things as one of the better sort of Popes himself freely confessed t Adrianus 6. In orat per nuntiū suum facta ad Comitia imperialia anno 1522. Vpon these grounds I proceed to lay downe 3. propositions touching the incurablenesse of Romish Babel 1. That these Councels assembled to reform and amend did contrariwise establish diuers impious errors neuer be fore decreed in the world 2. That those foule deformities in the Romish Church both in the head and members and both for doctrine and manners that were in that Church before those Councells and for the redresse whereof those councells were called did neuerthelesse and yet do continue vnreformed 3. That since then in steed of redresse and reformation of the euills then found there haue contrariwise growen vp in their Church more horrible hainous practices and more erronious and impious doctrines then euer before and at this day stand vnreproued and maintained by their Church And these three propositions being proued I hope there is none but wil confesse that the Romish Church for ought that man can see is past cure Touching the first I proue it by a fewe particulars in steed of manie and first for the Councell of Constance that Councell decreed 2. such decrees as tend rather to the ruinating of all religion and ouerthrowing all humane societie then any whit to the curing of diseases either in the one or other For first whereas it is knowen and granted that Christ at his last Supper ordaining the holy Communion did consecrate and giue it both in bread and wine and commanded his Ministers after him Doe this u See all the Euangelists S. Paul 1. Cor. 11 23. c. and tho it cannot be denied but that the primitiue antient Church did so receiue it as Christ left it yet for all that comes the Popish Councell of Constance and calls it a peruerse fashion and an ill order of those that giue their people the sacrament in both kindes and do further decree that Notwithstanding Christ ordained and the primatiue Church practiced it in both kinds yet now to say that it is necessarie to receiue it in both shall be heresie and punished as heresie that is with death and losse of lands and goods c. And howsoeuer Bellar. w Bellar. de Sacram Euch. lib. 4. cap. 26 much ashamed of the matter wil needs that the Non-obstante is not referd to the institution in both kindes but to the celebration after supper and therfore accuseth Luther and others as lyers for so reporting of the Councell yet many others of his fellows make no bones to grant it and if they all denyed it the very words themselues of the Canon are plaine inough Now thus to decree and make a Canon contrarie to the direct institution commandement of Christ what is it but to controll Christ himselfe and to weaken the certainty of all truth and religion Secondly whereas there can be no firme societie amongst men if othe◠and couenants especially made by publicke persons be of no force and therefore God himselfe would haue the Israelites oath to the Gibeonits performed thogh it was craftily extorted x Iosh 9. 19 after seuerely punished Saul in his posteritie for the breach of it y 2. Sam. 21. 1. 2. yet the Romish Councell in this latter age hath decreed that z Concil Constant sessione 19. Though the Emperour or King giue a safe conduct to one accused of heresie to come to a Councell or Disputation c. and tho he bind and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer and tho he would not haue come but vpon the assurance of the safe conduct Yet hoc non obstante this notwithstanding hee may bee taken and proceeded against and burned as an hereticke without anie preiudice to the Catholicke faith c. If this bee good diuinitie that Oathes and Couenants to hereticks are of no force binde not the makers then it is in vaine for men to haue anie dealing one with another for if oathes bee once of no force in any one thing they will in time be weakened in all things Thus this Romish Councell that should haue amended hath contrariwise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impyetie and such as for ought I could euer see were neuer till then decreed nor receiued no not in the Romish Church it selfe But is this reformed since No saith a great Spanish Bishop a Simancha Institut cathol cap. 45. art 14. edit Hispan Fides data haereticis a priuato non est seruāda nec a magistratibus data seruā da est haereticis quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur nā Ioh. Huss Hieronimus eius discip legitima flāma concremati sunt quāuis promissa illis securitas fuisset more then a hundred yeares after this Councell it is so farre from beeing altered that contrariwise by the authority of this decree it is now a rule in our Church that faith made to an hereticke by a priuate man is not to bee kept no nor if it be made by a Magistrate as sayth he is prooued by the practice of the Councell of CONSTANCE Marke howe they are healed afore it was true in publique persons now it is true in priuate men also afore it might bee broaken without anie fault but nowe it may not bee kept See howe Babylon is cured But the Councell of Trent is of latter times hath not it done much good and reformed much ill Nay on the other side it hath decreed and made 2. Canons to the high disgrace of holie SCRIPTVRES and much derogating from the souereigne authority thereof which til then were neuer decreed not in the darkest times of poperie when her ignorance and superstition was without all controll As namely first b Concil Trident. sess 4 That the Apocriphall Books of Tobiah Iudith and the rest shal be held receiued of as authenticall and Canonicall authoritie as anie parts of holy Scripture whose authoritie was euer sacred This wrong was neuer offered to the holy Scriptures before neither was there euer any Popish generall Councell so presumptuous afore this of Trent that euer durst adde more books to the sacred Canon then we receiued from the Church of the old Testament Some bolde Papists say that the Florentine Councell before Trent did make them Canonicall which if it had it had bin little materiall seeing it was but a small time before Trent scarce 100. yeares but the truth is it did not and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more careful of their credit and wil not affirme it c Bellar tō 1. lib. de verbo dei Coccius in the sauro cathol tom 1. So that its cleere there neuer was generall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent nor anie prouinciall but one d Concil Carthag 3. and they are not able to bring one Father that helde them so within 400. yeares after Christ nor very manie after
in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but beeing that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe a booke of so great authoritie and so common in the hands of all the learned I cannot but discharge my dutie to the truth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men thinke when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Viker and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authoritie as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approoue and iustifie himselfe and all his words and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament doe therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe and that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them VVhat I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their religion a plaine Atheist that holdes the Scripture and all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour serueth his turnes And if anie of his faction holde this too hard a censure I would intreate him to answere mee but this question grounded vpon these words of his Whether is God the Authour of the olde Testament 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 or no If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holie Ghost If hee bee then the Prouerbes of Salomon beeing a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of this Text are Gods words and not Salomons This beeing so let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning and see what a peece of Popish diuinitie heere is A straÌ„ge peece of popish doctrine that Gods word if it be authorized by the Pope is then of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to canonize it then it is not So that either Gods word must be beholden to the Pope for the authoritie of it or els it hath none Obserue that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of God but because these words of God are heere canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit and worthie to bee beleeued as well as if they had beene spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinitie fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mint Let the words be examined and see what can followe of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to be Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheisme or els if hee holde them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authoritie to binde mens conscience till the Pope doe canonize them and that Gods word in a book knowen receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authoritie in that booke as being translated into the Popes Canon lawe if he refuse both these then let him refuse his owne lawe and burne his glosse vpon his decretalles as contayning Atheisme and Heresie in a high degree 12 The sixt wound not healed But to goe forward is this wound healed Surely if they haue left it out or reformed it in any later impression so it bee with open confession and detestation of the fault it is well But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in all other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authoritie and allowance condemned or reprooued this Atheisme if they knowe any they may doe well to produce them Meane time I am also sure of this that in stead of healing it they haue suffered their Doctors and Writers continually since to speake and write almost as ill if not worse In Queene Maries time an English Papist wrote thus c Proctor in his booke called the way home to Christ printed at LondoÌ„ in 8. Religion is occasioned by Scripture but perfected and authorized by the Church See we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture for our Religion About the same time Cardinal Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is sayde to haue affirmed that The written word of GOD is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicuâ—â— And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euideÌ„ce of Scripture boldely answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quilles doe not tie vs e Nos pennis illis anser inis minime sumus alligati I will not affirme these two vpon my owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disproued them But that that followeth I speak vpon knowledge A little after a great english Papist pretending to summon a Parliament for Poperie in his booke so called telles a storie of one whom hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diuinitie in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1566. in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnes that this he heard him himselfe but what was hee that spake it a Protestant no a Papist and no mad fellow nor ignorant foole nor profane scoffer but sayth Heskins hee was a man of worship of grauitie of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure hee giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a little after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a boooke that papists holde to bee Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee aunswered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it Shee would no more beleeue the scripture for it was naught g Heskins in his parliameÌ„t the next page after And what was shee that saide this a vertuous Catholicke gentlewoman and one that feared GOD h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor commeÌ„ds that man and woman for deuout and zealous papists who blasphemously saide that the scriptures were naught and not to be belieued and doth not reprooue the parties for their blasphemie So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind Lo what tokens Poperie giueth of a vertuous Catholicke woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did hee not reproue the one nor the other But contrariwâ—se commends them both and turnes it to
bee euerie daie eight and fortie yeeres of pardon which is in one yeere aboue fifteene thousand yeeres Euerie daie of the Annuntiation there bee one thousand yeers and hee that with deuotion goeth vp Saint Peters stayres hath for euery steppe seauen yeeres of pardon Surely purgatorie paines are not so fearefull as they beare the world in hand if going vp two and twentie steps may purchase releasement of a hundred fiftie yeers thereof And if these seeme too little Alexander the Pope like a liberall Lord opens his treasure and giues to euery steppe a thousand yeares So that now there is not a Papist in the world that needes to be in Purgatorie one daie except hee will For for going vp XXij thousand yeers of pardoÌ„ graÌ„ted for going vp 22. steps If the Pope say true in this no Papist need to come in Purgatory twentie two steppes with deuotion hee may be released out of Purgatorie for two and twentie thousand yeeres and I hope they do not think the World will last so long and Purgatorie they saie ends with the World Further whosoeuer will go through the 3. doores Three doores of one Church in Rome of so great vertue that whosoeuer goeth through them shall be as free from sinne â—â— when he was newly baptized Oh what a great power the Pope hath who can giue power to another so easily to deliuer soules out of purgatorie How easie purgatorie might be emptied by Popish doctrine of the Laterane Church shall bee as free from all his sinnes as hee was the houre hee was baptized Likewise at the Altar in Saint Peters Church there be xiiii thousand years of pardon and deliuerance of one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Lawrence whosoeuer visiteth that Church euerie Thursday for a yeare and â—ittes vpon the stone whereon Saint Lawrence was broyled shall deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Iohn at the gate called Porta Latina a man by either saying a Masse or causing it to bee sayde may deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie Are these true then why is there one soule left in purgatorie or else where is the charitie of the Papistes which they so much bragge of seeing so easilie they may deliuer so many thousands soules out of purgatorie in one yeare Certainely if these bee true as they be written then granting that there is a purgatotorie it might soone be emptied But if it be false and fabulous and friuolous and hath no other ende but to mocke poore people and to sucke out their siluer then what a religion is that which maintaines such dealings especially seeing this is not the deede of any priuate men but of the Popes themselues nor of a fewe but euen all since Boniface the eight Thus wee haue searched deepe into a foule and filthie wound Now what remaines but to see if it bee healed yet or no 20 The tenth wound not healed but groweth more desperate deadly to this day But alas Babylon will not be healed for as they feared not to put these trickes vpon the people 100. and 200. yeares agoe in the times of superstition so haue they presumed euen still in these dayes of light to do the like And as the whore is shamelesse in her sinne so is this whore of Babylon in her impietie for shee hath not at all amended this enormitie nor in any sort reformed it but rather lets it growe from bad to worse For euidence wherof let any man read Onuphrius Pauvinius z Vide Oâ—uphrium Pauuinium de praecipuis vrbis Romae sanctiorious basilicis quas septem Ecclesias vulgo vâ—cant Colon. 1584. passim who not past 24. yeares agoe hath written with publike authoritie a booke to this verie purpose of the seaueÌ„ principal Churches of Rome and of the Indulgences belonging to them wherein all that is deliuered before is auerred and much more added some part whereof I would put downe saue for that it may bee reserued to a further purpose and fitter opportunitie And for better euidence that as she hath not so shee purposeth neuer to heale vp this wound within these two yeares they haue allowed published with authoritie the pilgrimage or voiages of Seigneur Villamont a Les voyages du St de Villamont diuisez eâ— trois livres derâ—iere edition reueuce augmentee c. A. Aâ—raâ— 16â—5 vide inter alia librum 1. cap. 12. c. one of the Gentlemen of the French Kings Chamber wherein the poore deceiued Gentleman out of his superstitious deuotion hauing visited all those Churches and made himselfe as hee saith blessed by being partaker of all the Indulgences thereto belonging and hauing ascended those holy staires to euerie steppe whereof belong so manie thousand yeares of pardon after all returning home at last much poorer but nothing wiser then hee went hee wrote a booke of his voiage and pilgrimage to Ierusalem and taking Rome in his way hee describes at large the Indulgences granted of olde and at this day in force to the Churches in Rome Which booke being written in French whoeuer list to reade will soon confesse that in this wound the Romish Babylon is not yet healed 21 The eleueÌ„th wound Granting of Indulgences thousands of yeares deliuerance of Soules out of purgatory to Beades Meddalls Crosses Pictures and such like toyes being blessed and hallowed by the Popes holy hands And herevnto I will adde another wound because it is so neere to this in popish consanguinitie The wiser sort of Popes and the rest of the craftier politicians in that hierarchie perceiuing that all the Nations of the earth many of them being so farre distant could not come to their market of Indulgences being kept in Rome therefore least they should lose their trafficke into those parts they deuised away that seeing a greate part of the worlde could not come to Rome Rome should send to them To which ende out of his bountie and spirituall liberalitie for the incredible good of mens soules the Pope ordained that certaine Crucifixes and Meddalls and Agnus dei b The principall of all these toyes is the Agnus dei which euerie one may not make but onely the Pope nor hee alwayes but onely at Easter nor at euerie Easter but the first next his entrance and euerie seauenth Easter after nor of any matter nor in any manner but preciselie of such simples and with such ceremonies as are prescribed for that purpose which together with the prayers or rather coniurations then to bee vsed are to bee seene in the booke called Caeremoniale pontil lib. 1. And hee that hath not that booke let him looke in the CoÌ„mentaries of Peter Mathew vpon the Constitutions of Gregorie the 13. Constit the 1. holy Graines beads other such Iewels should be first consecrated and hallowed by the hands of his Holinesse and haue all the holinesse powred vppon them that hee canne spare and further
all to hell on the euening before good-Fryday p Vide Bullam Coenae inter Constitutiones PontificuÌ„ Roman pag. 883. In Constit 13. Sixti 5. Consueuerunt Rom. Pontif. praedecessores nostri c. Nos igitur vetustum solennem hunc morem sequeÌ„tes excommunicamus ana thematizamus exparte Dei omnipotentis c. quoscunque Vssitas Wiclyfitas Lutheranos Zuinglianos Calumistas omnes alios haereticos â—orumque fautores receptores libroruÌ„ lectores c. we for recompence the next day morning in euery Church chappell of this kingdom many places more pray for the conuersion saluation of him and al his sect q See one of the prayers apointed by publicke authoritie in the common prayer booke for good-Fryday and so by Gods prouidence it falleth out that our publick praier for them is the same or the next day when they haue publikely cursed vs and this is the facte of the whole Church in the publick liturgy appointed of old stil confirmed by authoritie Therefore if Christs argument be good that priuate men blessing their cursers are the children of God then sure this is not ill the church that blesseth their cursers is yâ— church of God Let them therfore stil go on in cursing if they needes wil but let theÌ„ take heed least as they loue cursing so it come vnto theÌ„ as they clothe themselues with cursing like a garment so it come into their bowels like water and like oyl into their bones r Psal 109. 17. 18 we coÌ„trariwise let vs not be wearie of well doing let vs follow that blessed Peter whom they pretend to follow but do not vnlesse it be in denying Christ whose blessed counsell is Render not euill for their euill nor curse for their curse but contrariwise blesse knowing that we are therunto called that we should be heires of blessing s 1. Pet. 3. 9 thus doing we haue Peters owne testimony against them that we are a Church of blessing a blessed Church and the Father of blessings blesse it more and more and all that seeke the peace of it Amen Thus we see generally they wished her well But what is the particular good they wished her namely her healing and conuersion We would haue healed her heere many things might be pressed I wil but point at them 1. That it is the property of a holy man to wish aboue all things the spiritual good of them with whoÌ„ he liues the wicked man seekes the spirituall hurt of men the naturall man the carnall good but the holy man their spiritual eternall good Worldly matters haue their time place in his thoughts but that that takes vp possesseth his desires is the spirituall good of them he loues namely their conuersion their repentance their saluation these things be worthie their praiers and worthy of their pains Heerin Gods children are like to God their Father who wishing good to his people crieth out Oh that there were in them not the skill to rise in this world and attaine the honours ease of this life but a heart to feare my Commaundements that so it might goe well with them and theirs t Deut. 5. 25 God wisheth no trifles to his children But oh sayth God that Israel were healed and oh sayth Israel that Babylon were healed Thus do God and good men accord in their wishes Learn thou here thy duty if thou be Gods thou wishest for and prayest for and seekest for many things for thy children and thy friends thy wife and family Thou clothest them feedest them prouidest for them else thou art worse then an Infidell and preferrest them and much more but all this is for the bodie But canst thou say from a good conscience I woulde haue healed their spirituall diseases I haue heartily wished and faithfully endeuoured their saluation This is to be a true friend a true father a worthy husband and a good wife happie they that haue such friends neere them 2. Obserue further they seeke the saluation euen of their persecutors so doth alwaies the holy man Paul was put in prison the gayler tormented his body and Paul healed and saued his soule w Act. 16. 24. to the 35. Many a sinner is made a happie man by his prisoner the Martyrs oft times by their patience their praiers holy instructions conuerted their executioners and tormentors As in the former point a holy man is like to God so herin to Christ who when Iudas and the Iewes were conspiring his destruction the same houre was ordaining the holy sacrament and establishing the meanes of their saluation x 1. Cor. 11. 23. c. Thirdly Israel liues in Babel would gladly haue her as holy as themselues wee would haue healed her It sheweth the excellency of the nature of holy things they are fire not in the flint hardly bet out but in the bosome that will not be concealed A man is not couetous of them He is indeede greedie to gaine them but not to keepe them secret and to himselfe as in worldly things wee are nay he desires and ioyes to impart them to others and it is the ioye of his heart to see others as good or better than himselfe Woulde God sayth Moses all Gods people were Prophets and Paul wished from his heart not Felix the president and Agrippa the king alone but that all that hearde him were like him not a prisoner and in bonds but in grace and goodness z Act. 26. 29 Hardly shall a man heare such voices in the world I wish others were as rich as I as high as I as learned as I as much in credit and fauor as I. No these things make men base and seruile self-louers and priuately minded but grace and holinesse is of a royall and excellent nature and inlargeth the heart wherein it is with such loue to other men as nothing more contents him that inoyeth it then to make others as good as himselfe Lastly where it is sayde they woulde haue healed the Babylonians with whom they liued see what a good neighbour a holy man is he comes he dwelles he soiournes in no place but hee seekes the good of it Lot would gladly do good in Sodom if hee can doe none at least his righteous soule shall be vexed for their sinnes a 2. Pet. 2. 8 Israel soiournes in Babel and had rather be awaie yet while they be there they will cure her if they can and if she cannot yet Babell shall therby knowe that Israel was amongst them Thus the whole shyre and parish shall fare the better by one good man dwelling among them Hee comes no where but presently hee considers what that people wants what is their disease what he may do to heal them or any way to help them he comes no where but he leaues behinde him signes of his goodnesse monuments of his holinesse and a sweet sauour of his vertues Thus euery
there is any hope of life then how may anie man forsake the soule that is pretious and that cost so pretious bloud p 1. Pet. 1. 19 Surely the spirituall Physician must neuer forsake a Church a people or a man as long as there is anie hope of curing and conuerting him Heere is condemned the practice of two sorts of men amongst vs. First such as be now tearmed of the separation formerly and vsually called Brownists who forsake our Church and cut off themselues from our congregations and separate themselues to a faction and fashion or as they call it into a couenant and communion of their owne deuising these men haue made a grieuous rent and giuen a deepe wounde into the peace of our Church they vse this place and others like against vs say We would haue healed you but you will not bee healed therefore we forsake you but they abuse the place therefore I will turne the point of this their weapon against themselues I meane against their errors and this their bitter and schismaticall separation To this end I would aske these men but 4. questions whereunto if they can giue me satisfaction I will be one of them First therefore whereas you say that Wee are wounded incurably and will not be healed I aske Wherein are wee deadly or incurably wounded what fundamentall wound is in our doctrine what deadly corruption is in our discipline such as eats out the heart and life and being of a Church what book of Canonicall scripture receiue we not what holde wee for Canonicall that is not what sacrament that Christ ordained do we want and what haue we more then Christ ordained what article of faith deny wee or what holde we for an article of faith that is not what fundamentall heresie doth our doctrine maintaine what haue wee in our Church that ouerthrowes the being of a Church what is necessarily required to make a Church that we do want Do not say These be many questions for if you wil haue them all in one generall I will end it as I began Wherein are wee deadly incurably wounded If I should walk a while on your owne grounds grant you that which you can neuer proue yet will it not follow that we are incurably or deadly wounded A man may want a finger or haue some blemishes in his face and yet bee a strong and perfect man sound and heart-whole and able to ouerthrowe his enemies so tho there were in our Church those wounds you speake of yet do they not come neere the heart they bee not deadly they may blemish the beauty but endanger not the life of our Church The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had other kind of blemishes then ours hath blessed be God Corinth doubted or erred in the great article of the Resurrection 1. Cor. 15. The Galathians erred fouly in the high and maine point of Iustification and yet Corinth a Church of God sanctified in Christ Iesus 1. Corinth 1. 2. And Galatia though almost remooued to another Gospell Galathians 1. 6. yet not withstanding a Church for all that Galat. 1. 2. And if you will adde to these fundamentall errours in doctrine corruptions in manners and disorders in Gods seruice you can with no shewe of truth lay such to the charge of our Church as is apparant were rife in the Church of Corinth and then shall Corinth bee a Church and not England Let the Lord bee Iudge betwixt you and vs. Therefore if wee should grant vnto you that our Church were blemished or wounded yet not beeing deadly wounded your separation from vs is schismaticall and vniust and more cruell and vnchristianlie deale you with our Church then did Gods Church with Babell who forsooke her not til she was deadly wounded and past life To conclude if Israel might not forsake Babel til then then what are you that dare forsake a Church of God wherin they haue found God if euer they haue found him yet wherein the diuell himselfe cannot shewe one deadly wound Blessed be the Lord that hath so healed vs. Secondly seeing they say that we are wounded but as for themselues they be healed therfore they must separate and so keep the sound from the sicke I aske them this question Are they healed then where were they healed where were they called where were they regenerat begotten to Christ was it not in the wombe of this our Church by means of the immortall seede of Gods word that is daily sowen in our Church by the ministry of those men that were called by our Church and yet cleaue to our Church and mourn for their separatiō and by the dewe of that blessing from aboue which is dayly poured vpon our assemblies from Gods merciful right hand Then how can they deny that to be a true Church a holy church a Church of God wherein ordinarily men are called and brought to God And how vnthankfull and vndutifull are they to their spirituall mother to forsake hir and cast the dust of contempt in her face that bore them in her wombe and brought them foorth the sonnes of God To auoid this what can they say but one of these two things either that there is indeed a true Ministery of the word amongst vs but it is not powerfull to anie but themselues that wee haue the word truly preached and so as it may conuert a man but it is not the sauour of life to anie but such as come into their couenant but from this horrible and hellish pride good Lord deliuer them or els let them be assured such a height of pride is sure to haue a fearful fal Or if not this then must they say that they were not called in our Church but since they left vs But they haue bard thēselues already from that plea. For it being obiected to them that they haue left our church not out of conscience but out of carnal discontents and vpon fleshly reasons worldly grounds they all stoutly answer and stifly stand to it that they do it not vpon any such grounds nor for anie reasons of flesh and bloud but meerely and onely out of conscience and for their saluation and that gladly they would haue staied but with a good conscience they could not If this be true then they had conscience before they left vs then where came they to that conscience and care of their saluation but in our Church Now a good cōscience cannot be seuered from regeneration and an effectual calling therefore they cannot deny but they were regenerate and called in our Church vnlesse they wil say they had no conscience when they forsooke vs which if they doe then I will yeelde that my question is answered If they grant they were called a fore they went and that stil they who fall from vs to them are called then how can that be but a true Church wherein by their own cōfession men are ordinarily begotten to God how
years y Vide Corpus Iuris Canoâ—ici iussu Gregorij 13. recognitum editum Lugduni 1591. and there stand the very same words without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter The decretall Epistles are numbred and reckoned amongst the canonicall Scriptures 8 The fourth wound not healed Which is the more shamefull in it self and shamelesse in the doers in as much as in the same newe edition they are forced to confesse that Augustine out of whom they cite the whole Chapter did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures z Quae quidem sententia beati Augustini non ad decretales Ro. pontificum sed ad Canonicas sacras Scripturas referenda est Corp. Iur. CaÌ„ edit 91. in additione ad dist 19. cap. 6. and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeere after his daies To conclude this point let wise men obserue here this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to ameÌ„d or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their own free-hold els why should they maintain that blasphemie in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the bodie of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that manie a man reades the contents of books and chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonorable to Gods holy Scriptures they are suffred to stand whereas they haue put out many things disgracefull to themselues Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing This doth but make them equall and that may bee thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper and more deadly namely where the authoritie and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Distinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a lawe these words taken out of one Boniface 9 The fift wound The religion of Christianitie is to bee founded rather from the Popes mouth then from the â—oly Scriptures that is from Gods mouth a Vide Decret dist 40. in appendice ad cap. 6. Et reuera taÌ„ta reuerentia apiceÌ„ praefatae Apostolicae sedis omnes suspiciunt vt nonnullam sanctorum Canonum disciplinam antiquam Christianae religionis institutionem magis ab ore praecessoris eius quà m a sacris paginis paternis traditionibus expetant Illius velle illius nolle tantum explorant vt ad eius arbitrium suam conuersationeÌ„ ipsi remittant aut intendant Haec in Corp. Iur. Canonici editionis Lugdun 91. in 4. And certainely allmen do yeelde so much respect and reuerence to the Pope of Rome and his chair that they require and seeke for much of the discipline of the holy Canons and the ancient institution of Christian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that Sea then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seek after is what hee wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues and frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is here the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianitie is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the 10 The fift wound not healed holy Scriptures and all that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what he wills not and according to that are they to frame theÌ„selues Is this a doctrine â—it to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holy and the onelie true Church that teacheth this If to be a Catholicke be to holde this and to denie this to be an heretike I am content to be an hereticke let who will bee the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the Scriptures and to depende vppon the mouth and reuealed will of GOD then woe bee to that Church and religion that reacheth wee maie rather depende on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alas they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I knowe this is not be found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the latter and last of all set forth by speciall authoritie from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time Thus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondly that they are of greater authoritie then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquitie will neuer be full and therefore shee goeth one steppe higher in this impietie and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnless he by his authority giue them strength they are not of credit nor necessarie to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their wordes truely out of their owne booke namely their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs the glosse that is the approued Commentarie vpoÌ„ that decretall is in these words b Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23 de praesumptionibus cap. 1. sicut Aduerte quod verba textus non sunt verba Papae sed Salomonis in Parabolis habentur originaliter in c. 26. Sed quia textus hic est canonizatus facit fidem inducit necessitatem sicut si editus â—uiÌ„sset a Papa quia omnia nostra facimus quibus nostraÌ„ autoritateÌ„ impertimur Glossa Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the words of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentith Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit to be beleeued because they are allowed authorized by the Pope being so by him authorized they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had been the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessitie of beeing belieued or it bindeth as stronglie as if it had beene pronounced or vttred by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestowe or impart our authoritie The high and holy God that is the Author of the holy Scriptures bee mercifull vnto vs in hauing anie thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not anie waie communicate with their sinnes not haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impietie and Atheisme that lyeth
the aduantage of the Romish cause and sayth that hereby wee may see what a perillous thing it is for Lay people to read the Scriptures But with his leaâ—e hereby we may see what a filthie heart and vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy Scriptures who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them and God in them do not reproue it but make vse of it nor burie and quench them but write and publish them rather with an approbation then any detestation of them But will you heare his owne wordes and his owne iudgement not related from others as these but vttered out of his owne heart How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songes of Salomon yea rather how vngodly and wanton seeme they to bee in the outward face rather teaching and prouoking I craue pardon of all Christian cares Wantonnesse then godlinesse and what can the vnlearned finde or vnderstand in many sentences any thing to edification of godly life or rather a prouocation to wanton life And after certaine sentences alledged hee concludes The whole booke is no better like vnto these saith hee is all that booke You haue heard how the proueâ—bes were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls and here the Canticles Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite Heskins i Vide approbationem laudem huius autoris libri apud Possev in appar sacro to 3. lit T. verbo Thomas Hardingus addeth touching Ecclesiastes What may appeare more vehement to disswade a man from wisedome then the booke of the Preacher how much is wisedome the goodly gift of God abused to appearaunce in this booke k Heskins in the same book and Chapter And to conclude of another booke which they holde also to be canonicall scripture and some of them to be Salomons hee sayth that The booke of Ecclesiasticus seemeth to haue such vnseemely wordes in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake them and I also sayeth hee would bee ashamed to write them if they were not Scripture l Heskins a little after in the same chapter If the wordes bee as immodest as hee pretendes they bee then why doe they holde such a booke to be Scripture and if they holde it to bee Scripture then how dare a Christian man say that it hath such speeches in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write I leaue this for them to aunswere in the meane time I go forward Not longe after comes Hosius a greate Doctor of theirs and after a Cardinall and writes thus m Hosius editionis vlt. tom 20. lib. de expresso dei verbo pag. 5. Pronuntiamus non verbum dei sed scripturam pendere ad authoritate testimonio approbatione Ecclesiae quae non aliter verbum esse dei censeri debet nisi quatenus ecclesiae fuerit autoritate coÌ„probata The word of God of it selfe doth not but as it is written in the Scriptures it dependeth on the authoritie testimonie and approbation of the Church and it ought no otherwise nor no further to bee esteemed the worde of God then as farre foorth as it is approued by the authority of the Church Lo what doctrine here is for hence it followeth that therefore if the Church should not allowe the newe Testament it were not scripture Put all these together and then it will soone appeare how pitifully this wound is healed Nay further if the time and present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne writers wee should see by the last and latest of all this wound is so farre from being healed that it rankles further and deeper euen like an incurable leprosie that cannot bee healed but let it suffice to name some of the Authors and referre the learned Reader to them n Pistoriuâ— cont Mentz disp 1. Stapleton lib. 9. doct princip cap. 14. Bellar. tom 1. Controv. 1. lib. 4. cap. 4. Fran. Agricola de verbo dei scripto non scripto cap. 7 cap. 9. Perouu de incertitudine c. scripturaruÌ„ And let vs go forward to another wound They taught the People in olde time namely for two or three hundred yeares past that Images were good laye mens bookes and euen then when they denied them the scripture as vnfit for them and obscure dangerous for seducing them to heresies were Images allowed and coÌ„mended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction 13 The seaueÌ„th wound Images are good laye mens bookes Some three hundred years ago liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus learned for that time and well approued o Guliel Peraldus ord praed postea Epistola Lugdunens scripsit inter alia summa virtutuÌ„ vitiorum pervtilem illaÌ„ quidem coÌ„modam concionatoribus quae saepius est recusa haec Possev appar sac to 1. lit G. of their Moderne Censurers hee writes thus As the Scriptures are the bookes and containe the learning of the Clergie so Images and the scripture are the learning and bookes of laye men p Guliel Peraldus Summa virt vit tom 1. cap. 3. vt scripturae literae sunt Clericorum sic scriptura sculptura literae sunt laicorum Lo here how Images are associated and ioyned with the Bible Search the scripture saith Christ look on them and on Images sayth the Pope how readest thou saieth Christ what seest thou saith the Pope It is written sayeth Christ it is painted and grauen sayeth the Pope thy worde sayeth Dauid is my light not the golden Châ—rubins but nowe sayeth Poperie euen in the newe Testament the scriptures and Images are laye mens lights What a wronge is this to GOD and what an iniurie to his worde But is this healed Oh that it were but let the reader iudge by that that followeth 14 The seauenth wound not healed but made worse and worse One of their greatest Casuists Laelius Zecchius a great Diuine a famous Lawyer and of late yeares Penitentiarie of Bresse writing a great volume of Cases of Conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij amongst many other strange doctrines touching Images teacheth that It is not lawfull onely but profitable to haue Images in Churches to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and men c. and to preserue faith seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned to draw them vnto knowledge memorie and imitation of holy and diuine matters c. q Laelius Zecchius Summa moral theolog casuum consci tom 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Imagines poni â—n Ecclesijs vtile est ad charitatem erga deum sanctos fouendam augendam c. ad fidem conseruandam cum Imagine babeantur pro libris his qui literas ignoraÌ„t ex quibus ducuntur in cognitionem memoriaÌ„ imitationem diuinorum c. Brixiae 1598. Lo here this doctor who heing Penitentiarie is by his place
lesse wonder heereafter that they make Saints Mediatours to CHRIST seeing heer they shame not to send the wodden crosse to him to make intercession for them but as for that where they giue a power to the Crosse to procure Christ to be good vnto vs how it can bee spoken without Atheisticall blasphemie let them answere that made it Further obserue how the Crosse is sayde to haue deserued to beare Christ surely no maruell tho Saints can merite when a peece of wood can merit at Gods hands Lastly let all reasonable men iudge what the Romish Church holds of Christs death seeing they praie to a wodden Crosse to bestowe the fruite and benefite of it vpon them But sure will some saie this is healed I will not deny but that in some of their newe and latter Breuiaries this is left out but thereunto I answere First that it is not reformed but couered for to the healing of a spirituall wounde there needes confession and publique satisfaction to the Church offended by the fault but here is no confession of anie fault nor euill in these words to the Crosse only they bee cunningly kept out in the newer bookes so that they are ashamed of them yet haue not the grace to confesse it and therfore will leaue it out and yet shew no cause why Now if it bee naught why doe they not say so and therfore put it out if it be good why do they put it out So then it may be couered but is not cured Secondly I answere that though they haue left out that yet they haue kept in as bad or worse for euen in their newest editions and as they say most reformed there is praier to this Crosse i Breuiarium Rom. autoritate Concil Trident. suÌ„morum pontificum Pij 5. al. restitutum editum Sabbato infra hebdomadam passionis in Hymno pag. 302. editionis in 4. O Crux aue spes vnica hoc passionis tempore auge pijs iusticiam reisque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse our onely hope wee pray thee in this holy time of Lent increase iustice or righteousnesse in godly men and grant pardon to the guiltie Heere the very wodden Crosse is called vpon and prayed vnto to doe that which Christ himselfe could neuer haue done if hee had not beene God Some will say Surely they speake to Christ howsoeuer the words seeme to bee spoken to the Crosse I answere if they direct their hearts to Christ why then direct they the words to the Crosse Verely Christ is worthy of both as well as one But I answere further it is a cleere case that they make and direct this prayer not to Christ but to the very Crosse it selfe else let Aquinas bee Iudge who makes this argument k Aquinas summae par 3. q. 25. art 4. Illi exhibemus latriae cultuÌ„ in quo spem salutis ponimus sed in Cruce Christi ponimus spem salutis cantat enim Ecclesia O Crux aue â—pes vnica hoc passionis tempoâ—e auge pijs Iusticia reisque dona veniam In dominica de paff in Hym. ergo crux Christi est adoranda adoratione latrie That is to be worshipped with diuine worship wherin wee put and place the hope of our saluation but wee place the hope of our saluation in the Crosse that Christ dyed on for thus singes the Church and then hee alleageth this place these words All haile ô Crosse our onely hope in this time of Lent do thou increase righteousnesse in holie men and graunt pardon to sinners therfore the Crosse is to bee worshipped with diuine worship These bee his owne very words and are spoken of the Crosse and not of Christ as any man may see that will but looke on the booke it selfe for the question in generall beeing concerning the adoration of Christ l Quaest â— 25. de adoratione Christi in sex Articulas diuisa hee diuides the generall into sixe particular questions which are these m Aquinas ibidem circa adorationem Christi queruntur sex 1. Whether Christs humanitie bee to be worshipped with the same worship as his diuinity 1. Vtr 〈…〉 vna eadem adoratione sit adoraÌ„da diuinitas Christi eius humanitas 2. Whether Christs humane flesh bee to be worshipped with latria 2. VtruÌ„ caro Christi sit adoranda adoratione latriae 3. Whether the adoration or worship of latria be to be giuen to the Image of Christ 3. Vtrum adoratio latriae sit exhibenda imagini Christi 4. Whether to the crosse of Christ 4. Vtrum sit exhibeÌ„da cruci Christi 5. Whether to the Mother of Christ 5. Vtrum sit exhibend Matri eius 6. How the Relickes of Saints are to be worshipped 6. De adoratione reliquiarum sanctorum So that we see here is Christ and his Crosse and his Image and his Mother are made 4. seuerall matters and of seueral and distinct consideration then falling into the particulars for the 2. first questions hee argueth them negatiuely but concludes them affirmatiuely touching which two wee haue no controuersie with them at this time then comming to the 3. 4. which bee these in question touching the Image of Christ whether it be to be worshipped with latria or no he answereth that it seemes no and giues such reasons as he nor the world is able to answere but concludes affirmatiuely that it is n Artic. 3. vtrum Imago Christi sit adoranda adoratione latriae Videtur quod non c. sed contra est c. Conclusio Cum Christus latriae adoratione sit adorandus Imago quoque eius eadeÌ„ adoratione est adoranda as I haue set downe namelie that Seeing Christ himselfe is to be worshipped with the worship of latria therefore his Image is also to be worshipped with latria So comming to the fourth question which is of the Crosse demaunding whether it be to be worshipped with latria or no Hee aunswereth that it seemes no but concludes affirmatiuelie that it is o Aquinas â—bidem art 4. vtrum crux Christi sit adoranda adoratione latriae videtur quod non sed contra est c. and then giues his reason as I haue afore set it downe and from thence drawes his conclusion in these words p Conclusio Crux Christi in qua Christus crucifixus est tum propter representationem tum etiam propter membrorum Christi contactum latria adoranda est Crucis vero effigies in alia quauis materia priori tantum ratione adoranda est latria p The Crosse of Christ namely that whereon Christ was crucified is to be worshipped with latria for 2. causes both for the representation oâ— resemblance it hath to Christ as also for that it touched the bodie of Christ But the signe of that Crosse or a crucifixe of what matter soeuer is to be worshipped with latria onlie in the former
shall giue thee daily allowance of meate if thou wilt promise mee heereafter to hurt no hodie the wolfe bowing his heade aunswered by signes that hee woulde Yea but then sayth Francis Brother Wolfe giue mee thy Francis bids his brother wolf giue him his hand and faith that hee will performe his order faith and credit that I may beleeue thee and the wolfe presently lifted vp his right fore-foote and layed it in Francis his hand therby giuing his faith that he would performe it Then Brother Wolfe sayth Francis I command thee in the name of the Lord Iesus that thou go with me into the Citie and there feare not to make peace in the name of the Lord the wolfe forthwith followed him as meeke as a Lambe So comming into the Citie all the people togither with the Magistrates being assembled S. Francis made vnto them an Brother wolfe standeth by whilst S. Francis preacheth to the people excellēt sermon the wolfe being by which being done he sayd to them these words This brother of mine this wolfe that standeth here hath promised me vpon his promise hath giuen me his faith that hee will be friends with you and doe no more hurt prouided that you shall dayly giue him an allowance and portion of meate which if you doe Francis is surety for his brother wolfe to the towne for your partes then I will bee suretie for my brother Wolfe that he shall perform the conditions on his part required Then said S. Francis Brother Wolf it is reason that as thou did before so here before all this people Brother wolfe giueth his faith againe thou giue me thy faith againe that thou wilt keep the couenants on thy part and the wolfe immediately lift vp his right fore-foot and laid it in the hand of S. Francis his suretie in the sight of all the people and so gaue his faith againe and then all the people shouted and wondred and praised Christ for sending S. Francis amongst thē by whose merits they were deliuered frō the cruel wolf And from that day forward the people Brother wolfe liueth in the towne takes his meate at the dores to the wolf wolf to the people performed their couenants made by S. Francis the wolf liued 2. years after FRANCIS was gone and went vp and downe the streets and tooke his meate from door to door hurting no man and was well and daintily fed and there was neuer so much as a dog that barked at him And at last after 2. yeares Brother Wolfe beeing stricken in Brother wolfe dieth is lamented yeares dyed for whose death the Citizens did very much lament Heere is a miracle worth the marking Now let all Huguenots and Heretickes shewe such a miracle in their religion no no they neuer can doe it And no maruell for Iesus Christ who is the King and Captain of their religion neuer did the like in his time to this which S. Francis the king and captaine of the Franciscans u Francisce Iesu typicè dux formaque Minorum hath heere done If the time would giue leaue I could bring 20. more as impious as incredible and as absurd in their kinde as this but leauing it to a further opportunitie and referring the learned to the booke it selfe I proceed What may bee saide to all this are not these wide and wofull wounds Oh! but they are healed I may answere as the Prophet doth Were they ashamed when Ierem. 7. 12 they had committed abhomination Nay they were 18 The ninth wound not healed not ashamed For whereas this booke was written aboue two hundred yeares agoe by Bartholomeus Pisanus a Franciscan Frier it was not then only suffred to passe to publique viewe in those daies of darknesse and superstition but now of late within lesse then 20. yeares when one would haue thought they woulde if not repented of the impieties yet haue beene ashamed of the absurdities they contrariwise haue reprinted the Booke x The newe edition is at Bononie in Italie 1590. is dedicated to a Cardinal in this editiō is all that I haue alleaged and haue not taken ou◠nor reformed one worde of all these euilles nor of many more which do so directly disgrace the merits of CHRIST IESVS onely some things haue they altered which they thought might make against themselues but not one of these which doe so farre dishonour God and Christ and all religion Compare together the olde and newe bookes who will and he shall finde this to be true wherefore the conclusion is that this wound is farre from being healed Let vs then go forward and see if wee can finde one wound healed 19 The tenth wound The Pope may giue Indulgences for 20000. yeers grant men power to redeeme soules out of Purgatory in the Romane Church Two or three hundred yeares agoe the Popes Indulgences did growe to that height of rotten ripenesse that all men of vnderstanding euen of his owne broode were ashamed of it and manie a one of the wiser sort euen in these mystie times did see and laugh at the nakednesse of Poperie in that poynt the excesse whereof grewe so great as they cannot denie but it gaue at last an occasion of LVTHERS reuolte from them There is a Manuscript extant written some two hundreth yeeres agoe and another not much differing from it some 130. yeares ago printed at Rome containing a catalogue onely of those Indulgences belonging to the parish Churches of Rome amongst which they say are 7. principall let vs but consider of some fewe y He that wāts this booke let him looke in Hospinian de Templis lib. 2 c. 28. pag. 348. edition is Tigur 603. where he shall finde both mention of the book a particular recitall of a great part of it In the Laterane Church it is graunted thus by Pope Boniface If any Pilgrime come for deuotion to this Church hee shall be absolued from all his sinnes And in the Chappel there called sanctum sanctorum there is full and true remission of all sinnes And one daie in the yeare which is the daie of the dedication of the Church there is full remission of all sinnes both à poena culpa and this Indulgence is so certaine sayth the booke that when the Pope first pronounced it the Angells Angels say Amen to the Popes Indulgences but they shold first proue y◠God saith Amen to them for els the Angells will not vnlesse it bee the euill Angells in the hearing of all the people sayd Amen If these things bee true then it is strange that all Papists in the world are not saued for hee that hath full remission of all sinnes both à poena culpa dying in that state cannot be damned And certainly he that for the obtaining therof wil not take the pains to visite that Church one daie in a yeer is not worthy of saluation In Saint Peters Church there
53. c. bee beleeued vpon his bare word So then if a Cardinall haue but the conscience to tell a lie which how small a thing it is in poperie and how manie excuses it hath who knoweth not then it is heere apparant that the vilest theefe and murderer in a countrie may easily escape the halter at Rome Now to conclude see how many helpes there be for a Murderer in Romish religion first by places then by persons priuiledged Places priuiledged be 1. a Church 2. a Churchyard 3. an hospitall 4. a Bishops house 5. a priuate Chappell all these shall deliuer a man from tryall were this so in London how should any murderer be brought to the Bar no street could he passe through but he shall finde one of these 5. places then by persons priuiledged which be first a Cardinall riding by which because it is but in fewe places therefore the second is a Priest carying the Sacrament and that is in euery towne To touch either of these doth deliuer from death a murtherer coÌ„demned by law Thus we see a bloudy Church is a defender of bloud and murther for let anie wise man consider how many thousand murders in a yeere may bee sheltred and shuffled ouer by these meanes And yet sanctuaries are but one means to cloak murther they haue many more not so fit to be stood vpon at this time but the end and effect of them all is this that poisoning stabbing killing and all kind of bloud-shedding is so rise in popish States that the better sort of themselues do bitterlie complaine of it Oleaster a spanish Inquisitor and therefore not partiall on our side hath these words r Vide Hieronimum ab Oleastro inquisitorem vlissiponens in suis CoÌ„ment in Pentat In cap. 4. Genes pag. 17. Video in quit homicidia fieri netamen video homicidas puniri sunt enim hodie mille modi excusandi homicidam quoruÌ„ vnuê° est ecclesiaÌ„ appellare Clericum se dicere statim Iudices quos volunt a summo poÌ„tifice impetrate qui eos absoluunt parua aut nulla poena imposita sic homicidia multi plicantur I see daily sayth he murders are committed but I doe not see the murderers are punished for we haue at this daie a thousand waies to excuse murderers wherof one is to appeale to the Church to say he is a Cleargie man and presently to get froÌ„ the Pope such Iudges or Commissioners as themselues will who by and by discharge and absolue them vpon a little punishment or none at all and thus murders are multiplied euerie daie c. Let these words be well obserued and what he was that spake them and if this be so so faâ—re from Rome as Portingale is theÌ„ we may easily iudge how the world goeth at Rome and neere vnto it Against all this what can be said that this Anastasius is an Author suborned by vs Nay Posseuine the Iesuite will for that answer for vs hauing canonized him in his catalogue of catholick Doctors s Possev Ies appar sac tom 1. lit A. Anastasius Germoniê° Archidiaconê° Taurinensis edidit libros de immunitatibus ecclesiasticis inter al. c. what then that he is but a triuiall fellow and of no credit nor authority Nor so for he was publicke professor of the Popes lawe at Turin in great office and authority both with Gregory the 14. and Clement the 8. t Idem Posseu ibid. Augustae Taurinorum publicè Canones interpretabatur nuper orator ad Clement 8. pro sereniss vrbini duce vtriusque Romanae signaturae referendarius and his bookes be dedicated to the Popes and Cardinalls printed at Rome with soueraigne authoritie and speciall commendation u Nay the Pope himselfe with Anastasij Germonij Ciuit Ro. Archidiaconi TaurineÌ„sis protonotarij Apostolici de sacroruÌ„ immutatibus lib. 3. ad Gregorium 14. Romae 1591. his own mouth commended the book to the Cardinals and said that the whole Clergie and the Councel of Cardinalls by name were greatly beholden to the Author for it w Vide eiusdem Anastasij Epistolam dedicat ad Gregorium 14. Pont. Max. So that it is more then impudencie for anie Papist to make question of the authoritie of his doctrine What then can be said that these sanctuaries stand indeed allowed for some faultes but not for murder If it were so the fault were lesse but the truth is otherwise For tho it be certaine and confessed by themselues that by the ciuile lawe Murderers and Rauishers and Adulterers are excepted x In §. Quod si delinquentes Authent de mand princip Yet Germonius shameth not to answere that the Ciuile lawe is corrected in this point by the Popes law and that therfore we are to stand to it y Iure Ciuili adulteri homicidae raptores ex eccl abduci possunt sed Ius Ciuile per pontificiuÌ„ hac in parte correctuÌ„ est ideo standuÌ„ est huiê° dispositioni c. sic Germoniê° de sacrorum immunitatibus lib. 3. cap. 16. art 57 c. and not to the Ciuile lawe Now who are excepted by the popes lawe only night-robbers and setters of high waies z Germonius ibid. art 56. ex Iure Canonico communi sententia but as for murderers adulterers and rauishers these finde fauor in the Popes lawe for they be Amici Curiae but theeues and robbers are not so and therfore this Germonius coÌ„cludes that tho the Scripture be plain and many Doctors yet a murderer is not to bee taken out of sanctuarie vnlesse there bee more then murder as deceit and treacherie What then may be said that this Germonius is but one Doctor and his opinion is not to be taken for a doctrine I answere his iudgement is allowed by the Pope himselfe and his opinions are fortified with consent of other popish Doctors But that we may see he walkes not alone in this waie one Stephanus Durantus writing also of late of the rites of the Romish Church deliuereth yâ— same for a general doctrin of that church tho he being a French-man is therfore the bolder and saith that neither in France nor in England they haue beene permitted by the kings with such absolute allowance as elswhere a Stephanus Durantê° de ritibê° ecclesiae catholicae Romae 91. ad Gâ—â—gor 14. vid. 1. ca. 26. art 10. Ea erat ecclesiae religio immunitas vt ad eam confugientes non liceret inde extrahere vel eis aliquam vim inferre Such saith he is the honor and immunity of Churches that malefactors flying to them may not bee taken out nor haue any violence offered them This book also is of speciall authoritie dedicated to P. Gregorie the 14. and by him accepted with speciall allowance and in a Bull or constitution of his hee affirmeth it is a worke seruing greatly for Gods glorie and the edification of Christian people and that it is approued and allowed
their miserie let vs proceed The next wound is this That whereas God hath euer allowed and honoured marriage in the old new Testament and Concubines were neuer allowed in the old and absolutely condemned in the newe Now coms popery makes it as lawfull to haue a Concubine as a wife 31 The 15. wound He that hath not a wife may haue a Concubine this is done by no priuat persons but the Popes lawe it selfe Thus saith the Canon y Decret dist 34. cap. 4. Is qui non habet vxorem pro vxore Concubinam habet a Communione non repellatur tamen vt vnius mulieris aut vxoris aut CoÌ„cubinae sit coÌ„iunctione coÌ„tentus He that hath not a wife but for a wife or in stead of a wife a Concubine let him not for that be kept froÌ„ the Communion yet so as that he be content with one woman either a wife or a Concubine Is not heere a piece of good licentious poperie I know they say they haue this from the first councell of Toledo which is ancient true but what if Spaine not long afore conuerted to the faith was not purged as yet from these dregs of heathenisme and Iudaism are they therfore fit to be taken vp by the Pope inserted in his lawe as a Canon to binde and direct for euer If they think that poor prouincial Councel but of 19. Bishops bee a sufficient warrant for this decree then why take they not all and why put they it not downe a wife or a Concubine as it pleaseth him for so it is in the words of the Councell z Concil General per BinniuÌ„ Col. 1607 tom 1. pa. 560. In Concil 1. Tolet. cap. 17 Is qui non habet vxorem sed c. tantum vt vnius Mulieris aut vxoris aut CoÌ„cubinae Vt â—i placuerit sit coniunctione contentus I know also that they haue coyned a distinction whereby they would couer this wound and saie that a Concubine heere is to bee taken for a woman whom a man hath and keepeth with the affection of a Husband onely in outward fashion and solemnity shee is not a wife nor publickly maried but I aunswere the best of it is nought if wee did grant them all they saie but distinguish as they can the words are so plaine that the suttlest distinction they can deuise wil be too short a cloak to couer the shame of it nay the shame of this Canon is written in the fore-head of it for the Rubrick or contents written with red letters is worse then the text it selfe a Vide DecretuÌ„ cum glossa editionis lugdun in fol. 1510 dist 34. cap. 4. Is qui non habet vxoreÌ„ loco illiê° debet habere concubinam Hee that hath not a wife ought or at least may haue a Concubine in her roome These be the very words in the impression at Lions 1510. tho I confess the Diuines of Paris hauing a little more care what past their hands ashamed of the word debet that is ought to haue put it out and put in liceat that is he may haue b Vide decretuÌ„ edit parisiens in fol. anni 1507. ibid. Is qui non habet vxorem loco illius concubinam habere liceat but take the best of all and is it not bad inough well let vs go forward this wound is olde and wide and deepe But is it yet healed No not to this day 32 The 15. wound not yet healed for still by the Popes Canon lawe he that hath not a Wife may haue a concubine for the Popes Canon lawe was of late yeares commaunded by the Pope to be corrected and purged as well the Text as the Glosse and is this amended or left out as being false and filthy doctrine No other places indeed are altered for the greater vantage and honor of the Pope but this dishonorable Canon so disgracefull to Gods lawe stands vntouched in this newe and last edition of all c Vide corpus iuris Canonici autoritate Gregorij 13. pont max. emendatum et editum 91. et 600. onely the Rubricke or title or Contens whereof wee spake before is altered thus d Ibid dist 34. cap 4. Is qui non habet vxorem sed loco illius concubinam a communione non repellitur He that hath not a wife but for a wife a Concubine is not repelled from the Communion Thus it is amended but in a poore fashion as wee may see But what may the Church of Rome meane to amend the Rubrick or title not the Text Surely because they knowe manie a one hastily runnes ouer the Contents and titles of books and Chapters who neuer looke into the body of the books theÌ„selues But take this wound healed as it is Is this good diuinitie at Rome that he who hath no wife but in a wiues steede keepes a Concubine shall not for that bee kept from the Communion Is not this a holy table of the Romish Sacrament from which he shall not bee forbidden that openly keeps a whore in roome of a wife Certainely this wound is notably healed let vs then goe forward to the next Wee haue heard that a Wife is made equall to a Concubine but what if shee bee made worse then a Whore an Adultresse or a common Strumpet None dare say this none dare vndertake this but the Whore of Babylon but shee dare For this is her doctrine that it is a lesse sinne for many men to lie with another mans wife or a common whore then it is to marrie a wife of their owne 33 The 16. wound Some men had better lie with another mans wife or keep a whore then marie a wife of his owne Mariage which God hath made so honorable hath been of long time disgraced in poperie but not in this high measure I speak of abused that I know till these later and more shamelesse times that the whore hath got her a brazen face In Luthers time not yet a 100. yeeres agoe liued one Albertus Pighius one of the Popes ChaÌ„pions e Albert. Pighiê° scripsit in Lutherum Bucerum c. de ecclesia catholica bene meritê° Posseu appar sac tom 1. lit A. who for the defence of that hierarchie and maintenance of that cause amongst other his bold and blasphemous assertions teacheth this hoggish and hatefull doctrine f Pighiê° explicatio controuersiarum controu 15. de Caelib et coniug Sacerd. p. 215. edit Parisi 1549. Go to sayth he suppose all that vowed continencie do not keep it so wel as they should What then had they better marrie Nay assuredly for wee must resist the temptation by all meanes we can but if Sed esto non faciunt obligati voto omnes quod possunt debeÌ„t c. et proinde tentantur fortasse vruntur eoruÌ„ plerique quid igitur an nubere his minus malum erit et minê° damnabile tu
vide c. tentationi proinde quibê° possimê° remedijs resistendum est in quibus si quando remissiores ex infirmitate carnis ceciderimus tolerabilius hoc peccatum est quam si iugum in totum excutiamus c. non quòd hic probemus fornicationem sed casum ex infirmitate ad deliberatum immo perpetuum abiecto omni pudore Incestum comparamus sometime we be too remisse and so by infirmity of the flesh doe fall into fornication or c. Certainly this is a less sin and more tolerable offence then it is to marie for this is wholly to cast off Gods yoke not that we allow fornicatioÌ„ in it self but here we compare a slip or fall of infirmitie to mariage which in this case wee account no better then a resolued or deliberate or continual Incest vtterly without all shame Heere is a piece of holy poperie indeede but it is pope-holy that is beastly and profane so filthy that I had rather the particulars were coÌ„sidered of by a mans owne discretion then deciphered by me But let vs see if this be healed or no For the Iesuits may say this Pighius wrote so hoggishly in licentious times and when we were in the egge and scarce hatched g For the Iesuites order was established by Paul the 3. and this booke of Pighius published within 3. yeares together namely about the yeare 1540. for had we then been in that power and place as now we would haue restrained him But the truth is that contrariwise this impious and filthy doctrine was but obscurely and timorously broched by Pighius but hath been since boldly and plainly blustered out by the Iesuites 34 The 16. wound not healed for this is still the doctrine of the Romish Church he brought forth an imperfect heap but they haue lickt it brought it to form perfection Costerus a Iesuite of great name amongst them h Vide Posseu appar sac toÌ„ 1. lit T. writing a book fit to be as he calls it they esteem it in euery Catholicks hand deliuereth this for sound and dogmaticall doctrine i Costerus Enchiridion controuersiaruÌ„ c. cap. de coelibatu propos 9 p. 528. Sacerdos si fornicetur aut domi concubinam fouear tametsi graui sacrilegio se obstringat grauiùs tamen peccat si contrahat matrimonium c. A Priest if he commit fornication or keepe a whore at home though hee sinne grieuously yet sinnes hee more grieuously if he marrie a wife This is one of his propositions or conclusions But hee wrote this many yeeres agoe is it not since healed No the booke hath indeed bin often printed and with many alterations k Vide Possâ—uinum ibid. But this stands in his last impression vntouched as a doctrine for the Pope to glorie in which I speake not at randon but vpon too good ground For this doctrine and the writer of it haue been often reprooued by our Diuines but in stead of reformation Costerus hath been defended and the doctrine iustified by other of his learned brethren I will name but one example Chamier a learned French Minister obiected it to the Iesuites at Turrone and it is at large defended by Ignatius Armandus the principall of the Colledge there for Catholike and good doctrine l Vide Epistolas Iesuiticas part 2. in epistola 1. Iesuitae Ignatii ad ChamieruÌ„ pag. 33 c. Vides igitur Chamiere non esse contra doctrinam Christi nec Apostolorum nec Conciliorum nec Patrum quod asserit Costerus c. The Epistles on both sides are in print to bee seene And if these be not of authoritie sufficient let Bellarmine come to helpe them Thus he teacheth m Bellarm. tom 2. lib. 2. de Monachis cap. 30. pag 545. De ijs qui vouerunt non recte dicitur Qui non se continent nubant melius est nubere quam vri nam vtrumque est malum nubere vri imo peius est nubere quicquid reclament aduersarij c. Et postea Quae nubit post votum simplex vetum matrimoniuÌ„ contrahit tamen aliquo modo magis peccat quam quae fornicatur That speech of the Apostle They that cannot containe let them marrie for it is better to marrie then to burne cannot bee rightly said of them that haue vowed for both are naught both to burne and to marrie yea it is worse of the two to marrie whatsoeuer the Protestants say to the contrarie And a little after in the same Chapter She that marrieth after a single vow contracteth indeede a true Matrimonie yet in some sort she sinnes more then she that playes the whore Thus this Popeholy doctrine is now brought to ripenes and perfection by the diligence deuotion and modestie of the Iesuites But they haue a reason for all this so good and so strong as they think that thereby all is well healed for say they fornication or whoring wee doe not simply allow to be better then mariage but in respect that a man hath afore made a vow not to marrie n Bellar. â—bid Costerus ibid. Ignatius ibid. therefore to marrie after the vow is to breake promise with God A notable reason if it be well considered for hereby it is apparent that Poperie teacheth her people to vow against mariage but not against fornication against wiues but not against whores Alas alas what doctrine is this doth mariage breake their vow and not fornication God keepe all Christians from such vowes But that this is true I say let Bellarmine iudge o Bellar. ibid. Quae nubit reddit se impotentem ad seruandum votum quod non facit quae fornicatur Ergo quae nubit magis peccat She that marrieth after a simple vow in some sort sinneth more grieuously then she that commits fornication because marke his reason she that marieth makes her selfe vnable to keep her vow which she doth not that commits fornication Thus it is plaine Poperie voweth against mariage not against whoredome adulterie nor fornication And thus three great Iesuites haue made good what Pighius taught and that more plainly and palpably then he did And to make vp a messe of Iesuites Posseuinus their grand Censor comming to giue his censure of Pighius p Posseuinus in Appar sac tom 1. lit A. Vide quid dicat de Alberto Pighio findes many faults and errors in his bookes but as for this hee hath nothing to say against it but passeth it ouer as good holy catholike Romish doctrine therefore seeing as Bellarmine said afore say we what we can they will not forsake nor amend this doctrine let them keepe it and let it be one of the sweete flowers of the Popes garland The next wound is neere a kin to this 35 The 17. wound Priests in Poperie may not marrie but are permitted to keepe their whores vnder a yeereliâ— rent namely that their Church hauing alwaies forbidden mariage
the sinfulnesse of the popish Church and religion would bring vpon all the world Let them reade that haue them these books named in the margent q Vide Gersonis opera passiâ— Reuelationes Brigiâ—tae Vincentij Ferrariens prognostie PerruÌ„ de Aliaco de reformatione eccl Nicolai de Clemangi â—â— opera in Bibliotheca Patrum editionis primae Poemata Walteri Mapes Maillardi Menotti Sermones Holcot in Sapient lect 182. passim Onus Ecclesiae passim and those that haue them not it may bee shortly they may haue some helpe therein and then you will grant with me that the former and better times confessed that which I now lay to their charge I will insist particularly but vpon two the one of so great antiquitie the other of so great authoritie as both are beyond exception Some 400. yeares ago liued a Monke learned for those times called as Posseuine confesseth r Vide Posleu in Appar sac In append priori ad â—om 1. lit B. Bernardus Morlanenâ—is hee wrote three bookes of the contempt of the world in an artificiall kind of Poetrie but much more artificially describing and zealously deploring the sinfulnesse of the Romish Church and state in those daies from the head to the foote describing particularly their adulteries Å¿ Casta cubilia sunt modò vâ—â—a lata petunâ—ur c. drunkennesse t Cura stat vnica luctaque publica carnis in esu ebâ—ietas placet tua vox â—acet ô bone Iesu ambition idlenesse dissimulation deceits cosenages murders u Arcta relinquitur via carpitur ampla quibusque Quaeâ—imus in via fluxa fluentia con fluit ansque Architâ—iclâ—â—iuâ— sceptra sedilia rima petendo Quisque tumultuat instat aestuat haec satagendo Stat simulatio dissimulatio crimen vt uÌ„ que Alea crapula fraus facinus gula flagitiumque Ora bilinguia lis homicidia Mars tuba terror Vis probra Iergia quid moror omnia me docet error whoredomes w I am meretricia pene cubilia niâ— reputaÌ„tur Et venialia quod genialia vociferaÌ„tur of all estates then particularly for their Clergie their ignorance and negligence x Grex flet amarius est operarius in grege raâ—us Pontificum â—tatus excidia datus extat auarus c. their Sodomie y Parcite credere quae pudet edere sed tamen edam Horrida nomine plus mala crimine crimina quaedam Heu male publicus est Sodomiticus ignis aestus Nemo seelus tegit aut premit aut fugit esse scelestus Plangite saecula plangite singula crimine pâ—ena Mas maris immemor ô furor ô tremor est vt hyaena their Simonie and other corruptions in attaining places in the Church z Non sine Simone sed sine canone dux animarum Mox docet inscius sibi nâ—scius ipse praeesse O mala saecula vendiâ—uâ— infula Pontificalis Infula venditur nec reprehenditur emptiâ— talis Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus omnia Romae Cum pretio quia iuris ibi via ius perit omne Roma nocens nocet atque viam docet ipsa nocâ—ndi lura relinquere luâ—ra requirere pallia vendi and then at last comming to Rome it selfe so layes open the filthinesse of the whore of Babylon a Roma ruens rora foeda satis nota canteâ—iat te Scilla vorax rapis cupis capis trahis ad te Gurges es alâ—ior area capacior alta lacuna Insatiabilis insociabilis omnibus vna Si tibi det sua non repleat tua guttura Croesus Merca vel aureus à modo non Deus est tibi Iesus as it is doubtfull whether her sinfulnes be more hatefull then his boldnes is admirable Let him that would bee able to answere all their false slanders which they lay to the charge and disgrace of Protestant Churches and to retort vpon themselues their obiection of the liues of our Professors and he that would see the Church and state of Rome in her owne natural colours let him I say reade but that one Author who beside that hee is Manuscript in many Libraries he was also published at Amsterdam or somewhere neere therabouts this present yeare 1607. And after hee hath discouered her corruptions and laid open her sinnes from head to foote then he vrgeth her vehemently to repentance and reformation b Roma resurgito te tibi reddito Romam Cuius eras prius ordinis illius exprime formam Quo modo corpora tuÌ„â— ita pectora nune rege fracta Fracta recollige deuia diâ—ige â—er labâ—facta c. Sed facis haec secus c. Roma quid exequar imò quid eloquar aut tibi promam Vncia te roâ—at vncia te notat haud fore RomaÌ„ Tu populos tibi te rutilans sibi marca subegit Semper eâ—im lucra progenies tua vult agit egit which because he seeth no hope of but that still she falleth from euill to worse therefore he denounceth Gods iudgements against her and assures her that vengeance ruine and destruction shal fall vpon her c Fas mihi dicere fas mihi scribere Roma fuisti Ecce relaberis ecce reuoluer is ordine tristi Fas mihi scribere â—as mihi dicere Roma peristi Obruta maenibus obruta moribus occubuisti Vrbs ruis inclita tam modo subdita quam prius alâ—as Quo prius altior hoc modo pressior est labefacta Fas mihi scribere fas mihi dicere Roma ruisti Sunt tua maenia vociâ—erantia Roma peristi Haec omnia multa huiusmodi Bernardus Marlanensis Monacus Cloniacensis in libris suiâ— de contemptu mundi ante 400. annos scriptis 1607. editis Some part of his owne words I haue here put downe in Latine but not in English because the sinnes he laieth against her are such as some of them are better vnnamed then reprooued What can they say to it is he some fained and forged new found Author deuised by some of vs or was he some late writer hired by Luther or suborned by Caluine to raile on the Pope or Poperie Nay Posseuine the Iesuite confesseth in the place aforenamed and if he did not it is well enough knowne by other good and ancient records he was a professed Monke and liued aboue foure hundred yeeres ago therefore his testimonie in this case is beyond exception Now whether these wounds and corruptions in the Romish Church and State were healed in the subsequent ages or no if any man doubt let him looke vpon the Authors named afore who liued in the ages succeeding one after another Gualterus Mapus and their S. Brigid not much more then a hundred yeares after him about 100. yeeres after them Bonauenture and Wiclieffe about a hundred yeeres after them Gerson Clemangius Vincentius and others these if any man looke vpon he shall see that those wounds stood vnhealed and those corruptions vnreformed