massacre them as to those that went into Syria against the Sarasens for to reconquer Christs Sepulcher to whom he gave the remission of all their sins and a degree of glory above the ordinary as may bee seene in the Bull of Innocent the third placed at the end of the Councell of Lateran The Earle of Montfort having with him one Dominicke author of the Order of the Jacobins with an army of these crossed ones did massacre in a few moneths above two hundred thousand of them And for to strengthen and fortifie this abuse there was no speeche in those times but of miracles coyned of purpose tending to the worshipping of Images and establishing of the reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist They gave out to the people that such an Image had sweated blood that another had nodded his head That a woodden Crucifix prickt in the side had cast blood This fable is recited by Fulgoslib 1. c. 6. And by Nauclerus Gener. 44 That to an Image of the Virgin Maries brought from Damascus breasts of flesh were grown upon the wood That in such a place the Host had appeared in the forme of a child and an Angell by it that did hacke him to peeces That an Hoste pricked by a Jew had gushed out blood and being cast into a great cauldron or kittle was turned into a man as is to be seene yet at this day in Paris represented upon the forefront or porche of the Church of the Billetes The life of Saint Anthonie of Padoua saith that he presented the consecrated Hoste to an Asse which presently left eating of his Oates and worshipped the Hoste a Albertu Krantzius Metropol lib. 1. ca. 9. Wedekindus a Saxon Prince saw a child thrust into the mouth of the Communicants b Paschasius Rathertus de corpore sangnine Domini c. 14. Guil. Mal. mesbur l. 3. cap 27. An Angell did present Christ in the Masse unto a Priest called Plegâ—ls in the shape or forme of a childe which he kissed and imbraced with great courage 〈◊〉 A little Jewish boy comming by chance into the Church as he was playing saw upon the Altar a little boy that was minced and cut into small peeces and thrust by small lumps into the mouths of the Communicants Thomas Cantipratensis in his second Booke of Miracles Chapter 40 saith that at Doway in the yeare 1260. the consecrated host being fallen to the ground rised up againe of it selfe and pearched it selfe upon the cloth wherewith the Priest did wipe his hands in the shape or forme of a fine little boy who instantly became a tall man having a crowne of thornes upon his head and two drops of blood running downe from his forehead on both sides of his nose Jodoeus Coccius collected about one hundred of such miracles Iodoeus Coccius Thesaur Tom. II. lib. 6. de Eucharistia For in Berengarius his time such miracles were very rise and frequent Matthew Paris an English Historian in the yeare of the Lord 1247 relates that the Templers of the holy land sent to Henry the third King of England a little Christall bottle full of the true blood of our Saviour Christ that he shed upon the Crosse which Cristall bottle that silly King carried upon his nose to Westminster Church in Procession a foot clothed with an old sleâ—velesse gowne Salmeron the Jesuite in the XI Tome and fifth Treatise page 35. saith that at Rome in the Church of Lateran there is some of Christs blood kept Item in the Church of Saint Maximin at Rome which Marie Magdalen gathered up at the foote of the Crosse There was also at Rochelle some kept as the same Jesuite saith in the same place Sigonius in his fourth Booke of the reigne of Italy * Forte saÌ„guinis ex imagine crucâ—fiâ—â— Salvatoris in syria effusi portio delata MaÌ„tuam fuerat c. Carolus Leonem Pontisicem per literas obsecravit ut accurate horum miraculâ—rum vâ—ritatem vellet explorare compertam sibi significare Ob id Leo Roma â—gâ—â—ssâ—s Mantuam venâ—t re cognâ—ta ad C roâ—tum ser psit saith that in the yeare 804. was brought out of Syria to Mantua a portion of the blood that ran out of the Image of a Crucifix which did many miracles And that the fame of it being come to Charles the Great he intreated by letters Pope Leo to enquire of the truth of the matter And that the said Pope having knowne and perceived the truth of the thing wrote to Charle-maine touching the same And in the eighth Booke in the yeare 1048. he saith that the inhabitants of Mantua having forgotten this blood and knowing no more what it was this blood beganne againe to doe miracles Vasquez the Jesuite upon the 76 question of the third Part of Thâ—mas * Art 8. saith that yet at this day there is in Spaine some of Christs blood kept in Reliques Thus the darknesse grew thicke and the mysterie of iniquity strengthened it selfe dayly more and more the kings having no knowledge at all of the holy Scripture and trembling under the Popes thunderbolts and excommunications and powring abundance of wealth and riches into the bosome of the Clergie for the easing of their soules after death And for a full measure of mischiefe new Orders of Mendicant Friers did spring up namely the Franciscans and Dominicans whereof Francis Assisias in Italy and Dominick Calarogensis in Spaine were the first Founders in the yeare of our Lord 1216. and 1223. An incredible multitude of these Monks were dilated and spâ—ead over all the regions of the Popes Empire who made use of them as of so many torches and trumpets for to provoke and encourage Princes to the persecution of the faithfull And it was the said Monks that hâ—ve coyned and forged the Schoole Divinity all bristled with pricks and twisted about with subtilties much like unto the Cray-fish in which there is much picking but little to eate It is from this Divinity that suttle distinctions are drawne wherewith they cover themselves against the truth Aâ—istotle is alleadged there a great deale oftner than the Apostle Saint Paul Thus it behooved the mysterie of iniquitie should advance it selfe At the birth of these begging Friers Innocent the third in the yeare 1215. called a Councell at Rome in the Lateran Church in which the word of Transubstantiation not as yet received by any definition in the Roman Church was established by an expresse Canon and authority of Councell CHAP. IX Of the Judgement which the Doctors of the Romane Church doe make touching the apparitions whereby a little Child or a morsell of flesh hath appeared at the Masse in the hands of the Priest and touching Christs blood that is kept in Reliques A Long time hath beene that if one had doubted that a childe or a pâ—â—ce of flâ—sh that had appeared in a Priâ—stâ— hand were not truely Christ and that Christs blood that was kept in
some giving him three stripes and some five With the like effeminatnesse that King yeelded up to the Pope the Investures of Benefices which the Kings his predecessors had possessed till that time That King being dead in the yeare 1189. had for Successor Richard his son and after him John a King brutish and furious who made some attempts to recover the Investures which his Father had yeelded up to the Pope But being hated and contemned of his subjects Pope Innocent the third had a faire way to handle him ill He did declare him to have lost the right of his Kingdome dispensed his subjects from their Oath of allegiance a thing never seene nor heard of before in England caused Divine Service to cease throughout all the Kingdom and Churches and Church yards to be shut up Which continued by the space of six yeares and a halfe He also excommunicated the King and gave the Kingdome of England to Philip Augustus King of France upon condition to Conquer the same at his owne perill and fortune and that for the remission of his owne sinnes That constrained King John to yeeld up his Kingdome to the Pope and to binde himselfe to doe homage unto him for his crowne So hee made himselfe the Popes vassall and England became Saint Peters patrimonie And a Patent with a golden seale was made and framed by which the King did oblige himselfe and his successors for ever to pay yearely unto the Pope a thousand marks in gold in signe of subjection besides Saint Peters moneys that were paid by polle Unto which that poore King was forced to adde an Oath whereby hee swore that hee was induced so to doe without constraint and of his owne accord and by the motion of the holy Spirit and that for the remission of his sinnes Vnder this slaverie died this King in the yeare of our Lord 1216. to whom succeeded Henrie the third who did put his Crowne at the Legats feete one knee upon the ground doing homage unto him for his Kingdome Then did the Pope beginne to send his Legats who skimmed England of money by a thousand kindes of devices The Orders of the Franciscans and Jacobins were newly instituted The same Friers preached the Croisado whereby the Pope promised the remission of all sinnes and a degree of glorie in heaven above the common sort to all those which being arm'd would make the vâ—w to goe to the holy I and fâ—r the recovering of Christs Sepulcher possessed by the Sarrasâ—ons At these Predications every one câ—ossed himselfe with a crosse upon the shoulder and a great multitude of Gentry and people sold and moâ—gaged their Lands and estates for the charges of that Journey But as they were armed and furnished for the journey another Legate would come that dispensed the English from their vow and gave them the same graces and Indulgences without bâ—dgeing from their owne houses provided they would give to the Pope as much money as was necessary to have beene spent in their journey By these meanes this Legate gathered huge summes of money And that money was employed by the Pope for to conquer the Cities and Provinces which the Emperour had in Italy Thus did the Pope inlarge his limits Never a yeare came over head but hungry Italians came over into England with new Commissions to raise moneyes with power to excommunicate all such as would refuse and put the Churches into interdict What good horses soever there were or curious houshold stuffe or fine wares in shops were conveyed away without paying for and carried into Italy The Exactors tooke up the tithes of the corne yet unsowen The Italians possessed in England the best Benefices The Pope called England his garden of pleasure and his bottomlesse treasure Whereupon great clamours arose among the People The Nobles said Matth. Paris pag. 267. Marxidiribaldi These are the successors of Constantine and not of Peter O shamefull thing rascally ruffians that know not what armes and honour is will domineere over all the World by their excommunications Matth Paris pag. 423. The Monkes in the Countrey did say The Daughter of Sion is become a brasen faced Whore and without shame at all through the just judgement of him who because of the sins of the People makes an Hypocrite to raigne and a Tyrant to governe and rule But all these clamours were unprofitable and without effect because the holie Scripture was a Booke then altogether unknowne amongst the English people They spake of nothing but of Miracles and of Images and of Pilgrimages and of Reliques Vntill such time as an English Doctor and Preacher named John Wicklef fell to preaching and writing openly against the Pope and against the Masse about the yeare of our Lord 1370. Hee was listened unto with great applause and was able to have caused a great alteration in England if the King would have given way to it Of this oppression in England Matthew Paris and Westmonasteriensis English Monks that lived in those dayes wrote strange and prodigious things Now as John Wicklef was a teaching Aencae Sylvii Hist Bohem. it fell out that a Bohemian Gentleman who was a student of Oxford did taste and rellish wicklefs Doctrine and coppied out his Bookes which he carryed over into his owne Countrey and imparted them to John Huz a famous Preacher to whom Wenceslans King of Bohemia brother to Sigismond Emperour had committed the government of the Schoole of Prague renowned at that time This John Huz overcome by the evidence of Wickless reasons fell a preaching his doctrine and being a vehement and perswasive man he drew after him a great number of People To whom Hierome of Prague did adjoyne himselfe who surpassed John Huz in eloquence and learning There came also out of Germanie one Petrus Dresdensis and one Jacobellus that spake with vehemencie against Transubstantiation and against the Communion under the onely species of the bread For to appease these stirres and commotions the Arch-Bishop of Prague called Subinco Cepus caused Wicklefs Bookes publickly to bee burned and drove out John Huz from Prague But seeing the number of those that he called hereticks did encrease dayly he himselfe fled into Hongaria towards Sigismond and John Huz returned back to Prague Then Benedict the thirteenth Gregory the twelfth excommunicated one another the one having his seat at Auignon the other at Rome A Councell was kept at Pisa in the yeare 1409. in which they created a third Pope to wit Alexander the fifth who dying shortly after John XXIII succeeded him So there was then three Popes all at once and there was no body in all the Church of Rome but was excommunicated by some one of these Popes This John had warre against Ladislaus King of Naples and for to strengthen and fortifie himselfe against him he sent Preachers abroad over all the Countries of his obedience to preach the Croisadoe whereby hee promised the forgivenesse of all sinnes to all
reliques was not truely his blood it would have beene an heresie deserving the fire and a manifest impiety The People did flock together for to worship this blood Therefore Guitmondus in his third booke of the Sacrament and Paschasius in his Booke of the body and blood of the Lord Chapter 14. and Iâ—docus Câ—câ—ius in his Collection of the places of the Fathers and many others doe make use of these miraculous apparitions for to prove Christs reall presence in the Eucharist Thomas Aquinas a Thom 3. part q. 76. Art 8. Tali apparitione facta eadem reverentia exhibetur eâ— quod apparet quae etiam primo exhibebatur quod quidem non sieret si vâ—re non esset ibi Christuâ— cu reverentiam latria exhibemus in the third part of his Summe question 76. Art 8. findes himselfe mightily pestred upon this point For though hee teacheth that that which appeareth thus miraculously ought to bee worshipped with the adoration of Latria as Christ and that Christ is there present yet withall hee esteemes that sometimes these apparitions are not true but onely in appearance especially when the same thing appeares but to some and not to all For which cause C jetan in his Annotations upon this place of Aâ—uinas departes from his opinion touching the Adoration b Cajetan in Notis Si quaeratur qua adoratione venerandus esset hujusmadi sanguis miraculosus dicendum â—dâ—m esse judicium de â—pso de veste Christi and will have this blood or flesh that appeares sometimes in the Massâ— to be worshiâ—ped not as Christ but as Christs garment which is an inferiour adoration But the Jesuite Vasquez goes more plainely to worke in his 193 Disput here bee his words c Vasquez in 76. q. tertiae par Thomae artic 8. Disp 193. cap. 2. Respondeo neque apparere carnem Christi neque alterius quae re vera caro sit sed carnis solum essigiem ut dixit S. Thomas c. Quod a. simplices decipiantur et credant ibi esse carnem Christi divisibili et cruento modo parum refert haec enim deceptio instructione vera Doctorum corrigenda est I answer that that which appeares is not the flesh of Christ nor of any other that bee truely flesh but that it is onely an effigies or appearance of flesh as Saint Thomas saith And as touching the simple that are deceived and beleeve that Christs flesh is there in a manner diâ—isible and bloody it matters not much For that deception ought to bee corrected by the true instruction of the Doctors Gabriel Biel a famous Doctor in his 51 Lesson upon the Canon of the d Potest fieri divina permissione illusione daemonis ad decipiendum incautos Masse goes further and saith that such appariritions of flesh and blood may bee done by illusion of the divell for to deceive the simple God permitting it thus And he brings an example of it To wit that in the Countrey of Thuringe in the City of Ysennae in a Convent of Minorite Friers e Apparuit quidam in specie Angell particulam apparenter porrigens Apparuit stultus ora sumens de manu porrigentis apparentem bostiae particulam et continuo à diabolo obsessus est et graviter vexatus a certaine man in the likenesse of an Angel appeared to a Lay Brother preparing himselfe to the communion who chopt into his mouth peece of flesh which so soone 〈◊〉 hee had swallowed he was posseâ—â—â—â— and grievously tormented by the devill And truely those that esteeme that Christ appeareth truely upon the Altar in the forme of a childe or of a peece of flesh and worship it are very much puzled For the Roman Church doth acknowledge but two sorts of Christs reall presence the one naturall and visible after which he conversed with his Disciples here on earth the other Sacramentall under the accidents of bread But when these things doe appeare yea if ever they doe appeare Christ is neither present in the one nor in the other manner For he appeares neither under his owne proper accidents nor under the accidents of the bread And it shall behoove one to beleeve that Christ is a child upon the Altar Or that a perfect man is under the accidents of a child That if it be onely a peece of flesh we aske whether this peece of flesh be whole Christ Or if it be but a part of his body whether this portion or peece of fl sh was taken out of the Arme or out of the Legge These things serve to make us to know how powerfull â—e seduction of Sathan hath beene and with â—ow much horrible darknesse he did envelope 〈◊〉 in the Ages wherin this monster of Transubstantiation was formed This latter age hath beene ashamed of it for now we see no more the People run to Mantua or to the Billettes Church at Paris for to worship the flesh and the blood of Christ that are there kept in reliques The French Pilgrimâ— passing by Mantua for to goe to Rome stay there no more They passe the Pyrenean Mountaines for to visit the supposed reliques of Saint James but doe not goe into those places of Spaine where Christs blood is kept That blood of Christ sent from Syria to King Henry the third of England whereof I have spoken in the former Chapter that putrified in a few dayes lost instantly its credit and there was no more speech of it CHAP. X. OF the corruption of the Papall Sea in the Ages wherein this errour was most advanced IN the Eighth and Ninth Ages were cast the first foundations of Transubstantiation neverthelesse it was not yet then establish d by Lawes and I cannot finde that ever any man was molested for that subj ct But in the Tenth and Eleventh Ages the Popes laboured to hatch that monster and to establish it with authoritie But God branded these two ages with infamous blemishes and disgraces For as vices agree well with errors the Popes of those times led such an infamous life that hardly the like is to be found in all Pagan histories and that Chaire was filled with horrible confusions Since Pope Formosus who in the yeare 890. attained to the Popedome by violating the oath hee had taken never to accept of it and whose dead body was dragged ignominiously up and downe the City of Rome and cast into the Tiber by his Successors For the space of a hundred and fifty yeares yea of two hundred yeares we see nothing in histories but of Popes murtherers Popes Adulterers necromanticall Popes perjured Popes Popes intruded by force or by money creatures of the Earles of Toscane that werer then powerfull in Italie and of the harlot Theodora and of her daughters Marozia and Theodora that reigned a long time in Rome and made and unmade Popes at their pleasure Of which time the Carmelite Frier Author of Fasciulus Temporum makes this lamentation f Heu heu