they cannot doo they thinke vnlesse they haue the peoples heartes and they perswade themselues that the people of the other side will neuer be reconciled to their Romish Church vnlesse their religion be easie plausible and pleasant to the outward sight and delight of the flesh Hereupon haue they graunted their Bulles their dispensations and all other their licentious doctrines which geue free leaue and authoritie to commit any sinne or sinnes for as long or as short a time as they listed so that they might take their choise of pleasant sinnes to sport themselues at their pleasure and conuenient leisure which to atchieue notwithstanding they must pay good currant coyne for Behold gentle Reader the two pillers of the church of Rome viz. The glorie and riches of their proude Pope and prelates was one and the libertie preached to the people was the other So that the pope I thinke went about to builde a kingdome for himselfe on earth rather then to build a church for God in heauen Hereupon is he magnified with so many titles Hereupon after he began to growe in ambition he vsurped the tytle of Supremacie ouer all kinges princes and Emperours of the world And when the pope had all this iurisdiction and preheminence what was it els but to say with the Whore of Babylon d Reue. 18.8 Sit as Queene I wonder that all the Papistes of the world are not ashamed of their vnholye father whose kingdome whose Church whose religion is onely to preach libertie and licentious kinde of liuing to the people seeking his owne onlie glorie and renowne and not the glorie of God This is that the Iesuits fight for that the Seminaries perswade and contend for that the papistes boast of that they dare challenge al the world in disputation for the defence thereof namely the erecting of the downfalling pride of the Pope in their subtill perswasions to reconcile sillie vnstable soules vnto their Romish Sea They can paint out the honour of Rome with most princelie building in the authoritie of their Pope with more then kinglie tytles and the glory of their splendant Church with no lesse eloquence insomuch as they haue made their tongues as sweete as musicke to enchant and their reason nothing but sophistry to deceiue of whom I wish all men to take heede as of rauening wolues and to flie them as venemous serpents For the true Church of God dooth not stande in such outward glystering pompe as these men would make beleeue but in trueth of the word of God deliuered in sacred scriptures as heretofore hath bene declared But all the pomp wherewith the Romaine Iesuits Seminaries and papistes doo so aduance their proude Pope withall and calling their Church the mother Church What dooth it els represent vnto vs but the glorious state of the Whore of Babylon which was clothed with e Reue. 17.4 purple and decked with golde with pretious stones and pearles hauing a cuppe of golde in her hand full of th'abhominations and vncleannesse of filthinesse and in her forhead was written not the mother Church but great Babylon the mother of fornications and of abhominations of the earth O but I doo the Pope great iniury for he calleth himselfe Seruus seruorum the seruant of seruants but what matter is it to cal himself so in name when in deed he sheweth himself Rex regū a king of kings and a Lord aboue all nations as his title of supremacie his vsurped authoritie of-excommunication of princes his putting downe of kinges and giuing their kingdoms away to whome he list doth manifestly bewray So that this is but a mist cast ouer mens eies to blind fold men from beholding the vsurped princelinesse of the Pope In trueth the Church of Rome sauoureth of too much earthly pompe to haue any part in the true church of God though it boast neuer so much and trust in lying words saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord The papistes can say that concerning Rome they haue the testimonie of Paule who in his Epistle to the Romanes writeth to al that be in Rome calleth thē f Rom. 1.7 beloued of God called saints but what profiteth it thē that in times past there was a true spouse of Christ in Rome sith now and manie yeares since it is become an adultresse and hath forsaken her first loue her first faith But al this is outcountenanced with the authority of the pope being Peters successor as he glorieth And the pope he chalengeth the Apostolike Sea so that hee will be Peters successour and yet vicarius dei what is this els but to assure vs that Antichrist shall sit in the Temple g Thess 24. of God as God boasting himselfe to be God The Pharisees in Christes dayes could say who can forgiue sinnes but God and yet the Pope hee will arrogate vnto himselfe that authoritie to wreath from kinges their crownes and scepters what is this but to sit in the temple of God as God and boasting himself to be God Now how well he dischargeth the office of an Apostle I think al men vnderstand he braggeth to be Peters successour but what glory is it to be Peters successour in place and not to retaine the doctrine and performe the office of the Apostle Peter It is the maner of papistes altogether to glorie of names persons and places and such outward titles they neuer looke to the trueth of inward puritie so that al there religion is nothing els but a painted schulchre fayre to the eye but within full of rotten bones because the pope was successour to a good Apostle It followeth not no more then an vsurper of a kingdome shal be said a lawful king because he is a successour to a lawfull king Though Peter were a true apostle yet the pope may be a false Apostle and that the Pope is a false Apostle appeareth by the notes of a true and false Apostle Peter had his calling from Christ to be an Apostle and so entred Peter into the Apostleship For Christ is the h Ioh. 10.1 dore whosoeuer entereth not in by the doore but climeth vp some other way the same is a theefe and a robber therefore let the Pope shew that he entred in by the dore or els hee is not like Peter a lawful Apostle In doctrine how the Pope and Peter agree is soone seene Peter saith if i 1. Pet. 4 1◠anie man speake let him speake as the words of God the pope hee blotteerth out his owne traditions his vnwritten verities and vomiteth out the puddle of his owne brayne yea he wil preache matter contrarie to the word of God and peruert the worde of God as when Paule sayth and the whole Scripture agreeing with hym that by the k Rom. 3.20 workes of the lawe no flesh shal be iustified before God the Pope and Papistes holde and teache that good woorkes are meritorious yea and that
Peter neuer had this authority I maruel much how the papists can possibly conueigh that to the pope which his predecessour neuer had for they affirm the popes authority to be aboue al kings of the earth supreame head of the Church and vniuersall bishop of the whole world but how far these vsurped tytles were from the affection of the true apostle Peter the humilitie of Peter the deuine exhortation of Peter And the former commandement of Christ to al the Apostles dooth sufficiently declare for neither coulde Christ giue that authoritie of Primacie which himselfe forbad nor Peter take that which was not giuen him and which he neither vsed nor so much as desired in affection neither consequently can the Pope his pretended successour deriue that vnto him which neuer belonged to his Ancestor It cannot therefore be that the power of binding and loosing should signifie the supremacie of earthly kingdomes to set vp and pull downe whom he list for as hath bene already prooued Peter is so far from that arrogance that himselfe giueth a double charge to the contrarie namely to feare God and to honour the king as one that is woorthy to haue the chiefest roome for Christ had taught Peter and Peter no doubt learned it that Lordship and dominion belonged vnto the kinges of Nations The power therefore of binding and loosing is not committed to Peter alone but to all the Apostles and seemeth to be expounded in the xx of Iohn where Christ after hee had breathed vpon his apostles and said Receiue v Iohn 20.22 ye the holie Ghost he had said before As my Father sent me so send I you He addeth furthermore that Whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained And this power of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining was not appropriate vnto their persons or vnto their places but vnto the office of their Apostleship and vnto their preaching of the Gospell For Saint Paule saith that the x Rom. 1 16 1. Cor. 1.21 Gospel of Iesus Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to euery on that beleeueth The Gaoler demanded of Paule and Silas what he should doo that hee might be saued they answered y Act. 16.31 Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy houshold When Peter had preached vnto the people they began to be pricked in their hearts they demanded of him and of the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doo Peter answered a Act 2 38 Repent and be baptised euery man in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and receiue ye the gift of holy Ghost Be it known vnto you b men and brethren saith Paule that thorow this man speaking of Christ is preached vnto you the remission of sinnes and that euery one that beleeueth shall thorow him be iustified from all thinges from which he could not be iustified by the lawe of Moses So that we see that remission of sins is by the preaching of the Gospell to the faithfull and that contra Their c sinnes are retained and bound with chaines thereof that are Infidels obstinate and vnrepentant that haue no faith to take hold of saluation preached by the Apostles and pastors of the Church But say they When Christ gaue vnto Peter by speciall name the keies of binding and loosing hee thereby made Peter the Prince of the whole church The answere is easie sie for it is proued before that Christ gaue the power of binding loosing to al the Apostles and why at this time Christ said vnto Peter that he would giue to him the keies by special name the reason was as appeareth by the circūstance of the text because when Christe demaunded of his Apostles Whom say ye that I am Simon Peter answered thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God For Peter answered in the name of all the apostles and Christ likewise gaue him the keies in the name of all And so Cyprian and Augustine two of the Fathers expound it that Christ did it not for this purpose to preferre one man before an other but so to set foorth the vnitie of the Church for so saith Cyprian that God in the person of one gaue the keyes to all to signifie the vnitie of the Church Augustine saith When the Apostles were all asked onely Peter answered Thou art Christ and it is said to him I will giue thee the keies as though hee alone had receiued the power of binding and loosing whereas he being one standeth one for all And he receiued the other with all as bearing the person of vnitie therefore one for all because there is vnitie in all I trust these Fathers will satisfie the Papistes if they be not obstinately malitious and froward children that in the power of the keies of Peter gayned no superioritie ouer the rest of the Apostles Act 15 5 1 pe◠5 1 Act 11 3 Actes 8 24 Gal 1 2 cap Run ouer all that remaineth written and you shall finde nothing els but that hee was one of the twelue equall with the rest and their fellowe but not their Lorde I woonder therefore that the Pope and Papistes will force that vpon Peter which Peter neuer had nor meant to take vppon himselfe which Christ neuer meant to giue him nor to any other viz. to be the Prince and head of the Church for he hath left this tytle to no other but himselfe This that Christ saith Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church imprehendeth no other thing of Peter but that which Paule and Peter himselfe speaketh to al Christians for Paule maketh Christ the chiefe d Ephes c 20 corner stone vpon which they are builded together that grow into an holy temple to the Lord. And Peter biddeth vs to be liuely e 1 Pet 2.3 stones builded vpon that liuely chosen and precious stone Christ Iesus So when Peter had answered to the demand that hee was Christ the sonne of the liuing God then said Christ Blessed art thou f Mat 16 7 Simon Bar-Iona for flesh and blood hath reualed this to thee but my father which is in heauen And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it So that still the Church is builded vpon that confession and answer that Peter made viz. Vpon Christ the son of the liuing God also the g rocke is said to be Christ by especiall wordes in the epistle to the Corinthians And Christ himselfe sayth by speciall wordes also that he that heareth hys wordes and doth them hath like a wise man builded his house vppon a rocke so that Christ and hys word be Mat 7 24 25 the rock wherevpon the Churche of Christ is builded For the Church is not builded super Petrum but super petram that is Iesus Christ the sonne of the
diuelish braynes that doe nothing els but deuise the vtter ruine and destruction thereof if they could tell which way To these men therefore me thinkes Gameliel a doctor of the lawe should satisfie answering in the like case to the rulers who tooke counsell to put Peter and the rest of the Apostles to death for their preaching in the name of Iesus Let them alone saith he for if this a Act. 5 28 worke be of men it will surely come to naught if of God you cannot dissolue it least you be found to fight against God As long therefore as our religion is builded not vpon men but vpon God in vayne doe papistes looke for the ouerthrow of that whereof God himselfe purposeth to vphold They obiect as contrarie vnto vs the antient fathers by whose consenting voyce if the debate were to be ended the better part of the victorie to speake moste modestly would bend to our side but whereas manie thinges haue bin well and wisely written of those fathers and something hath happened to them which is woont to happen to men these kinde natured children according to the rightnesse they haue both of wit and iudgement doe worship onely their faultes and errours and those thinges which are well spoken they eyther vtterly reiect or els mischieuousle corrupt with their bastard glozes and interpretations And no maruell though they thus deale with the fathers who were but men when they dare be bolde to adde to to take from to curtoll corrupt in like sort the sacred scriptures of God himselfe as afterward shal be declared But the papistes are so drowned in their owne sensuall blindnesse they are so addicted onely to the outward eye that they can see no true token of the true church they shew themselues to be men in that rather then they will haue no Church they will build it vpon men when they want the word of God for their foundation whervpon in trueth the true Church is builded but of the same fountain of ignorance is it that they call our religion newe because it appeared not in outward shewe along time together as their painted Church hath done to whome we answere that it is new to them to whome the Gospel is new And wheras it hath long lien hid vnknown and as it were buried that was the fault of the vngodlinesse of the world but nowe sith it is by the bountifulnesse of God restored againe it ought by right of full restitution to receiue againe the due title of antiquitie And herein the papistes do manifest iniurie vnto vs who conuey our religion farre before theirs namely from the mouth of God and the prophets of Christ and his apostles by a lawfull conueyance written with the finger of God sealed with the blood of his sonne and deliuered vnto vs by the handes of the prophetes and apostles so that we haue the writinges of God lawfully sealed and deliuered to giue in euidence for the trueth of that faith that we professe the truth whereof is confirmed by the myracles that are extant in scriptures wrought by Christ and his apostles for the establishing of his doctrine foreuer So that I trust the Papistes will not driue vs to other myracles for all the myracles that euer were done before either in the time of Moses and the Prophetes or Christ and his apostles for confirming of the doctrine that they should teach vpon which doctrine already confirmed by innumerable myracles signes and wonders Wee rest and stay our selues as vpon a most sure anchor and infallible foundation which can neuer faile nor fall They haue charged our doctrine as the welspring of troubles vprores and contentions and tearmed it most slaunderously a Doctrine of Libertines and licentious libertie But who knoweth not that these are euident and apparant badges of their Romish religion Dooth not daylie experience teach vs that the Romaine Iesuits and Seminaries of Rome doo disquiet not onely England but all Europe with erecting vprores and monstrous treacheries and treasons in peaceable common-weales with seeking to shead innocent blood to pull crownes from lawfull annointed Princes and setting subiectes if they could in rebellious troupes to bid battaile against their lawful Soueraignes But it is an hard matter to take Hercules club out of his hand and to wreath from Princes their crownes is more impossible but in raising warre against God the annointer of Princes and preseruer of their regal Scepters is far lesse hope to get a victorie Therefore to the turbulent spirited Papistes Elias hath taught vs to answere that it is not we that haue c 1. King 18 troubled Israell but themselues that wrastle against the power of God And whereas they vrge vpon vs a doctrine of liberties and licentiousnesse they throwe that vppon vs which is appropriated and peculier vnto themselues onely For our religion teacheth a true faith towards God and good and godly conuersation among men but all the Romishe Catholikes if they bee once reconciled to the Sea of Rome there is no trueth in their mouthes nor faithfulnesse in their heartes they may sweare and forsweare for Fides non est seruanda cum haereticis as they with as much rage as litle reason tearme vs yea what villanie may they not commit They may sinne all monstrous sinnes of the world and iustifie it when they haue done so that they may sinne and that with authoritie They may haue a pardon from the pope and a dispensation also for money to commit all filthinesse and kindes of naughtinesse adulterie robberie murther treasons rebellions And what villanie is there that they may not commit with boldnesse by vertue of their vitious and most pestilent religion For a popes pardon will salue all Doo wee not see it euident that the pope sendeth his Legates hither to perswade the people to a wrong faith to whisper in their eares treachery and treason against a most naturall prince and Soueraigne And to such fellowes as like hereof they graunt pardons and take it a matter meritorious in heauen But who is so blind that dooth not see the peruersnes and sensuall beastinesse of their Romish religion who when they are able no longer to stand vpright and to maintaine the pompe of the Pope but that his kingdom beginneth to fall being already shaken when by the power of the word of God the glory of their church beginneth to decay and fade away then they are driuen to deuise newe subtilties and because their doctrine cannot please God they endeuour another while to see if they can please men withall Wherein good reader I beseech thee consider with me vpon what good foundation the Church of Rome is builded and how well the pope that vainely bosteth himselfe to be Peters successour dischargeth the office of a true apostle The papistes and Romanistes they contend with stretched out voice and fight with all the violence they can to erect and vphold the vanishing and all tottering glorie of the pope This
there bee woorkes of superogation able to saue both themselues and others also they may so aboūd with such superfluitie of good workes Yea worse then all this they holde and teache and teach other to practise which is most horrible blasphemie that bad workes are also meritorious namely that treason in subiects and murthering of their lawfull Christian Soueraigne is not onely lawful but alowable yea commendable nay more than so meritorious in heauen which doctrine as it is moste blasphemous so the practise thereof is moste damnable and dangerous abhorring from nature which teacheth euerie subiect to feare and honour his prince as nature bindeth the sonne to feare and honour his father for princeps est patriae parens degenerating from the law of all nations for it is lawfull and meritorious for a papisticall Romanist treacherously to murder his holy father the pope yea rather more if of euils the least be to be chosen then it is for a sworne subiect to be false and traiterous to so christian a prince Meere repugnant to all Scripture yea contrary to the doctrine of Peter himselfe whose doctrine the pope must obey and teach if in succession hee will be accompted a lawfull Apostle of Christ harken O ye Papists and listen what Peter teacheth you follow his doctrine let not the popes bare name of holy father deceiue you any more nor the name of the Apostolicke Sea for they are but lying wordes to deceiue you Compare the Apostleship of Peter with the Apostleship of the Pope and then if you find him contrarie though he be Peters successour reiect him and tread hys doctrine vnder feete The wordes of Peter are thus be m 1. Pet. 2 13. subiect therefore saith he to euery humain creature whether it be to the king as to the chiefe or to relers as to them that be set in authoritie for the punishment of them that doe ill and the praise of them that doe good againe in the same chapter he saith honour all men loue brotherly charitie feare God honour the king againe he commandeth seruantes to submit themselues in all feare vnto their masters not onely saith he if they be good but also though they be froward If a froward maister be to be honoured and feared of his seruaunt much more ought the person of a kinde and vertuous Soueraigne be had in most reuerent estimation of all subiectes considering that the person of a Prince on earth is the image of God in heauen that she is a person of mightie maiestie of puissant magnificence and of most glistring princely royaltie who being placed in her throne by God by whome Reges regnant principes dominantur is impossible to be thrust out by the power or pollicie of men no not of the deuill himselfe nor all his adherentes for that must needes stand which God hath stablished but that may easily fall which men onely haue erected heauen and earth may passe but not one iote of the word of God shall perishe but shal be fulfilled They therefore may aswell thinke it as possible to pul God out of heauen as it is to remoue a lawful annoynted prince from beside the seat wherein God himself stablified her The vaine hope of the papists therefore dismayed and the false Apostleship of the pope confuted by the faithfull Apostle Peter let vs proceede further to compare them together n 1. Pet. 2.11 Beloued saith Peter I exhort you as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And againe he saith o 1. Pet. 1.15 As he which called you is holy so be ye also sanctified in all conuersation because sayth he it is written p Leuit. 11 4 4 be ye holy as I am holy So that Peter admitteth no vncleannesse nor dispenseth with anie sinne but reproueth all and onely alloweth sanctimonie of life and conuersation and hee bringeth in scriptum est also for the warrant of his doctrine I would all that pretend themselues to be his successours would doe the like and giue the like wholesome sound admonitions and preceptes then should not men eyther for loue or money haue pardons dispensations commissions with authoritie to commit most diuelish murder accompting that for meritorious which is most monstrous and meriteth in trueth a moste bloudie reuenge for the body and eternall tormentes for the soule if it should be but so much as conceaued in the imagination What the office of a true Apostle is Peter describeth in his fift Chapter q 1. Pet. 5.1 The elders that be amongest you I which am also an elder exhorte feede as muche as in yours the flocke of Christ not compelledly but willingly not couetous of filthy gaine but of a readie minde not as exercising lordship ouer the clergie but that yee may be r 2. Cor 4 24 examples of the flocke If Peter shewing himselfe that he is an elder doe clayme no Lordship in hys Apostleship how commeth it to passe then that the pope his pretended successour claymeth not onely a lordship and dominion in Rome but a litle of supremacie ouer all nations The Papistes answereth at christ said vnto Peter Thou s. Mat i6 18 art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hel shal not preuaile against it and I wil geue to thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shal be boūd in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in heauē But can these words of binding loosing giue a supremacie and kingdome vnto the Pope and not to Peter whose successour he is For we heard before from Peters own mouth that he claymeth nor alloweth but disclaimeth and disswadeth such exercised lordship ouer the Cleargie So that neither did he affect such proud titles of honour Lordship and superioritie but sought rather as he wished all other to be examples of mildnesse and good conuersation How can wee thinke that Christ should giue such Lord-like authoritie when Christ telleth his disciples contending among themselues who should seeme to bee the geeatest The t Luke 22 25 Mat 20.25 Marke 15.24 Kinges of nations saith he beare Lordship but it shall not be so with you but he that will be the greatest among you let him be as the least or as a seruant Now if neither Peter had the superiority but forbiddeth it as teaching al humilitie being taught by Christ his maister the kings of nations are to beare the lordship his apostles should be so far from contending for primacy on earth that they should rather be as seruants appointed to minister to the Church of Christ to build a kingdom for God in heauen If neither Peter had it and if Christ also forbad it shewing the kingdomes belong to the kinges of the nations how can any man gather that Christs meaning was to giue that to Peter which he forbiddeth Peter al the rest of the apostles If
liuing God whome Peter confessed If Peter then be not the head of the Church downe must fall the title of the vniuersall Bishop of all the Church which title the pope proudly hath vsurped as deriued from Peter who was content to be a member of the Churche and not the head thereof but the swelling ambition of the Pope is so monstrous that hee neither careth to commit treason against christian princes but most proudly hee will intrude himselfe into the seate and throne of God himselfe and he will be head of the Churche to dye for it but I beleeue in the end he will scarse be so much as the foot or one of the toes of the Churche his blasphemie is so monstrous and so intollerable If then sillie Pope thou wilt be head of the whole Churche shewe which way thou makest title for Peter from whome thou claymest was content to be a member of the Church And thou because thou canst not be a member of the church most proudly claymest to be the head because thou canst not be the head thou wilt be no part of the church at all I beleeue the consequent darest thou proud pope without all authoritie derogate so much from the glory and maiestie of Christ as to take from Christ his crown to set it vpon thy head most traiterously and thinkest thou that he will not trample thee vnder his feete doth not Paule to the Ephesians speake in plaine tâ—armes that God raised Christ from the dead and set him at his right hand in heaueÌ„ly places aboue all principalities powers and lordships and euery name that is named not onely in this world but in the world to come and hath submitted all thinges vnder his feete and hath made him head aboue all thinges to the Churche which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all If Christ be the head of the Church as this text doth most plainly proue then caÌ„not the pope be the head of the church in earth as hee proudly vsurpeth for there can be but one head of the Church and that head is Christ so that it is the sole appropriated title of Christ to be the head of his church on earth and euerie where for God hath giuen this title to neither man nor angell nor archangell but to Christ onely whom he raysed from the dead Looke through the whole life of Peter looke through all his Epistles and doctrine and thou shalt finde in him all the markes of a true and worthie Apostle his minde humble not eleuated with pride his doctrine sound which he had receiued from Christ his counsell good his admonitions wholesome his Epistles most deuine The pope his boasting successor cannot abide the charge of preaching sincerely the word of God but yet will hee be an Apostle as touching the place and retaine the name of an Apostle and when a man is no more an Apostle and reuera wanteth both the doctrine and sincere minde of an Apostle what is this else but to be a false Apostle and an intruder into the Church of God What his doctrine is perticularly to recite al were to tedious and almost infinit their idolatrous masse their inuented purgatorie deuised onely to purge mens pursses not their soules their bowing to idols their intercession of saintes their freewill their iustification by workes nay their workes of superogation and infinite more what doe all these but make voyd the crosse of Christ and disanull the grace of God repugnant plainely against the law of Moses and the sacred scriptures But who may speake against him in anie thing who may tell him that God commandeth we should not k Exod. 20. bow down nor worship carued Images and if he leaue out this second commaundement cleane out of the booke because it maketh agaynst him who can reproue him In his absurd doctrne of transubstantion after the wordes of consecration vttered who can perswade him but that the bread is the verie body of Christ and the wine is the verie bloud though Christ call it plainly the l fruite of the vine in plaine tearmes Who may tell him that he should onely teach the godly doctrine of Christ as a faithful Apostle and not his vnwritten verities nor curtoll the scriptures of God nor yet dispence with any thing therein contained who may tell him of his charters of pardons his dispensations to commit cruell and vnnaturall murders against Christian Princes rebellions robberies adulteries and all the villanies of the world and all this vnder a pretensed colour of the supremacie which Peter neuer had ouer the Church of God ouer all Princes and Emperours yea and I thinke aboue God himselfe for what is this els but to chop and chaunge and to vse at his pleasure the sacred word of God and to abuse it to all vngodlinesse and wickednesse Their answere is short that the Scriptures are to be expounded by generall counsels and they and the pope make the Church and the Church cannot erre And whatsoeuer therefore they shall say or decree that is the worde of God and to be reuerenced as an oracle from heauen whatsoeuer it be And hereupon is builded the implicita fides of the Roman papistes to beleeue as the Church beleeueth is fayth good inough for a papist This argument is verie pithagorium Ipse dixit ergo verum est O subtill papistes O simple and deceiued people O moste diuelishe and pestilent religion thus to bewitch mens heartes and to cast a mist before their eyes to blindfolde them in such polluted doctrine And the more to colour this their fraud and apparent deceite they haue established ignorance for the mother of deuotion and images they haue made lay mens bookes and as for the Bible that shal be read to the people in an vnknowne toong as in Latine O diuelish deuise of Sathan O hellish darkenes Not the deuill himselfe could haue inuented a more subtil yet a most pernitious religioÌ„ Is ignoraunce the mother of deuotion when Christ calleth it the mother of error saying to the Saduces you Mat. 22 29. erre not knowing the scriptures Can an vnlearned man sayth Paule say Amen to thy seruice vttered in an vnknown toonge when he knoweth not what thou saiest and he sayth plainly that there is no Rom. 14. edification in such vnknowne language howe can these men boast that they edifie the people then when the people say Amen they know not to what and their implicita fides beleeueth they knowe not what they tell them the church cannot erre and this is sufficient for them if you will goe anie further the Church must answere O silly Romanistes so much seduced by that deluding Antichrist wherevpon is your Church builded vpon the pope as the head of the church and the generall counselles Peter neuer claymed to be the head of the Church hee neuer had that authority giuen him nay it was denied him to seeke after it And Christ onely is
the head of the church as hath bin proued before Ergo the pope hath no such preheminence As touching their generall counsels wherewith they binde mens consciences as with cordes how can they proue those counsels to be autentically true for whatsoeuer it be that is decreed by them they make them as oracles and necessarie conclusions of the trueth though they disagree neuer so muche from the Scriptures for suche matters must not be called into question for they hold it as a principle that from the determination of a counsell there can be no appellation but what if they erre They say they cānot erre whie Because they be the Church who alloweth it Will they prooue themselues to bee the Church who in their blinde and deuelishe doctrine and conuersation shewe themselues to be the Synagogue of Sathan I knowe not and I am sure themselues will neuer be able to prooue For the word of God is that which must trie out the trueth of the religion and Church of God For as for building faith vpon general Councels it is a verie feeble foundation and no question they might erre and did erre yea they are somtimes contrarie one to an other as the Synod of Constantinople gathered together vnder Leo the Emperour iudged that images set vp in Churches should bee ouerthrowen and broken in peeces A litle afterward the Councel of Nyce which the Empresse assembled in spite of him decreed that they should be restored both these Councels could not c true and whether of these should a man take to be true or how can he tell which is true but by that Scripture which is geuen by diuine inspiration which is the rule of the Church and the square of trueth whereupon the church must be builded els we shall neuer knowe what or which is the trueth Augustine saith that the latter Councell can not stande without present perrill of idolatrie Epiphanius saith it is a wickednesse and abhomination to haue Images seene in the Church of Christians The Councell of Constance forbad the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper to be geuen to the lay people but willed that the Priest onely should drinke thereof which I thinke the Romanistes themselues will not agree vnto Thus because Councels may easily erre ther is no faith to be built vpon them but all faith all religion and the true Church is onely to be built vpon the o Ephe. 2.20 Prophetes and Apostles Christ Iesus being the head corner stone the rocke that neuer falleth nor fadeth For this is a marke incident to the Church My p Iohn 10.3 sheepe saith Christ will heare my voyce Againe Christ saith He that is of q Iohn 3.47 God heareth Gods wordes you therefore heare them not saith he because you are not of God The sheepe will followe their good shepheard for they knowe his r iohn 10.3 voice A stranger they will not follow Therfore the church and true spouse of Christ must be subiect to her head and husband enclining to his wil and gouerned by his word For the Church which is not builded vpon the word of Christ is built vpon the s Mat. 7.26 Sand and so subiect to a continuall ruine and ouerthrow as Christ himselfe preached in his sermon But that which standeth vpon Christ the rock the t Math 16 18 gates of hell shall neuer preuaile a-against it as Christ tolde Peter Trie the spirites saith S. Iohn whether they be of v God or no f Iohn 4 1 for many false prophetes are come into the world Againe he that knoweth God heareth vs saith S. Iohn hee that is not of God heareth not vs by this we know the spirite of trueth and the spirit of errour The false prophetes saith hee speake of the world and the world heareth them because they are of the world but wee are of God saith he So that both Iohn and Christ shew this to be a marke to knowe the spirite of errour if they heare not the wordes of Christes apostles Let not the pope therefore deceiue thee gentle Reader as though he could not erre neyther let his generall counsell so bind thy conscience without appellation but that thou be free to trie the spirits by the worde of trueth For many false prophetes are come into the world Trie the gold by the touch stone For be he Pope be they generall councels yea be they Angels from heauen if they preach matter contrarie to the doctrin of Christ beleeue him not nay Anathema esto hold him accursed as Paule commandeth thee The Scribes and Pharises demaunded of Christ why his disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders Christ answered them Why doo yee Math 15 2 transgresse the precepts of God thorough your tradition for God commanded saying Honour father and mother c. Hypocrits saith he wel prophecied Esayas of you saying This people commeth neere vnto me with their mouthes and honoureth me with their lips but their heartes are farre from me but in vaine doo they worship me teaching for doctrine the preceptes of men And is not the religion of Rome as vain a worship when they teach for doctrine the preceptes of men viz. of generall Councels and that we must hold them as vndoubted oracles of the holy Ghost and that none must mutter against them or gainsay them vpon paine of a condemned heretik Yea they hold that the word of God is subiect to the censure of the Church which say they is their Pope generall councels and whatsoeuer sense they set vpon the scriptures is to be receiued for true without questioning against it what is this els but to make the head subiect to the foote the sheepe to rule their shephearde and the Spouse which should be subiect to beare authoritie ouer her husband that shoulde be soueraigne her Lord and maister to gouerne her after his wil But herein the Church of Rome sheweth her self to play the harlot plainly when she renounceth her head when she forsaketh her husband and runneth a whoring after her owne ymagmations Iudge then gentle reader whether thou think to be the true church ours that is builded vpon the foundation of Christ the prophetes and apostles or the church of Rome that is builded vpon the Pope his Cardinals and his generall councels Ours that acknowledgeth Christ to be the onely head thereof or theirs who most dishonourably to christ acknowledge the Pope the head therof Ours that is builded vpon God ortheirs that is builded vpon slippery men Ours that admitteth no impuritie or theirs who for money and to serue their turne will dispence with most monstrous and haynous cruelties Their religion which seeketh and thirsteth after blood beeing therein like to the Deuill their father who was a z Iohn 8 44 murtherer from the beginning or ours which seeketh peace of conscience in a godly conuersation Ours seeketh the glory of God theirs seeketh their own pomp and the glory of the world Ours giueth free liberty to