mans lawe had such a chaire of Uertue as this Popes Chaire is to sitte in then they shoulde not néede to take suche paines in studying nyghte and daye as they doe Therefore this Chaire being so full of vertue as is before saide surely one or other hathe stolne it from the Pope and set another chaire in the place of it like it in fashion but not in vertue truth was there euer any religion so rediculous that woulde teache vs to thinke that the whole knowledge and trueth of the same were nayled or fastned to a Chayre and that their Pope when he sittes in that Chayre can not erre God send vs a more certaine trueth than to depende vpon the trueth of a Chayre But if you be desirous to heare what Uertue and trueth there is in the Popes Chayre and how wise learned it makes the Popes to be after they once si◠in it I will not sticke to shewe you that by an excellēt example There was a great contention betwéene them of Ratispone in Germanie and the Abbay of Saint Denise in Fraunce about the bodie of Saint Denise which was so déepe a doubt to discusse that none but the Pope was able to try y e truth therof And so to Rome they went and the Pope sat sadly in iudgemente about it and examined their allegations and matter throughly and grew to a conclusion and in the end gaue thereof his déepe and diffinitiue sentence and sayde that both they of Ratispone and they of Saint Denise had the whole bodie of Saint Denise and that whosoeuer wold say the contrarie shoulde be an Heretike If the trueth hadde not bene faste nayled to the Pops Chayre the Pope could neuer haue giuen suche a true wise and learned Iudgemente of thys weyghtie matter Nowe surelye it was a Popely resolution yea and suche a one as muste néedes make the veriest fooles in the World beléeue that Wyll Somers woulde not haue giuen so fonde and ridiculous a iudgement This famous Diuine and true iudgement of the Pope is sufficient if there were nothing else to make vs beléeue that the Pope can not lye And as the Pope is verie wise and learned by the vertue of his Chayre to resolue doubtful matters so he hath wise and learned Doctours to giue him weightie and doubtfull matters to resolue Wherof I wil shew you some for a taste to sée howe you wil like them Augustine the Italian Monke that of some hath bin taken for the Apostle of Englande demaunded of Pope Gregorie by way of great councel whether a womanne wyth Childe mighte be Baptized or not and howe long afterwarde it myghte be lawfull for hyr to come to the Church Bonifacius the Apostle of Germaine demaunded of Pope Zacharie whether Iayes Dawes Storkes Beuers Otters Hares wilde Horsses be mens meate or not what order were to be taken with man or Horsse hauing the falling sicknesse at what time of the yeare it maye be lawefull or wholesome for folkes to eate Bacon and if a man list to eate it rawe howe olde it ought to be before he eate it what maye bée done if a Prieste haue a blacke in his eye who may hallow oyle with other déepe and doubtefull questions Surelye vnlesse the Pope had bene déepely profoundly learned by the great vertue of hys chaire he coulde neuer haue resolued these mysticall questions You maye reade the newe Testamente ouer ere you shal finde anye that euer demaunded anye suche thyngs of Christ. Marke further I praye you what dolting doctrine the Pope is faine to haue to proppe vppe hys Papistry wythall and what worthye argumentes are brought out of the Scriptures for prouing that the vulgar or common people ought not to reade the Scriptures Giue not holye things to dogges sayth Christ Ergo sayth the Pope it is not laweful for the vulgar people to reade the Scriptures Is not this an excellent and a true proofe to hide or kéep the Scriptures from the people By as good an argumēt I may say thus open not your secretes to your foe therefore tel not your minde to your friend or thus Giue no drinke to them that are drunken Ergo let sober men haue no drink The lay people are much beholden to the Popes penne men for they liken them to dogges But here for their purpose they can call the Scriptures holy but when they list they will call it the blacke Gospell and a nose of waxe Therefore consider and marke well though euen nowe to serue their turne the Scripture of them is called holye in what estimation and reuerence the Popes Prelates haue the holy Scripture and word of God and howe they extoll their Romishe Churche Ludouicus a Canon of the Churche of Laterane in Rome saith thus The Church meaning the Church of Rome is the liuely breast of Christ. But the Scriptures is as it is nowe deade Inke The Byshoppe of Poyters sayde the Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thing as are all other politike lawes Albertus Pighius sayeth if thou saye these matters muste be putte ouer to the iudgement of the Scriptures thou shewest thy selfe to be voyde of common reason for the Scriptures are dumbe Iudges and can not speake Eckius calleth the Scriptures The blacke Gospell and the Inken Diuinitie Pighius agayne sayeth The Church that is the Church of Rome hathe power to giue Canonicall authoritie vnto certaine writings whiche otherwise they haue not neither of themselues nor of their Authors and thus may the Pope by his aucthority allowe anye booke of the Scriptures and so he may make Scriptures Againe he sayth as one both truely and merily sayde the Scripture is like a nose of waxe that easily suffereth it selfe to be drawen backwarde and forward and to be moulded and fashioned this way and that way and howsoeuer they list Thus they teache the people to reuerence and estéeme the holy Scripture Gods worde they cal it deade Inke a liuelesse letter a dumbe Iudge that can not speake a blacke Gospell Inken Diuinitie a nose of waxe a thing vtterlye voyde of aucthoritie of it selfe Notwithstanding that Christ the sonne of God sayeth Search the Scriptures c. and they are they that testifie of me and hys Prelates giue good credite to Gods worde which is the chiefe worker of our saluation When obiection was made that King Dauid being not a Bishop but only a Temporall Prince had written the Psalmes that is to say the very key of the scriptures Hosius made aunswere Wrote Dauid Psalmes and why shold he not write them Horace sayth we write Ballades euerye body learned and vnlearned tagge and ragge so vnreuerently he skorneth and scoffeth at the holye scriptures the most pure word of God and compares the heauenly ditties of the holy Ghost to a vile heathen wanton ballade The same Hosius as one that hathe a mouth to speake blasphemie and to saye without all shame what he liste
of God you wil scantly like The Popes Doctors say auouch it for truth that if the Priest say thus when he doth Baptise a childe Ego te Baptiso in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti diaboli that is I Baptise thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and of the Diuell yet the forme of Baptisme is very good and the child is rightly christned I remember that Christ bad his Apostles Baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost but that he bad them Baptise any in the name of the Diuel I neuer heard If they be rightly christned that are christned in the name of the Diuel according to the Popes law then I hope they are not falsely christned that are christned in the name of God without naming the Diuell accordyng to Gods lawe If wée shoulde allowe such Baptizing to bée good and that they were rightlye Baptized that were Baptized in the name of the Diuell you that call vs nowe Sathans broode woulde then call vs as you myght well the chyldren of the Diuell Must not this Churche of Rome bée a holy Church that hath such goldy doctrine and diuine Doctours if they bée curst that take any thing from the worde of God then they are not blest that adde the Diuell to the Baptizing of the children of God Euerye one that haue an affection to the Popes Religion woulde scantly beléeue that there is such handsome doctrine belonging to his religion This is not much vnlike other of the Romish Doctors doctrine for in the Defence of the Apologie which the learned Bishop of Sarisburie wrote against the confutation of Doctor Harding are these wordes Petrus Asotus Hosius sticke not to affirme that the same Counsell wherein our Sauiour Iesus was condemned to die had both the spirite of Prophesie and the holy Ghost and the spirite of truth And that it was no false saying when the Bishop sayd we haue a lawe and by our lawe he ought to die and that they so saying did light vpon the very truth of iudgemēt and that the same was a iust decree whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die Thus the Popes Prelates take part with Annus Caiphas against Christ. If that were a good true iudgement that most shamefully wrongfully condemned the sonne of God to death then where shal we finde any false and wicked iudgement by this meanes the Popes sentences iudgements in burning the members of Christ for professing of y e Gospel cā not be false wicked or euill I feare they y t say they had the holy ghost the spirite of truth y t iudged Christ to death and that the same was a iust decrée wherby they pronounced y t Christ was worthy to die I feare I say y t they are none of them that Christ dyed for and as they y t iudged Christ most wrongfully did it not by the spirit of God Euen so Asotus Hosius and all other that say y t their iudgement was true that their decrée was iust whereby they pronounced that Christ was worthy to die spake and vttered the same by the spirit of y e diuell for if they gaue true iudgement against Christ then Christ was an offendor and deserued to die The Lorde blesse euery man from beléeuing the doctrine of such that either say or beléeue that Christ the Sonne of God that neuer offēded nor sinned was worthily or rightly condemned to die If our Bishops Preachers and Doctors shoulde preach teache or write such blasphemous doctrine you might then iustly cal vs Heretiks as we may wel cal them al other y t take their partes blasphemers the disciples of Antichrist But Caiphas sayd it is good that one man die for the people least all the people perishe Ergo sayth M. Harding Caiphas had the spirit of God To whom that learned and worthie M. Iewel late Bishop of Sarisburie replyes with these wordes But that ye may the better M. Harding espie your ouersight like as ye saye Caiphas prophesied blindly himselfe not vnderstanding what he sayd Ergo he had the holy Ghost S Paule sayth no man can say the Lorde Iesus but in the Spirit of God hereof by your Logicke you may reason thus the Diuell sayd vnto Christ I knowe that thou arte Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Ergo the Diuell had the Spirit of God c. If Caiphas had the spirit of God then he had y e holy ghost that wrote this note vpon the Popes decrée that the Iewes had committed mortall sinne if they had not nayled Christ to the Crosse. Now open your eyes and beholde whether this be good sound doctrine or not y t these Papisticall Doctors do teach They that worship God aright follow Christes Gospel wil do detest such diuellish doctrine Therefore flie from this Romish Church that taketh the Pope to be hir heade and that refuseth to be tried by the Scriptures and spéedily become members of that Churche that taketh Christ to be hir heade and is content to bée iudged by the Scriptures For they that are of Christ will heare his voyce which is the Gospell which true Church wherof Christ is the head can not be knowne but by the Scriptures Chrisostome saith now can no mā know the Church but by the scriptures S. Augustine saith Whether they haue the Church or no let them shewe by the Canonicall Bookes of the holy scriptures we must know the Church euen lykewise as we know Christ which is the head of the Churche in the holy Canonicall Scriptures Againe he saith the holy Scriptures shewes the Churche without any doubtfulnesse Againe the question or doubt is where the Churche shoulde be what then shall we doe whether shall we seeke the Churche in our owne wordes or in the wordes of hir heade which is our Lorde Iesus Christ In my iudgement wee ought rather to seeke the Churche in his wordes for that he is the trueth and best knoweth his owne body And agayne he sayeth Let vs not heare these wordes this say I This sayest thou but these wordes let vs heare Thus sayth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Churche there let vs discusse our cause And Saint Ambrose sayeth the Church shineth or is knowne not by hir owne light but by the light of Christ which is the word of God These learned holy and auntient fathers wordes are sufficient to proue vnto vs that y e Church of Christ is known and is chiefely to be discerned by the word of God But what if these auncient and learned Doctors had not written thus shoulde wée then haue taken that for the Churche of God which the Popes doctrine doeth allowe then we shoulde haue a trimme and holy Church as by the premysses doth appeare And nowe bicause nothing can describe which is the true Church better than Christ
with a greate man it is no harme to speake to his Chamberlaine or to one that is next vnto him that he may shewe y e king of vs which vaine reason Saint Ambrose answers very wel saying we are broughte vnto the Princes of Kings by Lordes and officers bycause the king is a man and knoweth not to whom he may committe his Realme But to obtaine Gods fauour from whome nothing is secrete as knowing what euerie man is meete to haue we neede no spokes man but a deuoute minde wheresoeuer suche a one speaketh vnto God God wil aunswere him Thus hath that learned Doctour aunswered this foolish and vaine obiection wherby it plainely appeares that there wer some of your opinion in his days and that he was of the same opinion that we are in these dayes But if Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine and a thousande moe of learned men shoulde write that we ought to praye vnto the Uirgin Marie and to the Saintes yet we oughte not to beléeue them for as muche as Christ hath taught vs contrarie who biddes vs to make our prayers onelye to GOD oure Heauenlye Father But as long as the Doctoures and Fathers doe agrée with the Gospell we wil allowe them but if they do not we wil reiect them But whatsoeuer Christ sayth y e Pope saith otherwise now marke wel herein the holy doctrine of the Church of Rome which allows wils you to pray vnto y e blessed Uirgine thus Let him know thee to be his mother commaund thy sonne vse thy motherlye authoritie ouer him Is not this a trim kind of prayer you shal not finde this in al the Lordes prayer that Christ taught to his Disciples if you say y t this is but a spiritual dallying as M. Harding said to maister Iewel then I wil answere you as M. Iewel answered M. Harding this must néedes be a blessed kinde of Diuinitie that can turne praying to dallying This kinde of prayer was vsed vniuersally saith M. Iewel throughout all the Church of Rome that men women and children learned and vnlearned were taught and forced thus to praye Thou art the Queene of heauen Thou art the Lady of Angels cōmaunde thy sonne shew thy selfe to be the mother Cardinal Bembus sometimes the Popes secretarie calleth the Virgine Mary Lady and goddesse Ambrosius Catharinus in the late Chapter at Trydent calleth hir goddes fellow by these words fidelissima eius Socia that is Gods moste faithful fellow Nicholaus Cusanus a Cardinal of Rome saith This thing turneth to the praise of God and the Virgin Marie the mother of Christ that she was neuer at any time vnder the Princehoode of the author of death That Virgin neded no deliuerer that should redeeme hir from the sentence pronounced against Adam and his posteritie Mary was neued raced out of the booke of death for she was neuer written in it Here we are taught that Marie the Virgin is our Lady and goddesse that she is Gods fellow and that she had no neede to be saued by the death of Christ nay your church of Rome teacheth to pray vnto hir thus Saue thou al thē that glorifie thee and this also is in Lipomanus beholde howe mighty is the mother of God and how no mā may be saued but by hir What is blasphemie if this be not blasphemie yet this is the religion of your holy church of Rome would you haue thought y t either they had writtē thus or durst be so bold to write thus there was none that euer came of the séede of Adam but they haue néede to be saued by the death of Christ. These Bookes that containe these things you ought to burne and not the holy Scriptures wherin you can spie no such faultes Your Church of Rome calles the Uirgin Marie which is the mother of Christ the Quéene of Heauen but it mistakes hir as it doth many other things for she is not the Quéene of Heauen but hir Sonne Christ is the King heauen Therfore the Church of Rome doth most wickedly to worship hir as they doe Wherevpon Epiphanius sayth Let no man eate of this errour touching S. Marie for though the tree be faire yet is not the fruite to be eaten although Marie be beautiful holye and honorable yet is she not to be adored But these women worshipping S. Marie renue againe the sacrifice of wyne mingled in the honor of the goddesse Fortuna and prepare a table for the Diuell and not for God as it is written in the Scriptures They are fedde with meate and wickednesse And againe Their women boult flowre and their children gather stickes to make fine cakes in the honour of the Queene of Heauen Therfore let such women be rebuked by the Prophet Hieremie and let them no more trouble the worlde and let them not say we worship the Queene of Heauen Thus much writeth that auncient Father Epiphanius against the fonde and vnchristianly exalting and honouring of the Uirgin Marie for the Quéene of Heauen Marke also what a blasphemous prayer y e holy Church of Rome doth teache you to pray whereby it appeares that they that belonge to that Churche néede not the bloud of Christ to saue them for the bloud of Thomas Becket which was once a traitour to his King here in England is sufficient for they say thus in their Mattins O Christ make vs to ascend vnto heauen whether Thomas is ascended euen by the bloud of Thomas that he shed for thy sake Is not this Church of Rome thinke you the true Churche of God that blots out the blessed bloud of Christ without which there is no saluation puts in the bloud of a sinfull wretch to climbe to heauē by but I thinke they mistake y e words perhaps the meaning of them is thus make vs to descende into hell whether Thomas is descended euen by the bloud of Thomas y t he shed for the Popes sake for surely if Thomas Becket did pray to ascēd by the bloud of any but of Christ as these of the Churche of Rome doe by his I beléeue that this your holye Saint Thomas a Saint of the Popes making is rather in hell than in heauen Can the children of God or they that are Christians bée content to abide in this blasphemous Church of Rome that vseth suche a kinde of praying as desires to climbe to heauen by the bloud of a vile wretched sinner and refuseth the bloud of that immaculate lambe Iesus Christ the sonne of God Surely if I were as déepely drowned in that detestable Papistrie as any of you are or euer was hearing but halfe this that I haue written I should not onely with al spéede detest that abhominable Religion of the Pope but also flie vnto Christ and take holde on his holy Gospell as I doe not doubt but assuredly trust that many of you will And as this Romish Church hath with hir most wicked prayer blotted out the pure and perfecte order of praying
to the left hand to goe after other Gods or to serue them which blessings most plentifully he hath poured on this Realme of England euer since our gracious Quéene put downe Idolatrie and Papistrie and set forth the Gospell and word of God And also here you may plainely perceiue and vnderstand the maruellous curses and plagues promised and threatned to them that will not obey the voyce of the Lord our God and kéepe his commaundementes and ordinaunces which plagues and cursses haue aboundantlye lyghted on those Countreys and Kingdomes that embrace and maintayne Idolatrous Papistrie reiecting the Gospell and persecuting the Professours thereof Which is a manifest argument that this Religion that we haue is the true Religion wherewith God is well pleased and your Papisticall doctrine is a false and wicked religion wherewith God is highlye displeased For as God did prosper and blesse the Iewes his people to whome Moyses pronounced the sayde blessings so long as they hearkened to his voyce and obeyed and followed his word and commaundements and as hys sayde plagues and cursses fell vpon them when they harkened not to the voyce of the Lord but committed Idotrie euen so euer since he hath and doeth blesse and prosper the professors and followers of his worde and poures his sayde plagues and cursses on them that despise his worde that are enimies to the Gospell and persecute the professors of the same Marke well and you shall sée that in all ages God guided protected and blessed the Kings and Rulers that clensed their Countreys of Idolatrie and that did set forth and obeyed his law What famous victories did he giue to Iosua the Duke and Captaine of the Israelites which obeyed God and harkened to his voyce to whom God spake as followeth Moyses my seruant is deade nowe therefore arise goe ouer this Iorden thou and all thy people vnto the lande whiche I giue them that is to the children of Israell euerye place that the sole of your foote shall treade vppon haue I giuen you as I sayd vnto Moyses from the Wildernesse this Libanon vnto the greate riuer Perath all the lande of the Hettites euen vnto the great Sea towarde the going downe of the Sunne shal be your coaste There shall not a man bee able to withstand thee all the dayes of thy life As I was with Moyses so will I be with thee I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be strong of a good courage for vnto this people shalt thou deuide the land for an inheritaunce which I sware vnto their Fathers to giue them onely be thou strong and of a most valiant courage that thou mayest obserue doe according to all the law which Moyses my seruant hath cōmaunded thee Thou shalt not turne awaye from it to the right hand nor to the lefte that thou mayest prosper whersoeuer thou goest let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day night that thou mayest obserue and do according to all that is written therin for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe These were the wordes that God spake to Iosua Therfore marke y e promises of God to him if he follow do according to the law of God then his way shold be prosperous he should haue good successe none should withstand him al the dayes of his life God would be with him which in déede God performed wonderfully and kept promise with him for that he hearkned to y e voyce of the Lord and directed al his wayes according to the law of God For was not God with Iosua when miraculously he departed the water of Iorden and the children of Israel went drie ouer the same straight towardes Iericho did not God wonderfully deliuer Iericho to Iosua and his people when after the sounding of the Trumpettes the walles thereof fell downe through his power and so Iosua and all his people went into it and tooke the Citie and so they destroyed all the Idolatrous people the enimies of God that were in the same But sée howe sodainely the Lorde went from them and suffered the men of Ai to kill .xxxvj. of the Israelites and made the rest of thrée thousande of them fearefully to flée away bicause Achan in the spoyle of Iericho tooke that for a praye which the Lorde directly commaunded to the contrarie Thus you may easily perceiue that the harkening to the voyce of God following of his worde is the cause of good successe and victorie and the disobeying of his worde and following of their owne fansies was the cause of euil successe and ouerthrowe But God blessed Iosua still bicause he was not cōsenting to Achans fact who stoned him therfore to death for after y t the Lord made Iosua to vanquish and ouercome the fiue Kings of the Amorits in which conflict the Lord threw stones from heauen vpon his enimies and at Iosuas bydding the Sunne and Moone did stand still a whole day togither that he might haue time to ouercome his enimies These wonders did the Lord for his seruant Iosua and his people that harkened to his voyce and obeyed his worde Many other kings did Iosua ouercome through the strength of the Lord that fought for him and his people And when Iosua waxed olde then he called all Israel their elders their heades their Iudges and their officers before him giuing them then the same warning that Moyses and God gaue him to hearken to the voyce of the Lorde saying I am old and stricken in age also you haue séene all that the Lorde you God hath done vnto all these nations before you howe the Lorde hath fought for you Behold I haue diuided vnto you by lot these nations that remaine that as yet were not ouercome to bée an inheritaunce accordyng to your Tribes from Iorden with all the nations that I haue destroyed euen vnto the great sea Westward And the Lord your God shal expell them before you and cast them out of your sight And ye shall possesse their lande as the Lorde your God hath sayde vnto you Bée ye therefore of a valiant courage to obserue and doe all that is written in the Booke of the lawe of Moyses that ye turne not ther from to the right hande nor to the lefte c. But sticke faste vnto the Lorde your God as yée haue done vnto this daye for the Lorde hath cast out before you great nations and mightie and no man hath stande before your face hitherto One man of you shall chase a thousande for your Lorde your God hée fyghteth for you as he hath promysed you Take good héede therefore vnto your selues that yée loue the Lorde your GOD Else if yée goe backe c knowe yée for certayne that the Lorde your God will cast out no more of these nations from before you but they shall bée a snare and destruction to you and a whippe on your
and a godly Pope of whom you may learne suche humilitie as Christ neuer taught he was called Hildebrande who suffered Henrie the Emperour his wife and his child barefooted and bareheaded in the cold frostye wether at the gates of Canusium thrée dayes before he could be suffered to come in And this holye Fathers wrath woulde not be pacified nor suffer y e Emperour to rule as Emperour but vpoÌ„ most vnreasonable conditions which were vnméete for such a worthy Emperour to graunt vnto such a proude presumptuous prelate thus you maye knowe these holy Fathers whom they follow by their fruites This Hyldebrand who might well be called for his deuilish doings a fyrebrand of hell was a notable Sorcerer and a Necromancer who on a time had forgotte behinde him hys familiar Booke of Necromancie which hée was wont to carrie commonly alwaies with him wherevppon remembring him selfe entring the port of Laterane he called two of his most familiar friendes so fetch the Booke charging them at no hande to looke within it But they being so restrayned were the more desirous to open it and to peruse it and so dyd After they had red a little the secretes of the Sathanicall Booke sodaynely there come aboute them the messengers of Sathan the multitude and terrour of whom made them almost out of their wittes At length they comming to themselues the sprites were instant vpon them to know wherfore they were called vp and wherefore they were vexed quickely sayde they tell vs what you woulde vs to doe or else wée wyll fall vppon you if ye retaine vs longer Then spake one of the young men to them bydding them goe and plucke downe yonder walles poynting to certaine high walles there nye to Rome which they dyd quickly The young men crossing them for feare of the Spirites scarce recouering themselues at length came to their maister the Pope Here you may perceiue this holy Pope was a Coniurer of Deuils some say the Pope hath the holy Ghost at commaundement but here it appeares that this Pope had rather the Deuill at his commaundment This holy Hyldebrand hyred one to laye great Stones ouer the place where the Emperour vsed to pray and so to throwe them downe vppon the Emperours head when hée was a praying and so to kyll him but God so wrought that the Emperour escaped and the wicked hyred wretche was killed himself for as he was busie in remouing a gret and heauie Stone to the place euen ouer the Emperours head it broke the planke whereon it lay the saide wicked fellow standing on the said planke fell downe with the said stone from the Roofe to the Pauement of the Churche and with the same stone was dasht all in péeces Was not this a pretie practise for a Pope he neuer learned it in the newe Testament nay if hée had applyed that Booke well he should thereby rather haue vnlearned it This Hyldebrand on a time asked an answere of the Sacrament his Christ of Bread thinking bycause it was the body of Christ as he tooke it it shoulde haue resolued hym of the thing hée asked but it woulde not speake a good cause why bycause it coulde not for it had bene a verye straunge thing to heare a Cake speake and then therefore he threwe it into the fire and burned it Thus these holy Fathers can make Christ and burne hym when they haue done but if it had bene the bodye of Christ it would haue leapt out of the fyre and saued hymselfe It is no maruell though they burne the holy and spirituall members of Christ that burne Christ himselfe Marke further what a true Prophet this holye Hyldebrande was he sayde openly in the Pulpet before diuerse Cardinals and Bishops that the Emperour shoulde dye or be put from the Empire and that he shoulde not be able to make aboue the number of sixe Knightes and thereof hée made hymselfe so sure that then hée spake also these wordes following neuer accepte mée for Pope any more but plucke me from the Altar if this Prophesie be not fulfilled before the feast of Saint Peter next ensuing But for as much as the sayd Emperour was neither deade nor deposed by that day but contrarie to this Popes Prophesie the same Emperour deposed the sayde Pope and placed an other Pope in his roome called Clement The sayde Pope Hyldebrand therefore séeyng he woulde néedes bée a Prophet he was but a false Prophet and so not Prophet of God but the Prophet of the Deuill So that hereby it plainely appeares that Popes may not onely erre but also that they haue erred and lyed falsely yea and are assuredly the Deuils Prophets Also this holy and vertuous Father Pope Hyldebrand iudged to death thrée men before they were conuicte or founde or approued guiltie and caused them to be hanged without delay contrarie to all Lawe And further this vnmercifull Father for the Popes may not be called cruell dyd torment one Centius almost to death in a vessell thicke set with sharpe Nayles which Centius after tooke the Pope before he was deliuered he pardoned the said Centius al them that were on his part but for all his pardon he hanged the said Centius after and nine of his men If the Popes pardoÌ„s be so slender y t he giues on his owne behalfe then the pardons y t he giues on Gods behalfe must néedes be of small value Therefore you were not best to trust to the Popes pardons too much least after you be hanged in hell as Centius and his men were hanged on earth This Pope Hyldebrande dyd an other déede of mercye There was at the apprehension of this Pope a certayne widdowes Sonne to whom and other moe for their pennaunce the Pope enioyned a yeares banishment which tyme beyng â—â—ded the widdowe in token of a more ample satisfaction thinking thereby to haue appeased the more the Popes furie put a halter about hir sonnes necke and drawing hir Sonne by the rope to the foote of the sayde holy Hyldebrand sayd my lorde Pope at your handes will I receyue agayne my Sonne which one whole yeare hath endured banishment and other pennaunce by your holynesse enioyned Then the saide Hyldebrand for that instant bycause of those that were with him in companye dissembling his wrath deliuered hir sonne churlishly saying get thée hence woman I byd thée let me bée in rest After this he sent his officers and apprehended the sayde widdowes sonne gaue commaundement to the Iustices to put him to death who altogether making answere saide that they coulde no more condemne or meddle with him for that hée had for his crime committed appealed once to the Pope and abidden the banishment and done the pennance by him enioyned Herevpon this glorious Hyldebrand being displeased with the Iudges caused y e foote of the said widdows sonne to be cut off notwithstanding he had fulfilled all that was enioyned him by the saide Pope before And thus
make you and manye other beléeue they cannot erre nor go wrong whatsoeuer they doe and that they that sitte in the Popes chayre there must néedes be Gods fellowes and equal to Christ. The Popes disagrée and are contrarie one to another marry in wickednesse they agrée all in one yea and somtimes the Pope is contrarie to himselfe Pope Sabianus would haue burned all Pope Gregories Bookes Pope Romanus vtterlye abolyshed all the actes of hys predecessor Pope Stephen And the same Pope Stephen defaced and mangled the dead carcasse of his predecessor Pope Formosus and condemned vtterlye all that he hadde done before And thus that that one Pope doth like another Pope misliketh and that which one Pope alloweth another condemneth Therfore I would aduise you to lay hold on Christ and his Apostles which are no chaungelings and forsake these wicked Popes whiche are suche chaungelings for I will neuer truste them nor fauour their religion vntil they be more vertuous godly and honest and agrée better among themselues than they do Pope Adrian sayeth of himselfe Whatsoeuer the Emperour hath he hathe it of vs it is in our power to bestow the Empyre on whome wee liste It may be so but one may looke all the Bible ouer ere he can finde it And also the Pope hath made it Heresie though Christe did not make it for a king not to holde his kingdome at his handes It is happy that he named no Quéenes for if he had putte the Quéenes as wel as he put in kings then haply he mighte haue made the Quéens maiestie also one of his Heretiks The Pope if we may credite his prerogatiue being of his owne penning is of no small power For he is called Lorde of Lordes and King of Kings he compelleth Emperors and Princes to sweare fealtie and obedience to him Cardinal Zabarella sayeth The Pope doeth what hym listeth yea though it be vnlawful and is more thā a God And one sayth that a priest is so much aboue a King as a man is aboue a beaste as muche as God is better than a priest so much is the priest better than a King he that setteth a King before a prieste setteth the creature before the Creator By thys it appeareth that Priestes are no small fooles if this be true then it is no maruel that men were wonte to haue Priestes in great estimation and reuerence But I maruell that king Iosias was so bolde to burne suche a number of Priestes that were so farre hys superiours and that were as farre aboue him as he himself was aboue a beaste truely I thinke it was bycause they could not shewe him their Commissions belike they lefte them at home As the Popes before vsed much wickednesse so they haue vsed here a péece of knauerie to make the people beléeue that they and their Priestes are farre aboue them thereby to bring themselues vaine honor and estimation And nowe marke I praye you whether these wicked Popes before mentioned with many other that cal themselues Christes Uicars are not more like Lucifer the diuell in pride than Christe the sonne of God in Humility I thinke there was neuer such lordlinesse or pride in anye worldlye prince as hathe bene in diuerse of these wicked Popes for the Pope suffereth the Emperoure whiche is the chiefe ruler of all Christendome to holde his styrrope to holde his horsse by the brydle to beare his trayne and to kisse his féete yea and the Emperoure was shent of Pope Hyldebrand bycause he helde the left styrrope in steade of the righte when he got vpon his Horsse there was neuer Emperour nor king that euer receiued any such seruice of any of the Popes But the Earle of Wiltshire and the other Embassadours from king Henrie the eighte to the Pope farre inferiour to the Emperour refused to kisse the Popes foote thoughe the Pope helde it oute purposely therfore yet the Earle of Wiltshires Dogge hauing a greater deuotion thereto than they did not onelye kisse the Popes foote thoughe something vnmannerlye but also snatchte at his greate Toe thinking belike that it was more méete to be bitten of dogs than to be kissed of men Consider nowe therefore the greate humilitye and the symple seruice that the Pope requires In the Popes owne booke of the Ceremonies of Rome it is written thus The Emperoure electe going in arraye wyth all hys trayne passeth vppe the Stayres into the Scaffolde and as soone as hee seeth the Pope hee worshippeth hym wyth bare heade touching the grounde with hys knee Agayne when hee commeth to the foote of the Popes throne hee kneeleth downe laste of all when hee commeth to the Popes feete hee kisseth them deuoutelye in the reuerence of our sauiour Is not thys trowe you a trimme reuerencing of Christe to kisse the Popes féete Christe washt hys Apostles féete but I neuer heard that the Emperour did kisse Christes féete nay Christes Apostles did neuer kisse hys féete yet if féete ought to be kissed truely it had bin as fit for the Apostles to haue kissed theyr maysters féete as for the Emperour whyche is the chiefe ruler of all Christendome to kisse the Popes féete Therefore you that luste to learne humilitie may learn here of the Pope And if this be not sufficient to shewe you of the Popes humilitie you shall sée further When the Pope taketh his staires to mount on horsebacke the greatest Prince that is present whether he be King or Emperour holdeth his stirrop and afterward leadeth his Horse a little by the brydle but if there were two Kings in the presence the more Honorable of them shoulde holde the Brydle on the right side the other on the left If there happen no King to be present then let the worthiest person leade his horse But if the Pope would not ride but be borne on mens shoulders in a chaire then must foure of the worthiest Princes yea the Emperour himselfe or any other mightie Monarch if hee bee present beare the Chaire Pope and all a little way forwarde vppon their shoulders Againe the Emperour delyuering ouer his goldē Apple and his Sceptre to one of his men commeth vnto the Popes Horse and in honor of our Lorde Iesus Christe whose person in earth the Pope beareth he holdeth the Stirrop vntill the Pope be mounted and afterward he taketh the Brydle and leadeth foorth his horse While the Emperour dothe these profitable seruices the Pope oughte modestly a little to refuse the same and yet afterwarde with certaine good and gentle wordes taking that honour as done vnto Christ and not vnto himselfe he holdeth himself contented This is the strangest honoring of Christ that euer I hearde of to leade the Popes Horsse Further it is appointed thus The moste noble man that shal be in the Courte shall beare vp the traine of the Popes Cope yea though it be an Emperoure or a King Againe let the most noblest lay man whether he be king
doo sinne against the holy Ghost whereby to feare you that you should not accuse him nor to thinke hée doth euill whatsoeuer hée dooth it is he it is he rather that sinnes against the holie Ghost that committes such wilfull blasphemie and so wittingly contrarie to his owne Conscience takes vpō him to be Christ and robs Christ of his due honour and glorie who knowes most certenlye that he is neyther Christ nor that the sayde Scriptures were meant of him nor can be by any meanes rightly applied to him And so vnlesse the former Popes whiche besides this great blasphemie were euill and wicked enough as before is manyfest haue repented and the Pope and hys Prelates that are nowe doo repent this their most horrible blasphemie whiche they cannot choose but knowe and commit thus willinglye and wittinglye surelye they shall neuer be forgiuen neyther in this worlde nor in the worlde to come For I beléeue it is the very sinne against the holy Ghost And if all this cannot persuade you that these monstrous and execrable Popes are the Seruauntes of Sathan the Deuils deputies and the very Antichrist and the Antichrist that the Scriptures meaneth off you shall haue here other Authors more credible than my selfe that shall so plainely describe the Pope to be the very Antichriste that you cannot choose but so to take hym vnlesse you be vtterly bent not to yéelde vnto the truth or to saye with the foolish Poet Non persuadebis etiam si persuaseris Though you persuade me I will not be persuaded But yet before we come to that marke what prerogatiue the Pope claymeth whereby you shall the better perceiue that he is the very Antichriste The Pope is aboue all generall Counsels That his bare worde muste be holden as a Lawe That whatsoeuer he do none may say vnto him why do you thus That his iudgementes are more certaine than the iudgementes of all the worlde That if all the whole worlde giue sentence in anye matter contrary to the Popes pleasure yet it seemeth wee are bounde to stande to the iudgement of the Pope And whatsoeuer he sayth or doth being Pope he cannot erre Yet Pope Pius the seconde before he was Pope sayde That the Counsel is aboue the Pope but after when he was Pope being better instructed I see sayde he beefore I was muche deceiued now the Pope is aboue the Counsel Thus eyther the Popes are lyars or else lyars are made Popes The Popes Canonists say That the Pope may dispence against the lawe of God The Pope maye dispence againste the Lawe of Nature The Pope may dispence against Saint Paule the Apostle The Pope maye dispence againste the newe Testament The Pope maye dispence wyth all the Commaundementes bothe of the olde and also of the new Testament If the Pope can doe all this then he may putte Christe out of al his aucthoritie then hée maye cursse the mercifull and blesse the cruel tyraunte then hée maye damne them that be saued and saue the damned And then GOD helpe the poore Protestantes for they are lyke to goe to Hel and all the Papistes are like to goe to Heauen And if Christe and the Aungels be no Papistes he wyll goe neare to thruste them al out of Heauen and sende them to Hel. Who would thinke or beléeue that these proude Popes woulde suffer them selues to be called God or that any would be so beastly or wicked to call them so The Popes Canonistes haue moued questions whether the Pope bée God or not and one saide thus presentlye before his face in the Counsell of Laterane without rebuke Thou arte another God in the Earth And the Popes Godhead is published abroade to the whole worlde in printed Bookes Our Lorde God the Pope If our Bibles or other Bookes contained such blasphemy and heresie as these your Popes Bookes doo they were then well worthy to be burned but the Pope neither punisheth these blasphemers nor yet burnes their Bookes as he burneth the Bible and worde of God And wheras Saint Augustine writeth Who dare to say thus to God the Popes Canonistes haue bettered it in this sorte Who dareth to say thus to God or to the Pope Marie I say Scaira that tooke the Pope prisoner made him to ride with his face towardes the Horse tayle and had like to haue famished him in prison durst saye so to the Pope although he durst not say so to God The Pope also hearde these wordes spoken before his face In the Pope is all maner of power aboue all powers as well of Heauen as of Earth What power is this but euen the very power of God thus you may plainely perceyue that the Pope is contented to be called a God of the earth The Pope is Lord God The Pope hath al power aboue all powers either in Heauen or in earth And as Zabarella sayth the Pope doeth whatsoeuer hée lysteth yea although it be vnlawfull and is more than GOD. What would you haue more this is enough I think it is more than euer his Father had before him vnlesse he were a Popes son if they had al this power which none hath or can haue but God as they would make fooles dawcocks beleue they haue why did popes then suffer them selues to be poysoned famished killed haue their eyes put out who is so blinde but may plainely sée that the Popes are horrible and wicked the children of Sathan and make men beléeue that they are farre more and greater than they are Abbat Panormitan saith out of Hostiensis Christus Papa faciunt vnum consistorium excepto peccato potest Papa quasi omnia facere quae potest Deus Christ and the Pope make one Consistorie and Sinne excepted the Pope in a manner can doe al things that God can doe Woulde you haue thought that eyther any woulde haue written thus of the Pope or that the Pope woulde take thys vppon him or suffer anye eyther to write or saye thus I thinke that none of you doe beléeue that the Pope can doe as God can doe for I am sure that God can and will burne all the worlde at once yea and that quickly whiche I am sure the Pope can not do for if he could then al they that professe Gods word should be burned ere to morrowe nay within this houre besides he would do then many other things that he can neuer doe but thoughe the Pope cannot doe whatsoeuer God can doe yet I will helpe hym a lyttle he can doe more than God can doe for hée can blaspheme God he can lye he can hate them that loue him he can hurte them that neuer offended him hée can be vnmercifull he can breake his promise hée can saye that hée can doe more than hée can doe hée can bée a false Harlot hée can bée the chylde of the Dyuel he can bée Antichriste and he can aduaunce himselfe higher than he ought to be al whych God
Therefore let the Pope take héede least he come there among the vnruly Diuels for though he rule on Earth the Diuell wyll bée ruler in Hell it were a foule ouersighte of the Pope to goe to Hell and to be ruled of the Diuels that nowe doth rule both Angels in Heauen and men in earth Wel howsoeuer the Pope hath gotten his authoritie he hath it and will holde it as long as he can and if these two pillers will stay him he meanes to sit stil in his seate The first is the Church of Rome whatsoeuer she say or doe can neuer erre for the Pope makes it Heresie to say so another is the Pope whatsoeuer he doe may neuer be called to any reckning if these two points be graunted then he may do what he list Iohannes de Parisijs sayeth We must expound euery fact of the holy Father for the best and if it bee theft or any other thing that of it selfe is euill as aduoutrie or fornication wee must thinke it is done by the secrete inspiration of GOD. An other sayeth If the Pope drawe infinite companyes of people by heapes togither with himself into Hell to bee punished with hym with manye strypes for euer yet let no mortall man presume to reproue hys faultes You may sée that these holye Fathers did not meane to liue godly that allowed their Doctours to defend their abhominable liuing as the fruites shewe what the trée is so the Popes doing shewes what they are and haue bin euen the very Antichrist But to satisfie you that almost nothing will satisfie I wyll prooue vnto you y t the Pope of Rome is the very whore of Babilon that Saint Iohn speaketh of in his Reuelation euē with the verye wordes that the learned Doctor Fulke dyd vtter in his excellent Sermon made at Hampton Courte to that ende The Angel did expound to S. Iohn that the seauē heades of the beast whereon the woman sitteth doe signifie seauen Hilles and where is there any Citie in all the world but only Rome in Italie that is builded vpon seauen Hilles and these are the names of the Hilles Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Caelius The Angell herein hath more plainely shewed this great Babilon to be Rome than if he had named it to bée Rome For the Citie of Constantinople was once called new Rome but yet it is not builded vppon seauen Hilles as this Rome is Therefore Rome must néedes bée the seate of Antichrist if the Woman bée Antichriste that dyd sitte on the beaste And further the Angell sayeth in playne wordes that that great whore of Babilon is that great Citie which hath dominion ouer Kings of the Earth Nowe it is euident that then the Romaynes had the fourth Monarche spoken of by Daniel and had rule ouer the Kyngs of the Earthe So that wythout all contradiction Rome must néedes bée the place where that whore doeth sitte And Ireneus a moste auntient writer that liued almost fiftéene hundreth yéeres since writing of the Sée of Antichrist vppon the last verse of the thirtéenth Chapter of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn where the number of the beast is expressed to bée sixe hundreth sixtie and sixe shewes plainely that the same number correspondent to the Gréeke letters makes this word Lateinos whiche in Englishe is the Latine man or Romaine and these are his wordes Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerorum c valde veresimile est quoniam verissimum regnum habet hoc vocabulum this name Lateinos saith he cōtaining the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichriste and it is very like so to be for that verie kingdome hath this name for they are Latines that nowe do raigne Thus that olde and auncient Father Irenaeus founde out by the number of the beast that his name is such a one as beares rule ouer Rome this is not deuised by anye late Author but by one that is so auncient that he in no wise is to be mistrusted for then in his time there was neyther Pope nor Papist neither Lutheran nor Zwinglian Tertullian a worthie and auntient writer saith very plainly that Babilon doth signifie Rome these are his words Euen so doth Babilon of our Iohn meaning the wordes of S. Iohn in the Apocalips beare the figure of the Citie of Rome which is as great and proude in raigne and as great a persecutor of the Saints as Babilon was Thus you heare the opinion of that auntient writer Tertullian that liued aboue thirtéene hundred yeares since who sayeth flatly that this Babilon bears the figure of the Citie of Rome Saint Chrysostome likewise sayeth Antichrist shall inuade the principalitie of the Empire being voide shall assay to drawe vnto himselfe the Empires both of God and men What can be more manifest than this for did not the Popes kingdome and rule encrease by the decaie of the Empire yes truely and at the fall of the Emperiall Monarchie the Pope chalenged the rule both spiritual and temporal Marke what Saint Ierome sayeth wryting vnto Algasia Nec vult c. whiche is neyther will he openly say that the Romaine Empire should be destroyed which they that gouerne it thinke it to be euerlasting wherefore according to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn in the forehead of the purple whore there is written a name of blasphemie which is Rome Euerlasting Here Saint Ierome a credible authour and one of the Doctours of the Church nameth the whore of Babilon to the Purple whore of Rome in whose forehead is written a name of blasphemie whiche is Rome Euerlasting For so the Pope takes Rome to bée that Rocke that can by no meanes be remoued For the Pope bragges that Rome is that same Rocke againste whiche Hell gates cannot preuayle but he and all they that trust him be maruellouslye deceyued for God with his breath that is his word will ouerthrowe and destroy it And also Sainct Ierome calleth Rome the daughter of Babilon and taketh Babilon in Chaldea for Babilon the Elder and Rome hir daughter for Babilon the yonger Also Sainct Ierome writing in his Preface vnto the booke of Didimus de spiritu sancto writing to Paulinianus vttereth these wordes Cùm in Babilone c. when I was in Babilon sayth he meaning Rome and was an inhabitaunte of the Purple Harlot and liued after the lawes of the Romaines I thought to entreate something of the Holy Ghost Here contemptuouslie he calleth Rome by the name of Babilon hauing no occasion so to doe whereby it appeares he was fullye persuaded that Rome coulde be none other but that Babilon mentioned by Sainct Iohn in the Apocalips And Sainct Ierome writing to Marcella a vertuous Gentlewoman of Rome persuaded hyr to forsake Rome whiche was the Babilonical Harlot appointed for the byrth of Antichrist which there should arise and exercise his Tirannie and from thence shoulde deceiue the whole
of the Apostles or else the Euangelists would haue written of it Be indifferent Iudges your selues was there euer such a ridiculous religion as this your Romish religiō is that permitte and appointe Belles to be baptised belike their baptising makes them giue a lowde a perfect and a true sound if it be so then the Bels are better baptised than many of the Popes preachers Doctors be for many of them in the pulpet giue no sounde at all or else giue a false sounde both in their preaching and writing Many of you mislike the putting downe of Abbayes and wishe they were vp againe for you thinke the Monkes Friers were the holiest men in the world yea and that perfect holinesse can not be well without them that God by thē was chiefly serued If the Monkes were so in your time it is maruell for they were not such in S. Augustines time therfore you shall heare how they serued God then Wherof S. Augustine writes thus These Monkes serue not God saith he they serue their bellies And againe he saith Hipocrisie or vaunting of holinesse is the more dangerous for that it deceiueth vs vnder the name of Gods seruice Againe he saith it deceiueth vs by the deceitfull countenance or Image of holines And againe touching the Mōkes he saith we can not tell whether they became Monkes for purpose to serue God or else being weary of their poore painfull life were rather desirous to be fedde and clothed doing nothing Therfore he saith they carrie their hypocrisie about to sale S. Bernard saith which knew something of their holinesse for he was an Abbot the seruants of Christ serue Antichrist S. Hierom saith of thē they are loth to be abiects in seruile state for idlenesse they wil not labour and to beg they are ashamed for being valiant lusty people no man would giue thē any thing Thus y e Monkes seruing of God of the ancient writers Doctors is called plaine Idlenes If the Monkes were idle in S. Augustines time I feare they were not very well occupied in our time One of the Popes proctors of late to make vs beléeue that Monkerie was instituted by Christ if we may credite his owne tale saith that the Apostles were Mōkes Christ was the Abbot If they were so but in all the Scriptures they are not named so they were not like our Abbots Mōkes that are now that we had of late for they were an Abbot Monks without an Abbey and had neuer an Abbey to dwell in in those days belike there were good Abbots and good Monkes without Abbeys but now there be Abbeys without good Abbots and good Monkes In the booke called Opus Tripertitum it is thus written Wel neere the whole world crieth out against is offēded for so great a multitude of begging Mōkes Friers that are entred into the world Pope Damasus speaking of the order of thē that were called Chorepiscopi saith thus From whēce this third order is come we cannot tell and the thing that wāteth reason must needs be taken vp by the rootes Thus by the Popes owne saying both Monks Friers Chānons Nonnes yea al y e Popes cardinals their popish priests their Masses Dirges Pardons and al the holy religion of the Pope bicause we know not how it first came in for by Gods word it was not plāted bicause their doctrine of al other is the most foolish false both against reason truth therfore it must néedes be pluckt vp by y e rootes This is the Popes owne decrée therfore it must néedes stand for a law And they are Heretikes y t once speak against it if they be Heretikes y t speakes against y e Popes doings or sayings If al the lawes decrées y t the Popes haue made had bene as true reasonable as this saying of Pope Damasus then the Popes law religion had not bene so repugnant contrarie to Gods law as it is Marke further what a Diuelish doctrine your Church of Rome doth allow hir doctors do teach for M. Harding saith Euerlasting life is a rewarde for our deseruings if euerlasting life were not a due reward it were vncerten for due debte is certen mercie or fauor is vncertaine Thus saith M. Iewell they haue drowned the grace of God the saluation we haue only in Iesus Christ and haue turned the most comfortable doctrine of the Gospel into a dungeon of desperatiō Thus the Popes doctrine saith we may deserue Heauen but Christ which best of all knewe what wee are hable to deserue saith when ye haue done all that you can saie that yee bee vnprofitable seruaunts and therefore haue deserued nothing and thus we can not deserue the kingdome of Heauen If we deserue any thing it is the kingdome of Hell If we looke to deserue any thing then we make our selues labourers and hirelings and so we make our selues not the children of God for the naturall and louing childe obeyes his Father for loue and not for rewarde and therefore being laborers we must haue no more than we deserue which is nothing if vnprofitable seruaunts deserue nothing And Maister Harding saith that good workes haue their rewarde They haue so sayth M. Iewell S. Iohn saith their workes follow them And Christ sayth whosoeuer shall giue a cup of water to drinke for my names sake bycause you belong to Christ verely I say vnto you he shal not lose his rewarde S. Paule sayth Your workes shall not be in vaine in the Lorde But bicause they are rewardes it is rather of mercie than of dutie For a dutie is wages but a rewarde is a gift For if I send my seruaunt to a noble man with a present and he giues my seruant a reward it is rather of his goodnesse than of my seruaunts duetie for hée could aske nothyng of him therefore the rewarde is of his curtesie and gentlenesse Iob sayth If a man will dispute with God he is not hable to aunswere him one for a thousande And though Iob is called the moste pacient and a verie godly man yet hée sayth I stoode in doubte and was afrayde of all my workes And againe he saith although I were perfect yet my Soule shall not knowe it if I woulde iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee Esay sayth all our righteousnesse is lyke a fowle stayned clowte S. Hierome sayth If we behold our owne merites we must be driuen to desperatiō The Apostle saith I iudge that the afflictions of this tyme are not worthie of that glorie that shalbe reuealed vnto vs. Therefore it is the most surest way to take hold on Christes merits let our owne go for God will iustifie vs for Christes sake merites not for our owne sakes or good workes Blessed are they that haue washed there Robes in the bloud of the Lambe not in there owne workes I will giue sayth God
Lambe at the Townes side a certayne Butcher within the Towne was as busie in slayinge of a Bull whiche Bull hée had faste bounde in ropes readie to knocke hym in the head But the Butcher belyke not so skylfull in hys arte in killyng of beastes as the Papistes be in murthering Christians as hée was lifting the Axe to stryke the Bull fayled in hys stroke and smitte a little to lowe or else howe he did smite I knowe not but this was certaine that the Bull somethyng grieued with the stroke but yet not stricken downe put his strength to the ropes and brake lowse from the Butcher into the stréete the very same tyme as the people were comming in very great prease from the burnyng of the godly woman Who séeing the Bull commyng towardes them and supposing him to be wilde as was none other lyke gaue way for the Bull euery man shifting for him selfe aswell as hée might Thus the people gyuing backe and making a lane for the Bull he passed through all the throng of them touching neyther man woman nor childe till hée came whereas the Chauncellour was Against whome the Bull as pricked with a suddaine vehemencie ranne full but with hys hornes and taking him vpon the paunche gored him through and through and so killed him immediatly carrying his guttes and trayling them with his hornes all the stréete ouer to the great wonder of all them that sawe it Although the carnall sence of man be blinde in considering the workes of the Lorde imputing many times to blinde chaunce the thinges whiche properly perteyneth to Gods onelye prayse and prouidence yet in this so straunge and so euident an Example what man can be so dull or ignoraunt whiche séeth not herein a playne myracle of Gods mightie power and iudgement both in iust punishyng of this wretched Chauncellour and also in admonishing all other lyke persecutours by this example to feare the Lorde and to abstaine from the lyke crueltie These wonderfull and myraculous examples with a great number mo to the great comfort and consolation of the persecuted Gospellers and to the fearing and terrifying of the cruell vnmerciful murthering Papists the worthy godly and learned M. Foxe with his great trauell studie and labour hath set forth at large in his Booke of the Acts and Monumentes of the Churche commonly called the Booke of Martyrs I feare there are some of you so farre drowned in that abhominable Romishe Religion and so farre in loue with the Pope and with all things whatsoeuer he or any of his cruell crue doe or commaunde to do that if a mad man had chaunced to haue runne on this wicked Whittington the Chauncellour and had killed him hurting none of all that great throng and number of people but onely him woulde haue sayde that the man had made himselfe madde for the nonce and that some of the hereticall Gospellers had hyred him to doe it But I trowe none of you will saye that the Bull made himselfe mad for the nonce that the Gospellers hyred him to runne onely on the Chauncellor kill him and to let all the rest of the people goe away safe and vnhurt Wherefore it can not be denyed nor by any way be auoyded but that it was the Lordes wrathe and vengeance that lighted on this cruel and persecuting Papist and murthering Chauncellor And as the Diuel procured this wicked Chauncellor to be his slaughter man on the sayd godly woman the seruaunt of God So God sent this Bull to be his slaughter man on the wicked Chauncellour the seruant of the Diuel Therefore as I said before if the pacient constant ioyfull and myraculous endes and deathes of the professors of the Gospell can not allure nor persuade you from Papistrie to the Gospell from the Pope to Christ from the Diuell to God yet let the fearefull horrible desperate and dolefull deathes of the Papisticall persecutors murtherers of the professors of the Gospell enforce feare and terrifie you to flie with all spéede from the Popes daungerous detestable and Diuelish doctrine What made Iudas to say I haue sinned betraying the Innocent bloud but that he was pricked in conscience and that he was enforced through Gods might to vtter y e truth and that hée had falsely and wickedly betrayed Christ his Maister What made Iulianus the Apostata that once professed the Gospell and turned from it to saye Vicisti Galilee that is O thou man of Galilee thou hast ouercome meaning Christ but that he yéelded to Christ and that he graunted that Christes Gospel was the true religion that he most wrongfully persecuted the seruants of God What made y t cruell persecutor of the Gospellers Iohn de Roma to say in his maruellous paines tormentes as is before mentioned I know I suffer for the euils and oppressions that I haue done to the poore mē but y t he was pricked with the sting of Gods iudgement that they that he had so tormented were the seruauntes of God and that he was the minsster of Sathan What made that rigorous Rockwood to cry out beyng at the point of death and to say I am damned all to late all to late for I haue sought maliciously the deathes of a number of the honest men in the Towne c. but that God enforced him to confesse the truth when it was too late to haue mercie and that he knewe then in his conscience y t the Romishe Religion was false and wicked and that the professors of the Gospell were the seruauntes of God that he did persecute for the Pope What made Bishop Gardiner to say at his death I haue denyed with Peter but neuer repented with Peter but that he knewe in his conscience beyng stung with the wrathe of God that he wickedly and wrongfully resisted the truth and most vniustly persecuted the professors of the Gospell the seruantes of God Why did the Sherifs seruaunt before mentioned saye that Iames Abbas that was burned for professing of the Gospell was the seruaunt of God and was saued and that he himselfe was damned but that he was procured through the power of God to acknowledge and open the trueth that thereby euerye one that then heard him or afterwards shoulde heare of it myghte playnely perceiue that the Gospell is the true Religion wherein GOD is chiefely pleased and that they that are persecuted for professing of the same are the seruauntes of God and that the Papistes that murther and persecute them are the children of the Diuell Learne therefore to confesse willingly your errours and to recant and refuse your diuelishe Papisticall doings and doctrine in tyme whyles you may repent recant obtaine mercie by these wofull wretches that compelledly confessed their errours and recanted their diuelish doings and doctrine out of time when they coulde not repent neither obtaine any mercie at all If you could shewe vs but one of your Papistical Religion that died so willingly chéerefully constantly Christianly