carry it with zeale deuotion and austeritie of penance Bellarmine Thomas Aquinas and others proue the Popish Monarchy by the Gentiles gouernment the seauen Sacraments by Philosophicall arguments and that one body may be in many places at once by sophisticate principles Is not the worship of Saints and Images a meere tricke of the Gentiles and are not all the deâ—ises of adoration sprung from hellish â—dolatrie The temple of Romulus and Rhemus is now the Church of Saint Cosmas and Damianus the temple of Faunus is conuerted into the Church of S. Steuen The temple of Iuno Cupra into the Chappel of our Lady of Loretto where the altar stood dedicated to Apollo is now one erected to Saint Iohn the Image of Brasse of Iupiter is now Saint Peters as their antiquaries iustifie There was one supreme God among the Gentiles and many inferiors vnder him so the Papists acknowledge one God in tearmes but haue an hundred inferiors for euery action and disease the burning of incense commeth from the Gentiles and they assite Virgils testimony with other prets the washing of hands their skippings and turnings their sacrifices with fire and water their tunickes Albes and other pompous ceremonies their Purgatory and beliefe of good and bad Genius their worship of trees stones and fountaines with infinite other absurdities abominations are all the deuises of Gentils and customes of Pagans which if it be so Answere a Gods name you that must answer before the iudgement throne of the Lambe how comes this about if the Papacy shall not come to ruine and Rome it selfe at last be destroyed after Antichrist is discouered and the man of sinne consumed with the breath of Gods nostrills I must beginne with a smile For you cannot choose Popery keepeth Christians in ignorance but laugh when you heare of the Colliers faith to beleeue as the Church beleeues though it was not knowne what that beliefe was the obscuring of the Scriptures the inhibition of their reading their praying in an vnknowne tongue their not suffering men to dispute their preaching of stories and tales without one word of edifing their suppressing of religious bookes and infinit other palpable enormities what are they any other but instrumentes of Sathan to keepe vs in securitie or Synens hands to rocke the Cradle of our frailtie till wee fall a sleepe yea snort againe in the Cimerian caue of darkenes ignorance and superstition Oh harken for Gods sake what Historiographers write of ignorance dulnes and stupidity in spirituall affaires Alphonsus a Castro lib. 1. de haeresi sayth that diuers Popes were vtterly vnlearned Lazierdus Author Plaâ—â—â— speaking of Gregory 6. reciteth that he caused another to be consecrated with him for saying Masse because hee himselfe scarce knew a letter but this matters not for Ielium approues that the Pope cannot be deposed for want of learning Pope Zachary condemned Virgilius a Bishop of Germany as an heretike for saying there were Antipodes Paul the second was so vnlearned that he determined them to bee Heretikes that named the word Academy Iohn Pecham in the Prouinciall constitution supposeth it â—uffâ—cient for Priests either by themselues or substitutes once a yeere to tractate or at the most euery quarter of the ten Commandements of the law the twelue Articles the two commandements of the Gospell the seuen workes of mercy the seuen deadly sins the seuen vertues and the seuen sacraments without curiositie or putting it home to edifying vses of the conscience Durandus teacheth that the two points of a Bishops Miter signifies the old and new Testament but Lewis marcilius an Augustine Frier said that the stropps of the Miter which the Bishop hangs at his backe did foreshew that they neither vnderstood old nor new Testament Aluarus Pelagius complaines that the Bishops of Spaine committed thousands of soules to yong nouices that were fitter to play with Apples and Peares shall I name the Sermons of the Frier Menot Maillard Bromyard and their fellowes they were so full of ridiculous fables that the people went to Church to sport themselues in the hearing The Germans of late complained to Adrian 6. that Bishops aduanced vnlearned ideots vnfit vilde and ridiculous It is well known that many Priests and Friers could not say Masse nor distinguish of dayes but by the great letters and all your Schoolemen and Inquisitors generally fill their studies with bookes of Rhetorike stories legends Decretalls Canons Ciuell law and such trash For is not stubble trash compared to the comeâ— but neither Bible nor expositors of Scriptures scarce a father or diuine author shall bee found amongst them for in truth how euer now a daies they swell with the tumor and accent of great Schollership and learning they are still for the most part illiterate and ignorant and that reputation they haue proceedeth either from their auditors and disciples want of knowledge or their Glosses and tedious Cataloging of vncertaine authors who handle curious questions and at the best school-diuinitie Nouation cannot stand without Christian pollicie nor Popery repugnant to the lawes of nature and nations pollicie bee maintained without obseruation and performance of othes promises compacts leagues and treaties of trade and commerce yet you shall see what either the scorne of Papist negligence presumption equinocation or one tricke or other hath done Formosus being deposed for-swore his Bishopricke yet regarded not his oath but resumed the same In the life of Henry 4. Emperour Gregory 7. was inuested Pope contrarie to his oath Paschall the second solemnly swore to the Emperour being his prisoner but at least subiect to his danger that hee would keepe and religiously obserue the Articles set downe betweene them bur hee proued so false repugnant that after he had escaped he rebelled and excommunicated the Emperour Charles the French Theodoriâ—k King chaâ—geth Gregory 12. and Benedicke 13. of violation of their faith and Omâ—phrius alleadgeth against Alexander 6. that hee was a delinquent in more then punicke perfidiousnes Guicciardine speaking of Climent 7. sayth plainely â—ra di poca sâ—de Iulius 2. Leo 10. and diuers others endeuored to proue that the Pope was not bound by any oath but he might both infring the same and incite others to dishonorable practises Henry the 4. as Helmoldus complaines accuseth the Pope for the rebellion of his subiects and this by his instigation the tumults of Germany were raised and the people set all in combustion vpon the Popes warrant and pardon In the Counsell of Constance the Pope and his complices perswaded the Emperour to violate the safe conduct of Iohn Husse whereupon that damnable position of fides non est consernanda cum hereticis was ratified and concluded which if it bee so what trust can bee secured of any contract or treatie but still vpon aduantage the aduersary will breake out and imitate the Panther who sheweth not her tallents till the beasts be within her reach Did they not of late dayes perswade
that the common people flie to their bookes shewing there is no mention of such a prohibition nor doe they any other then the mother Church commandes O vnheard-of madnes O irreligious Apostacy In the first to the Hebrewes the Originall hath it thus Heb. 13. and bearing vp all things by his mightie word hath by himselfe or onely Purged our sinnes Now behold what dares not By himselfe put out Sathan doe deride God in the 2 of Genes and tempt God in the 4. of Math. alleadging Scripture in both to serue his turne yea drawing the bow home of sacred truth to hit the marke of his aime but what dares not the Pope doc euen more then the diuell himselfe dash away or quite extinguish such places of Scripture as may seeme to contradict his fictions and lay his filthines to ouerture and the hissing of the passengers For in this text hee hath quite put out by himselfe and presumed to put in merits by-workes both satisfactory and supererogatiue trentalls Masses Dirges and other trumperies full of Leprous steines and corruption which I passe ouer because they rather appertaine to the second inditement In the 1 of Timothy 2. 5. The words are plaine neither 1 Timoth. 2. 5. one Mediator patible of other construction and I am sure vnsufferable of contradiction For there is one God and one mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus But what dares not the Pope doe quite reiect this and with conceited elegancy by way of comparison argue thus that as the necke is betweene the head and the body so the Virgin Mary is betweene Christ and his Church no graces or spirituall â—nfluences are granted from Christ but they passe by the hands of his mothers intercession and thus there is an Aue mary still to obtaine present and future blessings miracles are done indeed in the Church but by her meanes through Christs power they haue afforded her attributes of redemption sauing protection defence ruling commanding for which purpose Leoes vision is a fearefull and prodigious Atheisme wherein such as ascended the red ladder vnder Christ fell downe from diuers steppes but such as went vp the white ladder vnder the Virgin entred heauen without difficulty If I should proceede with Rom. 8. Rom 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. Math. 11. 28. 34. Hebrewes 7. 25. Math. 11. 28. in which places Christ is our onely Mediator and maketh intercession for vs I must needes impute arrogancy nay blasphemy vnheard-of to the Papacy either to make â—er a Mediatrix or pray to Saints for their assistance but harken to more impietie they haue deuised her to bee such a boundles Ocean of goodnes that shee many times entertaineth such whom Christ refuseth yea they goe further in the glorifying of Saints and crying to the Popes themselues to make intercession for them O vnlimitable audaciousnes and ridiculous foppery yet so manifest and absurdly entertained that whole volumes are written in the defence and as many about the discouery of the falshood In the 5 of Iohn 39. It is plainely sayd Search the Scriptures Iohn 5. 39. Reading the Scriptures Act. 17. 11. for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me whereupon it is recorded Act. 17. 11. that the noble men of Thessalonia and Berea receiued the word with all readines and searched the scriptures daily to which purpose the holy Ghost yeeldeth a reason 2 Tim. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 16. For the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration and is profitable to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes Now what Barbarous tyrany is this of the Church of Rome worse then Turkish crueltie not onely to locke vp these pretious treasures from the very eyes of ouer-looking with a supposition of pollution by ignorance but to affright the people with death as by their bloody Inquisition is apparant if any daring hand or hungry soule outreach at this heauenly Manna and looke with cheerfulnes toward mount Sion for their saluation so that no lay man may presume at all nor others to read the word of God in the vulgar tongue In the 1 Corinth 14. the inhibition is not barely set 1 Cor. 14. Against an vnknowne language downe for vsing an vnknowne language in the Church or if you will in publike congregations but illustrated with Similes and excellent enforcements to diuert vs from such absurditie and irregular abuses in edifying But alas how are our soules entangled how is an insupportable burthen of traditions thrust vpon vs how are we inforcered with a tedious Catalogue of principles and Canons of the mother Church And although the Apostles iustified the obeying of God before men yet now Non cuiuis licitum est dicere Papae cur hoc faecis Nay we must not aske a question for conscience sake nor say a prayer in our mother tongue for seare of Lutherano diauoto Heretico and in the inquisition to be clothed with the Sambenito a punishment as vituperious as the carting of Bawdes in England Nay if a modest sinner should but reueale those diurnall liftings vp of the soule which Saint Austin and other fathers call ciaculationes and that to be done in their natiue speech it were sufficient to bring them within the griping reaches of accusation and vnsatisfied ielousie of alteration in religion or repugnancy of the mother Church O intollerable mischiefe and neuer heard of frency to runne away with such madnes against God and his truth In the 20. of Mathew ver 20. the storie of the mother Math. 20. 20. Against ambition in the Câ—ergy of Zebedcus children with that sweete reprehension of ambitious tumors is recorded at large But how not as barely exhortatory by way of defence of righteousnes humillitie loue patience and other spirituall graces but with forcible interdiction of With you it shall not bee so although the Lords of the Gentiles and other corrupt worldlings defiled with contaminating pride and â—nsatiable affectings of authority hunted after popular estimation and eminency before others yet would not Christ haue so much as elation of hart among his disciples nor desire of superioritie ouer their brethren for any assumpted gift or grace whatsoeuer Nay though it were true that God had made their faith the rocke of foundation for his Church and themselues the Pillers and Lampes of his temple But now behold the error of the Church of Rome the error said I the intollerable pride and Antichristian impietie vsurpation and insatiable supremacy hee must not onely exalt himselfe aboue his brethren and make that Conclauc of Cardinalls an vndeniable Court of his greatnes and authoritie but stand like a Colossus ouer the neckes of Princes and as their own stories haue enlarged presumed to ouerturne the Crownes of Emperors with his feete nay more then so the Pope is carried on mens shoulders and hath reached at heauen it selfe and as the commentaries report of Prometheus that
Naples and Tuskany with my countrey of Hydrantum shall bee shaken in notable manner and so shall Florence be affrighted as expecting a reuenge because of her Apostate Duke with a great deale more The formerly recited Saint Vincent in most of his writings maketh as it were an agreement with the predictions which were sound in the Abbot of Clunies Library Abbot of Cluny written some 500. yeeres agoe against certaine Popes that shall follow the steps of Simon Magus and so drinke of the cup of the wrath of God and whereas there are many and large prophecies attributed to Abbot Ioachim yet they all tend to presage the reformation of the Church or confusion of her obstacles and enemies that is the Pope and his Colledge of Cardinals or the obsession and demolition of Rome There is a Prophecy of Iohannes de rupe Scissa a Francesian Diuâ—â—â— prâ—pâ—ecies Friar another of Theodoricus Bishop of Croatia another in a booke intitled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis another out of the Bishops of Limoges Library in France another of Laurentiâ—â—s Miniatensis an Astrologian of Naples and many others from as many seuerall Authours and countreys and all tending to this end and purpose that Religion must be reformed according to the Prophet Zachary where the filthy garments are to bee taken Zachary 3. away and a crowne of pure gold to bee set vpon the Priests head That Sathan shall be rebuked that is to say the hindrances of this good worke shall bee remoued that this strange exaltation of the Popes of Rome must bee abated that their pompe and supremacy must bee dissolued and that the very city shall be subiect to fire and the countrey to inuasion of enemies c. Shall tell you how Hieronymus Sauanarola expounded Sauanarola the reuelation of Saint Iohn to the people of Florence He assured them that religion must be reformed that God would accuse the Churches that were faultie their trumperies must be abolished their inuentions annihilated that God would bring a great scourge vpon all Italie especially Rome nor desisteth he so but alledgeth the cause and certaine motiues why God was so extraordinarily offended namely the pollution of the Sanctuarie the corruption of the Clergie the ill gouernment of Prelates and Priests the abuses of Officers and the pride of Bishops and Cardinals who will neither enter into heauen themselues as Christ exprobrated the Pharises nor suffer others which sinnes must needs cry from the earth vnto heauen for vengeance c. It is wonderfull to relate that Panlus secundus Grebnerus Grebnerus the German Astrologian should so long agoe for the generall foretell the vtter destruction of the Pope of Rome enlarging his inuectiues against idols temples and Churches defiled with mens inuentions authorised by humane fancies and adorned with gewgaw deuices as if they were afraid to break the necke of policy by letting her looke vp to heauen and therefore she should be troubled no further than the hangings images or painted walls of some melancholy Chappell For the particular hee prognosticated the destruction and dissipation of the fleet in 88. the murther of Henry the third of France the troubles of the King of Nauarre Henry of Burbon the preuailing of his armies and the winning of the strong towne of Groyning in Free sland But amongst others which I named before you must Abbot Ioachim needs harken vnto that famous and well reputed man Ioachimus the Italian Abbot of Flore in Calabria who foresheweth that at last both Germans and the French shall sorsake the Pope of Rome and deny the supremacie because of their monstrous corruptions and iniquities He also alledgeth that as Salomon in his age fell to idolatrie so should Rome be most contaminated when she declined and extend the violence of her filthinesse as the last act of her tragedie approached He proceedeth yet further that all Christian Princes shall not onely forsake but afflict her yea a Prince smally reputed of shall correct the Babylon of Rome Harken I pray you to a little more he resembleth the Pope to Pharo and Pilate and maketh a further comparison with her by the Babylonish whore and so concludeath that they shall all be laid in a bed of affliction and scourged againe and againe with bleeding wounds for their wickednesse and abominations I could proceed with many others but I did purpose onely an â—nchiridion and therefore I will desist from raising it to a volume yet I cannot ouerpasse those bitter inuectiues and terrible presages against Rome by Robertus a Dominican Friar who in diuers sermons likens the Pope Friar Robert to an Idoll for adoration to an Hidropick for presumption to a Beare for cruelty to a serpent which in a vision he saw in the palace of Laterane to a blacke dry and blasted body to an head of wood which was to bee cut or broken off and many other resembiances tending all to this purpose that in the end according to the time which God hath kept secret in his owne bosome Rome and the Popes of Rome shall not onely bee discouered to bee that man of sinne and Antichrist in the Scriptures but receiue the reward of adultery euen the diuorce from Iesus Christ If it bee so then answer a Gods name you that must answer before the iudgement Throne of the Lambe how comes this about if the Papacy shall not come to ruine and Rome it selfe be destroied sceing Antichrist is thus reuealed and that sonne of perdition manifested whom God will consume with the breath of his nostrils If not so shew wherein either I haue gone beyond limitation or my Authors haue failed in their computation and I will answer both for them and my selfe what is befitting to satisfaction if God haue made your hearts pliable to a modest and humble impression Antichrists punishment and Romes destruction from holy women I Perceiue For as in Peters vision the sheet was let downe and proposed vnto him full of cleane and vncleane beasts so in the Church of God the women as well as the men haue not onely beene admitted but admired for their sanctity yea as ftom the examples of Scripture the Idolatrous nations assumed a patterne of imitation falsifying Abrahams offering his sonne Isaac to the inuention of slaughtering men to the Deuill out of Samsons story they haue iustified the life of Hercules from Moses and Aarons Priesthood and Salomons Temple they haue raised their superstitious adoration of idols and Hecatombs of beasts with such like so hath the Church of Rome in resemblance of Miriam Debora Hulda Anna and many others named Prophetesses and holy women in Scripture canonized Saints of Nuns and other deuotresses whom they haue not onely reuerenced for their liues but adored for their vertues doctrine and piety amongst whom I will only name you fiue eternized to memory by the Papists themselues who shall furnish this our present banquet of predictions with the dainties and accates of the best taste
and that by sound of Trumpet in S. Marks Piazzo Haue I not heard my selfe the Women in the strectes tell the Religious men and boyes of their Monasteries that they begged Escmofina per comperare To buy Apples poma and so denied them their accustomed releefe Haue I not seene in some places of Italy their Columns and Pillers of Stone pasted all ouer with inuectiues against Indulgences and pardons to be bought out for so much money as if our Sauiours wordes to the Iewes were now verified that if the people did not cry Hosanna in the sâ—â—â—â—â—es the very stones would declare themselues From whence came the opposition of Thomas of Canterbury against Henry the second and the many discontents of the Nobilitie the Popes chiefest Champions against so dangerous a vsurpation What say you to the Statute of Mortmaine the stopping of Peter-pence and the interdicting of diuerse Bâ—ls euen when England lay in the Cimerian mountaine of superstition and was drowsie in the darkesome caue of â—dâ—latry Oh what a feare was the Pope in when King Iohn threatned the clergy destroyed the order of Cisteux and banished Stephen Langhton the kingdom What thinke you of the bill put vp in Parliament the 11 of Henry 4. that if the king would take into his hands the lands disordinately consumed by the Clergy not intermedling with tithes or Bishops liuings it would maintain 15. Earles 1500. knights 6000. Esquiers 40. Almeshouses and bring 30000. pounds a yeere into the exchequer so that you see by this many more that the Papists themselues were not alwares pliant to the Popes behests but broken out into disordered raptures against the ambition couetuousnes vsurpation tyranny of Rome And could all these things be done without the finger of God to point at Romes wickednes or the resolution of heauen that Babilon must fall answer a Gods name you that must answer before the iudgement throne of the Lambe and thus of the Papists and effectuall contingents Probable Coniectures COncerning Probable coniectures I raise them Probable coniectures from the description of Antichrist in the word of God and the comparing of the Popes doctrine life and actions to the same as shall be made apparant in the next section when I come to arraigne this deliâ—quent against the Maiesty of God the Prince of Christendome the quietnes of mens consciences and the glorious progression Isaiah of the Gospell Doth not Isaiah tell a story of Lucifer and his fall and Prophesieth of the destruction of Babilon Isaiah 46. Isaiah 47. and her Idols whereby I make no doubt but the abominations of Rome are personated and all the wickednes of corrupt prelacy discouered Nay why should I not apply what Ezechiell speakes of Tirus and compare the Ezech. 26. wealth pride and presumption of Rome to her ripening sinnes and at last rotten putrifaction For wherein did euer any of the nations offend the most high God but Popes haue exceeded as by their owne authors is most apparant but if you come to Daniels Prophesie hee will tell Daniel 7. 8. you of a litle horne amongst the ten hornes that had eies like a man and a mouth speaking great things yea in the 11. verse because of the voice of the great wordes which the horne spake the beast was slaine his body destroyed and giuen to the burning flame but the punishment belongs to a more proper place I now goe forward to the description 7. For the ministery of iniquity doth already worke only hee 2 Thessal 2. 7 which now with holdeth shall let till hee be taken out of the way 8. And then shall the wicked man be reuealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnes of his comming 9. Euen him whose comming is by working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders 10. And in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes amongst them that perish because they receiued not the loue of truth that they might be saued 11. And therefore God shall send them strong illusions that they shall beleeue lies c. And a litle before He shall sit as God in the Temple of God And a little before He is called the man of sinne And in another place There is the doctrine of Dinells forbidding meates and 1 Tim. 4. mariages c. And in another place There is named the Whore of Babilon the Cup of abomination Apoc. the beast with 7. heads and 10. hornes Roma septicollis And in many other places such effectual descriptions that I may well cry out O God What plainer words what easier discouery what would men desire to know more concerning the Popes of Rome the life of Rome the doctrine of Rome the impieties of Rome Oh then answere a gods name you that must answere before the iudgment throne of the Lambe how comes this about how could all these things be done without the finger of God to point at Rome wickednes or the resolution of heauen that Babilon must fall and thus much of Antichrists discouery his arraignment followes with seuerall inditements Section 2. Antichrist Arraigned IN this second section or part of my discourse you shall haue the arraignment of Antichrist vpon three seueral inditements The inditing of Popery The first for absolutely contradicting the word of God whereby he may truly be called the Antichrist 2. The second for false doctrine and foisting in deuices of his owne and trumperies of mens inuentions 3. The third for abusing the world with lying miracles which the tempoâ—â—sers of this world and lukewarme Gospellers doe mannerly call Piaefraudes and orders of the Church The first inditement against Antichrist for contradicting Gods Word COncerning the first Though the author to the Hebrewes Contradicting the Scriptures Heb. 6. 1. aduise vs to goe more forward in our building of Christianity then laying a foundation of truth yet he assureth vs tht without a good foundation there is neither building nor meanes to avoide dirision what shall wee say then to the despiser of both whose Math. 7. 26. impiâ—ty and presumption haue not onely cast corrupt handes on the sacred word of truth but inconsiderate Armes to tearein peeces the holy structures yea with violence to pull the infants from the sucking brests of their sweete mothers To begin therefore with a strong position of Cursed be he that doth either adde to my law or Deut. 12. 3. 4. 2. Iosh 1. 7. Prou. 30. 6. Reu. 11. 1â— dimiuish from ir c. What hellish furie durst lay hold vpon the second Commandement so that neither in their Ladies nor Iesus Psalter is it to be found And come to the reprehension of their Idolatry or prophanatioÌ„ of God by pourtraitures Idolatry Images pictures in priuat and publicke in the Church and the streetes in the house in the closet in the garments and Vtensills they are so farre from Apology distinction or nicely