Anall Platin. in Adrian Irene caused the same by a Synod of Bishops to bee decreed in Nice And I pray you doe you thinke worse of your Iubilies because y Platina in Bonif 8. Walsing in Edward 1. Polychron lib. 7. cap. 40. Boniface the 8. who entred most ambiciously like a Foxe liued like a Lion and died like a Dogge brought them in beware of such mislikes it will not be for the profit of Romes purse Againe the Church of England is calumniated euery day by all the Ignatians as though she had no true orders or iurisdiction I dare affirme that in it there is as certaine and as assured a succession of orders spirituall iurisdiction as in the Church of Rome it selfe which hath so often tottered with so many schismes and hath bin pestered with so many Apostatical Popes as both Baronius and Genebrard deliuer I my selfe very lately searched for my own satisfaction the Records and I find clearly that Archbishop Parker was sufficiently truly and canonically ordered and consecrated by such Bishops as had receiued orders and consecration according to the Romane Church he swore not thou wilt perhaps obiect obedience to the Bishop of Rome a toy Where in all antiquity finde you the vse ofswearing subiection to the Bishop of Rome Romane Tyranny brought it in to the Church and Christian liberty hath exploded it It is indeede the soule of your Religion that subiection to the Bishop of Rome is a meane necessary to saluauation as necessary as Baptisme it selfe O prodigious Doctrin it is not enough say these men to saluation to be vnited with Christ and subiected to our immediate Pastors who are in vnion with the whole Catholike Church touching the Catholike faith vnlesse we be also vnited by immediate subiectiō vnto the Pope of Rome who may both be an Heretike and also contaminate the Church with his pernicious Lawes So that if a Pope Nerolike as Boniface the 8. would by pernicious Lawes draw you from Christ and like as a Heliogabalus as Iohn the 12. would draw you to all impurities and teach you to diuide the Church by opposing against the true Pope after his iust deposition by the whole Romane Clergy most Bishops of Italy assembled in a Synod or Ottomanlike as Paul the 5. will teach you against Christs institution not to yeelde temporall obedience to your lawfull Soueraigne if hee out of his throne take vpon him to dethrone him vnlesse forsooth you be subiect to such Vicars of Christ you cannot haue saluation in Christ O prodigious and vaine Doctrine of these times the holy Prophets O ye Britaine 's haue forewarned vs let vs beware of them What vile calumniation is that by which the reformed Churches of England are charged to deny the seeing of Gods face and glory vnto the Saints departed vntill the day of Iudgement What a slander that she respects no Holy daies of Christ or his Apostles I dare say that the memories of the Apostles are in many places of this Kingdome as religiously obserued as the Sundaies are with them but in the obseruation of the Sabbath our Lords day the Church of England doth so farre surpasse all Papistical Churches yea of Rome it selfe that it were a sinne to make any comparison therein betwixt them a Caluino Turcismo William Rainolds calumniateth Caluin that hee teacheth that Christ by his corporall death redeemed not mankinde A meere Calumnious imputation his doctrine is that Christ by his meere Corporal death had he not subiected himself to haue vndergone his fathers displeasure against mankinde and to haue clothed himselfe as it were with the deserts punishment and guilt of man he had not fully made that satisfactiō for mankind of which the Scripture so often speake of which doctrin who can be ignorant who is acquainted with holy writ Great is their spight against that man but notwithstanding all their malice against him he liued peaceably laboured faithfully and died Christianly leauing such a posterity of books behinde him which checketh the daily continual innouations of Rome Grieuous is the imputation to the English Church for condemning and contemning the ancient Fathers whereas the most it striueth for is to support that of b Tertull. lib. de prescriptio Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most Ancient euen in the Fathers is most true At first when counterfeit Martials Abdias Clements Markes Dionises were produced the Prelats of the reformed Churches were more afrighted then hurt and to such Fathers they might iustly giue the Anatheme because such fathers had impugned and contradicted that Gospell of Christ the which whosoeuer though an Angell from heauen shall doe we are warranted by the c ad Galat. 1. Apostle to giue him the Anatheme But in and for true Fathers the Church of England reuerently and constantly auoucheth that of d Vincent Lirin contra Heres cap. 4. Tertull. de praescript Vincentius Lirinensis to take place Quicquid non unus aut duo c. Whatsoeuer not one or two but al together with one and the same consent openly frequently and constantly shall bee knowne to haue held written and taught that she also without any doubt knoweth must by her bee beleeued and this most iustly the English Church admitteth it being as cleare as the verie no one daies that all Fathers of the Ancient Church neuer taught helde nor wrot any thing in this sort which is not clearely agreeing to Gods word which is the onely Rule of Christian faith But iustly to retort vpon them who knoweth not that for most of their Roman nouel positions the Aduersaries haue no Ancient Fathers and therefore to defend themselues being vrged they do not produce Fathers but stand to their imagined Traditions written no where in Antiquity but only reserued in the Romane Bishops and Churches brests as they pretende this is their City of refuge as for example When a world of Fathers concurring with sacred Scripture is produced to shew that the Virgin Mary whose name bee euer blessed amongst and aboue all women was conceiued in Originall sinne yea some of them with S. Anselme auouching that shee was borne in sinne which I can hardly beleeue doe they heere sticke to the Fathers nothing lesse their imagined traditions must take place Againe when whole centuries of Fathers and those assembled in Synods bee produced to affirme that Popes haue beene and may bee Heretikes will they heare admit of the Fathers nothing lesse all records must be coūterfeit their own best Authors deceiued rather then the Fathers authorities admitted against their Popes infallibilies When irrefragable authorities of most ancient Fathers are produced to shew that the holy Scriptures are the onely inerrable rule of Christian Catholike faith and the square by which the writings and faith of all men and all Churches must be examined and tried will they heere allow the Fathers No alas they flye the field and seeke after some maimed sentences
to be saued not as with a wretchlesse presumption beleeuing r Iacob 2. this out of a dead faith but withall that by his holy assistance I was necessarily to liue and perseuere in his holy loue and feare and in the Å¿ Math. 7 obseruation of all his most holy commandements so farre as humane infirmity or ignorance would permit mee Thus beeing touched pardon mee Christian Reader for this disclosing the secrets of my soule I did often prostrate my soule and my heart beseeching that t Ad Titum 3. humanitie and benignitie of Iesus my onely Aduocate that hee would not for my u Psal 78. former sinnes and ignorances of my youth abandon me but that he would Psal 24. vouchsafe to x Psal 5 confirme mee with his principall spirit and to remooue from my soule all shadowes and deceits of Satan and to bring mee to his iotes for in him onlie with him onely and for him onely I desired to liue or die yea so resolued therein that whatsoeuer should betide mee either in this life or the next yet I esteemed it all happinesse that his name should be glorified in me either by iustice or mercy As my Soule was thus communing with herselfe and my Sauiour iointlie did present themselues to my memory many my former thoughts against the Romane humaine traditions and doctrines especially the pernicious Breefes of Paul the fift against the Oath of allegiance yea and euen thâ—n by happie occasion chanced into my hands a Remes â— estament where happily I light vpon y Annotat. in 22 Luc vpon those words Simon Simon and Annâ—tat vpon the first of the Acts and vpon the 1. 10 the Corinth 14. some of their corruptions and abuses yea and one pernicious errour or rather heresie the which as I had often obserued before but had passed it ouer in respect of my blind obedience to their doctrines so then I reconsidered more seriouslie and withall proposed it to some in this place who are worthily esteemed learned but they gaue mee little satisfaction because as the corruptions were wilfull and inexcusable so the errour was pernicious and indefensible But aboue all other two considerations then did offer themselues to my serious and pensiue vnderstanding first how not onlie the Bishop of Roâ—e himselfe but also all his Canonists some verie few onely excepted all those of the societie of Ignatius and all other the greatest firmaments of the present Roman religion doe obstinately maintaine that the Popes iudgement alone teaching the whole â—hurch was to bee beleeued beleeued I say as the infalible Oracle of God which to my vnderstanding and faith was so cleare an heresie and blasphemy against God contrarie to all Scriptures all ancient Councels Fathers yea all Ancients some few Popes only excepted whose testimonies are either counterfeited or else giuing testimony for themselues their testimonies are not true and worth-receiuing that I fully resolued not to giue an obedient and obsequious eare to the present Romane Church therein because shee did so perniciously erre in the verie rule of faith it selfe For if the square and rule bee crooked or vneuen how can any thing that is to bee leuelled therewith bee right and streight the blinde leading the blind both fall into the ditch z Luc. 6. saith Christ Secondlie I obserued by what preposterous meanes contrary to all Antiquity and Christs most expresse institution in a Mat. 22. Mar. 12. S. Matthew the Popes doe now challeng and assume power to depose Princes dispose of Kingdoms dissolue fidelity though with oath confirmed not onlie in case of heresie in the Prince by him so termed although this his mysticall power was at first onely pretended by the learnedst Ignatians against notorious Heretikes and manifest Apostates but in case also of any enormous delict or insufficiencie in any Princes whatsoeuer yea and to speake plaine English in what case soeuer it shall please his holinesse iudicially to proceed For who of the Pontificians dare b See pag. 43. following retract his sentence who euer resisted him and had peace or was not thundred against with excommunication deposition or depriuation which when I seriouslie pondered as in the sight of God I could not but thinke that it was soueraigntie not religion increase of possession not saluation of soules which the later Popes aimed at as also I shall most clearely deliuer in my motiues following Further I obserued that for the fortifying of this mysticall power of the Image of the Romane Empire they endeauoured to make heereof a newe article of Faith for indirect furthering whereof most impudently without all forehead c Vpon the feast of the inuention of the Crosse P. W. in a publike assembly at a publike panegericall oration made for the Martyrs honour at Loâ—aine prayed thus vnto him S. Henrice intercede pro noâ—is Holy Henry pray for vs I doe not heare that hee made R. Houldcorne a Saint which may wel be admired diuers of the Ignatians doe labour tooth and naiâ—e to make the late Arch-traitour Garnet a martyr a fit martyr indeede with his Consorts for this their new article of faith and by a pseudoprodigious and mendacious straw the imaginary face of which was first obserued and found by a notorious dicing and carding priest c to make the Authour of all goodnesse as a witnesse of the innocencie and integrity of that man who with other his Complices was not onely acquainted but also as the publike records of this Realme published accordingly to his triall made in the face of the whole Kingdome doe witnesse was a Concealer an Abettour and principall Furtherer of the same I must needs confesse Christian Reader that these two considerations did produce in my soule a kind of horrour and dread to bee partaker of that Church which was to bee supported by so weake and fallible a rule of faith as the Popes variable iudgement is and to bee ampliated and enlarged by such meanes as none but the verie smoakie d Apocal. 9. Locusts arising from out of the bottomlesse pit would offer to attempt Thus my soule wauering and being tossed I with all humility knocked often at the gates of his mercie who e Math. 7. promiseth to open to all such as confidentlie knocke thereat I entred into a more serious search of these matters I read with great diligence I conferred also with such as are reputed learned and Chiesetaines in this place so long as I saw * One of these M. G. B. Archp. being very lately dead is falsely by some reported to haue changed his opinion for the Oath of Allegiance them willing to giue me any satisfaction but when I clearelie obserued that their answers to the sacred Scriptures and ancient Authorities produced by mee were meere tergiuersations and that they resolutely rested vpon the authority of the present Roman Church and her practise disesteeming whatsoeuer was clearely brought against her against whose
Iesus be they Patriarks Primates Bishops Priests or who elsesouer so that they only and alonely must bee the immediate Vicars of Christ for Christ and in Christs steede and if it please you to vse the Greeke wordes in their owne sense they are sole Vicars * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vicars for Christ so that agreeingly to c Bellar. lib. de Rom. Pont. saepissimè Bellarmines doctrine and almost all of his Societie directly against the prerogatiue of Christ the Church is to be called d Ioh. 20. one fold and one visible flocke because it hath one Pastour and one Sheepe-heard the Pope and so accordingly he must forsooth only be the dore and dorekeeper of the Church only to let in and to shut out And would God they would also proue to be at least of the good shepheards to giue their liues for their sheepe would God they would at leasly vouchsafe e 1. Tim. 1. to preach to their flocke and not place all the gouerning of their flocke in idle decreeing faith and ambitious enacting of lawes such lawes as tend so greatly to Christs dishonour to the scandall of the whole world and setting vp of their owne Papacies and the augmenting of their temporall Dominions But alas these courses of them being the very shipwracke of good consciences are also euident signes of shipwracke in faith and where the f Psal 35. foote of pride hath moued them there the foot of infidelitie also hath followed by the working of wickednesse and the malignant enemie The motiues which haue moued me to leaue their communion so farre as they haue abandoned and left the puritie of the Roman Primitiue Church which was no sooner planted but it was sliding if you will beleeue g Onuphrius annotat in Platinam in vitam Petri. Of the Roman Church also is meant that which Genebr ad ann 898. out of Platin. Negligentia Episcoporum c. by then negligence of Bishops manyabuses crept into the church Which in respect of the warres could not bee repressed Thus they Onuphrius I wil diuide into three principall heads The first shall containe Motiues out of their pernicious and hereticall doctrines The second Motiues out of their most dangerous and wicked lawes The third Motiues out of the obseruations which I haue made of the Spirits of the English Chieftaines of the Roman profession I thought to haue had adioyned fourthly some generall obseruations touching the corrupt liues especially of some principall ones of their Clergie wherein I could produce many particulars and such as could not be gainsaid but h Eccles 3. omnia tempus habent if occasion require and they desire it they shall well vnderstand that they haue little cause to bragge of the innocencie and integrity of many of their English Apostles and Martyrs Motiues touching doctrine The first Motiue FIrst I suppose for truth as cleare as any demonstration that what Church soeuer doth perniciously erre in the rule of Faith must or may perniciously erre in all conclusions and propositions of faith deducted out of that erroneous Rule Now that the Roman Church doth perniciously erre in the very rule of faith I make it thus manifest The rule of faith with the perfect Romanes is the Popes sole iudgement when he defineth ex Cathedra that is to expound their phrase in their What the Romanes meane by their Popes defining Ex Cathedra owne sense vvhen he so defineth that he intendeth thereby to teach the vvhole Christian Church for some of them not vvholly Romanes vvill not obstinately and in expresse termes say that he cannot erre vvhen he defineth and pronounceth for a particular Church to beleeue and practise as he decreeth and defineth and that this is the only inerrable rule of faith vvith the Romanes and that in the Pope alone resideth infallibilitie of defining and that all other meanes as consent of Fathers without him either in Counsell or out of Counsell may bee subiect to errours deceiue and be deceiued it is the most expresse sentence and doctrine of a 2. 2. q. 11. art 2. ad 3. refer caus 24. q. 1. cap. Quotiescunque Aquinas b Bellar. lib. 2. de Christo c. 28. lib. de Conciâ—â—s saepe Bellarmine c Valentia in his Analysis of faith where he hath this conclusion lib. 8. c. 1. 2. 3. Quo tiescunque c. As often as the Pope in desining questions of faith vseth that authoritie wherewith hee is indued that doctrine must by diuine precepts be receiued of al christians as a sentence of faith and wee must beleeue that so often he vseth that authority as often as in controuersies of faith either by himselfe or with his Councell of Bishops hee shall so determine one part of the question that he will binde the whole Church to receiue the same Valenti d Coq in his Treatise against our Kinges Premon very often Coquaeus e Endaemon in his Parralell Endaemon f Par. in his Philopater Parsons g Baldwin lun lib. de Rom. Pont. cap. 9. prop. 1. 2. ex Bellarm. operibus in sua solida si dei demonstr Baldwinus Iunius h Siluester in summ verbo Fides Coquae pag. 27. The purpured Fathers are Senatours and Counselers of the Pope and with them he iudgeth the whole world Thus he Siluester all Canonists very few excepted two only to wit Panormit Zabarel vvhich I now remember of all of the Societie of Ignatius of Baronius most often in his Annals and in his Parenisis to the Venetians and in his Voto to Paul the fifth of Suares Vasques Azor Coccius in his voluminous aggregat most often Sanders Allen Genebrard Gretser Becan Carerius the two Bozius Mancinus Boter vvith infinite others all whom it is both impossible and needlesse to relate Let the decrees of Leo 10. in the Councell of Laterane Boniface the 8. Vnam Sanctam and the two decretall Epistles of Sixtus the 5. and d Clement the 8. set before the late vulgar editions of those two Popes pretended by some to be the whole by others only the amended translation of S. Hierome for yet they are not agreed stand for all now vvhat Pontifician can vvithout note of impietie or infidelitie call in question this their doctrinall and dogmaticall position vvhich is so clearly and resolutely maintained by them practised and defined by their Popes yea and by Leo the tenth in his Laterane Councel and Eugenius in his And although some moderate Romanists to smoothe this vneuen rule vvill seeme to say that the Pope ought to take aduise of his Brethren the Cardinals or of Bishops his deputies when hee vvill define notwithstanding such politike excusers of their shame and all other defenders of this their position doe and must maintaine that the infallibilitie of any definition is from the Pope alone Here-hence it is that all English Ignatians and most English Priests at this present in England and else
where are such violent enemies against the Oath of allegeance and esteeme all such as take or allow of it as Heretikes as lapsed from the Catholike Romane faith because say they the Pope in his Briefes hath defined and decreed that there are diuers points in it against the Catholike faith Romane he should say and yet I suppose as very cleare that none of the English Secular Priests did expresly know against what speciall points of faith the Oath was till now of late a certaine i A Briefe declaration c. together with a recapitulation c. by H. I. Ignatian recapitulater vnder a double title promising a double book but bringing forth only a short pamphlet and that a namelesse one and therefore a Libell hath shewed in his namelesse defence of the Romane faith that Pope Paul the 5. in his Breues hath k Pag. 32. Ibidem pag. 56. defined the same Oath to bee hereticall and vnlawfull because it denyeth the Popes power to depose Princes and dispose of Kingdomes an article of faith with him in his libell although not naming himselfe I may iustly say l Rom 1. My eares haue heard many Ignatian Priests constantly affirme that Paul the 5. had defined in his late Breues that the oath could not be taken and that his Briefe was a definitioÌ„ of faith so R. B. G. B. I. F. R. L. M. W. T. T T. F. I. K. with diuers others of that profession erubescit cuangelium he is ashamed of his Ghospell But no meruaile that the Ignatians are so well acquainted with the mysteries of the Popes faith for since their Father Ignatius his beatifying vvho had so many m Apud Ribadin in vita Ignat. idle reuelations I doubt not but that they haue receiued newe illustrations from that Code and Deske of all law faith and right the Popes brest which the ancient Church neuer knew But when n The Recapitulater in the Title of his vnlearned and seditious pamphet and for his traiterous doctrine see him page 43. Promised Leonard Lessius commeth forth with his demonstrations for he would seeme to demonstrate in all his bookes as this pamphletter of Louaine not H. I. but P. W. hath couertly promised doubtlesse he will reueale the hidden mysterie which was not knowne in the Primitiue Church though then darkly working but was to be o 2. Thess 2. reuealed in these times with which the world is likely to end But to returne to what I haue to proue It being manifest that Popes and the Romane particular Church with all those of the societie of Ignatius not excepting any one doe dogmatically maintaine that the Pope defining ex Cathedra is the infallible vncontrollable vnappellable and onely necessarie Iudge in all controuersies of faith it should be lost labour in me to stand to proue that this their position is beleeued by them as a point and article of their faith nay I should say as a principle and very maxime of their faith For can any the simplest idiote doubt but that the infallible rule of faith which declareth faith squareth faith must be beleeued as faith and by faith But by this their nouell article of faith by ineuitable consequence it followeth that they differ in the most fundamentall point of beleefe from all such Fathers Councels and Doctors as did maintaine or as yet doe that the most infallible rule of faith is the doctrine of the Scriptures especially when it is publikely declared out of the same Scriptures by the authoritie of free Generall Councels and the publike voice of the vniuersall Christian Church the which rule of faith as I am most assured all p Conc. Hierosol Act. 15. Greg. in ep 1. ad Corinâ—h apud pateriuÌ„ Vinc Lirin contra hereses cap. 4. S. Austen most clearely contra Donat. lib. 2. contra epist funda tract vltimo in Ioh. contra Crescon alibi sepissime Cyprian lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae in epist ad Pomp. Patres conc chal cedo Sinod 6. 7. 8. conc Constan Basil ConstaÌ„tinus apud Euseb in eius vita Con. Constantinopol in epist ad epâ—sc Rom. congregatos â—arissime apud Zozom l. 5. c. 9. l At this preâ—ent now in â—aris it is required of the Ignatians amongst other articles to wit that the Pope cannot depose Princes c. to subscribe also to the superiority of the general Councel â—boue the Pope ancient Fathers did teach and beleeue so it cannot be doubted but that many learned both in Germanie England and q France doe still professe and maintaine to all whom as to the ancient Fathers and Councels the later Popes with their Pontificians who obstinately maintaine and beleeue this nouell rule of faith must in truth be reputed heretikes yea obstinate heretikes because pertinaciously erring in the very fundamentall rule of all faith And if any learned Priest retort against me and say that as I heere confesse all Papists concurre not to maintaine this pontifician rule of faith and that many Sorbonist Doctors teach it not neither do beleeue it This is true indeed but let him take this inference with him that notwithstanding all their bragges for the certainty of their faith they are yet most vncertaine as being not as yet agreed vpon the rule of faith yea they are so opposite that one side beleeueth as the Pope with his what the other disbeleeueth and condemneth as erroneous yea and this in Councels as in those r Conc. Constan Basil opposite to the Lateran vnder Leo the 10. and the Florent vnder Eugenius the 4. deposed by the Fathers at Basil of Laterane Florence Constance Basill Frankeford Colen c. which being so that themselues are not agreed vpon the rule of faith why will they not giue leaue and allow to true Christians the word of God as it is expounded clearely constantly and vniuersally by the ancient Fathers to be the inerrable rule of faith as his most excellent Maiestie in his learned premonition to Christian Princes iustly requireth and exacteth according to ancient and learned Å¿ Vincent contra heres cap. 4. Vincentius his rule It followeth that I demonstrate this rule of faith deuised by the Popes and Pontificians to support the Romane soueraignties to be meere noueltie and so to prescribe against it by antiquitie This I must now doe contractly not doubting but that I shall haue occasion more to enlarge my authorities and reasons when these my motiues shall be impugned as doubtlesse they will be vnlesse it seeme good to the wise men of Saint Omers as their owne libel termes them to answere them by some libelling ballade as they of late haue thought meete to answere t An answere made vpon Sheldons booke to a priuate friend beginning laugh laugh c. which libell hath ofteÌ„ moued the persons against whom it is to very much laughing at the Ignatians follies and wisdomes with a libell a certaine Priests booke for the oath of allegeance for Quicquid
I should make the moderate Pontificians admire to thinke what manner of seditious ministers the Pope hath vseth to set vp his indirect monarchy but I protest that such doctrine is in him which I dare not for my duty to Prince and Country once mention otherwise then by way of detestation yet this Coquaeus is a great man and a holy confessor in Florence and his vnlearned though most seditious booke must for sooth be both printed and published for the producing God auert it of new Catsbyes and Piercies God inspire into the hearts of the Magistrates of this kingdome that as they be vigilant so they may euer continue against such bookes which tend only to the subuersion of this state and all other of like condition Alasse the Ignatians and Ignatianed will haue them though vtter ruines of whole families should insue thereupon There was one Philopater Robert Parsons by name who if in that booke which he so named had loued his Country as wel as the Pope his holy Father or else the fathers of his order would haue * Titulo libri called himselfe by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or such like name a louer of his Country not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a louer of his Father or Fathers for Philopater signifieth so much but pardon the good old man he was no Grecian but only desned a Greeke and a strange name as hauing abandoned the natiue affection of his Country This man in his t Philopater Sect. 2. Philopater deliuereth not welnye as strange doctrine as Coquaeus but in some respect far worse because he maketh his Doctrine an article of faith and by consequence al the Pontificians of England that beleeue him ipso facto are traitors and such as beleeue not heretikes Hinc etiam infert vniuersa theologorum c. Heereupon saith hee the whole schoole of Diuines and Ecclesiasticall lawyers to wit Canonists inferre and it is certaine and of Faith any Christian Prince whatsoeuer if he shall manifestly decline Posscuine in his biblioth wold faine cast this booke from Parsons and lay it vpon D. Stapleton doubtles t is the brood of a paire of Fathers from the Catholike that is in his sense the Romane religion and shall draw and call others from the same presently thereupon by the very force of law both diuine and humane to loose all power and dignity and this before any sentence of the supreme pastour and Iudge giuen or pronounced against him and all subiects whatsoeuer to be free from all obligation of oath which they had made to him of obedience as to their lawfull Prince and that they may and ought if they haue strength to cast out such a manner of man as an Apostata and Heretike and a forsaker of Christ our Lord and as an Enemy of the Common-wealth out from all rule of Christian men Thus farre that Pseudophilopater in his Ignatian saith What true English heart is not awaked with such a seditious sound and doe you thinke O yee loyall Britaines and faithfull of Iesus that his brethren the Ignatians haue not the same Doctrine they haue it they haue it beleeue me and they teach it also where they sind ground conuenient and fit for such seditious seede In Rome it was taught in effect as very probable aboue 16. yeeres since when I my selfe refused in open schoole to receiue write any such doctrine But I leaue to stirre this filthy sinke any longer I humbly beseech Iesus Christ to vouchsafe to illustrate the eies of such who haue often told me that if they thought the Ignatians did teach such Doctrine as I haue heere expresly and truly deliuered out of Pbilopater they would little regard them in other things So it is Christian Reader that these most egregious Equiuocaters doe not deliuer § This doctrin is not the milk but the solid meate of the Ignatians easily swallowed by those as are inclining to the impious doctrine of the damned crew of which was Catsby c. Another Priest was in like sort denyed absolution for the same cause of the Oath by an Ignatianed Priest who not withstanding easily absolued and admitted to the dredfull Sacramēt one who often fell into the sin of Bestiality and to deny absolution for allowing or taking the Oath of Allegiance is the ordinary practise of all Ignatiā Priests in this land almost of all oher ' excepting some few honest loyall lerned Priests who are therefore extreamly hated and auoided as Spyes by the Ignatians this doctrine but to their Priuates and old acquaintance which maketh many moderate recusants to suspect that they are vniustly charged with such seditious hereticall doctrine as this is but such as my selfe who haue conuersed too long with them know assuredly that they teach both this doctrine yea some of them as badde as the very worst of Coquaeus which I onely glanced at aboue in this Motiue And that they are in this matter egregiously equiuocaters vnderstād by this within these 3. yeers lesse * A principall Ignatian amongst them denied me absolution and to take my confession I protest before the heauens I lye not neither do Iagrauate against them because forsooth I onely held this generall position that the Pope could not cause authorize subiects to depose their lawfull Princes and yet this man who dealt thus with me and who as I know taught this doctrine both at his residence and in other places that the Pope might depose princes and depriue them of their kingdomes yet in some other places and before some persons would speake very coldly therof yea and he seemed to deny it in that very house where he so dealt with me where also hee refused not to admit a notorious cōcubiner to both the sacramēts The fifth Motiue THe fifth motiue is theire most pernicious impious doctrine concerning the adoration and worshipping of Images with the same worship and adoration wherewith the Persons themselues wherof they are Images are adored saue only that the persons are adored and worshipped without any extrinsecall respect and onely for the intrinsecall dignitie which is in them but the Images are adored and worshipped for the dignitie and excellency of the persons which they represent This doctrine is deliuered by the English Priests and Ignatians very * Bell. l. 2. de imag 22. fearefully nicely and mincingly and therefore I finde that many deuout people of this kingdome haue not yet perfectly drunke of the impuritie of this cup but it is the most expresse selfe doctrine taught by the most Pontificians and learnedest Ignatians in their schooles and bookes they are onely wary in respect of scandal how they preach it in their pulpits taught t 3. q. 25. art 3. Councell of Trent as it is expounded by Vasq lib. de adorat 2. Suares Tom. 1. disput 54 Nauar. in manual cap. 31. Num. 32. yea Vasq apud Eudaem in parralel pag. 292. teacheth that a man may worship God
out of their seruice of good Friday whereas that daies oblation of Christs body as it is by them beleeued and there adored is called a sacrifice he saith that is to bee vnderstood improperly there to prâ—ue that he compareth their offering of Christ vpon good Friday with the Sacrifice of incense and paschall candle which is offered by them the next day and in this his assertion he is so eager that he heapeth authority vpon authority out of his brethren Pontificians to proue it Bellar. lib. recog page 85. 86. commemoration and remembrance and commemoratiue sacrifice of that which Christ did and suffered for vs the sincere and religious hearer should perceiue by those words as often as you shall doe these things you shall doe them in remembrance of me appointed in all former Missals to bee loudly and distinctly pronounced by the Priest at the time of the shewing of the Sacrament that the auncient authors of that part of the Canon which is the principallest did vnderstand that all which was there done was onely a commemoration of that which Christ suffered vpon the Crosse but not to bee Christ himselfe truly verily carnally really there in body by a commucation or transubtantiation of Elements present But what meruaile that they haue corrupted the Rubricks of their Masse when some of their Popes if not Scholasticus haue most shamefully corrupted the words themselues of consecration for in the consecration of the Chalice they do put to Christs words all these noui et eternitestamenti misterium fidei of the new and euerlasting Testament the mystery of Faith the which words although they doe yeeld a very godly sense and doe directly impugne their transubstantiation yet to bring in Christ as speaking those words which not one of the d Math. 26. mar 14. Luc. 22. 1. Corinth 11. Euangelists or Saint Paul describing the manner of blessing and the very words which Christ vsed at his last supper haue set down it is too to improbable To say that either the Euangelists or S. Paul should omit to set down any of the necessary words or integral parts of the form of consecration that Scholasticus or some other illuminated Pope shold be so diligent as to supply the * And as they haue thrust into their forms of consecration the word enim for so they haue left out in consecration of the bread these words quod pro volis tradetur which shal be deliuered for you negligence of the Apostles were vaine heere is a most manifest and hereticall abuse and yet rather then the Masse which Scholasticus as they falsely pretend composed shall downe downe must the Authority of Gods word as not sufficiently deliuering the form of consecration of that life-giuing life-quickning and inestimable Sacrament by which Christ crucified is most liuely commemorated and all his graces most really and effectually receiued by the faithfull and worthy receiuers who come vnto that diuine Table with a resolued Faith a burning Charitie and a pure Contrition and bewailing of their sins but to others who come vnfaithfully and with purpose or halfe inclination to wallow still in their sinnes it will be as it was to Iudas buccella intincta mortis a dipped morsell of death but in the worthy receiuer O miracle O in estimable benefit there is a reall coniunction and participation of that Christ who sitteth at the right hand of his Father like as the Regenerate in Baptisme are truly c Ioh. 3. and really regenerated and borne of the holy Ghost not because they haue the substance of the Holy Ghost anewe imparted to their soules to their sanctification but for the reall graces which they by that Sacrament receiue of the holy Ghost euen so in this most diuine Sacrament not the flesh it selfe which was crucified to vse S. f Aug in Psal 98 Austins words is carnally eaten but the vertues and graces of the flesh which was crucified is really eaten by the soule in that sort as the soule can eat that is spiritually really by her affections other immanent real internal operations so heer as the food is spirituall so the manducation by faith loue and thanksgiuing is spirituall heere the mind not the belly or stomack is to bee prepared Like as Saint Augustine speaketh And like as before their consecration so after their transubstantiation and eleuation such prayers and actions are vsed by him who composed their Canon that either hee must be reputed an egregious Arian Impostor or some Nestorian seducer making Christ either a Creature or a sanctified man onely or else he did not beleeue that reall presence of Christ himselfe and the most Blessed Trinity which is now imagined and taught by the Pontificians For if hee did beleeue that after their eleuation Christ in person was really present as a Compleate and Consummate sacrifice what Arrianlike impudency was it in him to g Per totum Ca. no. in missal appoint so innumerable signings and crossings by the sinful and earthly hands of sinfull Priests vpon and ouer Christ and the sacred Trinity it selfe but be like his many crossings did sanctifie before consecration but not after when they are only vsed as significations or else because Christ himselfe the sacrifice needeth no sanctification they are vsed onely to driue a way Diuels from the sacrificing Priest for Zuares others will not deny but that the Dinels may and doe come so neere to their Sacrament that they can both carry it away and abuse it also doubtlesse Scholasticus would not haue beene so Sacrilegious to haue ordained * Without all question the lesser is blessed of the greater ep ad Heb. 7 Christ himselfe to bee signed and blessed so often by sinnefull hands and therefore if he appointed so many crossings he did not beleeue a reail presence of Christ but only a commemoratiue sacrifice in his Creatures And in good earnest I put a certaine demand to the Pontificians whether any one of them or their Priests beleeuing Christ to sit at the right hand of his Father may without maine Sacriledge offer to signe and blesse him with one of their crossings or whether the blessed Virgin Mary or Saint Mary Magdalene beholding Christ vpon his Crosse actually consummating that Sacrifice that oblation by which once offered to vse the words of the h Ad hebr 10. Apostle hee hath sanctified and consumated all those who beleeue in him in aternum for euer might without in explicable presumption and sacriledge haue offered by blessing crossing or prayer to haue giuen him any sanctification or assistance in that his dreadfull sacrifice manifest it is that as in that sacrifice hee would endure no helper nor suffer no compartner so neither in this if he were as truly sacrificed and offered vpon the Altar as they pretend But Scholasticus the Composer of the Canon doth yet more perspicuously shew that he did not beleeue the Pontifician Transubstantiation for besides that hee calleth
Apostle in his Epistle to the Thessalonians change your law and dissipate the eternall league of the new and eternall testament It will here be expected perhaps that I deliuer my sense and Catholike beleefe touching this most venerable Sacrament It is truly the same with that of the ancient Fathers of the Church in whose words I will by and by expresse my faith the which I see also most clearely agreeing with the reformed Lyturgie of the English Church and the articles concluded and agreed vpon by publike consent in the conuocations of the English Church which Lyturgie and Articles when I lately most seriously perused considered I saw a vehement propension resolution in the authors of thē with all reuerence to embrace what was most agreeing to the word of God to that which the ancient Primitiue Church taught deliuered the which had I neuer read I could neuer so haue thoght of thē the english church Lyturgy therof both are in such vile obloquies with the Pontificiās But I now perceiue that the aduersaries g Isai 28. posuerūt spē fuā mendaciū they haue made not one ly but infinte lies and calumniations against the Church of England their hope for in their schooles and Seminaries they commonly make their aduersaries speake what they list and so to impugne and confute them and teach their young souldiers of Sanders his holy quarrell to doe the like But to returne to my purpose my Catholike faith concerning this dreadfull Sacrament I will deliuer in the words of some of the ancient and Catholike Fathers Saint Austen expounding that h Iob. 6. sentence and commandement of our Sauiour nisi mandus aueritis c. vnlesse you shall eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you i August lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 16. saith thus he seemeth to commaund a crime and a wickednesse it is a figure therefore commanding vs to communicate with our Lords passion and that we profitably and sweetly lay vp in our memory that his flesh was wounded and crucified for vs. The same he confirmeth in his k Tractat. 27. in John Treatise vpon S. Iohn where he greatly taxeth the ignorance and mistaking of the Capharnaites who thought that Christ intended to giue them such flesh to eat as themselues were that is true flesh whereas saith Saint Austen Christ in those words couered a grace And in another place vpon the l Psal 98. Psalmes thus he writeth most perspicuously Spiritualiter intelligite c. vnderstand that which I haue spoken spiritually not this bodie which you see you shall eate neither shall you drinke that bloud which they who shall crucisie me will shead I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacramēt which being spiritually vnderstood will quicken you And how this Diuine misterie being a Sacrament taketh the name of the thing whereof it is a Sacrament heare him clearely declaring the same to m Epist 23. ad Bonif. Bonifacius an Earle in Africke Sacraments saith he haue a certaine resemblance of the things whereof they are Sacraments * See Theodoret for this purpose in dialog impatib and for that resemblance they take the names commonly of the things themselues and therefore as the Sacrament of Christs bodie is after a sort Christs bodie and the Sacrament of Christ bloud his bloud so the Sacrament of faith to wit Baptisme is faith thus he like is the authoritie related in their n De consecrat dist 2. cap. hoc est quod Canon Law Sicut ergo celestis c. Therefore euen as the heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ after this manner is called the bodie whereas it is truly a Sacrament of the bodie of Christ that which visible palpable mortall was put on the Crosse and the verie immolation which is done by the hands of the Priest is called the passion of Christ the death of Christ and the crucifying of Christ not in truth of the thing but in a signifying misterie so the Sacrament of faith which is Baptisme is vnderstood faith Againe f Contra adimāt cap. 13. Saint Austen non dubit auit c. Our Lord doubted not to say this is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his bodie and therefore vpon Saint c Tract 59. in Iohn Iohn although hee acknowledged Iudas to haue receiued buccellam dominicam the Lords morsell yet he receiued not saith hee bread the Lord but the bread of the Lord of which words what other meaning can there be But that bread of the Lord is onely the outward Sacrament which Iudas receiued but bread the Lord is the same Sacrament receiued by the religious and faithfull who withall beleeueth thinketh loueth and hopeth in and vpon Christ crucified as his Sauiour and so in soule by faith and loue eateth him and receiueth bread the Lord according to that of the same u August tract 25. in Ioh. Father beleeue and thou hast eaten and that of Saint x Bernard serm 3. in Psal qui habitat Bernard when they heard him say vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud they said that this is an hard speech and departed from him and what is to eate his flesh and drinke his bloud but to communicate with his passion and to imitate that conuersation which he held To these Fathers for this purpose I adioyne Saint y Ephrem in Harding against the challenge of D. lewel Ephrem thus confessing Inspice diligenter c. Beholde diligently how taking bread into his hands hee blesseth and breaketh it in a figure of his immaculate bodie and in a figure of his precious bloud he blesseth and giueth the Cup to his disciples thus he z Lib. 4. contra Marcio cap 40. Tertullian when he was a sound Christian Catholike thus pronounced Iesus Christ when he tooke bread and distributed it to his disciples made it his bodie saying this is my bodie that is to say the figure of my bodie And a gaine in another a Lib. 3 cap. 19. contra Mar. place he speaketh thus to Marcion God in your Gospell called bread his bodie that by the same thou maist vnderstand that to bread he hath giuen to be a figure of his bodie but a figure it should not be if it were not a bodie of truth thus he I will adioyne two places out of Eusebius who liued then when the Pastours of the Church were most vigilant against all errours and heresies and therefore they would not haue suffered this doctrine in Eusebius touching the Sacrament if it had not beene agreeing to the Catholike faith of that time Christ hauing offered b Eusebius de demonst Euang. lib. 1. cap. 10. saith he himselfe for a soueraigne sacrifice to his Father ordained that we should offer a remembrance thereof vnto God in steede of a Sacrifice which remembrance we celebrate by the
whereof they are Sacraments to wit Sacramentally in signification operation efficacy Saint Irenaeus meaneth as it is most cleare that naturall bread and naturall wine which are the things offered as hee most often and significantly affirmeth Christ confessed to be his body and his bloud the which because they can not be truly and really without implying of contradiction or without destruction of the creatures which he most clearly denieth and is most euidently against all the whole discourse of that Father they must bee therefore the body and bloud of Christ sacramentally according to the doctrine of Saint Austin in Eâ—pist 23. his Epistle to Boniface and according as Baptisme wherewith we are regenerate is called water and the holy Ghost not as though the substance of the Holy Ghost were a substantiall part of the sacrament And whereas the same Father expresly deliuereth thus Quemadmodum enim qui est c for euen as the bread which is from the earth receiuing the inuocation of God is now no more common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two things earthly and heauenly so our bodies receiuing the Eucharist are not now corruptible hauing hope of resurrection It is heere manifest that he will haue the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the Church to consist of two things one earthly the other heauenly that is of bread which is earthly and of the earth and the heauenly which is heauenly because sitting in Christ at the right hand of God his Father and so according to the nature of Sacraments it is easily conceiued how this Sacrament may consist of two things one earthly the element and the other heauenly the thing of the Sacrament like as Baptisme consisteth of g Iohn 3. water and the holy ghost one signifying the other signified one present the other absent one visible the other inuisible one corporall the other spirituall one touching the body the other working in the soule but it is against the nature of Sacraments to haue them truly and really to consist both of the things signified and signifying as together by an essential and real coniunction of presence as is manifest in al other Sacraments with them but especially in baptisme in which a morall and vertuall vnion only not a reall coniunction and * Although the substance of the holy Ghost by his infinâ—ty and immensity bee present in all things euen in the water of baptisme notwithstanding Formally and in respect of this presence he worketh not in the Sacraments presence of the holy Ghost in substance with water and in water is necessary Moreouer this holy Father affirmeth that like as the bread of the Eucharist is not common breade â—â—ter inuocation of God so our bodies receiuing the Eucharist are not corruptible hauing hope of the resurrection consider curteous Reader how our bodies are by this Fathers saying incorruptible to wit by hope of Resurrection not because they are by substance or any intrinsecall quality in them made incorruptible but onely for the relation and the respect to incorruption which they shall put on at the generall resurrection euen so the bread and the wine are still earthly after consecration they loose not their natures as h Dialogâ— Impatib Theodoretus saith but in respect of the sacramentall coniunction respect and relation which they haue to Christs body and his blood they are said with the same body and blood to make the Eucharist and so the Eucharist to consist onely of two things one Earthly and the other Heauenly as this Father deliuereth and this is that which i Ciprian de vnctione Crismat If this book be his the Aduersaries vse it Saint Ciprian saith speaking how bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ different kinds saith hee and names induced to one essence and the signes signifying and the things signified called by the same names And saint Ambrose thus k Amb. lib. 6. ca. 1. de Sacram. therefore for a similitude thou receiuest the sacrament but obteinest the grace and vertue of the true nature I will yet with thy patience curteous Reader adde one sentence of an Africane Father in his booke de fide ad Petrum which booke many assigne to Saint Augustine but the Authour is l Fulgent de fide ad Petrum c. 19 Fulgentius an Auncient Father and Saint firmissime tene c hould most firmely neither in any sorte doubt of this that the onely begotten Sonne of God taking our flesh vppon him did offer himselfe as a sweete smelling Sacrifice to GOD to whome and the Father and the Holy Ghost the Prophets the Patriarkes and Priests in the olde Lawe Sacrificed bruite Beasts and to whom in the new Testament now with the Father and the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholike Church throughout the vniuersall Worlde doth not cease in Faith and Charitie to offer the true Sacrifice of Breade and Wine in those carnall Sacrifices there was a figuration of the flesh of Christ which he should offer and of the bloud which he should shed for the remission of our sinnes in this sacrifice there is a thansgiuing and a remembrance of the flesh which hee hath offered and of the bloud which he hath shed for vs thus hee describing the faith of the Apostolike Church in his time and of the Reformed English Church now Weighing all these authorities with infinite like which may bee brought out of all Antiquity I haue greately meruailed how Transubstantiation hath crepte so farre into the Church as to haue the same defined in so great a Councell as that of Laterane was doubtlesse it is to bee imputed to some hiperbolicall speeches of certaine Fathers and to that disposition of all sorts of people who like as the m Exod. 32. Iewes in the wildernesse desire some visible God to goe before them whom they might adore as present and inuocate and offer sacrifice vnto him but doubtlesse most of all it is to bee attributed to the pride of the Romane Bishops in whose Sees the mistery of iniquitie hath been euer working more or lesse within some small space after the Apostles times that thereby the Prophecie of two Apostles n 2. Thes 2. et Apocal 17. S. Paul and S. Iohn might take place and Rome with her spirituall whorâ— domes might apostatate from Christ and fornicate with the Kings and Nations of the worlde and that of Christ be fulfilled that when the Sonne of man commeth he should hardly finde faith vpon earth It cannot bee doubted but that there haue bene alwaies some still succeeding the Ancient Fathers such as Bertram Berengarius Scotus Wallafrid Alfrike Archbishop of Yorke in his Epistle to Wolstane who more or lesse haue written against Transubstantiation the bookes of whom as well as of diuers others wee may thinke haue beene suppressed as well as that many others for the supporting of Transubstantiation and of many other Popish Positions haue beene deuised by some Popish Monks of the Roman Church before
Psal 1. meditating in Gods holy Scriptures and aboue all by conseruing his soule c Jacob. 1. 2. Pet. 3. Luk. 8 Matth. 3 impolluted from alliniquity of sinne and the contagion of al worldly desires and solicitudes by exercising d 2. Ad Corint 9 chearefully plentifullie all charitable offices to all such as are in affliction and necessity by keeping his bodie e 1. Ad Thess 4 a cleare vessell from all impurity and impudicity and his tongue from all scurrill f Ad Ephes 5 Ad Rom. 13 and vnseemely speeches seriously to endeauour to make g 2. Pet. 2 sure his vocation and to h 1. Pet. 2. stop the mouthes of such who in respect that some of the reformed Churches especially of the Clergy liue not conformably to their doctrine do blaspheme the sacred Truth of Christs immaculate Gospell I haue seene much into the liues of the Aduerse part the which although I find to bee more impure auaricious proud vncharitable then euer I could haue imagined yet that is not the cause why I left them but the impurities abominations and superstitious impertinencies of their doctrines worships laws and customes which my soule hateth assuring it selfe that if I should still continue in communion with them I could haue no part with Christ my Sauiour to whom for hauing most mercifully i 2. Ad Corint 5. reconciled mee to his Father in himselfe bee onely and alonely with his Father and the holie Ghost Honour and Glorie for euer Amen Yours in Christ Iesus R. S. The Contents of this booke of MOTIVES THe Preface shewing the first occasions inducements and maner of the Authors conuersion The diuision of the Motiues 1. Into Motiues out of the Pontificious Erroneous Doctrines 2. Out of their dangerous and wicked Lawes 3. Out of certaine obseruations touching the dangerous Spirits of sundrie Chiefe English Romanists Page 1. Motiues of Doctrine FIrst Motiue touching Doctrine is out of the Pontifician vnsound rule of Faith to wit the Popes sole Iudgement defining ex Cathedra out of the Chaire as Pastor of the Church Pag. 2. Second Motiue is out of another rule of their faith to wit Apocriphall Scriptures Pag. 27. Third Motiue is out of their most Idle rule of Faith traditions as they doe pretend them Pag. 31. Fourth Motiue is out of the vsurped transcendent power of Popes in Temporals and Spirituals Pag. 41. Fifth Motiue is out of the most Superstitious Romane Doctrine for the Adoration and worshipping of Images Pag. 69. Sixth Motiue is out of diuers obseruations touching sundry superstitious fooleries contradictions and impertinences of the Romane Masse Pag. 86. Seuenth Motiue is out of their most vaine and intollerable Doctrines and abuses touching Indulgences Pag. 119. Eight Motiue is out of their irreligious Doctrine against the vse of the publike Liturgies and Church seruices in knowen tongues pag. 128. Ninth Motiue briefly toucheth their most vnchristian Doctrine of Aequiuocation pag. 137. Tenth Motiue briefly taxeth their tyrannicall denying of Indifferent Reading of holy Scriptures in the vulgar tongues pag. 140. Concerning their wicked Customes and Lawes the Author toucheth onelie a few FIrst the wicked custome and Law by which their Popes strictly forbid that there be any publike commemoration in their Masses for the conuersion of any Infidels Heretikes or excommunicated persons c. or for the temporall prosperity and safety of Soueraignes being by them reputed Heretikes pag. 144. Second hypocriticall law and custome touching their fastings and daies of fasting pag. 148. Third most impure permissiue law for their houses of prostitution euen in Rome it selfe not without great gaine to the Popes Coffers pag. 151. Fourth most vnchristian law that in case of no extremity the venerable Sacrament may bee celebrated without their Massing vestiments altarstones c. and such like humane deuises and institutions pag. 152. Fifth most iniurious law by the which the Laity contrary to the Institution of Christ and practise of all antiquity is debarred of the cup in the most holy and dreadfull Sacrament pag. 153. Sixth vnchristian law is the necessary annexing of the vow of Chastity to all their greater holy orders by occasion of which law the vile impurities of the Romane Cougregation are growne innumerable and inexpressible pag. 154. Touching certaine obseruations out of the Pontifician Spirits FIrst the Author discouereth by diuers notable particulars the disloiall and vnnaturall Spirits of the Ignatian Cheefetaines of the English in the maner of their preaching and their propagation of the Romane Gospell in England pag. 1. alpha 2. Secondly he sheweth in diuers particulars how they doe most shamefully calumniate the Church of England for her Doctrines and her publike Liturgie pag. 13. alpha 2. Thirdly hee sheweth how generally all Pontificians denie consent of Ancient Fathers being produced against diuers points of their nouell Doctrines pag. 20. Fourthly he sheweth how the younger Ignatians doe imitate the vnnaturall and disloiall Spirits of the old pag. 24. In the Conclusion he sheweth more largely both out of Scriptures and Fathers that the Church of Rome notwithstanding her visibility and Conspicuity may Iustly and in respect of her corruptions necessarily ought to be forsaken pag. 32. THE NOVELL AND HERETICALL Rule of the Romane FAITH Diuision of the Motiues THE Sauiour of mankind who hath vouchsafed to illustrate the eyes of him who sate in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death to know his truth will also I hope vouchsafe so to confort him that hee may rather conuert some then confound any of those who call themselues true Iewes and Catholikes which they are not but are indeede only the Synagogues and Congregations of the Bishops of Rome who in a Dictatus Greg. 7. apud Baron anno 1175. As Bell. admitteth Papa properly signifieth a Father that begetteth children and therfore all begotten of him and to him are denominated of him Papists Gregorie the V 11. did first of all by decree assume vnto themselues excluding all other Priests and Bishops from that name Papa the name of Fathers of the whole Church to wit to be only called Papae from which name all their children by denomination are called Papists rather then from Christ Christians which Papae Fathers also somewhat before that time at that time and now also doe peremptorily challenge to bee the only Vniuersall Catholike and immediate Pastours and Fathers of all who do b Ad Rom. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greek preposition signifieth properly as much as the Latine preposition pro for so taken Math. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Math. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in composition it signifieth properly for insteed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In some words of composition it signifieth also opposition as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is also in such a signification to be indifferētly vsed according to the naturall signification of the word inuocate the name of
illis libitum licitum Whatsoeuer liketh them is lawull with them if it be to hoyse vp the Popes soueraigntie First this rule is against the practise of all the u Hierosolimit sub Iacobo â—cen Constantin Eph. Calced Sinod 5. 6. 7. 8. saepe Ancient and Primitiue Church which euer in occasion of controuersies recurred to the doctrine of the Scriptures declared by the generall voice and testimonie of the whole Church by her Bishops Priests and other learned men pronouncing defining out of Gods holy word which was alwaies laid before them being assembled in the general Councels so the eight first generall which the Popes themselues with oath professe to receiue although few of them keepe their oath yea the Apostles themselues who all had infallibility by vertue of their Apostleship of not erring in matters of faith to giue an example to succeeding ages would by common consent and authoritie of the Christian Church not otherwise by Peters sole authority decree and define out of the word of God for out of it x Act. 15 Peter himselfe bringeth allegations for his doctrine touching the controuersie then risen at Antioch about the obseruation of the legall lawes and ceremonies of the old Testament which their example was euer followed as necessary till of latter times when Popes haue presumed to define by themselues alone hauing before made some small Consistorian consultation with which this their prodigious position is in some sort by some y Some of the Ignatians doe idly bring the heresies of Pelagius and the Priscillianists to haue beene onely condemned by the Popes of Rome but this against all histories which mention the condemning of the same heresies by sundrie Councels throughout the whole Church Baron in his Annals Genebrard in Chrono few of themselues colored For scarce any hold it absolutely necessarie And here I aske the aduersarie whether that Axiome receiued by al reiected by none God and Nature doe nothing in vaine and that other In vaine are many things required to doe that which as well or better may be done by fewer may not take place in this question touching the infallible power of defining and decreeing I thinke none so impudent an idiote as to denie it Againe I demaund whether those most reuerend Fathers of the first foure generall Councels which Saint Gregorie equalleth with the Gospell although the manner of his speech be not herein to be imitated and of other later Councels did know these principles and Axiomes and did withall beleeue this Romane rule of faith to wit That the Pope alone had infallible authoritie to define and declare faith and that Christ prayed onely and was heard onely for Peter and his successors that they might neuer erre in faith as the z Rhemist annota in Luc. 22. Rhemists do most heretically teach if they did so why did they not send al their doubts which did so shake the whole Christian world with such horrible commotions and contentions to the Popes of those times Siluester Damasus Lco c. and receiue from themas from Iudges of faith the Oracles of Gods mouths so termed by a Coquae contra Premonit Reg. Coquaeus and Lessius his equiuocating b Recapitulater pa. 13. 32. 56. recapitulater and as the vnappellable determinations of all their doubts In so doing infinite charges many contentions would haue bene auoided and as for scandall none could haue followed because both all those Fathers and the whole Christian Church with them if it please you to beleeue the Pontificians who would so perswade vs did then beleeue and teach that the Popes were the infallible Oracles of God the onely inerrable Iudges in controuersies of Faith and al-though ancient Priests and Bishops perhaps reputed themselues his Senators and Counsellers yet they thought also that they could adde nothing to his infallibilitie But alas good Constantine Theodosius Martian and other Emperors knew not this faith who were at such great charges to summon and assemble those ancient and thrice reuerend Councels Nay Pope Leo himselfe who taketh inough to the Sea of Rome and ioyneth c Epist 89. Peter into the societie of the indiuiduall vnitie to wit of the blessed Trinitie held generall Councels necessary for determining of faith and setling of the peace of the Chtistian Church Read c Leo. epist 24. 23. 26. him Christian Reader in diuers of of his Epistles written to the Emperour Empresse and Cleargie of Constantinople and as thou shalt sinde so iudge Secondly thus I argue Three e Sinod 6. Act. 12. 13. 16. 17. 18 Sinod 7. Act. 7. Sinod 8. Act. 7. generall Councels with diuers Popes as Agatho f Leo. 2. in epist ad Constant Leo g Adrian in Sinad Romae congregata and Theod. Patriar with his councell at Hieru-salem Adrian did condemne yea the Councels accursed and execrated Honorius Pope for a dogmaticall and hereticall Epistle by which he laboured to infect the two Patriarkes of Constantinople and Alexandria with the heresie of Monothelites Can any one then be so frontlesse as to thinke that those Fathers and Popes did beleeue that the Bishoppes of Rome might not bee as they were Bishoppes of that See heretikes or teach hereticall doctrines in their decretall Epistles And the holy Ghost to be so infallibly chained to them that they could not endeuour to infect the whole Church who rather will not thus argue and thus inferre Three generall Councels the which with the fiue other ancienter all Popes at their entrances into the Papacie doe or ought to sweare inuiolably to keepe according to their owne Canons with diuers Popes all antiquitie all later best Pontifician Hâ—storians till h Pigh lib. 4. cap. 8. Hier. Pighius led Bellarmine and Baronius the way to call the matter in queston for which i Canus lib. 6. Canus and k Bannes in 2.2 Bannes scornefully reproue him did accurse or condemne Honorius for a Monothelite heretike Ergo Paule the fifth who is not fuller of Gods Spirit then his predecessor Honorius was in his late l Breue Paul 5. interpreted by the Recapitu later pag. 32. breefe ex Cathedra out of the chaire defining himselfe to haue power to depose Princes and to dispose of Kingdomes may erre and be an heretike as without all doubt he is because contrary to Christs m Matth. 22. institution he assumeth power to forbid Caesars due to be giuen vnto him For what is more due to a Caesar then fidelity and allegeance of subiects but the doctrine of Christ forsooth is expounded and the heresie cleared for he forbiddeth not obedience to Caesars so long as they are Caesars but because he can vncaesar them and vnking them therefore no longer Caesars no longer kings no longer obedience So answered * C. 8. 22. Bellarmine against Doctor Barkly so blundering Coquaeus against his Maiesties Apologie Thirdly was there euer any ancient true Christian Catholike who
had beene an infallible assembly it selfe it must necessarily follow that all those who pertinaciously follow him heerein are to bee accounted pertinacious Heretikes Heretofore Christians were taught that holy Scriptures expounded by the Vniuersall and Generall voice of the Church were the rule of faith and accordingly all agreeing in this rule they were called Catholikes but this rule being left by Popes and the infallibility being giuen to them by their followers thereupon worthily of Popes the heads of their faith they haue beene and are called Pontificians and Papists I may iustly thinke that vpon beleefe of this rule some late Pontificians haue plainely graunted to me that the Christians of these times are bound to beleeue explicitly and expresly somewhat which the Apostles themselues and the Primitiue Christians did not expresly and in explicit termes beleeue An example at first was graunted in transubstantiation it selfe but vpon better consideration denyed againe but when I roundly vrged them to shew me where or how in explicit or equiualent termes transubstantiation was beleeued in the Apostles times because they faltered in their answeres and defences our conference ended to no small comfort of my soule so lately deliuered out of the Aegyptian seruitude The Aduersaries seeme to produce diuers authorities to proue infallibility of iudgement in the Pope but in truth they force not Ouerthrow two and the rest fall of themselues I will take a little paines with these two The first of them is taken out of ſ Math. 16. St. Mathew where the Euangelist bringeth in Christ thus speaking of St. Peter vpon his confessing of Christs diuinitie Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. Thou art a Rocke and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it There the aduersarie triumpheth saying it is cleare that Christ builded his Church vpon Peter for by those wordes this Rocke Peter is most expresly designed I will not now stand to confute this exposition by the authorities of Scriptures and testimonies of some ancient Fathers who with St. Austen expound those wordes this Rocke for Christ the Rocke whom Peter had confessed and from whom Peter had his name as t In sacro eloquio c. In holy Writ when the word Rock is put in the singular number who else is signified but Christ Paul witnessing but the Rocke was Christ but when rocks are so called in the plurall number then holy men are signified which are cōfirmed by his strength Greg. apud Pater in 1. ad Cor. Aug. tract vltim in Ioh in Retractationib ' Chrysoft homil 55. in Math. Greg. in Psal Paenit super illud initio tu Domine Isidor lib. 7. Etym c. 9. St. Gregorie and St. Austen expound it or else of Peters confession and faith Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God as u Theophil in Math. 16. Hilardo Trin. lib. 2. The Papists will not by any meanes in the words of consecration of the Sacrament this is my body admit the demonstratiue article this to demonstrate the bread which Christ taking into his handes giuing thankes broke and deliuered saying take eate this is my body the cause is because if the article this doe demonstrate Bread which cannot possibly be Christs true body no more then his body can bee true bread then they should be constrained to admit of a sacramentall presence only of Christs body in the Sacrament which they cannot abide but here the article this must needes demonstrate the person of Peter because it maketh for their Popes supremacies Theophilactus expoundeth it but I will only demand at this present how they can violently against the nature of the demonstratiue article this draw it vnto Peters person who in the same proposition of Christ to him was designed by the article demonstratiue thou as though thou and this in one proposition when one person is spoken vnto must needes both of them demonstrate the very same one person to whom the speech is made and not rather according to the nature of the pronounes demonstratiue one of them to wit thou demonstrate the person to whom the speech is made and the pronounce this to demonstrate the thing or person of whom the speech was made before I put a familiar example Iohn hath two sonnes Thomas and William he calleth his eldest sonne Thomas with his brother vnto him demanding a question or two of him and withall discourseth of his yonger brothers wit and capacitie for learning To which his eldest Sonne accordingly answereth that his brother is indeede witty and fit for the Vniuersitie To which his Father replying saith Thomas thou art my eldest sonne and shalt inherite my liuing and this sonne I will send to the Vniuersitie there to make profit in learning what might Thomas conceaue vpon this speech that hee should bee sent to the Vniuersitie and not rather his brother William many like comparisons might bee made by which it would appeare that the demonstratiue article this being vnderstood personally doth not demonstrate the person to whom but rather the person of whom the speech was made Againe manifest it is that Christ built his Church vpon that Rocke against which the gates of hell should neuer preuaile But if the wordes this Rocke bee applyed not only to Peter but also to his Successours themselues cannot denie but that the gates of hell haue often preuailed against many of those stones or rockes to the ruine and perdition of innumerable soules As against Boniface the 8. Siluester the 2. Iohn the 12. Stephen the 6. I am assured x Platina in vitis Platina will not sticke to auouch so much in effect of two Bonifaces the 7. and 8. and of Siluester the 2. and y Genebrard in Chronol lib 4. saeculo 10. ad ann 107. alias saepe Genebrard a most furious enemy against the reformed Churches doth boldly pronounce that diuers Popes were rather Apostaticall then Apostolicall and that they came not in the right way by election but through the backe-dore by intrusion What z Baron ann Baronius himselfe recounteth of the Monster Stephen 6. one of their Popes how he abused the body of his Predecessour Formosus arraining it condemning it cutting off his fingers and casting the body into Tiber and in a Synode gathered euen in Rome that See and Rocke which cannot erre as it pleaseth our Aduersaries he decreed all such as had beene ordained by Formosus to be reordained againe Of Iohn the 12. this Cardinall cannot write bitterly enough and yet he inueigheth against Otho the first renowned and worthy Emperour and the whole Clergie of Rome who in a Synode gathered in Rome the infallible Sea deposed that monster Iohn and placed in his steede Leo a worthy man But to make hast for of like examples of Apostaticall Popes much might be said I doe in good earnest aske of any of Baronius his profession whether the gates of hell preuailed
ego pono in Sion lapidem c. Behold I put in Sion an approued a corner stone and a precious one laid in the foundation This prophecy although S. Peter b 1. Peâ— 2. most expresly expoundeth it of Christ himselfe yet Bellarmine in his dictates would needs haue it to be vnderstood of Peter not of Christ His profound reason is forsooth because the c Isai 28. Prophet addeth of this stone that it must be in fundamento fundatus founded in the foundation that is laid in the foundation which may not be vnderstood of Christ but fitly of Peter founded vpon Christ So Bellarmine but in his d Bellar in praesat in lib. de pont Rom. printed Preface he hath somewhat mended the matter for he is content to vnderstand principally this prophecie of Christ secondarily of Peter so that Christ and Peter must still ranke together Christ principally but Peter secondarily Baronius in his Voto against the Venetians to Paul the 5. in Consistory publikely applied to him to be the stone vpon which e Matth. 21. whosoeuer falleth saith the holy Ghost shall be bruised and vpon whomsoeuer it falleth it shall breake them in peeces but alas the Cardinall failed the Pope in his Prophecie for by his sentences of excomcommunications interdicts c. he did so little bruise the Venetians who so constantly opposed against him that The manner of the Venetians reconcilement with the Pope for which the Ignatians euerywhere exclaim against that state onely they are warie before whom they could not by any meanes be brought to make any submission for any offence imputed to them or to acknowledge any fault so that at the last the Pope was contented to accept of a shew of submission made to him by some third persons and as it is reported suborned also by the court of Rome thereunto and so with his honour to be reconciled vnto them againe a notable example for posterity against the vsurpations of Popes I could here more enlarge my discourse to shew how Bellarmine Sanders Baronius Stapleton do all they can and labour earnestly though most vnsouÌ„dly to bring all ChristiaÌ„s to that pernicious perswasioÌ„ faith to wit that it is not inough according to f Decretal Bonifa 8. vnam sanctam Bonifaces decree for their saluations to be in communion with the Catholike Church dispersed through the world and with the head thereof Christ Iesus vnlesse they be in actual communion and blind obedience to the Bishop of Rome as the onely one and supreme head of the visible Church It is a sufficient assecurance for my conscience that according to the sense of ancient Church it is against S. g 1. Cor. cap. 1. Pauls expresse doctrine who in his Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s doth most grieuously reproue all such as went about to make a speciall ioyning either with Peter Paul or Apollo nothing herein differencing S. Peter from Apollo or himselfe doubtlesse he was nothing acquainted with the present necessary subiection and vnion to the Bishops of Rome the pretended onely successors of Saint Peter But rather he instructed and most earnestly h Jhidem commaunded all Christians to acknowledge Chrâ—st Iesus for their onely head of whom they were named in whose name they were baptised and who onely was for them crucified dead and buried risen againe to life Surely if Saint Paul did beleeue such a necessary headship in the Bishops of Rome doubtlesse his faith therein was onely implicit for his expresse doctrine is against it but I dare heere boldly saie that if per impossibile by an impossibilitie such a headship in the Popes had beene respected in the Primitiue Churches yet later Popes are now so degenerate from what their predecessors were into all most abhominable and tirannicall conuersations to the corruption of faith against the temporalty and spiritualty that Gods infinite mercy would excuse such who to giue them most iust cause and motiues to ranke themselues in their owne degrees should leaue their communion with them and adhere onely to Iesus Christ to whom vpon him onely resting with King i Psal 118. Dauid I humbly complaine tempus faciendi domine dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time O Lord to doe for they haue dissipated and and broken thy law The second Motiue THus they hauing most egregiously erred in coÌ„stituting a false rule of their faith to support the present Roman profession to the same end they haue perniciously depraued the true rule of faith by adding to the sacred word of God such bookes as antiquity worthily reiected for Apocriphall that is of doubtfull vncertaine authority not fit to confirme and proue the dogmaticall doctrines and articles of Christian faith thereby distinguishing them from the Canonicall Scriptures Gods infallible word Such are k Hieron in Prolog Galeat Epiph. lib. de mensur August de ciuit dei lib. 18. cap. 36. Athanas in Sinop Epipha haere 8. 76. esteemed accounted the books of Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Toby the Machabies all such like doubtfull parts of Chapters of the old Testament as by neither the Iews before nor in Christs time nor in the Nicene Laodicenc Councels nor ancient Fathers purposely setting down and defining the Canons of holy Scripture were euer receiued into the Canon 1 Con. Nice Laodic in Cano. de Canonicis scripturis Hieron epist 10. 115. Joseph contra Appto lib. 1 Russin de Simbol Apost and rule of Christian Faith Against this their deuised rule it is most easily and manifestly shewed that considering the Iewish Synagogue when it was the true Church of God receiued not these bookes into their Canon wee ought not to receiue them hauing no new reuelations for them nor no better warrant then they had especially considering that the Septuaginta interpreters who tooke vpon them to interpret all the bookes of Gods word to Ptolomeus neglected them Christ and his Apostles neuer cited any thing out of any of them as they did out of the other Scriptures And further the thrice reuereÌ„d Fathers of the Nicene Councell and those worthies of the Councell of Laodicea both which Councells were celebrated in the East nearer the place and time where and when Christs Church might best informe her selfe which were the bookes of Sacred Scripture reiected and cashired them out of sacred Canon of holy Scripture Neither is there any new reuelation for them now nor any iust cause why the Pope and Pontificians should be so eager to put them into Canon of Scripture but for that they seeme in some places contrary to the vndoubted Scriptures to fauor some of their vaine and corrupt doctrines as of Purgatorie Praier for the Dead Merits of good workes c. As for * The contra dictioÌ„ betwixt the 5. châ—pter of Iudith and the 10. â—â—irreconcilable so manâ—â—est that the same euinceth the author of the same booke not to bee the holy Ghost who caÌ„not lie See
being therevnto vrged by manifest truth and reason that it is not enough for them vpon their bare wordes to affirme this or that is a tradition Apostolicall or this or that is a doctrine Apostolicall because it is now generally obserued through out all those Churches which communicate with the Bishop of Rome no though at such times when there was no notorious or famous Church on earth to oppose against her and whereof no expresse beginning can bee shewed vnlesse they can withall for such their Traditions ascending vpwards euen vnto the Apostles times or the dayes of their immediate Successors and Schollers clearly and soundly deduct by graue testimonies of Ancient and Catholike authours that such thinges were euer more or lesse obserued and receiued as from the Apostles themselues throughout the Church of Christ if they will refuse this honorable triall of their Traditions and stand only vpon this idle answere and defence that the Church Romane now generally hath them and there is no beginning of them to bee shewed ergo they are Apostolicall they shall shew themselues to be meere wranglers wilfully wedded to most corrupt errours as I will most clearly demonstrate And herein I dare boldly challenge being most confident of this truth any Pontifician whatsoeuer be he Benedictine Fransciscan or Ignatian to shew me some ancient sufficient authority out of Councels or ancient Fathers that whatsoeuer might be obserued or should bee obserued in the later times of the Romane Church whereof no expresse beginning could be shewed should be therfore accounted Apostolicall because generally obserued in her g Epist 118. ad Ianuar. St. Austen indeede is vrged by the Aduersaries to affirme so much of some vnwritten Traditions in his time generally obserued throughout the whole Church but St. Austen is misvnderstood and his rule commonly cited not without corruption misvnderstood because his rule is of such Traditions whereof although nothing is written in holy Scripture yet they are mentioned in approued Authours and Historians more or lesse from the Apostles daies till his times besides great is the difference of 1200. yeares for so long is the time from St. Austens daies to vs for carrying downe of Traditions from the Apostles and in so many ages many thinges vnapostolicall h See Onuphr Genebrard and Platina supra pag. 3. might creepe into particular Churches and consequently into the whole whereof no certaine beginning might be shewed Againe St. Austens rule is commonly mis-cited For whereas that Father writeth thus in effect in his Epistle to i Epist 118. Ianuarius If the authority of diuine Scripture prescribe in any of these rites and ceremonies what is to bee done I I cite not the expresse words of the Father because editions are so different but all haue thus in effect answere there is no doubt to be made but that wee must doe as we reade the like I say if any of these rites which we obserue and the whole Church throughout the world at this present time obserueth for to dispure that we should doe otherwise were insolent madnesse but the Aduersaries commonly when they cite this place leaue out first what he writeth in the beginning of the sentence touching the authority of Scriptures Againe they leaue out commonly those words which restraine his meaning to his daies And in Saint Austens time it is manifest that the Christian Churches were not so diuided as since his times they haue beene and withall that a little before his time the generall Councels of Nice and Sardica had ordered most things and brought many things to light and yet notwithstanding this rule it is well knowne how Saint S. Aust in the same Epistle pronounceth that Christ instituted very few ceremonies Epist 118. Austen complained against multiplicitie of rites and ceremonies brought into diuers particular Churches in his daies wherewith the Christians were more heauily clogged then the ancient Iewes had beene vnder Moses which if it were euer true then it is now amongst the Pontificians most true who haue from their Popes some 1000 of rites and haue also innuerable lawes binding vnder the censure of their curses and heauiest excommunications and so frequently that a man may iustly suppose that there are few of that profession who are not more or lesse touched It is not credible to what number their Excommunications are growne since their tyranical vse of them See Nauar. Man cap. 27. num 50. by their lesser or greater excommunications his holinesse onely excepted who will be bound to no lawes no not to those which he sweareth inuiolably to keepe â—e being indeed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exlex iniqnus outlaw which Saint k 2. Thes 2. Paul hath prophecied should sit in the Temple of God as I will more fully declare hereafter But I will demonstrate that there are diuers practises and customes obserued throughout their Roman Church vniuersally wherof no beinning can be shewed which themselues wil not dare to affirme to be Apostolicall and so their rule by their owne confessions shall to the ground First is it not an vniuersall though impious practise throughout the Pontifician Church to paint God the Father in the forme of an old man and God the holy Ghost in the forme of a Doue by the same not onely to represent two persons of the most inenarrable and inexpressible Trinitie but also by the same and in the same to adore and worship those two infinite Persons what will they or can they shew me when this custome prâ—cisely began No I wis what must it therefore be a tradition Apostolicall it were impudencie or meere ignorance so to affirme and I thinke there is none of them as yet so shamelesse as to affirme it Nouell I am assured it is vtterly forbidden by the ancient Fathers of the sixt l Sinod 6. Cano. 82. generall Councell reputed an impudent thing by worthy Iohn m Damas Orthodox sid lib. 4. â—ap 17. Sinod Nicen. 2. act 4. 5. 6. 7. Damascene reputed a renowned Saint in their Church and a famous Patrone for the vse of other Images and by their Italian n Polid. lib. de inuentor Polidore Virgil accounted meere folly and which of their own men o Abulens Lira Alij commenting vpon the fourth of Exodus do not more or lesse condemne it and yet now the present Romane Church is so generally infected thereby with the leprosie of superstitious Idolatry that no man whose heart is zealous of Gods honour cannot seeing it but lament therefore Of this kinde also is the prostrate adoring of the Crucifixe it selfe vpon good Friday generally obserued throughout the Romane Church Can their best antiquarie amongst them shew me a beginning hereof no God wot what is it therefore a tradition Apostolicall shame will not suffer them to affirme it To this I adioyne their most Catholike and vaine custome of adorning their Images like as the old Paynims adorned Venus Iuno Ceres their vaine Gods
detested Whereas y Lib. 4. epist 38. S. Gregory in a learned discourse writing against the Patriarke of Constantinople Iohn who claimed to bee vniuersall Bishop of the Church and had procured Maurice the Emperour to write to Saint Gregory for the same purpose sheweth that Christ is onely head of his Church and that there is no other head but hee adding much to that purpose he adioyneth thus Certe Potrus Apostolus primum membrum sanctoe c. Certainly Peter the Apostle the first member of the holy Vniuersall Church Paul Andrew Iohn what else are they but heads of particular people and yet notwithstanding they are all members of the Church vnder one head and that I may bind vp all within a short compasse of speech the Saints before the Law Saints vnder Law Saints vnder Grace all these perfiting one body of our Lord are all placed in the members of the Church and no one would euer haue himselfe called vniuersall Thus farre hee with much more in that Epistle the which whosoeuer shall reade if hee respect Saint Gregories authority confirming his doctrine also out of Scriptures it is not possible hee should beleeue the present Romane Monarchy How then thou wilt demand can Doctour Stapleton find any thing in this very Epistle for the Popes exorbitant supremacy he hath found somwhat yea in this very sentence by me cyted but he hath vsed a certaine figure called of addition by thrusting into the text as he citeth it the word Petro Peter And maketh Saint Gregory speake thus Truly Peter is the first member of the Vniuersall Church Paul Andrew and Iohn what are they else but of singular flocks heads and yet all vnder one head Peter are members of the Vniuersall Church Thus hee Some Dowists and precise Pontificians will perhaps say it is not possible that learned Stapleton should so corrupt this auncient Father let such take paines to examine z Grego lib 4. epist 38. Staple principia doctrina lib 6. c. 8. and then iudge as they find I could shew also how he corrupteth by subtracting but that vpon some other occasion I must needs confesse when I reade this egregious corruption in him that I resolued neuer to trust Pontifician doctour againe without triall citing any sentence for the Popes monarchie It is not imaginable what suppositious books haue bene obtruded vpon the world to support this declining Monarchy but ruet ruet it will fall it will fall and God graunt it may rather be ruinated Lino as an auncient Sibile prophecyed that is with paper to wit learned books rather then with fire sword famine cold as the Sibill Delphicke prophecied vnder Romulus raigning and Rome triumphing and according as Saint Iohn a Apoc. cap. 18. hath fore-prophecied in his Reuelation I cannot now stand prolixly to ouerthrow b See for this purpose Cusanus concoâ—d Cathol lib. 2. ca. 20. and Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 25 26. especially consider how the Councell of Chalcedon in the 16. action did most resolutely oppose against the Pope their decree hath preuailed this ambitious Monarchy of the Popes by the decrees and constitutions of auncient and later Councels of Nice of Constantinople the first and eight of Chalcedon of Sardica Carthage Constance Basile and by vniforme consent practise of the Greeke Church I will therefore heere onely adioyne somwhat concerning the other branch of this my motiue to wit the Popes arrogant and persumptuous claime c Bulla Pij 5. in Elizabet Clemen 7. in Henri 8. Clement 8. in Henric. 4. Franc. Sixti Quinti c. ouer Princes and kingdomes wherin he assumeth that honour and power which was neuer giuen him by Christ the mysterie of which iniquity hath wrought so powerfully in these latter Popes to fulfill the prediction of d 2. Thess 2. Saint Paul that the Romane Empire according to the exposition of the ancient e August 20. de ciuit 19. Tertul lib. de resurrect carnis Hieron epist ad AlgasiaÌ„ q. 11. in Danielem Aeneas Sâ—luius lib. de ortu Roman Imperij Irenae Theod. Bellarminus lib. 3. de Roma Pont. Ribera viegas in Apoc. Chrisost Amb. Theoph. Primas in 2. ad Thessal 2. fathers was not to be taken away vntill a certaine Antichrist should come I said a certaine Antichrist not because there shall bee onely onely one in number or person but to distinguish him from some other kinds of Antichrists described in some places of the Reuelation and other parts of holy Scripture but then at his comming the empire must De medio fieri be done or taken out of the way but whether it shall be taken out of the waie by the direct meanes of Antichrist or not the Scriptures do not expresly affirme it some of the Fathers yea the Rhemists doe incline to thinke so and doubtlesse it is most probable that the holy Ghost meant so because he maketh the standing of the Romane Empire to be a let and hindrance against the comming of that man of sin Antichrist which f 2. Thess 2. is here prophecied by the Apostle the which thing if it be true it cannot possibly be auoided but that the later Popes be that Antichrist of which the Apostle heere foretelleth who mounted not to their perfect height of iniquity vntill the Romane Empire was made out of the way which was done by them as I will anone shewe For my part I doe very resolutely affirme that whosoeuer shall haue taken the Romane Empire out of the way and shall haue made himselfe the direct or indirect supreame Monarch of the world and withall shall sit in the temple of God that is shall challenge onely to sitte without peere and equall in the vniuersall Church of Christ to Teach all Gouerne all Censure all Command all and necessarily not to be taught censured or corrected by any whatsoeuer The Popes extoll theÌ„selues neither the triple crown nor adoration was first freely giueÌ„ but exacted by themselues that this must needs be the man of sinne the sonne of perdition the outlaw or man without law who extolleth himselfe aboue all that is called God marke extolleth himselfe or that is worshipped Now whereas it is manifest that the Popes by their practise and decrees doe challenge the later to wit the spirituall Monarchy and vniuersall supremacy in the chaire of Gods temple yet they haue not perhaps professedly by decrees challenged to be the supreme direct monarchs of the whole World in temporals I said perhaps for the decrees g Alexander the 6. his decree of diuiding the East and West Indies which he pretendeth to doe ex plenitudine potestatis and gratuito out of the fulnesse of his power frankly Bonif. 8. his decree vnam sanctaÌ„ and his Epistle to Kâ—ng Philp the faire a king of France Leo 10. as Petrarâ—h reporteth him lib. de rebus me mâ—randâ—s gaue the kingdome of Saracens to Sanctius who required him wih the Caliphship of
Priests within this Kingdome To go on let vs consider the adorations and acclamations which are giuen him being mounted vpon mens shoulders with a triple crowne vpon his head which he weareth as some affirme to signifie his absolute Soueraignty in all matters temporall and Spirituall others to represent that hee is vpon Earth insteede and Vicary of the most infinite Maiesty of the Father Son and holy Ghost but alasse heere is a difference they three haue but one crowne the Pope hath three but that is answered thus as there is a vnity in Trinity so heer is a vnity of a crowne in a Trinity of Crowns others say it representeth the three Crowns which the now pretended Romane Emperour receaueth at three speciall cities of the Empire one of Iron in Apuisgrane one of Siluer at Milane another of Gold at Rome if so may I not iustly call it an image of the last beast an Image because it representeth what he aymeth at and hath not yet fully gotten in his possession an image because it representeth what the glory of the Romane Empire was as beeing the last Empire and most glorious concluding as it were the three former of the Assirians Persians Grecians in one I said of the beast because as the other auncient Monarchyes of the Assirians Persians Grecians were z Dan. cap. 7. 8. described by the holy Prophets in the formes of beasts not in respect of their temporall Soueraignety and power which was sacred and holy but for that they should set vp Idolatry and should wickedly or impurely gouerne their Monarchies so also was the Romane Empire for the same respect described by the fourth beast as in like sort vnder diuers formes of beasts shee is described in the reuclation of S. Iohn and if the Roman bishop may be caled an Image of the beast I leaue the reader to make the consequences out of many places of the Reuelation of S. Iohn One thing I note how that in the dredfull a Apocalip 13. persecutions afflictions of Christs Church none shall bee permitted either to buy or to sell who haue not either the image or Character or the number of the name of the beast what is the Image but the Popes supreme Romane monarchy what the Character but the oath or promise of obedience to him what the number of his name but * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine linglish signifieth Roman hath the number 666. So the learned affirme also that the worde in Hebrew signifying Romā hath the same number Romane which is now the only mark of the saithfull among the Pontificians more esteemed then Christian and it is so prouided by the most vigilant industry of the Bishop of Rome whersoeuer he ruleth what by his excomunications interdicts suspensions c. That no man can either buy or sell or haue temporal or spiritual commerce who adoreth not the image or hath not the character or the number of the name of the beast But to returne to the Pope mounted vpon mens shoulders with a triple crowne vpon his head and with those acclamations from all adoring him vpon their knees liue holy Father liue holy Father expecting also remissions and indulgences of their sinnes in Purgatorie for the same meeting and honorable attending vpon him can any man say be is not adored yea he is adored sitting yea and sitting in the temple yea the temple of God if Saint Peters Church in Rome be Gods or if the Romane Sea and Church be Gods Yea and if Saint Markes Church in Venice be Gods he was adored there when he sitting the famous Fredericke and one of the most renowned Emperors came prostrate vnto him kissed his foot which submissiue action when he was doing ambitious Alexander not the great but the third set his foote vpon his necke in a most contemptuous manner this Historie although both Baronius Bellarmine and Parsons for very shame would denie it yet it is most certaine for besides approued d Nauclerus generat 40. anno 1177. Iustinia lib. 2. rerum venet Massonius in Alexandro 3. Hieron Bardus la lib. de hac historia edito where he citeth many Pontisician historians for the same Historians which mention it the same is also painted in tho Popes pullace at Rome in the very next roome to the old chappell it is also to be seene painted in Venice in one of their Councell roomes and if any of them be now lately defaced they haue but the fortunes of Papisse Ioanes pictures wher of one was remoued lately out of the Church of Sienna by Clement the eight his commaundement as c Baron epist ad Florimond apud eundem Baronius ioyfully writeth to Florimond the other by Pius the fifth in Rome and cast into Tiber to remoue the memory of the feminine Pope although some shamefully doe affirme that Sixtus the fifth remoued it because it was a let to his building But to proceed as he was adored in Gods Church in Venice so wheresoruer he sitteth he is adored by all either suppliants to him or his attendants Furthermore out of their f Lib. 1. ceremonial ceremoniall booke heare a little more for his adoration whether you be Princes or people that you may know how to behaue your selues when you shall meete the Pope Soueraigne Kings and absolute Princes themselues if they chance to be with the Pope must haue their seats so placed that they may sit not equally by the Popes side but as it were towards his feete he must not rise vp to Princes when they come to him to the Emperor onely after reuerence if so much done vnto him he must rise a little to honour thereby the Emperour and must also giue him his hand to kisse and further if he be to be carried vpon mens shoulders if any Princes be present they must make offer and a seeming to beare him vpon their shoulders O yee heauens be desolated what is not this man adored sitting and sitting in the temple The Laterane g Sess 3. 10. Councell vnder Leo saith that the Pope is to be adored of all people because he is most like God called therefore by h Prefat ad Gregor 13. in princip doctrinal Stapleton supremum in terris numen the supreame Godhead or diuinitie vpon earth and by a certaine Neapolitane in his Theses vice-deus a Vice-God and his power called the Pontifician omnipotency and by the i Extrauagant Ioh. 22. cum inter See lib. ceremoni Sect. 7. lib. 1. August Steuchus-sepissime de donat constantini Our most holy Lord our most blessed Father his holinesse See the Canon of Pope Nicholas cap. omnes dist 22. glosse vpon the extrauagant Dominus Deus noster our Lord God the Pope which glosse Parsons did ignorantly often denie to be found vpon the extrauagants Histories are full fraught with such relations of adorations and most adulatorious Epithites giuen to his Holinesse the proper name and calling now
commaundement yet because they must deliuer a decalogue of Gods commaundements ten in number they haue diuided the last as hauing most words in it into two in which diuision although they pretend Saint Austen for them yet the whole streame of orher Fathers some doubt is onely made of Dionise of Alexandria is against them therein who all otherwise deliuer and expound the same I vrge them not so much for their diuision as for that they being so continually reproued for this their abuse yet they will not * Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen thing nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or the earth beneath thou shalt not bow downe to thē nor worship them for I thy Lord God am a iealous God c. set these words downe in their Catechismes at least as a part of the first commaundement that such simple persons as by them are forbidden to read the Scriptures might at least be instructed the law of God in their Catechismes who conceiueth not what is the cause of this truly their horrible and Paganish abuse of making and worshipping Gods pictures which they would not haue discouered to the simple and ingenuous Papist But how doe these prophane Pagane Philosophers Diuines and Christians I dare not herein cal them defend themselues from the sinne of Idolatrie Iustly as c Dio. Chrisost or at 12. de prima dei cognit maxi Tir. serm 38. Lamprid. in Alexand. see Austen in Fsal 113. Dio Chrisostomus Maximus Tyrius Mercurius Trismegistus Lampridius and other heathenish Philosophers did defend themselues against the ancient Christians obiecting vnto them idolatrie in their Image and Idoll-worshipping an Idoll and an Image adored is all one For as they said summum primum maximum c. We worship and adore the chiefest first greatest God creator of all things and conseruer of all things in and by the Images of gold siluer and ebonie not as though they did beleeue those Images to be God himselfe but the representations onely of him euen so do our Pontificians excuse themselues The Tridentine Fathers in their f Catechis Trident in expos primi praecepti See Ferus in 17 Act. Apost Caietan in 3. q. 25. art 3. Catechisme doe seeme to acknowledge that the wisest Ethniks did set diuers of their Images to represent the true God and that the Iewes also did by their golden Calfe which they worshipped represent the true God of Israel which also most clearly agreeth with holy Scripture where Aaron saith that the g Exod. 32. feast which he appointed hauing dedicated an Altar for the golden Calfe was a feast instituted to Iehona the same also was done and professed to be done by Micheas his mother h Iudg. 17. who protested of the siluer whereof she had made her Idoll she had sanctified it to Iehonah And truly it is a matter so cleare in the old Panims that there is scarce any ancient i Eusebius in l. b. de praeparat Euang. soepe Var ro apud August de ciuit lib. 7. Sceuola apud eundem ibidem lib. 4. Plato in Phoedon Iudaei in Egypto apud Ierem. cap. 44. Historian with Eusebius who deliuereth not their Pontificianlike excuses for their adorations of Images when the anciēt Christians obiected Idolatry to them So these men Vasques Cajetane Paliot Nauar Zuares Valentia acknowledge that they giue diuine honour to the Images of Christ but they commit not idolatrie forsooth because they do not giue their worship to Images as to Gods or for that they beleeue any diuinitie to be in them but this their excuse maketh them more inexcusable as k Ionas Aurel. lib. de cultu imagin Ionas Aurelianēsis worthily sheweth because not esteeming them as Gods nor beleeuing any diuinitie to be in them yet notwithstanding they yeeld vnto them the same worship as to God himselfe for Gods sake and respect O ye heauens be astonished they bow they adore prostrate groueling vpon the ground to dead Images senselesse papers blockes they burne incense lights and candles to the same and yet forsooth they must not be called Idolaters because they worship God with the Images and all the worship they giue to the Images is for his sake O most crooked metaphisicall conceits Heathenish Philosophie is the parent of most blasphemous idolatrie which is so generally obserued amongst you that there is no Church no Chappell nor priuate Oratorie where you commit not these idolatrous fornications I remember how conformely to this their idolatrous diuinitie the famous Ignatian l Valent. lib. 2. de Idolatria cap. 7. Valentia writeth whose saying I could neuer read without astonishment thus it is Neque absurde profecto putaueres B. Petrum c. Neither shalt thou absurdly thinke blessed m 1. Pet. 4. Peter to haue insinuated some worship of simulachrorum grauen things to wit sacred Images to be lawfull when as he would by name dehort the faithfull from the vnlawfull worships Idolorum of Idols for what * See how this doctrine of Valentia agreeth with sacred Scripture 1. ad Corinth 12. Act. 7. 15. 1. Ioh. 5 where the Latine word fimulachrum is vsed for Images worshipped that is for Idols needed he so determinately to note vnlawfull worshippes simulachrorum of grauen things Images or Idols if he had altogether iudged no worships fimulachrorum of Images or grauen things lawfull Thus farre most absurdly their Morish and Pagane Valentia alas Christian Reader into what extremicie are these men driuen when they will thus depraue Scripture to maintaine their superstitious kinde of image atrie or Idolatrie to be lawfull Their owne consciences tell them that traditions they haue none if they haue I challenge them to produce them n Grego epist 111. lib. 7. ep 9. lib. 9. Saint Gregorie the first hath Traditions for them I wish them to read him and when they shall haue read him I giue them leaue to adore Images if they regard his authoritie I aske them also what tradition Saint o August in Psal 113. epist 119. alias soepe in lib. de ciuitate dei Austen deliuereth commenting vpon the Psalmes and writing to Ianuarius who in the later place hath this saying Precepto primo prohiberi ne quis colat vllam imaginem Dei nisi vnam candem cum ipso videlicet Christum It is forbidden saith he by the first commaundement that any man worship any Image of God himselfe but one and the same with himselfe to wit Christ and heere you see by the way Saint Austens diuision of the tenne commaundements maketh nothing for them whose doctrine is so expresse against all adoration of the Images of God himselfe as nothing can be clearer but belike they will expound him with all the auncient Farhers forbidding the worshipping of Images to wit that they must not be worshipped as Gods themselnes but may be worshipped for Gods sake with diuine honour So most vainly the vaine Ignatian
the Sacrament panem vitae aeternae et calicem salut is aeternae the bread of euerlasting life and the cup of eternall saluation he also desireth God to behold the same sacrifice with a propitious and fauourable countenance like as the sacrifices of Abel Abraham Melchisedech c. The which Priests being of the Law of nature did iustly and necessarily desire God to looke propitiously vpon their sacrifices because they were not perfect with any absolute perfection being only creatures and onely acceptable for the deuotion of the offerers which might bee tainted with sin and imperfection but to say the same of the sacrifice of Christ himself if he were really present and really sacrificed were horrible blasphemy and I demand whether Saint Magdalen kneeling at the foote of the crosse might without sacriledge haue desired God the Father to haue looked downe with a propitious and a fauourable countenance vppon the sacrifice of his infinitely beloued sonne Iesus as he did vpon the sacrifice of Abel to wit a lambe or a sheepe vndoubtedly if Scholasticus beleeued as the Pontificians doe he was an egregious Impostor to ranke the Creator of infinite Maiesty with his creatures and to equalize or compare the sacrifice which was both acceptable and satisfactorious exrigore institiae in the very rigour of Iustice with those imperfect sacrifices of Abel and others which did not nor could not sanctisie the Offerers But further yet in that which followeth he quite ouerthroweth the Papists presence of Christ in the sacrifice for thus he prayeth i Ibid. in Can. Suppliceste Rogamus c. We humbly beseech thee Omnipotent God doe thou commannd these things to be carried by the hands of thy holy Angell vp to thy high Altar into the sight of thy diuine maiesty thus there Here I demaund of them what in their consciences they thinke the Author vnderstood by those words of the praier iube command and haec these things who is heer commanded What Gods speciall Angell Christ himselfe but if you please to vnderstand Saint Michael or some other Angell marke the Consequence Christ himselfe or Saint Michael must carry vp these things either Christ Christ himselfe or Saiut Michael Christ vp to the high Altar before the sight of the diuine Maiesty then what a profound Gramarian was your Scholasticus to call Christ haec these things or else what a Sacrilegious impostor to desire God the Father to command Michael to bring vp and offer vp his infinitely beloued sonne before his Maiesty who euer k Heb. 4. 1. Col. 3. sitteth at his right hand l Rom. 8. making intereession for mankind and all those who seeke to him And if you will vnderstand your demonstratiue Article haec these things of the onely accidents of bread and wine they are in good sooth not worthy carrying so high neither by Christ himselfe nor his Angell Saint Michael Charge not therefore Oye Pontificians Scholasticus with such sacrilegious imaginations had he beleeued as you doe he wold haue prayed either in this or the like sort O most morcifull Father heere before me vpon this Altar lieth onely deere sonne Iesus of infinite dignity and vnspeakeable Maiesty by me sacrificed to thee him in respect of his infinite dignity thou canstinot refuse nor reiect for his sake reiect not refuse not mee thy Priest offering him to thee make me partaker of his graces c. But thou wilt say perhaps Scholasticus did vndoubtedly beleeue Transubstantiation for hee saith that there is a participation of Christs body from the Altar true hee saith so if hee bee not corrupted but what then Christ saide more Eate this is my body know yee not O yee Pontificians that it is a great mysterie It is a Sacrament of the new Testament and as a Sacrament it must be vnderstood vsed practised remember S. m 1. Corin. 10. Paul twice repeating doe this or doe these things in commemoration of me without all question within this space of a 1000. yeares the canon and liturgy of Masse hath beene so often pared clipped that it is hard to say what Scholasticus composed and therfore vnlesse Scholasticus were a contradicting Scholler to himselfe he must needs bee corrupted if in any place of the Canon he seeme to speak for your transubstantiation But I will acquaint thee by the way courteous Reader with a certaine accident when I was writing vpon this very matter in commeth to my Chamber n M. 1. Col. one of the Ancient Priests of this place pretending not to come to conferre but conferring with me perhaps to draw somewhat out of me touching my resolution but he ingenuously confessed to me at last vpon conference that the Apostles did not institute the Canon of the Masse for arguing with him about some other points and about traditios he acknowledged that traditiōs Apostolical must be carried vp hand in hand from Author to Author vntill the Apostles times what then said I thinke you of the Canon of the Masse is it a Tradition Apostolicall yes without all question said hee a tradition Apostolicall shew me then said I how this Canon is carried vp hand in hand from Author to Author from Record to Record till the Apostles times he failed as Bellarmine himselfe must faile for hee could not goe higher then the time of Gregory and yet not authentically and sufficiently to him neither as I easily shewed and so fell downe the Apostolicall Tradition of the Canon but hee replieth for they are resolued to see and not to see yea but the Doctrine of the Canon was a tradition Apostolicall and may bee carried vp to the Apostles times where said I find you then the eleuation and transubstantiation mentioned in or before Saint Gregories time or in Saint Gregory himselfe I came not to reason said hee well then I replied at least you graunt that the very sorme of the Canon as it is now vsed in the Romane Church cannot be carried vp from record to record from Author to Author vntill the Apostles time he ingenuously granted it and so fell downe the Apostolicall tradition of the Canon of the Masse and withall so ended our conference And here also concluding to speake any more concerning transubstantiation out of Scholasticus I passe ouer to another obseruation in this their Canon and wil shew that their Scholasticus did not beleeue Purgatory flames c. And so downe must their suffragatiue and propitiatory sacrifice for the burning soules in purgatory if the Authority of their Masse must stand I finde expressly that those dead persons for whome prayer is now pretended to bee made by the Romane Church as though they were in the flames of Purgatorie are o In Canone msse in erati◠que incipit memente domi c heere most significantly said to rest in Christ to sleepe in the sleepe of peace now I pray the Pontifician Reader to teach mee what peace in Christ what sleepe in rest is it to bee tormented
errour and no Apostolicall tradition because not clearely knowne nor receiued in Saint Austens time who most expresly in the learnedst and perhaps the last booke he euer wrote except his Retractations affirmeth that y August lib. de ciuit dei 21 cap. 26. see also the 16. chapter perhaps it is true note the word perhaps that there is a purging fire after death by which it is most manifest according to other places of him that the Church in his time did not make Purgatorie sire a tradition Apostolicall or article of faith but of late the Pseudosinode and Schismaticall Councell vnder Eugenius the fourth gathered against that of Basil which had deposed Eugenius before and substituted Felix contrarie to the ancient faith of the Latine and Grecke Church determined Purgatotie pains for a point of faith But of these imaginarie and fatuous flames else where perhaps more largely The word of God as it is expounded of the ancient Fathers doth dispell condemne explode them for if there z Epist ad Rom. 8. 2. ad Corinth 5. ad Thes 1. cap. 4. Apoc. cap. 14. be no damnation to those who die in Christ Iesus beleeuing in him with faith working by charitier and if all those who die in him euen from that moment of death rest from their labors and that no sooner the earthly habitation is left off but an heauenly habitation is put on and those who beleeuing Christ loue Christ desiring to be dissolued and to be with him are with him and if generally the Apostle exhorteth and commaundeth that Christians should not be so much as contristated for those who die in Christ in Iesus and by Iesus by whom and in whom they sleepe with many such like sayings who that is not eyther seduced by his education in poperie or else for his ouercredulitie to their Priests misled will beleeue the imaginarie flames of Purgatorie And heere I constantly affirme and the contrarie cannot be shewed to wit that all those Fathers who alowed praier for the dead were more or lesse to be touched with some one of these errours either that the states of the faithfull departed could not be certaine vntill the day of iudgement and that they were to be kept in certaine receptacles till that time and that none of the departed were to see Gods face vntill the day of iudgement a Austen writeth doubt fully here of in his Enchirid cap. 109. where he affirmeth that sacrifice is offered for the dead either that they may haue full remission or else that their damnation may be more tolerable He teacheth the like lib. 1. de orig enime cap 9. 10. lib. de cura pro mortuiâ— cap. 1. Azor. lib. institut 10. cap. 22. affirmeth that it was the doctrine of certaine ancient that their Masse did profit and ease the soules damned in hell or else that the verie soules of the damned in hell might be holden by prayers as Iohn b Damascen erat de mortuis ciacon Aquinas alis Damascene approuingly relating the historie of Trajanes soule doliuered by Saint Gregorie seemeth to hold and all those who account the historie of Falconillas deliuerie by the prayers of Tecla to be authenticall seeme to affirme And as for the historie of Traians deliuerie by Saint Gregories prayers although it be impugned by some later authors yet the historie is to be seene painted in Saint Gregories Monasterie at Rome the which also the great Ignatian Salmeron acknowledgeth by which it is most manifest that the opinion teaching that damned soules in Hell might be holpen or eased by the prayers of some liuing seemed not so extrauagant and improbable in the Romane Church when time was by all which and much * Ciprian seemeth to shew how the commemoratâ—ue sacrifice was offered for martyrs in coÌ„memoration of them Cyprian epist 62. lib. 3. lib. 4. epist 5. in like sort Ciril speaketh in Cateches more that might be said to the same purpose the courteous Reader may obserue how one errour breedeth another to wit vncertaintie of estate of the soules departed vntill the day of iudgement prayers for them prayers for them Purgatorie fire Purgatorie fire requiem Masses and Purgatorie sacrifices for them and their fabulous Indulgences with such like errours There be many other things which I might iustly taxe in the Canon of their Masse as repugnant to all antiquitie and consequently not Apostolicall the dreadfull eleuation of the Sacrament not onely to be reuerenced as a Sacrament of God but to be adored and inuocated as the diuine Maiestie it selfe their carrying vp and downe the said Sacrament in their processions But as execrable rather then as inexcusable I doe abhominate that Papall custome and Nouell fashion of theirs by which they set the Sacrament vpon a white palfrey to be caried before their holinesses whithersoeuer they shall make their progresse to shew perhaps that they will be like the virginall Saints in heauen b Apoc. 14. who follow the Lambe wheresoe uer he goeth O mercifull Sauiour of mankind c Psal 118. tempus faciendi dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time to doe they haue dissipated thy law in steede of thy diuine Maiestie they haue set vp a God dwelling in their tabernacles in their towers and call the same their God the God of fortitude the God of strength and insteed of that thy onely sacrifice of the Crosse daily honoured inuocated commemorated by thy faithfull Seruants the Chimericall and imaginarie reall carnall sacrifice of your selfe in bread and wine vpon their idolatrous Altars Open their eyes thou who art the onely Sacrifice oblation redemption and deliuerance of all mankinde by that oblation which thou diddest once make for vs all vpon the Crosse looke downe and consider how they abuse thy holy rite and institution which thy Maiestie appointed and all thy ancient Church receiued according as thy d Math. 28. Mark 14. Luke 22. 6. Paul 1 ad corinth 11. Euangelists and Apostle deliuered vnto them that all thy faithfull should receiue the Sacrament whole and intire in both kinds yet now c Conc. Trident. sess 21. comes the Tridentine Fathers and they do not only decree one kind to be enough but they also accurse and execrate they curse and thou wilt blesse all those who shall obserue and teach as necessarie thy institution and shall practise according as all the Prime and ancient Churches did and this their treacherie they will excuse by protesting take a Helen without an excuse so the TrideÌ„tine is named by Espencaus in his Commentarie vpon Titus that the ancient Church neuer vsed the Sacrament vnder both kinds out of opinion of necessity as though your holy institution your commandement deliuered and inculcated by the Apostles and Euangelists did not bind vnder necessitie But they will thus at their pleasures only like the f 2. Thess 2. Outlaw or lawlesse man by whom they were authorised for this described by your
signes or simboles of his bodie and bloud vpon his Table and pleasing God well we offer a Sacrifice without bloud and reasonable and acceptable vnto him thus he In which authoritie of Eusebius I note that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be translated without bloud to wit a Sacrifice without bloud though not without the signes of bloud and the same Greeke word therfore in our English tongue is to be translated without bloud not vnbloudie for that word doth not sufficiently expresse the signification of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly this Father constantly c Lib. 8. de demonstrat Euanliâ—a demonst 1. teacheth thus Iesus deliuered to his disciples the signes or simboles of his diuine dispensation commaunding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to doe or celebrate the Image of his true bodie for since he hath no more receiued the Sacrifices of bloud and diuers creatures ordained by Moises he hath appointed to be serued with bread for a figure of his body thus he d Ambr. de sacram lib. 4. ca. 4. S. Ambrose did not beleeue Transubstantiation because many more woÌ„â—rous actioÌ„s should concur to TransubstaÌ„tiation then were in Creation and his argument is from a greater wonder to shew a lesse a maâ—ori ad minus as it is said Saint Ambrose thus If there be so great strength in the word of our Lord Iesus that all things began to be when they were not how much more shall it be of force that the elements should be the same they were before and yet be changed into another thing S. Ireneus is often cited by the Aduersary for a propitiatory sacrifice and transubstantiation but it is not possible for any one to write more effectually to ouerthrow their imagined propitiatory sacrifice transubstantiation then he doth and I desire the Christian Reader with patience and with an vnpartiall eye to read what I shall somwhat more largely deduce out of his expresse doctrine in two of his e Irenaus lib. 4. cap. 32. et 34. chapters of his fourth book against heresies For first he not so much as once mentioneth either propitiatory sacrifice or transubstantiation but rather hee expresly compareth the same sacrifice of bread and wine with the sacrifices of the olde testament and maketh that the same is no more needfull to God then those were He also most significantly auoucheth that it is a sacrifice of the things which are from vs and hauing made a generall asseueration that sacrifices doe not sanctifie the man but that the pure conscience wherewith the Sacrifice is offered doth sanctifie the Sacrifice hee presentlie addeth thus that therefore the gift of the Church is called a pure sacrifice because the Church with simplicity offereth it would he haue spoken thus if Christ the Author of all sanctity had beene really present further obserue those words of him This oblation the Church onely offereth pure to the maker offering to him with thankesgiuing of his Creature and in the two and thirtieth chapter hee calleth the oblation primitias ex suis creaturis the Primicies of his owne creatures and there hee further addeth that God who giueth vs his gifts for nourishments the Church offereth the first fruits of those gifts which saith hee is the very oblation of the new Testament which the Church receiued from the Apostles and of these gifts in the fiue and thirty Chapter he saith terrena quidem c. the earthly things which are disposed for vs it behooueth to be tipes of those things which are celestiall yet made of the same God and disputing against such Heretikes who offered of the same creatures of bread and wine with the Church to God the Father of Christ and yet denied God the Father of Christ to bee the Curteous Reader obserue all this discourse clearely and truly gathered out of that Ancient Father or for proofe hereof vouchsafe to reade him and for the same purpose see S. Chrisostome and Theodoret in Epist ad Haebr maker of them but another God he twiteth them thus that they make God who is the Father of Christ as it were needy and to bee desirous to be serued and honoured with the Creatures of another God would hee haue spoken thus if Christ himselfe really offered had beene the sacrifice And in his 32 and 34. hauing clearely shewed that God rather requireth innocency and integrity of conscience then sacrifice yet in respect of gratitude saith he not as though God had neede thereof sacrifice must bee offered vnto him and then addeth these words speaking of the Church offerre oportet igitur c. It behooueth therefore to offer to God the first fruits of his creatures euen as Moyses speaketh thou shalt not appeare empty handed before the sight of the Lord thy God that in those things in which maÌ„ hath been grateful to God in the same things being so deputed he may receiue that honor which is from him and it is not the kinde of oblatious which is refused oblations were there and oblations bee heere sacrifices in the people to wit the olde Testament and sacrifices in the Church but the speciall manner is onely changed because it is now offered not from seruants but from such as are free Thus he and also expressy in the first lines of this Chapter he saith that therefore the Church offereth a pure sacrifice not as though God had need of it but because he that offereth the gift is honoured in the gift that is offered if it bee accepted of Would hee haue spoken thus if he had beleeued that Christ himselfe were really present and really offered by the Priests hand nay expresly he addeth that the Church offereth by Christ and by the Word Christ a pure oblation By all these and many such like obseruations in that learned and holy father it is euident what maner of oblation he thought the Church had receiued to wit of Gods creatures of bread and wine But the aduersary notwithstanding all these euidences insisteth vpon these words of him Christ taking that which of a creature is bread said this is my body and the Chalice which is of that creature which is according to vs confessing it to be his blood these be the words vpon which they insist which may seeme to make some what for the Lutherans Consubstantiation but nothing at all for the transubstantiaters Tell me O Christian did Christ in verity make the creatures of bread and wine which are according to vs to be his body and bloud that implieth contradiction and is of those things which cannot be done as the Pontificians themselues will confesse but tell me O Christian did not Christ when he said bread was his body and wine was his blood did he not institute a Sacrament it is cleare Who wil not therefore thus inferre that bread must be his body and wine must be his blood in that manner in which Sacraments are called and said to be the very things
the diuine and publique seruice throughout all Churches of the West what else do they intend but that the Pope may reigne throughout all those Churches which more or lesse through his excommunications interdicts promotions presentations and through the imbecility of Princes and the blinde ignorance of Christian people he hath conquered to his tiranny Baptizing them after the name of his See of Rome Romane Catholikes not after the name of Christ Christian Catholikes for Christian is a name now out of vse vnlesse it bee in the reformed Churches of Christ where Christ is truly and only honoured and glorified but howsoeuer the Popes tiranny bee applauded in seruice of vnknowne tongues doubtlesse the u 1. Petr. 5. Roaring Lion laugheth thereat to see by his institution warres to bee proclaimed against Gods Scriptures and all Antiquity God to bee depriued of his Honour which consisteth in the vnderstanding seruice and religion of the heart for he being a spirit x Iohn 4. in spirit and truth hee must bee adored the Christian flocke to bee dispoiled of their spirituall deuotion and comfort which is not possibly to bee had without the conceiuing and vnderstanding of such things by which the spiritual comfort is to be brought and ingendred in their soules They pretend forsooth that the misteries of their Masse will bee had in greater admiration if they be not in a tongue vnderstood by the common people Alas how wisely for I hope their people must vnderstand the mysteries of the Masse and therein be instructed as their Tridentine Catechisme commaundeth and as the Rhemists glory in their preface to the new Testament and if they must bee instructed to vnderstand the Diuine rites and Ceremonies Why may they not bee permitted to haue the seruice in a tongue that they doe vnderstand Their goodly argument that some of the auncient Fathers carried the mysteries of the Church closely in the primitiue daies falleth of it selfe for was not that done in respect of the Infidels and Catechumens but as for the faithfull they all well knew that phrase norunt fideles the faithfull haue knowen and they vnderstood all the mysteries for the most part The primitiue Church practised faithfully that of Christ y Mat. 8. Luc. 12 quod in aure c that which you heare in the eare preach vpon the tops of houses but although you were iustly afraid to haue your Masse mysteries celebrated in known tongues in respect of infinite impertinencies and contradictions that are in it why should you not suffer so much as is read of holy Scriptures in your Liturgies to bee read and song in tongues known to the Church And what may bee thought that Christs Apostles would write their Gospels and Epistles in the Greeke tongue Saint Mathew in his Gospell and Saint Paul in his Epistle to his Countrimen writing in the Hebrew tongue onely excepted but for that the Greeke tongue was most common throughout the East part of the world where Christian Religion was first planted And in the Primitiue Church al * I desire the learned Pontificians to tell me whether the Apoâ—riphall Liturgies of Iames Basil Chrisostom Ambrose yea of S. Peter also which they falsly pretend were not written by them in the most vulgar tongues vsed then in their churches confesse your tiranny O yee Romans and abuse Gods Church no longer Church-seruice was in this part of the World of Europe and that of Asia for most part in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine tongues because the same were more or lesse common where Christianity was first planted as for other countries where the Gospell was preached as first in AEthiopia who is ignorant but that the Churches Liturgie was from the time of the Eunuch vntill this day in the AEthiopian tongue Sclauonians had the like Armenians the like Egiptians the like Grecians the like Latines the like Hebrews the like and what doubt can bee made but that the Indian Conuerts by Saint Thomas had the like And wheresoeuer the Apostles planted any Churches what question can be made but that they did obserue the rule and z 1. Corin. 14. commaundement of the Lord to his Apostles that euery thing should bee done to edification and that glorious prophecie should bee fulfilled euery a Philip. 2. tongue shall confesse to his name yea the very Formes of all Church-seruices doe clearely shew that the People and Clergie were answerablye to conioyne their prayers together and to answere each other as it is deliuered in the b Constitut Apostol Clementis Cirill in Catech. mistagog Iustin Apolog. 2. ad Antoâ—mum liturgiae Iacobi Chrisosto Ambro. Basil saepe constitutions of the Apostles the olde Liturgies and other Auncient Fathers and what else did the comming downe of the Holy Ghost in the formes of so many fiery tongues at Whitsontide else portend and signifie but that euery tongue should confesse the name of our Lorde IESVS and where this more meetely then in their publique assemblies where they were to honour GOD and yeelde to each other all spirituall Comforte and consolation which could not nor cannot bee performed in dumbe and barbarous shewes I cannot heere omit to set downe a point of simplicity of their great Doctor Doctor Harding who answering an obiection made by D. Iewel out of Saint c Basil Hexamer hom 4. Basil affirming that the people together men women and children made a sound in their answers in the Churches in the publike seruice to God like to the sound of a waue striking vpon the Seabanks This profound d Harding answere to Bishop Iewels challenge page 8. Doctor would haue Saint Basil vnderstood onely of the peoples sounding the word Amen wisely insooth Doubtlesse the Doctor was in a dreame or else forgot what Countryman Saint Basil was or of what countrey people that Father speaketh e August in Psal 16. expos 2 Harding supra if he had remembred Greece or euer read any of the Greeke Lyturgies or seene the Greeke publike seruice which vpon the day of Saint Athanasius the Grecians are permitted to celebrate in their owne tongue in Rome he would haue well vnderstood that the Grecian Christians make longer answers and responses in the publike Church seruice then Amen But his answere to an authoritie produced by that learned Bishop out of Saint Austen perhaps is wiser no insooth more fond heare it Quid hoc sit c. what this is saith Saint Austen after we haue prayed to God to make vs cleane from our priuate sinnes we must vnderstand that we ought to sing as with humane reason not with voice as birds doe for Owsels Popiniayes Rauens and Pyes and such like birds oftentimes be taught of men to sound they know not what thus Saint Austen Now it is manifest that these words are to be taken of vnderstanding what is sung but what answereth Doctor Harding to them marry thus These words are to be taken of the vnderstanding of the sense saith
he not the tongue which the seruice is sung in Now the Vicar of Saint Fooles should be his ghostly Father were he liuing How is this Rabby taken in his folly these words are to be vnderstood that the People must haue vnderstanding of the sense of the words but not vnderstand the words Helpe out your Doctor you of Doway for doubtlesse he is grauelled what would heere become of him if more of the sentences of the ancient Fathers which comment vpon the 14. Corinthians first Epistle had beene by himselfe produced and other out of Saint Austen vpon Genesis ad literam he would doubtlesse haue runne out of the field or else haue beene stroken downe to the ground especially if he had heard that miraculous voice from heauen which Pius the second Pope writeth of The Doctour was much delighted with visions in his life time and therefore I will now for his sake set one downe for the Dowists to demurre vpon it There was a great controuersie betwixt the Pope and his Cardinals as a f Pius 2. hist Bohem. cap. 13. Pope relateth whether the Morauians and the Russians conuerted to the Christian faith by Ciril should be permitted to haue the publike Lyturgie and seruice in their knowne tongue or not Their Apostle Ciril was earnest for it with some of the Cardinals others contradicted it which contradiction miraculously was checked with a voice heard from heauen speaking thus to them Let euerie spirit praise the Lord and euerie tongue confesse him and so the Pope with his Cardinals were by the Angelicall vision instructed how to vnderstand those Scriptures by the Angell cited and therupon gaue way to Cirils request that the Morauians Russians should haue their publike seruice in their own tongue which they haue to this day wherein they doubtlesse find such a comfort that by no meanes they will relinquish that holy vse though some haue often attempted against it I haue obserued how since the English Pontificians haue had their Primers set forth both in English and Latine together that they do farre more willingly and more deuoutly read their prayers in the English tongue thē in the Latin protesting that they receiue far greater comfort thereby wishing also that the publike Church-seruice might to their like comfort be proposed in that tongue which they vnderstood Before God of his mercy first touched my hart to listē vnto his gospel I would sometimes out of a contemptuous kind of curiositie where I was not knowne heare a peece of a Sermon in some of the English Churches heere in London but by no means wold I stay or listen to the hearing of the singing of their Psalms for I did both loath and detest them but when God vouchsafed to touch my heart first with consideration of the Romane abuses both for doctrine and discipline I began sometimes to commune with my selfe whether perhaps the English Church Lyturgie were not calumniated Whereupon I would sometimes more considerately and where I was not to be knowne begin to giue more carefull listening vnto the English Preachers and also most curiously obserue the manner of the singing in the Churches both which at very first me thought were performed with that simplicitie integritie and grauitie that I began to thinke thus perhaps God is amongst them but when vpon often and further more curious obseruations I found that all their seruice except some few prayers and those verie holy also was composed out of the infallible word of God his holy Scriptures I resolued that the same must needs be good if no essential part of seruice were otherwise wanting And when I found also that the Preachers continually did inculcate to their Auditors integritie of conscience and holinesse of conuersation with necessitie of good works and of that faith which g Ad Galat. 5. worketh by charitie to saluation I well and clearely perceiued how the Church of England was most egregiously calumniated by the Romane Doctors And when I found also the ministration of the two principallest and singularly so termed Sacraments to wit Baptisme and the holy Eucharist so sincerely and Euangelically and so voide of all superstition ministred in their Churches and withall found that Confirmation Penance Marriage Orders Visitation of the sicke were for the substances thereof religiously vsed in their Churches I was not a little edified But that which most edified me was to obserue how in their publike Lyturgies their minds seemed to me or at lest that they might to concurre ioyntly with their tongues and with their religious and pious sounds to beate the gates of heauen and begge mercie at his handes onely whom with the most blessed Father and the holy Ghost I saw onely worshipped with diuine worship in their Churches And although I wanted in some sewer that lowly humble and religious carriage which the place the manner of prayers and assembly required especially in some of the young sort yet in the ministers themselues and the matrones with many aged men and others of riper yeares I saw them often kneeling with great deuotion and attention to my great edification There I obserued not that drowsie oscitancie leaning and yawning which is so frequent in the papisticall Churches yea euen amongst the h Bern. in coena Domini cap. 3. religious Monkes There I obserued not the impudent and shamelesse attendings courtings and obseruings of fine dames within their Churches the which how intolerable it is in the papisticall Churches especially in Italy and at Rome it selfe I referre to the iudgement of all indifferent trauailers doubtlesse their Churches there be still repleate with i 2 Pet. 2. adulterous lasciuious wanton and incestuous eyes Obseruing these things O how happy thought I art thou O England if as thou enioyest the light of Christs Gospell so also thou wouldest more and more by holy and pure conuersation labour to excell the Churches of Sodoma and Gomorha where all impure Idolatry and abhominations doe reigne Heere I obserued also the glorie of God euer commended Faith Hope and Loue in Iesus Christ incessantly inculcated the Fathers of the ancient Church reuerently cited the memories of the most blessed Virgine Mary and Christs Apostles reuerenced and honored yea in their publike Prayers and Sermons their vertues and noble acts preached commended inculcated to be followed and imitated The buriall of the dead verie religious and pious and altogether Apostolicall which obseruing me thought these men sure doe striue onely for truth reiecting all vncertaine traditions And then with all I could not but inwardly be moued in my verie soule against Stapleton Sanders Allen Parsons Bellarmine and other like Pontificians for their horrible calumniations against the Church of England and the gouernment thereof as though they buried their dead like dogs perswaded not their people to good life but onely to faith that they ministred their Sacraments very irreligiously with such like imputations all which I found to be meere calumniations And I found the
same Church so Apostolicall so Christian that me thought I saw the very Primitiue faith and practise of the Apostles and the verie rites of their Church to be in it obserued And in these obseruations I began more inwardly to be moued because as my knowledge and inclination to allow of the Church of England and to abhorre the Romane heresies and abuses increased so also my soule increased in the loue of God detestation of sinne and auoiding the occasions of sinne the loathing of this life and an earnest desiring to be with Christ whom since my renouncing of Papistrie with the Father and holy Ghost as my soule euidently testifieth vnto me I do most sincerely loue and esteeme aboue all things in this world and so fully with my whole soule heart that me thought I could comfortably and confidently say vnto it with the words of the holy Prophet k Psal 114. conuertere c. my soule be couerted into thy rest for the Lord hath done well to thee And I could not me thought hinder the working of God within me nor refuse that testimony of S. Paul the holy l Ad Rom. 8. Ghost giueth testimonie vnto our soules that we are the children of God yet so if we suffer with Christ that we may also raigne with Christ The ninth Motiue I Should heere adde somewhat largely of their pernicious The ninth Motiue doctrine of equiâ—ocation which hath beene another no small Motiue with me for my conuersion which doctrine the Ignatians haue specialy set a foote at least in practise within this kingdome they forsooth who will not permit that the Scriptures of God should be promiscuously read by the vulgar people haue in their vulgar language in Pamphlets rather libels being without name dispersed throughout this kingdome the pestiferous doctrine of equiuocation with their strange and paradoxicall half propositions Amphibologies propositions forsooth out of their r Treatise of equiuocation written or published by Henry Garnet Ignatian Logicke halfe written halfe spoken halfe concealed and why bring they not in also as well propositions of a triple difference whereof one part may be spoken a second written a third concealed and not vttered and why not propositions of a quadruple difference as part written part spoken part by signes and part by concealment and so make mentall verball written and dum or silent propositioÌ„ all in one to set vp their vaine doctrine of equiuocation Some ingenious Pontificians of my acquaintance there are who do what you can yet you cannot driue this doctrine of equiuocation into their heads but such as haue beene brought vp vnder the Ignatians and are deuoted vnto them they haue their lesson at their fingers ends Not long since there was Å¿ Iohn Koome one of these Ignatian Priests who being examined by the Archibishop of Canterburie not long before his death did not onely denie himselfe to be a Priest but also by religious oath did forsweare the same being challenged for it he excused the same by the art of equiuocation stoutly auouching that he had beene so taught by his master a reader of the societie of Ignatius and indeed it is the doctrine almost of them all that any proposition whatsoeuer is or may be allowed by the art of equiuocation the same also may be confirmed and auerred true by religious oath and yet this equiuocating swearer so ready to forsweare and deny his Priesthood was a most bitter enemie against all such as would take or allow the taking of the oath of Alleageance in any sense whatsoever I could produce many such examples of equiuocating Ignatians one I will not omit of a friend of the Ignatians who wouldfaine haue beene an Ignatian before this but that Master Strange the Ignatian lately banished * R. C. the common collector for Recusants by the art of equiuocatioÌ„ protested to certaine Priests in the Clinke cóplaining of their wants the very day before the 1000 and certain 100 of pounds were taken from him that he knew not in the world where to fetch 20 shall this man had not sorgotten his Accidence rule huic habeo non tibi I dare auouch there is no day passeth in which he doth not religiously vse this art Some three daies since the 9. of Ianuary he hath sent in writing an equiuocating super sedeas that because he was thé sicke with an il stomack for the oath of allegeance he would provide for the Clinke prisoners no longer out of the towre told him that his imperfections should not be laid vpon their order being of such rare pharisaicall perfection forsooth This man is gracious with diuers worthie persons of the feminine sexe into whole fauours he hath wound himselfe so greatly that he can obtaine one of their fauours to weare next his skinne and ouer his whole bodie a whole weeke togither yea in the time of his holy imprisonment to comfort his imprisoned corps Freshly vpon the discouerie of the damnable powder-treason it was his chance to be taken to be brought before the honorable Lord Maior of London by whom being examined vpon suspition of his person and religion and asked whom he thought to be head of the Church of England without any difficulty he answereth thus the King which his answere might well haue deceiued that honorable person if he had not more narrowly obserued some other of his answers in which he found him faultering and thereupon committed him to the Counter where he staid not long he being afterward questioned withall by some zealous Romane Catholicks how he could without deniall of his faith concerning their article of the Popes supremacie acknowledge the King to be supreme head of the Church what replieth he peremptorily I meant not the King of England but the King of heauen the truest word he euer spoke for the King of heauen is indeed the onely supreme head of the Church of England and he added that he thought in respect of the dangers of the times that he might iustly vse such equiuocation Pardon me courteous Pontifician Readers that I thus particularize this man there is more in store I doe it onely that our English Ladies and some worthie persons of the deuout sexe may know what manner of men those are to whom they commit their secrets And if he hereafter deale with some of them as he hath alreadie dealt with a verie worthie Ladie too worthy for him or any other Pontifician Priest they will haue no great cause of Comfort in him or his like I could discipher the spirits of some other equiuocating and dicing westerne Priests to conceale the rest God turne their hearts to consider the states in which they stand and vouchsafe O mercifull Iesus in t 1. Pet. 2. whose mouth was found no guile nor deceit rather to confound them then suffer them to defend their equiuocating practise by your most sacred doctrine and immaculate examples of your purest conuersation The tenth Motive TO proceed
the tyranny by which they denie The tenth Motive the indifferent reading of Gods holy Scriptures in the vulgar tongue is most inexcusable doubtlesse the cause is they do feare the taxing of their most manifest heresies even by the simplest I cannot blame them for their pollicie herein For manifest experience teacheth that wheresoever the word of God is translated into vulgar tongues and the same devoutly read there poperie still falles more or lesse an inuincible argument that the spirit wherewith the holy Scriptures were written worketh in the humble readers Haue ye forgotten ye Pontificians that the Iewish Church had the holy Scriptures written and read vnto them in their vulgar tongue why therefore shall the Christians of the new Testament be debarred of the vse of the same are not the holy Scriptures their riches their treasure and the cause of all consolaion to the devout readers why doe you not then permit vnto them the vse of that which is their owne but I must crie you mercie for the Scriptures are onely the treasure of the Romanes and onely as part of the Popes Patrimonie are at his disposing Would God also he would seriously peruse them and practise them for in them is his Religion condemned if you say they are abused by some of the simplest and that promiscous reading of them breedeth heresies alas alas as though the simple people were the Deuisers or Authors of many heresies how many heresies can you reckon deuised by such as vnderstood none of the learned tongues and what if some doe abuse the holy Scriptures so innumerable abuse pletures innumerable abuse confession to horrible and abominable proiects innumerable abuse your Masses and indulgences and what is there in the world which is more abused then the chaire of Peter it selfe which is so continually bought and sold What must wee away with it therefore and is there no abusing of your voluminous decrees decrees your decrotals extrauagants Clementines c I there no abuse of your Philosophicall learning in your Churches What must all things that are abused my our Church be removed if so doubtlesse you would have a single-souled religion for then away with the pictures of God the Father in the forme of an olde man which to my knowledge and experience hath possest many in this kingdom with the Anthropomorphitan conceive as thogh * In the same Pictures and many idle aparitions one I note in which it is expresly that when Ignatius eleuated the Host Christ apeared miraculously not in the Host but ouer the Host in certaine cloudes in the forme of a maÌ„ Apud Ribad God himselfe had limmes and true members may I not say that some of your Ignatianed with Ignatius were so perswaded in the u Ribadiuer lib. 1. cap. 7. pictures of whose life there is lately described how the misteries of the blessed Trinity was reuealed vnto him in which God the Father was portraited like an old Man with a Globe in his hand the holy Ghost drawne like a Doue and Christ Iesus with a Globe also in his hand O Vanities O horrible abuses O ye Ignatians is this the mystery of the most dreadfull Trinity reuealed to your holy and beatified Father Ignatius Doubtlesse the Deuill deluded him and if his Reuelations from Christ and Saint Peter and his Eleuations vp in the Aire proue no sounder they will proue but rotten and superstitious ware But to proceede if you feare seduction of your simpler Sheepe in reading of the Scriptures why are not your learned Priests more daily in them Why haue they no set Lectures vpon them Why are not your Diuines bound to study some Comments vpon them The true cause is your Spirits your Traditions which you must not leaue vnlesse you leaue Rome and her very word of God agree not together yet for a fashion forsooth the Scriptures must be read as in Rome and Spaine in your refectories when your Schollers are at Dinner and Supper and somwhere vpon full stomacks so full as short Commons can permit after Dinner and Supper in one of your Seminaries for it is not vsed in all and then they must heare some quarter of an hours commenting vpon some peece of scripture the study of one peece whereof requireth a mans life in which exercise how greatly your Priests profit one who lately came from your Famous Dowyan Seminary will liuely discouer It was my fortune lately to see and read a letter directed from this Priest out of the North vnto another Priest remaining in this house with me in which letter he excuseth himselfe with the other Priest his friend heere and defendeth as well as hee can himselfe from touch of inconstancy in friendship which the other had obiected vnto him vsing these and the like words doe not thinke good sir of me as though I were inconstant in my loue to you I am still the same according as the x Hebrews 13. Apostle saith Iesus Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer which application of Sacred Scipture when I read I could not but laugh heartily and I pittied withall the state of the English Seminaries and English Romane Catholikes for I was not then alienated from them in my heart and I thinke that whosoeuer shall reade this will easily obserue what a profound Scripture-Clerke he was many such like Clerkes there are in this Kingdome pardon mee Courteous Reader if I glaunce at one other who hath a good will for hee will forsooth preach commonly euery holy day in a certaine Cathedrall residence of his But his preaching is commonly out of the Legends forsooth or else out of the great looking glasse of examples for as for scripture he is so penurious that one day hearing of him preach vpon the Gospell of Christs tempting in the wildernesse he cited a sentence or two of that daies Gospell and both times broke Priscians head but he scandalized as I thinke Speculum magnum exemploris no mans head there being scarce one besides my self there who vnderstood Latine and such a good â—lde Harry perhaps y Math. 4. as did thinke that the Scripture might vse sometimes false Latine for a mysterie I would not glaunce at this mans insufficiency but that he is so * The Pontificall Spirit of this man you may gather by this being in a Vitling house vpon Tower Wharfe and ready to depart the land being banished with some nine other Priests he puts his Arme out of a window contrary to the liking of al his brethren publikely and Bishoplike hee blesses crosses all the people which caused shame in some loud laughter in others egregious a Champion against the Oath damning all that take it yea and not allowing confessions of those who haue gone to such Priests as allow it he is surely a very worthy Marchant to tell a fable to a Gentlewoman but inough heereof now all things haue their seasons But to conclude this my Motiue it
much of his credit away with charging the booke with lies and fables that his authoritie alone may not carrie away such a matter as this is The fifth Law THat Law and custome by which they commaund the Laitie to receiue the Sacrament vnder one kind onely is sacrilegious to vse Pope Gelasius his phrase and is an errour in excusable But the Tridentine Fathers haue found out an excuse for this inexcusable errour this forsooth that although Christ instituted and commaunded all to drinke of the sacramentall Cup the Apostles ordained as much and withall the primitiue Church euer so practised yet this was all done not as a matter of necessitie but of election or choice for the faithful to receiue vnder one kind or both Å¿ Epist Iude. Imperet vobis Dominus Our Lord coÌ„maund you and let the mouthes of such as speake so wicked things be stopped What a doctrine of diuels is this to say that the institution of Christ the commaundement of Christ ordinance of the Apostles touching the vse of the chiefest Sacrament of the Church maketh not a law of necessitie when their imagined transubstantiation came in then also by degrees brought they in the receiuing vnder one kinde as sufficient for a mans whole life pretending that whole Christ is really and substantially vnder both kindes yea vnder any the least particle that may fall from the host or any lest moysture of wine-liquour that may hang and sticke vpon their Chalice side or vpon their Priests lips which being by them thus professed beleeued I maruaile and note by the way how Henry Garnets great t M. A. V. fauouritisse in presence of him and of other Ignatians and diuers worshipfull did scorne publikely at table one D. Cecill for his licking with his finger the patten which he vsed at celebration of the Masse I desire the reader to iudge of their spirits I my selfe hearig her derision excused the Doctor seriously but since that time some one and twenty yeares I was neuer very gratefull to her nor to her reuerend Father Henry Garnet they had then opposition with that Doctor and therefore he was derided for licking vp such crummes as they esteemed their God The sixth Law THey annexe to holy Orders the vow of Chastitie and yet few who take Orders make the said vow expresly although all such consent to vndergoe their law of chastitie by which they most strictly command neither Priest nor Bishop to marry if any were maried before Orders then after them they must abstaine from the lawfull vse of their wiues This is one of their traditions such a one as S. Paul spoke of when u 1. Ad Tim. 4. he foretold that some would come in later times teaching the doctrines of diuels forbidding to marrie c. By occasion of this law their presumptuous spirits haue implied almost the whole Romane Cleargie more or lesse with all kinde of impurities yea some so nefarious as are not by a modest penne to be expressed perhaps though very rashly and inconsiderately the first Authors of the Law intended to haue brought in Chastitie and puritie into the liues of their Cleargie but it hath fallen out farre otherwise for it is a shame to speake what is done by many of them in secret It is a shame saith x Bernard serm 33 in Cantica see him in serm ad Pastores in Sinodo congregat lib. 4. de considerat cap. 2. alibi S. Bernard to vtter what they doe in darke yet what should I shame to speake that which they are not ashamed to doe O worthy Bernard might you iustly write thus in your time A stinking contagioÌ„ creepeth this day through out the whole bodie of the Church all are friends and yet all are enemies yea all seeke their owne they are the Ministers of Christ yet doe seruice to Antichrist And a little after these are the men and yet they will needs be Church-Gouernours Diuines Archbishops Bishops how doe these men keepe their chastitie who being giuen into a reprobate sense doe things that are vnmeete for it is a shame to vtter what they doe in the darke yet why should I be ashamed to speake that which they are not ashamed to doe thus Saint Bernard the which with infinite much more that might be cited out of all zealous Pontifician preachers as Cornelius Musse Panigarole Ferus Granatensis Stella Espencaeus Genebrard Bapt Mantuan Aluarus Pelagius Nicholas Clemangis Polydore Mathew of Paris I touch onely to shew what abhominable impurities and filth hath redounded by vertue of that Law into their vowing Cleargie whom they permit notwithstanding to eate and drinke liberally and indifferently of wines and all manner of meates as the laitie and to liue also freely and to conuerse indifferently amongst women They impose a necessitie of that which Christ himselfe ordained should be free in such as haue the y Math. 19. gift of continencie but they will perhaps say none is restrained to this law of Chastitie but such as doe freely enter into holy orders vnto which this law of chastitie is annexed and such as haue made triall of themselues before good God what triall is made of such persons whom they nourish and mew vp in the prime of their youth in their Seminaries and Colledges farre from all societie of women whom if they would keepe still at short diet and without wines I could not condemne their vowiâ—g who neuer made trial of themselues whether they had the gift of continency or not how many are there of your Cleargie who eyther because their parents so appoint it or else because they finde it a readie way and steppe to promotion are willing to addict themselues to that course of life before they know by experience whether they can be continent or not nay rather which of them is there I appeale to their owne consciences who by often yeelding more or lesse to some of the morosous cogitations as they call them doe not finde by experience before they take holy Orderrs that they haue not the gift of contiuencie but doe more or lesse burne with their morosous desires and cogitations The Pontificians are such fauourers of Vowes of chastitie that I know some married couples who liuing together commit horrible impurities and yet they will not preuent them by the remedy of nature because against their owne vowes I know diuers Ignatians are verie forward to perswade married couples to vow such pernicious continencie I could heere particularize somewhat but will not hauing appealed to their owne consciences and the consciences of such ghostly Fathers as heare the confessions of their Diuines who are at the next steppe to Orders But let their ancient Histories be searched and they shall finde that the Church of the East where religion was first planted and the ordinances of the Apostles well knowne would neuer admit of the necessitie of continencie in Cleargie men which some endeuoured to impose vpon them In
and allowance hee himselfe would imploy all he could make towards the subduing of England this was the Admirall of whome I mentioned before that hee affirmed his King and Master had no neede of England and the reducing of it to the Roman Religion Againe the entertainement and encouragement which the same * The same Cres caused a Te Deum to be saide in the Roman Colledge for a false alarum of the Spaniards good successe in Ireland Creswel gaue to Winter in his traiterous proiect standeth firme in our English records and the acknowledgement of Garnet himselfe to haue beene partaker of Winters plotte doe demonstrate both of what spirit Creswell was and also of what spirit the English Ignatians probably are whereas their Prouinciall Garnet was so deeply by his own confession tainted By h The relation of the solemnity Wherewith Philip the third and his Queen were receiued by the Colledge of the English in Valladolid pag. 31. those verses amongst diuers others set vp in the colledge of Valladolid in Spaine when the King that now is with his Queene was by the same entertained with this posie ouer them fugient a facie ignis they wil flie from the face of fire and ouer the same posie beeing set also the Armes of England the Lions and the Armes of Valladolid which are Fire Those verses I say approoued by such Ignatians as did read them and many since which haue defended them do demonstrate the Ignatians holy spirits against this Countrey These are the verses first in Latine Perdomat indomitos effrenatosque Leones flamma feras vincit vincitur igne Leo. Angliacisaeuo ne lanient dente Leones innocuas pecudes innocuosque greges Ferteciti Hesperias Britanna adlittora flammas indomitasque feras Pincia flamma domet Sic fugient timidi posita feritate Leones sic poterit tutum viuere mite pecus In English thus The vntam'd Lions sterne and bold with fire are ouercome Fire tames them when nought else preuailes with fire it must be done Lest English Lions with their teeth and with their cruell pawes Should teare the tender English flocke which are to neere their iawes Bring Spanish fire to British shores bring foorth your Pincian flame So will they leaue their cruelty and fly away for feare So shall the gentle cattell liue in safty euer there But William Hoult another who in 88. was all in all in Flanders was not hee to be touched with this spirit doubtlesse the state of England is not vnacqainted with his proceedings but one thing I can here report of him from the mouth of a certain English Ignatianed Priest correctour of the presse at S. Omers to wit that the said William Holt in 88. sent into England as many currants as stood him in fiue hundred pounds by that meanes to conuey some letters into the same Kingdome doubtlesse those letters carried some mysterie with them that were so closelie and with such great care to bee carried But the practicall spirit of that man and his solicitudes for England are to well known therefore of him ynough But one word with the Corrector who iumpe at the time when the damnable Powdertreason should haue been acted came downe from Rome and in the company of some fiue or sixe Ignatians a matter not vsuall to haue so many Ignatians sent together in one mission for England appointed and purposed with all expedition to passe for England but so soone as they vnderstood of the discouerie of the powder plot they all and this Corrector also changed their courses and setled themselues elsewhere one of the speciallest of them now playing the Rector at S. Iohns mount in Louain At the same time with like care all the * The sudden vnexpected and diligent inquity and search made after these books was much noted by diuers of the Seminary of Doway and much descanted vpon in secret when the Powder-plot was discouered and many thereupon inferred surely the Ignatians fingers were in it bookes of Doctour Stapleton were sought for with such hast as though they should haue beene presently put into the possession of the Ignatians to whom Doctour Stapleton had bequeathed them for the first colledge they should haue in Oxford What these things might portend I would it were not too to easie to coniecture For my part I will not iudge any certainetie onely I obserue howe in that most hellish attempt when i Apoc. 9. Abaddon with his smoakie Locusts would haue blowen vp together all the glories of this kingdom there were none but Ignatians as Garnet Gerard Holcorne Tesmond or Ignatianed as Catesby Rookewood c. who loued the Fathers so dearly that they esteemed of none who did not highly reuerence the Fathers were to bee found partakers or abettors of that hellish attempt and yet the Ignatians and their friends beyond seas what with their * Iohn Gerrard and Oswald Tesmond do beyond seas with most horrible othes protest that they had no knowledg of the â—owder treason equiuocations protestations c. haue so cleared themselues that amongst those outlandish people there are very few who thinke the holy Fathers guilty but all suspition that is lighteth vpon the poore Secular Priests which God knoweth are farthest froÌ„ such courses if they haue not drunke more or lesse of the Ignatians cuppe but there is no suspition of the holy Fathers God forbid no rather let the acknowledgement of Garnet himselfe with his owne letters euidences vnappeallable and that which was done before the most honourable and most publike Court of this Kingdome be all inualid and counterfeit rather then that any Ignatian should bee found guiltie of so execrable a treason O immortall God of heauen how hath the God of this world blinded their eies that they will post vppe and downe the strawie face of that wretched maÌ„ they doubtles herein are delighted with counterfeits and a maske of straw prouided for the fire with the worshippers therof Here if I may be so bold I would aske of the President of Doway because he is a speciall chieftaine amongst them what spirit might bee obserued to haue been in him when hee with more then ordinary contentment entertained Guy Fawkes the Powder-matchman some diuers whole daies together before his comming into England with much conference with him not without admiration of diuers of the Colledge who knew not the mistery considering the meannes of the man Surely if the k D. N. Vice-president had been there then who cried auengance on a certaine Soueraigne when he was for his clemency commended by a true hearted English Priest hee had been a fit man to haue been of the Councell But I maruell not at his cursing spirit for he came from the Campe to the Seminaries and of a souldier quickly which in ancient times would not haue been so commendable was made a Priest But alas to make an end of this matter that the Ignatians and the Ignatianed were too too well acquainted with
for Traditions of which Traditions when it is also shewed out of the Fathers that they must also be tried by holy Scriptures will they heerein receiue the Fathers euen as before renounce all and runne to the present voice of their Church which Church is with them the Pope alone or Pope and his Cardinals Againe when all the Fathers that euer commented vpon the 14. of the first to the Corinthians with the authorities of many others bee produced to shew that the publike Church Liturgy ought to be in such a tongue as may be vnderstood by the assembly and for their edification will they heere accept of the Fathers Good God they fleet vp and downe like men in mases to finde some probable reasons for their barbarous seruices Againe when innumerable authorities of ancient Fathers are clearely produced for iustification by onely faith e Ad Gal. 5. which worketh by charity and against their Laterane Transubstantiation will they admit the Fathers Good God their subterfugies are innumerable either they will skippe ouer them and runne onely to the text of Scripture This is my body 〈◊〉 else they will expound all their sayings that 〈◊〉 still remaineth the natures of the creatures are not changed Christs flesh which was crucified is not in the Sacrament Christs flesh is present as in a Mystery as in a Sacrament as in a figure c. with infinite such like most expresse sentences They will I say so figuratiuely expound them all to shew that as they detest any figuratiue exposisition of the words of Scripture in this Sacrament so they themselues delight in nothing more then in figuratiue expounding most plaine sentences of the Fathers discoursing of this mysterie Againe when authorities of all the ancient Fathers that euer had occasion to entreat of the obedience of Subiects towards their naturall Princes and lawfull Soueraignes bee produced to shew that Christians ought to obey them g Ad Rom. 13. euen for conscience sake although they be persecutors of the Christian Religion and that they neuer vnderstood of the Imperiall Papall power ouer Kings and kingdomes which the Romane Bishoppes now assume to themselues will they heere strike saile and doe homage to the Fathers No God wot they flie out of the field and for the most part either they passe ouer the question with silence or else if they bee English and Ignatians or Ignatianed they fall to libelling and with namelesle Pamphlets labour continually to traduce Magistrates Gouernment Maiesty onely striuing by such a nouell Gospell to the Apologies of which they are ashamed to put their names to set vp the maiesty of the Romane Papall monarchy after destroying of the Romane Empire to ruinate such Kingdomes as were according to the predictions of holy Prophets to rise out of the Romane Empire vntill the times of malice bee 〈…〉 I iustly touch them heere for writing of 〈…〉 in defence of this Gospell to which bookes they are ashamed or else afraide to put their names wherein they shew themselues to bee right Parsonians and Ignatians or else deepely ignatianed Those infamous libels of stinking and prophane Pruritanus and the most blasphemous masked Polonian Exetasis against the maiesties glories and gouernments of these Kingdomes and expressely the most disloiall quipping in the Polonian Exetasis of Englands title P. W. The Corrector W. Pater Gib to France Who composed them Ignatians who diuulged them Ignatians and Ignatianed The vnsauory Pruritanus worthy to bee retorted into the Popes bosome but that the Maiesty of Gods Scripture may not bee abused who caused them to bee reprinted againe after that most of them were taken at the Venetian Embassadors Ignatians Who brought new store of them againe ouer into England Ignatians Who were so well pursed as to giue eight shillings apcece yea an angell for such a prophane Pamphlet comprised in a sheet or two of paper The Ignatianed and Brethren of the societie Who composed the late idle Pamphlet of the Puritan and Protestant Sister communing against the Oth of Allegiance A simple and silly Ignatian creature God wot Who was the Authour of the late bragging recapitulation in the title of which the namelesse Composer who as it is reputed resting in S. Iohns Mount should haue put P. W. to the end of the Pamphlet rather then H. I. promiseth a recapitulation together with a declaration but faileth in the latter for he declareth nothing only he recapitulateth a certaine learned booke as it is thought of Leonard Lessius the demonstrating Diuine which booke as yet appeareth not Some say the cause is that the Sorbone Doctours of Paris hearing of it haue written to Rome against the publishing of it to the Popes Holinesse for that say they France is not in a fit temper for such doctrines Others say the French Ignatians haue written vnto their Generall Aquauiua to haue the worke stopped because in this time when their credits are so shaken euery where for like pernicious doctrine it would greatly * That doctrine must not be allowed in France which poore English Recusants must maintaine with all vtter extremity manifest perdition of their soules hurt their cause This is done to saue the Ignatians skinnes whole and yet the poore English Recusants termed both in Italy and France the Popes Asses must beare the brunt of the Popes quarrell though it be to their vtter ruines I rather thinke the booke is kept in out of diffidence of their cause and that the Louanian societie of Ignatians will not permit their Diuine to enter into such an vnsound quarrell leauing it as they say for the English to defend and vndertake Alasse the good English like Asses must vndertake all and vndergoe all yet there was neuer people vpon earth who haue had worse successe with traiterous doctrines and conspiracies then they Againe who was the composer of the late Libel against me the which I neuer read to make my selfe merry therewith But I heartily also reioiced that I was found worthy to suffer contumely and disgracefull slanders for truths sake and for my Countries and Princes sake Some silly Saint-Omeristian boy for his Fathers the Ignatians who as it is reported made themselues oftentimes merie with the same at their recreations after their full meales whom I here leaue to the making of Libels stil if they hold that a fit course to support their desperate cause only giue me leaue Curteous Reader here with two or three particulars to shew how the young Ignatians like Crabs learne of the old like as to write namelesse bookes for their gospell so also to blaspheme maiesty and soueraigntie and to commend and engender disloyall spirits and to discommend and checke the naturall and loyall Some yeere agoe and as much as since Iuly last my selfe with diuers other Priests arriuing at S. Omers we heard there a certaine Ignatian preach vpon that j Matt. 7. text Beware of false Prophets c. In which his Sermon before the
knowing that he was otherwise of a ciuill conuersation although not deseruing the applause which is now giuen him his conuersation being verie ordinarie himselfe much giuen to drinke hot Sacks of which also he tooke very plentifully the day before his death as very honorable persons do testifie a liquor not fit for such as liue with ease studying little and praying little and haue saturitie of bread and conuerse much amongst womeÌ„ but he is with his Iudge hath receiued accordingly as he was found going hence either good or bad and if his repentaÌ„ce were sincere doubtlesse he hath found mercy Againe dregs because this their Papall h Antonine a Saint with theÌ„ holdeth that the Pope by his absolute power can deliuer all soules out of Purgatorie Anton. 3. titulo 22. cap. 5. Monarchy of the Pope ouer the souls in Purgatory is not to deliuer theÌ„ ther out by way of impetration or intercession only but by way of suffrage iust exchange by paying paine for paine debt with debt the paine of soules with the paine of Christ and his Saints and yet I call these dregs because as it seemeth few PontificiaÌ„s do beleeue them to be of like force as they sound for the most of theÌ„ after they haue procured trentals of Masses vpon trentals for their departed friends soules yet still they remaine in doubt of their friends states and do procure new Masses vpon Masses Doubtlesse it were good his holines would determine what number of Masses is sufficient bing accompanied with his powerfull grains to deliuer a soul out of Purgatory as wel as he determineth what number maner of miracles are sufficient for the inrolling one into his Calender of Saints for otherwise the iudiciall discreet Pontifician will easily grow to suspect that neither Masse nor grain are of so great validity and valor as is pretended if after so many of theÌ„ celebrated for one soule yet still more are required Surely Robert Parsons who died not long ago in Rome had one of these graines plenaries for you shall seldom heare any Ignatian according to their fashion for others pray for the rest of his soule perhaps they repute him a Saint as some seemed to doe in Rome who got some of his haire to keepe it for a relicke therein some what more wise then a certaine person within this Citie of no very good name who washing the night before his death Roberts the Monks feet lately executed at Tiborne pared off some of one of his nailes to keepe the same for a great relicke but Robert Parsons as his life and conuersation was but ordinary not passing vertuous in any respect as all indifferent persons will say who haue conuersed with him so his end was but ordinary in respect of Sanctity and in some respect not like a Saint because as I haue beene credibly informed by those that were there at his death he talked idlely and raued some whole daies before his end a thing though very ordinary with such as dye of burning feuers as it is reported he did yet not vsually in Saints and it is thought that his sicknesse first grew vpon him for that there was a question made about the hauing his bookes examined in the inquisition it had so beene if their great Cardinall Bellarmine with Aquauiua their General had not stood for him as is reported But to returne to indulgences it seemeth that Popes themselues haue little better esteeme of them then dregs who make such hauock of them Great is that priuiledge of the Carmelites who haue obtained of some holy Pope or other that no one of their order shall abide longer in purgatory then vntil the next saturday after their death This their priuiledge was publiquely defended in Paris in the yeer of our Lord 1601. by Iames Rampont a Carmelite vnder the moderation of their most wise and learned Master Bartholmew Girart a Nauarricke as Mounsieur Pierre Moulin deliuereth in his defence of his Maiesties Pierre du moulin en sa defense Article vingtvniesme most Christianlike and learned premonition to all Christian Princes As liberall if not more liberall was Innocent the fourth who graunted to all such as fought by his authority and commaund against Conradus forgiuenesse of all their sinnes not onely for themselues but for their friends also as k Paris in Henrico 3. ad ann 12â—1 Mathew of Paris recordeth like was the greate liberality of Pope l Epist leodien contra PaschaleÌ„ Paschall to the Earle of Flaunders if he would vpon his commaundement despoile and afflict the Church and Cleargie of Leedes for ioyning in true obedience to their lawfull Emperour Henry the fourth with innumerable such like dregges haue Christian People and kingdomes beene bewitched since the time of the Diuels rage and losing Who can sufficiently deplore the miseries of these times Who will not cry out O manners O Times and bewaile these crooked and distorted soules of men bewaile such Marchandizing traffique of soules which is now growne so vsuall that at Rome there is a booke printed called the m Liber intitulatus Taxa cancellariae seu penitentia Apostolicae taxe of the Apostolical penitentiary in which book there are taxes for dispensations for absolutions of all sorts and according to the greater or lesser difficulty of the dispensation and absolution greater or lesser is the mony-taxe for money is all in all and all is vendible at Rome for mony God Altars and all as Baptista Mantuanus long agoe deplored yea n Berv. de considerat ad Eugen lib. 4. cap. 2. Saint Bernard challengeth Eugenius Pope thus Giue me but one in all that populous City of Rome who gaue consent to thy election to be Pope but either it was for present paiment or for hope of paâ—ment If so ô holy Bâ—rnard then hardly was Eugenius an Apostolicall Pope for if Simon who would onely haue bought for money power to giue the holy ghost lost all the lot and part he o Acts. Apo. c. 8. had with Christ as that Peter saide which could not deceiue then Eugenius who really came into the Papacie by Simony as almost all others now doe as both Heauen earth will witnesse hath no lot no part in sermone isto saith p Ibidem Peter in this speech in this Faith and Church of Christ and so Eugenius no Pope and so neither his successours There was lately in this City a very vnlearned Franciscan Frier who had store of this treasure out of the merits of his Parent Saint Francis for all men who knew his conuersation will sweare he had no superfluity of merits of his owne to bestow vppon others and yet hee The worst PoÌ„tifician Priests commonly most â—ought after was daily more frequented and visited then the grauest in the prison where he was for so it is that many English pontificians seeke such ignorant and intemperate Ghostly Fathers as by experience can
haue compassion of others infirmity bee it in any sinne of c. This brother forsooth had the life of his holy Father hee had also certaine girdles with certaine knots vpon them the which whosoeuer should weare and deuoutly say some certaine praiers vpon euery * Marke the Practises of this Pardon-monger one of those knots he should for euery one of them haue some great pardon by the merite of Saint Francis and by the wearing of the girdle he should come to Heauen and should haue so great a bléssing neuer to diesodain death These bauld pardons when I read in a copy out of his own hands with astonishment I admired thereat and procured an Assistant in the house to speake with him and to perswade him to desist from selling such merchandise any longer but I profited nothing for whensoeuer his sheepe came to him not vnlike those who in the fielde were wonted to heare his Father S. Francis preach when men neglected the same hee would still in steed of setting foorth the infinite merits of Christs death and passion inculcate vnto them the Merits of Saint Francis and of his miracles of the knots of his girdles vpon the which holding them in his left hand hee would with his right hand point out the attributes and perfections of them not without the laughter of some of them that haue beheld contemned the mans superstitious folly That this is true I appeale to the consciences of such who haue often heard him and who haue also sent him better Angels for his girdles then any he could giue them God pardon him and open his eies and conuert him to his mercy if the man did not perniciously still labour to bewitch others with such trumpery and if hee were not a most vehement enemy against the Oath of Allegeance so vehement that to my face he hath iudged me worthy to bee burnt for my booke of the Oath of Allegeance I would not so much as haue once glanced at his proceedings but if hee hold himselfe discontented and if the glory of God require it there is much more behind and he shall if he desire it drinke the dregges of his owne cuppe vntill he surfet But leaâ—ing to discourse longer of this matter I infinuate this one thing that there are of my acquaintance some English pontificians as worshipfull as ingenious and as zealous yea too to zealous as the best of them and yet as they haue often professed vnto me they could neuer vnderstand nor conceiue the mistery of indulgences which diuers haue often laboured to inculcate vnto them Iesus vouchsafe it may be in the end for the saluation of their souls and that they may vnderstand with what trumpery they are still pestered from Rome and I intreat the curteous and Christian Reader of these my Motiues to pray for their conuersions The eight Motiue ANother Motiue is their manifest abuse in commaunding and decreeing the publique Liturgy of the Church in and at which with common consent and concording deuotion God is to bee honoured by all sorts present to bee celebrated and done in tongues vnknowne to the Laity which cannot but be a most intollerable and inexcusable abuse to any one who with an indifferent eye shall peruse the 14. Chapter of Saint Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians where he so strictly chargeth adding that q 1. Corin. 14. they are the Lords commandements that Church and in her all other Christian Churches that their publique seruice and Liturgy which consist of preaching praying exhorting and ministring of the Sacraments should be done to the edification of the whole assembly which hee in that Chapter most earnestly and effectually laboureth to shew could not bee if their publique preachings exhortations prayings conferences singing of Psalmes and other liturgicall actions were performed in tongues not knowne nor vnderstood by the assembly and especially to confound the Râ—mane tiranny against the Laity in whose ignorance their victory standeth marke those words of the blessed r Ibidem Apostle But if thou blesse in the spirit to wit in an vnknowne tongue hee that supplieth the place of the vulgar how shall hee say Amen vpon thy blessing because hee knoweth not what thou saiest for thou indeede giuest thanks well but the other is not edified Doth hee not in these words euince that in the seruice which is publike especially in the commemoratiue sacrifice offered by all and for all such it ought to be that the Laâ—ty the Vulgar may vnderstand and thereby be edified and hee expresly speaketh of edification by vnderstanding the seruice and I challenge any aduersary to shew that the Apostle heere speaketh of edification by dumbe Rites Ceremonies or vnknowne tongues vppon this Chapter of Saint Paul the Å¿ Annotations in 14. 1. â—orinth Rhemists haue made many impertinent Annotations and those verie long for that is their fashion when they are in a Labirinth of difficulties to make many large windings and turnings either to confound the Reader or else to make him thinke they can say much and so cunningly slide away but if it please the Curteous Reader to peruse them he shall finde that they doe not cite any one sentence of Auncient Father Commenting vpon this Chapter their consciences telling them that by citing of the Fathers they should therein discouer their owne turpitude For if it would haue pleased them to haue reade Saint Hierome Saint Chrisostome Theophilact Haimo yea Thomas Aquinas and all those Auncient Fathers who haue made Comments vpon that Scripture the fourteenth of the first to the Corinthians they would haue seene their owne turpitude discouered and their mistery of vnknown tongues in publique seruice condemned and that subuerted which most of them with other Romane errours sweare to obserue and keâ—pe in their vngodly oath made by their vnpious Pius the fourth Pope of that name But I must tell them also with their patience that this their practise is against a certaine Canon of their great and Admirable assembly of aboue a thousand of Prelates vnder Innocent the third t one Later c. 9 where it is decreed and appointed that where diâ—ers people had sundry rites and languages there should bee Priests prouided to minister them diuine seruice according to their rites and languages and in the end of the Canon this reason of this constitution is added as cause of the constitution it selfe that the Priests might preach and edifie the people verbo et exemplo with worde and example But the Romane Bishops in practising against this seeme to imitate the old Romane Ambitious Conquerours who in such lands as they powerfully subdued did egregiously endeuor to exile the auncient and naturall tongues of the inhabitants and to bring their owne in vse being wisely perswaded that it is the politikest most peaceable and surest way to obtaine secure possession of the conquered So these later Romanes in their stiffe and obstinate requiring to haue their language reigne in