the sacred Scripture If an Angell from heauen teach you otherwise let him be anathema This was the Apostles speech to the Galathians rightly applyed The Pope vsurpes the same words but to his most wicked purpose Herein also hee shewes himselfe that great Antichrist who was of old noted to be an egregious falsifier and peruerter of the Scriptures Take one example Origen saith Omnis sermo qui profitetur c. Euery speech that professeth the expositions of the Scriptures and the faith of them and hath not the truth is iustly to be vnderstood to be Antichrist comming in Christs name and saying I am Christ lying and not able to shew the forme of truth in himselfe How truly this is verified of the Pope among infinite other instances of his audacious peruerting of Scripture this one here taken from the Apostle may sufficiently euince But the Oath is preiudiciall to the Catholike faith to what Catholike faith you must vnderstand there is a twofold Catholike faith the one that of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New of Christ and the Apostles and Prophets of the whole Church of God in all ages in all places of the world which is therefore called the Catholike faith because it is vniuersall and this is the onely true and proper Catholike faith There is another faith that hath the name of Catholike but with an addition either expressed or implied to wit the Romane Catholike faith and because Romane Catholike therefore indeede not Catholike no true but a bastard Catholike faith The obiect of this Romane Catholike faith is together with the History of the Scriptures for the mysterie of the Gospell contained therein to euery true beleeuers saluation they exclude from being so much as a partiall obiect of this their faith but in generall onely as an History the Apocryphall Bookes Which Saint Ierome saith are for instruction of manners not for instruction of faith all their Traditions which they call Apostolicall all their Decretales and Extrauagants and aboue all that which is the summe of all the rest the Oracle of the Popes owne breast inerrable and so whatsoeuer his Holinesse either hath taught or shall hereafter teach as he seeth to be most commodious for the present state of the Church all these are the adequate obiect of this Roman-Catholike faith Among which Doctrines Apostolike this is one to denie fidelitie to Kings and Princes when the Pope commandeth This is an Article of the Romane Catholike faith not to be violated vpon paine of damnation So that to take the oath of Allegiance and keepe it as it cannot stand with the safetie of Romane Catholike faith so neither of their owne saluation Why so By the irrefragible decree of Pope Boniface 8. Porrò subesse Romano Pontifici c. Finally to be subiect to the Pontifie or Pope of Rome we declare determine define and pronounce that euery humane creature is bound vpon necessitie of saluation But by what authoritie The glosse giues the reason from the very first word Porrò Porrò id est Certè quia sic est Truely because it is so A most Papall reason for as the Glosse saith sententiam c. that which is no sentence he maketh a sentence iniustice he can make to be iustice yea of nothing something quia in his qua vult et est pro ratione voluntas In those things which he will his will is for a reason Nor ought any to aske him a reason of his doings sic volo sic iubeo is sufficient quia plenitudinem obtinet potestatis because he possesseth plenitude of power nor is he pure homo and if hee shall carrie with himselfe millions of soules into hell there to be punished cum prime Mancipio with the great Diuell of bell yet let none presume to blame or iudge him for it So that though he should deceiue many here in England perswading them that disloyaltie to their Prince that rebellion and treason are Apostolike doctrines and so leade them with himselfe into hell they haue their amends in their owne hands as the Pope hath the Law in his It followeth We in the meane time will entreat the father of lights that hee suffer not the heart of the English King to bee blinded who shall certainly learne how great credit is to be giuen to Catholike subiects in those things which you may promise who lest they should make themselues lyable to periurie they had rather breath out their spirit then their voice Answer How after all these blasphemies against God and his word dare the Pope intreat the Father of lights vpon what confidence vpon what hope to be heard Will the Father of lights heare the prayer of the man of Sinne of the Sonne of Perdition of the great Antichrist the Beast full of blasphemies yea rather as Christ forbad the diuell to confesse him to vsurpe his name to preach of Iesus so we intreat the Pope not to intreat for our King the Lords Annointed hee needeth none of such prayers Hee hath daily thousands of good Christians of his louing and faithfull subiects to entreat the Father of lights for him for his life Crowne Kingdome happinesse which prayers no doubt will preuaile with God to defeat all Romes prayers and plots and practises against our noble King Church and State We know the Popes prayers to be meerely pharisaicall in stead of praying to prey vpon vs vnder the colour of many Pater nosters to deuoure our habitations Against the Popes prayers here our most humble and harty prayers and shall be to the Father of lights in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ that hee will not suffer the heart of our dread Soueraigne to be blinded with Popish bandishments and faire promses that so he may not too dearely buy the certaine knowledge how great credit is to be giuen to Romane-Catholikes in those things which they may promise For note how his holinesse in the very next words bewrayeth how little confidence is to bee giuen to such promises as his Catholike Sonnes may make for saith he least they should make themseles liable to periurie But it is something that the Pope had rather his Catholike Sonnes should by making faire promises hazzard their fidelitie therein then by taking the Oath incurre the danger of periurie Although a good Christian makes conscience as much of his solemne promise as of an oath But it seemeth if his Catholike Sonnes should take the oath the Pope puts them in minde they should thereby expose themselues to periurie so that if they doe but promise fidelitie he teacheth them the very ready way to perfidiousnesse and breach of promise for if an oath cannot preserue them from periurie how shall a promise from breach thereof seeing both periurie and perfidiousnesse grow from the same root of Iesuiticall doctrine Nulla fides seruanda cum hereticis no faith to be kept with heretickes Herein therefore the Pope is to be commended that seeing he
Ecclesiasticall are subordinated to God almighties Lieutenants here on earth as all supreame Magistrates so that in this regard those that are Christs Vicegerents in common as all faithfull Ministers of the Gospell who are Christs Legats or Ambassadors 2. Cor. 5. 28. are for their persons and outward estate subiect to God almighties Lieutenants set ouer them So that if you will confine your selfe to the title of Christs Vicar first as no man is capable of that title as you challenge it so neither can you by vertue thereof shew you haue any such power deriued vpon you from Christ for Christ left or bequeathed no other kinde of power to his Church but such as himselfe as he was the Minister of the Gospell exercised in his Ministers here on earth Now Christ in that dispensation of his exercised no such power or iurisdiction ouer Kings and Princes yea he practised the contrary he submitted himselfe to pay tribute to Caesar yea to be iudged at Caesars barre from which the Pope hath exempted himselfe and Clergie by his papall decrees And was it because Christ wanted power to vindicate and defend himselfe from Caesars power No surely With the breath of his mouth his apprehenders fell backward to the ground Hee had twelue legions of Angels in readinesse to defend him Object But had not Christ as being God soueraigne power ouer Kings and Princes to dispose of their kingdomes and the like if it had pleased him Answ Christ the Mediatour the office whereof he came to execute is to be considered not simply as God but as hee was God-man In that regard the power of his dispensation was limited by his Father that sent and appointed him So that Christ said I came to doe not mine owne will but the will of him that sent me Not that Christs will was contrary to his fathers but subordinate onely as Mediatour to doe that which the father appointed him and no more Christ would not must not goe beyond his Commission receiued of the father Now the Father gaue him no such commission of a temporall iurisdiction no not so much as in small causes When those two brethren came to him intreating him to diuide their inheritance betweene them hee refused saying Who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you Hee had no commission in such things from the Father And if not in smaller matters as that was how much lesse ouer Emperours and Kings Obiect But although Christs power was limited during his abode on earth in the state of his humiliation yet after his resurrection hee receiued an absolute and vnlimited power as he saith All power is giuen mee in heauen and earth from this power doth the Pope as Christs Vicar challenge a Supremacie ouer Kings and States to depose dispose c. Answ When Saint Iohn in that vision saw the great where that Beast full of the names of blasphemie hee wondred with great admiration But when wee see this blasphemous Beast not in a vision but with open eyes how can we choose but greatly wonder for this very speech of Christ the Pope assumes as spoken of himselfe and that in as full yea more ample māner then Christ applied it to himselfe For although by this speech Christ declared himselfe to his Disciples and so to his Church to be the Sonne of God consecrated for euer Lord ouer all to the great comfort of his drooping Disciples now at his departure yet herein doth not Christ show any alteration in the dispensation of his Ministery deputed to his Disciples Hee doth not hereby inuest his Ministers with a larger power and commission then himselfe executed in his owne person while hee was with them for what followeth All power is giuen me in heauen and earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Hee saith not Goe yee therefore and exercise this power of mine ouer the Kings of the earth and if they will not obey your Ministerie depose them or absolue their people from their allegiance and dispose you of their Kingdomes to whom you will Much lesse said he any such thing to Peter alone Goe Thou therefore and haue thou all power in heauen and earth for thee and for thy successour in the See of Rome No such thing All the power that Christ delegates to his Disciples and that in common men is for their Ministeriall function to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments Herein Peter had but his share with the rest of his fellowes They were ioyned in equall Commission none aboue another much lesse aboue others in any Temporall Iurisdiction To this their function Christ to animate and arme them against all difficulties and discouragements either in regard of their owne infirmities and naturall disabilities or of the worlds malice and might in opposing them hee tels them All power is giuen me in heauen and earth Goe yee therefore c. Feare nothing for I who haue all power giuen me in heauen and earth am with you and will be with you to the end of the world And it is worth the noting that this last charge which Christ now leauing the world and so his Disciples as concerning his bodily presence gaue vnto them hee gaue it in common to them all without putting difference which plainly sheweth that Christ left no Supremacie to Peter ouer the rest of his fellowes as the Pope vsurpeth which otherwise no doubt hee would haue expressed if it had bene such an Article of faith whereupon depended the necessitie of saluation as Pontificians teach Yet for all this the Pope will needes as Christs Vicar challenge these words to himselfe and be an equall sharet with him in them All power is giuen mee in heauen and earth For they say Christ and the Pope haue but one Consistorie and saith Bellarmine Nomina omnia quae in scripture is tribuuntur Christo vnde constat cum esse supra Ecclesiam eadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici All names which are giuen to Christ in the Scriptures whereby he is declared to bee ouer the Church all those same are attributed to the Pope Thus in the Councell of Latera they called Pope Leo 10. the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah and many other names of Blasphemie which are spoken personally of Christ yea the Pope himselfe saith Boniface 8 That Christ Peter and his Successour are all one head of the same Church And Pope Nicolas 3. goes a little higher Christ saith he hath placed the mysterie of the Apostolike function principally in blessed Peter the chiefe of all the Apostles that from him as from a certaine head he might diffuse his gifts as it were into all the body for taking him into the fellowship of the indiuiduall vnitie the Lord would haue him named that which he himselfe was saying Tues Petrus super hanc Petram c. In a word the Popes triple crowne is to signifie his triple Dominion and iurisdiction in heauen earth and
first before she him the Basiliske dyeth the man is preserued Thus such prodigious Comets may spend their malignant matter and bee frustrate of their force and influence where wise men make right vse of them Sapiens dominabitur astris for as the learned Zanchy obserueth well Comets cannot cause but may occasion onely State-ruines and changes as when they inflame the ayre the ayre mens bodies the bodies distempered worke vpon the minde and all this taking impression in the most delicate and tender bodies of Princes working vpon their spirits causeth oftentimes such combustions as hasten some fatall periods while in the meane time sage and moderate Princes can easily preuent such importent operations such and no other is the malignant influence of Papall Breeues which cannot possesse generous Princes with an imbellious feare of such bruta fulmina which cannot scare nor scratch any but Brutes The sword of good Lawes drawne forth well burnished and brandished to the cutting off but the maine pipes by which these poysoned waters of Marah of working dissention betweene the head and the members Prince and subiects are deriued from the Papall spring to his Cotholique sons will through Gods grace giue a speciall defeate to whatsoeuer Papall designe this Breeue clossely intendeth As followeth To his beloued Sonnes the Catholiques of England HAuing spoken of the father Papa now to his sons a father and sonne are of neerest relation and this relation a strong combiner of affections and ingager of mutuall offices Sonnes are either by naturall generation or by legall adoption or by common appellation or by spirituall generation such here in a spirituall meaning As for the Popes naturall sonnes those he calles his Nephewes Euphoniae gratiâ as it were a degree once remoued His spirituall sons we shall better discerne of their kinde not onely by their father but by their mother of whom they are begotten namely the Church of Rome which if it bee that great Whore described in the Reuelation as what more euident he that runnes may reade hence it appeareth how legitimate they be So that in a spirituall and mysticall sence he may as well call these also his Nephewes as his sons But in naming them sons it imposeth on them that filiall or rather baby blinde obedience which none but such a father as the Pope can or will exact of his children This father if they obey not aboue contrary to God they are none of the Popes true bred sons But to sweeten their rigid obedience he styleth them his beloued sonnes Yet rather louing then beloued for in naturall affection loue rather descends then ascend in this contrary therefore vnnaturall I dare sweare such babes more dote vpon their father in their blind affection then he vpon them all the world seeth what be the grounds and ends of the Popes loue to his sonnes But to passe by that he calles them the Catholiques of England all the rest then are Heretiques But Catholiques they are not simply but in the compound Romane-Catholiques a right Babylonish word And such are no true Catholiques as the learned Bishop hath proued in his Tortura for he is a true Catholique that holds the Catholique faith professed in all ages according to the Scriptures not hee that holds faith none otherwise but with limitation to the priuate sense and meaning of the Church of Rome such is a Romane-Catholique no true Catholike But to proceed Beloued Sonnes greeting and Apostolique benediction A Forme of salutation farre vnlike that of the Apostles farre from Apostolique The Apostles as Peter and Paul in all their Epistles write to Gods elect to his Saints by calling recommending vnto them grace and peace in Iesus Christ that is a right Apostolique salutation But in the Popes salutation nothing sounding to that of the Apostles but the bare word Apostolique which putteth the greater difference for Paul and Peter came in Christs name the Pope in his owne name they salute the Saints with the the Grace and Peace of Christ he with his owne Apostolique benediction An other note of Antichrist that commeth in his owne name As Christ said to the rebellious Iewes If another come in his owne name him will ye receiue Now he comes in his owne name that comes in his owne vsurped authority as here the Pope doth with his Apostolique benediction Yea although the Pope pretend and claime neuer so much to be Christ Vicar and so may seeme to come not in his owne but Christs name yet vsurping that power which Christ neuer vsed as contrary to the dispensation of his ministery The Popes power being to erect and support an earthly Monarchy whereof he may say as that proud King Is not this great Babylon which I haue built for the honour of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiestie he therefore commeth in his owne name So here His benediction is of himselfe who in this Breeue cals himselfe that Apostolique one such is his Apostolique benediction to wit Antichrists benediction Thus in stead of Christs grace he hath Apostolique greeting in stead of Christs peace Apostolique benediction and to whom not to the elect Saints in Christ Iesus but to the Popes sonnes not to the faithfull in Christ but to the Popes Catholiques in England such as his father-hood goes about to strip of all the cognizances of Christs faithfull ones who as they are truely faithfull towards God so they expresse the same towards man and as to Christ in the first place so in the next to the Lords annoynted their Leige Lord immediately vnder Christ It followeth Terrene felicity is not alwaies the benefit of heauen and the patrimony of piety for the Church seeing the peace of sinners hath often found by proofe that the power of mortals is the stipend of impiety Wherefore we preferre the chaines of Martyrs before the spoyles of the triumphant and the King eternall promiseth heauenly principalities not to them that trample the lawes vnder their prood foote but to those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Answer NOt to insist vpon euery particular but noting by the way throughout the Popes egregious hypocrisie and prophanesse in peruerting and abusing the Scriptures and the sacred name of God wee will touch onely vpon the principals Onely by the way how doth the Pope come to put a difference betweene terrene felicity and the benefit of heauen seeing that all the benefit hee either hath or can hope for of heauen is his terrene felicity This is the Popes heauen vpon earth this is his Peters patrimonie which in his owne papall sense is farre from the patrimonie of piety Or what hath the Church of Rome to doe with peace what peace shee seeâ—h the peace of sinners A phrase borrowed from Ezechiel 13. 16. And it agrees well with the Pope For as those false Prophets saw visions of peace where there was none so the Pope Is he about to stirre vp
rebillion and speakes he of peace Or what peace can all popish doctrine put together giue vnto a poore sinner None at all For either they puffe a man vp with pride or possesse his heart and conscience with fearfull perplexities Peace it giueth none neither in life nor death But passe we by that too The Pope here making mention of Martyrs chaines cannot but put vs in minde of Father Garnet that damned crew Romes Martyrs and so may giue vs not without iust cause strongly to suspect there is some exploit towards which his Holinesse by subtile insinuation animates and armes his sonnes vnto whereby though they should at the worst miscary yet they should merit no lesse then the honour of Martyrs such as father Garnet for abetting the Powder Treason hath attained to in Romes Catologue of holy Martyrs Againe speaking of those that trample the lawes vnder their proude foote heere hee subtilly glanceth at Christian Magistrates to aggrauate their subiects hatred against them as proud violators of the Lawes But what Lawes Gods Lawes or mans Lawes God forbid But it sufficeth if they trample vpon the Popes lawes to expose them to the iust hatred of their people But if the Kingdome of heauen and the Principalities thereof bee promised not to the violaters of all lawes what part then hath the Pope therein who is the arch contemner of all lawes can breake them at his pleasure without checke can dispence euen against the Apostle In a word who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that exlex or lawlesse one Let him make much of his earthly principality for part of those heauenly according to his owne speech according to his owne practice he hath none Which no doubt is the reason that he so labours tooth and naile to haue his heauen here vpon earth turning his Church militant into Triumphant as in that irrefragable decree of Pope Nicholis the 3. verifying to an haire that of the Reuel 18. verse 17. I fit a Queene c. onely militant against Christ and his word against Kings and Princes This is that which he addes But to those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake And who are they I pray you namely such as suffer for treason and rebillion against their Prince such as seduce the people of the land Noble and base to acknowledge and admit a forraine power aboue their owne Prince as wee shall see further anone To suffer for these nefarious impieties is with his Holinesse of Rome to suffer for righteousnesse sake ô blasphemous mouth ô whores forehead that dares so diabolically and shamefully prophane Christs sacred words Woe be to him that thus calleth euill good and good euill that putteth bitter for sweet and sweete for bitter that turneth the truth of God into a lye putting rebellion for righteousnesse that dare thus make a mocke of sacred Scriptures Call you this Christs Vicar Nay tell me is not this that scarlet coloured Beast full of the names of blasphemy Reuel 17. 3. for to fill vp the measure of this shamelesse blasphemy he goeth on This truth deriued out of the treasures of antiquity into the earth the Apostle considering did not only not cast away his hope but was super abundantly ioyfull in all the tribulations of the faithfull for they which are accompted worthy to suffer reproaches for the name of Iesu those seeme to possesse the bill of exchange of Gods loue and abound with that price wherewith they purchase the diadem of eternity Answer STill the Beast full of names of blasphemie all along He addeth the example of the blessed Apostle in reioycing in his sufferings This truth What truth that to suffer for Treason for rebellion is to suffer for righteousnesse sake surely your Holinesse must either egregiously equivocate meaning by for righteousnesse sake to suffer righteously or iustly for Treason and the like as the penitent Theife confessed on the Crosse or else you goe on most shamelessely to blaspheme But out of what Treasures of antiquitie I pray you it this truth of yours deriued into the earth or when when Terras Astraea reliquit in that age when truth forsooke the earth Rome and went into heauen then succeeded this truth of yours in stead thereof Or when that greate Starre called Wormewoode a true type of your Luciferian Apostacie fell from heauen which so imbittered the waters of the sanctuary that many thousands haue died thereof after which followed a great ecclipse of the heauenly bodies euen to a third part of their light which by degrees at last as in the next chapter for so in that booke is described the graduall growth of the Mysterie of Iniquitie through the smoake of hellish doctrine ascending out of the bottomelesse pit were wholly darkned through your Egiptian Church as we see this day the Sun shining onely in Goshen by the beames of the Gospell then then I say began this Romane Catholique truth to be deriued into the earth from no other treasues of Antiquitie can you deriue it We know what a treasure you haue of Antiquities but wee haue vpon better search espied your Gibeonitish iuggling pretending vnto vs you come from farre with your old shooes torne bottles and mouldie bread Or tell vs out of what Antiquities or Monuments euen among the heathen Grecians or Romans with whose old superstitions notwithstanding idolatries you fully symbolize onely you are more grosse and mad vpon your Idoles then euer were they yea fetch vs if you can some Antiquities out of the Turkish Alcaron that hold this Romane truth that a subiect playing the Rebell and Traytor against his Leige and lawfull King and suffering death for the same did as an holy Martyr suffer for righteousnesse sake No Heathen but abhorreth this cursed truth of Rome Or if ye will needs plead antiquitie for it take it then we yeelde you this truth came from the old serpent who was the first that moued mankinde to rebell against his King in disobeying Gods commandement Here is antiquitie for you But will you hereupon inferre that the punishment of the serpent is for righteousnesse sake yet this antiquity was but in fact the old serpent durst neuer avouch it for a truth but it lay antiquated and buried in the ashes of hell vntill the Pope and his societie of Iesuites of latter times raked it vp againe and with the force of Apostolique power armed with fiery arguments haue perswaded their first blind folded vulgar that this is a truth deriued from the treasures of antiquitie that to suffer as Romane Martyrs do for treason and rebellion is with the Apostles of Christ to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake But what is their reward for all this suffering yes saith the Pope for they which are accounted worthy to suffer reproches for the name of Iesu Stay A man by this phrase Accounted worthie might take the Pope for a piece of a good Gospeller in the point of Iustification vnto eternall life for
Reliques or peeces of Christs Crosse the rest But neither is Apostlicke Tradition enough to make vp the other moity of the partiall rule parallell to Scripture by Pontifician confession for neither will those serue the Popes turne What then How shall the rule of Faith bee eeked out to the intire perfection to please the Pope in case his Holinesse would come within the compasse of any rule Yes there is forsooth the liuely Oracle or voyce of the Church which being of an vnlimited latitude doth consummate the rule of Faith and the Popes brest is the fountaine whence these waters of Romes sanctuary flow But the truth is if there were any truth in it this rule is such as will not indure copartnership with Scriptures and Traditions for all they be Apostolicke but is the sole and supreme Rule whereby those must be squared whereto they must be conformed Nor is this Rule of the Popes brest certaine but sometimes it giues one sence of Scripture sometimes another according as the changeable various condition of the Church requiteth This is a Mystery which perhaps many of you the Popes Catholicke sonnes will hardly belieue specially such as are indued with any iudgement enjoy the priuiledge to haue the free vse of your reason without papall restraint but if any doubt of it we haue sufficient authentick records for it the best that Rome can afford But come doe but straine courtesie a little with your Ghostly Father and let vs enter in a little priuate sad conference and let right reason be the Moderatour Tell me as Paul asked Agrippa Belieuest thou the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles I know you belieue Surely if yee doe you may answere with Agrippa Almost thou perswadest mee to become an Orthodoxe Christian and true Catholicke And rest but vpon the Scriptures and I will say Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God But to rest vpon the voyce of the Pope and not vpon the expresse words of Scripture what is it but to suffer him to plucke out both your eyes that so he may the more easily lead you blindfold into hell Or what were this but to make the Pope your God aboue God and Christ and so to adore him who thus aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God Fye for shame as God hath giuen you reason vnderstanding and iudgement so in the name of God vse it to his glory that gaue it and suffer no man to cheate you of it least you proue more sottish then those heathen who worshipped the creature in stead of the Creator who is blessed for euer But you are perswaded of the Popes inerrability as being Christs Vicar Peters successor as hauing continued in the See of Rome euer since the Apostles times so as not any Bishops See in the world hath done the like What then all Bishops and Ministers of the Word may be said to be Christs Vicars and Successors of the Apostles while they execute their Ministry as Christ and the Apostles did But neuer any man was Christs sole Vicar ouer his Church This prerogatiue is peculiar to the Holy Ghost that Other Comforter who onely cannot erre leading Gods people into all truth As for Peters Vicarship he had it but in common with his fellowe Disciples Wee passe by those places of Scripture which Pontificians haue miserably peruerted to this purpose Doe but looke in my answer to this Bull or Brieue And for lineall vniterrupted succession of the Bp. of Rome from the Apostles times what is this to the purpose to proue the Popes Vicarship or his Successors-ship Certainely it makes wondrous much to fulfill all those Prophecies in Scripture concerning Antichrst whose Seat is Rome For may not the same Church of Rome specially if we measure it by the place where it is fixed in so long a tract of time come exceedingly to differ from that it was once in the more pure and primitue age of it Doth not experience teach you that the soundest and solidest Oake in time growes rotten hollow a nest for Owles and such like night-birds vnusefull for building and at last good for nothing but the fire And yet the while it is called by the name of such an Oake still The Church of Rome at first was sound and Apostolicall while it kept the Apostolicke Faith but might not time make it rotten and yet be called Apostolicke still Bethel as much as the house of God so called at first by Iacob who erected there an Altar for Gods pure worship yet retained that name still in Ieroboams time euen when it was wholly polluted with the Idolatry of one of his golden Calues erected there Ancient goodly Chanels haue beene in time so choaked vp with mud and grauell that the maine streame hath beene diuerted and driuen another way and yet haue retained the name of the old chanell still Yea that goodly Cittie Ierusalem in Christs time when it crucified Christ was called the Holy Cittie and for all that God hath made that now a cursed heap and the Country about it a desolation neuer to be repaired yet your Pontificians especially call it the Holy Land still which notwithstanding is neuer a whit the holyer though by the Popes subtile instigation so many thousands of soules haue perished about the pretended quarrell out of a blind zeale of recoucring it againe which whither regained or no the Pope was sure not to loose by the bargain for if he had regained it it might haue brought the greater income to his coffers by the trade of superstitious Pilgrims at least althoug hee hath some footing there with the Turke but he was sure during the quarrell to inlarge his Papall Dominions at home in Christendome which he did but this by the way You see then that continuance of antiquity in name and title may notwithstanding stand with altering the propertie and true nature of the thing Did not the Prophet say of Ierusalem How is the faithfull Cittie become an harlot It was full of iudgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now murtherers c. And may it not proue so with Rome for all you still call it the Apostolicall See And what will you say then What if Apostolicall in title bee turned into Apostaticall in truth What if Tues Petrus c. and tibi dabo claues c. and Orani pro te Petre c. and Omnis mihi potestas data c. Ecce duo gladij hîc satest all proue by the Popes peruertings to make vp the Mystery of iniquity and by fastening all to Rome proue her the Mistres and Mother of whooredomes For let me tell you you cannot finde me out the exact and true naturall Mystery of iniquity indeed but vnder the vaile of such titles borrowed from Scripture None can be Antichrist but he must call himselfe the Vicar of Christ the Successor of Peter the onely one vpon earth that cannot erre and the like translating the whole power of
purgatorie and those subterrestiall or infernall kingdomes according to that Phil. 2. v. 10. Psal 8. 7. v. 8. which places they familiarly apply to the Popes vnlimited power in these places vnderstanding by the Beasts men on earth by the Fishes soules in hell and purgatorie and by the Fowles the winged Angels ouer all which the Pope saith he hath dominion Thus all power is giuen him in heauen and earth Thus hee runnes away with Christs power but leaues the charge of Christ to his Disciples to preach the word and administer the Sacraments But in the meane time all this arrogant and blasphemous vsurpation of the Pope what doth it but most clearely conclude him to be that Great Antichrist described in the Scripture This is hee that exalis himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped This is hee that sits in or vpon the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God to wit inuested in all the power of God and of Christ in heauen and earth as the Vicar of God almightie Herein hee is not Christs Vicar who would not meddle in matters of the world but indeede his Vicar that said to Christ All this power will I giue thee and the glory of them for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it The Dragon spake this and of Antichrist it is said that he hath two hornes like a Lambe but speakes like the Dragon The Pope speakes iust like the Dragon here See this verified in the Pope to an haire to a very letter Pope Hadrian saith Vnde habet Imperator Imperium nisi à nobis c. From whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from vs that which the Emperour hath he hath it all of vs c. Loe it is in our power to giue it to whomsoeuer we will Therefore wee are appointed of God ouer Nations and Kingdomes that wee should destroy and plucke vp See how like the Sonnes voice is to the Syres Hee speakes iust like the Dragon onely in a more loftie stile wee for I. Also Pius 5. in his Bull against Queene Elizabeth of happy memorie vsed the like speech in Ier. 1. v. 10. So that the Pope and his clients conclude that all Emperours and Kings hold their Empires and Kingdomes but in fee of the Pope Thus Henry 1. King of England was glad with much paying and praying to obtaine of Pope Alexander the 3. that he and his successours should haue the title of the King of England This held till King Iohns time when the Pâ—pe againe resumed the kingdome of England into his own power but was content at length to let King Iohn haue it to farme So Pope Celestine 3. crowned Henry 6. Emperour and his Empresse with his holinesse feet and when he had done so strucke it off againe with his foot to signifie it was in the power of the fame foot to take away his crowne that had put it on Thus we see Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God and that in the highest degree So that it may be admired that any man hauing but his eyes open to compare the Pope with his owne picture can doubt that he is that Antichrist vnlesse such men be giuen vp to a strong delusion because they receiued not the loue of the truth But it is lamentable to see learned men so blind-folded as not to see this Mysterie of iniquitie But more pernicious that not seeing it themselues they would perswade the world also that the Pope is not Antichrist Is it time now to make Apologies for the Pope not to be Antichrist when he so egregiously plaies the Antichrist euen vnder our noses when hee goes about to seduce and withdraw the hearts of subiects from the King from our gracious Soueraigne It was Tortus his speech noted by the learned Bishop in his Tortura to be Romes Doctrine that at the hissing of a slye which is in Babylon namely at Rome the subiects would reuolt from the obedience of their Prince and so by the window treason immediately entreth The Pope is the flye of Babylon who can make of the Prince no Prince of the subiect no subiect and the no subiect against the no Prince what may he not attempt But this is in case the Prince bee an Hereticke or Schismaticke And what is it for the Prince to be an Herticke forsooth if hee doe not yeeld himselfe the Popes Vassall which saith the Bishop is else to deny one of the prime Articles of the Christian faith It was the case of Philip le Bell. Thus the Bishop To proceede the Pope mentioneth a graue Decree of his Predecessor Paul 5. no doubt he meaneth that Bull sent hither into England inhibiting his sonnes the oath of allegiance The Pope calleth it a Decree of truth which must be diligently obserued For a taste I will insert one sentence of it cited by the learned Bishop Vobis ex verbis ipsis Iuramenti perspicuum esse debet quod huiusmodi iuramentum saluâ fide Catholica salute animarum vestrarum prestari non potest From the very words of the oath it ought to bee cleare vnto you that saith an oath cannot be vndertaken with the safetie of the Catholike faith and the saluation of your soules If so good reason their tongues should rather cleaue to their gums then they take it great reason that neither threats nor flatteries extort it from them rather part with life then faith yea this they must bee so vndoubtedly resolued of that If an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then this Apostolike truth let him be accursed Here at last breakes forth the thunderbolt it selfe which were enough to blast the very Angels of heauen if for subiects to denie due obedience to their lawfull Princes were an Apostolike truth But can a Christian eare heare such blasphemie without horror with any patience This an Apostolike doctrine an Apostolike truth Papall it is Diabolicall it is raked out of the pit of hell Apostolike it is not neither from Paul nor Peter from Paul 5. but not from Paul the Apostle Paul teacheth the contrary Rom. 13. Peter the contrary 1. Pet. 2. 13. how durst you you blessed Apostles preach such a doctrine as is contrary to the Apostolike truth of Rome either you must recant your doctrine or loe a smoaking Anathema is breathed out against you But lest those holy Apostles lest God himselfe lest Iesus Christ lest the holy Ghost lest the whole sacred word of God should come within the danger of the Popes curse and all for the mistaking of one word Apostolike for Apostaticke We are rather to thinke that as Manicheus writing himselfe Apostle hence hee would conclude his damnable doctrines to be Apostolike so the Pope calling himselfe that Apostolike one therefore all his lying Oracles must be taken for Apostolike truths And see here also how impiously the Pope goes on to peruert and prophane