g Elizabeth in her 2. booke of Visions chapter 18. Woe be vnto you Hypocrites which hide the Gold and the Siluer to wit the Word of God and the Law of the Lord which is more pretious then eyther Gold or Siluer but howsoeuer yee seeme vnto men religious and innocent you are full of craftinesse and vncleannesse And lib. 3. cap. 14. Christ saith therefore Your Religion doth accuse you before mee Their Saint Katherine saith thus also of the Romish Clergie h Katherine of Siene in a prayer of hers The religious Orders are become the weapons or souldiers of the Deuill corrupting Religion inwardly in themselues and outwardly in the secular sort and Laitie And a little after she saith The Laitie and secular persons are seduced and deceiued by their blinde guides which are alas ignorant Idiots Their Saint Hildegard saith i Hildegard in her second booke of Sciuias I saw in a vision a monstrous blacke Head in the Church with fierie eyes an Asses eares a Lyons nosthrils with a mouth breathing out the furie of vnlawfull fire with the vnpleasant noyse of contradiction among Men whereby the white puritie of true Religion is obscured and diminished in the children of the Church Abbot Ioacham saith k Ioacham vpon the first and second chapter of Ieremie The infancie of Salomon representeth vnto vs the zeale of the Primitiue Church and his olde age signifieth or shadoweth out the present corrupt state of the Church and that as Salomon in his olde age fell into Idolatrie so hath the Church of Rome done Againe vpon the seauenteenth chapter of Saint Iohns Reuelation he saith * Vpon the 17 of the Reuelation The very Text it selfe doth teach that the Woman begilded with Gold and which committeth spirituall Fornication with the Princes of the Earth is the verie Church of Rome which Babylon like playeth spiritually the Whore with Stockes and stones To be briefe whereas their Robertus a Dominican Frier l Robertus Gallus a Frier in his 5.6 and 8. Sermon affirmeth the Pope to be the great and head Idol of the Romish Church whom the first part of our first Chapter sheweth plainely the Church of Rome holdeth to be a celestiall God and that their Saint Bridgit saith in the person of God m Bridgit in her 4. Booke chap. 133. They make an Idol of mee What fall can possibly be in Religion then to make the arch-Idol of the world God and the God of all worlds an Idol 16 Lastly concerning the fourth poynt which hath three diuisions The first concerneth the falling from God The second from Christ The third from the true Church Which because the three former hath in part proued a generall Apostacie I will but briefely touch Their Saint Bridgit saith as it were in the person of God n Bridgit ibidem Israel doth now neglect mee that is to say saith hee the Priests and they loue another God For they loue as I said before the golden Calfe c. Moreouer they make an Idol of mee and shut vpon mee lest I should enter o In her 135. chapter Thus doe these cursed Priests by mee And a little after I call them to mee as the Bridegroome doth his Bride or the Husband his wedded Wife I doe all I can but the more that I call them the further they goe from me Ioacham sheweth that the whole Clergie of Rome is so farre falne from God that as he saith p Ioacham vpon the first and second chapter of Ieremie They haue chosen the Deuill for God 17 Touching the second deuision Their Mathilde a Prophetesse thus exclaimeth against the Romish Clergie saying q Mathilde in a Prophesie of hers They are falne away from Christ and become rauening Wolues deuouring and cutting the throats of Christs Sheepe Ioacham Abbas saith r Ioacham vpon the 1. and 2. chap. of Iere. The Church of Rome like vnto another Tribe hath departed from Christ Hating all such as their S. Bridgit saith Å¿ Bridgit in her 1. Booke 56 chap. as walke in his wayes Yea and as in another place she saith of Pope Gregorie then t Lib. 4. cap. 142. Hee hateth Christ hee robbeth him of his sheepe hee plucketh them violently out of his hand and sendeth them to Hell fire By which the case is made cleare that all that are wonne to the Pope are lost from Christ And as Ioacham in that place before cited shewed the Church of Rome to be so farre falne from God as that she chose the Deuill for God so in the same place he sheweth that she is so far falne from Christ that she hath chosen Antichrist for Christ 18 Now for the third deuision concerning the falling from the true Church their Robertus bringeth in Christ thus repr ouing the Romish Church for falling away from the true and antient Christian Church v Frier Robertus in his 12. Sermon Daughter of Babylon saith he thou art estranged from thy mother my Doue that bare thee and art gone after gold and siluer and precious ornaments Like an adultresse thou hast forsaken mee and hast ioyned thy selfe vnto strangers Thou liest prostrate and such as are pleased to play the whoore repaire vnto thee And in the same Sermon in the person of Christ hee saith Ibidem Why haue the children of my Doue departed from mee and are become blacke They are become estranged by abandoning the simplicity of their mother Againe in the same Sermon Ibidem hee calleth the Clergie of Rome A disloyall generation and the adultrous sons of Christs Doue And in his thirty two Sermon the Lord saith thus vnto him * 2â— Sermon All the children of my beloued sauing onely a few shall play the Apostates And in his twentie one Sermon the Lord saith thus to the whole Clergy of Rome This mine house shall be destroyed because of you which make the children of my beloued to play the Apostates And this is it which Ioacham fore-tolde where hee sayth * Ioacham vpon the seauentâ—enth chapter of the Reuâ—laâ—tion The Lord shall stirre vp as it were with an hissing voyce the French men and Germanes to conspire against the Church which hath played the Apostate in the person of the warrefaring Popes who with their Clergie and their adherents as a prophecie had out of the Abbot of Clunies Library sayth x In an olde booke shall fight against the true Church Also the Abbot Ioacham painteth out one most cruell Pope which hee sayth y Ioacham in his 9. Prediction Shall wound and scourge with most cruell stripes the most meeke Lambe opening his mouth against Christ the Lord and darkening the Starres of heauen Wherefore saith Saint Bridgit to the Pope z Bridgit in her 6. booke of her Reuelation 26 chapter The King for whom thou doest pray ought to assemble and call a Councell of spirituall men such as are wise through my
during those fiery fiue moneths mentioned in the 5. Reuelat. 9.5 verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation which some of the learned doe interpret to be those last 500. yeeres before Luthers time in which Antichrist was growne vp to his full height and power and euen then did God stirre vp a great company of corragious Champions to withstand the Pope and openly and boldly to write speake and preach against him and his proceedings till well towards the rising of Luther a great part of which we will now produce as they thus follow in particular 3 About the yeare of our Lord 1158. which was almost foure hundred yeares before Luthers daies Garhardus and Dulcinus Nauarenses did earnestly preach against the Church of Rome and taught that the Pope is Antichrist that the Clergie and Prelates of Rome were reiected and were become the very whore of Babylon prefigured in the booke of the Reuelation These as the histories doe testifie came into England The two witnesses as they follow are sayd to be two because thâ—y bear witnesse to the two TestameÌ„ts and brought certaine others with them who were by the King and the Prelaetes burned in the foreheads and sent out of the Realme and afterwards were put to death by the Pope In the yeare 1160. * Waldus Waldus one of the chiefe Magistrates of the Citie of Lyons in Fraunce was terrified at the sight of one that fell downe dead suddenly he shewed great fruits of repentance both by exercising the workes of mercie in relieuing the poore and also by instructing himselfe and his family in the word of God and in exhorting all that resorted vnto him to the same and by translating certaine places of Scriptures into the French tongue which he declared vnto many He and a great number that receiued instructions by him maintained the same doctrine drawne out of the holy Scriptures which we doe now condemning the Masse to be wicked the Pope to bee Antichrist and Rome to be Babylon c. They were threatned and by violence of persecution scattered into many places and some of them remained long in Bohemia In the yeare 1212. An hundred burned in one day the Pope caused an hundred persons in the Country of Alsatia whereof diuers of them were Noble men to be burned in one day for maintaining doctrine against the Romish Church About the yeare of Christ 1230. The Graecians renounced the Church of Rome almost all the Church of the Graeciaens renounced the Church of Rome because of their execrable Simony and such like abominable wickednesse In the time of the Emperour Frederike the second about the yeare 1240. there was in the Countrey of Sweuia many Preachers which preached freely against the Pope and his Prelates affirming that they were Heretiques Simonackes and such like About the yeare 1250. rose vp Arnoldus de nona villa a Spaniard Arnoldus a man famously learned and a great Writer hee impugned the errours of the Popish Church and taught Guilielmus that the Pope led the people to hell About the same time Guilielmus de sancto Amore a maister of Paris and chiefe ruler of that Vniuersitie applied all the testimonies of Scripture which are touching Antichrist against the Popish Clergie About the yeare 1290. Laurence an Englishman Laurence and a maister of Paris mightily proued the Pope to be Antichrist and the Synagogue of Rome to be Babylon the Pope after his death caused his bones to bee taken vp and burned Robert Gallus At the same time Robert Gallus a man of noble parentage impugned the Pope of Rome and his Clergie calling the Pope an idol Robert Grostid Also about the same time Robert Grostid Bishop of Lincolne a man famously learned in three tongues wrote diuers Inuectiues against the Pope prouing him to be an heretike after his death the Pope would haue had his bones digged vp but was terrified by a Vision About the yeare 1350 the Lord raised vp diuers learned men Gregory Arminensis which openly and boldly impugned the Pope and the Church of Rome Gregory Arminensis who layed open the abuses of the Romish Synagogue and confuted the Popish doctrine of free-will In Germany a Preacher taught likewise Petracha Franciscus Petracha at the same time called Rome The whoore of Babylon the Sanctuary of heresie and Schoole of errour Johannes derupe Scissa And a little before that Iohannes derupe Scissa was cast into prison for rebuking the Popish Prelates for their detestable enormities and for that hee called the Church of Rome The Whoore of Babylon the Pope the Minister of Antichrist and the Cardinalls false Prophets And being in prison hee wrote a booke prophecying of the afflictions which hanged ouer the heads of the Romish Clergie Couradus Hager Also there was maister Conradus Hager who taught more then twenty yeares against the Masse hee was afterwards shut vp in prison Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Petrus de Carbona Iohannes de Poliaco Also one Gerardus Ridder wrote a booke against the Monkes and Friers which he entituled Lachrime ecclesiae About the same time Michaell Cesenas and Petrus de Corbona and Iohannes de Poliace were condemned by the Pope and his adherents The said Michaell wrote a booke against the pride tyrannie and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome Babylon That whoore drunke with the blood of the Saints He left behind him many followers of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope and some of them were burned Two Friers About the same time two Friers were put to death in Auinion for matters which they had against the Pope one of them was called Iohannes Rochetailiada who did preach that the Church of Rome is Babylon the Pope and Cardinalls Antichrist About the yeare 1360. was set forth a writing against the Pope and his Clergie The Plowmans complaint Armachanus called the Complaint of the plow man About the same time Armachanus an Archbishop in Ireland was raised vp against Antichrist he was a man of great learning and godlinesse his troubles were many and his deliuerances great by Gods prouidence In the yeare of Christ 1364. Nicolas Orme Nicolas Orme preached a Sermon before the Pope and his Cardinalls in which he rebuked the Popish Prelates and affirmed their destruction not to be farre off About the yeare 1370. liued Mathew Parisiensis a Bohemian Math. Parisiensis who wrote a large booke of Antichrist and noteth the Pope to be the same About the yeare 1384. Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Nilus wrote also a large booke against the Romaine Church About the yeare 1390. many were put to death for the Gospell refusing the doctrine and worship of the Church of Rome as at Bringa there were burned sixe and thirty Citizens of Maguntia Many put to death for refusing the Romish religion In the prouince of Narbone there
Church And bid them now bragge of the visibilitie of their Church and of the standing state it alwaies had since it was a Church because thou canst not deny it them but withall giue them to vnderstand that euen thereby is our Church proued that true Church which the Angel in that chapter foretold should be driuen from home and dispierced abroad and theirs to be the tyrannicall and persecuting Church which should driue it out of her Countrie And thus much for the prouing when their Church first began and how farre it did extend it selfe as also the first beginning of vniuersall Popes to bee sixe hundred and sixe yeares after Christ whereby both their antiquitie and vniuersalitie is vtterly ouerthrowne Now to the conclusion of all 8 Forasmuch as we which now are distinguished from them by the title of Protestants confesse that in this their Romish iurisdiction we had no Church left at the rising of Luther they demaund of vs from whence our Bishops had their callings and how our Ministers which they haue ordained euer since can haue lawfull callings seeing there was then no Protestant Bishops to ordaine them neither that by the Apostles euer any Christians had that title giuen them We answer For the title Protestant wee stand not vpon for wee graunt that in the time of the Apostles there was not any Christians called by that name no more then there was any called by that name Catholique The onely title proper to the professours of Christ was giuen by the Apostles in the Citie of Antioch which was to be called Christians as appeareth in the 11. of the Acts of the Apostles but afterwards when as counterfait professours of Christ as the Arians Macedonians Eunâ—nians were growne to be Sectaries and Heretiques and each of them to challenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church There was another sort in Rome called Homousians which were indeede of the true Church these to distinguish themselues from those counterfait Christians intituled themselues Christian Catholiques Whereupon as Socrates testifieth k Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. that worthie Prince Theodosius hearing thereof caused these foure sorts of Christians to be brought before him and euery Sect to bring their seuerall opinions in writing which when hee and his Bishops there assembled had throughly pervsed and examined he tore in pieces the Papers of the three Heretiques and approued onely of the Homousians finding it onely to agree with the Doctrine of the Scriptures And thereupon made this Decree All people subiect to our Empire How and when the name Catholique was giuen to Christians we will haue to continue in that Religion which Saint Peter the Apostle deliuered to the Romans as the faith kept from his time to this day doth declare and the which it is euident Bishop Damassus and Peter Bishop of Alexandria a man of Apostolique sanctitie doe professe to wit that according to the Apostolique and Euangelique Doctrine wee beleeue one Godhead of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of like maiestie in sacred Trinitie The obseruers of this Law we commaund to be taken for Christian Catholiques the rest as mad and frantike we adiudge to beare the reproach of Heretiques which must looke to feele first the vengeance of God and next such penalties as the motion of our hearts directed from aboue shall appoynt And this was about two hundred yeares before the Papists had a Church therefore this act being done onely in our Church it is without all contradiction we onely must needs be of that sort of Christians vnto whom the title Catholique was then giuen and consequently of the true and most auncient Catholique and Apostolique Church So likewise afterwards when as the West part of the Church did vnder the title of Christian Catholiques professe Christ after an Antichristian manner then certaine true Christians withstanding them protested a contrary manner of Christian profession agreeable to the auncient Catholique Faith and Religion and by their protesting did distinguish themselues from that counterfait companie which they then saw as we now haue declared at large in our former Chapters were cleane swarued from the true Faith and Religion And from thence we following their true Faith and religion retain the same title to distinguish our selues from our most counterfait Christian Catholiques But would God both these new titles were laid away and that both sorts might be called by their owne proper titles to wit Christians and Antichristians for so the Church of Christ should the better be knowne from the Church of Antichrist 9 Now for the lawfulnesse of our Bishops callings wee say that when the time drew neere that the Gospel which Antichrist had suppressed in the Romish iurisdiction should be set vp againe according to that old Romish prophesie intituled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis written I know not how many hundred yeares agoe bearing that after the yeare of Christs Incarnation 1534. In an olde Booke Good Law good Religion good peace together with Faith Truth and sound Doctrine should returne againe into the World in their proper shape and true likenesse then about that time when by the meanes of that man of Cod Luther some Bishops were conuerted to true Christianitie againe and that others had time to conuerse with them concerning the present necessitie of electing and ordaining Christian Ministers then they entered by the olde ordinances of those Christian Bishops which were before Poperie was and so ordained ministers by the rules and authoritie of the first Apostolicke order which had alwaies continued in those other parts of our Churches which as wee shewed were neuer members of the Popish Church For otherwise had they not bin first conuerted they and all the Ministers which they haue ordained should haue been the seruants of Antichrist euen as those were before and at this day are which haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope For so their S. Bernard speaking of Bishops and Ministers which haue their calling from and by the Popes ordination saith l Bernard supra cant Serm. 33. They serue Antichrist Also their Albertus Magnus saith m Albert in Jehn 10. They bee the Ministers of Antichrist and the vnderminers of the flocke of Christ. And therefore whether it be likely that our Ministers which be ordained by Bishops of an ordinarie calling from the Apostles of Christ haue lawfull callings or such as haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope let the Christian Reader iudge And the more to inlighten his iudgement and better discerning the truth hereof let him consider these fruits and effects of their calling Their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus complayning of the Romish Clergie n Bridgit lib. 1. cap. 56. They faine themselues to be mine and in the meane time they worke wickedly against mee Their Saint Elizabeth bringeth in Christ thus reporting of them o Elizabeth against the corruptions of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They that walk vnder my name doe not feare to
the Countrey why should we thinke otherwise of such now or that Bellarmines consequence can be true That the Bishop of Romes superioritie was euer aboue all 6 About the yeare of Christ 325. the first general Councell was holden by three hundred and eighteene Bishops at Bethynia in the citie of Nice which Councell finding the Bishop of Rome to intrude himselfe vpon the iurisdiction of the Patriarkes of Antioch and Alexandria to preuent his proceeding made this Decree e Nicen Councell Cannon 6. Let the old custome be of force which is in Aegypt Libia and Pentipolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue authoritie ouer all these because the Bishop of Rome obserueth the like custome Whereby wee see that as the Bishop of Rome did gouerne his owne Patriarkedome and would not suffer his fellowes to incroch vpon his right no more would this Councell suffer him to doe vpon theirs but that euen according to the old and ancient custome their priuiledges should be like to his And hereof it is which Ruffinus who liued about the same time wrote thus f Ruffinus of the Histories of the Church lib. 1. cap. 6. It was decreed in the Councell of Nice that in Alexandria and in Rome the olde custome should be kept that the Bishop of Alexandria should rule ouer Aegypt and the Bishop of Rome ouer the Churches of his suburbes And yet more largely it is thus expounded by Nilus g Nilus in his Booke of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome That it may the more plainly appeare that the Pope hath no gouernment ouer all other Churches reade the sixt Cannon of the Councell of Nice there it is expresly commanded that the Bishop of Alexandria shall haue the rule ouer certaine Churches and the Bishop of Rome ouer certaine and the Bishop of Antioch ouer certaine and that it should not be lawfull for any one of them to inuade anothers iurisdiction if any one not content with his owne craue dominion ouer others he ought of right to be called a breaker of the customes and also of the holy Cannons 7 Now then forasmuch as the first of all the generall Councels reduced the Bishop of Rome to his first order and thereby hedged him in to rule onely his owne Patriarkedome how is that true which Bellarmine affirmeth namely that all Councels and Fathers throughout the Christian World euer approued of the Popes vniuersall supremacy Yea or how can that be true which is so common among them namely that this Councell gaue that prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome to be vniuersall Father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the Mother of all Christian Churches seeing that great Diuine Athanasius who as some write sate as chiefe in that Councell saith h Athanas ad solitarium vita Magentes Rome is the Mother of the Romish iurisdiction Nay seeing their owne great Doctor Master Harding saith as expresly i Harding Apologie c. 23. Diuision 2. Rome is the mother of the west Churches If but of the Romish or West Churches then not vniuersally of all Wherefore this proueth Bellarmines alligation most vntrue that all the Christian World ouer the Pope was euer held to be supreame head of all Christian Bishoppes and Rome the vniuersall mother of all Christian Churches And the rather because Aeneas Syluius a little before he was Pope Pius the second wrote these plaine and expresse words k Aenâ—as Siluius Epist 288. Before the Councell of Nice euery Bishop liued seuerally to himselfe a little regard was there then had of the Church of Rome 8 About the yeere of Christ 379. the second generall Councell was holden by 150. Bishops in the City of Constantinople where for the conseruing each Patriarkes priuiledges and other Bishops rights it was thus decreed l Councell of Constantinople cap. 2. Let not the Bishops which haue their seuerall Diocesse incroch vpon the Churches that are without their bonds neither let them confound their Churches but according to the Cannons let the Bishop of Alexandria gouerne onely those things that are in Aegypt and let the East gouerne onely the East and let the Church of Antioch retaine her dignity declared in the Nicone Synod Vpon which decree Socrates writeth thus m Socrat. lib. hist eccl 3. They confirmed the faith deliuered by the Nicene Synod and they appointed Patriarkes in the described Prouinces that Bishops being placed and set ouer a certaine Diocesse might not thrust themselues into other mens charges And a little after Notwithstanding reseruing to the Church of Antioch the chiefe degree of honour and dignity Therefore most vntrue is it that all Councels and Fathers granted the Bishop of Rome to be supreame head of all Bishops or Rome to haue the chiefe degree of dignity aboue all Churches 9 About this time liued Saint Hierome who because he saw many flatterers to ascribe vnto the Bishop of Rome to be the alone Apostolicall successour and the Bishops themselues to haue made a custome of vsurping authority ouer their fellowes and to challenge a more excellency of dignitie he wrote thus against their arrogancy n Hierome to Euagrius Neither riches nor pouerty maketh a Bishop higher or lower all Bishops are of one worthinesse and all the Apostles successours What bring you me the custome of Rome being but one City if we seeke for authority the whole World is greater then the City of Rome Now then if this worthy Priest of Rome yoaked all Bishops of the World in equality of dignity with the Bishop of Rome and affirmeth that all Bishops are the Apostles successours as well as he how can the consequent of Bellarmines assertion be true that all Councels and Fathers all the Christian World ouer euer approued of the Popes singular supremacy and acknowledged him to be the alone Apostolike successour 10 About the yeere of Christ 383. liued Saint Augustine who finding the Bishop of Rome to goe about to draw all appeales vnto himselfe and the multitude to begin to flocke vnto him for the redresse thereof he with the assent of 216. Bishops in the Councell of Affrica made this decree o Concilij Affrica cap. 9.2 If any doe appeale to tribunals abroade let none within Affrica receiue him to communion And this is that whereof Saint Cyprian an hundred yeeres before Saint Augustines dayes in the Councell of Affrica reprehended the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the fifth Section Againe when as the Bishop of Rome had begun to take and receiue proud and haughty titles and other of the Patriarkes to follow in the same Councell wherein Saint Augustine was present it was thus decreed p The third Councell â—6 Cannon Let not the Bishops of any of the first Seas be called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or by any other like name but onely a Bishop of a first Sea And how then is the consequence of Bellarmines assertion true that all Councels and Fathers all the World ouer euer
which the gates of hell should not preuaile 8 Furthermore if Peter had beene that Rocke against which the power of the Deuill should not haue preuailed how was it that Saint Paul found him a desembler in Religion for which himselfe saith Gala. 2. Gala. 2.11.12.13 hee reproued him before all men in the Citie of Antioch Also if he had been that Rock against which the power of hell should not preuaile whence was it then that hee became an Apostata by cursing himselfe if euer he knew Christ and by denying him with an oathe Matth. 26.72.73.74 Therefore it is euident hee was not that maine Rocke against which the Gates of hell should not preuaile nor on which Christ said he would build his Church yea the very expresse words of the Text declareth that he did not meane vpon Peter for the words are not vpon thee Matth. 16.18 but vpon this Rocke That is saith Saint Augustine q August in his 3. Sâ—r. vpon Matthew vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church I will build thee vpon mee and not mee vpon thee for men willing to build vpon men said I hold of Paul I am of Apollo and I holde of Peter But others that would not build vpon Peter but vpon the Rocke said I holde of Christ And this interpretation of Saint Augustine their Doctor Beda so approueth of r Beda vpon the 1. Cor. the first chap. that in his interpretating the same words hee obserueth Augustines words verbatim Likewise their Docter Haymo thus expoundeth the same words Å¿ Haymo of Peter and Paul Because saith he thou hast professed mee truely to be the sonne of the liuing God vpon this Rocke that is vpon me whom thou hast confessed to be the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church Thus then wee see that Christ himselfe is that Rocke on which hee said hee would build his Church and not Peter And the rather because it is not any where found in all the Scriptures that the power of hell did euer any way preuaile against him but may euidently be proued it did more preuaile against Peter then against any other of all the Apostles therefore it is without all contradiction that Christ himselfe is that maine Rocke yea the same on which Saint Hierome witnesseth Peter himselfe did helpe to build the Church For he complaining how the Christian Doctrine was then in his time corrupted in Rome said t Hierome idem aduersus Iouianum Was there none other place in all the World to receiue this voluptuous Doctrine but that which Peters preaching had built on the Rocke Christ Declaring thereby that Christ was that maine Rocke and not Peter 1. Cor. 3.11 And therefore it was that Saint Paul 1 Cor. 3.11 speaking of the maine Rocke or Foundation concludeth hereof thus Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ 9 But heere now perhappes they will obiect and say Did not Christ say to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a Rocke or a Stone We answere Hee did For if wee speake of the Ministeriall foundation no man can deny but that Peter was therein a Rocke or a Stone as the Prophets and the other Apostles were for that Saint Paul speaking of the ministeriall foundation Ephesians 2.20 saith plainely Ephes 2.20 It is built to wit the Church vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone But in that hee bringeth in Christ among them and ascribeth vnto him onely the prerogatiue of singularitie it is cleare that euen in the ministeriall foundation hee allowed none singular but Christ alone And therefore that prerogatiue of singularitie which the Pope would claime by right from Peter is euen flat forgery and a foolish fantasie 10 I am not ignorant what a shuffling they keepe with Saint Hierome to proue Peter one singular in the ministeriall foundation but if it be possible for any man to speake plainer words to the contrary then these let the Reader iudge v Hieron lib. 1. aduersus Iouian Yee will say said hee the Church is founded vpon Peter notwithstanding in another place the same thing is done vpon all the Apostles and all receiued the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is founded equally vpon them all And hereof it is which Saint Origen saith * Origen in 16. Matth. tract 1. If onely vpon Peter thou thinke the whole Church to be built what wilt thou say to Iohn and euery of the Apostles And a little after For if this speech To thee will I giue the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen be common to all why then should not all that which goeth before and that which followeth after as spoken to Peter be common to them all By which we see plainly that seeing Peter is not a Singular in the Ministeriall foundation the Pope very vniustly challengeth that prerogatiue from him 11 Sixtly they say For Peter the prayer was made as though Christ had not praied aswel for the other Apostles as for him But for the blowing away of this miste I referre the Reader to the seauenteenth chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell where he shall see that Christ prayed as well for all the other Apostles as for Peter whereupon it was that Saint Augustine wrote thus against those Heretikes of his time x Augustine in his first booke of his quâ—stion vpon the Old and New Testament the 75 question Did Christ pray but for Peter and not for Iames and Iohn It is manifest that all the Apostles were meant in Peter because in another place hee saith I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me and I will that where I am they may be also 12 Lastly they say thus Peter had an ordinary power from whence all the other Apostles receiued their power and authority For answere whereof and for breuitie sake I am compelled also to referre the Reader to these places of Scripture Iohn 20.21.22.23 Matth. 18.18.19 and 10.5.6.7.8 and 28.18.19.20 Iohn 14.26 Acts 2.1.2.3 which doth plainely proue that all the Apostles in generall and euery particular of them receiued their power and authority immediately from Christ as Peter himselfe did And hence it was that Saint Cyprian knitteth vp the conclusion thus y Cyprian of the simplicitie of Prelates Christ gaue to all his Apostles like and equall power and authority And where then was that ordinary power of Saint Peter that the Pope should challenge from him that prerogatiue to haue a singular power and principalitie to giue power and authoritie to all Bishops Pastours and Ministers iust no where to be found For albeit our Sauiour Christ seeing Peter so forwards aboue the rest and fore-seeing also how prone ready he was to
THE POPES deadly Wound Tending to resolue all men in the Chiefe and principall Points now in controuersie betweene the Papists and Vs. Written by T. C. and published by Master Doctor BVRGES now Preacher to the English troopes in the Pallatinate 2 TIMOTH Chap. 3. Verse 8.9 As Iannes and Iambres withstood MOSES so doe these also resist the Truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the Faith But they shall preuaile no longer for their madnesse shall be euident to all men as theirs was REVELAT Chap. 18. Verse 2. It is fallen it is fallen Babilon the great Citie and is become the habitation of Deuils and the holde of all foule spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull Bird. REVELAT Chap. 14 Verse 9.10 If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God LONDON Printed by T. S. for Nath. Newberie and are to be sould at the signe of the Starre vnder S. Peters Church in Corne-hill and in Popes-head-Alley 1621. To the Christian Reader HEE that vndertakes to commend another mans writings vnto the view and reading of men aduentures his owne reputation therein as Merchants doe their stocke in other mens ships And there be two sorts of men that doe and may aduenture more boldly then others either goods or credit First such as haue so much to spare as that the losse of their aduenture will not pinch them or such as haue so little to aduenture as no losse can hurt them much Yet is there a middle sort that doe aduenture in hope of good returnes J take my selfe a man not vtterly desperate yet of poore estate knowing nothing in my selfe that might procure respect vnto another mans writings vnlesse perhaps my acquaintance with many men of sundry places the purchase of my troublesome pilgrimage or the louing fauour which God of his goodnesse hath giuen mee with many far beyond my worth But if I had more reputation in the Church of God and my Countrey then euer J shall haue I would not feare to aduenture all mine owne praises in the praise of this little Booke and the Author thereof The Author thereof Master Thomas Clarke one of my parishoners in Sutton-Coldfield I know to be a man of much grauity piety and honesty for one of his sort to be admired for his vnwearied paines in reading such Authors as hee could gathering out of them the pith of their discourses or disputes and labouring to improue all not onely to the setling of his owne iudgement but also to the staying and satisfying of others popishly inclined by conference or by writing wherein also his successe hath exceeded the haruest of many other men better languaged and more learned then be Touching this his booke it is true that onely the moulding of the Arguments against Popery is his owne fitter perhaps for the vulgar sort then more exquisite pieces The matter it selfe is to be found in the writings of our learned Countreymen dispersed in large or many bookes whereof some are not so easie to be had But here is compiled and compacted together in this popular forme and in a stile so farre as I can iudge neither curious nor dissolute but well becomming the man and the matter The end and ayme of this good man I perswade my selfe to be honest and holy not applause of men nor gaine of money but a true desire to informe his countreymen that cannot or will not heare often or reade much in the knowledge of the truth which detayning or reclayming them from Popery or confirming them in true religion established in our Land might yeeld them better Christians better Subiects better Neighbours Many haue long called for this Booke vpon sight of some part of it or report of others these I suppose will gladly reade it such as neuer heard of it or of the man may please to make a tryall whether or no they may finde in it that which may refresh the memory of learned and diligent men in much breuity or bring light vnto the ignorant with as much perspicuity which is I confesse my opinion of the Booke God quicken vp our hearts to more zeale for the Gospell and against popery the zeale whereof in our aduersaries should prouoke vs to more zeale or will condemne vs though it helpe not them God also blesse this good old-Man that hath spent himselfe for common good aad blesse all meanes that may any way aduance the Kingdome of our Lord Iesus whether the scepter of Gouernement the sword of Warre the preaching of the Gospell or Pen or Print of wel-aduised and wel-affected persons Farewell Thine to serue thee in the Lord IOHN BVRGES Parson of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire and now Preacher to the English troopes in the seruice of the KING of Bohemia for the defence of the Pallatinate vnder the command of Sr. Horatio Veere Knight Lord General THE PREFACE TO the Christian Reader WEE reade Christian Reader in the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians 2. cap. 3 verse of a generall apostacie or departing from the true Faith which the great Antichrist should bring to passe before the comming of Christ and before hee should be reuealed or made manifest to the world And wee read also in the 3. chap. and 10. verse of the Reuelation of S. Iohn of a generall temptation or triall that shall come vpon the world to trie them that dwell vpon the earth And in the 17. chap. wee reade by whom this temptation shall be made especially in the 4. and 5. verses where it is said of Romish Babylon that she offered to the world In a cup of Gold to wit in the golden name of Christ the abhomination and filthinesse of her fornication And in the 3. verse of the 18. chap. that she made all nations to drinke thereof And in the second verse of the 17. chap. that shee made the inhabibitants of the earth drunke therewith And therefore it is that the Angell in the 5. verse calleth Christian Rome Babylon The mother of whordomes and abhominations of the earth and for which as appeareth in the 2. verse of the 19. chap. the Lord hath condemned her Now by this filthinesse of her fornication all the learned doe know is meant her whorish religion as idolatrie superstition and heathenish worship which very many that are yet liuing doe know did ouerflow this Land a great part of the Christian world before the daies of King Henry the eight when as God had appointed the effectuall beginning of the reformation and restoring againe of the true Faith and Religion as may appeare by a Prophecie written in an olde booke I know not how many hundred yeeres agoe Intituled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis which saith After the yeere of Christs incarnation 1534. good Religion good Lawes good Peace together with Faith Truth and sound Doctrine shall returne into the world
in their proper shape and true likenesse And this was also at the time of the rising of Luther when as there was neither sound doctrine true faith nor religion to be found in all the Romish iurisdiction according to that Prophecie of their S. Hildegard a Nunne which saith In the Apostolike order to wit in the Roman Sea no religion shall be found Truely Christian Reader it seemeth very apparent that God hath made speciall choyse of England aboue all the Nations in the world to be the chiefe for the recouering and reducing of that part of his Church the Romish iurisdiction and the ouerthrow of Antichrists kingdome and religion For whereas in the 17. chapter of the Reuelation the tenne hornes are declared to be the maine strength of the seauen-hilled Citie to wit Rome and that the text declareth also those hornes to be so many kingdomes and that the learned expound them to be these tenne head kingdomes of the Romish iurisdiction England Scotland Denmarke c. the first whereof that withdrew her power from Rome was England it is manifest England is the chiefe I know Christian Reader it would be thought strange to say that that which was done by King Henry was foretold in the booke of the Reuelation Neuerthelesse a very learned man writing vpon these words in the 13. verse of the 11. chap. And the tenth part of the Citie shall fall saith plainely It is a thousand to one but that it is meant of King Henry meaning his withdrawing his power from Rome And indeed it is tenne thousand to one but that it is meant of him For plaine experience doth euidently demonstrate England to be the chiefe of those tenne Kingdomes also which the 16. verse of the 17. chap. declareth shall be the meanes of the finall fall of the Citie of Rome and power of Antichrist for that after this worke was set abroach by King Henry we saw it so greatly to preuaile vnder the raigne of that famous Queene his Daughter Elizabeth that at her decease the Pope had scarce three of those Kingdomes signified by those hornes left to adhere with him intirely And I doe finde also by diuers of the olde Romish Predictions that as God made King Henry the maine beginner of the ruine and decay of the strength of Romish Babylon so he hath ordained a most worthy King of the name of Iacob to second him in that worke And as touching that which shall be further effected by him thus hath their Robertus a Dominican Frier written long agoe in his second Sermon But Iacob flying from the Serpents face which Serpent in his third vision hee affirmeth the spirit told him was Antichrist the Pope is ioyned to those that doe praise my name For which cause hee declareth the Pope whom in the same Sermon hee compareth to Esau should put in practise the destruction of the spirituall Iacob as also for refusing to ioyne with him and to be of his societie For there hee bringeth in the Pope speaking in this manner to his spirituall sonnes Goe to my Sonnes and enter into a consultation among your selues how I may bring him vnder for by his destruction my treasure shall bee exceedingly increased I haue neede of much because the name of my house is great vpon the face of the earth Deglutiamus eum virum Come therefore let vs swallow him vp aliue Which Prophecie albeit wee saw fulfilled in the Powder-treason yet as the same Frier sheweth that all the Pope could doe should nothing at all preuaile so thankes be to our good God we saw it did not Againe the same Frier in his sixeteenth Sermon fore-sheweth that it shall come to passe that the same Iacob whom there hee calleth the Lyon King shall visite the Emperour and the rest of the Roman and other Catholique Princes of Christendome by his Christian and royall exhortations to helpe to subdue the Pope and to bring the Church of Rome into the same state of primitiue puritie as it was in the happy dayes of Constantine the Great Theodosius Valentinian c. Whereby he declareth not onely how greatly the Church of Rome is fallen from her primitiue purity in religion but also that shee shall be reformed by the speciall meanes of our Nation of England And to the like effect are these words of their Saint Bridgit cannonized for a Saint by Pope Boniface the ninth in her sixt booke of Reuelations 26. chap. where she bringeth in Christ complayning of the decaied state of the Church of Rome shewing him to exhort all Christian Kings what course to take for the perfect reformation thereof saying Wherefore the King for whom thou dost pray ought to call and assemble a Councell of Spirituall men such as are wise through my wisedome and he ought to enquire diligently of those that haue my spirite and aske their aduice how and by what meanes the wall of my Church may be built againe amongst Christians how God may be restored to his honour true Religion made to flourish anew godly charity made more feruent my passion more deepely imprinted in the hearts and mindes of men and my Commaundements loued with greater zeale and respect Let him therefore gather together the vpright and true kinde of Christians that hee together with them may repaire the spirituall breaches of my Church the which verily hath departed too farre from mee By which wee see shee giueth all true Christian Princes to vnderstand that God requireth of them that they ioyne together and vse all meanes by godly and learned instructers to reclayme the Romish Church and to reduce her to that most auncient Catholique faith and religion which Saint Paul so commended her for at the first which albeit at the first or on the sodaine shee will not receiue but as their Abbot Ioachim vpon the 22. chapter of Ieremy sayth Will stoppe her eares lest shee should heare the charming of the inchaunter the voyce of him that admonisheth her yet vpon the 15.17.18.21 and 22. chapters he showeth that those admonitions shall in short time so worke that not onely the Germaine Empire shall forsake the Church of Rome but the Church it selfe with her Colledge of Cardinalls shal be diuided and fall into discord among themselues And vpon the 50. and 51. of Ieremy he sheweth by the effect that those admonitions shall so greatly preuaile that the Pope and the whole order of his Clergie his Consistorie and State shall be exceedingly impaired For saith he The Nobles of the Romaine Church shall perish the Monasteries shall be diminished the High Priest shall be purified and Christian Religion shall be winnowed as with a fanne And the same also did their Saint Katharine of Sienne foresee as may appeare by these her words written in a prayer of hers But what shall the Lord doe to these euill husband men he shall come and destroy them and let out his Vineyard vnto others c. By tribulations and afflictions and in such a manner
and most auncient Church had but two Sacraments How the other fiue crept into the Church That the Masse by their owne confession was made by diuers Bishops of Rome long after the Apostles That it tendeth to the vtter dissoluing of the whole Harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion and the casting mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation 10 That the words of Christ touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud as also his other words concerning the sacrament are but figuratiue speeches 11 That wee ought to pray to God alone and not to Saints And to worship God alone and not Saints That none can be mediatour betweene God and man but onely he that is partaker of the natures both of God and man 12 That the originall authours of the doctrine of Purgatory were the Heathen Philosophers How it doth confound the iudgement of the Popish writers and how it doth deny the bloud of Christ to be sufficient for the purging of sinne The Chapter of Conclusion sheweth that we are iustified in the sight of God by faith onely without workes That we possesse Heauen only by the meanes of faith and being there the fruits thereof are rewarded with the degrees of glorie That the high way to damnation is to seeke saluation by merites The Popes deadly wound Tending to resolue all Men in the chiefe and principall Points now in controuersie betweene the Papists and Vs. CHAPTER I. This Chapter tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Protestants and Papists professe but one God one Faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 1 IT hath beene imagined Christian Reader that forasmuch as the Papists and wee professe one and the same God c. there might well be an vnion betweene vs and them to make one and the same Vniuersall Church but I trust through the helpe of Gods spirit it shall be made manifest to the whole Church of God that it is no more possible then by mixing with the puritie of the Gospell the Abomination of desolation by which Saint Hierome saith a Hierome in his booke vpon thâ— 24. of Saint Matth. w. We may vnderstand all manner of peruerse and false doctrine there can bee made one and the same true Christian Religion True it is that many notable Heretikes of former times haue professed one and the same God with the Church and as Saint Chrysostome saith * Chrysostome of the Worke vpon Matth. Had gotten the notes and markes of the true Church to wit sayth he Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other orders of Clarkes and likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe but yet as he sheweth that the true Church of Christ would not admit them into the fellowship thereof nor take them for true members of the same The reason was for that with their profession they mingled such erronious opinions of God as made him no God according to that which Saint Hilary saith b Hilary in Ps 1. To deuise fancies of God is as horrible as to say there is no God 2 For wee beleeue and professe but one diuine God according to Deuter. 4.35 and one mediatour betweene God and man Euen the man Christ Iesus according to Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.5 The Papists professe that the Lord he is God but not God onely and that Christ is mediatour but neither wholly nor only as this first Chapter shall plainly demonstrate from their owne Doctors for one writeth thus c Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God The Bishop of Aeix saith d Contr Bassinet vt Hist. Gallica Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth In their Extrauagants he is termed e Extra coment in glossa Our Lord God the Pope besides their Councell of Trident f Trident. in sexto de lect decreed him to be God In the Councell of Lateraine one saluted the Pope with this title g Latr. sess 4. Thou art another God on earth which the Pope accepted as his due euen as Pope Nicholas seeking authority whereby he might claime that dignitie found these words treasured vp in the Popes Library * Nicholas Dist. 96. satis euidenter It is well knowne that the Pope of the godly Prince Constantine was called God To which words Augustine Steuche the keeper of the Popes Librarie added h Steuche libr. Donat. Constant. pag. 141. Dost thou not heare that the highest Bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God and worshipped as God with diuine honour Whereby it plainely appeareth that this title is not giuen him of flatterers against his will neyther fell it out of their fingers rashly or by chance but with good consideration and therefore they ascribe also vnto him the great power and authority not of a terrestiall God but euen of a celestiall and that in foure respects 3 First in graunting to him as large commaund as to God himselfe for thus they write i Extrauag De translat-Episcopi Quinto Hostin Sinne excepted the Pope in a manner may doe all that God may doe Againe k Counsel Lat. Leo. 10. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Also l Extrauag De Constitu lib. Statuta The Pope hath power ouer the Angells both good and bad And m Agrippa de vanitat Scient The Pope hath power to command the Angells and hath power ouer the dead Againe n Baldus in li. Barbarius De officio praetoris The Pope is all and aboue all Furthermore o L. Sacrilegij c. de crim sacril ind c. Ecclesia vt tit pend It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power * for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause Lastly p In Bull. Clem. 6. in Ant. Flo. The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in hell that he may deliuer by his Indulgences place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many Soules as he will So that in his power of commaunding hee is made equall with God as if hee might be bold to say with our Sauiour Matth. 28. All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth 4 Secondly they match him with God in giuing him priuiledge and exemption from all censure saying q Dist. Satis lib. Don. Constant. pag. 141. The Pope cannot at all be eyther bound or loosed by the Secular power
not fully sufficient to proue the Pope that great Antichrist foretolde by Saint Hierome c Hierome ad Algasia Quest 11. that should sit in the Church as if hee were Christ the Sauiour But for asmuch as they deny it and that the whole Church of Rome at this day dependeth vpon Bellarmines iudgement out of whose workes as it is verily supposed Parsons hath published to the view of the world and deluding of many tenne seueral Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist it resteth that in the next Chapter we answere those obiections that so all doubts may be remoued And heerein as the originall Authour I will vse onely the name of Bellarmine In the meane time I demaund what hope of comfort we can looke to haue at these Popish Gods and Sauiours seeing their owne Saint Bridget whom Boniface the ninth Pope of that name canonized saith d Bridget in her first booke c. 41 All their followers and fauourers shal be cut off dis-ioynted and pulled in pieces like vnto a wall that is a casting downe where is not left one stone standing vpon an other neyther shall my loue and mercie euer warme them nor build them vp againe into eternall mansion And as we see the question resolued what will be the end of those that depend vpon these Gods and Sauiors so shall wee see heereafter what will bee the end of those Gods and Sauiours CHAP. II. Contayning tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing if it had beene possible the Pope from being Antichrist set forth vnder the letters N. D. with answeres thereunto THou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that whom Saint Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 1 Iohn 2.22 2. called Antichrists in the 22. verse hee declared to haue meant certaine Disciples which were fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles and others that by their meanes went abroad teaching doctrine whereby Christ was denyed to be the true Messias So that because such Antichristian teachers were then crept into the church by whom the great mystery of iniquity was begunne which when the great Antichrist should come should be fully perfected hee did not sticke to say but that Antichrist was then come whereas notwithstanding the great Antichrist was not then come 2 Thess 2.7 For as Saint Paul declared to the Thessalonians Epist 2. cha 2. there was then an impediment that did stay his comming which said He shall let till hee be taken out of the way Which as Tertullian Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome expoundeth was the Roman Emperor and likewise Saint Hierome in these words a Hierome to Algasia The Romaine Emperour which now keepeth all Nations in subiection must first be ouerthrowne and then shall Antichrist come the fountaine of iniquity By which it is cleare that by Saint Iohns Antichrists we cannot vnderstand the great Antichrist therefore the question is who the great Antichrist should be we say he is the Pope of Rome they say he shall be a Iew of Ierusalem but this is but our yea and their nay and how then shall it be tried who is in the right Bellarmine supposed in his Wardword the answere to Sir Francis Hastings Watchword page 91.92 hath set downe tenne seuerall Obiections to prooue him a Iew which God willing by these our Answeres shall be proued a Gentile THE FIRST OBIECTION 2 First then saith Bellarmine That the Popes of Rome be Antichrist or the man of sinne whereof the Prophet Daniel our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles do speake and that Rome is Babylon in that sense that these good fellowes doe meane that is Rome christened is a meere iest For that as the true Christ was one singular man so shall the true Antichrist be one singular man also and not a succession of men one after another as the Popes of Rome are And this is euidently gathered by the auncient Fathers out of the words of holy Scriptures namely Daniel 7. and 11. Iohn 5.2 2 Thessalonians 2. 1 Iohn 2. Apocal 13. and 17. THE ANSWERE 3 Heere Christian Reader seemeth a very great likelihood that by the great Antichrist should be meant onely one person seeing he produceth no lesse then seauen places of Scripture to testifie the same But it is a wonder to see that a man learned and seeming deuout should so apparently wrest the Scriptures For it is without all contradiction that not any one of his places doe proue his assertion The likeliest place is the 2. 2. Thess 2.3 Thessal 2. in which Saint Paul calleth Antichrist The man of sinne but doth it therefore follow that he meant onely one man no no more then by calling him in the same chapter The sonne of perdition he meant one person For in the Scriptures it is very apparant that by such like titles are not alwayes meant one singular person Esay 43.27 seeing we finde in the 43. chapter of Esay 27. verse is meant a great number of men included in the name Father Exod. 4.23 Rom. 9.27 Dan. 11. And in Exodus the 4. chap. 23. verse all the Israelites whose number Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.27 are as the sandâ— of the Sea are included in the title of a Sonne And in Daniell 11. the whole succession of Kings in their seuerall kingdomes are included in the person of one King And therefore seeing that vnder the title of a Man or a Sonne is included more thousands then the Popes are hundreds Bellarmines ignorance in the manner phrase of the Scriptures is laid open and his mouth stopped for accusing vs of ignorance in including all the Popes in the person of the man of sinne or Sonne of perdition And the rather because they themselues ordinarily vse also the like phrase of speech as when they call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Christs Church Therefore if the Scriptures had not taught vs so to speake we might yet haue learned of them how to call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Antichrists church 4 And whereas to dazle the eies of the ignorant he produceth the Fathers vpon his places of Scriptures as though they by Antichrist had meant one proper person Let him heare therefore how they haue vsed to speake of him Saint Hierome said b Hierome in his booke vpon Matth. 24. The abomination of desolation shall stand in the Church vntill the consummation of time and shew himselfe as God Now it is cleare he could not meane this of one particular person for that he knew as well as we no one man could liue to the consummation and end of time Also that auncient Writer Eusebius speaketh of Antichrist in the plurall number thus c Eusebius in his 7. book of Preparation This is a token not that he but that they hate God for that they will haue themselues called by the name of God Againe their Saint Bridget saith that she was commanded in a vision to signifie to d Bridget in her
by the direction of God himselfe as appeareth in the foureteenth chapter of Numbers to Moses and the fourth chapter of Ezekiel where the Lord said vnto him Thou shalt beare the iniquity of the house of Iudah fortie yeares I haue appoynted thee a day for a yeare euen a day for a yeare So that euen by this rule must we count the time of Antichrists reigne euen by these Angels daies Angels daies I say for as the sayd O siander saith * Osiander in his booke of coniccture of the end of the world time of Antichrists raigne page 10. Notwithstanding with vs which be concluded vnder the heauens the course of the Sunne from East to West finisheth our day in foure and twenty houres yet with the Angels that dwell aboue the Circles and orbes of the planets their day finisheth her course whiles the Sunne moueth in her Zodiacke from the South to the North and agayne from the North to the South which is not finished but in one of our yeares Therefore it is certaine there be Angels dayes and those dayes are yeares Daniel 12.12 Reuelat. 13.5 Angâ—ls yeeres An Angels yeere doth containe 360. yeeres after 30. daies to a moneth which the Greeke Astronomers call a Time Now an Angels moneth we finde in the twelfth chapter of Daniel to containe iust thirtie of those Angels dayes and by the fortie two moneths in the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which Bellarmine citeth we find that an Angels yeare doth containe twelue of those Angels moneths for that three times twelue is 36. and sixe moneths for the halfe yeare makes iust 42. which make iust three Angels yeares and an halfe which albeit they be not by the Angel in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation nor by Daniel in his seauenth chapter called yeares in expresse words but A Time times and halfe a time yet may wee truely gather by Daniels words in his fourth chapter that by times he meant yeares for that hee there calleth Nebuchadnezzars seauen Yeares seauen Times By which then wee see that as in that chapter by Times he meant Yeares so in the seauenth chapter he and likewise the Angel in his twelfth chapter of the Reuelation by Angels times meant Angels yeares one of which containes iust 360. of our yeares after thirâ—ie dayes to a moneth which the Greeke Astrologians also call a Time 29 Now then the time of Antichrists reigne being set downe to be three yeares and an halfe it is cleare they be Angels yeares and not three of our yeares and an halfe And the rather because the Angel in the 3. verse of the 11. chap. and 6. verse of the 12. chapter hath set downe that those yeares by which we must count must contayne iust 1260. daies which ours doe not but hath 17. daies and an halfe ouer which if it were but the halfe day would marre their whole matter Therefore seeing those three Angels yeares and an halfe do containe iust those 1260. dayes and that so many of those dayes are so many of our yeares after 30. dayes to a moneth Antichrists reigne shall continue rising and falling 1260. yeares of which counting from Boniface the 3. in whom Antichrist first rose which as we proued before in the third answere was in the yeare of Christ 607. Antichrist hath now reigned a thousand and twelue yeares and two hundred forty and eight are yet to be accomplished if God with the shortning of the world as some vnderstand for her iniquity doe not also shorten his time for his iniquity 30 But now notwithstanding wee haue thus plainely proued the Pope to be hee that shall reigne fourty two moneths and consequently to be Antichrist yet as their manner is I know they will deny it and who then shall decide the matter Truely Bellarmine himselfe shall be one Saint Bernard another their Robertus the Dominican Frier another Bellarmine howsoeuer in all his former obiections hee laboured to proue a Iew to be Antichrist that should domintere ouer that one nation of the Iewes onely yet heere hee wresteth the Scripture to haue vs to vnderstand that Romish Gentile mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of the Reuelation vnto whom the Text sayth Power was giuen ouer euery kinred tongue and nation to be he So that heereby he hath proued all his former Obiections but very fond coniectures and meere fables Also whereas the Text sayth that vnto the same beast Was giuen a mouth to speake blasphemy and to keepe warre with the Saints their Saint Bernard also vnderstanding this of the great Antichrist sayth thus of the Pope x Bernard in his 25. Epistle That beast that is spoken of in the booke of the Râ—uelation vnto which beast is giuen a mouth to spâ—ake blasphemy and to keepe warre with the Saints is now gotten into Peters Chaire and there sitteth as a Lyon prepared to his prey Againe speaking of the Popish Priests and Ministers he saith plainly thus y Supra canâ—â— serm 33. They serue Antichrist Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Their Dominican Frier saith z Rovertus in his 3. vision I sawe in a vision in the Pallace of Lateraine and in the Porch before the Chaire of Prophero where triall is made whether the Pope be a man or not how that an huge Serpent tumbled it selfe vpon a thicke and great reed making a great noise and the Spirit sayd vnto me This Serpent is Antichrist and his condemnation is at hand To conclude this matter their Bishop Cornelius bewayling the miserable estate of both Spiritualtie and Layetie in the Romish â—urisdiction sayth a Cornelius oratio Cornelij Epistle Bnon 〈◊〉 3. Domâ—â—â—ca aduent in Conâ—â—l Trident. habita Would God they were not fallen wholy with one consent from Religion to Superstition from faith to infidelitie and from Christ to Antichrist Ergo the Pope is Antichrist by their owne confession 31 But now whereas wee affirmed Antichrist first to arise in Boniface the third Bâ—shop of Rome of that name because in him was the order of vniuersal Bishops established by the Emperour Phocas let vs heare what their Saint Vincent saith hereof b Vincent in his Treatise of the end of the World amongst other things fore-shewing of two kinde of Antichrists one to be an open professed enemie to Christ and all sorts of Christians the other he said shall be a mixed kinde of Antichrist And this said he shall be an euill Pope made by an euill Prince of great power who shall place his euill Pope in the Prouince of Babylon And to this mixed Antichrist saith he many Prelates shall adhere Also their Saint Bridgit hauing declared the great ruine of the Church vnder the Popes and the desolation of many soules by their meanes saith c Bridgit 3. Booke 27. Chapter Yet know for all that that betweene the time of humble Peter and the time that Boniface did mount vp to sit in the seate of Pride many did ascend into Heauen Which is
man of sinne be reuealed the sonne of perdition a diuell not onely of the day but also of the noon-day Likewise their Writer Holcote complayning of the Romish Priests and Prelates in his dayes sayth p Holcot in lib. Sapientiae lectro 182. They bee like the priests of Baall they resemble the priests of Dagon they are the priests of Priapus and Angels of hell So then heereby wee see that the Pope and his Prelates are the chiefe of those diuells of whom the Angell sayth Rome is become the habitation Now let vs see also who be those foule spirits vncleane and hatefull birds 10 Their Writer Auentine sayth q Auent analiuÌ„ Boierum lib. 6. I am ashamed to say what manner of Bishops wee haue with the reuenues of the poore they feed horses hounds I neede not to say whoores Saint Bernard sayth r Bernard sup Cant. serm 33. Sermo ad Clerum c. It is a shame to name those things which our Bishops doe in secret Their Mantuan sayth Å¿ Mantuan Calamitatum lib. 3 It is in euery mans mouth Cities and Countries talke of it and the very bruite thereof hath quenched all care of vertue Also their Bishop Cornelius sayth t Oratio Cornelij Epist Bitonti 3. With what monsters of filthinesse with what channell of vncleannesse with what pestiferous contagion are not both priests and people defiled make your selues Iudges and beginne at the Sanctuary of God Also their Palingenius saith v Paling Marcell Paling Zodiaci vita lib. 5. in Leon. Let no Frier Monke or any other Priest come within thy dores take heede of them no greater mischiefe they are the dregges of men the fountaines of Folly the sinkes of sinne Wolues vnder Lambes skinnes deceiuing the simple with a false shew of honesty and vnder the shaddow of Religion hide a thousand of vnlawfull acts Jdem lib. 6. in Virgine Idem lib. 9. Sagittario committers of Rapes abusers of boyes the Priests and Monkes that should be chaste spend night and day eyther openly with whoores or closely with boyes O shame sayth hee can the Church endure such hogges Whereupon their Platine saith * Platine vita Marcellini What shall we thinke will become of this our age wherin our vices are growne to that height that they haue scant left any place with God for mercy how great is the lechery of all sortes among the priests and especially among the chiefe Rulers To conclude Mantuan giueth the definitiue Sentence and plainely affirmeth that they of the Church of Rome are onely those foule spirits vncleane and hatefull birds for sayth hee x Mantu Calamitatum lib. 3. They are hatefull to heauen and loathsome with vncleane lusts alas in vaine attempt they sacred rites with incestuous hands they rather kindle and prouoke God then appease him Therefore sayth he againe y Jbid. Neuer hope for helpe so long as such pray for you And thus as wee sawe proued before by their owne testimonies who were those diuells so heere also we see as plainely proued by their owne Writers who bee those foule spirits vncleane and hatefull birds whereof Rome and her regiment in her latter dayes is become the habitation And thus much for the prouing that by the fall of Babylon is meant the great fall of the Christian Church of Rome vnder the Popes of Rome Now let vs see the time when shee beganne to fall and her full perfection whereunto she fell 11 Touching the first point Tertullian seemeth to be the first that maketh any mention thereof hee liued about two hundred yeares after Christ who then bewayling the declined estate of the Christian part of Rome thus exclaimed against it z Tertull. in Apologitico O Rome how much art thou changed from olde Rome thou which wast once the chiefe in all the World art now become the chiefe in all naughtinesse Also about one age after that Saint Hierome perceiuing how she beganne to be corrupted in doctrine thus exclaimed against her a Hierom. idem aduersus Jouianum lib. 2. Was there sayth hee none other place in all the World to receiue this voluptuous doctrine but that which Peters preaching had built on the Rocke Christ Againe hee sayd to the maintainers of this doctrine b To Pammachius Thou that art a maintainer of this new doctrine spare thy Romaine eares spare thy faith which is so commended by the Apostles owne mouth to this day the Christian world hath euer beene without this doctrine And agayne hee sayth c Jdem praefact in lib. Dydimi de spiritu sancte Whiles I stayed at Babylon and was an inhabitant of that purple whoore and liued among the Romaines Beholde the pot which was seene in Ieremie from the North beganne to seethe and the Senate of Pharises made an vproare and the whole faction of rude and ignorant as it were in defiance of learning conspired against me Furthermore hee crying out against the idolatry which was then crept into the Church and also against the Idole-makers saith d In his 11. booke 10. chap. vpon Ieremy He adorneth his Image with siluer and golde that by the shine and glittering of both mettalls he may deceiue the simple which errour sayth he is now crept in among vs. Also within lesse then twenty yeares after that Saint Augustine declareth how their idolatrie was defended by the Idolaters to be no Idolatrie namely because they tooke not their Image for God but sayd hee e Augustine in his sermon vpon Matth. Let no man say to me the Image is no diuine power they know it is not God I would to God saith he they so knew it as we know it but what they haue and in what sort they haue it and what they doe about it the Altar beareth witnesse Therefore from hence it was which in another place he saith f Augustine in psal 44. They haue made vs the Citizens of Babylon we haue left our Creatour and haue worshipped the creature we haue left him that made vs and haue worshipped that which we haue made our selues Wherefore their Ambrosius Ansbertus thus concluded euen of Christian Rome saying g Ambro. in Apâ—calip lib. 6. Rome is the second Babylon 12 Furthermore about some thirtie yeares after that Saint Christostome speaking of the decaying estate of the Christian Church saith h Christ in 1. ad Corinthi Hom. 36. The Church at this day is like vnto a Woman that hath quite lâ—st her olde modestie that is her sober and chaste behauiour towards her Husband Christ and doth begin to wax wanton towards new Louers with whom whiles she dalted rose vp a spokesman to make a match betweene Ancichrist and her which was Iohn Bishop of Constantinople whom Gregory the Great therefore called i Gregorie in his 6. Booke Epist 30. The fore-runner of Antichrist But as Pelagius before Gregories daies stayed the marriage from being solemnized so did Gregorie during his dayes
who perceiuing that the Church was like to haue a new Husband to wit an Vniuersall Bishop to be made and to become her head in stead of Christ He confessed with teares that the state of the Church was like to fall to ground For said he k Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 52. 55. Seeing the order of Priesthood is falne within it cannot now stand long without And thus much concerning the fall of the Church especially of that part vnder the Patriarkedome of Rome before there was an Vniuersall Pope established in Rome Now it remaineth that wee see how it grew to perfection vnder Vniuersall Popes in these foure principall poynts Doctrine Faith Religion and generall Apostacie Which God willing shall bee made euident by their owne Writers also 13 Touching the first point their Saint Vincent sayth l Vincent in his Treatise of the latter end The religious orders are become vnto mens soules the way of perdition And a little after hee sheweth the reason to bee this For saith he the most part of Preachers preach now adayes not the simplicitie of the Gospell but the subtiltie of Aristotle Their S. Bridgit speaking in the person of Christ saith m Bridgit lib. 4. cap. 133. They annull and make of no effect my Word they affirme and teach their owne lies and denie my truth c. n In lib. 6. of her Reuelation chap. 26. My Word is vnto them intollerable and my wisdome and doctrine in their account but vaine Therefore o Lib. 4. cap. 132 They doe not preach and publish to the people my Word neither doe they teach my doctrine c. p Lib. 6. of her Reuelat. cap. 26. They follow their owne fancie so that their owne inuentions are vnto them a Law c. q Lib. 6. Reuelat cap. 15. They say â—nd doe boast that they vnderstand my Law and yet it is but for the deceiuing of others c. r Lib. 4.132 For of the vpright man they make a wicked man of the simple they make a Deuill And this commeth to passe as then Cardinall Beno sheweth because Å¿ Beno de vita gesâ—s Hudeb They are led by the spirit of errour and doctrines of Dâ—uâ—ls Whereby as their Bishop Cornâ—luâ—s saith t Cornelijorat Trident. The sauour of life is turned to the sauour of death So as their Matthew Paris the Monke saith u Paris in Henrico 2. sub 1160. Whence Christians were wont to fetch the water of Righteousnesse there they finde a poysoned puddle And euen thereby doth their Abbot â—oacham proue the Pope and his Clergie to be that Whore of Babylon mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation which offereth to the World the Abomination and Filthinesse of her Fornication in a golden Cup. * Ioacham vpon the 37. chap. Jere. The moderne Vicars of Christ saith he doe neglect Incense and Myrrhe but they seeke after Gold that they may with Babylon the great Ladie of the World fill vnto men Wine in a Golden Cup to infect their followers with their abomination Now therefore I demaund of our Romane Catholickes how it is possible for Doctrine to grow vnto any greater perfection of corruption then to be squared by the spirit of errour and Doctrines of Deuils whereby good men are made wicked men and simple men made Deuils 14 Touching the second poynt namely Faith their Saint Bridgit in her fourth Bâ—oke finding Rome to haue seduced the Romish Church from her primitiue puritie calleth her a wretched and an vâ— happie Citie And a little after shee saith x Bridgit lib. 4. cap. 30. Maruaile not that I called Rome an vnhappie and a wretched Citie because of the aforesaid abuses and others the like much contrarie to the Statutes of the Primitiue Church Wherefore it is to bee feared lest the Catholike Faith doe shortly sayle Their Saint Hildegard a Nunne hauing in a vision seene the Pope in the shew of a great and vgly Monster and other fearefull sigues ouer the Church of Rome wrote thus of the head thereof y Hildegard in her second booke of her Sciuias The sonne of perdition shall endeuour through a most wicked deceipt to seduce men for a time sweetely and smoothly by making crooked the path-way of the Christian Faith That Astrologian Ruth speaking of the state of the Romish Church when the Pope should be installed in his Seate wrote thus z Ruth in his 3. chap. of his Booke When as he shall enter into his House then shall the Romans stumble in the Faith Their Abbot Ioacham saith a Ioacham vpon the first and second of Ierem. The Pope considereth not in how peruerse a manner the Lyon of Faith is throwne downe And a little after he saith The religious orders doe defile the Faith by their errours teaching peruersly If in the head saith he is not the soundnesse of Faith much lesse is there in the heart the sinceritie of hope and yet further off from the foote is the diligence of doing charitable deedes And albeit the Faith of Rome was of olde published through the whole World yet afterward her Faith hath beene turned into perfidie and heresie Againe speaking of the whole Church of Rome hee saith b Jbidem This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his Seate This is that Figge-tree which is dried vp in the Faith by the meanes of the curse of transgression c. euen the latter Church the Ship of Saint Peter Their Bishop Cornelius saith c Oratio Cornelij Trident. Would to God they were not falne with one consent from Faith to Infidelitie and from Christ to Antichrist To conclude Ioacham yet sheweth of a more admirable perfection of falling from the true Faith in Christ in that he saith d Ioacham vpon the first and second chap. of Ieremie They haue chosen Antichrist for Christ the Deuill for God and Hell for the Kingdome of Heauen Wherefore whether it be possible for men to fall from the Faith in any greater measure let the learned Reader judge 15 Touching the third poynt to wit Religion Their Saint Bernard bewayling the desperate estate of Religion in his time saith e Bernard supra Cant. Ser. 33. gest Hildebrand Behold these times very much defiled with the worke that walketh in darkenesse Woe be to this generation because of the leauen of the Pharises which is hipocrisie If it may be called hypocrisie which is now so rife that it cannot and so shamelesse that it seeketh not to be kept secret A rotten contagion creepeth at this day through the whole body of the Church And a little after The wound of the Church is inward and incarable Their Cardinall Beno saith f Beno Cardinalis de vita gestis Hildeb Their Religion sauoureth nothing but of traiterousnesse and couetousnesse beeing led by the spirit of Errour and Doctrines of Deuils Their S. Elizabeth thus cryeth out against the Romish Clergie
the state of the Church the vniuersall Church is in danger 4 But now notwithstanding they come in yet with another obiection and say that Gregory hath also these words * Gregory in their answer to me Page 1. Whosoeuer he be that desireth to be Priest alone or the onely Priest By which they would inferre that the Bishop of Constantinople would haue beene Bishop alone without any others neuerthelesse it is cleare by these his words that follow He exalteth himselfe aboue other Priests he meant that he whosoeuer exalted himselfe for to be vniuersall Bishop or supreame head ouer all other Bishops would be Priest alone because hee would not admit any equall with him And for this cause in the words going before hee compared Iohn of Constantinople to Lucifer who he doth not say would haue had no Angels but himselfe for that had beene more then hee could haue proued And therefore we see it is onely this kinde of Priesthood which Gregory meant that would admit no manner of equality which we shall see anon he said would be the downefall of the ancient order of Priesthood 5 But now in the meane time wee may not let passe to answere another Obiection which happily may arise out of our English Catholikes words which before wee cited For in that they say The Title which the Bishop of Constantinople tooke vpon him was the Bishop of Romes right and auncient Title they would beare the world in hand that Gregory condemned it for vnlawfull in the Bishop of Constantinople onely but allowed it in the Bishop of Rome for their right and lawfull Title for to this effect indeed did they alleadge these very words Howbeit we shall see plainely by Gregories testimonies following that he condemned the Title to be as vnlawfull in the Bishop of Rome as in the Bishop of Constantinople For hee writing to the Emperour against his Bishop for his arrogant pride in taking vpon him the Title of Vniuersall Bishop said m Gregory lib. 4. Epist. 32. O my gracious Lord doe I heerein quarrell for mine owne right * Lib. 6. 30. Epist. I speake it boldly whosoeuer calleth himselfe Vniuersall Bishop or desireth so to be called is in the pride of his heart the forerunner of Antichrist and more then so he saith n Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 38. He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called Vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him Yea it is cleare that he knew both the Title and Office to be odious euen in the Bishops of Rome else would hee not haue sought to haue purged all before his time from it as from a Title of shame setting downe the manner of his purgation thus o Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 32. 36. None of my predecessours Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him that name of singularitie wee the Bishops of Rome would neuer receiue this honour being offered vnto vs. Also in that Eulogius his fellow Patriarke of Alexandria seeing the Bishop of Constantinople so willing to haue taken the Title vpon him would rather that Gregory then Bishop of Rome should haue had it and therefore to vrge him to haue taken it vpon him in the superscriptions of certaine Letters which he wrote vnto him offered him the Title but Gregory to declare his detestation thereof not onely besought him to offer it him no more but because he saw hee would not giue ouer vrging him he thus flowted him for his folly p Gregor lib. 7. Epist. 30. Ecce saith he behold euen the Title of your Letter yee haue written the proud poesie meaning mee the Vniuersall Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseech your Holinesse doe so no more for whatsoeuer is giuen to any aboue reason is taken from your selues Also when as he saw that such an Officer was like to be established in the Church as should be made Prince of all Christian Priests he counted that his rising to that dignitie would be the deadly downfall of the olde and auncient order of Priesthood and therefore said q Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 52. 55 Seeing the order of Priesthood is fallen within it cannot now stand long without By which he plainely declareth that it was contrary to the auncient order of Priesthood that one should be vniuersall head of all Priests Againe to declare how dangerous a thing it would be if one should be made supreame head of the whole vniuersall Church he said further thus r Gregor libr. 4. Epist. 32. Admaueri If we haue but one head the fall of that head is the fall of the Whole Church If any man presume to take vpon him the name of Vniuersall Bishop the whole Church falleth downe from her estate when hee falleth which is called Vniuersall but farre may that name of blasphemie be from all Christian mindes 6 So that hereby Christian reader we see the case to stand cleare that notwithstanding Gregory the great Bishop of Rome allowed the order of Bishops in the vniuersall Church yet did he acknowledge it vtterly vnlawfull for himselfe or any other Christian Bishop to take vpon him the title of vniuersall Bishop and to be supreame head of the vniuersall Church condemning it for vngodly blasphemous and Antichristian and therefore dehorteth all true Christians to be farre from that minde And here wee may further note that forasmuch as himselfe would none of it he condemneth that brag for a very fond fable that the title and dignity of vniuersall Bishop descended to the Bishops of Rome by succession from S. Peter the Apostle Gregorie condemneth that for a fable that the title of vniuersall Bishop descended to the Bishop of Rome from S. Peter Also seeing he confesseth as we heard before that Peter himselfe was not called vniuersall Apostle he doth acknowledge it could not come from him And thus much for the prouing that the Papists had no Church for the first 605. yeeres after Christ For as no husband no wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes And therefore the most auntient and Apostolike Church next after Christ was the same true Catholique Church yea the very selfe and same whereof we are now which as now so then it had no other vniuersall head but Christ Iesus onely and alone euen as Gregory also maketh it most manifest in that when as he reproued Iohn of Constantinople for seeking to be head of the vniuersall Church asked him as we heard right now how he could answere that point at the dreadfull day of iudgement to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church as did S. Augustine before his dayes as appeareth in his booke of the vnity of the Church cap. 2. cap. 3. cap. 16. 7 Now it remaineth that we speake of the other yeere to make out our number of 606. Decretall Know yee that next after Gregory succeeded Sabinianus who
Athanasius Zambadas Leontius Marcus  Hermon Eudoxius Iulius  Matarius Anianus Liberius  Maximus Meletus Damasus  Cyriâ—â—ius Euzoius Siricus  Herenius Dorotheus Anastatius  Herenius Paulinus Innocentius  Heraclius Euagrius Zozimus  Hilarius Dorothus Bonifacius  Cyrillius Meletus Calestinus  Iohn Flauianas Xistus  Nepos Prophirus Leo.  Prayllius Alexander Hilarius  Iuuenalis Theodotius Simplicius  Polychronius Iohn Felix  Theodosius Domnus Boniface  Anastasius Maximus Iohn  Martrius Martyrus Agapetus  Salustius Iulianus Siluerius  Helias Basilius Vigilius  Petrus Peter Pelagius  Marcari Steuen Iohn  Eustochius Martirus Benedict  Iohn Calandio Pelagius   Petrus Gregorie the   Cnapheus Great   Palladius    Flauianus    Seuerus    Paulus    Euphremius    Domnus    Maximus   Yet he proueth Rome to be but one of the foure Patriarkdomes and but the third in antiquitie and consequently the Bishop of Rome but one of foure equals and therefore no singular supreame vniuersall head ouer all Wherefore how vainely doe they stand vpon Ireneus his numbering the Bishops of Rome to his time and Saint Augustine to his time to proue the succession of Popes from Peters time seeing neither of them gaue them the name of Popes but Bishops and Priestes Number the Priests from Peters seat saith S. Augustine * August in Psal contra partem Donati and see who succeeded one another in that rowe of Fathers And elswhere he gaue them the name of Bishops but neuer the name Popes therefore to his time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christ those that Ireneus and he two hundred yeares after numbered were not Popes as the Popes of Rome are now but such Bishops as we haue now Also with small credit can they stand vpon the succession of vniuersall Popes seeing their Prophetesse Saint Bridgit saith of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope x Bridgit in her 27. chap. of her third Booke Hee did mount vp to fit in the Chaire of pride Which sheweth the Popes Chaire not to bee the Chaire of Peter Also their Paâ—acelsus in a Prophesie of his said thus to the Pope y Paracelsus in his 12. figured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue for thou art a yoake and a burthen too heauie to be borne hence it is holy Father S. P. that thou fallest Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God and hee shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Againe in vaine doe the Popes themselues boast to be of that sort of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter seeing their Saint Elizabeth saith thus vnto them in the person of Christ z Elizabeth against the Church of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They swallow vp the carnall and temporall things of my people and doe not minister vnto them spirituall things and euen they that doe walke vnder my name doe not feare to persecute mee in my members Behold and consider saith to her the Angel of her vision how the soueraigne high Priest the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his obedience walked in the middest of his Disciples not in the height and haughtinesse of a Lord but in the humilitie of a seruant c. Behold his blessed seede the ministers of your spirituall vocation the holy Apostles and their successors of whose societie yee doe glorie c. Consider if their waies were like yours doe not beleeue that they were for their waies were faire and streight but yours are disordered filthie and foule They did not walke in the haughtinesse of their hearts nor in the tumultuousnesse of a proud traine nor in couetousnesse of worldly wealth nor in the costlinesse of clothing c. Neyther was there running after Hawkes and Hounds but in all sinceritie they traced the footsteps of the great Pastor c. Behold the head of the Church crieth but his members are dead for the Apostolicall Sea is beset with pride and auarice and is filled with iniquities and wickednesse They scandalize my sheepe and make my people to erre Againe their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ expostulating the matter with Pope Gregorie the eleuenth saith thus vnto him a Bridgit lib. c. â—ap 142. Why doest thou hate me so much and wherefore is thy boldnesse and presumption so great against me for thy worldly Court marreth and spoyleth mine that is heauenly and thou presumptiously robbest me of my Sheepe Moreouer thou pluckest from me violently innumerable soules and sendeth to Hell fire almost all that come to thy Court because thou doest not giue diligent heed to those things that belong to my Court. Therefore how can we beleeue that these Popes are of the same ranke of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter or what credit doth the Church of Rome gaine by the succession of her Popes 9 Againe They are neuer able to proue that Peter was euer called by the Popes titles or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse how can we beleeue that the Popes are the successours of Saint Peter seeing they are neuer able to proue that Peter or any of those Bishops which next succeeded him was euer called by any of the Popes titles For in what booke or Chapter of the Scriptures doe they find that Peter was euer called Our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth Not a pure man but a true God as we proued in our first Chapter and second Section the Pope is called Or where find they that any one of all the Apostles euer called Peter Lord of Lords and King of Kings Or Supreame head of the vniuersall Church or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse as the Pope doth If they cannot shew so much as any one place to proue it what reason haue we to beleeue it Therefore forasmuch as we finde vniuersall Popes not to be the successours of S. Peter but of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope made and established in the yeare of Christ 607. And that they all hold that without an vniuersall Pope to be head there can be no Church it is without all contradiction that for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ the Papists had no Church For as no head no body no husband no wife so no vniuersall Popes no vniuersall spouse of the Popes By which wee see that plainely condemned for a meere illusion of Antichrist which is so common among them namely that the Popish Church was the most ancient mother of all Christian Churches And as we see it not to bee true so shall we further see also that neither was that first Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome the most ancient and mother Church For as both Ierome b Jerom. catalog eccles Scrip. and Eusebius testifieth c
Antichrist and to set vp the Gospell againe in his kingdome was that man of God Luther therefore in him did the two witnesses first begin to rise againe for it is cleare it is not meant that the same should rise againe in their owne persons but that euen as Elias was reuiued in Saint Iohn Baptist not in the same person Luke 1.17 but as Saint Luke saith chap. 1.17 in the same spirit and power so should they after a little moment rise in power and spirit in the persons of others And this first rising was about the yeare of Christ 1520. So that counting from those three last which were put to death in the yeere of Christ Wee had a Church among the Papists till about twentie yeares before Luther 1500. we had no appearing Church left in the Romish iurisdiction for the space of twenty yeares before the rising of Luther which time is called but three dayes and an halfe in respect of the three Angels yeares and an halfe the time of Antichrists reigne wherefore seeing they had their Church alone without our Church but twenty yeares before Luther how wickedly doe they delude the multitude in making them to beleeue they had the Romish Church and all other Christian Churches vniuersally from Saint Peters time and that wee had no Church till Luthers time whereas we see it proued most apparently that for the first 606. yeares next after Christ our Church was and theirs had no being at all and that the very first beginning of their Church was the entrance vpon our Church in the Romish iurisdiction of which wee see a part continued in view till about twenty yeares before Luther which if wee had not had yet will wee now proue that continually from the Apostles time to Luthers time we had else-where as great a Church as they if not greater 6 Vnderstand therefore Christian reader that albeit the whole Christian Church was one yet afterwards it was diuided into two parts to wit East and West so till the Councell of Florence which was about fourteene hundred yeeres after Christ they possessed but the West part The Councell of Florence And notwithstanding Michael Paleolgus Emperour of the East in hope of some aide of the Pope and the Princes of the West against the Turke did his good will to haue brought the East part in subiection to the Popes of Rome yet as their Paulus saith d Paul Aemil. in Philippo 4. his people so detested him for it that after his death they would not admit him common Christian buriall Againe it is certaine that the Greekes counted the Romanes a most polluted and an infectious people for in their late Councell of Lateran it is said e Jn Concil Lateranen Cap. 4. The Greekes began so much to abhorre the Romanes that if it had happened the Lattine Priests to haue ministred vpon their Alters they would not offer any oblation vpon them before they had washed the same Againe albeit the Legates of the East in the Councell of Florence was perswaded to yeeld to be subiect to the Pope yet doubting it would not be well taken at their returne home they halfe recanted and said f The Councell of Florence We haue no leaue nor commission to speake these words And notwithstanding at their returne home they laboured so with the Greekes that they consented to yeeld yet this continued not for as their Platina saith g Platina in Eugenio Not long after they fell to their olde bent againe But had it continued to this day without reuolting yet had it come too too late to haue maintained the antiquitie of the Popes vniuersalitie yea too late by at the least 1300. yeeres And therefore it was that Illyricus which dwelt vpon the borders of Grecia wrote thus h Illyricus Testibus Veritatis page 5. The Churches of Grecia and the Churches of Asia Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muschouia and Affrica ioyned thereunto that is to say saith he in a manner all the whole world or at the least the greatest part thereof neuer graunted the Pope his supremacie 7 So that Christian reader thou seest that howsoeuer the Emperour Phocas did giue that prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome to be vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops and Rome to be chiefe of all Christian Churches it doth not therefore follow that all Christian Churches were content therewith or did yeeld thereunto or that Rome euer attained thereunto onely she obtained to be vniuersall superiour ouer the West Churches as is plainely confessed by their Doctor M. Harding in his Booke of Confutation of the Apologie i Harding Apolog chap. 23. diuision 2. where he saith Rome is the Mother of all the West Churches If but of the West then not vniuersally of all both East and West therefore by M. Hardings owne confession here falleth to the ground the Popes vniuersalitie And therefore as we saw proued in the former Chapter that for the first sixe hundred and six yeares their Church had not any being at all so here we see proued as plainely that after they had a Church they had it but by measure and not vniuersally as they fondly fable Wherefore christian Reader whensoeuer they shall hereafter demaund of thee where our Church was before Luthers time answer them thus It was by Gregory the Greats confession sixe hundred and fiue yeeres before there was an vniuersall Pope to make a Popish Church hauing then none other but onely the same vniuersall head that now the true Christian Catholique and vniuersall Church hath of which we are now apart and that afterwards when an vniuersall Pope was ordained and made supreame head of the Church and had gotten dominion ouer the West part thereof yet euen there was our Church in reasonable quietnesse till about foure hundred yeares when as Pope Hildebrand began to be a fire-brand For indeed about that time Antichrist began to lay himselfe open to the world by his tyrannie which he began then to exercise against those that did withstand him and afterwards when as hee was growing vp to the full measure of iniquitie and that our Church among them could no longer beare his detestable enormities then during the next fiue hundred yeares following through their grieuous persecutions it was driuen into holes and corners and as many as they found they destroyed and the rest would haue destroyed had they not fled into those other parts of our Church before mentioned where they were preserued by Gods prouidence from the sonne of perditions tyrannie according to the prophesie in the fourteenth verse of the twelfth Chapter of the Reuelation which saith But to the woman to wit the true Church were giuen two wings of the great Eagle that shee might flie into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the presence of the Serpent The Church of Rome is proued to be a persecuter of the true
Popes principality and supremacy which he challengeth from Peters authority is fabulous For it is cleare that if Christ would haue had vnder him any such singular vniuersall head ouer his Church now by reason of this present occasion had been the onely time to haue made it knowne but in that he said in so plaine and expresse words It shall not be so among you he made it plaine to the contrary Hence it was that Saint Bernard applyed these words of Christ and also the words of Peter himselfe against that false challenge of the Pope saying a Bernard 2. Booke of consideration Peter could not giue that he had not did he giue Lordship heare what he saith Not as ouer Gods heritage but being a patterne to the flocke And least said he to the Pope thou thinke it to be spoken onely in humility and not in truth it is the voyce of the Lord in the Gospell The Kings of the nations raigne ouer them but you shall not be so It is plaine saith he the Apostles are forbidden Lordship therefore goe thou and vsurpe greedily vnto thy selfe either Lording it Apostleship or being Apostolike Lordship thou are flatly forbidden either All which most euidently declareth that the Popes vniuersall supremacy which he claimeth from Saint Peter is flat forgery 3 Secondly they say To Peter onely Christ committed the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen For the clearing of which point we are first to make knowne what those Keyes are for by that the most ignorant may the more easily iudge whether to the rest of the Apostles Christ did not also giue the Keyes Luke 11.52 Christ himselfe in the 11. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell Matthew 16.19 declareth the first key to be Knowledge and in the 16. Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospell the second to be Power For the first key to wit knowledge it is cleare by Saint Iohn in his 17. Iohn 17.8 Chapter of his Gospell that Christ gaue it as well to the other Apostles as to Peter For in praying for them all in generall he vttered these words to his Father I haue giuen thy words vnto them which thou gauest me Iohn 15.15 and they haue receiued them Againe Chapter 15. speaking to all his Apostles in generall he said All things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you Likewise in the 14. Iohn 14.26 Chapter speaking to them all in generall he said These things haue I spoken vnto you being present with you but the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you So that hereby it plainly appeareth that Christ gaue this first key to all the Apostles in generall and therefore not to Peter alone 4 Now touching the second key namely the power of binding and loosing remitting and retaining sinnes it is as cleare that Christ gaue it indifferently to all the Apostles Matthew 16.19 For as Saint Matthew in his 16. Chapter sheweth that he said to Peter Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shall be loosed in heauen Matth. 18.18 so in the 18. Chapter he declareth that Christ spake these very same words to all the Apostles saying Whatsoeuer ye bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen And likewise Saint Iohn in his 20. Chapter witnesseth that he said also to them all in generall Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted vnto them Iohn 20.23 whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Therefore it is manifest that Christ gaue this key also to all the other Apostles as well as to Peter And therefore it is which Saint Origine saith b Orig. in first Treatise on Matthew This saying to thee will I giue the Keyes is common to all the rest of the Apostles and the words that follow as spoken to Peter are common to all Likewise Saint Augustine saith c August 124. Treatise vpon Iohn When they were all asked Peter alone doth make answer and it was said vnto him And I will giue thee the keyes as though he alone had receiued authority to bind and loose whereas he had spoken that for them all and receiued this as bearing in himselfe the person of vnity Wherefore in another place reprouing those Romane heretikes of his time who would needs haue those words to be spoken to Peter alone and him to be the Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church said d Augustine in his Booke of the troubles of the Christians Wretched men whiles in Peter they vnderstand not Christ that is the Rocke and whiles they will not beleeue that the keyes are giuen to the Church they haue quite lost the Keyes out of their hands e In his Treatise vpon Iohn For said he if this was said onely to Peter to thee will I giue the Keyes thou the Church hath them not And thus much touching the second point But now before I come to the third point I must craue pardon to digresse a little for that because the Pope challengeth from the authority of the keyes to haue an absolute power to forgiue sinne and to giue the kingdome of Heauen I thinke it very needfull to open that mistery of the vse of the Keyes and how farre their powers doe extend 5 Thou knowest Christian Reader that the vse of Keyes are to open and to shut to let in and to keepe out such as are not meete to come in Now from these metaphors and their properties haue the spirituall keyes their titles and resemblances of properties and doe in this manner both open and shut to wit by the sentence of the Law to shut the locke of excommunication against open offenders and by the sentence of the Gospell to open it againe to those that openly repent confesse their sins And this is it which their Haymo saith f Haymo in Homely vpon the feast of Peter and Paul By Keyes we must vnderstand knowledge and power to discerne between good and bad that those whom thou seest to abide in the true faith thou shalt iudge them worthy of Heauen and those whom thou seest to depart from the true faith thou shalt iudge them worthy of hell fire The Bishops saith he g Ibidem binde men when they separate them from the society of the Church and keepe them from receiuing the body and bloud of Christ he looseth them when as after repentance made he receiueth him in againe into the fellowship of the Congregation and admitteth him to the Lords Table And this is now all the power the Church hath by the two Keyes as for sinne Christ himselfe hath said Matthew 16.19 18.18 it is both bound and loosed in heauen by God himselfe Howbeit we denie not that it is done
according to the true sentence and censure of the Minister euen as the same Writer saith h Jbidem By thy sentence in earth I shall confirme it in Heauen So that by this we see that the ministeriall binding and loosing remitting and retaining sinnes is nothing else but by denouncing the binding sentence and pronouncing the loosing sentence to declare vnto men that they are both bound and loosed by God in heauen And hereof it is which that master of the sentences Peter Lumbard saith i Lumb 4. Seâ—m 18. dist Nec ideo God hath giuen Priests power to binde and loose that is to say saith hee to declare vnto men that they be eyther bound or loosed It were against vs saith Saint Augustine k August 2. booke 11. chap. Permentanus that we should be compelled to graunt that this thing were done of men but not through or by men Againe he saith l August in his Booke of the ladders of Paradise The Lord graunted the office of Baptizing vnto many but the power and authoritie in Baptisme to forgiue sinnes he hath reserued onely to himselfe And to this agreeth that which Saint Ambrose saith m Ambrose in his 9. Bookâ— 76. Epistle The Lord remaineth alone for no man can be partner with God in for giuing of sinnes And thus then who seeth not that albeit sinne bee ministerally remitted and retained yet is it actually done of God himselfe So that whereas the Pope would craftily ascribe this absolute power to Saint Peter all men may apparantly see he doth it but to draw the same power to himselfe that so men might esteeme of his pardons and take them of his owne price And thus much touching the vse of the keies and how farre their powers doe extend 5 Thirdly whereas they say To Peter Christ committed the care and charge of the whole Church we answere that it is not any where to be found in all the Scriptures that Christ said to Peter To thee I commit the care and charge of the whole Church but this wee finde in the 2 Corinth 2. Cor. 11.28 Gal. 2.7 11. cap. that Saint Paul said of himselfe I am cumbered daily and haue the care of all Churches Againe we read in the second chapter to the Galathians that Saint Paul speaking of Peters charge and his owne said The Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to mee as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter Now then seeing that circumcision was but that one Nation of the Iewes and the vncircumcision all the other Nations of the World who had the more vniuersall charge not Peter but Paul and yet indeed and truth to say that euery of the other Apostles charge was not as vniuersal Acts 9.15 as either Peters or Paules iâ— as plaine foolerie as to say that because the Lord said to Annanias of Paul Hee is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kings and children of Israel therefore none but Paul Or because Peter said of himselfe Acts 15.7 God chose out mee that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the words of the Gospel and beleeue Ergo not by the mouth of Paul nor any other of the Apostles but by Peters alone John 13.13 Or to say because Iohn is said Iohn 13.23 to be the Disciple whom Iesus loued therefore none but Iohn Or because Saint Chrisostome said of Iohn n Chrisost ad Papâ—â— Antioch Hom. 73. He was the Pillar of all the Churches in the World therefore none but hee To bee briefe it is cleare by Saint Matthew chapter 28. verses 19.20 and chapter 18. verse 19. and by S. Marke chapter 16.15 and to the end of the chapter that Christ committed the care and charge of his whole Church to all his Apostles indifferently and that by his owne commission euery of their authorities was as great and as large as either Peters or Paules And therefore fabulous is it that the Pope doth challenge from the right of Saint Peter to haue the vniuersall care and charge of the whole Church committed vnto him or any one man in all the world S. Ambrose speaking of this poynt at large concludeth thus o Ambrose of the dignitie of Priesthood The sheepe and flocke which Peter receiued we all receiued the same together with him Now they will not say that S. Ambrose was a Pope of Rome therefore they must needes grant that he spake this generally of all Bishops Pastors and Ministers and not of the Popes of Rome alone 6 Fourthly they say To Peter Christ committed the office of feeding both Sheepe and Lambes olde and young to which we answere It is cleare that by feeding Christ meant the feeding of the soule by preaching the Word of eternall life Now whether this office of preaching was committed to Peter alone and not generally to all the other Apostles the verie plaine and expresse words of their generall commission set downe by Saint Matthew and Saint Marke doth declare Saint Matthew noteth them thus from Christs owne mouth chap. 28.18.19 All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth Matthew 28.18.19 Marke 16.15.20 Goe therefore and teach all Nations Saint Marke chap. 16.15.20 thus Goe ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to euerie creature And in the same chapter it followeth And they went forth and preached euerie where Now then what sheepe or Lambes old or young had Peter to feede that the other Apostles had not his commission could extend no further then all the World ouer and to euery creature and so farre did theirs extend as well as his Therefore how can the Pope iustly claime from Peter to be the onely feeding Father of Gods vniuersall Church Saint Augustine saith p August in his Booke of the troubles of Christians chap. 3. Those words spoken to Peter Feede my Sheepe when they were spoken to Peter they were spoken to all Priests and Ministers If to all then not to any one alone and consequently not to the Pope 7 Fiftly they say Peter was that Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church against which the Gates of hell should not preuaile which being true how was it then that the gates of hell to wit the power of Sathan did so preuaile against him that hee failing in the fundamentall point of Religion attempted to debarre the recouerie of the most happie estate of the vniuersall Church for which Christ called him Sathan For no sooner had Christ imparted vnto him what things he was to suffer at Ierusalem for the recouerie thereof but presently hee gaue Christ councell he should not doe it Matth. 16.22 Maister said hee pittie thy selfe this thing shall not be vnto thee So that if Christ had followed his counsell euery particular member of his Church had beene damned Therefore it is cleare Peter was not that Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church against the