to suffer also for this faith and confession whensoeuer he pleaseth with persecution to proue vs. Concerning that which men haue of their owne heades haue inuented That the Pope is our chiefe Bishop the successour of Saint Peter the vicar of Christ God vppon earth and that as such a one he pardoneth sinnes draweth out of hell and purgatorie what soules he will and what soules hee will hee placeth in heauen And that the Masse such as now they say is a sacrifice as satisfactorie as was the death and passion of Christ None of these things doth the holy scripture teach vs it is humane inuention and diuelish lies wherwith Sathan hath long time deceiued vs. The Apostle Saint Paul willing to correct the vices brought into the holy supper of the Lord in the Church of Corinth found no better remedy but to reduce it to the originall and first institution And so 1. Cor. 11 he saith I receiued of the Lord that which I haue giuen you c. so now do we also the same We restore the supper of the Lord and celebrate it according to it first institution as the Euangelists and Saint Paul doe declare vnto vs. And if so we do thē haue they no cause to hold vs for heretikes but for good faithfull and catholike Christians and for such do we hold our selues and such we are albeit is the many imperfections the Lord pardon them vnto vs. We confesse we hold beleeue that God through the merit of Christ is our father and the holy catholike or vniuersall Apostololike and true Church whē it is ruled by the word of God in the sacred scripture of the olde and new Testament reuealed For otherwise is she no mother but a Stepmother our mother And wo to that man which shall not be son of this father and this mother We confesse hold and beleeue all that which this our mother confesseth holdeth belieueth All which is conteyned in the bookes of the old new Testament For nothing there is which we ought either to do or belieue which is not writtē in these sacred bookes Therefore will we conclude this Treatise saying That whosoeuer albeit an Angell from heauen shall preach or beliue another Gospell another Doctrine besides that which Iesus Christ and his Apostles haue taught vs all which is written in the bookes which we call the holy scripture Let such a one be accursed and execrable Let him be as saith Saint Paule Anathema Thou hast hard Christian Reader the Enormious charges wherewith we charge the Pope as touching life Doctrine But chiefly touching the superstition and Idolatrie of the Masse which the sayd Pope of himselfe without the word of God hath inuented and brought into the Church Thou hast also heard the Enormious charges where with the Pope chargeth vs. Hee accuseth vs for proud contentious and arrogant that we will know more then all the whole Church He accuseth vs for disobedient to Magistrates disturbers of common-wealthes prouinces and kingdomes he accuseth vs for schismatiques and heretiques For the which as an accuser witnes and Iudge he concludeth that we are not worthy to liue in the world But it is not sufficient to accuse Of necessity must he proue that which hee saith and so conuince the accused Come we then to the proofe let a generall Councell be assembled which may heare both parts Let it graunt to euery part freedome of speech The Councell hauing heard both sides let it iudge according to the thing alleaged and proued without respect of any person poore or rich wise or ignorant ecclesiasticall or secular Let it only haue regard of iustice equity and truth Let the part conuinced by the Testimony of holy scripture and of the fathers also and ancient Councels As be the first foure generall be subiect to the censure which the Councell shall ordayne Let the Pope and his defendors appeare personally in the Councell not as iudges because they accuse vs and we accuse them but as accusers and accused Let vs also appeare seeing we accuse them and they accuse vs. Let this Councell be called As were the foure first generall Nicen 1. the Constantinople the Ephesian and the Chalcedonian This is the onely remedie to take away the dissentions and differences which are at this day in the Church as touching life and Doctrine This remedy in times past vsed the Church in like cases In the meane time beseech we our God to moue the hartes of the Emperour Christian kinges and Princes that they may take in hand such an Enterprise for the glorie of God quietnesse of his Church By the meanes of which Enterprise vice and false Doctrine superstitition here sie and Idolatrie may be condemned And vertue and wholesome Doctrine conteyned in holie scripture confirmed But our aduersaries will say vnto mee that all this in the last Councell of Trent was concluded and that therefore another Councell is not needefull Whereunto I answere that which so often in this booke I haue sayd And chiefly vppon the life of Pope Marcellus the second That this Councell was not free Sith to none whereof was had the least suspition in the world not to bee in all and by all slaue of the Pope and sworne to the Pope was it permited to speake therein The rest which haue there sayd to this purpose and that which is sayd in the foure hundred fifty and eight and foure hundred fifty and nine pages is to be noted besides this say we that this Councel was not generall For how shall the Councel of Trent be called an Ecumenicall vniuersall or generall Councell Sith in it was not found the hundreth part of Bishoppes of Christendome And that this is truth it is euidently seene For in it were found but fiue Cardinals Three of which were legats of the Pope foure Archbishops two of which were Archbishops in title or as we call them in Spaine de anillo of the ring namely Olaus magnus intitled Archbishoppe not of Hispall but of Vpsall people of Gocia that neuer acknowledged the Pope nor the Roman Church The other named Robert Venant called Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland vnder the Crowne of England A land that as litle acknowledgeth the Pope These two poore Archbishops Paul the third maintayned giuing to Olaus 15 crownes a month and another like thing gaue he to Robert 33 Bishops were found there all of them Spaniards or Italians except only 3. Then were also found betweene priests Friars 47. diuines Of whom all al most were Spaniards or Italians Thou seest here the great nomber of bishops with which the Trident Coūcell began which by times conteyned 18 yeares In which time were holden 25 Sessions In many of which nothing was done for want of appearence in the Councel And so in the 8 Session was nothing done but that the Italians transported the Councell to Bologna aland of the popes in Italy Where was held the
that the Images do weepe laugh sweate and doe other great Miracles Moses declareth that when God spake with his people the people hard the voice of his wordes but they sawe no figure sauing only a voice what God would haue vs to vnderstand hereby the same Moses there declareth Take good heede then to your Soules for ye sawe no figure c. and then That ye corrupt not your selues nor make you any grauē Image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenes of Male or female The common edition which the Roman church alloweth saith Ne fortè decepti faciatis vobis sculptam similitudinem aut Imaginem masculi vel feminae That is to say least being deceaued ye make to your selues a grauen similitude or Image of man or woman Let our aduersaries behold if they make to themselues Images of hee and shee Saints which be of men and women And suppose that the making of Images were not against the expresse comanndement of God but that to make thē or not to make them were a thing indifferent yet ought the good magistrate seeing the superstition and Idolatrie which the ignorant common people commit to forbid Images and breake them notwithstanding imitating therein the holy king Ezechiah that brake the brasen serpent which Moses had made when he sawe the Israelites to burne incense vnto it as in the 2. Kings 18. 4. appeareth Read the chapter See if our aduersaries adorne their Images with flowers with garlandes with crownes decke them cloth them girde them hang vpon them purses light tapers candles and lampes before them perfume incense carry them vpon mens shoulders in procession kneele before them and in their necessities craue helpe and succor of them Reade for this purpose the epistle of Ieremy recited to Baruc in his 6. chap. and thou shalt fully see the same that nowe is done in Spaine Italy and manie other places of the world besides If this be not Idolatrie and superstition what shall be If that good king Ezechiah nowe liued what would he doe to these Images That which he did to the brasen Serpent breake and bray them in peeces Our Aduersaries excuse the matter The same might the Israelites also and it may be they did so yet for all their excuses the good king brake it And thinke not that this Serpent set vp on high which Ezechias brake was of small signification Knowe thou that it was a figure of the same Christ that was to be lift vp and placed as an Ensigne which all those might followe that should beleeue in him beleeuing in him might haue euerlasting life euen as those which beheld the Brasen serpent were cuted of their bodily infirmities So they which behold Christ beleeue in him and follow him are no lesse healed of their spirituall infirmities This is not mine but Saint Iohns interpretation whose words be these And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the vvildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted vp that all that beleeue in him c. Ioh. 3. 14. Although this Serpent was made by Moses and by the commandement of God and with so high a signification as Saint Iohn giues it making it the image and figure of Christ And albeit it had so many yeares remained among the people of God from the Israelites being in the wildernesse vntill the reigne of Ezekiah all this notwithstanding this good king seeing the superstition of the people that burned incense to it cast it to the earth and brake it This good zeale of his is commended in the Scripture And in the second booke of Kings chap. 18. 3. these words are vsed He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid had done Hee tooke away the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent which Moses had made For vntill that time the children of Israell burned incense vnto it and he called it Nehustan as much to say as a peece of brasse Would God the Christian and Catholike kings would imitate the holie zeale of this good king Would God they would seeke to be truly informed and see with their eyes what be the relikes and Images which they haue in their kingdomes and their miracles and the truth or falshood of them But ô griefe that the old prouerbe in our dayes is verified Sease Milagro y hagado el diablo A miracle it is and the diuell doth it Would God they would take count of the great riches that is offered vnto images Oh what should be found The Romistes excuse them by a distinction which they make An idoll say they is one thing and an image is another That the law of God forbideth Idols and permittteh images that the Idoll is an abomination but not an image That they detest Idols and honour Images Let vs now proue this their distinction of Idoles and Images to be vaine God Exod. 20. 4. Deut. 5 8. saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe Pesel All the difficulty is to knowe what this word Pesel is Pesel is an Hebrewe word deriued of the verbe Pasal that is to engraue carue hew And lest we should thinke as thought the Grecians that onely Pesel which is a carued picture statue or grauen Image is onely forbidden God presently addeth Temuna that is any figure forme shape or painted Image He then forbiddeth grauen carued hewed or painted Images And commandeth vs not to worship nor do reuerence to them Call them as you wil Idols or Images Idoll is a Greeke word and is the same which in Latine is Simulachrum or Imago Simulachrum or Imago is that which in Spanish we called Imagen These foure wordes Pesel Eidolon Simulachrum and Imagen be all one thing and of one selfe signification but that the first is Hebrewe the second Greeke the third Latine and the fourth Spanish And Saint Ambrose as noteth Erasmus in his Annotations vpon the 1. Cor. 8. chap. for Idolum euer readeth Simulachrum Lactantius deriueth Simulachrū of Simulando Eidolon of Eidos asmuch to say as apparance or shew It appeareth to be a person is none It hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not feete and walketh not Dauid in the 115. Psalme doth liuely depaint them let our aduersaries behold if their Images haue eyes and see not eares and heare not c. Saint Augustin lib. 4. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 9. and 31. Origen lib. 8. contra Celsum S. Ciprian Tract contra Demetrianum and S. Epiphanius and S. Ambrose make no difference betweene an Idoll and an Image Thomas Aquinus that great captaine of the Dominickes putteth this difference betweene Idolum and Simulachrum as noteth Erasmus in the place a little before alleaged Simulachrum saith he is a thing made to the likenes of some naturall thing but Idolum is Si corpori humano addatur caput equinum to
that he was poysoned with yoyson which Alexander caused to be giuen him This is he that to mainetaine his tyranny called the great Turke aforenamed against the king of France wherein he gaue example to Frauncis of Fraunce to call afterwardes the Turke against our king Don Charles the Emperour This is he which commaunded both the handes and tongue of Antonius Mancinellus a most learned man to be cut off for an elegāt oratiō which he made against his abhominable customes most filthie life and not heard of villanies But God who is iust gaue him his hire And thus it was that being at a banket which he made to certaine Cardinals and Senatos of Rome of purpose to poyson them with the selfe same poyson that he poysoned Geme the Turkes brother withall the seruitors ill aduised mistaking one flaggon for another vnwillingly gaue drinke to the Pope of that flaggon wherein was the poyson and so after he had 11 yeares Poped he and some of the seruants and Cardinals in the 1503. yeare died In the time of this Pope and the 1499. yeare Ieronymus Sauanarola a Dominican that excellent preacher a man admirable in life and doctrin with other his companions was burned in Florence He maintained the communion in both kindes condemned Indulgences sharply reproued the wicked life and great carlesenesse of the Pope Cardinals and moreouer of all the Clergie in their office denyed the Popes supremacie taught that the keyes were not giuen to Peter onely but to the whole Church He said that the Pope followed neither the life nor doctrin of Christ seeing he attributed more to his indulgence trifling traditions then to the merit of Christ He affirmed that the Popes excommunications were not to be feared foretold some things which were to happen namely the destruction of Florencr Rome the restoring of the Church which in our time haue come to passe For this cause the Count Franciscus Picus Mirandula called him an holy Prophet and defended him by writing against the Pope Marcillius in a certaine Epistle and Philippus Comineus in his French Historie say that he had a propheticall spirit and many other learned men defended his Innocencie D. Illescas in the life of Alexander 6. speaking of Sauanarola saith these wordes Many opinions there were and yet wantes there not some which iudge of the iustification of this fact This onely resteth to referre the same to the Iudgement of God who knoweth the secret of all things I heard the most learned father and maister Friar Mancius of the order of Saint Dominicke say that he heard it affirmed of a faithfull witnesse and familiar of Bishop Remolinus which afterwardes was Cardinall that it repented the Bishop all his life time to haue pronounced this sentence And that for satisfaction thereof before God he fasted three daies in the weeke And verily who so readeth some spirituall things which he left vs in writing would not deeme them to proceede from an hypocriticall but a true religious man Hitherto Illescas In the time of this Alexander Don Fernando and Dona Isabella reigned in Spaine In whose time about the yeare of the Lord 1492. somwhat more or lesse sixe notable things hapned in Spaine The 1. the Pope was a Spaniar dthe 2. Grananda was won The 3. the discouerie of the Indies The 4. The inquisitiō of Spaine The 5. the holy brotherhood And the 6. the disease called Bubo Abhominable as we haue seene was the Spanish Pope Alexander neuer good but great mischiefe did he to Spaine or any land of the world The taking of Granada wrought great good vnto Spaine in freeing it from continuall wars slaughters betweene the Christians the Moores and in banishing out of all Spaine the false sect of Mahomet The discouerie of the Indies that being well considered hath done more hurt then good to the soules of the Spaniards that went thither Casaos the bishop who was an eie witnes a natural Spaniards wrote a booke of the cruelties of the Spaniards towards the poore Indians would God those which went thither had had more zeale to teach augment the holy catholike faith conteyned in holy scripture then to enrich thē selues and for the enriching of themselues to murther and on all sides robbe as they say that simple people which had reasonable soules aswell as we and for whom Christ also dyed The Indians as Augustine de çarate complayning reporteth in his Historie of Peru said that the Spaniardes tooke from them their Idols and gaue them the Idols or Images of Spaine crosses the Virgin Marie c. to worship They said that the Spaniardes had taken from them their many wiues telling them that the lawe of Iesus Christ permitted but one onely wife and tooke them for themselues Had they taught them to worship God in spirit and truth as he saith that he will be worshiped no mention at all had beene made of Idols or Images seeing that God in the second commaundement of his holy law forbideth them And chiefly the Indians being so addicted to Idolatrie If the law of Christ permit but one only wife according to the first institution of mariage wherefore kept our Spaniardes many whores and concubines What manner of Doctrine was this If the blind leade the blind both fall into the ditch The which to our Spaniards and their Indians hath hapned God send them better teachers Of good zeale and intention was the Inquisition ordeyned and after some it was ordeyned before the warres of Granada by the same Don Fernando whiles Sistus Poped But be it as it was In the time of Alexander the fixt and after the wiuing of Granada was it trulie executed Then commanded king Don Fernando that all the Iewes should be Baptised which would liue in Spaine or otherwise depart and so as saith Sabellicus departed a hundred and twentie thousand The Inquisition then was instituted to teach the Christian religion to Iewes and Moores which were turned Christians and yet secretly returned to their olde customes But hauing now almost ceased with the Iewes and Moores from day to day hath it done more and more tiranny against the faithfull Catholique and true Christians who detesting Popish Idolatrie and vaine supersticions confesse that only God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost is in spirit and trueth to be worshipped Their manner or teaching them whome they suppose to erre is iniuries disgraces tortures whippinges and euill life Sanbenitos galleies perpetuall imprisonmentes and in the end Fier wherewith they burne those whom God by his mercie maketh constant in the confession of his sonne Christ Iesus Who so listeth to see the craftes deceites stratagemes and cruelties which the Lord Inquisitors or to speake better Inquinators of the faith vse with the poore sheepe of Iesus Christ appointed to the slaughter or furnace let him reade the booke intituled Inquisitio Hispanica translated into
the 170. yeare the Gentiles forced with tormentes the seruants of the Christians to say of their maisters many abhominations and among others that they eate their owne children Celsus the Gentile Philosopher accused the Christians for disloyall and traytors and said that their religion they had taken from the Barbarians and Iewes Origen defended the Christians with 8 bookes which he wrote against this Celsus In the time of S. Augustine were great calamities and wars the which Symachus an orator and many other imputed to the Christians saying that whiles the Roman Empire adored their Gods it prospered The like Historie reciteth Ieremy that when they worshiped the Queene of heauen then all thinges prospered Read the bookes intituled of the citie of God where Saint Augustine wrote against this slaunder in defence of the Christians In the time of the glorious martyr Saint Ciprian who many yeares liued before S. Augustine there was a Proconsull in Africa called Demetrianus a great enemy of the Christians he and others such like with him said that all the wars famine and pestilence wherewith the world was then afflicted ought to be imputed to the Christians because they did not worship the Gods Against this Demetrianus wrote S. Cipriā saying that not the Christians but the Gentiles were the cause of these calamities because vnwilling to worship the true God they adored false Gods and afflicted the Christians with so great and so vniust persecutions not that they should confesse God but that they should denie him The weakenesse of their Gods he shewed them seeing they could not defend themselues c. Al this in our time fully passeth For the selfe same causes are we at this day slaundered and vniustly to the most cruell and shamfull kind of death condemned The same state of the Church is now as it was in the time of Saint Ciprian and of the other Saintes by vs named And as they were defended against the Gentiles So we against the Antichristians doe now make our defence We tell them that God sendeth in our dayes so many calamities of wars famine and pestilence because they haue profaned the diuine worship and in the place of the creator they honour the creatures They worship not God as he hath commaunded in spirit and truth but after the doctrines and commaundements of men and God alone doe they not worship but also the Saints their Images and pictures They adore not will they tell me the Images but that which they represent albeit their second Nicen Councell not the first which is holy and good commaundeth Images with the same adoration to be worshiped as that which they represent as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue declared Also our aduersaries seing themselues in some affliction inuocate the saints of Paradise without any commandement or example in al the holy scripture so to do where they ought to inuocate none but God alone Also wheras ther is but one only mediator Intercessor aduocate betwixt God mā which is Christ Iesus as the Apostle calleth him they not contented with the only Intercessiō of Christ for were they cōtented Christ is sufficient for thē many mediators do they inuent each one maketh choice of one for himself Also they take away ad to the law of God he which so doth being cursed of God so take they away the 2. cōmandement against Images to fil vp the number of ten of the tenth doe they make two commandements Also we read in holy scripture that the Lord in his catholike church did institute but two sacraments baptisme the holy supper they haue made 7. They also say that neither the Pope nor Coūcel nor the Inquisition can erre hence commeth it that they giue so much credit to the decrees constitutions of the Popes Councels Inquisitors as if they were the word of God it selfe yet would God they gaue not more credit to them then to the word of God Very common are ignorance supersticion Idolatrie in the Romane Church This is the height of al their wickednesse that with fire bloud doe they persecute the true catholique Christiās because so instructed gouerned by the word of God they worship one only God in spirit truth because they hold Iesus Christ for the only and alone mediator and because they ad not nor ought diminish from the law of God nor his worde When our aduersaries shal then say that we trouble the world with our new doctrine we will make them the same answere that Elias inspired with the diuine spirit freely made vnto K. Achab. Art thou he saith Achab which troublest Israell Elias answered Not I but it is thou thy fathers house that trouble Israell because ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord and followed Baall yee then will we say to our aduersaries are they that haue forsaken the commandements of Christ haue followed the traditiōs of Antichrist your father the Pope ye are they which worship not nor honour God but ye worship and honor Images against the expresse cōmandemēt of God Exod. 20. Deut. 5. with many other places Let our aduersaries at last vnderstand these others such like to be the cause why God afflicteth the world with so great wars famine pestilence diuers other calamities within our dayes we haue yet doe suffer His maiestie for his infinit mercy for his Christs sake opē their eyes that they may consider the works of God so may soften not harden their harts as did Pharo who by the more God did afflict him for his rebellion contempt by so much the more was he hardened against God the people of God But leauing ancient histories come we to that which in our dayes happened let vs come to our countrie of Spaine God by his iust iudgement hath many times in the space of 40 yeares afflicted Spaine with wars famine pestilence and other calamaties which began a little after that great persecution against the faithfull and catholique Christians This persecution beginning in Seuill hath stretched almost throughout all Spaine against the noble learned people as after we wil declare The priests of Baall in their pulpits cōfessiōs discourses do affirme all this of right to be imputed vnto those whom they cal Lutheran heretiques The common people which neither know nor other thing beleeue but that which these Baalamites tell them cōmand thē to beleeue doe beleiue it so to be For confirmation of my sayings I wil here recite that which D. Illescas cap. 31. vpon the life of Pius 4. saith His wordes be these In the 1561. yeare on Saint Mathewes day the 21 of September being the Saboth two howers before day in the morning aftre was kindled in the streete called Costanilla of Valladolid so terrible and fearefull that without hope of remedy in the 30. howers space it ruined aboue 400. of the most
Antichrist so proued by his abominable life and doctrine by the testimonie of Gods sacred word and vnrefutable arguments drawne from the same If thou wouldest know and be assured likewise that the Masse is a diuelish prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord a most blasphemous idolatrous and false sacrifice derogating from the most precious bloud death passion of Iesus Christ If thou wouldest know by the same Spirit be assured that the same Iesus Christ true God true man is the only Lord Sauiour and redeemer of the world the onlie aduocate Intercessor Mediator betweene God and man the only alone king Prophet and true high Priest which entred into the holy place once for all and found eternall redemption If thou wouldest know that his body and bloud once offred vpō the altar of the crosse is the only alone true sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor in the nosethrils of God his Father for the remission of sins whereby onlie Gods wrath is appeased we obtaine pardon peace reconciliation with God grace fauor and euerlasting life If thou wouldest know and be likewise assured that this most holy sacrifice of Christ one only time offered is all sufficient for the sins of all men that no place remaineth for any other reiteration of the same sacrifice If thou wouldest know the true meaning vse practise of the holy Supper of the Lord Iesus the benfit thereof to the Faithfull If thou wouldest certainlie know and be fully assured by the same Spirit of Grace which is the ancient doctrin of God leading to all blisse and true blessednesse confirmed with his sacred word contained in the bookes of the old new Testament and penned by the finger of the holy Ghost and which is the new doctrine of men pointing the pathway to hell death destruction confirmed with vaine apparitions dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell Come and see except the god of this world hath blinded thy mind that the light of Christes glorious Gospell should not shine vnto thee except thou list to grope at noone day and wilfully say I will not see except thou hast shaken hands with death and made a couenant with hell except God for thy wilfull obstinacie hath giuen thee ouer vnto a reprobate sence to oppose thy selfe against him his knowne truth In reading this booke without partiall preiudication thou canst not but see exactly perceiue and tast to thine vnspeakeable comfort how sweet are the mercies of the Lord in reuealing to thee dust and ashes the mysterie both of the one and the other which the wise of this world neither haue vnderstood nor can comprehend but is reuealed vnto babes his Saints to whom he would make knowne the riches of his glorie to confound and make foolishnes the vvisdom of the wise Which if thou shalt find as if in singlenesse of heart thou seeke thou canst not but find Then praise Iehouah the author of all goodnesse be thankefull to this Author the meanes of thy good and take in worth my simple trauell an inferiour furtherance thereunto who hartily wish thee no lesse comfort and ioy in reading then my miserable selfe receiued in translating of this booke And because it seemeth a thing difficult to translate the Prouerbs wherein not the letter but the sence is to be followed that course haue I obserued set downe withall the proper phrase of the Spanish and Portugal tongues both in them and some other hard doubtfull words that thou gentle Reader indued with better gifts maist iudge and curteously amend by thy knowledge what my vnskilfulnesse hath missed hoping that my desire herein to do well may excuse in thy Chistian conceit whatsoeuer is if any thing misdone And so I leaue thee to him that is able to keepe thee Thine in the Lord I. G. THE EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAd it not bene for the great necessity which our country of Spaine hath to know the liues of the Popes that knowing them it may beware them and nought esteeme their authority which against all right diuine and humane they haue vsurped ouer the consciences which Iesus Christ our redeemer with his death passion hath freed I should neuer Christian Reader haue entred a labyrinth so confused and rugged as is to write the liues of Popes For thou must know that the Romists themselues concord not nor agree in the number of the Popes Some set downe more and others lesse And hence it commeth that so little they agree touching the time that they poped Let it be lawfull for me as of a king he is sayd to raigne to say of a Pope to Pope Some of these selfe same also that all confesse to haue bene Popes of some of them say great Laudes and praises extolling them to the heauens Of these selfe same say others filthie things casting them downe to hell An example of the first S. Gregory As saith Friar Iohn de Pineda 3. part cap. 8. ¶ 1. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie was the 66. Pope c. And not the 63. As saith Mathew Palmer Nor the 64. As saith Panuinus Nor the 65. As saith Marianus nor lesse 62. As saith S. Antoninus This farre Pineda Gelasius 1. after Platina is the 51. Pope After Panuinus the 50. And after George Cassander and Carança the 49. Also Paule the second after Platina is the 220. Carança counteth him for the 219. Pero Mexia for 218. and Panuinus For 215. fiue lesse then Platina According to this account Sistus 5. which in the yeare 1588. tyrannizeth in the Church should be after Platina the 236. Pope after Carança 235. After Per◠Mexia 234. and after Panuinus 231. Most Popish authors be all these Some Spaniards and others Italians And had we alleaged more authors more disagreement and contrariety should we haue found Of this diuersitie springeth the disorder which is in the time that some Popes Poped For they which reckon least Popes put the yeares which they take from 4 or 5 Popes whom they reckon not to other Popes Carança in his Summa conciliorum speaking of Boniface 3. this was the first Pope as in his life shal be shewed saith these words There is diuersitie among writers how long time Boniface 3. was Pope For of Platina is it gathered that he was nine monthes Others say 8 monethes and a halfe others a yeare and 25 dayes Others a yeare 5 monthes 28 daies Others say that he died hauing bene Pope 8 moneths and 22 dayes This farre Carança The same might we say of many other Popes For example of the second will we put Liberius and Formosus besides many others that we might set downe Liberius and Formosus some of the papists themselues do cannonize and others doe curse them Platina saith that Liberius was an Arian Panuinus saith that he was holy Read his life which of diuerse authors we haue gathered As touching Formosus Stephen 6 or 7. condemned him So
which another vndid one commanded that another forbad In his time the Armenians became Christians and Athanagilda now raigned in Spaine After Iohn 3 succeeded Benedict and Pelagius 2. Pelagius 2. a Romane the citie being inuironed contray to the wonted custome and without the Emperours commaund was made cheife Bishop For which cause he sent Gregorie who after him was Bishop to Constantinople to satisfie and appease the wrath of the Emperour In the 590. yeere died Pelagius and then Leonogildo reigned in Spaine Gregorie 1. a Romane was of best life and more learned then any of the Patriarkes his predecessors yet very ceremonious as by so many suprestitions by him brought into the Church appeareth He was the first that granted Indulgences to such as at certaine times wold come to the church Pardons he granted but sold them not as his successors for money He brought backe from Hell saith Damascen the Soule of the vnfaithfull Emprour Traian O horrible lie Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian saith that which is said of the soule of Traian to be a fabulons Iest Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie 1. holdes it for a very trueth and condemneth Pero Mexia In the following treatise of the Masse wil we speake of this matter This good did Gregorie that both by wordes and deedes he was mortall enemy to the Primacie and so wrote against the name of vniuersall bishop as we will afterwardes declare against which he called himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants which title haue his successours but hypocritically holden seeing that calling themselues seruanth they haue made themselues lordes of the worlde and kinges Emperours and Monarkes kisse their feete and if the Pope will doe them that grace and fauour they holde themselues happie Gregorie much complained that in the worlde were so many Priestes and so few prachers of the Gospel Of this S. Gregory Huldricke Bishop of Augusta in an Epistle sent to Pope Nicholas 1. reciteth a notable historie the summe whereof is this That Saint Gregorie commaunded priestes should not marry but afterwardes vnderstanding they secretle committed great filthinesse and for that cause much murder ensued by commaunde he disanulled his decree affirming it better to marry then to giue occasion of murther Wherfore sending vpon a time to fish they found in a fishe poole or pond 6000. heads of young children that had there bene drowned Which Gregorie seeing to proceede of constrained single life sorowing and sighing from his hart he then reuoked his decree For that not only as saith the same Huldricke they had not abstayned from maydes and married women but defiled themselues also with their kinred with males and brute beastes Such are the fruites of Popish chastitie and their Angelicall life These thinges considered by Pope Pius 2. with great reason said he he forbad Priestes marriage but with much more reason he ought to restore it them againe And in another place It shall not happilie be worst that the greater parte of priestes doe marry for many are saued in their marry priesthood which in their barren priesthood are cōdemned The same Pius 2. as witnesseth Celius 2. supressed certain Monasteries of Nuns of Saint Bridgit and S. Clares order commaunding them thence to depart and no longer to burne in lust lest they shrowded a whore vnder a religions habite In the 604. yeares dyed Saint Gregorie at this time Leonigildo the Arrian that martyred Herminigildo his sonne raigned in Spaine Sabinianus successour of Gregorie 1. was the last Patriarke of Rome a man very simple and so much hated Gregorie his predecessour that he caused his bookes to be burned Onely will I here set downe a fable of the death of this Sabinian reported by Bergomenso for a very truth Saint Gregorie saith he being dead three times appeared to Sabinianus and sharply reproued him for seeking to defame him but his speach could nothing a mend Sabinianus which seeing S. Gregorie he gaue such a blowe vpon the head of Sabinianus that he made him die miserably Mon. eccl part 3. lib. 17. cap. 10. ¶ 1. hereof is made mention If this be true then one Pope killed another In the 605. yeare dyed Sabinianus This Sabinianus saith Illescas was the first that set an order in prayer deuiding the Office into the 7. Canonicall houres the same said he of of Pelagius 1. At this time reigned in Spaine Recaredo king the Gothes who destroyed the Aryan heresie which most parte of the Gothes maintained The third and last order conteyneth those Bishops which we properly call Popes and be very Antichristes As Boniface 3. began this order vntill Clement 8. who now tyranizeth hath continewed and in the last Pope shall take end Whom Christ will destroy with the spirit of his mouth as he destroyed his prodecessours And so shall the end come The Bishops of the first order were the Angels of God holy in life and Doctrine These of the second were men subiect to falling but these truly of the 3. are diuels incarnate Not by any figure Hiperbole or exaggeratiō but plainely doe I speake this I know it to be so as by their liues we will afterwardes proue Boniface 3. and first in this Catalogue was a most ambitious deuill And being Patriarke of Rome was made Pope by meanes of Phocas the Emperour who was an adulterer murtherer and tyrant A murtherer I call him for that to make himselfe Emperor as he did he murthered Mauricius his Lord and Christian Emperour This Boniface 3. by many requestes and giftes which breake the very rockes much more Phocas obteyned of Phocas that the Roman seate should be called the head of all Churches Three miserable thinges at this time happened the most noble Empire began to fall the Popedome to arise and Mahometisme to spring vp Of the ruines of the empire these two beastes arose which so much haue harmed the Church of Christ And by how much the more the Empier decayed by so much the more these two beasts increased It is now almost 1000. yeares since that by superstition and false Doctrine the light of the Gospell began to be darkened This miserable first Pope before a yeare of his Popedome was fully ended went to visite the Diuell the Father of ambition and with him there remayneth And albeit this first Pope was so ambitious and in his Ambition obstinately dyed Yet Panuinus calles him Saint Boniface notwithstanding At this time in Spaine the most Catholique Recaredo 1. reigned Boniface 4. succeeded Boniface 3. who as saith Platina obteyned of Phocas the Emperour the Temple which they called Pantheon to wit of all the Gods because it was dedicated to Sibylla and all the others Gods This Temple did Boniface dedicate vnto the blessed virgin and all the Martyrs which now is called S. Maries the round And thus far Platina Don Alonso of Carthagena Bishop of Burgos vpon
the life of King Recaredo saith these wordes Phocas graunted to the blessed Boniface 4. Bishop of Rome the Temple called Pantheon to be consecrated in the honour of the blessed virgin Mary and of all the saintes as in the legend of that feast celebrated the first day of Nouember more largely is conteyned thus farre the Bishop Here is to be noted the saying of the Bishop Platina and many others That the Pope demaunded of the Emperour this Temple and that the Emperour did graunt it Doctor Illescas as a flatterer of the Pope in his Hist Pontif. saith that Boniface did consecrate the Temple c. the which saith he well pleased the Emperour Phocas and saith not that he demaunded it of the Emperour least he he should seeme to impeach the authoritie of the Pope Of that which we haue said it followeth that the Pope was not then Lord of Rome For had he so bene he would not haue requested the Temple of the Emperour This onely reason were there no other sufficeth to proue the donatiō of Constātine as they call it to be false which was almost 300. yeers before wherin he made the Pope saith they absolute Lord of Rome and of many other lands which they call S. Peters patrimony The Pope as a thiefe hath either stolne it from the Emperor or as tyrant by force hath life himselfe vp with him In the 613 yere dyed Boniface At which time in Spaine the great Catholique Recaredo 1 reigned Theodatus or Deus dedit ordeyned Godfathers and Godmothers to be had in baptisme and that the godfather should not marry with the Godmother nor the goddaughter with the son of the Godfather This Pope died in the 616 yeare at that time in Spaine Huiterico reigned Boniface 5. ordeyned theeues and murtherers which fled to the Churches or Churchyardes might not be drawn from thence which hath emboldened many to commit great villanies and flying to a Church haue freely escaped without any punishment And these they call sanctuary men He dyed in 622. yeare In which time raigned Sesibuto in Spaine After Boniface 5. succeeded Honorius 1. A Monothelite heretique he was and for such a one as saith Fryar Iohn de Pineda part 3. lib. 17. cap 34. ¶ 1. in the 13. 16. and 17. Acts of the 6. Councell of Constantinople coneemned The which by a letter of the Emperour and by a nother from Leo. 1. to the Emperour is confirmed D. Illescas as he which could not beleeue that any Pope could erre calleth Honorius a holy and commendable Bishop Panuinus to excuse Honorius saith that the copies of the 6. Councell of Constantinople be corrupted he giueth his excuse Seuerinus succeeded Honorius Iohn 4. Theodorus and Martinus Martine 1. ordeyned that Priestes should carry Crownes to wit the head shaued leauing a circle vpon it which they call a Crowne The Pope this commaunding did not imitate Christ nor his Apostles who neuer had shauen Crownes but the Priestes of the Idolls which as saith Baruc had their heads and beardes shauen and sate bare headed in the houses of their Gods Let our aduersaries see if their Priestes doe not the like Wherein they imitate doutlesse the Priestes of the Idolls He commaunded that bishops euery yeare should consecrate holy oyntment and send it through their Dioses He imposed vpon Priests the vowe of Chastitie a very hard yoke and borne but of a fewe as in Gregorie 1. we haue noted In the. 653. yeare dyed Martinus 1. Sisenando then reigning in Spaine and Eugeniup and Vitelianus succeeded Martinus Vitelianus ordeyned the song and organs in the Church He commaunded the howers singinges ceremonies and Masses should be celebrated in the Latine tongue contrary to that which saith the Apostle the vse of strange tongues is vnprofitable and therefore without interpretation of that which is said not to be vsed 1. Cor. 14. Vitelianus dyed in the 672. yeare in whose time Tulga reigned in Spaine after Vitelianus succeeded Adeodatus Donus and Agathus Agathus commaunded that the constitutions of the chiefe Bishop should be holden for Apostolicall as pronounced by the mouth of God O grieuous blasphemie In this time was celebrated the sixt generall Councell in Canstantinople where marriage to the Grecian priestes was permitted but to the Latine priestes forbidden This Agathus sent to the 6. Councell an Epistle wherein he condemned Honorius 1. for a Monothelite In the 682. yeare dyed Agathus and Leo 2 Benedict 2. and Iohn 5. succeeded him Iohn 5. being dead then arose the 8. Sisme and 2. Popes were elected Petrus and Theodoretus which being deposed in the 606. yeare was Cunon chosen Cunon dying in the 687. yeare was the 9. Sisme and 2. Popes Theodor and Pascall were elected Both which deposed Sergius who was Pope thirteene yeares eight moneths and thirteene dayes was chosen After Sergius succeeded Iohn the 6. Iohn the 7. Sisimus and Constantine the first Constantine 1. was called of the Emperour Iustinianus to goe to Constantinople He was the first that gaue his feete to the Emperour his Lord to be kissed And against the first commaundement of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any Image c. he commaunded Images to be placed in the Temples and worshipped He dyed in the 716. yeare At this time was the miserable dissipation of Spaine made by the Moores of Affrik with the ayd of the Count Don Iulian. Don Rodrigo then king the last of Gothes end the first vnfortunate Gregorie 2. and Gregorie 3. continewed the commaundement of Image-worship contrary to the commaundement of God And Leo the Emperour for not allowing them was excommunicate In the 731. yeare dyed Gregorie 2. in the 741. yeare Gregorie 3. In the time of Gregorie 2. Don Pelayo reigned in Spaine and in the time of Gregorie the third Don Fasila Zacharias was the first that inuented to adorne the Church vestiments with gold and precious stones He was also the first that attributed to himselfe a certaine diuine power concontemptuously tooke vpon him to make and depose kinges He was the first that absolued vassals of their othe made to their Lordes which Childerick King of France whom the foresaid Zacharie deposed at the instance of Pipin the little bastard sonne of Charles Martell vassall of Childericke tried In this Zacharie and Pipin the old prouerbe was verified Vn mulo rasca à otro y Hazme la barua y hazer tehe el copete One mule rubbeth another and doe thou forme and I le doe thee The Pope had neede of Pipins ayd to exempt himselfe from the subiection of the Emperour of Greece his Lord. Saint Gregorie writing to the Emperour called him Lord. Pipin and and his successors the kinges of France mindfull of this benefit did great seruice to the sea Apostolique And for being such loyall seruantes he gaue
vnto them the name of Most Christen All that which the Pope holdeth and all that almost which was the Kinges of France for that which they say of Constantines donation is mockery and lies as Laurencius Valla and other learned men haue proued it may be and is so to be thought that God will raise vp some of France which will take it from him seeing by himselfe it is so il vsed Zacharie dyed in the 752. yeare In his time Don Alonso the first called Catholique reigned in Spaine Stephen 2. or as some call him 3. because Stephen 2. was before him which was not Pope but 3. or 4. dayes being inuaded by Astolpho king of Lombardie sent with great instance to demaund ayd of Pipin who was very diligent to serue him and taking Exarcado from the Emperour gaue it to the Pope This is the blacke donation which they falsely call Constantines Pipin prostrate on the ground before the Pope kissed his feete held his stirrop with one hand and his bridle with the other Thus the king of France made the Pope rich and the Pope seeing himselfe rich made himselfe mightie high presumptuous a tyrant God in the earth ouer all Christian Princes and them his vassalls and feodaries In the 757. yeare dyed this Stephen In his time in Spaine reigned Froila Paul 1. excommunicated the Emperour Constantine 5. who nothing regarding the foolish excommunication perseuered to forbid that which God in his holy law forbiddeth Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. This Paul as saith Vicelius the Popes notable parasite exceeding much reuerenced the body of Saint Petronilla daughter of Saint Peter vpon whose marble tombe as saith Carsulano he found this Epitaph written with the proper hand of Saint Peter a lye qualified with supersticion To Petronilla made of gold most sweete daughter Paul dyed in the 767. yeare and Aurilio in his time reined in Spaine Great Sisme which was the 10. arose in the Roman Church wherin Theophilatus which renounced and Constantine that was deposed were chosen Constantine 2. by meanes of his brothee Desiderius King of Lumbardy albeit he had many competitors was made Pope In this Pope a very rare thing hapned that he being a lay or or secular man was imediately made Pope And therefore of many not reckened among the Popes One yeare very pontifically he executed the Popes office In whose time a Councell was holden wherein he was deposed And it was commaunded that all whatsoeuer Constantine 2. had done and ordeyned Baptisme and holy oyntment excepted should be voyd and of no vallewe I demaund now of our aduersaries what thinke they of the Bishops and priestes in this Popes time and that which they did by his authoritie What say they of the Masses which the celebrated did they consecrate or no If they did not consecrate then the Pope that ordeyned them was not Pope nor they priestes And so both Pope and they were disgraded and by the same reason all those that heard their Masses did commit Idolatrie according to their owne Cannons which say that he cosnecrateth not which is no Priest And moreouer it is meete the priest haue an intent to consecrate which wanting there is no consecration at all Constantine thus depriued was put into a monasterie and his eyes puld out but king Desiderius his brother reuenged this iniurie by pulling out their eyes that pulled out the eyes of his brother Cestantine Silo at this time reigned in Spaine Now also was the eleuenth Sisme wherein Phillip was chosen but at the endeoffiue he dayes was deposed and Stephen elected Stephen 3. or after others 4. demaunded ayde of Charles the great against Desiderius king of Lumbardie This Stephen condemned the actes of his predecessour Constantine He condemned the 7. Councell of Constantinople against Images commaunded they should be worshipped and censed after the maner of the Gods of the Gentiles In the 772. yeare he died and Silo then reigned in Spaine In this busines touching Images insisted Adrian 1. he wrote a booke of the adoration of them and condemned Felix and all the enemies of Images Charles the great the sonne of Pipine for the great benefite receaued of Pope Adrian who tooke part with him against the sonnes of Charles Manno his brothers right heires of the kingdome and made him king deliuered the Pope from all vexation This Adrian called Charles the great Most Christian and gaue him power to choose the Pope When Adrian had bin Pope almost 24. years in the 795. yeare he died Maugaretto at this time reigned in Spaine In the time of this Adrian Constantine and his mother Hirena ruling the Empire was holden the second Councell of Neece called the seuenth generall Councell wherein it was decreed that Images ought to be adored c. and the reliques of saints worshipped This Constantine as saith Rodrigo Sanchez bishop of Palencia in the third part of his Spanish historie was in name 10. years Emperour with Irena his mother who ruled all but 10 yeares expired he reigned alone without his mother Herein saith he did he Imitate Ninus who depriued Simiramis his mother of the kingdome of Babylon But Irena tooke the Empire from Constantine her sonne and incited with infernall rancor put out his eies and so depriued him both of life and Empire Wherefore and for that she sought to marry with Charles the Great the Grecians shut her vp in a Monasterie and made Nicephorus Emperour Thus far Rodrigo Sanchez Terrible was this cruelty when was it heard that a mother to rule pulled out the eies and tooke away the life of her sonne and chiefly being of age to inherite and rule the Empire of his deceased father Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 18 Cap. 13. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie sufficiently speaketh against the wickednes cruelty and ambition of this Irena Leo 3. in an oration which he made to make Charles the Great Emperor in the West among other reasons for that purpose giueth this Seeing saith he that by the renunciation of Augustus the Empire at least in the west was voide and strictly examining the businesse as well may it also be said that the Empire of Greece was voyd sith a woman held it almost by tyrannie These selfe same wordes reciteth Illescas vpon the life of Leo the third And notwithstanding holdeth Irena for most holy and so vppon the life of Adrian the first these words saith he of her Most faire was Irena and one of the most excellent and famous women in all kind of vertues and of all Christendome the most renowmed And a little lower Irena as a holy and Catholike woman which she was and euer had bene c. Thou seest here what a one was Irena the great Patronesse Defendresse of Images In causing images to be adored she sinned against the second commandement
rents and not giuing to the Pope but only fiue shillings a day Thus did Hildebrand enrich himselfe greatly Alexander by Hildebrand so tyranically handled in the 1074. yeare dyed and of poyson as it is presumed which Hildebrande gaue him Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile Alexander being dead Hildebrand fearing that if he foreslowed it another would be chosen ayded by his souldiers without consent either of the Clergie or people enthronized himselfe To his election none of the Cardinals subscribed And as the Abbot of Cassina was comming to this election already made Hildebrand said vnto him Thou hast much slacked brother To whom the Abbot answered and thou Hildebrand hast too much hastened which before the Pope thy Lord was buried hast cōtrary to the commons vsurped the seat Apostolicke Hildebrand thus enthronized how he liued how he cast from him the Cardinals which ought to haue bene witnesses of his life and doctrine how miserably he tormented the world with how many heresies he corrupted it how many were his periuries what great treasons he practised hardly could many describe The blood of Christians which hath miserably beneshed whereof he was the author and procurer cryeth vnto the Lord. This tyrannicall history reciteth Cardinall Bennon Hildebrand being Pope called himselfe Gregory 7. In briefe he was a notable villaine and terrible inchanter which art he learned of Lawrence who was disciple of Siluester 2. Betweene the Cardinals Lawrence Theophilact Iohn Gracian Hildebrand was a most staight league of familiaritie Of this Pope Cardinall Bennon reciteth a notable historie The Emperour saith Bennon did vsually repayre to S. Maries church which is in mount Auentino to pray and as Hildebrand by his espials diligently enquired of all that Henry the Emperour did he caused the place where the Emperour prayed to be marked and perswaded a certaine man with great promise of reward to place secretly certaine great stones ouer the beames of the Temple so that they might fall from an high vpon the head of the Emperour praying and bruse him to peeces which thing as this minister of so notable a villanie hastened to effect would haue placed ouer the beames a stone of great poise the stone with it waight fel backward vpon him and breaking a table that was amongst the beames the stone and the miserable man by Gods iust iudgement fell from an high to the floore of the Church so was he crushed in peeces Thus farre Cardinall Bennon This Hildebrand demanding answere of the Sacrament against the Emperor and it not answering he cast the sacrament into the fire albeit the Cardinals present did gainesay him He left not for all this to persecute the Emperour he excommunicated him depriued him and named another Emperour to whom he wrote this verse Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho The Rocke gaue to Peter Peter giueth the crowne to Rodulph This Rodulph was Duke of Sueuia Henrie here with disquieted left his Imperiall ornaments and with his wife and little sonne in the middle of winter came to Canusium where the pope remained The Emperour clothed in linnen and bare-footed made a spectacle as saieth Cardinall Bennon to Angels and men came to the gates of Canusium There continued he fasting from morning to night humbly crauing mercie The beast must be cut off his horne hath very much increased Somewhat long is the historie but we will make it short Thus abode there the Emperour for three dayes space and when he instantly craued license to enter The Bishop he was answered as yet was busied and could not speake with him In the ende the fourth day at request of the Countesse Mathilda who sayth the historie much loued the Pope and others the Pope commanded he should enter Forasmuch as this Maud is one of the chiefe benefactors of the Popes I will heere declare that which saieth Pineda lib. 16. cap. 26. ¶ 4. There was sayth he in Italie one Beatriee sister of the Emperour Henry the second and wife of Boniface Lord of Luna of whom was borne the famous Maude wife of the Counte Gofredo which inherited her fathers possessions and Gofredo gouerned the landes of Luca Parma Regio Mantua and others of Italy which came by the Testament of Maud to the power of the Popes and called them S. Peters patrimonie When the Emperour was entered he demaunded pardon and gaue him his crowne but the Pope would not pardon nor absolue him of the excommunication vntill he promised to purge himselfe in the Councell with other vnlawful cōditions as the Pope should command All which the Emperor promised yet for al this was he not restored to his Empire After saith the history that Henry vanquished Rodulph and that Rodulph was dead the Pope made Emperor Herman County of Lucēburg whō a womā slew with a stone And yet for all this this cruell Pope did not cease but a third Emperour named against this good Henry who being newly named by the hand also of the Emperials as miserably ended By how much the more adulterous and filthy was this pope by so much the more pure mariage hee forbade to his Clergie Fryar Iohn de Pineda part 3. lib. 16. cap. 29. ¶ 5. of him saith He depriued married Priestes from the diuine office and forbade lay men to heare Masses of such and publique wenchers and they mortally sinne that of such heare Masses although they remaine without Masse hearing vppon Easter day except the Councell of Constance doe free them c. And a little lower This euill happened that lay men contemned the most holy Sacrament of the bodie of our Redeemer consecrated by Priests openly married or concubine keepers and turned the blood of Christ as if it were no Sacrament but let this be holden for an vndoubted trueth that the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist loose nothing of their vertues by the wickednesse of the Ministers which that crue beleeued they did Thus farre Pineda All Germanie as saieth Carion lib. 5. withstoode this wicked forbidding of matrimonie the which when Maguntino propounded it those that were present were so greatly prouoked that they almost killed Maguntino To this purpose reade aboue the liues of Siricius and Gregorie 1. Pope Liberius an Arrian he canonized and commanded as sayth Cardinall Bennon that his feast should be celebrated Behold if the Pope erred one heretique did canonize another Pope Damasus which liued in the 366. yere for an Arrian condemned this Liberius And S. Ierome who at the same time liued held him for an Arian but Gregorie 7. did sanctifie and canonize him Pope Vrban 2. who in the 1088. yere liued confirmed all that which Gregorie the seuenth had done this Gregory condemned the doctrine of Beringarius touching the Sacrament This Pope was the first as is said that put in practise Transubstantiation Gregorie in the end wickedly ended for the Emperour celebrated the Councell of Brixa wherein Pope
dominican Friar whose wordes be these In the time of Leo 1â— Martin Luther an arch heretique arose vp in Germany who first preached and wrote against the Indulgences of the Pope afterwards against the Primacy of the Roman Church then against constraned single life and other rites and customes of the ancient Church Carança our aduersarie doth herein witnesse what was the cause that moued Luther to speak against the Church of Rome Who listeth to know this let him read Sleidons Historie Eckius tooke part with the Pope and Luther and Eckius in the pulpits preached the one against the other When Leo 10. heard of these rufflings he condemned Luther for an heretike which condemnation vnderstood by Luther he apealed to the first General CouÌ„cel wherin he did imitate the vniuersitie of Paris which a few moneths before had appealed froÌ„ the same Leo to the CouÌ„cel In Rome Leo caused Luthers bookes to be burned which when Luther vnderstood he burned in Wittenberg the Cannon Law which is the decretals and Popish decrees saying as they haue done vnto mee So haue I also done vnto them VVho will not wonder and be astonished at so great a courage and daring boldnesse that a poore begging Augustine Friar should dare to doe such a disgrace and to giue such a blowe and to whom thinkest thou to the Pope Was not the Pope he whom in times past the potentates Princes kinges and Emperours fell prostrate vnto and worshiped How commeth it then to passe that a meane man of no esteme gaue him such a blow that hee left him for dead Not Luther but God it was that chooseth the low thinges to confound the most high Tâ—e stinke of the villainies and abhominations of the Popes Clergie was gone vp to heauen now were the iniquities of the Amorites come to their height And God cast downe the pride of the Pope a second Lucyfer God gaue vs the grace that acknowledging such a benifit we may be thankfull and in holines and righteousnes serue him all the dayes of our life By this meanes hath God brought vs out of darkenesse into light and out of thralldome into libertie And Luther not content here with came to Wormes or Wormacia where Charles the Emperour held his first Dyet presenting himself before the Emperour so many Papists as were with him he disputed mainteined his cause and in the end departed the Emperour better keeping promise with him then it had formerly bene kept with Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prage in the Councell of Constance One thing here I cannot leaue to speake of that Luther going to wormes his friend aduised him in the way before they came at wormes to beware of going thither because they would doe to him as they had done to his bookes which they had burned Whereunto Luther with great courage answered that albeit he knew there were so many diuels against him in Wormes as there were tyles vppon the houses yet for all that would he not let to appeare there and giue account of his faith in so solemne an assembly And so he dyed In the 1522. yeare Leo 10 hearing that the Frenchmen by the Imperialls were vanquished slaine taken and cast out of Italy and that through his assistance died by his excessiue ioy and laughter his soule departed from him but of poyson that they gaue him as Panuinus supposeth An Atheist he was thought there was after this life neither heauen nor hell And so he died without receiuing the sacraments He could not saith Sanazaro receiued them because he had sold them And so almost no chiefe bishop as noteth Panuinus vpon the life of Pius 4 receiued them His Atheisme plainely appeared by an answere which he made to Cardinall Bembus who had alleaged vnto him a passage of the Gospell Whereunto in these wordes he dissolutly aÌ„swered what profit this fable of Christ hath brought to vs and our company All the world knoweth Leo by this answere well shewed himselfe to be Antichrist Obey him then Spaine and hold him for Chists vicar Paulus Iouius wrote the life of Leo 10. where among other thinges he saith these words Leo had also an euill report because it apeared that he affected vnhonestly some of his chamberlaines which were of the greatest nobles of all Italic hartely and freely played with them It is not Luther his enemie that saith this against him but his friend an Italian and Bishop Paulus Iouius Albeit that such a one was Leo as the historians of his time doe paint him yet so great is the flattery of D. Illescas that vpon his life ¶ 12. these words of him he saith After that he came to the Bishopdome his care was alwaies to eate litle of meats but meanely hot because they should not prouoke him to dishonesty Hither to Illescas In the time of this Leo Charles the Emprour reigned in Spaine Adrian 6. a Hollander was tutor to Don Charles the Emperonr and by his meanes came to be bishop of Tortosa Cardinall and ioyntly with Don Francisco Zimenes Archbishop of Toledo gouernour of Spaine being resident in Spaine after the death of Pope Leo was in his absence elected when he was Pope he promised to the princes by his letter to cause the court of Rome which had giuen occasion of commiting great wickednesse to be first of all reformed amended to the end that that which had giuen cause of the malady should giue also the beginning of the medicine health but all was but words For Adrian following the steps of his predecessor the Antichrist of Rome gaue himselfe to persecute Luther Ecolampadius other godly ministers of the word of God He changed not his name nor yet in customes life was so wicked as the other Popes for not being so wicked many say he was dispatched with poyson in the 1523. yeare dyed In whose time Don Charles the Emperour reigned in Spaine Clement 7. or as after some others 8. or 9. for the cause we haue spoken of in the life of the other Clement 7. Florentine was nephew or as others say the sonne of Pope Leo 10. Panuinus saith he was the sonne of Iulianus de medices and of another not certenly or manifestly his lawfull wife D. Illescas vpon the life of this Clement ¶ 5. saith It is a thing much to be noted that Clement hauing all his life time bene most liberall and a spender here with al affable and well spoken exceeding discreet and a great Negociator when he came to be Pope he was not knowne for he wholly changed his conditions and became most sparing and remisse So great is the change which dignities honours doe often make c. In the time of this Clement was great war betweene the Spaniards and French which this Clement did much kindle to his owne shame and Infamie And this by his vnconstancie for now
and lyars will the Lord abhorre Returne we now to Paul the third who approued sanctified aduaunced and extolled such monsters in nature Paule 3. hauing Poped 15 yeares in the 1549. yeare dyed In whose time Don Charles the Emperour raigned in Spaine Iulius 3. an Aretinian after great discord had among the Cardinals was chosen who for that by the ancient custome he might giue his hat where his listed gaue it to a youth called Innocent whom he had fauoured being Legate in Bologna so made him Cardinall and receiued him to his ancient office This pleased not the Cardinals And albeit one of them spake freely vnto the Pope saying what saw your holinesse in this young man for which he ought to be placed in so great dignitie The Pope answered what saw yee in me that ye elected me chiefe Bishop So that seeing it is the play of fortune which aduaunceth whom she pleaseth as your aduaunced me without desert of mine we aduaunce this young man and make him Cardinall and so he was This Innocent the Romans called Ganimedes and the Pope they called Iupiter The Fable of Iupiter and his Ganimedes is filthy and therefore will I passe it ouer When the same Iulius was merry he said of his Innocent that he was very laâ—ciuious c. O what a vicar of Iesus Christ ô what a holy father D. Illescas albeit the Popes parasite vttereth these wodes Iulius 3. gaue his hat with the tittle of Cardinall de monte to a youngling of 15 or 16 yeares whom he held with him and mostâ— strangely affected him He shortly made him rich Caesar holpe him with sufficient pensions and all this to gaine the fauour of the chiefe Bishop that the Councell should eftsoones returne and be holden in Trent hitherto Illescas vpon the life of Iulius 3. Iulius was a great blasphemer very filthie in his wordes and much more filthie in his deedes the same blasphemyes he vsed that the desperate souldiers and horsekeepers are accustomed to vse which for that it is so much against the maiestie of that good God that with so great patience suffereth the blasphemy of him who boasteth to be his vicar calleth himself most holy father A sathanicall father I call him I omit to write them Swines flesh peacoks he greatly loued which flesh is euill for the gout therefore his Phisitions forbad them to be set on the table but notwithstanding he would haue them And when vpon a time they failed to set them on the table the Pope missing them demaunded where the porke was become And when the steward answered that the Phisitions had commanded not to set it on the table he cursed with his cursed mouth dispiting God with the same words which ruffians villaines in Italie blaspheme saying that they should bring him the porke Another time as he was eating they brought vnto him a peacocke which was vntouched and the Pope commanded they should reserue it for supper And when he saw not at supper that cold peacoke albeit he had hot peacokes he was terribly enraged blasphemed as he was wont A certaine Cardinal which supped then with him said Let not your Holinesse be so angry for a thing of so small importance whom Iulius answered If God would be so angry for an apple that he cast our first pareÌ„ts out of Paridice why shall it not be lawful for me that am his vicar to be angry for a peacocke seeing a peacocke is a thing of greater importance then an apple If this be not to profane the scripture what shal be So wicked was Iohn of the house of Florence Archbishop of Beneuent Deane of the Chamber Apostolike and this Iulius his Nuncio in Venice that he compiled a booke in prayse of the wicked sinne which booke was printed at Venice in the house of Troyano Nauo Behold if the abhominations of the Ammorits be come to the height Awake Lord remember and iudge thine owne cause behold for thy Churches sake that swine doe destroy her Qual Abad Aizen tal Monazillo such Abbot say they such nouice An abhominable Sodomite was Pope Iulius an abhominable Sodomite was his Nuncie which sat to Iudge the cause of Christians Open thine eyes O Spaine Vpon the money made by Iulius he put this circumscription Gens quae non seruierit tibi peribit The people that will not serue thee shall perish Wherein Iulius 3. appeareth to be another Nabuchadnezzer K. of Babilon of whom these words are spoken Ier. 27. 8. In the 1555. yeare he died In whose time the Emperour Don Charles reigned in Spaine Marcellus 2. a Tuscan changed not his name who being meanely learned in humanitie was made maister of Grammer and afterwards Paul 3. made him tutor of Alexander his grandchild whom he had made Cardinall being a youth of 12 yeares old What a pillar of the Church was this Thus by little and little came Marcellus to be Cardinal afterwards to be Pope He was one of the three Legats whom Paul 3. sent to the CouÌ„cell of Trent This man as he whom the Pope most trusted the Pope commaunded that nothing in the Councell shoud be suffered to be spoken which might any way preiudice the Maiestie of the seat Appostolique that all those which any such thing attempted should be expulsed the Councell and when Iacobus Nachiantes Bishop of Clodia Fossa said that he could not approue the decree which said That traditions ought to be receiued and kept with the same Godly affection and reuerence as the Gospell which was written This Marcellus was the cause that the said Bishop was expulsed the Councell and when Gulihelmus venetus a Dominican Friar said in the CouÌ„cel that the Councel of Constance was aboue the Pope This Marcellus sent for him and most sharply reproued him and when the Friar answered that experience shewed the Councell to haue bene aboue the Pope sith it desposed him Marcellus answered it is not so For that the Pope willingly depriued himselfe said moreouer that this he could proue by a bul of lead and so commanded him to depart the Councell Petrus Paulus vergerius Bishop of lustinople was at this time come to the Councell some held this man suspected in doctrin For that he had bene often the Popes Legate in Almaine The other two Cardinals Legats of the Pope Poole monte the Cardinall of Trent himselfe and Pachecus would haue permitted the fore named Vergerius to haue entred the couÌ„cel this lest in should be said the Councell was not free if they chased away Vergerius a man well knowne in Germany But Marcellus the Popes third Legate neuer stayed vntill hee saw him forth of the Councell Many Bishopes hearing that the purpose was to expulse Vergerius The Councell agreed to write to the Pope that in no wise he should suffer such a thing to be done because many would say the Councell was not free
Elephant fell to the ground vppon him and there he dyed Iudith cutte of the head of Holophernes The warre that Antiochus and Holophernes made against the people of God was vniust but the warre which Henry the third made against the league which had conspired against him to kill him and take from him his kingdome was most iust So that herein was hee no tyrant Besides this both liuing and dying hee was of the same religion of the league as at his end appeared For in that small time that he liued after he was wounded hee confessed communicated and was anoynted But leauing these humane reasons come we to the holy scripture It appeareth by the scripture that Saule was a wicked king an hypocrite a tyrant forsaken of God and so hath God to Samuel How long doest thou morne for Saul seeing I haue forsaken him and that he shall not reigne ouer Israell And commanded him to goe and anoynt for king one of the sonnes of Issai which was Dauid and in the same chap. verse 14. it is said The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and the euill spirit of the Lord did torment him Albeit such a one was Saul yet did not God commaund Samuel or any other to kill him And so Dauid although God had chosen him and Samuell annointed him for king when manifest occasion and meanes were twise offered him to kill Saul yet killed he him not Also when Dauid and his followers were hid in a caue for feare of Saul as 1. Sam. 24. appeareth Saul entred the same caue to doe his needs then did Dauids men aduise him not to let slippe occasion but to kill Saule But Dauid instructed in a better schoole then were they answered The Lord keepe me from doeing such a thing against my maister and the annointed of the Lord that I stretch not out my hand against him for he is the Lordes annointed And not only did not kil him but grieued to haue cut of the lap of his garment as if herein he had done some great disgrace And in the 26. chap. of the same booke it is reported that Dauid Abisai came by night to the camp of Saule found him sleeping c. Then Abisai said to Dauid God hath closed thine enemy into thine hands this day now therfore I pray thee let me smite him once with a speare vnto the earth and I will not smite him agayne And Dauid said to Abisai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annoynted and be guiltlesse Moreouer Dauid said As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall simite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descend into battayle and perish The Lord keepe me from laying myne handes vpon the Lordes annoynted c. And when one brought newes of the death of Saule saying that hee had slaine him what gaue Dauid vnto him for his good tidings He said vnto him How wast thou not affraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the Annointed of the Lord Then Dauid commanded one to kill him who wounded him and so he died And Dauid said vnto him Thy bloud be vpon thine owne head for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed And Dauid mourned for Saule c. Whereupon we will conclude that wickedly did this Friar and those of his counsell in murthering their king and that wickedly did the Pope in praising and cannonising this fact What reuelation had Sistus 5. that God had wholly cast off Henrie the third that he should forbid any obsequies and honours accustomed to be made for the dead should be made for him commanded also that they should not pray for him Samuel and Dauid had most sure reuelation that Saule was forsaken of God and that as such a one was he fallen into a reprobate sence yet notwithstanding did they let him liue coÌ„spired not his death If a Prince in our time be he heretike as they call him or Catholike shall not fully obey whatsoeuer the Pope commandeth him albeit it be to the depriuing him of his kingdome and giuing it to another then shall he be cursed and excommunicate both in bodie and soule and the most vile person if we beleeue Sistus 5. with good conscience may kill him And such a one that shall murther him shall haue done an act very meritorious and holy for the which he deserueth to be cannonized What Christian religion is this that one shall be cannonized for committing that which by the word of God as by exaÌ„ples we already haue proued is expresly forbidden Oh times oh customes But vpon such will his day come these swine shall not escape as they say without their Saint Martin With Sistus 5. conclude we saying that in the moneth of September and 1590. yeare he died whom Vrban 7. which poped 12 dayes succeeded At the end of the yeare 1590. Gregorie 14. succeeded him and died in September 1591. Innocent 9. succeeded Gregorie 14. who a small time poped So that in the space of 14. moneths foure Popes died Sistus Vrban Gregorie and Innocent and it is to be thought the most or all of them died of poyson For Brazuto is not dead that giueth theÌ„ poyson This Brazuto killed 6 Popes with poison as vpon the life of Damasus 2. we haue declared In the 1592. yeare Innocent 9. being dead Clement 8. or 9. or 10. succeeded This Clement poping in the 1599. yeare a Friar Capuchan incited by the Iesuits attempted to kill the French king Henry 4. but his treason was discouered and so was he caught In the time of this Pope in September 1598. died the king Don Philip 2. aged 70 yeares Don Philip 3. sonne of the forenamed Don Philip 2. and of the daughter of Maximillian the Emperour and of the Empresse Dona Maria de Austria sister of the king Don Philip 2. succeeded him God grant him grace as the dutie office of a king requireth night and day to meditate in the law of the Lord accomplish that which God Deut. 17. 18. commandeth a king shuld do When he shall sit saith God speaking of the king vpon the throne of his kingdome he shall cause to be written the booke of this law c. And it shall be with him and he shall reade therein all the dayes of his life Note ye Spaniards that God commandeth the king to reade the holy Scriptures and then saith he he is to reade them that he may learne to feare the Lord his God that he may keepe all the words of this Law and these ordinances to do them That he lift not vp his heart aboue his brethren nor turne fâ—rm the commandement to the right hand nor to the left that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdome he and his sonnes c. And God not onely comaundeth the king to reade the holy scripture but his captaines also when they be in warres to reade the
bishop of Rome albeit the Councel was holden in Italy But what forceth it to alleage so many Councels sith in one Councell this question was heard and determined and both parties heard also The bishop of Rome with the title of Patriark tooke vpon him much authoritie ouer the Churches of Affrique So that the Sismatiques of Affrick as to a refuge retired vnto him For this cause the Councell of Maleuant wherein was Saint Augustine and a great number of fathers pronounced al those excommunicate which should appeale to parts beyound the seas The Bishop of Rome grudging here at sent his Legates to the 6. Councell of Carthage wherein also was S. Augustine present to defend his right This question in this Councell was truly handled Zozimus Boniface and Celestine successiuely being Bishops Aurelius Archbishop of Carthage where the Councell was holden and not the Legates of the Pope albeit they were three and present namely Faustine Bishop Philip Aselias presbiters there gouerned These had the Bishop of Rome sent to the Councel of Carthage to defend the authoritie which the Nicen Councell said they had giuen to the Bishop of Rome to wit that appeale might be made to the Bishop o of Rome from the sentence giuen by any metropolitaine whatsoeuer One Daniell a notarie red the whole 5. chap. of the Councel of Sardice which the Bishop of Rome said but very vntruly was of the Councell of Neece The Pope like a good apothecarie when it is for his profit well knoweth to giue quid pro quo All the Bishops and Archbishops much marueyled and said that such a thing was neuer read in the Councell of Nice and so the same Councell of Nice which they had then in writing they commaunded to be read which beeing read and no word of such appellation found yet did the Romane Legates insist that it was so Needefull it was then to send certaine men to Constantinople Alexandria and also to Rome it selfe that they might bring other copies of the Nicen Councell Within one yeare were they brought and the originall it selfe chiefly which was kept in Constantinople Read they were and no mention nor ought else that might giue suspition of this priueledge which the Romans alleaged to haue bene graunted them in the Nicen Councell was at all found in any of these coppies A letter then was written by consent of the whole Councell of Carthage to the Bishop of Rome wherein no such thinge said they but the contrary rather was found in the Councel of Nice that the Bishop of Rome as did other Popes and metropolitanes should medle within his owne limits and boundes And that therefore if he were wise hee should thenceforth be content with his owne dioces and bishorick not intrude vpon an others possession This letter was subscribed by 230 fathers and among them the Popes selfe same three Legats before named If the Pope and his Legats when they vsed not such tyraÌ„ny as now they vse did dare to falsifie a Councell in almost a thousand two hundred and so many yeares passed after this Councell of Carthage vnto this yeare 1598. What shall they not haue done Quien haze vn cesto hara ciento He that maketh one basket wil make a hundred And no wonder it is that they haue dared to falsifie the Councels seeing they haue shamelesly taken from the law of God the 2. Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any image c. And seeing but 9 Commandements of the tenth commandement Thou shalt not lust c. haue they made two commandements as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue noted Our Spanish Caranâ—a in his Summa Conciliorum setteth down no one of so many Cannons in it of this 6. Councell of Carthage the cause is least he shuld therein haue discouered the falshood of the Bishop of Rome in alleaging of the Nicen Councell that which the Councell neuer but the contrary rather determined A Summarie onely he made and verie briefe saying that the Councell determined what the Nicen Councell demaunded of the Easterne Bishoppes but saieth not vnto what purpose O great subtiltie This Councell of Carthage albeit it was generall called he prouincial So also calleth it Panuinus notwithstanding they both coÌ„fesse that there were found there present 217 Bishops and three legates of the Pope what letteth it then to be generall The Papists what they may wil forget this sixt Councell of Carthage albeit saith Panninus it was confirmed in Trullo Gracian also interpreting the words of the Councell vseth the same malice That none appeale saith he to partes beyond the sea except it be to the Bishop of Rome The cause why it was commanded in this 6. Councell of Carthage that no appeale should be beyond the sea was for that the sismatikes of Affrike condemned by the good Bishops of Affrike appealed to Rome Therfore commanded the councel they should not appeale but that the businesse without seeking further should be concluded in Affricke And so was the conclusion of this Councell That the Bishop of Rome should not receiue those that were excommunicate by the Bishops of Affricke nor accept their appellations which had in Affrike bene condemned and those that appealed to him should be for the same matter excommunicate The reasons whereuppon this Councell was founded sent by it to Celestine Bishop of Rome be these That in no CouÌ„cel was any such thing determined But that the Nicen Councell contrariwise gaue the charge of the Bishops and Ecclesiasticall persons to the Metropolitane The grace of the holy Spirit saith it will assist euery prouince to iudge controuersies that each one which felt himselfe greeued might appeale to a prouinciall Councell For it is more to bee beleeued that God will rather inspire manie Priests in a Councell assembled then one only man c. By that which wee haue alleaged of the sixt Councell of Carthage it clearely appeareth how false is that which the Pope said that in the Nicen Councell the primacie was giuen him and yet want there not some in our times also which renewe this falshood And so D. Illescas vpon the life of Boniface 3 in the marginall note saith these words Phocas de clared by the Law that the Roman Church is head of the Church vniuersall Also he saith This superiority of the Roman Church hath euer sithens bene and by all faithfull and Catholike Christians is holden for a thing proued without dispute as the Councell of Neece chap. 6. and Raimundus Rufus against the heretiks of this time for louers of nouelties c. most plainely proueth In the seuenth Councell of Carthage the matter of the primacie was also debated The cause was this That Iohn Bishop of Constantinople seeing himselfe fauoured of Maurice the Emperour called himselfe Bishop of Bishops and vniuersall bishop And this because he was Bishop of the citie where the Emperour was resident Mauricius willing to aduaunce his citie and abase Rome did
displaceth and placeth kings and transferreth kingdomes from one nation to another Ergo say they the Pope hath authoâ—iâ—ie to dispose kingdomes giuing them to whom he will and taking them from whom he listeth Herehence came it that kinges and Emperours began striâ—ingly to kisse their feete beeing present or by their Embassadous being absent Hence it is that the Emperour himselfe â—erueth him for a horse boy holding the stirrop to his Sathanship when he mounteth on horsebacke And yet brawleth the Pope if he hold not the stirrop featly So shamelesse was Pope Boniface 8. that he made an Article of faith without which there could bee no saluation That the Pope aswell in the temporalltie as spiritualltie is absolute Lord presenting himselfe in the Iubile to the viewe of all men with a keye in the one hand and a Sword in the other His successor Pope Clement the sixt not contenting himselfe to commaund kinges and Emperours dared in a bull to commaund the Angels In the Popes Rota which is his Chauncerie was it concluded and determined that whatsoeuer the Pope doth God holdeth for good and approueth it That the will of the Pope is the rule of all lawe and Iustice That the Pope may doe absolutely in this world all whatsoeuer God doth Seeing that he is all and aboue all thinges And that if hee chaunge his opinion it ought to be presumed that God also hath chaunged That ableit the Pope should send many thousands of soules to hell none can reproue him That the power extendeth to heauen earth and hell it selfe That from him may no man appeale to God That he may dispence and commaund against the Epistles of S. Paul as hee that is greater then Paul The same may he doe against the old Testament as hee that is greater then the authors of the old Testament And yet haue they gone further they haue disputed whether the Pope might dispence against the Gospell Whether the Pope hath more power then Saint Peter Whether the Pope be simple man or as God Briefly the deuill hath so farre further proceeded that a little before the comming of Luther and afterwards also it was disputed in the schooles whether the Pope did participate as did Iesus Christ of the â— natures to wit diuine and humane Better should they haue demaunded if the Pope were an Hermophrodit which well may be because a woman hath bene Pope Read Erasmus Annot. 1. caput 1. Epistle ad TimotheuÌ„ They also disputed to vse their proper Latine An mille Angels possint saltare in summitate digiti To wit whether a thousand Angels might daunce one the end of a fingar Item an Christus sub forma scarabei posset saluare genus humanum Whether Christ in forme of a beetle could saue mankind Item whether the Pope were more mercifull then Christ O blasphemy they conclude yea The reason which they giue is this That it is not read in all the scripture That Iesus Christ drewe any soule out of Purgatorie But the Pope of his great pietie and mercy an infinite number of Soules doth daily deliuer And yet go they further and in their disputations conclude that the Pope hath power to kindle and quenche the fire of Purgatorie Flattering the Pope conclude they in all these questions lying against their owne consciences and making no reckoning of the honour onely due to God nor of his onely sonne Christ Iesus And Ca. Quoniam de imunit in 6. the Pope saith we not willing to contemne our Iustice nor that of our spouse the Church The Church is well knowne to haue no other spouse but onely Christ The Pope passeth further Hee saith and commaundeth that so it be said and preached and that we also so beleeue the vertue and holinesse of his seate to be such and so great that what wicked man soeuer how impious periured and abhominable hee be which shall sit therein euen then in a moment for hauing sitten therein is altered and changed to another man and is made holy But heare we the selfe same words which the beast himself speaketh as in Ca. Non nos dist 41. they be written and these they be The blessed S. Peter transferreth to his successors together with the inheritance of innocency an euerlasting dowery of merits That which to him was granted by the light of his workes pertaineth to those that be lightened with like clerenesse of conuersation For who may doubt him to be holy which is lifted vp to the height of dignitie wherein if he want goods gotten by his owne merit those that are giuen by the predecessor of the place suffice c. If this were truth then no Pope should be euill either in life or Doctrine sith that in being Pope he is learned and holy and in a word to speake all he is God vpon earth and so all whatsoeuer he doth God approueth it in heauen But the liues of the Popes by vs recited and the same liues also which the Popes parasites haue written doe shew vs the contrary This is that seate papall this is the heritage which one Pope inheriteth of another that one sitting therein were he not so euill before he is made euill And if he were euill he becommeth most euill and in the end each one is made the sonne of perdition and man of sinne opposing and lifting vp himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped So that as God he sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God All these things which here we haue gathered together concerning the doctrine of the Pope are blasphemies such as were the diuell himselfe clothed with humane flesh he could not speake greater nor more horrible yet for all this art thou blind ô Spaine and seest not nor yet knowest thou Antichrist whom supposing thou doest seruice to God and honour to Iesus Christ his sonne thou adorest and honorest God shewe thee his mercie and open the eyes of thine vnderstanding that thou maist reade heare and vnderstand the will of God which his Maiestie hath reuealed in his holy Scriprure without the reading or meditation whereof vnpossible it is for a man to attaine to the truth Search saith Iesus Christ the Scripture for they be those that testifie of me so by consequence of Antichrist also When with the Spirit of humilitie thou shalt well haue read and meditated vpon them thou shalt then vnderstand how great hath bene thy blindesse and ignorance Then turning thy selfe hartily to the true God that created redeemed and sanctified thee thou shalt abhorre the idols of siluer and the Idols of gold which thy sinfull hands as saieth Esaie haue made And thou blind and ignorant supposing thou didst great seruice to God diddest honor and adore them Then shalt thou cast them from thee stampe them in peeces and consume them so greate shall be thy hatred against Idolatrie Then then by how much
the death of Christ A new inuention it is humane diuelish founded vpon the wicked foundation of transubstatiation Some things there be in the Masse which manifestly declare that there is no transubstantiation as when they say in the Cannon Offerimus praeclarae maiestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis c. that is to say We offer to thy excellent Maiestie of thy gifts and of that which thou hast giuen c. a pure Ho ✚ st an holy Ho ✚ st an Ho ✚ st without spot holy ✚ bread of life eternall and a cup ✚ of euerlasting saluation One of the two either by these gifts which they offer to God doe they vnderstand the bread and the wine without any transubstantiation or els so transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ that now there remaynneth neither bread nor wine It apeareth by the prayer that there which there they make that by the gifts they ought to vnderstand the bread and wine without any transubstantiation which gifts the Priest prayeth God to accept as he accepted the gifts which Abel Abraham and Melchisedech offered so say they super quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris c. that is to say Vpon which gifts vouchsafe to behold with thy merciful bright countenance and to accept theÌ„ as thou pleasedst to accept the gifts of thy iust seruant Abel the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham that holy sacrifice spotlesse â—ost which that thy high Priest Melchisedech offered to thee Beseeching humbly we pray thee to command these gifts to be caried by the hands of thine holy Angel to the high Alter before the presence of thy diuine Maiesty c. And if by gifts the bread wine vntransubstatiated be vnderstood what necessitie haue we of such a sacrifice to obtaine pardon of our sins holding that most perfect sufficieÌ„t sacrifice which one only time ought not to bee reiterated our redeemer Christ Iesus offered vpon the crosse wherewith he sanctifieth vs for euer But they will say vnto me that they vnderstand by giftes not the bread and wine vntransubstantiated but transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ If so they vnderstand it worse is it then it was for then the prayer which the Priest maketh is a most blasphemous blasphemie against Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God true God and man What pride what haughtinesse and presumption is it that a miserable sinner conceiued and borue in sinne and corruption and that doth nothing in all his life time but adde sinnes vnto sinnes dare to present himself before the maiestie of God the Father and pray him to receiue and accept his Sonne Iesus Christ And how saith he that he should accept him Euen as he accepted the giftes of Abel Abraham and Melchisedech Is Christ no other thing then Abel Abraham and Melchisedech Is the sacrifice of Christ his precious bodie and bloud which he offered no other thing then the sacrifice of Abel Abraham and Melcbisedech and then the sacrifice of all how many soeuer iust persons that haue bene and shall be Let them then be ashamed so to speake of Iesus Christ and of his sacrifice On the one side they confesse Iesus Christ to be equall with the Father as he is in essence and power and on the other side and stinking Priest put they for intercessor and mediator that the Father should accept and receiue him with a mercifull and chearefull countenance O miserable sinner pray thou vnto God that he pardon thy sinnes thy superstitions and idolatries and pray not nor intreat thou for Christ who is the Lambe without spot which taketh away the sinnes of the world he is he that committed no sinne neither was anie guile found in his mouth He needeth not thee that thou shouldest pray to the Father for him but thou hast need that he pray for thee The father himselfe speaking of his sonne faith This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Ye see here a terrible blasphemy vttred by the priest in saying of the Masse Of that which is sayd doe wee conclude that all those which heare Masse seeing they beleeue this transubstantiation bee Idolaters and that the priest which faith it hold he intention of consecration or not is a double Idolater For he not only committeth idolatrie but causeth also all that heare his Masse to commit Idolatry Infinite thankes I giue to my God that although he permitted that I with the rest committed Idolatrie for a time in hearing the Masse yet hee neuer suffered me to commit idolatrie by saying it to others The third reason wherewith they confirme their new article of Transubstantiation is the authoritie of Doctors which they alleage and determinations of Councels They cite Ireneus who in his fifth booke saith When the cup mingled and the bread broken receiue the word of God the Eucharist of the body and bloud of Christ is made Tertullian lib. 4. faith Christ made the bread which he tooke his bodie and distributo his disciples Origen vpon Matth. chap. 25. saith This bread which God the Word doth witnesse to be his bodie c. Saint Cyprian Sermone de coena Domini saith This common bread changed into flesh and bloud procureth life Also in the same sermon he saith This bread which the Lord gaue to his disciples not in forme or appearance but chaunged in nature is made flesh of the omnipotent Word Saint Ambrose lib. 4. de Sacramentis saith Before the words of the sacrament it is bread when consecration is applied to it of bread it is made the flesh of Christ Saint Chrysostome hom de Eucharistia tom 6. sayth This Sacrament is like waxe applyed to the fire in which no substance remayneth but becommeth like to the fire So saith Chrysostome the bread and wine is consumed of the substance of the bodie of Christ Also in the 61. Homily hee saith That Christ not onely gaue himselfe that we should see him but that wee should also touch and handle him and in whose flesh also we should fasten our teeth Also Hom. 38. vppon Matthew he saith Manie say that they will and desire to see the forme and figure of Christ and also his rayment and shooes but he giueth himselfe to thee that thou maist not only see him but also touch him Saint Augustine Prolog in Psal 23. saith Christ did beare himselfe with his handes when in the Supper hee instituted the Sacrament And vpon the 98. Psalme declaring those words Fall downe before his footestoole he affirmeth that the flesh of Christ ought to be in the Sacrament adored which should not fitly be if the bread remayned Hillarie in his eight booke of the Trinitie saith Christ is in vs by the truth of nature and not by conformity of will onely and saith that in the meat of the Lord we truly receiue
visible signes with the name of his bodie of his blood Not changing verely the same nature but adding grace to the nature Eranist Surely the mysticall thinges are mystically spoken and the thinges not Notorious to all are clearely manifest Ortho. Seeing he saith that the robe and the vesture are called of the patriarke the bodie of the Lord and that wee are entred into discourse of diuine misteries Tell mee truely whose signes and whose figure supposest thou that most holy meate to be Of the diuininitie it selfe of the Lord Christ or of his body and blood Eran. Of those things doubtlesse whose names they haue receaued Ortho. Of the body saie thou and of the bloud Eran. So I say Ortho. Verie well hast thou spoken For the Lord hauing taken the signe said not this is my diuinitie but this is my bodie Also this is my bloud and in another place The bread which I will giue for the life of the world Eran. All this is most true for they be the wordes of God c. And in the 2. Dialogue Ortho. Tell me then whose Symbols be these mysticall symbols which be offered to God of the ministers of holy thinges Eran. Of the bodie and of the blood of the Lord. Ortho. Of the true or not the true bodie Eran. Of the true c. Ortho. For those mystical symbols no not after sanctificatiō leaue not their proper being nature For they remaine in their former substaunce figure forme are seen handled neither more nor lesse thē before But the things which are made are vnderstood belieued adored as thiugs being which are beleeued Cōpare thē the Image with the Archtipe to wit the thing whose Image it is thou shalt see the likenes For the figure of necessity must agree with the truth For that same body holdeth no doubt his first figure forme circumscriptiō to speake simply the same substaūce also of the body c. That which Theodoret cheifly pretendeth to proue in these dialogues is that as there be a things really in the sacramēt the figure the thing figured bread The bodie of Christ these 2 things be not confused but each one holdeth his proper being So neither more nor lesse are there 2 natures really in Christ diuine humane not confounded nor the one conuerted into the other Were there not 2 things really in the sacrament The argumēt of Theodoret should not proue his intent but shold be rather for the heretikes against whom he disputed which said that the body of Christ ascending into the heauens is wholly conuerted into the diuine nature As now say our aduersaries that the bread and wine are conuerted into the bodie and blood of Christ So that there remaineth no more bread nor no more wine The selfe same argument of Theodoret vseth Gelasius bishop of Rome against Eutiche◠as before we haue alleaged Here sest thou the victorie which our aduersaries haue gotten by aleaging the fathers to cōfirme their transubstantiation If many they haue alleaged for their transubstantiation many more haue we alleaged against transubstantiation as ancient as learned as godly as those whom they haue cited and the selfe same also haue we alleaged oftentimes that they haue alleaged Our aduersaries with ful mouth still crie out saying Fathers fathers as though the fathers were for them not for vs But by this disputation which we haue in hand shal be seene whether the fathers be before vs whether they approue and confirme our Doctrine and condemne that of our aduersaries or no. But for as much as say the Logitians to giue an instance is not to assoyle the argumēt It shal be good to answere that which our aduersaries haue alleaged against our Doctrine This will we doe with all possible breuitie because we purpose not here to make long discourse of this mater To shew then that that of the fathers which they haue alleaged maketh nothing against vs. Needful shall it be to consider that the holy Scripture it selfe doth wontedly giue the names of Symbols signes or figures to the thinges which they betoken figure and represent and contrarywise the names of the things signified and figured they giue to the signes and figures as the fathers doe obserue it Thus is Christ the pascall lambe the pascal lambe is Christ Christ is bread the bread is Christ c. For this cause the fathers imitating the phrase of the scripture speaking of the things signified they call them by the names of those things which they signifie contrariwise speaking of the figures they giue vnto them the names of the things which they figure Which thing S. Ciprian by vs before alleaged S. Augustine in an epistle which he wrote to Boniface before by vs also alleaged Therdoret in the Dialog a little be fore cited do witnesse Moreouer if we diligently consider that which a litle before or a litle after in other places they haue said we shall see that they haue vnderstood witnessed this meat to be spirituall not carnall for the mouth teeth nor the belly Wherefore saith S. Augustine as before of him we haue sayd preparest thou the tooth and the belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten In which manner of speaking S. Augustine doth imitate S. Cyprian As before we haue said It is also to be noted that the fathers speake one way of the bread of the wine before consecration and after consecration otherwise Before consecratiō say they that the bread and wine are common and vulgar as the rest But of consecration they deny it to be common bread they deny it to be common wine there is a chaunging say they in them which thing is most true For the bread wine by consecration cease to be common bread and wine and be dedicated to a sacred vse and so the bread and the wine are made holie or sanctified ceasing to bee common and prophane Such a chaunge as this vnderstood the fathers to be made in the bread and wine but not as touching the substaunce and being But as touching the qualities The which chaunge wee doe willingly allow By such a chaunge we confesse that the bread and wine are made Sacraments which effectually by the vertue of the holie spirit doe signifie present seale and giue vnto vs as touching the soule by the meane of faith The body blood of the Lord. Who so will marke this shal vnderstand that when the fathers say there is now no more bread nor wine in the Sacrament this ought not to bee simply vnderstood As touching the substaunce but in a certaine manner in respect of him which receaueth the sacrament who ought not to settle his eyes vppon the bread nor vppon the wine which bee visible earthly and corruptible things but ought to lift vp his hart soule and spirit to receiue that which by the bread the wine is signified vnto vs To wit Iesus Christ set
at the right hand of the father Three causes can we shew why the fathers so loftily and so hiperbolically haue spoken of the signes The first is which before we haue touched taking license of the scripture which doth also the same The 2. the more to moue the harts of men and to lift them vp to contemplate heauenly things vnspeakable mercies which in this most holy sacrament we receiue Seeing that our soules are spiritually fed and nourished with the precious bodie and blood of Christ The 3. to shew this representation which we say to be made in the sacrament not to be theatricall not belonging to commedians but that the Lord giueth really that which for his part he promiseth his bodie and his blood for the spirituall nourishment of our soules And that we for our part receiue it by faith Christ being our foode were by good reason to be conuerted into vs as are other meates conuerted into the substaunce of him that eateth them but in Christ is it not so For we eating him doe conuerte our selues into him and are by a secret and vnspeakable vnion made one thing with him Oh admirable misterie Oh high Sacrament Oh sweete and diuine banquet wherein our bodie receauing carnally with the teeth bread and wine our soule receaueth spiritually by faith Iesus Christ with all his treasure and riches which dying and rising againe he gained for vs. For here is hee wholly giuen vnto vs. that which is sayd mee seemeth sufficient to answere that which our aduersaries out of the fathers haue alleaged against vs. But setting a part this generall answeres Let vs answere to each one in particular As touching Ireneus which saith inuocation receaued the earthly bread is nowe no more common bread haue we already answered to bee truth when on our part we alleaged him As touching Tertullian wee say what he himselfe declareth saying The Lord not onely made the bread which hee tooke his bodie saying This is my bodie to wit the figure of my bodie Concerning that which Origen saith that the Lord affirmed the bread to bee this bodie wee deny it not but the controuersie is how it so is carnally or spiritually and in the places which of him for vs we haue alleaged is it declared how Origen himselfe vnderstood it As touching that which Saint Cyprian saith the bread to bee chaunged into flesh and blood The same also say we But we meane not a naturall change that one substaunce is conuerted into another The chaunge which wee vnderstand and which vnderstandeth Saint Cyprian is sacramentall and so hee there saith we are vnited or made one selfe same thing with Christ not so much by a naturall chaunge as by a spirituall For he hath made himselfe both bread flesh and bloud He himselfe is meate substaunce life for his Church which giuing her participation c. he calleth his body Of these words will we conclude the sacramentall bread and wine to be the body and blood of Christ neither more nor lesse then the Church is the body of Christ not corporally but spiritually That which he saith that the bread is changed not in forme but in nature seemeth to make much against vs. But by that which Saint Cyprian himselfe wrote to Cecilius that in the wine is shewed the bloud of God it appeareth to be otherwise Also speaking against the Aquarians he saith If the wine leaue his being in the cuppe the bloud of the Lord cannot appeare to be in the cuppe Also all that moreouer which of him wee haue on our part alleaged Besides this Saint Cyprian being a Latine Authour hee tooke it may be the Latine word Natura not in signification of substance but in signification of vertue force and proprietie as the Latine Authours do many times take it and in the same signification in our Spanish tongue is it taken And so say wee the nature of this herbe or stone c. is this c. The nature of the loade-stone is to draw the yron As much as to say as the vertue or propertie c. Taking it then in this signification it wil very well agree with that which Saint Cyprian saith That which saith Saint Ambrose of bread is made the flesh of Christ ought to bee sacramentally vnderstood as before we haue sayd And that this was his meaning by that which he himselfe saith in the places of him for vs before alleaged appeareth What thought Chrysostome of the figure and the thing figured in this Sacrament in alleaging him for vs we haue already declared Now it resteth to answer that which he saith of the waxe which applyed to the fire is consumed and applying this similitude he saith So the bread and the wine are consumed of the substance of Christ To this obiection we answer that the word thought vsed by Chrisostome declareth vnto vs that which he sayd ought not to be vnderstood but in respect of our faith and knowledge wherewith communicating the bread and wine wee receiue them not as bread nor as wine but lifting vp the spirit on high we receiue them as the bodie and bloud of Christ or whose efficacie they are a figure To the other two places of Chrysostome that Christ giueth himselfe to vs that wee should see him touch him and handle him and in whose flesh also wee might fasten our teeth What Chrisostome thought of the sacramentall bread and wine whether it bee true bread and wine or no we haue very clearely shewed by the same words of Chrisostome himselfe And it is not to be beleeued that so graue an Authour would contradict himself Let vs now answer how this ought to be vnderstood which our aduersaries alleage of him against vs. I say then that simply and properly speaking Neither the body nor the blood of Christ in the sacrament are either seene handled or touched The bread and the wine are seene handled and touched The same Chrisostome in the same homily sayth He maketh vs to say the same also one Masse with him And this not onely by faith but he maketh vs really his body The same saieth he in the 60. and 62. homily to the people of Antioch saying We I say are not onely by faith and loue but also really indeed made and mingled with the body of Christ And notwithstanding this vnion there is none will say that wee are transubstantiated into the body of Christ So say wee also that notwithstanding this sacramentall vnion which remaineth betweene the bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ the bread is not transubstantiated into the body of Christ nor the wine into his blood The same Chrisostome saith Thinke not that thou takest the body of Christ of the handes of a man but of a Seraphin c. Should wee simply â—nderstand this the minister is not now a man but transubstantiated into a Seraphin Also hee saieth we must not think the hand of the
anie shall speake in a straunge tongue there be also an Interpreter And if there shall be no Interpreter hee commandeth that hee speake not in the Church And that if he speake hee speake to himselfe and to God and not to the people for the people receiue no edification by a tongue that is not vnderstood And therefore in the 26. verse he commandeth that all be done to edification For this cause when God spake with the Patriarks with the Prophets and with his people of Israel or they with him they speake vnto him in their mother tongue that all did vnderstād The same did Iesus Christ speaking with the Scribes and Pharisies he spake vnto them in the vulgar tongue the same that was then vsed in Iudea The Apostles when the Lord sent them through the world to preach had first receiued the gifts of tongues to preach the Gospell and celebrate the sacraments to euerie nation in their proper language Why then do not our aduersaries in this imitate the Apostles they taught and celebrated their Sacraments in the vulgar tongue that al might vnderstand that the people might be edified God might be glorified The mysteries of Christian religion be not as the misteries of the Gentiles which were those that they called Mysterios Eleusimos those of the good goddesse wo vnto him that reuealed the same Herehence it commeth that the Priest pronounceth the words of consecration not onely in a strange tongue but also in a verie low voice that none can heare thē so say they Pope Vigilius cōmanded as reporteth D. Illescas vpon the life of Vigilius The Lord wil that his Christian people vnderstād the mysteries vnderstood do meditate vpon them as God in old time loued not the beast that chewed not the cud suffred not his people to eate thereof so now loueth he not that christiā that chaweth not the cud meditates on the saw of the Lord his misteries and his sacraments Dauid speaking of the exercise of a godly man saieth That he meditateth night and daye vpon the lawe of the Lord. The Lord speaking with Iosua who was no Priest but a moste warlike Captaine that wan so many battailes saith these wordes vnto him The booke of this law shall neuer depart from thy mouth but day and night shalt thou meditate therein that thou maiest keepe and doe c. To each nation in their vulgar tongue let them then say their Masse that they may vnderstand and knowe whether that which is therein saied be good or euill and not saie it to all nations in Latine whereof the people receiueth no edificacion but destruction nought learning but superstition and Idolatry As before we haue proued Some notable domages which the Masse causeth haue we shewed Now will we show some absurdities great inconueniences which thereof followe Against the worde of God are some of them against the doctrine of the fathers others be against experience it selfe against naturall reason and common sence And but three or foure will I set downe to auoyd tediousnesse We sayd being so taught by the word of God that in the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ the faithfull onely receiue spiritually and by faith the true body bloud of Christ Our aduersaries not herewith contented say that not only the good godly and faithfull but also the euill wicked and vnfaithfull the Turkes Iewes and Pagans do receiue the true bodie and bloud of Christ yet passe they further they say that beasts mice and other vermine do eat it that the moisture doth moisten it the mouldinesse doth make it mouldy c. Their blacke Transubstantiation hath made them fall into so great an absurditie strange wonder they beleeue that there is no bread nor wine but the body bloud of Christ it the Sacrament They vnderstād that not the faithful only but also the infidel Turke Pagan and Iew the Mouse c. eateth that which was in the Sacrament Hereupon conclude they that they eate and drinke the body bloud of Christ He that will deny them Transubstantiation will also deny this their conclusion to be good But this set apart the wicked c. will we shew by the month of Christ himselfe not to eat nor drinke the body and bloud of Christ S. Iohn sheweth that the Lord saith Except ye eate the flesh of the son of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Hereupon is concluded that except wee eate his flesh and drinke his bloud we shall not be saued We eat and drinke his flesh his bloud when we not only reciue this Sacrament but also at all times and as often as we beleeue in him Beleeue saith S. Augustine and thou hast eaten And therefore the same Lord recounteth the fruites which this eating of his body and drinking of his bloud do necessarily bring forth He that eateth saith he my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I wil raise him vp c. Also He that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him And he that eateth me shall liue also by me Presuppose this as most true and apparant it is that wicked men Iewes mice c. haue not eternall life nor shall bee raised vp in the companie of the faithfull It is seene they that dwel not in Christ nor Christ in them it is also apparant that they shall not liue by Christ Hereupon we conclude that they eat not the flesh of Christ nor drinke his bloud For had they eaten it and had they drunke it heauen and earth should rather faile then the word of Christ should faile the wicked Iewes Turks mice c. should haue life eternall and should dwell in Christ and Christ in them c. and to say this is a most great absurdity Therefore it followeth that such eate not the flesh nor drink his bloud Saint Augustine considering this he sayd The other Disciples did eat Panem Dominum the Lord which was bread but Iudas did eat Panem Domini the bread of the Lord as if he had sayd Iudas wanting faith and receiuing the Sacrament vnworthily did not eat the body nor drinke the bloud of Christ which the other Apostles did because they had faith and did eate it worthily but Iudas did only eat drinke the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ Also in the 21. booke de Cinitate Dei cap. 25. he sayth It is not to bee thought that he eateth the body of Christ which is not in the body of Christ nor in whom Christ is not nor hee in Christ Origen vppon those wordes That which entreth in at the mouth defileth not the man c. manifestly sayth that the wicked doe not eate the body of Christ and giueth the reason because the bodie of Christ sayth he is quickening and he which eateth it dwelleth in
without subiect but are made of the bread and of the wine which is corrupted or burned Now for confirmation of that which we haue sayd we will set downe an Appendix or addition which with wonderfull examples will liuely declare the estimation wherein the Popes and their people which the call ecclesiasticall hold their Sacrament which they sell vnto vs for God And wee as sencelesse and ouer-suerstitious for money doe buy it Open thine eyes ô Spaine and be no more by the Pope deceiued Pope Gregory the seuenth which before was called Hildebrand was as in his life we haue sayd a terrible and mortall enemie of the good Emperour Henry the fourth so desperately procured by all wayes and meanes possible now by force now by dececit now by inchantments to pull him out of the world And for that purpose suborned with promise of reward a certaine man c. as in the life of the said Gregorie wee haue declared Cardinall Benon goeth further he saith that the Pope with high voyce from the pulpit vpon the feast of the resurrection at Easter had prophecied the death of the Emperour Henrie saying Hold me not for Pope but cast me from the Altar if that which I say vnto you bee not fulfilled betweene this and Pentecost and so to proue a true prophet in this which he had spoken he suborned certaine Traytors that secretly shold kill the Emperor As in dede they had killed him had not God preserued him The sayd Cardinall sayeth further that this Hildebrand or Gregory 7. euer wontedly carried with him a booke of Nigromancie that was to him very familiar He cast saith hee the consecrated Host into the fire and burned it Because demaunding of it a reuelation against the Emperour it answered him not albeit the Cardinals which then were present therein gainsayd him Iohn Bishop of Porta Secertarie of the said Gregorie the seuenth alleageth Cardinall Benon for confirmation of that which is sayd A strange case it is to cast the Sacrament into the fire for that coniuring it it gaue him not answer against the Emperour Our aduersaries cannot denie this Pope to haue erred in the faith and also to haue bene an Athiest without God or religion seeing that he burned his Creator If he beleeued it to be his Creator why did he burne it And if he beleeued it not as most of the Popes doe not beleeue it why did he with fire and bloud persecute those that did not beleeue it Miserable is the God which is subiect to burning The true God is immortall hee liueth for euer Moreouer many Popes and ecclesiasticall men doe wee reade in histories to haue poysoned those whom they would kill giuing them poyson in the Sacrament it self Two or three examples will I here set downe who so list to know more let him reade the liues of the Popes and of the Emperours Of poison died Victor the third in the 1088. yeare which his Subdeacon had cast into the chalice Don Alonso de Cartagena Bishop of Burges in his historie called Anacephaleosis maketh mention hereof William as reporteth Mathew Paris was restored to his Archbishoppricke of Yorke in England and in the same yeare died of poyson which in saying of Masse they cast into the chalice as vpon Anastasius the fourth in the 1146. yeare we haue sayd In the 1314. yeare a Dominican Frier gaue poyson in the sacrament to the Emperor Henry 7. countie of Lucemburg as we haue declared vppon Clement the 5. The history is worrthy to be read It noteth the great impietie and treason of the Frier and the great patience of the Emperour after he perceiued himselfe to be poysoned praying the Frier to flie least his Almaines should kill him saying Vade Domine depart Lord c. Pero Mexia maketh mention of this in the life which he wrote of Henrie the seuenth But as a man ouer passionate for his Antichrist and for his breaden God wold not beleeue it whose words are these Henrie the seuenth died the day of the Assumption of our Lady hauing that day receiued the body of our Lord Iesus Christ wherein were giuen him write some certaine hearbes by a Monke of Saint Dominickes order 〈◊〉 that of them the same day he died Which is a thing so wicked that of no Christian it ought to bee beleeued how much more of a religious man Thus farre Pero Mexia But the punishment executed vppon the Dominicke Friers and their Monasteries in Tuscan and Lombardie sheweth that which is sayd to bee true Raphael Volateranus lib. Geograph 5. speaking of Sixtus the fourth saith these wordes The chiefe Bishop vnderstanding it and ayding the Conspirators they came to Florence and all met together in the Church of S. Raparada at the time of the Masse and of the sacrifice Saluiatus with his followers which were secretly armed in the meane time departed the Temple and faining other businesse went to the pallace to conferre with Alferez but with intent that the slaughter begun in the Temple he might there be ready ioyntly with the Magistrate to assault the pallace So that hauing giuen a signe at the eleuation of the Host note the reuerence and respect that the Pope and his haue of their God At the lifting vp saith he of the Host Bandino passed from part to part to Iulian de Medices brother of Lorenço Antonio who required to be the first rushed by treason vpon Lorenço and a little below the throate did wound him As he at the crie turned backe his face he escaped the blow the other willing to second his blow he hastily retired to the Clearke of the Church which was neare vnto him Then the Legate of the Pope who had giuen the signe of murder at the eleuation of the Host was taken by the citizens and carried from the Church and being put in prison was handled as his dignity required In the meane time Saluiatus bishop of Pisa who by his industrie prolonged the conference with Alferez to see the end of the businesse was then taken and at a windowe of the pallace the same day hanged The Pope at this newes excommunicateth Lorenço de Medices who say we escaped by flight for laying his hands vpon the Priests of God and vpon the Legate and proclaimeth open warre against the Florentines By this historie and others such like shalt thou see ô Spaine the account estimation that the Pope his Legate and their priestly order do make of their consecrated Host which they sell vnto thee for God and thou beleeuest it See we also the account that the diuell himselfe maketh of it Speaking of Syluester 2. who much profited in Nigromancy whiles he liued with the Moore at Seuill we said that he much desired to know how long he should be Pope which thing he demāded of the diuel The diuel made him answer that he should not die vntil he should say Masse in Ierusalem But the diuel
and so commaunded that the French Office which was now the same with the Roman should bee celebrated through all his kingdome And then all weeping and swearing the old Spanish Prouerbe began to be said Alla van leyes do quieren Reyes As the king will so go the lawes And from that time was the French Office kept in Spaine as well in the Psalter as in the rest which neuer before that time had bin receiued nor vsed in Spaine yet in some monasteries it was afterwards vsed for a time And the translation of the Psalter in manie Cathedrall Churches and Monasteries at this day is also vsed Thus farre the Archbishop In this historie reported by the Archbishop is there much to be noted First that now 500 yeares past for so long time is it since Gregorie the seuenth died in whose time reigned Don Alonso the sixt the diuine Office celebrated in all our countrie of Spaine was not the Roman but the Gothish which they called the Toledane office This office was changed through the desire of a French woman who so greatly pricked forward the king her husband that he chaunged the ancient Office maugre the state Ecclesiasticall Nobilitie and all the Communaltie of Spaine The Pope also that commanded the Office should be chaunged was one of the most abominable that did eate bread in his time Many wrote his life A great inchanter he was by force of Armes without any election he made himselfe Pope A tyrant he was an heretike he burned the Sacrament of the Altar his God And the moreouer which in his abominable life we haue declared For which enormious sinnes in his absence for he would not appeare hee was condemned and depriued in the Councell of Brixa And Clement the third was made Pope in his place The Legate of the Pope which dealt in this businesse of the chaunge of the Office was aso another such like as his maister that sent him and so abode in the same with his maister and Lord. For his wickednesse as the Archbishop reporteth was he depriued In these two Pope and Legate is the old Spanish Prouerbe verified Qual Abad tal Monazillo Such Abbot such Nouice Hereby shall our Spaniards perceiue that the diuine Office and Translation of the Psalter which our forefathers vsed in Spaine vntill the yeare 1080 or little lesse was not the Roman office much lesse was it the Masse which now in Spaine is so greatly esteemed For the Roman Office which before fiue hundred yeares was celebrated was defiled with the superstition and idolatry which we now see in the Masse as be Transubstantiation the taking from the faithful the one half of the Sacrament Intercession and Inuocation of Saintes Purgatorie c. Long time after about the 1215. yeare Innocent 3. being Pope was Transubstantiation admitted and made an article of the faith Albeit true it is that this Gregory 7. was the first that drawing it out of hell began to exalt it And notwithstanding that the Romane Office then vsed was nothing so euill nor ought agreed in Idolatry with that which is now yet is it to be thought there was great difference between the Toledane and the Romane office seeing that all Spaine so purposely and truly opposed it self to the king the Queene the Pope and his legate and receiued not the Romane Office but with great dislike and forced by threats of life goods That also is to be noted which the Archbishop speaketh concerning the combat of the 2 Knights and of the friar which the Gothish Office remaining safe then burned the Roman Office If they will haue miracles this of the fire is strange D. Illescas lib. 5. vpon the life of King Don Alonso the 6. saith almost the same that Don Rodrigo the Archbishop doth for from him hee tooke it but that of affected malice he changed some things whose words I will here set downe When hee that defended the part of the Gothish Office sayth he was Victor the king stroue by all meanes to take it away and hauing cast into the fire two Masse bookes the Archbishop saith it was determined that the booke of the Toledan Office and the booke of the French Office should bee cast into a great fire He saith not Masse bookes the Roman leaped out of the fire and the Gothish was not burned in it The Archbishop saith the booke of the French Office was consumed of the fire and the booke of the Toledan Office arose vp without receiuing any domage Here seest thou the maner of our aduersaries dealings To aduaunce his Catholique faith hath God no need of such lies And note that Doctour Illescas alleageth not the Archbishop from whence hee tooke this report lest his shamelesse falsifying should haue beene seene The Authour and the place which is the sixt booke the 25. and 26. chapters haue I alleaged I beseech the Reader to reade it that it may bee seene whether I or Doctor Illescas doth ly I speaking with the Guardian of S. Francis of Mexico touching this falsification of Doctor Illescaâ— It was so answered he me as Doctor Illescas said and that our booke were falsified But I brought him an old booke with the armes royall printed at Granada and shewed him the place the poore Warden was ashamed And it is to be noted as noteth D Illescas that by the command of Don Sancho 1. king of Arragon the Gothish or Mosorabish Office was least to be sayd in Arragon and the Roman Office which now is vsed brought in In S. Iohn de Pena the 21. day of March in the 1071. yeare was sayd the first Latine Masse after the manner of the Romaines The same Doctor Illescas also saith The 25. day of may in the. 1083. yeare King Don Alonso 6. wan Toledo the great Church whereof called Mesquita was consecrated the 25. of October in the 1086. yeare Thus was the Gothish office chaunged in Arragon fifteene yeares at least before it was in Castile Note ye Spaniards which thinke and beleeue the Latine Masse now sayd in Spaine to be most ancient from the time of the Apostles the first Latine Masse after the Roman maner was said in S. Iohn de Pena in the time of king Don Sancho 1. And in this yeare 1599. is no more but 528 yeares since If ye beleeue not me beleeue D. Illescas and others that say the same which I do A new thing is the Masse which plucketh from the Church the institution of Iesus Christ I meane his holy Supper God giue you grace to returne and restore it to it former place Of this change others also make mention George Cassander in the preface of his booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae saith these words But the Spaniards As they be most resolute in the institution which they haue once receiued held constantly for manie yeares the rites of their countrey Their rite was called the Rite of the Mosarabes and so was it called because the Christians mingled with
the Alarabes which occupied the best part of Spaine vsed the same from the time of Saint Llefonso Archbishop of Toledo and Saint Isidor Archbishop of Seuill In the end and time of Gregorie the seuenth forcibly constrained by Don Alonso the sixt which wan Toledo at the instigation of Queene Constance a French woman after many great contentions and not without teares leauing their countrie rite they receiued the French or Roman rite Which rite notwithstanding could not so be rooted out but that it still remained and yet doth remaine in some Churches and Chappels of Toledo Verie largely is this discourse in the generall historie of Spaine made in the name of Don Alonso the tenth It is also found in the historie of Don Rodrigo a most graue Historiographer of Toledo Hitherto Cassander Iohannes Vasseus heereof maketh mention speaking in his Chronicle of the destruction of Spaine which happened in the time of King Don Rodrigo The Christians saith this Authour which remained in Spaine had libertie of their Christian religion vntill the time of Don Alonso the seuenth in whose time came out of Affrike the Almohades which suffered no Christian to liue in the Christian religion These Christians which liued among the Moores were called Mosarabes to wit mingled with the Alarabes and their diuine Office composed by Saint Leander and Saint Isidor was called the Mosarabish Office He saith also This Office at this day is called Mosarabe and is vsed in sixe parishes in Toledo and in the Cathedrall Church in the Chappell of Cardinall Francisco Ximenez On certaine dayes of the yeare in Salamanca is it also vsed in the Chappell of Doctor Talauera Others say they are called Muçarabes with ç not with s of Muça the Moorish Captaine which wan Spaine and gaue libertie to the Christians to liue in the Christian religion After this describeth Vasseus what maaner of Office is this Mosorabe and how it is celebrated But I much feare me that the Office Mosorabe now in the foresayd places celebrated either by adding or diminishing is much different from that which Saint Leander and Saint Isidor made a thousand yeares past Of this I feare me because the Popes haue bene verie diligent in taking away that which hath bene contrarie to their doctrine and in adding that which made for them And so suspect I many of the ceremonies and garments that now as saith Vasseus are vsed in the Office Mosorabe In this opinion doe I strengthen my selfe seeing that among other names of Saints in the Office Mosorabe named are named Ambrose Augustine Fulgentius Leander Isidor And it is not to bee thought that Saint Leander and Saint Isidore which composed this Gothish Office would put their owne names among the names of the Saints and so thinke I that they haue much added and taken away to and from the Office Mosorabe to make it hold affinity with the Masse which now they say and so to declare it almost all to be one But be it as it will be either that they haue added vnto it or taken from it or not I hold for a more sure thing the simplicitie and maner which Iesus Christ his Apostles and Martyrs vsed in celebration of the holy supper in the primitiue Church Imbrace we then the first institution which the Euangelists and Saint Paul 1. Cor. 11. recite and so shall we not erre By that we haue said in this Appēdix thou shalt see most deerly beloued Spaine God for his mercy open thineeies the account which the Pope his cleargy make of the Sacrament albeit they affirme it to be God not bread nor wine It they vse to reuenge their wrongs hatreds and malice and so in Florence was the eleuation the signe to begin the murder With it they poison as a little before we haue said They vse it for an Harbenger sending it one or modaies iornies before atended with the basest sort of people as in the beginning of this booke we haue declared For coniuration they vse it as did Gregory the seuenth and because the sacrament did not answer him he cast it into the fire and burned it The Dominicans of Auserra did also burne it and the Franciscans de Alta villa burned the Chough and in burning the Chough they burned the Sacrament which she had eaten c. And the booke which they call de Cautelis commanded in such cases that they should so do And when the Sacrament for want of renewing in time is become mouldy it commandeth it to be burned and the ashes to be kept Molon the Inquisitor clipped it also The book of the Roman Office also was burned the Gothish remaining miraculously safe and sound as reporteth Don Rodrigo Archbishop of Toledo before alleaged Also seeing the diuell vseth it to deceiue as he deceiued the Pope when he told him hee should not die vntill he had said Masse in Ierusalem before by vs mentioned vpon the life of Syluester the second and to cause idolatrie as we haue seene in Magdalen de la Cruz and in the foure Fryars which were hanged in Siuill which had no intention to consecrate and so did not consecrate and in the clearke which sayd not the words of consecration and in them that Constantine 2 Pope Ione ordayned who had intention to consecrate but not being priests as before we haue said did not consecrate What shall we hereupon conclude Two things the first that the Popes and their ecclesiasticall rable which doe such things be Atheistes without any God or religion The 2. That their Massall sacrament albeit they say though many of themselues beleeue it not the same to be Gods is no God but an Idoll set in the place of God and as God worshipped And if this be so why then do they persecute them with fire bloud which so taught by the holy scripture do well know the Masse it misfall sacrament to be a prophanation of the holie supper of the Lord to be a terrible abhomination and Idolatrie The Masse hath no agreemēt with the holy supper which the Lord instituted which his disciples did celebrate Compare the one with the other the which we wil do at the end of this Treatise aswel touching the substaunce of that which is giuen as also the ceremonies with which it is giuen And it is euidently to be seene that there is no more agreement betweene the holy supper the diuelish Masse then there is betweene light and darknesse betweene good euill betweene truth falshood betweene Christ and Beliall I haue passed by the Lordes assistaunce whom with my whole hart I beseech to direct my steppes two terrible labyrinthes of filthinesse and Idolatrie which are the Pope aud his Masse Now by the same assistaunce wee will enter into the most pleasant garden into the most sweete and most holie orchard and garden full of all consolation and comfort Which is the Treatise of the true priest and of the true Sacrifice which this
our high priest offered with which wee being sinners and sonnes of wrath he reconciled vs to God Oh good newes Heare them then O Spaine and beleeue them In this Treatise I wil be short for many things which were here to be sayd haue we formerly sayd in the confutation of the false priestes which is the Pope and of the false sacrifice which is the Masse And there haue we sayd it for confutation of falshood For how can falshood be confuted but with the truth walke we then hence forth as Children of truth and light He that listeth to knowe who is this high priest and what is this his onely and eternall sacrifice Let him read the Epistle which the Apostle wrote to the Hebrewes there clerely shal hee find both the one the other And no booke there is in all the holie scripture which more to the purpose and more axcellently handleth this argument then this Epistle An Epistle truely worthie for each faithfull Christian to reade and reade againe and to retaine in memorie Seeing there in is handled a matter so necessary without the vnderstanding knowledge whereof it is impossible for mā to be saued For what thing is more necessary thē to know who my redeemer is how he hath redeemed me so to beleeue in him beleeuing in him to be thankful vnto him by liuing in holines and righteousnesse all the daies of my life His maiesty pardon our imperfections supply that much which is wanting But before we enter into this matter Let vs declare that which we beleue of Christ we confesse that Iesus Christ is truely God and truely man that in as much as he is God he is equall with the father with the holy Ghost in nothing inferior We confesse that in as much as he is man he is lesse then the father and lesse then the holy Ghost and in nothing equal We confesse these two so far different natures diuine humaine not to haue bin vnited nor conioyned for euer but in time as saith S. Paule when saith he the fulnes of time was come God sent his son made of a woman made vnder the lawe c. The same saith S. Iohn And the word was made flesh and dwelled among vs. So that from thenceforth is hee called and is true God and true man and so according to this coniunction Christ is lesse then the father For the father hath made him and giuen him vnto vs. For our king Prophets and priest Which three offices the name of Christ signifieth which is a Greeke word and is the same that is Messias in Hebrewe and Vngido in our Spanish tongue So also is it called because these three kindes of men were in olde time annointed And so doe wee read that Samuel annointed Saul for king Dauid also hee annointed Sadoc annointed Solomon c. Concerning the Prophets wee read that Elias annointed Eliseus Concerning the Priests annoynting it is seene in Exod. 30. 50. These 3. Offices doth the holie scripture attribute to Christ It calleth him king Psal 2. 6. I haue appointed to my selfe a king ouer Sion Also Luke 1. 33. And he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer his kingdōe shall haue no end Also Iohn 1. 49. 12. 15. Mat. 22. Al the places also which say Christ to be the head of the Church cōfirme Christ to be king a Prophet he is called Esaie 61. 1. Luk. 4. 19. Also Deut. 18. 15. It is promised that God wil raise vp a Prophet which place S. Peter in that excellēt sermō which S. Luke mentioneth vnderstandeth of Christ who is the Prophet of Prophets In the same maner vnderstādeth it S. Stephen A priest is hee called Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Which place in the Epistle to the Hebrewes is oftentimes alleaged where it calleth him the only euerlasting priest But the difference between the kings Prophets priests of the olde Testament Christ is this they were the figure of Christ and annointed they were with materiall visible oyle But Christ is the thing figured is annointed not with visible oyle but with the grace of the holy spirit As he himselfe Luk. 4. 18. doth witnes in declaring the prophesie of Esaie The spirit of the Lord c Of this kind of ointmēt thus speaketh the Psal 45. 7. Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated Iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of goodnes aboue thy fellowes which place the Apostle vnderstandeth of Christ And Christ being annointed with the spirituall oyntment we vnderstand his kingdome not to be of this world his doctrine to be heauenly his priesthood to be euerlasting diuine Christ as king appointed of the father gouerneth his Church giueth her lawes which no prince nor the mightiest monarch of the world may disdaine or abolish For it is noted that all how mighty soeuer do acknowledge him for king of kings Lord of Lords For God as saith S Paul exalted Christ gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee do bowe in heauen in earth and vnder the earth Christ as a prophet doth teach vs the will of his father doth shewe vs what we ought to fly what we ouht to follow Whō the father gaue vnto vs for our Doctour maisterand teacher whē he said This is my beloued sonne in whom I take delight heare him He wil we should heare another Doctrine albeit an Angel from heauen doe preach it If an Angel from heauen saith Saint Paul shal preach vnto you another gospel thē that which I haue preached vnto you the which he had learned of the Lord Iesus Let him be accursed The office of the priest is to appeare before the diuine Maiestie to appease his wrath and to obtaine grace for vs. The which he performeth Offering a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable vnto him This did Iesus Christ offering vp himselfe vpon the Crosse Which sacrifice one only time offered and neuer more reiteratetd For reiteration should shewe imperfection to haue beene in it was so sweete and so good a sauour vnto God that he was pleased and being pleased was reconciled with men So that he pardoned all our sinnes and sanctified vs for euer Of these three offices treateth also the epistle to the Hebrewes In the 1 chapter it sheweth the excellencie and maiestie of Christ aboue the Angels and consequently ouer all Creatures In which it deuoteth his kingdōe In the third chapter the Apostle calleth him the teacher of the will of God Which thing did the Prophets chapter 13. 20. he calleth him Great Pastor By Pastor he vnderstandeth a teacher And so in the 7. verse he said Remember your Pastors which speake vnto you the word of God c. That Christ is a
which is the house of God And so all the goodnes which was in vs was either wholly lost and banished from vs or els corrupted and endamaged through sinne So that we cannot think well much lesse can we doe well The cause of all this is sin which as saith Saint Paul entred into the world by Adam by sin death And so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned But contrary wise by the righteousnes of the second Adam Christ by his obedience by his death passion for of no lesse power to saue was his obedience then the disobedience of the first Adam to condemne all are we made iust free from sin sonnes friends of God heires of life eternal citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem desirous to do wel and enemies vnto euil and whatsouer wickednes is in vs it is conuerted into goodnes For by Christ grace entred into the world and by grace life and so went grace vnto all men in him in whom all men were saued O my God how vnspeakeable is thy mercie and goodnesse that thou so much louedst the sinfull world that thou gauest thine only begotten son that euery one that beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life c. And if God so loued the world that he spared not his onely begotten son but gaue him vp for vs how theÌ„ shal he not giue vs al things with him Who shall lay anie thing to the charge of Gods elect And that moreouer which S. Paul to this purpose saith Rom. 8. 32. But God setteth out his loue or charitie towards vs seeing that whiles wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Much more then being now iustified by his bloud shall wee be saued from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more now being reconciled vnto God shall wee be saued by his life c. Who so listeth to know and meditate vppon that which Christ did and suffered to obtaine for him remission of sinnes and reconcile him with God let him reade the historie which the Euangelists set downe concerning the life and death of Christ he shall finde that from the houre wherein he was borne vâ—ntil he died no other thing he was but a verie example of crosses afflictions miseries and calamities And what greater miserie then to be born in a manger amongst beasts And that when he was borne it behoued him to fly to a strange land for feare of Herod who sought to slay him This miserie can none vnderstand but he that with aduersitie hath bene a stranger And to what land did he fly To a land of a barbarous language and strange religion It is great comfort for a stranger to find people of his owne nation but much more is it to find people of his owne religion Very long should I be thus to prosecute the life of Christ to the Euangelists I referre me And if miserable was his life to the eyes of men much more miserable and vnhappy was his death Sith as a transgression of the diuine and humane law he was publikely sentenced to die vpon the crosse which kind of death was not giuen but to abominable persons which had committed enormious offences and sinnes And so pronounced the holy scripture such sentence when it said Cursed is he vvhich hangeth on the tree And so Saint Paul speaking of Christs humiliation saith He became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse And all this which he out wardly suffered was nothing in comparison of that which his most holy soule inwardly felt this was the insupportable burthen of sinnes not his but of all men which God layd vpon him for which hee onely was to satisfie This so great a weight felt Christ when praying in the garden he sayd Father if thou wilt let this cuppe passe from me yet not mine but thy will be done And so great was his sorrow that an Angell from heauen appeared vnto him and comforted him and notwithstanding being in an agonie hee prayed more earnestly and his sweate was as witnesseth the same Euangelist like droppes of bloud trickling downe to the ground so as abhorred and forsaken of the Father for the multitude of sins not his but ours which were poured vpon him a little before he gaue vp the ghost cried he out with a loud voice saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Christ thou seest here cast into the depth of hell striuing with death with sin with the diuel which fel to the erth with him but their reioycing not loÌ„g endured for Christ aided by his diuine power returned vpon his enemies and did in such sort suppresse them that he vaÌ„quisht theÌ„ for euer This is that which S. Peter saith Whom God hath raised vp anâ— loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that he should be holden of it And so Christ hauing vaÌ„quished his enemies satified the Father for our sins reconciled vs with him went out victorious froÌ„ this cruel bloudy battell Read for this purpose Esai 53. wherein Esayas seemeth not to bee a prophet which foretelleth that which should happen to Christ but an Euangelist which recounteth that which already had befallen him In the 4. verse he saith Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was layd vpon him and with his stripes are we healed verse 6. All we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquitie of vs all c. And ver 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie for he shall beare their iniquities An admirable chapter is this against the obstinate Iewes which expect their Messiah to be verie mighty in this world a great warriour which shall kill and cleaue asunder But here the Prophet depaintcth out a man the most humbled of any that hath been whipped and wounded of God and men without any forme or beautie so had he bene handled of God and men Admirable also is this chapter to proue the Diuinitie of the Son of God of the Messiah of our Christ For who can by faith in him which the prophet calleth with his knowledge iustifie men Who can giue righteousnesse and take away the sinnes of men but God alone This doth Christ therefore is he God The same Christ Matth. 9. 6. saith that he hath power to pardon sinnes and so said he to the sicke of the palsie Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes be forgiuen thee For which cause said the Scribes that he blasphemed And so said he to the sinful woman Luk 7. 4. S. Thy sinnes are
forgiuen thee The Scripture in many other places maketh mention of this humiliation and deiection of Christ and then of his glorious triumph against his enemies But this which we haue sayd sufficeth This benefit of the death and passion of Christ proposed ingenerall to all men doeth Saint Paule by faith applye to him selfe saying I am crucified with Christ and liue not I now but Christ liueth in me and in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Who so will enioy this benefite proposed in generall to all let him learne of Saint Paule to apply it by faith in particular to himself For whosoeuer shall not so doo Let him holde it for spoken he shall not enioy it They only be safe which beleue Christ to be giuen for their proper sinnes and risen againe for their iustification Hee which of himselfe shall not particularly beleeue this shall be condemned the death of Christ shall nothing auayle him But he which shall beleeue it shall be saued and being saued is assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor strength nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. His Maiestie increase this faith his gift it is A Christian then armed with such weapons of faith shall patiently and I say more ioyfully suffer for Christ tribulation sorrow persecution famine nakednesse danger sword fire and dishonour for to all these things the very day that wee truely beleeue in Christ are wee subiect For the disciple is not more to bee exempted from them then his maister was Hee increase faith in vs and make vs constant in aduersities for without him can we do nothing and with him can we do all things This verie well perceiued Saint Paule when he sayd I am able to do all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me God then with his exceeding loue so louing vs that he spared not his proper and only begotten Sonne but gaue him vp for vs and being bought not with gold nor siluer but with an inestimable treasure with the most precious bloud of Christ the Lambe without spot let vs not abase nor subiect our selues to sinne and wickednesse but seeing we are the friends sonnes and heires of God and brothers and coheires with Iesus Christ let vs highly esteeme our selues and apply our selues to vertue that God bee not angrie but ioyfull to haue such sonnes nor Christ ashamed but rather honored to call vs brethren friendes and companions In the sacred Scriptures are there very many places wherein the holy Spirit doth exhort vs to liue godly and holily but of all haue I chosē one which maketh much to the purpose because in it are mentioned both kindes of sacrifices to wit the propitiatory which only Christ one only time offered and the Eucharistcall which euery moment we offer or to speake better ought to offer the Spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul doth thus exhort vs Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to be an offring and sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor to God But fornication and all vncleannesse let it not once be named among you as it be commeth Saints neither filthines neither foolish talking nor iestings which are things not comely but rather giuing of thanks c. For all the che chapter is an exhortation to well liuing Let not man thinke for being called a Christian for being baptised for saying that he beleeueth in God for being trayned vp in the Church where he frequenteth sermons and celebrateth with the rest the holy supper Let him not thinke for all this say I that hee shall be saued if hee keepe not together with this the commaundements of God If thou wilt saith Christ enter into life keepe the commandements thou shalt not kil thou shalt not cōmit adultery c. That hypocrits may doe and doe the same but not this For without a true and liuely faith which hypocrites and wicked Christians haue not this cannot be done The outward shew the dead faith imaginary and idle is not the faith which iustifieth but the liuely true and diligent faith which bringeth forth in time fruits of charitie For as true fire cannot be without heate and the greater that the fire is the greater heat it giueth So true faith cannot be without good works and the more the faith is so much the more it worketh And contrariwise as the painted fire warmeth not as little also the dead faith worketh for being dead how shall it worke Such a perfection doth the holy Spirit require in vs that we do not onely good and commit no euill but willeth also that we be not familiar nor conuersant with the wicked Whereas such calling themselues brothers bee hypocrites vniust and impious So commaundeth the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 5. 1. If any man saith hee calling himselfe a brother shall be a fornicator a couetous person an idolater an euill speaker a drunkard a theefe with such a one eate not The cause why we ought not to bee familiar with such in the second epistle to the Thessal chap. 3. 14. he sheweth And conuerse not with him saith he that hee may bee ashamed And Rom. 16. 17. he commandeth vs to depart from them which make dissentions And 2. Ioh. vers 10. it is commanded we should not salute them To receiue then and enioy the benefit of Christs sacrifice such ought as we haue mentioned to be the life of a Christian Hee that shall not be so perfect for who shall hee bee seeing there is no man but finneth and sith the iust man falleth seuen times I would say many times a day if he fall seuen times a day what will hee doe all his life long fall and rise againe He that shall not then be so perfect let him desire so to be let him sigh and bewayle his imperfection before the Lord let him beseech him of grace to become perfect Let him beleeue the Lord to be so good that he will accept this good desire proceeding from so contrite and humble heart and so will he supply the faults of our imperfections and not impute them vnto vs. And thus shall we enioy the benefite of the sacrifice which Christ our high and onely Priest once offered to his Father We haue proued Christ onely to be our Priest and onelie his body bloud which he once offered vpon the crosse to be the only and vnreiterable sacrifice expiatorie whereby our sinnes are pardoned and we for euer sanctified Let vs now as we promised treat of the institution of the holy supper and so wil we conclude this Treatise The Lord knowing our carelesnesse
the Monasterie and caused the said Prioresse to be brought before them And demaunding of her how that businesse passed she said that the truth was because men should esteeme her holie shee had painted the woundes on her handes and that ordinarily shee so did And that that of the side shee had onely done thrise with a knife which shee had in her combe boxe Once when she published that the sayd wounds were made Another time at a visitation made by the Prouinciall of their order the last this which now is done being like vnto the scratch of a pen. And that the Crowne of thornes vppon her head she made pricking herselfe with a knife and making the bloud to issue forth and that this she had done sixe or seuen times Being demaunded how shee imprinted in the clothes the fiue droppes of bloud which were sayd shee of the wound in the syde She answered that she carefully tooke certaine holland clothes and painted them with bloud and when they gaue her some to touch the wound which she fayned in her syde shee cutte them before those which gaue them in such sort that they were like vnto those which shee had and put them vppon her breast and drawe fourth and gaue them those which shee had painted Being demaunded when the Moore captaine of them resident in this Citie of Lisbon and had bene viceroye of Biquinos came to see her how printed shee the wounds in the little cloth which she gaue him She answered Because she saw that the Moore did mark her shee drewe a little the curtaine of the lettife window faining that for shame hee should not see her putting the cloth vppon her breast shee tooke out of her combe boxe a knife and so pticked her finger that it bled and painted therewith the same cloth and afterwardes put it vppon the breast and beganne to straine the same before them all and drewe it out imprinted with bloud and all beleeued it was the bloud of her side being demaunded how shee had put those droppes of bloud vppon the rotchet of â—he Popes Collector Shee answered That the Collector perswading her to put some bloud of her woundes vppon the said rotchet at such time as shee chaunced to haue a blister on her hand shee tooke it away in such sort that the bloud issued and therewith rubbed she her hand in the rotchet and it remayned died with bloud Being demaunded how shee lift vp her selfe And how the Nunnes sawe her many times to shine in her Cell Shee answered that shee kindled in a chasing dish a fire with small light and put before it a lookeing glasse and that the light stroke vppon the glasse and the reflection of the glasse glimpsed in her face And that shee should seeme to haue beene lifted vp she put her feete vpon Chapins or womens shoes other times vpon timber which she had purposely prouided whereupon she so sate that shee seemed to be lifted vp into the aire demaunded that being in mortall sinne how she dared euery day to communicate She answered She euer trusted that our Lord would draw her in time to repentance and hereof shee craued mercie of the foresayd Lordes This notwithstanding they proceeded to take further information wherein the Nunnes declared that she being one day in the Chapter was lifted vp and a place made by her side as though some man should sit there Demaunding of her for what purpose she did that she sayd See ye not that our father Saint Dominicke came thither and there sitteth And many other things which to auoyd tediousnesse I omit The foresaid processe seene by the foresaid Lords and the offences which thereof redounded against the Prioresse the sixt of the instant moneth of December in the 1588 yeare they pronounced sentence against her in the Monastery of the mother of God of the order of Saint Francis in this citie from whence they commaunded to carrie her and in her presence was published and read the sentence which we will now declare And afterwards the 8. of the sayd moneth in the pulpit of the great Church of this citie at the time of the great Masse with an high and audible voyce was published Wherby they declared that through only zeale that men should deeme her holy all that to be and haue bene fained And for that shee had not dealt with nor inuocated the diuell they adiudged her to perpetuall imprisonment And that in fiue yeares she might not be confessed nor communicate except in case of necessitie and three feasts in the yeare and in the Iubilee and that she should neither beare vaile nor habit nor haue any actiue or passiue voyce in the Chapter nor bee elected to any office And that for fiue yeares she should eate vpon the ground and that the fragments remaining might not to any no not to the poore be giuen but burned and that when they were to go forth of the dyning place she should lie prostrate on the earth that all the Nunnes might passe ouer her and that on wednesdayes and frydayes they should giue her discipline whiles the psalme of Miserere mei last And that shee should bee carried forth of the citie to a Monasterie of the same order 25 leagues vpwards the riuer Teiâ— where shee should bee included in a cell and not go out of the cell but at the Masse-time and Cannonicall houres and that she might talke with no Nunne one excepted which the Prioresse of that Monasterie should appoint her and that she should be instructed in the faith And that her picture vpon the wall of the Annunciada should be blotted out that no after signe remaine there euer to haue bene and that the small clothes with the fiue wounds other her things shold be carried to the Inquisitors where they should be and otherwise to the Prouisor or curate of the parish who was to appoint what should be done with them Now to aduise all those that truely desire to serue Christ of whose name they are called Christians and will liue according to his holy Gospell and law and not according to that which men haue inuented to liue in pleasure Some notes and considerations will I here make of that which hath bene sayd vpon the life and sentence of this holy Nunne First as touching the ten instructions drawne by Lusignan out of the Letters missiue It were good to shew how false they be all in general and euery one in particular For not vpon the word of God but vpon dreames false miracles illusions of the diuell imaginations of a cursed hypocrite which fained her selfe to be no lesse then Christ haue they any foundation But seeing our aduersaries by publike sentence haue condemned all that contained in the Letters concerning the holinesse and miracles of this Nunne to be false fained and hypocritically done I will not paine my selfe to proue their falshood Onely I will tell them that when they will proue their new articles of faith they seeke
of our Saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. No other willeth God for all his benefites but that we be thankfull and call vpon his name Thus shall the number of those whom God hath elected to life eternall encrease and so the kingdome of sinne death the diuell which is the kingdome of lies of false new doctrine confirmed with dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell shal be destroied and that of grace life and of Christ which is the kingdome of truth the true and old doctrin confirmed with the word of God shal abide for euer To whom which is one God Father Sonne and holy Spirit who liueth and raigneth be perpetuall honâ—â— and glory Amen An Addition I In the moneth of Aprill 1588. Philip the second of that name king of Spaine pretending to send his inuincible fleet for the Conquest of England made choise by the aduise of the Prioresse of the monastery of the Anunciada whose name was Mary of the Visitacion as most worthie for her holinesse to blesse his Standard royall the which she did with vsing diuers other câ—remonies in the deliuery thereof to the Duke of Medina Sedonia who was appointed chiefe Generall she did pronounce openlie good successe and victory to the Duke in saying he should return a victorious Prince This standard was carried in procession by Don Francisco de Cordoua who was a Spaniard the tallest Gentl. that could be found he being on horse backe to the end it might be the better seen at the solemnzing wherof there was such a number of people assembled that diuers of them perished with the throng There was present the Archduke Albertus which then was Cardinall and Gouernor of the kingdom of Portugal the Popes Nuncio the Archbishop who was head inquisitor with diuers other Nobles Prelates Gentlemen This solemnization dured so long that Albertus fainted with fasting and this holy Nunne to comfort him caused a messe of the broth which was for her owne diet to be brought presenting it to him which he accepted most willingly coÌ„ming from the handes of so holy a Nun as then she was holden to be but about the beginning of DeceÌ„ber next after all her holines false miracles and great dissimulations was then found out and she condemned punished for the same according as is râ—bersed in this booke About the end of this yeare 1588 that this holy Nun was discouered in Lisbon there was also discouered in Seuil one father â—yon who was counted to be a most deuour and religious man but by his owne fellowes of his profession he was discouered to be a great hypocrite and a most vicious 〈◊〉 giuen to carnall lustes and for this and diuers other causes he was committed to the prison which is in the Cardinals house of 〈◊〉 A Table wherein by certaine Antitheses is declared the difference and contrarietie which is betweene the ancient doctrine of God contained in the holy scripture and taught in the reformed Churches and the new doctrine of men â—aught and maintained in the Roman or Popish Church Ierem. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein ye shall find rest for your soules THe ancient doctrine of God doth teach that the holy Scripture being the word of God diuinely inspired hath most sufficient authority of it selfe containeth all necessary doctrin to pietie and our saluation as S. Paul clearly teacheth 2. Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. The new doctrin of meâ— teacheth that the holy Scripture although it be the word of God should haue no authority were it not for the approbation of the Church and that it is an vnperfect and maimed doctrine which containeth not doctrine sufficient to pietie nor our saluation but that this defect must be supplied by vnwritteÌ„ traditions Belar de verb. Deâ— noÌ„ scrip l. 4. The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that ignorance of the holy scriptures is the cause and mother of errors as Iesus Christ our Lord doth witnesse Mat 22. 19. saying to the Sadduces Ye erre because yee know not the Scriptures nor the power of God and therefore the duty of euerie faithfull Christian is to reade meditate and search the holy scripture as God commandeth his people Deut. 6. 7. chap. 12. 32. chap. 17. 19. Iosua 18. Esa 8. 20. And Christ our Lord in the new Testament Ioh. 5. 39. And as did the faithfull in the time of the Apostles Act 17. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 15. The new doctrin of men doth teach that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that to keepe religion safe it is needful to forbid the lay or secular men the reading of the holy scriptures seeing it is the cause of many heresies Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15 16. cens col f. 19. The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that many deceiuers and false Prophets are gone out into the world and that the faithfull therfore are to proue the spirits whether they be of God 1. Io. 4. 1. And that the holy scripture is the touch whereby this proofe and examination ought to be made Ioh. 5. 39. Act 17. 11. So that all doctrine contrary and repugnant to holy Scripture be it of Councels Fathers Doctors old or new and that as saith the Apostle of himselfe or of an Angel from heauen ought not to be receiued nor taught in the Christian Church Gal. 1. 8. 1. Tim. 1. 3. chap. 6. 3. 1. Pet. 4. 11. 2. Ioh. 10. The new doctrin of men doth teach that whosoeuer coÌ„tradict the Pope his decrees human traditions be false teachers that the Pope hath authority to iudge of all controuersies and of the true sense of holy Scriptures and that from his iudgment it is not lawfull to appeale Bellar. de verbo Dâ—â— interp lib. 3. cap. 3. c. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that we ought to serue God alone which is the Creator and gouernour of all the world following the doctrin of Christ which saith Matt. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue The new doctrine of men doth teach that we ought not to serue God alone but also the Saints that they hold them for patrons of kingdoms people cities societies and infirmities Bellarm. de Sanct. beat lib. 1. cap 12. Cens Col. fol. 230. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that the lawful worship of God is to be founded vpon the holy Scripture that God will be serued according to his will and word in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. and not after the opinion nor by the traditions nor customes of men as God by his prophet Eze. 20. 18. doth very expresly teach vs saying Walk not in the ordinances of your fathers nor obserue their lawes nor defile your selues with their idols I am the Lord your God Walke in mine ordinances and
the Councel of Constance with the death of Iohn Hus confirmed contrary to the publike faith false conduct The ancient Doctrine of God doth teach that euery soule ought to be subiect to the higher powers which are the magistrates Ro. 13 1. Pet. â— â—3 The new Doctrine of men teacheth that ecclesiasticall persons are not subject to the secular power or politique magistrate but that all ought to be subiect to the Pope who compareth himselfe to the Sun and the Emperour to the Moone And therefore Emperours kings in token of subiection and obedience doe kisse his feete lib. Decret Gregor Tit. 33. The ancient Doctrine of God doth teach that Antichrist as God sitteth in the Temple of God attributing to himselfe that which is proper to God â— Thess 24. And that the place of his sitting is the great City which hath 7 mountaines and raigned ouer the kings of the earth Apoc. 17. 9. 18. The new Doctrine of men teacheth that Antichrist is to come of the race of the Iewes of the tribe of Dan. And that the place of his kingdome or seat shal be in Ierusalemâ— Bellar de Roman Pontific lib. 3. cap 12. and 13. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that for those that depart out of this world there remaine but two wayes for the faithfull which passe froÌ„ death to life heauen Iohn 5. 24. And hell for the wicked and 〈◊〉 As Saint Iohn Baptist very expressly doth teach vs. Iohn 3. 36. He that beleeueth saith â—e in the Son hath euâ—â—lasting life But he that beleeueth not in the Son shal not see life But the wratth of God abideth vpon him And as is confirmed in Lazarus who was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome And in the ritchman that was tormented in â—ell Luke 16â— 22 23. The new doctrine of men teacheth that there are many places for the soules after death To wit heauen hell the Lymbeâ— of the fathers and 〈◊〉 infants dying without Baptisme purgatorie and another place more honorable ioyning to purgatorie Bellar 〈…〉 By these Antitheses the Christian Reader shall easily vnderstand and iudge what doctrine he ought to beleeue follow to be saued To wit the ancient doctrine of God which cannot erre not lie which is the true mark of the Christian Catholique and Apostolique Church As contrariwise the new doctrine inuented by men is the true mark of the Antichristian Apostaticall Church which the godly ought to fly detest abhor as damnable a deceiuer Albeit she glory triumph with high titles and outward appearaunce But the almighty God beholdeth not the outward appearaunce but his eyes behold the truth in the inward part which he loueth Ier. 5. 3. Psal 51. 8. 1. Sam. 16. 7. Esaie 11. 3. Let princes and Magistrates be aduised what doctrine by their authorities they maintaine Least by inconsiderate zeale they persecute Christ in his members As in time past did Saule which afterwards was called Paule Acts 9. Let doctours teachers of the people also beware what doctrine they publish in the world that they be not of the number of deceiuers and euill laborers in the Lordes vineyard which vainely boasting of antiquity holinesse Multitude and power accuse the ancient doctrine of God of nouelty and shroude the new doctrine of men with the title and cloake of antiquity shewing themselues not the followers of Christ nor his Apostles But of the priests prelates ancients of Ierusalem which alwayes gloried of the fathers of the law the succession of Aaron of the Temple of it ornaments and priuiledges And notwithstanding did resist and persecute Christ and his Apostles accusing and condemning the doctrine of the Gospell for new and straunge As the Euangelists doe very clerely and largly witnesse And as S. Paul in the first Epistle Thess chap. 2. verse 18. 16. also declareth Woe vnto them that speake euill of good and good of euill which put darknes for light and light for darknesse Esaie 5. 20. Take heede that no man deceiue you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue many Mat. 24. 4. 5. An end of the booke to God be the glorie THe good Bishops of Rome continued almost 300. yeares The first of whom was Linus and the last Siluester pag. 23. The Archbishops of Rome continued 200 yeares To wit from the 320 yeare vnto the yeare 520. page 26. The Patriarkes of Rome continued from the 520. yeare vnto the 605 yeare page 26. The Popes began in the 605. yeare the first was Boniface 3. page 34. Whose tiranny to this day continueth As is seene by all the progresse of the former Treatise The names of the Popes follow after the order of their Alphabet Of whom mention is made in the former Treatise Adrian 1. pag. 40. Adrain 3. 50 Adrian 4. 73 Adrian 5. 90 Adrian 6. â—50 Agatho 37 Alexander 2. 64 Alexander 3. 75 Alexander 4. 87 Alexander 5. 112 Alexander 6. 113 Anastatius 2. 30 Anastatius 3. 52 Anastatiu 4. 73 B Benedict 2. 37 Benedict 3. 49 Benedict ◠〈◊〉 Benedict 6. or 5. 55 Benedict 7. or 8. 59 Benedict 9. or 8. 60 Benedict 10. or 9. 61 Benedict 11. or 9. â—3 Benedict 12. or 10. 102 Benedict 13. or 11. 111 Boniface 1. 30 Boniface 2. 31 Boniface 3. 34 Boniface 4. 35 Boniface 5. 36 Boniface 6. 50 Boniface 7. 55 Boniface 8. 92 Boniface 9. 110 Calistus 2. 71 Calistus 3. 123 Celestine 3. 79 Celestine 4. 85 Celestine 5. 92 Clement 2. 61 Clement 3. 68 Clement 4. 89 Clement 5. 96 Clement 6. 102 Clement 7 107 Clement 8. 111 Clement 9. or â— 150 Constantine 1. 37 Constantine â— 39 Comelius 26 Cunon 37 Damasus 1. 28 Damasus 2. 62 Deus dedit or Theodatus 35 Donus 55 Eugenius 2. 42 Eugenius 4. 120 Felix 2. Felix ◠〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 50 Gelasius 1. 30 Gelasius 2 70 Gregory 1. 32 Gregory 2. 37 Gregory 3. 37 Gregory 4. 42 Gregory 5. 56 Gregory 6. 60 Gregory 7. 65 Gregory 8. 71 Gregory 9. 83 Gregory 10. 89 Gregory 11. 105 Gregory 12. 112 Gregory 13. 196 Gregory 14. 200 Honorius 1. 64 Honorius 2. 71 Honorius 3. 82 Honorius 4. 92 Hormisda 30 Innocent 1. 30 Innocent 2. 72 Innocent 3. 80 Innocent 4. 86 Innocent 5. 90 Innocent 6. 104 Innocent 7 111 Iooncent 8. 130 Innocent 9. 200 Iohn 1. 30 Iohn 3. 32 Iohn 5. 37 Iohn 8. 43 Iohn 9. or 8 50 Iohn 11. or 10. 52 Iohn 12 or 11. 53 Iohn 13. or 12. 53 Iohn 14. or 13. 55 Iohn 16. or 15. 55 Iohn 17. or 16. 56 Iohn 18. or 17. 56 Iohn 19. or 17. or 18. 58 Iohn 20. or 18. or 19. 58 Iohn 21. or 14. or 20. 60 Iohn 22. or 20. or 21. 90 Iohn 23. or 21. or 22. 89 Iohn 24. 22. or 23. 114 Iulius 2. 143 Iulius 3. 163 Lando 52 Leo 2. 37 Leo 3. 41 Leo 4. 42 Leo 5. 51 Leo 8. 54 Leo 9. 62 Leo 10.
our cause which is his because it is the vndeceiueable truth which his maiesty in his holy Scripture hath reuealed Concerning the lies false doctrine of the authority of the Pope the holines of the Masse which our aduersaries maintaine persecuting with fire bloud all those that beleeue it not nor worship it therefore trouble they the world as at this day we see it troubled We assuredly know that it shall perish According to that which the Lord saith Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the roote And we haue the axe which is the word of God put to the root of the two trees the Pope the masse to cut them downe I beseech the Lord our God Christian reader which hath giuen thee a desire and will to be informed to know the causes why we subiect not our selues to the Pope nor wil heare his Masse but rather detest and abhor the one the other that he would please to lighten thine vnderstanding that thou maist comprehend what in these two Treatises haue bin said confirmed not with the sayings of men but of God himselfe of his holy Scripture giue thee such a mind and strength that thou maist wholly depart out from this wicked Babylon which is Rome deliuer thee from all the enormities abominations horrible superstitions and detestable idolatries which Rome hath inuented among which the principal is the Masse These idolatries without doubt be the chiefe cause original and fountaine of all miseries calamities and warres where with they that are called Christians be at this day afflicted For if God in the primitiue Church plagued with infirmities death the Corinthians for the abuses which they had brought into the holy supper the Apostle S. Paul yet liuing which he reporteth in his first epistle that he sent them what shal we say this selfe same Lord wil now do when the malice impiety superstition idolatry haue so greatly increased that the holy supper of the Lord which he instituted and commanded vs in remembrance of him to clebrate haue they wholy conuerted into the prophane Masse of the Pope Truly the abuses of the Corinthes as touching the Supper had no agreement by far with the erronious intollerable abuses which those that are called Christians commit at this day in their Masse And notwithstāding all this Saint Paul speaking to the Corinthians saith vnto thē For which cause many ef you are infirmed and weake many sleepe he wold haue sayd are dead We are not then to maruel if God strong iealous of his honour do chasten at this day such an idolatry as is that which in the Masse is committed with such great warres famine pestilence and which is worse and lesse perceiued a reprobate sense And no other mean there is Christian reader to obtaine pardon for these superstitions passed idolatries to get and keepe the grace of God of whom thou oughtest not only to expect all prosperity goodnesse but to endeuour by all possible meanes to serue him honour him applying thy selfe with all thine heart to all that which pleaseth him which is that which his Maiestie hath ordained and instituted in his holy word flying contrariwise all whatsoeuer may displease offend him and especially all kinds of idolatrie which he more detesteth abhorreth then all other sinnes abhominations and as such doth punish it as in the beginning of the first Treatise we haue declared Such is the Masse fly then from it follow the holy institution which Iesus Christ our king prophet and onely high Priest ordained This is the holy Supper as the Euangelists and S. Paul do shew Do this thē which Iesus Christ ordained commanded vs to doe in remembrance of him as by the mercy of God with all simplicity without all superstition or idolatrie is celebrated in our reformed Church and thou shalt walke aright All they that do otherwise erre God giue thee grace to walk aright that thou be not with this world coondemned And this do he for the vertue merit of the sacrifice with our high and only Priest Christ one onely time offered vnto him To whom who liueth and reigneth with the Father and the holy Spirit be euerlasting glorie and perpetuall power Amen A SWARME OF FALSE MIRAcles and Illusions of the diuell wherewith Maria de la visitacion Prioresse de la Anuntiada of Lisbon deceiued very manie and how she was discouered and condemned Anno. 1588. FOr confirmation of that which in these two Treatises so often I haue said that the Papists confirme their religion with false miracles inuēted by their ecclesiasticall persons or wrought by the Art of the diuell I will here set downe a most true historie deliuered in two popish bookes which by the prouidēce of God came to my hands Out of which with all faithfulnesse as he that must appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ giue an account not only of that hee hath done and said but of that also which he hath thought I haue taken that which I will deliuer Hee that will not beleeue me let him reade the two bookes from whence I haue taken that which I say I name the Authours of these bookes the Printers the yeare and place where they were imprinted as a litle after you shall see Our Aduersaries I wot well would haue buried all these thinges for they open a dore to men to seeke to vnderstand and the truth And that they may vnderstand it I haue put it in writing The Lord which knoweth my desire blesse my trauaile Our Aduersaries hauing no sound proofe to confirme their new articles of faith which they haue made as in very truth there is none haue confirmed them with dreames with fained apparitions and visions of Phantasmes of spirits and of soules come as they say from another world Now I hauing met with a new great and thicke swarme of such things which I found in a Portugal hiue me seemed I should do well by a new familiar and domesticall example which be they that most moue and that none can denie seeing it happened in our countrey of Spaine in the yeare 1588 truly to manifest the same that all the world and chiefly my countrimen the Spaniards for whom I haue taken this paine may hasten to know them and knowing them may abhorre them so may turne to the holy catholike faith true religion of Iesus Christ which is written in holy Scripture This hiue is Maria de la Visitacion Prioresse of the Monastery de la Anunciada in Lisbon who was held so certainly for holy whose hypocrisie false miracles were discouered publikely condemned as we shall after see I hearing much talke of the great holinesse admirable life and maruellous miracles of this womā whom for excellency they called The holy Nunne aduised my countrimen the Spaniards in a booke which I published in the
beginning of the yeare 1588. not lightly to beleeue that which was reported of this Nunne My words are these Pag. 419. Another Franciscan I should haue sayd Dominican a few yeares since rose vp in Lisbon who they sayd had the fiue wounds of Christ as had S. Francis many other things they say of her But I appeale to him for witnes she shall discouer her hipocrisie as the rest haue done In the meane time beleeue not lightly euery spirit but as S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 4. 1. warneth vs Try the spirits whether they be of God For many false Prophets as himselfe aduiseth vs are gone out into the world c. God will that I should write this and that it should be imprinted at the charge of two Christian Flemmish merchants who for the great zeale they haue that the Spanish natiō shuld be partaker of the benefit of the reformed professiō of the gospell whereby God hath shewed mercie to other nations will spare neither cost nor trauaile The Lord enrich them with his spirituall gifts increase their faith For two causes then was this imprinted the one to admonish those which were of God that they shuld not suffer themselues to be deceiued with false miracles the other to make all those inexcusable that notwithstāding the light of the Gospell which God of his great goodnes hath in these our last times reuealed beleeue lies cōfirmed by dreames and false miracles and not the Gospell written in the holy scripture He that is of God faith the Lord Ioh. 8. 47. heareth Gods word These of the second sort therfore which will not heare them are not of God His Maiestie if he haue chosen thē to life eternall if he haue made them vessels of honor vpon whom he will shew his mercy conuert them And if they bee vessels of wrath prepared to destruction confound them Many haue spoken written of this holy Nun. But he which hath entreated of her most to the purpose Of all those which I haue heard of or read is one Stephen de Lusignan a Dominican Friar who collecting all he could get to extoll her compiled a book in French dedicated the same to the Queen of France imprinted at Paris by Iohn Bessaut 1586. In the beginning of the booke she is pictured like a Dominican Nun with a blacke mantle and a white coule a coat white loose habit vpon the mantle on her head she hath a crowne of thornes the crucifixe on high set ouer her and falling towards her with rayes from the wounds which reach to the feet and hands of the Nun that out of the side commeth to a hart which she holdeth betweene the fingers of her right hand a Dragon she hath vnder her feet a Dominican friar before her kneeling a secular man woman at her left side a paire of beads hanging The Title of the booke is this which followeth The great miracles and the most holy wounds which this present yeare 1586. haue happened to the right renerend mother now Prioresse of the Monastery de la Annuntiada in the city of Lisbon in the kingdom of Portugal of the order of preaching Friars approued by the reuerend father Fryar Lewes de Granada and by other persons worthy of credit as shall be seene at the end of the Discourse In Paris by Iohn Bessaut 1586. The Epistle dedicatory sayth thus To the most Christian Queene Luisa de Lorena Queene of France mirrour of all vertue godlinesse and sweetnesse Health Madam hauing seene your Maiestie most deuoted to the most holy sacrament of the altar to the Angelicall Doctor S. Thomas of Aquine in whose Chappel you haue instituted euery moneth a solemne procession with carrying the most holy sacrament and a Masse sung by all the religious of our Colledge hauing considered that because of your great deuotion of the greatnes of your rare vertues perfections euery man of any worth borne enforceth himselfe to offer you most pleasing things I albeit the least of thē am also willing to rāge my selfe into the number of these Therefore hauing found certaine writings printed in diuerse cities I haue collected put them all together In which I haue found the greatest miracles and effects that euer Almighty God in our times wrought in the person of a most noble most vertuous most religious virgin mother Mary de la Visitacion Prioresse de la Anunciada of Lisbon in the kingdom of Portugall most deuoted to the holy Sacrament and the sayd Saint Thomas of Aquine by whose merits and intercessions she hath deserued to haue visibly for her husband Iesus Christ crucified and his fiue most holie wounds by means whereof the diuine Maiesty doth continually diuers miracles the which in this booke I humbly offer to your Maiestie to the end that you so much the more feruently may follow continue these your deuotions which you haue begun and that it would please your maiestie to accept of this most holy virgin a speciall seruant of our Lord that by her merits intercession your Maiesty may obtaine that you desire as well concerning this whole kingdom as all Christendōe besides And if I for my part Madam beseech God to grant that which your M. desireth with a most happy long life From the couent of S. Dominick at Paris the 20. of August 1586. Your most humble obediēt seruant F. Stephen de Lusignan of the order of S. Dom. This Lusignan for confirmation of that which he saith setteth downe 3 letters the 1. is frō the Prouincial F. Antonio de la Cerda sent to F. Ferdinando de Castro Proctor in Rome for the sayd prouince of Portugal that he should shew it vnto the pope The date is frō Lisbon 14. of March 1584. This letter trāslated into Italian was with license of the holy inquisitiō printed in Rome Plazencia afterwards translated into French All this saith Lusignan Come we now to the letter which was to be shewed to the Pope Pag. 8. it saith Mother Mary de la Visitacion at 11 yeares of age entred into the Monasterie de la Anunciada at 16. years made profession In which time our Lord Iesus Christ appeared to this Religious to recompence her merits tooke her to his wise saying to her the words of the Prophet Ieremie I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therfore with mercy haue I drawne thee And from that time forward he still appeared to her granting her very many particular graces fauours speaking conuersing familiarly with her as one friend doth with another in such sort as God talked discoursed with Moses oftentimes appeared he to her accompanied with he and shee Saints as with Mary Magdalen for much deuoted was this Religious to Magdalen and wontedly called her her faire and accōpanied with our father S Dominicke with S. Tho. of Aquin Saint Katherin of Sene and other times appeared he alone and very familiar helping