 606. Decretall Know yee that next after Gregory succeeded Sabinianus who
Athanasius Zambadas Leontius Marcus  Hermon Eudoxius Iulius  Matarius Anianus Liberius  Maximus Meletus Damasus  Cyriâ—â—ius Euzoius Siricus  Herenius Dorotheus Anastatius  Herenius Paulinus Innocentius  Heraclius Euagrius Zozimus  Hilarius Dorothus Bonifacius  Cyrillius Meletus Calestinus  Iohn Flauianas Xistus  Nepos Prophirus Leo.  Prayllius Alexander Hilarius  Iuuenalis Theodotius Simplicius  Polychronius Iohn Felix  Theodosius Domnus Boniface  Anastasius Maximus Iohn  Martrius Martyrus Agapetus  Salustius Iulianus Siluerius  Helias Basilius Vigilius  Petrus Peter Pelagius  Marcari Steuen Iohn  Eustochius Martirus Benedict  Iohn Calandio Pelagius   Petrus Gregorie the   Cnapheus Great   Palladius    Flauianus    Seuerus    Paulus    Euphremius    Domnus    Maximus   Yet he proueth Rome to be but one of the foure Patriarkdomes and but the third in antiquitie and consequently the Bishop of Rome but one of foure equals and therefore no singular supreame vniuersall head ouer all Wherefore how vainely doe they stand vpon Ireneus his numbering the Bishops of Rome to his time and Saint Augustine to his time to proue the succession of Popes from Peters time seeing neither of them gaue them the name of Popes but Bishops and Priestes Number the Priests from Peters seat saith S. Augustine * August in Psal contra partem Donati and see who succeeded one another in that rowe of Fathers And elswhere he gaue them the name of Bishops but neuer the name Popes therefore to his time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christ those that Ireneus and he two hundred yeares after numbered were not Popes as the Popes of Rome are now but such Bishops as we haue now Also with small credit can they stand vpon the succession of vniuersall Popes seeing their Prophetesse Saint Bridgit saith of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope x Bridgit in her 27. chap. of her third Booke Hee did mount vp to fit in the Chaire of pride Which sheweth the Popes Chaire not to bee the Chaire of Peter Also their Paâ—acelsus in a Prophesie of his said thus to the Pope y Paracelsus in his 12. figured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue for thou art a yoake and a burthen too heauie to be borne hence it is holy Father S. P. that thou fallest Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God and hee shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Againe in vaine doe the Popes themselues boast to be of that sort of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter seeing their Saint Elizabeth saith thus vnto them in the person of Christ z Elizabeth against the Church of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They swallow vp the carnall and temporall things of my people and doe not minister vnto them spirituall things and euen they that doe walke vnder my name doe not feare to persecute mee in my members Behold and consider saith to her the Angel of her vision how the soueraigne high Priest the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his obedience walked in the middest of his Disciples not in the height and haughtinesse of a Lord but in the humilitie of a seruant c. Behold his blessed seede the ministers of your spirituall vocation the holy Apostles and their successors of whose societie yee doe glorie c. Consider if their waies were like yours doe not beleeue that they were for their waies were faire and streight but yours are disordered filthie and foule They did not walke in the haughtinesse of their hearts nor in the tumultuousnesse of a proud traine nor in couetousnesse of worldly wealth nor in the costlinesse of clothing c. Neyther was there running after Hawkes and Hounds but in all sinceritie they traced the footsteps of the great Pastor c. Behold the head of the Church crieth but his members are dead for the Apostolicall Sea is beset with pride and auarice and is filled with iniquities and wickednesse They scandalize my sheepe and make my people to erre Againe their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ expostulating the matter with Pope Gregorie the eleuenth saith thus vnto him a Bridgit lib. c. â—ap 142. Why doest thou hate me so much and wherefore is thy boldnesse and presumption so great against me for thy worldly Court marreth and spoyleth mine that is heauenly and thou presumptiously robbest me of my Sheepe Moreouer thou pluckest from me violently innumerable soules and sendeth to Hell fire almost all that come to thy Court because thou doest not giue diligent heed to those things that belong to my Court. Therefore how can we beleeue that these Popes are of the same ranke of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter or what credit doth the Church of Rome gaine by the succession of her Popes 9 Againe They are neuer able to proue that Peter was euer called by the Popes titles or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse how can we beleeue that the Popes are the successours of Saint Peter seeing they are neuer able to proue that Peter or any of those Bishops which next succeeded him was euer called by any of the Popes titles For in what booke or Chapter of the Scriptures doe they find that Peter was euer called Our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth Not a pure man but a true God as we proued in our first Chapter and second Section the Pope is called Or where find they that any one of all the Apostles euer called Peter Lord of Lords and King of Kings Or Supreame head of the vniuersall Church or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse as the Pope doth If they cannot shew so much as any one place to proue it what reason haue we to beleeue it Therefore forasmuch as we finde vniuersall Popes not to be the successours of S. Peter but of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope made and established in the yeare of Christ 607. And that they all hold that without an vniuersall Pope to be head there can be no Church it is without all contradiction that for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ the Papists had no Church For as no head no body no husband no wife so no vniuersall Popes no vniuersall spouse of the Popes By which wee see that plainely condemned for a meere illusion of Antichrist which is so common among them namely that the Popish Church was the most ancient mother of all Christian Churches And as we see it not to bee true so shall we further see also that neither was that first Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome the most ancient and mother Church For as both Ierome b Jerom. catalog eccles Scrip. and Eusebius testifieth c
persecute mee in my members Their Prophetesse Mathilde saith p Mathilde in a prophesie of hers They are falne from Christ and become rauening Wolues deuouring and cutting the throats of Christs Sheepe 10 And that the vnpartial Reader may yet be the more fully resolued that these Priests which haue their callings from the Pope are not the Priests of Christ their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus disclaiming them vtterly saying q Bridgit lib. 1.47 Behold such Priests are not my Priests but very traytours for they both sell mee and betray mee like Iudas Wherefore notwithstanding they carrie the name of the Priests of Christ as Iudas carried the name of an Apostle of Christ yet the Reader may plainely see they are but counterfaits and as verie traytours to Christ as Iudas himselfe was And thus much for the answering these obiections namely that their Church was the most ancient and Apostolique Church That the succession of Popes descended from Saint Peter That wee had no Church till Luthers time That our Protestant Bishops and Ministers haue no lawfull callings Now it resteth in the next Chapter to trie whether the Popes owne calling be proued a lawfull calling by generall consent of Councels and Fathers as they avow or whether it be not a meere illusion of Antichrist so to say CHAP. VII Tending to resolue all men that the Papists great boasting of their generall consent from Saint Peters time is but a very Antichristian illusion that their antiquiy of the Popes vniuersall Supremacie is but a fallacie that the succession of vniuersall Popes descended from Saint Peter is without veritie and all of them together flat forgeries euen as wee haue already proued their other Principles to be and as in this Chapter God willing we shall proue them all to be FIrst N. D. in his Wardword Bellarmines assertion the Answere to Sir Frances Hastings Watchword page 102. wherof Bellarmine is supposed to be the originall Authour to enduce vs to beleeue that from Saint Peters time the Popes vniuersall Supremacie was approued of by all Councells and Fathers saith All the Christian world hath euer made this most certaine and infallible deduction that Christ gaue not to Saint Peter these imminent prerogatiues of authoritie and superioritie for himselfe alone but for his posterity and successours also that should ensue him in his seate and charge ouer the Church of Christ to the worlds end For this cause haue they reuerenced and respected so much the Bishops of Rome as by all generall Councels and Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Histories appeare THE ANSWERE 2 First as touching the ground of his Argument namely Peters Supremacie we shall proue at large in our next Chapter that it was but the same that the other Apostles had and therefore from him the Pope cannot claime any such prerogatiue of authoritie to be called vniuersall Bishop Christs Vicar generall or head of his vniuersall Church Secondly we haue already proued in our fifth Chapter that for the first 606. yeres next after Christ there was no vniuersall Pope approued of nor established Thirdly their great Doctour Maister Harding saith a Harding Apolog cap. 4. diuis 2 affirmeth the first supreame gouernement to be by foure therefore not by one In great Cities where the Highest courts for iustice were kept and where the chiefe pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after the comming of Christ were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weighty matters of Bishops should be decided Which if they will haue vs graunt to be true then must they graunt that from the Apostles times the first supreame gouernement that was ouer Bishops and their great and weightie matters was by certaine head Bishops and not by one and how then can that be true that from Saint Peters time the Bishop of Rome was supreame head ouer all 3 The first of all the Prelates that beganne to insult ouer other were the Bishops of Rome for that more honour beganne to be giuen to the Bishop of that Sea partly because Rome was then the most famous for Religion and partly also because it was then the Seate of the Emperour of the world they beganne proudly to vsurpe authoritie ouer their fellowes the first of which was Victor whose arrogancie when other Bishops espied they opposed themselues against Amongst whom was Policrates and Irenaeus who most sharpely reprehended him for it as Eusebius witnesseth b Eusebius And this was about the yeare of Christ 189. and therefore how is the consequent of Bellarmines assertion true that by the testimonies of all Histories the Christian world euer approued of the Popes superioritie aboue all 4 To the yeare of Christ 205. Euery Bishop sateâ— chiefe in his owne Citie or neare thereabout were holden these chiefe Synodes or Councels The first in Rome the second in Caesarea the third in Pontus the fourth in France the fifth in Ostroena and the sixt in Ephesus of which if they can proue the Bishop of Rome to sit as chiefe in any but in that of his owne Citie the victorie shall be theirs But it is euident by all these testimonies of Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 21. 22. 23. 24. lib. 1.21 and other places of his bookes that the Bishop of Rome sate as chiefe onely in his and the other in theirs wherefore how can that be true that all Councels and Fathers from Saint Peters time euer approued of the Popes chiefâ—tie 5 About the yeare of Christ 254. a Councell was holden at Carthage in which Saint Cyprian being Bishop of the same Prouince sate as chiefe who openly thus inueighed against the superioritie which Stephen then Bishop of Rome beganne to claime from Saint Peter and also thus cleared himselfe and the other Bishops there assembled from that arrogancie saying c Cyprian in sententijs Concilij Carthag ad Quirinum None of vs maketh himselfe a Bishop of Bishops neyther was Peter so arrogant to take things so insolently vpon him as to aduance himselfe as Primate and one vnto whom the rest as Nouices and Punies should be subiect Now therefore seeing Peter neuer had that prerogatiue of Superioritie and that so soone after Saint Peters death this Councell condemned the Bishop of Rome for attempting to aspire to that height of pride how is Bellarmines allegation true that all Councels and Fathers euer approued of the Popes Supremacie and the rather for that Saint Cyprian reprouing Cornelius Bishop of Rome for receiuing Appeales from others iurisdictions wrote thus vnto him d Cyprian lib. â— Epist. 3. Those that be vnder vs must not runne thus about to Rome vnlesse perhappes a few desperate and loose companions take the authoritie of the Bishops of Affrica to be lesse then at Rome Now then if those in that time so neare the Apostles which counted the authority of the Roman Bishops higher then the Affrican Bishops were accounted but as the offscomes of
Fiftly Leo whose Legates in his behalfe stood for the Title and Authority of Vniuersall Bishop in the Councell of Chalcedon which Councell would not yeeld him that prerogatiue onely because his Sea was the most auncient seate of the Emperor hee should haue the highest place in Councells and Assemblies and that was all as we proued in our thirteenth Section I say when as the Bishops of Rome saw that the Bishop of Constantinople was like to be made and established Vniuersall Bishop of Bishops which they could neuer attaine vnto then as we heard in the first Section of our fift Chapter Pelagius the second Bshop of Rome of that name decreed That no Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe should be called Vniuersall Bishop Gregory the Great when he came he made an out-crie against the Title calling it an vngodly title a title of shame and fit for no Christian but for Antichrist alone and sought to cleare all his predecessours from either receiuing or desiring the Title or Dignitie as appeareth in the fift Section of the fift Chapter where he said * Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 32.36 None of my predecessors Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name We the Bishops of Rome would neuer take vpon vs the name of singularitie we would neuer receiue that honour being offered vnto vs. To be briefe to induce the people to beleeue that notwithstanding these words of Gregory yet he had the vniuersall dominion ouer all Bishops Cardinall Allen biddeth them not looke to his words but to his practise I answere If the practise of Gregory was such as his owne words condemned for vngodly blasphemous and Antichristian we were best to be led by his Words and not by his Practise Againe whereas their Doctour M. Harding saith f Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 3. Giue vs the Thing and we will not striue for the Name as though Gregory had had all Bishops vniuersally vnder his gouernment nothing can be made more plaine to the contrary then these words of Gregory himselfe hath made it where he found himselfe grieued that Maximus Bishop of Salona was made Bishop without his consent and maintained in his place by the Emperour notwithstanding hee was a criminall person g Gregor lib. 4. cap. 78. If said hee the faults of those Bishops which be committed to my charge be borne out by my gracious Lords c. What make I heere in this Church while that mine owne Bishops contemne me Which maketh the case cleare that he had Bishops of his owne and a peculiar charge to gouerne and not an vniuersall dominion ouer all All which proueth Bellarmines assertion most vntrue that by all Councells and Fathers the Popes vniuersall supremacie was approued of from Saint Peters time To conclude forasmuch as both by Councells and Fathers wee haue ouerthrowne the antiquitie of their Church their vniuersality the Popes supremacie Succession of vniuersall Popes and generall consent and proued that they were not approued of by generall consent nor publiquely established before Gregories decease which was in the yeere of Christ 605. nor of two yeeres after when as the great Antichrist rose in Rome let them bring neuer so many testimonies out of those Councells and Fathers which were afterwards I would wish no man to vouchsafe the answering any one of them but vtterly to disclaime them all as Antichristian For what should wee looke for vnder Antichrist but that all things should be ordered and done to vphold him and to maintaine his kingdome And thus much for this point But now for that the maine foundation whereupon all their Assertions are grounded is an imagined conceit of Saint Peters supreame and vniuersal authoritie let vs see what we can say to that point more specially CHAP. VIII Tending to resolue all men that the Apostle Saint Peters authority was but the same that the other Apostles was and therefore that supreame authority which the Pope Claymeth from Saint Peter is fabilous That Christ alone is the supreame head of the Church euen of that part that is Millitant as that which is Triumphant That Ierusalem is the most ancient Mother of the Catholique Church that the Popish is the Church of Antichrist and therefore it is blasphemy to affirme it to be the same which Saint Peter first planted in Rome That there was no Church planted in Rome till the yeere of Christ 44 before which time there were many Christian Churches planted in the World therefore Rome could not be the Mother but a Daughter of the Mother Church 1 IT hath of long time gone for currant Doctrine Christian Reader that our Sauiour Christ made Saint Peter supreame head and Prince of all the Apostles That vnto him onely he committed the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen That vnto him hee committed the care and charge of his whole Church That vnto him onely he committed the office of feeding both Sheepe and Lambes olde and young That hee was that Rocke on which Christ said hee would build his Church and against which the gates of hell should not preuaile That for him the prayer was made Finally that he alone had an ordinary power from whence all the other Apostles receiued their powers and authority and that the Pope receiued the same ordinary power from him whereby he taketh vpon him to giue power and authority to all Bishops Pastors and Ministers All this I say during the time of Popish blindnesse went through the Romish iurisdiction for Catholique doctrine which God-willing shall be proued but fond fables 2 First then whereas they say that Christ made Saint Peter Prince and head of all the Apostles this may easily be proued a fable because there is nothing in all the Scriptures made more manifest then Saint Mathew Saint Marke and Saint Luke hath made it to the contrary Luke 22.23.24.25.26 For as Saint Luke declareth that there was a strife risen among the Apostles about principalitie and supreame dignity and that they began to enquire among themselues which of them should seeme to be the greatest So Saint Matthew and Saint Marke declareth that when their Master Christ perceiued whereabout they went he did not make so light a matter of it as to giue them leaue to determine it among themselues but with great care he called them vnto him and sate downe and as they all stood before him Matthew 20 25.26 he decided their question according to Saint Matthew thus Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them and they that are great exercise authority ouer them but it shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant According to Saint Marke thus Marke 9.33.34.35 If any desire to be first the same shall be last of all and seruant vnto all So that by this wee see it very apparant that Christ allowed no supremacy or principality at all among the Apostles therefore the
according to the true sentence and censure of the Minister euen as the same Writer saith h Jbidem By thy sentence in earth I shall confirme it in Heauen So that by this we see that the ministeriall binding and loosing remitting and retaining sinnes is nothing else but by denouncing the binding sentence and pronouncing the loosing sentence to declare vnto men that they are both bound and loosed by God in heauen And hereof it is which that master of the sentences Peter Lumbard saith i Lumb 4. Seâ—m 18. dist Nec ideo God hath giuen Priests power to binde and loose that is to say saith hee to declare vnto men that they be eyther bound or loosed It were against vs saith Saint Augustine k August 2. booke 11. chap. Permentanus that we should be compelled to graunt that this thing were done of men but not through or by men Againe he saith l August in his Booke of the ladders of Paradise The Lord graunted the office of Baptizing vnto many but the power and authoritie in Baptisme to forgiue sinnes he hath reserued onely to himselfe And to this agreeth that which Saint Ambrose saith m Ambrose in his 9. Bookâ— 76. Epistle The Lord remaineth alone for no man can be partner with God in for giuing of sinnes And thus then who seeth not that albeit sinne bee ministerally remitted and retained yet is it actually done of God himselfe So that whereas the Pope would craftily ascribe this absolute power to Saint Peter all men may apparantly see he doth it but to draw the same power to himselfe that so men might esteeme of his pardons and take them of his owne price And thus much touching the vse of the keies and how farre their powers doe extend 5 Thirdly whereas they say To Peter Christ committed the care and charge of the whole Church we answere that it is not any where to be found in all the Scriptures that Christ said to Peter To thee I commit the care and charge of the whole Church but this wee finde in the 2 Corinth 2. Cor. 11.28 Gal. 2.7 11. cap. that Saint Paul said of himselfe I am cumbered daily and haue the care of all Churches Againe we read in the second chapter to the Galathians that Saint Paul speaking of Peters charge and his owne said The Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to mee as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter Now then seeing that circumcision was but that one Nation of the Iewes and the vncircumcision all the other Nations of the World who had the more vniuersall charge not Peter but Paul and yet indeed and truth to say that euery of the other Apostles charge was not as vniuersal Acts 9.15 as either Peters or Paules iâ— as plaine foolerie as to say that because the Lord said to Annanias of Paul Hee is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kings and children of Israel therefore none but Paul Or because Peter said of himselfe Acts 15.7 God chose out mee that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the words of the Gospel and beleeue Ergo not by the mouth of Paul nor any other of the Apostles but by Peters alone John 13.13 Or to say because Iohn is said Iohn 13.23 to be the Disciple whom Iesus loued therefore none but Iohn Or because Saint Chrisostome said of Iohn n Chrisost ad Papâ—â— Antioch Hom. 73. He was the Pillar of all the Churches in the World therefore none but hee To bee briefe it is cleare by Saint Matthew chapter 28. verses 19.20 and chapter 18. verse 19. and by S. Marke chapter 16.15 and to the end of the chapter that Christ committed the care and charge of his whole Church to all his Apostles indifferently and that by his owne commission euery of their authorities was as great and as large as either Peters or Paules And therefore fabulous is it that the Pope doth challenge from the right of Saint Peter to haue the vniuersall care and charge of the whole Church committed vnto him or any one man in all the world S. Ambrose speaking of this poynt at large concludeth thus o Ambrose of the dignitie of Priesthood The sheepe and flocke which Peter receiued we all receiued the same together with him Now they will not say that S. Ambrose was a Pope of Rome therefore they must needes grant that he spake this generally of all Bishops Pastors and Ministers and not of the Popes of Rome alone 6 Fourthly they say To Peter Christ committed the office of feeding both Sheepe and Lambes olde and young to which we answere It is cleare that by feeding Christ meant the feeding of the soule by preaching the Word of eternall life Now whether this office of preaching was committed to Peter alone and not generally to all the other Apostles the verie plaine and expresse words of their generall commission set downe by Saint Matthew and Saint Marke doth declare Saint Matthew noteth them thus from Christs owne mouth chap. 28.18.19 All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth Matthew 28.18.19 Marke 16.15.20 Goe therefore and teach all Nations Saint Marke chap. 16.15.20 thus Goe ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to euerie creature And in the same chapter it followeth And they went forth and preached euerie where Now then what sheepe or Lambes old or young had Peter to feede that the other Apostles had not his commission could extend no further then all the World ouer and to euery creature and so farre did theirs extend as well as his Therefore how can the Pope iustly claime from Peter to be the onely feeding Father of Gods vniuersall Church Saint Augustine saith p August in his Booke of the troubles of Christians chap. 3. Those words spoken to Peter Feede my Sheepe when they were spoken to Peter they were spoken to all Priests and Ministers If to all then not to any one alone and consequently not to the Pope 7 Fiftly they say Peter was that Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church against which the Gates of hell should not preuaile which being true how was it then that the gates of hell to wit the power of Sathan did so preuaile against him that hee failing in the fundamentall point of Religion attempted to debarre the recouerie of the most happie estate of the vniuersall Church for which Christ called him Sathan For no sooner had Christ imparted vnto him what things he was to suffer at Ierusalem for the recouerie thereof but presently hee gaue Christ councell he should not doe it Matth. 16.22 Maister said hee pittie thy selfe this thing shall not be vnto thee So that if Christ had followed his counsell euery particular member of his Church had beene damned Therefore it is cleare Peter was not that Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church against the
which the gates of hell should not preuaile 8 Furthermore if Peter had beene that Rocke against which the power of the Deuill should not haue preuailed how was it that Saint Paul found him a desembler in Religion for which himselfe saith Gala. 2. Gala. 2.11.12.13 hee reproued him before all men in the Citie of Antioch Also if he had been that Rock against which the power of hell should not preuaile whence was it then that hee became an Apostata by cursing himselfe if euer he knew Christ and by denying him with an oathe Matth. 26.72.73.74 Therefore it is euident hee was not that maine Rocke against which the Gates of hell should not preuaile nor on which Christ said he would build his Church yea the very expresse words of the Text declareth that he did not meane vpon Peter for the words are not vpon thee Matth. 16.18 but vpon this Rocke That is saith Saint Augustine q August in his 3. Sâ—r. vpon Matthew vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church I will build thee vpon mee and not mee vpon thee for men willing to build vpon men said I hold of Paul I am of Apollo and I holde of Peter But others that would not build vpon Peter but vpon the Rocke said I holde of Christ And this interpretation of Saint Augustine their Doctor Beda so approueth of r Beda vpon the 1. Cor. the first chap. that in his interpretating the same words hee obserueth Augustines words verbatim Likewise their Docter Haymo thus expoundeth the same words Å¿ Haymo of Peter and Paul Because saith he thou hast professed mee truely to be the sonne of the liuing God vpon this Rocke that is vpon me whom thou hast confessed to be the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church Thus then wee see that Christ himselfe is that Rocke on which hee said hee would build his Church and not Peter And the rather because it is not any where found in all the Scriptures that the power of hell did euer any way preuaile against him but may euidently be proued it did more preuaile against Peter then against any other of all the Apostles therefore it is without all contradiction that Christ himselfe is that maine Rocke yea the same on which Saint Hierome witnesseth Peter himselfe did helpe to build the Church For he complaining how the Christian Doctrine was then in his time corrupted in Rome said t Hierome idem aduersus Iouianum Was there none other place in all the World to receiue this voluptuous Doctrine but that which Peters preaching had built on the Rocke Christ Declaring thereby that Christ was that maine Rocke and not Peter 1. Cor. 3.11 And therefore it was that Saint Paul 1 Cor. 3.11 speaking of the maine Rocke or Foundation concludeth hereof thus Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ 9 But heere now perhappes they will obiect and say Did not Christ say to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a Rocke or a Stone We answere Hee did For if wee speake of the Ministeriall foundation no man can deny but that Peter was therein a Rocke or a Stone as the Prophets and the other Apostles were for that Saint Paul speaking of the ministeriall foundation Ephesians 2.20 saith plainely Ephes 2.20 It is built to wit the Church vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone But in that hee bringeth in Christ among them and ascribeth vnto him onely the prerogatiue of singularitie it is cleare that euen in the ministeriall foundation hee allowed none singular but Christ alone And therefore that prerogatiue of singularitie which the Pope would claime by right from Peter is euen flat forgery and a foolish fantasie 10 I am not ignorant what a shuffling they keepe with Saint Hierome to proue Peter one singular in the ministeriall foundation but if it be possible for any man to speake plainer words to the contrary then these let the Reader iudge v Hieron lib. 1. aduersus Iouian Yee will say said hee the Church is founded vpon Peter notwithstanding in another place the same thing is done vpon all the Apostles and all receiued the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is founded equally vpon them all And hereof it is which Saint Origen saith * Origen in 16. Matth. tract 1. If onely vpon Peter thou thinke the whole Church to be built what wilt thou say to Iohn and euery of the Apostles And a little after For if this speech To thee will I giue the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen be common to all why then should not all that which goeth before and that which followeth after as spoken to Peter be common to them all By which we see plainly that seeing Peter is not a Singular in the Ministeriall foundation the Pope very vniustly challengeth that prerogatiue from him 11 Sixtly they say For Peter the prayer was made as though Christ had not praied aswel for the other Apostles as for him But for the blowing away of this miste I referre the Reader to the seauenteenth chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell where he shall see that Christ prayed as well for all the other Apostles as for Peter whereupon it was that Saint Augustine wrote thus against those Heretikes of his time x Augustine in his first booke of his quâ—stion vpon the Old and New Testament the 75 question Did Christ pray but for Peter and not for Iames and Iohn It is manifest that all the Apostles were meant in Peter because in another place hee saith I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me and I will that where I am they may be also 12 Lastly they say thus Peter had an ordinary power from whence all the other Apostles receiued their power and authority For answere whereof and for breuitie sake I am compelled also to referre the Reader to these places of Scripture Iohn 20.21.22.23 Matth. 18.18.19 and 10.5.6.7.8 and 28.18.19.20 Iohn 14.26 Acts 2.1.2.3 which doth plainely proue that all the Apostles in generall and euery particular of them receiued their power and authority immediately from Christ as Peter himselfe did And hence it was that Saint Cyprian knitteth vp the conclusion thus y Cyprian of the simplicitie of Prelates Christ gaue to all his Apostles like and equall power and authority And where then was that ordinary power of Saint Peter that the Pope should challenge from him that prerogatiue to haue a singular power and principalitie to giue power and authoritie to all Bishops Pastours and Ministers iust no where to be found For albeit our Sauiour Christ seeing Peter so forwards aboue the rest and fore-seeing also how prone ready he was to
in their proper shape and true likenesse And this was also at the time of the rising of Luther when as there was neither sound doctrine true faith nor religion to be found in all the Romish iurisdiction according to that Prophecie of their S. Hildegard a Nunne which saith In the Apostolike order to wit in the Roman Sea no religion shall be found Truely Christian Reader it seemeth very apparent that God hath made speciall choyse of England aboue all the Nations in the world to be the chiefe for the recouering and reducing of that part of his Church the Romish iurisdiction and the ouerthrow of Antichrists kingdome and religion For whereas in the 17. chapter of the Reuelation the tenne hornes are declared to be the maine strength of the seauen-hilled Citie to wit Rome and that the text declareth also those hornes to be so many kingdomes and that the learned expound them to be these tenne head kingdomes of the Romish iurisdiction England Scotland Denmarke c. the first whereof that withdrew her power from Rome was England it is manifest England is the chiefe I know Christian Reader it would be thought strange to say that that which was done by King Henry was foretold in the booke of the Reuelation Neuerthelesse a very learned man writing vpon these words in the 13. verse of the 11. chap. And the tenth part of the Citie shall fall saith plainely It is a thousand to one but that it is meant of King Henry meaning his withdrawing his power from Rome And indeed it is tenne thousand to one but that it is meant of him For plaine experience doth euidently demonstrate England to be the chiefe of those tenne Kingdomes also which the 16. verse of the 17. chap. declareth shall be the meanes of the finall fall of the Citie of Rome and power of Antichrist for that after this worke was set abroach by King Henry we saw it so greatly to preuaile vnder the raigne of that famous Queene his Daughter Elizabeth that at her decease the Pope had scarce three of those Kingdomes signified by those hornes left to adhere with him intirely And I doe finde also by diuers of the olde Romish Predictions that as God made King Henry the maine beginner of the ruine and decay of the strength of Romish Babylon so he hath ordained a most worthy King of the name of Iacob to second him in that worke And as touching that which shall be further effected by him thus hath their Robertus a Dominican Frier written long agoe in his second Sermon But Iacob flying from the Serpents face which Serpent in his third vision hee affirmeth the spirit told him was Antichrist the Pope is ioyned to those that doe praise my name For which cause hee declareth the Pope whom in the same Sermon hee compareth to Esau should put in practise the destruction of the spirituall Iacob as also for refusing to ioyne with him and to be of his societie For there hee bringeth in the Pope speaking in this manner to his spirituall sonnes Goe to my Sonnes and enter into a consultation among your selues how I may bring him vnder for by his destruction my treasure shall bee exceedingly increased I haue neede of much because the name of my house is great vpon the face of the earth Deglutiamus eum virum Come therefore let vs swallow him vp aliue Which Prophecie albeit wee saw fulfilled in the Powder-treason yet as the same Frier sheweth that all the Pope could doe should nothing at all preuaile so thankes be to our good God we saw it did not Againe the same Frier in his sixeteenth Sermon fore-sheweth that it shall come to passe that the same Iacob whom there hee calleth the Lyon King shall visite the Emperour and the rest of the Roman and other Catholique Princes of Christendome by his Christian and royall exhortations to helpe to subdue the Pope and to bring the Church of Rome into the same state of primitiue puritie as it was in the happy dayes of Constantine the Great Theodosius Valentinian c. Whereby he declareth not onely how greatly the Church of Rome is fallen from her primitiue purity in religion but also that shee shall be reformed by the speciall meanes of our Nation of England And to the like effect are these words of their Saint Bridgit cannonized for a Saint by Pope Boniface the ninth in her sixt booke of Reuelations 26. chap. where she bringeth in Christ complayning of the decaied state of the Church of Rome shewing him to exhort all Christian Kings what course to take for the perfect reformation thereof saying Wherefore the King for whom thou dost pray ought to call and assemble a Councell of Spirituall men such as are wise through my wisedome and he ought to enquire diligently of those that haue my spirite and aske their aduice how and by what meanes the wall of my Church may be built againe amongst Christians how God may be restored to his honour true Religion made to flourish anew godly charity made more feruent my passion more deepely imprinted in the hearts and mindes of men and my Commaundements loued with greater zeale and respect Let him therefore gather together the vpright and true kinde of Christians that hee together with them may repaire the spirituall breaches of my Church the which verily hath departed too farre from mee By which wee see shee giueth all true Christian Princes to vnderstand that God requireth of them that they ioyne together and vse all meanes by godly and learned instructers to reclayme the Romish Church and to reduce her to that most auncient Catholique faith and religion which Saint Paul so commended her for at the first which albeit at the first or on the sodaine shee will not receiue but as their Abbot Ioachim vpon the 22. chapter of Ieremy sayth Will stoppe her eares lest shee should heare the charming of the inchaunter the voyce of him that admonisheth her yet vpon the 15.17.18.21 and 22. chapters he showeth that those admonitions shall in short time so worke that not onely the Germaine Empire shall forsake the Church of Rome but the Church it selfe with her Colledge of Cardinalls shal be diuided and fall into discord among themselues And vpon the 50. and 51. of Ieremy he sheweth by the effect that those admonitions shall so greatly preuaile that the Pope and the whole order of his Clergie his Consistorie and State shall be exceedingly impaired For saith he The Nobles of the Romaine Church shall perish the Monasteries shall be diminished the High Priest shall be purified and Christian Religion shall be winnowed as with a fanne And the same also did their Saint Katharine of Sienne foresee as may appeare by these her words written in a prayer of hers But what shall the Lord doe to these euill husband men he shall come and destroy them and let out his Vineyard vnto others c. By tribulations and afflictions and in such a manner
and most auncient Church had but two Sacraments How the other fiue crept into the Church That the Masse by their owne confession was made by diuers Bishops of Rome long after the Apostles That it tendeth to the vtter dissoluing of the whole Harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion and the casting mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation 10 That the words of Christ touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud as also his other words concerning the sacrament are but figuratiue speeches 11 That wee ought to pray to God alone and not to Saints And to worship God alone and not Saints That none can be mediatour betweene God and man but onely he that is partaker of the natures both of God and man 12 That the originall authours of the doctrine of Purgatory were the Heathen Philosophers How it doth confound the iudgement of the Popish writers and how it doth deny the bloud of Christ to be sufficient for the purging of sinne The Chapter of Conclusion sheweth that we are iustified in the sight of God by faith onely without workes That we possesse Heauen only by the meanes of faith and being there the fruits thereof are rewarded with the degrees of glorie That the high way to damnation is to seeke saluation by merites The Popes deadly wound Tending to resolue all Men in the chiefe and principall Points now in controuersie betweene the Papists and Vs. CHAPTER I. This Chapter tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Protestants and Papists professe but one God one Faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 1 IT hath beene imagined Christian Reader that forasmuch as the Papists and wee professe one and the same God c. there might well be an vnion betweene vs and them to make one and the same Vniuersall Church but I trust through the helpe of Gods spirit it shall be made manifest to the whole Church of God that it is no more possible then by mixing with the puritie of the Gospell the Abomination of desolation by which Saint Hierome saith a Hierome in his booke vpon thâ— 24. of Saint Matth. w. We may vnderstand all manner of peruerse and false doctrine there can bee made one and the same true Christian Religion True it is that many notable Heretikes of former times haue professed one and the same God with the Church and as Saint Chrysostome saith * Chrysostome of the Worke vpon Matth. Had gotten the notes and markes of the true Church to wit sayth he Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other orders of Clarkes and likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe but yet as he sheweth that the true Church of Christ would not admit them into the fellowship thereof nor take them for true members of the same The reason was for that with their profession they mingled such erronious opinions of God as made him no God according to that which Saint Hilary saith b Hilary in Ps 1. To deuise fancies of God is as horrible as to say there is no God 2 For wee beleeue and professe but one diuine God according to Deuter. 4.35 and one mediatour betweene God and man Euen the man Christ Iesus according to Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.5 The Papists professe that the Lord he is God but not God onely and that Christ is mediatour but neither wholly nor only as this first Chapter shall plainly demonstrate from their owne Doctors for one writeth thus c Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God The Bishop of Aeix saith d Contr Bassinet vt Hist. Gallica Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth In their Extrauagants he is termed e Extra coment in glossa Our Lord God the Pope besides their Councell of Trident f Trident. in sexto de lect decreed him to be God In the Councell of Lateraine one saluted the Pope with this title g Latr. sess 4. Thou art another God on earth which the Pope accepted as his due euen as Pope Nicholas seeking authority whereby he might claime that dignitie found these words treasured vp in the Popes Library * Nicholas Dist. 96. satis euidenter It is well knowne that the Pope of the godly Prince Constantine was called God To which words Augustine Steuche the keeper of the Popes Librarie added h Steuche libr. Donat. Constant. pag. 141. Dost thou not heare that the highest Bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God and worshipped as God with diuine honour Whereby it plainely appeareth that this title is not giuen him of flatterers against his will neyther fell it out of their fingers rashly or by chance but with good consideration and therefore they ascribe also vnto him the great power and authority not of a terrestiall God but euen of a celestiall and that in foure respects 3 First in graunting to him as large commaund as to God himselfe for thus they write i Extrauag De translat-Episcopi Quinto Hostin Sinne excepted the Pope in a manner may doe all that God may doe Againe k Counsel Lat. Leo. 10. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Also l Extrauag De Constitu lib. Statuta The Pope hath power ouer the Angells both good and bad And m Agrippa de vanitat Scient The Pope hath power to command the Angells and hath power ouer the dead Againe n Baldus in li. Barbarius De officio praetoris The Pope is all and aboue all Furthermore o L. Sacrilegij c. de crim sacril ind c. Ecclesia vt tit pend It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power * for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause Lastly p In Bull. Clem. 6. in Ant. Flo. The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in hell that he may deliuer by his Indulgences place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many Soules as he will So that in his power of commaunding hee is made equall with God as if hee might be bold to say with our Sauiour Matth. 28. All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth 4 Secondly they match him with God in giuing him priuiledge and exemption from all censure saying q Dist. Satis lib. Don. Constant. pag. 141. The Pope cannot at all be eyther bound or loosed by the Secular power
him should euer possibly attaine vnto heere by this plaine demonstration they may bee resolued for that they find not any-where in all the Scriptures nor by any auntient Writers that any man nay that Lucifer himselfe euer aspired to mount vp to that great height of dignitie as they see here the Pope hath done And therefore it is which their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ sayth thus to the Pope q Bridget in her first booke 41. chap. Thou art worse then Lucifer Wherefore to professe one God after this Antichristian manner namely to haue the Pope and euery Pope in his time and place to be Not a pure man but a true God To be the cause of causes and consequently an eternall God To haue power to fetch out of hell as many soules as he will and place them in heauen and consequently to be an almightie God To haue power ouer the Angels in heauen and his Lawes and Decrees aboue the Lawes and Decrees of God and to be said of him The Pope is all and aboue all and consequently the highest God of all is as Saint Hilary sayth r Hilar. in Psa 1. To deuise fancies of God and as horrible as to say there is no God and doubtlesse as in plaine and expresse termes to deny God For it is cleare that if there be any more celestiall Gods then one there is iust none at all And thus much to shew how little the Papists agree with the Protestants in the profession of one God now let vs see how they doe agree in the profession of one Sauiour and Mediator Iesus Christ 8 VVe Protestants professe as is sayd one onely Sauiour and Mediatour both of redemption and intercession euen Christ Iesus Diuers of the Popish writers seeme to holde the letter of the Scriptures that there is none other name whereby we are saued but onely by this name Iesus But as Saint Hilary foretold of Antichrist s that Hee should be contrary to Christ vnder a colour of preaching the Gospell so that our Lord Iesus Christ shall then be denyed when a man would thinke he were preached Euen so falleth it out with the Romish profession whereby hee is as plainely denyed as he was of the false Apostles in the time of Saint Paul who taught Christ to be the Sauiour but not truely partly by denying some vertue of his passion and partly coupling others with him as fellow-Sauiours in like manner as the Popish writers doe For they distinguishing sinnes into originall and actuall hold and write t Thó of Aquin. de Venerabil sacra Alter cap. 1. Catharinus De Jnâ—ruento sacrificio Noui. that Christ saued onely from the guilt of originall sinne that is of that one transgression of Adam which we our selues neuer committed in act and left vs guilty of all our transgressions which through our whole life we commit which is as much as if one had payed a penny for his friend which lay in prison for more then he was euer able to pay 9 The holy Apostles Saint Paul and Saint Iohn vnpartiall Iudges in this question teach otherwise Rom. 5.16 Paul in the 5. to the Romaines sayth plainely that Adams transgression was one and spread ouer all to condemnation but the gift of God through Christ is in iustification of many offences vnto life eternall And vnto Titus thus he writeth Tit. 2. vers 14. Christ gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs not from originall sinne only but from all iniquitie And so Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 1.7 The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne By which it is most euident that the Romish Doctors are worthy to bee accounted among the false Apostles which for their worldly gaine and filling their bellies avowe in writing v Card. Allen. in Fulk pag. 154. That by the great wisedome of God the power of Christs death was limited and full power left to the Church and principall Pastours thereof to release sinne and that * Ibidem the death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our owne sins and of procuring our owne saluation by good workes Hereupon they haue found out and doe openly professe many Sauiours for actuall sinnes whose number may bee reduced into fiue heads 10 The first is of the Saints whereof some are truely Saints but abused by them and set vp to be Sauiours others are counterfeit and of their owne canonizing of whom we may well doubt whether they themselues be saued or no seeing Pope Gelasius sayth x Gela. in the 2. Canon de coâ—secra dist 1. cap. Placu Churches are built in their names who for ought I can learne were not altogether good and faithfull men Of the true Saints they haue specially abused the blessed Virgine whom they thus extoll y Lipomanus pag. 289. Behold how mighty is the Mother of God and how no man can be saued but by her Againe z O happy Mother which doest purge vs from our sinnes Yea more abusedly a Wee must flee from the court of Gods iustice to the court of his Mothers mercie For no mercie commeth from heauen to the earth but what passeth through the hands of Mary shee is the mediatour of our saluation iustification reconciliation and participation Againe b In a prayer Thou art the mediatour of God and man Also c In a prayer Our hope and trust is in thee O blessed Virgine Mary defend vs euerlastingly And againe d Thou art the Lady of Angells thou art the Queene of heauen commaund thy sonne shew thy selfe to be a Mother To conclude the Scriptures and Prophecies spoken of Christ are by them applyed vnto her e Come vnto me all yee that are weary and laden I will ease you Math. 11. I am the doore Iohn 10. c. The rest of the Saints are lesse mentioned or not so often in their Liturgies but no lesse extolled f In Liturgie They call Mary Magdalen The purchaser of their saluation They say g In a prayer By Saint Swithen our sinnes are done away And of the whole multitude in generall how they beleeue it appeareth in their Masse booke first where they pray * In the Masse booke That by the merits of all Saints they may receiue remission of sinnes Secondly in their Iesus psalter where they desire the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyrs Confessours Virgines Widdowes Matrons and Innocents to offer them their merits And that by the merits and intercession of Peter Paul Iohn Augustine Anne Katherine Barbara and all other Saints that hath bin or yet are to come they may obtaine Gods mercie 11 Concerning their new coyned Saints Founders of certaine Sects among them Augustine Dominicke Francis Becket Swithen and others they write so honourably of them pray so confidently vnto them extoll them with such prayses and seeme to beleeue so certainely in them that not onely all the other Saints but
not fully sufficient to proue the Pope that great Antichrist foretolde by Saint Hierome c Hierome ad Algasia Quest 11. that should sit in the Church as if hee were Christ the Sauiour But for asmuch as they deny it and that the whole Church of Rome at this day dependeth vpon Bellarmines iudgement out of whose workes as it is verily supposed Parsons hath published to the view of the world and deluding of many tenne seueral Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist it resteth that in the next Chapter we answere those obiections that so all doubts may be remoued And heerein as the originall Authour I will vse onely the name of Bellarmine In the meane time I demaund what hope of comfort we can looke to haue at these Popish Gods and Sauiours seeing their owne Saint Bridget whom Boniface the ninth Pope of that name canonized saith d Bridget in her first booke c. 41 All their followers and fauourers shal be cut off dis-ioynted and pulled in pieces like vnto a wall that is a casting downe where is not left one stone standing vpon an other neyther shall my loue and mercie euer warme them nor build them vp againe into eternall mansion And as we see the question resolued what will be the end of those that depend vpon these Gods and Sauiors so shall wee see heereafter what will bee the end of those Gods and Sauiours CHAP. II. Contayning tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing if it had beene possible the Pope from being Antichrist set forth vnder the letters N. D. with answeres thereunto THou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that whom Saint Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 1 Iohn 2.22 2. called Antichrists in the 22. verse hee declared to haue meant certaine Disciples which were fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles and others that by their meanes went abroad teaching doctrine whereby Christ was denyed to be the true Messias So that because such Antichristian teachers were then crept into the church by whom the great mystery of iniquity was begunne which when the great Antichrist should come should be fully perfected hee did not sticke to say but that Antichrist was then come whereas notwithstanding the great Antichrist was not then come 2 Thess 2.7 For as Saint Paul declared to the Thessalonians Epist 2. cha 2. there was then an impediment that did stay his comming which said He shall let till hee be taken out of the way Which as Tertullian Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome expoundeth was the Roman Emperor and likewise Saint Hierome in these words a Hierome to Algasia The Romaine Emperour which now keepeth all Nations in subiection must first be ouerthrowne and then shall Antichrist come the fountaine of iniquity By which it is cleare that by Saint Iohns Antichrists we cannot vnderstand the great Antichrist therefore the question is who the great Antichrist should be we say he is the Pope of Rome they say he shall be a Iew of Ierusalem but this is but our yea and their nay and how then shall it be tried who is in the right Bellarmine supposed in his Wardword the answere to Sir Francis Hastings Watchword page 91.92 hath set downe tenne seuerall Obiections to prooue him a Iew which God willing by these our Answeres shall be proued a Gentile THE FIRST OBIECTION 2 First then saith Bellarmine That the Popes of Rome be Antichrist or the man of sinne whereof the Prophet Daniel our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles do speake and that Rome is Babylon in that sense that these good fellowes doe meane that is Rome christened is a meere iest For that as the true Christ was one singular man so shall the true Antichrist be one singular man also and not a succession of men one after another as the Popes of Rome are And this is euidently gathered by the auncient Fathers out of the words of holy Scriptures namely Daniel 7. and 11. Iohn 5.2 2 Thessalonians 2. 1 Iohn 2. Apocal 13. and 17. THE ANSWERE 3 Heere Christian Reader seemeth a very great likelihood that by the great Antichrist should be meant onely one person seeing he produceth no lesse then seauen places of Scripture to testifie the same But it is a wonder to see that a man learned and seeming deuout should so apparently wrest the Scriptures For it is without all contradiction that not any one of his places doe proue his assertion The likeliest place is the 2. 2. Thess 2.3 Thessal 2. in which Saint Paul calleth Antichrist The man of sinne but doth it therefore follow that he meant onely one man no no more then by calling him in the same chapter The sonne of perdition he meant one person For in the Scriptures it is very apparant that by such like titles are not alwayes meant one singular person Esay 43.27 seeing we finde in the 43. chapter of Esay 27. verse is meant a great number of men included in the name Father Exod. 4.23 Rom. 9.27 Dan. 11. And in Exodus the 4. chap. 23. verse all the Israelites whose number Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.27 are as the sandâ— of the Sea are included in the title of a Sonne And in Daniell 11. the whole succession of Kings in their seuerall kingdomes are included in the person of one King And therefore seeing that vnder the title of a Man or a Sonne is included more thousands then the Popes are hundreds Bellarmines ignorance in the manner phrase of the Scriptures is laid open and his mouth stopped for accusing vs of ignorance in including all the Popes in the person of the man of sinne or Sonne of perdition And the rather because they themselues ordinarily vse also the like phrase of speech as when they call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Christs Church Therefore if the Scriptures had not taught vs so to speake we might yet haue learned of them how to call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Antichrists church 4 And whereas to dazle the eies of the ignorant he produceth the Fathers vpon his places of Scriptures as though they by Antichrist had meant one proper person Let him heare therefore how they haue vsed to speake of him Saint Hierome said b Hierome in his booke vpon Matth. 24. The abomination of desolation shall stand in the Church vntill the consummation of time and shew himselfe as God Now it is cleare he could not meane this of one particular person for that he knew as well as we no one man could liue to the consummation and end of time Also that auncient Writer Eusebius speaketh of Antichrist in the plurall number thus c Eusebius in his 7. book of Preparation This is a token not that he but that they hate God for that they will haue themselues called by the name of God Againe their Saint Bridget saith that she was commanded in a vision to signifie to d Bridget in her
2. said Antichrist shall sit as God But I demaund how this can be said to be the Temple of God where God neuer sate ne put his name ne was serued but should be built onely for that great Idol Antichrists vse S. Augustine saith a Augustine de Ciuitate Dei 〈◊〉 20. cap. 19. The Temple of an Idoll or of a Deuill the Apostle would neuer call the Temple of God And therefore seeing as we heard before S. Hierome said that by the Temple is meant the Church this can neither bee that Temple in which S. Paul said Antichrist should sit as God nor Bellarmines Iew be that Antichrist which Saint Paul meant should sit in the Temple of God Now therefore the question is whether the Pope of Rome be hee which S. Paul said should sit as God in the Temple of God exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped They say no wee say yea and who then shall determine the matter that shall foure of their owne side Bernard Ioacham Abbas Paracelsus and Auentine Bernard bewailing the state of the Church vnder the Popes of his time saith b Bernard Serm. 6. in Psalm 91. There remayneth nothing now but that the man of sinne bee reuealed euen the sonne of perdition which is not onely changed into an Angel of Light but is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped Ioacham sheweth plainely in diuers places of his Writings c Ioacham in his Commentarie vpon Jeremie besides other places in diuers of his Predictions That hee it is which exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped which is called holy Lord and most holy Pope Their Paracelsus wrote thus to the Pope d Paracelsus in his 12. sigured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue And a little after Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God Their writer Auentine saith thus of the Pope and euery particular of them e Auentine in his Chron. printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. They sit in the Temple of God and they bee exalted aboue all that is worshipped Hee which is the seruant of seruants doth couet to be Lord of Lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth Lawes he establisheth his owne he robbeth he spoyleth he couseneth he slayeth that wicked man whom commonly they call Antichrist in whose forehead is a name written a name of Blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the Temple of God and beareth rule farre and wide And thus we see the matter determined by these foure vnpartiall Iudges and the question fully resolued that the Pope is that great Antichrist the Man of Sinne which S. Paul fore-told should Sit as God in the Temple of God exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped And this may also suffice for the answering the third place which hee citeth out of that 2 Thes 2. to haue proued the seat of Antichrist to be Ierusalem Now to the second place The second place which hee citeth is the seuenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation then which he could not haue brought a more plainer place to proue the contrarie For in that the Angel calleth that Citie which he there speaketh of The great Citie which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth He did not onely cleare Ierusalem for that it neuer raigned ouer the Kings of the earth but also certifieth vs that he meant Rome because Rome onely raigned ouer the Kings of the earth and the Emperour of Rome was then Emperour of the World Againe for as much as the Angel noteth out that Citie which S. Iohn there speaketh of by seauen Hills whereon it is built He not only cleared Ierusalem but also assureth vs that he meant Rome And all that are of any reading doe know that Ierusalem was neuer described by seauen Hils and that Rome and none other City in all the world is so described as Rome is by the names of these Hils Capitolinus Palatinus Auentinus Cicilius Scuen Hills Exquilinus Veminalis and Quinalis So that forasmuch as that Citie mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter is distinguished from Ierusalem by those two speciall notes namely by raigning ouer the Kings of the earth and by being built vpon seauen Hils it is cleare without all contradiction that Rome onely is that place where the great Antichrist should pitch his Kingdome and consequently that the spirituall gouemour thereof and none other is he But they say no and who then shall be ludge betweene vs that shall their Abbot Ioacham Erasmus and their Bishop Cataldus Finius Ioacham writing vpon that seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation saith f Joacham The verie Text it selfe doth teach that the Woman begilded with gold and which committeth spirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the verie Church of Rome Erasmus writing also vpon the same Chapter saith g â—rasmus Sect. 3. These Hills agree with the hills of Rome Againe The woman in the great Citie is he which hath exalted himselfe for a Bishop ouer all Bishops and that raigneth ouer Emperours and Kings sitting also in the place of Christ And in the Chapter going before thus h Erasmus That beast of Rome of whom we spake before is the verie right Antichrist which worketh against the Gospel of Christ Cataldus saith i Cataldus Bishop of Trent in a Prophesic of his Rome is Babylon the damned pit of Priests And how then can Bellarmine with any credite or shew of truth say that Antichrist shall pitch his Kingdome in Ierusalem or that the Pope is not he THE SIXT OBIECTION 17 Three principall heads of Antichrists deuillish Doctrine when he commeth are plainely gathered out of holy Scripture The first that he shall denie Iesus to be Christ 1. Iohn 2. cap. 22. and consequently deny Baptisme and all other Sacraments and Doctrines brought in by Christ The second that he shall teach himselfe to be Christ and the Iewes shall beleeue him Iohn 5. The third that he shall affirme himselfe to be God and so require to be adored for God 2 Thessal 2.4 But the Popes of Rome doe not teach these poynts of Doctrine hetherto and therefore cannot be Antichrist THE ANSWERE 18 The former Chapter plainely proueth the Popes of Rome to teach all these three poynts of Doctrine and therefore Bellarmine himselfe must graunt the Pope and euery Pope in his time and place to be that Antichrist THE SEVENTH OBIECTION 19. Againe the Scripture teacheth vs that Antichrist when he commeth shall doe many wonderfull miracles in the sight of men Matth. 24. and 2. Thessal 2. and some of those miracles are specified Apoc. 13. to wit that he shall make fire descend from heauen and the Image of a beast to speake and saine himselfe to die and rise againe But these miracles no Pope hitherto hath
Hell and his Sonne of Perdition the Pope of Rome with what impudencie can Bellarmine say the Pope cannot be Antichrist But now Christian Reader whereas they will haue their Church to be the true Christian Church because she worketh Miracles and our Church the counterfeit because she worketh none it is cleare wee could not iustly prooue their Church to be the Church of Antichrist did shee not worke miracles 2. Thessal 2. Antichrist worketh miracles For wee finde 2. Thessalonians 2. where Saint Paul speaking of Antichrist the head of their Church sayth thus of him Euen he whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse 25 At the day of Iudgement Christian Reader when many of those that professe themselues Christians shall see themselues cast out to be damned will obiect against Christ and say Matth. 7. Lord Lord haue wee not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great workes Yet for all their miracles done in his name seeing they were done but to confirme false doctrine whereby soules were drawne from Christ to Antichrist Christ sayth he will then say thus vnto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not Therefore it was not without cause that Saint Augustine opposed himselfe against such miracle-mongers saying m Augustine in Iohn tractat 13. Matt. 24. Against these Mongers of miracles my God hath armed me saying In the latter dayes there shall rise vp false prophets working signes and wonders to deceiue the Elect of God if it be possible True it is as Saint Chrysostome saith n Chrysost in Matt. Hom. 49. In olde time meaning in the time of the Apostles it was knowne by Miracles who were the true Christians and whom the false but now the working of miracles being taken away is rather found among them that be false Christians Againe to fore-warne vs of the latter age of the world to take heed of being deluded by workers of Miracles he sayth o Chrysostome in Matt. 49. hom In the end of time power shall be giuen to the diuell to worke profitable signes and Miracles so that then we cannot know the Ministers of Christ by that they worke profitable Miracles but by that they worke no Miracles at all To conclude this point Saint Augustine reprooâ—ing those of his time that would not beleeue without Miracles sayd p August De ciuitate Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. Whosoeuer yet requireth Miracles to bring him to the Faith is himselfe a great Miracle that the world beleeuing remayneth still in vnbeliefe Now therefore what vse can there be of Miracles among those which generally beleeue in Christ but to drawe them to a new christ euen to Antichrist as all men may apparently see Popish Miracles wholy tendeth vnto THE EIGHT OBIECTION 26 Antichrist when he commeth shall reigne but three yeares and an halfe as is gathered by the auntient Writers out of the Prophet Daniel 7. and 12. and out of the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse where it is sayd That he shall reigne a time times and halfe a time for so Saint Iohn himselfe interpreteth the matter chap. 11. and 13. saying it shall be for forty two moneths which make iust three yeares and an halfe but the Popes of Rome haue reigned for more ages then these are yeares and consequently cannot be Antichrist THE ANSVVERE 27 Heere now by the time of Antichrists reigne hee would prooue the Pope not to be Antichrist which hee might very well haue done if those three yeares and an halfe had beene to be vnderstood of our common yeeres but that cannot possibly be for that so many so mighty and so marueilous are the Acts which Antichrist shal effect as that it is not possible they should be effected in three Reuel 9.11 2 Thes 2.4 nor yet in three hundred of our yeares and an halfe For amongst many other things which would be ouer-tedious heere to recite he shall attaine to be made Ring of the Clergie and this is proued in the 9. chapter of the Reuelation 11. verse and 2. Thessal 2. chap. 4. verse and by these words of Gregory the Great q Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. Antichrist is the King of pride r Lib. 4.38 Reuelat. 17. cap. 2 verse and 18 verse The vniuersall Bishop of Bishops Secondly he shall bring a great part of the Christian world into subiection to his Heathenish Idolatrous and Antichristian Religion and almost all true Religion to be corrupted by his power And this is proued in the seauenteenth chapter of the Reuelation verse 2 and chap. 18. verse 3. and by these expresse words of Saint Hierome Å¿ Hierome to Algasia Antichrist shall cause Religion to be subiect to his power Thirdly hee shall attaine to a superioritie ouer the kingdome of all the kingdoms of the world which was the Romain Empire and this is proued in the thirteenth chapter of the Reuelation and by these words of Saint Chrysostome t Chrisostome in his 4. Hom. vpon the 2 Thes 2. cap. When that the Empire shall stand voyd Antichrist shall inuade the state and shall labour to pull vnto himselfe the Empire both of God and man and also by these words of Saint Augustine v Augustine vpon the 9. Psal It is written of Antichrist hee shall conquer all Kings and obtayne the kingdome himselfe alone So that by these three accomplishments omitting all the rest wee see the Pope is sufficiently proued to be Antichrist And whether it be a thing likely that a new vpstart fellow a Iew of but three yeares standing should attaine to so great power and dignitie in three of our yeares and an halfe whereby he might be proued Antichrist let all that are not out of their right wittes be Iudges betweene vs. But forasmuch as the Pope himselfe did not accomplish so mightie matters in three of our yeares and an halfe we must search further to see what kinde of yeares the holy Ghost meant 28 Andrew Osiander writing vpon this point affirmeth them to be Angels yeares which the Angell in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation calleth A Time times Reuelat. 12. and halfe a time which some doe call Propheticall yeares because the Prophets in times past did vse to count by them which are to be searched out by Angels dayes and moneths Now an Angels day as we finde in the ninth chapter of Daniel Angels daies and moneths is a yeare for there both in the seuentie weekes and sixty two weekes a day is a yeare And euen after this manner is the spirituall counting
the Church doe without any quallification adore the Image with the same kinde of worship that is due to the originall Moreouer f In the false Councel of the Greekes Citantur in libro Caroli Magni He that adoreth an Image and saith this is Christ offendeth not he offendeth that adoreth not an Image he that refuseth to adore an Image is an heretique wee must adore an Image with the same kinde of worship and reuerence wherewith we adore the holy Trinity Now if this be onely to worship God by the Image which as we proued before is damnable Idolatrie and not the Image also for God let the discreete Reader iudge As also whether Idolatrie can be committed in any higher degree then to pray thus to the image of the Crosse g A prayer to the Crosse All haile O crosse our only hope in this time of thy passion in faithfull people grace increase and grant of sinne remission And thus also to say of it h Tho. Aquin. part 3. quest 25. The Crosse of Christ is to be worshipped with the same worship that Christ is to be worshipped with Yea and whether this Doctrine of worshipping the very Image it selfe may not truely be said to be the doctrine of the whole Church of Rome seeing it was as the Popes owne Decretall testifieth established by the Pope with the assent of many hundred Bishops and seeing also it hath beene maintained euer since by Gregory the third and by all his successours let the Reader iudge And thus much for the second point to proue whether the Papists be Idolaters or not 6 Thirdly and lastly they say they are no Idolaters for they receiued their manner of worshipping God by Images from the tradition of the Apostles wherein wee may note first their blasphemie secondly their shamelesnesse that bash not to make those blessed Apostles of Christ the authors of their most damnable idolatrie But as in this so in many other principles of their religion do they deale with those holy ones fathering all vpon their Traditions be the things neuer so vile But what will they answere I suppose they will say they are able to proue that that same kinde of Doctrine was taught and the same manner of worshipping practised euen by the very Christians in the time of the Apostles and we answere We beleeue they are able but withall we beleeue also that they are as well able to proue how the same was approued of among the Apostles For albeit that Clement the first and one of the seuenty Disciples testifieth that some of the new conuerted Gentiles did so and that in the very time of the Apostles yet the same Disciple testifieth also how himselfe did approue of it when writing to Saint Iames the Apostle for redresse thus complained against it i Clement to James the Iust and Bishop of Ierusalem worshipping God by Images came from the Diuell The diuell said hee by the mouth of others vseth to bring forth these words Wee to the worship of the inuisible God worship the visible Image Now in that he saith the diuell this maketh the matter manifest how that doctrine of worshipping God by Images was not approued of among the Apostles and Disciples of Christ and also that it came from the diuells suggestions and not from the Apostles traditions Wherefore this openly conuicteth the Papists of most horrible impietie in fathering this diuellish deuice vpon the holy Apostles of Christ And the rather because they cannot possibly be ignorant that it was brought into the Church by those new conuerts which were not then cleane remoued from their olde Heathenish superstition and condemned by the Apostles and Disciples of Christ for diuellish and damnable 7 Furthermore it is cleare that if this argument could haue held good namely that because those new conuerted Christians supposed that as they had vsed to worship their false gods by Images so they should worship the true God by Images and that this their practise began in the time of the Apostles that therefore it was a tradition of the Apostles then might wee also conclude that because certaine Israelites in the time of Moses and Aaron and others of the Prophets vsed the like it was a tradition of Moses and Aaron and other of the Prophets but how Moses Aaron and the Prophets did approue of their doings all those iudgements which they haue denounced against them for so doing doth plainely declare through out the old Testament as we shall see anon by the places which wee will cite but in the meane while let vs see how the ancient Fathers approued of it after the Apostles 8 That auncient Father Eusebius speaking of the manner of those new conuerted Christians worshipping saith k Euseb lib. 7. cap. 18. It is no maruell though the Heathen which receyued so great benefits by our Sauiour did these things for we haue seene the Image of Paul of Peter and of Christ drawne in collours and it is well to be thought that men in olde time beeing not yet remoued from their olde superstition of their Fathers vsed after this manner to worship them by an Heathenish custome Also that most notable Diuine Athanasius in reprouing such superstitious Christians as would be taught to know God by images said thus vnto them l Athanas against the Gentiles If a liuing man cannot teach thee to know God how shall a carued stocke or a stone doe it that is dead Also that ancient Father Epiphanius to reclaime some of that Sect in his time thus dehorted them from their olde Heathenish superstition saying m Epiphanius lib. 3. tom 2. against Coll. 79. heresie My deare Brethren be yee mindfull that yee bring no images into the Churches and that ye erect none at the burials of the dead Saints but euermore carrie God in your hearts Nay said hee suffer not Images to be no not in your Houses for it is not lawfull to leade a Christian man by his eyes but rather by the studie and exercise of his minde Also Charles the Great most sharpely reprehended such saying n Charles lib. 4. cap. 2. of Images An vnhappie memorie is that which to remember Christ who neuer ought to depart out of the heart of the iust man standeth in neede of a sightfull conceit nor otherwise can haue the presence of Christ within him vnlesse he haue his Image painted on the wall or expressed in some other matter And a little after Most madnesse is that saith hee that our mindes by the meanes of materiall Images must be put in remembrance lest we forget him Likewise that ancient Father Lactantius thus reproueth their folly and condemneth their madnesse saying o Lactant. lib. 2. cap. 2. They are afraid lest their Religion be voyd and to no purpose if they see nothing that they may worship and therefore they make them counterfeits And a litle after he saith What madnesse is this either to frame those things which
continued but one yere then next after him entered Antichrist euen Boniface the third who with an impudent face fell to contend openly with the Bishop of Constantinople for his Antichristian title and dignity and by the meanes of Phocas the murtherer and Emperour obtained it and got to be established to him and his successours to be called supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church and father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the mother of all christian Churches And for plaine proofe hereof the Popes owne Decretall saith thus of this Boniface Å¿ Decretall This man by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour obtained against the Patriarke of Constantinople that the Sea of Peter should be the head of the Church As also Platina in these words t Platina of Bonifacius Pope Boniface the third obtained of the Emperour Phocas that Rome should be called the head of all Churches but with great contention and much adoe And heere was now the first singular vniuersall Pope established and marriage making betweene Antichrist and the Church which was no doubt in Gods iustice brought to passe for that she was now become most corrupt in doctrine and lewd in life as not onely Gregory witnesseth but also other histories at large doe declare But of the first beginning of their Church wee shall haue occasion to speake more plainely in the next Chapter in the meane time we will satisfie the reader what manner of supreame gouernment themselues affirme the Christian Church had from the time of the Apostles to the rising of Boniface which will also proue that to his time there was no singular vniuersall Pope allowed and established to be supreame head of the vniuersall Church 8 Their great Doctor Master Harding saith u Harding Apologie chap. 4. diuision 2. In great Cities where the highest Courts for iustice were kept and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weightie matters of Bishops should be decided Which if he will haue vs to beleeue then must we also beleeue that the first supreame gouernment that was ordained by the Apostles ouer Bishops and their vniuersall causes was by certaine chiefe or head Bishops and not by one and then where was this singular supreame gouernement of the Pope ouer all Bishops to be found But now to salue this fore commeth in their Iohannes Boemos with these words and saith * Boemos in his booke of the beginning of Arts Chap. 12. of the first rising of Christians The holy Apostles did all consent that Peter and all that followed him in the seate at Rome should for euer be called Papa vniuersall Father of Fathers A most horrible and blasphemous title forbidden by our Sauiour Christ to be giuen to any mortall man Matth. 23.9 Call no man your father vpon earth for there is but one euen your Father which is in heauen Therefore seeing this title is proper to God alone The title of vniuersall Father forbidden by Christ and forbidden by our Sauiour to be giuen to any other how can we beleeue that the Apostles of Christ durst consent to giue it to Peter or that Peter durst euer take it vpon him and yet notwithstanding hee addeth further and saith And that he should at Rome be President ouer the vniuersall Church as the Emperour there was ruler ouer the World And to match the Consuls which were twaine they appoynted foure head fathers in Greeke named Patriarkes one at Constantinople another at Antioch a third at Alexandria and the fourth at Ierusalem And hereby he would proue the Bishop of Rome to be supreame head ouer all but if Gregorie the Great had not condemned this for a fond fable by confessing that Peter himselfe was not called vniuersall Apostle and that no Bishop of Rome before his time euer had that title or dignitie yet hee himselfe hath For whereas he affirmeth the Patriarkes at the first ordination thereof to be foure in number which indeed they were before there was a sift at Constantinople and would haue Constantinople to be one of the foure by the Apostles owne ordination it is graunted by our English Catholiques * In their answere to mee about Page 4. that till after the Councell of Nice there was not so much as the name of Constantinople once heard of which was aboue three hundred yeares after Christ and about two hundred yeares after the decease of all the Apostles therefore how Constantinople could be one of the first foure by the Apostles owne ordination and deed let the Reader iudge As for the time before when she was poore and ruinous Byzantium shee could be none for as wee heard by their Doctor Harding right now that the Patriarchall Cities were the great and chiefe Cities But in this his foy sting in Constantinople for one of the first foure Patriarkes we see it euident he did it onely to exalt the Bishop of Rome a degree aboue the Patriarkes which as we heard in the 3. Section Gregorie in my 3. Section Gregorie condemned in that he said If one Patriarke be called Vniuersall hee derogateth from the other Pâ—â—triarkes Also If this name may goe currant honour is taken away from all the Patriarkes of whom he confesseth himselfe to be an equall and a fellow brother Againe seeing hee also confesseth that to his time no Bishop of Rome was aboue a Patriarke he proueth Boemous his testimonie false Also M. Hanmar in his Ecclesiast Historie of the first 600. yeares after Christ Fol. 564. to 600. M. Meredith Hanmar Doctor of Diuinitie albeit he be of their minde that the Patriarkes had their beginning from the time of the Apostles and would proue it by Eusebius Epiphanius Socrates Euagrius and others in this successiue manner setting downe the most ancients first and not last as Boemous doth Ierusalem The foure Patriarkdomes Antioch Rome Alexandria Iames the iust Peter Peter Marke Simion Cleophas Euodius Linus Anianus Iustus a Iew. Ignatius Clement Abilius Tobias Heros Cletus Cerdo Beniamin Corneli Anacletus Primus Iohn Marcus Auerastes Iustus Matthias Cassianus Alexander Eumenius Philip. Theophilus Sixtus Maricus Senecus Maximinus Thelesphoras Celadian Iustus Seraphion Higenius Agrippas Leui. Asclepiades Pius Iulianus Ephrem Philetus Anicetus Demetrus Ioseph Zebinus Soter Heraclas Iudas Babilas Elutherius Alexander Marcus Fabius Victor Dionisius Cassianus Demetrianus Zeuerinus Maximinus Publius Paulus Calistus Theonas Iulianus Domnus Vrbanus Peter Caius Timeus Pontianus Achillas Iulianus Cyrillius Anterus Alexander Capito Dorotheus Fabianus Athanasius Maximus Tyrranus Lucius Gregory Antonius Vitalis Steuen Peter Valens Phiologonus Xistus Lucius Dolichiâ— Eustatisius Dionisius Timothie Narcissus Felix Theophilus Dioâ— Eight yeares it was void Eutichianus Cyrilius Germamon  Caius Dioscorus Gor. Marcillinus Protorius Narcissus and Eulalius Marcilius Timothie Alexander Euphronius Eusebius Basilinus Masabanes Placitus Miltiades Peter Himineas Steuen Siluester
Euseb eccles his lib. 2. cap. 14.16 Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ 44. and foureteene yeares after hee was called to be an Apostle During which time hee and the other Apostles had planted many Churches in the world and yet was none of them the mother Church For that onely must needes be the mother which was first in which Christ himselfe first planted and taught that Faith and Religion which afterwards by the meanes of his Apostles should be made Catholique which as S. Matth. Matth. 26. Luke 21. Matth. 10.5.6 chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 sheweth was Ierusalem which Faith and Religion as appeareth in Matthew 10. Christ commaunded not to reueale to the Gentiles till they had spread it throughout the Regions of Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the first and most ancient Church 10. Againe when as afterwards the Gospell was preached to the Gentiles it was not first taught to the Romans no not by S. Peter himselfe For as themselues confesse Peter after he had preached well neere seuen yeares about the coasts of Ierusalem went to Antioch and taught there other 7. yeares before hee came to Rome therefore that verie first Church of Rome could not be the most ancient Mother of the true Catholique Faith and Religion If not the first which was planted by Peter then not the second that was planted by Boniface aboue fiue hundred yeares after 11 And that it may yet more manifestly appeare that shee was not the Mother but one of the chiefe Daughters not the head but a chiefe member of the Mother Church these words of Tertullian which liued in the next age after the Apostles will make it plaine d Tertul. de praescription contra Haereticos Runne ouer said he and behold the Apostolike Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyces and representing the faces of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome And further to proue Rome but one of the chiefe members of the whole Church he saith thus e Tertul. De praescription contra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolique in that they follow all one vnitie By which who seeth not but that euen that same Church of Rome which was first was but one of the Daughters of Ierusalem from which the Church Triumphant had her name deriued and not from Rome and yet indeed was shee but the figure of the vniuersall Mother Church For as Saint Paul said Galathians 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue Galat. 4.26 is the Mother of vs all therefore it is flat blasphemy to say that Rome is the vniuersall Mother of all Christian Churches and the rather for that as her state standeth now the Angell saith Reuelat. 17. Shee is the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth 12 Againe The Church triumphant and the church millitant being but one can haue therefore but one head in that the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is aboue is the mother of vs all it sheweth the Church Triumphant and the Church millitant to make both but one Church And therefore whereas the Papists would make these two parts of the Church two seuerall Churches that so they might set vpon the millitant part another head besides Christ what else doe they thereby but make that part an adultresse and consequently the Whore of Babylon For by Saint Pauls doctrine Romans 7.3 Romans 7. shee that hath two Husbands at one time is an Whore And doubtlesse howsoeuer shee is rightly called Babylon for resembling olde Babylon in Tyrany Idolatry and other abominations yet is shee called an Whore chiefly for coupling her selfe to another Husband besides Christ 13 In the time of the Apostles Christ onely is the Head it is cleare by Saint Paul in diuers of his Epistles that both the parts of the Church as well that beneath as that aboue and both together Christ onely is the head had none other head but Christ For first Ephesians 1. cap. verses 20.21.22 he speaking of Christ saith Ephes 1.20.21.22 God set him at his right hand in the heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this World onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body And Colossians 1.18.19 He is the head of the body of the Church Colos 1.18.19 he is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Also to shew that the Church hath onely but this one head hee writing to the Church of Corinth 2 Epistle 11.2 said thus vnto her 2 Cor. 11.2 I haue prepared you for one Husband to present you as a pure Virgin to Christ Which plainly declareth that as the Church vnder the Law had none other Husband but God himselfe Vnder the Law the Church had no husband but God For as the Prophet Esay said to the Church of the Iewes cap. 45.5 He that made thee is thine Husband whose name is the Lord of Hostes so likewise vnder the Gospell that the Church hath none other Husband but onely the Sonne of God 14 And now also that it may as plainely appeare that for 605. yeeres next after Christ this doctrine of one headship was onely approued of euen by the Bishop of Rome himselfe to wit Gregory the Great these his owne words written against the Bishop of Constantinople which sought to be vniuersall head with Christ will make it cleare f Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. If said he Saint Paul would not haue the members of the Lords body to be subiect to any heads but to Christ no not to the Apostles themselues what wilt thou answer to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church in the last day of iudgement which goeth about to haue all his members subiect to thee by the title of vniuersall Whom doest thou imitate in so peruerse a name but Lucifer So that here we see the case made cleare that the Romish Church with two heads Christ and the Pope as yet had not any being at all neither the name of Pope approued of as wee shewed in
1. Inocentius 3. Nicholas 5. Anastatius 1. Damassus 1. Alexander 3. Calistus 2. Lando 1. Leo 8. Vrbanus 3. Pius 1. Iohn 7. Victor 1. Clement 3. Paul 2. Leo 5. Steuen 8. Gregory 9. Xistus 1. Steuen 6. Nicolas 2. Inocentius 4. Inocentius 7. Iohn 8. Alexander 1. Haedrian 5. Alexander 5. Leo 6. Gregory 6. Iohn 17. Pius 2. Steuen 7. Victor 2. Nicolas 3. Iulius 1. Martinus 3. Vrbanus 1. Martin 4. Leo 9. Agapitus 1. Paschalis 2. Honorius 4. Â Iohn 9. Gelasius 1. Nicholas 4. Â Leo 7. Gallistus 1. Calestinus 4. Â 2 These euen from the very time of the decease of their predecessour and head began to put in practise their Antichristian authority receiued from him for the subduing of all Churches that did resist them amongst which the Church of Rauenna was one which as the Popes Decretall testifieth thought scorne to be brought in subiection to Rome neuerthelesse the same Decretall declareth that in the end Pope Domnus made her to yeeld And this was about 64 yeeres after the first vniuersall Pope Also the same Decretall declareth that the Church of Aquila resisted but yet about some 20. yeeres after the other Pope Sergius got the victory and forced her to yeeld And thus did they continue vanquishing all Churches in the West part till neere Luthers time But yet not so but that maugre the heads of all the Popes we had a Church continued in the Romish iurisdiction till within some 20. yeeres before Luthers rising though not alwaies a standing state but a dispersed company scattered here and there by meanes of persecution Reuelat. 12.14.15.16 wherein that prophecie was fulfilled Reuel 12. which testifieth that in the time of Antichrists reigne the Church of Christ within his dominions should be driuen into the wildernesse of this world and great floods of persecution sent after her to ouerwhelme her but as the Text saith The earth opened her mouth and swallowed vp the floud That is she was preserued by meere temporall and earthly people for amongst the spiritualtie both she and her seed were holden as heretiques and that chiefly for these causes First for that when as they saw that vniuersall dominion which the Pope had gotten ouer the Clergie they affirmed him to be that Angell of the Bottomlesse Pit prophecied of in the 11. verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation that should attaine to be king of the Clergie whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke named Appolyon which in English signifieth a destroyer Secondly for that when as they saw the Pope to bring into the Church and establish for Principles of Religion his Heathenish vnwritten verities The Pope reuealed himselfe to be Antichrist and those olde heresies wherewith the false Apostles and other Heretiques had corrupted the puritie of the Gospell and that he did offer them to the Church in the name of Christs Gospell they affirmed him to be that whore of Babylon foretold in the 4. verse of the 17. chap. of the Reuelation that should offer to the world The abhomination and filthinesse of her fornication in a golden Cup to wit in the name of Christ Thirdly for that when as they saw the Pope gotten aboue the Secular powers and that Emperours and Kings did yeeld him such subiection as to fall downe before his footstoole to kisse his feete to carrie him vpon their shoulders to leade his horse to hold his stirhop whiles hee gets on horse-backe yea euen to become his Vassalles they affirmed him to be the same great Antichrist mentioned in the 13. verse of the same chap. vnto whom the Text declareth The Kings of the earth should giue their power and authoritie Fourthly for that when as they saw the Pope to be come to that great height of pride as we plainely did demonstrate in our first Chapter namely to take vpon him the title of God and to suffer himselfe to be called our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth And to suffer men to prostrate themselues before him and to crie vnto him O thou our Sauiour which takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. And to exalt his power ouer the Angels in heauen diuels in hell and ouer the dead and his decrees aboue the decrees of God and to haue power to fetch out of hell as many soules as he will and place them in heauen they affirmed him to be same Man of sinne and sonne of perdition foretold by S. Paul 2 Thes 2. That should sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to be God and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped Lastly for that when as they saw that with tooth and naile he laboured to frame and fashion all things to the similitude of the first beast The Heathen Empire they affirmed him to be that second beast mentioned in the 11. and 12. verses of the 13. cap. of the Reuel which should arise in the Romane kingdome after the Romane Emperours of whom S. Iohn saith thus And I beheld another beast Reuel 13.11.12 comming vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon and he did all that the first beast could doe before him and hee caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast That is by bringing them to honour reuerence and obserue all the former Heathenish and Idolatrous ordinances set vp againe by him Whereunto because that part of our Church among them would not yeeld it grew into contempt with them and was most grieuously persecuted and the faithfull Christians driuen from place to place and from countrie to countrie being of the most part among them taken and holden for notorious heretiques such as they hold vs to be at this day And because they grounded all their assertions vpon those and such like places of Scriptures whereby the Popes calling began to be called into question the Scriptures were forbidden to be written any longer in a knowne tongue and for that cause also it was that they so blasphemously depraued the Scriptures calling them c Pigghius Hierar lib. 3. cap. 3. fol. 203. A nose of waxe an inkie letter a dead letter and a blacke Gospell and that they are none otherwise to be vnderstood then the Pope and his Church will interpret them and that they must follow the Church and not the Church them and that the authority of the Pope and Church of Rome is aboue them Asoius Hosius Hence it was also that Lay men were forbidden to reade the Scriptures perswading them that they did but leade men into errour and that ignorance is the mother of deuotion howbeit all this did nothing preuaile for the faithfull in euery Coast and Countrey among them did the more diligently follow Christs commandement Iohn 5. Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 and that euen in the greatest heate of persecution which was
Antichrist and to set vp the Gospell againe in his kingdome was that man of God Luther therefore in him did the two witnesses first begin to rise againe for it is cleare it is not meant that the same should rise againe in their owne persons but that euen as Elias was reuiued in Saint Iohn Baptist not in the same person Luke 1.17 but as Saint Luke saith chap. 1.17 in the same spirit and power so should they after a little moment rise in power and spirit in the persons of others And this first rising was about the yeare of Christ 1520. So that counting from those three last which were put to death in the yeere of Christ Wee had a Church among the Papists till about twentie yeares before Luther 1500. we had no appearing Church left in the Romish iurisdiction for the space of twenty yeares before the rising of Luther which time is called but three dayes and an halfe in respect of the three Angels yeares and an halfe the time of Antichrists reigne wherefore seeing they had their Church alone without our Church but twenty yeares before Luther how wickedly doe they delude the multitude in making them to beleeue they had the Romish Church and all other Christian Churches vniuersally from Saint Peters time and that wee had no Church till Luthers time whereas we see it proued most apparently that for the first 606. yeares next after Christ our Church was and theirs had no being at all and that the very first beginning of their Church was the entrance vpon our Church in the Romish iurisdiction of which wee see a part continued in view till about twenty yeares before Luther which if wee had not had yet will wee now proue that continually from the Apostles time to Luthers time we had else-where as great a Church as they if not greater 6 Vnderstand therefore Christian reader that albeit the whole Christian Church was one yet afterwards it was diuided into two parts to wit East and West so till the Councell of Florence which was about fourteene hundred yeeres after Christ they possessed but the West part The Councell of Florence And notwithstanding Michael Paleolgus Emperour of the East in hope of some aide of the Pope and the Princes of the West against the Turke did his good will to haue brought the East part in subiection to the Popes of Rome yet as their Paulus saith d Paul Aemil. in Philippo 4. his people so detested him for it that after his death they would not admit him common Christian buriall Againe it is certaine that the Greekes counted the Romanes a most polluted and an infectious people for in their late Councell of Lateran it is said e Jn Concil Lateranen Cap. 4. The Greekes began so much to abhorre the Romanes that if it had happened the Lattine Priests to haue ministred vpon their Alters they would not offer any oblation vpon them before they had washed the same Againe albeit the Legates of the East in the Councell of Florence was perswaded to yeeld to be subiect to the Pope yet doubting it would not be well taken at their returne home they halfe recanted and said f The Councell of Florence We haue no leaue nor commission to speake these words And notwithstanding at their returne home they laboured so with the Greekes that they consented to yeeld yet this continued not for as their Platina saith g Platina in Eugenio Not long after they fell to their olde bent againe But had it continued to this day without reuolting yet had it come too too late to haue maintained the antiquitie of the Popes vniuersalitie yea too late by at the least 1300. yeeres And therefore it was that Illyricus which dwelt vpon the borders of Grecia wrote thus h Illyricus Testibus Veritatis page 5. The Churches of Grecia and the Churches of Asia Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muschouia and Affrica ioyned thereunto that is to say saith he in a manner all the whole world or at the least the greatest part thereof neuer graunted the Pope his supremacie 7 So that Christian reader thou seest that howsoeuer the Emperour Phocas did giue that prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome to be vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops and Rome to be chiefe of all Christian Churches it doth not therefore follow that all Christian Churches were content therewith or did yeeld thereunto or that Rome euer attained thereunto onely she obtained to be vniuersall superiour ouer the West Churches as is plainely confessed by their Doctor M. Harding in his Booke of Confutation of the Apologie i Harding Apolog chap. 23. diuision 2. where he saith Rome is the Mother of all the West Churches If but of the West then not vniuersally of all both East and West therefore by M. Hardings owne confession here falleth to the ground the Popes vniuersalitie And therefore as we saw proued in the former Chapter that for the first sixe hundred and six yeares their Church had not any being at all so here we see proued as plainely that after they had a Church they had it but by measure and not vniuersally as they fondly fable Wherefore christian Reader whensoeuer they shall hereafter demaund of thee where our Church was before Luthers time answer them thus It was by Gregory the Greats confession sixe hundred and fiue yeeres before there was an vniuersall Pope to make a Popish Church hauing then none other but onely the same vniuersall head that now the true Christian Catholique and vniuersall Church hath of which we are now apart and that afterwards when an vniuersall Pope was ordained and made supreame head of the Church and had gotten dominion ouer the West part thereof yet euen there was our Church in reasonable quietnesse till about foure hundred yeares when as Pope Hildebrand began to be a fire-brand For indeed about that time Antichrist began to lay himselfe open to the world by his tyrannie which he began then to exercise against those that did withstand him and afterwards when as hee was growing vp to the full measure of iniquitie and that our Church among them could no longer beare his detestable enormities then during the next fiue hundred yeares following through their grieuous persecutions it was driuen into holes and corners and as many as they found they destroyed and the rest would haue destroyed had they not fled into those other parts of our Church before mentioned where they were preserued by Gods prouidence from the sonne of perditions tyrannie according to the prophesie in the fourteenth verse of the twelfth Chapter of the Reuelation which saith But to the woman to wit the true Church were giuen two wings of the great Eagle that shee might flie into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the presence of the Serpent The Church of Rome is proued to be a persecuter of the true
Church And bid them now bragge of the visibilitie of their Church and of the standing state it alwaies had since it was a Church because thou canst not deny it them but withall giue them to vnderstand that euen thereby is our Church proued that true Church which the Angel in that chapter foretold should be driuen from home and dispierced abroad and theirs to be the tyrannicall and persecuting Church which should driue it out of her Countrie And thus much for the prouing when their Church first began and how farre it did extend it selfe as also the first beginning of vniuersall Popes to bee sixe hundred and sixe yeares after Christ whereby both their antiquitie and vniuersalitie is vtterly ouerthrowne Now to the conclusion of all 8 Forasmuch as we which now are distinguished from them by the title of Protestants confesse that in this their Romish iurisdiction we had no Church left at the rising of Luther they demaund of vs from whence our Bishops had their callings and how our Ministers which they haue ordained euer since can haue lawfull callings seeing there was then no Protestant Bishops to ordaine them neither that by the Apostles euer any Christians had that title giuen them We answer For the title Protestant wee stand not vpon for wee graunt that in the time of the Apostles there was not any Christians called by that name no more then there was any called by that name Catholique The onely title proper to the professours of Christ was giuen by the Apostles in the Citie of Antioch which was to be called Christians as appeareth in the 11. of the Acts of the Apostles but afterwards when as counterfait professours of Christ as the Arians Macedonians Eunâ—nians were growne to be Sectaries and Heretiques and each of them to challenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church There was another sort in Rome called Homousians which were indeede of the true Church these to distinguish themselues from those counterfait Christians intituled themselues Christian Catholiques Whereupon as Socrates testifieth k Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. that worthie Prince Theodosius hearing thereof caused these foure sorts of Christians to be brought before him and euery Sect to bring their seuerall opinions in writing which when hee and his Bishops there assembled had throughly pervsed and examined he tore in pieces the Papers of the three Heretiques and approued onely of the Homousians finding it onely to agree with the Doctrine of the Scriptures And thereupon made this Decree All people subiect to our Empire How and when the name Catholique was giuen to Christians we will haue to continue in that Religion which Saint Peter the Apostle deliuered to the Romans as the faith kept from his time to this day doth declare and the which it is euident Bishop Damassus and Peter Bishop of Alexandria a man of Apostolique sanctitie doe professe to wit that according to the Apostolique and Euangelique Doctrine wee beleeue one Godhead of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of like maiestie in sacred Trinitie The obseruers of this Law we commaund to be taken for Christian Catholiques the rest as mad and frantike we adiudge to beare the reproach of Heretiques which must looke to feele first the vengeance of God and next such penalties as the motion of our hearts directed from aboue shall appoynt And this was about two hundred yeares before the Papists had a Church therefore this act being done onely in our Church it is without all contradiction we onely must needs be of that sort of Christians vnto whom the title Catholique was then giuen and consequently of the true and most auncient Catholique and Apostolique Church So likewise afterwards when as the West part of the Church did vnder the title of Christian Catholiques professe Christ after an Antichristian manner then certaine true Christians withstanding them protested a contrary manner of Christian profession agreeable to the auncient Catholique Faith and Religion and by their protesting did distinguish themselues from that counterfait companie which they then saw as we now haue declared at large in our former Chapters were cleane swarued from the true Faith and Religion And from thence we following their true Faith and religion retain the same title to distinguish our selues from our most counterfait Christian Catholiques But would God both these new titles were laid away and that both sorts might be called by their owne proper titles to wit Christians and Antichristians for so the Church of Christ should the better be knowne from the Church of Antichrist 9 Now for the lawfulnesse of our Bishops callings wee say that when the time drew neere that the Gospel which Antichrist had suppressed in the Romish iurisdiction should be set vp againe according to that old Romish prophesie intituled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis written I know not how many hundred yeares agoe bearing that after the yeare of Christs Incarnation 1534. In an olde Booke Good Law good Religion good peace together with Faith Truth and sound Doctrine should returne againe into the World in their proper shape and true likenesse then about that time when by the meanes of that man of Cod Luther some Bishops were conuerted to true Christianitie againe and that others had time to conuerse with them concerning the present necessitie of electing and ordaining Christian Ministers then they entered by the olde ordinances of those Christian Bishops which were before Poperie was and so ordained ministers by the rules and authoritie of the first Apostolicke order which had alwaies continued in those other parts of our Churches which as wee shewed were neuer members of the Popish Church For otherwise had they not bin first conuerted they and all the Ministers which they haue ordained should haue been the seruants of Antichrist euen as those were before and at this day are which haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope For so their S. Bernard speaking of Bishops and Ministers which haue their calling from and by the Popes ordination saith l Bernard supra cant Serm. 33. They serue Antichrist Also their Albertus Magnus saith m Albert in Jehn 10. They bee the Ministers of Antichrist and the vnderminers of the flocke of Christ. And therefore whether it be likely that our Ministers which be ordained by Bishops of an ordinarie calling from the Apostles of Christ haue lawfull callings or such as haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope let the Christian Reader iudge And the more to inlighten his iudgement and better discerning the truth hereof let him consider these fruits and effects of their calling Their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus complayning of the Romish Clergie n Bridgit lib. 1. cap. 56. They faine themselues to be mine and in the meane time they worke wickedly against mee Their Saint Elizabeth bringeth in Christ thus reporting of them o Elizabeth against the corruptions of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They that walk vnder my name doe not feare to
Popes principality and supremacy which he challengeth from Peters authority is fabulous For it is cleare that if Christ would haue had vnder him any such singular vniuersall head ouer his Church now by reason of this present occasion had been the onely time to haue made it knowne but in that he said in so plaine and expresse words It shall not be so among you he made it plaine to the contrary Hence it was that Saint Bernard applyed these words of Christ and also the words of Peter himselfe against that false challenge of the Pope saying a Bernard 2. Booke of consideration Peter could not giue that he had not did he giue Lordship heare what he saith Not as ouer Gods heritage but being a patterne to the flocke And least said he to the Pope thou thinke it to be spoken onely in humility and not in truth it is the voyce of the Lord in the Gospell The Kings of the nations raigne ouer them but you shall not be so It is plaine saith he the Apostles are forbidden Lordship therefore goe thou and vsurpe greedily vnto thy selfe either Lording it Apostleship or being Apostolike Lordship thou are flatly forbidden either All which most euidently declareth that the Popes vniuersall supremacy which he claimeth from Saint Peter is flat forgery 3 Secondly they say To Peter onely Christ committed the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen For the clearing of which point we are first to make knowne what those Keyes are for by that the most ignorant may the more easily iudge whether to the rest of the Apostles Christ did not also giue the Keyes Luke 11.52 Christ himselfe in the 11. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell Matthew 16.19 declareth the first key to be Knowledge and in the 16. Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospell the second to be Power For the first key to wit knowledge it is cleare by Saint Iohn in his 17. Iohn 17.8 Chapter of his Gospell that Christ gaue it as well to the other Apostles as to Peter For in praying for them all in generall he vttered these words to his Father I haue giuen thy words vnto them which thou gauest me Iohn 15.15 and they haue receiued them Againe Chapter 15. speaking to all his Apostles in generall he said All things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you Likewise in the 14. Iohn 14.26 Chapter speaking to them all in generall he said These things haue I spoken vnto you being present with you but the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you So that hereby it plainly appeareth that Christ gaue this first key to all the Apostles in generall and therefore not to Peter alone 4 Now touching the second key namely the power of binding and loosing remitting and retaining sinnes it is as cleare that Christ gaue it indifferently to all the Apostles Matthew 16.19 For as Saint Matthew in his 16. Chapter sheweth that he said to Peter Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shall be loosed in heauen Matth. 18.18 so in the 18. Chapter he declareth that Christ spake these very same words to all the Apostles saying Whatsoeuer ye bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen And likewise Saint Iohn in his 20. Chapter witnesseth that he said also to them all in generall Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted vnto them Iohn 20.23 whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Therefore it is manifest that Christ gaue this key also to all the other Apostles as well as to Peter And therefore it is which Saint Origine saith b Orig. in first Treatise on Matthew This saying to thee will I giue the Keyes is common to all the rest of the Apostles and the words that follow as spoken to Peter are common to all Likewise Saint Augustine saith c August 124. Treatise vpon Iohn When they were all asked Peter alone doth make answer and it was said vnto him And I will giue thee the keyes as though he alone had receiued authority to bind and loose whereas he had spoken that for them all and receiued this as bearing in himselfe the person of vnity Wherefore in another place reprouing those Romane heretikes of his time who would needs haue those words to be spoken to Peter alone and him to be the Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church said d Augustine in his Booke of the troubles of the Christians Wretched men whiles in Peter they vnderstand not Christ that is the Rocke and whiles they will not beleeue that the keyes are giuen to the Church they haue quite lost the Keyes out of their hands e In his Treatise vpon Iohn For said he if this was said onely to Peter to thee will I giue the Keyes thou the Church hath them not And thus much touching the second point But now before I come to the third point I must craue pardon to digresse a little for that because the Pope challengeth from the authority of the keyes to haue an absolute power to forgiue sinne and to giue the kingdome of Heauen I thinke it very needfull to open that mistery of the vse of the Keyes and how farre their powers doe extend 5 Thou knowest Christian Reader that the vse of Keyes are to open and to shut to let in and to keepe out such as are not meete to come in Now from these metaphors and their properties haue the spirituall keyes their titles and resemblances of properties and doe in this manner both open and shut to wit by the sentence of the Law to shut the locke of excommunication against open offenders and by the sentence of the Gospell to open it againe to those that openly repent confesse their sins And this is it which their Haymo saith f Haymo in Homely vpon the feast of Peter and Paul By Keyes we must vnderstand knowledge and power to discerne between good and bad that those whom thou seest to abide in the true faith thou shalt iudge them worthy of Heauen and those whom thou seest to depart from the true faith thou shalt iudge them worthy of hell fire The Bishops saith he g Ibidem binde men when they separate them from the society of the Church and keepe them from receiuing the body and bloud of Christ he looseth them when as after repentance made he receiueth him in againe into the fellowship of the Congregation and admitteth him to the Lords Table And this is now all the power the Church hath by the two Keyes as for sinne Christ himselfe hath said Matthew 16.19 18.18 it is both bound and loosed in heauen by God himselfe Howbeit we denie not that it is done
fall before any of the rest tooke the more care of him and paines with him and vsed greater motiues to incourage him to constancie it doth not therefore follow Peter Peter none but Peter Nay we see it most euident to be altogether no such matter onely it was a subtill illusion whereby they did cunningly conueigh all power in the Romish iurisdiction to the Pope and by which they labour still to retaine it and not onely that power which they faine Peter to haue had aboue the other Apostles but euen that also which God himselfe hath aboue all for thus doe they write * See Chap. 1. Sect. 3. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath power ouer the Angels both good and bad Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath power to commaund the Angels and hath power ouer the dead Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in Hell that hee may deliuer by his Indulgences and place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many soules as he will Againe * Ibidem The Pope is all and aboue all By which what else will they proue but that the Pope is the God of all power and consequently an almighty God Moreouer thus doe they write * Ibidem It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause And hereby they will proue him to be an eternall God But forasmuch as they fain the Pope to haue receiued al his power from Peter let them shew vs first in what place of Scripture they find Peter to haue receiued this power froÌ„ Christ secondly where any of all the Apostles haue thus written of Peters power if they can shew none then it is certaine Peter neuer had that power and therefore the Pope could not receiue it from him and yet notwithstanding doe they further write thus * Cha. 1. Sect. â— The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Againe * Ibidem Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth Therefore * Sect. 4. Those things hee doth hee doth them as God * Sect. 2. And is to be taken for God and worshipped with diuine honour as God And to ratifie the truth heereof they close vp the whole with this title * Sect. 2. Our Lord God the Pope Therefore forasmuch as none is to be found in any part of all the Christian Churches in the vniuersall world that doth claime to himselfe the essentiall properties and prerogatiues of God but the Pope it is without all contradiction none but the Pope is that Antichrist The man of sinne and sonne of perdition fore-told by Saint Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. That should sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to be God To be briefe as they cannot shew any one Scripture by the authoritie whereof the Pope may iustly claime from Peter these essentiall prerogatiues of God or the title of God so can they not shew by any one place of Scripture that Christ cuer gaue to Peter any such titles or dignities as the Pope yet further claimeth from him as to be called the Vicar of Christ Supreame head of the Church or Prince of Priests Nay albeit the contrary may be directly proued in that when as the strife was risen amongst the Apostles about supreame principalitie Luke 22. Christ himselfe tooke in hand the matter and thus resolued them saying Luke 22.24 Matth. 20.25 Marke 10.24 Matth. 20. Marke 10. It shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you shall be your seruant and whosoeuer will be chiefe of you shall be seruant to all the rest yet will they haue Peter to be the Prince of all the Apostles that so they might deriue that dignitie to the Pope to make him Prince of all Priests Therefore for the knitting vp of all that hitherto we haue intreated of and the manifest opening and clearing of the whole matter and of all that we haue said concerning this point this I say that forasmuch as wee haue proued this maine fundamentall principle not to stand vpon a sound ground whatsoeuer is built thereon can not stand For seeing Christ gaue no greater principalitie to Peter then hee did to any of the other Apostles it was not possible that Peter could be the supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church And that it may also appeare how vnlawfull it was for Peter or any but Christ alone so to be Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome himselfe plainely proueth from Saint Paul as may appeare where hee reprehending Iohn Bishop of Constantinople for attempting to be supreame head of the Church gaue him to vnderstand that therein he declared himselfe to be the fore-runner of Antichrist And to shew him that he was neuer able to answere that iniurie done to Christ he demaunded of him this question saying z Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 38. If Saint Paul would not haue the members of the Lords body to bee subiect to any head but to Christ no not to the Apostles themselues what wilt thou answere to Christ the head of the vuiuersall Church at the last iudgement that thus goeth about by the name of Vniuersall Bishop to make all his members subiect to thee Whom doest thou immitate in this so peruerse a name but Lucifer that would haue beene head ouer all the Angels in heauen By which hee proueth this saying of Cardinall Cusanus a Cusanus ad Bohemos epist 2. The members vmted to the Chaire ioyned to the Pope make the Church to be but an Antichristian delusion and the Pope for taking vpon him to be supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church to be that great Antichrist which the Church of Rome should take for her other husband besides Christ whereby she should proue her selfe to be indeed the whoore of Babylon mentioned by the Angell in the seauenteenth chapter of the Reuelation For it is manifest by Saint Paul Romans 7.2 That she that hath two husbands at once is an whoore And therefore this maketh the case to stand cleare that Rome cannot be the Mother of all Christian Churches vnlesse wee may conclude that all Christian Churches are the children of an whoore which God forbid 13 The Church of God vnder the Law The Church vnder the Law had God onely to her husbaÌ„d as the Church vnder the Gospel hath Christ onely had none other Head or husband but God himselfe as appeareth by the Pâ—ophet Esay 45.5 where hee said to the Church of the Iewes Hee that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of Hostes So by the words of Saint Paul it appeareth as plainely that vnder the Gospell
ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome * Tertullian De praescription Cotra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolike in that they all follow one vnitie And thus we see that albeit at this present time when Tertullian wrote this Ierusalem was destroyed by enemies Rome was yet then but a chiefe part of the Church and not as they write The mother and mistresse of all neither as they write that c 24. q. 1. c. Rogamas c. Sacro sancta therefore all Churches are subiect to the Sea of Rome because Peters Sea was tranflated from Antioch to Rome seeing Saint Cyprian in the open Councell of Affrica reprehending Stephanus Bishop of Rome for seeking that subiection said d Cyprian ad Qairâ—um Peter was neuer so insolent or arrogant as to aduance himselfe as Primate and one vnto whom nouices and punies should be subiect But here they haue marred their whole matter and ouerthrowne the antiquity of the Sea of Rome which they of long time haue borne the World in hand was established by Christ himselfe and that Peter was installed therein immediately vpon the death of Christ in that they affirme Peters first Sea to be at Antioch where Eusebius witnesseth c Anton. chro part 1. tâ—â— 6. cap. 4. paraâ— 1. Eliseb 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 1.4 He was Bishop and resident vpon that charge seauen yeeres euen as Gregory the Great also witnesseth before he came to Rome And thus we see how wickedly they haue deluded the World touching Peters supreamacy and the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 19 But now whereas they alledge succession of vniuersall Popes and will proue it both by Saint Ireneus and Saint Augustine in that they numbred the Bishops of Rome from Peter Irenaeus they say * In their Callendar numbred the Successours by name from Peters time thirteene but let them proue that any one of them was by him or any other before him called vniuersall Pope and the victory shall be theirs if they can proue none then it is certaine that to his time there was none Also whereas their Doctor Master Harding saith f Harding Apol. cap. 5. Diuisio 1. Augustine Epist. 165. Saint Augustine hauing reckoned vp in order the Bishops of Rome to Anastasius Successour to Siricus who was the eight and thirty after Peter saith that in all that number role of Bishops there is not found one that was a Donatist and therefore he concludeth Ergo the Donatists be not Catholique So we say by the same rule that forasmuch as Saint Augustine found in all that rolle not one that was or had the title of vniuersall Pope but Bishop onely it is cleare that vniuersall Popes cannot be Catholique Againe that it may appeare that Saint Augustine did not approue of any such haughty titles nor allowed any lawfull but the name of Bishop He with the assent of 215. Bishops in the third Councell of Carthage made this decree g Councel Carthage Cannon 26. It hath liked vs that a Bishop of a First See be not called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or any such like but onely a Bishop of a First See Which words albeit their Doctor Master Harding h Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 2. would not haue to extend to the Bishop of Rome yet in the words following by a consequence he granteth it doth For saith he By these two words Prima Sedes those Fathers vnderstood any City in which a Patriarke or Primate hath his See I call it a First See or rather if it might be permitted a Primate See In great Cities where the Highest Courts were kept for Iustice and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weighty matter of Bishops should be decided And we proued in our 5. Chapter and 8. Section that the foure first Patriarkall Cities were these Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria Therefore the words of the Councels Decree must of force as well concerne the Patriarke of Rome as any of the other three Patriarkes And that it may appeare they doe their Gration alledging the words of that Councell applyeth them to the Bishop of Rome Also in the glose are these words i Dist 99. Prime This is the third part of this distinction wherein it is said that the Pope ought not to be called vniuersall Bishop And as to this Councell I finde not in any Prouinciall Councell the name of Pope so neither in the first second nor third generall Councell doe I finde the name of Pope once mentioned but the name Bishop onely True it is that in the fourth generall Councell holden at Chalcedon Councell of Chalcedon Action 16. about the yeere of Christ 451. the name Pope was giuen to the Bishop of Rome but not by the Councell but onely by the Bishop of Romes Legate Lucentius as appeareth in the 16 action Who when hee saw that the Councell had set downe a Decree for the restraining the Bishop of Rome from the vniuersall authority which he challenged and would not reuerse it he said in the behalfe of himselfe and Paschasinus his fellow Legate If ye will not put the matter againe to voyces yet let our protestation against it be set downe in record that we may know what to informe the Pope of the vniuersall Church The Iudges answered That which we pronounced the whole Councell hath approued The title which this Councell gaue to the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the beginning of this 16. Action was the same which they there gaue to the Bishop of Constantinople which was Archbishop and not Pope 20 And now whereas their Master Harding saith k Harding Apolo cap. 4. Diuision 3. that Gregory the Great affirmeth that this Councell did offer to Leo then Bishop of Rome the title of vniuersall Pope and he refused it this we see not to be so but had it beene as they say that this Councell did offer it vnto him and he refused it it maketh as well to proue the title not lawfull nor to descend from Saint Peter as that the Councell refused to giue it vnto him For if the Title had descended successiuely from Peter and beene a lawfull Title what cause had he to refuse it Againe if the Title bad beene a lawfull Title why did Gregory himselfe refuse it when Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria did offer it vnto him and not simply refused it but thus flowted him for his folly l Gregory lib. 7. Epist 30. Ecce saith he Behold euen the Title of your Letter ye haue written the proud poefie meaning me the vniuersall
Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseech your holinesse doe so no more Againe if the Title had been a lawfull Title why did he call Iohn Bishop of Constantinople m Gregory lib. 6. Epist 30. The fore-runner of Antichrist for seeking to bring it into the Church And say n Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. By this pride of his what else is signified but that the time of Antichrist is at hand o Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. The King of pride is at hand and an Army of Priests is prepared which is a lamentable thing to be spoken Yea and why to make all men to know him by that Title did hee thus describe him saying p Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him And also to seeke to cleare all his Predecessours to Peters time from euer claiming that Antichristian Title saying q Gregory lib. 4. Epist 32.36 None of my Predecessours Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him that name of singularitie And further to shew what an vnlawfull Title it was to be called the vniuersall head of Christs Church and the danger that might ensue said r Gregory lib. 4. Epist 32. If we haue but one head the fall of that head is the fall of the whole Church If any man presume to take vpon him the name of vniuersall Bishop the whole Church falleth downe from her estate when hee falleth which is called vniuersall but farre may that name of blasphemy be from all Christian mindes By which it appeareth plainely that the Romish that is now which hath an vniuersall Pope for her Husband and head is not the Church of Saint Peter but the Church of Saint Antichrist And therefore to say that the Romish Church which Saint Peter first planted in Rome was one and the same that the Church of Rome is now is most horrible blasphemie and a meanes to bring a great scandall vpon that part of the Primitiue Church For if she was the same then was shee that Whore of Babylon mentioned by the Angell in the 17. Chapter of the Reuelation For so saith Ioacham Abbas of the Popish Church Å¿ Joacham on the 17. chapter of the Reuelation The very Text it selfe doth teach saith he how that the woman beguiled with gold and which committeth pirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the very Church of Rome which Babylon-like playeth spiritually the Whore with stockes and stones Againe if that first Church of Rome was the same that this Church vnder vniuersall Popes is then was shee the same which the Angell in the 18. Chapter of the Reuelation saith Is falne and become the habitation of Diuels for so their Saint Katharine of Siene saith the Church vnder the Popes is t Katharine in a prayer for the reformation Selling saith she through Symony the grace of the holy Ghost abusing ecclesiasticall matters corrupting and killing the soules which Christ hath redeemed with his blood c. O Tabernacle but of the Diuell And of which Ioacham also saith v Ioacham vpon the 1. and 2. chapters of Jeâ—emy This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his seate Therefore to say that this second Church of Rome is the same that Saint Peter first planted in Rome is most damnable blasphemie And thus much for the conclusion of all that which wee haue hitherto intreated of Now let vs proceede CHAP. IX Tending to resolue all men that the Popish Church cannot be the true and most auncient Catholique Church because the most auncient Apostolike Church was knowne by hauing onely two Sacraments and theirs hath seauen which iust number as they can not bee found in Scriptures so can they not be found once named by any of the foure first generall Councels or any Prouinciall Councell or any of the auncient Fathers till after the rising of the great Antichrist in Rome Also that their Masse was inuented by man and not the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles That it tendeth to the ouerthrow of the power of Christs Sacrifice on the Crosse casteth mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation and finally dissolueth the whole harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall 1 THE Papists haue wonderfully deluded the multitude in making them to beleeue that the most auncient Catholique Church receiued from the institution of Christ and the ordinance of the Apostles these seauen Sacraments The first the Sacrament of Baptisme The second the Sacrament of Confirmation The third the Sacrament of the Altar The fourth the Sacrament of Matrimony The fift the Sacrament of Orders The sixt the Sacrament of Penance The seauenth the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction But because they cannot proue by any one place of Scripture these seauen to be Sacraments nor the number of seauen to come from the institution of Christ or the ordinance of the Apostles some of them would proue it by this reason The books in the Apocalypse haue seauen Seales The seauen Angels haue their seauen Trumpets Christ hath in his right hand seauen Starres Christ walketh in the middes of seauen golden Candlestickes Zacharie saw seauen Eyes vpon a stone There were seauen Candlestickes in the Tabernacle Now if this manner of reasoning will serue to proue that in the true Church of Christ there must needs be seauen Sacraments then will this manner of reasoning proue there must needes be but two First for that the first Church consisted onely but of two persons Adam and Heuah Secondly for that the first publike places wherein God appoynted himselfe to be serued was in number but two the Tabernacle and the Temple Thirdly for that God gaue his Law to the Church in two Tables Fourthly for that the whole tenure of the Doctrine wherein God would haue his Church instructed is contained in two testaments Old and New Fiftly for that the witnesses of those testaments are said to be two Sixtly for that the supreame gouernours which God set ouer his Church were but two Moses and Aaron Lastly because the whole duety of all Church-gouernours are included in these two words Vrim and Thummim there must be but two Sacraments in the Church of Christ But their Doctour M. Harding well perceiuing that this manner of proofe will not serue the turne he taketh a better course as he thinketh for he will proue his fiue added Ceremonies to be Sacraments because they were called Sacraments by some of the auncient Fathers as indeede wee graunt they were but what of this seeing we can proue that they called not onely fiue other Ceremonies Sacraments but many moe as for example Tertullian called the generall state of the Christian Faith The Sacrament of Christian Religion a Tertull. contra Marcionem li. 4. Saint Hierome called Martyrdome a Sacrament b Hierome ad Oceanum Saint Augustine
called the forme of the Crosse a Sacrament c Aug. in Serm. De Sanctis 19. Leo called the Vowe of Virginitie a Sacrament d Leo inter Decreta Leonis cap. 14. Saint Bernard hee called the washing of feete The Sacrament of daily sinnes e Bern. in Serm. de Coena Dom. And yet besides these other fiue were many moe called Sacraments Saint Hillarie f Hilar. in Mat. Cannon 11.12 23. in diuers places of his writings calleth Prayer a Sacrament Fasting a Sacrament Weeping a Sacrament and the whole tenure of the Scriptures a Sacrament For as the Iewes before the comming of Christ had brought into a custome to call their Oblations and whatsoeuer tended to the worship and seruice of God Sacrifices So after the comming of Christ had the Christians brought into a custome to call almost all whatsoeuer tended to the worship and seruice of Christ Sacraments Saint Augustine speaking of these and other such new deuices which were then crept into the Church saith g August in his 219. Epistle Albeit they be not against the faith yet with seruile burdens they so oppresse our very religion which God of his mercy would haue to be free vnder few and most manifest Sacraments of diuine seruice that the state of the Iewes is much more tolerable for the Iewes notwithstanding they knew the time of libertie yet were they subiect onely to the pacts and burdens of the Law of God and not to the deuices of men Againe hee saith h In his third Booke of Christian Doctrine 6. cap. Our Lord and his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacraments instead of many and the same in doing most easie in signification most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Againe in another place hee saith i De Symbolo ad Catechumenos These be the two Sacraments of the Church If these two then not Scauen 2 Furthermore that it may plainely appeare that the true Christian Church is to be knowne onely by hauing two Sacraments and not Seauen Let vs heare what Saint Chrysostome saith his words be these k Chrysost of the Workâ— vpon Matth. hom 49. All those things which appertained to Christ indeede haue the Heretikes in their Schismes Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other order of Clerkes likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe So that hereby we see it plainly proued that to Saint Chrysostomes time which was about two hundred yeeres before the Papists had a Church the true Church of Christ was knowne by hauing two Sacraments and not Seauen and therefore the Popish Church by retaining seauen Sacraments is apparently knowne to be not the true Church of Christ That man of God Martin Luther which before had beene a Papist speaking of this matter saith thus l Luth. Babilonicall Captin In proper speach those we call Sacraments which are promises with signes annexed the rest that haue no signes are bare promises wherefore speaking hereof precisely and strictly there are onely two Sacraments in the Church of God Baptisme and the Bread forasmuch as in these onely we find the signes ordayned of God and also the promise of remission of sinnes But here because it may be they will obiect and say that Luther was but of a latter hatch and but of lesse then one hundred yeers standing let them heare what he saith that liued but in one age next after the Apostles Tertullian by name thus he wrote against Martion the Heretike m Tertull. lib. 4. against Marti How doest thou breake marriage neither coupling the man and the woman together nor being coupled otherwise admitting them to the Sacrament of Baptisme and thankesgiuing Note saith the Translatour how he striketh away fiue of the Popish Sacraments which of their owne heads they haue deuised Yea and let them heare what hee saith that liued in the next age after that S. Cyprian by name thus hee saith n Cypr. lib. 2. Epist 1. ad Stephan Then may they be throughly sanctified and become the children of God if they be new borne by both the Sacraments Now in that hee saith both it is cleare that hee acknowledged but onely two Sacraments But why should wee trouble the Reader any longer about this matter seeing the question is resolued by these two Writers of their owne Bessarion and Paschasius Bessarion saith o Bessa of the Euchar. We reade that these onely two Sacraments were deliuered vs plainely in the Gospell Paschasius saith p Pascha of the Supper of our Lord. These be the Sacraments of Christ in the Catholique Church Baptisme and the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Therefore forasmuch as by Scripture they cannot proue their fiue ceremonies to be Sacraments nor by the auncient Fathers before the rising of Antichrist the number of Seauen onely and that we haue proued that for foure hundred yeeres next after Christ there was but onely our two Sacraments in the Christian Church that must needes be a counterfeit Christian Church and of a latter hatch that will be knowne to be the true Catholique Church by retaining more then two nay then three times two Sacraments And that indeed it may more plainely appeare that by retaining more then two it is not the true Church one of the Popes owne Pen men describing the true Church by her owne notes and markes saith thus * Nicol. Cusanus De potestate Ecclesiae Romanae Epist. 1. In this sensible world that is heere beneath wee must learne by sensible Tokens to know the very Church of Christ for otherwise we are not able to reach the truth And a little after This Church standeth of them that declare by sensible and outward tokens that they be partakers of Christ as they be that confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God And therefore this Church hath certaine holy Tokens or Sacraments ordained to that end that thereby wee may know them that be of Christ so farre forth as by such Tokens coniecturall knowledge may be gathered Therefore I say That this Church of Christ by this coniecturall iudgement is counted holy notwithstanding wicked men and Hypocrites couer themselues vnder the same outward tokens And what those tokens are he expresseth in these words following And receiue Baptisme and the Lords Supper as well as the Godly And thus much for this point Now let vs see what wee can say to the Sacrament of the Altar or Masse 3 Their Masse they would beare the world in hand was the ordinance of Christ and formed and framed by the Apostles and that Saint Peter said their Masse at Rome and Saint Iames at Ierusalem But how true this is these words of their Iohannes Boemos will plainly demonstrate q Iohan. Bohem. In his Booke of the beginning of things cap. 1â— The Masse saith hee so call they the Sacrifice was
wisedome and discretion And that indeed it may more plainely appeare that by retaining more then two it is not the true Church one of the Popes owne Pen-men describing the true Church by her owne notes and markes saith thus * In Ioh. Hom. 39. In this sensible world that is here beneath we must learne by sensible tokens to know the very Church of Christ * Nicol. Cusaenus De potestate Ecclesiae Romana Epist 1. For otherwise we are not able to reach the truth And a little after This Church standeth of them that declare by sensible and outward tokens that they be partakers of Christ as they be that confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God And therefore this Church hath certaine holy tokens or Sacraments ordained to that end that thereby we may know them that be of Christ so farre forth as by such tokens coniectured knowledge may be gathered Therefore I say That this Church of Christ by this coniecturall iudgement is counted holy notwithstanding wicked men and hypocrites couer themselues vnder the same outward tokens And what those tokens are he expresseth in these words following And receiue Baptisme and the Lords Supper as well as the godly And thus much for this point Now let vs see what we can say to the Sacrament of the Altar or Masse And thus we see that those words of Christ are spiritually to be vnderstood and not carnally as the Papists vnderstand them neither doe I see how they can properly apply those words to the Sacrament for that we see the scope and drift of Christ was onely there to draw them to the knowledge of him as he then was to wit both God and man and that he being God was become man to satisfie the wrath and iustice of God for man in the same flesh that man had offended in that so they might haue beleeued that he was the same Messias and Sauiour foretold by Moses on whom they did relie but no one word of the Sacrament therefore it seemeth to me those words doe not directly concerne the Sacrament or Sacramentall eating And the rather also may they be of my minde for that these of their owne side haue thus written Michael vehe o Michael vehe contra Lutherum of eating the Sacrament Christ in the sixt Chapter of Saint Iohn spake nothing And this he there proueth Their Doctor Doring saith p Doring in Psal 110. That saying hath no foundation or warrant in the words written by Saint Iohn Therefore to speake of the receiuing of the Sacrament in true vnderstanding it hath no force And a little after For this was spoken long before the Sacrament was ordained Therefore out of those words they can make no good proofe touching the communion of the Sacrament seeing the Sacrament at that time had no being Wherefore let vs now come to the words which properly and directly appertaineth to the Sacrament or Sacramentall eating Which when Christ deliuered the Sacrament to his Apostles were these 1 Cor. 11.24 Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you or as Saint Paul saith Which is broken for you 8 Now touching these words Christian Reader which they would haue also litterally to be taken and not figuratiuely to be vnderstood it will plainely appeare that they are but figuratiue speeches First for that when as Christ deliuered the bread and said Take eate this is my body which is broken for you his body was not then broken but was broken the next day after Secondly for that it was his very bodie that deliuered the bread which he called his body and it is certaine he had not two bodies therefore in calling the bread his body and the wine his bloud they were onely such figuratiue speeches as he vsed at other times as when he called himselfe a doore Iohn 10.7 Iohn 15.1 Iohn 10.11 Apoc. 5.5 Apoc. 14.1 Gen. 33.20 Iudg. 6.24 Rom. 4.17 a vine a shepheard c. and where he is called a Lyon a Lambe c. And as are vsed in many other places of the Scriptures as Genesis 33. Where Iacob called the Altar which he had set vp The mighty God And likewise in Iudges the 6. where Gideon called his Altar Iehouah which were none of them so but figuratiuely And therefore it is which Saint Paul saith Romans 4. God calleth those things which be not as though they were euen as himselfe also did when he called the stonie Rocke Christ which as Saint Augustine saith q August in his 57. question vpon Leuit. Gen. 17.10 Was not Christ by substance but by signification And as God himselfe did Genesis 17. where he called circumcision which was but the Sacrament or signe of his couenant The Couenant Therefore it is certaine that those words of Christ in calling bread his body and wine his bloud were but the like figuratiue speeches And that the Reader may be the more fully resolued that they were indeede but figuratiue speeches let him diligently obserue these testimonies of the auncient Fathers 9 Tertullian saith r In his Booke against Martion Iesus tooke bread and giuing it among his Disciples made it his body saying This is my body that is to say saith he a figure of my body Saint Ambrose saith Å¿ Ambrose 4. Booke 5. Cha. of Sacraments The Priest saith Make vnto vs this oblation to be acceptable which is the figure of the body and bloud of Christ Theodoret saith t Theodoret in his 1. Dialogue It is cleare that they are the figures of those things whereof they beare the name So that howsoeuer as Saint Cyprian saith u Cyprian de vnction Chrismatis Christ in his last Supper gaue to his Apostles with his owne hands Bread and Wine which he called his Body and Bloud yet on the Crosse he gaue his very body to be wounded with the hands of Souldiers that the Apostles might declare to the World how and in what manner bread and wine may be the flesh and bloud of Christ and the manner hee straight wayes declareth thus that those things which doe signifie and those things which are signified by them may be both called by one name And therefore it is also which Saint Augustine saith * August 57. question vpon Leuit. A thing which signifieth is wont to be called by the name of the thing which it signifieth And in another place x In his 23. Epistle to Benifacius For if Sacraments had not some similitudes or likenesse of those things whereof they be Sacraments then they should be no Sacraments at all but for their similitude and likenesse commonly they haue the names of those things whereof they be Sacraments Therefore saith he after a certaine manner of speech the Sacrament of Christs body is Christs body the Sacrament of Christs bloud is Christs bloud And in another place thus y In his 18. Book 48. Cha. of the City of God All signes and tokens seeme in
neither giue nor grant our requests If we pray to God in the name of Christ hee hath promised Iohn 14. Chapter that both his Father and he will heare our petitions and grant our requests And this is it which Saint Cyrill saith of Christ x Cyrill in his 11. Booke vpon John He put to in my name to shew that he was a Mediatour and a granter and a giuer with God which prerogatiue no Saint hath 9 Againe forasmuch as Christ himselfe saith Iohn 10. By me if any man enter in he shall be saued and in the 1. verse He that entereth not in by the doore into the sheepe fold but climeth vp another way he is a thiefe and a robber it is cleare that all those that enter into the Church by any other way then by Christ or into the Kingdome of Heauen by the meanes and mediation of Saints they are but theeues and robbers therefore if they repent not and forsake their errour they shall be sure to haue their part and portion with theeues and robbers And thus much touching praying to Saints Now a word or two touching the worshipping of Saints which we will but briefly touch because the matter is so plaine in the Scriptures that nothing can be made more plaine to be erronious therefore it neede not any long discourse 10 In the 14. Acts 14.8 to the 16. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles mention is made that Saint Paul hauing healed a criple that was borne lame the people did so admire thereat that they supposed Paul and Barnabas to haue beene Gods come downe from Heauen in the likenesse of men whereupon as the Text saith They brought Bulles with garlands beasts bedecked with flowers to haue sacrificed vnto them of which as the Text also saith When Paul and Barnabas heard they rent their cloathes and ranne in among the people crying and saying O men why doe ye these things we are euen men subiect to the like passions as ye be By which it is cleare it was not lawfull to worship the Apostles if not the Apostles then not any other Saint Reuel 19.10 Also in the 19. Chapter of the Reuelation the Text declareth that Saint Iohn fell downe before the feete of the Angell to haue worshipped him but he said vnto him see thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus worship God Now therefore if neither the holy Apostles of Christ nor the glorious and vnspotted Angels of Heauen may be worshipped how may any other inferiour Saint be worshipped Wherefore this vtterly condemneth the Papists of most pestilent peruersenesse that will so directly contrary to so euident a truth teach men to worship Saints yea and not onely so but that which is most horrible to heare the very dumbe pictures and Images of Saints 11 Saint Augustine writing against Fostus the heretique bringeth in these two places of Scripture to proue that it is not lawfull to worship Saints for said he y August an his 20. book against Faustus Chap 201. The very Saints themselues whether they be dead men or Angels will not haue honour giuen to them which onely is due to God This saith he appeareth in Paul and Barnabas when the men of Licaonia astonied at their miracles would haue done sacrifice vnto them as if they had beene Gods For they renting their garments confessing and perswading them that they were not Gods forbad such things to be done vnto them This said he appeared also in the Angels as we reade in the Apocalips The Angell forbidding himselfe to be worshipped And therefore in another place he saith z In his Books of true Religion 55. Chap. Let not the worshipping of dead men be counted holinesse among vs. And a little after The thing that the highest Angell worshippeth must also the lowest man worship Let vs beleeue this that the best Angels and the most excellent Ministers would that we should worship one God with them That ancient Father Epiphanius speaking against old doting and ignorant women which then worshipped the Virgin Mary saith a Epipha in his 3. Booke of Heresies 59. heresie Let no man eate of this errour touching Saint Mary For though the tree be faire yet is not this fruite to be eaten Although Mary be beautifull and holy and honourable yet is shee not to be adored and worshipped but these women worshipping Saint Mary renew againe the sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddesse Fortuna and prepare a Table for the Diuell and not for God Also Saint August writing against Maximinus the Arian Bishop saith b August in his 1. Book against Maximinus If we should make a Temple for an holy Angell should we not be accursed from God and the truth of Christ and from the Church of God because we exhibite that seruice to a creature that is due to God alone By which then who seeth not but that to worship Saints yea though not with Lateria but with hyperdulia is to make our selues the accursed of God for in Gods diuine worship and seruice he will haue all or none euen as our Sauiour himselfe saith Matthew 4. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And yet besides the worship done to all other Saints in their Rosarie they haue twelue parts of spirituall worship of which tenne is giuen to the Virgin Marie and but two to God And notwithstanding the worshipping of Saints was forbidden both by the Apostles and the Angell and condemned by these ancient Fathers for deuilish and damnable long before the Popish Church was yet after they had a Church and that Antichrist the Pope was installed in his throne that he might share with God herein as in other parts of his glorious prerogatiues this was established for one principle of Popish Religion And thus much touching praying to Saints and worshipping of them CHAP. XII Tending to resolue all men who were the first founders of the Doctrine of Purgatory the first place of Scripture that was brought to confirme the Doctrine and to proue a third place of rest for the soules departed and how soone it had corrupted the Church and confounded the iudgements of the ancient Fathers and what confusion it hath bred amongst the Papists themselues and how it tendeth to the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion AS touching the originall foundation of the Doctrine of Purgatory Purgatory had her originall from the Heathen Philosophers thou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that it came first from the Heathen Philosophers in whom although there were the sparkes of diuine knowledge as there is naturally in all men and that by exercising themselues in the contemplation of the glorious workes of Gods creation they were able to write some thing of God and diuine things yet for want of the knowledge of his Word and the rules of his testimonies they could
in this poynt haue you no such badde Ministers among your selues I answere I hope none so bad as our former Chapters haue demonstrated God forbid wee should For mine owne part I know none such But this I know that if any amongst vs will perswade himselfe that because he preacheth Christ truely and the true Christian faith that therefore hee hath the true and iustifying faith whereby he shall be saued when as hee hath not the fruites of the true and iustifying faith let him say what hee will it is certaine he hath not that faith and therefore he cannot be saued For as Saint Iames saith chap. 2. James 2.14 What auaileth it my brethren though a man say he hath faith when hee hath no workes can that faith saue him It is one thing for a man to say he hath faith and another thing to haue it indeede 14 Therefore that no man should delude himselfe Saint Paul thus admonisheth euery man saying 2 Cor. 13. 2 Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues But how shall a Minister know for certaine whether he be in the faith Shall he know it by being furnished with sufficient gifts fit for his calling no. For as Saint Paul declareth 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 12.8.9 12. A man may haue the gift of knowledge and not the gift of faith But may he know it by wel disposing the gift of his knowledge to the begetting and increasing of faith in others no. For albeit the Word which hee preacheth may beget faith vnto saluation in others yet as the same Apostle sheweth Cor. 11. 2 Cor. 11. hee himselfe may be a castaway But how then shall he know it truly by none other thing but by this euen by hauing the fruits of the true and sauing faith which grow by degrees in him by the conscionable and diligent practizing of that which he preacheth to others 15 God at the first ordination of Priesthood as appeareth Exod. 28.30 Exod. 28. caused Aaron to set in the brest-plate of his garment Vrim and Thummim which signified perfection of knowledge and holinesse of life So that notwithstanding many doe attaine vnto a very great measure of perfection of Vrim yet wee see by our Sauiour Christ Matth. Matth. 7. 7. that for want of the like measure of Thummim they shall be damned Yea the like measure I say because our Sauiour himselfe saith Luke 12.48 Luke 12. Vnto whom much is committed of him much is required If then those that haue not Thummim answerable to their Vrim shall be damned they must needes be damned which haue not Thummim in any good measure answerable much more they that haue the contrary and truely no maruell For it is certaine that one such with his badde life doth more hurt in the Church of God then a great many do good by their good Doctrine Luke 12.47 and therfore as our Sauiour saith Luke 12. they shall receiue the greater damnation And not onely because they know their Maisters will and doe it not but also because they liue wickedly and yet will preach For doe they not know that the Lord himselfe hath forbidden such to preach Psalme 50.16 Psalme the 50. where it is said But vnto the wicked said God what hast thou to doe to declare mine Ordinances that thou shouldest take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hâ—test to be reformed Wherefore for that they will take vpon them to execute the office of Gods Ministers and liue so greatly to the dishonour of God as the sonnes of Eli did the Lord will surely say vnto them 1 Samuel 2. chap. 30. Rom. 3.18 as hee said vnto Eli 1 Samuel 2. Them that honour mee I will honour and they that despise mee shall bee despised 16 And now as we see that none that preach the Gospell can by their diligent preaching onely assure themselues that they haue a true and iustifying faith no more can we that be their hearers by our onely diligent hearing but by practising that which wee heare the Word of God command Luke 13 26. Iames 1.22 And therefore it is that Saint Iames saith Chap. 1. Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues By which wee see it euident and plaine that not preaching but practising not hearing but doing is that that can assure a man that he hath that true and iustifying faith And that not all in like measure for it will not be accepted of God that he which hath receiued Gods gifts in a great measure should doe no more and be no more bountifull then hee that receiued them in a small measure And therefore it is that Saint Peter saith 1 Epist 1. Epistle of Peter 4.10 4 Chap. Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold graces of God If any man speake let him talke as the words of God If any man minister let him doe it as of the ability which God ministreth that God in all things may be glorified through Iesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for euer and euer Amen But if he that is worth a thousand pounds will doe no more then he that is worth but an hundred pounds or he that is worth an hundred pounds no more then he that is worth but an hundred shillings these are not good disposers of the manifold graces of God and therefore when the day of reckoning shall come how they will answere it I leaue to God and their owne consciences 17 And now to returne to our aduersaries thus I say that forasmuch as this being the generall doctrine of our Church that none can be saued by such a faith as is without good workes they doe vs manifest wrong in charging vs to teach against good workes and that we are saued by an idle faith that hath no workes whereas we say that we are iustified and saued by the faith which hath good workes but without the workes because faith onely doth apprehend the matter of our iustification which is not possible for workes to doe For as Saint Paul saith of Christ Acts 13. Be it knowne vnto you men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes and from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses by him enery one that beleeueth is iustified Many when they heare vs speake of iustification doe not consider the point for they suppose that wee speake of the matter when indeede wee speake onely of the meanes For to speake properly of the matter it is neither faith of it selfe nor faith and workes together that doth iustifie vs before GOD but as we see it is Christ Iesus onely of himselfe and by himselfe that doth both iustifie and saue But as touching the meanes wee say it is faith alone And hereof it is which Saint Ambrose speaking both
the sinnes of others Thirdly to stay their soules from death Fourthly to purchase Heauen And lastly to lift vp and place their soules in Heauen They will haue all by their owne deseruings or they will haue none all by merits or else no bargaine therefore let vs see what wee can say further vnto them touching this point 25 Our Sauiour Christ Matthew 5. saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Now this word Poore is a metaphor taken from a man that is so very poore as that hee hath not wherewith to sustaine his owne life but is faine to seeke to others for succour And such are they which finde themselues so greatly destitute of soules sustenance as that they are glad to seeke to others for reliefe euen to God for his mercy and to Christ for his merites 26 Such a blessed poore man was Saint Basil as may appeare by these his words h Basil vpon the 32. Psalm He that trusteth not in his owne good deeds nor hopeth to be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercies of God Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Augustine as appeareth by these his words i Aug. vpon the 142. Psal Lord for thy name sake shalt thou quicken mee in thy righteousnesse Not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercy on me Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Hierome as appeareth by these his words k Hier. 64. of Esay If we behold our owne merits wee shall be driuen to desperation Yea and notwithstanding Saint Bernard acknowledgeth himselfe also to be one of these poore Publicans in that he saith of himselfe l Ber. vpon the Psal qui habitat My merites is the mercy of God yet they will rather be condemned with the proud Pharises then be iuslified with the poore Publicans To be briefe whereas their Master Harding saith m D. Harding in his booke A direction of sundry soule errours lies c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth Here he hath condemned their doctrine of iustification by workes to be most false and erroneous but in that that hee includeth that workes may deserue the grace that God giueth he hath proued himselfe a notable heretique For as Saint Augustine saith n Aug. in his 46. Epistle Vnderstand that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an Elder of the Church of Rome is written against the Pelagians the new heretiques which affirme the grace of God to be giuen according to merits that he that glorieth should not glorie in the Lord but in himselfe that is in man and not in the Lord. And therefore in another place hee saith o In the same Epistle Let no man say that for the merits of his workes or for the merits of his prayers or for the merit of his faith the grace of God is giuen vnto him And so that which those heretiques say be counted true namely that according to our merits the grace of God is giuen then the which nothing can be more false But as he saith in another place p In his booke of predestination of Saints chap. 9. They that glorie should not glorie in their owne merits which they perceiue to be like vnto the merits of them that shall be damned but should glorie in the Lord. Whereupon saith Saint Ambrose q Ambrose in his 1. booke and 5. chapter of the calling of the Gentiles Like as there is none so detestable outragious as can restraine the free gift of grace so can there be no worke so excellent that this which is freely giuen should be due vnto them by action of debt for then the redemption of Christ should in deed be no thing worth neither should the worthinesse of mans workes be inferiour to the mercie of God Whereupon their Writer Waldensis saith r Walden in his booke against Wilelesse I take him therefore to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholique and more agreeable to the holy Scriptures that vtterly denieth all such kinde of merits And thus much for the conclusion of the twelue Chapters referring the whole matter to be iudged by all that shall reade them Whether they can possibly be true Catholique Christians which in stead of one God will haue hundreds as appeareth in our first Chapter and in stead of one Sauiour to haue many thousands as appeareth in the same Chapter That will haue the Pope to be the very Vicar of Christ whom in our second Chapter wee proued to be that great Antichrist shewed by Saint Paul 2 Thessa 2. to be the Arch-enemie of Christ and all true Christians That will haue Rome to be the Mother of all Christian Churches which in our third Chapter we proued to be that Babylon which the Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of Whordomes and abhominations of the earth That will haue his Church as it is now Christian to be the true Church of Christ Which in our fourth Chapter we proued to be the same idolatrous Church professing Christ mentioned by the Angell in the 13. Chapter and 17. Chapter of the Reuelation That will haue their Church to be the most auncient Apostolique and Catholique Church which in our fifth Chapter we proued had no being at all for the space of sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ That will haue the succession of Vniuersall Popes to descend from Saint Peter which we proued in our sixth Chapter to descend but from Boniface the third Bishop of Rome of that name made Vniuersal Pope by that Murtherer Phocas â—he Emperour in the yeare of Christ 607. In which yeare the first Vniuersall Pope being made the Popish Church must needes first begin For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an Vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Therefore their Church hauing her first beginning but sixe hundred and seauen yeares after Christ the antiquity thereof is ouerthrowne our Church proued to be more ancient by sixe hundred and sixe yeares That will haue the Popes supreame title and dignitie approued of by generall consent of Councells and Fathers which in our seauenth Chapter we proued to be gain said and withstood by Councells and Fathers till the yeare of Christ 607. That will haue Peter to be made supreame Head of all the Apostles by Christ himselfe the contrary whereof wee proued in our eighth Chapter by Christs expresse Commaundement and therefore the Pope cannot claime his Supremacie from Peter That will haue the true Church knowne by retaining seauen Sacraments which in our ninth Chapter we proued that to Saint Chrisostomes time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christs Incarnation it was knowne by retaining onely two Sacraments and afterwards no Christian Church knowne by the iust number of seauen till Antichrist was borne in Rome That will haue the idolatrous Masse to be the ordinance of Christ which in the same Chapter we proued cannot be because it tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion as also because it was not begun to be framed till about one hundred and nineteene yeares after Christ and not finished of more then sixe hundred yeares after And confessed by their Iohannes Boemos to be inuented by certaine Bishoppes of Rome whose names wee haue produced in the same Chapter as himselfe nominated them That will haue those words in the sixt chapter of Saint Iohns Cospel touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud to bee meant of a corporall kinde of eating which heresie wee proued in our tenth Chapter Christ reproued the carnall Capernaites for As also will haue those words in the sixe and twentieth Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel Take eate this is my Body to be literally vnderstood that they might worship the bread for Christ and make an Idoll of it That will haue Saints prayed vnto and worshipped which as we proued in our eleuenth Chapter is to robbe God of two speciall parts of his glory Lastly that will haue men to make a better satisfaction for sinne then Christ hath made for them be better purged from their sinne in the fire of Purgatory then Christ hath by his bloud or be holden from life and libertie for euer which as we proued in our twelfth Chapter tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all that Christ hath done for the saluation of man kinde To conclude we see in this Chapter of Conclusion they will haue men to seeke iustification by the workes of the Law that so they might be brought vnder the curse and condemnation of it for not fulfilling all that the Law requireth They will haue men to purchase heauen by their owne deseruing thereby to proue his death to be needlesse and faith in him of none effect And notwithstanding that case to stand cleare that these be paâ—â— of those Antichristian lies wherewith Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. shewed the great Antichrist should deceiue those that loued not the truth But had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They bash not to say The Pope cannot be holden with any Religion of a lie FINIS
during those fiery fiue moneths mentioned in the 5. Reuelat. 9.5 verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation which some of the learned doe interpret to be those last 500. yeeres before Luthers time in which Antichrist was growne vp to his full height and power and euen then did God stirre vp a great company of corragious Champions to withstand the Pope and openly and boldly to write speake and preach against him and his proceedings till well towards the rising of Luther a great part of which we will now produce as they thus follow in particular 3 About the yeare of our Lord 1158. which was almost foure hundred yeares before Luthers daies Garhardus and Dulcinus Nauarenses did earnestly preach against the Church of Rome and taught that the Pope is Antichrist that the Clergie and Prelates of Rome were reiected and were become the very whore of Babylon prefigured in the booke of the Reuelation These as the histories doe testifie came into England The two witnesses as they follow are sayd to be two because thâ—y bear witnesse to the two TestameÌ„ts and brought certaine others with them who were by the King and the Prelaetes burned in the foreheads and sent out of the Realme and afterwards were put to death by the Pope In the yeare 1160. * Waldus Waldus one of the chiefe Magistrates of the Citie of Lyons in Fraunce was terrified at the sight of one that fell downe dead suddenly he shewed great fruits of repentance both by exercising the workes of mercie in relieuing the poore and also by instructing himselfe and his family in the word of God and in exhorting all that resorted vnto him to the same and by translating certaine places of Scriptures into the French tongue which he declared vnto many He and a great number that receiued instructions by him maintained the same doctrine drawne out of the holy Scriptures which we doe now condemning the Masse to be wicked the Pope to bee Antichrist and Rome to be Babylon c. They were threatned and by violence of persecution scattered into many places and some of them remained long in Bohemia In the yeare 1212. An hundred burned in one day the Pope caused an hundred persons in the Country of Alsatia whereof diuers of them were Noble men to be burned in one day for maintaining doctrine against the Romish Church About the yeare of Christ 1230. The Graecians renounced the Church of Rome almost all the Church of the Graeciaens renounced the Church of Rome because of their execrable Simony and such like abominable wickednesse In the time of the Emperour Frederike the second about the yeare 1240. there was in the Countrey of Sweuia many Preachers which preached freely against the Pope and his Prelates affirming that they were Heretiques Simonackes and such like About the yeare 1250. rose vp Arnoldus de nona villa a Spaniard Arnoldus a man famously learned and a great Writer hee impugned the errours of the Popish Church and taught Guilielmus that the Pope led the people to hell About the same time Guilielmus de sancto Amore a maister of Paris and chiefe ruler of that Vniuersitie applied all the testimonies of Scripture which are touching Antichrist against the Popish Clergie About the yeare 1290. Laurence an Englishman Laurence and a maister of Paris mightily proued the Pope to be Antichrist and the Synagogue of Rome to be Babylon the Pope after his death caused his bones to bee taken vp and burned Robert Gallus At the same time Robert Gallus a man of noble parentage impugned the Pope of Rome and his Clergie calling the Pope an idol Robert Grostid Also about the same time Robert Grostid Bishop of Lincolne a man famously learned in three tongues wrote diuers Inuectiues against the Pope prouing him to be an heretike after his death the Pope would haue had his bones digged vp but was terrified by a Vision About the yeare 1350 the Lord raised vp diuers learned men Gregory Arminensis which openly and boldly impugned the Pope and the Church of Rome Gregory Arminensis who layed open the abuses of the Romish Synagogue and confuted the Popish doctrine of free-will In Germany a Preacher taught likewise Petracha Franciscus Petracha at the same time called Rome The whoore of Babylon the Sanctuary of heresie and Schoole of errour Johannes derupe Scissa And a little before that Iohannes derupe Scissa was cast into prison for rebuking the Popish Prelates for their detestable enormities and for that hee called the Church of Rome The Whoore of Babylon the Pope the Minister of Antichrist and the Cardinalls false Prophets And being in prison hee wrote a booke prophecying of the afflictions which hanged ouer the heads of the Romish Clergie Couradus Hager Also there was maister Conradus Hager who taught more then twenty yeares against the Masse hee was afterwards shut vp in prison Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Petrus de Carbona Iohannes de Poliaco Also one Gerardus Ridder wrote a booke against the Monkes and Friers which he entituled Lachrime ecclesiae About the same time Michaell Cesenas and Petrus de Corbona and Iohannes de Poliace were condemned by the Pope and his adherents The said Michaell wrote a booke against the pride tyrannie and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome Babylon That whoore drunke with the blood of the Saints He left behind him many followers of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope and some of them were burned Two Friers About the same time two Friers were put to death in Auinion for matters which they had against the Pope one of them was called Iohannes Rochetailiada who did preach that the Church of Rome is Babylon the Pope and Cardinalls Antichrist About the yeare 1360. was set forth a writing against the Pope and his Clergie The Plowmans complaint Armachanus called the Complaint of the plow man About the same time Armachanus an Archbishop in Ireland was raised vp against Antichrist he was a man of great learning and godlinesse his troubles were many and his deliuerances great by Gods prouidence In the yeare of Christ 1364. Nicolas Orme Nicolas Orme preached a Sermon before the Pope and his Cardinalls in which he rebuked the Popish Prelates and affirmed their destruction not to be farre off About the yeare 1370. liued Mathew Parisiensis a Bohemian Math. Parisiensis who wrote a large booke of Antichrist and noteth the Pope to be the same About the yeare 1384. Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Nilus wrote also a large booke against the Romaine Church About the yeare 1390. many were put to death for the Gospell refusing the doctrine and worship of the Church of Rome as at Bringa there were burned sixe and thirty Citizens of Maguntia Many put to death for refusing the Romish religion In the prouince of Narbone there
was to the number of an hundred and fortie which chose rather to suffer all torments than to receiue the Romish religion and so to deny the truth of the most glorious Gospell And a good while before this time there was foure and twentie put to death at Paris there were foure hundred noted to be heretikes foure score beheaded Prince Armericus was hanged and the Lady of the Castle was stoned to death In the daies of King Edward the third about the yeare 1371. beganne Iohn Wickliffe of Oxenford Wickliffe openly to deale against the Pope and Popish doctrine The times were then very grieuous the Popish kingdome of Antichrist being risen vp vnto a very great strength and crueltie King Edward himselfe being very well learned a valiant Prince greatly withstood Popery hee much fauoured and defended Wickliffe and so did diuers Noble-men insomuch that M. Wickliffe and others preached against the Church of Rome the Pope and his Prelates doing what they could were not able to hurt him After the death of King Edward he was greatly supported by the Londoners and so escaped the hands of his aduersaries still proclaiming the holy and heauenly doctrine of the Gospel against the Romish Antichrist It pleased God by his preaching and by his bookes to giue light to many in the Land sundry were put to death The Lord Cobham of whom the Lord Cobham was one and diuers fled out of the Land because they would not deny the truth which they had learned of him That Popish Councell of Constance fortie one yeares after his death condemned his doctrine and caused his bones to be digged vp and burned And as Wickliffes doctrine tooke place heere in England and spread farre so were some of his Workes carried into Bohemia where they did more preuaile Iohn Husse for about the yeare 1410. rose Iohn Husse who taught in Bohemia with diuers others the holy Gospell of Iesus Christ which a multitude zealously imbraced and thereupon renounced the Church of Rome He was cited to appeare before the Pope which he auoyded and about the yeare 1414. hee was charged againe to appeare then he was excommunicated and much molestation followed but he continued a faithfull witnesse of Christ and openly impugned the Romish Church and Synagogue vntill the Councell of Constanoe where he was condemned as an heretike Hierome of ' Prage and burned In the same Councell Hierome of Prage a worthy seruant of Christ for resisting the Romish Harlot was condemned and burned These men were put to death but Antichrist and all his power could not roote out the Gospel in Bohemia God raised them vp a valiant Captaine Iohn Zisca Iohn Zisca and they put to flight great armies of the Papists that came against them About this time there followed great persecutions in England and many were put to death whom they called Lolards Veselus Gronigensis God also raised vp one Veselus Gronigensis he was so worthy a man that hee was called Lux mundi the light of the world He disputed mightily boldly against Popery and proued their doctrine false and wicked and that the Popes Keyes doe not open but shut heauen Gates This man ended his daies in the yeere of Christ 1499. Sauonarola In the yeare 1500. Hieronomus Sauonarola a Monke in Italie with two other Friers Dominicke and Siluester Dominicke and Siluester were condemned to â—eath at Florence they taught and maintained against the Popish doctrine the things which we doe now 4 And thus hauing slaine and put to death all within the Romish iurisdiction that did any way gaine say them The two witnesses are both slaine they haue now gotten all in quiet possession leauing none that would not be conformable to Antichrists lore And this is it which Saint Augustine did find by the Scriptures the great Antichrist should bring to passe as may plainely appeare by these his words For that wee beleeue that Antichrist shall come vnto such an height of vaine-glory it shall be lawfull for him to doe such things both towards all men and also towards the Saints of God that many weake men shall thinke God hath forsaken the care of the world And also wee see that prophesie heere fully verified in the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which saith thus of the Romish spirituall gouernour He caused that as many as would not worship the Image of the beast should be killed That is all that would not be conformable to al the old Heathenish ordinances set vp againe by the Pope and preach and professe the same should be killed So that herein also is fulfilled that prophesie in the eleauenth chapter of the same booke concerning the killing the two witnesses whom the tenth verse of the same chapter declareth The 9. and 10. verses sheweth that by the 2. Witnesses are meant all the Preachers that should vex Antichrists vvholâ— kingdom which in the sixt verse of the 14. chap. are included in the person of one Angell with all other throghout Christendome should vexe Antichrists whole kingdome for which cause hee should slay them But whereas Bellarmine would haue them to be onely two persons and that they should containe themselues within that one nation of the Iewes the Text is plaine to the contrarie in that it saith And they of the people and kinreds and tongues and Gentiles shall see their corpes three dayes and an halfe and shall not suffer their carkeises to be put in graues and they that dwell on the earth shall reioyce ouer them and be glad and send gifts one to another for these two Prophets vexed them that dwelt on the earth Now in that the text declareth that the two witnesses were slaine among the Gentiles in diuers nations of the earth and that those nations euery where saw their dead corpes lie among them which they counted not worthie to be buried in Christian mens moulde as they call it it is cleare they were not two persons but all those Preachers which euery where bare witnesse to the truth of the two Testaments whereby they vexed Anticâ—rist and the Antichristians wheresoeuer they did inhabite vpon the face of the whole earth 5 But now in that it is said They lay dead three dayes and an halfe and in the words following After three dayes and an halfe the spirite of life comming from God shall enter into them and they shall stand vpon their feete This is to be vnderstood of the time from the killing the last of the witnesses to the rising againe of the first of them and not of the 1260. dayes the whole time of Antichrists reigne mentioned in the third verse of the 11. chapter of the Reuelation as some doe vnderstand it for it is very absurd to say that the witnesses should lie dead during the whole time of their prophecying and yet prophecie too Now for that we finde that the next that rose after their death to oppose themselues against