progresse SECT I. Of Lutheranisme 2 Martin Luther was a Saxon borne in a Lordship of Count Mansfeld Sur. in Commentar alij I will not affirme that his father was an Incubus though others seeme to doubt little of it I believe their best proofe was his intimacy with the devil which himselfe doth acknowledge in his writings The 22. yeare of his age he was frighted into the Order of Saint Augustin by a thunderbolt that killed his Camerade both being in the fields for recreation He taught Philosophy to his owne Friers and Divinity in the University of Wittemberg which Frederike Elector of Saxony Luthers greatest Protector had founded Pope Leo the Tenth in the yeare 1517. granted Indulgences to all that would voluntarily contribute money against the Turke who threatned all Christendome committed the charge of it to Albert Elector of Mentz that had no good correspondency with him of Saxonny this coldnesse betweene the two Electors was that which made Frederike so hot in maintaining Luther and his Doctrine against Indulgences which first he preached and afterwards printed because he was not chosen to preach for them having a good talent and it being the custome in Germany to make use of Augustin Friars to publish Indulgences But the next yeare after Luther writ to the Pope excusing his Doctrine and submitting himselfe to his judgement yet when he was certainly informed that his Holinesse would condemne it he appealed from the Pope to the next Generall Councell◠which is the ordinary shift of Hereticks and Polititians seeing at length that the Universities of Paris Lovaine Cullen and others had commanded his writings to be burnt and that his errours did not take much with the people because he had not as yet broached any inelining to lust and liberty he resolved to retire into Bohemia amongst the Hussits this resolution was stopt by the Elector or Saxony and some of the prime Nobility of Franconia who doubted not to make good use of Luther against the Clergy whose lands and goods they coveted promising him their protection Whereupon he to gratifie his benefactors and strengthen himselfe by a popular faction printed a booke and dedicated the same to the German Nobility exhorting them and all good people to joyne with himselfe in reforming the Catholick Church so much neglected and notoriously corrupted in Doctrine by the present and ancient Clergy Cochlaeus de act Luth. Vlen berg in vita Lutheri Florim de orig haeres Prateol de haeres alij 3 And that they might not seeme to intermedle in matter which did not belong to their jurisdiction and function he assured them in his booke that every Christian was a Priest because in the new Testament there was no distinction betweene Baptisme and Priesthood from whence he concluded all that which they aymed at to wit that seculars had as much right to Church-livings by their Baptisme as Bishops or Priests by their Ordination And to the end that the Emperour and Christian Princes might be engaged in his quarell against the Pope and Bishops he inculcated to them that they were subject to none even in spirituall matters but to God that the Popes supremacy was an usurpation and that Episcopacy was against Gods Law incompatible with true Religion in confirmation whereof he printed this Bull the Preface was Attendite Episcopi c. Attend ye ô Bishops nay rather marks of the devil Doctor Martin Luther readeth to ye a Bull which will not be gratefull Doctor Luthers Bull and Reformation Whosoever doe contribute their endeavours with body goods and fame to destroy Bishopricks and abolish the government of Bishops they are children of God and true Christians observing the commandements and resisting the Devils ordinations or if they cannot doe this at least they must condemne and shunne that government On the other side whosoever doe defend Bishops government or voluntarily obey them they are the Devils proper Ministers and resist Gods Law and Ordinations dinations Besides this Bull he writ a booke intitled Adversus falso nominatum Ecclesiasitcorum statum Papae Episcoporum Against the false Ecclesiasticall state of Pope and Bishops 4 Now that he had fitted as he imagined the humour of Kings and Princes and awakened their passions of coveteousnesse and ambition against the Church-livings and dignity of the Clergy he thought it necessary for the carrying on of his designe to comply with the genius and liberty of the vulgar people and make his Religion plausible amongst the ignorant multitude by assuring them that Faith alone without good workes was sufficient to save men putting the word alone in the very text and not in the margen of Scripture Not content with this he resolved to drawe many of the vicious and ignorant Clergy to his side by writing a booke De vita conjugali Of a married life wherein he condemneth vowes of chastity exhorteth Priests and Religious to marriage and married men to make use of the serving mayde in case the wife be humorsome if either party commit adultery the innocent may immediatly choose another husband or wife and if there be no hopes of children by the husband his brother or next kinsman may supply the defect The ground of all this Doctrine was Crescite multiplicamini Gen. 1. Encrease and multiply So that by this text fondly applied and by corrupting another and adding the word alone to Faith honest Martin Luther framed his new Protestant Religion and cited Scripture for his Reformation according to the custome of Hereticks 5 And that men might be the more inclined to embrace and more obstinate in adhering to these heresies Luther with the helpe of Philip Melanchton published the new Testament in high Dutch rejecting altering and adding whatsoever he thought fit for his purpose by which device he engaged the ignorant as much to their errours as to their owne proper judgements making themselves judges of Scripture and Controversies and at length or their Lords for taking themselves to be learned and well versed in Gods written Word they raised an Army for defence of the Euangelicall liberty of Luthers Ghospel which they conceived was not granted them by their Masters and therefore the Clownes drew their Remonstrance Cothlae de act Luth. Sur in Comment Erasm in Hyperasp and demands in twelve articles which Luther approved of and caused to be proclaimed in Saxony exhorting the Lords to grant all which the Clownes desired and laying to their charge the fault of all inconveniences which were like to ensue if they did oppose his Ghospel and the Clownes designes but seeing that this failed and that the Lords had the better he writ against the Clownes upbraiding them for their rebellion and exhorted their Masters to punish their disobedience the conclusion was that he embroyled all Germany and that in Franconia alone above two hundred Noblemens Castles and Monasteries were destroyed and in few moneths more then a hundred and fourty thousand peasants lost their
threatned those of his owne Kingdome to the end they might subscribe to his wicked passion Act of Parl. an 1. Mariae c. 1. and because the Pope refused to doe the same Henry declared himselfe Pope in his owne Dominions and all others to be Traitors that refused to sweare his supremacy And because many refused to damne their soules by knowne perjury he tooke away their lives amongst others that suffered death for refusing the oath were two Cardinals three Bishops thirteen Abbots Priors David Camer Scot. lib. 4. c. 1. Monkes and Priests five hundred Archdeacons fourteen Canons threesoore Doctors fifty Dukes Marqueses and Earles with their children twelve Barons and Knights twenty nine Gentlemen three hundred thirty six Citizens a hundred thirty foure Women of quality a hundred and ten In this Ocean of innocent and noble bloud was laid the first stone and fundation of the English Protestant Church it s no mervaile that it thrived no better 2 Notwithstanding Henry the VIII wickednesse he never permitted any new Sects to be professed in England during his reigne though many crept in by Cranmers negligence and connivance In the latter end of his reigne he felt the remorse of his guilty conscience and did often resolve with himselfe to be reconciled to the Church of Rome but know not how it might be done with his honour which he preferred before that of God and the salvation of his soule even in his last sicknesse for sending to Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Wâ—…ester who was the onely man that durst speake truth to the King for his advice he exhortâ—d him to declare and recant his errour in Parliament if God would give him life if not to testifie repentance with his hand and seale assuring him that God would accept his good will if time were wanting to performe what he desired This was resolved upon but as soone as Gardiner departed he fell of from his pious resolution and within a short time dyed despairing of Gods mercy because quoth he I never spared man in my wrath nor woman in my lust His last words were All is lost The greatest Policy and Majesty upon earth comes at length to be nothing and repentance differed doth commonly end in despaire and damnation 3 To King Henry the VIII succeeded in his Kingdome and Headship of the Church his sonne Edward the VI. a child of 9. yeares old His tender age was a faire oportunity for heresy and policy to conspire against Catholick Religion which had never beene suppressed in England untill that time His Uncle and Protector Seamor declared himselfe a Zwinglian and established that Sect in England by Act of Parliament but could not exclude the name of Bishops that had beene so much reverenced in the Nation since it was converted to Christianity though they looked upon the Ordination both of Priests and Bishops as upon a superstition of Rome and badge of Antichrist Witnesse their translating in the Bible Ordination by imposition of hands as Saint Hierome D. Greg. Martin in his Discovery of the corruptions of holy Scriptures by English Sectaries chap. 6. and all the Fathers doe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination by election and for the word Priest they alwayes translated Elder for Priesthood Eldership Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury who ought to have opposed these wicked practises did accommodate himselfe to the times and prevailing party in King Henryes time he writ a booke in defence of the reall presence and now in King Edwards time he writ another against it both which bookes Bishop Bonner of London produced to his face Fox pag. 1200. col 1. num 2. Persons cap. 7. num 32. when Cranmer and Ridley were sitting in judgement against him to deprive him of his Bishoprick 4 After that the Zwinglian Clergy of England had corrupted Scripture and wrested both words and sense to their owne hereticall and mad fancies they composed their book of Common prayer and instituted a new forme of making Priest and Bishops which was rather a declaration and protestation against holy Orders then a manifestation or the Ordainers power and intention or of the effects of that Sacrament It s a received principle amongst all men who knowe any thing that a Bishop or Priest cannot be validly consecrated without words involving the name or at least the particular power and authority of a Bishop or Priest in the English forme of Ordination the names are not mentioned and the power or authority is not so much as insinuated The power and authority of a Priest must involve power to make Christs Body and Blond really present as our English Protestant Doctors now confesse whether with or without Transubstantiation is not the controversy let them examine whether any such power be mentioned in their forme which is this Receive the holy Ghost English Rituall printed at London 1607. whofe sinnes thou doest forgive they are forgiven and whofe sinnes thou doest retaine they are retained and be thou a faithfull Dispenser of the Word of God and his holy Sacraments in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost To dispense ot minister â—he Sacraments come farre short of declaring power to consecrate the elements or make present Christs Body Deacons did minister and dispense the Body of Christ to the people in ancient times but were never thought to have power to consecrate or make present Christs Body and Bloud They have no reason to cite Santa Clara in their behalf Franc. à S. Clara in exposit paraphr Confess Anglic. artic 36. I knowe not his intention but I am sure his words favour not their Ordination and much lesse these of Innocent the IV. Sussiceret Ordinatori dicere sis Sacerdos vel alia aequipollentia Be thou a Priest or some words equivalent but they who blotted the word Priest out of Scripture never thought to make use of it in the forme of their Ordination and they who denyed the reall presence were farre from expressing in their forme of making Priests any power to consecrate or make present Christs Body and Bloud in the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the Altar 5 Their forme of making Bishops is no lesse deficient then the former The words are Take the holy Ghost and remember that thou stirre up the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of hands for God hath not given us the spirit of feare but of power love and sobernesse This advertisement of Saint Paul to Timothy after he had made him Bishop doth suppose 2. ad Tim. 1. and not give the Order of Episcopacy it is an admonition to exercise the function and not the ordination it selfe because it doth not declare in particular the name or authority of a Bishop Take the holy Ghost is said to Priests as well as to Bishops and the spirit of love power and sobernesse is communicated also by Priesthood Here is nothing peculiar to Episcopall Ordination But the truth is
Bowld a Taylor or Botcher of Leyden in Holland he assumed the title of Rex justitiae hujus mundi King of justice of this world and because he was found in adultery with a Quean he made a law of Poligamy and married 16. whom he called Queenes all this was pretended to be done by private inspiration from heaven as also his Mission of 28. Apostles with as great power and authority as his Predecessor had done in Amsterdam But within a short time the Bishop of Munster besieged the Towne and brought it to such streights that all persons were starving and because one of his Queenes told him that she did not believe God would have men starve and that he ought to distribute amongst them some of the aboundant provision which he kept in store King Bowld beheaded her by revelation also in the market place with his owne hand in presence of all his other Queenes whom he commanded to celebrate her funeralls with a set dance which himselfe led about the corps inviting also the spectators to goe to it nimbly and merrily but alas the poore people being all starved were not able to stirre at length the City was furrendred and the fanatick King with his Camerades received due punishment But after his death one Iohn Cerdo tooke the name of King and was hanged at Brussells the same doome had another at Mastrike whose name was Cornelius Apleman The last King of this mad Tribe was one Iohn Williams who had at once 20. wives and wore by his side the great Gedeons sword sent to him from heaven as he gave out he exhorted his Subjects and Brethren the Anabaptists to looke upon all other Nations and Religious as the Iraelits did upon the Chananeans and others of the land of promise but at length he was burnt in Cleve an 1580. 3 This Sect of Don Quixotes is not like to spread much because their Tenets are inconsistent with government Their Kingdome at the present is said to be Ireland from whence they have driven the Nobility and Gentry of that miserable Countrey they have not as yet any King of justice but they erected a Court of justice wherein it is said how truly I knowe not they were most criminall that had greatest estates This I heare credibly reported by many even by some moderate Protestants that the first who suffered death by that Court Mr. Walter Bagnal was a man of as cleare a conscience and courage as any of the three Nations ever afforded his crime was the signing of a warrant to hang a notorious and confessed spye The transplantation also is to be an effect and marke of the Anabaptists Religion but its thought that after they have extirpated the Irish Catholicks they who governe in England will take a course with those whom now they employ or permit as instruments to civilise that Nation by wholy extirpating the Natives whom they despaire to make Hereticks But there is a God and providence SECT III. Of Zwinglianisme 1 NO sooner were the Anabaptists banished from Switzerland but that Countrey was infected with the Sect of the Sacramentaries introduced by Zwinglius Carolstadius and Oecolampadius who having gained some credit by disputing with the Anabaptists made use of it to plant another heresy differing from that of Luther in the point of Christs reall presence in the Sacrament which he alwayes maintained though he denied Transubstantiation Zwinglius was borne in Switzerland and had beene a Pastor or Parish Priest first in Glawne and afterwards in Znrike he was very luxurious and to avoid many women he tyed himselfe to one after he was a Priest meerly out of his inclination to continency as he would make the world believe in his admonition to the Helvetian Commonwealth fol. 119. We have proved that the weaknesse of our flesh hath beene the cause of our often shamefull falling c. Some are of opinion that he begunne his Sect a yeare before Luther an 1516. if so his Church must take place in the Devils procession and way to hell but it was not embraced untill the yeare 1525. the 13. of April on that very day that the Catholick Church did solemnize the mystery of the reall presence 2 The ground of this heresy is acknowledged by Zwinglius himselfe to be no other but a dream which he relateth in this manner Zwingl tom 2. in lib. de subsid Euchar fol. 294. When the 13. of April drew neare I tell the truth and my conscience compelleth me to utter what the Lord bestowed upon me me thought as I was asleepe that I was againe disputing with the Scribe he meaneth one of the Senat of Zurike that had shamefully confuted him in publike and my mouth so stopped that I was not able to speake and suddainly there seemed an admonisher to be present with me ater fuerit an albus nihil memini whether he were black or white that is a good or bad spirit I remember not which said Why doest thou not answer him that which is written Exod. 12. * Bellarmine answere this weake objection tom 3. de Euchar. lib. 1. c. 11. Estenim phase id est transitus For it is the Paschal which is the passeover of the Lord. Whereupon I afterwards considered the place and thereof before the whole Congregation preached which Sermon when it was heard drew away all mist Because the Catholick Cantons did not embrace this distracted braines dreames as the true sense of Ghospel which the devill had dictated they were so vexed and exasperated by the Protestants that they were forced to take armes and in one of their victories Zwinglius was mortally wounded and burnt alive as an obstinate heretick and perturber of the Commonwealth Some write as a great miracle that his heart resisted the flames it may passe for a Protestant miracle that the most hard and massy part of mans flesh should not be as soone consumed as the rest Such a miracle to my knowledge happened of late to the heart of an infamous malefactor burnt at Gant and such another doth Plutarch recount of Pyrrhus his toe which was not consumed by the fire that burnt his body Yet none can deny it was a cleare miracle Harpsfeld Dialog 6. cap. 44. Florim Raym. de orig haeres alij that Doctor Iohn Traverse his three fingers which he did shew to the Judge at the barre when he asked him whether he writ the booke for which he was condemned in defence or the Popes supremacy answering that those three fingers writ it should not be burnt when his hand was cut of and all consumed by the fire the three fingers onely excepted notwithstanding that they were often cast into the flames This was a Catholick miracle 3 Carolstadius was Archdeacon of Wittenberg and had the honour to conferre the degree of Doctor upon Martin Luther to whom he adhered in the beginning of his Reformation but afterwards denying the reall presence he was so persecuted by Luther that he was