THE Catholique Triumph Conteyning A Reply to the pretensed Answere of B. C. a masked Iesuite lately published against the Tryall of the New Religion Wherein is euidently prooued that Poperie and the Doctrine now professed in the Romish Church is the New Religion And that the Fayth which the Church of England now mayntaineth is the ancient Romane Religion Psal. 22. v. 16. Dogges are come about mee and the councell of the wicked layeth siege against me Psal. 120. v. 3. What reward shall be giuen to thee thou false tongue euen mighty and sharpe arrowes with hot burning coales AT LONDON Printed for the companie of Stationers 1610. To the most reuerend Father my very good Lord TOBY the L. Archbyshop of Yorke his Grace Primate of England Fifteene yeares most reuerend Father are now fully expired since I first began to write against the professed aduersaries of the auncient Christian Catholike Apostolique and old Romane religion I meane the late Byshops of Rome the Romish Cardinals the Iesuites Iesuited Papistes and Gunpowder-popish-vassals In which space of time I haue published so many Bookes in defence of the Catholique Fayth as are in number correspondent to the yeares A very long time it was the argument in hand considered before I could any way extort any Answere to any of my Bookes Howbeit when the Iesuites after mature deliberation had seriously pondered with them-selues that through their long silence many Papistes did vtterly renounce Poperie and ioyfully embrace the Catholique Fayth this day sinceerely professed in our Church then they became so ashamed of their silence in that behalfe that in the yeare 1605. they published a litle Pamphlet tearming it The forerunner of Bels downefall wherein they auouched with brasen faces that they had written fiue Bookes fiue yeares afore that time against my Motiues and my Suruey of Poperie And least it should be obiected against them that it cannot be so seeing we can neither see them nor heare of them the Fore-runner telleth vs very grauely but to their endlesse shame that the Answere is suppressed and vpon iust occasion stayed from the publication Alasse alasse how are silly Papistes bewitched with the iugling and deceitfull dealing of these seducers They haue been buzzing about the answering of my two first Bookes as they them selues tell vs almost the space of sixe whole yeares and when after their great paines and labours of so many yeares they had framed the answere in the best manner they could deuise then they suppressed the same vpon iust occasiō as their Forerunner in their name telleth vs. What haue they bestowed fiue yeares in wryting fiue Bookes against two of my Bookes and dare not to this day publish any one of them Out vpon lying lippes Out vpon trayterous Iesuites and Iesuiticall deceyuers of the world The trueth is that there is no trueth in these men And it is an euident testimonie that they are not indeed able to answere for otherwise they would not for very shame haue protested so much in print and haue performed nothing lesse I am verily perswaded that they will neuer during my life which they wish to be short and therefore haue they prouided my Winding sheete and other indirect meanes to take away my life frame any full and direct Answere to the said Bookes because in trueth all the Iesuites in the Christian world are not able to performe it the trueth being so cleare forcible against them After the Fore-runner a pretensed Answere was published in the yeare 1606. against the Downe fall of Poperie For refutation of which silly Pamphlet I addressed my Booke intituled The Iesuites Antepast which seemeth to their daintie mouthes so vntouthsome that I deeme it will serue also for their Post-past as I had formerly published an other Reply intituled The Popes Funerall to the Fore-runner of the Downefall Now lately in the end of the yeare 1608. an other pretensed Answere a silly thing God wote was published against my Booke intituled The Tryall of the new religion This Pamphlet came to my handes in Nouember last at which time I was very ill in body and also distant aboue one hundred Myles from mine owne Librarie the want whereof at that time was farre more grieuous to me then were all my painefull infirmities of body In the midst of which whiles I am writing for the trueth I find no litle comfort The case so standing albeit your Grace was then aboue fourtie Myles from me yet did I presume to bemone my selfe vnto your Grace for the supply of my present want of Bookes with whom my suite found such intertainement as I neither did nor euer could expect Bookes indeed I expected but that your Grace should also send them to me vpon your owne charges most freely and Christianly offering to send me your whole Librarie which is indeed a Librarie most excellent if I shouldst and in need thereof it seemed to mee such an honorable sauour as that I could not now in duetie omit to make this publique acknowledgement thereof The Iesuites and Iesuited Gunpowder Papistes not able to endure the sound of my Tryall wherein Poperie was tearmed and prooued the New Religion haue suborned as it seemeth Robert Parsons that lewd companion and trayterous Fryer to publish that supposed Refutation the summe and substaunce whereof they had no doubt collected and framed to his handes His name he dareth not disclose least the great disgrace which can not but insue vpon that silly Answere should eternally cleaue vnto him as being one who not able to defend Poperie by honest and Christian-like proceeding bestirreth himselfe to effect the same by continuall forgerie by lying by coozenage and deceitfull dealing as in this Booke I shall make apparant Wherein what my selfe haue effected or rather God in mee let the iuditious and honest Reader iudge and for that which he findeth well done giue God the glorie Such as it is I dedicate vnto your Grace as vnto him who hath deserued my vttermost service The Almighty blesse your Grace with many happy yeares in this life and with eternall glory in the life to come Amen Iunij 3. 1609. Your Graces most bounden Thomas Bell. Briefe Instructions for the better vnderstanding of the Discourse following Instruction 1. THE Pope Cardinals Iesuites and all Papistes generally do beare the world in hand that the Church of Rome this day keepeth inuiolably that Fayth and Religion which S. Peter and S. Paul in their time planted there I hold and defende the negatiue proouing the same soundly and euidently throughout this whole Discourse Wee all agree in this that the Church of Rome had once the true auncient Christian catholique and apostolique Fayth which she receiued from S. Peter and S. Paul my selfe most willingly subscribing thereunto I neither impugne the old Romane religion nor reprooue the auncient Byshops there it is the Late vp-start-religion of the Romish Church that now is which I detest and write against in all
teach and with Fire and Faggot violently vrge the same but is a thing in deed indifferent For if it had been necessarie vnto mans saluation all the holy and learned Fathers of the Greeke Church should haue perished euerlastingly But some will here demaund how that can be prooued To whom I answere that the same is plainely and expressely prooued in the Popes owne Decrees Which is such a testimonie against the Pope and his Popelings as none greater can be had The expresse wordes of the Popish Decrees haue already sounded in our eares This mine Obseruation is confirmed by the plaine wordes of the same Decrees where it is freely confessed that that opinion which holdeth sinnes onely to be confessed vnto God of necessitie is true lawfull and honest Let the wordes of the Decree be well marked because it sheweth all the holy Fathers of the Greeke Church to confound the Pope and all his Jesuited Popelings But let vs heare the verdict of a famous popish Cardinall of Rome Cardinall Caietanus as we haue seene already auoucheth constantly that Auricular and Secret confession is against Christes holy Institution as is also the Precept that compelleth vs to frequent the same For the better explication of this famous Cardinals Assertion because the Pope and his Jesuites can not endure to heare the same I will heere lay open before the eyes of the indifferent Reader the best answere that the Papistes haue or can inuent against the same Iosephus Angles that famous Popish Byshoppe not well pleased with the Popish Cardinall as it may seeme writeth of his Doctrine in this manner Hinc intelliges cauendum esse Caietanum super Ioan. cap. 20. vbi duos errores affirmauit vnum est institutam fuisse â— Christo Confessionem voluntariam cum sit ab Ecclesia definitum necessariam esse ad salutem Nam quod est voluntarium vt religionis ingressus non est ad salutem necessarium Alterum scilicet modum confitendi ad aurem non esse a Christo institutum Et hic error est in Conc. Trident. damnatus Hence mayest thou vnderstand that wee ought to take heede of Caietane vpon the 20. of John where hee affirmeth two errours the one is that Christ instituted Confession voluntary albeit the Church defined the same to be necessarie to saluation The other is that Christ did not institute Confession Auricular which is made in the Priestes eare And in the next page the same Angles telleth vs that the Councell of Trent did of purpose condemne Caietans opinion By the doctrine of this great Learned Papist who was a Cardinall of Rome and a Frier Dominican we see clearely these three poyntes First that the best learned Popish Doctors condemne Poperie and iustifie the doctrine of the Church of England Secondly that Auricular Confession was voluntarie in the dayes of Cardinall Caietane who liued aboue a thousand yeares after Christ. Thirdly that this Cardinall gaue such a deadly wound to Popish Confession a Ragge of the New religion that the Councell of Trent could find no better remedie but to condemne his Opinion as Hereticall Wisely therefore doth the Popish Byshoppe Angles exhort his Readers to beware of Caietane Bonauenture Hugo Panormitane and the Popish Glosse because they all with the Popes deare Canonistes tell vs constantly that Popish Confession hath no better ground then pure Mans inuention And consequently all such may iustly be deemed as blind as Beetles that do not see Popish Auricular Confession to be a rotten Ragge of the New religion The Iesuites Seuenth Chapter Of Popish Veniall sinnes COncerning Popish Veniall sinnes I will first set downe and lay open to the Reader the state and trueth of the Controuersie now in hand and that done refute refell the Iesuites counterfeite and pretensed Answere to the same The 1. Conclusion Euery Sinne is mortall of it owne nature I prooue it sundry wayes First because the Prophet in the spirit of God pronounceth Death to be due to euery Sinne Anima quae peccauerit ipsa morietur The soule that sinneth it shall die Secondly because S. Paul teacheth vs that The reward of sinne is death Thirdly because S. Iohn affirmeth euery Sinne to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say The transgression of Gods Law for so doth Ben. Arias Montanus that famous Popish Linguist translate the Greeke word and therefore no deniall can be made thereof Fourthly because the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed in the Scripture for Sinne and signifying a declining or swaruing from the right way doth emphatically and plainely confirme the same Fiftly because S. Bede Dionisius Carthusianus and Nicolaus Lyranus doe all three with vniforme assent expound S. John of Mortall sinne S. Bede who for his Learning and Vertue was renowned throughout the Christian world and therevpon surnamed Venerabilis hath these expresse wordes Virtus huius sententiae facilius in lingua Graecorum qua edita est Epistola compraehenditur Siquidem apud eos iniquitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocatur quod significat quasi contra legem vel sine lege factum Siquidem lex graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Sequitur sed et Latinum nomen eidem rationi congruit quod iniquitas quasi aequitati aduersa nuÌ„cupatur Quia quicunque peccat contrarius nimirum aequitati diuinae legis peccando existit The force and efficacie of this sentence is more easily perceiued in the Greeke tongue in which the Epistle was written for Iniquitie with them is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth As done against Law or without Law for the Law is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latine word also agreeth to the same reason because it is called Iniquitie as being against Equitie For euery one that sinneth is by reason of sinne contrary to the equitie of Gods Law Dionysius Carthusianus a famous and learned Papist hath these expresse wordes Lex autem diuina est aequitas ipsa sicque mortale peccatum est iniquitas id est non aequitas vtpote violatio aequitatis The Law of God is Equitie it selfe and consequently Iniquitie that is not Equitie as the trangression of Equitie is a mortall sinne Lyranus an other famous Popish Writer hath these wordes Peccatum est transgressio legis diuinae Lex autem diuina est ipsa aequitas et ideo in omni peccato mortali est aequitatis corruptio et per consequens iniquitas Sinne is the transgression of Gods Law and the Law of God is Equitie it selfe And therefore in euery mortall sinne there is corruption of Equitie and consequently there is Iniquitie Sixtly because holy Moses pronounceth euery one accursed that keepeth not the whole Law Seuenthly because fiue famous and great learned Papistes Iacobus Almaâ—nus Durandus Jo. Gersonus Michael Baius and Byshop Fisher not able to answere the reasons against Veniall sinnes doe freely and constantly affirme without all And 's or
and place be correspondent thereunto I prooue it first because Christ himselfe saith That euery Tree which bringeth not foorth Good fruite shal be cut downe and cast into the fire Secondly because Christ sayth in an other place That whosoeuer loue him will keepe his Commaundementes Thirdly because S. Paul telleth vs in one place That God chose vs in Christ before the world was made that we should be holy in his sight And in an other place That we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesu vnto good workes which he hath prepared that we may walke in them The 5. Conclusion Good workes are the effectes of Predestination depending vpon it not it vpon them S. Paul prooueth it in these plaine golden and pithy wordes Whom he hath Predestinate them hath he Called and whom he hath Called them hath he Iustified and whom he hath Iustified those hath he also Glorified By this golden Chaine we may euidently perceiue that Glorification Iustification Vocation and consequently Good workes are the effectes of Predestination especially if we ioyne this with the other Conclusions afore going For if it be true as it is most true else th'Apostle should be a lyer that we were elected to be Holy and to doe Good workes it is also true it can not be denyed that Holy life and Good workes are the effectes of our Election and Predestination in Christ Iesus For this cause sayth that famous Papist Nicholaus de Lyra in this manner Dicendum quod predestinatio diuina est preparatio gratiae in presenti et gloriae in futuro Et ideo cum sit aeterna sicut ab aeterno predestinauit aliquem ad beatitudinem ita praeordinauit modum quo daret sibi illam beatitudinem I answere sayth this great learned Popish Doctor that Gods Predestination is the preparation of Grace in this world and of Glory in the world to come And therefore seeing it is Eternall as he hath predestinated any one from eternitie to endlesse Blisse or Beatitude so hath he also fore-ordayned the meane by which he would bring him to the same For this cause sayth the Popish Angelicall Doctor Aquinas whose doctrine sundry Popes haue confirmed for Authenticall that Predestination includeth Gods will of bestowing both Grace and Glorie And this Doctor so famous and authenticall addeth these wordes Nam predestinatio est causa et eius quod expectatur in futura vita a predestinatis scz gloriae et eius quod percipitur in presenti scz gratiae For Predestination is the cause both of that which is expected in the life to come that is to say of Glorie and also of that which the predestinate receiue in this life that is to say of Grace For this cause saith our Jesuiticall Cardinall Bellarminus that Good workes follow Predestination as effectes follow their causes These are his expresse wordes Itaque sunt opera bona effectus Predestinationis Therefore Good workes are the effect of Predestination Againe in other place the same Jesuite hath these wordes Itaque illa propositio Deus ab aeterno predestinauit hominibus dare regnum per opera bona praeuisa potest et vera esse et falsa Nam si illud per opera praeuisa referatur ad verbum predestinauit falsa erit Significabit enim Deum predestinasse homines quia opera illorum bona praeuiderat si referatur ad verbum dare vera erit Quia significabit executionem futuram esse per opera bona siue quod est idem glorificationem effectum esse iustificationis et operum bonorum sicut ipsa iustificatio effectus est vocationis et vocatio praedestinationis Therefore that proposition God fore-ordayned from eternitie to giue to men the Kingdome of heauen by their fore-seene Workes may both be true and false For if those wordes by their workes fore-seene be referred to the word Predestinauâ—t hee predestinated or fore-ordayned the sense and meaning is false For it will signifie God to haue Predestinated Men because he fore-saw their Good workes but if the same wordes be referred to the worde Dare to giue and bestow the sense and meaning will be true For it will signifie that the execution must be done by Good works or which is all one that Glorification is the effect of Iustification and Good workes euen as Iustification is the effect of Vocation and Vocation the effect of Predestination Againe in an othor place hee hath these wordes Non ideo pendet praedestinatio ab operibus sed opera a praedestinatione Therefore Predestination doth not depend of Workes but Workes depend of Predestination Againe in an other place he sayth thus Alia ratio est pradestinationis alia executionis Constituit N. in praedestinatione regnum caelorum dare certis hominihus quos absque vlla operum praeuisione dilexit tamen simul constituit vt quo ad executionem via perueniendi ad regnum essent bona opera There is one reason of Predestination an other of Execution For in Predestination God decreed to giue the Kingdome of Heauen to certaine men whom he loued without any fore-sight of Workes howbeit he decreed withall that in respect of the execution Good workes should be the way to come vnto the same For this cause doe our Râ—emistes tell vs that our first Iustification is of Gods Grace and not of our deseruinges because none of all our actions that were before our Iustification could merit or iustly procure the Grace of iustification Thus discourse these famous and great learned Popish Writers to whose Doctrine I subscribe with all my heart For as I haue often sayd else where I highly reuerence the Old Romane religion and to the vttermost of my small talent skill I both haue done doe and will defende the same Yea and iustifie the Doctrine of the Church of England to be the Old Romane Catholike and Apostolike religion which S Peter and S. Paul deliuered to the auncient and first Church of Rome Out of the Doctrine heere deliuered by these famous Papistes Lyranus Aquinas and Bellarminus I gather many excellent Notes First that the Grace Fayth and Good workes which we haue in this world and the Glory which we expect in the world to come doe all wholly proceed from Gods Predestination euen without all desertes of Man Secondly that as God prepared the Kingdome of heauen for his Elect euen before they were borne or had done any Good workes so did he also prepare the way and meanes by which he would bring them to the same Thirdly that no Workes done or fore-seene to be done did mooue God to predestinate any man to the ioyes of Heauen Fourthly that Good workes are not the Cause but the Effect of Predestination Fiftly that Good workes are the way and meanes which God ordayned for the execution of Predestination and for the accomplishment of Glorification Sixtly that not onely Predestination but also Iustification proceedes of
can possibly be alleadged or produced out of the holy Fathers concerning this Subiect now in hand To this Booke in the third part and tenth Chapter I referre the Reader for his full satisfaction in this behalfe Secondly that aswell the thing it selfe as the name was first hatched in the Councell of Lateran For no Text in the Law of Moses no Sentence in the Prophets no Word in the Psalmes no Affirmation out of the Ghospell no Testimonie out of the Epistles of the Apostles no Verdict out of the holy Fathers no specialtie out of the auncient Councels can now or euer be found extant which once maketh mention either of Transubstantiation or of accidentes without subiectes Thirdly that this Popish fondly imagined Transubstantiation is farre different from that Reall presence with which the Pope and his Romish Synode most cruelly assayled Berengarius That Reall presence though most absurd as I haue prooued demonstratiuely in the Iesuites Antepast may well stand with Consubstantiation and nothing at all change the substaunce of Bread For it is a Popish foundation though foolish and ridiculous as is prooued in my Suruey that two Bodyes may be in one place at once This Transubstantiation sendeth the substance of Bread neither my selfe nor yet the Papistes can tell whither That Reall presence altereth not Christes Body but this Transubstantiation changeth the substaunce of Bread into Christes Body That Reall presence causeth not accidentes without subiectes but this Transubstantiation inferreth Miracles vpon Miracles aboue ten thousand times a day Popish Reall presence is one thing of which I dispute not in my Tryall Popish Transubstantiation is an other thing which is the subiect now in hand Fourthly that the Papistes them-selues doe not know what to thinke or say of their lately inuented Transubstantiation Durand as I haue prooued in the Downefall of Poperie affirmeth constantly that onely the forme of Bread is changed and that the matter of Bread remaineth still in the Eucharist Rupertus the Popish Abbot holdeth that the Bread is vnited Hypostatically to the Sonne of God Cardinall Caietanus Henricus and Capreolus are of an other different opinion Iohannes Parisionsis held also that the Bread was assumpted but in a different manner from the opinion of Rupertus An other opinion yet remaineth which affirmeth the Annihilation of the Bread Yet Cardinall Bellarmine holdeth with the Councell of Trent for hee that at Rome holdeth otherwise must be burnt that the Bread is transubstantiated into the Body of Christ. What Childe in the fyre would not come foorth to heare this harmonie Will yee heare what the learned Fryer S.R. sayth to this discordant melodie these are his expresse wordes in his pretensed Answere to the Downefall of Poperie The first Contradiction which this contradictions fellow findeth in the Masse is that Durand Caietan and foure Catholiques more before the Councell of Trent did otherwise explicate the manner of Christes Reall presence in the Eucharist then was trueth and since the Church hath defined and explicated in the sayd Councell Thus answereth S.R. that Learned man as B.C. his brother calleth him By whose learned Assertion we are giuen to vnderstand that Transubstantiation was not an Article of Popish sayth vndoubtedly vntill the late Popish Councell of Trent that is 1547. yeares after Christ. The Eleuenth Chapter of Popish Inuocation of Sainctes B. C. TV per Thomae sanguinem c. By the blood of Thomas which hee for thee did spend bring vs thyther ô Christ whyther Thomas did ascend I vtterly deny that any of these wordes or altogeather make Thomas a Mediator of Redemption or doe prooue that wee inuocate him as the Sonne of the liuing God and the onely Sauiour of the World T. B. I answere that this Popish manner of Praying prooueth euidently that Thomas Becket is to the Papistes a Mediator not onely of Intercession but also of Redemption I prooue it by sundry meanes and irrefragable reasons First because there is no Saluation in any but in Iesus Christ neither any other Name vnder Heauen whereby we must be saued Secondly for that the auncient Catholique Church hath euer desired Remission of sinnes of God the Father for and through Iesus Christ his onely Sonne and our onely Sauiour Thirdly because onely the Blood of Iesus Christ not the Blood of any other is able to bring vs to Heauen Fourthly because Iesus Christ with his owne Blood not the Blood of others hath perfectly accomplished the saluation of his Elect and that hath he done once for all Fiftly because an Angell came downe from Heauen and imposed the name Iesus vpon the Sonne of God yeelding this reason thereof for that he should saue Gods people from their sinnes Sixtly because all the workes of God are perfect Which for all that could not be so if Beckets Blood be a cause of our going to Heauen Seuenthly because all Gods Children are rewarded farre aboue their condigne desertes as I haue foundly and plentifully prooued in the Conclusions of the ninth Chapter immediately aforegoing Eightly because S. Austen affirmeth constantly that the best liuer vpon earth shall perish euerlastingly if he find not Mercie farre aboue his Desertes But doubtlesse hee that is rewarded aboue his Desertes and standeth in need of Mercie for his owne Sinnes that mans Blood is not a fit cause or meane to bring others vnto Heauen B. C. The Pope and many thousandes more vse the Romane Breuiarie Missall in neither of which any such Prayer is conteyned and as I suppose it is not found but in those of Sarum vse which be now antiquated and out of date T. B. I answere first that our Jesuite now beginneth to tell vs wonders euen the mutabilitie of Romish Fayth and Religion of which I disputed in the Chapter of Veniall sinnes Secondly that as the Pope hath reformed the Romish Fayth and Religion in this and some other poyntes euen so hath our English Church abolished all Popish errours and superstition whereby wee are the true Reformed Catholiques in very deed For as your Capuchones are the true reformed Franciscanes at Rome so are wee the true reformed Catholiques in England B. C. An vntrueth it is that Saintes merites are ioynt purchasers of saluation with Christes blood if he meane that the Merites of Christ and his Saintes doe alike availe to saluation T. B. I answere first that our Jesuite not able to defend Poperie nor to answere the reasons by mee produced doth highly blaspheame Christ and the sacred Merites of his most precious Blood For as we see hee absurdly and most impiously auoucheth that the Merites of Saintes may be ioynt purchasers of saluation with Christes most sacred Blood so it be not in the same degree Let his wordes be well marked for they import as much as I do say O monstrum horrendum What blasphemie what impietie what crueltie what infidelitie is diabolically implyed in rotten Poperie You were not saith
litle children the consonant sound reboundeth as it were an eccho with the surges of the Sea Iustinus Martyr hath these wordes Sub haec consurgimus communiter omnes et praecationes profundimus et sicuti retulimus praecibus peractis panis offertur et vinum et aqua Et praepositus itidem quantum pro virili sua potest praeces et gratiarum actiones fundit et populus faustè acclamat dicens Amen These thinges being done wee all arise togeather and make our Prayers and after our Prayers the Bread is offered with Wine and Water and the Minister as he is able prayeth and giueth thankes and the people with ioyfull acclamation say Amen Philo a very auncient and learned Writer awong the Iewes sheweth this old practise of our Christian Church in these wordes Quae omnia supra dictus vir eo ordine eademque consequentia qua apud nos geruntur expressit Et vt vnus ex omnibus consurgens in medio Psalmū honestis modulis concinat vtque praecinenti ei vnum versiculum omnis multitudo respondeat All which the aforenamed man he speaketh of Philo the Jew related in the same order and consequence in which our selues doe them And that one among all rising vp in the middest sing a Psalme with tunable voyce and that so soone as he hath sung one Verse all the people answere him S. Chrysostome speaketh so plainely of the peoples praying togeather with the Priest that euē in the time of the Liturgis or Masse as none doubtlesse that either read or heare his wordes can stand any longer in doubt thereof These are his expresse wordes In eisdem iterum horrendis mysterijs bene precatur Sacerdos populo et bene precatur populus Sacerdoti Nam cum spiritu tuo nihil aliud est quam hoc Ea quae sunt Eucharistiae id est gratiarum actionis communiae sunt omnia neque ille solus gratias agit sed etiam omnis populus prius N. accepta illorum voce deinde congregatis illis vt dignè et iustè hoc faciat incipit Eucharistiā Et quid miraris si populus cum Sacerdote loquitur In these dreadfull mysteries the Priest wisheth well to the people and the people desire Gods mercie to the Priest For these wordes with thy spirit haue no other meaning The thinges that pertaine to the Eucharist that is to the giuing of thankes are common to them all for he onely giueth not thankes but all the people also with him For he first receiueth their voyce after that they being gathered togeather that he may doe this reuerently and well he beginneth the Communion And what maruell is it to thee if the people pray with the Priest S. Cyprian testifieth the same practise to haue been vsuall in his time alleadging the very wordes that the common people answered to the Priest Thus doth he write in expresse tearmes Ideo et Sacerdos ante orationem praefatione praemissa parat fratrum mentes dicendo sursum corda vt dum respondet plebs habemus ad Dominum admoneatur nihil aliud se quam Dominum cogitare debere Therefore the Priest after the Preface before the Prayer prepareth the mindes of the brethren saying Lift vp your heartes that while the common people answere wee lift them vp vnto the Lord they may be instructed to thinke vpon no other thing but the Lord. What need is there to stand vpon this poynt any longer Sozomenus sheweth plainely in his Historie that in his time which was more then 400. yeares after Christ the people and the Clergie did sing Psalmes in the Church togeather So S. Hierome testifieth of the Church of Rome that in his time the people sounded out Amen with such an eccho as if it had been with an heauenly Thunder Nicolaus Lyranus that great learned popish Doctor in his Commentaries vpon S. Paul to the Corinthians affirmeth to his Readers very constantly that in the Primatiue Church both the Prayers and all other thinges were in the Vulgar tongue Yea S. Basil sayth that in his time all the people sang Psalmes togeather in the Church And he addeth therevnto that it was the custome of all Churches so to doe By these Testimonies it is cleare and euident that in the Primatiue Church and many yeares after the Church seruice was euerywhere in the Vulgar tongue S. Gregorie sometime Byshoppe of Rome himselfe reporteth the vsuall practise of the Greeke Church which he approoueth to haue been as we haue already heard out of S. Chrysostome and other famous Greeke Writers And that which our Fryer sayth of the same Gregorie is too too childish ridiculous as it is euident by that which is already said shall God willing be yet more euident before the end of this discourse Our Iesuite heere by way of a digression more then extrauagant giueth a very short but too too sweete an admonition In which he pleaseth himselfe more then a litle with his old doting foolerie and rusty rotten Poperie He telleth his Readers whom he would gladly perswade to giue credite to his wordes that our Ceremonies are pild patches of Protestanisme rusty ragges of the Reformed Congregation and withall forsooth that our Communion Booke it selfe was neuer heard of in the whole world till the late dayes of King Edward the sixt My answere to this extrauagant and foolish admonition I purpose in God to set downe in the last Chapter of this Discourse My reason hereof is this My scope intent and purpose in this present Booke is bipartite or two folde viz. to prooue soundly and plainely to lay open to all iudicious honest and indifferent Readers that the Religion Fayth and Doctrine of the late Byshoppes Church of Rome is indeed the New religion by litle and litle crept into the Church and distinctly to name the time when and the Authors by whom euery materiall poynt Article of the new Romish Fayth and Religion did first begin as also to prooue soundly and clearely that the Fayth and Doctrine this day established in the Church of England is Catholique Apostolicall and the Old Romane religion For which respect I haue thought it meete and conuenient first to accomplish and finish the former member in proouing Poperie the New Religion And that done to prooue the Doctrine and Fayth of our English Church to be the Old Religion Which to performe as is sayd I haue steadfast confidence in my mercifull GOD all sufficient who woonderfully preseruing me from many dangers almost ineffable seemeth to haue reserued me to that end and purpose God make me thankfull and euer to referre all that I well doe to his most holy name Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Thou ô God who hast chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weake thinges to confound the mightie things thou who by
second Chapter of this present Volume To this let vs adde a most notable testimonie of our Rhemistes which is comprised in these very wordes Notorious is the saying of S. Augustine concerning S. Cyprian who being a blessed Catholique Byshop and Martyr yet erred about the rebaptizing of such as were Christined by Heretiques If he had liued sayth S. Augustine to haue seene the determination of a plenarie Councell which he saw not in his life time he would for his great humilitie and charitie straight way haue yeelded preferred the generall Councell before his owne Iudgement and his fellow Byshops in a prouinciall Councell onely Thus dispute our Rhemistes confounding them-selues and their Pope vnawares For first they tell vs marke well my wordes that S. Cyprian was a blessed Byshop and Martyr and therefore would haue yeelded to the Decree of a generall Councell They tell vs secondly that S. Augustine was of the same opinion In which double Narration the Rhemistes confound them-selues with their Pope and all his deuoted Popelinges For they giue vs to vnderstand very plainely that neither the Pope is aboue a generall Councell neither yet his Iudgement infallible But how prooue I that This forsooth is a plaine demonstration thereof S. Cyprian and S. Augustine being both of them very Holy very Learned Fathers could not but know right well for their great Learning what Authoritie Power Priuiledges and Prerogatiues Christ had giuen to the Byshops of Rome And without all question it is it can not be denyed that for their great pietie and humilitie they would humbly haue acknowledged and highly reuerenced all Power giuen them by our Lord Iesus Yet true it is sir Fryer marke well my wordes that Pope Cornelius togeather with a nationall Synode of the Byshoppes of Jtaly had made a flatte decree concerning Rebaptization True it is likewise that Pope Stephanus had confirmed the same Decree and commaunded it to be obserued True it is thirdly that all Papistes of late dayes doe obstinately affirme as our Rhemistes in the name of all Papistes tell vs that the Pope is aboue a generall Councell that the Pope can not erre Iudicially that the Popes Iudgement is infallible Now this Decree made by Pope Cornelius and confirmed by Pope Stephanus S. Cyprian knew right well neither was S. Austen ignorant thereof Howbeit this notwithstanding S. Cyprian roundly withstood the Decree of Pope Stephanus and both sharpely reprooued him and vtterly contemned his falsely pretended Authoritie S. Austen in like manner held the same opinion with S. Cyprian concerning the Popes falsely pretended Prerogatiues infallibilitie of Iudgement neuer excusing any such thing in S. Cyprian as a fault neither once saying that the Pope was Christes Vicar or that Christ had prayed that his Fayth should not fayle but constantly telling the Reader for his full satisfaction on S. Cyprians behalfe that he would humbly haue yeelded to the Decree of a plenarie Councell if any such had been in his time In which wordes S. Austen giueth the Reader to vnderstand that though S. Cyprian did contemne both the definitiue Sentence of the Pope and the Decree of his prouinciall Councell because neither of their Iudgements was infallible yet would he haue yeelded to the Decree of a plenarie Councell as which he acknowledged to be infallible and to haue the assistannce of the holy Ghost Let vs adde further that the two hundred seauenteene Fathers in the Aphrican Councell whereof S. Augustine was one were so farre from acknowledging the Byshop of Rome to be Christes Vicar generall vpon earth to be aboue a plenarie Councell and his Iudgement to be infallible that they all with one assent refused vtterly to graunt any such Prerogatiue or Priuiledge vnto him constantly affirming that he was bound as well as they to obey the Decrees of the Nicene Councell For which cause neither would the said Fathers graunt greater Power and Prerogatiues to the Byshoppes of Rome neither did the Byshoppes of Rome them-selues challenge greater Power then the Canons of the Nicene Synode would affoorde them Of which poynt I haue disputed at large in the second Chapter afore-going Whosoeuer shall seriously peruse that whole Chapter from the beginning to the end thereof will vndoubtedly rest satisfied in this behalfe Ioyne this with my Tryall and Poperie will prooue it selfe the New religion The 31. Chapter conteyning according to my promise an Answere to the Iesuites short admonition in the 16. Chapter aforegoing as also to some other patches elsewhere dispearsed to the same effect T. B. HAuing euidently prooued and plainely conuinced by the power of God and the assistance of his holy Spirit that Poperie is the New religion it followeth consequently that I prooue the Fayth Doctrine this day professed and by Authoritie established in the Church of England to be the Old Religion I therefore heartily craue the gentle Readers attentiue hearing vnto the end of my Discourse I haue not hitherto in any of my former Bookes oppugned the Old Romane Religion which S. Peter and S. Paul deliuered to the Church of Rome while they liued heere on earth Neither doe I at this present or euer intend hereafter in any future worke to oppugne the same It is the late Fayth and late Romish Doctrine which I contend to be the New Religion euery maine poynt whereof I haue clearely conuinced when and by whom it first began Our Church of noble England constantly reteyneth euery Article and iote of the old Romane Religion onely reiecting and abolishing of the essentiall partes of late Romish Fayth and Doctrine so much as was Hereticall erroneous or superstitious and repugnant to the eternall trueth of Gods most sacred word And concerning late Romish ceremonies such so many as were either superstitious or ridiculous or vnprofitable to the Church of God So that wee are this day the true reformed Catholiques euen as the Fryers at Rome commonly called Capuchoâ—nes are indeed the true reformed Franciscans The Church of England doth not this day hold any Article of Fayth or Doctrine or vse any Ceremonie saue such onely as we are able to iustifie either by the expresse wordes of the holy Scripture and by the approbation of best approoued Antiquitie or else to deduce the same from thence by a necessarie ineuitable consequence Let vs now in Gods name heare attentiuely what our Iesuite in the name of all Papistes is able to obiect against the Fayth and Doctrine of the Church of England B. C. COncerning Ceremonies and such like Bell in his Regiment of the Church graunteth freely that the Church hath Authoritie to ordaine and abrogate to make or repeale Lawes as shall seeme most meete for the honour of God and the edification of Christian people T. B. Bell admitteth all this Say on good Fryer if happily thou haue any better Bread in thy Bagge seeing this is not worth a silly Ragge Howbeit our Fryer for want of matter
dayes the Byshoppes of England now so called haue had and kept a continuall and vninterrupted succession of Byshoppes successiuely so sound firme and inuiolable as the Church of Rome is not able to shew the like This succession is so clearely prooued in my Christian Dialogue as none with right reasoÌ„ can deny the same Fourthly that the Church of England now so called hath euer since the time of King Ethelbert constantly kept all and euery Article of the old Romane Religion which she receiued from the auncient and purer Church of Rome No Papist liuing is able to giue any true instance against this irrefragable assertion Fiftly that as in processe of time many superstitious grosse and palpable errours yea flatte Heresies haue by litle and litle crept into the Church of Rome euen so hath our Church of England through the sway of the time been deeply stayned polluted with the same Sixtly that our Church in the time of King Henry the eight began to be reformed in some Articles of Fayth and Doctrine but the reformation was not perfect vntill the raigne of King Edward the sixt In which Reformation no New Article of Fayth or Religion is added to the former but the former Fayth and Religion is onely refyned purged purified and such Superstition Errours and Heresies abolished as were by litle and litle brought into the Church All and euery iote of the old Romane Religion remayneth still in our Church permanent and inuiolable But some perhappes will heere demaunde of me how the Church of Rome did so degenerate from the auncient Fayth and so foulely corrupt the old Romane Religion To whom I answere in this manner First with Egesippus that auncient and learned Father that during the life of Christes blessed Apostles the visible Church remayned a Virgin free from all Heresies and corruptions but after their death Errours by litle and litle crept into the Church as into a voyde and desart House Secondly with Franciscus a Victoria that famous popish Fryer and great learned Schooleman that by litle litle the Papistes were in his time brought to such inordinate dispensations and to so miserable a state that they were neither able to endure their owne griefes nor remydies assigned by the Pope for the same That Clemens Lâ—nus and Syluester were very good Byshoppes of Rome but that the latter Byshoppes comming after them successiuely were wicked men and nothing comparable to the olde Byshoppes there Thirdly with Iosephus Angles that famous Popish Byshoppe euen in that Booke which hee dedicated to the Pope himselfe that the Romish Religion changeth euery day Fourthly with the fiue famous Popish Doctors Iohannes Roffensis Jacobus Almaâ—nus Gersonus Durandus and Michael Baius that euery sinne is mortall of it owne nature and that the old Romane Church did so beleeue vntill the time of Pope Pius the fift that is about 1560 yeares after Christ at which time Veniall sinnes werâ— hatched in the Church of Rome This is such a constant knowen trueth as neither the Jesuite S. R. nor yet the Iesuite B. C. his deare brother can tell in the world what answere to frame to the same Fourthly with Polidorus Virgilius that famous Popish Writer that the Popish Legistes and Canonistes of latter dayes haue so wrested the holy Scriptures to their owne sense and liking as Coblers doe gnaw with their teeth and stretch out their filthy skinnes Fiftly with Platina the Popes deare Vassall and trustie Friend that in his dayes the Popedome was brought to that passe that who so could goe before others in Bribes and Ambition hee onely should haue the place Sixtly with Couarruuias that worthy popish Arch-byshoppe and learned Canonist that in these dayes either the Popes opinion must be defended or else Poperie can not stand Lastly with Iosephus Angles writing to the Popes deare Holynesse that albeit the old Church of Rome did by the commaundement of the Apostles excommunicate all non communicants in the time of the Masse or Liturgie yet hath the late Church decreed that it shall be lawfull for all Lay persons to receiue the Eucharist onely at Easter Much more I might and could say if I thought not this sufficient So then the Fayth and Doctrine this day professed and authorized in this our Church of England is indeed the old Romane religion purged refined and restored to the primatiue and most auncient puritie in King Edwardes dayes in whose happy raigne was the perfect and complete Reformation But the Fayth and Religion it selfe came from S. Peter and S. Paul yea euen from Christ himselfe their Jesus and our Jesus world without end To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three in the distinction of persons and one in the vnitie of diuine essence be all Honour Maiestie Power Glory and Dominion now and euermore Amen A Caueat to the Christian Reader THE masked Jesuite in his Preface to the Reader laboureth with might and maine to perswade his Readers that I dare not performe that challenge which I made to the Fore-runner his wordes are these I the meanest of many millions doe accept of his Challenge and doe vndertake to defend not onely these two poynes of Iosephus Doctrine and Pope Martins Dispensation which he hath singled out as matters important but also all the rest so it may be with that equitie and fauour which was graunted to the Protestantes in France And vpon the same conditions doe prouoke him with a counter-challenge to the defence of his Bookes And a litle after he telleth his Reader That hee sendes me as many Challenges as will stand betweene Charing-crosse Chester and as many Dares as will reach from Darby to Darington To which I answere in this manner First that the Jesuites are accused and charged by their deare Breathren the popish Secular Priestes with Pride Ambition Couetousnesse Coozenage Theft Crueltie Murther Treason and all wickednesse that can be named Yea of Fryer Parsons that trayterous Iesuite they giue this testimonie in particular viz. by Parsons platformes Secular Priestes must depend vpon Blackwell and Blackwell vpon Garnet and Garnet vpon Parsons and Parsons the Priestes Bastard vpon the Deuill Peruse my Anatomy of popish Tyrannie and there thou shalt finde this trueth with great varietie of like matter Secondly that in all my Challenges I require but one onely Condition which the Iesuite passeth ouer in silence because he meaneth not to performe the same The Condition is this viz. That the Iesuite which shall accept the Challenge must put downe his name with his addition in print and send it to me Which if it be once performed during my life I promised vpon my saluation to doe what in me lyeth to procure a false conduct for the safe comming safe abyding and safe departure of him whosoeuer he be that shall accept and vndertake the true performance of the Challenge in maner aforesayd Thirdly that the Jesuite
deteyned from them For while they gaue away their owne they vnawares and fondly deemed that they onely restored that which was not their owne in deed Instruction 8. The word Pope was not the proper and peculiar name to the Byshop of Rome for the space of 528. yeares after Christ. The Church of Rome was made the Head of all other Churches and the Byshops there the heads of all other Byshops by the imperiall constitution of Phocas 607. yeares after Christ. That the Pope could not erre iudicially was not authenticall in the Romish Church for 1500. yeares after Christ. That the Pope could vnmarrie persons lawfully married by Christes institution was neuer heard of in the Christian world vntill the yeare 1550. after Christ at which time Pope Iulius presumed to dissolue lawfull Matrimonie by his vnlawfull Dispensation It was neuer thought lawfull for the naturall Brother to marry his naturall Sister vntill the time of Pope Martin who by the instigation of the Diuell set the same abroach in the yeare 1418. after Christ. Popish Veniall sinnes were first hatched by Pope Pius 1566. yeares after Christ. That the Blood of popish Saints could worke mans redemptiō was neuer heard of for the space of 1161. yeares after Christ. The like may be sayd of many other Popish Articles for which I referre the Reader to my Tryall of the New Religion I deeme it enough for the present to insinuate to the Christian Reader that our Church hath onely abolished Superstition Errours and Heresies by litle and litle crept into the Church and doth still keepe all and euery iot of the Old Romane Fayth and Religion The Capucheenes at Rome did the like when they euen with the Popes good liking reformed the dissolute Franciscans Yea Pope Pius himselfe of late dayes did the like while he reformed the popish deformed missals and breuiaries in his late Councell gathered at Trent If hee that now is Byshop of Rome would reforme all the rest by abolishing all Nouelties by litle and litle brought into the Church as we haue done he should finde the remnant to be the Old Romane religion in verie deed Marke well the whole Discourse following where all this is soundly prooued as more cannot be wished The Contentes of the Chapters Chapter 1. Proouing THat the name and worde Pope was in the primatiue Church common to all Byshops aswell of Rome as else where That the Byshop of Rome neither is nor ought to be nor euer was called The vniuersall Byshop of the whole Church That the name Pope was not peculiar to the Bishops of Rome for more then 528. yeares after Christ. That the Iesuite volens nolens is enforced to graunt the same Chapter 2. Proouing That the Pope may not be controulled though he carry with him thousands vpon thousands into Hell That it is Sacriledge to dispute of the Popes power That the Pope with his Pardons can deliuer all soules out of Purgatory-fire That the Pope can dissolue that Matrimonie which is firme and stable by Christes institution That the Pope can dispense with the Brother to marrie his owne naturall Sister That the Pope hath as great power as Christ himselfe had on earth That the Pope may doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him That the Pope can make of nothing something That the counterfeit Donation of Constantine was the originall of all Popish superroyall power That whatsoeuer the Emperours of latter time gaue to the Church of Rome they were induced to do the same by the coozening trickes of the Byshops of Rome That the Popes Sozimus Bonefacius and Celestine falsified the Canons of the Nicene Councell so to aduance them-selues aboue all other Byshops That no Byshops nor Priestes ought to appeale to the Church of Rome That the Councell of Nice gaue the primacie of honour to the Church of Rome because it was the Seat of the Emperour and Caput Mundi That all Christians euen the Byshops of Rome are subiect to the Canons of the Nicene Councell That the Nicene Synode did confine and knit the iurisdiction of the Byshop of Rome Chapter 3. Proouing That Marriage of Priestes was euer lawfull during the time of the old Testament That the Marriage of Priestes is prohibited onely by the law of Man and not by any positiue constitution either of Christ or his Apostles That it was euer lawfull for the Byshops and Priestes of the East-church to marry and to beget children in time of their Priesthood That the Marriage of Priestes was euer lawfull also in the West-church vntill the time of Pope Siricius and in Germanie for the space of 1074. yeares after Christ. That all secular Priestes may Marry notwithstanding the Popish solemne Vow annexed That by Popish fayth and doctrine Marriage is of force after the single Vow of chastitie That the Vow single is of one and the same nature with the Vow solemne That the Marriage of Priestes is lawfull after the solemne Vow so it be done by the Popes Dispensation That the forced and coacted Chastitie of Priestes hath been so intollerable as nothing hath brought more shame to Priesthood more shame to Religion more griefe to godly men Chapter 4. Proouing That popish Pardons are neither found in the holy Scripture nor in the auncient Fathers That the popish Maister of sentences could finde no mention of them in the writinges of the holy Fathers That Byshoppe Fisher graunted the young age of late popish Pardons That the best learned Papistes are not able to defend the same Chapter 5. Proouing That the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie That the Church of Rome beleeued it not for the space of 250. yeares That the Church of Rome beleeued it not all at once but by litle and litle That the inuention of Purgatorie was the birth of popish Pardons That the primatiue Church was neuer acquainted with the Popes Pardons nor yet with popish Purgatorie Chapter 6. Proouing That popish Auricular confession cannot be prooued out of the Old Testament That the New Testament doth not impose an heauier yoake vpon vs then did the Old That popish Auricular confession is not necessarie for mans saluation That it is neither commaunded by Christ nor yet by his Apostles That it is established by the meere law of man grounded only vpon a falsely imagined Apostolicall vnwritten tradition That it was not an Article of popish Fayth for the space of 1215. yeares after Christ. Chapter 7. Proouing That euery Sinne is Mortall of it owne nature That fiue famous popish Writers Roffensis Almaynus Bains Durandus Gersonus doe all confesse the same That the Jesuite S. R. graunteth freely that the Church of Rome had not defined some Sinnes to be Veniall vntill the dayes of Pius the fift which was not fiftie yeares agoe Chapter 8. Proouing That the Pope may erre both in Fayth and Doctrine iudicially That many Popes haue erred De facto That great learned Papistes did constantly confesse so
much Chapter 9. Proouing That true Merite and condigne Merite is all one That the regenerate doe Good works and receiue reward aboue their desertes That Good workes doe follow Iustification but goe not before the same That the best Workes of the regenerate are stayned with sinne and in rigour of Iustice deserue eternall death That Good workes are so necessarie to attaine eternall life as the way and meanes by which God hath decreed to bring his chosen to it but not as the cause thereof as without them it can not be had That Good workes are the effectes of Predestination depending vpon it not it vpon them That Good workes in a godly sense may be called Meritorious that is they so please God that of mercie he rewardeth them That without the mercie and promise of God they doe not merite Heauen That Charitie is not the forme of Fayth That Fayth as a worker doth not iustifie but respectiuely as an instrument apprehending Christes merites and applying them vnto vs. That Good workes though they be neither the efficient nor the formall nor the finall cause of Iustification which euer goeth before them yet are they the materiall cause and cause sine qua non as the Schooles tearme it the cause or condition without which Iustification shall not haue effect That Good workes must be done for three respectes That Gods Promise doth not make Good workes to be condignely worthy of the reward That condigne merite of Workes was not an Article of Popish fayth for more then 1540. yeares after Christ. Chapter 10. Proouing That Transubstantiation is a Monster lately begotten in Germanie and borne in Rome Chapter 11. Proouing That popish Inuocation doth not onely make Saintes the mediatours of Intercession but also of Redemption That it maketh Saintes ioynt purchasers of saluation with Christes most sacred blood so it be not in the same degree That it was not hatched for more then 1160 yeares after Christ. Chapter 12. Of the popish Communion vnder one kind Chapter 13. Of popish priuate Masse Chapter 14. Of Pope Martins Dispensation Chapter 15 Of worshipping of Images Chapter 16. Of Church-seruice in the vulgar tongue Chapter 17. Of the peeces of popish Masse Chapter 18. Of the mysteries of the popish Masse Chapter 19. Of kissing the Popes feete Chapter 20. Of praying vpon Beedes Chapter 21. Of changing the Popes name Chapter 22. Of the Paschal Torch Chapter 23. Of the popish Pax and the mysterie thereof Chapter 24. Of the Popes Bulles Chapter 25. Of the popish Agnus-dei Chapter 26. Of Candelmas-day Chapter 27. Of the dolefull Oath which popish Byshops make to the Pope Chapter 28. Of the popish Lent-fast Chapter 29. Of the annulling of popish Wedlocke Chapter 30. Of the Popes falsely pretended Superioritie ouer and aboue a generall Councell Chapter 31. Proouing That the Fayth and Doctrine of the Church of England is the old Romane Religion The Iesuites Proeme B. C. INtending to note the principall vntruethes of Bels Pamphlet I haue thought good first to salute his Epistle and see what holsome stuffe hee presenteth in that to his Patrons T. B. I Answere First that If I should stand vpon euery falsehood slaunder and coozening tricke which the Iesuite hath published and handsomely paint him out in his best beseeming colours time would sooner fayle me then matter whereof to speake Howbeit as I meane for the most part to let passe his slaunders his rayling wordes his fooleries his absurdities his contradictions and his impertinent trifles so will I by Gods holy assistance confute all the partes and parcels of his foolish and ridiculous Pamphlet not omitting any thing of any moment in the same Secondly that our Iesuite hath passed ouer in deepe silence my principall and chiefest groundes argumentes authorities reasons as not able to say any thing against them which the iuditious and honest Reader will soone perceiue with all facilitie Thirdly that our Fryer doth but snatch at peeces heere there with the which he thought he might best deale at the least in some colourable shew of wordes But let vs hearken I pray you to that attentiuely which he saith he found in my dedicatorie Epistle B. C. The Minister falleth roundly to the matter presenting his Patrons with a tricke of his occupation in his very first entraunce his wordes be these The visible Church sayth Bell as writeth Egesippus remayned a Virgin free from all heresies and corruptions during the life of the Apostles that is to say about one hundred yeares after Christ to which time S. Iohn the Euangelist was liuing but after the death of the Apostles sayth hee errours by litle and litle crept into the Church as into a voyde and desart House This Collection which Bell hath made is powdred with lies and iugling trickes thicke and threefold Bell belyeth both Egesippus and also Eusebius whom be quoteth in the third Booke of his Historie in the two and thirtie Chapter as the relator of those wordes of Egesippus Read the place he that please no such thing shall there be found nor the name of Egesippus so much as once mentioned The Minister both abuseth his Patrons and others with a notorious vntrueth of his owne fathering that vpon Eusebius which is not there to be found Neither can this dealing of his proceed from other roote then meere malice as whose braines are employed about nothing more then the hammering of lyes cauils and corruptions against the Catholicke fayth T. B. I answere First that the Jesuites accusation which here he maketh against mee is too too grieuous and more then intollerable vnto godly eares For he chargeth mee first to haue powdred mine assertion with lyes and iugling trickes Then to haue done the same thicke and threefold Thirdly to haue belyed both Egesippus Eusebius Fourthly he impudently affirmeth that no such thing can possibly be found as I haue alleadged out of Eusebius Fiftly that my position is so false and so farre from the trueth that the name of Egesippus is not so much as once mentioned Sixtly that I haue of meere malice slaundered Egesippus and Eusebius being men of great learning Secondly that seeing the Diuell is the Father of Lyers the Jesuite may very well be thought to be his only Sonne But how shal this be prooued All that shal read his booke must needes thinke he sayth the trueth because he affirmeth it so impudently confidently I would say This text of Christes holy Ghospell may well be verified in the Jesuites their accursed Iesuited crew They loued the prayâ—e of men more then the glory of God The truth is neuer ashamed she will shew her selfe to the confusion of the newly hatched sect of Jesuites of the late start-vp Romish fayth and religion These are the expresse wordes of Eusebius as Ruffinus a very learned Father who liued aboue 1200. yeares agoe hath translated them Post haec idem scriptor
the Byshop of Rome for the excellencie of that Citie is the chiefest Patriarke and so may be called the Father of Fathers that is the chiefest Father or Byshop of all Fathers or Byshops in Christes Church It is one thing to call the Byshop of Rome Father of Fathers an other thing to call him vniuersall Byshop or vniuersall Father The former our Church of noble England admitteth while shee approoueth two Primates th' one of England th' other of all England Euen so doe wee repute our two Arch-byshops of Canterbury and Yorke to be the Byshops of Byshops or Fathers of Fathers which is all one for either of them is Byshop of Byshops within his prouince that is the Chiefest of all the rest But this is nothing to that superroyall power of which wee are to intreate in the next Chapter which I wish the reader to marke with such attention as apperteyneth thereunto But the latter both we and great learned Popish writers doe vtterly disclaime In the Popes owne decrees I finde these expresse wordes Primae sedis Episcopus non appelletur princeps sacerdotuÌ„ vel suÌ„mus sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodj sed tantuÌ„ primae sedis Episcopus Vniuersalis auteÌ„ nec etiaÌ„ Romanus pontifex appelletur Let not the Byshoppe of the chiefe Seate be called the Prince of Priestes or the Hie Priest or haue any such like name but onely the Byshop of the first Seate And Vniuersall Byshop none may be called no not the Byshop of Rome himselfe What doth Gratianus that famous Champion of the Romish Church tell vs soe We haue read the Popes Decree which was taken out of the Affrican Councell the wordes of Gratianus haue sounded in our eares Nay you shall heare a greater wonder Pope Pelagius doth constantly deliuer the selfe same doctrine and defineth it for the trueth to be receiued and beleeued these are his expresse wordes Nullus Patriarcharum vniuersalitatis vocabulo vnquam vtatur quia si summus Patriarcha vniuersalis dicit Patriarcarum nomen caeteris derogatur Sed absit hoc a fidelibus hoc sibi velle queÌ„piam arripere vnde honorem fratrum suorum imminuere ex quantulaecunque parte videatur Quapropter charitas vestra neminem vnquam etiam suis in epistolis vniuersalem nominet ne sibi debitum subtrahat cum alteri honorem infert indebitum Let no Patriarke euer vse the word of Vniuersalitie because if the chiefest Patriarke be called Vniuersall the name of Patriarkes is derogated from the rest But be this farre from the faythfull that any should willingly snatch that to himselfe which may any way seeme to diminish the honour of this breathren though in neuer so small a degree Wherefore let not your charitie in your Epistles name any Patriarcke at any time Vniuersall least while ye giue to an other that honour which is not due yee take from your selues that which is due To which I adde this Epigramme set downe as the contentes of the Decree in the beginning thereof Nec etiam Romanus pontifex vniuersaâ—is est appellandus Neither may the Byshoppe of Rome be called Vniuersall Pope Gregorie is consonant to Pope Pelagius in these expresse wordes Ecce in presatione Epistolae quam ad meipsum qui prohibui direxistis superbae appellationis verbum vniuersalem me Papam dicens imprimere curastis Quod peto mihi dulcissima sanctitas vestra vltra non faciat quia vobis subtrahitur quod alteri plus quam ratio exigit praebetur Sequitur sin me vniuersaleÌ„ PapaÌ„ vestra sanctitas dicit negat se hoc esse quod me fatetur vniuersum sed absit hoc recedant verba quae veritateÌ„ inflant et charitateÌ„ vulnerant Behold in the Preface of your Epistle which you addressed to mee forbidding it you laboured to impose vpon me a word of proud appellatioÌ„ calling me Vniuersall Pope which I pray your sweet holynesse not to do to me any more because that is taken from you which is giuen to an other more then reason doth require For if your Holynesse call mee Vniuersall Pope you denie your selfe to be so seeing you call mee Vniuersall But God forbid away with wordes that puffe vp the trueth and wound charitie Thus writeth Gratianus the compiler of the Decrees thus Pope Pelagius thus Pope Gregorius Out of those Positions thus constantly deliuered I obserue sundry very profitable and necessarie documentes First that none no not the Byshop of Rome may be called Vniuersall Pope Secondly that the giuing of Vniuersall to one taketh away that which is due to all the rest Thirdly that Gregorie who lyued more then 590. yeares after Christ vtterly refused the name of Vniuersall Byshop or Pope calling it a proude name and sharply reprooued Enlagius the Patriarke of Alexandria for ascribing the same vnto him Fourthly that Pope Pelagius the predecessour of Gregorie detested and abhorred the same proud arrogant name So then I may lawfully conclude that the name Pope in popish sense and meaning was not proper and peculiar to any Byshop of Rome for the space of 591. yeares after Christ. How impudent therfore is our Fryer when he auoucheth the Councell of Chalcedon to haue called Leo the Vniuersall Pope Liberatus to haue tearmed him Pope ouer the Church of the whole world Pope Damasus and Theodoretus to haue done the same All which are meere lyes notorious slaunders and irksome falsifications inuented by the Father of lyes and his deare children the Iesuiticall crew to defend late vp-start Poperie if it were possible from the imputation of the New religion B. C. And this may be the reason that albeit sometime in the primatiue Church the name was also giuen to other Byshops yet seeing in foresayd manner it agreed peculiarly to the Byshop of Rome as declaring his sone raigne authoritie ouer others the former custome ceased and so it remayned alone to him T. B. Three things our Fryer freely graunteth in these words all which such is the force of trueth are altogeather against him selfe First he confesseth the trueth vnawares that the name Pope was giuen to other Byshoppes in the primitiue Church and consequently he must graunt volens nolens that to chalenge that name as the Byshop of Rome this day doth is a rotten ragge of the New religion Secondly he sayth it peculiarly agreed to the Byshop of Rome as declaring his Soueraigne authoritie ouer others In which his assertion a notable absurdity is implyed viz. that the name Pope was aralogon and consequently was giuen to other Byshops but improperly analogically and by way of similitude as euery meane Logician can tell or Iesuâ—te Thirdly he graunteth that the name Pope did in processe of time cease to be giuen to other Bishops and so remayned to the Byshop of Rome alone Which doubtlesse is that very doctrine which I in the tryall doe defend To which I must needes adde this one thing though litle to
our Fryers liking viz. that the name Pope was giuen to other Byshops in the auncient Church as I haue prooued in my Tryall euen hundreds of yeares after the Primitiue Church To which addition this to cheere vp our Fryer is consectarie to weet that the Clergie of Rome writing to the Clergie of Carthage called S. Cyprian the most blessed Pope Which verily as is already sayd they neither would nor yet durst haue done if the name in such a peculiar manner as the Fryer would make vs beleeue had been due to the Byshop of Rome For if the sayd name had been peculiar to him and his supposed soueraignetie implied therein other Byshops could neuer haue enioyed the same in the puritie of the Church Nay other Byshops would neuer haue improperly accepted of that name and title which none but the Byshop of Rome could properly ascribe vnto himselfe B. C. With the former he hath coupled an other saying thus And so in processe of time the Byshoppes of Rome were solely and onely called Popes and of Late yeares our Holy Father and his Holynesse is his vsuall name A grosse vntrueth T. B. This assertion hath two partes The former our Fryer hath freely graunted in his immediately aforegoing words The latter he must likewise yeeld vnto against his will or else be condemned of the whole world For besides that the Iesuiticall Cardinall Bellarmine and the popish Byshop Iosephus Angles in their Books of Late yeares dedicated to the Byshoppes of Rome haue giuen them the title of Holinesse euen in the abstract it is so euident that his Holinesse is of Late yeares the vsuall name of the Byshop of Rome that if any man either in Rome or in Jâ—ahe shall deny the same he may iustly be censured worthy of the Whetstone That which he sayth of Theodoretus the Councell of Chalcedon S. Cyprian and S. Austin is very friuolous and nothing to the purpose For first I say of Late yeares and yet the youngest of our Fryer named lyued aboue a thousand yeares agoe Secondly there is great disparitie betweene a peculiar and an vsuall name A peculiar name perteineth solely and onely vnto one but that an vsuall name may agree to many at once it cannot be denyed Thirdly as our Fryer hath confessed that the name Pope was of old time giuen to many and yet afterward remayned to the Byshop of Rome alone so must he volens nolens confesse of the name Holynesse B. C. Prosecuting his former matter he sayth But this Emperour that is Iustinian lyued after Christ his birth about 528. yeares ergo this poynt of poperie is a rotten ragge of the New religion In which wordes he venteth out an vntrueth For be it that it was then appropriated to the Pope as he sayth yet how can it be New which by his owne confession was vsed xi hundred yeares agoe That is so many ages before the foundations of his Religion were laide or the name of a Protestant heard of in the whole world T. B. Our Iesuite desiring to discharge the Pope and Poperie of Newnesse would prooue it by my graunt viz. because I confesse the name Pope to haue been appropriated to the Byshops of Rome a thousand yeares agoe But our Fryer in thus disputing doth prooue him selfe a very Daw. For he must learne to know that the newnesse of a thing may be considered two wayes absolutely and respectiuely And consequently that though the name Pope be Old absolutely considered yet it is New respectiuely when it is compared with the time of the Apostles Now so it is that you Papistes beare the world in hand that your Poperie is the Old religion and that selfe-same Doctrine which S. Peter and S. Paul deliuered to the Church of Rome This is the Doctrine which I oppugne euen in the beginning of this present Chapter But our Fryer is so besotted with malice that he cannot discerne the trueth my reason standeth thus You Iesuites and Iesuited Papistes affirme desperatly and damnably that your Late start-vp Poperie is the Old religion deliuered by S. Peter and S. Paul to the Church of Rome But that is so farre from being true that the very name Pope is New as wanting aboue 500. yeares of that age or time whereof you bragge and boast ergo seeing the Apostolicke and first Religion is onely the Old religion and that which commeth after as Tertullian truly writeth the false and New religion it followeth of necessitie that the name Pope comming 500. yeares after the Old religion is but a rotten Ragge of the New Where I wish the Reader to remember that I speake of the name Pope in that sense in which the Byshoppes of Rome vsurpe the same That which our Jesuite addeth of Protestantes how absurd it is shall God willing by and by appeare B. C. I omit heere how many Ecclesiasticall names haue been brought into the Church as Consubstantiall against the Arrians Incarnation against other Heretikes the better by a new name to declare an auncient article of Fayth Will Bell for all that call these Wordes rotten Ragges of a New religion Hee never dare offer it and yet with no lesse reason may be doe it then he doth heere the name of the Pope T. B. Who seeth not to what shiftes our Iesuiticall Fryer is driuen He affirmeth desperately that I may with no lesse reason call the holy names appropriated to the sonne of God rotten ragges of a New religion then the name of the Pope But out vpon such Rotten diuinitie out vpon such paltry Fryers The sacred names Consubstantiall and Incarnation are equiualently according to the substance and true nature of the thinges signified by the same set downe in many places of the holy Scriptures Which was made most apparant against the Arrians by the Fathers of the first famous Councell of Nice but the name Pope as it is of Late yeares challenged by the Byshops of Rome and heere auouched by the impudent Fryer is so farre from being either expressely or virtually conteyned in the holy Scriptures that all sacred Writ vtterly condemneth the same as a Rotten ragge of a New religion inuented at Rome aboue fiue hundred yeares after the death of S. Peter S. Paul Againe the Holy names of Consubstantiall and Incarnation were not first common to others and afterward attributed to the sonne of God But the name Pope as I haue prooued and as the Frier hath plainely confessed was first and that more then 500-yeares common to all Byshops and in processe of time appropriated to the Byshops of Rome Thirdly the thing truly signified by the holy wordes Consubstantiall and Incarnation neuer could agree to any creature in the world but the thing truely signified by the word Pope did in the primatiue and purest age of the Church doth at this present and may in time to come truely agree to all true Byshops in Christs Church Now touching the name of Protestant I answere
will take the paines to lay open to the Reader the expresse wordes of the Byshop their glorious Martyr Thus doth hee write I will not alter adde or take away one word vpon my saluation to answere it Sed et Graecis ad hunc vsque diem non est creditum Purgatorium esse Legat qui velit Graecorum veterum commentarios et nullum quantum opinor aut quam rarissimum de Purgatorio sermonem inueniet Sed neque Latini simul omnes at sensim huius rei veritatem conceperunt Et Paulo post non absque maxima sancti spiritus dispensatione factum est quod post tot annorum curricula Purgatorij fines et Indulgentiarum vsus ab orthodoxiâ— generatim sit receptus Quamdiu nulla fuerat de Purgatorio cura nemo quaesiuit Indulgentias nam ex illo pendet omnis Indulgentiarum existimatio Si tollas Purgatorium quorsum Indulgentijs opus erit His. N. si nullum fuerit Purgatorium nihil Indigebimus Contemplantes igitur aliquandiu Purgatorium incognitum fuisse deinde quibusdam pedetentim partim ex reuelationibus partim ex Scripturis fuisse creditum atque ita tandem generatim eius fidem ab orthodoxa Ecclesia fuisse receptissimam facillime rationem aliquam Indulgentiarum intelligimus Quum itaque Purgatorium tam sero cognitum ac receptum Ecclesiae fuerit vniversae quis iam de Indulgentijs mirari potest quod in principio nascentis Ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus Caeperunt igitur Indulgentiae postquam ad Purgatorij cruciatus aliquandiu trepidatum erat The Greekes to this day doe not beleeue there is a Purgatorie Read who will the Commentaries of the auncient Greeke Writers and he shall either find very seldome mention of Purgatorie or none at all But neither did the Latine Church conceiue the veritie of this matter all at one time but by litle and litle Neither was it done without the woonderfull dispensation of the Holy Ghost that after so many pluralities of yeares Catholikes both beleeued Purgatorie and receiued the vse of Pardons generally So long as there was no care of Purgatorie no man sought for Pardons for of it dependeth all the estimation that wee haue of Pardons If thou take away Purgatorie to what end shall wee need Pardons For if there be no Purgatorie wee shall neede no Pardons Considering therefore how long Purgatorie was vnknowne then that it was beleeued of some by litle and litle partly by Reuelations and partly by Scriptures and so at the last beleeued generally of the whole Church wee doe easily vnderstand the cause of Pardons Since therefore Purgatorie was so lately knowne and receiued of the Vniuersall Church Who can now admire Pardons that there was no vse of them in the primatiue Church Pardon 's therefore began after the people stood in some feare of Purgatorie These are the wordes of M. Fisher sometime our Byshoppe of Rochester a Popish so supposed glorious Martyr and a man for his great Learning renowned throughout the Christian world who writing against M. Luther in defence of Poperie to which he was woonderfully addicted spared not so say and to plead what possibly he could inuent for the free passage and credite of the same Whose best pleading which hee possibly was able to affoorde the Pope and Poperie doth roundly and clearely turne it vp-side downe I desire the Reader right heartily euen in the bowels of our Lord Iesus to marke attentiuely and then to iudge and giue his censure Christianly betweene the Jesuite and my selfe Which if he shall indeed performe all partialitie set apart hee can not but euidently perceiue my life I gage for the tryall that Poperie is the New Religion He can not but see that the trueth is that which I defend He can not but behold as clearely as the noone day that the Fryer is condemned in his owne conscience and can not tell what to say For first their most Learned Byshoppe and glorious Martyr telleth vs constantly and plainely that the famous Fathers and Writers of the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie And who were those Greeke Writers S. Basill for his great skill surnamed the great S. Gregorie Nazianzene for his surpassing knowledge in Diuinitie surnamed Theologus S. Chrysostome for his Learning and Eloquence surnamed the Golden mouth to say nothing of all the rest If these auncient Fathers these Holy men these so learned and so famous Writers with all the rest of the Greeke Church did not beleeue there was a Popish Purgatorie for the space of 1517. yeares for so long after Christ was this Byshoppe lyuing who for all that as we haue seene affirmeth vnawares against himselfe the Pope and Poperie that they beleeued it not in his time What noddies what fooles how voyd of all feeling of all sense of all reason may they iustly be censured Who to the eternall perill of their soules and saluation will needs beleeue such erroneous hereticall and most execrable Doctrine such diabolicall Fayth and plaine Heathenish Religion Secondly that the Latine Church and consequently the Church of Rome did not beleeue the aforenamed Purgatorie for many hundreds of yeares after S. Peters death whose successor the Pope boasteth himselfe to be Thirdly that this Purgatorie was not beleeued of the Latine Church at one and the same time but by litle and litle Fourthly that Purgatorie was beleeued in the latter age by speciall Reuelation of the Holy Ghost Fiftly that Pardons came not vp vntill Purgatorie was found out as which without Purgatorie can haue no vse Sixtly that Purgatorie was a long time vnknowne Seuently that Purgatorie could not be found in the Scriptures of a long time Eightly that it was not wholly found out by the Scriptures but partly by Reuelations Ninthly that Pardons were not heard of or knowne to the primatiue Church Tenthly that then Pardons began when men began to feare the paines of Purgatorie Behold heere gentle Reader what a worthy Fisher was my Popish Lord of Rochester hee hath caught with his Net at one draught tenne goodly Fishes that is to say tenne golden and worthy Lessons for Christian edification Which effect will appeare more euidently before the end of this Chapter B. C. Secondly that the Church of Rome beleeued it not that is Purgatorie for the space of 250. yeares after which time it increased by litle and litle This either hee meaneth is gathered out of the testimonie of Roffensis and that is not true for nothing doth Roffensis speake of 250. yeares or deny that Purgatorie was alwayes beleeued in the Church although hee confesseth that the Doctrine thereof was not so well knowen as now it is which is farre different from this Proposition Purgatorie was not beleeued of the Church of Rome for the space of 250. yeares after Christ. Or else he affirmeth of himselfe that Purgatorie was not beleeued vntill that time and then must I be so bold to tell him that it
euery whit God make mee this day and euer thankefull for it and for all other his manifold mercies and fauours towards me we all returned to the Colledge with great ioy and speed The Rector of the Colledge could no way be perswaded but that I had receiued some secret and inward mortall wound albeit neither my self felt any neither could their eyes or wits discerne any hurt at all saue onely that my face was something bloody by reason of the fall I got while perceiuing the imminent danger which afore I feared not I made haste to haue escaped from the same for it had neuer bin knowne or heard in Rome that any man woman or child euer escaped with life being once in that kinde of danger to wit in the curtesie of the furious and raging Buffaloes Many gaue their censures concerning the wonderfull fact and rare euent the generall resolution was this Viz. That J might fight with Buffaloes in England and haue the vpper hand My selfe did deeme their censure to be probable and this day me thinketh the same is brought to passe though Gods name bee blessed for it in the farre different sense and meaning from that which either they or my selfe did then imagine I sought God then but found him not because I sought him not in trueth and according to his holy will I thought then being blinded with late start-vp Poperie that I should fight against the true professours of Christes Ghospell whom I then reputed Heretiques and spirituall Buffaloes But our most mercifull God whose wisedome reacheth from end to end mightily and disposeth all thinges sweetly ordayned me in his eternall purpose a vosteriori hoc fa â—lè infertur to a farre more honorable and sacred Warfare viz. to encounter the trayterous Jesuâ—tes and â—esuited Gunpowder Popelinges valiantly to fight the battaile of Christes Church against those most furious brainelesse cruell Buffaloes of mens soules Whose legierdemaine coozenage periurie pride malice theft murders fraud feigned miracles and infinite cunnicatching trickes the gentle Reader may finde at large soundly prooued out of the Bookes which the Seminâ—rie-priestes haue published to the World in my Booke intituled The Anatomie of Popish tyrannie Which Booke whosoeuer shall with iudgement and a single eye peruse can not but perceiue the Jesuites to be Firebrands of all mischiefe and most vgly monsters of the World B. C. Not long after he hath these wordes For first it is a constant Maxime quoth he that the Pope and none but the Pope must iudge in all Controuersies of fayth and doctrine Nay it is rather a most constant Maxime that Bell seldome writeth any thing that is true False it is that the Pope and none but the Pope is the Iudge in all matters of Fayth and Doctrine For a generall Councell also is Iudge yea and by the opinion of many learned Diuines the Pope iudging alone without a generall Councell may erre T. B. I answere first that the Iesuite not able to answere the trueth by me soundly defended seeketh to get the victorie by crying out against the trueth This is cleare to euery iudicious Reader Secondly that our Fryer sayth truely That by the iudgement of many learned Papistes the Pope may erre without a generall Councell To this Doctrine I willingly subscribe as which is the very trueth that I defend For mine vsuall manner euer is in all my Bookes to confound Poperie with the best Lerned Popish Writers I hold and defende no point of doctrine but such onely as great learned Papistes hold and defend with me This my ioy this is my credite this the honour of the cause in hand that I constantly hold with the now Church of England euery Article of the old Romane Religion onely condemning and reiecting erroneous superstitious childish and ridiculous additamentes of late yeares by litle and litle crept into the Church Thirdly that I haue prooued so largely in the Downe-fall of Poperie that the Pope onely is the Iudge of all controuersies in Religion as to say more in that behalfe may be thought actum agere and a thing altogether needlesse Three thinges onely will I now poynt at referring the indifferent Reader for the proofe to the Downe-fall of Poperie The first is this viz that the Pope staying at home himselfe sendeth his Legates to the Councels to supply his place to whom for all that O monstrum horrendum he can not commit his Authoritie The second is this viz. that no Byshoppe in these our dayes can haue voyces in Councels but such as will sweare obedience to the Pope before their admittaunce and promise to defend his Canon Law The third is this viz. that it is not in Popish Councels as in humaine affayres and assemblies where moe voyces euer doe preuaile But all the force power strength and authoritie of Councels doe and must depend vpon the Popes will and pleasure For after the Fathers there haue fasted long prayed much consulted grauely deliberated maturely decreed constantly commaunded strictly and accursed seuerely neither can others nor yet them selues tell what shall be of force therein For all must be as shall best content the Popes humour sitting right stately in his pontificall Chaire at Rome To which I adde that the Pope abuseth the World shamefully when he taketh vpon him to call togeather all Byshoppes in the Christian world to decide and determine controuersies in Religion and for all that will approue nothing that they decree vnlesse the same be agreeable to that which himselfe decreeth alone in his pontificall Chaire at home As also in that he condemneth and reiecteth all Councels which doe not consent in all poyntes to his Legates who for all that must not yeeld to any thing which swarueth from their Charge and Commission receiued from the Popes mouth In which Charge this is euer the principall and maine poynt that they suffer not the Popes Superroyall power and falsely pretended Prerogatiues of the Church of Rome to be any way abased or gainesayd This Addition hath a double Confirmation at hand th' one from the Rhemistes th' other from S. R. that great learned Iesuite The Rhemistes tell vs roundly blush neuer a whit thereat that generall Councels are not needfull saue onely for the better contentation of the weake people and their onely ground which they stand vpon is this viz. that the Pope is so diuinely priuileadged and assisted by the Holy Ghost as he can neuer erre iudicially in any matter of Fayth Which assertion if it were true as it is most false for which let the Christian reader duly peruse my Christian Dialogue there were no great need of Councels in very deed The Iesuiticall Fryer S. R. Robert Parsons is the man telleth vs peremptorily that the Popes Sentence is the Decree of the Catholique Church These are his expresse wordes True it is that B. Fisher and Gerson were in that errour
Christ prayed for the Fayth of S. Peter and his successours that it should neuer fayle that Hel-gates should neuer preuaile against it Yet heere God be thanked for it their pride is somewhat abated Christ is now either distrusted of them which they dare not say or at least suspected not to haue promised to the Byshops of Rome that their Fayth should not fayle For if they beleeue not that Christ is faythfull in all his Promises they are flat Heretiques If they beleeue him to performe what hee hath promised then it must perforce either be with them an Article of popish Fayth that the Pope as Pope can not erre or else doubtlesse that Christ made no such Promise to the Byshops of Rome Vtrum â—orum manis accipe good sir Fryer for the better of them is able to giue the Pope his dinner For which respect S. R. that learned Iesuite as his deare brother B. C. calleth him telleth vs roundly that false Fayth can haue no accesse to S. Peters Chaire For which respect the same Jesuite telleth vs in an other place That wee must obey what hee decreeth or defineth iudicially as sitting in S. Peters Chaire though in heart he were an Heretique For which respect the same Iesuite telleth vs in his wordes following That Byshops must not examine the Doctrine which the Pope deliuereth iudicially out of S. Peters Chaire as supreame Pastor of Gods Church but onely that wherein he vttereth his owne priuate opinion Thus writeth S. R. that great Learned Jesuite truly telling vs the Popish Fayth Which Doctrine if any but a Papist had deliuered it few or none would haue giuen credite thereunto O sweete Iesus I woonder how any Papist hearing such Doctrine published in print by the Jesuites so deare and so neare to the Pope himselfe and duely pondering the vanitie thereof and the blasphemie therein conteyned can still be a Papist and not defie the Pope and his damnable Doctrine What shall we doe with the holy Scripture Is it the infallible rule of Fayth Is it superiour to the Popes Iudiciall sentence Must the Papistes depend vpon it rather then vpon the Popes Decree No no if the Pope define against it his Decree must be obeyed neither may any Byshop as our Fryer heere teacheth vs much lesse may euery Priuate man examine the same or once call it into question Of which more at large when I come to the Oath which Byshops make to the Pope Thirdly that when I say this Popish Article of Fayth was neuer heard of in the Church for the space of a thousand and fiue hundred yeares I meane not of bare vocall hearing but of hearing with approbation of which hearing this Text of the holy Ghospell is emphaticall Scimus quia peccatores Deus non audit Wee know that God heareth not sinners that is Approoueth not sinners in graunting their requestes For God knoweth seeth and heareth all Petitions vocally but theirs onely with approbation Which aske according to his will The Psalmograph vseth the like phrase in these wordes They shall cry but there shall be none to helpe them yea euen vnto the Lord shall they cry but he shall not heare them The Prophet Micheas doth second the Psalmograph in these wordes Then shall they cry vnto the Lord and he shall not heare them The Prophet Zacharie is consonant in these wordes Sic clamabunt et non exaudiam dicit Dominus exercituum So shall they cry and I will not heare them sayth the Lord of Hostes. All which places and the like must perforce be vnderstood not of bare vocall hearing but of hearing with approbation Which kind of hearing my selfe did plainly insinuate to the Reader when in my words following I excepted the Iesuites and Iesuited Papistes For if I had meant of bare vocall hearing I neither would nor truely could haue excepted the Iesuites whom I graunt to haue heard it both vocally with approbatioÌ„ Fourthly wheÌ„ our Fryer obiecteth ridiculously that Aquinas Antoninus Waldensis and Turrecremata taught the same Doctrine within 1500. yeares I answere thus first that Canus denieth Waldensis to hold that opinion Secondly that the vse of holy Writ is to speake of many as all and of few as none Which synecdochicall speach very frequent in the holy Scriptures were sufficient if need required as it doth not to iustifie my manner of speaking in this behalfe Thirdly that if I should admit so much as our sir Fryer desireth yet would it follow of necessitie that Poperie is the New Religion For we see heere as clearely as the Sunne shyning at noone day that this Popish Article the Pope as Pope can not erre was hatched a thousand two hundred and fourtie yeares after Christ. For the most auncient Father thereof which our Iesuite possibly is able to name is Aquinas as we haue seene who for al that liued more then 1240. yeares after Christ. To which I adde that the Church as the famous Papistes Panormitanus and Gersonus teach vs is either the Congregation of the faythfull or a generall Councell sufficiently representing the same This being so and my reasons duely pondered it is very cleare and euident that this Popish Article of Fayth was neuer heard of in the Church that is approoued of the Church for the space of 1240. yeares after Christ. For doubtlesse the approbation of Aquinas Antoninus and Turrecremata the Popes flattering Parasites can not establish the Religion and Fayth of the Church of Rome If our Iesuite dare say it let him publish it in print and then expect my Commentarie vpon the same See and note well the 29. and the 30. Chapters as also the Christian Dialogue page 24.27.30.38.41.60.63.65 B. C. One maine Lye with a prettie tricke of lieger-demaine For he is to prooue out of Alphonsus that the Pope might erre in Fayth iudicially for that is the question as appeareth in the Premisses and that this Article was neuer heard of 1500. yeares and yet in the foresayd wordes of Alphonsus no such thing is conteyned seeing he speaketh in them not of his iudiciall Decrees but of priuate Errours which may befall him in the exposition of the Scriptures and that Alphonsus must needes meane of his priuate opinions in writing or otherwise and not of his definitiue sentence is certaine For otherwise there be and were in his time that held the Pope could not be an Heretique iudicially or erre as Pope Much lesse doth Alphonsus say that it was neuer heard of for the space of 1500. yeares that the Pope could not erre in Fayth iudicially for of this poynt he hath not one word or syllable T. B. I answere thus first that I beleeue our Jesuite viz. while he telleth vs that his Pope may erre in expounding the holy Scriptures But withall I must needes tell him that his Pope may as truely erre in his iudiciall sentence The reason is euident
Platina Carranza Sigeberius Nanclerus Marke well the answere Petr. Dam. Mar. Polonus The Buffaloes are Beastes as terrible as Lyons Many yet liuing know this to be most true The Iesuit Alphonsus was then the Maister of the English Colledge A thing neuer heard nor knowne before Iohn 4 v. 24. 1. Iohn 5. v. 14. Sap. 8.1 Ephes. 1. v. 4.11 Rom. 9. v. 11.15.16 c. Ephes. 6.12 Act. 9. v. 1.2.3 c. Act. 8. v. 1.3 See the Anatomie for this point and note it well Loe the Fryer confoundeth both himselfe and his Pope The Author with the Church of England defendeth euery iote of the old Romane Religion Three very Memorable pointes See the oath Infra Cap. 27. All must be as the Pope will See the Oath which Bishops make to the Pope infra Cap. 27. The Popes pretended prerogatiues must euer be defended Rhemistes in Act. 15. The Pope can not erre The Pope in the Church say the Iesuites S. R. pag. 281. marke this well When Papists speake of the Church they euer meane the pope The Iesuite cuts the Popes throate Marke well the answere See my Booke of Motiues Cap. 8. The Popish Church holdeth no poynts of fayth Marke well for Christes sake this poynt of doctrine The first Corollarie The second Corollarie All this is meere folly Praecedunt ista in B.C. page 86. Marke this confession The Pope as Pope by Popish graunt can not erre Vnderstand this poynt well for Christes sake See and note well my ChristiaÌ„ Dialogue Chap. 2. Pag 14. Argumentum ad hominem See and note well the 29. the 30. Chapters Christ neuer prayed that the Pope should not erre This DileÌ„ma is insoluble S.R. Pag 315. Pag. 417. Loe we must beleeue his doctrine that is an Heretike See and note my Reply to the 29. Chapt. S. R. in the name of the Pope proclaimeth the Popes fayth and doctrine Inferius Cap. 27. Ioh. 9 3â— 1. Ioh. 5. v. 14. Psal. 18. v. 41. Mich. 3.4 Zach. 7. v. 13. Poperie is the new religion Vixit Aquinas A.D. 1243. For the space of 1240. The Fryer dare not do it for his lugges Loe the Pope as Pope by Popish doctrine can not erre The Iesuite how he is beleeued Luke 22. vers 32. Alas alas Poperie is wounded vnto death S. R. pag. 417. Out vpon Poperie who is able to endure it S. R. pag. 417. The Iesuite is shameles and impudent Alphons lib 3. aduers. haereses prope finem This is wonderfull Bellarmine speaketh against his owne knowledge O childish vanitie A.D. 1538. Marke well for Christes sake if thou loue thine owne soule Alphons lib. 1. cap. 4. aduers haeres Marke well this poynt striketh dead The Iesuites are Gypsies Loe the Pope is wounded at the heart hee can no longer liue A note worthy the remembrance The Iesuite hath deserued the whetstone Iob. 1.8 1. Ioh. 3. v. 12. Gen. 6· v. 9. Luke 1.28 Luke 1.6 Heb. 11. Act. 10. v. 2. Mat. 10. v. 42. Heb. 11. v. 27. Rom. 8. v. 18. Io. de Comb. lib. 5. Theol. ver cap. 11. Rhem. Rom. 8. v. 17. in annotae Heb. 11.6 Mat. 7. v. 18. Rom. 14. v. 23. Mat. 7.17 Aug. de fide ex operib cap. 14. tom 4. Esa. 64.6 Bernard de verb. Esa. Serm. 5. p. 405. Phil. 3.12 1. Cor. 1.30 Bernard vbi super D. 2. Ioh. 3.9 Rom. 6.23 Iac. 3.2 Bernard de grat et lib. Arb. p. 1189 Aug. in Ps. 11â— con 2. in fine Bernar. de aduent Dom. Serm. â— To. 1. See my Suruay pag. 389. 2. Cor. 5. v. 19. Vulgaâ—a editio Marke this poynt well Note the Seuenth Conclusion Mat. 7.19 Ioh. 14. v. 23. Ephes. cap. 1. v. 4. et cap. 2. v. 10. Rom. â— v. 30. Esa. 59.2 Ephes. 2. .v. 3.5 Lyr. in Cap. 6 Matt. See the Conclusion and note it Loe Good workâ— are the way which lead vs to heauen Aquin. p. 1. q. 23. art 3. ad 2. Bellar. To. 3. col 627. et col 628. The foresight of workes no cause of predestination Bellarm. To. 3. Col. 628. Bellarm. To. 3. Col 626. et Col. 628. Workes are not the cause of saluation yet the way by which we must come vnto it I defend the old Romane religion God in his eternall purpose prepared both eternall glory for his elect and the way or meanes to attaine the same Bern. super Cant. Ser. 68. Loe the confession of our vnworthines is our best merite Bern in Canâ—â— ser. 67. Bern. ser. 1. in Annunâ— B.M.V. This testimonie is wonderfull Marke it well The Popish Abbot woundeth the Pope at the very heart Vixit Bernardus A.D. 1110. Marke this well Note this ex iure This reason can not be answeared See and note well the 11. Conclusion Aug. lib. 9. Confess cap. 13. Psal. 143. v. 2. Psal. 130. v. 3. Bern. de adu dom serm 6. tom 1. Bernard in annue B.V. serm 1. No Workes can merite Glory Durand in 2 sent dist 27. q 2. in medio Condigne merite is so farre aboue mans capacitie as no man possiblely can haue it Suruey part 3. cap. 9. Soro de nat et gr lib. 3. cap. 6. pag. 138. Popish satisfaction is impossible Arist. in 8. Ethic. cap. 7. Luke 17. v. 20. Iac 3 v. 2. Aquin. 1.2 q. 114. ar 1. in corp Loe man can not merite any thing condignely or properly There is no proper merite in man Marke vnderstand this poynt aright Angles in 2. sent pag. 103. Loe the Papistes graunt as much as we desire Philip. 3.9 Rom. 10.4 Tit. 3.5 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Cor. 5.19 Rom. 8. v. 1 2.3.4 Rom. 5. v. 14. Reu. 7. v. 14. Reu. 3. v. 4. All this is already proued Marke the Cardinals wordes wel vnderstand them soundly Bellar. de iustif tom 3. col 1296. ct col 1298. All the good deedes we can possibly doe are Gods owne and so we can merite nothing of God with them Marke well for Christes sake for Poperie bleedeth vnto death Aug. lib. 9. Confess cap. 13. Marke this well Secundò principaliter Angles in 2. sent pag. 107. The Byshoppe confuteth him selfe he needeth no aduersarie A very fond distinction inuented without rime or reason Tit. 1. v. 2. Heb. 6.10 2. Tim. 4.8 Iac. 1.12 Iac. 2.5 Psal. 130.3 Psal. 143.2 S. R. pag. 257. Note well the eleuenth Conclusion following 1. Cor. 13. v. 13. Heb. 11. v. 6. Aug. in Epist. IohaÌ„ tract 10. in initio Ioh 6. v. 29. Rom. 3 28. Rom. 5.1 Rom. 10. v. 3.4 Act. 13.39 Phil. 3 9. Fides sumitur dupliciter propriè et sinapliciter seu figuratè et re latiuè By Fayth Christes obedience merites are applyed to vs. By Fayth Christes obedience merites are applyed to vs. Ioh. 3. v. 17. Mar 16 v. 7. Hâ—b 11. v. 7 Bona opera sunt medium sine quo non salutis Supâ—rius concl 4. See the 5. Conclusion and note it Rom. 5.1 1. Cor. 1.3 2. Cor. 4.16 Gal. 6.15 Mat. 7.17 Ioh. 15.12 Ioh. 14. v. 1â—
thus viz. That about the yeare of our Lord God 1529. the Duke of Saxonie with others protested publiquely and constantly against the decree of Ferdinando the Emperour that they could not with safe conscience obey and yeeld vnto the same Whereupon the aduersaries did euer since that time malitiously call all reformed Catholikes and sound Christians by the name of Protestants But as I haue prooued in the Jesuites Antepast wee are the Legitimate and reformed Catholiques and the Papistes are Bastardes and deformed Catholiques and consequently the thing truly implyed in the name Protestant is as old as the Religion deliuered by S. Peter and S. Paul to the Church of Rome Which mine Assertion shall by the power of God be made most euident before the end of this Discourse See and note well the end of the 16. Chapter and the 17. Chapter with it as also the 29.30 and 31. Chapters being the three last of this present Booke The Second Chapter of the Popes Superroyall power B. C. TO season the beginning of his Chapter with a little of his mendatious powder be writeth thus Bonifacious Byshoppe of c. T. B. To this before I answere in particular and plaine tearmes it shal not be amisse to lay open to the indifferent Reader the Popes falsely challenged Superroyall power Which I hope in God to performe most plentiously by these Conclusions following The first Conclusion The Popes owne Decrees teach vs that though he be most wicked and carry with him thousandes vpon thousandes to the chiese Diuell of Hell yet may no mortall man reproue him for his such detestable and cursed dealing These are the expresse wordes of the Popes owne Canon Si Papa c. innumerabiles populos cateruatim secum ducit primo mancipio gehennae cum ipso plagis multis inaeternum vapulaturus huius culpas istic redarguere praesumit mortalium nullus quia cunctos ipse iudicaturus a nemine est indicandus nisi deprehendatur a fide deuius These are the wordes of Pope Bonifacius as Gratianus who compiled the Booke of Decrees hath related them I heartily wish the Reader to ponder seriously what I write protesting vpon my saluation that in all mine Assertions Authorities Allegations I deale faythfully euer citing the expresse wordes as I finde them in mine Authors their authorities and reasons The second Conclusion The Popes Power is so sacred so eminent and so surpassing great as it is become flat Sacriledge to dispute of the same Victoria a most famous and learned popish schoole-Doctor who was the first man that brought Scholasticall doctrine into Spaine deliuereth this poynt of doctrine in these expresse wordes Non spectat ad subditos determinare aut examinare quid possit Papa aut quid non possit et quomodo teneantur parere vel non quia sacrilegium est disputare de potentia principis et praecipuè Papae It pertaineth not to popish vassals to determine or examine what the Pope may doe or what he may not doe and how they are bound to obey or not because it is Sacriledge to dispute of the Power of the Prince especially of the Pope Loe we may not dispute of the Popes Power no not to know and learne how and wherein wee ought to obey him This is it indeed that maketh so many sillie Papistes euery where For Papistes must beleeue all thinges but examine nothing that the Pope doth And why I pray you Forsooth least his coozening trickes and the newnesse of late Poperie should be knowne and so both the Pope and all his Iesuited Popelings be vtterly ouerthrowne The third Conclusion The Pope can deliuer if he list all men in this world from the paine due to their sinnes in this world and not this onely but also bring all soules out of Purgatorie if that be done for them which he requireth Three verie learned and famous Popish Doctors Syluester Pryeras Bartholomaeus Fumus and Vigâ—erius doe constantly resolutely affirme this conclusion Sylmester hath these expresse words Sicut potest Papa liberare a paena peccatorum debita in hoc mundo omnes qui sunt in mundo si faciant quod mandat etiamsi essent millies plures quam sunt itae liberare potest omnes qui sunt in purgatorio si quis pro ets facial quod iubet As the Pope can deliuer all in this world from paine due for sinne in this world if they doe what hee commaundeth though they were thousandes more then they bee euen so can hee deliuer all that are in Purgatorie if any doe that for them which he commaundeth And least any man should thinke that impossible which the Pope requireth to be done the same learned Writer telleth vs in an other place that it is a thing very easily done these be his wordes Indulgentiae simpliciter tantum valent quantum praedicantur modo ex parte dantis sit authoritas ex parte recipientis charitas et ex parte causae piet as Pardones are simply worth so much as they are payed so there be authoritie in the giuer charitie in the receiuer and pietie in the cause or motiue But so it is no Papist dare or can deny the same that the soules in Purgatorie be in charitie by popish fayth doctrine for otherwise they could not be out of Hell And doubtlesse that the Pope hath authoritie to giue Pardons as also that he graunteth them for good godly causes viz. for saying Masses Trentals Diriges for murdering of noble Princes for blowing vp with Gunpowder Townes Cities Common-weales and the like I suppose no Papist will denie If they do my argument is the stronger and my selfe shall very willingly agree thereunto Bartholomaus Fumus hath these expresse wordes Papa posset liberare omnes animas purgatorij etiamsi plures essent si quis faceret pro eis quod iuberet peccaret tamen indiscretè concedendo The Pope could set at libertie all the soules in Purgatorie though neuer so many if any would doe that for them which hee commaundeth mary hee should sinne by his vndiscreet pardoning But Viguerius proceedeth further and is bold to tell vs that it is neither inconuenient nor against the iustice of God these are his expresse wordes Nec est inconueniens quod Papa purgatoriuÌ„ posset euacuare non enim per hoc aliquid detraheretur diuinae iustitiae Neither is it inconuenient that the Pope can harrow Hell for that doth derogate nothing from the iustice of God Antoninus that famous popish Arch-byshop iumpeth with the rest in these expresse wordes Quia Ecclesia hoc facit et seruat credencuÌ„ est it a esse Because the Church this doth and obserueth we must beleeue it to be so Now to say that the Pope can deliuer al soules out of Purgatorie but doth it not to keepe himselfe from sinne is altogeather vaine friuolous For first hee should no more sinne in deliuering
Kingdome as one that would execute Constantinet gyft both to haue been and this day to be subiect to the Church of Rome which his successours Benedict and Clement foorthwith reuoked as a thing wicked and vniust But what meaneth this your sollicitude O yee Byshoppes of Rome that ye doe exact of euery Emperour to confirme Constantines gyft if ye doe not distrust your owne right But all in vaine as the prouerbe sayth for it neuer was at any time and what is not can not be confirmed Yea whatsoeuer the Caesars doe they doe the same being deceyued by Constantines example or supposed gyft and they cannot giue away the Empire His fourth place is comprised in these wordes Praescipsit Romana ecclesia O Imperiti O diuini iuris ignari nullus quantuÌ„uis annorum numerus verum abolere titulum potest Sequitur parum ante me natum testor eorum memoriam qui interfuerunt per inaudituÌ„ genus fraudis Roma papale accepit Imperium seu tyrannidem potius cum diu libera fuisset Is fuit Bonifacius nonus octauo in fraude et nomine par si modo Bonifacij dicendi sunt qui pessime faciunt Sequitur sed quid plura opus est in re apertissima dicere Ego non modo Constantinum non donasse tanta non modo non potuisse Romanum Pontificem in eisdem praescribere sed etiamsi vtrumque esset tamen vtrumque ius sceleribus possessorum extinctum esse contendo cum videamus totius Italiae multarumque prouinciarum cladem ac vastitatem ex hoc vno fonte fluxisse Sequitur Papa non modo remp quod non Verres non Catilina non quispiam peculator auderet sed etiam rem Ecclesiasticam et spiritum sanctum quaestui habet quod Simon ille Magus detestatur et cum horum admonetur et a quibusdam bonis viris reprehenditur non negat sed palam fatetur atque gloriatur licere ei quauis ratione patrimonium Ecclesiae a Constantino donatum ab occupantibus extorquere Sequitur Nulla itaque vnquam religio nulla sanctitas nullus Dei timor et quod referens quoque horresco omnium scelerum impij homines a Papa sumunt excusationem in illo enim comitibusque eius est omnis facinoris exempluÌ„ vt cuÌ„ Esaia et Paulo in Papam et Papae proximos dicere possumus Nomen Dei per vos blasphematur inter Gentes qui alios docetis vosipsos non docetis qui praedicatis non surandum latrocinamini qui abhominamini idola sacrilegiuÌ„ facitis qui in Lege et in Pontificatu gloriamini per praeuaricationem legis Deum veruÌ„ PontificeÌ„ inhonoratis The Church of Rome pleadeth Prescription O foolish men O men that know not the law of God! None though neuer so great number of yeares can abolish the title of trueth Not long before my birth I call to witnesse the memorie of them that were present by such fraud as was neuer heard of Rome receiued the Papall Empire or tyranny rather when it had a long time remayned free Boniface the ninth was the man equall to the eight in fraude and name if wee may call them Bonifaces who liue most abhominably But what need more be sayd in a matter most euident to all the world I contend not onely that Constantine gaue not such great giftes not only that the Byshop of Rome could not prescribe in such thinges but although they both had been so yet that the tytles of both were extinct with the wickednesse of the possessours when we may see that the dectruction and desolation of all Jtaly and many Prouinces sprange onely out of this Fountaine The Pope selleth for gaine not onely the Common-weale which neither Verres nor Catiline nor any notorious robber durst doe but also the Treasure of the Church and the holy Ghost which Simon the Magician doth detest And when he is admonished of these thinges and good men reprooue him for the same he denieth not but openly confesseth and glorieth therein that he may extort and by what meanes soeuer take from the possessours that Patrimonie which Constantine gaue to the Church Therefore he had neuer any Religion sanctimonie or feare of God And I tremble while I speake it men polluted with sinnes of all sortes alledge the Pope for their excuse For hee and his retinue are the example of all kind of mischiefe so as wee may iustly exclaime with â—say and with Paul against the Pope and his deuoted Pope-lings You are the cause that Gods name is blaspheamed among the Gentiles You that teach others doe not teach your selues you that preach against Stealing commit Robberie by the hie-way side you that abhorre Idolatrie practise Sacriledge yee that glorie in the Law boast of the Popedome by transgression of the Law dishonour the true Byshop which is GOD. Out of these plaine and euident testimonies of these famous zealous and great learned Papistes Gratianus Victoria Syluester Viguerius Fumus Nauarrus Couarruuias Gregorius Aquinas Augustinus de Anchona Glossator decretalium Gersonus Cardinalis Cusanus Antoninus Volateranus Paulus Cathalanus and Laurentius Valla I obserue these manifold Christian golden and worthy Lessons First that though the Pope be a most wicked man and carry thousands vpon thousandes to Hell yet may no man reprooue him for such his detestable cursed dealing Secondly that it is sacriledge to dispute of the Popes power and authoritie Thirdly that the Pope can not only pardon all punishment due to sinnes in this world but also bring all soules out of popish Purgatorie at his good will and pleasure Fourthly that the Pope hath often taken vpon him by his most wicked and execrable Dispensations to dissolue Matrimonie against Christes sacred Institution Fiftly that the Pope can dispense with a popish Monke already professed that he may marry vse coniugall actes with his lawfull Wife Sixtly that the Pope hath de facto dispensed with the full Brother to marry his naturall and full Sister of the same Father and the same Mother Seuenthly that the Pope may doe whatsoeuer pleaseth his maiesticall Holynesse his bare and onely Will being a sufficient warrant so to doe Eightly that the Pope hath vniuersall iurisdiction ouer all Kingdomes and Empires and not that onely but also the Fulnesse of Power in as large and ample manner as Christ him selfe had it Ninthly that the Pope can by his supereminent excellencie and fulnesse of Power change the nature of thinges apply the substantiall partes of one thing to another and of nothing make something in so much as all knees must bow and bende vnto him and consequently that he is not pure Man but God also Tenthly that the first occasion and originall of Popish Superroyall falsely pretended Primacie was a counterfeit and falsely pretended Donation of the Emperour Constantinus surnamed the great Eleuenthly that the Late Byshop of Rome solliciting the Emperour Phocas with great
importunitie to confirme the supposed Donation of Constantine obtayned with much a doe vnderpretence of the sayd Donation not the confirmation of the pretended gyft but that the Church of Rome should be the Head of all Churches Twelfely that the Byshoppes of Rome now called Popes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither did nor could perswade any one of the Emperours for the space almost of three hundred yeares after that supposed Donation either to confirme the same or to make Rome the Head of all Churches Thirteenthly that neither S. Hierome nor S. Augustine nor S. Ambrose nor any approoued Historie doth make any mention of the sayd Donation Foureteenthly that of right the People of Rome not the Pope should set the Crowne vpon the Emperours head Fifteenthly that the Emperour had euer in his possessioÌ„ both Rome Italy the whole Westerne Empire vntill the dayes of King Pippine as also that Pope Boniface acknowledged the Citie of Rome to pertaine to the Emperour Honorius Sixteenthly that Cardinall Cusanus a great learned man a zealous Papist auoucheth constantly that he neuer read of any Bishop of Rome vntill the time of Stephanus the second who durst in the name of S. Peter presume to challenge any right in the aforenamed places Seauenteenthly that the Decree vpon which the Popes would ground their Superroyall pretended Prerogatiues is a false and counterfeit Narration and can not be found in the old Decrees Eighteenthly that Charles and Pippine spoyled the true Emperours so enriched the Citie of Rome Nineteenthly that Melchiades who was the next Byshop of Rome before Syluester doth roundly confute the sayd Donation as a thing falsely fathered vpon Constantine the great Twentethly that the Byshops of Rome were not peculiarly called Popes for the space of many hundred yeares after Christ. Furthermore that the Emperour is reported by the Popes counterfeit Decree to haue holden the Bridle of his Horse and to haue wayted at his Stirrope Where I wish the Reader to obserue seriously with me that the late Byshoppes of Rome haue vsed many coozening trickes especially the false Donation of Constantine and his pretensed seruice to the Pope so to aduance their state and superroyall Pompe and to cause Kinges and Emperours to kisse their feete Yet further that what so euer the Emperours of latter time gaue to the Church and Byshoppes of Rome that wholy proceeded from a sandy and rotten foundation with which the said Byshoppes and their flattering parasites seduced them viz. from a counterfeite and falsely supposed Donation of Constantinus surnamed the great Lastly that the late Popes or Byshoppes of Rome with their deuoted Popelinges are the cause of all kind of mischiefe and naughtinesse To all which so to cheere vp the Pope and his Popelinges I will adde a fine and graue testimonie of the Popes deare Fryer learned Schoole-doctor Franciscus a Victoria his wordes are these Et paulatim ad hanc intemperantiam dispensationuÌ„ deuentum est et hunc talem statum vbj nec mala nostra nec remedia pati possumus et ideo necesse est aliam rationem excogitare ad conseruandas leges Da mihi Clementes Lines Syluestros et omnia permittem arburio eorâ—m sea vt nihil grauius dicatur in recentiores Pontâ—fices certè multis partibus sunt prisâ—is illis inferiores By little and little we are brought to these inordinate Dispensations and to this so miserable state where we are neither able to endure our owne griefes nor the remedies assigned by Popes for the same And therefore we must perforce inuent some other way for conseruation of the Lawes Giue me Clements Lines Syluesters and I will commit all thinges to their charge But to say nothing grieuously against latter Popes they are doubtlesse inferiours to the old Byshoppes of Rome and that by many degrees Thus writeth this learned Fryer who if hee durst haue spoken his minde freely would haue told vs mirabilia First he exclaymeth against popish Dispensations Secondly he pitifully lamenteth the state of the Church Thirdly he cryeth out that the Popes doe lay such intollerable burthens vpoÌ„ them as they are no way able to endure the same Lastly he commendeth the old Byshoppes of Rome but vtterly so farre foorth as hee dareth condemneth the latter Popes or Byshoppes of Rome Whose assertion in very deed iumpeth with the doctrine which I defend and plainely conuinceth late Romish fayth and superstition to be but a rotten Ragge of the New religion Now let vs heare what the Iesuite is able to say for him selfe for the sauegard of the life of late start-vp Poperie B. C. To season the beginning of his Chapter with a litle of his mendatious powder he writeth thus Bonifacius Byshop of Rome and third of that name aboue sixe hundred yeares after Christ obtained of Phocas then Emperour of Rome that Rome should be the Head of all Churches Before which time no authenticall Writer can be named who euer ascribed the Headship vniuersall Gouernement of all Churches to the Church of Rome This is a manifest vntrueth In the Councell of Chalcedon Maximus Byshop of Antioch was confirmed by Leo the first Pope Iulius the first restored Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria to his seate Paulus Patriarch of Constantinople and Marcellus Byshop of Ancyra deposed vniustly by an Easterne Synode as writeth Sozomenus whose wordes be these For as much as the care of all did belong to him for the dignitie of his Seate hee restored to euery of them their Church T. B. I answere first that is lying slaundering and false dealing were once set apart our Jesuites irkesome fond disputation would soone haue an end For first the famous Councell of Chalcedon was conuented holden by the commandement of Martianus the Emperour and not of Pope Leo as is euident and manifest to euery child in the very beginning of the 7. Action quoted by our Jesuite Againe the Fathers of that famous Councell acknowledge them-selues to haue come thither at the Emperours commaundement to make peace betweene Maximus byshop of Antioch and Juuenalis Byshop of Hierusalem These are the expresse wordes of the Iudges themselues Gloriosissimj Iudices dixerunt diuiniss et pijss noster Dominus Jmperator rogatus a Maximo et Juuenale sanctissimis Episcopis praecopit nos agnoscere de motis inter eos capitulis The most glorious Iudges said The most holy and religious Emperour our Lord being intreated of the most holy Byshops Maximus and Juuenalis commaunded vs to examine the coÌ„trouersies betweene them Thirdly it was the Councell not Pope Leo that confirmed Maximus and concluded a peaceable vnitie betweene him and Iuuenalis Fourthly no mention is made at all of Pope Leo who is not so much as once named in the said action of the holy and famous Councell Fiftly Anatolius the most reuerend Arch-byshop of New Rome confirmed by expresse wordes the aforenamed Vnitie
inferioris gradus Clericos siue ipsos Episcopos suis Metropolitanis apertissimè commiserunt Prudentissimè N. iustissimèque prouiderunt quaecūque negocia in suis locis vbi orta sunt finienda nec vnicuique Prouinciae gratiam sancti spiritus defuturam qua aequitas a Christi sacerdotibus et prudenter videatur et constantissimè teneatur maximè quia vnicuique concessum est si iudicio offensus fuerit cognitorum ad concilia suae Prouinciae vel etiam vniuersale prouocare Nisi forte quisquam est qui credat vnicuilibet posse Deum nostrum examinis inspirare iustitiā et innumerabilibus congregatis in concilium sacerdotibus denegare Aut quomodo ipsum transmarinū iudicium ratum erit ad quod testiū necessariae personae vel propter sexus vel propter senectutis infirmitatem vel multis alijs intercurrentibus impedimentis adduci non poterunt Nam vt aliqui tanquam a tuae sanctitatis latere mittantur nulla inuenimus patrum Synodo constitutum Quia illud quod pridem per eundem Coepiscopum nostrum Faustinum tanquam ex parte Niceni concilij ex inde transmisistis in verioribus concilijs quae accipiuntur Nicena a sancto Cyrillo Coepiscopo nostro Alexandrinae Ecclesiae et a venerabili Attico Constantinopolitano antistite ex authentico missis quae etiam ante hoc per Innocentium Presbyterem et Marcellum subdiaconum per quos ad nos ab eis directa sunt venerabilis memoriae Bonifacio Episcopo praedecessori vestro a nobis trāsmissa sūt in quibus tale aliquid nō potuimus reperire Therefore due salutation premised wee heartily desire that hencefoorth you doe not easily receiue those that come from hence vnto your eares neither hereafter receiue into your communion such as be excomunicated by vs For this also is decreed by the Nicene Councell as your reuerence will easily perceiue For although it seeme there to be decreed onely of the Lay people or Clerkes of the inferiour order how much more doth the holy Councell intend it of the Byshops themselues least such as be suspended in their owne Prouince from the Communion should hastily abruptly or vnduely be by you restored to the same Let your holynes reiect the impious refuges of Priestes other inferiour Clarkes as it becommeth you because no Decree of the Fathers doth spoyle the Aphrican Church of this libertie and the Decrees of the Nicene Councell haue most plainely referred not onely Clarkes of inferiour degree but also the Byshops them-selues to their Metropolitanes For they haue most prudently and most iustly prouided that all businesses whatsoeuer shall be there ended where they began neither the grace of the holy spirit to be wanting to euery Prouince by which equitie among Christes Priestes may both prudently be foreseene and most constantly obserued especially because euery one hath freedome if iudgement giuen offende him to appeale either to a prouinciall or generall Councell vnlesse perhappes any be of this minde that God will inspire the iustice of examination to euery one at his pleasure and deny the same to a multitude of Priestes assembled togeather in Councell Or how shall iudgement beyonde the Sea be approoued where meete and necessarie witnesses can not be present either by reason of the sexe or through the infirmitie of old age or by many other intercurring impedimentes For that any should be sent from your Holynesse we finde it not defined by the Fathers in any Synode at all For that which you lately sent by Faustinus our fellow-Byshop as on the behalfe of the Nicene Councell in the true Councelles receiued from Nice sent authentically from S. Cyrill our fellow-Byshoppe of the Church of Alexandria and from venerable Atticus the Prelate of Constantinople which also we sent formerly to Byshop Boniface of venerable memorie your predecessour by Jnnocentius Priest and Marcellus Subdeacon by whom they were directed from them to vs we can not find any such thing Thus wrote these learned auncient and holy Fathers to Celestinus the Byshop of the citie of Rome Their narration and attestation though very long and plentifull I thought good to lay open to the Reader in their expresse wordes at large because they doe so liuely discouer Popysh forgerie Iesuiticall treacherie in the best beseeming colours and declare so euidently Poperie to be the New religion as nothing can be more Which most constant assertion of so many so auncient so holy so graue so learned Byshoppes whosoeuer shall prudently and duely ponder that man doubtlesse can not but detest and abhorre Poperie as a newly coyned Fayth and Religion For first these holy Fathers does not call Pope Celestine The vniuersall Byshoppe but simply and plainely Vrbis Romae Episcopum The Byshop of the citie of Rome Secondly they tell him constantly that hee may not receiue them whom they doe excomunicate and they yeeld this reason Because the Nicene Councell hath so defined it Thirdly they affirme resolutely that the Nicene Councell committed both inferiour Clerkes and Byshoppes them-selues to be censured and taxed by their Metropolitanes Fourthly they tell Celestine then Byshop of Rome that the Nicene Fathers prouided most prudently and most iustly that Dissentions all Controuersies whatsoeuer should be decided finished where they began Where I admonish the Reader to obserue seriously this word Iustissimè most iustly for doubtlesse if Iustice require to finish and determine causes where they began then doth the Pope vniustly when he seeketh to draw the hearing thereof to the Court of Rome Fiftly when any one findeth himselfe iustly grieued the Nicene Councell say they giueth him this freedome to appeale from his Byshoppe to the Metropolitane and from the Metropolitane vnto a generall Councell but neuer a word of appealing to the Pope Sixtly they tell the Pope roundly that it is a meere folly to thinke that God will better inspire him with the examination of Iustice then a multitude of Priestes assembled for that end Seuenthly they tell their brother Celestine for so they tearme him but not Vniuersall Byshoppe that if his proud and greedy desire were put in execution many mischiefes would insue therevpon Eightly they constantly auouch with one consent that no Fathers did euer decree in any Synode that the Pope should send any Deputie or Messenger to their Councels This would be duely pondered as a matter of great consequence For out of it doe follow two necessarie and ineuitable Corollaries corollary 1 The first Corollarie is this viz. That the Councell of Sardica is a falsely pretended and counterfeite Synode as which hath decreed that in fauour of the Pope which these Fathers of the Affrican Councell deny any Synode to haue done corollary 2 The second Corollarie is this viz. That neither the Councell of Nice nor yet any other lawfull Synode did euer decree transmarine Appeales to the Byshoppe of Rome I say transmarine because I willingly admit the Priestes and Byshoppes
Constantinopoli Alexander et Romanus antistes propter aetatem decrepitam Constantinopolitanus vero propter multam imbecillitatem in sedibus suis remansere Sed eorum nomine bini Presbyteri missi sunt a Iulio quidem Vitus et Vincentius ab Alexandro autem duo alij et vita et eruditione plurimum excellentes Therefore the Emperour perceiuing that the euill did grow to an head did proclaime the most famous Nicene Synode in Bithynia and by his Letters did call the Byshoppes euery where to come thither at the day by him appoynted Macarius was then Byshoppe at Hierusalem Iulius at Rome Alexander at Constantiâ—ople The Byshoppe of Rome by reason of his old age and the Byshoppe of Constantinople by reason of infirmitie did stay at home in their owne Seas But in their names two Priestes were sent from either of them Vitus and Vincentius from Julius and from Alexander other two very excellent both in learning and conuersation Sozomenus iumpeth with Nicephorus yea so doe also Pâ—atina in Agathone and Beda in his Chronologie as Genebrardus the Popes deare darling freely graunteth Where I wish the Reader to obserue seriously with mee that the Councell of Nice was holden in Bithynia in the twenteth yeare of the raigne of Constantine the great in the thirteenth yeare after his comming to Byzantium and that it continued three yeares and something more This Obseruation is profitable to the Reader for diuers good respectes Seuenthly because if this Epistle were admitted for good yet would it nothing helpe the Pope or his Iesu tea Popelinges the reason is at hand because it requires not the Pope alone but togeather withall the Byshoppes in his Citie or if ye will in Jtaly to confirme the decrees thereof So then this helpeth not to discharge Poperie of the New religion obiection 7 They say seauenthly that the Church of Rome in the Decrees of the Nicene Councell had not her preheminence and power limitted but was followed as a paterne in aduancing others for as Pope Nicolas sayth the Nicene Councell durst not make any Decree of that Church as knowing that nothing could be giuen her aboue her desert But I answere first that seeing that Example is allowed therein and made a patterne of the rest it followeth by an ineuitable consequence that the Councell did thereby decree that the Byshoppe of Rome should keepe himselfe within those limits For he must perforce confesse that as the Byshoppe of Alexandria had but the preheminence of all thereabout euen no more had the Byshoppe of Rome This is confirmed because it followeth immediately in the same Canon likewise also in Antioch and in other Prouinces let the Churches enioy their Priuiledges and Prerogatiues For the wordes of the Councell being grounded vpon the custome of the Byshoppe of Rome that as he had had preheminence of all the Byshoppes about him so Alexandria and Antioch should haue of all about them and likewise other Churches each in their owne Prouinces doe euidently conuince marke well my wordes that the Pope neither had formerly preheminence of all through the world neither this day ought to haue the same The old custome is it that the holy Councell doth respect not any prerogatiue of the Church of Rome Secondly because both Ruffinus and Cardinall Cusanus as I haue already prooued doe confirme this mine exposition Thirdly because the wordes next following in the selfe-same Canon doe vtterly ouerthrow and as it were cut the throate of the Popes falsely pretended Primacie These are the wordes Illud autem generaliter clarum est quod si quis praeter sententiam Metropolitani fuerit factus Episcopus hunc magna definiuit Episcopum esse non oportere But that is generally cleare that if any be made Byshoppe without the consent or iudgement of the Metropolitane the famous Synode hath decreed that such a one ought not to be a Byshoppe Now sir Jesuite if this be true as it is most true for all the Christian world doth and must obey the Decrees of the holy and famous Councell of Nice then doubtlesse your Popes pretended Supremacie lieth in the dust is by vertue thereof troden vnder foote For he challengeth a prerogatiue ouer all christian Nations to make Bishops euery where at his owne good pleasure as also to discarde displace them whosoeuer are made without his consent Fourthly because the next Canon hath no regard of the Church of Rome or of any prerogatiue of the Byshop thereof these are the words Quia consuetudo obtinuit et antiqua traditio vt Aeliae Episcopus honoretur habeat honoris consequentiam salua Metropâ—lis propria dignitate Because Custome and old Tradition hath obtayned that the Byshoppe of Jerusalem or Elia be honoured let him consequently haue honour the proper dignitie of the Metropolitane citie euer being safe Out of these wordes I obserue first that the preheminence and honour of particular Churches dependeth of an auncient Custome and not of any Supreame power or Prerogatiue of the Church of Rome Secondly that the Canon plainely teacheth vs that euery Metropolitane Byshoppe hath a proper Dignitie and consequently that such Dignitie resteth not in the Pope or Byshop of Rome Thirdly because the Fathers of the famous Councell of Chalcedon haue as is already prooued graunted equal Priuiledges to the Bishop of Constantinople with the Byshop of Rome in all Ecclesiasticall affaires To which I adde first that the Councell of Chalcedon decreed nothing saue that onely which the three first and most famous Councels of Nice Constantinople and Ephesus decreed before them This to be so Petrus the Metropolitane of Corinthus Athanasius Alexander and many other Byshoppes in their ioynt-Epistle to the Emperour Leo constantly affirme in these expresse wordes Vnde verò dignata est nobis scribere vestra transquillitas et apertè iussit nostram manifestare sententiam haec pietatis vestrae potentiae declaramus quia ea quae a Chalcedonensi sancto et vniuersali concilio definita sunt tanquam sanctis Synodis praecedentibus consona et in nullo contraria aut sanctorum trecentorum decem et octo patrum Niceno concilio aut Constantinopolitano 150. aut Ephesio sub beatae memoriae Cyrillo celebrato omnibus sententijs manere immutilata decreuimus Whereas your tranquilitie hath vouchsafed to write vnto vs and withall hath commaunded vs plainely to declare our sentence this we signifie to the power of your pietie that those thinges which the holy and vniuersall Councell of Chalcedon hath defined as consonant and no way contrarie to the holy precedent Synodes either to the Nicene Councell of the 318. holy Fathers or to the Councell of Constantinople of 150. holy Fathers or to the Councell of Ephesus celebrated vnder Cyrill of blessed memorie we haue decreed the same with all our sentences so to continue without maime or diminution I adde secondly that Gregorie the great who was Byshoppe of Rome himselfe
praecedenteÌ„ SynoduÌ„ Episcopos earuÌ„ haeresum conuocauit sequitur cum autem conuenissent accersito ad se Nectario Imperator cuÌ„ eo de futura Synodo coÌ„municat iubetque vt quaestiones ex quibus natae fuerant haereses in disputationeÌ„ proponat quo vna fieret in ChristuÌ„ credentiuÌ„ Ecclesia et constitueretur dogma consonuÌ„ ad quaÌ„ religio conformaretur The Emperour not long after the precedent Synode calleth the Byshops of those Heresies togeather When they were assembled the Emperour calleth Nectarius the Byshop of Constantinople to him and consulteth with him concerning the future Synode and coÌ„maundeth him to propound in disputation those questions from whence the Heresies did spring to the ende that there might be one Church of the faythfull a consonant rule of fayth which might be as a paterne of religion Sigâ—bertus a famous Popish Monke writeth in this manner Secunda Synodus vniuersalis 150. PatruÌ„ congregatur Constantinopoli iubente Theodosio et annuente Damaso Papa quae MacedoniuÌ„ neganteÌ„ spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ DeuÌ„ esse coÌ„demnans consubstantialeÌ„ patri et filio spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ esse docuit The second generall Councell of an hundred fiftie Byshops is assembled at Constantinople by the commaundement of Theodosius Damasus the Pope agreeing thereunto in which Synodâ— Macedonius who denied the Holy Ghost to be God was condemned and the consubstantiabilitie of the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne was confirmed in the same Theodoretus is consonant and vttereth many worthy periods The fourth Section of the Councell of Ephesus The third generall Councell being the first Ephesiue of two hundred Byshoppes was proclaymed by the commaundement of the Emperour Theodosius the younger against Nestorius denying the virgin Mary to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and affirming Christ to haue persons twaine proouing that two natures did subsist in one onely person of Christ Jâ—sus in the yeare of our Lord God 433. Euagrius hath these wordes Cum ista Cyrillus venerandae memoriae Alexandrinorum Episcopus literis suis reprehendisset Nestorius vero reprehensioni illius restitisset et neque illius neque Celestini veteris Romae Episcopi monitis acquiauisset sed temulentiam suam aduersus vniuersam Ecclesiam nihil veritus effudisset haud praeter rationem a Theodosio iuniore Orientis Imperatore petijt vt ipsius nutu Synodus colligeretur Imperialibus itaque literis cum ad ipsum Cyrillum tum ad omnium vbique Ecclesiarum Episcopos missis ad sacrum Penticostes diem in quo venit ad nos spiritus S. Conuentus indicitur When Cyrillus the venerable Byshoppe of Alexandria had by his Letters reproued the wicked blasphemie of Nestorius and Nestorius had withstood the same neither yeelding to his admonition nor to Celestines the Byshop of old Rome but still malepertly powred out his drunken conceites against the whole Church then Cyrill not without cause requested the Emperour Theodosius the younger that by his authoritie a Synode might be called by the Letters therefore of the Emperour directed to Cyrill and to all other Byshops euery where the Synode is appoynted vpon the sacred day of Penticost at what time the Holy Ghost came downe vpon vs. Thus writeth this famous Historiographer Out of whose wordes I gather many worthy instructions First that neither Cyâ—illus the Byshoppe of Alexandria nor Celestinus the Byshoppe of Rome could by any meanes reclaime or diswade Nâ—storius from his cursed and blasphemous opinions Secondly that Cyrillus lamenting the harme that thereby did redound to the Church sought to the Emperour for redresse thereof humbly requesting him that a generall Councell might be gathered for the peace of the Church and for the condemnation of the Heresie of Nestorius Thirdly that Cyrillus that holy and learned Byshoppe who was reputed a Saint in his life-time did not make suite to the Byshoppe of Rome for calling of the Councell which doubtlesse he would haue done if the gathering of Councels had belonged vnto him Fourthly that S. Cyrill sought immediatly to the Emperour not once acquainting the Byshop of Rome therewith Fiftly that the Byshoppe of Rome himselfe was commaunded to come to the Synode euen in such sort as other Byshoppes were Which I prooue by a double meane First because the Storie sayth That the Emperour called omnium vbique Ecclesiarum Episcopos the Byshoppes of all Churches euery where Secondly because Nicephorus sayth that Celestinus the Byshoppe of Rome was absent but appoynted Cyrillus in his stead These are the words Celestinus autem Roma Episcopus propter nauigationis pericula Synodo adesse detrectauit ad Cyrillum tamen vt locum suum ibj obtineret scripsit But Celestine the Byshoppe of Rome was absent from the Synode by reason of the danger of Nauigation yet he wrote to Cyrillus that he might supply his place Touching the Popes absence from Councelles the Iesuiticall Cardinall Bellarmine giueth better and sounder reasons though vnawares both against the Pope himselfe which I willingly admit wishing the Reader to obserue and marke them seriously with mee as which are both memorable and of great consequence This Cardinall yeeldeth two reasons why the Pope was neuer present at Councels in the East-churches by himselfe and in his owne person the one forsooth because it was not conuenient that the Head should follow the members the other because the Emperour would euer sit in the highest place Out of whose wordes I must needes note two important poyntes by the way The one that in the auncient Church the highest place in Councels was euer reserued to the Emperour The other that the East-churches did neuer acknowledge the Popes Primacie which he this day arrogantly challengeth ouer all Kingdomes and Regalities To which twaine this pleasant adiunct must of necessitie be annexed viz. that our humble Father the Pope who hypocritically calleth himselfe seruus seruorum Dej would neuer come to Councels in the East partes because forsooth his charitie was so great that he could not endure to see the Emperour sitting in the highest place And it is not amisse for the benefite of the Reader if I heere adioyne the maner how the Emperour Constantine sate in the Councell of Nice Sozomenus that graue Historiographer who liued more then a thousand one hundred seuentie yeares agoe hath these wordes Congregatis itaque in vnum locum per medium sacerdotuÌ„ ad caput conuentus transeundo in throno quodam qui ipsi paratus erat confedit ac Synodus sedere iussa est Erant N. vtrinque ad parietes Palatij multa posita subsellia hic vero thronus maximus erat et reliquas sedes excellebat Therefore when the Byshoppes were come togeather the Emperour passing through the midst of them to the head of the assembly sate downe in a Throne prepared for him and willed the Byshops to sit downe There were many Seates on both sides to the walles of the Pallace but the Emperours
other Ministers of the Church euen now in the time of the New Testament Where by the word Priestes I vnderstande all such as are admitted to preach Gods word and to administer the holy Sacramentes This Proposition is prooued very copiously in my Suruay of Poperie aswell by the Textes of holy Writte as by the flatte testimonie of S. Chrysostome S. Clement S. Eusebius S. Theophilactus and many others To which place for breuitie sake I referre the Reader especially because this trueth will be prooued againe and againe in the Propositions following The 4. Proposition The Marriage of Priestes is onely by the law of man prohibited and not by any positiue constitution either of Christ or his Apostles I prooue it many wayes First by the Popes owne Decrees where I find these expresse wordes Copula namque Sacerdotalis vel consanguineorum nec Legali nec Euangelica vel Apostolica auctoritate prohibetur Ecclesiastica tamen lege penitus interdicitur For the Marriage of Priestes is neither forbidden by the Law of Moses nor by the Law of the Ghospell nor by the Law of the Apostles yet is it altogeather and wholly forbidden by the Law of the Church of Rome Marke well these wordes gentle Reader for Christes sake for they are able to confound all Jesuites Iesuited Popelinges in the world Obserue with mee first that Gratianus who hath taught vs out of the Popes owne Decrees this godly and memorable lesson was a very famous Popish Canonist brother to Petrus Lombardus surnamed The Maister of Sentences and of such renowne in the Popish Church that his Bookes are this day read publiquely in their Diuinitie-schooles Secondly obserue that this Gratianus so learned and so famous in the Romish Church liued with his brother Lombardus euen then when the Pope was in his greatest pompe and tyrannie Obserue thirdly that this Gratian so learned and so renowned amongst the Papistes did euen in the altitude of Poperie commit that to the open view of the world which vtterly ouerthroweth all Papistrie and turneth it vpside downe Obserue fourthly that the Pope and his Popish vassals being iustly infatuated for their sinnes had no power to hinder and keepe backe from the print such Bookes as doe vtterly disclose their tyrannie falsehood and paltry dealing For our Lord God euen that mightie God Jehouah which caused the Red-sea to giue place to the Israelites who caused Balaams Asse to speake who caused the Fire to suspend it force in the burning Furnace who caused Yron to swimme vpon the Water who caused Yron-lockes and Brasen Gates to open voluntarily that mighty God I say enforced Gratian that learned famous and zealous Papist to confesse openly for the battering downe of Poperie that the marriage of Priestes which the Pope forbiddeth vpon paine of eternall damnation is neither forbidden by the Law of Moyses nor by Christ or his Apostles I prooue it secondly by the testimonie of Caietanus that learned and famous Cardinall of Rome whose words are these Nec ratione nec authoritate probari potest quod absolutè loquendo Sacerdos peccet contrahendo matrimonium nam nec ordo in quantum ordo nec ordo in quantum sacer est impeditiuus matrimonij siquidem Sacerdotium non dirimit matrimonium contractum siue ante siue post seclusis omnibus Legibus Ecclesiasticis stando tantum ijs quae habemus a Christo et Apostolis It can neuer be prooued neither by Authoritie nor by Reason if we speake absolutely that a Priest sinneth by marrying a Wife For neither the order of Priesthood in that it is order neither order as it is holy is any hinderaunce vnto Matrimonie For Priesthood breaketh not Marriage whether it be contracted before Priesthood or afterward if wee set all Ecclesiasticall Lawes apart and stand onely to those thinges which we haue of Christ and his Apostles Thus writeth this great learned man whose testimonie is so cleare and euident that no deniall no euasion no tricke of legierdemaine can haue any place For he sayth first that a Priest sinneth not in marrying a Wife Secondly that Priesthood doth not disanul Wedlocke whether a Priest be married before or after it This is a poynt of great consequence let it be well remembred Thirdly that Priestes Marriage is neither forbidden by Christ nor by his Apostles Panormitanus that famous Papist teacheh the selfe same doctrine his wordes are set downe in the 12. Proposition see them there I prooue it thirdly by the verdict of the famous Papist Viguerius as also of their Saint Antoninus sometime Arch-byshoppe of Florence These are the expresse wordes of Antoninus Episcopatus ex natura sua non habet opponi ad matrimonium The office of a Byshoppe of it owne nature is not opposite or against Marriage The case we see is most cleare and perspicuous to euery child viz. that the Marriage of Priestes is very lawfull as which is neither forbidden by Christ nor by his Apostles No no the Byshoppes of Rome onely haue prohibited it as I haue at large discoursed and prooued in my Suruay of Popery Marke well the eleuenth Proposition following as which is a confirmation hereof The 5. Proposition It was euer lawfull for the Byshoppes Priestes and Deacons of the East-church to be Married and to beget children in the time of their Priesthood This PropositioÌ„ is prooued by the flat testimonie of the sixt generall Councell holden at Constantinople in the yeare of our Lord God 677. where 289. Byshoppes were assembled In the 13. Canon of this famous Councell three speciall thinges are decreed First that Priestes Deacons and Sub-deacons may haue the lawfull vse of Wedlocke at such times as they doe not execute the Ministerie Secondly this famous Councell excommunicateth all those Priestes and Deacons that after their orders put away their former wiues vnder pretence of Religion Thirdly it excoÌ„municateth all such as labour to separate Priestes and Deacons from the vse and company of their Wiues And after all this this great and learned Synode addeth this worthy and memorable Obseruation viz. that they haue thus decreed albeit they know the Lawes of Rome to be otherwise Where I note by the way that so many learned Byshoppes did 677. yeares after Christ vtterly contemne the falsely challenged Primacie of the Church of Rome This Decree of the famous Councell is confirmed sundry wayes confirmation 1 First by the flat Canon of Christes blessed Apostles in these expresse wordes Episcopus aut Praesbyter aut Diaconus Vxorem suâ—m praetextu religionis non abijcito si abijcit segregator a communione si perseuerat deponator Let neither Byshoppe nor Priest nor Deacon put away his Wife vnder pretence of Religion if he so do let him be excommunicate if he continue let him be deposed Out of these wordes I obserue these golden Lessons First that in the dayes of the Apostles it was lawfull for Byshoppes Priestes and Deacons to haue Wiues
proofe that it is most certaine that one of the Heresies of the Waldenses was against the Popes Pardons let him know from mee that therein he is a fowle mouthed lying Fryer For Platina their deare friend the Popes Abbreuiator Apostolâ—â—us hath these expresse words Iubilaeum idem retulit anno millesimo trecentesimo quo plenam delictorum omnium remissionem his praestabat qui limina Apostolorum visitassent ad exemplum veteris testamentj Pope Boniface brought againe the Iubilee after 1300. yeares and gaue full Pardon of all sinnes to such as did visite S. Peters Church and S. Pauls in Vaticano at Rome after the example of the old Law Out of these wordes I obserue these golden Lessons First that the old Iubilee was neuer heard of in Christes Church till the time of Boniface the Iewish Pope I prooue it by the word retulit hee brought againe from the Iewes Secondly that the Church was free from Popish Pardons 1300. yeares Thirdly that this Pope pardoned not onely the paine but euen the sinne it selfe yea all sinnes whatsoeuer Fourthly that this Pope brought againe the Iewish ceremoniall Law Fiftly that the remission of the old Law which our Papistes pretend apishly to imitate was not of Sinnes but of Debts Landes Bondage and such like which the Pope vseth not to pardon and yet forsooth hee would be thought to bring the Iubilee againe Of this Iubilee see woonderfull Popish coozening trickes liuely discouered in their colours in my Suruay of Popery The Perioch of the Chapter First therefore seeing the Popes Pardons can not be found in the Holy Scriptures Secondly seeing the holy Fathers in old time were not acquainted with them Thirdly seeing they depend intrinsecally vpon Purgatorie which the Greeke Fathers neuer beleeued as God willing shall be made euident in the next Chapter Fourthly seeing Pope Boniface was the first that gaue generall Pardons for all Sinnes in the yeare 1300. after Christ I must perforce conclude against the Pope and Poperie that the Popish Pardons are a Rotten Ragge not of the Old but of the New Religion This Chapter connotateth an intrinsecall order to the next following and so must be coupled togeather with the same The Iesuites 5. Chapter of Popish Purgatorie B. C. IN this Chapter after he hath disputed against Purgatorie with the authoritie of Roffensis hee commeth to his recapitulation and sayth Secondly that the Church of Rome beleeued it not for the space of 250. yeares after which time it increased by litle and litle T. B. Whosoeuer shall but with an indifferent iudgement peruse my Tryall of the new Religion togeather with this Answere of the Jesuite which is not of one man alone but of many togeather as will appeare before the end of this my Reply God willing that man doubtles can not but see as clearely as the noone day that Poperie is the New Religion This is mine Answere let it be well marked For my life and soule I dare gage that the Iesuites Answere sheweth euidently to all iudicious and indifferent Readers that it is the trueth which I defend and that all the Papistes in the world are not able in trueth to confute the same His miserable shiftes his silly euasions and coozening trickes doe euery where and in euery Chapter declare that the Jesuite is at a Non plus and knoweth not for his life how to defend the Pope For first he neuer setteth downe my wordes truely Secondly he doth but snatch at some of them which seeme to be of the least force and strength which for all that haue more force in them then he is able to deale withall His first coozening tricke in this present Chapter is this viz. That hee not daring to alleadge all mine Assertion which truly containeth the true meaning of their famous Martyr so supposed late Byshop of Rochester as which are his owne wordes in deed hee at the first leapeth ouer 40. lynes almost in which the force of my Disputation resteth and onely toucheth my Recapitulation This coozening tricke being after his maner performed hee combineth an other with it implying a greater coozening by many degrees This coozenage is contayned in these wordes Secondly that the Church of Rome I prooue it first because euery Child knoweth that the first goeth before the second Secondly because the first which the Fryer would not because he durst not touch at all contayneth nay prooueth the maine poynt in this controuersie the poynt is this This Byshop was a Learned man a great Papist and said for Poperie what possibly he could yet doth he graunt many thinges of such force is the trueth which quite ouerthrow Poperie and turne it vpside-downe First wee see by his free assertion that the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie to his dayes and so it was to them vnknowne 1517. yeares All this the Iesuite passeth ouer in deepe silence and beginneth at Secondly Loe M. Fisher that Learned Byshoppe for so I graunt hee was telleth vs plainely and resolutely that the Holy Fathers and Learned men of the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie vntill his time that is for the space of 1517. yeares after Christ. But our Iesuite is so blind that hee could not see these wordes Nay rather hee durst not acknowledge them because hee can not frame any colourable answere to them This is the trueth in very deed His third coozening tricke is in the omission and not speaking of these wordes Thirdly that the Church of Rome did not beleeue Purgatorie all at once but by litle and litle These wordes our Fryer Jâ—suite durst not once name least they should haue giuen him a mortall wound For in deed to speake the trueth they strike dead They shew plainely that as the holy Fathers of the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie so neither did the Fathers of the Latine Church beleeue it all and wholly at one and the same time but by litle and litle Ah poore Purgatorie thy birth by peece-meale maketh thee the New Religion Thou art a Monster among the Iesuited Papistes Thou wast neither begotten nor borne at once but by litle and litle O sillie Poperie O new Religion His fourth coozening tricke is implyed in omitting these wordes Fourthly that the inuention of Purgatorie was the birth â—f Popish Pardons as which could haue no place till Purgatorie was found out by feigned reuelations Marke how gallantly our Jesuite confuteth Bell. You see hee is not able to endure the sound of the Bell Of fiue poyntes of great consequence he durst name onely two the Second forsooth and the Fift Of the fiue three seemed euery way vnanswerable To the second and the fift he thought he could say something in shew of wordes albeit very nothing in the trueth of the matter Which God willing shall soone appeare after the due examination of his wordes But first because the controuersie is a maine poynt of Popish Religion and the ground of Popish Pardons I
is also a manifest vntrueth T. B. I answere first that as our Fryer is bold vntruely to charge me with vntruethes so I must be bold to returne the same vntruethes vnto himselfe and for his iust demerites reward him with the Whetstone Secondly that while our Fryer Jesuite would very gladly impose vpon me two vntruethes so to hide the nakednesse of Poperie he hath committed no fewer then three notorious Lyes First he saith roundly though vntruely that Roffensis the Byshoppe of Rochester speaketh nothing of 250. yeares This is his first notorious Lye I prooue it sundry wayes First because he telleth vs resolutely that the Greeke Fathers beleeued not Purgatorie for the space of 1517. yeares consequently not for the space of 250. yeares Secondly that after many pluralities of yeares Purgatorie and Pardons were receiued Thirdly that Purgatorie was a long time vnknowen Fourthly that afterward some beleeued it by litle and litle How sayest thou now sir Fryer doth your Popish Byshoppe say nothing of 250. yeares Are not 250. contayned in 1517. yeares Doe not many pluralities of yeares something touch 250. yeares Doest not thou ô Fryer extend the age of the Primatiue Church how truely shortly will be seene vnto 250. yeares And yet doth the Byshoppe tell thee that both Pardons and Purgatorie were vnknowne to the primatiue Church Ergo I must score this vp for a flatte and knowne Lye Secondly he sayth impudently that the Byshop doth not denie that Purgatorie was alwayes beleeued in the Church This is his second notorious and shamelesse Lye I prooue it by a three-fold argument For first the Byshop sayth plainely in expresse wordes that the Greeke Fathers S. Chrysostome S. Basill S. Gregorie S. Epiphanius and the rest of those great Learned men and stout Champions of the Church beleeued not Purgatorie for the space of 1517. yeares Secondly that the Fathers of the Latine Church beleeued it not for many yeares Thirdly that afterward some beleeued it by litle and litle Where I wish the Reader to obserue seriously this word deinde afterward for it striketh dead confoundeth the Iesuite and prooueth manifestly that Poperie is the New Religion The case is so cleare and euident as euery Child may easily perceiue the same For that which was beleeued afterward must perforce be vnbeleeued at the first Againe that which was sometime vnknowne must needes be sometime vnbeleeued or else our Fryer must needs say which for his Lugs he dareth not say that the Pope forsooth and his Iesuited Popelinges beleeued they know not what His third notorious Lye is this viz. that I vntruely charge their Byshoppe of Rochester in fathering vpon him that the Church of Rome beleeued not Purgatorie for the space of 250. yeares after Christ. For I haue euidently and irrefragably deduced out of the Byshoppes expresse wordes that the Church of Rome beleeued not Purgatorie for more then 250. yeares thrise told yea not for the space of more then one thousand yeares I prooue it once againe to the Iesuites and the Popes euerlasting shame Marke well my Discourse for Christes sake gentle Reader for in so doing thou canst not but abhorre and detest Poperie as a fond and new Religion I protest vpon my saluation that I beleeue as I write as also that the late Bishoppe of Rochester whom our Fryer nameth Roffensis which word onely connotateth the place where he was Byshoppe but is not his name prooueth the same effectually this is the proofe First the Byshoppe telleth vs constantly that the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie Secondly that the Latine Church did not beleeue it of a long time Thirdly that afterward some few beleeued it by litle and litle Fourthly that it was generally beleeued not but of late yeares Fiftly that Pardons began to be sought for and to be graunted when the people stood a while in feare of Purgatorie paines To which I adde that Pardons beganne not vntill Bonifacius the eight 1300. yeares after Christ as I haue alreadie prooued out of Platina the Popes deuoted vassall and sometime his Abbreuiator Apostolicus And consequently that seeing such Pardons as I speake of in this place were not knowen for the space of 1300. yeares after Christ and seeing withall that they were in vse shortly after Purgatorie began to be feared it followeth by a necessarie and ineuitable illation that Purgatorie was not knowen and beleeued for the space of 1200. yeares at the least And so I trow nay am well assured not for the space of 250. yeares after Christ euen by the flatte testimonie of their great learned Popish Byshop my late Lord of Rochester B. C. As I haue prooued against him in the Dolefull Knell out of S. Denis S. Pauls scholler and Tertullian yea and to his vtter confusion conuinced out of himselfe T. B. I answere first that when our Fryer is at a non plus then would hee be thought to haue done that els where which he is not able to performe in deed and therefore doth he many times send me to this inuisible Booke of which more at large God willing before the end of this Discourse Secondly that if euer I can see the Booke as I hope to doe if any such Booke be extant in rerū natura I shall with speed conuenient frame mine answere to the same not doubting but the Confusion will be his owne after due examination of the same And in the interim let him this know by the way and before hand that his Booke is a sillie and dolefull thing indeed as which by his owne confession heere hath no better Authors to relie vpon then a counterfeite Denis and a Montanizing Tertullian Thirdly that what hee can possibly gather out of all my Bookes the same hath hee in this present pretensed Refutation set downe at large whether to his owne shame and confusion or to mine let the indifferent Reader iudge B. C. In this place I will adde the Testimonie of his brother Perkins who in his Probleme confesseth That Purgatorie was first receiued by Tertullian the Montanist wherein is one open vntrueth to weete that Hee was the first for hee onely affirmeth it but prooueth it not and no maruell when hee can not seeing most certaine it is that it came from the Apostles Non temerè c. Not without cause sayth S. Chrisostome these thinges were ordayned of the Apostles that in the dreadfull mysteries commemoration should be made of the dead for they know that thereby much gaine doth come vnto them much profite T. B. I answere first that our Fryer in one place calleth M. Perkins The Puritane of England and in an other place obiecteth my Booke penned against them Howbeit heere hee must needes be my Brother and I oppressed with his Authoritie Secondly that our Fryer hath no sooner obiected M. Perkins against mee but foorthwith hee oppugneth his Assertion Thirdly that he affirmeth it for a most certaine
trueth that Purgatorie came from the Apostles Which more bold then wise affirmance I returne vnto our Fryer for a most certaine and shamelesse Lye for a most notorious Slaunder and for an intollerable Blasphemie against the blessed Apostles of our Lord Iesus I prooue it sundry wayes First because S. Chrysostome was one of the chiefest and best Learned Fathers of the Greeke Church who as my Lord of Rochester hath told vs very plainely and resolutely neuer beleeued there was any Popish Purgatorie while they were lyuing heere on earth and consequently that Purgatorie can neuer be truely fathered vpon that great learned holy man Secondly because those Homilies from whence our Fryer would gladly fetch Purgatorie-fire are counterfeite not S. Chrysostomes indeed Whereof this is an argument insoluble that the Greeke Fathers did neuer beleeue Purgatorie For if S. Chrysostome had taught Purgatorie in his Bookes Byshoppe Fisher that glorious so supposed Popish Martyr could not truely haue written and constantly auouched to the whole world as he did that the Greekes neuer beleeued Purgatorie Thirdly that if the Apostles had taught Purgatorie then could not so many so Learned so holy Fathers of the Greeke Church haue been so long time euen till their death ignoraunt thereof Nay if the Latine Church in their dayes had receiued Purgatorie as a tradition Apostolicall they would neuer haue withstood it but most reuerently haue admitted and most Christianly beleeued the same Fourthly that if we suppose and graunt our Fryer thus much to cheare vp his spirits a while viz. that they are S. Chrysostomes wordes which he citeth in his name yet will it not serue his turne to build Popish Purgatorie therevpon For the words do onely prooue this and no more to weete that th'Apostles taught Commemoration of the dead Which my selfe am so farre from disliking that I haue many yeares agoe approoued it in my Suruay of Poperie Yea the Papistes in their publike Prayers make frequent and vsuall Commemoration of their Martyrs whom they for all that deny to be in Purgatorie-fire and freely graunt to be in Heauen And so they can not inferre Purgatorie out of the Commemoration of the dead To this I adde that Prayer for the dead which is more then Commemoration may in a godly sort be vsed as I haue shewed at large first in my Motiues and afterward in my Suruay More then which the Iesuite can not inferre out of his Author as his Marginall note doth declare I therefore conclude that our â—esuite hath runge out a notorious vntrueth when he telleth his Reader that Purgatorie came from the Apostles B. C. Heere the iudicious Reader may also note how the Minister contradicteth himselfe In his Suruay intreating of Purgatorie he sayth Thus by litle and litle it increased till the late Byshoppes of Rome made it an Article of Popish Fayth Where in the Margent he noteth the time thus In the yeare of our Lord 250. Heere he sayth that the Church of Rome beleeued it not for the space of 250. yeares After which as he telleth vs it increased by litle and litle And so in this place he maketh the seed of Purgatorie not to haue been sowen before the yeare 250. and afterward to haue increased till it came to perfection There he affirmeth that the seed was sowen before and increased by litle and litle vntill it became ripe and perfect Poperie which was in the yeare 250. And so Purgatorie was sowen and not sowen growen and not growen an article of Fayth and not an article of Fayth in the same one yeare 250. I will not deny but the Minister hath some skill in botching togeather of old endes of Diuinitie gathered out of the Ragge market of Caluin and such like Geneua-Merchants yet I feare mee it will be hard for him so to cobble the sayinges togeather that the flaw of a contradiction appeare not T. B. I answere first that where our Fryer pretendeth some feare that I can not defend by any cobling my contradiction by him so supposed I am so free from it that I weene his heart will pant so soone as he shal peruse my answere to the same For so God helpe me I woonder he is not ashamed so to write O tempora O mores I would not haue imagined that the Maister Deuill of Hell had so possessed him as to make him the instrument of such notorious execrable and plaine diabolicall Lyes Neuer did any man heare know or read such shamelesse palpable and grosse vntruethes Who will not exclaime and cry out of Poperie that shall read this Fryers Answere and this my Reply ioyned with my Tryall and my Suruay in which hee would seeme to ground his deuillish and abhominable Lyes Fie fie how can he thinke that any of witte and iudgemet will beleeue him Hee perceiueth right well that the trueth published in my Bookes can neuer be truly answered and therefore sillie Papistes who dare not for feare of Popish tyrannicall censures read my Bookes must perforce receiue and beleeue his most execrable Lyes for the trueth Oh that they would once read my Bookes nay but this one Reply with a single eye and indifferent iudgement all parcialitie set apart Hee knoweth that hee falsely accuseth mee his owne conscience though neuer so badde can not but condemne him Euery child may easily discerne that the trueth is on my side The case is so cleare my wordes so plaine and the trueth thereof so apparant as euery iudicious and honest Reader must needes thinke him worthy to haue a Whetstone tyed at his Girdle a Foxe-tayle in his necke and a Fooles-bable in his hand If Poperie through mortall wounds receiued were not past recouerie if the trueth published in my Bookes were not vnanswereable if the Iesuite were not at a Non plus not able to defend the Pope and his late start-vp Romish Fayth he would neuer thus delude the world with his most notorious Lyes and deceitfull dealing In my Suruay marke wel for Christs sake these are my expresse words in the third part and sixt Chapter Afterward Origen being too much addicted to his allegoricall speculation fayned many odde things touching Purgatorie as the Ethnicke Plato whom he much imitateth had done before him After Origen others began to call the matter into question others rashly to beleeue it others to adde many thinges to Origens conceit Thus by litle and litle it increased till the late Byshops of Rome made it an Article of Popish Fayth In my Booke intituled The Tryall of the new Religion these are my expresse words First we see that the Greeke Church neuer beleeued Purgatorie to his dayes I speake there of Iohn Fisher late Byshoppe of Rochester and so it was vnkowen to them 1517. yeares Secondly that the Church of Rome beleeued it not for the space of 250. yeares after which time it increased by litle and litle These are my very wordes in both my Bookes The
as the great learned Papist Rhenanus telleth vs And hee yeeldeth this reason thereof viz. because Auricular or Secret Confession was wholly vnknowen in those dayes I further adde for the accomplishment of this Conclusion that which the sayd Rhenanus citeth out of a famous and learned Papist Geilerius These are the wordes Thomas Aquinas et Scotus homines nimium arguti confessionem hodie talem reddiderunt vt Iohannes ille Geilerius grauis ac sanctus Theologus qui tot annis argentorati concionatus est apud amicos suos saepe testatus sit iuxta eorum denteroseis impossibile esse confiteri But Tho. Aquinas and Scotus men too much delighted with subtilties haue brought Confession this day to such a passe that Iohannes Geilerius a graue and reuerend Diuine and a Preacher a long time at Argentâ—ratuÌ„ said many a time vnto his friends that it was impossible for a man to make his Confession according to their Traditions Out of these words I note first that the vaine curious distinctions of the Schoole-Doctors haue brought much mischiefe into the Church of God Which if a Papist had not spoken it would seeme incredible to the world Secondly that it is impossible for a Papist to make his Confession according to the Popish Law And consequently that all Papistes by Popish Doctrine must perish euerlastingly Marke well my wordes gentle Reader as thou art carefull of thine owne saluation The Papistes teach vs to hold for an Article of our Beleefe that wee are bound to make our Confessions as the Popes Law prescribeth that is as Aquinas whose Doctrine two Popes haue confirmed for Authenticall and Scotus the Popes Doctor subtilis haue set downe the same And for all that Geilertus a Papist himselfe a great learned man complained often to his friends that none could possibly performe the same Now then since on the one side Popish Confession must be made and that vnder paine of damnation and since on the other side none possibly can make the same as it is coÌ„maunded it followeth of necessitie by Popish doctrine that Papistes must be damned eternally Thirdly that many lyuing among the Papistes doe externally seeme to obey the Popes Law who in their heartes detest a great part of their late hatched Romish Religion This is euident by the secret complaint of the learned Papist Geilerius who told that to his trustie friendes which he durst not disclose to others Yea God hath euen among the Papistes in Italie and Rome many thousandes which haue not or doe not this day bow their knee to Baal Read my Suruay and it will satisfie thee in this behalfe Let vs now heare our Jesuite and confute his fond cauils and ridiculous sophistications B. C. Scotus enquireth by what Law a man is bound to Confession and determineth first in generall that the precept must grow from one of these Lawes either from the Law of Nature or the Law positiue of God or the Law of the Church And descending to particulars hee resolueth first that wee are not bound by the Law of Nature Nextly hee disputeth whether it groweth from the precept of the Church and not liking that opinion he proceedeth to the next member and sayth To be short it seemeth more reasonable to hold the second member that Confession falleth vnder the positiue Precept of God But then wee must consider sayth Scotus whether it be found explicitely in the Ghospell immediately from Christ because it is manifest quoth hee that it is not in the old Law or whether it be from him expressely in some of the Apostles doctrine or if neither so nor so whether then it was giuen of Christ by word only published to the Church by the Apostles And hauing made this triple Diuision how Confession might come by the Precept of God that is either first commaunded by him in the Ghospell or else secondly to be found in some of the Apostles writinges or lastly instituted of Christ by word of mouth onely And hauing disputed of the first two members with dislike of the second he concludeth that we must either hold the first member to weete that it commeth from the Law of God published by the Ghospell or if that be not sufficient we must say the third that it is of the positiue Law of God published by Christ to the Apostles but published by the Apostles to the Church without all Scripture T. B. I answere first that albeit our Jesuite vseth much babling turning himselfe this way that way and euery way to anoyde and cassire if it were possible the verdict censure of their subtile Doctor Scotus yet is all that hee sayth in this Chapter as also all that any other Iesuite or Papist in the world is able to say in the same subiect soundly and most euidently refuted in the sixt Conclusion aforegoing For the last and best Resolution that Scotus could inuent after he had disputed the Question pro et contra so profoundly as his wittes could conceiue was euen this and no other viz. that Popish Auricular Confession is not grounded vpon Christes Ghospell or Apostolicall writing but onely and solely vpon vnwritten Tradition which is an huge and deepe Gulfe without any bottome If the sixt Conclusion be duely pondered and vnderstood aright the Jesuites backe is at the wall Yet I will adde thereto one other Confirmation which is deduced and plainely related in the Popes owne Decrees these are the expresse wordes Quidam Deo solummodo confiteri debere peccata dicunt vt Graeci Quidam vero Sacerdotibus confitenda esse percensent vt tota ferè Ecclesia sancta Quod vtrumque non sine magno fructu intra sanctam fit Ecclesiam ita dumtaxat vt Deo qui remissor est peccatoruÌ„ peccata nostra confiteamur Some say we must Confesse our sinnes onely to God as the Greekes doe Other some say wee must Confesse them vnto Priests as doth almost the whole Church Either of which is done with great good within the holy Church so onely that we Confesse our sinnes to God who is the forgiuer of sinnes Thus are wee taught by the Popes owne sweete deare Decrees published in print to the view of the whole world Out of which Decree I obserue these memorable documentes for the helpe of the Reader First that the Greeke Church neuer confessed their sinnes vnto Priests but vnto God alone Of which Church for all that the Presidentes Gouernours were most holy learned Fathers viz. S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Basill surnamed the great S. Gregorie Nazianzene S. Damascene and many other most excellent and holy Byshoppes Secondly that others hold the contrarie saying that wee must Confesse our sinnes to Priestes Thirdly that both these opinions are profitably practised in the Church so wee Confesse our sinnes to God Fourthly that Popish Auricular confession euen by the Popes owne Decrees is not necessarie to saluation as the Papistes this day
Byshoppe which hee was bold to present to the Popes Holynesse where it found kind acceptation and therefore is and must be authenticall though it giue our Holy Father a deadly blow Out of which learned Discourse I obserue these worthy Lessons First that euery Veniall sinne is against right reason Secondly that euery Veniall sinne is the transgression of some Law Thirdly that to doe any thing against right reason is to doe against the law of Nature Fourthly that the law of Nature commaundeth not to decline from the rule of right reason Fiftly that the temporall rule with which the goodnesse of our actions is measured is the right reason of our vnderstanding which is giuen to euery one in his creation birth or natiuitie Sixtly that the eternal rule with which the goodnesse of our actions ought to be measured is the Will of God Seuenthly that therefore our thoughtes wordes and workes are against right reason because they are against the Will of God which is the law Eternall Which Obseruations if they be duely pondered doe euidently prooue and plainely conuince that euery Sinne is Mortall of it owne nature Fiftly because euery one is accursed which keepeth not euery iote of the Law Sixtly because Christes blessed Apostle S. Iames telleth vs plainely That whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Law and but offende in any one precept is guiltie of all Seuenthly because God will destroy all manner of Liers and all workers of Iniquitie Odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem perdes omnes qui loquuntur Mendacium Thou hatest all workers of Iniquitie thou wilt destroy euery one that is a Lyer Thus saith the holy Prophet of God in the spirit and person of God Out of which wordes I obserue two poyntes of great consequence First that where all are comprised there not one among all is excepted and consequently the sacred Text is to be vnderstood euen of euery least Sinner and of euery least Lyer Secondly that where Destruction is for Punishment inflicted there Gods Law doubtles is transgressed and so is euery Popish Veniall sinne against the Law Eightly because Christ himselfe teacheth vs That besides the Law against the Law is all one in rei veritate in the trueth of the matter Qui non est mecum contramâ— est et qui non congregat mecuÌ„ spargit He saith our Maister Christ that is not with mee is against mee and hee that gathereth not with mee scattereth Ninthly because Durandus a famous and learned Popish Writer confuteth the fondly inuented distinction of their Popish Canonized Saint Aquinas which the Pope and his Jesuites hold for the maintenaunce of late start-vp Poperie to weete that Veniall sinnes are praeter Legem non contra Besides the Law but not against the Law These are the expresse wordes of Durandus Ad argumentum dicendum quod omne peccatum est contra Legem Dei naturalem vel inspiratam vel ab eis deriuatam To the Argument answere must be made that euery Sinne is against the Law of God either naturall or inspired or deriued from them And this opinion of M. Durand is this day commonly defended in the Schooles So doth Fryer Ioseph tell our holy Father the Pope these are his wordes D. Thomas et eius sectatores tenent peccatum Veniale non tem esse contra Legem quaÌ„ praeter Legem Sequitur Durandus tamen et alij permulti hanc sententiaÌ„ impugnant affirmantes peccata venialia esse contra mandata Et haec opinio modo in scholis videtur coÌ„munion S. Thomas and his followers hold that a Veniall sinne is not so much against the Law as besides the Law But Durand and very many others impugne this opinion auouching Veniall sinnes to be against the commaundementes And this opinion seemeth now adayes to be more common in the Schooles Heere I wish the reader to note by the way out of the word modo now adayes the mutabilitie of late start-vp Romish religion as also the dissentioÌ„ of popish Schoole-doctors in the misteries of their fayth and Doctrine For in that their Byshoppe the Fryer sayth modo now adayes he giueth vs to vnderstand that their Romish Doctrine is now otherwise then it was of old time and in former ages And in that he telleth vs of the great dissension amongest their Doctors he very emphatically layeth open to the Reader the vncertainty of Romish fayth and Religion For doubtlesse if their tyrannicall Inquisition and the dayly feare of Fire and Faggot were taken out of the way the Popes ridiculous and plaine Heathenish Excommunications with his Decrees and Definitions in matters of Fayth would be of small account and troden vnder foote This is a most worthy Note and must be well remembred For the Old Romane religion was Catholique pure and found and with it doe not I contend I onely impugne the late start-vp Romish Fayth and Doctrine which the Pope and his Romish Schoolemen haue brought into the Church Tenthly because Vega a great Learned Papist very famous in the Church of Rome doth not onely teach euery Veniall sinne to be against the Law but withall he constantly affirmeth that therefore none lyuing can possibly keepe the whole Law at once For albeit hee hold that euery part of the Law may be kept at some time yet doth he constantly denie that the whole 〈◊〉 kept at once because one partiâ—â—â—â—â— broken with Popish Venials against the Law while an other is kept The third Conclusion Albeit euery Sinne be Mortall of it owne nature yet are not all sinnes equall and alike but one greater then an other I prooue it first because our Lord Iesus doth distinguish the degrees of Sinnes while he affirmeth him that is angrie with his brother to be guiltie of Iudgement him that sayth to his brother Raca to be guiltie of a Councell him that calleth his brother Foole to be guiltie of Hel-fire Secondly because the holy Ghospell telleth vs that the Sinnes of the Sodomites and of the Gomorrhaeans shal be punished more remissely in the day of Iudgement then the sinnes of those Citizens who would not receiue the Apostles nor hearken to their preaching Thirdly because Tyrus and Sidon shall be more remissely dealt withall in iudgement then Corozain and Bethsaida The case is cleare I need not stand about it For euery Child can tell vs that it is a greater Mortall sinne to steale a goodly Gelding or a great fatte Oxe then it is to steale a fatte Calfe or a fatte Hogge Yea a greater sinne to kill a Man then to eate an Egge in Lent though Popish inflicted punishment doth not euer so insinuate But hereof more at large when I come to speake of Popish Lent The fourth Conclusion Veniall sinnes of their owne nature are against Charitie and doe breake friendshippe and amitie with God I prooue this Conclusion against the Pope his Iesuites and all Jesuiâ—ed Popelinges whether in England
but that was both before it was condemned in the Church as it was since by Pius the fift and Gregorius the thirteenth Loe our Jesuite in the name of all Papistes for all Papistes must so beleeue blusheth not to publish to the World in print in perpetuam rei memoriam that Pope Pius was the Church in his time Pope Gregorie in his time and consequently euery Pope in his time For what he affirmeth of those two in this kind of subiect the same perforce he must approue in all other Popes successiuely So then this is a constant maxime in the Church of Rome that whensoeuer our Papistes say or write That the Church can not erre or The Church hath thus and thus defined they euer meane of the Pope and Church of Rome I therefore cannot but conclude with this ineuitable illation viz. that in true Popish sense and meaning the Pope is the onely Iudge in all controuersies of Religion B. C. That their Popes sayth Bell can not erre in Fayth iudicially is this day with Papistes an Article of their Fayth An vntrueth I say it is for though the more common and better opinion be That the Pope in his iudiciall and definitiue sentence can not erre in Fayth yet false it is that this is an Article of Fayth when as many Diuines both haue and doe hold the contrarie T. B. I answere first that I willingly acknowledge one trueth here vnawares vttered by our Iesuite viz. that there is great dissention amongest the Popish Doctors concerning matters of Fayth and Doctrine Of which dissention I haue discoursed at large in my Motiues Secondly that the best opinion in the Romish Church doth not make an Article of Romish Fayth Thirdly that he might be deemed a right wise man that could soundly discouer the Articles of Popish fayth For the Fryer heere telleth vs lustily that which is the common and better opinion euen the opinion of the Pope himselfe for his doubtlesse is the best prooueth not an Article of Popish fayth Fourthly that our Jesuite doth heere giue vs a generall rule how to discerne the Articles of Popish fayth For thus disputeth our Learned Fryer Although it be the more common and better opinion yet seeing many Diuines hold the contrarie it can not be an Article of Popish fayth This is a golden and most excellent Rule in deed for which I thanke our Jesuite with all my heart For no stronger reasons and proofes can be had in controuersies then the plaine confession of the aduerse part Hence are fitly deduced sundry golden and very memorable Corollaries The first whereof is this viz. that the Papistes this day haue either very few or flat none at all Articles of their Fayth The second Corollarie is this viz. that it is not against Popish fayth to beleeue and defend that the Pope may erre Iudicially that Christes naturall body is not in the holy Eucharist really that the Marriage of Priests is lawfull that the Pope is a Tyrant and Heretique a Firebrand of all mischiefe that a great number of zealous and faythfull Martirs of Iesus Christ were burnt in Queene Maries daies by force of the Popes tyrannicall Law who for all that held no Article against Popish fayth Out vpon late hatched Poperie Euerie child may see that it is the New religion The Jesuite with the helpe of his best Learned breathren for to defende Poperie froÌ„ the note suspition of the New religion the most Learned Iesuites put to their helping hands gaue their best aduise is not able in truth to say any thing for the antiquitie of the same How be it rather theÌ„ his proud heart shall yeeld to the trueth retract his former ignorance malice he wholly consecrates himselfe to very childish shiftes and most foolish ridiculous cauils B. C. Hee runneth vpon the Doctrine taught by Soto and generally holden of Catholikes viz. that the Pope can not erre in Fayth and confidently auoucheth that it was neuer heard of till of late dayes his wordes be these This onely will I say that this Popist Article the Pope can not erre in Fayth was neuer heard of in Christes Church for the space of a thousand and fiue hundred yeares A gallant vntrueth worthy of the reformed Minister Thomas Waldensis was long before that time as also Turrecremata who both hold that the Pope can not erre in Fayth And not onely late Writers but the auncient Fathers haue taught the same Doctrine relying them selues vpon the Promise of Christ in the Ghospell The wordes of Soto prooue very well that the Pope as Pope can not erre which the most and best Diuines doe also maintaine But no word hath he or syllable that this is an Article of Fayth which was the poynt that Bell should haue prooued and for which he pretended to cite his wordes T. B. I answere first that one Popish trueth here vnawares confessed by our Fryer Jesuite doth comfort my heart more then a litle viz. that the Pope as Pope can not erre For albeit it be most absurd and false in rei veritato as I haue plentifully prooued in my Christian Dialogue yet is it a Popish trueth or a flat lye which is the same and turneth Poperie vpside downe Secondly that though the Pope with his most and best Diuines doe hold that the Pope as Pope can not erre yet is it not an Article of Popish Fayth This Confession I likewise approoue and out of this double Graunt I inferre a double Corollarie corollary 1 First that seeing it is no Article of Popish Fayth to beleeue that the Pope can not erre a shame of all shames it is to the Pope and his deuoted Vassals to hold affirme and beleeue that the Councels can not erre which the Pope confirmeth nor those Councels decree a trueth which he reiecteth and condemneth For most absurde and execrable it is to burne with Fire and Faggot zealous Men and zealous Women because forsooth they will not beleeue that which the Pope himselfe doth not beleeue O tempora O mores The Pope himselfe doth not beleeue that hee can not erre as this sweete Doctrine of our sweete Sir Fryer teacheth vs. And yet must all be burnt with Fire and Fagot that say hee may erre in decreeing matters of Fayth corollary 2 Secondly that all the late Popes and Papistes are flat Heretiques The reason is euident because they beleeue not Christes promise made to Peter and the Byshops of Rome his successors as both the Pope and all his deuoted Vassals do beleeue For which respect the Fryer in this very place telleth vs peremptorily and blusheth neuer a whit thereat that not onely Walâ—ensis and Cardinall Turrecremata but Late Writers and the auncient Fathers also haue taught the same Doctrine For which respect the Iesuites and all Iesuited Papistes haue euer in their mouthes and continually obiect as an argument vnanswerable that
is baken in the Ouen and that is dressed in the Panne and in the frying Panne shall be the Priestes that offereth it And euery Meate offering mingled with Oyle and that is dry shall pertaine to all the sonnes of Aaron to all alike B. C. To the matter An vntrueth it is that priuate Masses were not before the time he mentioneth The twelft Councell of Toledo almost nine hundred yeares agoe reprehendeth those Priestes which offering Sacrifice did not communicate Quale illud Sacrificium c. What manner of Sacrifice is that sayth the Councell of which neither he that sacrificeth is knowen to be partaker Which wordes doe shew that none was present to communicate and yet the Councell requireth onely that the Priest himselfe doe Communicate S. Austen also recordeth how a Priest offered Sacrifice in a priuate forme for the freeing of that place from the molestation of wicked spirites In so particular and extraordinarie a place and for so particular a businesse no probabilitie that there were any other Communicantes T. B. I answere first that it is high time for our Jesuiticall Fryer to come once to the matter whose custome is seldome or neuer to be occupied in that honest kind of dealing Secondly that the Councell doth not so much as once name Priuat Masse much lesse doth it approoue the same Thirdly that if priuate Masse had then been vsed in some odde Churches yet would not that serue the Fryers turne The reason is at hand because that which commeth almost 700. yeares after Christ must needes be the New religion To that of S. Austen the same answere is correspondent and our Iesuite sheweth himselfe a very silly and ridiculous disputer while hee seeketh to stablish an Article of Fayth vpon iciune and barren probabilities Fourthly that all approoued antiquitie condemneth our Iesuite with his priuate Masse In the Canons of the Apostles I find these expresse wordes Si quis Episcopus Presbyter vel Diaconus vel ex Sacerdotali catalogo facta Oblatione non coÌ„municauerit causam dicat et si probabilis fuerit veniam consequatur sin verò minus segregetur vt qui populo â—ffensionis causa sit et suspicionâ—â— dedetit aduersus eum qui obtulit tanquam non dignâ— obtulerit If any Byshop Priest or Deacon or other of the Clergie shall not Communicate in time of the Oblation let him shew the cause or if it be found reasonable let him be pardoned but if otherwise let him be excommunicate as one that hath giuen scandall and brought him into suspition which offered as if he had done amisse The Popes owne Decrees are so cleare and manifest at nothing can be more One Canon commaundeth all such to be put out of the Church as do not receiue the holy Communion these are the expresse wordes Paracta Consecratione omnes comunicent qui noluerint Ecclesiaâ—ticiâ— câ—reâ—â—liminibus Sir N. Apostoli slatuerum et suncta Romaâ—â— tinet Ecclesia Whâ—â—â— Consecration is accomplished â—â—t all that will not Communicate be put out of the Church For so the Apostles haue ordeyned and so the holy Romane Church obserueth An other Canon hath these wordes Si quis 〈◊〉 Ecclesiam Dei 〈…〉 sua auertit se a Communione sacramenti et in obseruandis ministerijs declinat constitutam regulam disciplinae istum talem proijciendum de Ecclesia Catholica esse decernimus donec panitentiam agat If any come into Gods Church and heare the holy Scriptures and superstitiously auert himselfe from the Communion of the Sacrament and in obseruing the ministeries swarue from the set Rule of discipline wee decree such a one to be excommunicate vntill he repent An other Canon hath these wordes Omnes fideles qui conueniunt in solennitatibus sacris ad Ecclesiam et scripturas Apostolorum et Euangelium audiant Qui autem non perseuerant in oratione vsque dum missa peragatur nec sanctam Communionem percipiunt velut inquietudines Ecclesiae commouenies conuenit communione priuari All the faythfull which come to the Church in the time of sacred Solemnities must heare the Scriptures of the Apostles and the Ghospell But they that doe not continue in Prayer vntill Masse be done nor receiue the holy Communion ought to be excommunicate as disquieters of the congregation S. Chrysostome is so farre from approouing priuate Masse that he calleth them impudent and wicked that beeing present doe not communicate these are his wordes Ista videlicet et nunc ad omnes nos dicit qui impudenter hic et improbè astamus Quisquis Nâ—mysteriorum consâ—rs non est impudens et improbus astat These thinges verily he now sayth to vs all which stand by impudently and wickedly For whosoeuer standeth by and doth not communicate is impudent and wicked Oh what would this holy Father say if he were this day in Rome and should see many hundredes standing by gazing and the Priest onely deuowring all He would doubtlesse tearme them most impudent and vngratious people This Subiect is plentifully disputed in my Suruey to which place I referre the Reader The 14. Chapter of Pope Martins Dispensation for the Brother to marrie his naturall Sister ALL that our Jesuite sayth in defence of Pope Martins Dispensation is plaine silence in very deed For albeit I soundly confuted the forerunner in my Booke intituled The Popes Funeraâ—l there answering to euery sentence word and syllable which B.C. in his forerunner possibly could deuise yet S. R that Learned Iesuite in his pretensed Answere to the Downefull of Poperie not able to withstand or gainesay the dint of my Authorities Argumentes and Reasons passed ouer all the same being many and of great consequence in deepe silence In like manner this Jesuite fearing to suffer shipwracke vpon the same Rocke is afraid now either to reply vpon mine Answere in the Funerall or to answer my Authors plainely named in the Triall I prooued the Question soundly and clearely in the Popes Funerall by the Authorities and plaine Testimonies of Siluester Prieras sometime Maister of the Popes sacred Pallace and a Fryer so learned that he was surnamed Absolutus Theologus of Bartholomaeus Fumus a religious dominican Fryer a famous Popish summist and a man of great Authoritie in the Holy house of popish Inquisition of Angelus de Clauasio a Papist of great learning and reputation as who was Vicar generall of the Cismontani-Minors of Cardinall Caietain the most learned Papist of that crew and of Martinus Nauarrus a singular Writer and a most famous popish Canonist This notwithstanding all the answere that can any way be extorted from the Jesuites Penne is this and no other viz. that he hath answered me in the Dolefull Knell Which answere if it be pondered seriously with all the circumstaunces thereto apperteyning is able of it selfe if nothing els could be said to ouerthrow Poperie to turne it vpside downe Marke therefore gentle Reader very attentiuely what I
a Vaile hanging in the Doores of the same Church dyed and painted which had the Image as it were of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember whose Image it was Therefore when I saw in the Church of Christ a mans Image against the authoritie of the Scriptures I tore it in peeces and aduised the Keepers of that place of the Church in Anablatha to burie some poore body with it I pray you commaund that hencefoorth such Vailes which make against our Religion be not hanged vp in the Church of Christ. The same Epiphanius in an other place hath these expresse wordes Re vera sanctuÌ„ erat corpus Mariae non tamen Deus Re vera virgo erat ipsa virgo et honorata sed non ad adorationem nobis data sed ipsa adorâ—ns eum qui ex ipsa carne genitus est de caelis vero ex finibus paternis accessit Sequitur Neque Helias adorandus est etiamst in viuis sit Neque lohannes adorandus neque Thecla neque quisquam Sanctus adoratur Non. N. dominabitur nobis antiquus error vt relinquamus viuentem et adoremus ea quae ab ipso sacta sunt Sequitur Sit in honore Maria Pater et Filius ei Spiritus sanctus adoretur Muriam nemo adoret non dico mulierem imò neque virum Deo debetur hoc mysterium Neque Angeli capiunt talem glorificationem Sequitur Etsi pulcherrima est Maria et sancta et honorata a non ad adorationeÌ„ The body of Mary was holy indeed but she was not God The Virgin was a Virgin indeed and honorable but not giuen to vs to be adored But she adoreth him who being borne of her according to the flesh came downe from Heauen euen from his Fathers Throne Helias ought not to be Worshipped if he were this day liuing amongst vs. Neither is John to be Adored neither Thecla neither any other Saint For the old Errour may not so farre ouerrule vs that we forsake the liuing God and Adore the Workmanshippe of his handes Let Mary be had in honour let the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost be Adored Let none Adore Mary I say not the Woman but neither the Man this mysterie is due to GOD alone The Angels are not capable of such glorification Though Mary be most beautifull and holy and honourable yet is she not to be Adored Thus discourseth S. Epiphanius affirming resolutely that onely GOD ought to be Worshipped and Adored not any Saintes in Heauen or on Earth much lesse their Images The 16. Chapter of Church seruice in the Vulgar tongue B. C. TO prooue that the Publique Seruice of the Church ought to be in the Vulgar tongue he citeth the names of many Authors without euer setting downe their Sentences thinking it sufcient to referre the Reader 〈◊〉 his Suruey where he hath layd out their wordes at large T. B. I answere first that our Jesuite is so troubled with my Bookes as he seemeth to haue lost his wittes For in his Preface of this present Pamphlet hee obiecteth against me as a fault that I iterate some thinges in one Booke which I haue published in an other Neuerthelesse heere he chargeth me of insufficiencie for that I referre the Reader to my Suruey where I haue handled the controuersie at large What a fellow is this Jesuisicall Fryer If I iterate that which afore I vttered in an other Booke hee is like a madde man and cryeth out that I trouble him with often repetitions If I referre him to that which I haue written else where he accuseth me as in this place that it is not sufficient so to deale Secondly that himselfe in the .14 Chapter of this Pamphlet yeeldeth no other Answere touching Pope Mâ—rtins Dispensation saue onely that he referreth me to an vnknowen and as yet inuisible Booke which he calleth The dolefull Knell B. C. This prooueth not that the Publique Seruice of the Church was in any other Language then in the sacreâ— Tongues of the Greeke Latine c. For the Grecians might vnderstand the Priest though their Seruice were in Greeke because that Tongue was to them the vulgar and common T. B. I answere first that our Iesuite confesseth plainely that his purpose is not to examine my whole Tryall and I beleeue him in this point albeit this Chapter consisteth onely of sixteene lines But those few lines containe such sound and pithy Doctrine as all the Jesuitees in Christendome are not able truely to answere the same Secondly that I am heere content to iterate part of that which I haue else where set downe at large and yet I can hardly thinke that the same will be to our Fryers contentation Howbeit volens nolens he must put it vp seeing he hath prouoked me thereunto Theodoretus a great Learned man and a very famous Historiographer who liued almost one thousand and two hundred yeares agoe affirmeth constantly that in his time the Scriptures were translated into all maner of Languages and that they were not onely vnderstood of Doctors and Maisters of the Church but euen of the Lay people and common Artificers also These are his expresse wordes Hebraici verò Libri non modo in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiam Persicam Indicam Armenicamque et Scythicam atque adeo Sanromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtuntur Sequitur Fossoresque adeo ac bubuleos inuenias plantarumque consitores de diuina Trinitate rerumque omnium creatione discertantes The Hebrew Bookes are turned not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Romane language into the Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian and Scythian as also into the Sanromaticall tongue and to speake all in a word into all tongues which this day are in vse amongst Nations We may find Ditchers Deluers Neatheards and Gardiners disputing euen of the blessed Trinitie and of the Creation of all thinges Thus discourseth this auncient Father and great learned Writer shewing most clearely vnto his Readers that in the auncient Church and old time euery Nation had the holy Scriptures in their Vulgar language and that in those dayes all Christians did read the holy Scriptures so seriously that both men and women of all trades and conditions were able to dispute of the holy Trinitie and of the Creation of the world Which two poyntes for all that are the most difficult obscure hard and intricate Articles in the whole course of Theologie S. Ambrose hath these expresse wordes In oratione totius plebis tanquam vndis refluentibus stridet tum responsorijs Psalmorum cantu virorum mulierum Virginum parvulorum censonus vndarum sragor resultat When all the people pray togeather there is a noyse as if the Waues of the Sea did beate one against an other then with the answering of Psalmes with the singing togeather of men women maydes and
quoniam est pars satisfactionis aliter enim Ecclesia deciperet paenitenies Such a Fast he speaketh of the Fastes which Priestes enioyne is sacramentally really and properly satisfactorie The reason is because it is a part of satisfaction for otherwise the Church should deceiue the Penitentes In an other place the same Iosephus Angles hath these expresse wordes Ieiunium quadragesimale eo modo quo ab Ecclesia seruatur nes suit a Christo institutum neque ab eo iussum sed ab hominibus atque ita non est de iure diuino sed humano duntaxat Christus enim nec tempus talis ieiunij nec modum neque cibos instituit Statim enim post Baptismum in desertum secessit et illic ieiunauit Christus nullum diem a ieiunio excepit in illo quadragenario numero Ecclesia vero dies dominicos excipit Christus tunc semel nec pluries commedit neque bibit In Ecclesia vero vna refectio tantum est concessa et in potatione nulla est limitatio Quare cum nec verbo neque facto hoc ieiunium instituerit ab Ecclesia institutum erit The Lent-fast as the Church obserueth it was neither instituted of Christ nor of him commaunded but of men so as it is not stablished by Gods Law but by mans onely for Christ neither instituted the time of such a Fast nor the manner nor the Meates for so soone as he was Baptized he went into the Desart and fasted there Christ excepted no day from fasting in his Fast of Fourtie dayes but the Romish Church excepteth the Sundayes Christ neither eate nor dranke more then once but the Church graunteth Meate once a day and for drinking maketh no restraint Wherefore seeing Christ neither appoynted Lent-fast by word nor by deed it must be ordayned of the Church Where I may not forget to adde that the same Byshoppe Angles telleth vs in an other place that albeit the Apostles ordeyned Lent-fast yet may the Pope free deliuer whom he will from the keeping thereof And he yeeldeth this reason for the same Because forsooth the Pope hath as great Power in the gouernement of the Church as the Apostles had Thus disputeth our Popish Byshop telling vs plainely that Christ did not ordaine Lent-fast which he prooueth by many reasons As also that none are bound to Fast in Lent who haue gotten the Popes Dispensation to free them from it no not if the Apostles appoynted it Thirdly he graunteth freely that the Papistes Fast to satisfie God for their sinnes I therefore must perforce conclude that the Popish Lent-fast is a rotten ragge of the New religion The 29. Chapter of the annulling of Popish Wedlocke B. C. WHatsoeuer sayth Bell the Byshoppe of Rome holdeth and defineth that must euery Papist hold beleeue and maintaine as an Article of his Fayth Though generally all Catholiques doe hold the Popes Definitions to be infallible and the contrarie opinion to be erroneous ye is it not an Article of Fayth T. B. Whosoeuer shall seriously peruse my Tryall this Answere of the Jesuite to the same and this my Reply in defence of my Tryall can not but vnderstand that Poperie is meere foolerie and flatly opposite to the sacred Word of God This in briefe is my Answere First that albeit this Chapter being the 29. of my Tryall arguing against the annulling of Popish Wedlocke conteyne not fully 26. lynes yet is the Jesuite so afrayde with the plentifull matter soundly handled therein yet in briefe manner as he dareth not once touch or name the same for feare of burning him For proofe whereof I wish the indifferent Reader to peruse my Tryall of the New religion Secondly that it is most true that what the Pope defyneth that must euery Papist hold and beleeue as an Article of his Fayth I prooue it by many inuincible reasons Couarrunias a very famous popish Byshop and renowned Canonist hath these expresse wordes Nec me later D. Thomam praeuia maxima deliberatione asserere Rom. Pontificem non posse propria dispensatione continentiae solemne Monactiorum votum tollere Et Paulo Post. oportet tamen primam opinionem defendere ne quae passim fiant euertantur omnino Neither am I ignorant that S. Thomas the popish Angelicall Doctor whose Doctrine sundry Popes haue confirmed affirmeth after great deliberation that the Byshop of Rome can not with his Dispensation take away from Monkes their solemne Vow of Chastitie This notwithstanding we must defend the first opinion least those thinges which are practised euery where be vtterly ouerthrowë The Popish canonized Saint Antoninus and Syluester Prieras some time maister of the Popes sacred Pallace and for his great Learning surnamed Absolutus Theologus tell vs plainely and constantly that whatsoeuer the Pope doth whether we can prooue the same or no◠yet must we beleeue it to be so And which passeth all the rest yea which is woonderfull if not incredible to proceed from a Papistes mouth S. R. that Learned man as our Fryer B. C. tearmeth him hath these expresse wordes in his pretensed Answere to the Downe-fall of Poperie Because Byshoppes must not examine the Doctrine which the Pope deliuereth iudicially out of S. Peters Chaire as supreame Pastor of Gods Churth but onely that wherein he vttereth his owne priuate opinion Aquinas himselfe shall giue the vpshot of this game these are his expresse wordes Christus poterat relaxare ergo et Paulus potuit ergo et Papa potest qui non est minoris potestatis in Ecclesia quam Paulus fuit Christ could pardone therefore Paul could pardone therefore the Pope also can pardone as who is of no lesse or meaner Authoritie in the Church then Paul himselfe was Thirdly that seeing our Fryer graunteth all Papistes generally to hold the Popes Definitions to be infallible and the contrary Opinion to be erroneous he sheweth himselfe to be a very noddie and at a flat non-plus in denying the same to be an Article of Popish fayth I prooue it marke well my wordes by a triple Argument First because the Pope his Cardinals Iesuites and all popish Diuines can not but abound with falsehood deceite coozenage and fraudulent trickes of Legierdemaine if they teach the people to hold and receiue that as true Doctrine which themselues beleeue not to be so Secondly because the Pope his Cardinals Iesuites and all Papistes generally are bound to beleeue euery trueth agreeable to Gods word And consequently that either all Papistes beleeue the Popes Definitions to be infallible and the contrary opinion to be erroneous or else that the same is not a trueth agreeable to Gods word Thirdly that Poperie must perforce be a most miserable dangerous wretched damnable Religion if all Papistes generally hold that for an vndoubted Doctrine which is no part of their Fayth and Religion For all Iesuites and Iesuited Papistes hold that the Church is built vpon Peter
and his successors and that their fayth can not fayle B. C. What followeth What but that Bell hath abused the good Reader with an vntrueth T. B. I answere that this in very deed followeth and that of meere necessitie that our Iesuiticall Fryer is a most impudent and shamelesse lyer Which thing I haue prooued againe againe in euery Chapter most euidently I therfore must perforce conclude that seeing the late Byshops of Rome Pius Paulus Iulius haue taken in hand roundly and most Antichristianly as I haue prooued in my Tryal and more at large in the Downe-fall of Poperie to dissolue that Matrimonie which the true Church of God durst neuer dissolue for the space of more then fifteene hundred yeares after Christ the same can be nothing else but a very filthy rotten Ragge of the New Religion The 30. Chapter of the Popes pretended Superioritie ouer and aboue a generall Councell B. C. BELL beginning with false asseueration to tell vs of the late opinion of the Popes Superioritie ouer a Generall Councell interlaceth also an other shamelesse vntrueth against the Rhemists T. B. I answere that our Fryer still continueth one and the selfe-same man that is to say an impudent and shamelesse lyar as he first began For within foure lines hee compriseth and coucheth two most notorious Lyes The former is touching the late Opinion of the Popes Superioritie ouer a generall Councell I affirme that the Popish opinion which holdeth the Pope to be aboue a generall Councell is a late vpstart Fayth and Doctrine neuer knowne to the Church of God for the space of more then fourteene hundred yeares after Christ. This our Fryer calleth a False asseueration but prooueth it not at all Hee is an honest man we may if we will beleeue his bare word But I by the power of God shall prooue the contrary to be the trueth and that out of hand The latter is concerning the Rhemistes which shall be cleared God willing by and by B. C. The Rhemists quoth hee that Iesuited brood tell vs plainely if we will beleeue them that there is no necessitie of a Generall or Prouinciall Councell saue onely for the better contentation of the people Thus hee chargeth them yet not noting any particular place But I will helpe him it is in their Annotations vpon the Actes T. B. I answere that our Fryer sheweth himselfe what he is aswell heere as else where He is so full of Charitie forsooth that he will needes helpe me for his owne intended gaine though he be thereby prooued a lying swaine for in the next Page following hee hath these expresse wordes This vntrueth the Minister had set abroach once afore in his Downe-fall and quoteth the place very orderly in this manner Rhemes test in Act. 15. Loe in one page our Fryer chargeth me of purpose to haue omitted the quotation so to delude and deceiue the Reader In an other page he graunteth freely that I haue set it downe very orderly Behold this changeable Camelion who both accuseth and acquitteth me with one breath Concerning the slaundering of the Rhemists wherewith he chargeth me this is mine answere that in very deede the slaunder fitly agreeth to himselfe which he would vntruely impose vpon mee I prooue it First Because the Rhemists plainely declare their meaning in this briefe Marginall note Though the Sea Apostolique it selfe say the Rhemists haue the same assistance yet Councels be also necessarie for many causes In which wordes they graunt as much in effect as I either affirme or require Secondly because the causes which our Rhemists name may easily be reduced to that one of mine viz. For the better contentation of the people for the controuersie is this Whether the Popes Iudgement be infallible in it selfe without a Generall Councell or no. The Rhemists answere that Papistes hold the affirmatiue viz. That the Popes Iudgement is infallible and is assisted of God euen as a generall Councell Thirdly that if the Papistes will stand to the deny all of mine Assertion then must they perforce grant against them-selues which willingly they would not that they haue no infallible trueth in their Church saue onely the Determination of a generall Councell I heare it I receiue it I like it I willingly subscribe vnto it Let the Papistes therefore defend this Doctrine That the Popes Iudgement without a generall Councell is fallible that he may Iudicially erre and be deceiued and let a lawfull generall Councell determine all controuersies and no doubt all Christians in the world will yeeld thereunto But Sir Fryer Hic labor hoc opus est For in these last and worst dayes of ours the Pope will stay at home and whatsoeuer or howsoeuer the Councelles shal decree yet must nothing be of force saue that onely which the Pope liketh to confirme as he sitteth in his Chaire at Rome This I haue prooued at large in the Downe-fall of Poperie and in my Christian Dialogue by euident demonstrations B. C. What can Bell fetch from Alphonsus to iustifie his iniurious charge of the Rhemists Alphonsus was one of those Diuines that thinke the infallibilitie of Iudgement to be in a Councell and not in the Pope alone And hee bringeth this reason Because otherwise it were in vaine with so great labour to assemble so many Byshops togeather This informeth vs very well what Alphonsus his opinion was But where doth hee say that the Rhemistes teach that the Determination of a generall Councell is needlesse saue onely for the better contentation of the people because the Popes Iudgement is infallible Hee speaketh not one word of the Rhemists and no marueile for he could not being dead many a faire day before the Rhemes Testament was published T. B. I answere that I can fetch so much from the famous and learned Papist Alphonsus as is able to kill the Pope with all his Jesuites and Iesuited Popelinges For first the Pope with his Jesuites and Jesuited Popelinges auouch most impudently and would enforce all Christians to beleeue the same that Christ built his Church vpon S. Peter and vpon his successors the Byshops of Rome and also that Christ prayed for Peter and for the Byshops of Rome that their Fayth should neuer fayle But Alphonsus condemneth that opinion for Hereticall while hee affirmeth the infallibilitie of Fayth to rest in a generall Councell not in the Pope alone Secondly Alphonsus confuteth the Rhemists most soundly euidently while he affirmeth generall Councels to be gathered in vaine if the Popes Determination and iudgement were infallible Thirdly Alphoâ—sus is one of those Learned popish Writers euen by the Iesuites free confession in this place which I wish the Reader neuer to forget who defende the trueth with vs against the Pope his Iesuites and all his Iesuiteâ— Popelinges For I doe not hold or defend any Article or poynt of Doctrine as I haue often sayd and heere our Fryer vnawares graunteth the same such is the
force of trueth but the best Learned popish Writers hold and defend the same with me Which is to me such a comfort as neither the Pope nor all his Jesuites and Iesuited Popelinges are euer able to discomfort me how soeuer they now or hereafter reuile and raile against mee But our Jesuite is bold and peremptorily auoucheth that Alphonsus could not speake one word of the Rhemistes seeing he was dead many a faire day before the Rhemâ—s Testament was published To which I answere that a liuing man in his life time may confute their opinion who are borne after his death and that in a double manner One way formally in respect of their persons and inseparable adiuncts An other way materially in respect of the subiect and matter called into question And consequently albeit Alphonsus could not confute or censure the Rhemistes the former way saue onely by speciall reuelation yet might he and did he confute them the latter way before the Rhemes Testament was published to the world Yea Alphonsus speaketh more against the Rhemists the latter way then I my selfe haue done for he affirmeth as our Fryer Iesuite graunteth That in vaine were so great labour taken for the gathering of a Councell if the Popes Iudgement were infallible Loe Alphonsus auoucheth a generall Councell to be altogeather needlesse if the Popes Iudgement be infallible Which is farre more then that wherewith I charged the Rhemists he absolutely reiecteth all respectes I made one exception viz. For the better contentation of the people So then that which to our Jesuite is impossible is become euident easie to the Reader and the silly Fryer is mightily confounded in his owne best manner of pleading B. C. See the dexteritie of this Minister in disputing Hee pretended to prooue out of the Councell of Constance That the Superioritie of the Pope was neuer knowne till that time and hee prooueth the cleane contrary The Councell defined quoth hee that a Councell is aboue the Pope What is this to the Superioritie of the Pope aboue a Councell which hee vndertooke to iustifie out of the Councell And not onely that but also that it was neuer before Verily had Bell that care of his credite which hee ought neuer would he suffer his Discourse to passe abroad with such absurd and phantasticall connexion T. B. I answere first that our Jesuite may well be compared to notorious Theeues and bloody Traytors who continually cry out against theft treason that so they may the better auoyd the suspition and free them selues from the imputation of those heynous crimes For himselfe being full of nothing but lying coozenage and deceitfull dealing hee busieth and bestirreth himselfe to charge mee therewith so to free himselfe if that were possible from the same Secondly that while our Fryer chargeth mee not to iustifie out of the Councell what I did vndertake he plainely sheweth himselfe to be bereaued of his wittes to be giuen vp into a reprobate minde and impudently to defend one notorious lie with an other For doubtlesse while I prooued the Councell of Constance to haue defined that a Councell is aboue the Pope I prooued euidently that the Pope is not aboue a Councell For example If I prooue most noble King IAMES being the Soueraigne to be aboue Robert Parsons being the Subiect and indeed a nototious Traytor I doe therewith euidently conclude that the trayterous varlet Parsons the author of this Libell is not aboue our most noble King If this example content not our Fryer I am willing for charitie sake to affoord him this other If any man shall prooue a notorious Horse-stealer to be more honest then Robert Parsons which the secular popish Priestes haue prooued most euidently the same man shall perforce conclude that Parsons is not aboue or better then an Horse-stealer in the way of honestie Thirdly that the Popes pretended Authoritie aboue a generall Councell was neuer knowne to the Church vntill the Councell of Constance that is to say for the space of one thousand foure hundred and fifteene yeares after Christ it shall God willing be prooued out of hand B. C. Cardinalis Cameracensis quoth he Abbas Panormitanus Nicholaus Cusanus Adrianus Papa Cardinalis Florentinus Iohannes Gersonus Jacobus Almaynus Abulensis other learned Papistes generally the Jesuites their Jesuited crew excepted doe all constantly defende as an vndoubted trueth that a generall Councell is aboue the Pope In which wordes for a parting blow hee clappeth two vntruethes togeather The first is that the Doctrine of the Popes authoritie aboue a Councell is no older then the Iesuites The second is that none teach it but the Iesuites and their Iesuited crew T. B. I answere first that our Jesuite here confesseth so much as is enough to prooue Poperie to be the new Religion For he can but name two Papistes and one Councell that held his opinion viz. Antoninus Turrecremaâ—a and the Lateran Councell vnder Leo the tenth Alasse alasse who though a Papist before would not now defie and detest Poperie seeing the Iesuite can not deny it to be the new Religion He can not possibly name one Writer in the whole world for the space of one thousand foure hundred and fifteene yeares after Christ who affirmeth the Pope or Byshoppe of Rome to be aboue a generall Councell For Antoninus and Turrecremata were but yesterday men respectiuely as who were vnborne many a fayre day after the Councell of Constance and so children for Antiquitie and wholly against the credite of late start-vp Poperie And the Popish Lateran Councell vnder Pope Leo the tenth was after the Councell of Constance more then foure-score and eight yeares and consequently after Christ fifteene hundred yeares and odde O Poperie fond and foolish are those simple and silly Papistes who call thee the old Religion For my life I gage for the tryall thou art no older then I haue sayd Secondly that Antoninus Turrecremaâ—a and the Laterne Synode were Jesuited materially that is qualified like Knightes of the Post men that would say or sweare any thing for the Popes pleasure and their owne gaine B. C. Bell when hee sayth That this Doctrine was not knowne to the Church vntill the time of the Councell of Constance graunteth that then it began at least to be taught and so neither proceeded from Iesuites or Iesuited persons as being of longer standing by his owne graunt T. B. I answere first that the more the Iesuite striueth to defend Poperie the more he vnawares ouerthroweth the same Hee is driuen to such a miserable shift that he seeketh for want of other groundes to relieue Poperie with those reasons which my selfe haue made against the same Secondly that the motiue which the Fathers of Constance had to define the power of a generall Councell to be aboue the Pope was this no other viz. the great Schisme which Iohn the 23. Gregory the 12. and Benedict the 13. brought into the
Brytaines did at their conuersion receiue the Latine Seruice first by Eleutherius about the yeare 179. after Christ and againe by Gregorie about the 596. yeare yet can no more be truely inferred therevpon if we graunt the Latine tongue to haue been then decayed in Brytaine same onely that the Romanes deliuered their Church-seruice in the Latine tongue which then was their vulgar Language being altogeather ignoraunt of the Brytaine tongue and that the Brytaine for the loue they bore to the publique Prayers and Church-seruice which they receiued at their conuersion to the Christian faith did euer after vse and retaine the same in the Latine tongue in which they first receiued it Fourthly that seeing by Christes commandement deliuered by his Apostle All thinges in the Church ought to be done to edification it followeth of necessitie that the Latine vsage of the Brytaines in diuine Seruice was a Ragge of a New religion as which was about 179. yeares younger then the old and repugnant to Apostolicall doctrine For S. Paul spendeth no lesse then one whole Chapter that only to prooue that euery Nation ought to haue their Church-seruice in their vulgar knowne tongue If the Trumpet sayth he giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare him selfe to the Warre So likewise you except ye vtter by the tongue manifest speech how shall it be knowne what is spâ—ken for ye shall speake in the ayre Againe thus If I know not the meaning of the voyce I shall be to him that speaketh an Aliant and he that speaketh shall be an Aliant to mee Againe thus Wherefore let him that speaketh with the tongue pray that he may interpret For if I pray with the tongue my spirit prayeth but my vnderstanding is without fruite Where I wish the Reader to obserue with me that the Spirit in this place is taken for the spirituall gift of Tongues as S. Chrysostome vpon this place doth witnesse S. â—heophilact is consonant to S. Chrysostome He calleth the Gift the Spirit sayth Theodorus My Spirit prayeth that is my spirituall Gift to speake with Tongues sayth Phoâ—us Againe thus If thou blesse with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at the giuing of thankes seeing he vnderstandeth not what thou sayeth Againe thus I had rather speake fiue wordes with my vnderstanding in the Church that J may instruct others then ten thousand wordes in an vnknowen tongue Againe thus Let all things be done to edification Fourthly that our Jesuite gableth as a lying pratler while he impudently auoucheth that by Bels allowance the Latine vse in Church-seruice where the people vnderstand it not is found Catholique and Apostolicall For Bell hath plainely prooued it to be vnsound Prophane and Diabolicall as also that the vse of publique Seruice in the vulgar Tongue came neither from Wittenberge nor Geneua But from the Primitiue Apostolicall and succeding Churches for many hundred yeares togeather Whosoeuer shall with a single eye and sound iudgement peruse the Sixteene chapter afore-going and ioyne my Suruey with it can not but cleerely behold as in a Glasse of Christall the trueth to be as I haue written Lyranus a famous and great learned Papist in his learned Commentaries vpon S. Pauls Epistles doth so plainely so constantly affirme that in the Primatiue Church the publique Prayers and all other thinges were in the vulgar Tongue as none that shall read him seriously can possibly stand in doubt thereof Yea S. Basil auoucheth expressely that the Egyptians the Lybians the Thebanes the Palestines the Arabians the Phaenicians the Syrians and generally all Christian Nations of what Language soeuer they were had their common Prayers and Seruice in their vulgar Tongue But our Rhemishes obiect S. Pauls words against S. Paul in this manner Also when a man prayeth in a strange Tongue which himselfe vnderstandeth not it is not so fruitfull for instruction to him as it be knâ—w particularly what he prayed Neuerthelesse the Apostle forbiddeth not such praying neither confessing that his spirit heart and affection prayeth well towardes God though his minde and vnderstanding be not profited to instruction as otherwise it might haue been if he vnderstood the wordes Neither yet doth he appoynt such a one to get his strange Prayers translated into his vulgar Tongue to obtaine thereby the aforesaid instruction To this I answere first that I haue alreadie prooued out of S. Chrysostome and other Fathers Theodoretus Theophilactus and Photius that S. Paul doth not vnderstand by the word Spirit the Heart and Affection but the Spirituall gift to speake with Tongues Secondly that it is cleare by many textes of the Apostle that the word Spirit doth so signifie as I haue sayd Thirdly that if we should graunt the Spirit to signifie Heart and Affection as the Rhemistes absurdly expound it yet could not that serue their turne because S. Paul willeth to pray not onely with Spirit but also with minde and vnderstanding As also for that S. Paul in an other text commaundeth expressely That all thinges â—e done in the Church to edifying Which is no other Doctrine indeed then Christ himselfe teacheth in his holy Ghospell This people saith he draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with the lippes but their heart is farre from me Fourthly that the Apostle commaundeth him that hath the gift of Tongues to pray that he may interpret his strange tongue himselfe or that some other should interpret it or else to keepe silence in the Church For this cause doth S. Chrysostome constantly affirme that Prayers not vnderstood of him that vttereth them are altogeather vnprofitable Thou seest sayth he how by litle and litle he is come to this poynt that he declareth him to be vnprofitable not onely to others but also to him selfe seeing the minde of such a man is voyde of fruite For if a man speake onely in the Persians Language or in any other strange Tongue and doe not vnderstand those things which he speaketh he shall be to himselfe as he that vnderstandeth not the meaning of the voyce This and much more to the like effect sayth S. Chrysostome of those that had the gifts of Tongues and vnderstood not what they spake What thinke you sir Fryer would he haue sayd if he had heard the vnlearned Papistes babling on their Beades and Primers what they did not vnderstand Nay if he had heard that which now adayes is very frequent among the vnlearned Papistes both men and women how they choppe and change clippe and mangle the wordes so as they either haue a contrarie or ridiculous sense or else plaine none at all but stand as Cyphers and Voces non significatiuae For this is a truth so well knowne as it can not without blushing be denied that many popish Priestes haue been so ignoraunt that they neither vnderstood their Portesses
time and who they were that composed the partes thereof When as neither Durandus nor any other make the essentiall and very substantiall part of the Masse that is the wordes of Consecration to haue come from any other then the Sonne of God But they speake of the accidentall partes thereof to weet either deuout Prayers or Ceremonies which we willingly graunt to proceed from the institution of Christes Church T. B. I answere first that our Fryer giueth both the Pope and Poperie a deadly wound while he telleth vs that Durandus and others note at what time and who they were that composed the partes of their popish Masse Secondly that while our Fryer Iesuite maketh one onely essentiall part of their popish Masse that is the wordes of Consecration he graunteth that all the rest be Accidentall and so may be taken away from the same To which Doctrine I very willingly subscribe assuring the Iesuite that they and we shall soone agree if the Pope will thus reforme their Masse in abolishing all the accidentall partes here so named from the same Thirdly that I haue already prooued the word enim in the consecration of the Bread to be either of Mans institution or else the Deuils Fourthly that S. Thomas of â—â—quine Durâ—nâ— and other learned Papistes doe constantly affirme that God can not by his diuine power cause one the same body to be in diuers places at once And consequently that our Iesuites must either deny Christes body to be in Heauen contrary to the expresse wordes of holy Scripture or else that Christes body his flesh blood and bones can not be in their popish Masse or thirdly that the wordes of Popish Consecration came from some greater power then is in God which for all that no Papist dareth to auouch Fiftly that the wordes which are vsed in the popish Consecration of Wine came not from the Sonne of God I prooue it by the testimonie of Iosephus Angles that famous popish Byshoppe and learned Schoole-doctor whose expresse wordes are these Forma consecrationis Calicis qua Romana vtitur Ecclesia est sufficiens traditur enim ab Euangelistis et verba qua ab Ecclesia interpoâ—untur scilicâ—t nouâ— et aâ—erni testaments misterium fidei forma qua Christus consecrauit sensum handmutanâ— The forme of the Consecration of the Chalice or Cuppe which the Church of Rome vseth is sufficient for it is deliuered by the Euangelist and the wordes which the Church interlaceth to weet of the new and eternall Testament the misterie of Fayth doe not change the sense of the forme in which Christ did consecrate Thus writeth Byshop Angles plainely insinuating to his Readers that the Church of Rome vseth an other forme of Consecration then Christ himselfe did vse And consequently that the wordes of Consecration vsed in the Romish Church came not from the Sonne of God Ergo the Romish forme of Consecration is a Ragge of the New religion Sixtly that the Papistes can not tell indeed which be the precise wordes of their popish Consecration although that be the most principall and the very essentiall part of popish Masse and consequently of all popish Fayth and Religion I prooue it most euidently because Byshoppe Angles rehearseth foure seuerall opinions concerning this precise Article of popish Fayth these are his expresse words Quatuor sunt opiniones Prima S. Thomae qui omnia praedicta verba dicit esse de essentiaformae Secunda opinio est Alexandri D. Bonauenturae et Durandâ— qui affirmant de necessitate consecrationis Calicis esse haec sola verba scilicet hic est sanguis meus Tertia opinio dicit haec verba scilicet hic est sanguis meus qui pro â—ultis effundetur in remissionem peccatoruÌ„ esse de necessitate consecrationis praetermissis alijs verbis quae ab Ecclesia Romana adduntur qua forma vturtur Graeci Quarta opinio est Scoti qui ait de haec quastione nihil certitudinalitor esse nobis traditum There be foure opinions S. Thomas holdeth the first who auoucheth all the aforenamed words to be of the essence of the forme The second opinion is Alexanders Bonauentures and Durandus who affirme that these onely wordes are of the necessitie of the consecration of the Chalice or Cuppe to weet This is my blood The third opinion affirmeth these wordes This is my blood which shal be shed for many for remission of sinnes to be of the necessitie of ConsecratioÌ„ not the other wordes which the Church of Rome addeth to them Scotus the popish Doctor Subtilis holdeth the fourth opinion auouching that they know not certainely what to hold or thinke of this matter This is the best popish Diuinitie for the most essentiall part of all Poperie that the best learned Papistes are able to affoord vs so as euery child is well able to discerne that the now Romish Fayth is the New religion B. C. What doth Bell and such like Ministers that deride the Ceremonies and partes of the Masse but mocke and mow at their owne Communion-booke and partes thereof being borrowed from vs or in what they differ can shew no greater antiquitie then the late dayes of Edward the sixt at what time diuers Ministers did hammer them in the forge of their owne inuention T. B. This is that which the Pope and his deuoted Vassals neuer cease to instill into the hearts and eares of silly Papistes that so they may falsely perswade them that the Popish Fayth is the Old and ours the New Religion Wherefore albeit I haue againe and againe prooued most euidently that the Fayth and Doctrine which the Romish Church this day holdeth and teacheth is the New Religion neuerthelesse seeing these wordes heere obiected doe in some sort as it were insinuate to the Reader the most principall and maine poynt of the whole controuersie I am very willing to vndergoe the paines how great soeuer for the better contentment and full satisfaction of all such as desire to know the trueth I answere thus first that the Church of Rome receiued the true Catholique Apostolique Faith in the dayes of S. Peter and S. Paul which S. Paul himselfe testified while he affirmed their Fayth to he renowmed in the whole world Secondly that the Church of England receiued the same Catholique and Apostolique Fayth from the good Byshoppes of Rome at their first conuersion vnto the Fayth of Christ Iesus Explico Brutani now called England first receiued the Christian Fayth by Faganus and Deruvianus sent from Elutherius the good Byshoppe of Rome at the earnest request of Lucius then King of Brutani which was in the yeare 179. after Christ. After that Ethelbert the first Christian King of the Saxons was conuerted to the Fayth of Christ by Augustine Melitus Justus and others sent from Gregorie an other good Byshoppe of Rome in the yeare 596. after Christ. Thirdly that from that time vntill these our
not daring indeed to accept the Challenge and to encounter me seeketh by fond cauils and shamelesse euasions to instill into the eares and heartes of their silly deuoted Vassals that I will not because I dare not performe my promise And for the better effecting of their purpose they require of me that which I neuer promised yea that whereof my selfe am altogeather ignoraunt and no way able to performe For how can I performe that which I doe not know I must forsooth procure him a safe conduct to dispute with that equitie and fauour which was graunted to the Protestantes in France Marke for Christes sake how feard our Iesuite is to accept the Challenge First hee dareth not put downe in print his name and addition A tricke of Iesuiticall or rather Diabolicall pollicie I must procure a safe conduct for B. C. Some bloody cut-throate I thinke hee be Yet I must not know whether hee be a Man or a Monster whether Pope Iohn the Woman or some Deuill incarnate of a Popish Nunne Besides this I must accept of such slye conditions as he addeth to my Challenge so as he may be at libertie to slippe the Halter when and as he list Whereby who seeth not that by all meanes he auoydeth to dispute or bicker with mee Fourthly that the Iesuite and his Jesuited complices haue a long time intended and still labour by vngodly and indirect meanes to take away my life from me and so to stoppe me from further writing against their rotten Poperie Yea in his Preface he protesteth lustily that hee hath prouided a Winding-sheete for the shrowding of my Carcase and that he will with all speed make ready my blacke Funerall And it seemeth so in very deed For vpon the 13. of Iune instant 1609. euen immediately after I had finished this Catholique Triumph there came a friendly Letter but without name vnto my handes and a Packet with Siluer in it which the man namelesse pretended he had borrowed of me c. The circumstaunces were such quae nunc non est narrandi locus that neither my selfe nor others durst open the Packet as hauing apparant inducementes to suspect Poyson Pestilence or other like infection Diabolicall Thus much I thought good in briefe to insinuate to the Readers that they may thereby see and perceiue how vnable the Papistes are to defende their late vpstart Poperie as who know no better meanes but by seeking most cruelly to murder all such as stand in their way God make me firme and constant in the trueth and God defend me and all professors of his holy trueth from Popish sauage crueltie and in the end bring vs to endlesse felicitie Amen Amen FINIS Fiue Bookes were printed but hid vnder a Pipkin least they should be seene or burnt with the Sunne My Booke of Motyues and Booke of Suruey Forerunner pag 15. To what end were they written but to be published This Church of Rome hath foulely corrupted the old Romane Religion which our Church hath reformed A.D. 527. A.D. 1084. The Papistes ascribe saluation to popish Monkry Bruno the author of a new popish sect Hence Poperie is conuinced to be the new Religion A.D. 1335. A.D. 1119. A.D. 1170. A.D. 1198. A.D. 1206. A.D. 1371. A.D. 1540. Ignatius Loyola was the father of Iesuites these proud lordly Fryers Behold the Iesuites liuelie purtrayed in their best beseeming colours Note well my Anatomy The Fathers of the African Councell did stoutly controule the Byshops of Rome for their forgerie of false Canons The Byshop of Romes authoritie limitted by the Councell of Nice Hence sprang the Byshop of Romes falsely pretended Primacie The Emperours were deceiued and so gaue away their royall prerogatiues A.D. 528. Vniuersall Byshop A.D. 607. A.D. 1550. A.D. 1418. A.D. 1566. A.D. 1161. Chap. 4. Of the Popes Pardons Chapt. 5. Of popish Purgatorie Chap. 6. Of Auricular confession Chap. 7. Of Veniall sinnes Chap. 8. Of the Popes fayth Chap. 9. Of the condigne Merite of Workes Chap. 10. Of Transubstantiation Chap. 11. Of popish inuocation of Saintes The Iesuite only snatcheth at such peeces as he thinketh he may best deale withal B.C. pag. 2. 〈…〉 apud 〈…〉 3 cap. 32. O the most monstrous lye in the world God of his mercy either conuert or confound the lyer Secundo principaliter Ioh 12. ver 41. Euseb. hist. lib. 3. cap. 32. Vpon my saluation the Iesuite hath most impudently belyed mee The Iesuite is as honest as he that hath no trueth at all in him Nomb. 16. vers 24.30 Out vpon all lying trayterous Iesuits Poperie can not in trueth be defended it is the new Religion The Iesuite beginneth continueth and endeth with lying Epiphan haer 68. p. 213. Apud Aug. epist. â—1 13.14.17.18.25.30 Aug. ep 76. Aug. ep 77. Apud CypriaÌ„ pag. 11.46.61.66 Valla. de don Constant. â—ol 34. B. Act. 16. In breuiario cap. â—1 Act. 16. Pag. 10. The Iesuite is full of notorious lyes Act. 16. pag. 21â— Liberatus cap. 13. pag. 621. in Breâ—iar Cap. 12. pag. 620. Cap. 23. pag. 630. Cap. 12. Pag. 20. A.D. 457. A.D. 327. Quinto principaliter Theod. hist. lib. 5. cap. 10. Theod. hist. lib. 5. cap. 9. A.D. 371. Sixto principaliter Notetur cap. 2 in conclus â—0 valde Fuerunt 630. episcopi in Chalcedone A.D. 457. Act. 16. pag. 212. The Byshop of Rome the chiefest Patriarke but yet vnder the Emperour as other Byshops else where Act. 16. pag. 208. Concil 1. Constant. A.D. 383. Celebratum Marke this The Byshop of Rome was made the chiefe Patriarcke because Rome was the head of the Empire Concil prim Constantinop Can. 5. et habetur dist 22. cap. Constantinop ciuitatis Honoris primatum Marke this poynt well Concil primum Constantinop A D. 383. celebratum Epist. ad Damasum The Iesuite prooueth himselfe a noddy Euery Arch-byshop is Byshop of Byshops in a godly sense meaning Marke well the next Chapter Dist. 99. cap. primae sedis Dist. 99. cap. Nullus Let these decrees of the Popes be neuer forgotten Gratian Dist 99. cap. ecce Floruit Greg. A.D. 591. The Byshop of Rome is confounded Concil Chalc. A. D 455. celebratum Our Fryer slaundreth the primitiue Church Our Fryer confuteth himselfe See the tryall and marke it well It is new for that it coÌ„meth short by more then 400. yeares of the time of S. Peters doctrine The newnesse of Religion may be considered two wayes The word or name Pope is a ragge of the new religion The name was old as coÌ„mon to al Byshops but not as proper to one O Fryer great is thy malice against the truth Ioh. 10. v. 28.29.30 Mat. 9.6 Ioh. 1. v 14. B.C. pag. 12. Let the Fryers confession be well remembred pag. 12. The protestation of the Duke of Saxonie and of the rest Read and marke well the antepast Gratian. Dist. 40. cap. si papa The Pope may not be iudged though he carry many thousands of men into Hell fire Vict. relect 4. depotest Papae
no matters of faith In the third Aphorisme Epist. Conc. Aphric ad Celest Cap. 105. To. 1. Concil Pag. 591. This Argument can neuer be truly answered Lately Poperie is meere foolerie Gratian. Dist. 15. cap. sicut Matt. 12. v. 42. Euseb. Hist. lib. 5. Cap. 24. The Pope was both reproued and commanded The Reduplication must be well marked Galat. 1. v. 1. Galat. 2. v 8. Mat. 28. v. 19. Dist. 40. cap. fi Papa Robert ParsoÌ„s begot two Bastards Male Female vpon the body of his owne sister Betweene his age of 17. 23. he was an Heretike of the Family of Loue till he became a Iesuite See my Anatomy P. 71. The marriage of Priestes is soundly handled in the Suruey of popery The triall of the new Religion is heere soundly defended Onely the Romish church forbiddeth Priestes marriage Ier. 1. v. 1. 1. Sam. 1. v. 3. Exod. 18. v. 1. 2. Luk. 1. v. 8.9.13 14.18.19 Leu. 21 v. 13.14 Suruay P. 220. Con. 26. Q. 2. Cap. Sors Neither Christ nor his Apostles doe forbid Priestes Mariage Exod. 14.22 Heb. 1â— 29 Num. 22.28 Dan. 3.25 4. Reg. 6.6 Act. 12.7.10 Caiet in Quod lib. â—ontr Luth. This cutteth the Popes throate he can no longer liue Suruay p. 269. Viguer de differ vota §. 5. ver 14. Ant. p. 3. Tit. 1. C. 21. §. 1. A.D. 677. There was smal account of the Church of Rome Can. 6. Apost Either the mariage of Priests is lawfull or many Popes haue beene Bastardes Anton. P. 2. tit 11. cap. 2. §. 9. vide Cassiod lib. 9. cap. 38. idem planè asserit 6. Proposition Niceph. lib. 12. Cap. 34. A.D. 389. In Epist ad Aphrican Tom. 1. Concil Rom. 8.8 Priestes were married both in the East and in the West Church Heb. 13. v. 4. Pope HildbraÌ„d was reputed an Heretike for denying the marriage of Priestes Lamb. Schaf· in Chron. A.D. 1074. Mat. 19. V. 11.13 1. Cor. 7. V. 9.10 Priestes made Votaries against their willes Loe the popish Priestes tell vs that the Pope is an Heretike a madde man A.D. 1074. Vixit Pelag. 2. A.D. 580. Dist. 28. cap. de Syracus vibis Priestes may lawfully marrie euen by the iudgement of learned Popish writers Dist. 28. Cap. vlt. Dist. 31. Cap. primo Pope Gregory confoundeth the late Popes of Rome A.D. 588. This Dilemma girdeth the Pope and his Iesuited Popelinges See the 4. Proposition marke it well Nauat in Euch cap. 22. §. 18. Fumus de matrim §. 55 Io. Angles in 4. s. q. de voto art 6. diffic 2 Marke well that the Vow single and solemne are essentially one and the same The Popes dispensation doth make Priestes marriage lawfull ergo God doth not forbid it Ant. p. 2. 〈◊〉 11 cap. 2 §. â— Nauar. de iudic notab 3. p. 275. Loe the Pope can make the marriage of Friers Iesuitâ—s and Nonnes to be very lawfull Panorm de Cleric coniug Cap. cum Olim. Continencie of secular Priests is neither of the substaunce of Priesthood nor of the law diuine Panormit de cleric coniug cap. cuÌ„ olâ—â— Loe the Popeâ— learned Doctors write against the Pope Polyd. lib. 5. cap. 4. in sine Loe Priestes marriage was once deemed very lawfull Platina in vita Pâ—j 2. p. 342. Loe one Pope condemneth an other The Iesuite is stroken dead The right of Priestes that is their marriage must be restored againe A.D. 327. Hebr. 13. V. 4. Sâ—cra lib. 1. â—ap 8. Cassiodor hist. tripar libr. 2. cap. 14. Vide Gratian. dist 31. Sozo lib. 1. cap. 22. A.D. 1074. Read marke well the Suruay of Poperie The former difficultie 4. PropositioÌ„ 5. PropositioÌ„ 6. Proposition 8. 9. Propos. 12. Propos. Gloss. dist 84. Cap. in Preterito Polydorus saith plainly that S. Paul was married Lib 5. Cap. 4. Lege LocuÌ„ 1. Cor. 7. v. 7 8 9 10.32.3â— 1. Cor. 7. v. 25. The Second Difficultie Pag. 52. See the 5. Proposition Loe Priestes in old time might marry euery where Marke this poynt well for Christs sake Epiphanius Heres 59. A.D. 439. Lib. 5. Cap. 4. 1. Cor. 7. v. 32.33 Many worthy Ministers liue vnmarried in our Church of England See the 12. proposition where this is proued All this is souÌ„dly prooued already The Popes law is flat tiranny Marke well the 11. Proposition Iohn 2. v 2 8. Pag. 54 Note well the 12. proposition Out vpon Romish vnmarried Priestes P. 58. See the Downefall Pag. 10. Marke well the seuenth Proposition Reus accusator testis iudex Nicephor Lib. 12. Cap. 34. P. 61. The first Lie The Iesuite is at a non plus Pope Hog-snoute Raskell is a goodly Countrie Towne and hath euer had in it many tall fellowes very faithfull to the Crowne In the ninth Chapter following Reade the Tryall and marke well the 4. Chapter Syluester de indulg P. â— Tit. 10. Cap. 3. A.D. 1149. The old church knew not late Popish PardoÌ„s Cont. art Lutheri art 18. Our Iesuites maner is to answere my chiefest groundes with deepe silence These two kindes of Pardons must be well remembred distinguâ—shed The auncient Councels did giue one kinde of Pardons but neuer late Popish Pardons Libr. 2. Cap. 2. The Iesuits promise answeres but performe none truly Yea sundry haue vtterly renounced Poperie Marke the â— Chapter well Platina in Bonif. 8. in med Leu. 25. v. 11.12 Suruay part 1. book â— chap. 5. A.D. 1300. The next Chapter must be ioyned with this Poperie is the new Religion it can not be denyed His 1. coozening tricke His 2. coozening tricke The Iesuites vse many coozening tricks His 3. coâ—zening tricke His 4. coozening tricke What trueth is in Poperie we see that our Fryer feareth once to touch my groundes He doth but snatch at odde partes of my Disputation not able to say ought to the râ—st Roffens Cont. art Luth. art 18. A.D. 15â—7 If thou marke well this Doctrine proceeding from the penne of such a famous learned Papist thou canst noâ— but abhorre the Pope and late start-vp Poperie I wonder how any can reade such Popish Doctrine and be a Papist still S. Basill S. Gregorie S. Chrysostome and the rest Late Popâ—sh Pardons prooue Poperie to be the new Religion His first notorious Lye Argumentum ad hominem Pag. 65. His second notorious lye Marke well the word deinde His third notorious lye The Church of Rome beleeued not Purgatorie for the space of 1000. odde Iohn Fisher the Byshop of Rochester A.D. 1300. Marke well this Discourse for it striketh dead O braue defender of Poperie It is a most certaine Lye and a shameles vntrueth Pag. 62. Pag. 391. Perhaps S. Chrysostome and the other holy Greeke Fathers feeling Purgatorie-fire beleeued it when they were dead Part. 3. Chap. 6. Pag. 308. These are most notorious and impudent lyes the Deuiâ—l of Hell hath his part therein Out vpon the impudent lying of Iesuites O holy Frier O worthy councellour of the Popes O noddy Folly hath begotten thee Marke