for thine auaile El frayle que pide pan carne toma si se la dan. The holy Frier that bread doth craue Will take flesh if he it may haue De los biuos muchos diezmos de los muertos mucha oblada q. d. offrenda en buen ano renta y en mal ano doblado Of the quicke many tithes of the dead many oblations to wit offerings In a good yeere a good rent and in an euil yeare doubled Al cabo delano mas come elmuerto que el sano Esto se entiende por las offrendas q̄ los Eclesiasticos tienē por las animas de purgatorio At the end of the yeare eate the dead more then the whole This is meant by the offerings which the Ecclesiastical persons haue for the soules of Purgatory Andad diablos tras aquel finado que no mandò nada q. d. à los clerigos que lo entterrauan no dexó dinero para Missas c. The Deuil foule that corps do take Which gaue vs nought good cheere to make That is to say which left nothing to the Priestes for saying of Masses Hurtar elpuerco dar los pies por amor de Dios. To rob to spoyle to steale a swine And giue the feet for cause diuine Vnas de gato y habitos de beato Fell Wolfe in Lambe-skin queintly clad Like Cats nailes Frier though habit sad Cuentas de beato y unas de garauato A Friers beades a graple hooke A guilefull heart though holy looke La Cruz en los pechos y el diablo en los hechos The holy crosse vpon the breast Yet there the diuell hath his neast Haz lo q̄ dize el fraile y no lo q̄ haze Son pues phariseos hypocritas What saith the Frier that do what doth he that do not They be then hypocriticall Pharisies Sease milagro y hagalo el Diablo A miracle is it and the deuill doth it La carcely la quaresma para los pobres es hecha The prison and lent for the poore are meant Camino de Roma ni mula coxa ni bolsa floxa Q. D. que el que va à Roma por algun beneficio o por meior dezir maleficio ha de tener buena cavalgadura para bolar si pudiesse de medio quo otro no se adelante y se lo coja Y no basta ir presto es menester tambiē llevar la bolsa fornida para comprar el beneficio lo qual es Simonia Neither a halting mule nor emptie purse is the way to Rome To wit he that for any benefice or to speak better malefice goeth to Rome must haue a good horse to flie if he could lest another come before him catch it vp And to go speedily is not sufficient a purse well stuffed must he carie also to buy the benefice which is Simony Roma Roma la que à los locos doma y à los cuerdos no perdona Rome Rome which tameth fooles And spareth not the wise To prie and proule for gaine Hath Linx his piercing eyes Quien tiene pie de altar come pausm amassar Idle Masse of the Altar Eate the fruit of others labour No ay casa harta sino donde ay Corona rapada No house there is that 's fitly stored Which wants a crowne not finely shared Quien es Conde y dessea ser Duqut metasc frayle en Guadalupe Who so is an Earle and would be a Duke Put he himselfe Friar in Guadelupe Que la fortuna como ellos llaman y no el espirtitu santo elija al papa That fickle fate not Spirite diuine Doth choose the Pope they say in fine Rey por natura y Papa por ventura A king by nature and a Pope by aduenture That we ought to fly these Ecclesiastical persons by that which is said and this prouerbe appeareth A frayle hueco soga verde y almendro seco A hollow hearted Fryar A rope that 's very greene A withered Almond tree Are neuer gainefull seene This thē being so as these most true prouerbs affirme blessed are they that knowing them depart from them and do that which God by Ieremy commandeth Fly sayth hee out of the middest of Babylon and deliuer euery one his owne soule lest ye perish by reason of her wickednesse c. And feare not pouertie for God is the God of all the roundnesse of the earth he will prouide for you For if saith Dauid it be God that giueth food to the beasts and to the yong rauens which cal vpon him according to that which God himself demādeth of Iob Who pre pareth saith he for the Rauen his meat whē his birds crie vnto God wandering for lacke of meat If God then take care for beasts rauens and young rauens and feedeth them how much more shall he feed man made to his owne likenesse and bought with the bloud of our Christ his sonne chiefly if such a man abhorring superstition and idolatrie desire in holinesse righteousnesse to serue his creator I haue bene yong saith Dauid well experienced in the power and mercies of God and now am old yet neuer saw I the righteous for saken nor their seed begging their bread The godly will he neuer faile seeing he neuer faileth the beast from whom by this or that meanes their need is satisfied For example the Rauens that brought bread and flesh to Elias and the pottage brought by Habacuc to Daniel in the den of the Lyons Notwithstanding all that I haue said touching the wicked life of the Cergie I confesse as the truth is that there be some good honest desirous to serue God among them which more offend of ignorance then malice who when the Lord shall shew them mercie to know the vices both in life doctrine will reproue them and if that suffise not go out from among thē As the Lord in all times hath euer preuented some in our time chiefly and hath made them notable preachers of the Gospell of his son Iesus Christ His Maiestie shew the same mercy to the rest that the kingdom of Antichrist may wholly fall to the earth and that of his Christ be exalted Let vs now come to the reasons Two Roman Empires haue bene the first will we call the old and the second the new Of verie mean beginnings began the one and the other by little and little so greatly climbed that they became the greatest most mightiest Empires that euer were or shall be in the world The first tooke beginning in two shepheards Romulus and Remus his brother who made a receptacle of euill doers and offendors and a gate as it were whereby they retyred and escaped of that multitude was a citie buylded which they called Rome Romulus not brooking a competitor in the Empire slew Remus his brother From this citie did they great violence and outrage to their neighbour nations not only robbing them of their goodes but of their
negligence forgetfulnes of the things which concern our saluation that we shuld not forget the benefit of his death passion did institute the most holy sacrament of his precious body which he gaue vpon the crosse of his precious bloud which he shed in his passion which sacramēt he wold shuld be vnto vs a memoriall of al that which he suffred for vs of the benefit we receiue by his death passion As often as ye shal do this to wit as ye shall celebrate the holy Supper ye shal do it saith Christ in remembrance of me One only time was Christ offered and by this only offering he obtained for vs a generall pardon of all our sinnes But hee would we should alwayes remember this benefit And to help our memorie did he institute this sacrament and willeth wee not once but many times in our life receiue it The institution of this Sacrament the Euangelists Matthew Marke and Luke do declare but most largely Saint Paul in 1. Cor. chap. 11. and in the tenth chap. he beginneth also to intreate thereof He are wee then Saint Peul declare how Christ celebrated his holy supper wherein hee instituted the Sacrament of his body and of his bloud I receiued of the Lord saith Saint Paul that which I also deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus the same night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake it and said Take eate This is my body which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of mee Likewise also after supper he tooke the cup saying This is the new testament in my bloud Do this as often as you shall drinke it in remembrance of me For as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shew forth the Lords death vntill his comming Whosoeuer therefore shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. Let then a man proue himselfe and so eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. For who so eateth and drinketh the same vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not considering the Lords body We haue heard how the Lord did celebrate his holy supper and instituted therein the most holy sacrament of his body and bloud The same order that Iesus Christ vsed in celebrating of it held his Apostles as often as they celebrated the same This selfe same order as we haue before shewed was for a thousand yeares space obserued in the Church Albeit true it is that before the thousand yeares were accomplished Sathan enuying the great benefite and comfort which we receiue with this sacrament began to alter it adding thereto many thinges touching rites and ceremonies But the thousand yeares passed the whole sacrament with furie hee cast to the earth and in place thereof aduaunced an idoll made of dough made betweene two irons which they adore and sacrifice vnto neither more nor lesse then if it were God himselfe that created heauen and earth But in all this time of so great ignoraunce and Idolatrie The Lord as we haue said did neuer vtterly forsake his Church For euer he raised vp some true prophet some holy man or men that with zeale of the Lordes house and nor accompting of the daunger whereunto they thrust their liues reproued the world Because through the Church of God was sold this so horrible idolatry But particularly in these our times hath the Lord shewed mercy raysing vp very many learned godly men Which being simple poore men haue with great zeale opposed them selues to the tyranny of Antichrist and to all the power of the world which was inchanted bewitched with the false Doctrine of Antichrist And so hath God blessed the labour of these men As he blessed in times past the labour of the Apostles meane simple people that they haue cast to the earth the Missa or Masse the breaden God which our aduersaries haue raysed vp and haue eftsoones restored the holy supper which the Lord Iesus the night before he should suffer celebrated with his disciples They that haue eyes to see Let them see and they that haue eares to heare Let them heare That seeing and hearing All the world may iudge if that be true which we say I will here set downe the order holden in our Churches which God by the meanes of these holy men hath in our time reformed when the holy supper is celebrated Hearken then O Spaine what in thine owne Language I speake that small and great learned and vnlearned may vnderstand me The forme which is holden in the reformed Churches of celebration of the holie supper of the Lord. It is to be noted That the Lords day before the supper is celebratae The minister doth warne the people that each one dispose and prepare himselfe to receiue it worthily and with such reuerence as is meete The second thing which is done is that youthes which haue now attayned to yeares of discretion doe not present themselues to receiue it before they he well instructed and taught in the Christian Doctrine and have made profession of their faith in the Church Thirdly if therebe any straungers or newe commers which be as yet rude and ignorant in religion that they come present themselues to be taught particularly in that which is meete for them to know the day on which they celebrate the same the minister at the end of the sermon toucheth somewhat concerning the misteries Or if neede require his whole sermon treateth of the Doctrine of the supper to declare to the people what the Lord by this mistery will say giue to vnderstand And how we ought to receiue it After that the minister hath publiquely prayed he saith the generall confession after the confession of faith made to witnes in the name of the people that they all wil liue die in the doctrin Christian religion The table being prepared the bread wine vpō it he thus aloud speaketh The institution of the holy supper of the Lord Let vs heare how Iesus Christ did institute vnto vs his holy supper according to that which S. Paule in the 11. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians declareth I receiued of the Lord c. As we haue before recited The forme of excomunication and excluding from the holy supper of the Lord these which be not worthy to receiue it We haue heard brethren how the Lord celebrated the supper with his disciples and in that which he did he sheweth vnto vs that straungers to wit those which be not of the fellowship of his faithfull ought not to be admitted vnto it Following therefore this rule in the name by the authoritie of our Lord Iesus Christ I excommunicate all Idolaters blasphemers contempners of God heretiques all Schismatiques which make sects a part to break the vnity of the Church all periured persons all that be
disobedient to their fathers and mothers and to their superious all seditious persons factious traytors contentious persons adulterours fornicators thieues dauncers manslayers euill speakers deceiuers couetous persons he she witches vsurers raysers of false witnes robbers drunkards gluttons all those that liue scandalously denouncing vnto them that they abstaine from this holy table that they foule not nor defile the holie meat which our Lord Iesus Christ giueth to his houshold and faithfull only An exhortation wherein is declared what is the vse and fruit of the supper Therefore after S. Paules admonition let euery man proue and examine his conscience to knowe if hee haue true repentaunce of his sinnes and if hee abhorre them grieuing to haue coÌ„mitted them against the diuine goodnes desireth thenceforth to liue holily according to the wil of God And aboue all if he haue his trust in the diuine mercie seeke wholy his saluation in Iesus Christ And if all Enmitie and rancour layd aside hee haue a good purpose to liue with his neighbours in concord and brotherly loue If we haue this testimony in our hart before God we nothing doubt but that he accepteth and acknowledgeth vs for his sonnes And that the Lord Iesus Christ directeth his word to vs to admit vs vnto his Table and communicate this sacrament vnto vs which hee commnnicated to his disciples And albeit wee feele in our selues great weakenesse and misery As not yet to haue perfection of faith But to bee inclined to vnbeliefe and distrust and as not to bee so fully addicted to serue God and with such a zeale as wee ought But to fight continually with the Iustes of the flesh Notwithstanding this hath the Lord shewed vs this mercy to haue imprinted in our harts his Gospel to resist all incredulity and hath giuen vs a desire and affection to renounce our owne inclinations and corrupt desires to follow his righteousnesse and obey his holie commandements Sure we are that the vices and imperfections remaine in vs cannot let but that he receiue vs make vs worthy to be partakers of his good things in this spirituall banquet For wee come not to him to protest that in our selues wee are perfect or iust But contrarywise in seeking with great desire our life in Christ wee confesse that we abide in death This sacrameÌ„t vnderstand we to be a medecine for those which are needy in spirtuall infirmities that all the dignitie which Christ our redeemer requireth at our hands is to know vs to haue sorrow and hartie griefe for our offences and to settle all our delight ioy contentment only in him First doe we beleeue these promises which Iesus Christ who is the infallible and eternall truth pronounced with his mouth To wit that he will truly make vs partakers of his body bloud To the end we may wholy possesse him that he may liue in vs we in him And although we see not the thing giuen but only bread wine yet are we sure he wil spiritually fulfil in our harts all that which he out wardly sheweth by these visible signes He is I would say the heauenly bread to feede vs nourish vs vnto life eternal Let vs not then be vngrateful to the infinit goodnes of Iesus Christ our sauiour who setteth before vs vpon this holy table all his riches to distribute the same vnto vs. For in giuing himself vnto vs he doth witnes that all his good things are wholy ours Let vs therfore receiue this sacrameÌ„t as a most certaine pledge wherby the vertue of his death passioÌ„ is imputed vnto vs for righteousnes As if we our selues in our own persons had suffered Let vs not be so peruerse of vnderstanding nature to refuse to reioyce enioy this diuine banquet wherunto Iesus Christ by his word doth so gently inuite vs. But with great esteeme of the dignitie of this most precious guift wherewith he graceth vs to present we our selues vnto him with a burning zeale and faithful hart that he make vs capable to receiue him For this end lift we vp our minds harts vnto him there where Iesus Christ is in the glorie of his father from wheÌ„ce we expect him for our redemptioÌ„ And let vs not be occupied nor dwel vppoÌ„ these earthly corruptible elements which we see with the eyes touch with the hands to seeke him in theÌ„ as though hee were inclosed in the bread wine For theÌ„ shall our soules being so lifted vp aboue all earthly things be disposed to be fed quickened with his substauÌ„ce to come vnto heaueÌ„ enter into the kingdoÌ„e of God where he remayneth Content we then our selues to hold the bread wine for signes testimonies seking spiritually the truth where the word of God doth promise This done the ministers distribute vnto the people the bread and the cup hauing first admonished all that they come with all reuerence by order to receiue it In the meane time they sung some psalmes in the congregatioÌ„ or read with a loud voyce some thing of the holy scripture agreiug to that which by the sacrameÌ„t is signified wheÌ„ all haue coÌ„municated they kneele on their knees giue thanks A thankesgiuing after the communion We giue thee euerlasting thanks praise eternall and heauenly father for the clemencie which thou hast vsed towards vs in communicating vnto vs so great a benefit being as we are miserable sinners and in hauing made vs partakers of the communion of thy son Iesus Christ our Lord. Whom thou deliueredst ouer to death for vs and now giuest him vnto vs for foode and nourishment of euerlasting life Haue mercie also vppon vs and neuer suffer vs to forget these thinges so worthie of thee But hauing them imprinted in our harts we may alwayes growe be strengthened in faith effectuall to all good works And that this doing we may order proceede all our life time holily to the aduauncement of thy glory and edification of our neighbours through Iesus Christ thy son who in the vnity of the holy spirit liueth raigneth with thee the true God euerlasting This done the minister with this blessing dispatcheth the people wherewith the Lord commaundeth that they should blesse the people Numb 9 24. The Lord blesse you and saue you the Lord make his face shine vpon you be merciful vnto you The Lord turne his fauourable câ—uÌ„tenance towards you giue you his peace Amen In the vulgar tongue is all this sayd that all small and great learned and vnlearned may vnderstand Whosoeuer without passion with a desire to be assured of the way of his saluation shall read this which we haue sayd hee shall easily vnderstand the supper which now we celebrate in the reformed Churches to be the same which Iesus Christ our king prophet and priest instituted which his Apostles the catholike church for many hundred yeares did celebrate And contrary wise
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
as theÌ„ could it not be for Leo 6. was chosen who liued but 7. moneths and dyed as they say of poyson giuen him by Marozia to make her bastard to be Pope Yet fayled he at this time also and Stephen the 7. or the 8. was elected who many yeares enioyed not his bishopdom In the 930. yeere not without suspition of poyson he dyed And D. Sancho 1. then reigned in Spaine Iohn 12. or 11. was the bastard son of Sergius 3. and of Marozia that shameles whore as Luithprandus calleth her Platina supposeth that this Iohn and Iohn 11. were brothers the sonnes of Sergius 3. Marozia the mother of this Pope in her sonnes time also as before both in the temporalty and spiritualty as noteth Luithprandus gouerned the Roman Church In the 935. yeare he dyed And Raâ—iro 3. then reigned in Spaine After Iohn Leo 7. Stephen 9. Martin 3. Agapetus Iohn 13. succeeded Iohn 13. or 11. of all the Popes before his time was the greatest villaine Fryar Iohn de Peneda in his ecclesiasticall monarchie pag. 3. lib. 19 calleth him Iohn the sinner and in the ¶ 1. he saith An infernall monster in his liuing the sonne of Alberto a mightie Roman succeeded Agapeto who with requests money and threates caused his sonne called Octauian to be chosen and after being Pope he was called Iohn And a little lower he was of cursed life in cruelties and huntings most vnhonest lustes c. who listeth to know his villanies let him read Luithprandus from the 6. ch of the 6. book vnto the 11. In a Synod at Rome presence of the Emperour Otho 4 he was accused for not recititing his howers that saying Masse he did not communicate that he ordained Deacons in a stable that he had committed incest with two sisters to make him win at dice-play that he had inuocated diuels that for money he made younglings Bishops defloured maidens turned his sacred palace to a stewes lyen with Stephana his fathers concubiâ—e and with the widdow Reynera and with another widdow called Anna and with his neece that he had made his Confessor blind that he went publikely a hunting that he went armed that he had caused fire to be kindled that he had broken downe doores and windowes in the night season that in wine he had drunke to the diuel c. for these and other like abhominatious he was deposed in the Romane Councell and Leo 8. chosen But when the Emperour was departed those wicked women with whom he accompanied incited the Nobility of Rome by promising theÌ„ the treasures of Rome to receiue Iohn for Pope which they did to thrust out Leâ— This Pope Iohn ordeined that the Emperor theÌ„ce forth should be crowned by the Pope in Rome The end of this cursed Pope was this In the yeare 964. 10. yere of his bishopdom he was stabbed to death by the husband of one with whoÌ„ he was taken in adulterie The diuel saith Luithprandus in his 6. booke 11. ch did so wound him in the verie act of adultery that within 8 dayes after he died It may be that the husbaÌ„d was arrayed in figure of a diuell to kill the Pope Read this historie ô ye Spaniards behold what a one is the Pope for whom ye wontedly hazard your goods honors liues God for his mercies sake the honor of his son Christ Iesus giue you the grace to know him In the time of this dissolute carnall Pope the married Priests in England were cast out of the Cathedrall Churches Don Bermudo reigned in Spaine In the yeare 963. betweene Leo and Benedict was the 16. Sisme Iohn 13. being dead through partiality Benedict 5. was elected but Otho the Emperor came to Rome coÌ„pelled the Romans to deliuer vp Benedict 5. receiue againe Leo whom they had cast froÌ„ the Popedome Which benefit receiued of the Emperour Leo eftsoones Pope acknowledging made a synodall decree wherin he tooke away from the Clergie and people of Rome the authority to make the Pope giuen theÌ„ as saith Gracian by Charles the great gaue it to the Emperour adnulled the Law made by Adrian against him This did Leo to auoyd seditions that wontedly hapned in the elections of the Popes the Emperor restored vnto him that which Constantine they say had giuen to the Pope or rather that which Pipin Charles taking it froÌ„ the Lombards gaue theÌ„ In the 965. yeare died Leo. At what time in Spaine reigned Alonso 5. who wouÌ„ded with an arrow which was shot by a Moore at thesiege of Viseo died Iohn 14. or 13. son of Pope Iohn 12. was against his enemies extremely cruel as by one Peter a chiefe Magistrate in Rome appeareth Frier Ioh. de Pin. par 3. lib. 19. cap. 11. ¶ 1. concerning him saith The Pope caused a certaine gouernor to be hanged one day by the haires set naked vpoÌ„ a horse of the Emp. Constastantine afterwards set him to tide vpon an asse with his face backward a beasts skin vpoÌ„ his head to be whipped through the citie afterwards to be put in prison and lastly banished into Almaine He more resembled Phalaris Dionysius Nero other such tyrants theÌ„ Christ who coÌ„mands vs to loue do good to our enemies He it was that baptised the great bell of S. Iohn de Lateran gaue it his name froÌ„ whence sprang the custome to baptize and giue names vnto bels In the 972 yeare he died Donus 2. succeeded Iohn 14. he was Pope onely 3 moneths whoÌ„ Benedict 6. or 5. not counting the 5. which was made in the Sisme succeeded For his villanies was he cast into prison where he was strangled or as say his friends at coÌ„mandement of his successor Boniface he died of hunger Alonso 5. then reigning in Spaine Between Boniface Benedict 6 or 7. was the 17. Sisme Boniface 7. through wicked artes made himselfe Pope but a smal time coÌ„tinued for the Romans coÌ„spired against him who seing himself vnable to preuaile robbed al the treasure found in the church of S. Peter therwithal went to Constantinople wherof making sale after some moneths with much siluer he returned to Rome whiles he was absent from Rome the Romanes made pope Iohn 15. or 14. but Boniface with his money corrupted the Romans so they turned to receiue him for Pope who eftsoons being Pope imprisoned Iohn the fifteenth pulled out his eyes and famished him to death In the 976. yeare died Boniface after he had bene Pope 9 yeares and more Of him saith Friar Iohn de Pineda part 3. lib. 19. cap. 15. ¶ 1. Boniface but a while liued after that he returned to the seate and sodainely died towards whom the Romanes shewed the loue which they bare him taking his dead body and giuing it a thousand blowes and
they are worthie of perpetuall memorie I will here recite them Hardly saith he remayned any bishopricke or ecclesiasticall dignity which entertained not strifes whose cause but not with emptie hande was caried to Rome Be glad mother Rome because the sluces of treasures doe open in the earth that the flouds and riuers of money may come to thee in great abundadnce Reioice ouer the wickednes of the sonnes of men because for recompence of so great wickednes the price to thee is geuen delight thou with discorde thy helper which issued from the pit infernall that many rewardes of money might be heaped vnto thee Hold that for which thou hast thirsted Sing to sing because by the malice of men and not their godly religion thou hast ouercome the world draw men vnto thee not their deuotion but the committing of great abhominations and the deciding of strifes for reward Hitherto the Abbot who so now would say thus should be an heretike a Lutherane In the 1198. yeare died Celestinus Don Alonso 8. reigned in Castile Innocent 13. whom the Historians call Nocentissimus bare so great hatred to the Emperour Philip because against his liking he was chosen by the Germane Princes that he said these words Bishop either take the crowne and kingdom from Philip or Philip take from the Bishop his Bishopdome And so stirred he vp Otho a great and rash warriour against the Emperour Much bloud he shed for the Popes cause vntill another Otho and great taitor slew Philip and so his Competitor Otho came to Rome and for his good seruice done to the Pope was crowned Note that which before we haue said vpon Alexāder 3. against the Emperour but long lasted not the friendship between Innocent Otho For Otho willing to recouer that which the Popes had vsurped of the Empire was by the Pope excommunicated all whosoeuer should call or hold Otho for Emperour were accursed And so the Pope procured the Princes to choose for Emperor Frederike king of Cicil. The Popes be like vnto stumpets which no longer loue their ruffians then they do them seruice In the time of this Pope which was in the 1212 yeare some of the Nobles of Alsacia as Huldericus Mucius reporteth condemned the Pope for wicked because he suffered not the Priests to be maried And because certaine men said it was lawfull for euerie Christian to eate flesh and marrie at any time of the yere the bishops burned in one daie a hundred persons If this be heresie then Saint Paule was an heretique 1. Timothie 4. 3. where he calleth them that forbid mariage and meats which God hath created c. apostatates from the faith This Innocent 3. vnder colour to recouer the holy land did celebrate the Councell of Laeteran but his principall intent was to excommunicate and depose the Emperor because he had taken some citties of the Patrimonie of Saint Peter The Pope in this Councell brought forth auricular confession He was the first that imposed this charge vpon christians He was the first that forbad the laitie as they call them the cuppe in the communion This prohibition was confirmed in the Councell of Constance Almericus a learned man he condempned for an heretike and cōmaunded his bones to be burned in Paris and all those that held his opinion This did the Pope saith Friar Domingo Soto in one of his sermons because Almericus had taught that Images should be cast out of the Temple Seest thou not ô Pope that God forbiddeth that which thou commandest and comandeth that thou forbiddest with great reason doe men call thee Antichrist The Councell of Eliberis celebrated in Spaine at the same time almost with the first Councell of Nice comaundeth that that which is reuerenced or adored should not vpon the walles be pictured as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue said This Pope ordeined that when the princes disagreed in election of the Emperour such election should remaine to the arbitrement of the pope Concerning the election of the Emperour and the authoritie of the 7 electors reade Carion lib. 5. fol. 3. and 5. Therewith hath the Pope nothing to doe He commaunded the God Pan the wheaten God should in the Churches be kept And that when they carried it to any sicke person a little bell and light should be borne before it Hee ordained that the Pope ought to correct the Princes of the whole world And that none bee holden for Emperour which shall not bee crowned by the Pope If this be true it followeth that Don Fernando in our Countrey of Spaine nor Maximilian his sonne nor Rodulph his nephewe that nowe is Emperour were no Emperours seeing that none of these three besides other more were crowned by the Pope In the 1216. yeere he dyed Thomas Cantipratensis a Dominican as recounteth Friar Iohn de Pineda lib. 21. cap. 26. ¶ 7. writeth that this Innocent after his death burning in cruell flames appeared to the holy Virgine Lutgarda and said vnto her that so should he goe vnto the end of the world and that for three sinnes hee had deserued euerlastingly to bee condemned but that the glorious mother of God and of mercie fauoured him because he had built a Church in honour of her holy and sweete name And this Authour saith that Saint Lutgarda tolde him what sinnes they were but that hee for the Popes honour would not write them O yee Church-men that for true prelates confound the Churches God grant ye become not worse then Innocent Thus farre Pineda Open thine eyes ô Spaine and vnderstand at last what a one is the Pope whome as a God on earth thou adorest Don Alonso the ninth then reigned in Castile Honorius the third against the excommunicated Otho the fourth and Henry the first crowned Frederick second sonne of Constantia the Nunne of whom we haue spoken in the life of Celestinus the third which Fredericke because he sought that which was his in Sicilia and Pulla the Pope did afterwards excommunicate This Honorius forbad the Ciuill lawe to be read in Paris In the time of this Pope and the 1223. yeare did one Adam Bishop of Cathan in Scotland excommunicate certaine men for not paying their tithes against whome the citizens were so muche offended that they burned him in his kitchin So much did the Pope stomacke this matter that he staied not till the king of Scotland called Alexander did it but 400. of them he caused to be hanged and their sonnes to be gelded that their name shoulde not remaine in the earth Cruell and reuengefull is this beast In the 1227. yere he died Don Fernando surnamed the Holie which wan Seuill Cordoua and a great part of Andalusia reigned in Castile Gregorie 9. the Nephew or to speake better the sonne of Innocent 3. bare great hatred against Fredericke and so he confirmed the sentence of excommunication which Honorius had giuen against him The
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
Sadduces shamelesly denied the resurrection and allowed neither Angel nor spirit As by the disputation which they held with Christ about the woman that had seauen husbands appeareth Matth. 22. 22. and in the Acts 23. 8. The Essees apart had their opinions It was a people solitarie like the Charterhouse Monkes They had no wiues drunk no wine nor did they eat any flesh a people they were very austere and euery day fasted Whiles the Church was deuided into these sects when all was confused came the sonne of God into the world With such he conuersed And of such for preaching the truth vnto thē he was crucified When the light of the Gospel was come which Christ and his Apostles preached who allowed it not but rather killed and crucified those that preached the same The same people of God the Church of God chiefly the Scribes Pharisies priests and high priests These came togither held a Councell wherein they concluded that Christ should die and all those that should preach the same Doctrine They tooke him because they wanted authoritie to put any to death with false witnes they accused him before Pilate Deputy to the Emperour Tiberius and thisin the holy Ierusalem And so was he condemned for an euil doer for such a one was crucified O what a Church O what a Councell if the cheife Preist may erre and erred in dede The Lord by diuine power eftsoones raysed vpp who suborned his keepers to say that his disciples had stollen him away Who assembled a Councell to persecute the Apostles and commaunded them that they should not preach who caused S. Iames to be put to death Who made S. Peter to be taken to cause him to die had not the Angel of the Lord deliuered him The visible Church of God the scribes and Pharisies and high Priests Not without cause faid the Lord speaking of Ierusalem Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest those that be sent vnto thee Afterwards the very same hath hitherto happened leauing former times spake we of these wherein we liue Who hath for the space of 70 or 80. yeares hitherto shed so much bloud of Martyres they that call themselues the Church of Iesus Christ chiefly the peeuish Friars Bishops chiefe Bishops and the same shal they doe vntill the end of the word And so Christ speaking of his second comming when he shall come to the vniuersall Iudgement saith Luke 18. 8. The son of man when he commeth shall he find faith vpon the earth As if he should say no. And in the XXIIII chapter of Saint Matthewe he maketh a discourse hereof verse 12. And because saith he iniquitie shal be increased the loue of many shal be cold And verse 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect And thinke we not these false Christs and false Prophets shal bee Turkes and Iewes Christians they shal be and for such shall they be holden Bishops and chiefe Bishops shal be the principally as at this day they be I haue sufficiently proued me thinketh by many examples and passages of the old and new Testament that the Church of God may erre and hath erred indeede which to our aduersaries seemeth vnpossible Now will we resolue a doubt and this it is If the Church bee such and subiect to fall into Errours superstitions heresies and idolatries as before we haue proued How shall that be vnderstood which the scripture saith That the Church is the body of Iesus Christ That the Church is the spouse of Christ That the Church is the pillar of truth founded vppon the sure foundation That the Churche is without spot or wrincle and wholy faire That the gates of hell shall not preuaile against her and other like commendations and prayses thereof the word of God witnesseth To this may we answere that both the one and the other may very well stand For God neuer suffered all his Church to fall togither into Error But rather hath alwayes reserued some good and some times also seauen thousand As said he speaking of Elias albeit in corners which neuer bowed the knees to Baal Such as these the common error dispatched wherewith all the Church was generally deceaued Against this Error such others of these spake preached and wrote and most times it cost them their liues and had each one of them had a thousand liues a thousand liues would each one of them haue lost for the same cause That Church wherein Catholiquely and vniuersally raigned that Errour or heresie shee and her Bishoppes did persecute condemned and kill them As by examples wee haue confirmed the same So that when the scripture saith All Israel all Iuda all the inhabitants of Ierusalem turned away from God committed Idolatrie c. Of such a manner ingenerall must wee vnderstand which hath it Exceptions for in the middest of these Errours and idolatries so Catholique fo vniuersall had alwayes God some particular men whom he reserued cleane and pure from that common errour So reserued God Moses and Iosua and some other particular persons also which worshipped not the calfe when all Israel ingenerall and Aaron the high Priest him selfe worshipped it The same will wee say of the time of the Iudges that God neuer forsoke his Church The same wee say also of the times of the kings of Israel and of Iuda When all committed Idolatrie God raysed vp an Esaias a Micheas a Ieremias an Ezechiel a Daniel c. Who reproued vices and false Doctrine and declared the truth But which of these did not the Church and her high priests persecute and kill So also reserued the Lord vnro himselfe at his first comming into the worlde A Simeon an Anna widdowe a Ioseph and his spouse the virgin Marie mother of our sauiour An holie Elizabeth and her sonne Saint Iohn Baptist which were Godly very well thought of the true religion and agreed neither with the Pharisies nor Sadduces nor Essees And so the Lord in so vnhappy times preserued his Church And so likewise vntill now hath he preserued the same And now also in these lest miserable times wherein neither faith Luk. 18 8. nor loue is found Matth. 24. 12. God reserueth some which oppose themselues to the tyranny of the Antichrist of Rome and to the common errour and Idolatrie of all the Romane Church ingenerall And so God hath not permitted that his Church hath wholly bene deceiued nor according to his promise I am with you vnto the end of the world Wil he euer permit the same Euer thē hath God reserued fome that haue not bene deceiued with the cōmon errour many from time to time be enlightened As by experience we haue seene it God of his infinit mercy increase them that the number of his chosen may be fulfilled so sinne may cease and only Christ
the day houre and moment when Christ offered it for which cause it neither ought nor may be reiterated without doing most great iniurie to Christ as though his sacrifice which he once offered were not fufficient to obtain pardon for all sins that therefore another new sacrifice were needful or at the least to reiterat the old All as many as were or shal be saued not onely since the death of Christ but before his death also frō the first iust Abel vnto the last were are shal be saued by the vertue of this only sacrifice once offered Otherwise must he often haue suffered since the foundation of the world But now in the end of the world hath he appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe These be the words of the Apostle against which nothing impugneth that which S. Iohn saith in his Reuelatiō That the Lambe Christ was slaine frō the beginning of the world for Iesus Christ but onely once died this was whē Tiberius Caesar was Emperor which is now 1566. yeares since How thē saith S. Iohn that he died frō the beginning of the world To this say we that S. Iohn meant that the sacrifice which Christ offred did not only profit those that in the time of Christ or sithence liued but all those also which were long time before frō the beginning of the world For all before the death of Christ which beleeued that the seed of the woman which is Christ should breake the head of the serpent which is the diuel were neither more nor lesse saued then these which sithence the death of Christ beleeue that he is come and that by dying he hath ouercome the deuill In the same God whom we beleeue beleued they the same faith which wee hold held they and by the same sacrifice of Iesus Christ one only time no more offred they we are saued The same Sacraments as touching the substance that we haue had they So wittnesseth Saint Paul when he saieth Moreouer Brethren I would not that yee should be ignorant That all our fathers were vnder the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptised vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them which Rock was Christ This is the difference between them and vs that they beleeued Christ the Messias shuld come and we beleeue that he is already come and hath fulfilled all whatsoeuer was written of him We then here conclude that with one only sacrifice which Iesus Christ offred and this one only time and no more he sanctified for euer all those that from the beginning of the world haue bene are and shall be sanctified The Lord God which whē we were the children of wrath and his enemies hath shewed vs such mercie giue vs grace firmely and constantly to perseuer in this faith perseuering may liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life The holy Scripture as we haue seen mentioneth two kinds of Priests which offer sacrifice for sinnes the one after the order of Aaron the other after the order of Melchisedech Many there were after the order of Aaron because being mortall they died and being dead one succeded another After the order of Melchisedech no other Priest there is but only Christ who being an euerlasting Priest and his sacrifice being of euerlasting vertue admitteth no companion for he only is sufficient This priesthood shall shall endure for euer and it is proper to the new Testament wherein there is not nor can be more then one onely Priest which neither hath nor can haue companion nor successor in his office For he is an euerlasting priest and therefore his offering one only time offered is of euerlasting vertue Hereupon we then conclude that if the Masse-priests which say they offer Christ in Sacrifice for the sins of men be Priests instituted by God either they so be after the order of Aaron or after the order of Melchisedech for of these two only orders the scripture maketh mention But Priests they be not after the order of Aaron which already ceased with the death of Christ As little are they of the order of Melchisedech for after this order there is but one only Priest which is Christ Hereuppon it followeth that if they be Priests not by God but by the diuell be they instituted and so be they the Priests of Baal May it please our God and Lord to conuert them Or if they bee vessels of wrath to breake them with his rod of yron that they doe not more mischiefe to the Catholique Church the Spouse of Iesus Christ and with his precious bloud redeemed I trust in mine omnipotent God that one day he will haue mercie vppon our country of Spaine and send the true Elias which with the power of Gods word shal kill these false prophets filthy priests Besides the expiatory sacrifice wherof we haue spoken anothere there is called Eucharisticall of thanksgiuing This sacrifice offereth and ought to offer euery faithfull and Catholique Christian and for such a one he that offereth it not neither is nor ought to be holden What maner of sacrifice this is in the beginning of this Treatise of the Masse we haue before declared And if euery Christian offer vnto God this kind of sacrifice it followeth hereupon that euery Christian seeing he offreth sacrifice is a priest And for this cause God commanded Moses to say these words to all the people of Israel Ye shall be vnto me a kingdom of Priests and a holy nation And S. Peter speaking to all the faithfull saith Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light c. S. Iohn in his Reuelation speaking of the Lambe saith Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings priests Of this which we haue said we conclude Christ only to be the Preist who offring vp himselfe this onely once obtained for vs remission of sins that all faithful christians are priests that not once but manie times euery day euery houre euery moment so ought it to be done do offer sacrifices of praises vnto God And why ought we to praise God to giue him thanks For al the benefits which we receiue ech momēt of him touching both body soule But for this benefit chiefly that passeth all others which is the inestimable benefit that we receiue by the death passion of Christ By the sin of the first Adam we were all made sinners and seruants of sinne sonnes of wrath enemies of God and to two sorts of death temporall and eternall of body soule condemned Strangers we were from the common wealth of Israel
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
addeth So famous and so admirable was this miracle that the fame thereof hath stretched throughout all the kingdome c. Then was it a true miracle But of those which Sathan worketh to deceiue men and not a fiction of the Prioresse Why make their Lordships no mention in their sentence how the Prioresse had made Sathan to appeare in the figure of Christ crucified And how that litle so deuout a crosse was made and how the sicke persons were healed The principall passed they ouer least they should 〈…〉 superstitions and Idolatries That which they demanded of her is How sayd she that she had oftentimes seene the mother of God wherof in the Letters were made little mention O great subtiltie herewith they haue stopped the mouth of the people All these things was the iust iudgment and punishment of God wherewith he punisheth those that beeleue not the word of God reuealed in the holy Scripture but beleeue lies confirmed with false miracles illusions of the diuel The principall resteth for me yet to demaund What was I demaund of them that consecrate forme as saith the Prouinciall or hoste consecrated as saith Friar Lewes de Granada which the wednesday in the holy weeke issued out of the little casket wherein the most holy sacrament lay which casket of it selfe opened and out of it issued the said host without any visible ministery was presented to the mouth of the Religious and she receiued it with most great deuotion c. The Prouinciall addeth that another time vpon Innocents day another such like miracle happened Friar Lewes de Granada saith That the Masse being ended which Saint Iohn Euangelist did celebrate a consecrated host came from the Altar and was put into the mouth of this most holy Nunne Of Magâ—alen de la Cruz was it said that when shee communicated she lifted vp a rod to measure the hight of the ground as in the Treatise of the Masse we haue noted The host which Magâ—alen the Franciscan hipocrite and that which Mary the Dominican hypocrite receiued albeit the ordained Masse-Friars and with intention to consecrate did consecrate them murmuring ouer them their words of consecration Hoc est enim Corpus meum were not the body of Iesus Christ whose glorious body sits at the right hand of the Father and is not to descend thence vntill hee come to iudge the quicke and the dead As witnesseth S. Peter Act. 3. 21. Whom meaning Christ the heauens must containe vntill the day of restauration of all things And so doe we holde it for an article of faith and confesse the same in the Creed Were there no other proofe to proue their consecrated hostes their sacrament of the aultar not to be the body of Christ this in good reason should suffice that the diuell vseth his consecrated hostes he carrieth them into the aire and putteth them into the mouth of his he and she deuoted that men may holde them for holy As these two domestical exaÌ„ples of the Franciscan Magdalen de la Cruz and of the Dominican Mary de la visitation doe confirme the same But for as much as many other proofes they are taken out of the holy scripture out of the ancieÌ„t doctors which we haue noted in the Treatise of the Masse there maist thou read the same This opening of the casket this issuing out of the consecrated host and visible comming through the aire without any visible mystery and putting it in to the mouth of Magdalen of Mary and other such like was by the arte of the deuill he came betweene and was inuocated Open then thy eies O Spaine and vnderstand Suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued in the first article of christian religion Remember it is the first coÌ„mandement which our great God whose name is Iehona coÌ„maÌ„deth vs to keep Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me How can that be God how can that be a creator which the diuell vseth to cause the people to commit idolatry to entertaine the fained holinesse hypocrisy of Magdalen Mary and of other such both hee and shee Holy and blessed is our God he abhorreth wickednes hipocrisy superstition idolatry Therfore conclude that he which entertaineth these abhominations is not the true but a false God made by the inuention of men and Sathan their father which gouerneth them And this is the iust iudgment and punishment of God that they which neither read nor heare nor yet giue credit to the word of God registred by the holy prophets and Apostles without which there is no saluation may beleeue lies wherwith Antichrist and his father the diuil deceiued them to carry them with him into hell These things which we haue spoken of done by these Ladies I confesse are miracles and they caused that which our aduersaries hold for the sacrament and for the body of Christ truely to come But of these they are which the false prophets Antichrist and their father the diuell doe as our redeemer forewarneth vs Math. 2â— 24. and his Apostle 2. Thess 2. 9. wherewith they that are founded vpon the firme rocke which is Christ they that be taught by the word of God shal not be deceiued But they that be founded vpon the sand they that confirme their opinion with dreames imaginations and humane tradititions these shall beleeue them and hold them for true miracles which God hath wrought so beleeuing them shall perish except God hauing mercie vpon them doe before they depart this world conuert them With their Lordships fauour conclude we theÌ„ saying that Mary de la visitation did her miracles by the help and inuoâ—ation of the diuel for otherwise could she not doe them I vehemently suspect the cause of their so saying they feare to giue occasion lest some begin to think that their Sacrament which they sell for the body of Christ is not the body of Christ nor his Sacrament which in his holy Suppeâ— he instituted but their prophanation thereof This if our Spaniardes begin once to vnderstand the pontificall kingdom will wholly fall the kitchin of the Preists and Friars which is the Masse and Purgatory will bee cold and so superstition ignonorance heresy and Idolatry as a new thing which hath no foundation in the word of God but in dreames with false miracles and illusions of the diuell shall likewise fall and the ancient doctrine of the Gospell of Christ crucified written in the holy scripture maugre Antichrist shall flourish through the worlde Blessed and euer glorified be the holy name of the Lord who by his great mercie freed vs from such ignorance errors and superstitions heresies Idolatries where we were nourished who deliuered vs I say from the power of darknes and translated vs into the true kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom we haue redemption by his bloud and forgiuenes of sinnes What shall we render speaking as doth the Prophet vnto the Lord for all his benefites bestowed vppon vs we will take the cuppe