vs plainely and without all dissimulation his mouth being now opened by him that caused Balaams asse to speake That in the holy scripture as in a plentifull storehouse is laid vp for vs and our instruction all knowledge necessarie for mans saluation Againe the same popish bishop Saint and Martyr of papists so esteemed and reputed telleth vs roundly That they must not because forsooth they cannot defend and maintaine their poperie by the authoritie of the scripture but by some other way and meanes to wit by mans inuentions and popish vnwritten vanities which they tearme the Churches traditions Now gentle reader how can any papist who is not giuen vp in reprobum sensum for his iust deserts read such testimonies against poperie freely confessed and published to the world by papists euen when they bestirre themsulues busily to maintaine their Pope and his popish doctrine and for all that continue papists still and bee carried away headlong into perdition beleeuing and obeying that doctrine which cannot be defended by the written word of God which is the store-house of all necessarie knowledge They doubtlesse are either very senselesse or so blinded for their former sinnes that they cannot behold the sunne shining at noone tide me thinks they should be ashamed to hold and beleeue that doctrine in defence whereof they can yeeld no better reasons But let vs yet heare what other renowned popish writers tel vs who doubtlesse will not bewray their owne cause but against their wils Howbeit as the wise man saith Magnaest veritas praeualet The truth is of such force as it must needes preuaile and in time haue the vpper hand Melchior Canus another popish bishop and a very learned schoole-doctor hath these expresse words Cum sit perfectus scripturarum canon sibique ad omnia satis superque sufficiat quid opus est vt ei sanctorum intelligentia iungatur authoritas Seeing the canon of the scripture is perfect and most sufficient of it selfe to euery end and in euery respect what need haue we to ioyne therewith either the exposition or the authoritie of the fathers Thus writeth this great learned papist not denying the sufficiencie of the holy scripture but requiring the commentaries of the fathers for the better vnderstanding of the same VVhose opinion I doe approue and commend in that respect as is euident to all that shall peruse my booke of Motiues Thomas Aquinas whom the Pope hath cannonized for a Saint and his doctrine for authenticall teacheth vs not to beleeue any thing concerning God sauing that only which is contained in the scripture expresly or at least significantly These are his owne words Dicendum quod de Deo dicere non debemus quod in sacra scriptura non inuenitur vel per verba vel per sensum VVe must answere that nothing is to be verified of God which is not contained in holy writ either expresly or in sense The same popish doctour in an other place hath these wordes Quicquid enim ille Christus de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc scribendum illis tanquam suis manibus imperauit For whatsoeuer Christ would haue vs to read of his doings and sayings the same he commaunded his Apostles to write as if he had done it with his owne hands Loe in these wordes Aquinas auoucheth very plainely that all things necessarie for our saluation are contained in the scriptures For in Christs deeds are contained his myracles his life his conuersation in his sayings semblably are contained his preaching his teaching his doctrine and consequently whatsoeuer is necessary for vs to know If then this be true as it is most true for the papists neither will nor can denie the doctrine of Aquinas that whatsoeuer Christ would haue vs to know of his miracles of his life of his conuersation of his preaching of his teaching of his doctrine the same is now written in the scriptures no man doubtlesse but he that will cum ratione insanire can denie all things necessarie for our saluation to be contained in the holy scriptures To this doctrine deliuered by Aquinas agreeth their owne renowmed professor and most learned schoole-doctor Franciscus a victoria that Spanish frier His expresse wordes are these Non est mihi certum licet omnes dicant quod in scriptura non continetur I doe not thinke it certaine and sure although all writers affirme it which is not contained in the scripture The same popish doctor and frier in another place hath these words Propter quas opiniones nullo modo debemus discedere à regula synceritate scripturarum For which opinions we must by no meanes depart from the rule and synceritie of the holy scriptures Loe gentle reader our popish frier will beleeue no doctrine which is not contained in the scripture although all writers teach the same Mad men therefore may they be deemed that will beleeue whatsoeuer the Pope telleth them though it be neuer so repugnant to the scripture Anselmus and Lyra two other famous popish writers doe teach vs the selfe same doctrine The second Proposition All persons of what sexe state calling or condition soeuer they be may lawfully and ought seriously to read the holy scriptures as out of which euen the simplest of all may gather so much as is necessarie for their saluation This I say against that popish ridiculous vnchristian and verie pestilent abuse where the Pope deliuereth to the people as it were by was of apostolicall traditon the scriptures sacraments and church-seruice in a strange tongue to them vnknowne VVhich to be flatly against the practise of the primitiue Church I haue proued copiously in my booke of Suruey Here therefore I will onely shew that it is both lawfull and necessarie for all sorts of people that desire to attaine eternall life to read diligently the holy scriptures S. Chrysostome discourseth at large of this subiect in many places of his workes but I will content my selfe with some few for the present In his commentaries vpon Saint Paul he hath these words Et vos itaque si lectioni cum animi alacritate volueritis attendere nullo alio preterea opus habebitis Verus enim est sermo Christi cum dicit quaerite inuenietis pulsate aperietur Verum quia plures exijs qui huc conuenere liberorum educationem vxoris curam gubernandaeque domus insesereceperunt atque ideo non sustinent totos se labori isti addicere saltem ad percipienda quae alij collegerunt excitamini tantum ijs quae dicuntur audiendis impendite diligentiae quantum colligendis pecunijs Tam etsi enim turpe sit non nisi tantum a vobis exigere tamen contenti erimus si vel tantum prestetis Nam hinc iunumera mala nata sunt quod scripturae ignorantur Hinc erupit multa illa haereseon pernicies hinc vita dissoluta hinc
enim fere de illis obscurit atibus eruitnr quod non planissime dictum alibi reperiatur For almost nothing is contained in obscure places which is not most plainely vttered in some other place The same father in an other place hath these wordes Nec solum vobis sufficiat quod in ecclesia diuinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite libenter audite Let it not be enough for you onely to heare Gods word in the Church but also read it your selues in your houses or else procure others to read it and heare you them willing Out of these wordes of this holy writer and antient father we may learne many godly lessons First that all things needfull for our saluation are plainely set downe in the scriptures Secondly that things which are obscurely touched in some places are plainelie handled in other places Thirdly that the scriptures are obscure in some places to exercise our wits and to cleanse the loathsomenesse of our stomackes Fourthly that we must read the scriptures at home in our houses not heare them read in the Churches Fiftly that if we cannot read them our selues then must we procure others to read them to vs and marke diligently what they read and heare them with desire and alacritie of mind Saint Hierome is consonant to Saint Austen and Saint Chysostome affirming that in his time which was about 1200 yeeres agoe both monkes men and women did contend who could learne moe scriptures without book These are his expresse wordes Solent viri solent monachi solent mulierculae hoc inter se habere certamen vt plures ediscant scripturas in eose putant esse meliores si plures edidicerint Men women and monkes vse to contend one with another who can learne moe scriptures and herein they thinke themselues better if they can learne more The same Saint Hierome in an other place speaking of the education of a yoong maid of seuen yeeres old hath these wordes Matris nutum pro verbis ac monitis pro imperio habeat Amet vt parentem subijciatur vt dominae timeat vt magistram Cum autem virgunculam rudem edentulam septimus aetatis annus exceperit caeperit erubescere scire quid taceat dubitare quid dicat discat memoriter psalterium vsque ad annos pubertatis libros Salomonis euangelia Apostolos prophetas sui cordis thesaurum faciat Let her mothers beck to her be in steed of wordes admonitions and commaunds Let her loue her as her parent obey her as her ladie and feare her as her mistris And when the rude and toothlesse girle shall bee seuen yeere old and shall begin to be bashfull to know when to be silent and when to speake then let her learne the Psames by heart and without booke and till she be twelue yeeres of age or marriageable let her make the bookes of Salomon the Gospels Apostles and Prophets the treasure of her heart Thus writeth Saint Hierome out of whose golden words I note these golden obseruations First that both men and women in his dayes did studie and read the scriptures as diligently and painfully as the monkes Secondly that in his time they thought themselues the happiest people who could con by heart the most texts of holy scripture Wheras amongst the papists they are deemed most holy that can by heart no scripture at all but absteine from the reading thereof as from the poyson of their soules Thirdly that yong women being but seuen yeeres of age must be acquainted with the holy scriptures learne by heart the booke of Psalmes Fourthly that from seuen yeeres vpward vntill puberty that is to say vntill the twelft yere of their age they must read seriously the bookes of Salomon the Gospels Apostles and Prophets and set their whole delite therein And the same holy father in his Epistle to the godly matrone Celantia doth perswade her for the best course of her life to be continually conuersant in the holy scriptures These are his wordes Sint ergo diuinae scipturae semper in manibus tuis iugiter mente voluantur Let therefore the holy scriptures be alwayes in thy hands and let them be vncessantly tossed or rolled in thy mind Saint Theodoretus telleth vs with good liking thereof that in his time the scriptures were translated into all maner of languages that they were not onely vnderstood of doctors masters of the Church but euen of the lay-people and common artificers His expresse wordes I will alledge which are these Hebraici vero libri non modo in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiam Persicam Indicam Armenicaque Scythicam atque adeo Sauromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtuntur Sequitur paulò inferius fossoresque adeo ac bubulcos inuenias plant arumque consitores de diuina trinitate rerumque omnium creatione discertantes The Hebrew bookes are turned not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Roman language also into the Aegyptian Persian Indians Armenian and Scythian as also into the Sauromatick tongue to speake all in a word into all tongues which this day are in vse amongst nations And after hee hath told vs that the Church-doctrine is knowne to all maner artizans of both sexes he addeth that we may find ditchers deluers neatheards and gardiners disputing euen of the blessed trinitie and of the creation of all things VVhereupon it is euident that in the auncient Church and in the time of old religion as the sillie foolish papists call their Romish inuentions which is in deed a newly inuented religion as I haue proued in my Suruey of poperie euery nation had the holy scriptures in their vulgar language and that in those dayes all the Christians did read the holy scriptures so seriously that both men and women of all trades and conditions were able to dispute of the holy trinitie and of the creation of the world VVhich two points doubtlesse are the most difficult obscure hard and intricate articles in the whole course of theologie The Iesuit Bellarmine a wonderfull thing to be heard and a most incredible sauing that the truth must needes in time haue the vpper hand confesseth so much vnawares as is able sufficiently to prooue and conclude my intended scope and proposition These are his expresse wordes His notatis dico illa omnia scripta esse ab apostolis quae sunt omnibus necessariae quaeipsipalam omnibus vulgo praedicauerant alia autem non omnia scripta esse These obseruations being marked I answere that all those things were written by the Apostles which are necessarie for all men and which the Apostles preached openly to all the vulgar people but that all other things were not written Thus writeth our skilfull Iesuit who
so this tradition is not excepted but virtually implied in our affirmation Fiftly the scriptures canonicall are discerned from not canonicall euen of themselues like as light is discerned from darkenesse hardnesse from softnesse and sweetnesse from bitternesse Thy word ô Lord saith the Prophet is a lanterne to my feet and a light vnto my pathes VVe haue a right sure word of prophesie saith S. Peter whereunto if ye take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place ye doe well vntill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts Yet most true it is that the faithfull onely can discerne it For as the Apostle saith If Christs gospell be hid it is hid in them that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeue not least the light of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ should shine vnto them And the same Apostle elswhere teacheth vs that the spirituall man iudgeth all things VVhich text two famous papists Lyranus and Carthusianus doe expound of things partaining to our saluation S. Iohn is consonant to S. Paule affirming that the vnction which the faithfull haue receiued doth teach them all things Yea Christ himselfe saith That his sheepe doe heare his voice And he addeth that they follow him because they know his voyce But doubtlesse if Christs sheepe that is the faithfull and Gods elect people doe know his voice and therefore doe follow him then by a necessarie consequence they can know Christ speaking to them in the holy scripture and so can discerne holy writ from prophane fables or stories Melchior Canus a famous papist maketh this case cleere his words are set downe in my Golden ballance Sixtly the formall obiect of our faith is veritas prima the first veritie or God himselfe as Dionysius Areopagita telleth vs. Yea Aquinas that famous papist surnamed their angelicall doctor teacheth the selfe same doctrine Non enim fides inquit diuina alicui assentitur nisi quia est à Deo reuelatum For diuine faith saith Aquinas will not yeeld assent to any thing vnlesse it be reuealed of God VVhich truth of doctrine Saint Austen confirmeth in these golden wordes Iam hic videte magnum sacramentum fratres sonus verborum nostrorum aures percutit magister intus est Nolite putare quenquam hominem aliquid discere ab homine Ad monere possumus per strepitum vocis nostra si non sit intus qui doceat inanis fit strepitus noster Quam multi hine indocti exituri sunt quantum ad 〈◊〉 pertinet omnibus locutus sum sed quibus vnctio illa intus non loquitur quos spiritus sanstus intus non docet indocti redeunt Magisteria forinsecus adiutoria quaedam sunt admonitiones Cathedram in coelo habet qui corda docet Sequitur interior Magister est qui docet Christus docet inspiratio ipsius docet Vbi illius inspiratio illius vnctio non est forinsecus inanitâ—r perstrepunt verba Now brethren behold here a great sacrament the sound of our wordes pierceth your eares but the master that teacheth you is within Thinke not that man learneth any thing of man we preachers may admonish by the sound of wordes but if he be not within that teacheth in vaine is our sound how many will goe hence vntaught For mine owne part I haue spoken to all but to whom that vnction speaketh not inwardly whom the holy Ghost teacheth not within they goe home vntaught as they came The outward teachings are some helpes and admonitions but he sitteth in his chaire in heauen that teacheth the heart The master is within that teacheth it is Christ that teacheth it is his inspiration that instructeth VVhere his inspiration and his vnction is not there the outward noise of words is in vaine Thus writeth this auntient and learned father with many moe wordes to the like effect By whose doctrine we may learne sufficiently if nothing else were said that howsoeuer men teach how soeuer Paul plant or Apollo water yet will no increase follow vnlesse God giue the same I therefore conclude that we doe not beleeue this booke or that booke to be canonicall because this man or that man or the Church saith soe but that the scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it hath in it selfe that dignity which is worthy to haue credite that the declaration of the Church doth not make vs beleeue the scripture but is only an outward helpe to bring vs thereunto and that wee therefore indeed beleeue the scripture and this or that booke to be canonicall because God doth inwardly teach vs and persuade our hearts so to beleeue For certes if wee should beleeue that this or that booke is canonicall scripture because the Church saith so then should the formall obiect of our faith and the vltimate tearme into which our faith is resolued be man and not prima veritas or God himselfe as Areopagita and Aquinas teach vs. And it will not helpe the papists to replie out of Saint Augustine That he would not haue beleeued the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the Church had mooued him thereunto For S. Austens wordes are these Nisi authoritas ecclesiae me commoueret I would not haue beleeued the Gospell if the authoritie of the Church had not iointly mooued me therunto For wee must note that there is a great difference betweene mouere and commouere Mouere is to moue absolutely and a part by it selfe but commouere is to moue respectiuely and together with another thing So Saint Austens meaning is nothing else indeed but that the authoritie of the Church did outwardly concurre with the inward motion of the holy Ghost to bring him to the faith of the Gospel Now Saint Austens meaning is this and and none other viz. that he maketh much more account of the vniuersall Church than of Manichaeus and his complices because the Church did first moue him to heare the Gospel preached and to giue some credit to the same I say some credit because the Churches authoritie did onely moue him to beleeue the Gospell fide humana non fide diuina with humane faith not with faith diuine For this diuine faith with which we Christians doe beleeue the Gospell proceedeth not from the outward teaching of man but from the inward instruction of the holy Ghost as I haue out of the same Austen already prooued Yea the selfe same father declareth in the same chapter that he speaketh of himselfe as being a Manichee not as being a Christian. What faith Saint Austen wouldest thou say to him that should answere thee I doe not beleeue it but for the authority of the Church And this sense is confirmed because S. Austen coÌ„fesseth in the very same chapter that the authoritie of the Gospel is aboue the authoritie of the Church And in the chapter aforegoing after he hath told vs what kept him in
THE DOVVNEFALL OF POPERIE Proposed by way of a new challenge to all English Iesuits and Iesuited or Italianized papists daring them all iointly and euery one of them seuerally to make answere thereunto if they can or haue any truth on their side knowing for a truth that otherwise all the world will crie with open mouths Fie vpon them and their patched hotch-potch religion Psal. 116. vers 10. Credidi propter quod loquutus sum LONDON Printed by A. Jslip for Arthur Iohnson and are to be sold at the signe of the White Horse ouer against the great North doore of Paules 1604. TO THE MOST PVissant Wise Vertuous Learned Iudicious and Religious Monarch James by Gods permission and holy ordinance king of England Scotland France and Ireland defendour of the auncient Christian Catholike faith and supreme gouernour within his said Realmes Kingdomes Territotories and Dominions next and immediately vnder God ouer all persons and causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuile THe Truth is of such force most gracious and dread Soueraigne that it hath enforced the professed enemies of truth the cursed brood of English traitorous Iesuits and Iesuited papists I meane to testifie the truth against themselues The secular Seminarie priests the Popes owne deere vassals who professe the selfesame religion with the Iesuits and yeeld the selfe same obedience to the Pope tell vs plainly in printed bookes puplished to the view of the whole world a thing verie rare and greatly to bee admired of such brutish barbarous cruell villanous traytorous and most bloodie dealing practised not onely by their deere brethren the Iesuites but euen by themselues also though not in one or the same degree that my selfe doubtlesse could neuer haue giuen credit thereunto if their owne selues had not so written and so testified against themselues They affirme constantly in many printed bookes published to the view of the whole world that the Iesuits by treacherous practises and most bloodie complots haue long sought for the vtter ruine and conquest of noble England and that their owne hearts and hands had sometime beene imbrewed with the same They affirme against the Iesuits First that they are great lyers Secondly that they are proud men richly apparelled furnished with coaches and attended on with a great traine of seruingmen as if they were Barrons or Earles Yea it is constantly auouched that the Iesuit Gerard had two geldings in a gentlemans stable at thirtie pounds a gelding besides others else where and horses of good vse It is also set downe in print that a Iesuit had a girdle and hangers of thirtie pound price Thirdly that they trowle vp and downe from good cheere to good cheere commaunding their chambers to bee perfumed and gentlewomen to pull off their boots Fourthly that they are great statesmen and that matters of state titles of princes genealogies of kings right of succession disposing of scepters with other matters of like qualitie are their chiefe studies Fiftly that they threaten a conquest and promise great preferment to all that will execute their most traitorous designements Sixtly that they are cruell tyrants and firebrands of all sedition Seuenthly that they are theeues and murderers and that the Iesuit Percie stole seuen and twentie pound of the common money by the consent of the other his fellow Iesuits Eightly that they haue a mint of counterfeit miracles with which they labour to seduce the world Yea that they endeuoured with a false miracle to persuade Sebastian the late king of Portugall to establish a setled law That from thence forward none might bee capable of the crowne of Portugall except hee were a Iesuit or chosen by their societie as at Rome the Pope is chosen by the Colledge of Cardinals Nninthly that the Iesuits are right Machiauels and that whosoeuer will adhere vnto thē must depend vpon the deuil of hell Tenthly that the Iesuits are flat cousiners and that their religion is nothing else but an hotchpotch of omnigitherum And to knit vp all in a word that they are the wickedst men vpon earth They confesse against themselues first that Sanders a secular priest was the architect of religion both in England and in Ireland Secondly that the same Sanders did too much extoll the rebels seeing they were executed by the auncient lawes of our countrey for high treason Thirdly that the Iesuits came into England by the instinct of the deuill and were the chiefest instruments of all traitorous practises against our late Soueraine of most happie memorie Fourthly that popish Seminaries are erected for treason Fiftly that the Iesuits and the secular priests expected a chaunge which now they haue indeed but God bee thanked to their euerlasting woe and griefe Sixtly that the Seminarie priests are sworne to be traytours against their dread Soueraigne and natiue countrey Seuenthly that all Iesuited papists must depend vpon the deuill Eightly that poperie is inseparably annexed with treason Ninthly that the hearts and hands of the secular priests had sometime beene as deepe in treasonable practises as the cursed crew of Iesuits Tenthly that the lawes of the land are iustly made both against the Iesuits and themselues and that they are not put to death for religion but for treason Eleuenthly that long hidden treasons are miraculously reuealed God so appointing it to be done All these asseuerations to be true most dread Soueraine I am readie to iustifie out of their owne printed bookes euen vpon the perill of my life if any of them vpon the like perill will challenge mee to haue charged them falsly in that behalfe This notwithstandlng the Iesuits Seminaries and other Iesuited papists doe still expect a tolleration to liue as they list within your Maiesties kingdomes and dominions that is in plaine English to bee rancke traytours as they haue beene For this end they neuer cease to buzze into mens heads and eares so to withdraw them from their due allegeance and to become popish vassals that the next parliament they shall not faile of their desire Against this cursed brood I haue published many bookes but to this day could I not receiue answere to any of them all Neither can they alledge for their excuse that they haue not seene my bookes or else they would haue answered the same For about a yeere agoe the masked Iesuit E. O. did publish a treatise against two learned writers of this age in which he taketh notice to the bookes which I have published against them and their late vpstart Romish religion which by piece meale and by little and little hath crept into the Church as I haue prooued at large in my former volumes These are the expresse wordes of the masked Iesuit To these former I was once determined to haue adioined a reformed brother of theirs one Thomas Bell who hath published certaine bookes against the Catholicke Church and vaunteth mightily and with insolent words braueth all Seminaries but I altered my purpose partly vpon other considerations but especially because the
priuiledge graunted from this emperour wrested their neckes from the emperours subiection Let these words of Platina be well remembred because he being a famous papist must needs be of good credit against them I let passe the petite step when the emperor Phocas made Rome the head of all churches which for all that is of some moment The fourth step was the great amitie betweene Zacharie then Bishop of Rome and Pipine gouernour of France vnder Childerich the king for Pipine purposing to defeat his lord and soueraigne of the kingdome and to inuest himselfe therein sent his embassadours to Zacharie then Bishop of Rome and his bounden friend to demaund this question of him viz. VVhether he were more worthy to be king which was king only by name and naturall succession or els he who bare the whole burthen of the kingdome alone yet lacked the dignitie of a king The Pope vnderstanding the parable right well and respecting his owne future aduancement likely to ensue thereupon answered roundly I will not say clerkely but like a right doctor of the Romish rout that it was more rightfull forsooth that he which tooke the charge of all things should be called king Vpon this iudgement so clerkely yeelded Pipine forthwith presumed to depose Childerich and made himselfe king that done saintlesse not sackles Zacharie the Bishop of Rome that antichrists forerunner might be known assoiled Pipine and the other Frenchmen of their oath of allegeance and fealtie made to Childerich and confirmed Pipine the traitor in the kingdome of France This was indeed a step not of Iacobs ladder nor of Scala coeli but of Scala inferni Scala Antichristi and of the ladder of the master deuill of hell Yet is not our Iesuit and Cardinall Bellarmine the mouth of all papists and of the Pope himselfe ashamed to publish the same as a ground of the popish religion For these are his owne words Childericum deposuit Zacharias in eius locum Pipinum Caroli magni patrem creari iussit Cuius causa fuit quia propter socordiam Childerici religioni regno in Gallia extrema ruina imminere videbatur Pope Zacharie deposed Childericke and commaunded to place and inuest Pipine father to Charles the great in his throne the cause whereof was this because forsooth through the slouthfull and negligent gouernment of Childericus the kingdome and religion in Fraunce seemed to be in great danger This is the deepe diuinitie of the Pope and his clergie by which we may learne many worthie lessons 1 First that the Pope may set vp and pull downe kings at his pleasure by Iesuiticall doctrine and late Romish religion 2 Secondly that the Pope and Iesuites are the grand-masters and architects of seditions rebellions and most bloudie treasons 3 Thirdly that it is very true which the secular priests haue written concerning the traiterous proceedings of Iesuits and Iesuited papists 4 Fourthly that the Pope commaunded to depose the Soueraigne and to inthronize the subiect in his place 5 Fiftly that all this was done because forsooth the king did not rule after the Popes fansie and pleasure Hereupon I inferre this necessarie correlarie viz. that it behooueth Christian kings to be vigilant and in due time to expell all traiterous papists out of their dominions And if the Bishop of Rome shall send any seditious popeling into their kingdomes and territories with his thunderbolts buls and excommunications then to deale with the messengers as king Philip the faire dealt with pope Boniface his nuncioes in France whom he committed to prison and caused the Popes buls to be burnt in the fire And as Charles the sixt when Bennet the 13. did interdict his realme sitting in the throne of iustice in his high court of parliament the 21 of May in the yeere 1408. gaue sentence that the bull should be rent in pieces and that Gonsalue and Conseleux the bearer thereof should be set vpon a pillorie and publickely traduced in the pulpit The storie is set downe at large by the French papists in their booke intituled the Iesuites catechisme and the same is recorded in my anatomie of Popish tyrannie The fift step was the decay of the empire in the East about the yeere 756. For when Aistulphus or as some write Aristulphus king of the Lombards besieged the citie of Rome for the space of three whole moneths exacting an huge tribute of the Romanes then Pope Stephanus the second made suite to Pipinus king of France to stand their good master and to defend the citie from the furie of the Lombards King Pipine willing to gratifie his good friend the Bishop of Rome came with a mightie armie against Aistulphus and besieged him in Pauie and then and there constrained him to appeale to his mercie and to yeeld vp the exerchate of Rauenna and Pentapolis into his hands This being effected king Pipine whom Pope Zacharie of a traitour had made king as is alreadie prooued gave vp the gouernment of Italie into the Popes hands And the king had reason so to doe for as we know one good turne requires another So now the lieutenants of the emperours of Constantinople ended their whole power in Italie who aforetime had their seats at Rauenna and now was he taken out of the way who as the Apostle telleth vs did hinder the comming of Antichrist for Pope Stephen in way of gratitude confirmed the inheritance royall of the kingdome of France to the said Pipine and to his posteritie for euer Here began a new progenie of the kings of France for Childericus was the last king of the stocke of Meroneus who was the first king Christian of France This truth is apparant by the testimonie of many renowned Chronographers it cannot be denied The sixt step was the translation of the Romane empire from the Greeks to the Frenchmen or Germans in the person of magnificall Charles as the Iesuit Bellarmine tearmeth him The truth is this as popish Chronographers doe record and testifie to the world viz. That when the Romanes had driuen from among them Pope Leo the third he appealed to Charles then king of France who came to Rome and examined the matter and in the end appeased the Romanes and restored the Pope to his place and dignitie againe For this good worke and kind fauour of the king the Pope and people of Rome hauing now a long time in mind and affection reuolted from the emperour of Constantinople and seeing a fit opportunitie offered to accomplish their long wished desires did with vniforme consent and ioyfull acclamation proclaime Charles the great the emperour of Rome giuing him the imperiall names of Caesar and Augustus and setting the royall diademe vpon his head by the hands of Pope Leo. And for the better credit of mine assertion I will here recount the very words of Sigebertus a famous Chronographer and popish monke who therefore must needs be of credit with
I find these expresse wordes Sic Papa dicitur habere caelesteâ— arbitrium ideo etiam naturam rerum immutat substantiam vnius rei applicando alij de nihilo potest aliquid facere So the Pope is said to haue celestiall arbitrement and therefore doth he alter the nature of things applying the substantiall parts of one thing to an other and so can make of nothing something Thus the papists write of their Pope and he is well pleased therewith And yet the truth is that as man can in some cases at some time make one thing of an other so in all cases at all times to make some thing of nothing is proper to God alone The Popes parasites write thus of his power in generall Sicut non est potestas nisia deo sic nec aliqua temporalis vel ecclesiastica imperialis vel regalis nisi à Papa in cuius foemore scripsit Christus rex regum dominus dominantium Like as there is no power but of God so is there neither any temporall nor ecclesiasticall neither imperiall nor regall but of the Pope in whose thigh Christ hath written the King of kings and Lord of lords Loe here gentle reader two things are proper to God alone the one to be King of kings and Lord of lords the other to be the author of all power both which you see here ascribed to the Pope The Pope himselfe from his owne pen Gregorie the ninth deliuereth vs this doctrine Ad firmamentum coeli hoc est vniuers alis ecclesiae fecit deus duo magna luminaria id est duas instituit dignitates quae sunt pontificalis authoritas regalis potestas sequitur vt quanta est inter solem lunam tanta inter pontifices reges differentia cognoscatur To the firmament of heauen that is of the vniuersall church God made two lights pontificall authoritie and power royall that we may know there is asmuch difference between Popes and kings as there is betweene the sunne the moone The glosse setteth downe precisely how farre a king is inferiour to a Pope that is to any bishop of Rome in these words Restat vt pontificalis dignitas quadragesies septies sit maior regali dignitate It remaineth that the dignitie of the Pope is fourtie times seuen times greater than the power of the king Now touching the kissing of the Popes feete I answere that some Christian kings and emperours vpon a blind zeale not grounded in knowledge humbling themselues to the Bishop of Rome and yeelding vp their soueraigne rights to him opened the window to all antichristian tyrannie For in short time after as is alreadie prooued the Romish bishops became so lordly and insolent that they tooke vpon them to depose the emperors to translate their empires and to dispose at their pleasures of their royall scepters and regalities Much more might be said in this matter but for that the Pope hath made it sacriledge to dispute of this I will here onely tell thee gentle reader what the Popes deere frier Sigebertus hath written of his holines These are his expresse words Vt pace omnium honorum dixerim haec sola nouitas non dicam haeresis nondum in mundo emerserat vt sacerdotes illius qui regnarefacit hypocritaÌ„ propter peccata populi doceant populum quod malis regibus nullam debeant subiectionem licet ei sacramentum fidelitatis fecerint nullam tamen debeant fidelitatem nec periuri dicantur qui contra regem senserint imo qui regi paâ—â—erit pro excommunicato habeatur qui contra regem fecerit noxa iniustitiae periuris absoluatur To speake by the fauour of all good men this sole noueltie I wil not say heresie was not yet known in the world that his priests who maketh an hypocrite to reigne for the sinnes of the people should teach the people that they owe no subiection to wicked kings and that although they haue taken the oth of fealtie yet doe they owe them no allegeance neither are they periured that thinke ill against the king yea he that obeyeth the king is this day reputed an excommunicate person and he that taketh part against the king is absolued from the crime of iniustice and periurie This is our very case gentle reader this day in England so liuely painted out in best beseeming coulours as if the writer had bene liuing euen now amongst vs. So then wee haue to obserue here for our instruction That the Popes owne monkes and friers haue thought as ill of the Popes dealings in former times as we thinke of his procedings in these latter dayes As also That popish religon hath alwaies bene condemned euen of great learned papists that liued in the Popes Church VVhereof none can be ignorant that will seriously peruse my bookes of Motiues and Suruey And this shall suffice for the first article to which if their hearts doe not faint them or their consciences condemne them the papists will frame some answere vndoubtedly The second Article touching the erroneous doctrine of the Popish masse The first member Of the impossibilitie of their supposed reall presence AQuinas the Iesuit Bellarmine the councell of Trent Melchior Canus Iosephus Angles and the rest of the Romish brood hold constantlie as an article of their christian faith That the true organicall and naturall bodie of Christ Iesus which was borne of the Virgin Marie which was crucified and nayled on the crosse which rose againe the third day from death and is circumscriptiuely and locally in heauen is also truelie really and substantially vnder the forme of bread and wine in the sacrifice of the popish masse But this is impossible as which implieth flat contradiction and consequently late romish religion consisteth of impossibilities falshoodes and contradictions The doubt hereof is onely in the assumption for proofe whereof I set downe this supposall with our Cardinall Bellarmine viz. That we are not bound to beleeue any thing which implyeth contradiction And because I will proceed sincerely yee shall heare his owne words thus doth he write Neque fides nostra ad id nos obligat vt ea defendamus quae euidenter implicant contradictionem Neither doth our faith bind vs so that wee must defend those things which implie euident contradiction But so it is that the popish imaginarie being of Christs bodie in a little round cake implieth in it selfe euident contradiction and cannot possibly be brought to passe For example no power vpon earth or in heauen can bring to passe that a bodie being three cubits long and one cubit broad remaining still so long and so broad shall be contained in another bodie of two cubits length and halfe a cubite breadth The reason hereof is euident because so to containe and be so contained implieth flat contradiction And this is the case now in controuersie concerning Christs supposed being in the round popish cake For if Christs naturall and
and told the people that he had consecrated the said bread VVhereupon consultation was had out of hand among the learned and sentence giuen that euery loafe was God almightie and the bread was caried away with great solemnitie reuerence and such adoration as was due to the sonne of the euerliuing God Now would I know when the priest hath pronounced three of the said words viz. hoc est corpus what is become of the bread afore him For if they answere that it is Christs bodie then will it follow to their shame that one of the words of their consecration is of no force which to die for it the papists may not admit If they say that a part of Christs bodie is then wrought really by vertue of the said words then will it follow to their greater shame that Christs bodie is really torne in pieces by force of their bloodie and most cruell masse If they say that nought is indeed effected vntill the last sillable of the last word be pronounced then will it follow to their confusion that of foure words wherein consisteth their whole consecration three are of no vertue force or efficacie but stand as cyphers to fill vp the place and to make a shew of that which is not Fiftlie Durandus telleth vs that onely the forme of bread is chaunged and that the matter of bread remaineth still in the Eucharist Rupertus the popish Abbot holdeth that the bread is vnited hypostaticallie to the son of God Caietanus Henricus and Capreolus are of another opinion Iohanncs Parisiensis held also that the bread was assumpted but in a different manner from the opinion of Rupertus Another opinion affirmeth the annihilation of the bread but the Iesuit Bellarmine holdeth with their Councell of Trent that the bread is transubstantiated into the bodie of Christ. Sixtly the papists tell vs that when the priest is at masse then all spectators must adore that which he holdeth ouer his head and constantly beleeue it to be their maker and redeemer of the world and if any hold contrarie opinion or teach the contrarie doctrine that person must be burnt with fire and faggot for his paines But yet for all this the popish faith telleth vs that if either the priest want intention to consecrate which often chaunceth or at least may chaunce by reason of wandering imaginations or of purpose meaneth not to consecrate or of negligence omitteth or miscalleth any word of consecration then by popish doctrine faith and religion the thing adored for God almightie is but pure bakers bread and consequently the adorers there of become idolaters worshipping a piece of bread for the euerliuing God Seuenthly the papists tell vs that many priests are appointed at once to pronounce the words of consecration in the Romish Church Lateran when they are made priests But they cannot tell vs how many gods or how many times God is made in one and the same piece or cake of bread in and at that masse of the newlie made priests For they are all appointed to consecrate they doe all pronounce the wordes they are all bounden to haue intention and they all haue the fit and requisite matter to worke vpon but when the principall actor and chiefe agent to wit the bishop is at the last syllable then some of the rest be in the middest some toward the end some in one place some in an other neuer one iumping with other in that instant in which they should their bread-god make For of this dreadfull mysterie there are three solemne dissonant opinions Pope Innocentius holdeth that they all doe consecrate Durandus auoucheth that that priest onely consecrateth which with greatest speed first commeth to the end but Cardinall Caietanus hath a different consideration Now would I know how these so different popish opinions in a matter of so great importance can be reconciled and salued from contradiction Answere papists if you can or else relent and yeeld to the truth for shame The third Article Of popish dispensations ANtoninus sometime archbishop of Florence comming as ambassadour from the Pope telleth vs if wee may beleeue him that the Pope is Christs vicar vpon earth and hath equall power with God almightie These are his owne expresse words Cum autē vicarius Christi sit Papa nullus potest seipsum subtrahere ab obedientia eius de iure sicut nullus de iure potest se subtrahere abobedientia Dei. Et sicut recepit Christus a patre ducatum sceptrum ecclesiae gentium ex Israel egrediens super omnem principatum potestatem super omne quodcunque est vt ei genua cuncta curuentur sic ipse Petro successoribus eius plenissimam potestatem commisit For seeing the Pope is the vicar of Christ none can lawfully withdraw himselfe from his obedience as none can lawfully withdraw himselfe from Gods obedience And as Christ receiued of his father the dukedome and scepter of the Church of the gentiles arising of Israel ouer all principalitie and power and aboue euery thing that hath being that to him euery knee may bend euen so Christ hath committed most full power to Peter and his successors The famous popish frier Augustinus de Ancona in that booke which he dedicated to Pope Iohn the twelft of that name singeth the same song and affirmeth the Pope to haue the same power These are his expresse words Papa tanquam vicarius Dei filij caelestis imperatoris iurisdictionem habet vniuersalem super omniaregna imperia The Pope as he that is the vicar of the sonne of God the heauenly emperour hath vniuersall iurisdiction ouer all kingdoms empires Many other papists haue the like testimonies but they are needlesse seeing the Pope is a sufficient witnes against himselfe hauing often reduced their assertions to actuall execution For the Pope hath often by his wicked and execrable dispensations taken vpon him to dissolue that matrimonie which is firme and stable by Christs owne institution The former part is prooued by their learned canonist Martinus Nauarrus in these expresse wordes Diuiditur matrimonium ante consummationem per dispensationem papae iusta de causa factam Matrimonie is dissolued before consummation by the Popes dispensation vpon iust cause graunted Now to prooue that the Pope may this doe Nauarre taketh it for a good ground that the Pope hath practised the same Thus doth he write Quorum opinio adeo obseruatur quod etiam ter vel quater ad petitiones consilio meo antequam in vrbem venissem oblatas Paulus 3. Pius 4. per suas dispensationes dissoluerant quaedam matrimonia omnino clandestina nondum consummata in remedium animarum alioquin probabiliter periturarum VVhose opinion he speaketh of the Canonists is so obserued that three or foure times before my comming to Rome vpon petitions made by mine aduise Pope Paulus the third and Pope Pius the fourth with their dispensations dissolued certaine secret matrimonies not
vs expresly that the two tables written with the finger of God contained all the wordes which the Lord spake to them in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly Fiftly God commanded that the king of the Israelies so soone as he should be established in his throne should write out the Deutronomie or law repeated in a book according to the example which the priests of the Leuiticall tribe should giue him that he might meditate therein all the dayes of his life Sixtly Iosue made a couenant with the people and gaue them a law in Sichem and wrote all the wordes in the booke of the law VVhich words were nothing else but a repetition of the couenant written by Moses which couenant Iosue was commanded to obserue so strictly that he might neither decline to the right hand nor to the left And the same law contained all those precepts ceremonies and iudgements which God commanded Moses to teach the people of Israel Locus secundus Ne addas quicquam verbis eius Dei ne forte arguat te inueniaris mendax Thou must ad nothing to Gods words lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a lier This text Saint Hierome vnderstandeth of the holy scriptures to which no man may ad any thing bee it more be it lesse The scriptures therefore are most perfect and absoute and containe euery doctrine needfull for vs to know Locus tertius Ad legem magis ad testimonium Quod si non dixerint iuxta verbum hoc non erit eis matutina lux To the law and to the testimonie If they speake not according to this word there is no matutine or true light in them Loe they that refuse to be taught of Gods prophet who is the mouth of God and seeke helpe at the dead which is the illusion of Satan are here reprooued as men void of knowledge and as blind leaders of the blind And withall they are charged to seeke remedie in the word of God where his will is declared They and wee must euer in all doubts and difficulties haue continuall recourse to the law of God which law is here tearmed the testimonie because it is the testification of Gods will toward man because there is set downe what God requireth of vs because we may find in it whatsoeuer is necessarie for vs to know For the Prophet ioyneth the testimonie with the law not as a thing distinct from it but as an explication of the same As if he had said yee must in all doubts haue recourse to the law of God because it is the testimonie of his holy will Saint Hierome yeeldeth the like sense and interpretation of this place these are his wordes Si vultis nosse quae dubia sunt magis vae legi testimonijs tradite scripturarum Quia si noluerit vestra congregatio verbum domini quoerere non habebit lucē veritatis sed versabitur in erroris tenebris If ye will know the things that are doubtfull ye must haue recourse to the law and to the testimonies of the scriptures For if your people will not seeke Gods word they cannot attaine the light of truth but shall walke in the darknesse of errour Locus quartus Mementote legis Mosis serui mei quam mandaui ei in Horeb ad omnem Israel Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded to him in Horeb to all Israel Marke these wordes seriously because they proue euidently the question now in hand For this Malachias being the last of Gods Prophets and foreseeing by the spirit of God that the Israelites should bee without Prophets a long time euen till the comming of Christ doth here exhort them diligently to be mindfull of the law of Moses As if he should say the time is at hand when ye shall be destitute of Prophets and therefore yee must marke well what the law saith and doe according to the prescript rule thereof But what is the reason why hee maketh no mention of the Prophets doubtlesse because all things as you haue already heard are fully comprised in the written word of the law For although the law and the Prophets were vntill Iohn the one foretelling Christs comming by word the other by tipes and figures yet was the doctrine of the Prophets nothing else in deede but an explication of the law and consequently Malachie willing the Israelites to remember the law of Moses doth thereby sufficiently insinuat the doctrine of the Prophets as who are nothing else but the interpreters of Moses For from the law they might neither turne to the right hand nor to the left That the law containeth the whole Christian doctrine necessarie vnto saluation two famous popish doctors Lyra and Dionisius Carthusianus doe testifie whose wordes shall be alledged expresly when I come to the places of the new testament Ex nouo Testamento Locus primus Haec scripta sunt c. These are written that you may beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Here the reader must obserue seriously with me that this Gospell was written after all other scriptures of the old and new testament euen when the canon of the scriptures was complet perfect and fully accomplished viz. almost an hundred yeeres after Christ ascention into heauen about the fourteenth yeere of the raigne of Domitianus then emperour VVhich obseruation being well marked all the sottish cauils of the papists will easilie be auoided Now let vs see how the auntient fathers doe vnderstand this place of scripture Saint Cyrill hath these wordes Non omnia quae Dominus fecit conscripta sunt sed quae scribentes tam ad mores quam ad dogmata sufficere putarunt vt recta fide operibus ad regnum coelorum perueniamus All things which our Lord did are not written but those things onely which the writers deemed sufficient as well for manners as for doctrine that by a right faith and good life we may attaine the kingdome of heauen Saint Austen hath these wordes Cum multa fecisset dominus non omnia scripta sunt electa sunt antem quae scriberentur que saluti credentium sufficere videbantur VVhen our Lord had done many things all were not written but so much was chosen out to be written as was thought to be sufficient for the saluation of the faithfull Loe gentle reader so much is comprised in the holy scriptures as is necessarie for our saluation as well in those things which concerne our life and manners as in things concerning faith and doctrine VVhich if the papists will graunt vs they may keepe their vnwritten traditions vntill Gods people haue need thereof For I see not why they should enforce vs to admit them except they were necessarie either for faith or at the least for good maners both which notwithstanding
the authoritie of the holy Fathers DIonysius Areopagita who liued in the daies of the Apostles doth liuely deliuer this truth vnto vs in these expresse words Omnino igitur non audendum est quicquam de summa abstrusaque diuinitate aut dicere aut cogitare praeter ea quae nobis diuinitus scripturae diuinae countiarunt In no wise therfore may we make bold to speake or thinke any thing of the most high and ineffable diuinitie saue that only which holy writ hath reuealed to vs from heauen S. Augustine that glistering beame and strong pillar of Christs church auoucheth plainely that all things necessarie for our saluation are contained in the written word as is alreadie prooued in the former reason and he confirmeth the same doctrine in another place where he hath these expresse words In his enim quae apertè in scriptura posita sunt inueniunter illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi spem scilicet atque charitatem For in those things which are plainely set downe in the holy Scripture all things are found which containe faith and manners that is to say hope and charitie The same S. Austen in another place hath these expresse words Credo quod etiam hinc diuinorum eloquiorum clarissima authoritas esset si homo sine dispendio promissae salutis illud ignorare non posset I beleeue that euen in this point also we should haue most cleere testimonie of holy writ if a man could not be ignorant thereof without the losse of his saluation S. Irenaeus hath these words Non emim per alios dispositionem salutis nostrae cognouimus quam per eos per quos euangelium peruenit ad nos quod quidem tunc preconiauerunt postea vero per dei voluntatem in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum For we know the dispensation of our saluation by them onely by whom the Gospell came to our hands which Gospell they first preached but afterward by Gods appointment they deliuered the same vnto vs in writing that it might be the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertullianus an auncient writer who liued aboue 1300 yeeres agoe hath these expresse wordes Adoro scripturae plenitudinem quae mihi factorem manifestat facta An autem ex aliqua subiacenti materia facta sint omnia nusquam adhuc legi Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis offiicina si non est scriptum timeat vae illud adijcientibus aut detrahentibus destinatum I reuerence the plenitude fulnesse and perfection of the scripture as which sheweth to me both the maker and the things which are made But that all things are made of some subiacent matter I neuer could yet read any where Let Hermogenes his shop shew vs where it is written If it be no where written let him be afraid of that woe which is prouided for them that adde or take away from the Scripture Loe gentle reader these three most auntient fathers doe teach vs many very excellent documents First that we know the dispensation of our saluation by Christs Apostles Secondly that we receiued the Gospell from them Thirdly that they first preached the mysteries of our saluation deliuering the Gospell by word of mouth Fourthly that afterward they committed the same to writing Fiftly that the Scripture was written by Gods owne appointment Sixtly that it was written for this end and purpose That it might be the pillar and foundation of our faith Seuenthly that we may not speake or thinke any thing of God which we find not written in Gods booke Eightly that the holy Scripture is perfect and containeth all things necessarie for vs to know Ninthly that all such as teach or beleeue any doctrine not contained in the Scriptures must drinke of the cup of eternall woe for their paines Let vs proceed and see what other fathers of later times tell vs. S. Cyprian who liued about 249 yeares after Christ viz. aboue 1300 yeares agoe hath these words Vnde ista traditio Vtrumne de dominica euangelica authoritate descendens an de Apostolorum mandatis epistolis veniens Ea enim facienda esse quae scripta sunt deus testatur proponit ad Iesum Nave dicens Non recedet liber legis huius ex ore tuo sed meditaberis in eo die ac nocte vt obserues facere omnia quae scripta sunt in eo Si ergo aut euangelio precipitur aut in Apostolorum epistolis aut astibus continetur obseruetur diuina haec sancta traditio From whence came this tradition Did it descend from the authoritie of our Lord or his Gospell Or came it from the mandates of the Apostles or their epistles For that those things must be done which are written God himselfe doth witnesse and propose to Iesus Naue saying The booke of this law shall not depart from thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein night and day that thou maiest obserue to doe all things which are written in it If therefore it be either commaunded in the Gospell or be contained in the Epistles or in the Acts of the Apostles let this diuine and holy tradition be obserued Thus writeth S. Cyprian shewing plainely that all traditions ought to be examined by the written word and nothing to be admitted which is not contained in the same or grounded thereupon VVhere I note by the way for the helpe of the reader that though Cornelius then bishop of Rome whom now the papists tearme Pope and his holinesse together with the whole nationall synode of all the bishops of Italie had made a flat decree touching rebaptization and though also Pope Stephanus his holinesse had confirmed the same decree and commaunded it to be obserued and thirdly though our papists of late daies doe obstinately affirme that their Pope cannot erre when he defineth iudicially Yet this notwithstanding S. Cyprian teacheth and telleth vs plainly and roundly that in his time the bishop of Rome had no such authoritie as this day he proudly and antichristianly taketh vpon him for he roundly withstood the decree of Pope Stephanus who then was bishop of Rome and both sharpely reprooued him and contemned his falsely pretended authoritie And for all that S. Cyprian was euer reputed an holy bishop in his life time and a glorious martyr being dead But if the bishop of Rome had beene Christs vicar and so priuiledged as our papists beare the world in hand he is then doubtlesse S. Cyprian must needs haue beene an hereticke and so reputed and esteemed in the Church of God For if any Christian shall this day doe or affirme as S. Cyprian did or publickely denie the Popes falsely pretended prymacie in any place countrey territories or dominions where poperie beareth the sway then without all peraduenture he must be burnt at a stake with fire and faggot for his paines S. Athanasius hath these words Sufficiunt sanctae ac diuinitus inspiratae
inutiles labores quemadmodum enim qui luce ista priuatisunt recta vtique non pergunt ita qui ad radios diuinarum Scripturarum non respiciunt multa coguntur continuò delinquere vtpote in longe peioribus tenebris ambulantes quod ne nobis vsu veniat occulos ad splendorem Apostolicorum verborum aperiamus If therefore you will read the scriptures with alacritie of mind you shall need no other helpe at all For Christs word is true when he saith Seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you But because many of you are charged with wiues children and domesticall regiment and so can not wholy addict your selues to this studie yet at the least bee readie to heare what others haue gathered and bestow so much diligence in hearing what is said as you doe in scraping worldlie goods together For albeit it bee a shame to require no more of you yet will I be content if ye doe so much For the cause of infinit euils is your ignorance in the scriptures From hence springeth the manifold mischiefe of heresies from hence dissolute life from hence vaine and vnprofitable labours For euen as they that are bereaued of this light cannot goe the right way so they that doe not behold the beames of the holy scriptures are enforced inconintently to offend in many things as walking in farre greater darknesse This is the golden censure of Saint Chrysostome rightly surnamed the golden mouthed doctour Out of whose doctrine I gather these worthy obseruations First that whosoeuer studieth the scriptures seriously and with alacritie shall find therein and vnderstand so much as is necessarie for his saluation And consequently that our disholy father the Pope debarreth vs of the ordinarie meanes of our saluation when he vpon paine of excommunication inhibiteth vs to read the scriptures in our vulgar tongue vnlesse we haue his licence and dispensation so to doe And he hath I confesse some reason thus to deale because forsooth poperie would haue a short reigne if euery papist might freely read the holy scripture and other godly bookes written for their instruction But alasse they are so bewitched with his blessings that they thinke they shal be damned if they doe but read this my discourse or any other opposite to poperie not hauing his licence so to doe But all his priests are licenced and so they can pretend no excuse if they doe not frame some answere hereunto Secondly that it is a very shame for men charged with wiues children and families that they doe but onlie heare sermons and doe not withall studie the holy scriptures and consequently that it is much more shame for others that be more free not to read them diligently and greatest shame of all for a bishop to approue or commend them that will not so doe Thirdly that heresies dissolute life and all other euils doe proceed of ignorance and of not reading the holy scriptures The same Saint Chysostome in an other place hath these wordes Propterea obsecro vt subinde huc veniatis diuinae scripturae lectionem diligenter auscultetis nec solum cum huc venitis sed domi diuina bâ—blia in manus sumite vtilitatem in illis positam magno studio suscipitc Sequitur Paulo inferius Tantum igitur lucrum oro ne per negligentiam amittemus sed domi vacemus diuinarum scriptur arum lectioni hic presentes non in nugis inutilibus colloquijs tempus decoquamus I beseech you therefore that you will come hither now and then and attend diligently the reading of the holy scriptures neither that onely when ye come hither but at home also take the holy bibles into your hands and with great studie embrace the profit contained in them I pray you therefore let vs not negligently loose so great gaine but when we are at home let vs then apply our selues to read the holy scriptures and being here let vs not spend our time idlely and vainely By these testimonies to omit many others we may perceiue most euidently how grieuously Saint Chrysostome lamenteth that the people in his time were so negligent in reading the holy scripture VVhat therefore would that holy father say if he liued in these our daies in which the Pope burneth such scriptures as the people vnderstand in their vulgar tongue In which he commaundeth all church-seruice to be in straunge and vnknowne language In which he excommunicateth all say-persons be they neuer so well learned that reason of matter of faith or dispute of his power VVhat would he say if he heard priests pronounce absolution in their popish sacrament of penance which neither the penitents nor the priests themselues doe often vnderstand Nay what would he say if he were this day in popish Churches where they doe not onely read their Churchseruice in Latine but also Latine homilies or sermons vnto the vulgar sort which yet they tearme an exposition of the scripture which maner of proceeding is practised euery festiuall day of nine lessons in the time of their mattens In fine what would he say if he knew the rude vulgar sort who are commaunded to heare the Gospell read in Latine and withall should see them listening with their eares least any word should not be heard though impossible of them to be vnderstood would he not and might he not iustly say with the holy Apostle that they were mad Yes doublesse it cannot be denied Origen who liued aboue a thousand and three hundred yeares agoe doth not onely exhort the people seriously to read the scriptures but withall sheweth plainely that in his time they were read in the vulgar tongue These are his words Certè si non omnia possumus saltem ea quae nunc docentur in ecclesia vel quae recitantur memoriae commendemus Doubtlesse if we cannot beare away all things contained in the scriptures yet at the least let vs remember those things which are taught and read in the Church Loe in these golden words he speaketh not onely of sermons but also of the Gospels Epistles Prayers Lessons and histories of the Bible For sermons are contained in the word docentur which are preached and the rest in the word recitantur which are read or rehearsed but certes if such things had beene read in a strange and vnknown tongue the vulgar sort could not haue committed them to memorie And consequently to no end or purpose should Origen haue made this exhortation And the obiection which is common in the mouthes of our papists That Saint Peter affirmeth the scriptures to be obscure and hard to bee vnderstood notwithstanding the great brags and insolent vaunts of our Rhemists is too too foolish and of no force at all For first Saint Peter saith not that the whole scripture is hard to be vnderstood but some things in S. Paules Epistles Secondly he speaketh not solely and barely of the vnlearned but of the vnlearned which are vnstable Thirdly
confutation of his worthy workes is alreadie vndertaken and to bee published if it shall bee thought necessarie Thus doth the Iesuit write By whose wordes it is very apparant cleere and euident that they haue beene many yeeres buzzing about some answere either to all or some one of my bookes but neuer yet durst aduenture to frame any answere to any one of the said bookes and to publish it to the view of the world Their silence in not answering my said bookes hath reclaimed many a man from their popish faction and therefore would they gladly haue the the world to thinke that they are in mind to answere my said bookes but they seeme to meane nothing lesse in deed and why hee telleth vs forsooth That the confutation which hath beene long vndertaken must be published but with this addition If it shall be thought necessarie What a iest is this the Iesuits and Seminarie priests haue consulted now for the space of eight yeeres and aboue and haue all that time deuised how to frame some colourable answere at the least to all or some of the said bookes and in the end of the yeere 1602 haue vndertaken the confutation of my worthy workes as they scornefully tearme them but for all that cannot yet tell whether it be expedient to publish the said confutation or no. Are these men the great Statists of the world are these men the skilfull Polititians that must manage all Europe are these our learned Diuines are these they indeed vpon whose doctrin and guiding all Lay-papists do depend and on their shoulders do hang their soules and saluation doubtlesse they may preach this goodly sermon to wise men but onely noddies and starke fooles will beleeue them In regard hereof most dread Soueraigne and because I greatly desire once during my life to receiue answere to some part of my labours published against our English Iesuited papists that so wee may valianly fight the combat my selfe so hauing occasion to reply vpon their answere which would bee to mee melle fauo dulcius I haue compiled and couched in a small roome a fewe distinct articles for answere whereunto I once againe challenge Robert Persons that traitorous Iesuit George Blackwell that seditious and late start-vp archpriest and all other English Iesuits Seminarie priests and Iesuited papists whosoeuer and wheresoeuer ioyntly and seuerally daring them all ioyntly and euerie one of them seuerally to answere either all my bookes or some one of them or these few articles or at least to confesse plainely that they cannot answere because I hold and defend the truth These my late studies most gratious Soueraigne I haue presumed to dedicate vnto your Maiestie in congratulation of your most happie raigne ouer vs whom God of his great mercie hath raised vp in our greatest necessitie to continue his holy Gospell among vs and to abolish all idolatrie and superstition out of his Church It is not such a present I confesse as beseemeth your most royall excellencie yet such a one as my small talent is able to affoord I most humbly beseech your Highnesse for to accept it as our Lord Iesus Christ did accept the two mytes of the poore widdow and withall for to protect and patronize the same against the traitorous Iesuits and Iesuited papists within your Maiesties Realmes who seeke by might and maine as I am credibly informed not onely to impaire my good fame and name with their malicious tongues but also to take away my life with their bloodie hands The Almightie blesse your Maiestie with long prosperous and happie raigne in this world and with euerlasting life in the world to come Amen From my studie this fourteenth of Ianuarie 1603. Your Maiesties loyall subiect and faithfull seruant Thomas Bell. To all English Iesuits Seminarie priests and Iesuited papists in England Scotland or wheresoeuer els I Haue written many times at large in larger volumes heartily and instantlie desiring to haue receiued some answere from you either from all ioyntly or from some of you seuerallie In my first booke published in the yeare 1593 I promised to yeeld if any of you could conuince me either to haue alleadged any writer corruptlie or to haue quoted any place guilefullie or to haue charged any author falslie since that time I haue challenged you againe and againe to answere me but Ne gry quidem will be had no answere can you make or dare you make In regard hereof I haue at this present compiled a few articles couched in a small roome challenging you once againe to frame the best answere you can vnto the same if you can sieceerelie and trulie confute these articles or any one of my former bookes I promise herewith and I protest before God to performe it to subscribe vnto your doctrine If you therefore shall refuse to answere me because you cannot for if you can you will vndoubtedlie performe it all wise men which haue any care of their saluation will without all peraduenture after notice hereof made knowen vnto them crie Fie vpon you and your religion Answere therefore ô papists if ye can if ye cannot so doe then repent for shame and yeeld vnto the truth Farewell THE FIRST ARTICLE of the falsely so supposed soueraignetie of the Bishop of Rome YOu Papists tell vs that your Pope the Bishop of Rome is aboue all powers and potentates on earth that he can depose kings and emperours from their royall thrones and translate their empires and regalities at his good will and pleasure But this doctrine is false absurd and nothing els but a meere fable and consequently late Romish religion consisteth of meere falshoods fables and flat leasings The proposition the Iesuit Bellarmine that late Romish Cardinall setteth downe in these words Si ergo princeps aliquis ex oue aut ariete fiat lupus id est ex Christiano fiat haereticus poterit pastor ecclesiae eum arcere per excommunicationem simul iubere populo ne eum sequantur ac proinde priuare eum dominio in subditos If therefore any prince of a sheepe or ramme become a wolfe that is to say of a Christian be made an heretick then the pastors of the Church the Pope forsooth may driue him away by excommunication and withall commaund the people not to obey him and therfore depriue him of his dominion ouer his subiects Thus we see that when any prince is not or ceaseth to be a Papist for that with this Iesuiticall Cardinall and all others of his brood is to be an hereticke then the Pope forsooth may depose such a prince from his royall scepter and absolue his subiects from their alleageance to him This is the common doctrine of all Iesuited papists as I haue proued in my anatomie of Popish tyrannie The assumption is prooued by the flat testimonie of their famous Pope Gregorie the great in these words Ego quidem iussioni subiectus eandem legem per diuersas terrarum partes transmittifeci quia
so I conclude that mortall and veniall sinnes as they be such are not distinguished intrinse cally and essentially but onely in respect of Gods grace which assigneth one sinne to the paine or torture of death and not another Thus writeth this famous popish bishop who was a man of high esteeme in the counsell of Constance Whose onely testimonie if his words be well marked is able to confound the papists and to strike them dead For first he telleth them plainely that euery sinne is mortall of it owne nature Secondly that no sinne is veniall saue only in respect of Gods mercie Thirdly that God may most iustly iustissimè condeme vs for the least sinne we do Note seriously gentle reader the word iustissimè Fourthly that mortall and veniall sinnes are the same intrinse cally and essentially and differ but accidentally that is to say they differ in accident but not in nature in quantitie but not in qualitie in mercy but not in deformitie in the subiect but not in the obiect in imputation but not in enormitie saue onely that the one is a greater mortall sinne than is the other For as Gerson auoucheth we may iustly be damned for the least sinne of all howsoeuer other papists doe flatter themselues in their cursed deformed venials Seuenthly because sinne in generall is the transgression of Gods law as S. Ambrose defineth it yea euery word deed or desire against Gods law as S. Austen describeth it Their words are set downe in the fourth article of this discourse Eightly because the Iesuit Bellarmine vnawares confesseth the same against himselfe These are his owne words Respondeo omne peccatum esse contra legem dei non positiuam sed aternam vt Aug. rectè docet Omnis enim iusta lex siue à deo siue ab bomine detur ab aterna dei lege deriuatur Est enim aterna lex vt malum sit viol are regulam I answere that euery sinne is against the law of God not positiue but eternall as Austen teacheth rightly For euery iust law whether it be given of God or of man is deriued from the eternal law of God For the eternall law is that it is euill to offend against the rule These are our Iesuits owne words which as euery child can easily discerne doe euidently confute himselfe and his Romish doctrine For first vnder euery sinne must needs be contained their veniall sinnes or els some sinnes shall be no sinnes which implieth flat contradiction Secondly he telâ—eth vs that euery sinne and consequently veniall sinnes are against the eternall law of God Thirdly he graunteth that they are not onely besides the law sed contra legem but euen against the law Fourthly hence it is cleere and euident that the law eternall is the chiefe and principall law of all other laws seeing from it all other lawes are deriued Ninthly because the papists cannot possibly yeeld any sound reason why in the sinnes of theft one shall be mortall and another veniall For example sake let vs suppose one at one time to steale so many egs as will make a mortall sinne by Romish doctrine another at another time to steale so many as will make a venial sinne by the same doctrine then I demaund of our papists Why God cannot iustly condemne the theefe to hell that stealeth but so many egs and for all that can iustly condemne him to eternall torment that stealeth but one only egge aboue the said number For this must they doe and a good reason here of must they yeeld which I am well assured they can neuer do or els confesse euery sinne to be mortall and so against their wils to subscribe to mine opinion Answere ô papists if ye can if ye cannot then repent for shame and yeeld vnto the truth The seuenth Article Of popish vnwritten traditions THe papists beare the world in hand that many things necessarie for mans saluation are not conteined in the holy scriptures of the old and new testament and consequently that none can be saued but such as beleeue their vnwritten traditions and what their Pope telleth them For the exact knowledge whereof I put downe these propositions The first Proposition with the first reason THe written word or holy scripture containeth in it selfe euery doctrine necessarie for mans saluation I prooue it by the manifold texts both of the old and new testament by the authoritie of the holy fathers and by the the testimonie of renowned and best approoued popish writers Ex testamente veteri Locus primus Ye shall not add to the word which I speak vnto you neither shall ye take any thing away from it Againe thus That which I command that only doe thou to the Lord. Neither add any thing nor take any thing away Againe thus Only be thou strong and of a valiant courage that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all the law which Moses my seruant hath coÌ„manded thee Thou shalt not turne away from it neither to the right hand nor to the left Bee carefull that ye keepe all things which are written in the booke of the law of Moses that ye decline not from them neither to the right hand nor to the left By these manifold texts we may see euidently that the holy scriptures are most perfect and that nothing may bee taken from them neither any thing added to them But doubtlesse if all doctrine necessarie for mans saluation were not sufficiently conteined in them then of necessitie many things should be added to them Bellarmine the mouth of all papists answereth to these and the like places that they are not spoken of the written word precisely but of Gods word generally which is partly written and partly vnwritten Non ait inquit ille ad verbum quod scripsi sed quod ego precipio He saith not quoth our Iesuite to the word which I haue written but which I command But doublesse this is a miserable shift and a very childish answere For first God himselfe wrote his owne wordes in two tables of stone and then deliuered them to Moses Yea after Moses had broken the said tables in his vehement zeale against Idolatrie God commanded Moses to hew two other tables of stone like to the first in which he writ againe the wordes that were in the first tables and commanded Moses to put them vp in an arke of wood Secondly Moses expounded the law of God to the Israelites at large VVhich large explication of the law God himselfe commanded him to write and to giue the same to the Israelites that they might put it in the side of the arke of the couenant and there keepe it for a witnesse against them Thirdly God commanded Iosue to keepe and obserue all things which were written in the booke of the law which Moses had deliuered to the Leuites charging him to meditate therein day and night that he might doe according to the same Fourthly Moses telleth