AN ABRIDGEMENT OR SVRVEY OF Poperie Conteining a compendious declaration of the grounds doctrines beginnings proceedings impieties falsities contradictions absurdities fooleries and other manifold abuses of that religion which the Pope and his complices doe now mainteine and wherewith they haue corrupted and deformed the true Christian faith Opposed vnto Matthew Kellisons Suruey of the new Religion as he calleth it and all his malicious inuectiues and lies By MATTHEVV SVTCLIFFE LONDON Printed by Melchisedech Bradwood for Cuthbert Burbie 1606. TO THE WORTHY and noble Lord Prince HENRY sonne and heire to the most puissant King and our dread Souereigne IAMES by the grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith THere are two principall offices most worthy excellent Prince of a true Christian the first is To decline from euill the second is To do good And these two as they are necessarily required in all so principally in those which are to command and gouerne others But the ground of both is the true Catholike and Apostolike Faith without the knowledge wherof not only good things are often times refused as euill but also things euill embraced for good Seeing then our aduersaries the Papists of late time haue both violently and fraudulently sought to bring backe into his Maiesties Dominions whereof your Grace by the grace of God is vndoubted heire not onely the heresies and superstitions of Popish religion but also the tyrannicall gouernment of the Pope that is so preiudiciall both to Princes and their states and also to all Christians their liberties I haue thoght I could not doe either to God or my Countrey better seruice then to declare to the world both their weake and absurd grounds and their impious and wicked doctrines and how they haue proceeded in the maintenance and defence of the same And this I doubt not would appeare far more cleerely if without preiudice of mens persons or respect of priuat mens interests matters might be debated before indifferent Iudges and soundly tried by the touchstone of holy Scriptures and none of those excluded from hearing that professe true Catholicke religion My purpose is not God I take to witnesse to touch any man particularly but onely to set forth the trueth of all matters that the obstacles of Christian vnity and the causes of the good successe of the Turke being remoued we may all for the most part consent in the vnity of the Catholicke faith and conioyne our mindes and forces the better to resist publike enemies This I present to your Grace as the first fruits of my affection and seruice that thereby learning to eschew euill and to embrace that which is good and pious you may as it followeth in the 34. Psalme seeke peace follow after it Nay you may the better be instructed not only in following the true meanes of peace but also obtaine your desires and for euer truly possesse it This your affection in pious promoting the true seruice of God preuēting of the trecherous plots of the factious complices of Antichrist shall be the foundation of your prosperous estate It shal increase the ioy of your noble Father our Souereigne Lord and King and glad your Mother whose hearts ioy you are S. Iohn reioyced to see the children of that noble lady to whom he directed his second Epistle walking in trueth And this is the affection of all your friends and wel-willers who reioyce to see the heroicall vertues of your Father budding forth in your Grace The Prophet Psal 112 doth assure vs That his children that feareth the Lord shal be mighty vpon earth and that the generation of the righteous shall be blessed On the other side the aduersaries of religion shal weepe and lament when they shall see the Prophesies of S. Iohn Apocalyp 17. and 18 concerning the destruction of the great whore and the ruines of the city of Babylon accomplished and the rather as we hope by your Fathers and your godly endeuours and meanes Vouchsafe therefore most gracious Prince to giue reading to this Discourse made in opposition of that infamous libell which not long since one Matthew Kellison a Priest of Baal and a marked slaue of Antichrist presumed to direct to the King your Father and consider what reason he had to talke of the surueying of religion seeing his owne religion can so euill abide any examination or suruey The Lord of heauen blesse you with all spirituall graces and the rest shal be added vnto you This is also the continuall prayer of all the seruants of God your Fathers true subiects That your Grace may be made a worthy instrument to aduance Gods glory and that the vowes of your Parents and all well affected to his Maiesty and to your Grace may plentifully be performed in you Your Graces most affectionat seruant MATTHEW SVTCLIFFE THE PREFACE TO THE Christian Reader MVch it were to be wished Christian Reader that the same affection and feruent desire were in all true Christians and especially in those that are Pastours and Teachers to mainteine the truth which we finde to be in false teachers and heretikes to vpholde and mainteine their errors The Scribes and Pharisees in time past as our Sauiour Matth. 23 teacheth vs compassed sea and land to make one of their profession And so in time past did the Nouatians Donatists and Arians But what need I to speake of times past when we see before our eyes the present example of the Masse-priests and Iebusites and their complices They spare neither cost nor labour some write some discourse some practise one taketh on him one part of the labour and another performeth the rest So nothing is left vnattempted that either fraud could deuise or malice execute or industry and labour performe Among others one Kellison not long since as is said my L. Vauxes Butler but now a drawer of Popish doctrine hath shewed himselfe very busie and for his part hath gathered together out of the libels of Staphylus Cochleus Bolsec Sanders William Reynolds and other the Popes Parasits agents a whole packe of slanders lies and wicked imputations against Luther Zuinglius Melancthon Caluin Beza and other Teachers of truth To this he hath also added diuers fragments of certeine idle declamations of his owne and the most malicious railing termes that either himselfe could deuise or els finde out in his fellowes inuectiues And all this put together he calleth A Suruey of the new religion by the termes of Noueltie Heresie Impietie and such like seeking to disgrace that Trueth which we professe I did therefore expect that some learned man or other would take this fellow to taske and indeed I doe now vnderstand that a man both learned graue and eminent in this Church of England hath both vndertaken and finished the Answer to his scurrilous discourse but seeing the same is not yet published I thought it not amisse in the meane while to requite his Suruey of religion with this
Bishops of Rome or else he must know that whatsoeuer he fableth of his three supposed conuersions the same will make for the destruction of Popery and the ouerthrow of the cause which he mainteineth Secondly we are able to prooue that all these corruptions of doctrine superstitious deuises impieties blasphemies which we refuse haue beene receiued and established in the synagogue of Rome not onely since the Apostles times but also since the time of Eleutherius and Gregory the first the idolatrous worship of images was first confirmed by the second coūncell of Nice vnder the Empire of Irene and by little and little brought into the Westerne church being long oppugned by the bishops of France Germany and Britain That the images of the crosse and Trinity should be worshipped with latria was not allowed in that idolatrous councell but first taught by Thomas Aquinas and his followers and grounded not vpon Gods word but vpon this rule of Philosophy that the same motion is directed to the image and the thing imagined which rule by him is mistaken being meant of the species or representation of things in our vnderstanding and not of materiall images that come not within our vnderstanding The Popes authority began to be established first by the rebellion of Gregory the second and Gregory the third that caused Italy to reuolt from the Emperour vnder pretence of worship of images and afterward the same was confirmed by Gregory the seuenth and his successors that by force and violence ouerthrew the empire and made way by the diuisious of Christendome to the victories and conquests of the Turkes and Saracens Boniface the third obteined of Phocas that the church of Rome should be reputed head of other churches Boniface the 9. as Theodoric à Niem in his booke of schisme testifieth by fraude vsurped first the temporall gouernment ouer the Citie and territorie of Rome which before that belonged either to the emperor or to the citizens and thus by fraud and violence the Pope made himselfe great and by little and little exalted himselfe in the church and erected the kingdome of Antichrist The carnall eating and presence of Christs body in the sacrament was first decreed by Nicolas the second in the Chap. ego Berengarius dist 2. de consecrat for there we read first that Christs true body is handled with the hands of Priests broken and torne with the teeth of the faithfull his words prescribed to Berengarius are verum corpus sanguinem domini nostri Iesu Christi esse sensualiter non solum sacramentum sed in veritate manibus sacerdotum tractari frangi fidelium dentibus atteri Transubstantiation got reputation first by the decree of Innocent the 3. as we read in the chapter Firmiter de sum Trin. fid cath for there he decreeth that the bread is transubstantiate into the body and the wine into blood by the power of God but yet two inconueniences will heere fall out if we yeeld to his words for there he saith that Christ is both the priest and the sacrifice and that this transubstantiation is wrought by the power of God whereof the first ouerthroweth the priesthood of the polshorne priests of Baal the second doth take away the efficacie from these wordes hoc est enim corpus meum and hic est sanguis meus and ascribeth all to the power of God absolutely In the conuenticle of Constance we finde it first resolued that the accidents of bread and wine doe remaine without subiect and that the Pope is Christs immediate vicar and sess 13. that although Christ did institute the eucharist in bread and wine yet lay-men were onely to receine it vnder one kinde Auricular confession was established by Innocent the 3. in the chap. omnis vtriusque sexus de poenit remiss for before that it was free to confesse or not to confesse the doctrine of confession was enlarged by the canonistes and schoole-men In the conuenticle of Florence we reade that the forme of ordring masse-priestes of popish confirmation and extreme vnction and of other popish sacraments was then first setled by law there also Purgatorie and the Popes supremacy was first enacted by force of law Clement the 6. in the chapter vnigenitus extr de poenit remis did first deuise the treasure of indulgences Boniface the 8. and Sixtus the 4. ordred the Popish Iubiley That the Pope is aboue the Councel it was first decreed in the councel of Lateran vnder Leo the 10. who also begā first to thunder out his excommunications against M. Luther Finally the conuenticle of Trent gaue finall complement to the Popish doctrine of Traditions of the Latine vulgar translation of concupiscence of formal iustification by charitie and works of seuen sacraments of the sacrifice of the masse of purgatorie and indulgences of framing the images of God the Father and the holy Ghost and the rest of their heresies and abuses for what before the schoolemen had taught vainlie that began now by the decrees of the Pope and his complices to be established and held for law then also the missals breuiaries offices and other rituall bookes began to be confirmed by the Popes authoritie Thirdly it is an easie matter to prooue that the doctrine of S. Peter and of the times wherein Ioseph of Arimathaea Eleutherius and Gregory the first liued is direct contrarie in diuers points to popish religion S. Peter 1. ep 2. exhorted all Christians to submit themselues to kings and gouernors but the Pope commandeth subiects to rebell and take armes against princes and excommunicateth such as refuse so to doe as appeareth by the excommunication of Paul the 3. against king Henry the 8. and of Pius the fift against Queene Elizabeth both which are extant in Sanders his libell de schismate S. Peter 1. ep 1. would haue Christians to trust perfectly on gods grace the Papists teach their disciples to distrust gods grace and to doubt of their saluation and to trust rather in their owne works and merits he saith we are not redeemed with corruptible things but with Christes most precious blood these teach that men are redeemed after a sort by indulgences and by the satisfaction and merites of Saints to whom Bellarmine in his booke of indulgences doubteth not to giue the title of redeemers S. Peter exhorteth Christians to desire the sincere milke of Gods word that they may grow thereby the papistes barre men from hearing Gods word in tongues which they vnderstand and send them to beleeue the traditions of the church of Rome and the impure trash of the schoolemen and the Popes decretales he excludeth the lordship of Popes ouer Gods inheritance these false teachers enforce it he exhorteth vs to make our election sure these fellowes teach that Christians cannot be assured of their election or make it sure Ioseph of Arimathaea and the godly bishops that liued in his time and diuers hundred yeeres after him continued we doubt not in
church of late time by the Popish faction in England France Flanders Italy and else-where we reade that diuers haue beene betraied by their owne kinsfolks brethren and friends and finde that fulfilled which our Sauior Christ foretold vs Luc. 21. how Christians should be betraied of their parents brethren kinsmen and friends In Spayne they force parents to bring woode to burne their children and children to set fire to their parents Alphonsus Dias came poste from Rome and caused his owne brother to be murdred for that he had embraced true religion it is reported that in England Queene Marie if she had liued any longer would haue caused the bones of her owne father to haue beene digged vp and burned It is also a common practise of children in places where Popery reigneth to abandon their parents and to professe monkerie Airault of Angiers in France a man of good note lost his onely sonne by the entisement of the Iebusites perswaded to enter into their superstitious order neither could the father euer after heare what was become of him and so haue many parents beene depriued of their sonnes and daughters vnder colour of religion oftentimes drawen away to serue the Masse-priests abominable lustes this among Papists is counted religion but the example sauoureth rather of Turkish then Christian religion for as the children of Christians are taken from their parents and friends and made Ianizars and so emploied in the warres against Christians so these nouices are by fraud and wilie deuises stollen from their Christian parents and friends and afterward emploied in the defence of antichristian doctrine against truth and the professors thereof Finally they that professe Popery zealously doe forget oftentimes all lawes of common ciuility lately the pouder-men Papists had thought to cut all their countrimens throtes the Masle-priests esteeme lay-men no otherwise then dogges and hogges commonly when they appeare before magistrates that are not of their owne religion they giue them no reuerence Alexander the third trode vpon the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossaes necke Adrian the 4. suffered him to hold his stirrop other Popes haue vsed Kings and Princes as their stassiers and for their hands they giue Christians their feete to kisse Neither is this a fault of the practise but also of the doctrine of Popery for these facts they commonly defend and forbid al speech communication dealing with excommunicate persons os orare vale communio mensa negatur saith Nauarrus in enchirid c. 27. these words spoken of Leui Deuter. 33. which said to his father and mother I know you not are applied to all that enter into any order of monkish religion as we may perceiue by the doctrine of Bellarmine lib. de monach c. 36. Whosoeuer therefore looketh for filiall obedience at the hands of his children had neede â—o looke that they be not nouzled in Popery whoso expecteth for kind and frindly vsage must not consort himselfe with Papists who towards Christians vse neither respect of kinred nor of friendship vpon euery warrant of the Pope take themselues absolued from their obedience to their superiors whether they rule in church or common welth and by all meanes suppose themselues bound to cut Christian mens throts CHAP. XXXVI That Popish religion either disannulleth or greatly preiudiceth the authoritie of Kings and Princes CHristian religion doth giue an eminent authority and prerogatiue to Kings S. Peter 1. epist 2. exosteth all Christians to subinit themselues vnto them and S. Paul Rom. 13. teacheth euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers Tertullian in his treatise ad Scapulam sheweth that the Emperor was next vnder God supreme gouernor colimus imperatorem saith he sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit vt hominem a deo secundum we honour the Emperour c. as a man that hath the next place to God can we then with any reason suppose Popery to sauour of Christian religion that either maketh the Emperour and other Kings subiect to the Pope or else taketh awaie a great part of his authoritie That the Papists hold all temporall Princes to bee inferiour and subiect to the Pope it cannot be denied Innocentius the third in c. solitae de maior obed disputing this matter compareth the Pope to the Sunne and the Emperour to the Moone as if the Emperour were as many degrees inferior to the Pope as the Moone is to the Sunne quanta est inter solem lunam tanta inter pontifices reges differentia cognoscitur Clement the sift in the chapter Romani principes de iureiurando declareth that the Emperors of Rome haue submitted their heads to the bishop of Rome sua submittere capita non reputarunt indignum againe he sheweth how they ought to take an oath of fealtie and obedience to the Pope The author of the Glosse in c. Romani clem de iureiurando assigneth all this subiection of Princes to Christ his institution Iesus voluit saith he In the chapter Pastoralis clem de sent reiudicat the Pope determineth that by right of the Papacie he hath superioritie ouer the Empire and that in the vacancie of the empire himselfe hath the right of the Emperour Bonisace the 8. writing to the French king gaue him to vnderstand that he was the Popes subiect both in spirituall and temporall matters scire to volumus saith he quod in spiritualibus temporalibus nobis subes in the chapter vnam sanctam extr de maior obed hee determineth that the Pope hath both the swords and that he hath power both to make kings and to depose them spiritualis potestas potestatem terrenam instituere habet iudicare si bona non fuerit that is the spirituall power hath right to ordeine the earthly power and to iudge the same if it be not good Iosephus Vestanus lib. de osculat pedum Pontisicis p. 137. among the dictates of Gregory the 7. setteth downe this for one that it is lawfull for the Pope to depose the Emperour Pius the fist in his blundring bull against Queene Elizabeth our late dread soueraigne blusheth not to affirme that the Pope alone is made a Prince and set ouer all nations and kingdomes to pull vp to destroy to dissipate and spaile to plant and to build hunc vnum saith he super omnes gentes ommae regna principeÌ„ constituit qui cuellat destruat dissipet disperdat plantet aedisicet This also is the doctrine of modern Iebusites and their complices Bellarm. lib. 5. de Pontis Rom. c. 6. speaking of the Pope teacheth that he hath power to change kingdomes and to take from one and to giue to another if it be necessary for saning soules and this he offreth to prooue Potest mutare regna saith he vni auferre atque altericonserre si id necessarium sit ad animarum salutem vt probabimus The Iebusites of France in a discourse intitled la veritè defendue blush not to defend the Popes vsurped power in
Paris sheweth that in the times of Innocent the third Christians were accused by a writing sent from heauen for shewing no pity vpon widowes and orphans and shewing lesse mercy then did the pagans viduae orphani ad vos clamant quotidie saith that writing quibus nullam facitis miscricordiam pagani habent misericordiam at vos non habetis but much more reason haue we to vse these words to the moderne Iebusites and their complices for they are more mercilesse then Turkes the Turkes suffer Christians to inioy their religion and these doe not therefore the Italians as Natalis Comes in his history testifieth say it is better to liue vnder the Turke then vnder the Spaniards and Popes inquisitors and for this cause the kingdome of Hungarie and principality of Transiluania hath chosen rather to seeke for succor at the hands of Turkes then to endure the cruell and trecherous executions of the Pope and his bloody inquisitors vp then o Lord and scatter these thy bloody enemies that seeke to scatter and massacre the sheepe of thy pasture and let not those preuaile any further that make warres against the Lambe and all that follow him and constantlie professe his truth these wolues haue conspired and sworne the destruction of the professors of religion At Bayon anno 1585. a league was concluded betwixt France Spaine and other Princes the articles were these as is euident by the French histories The Spanish king shall warre vpon the king of Nauarre the dukes of Ferraria and Sauoy with the aid of German horsemen shall translate the wars into France the Germans shall hinder all succor to come to them of the religion the Cantons of Suizzerland that adhere to the Pope shall oppresse the other Cantons Monkes shall giue their names for souldiers and all shall endeuor to kill the Lutherans so you see that the finall end of their designes is murder and cruelty their meanes fire sword and gunpowder their contentment wast and desolation What reason then haue Christians to slugge and sleepe when danger is so neere them doe they thinke that papists want gun powder or poison or that they wil not hurt if they recouer strength as well they may thinke that wolues wil cease from crueltie and Serpents cast away their poison and tyrants prooue gentle foster fathers and Turkes turne Christians Nay such Princes as are not Papists are not much to trust them if they satisfie not the Popes will in all things Gregory the 7. killed and empoisoned all that were opposite to his deseings he excommunicated the emperor Henry the fourth because he would not suffer him quietly to sell ecclesiasticall prelacies his successors made warres vpon Henry the sift Fridericke the 1. Philip Otho and Fridericke the 2. for that they could not bee suffered to dispose of the landes of the Empire Lewis of Bauier was persecuted for no other cause then for that he would not receiue his crowne at the Popes hands for this cause also Harold King of England became enemy of the Clergy because he tooke the crowne before it was deliuered by Popish prelates Philip the faire King of France was persecuted by Boniface the 8. for that he would not acknowledge himselfe to be the Popes subiect and yet did they not know any other religion then that which the Pope then professed Finally Henry the 3. of France albeit superstitiously addicted to popery yet could he not escape the butcherly hands of the popish leaguers that suborned a Dominican Frier to kill him for that he would not at their appointment make warres vpon his subiects To conclude therefore this point there is no way of security for Christians against the Popes cruelty and his adherents practises then manfully to resist their vsurpations warily to take heede of their mines and gunpowder and neuer to trust their sweete words and guilefull promises with clemency they are not to bee mitigated but with resolution and iustice they may easily be subdued CHAP. XLV That the practises and treaties of Popes and their complices with Christians are not to be trusted THe Prophet describing a wicked man saith he laid hands on such as were at peace with him and broke his couenant Among heatheÌ„ people the Thracians were very infamous for breaking their oathes and promises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was in times past a common prouerbe but neither among heathen people nor among such as professe to know God doe we reade of any more foedifragous or periurious sect then the Popes of Rome and their complices Others percase breake both oathes and promises but no man in time past euer taught that faith and oathes giuen to others ought to be broken as doe the Romanistes in the conuenticle of Constance they not onely made void the Emperours charter of faseconduct giuen to Iohn Husse but also by publike act determined that saith was not to be holden with heretikes They absolue subiects from their oathes of allegeance which as Sigebert in his Chronicle saith sauoureth of heresie Pius quintus not onely absolued the late Queenes subiectes from their allegeance but also denounced them excommunicate that continued firme in their allegeance Iulius the second went one point further and disputed that the church was not bound with othes as Guicciardine in his historie reporteth now euery man knoweth that by the church he vnderstood the Pope With this wicked doctrine their execrable practise very well accordeth Gregorie the 7. by a publike sentence of a synode was declared periured Paschal the 2. confirmed certeine couenants betwixt himselfe and the Emperor by solemne chartres seals and othes literis sigillis inramentis saith Otho Frisingâ—nsis lib. 7. but immediately he brake all Fridericke the 2. as Matthew Paris testifieth accused Gregory the 9. for teaching persidiousnesse and periury quod persidiam periurium doceret and yet his disciples hold that the Pope when he teacheth cannot erre in matters of faith Gregory the 12. as Theodoricke a Niem tract vnionis 6. c. 29. writeth was charged to be a publike forsworne person and by him called periurus publicus lib. 3. de schism c. 3. he saith he deceiued the world with his oathes and vowes votis iuramentis suis decepit mundum likewise he saith tract 6. c. 39. vnionis that Innocentius would not admit the vnion of the Papacy albeit he had before vowed and sworne to doe it Charles the French King chargeth both him and Peter de Luna with breaking their oathes as Theodoric a Niem writeth tract nemoris vnionis lib. 6. c. 14. The Bohemians for this persidious dealing of the Popes complices would not come to the councell of Basil without good pledges Alexander the 6. was more perfidious then any Carthagigian as in his life Onuphrius testifieth perfidia plus quà m punica When Iulius the third was in petition he swore both to the French and Spanish as is testified in Pelegrino Inglese but performed neither to the one nor to the other The Masse-priests of Trent
halfe their authority Thirdly Bellarmine and others exempt the persons of the Clergie from the iurisdiction of temporall Lords doth it not then appeare that popish kings are Commanders but of one halfe of their subiects Lastlie they doe exempt the goods of the clergie from the disposition of the Prince so we may see that the King loseth halfe his reuenues where popish religion beareth swaie To conclude therefore it is apparent by the premisses that all true Papists professing and practising the Popes doctrine are vtter enemies and in hart euill affected to Kings professing a contrary religion and depend on strange and forreine Princes rather then vpon their owne Kings well they may temporize hauing dispensations for it but if opportunity bee offred to the Pope and his faction to shew their malice we may assure our selues we shall finde them like our English powder-men that is traitors and enemies of the prince and state and Kings professing Popery are but the Popes vassals and vnderlings and during the Popes good will and pleasure further they haue but halfe their kingly authority and rule but halfe their subiects and lose halfe their reuenues which whosoeuer either teacheth or alloweth he may say and sweare obedience in temporall matters as long as he list but wise men will neuer hold him for other then a temporary and vndutifull subiect CHAP. LIIII That such Papists as positiuely hold all the hereticall and false doctrines of the moderne church of Rome cannot possiblie be saued THere are many false prophets gone out into the world saith S. Iohn 1. epist. 4. speaking of his times and Reuelat. 9. he telleth vs that in the later times of the church a starre shall fall from heauen and that he that is signified by that starre shal open the bottomlesse pit out of the smoke wherof shall come locustes that haue haire like women teeth like lions habergeons of iron and tailes like scorpions we may not therefore thinke but that now also false prophets are stirring abroad and that swarmes of locustes are flying in euery kingdome seeking by glozing pretence to deceiue the simple by viperous calumniations to bite true teachers with armes to oppugne princes and with the poison and reliques of their herolies to sting and hurt all that shall professe the trueth The Iebusites and their consorts the friers and Masse-priests pretend the sauing of mens soules but they are false teachers and the very locustes mentioned by S. Iohn and sent foorth by the Pope designed by the starre Apocalyps 9. let all Papists therefore beware how they listen to their heriticall and damnable doctrine which who so beleeueth and followeth positiuely cannot be saned The word of God is true If any man saith Iohn Ren. 14. worship the beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God afterward he saith hee shall be tormented in fire and brimstome before the holy Angels and before the Lambe but whosoeuer is reconciled to the Pope and submitteth himselfe to the lawes and kingdome of antichrist doth worship the beast and his image whosoeuer openly professeth Popery receiueth the Popes marke in his forehead whosoeuer yeeldeth to the practise of Romish religion receiueth his marke in his hand let Papistes therefore stand vpon their guard and looke well to their consciences for albeit Sanders and Bellarmine with all their skill haue endeuoured to prooue that the Pope is not antichrist yet all Bellarmines wrangling discourse is refuted in my fift booke de Pontif. Rom. and Sanders his demonstrations stande also dissolued by M. Whitakers of pious memory beside that neither they nor any of their consorts can assigne any other state vnto whom these prophesies may so well agree as to the Pope and his kingdome if then our reasons cannot resolue them yet the perplexitie of our aduersities in this controuersie may helpe to informe them and perswade them that the beast there spoken of is the Pope and that his image is the Romish gouernment whereby the old empire of Rome is in a certaine sort represented and restored Furthermore Apocalyps 22. we finde that dogges enchanters whoremongers murtherers idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies shal be excluded out of the kingdome of heauen but like to dogges the Pope and his adherents refuse Gods word preached vnto them and teare them in pieces that seeke to feed them with the bread of life diuers of the Popes haue beene great Magicians Necromancers and Enchanters as Benet the 9. Gregory the 6. and 7. Syluester the 2. Paul the 3. and many of their followers follow also but too much this damnable practise the Masse-priests like cunning enchanters suppose that bread and wine is turned into flesh and blood in their magicall Masses they permit publike stewes keepe concubines and to monkes friers and masse-priests forbid lawfull marriage they haue murdred and massacred millions of Christians to erect and vphold their antichristian kingdome the 5. of Nouember last they attempted a treason neuer before heard of minding to murder the King his Lords and the Commons assembled in parliament and to massacre all opposite to them throughout the realme they erect idols in churches and euerie corner of their streetes and in high waies giuing latriam and diuine honour to the crosse and to the images of the Trinitie and calling the Sacrament their Lord and God and making vowes praiers confessions to saints and burning incense to images and saying Masse in the honour of saints and angels finally they doe not onely forge standers against M. Luther Zuinglius Caluin and other true teachers but also against vs all as if we taught that God is the author of sinne and that Christ despaired that there is no hell but horror of conscience and such like abhominable doctrines which we expresly detest they giue out also that we condemne good works and teach rebellion and their hearers delight to heare these lies S. Paul hauing rehearsed diuers works of the flesh Gal. 5. and namely adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse idolatrie witchcraft and diuers others of that nature and among the rest heresie seditions he concludeth that those that doe such things shall not inherite the kingdome of God but neuer was any sect more subject to these workes of the flesh then the Papists their idolatries heresies rebellions murders and witchcraft I haue before noted adultery and fornication they account to be small sinnes c. at si clerici de indicijs their vnnaturall lustes are testified in diuers records and bookes their clergie cannot choose but be vncleane when they resuse marriage and forsweare it their massacres and murders and rebellions are recorded in many histories and the memory thereof will now be recorded in actes of parliament that they allow publike stewes themselues deny not and doe they thinke that wallowing like swine in their fleshly workes they shall be saued Athanasius in the end of his Creed saith it is
rest also may reuoke their errours see their deformities returne with a sincere heart to Gods true church and so be saued CHAP. LV. A briefe recapitulation of the principall points of the former discourse and an exhortation both to Papistes and true Christians THus we see and I pray God all Christians may diligently consider what is meant by popish religion briefly it is a collection of diuers corruptions and errors mainteined by the Pope and his adherents either contrary or aboue the Apostles doctrine this religion we haue shewed to haue beene built vpon weake vncerteine and salse foundations and auerre that it is contrarie to the doctrine of Gods law and of true faith and iustification through Christ the same also teacheth erroneously of the Gospell and diminisheth the merits of Christ our mediator and redeemer Further it hath corrupted the doctrine of the sacraments and brought in many old and new heresies it is compacted of diuers impieties blasphemies and idolatries and neuer came from Hierusalem it was neuer taught by the Prophets or Apostles nor professed by ancient Christian Kings It is not that religion to which the ancient Britans and English were conuerted nor doth it deserue to be called Catholike or ancient it is found to be repugnant to ancient councels and to the faith of the ancient fathers It is a religion diuers from that of the ancient Martyrs of Christ Iesus A religion deuised by man and not deriued out of holy scriptures A religion whose founders defenders doe wickedly wrest and abuse scriprures fathers and other writers A religion consisting of heathenish and Iewish obseruances A religion full of contradictions and contrarieties A religion steined with many fooleries and absurdities A religion keeping Christians in ignorance of true pietie and loosing the reines to all voluptuousnesse and disorder A religion deuoid of good workes and piety A religion that maketh a base accompt of Gods people and teacheth doctrines of Diuels A religion of whose grounds and doctrines the professors thereof haue no assurance A religion repugnant to lawes of nations of kinred alliance and common ciuilitie A religion preiudiciall to the authority of Kings and dangerous in regard of their states and persons A religion that laieth greeuous burthens on mens consciences and eateth vp Christians through manifolde exactions A religion without true bishops and priests and wholy mainteined by false allegations forgeries calumniations lies fire and sword periury and breach of couenant A religion whose chiefe founders and mainteiners haue beene commonly noted for wicked and profane men A religion more absurd in diuers points and that oppresseth Christians more greeuously then Mahometry A religion by whose practise the empire of Christians is decaied the power of the Turke enlarged A religion professed by degenerated Romans neither for faith nor life comparable to their ancesters and by a church that was neuer visible vntill of late time nor can shew better markes or bring better motiues to induce men to embrace her doctrine then the Turks and Paynims To conclude a religion whose professors can neither be esteemed true subiects nor true Christians nor iustlie pretend either assurance or hope of their saluation I doe therefore exhort all true Christians as they desire either that the true faith of Christ Iesus may be publikely receiued or that doctrines contrary to piety Christian charity policy reason and common humanity may be suppressed to beware of the leuain of Popery to concurre with those which both teach and set forward the true Catholike faith according to the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets and which seeke to resiste all corruptions false doctrines sects and heresies and to roote vp the seeds of all trecherie and rebellion On the other side I beseech all Papists to cast away all preiudice and passion and diligently to consider of the premisses that as they professe themselues true subiects wel affected to Catholike the ancient religion of the church of Christ so they may abhorre their former treasons and rebellious detest the masse-priests and powder-men their consorts reiect all heresies errors and false doctrines masked with glorious titles of vniuersality and antiquity and set foorth by the Pope and his complices teaching a late particular faith and finally endeuour to be gathered together into that society whereof Christ is the head and without which there is no saluation The God of all truth confirme and establish all true Christians in truth and discouer all trecheries and errors that such as now are disloially minded and wander astray may acknowledge their former disloialties and errors and embrace the true Catholike faith and that such as stand may be confirmed in the truth that so both they and we iointly may liue loyally vnder our Princes and truely serue one true and euerliuing God and glorifie his holy name through Christ our Lord to whom together with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God we render all praise and honour now and for euer A briefe note of the contents of euery Chapter of the former discourse Chap. 1. VVHat is ment by Popery or popish religion in this whole treatise Chap. 2. Of the grounds and foundations of popish religion Chap. 3. Of the wicked doctrine of Papists concerning the law of God and the performance thereof Chap. 4. Of the damnable doctrine of Papists concerning faith and iustification Chap. 5. What Papists doe meane speaking of the Gospel Chap. 6. Of the impious doctrine of Papists concerning Christ our Sauiour Chap. 7. The strange contradictory and false opinions of Papists concerning the Sacraments Chap. 8. That Popery is a mixture of old and new heresies Chap. 9. A catalogue of diuers notorious impieties and blasphemies conteined not onely in popish bookes but also in the corps of popish religion Chap. 10. That Popery is a sinke of heathenish idolatry Chap. 11. That popish religion neuer came from Hierusalem Chap. 12. That Popish religion was neuer taught either by the old Prophets or by the apostles of Christ Iesus Chap. 13. That Popery was either condemned or not know â—s by kings professing Christian religion in old time Chap. 14. That the ancient Britanes and English were not first conuerted to popish religion Chap. 15. That popish religion is most falsly termed catholike religion and papists Catholikes Chap. 16. That popish religion is not the ancient religion of the primitiue church Chap. 17. That Popery is repugnant to ancient Councels Chap. 18. That popery is not the faith of the ancient fathers of the church Chap. 19. That popish religion was neuer testified by the blood of Christian martyrs Chap. 20. That popery is a meere humane denise and not in any sort to be deduced or proued out of holy scriptures Chap. 21. That popish religion in diuers points is directly contrarie to holy scriptures Chap. 22. That the founders and desenders of popery doe most wickedly abuse holy scriptures Chap. 23. That the Pope and the principall proctors of his cause are great forgers and falsifiers of fathers profane writers and of publike records Chap. 24. That Popery standeth much vpon heathenish obseruances and customes Chap. 25. That popery borroweth also diuers fashions from the Iewes Chap. 26. That popish religion is full of contradictions and contrary opinions Chap. 27. That popery is a most absurd and foolish religion Chap. 28. That popery keepeth Christians in blindenesse and ignorance of God and godlinesse Chap. 29. That popish religion giueth the reines to licentiousnesse of life leadeth Christians the broad way to destruction Chap. 30. That popish religion bringeth foorth such bitter fruites that the professors thereof haue no reason to boast of their workes Chap. 31. That in popery a base accompt is made of princes and all lay-men Chap. 32. That popery is a doctrine of diuels Chap. 33. That Papists can haue no assurance of the truth of their religion Chap. 34. That popery is repugnant to the lawes of nations Chap. 35. That popery dissolueth the bonds of kinred all 〈◊〉 and ciuilitie Chap. 36. That popish religion either disannulleth or greatly preiudiceth the authority of kings and princes Chap. 37. That Kings professing popish religion are either no kings or but halfe kings Chap. 38. That kings liue not in any security of their lines where popery is professed by their subiects Chap. 39. That Popish religion laieth grieuous burthens on mens consciences Chap. 40. That popish religion is very grieuous in regard of the popes and the Masse-priests manfolde taxes and exactions Chap. 41. That the popish church hath no true bishops nor priests Chap. 42. That popery cannot be mainteined without forgerie and falshood Chap. 43. That popery cannot be wel vpholden without calummations and lies Chap. 44. That the cause of popery is not mainteined without fire and sword Chap. 45. That the practises and treaties of popes and their complices with Christians are not to be trusted Chap. 46. That the chiefe founders and mainteiners of popery haue beene commonly noted for wicked and profane men Chap. 47. That popery in many points is more absurde and abominable then the doctrine of Mahomet Chap. 48. That christians are lesse oppressed vnder the Turke then vnder the Pope Chap. 49. That the ambition couetousnesse contention practise of popes is the principall cause of the decay of the Christian empire and a great occasion of the good successe of the Turkes Chap. 50. That the moderns church of Rome is much degenerated from the faith and manners of the ancient Romaines Chap. 51. That the Romish church that now is was inuisible in old time Chap. 52. That the markes of the church and motiues to the moderne Romish faith alledged by Papists may as well be alle dged by Turkes and infidels Chap. 53. That true Papists cannot be true nor loiall subiects Chap. 54. That such Papists as positiuely holde all the hereticall and false doctrines of the mederne church of Rome cannot possibly be saued Chap. 55. A briefe recapitulation of the principall points of the former discourse and art exhortation both to Papists and true Christians
Apostles he shall declare himselfe to want both head and braine for in the Canticles c. 2. and Ephes 5. the title of spouse of the church is declared to belong to Christ and him only the scriptures declare to be head of the Church Gregory lib. 4. ep 38. ad Ioan. Constantinopol sheweth that neither Paul nor Andrew nor Iohn nor Peter was the head of the vniuersall church but all members of the church vnder one head The Prophets and Apostles doe teach vs that the church of God consisteth of sheepe and lambes and such was Peter commanded to feede God saith by his Prophet Isay c. 11. that there shall be no hurting nor killing in all his holie mountaine and that the wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the pard he with the kidde but the Romish Church is full of blood and wholy vpholden by cruelty in France the Pope and his complices haue caused aboue two hundred thousand persons to be murdered for the profession of the true faith the fires and butchers axes of their executioners haue consumed also infinit Christians in Italy Spaine England Scotland Germany and the Low countries very ignorant therefore he is of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles that supposeth that the massacring Romish church is founded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets The Prophet Daniel doth prophecy how a certaine king shall arise that shall speake words of blasphemy against the most high and consume his Saints and that shall thinke that he may change times and lawes the Apostle also 2. Thess 2. sheweth that there shall come a departing and that the man of sinne shall be disclosed and exalt himselfe against all that is called God and that he shall sit in the temple of God S. Iohn also in his Apocalypse sheweth that Antichrist shall rise after the decay of the Roman Empire and giue life to that state and that the great whore shall sit vpon the seuen hils and haue her garments died red in the blood of Saints but this argueth that the Pope is Antichrist and that Popish religion is not Christian religion grounded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets but rather Antichristian heresie founded vpon the Popes decretales and schoolemens fond and foolish inuentions Finallie it is not only desperate ignorance but also meere madnesse to affirme that the grounds doctrines heresies and blasphemies which before we haue spoken of are deriued out of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles would Kellison the Popes grand surueier vndertake to prooue vnto vs all the Popes traditions concerning the Masse the dirges and offices for the dead purgatory indulgences holy water holy candles paschal lambes rascall Friers and Monkes and such like trash by the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets he should but lose his labour and percase his wits too for in their diuine writings such fond superstitious and impious doctrines haue no defence nor shelter but if hee meane to find their true beginning then must he search the Popes decretales the writings of schoolemen and canonists and other the Popes adherents and there he shall not only find out the first authours but also the rest of the nouelties fooleries and impieties of the synagogue of Satan CHAP. XIII That poperie was either condemned or not knowen by Kings and Princes professing Christian religion in old time THe Popes Agents when they are vpon their owne dunghils and among their owne disciples and fauorers doe make great crackes as if the Popish religion which is now taught at Rome were the only religion professed by ancient kings princes and emperors of Rome that made profession of the Christian faith but who so list to read the ancient confessions of Christian kings and the lawes made by them both for mainteinance of the Christian faith and for the repressing of diners errors shall finde that the grounds doctrines impieties absurdities of Popery were either disallowed by them or vnknowen vnto them The first Christian king of Britaine if we may beleeue Bede and others of latter times for in more auncient histories there is no record of such a king or such matters as then passed was Lucius but we doe not finde that the Popish Masse was then hatched or that Eleutherius bishop of Rome pretended the vniuersall monarchy of the Church nay wee read that Irenaeus doth make as great account of other churches as of Rome albeit the same be first placed in regard of the splendour and authority of that citie furthermore Lucius neither had images nor worshipped them nor did he giue Latria to the crosse of Purgat one and indulgences he could not heare any thing for that Eleutherius as yet tooke not vpon him to deliuer soules out of Purgatory nor to grant pardons a poena culpa finally if Kellison seeke to prooue the articles of Popery before mentioned by the testimony of Lucius you shall soone see that the man will be at a stand The first Christian Emperour of Rome was Constantine the great but many actes of his declare that he was neither a slaue of the bishop of Rome nor a professor of Popery for first by his authority both was the councell of Nice assembled and the actes thereof established as Enschius in vita Constantini and other ecclesiasticall writers doe testifie secondly that faith which the councell of Nice published he professed but therein is not one article of Popery established but rather diuers refuted as namely the doctrine of Papists concerning Christs humanitie and the Popish reall presence and dissoluing priests mariages for if Christ be true man then is not his body inuisible and impalpable in the Sacrament againe if Christs body be ascended into heauen then is not the same in euery pixe if the same be to come from heauen then is not the same to creepe out of a pixe if mariage of Priests be honorable and not to be dissolued as was decreed in the counceil of Nice by the aduice of Paphnutius then doe the Papists teach doctrines of diuels that condemne such mariages and separate Priests from their wiues thirdly all the actes of that councell were confirmed and not only receiued by Constantine but that sheweth that the Bishop of Rome then had no more authoritie in his prouince then the Bishop of Alexandria in his as the sixth canon of the Nicene councell testifieth the 4. canon sheweth that the Bishop of Rome had no greater authority in ordeining bishops then other metropolitans the fifth canon equalleth his power in excommunication to that which other Bishops had to abridge this matter we finde that the Bishops of Rome were as well subiect to the canons of the councell of Nice as other Bishops finally we finde that Constantine made lawes for church gouernment in his time and not the Bishops of Rome Nay the bishops of Rome as is said in the counterfet donation of Constantine had their priuileges from Constantine and not contrariwise priuilegium Romanae ecclesiae pontifici
draue Gregory the 7. out of his seate and appointed another in his place Henry the 5. his sonne tooke Paschalis prisoner and made him sweare to certeine articles he broke them afterward I confesse but that is rather an argument of the Popes perfidiousnesse then a proofe against the Emperours authoritie neither did the Emperors succeeding for many yeares cease to defend their right against the Popes encrochments and vsurpation vntill such time as the Popes by force of armes and rebellion of subiects had preuailed against them and when they could not by force resist yet did they often publish their complaints as appeareth by the message of Maximilian the first to the Pope by certeine memorials of Charles the fift concerning wrongs offered by the Pope by the greenances collected by the princes of Germany presented to Adrian the 6. by the apologies of the Bohemians English French and other nations Philip the French king writing to Boniface the 8. vsed these wordes Sciat tua maxima fatuitas nos in temporalibus nulli subesse I do thy great foolery saith he writing to him to wit that for temporall matters we are subiect to none the same king did also handle the Popes nuncioes according to their deseruing Henry the 2. as Matthew Paris testifieth forbad the paiment of Peter pence and such as appealed to the court of Rome he coÌ„mitted to prison appellantes ad curiam Rom. mandauit custodiae afterward writing to the bishop of Colein he threatueth to impugne the Pope and to thrust out of his kingdom all his fauourers Papam omnes suos saith he manifestè impugnabimus quicunque in terra mea inuentus fuerit qui Papae posthac adhaerere voluerit expelletur è regno happie had he beene if he had alwaies persisted in this purpose the kings of England afterward by their lawes against prouisions restrained the Popes authoritie and in the end that famous and worthy Prince King Henrie the eight did vtterly exclude the Pope and his Agents from all iurisdiction within his kingdome Furthermore albeit some princes were so sencelesse that they felt not the wrongs offered them by the Pope yet did such as loued the honour of their country neuer cease to complaine thereof Alan Chartier sheweth that Priests in the eies of the people were become most vile and that the hearts of men were alienated from the Popes obedience corda hominum ab obedientia scilicet Papae alienata Iulian the cardinall writing to Eugenius the fourth sheweth it was to be feared lest the laitie should fall vpon the clergy ne irruerent in ecclesiasticos laici The Germans in the end of their grieuances say that they neither would suffer nor could indure the wrongs offered them by the Pope Dixerunt Germani Principes saith he that reported their grieuances se onera Papae nec perferre velle nec tolerare posse Nicholas de Clemangis sheweth that both Princes and others murmured against the Popes exactions Charles the French king inueying against Benet the 13. signifieth that God would displace the Popes out of their seates for oppressing and spoiling Christs sheepe facti sunt greges mei in rapinam c. propterea cessare eos faciam vt non pascant vlterius gregem meum these words Charles applied against the Pope the English being excommunicated in king Iohns time called the Popes agents marcidos ribaldos that is rotten rascals and signified that they would not indure their tyranny Petrus de Ferrarijs in form resp rei conuenti bewaileth the miserie of Christian princes that indured so many wrongs at the Popes hands and made themselues his slaues and yet prouided no remedy for it heu miseri imperatores principes seculares saith he qui haec alia sustinetis vos seruos Pontificum facitis mundum per eos infinitie modis vsurpari videtis nec de remedio cogitatis Christian Princes and Kings therefore haue alwaies abhorred the Popes tyranny refused his religion and the more christian they haue shewed themselues the more resistaÌ„ce they haue made both against his corruptions in doctrine and his vsurpations and abuses in gouernment Vlrichus Vttenus in his preface to Laurentius Vallaes treatise against the counterfet donation of Constantine doth thus exclaime against the Popes as enemies and spoilers of all Christians annon fuerunt Christianorum hostes illi pontifices qui omnium ad se opes attraxerunt onmibus liberis seruitutem moliti sunt qui imper to reges peâ— unia ciâ—es deâ—l aliabant were not the Popes enemies of Christians which drew vnto themselues the wealth of all and endeuoured to oppresse all free men which spoiled kings of their gouernement and the subiects of their monie CHAP. XIIII That the auncient Britans and English were not first conuerted to Popish religion LEt that abide in you saith S. Iohn 1. epist 2. which you haue heard from the beginning so likewise we say let vs abide in that faith and let that faith abide in vs that was first preached by the Apostles schollers and successors in this Iland and let vs not be caried away by the poleshorne crew of the Pope to beleeue popish nouelties and fables that the auncient Christians of this land whether Britans English or Scots were not conuerted to popish religion that is now predominant in the kingdome of antichrist we haue three most euident demonstrations to assure vs. Frst those doctrines and grounds of Popery which before I haue mentioned will neuer be proued to haue beene taught by the first planters of Christian religion in this land and very absurd it were to suppose them to haue beene the authors of those heresies impieties and blasphemies which are so rife in Popery If S. Peter or S. Paul or any of their schollers did plant religion heere we must not thinke that they taught one thing and wrote another or that the schollers preached otherwise then they had learned from their masters If Ioseph of Arimathaea did first conuert the Britans and Fugatius and Damianus confirme them in the faith or if Austen the Monke and his fellowes did first conuert the Saxons or English yet can it not bee shewed that any one of these did teach that the traditions of the church of Rome and holy scriptures were with equall affection to be receiued or that the doctrine of Popish holy water paschall lambes tosaries images and such like traditions is the word of God or that Christs true body is torne with teeth and receiued downe into the belly and may be eaten of dogges and hogges or that Christians are iustified by extreme vnction or eating saltfish and redherrings vpon fridaies and fasting daies or that incense is to be burnt to images or the Sacrament adored for God and caried about in procession or the rest of the points of Popery before mentioned either therfore let Parsons shew vs that the seueral points of Popery before touched were taught by S. Peter the Apostle and Eleutherus and Gregory
the Popes lawes as the resistance of the churches of Asia against Victor of the churches of Afrike against Sozimus and other Popes declare 20. Of late time friers especially the Capucins haue attired themselues like chimney sweepers burners of houses 21. The rules of monks and friers are diuers from the rules of Christian religion and can not be elder then the orders of monkes and friers 22. Gregory the seuenth as Otho Frisingensis sayth was the first that did excommunicate the Emperour and taught that he had power to assoile subiects from the others of obedience to Princes 23. The vse of priuate masses without communion is but new as the old ordinall of Rome that hath no masses of that nature declareth the canons of the Apostles forbid Christians to depart before they receiued the communion 24. Innocent the third in the chap. omnis vtriusque de poenit remiss did first bring in a necessity of auricular confession he also was the first father of the monster transubstantiation as we find by the chapter firmiter de sum Trinit fid Cathol 25. Purgatory for satisfaction for temporall paines of sinnes whose guilt before was remitted was first deuised by schoolemen 26. The Iubiley among Christians was first deuised by Boniface the eigth he also decreed first that all temporall princes and others vpon paine of damnation must bee subiect to the Pope 27. Popish indulgences are but of a late stampe and the schoole doctrine thereof much latter the Papists themselues being as yet not fully resolued what to thinke of them 28. Clement the sixth first deuised the treasure out of which indulgences are supposed to be granted as appeareth by the chap. vnigenitus extr depoenit remiss 29. The doctrine of cases reserued to the Pope is not once spoken of in the writings of the fathers and yet the Masse-priests make a great matter of them 30. The doctrine of the Popes penitentiarie taxe for dispatch of pardons for murders incest sodomie and all villanies I thinke Kellison will not contend to bee verie ancient 31. Bellarmines doctrine lib. 1. de verb. Dei c. 3. concerning the new Testament where he saith it is nothing else but the loue of God shed into our harts by the holy Ghost is new for it contradicteth Chrysostome Theodoret and others in 2. Cor. 3. who teach that the new Testament is God grace remitting sinnes 32. The prohibition of mariage betweene spirituall gossips is a late deuice of the Pope for gaine 33. The separation of maried couples for religion before consummation of mariage without consent of both the parties is both new and wicked 34. The popish ceremonies vsed in baptisme are of a late inuention as for example salt spittle candles and popish exorcismes 35. Of late they haue begun to exorcise salt in salutem credentium for the saluation of the faithfull and holy water to cast our Diuels and to driue awaie discases these consurations are not found in the old Romish ordinals 36. The Masseppriests haue now gotten a new tricke to sprinkle the altar with holy water and to say thou shalt sprinkle mee with hyssope and I shal be clensed applying the scriptures contrary to the meaning of the holy ghost 37. Honorius the third in the chapter sane cum olim de celebr miss did first ordaine that the sacrament should bee worshipped and safely kept and caried with light to those that are sicke 38. Halfe communions are direct contrary to Christs institution and the practise of the church and first established in the conuenticle of Constance 39. The Masse cannot be old for that Nauclerus Platina Polydore and others confesse is was innented by diuers authors long after the Apostles times 40. The praiers for the dead now found in the Masse are not to be seene in the booke called Ordo Romanus 41. In old time the fathers neuer beleeued that Christ had a body inuisible and incircumscriptible and that might bee in heauen and earth and many places at one time 42. The godly bishops of old time did neither swinge the chalice about their head nor make crosses about it when they celebrated the eucharist 43. The saying of seruice and administration of Sacraments in tongues not vnderstood is a foolish noueltie 44. Now in the Roman Catechisme they teach that euery Masse-priest consecrating worketh three miracles but in old time they were neuer taken for such workers of miracles 45. The Papists after their Pater noster say their aue Maria and pray to our Lady which practise is neither ancient nor Apostolicall 46. The Psalter of our Lady and her peculiar offices and Masses in honour of Saints will not be iustified by ancient precedents 47. Hardly will the Papists bring a precedent of 300. yeers old to prooue that Christians praied to the crosse for encrease of iustice and remission of sinnes 48. In the missall of Sarum the Priest saith to the sacrament aue or haile and boweth to it contrarie to all ancient practise 49. The worship of Papists must needs be new for that both their Saints are new and their praiers and offices new 50. The missals breuiaries and offices of our Lady haue their antiquity from the conuenticle of Trent 51. Popish idolaters worship the sacrament and the crosse with diuine honour but they shall neuer bring allowance of antiquitie for this practise 52. They burne also incense to dumbe images kisse them and bow to them but these vnchristian trickes were not knowen in old time 53. Of late time they haue decreed that the Pope is aboue the councell but it is since the councell of Constance 54. Now the Pope pretendeth right to handle the temporall sword but that did not the Bishops of Rome for a thousand yeeres after Christ 55. Of late time the Pope hath troden vpon the necks of Emperours but in ancient time the bishops of Rome were subiect to Emperours 56. In time past the bishops of Rome were persecuted and martyred now the Popes of late time persecute and martyr others Finally all the points of doctrine differing from the faith o this church which the Pope and his complices seeke now to thrust vpon Christians are for the most part nouelties And this doth clearely appeare in this for that they are contrary to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as before hath beene particularly declared the same is also coutrary to the doctrine of the fathers and ancient churches practise as we shall declare heerafter Further the Papists haue turned the whole seruice of God into a massing mommery Finally for God they worship Saints and dumbe images the institution of Christ Iesus in the eucharist they haue altered new sacraments they haue deuised are they not then ashamed to call popery ancient Christian religion CHAP. XVII That Poperic is repugnant to auncient councels MVch doc Papists bragge of councels Campion saith the first last and midst are his concilia generalia mea sunt generall councels saith he are all for me
after their death being depriued of the communion of Christians and of buriall Alexander the 4. c. quicunque haereticos de haereticis in 6. excommunicateth and depriueth of Christian buriall all such as goe about to bury heretikes or their fauorers neither doe they admitte the repentance of such as are adiudged relapsed but deliuer them ouer to be burnt by their executioners as we may reade in the chapter super co de haereticis in 6. The spanish inquisition is yet more rigorous then the former laws of Popes for vpon any wicked or lewd fellowes accusation an honest man may be attached imprisoned tortured and if he acquite himselfe not the better either famished in prison or burnt most cruelly And by these lawes we finde that infinit Christians haue beene done to death in Spaine Italy France Flanders England Scotland Germany and other Christian countries Meteraâ—â— in his history of the troubles of the low countries reporteth that fiftie thousand persons were executed by the actes of iudges and inquisitors in the low countries during the reigne of Charles the fift In England during the times of Queene Mary they spared neither old nor yongue noble nor base learned nor vnlearned nor did they respect eithe sexe of women or the simplicitie of the common sort Pius quintus testifieth that Philip the 2. spared not his owne and onely sonne Charles being accused by the inquisitors in the daies of Gregory the 13. a gentleman of Valedolid in Spaine cut wood and set fire to burne two of his owne daughters condemned for the Gospell in that countrey called heresie and if king Henry the 8. had liued longer it is thought the Papists would haue perswaded him not to haue spared his Queene so cruel was the Popish faction in prosecuting the innocent nay if either Queene Mary had longer liued or Popery longer reigned in England this bloody crew had caused the daughter to disenterre her own father and to burne his bones as some haue reported Sometime without forme of law they murder infinit numbers of innocent persons for the least suspicion of doctrine contrary to the opinions of the church of Rome for this cause Innocent the 3. and his successors proclaimed open warre against the Albigians and Valdensians and ceased not vntill hee had destroied all that durst manifestly oppose themselues vnto their heresie and tyranny In Bohemia they had not the like successe their armies being often ouerthrowne by the poore people of the country which defended their liues against their cruelty but neuer did they cease to persecute that nation Paul the 3. sent great forces into Germany seeking by the armes of Charles the fift to reestablish his antichristian kingdome in that countrey the same Pope stirred vp rebels both in England and Ireland against Henry the 8. that had shaken off his heauie yoke Pius the fift in his Bull commanded Queene Elizabeths subiects to rebell against her and raised many troubles both in England and Ireland seeking to ouerthrow the state if he could the same man not preuailing by intestine sedition sought to set both French and Spanish vpon the English as we may reade in his life written by Hicrome Catena In the times of Gregorie the 13. that bloody massacre that for euer shall make Papistes insamous was committed in France Natalis Comes histor lib. 23. testifieth that sixtie thousand persons were massaacred at that time Circiter sexaginta hominum millia saith he varijs in locis per illud tempus trucidata suisse dicta sunt in Gallia and so extreme was their crueltie that like bloody wolues they neither spared sexe nor age nor qualitie vel puberes vel impuberes saith he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexits vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio Anno 1588. they brought vpon England great forces with fire and sworde seeking the vtter subuersion of this kingdome but the Lord from heauen blew vpon his enemies and dispersed them In France they conspired against the king and bound themselues by oath to exclude the house of Bourbon from the right of the crowne and to roote out all that should speake against the Pope his erroneous doctrine and for that cause raised great tumults and stirres as we may reade in the memorials of the league The like course for many yeeres haue they taken in the Low countries where the strength of Italy and Spaine hath beene consumed and a way made for the good successe of the common enemy of Christendome the Turke Finally the Popes and their emissaries the Iebusites doe delight in nothing more then in tumults warres seditions massacring and shedding of the blood of innocent Christians The massacre of Paris is painted in the Popes palace as a matter wherein he taketh chiefe delight The Iebusites albeit once banished out of France cease not to sound the alarme against such as are opposite to their faction Andreas Fabritius in praefat in harmon August confess set out 1576. speaking to the Emperor exhorteth him to gird his sowrd vpon his thigh and to subdue heretikes the most pernitious enemies of Christians accingatur gladio suo super femur potentissimus imperator haereticos christiani nominis pernitiosissimos hostes sub iugum mittat Pius Quintus as we may read in his life exhorted his Italian troups that went into France against them of the religion to kill all and to take none aliue Posseuinus also a cholerike Iebusite in a treatise entitled il soldato Christiano speaking vnto the same soldiers assirmeth that it is their duty to kill al professing our religion or otherwise that they shall betray their faith and lose all hope of saluation In England of late perceiuing themselues to be too weak to preuaile by plaine force certaine vndermining Papists set on and resolued by fiery Iebusites and murdrous Masse-priests conceiued such a treason as caÌ„not be sampled by any former precedent nor found described in any old or new history their intention was at one instant with fire and gunpowder to consume the King the Queene the Prince the Prelates of the Church the Nobles Knights and Burgesses of the realme the Iudges and all that attended the honourable court of Parliament nay not content herewith they had a further practise to destroy the Kings roiall lignage to massacre all the professors of religion throughout the kingdome and to deliuer their country as a praie into the hands of Strangers The principall actors were Thomas Percy Catesby and Fauxe the principall counsellors Garnet Hall Baldwin and diuers other of the damned crew of Iebusites their aiders the damned crew of reconciled recusants Can we then thinke these men to belong to Christs flocke that vse this woluish cruelty longè diuersasunt carnisicina pietas saith Lactantius nec potest aut veritas cum vi aut institia cum crudelitate coniungi that is piety and butcherly cruelty are two diuers things and neither can truth with force nor iustice be coupled with crueltie Matthew
for Christ vsed them not neither are they Hebrew but Latine seuenthly in Hierusalem it was neuer beleeued that Christ either did eat vp himselfe or offer himselfe to his father at his last supper or that he offered himselfe twise or that there was any priest after the order of Melchisedech but Christ for the Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth contrarie finally we neuer read that the Christians in Hierusalem beleeued that some Masses were wet some dry some in the honor of Angels some in the honour of Saints some in the honor of confessors some good for pigges others for horses some for quicke some for dead or that all those trickes and skips are commendable which the Masse-priests vse at the altar or that Christ ordeined either the consecration of Churches with the alphabet in Greeke or that Priests were to vse those ceremonies which now are frequented in the church of Rome in the celebration of the Masse That the Pope came not from Hierusalem it appeareth first for that among al the ministers of the church described Eph. 4. and 1. Cor. 12. there is no Pope nor monarch of the church expressed we read of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and others but the Pope is quite forgotten which is most vnlikely especially considering that he is by the Papists supposed to be the head and foundation of the church secondly the name is rather Latine then Hebrew or Syriake for some deriue it from papè because the Pope is the wonderment of the world some from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some from the 2. syllables of pater patrum Thirdly at Hierissalem neuer was there any termed by the name of Christs vicars general or that wore a triple crowne and had a gard of Switzars attending vpon him fourthly Saint Peter neuer tooke vpon him to depose kings or to translate kingdomes from one to another which the Pope now vsurpeth fifthly the Popes decretales and decrees which conteine the Popes office and authority and the marrow of his religion haue proceeded from Rome and not from Hierusalem sixthly we read that the law of God and not the Popes lawes came from Hierusalem finally the faith and doctrine of the Pope for the most part hath beene inuented and published since Hierusalem came to bee subiect to the Saracens and Turkes if then it came from the Turkie Hierusalem it must needes be rather Turkish then Christian the decretales are rather like the Alcoran then the new testament the force that the Pope vseth against Christians proceedeth rather from Mahomet then from S. Peter The pilgrimages to Rome are like the pilgrimages to Mecha lastly both Turkes and Papists worship Saints and pray for the dead alike To proceede a little further the Romish fine Sacraments added to the Sacrament of baptisme and the Lords supper had neuer allowance by the Apostles remaining at Hierusalem for albeit mariage Priesthood and repentance were alwaies practised by the people of God vnder the law yet were they not vsed as Sacraments neither in these matters did either the people of God vnder the law or the first Christians vse the Popish orders and formes or Sacraments now at Rome frequented in time past neither were Priests prohibited to marry nor were there any times limited for mariage nor was it deemed vnlawfull for gossips to marry In Hierusalem neuer was any such forme of ordering of Priests knowen as is vsed in popery where they say receiue power to offer sacrifice for quicke and dead Nor did the Christians of Hierusalem beleeue that there were seven orders and euery one a Sacrament and yet but one Sacrament in all or that Priests were to haue shauen crownes To thinke that the first Christians at Hierusalem confessed their sinnes euery yeere at the least in the Priests care is most absurd likewise to say that the forme of absolution that is now vsed was then knowen thirdly Christians then did neither lash themselues nor thinke to satisfie for sinnes by eating saltfish or going barefoote lastly they neither beleeued that Christians were to satisfie for their sinnes in purgatory nor that the Pope caried the keies of purgatory and could deliuer soules from thence by indulgences This forme of Confirmation signo te signo crucis confirmo te Chrismate salutis c. was by authority first established in the conuenticle of Florence vnder Eugenius the 4. a Venetian and not by any that came from Hierusalem he also ordered that oile and balme should be the matter of this Sacrament Bonauenture and Alexander Hales affirme that Confirmation was instituted at Melda popish confirmation is far degenerated from that Confirmation that was vsed in the primitiue church and which we retaine in England The forme also matter of extreme vnction was there appointed by Eugenius the doctrine of the character and effectes of extreme vnction are not to be found but in the frapling schoolemen Now he that should seeke for the originall of holy water and holy salt and holy candles at Hierusalem he should but seeke to draw water out of a flint and as well might he light a candle in the sea water in the Roman missal we find these words I exorcise or coniure thee thou creature of water and exorcizo te creatura salis and such like but Stapleton should shew these things out of some Hebrew or Syriake missal The eating of Paschal lambes I confesse was vsed at Hierusalem but not by Christians but by Iewes obseruing the ceremonies of Moyses his law The Romish missals breuiaries our ladies Psalters the rosaries and such like bookes and ceremonies came out of the closet of the Popes breast and not from Hierusalem as I thinke our aduersaries will confesse if they bee put to the question In Rome vpon good Friday they make agnus Dei of holy wax and holy chrisme and these they say do defend Christians from lightning and tempest hiagnia fulgure tempestate fideles credentes defendunt saith Durand rational diumor lib. 6. c. 79. but this ceremony came neuer from Hierusalem neither did the Christians there beleeue anie such doctrine When a church is consecrated the bishop sprinkleth the wals with holy water knocketh at the dore and saith attollite principes portas vestras then he maketh crosses on the pauement and describeth all the Greeke and Latin alphabet as Durand sheweth lib. 1. rat diuin c. 6. but if popery had come from Hierusalem it is more likely hee should describe the Hebrew alphabet such abuses of scripture and foolish ceremonies certes neuer came from the Christians of Hicrusalem but from the followers of Antichrist at Rome The conuenticle of Trent maketh the old Latin vulgar translation authenticall but if the same had hoped to proue the Romish religion by the practise of the Church of Hierusalem the same would neuer haue neglected the Hebrew text The Church of Hierusalem diligently obserued Gods commandement concerning the making and worshipping of granen images and the whole worship of God we may not
all the fathers almost denie publicke penance to Priests and Deacons fallen into notorious crimes but the popish faction regardeth them not one iote Bellarmine lib. 1. de eucharist c. 11. saith that Augustine did not well weigh these words of Luke I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine Augustine lib. 22. de ciuit Dei c. 10. saith that Christians doe not worship martyrs or erect remples in their honour lib. 1. de morib eccles c. 3. he denieth that we are to adore any ereature Hierome also ioineth with him in this opinion mepist ad Riparium but the popish sect doth not regard what they say nor followeth their doctrine Finally it were an easie matter to shew the fathers to bee aduerse to popery in all materiall controuersies but what shall wee neede to doe it seeing their late corruptions and false allegations of fathers doe plainlie testifie that they doe not hope for victory if the fathers may be truely alleadged of late they haue set out indexes expurgatory teaching Printers how to falsifie fathers Sixtus Senensis inepist ad Pium 5. ante biblioth sanct sheweth how that Pope had caused the fathers to bee purged or rather corrupted expurgari fecisti omnium authorum catholicorum saith he praecipuè veterum patrum scripta Pameluts hath most shamefully corrupted Cyprian and the like course all Papists take with the bookes of the fathers lately set foorth Somtime also they confesse the corruption of fathers Aeneas Sylu. lib. 1. de gest concil Basil sheweth how Popes stand vpon these words vocaberis Cephas and lanch into the deepe and such like neglecting the exposition of all the holy doctors posthabitis omnino omnium sanctorum expositionibus Alan Chartier saith they reiect the holy doctrine of fathers sanctâ—â— patrum doctrine reiectae posthabitae sunt Matth. Paris in Wilhelmo Conquest speaking of Hildebrandes decree against maried Priests saith it was made without consideration and against the iudgement of holy fathers inconsiderato iudicio contra sanctorum patrum sententiam CHAP. XIX That Popish religion was neuer testified by the blood of Christian martyrs STrange it were if the martyrs of Christ should turne from Christ and testifie for Antichrist yet because the aduersaries of truth doe boast of ancient martyrs and Bristow in his 15. motiue doth place Martyrs as setters foorth of the Popes glorious kingdome we are briefly to shew that the testification of Martyrs maketh nothing for popish religion and that appeareth first for that the Papists refuse to bee tried by the doctrine of the Apostles which were principall Martyrs Secondly we haue shewed that the principall points of Popery were neither taught nor receiued during the time of the primitiue Martyrs nor many ages after and that many points now taught and receiued among Papists were then refused as heresies Thirdly Papists adore idols and burne incense vnto them but the ancient Martyrs were therefore martyred cruelly put to death because they would not consent to the worship of idols nor burne incense to them Fourthly the practises of Papists declare that they are more like to the heathen Emperors and persecutors of Christians then to the ancient martyrs of Christs church for as they massacred Christians for maintenance of the Apostolike faith so do the Popes and their complices massacre all that stand for the same as they by sword and fire sought to vphold idolatry so doe these as they hated them deadly which taught the true faith so doe these Finally the confession of the faith published by Pius the fourth and that doctrine which the conuenticle of Trent hath of late confirmed and commanded to be taught and beleeued is in many points contrarie to the faith of ancient martyrs and in all points of controuersie betwixt Papists and vs vtterly vnknowne to them The holy Apostles commend scriptures and so doe ancient martyrs but Papists accuse them of insufficiencie obscuritie flexibility and call them a nose of waxe and a killing letter Ancient martyrs were burned and put to death because they would not deliuer holy scriptures to be burnt the Papists doe burne scriptures and suspect such for heretikes as reade them in vulgar tongues The Apostles and Primitiue martyrs beleeued the scriptures because they came from God the Papists will not haue scriptures to bee belecued vnlesse they be deliuered by the Pope They taught neither heresie nor impiety nor noueltie but Popish religion as before is declared is full of heresies impieties nouelties In ancient time the Bishops of Rome were martyrs now those that call themselues their successors doe murder Gods Saints and make them martyrs Ancient martyrs taught that one God was to bee adored the Papists giue diuine honour to the crosse and crucifixe and call the Sacrament their Lord and God Ancient martyrs did breake downe images now the Papists erect them fall downe before them and worship them Finally ancient martyrs neuer beleeued that either doggs or hogs could eate Christs body or that the same was in any place where it could neither be felt nor seene or that the same was both in heauen and earth and euery pixe at one time or that bread is transubstaÌ„tiated into Christs body or that Christians do with their teeth eate mans flesh or with their throats swallow mans blood or that the bishop of Rome is lord and monarch of the church or that he can fetch souls out of Purgatorie or that there is a treasure of Saints merites out of which indulgences are granted or that Christians are iustified by extreme vnction or eating fish and such like Popish deuises Neither is it materiall that these holy martyrs are put in Popish calenders for the Iewes bragged of their father Abraham and adorned the sepulchers of the Prophets although they neither abode in the faith of Abraham nor followed the doctrine of the Prophets Further Bristow telleth vs that S. Stephen helped all those that sought vnto him but his proofes are drawne out of legendes and certeine counterset sermons of S. Augustine in his 22. chapter de ciuit dei c. 8. there is no such matter and yet these reports that are there inserted seeme to be none of S. Augustines but suppose certein superstitious persoÌ„s should pray to S. Stephen yet S. Stephen neuer taught them so to do nor allowed such formes of praiers Lastly he talketh of Fisher More the Charterhouse monks and diuers that died in king Henry the 8. the late Queens reigne for the Popes cause and telleth vs that they were of his religion but it is first denied that they were martyrs and next that Fisher and More were of the moderne Romish religion the first is proued for that they died for the Pope and not for Christ Secondly they died as traitors either by open rebellion or by ouert act oppugning the Princes authoritie the second is euident for that diuers of them died before the conuenticle of Trent which hath now published a new forme of faith and decreed many things
and heauy death as if a sheete could pray for vs or deliuer from the plague doe they not deserue to be trussed in a cloke-bagge whose trust is in a counter fet winding-sheete They giue the same honor to the sacrament and to the crosse that is due to God very absurdly transferring the glorie of God to creatures are they not then absurd worshippers that cannot distinguish betwene God and creatures and doe they not very absurdly deny themselues to be idolaters Absurdly also they celebrate the feast of the crosse whereon our Sauiour was dishonored not celebrating the feast of the asse on which he was honored Durand rat diui 7. c. 11. disputing this matter is much pusseld about it They beleeue verily that images haue talked and walked and all this because it is said so in the legend but they shew themselues very foolish that beleeue legends and beleeue not the scriptures that say they haue mouthes and speake not feete and walke not The grounds of their religion are very absurd and foolish for they sound themselues vpon the Pope and his decretales the Pope being oftentimes soolish and ignorant and his decretales being rude false and oftentimes ridiculous Baldus in c. 1. de natur seud saith that Pope Celestine the sift was a simple fellow vnum pecus Innocent the 3. in the Chap. solitae demaior obed argueth that the Pope is aboue the Emperor because the sunne is bigger then the moone an argument meerely lunaticall in another place he gathereth that we are now to obserue the laws of Deuteronomy because Deuteronomium signifieth a second law Bonisace the eight in the chap. vnam sanctam extr de maior obed proueth the Pope to be aboue al Princes because we reade Genes 1. that God in the beginning made the world Clement the 6. in the chap. Vnigenitus extr de poenit remiss saith that vnlesse the ouerplus of the merits of Christ had beene bestowed in dispensing the treasure of indulgences that the same had beene void and superfluous and like treasure laid vp in a napkin that the decretales are full of lyes we shall declare when we come to speake of Popish-lies They say it is a point of faith to beleeue that the Pope is Saint Peters successor and head of the church yet if the Priest that baptised the Pope had no intention to baptize him then he is no member of the church if he that ordred the Pope had no intention to order him then is he no priest If he haue no intention to consecrate then doth he not consecrat so all dependeth vpon mens secret and vnknowen intentions They confesse also that Christs body is not in the sacrament if the priests haue no intention to consecrat of which it followeth that all Papists for ought they know are absurd idolaters Their ceremonies are full of foolerie first in the masse the Priest absolueth the clerke and then the clerke absolueth the Priest which is all like as if one mule should scratch another it is absurd also to put the keyes into a boies hand that is no Priest The Priest kisseth the altar and praieth for remission of sinnes by the merites of Saints whose reliques are there contained so a stocke kisseth a stone and forgetting Christ praieth for remission of sins by the merites of Saints whose reliques are said to be there where there is no reliques at all and percase the bones of dogs or apes or other beasts for ought the wise masse-priest knoweth In the Missale of Sarum after the priest hath consecrated he maketh a low legge worshipping the worke of his owne hand and saith aue which is as much as God saue you sir or you are welcome to towne The priest is apparrelled like a moriske-dancer and skippeth and danceth about the altar like an ape in a chaine his head is shauen and well greased his hands washed but his hart vncleane and this gallant taketh vpon him not only to offer Christ in sacrfice but also to swallow him downe like a pill without chawing The Friers for the most part are apparrelled like chimney-sweepers or burners of houses with a hood vpon their head like a bagge of hippocrace The Popes when they are first chosen doe cast mony abroad saying argentum aurum non est mihi as is prescribed lib. 1. caerem. but most vnlike they are to him whose words they abuse further absurdly they deny themselues to haue mony when they cast mony a broad and inioy so great riches When they take the Pope from the perced stoole where his humanitie is tried they say he hath raysed the poore out of the dust ex stercor ariae eleuantes dicunt suscitat de puluere egenum and yet absurdly this beggar as they say is lord of lords and King of Kings Their demands and answers in matters of religion are not very wise Austen asketh of Gregory as Bede reporteth lib. 1. hist Angl. c. 28. whether a woman with child were to be baptised as if not shee as well as others Boniface of Mentz asked the Pope if it were lawfull to eat Bacon and he answereth yea but prouided alwaie said he that it be dried with smoke or boyled Their legends are feriall Ruffine one of S. Francis his schollers disputing with the diuell told him he would doe Sir reuerence in his mouth Ruffinus dixit diabolo aperi os tuum ego stercorisabo in illud S. Francis in an award betwixt a wolfe See S. Francis his conformitie c. and the men of Eugubium condemned the townesmen in expenses and speaking to the wolfe he said brother wolfe it is reported also that he preached to swallowes and said sorores meae hirundines audite verbum dei S. Aidus as Capgraue telleth hauing compassion on 8. hungry wolues gaue them 8. of his lambes and after they were eaten got them out of the wolues belly by praier Austen the monke by praier obteined that the men of Dorset that had scorned him and all their posterity had tailes belike the race is now failed the whole legend is full of foolish fables but I shall haue occasion to speake thereof elsewhere The reasons of their religion are absurd Coemiterium saith Durand l. 1. c. 5. dicitur a cimen quod est dulce sterion quod est statio c. vel quia ibi sunt cimices vel vermes vltra modum foetentes and againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur quasi pollutū antrum in the same booke c. 4. he saith the bell-rope betokeneth the humility life of preachers and the measure of mans life it is great pity that the Iebusites and masse-priests are not haltred with this signe of humility and compassed with this measure Lib. 3. cap. 10. he saith the priests stole betokeneth the light yoke of the Lord. Stolalene domini iugum significat lib. 3. c. 11. speaking of the vestiment called dalmatica he saith it hath wide sleenes because charity ought to be stretched out to our
nor other vertue but only that he professe outwardly the Romish religion and be subiect to the Pope a matter of no great difficulty If a man take vpon him the habit of a Monke or a Frier they make it a second baptisate and that state they say is a state of perfection so you see how easie a matter it is with Papists not only to be a true member of the church but also a perfect Christian for who cannot take vpon him a Friars or Monkes weede in the apologie for Herodotus it is testified that a certaine Frier taught that the only way for the Diuell to be saued was to put on Saint Francis his coule Further they teach that the Pope hath power to grant pardons for fornication adultery incest rapes murders periurie trechery sodomitrie maranismes and all vices as appeareth by the Popes penitentiary taxes and that for no great sums of money now what more easie then to obteine the Popes pardon If a man heare Masse euery Sunday holyday and confesse at shrouetide and be houseled at Easter and fast from flesh and obserue the rest of the Romish precepts and ceremonies he is taken for a good Catholike but these are matters to be performed without any great difficulty The Papists also teach that Christians are iustified by extreme vnction which is a matter to bee obteined at euery pild Priestes-hands They promise also generall indulgences to such as visit certaine churches at Rome and else where which may bee done with small labour Now for veniall sinnes they say that knocking of the brest and holy water is remedy sufficient for such matters they say Christians neede not to repent them they hold also that holy water is good to driue away diuels but in no place is there want of holy water If a man liue all his life most leudly and loosely yet if he confesse to a priest when he lieth a dying and promise satisfaction he faileth not to haue absolution and if he satisfie not in this life yet they hold that either by Masses or indulgences he may be deliuered out of Purgatory but indulgences are not deare and Masses are dogge cheape a trentall is not valued at 30. pence nor whole fardels at great sums By euery small good worke nay by eating red-herrings and saltfish on fridaies and such obseruances they hope to merit heauen so broad they make the way to heauen and so easie a matter to come thither Finally as Eunomius promised them that professed his faith reward in heauen howsoeuer they liued so likewise doe the Papists promise heauen to their followers so they professe and set forward the Popes cause whether they be murdrers of Kings or massacrers or rebels or filthie whore-mongers or Sodomites it skilleth not the Masse-priests promise not only pardon but also reward in heauen so they die in the Popes obedience and professe his religion This religion therefore that giueth such liberty to sinners and leadeth them such pleasant waies feeding the eies of people with sights their eares with pleasant soundes and satisfying all their senses with carnall pleasures cannot bee true We could also specifie the same by infinit examples and by particulars shew that papists run the broade way but that we reserue it to the next Chapter CHAP. XXX That Popish religion bringeth foorth such bitter fruits that the professors thereof haue no reason to boast of their workes GOod trees are knowen by their fruits let vs then see what fruits haue come of Popery that we may know whether the tree be good or no from whence they haue issued Bristow in his 39. Motiue imagineth that we haue nothing to say against his consorts and therefore braggeth much of workes and despiseth his aduersaries as running the broade-way to destruction but when his consorts shall see our discourse concerning the fruits effects of Poperie and their strange enormous wicked liues they will wish that for this matter we had neuer beene called in question First then wee saie that the Papistes erre in the doctrine of workes and next that their liues are so disorderly as if they did only study to excell in all wickednesse leudenesse and villanie Christians beleeue that the law of God is a perfect rule of good life but they hold that not only Gods lawes but all scriptures are imperfect and insufficient without traditions Christians beleeue that the perfection of Christian life consisteth in the Gospell but these teach that the rules of Benet Francis Dominicke and other monkes and friers doe direct vs to a further perfection then is commanded in the Gospell They doe as well beleeue that the lawes of the Pope do binde our consciences as Gods lawes and thinke that the workes done according to the Popes lawes do as well please God as the works commanded in Gods lawes They make more conscience to absteine from flesh on Friday then to murder Christians as their curiositie in keeping that forme of fast and their crueltie in murdring and massacring Christians doth declare The Masse-priests giue absolution to most haynous sinners and enioyne them penance afterward the Pope granteth indulgences to most horrible offenders They beleeue not that concupiscence is sinne or that it is better for Votaries to marry then to burne or that Veniall sinnes deserue the curse of the law or eternall death They teach that euery Christian is to satisfie for the temporall paines due to sinnes and that either in this life or in the life to come in purgatorie They beleeue that a man may be iustified by extreme vnction and other popish sacraments and by the works of the law and not by faith in Christ Iesus They suppose that euery man is able to performe the workes of the law perfectly of which it followeth that as the Pelagians taught a man may liue without sinne Finally by their workes they hope to merit eternall life which is directly contrary to the Apostles doctrine Rom. 6. who teacheth vs that eternall life is the gift of God If then the Papistes erre so grossely both in the doctrine of works and also in the rule of our works it is not like that their works are excellent Nay we finde by practise that their workes are for the most part impious and displeasing vnto God as for example the adoration of the crosse and sacrament their blasphemous praiers to the virgin Mary to Angels and Saints their sacrilegious taking of the cup of the new testament from Gods people their worship done to Antichrist their periuries and rebellions against Princes their murdring Gods saints their mainteining of publicke stewes and bankes of vsury and such like the rest cannot much please God or man as for example the begging of vagabond friers the forswearing of mariage the eating of muscles cockles and red herrings in Lent the taking of ashes on Ashwednesday the ringing and singing for dead men the shauing of priests crownes the greasing of sicke men of altars bels and such like toies and ceremonies
doe not see in what danger they stand either to be disgraced or dispossessed of their crownes disgrace it is to acknowledge any in earth their superiour and an euident danger to fall out with the Pope where the subiects are affected to Popery CHAP. XXXVII That Kings professing Popish religion are either no Kings or but halfe Kings BVt were not Kings in danger to lose their crownes and Kingdomes liuing vnder the Pope yet haue they no reason to take vpon themselues as free Kings and Princes or to beleeue that they can enioy all the right that belongeth to lawfull Kings and Princes For first no King can freely dispose of matters belonging to his gouernement that acknoledgeth any man to be his superior as for example Herode and other Kings that ruled vnder the Romans who could proceed no further then pleased the Emperors and people of Rome if then the King of Spaine or France or other nations do acknowledge the Pope to be his iudge and superior he may not refuse his iudgement or resist his authority Secondly we find that Kings before Christs comming in the flesh gaue lawes both to the chiefe priests and to all their people and not the chiefe priest either to the Kings of Israel and Iudah or to the people as may appeare by the lawes of Moyses Iosue Dauid Salomon Hezekia Iosiah we do also read that Constantine other Christian Kings vntill the times of Charles the great and long after gaue lawes to the Bishops of Rome and other clergy-men as may be euidently proued by the lawes yet extant Cod. de sum trinit sid cath de episc Cleric de episcop audient de haereticis and in diuers other titles and books but where any bishop of Rome all this time made any law to bind either kings or their subiects we find not vnlesse we list to admit counterfet decretales for currant lawes which no man of any vndestanding will doe nor any modest Papist can require wherefore taking vpon them authority to make lawes to binde both Kings and their subiects the Popes plainly declare that Kings lining vnder the confusion of Antichrists tyranny are no kings Thirdly Bellarmme lib. 1. de pontif Rom. c. 7. determineth that temperall Princes are no gouernors of the Church and generally both the Pope and his complices teach that kings haue no power either to make ecclesiasticall lawes or to reforme abuses of doctrine or to settle matters ecclesiasticall finally the Papists of England in their glosing petitions to his Maiesty wherein they pray his fauour yet will allow him no authority saue only in temporall and ciuill causes doth it not then manifestly appeare that Papists take from kings halfe their authority and giue the same to forreiners and publike enemies Fourthly in temporall matters which they are content to leaue to the disposition of Kings they restraine them in such sort that they wil not haue them either to rest in peace when the Pope commandeth them to make warres or to make warres further then the Pope permitteth Bomface the eight in c. vam sanctam extr de maiorit obed sheweth how princes are to vse their swords ad nutum patientiam sacerdotis that is at the Popes beck as long as he listeth to suffer it Fiftly the Pope shareth halfe the kings reuenues claiming tenths first fruits subsidies and other rights out of ecclesiasticall liuings he doth also claime the disposition of diuers ecclesiastical liuings in diuers cases and right to confirme bishops and getteth great summes of money for pardons licences and other rescripts and faculties Sixtly if a king need a dispensation against an ecclesiasticall law or an absolution from an offence he is sent to Rome to obteine it if be can and oftentimes such faculties and absolutions cost full deare King Henry the 8. spent great summes of money to be diuorced from his brothers wife and yet failed of his purpose Fredericke the 2. could not be absolued from his excommunication by Gregory the 9. but it cost him 125. M. ounces of gold as Nauclere and Iuan de Pineda a Spaniard doe signifie Iohn the king of England to obteine absolution was forced to resigne his crowne Seuenthly Alex. inder the fourth in the chapter quia nonnulli de immunit eccles in 6. exempteth the possessions and goods of clergie men from tolle and custome Finally Bomface the 8. in the chapter clericis de immunitat eccles m 6. doth excommunicate both kings and others that impose taxes and subsidies vpon the clergy and this is the common doctrine of the Popes agents Bellarmine de exemptione clericorum c. 1. setteth downe these propositions that clerkes in ecclesiasticall causes are free from the command of secular Princes by the law of God and againe that clerkes are not to be iudged of secular iudges albeit they transgresse temporall lawes and lastly that Princes in respect of clerkes are not soueraigne Princes Emanuel Sa in his Aphorismes for confessaries first printed and alledged by him that wrote the Franke discourse hath these wordes clerici rebellio in regem non est crimen laesaemaiestatis quia non est subditus regi the rebellion of a clerke against the king is no treason because he is not the kings subiect nay of late both the masse-priests and their firie followers haue thought it meritorious to rebell against the king And consonant to this doctrine is the practise of papists for in matters of contention betwixt the Pope and their kings they take part with the Pope and rebell against their kings as the rebellions of the Germaines and French in time past of the English and Irish against king Henry the 8. and Queene Elizabeth of the leaguers of France against king Henry the 3. and 4. doe manifestly declare When the Pope doth giue law to Princes they take themselues bound to execute it and vpon euery excommunication rise in armes against them and seeke to depose them In ecclesiasticall causes they runne for direction to the Pope and care not a straw for the ecclesiasticall lawes of their kings When the Pope commandeth a Prince to execute his bulles they are ready to follow the warres if he command them to surcease they forsake their kings in the midst of his conquests If the Pope leuy tenthes or subsidies vpon the clergy or Monkes or Friers they willingly beare all burthens and to him they runne for dispensations and all faculties Kings also seeke to the Pope in their owne cases for dispensations and absolutions where the Popes law saith they are necessarie Finally both the possessions and persons of clergy men are the Popes to dispose as may appeare for that he layeth what charge he listeth on their possessions and sometimes alienateth them to mainteine his warres and findeth their persons prest to doe him seruice If then kings beare themselues as inferiors to the Pope and receiue lawes at his hands and are excluded from all disposition and rule in ecclesiasticall causes and
professe Christ to be true God yet they teach that dogges and hogges doe eat his body as ofte as they eate consecrated hosts The Turkish Priests beleeue that Christ was true man that his body is visible and palpable but the Masse-priests giue him a body in the sacrament that is neither visible nor palpable nor in any respect like to our bodies The Turkes doe teach that after this life some are placed in paradise some damned to hell as Postell writeth in his history of Turkes a third place they know not nor doe they beleeue that their Calipha or high Priest is able to deliuer soules out of the nether part of the earth by his indulgences but the Papists beleeue a third place beside heauen and the place of the damned and suppose that the Pope is souereigne lord of purgatory and can deliuer soules thence by his indulgences Among the Turkes we doe not read of anie that euer doubted of the immortality of the soule as Menauinus de relig Turc testifieth but among the Papists many doubt of it for else why should Leo the x. lateran concil sess 8. forbid men to dispute against the immortality of the soule some deny it as did Iohn the 23. as is testified in the appendix to the councell of Constance and many other atheisticall Papists who haue nothing of religion but an outward bare profession Turkes do beleeue that God hath a body yet doe they not suffer any image or similitude of God to be made but Papists albeit they professe God to be a spirit yet most absurdlie they doe make diuers corporeall Images of God The law of God prohibiting the making and worship of grauen images and other likenesses is diligently obserued of Turkes Georgeuitz in his booke de moribus Turcarum saith he neuer saw any images in the temples of Turkes with him also in effect concurreth Zigabenus in elencho Ismaelit and sheweth that such as worship images by the Turks are called idolaters but Papists fill al the corners of their churches ful of images and idolatrously doe they worship them nay because they perceiue their practise to be contrariant to the law of God therefore in their briefe catechismes they raze out the commandement against images Mahomet neuer called himselfe God but the Prophet of god only neither did his followers euer giue him the title or honor of God nay some of them beleeue that Cosdroes was vanquished by the romans because he called himselfe God but Papists call the Pope God as we read in Baldus in c. vlt. cod sent rescind and the Pope calleth himselfe God after a cunning sort c. satis dist 96. The Turkes are not so absurd as to beleeue that their Calipha Mufti or high Priest cannot erre because he succeedeth Mahomet and sitteth in his chaire but the simple Papists most absurdly thinke that their Pope albeit he bee ignorant and foolish yet cannot erre as long as he teacheth out of the papall chaire In all the histories of Turkes we cannot finde where any Ianizars or Turkish Friers thought it lawfull or attempted to blow vp the Turkes pallace or parliament house but Thomas Percy Catesby and their consorts attempted and thought it lawfull to blow vp the parliament house the king and principall men of England the Papists therfore passe Turkes in barbarous and perfidious cruelty We do not reade that any Calipha of the Turkes did skin any of his Priests but Iohn the 22. as Platina recordeth did pull the skinne from the Bishop of Cahors happy had he beene if his body had beene inuisible and impalpable as the Papists make Christs imaginary body in the sacrament Mahomet as Zigabenus in Saracenicis telleth vs wrote only 113. fables but the Papists in their legends and breuiaries and Caesar Fabulonius I would say Baronius haue written more then x. M. fables and commend to their followers most fabulous fooleries Among the Turkes the Priests may not begge but the Iebusites and other mendicant Friers count beggery a peece of perfection and much it were to be wished that they did only begge for oftentimes they either take by force or steale most cunningly Septemcastrensis de relig Turc c. 14. testifieth that the Turkes in their fasts abstaine from all meat and drinke doth it not then appeare that they fast better then Papists that drinke wine and eate all dainty fishes and banketting meats vpon their fasting daies The Turkes doe not beleeue their religion to be true or their Alcoran to bescripture because their Calipha doth tell them but because they take it to haue come from God but the Papists neither beleeue scriptures nor the articles of faith vnlesse the Pope doth particularly tell them that the scriptures came from God and that their Christian faith is Apostolicall and most true The Turkes beleeue not that any can be iustified by extreme vnction or eating red-herrings and salt-fish but the Papists both teach it and beleeue it and burne all that shall hold beleeue or teach the contrary The Turkes albeit seruile in their manner of life yet neither kisse the feete of their Calipha nor heaue him vp to be adored by his followers are not then the papists in this point more slauish and miserable then the Mahometans Finally Mahomet neuer taught his followers to kill Kings excommunicated by the chiefe Priest of Turkes or to rebell or take armes against the Sultan or Emperor of Saracens as oft as their chiefe priest should command them nor did he teach his followers that the Calipha of Turkes could dispense with the law of God or assoile subiects from their oathes made to princes but the Popes bastardly children the Iebusites doe giue all this power to their holy father and he is nothing nice in taking it vpon him and so farre haue they proceeded in this damnable doctrin that no prince can stand assured of his life that hath any of this generation about him this doctrine cost Henry the third of France and the prince of Orenge their liues and put both Henry the 8. of England and his daughter Elizabeth and Henry the 4. of France to their plunges and brought them into great danger And of late time the King the Queene their children the Nobles and prelates of England and the Commons assembled in parliament were deseined to the slaughter and had beene destroied if God had not discouered the trechery Were Christians then so patient as to tolerate heresie yet it argueth great stupidity if they should endure a religion more absurd foolish and abominable then Mahometrie CHAP. XLVIII That Christians are lesse oppressed vnder the Turke then vnder the Pope HOw great miseries they endure that liue vnder the Turks gouernment those can best relate that haue trauailed Turkie and haue experience of their lawes and customes we doubt not but they are many and extreme considering the rigour of the Turkish tyranny yet if we will beleeue those that are as well acquainted with the gouernement of the Pope and his
Matth. Paris in Henrico 3. doth testifie Alexander the third sent the soldan Fridericke Barbarossaes portrayt then seruing against the Saracens persuading him to kill him if he would settle his affaires Gregory the 9. inuaded the emperors dominions in Italy and drew Fridericke the 2. out of Asia to defend his owne possessions at home when he was almost in possession of the victory abroade Lastly it is publikely knowne that they haue set French and Spanish together about the quarrell of the kingdome of Naples Innocent the thrid by his excommunication of king Iohn set both his subiects and the French against him and was the cause of the losse of Normandy to the English Iulian the Cardinall set the Germans against the Bohemians Paul the third was the principall motiue of the warres of Charles the sift against the Germans and to shut vp this discourse in few words not only Nicholas Machiauel in his Florentine history affirmeth but also all histories testifie that the Popes of Rome haue beene the principall causes of all the warres and stirres of Europe that haue beene for this 4. or 5. hundred yeres last past they are the causes of the massacres of France of the troubles of the low-countries of the late rebellions in England Scotland and Ireland of the contentions betwixt French and Spanish in Italy of the persecutions in Germany and Spaine and other countries Fourthly the Popes of Rome by deuising and confirming many orders of Monkes and friers by admitting such swarmes of idle lozels into orders and mainteining them by chanting of Masses for soules forcing them to forsweare mariage haue not only caused many vnnatural murders but also hindred the propagation and increase of men they haue also withdrawne men from defence of the common-wealth and placed them in dennes of licentious idlenesse and laid the charge of the common defence vpon few Fiftly exempting both the goods and the persons of religious men and clerkes from common charges of the common-wealth they haue weakened the states of princes and laid all the burthen vpon the weakest part Finally by their idolatries they haue displeased God and by their periuries haue made good the leud cause of the Turkes Therefore we are not to maruell if the Christians haue not prospered in their expeditions into the holy land for what successe could Christians looke for considering the notorious abuses cōmitted in the army by worshipping idoles blaspheming Gods holy name violating Christs institution of the Eucharist by celebration of prophane masses Could Ladislaus king of Poland and his army preuaile against the Turkes hauing begun the warre contrary to articles of peace solemnely sworne but let vs mainteine the religion of Christ and not of antichrist and let vs abolish the idolatrous worship of images and the inuocation of saints and let vs abandon the damned Masse and serue God as he hath appointed and finally let vs not violate our promises and oathes nor abuse gods holy name and then no doubt but we shall prosper in all our enterprises against the Turke or other enemies of the Church for hitherto not the Turks forces but the multitude of the sinnes idolatries blasphemies and other abuses of Christians haue made them flie before their enemies and ouerthrowne their armies CHAP. L. That the moderne church of Rome is much degenerated from the faith and manners of the ancient Romans THe Church of Rome when Paul wrote vnto it excelled in all pietie and vertue and was famous throughout the world but as al things else so both faith and vertue through tract of time fainted and in the end began to faile in that citie of late time we finde that neither that zeale in matters of religion nor that integritie and honesty of maners which was in the ancient Romanes doth continue in their posterity Adrian the 6. in his instructions giuen to his legate that was sent into Germany confesseth freely that many and grieuous offences for many yeeres haue beene committed at Rome and from the toppe of the Popes crowne passed downe to the inferior gouernors of the church and that no man did his dutie but that all went astray and none was voide of faults Plurimis nunc annis saith he grauiter multisque modis peccatum est Romae inde à Pontificio culmine malum hoc atque lues ad inferiores omnes ecclesiarum prafectos defluxit neminem enim esse qui suum faciat munus aberrasse omnes ne vnum quidem ex omni numero vacare culpa Duarenus in praefat in lib. de eccles minist benefic confesfeth that the manners of such as were called church-men were decaied and that the later constitutions of Popes were woorse then the first illud saith he fateri velinuiti cogimur mores hominum ecclesiae titulo insignitorum ita paulatim degenerasse vt posteriores constitutiones Pontificumfere anterioribus cedant Guicciardine lib. hist 2. sheweth how the authority of Christian religion grew euery day lesse and lesse by reason that in the affaires of the church men were altogether departed from ancient customes Le cose della chiesa saith he allontanatesi totalmente dalli antichi costumi faceuano ogni di minore l'authoritâ della Christiana religione Machiauel in his Florentine history directed to Clement the 7. confesseth that by reason of the mutation that had hapned in Christian religion great scandales and discords had growne in the world Many of the chiefe rulers of the church saith Picus Mirandula in orat ad Leon. x. after whose example others ought to conforme themselues haue either little or no religion no order in their liuing no shame nor modesty apud plerosque religionis nostra primores ad quorum exemplum componi formari plebs ignara debuisset aut nullus aut certè exiguus deicultus nulla bene viuendi ratio atque institutio nullus pudor nulla modestia Platina in Gregor 4. wisheth that Lewes Pius in his time had beene aliue so much did the church stand in neede of his lawes Res pietatemiampridem perdidimus saith Auentinus lib. 3. annal Boiorum virtuti nullus est honos inuicem inuidere fraudare fallere longinqua consuetudo est that is we haue long since lost our substance and pietie there is no honor giuen to vertue we haue vsed to enuy one another and to practise fraud and deceit a long time together Primitiui Theologi saith Petrus de Aliaco lib. de reformat eccles ecclesiam aedificauerunt quam nunc quidam Baritatores destruxerunt the Diuines of the Primitiue Church built the church but now certaine later barators haue destroied it And that this is true it may be prooued by diuers particulars in time past the bishops of Rome suffered for true religion now they cut the throats of all such as professe truth The ancient bishops of Rome fed Christs flocke and were subiect to Christian Emperours now the Popes kill Christs lambes and set their feete vpon the neckes of emperors In the
and ceremonies or else they would haue their heads broken Against Queene Elizabeth our late dread soueraigne vpon the roring of the Popes bull the Northren rebels anno 1569. fell into armes both leaders and followers were the Popes deare children this was also the motiue of all the troubles and insurrections in Ireland His Maiestie also that now raigneth hath not found any so troublesome disloyall and trecherous as his subiects popishly affected the Erle of Goury had brought too much popish leuaine out of Italy to be a good subiect Watson and Clarke that conspired the destruction of the king and state were Masse-priests Brooke Marcham and Copley their adherents were Masse-louers Faux and the late powdermen were zealous Papists Henry the 3. of France was oppugned by no other then the popish leaguers the duke of Guise and his house were therein principall agents and all the rest were affected and deuoted to the Popes seruice the Dominican friar that most shamefully murdred his liege souereigne Lord was the Popes vassall and set on by the Iebusites the same faction stood in armes against king Henry the 4. now reigning and not being able to resist by force by treason sought to destroy him Iohn Chastel a scholler of the Iebusites and Ghineard a Iebusite were therefore executed so also was Peter Barriere that incited by Iebusites and Masse-priestes came with a ful resolution to take away his Soueraignes life Parsons Campian and other Masse-priests and Iebusites were sent into England by the Pope for no other cause then to make a side for the execution of the Popes bull as appeareth by the Popes faculty granted to Campian and Parsons Neither were Parry Sauage Ocollen Yorke Lopez Squire and others that haue beene executed for attempting either by the sword or by poison to take away the late Queenes life set on by others then the Pope and his bloody faction God grant that his roiall Maiesty may escape their trecherous plots whose heads no doubt are as busie plotting against him as they euer were against his predecessor and that he neede not to doubt of it they declared the same euidently in the treacherous plot of Brooke Watson Clerke executed for the same at Winchester but most cleerely was the same resolued by the practise of Catesby Percy and Fauxe and their intended rebellion and fiery treason It may be the Pope and his faction will deny that they are the authors of these stirres rebellions and treasons but the Popes bulles their owne hand-writings their confessions their euident acts of treason the deposition of witnesses and the defences made by diuers Papists who mainteine these rebellions and treasons shall alwaies plainly conuince them Sanders in his booke de visibili Monarchia doth mainteine the rebellion in the North against Queene Elizabeth and both he and Bristow and others doe number those rebels among Popish martyres Thomas Becket that stirred vp forraine enemies against his prince and country and stood against his Prince is worshipped by the popish faction for a great saint Iames Clement that killed Henry the third of France was highly praised by Sixtus Quintus in his consistory and al the seditious masse-priests that came into England to stirre rebellion are by little and litle put into the catalogue of Martyrs as dying for Popish religion or rather for practising treason Neither doe these acts of rebellion and treason proceed from sodeine motions but rather from the lawes rules of Popery for first they hold that the Pope is aboue the King and hath power to depose him and to giue away his kingdome if then the Pope doe depose the king and giue away his Kingdome all his Popish subiects must forsake him Secondly they teach that if the Pope doe commande the subiects to take armes against the King that they are bound to rebell against him and to lay hands vpon him if they can vpon paine of damnation and this is meritorious in the opinion of the Pope if then rebels be good subiects then these fellowes may be reputed good subiects Thirdly Cardinall Como in his letters written to Parry in the Popes name sheweth that it is meritorious to kill a king excommunicat and so was both he and Iames Clement perswaded by the Iebusites and Masse-priests and may a man trow you beleeue them to be good subiects that thinke it lawfull to kill their leege-Lords vpon the Popes warrant Lastly they hold that euery king that is by the Pope excommunicat and declared a tyrant ipso facto is deposed and may be slaine by any man for so Emanuell Sa the Iebusite doth determine in his aphorismes some say further that an hereticall king ipso facto loseth his kingdome and those that are not so forward affirme notwithstanding that the Pope may assoile subiects from their obedience and dispense with oathes but all such deserue the title of rebels and traitors and those kings stand in great danger that trust such trustlesse and pretended subiects But it may be said that all Papists in England are not of this opinion I grant it may be so de facto but if they be true Papists and truly deuoted to their holy father then must they obey the Popes bulles and acknowledge his doctrine and this the Masse-priests and Iebusites that lurke in diuers places of England attending their pray both know and practise for as traitors they teach conditionall obedience vntill the Popes further pleasure be knowen they interteine intelligence with forraine enemies they receiue their authority from the Pope they depend vpon him and not vpon the king they are gouerned by the Popes lawes and not by the kings lawes Finally the 5. of Nouember last the Iebusites Masse-priests and their adherents of the popish faction in England determined to destroy the King and state and to make a generall insurrection and massacre throughout the whole kingdome and had done their vttermost if God had not preuented their malicious dessines and purposes They may also alledge in excuse of papists that to kings that be of their owne religion they are most obedient and deuoutly affected but first this obedience and deuotion is conditionall and temporary that is if and so long as the Pope commandeth not the contrary For if the Pope excommunicate the King of Spaine called by them the Catholike King hee is in no better termes then others The Emperors that were excommunicat by the Pope within these 3. or 4. hundred yeares were of the Popes religion yet did it not auaile them Henry the third of France was superstitiously addicted to Popery yet was he murdred by a Dominican Frier and Henry the fourth being reconciled to the Pope and scornefully whipped in the person of his ambassador scaped not the blow of Iohn Chastel Secondly kings professing Popish religion are not obeied in ecclesiasticall matters For as Bellarmine teacheth they are no gouernours of the Church others say they haue no power to make lawes concerning ecclesiasticall causes so it appeareth they lose
promised safeconduct to all that would come to Trent but contrary to the same Vergerius and others were excluded out of the synod and diuers doctors comming out of Germany could not be heard to dispute and hardly escaped with their liues out of the place Charles the 9. of France anno 1572. with monstrous oaths and solemne promises drew the Queene of Nauarre the admirall and many other noble-men and gentle-men vnto Paris but it cost them full deare and lost them all their best men for there that noble Queene was poisoned there the king of Nauarre was taken prisoner and the rest trecherously murdred and so farre was the Pope from condemning this fact that he caused the same to be set out in tables in his pallace among the triumphant acts of Popes In France and Flandres vpon surrenders of townes seldome did our aduersaries regard either oath or promise diuers edicts haue beene published by the French king for the pacification of troubles but they prooued nothing but traps and engins to take men that ment simply and plainly the capitulation with them of Sancerre was megerly performed The duke of Alua and his complices contrary to promise murdred the garrison of Arlem Narden Zutphen and diuers other townes Of late we thought our selues secure hauing peace with all the world but euen then we were neerest danger and could not haue escaped it if God had not discouered the mine the powder the traine and the whole packe of traytors In the yeare 1588. while the agents of Spaine and England were treating of peace the enemies came vpon vs hoping sodenly to ouer-whelme vs with warres being taken vnprouided No treatie could be more solemnly agreed vpon or confirmed then the pacification of Gant after the surprise of Antwerp yet was neither promise nor oath kept therein but rather vnder confidence of these promises and oathes many poore people were surprised First then wee say that our hope is that God will destroy them that speake lies and not hold them guiltlesse that shall sweare falsly dishonoring his holy name this we are assured that he abhorreth the bloody and deceitfull man Secondly we may rightly conclude that such as looke for performance of oathes and promises at the hands of the Pope and his complices further then necessitie and profit vrgeth them are verie ignorant of their doctrine and practises we may say also that they are very weake and simple for once any plaine dealing man may be abused but to offend diuers times in one fault and oftentimes to runne into the same trap argueth great weakenesse negligence and wilfulnesse Finally albeit princes that liue vnder the Popes lawes were willing to keepe touch and to performe promises yet we must remember how easily the Pope dispenseth with oathes and how necessary it is for them to breake all couenāts if the Pope once declare the cōtrary party to be an heretike or schismatike In the Clementine Romam de iureiurando the Popes forbid all princes vnionem parentelam confoederationem that is peace contracting of alliance and confederation with such as are their enemies and if any contract be made then must the same be dissolued vpon paine of excommunication when the Pope pleaseth so all the assurance that Christians can haue of amitie with the Popes vassals dependeth on the Popes pleasure and his pleasure is founded vpon his profit and necessitie and our securitie standeth in watching their mines and gunpowder treasons God grant therefore all Christians grace to beware that they be not entrapped with false and perfidious promises nor vndermined with their subtilties nor blowne vp with treason and giue our aduersaries that light of reason that they may see that oathes made by the name of God in iust and honest causes are not to be dissolued either by the Pope or any other nor their treasons to be warranted by any Popish facultie CHAP. XLVI That the chiefe founders and mainteiners of Popery haue beene commonly noted for wicked and prophane men FAithfull Christians and the citizens of the city of God as the Apostle teacheth vs Ephes 2. are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone but our Sauiour Christ was an high priest most holy innocent and vndersiled and his Apostles and Prophets were holy men and endued with speciall graces fit for that function let vs then see what manner of men the first authors and principall vpholders of Popery haue bene that by the different qualities of the one and the other we may the better esteeme of true religion and more perfectly learne to hate the superstition heresie tyranny and all the abhominations of the Popes of Rome and their wicked faction The mystery of iniquity beganne to worke in the Apostles time as S. Paul testifieth for then false teachers beganne to spread their poison and after the departure of the Apostles rauening wolues entred into the Church not sparing the stocke by little and little also heathenish and Iewish ceremonies began to be receiued in diuers places and as S. Augustine saith the world grew full of presumptions but Antichrist began not to shew himselfe openly before the times of Phocas the emperor who at the ernest solicitatiō of a Platina in Bonifacio 3. Boniface the third granted that the church of Rome should be called and accounted the head of other Churches so then the principall agent in the erection of the papacy was Phocas a barbarous Thracian by nation and a common soldier by tumult aduanced to the empire and one that began his reigne with the slaughter of his master of the Empresse and their children The next was Irene a proud insolent and cruell woman that among others murdred her owne sonne for vnto her time the worship of God continued in the church of Rome without any notable corruption but she with the helpe of Adrian Bishop of Rome and other superstitious persons first brought in the idolatrous worship of images and Saints Gregory the 7. was the first that by force dissolued Priests mariages and exalted the miter of the Pope aboue the crownes of emperors and kings taking vpon him first to depose them from their seats but among all the Popes you shall not finde any more abominable Beno testifieth he was a necromancer a murderer an empoysoner and a sacrilegious and impious person the synode of Brixina condemned him for diuers abominable crimes Matthew Paris in Willelmo conquastore writeth that being readie to depart this life he confessed that by the Diuels perswasion he had prouoked the wrath of God against mankind he threw the sacramēt into the fire because he could obteine no succh answere of it as he desired and liued scandalously with Mathilda a fit fellow therefore he was to aduance the whorish sacrilegious and murdrous religion of the later Rome that is so much degenerated from the former Paschall the 2. that atchieued that which Gregory the. 7. and others his predicessors had begun was a periured
person and a firebrand of sedition and trouble he set the sonne against the father and the subiects against their princes hauing preuailed against the Emperor he would not suffer his body to be buried and hauing gotten into his hands the bodie of Clement the Antipope he caused the same to bee burned Alexander the 3. a great patron of the Popes authoritie betraied the emperor Friderike Barbarossa to the soldan sending his liuely portrait vnto him and perswading him to destroy him he trode most proudly vpon the Emperors neck and abused wordes of scripture most impiouslie to his purpuse Innocent the third that first established auricular confession and transubstantiation two principall bulwarks of the Popes kingdome and was a principall doer in the decretales raised bloody warres against the Christians in France that would not allow his authority caused the bones of Almericus to be burned for that he had preached against the worship of Images and shewed himselfe a bloody wolf and a deuourer of Christs flocke and an impure fellow Thomas Cantipratensis a Dominican Frier reporteth that this Innocent after his death appeared to S. Luitgard all burning in flames Honorius the third that first authorized the idolatrous worship of the Masse-cake as appeareth by the chapter sane cum olim de celebrat missar was proud cruell vitious and superstitious he forbad honest mariage to Priests and mainteined the filthy religion of Monkes and Friers Dominike and Francis and the locusts that came out of the bottomelesse pit of hell were first allowed by him his malice and anger were shewed vpon the Scots that had killed Adam Bishop of Catnesse for he caused 400. to be hanged among which many innocents were comprehended and caused their children to bee gelded that he might extinguish their race But one of the principall builders of this Romish Babylon was Gregorie the 9. for he gathered the decretales of Popes together and gaue then ferce of lawe as appeareth by his preface before the decretales some say he was the cosin of Innocent the third but his manners doe declare him rather to haue beene his sonne he excommunicated the Emperour Friderike that warred vpon the Saracens and stopped the good successe and the course of the victories of the Christians against them secretly he murdred the Emperors embassadors published lying decretales against him as we may read in Matthew Paris finally to enrich his nephewes or rather his bastards he set all Italy on a flame Boniface the eight Clement the sift and Iohn the 22. who made vp the body of the canon law which is the strength and sinewes of Popery did not degenerate from their predecessors of Boniface the eight it is said that he entred like a soxe reigned like a lyon died like a dog he caused his predecessor Celestine to renounce the papacie and afterward imprisoned and murdered him his owne friends confesse that he sought to subdue the world rather by force of armes then by religion his vnspeakable pride taking vpon him both as Pope and Emperor challenging power to translate kingdomes from one to another of his owne friends could not be dissembled he that continueth the history of Vrspergensis writeth that Clement the 5. was a notorious fornicator hic vt habet Chronicon Hermanni publicue suit Fornicator Villani also in his chronicle testifieth that he was a filthy fellow for the wickednesse and abominable life of Iohn the 22. Petrarch made the sonnet Fiammadal ciel wherein he beseecheth God that slames from heauen might streame down and consume the court of Rome It greeued him not a little that the Pope did keepe his sister hauing with a great price bought her of her brother Gerard. Iohn the 23. by whose authority the councell of Constance was assembled was conuinced to be an incestuous person a Sodomite and a most abominable atheist denying the immortality of the soule as appeareth by the acts of that councell and the appendix and yet this is the synode that condemned the doctrine of M. Wicklesse and established the communion vnder one kinde and the subsistence of accidents without substance and diuers other points of Popery The councell of Florence wherein the Popes supremacy purgatory and diuers points of popish doctrine concerning the sacrments were confirmed had his strength from Eugenius the fourth that by the councell of Basill was condemned as an hereticke and by the citizens of Rome driuen out of the city as a publike enemy he was the cause of the periury of Ladislaus that broke with the Turke and of the defait and slaughter of the Christians at Varna The three principall authors of the wicked decrees and anathematismes of the conuenticle of Trent were Paul the third Inlius the third and Pius the fourth whereof the first was a parricide a lechour a necromancer and an empoysoner as is testified by Vergerius Sleidan and other Iulius the third was a sensuall epicure and a filthy sodomite as is testified in a certaine preface before the story of Iouius and declared by certein rymes and verses made vpon him and Innocentius de Monte a boy made Cardinall by him Pius the fourth as the common report went died betwixt two concubines and was infamous for lechery and villany odious to the Romans for his vices To speake generally of later popes the only founders and belmelters of Popish religion we finde that they haue been the greatest scandales of Christian religion and the principall authors of the calamities of Christendome Bernard in serm 1. in conuers S. Pauli complaineth that iniquity taking his beginning from the Popes of his time was spred out ouer the world egressa est iniquitas saith he à senioribus iudicibus vicarijs tuis qui videntur regere populum tuum Petrarke in his epistles without title saith the court of Rome was not a city but a house full of diuels and wicked spirits and a sinke of vice and shame non ciuitas sed lemurum laruarum domus vt breuiter dicam scelerum dedecorum omnium sentina Iohn of Sarisbury in Polycrat lib. 6. c. 24. saith that Popes doe therefore die the faster least they should corrupt the whole church ideo mea opinione papae frequentius moriuntur ne totam corrumpant ecclesiam Warnerus in Martino 2. Adriano 3. Stephano crieth out heu heu quomodo obscuratum est aurum alas alas how is the golde obscured he compleineth also of the scandales that happened in the papacy and of their emulations sects and contentions and saith that truth failed among the children of men Theodoric a Niem de schism lib. 3. c. 42. saith that so much iniquity was gone from the Popes that the catholike faith was darkned thereby and religion suffered shipwracke and all vertues were departed from all sorts of men vt catholica fides obnubiletur omnis religio naufragium patiatur virtutes ab omnibus recesserint Platina in Sergio 3. saith that Popes getting their places by bribery neglected