that he was poysoned with yoyson which Alexander caused to be giuen him This is he that to mainetaine his tyranny called the great Turke aforenamed against the king of France wherein he gaue example to Frauncis of Fraunce to call afterwardes the Turke against our king Don Charles the Emperour This is he which commaunded both the handes and tongue of Antonius Mancinellus a most learned man to be cut off for an elegāt oratiō which he made against his abhominable customes most filthie life and not heard of villanies But God who is iust gaue him his hire And thus it was that being at a banket which he made to certaine Cardinals and Senatos of Rome of purpose to poyson them with the selfe same poyson that he poysoned Geme the Turkes brother withall the seruitors ill aduised mistaking one flaggon for another vnwillingly gaue drinke to the Pope of that flaggon wherein was the poyson and so after he had 11 yeares Poped he and some of the seruants and Cardinals in the 1503. yeare died In the time of this Pope and the 1499. yeare Ieronymus Sauanarola a Dominican that excellent preacher a man admirable in life and doctrin with other his companions was burned in Florence He maintained the communion in both kindes condemned Indulgences sharply reproued the wicked life and great carlesenesse of the Pope Cardinals and moreouer of all the Clergie in their office denyed the Popes supremacie taught that the keyes were not giuen to Peter onely but to the whole Church He said that the Pope followed neither the life nor doctrin of Christ seeing he attributed more to his indulgence trifling traditions then to the merit of Christ He affirmed that the Popes excommunications were not to be feared foretold some things which were to happen namely the destruction of Florencr Rome the restoring of the Church which in our time haue come to passe For this cause the Count Franciscus Picus Mirandula called him an holy Prophet and defended him by writing against the Pope Marcillius in a certaine Epistle and Philippus Comineus in his French Historie say that he had a propheticall spirit and many other learned men defended his Innocencie D. Illescas in the life of Alexander 6. speaking of Sauanarola saith these wordes Many opinions there were and yet wantes there not some which iudge of the iustification of this fact This onely resteth to referre the same to the Iudgement of God who knoweth the secret of all things I heard the most learned father and maister Friar Mancius of the order of Saint Dominicke say that he heard it affirmed of a faithfull witnesse and familiar of Bishop Remolinus which afterwardes was Cardinall that it repented the Bishop all his life time to haue pronounced this sentence And that for satisfaction thereof before God he fasted three daies in the weeke And verily who so readeth some spirituall things which he left vs in writing would not deeme them to proceede from an hypocriticall but a true religious man Hitherto Illescas In the time of this Alexander Don Fernando and Dona Isabella reigned in Spaine In whose time about the yeare of the Lord 1492. somwhat more or lesse sixe notable things hapned in Spaine The 1. the Pope was a Spaniar dthe 2. Grananda was won The 3. the discouerie of the Indies The 4. The inquisitiō of Spaine The 5. the holy brotherhood And the 6. the disease called Bubo Abhominable as we haue seene was the Spanish Pope Alexander neuer good but great mischiefe did he to Spaine or any land of the world The taking of Granada wrought great good vnto Spaine in freeing it from continuall wars slaughters betweene the Christians the Moores and in banishing out of all Spaine the false sect of Mahomet The discouerie of the Indies that being well considered hath done more hurt then good to the soules of the Spaniards that went thither Casaos the bishop who was an eie witnes a natural Spaniards wrote a booke of the cruelties of the Spaniards towards the poore Indians would God those which went thither had had more zeale to teach augment the holy catholike faith conteyned in holy scripture then to enrich thē selues and for the enriching of themselues to murther and on all sides robbe as they say that simple people which had reasonable soules aswell as we and for whom Christ also dyed The Indians as Augustine de çarate complayning reporteth in his Historie of Peru said that the Spaniardes tooke from them their Idols and gaue them the Idols or Images of Spaine crosses the Virgin Marie c. to worship They said that the Spaniardes had taken from them their many wiues telling them that the lawe of Iesus Christ permitted but one onely wife and tooke them for themselues Had they taught them to worship God in spirit and truth as he saith that he will be worshiped no mention at all had beene made of Idols or Images seeing that God in the second commaundement of his holy law forbideth them And chiefly the Indians being so addicted to Idolatrie If the law of Christ permit but one only wife according to the first institution of mariage wherefore kept our Spaniardes many whores and concubines What manner of Doctrine was this If the blind leade the blind both fall into the ditch The which to our Spaniards and their Indians hath hapned God send them better teachers Of good zeale and intention was the Inquisition ordeyned and after some it was ordeyned before the warres of Granada by the same Don Fernando whiles Sistus Poped But be it as it was In the time of Alexander the fixt and after the wiuing of Granada was it trulie executed Then commanded king Don Fernando that all the Iewes should be Baptised which would liue in Spaine or otherwise depart and so as saith Sabellicus departed a hundred and twentie thousand The Inquisition then was instituted to teach the Christian religion to Iewes and Moores which were turned Christians and yet secretly returned to their olde customes But hauing now almost ceased with the Iewes and Moores from day to day hath it done more and more tiranny against the faithfull Catholique and true Christians who detesting Popish Idolatrie and vaine supersticions confesse that only God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost is in spirit and trueth to be worshipped Their manner or teaching them whome they suppose to erre is iniuries disgraces tortures whippinges and euill life Sanbenitos galleies perpetuall imprisonmentes and in the end Fier wherewith they burne those whom God by his mercie maketh constant in the confession of his sonne Christ Iesus Who so listeth to see the craftes deceites stratagemes and cruelties which the Lord Inquisitors or to speake better Inquinators of the faith vse with the poore sheepe of Iesus Christ appointed to the slaughter or furnace let him reade the booke intituled Inquisitio Hispanica translated into
of our Saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. No other willeth God for all his benefites but that we be thankfull and call vpon his name Thus shall the number of those whom God hath elected to life eternall encrease and so the kingdome of sinne death the diuell which is the kingdome of lies of false new doctrine confirmed with dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell shal be destroied and that of grace life and of Christ which is the kingdome of truth the true and old doctrin confirmed with the word of God shal abide for euer To whom which is one God Father Sonne and holy Spirit who liueth and raigneth be perpetuall honâ—â— and glory Amen An Addition I In the moneth of Aprill 1588. Philip the second of that name king of Spaine pretending to send his inuincible fleet for the Conquest of England made choise by the aduise of the Prioresse of the monastery of the Anunciada whose name was Mary of the Visitacion as most worthie for her holinesse to blesse his Standard royall the which she did with vsing diuers other câ—remonies in the deliuery thereof to the Duke of Medina Sedonia who was appointed chiefe Generall she did pronounce openlie good successe and victory to the Duke in saying he should return a victorious Prince This standard was carried in procession by Don Francisco de Cordoua who was a Spaniard the tallest Gentl. that could be found he being on horse backe to the end it might be the better seen at the solemnzing wherof there was such a number of people assembled that diuers of them perished with the throng There was present the Archduke Albertus which then was Cardinall and Gouernor of the kingdom of Portugal the Popes Nuncio the Archbishop who was head inquisitor with diuers other Nobles Prelates Gentlemen This solemnization dured so long that Albertus fainted with fasting and this holy Nunne to comfort him caused a messe of the broth which was for her owne diet to be brought presenting it to him which he accepted most willingly coÌ„ming from the handes of so holy a Nun as then she was holden to be but about the beginning of DeceÌ„ber next after all her holines false miracles and great dissimulations was then found out and she condemned punished for the same according as is râ—bersed in this booke About the end of this yeare 1588 that this holy Nun was discouered in Lisbon there was also discouered in Seuil one father â—yon who was counted to be a most deuour and religious man but by his owne fellowes of his profession he was discouered to be a great hypocrite and a most vicious 〈◊〉 giuen to carnall lustes and for this and diuers other causes he was committed to the prison which is in the Cardinals house of 〈◊〉 A Table wherein by certaine Antitheses is declared the difference and contrarietie which is betweene the ancient doctrine of God contained in the holy scripture and taught in the reformed Churches and the new doctrine of men â—aught and maintained in the Roman or Popish Church Ierem. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein ye shall find rest for your soules THe ancient doctrine of God doth teach that the holy Scripture being the word of God diuinely inspired hath most sufficient authority of it selfe containeth all necessary doctrin to pietie and our saluation as S. Paul clearly teacheth 2. Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. The new doctrin of meâ— teacheth that the holy Scripture although it be the word of God should haue no authority were it not for the approbation of the Church and that it is an vnperfect and maimed doctrine which containeth not doctrine sufficient to pietie nor our saluation but that this defect must be supplied by vnwritteÌ„ traditions Belar de verb. Deâ— noÌ„ scrip l. 4. The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that ignorance of the holy scriptures is the cause and mother of errors as Iesus Christ our Lord doth witnesse Mat 22. 19. saying to the Sadduces Ye erre because yee know not the Scriptures nor the power of God and therefore the duty of euerie faithfull Christian is to reade meditate and search the holy scripture as God commandeth his people Deut. 6. 7. chap. 12. 32. chap. 17. 19. Iosua 18. Esa 8. 20. And Christ our Lord in the new Testament Ioh. 5. 39. And as did the faithfull in the time of the Apostles Act 17. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 15. The new doctrin of men doth teach that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that to keepe religion safe it is needful to forbid the lay or secular men the reading of the holy scriptures seeing it is the cause of many heresies Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15 16. cens col f. 19. The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that many deceiuers and false Prophets are gone out into the world and that the faithfull therfore are to proue the spirits whether they be of God 1. Io. 4. 1. And that the holy scripture is the touch whereby this proofe and examination ought to be made Ioh. 5. 39. Act 17. 11. So that all doctrine contrary and repugnant to holy Scripture be it of Councels Fathers Doctors old or new and that as saith the Apostle of himselfe or of an Angel from heauen ought not to be receiued nor taught in the Christian Church Gal. 1. 8. 1. Tim. 1. 3. chap. 6. 3. 1. Pet. 4. 11. 2. Ioh. 10. The new doctrin of men doth teach that whosoeuer coÌ„tradict the Pope his decrees human traditions be false teachers that the Pope hath authority to iudge of all controuersies and of the true sense of holy Scriptures and that from his iudgment it is not lawfull to appeale Bellar. de verbo Dâ—â— interp lib. 3. cap. 3. c. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that we ought to serue God alone which is the Creator and gouernour of all the world following the doctrin of Christ which saith Matt. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue The new doctrine of men doth teach that we ought not to serue God alone but also the Saints that they hold them for patrons of kingdoms people cities societies and infirmities Bellarm. de Sanct. beat lib. 1. cap 12. Cens Col. fol. 230. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that the lawful worship of God is to be founded vpon the holy Scripture that God will be serued according to his will and word in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. and not after the opinion nor by the traditions nor customes of men as God by his prophet Eze. 20. 18. doth very expresly teach vs saying Walk not in the ordinances of your fathers nor obserue their lawes nor defile your selues with their idols I am the Lord your God Walke in mine ordinances and
Antichrist so proued by his abominable life and doctrine by the testimonie of Gods sacred word and vnrefutable arguments drawne from the same If thou wouldest know and be assured likewise that the Masse is a diuelish prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord a most blasphemous idolatrous and false sacrifice derogating from the most precious bloud death passion of Iesus Christ If thou wouldest know by the same Spirit be assured that the same Iesus Christ true God true man is the only Lord Sauiour and redeemer of the world the onlie aduocate Intercessor Mediator betweene God and man the only alone king Prophet and true high Priest which entred into the holy place once for all and found eternall redemption If thou wouldest know that his body and bloud once offred vpō the altar of the crosse is the only alone true sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor in the nosethrils of God his Father for the remission of sins whereby onlie Gods wrath is appeased we obtaine pardon peace reconciliation with God grace fauor and euerlasting life If thou wouldest know and be likewise assured that this most holy sacrifice of Christ one only time offered is all sufficient for the sins of all men that no place remaineth for any other reiteration of the same sacrifice If thou wouldest know the true meaning vse practise of the holy Supper of the Lord Iesus the benfit thereof to the Faithfull If thou wouldest certainlie know and be fully assured by the same Spirit of Grace which is the ancient doctrin of God leading to all blisse and true blessednesse confirmed with his sacred word contained in the bookes of the old new Testament and penned by the finger of the holy Ghost and which is the new doctrine of men pointing the pathway to hell death destruction confirmed with vaine apparitions dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell Come and see except the god of this world hath blinded thy mind that the light of Christes glorious Gospell should not shine vnto thee except thou list to grope at noone day and wilfully say I will not see except thou hast shaken hands with death and made a couenant with hell except God for thy wilfull obstinacie hath giuen thee ouer vnto a reprobate sence to oppose thy selfe against him his knowne truth In reading this booke without partiall preiudication thou canst not but see exactly perceiue and tast to thine vnspeakeable comfort how sweet are the mercies of the Lord in reuealing to thee dust and ashes the mysterie both of the one and the other which the wise of this world neither haue vnderstood nor can comprehend but is reuealed vnto babes his Saints to whom he would make knowne the riches of his glorie to confound and make foolishnes the vvisdom of the wise Which if thou shalt find as if in singlenesse of heart thou seeke thou canst not but find Then praise Iehouah the author of all goodnesse be thankefull to this Author the meanes of thy good and take in worth my simple trauell an inferiour furtherance thereunto who hartily wish thee no lesse comfort and ioy in reading then my miserable selfe receiued in translating of this booke And because it seemeth a thing difficult to translate the Prouerbs wherein not the letter but the sence is to be followed that course haue I obserued set downe withall the proper phrase of the Spanish and Portugal tongues both in them and some other hard doubtfull words that thou gentle Reader indued with better gifts maist iudge and curteously amend by thy knowledge what my vnskilfulnesse hath missed hoping that my desire herein to do well may excuse in thy Chistian conceit whatsoeuer is if any thing misdone And so I leaue thee to him that is able to keepe thee Thine in the Lord I. G. THE EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAd it not bene for the great necessity which our country of Spaine hath to know the liues of the Popes that knowing them it may beware them and nought esteeme their authority which against all right diuine and humane they haue vsurped ouer the consciences which Iesus Christ our redeemer with his death passion hath freed I should neuer Christian Reader haue entred a labyrinth so confused and rugged as is to write the liues of Popes For thou must know that the Romists themselues concord not nor agree in the number of the Popes Some set downe more and others lesse And hence it commeth that so little they agree touching the time that they poped Let it be lawfull for me as of a king he is sayd to raigne to say of a Pope to Pope Some of these selfe same also that all confesse to haue bene Popes of some of them say great Laudes and praises extolling them to the heauens Of these selfe same say others filthie things casting them downe to hell An example of the first S. Gregory As saith Friar Iohn de Pineda 3. part cap. 8. ¶ 1. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie was the 66. Pope c. And not the 63. As saith Mathew Palmer Nor the 64. As saith Panuinus Nor the 65. As saith Marianus nor lesse 62. As saith S. Antoninus This farre Pineda Gelasius 1. after Platina is the 51. Pope After Panuinus the 50. And after George Cassander and Carança the 49. Also Paule the second after Platina is the 220. Carança counteth him for the 219. Pero Mexia for 218. and Panuinus For 215. fiue lesse then Platina According to this account Sistus 5. which in the yeare 1588. tyrannizeth in the Church should be after Platina the 236. Pope after Carança 235. After Per◠Mexia 234. and after Panuinus 231. Most Popish authors be all these Some Spaniards and others Italians And had we alleaged more authors more disagreement and contrariety should we haue found Of this diuersitie springeth the disorder which is in the time that some Popes Poped For they which reckon least Popes put the yeares which they take from 4 or 5 Popes whom they reckon not to other Popes Carança in his Summa conciliorum speaking of Boniface 3. this was the first Pope as in his life shal be shewed saith these words There is diuersitie among writers how long time Boniface 3. was Pope For of Platina is it gathered that he was nine monthes Others say 8 monethes and a halfe others a yeare and 25 dayes Others a yeare 5 monthes 28 daies Others say that he died hauing bene Pope 8 moneths and 22 dayes This farre Carança The same might we say of many other Popes For example of the second will we put Liberius and Formosus besides many others that we might set downe Liberius and Formosus some of the papists themselues do cannonize and others doe curse them Platina saith that Liberius was an Arian Panuinus saith that he was holy Read his life which of diuerse authors we haue gathered As touching Formosus Stephen 6 or 7. condemned him So
wit If the head of an horse be put to a humane body A distinction truly very rediculous Conclude we this matter with that which was ordeyned in the Councell of Eliberis in Spaine holden about the yeare of the Lord. 335. whose 36. Cannō was as Carranza noteth in his Summa Conciliariorum Placuit picturas in Ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut odoratur in parietibus depingatur It pleaseth vs that pictures ought not to be in the Church lest that be worshipped or adored which is painted on the walles Eliberis where was celebrated this ancient Councell was a Cittie neare vnto that place where is now Granada Eliberis was destroyed and of the ruines thereof was Granada builded or augmented And there is one gate in Granada euen to this day called the gate Deluira corrupting the worde in steed of Elibera The gate is so called because men goe that way to Elibera Had this Cannon made in our countrie of Spaine 1263. yeares past bene obserued in Spaine there had not bene such Idolatrie in Spaine as now there is Vp Lord regard thine owne honour Conuert or confound not being of thine elect all such as worship Pesel grauen or carued Images or Temuna picttures or patternes All that whatsoeuer we haue sayd against Images is meant of those that are made for religion seruice worship and to honour serue and adore them Such Images are forbidden by the law of God And so the Arte of caruing grauing painting and patterne making not done to this end is not forbidden but lawfull The superstition and Idolatrie taken away the Arte is good If there be any people or nation that haue and doe commit inward and outwarde Idolatrie it is the Popish Church For what else see we in their Temples houses streetes and crosse-streetes but Idolles and Images made and worshipped against the expresse commaundement of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image No nation hath bene so barbarous to thinke that which they outwardly beheld with their eyes to be God They supposed as before we haue said their Iupiter Iuno Mars Venus to be in Heauen whom they worshipped in the Images that did represent them Many of the Moores Turkes and Iewes would conuert vnto Christ were it not for the offence and scandall of Images in the Churches Therefore said Paulus Pricius a most learned Hebrew which became in a Christian Paue that it was very meet Images should be taken out of the Temple for they were the cause that many Iewes became not Christians The Popish Church doth not onely commit the Idolatrie of the Gentiles but farre exceed them also One Idolatrie it committeth which neuer Pagan nor Gentile euer committed It beleeueth the bread and wine in the Masse called a sacrifice celebrated by her Pope or a Priest made by the authoritie of the Pope to be no representation nor commemoration of the Lordes death but his very body and bloud the same Iesus Christ as bigge and great as he was vpon the crosse And so as very God doth worship it We will then in this first Treatise proue by the Lords assistance whose cause we now maintaine the Pope to be a false Priest and very Antichrist that such Idolatrie and other much more he hath inuented in the Church In the second Treatise we will also proue by the same assistance the Masse to be a false Sacrifice and great Idolatrie And because our chiefe purpose is not so much to beat downe falshood as to aduance the truth after we haue shewed the Pope to be a false Priest And the Masse a false Sacrifice we will shew also which is the argument of the Apostle in the Epistle written to the Hebrewes Iesus Christ to be the true and onely Priest and his most holy body and bloud which he offered vnto his father vpon the Crosse to be the true and only sacrifice where with the eternall father is well pleased and receiueth vs into his fauour and friendship iustifying vs by faith and giuing vs his holy spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba father and liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life And so be glorified of him to reigne ' with him for euer Many will wonder that we with so great constancie or as they call it sawsinesse reiect condemne and abhore the Pope and his Masse And therefore doe slaunder and defame vs not among the common people onely but amongest the Nobles also and great Lordes Kinges and Monarches that we are fantasticke heady arrogant sedicious rebellious partiall and many other false reportes they raise against vs wherewith they fill and breake the eares of the ignorant and of all those that take pleasure to heare them To shew them then that it is no foolish opinion nor fantasie which doth lead vs neither any ambition vaine glory nor other passion that doth alter moue or transport our minds but a good zeale rather of the glory of God and feruent desire of the health of our owne soules A reason will we giue in this first Treatise vnto all that desire to heare vnderstand it of that which we beleeue hold concerning the Pope and his authoritie And chiefely if we be asked because as saith Saint Peter we ought to be ready with meekenesse and reuerence to make answere to euery one that demaundeth a reason of the hope which we hold The reason then which we giue for reiecting condemning and abhorring the Pope and flying from him as from the pestilence is his euill life and wicked doctrine Note also what the Doctors and ancient Councels the holy Scriptures in three wonderfull places chiefly for that purpose say concerning him In the second Treatise we will declare what wee thinke of the Masse and the holinesse thereof The Pope and Masse two pillers of the Popish church be very ancient For it is now a thousād yeares past since they first began to be buylded Their beginnings were very small but they dayly increased adorning and decking themselues vntill they attayned to the estate wherein we now see them For aswell the Pope as the Masse is holden and called God Without are they made very beautifull couered ouer with silke gold siluer cloth of gold rich stones but within is superstition hypocrisie and Idolatrie I haue often pondred with my selfe whether of these two pillers the Pope or the Masse were strongest and more esteemed The vertues excellencie holinesse and diuinitie which they say is in the Masse who can declare How profitable it is for al things liuing and not liuing quick dead By cōsideratiō hereof the Masse I supposed was chiefest and therefore ought to begin with it But the Pope vpon better aduisement mee seemed notwithstanding to be the chiefest piller The reasons mouing me so to beleeue are these that the cause in dignitie is before the effect the creator before the creature the maister before the seruant the Priest before the
the 2. to Timoth. cap. 4. 1. 2 which some what before his martyrdome he wrote the second time being prisoner in Rome and in the Epistle to Philemon verse 23. and 24. Also in the Epistle which he wrote to the Romanes he not once maketh mention of Saint Peter to whom no doubt he would haue sent salutations had hee bene in Rome and which is more Saint Peter being Bishop at Rome as they say 25. yeares Read the last chap. of this epistle and thou shalt see the catalogue which S. Paule maketh from the fift verse to the fifteenth he saith onely Salute such a one salute such a one c. without naming of Saint Peter Because he neither was Bishop of Rome nor yet was in Rome Also the Iewes which dwelled in Rome as reciteth S. Luke Act. 28. 21. 22. said to S. Paule when he came prisoner to Rome that they had not heard nor vnderstood any thing concerning him and prayed him to declare his opinion touching that sect which was gainsayd and euill spoken of in all places vnderstanding by this sect the Gospel which Saint Paule preached Who will beleeue that S. Peter which as they say was before come to Rome and a Minister of the Circumcision had not taught nor spoken ought vnto them of the Gospell These reasons taken out of holy Scripture are me seemeth as they be very sufficient to proue the common opinion holden of S. Peters being Bishop of Rome and that 25. yeares to be false Whereupon that of the Papists appeares plainely to be meere ignorance or which is worse extreame malice when they call the Pope Saint Peters successor Vicar of Iesus Christ as though hee were Saint Peter and therefore vniuersall Bishop Against the Primacie of the Pope we will speake in the end of this Treatise Seeing then Saint Peter was not Bishop of Rome we place Linus for the first All the Bishops of Rome that were from Linus to Syluester who was in the time of the Emperour Constantine the great whom we will put in the first order were in generall trulie Bishops and holy men who with their good doctrine and holy life and conuersation wrought great fruit in the Church of God They were the salt of the earth the light of the world a Citie built vpon a mountaine a candle light and set vpon a candlesticke These be the titles wherewith Christ adorneth his apostles and ministers Math. 5. These were the Angelles of God according to the saying of Malachie speaking of Leuie and consequently of the good Ministers The lawe of trueth saith he was in his mouth and no iniquitie was found in his lippes In peace and equitie he walked with me and turned away from iniquitie For the priestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the Angell of the Lord of hosts Many more titles are comprised in the holy scriptures wherewith the true ministers are adorned which I will passe ouer to auoide tediousnes In the ende these good bishops of Rome sealed the Gospell which they had preached with their bloud and so were Martyrs of Iesus Christ Men they were poore in spirit and simple of heart strangers to couetosnes and ambition they were true bishops for the space of almost three hundred yeares And so the Church of the Lord hauing such ministers was then happie and rich in the sight of God albeit in the eies of men contemptible miserable such as the Apostle in the eleuenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes from the 36. to the 38. verse describeth Others saith he haue benetryed by mocking and scourgings yea moreouer by bonds and imprisonment 37. Others were stoned others were hewen asunder Others were tempted others slayne with the sworde Others wandered vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goats skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented 38. whome the worlde was vnworthie of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaynes and dens and caues of the earth c. These Bishops caried on their heads not Miters but coifes not honor but dishonor not riches but pouerty following herein their Maister as Esaias the Prophet in his chapter 53. 3. doth liuelie describe him Despised and forsaken of men a man full of sorrowes hauing experience of infirmities and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not This was the outward apparance of the Primitiue Church and so hath it bene in our time sithens the reformation of the Church began these 70. or 80. yeers vnto this time how many haue bin burned drowned beheaded hāged banished shamefully disgraced and died of hunger Truly innumerable and that which is more admirable the more they burned and killed the more they increased and multiplied For the bloud of the Martyrs as saith Tertullian is the seed of the Gospell From the passion of the Lord vnto Saint Siluester which is the time of the first order were almost three hundred yeares wherein the Emperours of Rome became Lords of Spaine The Romanes in two hundred and so manie yeares that they conquered Spaine vntill the time of Augustus Caesar were neuer absolute Lords thereof Augustus was the first that vanquished the Montanists and Biscayes and made himselfe absolute Lord of all Spaine The Romists as those say they that haue held the command and staffe for many yeares to giue antiquitie and authoritie to their ceremonies and humane traditions haue falsly reported that manie of these good Bishops of Rome whom we place in the first order ordained them Clement the fourth Bishop of Rome say they ordained the confirmation of young children the Masse and holy garments wherewith the Priests are clothed They do not consider that he was a a man poore and for preaching of the Gospell banished into mines where he hewed Marble stones and tyed in the end to an anchor they cast him into the sea D. Illescas speaking of Pope Caius in his Pontificall historie saith He ordained that no laye man might bring a Clearke to iudgement That no pagan nor heretike might make accusation against a Christian c. How can this be true sith Caius liued and died in the time of the tenth persecution which as Illescas himselfe saith was of all the most cruell and lasted many yeares Let the Romists be ashamed and cease with lies to confirme their religion Now is it not the time that was wont to be when the blind led the blind c. So say they also that Euaristus Alexander and Sistus fifth sixth and seuenth Bishops of Rome made the popish decrees namely the ordering of the Clergie holy water and holy garmentes Telesphorus say they that was the eighth Bishop of Rome ordained three Masses to be sayd on the day of the Natituitie These good Bishops had other cares and embraced not such childish and superstitious toyes Saciety and idlenesse brought them forth O what euils haue riches wrought to the Church of God Wisely therfore said
woundes they drewe it tied by the heeles to the streete of Saint Iohn de lateran and there left it to the dogs c. Quien tal haze qÌ„ talpague Such deed saith the spanish prouerb such paiment Benedict 6. or 7. succeeded him and then reigned in Spaine Bermudo 3. Such were the deedes of Pope Iohn or 15. that he was abhorred of the Clergie and people of Rome He gaue without discretion all to his kindred which error say Platina and Estella we see vnto our time continueth He died in the 995 yeere at what time Don Bermudo 3. reigned in Spaine Iohn 17. succeeded Iohn 16. and the same yeere after he had bene pope only 4. monethes died Gregorie 5. being an Alman by authoritie of the Emperour Otho 3. was made Pope But when the Emperour was returned into Almaine the Clergie and people of Rome deposing Gregorie made Iohn 18. or 17. Pope Gregorie retired to the Emperour who offended with the Romans came against them and tooke Rome he tooke also Pope Iohn pulled out his eies so the Pope which with his store of mony had corrupted the Romans to make him pope died Mantuan 3. Calamitatum lib. thus speaketh Pernicies mercantur equos Venalia Romae Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra Coronae Ignes thura preces coelum est venale deusque As much to say as all things are sold at Rome be they holy or profane and euen God himself Platina calleth this Iohn a thiefe who dying as afore is said Gregorie returned to be Pope he appointed that thenceforth the Princes of Germanie namely the 3 Archbishops of Maguntia Treuir and Cullen the Countie Palatine of Rhine the duke of Saxonie the Marques of Brandenburg and the king of Boheme who then also was not king should choose the Emperour and so the Empire was translated into Germany In the 998 or after some 997 yeere Pope Gregory died And some count not Iohn 18. for Pope Syluester 2. euen froÌ„ his youth gaue himselfe to inchaÌ„tments witcherie who vnderstanding that in Seuill dwelled a Moore and great maister in that Arte with the great desire he had to be perfect also therin himselfe he left France his natiue countrie went to Seuil and there abode with the Moore And now seing himselfe skilfull he returned into Fraunce carrieng with him a booke wonderfull in that arte which by the meanes of the Moores daughter with whome Syluester had abused himselfe he stole from his Maister This Syluester the better to effect his Inchantments made a couenant with the deuill offering him his body and Soule conditionally that the diuell should helpe him to attaine to great dignities returned into Fraunce with greate applause taught he the liberal Artes notable disciples he had by whose meanes he was made bishop of Remes and afterwards by wicked artes Archbishop of Rauenna In the end by the aide of the deuill in the 999. yeere he came to be Pope who listeth to know his holy life let him read Platina Sabel En. 9 lib. 2. Volat. lib. 22. Berg. lib. 12. Fascic Temp. Pet. Premostrat and Benon And particularly Frier Iohn de Pineda par 3. lib. 19. cap. 15. ¶ 5. 6 a very late writer and he shal see if I speake truely or no. Whiles he was Pope he concealed his arte but in priuate he could not forget his old friendship which he had with the diuel A copper head had he in secret which alwayes gaue him answer of that he demanded of the diuell This Pope vpon a time lusting to know how long he should be Pope demaunded the same of the diuell who doubtfully answering as he wontedly doth told him he should not die vntill he had sayd Masse in Ierusalem This historie reporteth S. Antonino Frier Iohn de Pineda others At this answer the Pope much reioiced neuer purposed to go to the city of Ierusalem It was a custome in Rome that on a certaine day in Lent the Pope should say Masse in the church of the holy Crosse called Ierusalem where Syluester forgetfull of the diuels deceits did celebrate his Masse and was forth with taken with a great feuer The Pope then saith Petrus Premostratensis by the roring of the diuels knowing his end to be come being in these sorrowes he besought them saith Benon to cut off his hands tongue c. Behold here if the Pope can erre Note what maner of vicaredge is that of the Pope seeing many attained it by wicked deuillish arts Learne heere ô Spainards what a thing is the Masse seeing with it the deuill moâ—keth deceiueth as in this Syluester we haue seen Be wise now ye Spainards For long time vpon earth haue the Pope Masse bene your god Nowithstanding that such a one was Syluester 2. one Iulius Roceus Genebrardus Panuinus Illescas the Popes great parasites affirme that he was no Magitian but a most wise Mathematitian c. Speake the truth although it be bitter God to aduance his holy catholike faith hath no need of your lies Don Bermudo 3. at this time raigned in Spaine Iohn Siccus 19. or after some who count not of Iohn 8. being a womaÌ„ nor Iohn 18. being Antipope the 17. by the same means help of the diuel that had his predecessor succeeded Siluester in the Popedome as the disciple of such a maister coÌ„manded that the feast of the soules in Purgatorie the day following the feast of all Saints should be celebrated This Pope affirmed that he hard the grones which the deuils gaue wheÌ„ by vertue of the Masses praiers for the dead the soules snatched at theÌ„ At this time saith Baconthorpius began the name of Cardinal to be had in estimation This Iohn 19. took away the voyce of the Roman people in the election of the Pope saying that the people were to be taught not to be followed and that of greater dignitie is the law which by the holy spirit is gouerned then that of the secular law In the yeere 1003. not hauing fiue moneths bene Pope he died and Don Bermudo 3. then reigned in Spaine Iohn 20. or 18. by wicked Arts was made Pope And it is to be noted as also noteth Cardinal Benon that all the Popes being 18. successiuely from Syluester 2. vntill Gregorie 7. no lesse a villaine then an Inchanter were Inchanters The doctrine of Purgatorie in the time of this Iohn 20. by meanes of false apparitions of wicked spirits which cryed groned shriked complayned of the great torments they endured in Purgatorie saying they were the Soules of such and such and desiring so many Masses and so many trentals to be said for them did grely increase The simple poore people beleeued that which they said to bee truth and drewe the money from their purses wheate from their barnes the wine from their cellars and the waxe from their hiues and offered them for
him he saw him free and safe without hurt of the fire These foure so straunge wonders besides others which we passe ouer shall you finde in his sermon of the dead You see heere the Textes of holie Scripture wherewith hee confirmeth his Purgatorie Also to proue the resurrection he citeth the place of Genesis the ninth chapter and the fourth verse where God commaunded Noah The flesh with the bloud shalt thou not eate Also another straunge thing in the chapter of Virginitie he saith that had not Adam sinned men for generation should not carnally haue coupled with their wiues And because hee saw the Text of Scripture to bee against him God might sayth hee by other meanes multiply men without the coniunction of man and woman Also seeing that Saint Basil calleth the bread and the wine of the Sacrament examples of the bodie and bloud of Christ which was opposite to him This saying of S. Basil said he ought to bee vnderstood of the bread and of the wine before sanctification which is not so for the bread and wine before consecration as already wee haue proued by the Fathers are common bread and wine as the rest and be no symbols nor figures of the body and bloud of Christ vntill and not before these words Take and eate this is my body bee sayd Sith such a one then is Damascen leaue we him and let vs followe that which the hole Scripture doth teach vs that which the Fathers whom against Transubstantiation we haue alleaged doe tell vs and that also which experience it selfe of that which we see touch and tast in the sacrament doth shew vs. To Theophilact Anselme Hugo Richardo c. whom they cite against vs and liued in the time that the holy Supper of the Lord was now falling the Popes then tyrannizing the consciences of men who neuer stayed vntill the holy supper destroyed they had made of some reliques patches and remnants of their Masse such as now it is full of abuses superstitions and idolatries do we answer the same He of these late writers which least erred in this matter of Transubstantiation is Scotus who saith as before we haue said that neither by Scripture nor reason it can be proued but would yet be deceiued because the Church so commaundeth How could his Church which is the Pope and his Cardinals make new articles of faith besides those which Iesus Christ our king our Prophet and priest ordained and taught us which be contained in the Creed of the Apostles Let vs now answer to the Councels which our aduersaries alleage against vs. As touching that which they obiect against vs of the Councell of Ephesus wherein Cirillus gouerned and Theodoret who is so appaparantly against Transubstantiation was present therein they doe vs great wrong For the same do wee confesse that the Councell confesseth We say that receiuing this Sacrament we receiue not common flesh but flesh sanctifying which by an inseparable vnion is conioyned with the diuine word But how do we receiue it Spiritually by faith not carnally as say our aduersaries that they receiue eat and digest it For vntil it be digested they affirm it to be the flesh of Christ They obiect the councel of Vercell in the time of Leo the ninth where Berengarius was condemned They obiect the Councel of Lateran in the tyme of Nicholas 2. which caused Berengarius to recant The Lateran Councel also in the time of Innocent 3. Also the Councell of Constance Anno. 1516. The Trident also of our time in the time whereof so many Popes as Paule 3. Iulius 3. Marcellus 2. Paulus 4. Pius 4. and none of these for the causes that speaking of the Popes wee haue shewed were present in it poped But examine wee the recantation which Pope Nicholas the second that poped about the yeare 1060. commaunded Berengarius to make in the Councell of Lateran as it is written in the Decrees de consecrat dist 2. cap. Ego Berengarius Wherein hee was constrained to confesse that the body of Christ is handled or sensnally felt with the hands of Priests that it is broken that it is chewed with the teeth I demand of them how can the body of Christ which now is glorified and therefore impossible and no way subiect to these humane miseries suffer these things Which the Pope and his Councell do say The Glosser of the Decrees himselfe although not verie wise could not but see so great an absurditie as this and therefore sayd that this verie warily and aduisedly ought to be vnderstood for if thou doest not so saith he thou shalt fall into an error farre greater then that of Berengrius The Glossor then vnderstood it much better then Pope Nicholas or his Councell whose holy spirit the Pope was that the body of Christ in the Sacrament could no wayes bee touched with the handes nor broken nor chawed with the teeth For this cause the Maister of Sentences in the fourth willing to amend or conceale this so notable a fault saith That this which was commāded Berengarius to say ought not to be vnderstood of the body of Christ but of the Symbols which say they be the accidents And so in that manner of speaking admitteth a trope or figure according whereunto is attributed to the thing that which is of the symbols But should we vse this figure they would eat out our eyes Now shalt thou vnderstand the account which is to be made of such a Councel and of the other Councels that followed this in which the Pope or his Legates haue gouerned and nothing aught worthy was in them determined albeit the Fathers had broken their heads about it if the Pope approued it not So that the Pope only is hee which maketh and vnmaketh decrees and articles of faith and not the Councel Whē a Councell is celebrated the which from many to many yeares is done as though there were no euill life of the Prelates to be amended nor abuses superstitions heresies nor idolatries in the Church to bee corrected the Legates of the Pope which commonly are three for such is his cause that hee trusteth not one with it haue great regard to write to the Pope this or that is determined in the Councel how liketh it your Holinesse Then doth the Pope either approue it or blotting it out disalow it If he blot it out there is then no more treaty of that matter how true soeuer it be how profitable soeuer for the Church That which he approueth he writeth to his Legats This letter which the Pope sendeth is the holy spirit which now gouerneth the Councels This holy Spirit descendeth not from heauē but commeth inclosed in a budget or wallet Thus is the Councell not free but a seruant and of whom of the Pope Who as before by many most sufficient reasons we haue proued to be Antichrist So necessarie an article to saluation is
forgiuen thee The Scripture in many other places maketh mention of this humiliation and deiection of Christ and then of his glorious triumph against his enemies But this which we haue sayd sufficeth This benefit of the death and passion of Christ proposed ingenerall to all men doeth Saint Paule by faith applye to him selfe saying I am crucified with Christ and liue not I now but Christ liueth in me and in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Who so will enioy this benefite proposed in generall to all let him learne of Saint Paule to apply it by faith in particular to himself For whosoeuer shall not so doo Let him holde it for spoken he shall not enioy it They only be safe which beleue Christ to be giuen for their proper sinnes and risen againe for their iustification Hee which of himselfe shall not particularly beleeue this shall be condemned the death of Christ shall nothing auayle him But he which shall beleeue it shall be saued and being saued is assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor strength nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. His Maiestie increase this faith his gift it is A Christian then armed with such weapons of faith shall patiently and I say more ioyfully suffer for Christ tribulation sorrow persecution famine nakednesse danger sword fire and dishonour for to all these things the very day that wee truely beleeue in Christ are wee subiect For the disciple is not more to bee exempted from them then his maister was Hee increase faith in vs and make vs constant in aduersities for without him can we do nothing and with him can we do all things This verie well perceiued Saint Paule when he sayd I am able to do all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me God then with his exceeding loue so louing vs that he spared not his proper and only begotten Sonne but gaue him vp for vs and being bought not with gold nor siluer but with an inestimable treasure with the most precious bloud of Christ the Lambe without spot let vs not abase nor subiect our selues to sinne and wickednesse but seeing we are the friends sonnes and heires of God and brothers and coheires with Iesus Christ let vs highly esteeme our selues and apply our selues to vertue that God bee not angrie but ioyfull to haue such sonnes nor Christ ashamed but rather honored to call vs brethren friendes and companions In the sacred Scriptures are there very many places wherein the holy Spirit doth exhort vs to liue godly and holily but of all haue I chosē one which maketh much to the purpose because in it are mentioned both kindes of sacrifices to wit the propitiatory which only Christ one only time offered and the Eucharistcall which euery moment we offer or to speake better ought to offer the Spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul doth thus exhort vs Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to be an offring and sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor to God But fornication and all vncleannesse let it not once be named among you as it be commeth Saints neither filthines neither foolish talking nor iestings which are things not comely but rather giuing of thanks c. For all the che chapter is an exhortation to well liuing Let not man thinke for being called a Christian for being baptised for saying that he beleeueth in God for being trayned vp in the Church where he frequenteth sermons and celebrateth with the rest the holy supper Let him not thinke for all this say I that hee shall be saued if hee keepe not together with this the commaundements of God If thou wilt saith Christ enter into life keepe the commandements thou shalt not kil thou shalt not cōmit adultery c. That hypocrits may doe and doe the same but not this For without a true and liuely faith which hypocrites and wicked Christians haue not this cannot be done The outward shew the dead faith imaginary and idle is not the faith which iustifieth but the liuely true and diligent faith which bringeth forth in time fruits of charitie For as true fire cannot be without heate and the greater that the fire is the greater heat it giueth So true faith cannot be without good works and the more the faith is so much the more it worketh And contrariwise as the painted fire warmeth not as little also the dead faith worketh for being dead how shall it worke Such a perfection doth the holy Spirit require in vs that we do not onely good and commit no euill but willeth also that we be not familiar nor conuersant with the wicked Whereas such calling themselues brothers bee hypocrites vniust and impious So commaundeth the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 5. 1. If any man saith hee calling himselfe a brother shall be a fornicator a couetous person an idolater an euill speaker a drunkard a theefe with such a one eate not The cause why we ought not to bee familiar with such in the second epistle to the Thessal chap. 3. 14. he sheweth And conuerse not with him saith he that hee may bee ashamed And Rom. 16. 17. he commandeth vs to depart from them which make dissentions And 2. Ioh. vers 10. it is commanded we should not salute them To receiue then and enioy the benefit of Christs sacrifice such ought as we haue mentioned to be the life of a Christian Hee that shall not be so perfect for who shall hee bee seeing there is no man but finneth and sith the iust man falleth seuen times I would say many times a day if he fall seuen times a day what will hee doe all his life long fall and rise againe He that shall not then be so perfect let him desire so to be let him sigh and bewayle his imperfection before the Lord let him beseech him of grace to become perfect Let him beleeue the Lord to be so good that he will accept this good desire proceeding from so contrite and humble heart and so will he supply the faults of our imperfections and not impute them vnto vs. And thus shall we enioy the benefite of the sacrifice which Christ our high and onely Priest once offered to his Father We haue proued Christ onely to be our Priest and onelie his body bloud which he once offered vpon the crosse to be the only and vnreiterable sacrifice expiatorie whereby our sinnes are pardoned and we for euer sanctified Let vs now as we promised treat of the institution of the holy supper and so wil we conclude this Treatise The Lord knowing our carelesnesse
TWO TREATISES The first OF THE LIVES OF THE POPES AND THEIR DOCTRINE The second OF THE MASSE THE ONE and the other collected of that which the Doctors and ancient Councels and the sacred Scripture do teach Also A Swarme of false Miracles wherewith Marie de la Visitacion Prioresse de la Annuntiada of Lisbon deceiued very many and how she was discouered and condemned Reuelation 17. 1. Come and I will shew thee the condemnation af the great Whore which fitteth vpon many waters And vers 15. The waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues The second edition in Spanish augmented by the Author himselfe M. Cyprian Valera and translated into English by Iohn Golburne 1600. Printed at London by Iohn Harison and are to be sold at the Grey-hound in Pater noster row 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD KEEPER OF the great Seale of England Chamberlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester and of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell I. G. wisheth all health increase of honour and euerlasting happinesse SOlons law to the Athenians right Honorable adiuged him to die vnworthy to liue that in time of ciuill garboyles as carelesse of the weale publike withdrew himselfe and became a neuter Which law albeit proceeding from a Pagan yet holding affinitie with holy writ I cannot but approue and wish the same were also of force among Christians Professed Christians I meane which in these factious broyles in the common wealth of Israel wherein Religion seemeth to be rent as it were in two each part challenging the truth as his owne proper whereas but one Truth there is and the same indiuisible are either carelesse and negligent in the Lords worke and so accursed or els become luke-warme awaiting onely occasion to runne with the streame and cleaue to time and stronger part for their better safetie Both which as abominable to God are to be spued out of his sacred mouth to be shunned of men as the Apostle willeth Sith hated then of God and detested of men I conculde with Solon such Foxes not worthy to liue among Christians would God they were cut off from destroying the Lords vineyard The consideration whereof and that my selfe albeit simple and most vnworthy of many thousands secluded from the world and cut off from the societie of men or meanes of imployment to benefit as of right it claimeth my natiue country am also a member of this Christian cōmon wealth hath made me charie to be taxed with the guilt of like crime careful to auoid the note of both the one and the other prickt therefore with the spurre of dutie zeale and hartie desire to good the Region wherein I first tooke breath though little carefull of my good to the vtmost stretch of my poor abilitie I bring here my endeuour and translation into our vulgar tongue for the helpe and instruction of the simple The due commendations of the Author and Subiect farre exceedeth my reach and therefore do leaue them to the censure of the learned And taught by long experience your Lordships godly zeale for the aduauncement of true religion and due execution of iustice the hauing or wanting whereof is the glorie and suretie or maime and ruine of all sttates and kingdomes and seeing your Lordship by diuine goodnesse placed and by Regall power deputed in this selfe same common-wealth for a light vnto others and a Shepheard to feed the people with iustice and iudgement These my good Lord with the worthinesse of the worke best beseeming so worthy a Patron together with humble acknowledgment of dutie to your Lordship haue caused me make choise of your honorable selfe the better emboldened thereunto by your good acceptance of my former booke And so I humbly commend this my trauel to your like view and protection not doubting but your Lordship after your wonted honorable disposition will vouchsafe to take in worth my simple present and pardon my presumption proceeding from an affectionate desire to do your honour seruice whereunto before all men I acknowledge my selfe bounden and my dayly study shall be imployed I beseech the eternall Deity to increase his graces in your Lordship that his glory may more thereby appeare and multiply your dayes as the dayes of heauen to pull the pray frō the Spoylers iawes and relieue the oppressed And so in all humilitie I take leaue Fleete my miserable prison this 24. of October 1600 Your Lordships most bounden in all affectionate dutie IOHN GOLBVRNE The Translator to the Reader I Haue pained my selfe gentle Reader to doe thee pleasure and therefore craue but that curtesie of thee which in common right is my due namely thy good conceit and fauourable censure of my trauell which albeit not pollished with finenesse of phrase yet it is beautified with truth of matter as God gaue abilitie my small knowledge in the tongue and the misery of the place aforded If any will charge me with folly and presumption in attempting this translation better beseeming some of riper iudgement I graunt there is cause yet thou forward taxer of faultes in others why doest thou not rather iudge condemne thy self that hauing a better talent hast worse imployed it nay hast buried the same in ten yeares space sithens this worthy worke was first published hast not bettered thy country by thy paines taking nor benefited others by translating it thy selfe For my part I hold it fitter that the body rather brooke a meane repast then starue for want of foode And had rather my rash ignorance should be published in print and so noted of thee for of better minds I expect better thoughts then that so heauenly a light of Christian knowledge should rest obscured in the mysty darknesse of a strange language and so precious a treasure be buried in rustie silence without comfort or commoditie to my countrey For among so many worthy labourers in the Lords vineyard raised vp by God in this latter age there is none pardon me good Reader if my simple iudgement faile me that hath exceeded nay few or none that hath equalled this Authour in the matter and method of this booke Wherein by way of Antithesis are liuely set forth Christ and Antichrist To the end that two contraries opposed Christ the true light may appeare more glorious and Antichrist the child of darkenes may be viewed in his proper colour that the one may be imbraced with all obedience and the other abandoned with all detestation and horror For if thou wouldest know by the word of God and be assured by the testimony of his holy Spirit that Ancichrist foretold by the Prophets and Apostles is already come and the sonne of perdition renealed if thou wouldest know the certaine time the place the maner and markes of his reuelation If thou wouldest know and be acertained by the same Spirit that the Pope is a false Priest that very same
did also a Councell holden in the time of this Stephen condemne him But Romanus successor of Stephen and Theodorus And Iohn 10 or 9 condemned Stephen and iustified sn Formosus And this did not these 3 Popes onely but a generall Councell of 74. Bishops holden in the time of Iohn 10. did also the same But all this notwithstanding the third time that Sergius was Pope he tooke part with Stepben against Formosus Condemding that which 3 Popes and the Councell had done and was most cruell against the bodie of Formosus vntombing it and doing that vnto it which vpon his life we will declare Read their liues Christian Reader Dogges shalt thou see that teare in peeces and eate one another Not men shalt thou see but diuels incarnate Thou must also vnderstand that in the names of some Popes there is great disagreement Pope Iohn the last Platina calleth the 24. and in order 214. Carança calleth him 24. But the 213. in order Pero Mexia calleth him the 24. Another way carrieth Panuinus 22. he calleth him or 23. and saith that he is the 209. in order Thus taketh he from out the Catalogue Fiue Popes two whereof be Iohns And it is also to be noted that from Iohn 8. which was a wicked woman All the Iohns almost haue bene pestilent fellowes Read their liues Three causes there be why some do number lesse Popes The first is because some Popes a very small time Poped The 2. is because many reckon not for Popes all those that were not cannonically elected The 3. is because some will not hold them for Popes who albeit they were connonically elected yet in there Popedome wickedly gouerned For the first reason many reckon not for Pope Stephen 2. who but three or as some say 4 dayes Poped For the 2. reason exclude they all those whom they call Antipopes chosen in the time of Schisme 30 Schismes counteth Panuinus to haue bene wherein at one time were 4 Popes another time 3. another 2. Herehence is it that they count not Iohn 18. Whom others call 17. nor Clemēt nor Clement 8. And therefore Clement 9. they call 7. nor Benedict 5 nor Benedict 7. called they 6. nor Benedict 13. For these 2 reasons exclude they al thē that by wicked artes deceipt force gifts or promises were made Popes Such doe the Councels and decrees of the Popes themselues not hold for Popes Read that which the Councell of Lateran holden in the time of Nicholas 2. ordained touching this matter And so many hold not for pope Constantine 2. Who being a lay-man and without any orders was by force made Pope Should this decree be obserued neither Siluester 2. the great inchaūter nor Boniface 8. nor Gregory 7 nor an infinit nomber of Popes which by wicked artes c. Were made Popes shuld be called Popes so very few shuld remaine in the catalogue of the Popes The 3. reason why some be not counted Popes is that albeit they were cannonically chosen yet during their Popedome either in life or in Doctrin or both in life Doctrin were they abhominable For this cause some count not Lando Read his life For the same cause some reckon not Iohn 8. a whore before when she was Pope Were this reason ought worth very few should be counted for Popes For all the Popes ingenerall from Boniface 3. vntill Sistus 5. who now tyrannizeth haue either in life or Doctrine bene wicked And so ought not to be connted Boniface 8. Of whom say all that he entred like a Foxe liued like a Lyon and died like a Dogge And alone was not he that did this he had many companions These be the causes why some reckon lesse Popes then others And in these names Stephen Iohn Clement Benedict Constantine and Felix shal be found this abridgement of Popes There are no liues of kings nor Emperors were they Christians pagans Iewes Turkes Scithians or of whatsoeuer other nation so confusedly and diuersly written as are the liues of the Popes And that which is more to be maruailed written imprinted and approued by the papists themselues The holy Ghost it seemeth hath purposely cast into the writing of their liues this confusion For the Popes being kings and Lords of Rome And Rome as say Saint Ierom Petrark Laurentius Valla and many others is Babilon And Babilon as much to say as confusion all whatsoeuer the Popes haue done doe and shall doe is and shal be confusion And so can no order be held in counting of them And with what more proper name then Babilon or confusion can that Church be called wherein they so pray and sing in straunge confused Language that one vnderstandeth not another And that yet which is worse he him selfe that praieth of singeth vnderstandeth not oft times that which is sayd My desire is friendly Reader to aduise thee of this confusion That if thou shalt read in one author that Pope Iohn 24. for the great villanies and heresies which in his presence and to his face were proued was condemned in the Councell of Constance and others say this happened to Pope Iohn 23. others to Pope Iohn 22. then nothing maruaile For these 3 Iohns 22. 23. and 24. be one selfe same Pope Iohn Concerning the concurrences of the kings of Spaine which I place with the Pope I haue followed Don Alonso de Carthagena Bishoppe of Burgos in his Latine Historie of the kings of Spaine which he calleth Anacephalaeosis as much to say as a Recapitulation No other hath bene the purpose and motiue me mouing to write these 2. Treatises of the Pope and of the Masse But the great desire I haue that they of my nation might enioy the same mercies which the Lord in these last times hath shewed to many nations in Europe giuing them liberty of conscience this not to let loose the raynes to serue the lusts of the flesh but in spirit and truth to serue the liuing God whom to serue is to raigne I very much sorrow that my nation to whom the Lord God for the things of this world hath giuen so much wit hability and vnderstanding which other nations cannot deny In things pertayning to God in the things concerning the saluation of their soules or going to heauen or hell is so blockish and blind that it suffereth it selfe to be carried by the Masse that it suffereth it selfe to be gouerned troden vnder foote tyrannized of the Pope of the man of sinne of the sonne of perdition of Antichrist whom as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God And that moreouer which S. Paul 2. Thess 2. saith All the euill of the Spaniards cōmeth vnto them of a false perswasion which they haue conceiued of the authority of the Pope The Pope they beleeue to be the successor of Saint Peter the Vicar of Christ God vppon earth They beleeue that all whatsoeuer the pope doth on earth God doth it in heauen and what soeuer he vndoeth
nor absolue anie and those which were so ordained ought to be againe ordained yet the grace of the Sacrament did she obtaine for those that with a good faith by an inuincible ignorance did receiue it I answer he deceiues himselfe for those are not Sacraments which are not administred by those whom God hath ordained albeit they haue many imperfections yea although they be hypocrites as by the Priestes that liued in the time of Iesus Christ appeareth which albeit they were wicked yet because they were of the tribe of Leui and so outwardly called their Sacrifices were Sacrifices and their Sacraments were Sacraments And so the Lord and his Apostles when they found them sacrificing and celebrating in the Temple held them for such Contrariwise the Sacrifices which the Priestes of Ierohoam did offer and the Sacraments by them administred were no Sacrifices nor Sacraments because they were not administred by those of the Tribe of Leuie whome God himselfe had ordained Ione then being a woman I say was no Priest and being no Priest had authoritie neither to ordeine nor yet to consecrate and therefore the Priestes by her authoritie ordained were not the Priestes of God but of Ieroboam or of Baal And these I say that receaued their sacrament had no sounde faith for Faith is founded vpon the word of God Faith saith the Apostle commeth by hearing and heariing by the word of Christ Other maner of consolation and quietnes of conscience haue they which beleeue that Iesus Christ euer was is and shal be the head and foundation of his Church and that there is no other head nor foundation but he alone as saith Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. 11. Other foundation saith he then that which is Iesus Christ can no man lay he onely is the foundation he onely is the head of his Church whose Vicar generall is his Spirit as he himselfe witnesseth That Comforter the holie Spirit whom the Father shall sende in my name he shall teache you all thingâ—s and bring to your remembrance all that whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you Pero Mexia by a good faith meaneth that faith as they call it of the Collier This Collier being at point to die a learned man the diuell say some others came to tempt him demanding of him what he beleeued I beleeue answered he that which the holy mother the church beleueth The deuill replying and what beleeueth the Church That answered the Collier which I beleeue And so often as the diuill demanded the veriâ— same did the collier answer For the poore man knew not what he beleeued much lesse what the Church beleeued Of that sort was he which not knowing what they beleeue sayd they beleeue in God à pies Iuntillos fully Hosius Bishop of Varmiens intreating in his third booke of or against the authoritie of holy scripture doth hold it a very safe thing to followe the example of this Colliar Oh fearefull ignorance which shall not excuse sinne God commaundeth to reade and search the scriptures and they will neither reade nor search theÌ„ what excuse wil they haue with their ignorance Saint Peter exhorteth euâ—rie faithfull Christian to be readie to yeeld accompte of his hope And who shall giue accompt of his hope or faith that neither readeth nor heareth the word of God For knowe this that as the wyke in a candle or Lampe no longer burneth then oile continueth no more also can faith liue but whiles it is nourished with the word of God He that neither readeth nor heareth nor meditateth vpon the worde of God what faith can he haue that which they call fully to beleâ—ued in God and that of the Colliar which neither knewe what the Church nor he himselfe beleeued But returne we now to our Pope Ione The Emperour Lewes 2. sonne of Lotharius in the time of this Ione came to Rome at her handes receiued his septer and crowne Imperiall together as they call it with Saint Peters blessing In her time also Don Alonso the third reigned in Spaine as Don Rodrigo Sanchez Bishop of Palencia describing the life of Don Alonso the third saith In his time saith he at Rome sate Leo the fourth Iohn the eight Benedict the third and Nicholas the first And Don Alonso of Carthagena speaking in his Concurrence of this Don Alonso the third saith there was Leo the fourth and Iohn the English Pope Ione dying in sort as before said Benedict the third was chosen He was the first that sate in holed seate c. The cause why vpon the life of Ione we haue before declared Lewes the Emperor sent his Embassadours to confirme this election At this time Don Alonso the third raigned in Spainâ— The thirteenth Sisme was betweene this Benedict and Anastasius but Anastaâ—sius renounced In the the presence of Lewes the Emperour Nicholas the first was chosen but when the Emperour was departed out of Italie the Pope made many â—â—nstitutions and among others these That the life of the Clergie should not be iudged by the Laytie that none should any way dispute of the Popes authoritie That the Christian magistrate had no authoritie ouer the chiefe Bishop because the chiefe Bishop say they is called God Anton. tit 16. The constitution that the diuine office should be celebrate in Latine he renewed Yet dispensed with them of Slauonia and Polonia which did celebrate it in their vulgar tongue He ordeined that the constitutions of the Popes should be equall in authoritie with those of the Apostles The Beastes hornes growe very seuere was this beast against married Priestes To which impietie Huldricke Bishop of Augusta oposed himselfe and wrote an Epistle which excellently shewed the cursed fruites of constrained single life The summe whereof speaking of Gregorie the first we haue before declared This Nicholas with other Bishops forbad all faithfull Christians to heare Masse said by a wenching Priest If this were obserued few Masses would be heard because the greatest parte of priestes be wenchers In the 867. yeare dyed Nicholas In whose time in Spaine reigned Don Alonso 3. and Don Garcia his sonne After Nicholas succeeded Adrian 2. and after Adrian Iohn 9. whom others omitting Ione call Iohn 8. Martin 2. by deceit and wicked arts was made Pope with the ceremony of the seat c. and confirmed without any authoâ—itie or consent of the Emperor For now the hornes of the Popes were growne and of the Emperour they nothing esteemed he dyed in the yeare 884. Adcian 3. being Pope made a decree that in the election of the chiefe Bishop the Emperour should not be regarded but that the Clergie people of Rome might freely make choise without any confirmation at all of the Emperour Thus lost the Emperour his right in Rome and in the choise of the chiefe Bishop And by reason of the Emperours then warres with the Normans the Pope swayed the matter Adrian dyed
in the 885. yeare In whose time Don Garcia reigned in Spaine Stephen the 5. or 6. was the first saith Gracian dict 16. cap. Enimuerò that commanded al men of necessitie to obserue the statute of the Roman Church In the 891. yeare he died In whose time Don Alonso 4. reigned in Spaine Formosus being Bishop was deposed and sworne neuer to be so againe of which oath made to Iohn 9. Martin 2. for mâ—ney absolued him Stephen 6. being dead Formosus by giftes obteyned the Popedome albeit Sergius who sought to haue had it did greatly withstand him but Formosus with his faire giftes preuailed This was the holy spirit that did choise him In the 895. yeare dyed Formosus Don Alonso 4. then reigning in Spaine The 14. Sisme wherein Sirgius 3. was elected against Formosus But vnable to striue further renounced was banished Formosus being dead Boniface 6. was chosen who continewed Pope 15 dayes Don Alonso 4. reigned in Spaine Stephen 6. or 7. was vngratefull to Formosus that had made him Bishop whom he so much abhorred that being Pope he not contented himselfe to disanull and make voyd all whatsoeuer Formosus had donâ— saying that he was not lawful nor truly Pope but afterwards condemned him in a Councell which he held After he was condemned he caused him to be vnburied and being vntombed taking from him all his pontificall ornaments clothing him in secular habite did disgrade him he caused the 2 fingers of his right hand which the priests vse chiefely in consecration to be cut off and cast into Tyber The very same almost did Pascal 2. to the body of Clement 3. Herein did he not imitate Christ who commanded to pardon iniuries and to do good to them that hate vs but Silla who for the great hatred he bare him caused Marius to be vntoÌ„bed Platina vpon the life of this Stephen saith that he raised hereby an euill slaunder and example to his successors for the Popes afterwardes did vsually disanul that which their predecessors dad ordeined yea albeit by a Councell confirmed by authoritie of another Councell they made it frustrate And so did Romanus successour of Stephen condemne all whatsoeuer Stephen had done and restored to his honour Formosus The same did Theodor 2. and Iohn 10. or 9. These Popes saith Platina were monsters or to speake better diuels in carnate Iohn 10. held a Councell of 74. bishop wherin he iustified Formosus condeÌ„ned Stephen 7. Note here that froÌ„ the 891. yere to the 903. which was 12. years were 10 Popes Formosus Sergius 3. Boniface 6. Stephen 7. Romanus Theodorus 2. Iohn 10. Sergius 3. againe Benedict 4. Leo 5 Christopher And lastly Sergius 3. whom in this catalogue haue we three times named For thrise was he Pope the 1. 2. time deposed but the third time truly because he caried away the matter In the first time that Sergius was Pope was the 14. Sisme and in the second the 15. Sisme in the 897. yeare dyed Stephen 7. And Don Alonso 4. reigned in Spaine Platiâ—a speaking of Benedict 4. saith that when the Church through wealth began to wax wanton and wanted a Prince to bridle the villanies of the Clergie then libertie to sinne brought forth these monsters and intolerable burthens This honorable testimony of him giueth Platina Leo 5. being Pope liued in great troubles For one Christopher whoÌ„ he had brought vp aduanced not without great bloudshed as noteth Platina tooke cast him into prison by that meanes made himselfe Pope whose violence ingratitude and wicked artes were the holy spirite that did chose him But Sergius 3. ayded by Marozia his strumpet of whom he had a sonne that after his father was Pope as Luithprandus in his historie doth witnesse deposed the Pope put him into a monasterie and by the helpe of his Marozia a famous and notable whore made himselfe Pope This Sergius 3 was competitor with Formosus in the Popedom but Formosus as vpon Formosus we haue said preuailing Sergius weÌ„t into France From wheÌ„ce returning he so intreated Christopher as afore is declared When Sergius was made Pope he called to mind the iniuries receiued of Formosus and thirsting for reuenge vntombed his body that had eight yeares bene buried made shewe to kill him as though he had bene liuing cut off the three fingers which Stephen had left and moreouer his body as vnworthy of Christian buriall he cast into Tyber And notwithstanding that Formosus had by three Popes bene approued yet did he condemne whatsoeuer Formosus had done ordeined a new all those by Formosus ordeined Behold here how Stephen and Sergius condemned Pope Formosus Romanus Theodorus Iohn approued him and all that he did In these Popes time Don Ramiro 2. reigned in Spaine Anastasius 3. succeeded Sergius 3. in whose time histories report that certaine fishermen in Tyber found the body of Formosus they say further that when his body was buried in the Church of S. Peter the Images of the Church did salute him doing him certaine reuerence gaue him the welcome Monstrous is this lie or if it be true the diuell the more to blind the people with superstition and deceit caused that motion For Antichrist as saith S. Paul shall come with lying wonders In the 913. yere died Anastasius D. Ordono 3. reigned in Spaine Lando as saith Petrus Premostratensis had a sonne in adultry before he was Pope which also was Pope and called â—ohn 11. or 10. of wicked life was this Lando he was Pope but 6. moneths 22. daies therfore by some not counted among the Popes Iohn 11. or 10. succeeded his father Lando another such or rather worse then he for he was Pope 14. yeares Platina saith that he was the sonne of Sergius 3. whose life Luithprandus which then liued noteth to be wicked At this time Theodora a shameles strumpet is said to haue commaunded in Rome two daughters she had Marozia and Theodora and if the mother were a notable whore the daughters were more notable Of this Iohn before he was Pope was the mother enamored and by his strumpets meanes was he first made Bish of Bologna afterwardes Archbishop of Rauenna during which time the Pope dyed Now Theodora seeing this occasion and vnwilling to remayne so far remote from her louer for that Reuenna was 200 miles distant froÌ„ Rome she caused him to leaue his Archbishoprick and made him Pope The same Luithprandus in the 12. chap. of his 3. booke reciteth the miserable end of this Iohn And thus it is Marozia his daughter in law say we the daughter of Theodora intending to make Pope his sonne Iohn 12. the son also of Pope Sergius 3. caused him to be taken with a pillow laid ouer his mouth to be murthered But
Councel of Rome after the said three Popes were deposed Clement 2. an Almaine by commandement of the Emperour was chosen He crowned the Emperour Henry and caused the Romans by an oth to renounce their right in election of the Pope For cofirmation of this renunciation I will here declare what Frier Iohn de Pin. pa. 3. lib. 19. cap. 24 ¶ 2. Blundus saith he holdeth that Clement 2. for the auoyding of Sismes depriued the Romans of the election of the Popes But Crancius Saxus say that in the Sutrian Councell it was forbidden them and granted to the Emperour And Naucterus and Sigebertus write that Henrie the Emperour bound the Romanes by an oth not to intermeddle with the Popes elections Thus farre Pineda The Romanes not regarding their oth after the Emperours departure from Rome poysoned the Pope whereof hauing bene Pope nine moneths he died Stephen they say who succeeded him in the Bishopdome and called himselfe Damasus the second prepared for him the poison Don Fernando 1. reigned in Spaine Damasus the second of Bauara without consent either of the Clergie or people of Rome by force held the Popedome For then as saith Platina was the custome that he which most could he had the Popedome But he enioyed not his bishopprick so ambitiously gotten but 23 dayes for he was poisoned The cause therof was that there was thē in Rome a man called Gerardo Brazuto who vsing a certaine deceitfull kind of friend ship in the space of 13 yeares dispatched with poison 6 Popes whose names be these Clement 2. Damasus 2. Leo 9. Victor 2. Stephen 9. Nicholas 2. The Romanes seeing themselues in such Sismes and seditions by the blacke elections of the Popes sent their Embassadors and besought the Emperour Henry to giue them a pope who sent vnto them Leo 9. Leo 9. comming to Rome encountred by the way with the the Abbot of Clunia and Hildebrand that afterward was Pope who seeing him Bishop-like attired perswaded him by no meanes so to enter Rome because not the Emperour but the Clergie and people of Rome had authoritie to make a pope Brunon before so called did as they aduised him came to Rome confessed his offence so they made him pope When he was pope Hildrbraud he made Cardinall and was with him very familiar granting all whatsoeuer he demaunded And so was Hildebrande of a poore Monke made a rich Cardinall Hildebrand reconciled with Pope Leo his old Lord and maister Theophilact before deposed from the popedome and now hipocritically reconciled In Verceles held Leo a Councell wherein he condemned the doctrine of Beringarius because he would not worship the cōsecrate bread for that it was bread not God Frier Ioh. de Pineda par 3. lib. 19. ca. 26. ¶ 2 of Berengarius albeit an enemie touching doctrine reporteth great vertues Beringarius saith he was a man of good learning quicke and mercifull and S. Antoninus addeth humbled whereof I much maruell c. And a little lower Most chast was he also so that he would not enter where any woman was This Leo 9. and partly at the instigation of that good peece Hildebrandus wholly forbad mariage to to ecclesiasticall persons Of this Leo 9. reporteth Carion lib. 4 of his historie that being Pope he went with the Emperour into Almaine And when the Emperour had called a Synod which was held in Maguncia the Pope being in the Councell would haue preferred himselfe to the Bishop of Maguntia But the Bishop alleaging his right defended the same and so was the Pope constrained to giue place For albeit the Popes had oftentimes attempted the tyrannie to be preferred before other Bishops yet had they not preuayled The which in the time of Henry the fift they obtained Fiue yeares was he Pope and the 1054 yeare of poyson which Brazuto gaue him he died Don Fernando 1. then reigned in Castile Victor 2. was Pope two yeares and somwhat more but Brazuto with poison dispatched him Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile Stephen 10 or 9. fulfilled not one whole yeare For Brazuto dispatched him quickly in the 1058. year Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile In the absence of Hildebrand was Benedict 10. or 9. But Hildehrand who then was the holy Spirit which ruled the Court of Rome did much stomacke this election and accusing him that by force bribes he had attained the Popedome so wrought that Benedict was deposed Wretched Hildebrand and how was he afterwards and his predecessors before him The old saying in this Benedict was fulfilled Para los desdichados se hizo la horca For the vnhappie was the gallowes prepared In the 1059. yeare Benedict vnwillingly renounced And Don Sancho 2. reigned in Castile Benedict deposed Hildebrand laboured the Clergie to choose Gerrard whom they called Nicholas 2. But vnable with his safety to make him in Rome they went to Sena and elected him there Nicholas seeing himselfe Pope called against Benedict the 10. a Synod in Sutrio This was the 21. Sisme which Benedict perceiuing who was a peaceable man leauing the Popedome he fled from Rome and so died not of poyson This Nicholas 2. held another Councell in Rome which they called the Councell of Lateran wherin he commanded that whosoeuer either by money fauour popular tumult or warre without the mutual consent of the Cardinals attained to the seat of S. Peter should not be holden for Apostolicall but Apostaticall To the Cardinals Clergie and Laity he gaue power to excommunicate and curse as a thiefe such a chiefe bishop and to call a Councell for deposing of such a Pope And if they could not in Rome yet in some other place they should call it Behold if his successours kept this decree Nicholas 2. poysoned by Brazuto in the 1061 yeare dyed Don Sancho 2. then reigned in Castile By the crafty subtiltie of Hildebrand and without consent of the Emperour was Alexander 2. made Pope for which cause the Lombards in the Diet holden at Basil where the Emperor was present elected Honorius Cadolus This was the 22. Sisme Honorius came with a great host and besieged Rome but he his were destroyed and so Alexander 2. gotte possession This Alexander commanded that the Cardinals only should choose the Pope Great alterations haue bene in chusing of the Pope First by the Senate Clergie and people of Rome with consent of the Emperor he was chosen then was he chosen of the Clergie and people of Rome one while with the Emperours consent another while without afterwards he was chosen by the Clergie now only by the Cardinals and is not to be chosen except he be Cardinall present in the Conclaue when the election is made The holy Spirit that gouerneth in the Popes election is euery day more wise and better aduised Hildebrand cast this Pope Alexander into prison aduancing himselfe with the papall
to be murdered For Conradino the sonne and heire of Conrade king of Sicilia sought to defend his right but Charles ouercame and tooke him prisoner together with Fredericke Duke of Austria neere vnto Naples and by the counsell of the pope did behead them For Charles wrote to the Pope what he should doe with Conradino his prisoner The Pope answered The life of Charles the death of Conradino c. After him Adrian 5. against this Charles demanded aide of Rodolph the Emperour The kingdome of Naples by meanes of this cursed Pope came to the French and the Dukedome of Sueuia tooke end In the 1270. yeere this butcher died The seat of Sathan was long time to wit two yeeres and nine moneths and two dayes voide And Don Alonso 10. then reigned in Castile Clement the fourth being dead the Cardinals which were 17. number to chuse a new pope assembled together Amongst whom so great discord arose that in almost three yeeres space they could not agree for euery of them pretended to be pope Philip king of France and Charles king of Sicill hearing of this great discord came to Viterbo where the Cardinals were and prayed them to dispatch and chuse a chiefe bishop but so great was the ambition of the Cardinals that all this trauell and sute of the two kings were to no purpose so they returned without any thing done When they were in the election inuocating the holy spirit bishop Iohn Cardinall Portuensis seeing the great forwardnesse of the Cardinals said vnto them My Lords let vs vncouer this chamber for the holy spirit through so great roofes cannot enter vnto vs. When the same Cardinall vnderstood that Gregory was Pope he cōpiled these two verses Papatus munus tulit Archidiaconus vnus Quem patrem patrum fecit discordia fratrum To wit an Archdeacon attained to the Popedom whom the discord of brothers made father of fathers All this reporteth Panuinus an Augustin Frier Behold here what the Romists thēselues report of the elections of their Popes behold here Ambition the holy spirit which in their election gouerneth Gregory 10. thus elected in the yere 1273. at Lyons in France did celebrate a Councell where Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople who approued the doctrin of the Romaine church his predecessors hauing 12 times done the like as many times more reuoked the same was present In this councell it was ordeined that the Pope being dead the Cardinals shold shut thēselues in the Conclaue And that moreouer which Panuinus in the note vpon Platina vpon the life of this Gregory 10. saith He renued a fresh the warre of the holy land And in 5 yeres that he poped neuer saw Rome In the 1276. yere he died and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Innocent 5. a Burgonion was the first begging friar that was made pope for which cause he much fauored his dominicks And hauing poped 6. moneths 2. daies the same yere with his predecessor he died Adriā 5. a Genoway was the nephew or as is thought the son of Innocēt 4. whē he was Pope he went frō Rome to Viterbo frō whence he wrote to Rodulph the Emperour to aide him against Charles king of Sicilia which Charles had the former popes against all right made king of Sicil as in the life of Clement 4. we haue noted but the Emperor occupied in the wars of Bohemia could not succor him He poped but one moneth 7 daies then died Iohn 22. or 21 or 20 before he was pope called in latin Petrus Hispanus was born at Lisbon by professiō a Phisition Albeit this mā was holden for very learned yet was he very vnskilfull to gouerne And as saith Platina wrought more domage thē profit to the popedom Many things he did which shew his folly lightnes One good property he had that whē he saw a yong man inclined to study with benefits money he would aide him This mā foolish as he was promised by the stars long life to himselfe so would tell it to all men But it farre otherwise happened to him for a certaine chamber which Valerius calleth a sporting chamber Estella calleth it a precious bed chamber which he had builded for his pleasure in the pallace of Viterbo at the end of 4. dayes fell suddenly to the ground the Pope was found betweene the timber the stones who hauing poped 8. moneths and 8. daies at 7. dayes end in the 1277. yere died Six moneths after the death of his predecessor was Nicholas 3. chosen for the Cardinals could not agree at the end of which time Charles king of Sicilia ruling as a Senator in the Conclaue Nicholas 3. was chosen who after he was pope began thē to persecute Charles he tooke frō him the vicaredge of Hetruria he tooke frō him also the power of Senator giuē him by Clement 4. he forbad that no king or prince thenceforth should dare to demand or administer that office tooke it to himselfe But Martin the 4. his successor did restore it vnto him For so agree the Popes that that which one doeth another vndoeth This Nicholas with great wars vexed Italy And the better to effect his purposes he perswaded Don Pedro king of Arragon to demand the kingdom of Sicilia seeing it was his in the right of his wife Constance This counsell much pleased Don Pedro which was afterwards the cause of much bloodshed In the yere 1381. died Nic. Martin 4. a Frenchman Panninus cals him 2. with great humanity receiued Charles king of Sicilia and restored him to the dignity of Senator that moreouer which his predecessor had taken frō him He excōmunicated Don Pedro king of Arragon who leuied a great armie to inuade Charles in Sicilia gaue his kingdome for a prey to the first that could take it absolued all his vassals from their oth to him made as their king c. yet Don Pedro of al this made no reckoning but passed into Italy aided by Paleologus Emperor of Constantinople wan Sicilia The Sicilians for their pride luxuritie bare great hatred to the French so that they conspired against Charles his frenchmen toulling the bels they issued out killed all nor sex nor age regarded yong old men and women albeit great with child they destroyed These be the Euensongs which the Sicilians call so famous After this Charles with his armie comming to Naples was vanquished taken as saith Platina sent into Arragon This Pope Martin tooke the concubine of his predecessor Nicholas 3. when Martin had 4. yeares and one moneth poped in the 1285. yeare he died of whom saith Platina that after his death he wrought great miracles Don Alonso 10. then raigned in Castile Honorius the fourth following the steps of his predecessor Martin 4. confirmed the excommunication and interdiction against Don Pedro which held
seeing that the Bishops were expulsed the same Ierâ—nimus Vida Bishop of Cremona had in the name of the other Bishops indited the letter to the Pope Which knowne to Marcellus with most vehement words he warned Vida in no wise to send the letter to the Pope For that it should be a thing euill in example that the Bishops assembled in the Councell should write such letters to the high Bishop as though they would seeme to prescribe him a law which would be so great a mischiefe that they should be holden for suspected Vida vanquished with this saying so tempered with the other Bishops that the letter was not sent When Vergerius was to departe the Councell he went to speake with Marcellus and among other thinges that he sayd vnto him he demaunded for what cause he did cast him from the Councell and what Articles he could obiect why he would exclude him from the company of the other Bishops To this answered Marcellus because I haue heard thou hast sayd the Legends of Saint George and Saint Christopher were not true Vergerius answered so it is I sayd so and so I say still For I relie vpon the authoritie of Pope Paul 3. who hauing commanded that both the one and the other Legends should be spunged out of the Roman Breuiarie In the preface of the said Breuiarie he had commaunded saith he the Legends which were not true to be taken away Marcellus thus caught answered that they ought not to be holden for good men that seeme in the least thing to consent with the Lutheranes and so said he vnto him depart then from our Councell This haue I said that it may appeare what hope is to be had of the Councelles where the Pope and his Legates gouerne If there be any that will speake with good zeale of Gods glorie his mouth they will stoppe and if he will not yet be silent cast him out of the Councell Behold how free is that Councell where each one is not suffered to speake that is meet Such a one was Marcellus before he was Pope and such and worse being Pope would he haue bene had not God taken him from the world when he had Poped but twenty three dayes and some say that hee dyed of Poyson Paul 4. a Neapolitane before called Iohannes Petrus Carafa Cardinall Chietino or Theatino in the 1555. yeare with ful consent of the Cardinals who desired to please Henry the French king was chosen Pope He being in Venice before he was Pope with his hypocrisie and fayned holynesse did Institute or reforme the new order of the fellowship of diuine loue which of him that was Bishop of Chiety was called Chietinos or Theatinos as we haue said vpon Paul 3. He forsooke this order by him instituted or reformed and being ready to depart Venice his religious consort demaunded whither he went Whether I goe answered he can ye not come giuing them to vnderstand that he went to Rome to be Pope if he might He gaue it out before he was Pope that he nought else desired but reformation of the Church and so of this argument wrote a booke which he dedicated to Paule the third But when he was Pope he for nothing lesse cared Who listeth to read this booke shall see that almost he confirmeth those Articles whereof we accuse the Papists To wit that so ruyned is the Church among them that it is not now the Chuch of Christ but of the diuels The Popes saith he hauing itching eares haue heaped vp Maisters which entertaine them in their lustes and concupiscence That through the Cardinals and Bishops the name of Christ is blasphemed among the Gentiles That the power of the keyes serueth onely to â—ake together money That wicked men are ordeyned That nothing but Symony is seene in the Church That the Prelates bee verie ambitious and couetous That in monasteries are committed enormious offences That Rome is full of whores These thinges and other such doth this booke conteyne of wicked customes and life it onely speaketh but not once intreateth of the false doctrine Idolatrie and superstition which is taught in Rome nor yet of the tyranny of fire bloud wherewith such are handled as indeauor to serue God in spirit and truth doth it speake But when he was Pope how did he amend it As did Benedict 13. Pius 2. Pius 4. his predecessors and others who before they were Popes much spake of the dutie of the Pope but being Popes did the like or worse then the rest euen so did he For the cause of Religion certaine Augustine Friars many Bishops and a great nomber of the faithful he imprisoned tormented and did them in the end what euill he could Not for that they were adulterers nor Incestuous persons Simonists nor blasphemers was all this but for the Christian religion which they professed Reformation then cast aside he was occupied in the warres against Don Phillip our king and the Spanish blood Deny him then O Spaine for father who from the sonne taketh the cloake The which this Paul from the king Don Phillip and Clement 7. from Don Charles the Emperour indeauoured to take as in the life of Clement 7. we haue before declared This Paul being a Neapolytan and so vassall to the king was to him a traitor teacher taking part with Frauncis his kinges enemy His great seruant Panuinus saith that ayded by the French Swizzars he raised great warres against king Phillip and renewed the old hatred For the Spanish name had he long before detested that as saith Panuinus for publique and particular Iniuries and so the Neapolitanes he well hoped would haue risen against their king When he was Cardinall he perswaded Paule 3. to warre against the Imperials in the kingdome of Naples promising him his seruice and the ayd of many Neapolitans of whom he had many friends said he within that kingdome But Paul 3. was more wise and refused his Councel Then Duke Dalua vnderstanding that this Pope Paul 4. conspired against the king to take Naples with a great camp came vpon Rome and sent a letter to the Pope wherein he shewed all that sithens he was Pope he had practized against the king c. and vehemently exhorted him to peace warning him that if hee said not and that quickly what he would doe touching warre or peace that he should be assured the warre was proclamed To the Colledge of Cardinals he wrote also to the same purpose and after fifteene dayes when the Duke perceiued that the Pope prolonged the time he entred vpon the Church lands and very many of them tooke which he kept said he for the Church and the succeeding Pope All this notwithstanding would not the Pope yeeld to peace vntill he heard newes of the great victorie which the king in the yeare 1557. hadhad against the French at the taking of Saint Quintanes wherein all the nobilitie almost of France and Saint
spripture The same God which of old made Saint Paule to speake the same made Valer also to speake And as Paule was holden for a Preacher of Nouelties and foolish for such another was Valer held also The newe Pharesies seeing themselues thus handled demaunded whence he had such wisedome and knowledge of holy thinges whence being a secular man not hauing studied nor giuing himselfe to vertue but so euill spent his youth in vanities proceeded his bouldnesse so vnreuerently to handle the ecclesiasticall persons which be pillars of the Church By what authoritie demaunded they did hee this Who had sent him What signe had he of his callings The selfe same demaundes made the old Pharesies to Iesus Christ and his Apostles when they could not deny their villanies nor well be silent when he shewed them their wickednesse Behold how the old Pharesies and the new be all one and the sonnes of the deuill To these demaundes excellently and with great constancy answered Valer This knowledge of holy thinges he had obteyned said he not of his owne stincking pudles but of the spirit of God which maketh flowing riuers of wisedome runne from the harts of those which truly beleeue in Christ He told them that God and the cause he had in hand gaue him courage and bouldnesse that the spirit of God was not tyed to any estate how ecclesiastical soeuer the ecclesiasticall state especially of any other being the most corrupted and neerest to destruction That the spirit of God in old time made of secular vnlearned and fishermen Apostles that they might clerely shew the blindnesse ignorance of all the Synagogue so well instructed in the law and call by their preaching the That Christ had sent him That in the name and authoritie of Christ he did that he did But the adulterous generation said he which hath long time degenerate from the true race of the sons of God seeing that darknesse to be much manifested by the light and reshining of the sunne demaundeth a signe In conclusion for so liberall and constantly speaking was he called before the Inquicisitors valiantly did Valer dispute of the true Church of Christ her markes and signes of the Iustification of man and other like chiefe points of Christian religion the knowledge whereof Valer had obteyned without any ministery or humane helpe but by the pure and wonderfull reuelation of God His foolishnesse as the Inquisitors called it did then excuse him and so first confiscating all that hee had they sent him away To take away his goods pleasant meanes to reduce a mad man to his sence Valer notwithstanding this losse of goods ceased not to prosecute what he had begun A few yeares after for the selfe same cause they called him againe and yet supposing that he was a foole indeede they burned him not but made him to recant or deny not in open audience but to himselfe alone in the great Church betweene the two quiers For all his foolishnesse they condemned him to continuall wearing of a great Saint Benito or diuels coate and to perpetuall prison From this perpetuall prison euery Lords day they carried him with many other penitents to heare masse and sermons in the Church of Saint Sauiour where set to heare the Sermon albeit a prisoner he oft times rose vp before all the people and when he preached false Doctrine gaine said the preacher But the Inquisitors as then not so wicked with conceit of his folly excused him Much did it also auaile Valer to haue bene an old Christian and not descended of the Iewish or Morish race The Inquisitors in the end drew him from this perpetuall prison in Seuill and sent him to a monasterie in Saint Lucas called of our Lady of Barrameda where being 50 yeares old and vpwardes he died By the meanes of this Valer many that heard and conferred with him had knowledge of the true religion chiefly that famous and good Doctor Egidius Cannon preacher in the great Church of Seuill that so much good did in Seuill both with his good good life and Doctrine I haue long dwelled vpon discourse of this Historie of Valer but pardon me for this Valer was the first that openly and with great constance discouered the darkenesse in our time in Seuill After this persecution of Rodrigo de Valer many others were persecuted some of whom escaped as Doctor Iohn Perez who came to Geneua where he imprinted the new Teament other bookes in the Spanish tongue others aboade there stil of whom many perseuered And others of the Inquicitions conceiued such feare that they denyed the truth and which is worse were persecutors therof as was doctor Herman Rodriguez maister Garci Arias whom commonly they called maister White But God shewed mercy vpon White and of a woulfe made him a lamb so was he with great constancie burned This White when God had made him truly White said freely vnto the Inquisitors whē they examined him in the audience that they were fitter to follow a droue of asses then to sit and Iudge matters of faith which they nothing vnderstood In the 1555. yeare seuen persons men and women went out of Seuill and came to Geneua where they made their aboad In the 1557. yeare happened maruelous things in Seuill worthy of perpetuall memorie namely that in a monasterie called S. Isidor the most famous and rich in all Seuil the busines of true religion went so so plainely forward that vnable with good conscience there to stay longer 12 of the Friars in short time departed some one way and some another al which within a yeare came to Geneua whither at their departure they determined to goe None of thē there was that passed not great dangers perils but from all these perils God did free them with a mighty hand brought them to Geneua Thees that abode in the monasterie for it is to be noted that almost al those of the monasterie albeit they went in woulues habits had knowledge of Christiā religion suffered great persecution taken they were tormented disgraced very hardly cruelly intreated and in the end many of them burned and in many yeares almost was there no act of Inquisition in Seuill in which there went not more or lesse out of this monasterie Among those that went out and came to Geneua was the Prior vicar procurator of S. Isidor with thē the Prior of the Vale of Ecija of the same order And God with his mightie arme did not only deliuer these 12 from the cruel grype es the Inquisitors before the great persecution began in Seuill but afterwards also in the time of the great persecution deliuered other 6 or 7 from the same monasterie making foolish and of no worth nor effect all the stratagems Councels subtelties craftes deceits of the Inquisitors that sought but could not find them for who shall destroy whom God wil preserue In the same yeare
the 170. yeare the Gentiles forced with tormentes the seruants of the Christians to say of their maisters many abhominations and among others that they eate their owne children Celsus the Gentile Philosopher accused the Christians for disloyall and traytors and said that their religion they had taken from the Barbarians and Iewes Origen defended the Christians with 8 bookes which he wrote against this Celsus In the time of S. Augustine were great calamities and wars the which Symachus an orator and many other imputed to the Christians saying that whiles the Roman Empire adored their Gods it prospered The like Historie reciteth Ieremy that when they worshiped the Queene of heauen then all thinges prospered Read the bookes intituled of the citie of God where Saint Augustine wrote against this slaunder in defence of the Christians In the time of the glorious martyr Saint Ciprian who many yeares liued before S. Augustine there was a Proconsull in Africa called Demetrianus a great enemy of the Christians he and others such like with him said that all the wars famine and pestilence wherewith the world was then afflicted ought to be imputed to the Christians because they did not worship the Gods Against this Demetrianus wrote S. Cipriā saying that not the Christians but the Gentiles were the cause of these calamities because vnwilling to worship the true God they adored false Gods and afflicted the Christians with so great and so vniust persecutions not that they should confesse God but that they should denie him The weakenesse of their Gods he shewed them seeing they could not defend themselues c. Al this in our time fully passeth For the selfe same causes are we at this day slaundered and vniustly to the most cruell and shamfull kind of death condemned The same state of the Church is now as it was in the time of Saint Ciprian and of the other Saintes by vs named And as they were defended against the Gentiles So we against the Antichristians doe now make our defence We tell them that God sendeth in our dayes so many calamities of wars famine and pestilence because they haue profaned the diuine worship and in the place of the creator they honour the creatures They worship not God as he hath commaunded in spirit and truth but after the doctrines and commaundements of men and God alone doe they not worship but also the Saints their Images and pictures They adore not will they tell me the Images but that which they represent albeit their second Nicen Councell not the first which is holy and good commaundeth Images with the same adoration to be worshiped as that which they represent as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue declared Also our aduersaries seing themselues in some affliction inuocate the saints of Paradise without any commandement or example in al the holy scripture so to do where they ought to inuocate none but God alone Also wheras ther is but one only mediator Intercessor aduocate betwixt God mā which is Christ Iesus as the Apostle calleth him they not contented with the only Intercessiō of Christ for were they cōtented Christ is sufficient for thē many mediators do they inuent each one maketh choice of one for himself Also they take away ad to the law of God he which so doth being cursed of God so take they away the 2. cōmandement against Images to fil vp the number of ten of the tenth doe they make two commandements Also we read in holy scripture that the Lord in his catholike church did institute but two sacraments baptisme the holy supper they haue made 7. They also say that neither the Pope nor Coūcel nor the Inquisition can erre hence commeth it that they giue so much credit to the decrees constitutions of the Popes Councels Inquisitors as if they were the word of God it selfe yet would God they gaue not more credit to them then to the word of God Very common are ignorance supersticion Idolatrie in the Romane Church This is the height of al their wickednesse that with fire bloud doe they persecute the true catholique Christiās because so instructed gouerned by the word of God they worship one only God in spirit truth because they hold Iesus Christ for the only and alone mediator and because they ad not nor ought diminish from the law of God nor his worde When our aduersaries shal then say that we trouble the world with our new doctrine we will make them the same answere that Elias inspired with the diuine spirit freely made vnto K. Achab. Art thou he saith Achab which troublest Israell Elias answered Not I but it is thou thy fathers house that trouble Israell because ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord and followed Baall yee then will we say to our aduersaries are they that haue forsaken the commandements of Christ haue followed the traditiōs of Antichrist your father the Pope ye are they which worship not nor honour God but ye worship and honor Images against the expresse cōmandemēt of God Exod. 20. Deut. 5. with many other places Let our aduersaries at last vnderstand these others such like to be the cause why God afflicteth the world with so great wars famine pestilence diuers other calamities within our dayes we haue yet doe suffer His maiestie for his infinit mercy for his Christs sake opē their eyes that they may consider the works of God so may soften not harden their harts as did Pharo who by the more God did afflict him for his rebellion contempt by so much the more was he hardened against God the people of God But leauing ancient histories come we to that which in our dayes happened let vs come to our countrie of Spaine God by his iust iudgement hath many times in the space of 40 yeares afflicted Spaine with wars famine pestilence and other calamaties which began a little after that great persecution against the faithfull and catholique Christians This persecution beginning in Seuill hath stretched almost throughout all Spaine against the noble learned people as after we wil declare The priests of Baall in their pulpits cōfessiōs discourses do affirme all this of right to be imputed vnto those whom they cal Lutheran heretiques The common people which neither know nor other thing beleeue but that which these Baalamites tell them cōmand thē to beleeue doe beleiue it so to be For confirmation of my sayings I wil here recite that which D. Illescas cap. 31. vpon the life of Pius 4. saith His wordes be these In the 1561. yeare on Saint Mathewes day the 21 of September being the Saboth two howers before day in the morning aftre was kindled in the streete called Costanilla of Valladolid so terrible and fearefull that without hope of remedy in the 30. howers space it ruined aboue 400. of the most
bishop of Rome albeit the Councel was holden in Italy But what forceth it to alleage so many Councels sith in one Councell this question was heard and determined and both parties heard also The bishop of Rome with the title of Patriark tooke vpon him much authoritie ouer the Churches of Affrique So that the Sismatiques of Affrick as to a refuge retired vnto him For this cause the Councell of Maleuant wherein was Saint Augustine and a great number of fathers pronounced al those excommunicate which should appeale to parts beyound the seas The Bishop of Rome grudging here at sent his Legates to the 6. Councell of Carthage wherein also was S. Augustine present to defend his right This question in this Councell was truly handled Zozimus Boniface and Celestine successiuely being Bishops Aurelius Archbishop of Carthage where the Councell was holden and not the Legates of the Pope albeit they were three and present namely Faustine Bishop Philip Aselias presbiters there gouerned These had the Bishop of Rome sent to the Councel of Carthage to defend the authoritie which the Nicen Councell said they had giuen to the Bishop of Rome to wit that appeale might be made to the Bishop o of Rome from the sentence giuen by any metropolitaine whatsoeuer One Daniell a notarie red the whole 5. chap. of the Councel of Sardice which the Bishop of Rome said but very vntruly was of the Councell of Neece The Pope like a good apothecarie when it is for his profit well knoweth to giue quid pro quo All the Bishops and Archbishops much marueyled and said that such a thing was neuer read in the Councell of Nice and so the same Councell of Nice which they had then in writing they commaunded to be read which beeing read and no word of such appellation found yet did the Romane Legates insist that it was so Needefull it was then to send certaine men to Constantinople Alexandria and also to Rome it selfe that they might bring other copies of the Nicen Councell Within one yeare were they brought and the originall it selfe chiefly which was kept in Constantinople Read they were and no mention nor ought else that might giue suspition of this priueledge which the Romans alleaged to haue bene graunted them in the Nicen Councell was at all found in any of these coppies A letter then was written by consent of the whole Councell of Carthage to the Bishop of Rome wherein no such thinge said they but the contrary rather was found in the Councel of Nice that the Bishop of Rome as did other Popes and metropolitanes should medle within his owne limits and boundes And that therefore if he were wise hee should thenceforth be content with his owne dioces and bishorick not intrude vpon an others possession This letter was subscribed by 230 fathers and among them the Popes selfe same three Legats before named If the Pope and his Legats when they vsed not such tyraÌ„ny as now they vse did dare to falsifie a Councell in almost a thousand two hundred and so many yeares passed after this Councell of Carthage vnto this yeare 1598. What shall they not haue done Quien haze vn cesto hara ciento He that maketh one basket wil make a hundred And no wonder it is that they haue dared to falsifie the Councels seeing they haue shamelesly taken from the law of God the 2. Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any image c. And seeing but 9 Commandements of the tenth commandement Thou shalt not lust c. haue they made two commandements as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue noted Our Spanish Caranâ—a in his Summa Conciliorum setteth down no one of so many Cannons in it of this 6. Councell of Carthage the cause is least he shuld therein haue discouered the falshood of the Bishop of Rome in alleaging of the Nicen Councell that which the Councell neuer but the contrary rather determined A Summarie onely he made and verie briefe saying that the Councell determined what the Nicen Councell demaunded of the Easterne Bishoppes but saieth not vnto what purpose O great subtiltie This Councell of Carthage albeit it was generall called he prouincial So also calleth it Panuinus notwithstanding they both coÌ„fesse that there were found there present 217 Bishops and three legates of the Pope what letteth it then to be generall The Papists what they may wil forget this sixt Councell of Carthage albeit saith Panninus it was confirmed in Trullo Gracian also interpreting the words of the Councell vseth the same malice That none appeale saith he to partes beyond the sea except it be to the Bishop of Rome The cause why it was commanded in this 6. Councell of Carthage that no appeale should be beyond the sea was for that the sismatikes of Affrike condemned by the good Bishops of Affrike appealed to Rome Therfore commanded the councel they should not appeale but that the businesse without seeking further should be concluded in Affricke And so was the conclusion of this Councell That the Bishop of Rome should not receiue those that were excommunicate by the Bishops of Affricke nor accept their appellations which had in Affrike bene condemned and those that appealed to him should be for the same matter excommunicate The reasons whereuppon this Councell was founded sent by it to Celestine Bishop of Rome be these That in no CouÌ„cel was any such thing determined But that the Nicen Councell contrariwise gaue the charge of the Bishops and Ecclesiasticall persons to the Metropolitane The grace of the holy Spirit saith it will assist euery prouince to iudge controuersies that each one which felt himselfe greeued might appeale to a prouinciall Councell For it is more to bee beleeued that God will rather inspire manie Priests in a Councell assembled then one only man c. By that which wee haue alleaged of the sixt Councell of Carthage it clearely appeareth how false is that which the Pope said that in the Nicen Councell the primacie was giuen him and yet want there not some in our times also which renewe this falshood And so D. Illescas vpon the life of Boniface 3 in the marginall note saith these words Phocas de clared by the Law that the Roman Church is head of the Church vniuersall Also he saith This superiority of the Roman Church hath euer sithens bene and by all faithfull and Catholike Christians is holden for a thing proued without dispute as the Councell of Neece chap. 6. and Raimundus Rufus against the heretiks of this time for louers of nouelties c. most plainely proueth In the seuenth Councell of Carthage the matter of the primacie was also debated The cause was this That Iohn Bishop of Constantinople seeing himselfe fauoured of Maurice the Emperour called himselfe Bishop of Bishops and vniuersall bishop And this because he was Bishop of the citie where the Emperour was resident Mauricius willing to aduaunce his citie and abase Rome did
with him 30000. men and onely Saint Barnard without any payne flew to heauen 3. descended into purgatorie and all the rest into hell perpetually to be damned Thus far Venero He that reporteth this was no Ideot but a preacher and of the order of preachers Who will not beleeue an holy hermite come from another world a Bishop and a preacher also O happie Bishop which knew what passed in Heauen Purgatorie and hell Blessed be our God which hath opened our eyes and made vs to vnderstand such apparitions to be illusions of the diuell For confirmation of this our Doctrine Reade the Parable which our Sauiour propoundeth of the rich worldling who prayed Abraham to send Lazarus before deceased to the house of his father that he might declare to his fiue brethren that which he passed But Abraham answered they haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them whom if they will not heare neither will they bee perswaded though a man should rise from the dead Luke 16. So that euery Christian which readeth searcheth and meditateth the holy scripture doth know that all this which they say concerning Purgatorie is lies albeit the Pope will haue it an Article of faith Were it an article of faith it should be founded vpon the scripture On the scripture it is not founded therefore it is no Article of faith Also were it an Artticle of faith it should be one of the twelue of the Apostles creede but it is not therefore it is not an Article of faith But it is as saith Doctour Constantine the head of the wolfe It serueth to mainetayne idle bellies Conclude wee this then of the false myracles of Antichrist with that which the Lord saith False Christes and false Prophetes shall arise and shall worke signes great and wonderfull so that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceiued Well hath our Redemer forewarned vs well hath his Apostle Saint Paule foretold vs. See we now to our selues for of ignorance now shall we not sinne we are forewarned And as Daniel for our consolation foretold vs of the miserable end of Antichrist so also saith Saint Paule and that more plainely then Daniel that the Lord will destroy him with the spirit of his mouth and consume him with the brightnesse of his comming which we see dayly more and more accomplished How many kingdomes and prouinces do now know the Pope to be Antichrist And how came they by this knowledge not forced but by reading and hearing the word of God Very wise was the Pope in forbidding the Bible in forbidding the reading of the holy Scripture well did he vnderstand that all his euill his whole ruine and destruction should there thence proceede But I commaund it The Lord saith Saint Paule will destroy him with the Spirit of his mouth with his word with the holy Scripture with the doctrine of the olde and new Testament with the Bible which he so much abhorreth Many nations haue forsaken him onely Spaine and Italy giue him life But albeit they so do yet is his sicknesse vncurable and doubtlesse shall he die thereof The third and last passage wherewith we confirme the Pope to be Antichrist is taken out of the seuenteenth chapter of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn Reade the whole chapter Here will we note the principall points Saint Iohn saith hee saw a woman sit vppon a beast the woman and the beast with their quallities and attire he depainteth The woman saith hee was the great whore which sitteth vpon manie waters with whom the kings of the earth haue committed fornication He saith that she was set vppon a beast That this woman was clothed with purple and Scarlet and guilded with golde and adorned with precious stones c. Who had in her forehead a name wriâ—ten A Mysterie Great Babylon mother of fornications and abhominations of the earth that this woman was drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus And concluding the chapter he saith that this woman is the great citie whâ—ch reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth Concerning the beast saith he which was of the colour of Scarlet full of the names of blasphemie which had seuen heades and ten hornes Saint Iohn saith that when he saw this woman ride vpon the beast he greatly wondered The Angell declareth vnto him the secret of the woman and of the beast The beast saith the Angell which thou hast seene was and is not c. He saith vnto him that the seuen heades be seuen mountaines whereupon the woman sitteth He saith that the ten hornes be ten kinges subiect to the beast That these kings shall fight against the Lambe but the Lambe shall oueâ—come them That the waters whereupon the Whoore sitteth bee peoples and kindreds and nations and tongues Hee saieth that the ten hornes of the beast shall hate the whore shall make her desolate and destroy her Who seeth not Antichrist the Pope of Rome here figured and liuely painted out to whom can all these things be applied but to him alone The whore is the Pope the beast is the Romane Empire whereupon the Pope sitteth aâ—d wherewith hee hath lifted vp himselfe It is a common pâ—rase of speech in the Scrâ—pture to call Idolatrie and superstition fornication and tâ—e Idolaters it calleth strumpets and whoores Reade the sâ—cond chapter of Ieremie and 3. verse Ezech. 16. chap. Of 〈◊〉 chap. 1. 2. and 3. The Pope then is called Whore and greâ—t whore for his idolatrie and superstition which he committeth and teacheth to so many people and nations Note that which we haue said in the passage cited out of the 11. chapter of Daniel How much more yet by the great prouidence of God hath this thing fully and plainely happened seing a Pope hath bin which was a woman and a greate whoore Reade the life which we haue recited of Iohn 8. where he saith that the woman was clothed with purple and scarlet and gold c. Euen so is the Pope in his pontificall habite and chiefly the day of his coronation fully clothed Platina speaking of Pope Clement the fifth as in his lâ—fe we haue declaâ—ed saith that at his coronation fell a wall which killed many and that the Pope falling from his horse lost a Carbuncle which fell from his Miter or as they call it Reyno that was worth sâ—xe thousand Florences D. Illescas chap. 24. speaking of the coroantion of Leo the tenth saith these words The day of this coronation in Rome was so solemne and ioyfull that any hardly remembred to haue seene the like thing For besides the other feastes made which should be tedious to recount they affirme aboue an hundred thousand duckets to haue bene cast among the people c. How could this Pope say that which said Saint Peter Siluer and gold haue I none This woman he calleth Babylon as much to say as confusion He calleth
her the mother of whoredomes and abominations The same also is Rome fully and plainely What citie is there nowe in the worlde wherein are so great confusions of vices and so many thousands of common whoores which they call Curtisans of whom the Pope hath so great a rent that hee may make thereof a great inheritance Yet this is nothing compared with other infinite abominations which in Rome are committed What place in Christendome is the wicked sinne more suffered without punishment then in Rome This woman saith Saint Iohn was druken with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus How many and how many hath the Pope caused to be burned and to die by the sword for saying and beleeuing Iesus Christ to be our only and chiefe Bishop Intercessor and Mediator as the Apostle calleth him For beleeuing that the body which he once offered vpon the tree of the crosse is the onely and alone sacrifice wherewith the wrath of the Father is appeased For beleeuing that by faith onely without any respect of our owne workes we are iustified In our times of these threescore or fourescore yeares how much innocent bloud hath this rauening wolfe for this cause shed and spilled in Almaine France England and in Italy also and within fortie or fiftie yeares in our countrey of Spaine The fires and persecutions of Seuill Valladolid and other partes of Spaine do witnesse What satisfaction shall this so cruell beast make for one Doctour Constantine the onely pearle of our countrey of Spaine For one Doctour Vargas For Doctour Egidius For Don Iohn Ponce of Lyons sonne to the Countie of Baylen so neare kinsman to the Duke of Arcos For one Christopher de Arellano a man by the confession of the Inquisitors themselues most learned For one Ieronymo Caro For one Licenciate Iohn Gonçales For the Licenciate Losada All these were men of singular life which the Papistes themselues that knewe them cannot denie and godly they were in doctrine All these in Seuill and many others men and women were either condemned aliue or else vntombed being dead by the fire consumed At one time were all these and so all at one time almost burned in Seuill O Seuill Seuill that killest and burnest the prophetes which God sendeth vnto thee Name me some eight of thy seruants of the Pope at this day liuing in thee which aswell in life as doctrine may compare with or paragon those eight which I haue named as thou then burnedst As the bloud of Abell cried out to God so now the bloud of these Martyrs do likewise crie vnto God Vnder the ashes of these blessed men hath God hidden many small sparkles which when he shall please he will blowe away and so kindle them that a farre greater fire shall they make then that which is passed and so shall increase the number of the faithfull For the bloud of the martyrs is the seed of the Gospell Saint Iohn concludeth his chapter saying That this woman is the great Citie which reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth Is not this a mainifest description of the Court of Rome what other citie but Rome reigned ouer all the kings of the earth From all parts of the world they went to Rome The riches of the world they caried to Rome the Pope onely was king of kinges and Lord of Lordes And woe to him that should displease him Of the beast saith S. Iohn that he had 7 heads and 10 horns which S. Iohn himself declareth saying that the seuen heads which the beast hath are 7 mountaines The holy Spirit which spake this by the mouth of Saint Iohn nothing wanted but the naming of Rome The ancient Poets as Virgil Horace which liued in the time of Augustus Caesar the Emperour in whose time also S. Iohn liued called Rome Septicollis of 7 hils or mountaines The Grecians call it Eptalophos which is the same with Septicollis â—o seuer it from all the cities of the world this Epitheton they giue it Calepin Septicollis vrbis Romae Epitheton à septem collium numero imposituÌ„ Tertullian in the 35. chap. of his Apologie saith Ipsos Quirites ipsam vernaculaÌ„ septem collium plebem couenio c. Horace in the end of his Epodon Dijs quibus septem placuere colles Dicere carmen He speaketh of Rome And Virgil Aeneid 6. Septemque vna sibi muro circundedit arces And Propertius Septem vrbis alta ingis toto quae praesidet orbi As much to say as the loftie citie with seuen hils which is Lady of all the world The names of these seuen mountaines are Capitolino Palatino Quirinal Auentino Celio Viminal and Exquilino By these words of Saint Iohn we cleerely see that Antichrist hath his seat at Rome and no other there is that hath his seat at Rome but the Pope Therefore the Pope is Antichrist The ten hornes saith Saint Iohn be tenne kings subiect to Antichrist who stoutly fight in defeÌ„ce of their Monarch Antichrist they shall fight saith he against the Lambe What more sorcelesse thing is there without weapons and subtiltie then a Lambe Notwithstanding the weake simple and disarmed Lambe ouercommeth these ten kings which with Lyonlike Wolfe-like force rush vpon him and not preuaile And when by force they cannot as old Foxes by craft will they seeke to catch and kill him But come as they will the Lambe ouercomes them all Who is this Lambe The same is he of whom Saint Iohn saith that he is slaine from the beginning of the world How The slaine Lambe doth he ouercome Yea verily This is the power of God That Lambe he is of whom witnesseth the other Saint Iohn saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iesus Christ is this Lambe who killeth Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth as in handling the second passage which we alleaged of the Epistle to the Thessalonians we haue before declared Saint Iohn saith further That these ten hornes are ten kings who perceiuing the inuincible power of the impotent Lambe shall forsake Antichrist disgrace him make warre against him and destroy him Before 80 yeares past what king in Christendome durst whisper against the Pope All were his vassals all were his souldiers and all hee commanded But seeing the mortall wounds which the Lamb with his only word hath giuen the Pope How many haue forsaken him within these fourescore yeares In Almaine England Scotland Denmarke and Swethland we haue manifest examples France also and Polonia are falling away from the Pope Who so shall liue shall one day heare the same of Spaine God hath begunne his worke he will not leaue it imperfect nor yet end in the middest Behold how Daniel Paule and Iohn concurre and agree together All they three with one Spirite which caused them to speake declare that â—his soâ—e â—f perdition and man of Sinne shal be very abhominable in his life and much more
abhominable in his doctrin Very rich verye mightie clothed with silke and clothe of Gold and precious stones a great warrior and persecutor of the Lambe and his followers Saint Paule noting the place of his abode saith that he shall sit in the temple of God Saint Iohn goeth further he shall sitt saith he in the cittie that hath 7 mountaines which is Rome And so vnder stoode Saint Ierome when he said This Babilon and this whore which in the Apoc is painted out to vs no other thing then Rome can signifie vnto vs In the life of Marâ—k he repeateth the same Verie blinde is he which seeth not through a boulter That this can agree with none but only the Pope who seeth not Therefore is he Antichrist Concerning his ende the holy Spirite by Daniel Paule and Iohn before alleaged saâ—th as we haue said that it shall be miserable wherewith he helpeth comforteth and animateth the poore faithfull which with his tyrannie are afflicted and oppressed Come Lord Iesus Blessed are those that reade and those that heaâ—e the wordes of the prophesies of this booke and keepe the thinges which are written in them as saith the same Saint Iohn in the beginning of his Reâ—elation By that which we haue said touching the life and doctrine of the Popes and by that which the Doctours and ancient Councels haue said and the holy Scripture also it selfe which we haue before alleaged each faithfull true and Catholike Christian which hath any iuâ—gement or litle spark of faith shal clearely vnderstand the Pope not to bee vniuersall Bishop not to be Peters successor nor the vicar of Iesus Christ but contrariwise to be the successour of Iudas to be the Vicar of Sathan to be the man of sinne and sonne of perdition which as God sitteth in the Temple of God to be the whore of Babylon which hath her seat in the great Citie that hath 7 mountaines which is Rome to be the Antichrist which in all and by all opposeth himselfe to Christ and knowing him for such a one shall abhorre and detest him And shall know also how to answer the reasons or to speake better reasonlesse reasons which the Popes Parasites for their owne temporall commodities to be made Bishops or enioy other ecclesiasticall dignities c. and oftentimes against their owne conscience contrarie to that which they thinke to entertaine the Pope and maintaine his primacie do alleage To answere to all their obiections and passages which this way and that way they alleage should be neuer to make an end Onely will we answer to the principalles whereupon the rest are founded which being cast downe all the building thereupon builded of necessitie must needes fall to the ground These in number be two Thou art Peter Matth. 16. and Feede my sheepe Ioh. 21. and in Proâ—â—mio Sexti in Gloss it is said that the Pope by these words obtained the Primacie Tu es Petrus thou art Peter or by these Pasce oues meas Feed my sheepe Iesus Christ say they sayd to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church c. To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou bindest in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsouer thou loosest in earth shall bee loosed in heauen The sheepe saith Christ know the voyce of their shepheard All this then which Iesus Christ said vnto S. Peter we know to be very true because it was pronounced by our pastor master and redeemer Christ Iesus who is truth it self But we say that by no way neither in part nor by art hath it any agreement with the Pope neither in part nor art it can be applyed to the Pope who is Antichrist nor yet pertaines it vnto him when the Pope shall haue made the same confession that did S. Peter Thou art the Christ c. shal so beleeue when the Pope shall liue as S. Peter liued when the Pope shall teach preach the doctrine which S. Peter taught and preached then shall it agree with him But the Pope is an Atheist he holdeth for a fable the historie of the Gospell abominably liueth teacheth doctrins of diuels as befoe we haue proued wherupoÌ„ it followeth that this which Christ saith to S. Peter he said not to the Pope nor in any wise doth it beloÌ„g to him But the better to vnderstaÌ„d it examine we this place Christ demaÌ„ded of his disciples whom do men say that the sonne of man is They answered vnto him Some say Thou art Iohn Baptist others Elias c. And againe Christ asked them But whom say ye that I am Peter answered Thou art the Christ c. Then Christ approuing the confession of Peter which proceeded of the Spirit and not of the flesh said vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke to wit vpon this confession which thou hast made saying that I am the sonne of God will I build my Church So that not so much the person as the confession of Peter is here to be considered And so saith Christ these words not to Peter only but also to whomsoeuer shall make the same confession and with the same faith that Peter did For the rocke which Peter confessed which is the fundamentall stone of the corner whereupon the Church is builded that rocke is Christ Vpon Peter is it not sounded but Peter as saith Saint Augustine is founded vpon the rocke For other foundation saith Saint Paule then that which is laid which is Christ Iesus can no man lay Hâ—e onely and no other is the foundation and head of his Church the Virgin Mary Peter Iohn and the other Apostles and faithfull Christians be liuelie stones builded vpon this foundation thy are members of the Church whose head is Christ The Pope ought to be contented to be a stone of this building to be a member of this body But as he is no member much lesse is he the head To thee saith Christ will I giue the keyes c. All whatsoeuer thou bindest c. Not only to Peter but also to all and each one of the Apostles to all and whomsoeuer of the Apostles successours that shall teach the word of God did Christ make this promise And that this is the true meaning of this place appeareth clearely by that which the same Iesus Christ Matth. 18. 18. saith Whatsoeuer ye bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose iâ— earth shall be loosed in heauen Seest thou not that the same which Christ before had said to Peter the same by the same words saith he afterwards to all the Apostles The same saith he by Saint Iohn when he spake to all his Apostles and sent them to go and preach the Gospell As the Father saith Christ sent me so also send I you And when he had thus spoken he breathed vpon them and sayd vnto them Receiue ye the holy Ghost those whose sinnes soeuer ye
displaceth and placeth kings and transferreth kingdomes from one nation to another Ergo say they the Pope hath authoâ—iâ—ie to dispose kingdomes giuing them to whom he will and taking them from whom he listeth Herehence came it that kinges and Emperours began striâ—ingly to kisse their feete beeing present or by their Embassadous being absent Hence it is that the Emperour himselfe â—erueth him for a horse boy holding the stirrop to his Sathanship when he mounteth on horsebacke And yet brawleth the Pope if he hold not the stirrop featly So shamelesse was Pope Boniface 8. that he made an Article of faith without which there could bee no saluation That the Pope aswell in the temporalltie as spiritualltie is absolute Lord presenting himselfe in the Iubile to the viewe of all men with a keye in the one hand and a Sword in the other His successor Pope Clement the sixt not contenting himselfe to commaund kinges and Emperours dared in a bull to commaund the Angels In the Popes Rota which is his Chauncerie was it concluded and determined that whatsoeuer the Pope doth God holdeth for good and approueth it That the will of the Pope is the rule of all lawe and Iustice That the Pope may doe absolutely in this world all whatsoeuer God doth Seeing that he is all and aboue all thinges And that if hee chaunge his opinion it ought to be presumed that God also hath chaunged That ableit the Pope should send many thousands of soules to hell none can reproue him That the power extendeth to heauen earth and hell it selfe That from him may no man appeale to God That he may dispence and commaund against the Epistles of S. Paul as hee that is greater then Paul The same may he doe against the old Testament as hee that is greater then the authors of the old Testament And yet haue they gone further they haue disputed whether the Pope might dispence against the Gospell Whether the Pope hath more power then Saint Peter Whether the Pope be simple man or as God Briefly the deuill hath so farre further proceeded that a little before the comming of Luther and afterwards also it was disputed in the schooles whether the Pope did participate as did Iesus Christ of the â— natures to wit diuine and humane Better should they haue demaunded if the Pope were an Hermophrodit which well may be because a woman hath bene Pope Read Erasmus Annot. 1. caput 1. Epistle ad TimotheuÌ„ They also disputed to vse their proper Latine An mille Angels possint saltare in summitate digiti To wit whether a thousand Angels might daunce one the end of a fingar Item an Christus sub forma scarabei posset saluare genus humanum Whether Christ in forme of a beetle could saue mankind Item whether the Pope were more mercifull then Christ O blasphemy they conclude yea The reason which they giue is this That it is not read in all the scripture That Iesus Christ drewe any soule out of Purgatorie But the Pope of his great pietie and mercy an infinite number of Soules doth daily deliuer And yet go they further and in their disputations conclude that the Pope hath power to kindle and quenche the fire of Purgatorie Flattering the Pope conclude they in all these questions lying against their owne consciences and making no reckoning of the honour onely due to God nor of his onely sonne Christ Iesus And Ca. Quoniam de imunit in 6. the Pope saith we not willing to contemne our Iustice nor that of our spouse the Church The Church is well knowne to haue no other spouse but onely Christ The Pope passeth further Hee saith and commaundeth that so it be said and preached and that we also so beleeue the vertue and holinesse of his seate to be such and so great that what wicked man soeuer how impious periured and abhominable hee be which shall sit therein euen then in a moment for hauing sitten therein is altered and changed to another man and is made holy But heare we the selfe same words which the beast himself speaketh as in Ca. Non nos dist 41. they be written and these they be The blessed S. Peter transferreth to his successors together with the inheritance of innocency an euerlasting dowery of merits That which to him was granted by the light of his workes pertaineth to those that be lightened with like clerenesse of conuersation For who may doubt him to be holy which is lifted vp to the height of dignitie wherein if he want goods gotten by his owne merit those that are giuen by the predecessor of the place suffice c. If this were truth then no Pope should be euill either in life or Doctrine sith that in being Pope he is learned and holy and in a word to speake all he is God vpon earth and so all whatsoeuer he doth God approueth it in heauen But the liues of the Popes by vs recited and the same liues also which the Popes parasites haue written doe shew vs the contrary This is that seate papall this is the heritage which one Pope inheriteth of another that one sitting therein were he not so euill before he is made euill And if he were euill he becommeth most euill and in the end each one is made the sonne of perdition and man of sinne opposing and lifting vp himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped So that as God he sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God All these things which here we haue gathered together concerning the doctrine of the Pope are blasphemies such as were the diuell himselfe clothed with humane flesh he could not speake greater nor more horrible yet for all this art thou blind ô Spaine and seest not nor yet knowest thou Antichrist whom supposing thou doest seruice to God and honour to Iesus Christ his sonne thou adorest and honorest God shewe thee his mercie and open the eyes of thine vnderstanding that thou maist reade heare and vnderstand the will of God which his Maiestie hath reuealed in his holy Scriprure without the reading or meditation whereof vnpossible it is for a man to attaine to the truth Search saith Iesus Christ the Scripture for they be those that testifie of me so by consequence of Antichrist also When with the Spirit of humilitie thou shalt well haue read and meditated vpon them thou shalt then vnderstand how great hath bene thy blindesse and ignorance Then turning thy selfe hartily to the true God that created redeemed and sanctified thee thou shalt abhorre the idols of siluer and the Idols of gold which thy sinfull hands as saieth Esaie haue made And thou blind and ignorant supposing thou didst great seruice to God diddest honor and adore them Then shalt thou cast them from thee stampe them in peeces and consume them so greate shall be thy hatred against Idolatrie Then then by how much
scarlet guilded with golde and decked with pearles and precious stones c. In the 9. verse he plainely mentioneth 7 mountaines whereon the woman sitteth adding afterwards in the 18. verse That great citie which reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth And Saint Paule 2. Thes 2. 4. saith that Antichrist shal sit in the temple of God Largely writeth Daniel chap. 7. 5. 8. concerning the estate life and doctrine of Antichrist where Behold saith he there came vp another litle horne and then addeth That in this horne were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking presumptuous things And in the 20. and 21. verses And he appeared greater then any of his fellowes And I beheld and the same horne made war against the saints and ouercame them And verse 25. And hee spake wordes against the most high and shall consume the Saintes of the most high and thinke that he may change times and lawes And chap. 8. vers 23. 24. 25. There shall rise vp a king of fierce countenance and vnderstanding darke sentences and his power shall increase but not in his owne strength and shall destroy wonderfully and prosper and practise and shall destroy the mightie and holy people and through his policie also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand and he shall extoll himselfe in his heart and by peace shall destroy many He shall stand vp against the Prince of Princes but he shall be broken downe without hand Also in the eleuenth chap. vers 36. And the king shall doe what he lifteth he shall exalt himselfe and shall magnifie himselfe against all that is God and shall speake maruellous thinges against the God of Gods and shall prosper till the wrath bee accomplished for the determination is made vers 37. Neither shall hee regard the God of his Fathers nor the loue of women nor care for anie God for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all vers 38. But in his place shall he honour his God Mauzim A God whom his fathers knewe not shall he honour with golde and vvith siluer and with precious stones and thinges of great price vers 39. This shall hee doe in the strong holds of Mauzim vvith a strange God whom hee shall acknowledge hee shall increase his glorie and shall cause them to rule ouer many and shall diuide the land for gaine The Apostle Saint Paule in the second epistle to the Thessal chap. 2. 4. saith that this man of sinne and sonne of perdition shall exalt and lift vp himselfe against all that is called God or that is vvorshipped So that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God And in the ninth verse Who shall come by the effectuall working of Sathan vvith great power signes and lying wonders and in all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse Also 1. Timoth. chap. 4. vers 2. 3. Which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences seared vvith an hoteyron forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstaine from meates vvhich God hath created Also in the Apoc. 13. 11. And I beheld another beast comming vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but spake like the Dragon And cap. 17. 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of saints and with the bloud of the martyrs of Iesus These prophesies doe teach vs that Antichrist must bee a king who from meane estate shall become exceeding great and mightie and prosper That he shall bee also a blasphemer an Idolater a sacrileger exceeding proud subtill an hypocrite a contemner of marriage couetous a great Tyrant a persecutor of the Saints a deceiuer full of impietie Examine we now these testimonies of holy scripture which wil appear to be most properly belōging to the Pope of Rome So as by these prophesies we are warned as it were with the finger of God from heauen that the Pope is Antichrist Therfore the time of his reuelation considered the Popes reigne began in the fourth monarchie and want of the Romane Empire For about the yeare 606. Pope Boniface the 3. receiued of Phocas the Emperour who was a tyrant and murthered Mauricius his Lord with his wife and children the title of Vniuersall Bishop and Head of the Church which once being graunted the Popes whole endeuors were to lift vp themseues with the Empire of Rome and the whole world besides For the seat of Antichrist it is cleare and to all men knowne that the Pope sitteth at Rome which is a city scyted betweene the two seas Thyrren and Adriartike hath 7 mountains reigned ouer all the kings of the earth which cannot be said of any other city in the world And seeing Rome is in Europe neither in India Asia nor Africa it plainly appeareth that Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God to wit in Christendome as Saint Paule 2. Thes 2. 4. declareth Meane at the beginning was the estate and condition of the Pope but it mightily and with great successe increased So that he holdeth not authoritie and one crowne as a king onely but three crownes declaring thereby his power to be greater then that of all kings and Emperours As he attributeth also to himselfe the two swords or powers spirituall and temporall figured by the two hornes Apoc. 13. 11. A Blasphemer is the Pope in saying he is Christs Vicar head of the Church that he can pardon sinnes may not be iudged of any cannot erre in conclusion that he is God in the earth can change nature holdeth an heauenly power and the fulnes of power and of vnrighteousnesse can make righteousnesse See lib. 1. Decret Gregor tit 7. Can. 5. An Idolater he is when he commandeth Image-worship inuocation of Saints maketh of the Sacramēt an Idol of Mauzim a God whom neither the Apostles nor their fathers knew because they worshipped and honoured one only God in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 23. A Sacriledger he sheweth himselfe to bee when he robbeth the Church of the second commandement of Gods law the lay people of the cup in the Lords supper and forbiddeth Christian people to reade the holy scripture contrary to the doctrine and expresse commandement of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. Most proud he appeareth when he is carried on mens shoulders as they carryed in time past the Arke of the Lord vppon the shoulders of the Leuites when hee calleth himselfe most holy Father and Holinesse it selfe dares to breake and change the ordinances of God and impose new lawes vpon mens consciences compareth himselfe to the Sunne and the Emperour to the Moone lib. 1. Gregor tit 33. and both Emperors and kings do kisse his feet Subtill hee is in all his kingdome but then chiefly when by meanes of auricular confession he diueth into the hearts of all men not of the common sort onely but also of the greate States of the world vnderstanding thereby all secrets A manifest hypocrite hee is when vnder the title of Seruant of seruantes hee ruleth as
king of kings and vnder the name of Pastor he sheweth himselfe a rauening Wolfe and vnder pretence to be S. Peters successor he declareth himselfe the follower of Iudas For as Iudas with a kisse fayned friendship betrayed his Lord so with fayned holinesse and outward ceremonies doth the Pope draw the common people into the chaines and snares of ignorance and superstitions The said title therefore which Christ gaue vnto Iudas Ioh. 17. 12. the Apostle giueth to Antichrist 2. Thess 2. 4. A contemner of mariage when he esteemes it a carnall estate and therefore with such seuerity forbiddeth it to his Clergie that although fornicators and adulterers can easily purchase absolution of their sinnes no pardon remaineth for the Clergie that mary according to the ordinance of God but the same is reputed and punished by the Pope for an vnpardonable sinne Albeit the holy scripture teacheth 1. Cor. 7. 9. That it is better to marry then to burne And Hebr. 13. 4. Marriage is honorable among all men Also 1. Timoth. 3. 2. Euery Bishop must be the husband of one wife Insatiable is the couetousnesse of the Pope and extendeth into all parts For money he pardoneth sinnes selleth ecclesiasticall functions maketh marchandize of his Bulles indulgences Iubilies Reliques Masses praiers and sacraments and compelleth the miserable people to buy his marchandize not on such dayes onely as other marchants vse to traffique but also and principally on the feast dayes the Lords dayes and Sabboths when other men rest And raketh together euery day in the yeare and of all sortes of people euen of the Iewes and Curtesans of Rome A tyrant he is and persecutor of Saints being the cause of the sheding of so much Christiā blood inciting kings princes to persecute such as contradict him and abandon his Idolatries and superstitions to serue God according to his will and word whom the Pope condemneth for heretiques to be burned and least they should speake putteth a gagge in their mouthes And to fill vp the measure of his crueltie he spareth not Emperours nor kings being the Lords Annointed when they refuse to execute his tyrannies as histories plainely witnesse A deceauer he is sundry waies because he deceaueth the common people with false doctrine and vaine promises with high titles and fayned holinesse with bulles Pardons false miracles and illusions of the diuell c. He is full of impietie because he pleaseth and delighteth himselfe not only in sinne but causeth others also to sinne because he hath depraued the worship of God with idolatrie the authoritie of kings with tyrany The common faith with deceit and the life of his Clergie with shame and filthinesse occasioned by constrayned single life To conclud in the kingdome of the Pope is the fountaine and spring af all abhominations and slaunder according to the old prouerbe The neerer to Rome the worse Christian So the neerer to Antichrist the further from Christ By these demonstrations it appeareth plainely that the Pope is Antichrist whom the Holy scripture hath foretold and by whom the Church of Christ hath so much suffered The second Treatise of the Masse and the holinesse thereof WE haue passed by the Lords assistance the Laborinthe not of Creete but of Rome of the Pope and his Roman Court another much worse and for more intricate troublesōe The Pope haue we proued to be a false Preist and very Antichrist to be the man of sin sonne of perdition to be that whereof whom speaketh S. Iohn in his Reuelation This haue we proued by his euil life wicked Doctrine by the sayings of Doctors and ancient Councels and by three notable passages of holy scripture Now will we shew the Masse which is the second pillar that supporteth and vpholdeth the Roman Church to be a false sacrifice an inuention of the diuell and a profanation of the holy supper which Iesus Christ our redeemer instituted And if such bee the Masse as we will proue it to bee it followeth that wee ought to flie and detest it and so doe we flie and abhorre it as a thing condemned and abhominable before the face of God This done wee will shewe by the Lordes assistance without which we can doe no thing that good is Iesus Christ to be the true and onely priest and chiefe bishop And his propper body blood which he offered vpon the crosse to his father to be the true only sacrifice the memory wherof we shew forth so oftē as we celebrate his holy supper A table wil we place at the end of this Treatise wherein we will shew the conformity vnion and likenesse which the holy supper instituted by Iesus Christ holdeth with the holy supper in the reformed Churches celebrated And thē also wil we shew the differēce disconformity contrariety that the Masse which our aduersaries celebrate holdeth with the holy supper of Christ which is the same we now celebrate As the name of Pope is not found in the holy scripture as little also is there found the name of Masse And doubtlesse had it bene so necessarie for a Christian to beleeue the authoritie of the Pope and holinesse of the Masse without which faith say they it is vnpossible for a man to bee saued It is I say to bee beleeued that Iesus Christ or his Apostles would haue made some mention thereof For all whatsoeuer is necessary for our saluation doth Christ and his Apostles teach vs. Saint Paule speaking to the Ephesians saith Ye knowe that I keepe backe nothing that was profitable but haue shewed you and haue taught you openly and throughout euery house Witnessing both to the Iewes and Grecians the repentance and faith in our Lord Iesus Christ But this holy Apostle so diligent in teaching that which we ought to beleeue maketh no mention of the Pope nor of the Masse Hereuppon it followeth that to beleeue the authoritie of the Pope or holinesse of the Masse is no Article of faith But true it is will they saie vnto me that this word Masse is not found in the scripture but its equiualent is found the supper of the Lord And if we ought to admit the Lords supper thē must we admit this name Missa Whereunto we aunswere that most great Iniurie and wrong doe they to the holie supper which the Lord instituted in saying it to be the same that is their Masse which they haue imagined and forged For how great difference there is betweene Truth and Falshood Light and darkenesse God and Belial So great is the difference betweene the holy supper and the profane Masse Had the question bene concerning the name whether the holy supper were to be called Missa or no. It should not be of great importance Agree wee in the substance of the things and call it as ye list Albeit it bee il done when the holy spirit calleth a thing by such or such name that man dare call it by another name The Apostle calles it
euer after the order of Melchisedech Psalm 110. 4. As much to say as in that Melchisedech was thy figure and likenesse As Mechisedech in that he was a figure of Christ was an euerlasting Priest so thou also the Messiah art the same That which the Apostle saith that Melchisedech was without father without mother is to be vnderstood insomuch as he was the figure of Christ for otherwise had he father and mother and so think some that Melchisedech was Sem. The Priests after the order of Aaron were mortall and none of them continued for euer but he of the order of Melchisedech is immortall and euerlasting Of the order of Aaron were there many but of the order of Melchisedech was there but onely one the same Messiah our redeemer and Lord who in that he is the eternall son of God hath no mother in that he is man borne in this world when the fulnesse of time was come hath no father and as hee is eternall so shall his priesthood be eternall Euery day sing they in their euensongs Iurauit Dominus non poenitebit eum Tu et Sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech But I call their owne consciences to witnesse that dayly sing it if they vnderstand that which euery day they sing Of this order of Melchisedech expect no other priests then Christ But Antichrist is he that shall so terme himselfe to be as he saith the vicar of Christ Hee and all his shavelings and fatlings will say themselues to be Priestes after the order of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron But so are they not after the order of Melchisedech sith there is no more but one which is Christ as little are they after the order of Aaron seeing with the death of Christ ceased the Leuiticall priesthood What priests then be the Papists After the order of Baal and so they be enemies of God and of his Prophets which preach against idolatrie The third thing that the Apostle noteth wherein Melchisedech was the figure of Christ is that Melchisedech by reason of his priesthood was much more excellent than Abraham and so as the greater blessed Abraham And Abraham himself acknowledging this maioritie and superioritie gaue vnto him the tithes of the spoyles Such a one truly is Christ vpon whom the redemption righteousnesse sanctification not of Abraham only but of all the faithful also doe depend Here see you the things wherin may we beleeue the Apostle a vessell of election Melchizedeck was the figure of Christ No mention at all maketh he of the sacrifice of bread nor of wine which we doubt the Apostle would haue done had Melchizedeck in this bene a figure of Christ The place which they cite of Malachy saith thus For from the rising of the sun vntill the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles And in euery place shal be offered to my name pure incense and Myrrach which we translate present or guift The common edition wherunto our aduersaries giue more credit then to the Ebrew text translateth Et in omni loco sacrificatur offertur nomini meo oblatio munda To wit And in euery place is sacrificed and offered to my name a cleane offering Here hence they conclude that this cleane offering which in euery place is sacrificed and offered is the sacrifice of the masse But the Masse being a profanatiō of the holy supper as before we haue proued it cannot be a present nor offering which is offered to God nor acceptable to him whereof it followeth that this Incense and present Of which speaketh Malachy is another thing farre different from the Masse It is say I the sacrifice not expiatory but Eucharistical of prayse and thanksgiuing which the faithful euery day and moment doe offer to God As before wee haue said in the one hundred forty one Psal and 2. verse The Prophet vseth these two very names which we translate Incence and offering The which place none vnderstand of the Masse because the Prophet saith An euening sacrifice But their Masse is said in the morning It is no new thing with God when his people his priests and princes prouoked him with their superstitions and Idolatries to threaten them that he would forsake them that he would nought esteeme them that he would take vnto himselfe another people which should serue him much better Of whom he would haue great regard S. Paul alleageth to this purpose a notable passages when he saith But I say hath not Israel attained to knowledge First Moses saith I will prouoke you to ielousie with a people which is not mine with a foolish people I will prouoke you to wrath also Esaias is bold to say I was foūd of those that sought me not I was manifested to them that enquired not for me c. The same doth the Lord in the place of Malachias which we haue in hand forsaking the Iewes he saith I take no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hostes neither do I regard the offerings of your handes You see here how he forsaketh the Iewish people And then in the following verse hee admitteth the Gentiles saying For from the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles And in euery place shal be offered to my name Incense and a pure offering Then saith God That his Church should now no more be straightned in Iudea But that it should extend throughout all the world Which was fulfilled when the Lord sent his Apostles throughout all the world to preach the Gospell to euery creature Then did Malachy prophesie the calling and conuersion of the Gentiles which hartily conuerted should offer Incense and a pure offering vnto God That is to say That they shall serue him with spirituall worshippe and seruice and shall worship him in spirit and truth and not in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem As said Christ to the woman of Samaria but throughout al the world The prophets when they will speake of the calling of the Gentiles are wont to signifie the spirituall worship Whereunto they exhort them by the ceremonies of the lawe And in stead of saying that all the people should turne vnto God They say That they shall goe vp to Ierusalem In stead of saying that all the people of the South and of the East shall worship God they say that they shall offer for a present the riches of their land To shewe the great and abundant knowledge which he was to giue to his faithfull in the kingdome of Christ they say That the Daughters shal prophesie the young men shal see visions old men shal dreame dreames So now Malachy willing to say that the Gentiles shall worship God in spirit and in truth saith that they shall offer Incense and an offering which bee things which God in the lawe commaunded the Iewes to offer vnto him and addeth pure to
which likenes it appeareth that he wold say that as in Christ remain two natures diuine and humane So in the same maner are the two natures preserued in the Sacrament That of the bread which is seene and that of the body of Christ which is not seene In the second booke and third epistle he also sayeth So that the body of Christ cannot be floure onely Nor water only But both doe meete and couple together and with the meeting togither and vnion of one bread become firme with which and the same sacrament our People is shewed to be coupled Athanasius expounding these words If any man shall speake a word against the Sonne of man it shall be forgiuen him but he which speaketh against the holy spirit c. saith And how great is the body that all the world is to eate of And concludeth that this is spiritually to be vnderstood and hereby that in this place the Lord speaketh of his ascention against the Capernaits Basil in his Liturgie calleth the bread of the sacrament Antitypon of the body of Christ to wit an example or patterne of the like forme And after the consecration he calleth it so also Dionysius de Ecclesiastica Hierarchia cap. 3. saith The Bishop vncouereth the couered and vndiuided bread and parting it in peeces c. Saint Ambrose vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians saith When it is said that this is done in memorie of Christ and of his death we by eating and drinking do signifie the flesh and bloud of Christ which haue bene offered In the same place also he saith We receiue the mysticall cup in type or figure of the bloud of Christ Also in the fourth booke De Sacramentis and fourth chap. where he setteth downe the change of the symbols he handleth also our change into Christ but for all this those that receiue the Sacrament are not transubstantiated into Christ Also in the same chapter he saith So that we affirme How can that which is bread be the body of Christ by consecration And then If the word of the Lord haue so much power that the things which were not begin to be how much more powerfull shall it be to cause that these things remaine which haue their being and be changed into another thing Saint Ierome vpon Saint Matthew saith clearely that in the bread and the wine is represented the body and bloud of Christ Chrysostome vppon the second to the Corinthians sayth Not onely that which is set before vs vppon the table but the poore also is the body of Christ to whom wee are bound to doe good for he that sayd this is my body with his mouth sayd also that he it was which receiued the benefite and that hee in the poore was in necessitie Also in the eleuenth Homily vppon Matth. In opere imperfecto he saith In the holy vessels is neither the bodie of Christ nor his bloud but the mystery of the bodie and bloud of Christ Also vpon the twelfth chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians Hom. 27. he saih So that Christ in the bread and wine sayd Doe this in remembrance of me In declaring also these wordes vppon the twentie third Psalme Thou hast prepared a table before me saith So that the bread and the wine in the Sacrament is shewed vnto vs in the similitude of the bodie and bloud of Christ c. Also writing to Cesarius against Apollinarius and others which confounded the diuinitie and humanitie of Christ this Epistle is found in the Librarie of Florence he saith For euen so the bread before it bee sanctified wee call bread but the diuine grace signifying this the bread by meanes of the Priest is freed from the name of bread and is found worthy to be called the bodie of the Lord albeit the nature of bread remaine stil in it In verie manie places is Saint Augustine wholly for vs and roundly confirmeth our doctrine Vppon the fourescore and second Psalme hee saith Thou art not to eate that which thou seest nor art thou to drinke this bloud which they haue to poure out That which I say is a mysterie which will quicken being spiritually vnderstood Also in the Treatise De Fide ad Petrum chap. 19. hee calleth it the Sacrament of bread and wine Also against Faustus the twentith booke and twentie first chapter he sayth In the old Testament vnder the similitude of the sacrifices to wit of the beastes sacrificed the flesh and bloud of Christ was promised vnto vs vpon the crosse was it really giuen but in the Sacrament for a memoriall it is celebrated Let vs well consider these three times noted by Saint Augustine and the great difference there is After one sort gaue Christ himselfe in the olde Testament after another vpon the crosse and after another in the Sacrament of the Supper Also De Ciuitate Dei the 21. booke and the twentie fift chapter he clearelie affirmeth that the wicked eate not the matter of the Sacrament to wit the bodie of Christ And so saith he It is not to be thought that hee which is not in the bodie of Christ and in whom Christ is not nor he in Christ eateth the body of Christ Also in the twentith Treatise vppon Saint Iohn hee saith the same Against Adimantus also a Manachie chap. 12. he saith The Lord doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue notwithstanding the signe of his body In this sheweth Saint Augustine the words of Christ This is my body ought not to bee fully vnderstood according as they sound but by trope or figure and so saith hee that this manner of speech is like to that alleaged out of the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomie verse 23. The bloud is the life Also De doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 16. Hee sheweth that which Christ in the sixt chapter of Iohn vseth Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man c. to bee a figuratiue maner of speech the reason which hee giueth is because it seemeth to commaund a great wickednesse For to eate the flesh of a man is a greater crueltie then to kill him and to drinke his bloud then to shed it And therefore saith Saint Augustine that it is a figure which commaundeth vs sweetely and profitably to remember that the flesh of Christ was crucified and wounded for vs. Also in the Epistle to Boniface sayth The Sacramentes take their names of those thinges whereof they are Sacraments These wordes as wee haue noted tooke Saint Augustine from Saint Cyprian and excellently nameth the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ in a certaine manner to bee the bodie of Christ and then sayth The Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is the bloud of Christ Vpon the eight Psalme he also saith Christ receiued Iudas vnto his banquet when hee commended the figure of his bodie Let that which wee haue already sayd of this glorious Doctor suffice Leo
visible signes with the name of his bodie of his blood Not changing verely the same nature but adding grace to the nature Eranist Surely the mysticall thinges are mystically spoken and the thinges not Notorious to all are clearely manifest Ortho. Seeing he saith that the robe and the vesture are called of the patriarke the bodie of the Lord and that wee are entred into discourse of diuine misteries Tell mee truely whose signes and whose figure supposest thou that most holy meate to be Of the diuininitie it selfe of the Lord Christ or of his body and blood Eran. Of those things doubtlesse whose names they haue receaued Ortho. Of the body saie thou and of the bloud Eran. So I say Ortho. Verie well hast thou spoken For the Lord hauing taken the signe said not this is my diuinitie but this is my bodie Also this is my bloud and in another place The bread which I will giue for the life of the world Eran. All this is most true for they be the wordes of God c. And in the 2. Dialogue Ortho. Tell me then whose Symbols be these mysticall symbols which be offered to God of the ministers of holy thinges Eran. Of the bodie and of the blood of the Lord. Ortho. Of the true or not the true bodie Eran. Of the true c. Ortho. For those mystical symbols no not after sanctificatiō leaue not their proper being nature For they remaine in their former substaunce figure forme are seen handled neither more nor lesse thē before But the things which are made are vnderstood belieued adored as thiugs being which are beleeued Cōpare thē the Image with the Archtipe to wit the thing whose Image it is thou shalt see the likenes For the figure of necessity must agree with the truth For that same body holdeth no doubt his first figure forme circumscriptiō to speake simply the same substaūce also of the body c. That which Theodoret cheifly pretendeth to proue in these dialogues is that as there be a things really in the sacramēt the figure the thing figured bread The bodie of Christ these 2 things be not confused but each one holdeth his proper being So neither more nor lesse are there 2 natures really in Christ diuine humane not confounded nor the one conuerted into the other Were there not 2 things really in the sacrament The argumēt of Theodoret should not proue his intent but shold be rather for the heretikes against whom he disputed which said that the body of Christ ascending into the heauens is wholly conuerted into the diuine nature As now say our aduersaries that the bread and wine are conuerted into the bodie and blood of Christ So that there remaineth no more bread nor no more wine The selfe same argument of Theodoret vseth Gelasius bishop of Rome against Eutiche◠as before we haue alleaged Here sest thou the victorie which our aduersaries haue gotten by aleaging the fathers to cōfirme their transubstantiation If many they haue alleaged for their transubstantiation many more haue we alleaged against transubstantiation as ancient as learned as godly as those whom they haue cited and the selfe same also haue we alleaged oftentimes that they haue alleaged Our aduersaries with ful mouth still crie out saying Fathers fathers as though the fathers were for them not for vs But by this disputation which we haue in hand shal be seene whether the fathers be before vs whether they approue and confirme our Doctrine and condemne that of our aduersaries or no. But for as much as say the Logitians to giue an instance is not to assoyle the argumēt It shal be good to answere that which our aduersaries haue alleaged against our Doctrine This will we doe with all possible breuitie because we purpose not here to make long discourse of this mater To shew then that that of the fathers which they haue alleaged maketh nothing against vs. Needful shall it be to consider that the holy Scripture it selfe doth wontedly giue the names of Symbols signes or figures to the thinges which they betoken figure and represent and contrarywise the names of the things signified and figured they giue to the signes and figures as the fathers doe obserue it Thus is Christ the pascall lambe the pascal lambe is Christ Christ is bread the bread is Christ c. For this cause the fathers imitating the phrase of the scripture speaking of the things signified they call them by the names of those things which they signifie contrariwise speaking of the figures they giue vnto them the names of the things which they figure Which thing S. Ciprian by vs before alleaged S. Augustine in an epistle which he wrote to Boniface before by vs also alleaged Therdoret in the Dialog a little be fore cited do witnesse Moreouer if we diligently consider that which a litle before or a litle after in other places they haue said we shall see that they haue vnderstood witnessed this meat to be spirituall not carnall for the mouth teeth nor the belly Wherefore saith S. Augustine as before of him we haue sayd preparest thou the tooth and the belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten In which manner of speaking S. Augustine doth imitate S. Cyprian As before we haue said It is also to be noted that the fathers speake one way of the bread of the wine before consecration and after consecration otherwise Before consecratiō say they that the bread and wine are common and vulgar as the rest But of consecration they deny it to be common bread they deny it to be common wine there is a chaunging say they in them which thing is most true For the bread wine by consecration cease to be common bread and wine and be dedicated to a sacred vse and so the bread and the wine are made holie or sanctified ceasing to bee common and prophane Such a chaunge as this vnderstood the fathers to be made in the bread and wine but not as touching the substaunce and being But as touching the qualities The which chaunge wee doe willingly allow By such a chaunge we confesse that the bread and wine are made Sacraments which effectually by the vertue of the holie spirit doe signifie present seale and giue vnto vs as touching the soule by the meane of faith The body blood of the Lord. Who so will marke this shal vnderstand that when the fathers say there is now no more bread nor wine in the Sacrament this ought not to bee simply vnderstood As touching the substaunce but in a certaine manner in respect of him which receaueth the sacrament who ought not to settle his eyes vppon the bread nor vppon the wine which bee visible earthly and corruptible things but ought to lift vp his hart soule and spirit to receiue that which by the bread the wine is signified vnto vs To wit Iesus Christ set
Transubstantiation among our aduersaries that they hold him not a Christian but an heretike anathematized accursed and excommunicated that doth not beleeue it Wherein to the Councell of Florence held in the time of Eugenius the fourth in the yeare of our Lord 1439. do they great iniurie In this Councell were present the Emperour of Grecia the Patriarke of Constantinople and many Easterne Bishops The Greekes and Latines agreed in this Councell in the difference which they held touching the holy Spirit and in some other things they also agreed but as touching Transubstantiation albeit the Pope did labour them to allow of it yet could they neuer effect it with them And great heed tooke the Greekes that in the letter of vnitie no mention were made of Transubstantiation the which was done to the good liking of the Greeks as in the Bull of Eugenius which beginneth Exultent coeli laetetur terra appeareth wherin he giueth for good to all Christendome that the Greeke and Latine Church had once againe accorded And I surely know had their Transubstantiation bene an article of faith without which there is no saluation the Romane Church did wickedly to admit the Greeks for brothers seeing they openly denyed Transubstantiatiō That which our aduersaries say of the mutual cōsent of the Church touching the article of Transubstātiation here appeareth to be false For neither the Greek nor Eastern church euer beleeued it nor now at this day beleeueth it nor yet did the Latine Church for a thousand yeares space beleeue it Of all this which we haue spoken touching Transubstantiation we conclude that which we say to be truth that he which heareth the Masse is a great Idolater and he which sayth it is a greater The fift Domage which the Masse causeth is that besides the sayd foure domages it maintaineth many abuses as is Purgatorie Concerning Purgatorie say we there is no other purgatorie but the bloud of Christ which purgeth our sinnes By which purgation wee are reconciled with the euerlasting Father The other purgatorie say we which our aduersaries haue forged without the word of God is the head of a wolfe as Doctor Constantine did call it who for the cause of religion of infirmitie age and hard imprisonment among those cruell Canibals and eaters of mans flesh the defilers of the faith in the castle of Traiana died Purgatorie is a common cutpurse that without shame or correction stealeth robbeth and catcheth all what it can to fill the paunches of these idle bellies priests and friers all the ecclesiasticall order For whence haue they so enriched themselues whence is it that they haue builded so many sumptuous Monasteries which seeme rather Castles and pallaces of most rich kings and Princes then houses of begging Friers and poore Monkes who in times past gained their liuing with the labour of their hands Whence haue they founded so many Chappels so manie Trentals so many Masses prayed and sung which they called de requiem but of the foolish perswasion of Purgatorie As the Masse entertayneth Purgatorie so also doth Purgatorie entertaine the Masse The Masse and Purgatorie are euen as two Mules the one rubbing the other The false prophets made an old simple woman beleeue that the soule of her father mother husband daughter or other person whō she deerely loued was suffering most grieuous torments and paines in Purgatory and demanded some reliefe by the Masse or Masses which should be said for it Then the poore old woman taking it from their mouth ioyned peece to peece 68 Blancas which is a ryall went to a Priest and giuing him the tyall for Masses are sold for money besought him to say a Masse with great deuotion for the soule of her father or some other person whom she loued And were the old woman so much more superstitions then went she to a monasterie holding it for certaine that the Fryers liued a more religious and holy life then the Priestes and being come to the monasterie besought the Sextan or potter to cause a Masse with all speede to be sayd The Sextan or porter sayd it should presently bee done Then went out a Father to say the Masse and tooke money of her to whom better had it beene to haue giuen then taken it from her for God knoweth the pouertie that remayned in the house of this old woman and the riches and superfluity that was in the monasterie And a faire thing it was that they sayd it not for her for oftentimes it happeneth that more Masses are receiued for in one day then all the Priestes of the monastery can say in a moneth And this is the cause why they cannot say all the Masses they receiue for But thou wilt say vnto mee Why do these reuerend men take of them more money for Masses then they well can say Me seemeth they rob in doing this which thou sayest Hereunto I answer that they reckon not of this nor make they any conscience thus to rob and deceiue And that which is worse this their theft and robberie do they sanctifie saying that is very well done and that necessity so requireth that the deuotion of the people be not despised Ad the Pope for the cause aforesayd a proueth and maketh good this theft and commandeth them to say two Masses at euery moneths end one for the quicke another for the dead which two Masses saith he are as auayleable as all those how many soeuer they haue omitted to say Did the Magistrates their dutie they would seeke and in the chests of their Monasteries should find such Bulles such mockeries and such licenses to steale Purgatorie haue they made a new article of faith so that he which beleeueth it not is therefore an heretike If it be heresie not to beleeue that which neither in the doctrine of the old or new Testament is confirmed Nor is in any of the three Creedes of the Apostles the Nicen nor of Athanasius being a Summarie token out of the scripture which a Christian ought to beleeue conteyned The 6. domage is that suppose the sacrifice of the Masse or sacrament of the altar As they call it had bene such As they paint it out Yet should it not be wel administred sith the Christian people are defrauded and depriued of the one halfe of the sacrament because they giue them not the sacramentall wine which is the sacrament of the bloud of Christ shed for vs vpon the Crosse when the other halfe is receiued they giue it seldome once in the yeare wickedly with so many superstitions and Idolatries As we haue already proued In bread and wine did Iesus Christ institute this sacrament for the high signification and allusion which the bread and wine holde with his bodie and with his bloud and commaunded his Apostles in the selfe same maner As they had seene him celebrate the supper in memoriall of his death to celebrate it When he gaue thē the bread he said Take
Christ Saint Ierome vppon the 66. chap. of Esayas saith Not being holie in bodie nor spirit they eate not the flesh of Iesus nor drinke they his bloud Manie other places bee there in the Fathers that proue our doctrine the wicked c. not to eate nor drinke the bodie bloud of Christ But those which wee haue alleaged are now sufficient Another absurditie there is and this it is that the banquet being to be common and generall to all by which it is called Communion one onely at his pleasure eateth it and swalloweth all without giuing part to others Who taught them thus to doe Not Christ nor his Apostles nor the primitiue Church In old time all those that were present when the Supper of the Lord was celebrated did communicate and that in both kindes And except they did communicate they depriued them of the Supper which our Aduersaries cannot denie So confesseth George Cassander in the Preface of the booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae for confirmation hereof hee alleadgeth the tenth Cannon of the Apostles where it is commaunded that all the faithfull which were found present at the holy solemnities of the Church and continued not till the Masse were ended nor receiued the holie Communion should bee cast from the Communion He citeth the Councell of Antioch the second chapter wherein it is ordayned that all they which enter into the Church of God and receiue not the holy Communion should bee cast out of the Church Hee alleaged also the Cannon of Calixtus or as say others Anacletus which commandeth that the consecration ended all should communicate Hee alleageth also Iohn Coclaeus in the booke which hee intituled De Sacrificio Missae contra Musculum In old time saith Cochleus Aswell the Priestes as the Laitie so manie as were found present at the sacrifice of the Masse the offering being ended did ioyntly with the Priest communicate c. And the same Cannon which they say in their Masse maketh this to bee clearely vnderstood because it maketh mention of the people standing about offering and communicating For which cause some expounders of the Cannons say that the Cannon ought not to be sayd in the Masse but onely when the people communicate Many more Councels and Fathers might be alleaged to confirme that which Cassander sayth but the thing being so manifest many witnesses shal be needlesse The Grecians vntill this day obserue the ancient custome there is no priuate Masse among them Vpon the Lords dayes and festiuall dayes the Supper of the Lord is onely celebrated and the people in both kindes communicate Our aduersaries may see what hath beene the cause of leauing this ancient and laudable custome and that as many also as heare the Masse and communicate not incurre thereby Excommunication The Communion in our time is but once a yeare celebrated and this with damage and great idolatrie and all the dayes in the yeare is no other thing done but saying of Masses in euery corner of the Churches and in those also of particular houses without any Communion except it be that some for deuotion will communicate and oftentimes it happeneth that none is found present at these Masses but the Nouice onely that answereth Et cum Spiritu tuo and with thy spirit when the Priest hath said vnto him Dominus vobiscum The Lord bee with you And note that the Nouice is wont to be commonly a little villaine according to the prouerbe Hize à mi hijo Monazillo y torno seme diabillo Make my sonne a Nouice and turne him a little diuell What agreement then hath this their priuate Masse with the holy Supper of the Lord which is a common banquet proposed to the whole Church Reade the tenth and eleuenth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians which before we haue alleaged What wickednes do they then that conuert the Masse into the supper of the Lord which they neuer celebrate except the whole Church or the greatest part of it do communicate acording to the institution of Christ according to that which his Apostles did and the Church many yeares after The 3. absurdity is that which before we haue said that were there Trāsubstantiation Christ shuld haue 2 carnal bodies one which sate the other which this sitting body did eate giue to his Disciples The fourth Absurditie is that they put the body of Iesus Christ in diuerse places at one instant in all the Masses which are sayd through the world Against the order of nature doe they in this according whereunto nothing created that is finite can be at one selfe same time in diuerse places The body of Iesus Christ considered it selfe is finite and in time created therefore can it not bee in diuerse places at one instaut In this do they also against the article of our faith which in the Creed we confesse that Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father From whence shall he come saith the article of our faith to iudge the quicke and the dead Also they do against common experience for seeing bread and wine with the eyes tasting them with the mouth and smelling them with the nose yet for all this say they that no bread nor wine remaineth I demaund now when they burne this their Sacrament for the causes that they themselues in the booke de Cautelis do command it to be burned I demaund of them what is that which is burned and conuerted into ashes Not the bodie of Christ which now being glorified is impassible nor the accidents of the bread nor of the wine for the substance of the ashes engendred of that which was burned could not bee engendered but of another substance according to that which commonly is said The generation of one thing is the corruption of another It followeth then Albeit it grieue them that they deny it that the bread is burned I demaund of them also when the Priest deuideth the Host into three partes what is that which he deuideth Some say they bee accidents without subiect To others this answere not seeming to be good because not the accidents but the substance which hath quantitie is parted Therefore say they that nothing is parted This people thinke vs to be blocks and fooles They will make vs as they say del cielo cebolla to beleeue things impossible Free should they be from all these absurdities would they with Iesus Christ with his Apostle Saint Paul and with the Catholike Church confesse true bread and true wine to be in this sacrament of which bread and of which wine being corrupted are engendred those things before spoken So that the wormes and ashes are engendred and made not of the body of Christ which is glorious and set at the right hand of the Father not of the accidentes which haue not other being but doe remaine in some subiect and by a miracle say they the accidentes in the Sacrament bee
our high priest offered with which wee being sinners and sonnes of wrath he reconciled vs to God Oh good newes Heare them then O Spaine and beleeue them In this Treatise I wil be short for many things which were here to be sayd haue we formerly sayd in the confutation of the false priestes which is the Pope and of the false sacrifice which is the Masse And there haue we sayd it for confutation of falshood For how can falshood be confuted but with the truth walke we then hence forth as Children of truth and light He that listeth to knowe who is this high priest and what is this his onely and eternall sacrifice Let him read the Epistle which the Apostle wrote to the Hebrewes there clerely shal hee find both the one the other And no booke there is in all the holie scripture which more to the purpose and more axcellently handleth this argument then this Epistle An Epistle truely worthie for each faithfull Christian to reade and reade againe and to retaine in memorie Seeing there in is handled a matter so necessary without the vnderstanding knowledge whereof it is impossible for mā to be saued For what thing is more necessary thē to know who my redeemer is how he hath redeemed me so to beleeue in him beleeuing in him to be thankful vnto him by liuing in holines and righteousnesse all the daies of my life His maiesty pardon our imperfections supply that much which is wanting But before we enter into this matter Let vs declare that which we beleue of Christ we confesse that Iesus Christ is truely God and truely man that in as much as he is God he is equall with the father with the holy Ghost in nothing inferior We confesse that in as much as he is man he is lesse then the father and lesse then the holy Ghost and in nothing equal We confesse these two so far different natures diuine humaine not to haue bin vnited nor conioyned for euer but in time as saith S. Paule when saith he the fulnes of time was come God sent his son made of a woman made vnder the lawe c. The same saith S. Iohn And the word was made flesh and dwelled among vs. So that from thenceforth is hee called and is true God and true man and so according to this coniunction Christ is lesse then the father For the father hath made him and giuen him vnto vs. For our king Prophets and priest Which three offices the name of Christ signifieth which is a Greeke word and is the same that is Messias in Hebrewe and Vngido in our Spanish tongue So also is it called because these three kindes of men were in olde time annointed And so doe wee read that Samuel annointed Saul for king Dauid also hee annointed Sadoc annointed Solomon c. Concerning the Prophets wee read that Elias annointed Eliseus Concerning the Priests annoynting it is seene in Exod. 30. 50. These 3. Offices doth the holie scripture attribute to Christ It calleth him king Psal 2. 6. I haue appointed to my selfe a king ouer Sion Also Luke 1. 33. And he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer his kingdōe shall haue no end Also Iohn 1. 49. 12. 15. Mat. 22. Al the places also which say Christ to be the head of the Church cōfirme Christ to be king a Prophet he is called Esaie 61. 1. Luk. 4. 19. Also Deut. 18. 15. It is promised that God wil raise vp a Prophet which place S. Peter in that excellēt sermō which S. Luke mentioneth vnderstandeth of Christ who is the Prophet of Prophets In the same maner vnderstādeth it S. Stephen A priest is hee called Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Which place in the Epistle to the Hebrewes is oftentimes alleaged where it calleth him the only euerlasting priest But the difference between the kings Prophets priests of the olde Testament Christ is this they were the figure of Christ and annointed they were with materiall visible oyle But Christ is the thing figured is annointed not with visible oyle but with the grace of the holy spirit As he himselfe Luk. 4. 18. doth witnes in declaring the prophesie of Esaie The spirit of the Lord c Of this kind of ointmēt thus speaketh the Psal 45. 7. Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated Iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of goodnes aboue thy fellowes which place the Apostle vnderstandeth of Christ And Christ being annointed with the spirituall oyntment we vnderstand his kingdome not to be of this world his doctrine to be heauenly his priesthood to be euerlasting diuine Christ as king appointed of the father gouerneth his Church giueth her lawes which no prince nor the mightiest monarch of the world may disdaine or abolish For it is noted that all how mighty soeuer do acknowledge him for king of kings Lord of Lords For God as saith S Paul exalted Christ gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee do bowe in heauen in earth and vnder the earth Christ as a prophet doth teach vs the will of his father doth shewe vs what we ought to fly what we ouht to follow Whō the father gaue vnto vs for our Doctour maisterand teacher whē he said This is my beloued sonne in whom I take delight heare him He wil we should heare another Doctrine albeit an Angel from heauen doe preach it If an Angel from heauen saith Saint Paul shal preach vnto you another gospel thē that which I haue preached vnto you the which he had learned of the Lord Iesus Let him be accursed The office of the priest is to appeare before the diuine Maiestie to appease his wrath and to obtaine grace for vs. The which he performeth Offering a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable vnto him This did Iesus Christ offering vp himselfe vpon the Crosse Which sacrifice one only time offered and neuer more reiteratetd For reiteration should shewe imperfection to haue beene in it was so sweete and so good a sauour vnto God that he was pleased and being pleased was reconciled with men So that he pardoned all our sinnes and sanctified vs for euer Of these three offices treateth also the epistle to the Hebrewes In the 1 chapter it sheweth the excellencie and maiestie of Christ aboue the Angels and consequently ouer all Creatures In which it deuoteth his kingdōe In the third chapter the Apostle calleth him the teacher of the will of God Which thing did the Prophets chapter 13. 20. he calleth him Great Pastor By Pastor he vnderstandeth a teacher And so in the 7. verse he said Remember your Pastors which speake vnto you the word of God c. That Christ is a
disobedient to their fathers and mothers and to their superious all seditious persons factious traytors contentious persons adulterours fornicators thieues dauncers manslayers euill speakers deceiuers couetous persons he she witches vsurers raysers of false witnes robbers drunkards gluttons all those that liue scandalously denouncing vnto them that they abstaine from this holy table that they foule not nor defile the holie meat which our Lord Iesus Christ giueth to his houshold and faithfull only An exhortation wherein is declared what is the vse and fruit of the supper Therefore after S. Paules admonition let euery man proue and examine his conscience to knowe if hee haue true repentaunce of his sinnes and if hee abhorre them grieuing to haue coÌ„mitted them against the diuine goodnes desireth thenceforth to liue holily according to the wil of God And aboue all if he haue his trust in the diuine mercie seeke wholy his saluation in Iesus Christ And if all Enmitie and rancour layd aside hee haue a good purpose to liue with his neighbours in concord and brotherly loue If we haue this testimony in our hart before God we nothing doubt but that he accepteth and acknowledgeth vs for his sonnes And that the Lord Iesus Christ directeth his word to vs to admit vs vnto his Table and communicate this sacrament vnto vs which hee commnnicated to his disciples And albeit wee feele in our selues great weakenesse and misery As not yet to haue perfection of faith But to bee inclined to vnbeliefe and distrust and as not to bee so fully addicted to serue God and with such a zeale as wee ought But to fight continually with the Iustes of the flesh Notwithstanding this hath the Lord shewed vs this mercy to haue imprinted in our harts his Gospel to resist all incredulity and hath giuen vs a desire and affection to renounce our owne inclinations and corrupt desires to follow his righteousnesse and obey his holie commandements Sure we are that the vices and imperfections remaine in vs cannot let but that he receiue vs make vs worthy to be partakers of his good things in this spirituall banquet For wee come not to him to protest that in our selues wee are perfect or iust But contrarywise in seeking with great desire our life in Christ wee confesse that we abide in death This sacrameÌ„t vnderstand we to be a medecine for those which are needy in spirtuall infirmities that all the dignitie which Christ our redeemer requireth at our hands is to know vs to haue sorrow and hartie griefe for our offences and to settle all our delight ioy contentment only in him First doe we beleeue these promises which Iesus Christ who is the infallible and eternall truth pronounced with his mouth To wit that he will truly make vs partakers of his body bloud To the end we may wholy possesse him that he may liue in vs we in him And although we see not the thing giuen but only bread wine yet are we sure he wil spiritually fulfil in our harts all that which he out wardly sheweth by these visible signes He is I would say the heauenly bread to feede vs nourish vs vnto life eternal Let vs not then be vngrateful to the infinit goodnes of Iesus Christ our sauiour who setteth before vs vpon this holy table all his riches to distribute the same vnto vs. For in giuing himself vnto vs he doth witnes that all his good things are wholy ours Let vs therfore receiue this sacrameÌ„t as a most certaine pledge wherby the vertue of his death passioÌ„ is imputed vnto vs for righteousnes As if we our selues in our own persons had suffered Let vs not be so peruerse of vnderstanding nature to refuse to reioyce enioy this diuine banquet wherunto Iesus Christ by his word doth so gently inuite vs. But with great esteeme of the dignitie of this most precious guift wherewith he graceth vs to present we our selues vnto him with a burning zeale and faithful hart that he make vs capable to receiue him For this end lift we vp our minds harts vnto him there where Iesus Christ is in the glorie of his father from wheÌ„ce we expect him for our redemptioÌ„ And let vs not be occupied nor dwel vppoÌ„ these earthly corruptible elements which we see with the eyes touch with the hands to seeke him in theÌ„ as though hee were inclosed in the bread wine For theÌ„ shall our soules being so lifted vp aboue all earthly things be disposed to be fed quickened with his substauÌ„ce to come vnto heaueÌ„ enter into the kingdoÌ„e of God where he remayneth Content we then our selues to hold the bread wine for signes testimonies seking spiritually the truth where the word of God doth promise This done the ministers distribute vnto the people the bread and the cup hauing first admonished all that they come with all reuerence by order to receiue it In the meane time they sung some psalmes in the congregatioÌ„ or read with a loud voyce some thing of the holy scripture agreiug to that which by the sacrameÌ„t is signified wheÌ„ all haue coÌ„municated they kneele on their knees giue thanks A thankesgiuing after the communion We giue thee euerlasting thanks praise eternall and heauenly father for the clemencie which thou hast vsed towards vs in communicating vnto vs so great a benefit being as we are miserable sinners and in hauing made vs partakers of the communion of thy son Iesus Christ our Lord. Whom thou deliueredst ouer to death for vs and now giuest him vnto vs for foode and nourishment of euerlasting life Haue mercie also vppon vs and neuer suffer vs to forget these thinges so worthie of thee But hauing them imprinted in our harts we may alwayes growe be strengthened in faith effectuall to all good works And that this doing we may order proceede all our life time holily to the aduauncement of thy glory and edification of our neighbours through Iesus Christ thy son who in the vnity of the holy spirit liueth raigneth with thee the true God euerlasting This done the minister with this blessing dispatcheth the people wherewith the Lord commaundeth that they should blesse the people Numb 9 24. The Lord blesse you and saue you the Lord make his face shine vpon you be merciful vnto you The Lord turne his fauourable câ—uÌ„tenance towards you giue you his peace Amen In the vulgar tongue is all this sayd that all small and great learned and vnlearned may vnderstand Whosoeuer without passion with a desire to be assured of the way of his saluation shall read this which we haue sayd hee shall easily vnderstand the supper which now we celebrate in the reformed Churches to be the same which Iesus Christ our king prophet and priest instituted which his Apostles the catholike church for many hundred yeares did celebrate And contrary wise
nor his Apostles who in all simplicitie did celebrate the holy supper The wisdome of the flesh being enemy to God hath brought them into the Church to make vs forget the memorie of the benefite of Christs death and passion Moreouer we wil cite certaine histories by which the Christian Reader shall clearely see what account the Pope and his Cleargie make of their Sacrament of the Altar which they affirme to be God Gregory 7. for that he demanded a reuelation of the Host against the Emperour and had no answer cast it into the fire burned it Victor 3. died of poyson which his subdeacon in saying of Masse put into the chalice A Dominicke Friar gaue poyson in the Sacrament to the Emperour Henry 7. Sixtus 4. commanded that at the time of the eleuation the-murder should begin and so it was performed at Florence A certaine Inquisitor at Barcelona called Molon clipped the Host with a paire of sheers Foure Augustine Friars which were hanged at Seuill said Masse without any intention of consecration The same haue many other Priests done also and so by their owne Cannons haue caused all that heard their Masse to commit idolatrie That being as it is true which we haue said and proued of the Masse with very iust title and good and sound conscience do we detest it as a prophanatiō of the holy supper of the Lord There is then no cause why any shuld condemne vs for sedicious heretikes or schismatikes if abhorring the Masse flying the same we follow and imbrace the holy supper which Iesus Christ iustituted his Apostles and our forefathers for the space of a thousand yeares celebrated Would God for that onely sacrifice sake which his sonne our high and onely Priest offered vnto him that all our Spaniards would know as other nations do already know what the Pope is what things are his Buls which be nought els but mockeries which he maketh of vs what is his authoritie which is nought els but vanitie wherewith he hath many yeares deceiued vs that they would know that when the Pope curseth vs then God doth blesse vs would God they would know the holinesse of the masse to be diuelishnesse seeing it is a prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord. Very hard will it be for them I know well to do this because they haue bene borne brought vp growne old in the contrary But if the holy spirit giue them grace to reade compare conferre cōfront that which we haue sayd in these two Treatises with the holy Scripture which is the word of God very easie it shall be vnto them wherby euery faithfull and catholike Christian in particular and the whole Church in generall ought to be ruled gouerned Our Spaniards in this should imitate those of Berea who as saith S. Luke in his history of the Acts of the Apostles searched the Scriptures to know if that which Paul preached were the word of God or no. If that wee haue said be the word of God no time no custome how ancient soeuer ought to preuaile against it And if for our sins lies falshood and error haue for a little or long time oppressed and darkened the truth the errour ought to giue place as maugre the same it shall giue and so truth iure Postliminij as say the lawes shall reenter his possession And albeit an olde custome is very hardly left yet none ought to preferre such custome to reason and truth do euer exclude and expell custome Therefore when with reason and truth for reason and truth we constraine and conuince our aduersaries In vaine do they oppose ancient custome vnto vs saying in this were our forefathers brought vp in this did they die In this were wee borne and brought vp in this then will we die As if custome were greater then the truth This is euen like the saying of another A Moore was my father a Moore also will I be hauing no other reason to giue but custome Custome without truth is an olde errour and errour the elder the more dangerous it is Therefore leauing as saith Saint Cyprian in his epistle ad Pompeium errour let vs follow the truth knowing as saith Esdras Truth ouercommeth as it is written Truth doth shall euer preuaile and liue and raigne eternally And then saith the same S. Cyprian Blessed be the God of truth The which truth Christ shewing in his Gospell vnto vs saith I am the Truth wherefore if we be in Christ and haue Christ in vs if we abide in the truth and the truth abide in vs. Let vs hold that which is the truth And a little lower If the truth in any thing shall stagger or seeme doubtfull meete it is that we runne backe to the originall which the Lord ordained and to the Euangelicall and Apostolicall instruction and thence ariseth the reason of that which wee doe from whence the order and originall was raised And as he himselfe in another place saith What men haue formerly done ought wee not to looke but to that which Christ who is the first of all hath done The holy Scripture is the most certaine and infallible rule and squire whereby all our actions ought to be ruled and squired as witnesse these places which we will alleage and manie others Dauid Psal 119. vers 105. sayth Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes Esay chap. 8. and 20. we are commanded to repaire to the Law and to the testimonies and sayth that they which do not so it is because there is no light in them It is because they be in darkenesse it is because they are blind and as blind men goe groping Saint Peter speaking of the word or doctrine of the Prophets saith Whereunto yee shall doe well to giue eare as to a candle burning in an obscure place c. The holy Scripitures doe teach vs that Iesus Christ is our high and onelie Priest It teacheth vs that hee once offered vp himselfe with which sacrifice being of infinite vertue he sanctifieth vs for euer And teacheth vs that there is no other sacrifice nor was nor shal be but this alone by which remission of sinnes is obtained it teacheth vs that whosoeuer shall offer another sacrifice be sides this or reiterate this doth most great iniurie to Christ As though his sacrifice which was Christ himselfe were insufficient It teacheth vs that Iesus Christ ordained his holy supper which he commandeth vs to celebrat in remembrance of that sacrifice which he one only time offered to the father all this in generall and euery thing in particuler by the grace of God to him be the glory haue we sufficiently proued This is the trueth for it is the word of God This then we beleeue his Maiestie graunt vs grace not onely with the heart to beleeue this which he in his holy Gospell he hath reuealed vnto vs but also strength and constancie with the mouth to confesse it and
our cause which is his because it is the vndeceiueable truth which his maiesty in his holy Scripture hath reuealed Concerning the lies false doctrine of the authority of the Pope the holines of the Masse which our aduersaries maintaine persecuting with fire bloud all those that beleeue it not nor worship it therefore trouble they the world as at this day we see it troubled We assuredly know that it shall perish According to that which the Lord saith Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the roote And we haue the axe which is the word of God put to the root of the two trees the Pope the masse to cut them downe I beseech the Lord our God Christian reader which hath giuen thee a desire and will to be informed to know the causes why we subiect not our selues to the Pope nor wil heare his Masse but rather detest and abhor the one the other that he would please to lighten thine vnderstanding that thou maist comprehend what in these two Treatises haue bin said confirmed not with the sayings of men but of God himselfe of his holy Scripture giue thee such a mind and strength that thou maist wholly depart out from this wicked Babylon which is Rome deliuer thee from all the enormities abominations horrible superstitions and detestable idolatries which Rome hath inuented among which the principal is the Masse These idolatries without doubt be the chiefe cause original and fountaine of all miseries calamities and warres where with they that are called Christians be at this day afflicted For if God in the primitiue Church plagued with infirmities death the Corinthians for the abuses which they had brought into the holy supper the Apostle S. Paul yet liuing which he reporteth in his first epistle that he sent them what shal we say this selfe same Lord wil now do when the malice impiety superstition idolatry haue so greatly increased that the holy supper of the Lord which he instituted and commanded vs in remembrance of him to clebrate haue they wholy conuerted into the prophane Masse of the Pope Truly the abuses of the Corinthes as touching the Supper had no agreement by far with the erronious intollerable abuses which those that are called Christians commit at this day in their Masse And notwithstāding all this Saint Paul speaking to the Corinthians saith vnto thē For which cause many ef you are infirmed and weake many sleepe he wold haue sayd are dead We are not then to maruel if God strong iealous of his honour do chasten at this day such an idolatry as is that which in the Masse is committed with such great warres famine pestilence and which is worse and lesse perceiued a reprobate sense And no other mean there is Christian reader to obtaine pardon for these superstitions passed idolatries to get and keepe the grace of God of whom thou oughtest not only to expect all prosperity goodnesse but to endeuour by all possible meanes to serue him honour him applying thy selfe with all thine heart to all that which pleaseth him which is that which his Maiestie hath ordained and instituted in his holy word flying contrariwise all whatsoeuer may displease offend him and especially all kinds of idolatrie which he more detesteth abhorreth then all other sinnes abhominations and as such doth punish it as in the beginning of the first Treatise we haue declared Such is the Masse fly then from it follow the holy institution which Iesus Christ our king prophet and onely high Priest ordained This is the holy Supper as the Euangelists and S. Paul do shew Do this thē which Iesus Christ ordained commanded vs to doe in remembrance of him as by the mercy of God with all simplicity without all superstition or idolatrie is celebrated in our reformed Church and thou shalt walke aright All they that do otherwise erre God giue thee grace to walk aright that thou be not with this world coondemned And this do he for the vertue merit of the sacrifice with our high and only Priest Christ one onely time offered vnto him To whom who liueth and reigneth with the Father and the holy Spirit be euerlasting glorie and perpetuall power Amen A SWARME OF FALSE MIRAcles and Illusions of the diuell wherewith Maria de la visitacion Prioresse de la Anuntiada of Lisbon deceiued very manie and how she was discouered and condemned Anno. 1588. FOr confirmation of that which in these two Treatises so often I haue said that the Papists confirme their religion with false miracles inuēted by their ecclesiasticall persons or wrought by the Art of the diuell I will here set downe a most true historie deliuered in two popish bookes which by the prouidēce of God came to my hands Out of which with all faithfulnesse as he that must appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ giue an account not only of that hee hath done and said but of that also which he hath thought I haue taken that which I will deliuer Hee that will not beleeue me let him reade the two bookes from whence I haue taken that which I say I name the Authours of these bookes the Printers the yeare and place where they were imprinted as a litle after you shall see Our Aduersaries I wot well would haue buried all these thinges for they open a dore to men to seeke to vnderstand and the truth And that they may vnderstand it I haue put it in writing The Lord which knoweth my desire blesse my trauaile Our Aduersaries hauing no sound proofe to confirme their new articles of faith which they haue made as in very truth there is none haue confirmed them with dreames with fained apparitions and visions of Phantasmes of spirits and of soules come as they say from another world Now I hauing met with a new great and thicke swarme of such things which I found in a Portugal hiue me seemed I should do well by a new familiar and domesticall example which be they that most moue and that none can denie seeing it happened in our countrey of Spaine in the yeare 1588 truly to manifest the same that all the world and chiefly my countrimen the Spaniards for whom I haue taken this paine may hasten to know them and knowing them may abhorre them so may turne to the holy catholike faith true religion of Iesus Christ which is written in holy Scripture This hiue is Maria de la Visitacion Prioresse of the Monastery de la Anunciada in Lisbon who was held so certainly for holy whose hypocrisie false miracles were discouered publikely condemned as we shall after see I hearing much talke of the great holinesse admirable life and maruellous miracles of this womā whom for excellency they called The holy Nunne aduised my countrimen the Spaniards in a booke which I published in the
her to say the Cannonicall houres and at the End of euery Psalme would she say Gloria Patriet tibi Spiritui Sancto Or as saith friar Lewys de Granada Tibifilio To wit Glory be to the Father and to thee his Sonne and to the holy ghost c. In the 9. Page he saith To communicate and receiue her Creator was her ordinary custome during which time the other Nunnes saw her in a trance for a long space rapt vp in Spirit vntill her Gouernour commaunded her to go to the Communion with the other Religious And then returning to her selfe shee went most obediently forthwith to accomplish this holy mysterie c. In the 10. pag. speaking of her great charitie he recounteth a miracle this it is In the Monastery there was a Nun that was very weake withall had this fansie that she would in no wise eate any meat supposing that all sorts of meats were poisoned and in this franticke humour she kept her teeth shut by reason whereof her lips and iawes were couered with filth matter This religious Marie hauing compassion of the poore frantick Nunne and moued with a feruent charitie to her went to see her and praying her to eat a peece of bread which she offered her assured her it had no poison in it The diseased answered If you will eate of the same bread and bite in the side that I with my teeth and iawes which were cankered will bite then will I beleeue that the bread hath no poison that it is good bread Marie full of charitie enforced her selfe and with a strong hart least she should vomite promised to do so Then tooke she the bread and bit therof in the same place that the frantike Nunne had bitten And this she did with incredible cheerefulnesse hardly had she thus done when our Lord Iesus Christ by reason of his charitie appeared to the sayd Mary sayd vnto her For this thy so charitable an act I will giue health to this diseased And so was the sicke healed of her infirmitie The 11. pag. saith That as often as being in the Monastery she heard the litle bel which accompanied the most holy sacrameÌ„t of our Lord wheÌ„ they carried it to the diseased through the citie she kneeled downe on the ground with teares was rapt vp in a trance as witnesse the religious of the said Monasterie desirous is she of this most holy sacrament c. so hunger after it that Iesus Christ appeareth very often visibly vnto her he himselfe giueth himselfe to this religious The wednesday in the holy week she went into the low quire where the Nunnes through a window do wontedly receiue the holy communion at the haÌ„ds of the priest who is on the other side without where seeing that all the Nunnes had communnicated and that there was neuer a consecrat host left for her she betooke her selfe to praier intreating with teares the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that she might haue means to comunicate c. And a little after Then the holy place where so rich a treasure as is the body of our Lord Iesus Christ was kept opened of his owne accord one of the consecrate formes went forth without any visible helpe and offred it selfe to the mouth of this Religious woman which with most great deuotion and humility she receiued Another time on Innocents day another like miracle happened vnto her who euer increasing in perfecttion vertue is now come to so high an estate That about foure or fiue yeres since Iesus Christ crucified appeared vnto her all shining from whose right side issued a beame of fire which stroke vpon the left side of this Religious who stood right against the Crucifixe made and left in her flesh a red marke as bigge as the stroke of Launce and this wound on certaine daies namely at euery Friday openeth from whence issue certaine droppes of bloud and she feeleth she saith great griefe of the saide wound The diâ—ine Maiestie hath shewed these wonders since she was made Prioresse which was in the yeare 1583. in the beginning of Iulie c. Pag. 12. When she is in her Cell at prayer the religious see her enuironed with brightnesse and lifted vp into the aire with a great light which issues from her breast and face which signifie the great and feruent charitie and loue of God that is in her Lastly vpon the day of Saint Thomas of Aquine the 7. of March 1584. she being before aduised thereto by our Lord Iesus and by the sayd Saint Thomas communicated this vision to her Prouinciall And being by him exhorted therunto for nine dayes together euery day first confest her self she receiued the most holy communion In these dayes God shewed many fauours with much brightnesse by night As she was praying in the Quire on the said feast of Saint Thomas after Mattens betweene the houres of foure fiue in the morning Iesus Christ crucified gloriously shining appeared vnto her as before he had appeared with his fiue most holy wounds From his feete hands and side issued out beames of fire which wounded the hands feete and side of this Religious The wounds and marks of bloudy colour most faire remaine in her aswell within the palmes of the hands the feet as without the one in a round figure like to a naile answering the other the same side was marked in the same place wherein she had before bene wounded but with a signe or marke far more apparant She confesseth that she feels extreme griefe of the said wounds c. At the end of the letter the Prouinciall hath these words Some of my Religious bring I with me to giue good testimonie of that which I haue said he nameth these Friar Antonio de la Cerda Prouincial of Portugal who wrote this letter F. Gasper Leiton RegeÌ„t of the Colledge of Lisbon preacher to the king Friar Lewys de Granada Friar Pedro de Somer CoÌ„fessor of the most illustrious D. Henrie Cardinall that afterwards was K. of Portugal The second Letter is from Friar Lewys de Granada sent to the Patriarke of Valencia The date is from Lisbon the 18. of March 1584. the principall pointes are these In the 16. page of the book it saith that S. Thomas appeared vnto her 10 dayes before his feast told her she should prepare her selfe for vpon his feast day the Lord would come to visit her shew vnto her grace and particular fauour namely that of the impression of the fiue wounds as was said in the first letter c. Also he saith fiue or sixe dayes the paine endured during which time when she stepped to walke the soales of her feet shee thought trod vpon nayles c. And pag. 18. it saith On Tenable Wednesday she was in the Quire with great desire to communicate in a window by which the Religious did coÌ„municate right against whereunto was an altar where the little casket of
the most holy Sacrament stood for the great altar was occupied with the Sepulchre or monument that was made vpon it In the meane while he saw the litle casket open and a consecrate host to issue thereout which most deuoutly she receiued c. And Pag. 19. She told me that for 7. yeares euery Thursday at the Auc Marie houre she hath felt in her head all the paines of the crowne of thornes insomuch that the bloud issueth forth and she hath in her head some small prickes and holes of the sayd thornes the paines endure vntill Fryday at the same houre She had at a certaine time a great desire as very often she hath to communicate at which time shee saw in spirit S. Iohn Euangelist celebrate The Masse being ended a consecrate host came from the Altar She then returning to her selfe for she was rapt or rauished in spirit shee found that shee had the said host in her mouth c. All this which I haue written saith Friar Lewes de Granada she her selfe told me and I should write much more if I would recken all the maruellous thinges which our Lord worketh in this blessed soule c. The third Letter is from the same Prouinciall Friar Antonio de la Cerda sent to Friar Ferdiando de Castro Proctor in Rome for the prouince of Portugall The date is at Lisbon the 30. of March 1585. Thus it sayth Since your departure from this city it hath pleased our Lord from day to day more manifestly to declare how highly he esteemeth la Anunciada For infinit be the miracles as well corporall as spirituall which by her means he hath wrought in these parts which hath bene the cause that very many Gentlemen haue bene moued to become Fryars to whom with my hands I haue giuen the habite The fame of which miracles hath so far streched that it is come to the Mores dwelling in Alualady which is a castle three leagues from Lisbon Three wherof because the houre for them to turne Christians it should seeme drew neare maruellously desired to see the Prioresse for beleeue they could not so great miracles as were reported of her And from thenceforth the holy Spirit inwardly moued prouoked them more and more kindling in their hearts the desire to see the said seruant of God And so much dayly increased this desire in thē that one day very early not acquainting one another with th their purposes they departed all 3 frō Alualady for this city of Lisbon came to seek me in this couent saying that they knew not what it was which so inwardly had moued burned them with so feruēt a desire to see the Prioresse And whiles one of the told me these things behold there commeth the other afterwards the third And whē they met all three together they vnderstood that they all demanded one selfe same thing they seeing themselues inflamed with one selfe same desire were greatly astonished perceiuing that this proceeded of one selfe mouing of the holy Spirit and not of curiositie as some would presume I carried them to the monastery de la Anunciada and went into the parlor and thence sent word to the Prioresse that I would speake with her without letting her vnderstand why shee was called She presently came and the 3 Moores were fast by me when we spake together She lift vp her vayle to talke with me and scarcely had the three Moores seene her when they fell groueling to the earth And in such maner that needfull it was some which were present should helpe them vp When they arose beholding her eftsoons they kneeled on their knees with out a word speaking But that they lamented without ceassing hauing their eyes for a long time fixed vpon the Prioresse And when I asked them why they spake not to the Prioresse They answered that they saw in her so great and admirable things that they knew not what to speake Hauing thus sayd they besought the Prioresse that he which was by her might giue them baptisme She answered if they would be baptised that I was there present who would cause them to be baptised Adding moreouer that this to her Spouse should bee greatly pleasing This done I returned leading with me the Moores albeit to their great sorrow for they would not haue parted frō the Prioresse home to my Couent Of all this I aduertised the Archbishop who sent forthwith for the Moores and I accompanied with some Fathers brought them Brought as they were they confessed to the Archbishop in our presence that they had seen neere vnto the Prioresse Iesus Christ in humane shape put vppon the crosse Which miracle was so admirable that the same thereof stretched through all the kingdom great multitudes of people are come to this citie to see thē baptised The Archbishop sent for the Prioresse to giue them their names The which at my commaund she gaue vnto them Manuel she called the first Iohn the second and the third Thomas who were in this house baptised and with vs continue The second miracle which the Prouinciall telleth is this A Lady of qualitie there was which had a cancker in one of her Lippes This lady talking with Dona Vincencia told her that the day following they were to cut the canker The Lady Vincencia moued with compassion gaue vnto her a small peece of fine linnen cloth which the Prioresse was wont to drawe ouer her syde saying that she should put it vppon her canker for she trusted in God that when they should cut it she should feele no griefe at all c. The Ladie so did And with great deuotion promised that if she found so much good hereby that in cutting of her canker she should feele no paine she would publish to her power that God through the merits of the Prioresse his seruant had graunted her this so singular admirable mercie This simplicitie displeased not God But he graunted the rather what she had demanded for rising vp early the day following shee found her selfe whole and without any signe where the canker nor any euill had bene c. And a little lower Of all this were instruments made by arte of a notary publique at command of the Cardinals most illustrious worship The 3. Miracle which the prouincall telleth is Anna Rodrigues del Crucifixo of the third order of Frauncis brought with her two small peeces of a wodden Crosse which the prioresse had giuen her And going to visit one that was diseased demanded a little water to drinke Anna tooke a porcelan and pist water into it And after in the presence of them all tooke a peece of the Crosse which the Prioresse had giuen her and making a signe of the Crosse cast it into the Porcelan The peece went to the bottome And eftsoones like a candle on a candlesticke arose vp right on end Of this water gaue she the paciēt to drink Who then began to find himselfe better and demaunded what was that they
better proofes For dreames and false miracles are now nothing worth The time through the mercie of God is not now as wontedly it was when the Clergie easilie deceiued the people and made them to beleeue all whatsoeuer they listed Blessed bee the Lord for the light which in our times he hath giueÌ„ vs. His Maiestie giue vs grace to draw neere vnto it For the seruant that knoweth his maisters will doth it not shall be more punished then he that knoweth it not Besides this there is nothing in these his ten instructions which hath not already in the two precedent Treatises of the Pope and of the Masse bene sufficiently confuted To them I referre my selfe Our redeemer Iesus Christ when hee beganne to preach his Gospell confirmed the same with true miracles and departing from this world as Saint Marke in the last chapter of his Gospell declareth for the same effect to confirme the Euangelicall doctrine he left to his Church the gift of working miracles This gift in the Church I would say in some of the faithfull for all had it not as witnesseth Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12. where reckoning vp the giftes of the holy Spirit and how he distrributeth them amongst other hee saith And to another are giuen the gifts of holinesse by the same Spirit To another working of miracles c. for some time continued vntill the doctrine was confirmed and then afterwards ceassed Albeit God vsing his omnipotency leaueth not sometimes to do miracles But this is extraordinary and not common as then it was The Antichristians willing to be sold for Christians pretend and doe confirme their new and false doctrine with new and false miracles of which their bookes bee full For this is the chiefe proofe wherewith they confirme their doctrine Concerning that of the fiue wounds there is no word in all the new Testament nor in any of the ancient Doctours which for the space of one thousand and two hundred yeares liued in the Church of God that any of the Apostles no not Saint Iohn the dearely beloued Disciple nor yet the holy mother of our redeemer her selfe hath had them nor euer was it said anâ—e hee or shee Saint in all this time to haue had them for so much as I remember to haue read the first that they say had them was Saint Francis and this a few yeares before his death who died in the 1226. yeare The booke of Conformities fol â— demaundeth In which of the saints haue the miraculous wounds of Christ bene imprinted The same answereth In none but in the blessed our Father Saint Frauncis As witnesseth the Romane Church and commandeth the faithfull to beleeue it Afterwardes say same that in the 1340. yeare Saint Gertrude had them And holy Ludiuina say they but know not in what yeare also had them Also they say that S. Katherine of Sena who died in the 1380. yeare And in our dayes in the 1588. yeare was a publike voice and fame that the holy Nunne of Lisbon had them For so great a truth hold they that of Saint Francis that if anie beleeue it not or doubt it for an heretike is he â—olden and as an heretike ought he to be punished So that it is now one of their new articles of faith And so Pope Gregorie did commaund it to be beleeued The same commanded Pope Alexander the fourth and saith that with his owne eyes he saw theÌ„ as in his Bull he doth witnesse Another such like Bull gaue out Pope Nicholas 3 and Pope Bendict 12. who graunted besides this to the Franciscan Friars that they should celebrate the feast of the wounds of Saint Francis All this saith the booke intituled Of the Conformities of Saint Francis with Iesus Christ A booke full of blasphemies seeing it maketh him equall with Iesus Christ proueth S. Francis with many reasonles reasons to haue bin much more excellent then S. Iohn Baptist Amongst which he setteth these downe that he conuerted many more than Iohn that he preached repentance 18 yeares instituted the order of Penance S. Iohn but 2 yeares and some what more preached Iohn receiued of the Lord the word of repentaÌ„â—e Francis receiued it of the Lord of the Pope And which is more terrible blasphemie to adde ought to the infinit power of the Lord S. Iohn was a friend of the Bridegrome The like to the Lord Iesus Christ was the blessed S. Francis In holinesse to the world was Iohn most singular In conformitie of his wouâ—ds with Christ was Francis then all men more excellent S. Iohn is aduanced into the order of the Seraphins In the same Seraphical order seat of Lucifer is placed the blessed S. Francis c. If this be not to make a mockery of Christian Religion of the maiestie of the Son of God and of the holinesse of Saint Iohn Baptist what shall bee Friar Iohn de Pineda a Friar Franciscan part 3. lib. 22. cap. 23. ¶ 3. speaking of his holy Saint Francis saith thus A few yeares before his death fasting and praying vppon the Eue of Saint Michael the Archangell he receiued in his virginall bodie the wounds of Iesus Christ by the impression of the same Iesus Christ as say Vbertino and the Maister Pisano S Francis himselfe to haue reuealed the same hauing suffered most terrible paines when they were imprinted c. He confirmeth his saying with the sayings of Vbertino and the Maister Pisano who is the Author of that blasphemous booke of Conformities They say the same Of no great credit be these two Authors as easily as they speake it with the same facility will we condemne it It is sayd of Saint Francis that he couered the wounds of S. Katherine of Sene saith Antonius that she besought God they should not be shewed vpon her body Of S. Lyduuina saith Iohn Brugmano that to auoyd the applause of the world shee besought the same at God his hands Of S. Gertrude saith Surius that for manie dayes ran bloud from them 7. times euery day But of our holy Nunne of Lisbon say the Prouinciall and Friar Lewes de Granada and it was the publike voyce and fame that she had them and shewed them that they yeelded alwayes fresh bloud wherewith shee painted the small clothes which they gaue her The Prouinciall saith that the wound of the side on certaine dayes namely the fridayes opened that certaine drops of bloud issued from the same c. Surely this was much more shamelesse than all the others Saint Francis and the rest sayd to haue the wounds liued in the times of great ignorance aswell of good letters as of true and pure Christian religion when the Roman Antichrist was absolute Lord of all swayed both swords spirituall and temporall Then was there none that durst whisper against him nor that was so bold to say vnto him thou dost wickedly but it should cost him his life or litle lesse An easie thing was it then with such
keepe my statutes and do them The same teacheth Iesus Christ Mat. 15. 9 saying In vane do yee honor me teaching for doctrine the commandements of men The new doctrine of men doth teach that in the worship of God the traditions ceremonies and constitutions of the Roman Church ought to be obserued and that the Cannon law doth equall the constitutions of the Popes in value with the Gospell and that it is necessarie to keepe them for as saith Pope Leo 4. The Gospel cannot well be obserued if a man obey not iointly therewith all the decrees and constitutions of the Fathers Dist 15. cap. Sicut Dist 19. cap In canonicis Dist 20. cap. De libellis The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that the worship of images is a thing abominable Deut. 27. 15. Leuit. 26. 1. and expresly forbidden in the second commandement of the law of God Exod. 20. 4. and Deut. 5. 8. 9. also that the holy Spirit calleth images Teachers of lies and vanitie Ierem. 10. 8. Habac. 2. 18. And therefore in no wise to be allowed in the Temples of Christians in which Iesus Christ hath bene painted out before the eyes of the faithfull by the preaching of the Gospell Gal. 4. 1. The new doctrine of men teacheth that the worship of images is well pleasing to God and verie necessarie and profitable for the Church And that images are the Bookes of the Laytie Hee therefore that teacheth the contrary is cursed and anathema Concil Trid. Sess 9. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that Christians ought to imitate the faith godlinesse and good doctrine of the Saints as they imitated Christ 1. Cor. 11. 1. Heb. 6. 12 cap. 13. 7. But that in no wise they ought to inuocate them nor put their confidence in them 1 Because inuocation is an honor due to God alone which he declareth by his Prophet Esay 48. 11. Mine honour will I not giue to another 2 Because the Saints being in this world will not receiue this honor neither the Angels As Act. ch 10. 26. chap 14. 14. Reuâ—â—â—s 19. 10. chap. 22 9. appeareth 3 Because they be ignorant and do not know vs as Esay 63. 16. doth very clearely teach saying Abraham hath forgotten vs and Israel doth not know vs Thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer So that as the Israelites in the old Testament were idâ—laters and transgressours of the Law of God when they sacrificed to another then God alone So be all they at this day that inuocate Saints or Angels wherein they do contrarie to the doctrine of Christ Maâ— 6. 9. chap. 11. 28. Ioh. chap. 16. 24. And contrary to the example of all the Saints Psal 22. 6. Neâ—â—e 9. 27. Gen. 32. 9. Exod. 2. 25. cap. 17. 12. Iosua 10. 13. Psal 107. and 11. 8. 5. c. Act. 4. and 24. and cap. 16. 25. c. The new doctrine of men teacheth that Christians ought to inuocate the Saints and to be ayded by their intercession to God because they be his familiars Also that it is a false and wicked opinion to beleeue that the Saints pray not for men and that the inuocation of Saints is idolatrie contrary to the word of God and that he which so teacheth and beleeueth is accursed and anathema Concil Trid. Sess 9. The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that Iesus Christ our Lord being true God and true man â—s the onely and perfect sauiour of the world who saith by his Prophet Esay chap. 63. 3. I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all the people there was none with me And of whom saith the Angell Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his name Iesus for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes And the Apostle Saint Iohn doth witnesse 1. Ioh. 1. 7. that the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne The new doctrine of men teacheth that Iesus Christ is not a perfect Sauiour for Christ saith it died onely for originall sinne And that by his death he satisfied for the fault but that God being iust will that man satisfie hâ—s iustice for the punishment Also that the purgation of sinnes is made by good works satisfactions Masses indulgences and Purgatorie Lib. 4. Sent. distinct 17. and 18. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that Iesus Christ is the onely Mediator between God and man and our Aduocate and Intercessor to the Father and that no other can be found nor ought to bee sought for 1. Because there is no saluation in any other but in him alone Act. 4. 12. 2. Because 〈…〉 other but Christ only can be sufficient for this office which hath all power in heauen and in earth and remaineth euer with his to the end of the world Math. 28. 18. 20. â— Because Christ hath loued vs and more loueth vs then anie other seeing he gaue himselfe for vs and hath made the purgation of our sinnes with his bloud in his owne person Heb. chap. 13. And so gratiously inuited vnto him all that trauell and are heauie laden Matth. 11. and 28. So that men haue no cause to doubt of his sufficiencie power and good will but that in all their afflictions they ought to flie vnto him alone who witnesseth of himselfe Iohn chap. 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by me The new doctrine of men doth teach that Iesus Christ is not the onely Mediator but also the Saints which reigne with him in heauen and that Saint Mary also the mother of God is the Mediatrix and Aduocatrix of mankind lib. 4. Sâ—nt Distinct 45. in Mâ—ssale Paris in prosâ— Mâ—ssae de Anuntiat The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that our Redeemer Iesus Christ by the perfect sacrifice of himselfe once offered vpon the crosse for the putting away of sinne hath reconciled all the faithfull with God his Father and hath found eternall redemption so that there remayneth now no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 9. 12. 26. and cap. 10. 12. 18. The new doctrine of men doth teach that the Masse is a sacrifice for the remission of sins of the quicke and the dead Concil Trid. Sess 6. Can. â— The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that we are iustified by faith in Iesus Christ without the works of the law Rom. 3. 24. 28. Gal â— 16. as witnesseth the holy Ghost of Abraham the Father of all beleeuers Abraham saith he beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 3. And the Apostle S. Paul expresly addeth that this was not written only for him but also for vs to whom faith shall also be imputed for righteousnes Rom. 4. 23. 24. The new doctrine of men doth teach that not faith only but works also do iustifie Concil Trid. Ses 6. can 11. The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that faith is not doubtfull but assured of saluation which it hath by the bloud of Christ and
Formosus Money is the holy spirite that chooseth the Pope Anno 895. The 14. Sisme Sergius 3. Boniface 6. Stephen 6. A cruel Pope Sergius 3. did yet intreat him worse Pope against Pope Councell against Councell Romanus 10. Popes in 1 yeares Sergius was 3 times Pope Sâ— also was afterward Benedicâ— 9. The 15. Sisme Anno 897. Benedict 4. Platina calleth the Popes monsters Leo 5. Christopher Sergius 3. Lib. 2. cap. 13. Lib. 3. cap. 12. A cruell Pope That which 3. Popes approue 2. Popes condemne 897. Anastasius â— Thes 2 9. Anno. 913. Lando Iohn 11. A whore maketh her louer Pope Leo 6. Poyson Stephen 7. 930. poysoned Iohn 12. Lib. 3. cap. 12. The Church of Rome gouerned by a whore 935. Iohn 13. a most filthy and wicked man The Pope accused in the Councell of enormious abhominations Iohn 13. deposed in the CouÌ„cell at Rome Leo. 8. The Emperour to be crowned in Rome Anno 964. The husband found the Pope in the act of adultery and killed him The 16. Cisme Benedict 5. Leo 8. once againe Pope The Emperour chooseth the Pope Pope against Pope Anno 965. Iohn 14. a cruell tyrant The bell of S. Iohn de Laterane was the first that was baptized Anno 972. Donus 2. Benedict 6. a notable villaine Anno 954. The 17. Sisme Boniface 7. a cruell Pope Iohn 15. Cruelty Anno 976. Iohn 16 Anno 995. Iohn 17. Gregory 5. 18 Sisme Anno 996 Iohn 18. The Popes eies pulled out 7. Electors of the Empire Anno 998. Syluester 2. an inchanter The diuell deceiueth the Pope with the Masse Iohn 19. The feast of the soules in purgatorie instituted by Iohn 19. Cardinals The people of Rome lost their voyce Anno 1003. Iohn 20. 18 Popes inchanters in whose time the doctrin of Purgatory increased Purgatorie Anno 1009. Poyson Sergius 4. an inchanter Prognostications Anno 1012. Benedict 8. an inchanter Theophilact an inchanter The 19. Sisme Anno 1024. Purgatorie confirmed with false apparitioÌ„s Anno 1024. Iohn â—21 an inchanter The Pope a lay man Anno. 1032. Benedict 9. an inchanter The Popesold his popedome for 1500. â— Gregorie 6. A fearful figure Cardinals Anno 1034. Syluester 3. The 20. Sisme of three Popes together in Rome Gregorie 6. The Emperour called a CouÌ„cel wherein three Popes are deposed Clement 2. Benedict 9. was 3. times Pope as was also before him Sergius 3. Anno 1045. Clement 2. Poyson Damasus 2. The custome to make Popes Poison Six Popes one after another poysoned The Emperour maketh the Pope Leo 9. The doctrine of Beringarius Poyson Anno 1054. Victor 2. Poyson Stephen 10. Poyson Anno 1058. Benedict 10 Anno 1059. Nicholas 2. The 21. Sisme Can. Si quis pecunia 76. dist A decree euilly obserued 1061. Poyson Alexander 2. Honorius 2. 22 Sisme 1061 The Cardinals only choose the Pope none but the Cardinals are in election Poyson Gregory 7. a cursed inchanter A tyrannicall enthronization The Pope a seditious heretique c. A notable villanie and impietie of the Pope against Henry the Emperour The Pope burneth the Sacrament This Maud left S. Peters Patrimony to the Pope Read the like history in Alexander 3. of the Emperor Fredericke The Pope erred The Pope an heretique One Pope an heretique canonized another heretique Pope by another Pope condemned Transubstant Clement 3. The 23. sisme Anno 1080. Anno 1086. 1101 Pascal 2. a cruel Pope who burned another Pope Lib. 6. cap. 26. The Romish office but not the Gothish burned Victor 3. Poison in the Chalice Vrban 2. an heretike One Pope excoÌ„municateth another The Archbishop of Toledo Primate of Spaine Anno 1099. Pascal 2. The son against the father by the instigation of the Pope Crueltie A cruell Pope The Emperour taketh the Pope Templars A cruel Pope Anno 1118. Gelasius 2. Two Popes Gregorie 8. The 24. Sisme The priuilege of the Pope 1119. Calistus 2. Compostella an Archbishoppricke Anno 1124. Honorius 2. Celestine 2. The 25. Sisme A notable exaÌ„ple of hypocrisie Matth. 13. 4 Anno 1130. Innocent 2. Anacletus Two Popes The 26. Sisme Anno 1143. Lucius 2. The Romans limit the Pope A Popish subtilty The Pope stoned for his tyranny 1145. Eugenius 3. The first king of Portugal Anastasius 4. Poyson in the chalice Adrian 4. The insolency of the Pope because the Emperour held not the stirrope as he ought The Emperour commandeth that none should appeale to Rome The Pope killed with a flie Ireland Anno 1159. Alexander 3. A Diuellish Pope Victor 4. The 27. Sisme Anno 1159. The Pope a murtherer A stratagem of the Pope The Pope flyeth in a Cooks habite The mariage of the Duke of Venice with the sea The Pope treadeth in the necke of the Emperor Fredericke Psal 91. 13. Blasphemy and tyranny Waldenses Anno 1181. Lucius 3. Anno 1185. Vrban 3. Anno 1187. Ierusalem takeÌ„ by the Moores Gregory 8. Clement 3. The Danes would haue their priests maried Anno 1191. Celestine 3. A Nunne married with the Popes license Cicilia tributarie to the Pope A notable saying of the Abbot of Vespurg against the Roman Court. Anno 1198. Innecent 3. A stout Pope The Pope causeth the Emperor to be killed by treason Auricular conconfession imposed by Innocent 3. The Cup forbidden to the Laytie Images That which God forbiddeth the Pope commandeth The SacrameÌ„t in the Churches A littlebell and light carried before the sacrament Anno 1216. Honorius 3. The ciuill law not to be read in Paris The Bishop burned in his kitchin The great cruelty of the pope Anno 1227. Gregorie 9. A cruell and lying Pope Tolling of the bell at the Aue Maria and elevation Decretals Decree Cannon Dogma Mandatum Sancion Sextus Clementines Extrauagants Quodlibets Anno 1241. Celestinus 4. Poyson Poyson Innocent 4. The Pope caused the Emperor to be poysoned Petr. de Vinea Preachers preach against the Pope Hats clokes trapped horses Transnbstantiation adoration of the bread wine Anno 1254. Alexander William de Amor against the begging Friars A double harted Pope Anno 1262. Vrban 4. The feast of Corpus Christi at request of a woman instituted Anno 1264. Anno 1265. Clement 5. a cruell Pope Sicilia prayeth to Pope 40000. duckats for tribute Naples French Anno 1270. A most great vacation Cregorie 10. Anno 1273. The Grecians 12. times approued and as often reuoked the popish doctrine Anno 1276. Innocent 5. the first begging friar that was made Pope Adrian 5. Iohn 12. Anno 1277. Nichalas 3. The Senator of Rome was president in the Conclaue What one Pope did another vndid Anno 1281. Martin 4. Don Pedro excommunicated The Sicilians Euensong Anno 1215. Honorius 4. Anno 1288. Nicholas 4. Anno 1292. A great vacation of the Popedome Celestine 5. The Pope that shall speake of reformation shall not long liue Boniface 8. A notable historie declaring what religion haue the Popes Anno 1295. Boniface 8. cursed and proud The history sheweth what account the Popes make of