after this life is neither any more time nor place to make amendes for our sinnes or obteine any mercy or forgiuenes at Gods hands there she shrinks backe into her shel and lettes her hoode hearken to that And where as the said Cyprianus and Hieronymus do stoutly teach That al Ministers true Preachers of Gods worde haue like power in what place soeuer they be whether it be at Rome or at Naples or amoÌ„g the Indies or in Tartaria all that is pedlers French to our holy mother the church of Rome whereas Gregorius doth plainly write and in diuerse places sayeth That whatsoeuer he be that names himselfe a general Bishop or The chiefe head and principall of all Bishops he is the very messenger of Antichrist and the sonne of the diuell for that neither hee nor no man liuing can beare the name of a generall Bishop without the vtter defacing of the seruice of the Church But that must be vnderstood with a prouiso to wit The Pope of Rome alwayes excepted Nowe whereas k Tertulianus Augustinus Theodoretus and many other moe doe expounde these wordes of the Sacrament This is my bodie sacramentally and say that it is a figure a signe and a seale of the bodie of Christ that was offred vp and broken for vs then is there nothing to say but God helpe you There is no bodie at home Whereas they doe generallie with one consent teache and stoutely mainteine that the Supper of the Lorde ought to bee ministred vnto all men vnder both kindes that smelles of a Ratte the Cow is broken loose Whereas Irinaeus who wrote that about a hundred yeres after saint Iohn the Apostle the number of the beast whereof Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation or vision doeth meane by this word Latinos the Romish or the Latine Church and regiment and the Tertul. Hieronymus do expound the beast with seuen hornes for the citie of Rome that is al bibble babble In summe whensoeuer they set forth or teach any thing that souÌ„ds not wel in the eares of our deare mother the holy Church she lettes them be packing without any mention making of them or else she correctes them throughly considering that they are but men and may erre And wherfore For that she is not subiect to the writings of the fathers neither can her authoritie be subiect to their iudgement but she as wee haue saide before is aboue the fathers and gouerneth them turnes and winds them as she will forceth them eueÌ„ as she thinkes good And whatsoeuer they haue written must bee sifted through her siâ—e to picke out thereof the finest flowre For otherwise seeing that the olde fathers do oftentimes differ amongst themselues and other whiles write contrarie to that which they haue set downe before and alwayes for the most part haue done directly agaynst the opinion and dealing of the holie Church of Rome howe should yea howe shoulde men make good cloth of such yarne if it were not that the holy Church of Rome did giue her iudgement and sentence on their dooings and did chewe the pappe before in her owne mouth to put the same with more facilitie and easinesse into ours her sucking babes as it were with a Spoone giuing vs that which she alloweth for good and casting the rest away which tastes not well in her mouth into a corner The summe of all is that we maye not make anie foundation of our faith vpon the writings of the olde fathers vnles they haue first bene vnder the hands of the holie Catholike Church of Rome and be by her ouerseene and set forth as shall seeme good to her holinesse The iiii Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome is not subiect to anie Councell but maye approue or disanull them according as shee shall thinke best for her ovvne benefite And this is confirmed by many examples and profounde reasons BVt nowe are there some such grosse fellowes which notwithstanding they do see that the Church is aboue the Scriptures and aboue all the doctrine and Writinges of the olde Fathers yet they thinke that her power and authoritie maye be as it were compassed in and paled about by the Councels So that there should be nothing receiued for a commaundement of the church but it must first be concluded by a Councell And what soeuer were once there coÌ„cluded and agreed vpon with that neither the church of Rome should medle nor the Pope haue anie thing to doe Yea mary these good felowes O they come in due season they might a great deale better haue tarried at home For consider seeing that all the Prophetes and Apostles and likewise the old Fathers altogether yea Iesus Christ the very Sonne and trueth of God himself could neuer so binde nor make subiect the holy church that she should yeeld and submit her selfe to their writing and doctrine onely howe doe these felowes thinke then that the Councels should haue greater power to bring her within their parke and pases considering that they are men which haue so often times erred yea and swarued cleane from the trueth Wee knowâ— well ynough that the Councel Ariminense Sirmiense and Seleucense did in the time of Constantine the great fortifie the heresie of the Arrians with their Decrees The seconde Councel of Ephesus did cleue vnto the Heretike Eutyches and did blasphemously and confusedly mingle the two natures of Christe together The councel of Carthago in the time of Cyprian which was holden before the first councel of Nicene did conclude That heretikes ought to be christened againe But what needeth al this Was not Christ him selfe iudged coÌ„demned in a generall councel at Hierusalem which was the chosen citie of God And that the councels haue often times erred may lightly erre it appereth plainly inough by the witnessing of Gregorie Nazianzene who was accustomed to say That he neuer saw couÌ„cell that teÌ„ded to a good end Yea do we not see how there haue bin many couÌ„cels whose proceedings haue bin flat against the doctrine institutions set forth by our holy mother the church and yet would defend their doings by the holy scripture But what a good yere Can the couÌ„cels preuaile against the church of Rome they hauing no power nor authoritie at all other thaÌ„ is giueÌ„ them by our holy father the pope How I pray you should that then hang together that they should be placed at the vpper end not only aboue the pope but aboue the whole church Is it not written in the booke of the decretals That no couÌ„cel can in any thing forbid the holy church nor set any commandment ouer her considering that all couÌ„cels haue bin at her appointment and receiued their power authoritie froÌ„ her holinesse And that in al statutes ordinances decrees of the couÌ„cels the authoritie of the Pope is excepted exempted See we not likewise that in the councel of Lateran it was coÌ„cluded likewise
would likewise follow all a flant to help vs for they will neuer suffer their cunning whereby they caused their Hecate their Iupiter Elicius with certeine woordes in their sacrifice to come out of heauen in spite of their teeth to be plucked froÌ„ them And beside that they would likewise ioyne with vs to defend their Metamorphosis that is their Transubstantiation And they would bring at their tailes a band and noble supplie of 113. Bishops who altogether in a Councelâ— at Rome haue concluded That it must be so And that it is the verie flesh of Christ not onely sacramentally but the verie bodie in deede and as they terme it Sensualiter that it to say That men may feele and taste it It is broken with handes and with teeth torne eaten and digested Herevpon they haue accursed all those that doe not so beleeue And with them should be coupled all the great wise and profound Doctours and sententious writers to wit Paschasius LaÌ„cfrancus Thomas de Aquino Scotus Innocentius Comestor Amarcanus Gerson Gabriel Biel Durandus Alexander de Ales Occan Petrus Hispanus Albertus Magnus Raimundus Lullius Petrus LoÌ„bardus Petrus de Aliaco Petrus de Bella pertica Rabanus Panormitanus Bricot and Halcot And these would drawe forth with them al the good Catholike men that haue bene in our time And these noble Cardinals specially would make a great stirre in the field as Thomas Caritanus Reginaldus Polus Stanislaus Hosius and these deepe Doctours Master Syluester Prierias Thomas Radinus Ambrosius Catharinus Iacobus Hoochstratanus Iohannes Cochleus Iohannes Eckius Iacobus Latomus Magister noster de Quercu IohaÌ„nes a Louanio â–ª Iodocus Tiletanus Ruardus Tappard ab Enchusia In summe all the Doctours of Paris of Louen of Collen yea all the Licentiates and Bacchelers all these would set so stoutly on euerie side vpon these Heretikes that they may thanke God if they get froÌ„ them without leauing a limme behinde them For they would vndoubtedly teare them in pieces with their teeth and swallowe them vp whole haire and hide euen as they do with their god Or if it were so that they could not well bring that to passe by reason that the Heretikes are more heauie to digest than their god in the Masse is then there would come to helpe them Maister Deane Romist the Procurour Generall with a great companie of Catchpolles hangmen with staues and stakes with fire and sworde with strawe and fagottes and would set them on fire and so burne them vp by clusters and then their disputing were at an end Then also were S. Paule packt vp in a male with all his Prophets Apostles Would not the matter go well then with these Heretikes Lutheranes No no it is much better for them to tarie at home with their Paule than to deliuer him againe a freshe into the handes of the Iewes In summe our Maister Gentianus hath great reson that he like a strong and inuincible Goliah doeth so stoutly ouerbragge and outface all the whole heape of these Caluinistes Zwinglians and Huguenotes yea so couragiously that they dare neuer be so bolde as to come againe in their sights to dispute against the fagots So that nowe his conclusion knitting vp of the matter ramaines fâ—â—st and vnremoueable as specially That they are misbeleeuing Heretikes seeing they do not beleeue all what soeuer the holie Church beleeues and so consequently do denie the xii Articles of the faith The second parte Now doeth followe the exposition vpon the second parte of the Epistle of Gentian Haâ—uet wherein is discoâ—â—sed the â—ight and sufficiencie of the Scriptures and specially of the exposition of the same And fuâ—â—her al the points of the Romish beleefe are approued by the Scripture The Preface wherein this treatie is diuided in two partes NOw followeth in order the second part of this epistle which Master Gentianus doth 〈◊〉 be a fastidious sâ—rupâ—se that is to say A morseâ— which he can not wel swallowe without chewing as specially that the Heretikes will mainteine That we ought not to receiue any doctrine besides the worde of God set foorth in the holie Scriptures But nowe there resteth no more difficultie in this matter for wee haue prepared for him in the former article such a pill that he will lightly slappe it vp considering what a wide throte he hath For wee haue substantially and stedfastly herevpon concluded and also pronounced sentence irreuocable That the Scripture cannot ouerrule our deare mother the holie Church nor bring her vnder subiection And therefore we wil not breake our heads about this matter but will referre leaue it to the iudgement of our Maisters of Louen intending now to intreate of the vnderstanding and meaning of the scripture wherein we haue two principall pointes to set forth and determine vpon The first that we declare what is the power authoritie of the holie church in setting forth the Scripture and to applie it to her aduantage The seconde That we by plaine examples declare and proue that she hath finely set foorth this power and authoritie in the establishing of all the commaundements of her doctrine ceremonies and all manner of deuotions so that she doeth not enioy in her seruice anie one thing great or small but she knoweth finely to fetch the foundation of them out of the plaine texte of the holy scripture out of that to make the matter so cleare manifest that you may see it euen as well in the darke as with a candle These two pointes wee will set forth plainly before the eyes of all men with the helpe and assistance of the sweet deare Ladie of Halle al the sweete hee Saints shee Saintes at Antwerpe being there placed vpon the hie altar and thereto we will call for the helpe of the holie Ghost deuoutly saying an Aue Maria. Oremus Aue Maria c. The first Chapter That the holy Church of Rome onely hath power to expound and set forth the Scripture after her will and as shee doth vnderstand it And of the keyes and keybands which shee hath receiued to that end and that euerie man ought to be content with her exposition NOwe as concerning the first part our famous Doctours and Licentiates of Louen Paris do ioyntly teach That the holy scripture is a duÌ„mbe teacher a boke of dissentioÌ„ a dark vncertein doutful dead letter a nose of wax a leaden rule Which is as much to say that a man may pull it bow it winde it and turne it which way it shall please him And therefore they conclude thus Ergo the ground and letter of the Scripture is no direction or guide but that office belongeth only to the right vnderstaÌ„ding meaning therof Now the interpretations of them appertein to our deare mother the holy church of Rome onely And because she hath it in deede euery man shall be contented with her interpretation wiâ—hout anie further canuâ—sing â—iâ—ting or examining of that
fathers assembled at the couÌ„cell of Carthage were chiefly perswaded by to giue speciall commandement That no coÌ„mon or simple Priest shoulde take vpon him to doe any such thing Was not that I pray you a matter of importance to consult vpon And yet besides this it is there written I am the vine you are the branches â–ª he that remains in me I in him shall bring forth much fruit which the holy Church vnderstanding of the pope hath resolutely coÌ„cluded That no man may consecrate or hallow any Church but he alone Think you not that they had great reason so to do And therefore no doubt they are herein verie well founded and vpoÌ„ great reason persuaded out of this and all the other texts before alledged â–ª to conclude teach and determine thus That the Pope is not onely a man but Gods Lieftenant yea a God himselfe vpon earth by which occasion hee doeth likewise chaunge his name at suche time as hee is promoted to the Popes seate specially for that hee doeth likewise after his nature and from the degree of a man is become halfe a God. And vpon this consideration must his mandates be obserued as Gods commaundements Yea it is not lawfull for anie man to doubt or to reason vpon his title authoritie For hee may if it so come in his head set vp and establish a newe seruing of God or religion and all men must of necessitie folow his commandements how heauie or incomportable so euer they be For he can of an arrant knaue make an honest man neither may hee by anie man be iudged or punished no not although he runne headlong to bel and carie a great companie with him seeing it is he that iudgeth all men by his absolute power Yea thâ—re is giuen to him a full power authoritie as well in heauen as in earth and he must be of all men esteemed holie yea although hee were knowne to be an arrant knaue vile varlet neither may anie man say vnto him Wherefore do ye so or so And therfore the holy Church doth say declare pronounce That it is most nedfull that all Christen men for their saluation sake submit them selues wholie vnder the Pope of Rome as it is written in the first of Iohn And of his fulnesse haue we all receiued eueÌ„ grace for grace Which being vnderstood according to the letter may wel be applied to Christ but after the spiritual vnderstaÌ„ding which is according to the interpretation of the holie Church and of the Catholike Doctours it is without doubte to bee vnderstoode of the Pope of Rome And therefore doeth Esaias say What will ye doe in the day of the visitation and destruction which shall come from farre To whom will ye runne for helpe Or to whom will yee giue your honour that he may keepe it This is nowe to be vnderstoode after the interpretation of the holie Church That the Pope of Rome is all our honour and wealth For howe can it be otherwise vnderstoode Considering that hee hath the power to choose anie man or woman whoÌ„ he liketh of and him or her in the name of God or in his owne name yea and that without the will or consent of his Cardinals declare pronounce and iudge for a Saint canonize them put them in the Kalendar place them in the register of Saintes and so appoint them a roome in the Romish Hierarchie either amongst Angels and Archangels or else amongst Martyrs Confessours as he shall thinke good willing and commaunding That in euerie Church one holie day shal be kept for them and deuoute seruice said and done that day as to an holie Saint is proper apperteining yea and further giue and graunt to all such as shall once a yeere being shriuen and doing penance goe on pilgrimage visite the tumbe of such a newe Saint pardon of all their sinnes for one whole yeere and fourtie dayes Yea moreouer he may if it be his pleasure depose deface and blotte out of the Kalendar and register such as haue bene a long time canonized and worshipped as did appeare by Pope Boniface the 8. who caused Saint Herman of Ferrare to bee digged out of his graue and burnt after he had bene taken and esteemed for a Saint more than twentie yeeres And that which is more wee finde written That Pope Clement the fift about the yeere of our Lorde 1309. did charge and commaunde the Angels through his Popish authoritie power that they should take the soules of all such as comming in pilgrimage towardes Rome did die by the way and forthwith carie them into heauen without anie delay or tarrying or without letting them once smell the fire of Purgatorie as appeareth by his Bulles herevpon granted and made whereof diuerse copies doe at this day lie at Vienne at Limoges and at Poytiers townes in France in the chestes where the priuiledges of the same Townes are kept Wherefore then I pray you should not wee willinglie accept him for all our wealth and honour seeing hee can canonize make and vnmake hee Saintes and shee Saintes and hath likewise power ouer the Angels of heauen I doe not speake of this that hee as a King and Priest can make God yea and create him who onelie createth all thinges as it is written in the booke called Stella Clericorum which is to say The starre of the Clerkes or Priestes wherein all Priestes are named Creatores Creatoris And nowe he maketh all Priestes so that he may iustly bee called Creator creatorum creatoris that is to say The Creatour of those which haue shapen and created the verie Creatour of all things So that the writing of Paul to the Thessalonians where hee speaketh of the Pope of Rome is not amisse where he saith That he shal extoll and aduance him selfe aboue all things that is named God or Gods seruice and shall sit in the temple of God as though he were God him selfe and proclame him selfe for God. Which thing also was before spoken by the Prophete Daniel That hee should lift and set vp him selfe aboue all Godhead and should speake maruelous things against God and do euerie thing after his owne lust placing him selfe aboue all things in the worlde distributing landes and kingdomes euen as hee best list and will. Nowe according to this prophesie hath our deare mother the holie Church ordeined and concluded That hee hath full power and authoritie to doe what soeuer his will and pleasure is and that he may dispense both with the old and newe Testament with anie othe vowe or promise In summe hee is ouer and aboue all iudgementes of God or man to make of nothing something of streight crooked and of crooked streight to transubstantiate and chaunge the forme and substance of things euen as it shall come in his head For vnto him are all lawes iudgements subiect and
which our louing mother the holy Church hath made vpon it let it bee allegoricall or anagogicall or what it will this is onelie that which makes mightie and liuing because this alone both agree with the iudgement of the holy Church of Rome And all they which doe truely follow her those are permitted to liue in all libertie and wealth yea although they do not beleue that there is a god Therefore whosoeuer will not accept this interpretation of the holie church and vnderstand the scripture ghostly or spiritually as the Catholikes doe vnderstande and interprete the same he is a damned Heretike and his processe is at an ende although he had all the textes of the scripture verie plaine the whole volume of the Bible on his side for the textes can not helpe him without the glasses hee is but a dead man yea though he had an hundred liues lying in a Chest especially if he come once in the handes of the holie Inquisition hee must abie for it it is but lost labour to talke further thereof And for this cause I doe maruell that our good master Gentian will breake his head about this matter namely to proue That the Scripture alone is not sufficient for our mother the holie Church as though that matter were not plaine and euident inough sithence we may daily both see and feele it And yet notwithstanding commes he out here with his profounde speculation in such sort as he hath almost therein forgotten himselfe I cannot iudge otherwise but that the vnmeasurable zeale which hee beares to the welfare of his deare mother the holy Church must haue perforce tumbled him topsie â—uruie ouerthwart the field that he did not well see what he said he is like to kine which are stâ—ung and chaced with a waspe or horseflie they runne on following their noses like mad beasts shun neither stock nor stone For here it seemes that his wittes be rauished For where hee doth say That the doctrine of the holy Trinitie cannot be proued by the Scripture that is farre too grosse Otherwise wee must condemne the foure first Councels of falshoode who did by approbation conclude vpon the same out of the holie Scriptures verie strongly and with vndoubted testimonies of truth yea and if we could as well defend the Masse with plaine textes of the Scripture as the blessed Trinitie may thereby be confirmeâ— a great manie priests no doubt shoulde not eate so leane brewes as now they do It is true that this worde Trinitie neither this worde Consubstantiall that is to say Euangelicall in being substance is not so printed in the scripture But the Huguenots say plainly that they will not make anie brabbling about these wordes but will simply followe the true ground meaning substance of the Scripture Now it is plainly wriâ—ten That there are three in heauen which giue witnes to wit the father the worde and the holie ghost that these three are al one There is likewise written That there is but one Baptisme and one God and yet notwithstanding we are coÌ„manded that we shall be baptised In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holie ghost So that it is apparant that the doctrine or approbation of the Trinitie was not sowed out of the Popes thumbe as purgatorie the holie Masse were but are plainly alledged in the scripture after the letter The like is to be said touching the two sacrameÌ„ts of Baptisme of the Supper of the lord For although this worde Sacrament is not found in the scripture yet the substance the being and the ground of the doctrine is without exception coÌ„cluded out of the scripture according to the letter plaine wordes of the text For the Circumcision and the Pascall lambe are openly called The promises of God and doe signifie the promises of God left in liuely remembrance of his mercie to the coÌ„firming of our iustificatioÌ„ by faith And now doth Paul teach that Circumcision is signified in Baptisme and that the sacrament of the Lords supper is likewise appointed by Christ in remembrance of his death passion Whervpon it is called The new promise in the bloud of Christ and ministred in place of the Pascall lamb Insomuch that heretikes out of that do teach That baptisme the supper of our Lord are onely sacraments that is holy tokens of Gods promises made in the bloud and passion of Iesus Christ. Which we cannot say of that holy oyle nor of their holy confirmation and other Sacraments which our deare mother the holie Church hath instituted of great deuotion and ioyned them to the two first for an help or assistance yea and the same likewise established and defended That Confirmation by her instituted is much more worthie than baptisme which Christ himselfe coÌ„manded And why Forsooth because it cannot be ministred or executed by any simple or common Priest as baptisme may but only by a Suffragane or Bishop and that it makes one ful christned and doth giue the holy ghost more plentifully effectually than baptism doth which was instituted by Christ. As in her decrees and booke of Sentences is in plaine wordes written Now besides all this the heretikes doe also say That wee are not able to alledge or bring out of the holie Scripture so much as one worde which speakes of the Masse nor of annoynting of priests nor of their sinne offrings of their priests office of their pardons Popes bulles no nor of the Pope himselfe nor of the praying to Saints images of our Ladie nor al those saints which do so many goodly miracles nor of their purgatorie nor of their auricular confession nor of their whorish chastitie of Priests Monks Nonnes In summe they will say it is nothing else but mens inuentions and deuises of diuels which the priests haue called to remeÌ„brance to bring in monie by heapes and to pamper their panches with daintie dishes but is not this a spiteful matter And yet our master Gentian letteth that slippe vntouched where he should haue proued That all these pointes are aswell concluded out of the scripture as the twelue articles of the faith He saith in deed that Ieremie had said before That the new lawe of the Gospell should bee written in mens hearts whereby we will conclude that men ought not to seeke them in the scripture but in the head and heart of the Pope of Rome of his holy Prelates for that the Pope hath all lawes both of God man shut vp in his bosome breast as hereafter shal be declared more at large But this serues to no purpose against the Heretikes for they are so lustie that they would make M. Gentian ashamed hereof if he had anie shame in his bodie Which I do not iudge of anie such great doctor who hath long ago put off his shamefast shooes and laid them aside nay â—ast them cleane away But
fiue wordes spoken and all parts of the transubstantiation well plaid could doe his office as well as the wine and leape soudeinly out of one substance into another Item if there were thirtene or fourtene Offertories Ostes or singing cakes laid vpon the altar and that the priest could tell no better than my maide and so tolde but twelue and vppon that intent doe pronounce the fiue wordes thinking that there were but twelue then whether all the thirtene should be consecrated and transubstantiated considering that the intent and meaning of the Priest is wholie necessarie to the transubstantiation or that neuer one of them should be transubstantiated coÌ„sidering that the one hath as much vantage as the other and not any one of them more base or bastard than an other seeing that they all did heare and vnderstand the wordes of the Transubstantiation indifferently one as well as another There are yet besides these manie other like difficulties sufficient to make deuout catholike men to doubt touching this foresaid article of transubstantiation for I assure you they trouble the heades euen of our masters of Louen and are oftimes occasion that they must drinke two or three quartes of wine the more and sometimes be so dronke that they fall from the benche and catch a redde nose yea and sometime that they dispute the haire from their heads through the great zeale wherewith they are warmed whereby they often fall into dronken diseases and sometime into Plurisies whereof diuerse times they die and so the Church of Rome doth faile of her best pillars And yet for all this as concerning the highest and most principall article of transubstantiation they al danse after one pipe and agree as well in one as Herode and Pilate And as touching the rest they remit that to God to take care for for after that they haue brought forth many cunning trickes and deepe wittie speculations and bralled about those a long time and in vtramque partem that is to say pro coÌ„tra to and fro haue reasoned on both sides verie Magistraliter that is Maisterly in deed In the end they make this coÌ„clusion Sed quomodo hoc fit nescio Deus scit that is I cannot tell what to say to the matter I cannot conceiue how that may come to passe God knoweth all And yet notwithstanding they doe alway conclude this to be an article of the faith whereof no man must doubt For our deare mother the holy Church will haue it so And yet in the meane space for the better stay of deuout coÌ„sciences somthing to establish these great doubts they haue ioyntly found out a newe practise to prop vp their generall building of Transubstantiation to wit first a great beame which they call Concomitantiae then a long rib called The stedfast intention of the holy Church wherewith they do so strongly prop vp this building that not only Christs bodie but the whole Godhead may sâ—and vpon it without falling And if it were so that the priest did dreame had no regard to his Masse yet haue they a remedie for that For the good intent of the holie Church is so sure and vnremoueable that the intent of the Priest is not greatly to be accounted of but may well inough go walk abrode and see if there be anie good cheare toward and that his maid keepe good rule at home which is a iolly matter For otherwise if the priest were yet half dronke with good cheare the eeuen before or that his maid had chafed him or that but only a flie did come sit vpon his nose he might perhaps therby forget his good intent euen as he was speaking the holy wordes and then should not that bread becâ—me a God which were a perilous matter For the simple people should then pray to a peece of bread in place of their God creator Therefore coÌ„meth the holy Church now in for a helpe doth set forth for a perfit article of our faith that it is likewise sufficient for euerie one to beleue whatsoeuer the Church beleues although they know not what it is And again it is sufficient that the holy church haue generally a perfite determination that wheresoeuer Masse is don there is the bred changed into God although it were so that the priest did thinke onely vpon his maid or on his kitchen In summe there is not a hole but the hellish Church hath a peg to stop it withall she can turne euerie thing to the best so that there is no more difficultie And if the Doctours and Licentiates doe chide and brall among themselues that makes no great matter we ought to commit all these weightie causes to the iudgement of the holie Catholike Church and must simplie and ioyntly beleeue That as soone as the fiue wordes are spoken that which the Priest hath in his handes is turned into God let it then be what it will either verie bread or the accidents of bread or an Indiuiduum vagum that is a wilde veseken That is no matter at all to vs it is sufficient that wee knowe it is our God which we must pray vnto in the Masse For the text is plaine This is my bodie there needes no glosse vpon it And although it be so that all the Doctours of Louen of Paris and of Colen cannot vnderstand it yet it is sufficient for vs that we haue fetcht our transubstantiation out of it and sette it forth irreuocably Although we haue yet manie mo other plaine textes whereby to defend it which are verie plentifully sette forth by the worshipfull Eckius and other worthie pillars of the holie Catholike Church as specially that which is written in Ieremie That when the vngodly Iewish Priests and false Prophets went about to bring Ieremie to death because hee did earnestly condemne their vngodlinesse they said thus one to another Let vs marre his bread with wood or let vs destroy the fruite together with the tree roote him out of the kingdome of the liuing For this now hath our deare mother the holie Church turned for the best vnto our Masse priests as though they had holden this Counceâ—l together and saide Mittamus lignum in panem eius that is to say Let vs cast wood into his bread vnderstanding thereby that they will counterfeit in their Masse the passion death of Iesu Christ who suffred vpon the crosse with a peece of bread And to this end doe they cause these woordes to be soung yerely in the Passion wherevpon shee hath resolutely concluded That the bread is chaunged into the verie bodie of Christ Iesus as is to bee seene in the foresaid booke of Eckius and of other stoute Champions of the Romish Church Yea and likewise to proue that this Transubstantiation is neither so wonderfull nor vnnatural as the Heretikes exclaime that doeth Eckius teach out of the Scripture where the diuel said to Christ If thou be the son of God
substance and being And therefore these Heretikes are verie much to blame that they will come and plague our most deare mother yet agayne anewe with this worde Idola say that the good Catholike people and Subiects of the holie church of Rome are verie Idolaters because they doe greatly esteeme and woorshippe the images of our Ladie and of other holie Saintes and doe kisse them and licke them and trimme them vp with goodlie garmentes and iewelles setting candles burning before them because they cannot see without candles and cense them with sweete incense and sing Hymnes and other songs of praises deuoutly before them and because they carrie them about vppon their shoulders for that they cannot goe themselues and fall downe vpon their knees before them and say to them Our father which art in heauen They set them vpon Altars they go to them on Pilgrimage to gette health and good lucke in their affaires and doe euen as much worship to them as the auncient Romanes and Greekes or as the Israelites did vnto their false Gods. Nowe vpon this these Heretikes say that it is verie ill done of them and will proue them to be verie idolaters and woorshippers of false Gods but the blinde heretikes doe not perceiue that our images are no idolles but holie Saintes whiche doe manie and great miracles Neither will they vnderstand howe that our deare mother the holie churche of Rome hath commaunded vs so to doe For all the holy catholike teachers haue verie friendly and ioyntlie concluded that all images ought to be worshipped with like worshippe as doth apperteine vnto such after whome the said images are made as the good and holie man Thomas de aquino hath plainely written Yea because that he did handle that matter so exactly there was a crucifixe in the citie of Naples which spake to him saying Gentle Thomas thou hast written well and truely of me what reward wouldest thou receiue Wherevpō he did make answeare to the crucifixe and saide I will haue nothing else but euen thy selfe Now whether the same crucifixe was of Gold or siluer bicause he was so farre in loue with it aboue all other things that I cannot tell but I knowe very well that hee hath written wonderfully for the aduauncement of prayer and woorship to be done to Images and is for that cause likewise by Pope Iohn the .21 canonized for a Saint For he hath concluded wherein our deare mother the holy Church doth likewise follow him that whyle Christ is praied vnto with Latria which is to say after their interpretation with the spirit as God men shall likewise pray with Latria vnto his Image which is with a cole or with a Pencill painted vpon a wall and likewise woorship it as God himselfe if it be so that it be painted with lōg haire and with a round Trencher behinde his heade and holding vp his two fingers and hauing the world with a crosse vpon it in his hand for euen such a fellowe is the righte Saluator mundi The worshipfull Maister Bonauentura doth likewise establish this matter yea all the writers of the sentences haue generally so ordeined and concluded herevpon insomuch that these Heretikes ought not now to doubt any more of the matter Yet it is very true that Durandus woulde not allowe of it but did rather directly withstād it saying plainly that Images ought not to be prayed vnto with the like honour as those after whome they were made or painted But all the rest were offended with him for that he refused to follow the authorite of the holy church And perhaps if he had not written so as hee did hee had been canonized as well as Thomas de Aquino Notwithstanding that a certeine Spaniard called Perezius did followe him in that point saying That stones and blocks ought not to be praied vnto worshiped with Latria as God cōsidering they do alway remain stones blockes how muchsoeuer they be halowed or cōiured by any body But he is far out of the way in this matter For first wee knowe that Saint Thomas de Aquino was taught by Saint Peter and Saint Paule so that he coulde not erre and after that hath our deare mother accepted his opiniō for the best And wherfore shuld she not For seing that a simple priest can with fiue words of a little round cake make a God wherefore I pray you should not a Bishop or a Suffragane make of a goodly gilded Image a God also That were to put little trust in our deare mother the holy church Therfore we must remain stedfast vpō the common opinion and iudgement of our deare mother the holy church of Rome For a final end the Heretiks do vs greate wrong to call vs seruers of false Gods worshippers of Images and Idolaters euē as the Iewes do who cānot find in their hartes to bestow any honester name vppon vs And therefore saith Maister Gentianus that some good people which see deper into the matter mistrust that these Heretiks should haue some secret intelligence with the Iewes yea should play bootie be in pension with them to maintein frendly conuersation with them yet he addeth vnto it that he for his part doth not beleeue any such thing whereby it seemeth that he woulde herein a little flatter and annoynte their mouthes with Honie to please them withall but it is not so for hee speaketh in this behalfe as doth become a good and stoute Catholike subiecte of the holy church of Rome And besides that he should haue done these Heretikes a great deale to much worship if he shoulde haue yoked them in a Waggon with the nation of the Iewes who as wee haue heretofore plainly set foorth are the very best founders and chiefest fountaines and welsprings of all the ceremonies and institutions of the holy Church of Rome It is verie true that our deare mother hath amended them and brought them into a better order for that her wisdome and vnderstanding doeth farre exceede the wisedome of Moses and Aaron And therfore hath shee in place of one temple of Solomon caused to be builded vppon mountaines and hilles and other hie places aboue a hundred thousand and in place of three or foure altars which they had shee hath set vp so manie that they are not all to be told ouer in seuentie yeres Although in deede as before is rehearsed the example and paterne doeth proceede from the Iewes and is borrowed of them which shadowes and figures our deare mother hath followed verie diligentlie Therefore whereas these Heretikes will with the Apostle to the Hebrewes defende and say that all the figures and shadowes of the olde Testament were ended and cleane taken away by the comming of Christ and ought not to be vsed anie more is rancke heresie And truelie they do therby sufficiētlie declare that they haue no vnderstanding with the Iewes neither in white nor blacke For the Iewes hold that for the principall
of necessitie it must thereby receiue the mercie of god And in the end is giuen vnto it a white cloth or a coyfe and a waxe candle burning which the Godfathers do receiue in the name of the childe which surely is maruellous acceptable welcome vnto God as the holy Church doeth beare witnesse euerie Easter eeue singing vnto the waxe Candle whiche the Priestes do at that time hallow Talia igitur Domine digna sacris altaribus tuis munera offerimus quibus te laetari religio Christiana non ambigit That is to say Therfore Lorde doe wee offer vnto thee such worthie presents and giftes vpon thine altar wherein as Christian Religion nothing doubteth thou doest greatly delight and reioyce c. How must he then reioyce herein when hee shall see all these precious giftes and goodly ceremonies together whereby deuout persons haue greatly refourmed and trimly set forth the ordinances of his sonne Iesus Christ Will not he with a good will forgiue both originall sinne and also the rest of the whole debte seeing hee is so wâ—rshipfulâ—y paâ—ed with wax with tallow with creame and with spittle And then doeth not hee forgiue for nothing and onelie for the merites of Christ as the Heretikes say but he is satisfied with redie paiment And if he will not yet be therewithall content then we will fill his hands with a heape of deseruings of holie Saintes of both kindes for which onely he must vndoubtedly forgiue the whole debt yea although it were asmuch more insomuch as there shall not be left one iot vnsatisfied But howe nowe may some deuout Catholike heart thinke is Christ then nothing at all accounted of nor regarded by our deare mother the holie Church O yes by Saint Marie for shee doeth vse him specially to stoppe all holes withall For if so be that neither our paiments and satisfactions nor the merits of saints would be sufficient to discharge the whole debt but that there should remaine some behind vnpaid then that must be laide on his necke But if we be of our selues sufficiently furnished to satisfie all that resteth or if wee can by some of the Saintes to whome wee haue good deuotion get a good suretie or pledge which will answere for all then wee shall haue no neede to trouble Christ much wee can spare him well enough Then onelie if we hauing done our best to satisfie all our selues or to finde a sufficient suretie and yet can not bring either of both to passe then saieth our deare mother the holie Church that Christ must come foorth Vt suppleat nostros defectus that is to say To supplie our defaultes and to stoppe all holes But nowe because all this doeth seeme verie vnhandsome and that Christ might perhaps take this in euill part and perchaunce forsake vs and cast vs cleane off and send vs back againe to our Baalim and other Patrones at whose handes wee haue first sought help as he hath oftentimes giuen warning by his Prophetes so as then by that meanes we should fall betwixt two stooles in the ashes and so be forsaken on all sides To auoid this daunger the catholike doctors haue a little strengthned the rampier and baked the cake after another maner as may appeare in the said booke of Iodocus of Rauenstein where he writeth Whereas men do charge vs that we teach that Christ shoulde haue satisfied only for originall sin or other sinnes coÌ„mitted before baptisme that then the Masse should satisfie further for the other sinnes our meaning is not so and if there be anie such which do so vnderstaÌ„d or haue any such opinion we vtterly renounce their doctrine And truely their particular iudgement ought not to be applied to any former iudgment of the Catholike doctrine touching the Masse for the verie meaning of the holy man Thomas de Aquino was neuer such as appeares plainely out of that which hee writeth in the third part vpon the first question in the 4 â—rticle whereof he writeth It is most true that Christ came into this world not onely to take away that sinne wherein naturally all the posteritie of Adam are borne but likewise to the cleansing of all other sinnes And in the 49. question of the said thirde part Christ saith he hath released vs froÌ„ our sinnes Causaliter that is CoÌ„cerning the cause to wit for that he is the onely cause of our releasment through which all our sinnes are to bee forgiuen as well those past as these present or to come And then againe Forsomuch as the passion of Christ is a sure â–ª generall or common cause of the forgiuing of sinne it must needes follow that it bee annexed to the washing away and purging of the sinnes which we our selues haue coÌ„mitted which is don by baptisme penaÌ„ce and other sacraments which haue power through the passion of Christ c. In summe this is their meaning That as the sinnes wherein wee fell before baptisme haue not more aduauntage than the other but must all alike be holpen thorough penance and Sacramentes which are the right satisfaction and true raunsomming through which God is made at one with vs and hath forgiuen vs our sinnes And yet they haue not gotten this power only of themselues but for that Christ hath through his merits and passion deserued the same so that by this order Christ hath now his part in all things seeing that he in all the merites of the Masse satisfactions and other good workes is alway by our deare mother the holy Church called to be one And this office is committed vnto him that hee shall alway trudge vppe and downe to and fro farre and neere with the merites of good workes and satisfaction as a common messenger trauell so as they may continue in their full estimation and worship And for that cause it is that in all their blessings hallowings consecrations coniuring and bewitching in all Collects Secrets Complets and in all Ceremonies of the holie Church wherein they pray vnto God for the forgiuenes of sinnes for euerlasting life for all other good gifts either spirituall or temporall which she requires in consideration the power of her almes deedes fasting and abstinence through merites keeping of holidayes and by the strength and power of her hallowed waters salt candles palmes hearbes oyle tallowe reliques holie clothes and also through the might of the Sacraments the Masse and merites of Saintes and such other like things and yet alway in the end they adde this conclusion Per Christum Dominum nostrum that is Through Christ our Lord. As though they woulde say that those Ceremonies and creatures which they offer vnto God are the right marke to shoote at but Christ must giue the aime or else that those are the true mint or coyne wherewith they make paiment to God and doe fullie satisfie for their debtes and that Christ is he which doth value and allow the monie for currant And that this is
names to the holie Church when they shall be so vnderstoode and when they shall â—ot be so taken Now doeth our deare mother the holie Church inioy dâ—uerse other goodly and plaine Scriptures wherewith â—o prop vp and make fast the seate of our holâ—e father the Pope as specially where it is written That Christ came to fulfill the will of his father For of that must needes follow That all good Christen men are bound to fulfil the will of their holie mother the Church of Rome of which church the Pope without all doubt is the supreme heade And againe God speaketh by the mouth of his Prophete Esaias But doth the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Or doeth the sawe make anie bragging against him that ruleth it Signifying thereby that the king of the Assyrians had no power against the almightie God who woulde vse him as an axe or a sawe to punish and correct his people by him Out of this hath our mother the holy Church of Rome concluded and as she saith made it appeare clearer than the Sunne that there is no power nor authoritie in this worlde but in the power of the holy sea pope of Rome to correct or punish the same And this shee doeth establish yet more strongly by the wordes of Paule who saith That the naturall man cannot conceiue nor vnderstand Gods doings but the spirituall man doth vnderstand rule all things but may not be ruled of any man. For this doth the holie Church vnderstand by the pope of Rome that he is of himselfe so spiritual and ghostly that no man may nor can iudge nor punish him Now further his power is established in the first booke of Moses called Genesis where it is written That God in the beginning did shape both heauen and earth For now that is as much to say after the exposition of the holie Church of Rome that the Pope is the beginning of all things Considering there is no mention made but of one beginning It is not said In the beginning as of mo or manie beginnings and therefore whosoeuer should compare the Emperour to be as good as the Pope he is a rank heretike of the sect of the Manichees who saide There was mo beginnings of all things than one What thinke you now of this Is not this a good bagpipe to play a galiard vpon But now tarie yet a little it is likewise writen That God did shape two great lightes a greater and a lesser which do signifie after the interpretation of the holy Church that the pope of Rome is aboue all other Potentates aboue the Emperour for he is the Sunne the Emperour is the Moone Whereby nowe is clearely to be seene that Moses had a foreknowlege of the pope his authoritie And Iob must needes haue had some feeling of his coÌ„ming For thus God said vnto Iob Knowest thou I pray thee how the heauens are gouerned Or canst thou rule him vpon earth That is after the interpretation of the holy Church That euen as in the heauen one eternall God doth gouerne all things and as the holy Trinitie is brought to one onelie vnitie The like consequence must fall out here vpon earth So that here the Pope onely must haue dominion ouer all estates dukedomes kingdomes other whatsoeuer in consideration that hee is the onely line leuell and compasse whereby all other people are and ought to be directed And in consideration hereof is the prophesie of Paul thus vnderstood saying Vntil the fulnes of the Gentils be come and then shall all Israel be saued ioining this with that which Christ said So that there shal be but one flock one sheepheard as to vnderstand When all the nations vpon earth shall be subiect to the Pope Like as now in our daies we haue seene a good beginning do daily see with our eyes very great apperaÌ„ce of more And that the Pope ought not only to haue a spirituall gouernment as a Bishop but must likewise maintein a worldly gouernment as a king is by clere testimonie of Scripture of our deare mother the holy Church approued For there is without doubt a plaine text that the Apostles did say Behold here are two swordes Wherevnto Christ answered not saying That it was too manie but that that was inough Now out of this doth our deare mother coÌ„clude That the Pope of Rome must vse two swordes to wit a spirituall a temporall sword Ho ball ho how will this sound in the eares of the Heretikes But now must they vnderstand for a speciall matter that a good while ago there was in Spaine an honest man who coulde not vnderstand it so saying that this scripture did serue nothing at al to that purpose And by and by the holy inquisition which is the dearest and chiefest nourse fosterfather of the Church of Rome did take him and burne him at a stake as one which had highly blasphemed because that vpon his opinion should follow that the holy church hath not full power to interprete the scripture as she will which I assure you is a terrible slaunder Therefore haue these heretikes need to looke well to the matter kepe their tongues giue eare to other testimonies and witnesses For yet besides this Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword into the sheth Out of those words doth plainly appeare as our holy father Bonifacius the 8. saith That both the swordes as well the temporall as the spirituall are vnder the power and iurisdiction of the Church Yea and it is verie necessarie that the one sword be subiect to the other which is to be vnderstood That the temporal iurisdiction and authoritie must be subiect to the spirituall ecclesiasticall power and authoritie For according to the saying of S. Paule There is no power or authoritie but that which is appointed by god Truely saith he there would be no good regiment if the one sword were not subiect to the other and that the lower and inferiour were by some good meanes brought in subiection and obedience to the higher and superior Consider this is the onely naturall and grounded interpretation of the before alledged text of the holie Scripture as our deare mother the holy Church hath interpreted the same word by word Is not this Popingaie then trimly shot downe Lee these Huguenots and Lutherans come out now who crie alway that we cannot establish the power authoritie of the Pope by anie scriptures now they may see that we haue scriptures â—now to hit the marke withall But now will we teach out of the scriptures That the Pope only hath power to consecrate and halow Churches to blesse altars Marke well the wordes plainly set out in the Psalms where it is written Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it For this is the verie text that the holy
which is to bee vnderstoode because hee hath not the marke and token And it is plainelie written That no man may buie or sell vnlesse hee haue the character or the marke or else the name of the beast Now as touching the fourth cause you must vnderstand that all Priestes are fellow partners in some case with our holie Father the Pope who is not onely a man but a God on earth Which considered they must needes by kinred bee partakers of his Godhead as it is written That commonly a man growes like him with whom he is conuersant And againe Hee that medleth with pitch some part of it wil cleaue to him And therefore such as bee conuâ—rsant with God on earth must needs be godlie Fifthly it is great reason they shoulde bee called Gods seeing that they themselues can make God and are as wee haue taught before creatours of the Creator And nowe there is a perpetuall and infallible rule amongest the Doctours of Louen which can not faile for that it is fetched out of their maister Aristotle it is this Propter quod vnumquodque talâ— est illud ipsum magis est tale â–ª that is to say Whensoeuer anie thing doeth get anie vertue or estimation out of the power or by the gift of an other the same by whome hee doeth receiue that worthinesse or vertue must needes haue verie much more like vertue in himselfe Seeing then that by the power and knowledge of the Priest a piece of breade may be made God how much rather then are the Priests themselues Gods For it is written in the holie scripture That no man in this world can make anie Gods Ergo then must the Priests of necessitie be more than men seeing they do daily make God himselfe Now sixtly the common Latine text which is receiued in the holie Church of Rome and by the Councell of Trent allowed for good credible doeth say thus That God did stand in the Synagogue of the Gods. Which may verie well bee applied to the Priestes considering that they also haue their Synagogues like as the Iewes haue had heretofore And furthermore it is most certeine that Christ stoode in the middest of the Priestes and Prelates at such time as Annas and Caiphas diâ— accuse him and sought witnesses against him to put him to death Which manner of doing our Priestes of the holie Church of Rome doe verie liuely counterfeite Whereby it is plaine to bee vnderstoode that they are the Gods in the Synagogue amongest whome the Lorde stoode and doeth yet by his elect daily stand to bee condemned to death So that our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath verie aptly applied this Text vnto them and so concluded That they being Gods can in no wise bee subiect vnto the iudgement or correction of any earthly man. Besides this she doth bring forth manie witnesses euen by heapes all which are fetched out of holy Scripture as specially where Saint Luke saieth That God shall aduenge his elect It is likewise written in the Psalmes Lorde God to whom vengeance belongeth God to whom vengeance belongeth shewe thy selfe c. Also the Apostle Paule saieth What art thou that iudgest an other mannes seruant And in the same place Let vs not therefore iudge one an other anie more but iudge this rather that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way And the Lord saith by his Prophet Zacharie For who so toucheth you shall touche the apple of his owne eye Are not these honest goodlie and verie strong witnesses such as can not bee disproued And doe they not plainlie set forth that the Priestes can not be vnder subiection to anie temporall iurisdiction At least so farre as men will allow and sticke vnto the exposition of the holy Church of Rome without hauing anie respect to that which these Heretikes bring in for they would alledge all these witnesses directlie against the Priestes and Spiritualtie and to their reproch and detriment But nowe is there one speciall text to bee brought in and alledged against the which ariseth no obiection to wit where Christ saith Foxes haue their dennes and the Foules of the aire haue their nestes but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to laie his head These Heretikes may well inough sloppe their eares at thâ—s for out of this doeth our deare mother conclude verie strongly That those which will blame or finde anie faulte with the Priestes are they whom Christ here calleth Foxes And to the corroboration and strengthening of the same shee bringeth forth the text of Solomon where he saith Hee that hath digged the pitte shall fall into it him selfe Againe The stone is heauie and the sande is weightie but the wrath of a foole doeth passe both Consider doe not these agree in one maruellous well It seemeth they are both painted with one pencill In summe all her decrees and ordinances are full of such apte textes and sentences of scripture which shee can wrest and wring maruellous finelie for her purpose so that there is not one stitche amisse For when as the Scripture speaketh of Bruggesse shee applieth that to Ghent and if the Scripture speake of a Catte shee will bring in a Ducke For a finall end and conclusion shee can make of a Cowe a Windmill and of a Windmill a Cowe And therefore she can not lacke but doeth alway finde witnesses enow out of holie Scripture to proue all her matters substantiall and good The xii Chapter VVhich proueth by Scripture that Priestes and all Spirituall men ought to be rich NOwe that the Priestes and all Spiritualtie together with our holie father the Pope ought to be rich and wealthie that is to be found set foorth by the Scripture likewise For the noble and excellent Cardinal Poole of late the Popes Liefetenant in the Councell of Trent did cause the text of Luke before alleadged to serue for that purpose where Christ saith You doe nowe catche fishe but you shall from hence foorth catch men For that said hee was a prophesie which was not yet accomplished in the time of the Apostles when as Paule said That there were but a fewe rich men in the Congregation of Christ but the same said he was first fulfilled accomplished about three hundred yeeres after to wit at such time men say as the Emperour Constantine did courteouslie giue vnto Pope Syluester a great portion of the Empire of Rome or rather as hee tearmeth it did giue againe and restore as is apparant by the copie of the writing which standeth entred in the booke of Decrees verbatim True it is that Laurentius Valla and manie other learned men did mocke and ieast at this writing likewise do plainlie proue as well by diuerse histories as by the same writing it selfe that it is but a counterfeited writing and that so grosselie done that a Calfe with one eye may perceiue it
yet at this present in a golden chest And yet besides that not only his Legend but likewise that holy man Lippomanus the booke called SpeculuÌ„ historiale that is The Mirror of histories made by Vincentius Lirinensis do perfectly set forth That Iesu Christ met him with out the town gates of Rome And being demanded by Peter whether he was going He answered I am going to Rome to be there crucified againe and a while after was Peter crucified and that vpon the same day place vnder the same tyrant that Paule iust a yeare before was put to death yea after that he himselfe had bene Pope and gouerned that sea 25. yeares by the same token that his seate which was hewed out of a Purphyre stone and the Albe wherein hee song his first Masse do both remaine yet for a memoriall And although Saint Luke doe testifie that hee continued verie long at Hierusalem yea and that in the verie same time that hee shoulde haue bene in Rome by the reckoning and calculation of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome and that Paul doth seeme to agree with the same where he writeth that the time that he lay in prison in Rome there was not one of the faithfull that did visite or assist him I leaue to say that Peter shoulde then haue beene Pope but all this cannot persuade vs For that is to bee answered that Saint Luke might be ouerseene in his writing and I thinke he was no good Arithmetician or else we may say as diuers Lutherans them selues confesse that one bodie may bee in two or three or mo sundrie places at one time And touching that he had perhappes forgotten that Peter was Pope of Rome as is apparant by that he writeth to the Galathians where he saieth That Peter was appointed for an apostle to the Iewes and he himselfe to the Gentiles Or else it may well be answered that it was not decent for Peter beeing a Prince and Duke ouer all the Apostles to go seeke or visite such a simple fellow as Paule was lying in prison Considering how that Pope Gregorie the 7. successour about the yeare one thousand and seuentie did suffer the noble Emperour Henrie 4. who came in the colde winter simply clad bare headed and barefoote most humblie desiring to haue accesse to his holinesse beeing then in the towne of Camisen his holinesse did as is before said suffer him to tarie before the gates of the towne three daies without once looking vpon him or sending to him I let alone that he would once step a foote to go meete him being in the meane space passing his time dallying with his Curtesans and with the Dutchesse Matildis who yet at last did make intercession for the Emperour Wherefore is it not to bee thought then that Peter did likewise stand vpon his grauitie and reputation without much going to the prison to seeke Paule or visite him Especially considering howe busie he was to appoint and set new Prelates in euerie place For it might perhaps be that Peter was not verie well at ease or diuerse other occasions might cause it But this is alway to be beleeued and holden for a verie truth That Peter was fiue twentie yeres complete resident at Rome and distributed the landes to euerie one according as he thought good likewise ordeined and instituted Prelats Bishops and Archbishops ouer all the world and deposed the heatheÌ„ gouernors which at that time bare rule out of their places placed other in their roomes which hee did name Primates for that euerie man came to receâ—ue iudgment at their hands as is very finely and at large set out in the epistle of Anacletus and in the booke of decrees And that this is wel founded vpon scripture it is apparant by the wordes of the saide Anacletus who doth bring in for verefying of his saying plaine textes out of the Psalmes to witte Moses and Aaron with their Priestes For out of that is forceablie concluded as hee saieth that the Pope of Rome is the head of the Church Is not that well shot God saue the marke Also the holie Apostles saieth hee did debate and determine amongest themselues as I thinke at that time when they did striue who should be chiefe amongst them that the Bishop of euerie Countrie shoulde knowe who should bee next vnder him for notwithstanding that they were all Apostles alike yet did Christ giue that vauntage to Peter that he shoulde bee chiefe of the Apostles and so named him Cephas that is to say The chiefe head or Prince of the Apostles See now this is the exposition of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome vpon these woordes of Christ Thou art Cephas And yet it is true that Cephas is a worde of the Chaldee tongue and doth not signifie A heade but A stone as Petra doth in the Greeke or Latin for so S. Iohn the Euangelist him selfe doeth expounde it But notwithstanding that seeing it hath pleased our deare mother the holie Church of Rome to vnderstand it so considering that this worde Cephas or Cepha doeth signifie in the Chaldee tongue A stone the like worde in maner in the Greeke and in the French tongue doth signifie A head as to wit Cephali or Cheff therfore it is good reson that we take the exposition of Iohn as literall repose our selues vpon the exposition of our deare mother the holie Church who onely in deede hath the power and authoritie to interprete the Scripture spiritually and allegorically So that this worde Cephas must needes signifie A head and not A stone as is plaine to be seene in the glosse of the Decretals And out of this we haue to note two principall pointes The first is that the holie Church hath such power and authoritie that she can not onely chaunge the bread into flesh but is able to make of a stone a head as well transubstantiate the wordes as the bread The second is that a man may make a good similitude or parable vpon the neerenesse of names in speache which in pronuntiation doe sound one like another as the holie Church hath concluded herevpon That Saint Clare can make dimme eyes looke clere S. Quintine can heale the quensie in the head and S. Valentine the falling sicknesse and S. Etropius the dropsie because these names in pronuntiation do sound one like another And yet this can not alway fall out so for then might the Heretikes conclude out of the same that Curats are curres the Spiritualtie spite faultie Bishops verie bitesheepes Cardinals carnals and that maister Gentianus after the French is vn genti asne that is a proper asse and Blindasinus a blinde asse Which thing nowe can not bee so considering that asses are not accustomed to write bookes as these men haue done Therefore wee must remitte the iudgement of these matters in like cases and nerenesse of