Philip King of Fraunce that he was Lorde of all thinges aswell temporall as spiritual thorowout y e whole world and that he therfore ought to haue receaued the kingdome of FrauÌ„ce at his hande which thinge forasmuch as the king had not done y e Pope wrote vnto him y t he had iustlye deserued to bee depriued of his kingdome so y t afterwarde this arrogant Lucifer and moÌ„sâ—ure of pride excommunicated Kinge Philip and gaue away his kingdoÌ„e to Albert the Emperor About the yeare c. 757. Pol. Virg. Pant. Pope Stephan y e seconde was y e first Pope that was caried about vpoÌ„ meÌ„s shoulders which thing his successors haue euersince diligeÌ„tli practised â–ª put in vse In y e yere c. 757. Pol. Vir. Panâ— Pope Cletus firste of all vsed in his letters these wordes Salutem Apostolicam benedictioneÌ„ In the yere c. 81. Chron. Ang. Pope Gregory the first vsed firste of all in his letters and bulles this title â–ª Seruus seruorum dei that is to say seruaÌ„t of the seruants of God which title his successors yet keepe but how truely who seeth not seing they labour to the vttermoste of theire power to haue the whole world vnder their girdle yea to compell princes kinges and emperors not onely to be their lackies but also to kisse euen their very feete Hee vsed this title in all his letters to represse the arrogaÌ„cye and pride of Iohn Patriarche of Constantinople which contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel and contrary to the decrees of the olde Canons presumed to vsurpe a newe name to himself and sought to be called the vniuersall bishop or head ouer all other bishops To shew that such a proud ambitious name ought vtterly to be detested of al spiritual ministers of whatsoeuer calling or dignitie they be the aforesaide Gregory in all his letters euer after named himself the seruant of the seruauntes of God In the yere c. 590. Ranulphus Cestrens Chron. This aforesaid Gregory sent Austen y e Monke w t certaine other into EnglaÌ„d to conuert and turne the english natioÌ„ vnto the Romish ReligioÌ„ Which Austen when thorow his hipocrisy couÌ„terfait holines he had won many vnto his purpose and had obtained of king Adelbright to be Archbishop of CaÌ„terbury and primate of al England weÌ„t into Wales where hee founde manye godly lerned byshops and preachers of Goddes worde which sincerely and purelye taught the doctrine of the holy Scripture and rightlye administred the blessed sacraments according to Christes institution whom thys aforesaid Austen the Monk labored also to the vttermost of his power to allure froÌ„ the sinceritie simplicity of christs religion vnto the Romish and popish superstitioÌ„ bosting himself to be a Legate of the most holy father the Pope seÌ„t froÌ„ Rome again made ordayned the chief bishop primate of al englaÌ„d and therefore he wylled them to obey him and his doctrine and to receaue y e most holy father of Rome and his catholike Religion But the Godly and learned Fathers boldely aunswered that they were alredy true ChristiaÌ„s and according to christs doctrine they gouerned theire Churches therefore they would neither obey him nor submit themselues to the aucthoritie of y t straunge Romishe Bishop nor yet receiue his supersticious ceremonies but continue as heretofore they had done in the simplicitie of Christes religion By this meanes this Monke Austen was compelled to depart his expectation not satisfied Notwithstanding this monstrous Monk afterward fouÌ„d the meanes such is the charitie of the bloudy papists greatly to annoy these Godly and lerned fathers bicause they would not obey his wicked deuilishe request For he complained to Kinge Adelbright that the Britaines called otherwise Welshmen woulde neither obey him nor anye man but onely the Archbishop of Carlion Which thinge when the King heard he was greatly moued and threatned to destroy them al writing to Elfride king of NorthuÌ„berland that he should come to him w t al the power that he might make and that he would meete him at Leiciter froÌ„ thence they would go into Wales and there destroye the Archebishop of Carlion and all those that had refused to obey Austen and his doctrine When the Godly fathers hearde of this and that the two kings with their armies approched to the ende for to destroy them they sent vnto the kings certaine holy and vertuous meÌ„ which went barefoote woolwarde with all humilitie meekenes desiring theÌ„â—tâ— cease froÌ„ so vngodly an enterprise But the kings were so sterne so wicked y t they woulde not once speake to those holy meÌ„ but slew them straightwaies euery one They spared them no more alas for sorow than the wolfe doth y e sheepe but cruelly and vniustlye murthered those saints of God so that thei were all martired y t came vnto theim being in numbre fiue hundred forty And from thence those kinges went vnto GaÌ„gor for to slea all y e Britanes that they might fynde But when the Britanes heard of it they assembled prepared theÌ„selues with all their power to fyghte with those kinges for the defence of their countreye and for the mayntaynaunce of Christen religion so that in that battell king Adelbright was slaine by y e iust iudgement of god and kyng Elfride was sore wounded and compelled moste cowardly to flye theyr whole armye also being vtterly discomfited wel nigh al slayne They that remayned toke them to their fete and fled so that by this meanes God gaue his seruaunts a glorious victorie ouer the popyshe enemyes Ex Chron. Angl. Such end O Lord geue thou to all thine enemyes that of malice and without repeÌ„taunce persecute thy seruauntes for the testimony of thy truth that the kingdome of Antichrist and y e pope vtterly subuerted thou maiest be knowen to be the alone Lorde and thy worde to be the alone veritie Of the Popes election POpe Nicolas the fyrst made a decree that if any maÌ„ would thrust himself into the sea of S. Peter not being chosen thereunto by such as ar appoynted for the electioÌ„ of the pope y e same shuld be iudged not Apostolicus but Apostaticus 49. Dist. Cap. Si quis Apostolice sedi Anno. 871. Pope Hadriane the first made a law that no lay persons should presume to entermedle with the election of y e pope 63. Dist. Cap â–ª Nullus laicorum An. 796. Pope Boniface the second made a decree that in the election of the pope the Clergye should be deuided from the coÌ„mon people In the yeare c. 529. Albertus Krempt Pope Leo the eyght ordayned that none should be admitted pope without the consent of the Emperor In y e yere c. 962.63 Dist â–ª Cap. In Synodo Chron. Pope Adriane the third was of such and so lustye courage that contrary to the order tofore vsed he made a decree that from henceforth the Emperours should
windes to cease they driue away also al wicked spirites and deuills Ration di off Pope Vitalian brought in Organs to make the people merye In the yeare of oure Lorde 653. Chronic. Volat. Platina c. Pope Sixtus the seconde ordayned fyrst of al that the Supper of the Lord shuld be celebrated at an altare which before was not the vse For the holy mysteryes of the Lordes bodye and bloude vntill that time was ministred vpon a table according to the practyse of Christ of hys Apostles and of y e primatiue Church And here may all men see from whence the popyshe altares come for the which the stubborne sturdye stoute papistes doe so stoutly striue Aboute the yeare of oure Lord if stories bee true two hundred three score and fiue came in the altares fyrste into the Church Other affyrme that they came in aboute the yeare of our lorde 294â— But I beleue that altares came not in the Churche before the yeare of our Lorde 590. When the popishe peuyshe priuate Masses beganne fyrst to creepe in â–ª Volat. Durandus Fasciâ— Temp. Mas. Pet. Aequillinus Ioannes Stella Pope Felix the fyrst instituted the halowing of altares commaunding y t no Masse shoulde be song vpon any altare til it be halowed In the yeare c. 272. Sabell Pantal. Pope Hormisda decreed y t no altares should be set without the consent and special licence of the Metropolitane or of the Byshop of the diocesse In the yere of our Lord. 514. Chron. Ioan. Stella D Barns Pope Boniface the thyrde appoynted white linnen clothes to be layd vppon the altares In the yere c. 605. Pol. Pope Sixtus the fyrst ordayned that the corporasse clothe which the prieste vseth at hys masse shoulde be made of fine white linnen cloth In the yere c. 129. Plat. Sabell Grat. D Barnes Pantal. The same Pope also ordayned that laye men but specially laye women shoulde not once touche the ornamentes of the Church as copes vestments altare clothes c nor the halowed vessell as Chalice Pixe Crosse Chrismatorye Sensers Candlestickes c. Plat. Sabell Pope Stephen the fyrst made a decre y t a priest in hys diuine seruice shoulde vse none other but halowed garments In the yeare c. 261. Sabell Pope Adriane the fyrst being bishop of Rome there was a synode or councell holden at Franckforde in y â— which it was decreed that whosoeuer doth any seruice in the Churche he shoulde weare a surples vpon hys backe in seruice tyme and no man to goe in hys common apparel withoute a surples no not so muche as the sexten or Belringer In the yeare of our Lord. 796. Christ. Massaeus Pope Siluester the fyrst coÌ„maunded that the priest at his masse shuld weare no silke nor any coloured clothing but a white linnen Albe only For Christ sayeth he was buryed in a fyne white linnen cloth In the yeare c 315. Grat. Plat. Ioan. Stella D. Barns Pope Zepherinus commaunded chalices of glasse to bee vsed in the ministration of the Lordes Supper In the yere c. 208. For before that tyme the sacrament of the holy signe of Christs bloude was ministred in cuppes made of woode accordyng to y e vse of Christ of his apostles of y e primatiue church Petrus de nat Plat. Math. Pal. Pantal. Pope Vrban the fyrst ordayned afterward that the chalices should be made eyther of siluer or of golde or of tinne In the yeare of our Lord .222 Platina Grat. Pol. Bergom The saying of Byshop Boniface concerning chalices and byshops is very notable and aunswereth iustly to our tyme. Olim inquit Episcopi aurei ligneiâ— vtebantur calicibus nunc vero lignei Episcopi calicibus vtuntur aureis In times paste sayth he Golden byshops vsed wodden chalices but now wodden bishops vse golden chalices Pope Leo the second deuised y t Paxe In the yeare of our Lord. 676. Platina Pasc. Temp. Pope Innocent y e third inuented pixes and boxes for the reseruation of the sacramentall bread In the yere c. 1195. Paul Volat. Phi. Pol. Pantal. Pope Agapetus the fyrst commaunded the people to go on procession on y e Sondayes to folowe the crosse In the yere c. 533. Plat. Pal. D. Barns Pope Gregorye the fyrst broughte in banners into the churche Thys was that Gregorye whiche sente Austen the Monke into Englande to preache to the englyshe nation the fayth and doctryne of the bishop of Rome with al hys superstitious traditions counterfayte religions and such other wicked abhominations Thys Monkyshe Austen with xl Monkes moe when they arriued and came on lande in the easte side of Kent in y e Iland of Thanet entred in with a crosse with banners displayed hauing a crucifixe paynted vppon euery one of them singing the Letanye with orate pro nobis to al aungels Archangels Patriarches Prophets priestes Apostles Martirs Confessors Uirgins Monks Nunnes Heremites and finally to all he saintes and shee Saintes y t they mighte haue good lucke and well to fare in settyng forth their Romyshe religion Whiche swarme of monkes when they hadde once thorow their hipocrisy and flattering obtained of y e Kyng to inhabite at Canterbury went ioyfully forth on their iourney hauyng their crucifiâ—e crosse and banners borne before them and singing Alleluia with a lustye courage and merye voyce vntil they came to y e city where they practised al kinde of superstition as beades bidding popyshe fasting wiuelesse liuyng long laten Mattens and Masses singing Saintes reliques boastyng c. In the yeare of oure Lorde 590. Chron. Ranulphus Cestrens Pope Fabiane the fyrste deuised the Chrismatories In the yeare c. 242. Plat. Volat. D. Barns Pope Leo the thirde brought in the sensers In the yeare c. 817. Pol. Doct. Barns Pantal. Pope Alexander the fyrste as they fayne inuented the holy water with the holy water buckets and sprinckels In the yeare c. 119. Libro Concil Grat. Pol. Plat. Sabel Pope Siluester the fyrst with y e oyle brought in also the oyle pots In the yeare c. 315. Sabell Plat. Pantal. Pope Iohn the eyght made a decree that if any man dyd take awaye anye thyng once appoynted and dedicated to y e seruice of god either out of an holy or vnholy place y e same man should be counted gilty of sacrilege In the yeare of our Lorde c. 887. Quest. 17. cap. 4. Siquis Ioan. Laziard Of Images to be had in Churches PAulinus Bishop of Nola as some write was one of the firste promoters chiefe proctors to haue Images in Churches In the yeare c. CCCCL Pantal in Chronogra Pope Gregory the first ordained that Images should be had in Churches for to be laye mennes bookes but by no meanes to be worshipped nor kneled vnto In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Greg. Lib. 9. Epist. 9. Chron. Pope Gregory
If any mā do infringe break transgresse contemne and condemne this our ordinance euerlasting damnation hang ouer his head and the holy and chiefe apostles of God Peter and Paule be his enemies and immortal foes both in this world and in the world to come yea perish mought he in the lowest part of hell and so be damned for euer and euer withe the deuill and all the wicked Furthermore this Emperoure as the Romanists fayne when he hadde made this donation to the Churche of Rome plucked of the imperial crown made of moste fine golde garnished w t all kind of precious stones pearles and iewels from his own heade and set it vpon pope Siluesters pate for the reuerence y t he bare to s. Peter caused y e Romish bishop to be set vpon a costlye richely appareled palfrey to be solemnely caried aboute thorow the citie of Rome in the presence of al y e citizēs y e Emperour himself running on foote like a lacky by the Popes side holding his horses bridle in his hāde as a most vile page These thinges done y e Emperour Constantine departed from the West parts of the world which he had now giuē ouer to Pope Siluester and to his successors for euer to be s. Peters patrimony with all the priuileges emoluments commodities profites of the same and wēt himselfe into y e East partes euen vnto the citie Bizantium which being in great ruine he repared and amplified beautifying it with many noble and sumptuous buildings called it Constantinople according to his name He caried also with him almost al the noble men of the Romanes and the whole order of y e Senatours with their wiues children bicause the pope and his complices as it maye appere shuld haue elboughroume inough as few to trouble his holines as might be In the yere c. 315. Bartolomaeus Picerius de monte arduo Ioānes Laziardus Edic Constant Policronicon c. But how vayne false forged lying and counterfayte this bragging of the papistes is concerning the donation of the emperoure Constantine to the Sea of Rome and the supremacye of that Romishe bishop aboue all other bishops yea aboue Emperors Kings Princes c. diuers faythful learned expert writers do aboundantly testify Nicolaus de causa Laurentius Valla Antoninus Archiep. Florent Volateranus Hieronimus Paulus Cathalanus Albertus Crantzius Huldrichus Huttenus c. But this is the properti of the papists alwaies to father theyr lies theyr idle inuentions theyre drowsye dreames theyr croked constitutions theyr diuelish decrees c. Upon such as liued manye yeares before and vpon suche as were mē in theyr dayes of great learning and vertue that by this meanes theyr trifeling traditions might seme to be of the greter autority in the eies of the simple and vnlearned people so althoughe plaine erroures yet at y e last thorow the colour of antiquity be receiued for moste manifest verities vndoubted truthes Notwithstāding this must we nedes cōfesse which thīg the histories doe also testify that after y e church of Rome was endowed with temporal possessiōs it was euer after more studiouse of y e world thā of god of secular businesse thā of spiritual excercises of outward pomp pride ▪ thā of inward deuotiō christen holines of making their owne traditions and degrees than of setting forth gods holy commaundements lawes of enriching themselues than of edifyinge the flock of Christ so that not without a cause it is written y t what time the Church receaued temporal possessions y e olde enemy cried with a loude voice in y e ayer This daye is poison shed forth into the Church of Christ. Therfore saint Ierome in vitas patrum saith Sithens that holye Church encreased in possessiōs it hath decreased in vertues according to this cōmon saying Religio peperit diuitias Filia deuorauit matrē y t is to say Religion brought forth richesse the daughter hath deuoured the Mother Polichron Moreouer the Papistes fayne that the aforesaid Siluester being Byshop of Rome the councell of Nice gaue thys priuilege to the Byshop of Rome that he should be aboue all other Byshops as y e emperour is aboue al other kings and that he should be called Pope that is to say the chiefe father or the father of fathers But this is so false that nothing can be more contrary to y e truth For in the councel of Nice which was celebrate by the commaundemente of Constantine the Emperour in y e yeare of oure Lorde .iii. C.xxiiii where also wer present and gathered together .iii. C. xviii Bishops and holy fathers it was determined that the Byshops of Alexandria Antiochia and vniuersally all other primates should haue al the gouernance preheminence of al y e countryes that were nere vnto them as y e byshop of Rome had in Italy c. We will say they y t the old custome and manner shal continue in Egipte Libie and Pentapali which is that y e Bishop of Alexandria shal haue gouernaunce and rule ouer all these for tha◠there is a lyke custome for y e Byshop of Rome In like manner we wil that at Antioche other prouinces euery one shal haue their due honour Moreouer when Faustinus Legate to the byshop of Rome alleaged in y e sixte councell Cartaginense that the bishop of Rome ought to haue the ordering of al great matters in al places by his supreme authoritie he alleaged no scripture for him for at that tyme no scripture was thought to make for it but he alleaged vntruely the fyrst general councell Nicene in whiche Arrius the heretyke was condemned to make for that purpose Which after y e boke was brought forth no suche article found in it but the contrary yet the councel at that tyme sent to Constantinople Alexandria and Antioche where y e Patriarchall Sees were to haue the true copy of y e Councell Nicene which was sent vnto them also frō Rome whether thei sent also for that purpose And after they found no suche article in it but in the fyrst chapter therof the contrary that al causes ecclesiastical shuld eyther be determined within y e diocesse or els if any wer greued thē to appeale to the Councell prouinciall and there the matter to take full end so that for no such causes men shoulde goe out of there prouince y e whole councell Cartaginense wrote to Celestine at y e tyme being Byshop of Rome that since the councell Nicene had no such article in it as was vntruely alleaged by Faustinus but the contrary they desired hym to abstayne after to make any more such demaunde denouncing vnto him that they woulde not suffer any cause great or smal to be brought by appeale out of their countrey therupon made a lawe that no man shuld appeale out of the countrey of Aphricke vpō paine to be denounced accursed Wherewith the
custome ought to geue place to the opeÌ„ truth Let no maÌ„ preferre custome before reason truth for reason and truth doth alwayes put custome to silence We must heare and do that saith Saint Cyprian that Christ hath done that he hath also coÌ„maunded to be done seing that he sayeth in his Gospell If ye do those thynges that I commaunde you I will call you no more seruauntes but frendes And that Christ alone ought to he heard the father euen from heauen testifieth saying This is my welbeloued son in whom I haue greate delight heare ye hym Wherefore if Christ alone is to be hearde we ought not to atteÌ„d marke and take hede what any maÌ„ that hath bene before vs thought good to be done but what he did which is before al that is to say Christ. Agayn he saith We may not follow the custome of man but the truth of God seyng that God speaketh by the Prophet Esay sayth They worship me in vaine teaching the commaundementes and doctrines of men Doth not God in his holy worde coÌ„mauÌ„d his people the Israelites that they should not follow the customes neither of the Egyptians nor of the Cananites but rather walke in his ordinaunces fulfill his lawes and statutes Is not this Gods precept Followe not the multitude to do euill Again do not ye those thynges whiche they haue done that were before you neither be ye defiled in them As the custome is not to be reiected but receaued that is agreable to the truth of Gods worde so lykewise is that custome not to be receaued but reiected y t dissenteth from the veretie of Gods pure religion Forasmuch therfore as the greatest parte of the old customes that be frequeÌ„ted vsed in the popes Church are wicked vngodly manifestly directly coÌ„trary to the worde of God the obiectioÌ„ that our Papistes make in this behalfe is nothing worth neitheer ought it to be vnto theÌ„ any let to hinder them froÌ„ commynge vnto the vndeceueable truth of Gods worde Some also to defeÌ„d their errours heresies maintaine their obstinate blindnesse and blind obstinacie allege for their defence the auncient writers and Doctors of Christes Churche affirming that their doctrine dissenteth greatlye from oures therfore worthy to be hyssed out hated abhorred detested of Gods Church I aunswere If they vnderstand by the auncient writers Doctors of Christs Church Duns Dorbel Thomas Tartaret Biel Brulefer Barnard Bonauenture Petrus de Palude Petrus de Luna Ioannes Capredli Ioannes Holkot Albert Magnus Augustinus de Ancona with Occam Gerson Durande Petrus de Alico Alaâ—us Herugus Auredlus Ataxanê° Pelbertus Carâ—esius Michael Lochmeir Iacobus de valentia to many such like then we geue theÌ„ ouer and conseÌ„t vnto theÌ„ seyng that these many hâ—â—dreds moe were the popes sworne chaplaynes making him with their fophistrie a God his couÌ„terfaite Religion true Godlynesse But if they meane those auÌ„cient writers Doctors of Christs Church which were before the days of Gregorius Magnus byshop of Rome theÌ„ we freely coÌ„fesse that whether they take the Doctors of the Greke or Latin Church they make very little or nothyng for theÌ„ for the maintenaunce of their poperie so altogether vnknoweÌ„ to theÌ„ was the supersticion Idolatry whiche is now commoÌ„ly vsed in the popish Churches although I muste nedes confesse that there is none among the auncieÌ„t writers that hath not his errours his ouersights his faultes that y â— may be found true which is writteÌ„ God alone is true but euerye man is a lyar But let it be graunted that there were found in the old writers as who sometime slydeth not Accordyng to the common prouerbe AliquaÌ„do bonus dormitat Homeruâ— That might seme at the firste blush to confirme stablish to proue approue any part of the popes religious religion is the matter therfore cocke sure But the olde writers Catholike Doctors require no such reuereÌ„ce to be shewed nor no such credit to be geuen to their writings as though they could not erre which coÌ„fesse theÌ„selues to erre as their auÌ„cestoures haue done before theÌ„ will that nothing should be credited as an vndoubted veritie but only the sacred scriptures whose authoritie to resiste of whose veritie to doubt they alwayes counted a great offence Are not these the wordes of Saint Ambrose We vtterly coÌ„deÌ„ne al new things that christ hath not taught for Christ is the way to the faithfull If Christ â—herefore haue not taught that whiche we do teache euen we our selues iudge it detestable and abhominable Are not these the words also of the auÌ„cieÌ„t Greke writer Origene We must nedes allege the holye Scriptures for a witnesse For our vnderstandinges and expositions without these witnesses are not to be credited nor beleued S. Hierome calleth it garrulitie or pratling whatsoeuer is taught without the authoritie of the holy Scriptures Theophilacte feared not to saye that they whiche bring in any thing into the Church of Christ besides the doctrine of the Apostles bring in slaunders and heresies dissensions Here se we in what estimation the auncient Doctors desyre theyr writtings to be had Uerely so farre to be credited and receaued as they agree with the word of God If they in any point dissent from that then not to be receaued but to be reiected not approued but reproued so farre is it of that they would haue their workes to be the patroÌ„s and defenders of wycked doctrine idolatry superstition c. Some againe pretende an excuse of theyr obstinacie the forefathers which liued before our daies They say they neuer receaued this doctrine neuer beleued as we are taught c. And yet we doubt not they are saued I aunswere If they speake of the forefathers whiche liued of late yeares in the tymes of ignoraÌ„cie blindnesse in the dayes of Papistrie and false Religion I graunt that they neuer receaued so purely the doctrine of Christes Gospell as we do at this present as people seduced from the way of truth thorow the suttle persuasions and craftye reasons of the fleshely hipocrites and filthy Papistes while they wrapped them in al kinde of blindnesse to the ende that they might see no truth in a manner but seke theyr saluation at theyr handes at theyr prayers fastes masses c. and by this meanes be made the very slaues and captiues of these spirituall Sorcerers although I must nedes coÌ„fesse that they agreed with vs and we with them in the principal articles of the Christen Religion albeit farre out of the way from the true vnderstanding of theÌ„ For they knew not the office of Christ nor vnto what ende God the father sent him into this worlde and therfore went they about on begging for their saluatioÌ„ to this creature and that creature to this Saint and that Saint to this blocke and that stocke to this pardon
we kylled al the day lōg and are counted as shepe appointed to be slayne As I may among many touche one Ecclesiastical history What shall I speake of the vnhappye time of that most vnhappy and wicked heritike Arrius Although the Fathers of the councell Nicene did iudge truly rightly according to the doctrine of the holy Scripture of the true euerlasting diuinitie or Godhead of Christ the Sonne of God Yet not long after that wicked heresie of Arrius dyd so preuaile and take roote in the heartes of men that it was not receaued only in one realme or two but also Pope Liberius Bishop of Rome with the Emperoure and all the East parte of the world admitted that most damnable heresie to be most sounde and wholesome doctrine persecuting most cruelly al such as defended the cōtrary whereof was a very little number as Athanasius Paulinus and verye fewe other Byshops whiche by no meanes would geue place to so great furour and madnesse although most miserably entreated In a Councell also holden at Nice a great nūber of Byshops with other gathered there together consented to disanull and put away the mariage of Priestes or spirituall ministers contrary to the practise of gods Churche from the begynning and contrary to the doctrine of the holy ghost which saith Wedlocke is honourable among all men and the bed vndefiled for what purpose I knowe not nor with what reasōs persuaded am I able to say Notwithstanding the holy and blessed Confessour Pahnutius although vnmaried withstood them all and by no meanes would consent vnto theyr entreprise and deuise but franckely and freely confessed that the mariage of Ministers is honourable and that it is chastitie for a man to lye with his owne wyfe By thys meanes he persuaded the councel that they proceded no further in this matter but sette euerye man at hys lyberty to marrye or not to marrye Whoe seeth not nowe howe foolyshe a thynge it is and muche vnworthye a Christen man to leane to the multitude whiche for the moste parte is nothynge elles than a beaste of manye heades Seyng we haue euidentlye shewed that the greater parte in matters that appertayne to Christes Religion is alwayes the worsest parte and the lesser parte dothe more earnestlye embrace the truthe of Gods worde so that not withoute a cause Christ calleth his people a litle flocke ▪ Feare not ye lyttle flocke sayeth Christe for it hath pleased my father to geue you a kyngdome Thys therefore is a vayne obiection of the aduersaries to saye We haue the greater number on our syde therefore haue we the truth on our syde For the deuill the worlde and the fleshe haue a greater company attendyng vpon them than Christe hath vpon hym seyng that the greatest parte of this worlde rather embraceth thinges present than with ioye looketh for thinges to come Finallye some can by no meanes fynde in their hearte to approue and allowe that present state of Religion whiche is nowe receaued among vs bicause it greatlye differeth saye they from the old◠and accustomed order It is demaunded in what points It is answered In these Fyrste The Byshop of Rome is not knowledged and receaued anye more to be Supreme head of the vniuersall Churche of Christe I aunswere We knowe no Supreme head of the Churche by the worde of God but Christ alone and vnder Christe euery Prince in hys owne Realme Secondly The Sacrament is receaued vnder both kyndes I aunswere So hath Christe commaunded saying Drinke of this all ye Also the Apostle so oft as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of the cup c. Thyrdly The seruice and publique prayer is done in the tēples no more in the latin tong as heretofore but in the common and Englishe speache I answere So hath the custome bene from the beginning in the Church of Christ in al places and is so vsed at this present generally wheresoeuer the Byshop of Rome hath no authoritie And God by his holy Apostle commaundeth vs that in our congregations all thinges should be done to edifie approuing and allowing rather fiue wordes so spokē that they may be vnderstanded than ten thousand otherwise Fourthly All the laudable ceremonies are neglected and set a side as the halowing of salt water bread candles palmes fire ashes c. I aunswere All these are the triflyng traditions of men and haue bene the cause of much Idolatrye and superstition And it is written They worship me in vaine teaching doctrines which are the commaundementes of men Item God is a spirite they that worship hym must worship him in spirite and truth Fiftly Purgatory is denied I answere we know none other purgatorye for the soule but the precious bloud of our Lorde and Sauiour Christe Iesu as it is writtē The bloud of Iesus Christ gods sonne maketh vs cleane frō all sinne Sixtly The Sacrifice of the Masse is vtterly reiected and caste awaye as a pestilence moste hurtfull blasphemous and iniurious to the passion and death of Christ ▪ I answere The word of God teacheth vs in all places that there is no sacrifice for sinne but the death of Christ alone But Christ dreth no more Therfore is there no more sacrifice offered vp for sinne With one only oblation sayth the Apostle hath Christ that euerlasting Byshop made perfecte for euer them that are sanctified Agayn we are sanctified made holye by the offeryng vp of the bodye of Iesu Christ done once for al. Seuenthly The inuocation and intercessiō of Saintes is cleane omitted and left I answere God alone is to be called vpon as he himselfe ▪ commaundeth saying Call on me in the tyme of trouble and I will deliuer thee We knowe by the worde of God no Mediatour no Intercessour but Christ alone as it is written There is one God one Mediatour he sayth not many Mediatoures betwene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ whiche gaue himselfe a raunsome for all men Againe if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the father he sayth not Aduocates Iesus Christe the righteous one And he it is that obtayneth mercy for our sinnes not for our sinnes onely but also for all the worlde Item Christ is on the right hād of God and maketh intercession for vs. He saith not Saintes make intercession for vs. And our sauiour Christ him self sayth Whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he sayth not in the names of the saītes he will geue it you Eyghtly The article of trāssubstantiation is reiected and cast awaye as an errour or heresie I answere The holy Scripture knoweth no suche article neither haue the holy old fathers euer taught or left writtē such doctrine behinde them It is a new and late inuention brought in by the Pope and his adherentes Saint Paule calleth the Sacramentall bread ▪ not onely bread before the consecration but also after the consecration And our Sauiour Christ calleth
spirite and they that worship hym muste worship hym in spirite and in truth Whatsoeuer is song or said with the mouth so that it brasteth out from the affection of the mynde we affirme to be not only tollerable but also commendable yea pleasaunt and acceptable to God as Dauid sayth I will geue alwayes thankes vnto the Lorde hys prayse shall euer be in my mouth My soule shall make her boaste in the Lorde the humble shall heare therof and be glad O prayse the Lorde with me and let vs prayse hys name together c. O be ioyfull in God all ye landes synge prayses vnto the honoure of hys name make his prayse to be glorious And the Apostle sayeth I will synge with the breath I will sing with the minde I will pray with y e breath I will praye with the minde If the mouth the mynde if the breath the heart if the lippes the spirit go together either in singing or saying It is a most acceptable melody to God highly to be praysed of al good godly meÌ„ This kynde of prayer is greatly coÌ„mended of the people of God as coÌ„trary wise prayer without the affection of the hearte is rather to be reproued than approued refused than receaued condemned than commended Eyghrenthly The holye dayes and solemne feastes whiche of oure Elders were obserued and kepte with hye deuotion and greate reuerence are nowe a dayes neglected and set nought by I aunswere We are free from the obseruation of dayes The Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth Therfore is the Sonne of man Lord also of the Sabboth A Christen mans Sabboth is euery day and endureth the whole tyme of hys life which is to reste from euill to cease to do hys owne will and to obeye the holy lawe and commaundement of GOD. We are no more tyed and bounde to the obseruation and kepynge of the Iewyshe Sabbothes from the whiche we are made free by Christe the true lyghte whose comming in the flesh expelled all the darke shadowes of Moses lawe as the Apostle sayth Let no man trouble your conscience aboute meate and drinke or for a pece of an holy daye or of the newe Moone or of the Sabboth dayes whiche are shadowes of thynges to come but the body is in Christe Let no man make you shote at a wronge marke c. Suche as yet sticke and abyde in the outwarde obseruation of dayes tymes and meates the Apostle reproueth on thys manner and sayth Now after that ye haue knowen GOD yea rather are knowen of God howe is it that ye turne agayne vnto the weake and beggarlye ordinaunces whereunto agayne ye desyre a freshe to be in bondage Ye obserue monethes and dayes and tymes and yeares I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vayne Agayne If ye be dead with Christ from the ordinaunces of the worlde why as though ye yet liued in the worlde are ye led with traditions Touche not taste not handle not â–ª whiche all perish thorowe the very abuse after the commaundementes and doctrines of men We graunte and confesse that we haue put downe yea and that worthely certayne supersticious Idolatrous holy dayes as the feasts of Thomas Becket that trayterous Rebell of Dunstone that wicked Nichromancer of Austen that superstitious and Popish Monke with such like notwithstanding the SoÌ„dayes and all such feastes as be grounded in the word of God bringyng vnto our remembraunce the actes of Christ and of his Saintes we not supersticiously but freely and religiously obserue and kepe accordyng to the libertie whiche is geuen vs in the Gospell by Christ. Other matters there are wherin the Papystes finde great faulte with the Protestantes whiche may be answered as easely as we haue done these aforesaid For we haue rehearsed the chief principall of what force strength they be who seeth not But forasmuche as they make the simple and ignoraunt people beleue that if these thinges be taken away the whole Religion of Christ falleth downe and vtterlye perisheth the people being persuaded that they are not tryfling traditions of meÌ„ but the graue and weyghtie ordinaunces of God And that therfore as an other Atlas they with their shulders holde vp the olde and auncient Catholyke Religion whiche otherwise would fall to ruine and vtter decay I pitieng and much lamenting the miserable state of the simple blinde and ignoraunt Christians so wretchedly seduced thorowe the suttle and craftye persuasions of these most suttle and craftye hypocrites which being in deede greuous and rauenyng wolues clothe themselues with shepes apparell that they may the easelier make a rauine and spoyle of the Christen flocke I haue thought good to declare and shewe out of Chronicles and Hystories who were the Authors and inuentours of all these tryfling tradicions drowsie dreames and idle inuentions whiche heretofore haue bene counted for true Religion and Gods seruice Agayne at what tyme or yeare of our Lorde euery one of their beggarly ceremonyes were thruste into the Churche that by thys meanes suche as will open their eyes and no more be obstinatly blynde may easely perceaue and see how wickedly the wicked and Popish hypocrites haue in tymes past seduced and receaued the simple poore Christians while they haue made them beleue that whatsoeuer is done in their Churche is diuine seruice and God is hyghlye pleased therwith contrarye to thys saying of Christe They worship me in vayne teaching doctrines whiche are the commaundementes of men and that to leaue these thinges vndone is deadly sinne and worthye great punishement A Priest to rede the Gospell at Masse without candle lyght to receaue the Sacramentall wine without minglyng of water to say Masse abrode without a Superâ—ltare Againe the Lay man to come vnto the Lordes table without shrifte and absolution at the Priests hand not to beare a candle on Candlemasse daye not to take ashes in Lent not to beare Palmes on Palme Sonday not to crepe to the crosse on good Fridaye not to abstayne from fleshe on Fridayes other fasting dayes with a thousand such like was counted a greater offence among the Papistes than to transgresse and breake any of the commaundements of God It may worthily be sayd to them as Christe sayde to the Pharesees and Scribes Well Prophecied Esay of you hypocrites as it is written This people honoureth me with their lippes but their hearte is farre fro me Howbeit in vayne do they serue me teaching the doctrines and commaundementes of men For ye lay the coÌ„maundements of God a part and obserue the constitutions of men c. Ye cast aside the commaundement of God to maintaine your owne constitutions There is almost no constitutions no decree no ceremonye no Papisticall secte nor any other tradition appertaining to Churche ware and Romishe religion whiche I haue not both diligently and painefully sought out of Chronicle writers
will number them amonge suche as are borne onelye to consume the good frutes of the earth Partelye that other seyng thys my trauaile dedicate to youre Lordeshippe maye be the more allured and prouoked vnto the readyng of this treatise and so at the laste learne to discerne good from euill sweete from soure light from darkenesse truth from falshode Religion from superstition Christe from Antichrist God from Baal c. and from hence forth serue the Lorde oure GOD not as blynde reason fantasieth and filthy fleshe imagineth but as Goddes worde preâ—cribeth that is to saye in holynesse and ryghteousnesse all the dayes of oure lyfe that after the shorte pilgrimage of this oure frayle lyfe we maye attayne and come vnto that blessed immortall life where he reygneth whiche is the true and perfecte lyfe namelye Christe Iesus the Sonne of the lyuing GOD as concernyng hys Godhead and the Sonne of the blessed Uirgine Marye as touchyng hys manhoode our alone Sauioure and Redemer oure alone Mediatoure and Aduocate oure alone Lawful filleâ— and peace maker our alone health and eternall felicitye in whome and from whome I wishe vnto your honourable Lordeshippe all good thynges both of body and mynde Amen From Cauntorbury the sixte of Iune In the yeare of oure Lorde 1563. Septemb. 30. The Reliques of Rome Of the Pope and of his vsurped power and fayned authoritie POpe Boniface the third thorowe great and earnest sute although many good and Godly learned men resisted hym in thys behalfe vtterly condemning this his ambition and Luciferlike pride in exalting and lifting vp himselfe aboue his fellowe Byshops and chalenging vnto hym y t Supremacie and authoritie which the holy Scripture in no place geueth him neither had any of his predecessours y e Byshops of Rome tofore enioyed the same nor once desyred it but rather both written and spoken against such vsurped power as we may see in the writings of Pope Gregorye the fyrste against Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople whiche attempted the lyke wicked enterprise but was resisted to Phocas the Emperour at the last obtayned of hym that he and his successours for euer after should be taken for y e chiefe byshop and supreme head of the vniuersall Church of Christ throughoute the worlde and y t the Church of Rome from that daye foreward should be called and so admitted and receaued the chiefe and principall head Church of y e whole world Againe that the Church of Rome should be in subiectioÌ„ to none other Church but that al Churches vniuersall shuld be obedient and in subiection vnto it For vntil that time the Church of Constantinople was counted the highest and of greatest authoritie bicause of the imperial see in that city This thing was brought to passe about the yeare of our Lord .vi. C.vii. Flatina Christianus Massaeus Henricus Pantaleon Paulus Diaâ—onus Anselmus Rid. Polichronicon Albertus Krantz Abbas vrspergeÌ„sis Hermannus Contractus c This Phocas as histories make meÌ„tion was a great and cruell tyraunt by force violence obtayned the Empyre And that he myght the more quietlye enioye it he wrought not onely treason against his Lord and Maister that was Emperour before him called Mauritius a maÌ„ both noble vertuous but he also most shamefully and traytorously slewe hym not onely him but al his children also y t none of his flocke might lyue to make any clayme to the Emperiall Crowne after him A Tyraunt mete to set vp the tiranny of the Byshop of Rome contrary to y e worde of God and the determination of the auncient Cannons But thys trayterous murtherer receaued a iuste reward of thys his tirannye For as he vniustlye slewe so was he most iustly slayne As he deposed his Lord and Master so was he deposed put down As he against al right toke away the Empire froÌ„ his Lord so was it againe taken a way from him As he suffered none of his masters children to liue so dyed he without childreÌ„ one doughter only excepted Loke with what measure he mette vnto his lorde and master with the same was he paid home again sauing that his death was more vilanous and shameful than the death of his master For thys tyraunte after he had reygned certayne yeares had fyrst of all his handes and his feete cut of afterward bicause he had bene a famous and notable adulterer his priuy membres with his heade were cut of also As for the residue of his bodye was burnt to ashes An ende worthye such a tirant Zonaras Paulus Vuarnefridus Ioannes Monachus Paulus Diaconus Ioannes Cuspinianus Sebastianus Frank. Pope Benet the seconde obtayned of the Emperour Constantine that the Bishop of Rome for euer after should be taken of all men for Christes true vicar in earth and saint Peters lawful successor This Pope also broughte it to passe that the bishop of Rome only should be called Pope that is to say the father of fathers For before that time all Bishoppes generallye were called Popes it maye be gathered of diuerse writers In the yere of oure Lorde siâ—e hundred .lxvii. Anselmus Ryd Achilles Perminius Sebastianus Franck. c. Pope Vigilius as they fayne made a decree with the consente of his adherents that the Sea of Rome shoulde be taken for the head and maistresse of al churches thorowout the worlde In the yere c. v. C. xxxv according to the doctrine of these two verses Dogmate papali datur simul ac imperiali vt sim cunctarum mater caput ecclesiaruÌ„ That same decree also made Pope Simplicius as they write in the yere of our Lorde 471. Moreouer the papistes go forth and say that when Pope Siluester was Bishop of Rome Constantine the Emperour did exalte and aduance the Sea of Rome that he gaue vnto it not only an ecclesiasticall but also an Imperiall power appoynting the church of Rome to be the chief church through out y e world to haue autority rule preeminence no lesse ouer those foure principall Churches Antioch Alexandria CoÌ„stantinople and HierusaleÌ„ than ouer al other churches coÌ„tayned vnder the heauens Agayn y t the bishop of Rome should be higher of greter autority than al the bishops and priests of the whole worlde and y t whatsoeuer should be determined concerning matters of religion shuld depend only vpon the popes iugement eyther to be receiued or to be reiected He appointed also as the papistes go forth to lye that the pope should haue fre liberty to weare the apparel either of an emperoure or of a byshop at his pleasure and that he shoulde haue all manner of officers to attend vpon as the Emperours maiesty hath Moreouer the aforesaid Emperor Constantine gaue to Pope Siluester and to his such cessors the city of Rome and al Italye withe the prouinces places and cities of all the weast parts to be S. Peters patrimony for euer addeth furthermore these words
of Aungels Martyrs virgins saints yea and of Christ and burnt them in the opeÌ„ market made a law that whosoeuer resisted his procedinges in this behalfe he should suffer death In the yeare of our Lord. 784 Blondus Eutropius Platin. Matth. Palmeâ—us c. Constantine the Emperour kept a couÌ„cell at Constantinople in the which were present a greate number of godly Bishops and other learned men where it was lykewyse decreed that Images should be cast out of Churches and by no meanes be suffred in such places as christen men resorte vnto for to praye vnto their Lorde God In the yere c. 739 Sigesb P. Aemilus Pantal. The noble and Godly Emperours Valens and Theodosius made a law that no man shoulde make or cause to bee made any Image of oure Sauioure Christ neyther by paynting nor by grauyng nor yet by any other waye but that wheresoeuer any such Image shoulde bee found it shoulde vtterlye bee taken awaye and destroyed And whosoeuer woulde attempte to doe contrarye to thys theyr acte they appoynted certayne greuous punyshementes to be executed vpon the transgressoures and breakers thereof as a lawe grounded both vpon the worde of God and vppon the decrees and constitutions of the most worthy aunciente Emperours and reuerende byshops Petrus Crinitus Lib. 9. de honestae disciplina Sabanus King of y e Bulgarians made also the lyke lawe in hys Realme for y e abolyshmente of Images oute of the Churches In the yeare of our Lorde 765. Sabell Mass. Pantal. Philip y e Emperour likewise made a straight lawe for the abolishyng of Images In the yeare of our Lorde 730. Sabel Paulus Diaconus The noble Emperoure Adrian commaunded y t there shuld be no Images set vp in temples or Churches Ioan. Laziardus Calcobertus King of England destroyed in hys Realme when he receaued the faith of Christ all the Idolls poppettes Maumettes and Images that he founde or coulde come by In the yeare of oure Lord. 640. Ioan. Laziard â–ª Vincentius Pope Gregory the fyrst after that he was appoynted Byshop of Rome coÌ„maunded that all the Idolles and Images of the Heathen should vtterlye be defaced theyr heades cutte of and theyr other members in all poyntes mangled and disgraced and so in fine destroyed that no occasion of Idolatry mighte afterwarde be geuen In the yeare of our Lorde 590. Ioan. Laziard Chronica Pope Constantine the second whom the seditious tirannicall and superstitious papistes did afterward violently depose cruelly thrust into a monastery as into a vyle and stincking prison and most vnmercifully put oute hys eyes commaunded that no Christian shuld worship any Image eyther of God or of any Saint or inuocate or call vpon the Uirgine Marye or any other saint in heauen with their prayers but worship God in spirite and truth and call vpoÌ„ his glorious name thorow Iesus Christ our alone Mediatour Aduocate and Intercessoure In the yere c. 769. Ioan. Laziard The Councel Agathense made a decree that there shoulde be no pictures in Churches and that no thyng should be painted on the walles of Churches that is honoured and worshipped In the yeare of oure Lorde 440. Libro Concil Durand The Councell Toletane the twelfth holden in Spayne made constitutions both agaynst Images and agaynst the worshippers of images In the yere c. 712. Chron. Concil The Councell Elibertine likewise holden in Spayne decreed that all pictures should be had out of churches and that nothyng that is honoured or worshipped shoulde be paynted on the church walles In the yeare c. 345. Isidorus Tom. 1. Concil The holy Byshop Epiphanius commyng into a churche to praye sawe a vayle there haÌ„ging wherin was paynted y e image of Christ or of some saint So sone as he saw it he cutte y e Image away and sayd that it is contrarye to the authoritye of the holy scriptures to haue the Image of any man in the Churche of Christ. In the yere of oure Lord. 565. S. Hieronymus Chron. Thys Epystle which the aforesaid holy and godly learned Byshop Epiphanius wrote of thys matter vnto Iohn Byshop of Ierusalem in the Greke toung and Sainte Hierome translated into Latyn and the words are these in Englishe WHen we went forth together vnto the holye place whiche is called Bethel y t we shuld make there a collectioÌ„ for the poore accordyng to the custome of Christs Church came vnto a village which is called Anablatha and as I passed by sawe there a candle burning I demaunded what place it was And when I had learned that it was a Churche I entred into it for to praye where I found a vayle hanging on the dore of the same church dyed paynted and hauing an Image as it were of Christ or of some saint For I do not well remember whose Image it was Therefore when I sawe thys in the church of Christ contrary to the authority of the scriptures that the Image of a man did hang there I cutte it away and gaue rather couÌ„cell to the kepers of y e same place that thei shuld lappe and burye some poore dead man in it But they murmured at the matter and said If he wuld cutte it it wer conuenient that he shoulde geue an other vayle in the steade of the other Which thing wheÌ„ I heard I promised y t I would geue theÌ„ one send it vnto them out of hand But while I sought to send a good vaile for y e other I haue made some delay in the matter For I thought I shuld haue had one sent vnto me froÌ„ Cyprus But now haue I sent such as I could gette and I pray thee y t thou wilt commaunde the priests of the same place to receaue the vayle of the bringer y t we haue sente to geue commaundement y t froÌ„ henceforth no such vayles be hanged vp in y e church of Christ as be contrary to our religion Here thys most Godly byshop with manyfest playne and euident wordes pronounceth and declareth that it is agaynst the holy scripture our religioÌ„ that the Image of Christ shuld be had in the temples of the Christians so far is it of that the Images of any saints ought to be placed in theÌ„ Hereof maye we easely gather that S Hierome also and all the other godly Byshoppes whiche were both before and in hys tyme dyd agree in thys poynte with Epiphanius that the Images of Christe and of the Saintes are by no meanes to bee suffered in the Churches of the Christians For in the tyme of Saint Hierome and certayn yeres after him we do not reade that any Byshop beeing of a sounde and perfect iudgement coulde euer abyde that images should be placed in the temples of such as professe Christ. The Godlye learned Byshop S. Athanasius proueth euidentlye agaynste all Imagemongers that men maye learne to knowe God better by liuyng creatures whether they be
reasonable or vnreasonable than by deade carued stockes and stones Athanasius aduersus gentes The great auncient clarke Lactantius sayth y t God can not be truly worshipped in that place wherin an image is â–ª Lib de orig Erroris 2. Cap. 19. Agayne he sayeth If your Saintes if the holy Mother of Christ be in heauen whye do ye not lyft vp your eyes vnto heauen c. Why doe ye rather loke vnto walles and vnto stockes thaÌ„ vnto that place where ye beleue that thei are What meane the temples the tabernacles yea and to be short what meane those Images Lib. 2. Cap. 2. de orig â–ª erroris Saint Austen sayth that it is abhomination and playne sacrilege if any man set in the Churche an Image of God the father sittyng on hys seate Lib. De fide et symbalo Hereof doth it followe that the papists are abhominable and commit sacrilege For so doe they setforth the Image of God the father most blasphemously in all their popyshe Churches paynting hym with an olde wythered face wrinckled forehead hollowe eyes leane chekes sharp nose haÌ„ging down lippes enbowed chinne white bearde c and for very faynt feblenesse sitting in hys chayre lyke a symple selye syngle soule contrarye to the nature of God and the truth of hys holy worde which sayeth by the Psalmographe A man shall waxe olde lyke a garmente but thou art alwaies one thy yeares fayle not God himself saith by the prophet I am y e Lord and am not chaunged Agayne the prophet Esay sayeth To what thing wil ye make God like Or what Image will ye set vp vnto him Shall the Karuer make a karued Image And shal the Goldsmith couer him with Golde or cast him into a fornace of siluer plates c. Eusebius writeth y t the vse of Images came from the Heathen vnto vs. Eccle. Hist. Lib. 7. Cap. 14. And not without a cause For although in the olde Testament there were many holy Patriarches Iudges Kynges Priestes Prophetes Martyrs Matrones Wydowes and Uirgines whiche were noble and worthy myrroures of vertue Godlynesse most worthy to be had in remembraunce yet rede we not that there were any Images made of them or set in places where the people of God came together for to praye And y e Iewes at that tyme were the peculiar people of God They remembred the manifolde commaundementes of God concerning the not making not worshipping of Images therfore coulde they not abide Images neither priuatly nor publiquely Agayne in the Primatiue Churche no Images were suffered in Christen mens Temples and Oratories as we may see by the historye of Epiphanius whiche did not onely cutte the Image that hanged in the Church on peces but he also affirmed that it is contrary to the Christen religion to haue the Image of any man in the Churche of Christ. Erasmus Roterodamus a most diligent searcher of antiquities writeth that vnto the time of Saint Hierome there were men of an approued and sounde Religion whiche coulde not abyde any Images in the Churches neither painted nor grauen nor yet wouen no not somuche as the Image of Christe Eras. in catechesi Saint Hierome liued In the yeare of our Lorde 387. Cornelius Agrippa writte of Images on this maner The vngodlinesse and foolishenesse of the Egyptians concernynge Images was wonderfull And from them came the lyke fondenesse vnto all nations whiche corrupte vsage of Religion of the Heathen when they began to be conuerted vnto the fayth of Christe infected oure Religion also and brought in our Churche Idolles and Mahomettes with many pompouse barren Ceremonies of â—he whiche those auncient and true Christians knewe nothynge at all Hereof came it to passe that we brought into our temples the dumme Images of oure Saintes and set them on Godes altares with greate solemnitie honour and worship And where we thynke it an vnsemely thynge for man whiche is a true Image of God to come vp euen there place we dead Idolles and to them we make curtesye to them we gyue kysses to them we offer to them we gyue gyftes vppoÌ„ them we hange precious iewelles to them wee applye miracles wee bye parâ—ons to them we go on pylgrimage to them we make vowes to them we gyue worshippe and doe all the honoure that can be deuised And yet can it not be expressed into howe greate superstition I wyll not saye Idolatrye the rude and vnlearned people doe fall thorough Images the Priestes winkyng at the matter forasmuche as here of they haue no small lucre and aduauntage And here they defend theÌ„selues with the wordes of Gregory whiche sayth that images are the bookes of the rascal and common people for such to remembre thinges by and to reade in as haue no learnyng that when they see them they may be allured to remember and consider God But these be fonde fantasies of Gregory going about to excuse the matter although in deede that holye man alloweth ymages and not the worshypping of theÌ„ But the commaundement of God which plainly forbiddeth images is farre otherwise For it becommeth vs not to learne of the forbidden booke of Images but of the booke of God whiche is the boke of the Scriptures He therfore that desyreth to knowe God let him not seeke it of the Images of Painters and Keruers but as Iohn saith let him searche the Scriptures whiche beare witnesse of him And they that can not reade let them heare the worde of the Scripture For Faith as Saint Paule saith commeth by hearyng And Christ saith in Iohn My Sheepe heare my voyce Agayne if no man as Christ sayth can come to him excepte the Father draweth him and no man can come to the Father but by Christe alone why take we awaye the glory from God and geue it to Pictures Images as though they were able to bringe vs vnto the ryght knowledge of God c. Of Baptisme POpe Victor the fyrst commauÌ„ded that baptisme should be ministred to al men indifferently at Easter Notwithstandyng if any desyred necessitie so requiryng to be baptised at other tymes he ordayned that they myght lawfully be baptised in all places and at all tymes yea and that with any kynde of naturall water halowed or vnhalowed eyther by a Layman or by a Laywoman In the yeare of oure Lorde 198. Grat Fascic Temp. Lib. Concil Poli. D. Barnes Pope Gelasiâ—s ordayned that Baptisme shoulde be openlye ministred at Easter and at Witsontyde yea that freely In the yeare c. 494. Isidor Grat. Aboute that tyme also there was a Councell holden in Spayne where it was enacted that young infantes if nede were myght be baptised on the same day that they were borne Isidor in Concil Pantal. Pope Leo the seconde decreed that Baptisme myght be ministred euery day where as in the primatiue Church as it appeareth by
ought by their office to haue giuen their minde to the preaching of the gospell and the prouision making for the poore set all their pleasure on pleasaunt singing not caryng how they liued afore god so that with their voyces they might please y e world He was therefore compelled to make a decree that all suche as be in the holy ministery should from thenceforth vnder the payne of excommunicatioÌ„ geue their minds no more to singing but apply themselues to the studies of the holy scriptures and the reading of the gospell In Regist. part 5. cap. 44. Undoubtedly sayth S. Gregory true prayer câ—Ì„sisteth not in the voyce of the mouth but in the thoughts of y e heart For our words do not make the voices the pithier of y e greater force to come vnto the most secret eares of God but our desire and affections Therefore sayth the Lord in the gospel Enter into thy closette sparre the doore He sparreth the doore and prayeth in hys closet whiche holdeth his peace with his mouth poureth out the affection of his minde in the sight of god aboue Moral Lib. 22. cap. 18. S. Iohn Chrisostome also writeth on this maner It is the duty of a deuout mynde to praye to God not with the voice or with the souÌ„d of the voice but with the deuotion of the minde and with the fayth of the heart Agayne he saith the crieng of the voyce is not the worke in prayer vnto god whome we knowe that he beholdeth the secretes of the heart but the crieng of faith and the deuotion of a godly and pure mind Therfore the beste waye to pray is to pray with hart minde spirit soule and and inwarde man HoÌ„ 44. de Ioan. Paul Festo The Emperoure Iustiniane made a law that all byshops and priestes both in the time of diuine seruice and also in the ministration of the holy sacrameÌ„ts should with so open and cleare voyce pronounce all thynges in the tounge which the people vnderstand that they might therby be the better edified and also be the more feruently stirred vnto deuotion and prayinge to God For sayth he so doth the holy Apostle teache in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying If thou geue thankes onely in the spirite that is to say in an vnknowen tounge howe shall he that occupyeth the roume of the vnlearned say Amen at thy thankes geuinge seynge he vnderstaÌ„deth not what thou sayest Thou verely geuest thankes well but y e other is not edifiedâ— And again in his Epistle to the Romans he sayth on thys manner to beleue with the heart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouthe maketh a man safe In consideration whereof sayth that Godly Emperoure it is conuenient that amonge other prayers those thynges also whiche are sayde in the holy oblation that is to saye in the ministration of the Lordes super or the hloy communioÌ„ of the body and bloud of Christ be vttered spoken with a loude voice of the deuout Byshops priest to our Lord Iesu Christ one God with the father and the holy ghost willyng theÌ„ to know that if they neglect any of these things they shall not only geue accoÌ„pt therof in y e dreadeful iudgement of the great God our sauiour Iesu Christ but we also hauing knowledge herof wil not be coÌ„tent nor leaue the things vnreuenged In constitut Authen 123. Guilihelmus Durandus sayth that the vse of singing was ordained for carnal and fleshlye men and not for spirituall and godly minded men Rat. di off Polidorus â—ergilius writeth on thys manner Howe greatly that ordinauÌ„ce of singyng brought into the Churche by Pope Damasus and Sainct Ambrose began euen in those dayes to be profitable Sainct Austen declareth euidentlye in the booke of hys Confessions where he asketh forgeuenesse of God bicause he had giuen more heede and better eare to the singing than to the weighty matter of y e holy wordes But now adayes saith Polidore it appereth euidently y t it is much lesse profitable for our commen wealth seyng our singers make such a chattering charme in the teÌ„ples that nothyng can be heard but the voice and they that are present they are present so many as are in the Citie being content with such a noyse as delight their eares care nothyng at all for the vertue pithe and strength of the wordes so that nowe it is come to this point that with the common sort of people all the worshippyng of God semeth to be set in these singsters although generally there is no kynde of people more light nor more leud And yet the greater parte of the people for to heare them boing bleating and yelling â—locke into the Churches as into a common gameplace They hire them with money they cherishe and feede them yea to be short they thinke them alone to be the ornamentes and precious iewels of Gods house c. Wherefore without doubt it were better for religion to cast out â—f y e churches suche chatteryng and â—anglyng â—ayes or els so to appoynt them that when they sing they should rather rehearse the songes after the manner of such as reade than followe the fashion of chatteryng charmers whiche thyng S. Austen in his aforesayde booke doth witnesse that S. Athanasius Byshop of Alexandria dyd in hys diocesse and he commendeth him greatly for it Lib. 6. de inuent rerum Cap. 2. Cornelius Agrippa writeth of singing in churches on this manner Athanasius dyd forbyd singing in hys Churches bycause of the vanitye thereof But Ambrose as one more desyrous of Ceremonyes and pompe ordayned the vse of singing and makyng melodye in Churches Austen as a man indifferent betwixt both in hys booke de confessionibus graunteth that by this meanes he was in a greate perplexitie and doubt concernyng thys matter But nowe a dayes Musicke is growne to such and so greate licentiousnesse that euen at the ministration of y e holy Sacramente all kynde of wanton leude trifelyng songes with pipyng of Organs haue theyr place and course As for the diuine seruice and common prayer it is so chaunted mynsed and mangled of oure costlye hired curious and nise Musitions not to instructe the audience withall nor to stirre vp mens mindes vnto deuotion but with an whoryshe armonye to tickle theyr eares that it may iustly seme not to be a noyse made of men but rather a bleating of brute beastes while y e children ney discant as it were a sorte of coltes other bellowe a tenoure as it were a companye of oxen other barke a counterpoynt as it were a number of dogges other roare out a treble lyke a sort of bulles other grunte out a base as it were a number of hogges so that a foule euel fauoured noyse is made but as for the wordes and sentences and the very matter it selfe is nothing vnderstranded at all but the authoritye and power of iudgemente is taken
in a manner by the reason of that vse coulde it by heart and song it in stretes and hie wayes so that it came to passe that wheÌ„ certain shepheardes did synge it in the fielde and layed breade vpon a stone at the pronouncing of those wordes of consecration the bread was turned into fleshe But the shepheardes by Gods iudgement were striken vnto death for their presumption thorowe fyre that came downe from heauen Therfore the holy fathers haue decreed y t those words should be spoken in silence forbiddyng all men vnder payne of excommunication that no man presume to speake those wordes but priestes onely when they are at the altar yea and that at Masse agayn when they haue on their Massing garmentes Thys tale telleth Guil. Durandus in his booke called Rationale diuinorum officiorum also Ioannes Billet in his boke de diuinis officiis Honorius in his treatise de geÌ„ma animae wherof thou mayest learne two thinges Firste that in the primatiue churche and â—ong after wheÌ„ Christen religion was moste pure the wordes of the Lordes Supper or as the papistes terme them of consecration were not spoken in hocker mocker as they be now but playnely openlye and distinctly that al myght heare theÌ„ vnderstand them and learne them vnto their great comforte â–ª and edifying Secondly y t the words of consecration were at that time of so great vertue y t whosoeuer pronounced them ouer the bread were he Lay or Spiritual priest or Ploweman Byshop or Butcher the breade was strayghtwayes tourned into the naturall bodye of Christ as we may see here by y e shepeheardes whiche were laye men and not holye annoynted whiche were in the fielde and not in the Church whiche had on their shepeheardes clokes and not halowed vestments whiche had but a coÌ„mon stone to laye their breade on and no halowed altare And here mayest thou see y t any laye man if he can pronounce the words of consecration hauing bread layed on a stone may make Christes body as wel as y e priest For if y e lay men by y e vertue of y e words could make Christes bodye at that tyme be thou certayne and well assured y t they bee able to doe the same euen nowe also notwythstandyng the holye fathers decrees to the contrarye For the vertue of Goddes worde abydeth alwayes one If the Massemonger therfore can make hym y t made them as theyr doctryne declareth then can the Laye man lykewyse make theyr maker and so maye the Laitie stryue with the spiritualtye to the vttermost in God makyng Nowe that the popyshe priestes can make God whiche made them although I coulde bryng forth and alledge manye authorities euen oute of theyr owne bookes yet will I at thys presente contente my selfe with one or two sentences which are written in a boke called Stella Clericorum The authors wordes ar these I ste qui creauit me dedit mihi creare se qui creauit me sine me creatur mediante me That is to say in Englyshe He that made me gaue me power to make hym and he that made me withoute me is made by the meanes of me Agayne he sayth Cum ergo tantae dignitatis sit sacerdos quod creator sit sui creatoris totius creaturae ipsum perdere vel damnare inconueniens est Which is thus Englished Seyng then that a priest is of so great dignitie that he is the maker of hys maker and of euery creature to destroye or to condemne hym it is not conuenient Pope Alexander the fyrste ordayned that the bread whiche the prieste hath at hys Masse shoulde bee but of a small quantitye saying Thys oblation the lesser it bee the better it is Guilielmus Durandus Pope Alexander also commaunded that the breade shoulde be vnleuened bread whiche the prieste vseth at hys Masse Platina Sabelli Lib. Concil Poly. Christ. Massaeus Whye theyr singing cake is rather rounde than otherwyse Antoninus maketh thys reason The hoste sayeth he is made round after the manner of a penye bicause Iudas solde Christ for thirtye pens Guilielmus Durandus writeth thus The hoste is formed rounde bycause the earth is the Lordes and al y t is therin y e round world all y t dwel in it y t the outward fashion therof may signifie him that wanteth both beginning and ending Pope Alexander likewyse appoynted y t the wine in y e chalice shuld be myngled with water to signifye the vnion vnseparable felowship of Christ hys church Ioan. Laziard â— Ioan. Stella Libro Concil Grat. Sabel Pope Honorius the third commaunded y t the Missall bread shoulde be heaued and lifted vp aboue the Priestes heade at the sacryng tyme as they call it and y t all the people should fal down and worship it In the yeare of oure Lord. 1214. Extra de celeb Miss Can. Sanâ— cum olim Gabriel Biel super Canone Missae Lect. 14. et Lect. 50 Dec. 3. Tit. 1. Cap 10. Pantaleon Here may al men see how auncient a thing thys Pope holy sakeryng is which notwithstanding the blynd and sely shepyshe symple soules thynke to be y e beste part of the Masse Uerely it is a little more than three hundred and fortie yeres olde A deuilishe an Idolatrous inuentioÌ„ is it not altogether vnlyke to the setting vp of the golden calfe in the wildernesse Pope Gregorye the ninth ordayned y t the sacryng bel shoulde be rong wheÌ„ the priest lifteth vp the Missall bread Chalice aboue hys head to moue the people to beholde that new found God whiche is not as the true God ought to be worshipped in spirite and truth but in knockyng knelyng and liftyng vp of handes In the yeare c. 1225. Anselmus Ryd Pope Leo Pope Victor Pope Nicolas Pope Innocent Pope Honorius pope Vrban â–ª Monke Lanckfrancke Monk Gratian Fryer Thomas Fryer Bonauenture and such lyke monstures belly Gods inuented fyrst of all the God of the altare and made of the Sacramente or holy sygne of Christes body and bloud the true naturall real corporal carnal substantiall c body of Christ GOD and man fleshe bloude and bone synowes guttes and loynes euen as he was borne of Marye the Uirgine and hanged on the Crosse no breade nor wyne remayning but the substance of breade tourned into the substaunce of Christes naturall bodye and the substance of wyne chaunged into the substance of Christes naturall bloude So that we handle hym with oure handes put hym in our mouthe teare hym with oure teeth eate hym digest hym c and partely with theyr Sophistrye they persuaded and partely with theyr tyrannye they compelled the people so to beleue as the cruell and bloudye papistes lyke wyse doe in thys our age where the deuill and the Pope reygne whiche dayes was not knowen nor heard of in y e Church of Christe so newe is the doctryne of transubstantiation and of theyr missal
both monasteries for euerye saulter saying on these beades is xxvi M.vi C. yeares and fyftye dayes totiens quotiens Therefore let no man nor woman presume to carye away or to conueye the aforesayd beades but hang them agayn where ye fynde theÌ„ For if they doe they are accursed foure tymes in the yeare in the generall sentence And at euery saulters and prayâ— for al Christen soules Pope Clement the seuenth 〈…〉 other holy fathers popes of Rome hys predecessoures of theyr paternall holynesse and abundaunt graces haue graunted to all the brethren sisterne of the sayde gylde that nowe bee and to all other y e will bee ful power and authoritie to chuse theÌ„ any able prieste to theyr confessoure seculare or religious whiche maye heare theyr confessions and geue vnto them once in their life and in the article of death plenary and full remission of al their synnes excesses offences and trespasses howe greuous and enorme so euer they bee A paena culpa c. Also euery Prieste chosen by the sayde brother or sister to be hys confessoure may release al maÌ„ner of othes so y t it be not preiudiciall to any other mans ryght may change all manner vowes in to other good vertuous deedes of mercy totiens quotiens the visiting of Sainte Peter and Saint Paule in the Church of Rome S. Iames in Compostell the vowe of religion and chastitye only excepte He maye also dispense with all spirituall men and women being brethren and sisterne of the sayde gylde totiens quotiens for y e forgetting of deuine seruices as houres canonicalls or penaunce enioyned whether it happen by debilitye or feblenesse of body negligence or obliuion or for defaute of bokes Agayn the brethren and sisterne of the aforesayd gylde may say or cause to be sayd masses and al other diuine seruices before daye light incontinent after three of the clocke after mydnight not only in halowed places but also in vnhalowed places though thei be suspensed or interdited by ordinarye authoritye Also euery brother and sister y t wil say any Wednisday Friday or Saterdayâ— one Pater Noster one Aue Maria and a Credo in any church or chappell where they do dwell and put to their helping hande to the sustentation and maintenaunce of the charges of the said gilde â–ª as ofte as they shall so doe shall haue cleane remission A paena culpa and the same remission as if they had visited the chappell of Scala caeli of Rome and y e church of S. Iohn Lateranense when the stations there be celebrated for quâ—ck and dead The aforesaid brethreÌ„ and sisterne also causing masse to be sayd either on the Wednisday Friday or Saterday in church or chappell for y e dead shal deliuer what soules thei wil and as ofte as they wil out of purgatorye prouided alway so y t thei geue somwhat to the aforesaid gilde Again they saying deuoutlye one Pater Noster and one Aue Maria at these feastes following y t is to saye Easterday Witsontyde Corpus Christi day Mihelmas day the fyrst sonday in cleane lent and eyght dayes folowing euery of y e sayde feastes as oft as they shall so doe shall haue cleane remissioÌ„ of al their sinnes They maye also lawfullye in tyme of Lent and other times of the yeare in y e whiche white meates be prohibite and forbidden eate Egges Cheese Milke Butter al other white meates freely and without scrupulositie or grudge of conscience and if they be sicke they also may eate flesh with councell of their gostly father and their Phisition And whosoeuer shall procure any man or woman to be brother or sister of the aforesayd gylde shal haue for hys Godly trauayle .v. C. yeares of pardon Also euery brother and sister with theyr fathers and mothers departed shall be made partakers of all Masses Mattenses Prayers Suffrages almesse dede holy liuinges pilgrimes and all other good dedes and workes of pitie charitie y t which be done and shal be done throughout y e whole vniuersal church Militant and all the members of the same for euer Agayne they may be buryed in time of interdiction in Christen buryall of whatsoeuer death it shal happen them to dye yea in places interdited by ordinarye authoritye also And furthermore our sayd holy father hath graunted to all Christen people being trulyâ— penitent confessed or hauing purposed to be confessed at such tymes as the lawe hath determined there deuoutly do visite the chappel of our ladye in Boston also do visite thre tymes .vii. altares there assigned in the paryshe church at the feastes of the glorious assumption Natiuitye al other feastes of y e same our blessed lady or w t in viii dayes following after euery of y e same feastes or any day of the said Vtas putting to their helping hands to y e maintenaunce of y e charges of the same gild shal haue and enioy al and singular indulgences remissions of their sinnes as if thei had personallye visited the churche of the holy Apostâ—es Peter and Paul at Rome and other the vii principall churches there in the yeare of Iubile and Grace and also shall haue all the same indulgences and remissions of their sinnes as thei shoulde haue if thei had personally visited the Church of S. Iames in Composâ—el in Spaine and had done or caused to be done â—here any other thing for the obtayning of the indulgences of the said yeare of Iubile at Rome and Compostell Also our holy father hath declared and decreed y t these said remissions faculties indulgences and dispensations shall neuer be reuoked suspended nor denulled but euer to stande in full strength and vertue from henceforth notwithstanding y e yeare of grace or Iubile at Rome or any other manner of cause whatsoeuer shal happen in tyme to come And euery man or woman may be made a brother and sister of Boston gilde and enioye all remissions priuileges liberties c if thei will paye euerye one of them at their entring vi shillings viii â—ens and euery yeare after during his or her life .viii. pens or elles .xiii. shillinges iiii pens for the whole for euery singulare person towardes y e mainteining sustentation of priests clerks poore beadmen which daily be fouÌ„d with the charges of the same gilde Pope Clement the fifte graunted to so many as geue ought to the sustentation of the order of Saint Trinitie of Houndeslowe his blessing for euer twelue yeares clx daies of pardoÌ„ with relaxations of the thyrde parte of their penaunce and of y e payne due for their sinnes Pope Alexander the fourthe to all the brethren sisterne of the aforesayd order that geueth some good portion of theyr goodes yerely to the brethren or Massengers of the said order or in their will and testament do geue and bequeth some honest portioÌ„ of substaunce
penauÌ„ce And Pope Innocent the fourth hath graunted to all the brethreÌ„ of the same Faternitie pardon of all sinnes forgotten of all vowes brokeÌ„ except the vowe vnto the holy land at their latter â—nd remission forgeuenesse of all their sinnes A paena culpa so that to euery brother sister of that Fraternitie being coÌ„fessed absolued their coÌ„fessour may well say on thys manner as it is specified in the printed pardon â–ª Iohn or Ioan â–ª as free I make thee As heart may thinke or eye may see Of this pardon it is also thus written Omnibus in annis qui turbaÌ„t iura Ioannis Ter execrantur damnati iure probantur THe pardoÌ„ grauÌ„ted to the Fraternity of s. Cornelis at Westminster for such as geue any thynge vnto it coÌ„meth in y e yere to MM vii C. ix dayes for euer to endure grauÌ„ted by the holy father in god Thomas of the title of S Cecily Cardinall priest of Rome and Legate Archebyshop of Yorke and Chauncelour of England c. and of diuerse other Cardinalles and Bishops Certayne Popes of Rome haue committed and geuen authoritie power to Priestes hauyng cure and charge of soules to absolue their ghostly childreÌ„ and parishioners the whiche be brethreÌ„ or sistern to y e holy Fraternitie of the sepulchre of our Lord Iesu Christ of all sinnes and crimes either confessed or forgotten of penance not well done Also of vsurye rapine pollynge and pyllyng extortion or other good euell gotten excepte they knowe to whom they ought to make restitution they are absolued And of all manner of offences done to father and mother if they were not done w e laying handes on theÌ„ with violence Also the sentence of cursyng done vnknowingly also of of vowes broken the vowe of Ierusalem signed with the crosse in the body and the vow of Religion with solemnitye professed onely excepted Also priestes and Clarkes that haue made any offence in saying their seruice Also the aforesayd holy Fathers haue graunted to the brethren and sistern of the sayd place the Stations of Rome and the indulgences of the pilgrimages of the holy lande whiche suÌ„me of indulgence is lxxx M. yeres of pardoÌ„ Also our holy father Vrban the fourth of that name hath giuen graunted to all brethern and sisterne of the sayd Fraternitie at the traÌ„slation of Saint Swithein and at the Octaues of the same and at the Natiuitye of our Lorde the Octaues of the same and vpon good Fryday vpon Easter day with the Octaues of the same to be released of the seuenth part of their penaunce foure yeares and foure Lentes of pardon Our sayd holy father willeth also that they that be brethern and sisterne of the said Fraternitie haue ecclesiasticall sepulture without deniall of whatsoeuer death they chauÌ„ce to die except they be opeÌ„ly and by name excommunicate To the Fraternitie or brothehoode of S. Erasmus beside y e deliueraunce of many soules out of y e bitter paynes of purgatorye with innumerable indulgences pardons for them y t be alyue are graunted fiue special gifts singulare benefites Fyrst he shal haue reasonable goodes to his liues ende Secondly his enemies shal haue no power on him Thirdly what lawfull peticion he asketh of God shal be graunted him Fourthly he shall be vnbounde of his tribulation and disease Fyftly at his laste end he shal receaue the blessed body of oure Sauioure Christ Iesu in fourme of bread to his saluation by the gracious prayer peticion of this blessed Martyr S. Erasmus Al these pardoÌ„s indulgences priuileges giftes benefites shal al they haue y t geue any part or porcion of their goodes to y e vpholding and maintaining of the holy place of S. Erasmus Many other raggemans roules could I here haue placed which contayne also innumerable pardons infinite indulgences great giftes singulare priuileges wonderfull liberties maruelous deliuerances spedy remedies of soules out of purgatorye c but these may seme to suffice at thys preseÌ„t For hereof mayest y u euidentlye perceaue what reliques we haue receaued from Rome what good stuffe the popyshe pardoners haue broughte vs in tymes paste froÌ„ y e moste holy father or rather froÌ„ y e romish Antichrist al for money Do what thou wilte liue as y u wilte if money come y u art out of hande made cleane and absolued froÌ„ all thy synnes A paena culpa toties quoties art made as pure faultlesse as y u were in time of thy baptisme so y t now by the vertue of these pardons thou mayest boldelye stand before y â— iudging place of Christ and be free from y e sentence of damnation and in fine be made fellow heyre with Christ of euerlasting saluation But if thou wilte haue the true pardon and remission of thy synnes and be deliuered A paena culpa toties quoties take thys order Fyrst repent thee of thy former lyfe Secondly flee vnto God the Father in the name of hys derely beloued Sonne Christ Iesu our alone Sauioure and Redemer crauyng at his handes with stronge faith mercy and forgeuenesse of thy synnes Thyrdelye take a newe life vnto thee euer desyring strengthe from aboue to walke dayly more and more in the holy wayes of Goddes moste holy lawe If thou do thys doubt thou not but y t thou shalt haue abundauntly vnto the great consolation and comforte of thy soule remission of all thy synnes quietnesse of conscience the gift of the holy Ghost Goddes fauoure grace and mercye and after thys transitorye life euerlastyng lyfe with al heauenly ioye and vnoutspeakeable felicitie yea and that without these Antichristians pardons whiche are nothyng ells than nets for mony deceauings of y e people defacyng of Christes death obscuryngs of Gods free grace very spurres vnto all leudnesse of lyfe and a ryght patheway vnto euerlasting daÌ„nation Heare what god sayth by y e prophet Come to the waters al ye y t be thirstye and ye y t haue no money Come bye y t ye maye haue to eate Come bye wine milke without any money or money worth Wherfore do you lay out your money for the thing y e fedeth you not spende your labour about the thyng y e satisfyeth you not But harken harkeÌ„ rather vnto me and ye shal eate of the beste your soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse Enclyne your eares come vnto me take hede I say your soules shal liue c. Are not these the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Come vnto me al ye that laboure and are laden and I shall ease you Agayne Let him that is a thyrst come And let who soeuer will take of the water of lyfe freely and without any money Of theÌ„ that wil seke remission of their synnes and pardon of their wicked life or any other spirituall and heauenly gift but only at hys hande
haste pacientlye suffered all thys I geue vnto thee for the satisfaction of thys penaunce that I haue enioyned thee and vnto the furtheraunce and helpe of the remission and forgeuenesse of al thy synnes and vnto the deliueraunce from the paines of hell and purgatorye whiche thou haste deserued for thy synnes and vnto y e obtayning of grace in this present world and euerlasting life in the world to come Amen An other fourme of Absolution OUr Lorde Iesus Christ whiche created redemed thee mought absolue thee And I by the authoritie which I haue of hym as muche as lyeth in my power accordyng to my dutye I doe absolue thee from all bondes of the lesser excommunication if thou bee bounde and I restore thee to the holy Sacramentes of the church if thou haue nede Agayn I absolue thee from all thy synnes confessed and forgotten mortall and veniall with al theyr circumstaunces The passion of oure Lorde Iesu Christ and all the good dedes that thou hast done or shalte doe and all the aduersityes and troubles whiche thou haste suffered or shalt suffer myght be vnto thee for penaunce and remission of thy sinnes and for the encrease of Goddes grace In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen Ex Speculo confessorum Fratris Bartholomaei de Chaimis An other fourme of Absolution BY the authoritye of God and of y e blessed Apostles Peter Paule and by y e authoritye of the Churche of Rome cōmitted vnto me and graunted vnto thee I absolue thee from all sentence either of the greater or lesser curse and from all suspension and interdiction if thou be bounde with any of them And I restore thee to the vnitie of the faythful and to y e holy Sacraments of y e church and by the same authoritye committed vnto me I absolue the from all thy synnes confessed contrite and forgotten Item by the authority of God and of y e blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and of y e Churche of Rome yea and also by the authoritie of oure Lorde the Popethe high Byshop committed vnto me in thys behalfe and so muche as I am bounde and able to doe if thou dye at thys tyme I absolue thee from all the paynes due vnto thee in purgatorye for y e faultes and offences which y u haste committed agaynst God and by all y e authoritye y t I haue I restore thee to the innocencie wherein thou were when thou were baptised But if y u doe not dye at thys tyme I reserue the full pardon graunted to thee of oure Lorde the Pope tyll thou dye In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost AMEN Ibidem An other fourme of Absolution ALmightye God haue mercye on thee forgeue thee al thy sinnes bring thee vnto euerlasting life AMEN The almighty merciful Lorde geue vnto thee indulgence and absolution of al thy sinnes AMEN The almightye father y e Godly and merciful Lord mought geue vnto thee indulgence absolution and remission of al thys synnes AMEN Most dere brother The greatest and hyghest penaunce is to be sorye for the sinnes committed and to repent and to beware and to take heede that thou sinne no more For the wholesome penaunce at thys present thou shalt say iii. Pater nosters .iii. Aues a Crede or thou shalt say the Psalme of mercy called Miserere meideus knelyng vppon thy knees before y e blessed sacramente of the altare or y u shalte cause y e Masse of the fiue woundes of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be song or sayde for thee or thou shalt go thys or y t pilgrimage gyld thys or y e Image c. This penaunce and the merite of the passion of Iesu Christ and al the good dedes y t thou hast done or here after shalte doe might profyte thee and stande thee instead for the remission of al thy synnes And our Lord Iesus Christ by his holy moste pitiefull mercy might absolue thee And I absolue thee frō y e sentence of the lesser excommunication or curse if thou be fallen into it and also from all thy sinnes In the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holye ghost Amen Ex instructione seu Alphabeto sacerdotum A speciall note of the Papistes concerning Absolution ABout Absolution is to be cōsidered the due or proper perfect forme In that note y t as euery Sacrament hath his proper forme so in like manner hath the Sacrament of penance which is this Ego te absoluo That is to say I geue thee and bestowe vpon thee the Sacrament or ministery of Absolutiō It doth not importe as some falsely reporte Ego te absoluo id est absolutum te ostēdo I absolue thee that is I declare vnto thee that thou art absolued For so should it followe that in the Sacramentes of the newe lawe there should be nothing but a shewyng or signification whiche is false bicause y t the Sacramentes of the new law do not only figure and signifie as the Sacraments of the the law but they also conferre geue truly and effectually the thynge whiche they figure and represente Ex speculo confes Bartholo de Caimis The forme or manner of byddyng the beades on the Sonday in the Popish parishe Churches taken out of the English Festiuall YE shal knele downe on your knees lift vp your hartes makyng your prayers vnto almightie god for the good state and peace of al holy church y t god maintayne saue and kepe it For our holy father the Pope with all his true college of Cardinals that God for his mercy them maintaine and kepe in the right beleue it holde and encrease al misbeleue and heresy he lesse and destroy Also ye shal pray for the holy lād for the holy crosse y t Iesu died on for the redemption of mās soule y t it come into the power of Christen men the more to be honored for our prayers Also ye shall pray for all Archbishops and Bishops in especiall for the Archebishop of Cauntorburye our Metropolitane for the Bishop of N. our Diocesan that God of his mercye giue thē grace so to gouerne and rule holye Church y t it may be to the honour and worship of him saluation of our soules Ye shall also praye for Abbotes Priors Monckes Chanons Friers for al men women of religiō in what order estate or degree y t they stand in from the highest estat vnto the lowest degree Ye shall also pray for all them that haue charge cure of Christē mēs soules as curates persons vicares priests clerkes and in especial for the person the Curate of this Churche for al y e Priests Ministers that seruen therein or haue serued therin And for all them that haue taken anye order that GOD gyue them grace well to keepe and
him out draweth and al thoe y t therto procure or assente And all thoe y e purchasen letters of any Lordes court y e processe of righte maye not bee determined nor ended And all thoe y t the peace of y e land distrouble And al thoe y e bloude drawe of man or woman in violence or in vilonye or make to bee drawen in Churche or Churchyard wherefore the Church or Churchyarde is interdicted or suspended and thoe y t be against right of our Lord the King and al thoe that warre sustaine against the King wrongfullye And all thoe y t be common robbers rouers or man-slayers but it bee themselfe defendyng And thoe that beene agaynst the great Charter of the Kyng that is confyrmed of the Courte of Rome And all thoe y e false witnesse beare wronglye namely in cause of Matrimonye in what court so it be or out of court And all that false witnesse bring forth in righte of Matrimonye for to destroye man or woman or for to disherite any man of land or tenement or any other cattell And all false aduocates that for mede put forth any false exceptions or quarels through the which right of Matrimony is fordone or any other manner of right in steade of iudgement and al thoe y t for mede or fauour or for any other encheson maliciously mā or womā bryng out of their good fame into wicked or make them for to leese their worldly goods or honour or them put wrongfully to their purgation of the whiche was none before And al thoe y e maliciously distrouble or letten the right presentement of holy Churche there the very Patrone should present and all that therto procure with worde or deede or with false enquest or with other power And all that maliciously despisen the maūdement of the kyng to take a cursed man fro the time y t he hath lyen in cursyng lx dayes no remedie will seeke And all those y t their liueraunce purchase agaynst the right of holy Churche And that mede take for to distrouble peace there loue shuld be or charitie or strife maintaine with worde or dede and till they haue yelded again their mede that they toke of them they may neuer be assoiled And al those that hold houses māners gronges of parsons vicares or any other man of holye Churche against their wil or their attornies wil. And al thoe that any manner good moueable or vnmoueable awaye beare w t strength or wrongfully away draw or waste of the whiche cursing they may not be assoiled til they haue made satisfaction to whom the wronge is done And al thoe that any manner of goods with violēce or malice beare out of holy Churche stede or Abbeye or house of Religion whiche that therein is layde or done for warrandise or succoure or for to be kepte And all thoe that therto procure or assent and all thoe that them maintayne or sustayne and all thoe that haue layde hande on priest or clarke with malice but it be himselfe defendynge And all thoe that Sarrazens Coūce◠or helpe against Christendome And all thoe that their children wrongfully father wittingly or their children wittē any other mā with malice And al thoe y t wearry or slea their generations or their children destroye with drinkes or with any other crafte And al thoe that false money clippe or sheere them to aduauntage to disceaue any man with And all thoe that false the Popes Bull or counterfaite the Kings seale And al thoe that bye or sel with false measures or false waights that is to saye to bye with one sell w t an other And all thoe that false the kings standard themselfe witing And all thoe that any testament distrouble or therto procure with worde or with deede wherefore the deades will is not fulfilled And all thoe that forsweare them vpon the holydome willyng or witing for mede or for hate for to doe any man or womā to lose their worldly goods or honor And all robbers or rouers openly or priuily by daye or by night or any mans good steale wherefore they were worthye to haue iudgemēt And all thoe y t withhold any mās good that haue bene spered axed for thrice in holy church themself weting And all those that distrouble the peace of holy Churche or of the land and all fellons and thoe that them maintaine And all false conspiratoures al false forswearers in assises or in any other court And al those y t any false plaints put forth against the fraunchise of holy Church or of the king or of the realme And all those that offringes that bene offred in holy Churche or in any other sted within the prouince of Caūterbury witholden put away in any other place agaynst the wil of the parson or vicare or theyr attourney in the parishe y t it is offered in And al those that their goodes awaye geue for dread of death in fraude of holye Churche or to forbeare their debts paying al those that such giftes take or therto helpe or Councel And all those that let or hinder prelates or Ordinaries for to hold consistory Session or chapiters for to enquire of sinnes of excesse in good amendemente of mans soule And all witches and all that on them beleue al heretikes that beleue not in the Sacrament of the altare that it is gods owne body in flesh and bloud in forme of bread and al other Sacraments that touchen health of mans soule And all iuglars vsurars that is to say y t if any man or woman lend their cattell vnto man or woman for any auauntage to take by couenaūt more thā their own and if there be any such found in town or citie the citie or the towne should be enterdited by the old law and nouther done their Masse nor Sacrament vsed til he were out thereof And al thoe y t withhold tithes or withdraw theyr tithes witingly or maliciouslye to the harme of holy Church or tithes letten to be geuen of the goods which y t bene commaunded to be geuen by the lawe of holy Church y t is to say of al fruites of yardes cornes herbes that waxe fruites of trees of all manner beastes y t be newing of wolle lambe these in time of yeare of swannes gees dowes duckes of bees hony waxe of hay also as often as it neweth of flaxe hemp of windmils and of all manner mils of all manner of marchaundise of chaffaryng men and of men of craft And all those that maliciously or wittingly any other withhold the which ought to be giuen to holy church and thoe that therto procure in word or in dede Modus fulminandi sententiam PRaelatus Alba indutus cum ceteris sacerdotibus in ecclesia existentibus cruce erecta candelis accensis stans in pulpito pronuncient verba quae sequūtur Whiche is thus in Englishe The manner
hys harte when al his bloud was agone shed for our sakes And so by sacrament of Christening he is ful made Christes childe and he receaueth there parte of the passion of Christ and part of all the Sacraments and prayers that beene done in holye churche Also he receaueth parte of all good deedes y t beene done among all Christen people And if he holde mekely the couenaunt y t he maketh there to god he may be sure for to haue a dwelling place for euer in y e blysse of heauē But what tyme y t he trespasseth so agaynst the law of God y t he falleth into curse by sinne or y t he is worthye to be cursed of holy church then he is departed from God and al good works till he come to amendment And he is than deliuered againe to y e fende of hel for to put him for his sinne into the payne of hell withouten ende but he hym amend therof be assoyled or he hence passe And therefore there is nothing in al this world y t a Christen mā or woman ought so griselich to dread as for to fall into sinne y t bringeth him into the sentence of curse the which departeth him from God y t is his father from holy church that is his mother Also as holy scripture or the lawe beareth witnesse Cursing is cleped the sweard of holy church For right as we seen y t the stroke of the sweard it sleaeth and departeth the life fro the body right so y e stroke of this ghostly sweard Cursing departeth and doth away our Lord God from man woman which is accursed the which Lord God is life of her soules withouten him all her workes bene dead euermore after but thei haue special grace of God for to amende hem here ere they passe oute of this world For as many Clerkes preuen at y e day of dumme would our lady S. Marye and S. Iohn Baptiste al saints y t bene in heauen knele down at once before y e blessed face of almightye God they shoullen not in y t time thorowe the prayer of them all deliuer the soule of man or woman y t dyeth in deadly sinne For trulich it were expresselich agaynste the holy Gospell where Christ sayth thus that he shall trulich geue to euery man and womā their ryghte there as he hath deserued here And if the day of dumme shall bee so harde to all thoe y t dyen in any deadly sinne by al reason ful myche harder shall it bee at y e tyme with all these y t be founden openly cursed of God and of holye Churche In thys perillous waye of dampnation beene all thylke men and women that I shall speake of And therefore I beseeche you and charge you for the loue of god almighty and for the saluation of your soules that ye vnderstand wel al these points And if any of you fele hym giltye in any of all y t he amende hym by sorow of hearte shrifte and penaunce and that betimes Fyrst and formest we denouncen accursed all that holy Churche falsely depriuen of any ryghte or profyt that it falleth to haue eyther by law written or elles by good custome whiche that hath bene holden and vsed of old time And in thys poynte fallen three manner of folke Fyrst all thoe y t stelen any Churchegoodes in what place so that they bee done to kepe or ells that stelen vnhalowed thyng oute of holye place or thynges that beene halowed oute of place vnhalowed And all thoe y t wittingly breaken or destroyen anye poynt of freedome that longeth to holy Churche And thys is not alonely vnderstande of the fredomes y t longen generally to all holy Churche but also of other speciall freedomes which y t some church hath more thā an other temporal or spiritual whether so it be The thyrd poynte is y t al thoe bene accursed that purchasen writtes or letters of any leude courte for to let the processe of the lawe of holy churche of causes y t longen skilfully vnto Christē courte the which shoulde not be demed by none other lawe All thoe also that breaken or distroublen the fraunches and the fredome of holy church And al y t bene agaynst the peace and y e ryghte state of holy church or therto assenten with worde dede or counsayle And al y t maliciouslye biriuen holy churche of her right or maken holy churche Lay-fee y t is halowed and blessed And all thoe that letten Archebyshop or Byshop or any other y t hath iurisdiction and power by the lawe of holy Church that they may not visite her sugettes or dare not vse her lawe for to amende the soules of hem y t they haue to kepe And all thoe that falsely fleen awaye from one place to an other that holye church may not chastyse them ne rule thē as she shuld Also god holy church accursen al thoe y t laye hand in malice on priest or clerke on man or woman learned or leude w tin church or churchyarde or man or woman of Religion but it be hemself defendaunt so y t they may not els saue hemself or els that it be in certaine pointes that the lawe geueth licence and all that therto procuren or mainteinen such dedes by coūsayle or strength Also all yilke bene accursed that drawen out any mā or woman in violence out of holy Church to haue succour and helpe or els out of any holy place that is halowed but and it be in certaine poyntes as the lawe geueth leaue or letten them to haue sustenaunce the while they bene there And also all thoe that for malice or wrath of person vicare or priest or of any other or for wrongfull couetise of himselfe withholden rightfull tythes offerings rentes or mortuaries frō her owne parishe Churche and by waye of couetyse falselyche agayne takynge to God the worsse and to himself the better or els turne him into an other vse than him oweth or done him in other place after their owne will so y t they be not done to the same place that they shoulde be or let by worde or by deede any man or woman for to do her good will and her deuotion to god and to holy church For all Christen mē womē ben hard bound vpō pain of deadly sin not onlich by the ordinaūce of mā but both in the olde lawe and also in the newe lawe for to paye truliche to God and holy church the tithe part of al maner encrease that they winnē trulich by the grace of god both with her trauel and also with her craftes what so they be truliche gotten Also the tith part of al manner fishes and foules beasts both wild tame And al maner of frutes that growen out of the earth Also all that wittingly or wilfully tithen falsly that is to say that geuē not to god and to holy church the tēth part
longeth to And all secular iustices or iudges y t bene in offices and han the lawe to kepe when they be proued and required to doe her office in helping of the people y t han suffered wronges and harme but if they do rightfulnesse and truth by her coÌ„ming be they learned meÌ„ or leude els they ben accursed And al thoe y t ben wedded together against the lawe of God and of holy churche in degrees that bene forbidden as in consanguinitie or in affinity or gossibred And all that bene professed in any religion and broken out of her order and become wedded men or women Also priestes y t beene within holy orders forsaken her order and be comen wedded and al y t procuren helpen or assenten therto And al that knowen in matrimonye when it shall be made anye great defaulte or letting but if they by some way doe holy church to know it And when any churche or chappell is suspended or interdited by lawe they bene accursed openly that constreynen any priest for to sing therin or by ringing of bells or by any other waye maken hem to heare masse that beene openliche accursed by name And also when any man of holy church by commission doeth oute of holy Churche or curseth any man or woman and nameth hym by name on holy church behalfe that he goe oute of the Churche while masse gods seruice is in doing but if he do his bidding he is accursed And also al y t maynteynen hem or bidden hem holde them stil in the church and none of them may be assoyled but by y e court of Rome And al y t her goods geuen in drede of death in fraude of holy church or to forbarre her dettes and al thoe also y â— such giftes taken or couÌ„celen or helpen thereto bene accursed Also al thoe y t letten Prelates or Ordinaries or Chapiter for to enquire of synne there nede is for helpe or health of mans soule And al thoe y t against y e lawe of holy church byen or sellen any benefice of holy church And all y t byen or sellen holy orders or falsely stelen 〈◊〉 thoe bene accursed y t maken any â—ate or plee in y e patronage wherethorowe the very patrone is let of hys ryght And al y t breken any point of the Kings great Charter or els any point of the Charter of the forest in whiche bene writteÌ„ the fredomes of this land y e diuerse Kings han graunted both to learned to leude In the great Charter bene contayned .xxxv. poyntes and y e Charter of the forest comprehendeth xv points vt in tractatu vocato Pars oculi in prima parte et in tract vocat Regimen animarum in prima sui parte plenius continetur Also al men and women y t which in perill of death bene assoyled or in any other perils of hym y t hath not power by lawe oute of peril of death to assoyle hem assone as they be recouered but they take absolution of hym that hath power to assoyle hem they turneÌ„ agayn bene in the same curse as thei wer before worse forâ— vnbuxumnesse Al y t bene open lechouris open aduouteris coÌ„mon wemen all thoe y t wittingly and quietly defend them y t they be not punished by the law after monishing vpon paine of cursing y t no man let them house to hire ne receaue hem into her house after the time that they be knowen Also al that comynen with hem that bene accursed in eating drinking in receauing in helping in fauouring but only in hope to bring hem to amendment And all Okereris and vsureris that is to say if man or woman lende good or cattell to her neighbour for to take aduauÌ„tage for her lending and thoe y t it maintaine assenten to such geuing or taking or filling y e derer therfore And if there wer such one in a city y e citye should be interdited and no masse ne sacramente done therein till he were out of the citie And all thoe y e maken when vsurye is taken that it bee not restored agayne And al that beleuen on witchecraftes or vsen it And all that wilfully sleen hemselfe or ells any man woman or childe and all witches and all y t on witchecrafte beleuen maynteinen or vsen Also al that heresye maynteinen or sustaynen and all heretikes that beleuen not in the sacrament of the alter the whiche is Christes owne bodye hys fleshe and bloud in forme of bread and in other Sacramentes of holye Churche y t touchen health of soule And all thoe women that distroyen her owne children or any other womans children wyth drinkes or with any other witchcraft eyther wercke vnleefull And all y e fadren her children wrongfulliche on any man for malice or couetesie And all y t her children wilfulliche sleen or casteÌ„ awaye or leyen at churches or Church doores or at hospitalls or in fieldes or in high wayes or leauen her children christened or vnchristened and goen away from hem and forsaken hem And all thor that offeringes that bene offered in holy Church or in chappels or in oratories or in any other stead within a paryshe with holden or putten away into other places agaynst the will of y e person vicarye or curate but if thei be priuileged Also Iohn Stratford sometime Archbyshop of Cantorburye hauing regarde to muche harme of mans soule and default of deuotion thorowe vilanye and synne y t weren vsed done about dead bodyes ligging vp yet is vsed about in many places or the body be borne to church there y t sometyme weren vsed and ordained about a corse for holy prayers for the soule now it is forbidden by constitution vpoÌ„ paine of y e great curse that no maÌ„ vndirsong or take any folke into his house where the dead bodies bene watched to make any maÌ„ner plaies but pray for y e soule And al y t there ought ells done or thither comen than to bidde for the soule thei mowen drede of y e same curse And al y e vsen simonye or geuen or vndersongen in way of simonie Al sacrilegiers y t is to say al y e wrongfulliche doen away any thing halowed or geuen to holy church ligging to be kept where 〈◊〉 it be or that any thing w t violence beare out of holy church al y t this procuren or assenteÌ„ Also al thoe y â— doen in holy church or in holy place any foule sinne wherfore it hath nede to be newly halowed or reconciled Also all thoe y t withholden any mans good vniustly wetingly that hath bene axed openly in holy church three times And al that in violence lien hand or drawen bloud on father or mother and y t is to vnderstand both of bodilich ghostlich but it be himself defendaÌ„t And al y t helpeÌ„ the Sarazens against ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ in warre of armes or in
any other thing Also al thoe that letters purchaseÌ„ in any lords courte that no processe of right may be determined ne iudged in holy churche courte Also al thoe y e bloud drawen of any man or woman in violence or in any other vilonye in churche or in the churchyarde where thorowe y e churche or churchyarde is interdited polluted or suspended And all robbers rouers by day or by night that any maÌ„s good stelen for the whiche goodes a maÌ„ or woman were worthye to heare iudgement And al those that out of houses of holy church graunges personages or vicaries or any maneries of mens of holy church agaynst her will or her kepers wil any maÌ„ner of goodes with violence beren out of holy place church or abbey or any house of religioÌ„ which weren lefte there for sikernesse or succour for to kepe all that therto assenten Also al thoe that withholdeÌ„ a wydow her right or her dowry after her husbandes death or taken her good wrongfully All that procuren or geueÌ„ leue or commaundement any other to flea or to maime or to beate or by any other waye a greue any Ordinarye or iudge of y e lawe in body or in goods Al these aforesayd bene accursed with the greater curse Et cetera Many other pointes also longen vnto this greate sentence but I trowe to God it be no neede to rehearse here no mo Et sic finitur BUt thorowe authoritie of oure Lord God almightye our Lady S. Marye and all Saintes of heauen of all Aungells or Archeaungells Patriarches and Prophetes Euangelists Apostles Martyrs Confessours and Virgines also by y e power of all holy church y t oure Lord Iesu Christ gaue to S. Peter We denounce all thoe accursed y t we haue thus reckned to you And all thoe y e mayntayne hem in her sinnes or geuen hem thereto eyther helpe or councell so that thei bee departed from God and all holye churche and that they haue no parte of the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ ne of no Sacramentes that beene in holye Church ne no parte of the prayers among Christen folke but y e they bee accursed of God and of holy church fro the sole of theyr foote vnto the crowne of her heade sleapyng and wakyng sitting and standing and in all her wordes and in all her workes and but if they haue grace of GOD for to amende hem here in this life for to dwel in the payne of hel for euer withouten ende Fiat Fiat Do to the boke Quenche the candle Ring the bell AMEN AMEN Here folowe certayne Fragmentes of papistrye WE haue tofore heard where we entreated of the Lordes supper howe y e Pope Innocent the thyrde ordayned that the mysterye of Christes bodye otherwise called the sacramental bread should be kepte in churches continuallye vnder locke and keye to the entent to bee in a redinesse at all tymes leaste sayeth he they that are sicke shoulde wante y e spirituall comforte in the troublesome tyme of death Some curious fellowe peraduenture will here demaund why the sacramental wine is not also reserued and hanged vp as well as y â— bread seing Christ gaue thys generall commaundemente and sayde Drinke ye all of thys To thys question aunswereth Guilielmus Durandus saying The bloud of Christ is not reserued and kept for diuerse causes The fyrst is bycause wine which is liquide may easely thorowe negligence be spilt The seconde is bycause y t by the chalice whiche is on Maundye thursdaye receaued the ende of the olde lawe is vnderstanded The third is bicause y e body y t is reserued is not without bloude The fourth is that in y e the bloud is not reserued it is declared y e the olde sacrifice ought to cease For the bread signifyeth the newe testament but the wine signifyeth y e old testament To make euident prâ—se of this matter the Lord when he haâ— dronke sayde Consumatum est It is finished Therfore the chalice is receaued and the bread is reserued bycause the lawe hath now his ende the Gospel hath his beginning The fift cause is bycause Christ at the Lordes supper sayd Uerely I say vnto you I wil not from henceforth drinke any more of this frute of the Uine til I drinke that newe in the kingdome of my father He spake not of the body or of eatyng Yea we fynde that afterwarde he dyd eate part of the broyled fyshe and also of the hony combe but we do not finde that he euer dronke after Durandus in Rat. di off Lib. 6. Cap. 79. No bodye or Corps ought to be buried in the Churche or nigh vnto the place where the body and bloud of the Lorde is made but the bodyes of holye fathers whiche are called Patroni that is to saye defenders whiche thorowe theyr worthye and noble actes defende all the countreye Agayne Byshops and Abbottes and worthye Priestes and laye men whiche be of most highe holynesse As for all other they oughte to be buryed aboute the churche as in the yarde or in the porch or in y e voltes and suche lyke places as are nigh vnto the Churche Durandus in Ratio di off Lib. 1. When any Churche is to be halowed thys order muste be obserued Fyrst all the people muste departe out of the Church and the Deacon must remaine there onely hauyng all the doores shut faste vnto hym The Byshop with the Clergye shall stande withoute before the Churche doore and make holy water mingled with salt In the meane season within the churche there muste be set vp .xii. candles brennyng before xii crosses that are appoynted vppon the churche walles Afterwarde the bishop accompanied with the Clergye people shall goe thrice aboute the church without and the bishop hauing in hys hande a staffe with a bunche of Ysope on the ende shall with the same cast holy water vpon y e church walles and at euery time the bishop shal come vnto y e church dore strike y e threshold therof with his Crossierstaffe and say Tollite portas Principes vestras et eleuamiâ—i portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae That is Lifte vp your gates O ye Princes and be ye lyfte vp O ye euerlasting gates the King of glorye shal enter in Then shal the Deacon or minister that is within saye Quis est iste Rex gloriae That is Who is thys king of glorye To whom the Byshop shall aunswere and saye Dominus fortis et potens Dominus potens in praelio That is It is the Lord strong and mightie eueÌ„ y e Lord mightye in battayle At y e third time the Deacon shall open the church doore and the Byshop shall enter into the churche accompanied with a fewe ministers the clergye and the people abiding still without Entring into the church the Byshop shall saye Pax huiâ— domui That is Peace be vnto thys house And afterward the Bishop with