onely by meanes of his tooth-pickers and that they could more preuaile in procuring him fauour with the Prince then the Lord Ianotin But said he if yee well consider it see Capuchins are verier fooles then I in that you thinke and stedfastly beléeue that by your good workes you may be able to free your selues from sinne and seruitude of the Diuell wherein you are pacifie the anger of God towards you purchase his fauour and become his children and inheritors of the kingdome of heauen and which is more that your said workes can more preuaile with God then Iesus Christ his welbeloued Sonne in whom hee is well pleased The 35. Apologue by which is shewed what the Popes are and what is their authority THe Pope beeing dead the Cardinalls could not agrée in the creation of a new Pope for the Gibellins would haue a Gibellin and the Guelfes would haue a Guelfe to be Pope and although they had already béene some monthes in the Conclaue yet were they still so obstinate that euery one of both parts had sworne that hee would much rather make the Diuell Pope then one of the contrary faction Now the Diuell well knowing their mindes appeared to them in the forme of a man and shewed them that by delaying the creation of a Pope they did wrong both their Church and themselues exceeding much and that seeing they could not otherwise agrée they were best to choose him to be their Pope saying vnto them If you will elect mée I can greatly increase the Popedome seeing that none of the Counsells of the great Seigneurs are hid from mee and moreouer being that I haue no Children nor Parents I will bestow all the benifices and offices and distribute all the treasure of the Church only amongst you and your friends These conditions so wel pleased them all that they agréed to elect him and called him Siluester the second After this it happened on a time that a Cardinall returning from the Popes Pallace was demanded of a friend of his which met him from whence he came And hee answered that he came from the Pope of whom he had obtained plenary indulgence and remission of all his sinnes but his friend said what Do you not know who is our Pope Doe you beléeue that the Diuell is able to forgiue sinnes Then the Cardinall replied and said other Popes héeretofore haue béene sinners not onely full of vices but also the very fountaines of all impiety and oftentimes worse then the Diuell himselfe and do you thinke that being such they had power to giue indulgence and remission of sinnes Yes said the other as they were Popes though not as sinners In like manner said the Cardinall he that is now Pope hath power to giue remission of sinnes as he is Pope although not as Diuell so that it sufficeth that they be Popes to saue men for the rest it is all one whether they be good or bad men or Diuells but I said the other beleeue that onely Iesus Christ can forgiue sinnes and not the Diuell nor his Ministers and that God hath ordained the Diuells to be his executioners and not his Apostles The 36. Apologue by which is shewed the folly of the Romans who yeeld themselues to the Pope THe Lord Duke of Melphe being sent for by the Emperor to vndertake the gouernment of Sienes tooke Roome in his way and visited Pope Clement who disswaded him from going thither saying that the Sieniands were madbraind and furious people and that if any toy should come into their heads they would either kill him or chase him thence with great disgrace but the Duke answered and said I beléeue that to be true which your Holinesse saith that if they should become madmen they would either kil me or driue me thence and yet I hope I shall spéed well enough for the Romanes would doe the like to you if they should become wise men yet you are here at Rome without feare without all doubt then said the Pope if the Romans were well in their wits they would not indure me and therfore we kéepe them alwayes drunk with the swéet Maladeies of S. Peter The 37. Apologue by which is in part shewed what and how great the authority of the Popes is AN Astrologer went on a time to Pope Paul and foretold him that in the yeare 1549 the heauens by reason of some maligne influences would threaten him a very grieuous malady with great danger of death and the Pope demanded of him whether he knew any remedy Yes said the Astrologer if you will goe that yeare to Germany and abide there you shall auoid the danger that is true without doubt said the Pope for the Germans will take away my life and by that meanes I shal be deliuered from all maladies but tell me may not I auoyd the danger if I continue still at Rome there is but one way said the Astrologer which is seeing you haue the Keyes of Heauen that you kéepe them fast shut all that yeare so that the influences may not descend vpon you Is that sufficient said the Pope Yes said hee for if the Soules which are spirituall cannot pierce the Heauens and enter into Paradice unlesse you open them with your Keyes the influences which are corporall can much lesse come downe vnto you if you kéepe them well shut vp in the heauens but said the Pope what meanes may we vse to shut them the same said the Astrologer which you vse in opening them that is make a signe of the Crosse and command them to remaine shut At this the Pope laughed and departed The 38. Apologue wherein is discouered the cruelty and impiety of the Spanish inquisition THe Spanish Inquisitors or rather Inquinators and defilers of the faith being desirous to extort and violently take away the goods of a simple but rich Countriman cited him to appeare before them with an intent subtilly to examine him in all the Articles of faith hoping that being hee was a simple and ignorant fellow altogether void of learning they might easily intangle him in some of his spéeches so put him to death as an hereticke and lay hands on his goods Well the Countryman at the day appointed was present and they with seeming graue religious countenances demanded of him what he beléeued and he said I beléeue that which the holy Church belieues Tell vs said they what the holy Church belieues that which I belieue said hee And though they proposed diuers questions vnto him they could not draw him out of this answer for when they said vnto him dost thou belieue that the Masse is a sacrifice agreeable to the will of God and that it profiteth the dead and that the breach of the commaundements of the Pope is a mortall sinne hée answered still I beléeue that which the holy Church beléeues What said the Inquisitours dost thou beléeue nothing else but that which the holy Church beleeues Is it not sufficient said the Countrey-man
doth Iustifie seeing that there is a text in the Gospell which doth manifestly beat downe this their opinion and I wonder much more at our selues that none of vs heretofore could finde it out for by this meanes we had long since shut vp the mouths of all the Lutherans and constrayned them to magnifie good workes and say with vs that they iustifie And willing to reueale it vnto them hée said doe yee not remember that it is written in the Gospell that the Apostles being in a shippe tossed with a tempest Iesus Christ appeared vnto them on the waues and that S. Peter who was then a Lutheran beleeuing that faith alone was sufficient to saue him said vnto Christ bid me come vnto thee on the waters and that after Christ had commaunded him to come hee leapt into the sea with his faith and was almost drowned Yea hee had been drowned in deed if Iesus Christ had not miraculously aided him and placed him againe in the barke making him returne vnto works and rowing with the oare Wherefore let who will do as Peter did be drowned with their trust in Iesus Christ for my part I am determined not to abandon the little ship but therein for my better assurance to remaine rowing with the Dare and trauelling with workes these his spéeches as containing the reuelation of a rare and excellent secret were entertained with a great applause by all the other Bishops except the Bishop of Caua who said thus my opinion is that whereas Peter began to sinke it came to passe not by reason of his faith but of his infidelity and want of faith And therefore Christ reprehending him said O thou of little faith why didst thou feare As if he had said If thou hadst béene strong in faith thou mightst safely haue marched vpon the waues of the Sea So that if other Bishops héeretofore did not produce this text of Scripture to proue that faith alone was not sufficient to saue vs it was because they did plainely sée that it serued nothing to their purpose Hée had scarce made an end of speaking but a Bishop great in wealth and dignity called the Greguetto said that he was an hereticke for his words did sauour strongly of heresie Now the first Bishop who was very angry that his reason which hee thought inuincible was gainsaid when hée perceiued that his opinion was maintained by a man of such credit hee ranne vpon the Bishop of Caua which contradicted him and paid him by the beard and had done worse to him if the rest had not speedily come betwéene them and parted them and also reconciled them one to the other inioyning them straitly that for the honour of the Councell they should neuer speake word of it The 58. Apologue whereby is shewed what are the foundations of the Popedome IT is reported that the Emperor was desirous to haue three questions disputed and agreed vpon at the Councell of Trent The first whereof was whether Constantine could giue Rome or did giue it to the Bishop of Rome The second whether it were true as Platina hath written that the Emperor Phoca was hee who gaue power to the Bishop of Rome to be Superior and chiefe of other Bishops and whether by that it did follow that the power of the Pope did depend on him The third whether it were consonant to reason that a Bishop who ought to be busied altogether in spirituall thinges should also haue the gouernment of the temporall estate These questions they say hee gaue to the best learned of the Lutherans that they might study and examine them well to the end they might come to the Councell armed and furnished with good and sollid reasons When the Pope heard of this hee was very much perplexed with it and therefore proposed this enterprize of the Emperor to the Cardinalls in the Consistory to know their mindes therein and some of them tolde him that hee had no remedys for it but to hinder the Councell by mouing new warres and dissentions in the Christian Common-wealth But others were of opinion that it was more for the Popes profit to agree secretly with the Lutherans to which the Pope answered we would willingly yeelde vnto them in all thinges which concerne the soule so that they would suffer our Kingdome and Popedome to remaine safe and entire without diminishing The 59. Apologue whereby is shewed the vse of the Popes Excommunications THe Emperour after the death of the Lord Peter Loys tooke possession of Placentia as his owne Wherefore Pope Paul who was the Lord Loys his father being much displeased with it said to the Emperors Embassador that hee would haue him certifie his Maiesty that if he did not out of hand restore it to him hee would excommunicate him publish his excommunication in the world but the Embassador answered said vnto him As fathers to keep their little Children in feare and obedience are accustomed to shew them vizards and other strange sights to make them affraid in like maner your Holines to keep the Christians in feare and subiection haue found meanes to terrifie them by excommunicating Anathematizing and cursing them causing them to bee painted with fire and Diuells round about them and euen as little Children when they come to maturity and yeares of discretion do no more stand in feare of their Fathers Bug-beares So the Christians who thankes bée to God begin to open their eyes doe now little regard your excommunications wherefore may it please you to vnders tand that the Emperor is nothing affraid of any such vaine terrors and also that if you thunder and lighten with your Excommunications his Maiestie will thunder and lighten with his great Canons and Engins of warre The 60. Apologue shewing the cause that moueth the Pope to persecute them that beleeue in Christ. ONe asked Pope Iulius the third wherefore hée did so cruelly persecute the Christians who did beléeue that faith did iustifie and saue and hee answered that it was because he did feare least they would begin to beléeue in Iesus Christ and when the other asked of him what euill it was to belieue in Christ He answered that it would be his ruine and destruction for if they did once beléeue in Iesus Christ they would no more beléeue in him The 61. Apologue whereby is shewed that the Popish Absolutions are of none effect A Confessor demanded of his Penitent before hee had absolued him whether hée did beléeue that God had pardoned his sinnes And the Penitent answered that hée did not for said hée if I assuredly beléeued that God had pardoned me I would not haue come to you for your absolution then the Confessor said vnto him vnlesse thou doest stedfastly beléeue that God hath forgiuen thee I cannot absolue thée If said the Penitent I verily beléeue that I am pardoned doe I beléeue true or false thou dost beléeue that which is true said the Confessor Then said the Penitent you cannot absolue me vnlesse
by the most perfect law of God which commaundeth vs to honour him aboue all thinges in all places at all times and by all meanes possible wherefore if your religion being according to your owne speeches different from that of Christ doe commaund any thing which you are not tyed to doe by the law of God it followeth that it is all naught seeing that God hath commaunded all thinges which are good Now that those things which you commaund besides the commandements of God are all bad and wicked yea and contrary to those thinges which God commaundeth it appeareth plainely for you forbid your sect to preach and Christ would haue the Gospell preached in season and out of season you would not haue them labour and take paines and God commaundeth that wee should get our bread with the sweate of our browes you exempt them from their obedience to their Parents Princes and other Maiestrates and God commaunds the contrary that wee honour our fathers and mothers and be obedient to the higher powers you forbid them to marry although they haue not the guift of contineutie but God on y e contrary inuits men to holy marriage you commaund them to abide alwaies in the Monastery although they bee indued with good guifts from aboue to do some good and holy worke abroad and so of all your ceremonies where with men being fast bound they are depriued of the true spiritual Christian liberty and in nothing subiect and obedient to God and the holy spirit The Cardinall knew not what to answer but said that although their words were true yet the Pope could dispense with all and so hee bad them farewell The 25. Apologue whereby are shewed the sottish frenzies of the Munkes and Nunnes THe Ambassadour of Soudan being at Florence demaunded on a day of Lawrence de Medicis why he could not see fooles running vp and downe the streetes of Florence as hee had séene commonly in other Citties And he answered and said because wee keepe all our fooles locked vp in diuers places according to the aduersity of their frenzies and then leading him forth of Florence hee shewed him diuers Monesteries of Monkes and Nunnes saying vnto him that therein dweiled all their hee and shee fooles And after the Embassadour had séene them and those also which were within the Cittie hee did exceedingly wonder at the great number of fooles and especially that so many and so different frenzies could enter into the braine of man The 26. Apologue where in is discouered the great ignorance of some of the Popes Prelates THe Reuerend Fathers of the Councell of Trent disputed among themselues about Peters supremacy of the Church indeauoring to proue by the words of our Lord Iesu Christ to Peter when he said Thou art Cephas that the Pope was head of the Church but some of them said that it could not be thereby proued because that Cephas was a Syriacke word and did signifie firme or a stone but there was one who bearing great affection to the French Tongue said vnto them you know not what you say for Christ in that place doth not speake in the Synacke but in the French tongue wherein Chef signifieth a head and though he said Cephas yet is it pronounced Chephas so that he spake both French and Latine The 27. Apologue by which is shewed the originall of the Popedome and now it came to be so great ONe demanded of his friend what was the Originall of the Popedome and how it did increase to such an extraordinary greatnesse And the other answered and said the Emperour Phoca planted it the Kings of France did water it and the Diuell of Hell hath giuen it increase but little ones shall cut it downe and simple ones shall make it into Fagots and Iesus Christ will consume it by the fire of his holy spirit The 28. Apologue by which is shewed the great pride of the Popish Bishops THere was a Bishop who had beene a diligent and learned Preacher hee being abroad in his Diocesse in the Lent was intreated by many that he would giue them a Sermon as he was wont but hee answered and said these twenty yeares or there about I haue taken great paines in preaching only that at length I might ascend to the dignity of a Bishop wherefore ye are very simple and foolish people to thinke that I will now descend and debase my selfe so much as of a Bishop to become a Preacher The 29. Apologue where in is discouered the folly of the Pope and Papists IN the time of Pope Leo there were ten notable fooles running about the streets of Rome all which on a day the Pope sent for to make him pastime as he was at dinner and assoone as he saw them hee laughed exceedingly at the diuersity of their follies now there was one amongst them who thought himselfe to be Emperor of all the world and as an Emperor did command the other fooles and distributed amongst them the estates and gouernments of the World doing it with such a viuacity and grace that the beholders iudged him to bee throughly perswaded that bee was an Emperor indéede Therefore the Pope saide vnto them about him this poore man is maruellous foolish that in so great pouerty hee doth perswade himselfe to bee an Emperour But the foole hearing it turned towards him and said You are more foolish and boyd of vnderstanding then I in that beeing a sinfull man you are made to beléeue that you are a God on Earth and your followers are berier fooles then my companions for although I giue them Kingdomes and gouernments of the world yet they giue no credit to me at all but your followers do stedfastly beléeue that you are able to giue them Indulgences Benedictions Iubilées Absolutions Remission of sinnes and also Paradice it selfe Then the Pope said let not a man meddle with fooles if hée would not haue the truth told him without flattery and so he departed from them The 30. Apologue wherein is discouered and condemned the Superstition of Bells THe Priestes and Monkes of a certaine Citty on a time when a great tempest was likely to arise betooke themselues to the Church and rang out the bells to turne away the storme and tempest wherefore the gouernour of the Citty noting it on another time when a tempest was likely to ensue caused all the Canons and great pieces which were vppon the walls to bee shot off toward that way which hee thought the tempest would come the Bishop demanded of him why hée did so and he said first I pray you tell me why you caused all the Bells to bee rung out at such a time And the Bishop answered that it was to chase and driue away the Diuells who were the causers and stirrers vp of the tempest in the Ayre Then the Gouernour said although I know that the Deuils doe no more feare the sound of the bells then the Dawes which sit in the towne yet I commanded these
God absolue me first and being so what would you haue me doe with your vaine Absolution When hée had thus said he departed from him The 62. Apologue whereby is shewed that in the Church of God there ought to be no Pope nor Cardinalls POpe Adrian was asked on a time why S. Paul speaking of Ministers ordained by God to gouerne his Church and saying that hée had appointd some to bée Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers had not also added as it was conuenient necessary he should that hée had ordained that there should bée one Pope and a great number of Cardinalls and hee answered that in the Primatiue Church men were so simple grosse of vnderstanding that if hee had named such kind of Creatures they would not haue vnderstood what they had meant The 63. Apologue whereby is shewed the folly of them who beleeue they shall bee saued by the Masses of S. Gregory and how the world is abused A Cerretan or Popish Marchant trauelled about the Country to vtter his commodities and wheresoeuer he came he said vnto the people when any of you is likely to dye hee ordaines by his last Wil and Testament that his friends shall after his death giue a Crowne to the Cordeliers to say the Masses of S. Gregory for him but you do not consider that before they are begun and ended many dayes doe passe away during which time yée must néedes remaine in the fire of Purgatory Now if yée will giue mee but halfe a Crowne for a man I will assure you that yee shall not come thither at all so that yée will onely weare about your necks continnually a little crosse which I will giue you and die with it about you And so many of the people receiued these crosses that the Masses of S. Gregory lost their credit wherefore the Cordeliers made all meanes they could against him calling him a seducer of the people and a preacher of lies but the Cerretan excusing himselfe said that hee had spoke nothing but the truth What said the Friers will thou affirme that thou hast authority to bring back Soules out of Purgatory If I had so said answered the Cerretan I would acknowledge my selfe the greatest sinner in the world I said indéede that I could préserue them from going thither but I spoke not a worde of bringing them backe thence Dost thou presume then said they that thou canst send them immediately into Paradice No said he then I were a foole and an hereticke but I said that if they would weare my little crosses and pay mee halfe a Crowne a man I would assure them they should neuer goe into Purgatory and my reason why I said so is that in such a case they shall be sure to goe to the Diuells in Hell because they beléeue they shall abtaine remission of their sinnes not by Iesus Christ but by paying halfe a Crowne and wearing a little piece of wood about their necks If that you would take as great héede to those thinges which you say when you preach your Indulgences Suffrages Merits Benedictions Absolutions Masses of S. Gregory as haue taken to my words so many false and faigned thinges which would neuer procéede out of your mouths to the detriment and ruine of so many simple people who giue credit to your lies after that yée haue blinded their eyes with your hipocrisie The 64. Apologue of the Cardinall of Chiety THere was two men on a time talking of the Cardinall of Chiety and one of them said that hee had a braine so dry and hard that a man could not with mattockes roote vp the superstitions which grew there much lesse imprint Iesus Christ in it and the other answered It is no maruaile if his braines be so hard and dry for heretofore the measure thereof did consume away w t his studying to bée Cardinall and since hee was Cardinall to bee Pope so that it doth wast and consume continually The 65. Apologue shewing why Pope Paul made the Bishop of Chiety Cardinall AFter that Pope Paul had made the Bishoppe of Chiety Cardinall one of his friends came vnto him and said that hee had done ill seeing that the Fishoppe was not so holy a man as the foolish world was perswaded and the Pope answered wee did not make him Cardinall because wee iudged him an holy man but that the world might iudge vs holy in that wee exalt those which are commonly thought good men Then his friend replied that the Bishop had taught some Venetian gentlemen part of Luthers doctrine wee know that said the Pope and therefore to bee reuenged on him wee made him Cardinall is it a reuenge said the other to make him Cardinal Yes very great said the Pope for whereas the world before tooke him for a Saint now euery one will account a Diuell and wee will yet make him more resemble a brast for wee will not onely not esteeme or regard him at all but also make him commit a thousand grosse and absurd errors The 66. Apologue shewing how men are abused by the Pope CErtaine Germanes beeing asked why they went not to Rome as the custome was answered that it was because they did no more giue credit to the Iubilees and Indulgences of the Pope but onely to the indulgences of Iesus Christ which through faith are offred by God in all places and to all persons when the other replied that it were good to goe thither if for no other cause but to see the Cittie of Rome which is so famous and admirable for monuments of antiquity they answered and said Seing that for a long space wee haue béene so blinde and foolish that wée haue beléeued that Antichrist was our God and vpon that confidence haue not spared our purses to buy Paradice wee are now much ashamed to goe abroad to be seene and knowne to be Germans Thr 67. Apologue wherby is declared the great perfection of the Chartreuse Friers THe Chartreuse Friers doe in vertues excéede all other religious men which is prooued first because they keepe Charity alwaies locked in their Cloisters for feare least they should loose her and neuer suffer her to enter into the Hospitall where they lay their Sicke least shee should bee infected with their diseases Againe they neuer suffer dame pouerty to come amongst them least that being a woman she should defile their chastity Thirdly because they would not offend through disobedience they kéepe themselues for the most part in their chambers to the end that no man should command them any thing Fourthly the greatest part of their time they spend in sléep that they may obserue the great vertue silence Fiftly they keepe patience alwaie prisoner least she should escape them so that there is none among them hath patience but hee that is in prison Sixtly they eate alone that they may lay vp what they leaue Lastly that they may bee humble in the lowest degree they tye their humility