in earth God vndoeth in heauen This first Treatise shall serue to open the deceipt vnto them very palpably plainely will it shew the pope not to be the successor of S. Peter But of Iudas Not to be the Vicar of Christ but of Sathan whom the holy scripture calleth prince and God of this world And that we therefore ought not to obey the pope nor make more reckoning of him nor of that hee shal commaund then we doe of that which our mortall enemy commaunds vs. Mine harts desire and prayer to God is for my nation that they may be saued that his Maiestie deliuer them from the power of darknesse and transfer them into the kingdome of his beloued sonne I would if I might by any meanes prouoke my nation I would they had an holy enuie at other nations Why doe they and not the Spaniards read and heare the word of God in their owne Language as in the holy Bible it is written Why do they not the Spaniards receiue the holy sacraments with the simplicity that Iesus Christ did institute and celebrate them Wherewith without any humane inuentions superstitions and Idolatries he commaunded his Church to administer them This testimony giue I of my nation that they haue the zeale of God and so shall you see few Spaniards to be Atheists which haue no religion But this their zeale is not according to knowledge for by the word of God is it not ruled but by that which Antichrist of Rome commaundeth Who hath taken from them and forbidden them the reading of holy scripture For well knoweth Antichrist that if the Spaniards shold read it then would they fall into account and know the abhominable life of the popes and their wicked Doctrine And so would forsake and detest them And should Spaine once forsake the pope the pope would reckon as they say with the Oleados or annointed of whom there is no hope of life O that if God please I may see this day And if the pope should fall then also in a moment would fall the Masse and all the other Idolatries which the pope hath inuented This is the cause why our aduersaries so greatly fight to intertaine and mainetaine the authority of the Pope For very well they know that the Pope once fallen the popish religion of necessity must fall to the earth Very well did Pedro de la Fuente or Fontidonio as others call him a diuine of Seuill vnderstand this who in a sermon which he made the last day of September in the Councel of Trent greatly inueied against the protestants calling them heretiques saying that they sought to cast downe the 2 pillars of the Church To wit the sacrifice of the Masse the Pope This Diuine sayd moreouer that the Councell ought to employ all it force to sustaine and vphold them The pillar said he of the seat papall once pulled downe that the whole Church would fal to the earth The reason which he gaue was because the funerals and obsequies of the Church went iointly and accompanied with those of the Pope There is nothing sayd he that the aduersaries with deliberate purpose more endeuour to doe then to put downe the Pope c. Our aduersaries haue fallen in the reckoning and this is the cause why they maintaine and adore and many of them doe it against their owne conscience The Pope howsoeuer abhominable wicked and great an Atheist he be I humbly beseech his maiesty to send the true Sampson which is Christ who with one pluck may wholy pull downe these two pillars and so the house of Dagon may fall vtterly to the earth Iudg. 16. 29. I know that were the Pope and his Masse pillars built vpon the rock vpon the cornerstone Christ that neither the gates of hell nor whatsoeuer men could imagine should euer preuaile against them But because they be not founded vppon this firme foundation but rather vpon humane inuentions any small thing whatsoeuer that carrieth any reason maketh them easily to stagger The thing which wholy ouerthroweth them is the word of God As by the Lordes assistaunce in these two Treatises shal be seene His Maiestie I hope whose cause we here maintaine will draw some fruit out of this my trauaile To him I commit the charge therof For as saith his Apostle 1. Cor. 3. 7. Neither he that plāteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God which giueth the encrease His cause it is to him I commend it That which in the meane time Christian Reader I beseech thee for that which thou owest to the health of thy soule the which if thou loosest what shal it profit thee to haue gained the whole world is that thou read consider and weigh the reasons which we giue in these two Treatises for confirmation of that which we say and see which more agreeth with the word of God with that which the ancient Doctors and Councels and which naturall reason teach that which we haue said or that which our aduersaries say The holy and true who hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth which shutteth and no man openeth Open vnto thee the gate that thou maiest consider and adore his holy law He euer bewith thee Amen The 25. of Iune 1588. Your most affectionate brother in the Lord. C. V. The first Treatise of the Pope and his authoritie IDolatrie which is to giue the honour worship and seruice only due to God to a creature whether good or bad holy or prophane is the most grieuous sin that is or cābe imagined For the Idolater like a traitor to him that made him directly manifestly committeth high treason against his God He endeuoureth what in him lieth to cast God frō his throne therin to place that which himselfe worshippeth albeit the worke of his owne hand To shew the grieuousnesse of this sinne very seuerely hath God punished it as he plagued the Israelites we see when they made the Calfe For the which the Lord had wholly destroyed them had not Moses stept in a very good Mediator Notwithstanding there died of them in one day by the sword about three thousand men And it is to be noted that neither Aaron nor the Israelits were so blockish nor foolish to thinke the calfe which they had made to be God That which they supposed was this that the honor done to the calfe they did it vnto God And so Aaron when he saw the calfe he built an Altar before it and proclaimed saying To morrow shall be a feast vnto Iehouah This he said for the representation of God which he and they supposed they had made in the calf This maner of Idolatrie had the people of Israell seene in Egypt For the Egyptians besides infinite other things adored the figure of Apis which they also called Sirapis being the name of an Oxe The Israelites applyed to their religion the manner of worship which they had seene in Egypt and coueting visible
that of the ruyne of the Romane Empire the Pope who is Antichrist by little and little hath erected his kingdome All this to one man cannot be applyed but to an estate and condition of men Antichrist is a Greeke word as much to say as contrary to Christ See wee then some thinges wherein the Pope doth oppose himselfe to Christ The people sought to make Christ a king but Christ would not For his kingdome he saiâ—h is not of this world The Pope without demaunding or seeking it of the people hath made himselfe vniuersall king ouer all the kings of this world and so at his fantasie doth place and displace them The second opposition Christ being God humbled himselfe and to saue vs became man reconcyling vs with the father The Pope being a man maketh himselfe God saying that in hell he hath authoritie and power casting into it whom soeuer he will and also drawing out from thence If he please as did Pope S. Gregorie say they drawe the soule of the Emperour Traian who was an Infidel persecutor of the Church Authoritie hee hath in purgatorie drawing soules from thence as say they hee doth dayly Hee hath authoritie in earth binding and loosing whomsoeuer hee will He hath authoritie also in heauen placing therein whom hee will commaunding the Angels to carrie the Soule of whomsoeuer he shall please without passing the paynes of purgatorie as by the bull which Pope Clement the sâ—xt graunted to such as comming to Rome to obteyne the Iubile should die by the way doth appeare All this saith the Pope that hee can doe And so also saith his Parasites Yet all is but lies to condemne and carry vs with him to the house of his Father the diuell The third opposition Christ doth commaund vs to search the scripture and giueth a reason for by them shall we know him The Pope vnder most greiuous payne commaundeth vs not to reade them nor looke vppon them least that wee knowing Christ by reading of the Scriptures may also know him to bee Antichrist And to busie vs with some thing hee commaundâ— vs to reade lying Legends he commaunds vs to pray the Rosarie which Alanus with so great falsehood and impietie as we haue said in the life of Sistus 4. renewed So many Paternosters and so many Aue Maries before a câ—â—â—â—fixe before the Image of the virgin Mary or of this or that other he or she Saints he commaunds vs to pray To a certaine great Lady called Isabell graunted Pope Leo pardon of all her sinnes if kneeling in her owne lodging before the Image of any he or she Saint she should say fiue Paternosters and fiue Aue Maries Behold what agreement is there betweene the Aue Marta and the Crucifixe or the Paternoster and the virgin Mary What maner of prayer is this when he that prayeth neither knoweth nor vnderstandeth what he prayeth Oh blindnesse Oh ignorance The fourth opposiâ—ion Christ calleth vnto him all those that trauell and be afflicted in conscience that he may refresh them The Pope commands vs to goe to the virgin Marie and to hee and she Saints What other thing is this but to leaue the fountaine of liuing water as saith Ieremias and to dig pooles that can hold no water Between Christ and the Pope are there many other opposicions yet will we set downe but the last of all that Christ with great triumph is ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of his father And shamefully the Pope descendeth into hell and to the depth of hell falleth in the company of Iudas whose successor hee is and there by his owne Father the diuell shal be euerlastingly tormented Yee see here that the Pope is an aduersarie and opposeth and lifteth vp himselfe against all that is God or that is worshipped and sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to bee God By that which the Apostle saith that Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God hee giueth to vnderstand that Antichrist shall neither bee Turke Moore Iewe nor Pagan but a Christian and that professeth Christian religion The Pope sitteth in Rome a City very ancient in Christian Religion where were so many good Bishops for almost the space of 300 yeares which sealed with their bloud the Doctrine which preached and nowe also in Rome notwithstanding the tyranny of Antichrist hath God his Church as hee had in Sodome where was Lot and his familie That which Saint Paule saith that the comming of Antichrist shal be with great power signes and lying woonders is to be noted and all this shall hee doe by the working of Sathan Here also it appeareth that the diuell worketh his miracles Which confirmeth the Spanish prouerbe Sease milagro y hagalo eldiablo Be it a Miracle and the diuell doth it but all to decâ—iue The mightie power of the Pope who is ignorant of That which Christ of himselfe saith dareth the Pope to say of himselfe Data est mihi omnis potestas all power is giuen vnto mee O blasphemy intollerable As touching his signes and lying wonders the world is full The very papists themselues that haue any vnderstanding are ashamed of them But the simple the Idiots the vulgar sort beleeue and holde them for true miracles and for them rather will die then for the Doctrine of the Prophetes or Apostles or Christ Iesus himselfe whereof they are wholly ignorant Oh ignorant blindnesse and blinde ignorance How many Images haue spoken How many haue sweate and that droppes of bloud The ignorant people beleeueth that the beard haires and nayles of the crucifixe of Burgos doe grow How many miracles say they doe the Images of our Lady of Guadalupe and that of Monsarrate How many Captiâ—es deliuer they How many dead doe they rayse againe How many blind giue they sight vnto c. Either this which they say is vntruth and not therefore to bee beleeued or else verily doe they these miracles if they doe them by the operation of Sathan that the vnbeleeuers â—hich wil not beleeue the truth may beleeue lies as in this selfe same chapter Saint Paule doth aduise vs not to beleeue such miracles as are â—or founded vpon the word of God In the Treatise of the Masse more shal be said concerning miracles Not to make an Image nor any likenesse c. Not to worship or do them reuerence doth God commaund vs. To make Images to worship and doe reuerence vnto them doth the Pope commaund vs that purgatory should be better beleeued O how many mâ—râ—cles howe many dreames visions apparitions haue there bene only one I will recite which is read in the Enchiridion of times composed by Friar Alonso Venero Thus then saith hee fol. 118. In the yeare of our Lord 1164. a certaine holy Hermit before deceased appeared in visioÌ„ to the bishop of LigoniuÌ„ said vnto him there dyed in all parts
young maidens also This was the first occasion of the warres This warre ended others much more great had they wherein they so much increased and inriched themselues that not contented with Italy they made warres also vpon forreigne nations and leauing their owne limits they inuaded Affrike and Asia Thus were they dayly increasing vntill another Prince and Lord arose vp in Rome thrusting himselfe into the same seat of the Empire and at the side as it were of the Roman Emperour This new Prince at the first made no shew that he purposed ought to diminish the authority of the Emperor but only took care of the affaires of the Church wherein whiles he was so employed the strength of the Emperour Empire flourished But afterwards he began to thinke how to benefite himselfe of that opinion of religion and holinesse which he held and to attaine hereunto he doubted not to intreat the Emperour that by his authority he might hold the souereignty ouer all Churches The cause that this new Prince alleaged was that Rome was alwayes the Lady of the whole world and therefore was it meet that the Bishop of that city shuld go before other Bishops in degree dignity To obtaine this was a thing most difficult For albeit that the Emperour let it slip yet did the Bishops of other nations confidently gainesay him alleaging lawfull causes why they withstood him vnwilling to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome otherwise then for a brother companion and in power equall with them Notwithstanding all this he of Rome forslowed not but continually vrged to attaine to his purpose vntill he obtained of Phocas the Emperour who murthered Mauricius his good Lord and Emperour that which he would and so called himselfe vniuersall Bishop and what besides he best pleased Here may ye see that olde Rome was founded vpon one murder and the new which is the Popedome vppon another In this concerning the primacie was the Pope merely oposit to Christ who sharpely in his disciples reproued the like strife and ambition But the Pope mounted to this height by the benefit of the Emperours did nowe further dare to promise to himselfe greater matters yet long time proceeding with great dissimulation A hundred yeares almost after the death of Constantine the great was the Empire much weakned it lost Fraunce England and Almaine The Hunnes held Italie the Vandals Africke Such was the dissipation that the Emperours leauing Rome which is in the West went to Constantinople where they made their abode The Bishop of Rome seeing the scattering of the Empire minded not to let slippe occasion but armed a question for his parte against the Emperour The chiefe cause was that the Emperour commaunded all statues and Images to be taken out of the Churches So greatly did the Pope withstand this commaund that hee dared to excommunicate the Emperour so much nowe was the horne increased At this time in the East arose vp Mahomet who tooke many landes form the Empire The Emperours notwithstanding would haue it vnderstood that all the dignitie power and Maiestie which the Pope did hold depended vppon them The Pope then to bee freed from this subiection and the warres which the king of Lumbardie made in italie deuised a notable policie and this it was To aduaunce of himselfe another whom he liked and to name him Emperour of the Romans Who accknowledging the benefit should deeme himselfe happie to please and serue him in all that he would And so Charles the great he elected and declared Emperour who had chased out of Italie the king of Lumbardy and enemie to the Pope This caused great anger and strife betweene the Easterne and Westerne Emperours and not betweene them onely but the Churches also of both the one and other partie of all which the couetousnes and ambition of the Pope of Rome were the cause Much contention was there afterwards among the Italians French and Almaynes about the election of the Emperour But in the end when Otho the third Duke of Saxoni◠was Emperour and Gregorie 5. an Almayne Pope order was giuen that seuen electors should choose the Emperour as in the life of this Gregorie the fift we haue declared And this was done to exclude straunge nations that none but an Almayne should be Emperour Great garboyles arose afterwardes betweene the Pope and the Emperour who could no longer endure the vnmeasurable arrogancie and ambition of the Pope Reade the Histories of Henry the third and fourth and of Frederick the first second and to come neerer our time those of the Emperour Charles 5. whose host in the 1527. yeare sacked Rome tooke Pope Clement 7. and held him prisoner This Clement as sang the Spaniardes at the Popes windowe whiles hee was prisoner would haue taken away the cloke from the Emperour as vppon the life of this Clement we haue before declared So also sought Paule the fourth to take away the cloake from our king Don Philip the second The kingdome of Naples would he haue taken from him but the host of the king whose captaine was the Duke Dalua put the Pope into such a straight that he was contented to make peace and chiefly hearing of the taking of Saint Quintans which was in the 1557. yeare as vppon the life of this Paul the fourth before we haue said So proud is the Pope become that he hath made the forme of an oath the which he causeth the Emperour to sweare being in time past his maister and Lord and so Saint Gregorie called Lord the good Emperour Mauricius but now is he his seruaunt and vassall This forme of oath conteyneth that the Emperour by all possible wayes keepe increase and defend the goodes of the Roman Church and chiefe Bishopes their dignitie priueledges and decrees And so no Emperour but if he would be holden infamous a faith breaker durst in any thing contradict him The oath which the Emperour Charles 5. made to Clement 7. or 8. in the 1530. yeare at the time of his Coronation will I here put downe Ego Carolus Romanorū rex c. That is to say I Charles king of the Romans which by Gods assistance hold to be Emperour promise protest affirme and sweare to God blessed S. Peter that I will henceforth be protector and defendor of the chiefe Bishop and of the holy Church of Rome in all their necessities and profits keeping and preseruing their possessions dignities and rightes c. When he had made this oath was Don Charles made king of Lumbardy and after he was king of Lumbardy another oath in this forme hee made Ego Carolus c. I Charles king of the Romanes and Lumbardes promise and sweare by the father sonne and holy Ghost and by the word of the liuing flesh and by these holy reliques that if the Lord permit mee to come to be Emperour I shall to my power aduaunce to holy Romane Church the holinesse thereof and her
the 2. to Timoth. cap. 4. 1. 2 which some what before his martyrdome he wrote the second time being prisoner in Rome and in the Epistle to Philemon verse 23. and 24. Also in the Epistle which he wrote to the Romanes he not once maketh mention of Saint Peter to whom no doubt he would haue sent salutations had hee bene in Rome and which is more Saint Peter being Bishop at Rome as they say 25. yeares Read the last chap. of this epistle and thou shalt see the catalogue which S. Paule maketh from the fift verse to the fifteenth he saith onely Salute such a one salute such a one c. without naming of Saint Peter Because he neither was Bishop of Rome nor yet was in Rome Also the Iewes which dwelled in Rome as reciteth S. Luke Act. 28. 21. 22. said to S. Paule when he came prisoner to Rome that they had not heard nor vnderstood any thing concerning him and prayed him to declare his opinion touching that sect which was gainsayd and euill spoken of in all places vnderstanding by this sect the Gospel which Saint Paule preached Who will beleeue that S. Peter which as they say was before come to Rome and a Minister of the Circumcision had not taught nor spoken ought vnto them of the Gospell These reasons taken out of holy Scripture are me seemeth as they be very sufficient to proue the common opinion holden of S. Peters being Bishop of Rome and that 25. yeares to be false Whereupon that of the Papists appeares plainely to be meere ignorance or which is worse extreame malice when they call the Pope Saint Peters successor Vicar of Iesus Christ as though hee were Saint Peter and therefore vniuersall Bishop Against the Primacie of the Pope we will speake in the end of this Treatise Seeing then Saint Peter was not Bishop of Rome we place Linus for the first All the Bishops of Rome that were from Linus to Syluester who was in the time of the Emperour Constantine the great whom we will put in the first order were in generall trulie Bishops and holy men who with their good doctrine and holy life and conuersation wrought great fruit in the Church of God They were the salt of the earth the light of the world a Citie built vpon a mountaine a candle light and set vpon a candlesticke These be the titles wherewith Christ adorneth his apostles and ministers Math. 5. These were the Angelles of God according to the saying of Malachie speaking of Leuie and consequently of the good Ministers The lawe of trueth saith he was in his mouth and no iniquitie was found in his lippes In peace and equitie he walked with me and turned away from iniquitie For the priestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the Angell of the Lord of hosts Many more titles are comprised in the holy scriptures wherewith the true ministers are adorned which I will passe ouer to auoide tediousnes In the ende these good bishops of Rome sealed the Gospell which they had preached with their bloud and so were Martyrs of Iesus Christ Men they were poore in spirit and simple of heart strangers to couetosnes and ambition they were true bishops for the space of almost three hundred yeares And so the Church of the Lord hauing such ministers was then happie and rich in the sight of God albeit in the eies of men contemptible miserable such as the Apostle in the eleuenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes from the 36. to the 38. verse describeth Others saith he haue benetryed by mocking and scourgings yea moreouer by bonds and imprisonment 37. Others were stoned others were hewen asunder Others were tempted others slayne with the sworde Others wandered vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goats skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented 38. whome the worlde was vnworthie of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaynes and dens and caues of the earth c. These Bishops caried on their heads not Miters but coifes not honor but dishonor not riches but pouerty following herein their Maister as Esaias the Prophet in his chapter 53. 3. doth liuelie describe him Despised and forsaken of men a man full of sorrowes hauing experience of infirmities and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not This was the outward apparance of the Primitiue Church and so hath it bene in our time sithens the reformation of the Church began these 70. or 80. yeers vnto this time how many haue bin burned drowned beheaded hāged banished shamefully disgraced and died of hunger Truly innumerable and that which is more admirable the more they burned and killed the more they increased and multiplied For the bloud of the Martyrs as saith Tertullian is the seed of the Gospell From the passion of the Lord vnto Saint Siluester which is the time of the first order were almost three hundred yeares wherein the Emperours of Rome became Lords of Spaine The Romanes in two hundred and so manie yeares that they conquered Spaine vntill the time of Augustus Caesar were neuer absolute Lords thereof Augustus was the first that vanquished the Montanists and Biscayes and made himselfe absolute Lord of all Spaine The Romists as those say they that haue held the command and staffe for many yeares to giue antiquitie and authoritie to their ceremonies and humane traditions haue falsly reported that manie of these good Bishops of Rome whom we place in the first order ordained them Clement the fourth Bishop of Rome say they ordained the confirmation of young children the Masse and holy garments wherewith the Priests are clothed They do not consider that he was a a man poore and for preaching of the Gospell banished into mines where he hewed Marble stones and tyed in the end to an anchor they cast him into the sea D. Illescas speaking of Pope Caius in his Pontificall historie saith He ordained that no laye man might bring a Clearke to iudgement That no pagan nor heretike might make accusation against a Christian c. How can this be true sith Caius liued and died in the time of the tenth persecution which as Illescas himselfe saith was of all the most cruell and lasted many yeares Let the Romists be ashamed and cease with lies to confirme their religion Now is it not the time that was wont to be when the blind led the blind c. So say they also that Euaristus Alexander and Sistus fifth sixth and seuenth Bishops of Rome made the popish decrees namely the ordering of the Clergie holy water and holy garmentes Telesphorus say they that was the eighth Bishop of Rome ordained three Masses to be sayd on the day of the Natituitie These good Bishops had other cares and embraced not such childish and superstitious toyes Saciety and idlenesse brought them forth O what euils haue riches wrought to the Church of God Wisely therfore said
which another vndid one commanded that another forbad In his time the Armenians became Christians and Athanagilda now raigned in Spaine After Iohn 3 succeeded Benedict and Pelagius 2. Pelagius 2. a Romane the citie being inuironed contray to the wonted custome and without the Emperours commaund was made cheife Bishop For which cause he sent Gregorie who after him was Bishop to Constantinople to satisfie and appease the wrath of the Emperour In the 590. yeere died Pelagius and then Leonogildo reigned in Spaine Gregorie 1. a Romane was of best life and more learned then any of the Patriarkes his predecessors yet very ceremonious as by so many suprestitions by him brought into the Church appeareth He was the first that granted Indulgences to such as at certaine times wold come to the church Pardons he granted but sold them not as his successors for money He brought backe from Hell saith Damascen the Soule of the vnfaithfull Emprour Traian O horrible lie Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian saith that which is said of the soule of Traian to be a fabulons Iest Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie 1. holdes it for a very trueth and condemneth Pero Mexia In the following treatise of the Masse wil we speake of this matter This good did Gregorie that both by wordes and deedes he was mortall enemy to the Primacie and so wrote against the name of vniuersall bishop as we will afterwardes declare against which he called himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants which title haue his successours but hypocritically holden seeing that calling themselues seruanth they haue made themselues lordes of the worlde and kinges Emperours and Monarkes kisse their feete and if the Pope will doe them that grace and fauour they holde themselues happie Gregorie much complained that in the worlde were so many Priestes and so few prachers of the Gospel Of this S. Gregory Huldricke Bishop of Augusta in an Epistle sent to Pope Nicholas 1. reciteth a notable historie the summe whereof is this That Saint Gregorie commaunded priestes should not marry but afterwardes vnderstanding they secretle committed great filthinesse and for that cause much murder ensued by commaunde he disanulled his decree affirming it better to marry then to giue occasion of murther Wherfore sending vpon a time to fish they found in a fishe poole or pond 6000. heads of young children that had there bene drowned Which Gregorie seeing to proceede of constrained single life sorowing and sighing from his hart he then reuoked his decree For that not only as saith the same Huldricke they had not abstayned from maydes and married women but defiled themselues also with their kinred with males and brute beastes Such are the fruites of Popish chastitie and their Angelicall life These thinges considered by Pope Pius 2. with great reason said he he forbad Priestes marriage but with much more reason he ought to restore it them againe And in another place It shall not happilie be worst that the greater parte of priestes doe marry for many are saued in their marry priesthood which in their barren priesthood are cōdemned The same Pius 2. as witnesseth Celius 2. supressed certain Monasteries of Nuns of Saint Bridgit and S. Clares order commaunding them thence to depart and no longer to burne in lust lest they shrowded a whore vnder a religions habite In the 604. yeares dyed Saint Gregorie at this time Leonigildo the Arrian that martyred Herminigildo his sonne raigned in Spaine Sabinianus successour of Gregorie 1. was the last Patriarke of Rome a man very simple and so much hated Gregorie his predecessour that he caused his bookes to be burned Onely will I here set downe a fable of the death of this Sabinian reported by Bergomenso for a very truth Saint Gregorie saith he being dead three times appeared to Sabinianus and sharply reproued him for seeking to defame him but his speach could nothing a mend Sabinianus which seeing S. Gregorie he gaue such a blowe vpon the head of Sabinianus that he made him die miserably Mon. eccl part 3. lib. 17. cap. 10. ¶ 1. hereof is made mention If this be true then one Pope killed another In the 605. yeare dyed Sabinianus This Sabinianus saith Illescas was the first that set an order in prayer deuiding the Office into the 7. Canonicall houres the same said he of of Pelagius 1. At this time reigned in Spaine Recaredo king the Gothes who destroyed the Aryan heresie which most parte of the Gothes maintained The third and last order conteyneth those Bishops which we properly call Popes and be very Antichristes As Boniface 3. began this order vntill Clement 8. who now tyranizeth hath continewed and in the last Pope shall take end Whom Christ will destroy with the spirit of his mouth as he destroyed his prodecessours And so shall the end come The Bishops of the first order were the Angels of God holy in life and Doctrine These of the second were men subiect to falling but these truly of the 3. are diuels incarnate Not by any figure Hiperbole or exaggeratiō but plainely doe I speake this I know it to be so as by their liues we will afterwardes proue Boniface 3. and first in this Catalogue was a most ambitious deuill And being Patriarke of Rome was made Pope by meanes of Phocas the Emperour who was an adulterer murtherer and tyrant A murtherer I call him for that to make himselfe Emperor as he did he murthered Mauricius his Lord and Christian Emperour This Boniface 3. by many requestes and giftes which breake the very rockes much more Phocas obteyned of Phocas that the Roman seate should be called the head of all Churches Three miserable thinges at this time happened the most noble Empire began to fall the Popedome to arise and Mahometisme to spring vp Of the ruines of the empire these two beastes arose which so much haue harmed the Church of Christ And by how much the more the Empier decayed by so much the more these two beasts increased It is now almost 1000. yeares since that by superstition and false Doctrine the light of the Gospell began to be darkened This miserable first Pope before a yeare of his Popedome was fully ended went to visite the Diuell the Father of ambition and with him there remayneth And albeit this first Pope was so ambitious and in his Ambition obstinately dyed Yet Panuinus calles him Saint Boniface notwithstanding At this time in Spaine the most Catholique Recaredo 1. reigned Boniface 4. succeeded Boniface 3. who as saith Platina obteyned of Phocas the Emperour the Temple which they called Pantheon to wit of all the Gods because it was dedicated to Sibylla and all the others Gods This Temple did Boniface dedicate vnto the blessed virgin and all the Martyrs which now is called S. Maries the round And thus far Platina Don Alonso of Carthagena Bishop of Burgos vpon
when Christs glory was in question the Popes excommunication ought not to be feared Antoninus part 3. tit 22. cap. 10. maketh mention of this Thomas And Baptista Mantuanus in the last chapter of his booke de vita beata giueth him an honorable testimonie calling him holy and a martyr This Eugenius as reporteth Platina was verie vnconstant in his life In the beginning of his popedome guided by euill counsell he troubled things diuine and humane This Eugenius celebrated a Councell in Florence to match with that which was holden at Basil He compelled in this Florentine Councell Iosephus the good Patriarke of Constantinople to translate the bible after the vulgar latin editiō which is that which the Roman Church approueth into Greeke that this translation might among the Grecians as the other among the Latines be esteemed In many things did the Greekes conforme themselues in this Councell with the Latines but could in no wise be induced to admit of transubstantiation notwithstanding did the Councell and Pope allow them for faithful as speaking of Transubstantiation in the Treatise of the Masse we will hereafter declare After he had bene Pope almost 16 yeares in the 1446. yeare he died This Eugenius as is reade in the 16. and 17. Sessions of the Councell of Basil declared the same Councell to haue bene and from the beginning to be lawfully assembled and so adnulled reuoked the Buls geuen out to dissolue it Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Felix 5. is not accounted of the Papists for Pope In the Councel of Basil he was chosen after that Eugenius who wold not leaue to be Pope was deposed The 30. Sisme was this 9 yeres endured in which time al Christendom was deuided into 3 parts some were for Eugenius others for Felix others were Neuters which neither tooke the one part nor the other Such as tooke part with Felix said the Councell to be aboue the Pope and those of Eugenius part denied it when Eugenius was dead those of his part chose Nicholas 5. in whose time and the 1447. yeere Felix 5. renounced so the Sisme ceased For this renunciation Nicholas 5. to stop his mouth from further barking made him Cardinall of S. Sabina and Legate in Almaine and Fraunce Iulianus Taboecius in the genealogie of the Dukes of Sauoy proclaimeth this Amadeus for a Cannonicall Pope and holy man Two yeres after he had renounced and in the 1449. yeere died Felix Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius being dead Nicolas 5. was made Pope who in one selfe same yere was Bishop Cardinal Pope He gaue the Hat to Amadeus which renounced the popedom He celebrated the Iubile in the yeere 1450. Boniface as in his life we haue said was the first inuenter of this Iubile frō 100 to 100 yeres These Iubilees the Popes did willinglie celebrate for the great profit therof arising Of this Iubile it is reported that as the people vpō a time came from Vaticano to the citie they encountred a Mule of Cardinall Barbo And when the number was verie great of cōmers goers stumbled vpon the vnhappy Mule which with the multitude was fallen to the ground ouer whom fell many more that it seemed they plaied the play which children vse called Crescael monton more sacks on the Mill and cast one vpon another so great was the presse that 200 men were squized stifled with the waight And for that this hap befel as they cal it on Adrians bridge others fell into the riuer See here the effect of foolish zeale without discretiō or true religion For how many of these had it bin better to haue staied and wrought in their houses for maintenance of thē their wiues children But S. P. Q. R. Stultus populus quaerit Romam to wit foolish people go to Rome but the wise abide at home The Turk in the time of this Pope took the most noble city of Constantinople This Pope was much giuen to drink and edifie not soules but wals Platina recounteth his buildings He approued that which the Basile an Councell and Felix the fift had done and also admitted the Cardinals which Felix had created In the 1455. yeare died Nicholas In which selfe same yeare or a little before died Don Iohn 2. king of Castile In whose time liued Iohn de Mena the Spanish Poet as appeareth by the beginning of his poesie which he dedicated saying To the most potent Iohn c. Calistus 3. a naturall Spaniard of Valencia in Aragon before he was Pope called Alonso de Boria who studied and read the Lecture in Lerida an Vniuersite of Spaine was a most learned Cannonist When he was Pope all his care he bent to make warre with the Turks For which cause he sent many Echacueruos or deceiuers in Spaine so commonly called to preach his mockeries pardons and incited against the Turke the Armenians Persians he caused certaine countreymen to be strangled for that they mocked at his mockeries and Buls he commanded that none should appeale from the Pope to the Councell and more of these things would he haue done had he longer liued Ouer much libertie he gaue to his Nephewes and chiefly to Rodrigo de Boria whom he made his Chancellor and which afterwards was Alexander 6. Calistus for very age in the 1458. yere died In whose time Don Henry 4. reigned in Castile Pius 2. before called Eneas Syluius was a Notary Apostolike in the Councell of Basil In his Orations and Epistles he spake against the authoritie of Pope Eugenius but after he was made Pope he changed his copie When he was Pope he treated of making warre against the Turke but nothing did because he speedily died He wrote two excellent bookes of that which was debated in the Councell of Basil which when he was pope he endeuored what he might to hide and obscure as vnwilling to remember what before he had written for he pretended ambitious as he was to magnify greatly aduance his authority papall Estella Veneto speaking of him saith that they neuer saw him feare either kings Captains or tyrants he tooke part with D. Fernado bastard son of D. Alonso whō dispossessing Iohn the son of king Renato with force of armes he made king of Naples He excommunicated Sigismund Duke of Austria because he chastised for his robberies his Cardinal Nich. Cusanus He excommunicated Gregorie of Hamburg a most learned lawyer He tooke from Dirtherus Enseburgus the Archbishopricke of Maguncia put in his place Adulphus de Nassao because he thought euill as he said of the Roman Church The chiefe causes of the deposing of Dirtherus was for that he constantly opposed himselfe to the Popes vniust exactions wherewith they robbed the prouinces vnder pretence of war against the Turke This Pius made a young man bishop because he was nephewe of the duke of Burgonie and brother of the duke
spripture The same God which of old made Saint Paule to speake the same made Valer also to speake And as Paule was holden for a Preacher of Nouelties and foolish for such another was Valer held also The newe Pharesies seeing themselues thus handled demaunded whence he had such wisedome and knowledge of holy thinges whence being a secular man not hauing studied nor giuing himselfe to vertue but so euill spent his youth in vanities proceeded his bouldnesse so vnreuerently to handle the ecclesiasticall persons which be pillars of the Church By what authoritie demaunded they did hee this Who had sent him What signe had he of his callings The selfe same demaundes made the old Pharesies to Iesus Christ and his Apostles when they could not deny their villanies nor well be silent when he shewed them their wickednesse Behold how the old Pharesies and the new be all one and the sonnes of the deuill To these demaundes excellently and with great constancy answered Valer This knowledge of holy thinges he had obteyned said he not of his owne stincking pudles but of the spirit of God which maketh flowing riuers of wisedome runne from the harts of those which truly beleeue in Christ He told them that God and the cause he had in hand gaue him courage and bouldnesse that the spirit of God was not tyed to any estate how ecclesiastical soeuer the ecclesiasticall state especially of any other being the most corrupted and neerest to destruction That the spirit of God in old time made of secular vnlearned and fishermen Apostles that they might clerely shew the blindnesse ignorance of all the Synagogue so well instructed in the law and call by their preaching the That Christ had sent him That in the name and authoritie of Christ he did that he did But the adulterous generation said he which hath long time degenerate from the true race of the sons of God seeing that darknesse to be much manifested by the light and reshining of the sunne demaundeth a signe In conclusion for so liberall and constantly speaking was he called before the Inquicisitors valiantly did Valer dispute of the true Church of Christ her markes and signes of the Iustification of man and other like chiefe points of Christian religion the knowledge whereof Valer had obteyned without any ministery or humane helpe but by the pure and wonderfull reuelation of God His foolishnesse as the Inquisitors called it did then excuse him and so first confiscating all that hee had they sent him away To take away his goods pleasant meanes to reduce a mad man to his sence Valer notwithstanding this losse of goods ceased not to prosecute what he had begun A few yeares after for the selfe same cause they called him againe and yet supposing that he was a foole indeede they burned him not but made him to recant or deny not in open audience but to himselfe alone in the great Church betweene the two quiers For all his foolishnesse they condemned him to continuall wearing of a great Saint Benito or diuels coate and to perpetuall prison From this perpetuall prison euery Lords day they carried him with many other penitents to heare masse and sermons in the Church of Saint Sauiour where set to heare the Sermon albeit a prisoner he oft times rose vp before all the people and when he preached false Doctrine gaine said the preacher But the Inquisitors as then not so wicked with conceit of his folly excused him Much did it also auaile Valer to haue bene an old Christian and not descended of the Iewish or Morish race The Inquisitors in the end drew him from this perpetuall prison in Seuill and sent him to a monasterie in Saint Lucas called of our Lady of Barrameda where being 50 yeares old and vpwardes he died By the meanes of this Valer many that heard and conferred with him had knowledge of the true religion chiefly that famous and good Doctor Egidius Cannon preacher in the great Church of Seuill that so much good did in Seuill both with his good good life and Doctrine I haue long dwelled vpon discourse of this Historie of Valer but pardon me for this Valer was the first that openly and with great constance discouered the darkenesse in our time in Seuill After this persecution of Rodrigo de Valer many others were persecuted some of whom escaped as Doctor Iohn Perez who came to Geneua where he imprinted the new Teament other bookes in the Spanish tongue others aboade there stil of whom many perseuered And others of the Inquicitions conceiued such feare that they denyed the truth and which is worse were persecutors therof as was doctor Herman Rodriguez maister Garci Arias whom commonly they called maister White But God shewed mercy vpon White and of a woulfe made him a lamb so was he with great constancie burned This White when God had made him truly White said freely vnto the Inquisitors whē they examined him in the audience that they were fitter to follow a droue of asses then to sit and Iudge matters of faith which they nothing vnderstood In the 1555. yeare seuen persons men and women went out of Seuill and came to Geneua where they made their aboad In the 1557. yeare happened maruelous things in Seuill worthy of perpetuall memorie namely that in a monasterie called S. Isidor the most famous and rich in all Seuil the busines of true religion went so so plainely forward that vnable with good conscience there to stay longer 12 of the Friars in short time departed some one way and some another al which within a yeare came to Geneua whither at their departure they determined to goe None of thē there was that passed not great dangers perils but from all these perils God did free them with a mighty hand brought them to Geneua Thees that abode in the monasterie for it is to be noted that almost al those of the monasterie albeit they went in woulues habits had knowledge of Christiā religion suffered great persecution taken they were tormented disgraced very hardly cruelly intreated and in the end many of them burned and in many yeares almost was there no act of Inquisition in Seuill in which there went not more or lesse out of this monasterie Among those that went out and came to Geneua was the Prior vicar procurator of S. Isidor with thē the Prior of the Vale of Ecija of the same order And God with his mightie arme did not only deliuer these 12 from the cruel grype es the Inquisitors before the great persecution began in Seuill but afterwards also in the time of the great persecution deliuered other 6 or 7 from the same monasterie making foolish and of no worth nor effect all the stratagems Councels subtelties craftes deceits of the Inquisitors that sought but could not find them for who shall destroy whom God wil preserue In the same yeare
negligence forgetfulnes of the things which concern our saluation that we shuld not forget the benefit of his death passion did institute the most holy sacrament of his precious body which he gaue vpon the crosse of his precious bloud which he shed in his passion which sacramēt he wold shuld be vnto vs a memoriall of al that which he suffred for vs of the benefit we receiue by his death passion As often as ye shal do this to wit as ye shall celebrate the holy Supper ye shal do it saith Christ in remembrance of me One only time was Christ offered and by this only offering he obtained for vs a generall pardon of all our sinnes But hee would we should alwayes remember this benefit And to help our memorie did he institute this sacrament and willeth wee not once but many times in our life receiue it The institution of this Sacrament the Euangelists Matthew Marke and Luke do declare but most largely Saint Paul in 1. Cor. chap. 11. and in the tenth chap. he beginneth also to intreate thereof He are wee then Saint Peul declare how Christ celebrated his holy supper wherein hee instituted the Sacrament of his body and of his bloud I receiued of the Lord saith Saint Paul that which I also deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus the same night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake it and said Take eate This is my body which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of mee Likewise also after supper he tooke the cup saying This is the new testament in my bloud Do this as often as you shall drinke it in remembrance of me For as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shew forth the Lords death vntill his comming Whosoeuer therefore shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. Let then a man proue himselfe and so eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. For who so eateth and drinketh the same vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not considering the Lords body We haue heard how the Lord did celebrate his holy supper and instituted therein the most holy sacrament of his body and bloud The same order that Iesus Christ vsed in celebrating of it held his Apostles as often as they celebrated the same This selfe same order as we haue before shewed was for a thousand yeares space obserued in the Church Albeit true it is that before the thousand yeares were accomplished Sathan enuying the great benefite and comfort which we receiue with this sacrament began to alter it adding thereto many thinges touching rites and ceremonies But the thousand yeares passed the whole sacrament with furie hee cast to the earth and in place thereof aduaunced an idoll made of dough made betweene two irons which they adore and sacrifice vnto neither more nor lesse then if it were God himselfe that created heauen and earth But in all this time of so great ignoraunce and Idolatrie The Lord as we haue said did neuer vtterly forsake his Church For euer he raised vp some true prophet some holy man or men that with zeale of the Lordes house and nor accompting of the daunger whereunto they thrust their liues reproued the world Because through the Church of God was sold this so horrible idolatry But particularly in these our times hath the Lord shewed mercy raysing vp very many learned godly men Which being simple poore men haue with great zeale opposed them selues to the tyranny of Antichrist and to all the power of the world which was inchanted bewitched with the false Doctrine of Antichrist And so hath God blessed the labour of these men As he blessed in times past the labour of the Apostles meane simple people that they haue cast to the earth the Missa or Masse the breaden God which our aduersaries haue raysed vp and haue eftsoones restored the holy supper which the Lord Iesus the night before he should suffer celebrated with his disciples They that haue eyes to see Let them see and they that haue eares to heare Let them heare That seeing and hearing All the world may iudge if that be true which we say I will here set downe the order holden in our Churches which God by the meanes of these holy men hath in our time reformed when the holy supper is celebrated Hearken then O Spaine what in thine owne Language I speake that small and great learned and vnlearned may vnderstand me The forme which is holden in the reformed Churches of celebration of the holie supper of the Lord. It is to be noted That the Lords day before the supper is celebratae The minister doth warne the people that each one dispose and prepare himselfe to receiue it worthily and with such reuerence as is meete The second thing which is done is that youthes which haue now attayned to yeares of discretion doe not present themselues to receiue it before they he well instructed and taught in the Christian Doctrine and have made profession of their faith in the Church Thirdly if therebe any straungers or newe commers which be as yet rude and ignorant in religion that they come present themselues to be taught particularly in that which is meete for them to know the day on which they celebrate the same the minister at the end of the sermon toucheth somewhat concerning the misteries Or if neede require his whole sermon treateth of the Doctrine of the supper to declare to the people what the Lord by this mistery will say giue to vnderstand And how we ought to receiue it After that the minister hath publiquely prayed he saith the generall confession after the confession of faith made to witnes in the name of the people that they all wil liue die in the doctrin Christian religion The table being prepared the bread wine vpō it he thus aloud speaketh The institution of the holy supper of the Lord Let vs heare how Iesus Christ did institute vnto vs his holy supper according to that which S. Paule in the 11. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians declareth I receiued of the Lord c. As we haue before recited The forme of excomunication and excluding from the holy supper of the Lord these which be not worthy to receiue it We haue heard brethren how the Lord celebrated the supper with his disciples and in that which he did he sheweth vnto vs that straungers to wit those which be not of the fellowship of his faithfull ought not to be admitted vnto it Following therefore this rule in the name by the authoritie of our Lord Iesus Christ I excommunicate all Idolaters blasphemers contempners of God heretiques all Schismatiques which make sects a part to break the vnity of the Church all periured persons all that be