excommunicated Yea marie syr it were better that the Councels were al at the gallowes thaÌ„ the holy church should be subiect to that order Then after this might they come in and dashe vs in the teeth with the Councell of Triburine which did forbid any money to be takeÌ„ for buryings what a gods name who could digest that morsel And to this they would adde the Councel of Basil where was plainely and sharpely ordeined That â—he Court of Rome shall not take any money for any Dispensations Elections Postulations PresentatioÌ„s nor any other Ecclesiastical offices authorities benefices hallowings blessings no not for the very Pallium or Bishops mantle neither to be paid vnder the colour of bulles seales nor aÌ„nuales by what colour or pretence soeuer they might be done Aha friend What an Eclipse would that breede in the Popes purse They would also come forth with the Councel of Mentz which was holden in the time of Carolus Magnus where was ordeyned That there should bee giuen againe and restitution made of al the goods lands which by bequest last will or testament had bene left to anie of the Spiritualtie tending to anie losse or hinderance of the right heires Goddes populorum That were too bitter a Pill to swallowe and digest Then would they assaulte vs with the Councell of Laterane whereat by Pope Nicholas 2. and fourteene Bishops was verie solemnly and irreuocably concluded That the Pope of Rome should be chosen by nomination the whole common people assembled together the spiritualtie with the Colledge of Cardinalles present And if it shoulde bee prooued that any man should by rewardes giftes bribes or any other indirect meanes attaine to the same roome the same should not onely be banished but should likewise be taken for a shamelesse heretike a backslider from Christ and an Apostata So that it should be lawfull to pull him out of his seat c. Aha my masters what a piece of worke were that By that meanes they might ouerthrowe and cleane roote out the holy Church of Rome Moreouer besides they would proue the pope Eugenius was by the councel of Basil iudicially condemned for an horrible Heretike and a shamelesse knaue and was deposed from his seate as a wicked vile villeyne who yet notwithstanding was after by fine handling and prettie practises of simonie and also with force holpen againe into his seate and of him euer since vntill this our time are al Bishops Cardinals Popes yea and all priests in general bred and sprung vp like a litter of pigges farrowed of a fruitful sow Al which one with an other head taile should be banished and esteemed for heretikes vngodly knaues if it were so that the Councels might beare any swinge against the authoritie and estimation of the sea of Rome and our mother the holy Church but that I assure you woulde be to feareful a matter And therefore must we of necessitie conclude That the CouÌ„cels can in no wise ouerrule the Church nor by their coÌ„mandments or ordinances coÌ„pel her to any thing no more than a Spiders web can hold or kepe fast a Pie or a Crow But al Councels must be subiect to the holy Church euen as an obedient child is subiect to his mother yea and they must alwayes daunse after her Pype Therefore when as these Heretikes and Huguenotes do bring in a great heape of these Councels to streÌ„gthen their doctrine withal agaynst the Romish Church they do but breake their braines in vaine They may well 〈◊〉 auace that the Councell Eliberinum in Spaine which was holden about the yeere 300. in the time of Constantine the great did plainely ordeine That there should bee no Images in the Churches nor in no wise to paint or carue any thing to be prayed vnto And they may alledge that in the twelfe Councell of Toledo in two Councels of Constantinople the one vnder Constantius the fift the other vnder Constantinus the sixt and likewise in a Councell in Fraunce vnder Carolus Magnus did all with one voyce consent in the same But we can not heare on that side They may likewise bring in apace and alledge That the Concilium Auristanum did clearly ouerthrow mans free will and iustification by workes teaching that all our righteousnes all the good works that we can do and al that is in vs must be imputed to the only goodnes vndeserued mercye of God that it is not in our natural power to prepare our selues to mercie but that we must receiue al eueÌ„ as beggers by mere gift through meeknes of the spirit But in all this they do but loose their labour and it is euen as much as if they would cut the aire in twaine for we do not esteeme al they can say worth a rushe That being done they may bring in apace for witnesses the Councels Affricanum and Mileteranum wherin saint Augustine did set forth such stuffe as were ynough to shame them all praying to saints vtterly ouerthrowen for that there was by perfect proofe and expresse Scriptures proued and concluded That neither is nor euer hathe beene on the earth so holie a man Christ onely excepted which hath not bene spotted with sinne himselfe and had neede continually to pray for remission and forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes So farre doth it differ from that then that the Saintes should haue any sparkle of deseruings remaining ouerplus But al these authorities are not worth a nut shell neither will we receiue their witnesses Moreouer whereas they make much a doe with vs that the first councel of Nicen did consent That it was lawfull for priests to marie and that the Councel of Gangren did curse and banish all such as vnder the colour of any cloyster religion or spirituall state should forsake their wiues or deface the state of matrimonie Whervnto the Councell called sexta Synodus coÌ„senting did further and aboue that ordeine That no man should require of any priest to make the vowe of chastitie vnles they of themselues were willing so to do But all this is euen as much as to knocke at a deafe mans doore And if that they also out of the sayde Councell of Gangrensis and out of the Councell of Ancerano kept about the same time of the Councell of Nicene will go about to perswade vs that they that eat flesh vpoÌ„ the Fryday or in the Lent should not be punished nor condemned yea and that in matters of mariage and eating of meates we may not charge mens consciences by the vertue of any newe lawe or bond al that is of Dauie Duttons dreame and wee 〈…〉 wise giue anye eare vnto it Furthermore they will bragge muche vpon the first Councels of Nicene and of Constantinople for that they did ordeine That the Bishop of Rome shall not haue any authoritie or iâ—risdiction out of his owne borders to witte the landes nigh adioyning to Rome
mother How can it be that she should be so ouerseene should then all good catholikes haue hitherto reckoned and still do reckon without their host should our forefathers haue deserued none otherwise by building Cloisters Abbies Trentals Masses and such like deuotions should all that be lost O no I defie that We will rather forsake the whole Scripture Peter and Paule with the whole rable of them than that such a slaunder should rise and take place in the holy Catholike Apostolike Popish church of Rome For if that were so then should all our Decrees decretals all our Sentences and Seâ—tentiaries al orders ordinances old customes vsages priuiledges and old proceedings of the holie church all masses with the appurtenances al priests and priestly doings and so one diuell with another be cleane ouerthrowen And then it must needes followe that the Lutherans Zwinglians Caluinistes shal yet againe beare the swing all the shorne swarme of holie shauelings with all the Sophisters Theologians of Louen with all the newe Bishops Abbats Monks Prelats giue place To what purpose then I pray you should the Duke of Alba with his Spaniards serue hauing taken so troublesome a iournie vpon him to stand the Bishops instead of Sargeants hangmen and to set vp the ruined Romish church in her authoritie againe O no no we will neuer be giuen to vnderstand beleeue that the scripture doth teach this for otherwise the scriptures must be heretical directly against the holie church then shuld the scriptures haue deserued to be burnt aswel as the Huguenotes Wel surely our Doctors of Louen haue likewise perused the scriptures our newe Bishops do daily reade their seruice Masse booke at lest when they haue leasure but they find not this written there therfore it is to be thought that either the heretikes haue other Epistles Gospels than is written in our Masse booke read in the church or there is more malt in the mill than the miller will be acknowen of For although our mother the holy church is content to graunt the heretiks that Christ is our right redeemer hath sufficiently satisfied for our sins because it shal not seeme they haue vtterlie forsaken Christ thrust him out of his seat yet is not that so to bee vnderstood that he onely must be taken for our ful raunsome and satisfaction or that he should haue fullie made our peace with God the Father through the offering vp of his bodie bloud so as we should now through his merites be esteemed for righteous and the children of God and haue an assured belefe that God hath for his sake forgiuen vs all our sinnes is to vs a good louing Father as these heretikes will needes proue by their Bible No no it wil not go so easilie to worke we must go otherwise to worke we our selues must paie our debtes with our owne monie satisfie God sufficiently for our sinnes or otherwise all would be naught For it doth not beecome the mercie of God saith the councel of Trent that he should forgiue vs our debtes for nothing without anie former satisfactioÌ„ And although it be so that Paul doeth take on him to defend that Abraham hath no iust occasion to presume of him selfe before God of any desert or former works yea saith That he that works not but doth stedfastly beleeue in him that doth iustifie the vngodly to him is his beleefe for righteousnesse as Dauid also saieth touching the iustification of those to whom God doth impute righteousnes without any works by these words Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is that man to whoÌ„ God imputeth not sin yet that holie ghost of the couÌ„cell of Trent hath concluded the contrarie saying thus Whosoeuer will defend mainteine that the vngodly are iustified by faith only that for the obteyning of Gods mercie his works are not needful let him be accursed And our Doctors of Louen haue once for all acknowledged iudged That God may not impute righteousnes to any maÌ„ through faith vnlesse he be righteous of him selfe For consider this is the conclusion of the worshipfull profound learned Magistri nostri Ioice RaueÌ„stein of Thielt in his booke which he now a while agoe did write against the Lutherans of Antwerpe This pretended righteousnes saith he doeth tend first against naturall reason for it cannot stand with any natural reason â–ª that one which had no wisedome in his head should yet notwithstanding be called wise either else righteous who hath no inwarde righteousnesse in him selfe Secondarilie it is slaunderous against the holie Ghost who hath testified and witnessed of manie men in the scripture that they were righteous before God so should the holy Ghost be attached for a false witnesse Thirdlie it doeth differ from the doctrine of the Catholike Fathers Consider now here we haue a clere iudgement irreuocable sentence wherevpon it must rest That Paule hath spoken amisse in saying that God doeth ascribe righteousnes to the vngodlie without any works For what is the meaning of this ascâ—ibing our alowing Our sharpwitted Magistri nostri of Louen can not by their naturall reasons nor with al then Syllogismes Quotlibets nor other speculacions conceiue the same no nor will permit that God should impute righteousnes or yet couer sinnes through the merites of Christ to one that were not righteous of him selfe by deeds that had sufficiently satisfied for his sinnes by his deeds so that God is not licenced to name things that are not as though they were as Paule ascribes vnto him or to deck vs with a righteousnes and obedience which we haue not deserued our selues our deare mother the holie Church of Rome doeth esteeme it for a foolishnes vntowardnesse and blasphemie against God that Christ onelie should be our wisedome our righteousnes our holines and our only redemption Shee will haue it that we shall euen of our selues and by our selues haue our owne wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption before God at least if we will be esteemed for righteous She doth esteeme it for a foolish and faithlesse trust that one should trust to the righteousnesse of anie other than him selfe She will haue it that euerie one shall be iustified by his owne righteousnesse and by his owne merites and therewithall satisâ—â—e and pay all the sinnes and offences wherewith hee may bee by anie meanes iustly burthened It is true That originall sinne hath some preeminence and that it may not be tried to the vttermost point For notwithstanding that originall sinne is that which makes vs the children of wrath and brings vs to death yet will our mother the holie Church stay a little and pale in Gods determination and persuade the best betwixt both saying That it doth not well become the righteousnesse of God that he should deale with those which before baptisme haue
that thine authoritie is great ouer thine owne subiectes yet we can not well beare with thy loftines and vnmeasurable pride neither allowe thy vnsatiable couetousnesse Therefore the deuill be with thee for God is with vs. NotwithstaÌ„ding that some of their Embassadours did in the Councell of Ferrara in the tyme of Pope Eugenius 4. agree therevnto but without consent or commission of their Church which did afterwards call backe and adnihilate the same But long before that time not onely the coÌ„mon people of the Greekes but the Emperours them selues likewise were aduersaries to the Pope of Rome about the setting vp and praying to Images For about the yere of our Lord 730. the Emperors Constantine 5. and 6. and Leo Isaurus did with full aduise and consent of the Councell as well out of the Scripture as of the ancient Fathers conclude That men should in no wise for the seruice of God neither set vp nor pray to anie Images but did likewise vtterly break down destroy al Images before made and set vp For which cause the Popes of Rome did conceiue such malice and hatred against them that from thence forth they sought al maner of meanes and wayes to diuide and ouerthrowe the Emperial state like as in continuance of time they brought it so to passe And likewise not only the Greekes but the Germanes also did long time withstand the forbidding of Priestes to marrie till at length the Popes and that specially Bonifacius 8. did by maine force bring it to passe and establishe the same In the yere 840. one Berthrame a stout and a learned man rose vp who did manfully withstande the Romishe doctrine as touching their Transubstantiation dedicating to Charles the French King brother of Lothorius a notorious booke made for that purpose and did likewise in an other booke confirmed by the Scriptures and strongly defended by the holy Fathers set forth the doctrine of Predestination which these Heretikes do nowe so earnestly stand vpon And about the yere 869. did Iohannes Scotus followe him writing against Transubstantiation euen as Beringarius about the yere 839. had done the like And in the yere of our Lord 964. Huldrike Bishop of Auxburge by his writing reuoked again the saide commaundement of forbidding Priestes to marrie After whom about the yere 1240. Bernard started vp who wrote very much of Predestination and against Freewill nothing vnlike the doctrine of the Lutheranes and Huguenotes yea and did very stoutly striue against the Priestes and Prelates calling them The seruantes of Antichrist and making of the Prelates Pilates Whom in the yere 1157. Iohannes of Sarisburie did folowe and wrote a booke called Obiurgium Clericorum and another named Polycraticus wherein hee doeth pull the whole Clergie vengeably ouer the coles and setteth them out for Phariseis and false teachers calling the Pope Antichrist and Rome The hoore of Babylon And likewise a litle before that had Arnolde the Bishop of Brixen set vp earnestly against the Priestes denying flatly that the sworde of gouernement should anie whit apperteyne vnto them yea euen at the same time was there one Peter Bloix which wrote openly thus That Rome was the right BabyloÌ„ wherof S. Iohn did prophesie and that the Officialles of the Romish Court were deuilish Griphines and the Priestes verie Calues of Bethel Baals Priests Aegyptiacal idols and that euery thing was to be solde at Rome for money About the same time in the yere 1160. started vp in France a quicke fellowe and a worshipfull Burgesse of the Towne of Lyons named Petrus Valdo who hauing studied the Scriptures very diligently began to set vp a newe doctrine which did hit as iust vpon the doctrine of these Huguenotes as might be He left manye Disciples after him in so much that a remnant is remayning yet to this day After that came Petrus de Vinea Chauncelour to the Emperour Frederike 2. and was in the yere 1240. who went about likewise to robbe our holy father the Pope of his intituled authoritie and iurisdiction rayâ—ing vpon him out of measure And after came Guilielmus de sancto Amore in the yeere 1260. who layde loade exceedingly vpon the Prelates Monkes and Friers and did reckon them for subiectes of Antichrist Whose opinions were after in the yeere 1275. by one Laurence an Englishe Doctor at Paris stoutly defended and coÌ„firmed Againe in the yere 1306. came abroad one Petrus Cassiodorus a Gentleman and very well learned who did altogether spil the potage For his writing and doctrine was euen as though he had studied all the dayes of his life in the bookes of Luther and Caluin and he made of the Pope a Nabuchodonosor After that in the yere 1314. did followe one Dulsimus of Nauarra And in the yeere 1315. Arnoldus de villa Noua who caried water all ouer one bridge And at last in the yere 1383. came forth the great Archeheretike Iohn Wiclef who threw all the spindles of the holy Church of Rome in the ashes for he was a naturall Zwinglian or Caluinist and of him sproong vp Iohn Hus in the yeere 1405. which was the father of all Lutheranes Hee it was which came with Hieronymus of Prage to the CouÌ„cell of Constance there to defende his doctrine by scripture but there he was taught a newe lesson for in place of disputation they were both burnt at a stake And yet that notwithstanding their doctrine euer since that time hath bene accepted in many places and by many stout fellowes confirmed Like as there was one Nicholaus Clemangis a Doctor of Paris and Bishop of Bayone in France Oldecastell Lorde Cobham and Knight of the order of the Garter and within a litle while after one William Wight in Englande and Paule Crawe with many other in the countrie of Rome Hieronymus Sauanerola in Italie and a number of other more all which yet were by the Church of Rome banished and condemned for heretikes yea where they could be gotten put to death In summe all such as at any time haue taken vpon them to set forth any like matter against the Church of Rome haue alway bene of the most holy Popes banished and accursed together with all them which would by any meanes mainteyne or defend them In so much that Emperours and Kings yea whole countries haue for withstanding the Pope bene excommunicated and condemned for heretikes yea which is of greater importance one Okam and Dante good Catholike men were by Pope Benedict 3. condemned for Heretikes only because they did mainteine That Emperours holde their Empires of God and not of the Pope and yet notwithstanding that in all other matters they did throughly professe the Popes doctrine I say nothing what is meete to be done to these new Heretikes who go about to roote out and destroy the whole foundation of the
they shoulde haue dealte the Wine abroade the common people might haue thought whether that the long racked bodye were without bloud or at the least that there could be no right and perfite Transubstantiation and changing of the bread into the very body of our Lorde Iesus Christe In this behalfe hath she cōsidered further and hath bene better aduised than our Lord him selfe was and so hath forbiddē the laie people the Chalice For thus the Councel of Constance doeth decree That notwithstanding Christ after supper did ordeyne and minister vnto his Disciples the most blessed Sacrament vnder both kindes of bread and of wine And although that in the first ancient Church of the faithfull the same was alwayes vsed vnder both kindes neuerthelesse seeing that the contrarie vse custome is not without great occasion and willingly now put in vre for the auoyding and eschewing of some inconueniences and perilles therefore shal all Patriarches Prelates Archbishops Bishoppes curse and excommunicate all such as shall take vpon them to minister vnto the common people the Sacrament in that maner And so far forth as such do not turne recant then they to be deliuered into the handes of the temporall Iudges to be by them arbitrally executed And herevpon did the President of the Councell named Ostiensis in the name of all the whole College of Cardinals and all other Bishops after him answere Placet which is to say So it pleaseth vs. So that it is euident that the ancient maner good meaning of the Church maye cleane alter vtterly abolish the commandement of Christ the olde custome of the Apostles their Disciples We do likewise see that notwithstanding S. Paul by inspiration of the holy Ghost cōmanded That whosoeuer did feele that weakenes in him selfe that hee could not liue chaste should take a wife for that it was better to marrie than to burne And he did in a maner by speciall words command the same to the Bishops and other Ministers of Gods worde saying That they should haue their wiues their children brought vp in the feare of God. And further That mariage is holy and commendable in all men yea he did esteeme The forbidding of mariage for a doctrine of deuils And yet all this notwithstanding our holy Mother the Church of Rome seeing deeper into the matter and for the eschewing of manie inconueniences hath expresly and slatly commaunded Priestes Bishoppes and al spiritual persons that they in no wise shall take vpon them the state of Matrimonie teaching precisely the contrarie to the doctrine before specified That the state of Matrimonie is nothing else but plaine vncleanesse filthie and shamefull yea a great and foule spot vnto carnall copulation In so much that such as giue themselues therevnto cannot be acceptable before God for that it is writtē Who so liues after the flesh cannot be acceptable before God and haue therefore concluded that it is not decent that a holy Priest who is the temple of the holy Ghost should become a slaue to the lying with a woman and to fleshly lust Like as in the Popes decrees and Decretales is specially set forth Moreouer touching the same point it is concluded in the saide Decrees That the doctrine of the holy Church is nowe more perfite than either the doctrine of Iesus the sonne of God or of his Apostles hath bene in times past For thus the text saith Before that the Gospell was corrected amended and expounded there were manie things permitted which nowe since the time is come that all the doctrine is made perfit are clearely abolished and taken away as especially notwithstanding that the mariage of Priests was neither by the Lawe by the Gospell nor the doctrine of the Apostles forbidden yet hath the holy Church flatly forbiddē the same We do likewise plainely see that Iesus Christ hath streightly forbidden any dispēsation for Matrimonie hath specially declared That who soeuer doeth leaue his wife except it be for adulterie and doth marie another is a whooremonger Truly if it were not that our holy mother the Catholike Church of Rome had full power authoritie aboue Gods word and aboue the special cōmandement of Christ she would neuer haue takē vpō her to haue chāged nor put down this mariage of priests Now let vs further see that the most holy honorable Popes Iulius Innocentius Colestinus being with a great number of Bishops Prelates stately iudicially assembled in the holy Ghost in S. Peters church at Rome haue cōcluded iudged pronoūced whatsoeuer Christ notwithstāding had thereof spoken saide That if so be there were anie which were married together and had christened the children at the fount the one of the other before should be diuorced and the woman to haue her marriage good restored backe againe and within a yeere after it should be lawfull for her to marie another man and for him to marrie another woman Euē as our holy father the pope of Rome Deus dedit doth openly testifie in a letter which for a perpetuall memorie is written in the booke of Councels word for worde and likewise entred in the Register of the Popes decrees and ordinances yet ouer besides this the holy Church hath concluded that if any Nonne Baggine sister or other should marie a husbande the Bishop of that Diocesse where they dwelt should diuorce them cause the Nonne to returne and take vpon her againe her vowe of chastitie Like as in Concilio Triburino and by the Popes lawes is concluded commanded Out of the same authoritie hath the foresaid holy Church likewise cōcluded That what woman soeuer after the decease of her first husband should marrie agayne shee was an open and common harlotte not regarding at all that which S. Paule in his time had written directly to the cōtrarie yea had moreouer straitly charged and commanded the yong widowes That vnlesse they coulde well liue a continent and chast life they should marie againe After this did not S. Paul or rather the spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul directly forbid any straunge language to be vsed in the Churches and congregations ordeyned for the seruice of God neither in prayer nor in thankesgiuing nor in singing nor in prophesying Yea he did greatly rebuke the Corinthians for so doing in their congregations And yet men plainly see that the holy Church of Rome doth minister her Masses her Mattens Euensong prayers and song al in Latine and some times therewith doeth mingle Greeke and Hebrew wordes In such sort as that not onely the common people but the Priestes and Bishops likewise do not vnderstand it Yet will the holye Church haue it so done yea and puniseth such as woulde otherwise vse it like damned heretikes Like as out of Eckius Piggius Hosius and other Catholike writers is manifest and plaine to be seene Then hereby of
in the last coūcel at Trent cōfirmed That the Pope is aboue al coūcels the statute ordināce of the coūcel of Basil afore time made to the cōtrary was cleane taken away abolished Notwithstanding Pope Nicholas consented was willing to the making of the same In this behalfe it was verie wisely considered of the holy Fathers assembled in the said Councel of Trent whereas before they would fully conclude vpon any article they did send all that they had determined vpon in a sacke or small packe to Rome to haue of the Pope a Bull of comfirmation therevnto For out of that proceded a wonderful braue and pleasant melodie because that therein our holy father the Pope did coūterfeit the personage of God the Father And the holy councel of spiritual fathers there assembled together were likened to the holy Ghost so that the commō people were wont to say that whē they sent their stuffe towards Rome The holye ghost was shut vp in a male as the Poet Homer writes that in elder dayes Aeolus the king of winds did giue vnto his good friend Vlysses a male wherein al the winds were shut packt vp together the Westerne wind only excepted which he must needes occupie him selfe to bring him home And euen so went the matter betwene the holye ghost the wind of the holy fathers of Trent And nowe when the father and the holy Ghost were agreed in one and that the bulles were sealed they sent them with expedition and hast to their dearely beloued sonnes the Kings of Fraunce and Spaine and required of them by a Spanishe Inquisition to procure the saide Bulles and Decrees to be thoroughly obserued kept in their Countries So that the father the sonne the holy Ghost were all one heart and one soule And haue iointly receiued established all the Decrees of the said coūcel And how I pray you could it come to passe otherwise considering that the Bishops and Cardinals are created by their holy father the Pope and haue promised are bounde by a strong and speciall othe not to take vpon them nor to conclude anie thing without hauing first the counsell and consent of their Creator As it is well and precisely set forth and concluded of our holy father Calixtus writing That it is not in any wise permitted to the Bishoppes to withstand the Church of Rome in anie point or to do or attempt anie thing against the same Yea saith he as the sonne did come to fulfill the will of his Father euen so are all Christian people bounde to followe and fulfill the will of their deare mother the Churche of Rome whereof the Pope without all doubte is the heade And this was the reason occasion which moued the right honourable Cardinal Reignold Poole one of the three Lieutenāts of the Pope in the said councel to write with great discretion and authoritie That the whole conuocation of the people or comon sorte gathered together haue no authoritie in the world to conclude determine or decide vpō any matter or matters presented before the councel but that the same belōgs properly to the Pope who onely is Gods Lieutenant or Deputie shepheard of the lost and straying sheepe Vpon this intent alone saith he is a councell called free cōmon or general and not that therefore euerie one in general is free and licensed there to set forth his or their owne opinion or to determine or conclude any thing for that is specially forbiden by the Councell of Constance in special and plaine wordes That no man of what state condition soeuer he be yea although hee were an Emperour a King Bishop or Cardinall shall presume or take vpon him to speake or dispute against anie matter which the holy Fathers by the inspiration of the holy Ghost are purposed and intēded to establishe vpon paine to be excommunicated and banished yea to bee cast into a dongeon Vpon these considerations was Iohn Hus and Hieronymus of Prage also burnt because they would dispute by the Scriptures vpon those matters which the holie Fathers had in hand to reason and cōclude vpon It is a common saying Hee doeth wisely that is warned by another mannes harme And yet notwithstanding this example of Iohn Hus there was in the last councell of Trent a Bishop so stout that he presumed boldly to say That we ought not to call the Pope The most holie Father but simplie The holy Father considering that Christ did not name his heauenly Father any otherwise thā holy Father for that the Pope can not be greater than God whose vicar in earth he nameth him selfe to be But if the same Bishop had not quickly stopped his mouth that word would haue bin a deere word to him For they were about to haue put him straight way in a hole where he should haue learned to know the popes authority better And likewise had not Petrus Paul. Verge bishop with other brablers packed away betimes they would haue played the like parte with euerie one of them as they did with Iohn Hus at Constance For although hee was a Bishop yea and had before bene a Legate and the Popes Deputie yet he must haue lerned to know that the Bishops Prelates and Cardinals were not called thither to control and take vp with taunts their holy Father and creatour the Pope of Rome much lesse to correct Magnificat out of Paules writing but rather simplie Inclinato capite to say Placet vnto that which in the name of the holy fathers might be proponed to them and then further to helpe to keepe the breade from moulding like as a great while agoe by a Poet was prophesied vppon them saying Nos numeri sumus fruges consumere nati c. That is so say We are a great number And bellie gods borne Deuourers of victuals Consumers of corne Nowe seeing that the Bishops Prelates haue no other voyces in the Councel but bare woordes accounted for syphers to increase the heape how much lesse shall anie thing be permitted or graunted to the Laie men which are not there receiued nor seene neither in the Brew house nor Bake house In summe the Councell is not called Oicomenicum or General as though euerie man might come thrust in his nose there Wherefore then Because it is as an image or pageant vnto vs and as a demonstratiō or shew of a play or enterlude which doeth represent set out before our eyes the common generall Church of God which hearken fully and wholy vnto the voyce of their shepheard namely the Pope of Rome as was well noted and marked by the foresaid Cardinal Reignold Poole And it was likewise openly set foorth in the Bull of the said Councell of Trent that it is and ought to be of right named a General or common Councel for this occasion because all christendome generally are bounde to holde
and to celebrate the same with deuoute prayers And to that ende they are by the Pope earnestlie put in remembrance that they goe to shrift and fast vppon the Wednesday Frydaye and Saturdaye And then on the Sunday be howseled and go prunking in the Procession and deale their almes or at the least say fiue Pater nosters fiue Aue Maries by the vertue whereof they shall receiue a sufficient pardon of all their sinnes c. What can they desire more For as touching the sitting in the Chapter house and there Sententiam subverbo placet proferre that is To saye Amen and to nodde at that which is pronounced vnto them that is permitted only to such as of right ought to doe it or to whom it is graunted by special priuiledge as chiefly to the right honourable the brethren of the Pope to witte the Bishops Archbishops and his deare sonnes the Abbats and other such like as hee him selfe doeth set it foorth in the Bull Indictionis Therefore truely were the Dukes of Germanie the Protestantes in a wrong boxe when they said That it was no Free and Generall or Common Councell For a sheepe with one eye would haue marked that that it was neither forbidden them nor no man else in the worlde to come to Trent there to spende their money to holde the Councell and celebrate it with hearing of Masses with Fasting and with the saying of fiue Pater nosters and fiue Aue Maries yea the whole pardon was as well graunted vnto them as to anie Bishoppe or Prelate or other that was there But that was not the place where the muscles laye They would gladlie haue had manie voyces in the Chapter house and not to haue declared their meaning with that woorde Placet onelie but that they might likewise haue disputed freelie and brought in and alledged the Scriptures of God yea they would haue had it flatlie graunted that the Pope of Rome should not haue bene head and President of the Councell but that euerie thing should bee concluded out of the woorde of God. But beleeue me the holy fathers and the Pope were not so foolishe they did see more deepely into the matter For if they hadde once taken and put that horsse heame or collar about their neckes then were all the fatte in the fire and so the whole Church of Rome would not afterwardes haue bene worth the paring of a rotten apple No no I warraunt you They will take heede of that For there is one point whiche you shall neuer wrest nor wring out of their handes which is That all Councelles are lame maymed creeple and blinde yea vtterly voyde of anie power vnles the holy Pope of Rome be their President directing and gouerning the same as he thinketh good For he is the verie eye and the fiue wittes of the Councelles Therefore was it in the sayde Councel of Laterane verie circumspectly concluded That though all Cardinalles Bishoppes and Prelates were assembled although they were barrelled vp together like herring yet can they not holde anie Councell without the authoritie will consent and commaundement of the Pope if they should otherwise doe they should bee playne heretikes and vngodly men yea they should be esteemed thought and taken as Chore Dathan and Abiram The same was also before that forespoken and cōcluded by the holy Father Pelagius 2. who did openly set forth That all Councels which were holden without the Popes consent and commandement are not to be reputed or accompted for Councels but for Conciliables that is to say for Riots and vnlawfull assemblies And that is the same which the Popes Marcellus Iulius Damasus Gregorius other mo did likewise iointly ordeyne and determine as is plainly to be seene in the book of Decrees in the 17. distinctiō where it is in like maner by the Scriptures ▪ confirmed As for exāple out of the 81. psalme where it is written I haue saide you are Goddes Againe What soeuer you binde in earth that is bound in heauen c. And it is also established made sure with strōg reasons For that worshipful brother Thomas Vio did openly declare in the said coūcel of Laterane That those which goe about to make the Pope subiect to the coūcels do euen like vnto them that woulde make the father obedient to the childe the head inferior to the foote the captein seruant to his soldiers the shepeheard vnderling to his sheepe So that now Christ is no more made any accōpt of in the coūcels nor his word any whit estemed but the pope hath al the charge authoritie alone he only is enseigne bearer he doth set al in order And vpon that occasion it was determined That the coūsel of Pisa being assembled without the Popes cōsent was no assemblie of Hierusalem but of the towre of Babylō that is to say A curse confusion In sūme it is apparant that al coūcels ordinances in the worlde and do nothing against the Popes might nor against the authoritie of the Church for she hath ouergrowen the rod She cares neither for scriptures nor Coūcelles shee hath the holy Ghost pinned on her sleeue and may doe euen what so euer shee will. And therefore it is that when soeuer the Pope doeth set forth anie Bulles then doth he commonly adde this clause or conclusion to the same Non obstantibus constitutionibus ordinationibus Apostolicis coeterisue contrarijs quibuscunque that is to saye Notwithstanding all constitutions ordinances or commandements Apostolicall nor any other thing what soeuer contrarie herevnto Like as doeth specially appeare by the Bull of Pope Paule 3. set forth at the Coūcell of Trent in the yeere 1544. the 23. of Februarie So that he will not giue to all the Apostles to all the holy fathers nor all the Councelles scarse one good worde yea rather he mockes playes bo peepe with them all and so goes on forwards with his busines For otherwise if the matter were not thus handled I would not giue a pudding for all the power and authoritie of the holy Church of Rome For to beginne withall these Heretikes would giue her a rappe vpon the pate with the Councel of Mantua which was holden vnder Pope Alexander the seconde in the tyme of the Emperour Henrie the fourth where was concluded That all those which by Simonie that is to say by briberie or giftes had obteyned anie spirituall promotion or office should be depriued Aha the mother of God where can you finde nowe a dayes any Chaplein or beneficed man Bishop or Cardinall that climbeth to that preferment without moneie or rewardes Secondarily they would come plague vs with the Councel of Rome which was holdē in the time of the Emperour Phocas where was ordeined irreuocably neuer to be called backe againe That all such as with anie giftes or rewardes or other like promises were mounted vp to weare miters should be banished and
And againe vpon the Councel of Affrica whereas the craft and falshoode of the Popes of Rome Sosimus Bonefacius Coelestinus were knowen and declared who had sought by falsifying of the Councell of Nicene to mainteine their authorities Wherevpon it was ordeyned That no man shoulde for any matter of difference appeale to Rome or ouer the Sea. Which was also established in the Councell Mileâ—etano Wee haue runne to long before the dogges to be afrayde of these matters Therefore they may go shooe the goose and make children afrayde with that which they bring forth out of the third Councel of Carthago and of the Councell of Affrica As that no man might take vpon him to be called The chiefest of the Bishops or The chiefe Bishop or High Priest yea by the Roode well sayde wee haue our aunswere readie ynough for that matter which is That men maye in no wise take vpon them to keepe or holde anie Councell at all yea though they were neuer so well defended both by the â–ª Scriptures in the Bible and by the holie fathers vnlesse they doe well and fully agree with the holy Church of Rome for she hath full power and authoritie to alter all Councels and to make them voyde of no value nor effect euen as shee shall thinke good and to explane them as shall serue best for her purpose yea to tumble and tosse them topsie turuie euen as shall best serue her turne And therefore where as menne presume so muche to alledge and bring in the ordinaunces of the Popes Gelasius and Hilarius whiche saye that the Sea of Rome is more subiect and obedient to the Councels than anie other man eyther the Councell of Basile wherein was determined and concluded That the Councell is aboue the Pope yea and that the Councell maye depose the Pope All that is not woorth a strawe For all the Balles that are serued on that syde the Tenise Court are easilye smitten backe and turned at the rebounde with halfe a woorde speaking to witte Saluo in omnibus iure Romanae Ecclesiae Which is too saye The right and authoritie of the Churche of Rome in all pointes reserued For this is the verie taiâ—e of euerie Councell wherewith they are turned about as with a rudder eeuen whither the Pope will haue them The v. Chapter VVherein is taught that the canons and decrees of Popes can not binde the Romish Churche but that she is sâ—ill aboue all decrees and maye breake and adnihilate the same so as shee shall thinke good THis same must be vnderstoode of all the former decrees and canons of all the Popes deceased For although it be cleare that they are inspirattons of the holy ghost against which it is not lawful for any man to speake so as whosoeuer doeth despise them is voide of the Catholike and Apostolike beliefe yet that notwithstanding they cannot therefore by any meanes close or shut vp the authoritie of the Church And wherfore For that there is one common rule of the holy Church set foorth for an vndoubted article of our fayth which is That the Romish church is she which doth giue to all Popes decrees their full power and might prouided alwayes that she her selfe is not in any wise subiect to the same by reason that she hath a ful power always to make such decrees and ordinances when soeuer it shall please her as hauing power and being heade ouer all Churches from which poynt no man maye dissent So after this manner doeth shee giue and graunt to the decrees full power and authoritie with this exception That she her selfe will in no wise incline or yeelde to the same but that she may do any thing agaynst the same whensoeuer it shall please her Euen like as Christ did teach the people as hauing might authoritie and power of himselfe and not like vnto the Theologians or Phariseis whiche durst neither put to nor diminishe or take from the same And euen after this maner it followeth with the Popes They giue the decrees their authoritie and yet notwithstanding this may they do as masters and Doctours of the lawe euen when they list agaynst their owne lawes and decrees â–ª and therefore the decrees and Canons doe not conclude anie thing at all without this exception That the Churche of Rome may alway vnderstande interprete and expound the same as she shal think good And herevpon it commes to passe that in all decrees one of these tales is ioyned to wit Reseruing alway the right and title of the Church of Rome or So farre forth as the Church of Rome doeth thereof allowe â–ª And so hath the high and renowmed Iurist or Lawyer Philippus Decius written namely That all decrees and Canons are by Gods appointment subiect vnto the Pope of Rome It is verie true that the holy Fathers and Popes Gelasius Felix Sosimus Vrbanus and Leo 4. haue concluded That all the decrees and ordinaunces of the Pope beeing contrarie to the olde and former decrees and Canons shoulde bee voyde and of none effecte And whereas Gregorie hath likewise ordeyned That whensoeuer any Pope wil haue his Decrees obserued then must he è contrà obserue the decrees of the Popes his predecessours But vpon that the glose saith Hoc non credo which is I doe not beleeue that And is not that answere grounded vpon good reason So that wee may boldely conclude That the holie Church will not be bounde nor pend in by any Decrees Shee is like vnto a Catte shee can not bee forced or compelled For else might these Heretikes and Huguenotes choke the holie Church with her owne decrees For they woulde bring foorth this Canon Vt quid Canon prima quidem Canon Non hoc corpus and such other like Thereby to teache that there is but one ghostly or spiritual food set forth in the Sacrament which is receyued onelie by fayth and not eaten nor swallowed vp with the teeth Further they would come out with the decree in the chapter Leginâ—us ff Quid enim dist 93. thereby to prooue That all Bishops haue like authoritie in what place soeuer they bee whether at Rome or at Canterburie and by that meanes shoulde all the authoritie of the Pope become creeple and lame whiche were a pitifull case They woulde goe about to teache out of the Chapter Vbinam distinct 96. that they ought likewise to come into the Councelles and to haue their voyces in the Consistorie euen as well as the annoynted Priestes whiche might bring in a great coÌ„fusion disorder They would mainteine by the decree of pope Gelasius That the cup in the Sacrament ought likewise to be ministred to the Lay people according to the institution ordinance of Christ for the Gela. doth esteme theÌ„ for terrible blasphemers of God robbers of the church which in that case do not folow the speciall commaundement of christ They woulde with the
yeres in Purgatorie at last there came an Angel who did bid the soule choose whether it would tarie yet one short Winters day in Purgatorie or that it would returne into the worlde againe and there doe a maruellous hard penance to witte for one long hundred yeares space shoulde goe barefoote and treade still vppon sharpe yron nailes eate nothing else but browne bread and drinke bitter gall mingled with vinegre and weare a cloth made of Camels haire next the skinne a stone vnder the head in place of a pillowe This soule did choose much rather to doe all that same harde penance in earth than to tarie one daie longer in Purgatorie Consider nowe what a sharpe biting sauce mustard is for as it is written in the Decrees There is no earthlie paine or martyrdome to be compared to the paines of Purgatorie yea that holie man Thomas de Aquino saith That the paine of the fire of hell and the fire of Purgatorie is all one and that they differ nothing at all but that the one is but temporall and the other is eternall So that it was not without iust occasion that Virgil set a partition of yron and other metall betweene those two fires although some men be of opinion that the partition was but a pale made of wainscote which because it was of wood was long agoe burnt away so that nowe Hell and Purgatorie enter in both at one hole and are both but one fire Which is the occasion that some take vpon them to say that The fire of Purgatorie is pist out although there be other learned men which bring in another occasion whereby it is happened that there is now no partition betweene Hell and Purgatorie but that they are ioyned together For it is written in a certen historie That there was a good holie Pope which was verie desirous to know of his Secretarie being a good wittie learned man whether as he thought he might giue a general pardon at once for all such soules as were then in Purgatorie and ioyntlie withall pardon alike all such as should hereafter be condemned thither so that after there shoulde be no more neede of Purgatorie Whervpon his Secretarie did demaund of him this question againe Whether hee did not verilie thinke that if it were so that he had such power if he did not thē verely beleeue that all his Pope predecessours haue had the like authoritie in their time Wherevnto the Pope answered Yes surelie considering that all his power and authoritie came from them Then the Secretarie did demaunde of him againe Whether that of so manie Popes and holie Fathers which had possessed that place before him there were not one of them so mercifull and louing towardes the poore soules that had taken vppon him to doe that charitable deed if his power did so farre extend Vnto this the Pope answered As touching that he knewe not Wherevpon the Secretarie gaue him a full resolution saying I can tell then certeinlie Once our Lord Iesus Christ chief Bishop of all Bishops Pope aboue all Popes had full power and authoritie to doe the same for that he was almightie and hee had also the will to doe it for that he was most mercifull and did likewise beare an infinite affection and loue vnto all mankind in so much that he did effectuallie and fullie accomplish that matter So that it is not needful for anie man to trouble him self anie more about that matter seeing hee hath by offering vp of his bodie obteined a pardon of God the Father and sealed the same for euermore with his owne pretious bloud for the redemption of all faithfull soules past present or to come So that nowe there falles no more condemnation or iudgement vpon them neither shall they neede to feare Death Hell nor Purgatorie but depart out of this life directlie into euerlasting life as he him selfe doeth plainlie testifie by Iohn the Euangelist in his Gospell Nowe see out of this will some men mainteine That Purgatorie is cleane taken away euer since this great and generall pardon came in so much that diuelles are come to dwel there haue now brought Hell and Purgatorie all into one kitchen where they broile their soules and turmoile them at their pleasure And for that likewise that good Catholike Doctour Barnardus de Bustis doeth defende this case with the testimonie and witnesse of Gregorie That the fire of Hell and Purgatorie are kindled together saying Nam vt inquit Gregorius sub eodem igne electus purgatur damnatus crematur that is to say For as Gregorie saith with one fire are the elect purged and the damned burned And therefore it is that our deare mother the holie Church in the prayer called Offertorium which she singeth commonlie vpon All Soules day in the Anniuersarie doth put no difference betwixt Hell and Purgatorie for these are the wordes which shee doeth vse Domine Iesu Christe Rex gloriae libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de manu inferni de profundo lacu libera eas de ore leonis ne absorbeat eas tartarus sed signifer S. Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam c. That is to say O Lord Iesu Christ King of glorie deliuer thou all faithfull soules out of the power of hel and out of that deepe lake deliuer them out of the mouth of the lion that they sinke not downe into hell but that thy standard bearer Saint Michael may bring them into that holie light c. Wherein they nowe plainlie call Purgatorie Hell. And in an other Collect which they doe sing vpon the same daye they call it Regiones tenebrarum that is to say The region or place of darknesse praying vnto God that S. Michael will or may doe so much as to deliuer them from thence In summe they make but one hole and one lake of those twaine Howsoeuer it happeneth whether the pale that was betweene them be burnt or that Purgatorie is pist out I wote not it is to profounde a question for vs and therefore we will commit the disputation of that matter to the Doctours of Louen They may perhaps tipple out a flaggon of wine or twaine in the matter before they agree vppon it It is inough for vs that we haue proued Purgatorie sufficientlie not onelie by plaine textes of holie Scripture but also by inheritance and possession and so established it as there is nothing to bee saide against it The ix Chapter Intreating of indulgencies and pardons prouing and establishing the same by the Scripture NOwe it doeth followe that we intreat of pardons and indulgencies which of necessitie must proceede out of the foundation of Purgatorie especiallie if you do minister vnto it a glister of parchement waxe and lead for that hath a wonderfull operation in it sithence it doth refresh againe our deere mother the holie church of Rome and maketh her lustie
neither anie lawe nor iudgement hath power or iurisdiction ouer him for that he is the liuelie fâ—unteine of lawe and iudgement who as touching matters of our faith can not in anie point faile or misse and therefore hee may order and determine vpon all matters touching our beleefe and faith and so interprete the Scripture as he thinketh good he onelie may take and leaue doe and vndoe In so much that though all the worlde were against him yet must we take his part To be briefe there is no man to bee compared vnto him but God alone and therefore can he do all things that God doth For looke what soeuer God doeth in heauen the like doth the Pope here in earth What should a man say more His authoritie and power is so great that no tongue can expresse it neither is it possible for the capacitie of man to conceiue it as Zodoricus Zamorensis and Bartholus Chassaneus yea the whole Catholike church of Rome hath determined and concluded For as Antonius Florentinus doth testifie he is aboue al creatures and his might and power doeth extend euen to matters in heauen earth and hell for that he is the cause of causes and the Lord of Lords the Head Bridegrome of the whole church yea the high and principall Gouernour of the worlde vniuersall he is the light the brightnesse the verie foundation of faith and the verie summe and touchstone of the trueth hee is the hiest step of the staires and all in all whatsoeuer can be thought or said For as touching the giuing and distributing of Kingdomes Dukedomes lands and countries to whom when he shall think good that office he hath fast sure in possession and doth dailie practise put the same in exercise as is right to bee vnderstood by this pretie verse folowing Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho That is to say The Rocke gaue Peter and his race a princelie and emperiall crowne And Ralfe receiu'd from Peters Grace a royall diademe of renowne Which trimme verse was by the before named Pope Gregorie 7. after that hee had excommunicated the saide Emperour Henrie 4. and cursed all his adherents sent vnto Ralphe the Duke of Swaben with am Imperiall crowne aduertising him plainlie therewithall that it lay wholie in his handes to giue to whem soeuer it pleased him as well the Empire as the crowne wherein hee did finelie prophesie in such order as Caiphas the Iewish Pope had prophesied saying That hee would neuer be esteemed as Pope if there did not die the same yeere before Whitsuntide a false or vniust King For it came euen so to passe Not that the Emperour Henrie by whom hee spake did die that yere but that the lotte fell vpon Ralphe to whom the Pope had giuen the Imperiall crowne who was the same yere pitifullie slaine his hands first cut of he lamenting sore before the Bishops That through informing of the Pope their prouokings he had made him and his accursed and rebelled against his owne lord and supreme head Nowe a litle after this did succeede Pope Paschalis 2. who againe excommunicated afreshe the Emperour and commaunded the Earle of Flaunders called Robert to destroy with fire and sword the territories of Luek and Camericke because that they would remaine true vnto their naturall lord and Souereigne the Emperour Henrie Yea hee did giue the Imperiall crowne with all the iewels of the Empire to Henrie the 5. sonne vnto the said Henrie the 4. Emperour herein preuailed so much that he did prouoke the sonne to rebell and persecute his owne Lord and naturall father yea with such horrible and vnnaturall malice that he let him most pitifullie starue in the prison at Luek which happened in the yeere of our Lorde 1108. Neither would hee receiue the Lukeners to grace til such time as they had taken vppe the dead carcase of his father which was by theÌ„ there buried cast the same out into the fields like the carion of a dogge And by that meanes the Lukeners were likewise discharged of the excommunication which Pope Paschalis had laid vpon them Men may likewise verie well conceiue the same by the example of the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa who after a great manie of excommunications and curses was in the ende within the towne of Venice vpon the great market called Saint Markes place at the toppe of the staires of the great church or palace troden vpon the necke by Pope Alexander 3. euen with his feete who for the establishing of his authoritie and power did vsurpe and openlie pronounce before al the people this saying in the Psalme Super Aspidem Basiliscum equitabis coÌ„culcabis Leonem Draconem that is to say Thou shalt ride vpon the Lion and the Adder the yong Lion and the Dragon shalt thou treade vnder thy feete c. And thus likewise was Franciscus Dandalius Duke of Venice excommunicated and banished by Pope Clement 5. and enioyned vnto certeiâ—e penance which was That he should goe creeping alongest the Popes palace vpon his handes knees with a collar about his necke like a dogge So that it is apparant that the Pope of Rome hath ful and absolute power ouer al Kings Dukes and Princes and therefore may commaunde them as his subiectes and tenantes and may extoll or aduance and disgrade or depose them euen as he shall thinke good Which authoritie of his doeth extende and reache so farre that hee hath likewise full power commaundement and iurisdiction ouer the Kings and Emperours of Turkie and other Heathen countries In so much that a man may lawfullie appeale vnto him in anie matter from before anie earthlie Prince or Potentate In summe hee hath vnder him the rule and gouernement of all Emperiall Princelie and Spirituall iurisâ—iction for hee is consecrated as a Priest and crowned as a King and is therefore the King of Kings and Lorde of Lordes For as touching that which these Heretikes do alledge against this That Christ should haue said Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which to God belongeth that saieth our mother the holie church was not a perpetuall rule but stood in effect onlie for a short time to wit till such time as Christ had suffered and was ascended vp into heauen For now to answere that where hee saith After that I shal be lifted vp from the earth I will drawe all things vp after me that is thus to bee vnderstood saieth the holie church of Rome That Christ after his ascension into heauen should take al Kingdomes Dukedomes and such like out of the possession of Kings Dukes c. and that by meanes of his souldiers especiallie by his Romishe Apostles And whereas in other places hee doeth forbid his Disciples to seeke after or to receiue golde or siluer that must likewise be vnderstood but till such time onelie as they haue
of Rome with all his Cardinals who are deftly decked vppe with all costly iewels like Puppets And hee shall receiue a mouth speaking great and wonderfull things so that all the worlde shall say Who is like vnto him Euen after the same sort as you see the Pope giue forth strange things touching his owne person and doeth attribute to himselfe a certeine power authoritie aboue all kings princes and angels in heauen yea euen aboue the sonne of God and which more is aboue God himselfe Insomuch that vpon this consideration our deare mother the holie Churche hath concluded that hee shoulde bee called Papa as though men should say Pape which is as much to say in our language as a wonderfull shreeke or hem in derision For it is a worde which doth signifie a monstrous wondring for because that he is a wonderfull monstrous and straunge beast Insomuch that one of his owne Poets doth call him Papa stupor mundi that is to say The wonder or mocking stocke of the worlde Euen as if a man shoulde say Tushe who is to be compared to him So that it is most apparauntly to bee seene that Saint Iohn in his Apocalypse doeth as it were euen point to him with his finger and that Daniel and Paule doe in many places of the Scripture paint him plainlie out in all his feathers In so much then that these Heretikes are farre ouerseenâ— when as they will say That the Scripture doeth not make anie mention of the Pope of Rome considering that wee haue proued all his authoritie to be grounded vpon the Scripture in such order as there is nothing to be said against it The xi Chapter VVherein is set foorth howe that no Priesteâ— nor spirituall persons are subiect or vnder the iurisdiction or power of the temporall Magistrates or Officers NOwe let vs come to speake of the other Priestes and spirituall persons who are throughlie furnished in all points with their Officials Deanes Archdeacons Vicars Inquisitours Sumners Prisons Places and Instrumentes for punishment so as they are not in anie point subiect to anie temporall Officer or Magistrate Neither may anie of them haue anie their causes or questions debated or determined before anie temporall Iudge or Officer so farre as they haue shauen crownes which is the right marke character of the citie with seuen mountaines whereof Saint Iohn makes mention in the Apocalypse And the same is likewise to bee proued by plaine textes of the holy scripture And for the first it is written That when as Lot went about to dissuade the wilfull Sodomites from their abhominable actes they saide vnto him Thou art come hither among vs and art but a straunger here What hast thou to doe for to take vpon thee to correct and iudge vs Out of this Text hath our mother the holie Church of Rome finally concluded that the Priests may not bee iudged nor punished by temporall Magistrates and Rulers vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are vndoubtedly right Sodomites Burgesses borne and maisters of this worlde by inheritance considering that they are made by the Pope to whom the worlde doeth absolâ—tely apperteine and that the temporall Magistrates and Officers are but as straungers who haue but as it were the gouernement of the world by lease at the handes of the Pope and his Priestes And therefore it doth not become them for to rule or punish the natiue Burgesses of Sodom and Gomorra that is to say the Priestes and Spiritualtie For so hath the Pope Anacletus determined and set forth in his Deccetals which interpretation of his is by our deare mother the holy Church allowed for good and registred in the booke of their decrees for an article of our faith Secondarily the same is proued by a speciall text out of the Gospell where it is written That Christ did driue or chace the buiers and sellers out of the Temple with a whippe or scourge For thereby it is apparant that the Priestes or Spiritualtie may not by anie meanes be punished by anie temporall Officer as is concluded by the forenameâ— Anacletus and the holie Church of Rome vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are to be esteemed as the very changers sellers in the Church who do vtter their merchandize so deare that the sight of them manie times will stand a man dearer than the best ware that the Habardashers of Paris and Lions haue in their shoppes And although other chaungers of monie and vsurers did inioy the benefites of the like priuiledge as well as the Priests to witte that they were with the same whipping driuen out of the temple yea and although dogs be sometime vsed after the same manner yet considering that the Priestes are my white sonnes and must haue somewhat the more preeminence and aduauntage specially for that their merchaundize are of more estimation than the rest and their incense of better smell than the incense that the dogges smother abroade in the Church Insomuch that the holie Church of Rome doeth vnderstande this by the priests onelie to wit that temporall Magistrates or Officers shall haue no iurisdiction ouer them considering well that Christ had them in such estimation as he himselfe onelie woulde whippe them out of the Church And yet hath shee more strongly established the same by the plaine Texte of the Prophete Dauid where it is written God stoode in the middest of the Gods that is to say of Priests and Prelats Againe I haue said All you are Gods. Now truth it is that the whole Psalme doeth after the letter speake of Kings and Gouernours of this world yet notwithstanding our deare mother the holie Church hath vnderstood the same wholy of the Priestes and Spiritualtie according to the spirit and that specially by reason of sixe weightie causes to witte First because the whole text doth conclude as well or rather much better vpon the Priestes than vpon anie other for it is written That will not vnderstaÌ„d but will walk in darknesse and set the whole world in a rore Which wordes seeme to conclude so well vpon Priestes and Bishops as though they had bene spoken only to them Now secondly the Priests are of much more estimation better than any Kings or Princes yea they do excell them as far as Leade doth Gold and therefore must Emperours bow downe their heads vnder the knees of the Popes as is plainely set forth by the holie father Pope Gelasius writing vnto the Emperour Anastasius and registred in the decrees Yea they are the light of the world Fathers Maisters to all men so that they deserue much better to be called Gods than either Kings or other Rulers do or can deserue Thirdly the Priestes are of more worthinesse and estimation than Angels For as our deare mother the holie Churche of Rome hath verie well concluded an Angel may not sing nor say Masse for that hee hath not the priestly character
stoutely and warily fight vnder Gods banner and counterfeit or follow the example of the Apostles their disciples For the same by nature ought so to bee and all things in the world ought to bee common but the wickednesse of man hath bene the occasion that the one hath begonne to say This is mine the other said And this belongeth to me And by that meanes dealing or participating of all things crept in To bee briefe a verie wise man amongst the Grekes hath spoken maruellous well saying All things are common amongst good friendes Nowe it is then without doubt that vnder the name of all things the wiues are likewise conteined For like as the light and the shining of the Sunne can not be separated nor parted euen so there cannot likewise anie separation or dealing be made of that which is to bee vsed in common but it ought to be generallie at the commauÌ„dement of euerie one of the companie And for that cause it is that God saith gentle Reader note wel here speciall textes of the Scriptvre by his Prophet saying O what a goodlie and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together And this custome being obserued by the Apostles so must they haue all together liued with one an other in coÌ„mon like as it is written The multitude of the beleeuing was one heart and one soule c. Note here the determination conclusion of our deare mother the holy church worde by word whereby shee doeth absolutelie conclude out of the holie Scriptures that these Heretikes which are alway in hand with the scriptures haue now no more cause to complaine though the Priests Friers will sometime euen for loue borrow some of their wiues for the mainteining knitting together of this holy Clements commontie And although the glosse thervpon say That this hauing of women in coÌ„mon is not to be vnderstood after the vse of the flesh but simplie for the good willingnesse charitable loue towards the congregation yet notwithstanding the text is plain inough which saieth That men must be conuersant with them as the light is with the sunne shine which do continually enioy one another And the same is established by the doctrine of Plato and Pythagoras who speciallie were of opinion that all women should bee common And that is apparant inough by the daylie exercise thereof for you see that the Priestes may haue no wiues of their owne but doe vse all women in generall when or wheresoeuer they can get them But yet they wil not looke so narrowlie to haue things common as touching their goods because euerie one of them will looke to enioy his own goodes but not his owne wife so that it is rather done for the wiues than for anie thing else And this may likewise verie well bee the occasion wherefore the Romishe Church which in deede can be but one particular Church because that Rome is but one particular towne is yet called The Catholike church that is The common generall Church ouer all which specially proceedeth by reason of that goodly common sort of women and boyes which she mainteines and doeth increase and multiplie her generation ouer all the world yea and filles the whole face of the earth with her young Priests and Monkes whereof shee hath made such a number as there are flies in the Summer in so much that shee may iustly bee called Ecclesia oeccomenica that is to say The Church that doeth flowe ouer the whole earth like a spring tide The xviii Chapter VVherein the seuen orders of Priesthoode are set foorth as well by Scriptures as by the examples of Christ. SEeing that we are nowe in hande with the holinesse of Priests wee will proceede directlie to the establishing of all the seuen orders of Priesthoode by the Scripture And first you shall vnderstande that our deare mother the holie Church doeth teach verie plainlie That our Lord Iesus Christ him selfe was forced to passe thorough all those seuen orders before hee could be admitted to bee a Masseprieste Marke nowe what a matter must this be and yet for all this these Heretikes make no accompt of the blessed Masse whereas Christ had inough to do for to come to the vse of it For first he must exercise the office of a Porter like as hee did when he droue the changers of monie and the sellers and buâ—ers out of the Temple and snake out of the mouth of Dauid You Princes lift vp your gates and be you lift vp you euerlasting doores Item when hee said I am the doore of the sheepfolde After that he was Reader when he did reade the Prophet Esaias in the Temple Then after he became an exorcist or Coniurer when he droue seuen diuels out of Marie Magdalene when he did rub the mouth eares of the dumbe and deafe man with clay and spitle saying Epphatah Be open And after that he came to be Acoluthus that is a Page and Ceroferarius that is a Candlebearer when he said I am the light of the world hee that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse And then was he a Subdeacon when he did washe his disciples feete After that a Deacon when hee did minister the Sacrament of his body to his Apostles and being in the mount Oliuet willed persuaded them to watch and pray And lastlie he became a Priest when he did consecrate the bread and the wine and so said Masse at the table This done straightway he became a Bishop when hee laid his handes vppon his disciples heads saying Go abroade and preache the ghospell in all places All this you may see set out at large in the foresaid booke of Durandus and in the booke of Sentences in the fourth councels of Tolledo and Carthago likewise in the Decrees So that it is apparant that all these holie orders are fished out of the bottome and ground of the scriptures and are founded vppon the examples of Christ notwithstanding nowe that the Priestes haue somewhat the more prerogatiue then Christ had so that they can pushe through all these seuen orders at one time or else skippe ouer foure or fiue of theÌ„ at once For they that can once get the shauen crowne on their heades which is the character marke token of the worthie order of Priesthoode may not then onelie proceede to be Priestes but also to be Bishops and Cardinals and to gette sackes full of benefices for our most holie father the Pope may freelie dispence with all such matters as it pleaseth him But that carieth his authoritie in the Popes foundation which wee haue here before set forth and declared to be so strong as the diuels of hell are not able to withstand it For this time wee doe onelie teache that when soeuer it shall please the holy church to vse the seuen orders orderlie shee is able to establish the whole heape of them trimlie
councell of Trent in the 2. decree of the 4. sessioÌ„ Councel of Trent The holy Ghost shut in a male Or Tyrannicall torture Capi. Non decet dist 1â— In the Booke of the Councel in the 14 15. and 16. quest Loke in the leafe following In the couÌ„cel of ConstaÌ„ce in the 15. session Iohn 17. Read hereof Pet. Pau. Ver. who was a gret while in that couÌ„cell him selfe a That is Touch not the head b That is For so it pleaseth vs Wherefore the Councell is called General In the Bull De editio of the counsels which begin thus quum prop. and was set forth an 1545 the 6. of Decemb in the name of pope Paul the third These are the words of the Buls of IndictioÌ„ Bulla Indictionis Read the Bull of the Councell of Laterane set forth in an 1512. in name of Pope Iul. 2. This is written in the book of Councels in the 2. booke and in the Decrees chap. multis den dist 17 â–ª Chap Imo dum in the 17. dist Looke in the foâ—â—said Councell Lateranen in the 2. ses The CouÌ„cell of Mantua Simonie of the Clergie Councell of Rome Simonie of Bishops Triburine Burying CouÌ„ of Basil the 21 ses Councel of Mentz Con. of Laterane The Pope anâ— heretike and Apostata In the â–ª 36. chapter of the councell Eliberi Images forbidden In the first booke of Councels â—oli 627. chap 3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10 and so following to 25. Con Affric can 81 82.83 Mileuitano can 3.4.5 and in the decrees can placuit vt quicunque ca. quisquis dixerit gratiam de coÌ„secra dist 4. a Read the Churchly historie of Socrates the 11. Cap. of the first booke â–ª and Sozomen in the 22. chap. of the 2. booke the decrees Cap. Nicena Syno dist â—1 Con. b Gan. Can. 1.4.9.10.14 and in the decrees Si quis discernit Diâ—â—incti 28 ca. Si quis nuptias cap Si quis vel virginitatem cap. si quis proprer Deum dist 30. cap. Si quis vituperaâ— dist 31. c Read the decrees â–ª ca. quoniam in Romano Dist. 31. d Con. GaÌ„ can 2. and in the deâ—crees can Si quis carnem dist 30 e Con. Ancyrano 27. f Con. GraÌ„ in the conclusioÌ„ of the Councel g Con. Nice in the â–ª 6. Canon like as Ruffi â–ª doth set it forth in his hystorie h Con. CoÌ„stâ—â—t can 2. beginning Qui vlâ—â— a quamque Diocâ—sim sunt Episcopi c. i And peruse the couÌ„cel of Affrica in the first booke of the councels theâ—e you haue these orders can 92. and at the end of the couÌ„cels are the letters of the couÌ„cel written to the Popes Bonifacius and Celeâ—tinus l Con. Can. â— Can. â— k In the coÌ„ of Mil. ca. 21. Read also can prisb 11. quaest 4. and can psal 4. vt presb 2. quaest â— m Con. Aff. can â— and in the decrees ca. 1. dist â—9 Cap. Con. di 10. ca nulfas est dist 1â— Ca. Considimus 25. quaest 1. canulli 25. quaest 1. The councel of Basil aboue the Pope The Romish church the Pope aboue aâ—canons and decrees Cap. 4. Cap. violatores 25. quaest 1. ca. nemini 17. quaest 4. ca. de libelâ—is dist 20. cap. nul fas est dist 19. This is set foorth with plaine wordes in the chapter Ideo permâ—t tente ff his iâ—a 25. quaes 1. Read like wise cap. preceptis dis 12. ca. Si quis 17. quaest 4. Popes against their owne decrees Philip. Decius in ca. 1. no â–ª 49. de constit Cap. confidimus 25. quaest 1. ca. constit dist 10 ca. contra statut ca. sunt quidaÌ„ 25. quaes 1. ca. ideo permittente 25. quaest 1. ca. Iusticiae 25. quaest 1. Vpon the before written chapter const dist 10. De consecr dist 2. The sacrament a spirituall food Bishops like in authoritie By this the lay people ought to receiue in both kinds Cap. coÌ„perimus de const dis 2. Fra Petrus ca. lacrimae ca. sacrificiâ— ca. dici ca. magna piâ—tas ca. facilius ca. conuertimin mo other de penis tent dist 2. Ca. Si quis docuerit ca. Si quis discernit dist 28. ca. Si quis nuptias dist 1â— â–ª ca. Nicaena ca. Si quis vituperat dist 31. ca. deliciae ca. quisquis ca. quod dicte dist 41 cap. Si quis carnem cap. Si quis presb dist 30. ca cleric cap. pastor ca. viduas 1. qu. 2. ca. gloria episcopi ca. concesso 12. quaest 2. cap. duo sunt genera ca. cleric 13. quaest 1. The holy Church of Rome the verie knot of all writings decrees couÌ„cels This is so set forth in the couÌ„cell of Nice in actione 4. and is likewise set out by Eckius in his Man. b This forbidding staÌ„deth in the first booke of the â—ouncelles Con. Afric can â—2 and the letters of the popes whiche had procured to haue all appeales sent to Rome are set out in the end of the couÌ„cels c Ca. Plac. vt Pres. 2.4.6 d Ca. Comperimus de con dist 2. the glosse vppon the worde aut integra e Euen so doth the glosse answere vpon the demaunde in the Cap. Constitutionis dist 10. whereas is saide That no Decrees are of value which dissent from the good seede These bytextes doth the glosse bring vpon the decrees That euery man shall receiue the Lords supper incontinent as the consecratioÌ„ is done cap. peracta de consecratione dist â— holy church helpes her selfe with the opinions of heretikes Reade Auguâ—t in the boke of Heresies and where he writes against the Pelagians Ephes â— 8 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 3.24 In the couÌ„cel of Trent in the 7. sess Can. 10. in the 14. ses can 8. Theodoret. in the 4. boke of the Heretikes Cap. omnes fideles dis 3. cap. â— de poenit dis â–ª and in the 4. boke of the Sent. in the 14. dist ca. 1 Theodoret. in his 4. booke cont haeret Apollonius in his booke against the Montaniâ—s and Euseb. in his 5. boke cha 1â— Theodor. in the 3. booke Epiphaâ— in the seconde part of 3. boke in the 51. Heresie Theodor in the 1. booke Irinaeus in the 1. booke against Heresies in the 24. Chap. Act. 8.19 Azoar 1. The holy Ro. church borrowes many thiÌ„gs of the Iewes Petrus Galatinus in his booke Of the Secrets of the Catholike truth in the 6. chap. of the 10. boke a This you shall â—â—â—de written in one of their bookes called Midiascâ—hâ—lâ—t which is â–ª to say The explanation of the Ecclesiastâ—s or sentences of Salomon Eccle. 7.13 b In the boke called Galirasepa which is to say The explaner of the hidde or secret thiÌ„gs Reade Munster in his Hebrewe Dialogue of Messias Cap. Ieiunio dist 76. Read ouer and peruse the decrees throughly in the 1. dist de coâ—secrat and speciallâ— the 2. chap. Item the dist 21.23.77 throughly and many other mo Item peruse throughly the booke of Durandus and specially where he speakes of sacrifices and altars
matter Peruse the 11. chap. of the second part This is euen thus set downe word for worde in the decrees Cap. Dâ—lectissimiâ— Causa 12. quae 1 and in the 4. letter of ClemeÌ„t in the 1 part of the Councels Pythagoras whoÌ„ Plato did imitate in the goueâ—nement of his citie Married women common Psal. 133.1 Act. 4.32 For what cause the Church of Rome is called Catholike Seeke for this in the .2 chap. of the second parte All these goodly exposiâ—ions are written by the reuerend Bishop Durand in his booke called Rationale diuinorum officiorum in the .1 booke Rub. de ministerio ordine Ecclesiae And in the .4 booke of Sentences Psal. 24.7.9 Iohn 10. In the .4 booke of Sentences the .3 chap. In the 4. booke of Sentences the 4. chap. Acoluthus in Greeke is with vs as much as Page or one which followeth vs. Iohn 8. ca. and is repeated in the 4. booke of Senten cha 5.4 Dâ—st cap. 6.4 Dist. cap. 7. 4. Dist. cap. 8. and peruse the same allegatioÌ„ by Durand In the 23. and 77. Dist. Peruse the 11. chap. of the 2. part Ceremonies of the holy Churches in general Esaie 52.7 Rom. 10.18 This expositioÌ„ is set downe by Durandus in his booke called Rationale diuinorum officiorum chap. 7. Num 8. Slippers and breeches of the Popes Seeke the 10. chap. of the 2. part Durandus touching the Masâ—â— Search the 15. and 16. chap. of this 2. part Durandus his booke Pro. 22 28. Thus doth Eckius and all other Catholikes expounde it Auriculer confession These are the very wordes of Pope Innocent the 1. in a generall councell coÌ„cluded and is set down in the decrees Chap. Omnis vtriusque sextâ—s de penietentis remissionibus Nectarius In the yeare 395. This is set out in the storie triparâ—ite in the .9 booke Chap. 28. Chrisostome vpon the .51 Psal. and in the 3. Homelie vppon the .12 chap. to the Hebr And in the Homelie of penaunce c. Iohn 20.28 Whose sinnes you remit c. Act. 26.18 Chrysostome vpon the .23 of Mathewe the .44 homilie Mathew 8.4 Marke 1.44 Luke 5.14 This witnesse is by Eckius and all other Catholike writers interpreted to this sence Iames. 5.26 The SacrameÌ„t of seuen orders 1. Tim. 4.14 Looke the .18 Chap. of the .2 part Looke the 19. Chap. of the .1 parte The SacrameÌ„t of matrimonie Ephes. 5.32 Looke the 17. Chap. of the â— parte Looke the .1 chap. of the .2 parte Seuen bishops in the low countreis Vigilius Henricus de Vrâ—â— maâ—ia vpon the fourth booke of Sent. dist 1. Matth. 12. Luke 11. Apoc. 13 18. For each letter in greek makes one number 5.20.20.30.2 EKKΛH 200.10.1.10 Σ. IAI 30.1.30.10 TAΛI 20.1 KA Thâ—s makes together 666. Apoc. 13.17 Fire a Sacrament The finding of the Crosse a sacrament Water a Sacrament The Maister of sentences in the .1 chap. the dist and .4 booke Henricus de Vâ—â—maria vpon the foresaide texte of the sentences In the Masse booke Mark. 6.13 1. Cor. 12 2â— Act. 20.10 2. Reg. 4.34 â–ª Of inuocating â—mages looke the 4. leafe and 13. chap. of the 2. parte In the councell holden at Nicen in the 1. session in thâ— Anathematisme Idola Images are Saintes This historie is writen in the golden Legende Also in the booke of Leander Albert of Boloigne which he hath named the description of Italie in the 164. leafe of this booke printed in the yeare 1550. Item it is written by Vincent Lirinensis And so forth by brother Bernarde of Luâ—enburgh Doctor of follie in the 11. parte of the 4. booke called Catalogus Haereticorum Thomas part .3 Quaest. 25. Article 3. Latria Bonauentura super senten lib. 3. dist 9. quaest 2. this is reâ—ersed by brother Bâ—rnard of Luzenburge Leander Albert and other besides Heb. 9. throughout Col. 2.17.18 Gal. 4.9.10 and so foorth The faith of the Iewes out of Moses lawe Ceremonies of the Lutherans 1. Cor. 14.29 1. Cor. 11.2.25 This is in the decrees chap. vasa de consecra dist 1. And it was the Prouerb of Bonifacâ— of the marters Bishops Looke the foresaid Chap. Vasa In the Decrees and that which followeth And the councell Tribur Can. 9. Looke the whole first dist de consecrat in the decrees A synagoge of Iewes at Rome This taske hath authoritie without Italie But within Italie is a pounde Turnoys changed to a pound Sterling The Pope agreeth better with Iewes Turkes and Heathen than with Huguenotes Looke the .13 Chap. of the second part Iere. 7.17 Queene of Heauen Golden Calfe Agnus Dei. In the booke called Ceremoniale Roman Eccle. All these vertues are ascribed to the Agnus Dei or lamb of God. Looke also the 4.5 and 6 cap. of the 2. part Peruse the 4. chap. of the 2. part Touching this turne also to the 1. chap. of the 4. part Looke the 13. chap. of the 2. pâ—â—t The Image of the crosse prayed vnto Iohn Tekel the Popes Legate and after that Bishop of Mentz did preach this at Franckfort anno 1517. Latria Read the writers of Sent. which haue altogether concluded this after this maner The feast of the Speare Nailes of Christes passion Sponges The Asse taile The Manger Ezech. 9.4 Tau is an Hebrew word signifying with vs a token For that which Ezech doeth call Tau that doeth Iohn expounde for a seale Apo. 7.3 Thom. de Aquin. in the eâ—positioÌ„ of the Masse Guâ—do de monte Roch. in Encheir sacerd or the Pamphlet of Priestes in the title De Sac. Euc. Seeke alâ—o Durandus and Innocent for they do expounde these crosses also in like manner Looke the 16. chap. of the 2. Looke the 16. â—2 Gala. 6.14 Gala. 3.13 Deut. 21.23 Saintes 1. Tim. 2.5 In the councell of Nice in the councel of Trenâ— Peter Lombarde in the â–ª 4 booke of Senten .. dist 45. Bâ—nauent dist eadem arti 2. Looke the church songue beginning Aue praeclara maris stella Also looke the Masse bookes and the seruice of our Ladie Marie her Rosarium Hortulus animae the .7 tydes and other Popish bookes which are replenished with such pranckes This doth Bâ—â—nardinus Ochinus rehearse in his Apologio Graie friers Blacke friers Croutched Friers This storie is set foorth in the Churche of Loreta affirmed in the historie of â—eander Albert of Bullin called The description of Italâ— where he is writing of Recanati This demonstration is also written in the Church of Loret and is repeaâ—â—d by Leander Albert. Luke 1.48 Iohn 2.5 Offices of Saintes Homer in his 1. booke Iliadâ—â— â–ª 1. Reg. 8.39 Esai 43.3.14 and in manie places Psal. 50.15 Esa. 63.6.43.11 Esa. 63.16 and 64.10 Latria looke the 3. chap. of the 4 part Dulia Hyperdulia lokâ— the 1. chap. of the 4. part Mat. 4.10 Deut. 6.13.10.20 Galat. 4. â— â–ª The Scripture is full of such Looke the 4. chap. of this part Ge. 48.15.16 This witnes is brought forth by Eckius â—â—â—â—derius and all other Catholike writers treating
matter for otherwise if he had well knowen howe that Melchisedech had offered vp bread and wine he would then without doubt therevpon haue concluded with the Church of Rome That there must bee Priests to sing Masse and to offer vp Iesus Christ in fourme of bread and wine vnto God the Father For if this were not as the Doctours of Louen doe teache then could not the offering of Christ Iesus endure and last for euer after the order of Melchisedech as our Maister Gentianus hath verie wittilie here noted Consider I pray you if Christ had no Vicar nor Liefetenant as the saide Apostle pretendes how could he be an euerlasting Priest and continue his Priesthoode euermore in the person of the most holy Pope of Rome Howe could he offer vp his bodie a newe dailie in the Masse Therefore hee may thanke the Priestes greatly that they after his departure hence haue taken vppon them his place And for so much as his offering could not of it selfe sufficiently serue the turne therefore haue they founde out another sonne offering of the Masse whereby they applie or ioyne his offering to men as with a plaister notwithstanding they doe not name it onelie Sacrificium propitiatorium that is A sacrifice of mercie but also Sacrificium applicatorium that is An offring plaistered or put to Was not that a great ouersight of our Lorde that he had suffered such paines and yet al his suffering could not haue helped vs if the Priestes would not haue giuen vs that same addition by their Masse offering Therefore must the Apostle needes haue bene much ouerseene in his Epistle to the Hebrewes when hee tooke vppon him so earnestly to prooue that Christ had no neede of anie Deputie and that his sacrifice or oblation could not bee renewed nor offered againe but that it is giuen to vs made ours through faith or perhaps hee was so busily occupied with the Hebrewes Iewes that he did not once thinke vpon our holie Masse no nor had not the leasure to reade ouer the bookes of the Catholike Doctours of Louen nor the ordinances of the holie fathers of Rome For if hee had read those he should haue lerned something else as speciallie that the principal point of the priesthoode of Melchisedech did rest in the bread and wine which hee set before Abraham and his Souldiers to stake their hunger and thirst For of this bread and of this wine hath our deare mother the holie Church of Rome made a sacrifice and out of that concluded that the Priestes must likewise haue bread and wine to chaunge the same into fleshe and bloud and so to offer it vp But the Apostle had neuer heard anie such newes and therfore he is to be borne withall but these Heretikes who haue read ouer all these things with our Doctours yea they haue it at their fingers ends and yet they make but a mocke at it those felowes truelie are worthie to be looked at vnder the browes and to haue their heades set betwixt two eares Proceeding now as touching the order of Aaron he without doubte was a figure likewise not of Christ but of our Priestes For there is written in the Decrees and in the booke of Sentences That as well the hie Priestes as the Pater noster priestes were all ordeined by Moses when as he by the commaundement of God did institute Aaron an high Priest and did annoint his sonnes vnder priests The councel of Aken or Aquisgrain hath also plainlie concluded out of Isidore That the order of Priestes haue their beginning of Aarons children and that those which in the old Testament were called offring Priestes are the verie same which nowe are called Masse priests And those which at that time were called Hie priestes are nowe our Bishops So that it is easie to be noted that they are all of Caiphas his progenie For as touching that which the Apostle doeth say to the Hebrewes That by the comming of Christ the order of Leuie was cleane taken awaye that can not be true considering that yet at this day the holie Church hath her Leuites as out of the 7. Chapter of the said Councell and out of the 2. Chapter of the 21. Distinction doeth plainlie appeare where it is saide That the Leuites are in Greeke called Diaconi and in Latin Ministri And now these must needes bee our Deacons And therefore in the third Councell of Bracaren it was concluded in the 5. Chapter of the saide Councell That onelie the Leuites and not the Priestes might be pardoners and carrie about with them on their shoulders the reliques of Saint Anthonies swine and such other like hauing on their Albe which is to witte a long shirt aboue vpon their coates as was permitted to the Leuites only in the olde testament to carie or driue the Ark of the promise Is not this a sufficient proofe you are welcome home And likewise that the other Priestes are also come out of the order of Leui doth sufficiently appeare out of that which is before rehearsed Therefore is the Apostle much ouerseene in his Epistle to the Hebrewes where hee will take vpon him to mainteine that the order and succession of the Leuites should be wholy taken away and adnihilated or at least he must be thus vnderstoode as that the order of Leui is not taken away anie otherwise but that in place of the Iewish Leuites are entred in the Priestes Pardoners in place of their sacrifices is the Masse crept in For consider that which he doth write in his 5. and 8. Chapter concerning the Leuite priestes saying That euerie hie Priest is ordeined to offer gifts sacrifices pretending thereby to proue that then Christ must also haue something to offer that the holie Church of Rome vnderstandeth to be her Priests as though the Apostle would haue saide flatlie That the Romish Priestes are ordeined to offer giftes and sacrifices And for that cause the catholike Doctours haue that text continually in their mouth for the verifying of their Priesthoode So that it is euident that the Leuitical Priestes are risen vp againe in our Priestes And although the Heretikes do mocke at al such allegations saying that that text is directly against vs because the Apostle wil thereby proue that by the offering and Priesthoode of Christ Iesus all other offerings and Priesthoods are taken away and adnihilated considering that Christ could not be a Priest so farre as there were anie other Priest that did represent patronize him yea and although he were now here on earth we passe not for that For we will by and by bring out against them the plaine texte of the decrees out of the Councell called Sexta Synodus where it is said That Iames the brother of Christ after the flesh Basilius the Bishop of Caesarea did ioyntly bring in the Masse and ioyned it to the scripture Surely if Iames the lords
brother did establish the masse theÌ„ it appereth that it is come from the Apostles therefore neede we not anie more testimonies of scripture or other authorities For whereas the Heretikes wiâ—l seeme to ouerthrowe this saying That it is an euident and detestable lie considering that Basilius was Bishop of Caesarea wel nigh three hundred yeares or there about after the death of S. Iames so that by reason thereof he cannot haue established the Masse with S. Iames Vnto that we answere That they are too much nosewise for vs our deare mother the holy church goeth not so preciselie to work An inch breakes no square It skilles not for three or foure hundred yeeres more or lesse when otherwise it serueth her turne Notwithstanding that she hath two diuers wayes to answere their demaund For shee may â—ay that there fortuned a great miracle to wit that S. Iames the Lords brother did rise againe froÌ„ death about 300. yeres after he was buried to come helpe Basilius to sing Masse or she may likewise say That Iames did in his time establishe the Masse but because there were no altars to be found by reson there was not yet as then any reliques of Saints which had wroght miracles and that men might not without being furnished with certein reliques erect anie altars to serue Masse vpon it may be that the Masse knittâ— vp in an Atturnies bagge hanged vp vpon a pinne in some corner till the coÌ„ming of Basilius which was about 300. yeres after like as otherwhiles they hang vp some processes at Machelin vpon a naile a hundred yeares or two In summe let it be as it wil it is all one Once we coÌ„clude hereby that the Masse was ordeined by Iames the apostle And it is to be thought that Iames had learned it of Clement pope of Rome who had written two pleasant letters vnto him wherein he doth specially treat of the seat of the B. of Rome and that Peter through his desertes or merites was become the foundation of the Church and so forth declares at large how the Masse shall be deuoutly done what apparell what hallowing and what other necessaries shall be vsed in the doing of it in what clothes the Sacrament shall be laid that it may bee kept cleane from Mouse dongue and that no wormes nor mothes come at it as in the first part of the councels in the second letter of Clement is by expresse wordes specified Whereby may be noted what great and heauie troubles this good Clement had and what maner of Prophet he was considering that hee set out in writing all the ceremonies of the holie Church which were not founde yet in 700. or 800. yeares after Clements time And therefore it is that our deare mother the holy Church doth make so high an holiday of these decretall letters of Clement and of other his companions that she hâ—th out of the same established a great manie of her ordinances and holy ceremonies In summe it is plaine and euident that the holie Masse hath her ground and foundation without the Scripture The .iii. Chapter That the name and Ceremonies of the Masse are fished out of the holie Scripture NOwe as touching the name of the Masse that hath likewise her beginning vndoubtedly out of the holy scripture notwithstanding that there are manie and diuerse opinions of the same For it is not verie long ago that certeine great doctours of the Sorâ—onish schole at Paris did out of that that is alway written at the end of all the Epistles which Saint Paule hath written from whence they were sent sounding in the Latine tongue Missa est c. conclude saying That Paule did thereby giue to vnderstande whither men should goe to heare high Masse on the Sunday And nowe besides this there was a Magister noster which said that the Apostle Andrew had a Masse booke and had spoken of the Masse for Iohn reherseth that Andrew said to Peter his brother That he had found the Messias or the annointed Christ of whom Moses doth beare witnesse And this soundes in the coÌ„mon translation in Latin thus Inuenimus Messiam quod dicitur Christus which wordes this wise doctour did expounde thus We haue founde out the Masse which Christ hath done Is not that well hit God helpe vs Who dare now from henceforth be so stout as to say That the Masse standeth not in the scripture But now bycause that these Heretikes will needes be so nosewise wil vnderstand all languages insomuch that they do mocke hereat saying that Messias doth not signifie a Masse â–ª but The Messias that is to say The annointed Now Peter Lombard the writer of the sentences doth set downe another opinion and iudgement saying That this name Missa is as much to say as Sending is so named for that at all times there is an Angel sent out of heauen to consecrate the Corpus domini that is The Lordes bodie by whom the Priest doth send his consecrated God forwardes towardes heauen at such time as he hath vsed these wordes following in the Masse Omnipotens Deus iube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum c. that is to say O almightie God commande that this may by the handes of thy holie Angel be caried vp to thy high holy altar c. And out of this he doth further conclude that whersoeuer that Angel doth not come it cannot be said that there is a Masse But truely this must be but meere dalliance for if that were true that they must tarie for the Angel there woulde not be one Masse to be founde in the whole world where notwithstanding there are Masses soung daily by heapes And therfore hath our deare mother the holy church driuen in another naile here and concluded in the Councell of Senona that Missa is an Hebrewe worde now what it doth signifie is vncertein For notwithstanding that the same Councell saith that it betokeneth a cleane offering yet doth not that well agree with the Hebrewe tongue vnlesse it were so that it were named Nisset But it appeares much rather to haue come of Massah which in the Hebrewe doeth signifie Heauinesse or Curssing or else of an other Massah which is interpreted Seeking bycause the Priestes doe with fiue wordes seeke God to see if hee will come into the bread Euen as the children of Israel did seeke God in the wildernesse Raphidim to know also whether he were with them or no by reason whereof the place was called Massah that is say Seeking notwithstanding that it may be much more strongly founded out of Daniel who speaking of the Romish Empire saith That they shall haue a newe God Maosim to whom they shall pray and do worship with golde siluer and precious stones that is to say A God of strength and of force Wherein without doubt he doth speake of the Masse-God