Church of Rome should bee throwne downe and troden vnder feet yea it must needes follow that the holie Pope is accursed a verie Bawde which hath made of the holy Catholike Church of Rome a fowle shamelesse whore Fie fie nay we will none of that Let Augustine much rather be an Heretike and all those that are of his opinion as master Athanasius Origine Hilarius Irinaeus Tertullianus Cyprianus Chrysostomus and Hieronymus let them rather be burnt euen al vpon a heape Although it be easie to iudge that if they were liuing nowe in these dayes they would be lothe to permitte any such grosse stuffe either to be vttred with their toÌ„gues or published by their pennes or if they did they must trudge with other into the fire Yea and Ambrose must recant and call backe againe or eate vp with salt that which he hath openly written That al doctrine whatsoeuer which hath not bene set forth and taught by the Apostles themselues is â–ª full of abhomination and knauerie Therefore all helpes not that they come forth with their writings thinking thereby to outface our deare mother the holy Churche of Rome It is a verie yong woolfe that neuer heard any noyse shee doeth no more esteeme these bragges than if it had thundred at Colen for she will be still on cockehorse let them tosse and turne it the best they can The .iii. Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome hath likevvise povver and authoritie ouer the auncient fathers and may receiue condemne interpret vse them as shall please her holines ANd now hereby doeth specially appeare that the holy Church of Rome hath not power and authoritie onely ouer the scripture of the olde and new Testaments but also ouer all the writing and doctrine of the olde fathers as there are Irinaeus Tertullianus Basilius Gregorius Nazian Origin Cyprian Albin Euseb. Arnobi Ambro. Lactant. Cyril Epiphanius Theodoretus VigilaÌ„tius Appollinarius Hieronymus Chrysostomus Augustinus Cedullius Possidonius Prosper Sidonius Gelasius Gregorius Alâ—uinus Haymo Bartramus and other mo suche like For one she acceptes as good Catholike an other shee reiectes as naught an Heretike some she allowes with additions of certaine gloses and Postils other she referres to euery mans iudgement Vpon some she hath fathered as their owne certain straunge bookes made at the least foure or fiue hundreth yeeres after they were dead And others shee hath cleane plucked and robbed of their feathers In summe she doth tosse them and turne them euen as shee will and windes them vp as short as a clewe of yarne And wherefore should she not I pray you For she might haue condemned them all for Heretikes if she would and in place of them haue taken in and receyued the writing and doctrine of Nicholaus of Bion of Apelles Seuerus Montanus Sabellius Paulus Samosatenus Manes Meletius Aâ—ius Marcellus Macedonius Euonius Eutiches Nestorius Donatus Pelagius and suche other mates But now she hath giuen them that honour that they are taken and counted for Catholik teachers these last she hath coÌ„demned banished for diuelish heretikes false teachers Not because that the one had truly set forth the sincere word of god And the other directly the contrarie for so she should againe submit herself vnder the scripture but because it hath so pleased her And therefore it is no reason that those to whom she hath geuen such honour should now go about to ouercrow her holines and force her with their writings as though she ought to be subiect therevnto No no they must stoope themselues howe learned or godly soeuer they haue beene and the holy Church must alway haue the authoritie and superioritie For it is written in the decrees All whatsoeuer any other teachers haue taught and written that is to bee receiued or reiected according as it shall please and be thought good to the Apostolical seate of Rome For the Pope is master ouer al whatsoeuer any man can teach or write Therefore ye see that the holy Church may choose picke out of the olde fathers what soeuer she findeth for her purpose and what soeuer she perceiueth against her shee may put out finely with a dash of a penne and so esteeme it for false meant as for example Whensoeuer the olde fathers doe with florishing reasons and by a figuratiue maner of speaking extoll and set forth the Sacrament out of that will she gather her transubstantiation And whereas they doe nominate the Sacrament an holy offring or sacrifice of that wil she fetch out her Masse with all the appartenances And whensoeuer any thing is set out by them to the laâ—d and praise of the true seruantes and Preachers of Gods word thereof doth she make a kingdome of priests and a popish Monarchie And when as they do highly praise the holy Saints martyrs deceased therevpoÌ„ commes abrode the praying to saints And in such places as they do earnestly set forth and highly prayse good workes and godly liuing therevpon can she by and by builde vp the pleasant Palace of free will and then she sayles with a faire wind And then are the olde Fathers followed in all points yea there is nothing else talked of here nor there but The olde fathers The olde fathers But now on the contrarie part whereas S. Augustine doth write whole bookes of the Predestination of saints of the special vndeserued mercie of God through Iesus Christ that fayth onely iustifieth of the weakenesse and dulnesse yea of the damnablenesse of mans free will and of the adnihilation of our deseruings all that is nothing else but heresie and going astray Whereas Ambrose and Chrysostome do teache that we shal not take men or dead creatures for our aduocats before God but only christ And where August saith that we shall not pray vnto Saintes nor erect for our â–ª selues particularly anie Chappels or Altars nor pray before Tumbes as the sayde Augustine and Leo doe beare perfect witnesse that neither the dead nor deseruing of Saints can any thing helpe vs to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but onely the death and merites of Iesus christ And as Epiphanius doeth esteeme it for a shamefull heresie and an abhominable blasphemie of God that men shoulde praye eyther to Marie Gods mother or to anie other Saint but that must be couered with some blewe glose for a cloake As also the sayde Epiphanius doeth vtterlie chace the images as well of Christ as of anie other Saint out of the Church and breakes them in peeces forbidding men plainely to suffer anie such abhominations And as Ambrosius Augustinus Lactantius Origenes Athanasius Clemens Alexandrinus with many other do teache plainly that God will not bee worshipped with any likenesses or images either painted or carued The holy Church is deafe at this wil in no wise vnderstand it Where as Cyprianus Hieronymus Chrysostom and Augustinus doe say and defende that
which serues her turne to fill her hiue with pleasant and sweete honie and what soeuer is not appliable or agreeing to her purpose that she leaues vntouched Therefore the foundation of the holy Church of Rome may very wel be called A Bee hiue hauing the propertie of a tubbe wherein al maner of pleasant things are put The vii Chapter VVherin is declared that the Church of Rome can likevvise helpe her selfe vvith the opinions and doctrine of the olde Heretikes in follovving the same vvhen it serues for her purpose NOwe so farre it is from our deare mother the holy Church to be afraid to spring ouer the pales of the holie Scripture auncient Fathers Councelles and Decrees that often times she will go and solace her self in the pleasant medowes and greene fieldes of the olde heretikes which haue alwayes bin extreeme enemies and directly contrarie to the holy scripture and the Fathers and of them doeth she borrowe very many goodly iewelles too furnishe beautiefie her Gabanet or bee Hiue withall For it is wel knowen and euident that she hath learned of the Heretike Pelagius That we notwithstanding the fall of Adam do still possesse a free will and haue power to Iustifie our selues and to fulfil al the commaundementes of God if we our selues will and That it is not the onelye grace of God whereby we are iustified as Paule doth teache but an helper only after that we of our selues haue prepared our selues therevnto Also That Christ did by his death merit for original sinne onely and that for all other our daily sinnes we our selues must answere and make sufficient amendes Of the Messalians or Euchites likewise of the Pelagians she hath gathered that baptisme alone doth not make vs perfect Christians but is onely necessarie to washe away our originall sin to helpe vs out of our first shipwracke But if we fal againe so run in danger of a second shipwracke theÌ„ we must seke for another plaÌ„ke to helpe vs out of hazard Shee hath likewise sucked out of the breasts of the MessaliaÌ„s to mumble out her Mattines The seuen Psalmes and the Pater noster by â–ª number vpon a paire of beades and with a burning candle pretending thereby to obteine great pardones and to doe vnto God great seruice Also whereas she doeth vse spittle in baptizing after that the diuell is coniured that shee tooke of the Messalians who did teache That men might driue away the diuel with spitting Of the Saturnialles Ebeonites Tatians and Encratites shee hath learned That the state of Mariage is vncleane and spotted and that such as wil please God and be cleane purified must wholy refraine them selues from it Also That there is great holinesse in absteining from eating of fleshe and vsing of certeine other meates although she hath set the things out vnder another colour to the ende men might not knowe froÌ„ whence they come Besides this she hath borrowed of the Montanistes manie newe fasting dayes which she hath commaunded and coÌ„firmed to be obserued vpon paâ—ne of great punishment and beside that on or cemeÌ„ts In the schoole of the Coloredlanes shee hath learned to praye to the holye Virgine Marie and to immolate or offer vp her oblations Of Marcus the sorcerer and Heretike she hath learned to vse in her seruice sacrifices certeine strange wordes in Hebrewe and other languages Of the Anthropomorphites to painte God the Father in the forme of a man with a gray beard Of the Gnostikes and Carpocratians to set vp images of Christ and other Saints and to worship the same with censing and other maner of deuotions vnlesse men will say as Eusebius in the 7. booke of histories in the 18. chap. doth declare that this erecting of images did first spring from the Heathen And last of all she hath learned of Simon the sorcerer father of al Heretikes to giue Bishoprikes Benefices Masse Mattius and Sacraments for money and yet not to sell them For it is but a simple bargaine or contract which the Lawyers call Do vt des I giue that thou mayest giue againe Euen like to Simon who would giue money to receiue the holy ghost So that it is very plaine apparaunt that shee can helpe her selfe well ynough with the doctrines and opinions of Heretikes and sucke out of them what shee thinkes good to carie into her Bee hiue Yea shee doeth in manie things agree with the Alcaron of Mahomet and with the Turkes religion as specially in many pilgrimages in praying vnto dead Saints in the obseruing of fasting dayes in diuers sortes orders of Monkes and particularly in the doctrine of Freewill and iustification by workes Now whether they haue borrowed that of Mahomet or he receiued it from them by reason he had a holy Monke one Sergius for an assistent companion I referre that to the iudgement of the Doctors of Louen Thus much once by the waye that it is easie to be noted that it is all one per dominum and all diet in one fatte and that she is like to a cunning spinner which can make good thred of all sortes of flaxe The viii Chapter Declaring that the Church of Rome hath likevvise borrovved manye things of the levves vvhich shee doeth set forth and holde as articles of the faith NOwe as touching the Iewes shee hath not forgotten to followe them sundrie wayes and that is apparant ynough in that which our master Gentianus hath declared in this worke For hee will mainteine that the Transubstantiation of the bread into the very body of Christ and the changing or turning of the substaÌ„ce of the wine into his verie blood maye bee proued by the testimonies of the Iewishe Rabbines And that is without doubt for one of their Rabbines named Rabbi Moses Hazardan writing vppon the 136. Psalme where the Prophet saith O Lord thou giuest all fleshe their foode saieth thus This texte doth fully and wholy agree with that which is saide in the 34. Psalme Taste and see howe pleasant the Lord is For the bread or meate which he giues to euery man is his fleshe and with the tasting or with the eating it is turned into flesh Out of this hath a good Monke a Catholike writer concluded That this Iewish Rabbin did well vnderstand Transubstantiation which he doth yet againe coÌ„firme by another named Rabbie Cahana who vttereth maruelous woÌ„derful speculations vpoÌ„ that texte of Moses where Iacob did promise to his sonne Iuda an vnspeakable vnmesurable quantitie of wine milke by these wordes He shal binde his foales to the vinetree and his asses to the noble vine branches he shal wash his clothing in wine his mantle in the bloud of grapes his teeth are whiter than milk For out of these woordes of Iacob doeth the foresaid Rabbi conclude That the asse doeth here signifie Messias into whose bodie and bloud the wine shal
that thine authoritie is great ouer thine owne subiectes yet we can not well beare with thy loftines and vnmeasurable pride neither allowe thy vnsatiable couetousnesse Therefore the deuill be with thee for God is with vs. NotwithstaÌ„ding that some of their Embassadours did in the Councell of Ferrara in the tyme of Pope Eugenius 4. agree therevnto but without consent or commission of their Church which did afterwards call backe and adnihilate the same But long before that time not onely the coÌ„mon people of the Greekes but the Emperours them selues likewise were aduersaries to the Pope of Rome about the setting vp and praying to Images For about the yere of our Lord 730. the Emperors Constantine 5. and 6. and Leo Isaurus did with full aduise and consent of the Councell as well out of the Scripture as of the ancient Fathers conclude That men should in no wise for the seruice of God neither set vp nor pray to anie Images but did likewise vtterly break down destroy al Images before made and set vp For which cause the Popes of Rome did conceiue such malice and hatred against them that from thence forth they sought al maner of meanes and wayes to diuide and ouerthrowe the Emperial state like as in continuance of time they brought it so to passe And likewise not only the Greekes but the Germanes also did long time withstand the forbidding of Priestes to marrie till at length the Popes and that specially Bonifacius 8. did by maine force bring it to passe and establishe the same In the yere 840. one Berthrame a stout and a learned man rose vp who did manfully withstande the Romishe doctrine as touching their Transubstantiation dedicating to Charles the French King brother of Lothorius a notorious booke made for that purpose and did likewise in an other booke confirmed by the Scriptures and strongly defended by the holy Fathers set forth the doctrine of Predestination which these Heretikes do nowe so earnestly stand vpon And about the yere 869. did Iohannes Scotus followe him writing against Transubstantiation euen as Beringarius about the yere 839. had done the like And in the yere of our Lord 964. Huldrike Bishop of Auxburge by his writing reuoked again the saide commaundement of forbidding Priestes to marrie After whom about the yere 1240. Bernard started vp who wrote very much of Predestination and against Freewill nothing vnlike the doctrine of the Lutheranes and Huguenotes yea and did very stoutly striue against the Priestes and Prelates calling them The seruantes of Antichrist and making of the Prelates Pilates Whom in the yere 1157. Iohannes of Sarisburie did folowe and wrote a booke called Obiurgium Clericorum and another named Polycraticus wherein hee doeth pull the whole Clergie vengeably ouer the coles and setteth them out for Phariseis and false teachers calling the Pope Antichrist and Rome The hoore of Babylon And likewise a litle before that had Arnolde the Bishop of Brixen set vp earnestly against the Priestes denying flatly that the sworde of gouernement should anie whit apperteyne vnto them yea euen at the same time was there one Peter Bloix which wrote openly thus That Rome was the right BabyloÌ„ wherof S. Iohn did prophesie and that the Officialles of the Romish Court were deuilish Griphines and the Priestes verie Calues of Bethel Baals Priests Aegyptiacal idols and that euery thing was to be solde at Rome for money About the same time in the yere 1160. started vp in France a quicke fellowe and a worshipfull Burgesse of the Towne of Lyons named Petrus Valdo who hauing studied the Scriptures very diligently began to set vp a newe doctrine which did hit as iust vpon the doctrine of these Huguenotes as might be He left manye Disciples after him in so much that a remnant is remayning yet to this day After that came Petrus de Vinea Chauncelour to the Emperour Frederike 2. and was in the yere 1240. who went about likewise to robbe our holy father the Pope of his intituled authoritie and iurisdiction rayâ—ing vpon him out of measure And after came Guilielmus de sancto Amore in the yeere 1260. who layde loade exceedingly vpon the Prelates Monkes and Friers and did reckon them for subiectes of Antichrist Whose opinions were after in the yeere 1275. by one Laurence an Englishe Doctor at Paris stoutly defended and coÌ„firmed Againe in the yere 1306. came abroad one Petrus Cassiodorus a Gentleman and very well learned who did altogether spil the potage For his writing and doctrine was euen as though he had studied all the dayes of his life in the bookes of Luther and Caluin and he made of the Pope a Nabuchodonosor After that in the yere 1314. did followe one Dulsimus of Nauarra And in the yeere 1315. Arnoldus de villa Noua who caried water all ouer one bridge And at last in the yere 1383. came forth the great Archeheretike Iohn Wiclef who threw all the spindles of the holy Church of Rome in the ashes for he was a naturall Zwinglian or Caluinist and of him sproong vp Iohn Hus in the yeere 1405. which was the father of all Lutheranes Hee it was which came with Hieronymus of Prage to the CouÌ„cell of Constance there to defende his doctrine by scripture but there he was taught a newe lesson for in place of disputation they were both burnt at a stake And yet that notwithstanding their doctrine euer since that time hath bene accepted in many places and by many stout fellowes confirmed Like as there was one Nicholaus Clemangis a Doctor of Paris and Bishop of Bayone in France Oldecastell Lorde Cobham and Knight of the order of the Garter and within a litle while after one William Wight in Englande and Paule Crawe with many other in the countrie of Rome Hieronymus Sauanerola in Italie and a number of other more all which yet were by the Church of Rome banished and condemned for heretikes yea where they could be gotten put to death In summe all such as at any time haue taken vpon them to set forth any like matter against the Church of Rome haue alway bene of the most holy Popes banished and accursed together with all them which would by any meanes mainteyne or defend them In so much that Emperours and Kings yea whole countries haue for withstanding the Pope bene excommunicated and condemned for heretikes yea which is of greater importance one Okam and Dante good Catholike men were by Pope Benedict 3. condemned for Heretikes only because they did mainteine That Emperours holde their Empires of God and not of the Pope and yet notwithstanding that in all other matters they did throughly professe the Popes doctrine I say nothing what is meete to be done to these new Heretikes who go about to roote out and destroy the whole foundation of the
after this life is neither any more time nor place to make amendes for our sinnes or obteine any mercy or forgiuenes at Gods hands there she shrinks backe into her shel and lettes her hoode hearken to that And where as the said Cyprianus and Hieronymus do stoutly teach That al Ministers true Preachers of Gods worde haue like power in what place soeuer they be whether it be at Rome or at Naples or amoÌ„g the Indies or in Tartaria all that is pedlers French to our holy mother the church of Rome whereas Gregorius doth plainly write and in diuerse places sayeth That whatsoeuer he be that names himselfe a general Bishop or The chiefe head and principall of all Bishops he is the very messenger of Antichrist and the sonne of the diuell for that neither hee nor no man liuing can beare the name of a generall Bishop without the vtter defacing of the seruice of the Church But that must be vnderstood with a prouiso to wit The Pope of Rome alwayes excepted Nowe whereas k Tertulianus Augustinus Theodoretus and many other moe doe expounde these wordes of the Sacrament This is my bodie sacramentally and say that it is a figure a signe and a seale of the bodie of Christ that was offred vp and broken for vs then is there nothing to say but God helpe you There is no bodie at home Whereas they doe generallie with one consent teache and stoutely mainteine that the Supper of the Lorde ought to bee ministred vnto all men vnder both kindes that smelles of a Ratte the Cow is broken loose Whereas Irinaeus who wrote that about a hundred yeres after saint Iohn the Apostle the number of the beast whereof Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation or vision doeth meane by this word Latinos the Romish or the Latine Church and regiment and the Tertul. Hieronymus do expound the beast with seuen hornes for the citie of Rome that is al bibble babble In summe whensoeuer they set forth or teach any thing that souÌ„ds not wel in the eares of our deare mother the holy Church she lettes them be packing without any mention making of them or else she correctes them throughly considering that they are but men and may erre And wherfore For that she is not subiect to the writings of the fathers neither can her authoritie be subiect to their iudgement but she as wee haue saide before is aboue the fathers and gouerneth them turnes and winds them as she will forceth them eueÌ„ as she thinkes good And whatsoeuer they haue written must bee sifted through her siâ—e to picke out thereof the finest flowre For otherwise seeing that the olde fathers do oftentimes differ amongst themselues and other whiles write contrarie to that which they haue set downe before and alwayes for the most part haue done directly agaynst the opinion and dealing of the holie Church of Rome howe should yea howe shoulde men make good cloth of such yarne if it were not that the holy Church of Rome did giue her iudgement and sentence on their dooings and did chewe the pappe before in her owne mouth to put the same with more facilitie and easinesse into ours her sucking babes as it were with a Spoone giuing vs that which she alloweth for good and casting the rest away which tastes not well in her mouth into a corner The summe of all is that we maye not make anie foundation of our faith vpon the writings of the olde fathers vnles they haue first bene vnder the hands of the holie Catholike Church of Rome and be by her ouerseene and set forth as shall seeme good to her holinesse The iiii Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome is not subiect to anie Councell but maye approue or disanull them according as shee shall thinke best for her ovvne benefite And this is confirmed by many examples and profounde reasons BVt nowe are there some such grosse fellowes which notwithstanding they do see that the Church is aboue the Scriptures and aboue all the doctrine and Writinges of the olde Fathers yet they thinke that her power and authoritie maye be as it were compassed in and paled about by the Councels So that there should be nothing receiued for a commaundement of the church but it must first be concluded by a Councell And what soeuer were once there coÌ„cluded and agreed vpon with that neither the church of Rome should medle nor the Pope haue anie thing to doe Yea mary these good felowes O they come in due season they might a great deale better haue tarried at home For consider seeing that all the Prophetes and Apostles and likewise the old Fathers altogether yea Iesus Christ the very Sonne and trueth of God himself could neuer so binde nor make subiect the holy church that she should yeeld and submit her selfe to their writing and doctrine onely howe doe these felowes thinke then that the Councels should haue greater power to bring her within their parke and pases considering that they are men which haue so often times erred yea and swarued cleane from the trueth Wee knowâ— well ynough that the Councel Ariminense Sirmiense and Seleucense did in the time of Constantine the great fortifie the heresie of the Arrians with their Decrees The seconde Councel of Ephesus did cleue vnto the Heretike Eutyches and did blasphemously and confusedly mingle the two natures of Christe together The councel of Carthago in the time of Cyprian which was holden before the first councel of Nicene did conclude That heretikes ought to be christened againe But what needeth al this Was not Christ him selfe iudged coÌ„demned in a generall councel at Hierusalem which was the chosen citie of God And that the councels haue often times erred may lightly erre it appereth plainly inough by the witnessing of Gregorie Nazianzene who was accustomed to say That he neuer saw couÌ„cell that teÌ„ded to a good end Yea do we not see how there haue bin many couÌ„cels whose proceedings haue bin flat against the doctrine institutions set forth by our holy mother the church and yet would defend their doings by the holy scripture But what a good yere Can the couÌ„cels preuaile against the church of Rome they hauing no power nor authoritie at all other thaÌ„ is giueÌ„ them by our holy father the pope How I pray you should that then hang together that they should be placed at the vpper end not only aboue the pope but aboue the whole church Is it not written in the booke of the decretals That no couÌ„cel can in any thing forbid the holy church nor set any commandment ouer her considering that all couÌ„cels haue bin at her appointment and receiued their power authoritie froÌ„ her holinesse And that in al statutes ordinances decrees of the couÌ„cels the authoritie of the Pope is excepted exempted See we not likewise that in the councel of Lateran it was coÌ„cluded likewise
decree in the chapter Placuit de consecra dist 4. bring free-will to the gallowes They woulde rid Auricular confession out of the way and vtterly confounde the defending of Priestes to marrie and quite abolish the forbearing of flesh yea they would throw downe fastens euen and Iacke a Lent and breake both their neckes Besides all this they woulde plucke downe all Bishops and Prelates all Abbaâ—s Monkes and Chanons from their riches welthinesse and merie dayes And would make of them poore beggers with Pokes because it is ordeyned by speciall woordes in the Decrees That spirituall persons shall not enjoy any landes or possessions And euen so woulde they dispossesse the holy father the Pope of all his patrimoniall goodes and heretage whereof Saint Peter by his testament hath put him in plentifull and peaceable possession and would leaue him nothing but this bare deuise or prouerbe Aurum argentum non est mecum That is to say I haue neither golde nor siluer by mee And so where he is nowe a riche God they woulde in steade thereof make of him a poore deuill and then they would driue all Priests and Parsonnes Monkes Friers and Nonnes into their Churches and Cloysters euen as men woulde driue a heard of swine into their Styes â–ª and that by force of the decree Cap. Clerici causa 14. quaest 4. and cap. peruenit dist 86. and more such like which are written in the 86. distinction And nowe note another thing which is worst of all they would mainteyne that all Priestes Monkes and Chanons with all the hellish shorne and greasie swarme are exâ—â—â—able and shameles heretikes yea accursed and false theeues â–ª and that al Cardinals Bishops and Popes haue effectually and Ipso facto forfeyted all their offices authorities benefices prebendes according to the decree Si quis dist 69. cap. Nullâ—â— cap. Baptisando 1. cap. Quicquid cap. Placuit and an innumerable companie and too long to rehearse So that herewithall shoulde our deare mother the holie Church of Rome be cleane rooted out and spoyled of all her goodly treasures riches possessions and gouernments and in the ende should vtterly loose her credite countenance and being forced to play the bankrupt should be driueÌ„ into an hospital there to ende her sorowfull and miserable dayes Therefore let euery man which will pretende to be a good and faythfull member of the holy Church looke well about him that he in no maner of wise for any thing that may be do extoll the decrees so high that the holy Church of Rome should be subiect vnto them but let our holy mother alwayes remaine vnhindered at libertie and free that shee may freely as touching all Decrees Canons writings and ordinances dispense ordeine iudge dispose order and reserue and in summe bind the diuel vpon a cushen for she neither may nor will be constreyned in any matter considering that shee is like vnto these olde Foxes which can not bee taken in anie trappe She can leape ouer all gates and hedges ouer all ditches quagmires ouer al parkes pales and she hath no other order nor rule but what she thinkes good euen her owne deuotion her good intent c. And to conclude that which shee perceyueth to tende most vnto her pleasure and profite The vi Chapter VVherin is concluded out of that vvhich is aforesayd that the benefite and profite of the Church of Rome is the onely rule and direction of all scriptures decrees and Councels HErevpon may wee boldly conclude and out of that which is sayde before make a most true and infallible generall rule That neither the holy Scripture of the olde and newe Testaments nor the writings and doctrine of the olde fathers nor Councels nor Decrees nor any other institution or ordinance in the world can be specially holden for the certein rule of fayth wherevnto the Church is bounde nor yet for the traditions and institutions of the holy Church which all Catholike men are bound to beleeue vpon paine of damnation But the estimation and benefite of the holy Church of Rome is the only principal most sure rule directioÌ„ whereby all Scriptures councels ordinances and decrees must bee guided and gouerned Yea it is the verie pricke the white and the but whâ—reat all good Catholike christeÌ„ people must shoot al their arrowes and lay their iust leuel Therfore whensoeuer the holy Scripture will serue the turne of our deare mother the Churche of Rome shee may accordingly vse it and wherein so euer the Councels can doe her any seruice she may commaunde them and when the olde Fathers say any thing that can further her cause shee may allowe it and let the rest goe Also wherein soeuer the decrees may further her purpose she may haue them in reputation and make them equall with Gods worde But whensoeuer the Scripture doth make against her she may finde a glose or an Allegorie vpon it and so couer the matter with a blewe mantle And when the olde Fathers write any thing which soundes against her holines she may thrust them out of the doores and send them packing And wherein soeuer she doeth mislike of the Councels she may admit approue other councels against them and so driue one thunder away with another And when soeuer the decrees tend any thing against the maintenaÌ„ce of her honorable state she may boldly deface theÌ„ set an earmarke on theÌ„ which shee calles Palea that is to say Chaffe or Strawe or else she may sauâ—e them with something adde vnto them a glose of Accursius â–ª or Panormitanus or of Iohn Andraeas which will bring the matter in frame As for example Whereas almightie God doth by his holy worde commaunde That no man shall make anie image or likenesse that is spoken onely for the Iewes And as the Councel of Africa only because of the ambition of the Popes of Rome who would haue questions suites to come before them and there be determined did ordeine That no man shoulde transport anie matter ouer Sea by appellation and such like Therevpon shall her Gratianus gratiouslie glosse excepting onely such as shall appeale to Rome And whereas Pope Gelasius doth command that euerie one which will not shamefullie separate the Sacrament of Christe shall minister the supper of the Lord vnder both kindes to witte of breade and wine That must be vnderstoode onely vpon al priests and so like vpon all other And when as they can finde no good glose to couer the matter withall then it is sufficient to say Non credo I do not beleue it or Hoc antiquum est This is ancient happened In illo teÌ„pore In that time c. In summe she will vse the matter so handsomely as shal make most for her own aduantage Then you may perceiue well ynough that she is like the honie Bee which wil sit vpon euery flowre and fetch out of euerie one of them that
yet in verie deed they will proue out of Paule that this new law of the Gospell whereof Ieremie doth speake is nothing else but the ministration of the Gospell which Paul did minister in his preaching and set forth aboundantly in his writing which remaines continues for euer And that did Paul openly witnes That he had neither forgotten nor kept secret anie thing of that which might serue to saluation but that he hath vttered truly set forth all the same before the Congregations ioyntly together Insomuch that he before the holy Pope which came afterwards should not haue left one iot behinde Wherevpon should follow that the law of the Gospel which the Pope doth carie in his bosome is altogether of an other Gospell much differing froÌ„ the law of that Gospel which Paul did preach or whereof Ieremie did speake then should the Pope be accurssed by the saying of Paule to the Galathians Whosoeuer doth preach any other Gospell than that which I haue preached vnto you â–ª let him be accurssed yea although hee were an Angel out of heauen But yet the Pope of Rome doeth not thinke that this doth touch him for that he is something greater than an Angel of heauen as we shall giue you to vnderstand in due time fit place Now that which he brings forth out of Iohn to wit that Christ said â–ª That the Apostles could not yet vnderstand all that the holy ghost should descend and instruct them further is somewhat more apparant But yet for all this he is neuer the neare For he cannot with this stop the mouthes of Heretikes by reason that they wil stil obiect say that this was spoken before the Apostles had receiued the holy ghost but after they had receiued him then did they put al the instructions which they had learned of the holie ghost in writing to the end that through that which is written all men might bee saued by faith in Iesus Christ as by the said Iohn is precisely written without this addition that they shoulde haue neede to watch anie longer after the Popes Buls or Masses of Requiem But it is euen as I haue told you our master Gentian hath bene so wildely prickt forwarde with that zealous spirite that hee did not see well what he said For he is a man that hath whole drifattes full of wit marie the bottoms are out And therfore will we helpe him againe out of his dreame omitting all such vnprofitable tittle tattle and purposing for the second part of this matter which we haue in hand to teach That whatsoeuer our mother the holy Church hath brought to light studied inuented or found out since the Apostles time is altogether so surely substantially grounded timbred bricked walled vpon the plaine text of the holy scripture so farre as they be spiritually vnderstood according to the interpretation of our mother the holy Church that it were not possible to erect any castle or tower more surely vpon the highest sandhill in all Hollande And this I assure you will bee a goodly peece of woorke whereby I shall deserue muche and bee partaker of a great manie goodly pardons and indulgencies and shal besides that become verie necessarie and seruiceable to the comforting of our sorrowfull mother the holie Church and to the extirpation and rooting out of all erronious opinions of newely vpstart Sectaries and Heretikes whiche doe yet thinke that they haue the Scripture on their side But they will haue but foolishe countenances when they shall see that the whole Scripture with the interpretations of the holie Fathers doeth at the least close vp as well with our doctrine as a ring in a Swines snowt The ii Chapter Declaring that the sonne offring of the Masse and the order and office of Priestes and Masse Priestes is gathered out of the Scripture if it be rightlie vnderstoode according to the interpretation of the Church of Rome THen to begin withall we will digge the holie sonne offering of the Masse out of the holie Scripture and proue that shee hath thereon a deepe and sure foundation Consider nowe it is plainly written That when Christ had broken the bread giuen it to his disciples he spake thus and saide Take Eate This is my bodie which shall be broken for you Do this in remembrance of me Do you wel perceiue nowe yee poore Heretikes that Christ doeth here commande to singe Masse for that same worde Doe this is iust as much as if he had saide Offer my bodie in the Masse to God my Father for the liuing and for the dead And that is first stronglie set forth by the Poet Virgil who saieth thus Cum faciam vitula that is to say When I shall doe it with a calfe Looke nowe by this worde Doe he vnderstandeth nothing else but onelie To do or offer a sacrifice and sonneoffring Ergo it must needes folowe That Christ did vnderstand it no otherwise than the worshipful Catholike Doctours of Louen Paris haue very well declared and irreuocablie concluded For our deare mother the holy church hath receiued approued strongly established their doctrine institution and prescript for an article of our faith So that it appeares that the Masse is verie ancient seeing it was vsed in Virgils time sauing onely that they did offer either Calues fleshe or Oxe flesh whereas nowe our Priestes doe celebrate their Masse with mans fleshe and bloud And herevpon you may note further that these short and sweete wordes Doe this is remembrance of me hath a wonderful emphasis or force For out of the grounde of the same hath the holie Catholike Church of Rome fished That the Apostles were Priests or Prelates with shorne crownes and did sing Masse and thereof it is that all our Priestes are created For Doe this is as much to say in their language as Become Priestes and see that your fingers bee annoynted with holie oyle that you may deuoutly say Masse And for this hath the holie Church of Rome commaunded That none of the Laâ—e people shall receiue the Chalice because our Lorde did not here speake to anie of the Laie or common people as the Apostle Saint Paule did in his time when hee willed the whole Congregation and Church of the Corinthians to doe as Christ Iesus had done But the Apostle Paule did meane simplie and onelie those which were able to sing the holie Masse as our Priestes and Prelates are who onelie ought and may drinke out of the Chalice as you may more perfectly and plainlie perceiue by the writers vpon the booke of Sentences and by all the before named Doctours of Louen of Paris and of Colen Moreouer and besides this wee can stronglie confirme the Masse offering out of the Prophete Malachie who in the 1. Chapter and 11. verse saith thus From the rising of the Sunne vnto the setting of the same is my name honoured amongest the Heathen and in all places
mother How can it be that she should be so ouerseene should then all good catholikes haue hitherto reckoned and still do reckon without their host should our forefathers haue deserued none otherwise by building Cloisters Abbies Trentals Masses and such like deuotions should all that be lost O no I defie that We will rather forsake the whole Scripture Peter and Paule with the whole rable of them than that such a slaunder should rise and take place in the holy Catholike Apostolike Popish church of Rome For if that were so then should all our Decrees decretals all our Sentences and Seâ—tentiaries al orders ordinances old customes vsages priuiledges and old proceedings of the holie church all masses with the appurtenances al priests and priestly doings and so one diuell with another be cleane ouerthrowen And then it must needes followe that the Lutherans Zwinglians Caluinistes shal yet againe beare the swing all the shorne swarme of holie shauelings with all the Sophisters Theologians of Louen with all the newe Bishops Abbats Monks Prelats giue place To what purpose then I pray you should the Duke of Alba with his Spaniards serue hauing taken so troublesome a iournie vpon him to stand the Bishops instead of Sargeants hangmen and to set vp the ruined Romish church in her authoritie againe O no no we will neuer be giuen to vnderstand beleeue that the scripture doth teach this for otherwise the scriptures must be heretical directly against the holie church then shuld the scriptures haue deserued to be burnt aswel as the Huguenotes Wel surely our Doctors of Louen haue likewise perused the scriptures our newe Bishops do daily reade their seruice Masse booke at lest when they haue leasure but they find not this written there therfore it is to be thought that either the heretikes haue other Epistles Gospels than is written in our Masse booke read in the church or there is more malt in the mill than the miller will be acknowen of For although our mother the holy church is content to graunt the heretiks that Christ is our right redeemer hath sufficiently satisfied for our sins because it shal not seeme they haue vtterlie forsaken Christ thrust him out of his seat yet is not that so to bee vnderstood that he onely must be taken for our ful raunsome and satisfaction or that he should haue fullie made our peace with God the Father through the offering vp of his bodie bloud so as we should now through his merites be esteemed for righteous and the children of God and haue an assured belefe that God hath for his sake forgiuen vs all our sinnes is to vs a good louing Father as these heretikes will needes proue by their Bible No no it wil not go so easilie to worke we must go otherwise to worke we our selues must paie our debtes with our owne monie satisfie God sufficiently for our sinnes or otherwise all would be naught For it doth not beecome the mercie of God saith the councel of Trent that he should forgiue vs our debtes for nothing without anie former satisfactioÌ„ And although it be so that Paul doeth take on him to defend that Abraham hath no iust occasion to presume of him selfe before God of any desert or former works yea saith That he that works not but doth stedfastly beleeue in him that doth iustifie the vngodly to him is his beleefe for righteousnesse as Dauid also saieth touching the iustification of those to whom God doth impute righteousnes without any works by these words Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is that man to whoÌ„ God imputeth not sin yet that holie ghost of the couÌ„cell of Trent hath concluded the contrarie saying thus Whosoeuer will defend mainteine that the vngodly are iustified by faith only that for the obteyning of Gods mercie his works are not needful let him be accursed And our Doctors of Louen haue once for all acknowledged iudged That God may not impute righteousnes to any maÌ„ through faith vnlesse he be righteous of him selfe For consider this is the conclusion of the worshipfull profound learned Magistri nostri Ioice RaueÌ„stein of Thielt in his booke which he now a while agoe did write against the Lutherans of Antwerpe This pretended righteousnes saith he doeth tend first against naturall reason for it cannot stand with any natural reason â–ª that one which had no wisedome in his head should yet notwithstanding be called wise either else righteous who hath no inwarde righteousnesse in him selfe Secondarilie it is slaunderous against the holie Ghost who hath testified and witnessed of manie men in the scripture that they were righteous before God so should the holy Ghost be attached for a false witnesse Thirdlie it doeth differ from the doctrine of the Catholike Fathers Consider now here we haue a clere iudgement irreuocable sentence wherevpon it must rest That Paule hath spoken amisse in saying that God doeth ascribe righteousnes to the vngodlie without any works For what is the meaning of this ascâ—ibing our alowing Our sharpwitted Magistri nostri of Louen can not by their naturall reasons nor with al then Syllogismes Quotlibets nor other speculacions conceiue the same no nor will permit that God should impute righteousnes or yet couer sinnes through the merites of Christ to one that were not righteous of him selfe by deeds that had sufficiently satisfied for his sinnes by his deeds so that God is not licenced to name things that are not as though they were as Paule ascribes vnto him or to deck vs with a righteousnes and obedience which we haue not deserued our selues our deare mother the holie Church of Rome doeth esteeme it for a foolishnes vntowardnesse and blasphemie against God that Christ onelie should be our wisedome our righteousnes our holines and our only redemption Shee will haue it that we shall euen of our selues and by our selues haue our owne wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption before God at least if we will be esteemed for righteous She doth esteeme it for a foolish and faithlesse trust that one should trust to the righteousnesse of anie other than him selfe She will haue it that euerie one shall be iustified by his owne righteousnesse and by his owne merites and therewithall satisâ—â—e and pay all the sinnes and offences wherewith hee may bee by anie meanes iustly burthened It is true That originall sinne hath some preeminence and that it may not be tried to the vttermost point For notwithstanding that originall sinne is that which makes vs the children of wrath and brings vs to death yet will our mother the holie Church stay a little and pale in Gods determination and persuade the best betwixt both saying That it doth not well become the righteousnesse of God that he should deale with those which before baptisme haue
Colledge of Cardinals Monasteries of Monkes Fraternities of Friers Nestes of Nonnes and the rest of the Pharisaical Frie as whole handfuls of Helleborus or pounds of Colloquintida can neuer auoide wote you what that will pull downe their mother the holie Churche vppon her knees with thought and sorowe Well I leaue the benefite of this booke to thy diligence in reading And thus farewell Thine in Christ Iohn Stell This is a cleare and perfect interpretation of the Epistle of Maister Gentian Haruet nowe latelie set foorth in French and in Dutch and directed to those that are fallen from the true Christian beliefe WHerein the full foundation and profounde establishing of the holie Romishe beliefe is declared all newe heresies confounded the might authoritie and worthines of the Church of Rome expounded and by Scriptures confirmed all dissentious articles put to silence and a plaine demonstration where the right Church is to bee founde In summe all the articles of the holie Catholike Romishe beliefe are here drawne out of all sortes of flowres in the holie Scripture olde Fathers Councelles Decrees and Canons gathered together and as in a sweete Bee hiue brought all in one and in the last is set forth the manners conditions nature and essence of Bees the honie and honie-combe of this Bee hiue collected out of the best olde writers as well Grecians as Latinistes Made and brought togither by Isaac Rabbotenu of Louen Licentiate in the Popishe lawes To the right worshipful holie profounde and learned Doctor and Magister noster Maister Franciscus Sonnius nowe most woorthie Bishop of Shertoghenbosch health and blessing from God and the Pope our most holie father RIght worshipfull louing and holie father and bishop when I do well consider thinke vppon the noble commendable woorthie deedes which your honor with the good helpe of the moste famous and deuoute Cardinall Grandvelle and other good subiectes of the most holie Apostolicall Catholike Popish church of Rome haue within these niene or ten yeares taken in hande and almost brought to passe touching our ancient and wellnigh ouerthrowen Romish Religion to proppe and vnderset the same with newe pillars strong styles â–ª binding it with well twisted ropes and cordes of the Spanish Inquisition I must needes and of right in the name behalfe of all my countriemen and inhabitants of the base countries of Germanie geue you worthie thankes for the great alterations and changes whiche within these fewe yeares haue happened and chaunced to the proofe within the said lowe countries For had not your Honor about the yeare 1558. in the time of the most holie Pope Iulie the fourth stoutlie and diligentlie trauelled and obteined that these our base couÌ„tries might be prouided for with newe Bishops to serue for Inquisitours and accusers of heretikes and Huguenotes Surelie the case was such that the Popes holines with all his boothes and shoppes must out of hande haue bene trudging out of these countries and all by reason of this newe Gospell which men woulde needes set forth whereof your Bishops Myter crosier staffe and your laudable Inquisition haue not read much considering that your Honor can content your self with your Portesse a canne of good rennish wine whereof if it had so come to passe a most pitifull case must needes haue followed As especiallie that a man shoulde scarse afterwardes haue founde anie one that would haue saide Masse for monie yea the Priestes themselues began to be so ashamed of their shauen crownes that in some places they woulde haue beene glad to couer them with cowe doung as in an olde prophesie is declared The Bishops the Prelates the holie Monkes and Chanons the Inquisitoures and all idle officers of the spirituall courtes shoulde not haue had anie more worke I omit howe that the famous doctoures of Louen the Licentiates and Bachelers of Diuinitie shoulde drinke no more Vinum Theologicum or Vinum Cos that is to say of the persons fatte but must haue taken patience with small ale and single beare whereof they might sooâ—e haue gotten the Collica passio And where I pray you shoulde the foure holie begging orders haue become And especially the deuout Franciscanes should they not all in generall haue gone and hanged their cowles vpon the hedge And then what should haue become of all the godlie ornamentes of the Churche as braue altars gylte christes holie reliques braue images Copes of gold siluer and silke and other moe suche like iewels wherewith all the Churches and holie Saints as well Feminine as Masculine are decked vp and trimmed which all the Byshops haue promised by solemne othe to mainteine and defend to the vttermost of their powers But what is all this to the purpose The Masse the Masse I saie yea the holie blessed masse laie so extreemely sicke that men began alreadie to sing a Requiem ouer her the holie Saintes did not get anie more liberall offrings more sensinges nor more pilgrimages Yea the people began alreadie to pul downe images from the alters No man would geue any thing for pardons nor for the Popes bulles Yea the hole staple of pardons especially purgatorie beganne to waxe coulde The Pope himselfe was esteemed for an howlieglasse The Decrees and Decretals the Sophisticall gloses the sentences the Quotlibets and suche like toyes of the schollers and doctours of Louen were cast behinde the benche Satisfaction and ful recompence were no more made anie accounte of Auriculer confession was almost murdered Shroue tuesday and Iacke a lent had almost broken their neckes all the holie and goodlie Processions with the stately stations Perambulations going about the streetes were esteemed for boyes plaie the holie Sacrament was no more deuoutlie caried vp and downe with fiffes and drummes In conclusion all the holinesse of the Catholike Church of Rome beganne to fall in the ashes and in place thereof you should heare nothing else neither in the townes nor without yea nothing was read but the Byble or Saint Paule The people would pray to none other but to GOD alone neither woulde haue anie other mediatour but Christe Iesus noâ— put their trust and confidence in anie other thinges but in his merites No reioycinges but in his Crosse death and passion They did onely esteeme for Sacramentes Baptisme the Lords Supper yea and did vse the same very simply without anie stately station or ceremoniall brauerie without coniuringes of the diuell without spittle without salt without greasinges also without albes surpleses or coapes without singing of Per omnia saecula saeculorum or Dominus vobiscum They would go no more to shrifte vndeâ— their ghostlie Father but to God aboue or else before the whole congregation They did not passe anie more for absolution they woulde not praie anie more for the sillie soules whiche lie in Purgatorie but euerie one would grouÌ„d his praier vpon the holie scripture They woulde acknowledge but one supreme heade of the Churche namely Iesus Christe the
Sonne of God They woulde haue Bishops renouncing the name office of tyrannical Inquisitors to preache the gospell to leaue of their trapt Horses and Mules and goe on foote They did esteeme all manner of meates good and lawfull first saying grace in their mother tongues neither did they much regarde the eating of fleshe in Lent no not euen on Good Friday In Summe they went wholy about to bring in a new reformation of religion and discipline ecclesiasticall the like whereof was neuer seene of the holie Churche of Rome nor of our forefathers They tooke in hande to restore all againe to the olde and former state of the Apostles and Euangelistes what pitie what care what sorowe had this bene to our dearly beloued mother the holie Catholike Churche of Rome and to all her good subiectes But praised be our blessed Ladie of Antwerpe your honour did well foresee and in time diligently withstand that inconuenience in that you haue placed the inquisition in the lande driuen away the Gewses or Heretikes laide the Magistrates in prison banished and brought to the Butchers stall the Gentlemen and good subiectes made a way and open passage for the Spaniardes into the lande set vp fire and swoorde in token of victorie and in euerie corner reared vp gallowes and plentifully shed the blood of those newe Euangelistes In Summe your diligence your quicke expedition your great zeale your newe Bishoppes and your holie Inquisition haue so well aduised counselled perswaded or rather forced our Souereign Lord the king his Maiestie much rather to see the destruction of his Patrimoniall lande the ruine of his Subiectes yea the imprisonment and death of his owne onelie sonne then to permit the holie Catholike Church of Rome to suffer suche shame and that in place of the Popes decrees and decretals of the Masse booke Hortulus animae and suche other seruice bookes the Gospel holy Scripture onelie should succeed take possession Therefore your Honour is highly to be praised for such noble actes And euerie man is duely bound herein to assist further you in your enterprise to the vttermost of his knowledge abilitie This Right Honorable and blessed Bishop is the cause which hath moued me poore vnworthie brother of Saint Frauncis order to dedicate and sende this my simple present to your honour to the ende that I with this my small gifte of good will may somewhat though but a little helpe to strengthen repaire the decaied walles of the Romishe Church and establish againe the right perfect foundation of our most holie father the Pope Therefore hauing a while agoe seene marked that in the Citie of Antwerpe was a small booke sette foorth in French Flemish intituled named A Letter Missiue Or An Epistle directed vnto the Apostates Backsliders from the true Christian beleefe compiled and made by Maister Gentian Heruet c And for that the same booke was greatly desired and verie much esteemed of all good and Catholike hearts I haue with all diligence and circumspection perused and read ouer the same wherein I haue founde in effect that in the same is briefly declared and set foorth the whole grounde and foundation of the holie Romish religion which your Honour euen with fire and swoorde to the subuersion and vtter ruine of the whole land doth seke most zealously to mainteine And I am thereby persuaded that the same booke was most worthie to be read ouer of all men to the ende that all startbackes from the faith might returne into the right way and the good faithfull Catholikes thereby strengthened confirmed But nowe considering the saide booke to bee verie shorte and something darke for a matter of suche importaunce and likewise had either none or verie few proofes out of the Scriptures Councels holie Fathers and Decrees of the Popes therefore I haue thought good to set penne to Paper and to set foorth and declare the same at large that nothing needefull should be lacking Moreouer cōsidering that it is most necessarie to declare something more at large especially touching the woorthines and authoritie of the holie Churche of Rome and the true exposition of the holie Scripture wherevppon the summe of all our matters doe depende for that we haue alwayes beene forced to call vpon the Church especially now when there is none other shield or defence left vnto vs therefore haue I traueiled brieflie to shew of this matter where the sure grounde and foundation lies by what Scriptures by what holie fathers by what Councels by how many Decrees euerie point is defended and likewise howe and in what manner the Scripture and the holie Church of Rome are ioyned together and Catholikelie vnderstoode in suche order as the same shall in no wise serue the Heretikes anie thing at al to their purpose or aduantage And forsomuch as this woorke is sucked out of sundrie sortes of flowres gathered together therefore haue I named it The Bee hiue of the Romishe Churche thereby to geue to vnderstande ▪ that as the honie Bee doeth not gather her honie out of one flowre alone but out of manie and diuerse So doeth not the Churche of Rome stande vpon one Scripture Byble Councels or bokes of Decrees but doth catche and snatch out of eche of them that which best serueth her purpose as hereafter euerie man may plainelie perceiue and in the ende of this booke shall vnderstande more at large whereas the speciall causes are set foorth why and wherefore we haue christened this booke with such a name And now hauing vnderstoode that your Honour did a good while agoe set foorth a certaine booke against the confessiō of the faith of these newe Gospellers I did verie earnestly trauell to gette the same trusting that it might perhaps haue eased me of this my labour for that I thought your Honour shoulde haue set foorth these matters there at large But after that I had superficially and lightly reade ouer the saide booke not hauing the lucke to kepe the same lōg by me I was the more willing to set foorth this my Bee hiue for that I sawe it shoulde serue verie well to the opening and more plaine declaration of the foresaide booke which your Honour hath made and published considering that your honour is busie in euerie place with the aucthoritie and dignitie of the holie Churche of her ordinances or constitutions additions or traditions and of the spirituall exposition which shee hath made vppon the Scriptures perceiuing nothing to be clearly set foorth whereby one may finde out these constitutions and ordinances whether in the Scripture in the Fathers in the Decrees or in the Coūcels so that a simple man might alway stande in doubt what you will haue esteemed and holden for the commaundementes ordinances or traditions of the Churche and what men shall call the Churche and likewise what rule or inuiolable order this holie Churche doth commonly keepe and vse in the exposition of
the scriptures but I thinke your Honour did leaue this vndone as our saide Maister Gentian Haruet did especially because it was to small and slight a matter for you to trouble your mytered head with all And therefore haue I gladlie taken vppon me this paine and trauell and haue clearely sette forth in this my booke vpoÌ„ what ground and foundation all these thinges are builded So that the necessarie vse of this booke is vnspeakeable as euerie good Catholike shall well perceiue of him self And forsomuch as herein is not written anie thing but it doeth agree aswell yea better with the said booke made by you theÌ„ with Gentians booke I would gladly haue it set forth as an Exposition Glose or CoÌ„mentarie vpon your foresaid prettie booke but considering that I had not anie copie of your said booke in my custodie and fearing also least your Honor might haue bene offended that any man should take vppon him to expounde or comment vpon your writings which are as cleare as hellishe sunne euen as your owne name Sonnius doth signifie so that I haue proceeded with my first determination thinking it sufficient for me if I might hide this my trauell vnder the winges of your Honor like as vnder the same all our newe Bishops haue beene hatched Most humblie beseeching your Honor to accept this my simple gifte in good parte and as becommeth such a worthie Bishop to do trusting yet within short time to set foorth more such woorkes and thereby so preciselie to expounde all the bookes that are set out by your Honour and other doctoures of Louen your companions that a blinde man may feele them with his handes yea and without spectacles or candle conceiue what greate holines lies hid in such coafers You may if it please you in the meane space accept this my woorke as an explanation and commentarie vpon your booke which to doe resteth at your pleasure and good will. And herein I commende your Byshopps Myter and crosyers staffe vnto the tuition of our holie Father the Pope who preserue and keepe your Honour with all your brethren our new Byshoppes in prosperous estate and proceedinges against all Heretikes Datum in our Musaeo the v. of Ianuarie being the euen of the three Kings of Collen at which time all good Catholikes make merie and crie The King drinkes in anno 1569. Your Honours welwilling seruant in all that lies in my simple power Isaac Rabbotenu of Louen The argumeÌ„t of this booke Wherein the Epistle or Letter missiue of Maister Gentian Heruet is deuided into sixe partes and the meaning of the same brieslie declared THis deepe grounded and most learned Epistle of the right worshipfull Doctour Maister Gentian Heruet directed to those that are declined fallen from the holie Romishe Catholike Church is deuided into sixe speciall and principall partes whereof the first is 1 That the Heretikes and Huguenotes cannot repute them selues for faithfull people so farre forth as they do not beleeue all things which our louing mother the holie Church beleeueth without whom no saluation can be obteined especiallie for that they will not beleeue the Transubstantiation of the breade into the verie bodie of Christ. 2 The second is knitte to the first namelie They mainteine iniuriouslie that wee ought to allowe nothing but what is mainteined by Scripture 3 Thirdlie They doe not beleeue nor allowe of seuen Sacramentes especiallie â–ª Auricular confession the sacrament of Matrimonie and the holie ointment of Vnction 4 Fourthlie They doe the Catholikes great iniurie insomuch as they repute them for idolaters and worshippers of idols 5 Fifthlie They seeke nothing else but fleshlie libertie and their owne appetites 6 Sixthlie lastlie Their Preachers are vnlearned Doultes and leade a lewde loathsome and wicked life In these sixe pointes is brieflie rehearsed the whole grounde and foundation of the holie Catholike doctrine taught by the Romishe Church â–ª and is so gallantlie established yea and all the Heretikes so finelie fetche ouer the coales that there remaineth not a iotte to be spoken of anie further Yet seeing the ground and meaning of this Epistles Authour did stretch chieflie to challenge the Heretikes foorth into the fielde and then Championlike to combate with them like as hee sheweth that not long since the noble Knight Maister Nicholas Villegaignon who by his writing thought to egge foorth Maister Iohn Caluine and by that meane to haue wonne a perpetuall fame and euerlasting memorie It is euen in like sorte fallen out with this good fellowe as it did with the saide Villegaignon For his happe was the better to fitte his purpose to set downe as hee before mencioned manie doubtfull partes verie darke and obscure reasons yea and some somewhat grose supposing herewithall as with a baight to drawe the fishe into his net Whereby alas it came to passe that his good and godlie meaning was spelde and construed a wrong waie and the Heretikes did seeme to make a mocke of it as though he were vnworthie to haue an answere to the same considering that hee did shewe verie litle scripture or authoritie to affirme his matter Euen in like manner as they had in times past iested with the foresaid Villegaignon Therefore it hath seemed both good and necessarie vnto vs and for the preferrement of the holie Romishe Church most auaylable that this present Epistle shoulde be at large declared and verie strong and apte authorities to be brought in for euerie part and parcell of the same collected aswell out of the Scripture as out of the besâ— and fittest bookes of the auncient Fathers Councels and Decrees wherewithall our louing mother the holie Churche is most supported to the ende wee should the better conceiue the costlie hidden treasures which are comprehended in this short Epistle and that eache might vse the same to his most aduantage and for a publike instruction hoping thorough this holie and meritorious worke to purchase heauen and withall to redeeme and set free two or three soules out of Purgatorie ¶ Here followeth the declaration of the first parte of the Epistle of Gentian Haruet wherein is treated what the holy Church of Rome is wherein her power and authoritie doeth consist and how farrâ— the same extendeth then is coÌ„cluded That the Lutherans Huguenotes can not be esteemed or taken for true beleeuers but must be banished and burnt for Heretikes The first Chapter VVherein is plainly declared that the Lutheraâ—â— and Huguenotes are Heretikes and ought to be burnt notvvithstanding that as vvell by Scripture as by many examples they shevve themselues to be the very Church of God. AND to the intent that wee maye orderly deale beginning first with one piece and after proceeding with an other our Maister Gentianus doeth here in his 〈◊〉 charge set forth such a noble grounded and sharpe wittie reason to founde and builde his argumentes vpon that the Heretikes and Huguenotes stand alreadie so amazed and ashamed as a horse that hath ouerthrowen his carre
Romish schole and take vpon them to face vs out with their Paul with their Esaie their Ieremie What a mischiefe Do they not know that those fellowes whome they alledge and bring vs forth were likewise esteemed for Heretikes as well as they are themselues Yea â–ª in so much that one of them was hanged another was burnt the third clouen thorough the middest with a saw the fourth set vpon a wheele c. And therefore are we no more moued for them than for a bladder full of beanes For the holy Church of Rome would neuer accept their doctrine but vpon this bargaine and condition to wit that shee might alway applie the same as she should thinke good and as might best come to passe for her selfe and that no reuoking nor reuolting nor appellatioÌ„ should be made against her doings no nor that the name of Iesus Christ should in that case serue like as shall by vs shortly in the part next folowing be declared at large For this verely is most true that if our blessed Lorde him selfe would haue followed the exposition and coÌ„mentarie which the Priestes Phariseis Doctours had at that time made vpon the holy Scriptures in the name of the holye Church he had neuer bene crucified or hanged vpon the crosse But because that hee would full wisely go and bring in newe matters and so set vp a newe reformation according to the text and doctrine of the Gospell like as these Heretikes go about nowe to do therfore did they deale so hardly with him Notwithstanding that nowe since the holy Church of Rome hath so finely handled and set forth this newe religion of Christ and brought it vnto such a trim frame that nowe it is very gladly receyued of euery one in a maner yea and if it were so that these Huguenotes would accept the same setting it forth likewise surely men would no more be so readie to bring them to a stake as heretofore they haue done yea and pretend hereafter to do But nowe to come to our matter againe it is necessarie that we well consider and substantially declare wherein the worthines and authoritie of the holy Church doth specially consist what commandements traditions and ordinances of the same men must receyue and accept without all contradiction or gainsaying And this for so much as our Doctors of Louen are troubled with so manye other profounde and deepe questions that they haue not the leasure to set out this point effectually is notwithstanding the right ground and fouÌ„dation of all their building yea and is most needefull to our saluation and to the extirpation and rooting out of all heresies For it may be demanded Whether men shall holde for commandementes and traditions of the Church only alone that which is plainely set forth in the scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes Or els that which the olde holy Fathers Doctours as Augustine Chrysostome Hierome and such like haue left behinde them in their bookes and writings or a great deale rather that which hath ben concluded in the holy Councels either els that which the holy Popes of Rome haue ordeined and enioyned or last of all that which is scraped together out of the one and the other all layd in one Pastie and baked in one Cake and which is nowe in our dayes obserued in the holy Catholike Church of Rome The 2. Chapter VVhereby is declared that the Church vvith her povver and authoritie can not be inclosed vvith in the pales of the holy Scripture but that the Church may adde to the Scripture or take from it vvhat she thinkes good and therevpon are many examples and profouÌ„d reasons alledged VPon this demande profound proposition very much might be saide but we will make short of the matter And to begin withal we conclude with our Master Gentianus and with the holy CouÌ„cell of Trent That all they which woulde inclose the power and the authoritie of the Church within the limites bounds of the holy Scripture as though the holy Catholike church of Rome could reade no further than is spelled before to her in the Bible are euill and naughty heretikes yea they are euen of those Apostataes or backsliders to whom our Master Gentianus hath written this his Epistle For as touching that for the defence of their opinions they bring forth howe it is written That none shall either put to it or take from it one iote that is simply spoken to the Iewes Rabbines onely so that they should not take any such thing vpon them as to change any words of the texte and to correct Magnificat like as they haue presumed to do as meÌ„ may see clearly without a candle by the honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke intituled De optimo genere interpretandi wâ—â—ch is to say Of the best and surest maner of expounding or interpreting For therein he doeth shew very plainly that al Hebrew textes of the Bible are falsified and embaced by the Iewes yea and the like is done to all the textes in Greeke of the new Testament by some Heretikes enemies of the trueth So that neither Christ nor his Apostles nor anie of the olde Doctours should haue had the right Bible but onelie our most holy Catholike Church of Rome which only was borne vnder the right Planet and shee alone hath shot downe the Popingaie Therefore must the texte before specified be vnderstoode and meant of the Iewes alone and of such like Heretikes which haue so falsified the textes of the Bible But you may not gather by this that the holy Church of Rome is not licenced to ad vnto the Scripture whatsoeuer shee doeth marke to be yet lacking and to innouate change and remoue al that tendeth not perfectly to her purpose For you see daily that she doeth freely take vpon her so to do and furthermore she doth punish for ranke Heretikes all such as will not allowe and accept her adding and changing for the perfite worde of God. Men do knowe very well that shee hath finely conueyed out of the Register of the ten commandements the seconde commandement which was That no Images should be made nor fashioned because shee did perceiue the Heretiks would alledge the same to the hinderance both of he she Saintes which stand vpon the altars in the Church Furthermore because men shuld not lacke the number of ten shee hath taken the last commandement speaking of desire and diuided the same in two so made the tailes agree iust And likewise notwithstanding that our Lord Iesus Christ had openly coÌ„manded That the Communion should bee ministred as wel with wine as with bread yet the holy Catholike Church of Rome considering the great daunger which was therein for that the wine might be spilt or being in the winter freeze or be turned into sowre vineger if it should be long kept in a Pixe or litle Sacrament Boxe And especiallye considering that when
necessitie must followe that the Church hath a full and resolute power ouer the expresse worde of God aboue the cōmandement ordenāce of Iesus Christ and aboue all the scriptures of the Prophets Apostles But what neede is it I pray you to bring so many and diuerse ensamples one by one for the deference of this matter Sithence we see euidently that shee in all her deuotions Gods seruices and ceremonies doth alter the expresse wordes of the Scripture yea doeth openly and wilfully ouertread it euen as though it were done in spite and anger of the holy Scripture in the Bible For by the holy Scripture it is openly and vpon great paynes earnestly forbidden That in the seruing of God first no commandements traditions nor deuises of men shall bee vsed nor take anie place but to rest wholy and onely vpon the special commandements of God and to do thereafter Finally to turne neither to the right hand or to the left Secondarily not to make or haue anie Image or similitude ▪ carued or molten nor shall vse the shape or likenesse of anie such thereby to shewe or set forth the spirituall forme and incorporable maiestie of God by earthly things and dumbe and dead creatures Thirdely that no man shall vse anie witchcraft sorcerie or inchantment of anie creature to the intent to giue to the creatures that be senselesse and voyde of life anie might or worthinesse other then by nature is prescribed vnto them Which thing is likewise by all Councels and Synodes as well Iudiciall as Canonicall openly and straytelie forbidden Here agaynst notwithstanding hath it pleased our dearely beloued mother the holy Church of Rome to vse her full and inestimable authoritie and power and so without hauing anie respect at all to that which is aboue written hath to beginne withall sette vp a certaine kinde of seruing of God which is altogether contrarie to the good opinions traditions and ordinances of all men For besides that the blessed Masse is by diuerse Popes Cardinals and Bishops at sundrie times and in sundrie places raked vp in a huge heape with many peeces patches of mens deuises like to a beggers cloke sowed together besides so many traditions of idle heades which the holy Church of Rome hath receyued for a perfite seruing of God as fasting dayes yeares of grace differences and diuersities of dayes of meates of clothing consecrating of Churches of altars of candles pilgrimages Letanies Kyrieelesons Images Processions holy ashes holy Paceegges and flanes palmes and palme boughes Albes Copes Maniples Vestmēts Miters Staues fooles hoods Shelles and Belles Paxes licking of rotten bones carying of the Pixe about and praying to a lumpe of doaw fasting vpon certaine speciall dayes creeping vpon knees before a Crosse of wood buying of Bulles and pardons mumbling of Pater nosters and Aue Maries by tale vpon a paire of Beades before a dumbe image shauing of crowne and beard to giue blessing with two fingers and ten thousande more such prankes Yet aboue al this is by the holy Church as it were in spite of God and his word ordeyned That euery man being a good Catholike maye appoint and choose for himselfe a Saint and patrone erect a new image and specially build a new chappel and an altar set vp a newe and particular religion weare a peculiar or special kinde of garment assume and take a seuerall vse of meates and ceremonies finally and to conclude doe what soeuer his good meaning and intent persuadeth him vnto Secondarily it is so that our deare mother will not set vp any seruing of God but shee must of necessitie haue therevnto all sortes of ymages as well carued as painted and worship the same by kneeling and praying with burning of candles with kissing and licking with pilgrimages and other such like deuotions And in setting vp the sayde images in all high wayes in all streetes and in all corners euen as for an euident token and protestation that they neither do once thinke vpon Gods commandement set forth in the holy Scripture neither wil be subiect or bounde to the same Thirdly all her diuine seruice all her ceremonies and deuotions and all her holinesse is grounded in cōiuring of creatures and worshipping the same and in flat sorcerie and witchcraft in working whereof they speake vnto the dumbe creatures as though they had as much vnderstanding as the Priests themselues and so do abuse the blessed name of God and the textes of the holy Scripture openlye and without respect The water is by them exorcised or coniured by these wordes I coniure thee thou creature of water In the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost to the ende thou become a chosen water to take away all the power of the diuell and that thou mayest driue awaye and confounde the diuell him selfe with all his wicked Angels c. The oyle and the balme are coniured and bewitched with much mumbling blowen vpon with many breathings with three times crying All haile holy oyle three times All haile holy annoyntment and three times All haile holy baulme And then it is kept for a most holy thing in a fine vessell therefore made and so caried along the streets by the Priests with great deuotion and prayer The salt is coniured in this maner I do coniure thee thou creature of salt by the liuing God by the true God by the holy God and by the same God which commanded Helias to cast thee into the water to take away the vnwholesomnesse of the water that thou mayest become an exorcised or coniured salt to the saluation of the faythfull and to worke the preseruation both of bodie and soule to all them which shall enioy thee and that all the subtiltie wilinesse and filthie intents of the Diuell and that all wicked spirites maye flee from that place where thou art scattered and cast abrode And then is this salt mingled with the foresayde water to be the right purger and sanctifier of the people wherethrough all the power and might of the diuell is withstood our daily sinnes therewith finely cleansed Nowe besides all this shee doeth exorcise and coniure certeine hearbes vpon certeine dayes to the health both of bodie and soule and to driue away all daungerous hurt all diuelish bewitching all pestilence vnwholsomnesse and corruption of the ayre Shee doeth coniure and exorcise the candles the waxe and the tallow to the qualifying and extinguishment of thunder and lightening Also she doth exorcise and coniure beads of wood of stone of corrall and of all other stuffe whereby they receyue great power against sinne the diuell and hel And which is more shee doeth not let these thinges be thus coniured by the Pope and Priests onely but the Pope may whensoeuer it shall please him giue the like power and authoritie to whom soeuer he will be it man or woman This may well appeare and be perceyued of all men by the example of
strength and worthinesse of this new religion of Champions Trueth it is that she was at the last when the matter was knowen banished out of Venice but that was not done for her holinesse but specially because there were a great manie of amorous letters founde about her which were of great importance For else alas what could haue bene said to her heauie and pitiful penance whereof the like is daily done You maye see them sometimes in Italie go alongst the streetes with a great rope about their neckes as if they were dropped downe froÌ„ the gallowes and sometimes they weare a sawsige or a swines pudding in place of a siluer or golden chayne Is not that sufficient to deserue heauen by But if I should go about to expresse euerie particular religion alone which our mother the holye Church hath founde out beside the Scriptures I should haue work for this seuen yeres Wherefore it is not needefull For all good Catholike men do knowe well ynough that our holye fathers the Popes haue sufficient authoritie to bring in and establish newe religions and rules of perfection as manie as it shall please them although it be plaine that the whole Scriptures neuer make mention of anie such as it is most euident by so many diuers orders and religions which haue bene by their holinesse set vp brought in established As there are the orders of the Basilians Augustinians Benedictines Dominicanes or Iacobines Carthusians Carmelites or Ladie brothers Seruitours or Seruants Graie Friers Obseruantes Conuentuales Penitentiaries Minimers Capucines Mendicantes Cluinares Camaldulenses Valembrosences Cisterienses Barnardines Coelestines Gibertenenses Milicenses Castellenses Burfaldenses Mountoliuetes Castinenses Armeâ—tes Regulars PremoÌ„stratenses Whilliamites Lateranes Georgians Iohannians Trinitaries Indians AmbrosiaÌ„s Magdalines or Lazarines red Augustins Helenians Sophians Visitensers Wincesbaterers Gregorians Constantinopolitanes Columbins Crossed brethreÌ„ Starred brethreÌ„ Fratres ClauoruÌ„ Blackfriers Smocked friers BtethreÌ„ of the holy Sepulchre Brethren of the vale of Iosaphat BrethreÌ„ of S. Ioseph of S. Rusius seuen thousande like Of which number the most part haue their mates and companions in the women Cloisters of which some be Bagghines other close Nonnes other called Sisters the fourth are called Chanonesses who haue likewise their Patronesses as S. Clare S. Bridgit S. Lucia S. Agnes S. Marie Magdalene S. Valdrud c. All which haue bene receiued established by our holy fathers the Popes for good and holy Ouer and aboue these they haue ordeined many sundrie Heremitages orders of Heremits as of S. Anthonie of S. Hilarie of S. Makarius S. Theon S. Frontinian S. Horus S. Helenus S. Appellomius S. Paul the Hermit S. Martarius S. PiamoÌ„tius S. Castomianus many more of the like rabie Now are there more added to these the holy Giides or Confraternities as The fraternities of S. Roche of S. Hubright of S. Sebastian of S. Coronne which go cladde in blew of S. Anthonie in blacke of S. Martin in white of S. Dominick in black c. And to the ende that the heritage should not be without Rutters or Pensionars they haue appointed certeine newe religious orders of holy Knights likewise such as are the knights of the Rodes or of Malta Dutch Knights the Templers the Knights of S. Iames our Ladie Knights Saint Georges knights knights of Hierusalem Calitrauenses Montenienses Gartarienses c. But truly I had need of vi huÌ„dred tongues two huÌ„dred pennes a mouth of steele with an iron voice if I should declare all the diuersities of orders religions which our holy fathers the Popes haue set vp not only without but directly against the holy Scripture and yet without naming of the Popes themselues or their Cardinals Prelats Archbishops Bishops Metropolitanes Suffraganes Archdeacons Deacons and such like strange beastes whereof neither Prophet nor Apostle euer heard Nay I dare saye that if the Apostles had but once seene or hearde the hundred part of these new religious orders and professions named they would haue bene afraide of them For seeing that S. Paule could not suffer that amongst the Congregation of the Corinthians some should call them selues the Disciples of Peter other of Paule the thirde of Apollo howe would he then haue bene afraide and out of quiet when he should haue seene or hearde of such an innumerable companie of newe and diuers names professions religions Gods seruices and rules of perfection whereof some were clad and apparelled in blacke some in white some in gray some in green some in blewe some in red some in furres and in all maner of diuers colours and euerie one of them did esteeme his owne order and rules for the best and most worthie to be regarded He would surely haue thought him selfe to haue bene come into a newe world Therefore it is a great follie that men will founde them selues onely vpon that which the Apostles haue taught or written considering that the world is now chaunged and that the holy Church hath found out and established newe religions newe commandements and newe articles of our faith whereof the Apostles neuer knewe For otherwise beleeue me if nothing els were estemed but the bare Scriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apostles then should all the Decrees Decretalles all good holy Ordinances of the Church of Rome all the goodly Councelles which haue bene kept and holden by the order and commandement of the Popes yea all the before specified orders and religion of Friers NoÌ„nes the Heremites Gildes and Knighthoods be vtterly ouerthrowen yea all their merites and supererogations would not be worth an Oaten cake if men should begin to esteeme and accept the holy Scripture alone for a true and sufficient rule and direction and then should Luther haue done well when he caused the decrees and deâ—retals to be burnt O no truely We must aboue all mainteine those in reputation yea euen in greater estimation than the woorde of God it selfe for who soeuer doth sinne against the word of God his sinnes maye be forgiuen him but he that doth sinne against the Decrees of the Pope doeth sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore his offence shall neuer be forgiuen him Therefore it is vndoubtedly a great ouersight of them that would compasse and pale in the holy Church with the bounds of the holy Scripture seeing she may steppe or leape ouer it with a staffe or without anie feare and as often as euer she wil. Yet it is true that sometimes shee doeth helpe her self with the scripture for if there were no scripture howe should one knowe whether there must be a Church or no or wherby should a maÌ„ discerne the true church of God from the church of Antichrist Yet doth she alway rule the Scripture makes therevpon such a glosse as best serueth her turne yea that is more she is the very occasion that any beleefe or credit is giuen to the scripture as is pleasantly set foorth by the holy and
Iewes Therfore that which they do and ordeine hath an other maner of couÌ„tenance than that which the Iewes haue ordeined Therefore must our former argument remaine fast vnmoueable especially considering that the Church of Rome is fullye credited in the one therefore must shee of necessitie be as wel beleeued in the other For truely this argument is the trimmest and finest stuffe whereof Iohn Blindasinus hath made his Panoplie which is as muh to say as his Ful furniture of weapons harnesse For by this is proued that S. FraÌ„cis Vineyarde The goldeÌ„ Legend The booke called Conform S. Franc. And the Masse booke must be as much esteemed in all respects as the very scripture of the Bible yea in the boke called Confo S. Fran. which was made by Barthol of Pisa is alowed for good in the chap. of Assis. In the yere 1389. is written That the same booke is better thaÌ„ the Gospell for that Saint Francis is placed in Lucifers seat aboue all the companies of Angels at the vpper ende of all Also there followeth out of the same that the common sort of people may be as well instructed in the knoweledge of God by dumbe Images and mumming representations as by the preaching of the Gospel and that men must as well christen the Belles at the Font as the children whiche are shapen after the likenesse of God and bought by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ that in baptising shall be vsed spittle and oyntment as well as water that the holy Sacrament shall bee caried about the streetes in the Procession with Baners and Pipes as well as it shall be taken and eaten in the Congregation of the faythfull in remembrance of the death of the Lorde In summe men are as deepely bound to do that which the holy Church and the Popes of Rome haue dreamed set vp and commaunded as that which by the expresse worde of God and by the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles is specially commaunded Yea and I praye you why should it not be so Seeing out of the same argument it must of necessitie be concluded that the word of God cannot be Gods word but it must first by the church be therto shapen fashioned For note well this word is with special wordes of our learned master Iodocus Tiletanus in writing thus That the worde of God alone conteyned in the holy Scriptures of the old and the newe Testamentes together with the three Symbols or Creedes as of the Apostles the Councel of Nice of the father Athanasius yea and thereto ioyne the three first Councels are not the rule perfite knot of the truth whereby it is apparant that in no wise men can perfitely know whether these be the word of God or no without the traditions or setting forth of the Church which doth assure vs of al this without any Scripture c. In summe the truth can be no truth nor the light light yea God can be no God except that the holy Church of Rome that is to say the holy Pope of Rome with his bishops prelates do consent thervnto So that it is no maruel that they can of a peece of bread make a God creator of heauen and earth For if it were so that they should say that at noone day it were darke night wee must streight wayes beleue the same as an article of the faith by and by without delay get vs to bed For we say by a certaine coÌ„mon prouerbe That when all the world doeth affirme that a man as by example SoÌ„nius or Blindasinus is a swine he must out of doubt trudge vnto the swinestie and there eat only draffe How much rather theÌ„ when the holy Church with that worthie coÌ„panie of Bishops Abbats Prelates and Cardinals gathered together at Trent or elswhere do coÌ„mand any thing are not we bounde to receiue beleue obey the same without any denial by and by to say Amen therevnto And herein may men perceiue a great miracle which I do assure you is greater by the head thaÌ„ any miracle that euer was don by the Apostles to wit that the child was borne before the mother yea that the mother commes of the child For it is most certein and wel knowen that the worde of God is the seede whereof the Church of God doth spring is ingendred as the Apostle Peter witnesseth coÌ„sidering that the Church is nothing else but a Congregation of such as doe faithfully beleeue Gods woorde and firmely sticke vnto the same where thorough they are also called The Congregation of the liuing God The pillar and staye of the truth So that the woorde is the right mother of the Church Well nowe see here goeth the holy Catholike Church of Rome before the worde of God and his truth which is as much to say the childe goeth before the mother yea the worde can haue no might no credite no estimation nor no being in the worlde vnlesse it bee by speciall grace borrowed of her daughter the holy Church As the foresayd Blindasinus Hosius Sonnius Piggius Eckius with all other Catholike Doctours haue forceably coÌ„cluded and irreuocably determined taking this for a most true vndoubted article of the faith yea for the most speciall ground whervpon they and all their writing is founded which is That men may not beleeue the worde and truth of God otherwise than by the appoyntment of the holy Church of Rome which of duetie must alwayes goe before and lead the daunse which is as muche to say that you can not ride to Louen but you must set the Wagon before the horses And therefore whensoeuer the Churche doth ordeine any thing that is contrarie to the Scripture as is before saide we will giue the Scripture an honest passeport or safe conduct and a great many of farewels and clâ—ue to the holy Church like a Burre For the srcipture cannot defend this cause but the holy Church of Rome can bring a man to the stake And it helpes not to alledge and bring in Augustine here who hath written in diuerse places That wee ought to beleeue the holy Scripture only without any contradiction and to trie proue all other writinges and doctrines howe substantiall soeuer they be yea all Councels decrees and ordinances by the holy Scripture as by the onely true vncounterfeyted touchstone and abolish and put away vtterly all whatsoeuer doth not therewithall agree for that all smelleth altogether of heresie And where as he sayeth further That when soeuer the Church doeth giue eare to any other voyce beside the onely voyce of her bridegrome she is then become whorish and a wedlocke breaker yea and that they are all accursed which go about to seduce the Bride of Christ from her Bridegrome to the doctrine and institutions of men that is the plaine doctrine of Heretikes For if that were so all the before specified rules ordinaunces and decrees of the holy
in the last coūcel at Trent cōfirmed That the Pope is aboue al coūcels the statute ordināce of the coūcel of Basil afore time made to the cōtrary was cleane taken away abolished Notwithstanding Pope Nicholas consented was willing to the making of the same In this behalfe it was verie wisely considered of the holy Fathers assembled in the said Councel of Trent whereas before they would fully conclude vpon any article they did send all that they had determined vpon in a sacke or small packe to Rome to haue of the Pope a Bull of comfirmation therevnto For out of that proceded a wonderful braue and pleasant melodie because that therein our holy father the Pope did coūterfeit the personage of God the Father And the holy councel of spiritual fathers there assembled together were likened to the holy Ghost so that the commō people were wont to say that whē they sent their stuffe towards Rome The holye ghost was shut vp in a male as the Poet Homer writes that in elder dayes Aeolus the king of winds did giue vnto his good friend Vlysses a male wherein al the winds were shut packt vp together the Westerne wind only excepted which he must needes occupie him selfe to bring him home And euen so went the matter betwene the holye ghost the wind of the holy fathers of Trent And nowe when the father and the holy Ghost were agreed in one and that the bulles were sealed they sent them with expedition and hast to their dearely beloued sonnes the Kings of Fraunce and Spaine and required of them by a Spanishe Inquisition to procure the saide Bulles and Decrees to be thoroughly obserued kept in their Countries So that the father the sonne the holy Ghost were all one heart and one soule And haue iointly receiued established all the Decrees of the said coūcel And how I pray you could it come to passe otherwise considering that the Bishops and Cardinals are created by their holy father the Pope and haue promised are bounde by a strong and speciall othe not to take vpon them nor to conclude anie thing without hauing first the counsell and consent of their Creator As it is well and precisely set forth and concluded of our holy father Calixtus writing That it is not in any wise permitted to the Bishoppes to withstand the Church of Rome in anie point or to do or attempt anie thing against the same Yea saith he as the sonne did come to fulfill the will of his Father euen so are all Christian people bounde to followe and fulfill the will of their deare mother the Churche of Rome whereof the Pope without all doubte is the heade And this was the reason occasion which moued the right honourable Cardinal Reignold Poole one of the three Lieutenāts of the Pope in the said councel to write with great discretion and authoritie That the whole conuocation of the people or comon sorte gathered together haue no authoritie in the world to conclude determine or decide vpō any matter or matters presented before the councel but that the same belōgs properly to the Pope who onely is Gods Lieutenant or Deputie shepheard of the lost and straying sheepe Vpon this intent alone saith he is a councell called free cōmon or general and not that therefore euerie one in general is free and licensed there to set forth his or their owne opinion or to determine or conclude any thing for that is specially forbiden by the Councell of Constance in special and plaine wordes That no man of what state condition soeuer he be yea although hee were an Emperour a King Bishop or Cardinall shall presume or take vpon him to speake or dispute against anie matter which the holy Fathers by the inspiration of the holy Ghost are purposed and intēded to establishe vpon paine to be excommunicated and banished yea to bee cast into a dongeon Vpon these considerations was Iohn Hus and Hieronymus of Prage also burnt because they would dispute by the Scriptures vpon those matters which the holie Fathers had in hand to reason and cōclude vpon It is a common saying Hee doeth wisely that is warned by another mannes harme And yet notwithstanding this example of Iohn Hus there was in the last councell of Trent a Bishop so stout that he presumed boldly to say That we ought not to call the Pope The most holie Father but simplie The holy Father considering that Christ did not name his heauenly Father any otherwise thā holy Father for that the Pope can not be greater than God whose vicar in earth he nameth him selfe to be But if the same Bishop had not quickly stopped his mouth that word would haue bin a deere word to him For they were about to haue put him straight way in a hole where he should haue learned to know the popes authority better And likewise had not Petrus Paul. Verge bishop with other brablers packed away betimes they would haue played the like parte with euerie one of them as they did with Iohn Hus at Constance For although hee was a Bishop yea and had before bene a Legate and the Popes Deputie yet he must haue lerned to know that the Bishops Prelates and Cardinals were not called thither to control and take vp with taunts their holy Father and creatour the Pope of Rome much lesse to correct Magnificat out of Paules writing but rather simplie Inclinato capite to say Placet vnto that which in the name of the holy fathers might be proponed to them and then further to helpe to keepe the breade from moulding like as a great while agoe by a Poet was prophesied vppon them saying Nos numeri sumus fruges consumere nati c. That is so say We are a great number And bellie gods borne Deuourers of victuals Consumers of corne Nowe seeing that the Bishops Prelates haue no other voyces in the Councel but bare woordes accounted for syphers to increase the heape how much lesse shall anie thing be permitted or graunted to the Laie men which are not there receiued nor seene neither in the Brew house nor Bake house In summe the Councell is not called Oicomenicum or General as though euerie man might come thrust in his nose there Wherefore then Because it is as an image or pageant vnto vs and as a demonstratiō or shew of a play or enterlude which doeth represent set out before our eyes the common generall Church of God which hearken fully and wholy vnto the voyce of their shepheard namely the Pope of Rome as was well noted and marked by the foresaid Cardinal Reignold Poole And it was likewise openly set foorth in the Bull of the said Councell of Trent that it is and ought to be of right named a General or common Councel for this occasion because all christendome generally are bounde to holde
and to celebrate the same with deuoute prayers And to that ende they are by the Pope earnestlie put in remembrance that they goe to shrift and fast vppon the Wednesday Frydaye and Saturdaye And then on the Sunday be howseled and go prunking in the Procession and deale their almes or at the least say fiue Pater nosters fiue Aue Maries by the vertue whereof they shall receiue a sufficient pardon of all their sinnes c. What can they desire more For as touching the sitting in the Chapter house and there Sententiam subverbo placet proferre that is To saye Amen and to nodde at that which is pronounced vnto them that is permitted only to such as of right ought to doe it or to whom it is graunted by special priuiledge as chiefly to the right honourable the brethren of the Pope to witte the Bishops Archbishops and his deare sonnes the Abbats and other such like as hee him selfe doeth set it foorth in the Bull Indictionis Therefore truely were the Dukes of Germanie the Protestantes in a wrong boxe when they said That it was no Free and Generall or Common Councell For a sheepe with one eye would haue marked that that it was neither forbidden them nor no man else in the worlde to come to Trent there to spende their money to holde the Councell and celebrate it with hearing of Masses with Fasting and with the saying of fiue Pater nosters and fiue Aue Maries yea the whole pardon was as well graunted vnto them as to anie Bishoppe or Prelate or other that was there But that was not the place where the muscles laye They would gladlie haue had manie voyces in the Chapter house and not to haue declared their meaning with that woorde Placet onelie but that they might likewise haue disputed freelie and brought in and alledged the Scriptures of God yea they would haue had it flatlie graunted that the Pope of Rome should not haue bene head and President of the Councell but that euerie thing should bee concluded out of the woorde of God. But beleeue me the holy fathers and the Pope were not so foolishe they did see more deepely into the matter For if they hadde once taken and put that horsse heame or collar about their neckes then were all the fatte in the fire and so the whole Church of Rome would not afterwardes haue bene worth the paring of a rotten apple No no I warraunt you They will take heede of that For there is one point whiche you shall neuer wrest nor wring out of their handes which is That all Councelles are lame maymed creeple and blinde yea vtterly voyde of anie power vnles the holy Pope of Rome be their President directing and gouerning the same as he thinketh good For he is the verie eye and the fiue wittes of the Councelles Therefore was it in the sayde Councel of Laterane verie circumspectly concluded That though all Cardinalles Bishoppes and Prelates were assembled although they were barrelled vp together like herring yet can they not holde anie Councell without the authoritie will consent and commaundement of the Pope if they should otherwise doe they should bee playne heretikes and vngodly men yea they should be esteemed thought and taken as Chore Dathan and Abiram The same was also before that forespoken and cōcluded by the holy Father Pelagius 2. who did openly set forth That all Councels which were holden without the Popes consent and commandement are not to be reputed or accompted for Councels but for Conciliables that is to say for Riots and vnlawfull assemblies And that is the same which the Popes Marcellus Iulius Damasus Gregorius other mo did likewise iointly ordeyne and determine as is plainly to be seene in the book of Decrees in the 17. distinctiō where it is in like maner by the Scriptures ▪ confirmed As for exāple out of the 81. psalme where it is written I haue saide you are Goddes Againe What soeuer you binde in earth that is bound in heauen c. And it is also established made sure with strōg reasons For that worshipful brother Thomas Vio did openly declare in the said coūcel of Laterane That those which goe about to make the Pope subiect to the coūcels do euen like vnto them that woulde make the father obedient to the childe the head inferior to the foote the captein seruant to his soldiers the shepeheard vnderling to his sheepe So that now Christ is no more made any accōpt of in the coūcels nor his word any whit estemed but the pope hath al the charge authoritie alone he only is enseigne bearer he doth set al in order And vpon that occasion it was determined That the coūsel of Pisa being assembled without the Popes cōsent was no assemblie of Hierusalem but of the towre of Babylō that is to say A curse confusion In sūme it is apparant that al coūcels ordinances in the worlde and do nothing against the Popes might nor against the authoritie of the Church for she hath ouergrowen the rod She cares neither for scriptures nor Coūcelles shee hath the holy Ghost pinned on her sleeue and may doe euen what so euer shee will. And therefore it is that when soeuer the Pope doeth set forth anie Bulles then doth he commonly adde this clause or conclusion to the same Non obstantibus constitutionibus ordinationibus Apostolicis coeterisue contrarijs quibuscunque that is to saye Notwithstanding all constitutions ordinances or commandements Apostolicall nor any other thing what soeuer contrarie herevnto Like as doeth specially appeare by the Bull of Pope Paule 3. set forth at the Coūcell of Trent in the yeere 1544. the 23. of Februarie So that he will not giue to all the Apostles to all the holy fathers nor all the Councelles scarse one good worde yea rather he mockes playes bo peepe with them all and so goes on forwards with his busines For otherwise if the matter were not thus handled I would not giue a pudding for all the power and authoritie of the holy Church of Rome For to beginne withall these Heretikes would giue her a rappe vpon the pate with the Councel of Mantua which was holden vnder Pope Alexander the seconde in the tyme of the Emperour Henrie the fourth where was concluded That all those which by Simonie that is to say by briberie or giftes had obteyned anie spirituall promotion or office should be depriued Aha the mother of God where can you finde nowe a dayes any Chaplein or beneficed man Bishop or Cardinall that climbeth to that preferment without moneie or rewardes Secondarily they would come plague vs with the Councel of Rome which was holdē in the time of the Emperour Phocas where was ordeined irreuocably neuer to be called backe againe That all such as with anie giftes or rewardes or other like promises were mounted vp to weare miters should be banished and
And againe vpon the Councel of Affrica whereas the craft and falshoode of the Popes of Rome Sosimus Bonefacius Coelestinus were knowen and declared who had sought by falsifying of the Councell of Nicene to mainteine their authorities Wherevpon it was ordeyned That no man shoulde for any matter of difference appeale to Rome or ouer the Sea. Which was also established in the Councell Mileâ—etano Wee haue runne to long before the dogges to be afrayde of these matters Therefore they may go shooe the goose and make children afrayde with that which they bring forth out of the third Councel of Carthago and of the Councell of Affrica As that no man might take vpon him to be called The chiefest of the Bishops or The chiefe Bishop or High Priest yea by the Roode well sayde wee haue our aunswere readie ynough for that matter which is That men maye in no wise take vpon them to keepe or holde anie Councell at all yea though they were neuer so well defended both by the â–ª Scriptures in the Bible and by the holie fathers vnlesse they doe well and fully agree with the holy Church of Rome for she hath full power and authoritie to alter all Councels and to make them voyde of no value nor effect euen as shee shall thinke good and to explane them as shall serue best for her purpose yea to tumble and tosse them topsie turuie euen as shall best serue her turne And therefore where as menne presume so muche to alledge and bring in the ordinaunces of the Popes Gelasius and Hilarius whiche saye that the Sea of Rome is more subiect and obedient to the Councels than anie other man eyther the Councell of Basile wherein was determined and concluded That the Councell is aboue the Pope yea and that the Councell maye depose the Pope All that is not woorth a strawe For all the Balles that are serued on that syde the Tenise Court are easilye smitten backe and turned at the rebounde with halfe a woorde speaking to witte Saluo in omnibus iure Romanae Ecclesiae Which is too saye The right and authoritie of the Churche of Rome in all pointes reserued For this is the verie taiâ—e of euerie Councell wherewith they are turned about as with a rudder eeuen whither the Pope will haue them The v. Chapter VVherein is taught that the canons and decrees of Popes can not binde the Romish Churche but that she is sâ—ill aboue all decrees and maye breake and adnihilate the same so as shee shall thinke good THis same must be vnderstoode of all the former decrees and canons of all the Popes deceased For although it be cleare that they are inspirattons of the holy ghost against which it is not lawful for any man to speake so as whosoeuer doeth despise them is voide of the Catholike and Apostolike beliefe yet that notwithstanding they cannot therefore by any meanes close or shut vp the authoritie of the Church And wherfore For that there is one common rule of the holy Church set foorth for an vndoubted article of our fayth which is That the Romish church is she which doth giue to all Popes decrees their full power and might prouided alwayes that she her selfe is not in any wise subiect to the same by reason that she hath a ful power always to make such decrees and ordinances when soeuer it shall please her as hauing power and being heade ouer all Churches from which poynt no man maye dissent So after this manner doeth shee giue and graunt to the decrees full power and authoritie with this exception That she her selfe will in no wise incline or yeelde to the same but that she may do any thing agaynst the same whensoeuer it shall please her Euen like as Christ did teach the people as hauing might authoritie and power of himselfe and not like vnto the Theologians or Phariseis whiche durst neither put to nor diminishe or take from the same And euen after this maner it followeth with the Popes They giue the decrees their authoritie and yet notwithstanding this may they do as masters and Doctours of the lawe euen when they list agaynst their owne lawes and decrees â–ª and therefore the decrees and Canons doe not conclude anie thing at all without this exception That the Churche of Rome may alway vnderstande interprete and expound the same as she shal think good And herevpon it commes to passe that in all decrees one of these tales is ioyned to wit Reseruing alway the right and title of the Church of Rome or So farre forth as the Church of Rome doeth thereof allowe â–ª And so hath the high and renowmed Iurist or Lawyer Philippus Decius written namely That all decrees and Canons are by Gods appointment subiect vnto the Pope of Rome It is verie true that the holy Fathers and Popes Gelasius Felix Sosimus Vrbanus and Leo 4. haue concluded That all the decrees and ordinaunces of the Pope beeing contrarie to the olde and former decrees and Canons shoulde bee voyde and of none effecte And whereas Gregorie hath likewise ordeyned That whensoeuer any Pope wil haue his Decrees obserued then must he è contrà obserue the decrees of the Popes his predecessours But vpon that the glose saith Hoc non credo which is I doe not beleeue that And is not that answere grounded vpon good reason So that wee may boldely conclude That the holie Church will not be bounde nor pend in by any Decrees Shee is like vnto a Catte shee can not bee forced or compelled For else might these Heretikes and Huguenotes choke the holie Church with her owne decrees For they woulde bring foorth this Canon Vt quid Canon prima quidem Canon Non hoc corpus and such other like Thereby to teache that there is but one ghostly or spiritual food set forth in the Sacrament which is receyued onelie by fayth and not eaten nor swallowed vp with the teeth Further they would come out with the decree in the chapter Leginâ—us ff Quid enim dist 93. thereby to prooue That all Bishops haue like authoritie in what place soeuer they bee whether at Rome or at Canterburie and by that meanes shoulde all the authoritie of the Pope become creeple and lame whiche were a pitifull case They woulde goe about to teache out of the Chapter Vbinam distinct 96. that they ought likewise to come into the Councelles and to haue their voyces in the Consistorie euen as well as the annoynted Priestes whiche might bring in a great coÌ„fusion disorder They would mainteine by the decree of pope Gelasius That the cup in the Sacrament ought likewise to be ministred to the Lay people according to the institution ordinance of Christ for the Gela. doth esteme theÌ„ for terrible blasphemers of God robbers of the church which in that case do not folow the speciall commaundement of christ They woulde with the
the East But the holy Church as touching this matter was much wiser thaâ— God for shee wâ—ll hereby giue to vnderstande that Christ is risen or sprong from the highest and that afâ—er the doctrine of Aristotle other Philosophers the East is on the right side of heauen where as Christ at the day of iudgement will place his elect Is not this a deepe speculation Who would euer haue thought that such doltish Asses could haue founde out such a great and profound secret which God him selfe did neuer thinke on The x. Chapter VVhich concludeth that the Church of Rome hath gathered all these before named pieces together and taken out of them what shee haâ—h thought good which are called Traditiones Romanae Ecclesiae that is to saye The traditions of the church of Rome and the foundation of our beleefâ— BVt if I should now bring in all things particularly to proâ—e hâ—we that our deare mother hath verie finely and subtily brought in mingled the Philosophie and Poetrie of the Ethnikes with her Religion and Gods seruice I should haue worke inough for seuen yeeres Therefore this is sufficient for vs that by this it may well bee perceiued that she hath gathered her holines and ceremonies as well out of the Heathen authours as of the Iewes olde Heretikes and brewed the same all together so cunningly that it is a maruellous pleasant cup of drinke to swallow downe without anie chewing So that nowe wee may stoutly conclude vpon the former question what that is for a beast which men call Traditiones Ecclesiae The traditions of the Church of Rome Seeing we now well perceiue that her foundation ground stands not vpon the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles like as Paul would in his time haue mainteined much lesse then vpon the Councels Fathers and decrees but it is partly founded vpon the Scripture being first well glosed and sophistically handled partly out of the chiefest writings of the olde fathers partly out of the scomme of the Councels and decrees partly out of the fine flower of olde Heretikes partly out of the Caballa of the Iewes Rabbines and lastly out of the Theologie of Numa Pompilius the Philosophie of Aristotle and out of the examples of the Heathen Now all gathered together on a heape and baked in a cake are called Traditiones sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae The traditions or commandements of the holy Church of Rome Which vpon paine of damnation of the soule and the body to be burnt in fire must of necessitie be beleued of al men and holden in as great reputation as the worde of God it selfe which is written in the holie Scriptures Therefore it is that the bookes of the holy Catholike subiectes of the Church as Eckius Piggius Hosius Bunderius Asotus Ruardus Tapparde Iohannes Latomus Iohannes a Louanio Franciscus Sonnius Gulielmus Blindasinus Iodocus Rauestein a Tileto and other more are finely set forth and brauely decked with feathers of all colours after the Indian fashion and trimmed vp with all costly stuffe euen like Saint Iames wiâ—h his shelles and sometime they fetch a witnesse or authoritie out of the Scripture by the necke sometime out of the fathers then a Councel out of a corner a decree of some Pope or Bishop sometimes they bring out an example from the Iewes and an allegorie or some triâ—le out of the Thalmoode and nowe and then a syâ—logisme out of Aristotle or Porphyrius or else a verse out of Virgil or Ouid and such other like skipping and leaping like Monkies from one place to another so helpe themselues with handes and feete and with all the â—â—â—mes of their bodie Prouided alwayes that they hang still as fast on their principall foundation as a theefe on the gallowes to wit That the holy Church cannot erre nor by anie meanes go out of the right way For as long as they holde that end fast they can neuer loose the threede And it is but follie to talke the Heretikes must needes be taken in the trappe for if by chaunce they scape out at one hole they are by and by caught in another After this they brewe you a noble and pleasant drinke iumbling the olde fathers and the newe together the true with the false And if they can once catche an Augustine or an Ambrose by the necke then will they after that bring in a trimme toy of the fine letters of Clemens and Anacletus which a dronken Monke and vnlearned buffell did babble out somewhere on a Saint Martins euen and mingle therewithall the goodly fables of one Dionysius whom they call Areopagita which one of the seuen sleepers haue found I wote not where behinde a banke then also come they lustily foorth with a Thomas de Aquino or a Scotus ioyne with him a Bricot or a Holcot or a Peter de Broda to keepe him companie And lastly for a sawce they bring in vpon that their Legendum Aureum and then Dormi secure and so make thereof a Compost or as it is called at Louen a Brodium such as the Heretikes must needes burâ—â— if they taste but one spoonefull of it And this is the inuincible Panoplia or StratageÌ„ma that is The defensible furniture fighting weapons of warre which the right honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus vseth This is the Verbum noÌ„ scriptum the vnwritten worde or veritie which all Catholike writers doe alwayes stande vpon this is Consuetudo sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The vsage and old custome of the holy church of Rome whereon they boast themselues a great deale more than anie towne doeth of their priuiledges This is Traditiones patrum The traditions of the fathers of which the children do boldly boast and bragge In summe this is the ground and foundation of the hellish Catholike Romish beliefe wherevpon our dearely beloued mother the holy Church doth stande so fast as it will be verie harde for all the diuels of hell to blowe her off with all their bellowes The xi Chapter VVhich teacheth how that vpon this foundation Heretikes must be examined And what questions are to be proponed vnto them in the inquisition THerefore the order and maner to dispute with Heretikes nowe adayes is no more to bring in many Scriptures or Councels against them for therein woulde they be too readie and ripe reasoners but we must onely lay before them the good intents ordinances and statutes of the holie Church And it is sufficient to prooue that by any one of the argumentes before specified for whensoeuer men can alledge only one whether it be out of the Fathers Councels Decrees or out of Aristotle or Virgil then it is cocke on our side and the battell is wonne But now contrariwise whensoeuer the Heretikes goe about to ouerthrow any article of the beliefe by the holy Church brought in and established it is not therefore sufficient that they proue it to be contrarie to the
which is written yea shee doeth plainly foâ—bid the common sorte and Laie people to reade the scriptures in their mother tongue For consider this they haue found in effect and by experience that the Heretikes and Huguenotes haue alwayes the Scripture in their mouth and take vppon them to defende and iustifie by plaine and euident textes all that they say or beleeue And they passe not a pinne for all the hidde and profound interpretations which the holy Church of Rome hath finely founde out and profoundly set downe concerning the same Nowe that spites them out of measure and to saye trueth howe can they tolerate or suffer such a thing yea when al is said what mischiefe do these Heretikes meane that they thinke them selues wiser than all the holy Fathers the Popes of Rome with so manie Cardinals of excellent renowme and honourable Bishops with such innumerable bandes of learned men of Louen and Paris Or if so be likewise that they doe not passe for all their Myters Staues Hattes Crownes Cowles Capes and Liripippes yet must they needes remember them selues that holie Pope Pius the fourth nowe lately dead did in the confession of the faith which he with the consent of the whole Councell of Trent published and set foorth euen as a watche woorde or speciall marke whereby men might discerne true Catholikes from false Heretikes as in plaine and expresse wordes is written And first I acknowledge the holie Catholicall Apostolicall Church of Rome to bee the true mother of all Churches and Congregations And after that I beleeue the holie Scripture according to such vnderstanding interpretation meaning signification as our mother the holie Church hath alway allowed for good at this present doth allow to whom only of right doth apperteine to giue vnto the Scripture a right vnderstanding sense interpretation And herevpon I do promise that I wil neuer vnderstand nor interprete the same otherwise than according to the interpretatioÌ„ of the Fathers This same haue the holie fathers at Trent irreuocably concluded coÌ„manding That no man shall otherwise vnderstande nor interpret the Scriptures than our mother the holy church hath in times past and doth at this present vnderstand them Now here you haue a full decision a setled determination an irreuocable sentence vppon our question by vertue whereof neither delay nor appeale can follow For you doe heare to beginne withal that the worde of God is not of such value or dignitie that it is of it self worthie to be beleeued vnlesse it be deckte and set forth with the glosses and interpretation of the holie Fathers of Rome So that hereof is to be gathered as all Catholike Doctours also haue written That the Scripture and word of God is obscure darke variable vncertein vneeuen rawe vnfurnished and vnhandsome but the glosses and interpretations of the holy father of Rome and of the great Clerkes of Louen are cleare lightsome stedfast sure true euen plain fullie furnished and in all pointes verie handsome and sufficient It is true that the pretence of Christ of his Disciples was to vtter declare to euerie man their doctrine or at least so much of it as doeth apperteine to the saluation of man in all plainesse simplicitie trueth without any dissimulation or darknesse For to that end purpose did Christ chuse simple fishers and other plaine dealing laie people for Apostles and Euangelistes and did therfore thanke his heauenly father that he had reuealed his heauenly wisdome knowledge to simple plain mening men not to the sharpwitted deeply learned philosophers of this world In like maner also did Paule set forth his doctrine before the simple people in al simplicitie plainesse yea he gloried of his simplenesse Wherevpon the chiefe of the old Fathers were prouoked diligently to put the laie people in mind that they should be diligent readie to pervse search the holy scriptures not to thinke that they did perteine onely to the learned And yet notwithstanding we must now either say that their intent and meaning was not well grounded or else that the chaunce is now changed For we see that nowe in these dayes the Scripture is hid froÌ„ the Laie people as a thing dark doutfull of no sufficient foundation in place wherof is intruded thrust in the peoples hands glosses interpretations decisions and determinations of the holie Church so that thereby it is good to consider that the scripture is not only darke but also rough vneeuen hard stonie in so much that the Catholike children of the church of Rome might lightly stumble vpon it and breake their shinnes or else perhaps be seduced drawne awry from their right Catholike beleefe But the foresaid decisions glosses are as eeuen smooth plaine as the rockes of S. Goddardes mountaine yea they are the very Planers wherwith the roughnes of the Bible scriptures is shauen off in such sorte that they may serue for all purposes of work to the building vp pulling downe of the Catholike faith Therefore aboue all things we must sticke fast to their glosings cleaue close to their interpretations haue litle regard what the plaine cleare textes of the scripture bring with them Now this is the first point that you haue to consider out of the rule before specified The second you may likewise gather out of this That no man in the world hath power to interprete the Scripture anie otherwise than as hitherto it hath bene interpreted by the holie Popes and Bishops and by the Theologians Bachelers of Louen for else to what purpose were it that men should bestow such cost on those same Magistri nostri in making them pleasant bankets to proceed Bachelers or Licentiats if it were not that thereby they had free graunt and licence to winde and writh the textes of the Scripture with so phisticall arguments euen as they themselues thinke good Then we may thereby well perceiue that suche as are neither Bacchelers Licentiates nor Doctours presuming of their owne wit and will to set out the Scripture according to the letter that is to say after the single and profound ground of the plaine text so applie them to the detrimeÌ„t of the holy Romish church are all ranke Heretikes seeing they goe about to rob the holie Church of Rome of her power authoritie which is a thing in no wise tollerable For it is most true and without doubt yea as true as the holie Gospell of the Distaffe as is plainely to be proued out of the bookes of all Catholike writers That when our Lorde Iesus Christ did deliuer into the handes of the holie Church of Rome the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen he did yet giue her beside those an other string of sixe keyes wherewith shee might open and shutte all the Cupbordes of the Scripture euen as it pleased her and as shee thought good for her owne aduauntage
which our louing mother the holy Church hath made vpon it let it bee allegoricall or anagogicall or what it will this is onelie that which makes mightie and liuing because this alone both agree with the iudgement of the holy Church of Rome And all they which doe truely follow her those are permitted to liue in all libertie and wealth yea although they do not beleue that there is a god Therefore whosoeuer will not accept this interpretation of the holie church and vnderstand the scripture ghostly or spiritually as the Catholikes doe vnderstande and interprete the same he is a damned Heretike and his processe is at an ende although he had all the textes of the scripture verie plaine the whole volume of the Bible on his side for the textes can not helpe him without the glasses hee is but a dead man yea though he had an hundred liues lying in a Chest especially if he come once in the handes of the holie Inquisition hee must abie for it it is but lost labour to talke further thereof And for this cause I doe maruell that our good master Gentian will breake his head about this matter namely to proue That the Scripture alone is not sufficient for our mother the holie Church as though that matter were not plaine and euident inough sithence we may daily both see and feele it And yet notwithstanding commes he out here with his profounde speculation in such sort as he hath almost therein forgotten himselfe I cannot iudge otherwise but that the vnmeasurable zeale which hee beares to the welfare of his deare mother the holy Church must haue perforce tumbled him topsie â—uruie ouerthwart the field that he did not well see what he said he is like to kine which are stâ—ung and chaced with a waspe or horseflie they runne on following their noses like mad beasts shun neither stock nor stone For here it seemes that his wittes be rauished For where hee doth say That the doctrine of the holy Trinitie cannot be proued by the Scripture that is farre too grosse Otherwise wee must condemne the foure first Councels of falshoode who did by approbation conclude vpon the same out of the holie Scriptures verie strongly and with vndoubted testimonies of truth yea and if we could as well defend the Masse with plaine textes of the Scripture as the blessed Trinitie may thereby be confirmeâ— a great manie priests no doubt shoulde not eate so leane brewes as now they do It is true that this worde Trinitie neither this worde Consubstantiall that is to say Euangelicall in being substance is not so printed in the scripture But the Huguenots say plainly that they will not make anie brabbling about these wordes but will simply followe the true ground meaning substance of the Scripture Now it is plainly wriâ—ten That there are three in heauen which giue witnes to wit the father the worde and the holie ghost that these three are al one There is likewise written That there is but one Baptisme and one God and yet notwithstanding we are coÌ„manded that we shall be baptised In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holie ghost So that it is apparant that the doctrine or approbation of the Trinitie was not sowed out of the Popes thumbe as purgatorie the holie Masse were but are plainly alledged in the scripture after the letter The like is to be said touching the two sacrameÌ„ts of Baptisme of the Supper of the lord For although this worde Sacrament is not found in the scripture yet the substance the being and the ground of the doctrine is without exception coÌ„cluded out of the scripture according to the letter plaine wordes of the text For the Circumcision and the Pascall lambe are openly called The promises of God and doe signifie the promises of God left in liuely remembrance of his mercie to the coÌ„firming of our iustificatioÌ„ by faith And now doth Paul teach that Circumcision is signified in Baptisme and that the sacrament of the Lords supper is likewise appointed by Christ in remembrance of his death passion Whervpon it is called The new promise in the bloud of Christ and ministred in place of the Pascall lamb Insomuch that heretikes out of that do teach That baptisme the supper of our Lord are onely sacraments that is holy tokens of Gods promises made in the bloud and passion of Iesus Christ. Which we cannot say of that holy oyle nor of their holy confirmation and other Sacraments which our deare mother the holie Church hath instituted of great deuotion and ioyned them to the two first for an help or assistance yea and the same likewise established and defended That Confirmation by her instituted is much more worthie than baptisme which Christ himselfe coÌ„manded And why Forsooth because it cannot be ministred or executed by any simple or common Priest as baptisme may but only by a Suffragane or Bishop and that it makes one ful christned and doth giue the holy ghost more plentifully effectually than baptism doth which was instituted by Christ. As in her decrees and booke of Sentences is in plaine wordes written Now besides all this the heretikes doe also say That wee are not able to alledge or bring out of the holie Scripture so much as one worde which speakes of the Masse nor of annoynting of priests nor of their sinne offrings of their priests office of their pardons Popes bulles no nor of the Pope himselfe nor of the praying to Saints images of our Ladie nor al those saints which do so many goodly miracles nor of their purgatorie nor of their auricular confession nor of their whorish chastitie of Priests Monks Nonnes In summe they will say it is nothing else but mens inuentions and deuises of diuels which the priests haue called to remeÌ„brance to bring in monie by heapes and to pamper their panches with daintie dishes but is not this a spiteful matter And yet our master Gentian letteth that slippe vntouched where he should haue proued That all these pointes are aswell concluded out of the scripture as the twelue articles of the faith He saith in deed that Ieremie had said before That the new lawe of the Gospell should bee written in mens hearts whereby we will conclude that men ought not to seeke them in the scripture but in the head and heart of the Pope of Rome of his holy Prelates for that the Pope hath all lawes both of God man shut vp in his bosome breast as hereafter shal be declared more at large But this serues to no purpose against the Heretikes for they are so lustie that they would make M. Gentian ashamed hereof if he had anie shame in his bodie Which I do not iudge of anie such great doctor who hath long ago put off his shamefast shooes and laid them aside nay â—ast them cleane away But
which is a God of such power that he causeth all them that will not honour him to be burnt In summe it is apparant that the name of the Masse is fetched out of the Scripture Nowe further whereas the Masse may not be long but vpon a foure cornered stone well foreseene with crosses and coniured with holie wordes all that is likewise fetched out of the scripture For Paule speaking to the Corinthians saieth That they ought not so to glorie in themselues for the sacrament coÌ„sidering that the people of Israel who notwithstanding were pitifully destroied by the hand of God had also euen the like sacrament in the beginning were also baptised and had likewise receiued the spirituall meat to wit Manna and dranke the spiritual drinke which did flow out of the Rocke and saith further there in most plaine wordes And the stone was Christ that is to say after the spirituall interpretation of the holie Church That the Masse must be soung vpon a stone Item Christ is also called A corner stone and which is more his graue was hewen out of a stone as Marke doeth wiâ—nesse Ergo it must needes follow that no Masâ—e may be soung without a stone And because he was wound in white linnen clothes therefore must white linnen be vsed in the Masse And so forth concerning all such Ceremonies as are vsed in the Masse you may touching these read the booke of Durandus or of Innocentius de officio Missae or the booke of Guido de monte Rocherii called Encheiridion Sacerdotum that is to say â–ª the manuel of Priests For there you you shall finde plainly set forth that all the partes of the Masse are finely founded and established vpon the scripture And to begin withall you shall find the times appointed for the Masse that it must be done at three of the clocke because it is written that the Iewes did at three of the clock crie Crucifie him crucifie him or at sixe of the clock for that at sixe of the clocke they did crucifie him or at nine because that then he gaue vp the ghost For although it be so that the Iewes at that time did reckon their houres otherwise than we do now so that three of the clocke was with them as viii or ix of the clock before noone is with vs and their sixe as our xii at noone and their ix as our three at after noone yet notwithstanding our deare mother the holie Church doth not gâ—e so narrowly to worke with her reckonings It is sufficient that simplie the names do agree and then she lettes the rest go where it will. After this now as touching the apparel and other consecrated or hallowed stuffe you shall finde her Albe or long white garment in the Scripture specially where it is written But he that continueth to the end shall bee saued For that long garment doth signifie long lasting or long continuance Concerning the girdle where it is written He that feareth God shall prepare his heart c. By the girdle which doth tucke vp the clothes is ment the feare of god Item the Maniples are fetched out of that saying in the Psalme Those that sowe with tears shall reape with ioy and bring home their sheaues with gladnesse c. For the sheaues are called in the Latine tongue Manipuli so that Dauid did there speake of the Priests maniples And the stole which they haue about their neckes commes out of the saying of Paule Beare in your bodies the dying of our Lord Iesus Christ And last of all the head is founded out of the saying of Peter But aboue all things haue perfite loue among you Let vs liue a perfite life Which is as much to say according to the exposition of the holy church Let vs put on a Cassuffle when wee sing Masse And yet besides all this you shall perceiue that the most part of all that which is read in the Masse is fetched out of the Psalmes and other places of holie Scripture here and there by patches and peeces swept together and trimly tied on a heape as if a man of a great manie peeces of golde as of Ducates Crownes Rosenobles and Portagues glued together with dirt woulde make a goodly doore for a Swinestie yet it is most true that euerie particular peece hath a particular Pope whiche did ioyne it to the rest and so were sewed together insomuche that it is a right beggers cloake as is well knowne to all men and as may easily be proued by the Decrees and Catholike Histories And to be plaine there is not anie thing great or small but they are able to bring in Scripture for it as wee can lightly proue by the foresaid Authours if neede were But wee had rather that those that long for such meate shoulde goe to the Market themselues and buy that they like best and let it bee dressed at the Tauerne or Tippling house according to their owne diâ—t It is ynough for vs that wee haue giuen them to vnderstand who can serue them of such vitaile and then further as the case shall require to proue plainely that the Masse is founded wholie on high euen vpon the flat Scripture The .iiii. Chapter Teaching that the transubstantiation of chaunging of the bread into the verie bodie of Christ and the wine into his bloud is grounded vpon the Scripture after the interpretation of the Church of Rome NOw as touching transubstantiation that is to say the plaine chaunging of the bread into the verie bodie of Christ notwithstanding the same was by the holie father Pope Innocentius 3. first set forth for an article of our beliefe about the yere of our Lord 1198. as by the Decretals is apparant yet haue we plaine proofes therof in the Scripture For first Christ in the sixt Chap. of Iohn saieth thus My flesh is verie meat and my bloud is verie drinke that is to say after the interpretation of our deare mother the holie Church My flesh is truely sensibly and bodily taken and eaten vnder the accident of the bread and my bloud is certeinly receiued and dronken vnder the accident of the wine For although Christ indeede doe otherwise interpret it teaching that this eating and drinking is to be vnderstoode of comming to him and of beleuing in him I am saieth he the liuely bread Whosoeuer coÌ„meth to me shall not hunger and whosoeuer doth beleeue in me shall neuer be athirst Againe It is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothing The wordes which I speake vnto you are spirite and life Yet all this notwithstanding so long as the holie Church of Rome will haue it to be vnderstoode of her transubstantiation as Syluester Prierias high Steward of the palace of Rome hath specially noted in his golden Rosarie wherein hee hath gathered all the pleasant Roses and floures of the Catholike interpreters together vpon one heape and considering that the
soundeth not well for we do not al becom one bodie in substance as the holie Church will haue the bread become the verie body of Christ in substance But then the similitude which after that he introduceth or bringeth in is to farre out of the way For hee saieth That those which feede of the altar are partakers of the altar and that those that offer vp to idols are partakers with the diuell And so making a comparison of the table of the Lord and the table of the diuell as though the Priestes could not eate vp that bodie of Christ otherwise than as idolaters eate vp the diuels and as though these wordes Eate that bodie of Christ did signifie nothing else but this through the power of the holie Ghost to be made one bodie ioyntlie with the bodie of Christ as the vngodly idolaters by power of the wicked spirite are vnited with the diuell That is to heynous an heresie and therefore wee may not stande vpon this similitude for it soundeth diâ—ectlie against our Transubstantiation But when you will haue a substantiall similitude you must search and seeke it out of Scotus and Thomas de Aquino or Panormitanus and such like For they bring in for this purpose a goodlie similitude of a Tauerne or common Inne where they sell wine For as there is commonlie a potte a garlande or Iuie bush hanged out betokening that to be a Tauerne and the Tauerne doeth signifie that there is wine plentie So likewise you see here the outward accidentes of bread to witte the roundnesse and the whitenesse which doe signifie that vnder the same is conteined the verie bodie of Christ which is to bee resembled to the Tauerne And this bodie of Christ doeth further signifie the holie Church of Rome which is made one with the bodie of Christ which they call Mysticum corpus Christi that is to say The spiritual or mystical bodie of Christ and this is that sweete wine which the Priestes drinke in that Inne or Tauerne And after this they doe likewise bring for a similitude the water which in Cana of Galilie was plainlie turned into wine which similitude doeth so wonderfull well serue for this purpose as to set a fift wheele in a wagon But it is pitie that the Priestes haue not other fiue wordes whereby they might do that too For then should the similitude serue their turne much better if that they might when they woulde conuerte and turne the water into good wine for that they might therewith the better scoure and refresh their drie throtes when they are become verie hoarse with singing of their seruice And it is verie true that they doe what they can for that purpose for on Saturday being Easter eeuen they praye vnto God that hee will also do so much as to turne their Beere saying O Lord holie Father almightie and eternal God which hast made both heauen and earth wherein the water is conteined I pray thee and instantly beseech thee in the name of Iesus Christ thy onlie begotten Sonne that thou of thy goodnesse wilt blesse and make holie this Beere as thou diddest blesse the dinner of Abraham and Isaak and as thou diddest blesse the sixe pottes in Cana of Galilie which were chaunged from water into good wine euen so change for thy seruantes sake which do beleeue in the Catholike faith this substance of Beere into pleasantnesse and mirth thorough the same c. But alas what can all this helpe when it will not so come to passe For they haue not this cunning and therefore they must needes haue bene deceiued and so drinke vp the bloud vppon rawe fleshe For men may say all what they will and Paule yea Christ him selfe may bring forth what interpretation they list but the holy church will stande to the first wordes This is my bodie and vpon that will she liue and die The texte is plaine ynough for her shee hath no neede either of glosse or interpretation And therefore vnto all the interpretations which these Heretikes bring in whether it be out of the Scriptures or out of the auncient Fathers wee will answere This is my bodie and sticke as sure to that as the Cuckoe to her song The v. Chapter Treating of the great stâ—ife and difference which is aâ—mongst the Romishe Doctours concerning the words of the Sacrament and yet all they agree and stande fast touching the Transubstantiation Herein are likewise set forth some textes of Scripture whereby Transubstantiation is established IT is verie true that our Catholike Doctours and subtile maisters of Diuinitie can not euen they them selues finde anie good resolution of these words neither can make them serue the turne well touching their Transubstantiation but that there doeth alway fall great difficultie and disorder therin The bookes sticke out in euery side like a spindle in a bagge in so much that they snarre and iarre amongst themselues in this matter like dogges cattes yea Quot capita tot sensus How many heads so manie opinions And yet notwithstaÌ„ding they all ioyntly crie together This is my bodie The text is cleare and needes no glosse yea they cleaue as close to Transubstantiation as claye to the cart wheele Although they can not tell which way to frame this plaine text For to begin withal they all flatly flie from that which was concluded in the foresaid Councell of Rome that is That the verie bodie of Christ shuld be Sensualiter that is to say Sensiblie and visiblie eaten and with the teeth chewed in morsels For to that they all affirme flatlie No and that it is a false lie notwithstanding it is set out in the Decrees verie substantially For say they the bodie of Christ can no more bee bitten eaten nor digested he can not now die nor suffer anie more nor bee broken in pieces he doth liue eternally Which is apparant by this token that yeerelie vpon Corpus Christi day our deare mother the holie church doeth in her vsuall Hymne or Sacramental Carroll sing these words folowing Sub diuersis speciebus Signis tantùm non rebus â–ª Latent res eximiae Caro cibus sanguis potus Manet homo Christus totus â–ª Sub vtraqué specie A sumente non concisus Non confractus nec diuisus â–ª Integer accipitur Sumit vnus sumunt mille Quantum isti tantum ille Nec sumptus absumitur c. That is to say Vnder signes most plaine to see Substance none which seeme to be Things lie hid most excellent The flesh is meate the bloud is wine â–ª A perfect Christ in either signe Remaineth of the Sacrament He is not dealt in morsels small Diuided cutte nor hurt at all But whole he is receiued A thousand taste a thousand eate And all alike feede of one meate He wastes not though digested Nowe see here thus do they deface their owne Councels and Decrees and make al the holie Fathers of the Councel of Rome liers After this
commande that these stones bee made bread Consider now is not that a plain declaration wherto no answer is to be made And by this it is wel to be thought that the diuell woulde gladly haue had a Masse in the wildernesse but onely that it could not be for lacke of bread And this may possibly be the cause wherefore our mother the holie Church doth vpon all the altars and in all thee bookes where this storie is in hand and dealt withall clothe the diuell in a friers cowle to the end men may knowe that he was an holie Heremit or an Anker which did verie deuoutly say Masse in the wildernesse and therefore doth looke out so Masselike But when he saw he did lacke bread then he sought and made meanes to our Lorde to see if he would erect a newe transubstantiation And now because this temptation of the diuell is in the Hebrewe tongue called Massah as is before rehearsed therefore it is not to be thought vnlike that our Masse hath thereof borrowed her name For as Satan said Commaunde that these stones be made bread so say the priests in their Masse Command that this bread be made a bodie or flesh Wherein the Priestes are something more likerish than their maister was for that they will not bee contented with drie bread â–ª but that hath his vnderstanding and meaning Howbeit thus much it is in effect That our dere mother the holy church hath out of this Massah or temptatioÌ„ of the diuell verie strongly established her Transubstantiation The vi Chapter Establishing the sufficiencie of the Sacrament vnder the substance of bread alone WE haue heretofore set forth that the holie Church of Rome hath directly against the coÌ„mandment of Christ against the vse of the Apostles and against the long continued custome maner of the primatiue Church commanded That the Lay people should not receiue the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper but vnder one kind only to wit of the bread as it is plainly set foorth in the decree at the Councel of Constance here before declared But now because it shal not seeme that she hath much a do to wrest a text or twaine of the Scripture to bring them in to serue her turne she doth therfore allege here manifest texts wherewith she doth set all things net fine and in perfect frame To begin withall it is written in the 6. of Iohn This is that bread which commeth from heauen that he which eateth thereof should not die I am that liuing bread which came downe from heauen if anie man eate of this bread he shal liue for euer And the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world c. Note here now doth he meddle but with the bread saith Eckius Ergo the Lay people neede not the wine That soundes as well as if a man shoulde make this argument Christ saith in the 15. of Iohn I am the true vine you are the braunches c. Here he speakes onely of the vine and not of the bread Ergo the Lay people need not receiue the Sacrament vnder the substance of bread but only vnder the substance of a vine Is not that verie well reasoned to catch the Heretikes in a trap After that we read that Christ was known in Emaus vnto two of his disciples by breaking of bread there is not one word of drinking Ergo the Lay people may not drink out of the Chalice And if anie man thinke that Christ should not there haue ministred a sacrament as the Heretikes will say that is a lie for our deare mother the holie church hath determined otherwise declaring that he did minister the Sacrament two times once at Hierusalem for the Priests at his last supper another time at Emaus for the Lay people after his resurrection And although it is certeine that these two disciples were Cardinals not Lay men as Eckius in deede doth finely mainteine in a certein place yet what is that to the purpose Did you neuer see Cardinals that were no Priests That is no newes There are now a dayes that are but young children newly crept out of the shelles And when all this is saide there is no where written that these two disciples had shauen crownes or the priestly character or cognisance Ergo then must they needes be Lay people Now thirdly we pray thus in the Pater noster Giue vs this day our daily bread and we do not speake of anie wine wherfore then should the Lay people desire to drinke wine in the Communion And although the priests theÌ„selues sing the same wordes in their Masse yet notwithstanding are not content with drie bread that cannot serue the turne For the prrests must needes haue some prerogatiue because they are the beloued children of our mother the holy Church Fourthly â—uke in the Acts of the Apostles writeth That those which beleeued continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer which streight-way after he setteth out more amplie saying And sold their possessions goods and parted them to al men as euery man had neede And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple brake bread in euerie house and did eate their meate together with gladnes and singlenes of heart praysing God. Out of this doth our deare mother the holie Church coÌ„clude That the cup ought not to be ministred vnto the Lay people in the Supper of the Lorde because that here is no mention made of wine but onely of bread For although in manie other places of holy scripture all kindes of meates and drinkes are vnderstoode vnder the name of bread and eating yet that can not take place here considering that our deare mother the holy Church hath otherwise interpreted the same And Paul hath directly written That all men should esteeme the Apostles and Preachers as Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secretes of God. For out of this doth our dere mother the holie Church teach That the Priests are to be resembled to God and are mediators betweene God and the people and so by this meanes may freely chaunge or alter the Sacraments as they shall thinke good Is not this a subtile and double dealing with the Scripture Wherefore then doe these Heretikes say That we haue no scriptures wherewith to defend this our doing whereas we bring in sacks ful of Scripture as all men may see And then touching that they will beate vs with our owne rodde saying That the Church her selfe hath alwayes done otherwise as may appeare out of the ancient fathers Councels and Canons we care not a point for that we hang that on the hatch For all that is past and gone the worlde is now in another state than it was then For in those dayes they were for the most part all readie to shedde their bloud for the
names to the holie Church when they shall be so vnderstoode and when they shall â—ot be so taken Now doeth our deare mother the holie Church inioy dâ—uerse other goodly and plaine Scriptures wherewith â—o prop vp and make fast the seate of our holâ—e father the Pope as specially where it is written That Christ came to fulfill the will of his father For of that must needes follow That all good Christen men are bound to fulfil the will of their holie mother the Church of Rome of which church the Pope without all doubt is the supreme heade And againe God speaketh by the mouth of his Prophete Esaias But doth the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Or doeth the sawe make anie bragging against him that ruleth it Signifying thereby that the king of the Assyrians had no power against the almightie God who woulde vse him as an axe or a sawe to punish and correct his people by him Out of this hath our mother the holy Church of Rome concluded and as she saith made it appeare clearer than the Sunne that there is no power nor authoritie in this worlde but in the power of the holy sea pope of Rome to correct or punish the same And this shee doeth establish yet more strongly by the wordes of Paule who saith That the naturall man cannot conceiue nor vnderstand Gods doings but the spirituall man doth vnderstand rule all things but may not be ruled of any man. For this doth the holie Church vnderstand by the pope of Rome that he is of himselfe so spiritual and ghostly that no man may nor can iudge nor punish him Now further his power is established in the first booke of Moses called Genesis where it is written That God in the beginning did shape both heauen and earth For now that is as much to say after the exposition of the holie Church of Rome that the Pope is the beginning of all things Considering there is no mention made but of one beginning It is not said In the beginning as of mo or manie beginnings and therefore whosoeuer should compare the Emperour to be as good as the Pope he is a rank heretike of the sect of the Manichees who saide There was mo beginnings of all things than one What thinke you now of this Is not this a good bagpipe to play a galiard vpon But now tarie yet a little it is likewise writen That God did shape two great lightes a greater and a lesser which do signifie after the interpretation of the holy Church that the pope of Rome is aboue all other Potentates aboue the Emperour for he is the Sunne the Emperour is the Moone Whereby nowe is clearely to be seene that Moses had a foreknowlege of the pope his authoritie And Iob must needes haue had some feeling of his coÌ„ming For thus God said vnto Iob Knowest thou I pray thee how the heauens are gouerned Or canst thou rule him vpon earth That is after the interpretation of the holy Church That euen as in the heauen one eternall God doth gouerne all things and as the holy Trinitie is brought to one onelie vnitie The like consequence must fall out here vpon earth So that here the Pope onely must haue dominion ouer all estates dukedomes kingdomes other whatsoeuer in consideration that hee is the onely line leuell and compasse whereby all other people are and ought to be directed And in consideration hereof is the prophesie of Paul thus vnderstood saying Vntil the fulnes of the Gentils be come and then shall all Israel be saued ioining this with that which Christ said So that there shal be but one flock one sheepheard as to vnderstand When all the nations vpon earth shall be subiect to the Pope Like as now in our daies we haue seene a good beginning do daily see with our eyes very great apperaÌ„ce of more And that the Pope ought not only to haue a spirituall gouernment as a Bishop but must likewise maintein a worldly gouernment as a king is by clere testimonie of Scripture of our deare mother the holy Church approued For there is without doubt a plaine text that the Apostles did say Behold here are two swordes Wherevnto Christ answered not saying That it was too manie but that that was inough Now out of this doth our deare mother coÌ„clude That the Pope of Rome must vse two swordes to wit a spirituall a temporall sword Ho ball ho how will this sound in the eares of the Heretikes But now must they vnderstand for a speciall matter that a good while ago there was in Spaine an honest man who coulde not vnderstand it so saying that this scripture did serue nothing at al to that purpose And by and by the holy inquisition which is the dearest and chiefest nourse fosterfather of the Church of Rome did take him and burne him at a stake as one which had highly blasphemed because that vpon his opinion should follow that the holy church hath not full power to interprete the scripture as she will which I assure you is a terrible slaunder Therefore haue these heretikes need to looke well to the matter kepe their tongues giue eare to other testimonies and witnesses For yet besides this Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword into the sheth Out of those words doth plainly appeare as our holy father Bonifacius the 8. saith That both the swordes as well the temporall as the spirituall are vnder the power and iurisdiction of the Church Yea and it is verie necessarie that the one sword be subiect to the other which is to be vnderstood That the temporal iurisdiction and authoritie must be subiect to the spirituall ecclesiasticall power and authoritie For according to the saying of S. Paule There is no power or authoritie but that which is appointed by god Truely saith he there would be no good regiment if the one sword were not subiect to the other and that the lower and inferiour were by some good meanes brought in subiection and obedience to the higher and superior Consider this is the onely naturall and grounded interpretation of the before alledged text of the holie Scripture as our deare mother the holy Church hath interpreted the same word by word Is not this Popingaie then trimly shot downe Lee these Huguenots and Lutherans come out now who crie alway that we cannot establish the power authoritie of the Pope by anie scriptures now they may see that we haue scriptures â—now to hit the marke withall But now will we teach out of the scriptures That the Pope only hath power to consecrate and halow Churches to blesse altars Marke well the wordes plainly set out in the Psalms where it is written Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it For this is the verie text that the holy
which is to bee vnderstoode because hee hath not the marke and token And it is plainelie written That no man may buie or sell vnlesse hee haue the character or the marke or else the name of the beast Now as touching the fourth cause you must vnderstand that all Priestes are fellow partners in some case with our holie Father the Pope who is not onely a man but a God on earth Which considered they must needes by kinred bee partakers of his Godhead as it is written That commonly a man growes like him with whom he is conuersant And againe Hee that medleth with pitch some part of it wil cleaue to him And therefore such as bee conuâ—rsant with God on earth must needs be godlie Fifthly it is great reason they shoulde bee called Gods seeing that they themselues can make God and are as wee haue taught before creatours of the Creator And nowe there is a perpetuall and infallible rule amongest the Doctours of Louen which can not faile for that it is fetched out of their maister Aristotle it is this Propter quod vnumquodque talâ— est illud ipsum magis est tale â–ª that is to say Whensoeuer anie thing doeth get anie vertue or estimation out of the power or by the gift of an other the same by whome hee doeth receiue that worthinesse or vertue must needes haue verie much more like vertue in himselfe Seeing then that by the power and knowledge of the Priest a piece of breade may be made God how much rather then are the Priests themselues Gods For it is written in the holie scripture That no man in this world can make anie Gods Ergo then must the Priests of necessitie be more than men seeing they do daily make God himselfe Now sixtly the common Latine text which is receiued in the holie Church of Rome and by the Councell of Trent allowed for good credible doeth say thus That God did stand in the Synagogue of the Gods. Which may verie well bee applied to the Priestes considering that they also haue their Synagogues like as the Iewes haue had heretofore And furthermore it is most certeine that Christ stoode in the middest of the Priestes and Prelates at such time as Annas and Caiphas diâ— accuse him and sought witnesses against him to put him to death Which manner of doing our Priestes of the holie Church of Rome doe verie liuely counterfeite Whereby it is plaine to bee vnderstoode that they are the Gods in the Synagogue amongest whome the Lorde stoode and doeth yet by his elect daily stand to bee condemned to death So that our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath verie aptly applied this Text vnto them and so concluded That they being Gods can in no wise bee subiect vnto the iudgement or correction of any earthly man. Besides this she doth bring forth manie witnesses euen by heapes all which are fetched out of holy Scripture as specially where Saint Luke saieth That God shall aduenge his elect It is likewise written in the Psalmes Lorde God to whom vengeance belongeth God to whom vengeance belongeth shewe thy selfe c. Also the Apostle Paule saieth What art thou that iudgest an other mannes seruant And in the same place Let vs not therefore iudge one an other anie more but iudge this rather that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way And the Lord saith by his Prophet Zacharie For who so toucheth you shall touche the apple of his owne eye Are not these honest goodlie and verie strong witnesses such as can not bee disproued And doe they not plainlie set forth that the Priestes can not be vnder subiection to anie temporall iurisdiction At least so farre as men will allow and sticke vnto the exposition of the holy Church of Rome without hauing anie respect to that which these Heretikes bring in for they would alledge all these witnesses directlie against the Priestes and Spiritualtie and to their reproch and detriment But nowe is there one speciall text to bee brought in and alledged against the which ariseth no obiection to wit where Christ saith Foxes haue their dennes and the Foules of the aire haue their nestes but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to laie his head These Heretikes may well inough sloppe their eares at thâ—s for out of this doeth our deare mother conclude verie strongly That those which will blame or finde anie faulte with the Priestes are they whom Christ here calleth Foxes And to the corroboration and strengthening of the same shee bringeth forth the text of Solomon where he saith Hee that hath digged the pitte shall fall into it him selfe Againe The stone is heauie and the sande is weightie but the wrath of a foole doeth passe both Consider doe not these agree in one maruellous well It seemeth they are both painted with one pencill In summe all her decrees and ordinances are full of such apte textes and sentences of scripture which shee can wrest and wring maruellous finelie for her purpose so that there is not one stitche amisse For when as the Scripture speaketh of Bruggesse shee applieth that to Ghent and if the Scripture speake of a Catte shee will bring in a Ducke For a finall end and conclusion shee can make of a Cowe a Windmill and of a Windmill a Cowe And therefore she can not lacke but doeth alway finde witnesses enow out of holie Scripture to proue all her matters substantiall and good The xii Chapter VVhich proueth by Scripture that Priestes and all Spirituall men ought to be rich NOwe that the Priestes and all Spiritualtie together with our holie father the Pope ought to be rich and wealthie that is to be found set foorth by the Scripture likewise For the noble and excellent Cardinal Poole of late the Popes Liefetenant in the Councell of Trent did cause the text of Luke before alleadged to serue for that purpose where Christ saith You doe nowe catche fishe but you shall from hence foorth catch men For that said hee was a prophesie which was not yet accomplished in the time of the Apostles when as Paule said That there were but a fewe rich men in the Congregation of Christ but the same said he was first fulfilled accomplished about three hundred yeeres after to wit at such time men say as the Emperour Constantine did courteouslie giue vnto Pope Syluester a great portion of the Empire of Rome or rather as hee tearmeth it did giue againe and restore as is apparant by the copie of the writing which standeth entred in the booke of Decrees verbatim True it is that Laurentius Valla and manie other learned men did mocke and ieast at this writing likewise do plainlie proue as well by diuerse histories as by the same writing it selfe that it is but a counterfeited writing and that so grosselie done that a Calfe with one eye may perceiue it
feast of Tabernacles wee haue our Church holydayes or solemnities and so forth as is plainlie to be seene in the booke of the said Eckius â–ª So that there is no other difference but as though the diuell to disguise him selfe should put on a Friers cowle And wheresoeuer in the olde Testament anie mention is made of feast dayes our deare mother the holie Church of Rome applieth it to the establishing of her festiuall or holie daies and solemnities so that the Heretikes can not iustly complaine of vs in this case say that we can not bring in any Scriptures for proofe of the matter seeing that the olde Testament is full of such Scripture as they them selues knowe well inough The xvii Chapter VVhich treateth of the forbidding of Priestes to marrie and howe womâ—n ought to be common by speciall commaundement of the church of Rome which is diligentlie by them obserued NOwe as touching the forbidding of Priestes Monkes Friers and all other Spirituall persons to marrie that matter we can not defende by the olde Testament seeing that in the old Testament all Priestes were married Therefore in this matter we will haue nothing to doe with the olde Testament because it doeth make against vs but wee say that it is chaunged by the newe as heretofore wee haue proued by speciall textes as to write where it is written None of those that liue after the fleshe can please God. Againe Be you holie like as I am holie more such like which hertofore we haue alledged and by the booke of decrees established for euer Yea and it was specially prophesied by Paule That in the latter dayes there shoulde come such as should forbid marriage and the eating of meates which God hath created and ordeined to bee eaten with thankesgiuing So that it is no maruell that it was not forbidden in the olde Testament nor yet in the beginning of the new testament for these last dayes whereof Paule speaketh were not yet come and as a good wise Doctour holie Priest of Groining saide The Pope did not then gouerne But nowe that those last dayes are past and the Pope hath taken the whole regiment of the Church into his handes the Church hath now declared openly set forth and established without retractation That no man being married can bee holie nor please God for that is plaine vncleanenesse and fleshly defiling as we haue heretofore declared by plaine and special texts of the decrees And therefore hath our deare mother the holie Church of Rome concluded and set forth That it is much better and lesse offence for a Priest to vse another mans wife than to marrie one of his owne after that he hath once accepted and married our deare mother the holy Church for his wife during his life as Phigius Eckius Ioachimus Perionius and other like pillars of the holy church of Rome haue verie finelie set out in their writing Yea we do finde by daily experience that the holie Catholike church of Rome will a great deale rather suffer that these holie sheete Nonnes of Cloisters and such like should being with child destroy it in their bodies with drinkes and other medicines yea or kil it after it is borne than that they should according to the counsell of Saint Paule marrie a husband Which thing was apparant at the visitation of the Cloisters in England which King Henrie .8 caused to be done throughout all England where manie priuies in Cloisters were found full of the bones of yong children with manie other abhominable matters which are not meete to bee rehearsed And Iouianus Pontanus a good Catholike and a well learned man doth likewise witnesse that it is a common practise of these holie Religious women to doe such thinges It is likewise found in ancient credible histories That Saint Gregorie Bishop of Rome after he had first set foorth a verie straite commaundement against the marriage of Priestes did afterwarde repeale and call backe againe the same verie earnestlie lamenting and repenting verie sore his former doing because that sending vpon a time to his pondes to haue some fishe taken there was drawen out of the same with the nettes and brought to him aboue sixe thousande heades of yong children which he straight wayes did with sighes and lamentations acknowledge to haue bene so murthered by reason of his said commaundement But our deare mother the holie Church who hath not lightly anie respect to such small matters as that although she heares of inough such yea and doth daily see them before her eies and is often times put in remembrance of them yet shee had much rather ouersee and suffer such thinges to bee done then to consent that those holie Nonnes which haue professed chastitie should marrie I doe not speake of it that shee will rather looke thorowe the fingers or winke at the abominable filthie Sodomitrie of Monkes and Friers than she will reuoke and call backe againe her holy commaundement for chastitie notwithstanding that Pope Pius the seconde himselfe hath oftentimes acknowledged that although the forbidding of Priests to marrie was done vpon great consideration yet it must now vpon other consideration of greater importance be set at libertie againe But this is their first rule and ABC that they learne as soone as euer they are admitted Priestes or professed Monkes or Friers and that they continually harpe vpon this string Si non castè tamen cautè which is thus ment That if they cannot liue chastly yet they shall vse it so secretly as that it be not much talked of nor knowne And now after this to prouide so for the matter that these holie Fathers should not go to grossely to worke therefore hath our deare mother the holie Church laid an ordinance before her spouses the Priests and Spiritualtie that they might freely vse other mens wiues that all women ought to be common for them Whereby men may well consider that she is none of these gealous wiues which cannot be content that their husbandes shoulde once make a good countenance to another woman for she is well contented that her sweete husbandes to witte Priestes and Monkes shoulde vse all women at their pleasure Yea moreouer she will mainteine that it ought to be so and so goeth about to establishe it with plaine textes of the holie Scripture besides the worthie witnesse which shee doth borrow out of the heathen Philosophers For consider these bee the proper wordes of the holy father Pope Clement whom the Church doth esteeme to haue bene a successour of Peter and therefore hath she caused these his wordes which are worthie of perpetual memorie to be written vpon the doores of all Cloysters and Spirituall houses to bee set in her booke of decrees as a woodden diamond might be set in a laten ring where he saith Deare brethren to liue in common is verie necessarie for all men but most specially for those which will
and finelie out of the scripture The xix Chapter VVherein is concluded that all the ceremonies of the holie Church of Rome are founded vppon the Scripture if they be well vnderstoode and according to their interpretation which onelie is to bee esteemed so good and what aduantage they haue that stande fast to this interpretation And herein is likewise mention made of the masse and of maister Durandus booke YEa shee doeth nothing in the world either of great or small importance but it is all so finelie founded vppon the Scripture as can bee deuised And that may appeare by this That shee hath fetched the golden slippers and the precious breeches of our most holie Father the Pope out of the Scriptures For it is written O howe faire and pleasaunt are the feete of those which bring tidinges of peace which bring good tidings which after their interpretation is as much to say as That the feete and legges of the Pope of Rome must be decked with goodlie golden slippers and with maruellous rich and costlie breeches as it is well set forth by the holie Doctour Bishop Durandus And therevpon it proceedeth likewise that the Pope doeth suffer Kings Emperours to kisse his feete yea to treade vppon the Emperour Frederiks necke as is before declared And the rather his feete are to be kissed because they are so faire pleasant and smell so sweete especiallie two or three dayes after he is dead for then come all the deuoute catholike people and kisse them bare whereby they obteine a verie great indulgence and pardon But nowe if anie man be desierâ—us to vnderstand howe finelie all this is grounded vpon Scripture and further to know particularlie the reasons and causes of all the other ceremonies of the holie Church of Rome and to see howe they are fished euen out of the verie deepest ground bottome of the holie Scriptures let him read the booke of Durandus which vpon this occasion he hath named Rationale diuinorum officiorum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The reckoning and reason or cause of the ceremonies and diuine seruices of the Church of Rome He shall therein finde maruellous secrets and verie trimme iewels yea if the whole Bible were cleane lost there might quicklie a newe Bible be deuised and made out of this booke which would agree a great deale better with the ordinances of the holie Church then the Epistles of Paul doe which these Heretikes and Huguenotes haue in such great reputation He hath the textes of the Bible as fast as a handfull of flies and there is not one iotte conteined or vsed in the blessed Masse but hee hath a good reason and a trimme text to bring in for it There is not one hole but he hath a pegge to stoppe it hee doeth there set you forth maruelous trimlie all the reasons why the Priest doeth so trimme him selfe in such mumming garments when he goeth about to play his parte why hee doeth first put a biggin vpon his head and then a long garment like a womans smocke aloft vppon his gowne and then aboue that a Cassocke without sleeues looking out at a litle holâ— aboue euen like as a Snaile lookes out of her shell or like as a magget a pie out of her cayge Why he is bound with a corde about the middle like a theefe that were going to hanging why hee doeth turne sometime his tayle to the people and sometime his face why hee trippes sometime to the one ende of the Altar and sometime to the other side of the Altar as though hee were daunsing the Maides Morice Why hee heaues or liftes vppe his voyce sometime like a chimnie sweeper and by and by hee is as still and quiet againe as it were a mouse in a trappe why sometime hee foldeth his handes together like sorrowfull Marie Magdalene and sometime hee stretches them out on euerie side as though hee would shoote in Robin Hoodes bowe and then sodenlie hee pluckes them in againe and tosseth them from the one side to the other as though hee were catching of flies or would fraye and scarre awaye crowes After this hee doeth set foorth verie perfectlie and in particular all the occasions and reasons wherefore Sir Iohns Table is so earlie couered and the Cup the little Cannes and the sauser so mannerlie set therevppon and wherefore Sir Iohn doeth sometime sleepe at his table and sometime starteth vppe sodenlie out of his dreame Item what it meaneth that hee doeth runne and whisper his secretes to the breade and wine in their eares with a lowe soft voyce and that his companions sometime crie out so yealling with open throates like wolues in a caue or like swine when the butcher killeth them and wherfore some goe to work with Organes other with ringing of bels as though there were an vplandish bellie-feast towards or some such triumphe And wherefore men do in the meane space light torches as though they were bringing the Bride to bedde and wherefore they lift vp the Priests taile behind him as though they would looke into his arse to minister a glister to him And if you peruse that booke well you shall likewise finde there wherefore Sir Domine with his long smocke doth so lustelie lift vp on hie a wafer and a cup of wine and that then euerie bodie falleth downe vpon their knees and knocketh vpon their breastes with their fistes and wherefore the Priest beginneth then to looke so â—â—â—â—fully â–ª like a caâ—â—e laide on the butchers stall and then beginneth â—o lament the wafer or sâ—nging bread pitifullie â–ª to weepe with sâ—â—nes teares â–ª and then at the last when hee hath tossed it too and fro long inough away it goeth with a 〈◊〉 into his throate and so swalloweth it downe without chewing and then hee hath his cuppe filled againe and so he sendeth that after the rest And yet you shall vnderstand further wherfore he doth licke the chalice so sweetely as an Ape licketh her yong ones And you shall besides all this beare wonders of all the rest of the holie ceremonies of the Romish Church which they do vse at their MatteÌ„s at noone at euensong at complen and manie other times with great deuotion with all the gestures and fashions which they doe therein vse and who haue deuised them all and what euerie one of them doeth signifie Hee can tell you more all the feast dayes and double feastes all Vigils Ember dayes and fasting dayes all dayes of fish and egges all processions goings about with the crosse gange dayes and all the whole brabling vsed through the yeere all this hath hee euen at his fingers endes and can bring in for euerie one of them textes verie finelie founded out of the Scripture So that I assure you it is a pleasure for those that can heare it Besides all this you haue there set forth all the estate pompe and pranckings of our holy Bishops and Prelates especiallie
fashion and when they come to be full growen Bees then must they the thirde time bee salued againe with oyle and therewithall they come to a full naturall and most perfect kinde The locke of this Booke HErein I thought good to instruct thee good reader to the end thou mightest discerne the nature and propertie of these Bees from the other common honnie Bees and not to thinke that in all respectes they agree but differ in many But whosoeuer hath any vnderstanding will perfectly perceiue it of him selfe Therefore will wee not trouble thee any longer but make an end of this our Bee hiue Each reade consider specially ponder all the witnesses and allegations which are alledged herein as well out of the Scripture as other Bookes I trust he shall reape commoditie by it God the Lorde lighten all our hearts with his holy spirit and keepe vs from all errours through his euerlasting trueth wisdome and Sonne Iesus Christ to whom belongeth all praise honor and glorie with the Father in the vnitie of the holy Ghost Amen FINIS Afterwarde Bishop of Antwerpe Vinum 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 do 〈…〉 lie Vinum Co◠〈…〉 is to 〈…〉 good coloâ—â— smell and 〈◊〉 As well shee Saintes as hee Saintes They were called Geâ—ses 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 against the Papistes Lutheranâ—â— Huguenotes are Heretikes â–ª Church of God and Heretikes Ioh. 10.3 4 â— 14 25. Iohn 10 1â— Mat. 15.9 Ioh. 10.9 Iere. 7.4 Ephes. 2.20 Esai 59.21 Ephe. 4.15 16. Colo. 1.18 and 2.19 Iohn 15.6 which witnes is to this purpose set foorth of Iohn Audre as Panormitanus Hostiensis Bernardus Lutzenburgen in the 4. boke of the Heretikes in the 5. part and by other moe Catholike wrâ—ters Iohn Patriarch of CoÌ„stantinople Bonifacâ—us â— the first head of holy Church Phocas Popes accoâ—â—â—â— for Antichrists The Grekes against the Pope of Rome Iohannes the 23. pope The Grekes do answere pope Iohn This doth Iohn Man-deuil write of in his 7. booke Eâ—genius 4 Constantiâ—us Leo. Images forbidden despised The cause wherefore the Popes did diuide the Empire The Grekes and the Germanes did withstande the forbidding of priestes to marie â—il Boniface 8. did set it vp by force Berthramus Nota. Io. Scotus BereÌ„garius Huldricus Bishop of Auxburge Bernardus Iohannes Sarisburien Petrus Bloix Deuilish Griphines Petrus Valdo Petrus de Vinea Guilielmus de sancto Amore. Petrus Cass. Dulsimus Iohn VViclef Iohn Hus. Hieronym de Praga Nicholaus Clemangis Oldecastell VVight Paul Cravv Hieronym Sauanerolâ— Okam and Dante The Phariseis gloses The church is aboue the Scripture Deut. 4.1 12 32. Pro. 30.6 Apo. 22.18 This is thus set forth by Ioh. Eckiâ—s in his book called Enchiridium loco com Guilielmus Blindasinus The ten coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„ts falsified Look in the Catechisme or the suÌ„me of our beleeue printed at Antwerp by the commandement of the King of Spaine Item look in Thomas de Aquino vpoÌ„ the ten commandements and vpon al the catholike doctours euerie one of them All which haue cleane left out the seconde commandemeÌ„t â–ª in the lettting foorth of the ten commandements Mat. 26.27 Maâ— 14.23 Lu. 22.17 1. Cor. 11 2â— Marke touching this the Master of the Sentences in the 4. booke the 12. dist 4. ca. And vpon the Encherid of Eckius in the booke of Bernard of Luxen In the 12. part of the 4. booke of Heretikes and in al other Catholike writers who do specially treate of this matter This standeth in the third booke of the CouÌ„cels in the Councell of Constance in the 14. session 1. Cor. 7.9 and 2. 1. Timo. 3.4 A charge to the bishops Heb. 13.4 1. Tim. 3.4 This is set foorth in plain words in the Decrees of the Popes in the Chap. Proposuisti in the 82. dist and in the Chap. Decreminus the 22. dist and in the chap. Tene the 31. dist it is likewise in the book of the Sentences in the 17. dist â—n the 4 chap. In the 4. Epist. of Pope Cere in the first book of couÌ„cels fol. 422 col 2. and 423. This standeth euen thus word for word in the booke of Decrees in the chap. Sors noÌ„ est causa 26. quaest 2. Math. 5.32.19 7. Mar. 10.4 Luke 16.18 1. Cor. 7.10 Christning breakes matrimonie of the common laye people Deus dedit In the chap. Peruenit causa 31. quaest 1. Conc. Trib. the 6. chap. in the decrees in the cap. Impu in the ca. Si quis sacr caus 27. quaest 1. In the chap. Hac ratione cau 31. qu. â— Rom. 7.2.3 1. Cor. 7.9.28 1. Tim. 5.14 Strange languages in the Church 1. Cor. 14. the whole chapter thorough Eâ—lcius in his Encheiredion Figius in libro cont Hosius in a certeine boke which he set out of this matter onely a Deu. 4.2.5 32.12.4 8.13.32 Iere. 11.4.8 Esai 1 12.2â—.13 Mat. 15.9 Col. 2.20 21 22 23. Exod. 20.4 5.22 Deu. 12.8.9 Leuit. 26.1 Deut. 4. whole thorough Deut. 16â—22 Esai 40.41 42. whole through Iere. 10. Abacuk 2. Ps. 115. and in other innumerable places 1. Iohn 5.21 Leui. 19.26 Deâ—t 18.10 11. Con. Laodicen ca 30 Con. Cart. cap. 39. cap. Non oportet cap. Auguris caus 26 quaest 5. L. Vnica co de thesauris lib. 10 cap. illos 26. quaest 2. Coniuring This coniuratioÌ„ you shall find worde for word in the Masse booke More coniurations Nota. Senora Maria Osorio Christning and coniuring of Belles Bonifa 8. C. alma mater F. adijcimus de senten in sexto And Gregorie 9. Ea permittim in decreta 4 de Sententia excommunicat Peruse like wise Philippum Francum vpon the saide Cant. Alma mater F. adijcimus nu 4. other Canonists Caldar in tract de interdictis in par un â—7 Iohn Cald. Albert. de Rosat in dictionario supâ—r verbo Campane Processes for the knolling of Aue Maria. Christning of ensignes Iodocus Tiletanus not contented with the Gospel In his booke written agaynst the confessioÌ„ of the preachers of Antwerpe a This is also specified â–ª in â—ecisionibus rote in decisio 1. num 3. in nouis Anton. Maria in addit 1 decis rote nouas de Bigamis nuâ— â— is likewise defeÌ„ded by the Iurist Caâ—olo ruino in cons. 109. num 1 in the 5. booke and of SigismuÌ„dus Neapolitanus b Eckius in Encherid Locorum communiâ— in the chap. Ecclesia 2 Tim. 3.15.16.17 1. Gal. 8.9 Cap soâ—s non est 26. quâ—st 2. Col. 2.2.3.4 5.6.7.8.9.10 and 20.21.22 The rules or 〈…〉 Dominiâ—ke 〈◊〉 Barnarde 1. Pet. 2.2 Iohn 14.29 Iohn 15.15 This is specially written in the 5. booke 〈◊〉 deâ—re in the Bul of Pope Nicholas 4. beginning exiit qui senec his 1. de verborum signis This standeth plainly in their Legends â–ª and in the booke made of the might of our Ladie Rosa Crans which Alanus did make by the inspiration of Marie the Egyptian or of Egypt To die in a gray friers habite Conformitiâ—ies Iesuits Egnatius Leguiola Garaffa This is specially writeÌ„ in the 5.
of our most holie father the Pope of Rome whereof there is not one iotte forgotten nor left vnconsidered yea surelie I beleeue that his holinesse sitting vpon his stoole of easement sir reuerence of his holinesse should not make one sowre or skornefull countenance but this wise profounde learned Doctour and Bishop can straightwayes bring in for it some mysterie and weightie matter And to bring a text of Scripture for it which shall serue as fit for that purpose as a sadle for a sowe What needeth manie wordes hee is a passing Apoticarie hee can make a good medicine of a Cabadge stalke And therefore it is that our deare mother the holy Church doeth so greatly esteeme this his booke so that shee would not forgo it for anie good and she hath reason for it because in deede it is her chiefe iewell or treasure wherein all her holinesse is locked vp Where will all these Heretikes now hide them selues these Lutheranes Huguenotes Zwinglians Caluinistes the one heape with the other which do bragge so much of the word of God Let thē but once take this booke of Durādus into their hands and they shall finde there that all the ceremonies of the holie church of Rome all their prankings and strange deuises are finely founded vpon the Scripture so that there is not one lacking yea and that the Scripture is wholie on our side if it be right vnderstood according to the meaning and interpretation of our deare mother the holie Church to witte that you passe ouer and let slippe the dead letter and the plaine text depend wholie vpon the spirit of speculation of our Doctours of Louen those of Paris which is only the spirit That quickeneth maketh aliue as is heretofore rehearsed Therefore let all such as wil be good and Catholike subiectes of the holie Church and Sea of Rome holde fast and sticke to this interpretation and in anie wise shrinke not from it but beleeue all whatsoeuer the holy church beleeues not once going about to knowe or to aske any questiō what it is because it is inough for them to know that the church of Rome cānot erre so long as she remaineth fast groūded vpon the foūdation of the Pope Let them keepe in mind the saying of Salomon You shall not remooue the pales markes which your fathers haue planted that is to say You shall not once moue touche or alter any thing of al that which our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath established and ordeined And dooing thus they shal be her white sonnes haue the worlde at will they shall enioye the goods of this worlde some shall become Bishops and some Cardinalles riding brauelie to the Courtes of Popes and Kings vpon braue horses and Mules and shal haue the fairest Courtisanes of Rome at their commaundementes In summe they shall say to them selues What canst thou desire Where contrariwise these felowes will bee so nose-wise that they will knowe all things and will beleeue nothing but iust that which they finde in Scripture and in their Bible plainlie set out yea they doe mocke our deare mother the interpretations which shee bringeth forth vpon the Scriptures But those surelie are Heretikes to the fourth generation as Doctours and Physicions say Euen to the hiest steppe of the staires For like as Master Gentian hath here finely concluded They do not beleeue the holie Church They beleeue not the twelue articles of our faith yea they doe not beleeue the holie scripture seeing they will not accept the interpretation of the scripture which the holie Church hath allowed for good And therefore they must be banished accursed and excommunicated yea they must be burnt to ashes and powder if they will not recante For that is the sure sentence and resolute determination of our holie mother the Church of Rome wherein doeth not fall anie stay or appellation for that nowe from henceforth they will not nor shall not beare with them anie longer And herewith we will make an ende of the second part hauing emptied this distaffe and nowe by master Gentianus leaue we will in hande and proceede with another part Here followeth the exposition vpon the third part of Gentianus Haruets Epistle wherin is treated of Auricular confession of the Sacraments of Matrimonie of Confirmation and of the holy Anointment The first Chapter Of Auricular confession and howe necessarie it is and of establishing the same by the Scriptures HEre now doth followe the third part of the Epistle of Gentianus wherein he doth declare himself greatlie to wonder that these new Preachers of the gospell will go about to abolish auricular confession Cockes populorum But howe would they go to worke Where our holie mother hath so straightlie cōmanded vpon paine of damnation That al such as are of both kindes to wit male female shall assoone as he or she is come to yeeres of discretion confesse them selues to their owne Curate of all their sins at lest once a yere vnderstanding the same alway of deadlie sinnes only as is set forth by the glosse vpon the text because daily and perdonable sinnes are with a Pater noster or with a sprinckle full of holy water cleane washed away I maruell howe these Heretikes can speake against this For were it not euen as much as though they would put out both the eies of our mother the holie church For vndoubtedly this auricular confession is worthe two paire of eies to her For by the one she can see perceiue learne al the secret determinations counsels and pretences of all Kings Princes and Potentates of Christendome by reason whereof she is come to a peaceable possession enioying of her authoritie and gouernement ouer all Countries and Kingdomes And by the other she can see and creepe euen into the verie bottome of the bosomes of yong maides simple and sorrowful wiues and widdowes and so grope out and vnderstand all their secrets and then enioyne them such friendlie penaunce that their troubled consciences are thereby comforted and their sorrowfull heartes made ioyfull O good Lord How often haue these holy Priests and Friers giuen vnder confession good wholesome counsell to the sorrowfull barren wiues whereby they haue afterwardes become blyth mothers and haue euer after borne an inward loue towardes their holie ghostlie fathers euen as though it were to their owne husbands Yea there is at this present a good holie graie Frier at Brudgesse called Brother Cornelius the Whipper who by meanes of this holie auriculer confession did teach a great many of simple womē to tame and mortifie their fleshe in this manner That they for the fulfilling of penance to them inioyned and to receiue of him ful absolution of their sinnes haue verie willinglie gon creeping vppon handes and feete starke naked before that holie ghostlie father and when he did marke anie that the fleshe was not sufficientlie mortified them did he followe with a rodde