your selfe neither eate nor drinke Bee not such grosse impieties and palpable absurdities iustlie worthie for ever to be abhorred and detested FINIS SECVNDAE PARTIS THE THIRD PART of the BOOKE CHAP. I. That the Authoritie of the Church is not above the Authoritie of the Scriptures That Popish Rome is the Whore of Babylon and therein of some special spiritual Whoredomes or Idolatries of the Romish Church BVt yet when they further say that the Authoritie of the Church is above the authoritie of the holy Scriptures what is this but to exalt men their authoritie above the authoritie of God himselfe and to magnifie the creature above the creator and to advance the wife in authoritie above her husband and his will and commandement The Church is the spouse of Christ and therefore is to be in subiection to him as to her head and husband as the wife is to be in subiection to her head and husband for so S. Paul declareth If then the Church be as is evident in subiection to Christ it is cleere shee can claime no superioritie or authoritie over him or his will or word in the Scriptures conteined yea it is the note and marke of an harlot and dishonest woman to challenge and usurpe authoritie over her husband And therefore what doth this position else prove but that the Romish Church is and must needs be the proud insolent false and dishonest Church even the vvhore of Babylon as shee is called in the Revelation of S. Iohn For what may not that Church doe or dare to doe be it never so wicked or ungodly which holdeth her authoritie to be above the authoritie of the Scriptures Is not this a dore that openeth a way to all licentiousnesse and wickednesse and to devise decree and doe in matters concerning Religion whatsoever pleaseth her selfe The right and true Church is of another and a better disposition and is ever content and desirous to live in subiection and in obedience to Christ and to his word will and pleasure and accounteth that as indeed it is her greatest honour And so also Christ Iesus himselfe sheweth that this is her chaste and godly disposition for thus he saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow mee and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands Marke that hee saith that his sheepe heare His voyce and follow Him and therefore they follow not others nor their owne unbridled humors lusts or pleasures but desire and endevour evermore to obey him and to doe as he hath willed and commanded them Againe the Church of Christ is expressely charged to observe all those things which Christ Iesus her Lord head and husband hâ—th commanded and therefore is to keepe her selfe within those her limits and bounds and not licentiously to wander or to goe beyond them Wherefore S. Paul also saith thus that the Lord Iesus shall shew himsâ—lfe from heaven vvith his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that know not God and vvhich obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhich shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power vvhen hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marvailous in all them that beleeve Doe you not here likewise see how great subiection and obedience unto the Gospel of Iesus Christ and to his word and will is required of all men Yea what great peril and punishment they are to undergoe which will not subiect themselves unto it namely that such shall be punished with everlasting perdition Take heed therefore and with as much good hast as ye can declare your subiection and obedience to the Gospel and word of God in the sacred Scriptures conteyned without anie further neglect of it or opposition to it As for the reason that some make that because the Church telleth us that This is the Scripture therefore the Authoritie of the Church is above the Scripture it is but a verie weake and an idle reason and no better then if it should be said that you had not knowne that this were the King but that such a man told you and shewed him to you Ergo this man is above the King Were not this a verie ridiculous and a most absurd inference The Church is by her Ministerie bound and according to her duetie ought to tell testifie and declare the word of God and what Scriptures be canonical and what not to teach the truth in those Scriptures conteyned but this office sheweth rather service and subiection in the Church then anie Soveraigntie or Superioritie in her above the Scriptures Schollers in a Schoole can tell a stranger who is the Master of the Schoole yet is not their authoritie therefore above the authoritie of their Maister Whilest then the Popish Church holdeth that her authoritie is above the authoritie of the Scriptures it is manifest she is not guided as shee vanteth by the holy Ghost but contrariwise with a spirit of pride and licentiousnesse and of opposition against God and his authoritie word and will in those his Scriptures declared And what then can such a spirit be but the spirit in verie deed of Antichrist and consequently what can such a Church be but the erring and Antichristian Church 2 For further proofe whereof give mee leave now to shew unto you that The Popish Citie of Rome from whence as from their mother Church all Papists receive their bane is that very vvoman even that VVhore of Babylon as I said before which is mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn with vvhom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication and vvith the wine of vvhose fornication the Inhabitants of the earth have beene made drunken Which Woman is there further said to be arayed in purple and scarlet and gilded vvith gold and pretious stones and to have also outwardly a Cup of gold in her hand full neverthelesse within of abominations and filthinesse of her fornications and all this to entise and allure Lovers and friends unto her Now if wee would know certainely and assuredly who this woman was which S. Iohn thus saw in vision the Angel telleth us precisely saying The vvoman vvhich thou sawest is the great Citie that raigneth over the Kings of the earth But the great Citie that then raigned over the Kings of the earth in the daies of S. Iohn and had the Empire was not Constantinople nor anie other citie but only the citie of Rome as all men know and therefore only the citie of Rome and not anie other citie is and must needs be there meant under the name of the woman there otherwise called the VVhore of Babylon But for more explication who this woman was it is there further said that there were seven hills or Mountaines vvhereon the vvoman sate Now it is
c. for God vvill have all men to be saved But the meaning of these words is evident that he will have of all sorts and degrees of men that shall be saved even Kings and Princes aswell as of anie other sort for of them you see hee specially speaketh And so doth S. Augustine and Gregorie also expound those words And indeede what other sence all circumstances of the Text being well considered can be set upon them For to set this sence upon them namely that God will have all to bee saved in a generalitie without any exception were directly contrarie to the rest of the Scriptures which witnesse directly that God will have some to bee damned Yea if God would have all to be saved in a generality what should or can hinder but that all without exception should be saved accordingly For who was ever able to resist his will or to hinder the execution thereof that it should not come to passe Howbeit they say That God would and men will not and that this is the reason why some are damned because themselves will not be saved But what is this else but to make Gods will subiect to mens will and to be as it were a waiting servant and attendant upon their pleasures so that hee shall will their salvation when they will it themselves and shal also nill it when they nill it which beside that it maketh Gods will as variable and mutable as mens wills a thing dishonourable unto him and untrue it maketh also mens salvation and damnation to consist in their owne power and pleasures which is as absurd as if you should say it is in the power and will of the lumpe of Clay to choose of what sort and fashion it shall bee and to what use it shall bee applied and what part thereof shall bee a vessell to honour and what to dishonour For a Potter hath not more full or more absolute power over the Clay and the Pots which hee maketh thereout then God hath over all Men and Angells and over all other his creatures to doe ordaine and dispose of them and everie of them at his owne most free and uncontrollable pleasure as the Scriptures doe clearely testifie often using and as it were delighting themselves with this comparison resemblance It is true that no father hath such an high and absolute power over his Children nor King over his Subiects nor Master over his Servants the reason is apparant because these be not the makers of their Children nor of their Subiects nor of their Servants but God was the maker of them all as of all things else and therefore as touching this point the cases be not like And yet if Children offend it is in the power and pleasure of the father to correct which of them hee will or if Subiects offend the King may punish or pardon whom soever of them he pleaseth and if Servants offend it is also in the power and pleasure of the Master to punish or to spare whom he list Doth it not then consist much more in the will and pleasure of God the Creator and maker of all men especially after that all mankind was fallen in the transgression of Adam to choose or refuse whom hee pleased If then you doe but observe this comparison and similitude of the Potter which the Scripture so often useth or some such like wherein there is a Maker considered with such power and authoritie as he hath over the thing made by him being the worke of his owne hands This matter will then bee so plaine and evident unto you as that even by light and force of reason you will be compelled to confesse that the thing made is ever subiect to the will ordering and disposing of him that is the maker and not the maker to the will of the thing made And even this doth also S. Paul himselfe acknowledg and teach in this verie particular matter and thereupon he further saith expresly of God that He hath mercie upon whomsoever he will and whomsoever he will he hardeneth And againe hee saith that God spake thus I vvill have mercie on whomsoever my pleasure is to have mercie and I vvill have compassion on whomsoever my pleasure is to have compassion So then saith he againe it is not in him that vvilleth nor in him that runneth but in God that shevveth mercie By all which is most manifest that this great matter concerning the salvation and damnation of men consisteth not in the will and pleasure of men but in the will and pleasure of God and in his ordering and disposing Would you have this matter yet further declared then call to your remembrance what is written of Esau namlie that he would have inherited the blessing and yet was reiected for he found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares Here you see that Esau would faine have inherited and fought it even with teares and yet was reiected and had this speciall grace of a true repentance not yeelded unto him Againe did not wicked Balaam desire to die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his Moreover did not the foolish Virgins aswell as the wise desire to enter in unto the Wedding and say Lord Lord open to us and yet were excluded Againe doth not Christ Iesus himselfe say to some Yee shall seâ—ke mee and yet yee shall dye in your sinnes and whether I goe thither can yee not come And againe doth he not say thus Strive to enter in at the straite gate for manie I say unto you shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able You see then that manie and sundrie persons would attaine to the everlasting felicitie of Gods people and to a most blessed happinesse and salvation and yet cannot because God will not as having otherwise ordayned of them And so againe witnesseth S. Paul saying thus Israel hath not obtained that he sought but the Election hath obtained it and the rest have beene hardened Againe Yee beleeve not saith Christ to some because yee are not of my sheepe And againe it is written Crediderunt quotquot erant ordinati ad vitam aeternam Onely so many beleeved as vvere ordained to eternall life And therefore also is this faith called fides Electorum Dei the faith of Gods Elect as being proper peculiar unto them Againe it is written of some people that To them it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to others it is not given Yea and Christ Iesus himselfe speaketh thus unto God his Father saying I give thee thankes O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid thâ—se things from the vvise and men of understanding and hast opened them unto Babes It is so O Father because such vvas thy good pleasure Againe it is written of some that The Gospel and vvord of God preached
helpe and to give all gifts and graces requisite unto men Inasmuch then as it is a part and a chiefe part of Gods glorie to call upon him in prayer and that God himselfe saith thus I am Iehovah this is my name and my glorie will I not give to any other How can men bee excused of robbing GOD of his honour and glorie when they praie not unto him but unto Saints or Angells or such as bee but creatures Yea why should anie pray unto anie Saints or Angells or such as bee but meere creatures when they know not the secret intentions affections thoughts and hidden closets and corners of their hearts For it is God only that knoweth the hearts of all the children of Men as Solomon expresly witnesseth Besides yee cannot finde so much as one president or example throughout the whole Booke of God either in the old Testament or in he new of anie godlie man that made his prayer at anie time to anie deceased Saints or to Angells or to anie other but to God onely What strange people then bee they that both contrarie to the Scriptures and without anie president or example in those Scriptures to be found will dare to invocate and call upon Saints and Angells in their praiers Let the blessed Virgin Marie and other Saints Angels have their due regard and reverence that belongeth to them But let them not have that glorie honour and worship that belongeth onelie and properlie unto God Honorandi ergò sunt propter imitationem non Adorandi propter religionem Saints and Martyrs therefore are to bee honoured for imitation saith S. Augustine but they bee not to bee adored or worshipped for religion Sanctos Martyres neque Deos esse dicimus neque adorare consuevimus laudamus autem eos potius summis honoribus quòd pro verite strenuè certarunt fidei sinceritatem servarunt VVee saith S. Cyril neither say the holy Martyres are gods neither are vvee vvont to worship them wee rather commend them verie highly that they have so stronglie stood for the truth and kept the sinceritie of faith Yea as touching the worshiping of Angells S. Paul also expreslie condemneth it Whereupon it was decreed as Theodoret witnesseth in the Councell of Laodicea that men should not pray unto Angells And therefore doth Saint Augustine likewise reckon amongst Heretickes a Sect called Angelici which were inclined to the worshipping of Angels And Epiphanius also amongst other wicked opinions and doings noteth the Caâ—anes for invocation of Angells Yea wee may as S. Augustine againe sheweth learne of the Angells themselves not to worship them And so indeede doth it appeare For when S. Iohn himselfe fell downe before the Angell that shewed him the Revelation to worship him the Angell said unto him See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow-servant and fellow-servant of thy brethren which have the Testimonie of Iesus worship God Where you see plainely that the Angell refuseth to bee worshipped and biddeth to worship God onely as being himselfe a fellow-worshipper of God with the rest of his servants If then the Angels of heaven bee not to bee worshipped which thing you see here manifest I hope you will soone conclude that then the Saints in heaven also are not to bee worshipped I know that yee have a distinction betweene Latria Doulia saying that yee give Latrian that is worship unto God but Doulian that is service unto Saints and Angells So that the effect of this your speech and distinction appeareth to bee this that yee worship God but serve Saints and Angells As though yee were not bound to serve God aswell as to worship him S. Paul sheweth that yee are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to serve him aswell as to worship him Yea doth not Christ Iesus himselfe say that it is thus written Dominum Deum tuum adorabis illi soli servies Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him onely shalt thou serve For so is your owne latin Translation Whereby you see it evident that yee are aswell to serve God as to worship him yea that yee are to serve him and to serve him onely in the waie of religion And so also doth Samuel the Prophet further expreslie teach And therefore wee may not serve anie Saints or Angells or Images or anie other creatures whatsoever in waie of Religion as the Popish Church most wickedly teacheth and practiseth But againe even in those verie prayers which they make to God himselfe they also verie impiously have divers Mediators therein also they seeke refuge by another as vaine a distinction as the former saying that they in their praiers make the Saints and Angells Mediators of Intercession but not of Redemption as though Christ Iesus were not aswell our advocate mediâ—atour and intercessor betweene God and us as our Redeemer S. Iohn saith thus These things I write unto you that ye sinne not and if anie man doe sinne wee have an advocate with the father even Iesus Christ the righteous Againe S. Paul saith That Christ is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us Againe it is written that Christ is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make Intercession for them And divers other Texts of Scripture doe manifestlie proove that Christ is aswell our Mediatour and Intercessor as our Redeemer insomuch that unto him onely is given this title To bee the Mediatour of the new Testament Yea S. Paul hath further directly tould us that as There is but one God so there is but one Mediatour betweene God and men namely the man Christ Iesus Why then or for what cause or reason will you have other Mediators or Intercessors Is not Christ Iesus sufficient to prevaile with his Father for us Or bee anie Saints or Angells in greater grace or favour with God then his owne Sonne whom hee hath also appointed to this verie office to bee the Mediator and Intercessor for us Why then without warrant from God yea contrarie to the expresse tenor of the Scriptures and contrarie to Gods owne appointment will yee take upon you to have other Mediators and Intercessors beside Christ Iesus as namelie the blessed Virgin Marie and other Saints and Angells this is no small or slender impietie But you answer that wee bee not worthie to come directlie and imediatelie to God without a Mediator neither may wee bee bold so to doe This is verie true which yee thus say in respect of our selves and our owne unworthinesse But therefore it is that hee hath given us a Mediator namelie Christ Iesus his owne most deerely beloved Sonne in whose name mediation we are allowed though most unworthie in respect of our selves to have accesse unto God and may with an humble reverence bee bold to approch unto him and to aske of him whatsoever is necessarie or expedient for us
Hebrew text wee may as well say unto you that the Latin Hereticks have corrupted the Latin text and so by such kind of reasoning no Scripture should be found pure sound and sincere But thankes be to God who so preserved them the Scriptures in their originals remained pure amongst the Iewes unto the verie time of Christ and were not corrupted by anie of those Hebrew Heretickes as some Papists affirme of them for otherwise it had beene in vaine for Esay or anie other of the Prophets of God to bid the people goe for their assured direction To the Law and to the Testimony or for Christ himselfe to bid the people as hee did To search the Scriptures for their assured guidance in the truth Yea S. Peter would then never have said as he did VVee have a most sure vvord of the Prophets to the vvhich yee doe vvell that yee take heed as to a Light that shineth in a darke place For if it had beene corrupted and falsified it had not beene a sure vvord to trust unto Arias Montanus himselfe affirmeth and maintaineth the puritie and incorruption of the Hebrew originals saying further that there was no word nor letter nor point but it was reserved in that Treasory which they call Mazzoreth and therefore hee calleth that Treasorie fidam custodiam a faithfull or sure keeper of them Iohn Isaac likewise and Franciscus Lucas Burgensis as well as Arias Montanus doe also uphold maintaine and defend even unto their times the puritie and incorruption of those Hebrew Originals alwaies preferring them before all Latin Translations whatsoever And must it not needs bee so when as Christ Iesus himselfe saith that Till heaven and earth perish one Iot or one Tittle of the Law shall not perish till all things be fulfilled Yea what doth Christ Iesus else but further shew the puritie and incorruption of the Hebrew originals unto his time when it is written of him thus that He began at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things that vvere vvritten of him And when againe after his resurrection likewise hee saith in the same Chapter thus These are the words that I spake unto you whilst I was yet with you that all must be fulfilled which are vvritten of me in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes Yea the originals in the old Testament be and remaine pure and incorrupt to this day and so doe also the originals of the new Testament insomuch that S. Hierome as in one place he derideth them which said the Hebrew books were falsified so doth he in another place pronounce them to be impudent and foolish people that affirme the same of the Greeke originals For thus he writeth unto one Tibi stultissime persuasisti Graecos codices esse falsaâ—os Thou hast most foolishly perswaded thy selfe that the Greeke bookes bee falsified And againe he saith Tu mira impudentia haec in Graecis cod cibus falsata esse dicis Thou with vvonderfull impudency affirmest that thâ—se thinâ—s be falsâ—fied in the Greeke Bookes And as this was the error of Helvidius against whom S. Hierome writeth so was it also the error of the Manichees against whom S. Augustine writeth And is it not now gâ—owne to bee the error or heresie of Papists But what reason have you to preferre that Latine Translation which yee call Saint Hieromes before the Originals of the Hebrew and Greeke For first yâ—e cannot proove that Translation to bee S. Hieroms which yee so boldly affirme to be his And secondly what likelihood is there it should be his considering that in divers and sundrie places S. Hierome readeth otherwise then that Translation is yea sometimes he findeth fault with that Translation and reproveth it as for example the word â—say that is found in that translation in Marke the 1. verse 2. he thinketh to bee added by the negligence of the Librarie keepers and vpon Math. 6 he correcteth the word exterminant which neverthelesse is also in that vulgar translation And divers other such faults S. Hierome espieth and findeth in that which you call his Translation wherefore there is no likelihood it should be his And that it is not S. Hieroms translation may further appeare by the discourse which Munster hath set upon it Yea Erasmus also doth flatly affirme that this translation is neither Cyprians nor Hillaries nor Augustines nor yet Hieroms seeing his reading is divers from it and that it is much lesse that which he corrected seeing there be found in this things that hee condemneth not onely as touching the words but as touching the sence also But admit it were S. Hieroms translation whereof neverthelesse there is no likelihood yet thereupon it followeth not that therefore it is to be preferred before the originals of the Greeke and Hebrew For as there were manie translations in S. Hieroms time which were not so well liked so even of that translation which S. Hierome himselfe made and was the Author of himselfe speaketh thus I doe not thinke saith he that the Lords words are to be corrected but I goe about to correct the falsenesse of the Latin bookes which is plainly proved by the diversitie of them and to bring them to the originall of the Greeke from which they doe not denie but they were translated who if they mislike the water of the most pure fountaine they may drinke of the myrie puddles And againe he saith That as the bookes of the old Testament are to be examined by the Hebrew so the bookes of the new Testament require the triall of the Greeke And in divers other places he likewise preferreth the originals of the Hebrew and Greeke before all Latine translations whatsoever And to this effect doth Gratian also cite a sentence as â—f it were S. Augustines And indeede S. Augustine speaketh to that very purpose saying directly that VVee ought rather to beleeve that tongue from which it is by Interpretors translated into another And Lodovicus Vives also upon this place declareth the same And agreeably hereunto speaketh also S. Ambrose saying expresly That the authority of the Greeke bookes is to be preferred Bee not those men then much deluded which contrarie to the direction and iudgement of the old Church and ancient fathers and also of all right reason doe preferre that Latin translation before the originals of the Greeke and Hebrew Yea even Lyndanus a popish Bishop writeth of that latin translation that it hath manie and sundrie corruptions in it and therefore it cannot be the best and safest way to trust unto it 6 But when they must needs yeeld if they will be reasonable to the preferring of the originals of the Hebrew and Greeke before all latine translations yea and before all translations whatsoever Then they fall to another course accusing our English translations to be false and untrue and not
yee First it is well knowne that S. Peter was a contemner of the pompe and pride of the world and a disregarder of the wealth riches thereof insomuch that hee said to one that asked almes of him that he had neither silver nor gold but the Pope of Rome is not so but contrariwise hath the pompe pride glorie and riches of the world in verie high and chiefe esteeme and aboundeth with them Againe Peter was subiect to Emperors Kings and Princes and taught all Christians to be likewise subiect to them but the Pope is so far from being subiect to them that contrariwise hee claimeth soveraignetie and supremacie over them all and taketh upon him to depose Kings Princes and Emperors at his pleasure and to disannull and dissolve the allegeance of subiects when and as often as he listeth Peter would not allow Cornelius though but a Captaine of the Italian band to fall downe at his feete but bad him arise but the Pope of Rome doth well allow not only Captaines but Kings Princes and Emperors to fall downe and kisse his feet Yea hee hath not beene ashamed with his feete to tread upon the necke of some of the Emperors Peter was a godly earnest and diligent Preacher of the Gospel in his owne person according to that commandement of Christ so often repeated saying unto him Pasce Pasce Pasce feed my lambes feed my sheepe feed my sheepe But the Pope of Rome like an idle pompous and slothfull man in his owne person seldome or never Preacheth Peter was content and well endured to be reproved at the hands of S. Paul when there was cause He also patiently suffered himselfe to be accused and contended against by certaine Christians and mildely and modestly answered to those their exceptions against him for their satisfaction But the Pope of Rome though he be never so worthie of reproofe will neverthelesse not suffer himselfe to be reproved nor accused or contended against nor will have his doings examined questioned censured or iudged by anie men such is his unmeasurable pride and unmatchable loftinesse Againe S. Peter did acknowledge S. Paul S. Matthew S. Andrew S. Iames and the rest of the twelve to be Apostles aswell as himselfe albeit they had no ordination or calling to that their Office of Apostleship from him for that they all had an immediate calling to that their Apostleship from Christ Iesus himselfe and not from Peter is a thing undeniably manifest But the Pope contrariwise acknowledgeth none to be a Bishop except he be ordeyned and made a Bishop by him or by his authoritie Moreover they were accounted and held to be Presbyters and Ministers of the Church which were made and ordeyned by other Apostles though they were not made or ordeined by Peter nor by anie authoritie derived from him But the Pope of Rome acknowledgeth none to be Presbyters or Ministers of the Church which be made by other Bishops except they be made and ordeined by him or by authoritie originally derived from him Yea S. Peter did acknowledge the rest of the Apostles to be his fellowes or Equals as well knowing that Christ Iesus himselfe did directly forbid them to beare Princely authoritie one over another insomuch that Peter aswell as Iohn was content to bee sent by the rest of the Apostles into Samaria and did goe thither at their sending But the Bishop of Rome acknowledgeth not other Bishops to be his fellowes or Equalls nor will be content to be sent as their Messenger to anie place but most proudly challengeth a Princely Primacie and king-like superioritie over them all If the Pope will needes be Peters successor it were reason and a thing equall and iust that he should claime no more authoritie over other Bishops then Peter had over the rest of the Apostles yea if hee will make Peter his patterne and president to follow as it were a happie thing for him if he were in verie deed so wel affected he must then utterly give over his triple Crowne and all his Papal worldly pompe and pride and be cleane reformed and become altogether another man in all respects wherein he is so exceedingly degenerated and unlike unto him And then together with the relinquishing of his most proud Popedome he must also forsake renounce and detest his Poperie and Popish Religion for S. Peter cleerely was such a one as we call a Protestant that is to say one that both held and taught that Religion that wee hold namely that which is conteined in the Booke of GOD the sacred and canonicall Scriptures Yea S. Peter died a Martyr for the testimonie of this faith and religion and the Pope of Rome is contrariwise a persecutor of those that professe this faith and religion For that the Papists be the cleere and undoubted persecutors of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesus is afterward manifested by a direct and most evident testimonie thereof in the Revelation of S. Iohn to the end ye should not hereafter bee mistaken in that point as usually yee be nor deceive your selves anie longer therein Furthermore S. Peter was content and held it honour enough to be a member of the bodie of Christ which is his Church acknowledging with S. Paul and the rest of the Apostles that Christ onely was and is the head therof But the Pope of Rome is not content unlesse he intrude himselfe into this his verie royal prerogative taking upon him to be the verie head of the whole militant church We know that the Church of Christ is but one body as the Scripture speaketh and witnesseth though there be manie members of it and one bodie is to have but one head why then or by what right or reason doe they make this bodie of Christ which is his Church to have two heads namely one in heaven which is Christ Iesus another on earth which they say is the Pope They confesse that of the Church in heaven which is to us invisible Christ is indeed the head but of the visible Church on earth the Pope say they is the head and that such a visible head for the visible church is requisite and necessarie And here they have a distinction that Christ is indeed Caput vitale the vital head from whence all his members have and derive their life but that the Pope is Caput ministeriale visibile the ministeriall and visible head And thus they boldly speake frame and devise matters and distinctions according to the fancie of their owne braines But first what Patent conveyance warrant or commission from God can the Pope of Rome shew whereby he is thus authorized to be either Christ his special or onely Vicar Deputie or Lievetenant over his whole universall church here upon earth or to be this speciall and onely visible and ministeriall head Iust none at all doe they or can they shew for it And is it
not then a shame for him if he had any shame in him thus to intrude himselfe into such an high and soveraigne Authoritie without anie commission or warrant from Christ the King of his church Besides themselves acknowledge and that rightly that the companie of the glorious and invisible Saints in heaven and the companie also of the visible Saints on earth do all make but one church and one Bodie to Christ Iesus though their states be differing that is to say though the one sort be triumphant and the other militant Inasmuch then as they all make but one church one bodie unto Christ Iesus how can it be shifted or avoided but that Christ Iesus must be the head aswell of the saints on earth as of the saints in heaven aswell of the visible militant company as of the invisible triumphant Yea Bellarmine himselfe will not allow anie Christian to bee tearmed or called a member of the Pope How then can the Pope rightly be the head of the church for if all true Christians vpon earth bee and be to be termed the members of Christ and not of the Pope it must be granted that not the Pope but Christ onely is their head for the head and the members be relatives And whereas in this matter they talke of a ministeriall head which is not vitall it is also but a phantasticall and vaine distinction For there can be no head in true and proper appellation to this one bodie of Christ which is his Church but that which is vitall The Pope as appeareth even by this their owne distinction is but a dead head and hath no life in him to give to anie of the members of Christ or wherby vertue grouth nourishment or increase may distil or be derived from him as from the head to anie of the members What then should the bodie of Christ doe with such a livelesse and dead head or what good profit or benefite can anie reape or receive from thence A dead bodie is fittest for such a dead head but the living and mysticall bodie of Christ hath and requireth another manner of head namely that which is vitall which is Christ Iesus onely of whose fulnesse they have all received as S. Iohn speaketh Neither is there anie such necessitie as they also vainely fancie for the visible and militant Church to have such a visible head for albeit Christ Iesus be absent from his church militant here upon earth in respect of his bodily presence which he hath carried with him into heaven yet in his Deitie and by the power of his spirit is he alwaies present with the same his church For so himselfe witnesseth saying I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And therefore alwaies doth S. Iohn testifie that notwithstanding the manhood and bodily presence of Christ be in heaven and there remaining yet neverthelesse by his almightie power and spirit he walketh and is in the midst of the seven golden Candlestickes that is In the midst of the seven Churches for so the text it selfe expoundeth the Candlestickes saying thus The seven Candlestickes be the seven Churches Vnder the name of which seven churches be also all other churches upon earth shadowed out unto us as Augustine Primasius Haymo Beda Thomas Aquinas and others affirme Seeing then that Christ Iesus notwithstanding his bodily presence remaining in heaven is neverthelesse by his almightie power and spirit present with all the true Christian churches in the world and walketh in the midst of them to guide governe comfort teach order rule susteine uphold and direct them and give all gifts and graces requisite It is manifest that he is sufficiently present with them in the church militant to doe all the offices of an head unto them so that they need not in anie sort the Pope to become an head unto them for anie of those uses or ends Yea is it not a verie great absurditie for anie to suppose or imagine that the Pope or anie one man mortall whosoever being on earth can better rule order guide and governe the whole militant church then Christ Iesus himselfe can doe being in heaven by his wisdome almightinesse and power of his Spirit But yet further when Christ in his manhood was to ascend up into heaven he promised neither the Pope nor anie one Bishop over all the rest to be his Vicar on earth or to supplie his roome and absence but the holy Ghost onely For thus he saith I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come unto you And this comforter is the Holy Ghost the spirit of truth as is there expresly affirmed And againe he saith that After his departure they shall have another Comforter that shall abide with them for ever even the spirit of Truth vvhom the vvorld cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Doe not these texts verie plainely shew that the holy Ghost is and is to be accounted Christs Vicar upon earth ever since his departure into heaven that is to say is in his stead and place unto the militant Church and to abide with it for ever And therefore doth Tertullian say accordingly that Christus misit Vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat Christ sent the power of the holy Ghost to be his Vicar or in his steed to leade and direct the beleevers Howbeit if some Bishop will needes be so intituled namely Christs Vicar as being an Ambassador for Christ and in Christs steade yet let him then know that he is not so alone but that all godly and faithfull Bishops and Ministers be so likewise For which cause it is that the ancient Fathers doe call them all alike Vicarios Christi the Vicars of Christ But S. Paul yet further sheweth that not Christ himselfe tooke upon him this honour to be head of the church without his fathers appointment and constitution If therefore the Pope will take it upon him it is good reason he should likewise shew where God hath so constituted and appointed him which he is not able to doe Yea S. Paul sheweth againe That onely he is head of the Church vvhich is farre above all principalitie and povver and dominion and might and every name that is named not onely in this vvorld but in the vvorld to come And therefore this is such a high peerelesse and supereminent an honour and prerogative as that it is proper to Christ Iesus onely and not communicable to anie creature Lastly you may perceive by S. Paul that Christ is so the head of the Church as the husband is the head of his wife And is there anie honest wife that will bee content to have two heads that is two husbands though for distinction sake you should terme the one a ministeriall head or howsoever else you would please to call him 6 Now touching Miracles
Redeemer and his satisfaction we make no satisfaction our selves for our sinnes to the Iustice of GOD. Howbeit yee are first of all to know that this doctrine and faith of ours concerning Christ his redemption and satisfaction all-sufficient made to Gods Iustice for our sinnes inferreth no such matter as licentiousnesse but the cleane contrarie For wee are redeemed not to the end to live dissolutely or carelesly but to the end wee should for so great and unspeakeable a benefite obey and serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse before him and that all the dayes of our life as the Scrâ—ptures teach And secondly as touching the truth of this matter Saint Peter telleth us that Christ his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree Againe S. Iohn saith that the blood of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth purge us from all sinne and clense us from all iniquity S. Paul also saith VVee have redemption through his blood even the remission of sins Yea this the Scriptures doe almost everie where teach and testifie How then can your conceit of mens satisfactions to Gods Iustice for sinnes be otherwise accounted of then as a thing apparantly iniurious to that satisfaction and redemption and consequently to that free and full discharge and remission of all our sinnes and of the guiltinesse and punishment thereto belonging which we have in Christ For guiltinesse being taken away the punishment also is taken away saith Tertullian And so also saith S. Augustine that Christ by taking upon him the punishment and not the fault hath done away both the fault and the punishment And in all reason it must be so that when a fault or sinne is forgiven the punishment thereto belonging is forgiven also for to what other end else is the fault or sinne forgiven and remitted But against this they alledge the example of King David and of other the children of God who notwithstanding that they had their sins forgiven them had neverthelesse afflictions chastisements sent them from God even in this life Whereunto they have beene often answered that God sendeth not these chastisements and afflictions upon his children to that end thereby to satisfie his wrath and iustice for their sinnes for his wrath is appeased and his Iustice satisfied in their behalfe another way namely in the passion and obedience of Iesus Christ but by that meanes to put them in remembrance of their sinnes formerly committed and to bring them to repentance for the same and to make them stand in more feare and awe of God for the time to come and to walke more warily circumspectly and with better obedience before him as the Psalmist declareth So that these be sent of God for other ends and purposes and come from him not as from an angrie and revengefull Iudge but out of his kinde provident care and fatherly affection and love toward them Which thing S. Paul also witnesseth shewing that these corrections and chastisements be sent upon them to the end they might thereby be advertised to call themselves and their sinnes to a better remembrance even so farre as to Iudge and condemne themselves for the same and so be admonished not to runne anie longer a riotous and wicked course with the damnable world The same is further testified in the Epistle to the Hebrewes for there it is said thus VVhom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth And hee saith againe If yee endure chastening God offereth himselfe unto you as unto sonnes for vvhat sonne is it vvhom the father chasteneth not And againe he saith If therefore ye be vvithout correction vvhereof all sonnes are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes Moreover saith he vve have had the fathers of our flesh vvhich corrected us and wee gave them reverence should vvee not much more be in subiection unto the father of spirits that vvee might live for they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their owne pleasure but he chasteneth us for our profit that vve might be partakers of his holinesse The like speaketh S. Augustine saying Prosunt ista mala quae fideles piè perferunt c. These evils or afflictions vvhich faithfull people in godly wise suffer doe profite eyther to the amendment of their sinnes or for the exercise and triall of their righteousnesse or to shew the misery of this life That that life vvhere there shall be true and perpetuall blessednesse indeed both may more ardently be desired and more instantly be sought after It appeareth then that chastisements and afflictions be sent of God in this life upon his children out of his Love and not out of his furie and unappeased displeasure so that they serve not to anie such end as to have the severitie of his wrath and Iustice to be by such meanes satisfied and appeased yea how can the greatest afflictions or miseries that be or can be imagined in sinfull men during this life satisfie Gods heavie and infinite wrath and justice for sinnes Or how can they merit heaven and heavenly glorie when S. Paul himselfe saith expressely thus I suppose that the afflictions of this present time are not vvorthy of the glory that shall be shewed unto us But yet for all this such is the strength of error they strangely suppose that they doe Christ no wrong because it is through his merits as they say that they be enabled to merit and to make this satisfaction to Gods iustice for their sinnes Howbeit this is but a meere conceit and imagination For there is no word of God to warrant or prove it nay the Scripture teacheth that Christ died not for our good workes to make them able to merit at Gods hand but for our sinnes that they might be pardoned Againe it is said that Christ hath by himselfe and not by us or in our persons purged our sinnes He is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 platamentum propitiatio reconciliation and propitiation Yee are bought vvith a price saith S. Paul therefore glorifie yee God both in your bodie and in your spirit for they are Gods Christ is hee that paide this price for them as S. Peter also sheweth And therefore not VVee but Hee is affirmed to be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 price the price of Redemption paide for us and that we are for our parts Iustified gratis that is franckly and freely and for nothing by us paide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the redemption vvhich is in Christ Iesus and not in us or in our persons Yea in that Christ was to come downe from heaven and to be incarnate for this purpose and to suffer and so to satisfie Gods wrath and Iustice in our behalfe he sufficiently sheweth that none of us were able in our owne persons to performe so great a worke Yea they may by
by his appointment belong to anie but to the elect It is true neverthelesse that God ordereth disposeth and useth as lawfully hee may all mens sinnes to serve his owne glorie and good pleasure And herein is his power and wisedome highly to be admired who can thus one of the sinnes of men and Divels draw matter serving for his owne glorie as likewise most admirably he made the light to shine forth out of darkenesse How great glorie did God get to himselfe by that proude and mightie King Pharao whose heart was so much and so long hardened against the people of God Insomuch that himselfe saith thus of him For this cause have I appointed thee to shew my power in thee and to declare my Name throughout all the vvorld Exod. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 In like sort may it be said that for this cause God hath appointed Divels and reprobate men to shew his glorie by their destruction and in the meane time to use their wickednesse to serve his owne ordinance Sometimes therefore as the Schoolemen themselves doe also say Deus vult peccatum nâ—n quatenus est peccatum sed quatenus est poena peccati God vvill have sinne to be done by men not simply for the sinnes sake but as it is to be a punishment for another sinne formerly committed Which point namely that God will sometime have one sinne punished with another is verie evident for God punished the Adulterie of King David with another like sinne of Absolon his sonne who lay openly with his fathers Concubines and in the sight of Israel And the Text witnesseth that God himselfe would raise up this Evill against King David for David did this wickednesse secretly but I saith God vvill do this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne In which Act of Absolon therefore it is apparant that God had to do though not simply for the sinne sake yet so farre forth as it served for a requitall or punishment of the sinne and adulterie committed formerly by King David with Vriahs wife S. Paul saith likewise that the Gentiles when they knew God by the creation of heaven and of earth of all the things which they saw visibly before their eyes yet they glorified him not as God neyther vvere thankefull but became vaine in their Imaginations and their foolish heart vvas darkened vvhen they professed themselves to be vvise they became fooles for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the Image of a corruptible man and of birds and foure-footed beasts and of creeping things VVherefore God gave them up to their owne hearts lusts unto uncleanenesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselves And he further saith For this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their vvomen did change the naturall use into that vvhich is against nature and likewise also the men left the naturall use of the vvomen and burned in their lust one toward another and man vvith man vvrought filthinesse and received in themselves such recompence of their error as vvas meete For as they regarded not to acknowledge God even so God delivered them up into a reprobate minde to doe those things vvhich are not convenient being full of all unrighteousnesse fornication vvickednes covetousnes maliciousnes full of Envie of Murder of Debate of Deceipt c. Where you plainly perceive how even amongst the Gentiles their not glorifying of the Creator of heaven earth as God according to such knowledge of him as by the creation of all things they had received was punished by divers and sundrie other sinnes into which they fell and wherin God himselfe had an hand so farre forth as they served for recompences requitals or punishments for former sinnes committed for it is said in the Text For this cause God gave them up to their owne hearts lusts c. And againe For this cause God gave them up to vile affections c. And againe As they regarded not to acknowledge God so God delivered them up into a reprobate mind to doe thâ—se things vvhich are not convenient c. In like sort it is said of some living in the daies of Antichrist that because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God sent them strong Delusion that they should beleeve lyes that they all might be damned vvhich beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Where you see againe that he punisheth one sinne with another in that he will have them to have this strong delusion to beleeve lies and false doctrines For it is expressely said that God sent this strong delusion upon them namely as a punishment as it is indeed a most iust and grievous one for their contempt of his Gospel neglect of his word and truth Sometimes againe God permitteth a sinne to be done for the triall proofe of his own servants and children as was the sinne of the Shabaeans and Chaldaeans in the violent taking away of Iobs goods for the further triall and proofe of Iobs faith vertue and patience and as is the sinne of persecution of Gods servants for their better triall and proofe likewise for so S. Peter declareth withall sheweth that Ita vult Dei voluntas Gods vvill vvill have it so And sometimes againe God permitteth sinnes to be done and multiplied by men thereby to heape up to themselves wrath against the day of vvrath and against the day of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God and thereby to procure to themselves the greater damnation as the Scriptures speake and thus 〈◊〉 all Reprobates commit their sinnes But sometime againe did God permit a sinne to the end there might be a way made and opened for declaration both of his Iustice and Mercie toward mankinde and thus he permitted the sinne and fall of Adam our first father For if Adam had not sinned but had alwaies remained in his estate of puritie and innocencie wherein he was created neither could Gods mercie towards anie nor yet his iustice towards anie have appeared in the race of mankinde inasmuch as where no sinne noâ— sinner is there can be no condemnation for sinne in iustice neither can anie mercie be shewed or exercised but towards the miserable and such as sâ—and in neede of it and have transgressed Although therefore God made Adam good in the creation of him yet hee made him mutably good that is in such an estate as that he might possibly fall For which cause he gave him free-vvill either to stand or to fall at his owne election So that there was in him a possibility to fall as also a possibility to have stood if he had would but the Divel tempting him and he yeelding and consenting to the temptation he then fell thorough his owne default as appeareth Wherupon S. Augustine saith that Homo libero arbâ—trio malè usâ—â— se illud
purpose intention Christ dyed not for the redemption of all in a generalitie but of the Elect only whom he so especially and entirely loved In like sort testifieth S. Iohn saying In this appeared the love of God toward us marke still that word Vs that God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the vvorld that vve might live through him And againe he saith Herein is love not that vve loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Here you likewise see that the sending of his sonne is an effect and argument of his most deare and speciall love toward his Church and people If then this be as indeed it is an argument of such high speciall and incomparable love in Christ to give himselfe to death and likewise in God his Father to send him into the world to that end and that this special and incomparable love belongeth onely to the Elect it must needes be granted that Christ his death being an argument of such unspeakeable and especial love was only for the Elect in Gods intention and purpose for those onely be the men whom he so entirely and unspeakeably loved and not the other But consider what Saint Paul yet further writeth saying thus Blessed bee God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhich hath blessed us vvith all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ as hee hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the vvorld that vvee should be holy and vvithout blame before him in love VVho hath predestinated us to be adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne vvill to the praise of the glory of his grace vvhereby hee hath made us accepted in his bloud by vvhom vve have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace vvhereby he hath beene abounding toward us In which words you may againe perceive that those onely that were Elect before the foundation of the world be the men that be there said to have redemption through Christs bloud even the forgivenesse of sinnes and that for these two incomparable benefits namely of their Election before the foundations of the world and of their Redemption through the bloud of Christ they can never blesse God sufficiently nor yeeld him sufficient thankes Yea the Redemption which Christ by his bloud hath purchased for anie is an Eternall Redemption as the Epistle to the Hebrewes expressely affirmeth it and therefore if all in a generalitie aswel bad as good and Reproprobate aswell as Elect should have redemption by the death of Christ it should be an Eternall redemption as here you see even an everlasting discharge and forgivenesse of all their sinnes and so then should none be damned at all but all aswell one sort as another should be saved which if it be grosse and absurd false and untrue that also must be held grosse absurd and untrue whereupon this followeth But consider yet further that the bloud of Christ Iesus the Sonne of God is not dumbe dead vaine idle or ineffectual bloud but it is ever powerfull and effectuall to all those for whose benefit it was intended to be shed and therefore beside that it is called by S. Peter precious bloud or the bloud of price and value whereby Gods Church and people were bought and purchased it is further said in the Epistle to the Hebrews to be speaking blood and that it speaketh better things then that of Abel For indeed the bloud of Abel spake and cried for revenge against a Malefactor but contrariwise the bloud of Christ speaketh for mercie peace love reconciliation and attonement towards sinners and malefactors Yea the bloud of Christ hath these vertues attributed unto it namely to clense from all sinne to reconcile to iustifie to sanctifie and to save sinners Seeing then the bloud of Christ is of that great force vertue and efficacie and that none are cleansed from their sinnes reconciled iustified sanctified and saved but the elect onely it is apparant that that so precious prevalent powerfull and saving bloud of his was shed for the redemption of the Elect only and not of the Reprobate And therefore doe the Saints and elect people of God in the Revelation sing this Song unto that Immaculate Lamb Christ Iesus saying thus Thou art vvorthy to take the Booke and to open the seales thereof because thou vvast killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation Yea by the efficacie and vertue of Christ his death his buriall and his resurrection it is that Gods elect dye to sinne and burie sinne and be quickned and rise to newnesse of life which thing Reprobates cannot doe Againe it appeareth that Christ in his death suffering and satisfaction which hee made to the law and to Gods wrath and iustice bare the person only of the Elect to cleere and set them free insomuch that of them only it is said that they be In Christ and that they vvere circumcised â—n him or in his circumcision that they dyed together with him in his death that they rose together with him in his resurrection that they ascended with him into heaven and there sit vvith him in heavenly places By all which manner of speeches it is evident that the Elect and Elect onely be accounted his members and knit and conioined unto him Yea such is this neere coniunction and union betweene Christ the head and the Elect his members that considered together they be called verie Christ by S. Paul And therefore it is apparant that the Reprobates which are to bee damned were never In Christ Iesus nor made satisfaction to Gods Iustice in him for their sinnes nor died with him nor rose againe with him nor ascended with him into heaven nor have anie union or communion with him And this is further yet more evident by this that Christ Iesus himselfe doth directly disclaime all Reprobates in the praier which he maketh in the behalfe of all the Elect which his Father gave him saying thus I pray for them I pray not for the vvorld but for them vvhich thou hast given mee for they are thine Observe this well for here you see that Christ praieth and maketh intercession onely for the elect and utterly disclaymeth to pray for the world that is for the Reprobates of the world Sith then the Reprobates have no part nor portion in the praier and intercession of Christ by what right shall they have anie part or portion in his death or sacrificing himselfe upon the Crosse For the Priesthood of Christ consisteth chiefly in these two points namely in his oblation or sacrificing of himselfe upon the Crosse in his prayer or intercession and seeing the Reprobates never had nor have anie interest in the one neither can they have in the other And therefore also is Christ recorded
shall be able to diswade them Howbeit I would desire you to be better advised and though it be to the utter overthrowing of your fancies and wills to yeeld to that puissant and unvanquishable truth which not onlie reason but all right faith and religion also requireth at your hands for even faith and religion aswell sense and reason perswadeth against that monstrous conceipt of Transubstatiation and of the natural bodie of Christ to be eaten with the bodilie mouth For further declaration whereof doe but consider some absurdities and inconveniences wherewith it is accompanied First you thereby make the Lords Supper to be no Sacrament for if it be a Sacrament it must of necessitie have aswel an outward visible signe of an holie thing as the holie thing it selfe The outward visible signe in this point is the bread and the holie thing whereof it is a signe is the verie natural bodie of Christ which was crucified for us Now you sâ—y That after consecration there is no bread at all remaining but onlie the verie natural bodie of Iesus Christ and so making no bread at all to be there you also make no outward visible signe to be there and consequentlie make it no Sacrament Secondlie if there be no bread remaining but onlie the Accidents of bread that is whitenesse roundnesse and such like without a substance as yee hold then beside that it is most absurd by the rules of reason to hold that anie accidents can be without their substance I pray further tell me what it is that the communicant receiveth and eateth for we thinke everie man should be ashamed to say that he eateth bare accidents and not the substance of bread But for cleere proofe S. Paul affirmeth it expreslie to be still bread after consecration and that accordinglie the communicant eateth bread neither will the bare accidents of bread without the substance nourish anie man Thirdlie how absurd and unseemlie a thing is it for one man to eate up another as if it became Christians to be Caniballs or Anthropophagi that is such as were eaters of men and yet if this Popish opinion were true should Christians be eaters even of the bodie of a man and of the best mâ—n that ever lived even of their owne Saviour and Redeemer Iesus Christ both God and man and that in a most grosse and carnal manner which is a most impious and most inhumane barbarous conceit Fourthlie it is well knowne that Christ Iesus is true man and hath all the properties of one that is a true man being like unto man in all things sinne only excepted as the Scripture witnesseth And therefore as he is a true man and hath a true humane bodie like other men sinne onelie excepted that his humane bodie cannot possiblie be in two or manie places at once no not after his resurrection as S. Augustine expresly witnesseth no more then the bodies of other men For which cause the Angel said of Christ Non est hic surrexit enim He is not here for he is risen This speech of the Angel sheweth contrarie to your conceit that the humanitie and bodie of Christ even after his resurrection is not in diverse places at once as his Deitie and Godhead is and that it cannot be in anie more places then one at a time because when his bodie was in the grave it was not anie where else and when it was risen ouâ— of the grave then it was not there but in another place as the Angel declareth Yea whilest you make his humanitie to be multi-present what doe yee else but confound his humanitie and fall into as manifest an errour as is the Heresie of the ubiquitares If anie alledge that the humanitie of Christ and his Deitie be inseparable and that therefore wheresoever his Deitie is there is also his humanitie and consequently because his Deitie or Godhead is everie where his humanitie also or manhood must be likewise everie where This is but a sophistical and deceitfull kinde of reasoning wherewith none should be ensnarled for although it be true that the Deitie and humanitie of Christ be inseparable in him in respect of his person in whom they are united both together making but one Christ yet are they not so inseparable but that the one may be and is namelie his Deitie or Godhead where the other is not For example the Deitie or Godhead of Christ is indeed everie where and filleth heaven and earth as it is said in the Prophet yea the heaven of heavens cannot conteine him as Solomon saith and consequently that Deitie was also even in the grave of Christ after he was risen from death and yet was not his humanitie or manhood there as the Angel himselfe hath before assured us So that although wheresoever his humanitie or manhood is there is also his Deitie or Godhead yet it followeth not contrariwise that wheresoever his Deitie or Godhead is there also is his humanitie or manhood Again doth not Christ Iesus himselfe say thus The poore ye have alwayes with you but me ye shall not have alwayes How could these words be true except wee confesse that he may be and is absent from us in his humanitie and manhood although he be alwaies present with us in respect of his Deitie and by his power and spirit In which respect he hath also said that Hee vvill be vvith his Church to the end of the vvorld You perceive then how Christ is present and how absent namelie that he is alwaies present everie where in his Deitie but not so in his humanitie or manhood And for further proofe hereof doth not Christ Iesus say againe expressely thus It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you Againe he saith I leave the vvorld and goe to the Father And againe he saith Now am I no more in the vvorld but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keepe them in thy Name even them vvhom thou hast given mee What meaneth all this but that Christ Iesus after his resurrection was to ascend into heaven and so to goe away to depart to leave the vvorld and to be as himselfe there speaketh no more in the vvorld Must not this needs be intended in respect of his manhood and bodily presence for most certaine it is that in respect of his Deitie power and spirit he is with us to the worlds end and for ever as before is said And therefore also doth S. Peter witnesse that in respect of that his manhood or humanitie the Heavens must conteyne him untill the time that all things be restored vvhich God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the vvorld began For which cause also we beleeve according to our Creede that from thence hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead If then ever since his ascention hee be
in respect of his bodily presence and manhood departed from the world and in that respect is as himselfe affirmeth no more in the vvorld but in heaven untill the day of the general judgement as S. Peter also and our Creede doe teach us how grosse and absurd yea what misbeleevers be Papists that dare affirme him cleane contrarie to his owne testimonie and the testimonie of S. Peter and the rest of the Scriptures and contrarie also to the verie Creed it selfe to be still in the world in that his manhood and bodily presence It is high time therefore for all to renounce and forsake this monstrous and detestable errour if they will be right Christians and right beleevers As for that Text where it is said No man ascendeth up to heaven but he that descended from heaven even the sonne of man vvhich is in heaven It is easily answered and resolved for most true it is that the Sonne of man Christ Iesus was even then in heaven in his Deitie at such time when hee was also upon the earth in his humanitie So that in respect of that his Deitie or Godhead it is that being upon the earth he was neverthelesse also in heaven and not in respect of his manhood or humanitie for his manhood or humanitie or bodily presence was then on the earth and could not also be in heaven at one and the selfe same time as is before declared S. Iohn saith that Every spirit vvhich confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but this is the spirit of Antichrist Now what is it else to denie Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh but to denie him to be true man and like unto men in all things sinne onely excepted Whilest men therefore thus denie Christ to be come in the flesh that is to have all the properties of a True man and to be like unto other men in all things sinne onely excepted how can they cleere themselves but that they must be enforced to yeeld and confesse that they be herein led not by the spirit of Christ but by the spirit of Antichrist Yea whilest they thus say that Christ is in his manhood and natural bodie present upon earth what doe they else but denie or impugne not onely those Articles of the Creed viz. that Christ is ascended into heaven and that there hee sitteth at the right hand of God his Father and that from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead But this Article also that Iesus Christ vvas borne of the Virgin Mary and was incarnate and made man of her substance For this doubtlesse is the right Iesus Christ in whom wee are to beleeve but by this their doctrine they contrariwise beleeve in another Iesus Christ namely in such a one as they affirme by this their Transubstantiation to be made of another substance namelie out of the substance of a piece of bread And how can such a Christ so made of the substance of a piece of bread be the true Christ Of which and of all other sorts of false Christs the true Christ Iesus himselfe hath given us sufficieÌ„t forewarning Fiftly they herein make their Massing Priest after their words of consecration uttered to be the maker of his Maker namelie of Iesus Christ And that Iesus Christ is thus made anew everie day or so oft as their Masse is celebrated How manie thousand Iesus Christs by this meanes will they have in the world But can anie be so absurdlie impious as to beleeve or suppose that Christ Iesus can be made out of the substance of a piece of bread by a Priest by vertue of anie words of consecration uttered or by anie devise whatsoever Can anie creature possibly make his Creator or the thing made make his maker Fie on these and all other such senselesse detestable abominations Diverse other absurdities also of the Papists might here be further alledged but these before mentioned will I hope suffice to declare the most grosse and most notorious false exposition of the Popish Church concerning those wordes of Christ This is my Body in the Lords Supper wherby they strangely suppose a Transubstantiation and a carnal eating of Christ his verâ—e natural bodie contrarie to the Scriptures and contrarie to all sense reason right faith and true Religion For ye must learne so to expound Scripture as that yee make all the rest of the Scriptures to stand and agree with that sense you set upon it so that there may be no repugnancie But the sense and exposition which the Popish church setteth upon those words of Christ namely This is my Body is cleerely repugnant to other Scriptures and even to the verie Articles also of the Creede aswell as to all sense and reason as is before apparant and therefore it cannot possibly be the right sense nor true exposition What remaineth then but that the right and true sense and meaning of those words is and must needs be the same which the Protestants set upon them because that their exposition is consonant agreeing to the rest of the Scriptures and to all the Articles of the Creede aswell as to all sense and reason and is also sutable and correspondent to the like usuall ordinarie phrase and manner of speech in other and former Sacraments amongst the Iewes the old people of God under the old Testament according to which maner of speech Christ also spake when he instituted this Sacrament of his Supper under the new Testament calling according to the usuall Sacramental phrase the signe by the name of the thing signified Which thing I trust is now so cleare and evident as that none can iustly anie longer make anie doubt or question of it 5 But yet for the fuller discussing hereof it will not be amisse here to speake a few words touching Consecration because upon Consecration it is that they seeme to build their before mentioned error of Transubstantiation Let us therfore consider what Consecration is and what it importeth or worketh To Consecrate then is to take a thing from the prophane or ordinarie and common use and to destinate or appoint it to some holy use and end And if wee would know how things come to bee consecrate or sanctified S. Paul saith that everie Creature of God is good and nothing to bee refused if it bee received with thankesgiving For it is sanctified saith hee by the word of God and prayer Sanctification then or Consecration of a thing doth here appeare to bee by the institution and word of God and by praier or invocation whereof thankesgiving is a part And therefore the Lord Iesus before he brake the bread and gave it hee Blessed that is he gave thankes to his Father that hee out of his love to men had appointed him to bee the Redeemer for the satisfying of his Iustice in the behalfe of his elect and had given him authoritie to institute this
even God himselfe doth expressely dislike that anie should be so bold as to attempt to make anie Image or visible shape of him at all reproving the Iewes for so doing saying for that end and purpose thus VVho is like unto mee And againe hee saith To vvhom vvill yee make me like or make me equal or compare mee that I should be like him All they that make an Image saith he are vanitie and their delectable things shall nothing profit And againe he saith All that are of the fellowship thereof shall be confounded for the vvorkemen themselves are men In vaine therefore is that distinction yee have betweene an Idoll and an Image saying That an Idoll is of a false or fained thing or which revera is not or hath no being at all and that an Image is of a true thing or of such a thing as revera is For you see by the premisses that even the portraiture or fashioning of a true thing as namelie even of the true God by anie similitude or likenesse whatsoever made by men is utterly coÌ„demned Yea S. Stephen also confuteth that distinction for even the golden Calfe which the Israelites made althogh they made it to worship the true God by is by him expresly called an Idoll Act. 7.41 Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 graecè formam sonat ab eo per diminutionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deductum aeque apud nos formulam facit Igitur omnis forma vel formula Idolum se dici exposcit Idos in Greeke saith Tertullian signifieth a forme or figure from whence the diminutive Idolon is derived vvhich signifieth a little forme or figure Every forme therefore or figure requireth to be called an Idoll Howsoever then in French or English speech the words Idol and Image may by reason of use and custome sometime differ yet in the Greek tongue from whence the word Idoll is originally derived there appeareth to bee no such dâ—fference But hereof there needeth not to be anie further dispute because God himselfe hath directly forbidden not only Idols but all Similitudes also or Likenesses whatsoever made and erected by men in the way of Religion Thou shalt make thee saith he no graven Image nor any similitude of things that are in heaven above nor that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the vvaters underneath the Earth Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe to them nor serve them In which words you see two things directly enioined the one that no man presume to make anie Images or similitudes of God the other that if he have made anie such Image or similitude that he proceed not further in sinning by bowing downe to them or serving them Agreeably whereunto is likewise that which Moses spake as it were expounding that Commandement unto the Israelites and saying thus unto them The Lord spake unto you out of the middest of the fire and yee heard the voyce of the vvords but saw no similitude save a voyce Then hee declared unto you his Covenant vvhich he commanded you to doe even the Ten Commandements and vvrote them upon two Tables of stone And the Lord commanded me that same time that I should teach you ordinances vvhich yee should observe in the land vvhither yee goe to possesse it Take therefore good heed unto your selves for yee saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that yee corrupt not your selves and make not a graven Image or representation of any figure vvhether it be the likenesse of male or female the likenesse of any beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any feathered soule that flyeth in the ayre or the likenesse of any thing that creepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any fish that is in the vvaters beneath the earth Marke well this reason of Moses that because they onely heard a voice of God but saw no Image or Similitude of him therefore they should take heed that they be not so presumptuous as to make anie visible Image or similitude of him Theodoret also saith Deus ab ijs fieri qui uâ—lâ—us creaturae imagine effingunt Creatorem that they make gods vvhich fashion the Creator by the image or likenesse of any creature And S. Augustine saith likewise that Dei praecepto prohibetur aliqua in figmentis hominum Dei similitudo By Gods commandement is forbidden any similitude of God devised by men Although therefore yee alledge and say that God in ancient time appeared in the similitude of a Man and that the Holy Ghost also appeared upon Christ in the similitude of a Dove all this maketh nothing for you for God might appeare in what similitude he pleased and who shall or can forbid him by anie law to doe whatsoever he pleaseth But he hath given a law and a commandement to us his creatures whereby wee stand bound though hee be free thaâ— wee shall not make anie Image or similitude of him and therefore our dutie is and accordingly our care must be to doe as he hath enioined and commanded us and not licentiously in matters concerning him and his religion to devise invent and doe as we list our selves 3 But they not onelie make Images or visible shapes of the everie where present invisible and incomprehensible God but they proceed further in this their boldnesse and do also worship God in or by those Images after that they have made them It was one great wickednesse to be so audacious as to make an Image or similitude of God and it is another to worship him after that sort in or by an Image after it is made So this is a third point of Idolatrie wherein the Popish Church is intolerablie faultie For God will be worshipped as himselfe hath prescribed in his word and not according to mens fancies and devises Yea S. Paul expressely condemneth all ethelothreskeian that is vvill-worship or worshipping of God according to mens pleasures and conceits And therefore Vetuit Deus non solum Imaginem aliquam adorari sed etiam seipsum adorari in Imagine God hath forbidden not onely an Image to be vvorshipped but himselfe also to be vvorshipped in an Image saith Abulensis Agreeably whereunto S Ambrose also saith Non vult se Deus in lapidibus coli God vvill not have himselfe to be vvorshipped in stones For as Christ himselfe also teacheth God is a spirit and they that worship him must vvorship him in spirit and in truth Yea their doings in this point be as grosse Idolatrie as was that of the Israelites in the time of Moses when they together with Aaron the high Priest made the golden Calfe and worshipped God in that Image which themselves had made For yee must not thinke them to be so senselesse or sottish as that they did beleeve that verie Image it selfe to be God I hope yee will suppose that Aaron
the high Priest being one of them and the rest being the people of God that had so lately even a little before heard God speaking unto them were at least as wise as yee are to know that the Image which themselves had made could not be God and therefore albeit they fell downe before that Image yet they worshipped not the verie Image for God but God in the Image as yee likewise say yee doe Your cases then being both alike how can yee choose but confesse that yours is as plaine and as flat Idolatrie as was theirs The Scripture calleth all Idols or Images that are made to worship God in by the name of Gods thereby declaring how odious a thing in Gods sight this is whilest he accounteth it a forsaking of him the true God and a betaking of themselves to other gods to deale with him in that sort taking it for no worshipping of him at all whatsoever men pretend or say they doe intend in that case And indeed when GOD will have no such worshipping of him in and by an Image but reiecteth and refuseth to take it for anie worship of him the worship that in that case is performed then remaineth and resteth as it must needs wholly and entirely upon the Image it selfe For which cause it is that they are called Gods as I said before And therefore also doth God bring in the people of Israel after the making of that their Image and their intending to worship him in that sort as if they had said These be thy gods O Israel which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt For in Gods esteeme they worshipped not him nor offered unto him but worshipped their Moulten Calfe and offered thereunto whatsoever they pretended or intended For that Aaron the high Priest and the rest of the people of Israel did for their parts intend to worship by that meanes the true God vvhich brought them out of the land of Egypt besides these words which declare so much it is further manifest by that speech of Aaron which hee uttered saying To morrow shall bee the holy day unto Iehovah For thereby is evident inasmuch as Iehovah is the name proper to the true God Exod. 15.3 Esay 42.8 that the worshipping and offering of burnt Offerings and peace Offerings the next day before that Idoll or Image namelie before the moulten and golden Calfe was in their purposes and intentions meant and intended to the true God IEHOVAH albeit God for his part did not so account of it nor take it so but refused it as a thing odious and abhominable in his sight Insomuch that this their pretended worship of God by an Image is called in the Text A grievous crime a great sinne a corrupting of their waies a making of themselves gods of gold and a thing so highly offensive unto him as that hee was exceedinglie kindled in wrath against them and sent deserved punishment upon them for the same Take heed therfore of this grievous sinne and know that your pretended good meanings and intentions be in this case no more allowable in Gods sight nor can anie more serve to excuse or free you from Idolatrie or from incurring Gods iust displeasure for the same then did or could the same pretences intentions in the Israelites Yea your Idolatrie herein is not onely as grosse and as inexcusable as that of the Israelites but as grosse also as was that which was amongst some of the Heathens themselves for even they aswell as Papists could and did say as Clemens relateth their words Nos ad honorem invisibilis Dei visibiles Imagines adoramus VVee in honour of the invisible God doe worshippe visible Images And S. Augustine againe bringeth in the Heathen man speaking thus Non simulachrum colo sed per effigiem corporalem eius rei signum intueor quam colere Debeo I worship not the Image but by a bodily shape I behold the signe of that which I ought to worship Yea even Peresius though a Popish Bishop yet affirmeth expreslie that not all the Idols amongst the Heathen did signifie a false god and for proofe of it hee alledgeth that Text of Act. 17.23 24. c. where at Athens S. Paul finding an Altar with this Inscription To the unknowne God hee tooke occasion to preach unto them that God whom hee there saith they ignorantlie worshipped Some then there were as appeareth even amongst the verie Heathens themselves that in those their Idols or Images worshipped not the verie Image it selfe but God in those their purposes and intentions as the Papists likewise say they doe Where is then the difference of their Idolatrie 4 But they have yet a fourth point of very grosse Idolatrie in their Church and that is in their Invocations or prayers to the blessed Virgin Marie and to other Saints departed this life and unto Angells also For doth not S. Paul plainely tell you that men are to pray or call upon none but him in whome they are to beleeve How shall they call upon him saith he in whom they have not beleeved But none may beleeve in anie but in God as beside the Scriptures the verie Creede it selfe also teacheth you And therefore none may pray to anie or call upon anie in praier but upon God onely Againe when Christ Iesus taught his Disciples to pray Did hee teach them to praie to anie Saints or Angells No but saith hee VVhen yee pray say thus Our father which art in heaven c. therby teaching them that when they pray they must pray unto God onely their heavenly Father and not to anie creatures be they Saints or Angels or whosoever And this againe God himselfe expreslie willeth commandeth saying Call upon mee in the dâ—y of trouble so will I deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And againe in another Psalme it is written thus Therefore shall everie one that is godly make his prayer unto thee that is unto God The Psalmist saith againe VVhom have I in heaven but thee And againe he saith thus My soule waite thou onelie upon God for my expectation is from him Hee onely is my Rocke and my Salvation Observe well that word onely for so it is in the nevv Translation according to the Hebrew Original Now then if as here appeareth godlie men waite onely upon God and that Hee onely is their Rocke their Salvation their strength their refuge stay and helpe bee not all other hereby directly excluded Bus yet further Epiphanius saith expresly thus Let no man worship the Virgin Marie Yea hee sheweth it to bee the heresie of the Collyridians to vvorship her But consider yet moreover that it is a chiefe part of Gods worship and glorie to call upon him in Prayer for thereby wee declare that he is the only knower of our hearts discerner of our thoughts and affections and feacher of the reines as also that he is onely powerfull to yeed
respect of his Episcopal or Spiritual And for this cause also the one is said to arise out of the Sea and the other out of the Earth Rev. 13.1.11 for in respect of his Episcopal supremacie and Pseudoprophetical demeanour hee arose from the Earth it receiving his original from below and from the Earth and not from Heaven and in respect of his Imperial dominion hee arose out of the Sea because the Ruines of the Empire by meanes whereof hee arose to that his Imperial Greatnesse were not otherwise wrought but by the wavering and disquiet turbulencies that were in the World in those daies So that howsoever it is called the first Beast and the second Beast in distinct considerations yet upon the matter they both make but one Antichrist And therefore in Rev. 17. is there mention made but of One Beast only which supported the Whore of Babylon Yea Fatentur omnes pertinere omnino ad Antichristum verba illa Iohannis c. All men confesse saith Bellarmine himselfe that those vvords of Iohn in Rev. 13.11 c. doe undoubtedly belong to Antichrist Now then let us examine and see if they be not all verified in the Pope and Papacy First it is said that this second Beast had two hornes like a Lamb but he spake like the Dragon Duo Cornua similia Agni scilicet Christi cuius duo Cornua sunt duo Testamenta He shal have two Hornes like to those of the Lambe that is like to those of Christ vvhose two Hornes be the two Testaments as Lyranus Primasius and Augustine also expound them Whereby appeareth that Antichrist shall outwardly pretend great sanctitie sinceritie humilitie and simplicitie and as if hee did all things by good authoritie and strength of the holy Scriptures the two Testaments the Old and the New and yet in verie deed his voice and speech that is his doctrines decrees lawes canons and constitutions should bewray and discover him to be but a Wolfe in Sheepes clothing and no lesse cruell and malignant against the true Church of God then the verie Dragon Doth not everie man perceive that these things doe rightly fit the Pope For who maketh a greater outward shew of sanctitie pietie and Christianitie then he and what doth he else but pretend the strength and authoritie of the two Testaments namely of the holy Scriptures for warrant and maintenance of the false doctrines errors heresies hee teacheth and holdeth Can anie man outwardly pretend greater humi litie then he when he entitleth himselfe Servus servorum Dei a servant of Gods servants and yet for all that he taketh upon him by his claimes and actions to be Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium the King of Kings and Lord of Lords So that howsoever hee pretendeth humilitie yet wee see hee is farre from it And howsoever hee pretendeth the authoritie of the holy Scriptures viz the two Testaments for the strengthning and confirmation of his religion doctrine and doings alledging them to be shadowed out and figured in the two Hornes of his Myter yet partly by reason of the unsound and false translations of those Scriptures which he defendeth and authorizeth against the truth of the Originals and partly whilest he perverteth and misinterpreteth the true Scriptures themselves and equalleth also his Traditions unto them and moreover dispenseth with them at his pleasure and preferreth his owne authoritie and the authoritie of his Church above them and so maketh them to speake in another sense and otherwise then ever they meant it is apparant that being thus used and abused they be at the most but like the two Hornes of the Lambe as this Text speaketh and be not the verie two hornes themselves that is they be not the pure incorrupt and undoubtedly true Scriptures themselves but corrupted differing from them Pope and Popery then appeareth to consist all in shewes semblances and likenesses of veritie sanctitie and pietie and have it not in verie deed and substance And therefore not without good cause did diverse Bishops make their complaint long sithence in their Epistle to Pope Nicholas recorded in Aventine saying in this sort unto him Thou bearest the person of a Bishop but thou playest the Tyrant under the habite and attyre of a Pastor vvee feele a VVolfe It is a lying Title that calleth thee Father thou in thy deeds shewest thy selfe to be another Iupiter being the servant of servants thou strivest to be the Lord of Lords c. But moreover doth not the Pope speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell for by the Dragon in the Revelation is the Divell understood when he saith that the Kingdomes of the world be his and that he hath power to dispose and give them to whomsoever hee will For did not the Divell speake the verie same to Christ in the Gospel Yea the Pope is as they write Totius orbis Dominus The Lord of the vvhole vvorld and hath Coelestis terrestris potestatis Monarchiam The Monarchy or soveraignetie both of the heavenly and earthly power and to him forsooth they apply that Prophecie Dominabitur à mari ad mare à flumine usque ad terminos orbis He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the vvorld Yea they attribute that unto him which Iesus Christ spake of himselfe saying that All power is given unto him both in heaven and earth Matth. 28.18 Be not these most abominable blasphemous and divelish speeches being attributed to the Pope But yet further what doth hee else but speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell whilest he teacheth that doctrine of Divells mentioned in the Epistle to Timothy as shal afterward appeare and whilest he maintaineth a wrong worship of God a false faith and an Apostatical and Antichristian religion against the right most pure and onely true religion of Christ extant in the booke of God the holy and canonical Scriptures 3 Againe it is said that this second Beast did exercise all the power of the first Beast and that before him And who is so ignorant but hee knoweth that the Pope exerciseth all the power of the first Beast that is of the Latine or Romane State and that before him or before his face that is to say even at Rome and in the presence of the Romane State For hath not the Pope gotten that which was the seate of the Emperor namely Rome and made it his seate And is not the Emperor put downe from having anie Headship or Soveraigne Authoritie there Yea doth not the Pope there take upon him to exercise all the Imperial power authoritie tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris yet vvithout the name of the Emperor of Rome as Bellar. himself also saith that Antichrist must doe For this Imperial Authoritie aswell as his Ecclesiastical that is to say both his supremacies as before is shewed hee claimeth and holdeth under the name and title
not Aventinus write directly thus of him Hildebrandus qui Gregorius septimus primus Imperium pontificium condidit quod successores per qurdringentos quinquaginta continenter annos invito mundo invitis Imperatoribus adeo duxere ut inferos superos in servitutem redigerint atque sub iugum miserint Pope Hildebrand who vvas also called Gregorie the seventh is the first that founded the Papall Empire which his successors for fovver hundreth and fiftie yeares together have so managed in despite of th VVorld and in despite of the Emperors that they have brought inferiours and superiors into subiection and under the yoake The like speaketh Eberard Hildebrandus ante annos centum atque septuaginta primus specie regligionis ANTICHRISTI Imperii fundamenta iecit Hec Bellum nefandum primus auspicatus est quod per successores hucusque continuatur Pope Hildebrand saith hee an hundred and seaventie yeares past was the first vvho under pretence of religion laid the foundation of the Empires of Antichrist Hee first began this wicked vvarre vvhich by his successors is hitherto continued And even Onuphrius also a great favorer and maintainer of the Papal authoritie saith Huic vni c. To this man onely viz. to Pope Hildebrand all the Latine Churches but especially the Church of Rome ought to attribute it that shee is free and pulled out of the hand of the Emperors that shee is enriched with so much riches and vvealth and temporal Dominion that shee is ruler over Kings Emperors and all Christian Princes from vvhom lastlie it is that I may comprehend all in one vvord that this most great excellent state floweth that Rome is the Ladie or Mistres of all the Christian vvorld vvhereas before as a base handmaide shee vvas kept under not onely by the Emperors but by anie Prince ayded by the Romane Emperor From him it is that the right of that greatest and in a manner infinite and in all ages terrible and venerable povver of the pope of Rome hath issued For although formerlie the Popes of Rome vvere respected as heads of the Christian religion and Vicars of Christ and the Successors of Peter yet did not their Authoritie stretch anie further but to defend or maintaine opinions of faith Yea they vvere subiect to Emperors al things vvere done at their becke by them vvere the Popes made neither durst the Pope of Rome iudge or determine anie thing of them Of all the Popes of Rome it is Gregorie the seaventh that is the FIRST vvho having the assistance of the Normans strengthened by the helpe of the Countesse Matildes a VVoman verie potent in Italy and inflamed through the discord and civill warre of the Germane Princes was bould beyond the manner of his predecessors and contemning the Authoritie and power of the Emperor after that hee had obtained the Popedome I doe not say onely to excommunicate but also to deprive the Emperor himselfe of his Kingdome and Empyre A thing before those times unheard of For those Fables which are reported and carried about concerning Arcadius Anastasius and Leo Iconomachus I regard not VVhereupon Oth◠Frisingensis a VVriter of those times saith also thus I read and I read againe the gests of the Romane Kings and Popes and no where doe I finde anie of them before this Emperor Henrie to bee excommunicate by a Pope of Rome or by him deprived of his Kingdome So farre Onuphrius Gotfridus Viterbiensis likewise testifieth that this Emperor Henrie the fourth was the first that was deprived of his Empire by the Pope Trithemius also witnesseth the same saying Ipse primus est inter omnes Imperatores per Papam depositus Hee is the first amongst all the Emperors that was deposed by a Pope By these Writers and Historiographers it then appeareth that although before the times of Hildebrand the Popes of Rome had an Episcopal or Ecclesiastical supremacie or Headship over all other Bishops which also began not till about the yeare 606. in the time of Boniface the third yet a temporal supremacy or Imperial Monarchy over Emperors Kings Princes they never fully compassed effected until the daies of this Pope Hildebrād which was above a 1000. yeares after Christ. And thus you see the original of both the Supremacies of the Pope But what were there anie Miracles signes or wonders done at this time when the Imperial Monarchy wherein the Image of the Beast chiefly consisteth was thus sought to be brought in and setled in the Pope especially was there anie Miracle or Wonder by fire then to be seene It is manifest there were For thus Aventinus writeth Falsi tum Prophetae falsi Apostoli falsi Sacerdotes emersere qui simulata religione populum deceperunt magna signa atque prodigia ediderunt c. False Prophets false Apostles false Priests did Then arise vvho under pretence of Religion deceived the people and did great signes and VVonders c. And amongst other Miracles they alledge this for one that a certaine Bishop whilest hee was preaching against Pope Hildebrand fulmine tactum esse vvas smitten vvith lightning What is this but fire from heaven Yea Pope Hildebrand himselfe being a Magitian and Necromancer would no doubt not faile to doe such miracles and wonders as by divelish device and helpe he could for the bringing of his designes and purposes to passe And amongst the rest of his Wonders Cardinal Benno saith that VVhen hee listed hee vvould shake his sleeves and fire like sparkles did flye out ijs Miraculis oculos simplicium volunt signo sanctitatis ludificabat and vvith those Miracles saith he as it vvere vvith a signe of sanctity did he delude the eyes of the simple Paulus Bernriedensis also rehearseth divers Miracles or Wonders of Pope Hildebrand done by fire and therefore often resembleth him to Elias in whose time fire came down from heaven So that if these words in the Revelation of fire comming downe from heaven on the earth were to be taken literally you see how they may be verified in the Papacie inasmuch as in the Papacie they have made fire come down from heaven on the Earth in the sight of men that is as they made men to beleeve and thinke for so also doth Arethas expound those words But indeed those words in the Revelation be rather mystically and allegorically to be taken for S. Hierome saith Apocalypsim tot habere sacramenta quot verba that the Revelation hath as many mysteries in it as vvords and againe he saith totum esse spiritualiter intelligendum that the whole booke is spiritually to be understood They seeme therefore to be words alluding to the times of Elias and signifying that as in his daies God miraculously sent fire from heaven thereby to certifie the people of the true God and of the truth of his religion so would Antichrist by the miracles done in his Church worke so powerfully and effectually
of the Doctor what the reason might be that where he bringeth in the words of Giraldus Cambrensis touching this place as an authenticall authoritie hee passeth over that part of his relation wherein hee affirmeth that S. Patrick intended by this meanes to bring the rude people to a perswasion of the certaintie of the infernall paines of the reprobate and of the true and everlasting life of the elect after death The Grecians alledge this for one of their arguments against Purgatorie that whereas their Fathers had delivered unto them manie visions and dreames and other vvonders concerning the everlasting punishment wherewith the wicked should be tormented in Hell yet none of them had declared any thing concerning a purgatorie temporarie fire Belike the Doctor was afraid that wee would conclude upon the same ground that S. Patrick was carefull to plant in mens mindes the beleefe of Heaven and Hell but of Purgatory taught them never a word And sure I am that in the book ascribed unto him De tribus habitaculis which is to be seene in his Majesties Librarie there is no mention of anie other place after this life but of these two only I will lay down here the beginning of that treatise and leave it to the iudgement of anie indifferent man whether it can well stand with that which the Romanistes teach concerning Purgatorie at this day There be three habitations under the power of almightie God the first the lowermost and the middle The highest whereof is called the kingdome of God or the kingdome of Heaven the lowermost is termed Hell the middle is named the present World or the circuit of the Earth The extremes whereof are altogether contrary one to another for what fellowship can there be betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt Christ Belial but the middle hath some similitude with the extremes For in this world there is a mixture of the bad and of the good together whereas in the kingdome of God there are none bad but all good but in Hell there are none good but all bad And both those places are supplied out of the middle For of the men of this world some are lifted up to Heaven others are drawne downe to Hell namely like are joyned unto like that is to say good to good and bad to bad just men to just Angells wicked men to wicked Angels the servants of god to God the servants of the divell to the Divell The blessed are called to the kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world the cursed are driven into the everlasting fire that is prepared for the Divell and his angels Thus farre there Hitherto also may be referred that ancient Canon of one of our Irish Synods wherein it is affirmed that the soule being separated from the bodie is presented before the judgement seat of Christ who rendreth it owne unto it according as it hath done and that neyther the Archangel can leade it unto life untill the Lord hath judged it nor the Divell transport it unto paine unlesse the Lord doe damne it as the sayings of Sedulius likewise that after the end of this life eyther death or life succeedeth and that death is the gate by which wee enter into our kingdome together with that of Claudius that Christ did take upon him our punishment vvithout the guilt that thereby he might loose our guilt and finish also our punishment Cardinall Bellarmine indeed alledgeth here against us the vision of Furseus who rising from the dead told many things which hee saw concerning the paines of purgatory as Bede he saith doth write But by his good leave we will be better advised before we build articles of faith upon such visions and dreames as these manie wherof deserve to have a place among the strange narrations of soules appearing after death collected by Damascius the heathen Idolater rather than among the histories discourses of sober Christians As for this vision of Furseus all that Bede relateth of it to this purpose is concerning certaine great fires above the ayre appointed to examine every one according to the merits of his workes which peradventure may make something for Damascius his Purgatorie in Circulo lacteo for in that circle made he a way for the soules that went to the Hades in heaven and would not have us wonder that there they should be purged by the way but nothing for the Papists Purgatorie which Bellarmine by the common consent of the Schoolemen determineth to be within the bowels of the earth Neyther is there anie thing else in the whole book of the life of Furseus whence Bede borrowed these things that looketh toward Purgatorie unlesse peradventure that speech of the Divell may be thought to give some advantage unto it This man hath not purged his sinnes upon earth neyther doth he receive punishment for them here Where is therefore the justice of God as if Gods justice were not sufficiently satisfied by the sufferings of Christ but man also must needes give futther satisfaction thereunto by penall workes or sufferings either here or in the other world which is the ground upon which our Romanists doe lay the rotten frame of their devised Purgatorie The latter visions of Malachias Tundal Owen and others that lived within these last five hundred yeares come not within the compasse of our present inquirie nor yet the fables that have bene framed in those times touching the lives and actions of elder Saints whereof no wise man will make anie reckoning Such for example is that which we reade in the life of S. Brendan that the question being moved in his hearing Whether the sinnes of the dead could be redeemed by the prayers or almes-deeds of their friends remayning in this life for that was still a question in the Church he is said to have told them that on a certaine night as he sayled in the great Ocean the soule of one Colman who had beene an angry Monke and a sower of discord betwixt brethren appeared unto him who complained of his grievous torments intreated that prayers might be made to God for him and after sixe dayes thankefully acknowledged that by meanes thereof he had gotten into heaven Whereupon it is concluded that the prayer of the living doth profit much the dead But of S. Brendans sea-pilgrimage we have the censure of Molanus a learned Romanist that there be many apocryphall fooleries in it whosoever readeth the same with anie judgement cannot choose but pronounce of it as Photius doth of the strange narrations of Damascius formerly mentioned that it containeth not onely apocryphall but also impossible incredible ill-composed and monstrous fooleries Whereof though the old Legend it selfe were not free as by the heads thereof touched by Glaber Rodulphus and Giraldus Cambrensis may appeare yet for the tale that I recited out of the New Legend of England I can