Ambassadors which the Emperor sent for his excuse he would not heare He incited manie Princes against him which thing the Emperor seeing to auoyd the furie of the Pope he went to Palestina to make warre with the Souldan as the pope commanded But when the Emperor was passed the sea then the Pope made himselfe Maister of Pulla and would not consent that the crossed souldiers which were to go and serue the Emperour should passe the sea The Emperor went thither where so valiantly he behaued himselfe that he wan Ierusalem and other cities and made truce with the Souldan for ten yeares All which by his Embassadors he signified to the Pope supposing that the Pope would haue reioyced But so farre off was the Pope from reioycing at the newes that he commanded those which brought them to be slaine lest they should tell them to others and bruted it abroad that the Emperour was dead This did the Pope that those certaine citties of Pulla which were not yet rendered hearing of the Emperours death might yeeld themselues vnto him Herein the Pope shewed himselfe a murtherer and lyer the verie sonne of the diuell And that the Emperour might not returne the Pope by letteres requested the Soldan not to deliuer the holie land vnto him But the Emperour set all things in good order returned into Italie and recouered againe that which the Pope had vsurped in Pulla The Pope seeing this did excommunicate him againe obiecting against him that hee had made truce with the Souldan yet in the end by the mediatiation of the Princes the Pope absolued the Emperour prouided that he payd for his absolution an hundred thousand ounces of gold or as saith Hist Pontific vpon the life of this Gregory the ninth a hundred twenty fiue thousand ounces But Nauclerus Friar Iohn de Pineda Rerum Germanicarum Epitome and Carion lib. 5. say 120000. ounces of gold How deerely the Pope selleth his vile merchandise here appeareth There is no Mercer chapman nor Pedler which sell so deere their wares as the Pope selleth his inke paper waxe and leade When the Emperour was departed out of Italy hee vnderstood that the Pope and his confederates sought to depriue him of the Empire whereupon he returned into Italy and chastised the rebelles The Pope hearing thereof did eftsoones excommunicate the Emperour as then in Pauia who now vnable any longer to endure the couetousnesse sausinesse and tyranny of the Pope resolued to make them knowne to all faithfull Christians that they might fly from the error false religion of the Popes For this cause he commaunded a man well exercised in the Scripture to preach in his presence wherein he should intreate of Excommunication and the Roman Church And so it was The Sermon being ended the errours of the Romane Church were so discouered and the craft and subtiltie of the Popes so manifested that the Emperour wrote to the Pope these verses Roma diu titubans longis erroribus acta Corruet mundi desinet esse caput To wit Rome that long time hath stumbled shall fall and cease to be the head of the world The which we see dayly more and more to be verified How many kingdomes haue cast off the Romane tyranny This Pope commaunded that at the Aue Maria the Salue Regina that so blasphemous Antheme against Christ which this Pope first cōmanded to be sung in the Churches and also at the eleuation of his pasted God the bel should be tolled To Saint Fraunces was this Pope very much deuoted and so commaunded that the faithfull should beleeue Saint Fraunces to haue had the fiue woundes Frier Iohn de Pineda as a Frier Franciscan libr. 22. cap. 23. ¶ 3. handleth this matter at large And in the 39. cap. ¶ 3 he intreateth of the Saints which he saith had the woundes as had Saint Fraunces which historie among the swarme of false miracles you shall find in the end of this booke This Pope as noteth Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 21. cap. 33. ¶ 3. compiled and ordained the Decretals The lawes of the Popes whereby the Cannonists be gouerned some are called Decretals which be as Pineda in the place alleaged doth note it determinatiue Epistles of some doubtful causes which the Pope alone or with the opinion of the Cardinals and consultation of some maketh A Decree is called that which the Pope establisheth by aduise of the Cardinals without request of any A Cannon is that which in an vniuersall Councell is established And this is a distinction of the Glose Cann Omnis Dist 3. vpon a Decree He addeth that the statute in matter of faith is called Dogma and that which consisteth in matters of vices or vertues Mandatum And if it be prohibitiue an Interdiction it is called without punishment assigned and Sancion is the member of the lawe that appointeth the punishment to transgressors c. And somewhat lower Other constitutions which other popes haue sithens inuented remaine in another volume which wee call Liber Sextus compiled and authorised by Pop Boniface the eight and in the Councell of Lyons in France by him published And Clement the fift made afterwards many others which are called Clementines c. Other Extrauagants many Popes made c. Extrauagants be they called because they are not put in the titles of the Law as other ordinarie ones be but each one apart by it selfe euery one intreating of it distinct matter euen as Quodlibets are so called because they be put amongst diuine questions handled apart by themselues euery one according to it matter I thought good seeing in this booke is handled the authoritie of the Pope to set downe here the names of the lawes wherewith the Pope gouerneth his Church Iesus Christ the only vniuersall head of his vniuersall Church with the word of God conteined in the old and new Testament which we call the Byble and our aduersaries so much abhor and detest as the pestilence and doctrine of diuels gouerneth his Church and therefore vnder such rigorous paine forbid they the reading thereof calling it a booke of heresies Arise ô Lord sleepe not disperse thine enemies and driue those away that abhorre thy holie lawe which thy Maiestie hath published by the mouth and writing of thine holy Prophetes and Apostles In the 1241. yeare this Gregorie 9. died Don Fernando 3. reigned in Castile Celestinus the fourth a Milanist assayed what he might to secute the good Emperour Fredericke but for that hee was Pope but eighteene dayes and as is sayd poysoned hee could not performe it In the election of this Celestine the fourth saith the historie an English Cardinall called Robert Somerton lest he should haue succeeded Gregorie the ninth was poisoned Celestine being dead because the Emperour tooke the Cardinals the popedome was voyd almost 21 moneths but in the end at the request of Baldwin Emperour of Constantinople and others
seeing that the Bishops were expulsed the same Ierâ—nimus Vida Bishop of Cremona had in the name of the other Bishops indited the letter to the Pope Which knowne to Marcellus with most vehement words he warned Vida in no wise to send the letter to the Pope For that it should be a thing euill in example that the Bishops assembled in the Councell should write such letters to the high Bishop as though they would seeme to prescribe him a law which would be so great a mischiefe that they should be holden for suspected Vida vanquished with this saying so tempered with the other Bishops that the letter was not sent When Vergerius was to departe the Councell he went to speake with Marcellus and among other thinges that he sayd vnto him he demaunded for what cause he did cast him from the Councell and what Articles he could obiect why he would exclude him from the company of the other Bishops To this answered Marcellus because I haue heard thou hast sayd the Legends of Saint George and Saint Christopher were not true Vergerius answered so it is I sayd so and so I say still For I relie vpon the authoritie of Pope Paul 3. who hauing commanded that both the one and the other Legends should be spunged out of the Roman Breuiarie In the preface of the said Breuiarie he had commaunded saith he the Legends which were not true to be taken away Marcellus thus caught answered that they ought not to be holden for good men that seeme in the least thing to consent with the Lutheranes and so said he vnto him depart then from our Councell This haue I said that it may appeare what hope is to be had of the Councelles where the Pope and his Legates gouerne If there be any that will speake with good zeale of Gods glorie his mouth they will stoppe and if he will not yet be silent cast him out of the Councell Behold how free is that Councell where each one is not suffered to speake that is meet Such a one was Marcellus before he was Pope and such and worse being Pope would he haue bene had not God taken him from the world when he had Poped but twenty three dayes and some say that hee dyed of Poyson Paul 4. a Neapolitane before called Iohannes Petrus Carafa Cardinall Chietino or Theatino in the 1555. yeare with ful consent of the Cardinals who desired to please Henry the French king was chosen Pope He being in Venice before he was Pope with his hypocrisie and fayned holynesse did Institute or reforme the new order of the fellowship of diuine loue which of him that was Bishop of Chiety was called Chietinos or Theatinos as we haue said vpon Paul 3. He forsooke this order by him instituted or reformed and being ready to depart Venice his religious consort demaunded whither he went Whether I goe answered he can ye not come giuing them to vnderstand that he went to Rome to be Pope if he might He gaue it out before he was Pope that he nought else desired but reformation of the Church and so of this argument wrote a booke which he dedicated to Paule the third But when he was Pope he for nothing lesse cared Who listeth to read this booke shall see that almost he confirmeth those Articles whereof we accuse the Papists To wit that so ruyned is the Church among them that it is not now the Chuch of Christ but of the diuels The Popes saith he hauing itching eares haue heaped vp Maisters which entertaine them in their lustes and concupiscence That through the Cardinals and Bishops the name of Christ is blasphemed among the Gentiles That the power of the keyes serueth onely to â—ake together money That wicked men are ordeyned That nothing but Symony is seene in the Church That the Prelates bee verie ambitious and couetous That in monasteries are committed enormious offences That Rome is full of whores These thinges and other such doth this booke conteyne of wicked customes and life it onely speaketh but not once intreateth of the false doctrine Idolatrie and superstition which is taught in Rome nor yet of the tyranny of fire bloud wherewith such are handled as indeauor to serue God in spirit and truth doth it speake But when he was Pope how did he amend it As did Benedict 13. Pius 2. Pius 4. his predecessors and others who before they were Popes much spake of the dutie of the Pope but being Popes did the like or worse then the rest euen so did he For the cause of Religion certaine Augustine Friars many Bishops and a great nomber of the faithful he imprisoned tormented and did them in the end what euill he could Not for that they were adulterers nor Incestuous persons Simonists nor blasphemers was all this but for the Christian religion which they professed Reformation then cast aside he was occupied in the warres against Don Phillip our king and the Spanish blood Deny him then O Spaine for father who from the sonne taketh the cloake The which this Paul from the king Don Phillip and Clement 7. from Don Charles the Emperour indeauoured to take as in the life of Clement 7. we haue before declared This Paul being a Neapolytan and so vassall to the king was to him a traitor teacher taking part with Frauncis his kinges enemy His great seruant Panuinus saith that ayded by the French Swizzars he raised great warres against king Phillip and renewed the old hatred For the Spanish name had he long before detested that as saith Panuinus for publique and particular Iniuries and so the Neapolitanes he well hoped would haue risen against their king When he was Cardinall he perswaded Paule 3. to warre against the Imperials in the kingdome of Naples promising him his seruice and the ayd of many Neapolitans of whom he had many friends said he within that kingdome But Paul 3. was more wise and refused his Councel Then Duke Dalua vnderstanding that this Pope Paul 4. conspired against the king to take Naples with a great camp came vpon Rome and sent a letter to the Pope wherein he shewed all that sithens he was Pope he had practized against the king c. and vehemently exhorted him to peace warning him that if hee said not and that quickly what he would doe touching warre or peace that he should be assured the warre was proclamed To the Colledge of Cardinals he wrote also to the same purpose and after fifteene dayes when the Duke perceiued that the Pope prolonged the time he entred vpon the Church lands and very many of them tooke which he kept said he for the Church and the succeeding Pope All this notwithstanding would not the Pope yeeld to peace vntill he heard newes of the great victorie which the king in the yeare 1557. hadhad against the French at the taking of Saint Quintanes wherein all the nobilitie almost of France and Saint
of the Lord 1557. another memorable thing hapned also in the same citie of Seuill And this it was that one called Iulian Hernandez whom the French by reason of his small stature called Iulian le petit with the great desire and zeale that he had to doe some seruice to God and his countrie drewe out of Geneua two great drifattes full of Spanish bookes of those which before we haue said Doctour Iohn Peres to haue printed in Geneua Which bookes and moreouer all those that taught true Doctrine and Godlinesse had the Inquisitors forbidden because the ignorance and darkenes of Antichrist loueth not the wisedome and brightnesse of the Gospell of Christ for feare that their workes should be conuinced and reproued Iulian by Gods great miracle carried all these bookes and put and dispersed them in Seuill Yet so secretly could he not doe it but by meanes of a fearefull man an hypocrite which sould himselfe for a brother and was in deede a Iudas it came in the end to the Inquisitors eares and so they tooke Iulian and many others more So great was the takeing that they filled the prisons and some particular houses also There was eight hundred then taken for the Religion in Seuill a thing which astonished the Inquisitors themselues Among these prisoners and them also which were afterwardes taken were found many men excellent in life and doctrine As were Doctor Constantine maister White the licenciate Iohn Gonâ—ales the licenciate Christopher de Losada PhisitioÌ„ minister of the priuate Church in Seuil Christopher de Arellano Friar of S. Isidor a most learned man euen by report of the Inquisitors themselues maister Ieronimo Caro a Friar dominik Olmedo a man learned the beneficed çafra There were also people both men women rich of qualitie among whom was that truely illustrious in pietie and goodnes Don Iohn Ponce de Lyons brother to the Countie of Baylen and eldest sonne of the Duke of Arcos and Lady Iane wife of the Lord de la Higura to whom newly deliuered of childe the Inquisitors gaue the torment called del Borro in the Castle of Triana and such was the torment that thereof she dyed For the cordes pearced the very bones and marrow pipes of the armes of the muscles and of the legges And so tormented they caried her to her prison as dead casting out of her mouth bloud in great aboundance by reason that her intralles were broken in her bodie Eight dayes after this cruel torment without company or any assistance saue onely a young maide which a few dayes before was likewise tormented in the end she died Oh Inquisitors more cruell then wilde beastes how long shall the Lord suffer your tyrannies and cruelties O yee Spaniardes that so much loue your wiues and so zealously keepe them how long will ye suffer that these cursed Elders of Susanna should see your wiues and daughters in their smocks yea in a manner naked taking pleasure to behold them and after giuing them torments hauing sometimes formerly made loue vnto them ô that all that were knowne which in the Inquisition passeth A certaine Inquisitor there was which in merriment and iest said of his companion that he contented not himselfe to beate a cutle but also to eate it This said hee because the Inquisitor had whipped a faire young maid that was taken for a Iewe theÌ„ lay with her burned her afterwards By this subtillty may the rest be vnderstood which the Lords Inquisitors vse with the women which they hold prisoners Of this great number of prisoners where many burned by tweÌ„ties or fewe lesse it chaunced that they burned them The rest were vnhappily handled The house of Isabella de Vaena where the faithfull assembled to heare Gods word was plucked downe and sowne with salt that it should neuer be built againe and fot a perpetuall memorie that the faithfull Christians whom they called Lutheran heretiques there assembled In the middest thereof they placed a marble pillar The Licenciat Losada minister of Gods word was burned many deceassed were vntombed and burned namely Doctour Vargas and Doctour yeares was this Egidius in the Inquisition prisoner part of them in the castle of Triana and the rest in other places where they shut him vp D. Constantine who by infirmitie and ill intreatie was not long before dead in the castle of Triana and so knewe by such as were present at his death and ayded him in his sicknes was also vntombed which notwithstanding the sonnes of falshood bruted it abroad that Constantine murdred himselfe This so great a lie they inuented that the vulgar sort which neither know nor beleeue but that onely which the Inquisitors command them to know and beleeue should abhorre the religion and the preachers thereof sith being desperate like Iudas they killed themselues This D. Constantine was one of the most learned and eloquent men that of long time our country of Spaine yeelded confessor preacher he was to Don Charles the Emperor K. of Spaine thereby might if he had would haue attained to great dignities but as one that nought esteemed the vaine honors of this world he dispised them al and returned to Seuill where of the Inquisition he was taken therin died and by the same was afterwards burned About this same time or a little after began the great persecution in Vallodalid where Doctour Caçalla preacher to the Emperour the most eloquent as saith D. Illescas in the pulpit of any that preached in Spaine his mother brethren and sisters Don Charles a knight qualified aud many others were burned The sonne of the marques of Poza and others were disgraced and the house where they assembled was pulled downe and in like sort vsed as was that of Isabell de varna in Seuill The vulgar sort beleeued that they met by night in these houses and that the sermon ended they put out the candles and abused themselues together without respect of kindred or other of many other abhominations were they slaundred These lies be not newly stamped many yeares are since passed that to defame the Gospel and professors there of Sathan did innent them as by the apologies made by the fathers of the Church that then liued to Iustifie their cause doth appeare Read Iustine Martir lib 1. of his questions and the answeres to the 126 question Tertulian in his Appologie S. Ciprian against Demetrianus Origen against Celsus Arnobius in seuen bookes and chiefly in the first against the Gentiles Saint Ambrose Prudencius against Symachus much to the purpose S. Augustin in the 5 first bookes de Ciuitate Dei and Orosius lib. 7. Of the selfe same things that were the Christians in old time slaundered of the very same thinges are we now falsely slaundered About the sixty fiue yeare Nero caused Rome to be fired which burned nine dayes and the tyrant gaue it out that the Christians had done it About
the first in an Epistle to the Clergy and people of Constantinople affirmeth this distribution to be mysticall to be spirituall meate and that therein wee receiue a celestiall power to passe or bee conuerted into the flesh of Christ who for vs tooke vpon him our flesh Ciril lib. 4. cap. 14. vpon Saint Iohn saith So to the faithfull disciples gaue he peeces of bread saying Take c. Also in an Epistle to Calosyrius he sayth It was meete that by meanes of his holy flesh and precious bloud he shoud in a certaine maner vnite or couple himselfe with our bodies which by the liuely blessing in the bread and wine we receiue Hesychius lib. 20. vpon Leuit cap. 8. saith By this he commandeth to eat the flesh with the bread that we might vnderstand hee called it a mysterie which is bread and flesh ioyntly togither Gelasius doth witnesse against Eutiches that in the Eucharist the substance and nature of the bread and wine in no wise ceaseth to hold their being And that moreouer which before we haue said Gregorie the first in his Register saith When we receiue as wel the bread without leauen as the leauened wee are made the body of the Lord our Sauiour Bertram in the booke which hee made of the bodie and bloud of the Lord speaking of the nature of the Symbols sayth that according to the substance of creatures the symbols which be the bread and wine bee the same after consecration that before they were But why alleage I one place of Bertrams booke sith the whole booke doth purposely handle this argument and concludeth the same that we now affirme with the holy Scripture and many sayings of the Fathers Ambrose Ierome Augustine Fulgentius c. confirmeth Bertram his doctrine and confirming his doctrine which is the same with ours it weakeneth and ouerthroweth that of our aduersaries which sayth the bread and wine in the sacrament to bee the very same body and bloud of Christ in flesh bones and sinewes which was borne dyed and rose againe c. But the bodie of Christ saith Bertram is in two maners one in flesh and in bones c. which was borne and dyed c. and the other spirituall which is that which is giuen in the sacrament and also he saith that the spirituall body of Christ and his spirituall bloud vnder the couerture of the corporall bread and of the corporal wine remaine At the request of Charles the Great wrote Bertram this booke as he himself in the end of his book speaking of Charles the great to whom he dedicated the same saith The occasion he had so to didicate it was for that As Bertram saith in the beginning of the booke Charles the Great had demanded of him whether the body and blood of Christ which in the Church is receiued with the mouth of the faithful be in mistery or really in truth receiued So that it is now aboue 760. yeeres past sithens this booke was written Iohannes Trithemius giueth this Testimony of Bertram Bertram was saith Trithemius much conuersant in the holy scripture very learned in humane science eloquent he was and no lesse excellent in life then in Doctrine S. Bernard is the sermon of the supper of the Lord by the similitude which he putteth of a ring sheweth that he is wholy for vs. Now to close vp this band of the fathers which against transubstantiation of diuerse times diuerse regions we haue alleaged we will set downe one most learned godly This is Theodoret bishop of Cyr that wrote the ecclesiastical historie He flourished about the yeare of our Lord 451. For he was present in that famous Councell of Chalecdon in the company of 630. bishops which condemned Diâ—scorus These bishops with great curtesie honorable titles did honor Theodoret being present in the Councel calling him catholique true pastor Doctor of the Church The same witnesseth Leo 1. Bishop of Rome in an epistle which he wrote to the foresaid Theodoret. And it is to be beleeued that had not Theodoret rightly thought of so high a mystery As is the sacrament of the body bloud of Christ that a Councel and one of the most famous that hath bin wherin were 630. bishops wold not haue called Theodoret catholike true pastor of the church c. In the 2. Councel of Ephesus was this Theodoret vniustly depriued from his bishopirck because he would not take parte with the heretike Eutiches But in the Councell of Chalcedon with great honor praise was his bishopricke restored If that which Theodoret then thought taught touching the Doctrine of the sacrament were catholike the same also shall it now be for the same which then was truth is now truth Very truely spake this Theodoret against transubstantiation in a booke God would should be printed in Rome for the greater confusion of the Romists which cannot deny that Theodoret is wholly for vs. But they excuse him with saying that this question of transubstantiation the Church had not yet determined Thus may the Pope for he is all in all cause that the Doctrine which in old time was catholike true be now hereticall wicked and that which then was hereticall and wicked be now catholike and good But if an Angel from heauen saith S. Paul shall preach another Gospel other Doctrine then that which he had taught such a one should be cursed Theodoret in his Dialogues bringeth in 2 persons which dispute of good things of thinges touching Christian religion The one called Orthodoxo and the other Eranistes Then saith Orthodoxo dost thou know that God hath called the bread his proper bodie Eran. I knowe it Ortho. knowest thou also that in an other place his flesh he calleth wheate Eran. This doe I also knowe c. And a little lower Ortho. In the same distribution of the misteries The bread he calleth bodie the cuppe mingled blood Erannist So doth he suerly call them Ortho. But also hath power to be called a bodie according to it nature his bodie surely and his blood Erannist It is clere Ortho. But the same our sauiour chaungeth the names and giueth vnto his bodie the name of symboll and contrariwise to the Simboll giueth hee the name of bodie After the same manner also when he had said of himselfe that he was a vine the same blood called he a Symboll Eranist This hast thou well spoken But I would learne also the cause why the names are chaunged Ortho. This is the marke whereat those ayme which professe religion For I would not that they which be partakers of the diuine misteries should settle their minds vpon the nature of those things which are seene but that by the change of the names they may beleeue that transmutation which is wrought by grace For hee which called his natureall body wheate and bread and called also himselfe a vine he himself honoreth the
keepe my statutes and do them The same teacheth Iesus Christ Mat. 15. 9 saying In vane do yee honor me teaching for doctrine the commandements of men The new doctrine of men doth teach that in the worship of God the traditions ceremonies and constitutions of the Roman Church ought to be obserued and that the Cannon law doth equall the constitutions of the Popes in value with the Gospell and that it is necessarie to keepe them for as saith Pope Leo 4. The Gospel cannot well be obserued if a man obey not iointly therewith all the decrees and constitutions of the Fathers Dist 15. cap. Sicut Dist 19. cap In canonicis Dist 20. cap. De libellis The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that the worship of images is a thing abominable Deut. 27. 15. Leuit. 26. 1. and expresly forbidden in the second commandement of the law of God Exod. 20. 4. and Deut. 5. 8. 9. also that the holy Spirit calleth images Teachers of lies and vanitie Ierem. 10. 8. Habac. 2. 18. And therefore in no wise to be allowed in the Temples of Christians in which Iesus Christ hath bene painted out before the eyes of the faithfull by the preaching of the Gospell Gal. 4. 1. The new doctrine of men teacheth that the worship of images is well pleasing to God and verie necessarie and profitable for the Church And that images are the Bookes of the Laytie Hee therefore that teacheth the contrary is cursed and anathema Concil Trid. Sess 9. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that Christians ought to imitate the faith godlinesse and good doctrine of the Saints as they imitated Christ 1. Cor. 11. 1. Heb. 6. 12 cap. 13. 7. But that in no wise they ought to inuocate them nor put their confidence in them 1 Because inuocation is an honor due to God alone which he declareth by his Prophet Esay 48. 11. Mine honour will I not giue to another 2 Because the Saints being in this world will not receiue this honor neither the Angels As Act. ch 10. 26. chap 14. 14. Reuâ—â—â—s 19. 10. chap. 22 9. appeareth 3 Because they be ignorant and do not know vs as Esay 63. 16. doth very clearely teach saying Abraham hath forgotten vs and Israel doth not know vs Thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer So that as the Israelites in the old Testament were idâ—laters and transgressours of the Law of God when they sacrificed to another then God alone So be all they at this day that inuocate Saints or Angels wherein they do contrarie to the doctrine of Christ Maâ— 6. 9. chap. 11. 28. Ioh. chap. 16. 24. And contrary to the example of all the Saints Psal 22. 6. Neâ—â—e 9. 27. Gen. 32. 9. Exod. 2. 25. cap. 17. 12. Iosua 10. 13. Psal 107. and 11. 8. 5. c. Act. 4. and 24. and cap. 16. 25. c. The new doctrine of men teacheth that Christians ought to inuocate the Saints and to be ayded by their intercession to God because they be his familiars Also that it is a false and wicked opinion to beleeue that the Saints pray not for men and that the inuocation of Saints is idolatrie contrary to the word of God and that he which so teacheth and beleeueth is accursed and anathema Concil Trid. Sess 9. The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that Iesus Christ our Lord being true God and true man â—s the onely and perfect sauiour of the world who saith by his Prophet Esay chap. 63. 3. I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all the people there was none with me And of whom saith the Angell Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his name Iesus for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes And the Apostle Saint Iohn doth witnesse 1. Ioh. 1. 7. that the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne The new doctrine of men teacheth that Iesus Christ is not a perfect Sauiour for Christ saith it died onely for originall sinne And that by his death he satisfied for the fault but that God being iust will that man satisfie hâ—s iustice for the punishment Also that the purgation of sinnes is made by good works satisfactions Masses indulgences and Purgatorie Lib. 4. Sent. distinct 17. and 18. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that Iesus Christ is the onely Mediator between God and man and our Aduocate and Intercessor to the Father and that no other can be found nor ought to bee sought for 1. Because there is no saluation in any other but in him alone Act. 4. 12. 2. Because 〈…〉 other but Christ only can be sufficient for this office which hath all power in heauen and in earth and remaineth euer with his to the end of the world Math. 28. 18. 20. â— Because Christ hath loued vs and more loueth vs then anie other seeing he gaue himselfe for vs and hath made the purgation of our sinnes with his bloud in his owne person Heb. chap. 13. And so gratiously inuited vnto him all that trauell and are heauie laden Matth. 11. and 28. So that men haue no cause to doubt of his sufficiencie power and good will but that in all their afflictions they ought to flie vnto him alone who witnesseth of himselfe Iohn chap. 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by me The new doctrine of men doth teach that Iesus Christ is not the onely Mediator but also the Saints which reigne with him in heauen and that Saint Mary also the mother of God is the Mediatrix and Aduocatrix of mankind lib. 4. Sâ—nt Distinct 45. in Mâ—ssale Paris in prosâ— Mâ—ssae de Anuntiat The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that our Redeemer Iesus Christ by the perfect sacrifice of himselfe once offered vpon the crosse for the putting away of sinne hath reconciled all the faithfull with God his Father and hath found eternall redemption so that there remayneth now no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 9. 12. 26. and cap. 10. 12. 18. The new doctrine of men doth teach that the Masse is a sacrifice for the remission of sins of the quicke and the dead Concil Trid. Sess 6. Can. â— The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that we are iustified by faith in Iesus Christ without the works of the law Rom. 3. 24. 28. Gal â— 16. as witnesseth the holy Ghost of Abraham the Father of all beleeuers Abraham saith he beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 3. And the Apostle S. Paul expresly addeth that this was not written only for him but also for vs to whom faith shall also be imputed for righteousnes Rom. 4. 23. 24. The new doctrine of men doth teach that not faith only but works also do iustifie Concil Trid. Ses 6. can 11. The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that faith is not doubtfull but assured of saluation which it hath by the bloud of Christ and
Antichrist so proued by his abominable life and doctrine by the testimonie of Gods sacred word and vnrefutable arguments drawne from the same If thou wouldest know and be assured likewise that the Masse is a diuelish prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord a most blasphemous idolatrous and false sacrifice derogating from the most precious bloud death passion of Iesus Christ If thou wouldest know by the same Spirit be assured that the same Iesus Christ true God true man is the only Lord Sauiour and redeemer of the world the onlie aduocate Intercessor Mediator betweene God and man the only alone king Prophet and true high Priest which entred into the holy place once for all and found eternall redemption If thou wouldest know that his body and bloud once offred vpō the altar of the crosse is the only alone true sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor in the nosethrils of God his Father for the remission of sins whereby onlie Gods wrath is appeased we obtaine pardon peace reconciliation with God grace fauor and euerlasting life If thou wouldest know and be likewise assured that this most holy sacrifice of Christ one only time offered is all sufficient for the sins of all men that no place remaineth for any other reiteration of the same sacrifice If thou wouldest know the true meaning vse practise of the holy Supper of the Lord Iesus the benfit thereof to the Faithfull If thou wouldest certainlie know and be fully assured by the same Spirit of Grace which is the ancient doctrin of God leading to all blisse and true blessednesse confirmed with his sacred word contained in the bookes of the old new Testament and penned by the finger of the holy Ghost and which is the new doctrine of men pointing the pathway to hell death destruction confirmed with vaine apparitions dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell Come and see except the god of this world hath blinded thy mind that the light of Christes glorious Gospell should not shine vnto thee except thou list to grope at noone day and wilfully say I will not see except thou hast shaken hands with death and made a couenant with hell except God for thy wilfull obstinacie hath giuen thee ouer vnto a reprobate sence to oppose thy selfe against him his knowne truth In reading this booke without partiall preiudication thou canst not but see exactly perceiue and tast to thine vnspeakeable comfort how sweet are the mercies of the Lord in reuealing to thee dust and ashes the mysterie both of the one and the other which the wise of this world neither haue vnderstood nor can comprehend but is reuealed vnto babes his Saints to whom he would make knowne the riches of his glorie to confound and make foolishnes the vvisdom of the wise Which if thou shalt find as if in singlenesse of heart thou seeke thou canst not but find Then praise Iehouah the author of all goodnesse be thankefull to this Author the meanes of thy good and take in worth my simple trauell an inferiour furtherance thereunto who hartily wish thee no lesse comfort and ioy in reading then my miserable selfe receiued in translating of this booke And because it seemeth a thing difficult to translate the Prouerbs wherein not the letter but the sence is to be followed that course haue I obserued set downe withall the proper phrase of the Spanish and Portugal tongues both in them and some other hard doubtfull words that thou gentle Reader indued with better gifts maist iudge and curteously amend by thy knowledge what my vnskilfulnesse hath missed hoping that my desire herein to do well may excuse in thy Chistian conceit whatsoeuer is if any thing misdone And so I leaue thee to him that is able to keepe thee Thine in the Lord I. G. THE EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAd it not bene for the great necessity which our country of Spaine hath to know the liues of the Popes that knowing them it may beware them and nought esteeme their authority which against all right diuine and humane they haue vsurped ouer the consciences which Iesus Christ our redeemer with his death passion hath freed I should neuer Christian Reader haue entred a labyrinth so confused and rugged as is to write the liues of Popes For thou must know that the Romists themselues concord not nor agree in the number of the Popes Some set downe more and others lesse And hence it commeth that so little they agree touching the time that they poped Let it be lawfull for me as of a king he is sayd to raigne to say of a Pope to Pope Some of these selfe same also that all confesse to haue bene Popes of some of them say great Laudes and praises extolling them to the heauens Of these selfe same say others filthie things casting them downe to hell An example of the first S. Gregory As saith Friar Iohn de Pineda 3. part cap. 8. ¶ 1. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie was the 66. Pope c. And not the 63. As saith Mathew Palmer Nor the 64. As saith Panuinus Nor the 65. As saith Marianus nor lesse 62. As saith S. Antoninus This farre Pineda Gelasius 1. after Platina is the 51. Pope After Panuinus the 50. And after George Cassander and Carança the 49. Also Paule the second after Platina is the 220. Carança counteth him for the 219. Pero Mexia for 218. and Panuinus For 215. fiue lesse then Platina According to this account Sistus 5. which in the yeare 1588. tyrannizeth in the Church should be after Platina the 236. Pope after Carança 235. After Per◠Mexia 234. and after Panuinus 231. Most Popish authors be all these Some Spaniards and others Italians And had we alleaged more authors more disagreement and contrariety should we haue found Of this diuersitie springeth the disorder which is in the time that some Popes Poped For they which reckon least Popes put the yeares which they take from 4 or 5 Popes whom they reckon not to other Popes Carança in his Summa conciliorum speaking of Boniface 3. this was the first Pope as in his life shal be shewed saith these words There is diuersitie among writers how long time Boniface 3. was Pope For of Platina is it gathered that he was nine monthes Others say 8 monethes and a halfe others a yeare and 25 dayes Others a yeare 5 monthes 28 daies Others say that he died hauing bene Pope 8 moneths and 22 dayes This farre Carança The same might we say of many other Popes For example of the second will we put Liberius and Formosus besides many others that we might set downe Liberius and Formosus some of the papists themselues do cannonize and others doe curse them Platina saith that Liberius was an Arian Panuinus saith that he was holy Read his life which of diuerse authors we haue gathered As touching Formosus Stephen 6 or 7. condemned him So
Frederick the Emperour Detrahamus illis nocentes diuitias hoc enim facere opus est charitatis Let vs take away speaking of the Pope and clergie the riches which so much hurt them for this to do is a worke of charitie Here it is to be noted as reciteth Panuinus in his chronicle 30 Sismes to haue bin and that which happened in the yeere 252. betweene Cornelius and Nouatus is counted for the first and the same only hapned in the first order wherin were good all the Roman Bishops except Marcellinus who offred incense to Idols but touched by God he greatly repented so came into the Councell holden at Sessa in the kingdom of Naples where were present as saith D. Illescas three hundred Bishops and thirtie Presbiters or as saith Platina 180. Bishops and there asked he with teares God and them pardon of the most grieuous sin which he had coÌ„mitted FroÌ„ Sessa he went to Rome and there did chide Dioclesian for compelling him to sacrifice to Idolles wherefore Dioclesian commanded to kill him When Marcellinus was dead the seate was voide 7. yeeres and a halfe as saith Illescas and 25. daies or as saith Platina 25. daies The second order conteineth the bishops of Rome from Siluester 1. vnto Boniface the 3. These neither in life nor doctrin agreed by far with the bishops of the first order For persecution nowe ceassing they gaue themselues to idlenesse and pleasure and made Cannons and Decrees wherby they prepared the seate of great Antichrist Those of the second order were called for the space of 200. yeeres Archbishops It is to be vnderstood that from the yeere 320. vnto that of 520. afterwardes from the yere 520. vnto that of 605. they were called Patriarks S. Siluester was then the first Archbishop whome Marcus Iulius 1. and Liberius succeeded Liberius in the beginning of his Bishopdome thought well of the diuinitie of the sonne of God and for ought the Arian Emperour Constantius did would not be drawne to condemne Athanasius for which cause he was banished Rome Theodoretus lib. 2. ca. 16. of his historie reciteth the conference that passed between him and Constantins when he was banished wherein Liberius shewed himselfe verie constant Three yeeres saith Platina and others say lesse was Liberius banished The Romans at this time held a Councell wherein they chose for bishop Felix second This Felix as saith Platina was a very good man and so by his liking and consent of 48. bishops Vrsacius and Valens which held part with Constantius the Arrian Emperour were deposed These two went to Constantius and complained vpon Felix praying the Emperour to restore againe Liberius who wearied with the trouble of his banishment and nowe changed his opinion through ambition and the counsell of Fortunatus Bishop of Aquilea His banishment pardoned and Liberius restored to his Bishoprike in and by all things as saith Platina he agreed with the heretikes This restoring of Liberius and deposing of Felix caused great tumult in Rome so that the matter came to blowes and many Priestes and Ecclesiasticall men euen in the Churches were murthered This was the second Sisme In that which I haue said of Liberius and Felix I haue followwed Platina who vpon the life of Felix saith that faulting in nothing which became a true and good Christian he was caught with manie more good Christians and so by the aduersaries murthered Athanasius in an Epistle written to such as led a solitarie life saith plainly that Liberius after two yeares of his banishment passed being threatened wrth death changed his opinion and subscribed against Athanasius Ierome in his Chronicle saith that Liberius ouercome with disdaine of banishment subscribed to that wicked heresie Tome 1. Concil It is said that when Liberius was entered Rome he agreed with the heretike Constantius The same saith Damasus in his booke de Pontif. And Platina and Alonso venero in his Enchiridion of times and Iohn Stella and others Bale saith With ambition Gigas saith that Liberius moued with the martyrdome of Felix and fearing the like agreed with the Arrians approued their doctrine No mention is made of Liberius repentance therefore he is counted among the Arrian Popes Damasus his successour for this cause condemned Liberius al that he did But Gregorie 7. that abominable Pope as afterward in his life shall appeare canonized notwithstanding this Arrian Liberius and coÌ„manded saith Card. Benon his feast to be celebrated Panuinus the Popes great parasite in his chronicle of Bish cals him S. Liberius Behold if that which is said be true that many bee holden for Saintes whose soules are burning in hell Behold if the Pope may erre in â—aith To write the life of this Liberius hath cost me some trauell and diuersity of opinions the cause Some hold him for a Catholike others for an Arrian and both the one and the other say truth For in the beginning of his Bishopdome he was as we haue said a Catholike but after without repentance an obstinate Arrian Note we here what an euill beast is ambition He that standeth let him take heed lest he fall It sufficeth not to begin well but to end well is needfull He that continueth to the end saith the Lord shall be saued God giue vs grace to tame our ambition which we all haue need of For there is none which reputeth not himselfe for a demi-God and giue vs strength in afflictions which for his name we suffer Remember we Liberius But what speake I of Liberius Remember we Salomon that so well began but how proceeded he afterward The Lord gouerne vs vnto the end In the time of this Liberius and in the citie of Tagasta in Affrike was borne the great Doctor and light in the Church Saint Augustine and on the same day they say that Pelagius the heretike was borne in great Brittaine Oh the great mercie of God that prouided an Antidote against the poison of Pelagius Damasus a Portugall as we haue sayd condemned Liberius Damasus was verie deuout and ceremonious Panuinus in his Chronicle noteth that all the Bishops of Rome vntill Damasus were chosen and consecrated vpon one selfe same day But afterwards saith he this was not so obserued Vpon the day of Consecration now called coronation is a solemne triumph holden in Rome So much haue increased the riches power ambition and pride of those which call themselues the Fishers successours In this time flourished Saint Ierome and was a deare friend of Damasus as by their writings appeareth Betweene Damasus and Vrsinus was the third Sisme But in the 367. yeare Vrsinus renounced and was made Bishop of Naples Damasus died in the 384. yeare and Siricius succeeded him Siricius as saith Gracianus dist 82. was he that first forbad mariage to the Westerne priests which ordination many nations and chiefly our countrey of Spaine nothing esteemed Wherefore Hymerius then Bishop of Tarragona wrote to Siricius that the priestes
nor absolue anie and those which were so ordained ought to be againe ordained yet the grace of the Sacrament did she obtaine for those that with a good faith by an inuincible ignorance did receiue it I answer he deceiues himselfe for those are not Sacraments which are not administred by those whom God hath ordained albeit they haue many imperfections yea although they be hypocrites as by the Priestes that liued in the time of Iesus Christ appeareth which albeit they were wicked yet because they were of the tribe of Leui and so outwardly called their Sacrifices were Sacrifices and their Sacraments were Sacraments And so the Lord and his Apostles when they found them sacrificing and celebrating in the Temple held them for such Contrariwise the Sacrifices which the Priestes of Ierohoam did offer and the Sacraments by them administred were no Sacrifices nor Sacraments because they were not administred by those of the Tribe of Leuie whome God himselfe had ordained Ione then being a woman I say was no Priest and being no Priest had authoritie neither to ordeine nor yet to consecrate and therefore the Priestes by her authoritie ordained were not the Priestes of God but of Ieroboam or of Baal And these I say that receaued their sacrament had no sounde faith for Faith is founded vpon the word of God Faith saith the Apostle commeth by hearing and heariing by the word of Christ Other maner of consolation and quietnes of conscience haue they which beleeue that Iesus Christ euer was is and shal be the head and foundation of his Church and that there is no other head nor foundation but he alone as saith Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. 11. Other foundation saith he then that which is Iesus Christ can no man lay he onely is the foundation he onely is the head of his Church whose Vicar generall is his Spirit as he himselfe witnesseth That Comforter the holie Spirit whom the Father shall sende in my name he shall teache you all thingâ—s and bring to your remembrance all that whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you Pero Mexia by a good faith meaneth that faith as they call it of the Collier This Collier being at point to die a learned man the diuell say some others came to tempt him demanding of him what he beleeued I beleeue answered he that which the holy mother the church beleueth The deuill replying and what beleeueth the Church That answered the Collier which I beleeue And so often as the diuill demanded the veriâ— same did the collier answer For the poore man knew not what he beleeued much lesse what the Church beleeued Of that sort was he which not knowing what they beleeue sayd they beleeue in God à pies Iuntillos fully Hosius Bishop of Varmiens intreating in his third booke of or against the authoritie of holy scripture doth hold it a very safe thing to followe the example of this Colliar Oh fearefull ignorance which shall not excuse sinne God commaundeth to reade and search the scriptures and they will neither reade nor search theÌ„ what excuse wil they haue with their ignorance Saint Peter exhorteth euâ—rie faithfull Christian to be readie to yeeld accompte of his hope And who shall giue accompt of his hope or faith that neither readeth nor heareth the word of God For knowe this that as the wyke in a candle or Lampe no longer burneth then oile continueth no more also can faith liue but whiles it is nourished with the word of God He that neither readeth nor heareth nor meditateth vpon the worde of God what faith can he haue that which they call fully to beleâ—ued in God and that of the Colliar which neither knewe what the Church nor he himselfe beleeued But returne we now to our Pope Ione The Emperour Lewes 2. sonne of Lotharius in the time of this Ione came to Rome at her handes receiued his septer and crowne Imperiall together as they call it with Saint Peters blessing In her time also Don Alonso the third reigned in Spaine as Don Rodrigo Sanchez Bishop of Palencia describing the life of Don Alonso the third saith In his time saith he at Rome sate Leo the fourth Iohn the eight Benedict the third and Nicholas the first And Don Alonso of Carthagena speaking in his Concurrence of this Don Alonso the third saith there was Leo the fourth and Iohn the English Pope Ione dying in sort as before said Benedict the third was chosen He was the first that sate in holed seate c. The cause why vpon the life of Ione we haue before declared Lewes the Emperor sent his Embassadours to confirme this election At this time Don Alonso the third raigned in Spainâ— The thirteenth Sisme was betweene this Benedict and Anastasius but Anastaâ—sius renounced In the the presence of Lewes the Emperour Nicholas the first was chosen but when the Emperour was departed out of Italie the Pope made many â—â—nstitutions and among others these That the life of the Clergie should not be iudged by the Laytie that none should any way dispute of the Popes authoritie That the Christian magistrate had no authoritie ouer the chiefe Bishop because the chiefe Bishop say they is called God Anton. tit 16. The constitution that the diuine office should be celebrate in Latine he renewed Yet dispensed with them of Slauonia and Polonia which did celebrate it in their vulgar tongue He ordeined that the constitutions of the Popes should be equall in authoritie with those of the Apostles The Beastes hornes growe very seuere was this beast against married Priestes To which impietie Huldricke Bishop of Augusta oposed himselfe and wrote an Epistle which excellently shewed the cursed fruites of constrained single life The summe whereof speaking of Gregorie the first we haue before declared This Nicholas with other Bishops forbad all faithfull Christians to heare Masse said by a wenching Priest If this were obserued few Masses would be heard because the greatest parte of priestes be wenchers In the 867. yeare dyed Nicholas In whose time in Spaine reigned Don Alonso 3. and Don Garcia his sonne After Nicholas succeeded Adrian 2. and after Adrian Iohn 9. whom others omitting Ione call Iohn 8. Martin 2. by deceit and wicked arts was made Pope with the ceremony of the seat c. and confirmed without any authoâ—itie or consent of the Emperor For now the hornes of the Popes were growne and of the Emperour they nothing esteemed he dyed in the yeare 884. Adcian 3. being Pope made a decree that in the election of the chiefe Bishop the Emperour should not be regarded but that the Clergie people of Rome might freely make choise without any confirmation at all of the Emperour Thus lost the Emperour his right in Rome and in the choise of the chiefe Bishop And by reason of the Emperours then warres with the Normans the Pope swayed the matter Adrian dyed
without consent of the Emperour was made Pope The Emperour leuied a great hoste against Rome Gelasius fearing him went with his partakers to Gaeta When the Emperour was come to Rome hee made another Pope whom they called Gregorie the eight Archbishop of Braga which done the Emperour departed from Rome Gelasius hearing the same came secretely to Rome and boldly went to say Masse in the Church of S. Praxâ—idis where those of the contrary faction did so assault him that he hardly escaped their hands and so fled to Pisa and from thence into France where after he had a yeare and some dayes bene Pope he died In Colonia he held a Councell albeit not present there himselfe where the Emperour was excommunicated He ordained in this Councell that his successors the chiefe Bishops of Rome neither might nor ought to be iudged of anie In the 1119. yeare he died and Don Alonso reigned in Castile In the place where Gelasius died was Calistus the second a Burgoignian by some of the Cardinals that went with him chosen which election some Cardinals abiding in Rome and Italie did also approue He thus made Pope went to Rome where most honorably he was receiued thence sent to command his Legate as then at the Councell to continue the excommunication against the Emperour Who fearing the like should happen to himselfe as did to his father admitted albeit wicked the conditions of peace Gregorie as yet liuing whom he had made Pope This peace concluded Calistus bent himselfe to persecute Gregorie Gregorie seeing his part ouerthrown fled from Rome to Sutrio whither followed Calistus tooke him and with great ignominie brought him to Rome put him into a Monastery This Calistus the more to confirm idolatrie and the better to intertaine superstition made the Church of S. Iames of Galicia an Archbishoppricke and a booke also of S. Iames his miracles In the 1124. yeare he died and Don Alonso 7. reigned in Castile Honorius the second a Bullonist entered not saith Platina rightly into the Popedome For more by ambition then the consent of good men he obtained it The Cardinals chose for Pope Theobald Cardinall of S. Anastasia whom they called Celestine the secoÌ„d This was the 25. Sisme The people sought to haue the Cardinall of Saint Stephen to be Pope There was theÌ„ in Rome a very rich maÌ„ called Leo who so much wrought both with the Cardinals and people that neither the Cardinall of S. Anastasia nor he of Saint Stephen but whom he himself listed called Honorius 2. was Pope Honorius sent into England Iohn of Crema Cardinal of S. Grison his Legate which Cardinall in a Councell by him held in London condemned married Priests and was taken the night following with the theft in his handes with a wicked woman they caught him which as saith Mathew Paris gaue no small scandall to the Church Such be these as were the Pharisies of whom the Lord saith that they binde heauie burthens and hard to beare and put them vpon the shoulders of men but they themselues wil not moue them with one of their fingers Honorius died in the 1130. yeare and Don Alonso 7. reigned in Castile Innocent being Pope shewed great hatred to Rogero king of Sicilia against whom he went forth in battell And as he carried him away vanquished behold the sonne of the king came and tooke the Pope and his Cardinals Now did the Romans make another Pope whom they called Anacletus the second this was the 26. Sisme which Innocent hearing compounded with the king and minding to go to Rome but durst not attempt it He went into France and in Claremount held a Councell where he condemned Anacletus and went to see Philip king of France then Henrie the first king of England and afterwards Lotharius king of Almaine to the end they should restore him to his Popedome Lotharius with a great campe came vpon Rome put to flight Anacletus and in his seat placed Innocent which Pope to shewe himselfe gratefull crowned Lotharius Emperour This Innocent ordained that whosoeuer wounded any Priest or ecclesiastical person should ipso facto be excommunicate and none might absolue him but the Pope himselfe Concil 17. q. 4. Siquis In the 1143. yeare hee died and Don Alonso the seuenth reigned in Castile Lucius 2. was made Pope In whose time the Romans vnable to beare longer the violence and tyrannie of the Popes elected one Patricio a noble man of Rome called Iordan This Patricio demaunding the rights of the citie of Rome aswell within as without the walles said that this right by reason of his office perteined to him which the Pope by meanes of Charles the Great suppressing al the Patricios had so long time vsurped to himselfe He commaunded that the Pope as his predecessors had done should content himself with the first fruits tenths and oblations The Pope seeing himselfe so disquieted by the Romans sent his Ambassadors to the Emperor Conrado requesting him to come into Italie and aide him which Conrado could not do The Pope seeing there was no remedie to be expected by the Emperour vsed this subtiltie He awayted his time when all the Snators of Rome and the Patricio with them were together in the Capitol This oportunitie found the Pope like a good Captaine vtterly to destroy that Senate went with many souldiors in person to the Capitol The bruit of the Popes pretense flue presently through Rome the Romans took armes and fought brauely against the Pope who receiued in the battell so many blowes with stones that thereof shortly after in the 1145. yeare not hauing yet fulfilled a yeare in his Popedome he died Don Alonso 7. reigned in Castile In the time of this Don Alonso 7. and whiles Eugenius 3. successor of Lucius was Pope Don Alonso 1. after he had 27. yeeres bene Earle of Portugal hauing conquered fiue Moorish kings was made king of Portugal and so continued king 46 yeares Anastasius 4. was not so wicked as his predecessours In the second yeare of his Bishopdome he died In his time saith Mathew Paris was William restored to his Archbishopricke of Yorke in England who the same yeere of poyson which in saying Masse they put into the Chalice died Don Alonso 7. then reigned in Castile When Adrian an Englishman and son of Robert a Monke of Saint Albons was chosen he wold not be consecrated vntill Arnold Bishop of Brixta was cast out of Rome This Arnold had perswaded the Romans to recouer their liberty of chusing their magistrates gouerning their common-wealth but the people would not graunt what the Pope demaunded for which cause the Pope did excommunicate them Arnold in the end was expulsed Rome and the Consuls renounced their office At this time came Fredericke the Emperour to Rome the Pope and clergie met him in Sutrio The Emperour
support and maintaine him A curse then was pronounced in this Councell not against Iohn of Constantinople but generally against whomsoeuer should take vpon him the title of vniuersall Bishop The Doctors which at this time liued and chiefly Saint Gregory do witnesse the same Let them read his epistles of the first booke the 76. 78. 80. 85. and of the second booke the 188. and 194. In none of these epistles saith S. Gregorie that the said Iohn wronged S. Peter nor withheld nor yet vsurped the right and title of the Bishops of Rome but protesteth that it is title profane sacrilegious and the forerunner of Antichrist And in the 4. booke and 48. chap. of the Register the same Saint Gregorie doubteth not to pronounce him that suffereth himselfe to be called vniuersal and chiefe Bishop to be the forerunner of Antichrist Reade for this purpose the same Saint Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 76. 78. 30. lib. 7. and 69. epist And in the 35. epist which he wrote to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who vsurped this title he saith All that was prophesied is fulfilled the king of pride namely Antichrist is neere at hand and that which is abhomination to speake an host of Priests make preparatiō for him And in an epistle which he wrote to Mauricius the Emperour hee saith And I say boldly that whosoeuer is called vniuersall Priest either in his pride desireth so to be called or is the forerunner of Antichrist for that in waxing proud he preferreth himselfe to the rest and with incomparable pride walketh in the way of error For as that peruerse man wil aboue al men be holden for God so neither more nor lesse is he be he what he will that seeketh to be called Priest ouer the other priests c. About the 1240. yeare Edward Archibishop of Salisburg speaking in the Councell holden at Ratisbon to represse the insolencie and tyranny of the Popes said these words we might haue perceiued had we not bene blind vnder the title of chiefe Bishop a most cruell wolfe in shepheards clothing The Roman bishops daring deceiuing and sowing the warres of warres drawe weapons against all Christians And becomming great they kill the sheepe cast peace and concord out of the world draw from hel ciuil wars and domesticall seditions more more weaken the strengths of all men to triumph ouer all men to deliuer vp all men and to put all men in bondage and captiuitie It is now saith he 170 yeares since Hildebrand he was called Gregorie 7. vnder colour of religion laid the foundations of the Empire of Antichrist he was the first that began this abominable warres which his successors vntil this day haue cōtinued And then the chiefe Bishops of Babylon desire to reigne they cānnot endure an equal Beleeue me that haue made experiēce cease they will not vntil hauing suppressed the Emperor defaced the maiesty of the Roman Empire oppressed the true Pastors they destroy by the same way all whatsoeuer remaineth they put al vnder their feet they sit in the temple of God lift vp thēselues aboue all that is worshipped He which is seruant of seruāts desireth as if he were God to be Lord of Lords In his breast tosseth he new Coūcels to establish a proper empire lawes he chāgeth and establisheth his owne This man of perdition whom they wontedly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written the name of blasphemy I am God I cānot erre polluteth robbeth spoyleth and killeth He is set in the temple of God making himselfe Lord of all And that moreouer which ye may reade in the 7. booke of the Annales of Auentino fol. 685. If such were the Popes 357. yeares since when malice was not yet come to the height what maner of men shall the Popes of our times be Surelie much worse for in nothing do euill men profite but in doing more euill Arnulphus Bishop of Orleans openlie in the Councell at Remes holden more then 560. yeares since called the Pope Antichrist Saint Bernard who liued in the 1150. yeare in his second third and fourth books of Considerations called the Pope Antichrist The Abbot Ioachin Calabres who liued 350 yeeres since called the Pope Antichrist About the 1101. yeare liued Bishop Fluencius that called the Pope Antichrist About the 1245. yeare liued Nicholas Gallus who seeing the deformitie of the Church wrote a booke against the Popes intituled Ignea sagitta a fiery arrow Marsilius a learned man wrote more then 200. yeares since against the Pope and his lawes At the same time almost liued Michael Cesenas Generall of the Minoritts who openly called the Pope Antichrist Aboue 200. yeres past Iohn Wicliffe wrote and preached against the Pope and reformed many popish abuses in England The same did after wardes Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage in Bohemia Francisco Petrarca an Italyan borne in the 1304 yere and in the 1374. yere dyed very truly wrote against the Pope and his court Read this 20. Epistle wherein he calleth the court Papall Babylon Babilonish strūper which is set vpon many waters Mother of all Idolatries and whoredomes Read his 92. which beginneth Del ' Empia Babilonia c. which word for word thus soundeth in English From wicked Babylon whence all shame is fled where no goodnesse remaineth Harbour of sorrowe mother of errours to prolong life am I fled Item the 106. Sonet which beginneth Fiamma d'oal ciel c. The flame of heauen vpon thy hayres or curled lockes O caytife which from the fountaine and wallet to wit from drinking of water and poorely feeding by impouerishing others art become rich and great Sith so much thou reioycest in doing euill Neast of treasons wherein what mischiefes are now spread through the world be hatched Seruant of wine bed and belly cheere in whome whoredome hath made her last proofe For thy Chamberlaines young and olde goe playing the wantons and Baelzabub in the middest with bellowes fire and looking glasses In the fether at the shadowe wast thou not brought but naked to the winde vnshod among the bushes c. Such now is thy life that the stinke is gone vp vnto God Also in the 107. Sonet which beginneth L'auara Babylonia c. Couetous Babylon so full hath heaped the sacke of the wrath of God and of wicked and peruerse vices that it bursteht and not Iupiter nor Pallas but Bacchus and Venus hath made her gods Expecting reason doth torment and consume me c. And foure verses further Her Idolles shall be holden for earth c. Also the 108. Sonnet which beginneth Fontana di dolore c. Fountain of griefe harbor of wrath schoole of errors and Temple of heresie Rome in elder time now false and peruerse Babylon for whom I so much weepe sigh O shop of deceit ô prison of wrath where goodnesse dyeth and euill is maintained and nourished hell of the liuing great wonder
tyranny subiected his companions to obey him Also he complaineth that the prophane Sismatikes withdrew themselues to the Bishop of Rome There was none saith he that would doe this but certaine lost and desperate men making men beleeue that the Bishops of Affrike had lesse authoritie thē he of Rome S. Ierome to this selfe same purpose saith Wheresoeuer a Bishop shal be be it in Rome or in Egubium be it in Constantinople or in Regium one selfe same dignity he hath and one selfsame priesthood riches nor pouertie either make him superiour or inferior And so the ancient Doctors as Ireneus Tertullian Hillarius Cyprian c. when they wrote to the Bishop of Rome they gaue him not the glorious titles which the flatterers of our times now giue him Most holy father most blessed Pope chiefe Bishop our Lord God vpon earth they called him brother fellow Bishop companion in office other such like titles which sauored of loue Christian simplicitie not of flattery pride wherewith the miserable Popes are puffed vp rest much contēted And if it seemed to those Fathers that the Bishop of Rome countermāded or in any thing faulted seeing he was a man either in life or doctrine they aduised him if need so required reproued him Thus not once by chance but many times that very sharply did Cyprian handle Stephen Bishop of Rome Ireneus reproued Victor for that through an impudent ambition he excōmunicated the Churches of Asia for the differēce in celebration of Easter Who should now dare to do this albeit the Pope were another Iohn 8. 12. 13. 14. 23. or 24. or were he another Boniface 8. another Syluester 2. another Gregory 7. another Alexander 6 Paule 3. 4. or Pius the fift By diuine law all Bishops are equall and so as brothers are to aduise and correct one another If any difference there bee of Maioritie or Minoritie by positiue lawe it commeth as the Cannonists themselues when the truth doth inforce thē confesse saying Quod omnis maioritas minoritas etiam Papatus est de iure positiuo That all maioritie and minoritie yea the verie Popedome it selfe is by the positiue law as much to say that men haue made it And yet go I further The maiority say I which the Pope hath vsurped ouer all the Churches being against the Lambe of the Apocalyps and against his Saints is not by diuine nor yet humane law I say it is de iure diabolico of the diuell that it is an infernall tyranny against which all the world is to rise vp as against a fire and generall burning which toucheth euery particular person Note here that which in the life of Iohn 24. we haue noted where the Pope by a decree of the Councell of Constance and Basile is proued to be subiect to the Councell and that more ouer which there we haue said Not bluntly and foolishly as they say but with good reason me seemeth do I say this as by the sayings of the Fathers and decrees of ancient Councels we haue sufficiently proued the same And had there bene none to haue said it yet their proper life and doctrine which we haue in the beginning mentioned are most euident testimonies to confirme our sayings By their liues may each one see if of wilfull ignorance he become not blockish foolish and blind the Popes which haue bin bishops of Rome from Boniface the third who was a creature of Phocas the Emperour an adulterer murderer and tyrant vntil Clement 8. or 10. which now tyrannizeth to haue almost bene al noted read their histories of terrible enormious and wicked vices and sinnes Witches they haue bene murtherers ill beloued tumultuous troublers of common wealths and kingdomes seditious reuengefull brothellers simonists sodomites periured incestuous Nigromancers sacrilegious wicked without God without religion They then being such we conclude them not to be successors of Peter but of Iudas not to be vicars of Christ but of the Diuell and verie Antichrist But now for more confirmation of that which is said we will alleage certaine passages of holy Scripture which the Papists themselue vnderstand and interpret of Antichrist we will consider if that which the Scripture saith Antichrist shall do and say the Pope doth and saith And seeing that the doctrine and life of the Pope is the very same which the scripture doth say shal be that of Antichrist by the Papists owne confession will we conclude the Pope to be Antichrist The first passage is taken out of Daniel the 11. chapter which saith And the king shall doe what he list By king aswell in this place as chapter 8. 23. and 24. is ment Antiochus a great persecutor of the people of God This Antiochus was a figure of Antichrist which is the Pope Antiochus burned the Bible aduanced his God Mauzim forbad marriage made Idols of gold and siluer adorned them with rich ornaments c. and the same doth the Pope Daniell proceedeth He shall exalt and magnifie himselfe against all that is God and shall speake marueylous thinges against the God of Gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers nor the desires of women nor care for any God for he shal magnifie himselfe against all c. Note here in Daniel 3. notable markes which saith he Antichrist shall haue In whomsoeuer then we shall see them hold we him for Antichrist The 1. is that he shall not acknowledge the God of his fathers 2. is that he shall not regard the loue of women 3. nor care for any God The cause of all this saith he is the excessiue pride The Pope being of the race of Christians which haue worshipped the true God father of our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought into the Church of God where he holdeth his seat Idolatrie and superstition commaunding men in afflictiō calamitie to inuocate another others then God contrary to the expresse cōmandemēt of God Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me and contrary to that which he commaundeth by his Prophet Call vpon me in the day of trouble There is no commaundement of God either in the old or new Testament that commaundeth vs to inuocate any other but God alone Neither is there any example of Patriarke Prophet or Apostle which hath called vpon any saue God alone For how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued as saith Saint Paule In one onely God we beleeue vpon him onely let vs call This new Doctrine hath the Pope brought into the Church to call vpon others then God alone Therefore is he Antichrist Who hath forbidden Christians to reade the law of the Lord the bookes of the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists The Pope Who burneth these holy bookes and those that for instruction of their conscience read them The Pope Who hath taken vppon him authoritie
abhominable in his doctrin Very rich verye mightie clothed with silke and clothe of Gold and precious stones a great warrior and persecutor of the Lambe and his followers Saint Paule noting the place of his abode saith that he shall sit in the temple of God Saint Iohn goeth further he shall sitt saith he in the cittie that hath 7 mountaines which is Rome And so vnder stoode Saint Ierome when he said This Babilon and this whore which in the Apoc is painted out to vs no other thing then Rome can signifie vnto vs In the life of Marâ—k he repeateth the same Verie blinde is he which seeth not through a boulter That this can agree with none but only the Pope who seeth not Therefore is he Antichrist Concerning his ende the holy Spirite by Daniel Paule and Iohn before alleaged saâ—th as we haue said that it shall be miserable wherewith he helpeth comforteth and animateth the poore faithfull which with his tyrannie are afflicted and oppressed Come Lord Iesus Blessed are those that reade and those that heaâ—e the wordes of the prophesies of this booke and keepe the thinges which are written in them as saith the same Saint Iohn in the beginning of his Reâ—elation By that which we haue said touching the life and doctrine of the Popes and by that which the Doctours and ancient Councels haue said and the holy Scripture also it selfe which we haue before alleaged each faithfull true and Catholike Christian which hath any iuâ—gement or litle spark of faith shal clearely vnderstand the Pope not to bee vniuersall Bishop not to be Peters successor nor the vicar of Iesus Christ but contrariwise to be the successour of Iudas to be the Vicar of Sathan to be the man of sinne and sonne of perdition which as God sitteth in the Temple of God to be the whore of Babylon which hath her seat in the great Citie that hath 7 mountaines which is Rome to be the Antichrist which in all and by all opposeth himselfe to Christ and knowing him for such a one shall abhorre and detest him And shall know also how to answer the reasons or to speake better reasonlesse reasons which the Popes Parasites for their owne temporall commodities to be made Bishops or enioy other ecclesiasticall dignities c. and oftentimes against their owne conscience contrarie to that which they thinke to entertaine the Pope and maintaine his primacie do alleage To answere to all their obiections and passages which this way and that way they alleage should be neuer to make an end Onely will we answer to the principalles whereupon the rest are founded which being cast downe all the building thereupon builded of necessitie must needes fall to the ground These in number be two Thou art Peter Matth. 16. and Feede my sheepe Ioh. 21. and in Proâ—â—mio Sexti in Gloss it is said that the Pope by these words obtained the Primacie Tu es Petrus thou art Peter or by these Pasce oues meas Feed my sheepe Iesus Christ say they sayd to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church c. To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou bindest in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsouer thou loosest in earth shall bee loosed in heauen The sheepe saith Christ know the voyce of their shepheard All this then which Iesus Christ said vnto S. Peter we know to be very true because it was pronounced by our pastor master and redeemer Christ Iesus who is truth it self But we say that by no way neither in part nor by art hath it any agreement with the Pope neither in part nor art it can be applyed to the Pope who is Antichrist nor yet pertaines it vnto him when the Pope shall haue made the same confession that did S. Peter Thou art the Christ c. shal so beleeue when the Pope shall liue as S. Peter liued when the Pope shall teach preach the doctrine which S. Peter taught and preached then shall it agree with him But the Pope is an Atheist he holdeth for a fable the historie of the Gospell abominably liueth teacheth doctrins of diuels as befoe we haue proued wherupoÌ„ it followeth that this which Christ saith to S. Peter he said not to the Pope nor in any wise doth it beloÌ„g to him But the better to vnderstaÌ„d it examine we this place Christ demaÌ„ded of his disciples whom do men say that the sonne of man is They answered vnto him Some say Thou art Iohn Baptist others Elias c. And againe Christ asked them But whom say ye that I am Peter answered Thou art the Christ c. Then Christ approuing the confession of Peter which proceeded of the Spirit and not of the flesh said vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke to wit vpon this confession which thou hast made saying that I am the sonne of God will I build my Church So that not so much the person as the confession of Peter is here to be considered And so saith Christ these words not to Peter only but also to whomsoeuer shall make the same confession and with the same faith that Peter did For the rocke which Peter confessed which is the fundamentall stone of the corner whereupon the Church is builded that rocke is Christ Vpon Peter is it not sounded but Peter as saith Saint Augustine is founded vpon the rocke For other foundation saith Saint Paule then that which is laid which is Christ Iesus can no man lay Hâ—e onely and no other is the foundation and head of his Church the Virgin Mary Peter Iohn and the other Apostles and faithfull Christians be liuelie stones builded vpon this foundation thy are members of the Church whose head is Christ The Pope ought to be contented to be a stone of this building to be a member of this body But as he is no member much lesse is he the head To thee saith Christ will I giue the keyes c. All whatsoeuer thou bindest c. Not only to Peter but also to all and each one of the Apostles to all and whomsoeuer of the Apostles successours that shall teach the word of God did Christ make this promise And that this is the true meaning of this place appeareth clearely by that which the same Iesus Christ Matth. 18. 18. saith Whatsoeuer ye bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose iâ— earth shall be loosed in heauen Seest thou not that the same which Christ before had said to Peter the same by the same words saith he afterwards to all the Apostles The same saith he by Saint Iohn when he spake to all his Apostles and sent them to go and preach the Gospell As the Father saith Christ sent me so also send I you And when he had thus spoken he breathed vpon them and sayd vnto them Receiue ye the holy Ghost those whose sinnes soeuer ye
Christ waxed olde and lost it collour it being and worth Thus commeth one and casteth a peece vnto it afterwards commeth another and casteth vnto it c. So that now it is not the Supper of the Lord but the Masse of the Pope now it is not the robe of an honourable man but a cloake of a shamelesse begger By that which is said haue we answered to the second and third reasons wherewith our aduersaries doe confirme their Masse The fourth reason with which our aduersaries suppose to mainetaine their Masse is That all the Church Catholique from the death of Christ vntill this day with most great reuerence hath celebrated the Masse This their reason they confirme saying that God who loueth his Church as his spouse would neuer suffer it so long time to be deceaued especially with so great superstition and idolatrie as the Masse wee say is This fourth reason of our aduersaries in two thinges consisteth In antiquitie And in that God who loueth his Church as his spouse would not suffer c. concer-cerning the first of the Antiquitie of the Masse In answering to the second and third reasons of our aduersaries wee shewed that Iesus Christ neuer instituted the masse nor his Apostles euer said it and that the Church Catholique for the space of a thousand yeares neuer celebrated the Masse which our aduersaries now celebrate But the holy supper was celebrated with some humaine traditions and ceremonies inuented by man Notwithstanding all this the holie supper as touching it substaunce was euer in it beeing conferued by the space of a thousand yeares For fiue hundred yeares space hitherto the supper hath ceassed to bee a supper and hath euery day more and more bene conuerted into the Masse such as nowe wee see and chiefly since transubstantiation and the Communion in one kind were commaunded to be beleeued as an Article of faith Then fell wholy the holy supper not in name onely calling it the masse but also in substaunce as before we haue said Concerning the second part which they bring for confirmation of the first namely That God who loueth his Church would not permit that his Church so long time should liue deceaued To this I answere praying them to read the Histories of the olde and newe Testament Wherein they shall finde if they well consider that the Church faulted and mainteined errours and that no meane ones The people of Israel was the people of God the Church of God and the spouse of God and dearly beloued but for all this the same people fell into many errours superstitions heresies and Idolatries and not once by chaunce but oftentimes and of deliberate purpose Read that notable song which Moses the man of God made written in Deuteronomy There I say shall yee find that that people and that Church of God fell into idolatrie verse ninth Hee saith For the Lordes portion is his people Iaakob is the line or lot of his Inheritaunce And in the tenth verse hee saith that God kept this people as the apple of his eye And in the eleuenth God carried this people vppon his back like the Eagle c. But behould what hee saith in the same chapter and verse fifteene of this people so deare and so beloued Behould if they fell to idolatrie And hee forsooke saith hee God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation They prouoked him with their straunge Gods and made him angry with their abhominations They sacrified to diuels and not to God But to Gods whom they knewe not new Gods newly come vpp whome their fathers feared not c. And in the two and thirtith chapter of Exodus it is said that the people of Israell pluct of their golden Earnings c. And that Aaron tooke them and made of them a moulten calfe And when the calfe was seene Israel sayd These be thy Gods which brought thee out of the land of Egypt And when Aron sawe that Hee built an altar before it c. As wee haue sayd in the beginning of the first Treatise Here may yee fee How all the people of Israel and Aaron their chiefe Priest committed idolatrie Let vs proceede furâ—her When the people of Israel were entred into the land of promise How behaued they themselues they also committed Idolatrie Read in the booke of Iudges and chiefly the second chapter and the eleuenth verse And the children of Israel saith hee did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baal And verse nineteenth But when the Iudge was dead they turned and corrupted themselues more then their fathers following other Gods seruing them and bowing downe before them They ceased not from their owne inuentions Nor from their rebellious way All this booke is full of examples hereof The Iudges ended and this people of God gouerned by kinges How was it then As ill or worse then before Let them read the Prophets which they call great and small This people of God their Priestes and Princes condemned the good Doctrine and persecuted the holie Prophets that preached the same So obstinate was this people in turning away from God That God in indignation commaunded Esaie to say these wordes vnto the people in hearing heare and not vnderstand In seeing see and not perceaue The heart of this people is waxed fatte and their hearing dull and their eyes are blinded least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares c. The prophet Ieremy protesteth to all the people of Iuda and to all the Inhabitantes of Ierusalem the diligent care which the Lord had vsed to conuert them from Idolatrie to himselfe and the small profect they receaued thereby Hee had this said hee preached vnto them by the space of twentie and three yeares and they heard him not Note what the Prophet saith in the second verse that hee spake this to all the people of Iuda and to all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem And note that onely this Hebrewe people and no other in all the world was then the Church of God And behould if the Church erred Who wounded and imprisoned Ieremy for his sermons Pashur the chiefe Priest of the people of God What was the state of the people of Israel when Elias supposed that there was none but hee that worshipped the true God of Israel S. Paul alleageth this place Rom. 11. 13. Let this suffice concerning the Church of the old Testament Come wee nowe to the newe When the diuine word taking flesh came into the world How found he his spouse the Church All to be smeared with dirt and sootte The Scribes and Pharisies priests and high priests with their traditions had wholely corrupted her As nowe doe the Priestes and Fryars Bishoppes and Popes So great then was the corrupption in Doctrine among the people of God that there was their principall sects of the Pharifies sadduces Essees The Pharises great hypochrits corrupted the scripture with their traditions The
Christ Saint Ierome vppon the 66. chap. of Esayas saith Not being holie in bodie nor spirit they eate not the flesh of Iesus nor drinke they his bloud Manie other places bee there in the Fathers that proue our doctrine the wicked c. not to eate nor drinke the bodie bloud of Christ But those which wee haue alleaged are now sufficient Another absurditie there is and this it is that the banquet being to be common and generall to all by which it is called Communion one onely at his pleasure eateth it and swalloweth all without giuing part to others Who taught them thus to doe Not Christ nor his Apostles nor the primitiue Church In old time all those that were present when the Supper of the Lord was celebrated did communicate and that in both kindes And except they did communicate they depriued them of the Supper which our Aduersaries cannot denie So confesseth George Cassander in the Preface of the booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae for confirmation hereof hee alleadgeth the tenth Cannon of the Apostles where it is commaunded that all the faithfull which were found present at the holy solemnities of the Church and continued not till the Masse were ended nor receiued the holie Communion should bee cast from the Communion He citeth the Councell of Antioch the second chapter wherein it is ordayned that all they which enter into the Church of God and receiue not the holy Communion should bee cast out of the Church Hee alleaged also the Cannon of Calixtus or as say others Anacletus which commandeth that the consecration ended all should communicate Hee alleageth also Iohn Coclaeus in the booke which hee intituled De Sacrificio Missae contra Musculum In old time saith Cochleus Aswell the Priestes as the Laitie so manie as were found present at the sacrifice of the Masse the offering being ended did ioyntly with the Priest communicate c. And the same Cannon which they say in their Masse maketh this to bee clearely vnderstood because it maketh mention of the people standing about offering and communicating For which cause some expounders of the Cannons say that the Cannon ought not to be sayd in the Masse but onely when the people communicate Many more Councels and Fathers might be alleaged to confirme that which Cassander sayth but the thing being so manifest many witnesses shal be needlesse The Grecians vntill this day obserue the ancient custome there is no priuate Masse among them Vpon the Lords dayes and festiuall dayes the Supper of the Lord is onely celebrated and the people in both kindes communicate Our aduersaries may see what hath beene the cause of leauing this ancient and laudable custome and that as many also as heare the Masse and communicate not incurre thereby Excommunication The Communion in our time is but once a yeare celebrated and this with damage and great idolatrie and all the dayes in the yeare is no other thing done but saying of Masses in euery corner of the Churches and in those also of particular houses without any Communion except it be that some for deuotion will communicate and oftentimes it happeneth that none is found present at these Masses but the Nouice onely that answereth Et cum Spiritu tuo and with thy spirit when the Priest hath said vnto him Dominus vobiscum The Lord bee with you And note that the Nouice is wont to be commonly a little villaine according to the prouerbe Hize à mi hijo Monazillo y torno seme diabillo Make my sonne a Nouice and turne him a little diuell What agreement then hath this their priuate Masse with the holy Supper of the Lord which is a common banquet proposed to the whole Church Reade the tenth and eleuenth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians which before we haue alleaged What wickednes do they then that conuert the Masse into the supper of the Lord which they neuer celebrate except the whole Church or the greatest part of it do communicate acording to the institution of Christ according to that which his Apostles did and the Church many yeares after The 3. absurdity is that which before we haue said that were there Trāsubstantiation Christ shuld haue 2 carnal bodies one which sate the other which this sitting body did eate giue to his Disciples The fourth Absurditie is that they put the body of Iesus Christ in diuerse places at one instant in all the Masses which are sayd through the world Against the order of nature doe they in this according whereunto nothing created that is finite can be at one selfe same time in diuerse places The body of Iesus Christ considered it selfe is finite and in time created therefore can it not bee in diuerse places at one instaut In this do they also against the article of our faith which in the Creed we confesse that Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father From whence shall he come saith the article of our faith to iudge the quicke and the dead Also they do against common experience for seeing bread and wine with the eyes tasting them with the mouth and smelling them with the nose yet for all this say they that no bread nor wine remaineth I demaund now when they burne this their Sacrament for the causes that they themselues in the booke de Cautelis do command it to be burned I demaund of them what is that which is burned and conuerted into ashes Not the bodie of Christ which now being glorified is impassible nor the accidents of the bread nor of the wine for the substance of the ashes engendred of that which was burned could not bee engendered but of another substance according to that which commonly is said The generation of one thing is the corruption of another It followeth then Albeit it grieue them that they deny it that the bread is burned I demaund of them also when the Priest deuideth the Host into three partes what is that which he deuideth Some say they bee accidents without subiect To others this answere not seeming to be good because not the accidents but the substance which hath quantitie is parted Therefore say they that nothing is parted This people thinke vs to be blocks and fooles They will make vs as they say del cielo cebolla to beleeue things impossible Free should they be from all these absurdities would they with Iesus Christ with his Apostle Saint Paul and with the Catholike Church confesse true bread and true wine to be in this sacrament of which bread and of which wine being corrupted are engendred those things before spoken So that the wormes and ashes are engendred and made not of the body of Christ which is glorious and set at the right hand of the Father not of the accidentes which haue not other being but doe remaine in some subiect and by a miracle say they the accidentes in the Sacrament bee
sacramentall vomit And the more to honour it foure light tapers they placed vpon the foure quarters of the tombe This done the Nouices were commaunded to sing all that day the verse of the hymnes which is sung vppon that day of Corpus Christi and beginneth Tantum ergo Sacramentum veneremur cerni c. That is to say worshippe wee thâ—n with bowed knees this so great a sacrament Better should they haue sayd This vomit of a pocky father They sang also the Anthem of the same day O Sacrum conuiuium O holy banquet But how holie soeuer they sayd it was there was none albeit some thereto exhorted the rest that would tast it nor put it into his bodie For after the booke of de cautelis as they call them the best remedy is this that in such case can bee taken sith among them all there was none of them that dared to eate it needefull it was another shift should bee vsed And thus it was In the best wise they could gathered they vp that holie vomit and very curiously daubed the ground where it had fallen The Subprior then for that he Prior was from home arraied himselfe in holy ornaments and with light tapers carried the vomite to the Church in procession Some sang that which before we haue said others and these were the most holy frantiques and greatest hypocrites sighed and groned for the moestful spectacle that they saw which much marred the feast the vomit thus carried to the Church a new deliberation was needful what therewith should to be done The opinion of the most ancient and most learned was that this vomit should be cast into the fire and burned to ashes such ashes should be kept in el Sagrario the Sanctuary all which was done as in their booke de Cautelis c. in such case it is commanded So that the papists conclude themselues their God to be burned their god I cal it for this is their doctrin that all the time that any forme or shew of bread or of wine shall be seen al the time that it shal not be digested as was not that wheÌ„ the Pocky father vomited it vp with the rest the bread is not bread but the bodie of Christ and the wine is not wine but the bloud of Christ We haue recited the sorrowfull spectacle that happened to the Friars Dominickes with their Sacrament vomited and burned Now will we declare another which one which was present and an eye-witnesse tolde me that happened to the Franciscan Friers but not so lothsome as the other In the Couent De Alta vila which was in the prouince of the principalitie of the kingdome of Naples was an ancient Friar called Frier Antonio de Contron who for his recreation had nourished vp a Chough and had taught her to fly vp vppon his shoulders and to eate bread in his hand and other such like thinges When the Friar one Sabboth of the Aduent in the thousand fiue hundred threescore seuenteene yeare was saying the high Masse in the sayd Couent and lift vp the Hoste that they as they are woont should worship the same The Chough which then hopped to and fro sawe the Hoste and supposed that her maister shewed her something to giue her The Frier in the meane time pulled downe his Hoste and the Chough remained there watching if her maister should mocke her with anie thing againe Whiles the Chough thus awayted behold when the Friar the second time shewed the Hoste ouer his shoulders the Chough seeing it immediately leaped vppon the shoulder of her maister and caught hold of the Sacrament and by flight pearched vppon a beame in the roofe of the Church When the Friars and the rest that heard the Masse sawe this they beganne to call vnto her but shee would neither answere nor come downe for shee was busied with her breakefast which as shee thought her maister had giuen her When good wordes nought auayled they beganne to throwe stones and cudgels at her vntill they brought her to the ground And now had shee eaten all the Hoste a fewe crommes excepted which had fallen downe from her and note that according to the opinion of our aduersaries euerie small cromme is God they tooke the poore Chough and taken did sentence her to bee burned till shee were conuerted into ashes which was perfourmed and her ashes were kept in the Sanctuarie as were the other of the vomite of the pockie Father Into so manie strange thinges causeth Transubstantiation our aduersaries to fall They beleeue that the bread is no bread but the body of Christ Hence it commeth that they beleeue the mouse the worme the chicken the Chough c. to eate the body of Christ But to manifest the deceit vnto them if they leaue to be deceiued let them well note what here we will say and this it is Two kinds of creatures may eate the Sacrament The one which haue the vse of reason and the other that haue not those which haue it not are beastes These creatures without vse of reason eate only bread and drinke wine the sacrament of Christs body eate they not neither doe they drinke the sacrament of his bloud much lesse doe they eate the body of Christ or drinke his bloud and so to eate the bread or not to eat they neither reioice nor be sad Men which haue the vse of reason are two folde Some doe worthily receaue the sacrament and others vnworthily They that vnworthily receaue the sacrament are those which doe not examine their consciences Nor proue themselues before they receaue the sacrament to them it is all one to sit at the table of the Lord and to sit at the table of the deuill to receaue the most blessed sacrament which Iesus Christ in his holy suppeâ— presenteth vnto them or to receaue the Idoll which the Pope in his Masse putteth in his mouth Such as these receaue not only the bread and wine if it be giuen them But receaue also the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ And this for their condemnation and not for their saluation And so Sathan entreth in and possesseth them As after the taking of the soppe hee entred into and possesseth Iudas Such as these doe no way receaue Christ for the cause which wee haue shewed When wee proued the wicked not to receaue Christ not to receaue the Lords bread but the bread of the Lord. As saith Saint Augustine speaking of Iudas They that worthily receaue the sacrament bee they which examine their consciences how they stand towards their God and towards their neighbour The which S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. calleth prouing of himselfe And finding themselues faulty imperfect doe humble themselues before God repent withall their hart craue pardon mercy This done not trusting in their owne worthines but in the worthines of Christ they are bold to receiue the sacrament not to their condemnation but their saluation For Christ doth
and so commaunded that the French Office which was now the same with the Roman should bee celebrated through all his kingdome And then all weeping and swearing the old Spanish Prouerbe began to be said Alla van leyes do quieren Reyes As the king will so go the lawes And from that time was the French Office kept in Spaine as well in the Psalter as in the rest which neuer before that time had bin receiued nor vsed in Spaine yet in some monasteries it was afterwards vsed for a time And the translation of the Psalter in manie Cathedrall Churches and Monasteries at this day is also vsed Thus farre the Archbishop In this historie reported by the Archbishop is there much to be noted First that now 500 yeares past for so long time is it since Gregorie the seuenth died in whose time reigned Don Alonso the sixt the diuine Office celebrated in all our countrie of Spaine was not the Roman but the Gothish which they called the Toledane office This office was changed through the desire of a French woman who so greatly pricked forward the king her husband that he chaunged the ancient Office maugre the state Ecclesiasticall Nobilitie and all the Communaltie of Spaine The Pope also that commanded the Office should be chaunged was one of the most abominable that did eate bread in his time Many wrote his life A great inchanter he was by force of Armes without any election he made himselfe Pope A tyrant he was an heretike he burned the Sacrament of the Altar his God And the moreouer which in his abominable life we haue declared For which enormious sinnes in his absence for he would not appeare hee was condemned and depriued in the Councell of Brixa And Clement the third was made Pope in his place The Legate of the Pope which dealt in this businesse of the chaunge of the Office was aso another such like as his maister that sent him and so abode in the same with his maister and Lord. For his wickednesse as the Archbishop reporteth was he depriued In these two Pope and Legate is the old Spanish Prouerbe verified Qual Abad tal Monazillo Such Abbot such Nouice Hereby shall our Spaniards perceiue that the diuine Office and Translation of the Psalter which our forefathers vsed in Spaine vntill the yeare 1080 or little lesse was not the Roman office much lesse was it the Masse which now in Spaine is so greatly esteemed For the Roman Office which before fiue hundred yeares was celebrated was defiled with the superstition and idolatry which we now see in the Masse as be Transubstantiation the taking from the faithful the one half of the Sacrament Intercession and Inuocation of Saintes Purgatorie c. Long time after about the 1215. yeare Innocent 3. being Pope was Transubstantiation admitted and made an article of the faith Albeit true it is that this Gregory 7. was the first that drawing it out of hell began to exalt it And notwithstanding that the Romane Office then vsed was nothing so euill nor ought agreed in Idolatry with that which is now yet is it to be thought there was great difference between the Toledane and the Romane office seeing that all Spaine so purposely and truly opposed it self to the king the Queene the Pope and his legate and receiued not the Romane Office but with great dislike and forced by threats of life goods That also is to be noted which the Archbishop speaketh concerning the combat of the 2 Knights and of the friar which the Gothish Office remaining safe then burned the Roman Office If they will haue miracles this of the fire is strange D. Illescas lib. 5. vpon the life of King Don Alonso the 6. saith almost the same that Don Rodrigo the Archbishop doth for from him hee tooke it but that of affected malice he changed some things whose words I will here set downe When hee that defended the part of the Gothish Office sayth he was Victor the king stroue by all meanes to take it away and hauing cast into the fire two Masse bookes the Archbishop saith it was determined that the booke of the Toledan Office and the booke of the French Office should bee cast into a great fire He saith not Masse bookes the Roman leaped out of the fire and the Gothish was not burned in it The Archbishop saith the booke of the French Office was consumed of the fire and the booke of the Toledan Office arose vp without receiuing any domage Here seest thou the maner of our aduersaries dealings To aduaunce his Catholique faith hath God no need of such lies And note that Doctour Illescas alleageth not the Archbishop from whence hee tooke this report lest his shamelesse falsifying should haue beene seene The Authour and the place which is the sixt booke the 25. and 26. chapters haue I alleaged I beseech the Reader to reade it that it may bee seene whether I or Doctor Illescas doth ly I speaking with the Guardian of S. Francis of Mexico touching this falsification of Doctor Illescaâ— It was so answered he me as Doctor Illescas said and that our booke were falsified But I brought him an old booke with the armes royall printed at Granada and shewed him the place the poore Warden was ashamed And it is to be noted as noteth D Illescas that by the command of Don Sancho 1. king of Arragon the Gothish or Mosorabish Office was least to be sayd in Arragon and the Roman Office which now is vsed brought in In S. Iohn de Pena the 21. day of March in the 1071. yeare was sayd the first Latine Masse after the manner of the Romaines The same Doctor Illescas also saith The 25. day of may in the. 1083. yeare King Don Alonso 6. wan Toledo the great Church whereof called Mesquita was consecrated the 25. of October in the 1086. yeare Thus was the Gothish office chaunged in Arragon fifteene yeares at least before it was in Castile Note ye Spaniards which thinke and beleeue the Latine Masse now sayd in Spaine to be most ancient from the time of the Apostles the first Latine Masse after the Roman maner was said in S. Iohn de Pena in the time of king Don Sancho 1. And in this yeare 1599. is no more but 528 yeares since If ye beleeue not me beleeue D. Illescas and others that say the same which I do A new thing is the Masse which plucketh from the Church the institution of Iesus Christ I meane his holy Supper God giue you grace to returne and restore it to it former place Of this change others also make mention George Cassander in the preface of his booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae saith these words But the Spaniards As they be most resolute in the institution which they haue once receiued held constantly for manie yeares the rites of their countrey Their rite was called the Rite of the Mosarabes and so was it called because the Christians mingled with
to suffer also for this faith and confession whensoeuer he pleaseth with persecution to proue vs. Concerning that which men haue of their owne heades haue inuented That the Pope is our chiefe Bishop the successour of Saint Peter the vicar of Christ God vppon earth and that as such a one he pardoneth sinnes draweth out of hell and purgatorie what soules he will and what soules hee will hee placeth in heauen And that the Masse such as now they say is a sacrifice as satisfactorie as was the death and passion of Christ None of these things doth the holy scripture teach vs it is humane inuention and diuelish lies wherwith Sathan hath long time deceiued vs. The Apostle Saint Paul willing to correct the vices brought into the holy supper of the Lord in the Church of Corinth found no better remedy but to reduce it to the originall and first institution And so 1. Cor. 11 he saith I receiued of the Lord that which I haue giuen you c. so now do we also the same We restore the supper of the Lord and celebrate it according to it first institution as the Euangelists and Saint Paul doe declare vnto vs. And if so we do thē haue they no cause to hold vs for heretikes but for good faithfull and catholike Christians and for such do we hold our selues and such we are albeit is the many imperfections the Lord pardon them vnto vs. We confesse we hold beleeue that God through the merit of Christ is our father and the holy catholike or vniuersall Apostololike and true Church whē it is ruled by the word of God in the sacred scripture of the olde and new Testament reuealed For otherwise is she no mother but a Stepmother our mother And wo to that man which shall not be son of this father and this mother We confesse hold and beleeue all that which this our mother confesseth holdeth belieueth All which is conteyned in the bookes of the old new Testament For nothing there is which we ought either to do or belieue which is not writtē in these sacred bookes Therefore will we conclude this Treatise saying That whosoeuer albeit an Angell from heauen shall preach or beliue another Gospell another Doctrine besides that which Iesus Christ and his Apostles haue taught vs all which is written in the bookes which we call the holy scripture Let such a one be accursed and execrable Let him be as saith Saint Paule Anathema Thou hast hard Christian Reader the Enormious charges wherewith we charge the Pope as touching life Doctrine But chiefly touching the superstition and Idolatrie of the Masse which the sayd Pope of himselfe without the word of God hath inuented and brought into the Church Thou hast also heard the Enormious charges where with the Pope chargeth vs. Hee accuseth vs for proud contentious and arrogant that we will know more then all the whole Church He accuseth vs for disobedient to Magistrates disturbers of common-wealthes prouinces and kingdomes he accuseth vs for schismatiques and heretiques For the which as an accuser witnes and Iudge he concludeth that we are not worthy to liue in the world But it is not sufficient to accuse Of necessity must he proue that which hee saith and so conuince the accused Come we then to the proofe let a generall Councell be assembled which may heare both parts Let it graunt to euery part freedome of speech The Councell hauing heard both sides let it iudge according to the thing alleaged and proued without respect of any person poore or rich wise or ignorant ecclesiasticall or secular Let it only haue regard of iustice equity and truth Let the part conuinced by the Testimony of holy scripture and of the fathers also and ancient Councels As be the first foure generall be subiect to the censure which the Councell shall ordayne Let the Pope and his defendors appeare personally in the Councell not as iudges because they accuse vs and we accuse them but as accusers and accused Let vs also appeare seeing we accuse them and they accuse vs. Let this Councell be called As were the foure first generall Nicen 1. the Constantinople the Ephesian and the Chalcedonian This is the onely remedie to take away the dissentions and differences which are at this day in the Church as touching life and Doctrine This remedy in times past vsed the Church in like cases In the meane time beseech we our God to moue the hartes of the Emperour Christian kinges and Princes that they may take in hand such an Enterprise for the glorie of God quietnesse of his Church By the meanes of which Enterprise vice and false Doctrine superstitition here sie and Idolatrie may be condemned And vertue and wholesome Doctrine conteyned in holie scripture confirmed But our aduersaries will say vnto mee that all this in the last Councell of Trent was concluded and that therefore another Councell is not needefull Whereunto I answere that which so often in this booke I haue sayd And chiefly vppon the life of Pope Marcellus the second That this Councell was not free Sith to none whereof was had the least suspition in the world not to bee in all and by all slaue of the Pope and sworne to the Pope was it permited to speake therein The rest which haue there sayd to this purpose and that which is sayd in the foure hundred fifty and eight and foure hundred fifty and nine pages is to be noted besides this say we that this Councel was not generall For how shall the Councel of Trent be called an Ecumenicall vniuersall or generall Councell Sith in it was not found the hundreth part of Bishoppes of Christendome And that this is truth it is euidently seene For in it were found but fiue Cardinals Three of which were legats of the Pope foure Archbishops two of which were Archbishops in title or as we call them in Spaine de anillo of the ring namely Olaus magnus intitled Archbishoppe not of Hispall but of Vpsall people of Gocia that neuer acknowledged the Pope nor the Roman Church The other named Robert Venant called Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland vnder the Crowne of England A land that as litle acknowledgeth the Pope These two poore Archbishops Paul the third maintayned giuing to Olaus 15 crownes a month and another like thing gaue he to Robert 33 Bishops were found there all of them Spaniards or Italians except only 3. Then were also found betweene priests Friars 47. diuines Of whom all al most were Spaniards or Italians Thou seest here the great nomber of bishops with which the Trident Coūcell began which by times conteyned 18 yeares In which time were holden 25 Sessions In many of which nothing was done for want of appearence in the Councel And so in the 8 Session was nothing done but that the Italians transported the Councell to Bologna aland of the popes in Italy Where was held the
had giuen him which had done him much good After they had cold him what had passed he prayed them to giue him more water then before to drinke Then cast they more water into the Porcelane where in also was the peece of the Crosse Anna Rodrigues supposing that the diseased in drinking had swallowed the same peece cast in the other the which went also to the bottome And commning to the other which stood in end in the porcelane cleaued vnto and was ioyned togither with it So that of those two was made a farre little Crosse which moued all that sawe it to very great deuotion Scarcely the second time had the sickman tasted of the water but he became whole and sound the third day also arose from his bed and went to walke through the citie Of this also was information made by the cōmandement of the most illustrious Legat. I could saith the prouincial recount also many other like things Friar Stephen de Lusignan setteth this downe for conclusion The tenne particular and principall instructions which wee draw from these maruellous effects in these letters missiue declared 1. The true he and she religious are much pleasing to God 2. Holy obedience is meritorious and charity humanity and simplicity of life 3. Virginity is a very pleasing spouse of our Lord Iesus Christ 4. It is needfull to reuerence and honor the holy Images 5. The he and she Saints of Paradise are intercessors and aduocates for vs. 6. It is needefull to acknowledge the truth of the most holy sacrament of the Altar 7. He pleaseth God which oft times receiueth so great◠sacrament 8. The gifts and graces of Iesus Christ cannot be obtained without sorrow praiers and deuotions 9. The passion and death of Iesus Christ by meanes of our owne works are profittable for vs. 10. Miracles haue euer continued in the Catholique Apostolique and Romish Church At the end of this booke of the holy Nunne was this Our holy father Sistus 5. through the deuotion and request of the most Catholique king of Spaine hath ordayned to bee made the processe of the miracles of Friar Lewes de Beltrum in Aragon one of the order of the Friars of S. Dominick to put him in the number and Catalogue of the Saints and blessed which shal be another such as this of this holy Nunne All that I haue sayd is drawne out of the french booke which Friar Stephen wrote in praise of this holy Nunne So famous was the same of this Nunnes holinesse That Cardinall Albertus of Austria sent information to Pope Sistus 5. To whom the Pope wrote this letter following translated into Latine with great ioy haue we read that thou hast procured to be written the vertues of the Prioresse of the monasterie de la Anunciada of the most holie virgin And of the great benefits which God hath shewed her we pray the diuine goodnes to make her from day to day more worthy of his grace enrich her with his heauenly gift for the glory of his name and ioy of his faithful Giuen in S. Maries at Rome with the little Ring of the fisher The 10. of September 1584. and of our Bishopdome c. Subscribed Antonio Prucha Badulini Friar Iohn de Pineca in his booke intituled Monarchia ecclesiastica printed at Salamāca by Iohn Fernādez making mentiō of the Saints that had the wounds of Christ nameth this Mary And so saith he dyed the glorious Saint Katherine of Sena in the 1380. yeare whose maruelous life wrote S. Antonius and Raimond of Capua And albeit they both say that the wounds of our redeemer were printed vpon her S. Antonius affirmeth that at the request of the Saintes they were not shewed on her bodie yet suffered shee incredible paines And Iohn Brugmano writeth that the holie virgin Saint Lyduuina receiued the woundes of the redeemer But that the virgin besought God That to avoyd the applause of the world they should bee couered And then the skinne grew and couered the woundes Lorenço Surio saith that the holie virgin Gerturd of Esten vppon good Fryday in the 1340. yeare receiued the woundes and for many dayes ranne bloud from them seuen times a day At this time it is publiquely sayd and there are pictures of her that there is a religious in Portugal of the order of Saint Dominick Which hath the woundes of our redeemer Hitherto Friar Iohn de Pineda The same author part 3. lib. 22. cap. 23. ¶ 3. affirmeth for an approued thing that their Saint Frauncis had the woundes of Iesus Christ as a little lower yee shall perceiue Concerning those which had the fiue woundes I will recount to this purpose an admirable history whereof make mention many of our aduersaries who as wel in Dutch as in Latine both in verse and prose haue written that the Dominick Friars haue alwaies holden a certaine emulation enuie hatred toward the Franciscans for both being beggers they could not well agree togither It happened tin Berne one of the 3 Cantons of the Swizers in the a thousand 5 hundred ninth yeare that the Franciscans were much more esteemed and fauoured then the Dominicks which the Dominicks perceauing much stomacked and so they consulted to find remedy for such a mischiefe Foure of the chiefe of their order came to vnderstand the causes why the Franciscans were before them preferred These two besides others which I will declare they found to bee the principall causes first that Saint Frauncis had the woundes of Christ The other the brawling Question which was betweene them and the Franciscans whether the virgin Mary was conceiued in sinne or no. The Domincans did affirme it the Franciscans denyed it For this cause the common people moued with foolish deuotion and with a zeale without knowledge much loued the Franciscans made no reckoning of the Dominicks The Dominicks then vnderstanding the cause of their so great euill the remedy which they put was this A simple Friar they tooke which they had in their couent a young frantique or holy hypocrite so deceiued him with many perswasions gaue him certaine inchaunted drinks that the small vnderstanding which he had they tooke quite from him They marke as they could the fiue wounds vpon him They made him to beleeue and he foolish also beleeued it that hee had then truly as S. Frauncis had them And here stayed they not They made him beleeue that the most holy virgin Saint Barbara and Saint Catalina de Sena appeared and reuealed great things vnto him they made him beleeue that S. Mary gaue him the red consecrated host aud that she presented him with the bloud of Christ and that she commaunded him to go the Cabildo or Senate and say that which she had commaunded giuen him in And among other things this was one that the holy virgin was conceiued in sin that for this cause they ought in no wise to permit the Franciscans to dwell in their City for that besides
better proofes For dreames and false miracles are now nothing worth The time through the mercie of God is not now as wontedly it was when the Clergie easilie deceiued the people and made them to beleeue all whatsoeuer they listed Blessed bee the Lord for the light which in our times he hath giueÌ„ vs. His Maiestie giue vs grace to draw neere vnto it For the seruant that knoweth his maisters will doth it not shall be more punished then he that knoweth it not Besides this there is nothing in these his ten instructions which hath not already in the two precedent Treatises of the Pope and of the Masse bene sufficiently confuted To them I referre my selfe Our redeemer Iesus Christ when hee beganne to preach his Gospell confirmed the same with true miracles and departing from this world as Saint Marke in the last chapter of his Gospell declareth for the same effect to confirme the Euangelicall doctrine he left to his Church the gift of working miracles This gift in the Church I would say in some of the faithfull for all had it not as witnesseth Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12. where reckoning vp the giftes of the holy Spirit and how he distrributeth them amongst other hee saith And to another are giuen the gifts of holinesse by the same Spirit To another working of miracles c. for some time continued vntill the doctrine was confirmed and then afterwards ceassed Albeit God vsing his omnipotency leaueth not sometimes to do miracles But this is extraordinary and not common as then it was The Antichristians willing to be sold for Christians pretend and doe confirme their new and false doctrine with new and false miracles of which their bookes bee full For this is the chiefe proofe wherewith they confirme their doctrine Concerning that of the fiue wounds there is no word in all the new Testament nor in any of the ancient Doctours which for the space of one thousand and two hundred yeares liued in the Church of God that any of the Apostles no not Saint Iohn the dearely beloued Disciple nor yet the holy mother of our redeemer her selfe hath had them nor euer was it said anâ—e hee or shee Saint in all this time to haue had them for so much as I remember to haue read the first that they say had them was Saint Francis and this a few yeares before his death who died in the 1226. yeare The booke of Conformities fol â— demaundeth In which of the saints haue the miraculous wounds of Christ bene imprinted The same answereth In none but in the blessed our Father Saint Frauncis As witnesseth the Romane Church and commandeth the faithfull to beleeue it Afterwardes say same that in the 1340. yeare Saint Gertrude had them And holy Ludiuina say they but know not in what yeare also had them Also they say that S. Katherine of Sena who died in the 1380. yeare And in our dayes in the 1588. yeare was a publike voice and fame that the holy Nunne of Lisbon had them For so great a truth hold they that of Saint Francis that if anie beleeue it not or doubt it for an heretike is he â—olden and as an heretike ought he to be punished So that it is now one of their new articles of faith And so Pope Gregorie did commaund it to be beleeued The same commanded Pope Alexander the fourth and saith that with his owne eyes he saw theÌ„ as in his Bull he doth witnesse Another such like Bull gaue out Pope Nicholas 3 and Pope Bendict 12. who graunted besides this to the Franciscan Friars that they should celebrate the feast of the wounds of Saint Francis All this saith the booke intituled Of the Conformities of Saint Francis with Iesus Christ A booke full of blasphemies seeing it maketh him equall with Iesus Christ proueth S. Francis with many reasonles reasons to haue bin much more excellent then S. Iohn Baptist Amongst which he setteth these downe that he conuerted many more than Iohn that he preached repentance 18 yeares instituted the order of Penance S. Iohn but 2 yeares and some what more preached Iohn receiued of the Lord the word of repentaÌ„â—e Francis receiued it of the Lord of the Pope And which is more terrible blasphemie to adde ought to the infinit power of the Lord S. Iohn was a friend of the Bridegrome The like to the Lord Iesus Christ was the blessed S. Francis In holinesse to the world was Iohn most singular In conformitie of his wouâ—ds with Christ was Francis then all men more excellent S. Iohn is aduanced into the order of the Seraphins In the same Seraphical order seat of Lucifer is placed the blessed S. Francis c. If this be not to make a mockery of Christian Religion of the maiestie of the Son of God and of the holinesse of Saint Iohn Baptist what shall bee Friar Iohn de Pineda a Friar Franciscan part 3. lib. 22. cap. 23. ¶ 3. speaking of his holy Saint Francis saith thus A few yeares before his death fasting and praying vppon the Eue of Saint Michael the Archangell he receiued in his virginall bodie the wounds of Iesus Christ by the impression of the same Iesus Christ as say Vbertino and the Maister Pisano S Francis himselfe to haue reuealed the same hauing suffered most terrible paines when they were imprinted c. He confirmeth his saying with the sayings of Vbertino and the Maister Pisano who is the Author of that blasphemous booke of Conformities They say the same Of no great credit be these two Authors as easily as they speake it with the same facility will we condemne it It is sayd of Saint Francis that he couered the wounds of S. Katherine of Sene saith Antonius that she besought God they should not be shewed vpon her body Of S. Lyduuina saith Iohn Brugmano that to auoyd the applause of the world shee besought the same at God his hands Of S. Gertrude saith Surius that for manie dayes ran bloud from them 7. times euery day But of our holy Nunne of Lisbon say the Prouinciall and Friar Lewes de Granada and it was the publike voyce and fame that she had them and shewed them that they yeelded alwayes fresh bloud wherewith shee painted the small clothes which they gaue her The Prouinciall saith that the wound of the side on certaine dayes namely the fridayes opened that certaine drops of bloud issued from the same c. Surely this was much more shamelesse than all the others Saint Francis and the rest sayd to haue the wounds liued in the times of great ignorance aswell of good letters as of true and pure Christian religion when the Roman Antichrist was absolute Lord of all swayed both swords spirituall and temporall Then was there none that durst whisper against him nor that was so bold to say vnto him thou dost wickedly but it should cost him his life or litle lesse An easie thing was it then with such
friendship the Pope secretly departed from Constance as saith Volateranus against the will of the Emp. and so came to Florence where taking his pleasure he 2 yeares remained Before he departed from Constance the Emp. and other Princes exhorted him to giue some good order for reformation of the ouermuch libertie euill customes of the Clergie Whereunto Martin answered That this was with time nature consideration to be done and for confirmation of his answere hypocritically aleaged the saying of S. Ierome that euery prouince hath it customes maners which could not sodainly be abolished without great trouble and damage How much better should he haue put his hand to the worke begun to reforme himselfe and his court of Rome To speake of reformation to the Popes is to speake or preach death vnto them And this is the cause why they cannot brook to heare tel of a Coūcel because they then know that each one tam in capite quà m in membris Aswell in the head as in the members wil begin to speake of reformation They remēber that the Councels haue deposed Popes and placed others They remember that in the Councell of Pisa celebrated in the 1410. yeare 2 Popes were deposed and Alexander elected that in the Councell of Constance in the 1416. yeare were 3 deposed and Martin chosen And in the Councell of Basil in the 1432. yeare Eugenius was deposed and Amadeus chosen For this cause would the Popes haue willingly no Councels And albeit for shame they cannot but graunt that a Councell shal be the Pope feareth as to eate poyson to be present therein but sendeth his Legats which accustomably as in the last Trident Councel which buried so many Popes and none of them appeared in the Councell was seene The Popes doe feare as before we haue said least the like to them as to the others Popes should happen in the Councels For these causes made Martin a decree that no Councel after that of Constance before 5 yeares passed should be holden after that Coūcel ten yeares should passe before another Coūcell were holden See here the reformation which the Popes desire If any Pope in maners be lesse wicked for in Doctrine be they al Antichrists in his Roman Court wisheth practiseth some reformation then doubtlesse ensueth some conspiracy against him that they giue him a morsel wherewith they dispatch him An example we haue in Celestine 5. whō his Cardinal that after him was Pope dispatched in Adrian 6. as afterward we wil declare It is said of this pope Martin that he dispensed with one to mary his own sister After 2 yeeres he went frō Florence to Rome The cause of this going was for that the pages as saith I. de Pineda sang in his disgrace a Sonet which began El Papa Martino no vale vn quatrino Martin the Pope is not worth a rope Whē he came to Rome saith Pineda his face shewed him to be quite chāged for before he was pope he was demed a man gētle simple vnwise wāting that gētlenes that was suposed to be in him was afterwards discouered to be most wise And a litle lower So scraping he was couetous a mony-gatherer that he gaue great cause of slander chiefly because what he euilly got he worse spēt c. whē he was come to Rome he gaue himself to repaire not the true Church of Iesus Christ which is his mēbers but the wals of the citie Churches he adnulled the decrees of the Popes passed in the time of the Sisme he depriued Dex Alonso king of Arragon of the kingdom of Naples gaue it to Lewes And in the 1431. yere died D. Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius 4. a Venetian after the death of Martin his predecessor was elected in Rome In so great a straite was seene this Eugenius that to saue his life being Pope be left his owne garments in a Friers habit put himselfe with his companion in a fishers boate which he found certaine Romanes which perceiued his flight cast many stones and arrowes at him In the end he scaped and went to Florence where some yeeres he abode and for his better defence made 16 Cardinals In the 1432. yeare was the Eugenius cited by the Councell of Basil But he knowing that the Councell would be aboue the Pope and that vpon appearance he should answere the exhibited accusations against him would not appeare Eugenius not appearing was deposed by the Councel Amadeus Duke of Sauoy who had made himself an Hermit and now called Felix 5. was elected in his place yet for all this would not Eugenius leaue to be pope And so to defeat the Councel of Basil hee assembled another Councel in Ferrara frō thence went to Florence Don Iohn 2. king of Castile albeit he had sent his Embassadors and learned men to the Councel of Basil yet fauored this Eugenius Eugenius incited Lewes the Dolphin of France with an host to go to Basil and breake off the Councell whereof ensued great mischief This Eugenius was the cause of the vnfortunate death of Ladislaus king of Hungarie in counselling him to breake his faith word giuen to the Turke which counsell this poore yongling but of 22 yeares tooke so set vpon the Turke when by reason of the peace betweene them he least suspected The Turke seeing this vnfaithfulnes reinforced himselfe returned vpon him In which battel the king with Cardinal Caesarinus the Popes Legate was slaine his host destroyed It hath wontedly bene argued whether faith and promise giuen to an infidell might lawfully be broken wherunto I answer that which Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 26. cap. 28. ¶ 1. to this purpose saith There is no doubt saith he but faith is to be kept aswel to an enemy albeit he be an Infidel as to a friend Christian the reason which he giueth is this because the bond to obserue it issueth from the law of nature which is indispensable God hauing bin put for witnes of the truth that each one promiseth to another c. So that Eugenius the fourth was wicked indispensing and Ladislaus was periured against God notwithstanding the Popes dispensation Wickedly did the Councel of Constance which brake faith with Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage Much better did the Emperour Don Charles who being but young of 21 yeares sent with safe conduct for Luther who appeared before the Emperour at Wormes and publikely gaue an account of his faith and the Emperor keeping with him his word sent him backe albeit the Spaniards did incite him to kill him Much better did the Captaine Mondragon in keeping the faith which he had promised to the Prince of Orange whose prisoner he was This Eugenius most cruelly burned a Frenchman called Thomas Rēdon a Carmelit for saying that in Rome were committed great abominations that the Church had need of great reformation and that
when Christs glory was in question the Popes excommunication ought not to be feared Antoninus part 3. tit 22. cap. 10. maketh mention of this Thomas And Baptista Mantuanus in the last chapter of his booke de vita beata giueth him an honorable testimonie calling him holy and a martyr This Eugenius as reporteth Platina was verie vnconstant in his life In the beginning of his popedome guided by euill counsell he troubled things diuine and humane This Eugenius celebrated a Councell in Florence to match with that which was holden at Basil He compelled in this Florentine Councell Iosephus the good Patriarke of Constantinople to translate the bible after the vulgar latin editiō which is that which the Roman Church approueth into Greeke that this translation might among the Grecians as the other among the Latines be esteemed In many things did the Greekes conforme themselues in this Councell with the Latines but could in no wise be induced to admit of transubstantiation notwithstanding did the Councell and Pope allow them for faithful as speaking of Transubstantiation in the Treatise of the Masse we will hereafter declare After he had bene Pope almost 16 yeares in the 1446. yeare he died This Eugenius as is reade in the 16. and 17. Sessions of the Councell of Basil declared the same Councell to haue bene and from the beginning to be lawfully assembled and so adnulled reuoked the Buls geuen out to dissolue it Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Felix 5. is not accounted of the Papists for Pope In the Councel of Basil he was chosen after that Eugenius who wold not leaue to be Pope was deposed The 30. Sisme was this 9 yeres endured in which time al Christendom was deuided into 3 parts some were for Eugenius others for Felix others were Neuters which neither tooke the one part nor the other Such as tooke part with Felix said the Councell to be aboue the Pope and those of Eugenius part denied it when Eugenius was dead those of his part chose Nicholas 5. in whose time and the 1447. yeere Felix 5. renounced so the Sisme ceased For this renunciation Nicholas 5. to stop his mouth from further barking made him Cardinall of S. Sabina and Legate in Almaine and Fraunce Iulianus Taboecius in the genealogie of the Dukes of Sauoy proclaimeth this Amadeus for a Cannonicall Pope and holy man Two yeres after he had renounced and in the 1449. yeere died Felix Don Iohn 2. reigned in Castile Eugenius being dead Nicolas 5. was made Pope who in one selfe same yere was Bishop Cardinal Pope He gaue the Hat to Amadeus which renounced the popedom He celebrated the Iubile in the yeere 1450. Boniface as in his life we haue said was the first inuenter of this Iubile frō 100 to 100 yeres These Iubilees the Popes did willinglie celebrate for the great profit therof arising Of this Iubile it is reported that as the people vpō a time came from Vaticano to the citie they encountred a Mule of Cardinall Barbo And when the number was verie great of cōmers goers stumbled vpon the vnhappy Mule which with the multitude was fallen to the ground ouer whom fell many more that it seemed they plaied the play which children vse called Crescael monton more sacks on the Mill and cast one vpon another so great was the presse that 200 men were squized stifled with the waight And for that this hap befel as they cal it on Adrians bridge others fell into the riuer See here the effect of foolish zeale without discretiō or true religion For how many of these had it bin better to haue staied and wrought in their houses for maintenance of thē their wiues children But S. P. Q. R. Stultus populus quaerit Romam to wit foolish people go to Rome but the wise abide at home The Turk in the time of this Pope took the most noble city of Constantinople This Pope was much giuen to drink and edifie not soules but wals Platina recounteth his buildings He approued that which the Basile an Councell and Felix the fift had done and also admitted the Cardinals which Felix had created In the 1455. yeare died Nicholas In which selfe same yeare or a little before died Don Iohn 2. king of Castile In whose time liued Iohn de Mena the Spanish Poet as appeareth by the beginning of his poesie which he dedicated saying To the most potent Iohn c. Calistus 3. a naturall Spaniard of Valencia in Aragon before he was Pope called Alonso de Boria who studied and read the Lecture in Lerida an Vniuersite of Spaine was a most learned Cannonist When he was Pope all his care he bent to make warre with the Turks For which cause he sent many Echacueruos or deceiuers in Spaine so commonly called to preach his mockeries pardons and incited against the Turke the Armenians Persians he caused certaine countreymen to be strangled for that they mocked at his mockeries and Buls he commanded that none should appeale from the Pope to the Councell and more of these things would he haue done had he longer liued Ouer much libertie he gaue to his Nephewes and chiefly to Rodrigo de Boria whom he made his Chancellor and which afterwards was Alexander 6. Calistus for very age in the 1458. yere died In whose time Don Henry 4. reigned in Castile Pius 2. before called Eneas Syluius was a Notary Apostolike in the Councell of Basil In his Orations and Epistles he spake against the authoritie of Pope Eugenius but after he was made Pope he changed his copie When he was Pope he treated of making warre against the Turke but nothing did because he speedily died He wrote two excellent bookes of that which was debated in the Councell of Basil which when he was pope he endeuored what he might to hide and obscure as vnwilling to remember what before he had written for he pretended ambitious as he was to magnify greatly aduance his authority papall Estella Veneto speaking of him saith that they neuer saw him feare either kings Captains or tyrants he tooke part with D. Fernado bastard son of D. Alonso whō dispossessing Iohn the son of king Renato with force of armes he made king of Naples He excommunicated Sigismund Duke of Austria because he chastised for his robberies his Cardinal Nich. Cusanus He excommunicated Gregorie of Hamburg a most learned lawyer He tooke from Dirtherus Enseburgus the Archbishopricke of Maguncia put in his place Adulphus de Nassao because he thought euill as he said of the Roman Church The chiefe causes of the deposing of Dirtherus was for that he constantly opposed himselfe to the Popes vniust exactions wherewith they robbed the prouinces vnder pretence of war against the Turke This Pius made a young man bishop because he was nephewe of the duke of Burgonie and brother of the duke