his name Christ teacheth farre otherwise of him selfe Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any maÌ„ heare my voyce and opeÌ„ vnto me the gate I will enter vnto him and will suppe with him and hee with me O sweéte and most comfortable voyce of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ which if once may be throughly rooted in the inward partes of our soule will easely rase out abolish that priuy blind buzzyng in the eares of those Massemongers and Friers But Osorius sticketh fast to his substitution and mainteineth earnestly that the Apostles were assigned to be Christes Uicares on earth whiche should supply his iurisdiction and should enterlace their owne definitiue sentences with his These are both false God is a ielous God and will not geue his honour to any other Hee hath appointed no Uicare and the holy Scripture doth acknowledge no such word neither was it his will that the Apostles should entermedle in his Iurisdiction Your surmise is false quite contrary to his heauenly prerogatiue For Christ onely hath the keyes of hell and death Christ onely is the slayne Lambe and the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid which openeth the booke and louseth the seuen seales therof neither was there any besides him in heauen in earth or vnder the earth that could open the booke and looke into it Our Lord Iesus beyng raysed from death and appearyng vnto his Apostles spake vnto them in this maner All power is geuen vnto me in heaueÌ„ and in earth Of this power was neuer iote empaired in any respect and neuer shal be What was the Commission of the Apostles then Christ him selfe doth open it in the selfe same place Goe ye therfore and teach all nations Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teachyng them to obserue all those sayings which I haue commauÌ„ded you This was the Embassie of the Apostles this was their CommissioÌ„ Iurisdiction or to speake more playnly bluntly this was their function this was their office To this authoritie the keyes of heauen and remission of sinnes and whatsoeuer els of the same kynde must be applyed S. Paule doth comprehend all these briefly in these wordes Let men so esteeme vs as Ministers of Christ and Stewardes of the mysteries of God You be not Uicares theÌ„ Osori you be Ministers ye be not iudges to constitute Lawes as you do wickedly take vpoÌ„ you but ye be Stewardes to dispose the mysteries of God or at the lest you ought to bee But how belongeth this doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to your Massemongers Confessours They haue an other Romishe doctrine whereby they doe receiue the seély rude people runnyng in heapes vnto them rehearsing their sinnes priuily and in some close corner superstitiously when they haue vttered what them listeth they pronounce ouer them of their own power an absolution in a strauÌ„ge language in steade of Satisfaction they do enioyne them some fastyng dayes or some long pilgrimages and to make an ende of the play they pike from them a few peÌ„ce for their labour This is your vsurped power of CoÌ„fessioÌ„s Osorius which you affirme was geuen first to the Apostles afterwardes to you by a certâ—ine title of Succession Tell me now did you euer read that any thyng was whispered into the Apostles eares priuily or that sinnes were seuerally repeated or the people absolued by their owne absolute power or any thyng done in a language not vnderstanded or any penauÌ„ce as you tearme it enioyned or at the last any reward taken What vnshamefastnes is this what impietie is it to defend this close superstitious and mercenarie eare confession vnder pretence of the authoritie of our Sauiour Christ example of his Apostles especially wheÌ„ as none of these was euer instituted by Christ or frequented of his Apostles But your braynes are so be witched and intoxicated with eare confessions that ye shame not to alledge other stuffe yet whiche is most absurde of all the rest You say that it is daungerous for men to bee left in their owne libertie wheÌ„ they should confesse them selues to God For if it were so we would not willingly yeld to that embacing and throwyng down of our selues which Dauid named to bee the most acceptable sacrifice to God You do heare and acknowledge your owne wordes my Lord then the which I neuer heard any thyng vttered more blockish The matter shal be made manifest by the same example of Dauid which your selfe do alledge Dauid beyng a Patriarche a Kyng and a Prophet and a maÌ„ accordyng to Gods hart to vse the wordes of the Scripture was notwithstandyng continunually exercized in this kynde of Confession whiche is betwixt God onely vs in whom there is such store of sorowyng sighyng lamentyng weépyng afflictyng and bewayling as the like hath neuer bene in all your seâ—â—et whisperyngs no not sith the first whelpyng of the same For 〈◊〉 els is there in all that heauenly golden Psalmes of Dauids pâ—ayer then a mournefull and lamentable confession of sinne ioyned with hartie repentaunce sure hope of pardon Be mercyfull to me O Lord sayth hee accordyng to thy manifold mercies wash me throughly froÌ„ my wickednes and clense me froÌ„ my sinnes for I do acknowledgâ— my faultes and my sinne is â—â—er before me Agaynst thee onely haue I sâ—â—ed and done wickedly in thy sight Loe here a true and souÌ„de forme of CoÌ„fession fully described in Dauid whoÌ„ you haue alledged In this coÌ„fession we do exercize our selues In this we remaine in this we do dwell We do also poure out publicke Confessions of sinnes in our Churhes where the godly Minister is harkened vnto which may minister an wholesome plaister to our wounded consciences some sentence 〈◊〉 of the authoritie of the Scriptures These be the keyes wherewith he doth opeÌ„ the kyngdome of God to theÌ„ which do vnfaynedly repent pronounceth vs that are bouÌ„de with the chaines of our sinnes freély loosed and deliuered from them in the name of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ. These Confessions as well priuate as publicke these keyes this power of byndyng loosing we doe acknowledge appointed by the Scriptures and practized in the tyme of the Apostles Neither was any thyng done with Iohn in a corner touchyng Confession nor yet with the Disciples of Christ. This matter was referred and ended also to and before God wherof we haue a most manifest example in the Gospell which ought not onely enter the eares but also pearce the very hartes of all well disposed persons When the lost and prodigall sonne had riotously consumed and wasted all his substaunce in so much that he was driuen to eate Peascoddes with hogges he begynneth at the last to call him selfe home and earnestly to deuise how he might be reconciled to his father herein he prayeth no ayde of any Leuite nor sittyng in a
publique offences only Euē so and in such wise Releases Pardōs were esteémed not to be in any respect valuable to clense the sinnes of guiltye consciences in the sight of God simply but should be as pledges and witnesses of a full releasing their penaunce enioyned vnto thē by the Church or of mitigating the same with some gentle quallification As appeareth by a Transcript drawen out of the Penitentiall of Rome vp Burchard treating much of those exchaunges of satisfactions namely that in stead of this penaunce where a man was enioyned to fast one whole day with bread and water heé should be released thereof and say fifty psalmes or Lxx. psalmes kneéling relieue some one begger with food If he were a rich man and vnlettered he should redeéme one dayes penaunce by paying iij. pence if he were poore and vnlettered he should paye one peny or feéd threé poore folke The penaūce of a whole weékes fast was redeémed with CCC Psalmes a whole mouethes fast by saying xij hundred Psalmes for one yeares fast he shoulde geue in almes to the poore xxij shillinges c. Many other like exchaunges of penaunces are mentioned in Burchard all which respected none other end but that they might quallify the rigor of the olde Canons touching publique penaunce ministred to this end not as necessary instrumentes to obtayne remission of sinnes and to pacify the wrath of God but instituted for exāples sake that they might be speciall prickes and prouokementes to sturre vpp such as were fallen and allurementes to earnest amendement of life On the contrary part the custome of our time and of our Popes hath so farre degendred from the auncient ordinaunces of the Elders in dispensing with Pardons and Satisfactions that it may seéme to haue ouerwhelmed not onely all discipline of the auncient Church but also almost ouerthrowen the whole force and efficacy of Christian fayth For whereas the Summe and Substaunce of all our Religion consisteth in the cleansing and purging of Sinnes and the same comprehended also in the onely obedience and passion of Christ these new vpstart Popes haue translated all this Release and satisfaction for our sinnes from the merite of Christ to I know not what newfangled absolutions and Pardons And whereas the olde penitentiall Canons were onely mens constitutions wherein men might dyspence with men according to the necessity of the tyme hereupon our Popes taking hart of grasse are become so shamelesse impudent that with theyr Pardons they dare presume to dispense with mens sinnes yea and theyr consciences also and to make their satisfactory merites by merite meritorious as it were worthye and able to encounter the wrath and iudgement of God And now behold how many pumples and fretts lurke vnder this one skabbe of the popish doctrine First they do so ouerlade mens consciences with a commaundement of confession without all authority of scripture and contrary to all the presidents of the primitiue Church they force all persons to render an account of theyr sinnes whether they be contrite or not contrite and this also vpon payne of eternall damnation As for Absolution they leaue cleane naked of all effectualnesse denying it to be auayleable without workes precedent ouer and besides thys also they do clogge them that are confessed with an vnauoydable necessity of doing penaūce they do thrust in Pardō of sinnes graunted by mans authority which they call Satisfaction for sinnes to deserue freé release from that punishment payne which the iustice of God may duely exact Out of which Syncke proceéd many vntimely and vyperous birthes full of lyes sacrilege and blasphemy agaynst God Namely Mounckes vowes The Sacrifice of the Masse for the quick and the dead Pilgrimages to stockes and stoanes Iubiles Pardons and Purgatory and out of that Purgatory sprang forth that momish maxime of Scotus Scottish and crabbed enough to this effect That Sinners after absolution ar either turned ouer to pardones or to Purgatory I do not here complayne or expostulate for those portesales and crafty conueyaunces of Pardōs Let Pardōs be as francke and freé as they would seéme to be for me But this is the thyng that I do demaund by what title by what scripture by what example finally by what I do not say authority but by what honest colour the Pope of Rome may presume so much vpon hys authority as to challenge to himselfe an interest and as it were an inheritable possessiō of those things wh Gods owne mouth and the promises of the whole scripture doe geue franckely and freély vnto all them that repent and beleue euen by theyr fayth in Christ Iesu and how he dare also affirme that such men are not otherwise to be dispēsed withall then by his Bulles of Pardons and his deputary Cōmissaryes Saynt Peter cryeth out with a loud voyce and confirmeth his saying with the authority of all the Prophets that shall receiue forgeuenesse of Synnes as many as do beleue in Christ. So doth also the Apostle Paule proclayme boldly that all thinges are pacified by the bloud of Christ both in heauen and in earth and addeth moreouer And in him sayth he you are made perfect And because no man shall be of opinion here after that there wanteth any thing to the full accomplishment of our saluation read in Iohn The bloud of Christ doth clense vs from all Sinne. And immediatly after He is the propitiation for our sinnes not our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world And Iohn Baptist poynting to Christ with his finger doth affirme Christ to be the Lambe appoynted by God to take away the sinnes of the world And Paule to the Hebrues By one onely oblation Christ made perfect for euer them that were sanctified And in an other place we are taught that our hartes are purified by fayth To conclude The whole meaning and intent of the scripture being nothing els but a certayn neuer interrupted course of recomfortable refreshyng in Christ it doth so allure vs all vnto hym that it leaueth none other medicine or restoratiue for our ouerladen and encombred consciences but the onely bloud of the Sonne of God And therefore if the onely death of Christ once offred for all be a full Raūsome for our Sinnes and the full price of our Redemption If Christes onely death and Passion be imputed to the faythfull beleuer for righteousnesse What neéde then any other Pardōs If Christ pacified all thinges in heauē in earth why could he not aswell pacifie all thynges in Purgatory When full power was geuen vnto him ouer all thinges in heauen and in earth what shall Christ haue nothyng to doe in Purgatory but that the Pope must be onely Prince of that Region The bloud of Christ say they did Raunsome vs from guilt and euerlasting punishment But there remaineth yet a Temporall punishment to be endured partely in this lyfe partly in Purgatory out of the which
of enioyned penaunce shall not exceede and passe fourty dayes And imediately after This nūber of dayes of Pardons also we commaund to be abreuiated which are graunted for euery light tryfle Forasmuch as the Byshopp of Rome who doth professe the Fulnes of all power is accustomed to vse moderatiō in the like causes c. And from hence yf I be not deceiued was this Fulnes of power deriued of the first which the Romyshe Ruffians haue raked most shamefully to themselues Whether to the great reproch of the glory of Christ or the intollerable iniury of their brethren more I can not easily determine What sufficed not to vsurpe either equall power with other Byshops or encroche vpon thē somewhat higher vnlesse their vnsatiable pryde must mount also to the Fulnes of all power Go to and may we learne of you Osorius what it is that they seéke for by this word Fulnes If that be sayd to be full whereunto no droppe may be iustilled more it is out of all question that this Fulnes is proper and peculiar to Christ alone of whose Fulnes we all haue receaued not the ministers of the Church onely not Deacones not Byshoppes onely but the chiefest Apostles and Euangelistes out of which number Peter himselfe yea though neuer so much prince of Apostles may not be exempted The onely Sonne of God is a continuall flowing founteyne that canne neuer be exhausted and spent to whome the Father gaue the spirite without measure full of mercye and trueth All others beyng of our selues barraine hungry naked and beggerly by nature must neédes seéke reliefe of his aboundaūce to whom Esay the Prophet doth allure all mē to repayre and to borow Come sayth he all that be thurstie and haue no money and draw from hence freely with gladnesse from out the founteines of the Sauiour Moreouer the Sauiour him selfe also doth generally call all whosoeuer be oppressed with penury distressed with anguish and labours to come What then Sufficed not to come to this foūteyne plentyfully flowyng and most largely set wyde open for the house of Dauid the inhabitants of Ierusalē to resort vnto for the cleansing of the Sinner and defiled but the Romish Rutterkyne must call vs backe to his filthy Cesternes and durty Dytches that so him selfe being a most filthy and durty Sinner should cleanse vs with his fullnes For as much therfore as the mouth of God hath spoken it the cōsent also of all the Prophetes haue testified that God hath geuen all Fulnesse to his onely begotten Sonne wherewith onely he is able and willyng also to wash away all our filthynes and corruption from whence then commeth this Fulnesse of so absolute power to this Romaine Prelate that this one Prelate alone may by a certeine superexcellent Prerogatiue bryng to passe that which all other Byshops can not doe namely that he may franckly graunt full more full yea vnmeasurable full Pardon of all maner of offences to the most common barrettours of the world For such is the very stile of their Pardon 's many tymes Such was the wild Bull of Innocent 3. vpō a solemne Decreé enlarged to all them that would fight for the holy land or would geue any ayde thereunto Wherein he promised full remission of all their Sinnes in the fulnesse of his Porterly power and increase of lyfe euerlastyng in the full partaking of the fellowshyp of all Saintes After the same maner Boniface the 8. did graunt vnto all persons that would as pilgrimes come to visite the holy mother Church of Peter and Paule in Rome not only full and fuller but most abhominable full forgeuenes of all their Sinnes So also Clement the 6. in his Bulles of Pardons doth powre out plētyfully to them that will fight for the holy Crosse not onely Remission A poena culpa but with much more bountye and liberalitie doth graunt vnto euery of them threé or foure soules out of Purgatory whom they will and withall geueth also an especiall commaundement to the Aungels in heauen if any of those warlike pilgrimes chaūce to dye in their iourney that they forthwith transport them into heauen This is a wondrous efficacie of keyes surely if they be able to performe in deéde that which they bragge vpon so arrogauntly in words For they vaunt a full and most perfect power of doyng I can not tell what farre exceédyng all other Churches Byshops Prelates and Councels But from whence they fetche this full power they haue not yet taught fully If they say from Christ but Christ beyng him selfe the onely perfect founteine of all fulnes not able to be made empty doth neuer powre forth him selfe to fully into one man alone as that he leaueth not him selfe as accessible indifferently to all others of whose fullnes if euery person accordyng to his portion do draw forth as much grace as sufficeth then hath not one man alone made cleane ridduāce to him selfe of all Neither can it be possible that he which receaueth of any one that thyng whereof all be ioynte parteners that he alone shall possesse all that wherof all others haue a ioynte interest and possession Agayne what difference of power shall there be betwixt Christ and the Pope if ech of them be of lyke fullnes and power Or what neédeth any man to apply vnto Christ if he may be otherwise fully satisfied in the full fullnes of the Pope Or what shall remaine in heauen from henceforth for Christ if this Lieutenaunt of Christ can dispatch all thynges vpon earth with the fullnes of his power To conclude in a word If this Porter of heauen be of such supercelestiall power as that he want nothyng but may without resistaūce open and shutte when and to whom he will why then let him once scoure the coast cleare and proclayme a cleane gayle deliuery out of Purgatory and set all soules at libertie that are in that fiery lake and make a quicke dispatche of them from out those horrible flames and send them to Paradise if he can but if he can not performe as he would then where is his fullnes If he will not do that which he can where is his charitie Wherefore sithence one of those two must neédes be graūted that either ye must confesse him a poore beggerly pope or a cruell carelesse cutthroate let Osorius or his Pope chuse which he will or to geue better counsell in this case at the least let the Romaine Church foreseé and be very well aduised it selfe least in this braue bragge of fullnes it selfe be nypped with as full a scarsitie as we read sometyme written of the Church of Laodicea Bycause thou sayest I am riche and full and doe want nothyng doest not know that thou art a begger miserable poore blinde and naked I do aduise thee that thou come and buye of me fine pure gold of the finest that thou mayst be ritche and be clothed in
first ordeine lawes then assigne his Magistrates the Apostles Lastly that this bonde of mutuall societie might not be broken and so the couenable agreement of this Citie disturbed he did erect a Monarchie and therein inuested Peter with the highest soueraigntie First of all what heauenly commoÌ„ wealth do you dreame of vpon earth when as that heauenly Ierusalem is aboue wherein dwelleth God him selfe and our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ whereas the earth can haue none other Citie then earthly Neither did Iesu Christ take vnto him mans nature to the end hee would coyne new lawes but to accomplishe the old that the glad tydynges might be preached That prisoners might bee loosed that the sicke might be healed lastly that by offring vp his most precious body on the Crosse our sinnes might be clensed As for any superioritie in gouernement the Apostles receaued none nor any other authoritie was committed vnto them but that they should wander through the whole world emptie of all worldly furniture cariyng nothing with them and should sow in all places abroad the comfortable doctrine of the Gospell Nay rather when arose betwixt them a question who should be greatest amongest them our Lord and Sauiour Christ did so vtterly suppresse that ambicious contention that he briefly denounced that he which was left should be greatest amongest them Agayne when Iames Iohn had besought of our Lord and Sauiour that the one of them might sit on his right hand the other on his left hand when he were ascended into heauen vnto the throne of Maiestie he reproued them both so sharpely blamyng their ignoraunce that he told them They knew not what they asked and immediatly callyng the rest of the twelue together he so tempered vnto them lowlynes humilitie and obedience by manifest Arguments that they might easely perceiue how they were forbidden all maner of superioritie Sith these thyngs therfore are true I woÌ„der what came into your mynde to dreame of so dry a Summer that a Monarchie was erected amoÌ„gest the Apostles and that vnto Peter was geuen the preheminence thereof Was Peter so appointed the chief ouer the rest of the Apostles when as Christ him selfe doth so embace them and fearefully terrifle them from all maner of supremacie was Peter so worthy to be a Monarche when as Christ him selfe did hyde him out of the way bycause they would haue made him a kyng must we be so subiect to Peter and his Successours as vnto Princes when our Sauiour Iesu Christ came downe from heauen for this entent purpose to become a seruauÌ„t vnto others requiryng of his Apostles the selfe same duetie of abacement But there is nothyng you say more cleare then these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will builde my Church And what soeuer thou byndest vpon earth shall be bound also in heauen And I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth may not fainte And thou at the last beyng coÌ„uerted confirme thy brethren And many other like Whereby you will coÌ„streine vs to beleue That Peter was preferred before the rest of the Apostles I will treate therfore of euery of these seuerally That it may be euidently knowen what a deépe insight this Reuerend Prelate hath in Diuinitie For if he haue made here a strong and souÌ„de foundation his passage wil be the easier to the rest of his Assertions But if his groundewordes be planted vpon Sande the rest of his buildyng will quickely shiuer in peéces and come to ruine First of all therefore Note this to bee commonly vsed throughout the whole Scripture That when our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ would demaunde any question of all his Apostles Peter would make auÌ„swere in the name of the whole generally and not in his owne name particularely So to that question But whom do you say I am Peter maketh auÌ„swere for them all Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuyng God Agayne when the Lord demaunded Whether they his Disciples would depart away from him with the rest of the Iewes Peter not onely for him selfe but for his whole company denyed saying Lord whether shall we goe Thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe The life hereof is in Peters Sermon when he exhorted the Iewes to repose their whole affiaunce of saluation in Iesu Christ whom they Crucified and was risen agayne froÌ„ death to life For in the same place it is sayd that Peter alone did not preach to the Iewes but with the other eleuen The wordes were pronounced by Peters mouth onely but the mynde sentence enteÌ„t was agreed vpoÌ„ by all the Apostles Now therfore if those Scriptures do admitte these phrases of speach as appeareth playnly by the wordes of the holy Ghost Then this is a necessary consequent That our Lord Iesu Christ did in lyke maner apply his wonted communication vsed with the Apostles to Peters coÌ„mon aunswere In the like phrase of speach were those wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church For as Peter in the behalfe of all his fellowes affirmed that hee was Christ the sonne of the liuyng God so Christ likewise though he named Peter onely yet acknowledgeth the vniuersall consent and confession of all the rest and in the same doth promise to establish his Church which interpretatioÌ„ if you will not allow without witnesses behold Oâ—otius I haue alledged auncient Fathers mainteinyng myne allegation agaynst you and haue noted their places not obseruyng your disorder herein whiche vse to packe together a Rable of names of Fathers omittyng the matter as though to the resolution of doubtfull matters neéded nothyng but names Next hereunto you place in order the promise of Christ in these wordes What soeuer thou shall bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen what then ought this promise to bee restrained to Peter onely or was this promise equally coÌ„municated to the other Apostles whose speach is this then Receaue ye the holy Ghost whose soeuer sinnes ye do forgeue shal be forgeueÌ„ them and whose sinnes soeuer you doe reteine the same are reteined Is not this the gift of Christ is not this Christes promise made vnto his twelue Disciples standyng in the middest of them and preachyng vnto them all endyng them all with his heauenly blessing somewhat afore his Ascention Is not this sentence manifest enough the witnesse approued the authoritie not comptrollable vnlesse paraduenture you will contend like a child and stand vpon the nycenes of these sillables byndyng and loosing wherof you made mention before And yet if ye will obstinately persiste herein you shal be vrged with sillables and titles of like wordes Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall bynde on the earth the same shal be bounde in heauen also and whatsoeuer you loose vpon the earth shal be loosed also in heauen Here you this Do you also perceaue it and are ye not ashamed will you attribute that vnto
for their defence also as appeareth playnly by their bookes but I enterlaced this withall that if our writers had vsed scriptures onely they had followed herein the example of Iesu Christ and his Apostles What sayth our graue father to this Forsoth he Preacheth much of the Diuine power of Christ our Sauiour how that he was the mynde and wisedome of the father and the accomplisher of the Law and did make new ordinaunces of our Religion which were not expressed in the whole course of the old Law First of all this vnweldie old man perceiueth not how hee hath ouerthrowen him selfe in his owne turne for if Christ be the mynde and wisedome of the father as he hath most truely sayd hereupon consequently followeth that all the particular testimonies of Christ are speciall Oracles of the truth and that all his particular sayinges ought to be engrauen in our harts as heauenly Oracles This did our heauenly Father pronounce vnto Moyses and Moyses declared the same vnto the people in these wordes The Lorde thy God will rayse vp a Prophet lyke vnto me from among you ouer thy brethren him shall ye barken vnto Wherfore if we must harken vnto Christ as vnto Moyses then are we bounde as necessarely to his preceptes as to the ordinaunces of Moyses Behold the same more playnly yet in the Gospell Iesus beyng baptised came forth of the water and behold the heauens were opened and he saw the spirite of God descendyng as a Doue and standyng ouer him and loe there came a voyce from heauen This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Therfore sith the authoritie of Iesu Christ is sealed vnto vs by the mouth of almighty God what greater Maiestie of Scriptures may be pronoūced in the Scriptures taught or imagined more excellent then this doctrine Iames doth recorde That our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ is the onely Lawmaker which can saue and destroy Wherfore in his onely right and interest he did partly establishe new lawes partly amend the old partly expoūde the obscure partly restore them that were worne out of mynde and partly abolishe them that were receaued But what maketh this to your purpose when our Lord Iesus doth vse Scriptures doth he alledge any other then the sacred testimonies of the old Testament it could not otherwise bee say you doth he vouche any other interpreters then the holy Ghost sent downe from heauen he neéded not say you For he whom God hath sent speaketh the wordes of God for God doth not geue him the Spirite by measure The Father loueth the Sonne and hath yelded all thynges vnto his hand This is a true saying of Iohn concernyng Christ which beyng so in deéde that must bee also true whiche I enterlaced That Iesus Christ beyng contented with the testimonie of the holy Scriptures alleadged none other interpretour besides him selfe This is also vndoubted true at the last That you are a very vnskilfull and blockishe Deuine whiche professing the knowledge of God do wauder so erroniously in the nature and power of God If I should sift out the examples particularly that you haue taked together for this purpose I should finde them altogether voyde of all maner probabilitie stuffed full with grosse errours Two onely will I shake out amongest all the rest which shall condemne you of your disguised maskyng You deny that this sentence can be founde in the Law in the Prophets or in the Psalmes that the way is narrow that leadeth to saluatiō or that we must turne the left checke to him that hath striken on the right If you exact wordes you play by that Sophister If you require substaūce or sentence I do affirme it to be found euery where both in the Law in the Prophetes and in the Psalmes The old law hath an expresse commaundement That we shall not bow to the right hand nor the left hand nor adde to the Law nor diminishe there from Is it not apparaunt therfore that we are placed in straightes Truly Dauid perceaued it well who beyng a kyng and a Prophet chosen by that singular prouidence of God to gouerne the people of Israell yet doth greuously complayne that hee was partly placed in narrowe straightes partly forsaken in the darke and sometymes maketh most humble supplication to God to direct his feete in the right way but very often confesseth that the word of the Lord is a Lanterne to his feete and a light to his pathes But what neédeth a Lanterne but in combersome and narrow straightes where a man may easely goe amasked if you be ignoraunt in all those places what doe ye vnderstand that is requisite in a Deuine and Byshop or if ye know them and dissemble them what can be more wayward then you Likewise you obiect that saying of geuyng a blow on the cheékes which wordes do employ nothyng els but that we are commaūded to be patient But patience is most learnedly conteined in that first and speciall commaundement of God Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe There is no mā that will offer iniurie to him selfe in any matter wherfore he ought not to wrong his neighbour at all cā you haue any thyng more plainly spoken The vngratefull people of Israell did exclame and rage agaynst their good mild paynfull guide Moyses sometyme with secret conspiracies sometimes with open exclamations many tymes with threatnynges and very oftē with wicked cursinges What might this gentle Captaine doe in the meane space Beyng stricken yea and buffeted also vpon the cheéke doth hee not turne ouer his other cheéke What els I pray you is meant hereby that he doth often pray vnto God for such cursed caytiues his enemies when he doth so earnestly and vehemently cry out to God either to forgeue them or to blotte his name out of the booke of life if you require yet a more notable example of patience Behold our Lord Iesus Christ is prefigured vnto vs in Esay the Prophet drawen vnto death as a Lambe to be slayne who beyng rayled vpon on euery side vexed by the Iewes and buffeted with fistes on the face held his peace and as a sheepe before the Shearer neuer opened his mouth what may be thought of the whole history of Iob but a conquest of patience and in most miserable calamitie a most ioyfull Triumphe thereof And yet this veépe Deuine is so voyde of common sense that he vtterly deuyeth any sentence to be founde in the Scriptures touchyng patient sufferaunce of our enemyes wronges You say that you haue passed ouer many thyngs It had bene better for you truely that you had passed ouer all thynges then in all thynges with malice and foule speakyng so to turne the catte in the panne that your wordes can neither finde head nor foote to stand vpon can explane nothyng soundly cōclude nothyng duely proue nothyng effectually but raūge in rayling brawle with bare affirmatiues and with pratlyng past measure pester and
enough and is busied about heaueÌ„ly thyngs and godly coÌ„templation Truly this your speach doth not describe vnto vs any godly Moncke but either some notorius hypocrite or happely some drunkard or some one distraught of his wittes For why should his senses be ouerwhelmed at the namyng of God They should rather be liuely and ioyfull Wherfore should he fall to the ground on the deuils name if he were a true Christian he should rather rayse him selfe vp and reioyce in him from whom onely commeth all saluatioÌ„ How chaunceth this holy father that you an old man a Byshop a Deuine of so great estimation are so fallen to Fables Certes a meéte aduocate for so monishe a matter You demauÌ„de of me why we suffered our MoÌ„ckeries to escape vnpunished if there were such licentiousnes of lyfe amongest them How did they escape vnpunished good Syr we ouerthrew their durtie dennes The Brothelles them selues beyng bondslaues to all vnthriftynes we haled out of their swynestyes set a libertie we did abolish the occasioÌ„s of their treachery as much as we might not hatyng that persoÌ„s but their vyces when their vyce was rooted out what els might haue bene exacted not of you onely who blinded with malice know nothyng but of any other reasonable person To this dauÌ„ce you hauge the Uestale virgines whom the auÌ„cient Romanes reuereÌ„ced greatly so in lyke maner require our Nunnes to be honored of vs. Surely you handle this matter very kindly Salij Priestes of Mars did dauÌ„ce naked in their opeÌ„ filthy Pageantes for this was a speciall Article of their Religion why then do not you likewise beyng an old priest thinke it as seémely for you to daunce for Religion sake Herein I may seéme to scoffe ouer bytterly No truely For what can be lesse tollerable then an old grayheaded Byshop and a Deuine as he persuadeth him selfe to march with the madde superstitioÌ„s of the Romaines agaynst the veritie of the Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ You turmoyle your selfe much about the vowes of widowes which doth not coÌ„cerne our disputation and argue as though virgines vowyng chastitie could not bee ioyned in lawfull mariage without great haynousnesse How can men or maydens promise single life or if they promise rashly how can they performe truly when as chastitie is the peculiar gift of God and is not in our own power Get you to S. Paule whom you produce in your behalfe touchyng the same matter These be his wordes But euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this maner and an other after that What can be alledged more manifest then this If you be not yet satisfied annexe hereunto our Sauiour Christ and withall his owne wordes touchyng Eunuches wherein you triumph so Iollylye bycause that our Lord Iesus reported that some did geld them selues for the kyngdome of heauen Is not this also added a litle before He that can take it let him take it all men can not conceaue this saying but those to whom it is geuen Wherefore if chastitie be the proper gift of God we may not assure to our selues the thyng that is the proper gift of God And if none can be chast but to whom it is geueÌ„ how can we promise to our selues that which we know not whether we shall euer attaine or no Great is the force of the truth greater then this our great Maister of Israell can coÌ„prehend And howsoeuer he lyst to iangle here he confesseth the same a litle before in expresse wordes that chastitie is the gift of God as in deéde it is And for proofe therof vrgeth the same wordes of Christ mentioned before namely All men can not compreheÌ„d this saying but vnto whom it is geuen I maruell much Osorius that you haue so quickely forgotten your selfe But I ought not maruell thereat bycause of a very greédy affection to cauill an â—rabble you rush headlong many tymes into most pestilent errours You accuse Luther Bucer Zuinglius Oecolampadius Caluin and Martyr of lust As though men liued not chastly which hold them selues within the limittes of lawfull Matrimonie or as though all the Cowled droues of Sophisters aswell of your Nation as of any part of the world els were comparable with these godly fathers in commendable conuersatioÌ„ of life or excellencie of learnyng or as though the namyng of those persons made your cause any myte that better or as though Paule whom you do wrest and peruert for the mainteynaunce of your single lyfe did not sufficiently interprete him selfe or as though there were any thyng in you besides arrogancie cauillyng and choler You moue a very saucie question of Christian libertie Whether the same appeare greater in your Cowled generations then in maryed folkes I aunswere that the pure Eunuches whom God hath endued with the gift of chastitie do enioy most excellent freédome of mynde but the question coÌ„cerneth not those persons in this place But the rest of your mocke Eunuches haue no freédome of mynde except you lift to tearme it a wicked fréedome an horrible libertie to whoredome Neither am I alone of this iudgement for that were of no credite Paule is of the same mynde Who hauyng sayd It is good for a man not to touch a wife immediatly addeth But for auoyding fornication let euery maÌ„ haue his owne wife and thereof presently rendreth this reason For better it is to marry then to burne The first part of this senteÌ„ce you vrge very stoutly Osorius but the later you doe wickedly wincke at But we may not halt so bycause as Paule sayth we goe the right way to the Gospell not haltyng as you do But halt you as ye lift dissemble still wincke still at the horrible actions of your cowled Lurdeines yet is this true yea to true alas that these hypocriticall professours of chastitie doe not burne onely but swell also and are enflamed with insaciable firebrandes of Lecherie And it is not a whiueryng voyce of a vow bloweÌ„ out in respect of gayne or idlenes that can very easely quenche suppresse in the myndes of young persons those intollerable flames of naturall corruptioÌ„ There be great droues nay rather vnmeasurable herdes of your drousie Uotaries to be so bold as to coyne a new name for a new thyng whose poysoned filthynesse hath so defiled the earth that they may with horrible feare looke for Gods iust terrible vengeaunce to bee poured vpon them with Gomorrhean and Sodomiticall brimstone and fire heauen vnlesse they repent be tymes You do reproche Luther with his Mariage and slaunderously rayle that at the celebratyng thereof Venus was President not Venus of Paphia nor Erycina but Venus the furie of hell O vncleane mouth Dare you so blasphemously rayle agaynst the estate of Matrimonie commeÌ„ded with so glorious titles as which the holy Ghost commaunded to be honorable amongest all persons whiche our Lord Iesus Christ did honor with his presence which was ordeined of God
depose them that were Elected if they liked them not And hauing attempted this deuise sundry tymes in vayne at the last after the death of the Emperour Henry 3. they crept couertly into an occasion of colorable entraunce effectuall and plausible enough as they supposed whereunto they bente all their force endeuour imagination to the vttermost of their power Pope Benedict 1. slyly entryng into conference with some of the familiares of the foresayd Henry immediately vpon the death of Conrade his Father practized forthwith to dishinherite him from the Empire and withall to aduaunce in his place Peter Kyng of Hungary presentyng vnto him this precious Owch to set on his cappe Petra dedit Romam Petro tibi Papa coronam The Rocke gaue Rome vnto Peter and the Pope the Crowne vnto thee Henry the 3. beyng dead left behynd him a sonne named Hēry 4. a very babe tender of yeares Agaynst this young Prince was a conspiracie practized by certeine State of Saxony with whom conspired also many Byshops but chiefly aboue all the rest Gregory 7. pope of Rome The Emperour is conuented of heresie for lewdly disposing the goodes and possessions of the Church and geuyng Ecclesiasticall promotions to vnworthy personages This pretence was plausible enough The Emperour is cited to Rome to defende his cause and by the Pope adiudged to penaunce namely That renouncyng his Imperiall dignitie he should doe penaunce dayly by the space of one whole yeare at the Church doore as Peter Paule yea besides this also that barefooted and barelegged he should personally crooch and creépe to kisse the popes feéte whiles this pageaunt was playeng the meane while Rodolphe Duke of Saxon is suborned to inuade the Empire vnto whō the Diademe is sent with this Inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodolpho The Rocke gaue vnto Peter and Peter geueth the Diademe vnto Rodolph The young Emperour vnderstandyng the matter dispatcheth away into Germany Rodolphe beyng in fiue battels disconfited and put to flight whiles he laye a dyeng was presented with his right hand which he lost in the battel which when he beheld he spake to the Byshops that stoode about him after this maner This is the right hād wherewith I vowed my Fayth to the Emperour Now is the same hand become a witnes and testimony of my breach of fidelity and detestable treason against my Souereigne euen by your procurement prouocation chiefly After this when the other confederates of the same Saxon conspiracy whō the pope had inueigled to reuolt to witte Herman of Luxemburgh Ecbert Marques of Saxon Duke Otto with his sonnes Conrande and Henry the grosse Echarde sonne of Ecbert Vdo Geberde and others had suffered lyke punishmentes the Emperours good fortune alwayes preuailyng The pope surceased not his practize neuerthelesse whom sufficed not to teaze straūgers to treason vnlesse he had seduced the naturall Sonnes of the Emperour to witte Conrade the first and immediatly after his decease Henry his other Sonne agaynst the Father Wherepon ensued afterwardes horrible broyles and at the length the death of the Emperour also And yet that vnhappy conspiracy of Henry the Sonne ioyning with the Pope agaynst Henry the Father happened not happely on his side afterwardes For when Henry the Sonne did withstād the same inordinate Articles of the Byshops which his Father refused Lotharius is pricked forewardes agaynst him by new practizes of the pope euē the same Lotharius whō agaynst his Fathers will he had made Duke of Saxon before who mainteining the quarell of the pope after that he vanquished the army of Henry the 5. the Emperour now left destitute of frēdes and throughly weried out with the continuall trechery of the Byshops was constrayned to relent and yeld ouer his right The Emperours therfore beyng thus weakened and for the most part brought vnder subiectiō immediatly began to spryng vp the Absolute power and Monarchy of the pope about the yeare 1094. by the speciall practize of Hildebrand and Vrbane 2. which did forbyd that no man from thenceforth should receaue any Ecclesiasticall promotiō they call it Inuestiture of any Temporall Authoritie Whē they had accomplished this with effect they began to attempt an other matter much more waighty to witte that they to whom the Byshops did owe due obedience before should now become the popes Uassalles and stand at his courtesie For wheras the Byshops were so subiect to the Emperour hitherto that no Election of any pope could be holden legitimate if the Emperour had not ratified it And agayne whereas alwayes heretofore the lawfull authoritie of the Imperiall Succession was deriued from the Fathers to the Sonnes without any graunt allowaunce or confirmation of the pope These Sacred and holy Fathers outragiously boylyng with an inward charitable zeale to vnlade the Princes of that heauy burden of authoritie and to lay it vpon their owne shoulders what do they forsooth vnder colour of false surmise both horrible agaynst God and outragiously presumptuous agaynst men they pretende that this authoritie to erect and set vppe earthly Empires and kyngdomes and to dispose and trāspose them at their pleasure where when and to whō they listed was geuē cast vpon them frō aboue not by any terrene ordinaunce but euen by Christ him selfe and that it was now no more lawfull for any man to clymbe to the state Imperiall but at the will and lawfull Election of the Pope And hereof are many Decreés extaunt abroad shamefully forged by them and much more shamefully countenaunced and faced out The Maiestie of the Empire beyng thus brought in subiectiō and worne quite out of countenaunce the intollerable arrogancy of the Byshops grew to such outrage that not contented to haue pluckt out their owne neckes out of the colier of lawfull obedience drew also vnto them selues the Emperours interest lawfull authoritie in creatyng the Pope in enstallyng of Byshops in callyng of Councels in disposing Ecclesiasticall promotiōs finally in administryng all Ecclesiasticall matters and the Emperours them selues beyng thus made subiect vnto thē after a most execrable sort did moyle turmoyle oppresse enforcyng them not onely to sweare allegeaunce and obediēce vnto them but to prostrate them selues to kisse euen their stinkyng feéte also extollyng and magnifieng their owne absolute power and Monarchy in the meane space aboue all the kyngdomes of the earth gloriously vauntyng that the Imperiall Maiesty was seuēty tymes seuen tymes Inferiour and baser then the glory of the Popedome was alledging this similitude for a speciall Argument that as God sayd they had created two great lightes in the firmament and as the creation of heauen and earth had not two begynnynges but one begynnyng Euen so now was left nothyng for the Emperour no not in the lowest Sphere of the world wherein he might beare any preéminence but that the whole Chaos of all power generally seémed to be fast locke vp and ensealed within one
measuring Sandes and Seas Do you not see and playnely perceaue what a large worlde you haue opened vnto me to treate vpon when you allured me hither that I should out of hystoryes and auncyent recordes vnfolde and displaye abroad the controuersies priuye grudges Iniuries conspiracies Treasons Accusacions Quarrelles Reproches Slaunders Poysones Armyes Battelles Excommunications and voyadges practized sustayned supported and continued by the Clergye agaynst Emperors Kinges and higher powers All which notable enterpryses and attemptes of yours If I would but Imagine in my conceipt that I might be able to comprehend vtter in writing I might well be counted as wise as a woodcock that would occupye my self about nombring of the swelling waues of the Lybyan seas or seeke to know the continuall course of the flashing foame and the boysterous billowes of Eurus blastes And as though these wandring wyndes had not eyther blowne abroad sufficient store of lyes or not incredibly monstrous enough yet crawleth forewardes neuerthelesse in hys continuall course of lyeng this glorious paynter of praises to poolishe and make gallaunt this holy mother Church of Rome with all kinde of gorgiouse glitterings and beautiful plumes Meaning the same I suppose that Plato did sometyme in Socrates to expresse the patterne of a perfect philosopher Xenophon in Cirus the Image of a perfect Emperour Cicero of a perfect orator in Crassus Curtius of a perfect captayne in Alexander and Isocrates a president of a perfect princely prince in Nicockles so would he take vpon hym to blaze out the beauty of this pontificall Sinagogue by the which he might represent a resemblaunce of a singuler and incomparable shape of a most pure and true Church without wrinckle or spotte paynted as it were in tables with conning Craftesmans Arte most merueilous to view Now therefore touching the institution and disciplyne of this Church we haue heard already as the which beyng erected first by Christ enlarged by the Apostles established by the Martyrs amplified with doctors and defended by thinspiration of the holy ghost doth perseuer in one vnyforme fayth alwayes vnuanquishable agaynst all the assaultes of all hereticks in the worlde It remayneth now that we note Osorius hys discourse touching the externall discipline therof to witte worshipping ceremonyes and Rytes in the defence of the which heé vttereth the liuelinesse and quicknesse of hys witte And here at the first choppe appeare vnto vs the most notable Schooles of Monckes Friers and Noonnes Orders of Sainct Bruno S. Benedict Sainct Frauncis Sainct Dominick Sainct Brigit Sainct Beguine Sainct Barnarde and Fryars Carmelittes which although seeme to be but ordinaunces of men yet because they hinder nothing to the studye of Gods lawe but are profitable helpes rather to such as are desirous to aspyre to true godlinesse it standeth with good reason to think that they did spring from the holyghost who was the first founder of them And here loe is newe matter nowe to vtter freshe eloquence with Rhetoricall brauery of Comendatory acclamations Uerely I doe beleéue that Osorius wanted some fitte argument to whett his excellent witte vpon when he fell and was forced into these straightes to become a prating proctor for Monckes I speake of these Monckes who haue bene lately hatched long sithence the tyme of Basile and Barnarde And therefore that he purposed to vtter his skill in this leane and barrayne matter as many others haue done before him in fayned deuises and counterfayte toyes not because they thought there was any thing praiseworthy in the same but to sharpen their wittes and to make a shew of their pregnancy of stile by way of daliaunce by trifles to try how they were otherwise able to declaime in matter of emportaūce if Necessitie should require therunto So did Homere sometime describe the battell of myse and frogges Vergill hys Gnatt Ouide his nutte So did Policrates prayse Busirides Glauco one of the secte of Plato commended vnrighteousnes Fauorinus the Feuer quartan and Thersites Sinesius magnified Baldnes of this sort we reade to be the tragicall comedie of Seneca in the prayse of Claudius deifieng hym Apuleius extolleth the Asse An other commendeth Grillus Another compareth a Byttell with an Egle. And there want not some which were willing to delight themselues and others in blasing the prayse of Folly But all these are but Tryflers in respect of one of late yeares named Iohn Casus Archbish. of Beneuentane that popes legate vnto the Venetianes who shamed not to take vpō him to magnifie most horribly and with more thē detestable impudency not Feuers quartaines nor Baldnes and want of here but that stincking filthines that shame it selfe will not permitte a man to speake with tongue whose nimblenes of witte our Osorius seémeth in this hys resemblaunce somewhat to be enclined vnto vndertaking to commend these hys companiōs as the fellow Citizens of Lothe dwelling in Sodome But to let these filthy matters goe not meete for chaste eares let vs retourne to our matter agayne Besides this Rable of couled generation that be neuer sufficiently commended there are added also to amplifie the royaltye of this Romishe Sinagogue other ornamentes not a few and of no small emportaunce first and aboue all others the honorable signe of the Crosse aduaunced not in Temples and houses onely but sette abroad also in high wayes and crossed vpon mens foreheades also Ouer and besides this crucifixe because mans memory shall not want matter to be occupyed vpon prouision was made that Innumerable Images and pictures of he Goddes and sheé Goddes should likewise be placed in Churches of the Catholickes holy remembraunces of holy Saintes I warrant you whose pictures they doe not onely worshippe very religiously here vpon earth but Inuocate the Saintes themselues in heauen And these they do make their patrones and proctours in heauen as neéde shall require men very prouident and circuumspect surely for if the Intercession of Christ alone or the sheéding of his precious bloud fayle happely to finde fauour with hys father they shall forthwith steppe forth and help them at neéde and become mediators for the sinnes of the people Emongst these Saincts dwelleth Sainct Tho. Beckett Archbishop of Canterbury for whose blouds sake the Church doth desire that their prayers may wend into the very place where Tho. did ascend There also dwelleth S. Anselme Sainct Dunstane Sainct Christopher Sainct Margarete and Killdragon Saincte George and a great nomber more like vnto thē Of which euery blinde man may easily seé by many famous histories that some were Traytoures some Factious and seditious yea some also that were neuer borne as yet and are very braynesicke Imaginations not of men but pield deuises of olde Dottards onely to occupy idle heades withall But because Osorius doth so stoughtly defend these Idolles as necessary helpes and meanes to rayse vppe mens forgetfulnes Herein I do meete with two occurrantes at the whiche I can neuer wonder sufficiently first whenas no pictures
the order of Templars or Almaines which tooke their name of the Hospitall of S. Iohn in the yeare .1128 The Order of Premonstratenses were founded by Caliste 2. in the yeare .1124 The order of Gilbertines in the yeare .1152 by Eugenius the 3. The Order of Brother Preachers who tooke their name and begynnyng from Dominicke a murtherer and most cruell persecutour of the Valdenses vnder Innocent 3. in the yeare .1216 Immediatly after ensued the factions of Franciscanes in the yeare .1228 vnder Gregory the 9. To whom within a whiles after were added the orders of Eremytes Austen Friers Reformed Carmelites whom the moūt Carmell did vomite out vnto vs. There followed also an other order of Austen Friers vnder Honorius the 4. in the yeare .1286 Neither did these monstruous vanities of new fangle Religiōs cease at men but the Serpigo crawled further into womens cōsciences also who beyng allured by the exāple of men began after a litle sittyng abrood to hatcht vp such cheékynes to flocke together in coueyes herdes Wherof some were called Sisters Clarites broched by Dominicke first Some Brigittines surnamed of one Brigitte a Scithiā borne their couey peéped abroad at the first in the begynnyng of Vrbane the 5. his Popedome In the Councell of Laterane was a Decreé published by Innocent the 3. with a speciall prouiso for the abandonyng of diuersities of Religions that from thenceforth no Couent of Cloystered company or cowled crew should be erected in the yeare .1215 And yet in despight of the authoritie of this Decreé how many clusters of factious Friers haue bene forged emongest your holy Fathers sith that tyme. Besides the orders of Minorites Austens Brigidines Crossebearers and Scourgers there is peépte abroad within these few yeares good lucke a Gods name to the Pope and his Puppettes the order of Iesuites in the yeare .1540 promising I know not what by the title of their names Sure I am they haue hetherto accomplished nothyng correspondent to so sacred a name But it seémed good to the Lord Iesus peraduenture to fulfill so the Propheticall truth of his Gospell Many shall come in my name c. What followeth let them selues looke to it I haue spoken of Mounckery I haue spoken also of some other orders and ordinaūces of the Romish Church for to rippe vp all were an infinite peéce of worke It remaineth now That Osorius say somewhat for him selfe likewise and make some shew of wares if he haue any in all that his Romish Church wherein he liueth now except a few Articles of the Creede onely wherein we can iustifie as auncient a prescription of possession as they can that be not either new straunge and lately vpstarte or els altogether Poeticall stagelicke and mockeries Wherfore if we measure Antiquitie by the age of Christ his Apostles the nearest yeares next ensuyng the same age wherein also if Osorius will abide by it that nothyng ought to be allowed in the Church that doth not sauour of that primitiue and Apostolicke antiquitie then shall Osorius daughtlesse at this one blow choppe of the Popes head triple Crowne Church and all for as much as he shall neuer be able to vouch any thyng either in the receaued Doctrine Religion Rites or Ceremonies of his Church that euer saw the age of the Apostles or is in any respect correspondent to that first patterne and president of the primitiue Simplicitie There is such a generall Metamorphosis and alteration yea all thynges are turned into so frameshapen a newfanglenesse that it may seéme they haue not onely forgoen the aunciēt ordinaūces of the primitiue Church but also to haue vtterly excluded them selues from all acquaintaūce with that same Church with the Gospell yea with Christ him selfe of whom the Apostles gaue testimony and preached The Apostles did not acknowledge that same one Christ any where but in heauen and him ascendes into heauen they did so apprehend by Faythe that they would neuer seéke him els where then in heauen and so in heauē sittyng in the flesh as that they would no more know him after the flesh as men not dreamyng so much vpon his carnall presence nor ouer greédely affectioned to enioy him after that fleshly maner but were otherwise wholy settled and vnmoueably fixed in mynde in that spirituall presence of his Maiestie But to you sufficeth not to apprehend Christ by Fayth sittyng in heauen and to worshyp in spirite as the Apostles blessed Martyrs did vnlesse after a fleshly and bodyly maner with your fingers you handle the reall corporall substanciall identicall presence of Christ behold the the same with your eyes and choppe him vppe at a morsell Which deuise of yours doth argue that you seéme to be carried with a wondrous senselesse opinion of errour as neither to acknowledge one the selfe same Christ whom the Apostles did nor to worshyp him in heauen onely but to imagine to your selues two Christes of that one Christ namely one Sauiour in heauē and an other in earth and him also to Sacrifice dayly in your Masse In the Apostles tyme the Communion was ministred not once in a yeare onely nor at the Feast of Easter onely nor with Bread consecrated into the body of Christ but in a thankefull remembraunce of the Lordes death the bread and wyne beyng equally deliuered to the people at all tymes whensoeuer any assembly of well disposed did meéte together for that purpose They neuer sayd nor song any priuate Masses nor instituted any Sacrifices for the quicke and the dead being throughly satisfyed with one sacrifice onely which beyng once finished they were assured that the whole action of our Redemption was accomplished For so are we taught by the testimony of the Apostle By his owne bloud he entred in once the euerlasting redemption being accomplished And agayne For this did he once when he offered vppe himselfe And imediately after We are sanctified by the onely offering of the body of Christ Iesu once offered for all Moreouer in an other place writing of one Christ onely One God sayth he one Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesu c. But how shall there be but one onely Christ or one onely Sacrifice of his body once offered of whose body you doe exact dayly a new fresh sacrifice to be made for the sinnes of the people Or how cā he be sayd to be but one accordyng to the proportion of a body of whom you doe imagine a presence accordyng to the whole nature of his flesh both absent in body in the heauens and in the same body neuertheles at one selfe instaunt on the earth Do ye not seé how absurdly these your patcheries concurre and agreé with the naturall meaning of the Scriptures and how farre they be from all reason And what is this els then to preach vtterly an other Christ then whom the Apostles
haue taught They acknowledge him to be heauenly you make him earthly Theyr doctrine doth rayse vs from the earth vppe on high where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Your doctrine what doth it whereunto tendeth it whether doth it call the mindes of Christians but from aboue downeward out of heauen into the earth withdrawing the senses from the Spirite to the flesh So that we must seéke for Christ there not where he is but where you imagine him to be present The Apostle Paule when he preacheth vnto vs the liuely feature of this Christ who taking vpon him the shape of a Seruaunt suffered death in the same shape once for our sinnes vnder Pontius Pilate and afterwardes accomplishing the mistery of our redemption rose agayne for our iustification doth teach vs playnly that he ascended into heauen not leauing his body wherein he suffered behinde him here on earth but taking vpp the same body into heauen was with the same receiued into glory whom also he affirmeth he knew no more now according to his fleshlye presence that is to say according to the capacity of his carnall senses And that besides this Christ onely he knew none other Christ nor this Christ otherwise then according to the new creature onely namely visible in spirite with the eyes of fayth and not with fleshlye eies Let vs make now a comparison betwixt this Christ of our Gospell with that your Christ of the Pope in the same manner as you do fashion him and make a gaze of him to the eies and eares of the people after the order of your Gospel which seémeth to me to be after this manner not as hauing taken vpon him the shape of a seruaunt but the forme of bread is in the same forme of bread and vnder the accidents of bread made of wheat set out to the gaze of the people to be tooted vpon and is of Christians worshipped and offered to God the Father and this not once but dayly not vnder Pontius Pilate but vnder the Pope of Rome not a Sacrifice onely for the quicke but for the soules in Purgatory also to the washing away of theyr synnes Which Sacrifice being ended he is buried in deéd but buryed or rather drowned in the paunch of a priest from whence he neither riseth agayne nor ascendeth afterwardes but descendeth rather nor is euer looked for to come agayne from thence And this is that same Christ not the Euangelicall Christ but the Papisticall and poeticall Christ whom thought the Apostles or Euangelistes neuer knew yet must we be enforced will we nyll we to honor and worshippe neuerthelesse as the very Sauiour of the world forsooth Whom may not suffice to lift vppe hartes and mindes on high to him onely which dwelleth in heauen vnlesse we also lift vppe our fleshly eyes to this visible Christ and kneéle and crootche vnto him with great reuerence yea although the eyes themselues do behold nothing but bread and wine yet the eyes must lye and all the sences must be deceiued neither may in any wise be reputed other then verye herityques but in despyght of eyes and senses all we must of infallible persuasion of fayth firmely beleue that it is now no more bread and wine that is seéne But the bread and wine being thrust cleane on t of dores Chryst onely yea whole Christ doth possesse euery part of that place who though be not present in his owne naturall shape nor in the same proportion of body which he tooke of the Uirgine Mary yet in the selfe same nature trueth substaunce Identity notwithstanding vnder other formes forsooth and yet not figuratiuely but truely most absolutely perfectly and fully must in the same whole body and the same naturall blood be contayned felt seene and without all contradition worshipped These be the misteries of your diuinity as I suppose by the which you haue begotten vnto the world a new Christ I knowe not whom altogether an other Christ neuer borne of the Uirgine Mary doubtles whom the Gospell neuer knew nor the Apostles euer taught nor the Euangelystes euer saw I adde also whom neuer any of you hath seéne hetherto yet nor shall euer seé hereafter And yet these so wittelesse so dotish and monstruous deuises of drowsy dreames then which nothing can be spoken or imagyned more false and more monstruous you shame not at all to vaunt to be most auntient and most true as the Gabyonites of olde time did theyr shooes And for the same your Popish Christ made of bread you stick not to aduēture limm life more earnestly then for the true Glory of that Christ whom we do most certaynely know to be in heauen where also we do worshippe him And euen this doth your horrible butchery of an infinite number of our Martyres declare to be true by most plain and euident demonstration With the blood of whom because your holy mother the church seémeth so beastly dronken long sithence this one thing would I fayne learne of you what special cause was it that enforced you to vtter such outrage in the shedding of so much blood of your naturall brethren was it because they defrauded Christ the Sonne of God which was borne for our sakes crucified rose agayne ascended vp into heauē sitting now a Lord in heauē of one dramm so much of his due honor nothing lesse Was it because they abused or defiled the Gospel I thinke not so Was it because they brake the auntient ordinaūces and approued doctrine of the holy Apostles and Prophettes in any one thing or because they went beyond the bondes prescribed by the auntient fathers none of all these But the cause was for that they refused to allow of that newfangled and vpstart Idoll of the Popish Masse and that lately sprōg vppe Breadworshippe contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles yea contrary to Christ himselfe and because they would not in this behalfe be as furiously franticke as the Papistes themselues In the meane time we speake not this as though we were of opiniō that Sacramentes should be defrauded of theyr dewe honor For it is one thing to reuerence the Sacramentes accordyngly and an other thyng to conuert the Sacramente of Christ into Christ him selfe and to worshippe earthly Sygnes for the heauenly Christ in the one whereof is a kynde of Religion in the other manifest Idolatry To the whiche wanteth nothyng now but that they chaunt lustely together with Ieroboam These be thy Gods O Israell But we shall be vrged perhappes with the wordes of Christ in the Gospell This is my body c. As though in the wordes of Christ which be Spirite and life it be so rare vnaccustomed phrase of speaking to vse Tropes and figures now and then seing there is no kinde of doctrine that more vsually delighteth in figures Tropes parables Similitudes metaphors allegoryes mysteryes thē the mystycall speéch of the sacred
but sturred vpp by the flaming fyrebrandes of the furyes of hell and that they applyed themselues not to teach men but to peruert men Of the discention and variable opinions of Deuines and Churches hath bene spoken of before so that it shall be but neédeles to repeate the same agayne onely I will aunswere here to the argument God is not the Author of discention but of peace I doe know this and confesse it to be most true So also is the same God the fountayn of all righteousnes and father of all consolation The same is also Author of Matrimony and of all good thinges Go to now where can you finde in all the estates courses and actions of this transitory lyfe that fulnes and absolute perfection of righteousnes of consolation or of peace yea in the most holy estate of matrimonye as may be aunswerable to that absolute patterne of perfection Lett it suffice vs to haue receaued the first fruits thereof though we possesse not the Tenthes There will come a day and a place when as no darkened cloud of discention shall ouershadow this perfect peace betwixt vs. In the meane space whiles we lyue in this vale of misery men with men we shall neuer be destitute of one thing or other that will alwayes argue vs to be men dwelling in the tabernacle of Imperfection And therefore if Osorius will be so nyce as to exact of vs so precise a knitting together of vnvariable minds as may in no poynt swarue frō ech other lett himselfe become a president hereof in his owne Coūtrey and shew himselfe an Angell emongest his owne people And what maruell is it if in so great varietie of Iudgemētes and amongest so many men two men onely dissent somewhat in matter of so small importaunce whenas in this your so vniforme a Church whereof ye boast so proudly there is no parcell of Religion almost or order in profession wherein Schoole agaynst Schoole Uniuersitie agaynst Uniuersitie Colledge agaynst Colledge Councell agaynst Councell Canon agaynst Canon doe not mainteine continuall iarryng How is it then Osorius that with shuttevppe eyes ye can so lightly ouerlooke and not looke vpon so many and so monstruous Beames ouerspreadyng your Churches and not passe ouer one litle moate in our Church without controllyng your brethren but that ye must burst out into such whotte fury of hellish firebrandes With the Spirite of God say you is no dissensiō This is most true And so it is true also that Luther Zuinglius be not taken for Gods which can not erre nor dissent eche from other in some pointes Neither doth it therfore follow hereupon that bycause they do not reteigne a mutuall constaunt cōsent of myndes in all thyngs that therfore they were not raysed vppe by God Otherwise after this Logicke how many auncient and godly Fathers will you banish out of all Churches was there neuer any iarryng betwixt Moyses and Aaron That contention betwixt Paule Peter about the mainteynyng of the libertie of the Gospell and agayne that separatyng a sunder of Paule from Barnabas is well knowen to all mē It whiles the Lord him selfe lyued vpon the earth the Disciples them selues could be at variaunce about preéminence and superioritie what maruell now if his Disciples do not so well agreé together in all pointes sithēce Christ is not present emongest them who were more familiar then Basile and Gregory Nazienzene and yet in this marueilous consent of qualities and studies wanted not a certeine offence and breache of that mutuall amitie Victor did not of all partes agreé with Policarpus How earnest a conflict deuided Iohn Byshop of Constantinople and Epiphanius Byshop of Cypres Neither did Augustine in all thynges agreé with Ierome And yet I thinke you will not say that these men were not raysed vppe by the grace and Deuine inspiration of God Well now Let vs seé what this so great dissention was betwixt them which as you say proceéded from Luther What a brable was there betwixt them say you about wordes what varietie and inconstancy of opinions how disorderly how intricately and ouerthwartly do they speake in how many sondry matters and Argumentes do they not onely not agree with others but also disagree eche from other Forsooth if you will know Osorius and sith you require the same I will shew you in few wordes what and how monstruous this cōflict was betwixt thē First they do all togethers with one voyce confesse one God they doe all with one Fayth acknowledge the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost They do all with one mynde agreé togethers in the Articles of the Christian Creede with the true auncient and Catholicke Fayth of the Church of Christ. Of this Church they do all acknowledge the authoritie of the Scripture to be chief next vnder Christ the second place and dignitie they do yeld to the Church to the auncient and approued Councels The godly and auncient Fathers they do all with one consent allow and yeld vnto so farreforth as euery of them is founde to agreé with the expresse word of God Heresies and false opiniōs reproued by the authoritie of holy Scripture and the sacred antiquitie of the Church they do all generally oppugne besides this authoritie of Scripture the most couenable proportion of Fayth whatsoeuer hath priuily crawled and crept in by stealth into the profession of Fayth and true worshyppyng of God they do all vtterly and worthly abhorre whatsoeuer is most aunciēt in Fayth and most approued by cōstaunt allowaunce of antiquitie the same is had amongest thē in greatest admiration In the acknowledgemēt of one onely Mediatour in heauen one onely Sacrifice for Sinnes which is resiaunt not in the earth but in heauen in confessyng one onely generall head of the vniuersall Church in all these is there no discention nor brawlyng about wordes or Sentences Moreouer in this they agreé together all be of one mynde and iudgement all namely that the Pope of Rome is the very Antichrist whereof they haue assured and vndoughted proofe by the certeine and infallible Rules and forewarnynges of the holy Scripture and by his horrible persecution of the word of God Besides this also that all Idolles and Images ought to be abolished out of the Church of God That those choppyng chaungyng of Pardons ought to be abhorred That all affiauce of righteousnes of God ought to be settled in the onely Fayth of Iesu Christ and in nothyng els That superfluous vowes and Traditions of men which do yoake fast and clogge Christian libertie and well disposed consciences ought vtterly to be abolished That Ceremonies and Constitutions which are ioyned with an opinion of righteousnesse of worshyppyng of Saluation merityng ought worthely to be banished abandonned that Priestes Concubines ought to be conuerted into lawfull Matrimony that those mōstruous vpstartes of disguised professions rules and orders ought be rooted out that all thyngs may be reduced and leuelled
to exclayme agaynst Luther was hissed out of the place not without great gleé and delight of the beholders So small and so no acquayntaunce at all hath this proud hawty and loftye kynde of myncing Minnions with our Lord and Sauior Iesu Christ. I do willingly abstayne from naming of men because I would haue them forewarned rather to theyr benefitte then reproched to their infamy if there be any besides this Osor. whom this Ciceronian skabbe hath infected with like dottage But I come agayne to Pardons wherwith as they say they sweépe all Purgatory and make cleane riddaunce when they will and by which picklockes they locke fast the gates of hell opeÌ„ the gates of heauen to whom they list But I pray you Osorius by what authoritye doe they this By the same authoritye you will say where of was spoken to Peter I will geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. That the keyes were geuen to Peter no man will denye But what is this to the Pope of Rome because next vnto Peter the succession of the See Apostolick falleth vpon the Pope forsooth And why so how will you proue this to be true I beseéch you What because he doth enioy Peters Chayre what had Peter no more Chayres but one or did he fitt no where but at Rome And what if he neuer sate at Rome But putt the case he sate at Rome I wil geue you an argument not much vnlike vnto this It was not vnknowne to be old Poetts what a skilfull Harper Orpheus was whom they imagined to haue drawen aâ—ter him with the sweétnesse of his Harpe stoanes and woodes It came to passe in processe of time that one Neanthus Sonne of Pittacus chaunced to come by the same Harpe who being farre vnlike this Orpheus in skill of playing altogether an Asse as the prouerbe speaketh at the harpe yet through a foolish opinion conceaued of himselfe dyd persuade himselfe that he should be able to draw after him Rocks and Woddes immediately vpon the sound of the Harpe This clownish Cocklorrell therefore wandring abroad ouer hilles and dales and maruayling that the Rockes and Woods stood still as before vnmoueable and would not sturre out of theyr place at the sound of the Harpe neuer surceased from striking from stretching from thumping the Harpe vntill hauing made hymselfe loathsome to the very cattell with the tedious and brutish noyse of the Harpe became a pray to dogges and was guawed and rent in pieces by them And what els doth this popish Prelate emport with his pompous pryde and stately Chayre wheron he is no lesse â—rantickly fond then this seély soule was vpon the Harpe I list not as now to gesse the garbroyle of his glory of the thing it selfe I dare boldly speake this much as Orpheus Harpe maketh not an Harper forthwith so neyther doe Peters Keyes shape a right succession but the onely confession and fayth of Peter And yet did the Church alwayes acknowledge the Byshoppe of Rome to be the Successour of Peter the Apostle So did also the consent of the Fathers and the Antiquity of time I do heare you But by what authority by what testimony and witnesses will you iustify this to be true or by why what reason or argument will you proue it what because he canne shew the Chayre that Peter sate in Nay rather lette him expresse the vertuous life and gratious giftes of Peter and in his life geue forth vnto vs as Peter did a President and patterne of the causes precedent and the true Circumstaunces for the which the Keyes were deliuered vnto Peter For on this wise are we enformed by the Gospell Because flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen You doe heare mention made first of the notable testimony of his faith and open confession of the Sonne of God which was not discouered vnto him by flesh and bloud nor by any naturall Philosophy nor engraffed within him by any force of natures lore but which being endued with heauenly inspiration he had receaued from aboue beyond all reatch of humayne Capacity For the knowledge of Christ commeth by the onely inspiration of the holye Ghost Which assoone as the Lord perceaued was engrauen within Peter wondring as it were at the greatnesse of the miracle doth first declare vnto him the glad tydings of blessednes froÌ„ God Thou art blessed Simon Bariona then alluding to the nature of his name because he was called Cephas that is to say Peter vpon that Petra that is to say vpon that Rocke of his fayth an confession he doth promise to establish the building of his Churche And added hereunto the promise of the Keyes I wyll geue thee sayth he the Keyes of the Kingdome of God c. By which CircumstauÌ„ces what are we taught els then that the foundation of the Church of Christ wheresoeuer it be is grounded vpon nothing els then vpon true fayth and vnfayned confession of the Sonne of God For when the Lord spake this vnto Peter he made no accouÌ„pt of his righteousnesse nor of hys vertues and conuersation of life neither of his fastings nor his dutifull obseruation of the commaundementes ne yet the holines of his Religion forasmuch as all these ornamentes dyd shyne as aboundauntly in others as they did in Peter But at the first vtterannce and confession of his excellent fayth the Lord doth denounce him to be blessed buildeth his Churche and doth promise the Keyes vpon the same Whereupon remayneth that we conclude at the last most truely that wheresoeuer the Keyes are exercised which are Christes true Keyes in deéd there of necessity must an influence and speciall inspiratioÌ„ of the holyghost and a certayn earnest and harty effectualnes of fayth and coÌ„stant confession of Christ goe before On the contrary part where no perseueraunce or feéling can be perceiued of the ingraued knowledge of Christ from the heauenly Father whose minde being not endued with any influence of the holyghost sauoureth of nothing at all beyond the retch of flesh and bloud who hath wedded his hart to earthly treasures to the Royalty pompe and gorgeousnes of this world who neglecting the glory of Christ is vassall and bondslaue to Ambition subiect to affections geueth himselfe to pamper the paunch and is drowned in the deépe doungeon of worldly cares who doth breath out of his nostrilles the blood and butchery of his brethreÌ„ That person in what Chayre soeuer he sitte doth with to much shamelesse arrogancy vaunte vpon the possession of the Keyes And therefore yf this Romishe ruffler doe meane to royst stille with Peters keyes he must endeuor to expresse in his maners the vertuous lyfe and godly conuersation of an Apostle and not chatt so much of a Chaire Otherwise to what purpose is it how sumptuously soeuer a man be enthronized yf he be wicked and vnworthy the place the place doth not
Pardons whereby if this scaldyng house of Purgatory may not vtterly be quenched the intollerable flames thereof may yet at the least be somewhat quallified For surely the matter is come to this passe now that vnlesse your masses and Pardons do helpe at a pinche there is no crosse of comfort lefte for the poore soules that are dead vpon so fast and so firme a Rocke hath Osorius planted his Purgatory with these new conclusiōs that it can neuer hereafter be impeached with any assault of the Lutheranes nor vndermined with any there engynes or crampes For what can be more manifest and cleare then this saying of Peter wherein he affirmeth that the glad tydings of peace was brought to the Soules that were in prison For if the soules were in prison we must neédes confesse that they were not in heauen and if they were in hell but from out of hell is no Redemption at all It remayneth then of necessitie that there must be a thyrd place somewhat seuered in the highe betwixt heauen and hell I suppose Loe here into what narrow streightes this Cratippus the deépest conceited mā of our age hath forced vs with the profoundenes of his skill to the huge commendable and prayseworthy mountaine of whose singuler and superexcellent learnyng capacity and wisedome this also may be added not the least part of his prayse that whereas this so lucky an Exposition of this place hath ouerscaped so many sharpe sighted Doctours of Diuinitie heretofore yet could it not possibly now escape this deépe Clerke but must neédes fall into his mouth For whereas besides a noumber of old notable men and no small sprancke of the newer sort also as Eckius Pighius Hosius Torrensis Surius Mayronensis Andradius and to couple with them likewise the Glose ordinary whereas all these I say and many others haue vttered much matter of Purgatory yet was there no one of all these hitherto as farre as I cā learne besides our Osorius onely that euer durst be so bold to vouche this place for the building vpp of that plattforme of Purgatory And no maruell for these wantes wanted the eyes of Epidaurus which our Osorius hath gotten who is able to deuise all thynges out of nothyng yea those thynges many tymes that neuer were not much vnlike vnto Pentheus as it seémeth who standyng vpon the scaffold of Eumenides saw a farre of whole armyes of warriours and did esery two Sunnes and two Cities named Thebes So also doe the Poetes report that Hercules beyng madd saw the heauens ready to fall downe vpon him so did Aiax scourge swyne in steéde of Kyngs and Princes Ixion doth embrace a cloude in steéde of Iuno Orestes doth seé his mother and furies settyng vpon him And how oft do Maryners in their dreames seé Tēpestes shipwrackes souldiours Gunnes spoyles and slaughters louers also how osten dreame they of their louers and woers And what is it that childrē doe not Imagine in the cloudes Euen so Osorius whatsoeuer almost he readeth in the Scriptures doth seéme in his eye to be nought els but Purgatory But to returne agayne to the Apostles wordes to note somewhat more curiously diligently both what the Apostle sayth what Osorius also doth gather thereupon Let vs heare the Apostles wordes which are these In which Spirite Christ goyng downe did preach the glad tydyngs to thē that were in prison First whereas the wordes of Peter be thus in Greéke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Osorius by euill trāslation doth turne the wordes that doe sounde in Greéke aright on this wise to the soules sayth he wh were in prison Wherein how truly he doth translate the same let him aunswere for him selfe euen as if a man should on this wise tourne the Greétyng of Paule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Sainctes that were at Colossa whereas it should rather be spoken on this wise to them that are at Colossa Sainctes But the other fitted Osorius purpose best that by that slipper deuise Peter might seéme to expresse that these soules which were holden fast in prison first were now no more in Purgatory but were fetcht from out of Purgatory to meéte with Christ. But I will not be so squemish about these trifles I would very fayne learne this aboue all other whose soules were those that were so holdē fast in prison Peter will aunswere the Soules of the Vnbeleeuers which were disobedient to the preachyng of the Prophetes And by what reason can you say that those soules were takē out of prison at the sounde of the glad-tydyngs which were them selues disobedient to the preachyng for if they had harkened vnto and beleéued what infidelitie then could be in them But let vs go foreward May we be so bold to demaūde this of you Osorius when and at what tyme the preachyng of this glad tydynges happened For in this pointe sticketh all the pithe of dought Osor. is of opinion that these glad tydyngs came not vnto the soules before Christ had finished his Passion and descended him selfe downe into hell But in what sence then doth Peter call them Vnbeleeuers vnto whom Christ him selfe did preache For there could be no infidelitie by any meanes where was no preachyng of true doctrine goyng before whereunto these soules should haue geuen attendaunce For Vnbeleeuers are not sayd to be Vnbeleeuers accordyng to the definition of an Vnbeleeuer of that which they do neuer heare but of that which when they haue heard they will not beleéue But now Peter doth euidently declare that Christ did preach vnto them in deéde and that the very same to whō the glad tydynges were preached were as then Vnbeleeuers and thereupon annexeth further the certein determination of the tyme. Whiles the mercy of God sayth he was looked for in the dayes of Noah and whiles he was making ready the Arke Whereby you may easily conceaue euen by the very order of the text what tyme that was of preachyng those glad tydyngs Not as Osorius doth dreame when Christ is sayd to haue pearced the helles after his Passion to them that were dead but many yeares before that before the the generall destructiō of the world by waters whenas the Spirite of Christ did foreshew by the mouth and preachyng of Noah the generall destruction of mankynde that was then hangyng ouer their heades and did allure them to speédy repentaūce in season with continuall earnest and most comfortable exhortations which they did abuse at that tyme wickedly through vnbeliefe And because Osorius shall not thinke this aduise of mine own imagination and therefore will geue me no Creditt heerin lett him haue recourse to his owne commō Glose which they call the Ordinary Glose which doth expound this place of Peter in the very same wordes and sillables almost I will sett downe the wordes of the glose as they be Comming in the spirite sayth he he did preach c For comming in the spirite he did preach to the people
vouchsafe to enlighten that ouerdarckened blindenes of your drowsy sences and new fashion the same into a more found knowldge and vnderstanding of the trueth of his Gospell Now doe you perceaue the desire and loue that we haue of your safety Osorius albeit you be not come to Purgatory as yet It is reason therfore that we lykewise vnderstād the Carity of your Charitie We doe pray vnto God say you with earnest intercessions and prayers most purely powred forth for the quick and the dead and for the sauety of our Brethren I doe behold a very godly and comfortable imagination of yours conceaued in the behalfe of the dead and do prayse the same But when doe ye this good Syr In your dayly supplications and meétings I thinke not so But at that tyme especially say you that is chosen out to be most meere to worke the most holy worke of all to witt at that tyme which we do choose to pacifie the wrath of God not with the bloud offringes of footed Beastes but with the body and bloud of Christ. what a bald deuise is this of the man how variable is the inconstancye of his doctrine For if as you sayd a litle earst Christ onely doe not performe the full price of our redēption but that Paule and many others doe dayly offer most holy Sacrifices for the dead that is to say for the saluation of the dead with what confidence dare you now presume to pacifye the wrath of God with the onely body and bloud of Christ excludyng the Sacrifices and offringes of all other or how often must the body of Christ be offred to pacifie the wrath of God If our first Father Adā was able by one onely offence to destroy and cast away the whole ofspring of posterity Is not Christ in all respectes as able by one onely oblation of his body and bloud to make amendes of the same which Adam foredidd and brought to nought And with what reason will you perswade vs that you take vpon you to reconcile the fauor of God by the bloud of Christ who professe that your Sacrifice is not a bloudly Sacrifice Moreouer whereas the Sonne of God did satisfye for all thinges with his precious bloud shedd vpon the Crosse as well the thinges in heauen as the thinges vpō the earth what one thing then hath he left to be satisfied by you Or if there remayne any thing as yet of Gods Iudgement vnreconciled and not throughly clensed euen to the vttermost and most absolute fullnes how hath he then by one onely oblation made perfect for euer all them that be sanctified how did it seéme good vnto the Father that all fullnesse should dwell in the Sonne how were all thinges sayd to be at an end and finished whiles Christ did hang vpon the Crosse with what face dare Paule teach vs that all Enimity was blotted out by Christes death on the Crosse and all hatred wipte awaye by his fleshe if Gods Maiestye must be as yet reconciled by your offringes and Sacrifices He that brake downe the wall that was betwixt vs and God was not the same able to ouerthrow rotten Walles of your paynted Purgatory he that did vtterly remoue the wrath of his Father could not the same he extinguish and quite put out the flames of Purgatory without Sainctes merites and Popish Pardons Nay rather what neéde any Pardons at all procured or imagined out of the treasure of the Church if you Catholick shauelinges doe take vpon you to reconcyle the Maiestye of God by your dayly offring of Christes body and bloud I will recyte here not a fable but a true history of Germany out of Wolgangus Musculus which happened at Haganoy in the yeare of our Lord 1517. to witt the same yeare wherein M. Luther beganne to Inueigh agaynst the Popes Bulles There was a wyfe of a certein Shoomaker who a litle before sheé dyed for a certayn number of Crownes purchased a Bull from the Pope whereby she did assure her selfe of freé deliueraunce out of Purgatory Within a whiles after this woman being dead the Husband hauing intelligence of the Bull perfourmed the obsequies and funeralls of his wyfe orderly and decently as beseémed an honest Husband to doe not regarding in the meane space Masses Dyrges Trentalls and other trincketts of the lyke Mockeries vsually exercised in the Church after the old solēne maner for the redeéming of soules departed out of this lyfe The parish Priest being not a litle greued with the matter beganne to maruell and to take in ill part the contempt of Religion and to complayne of the vnkinde behauior and impiety of the Husband towardes his wife and at the last framing a libell of the matter accuseth the Shoomaker for an heretique To be briefe The Shoomaker was arested by a Serieant the matter was pleaded before the Maior of the Cittie The Shoomaker for his defence pleaded that the cause why he did not purchase Supplications and Masses according to the olde accustomed fashion for the health of his wyues soule proceéded not of any contempt that he hadd agaynst any of the solemne ceremonyes of the Church but because he was assured that his wyues soule was already saued in heauen he thought good to abate such extraordynary and vnnecessary charges and withall taking the Popes Bull out of his bosome desireth the Maior that it might be openly readd The Maior doth deliuer the Bull to the parish Priest to read The Priest seéing the Popes Bull stood still amazed at the first and a good whiles refused to reade it at the last being constrayned by the Maior he didd reade it ouer assoone as the Bull was read ouer both the Maior and the parish Priest being throughly ashamed held their peace The Shoomaker was earnest to proceé to Iudgement vpon the aucthoritye of the Apostolick Release to make it appeare what they iudged now of the soule of his wyfe whether sheé were now in heauen or in Purgatory If sheé be in Purgatorye then the Bull doth lye but if sheé be flowen vpp into heauen according as the Pope commaunded her then was there no cause why he should hyre any hireling shaueling to say Masses or Dyrges for his wyues soule The Maior and the Priest hauing nothing to say to the contrary nor daring to condemne the Popes Pardone acquited the shoomaker of the action by a Nonesuite Masses and Sacrifices BUt I returne to Osorius agayne who if hadd bene Commissary in this case I know not what aunswere he would haue made to this shoomaker But this is out of all question that this Purgatory whereabout these Catholickes keepe such a sturre can by no meanes be of any force and power but that either the Popes Pardons or these your Sacrifices of Satisfactory Masses Shall be by that meanes doughted of and come into great perill to be vtterly discredited For if yonr Stationes of Rome the Pardons of
stricken downe and confounded with the remembraunce of theyr owne sinnes vnto whom chiefly appertayneth the comfortable promise of fayth how can it be possible that this serious and earnest repentaunce cann conceiue any pleasure or delight in horrible wickednesse And yet out of this so manifestly false forged slaunder Osorius hath clowted vpp the remnaunt of all his patcheryes And from hence forsooth are all those so manye huge Tempestes Lightenynges and Thunderboltes so many outragious exclamations tragedies and earthquakes raysed vpp agaynst the poore abiect Lutheranes no lesse vnsauory then shamelesse Wherefore I was so much the more desirous to aduertyze the godly zealous youth that they would not suffer them selues to be entangled by any meanes with the flattering fawning of Osorius bookes and that they behaue themselues with discrete moderation in the reading of them least as the SerpeÌ„t did once beguyle Eue they also may be carryed away from the pure simplicity which is in Christ Iesu. God did not in vayne send his sonne into the world nor in vayne did he geue that especiall commaundement that we should harken vnto him Moreouer not in vayne lykewise dyd the Sonne himselfe descending from out the bosome of his Father take vpon him to proclaime the fathers will out of heauen If petitions proceéding from harty inward and most pure loâ—e if most excellent and vndefiled prayers if most commendable conuersation of life in all kinde of vertue might haue auayled to the attaynment of perfection of saluation I seé no cause to the coÌ„trary why the heauenly Father might haue taken away that bitter Cupp of heauy displeasure out of the haÌ„d of this Sonne But our woundes could not otherwise be healed but by the death deadly wouÌ„des of the Sonne The wound was farr more deépe and deadly then could be curable by any pollicy power treasure workes or actions of men Briefly when Osorius hath spoken of and aduaunced iustice and most excelleÌ„t integrity of life with all the skill that he cann Yet shall he neuer be able to bring to passe the contrary but that the song which we dayly sing vnto Christ shal be an vnuanquishable trueth Thou onely art holy Out of the which what thinke you may be gathered els but that all other creatures whatsoeuer adorned with neuer so plausible opinion of holynes be neuerthelesse vncleane and defiled in the sight of God And yet do we not hereby derogate one hearebredth so much from the grace of God whose riches and treasure we do confesse to be vnspeakeable and dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth Notwithstanding we do also as boldly professe that this grace wherein doth coÌ„sist the highest honour of most perfect obedience did neuer happen to any nor was euer geuen to any but vnto Christ alone But what neéde any more CircumstauÌ„ce I will vrge one Reason agaynst Osorius and so make an end What one prayer can be more holy or knitt vpp in fewer wordes then the Lordes prayer Herein I do appeale to his conscience Let him pronounce the same one prayer vnto God in such sort that he be not faulty in some respect nor swarue in thought any where froÌ„ that absolute perfection of righteousnesse whereupon he doth bragg so much with such an vnremoueable conuersion of mynde to Godward and in so humble an abacement of himselfe and with so dutyfull a reuerence as is beseémyng so vnspeakeable a Maiesty And I wyll yeld him the victory I do most hartely desire and wish vnto the learned Reader and to all other the elect Saynctes of God whosoeuer do professe the name and weare the badge of Christ Iesu that departing from iniquity and gathering all together into one vniforme agreément of sincere doctrine by thenlightening and inspiratioÌ„ of the holyghost we may be all together receiued into that heauenly Ierusalem and into that kingdome of immortall glory and eternall felicity which shall neuer haue end not for the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but for the loue of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ who suffered death for our sinnes and rose agayne for our Iustification Amen AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate Cum Gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis Anno. 1581. Iohn 7. Apoca. 17. Emanuell Dalmada a Portingall Byshop of Angrence Thomâ— Wilson Osorius beginneth with a double excuse Emanuell Byshop of Angrence in Portingall a Popish Inquisitour Two causes shewed by Osorius why hee writeth agaynst M. Haddog The second part of the excuse of Osorius Rom. 2. The name of a priuate persoÌ„ what it signifieth Plautus in milite glorioso Syr Thom More Iohn Fisher Byshop of Rochester More and Rochester rightly coÌ„uicted and condemned for traytors by the law Osorius is writing to our Quene vnder pretence of charitie goodwill couereth extreme hatred against true Religion True charitie is sooner preteÌ„sed in wordes theÌ„ truely performed in deedes Cicer. Orat. in Lucium Pisonem Cicer. Phillip 2. in AnthoniuÌ„ In SalustiuÌ„ Cod. de proba lib. 〈◊〉 Osor. pag. 8. Osorius coÌ„plaineth of subuertyng Religion in England Nonnes Images of Saintes Picture of the Crosse. Auncient ceremonies of the Romane Church The words of M. Haddon cited by Osorius Cicer. in Anthon Phil. 2 Osor. pag. 9 Osor. pag. 9. b. Osorius maketh Bugge beares and fighteth with shadowes Osor. pag. 9. b. Luther falsely accused Luther to be take whole and not by pecces Osor. pag. 10. The cauilling of Osorius vpon wordes and sillables Perpessa Persparsa Psal. 119. Two soule abuses noted in Osorius his Religion Trust in Popish pardoÌ„s vayne and wicked Osorius agaynst hym selfe Osorius cauilleth about the word of lead Synechdoche Metonymia The Bishop of AngreÌ„ce One Church Apoc. 1. One Monarchie Liuius 3. Decad. Polycrates Phalereus Dionysius Apoc. 21. 22. Luce. 4. ex Esaia Ad Heb. 10 Timoth. 1. Luce. 9. Mar. 6. Math. 9. Touchyng supremacie of Peter his successours Marg. 9. Iohan 6. Aug. Retra Cap. 11. Chrisost. in Hom. Penthec To. 3. Hillar de Trim. lib 6. Cipr. Epist. 3. Orig. in Math. Cap. 16. Gregor 1. Distinct. 10. ConsideraÌ„dum Math. 18. Luc. 22. Amongest the Apostles no singular power geuen to any one more then all the rest Iohan. 17. Iohan. 17. Orig. in Math. Cap. 16. Augustin de Agone Christi Math. 16. Gal. 2. Petri Epist. 1. Cap. vlt. Act. Cap. 1. 2.5 Act. Cap. 15. The priuiledge of the person reacheth no further theÌ„ the partie him selfe vnlesse it be limited by name Math. 16. Galat. 2. Iohan. 3. Iohan. 4. Iero. and Euagr. Cypri ad Simplic Osorius pag. 17. Osorius ibidem Ibidem Sueto in the lyfe of xiâ— Emperours Platina de vitis Pontificum Grego in Epist. ad Mauri lib. 4 Epist. 32. Grego in Epist. 30.50 36. Cant. 2. Osor. pag. 17. Act. of the Apost the 5.15 Chap. Osorius pag. 18. b. Ad Thessa. 2. Cap. 2. Osorius pag. 18. b. pag. 19. pag. 19. Alphonsus de Castro contra haeret lib. 4. Cap. 4. pag. 19. Osori