sheepe So then that text of Scripture which with the Papists is the foundation of popish primacie to wit Feede my sheepe maketh no more for Peters superioritie then it doth for the supremacie of other Apostles For as you have heard out of S. Augustine it was as well spoken to all as to Peter Yea the grosse imagination of papists concerning the building of the Church vpon Peter is lively and evidently confuted of S. Augustine in an other place where he thus writeth Tu es inquit Petrus super hanc Petram quam confessus es super hanc Petram quam cognovisti dicens tu es Christus filius dei vivi aedificabo Ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei vivi aedificabo Ecclesiam meam super me aedificabo te non me super te Thou art Peter saith Christ and vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God will I build my Church that is vpon my selfe the Sonne of the living God will I build my Church I will builde thee vpon my selfe but not my selfe vpon thee Marke well these wordes gentle Reader with the other last rehearsed out of Saint Augustine and doubtlesse if plaine and manifest exposition of the Scripture will content thy minde thou canst not but nowe have thy desire The great generall Councell of Constantinople maketh the Church of Constantinople equall in Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction with the Church of Rome These be the words Renovantes quae à s. patribus 150. qui in hac regia vrbe convenerunt à 630. qui Chalcedone convenerunt constituta sunt decernimus vt thronus Constantinop aequalia privilegia cum antiquae Romae throno obtineat in Ecclesiasticis negotijs vt illa emine at secundus post illam existens We renewing the Canons which were set downe by the 150. holy fathers assembled in this royal citie by the 630. fathers gathered together in Chalcedon doe define that the See of Constantinople have equall priviledges with the See of old Rome and that it excell as Rome in Ecclesiasticall affaires beeing the second after Rome And long before all this that famous Councell of Nice distributing circuits and assigning determinate iurisdictions to the Patriarchall seates appointed to the Church of Rome prefixed limits as to the rest These be the wordes Mos antiquus perduret in Egypto vel Lybia Pentapoli vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem quoniam quidem Episcopo Rom. parilis mos est Let the olde custome continue in Egypt or Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria may have power over them all because like custome hath the Bishop of Rome Which Canon is reported in the Councell of Carthage and there vttered in plaine tearmes Antiquiores obtineant qui apud Egyptum sunt Lybiam Pentapolin ita vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium exhibeat solicitudinem quia vrbis Romae Episcopo similis mos est similiter autem est circa Antiochiā in caeteris provincijs privilegia propria reserventur metrapolitanis Ecclesiis Let the auncient obteine which are at Egypt and Lybia and Pentapolis so that the Bishop of Alexandria may have the charge of them all because also the Bishop of Rome hath the like custome In like manner also let the proper priviledges be reserved to metropolitain Churches about Antioch and other Provinces By which wordes we see evidently that this auncient and famous Councell maketh no other account of the Church of Rome then it doeth of other Patriarchall seates Which Ruffinus himselfe though reputed a great Papist hath confessed bountifully in these wordes Vt apud Alexandriam vel in vrbe Roma vetusta consuetudo servetur vt vel ille Aegypti vel hic subvrbicarum Ecclesià rum sollicitudinem gerat That the old custome may continue and that the Bishop of Alexandria may have the charge of Egypt as the Bishop of Rome hath charge of the Churches nigh to Rome Loe in Ruffinus his dayes the Bishop of Rome had his iurisdiction limited which extended onely to certaine speciall Churches of Italie For which cause Saint Hierome a deare friend and great favourer of the Church of Rome confessed for all that the Bishop of Rome to be of no greater merite excellencie or auctoritie then other Bishops are as also that the custome of Rome could not over-rule other Churches These are S. Hieromes owne and expresse wordes Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe vbicunque fuerit Episcopus sive Romae sive Eugubij sive Constantinopoli sive Rhegij sive Alexandriae sive Tanis eiusdem meriti eiusdem est sacerdotij potentia divitiarum paupertatis humilitas vel sublimiorem vel inferiorem Epi scopum facit caeterùm omnes Apostolorum successores sunt Sed dicis quomodo Romae adtestimonium diaconi presbyter ordinatur quid mihi profers vnius vrbis consuetudinem If we looke for authoritie the world is greater then one citie Where so ever a bishop shall be whether at Rome or at Eugubium or at Constantinople or at Rhegium or at Alexandria or at Tanis he is of the same merite and of the same priesthoode The magnificence of riches the basenes of povertie doth make him higher or lower but all are the successours of the Apostles But thou wilt say how is a priest made at Rome by the testimonie of a Deacon why doest thou alleadge vnto me the custome of one onely citie Thus S. Hierome agreeth with Ruffinus Ruffinus with the Councell of Nice and the Councell of Nice with other Councels fathers Scriptures And all ioyntly conclude the equalitie of other Bishops and Churches with the Bishop and Church of Rome The second Conclusion ALL the Apostles received their vniversall power immediately from Christ and not from Peter at all and consequently their iurisdictions were no lesse ordinarie then Peters was This to be so though this day much impugned by the Papists prooveth a great popish Doctour Franciscus a Victoria in these words Omnem potestatem quam Apostoli habuerunt receperunt immediatè à Christo. All power which the Apostles had they received it immediately from Christ. And in an other place the said Victoria hath these words Lex iniusta Episcopi non obligat ergo nec Papae Antecedens est notū concessum ab omnibus consequentia videtur not a quia nō habet maiorem auctoritatem Papa adinferendum iniuriam quam Episcopus circa ea enim quae sunt sui officij in proprios subditos non minus potest quà m Papa The vniust law of the Bishop doth not binde a man ergo neither doth the vniust lawe of the Pope binde a man The antecedent is knowne and graunted of all and the consequence seemeth manifest because the Pope hath no more auctoritie to doe an iniurie then hath the Bishop For in those things
of the Church all the Churches of Asia together with others adioyning and very bitterly inveigheth against them by his letters Which fact of Victor Irenaeus and other Bishops sharpely reprooved in their letters to the said Victor Which thing Ruffinus plainely testifieth in these words Sed hoc non omnibus placebat Episcopis quin potius è contrario scribentes ei iubebant vt magis quae pacis sunt ageret concordiae atque vnanimitati studeret denique extant ipsorum literae quibus asperius obiurgant victorem velut invtiliter ecclesiae commodis consulentem Yet this his dealing pleased not all Bishops but contrariwise they wrote vnto him bidding him to practise rather that belonged to peace and to studie for concord and vnitie Finally their letters are also extant in the which they sharpely chide Victor as one that respected vnprofitably the good of the Church Thus saith Ruffinus In like manner though with more modestie dissented Anicetus an other bishop of Rome from S. Polycarpe bishop of Smyrna Of which variance thus writeth Eusebius Neque tamen Anicetus Polycarpo poterat persuadere vt suum observandi morem deponeret neque Polycarpus Aniceto persuasit vt consuetudinem Asiaticam vllo modo observaret Neither could Polycarpus perswade Anicetus to keepe the custome and tradition of Asia Now gentle Reader what neede more to be said for the vncertentie of traditions 1 For first these Bishops that thought thus diversly of traditions lived within one hundred yeeres of Christ at what time the Church was in good estate and stained with very few or no corruptions at all 2 Secondly the one side doubtles was seduced with false traditions 3 Thirdly S. Polycarpe and other holy bishops of that age made no more account of the bishop of Rome his opinion or authoritie then of an other mans 4 Fourthly they were so farre from acknowledging him to be the supreame head of the Church that they all reputed them selves his equals and controlled him as sharply for his doctrine as S. Paul reprooved S. Peter for his conversation 5 Fiftly if S. Polycarpe had cause in his time beeing the flourishing age of the Church to doubt of Romish traditions much more have we cause in these latter daies to stand in doubt thereof For now hath iniquitie the vpper hande nowe are corruptions more frequent no we doe errours in every place more abound Let vs therefore follow S. Augustines advise let vs admit nothing rashly let vs examine all doubtfull traditions and doctrines by the touchstone of veritie the holy Scriptures And least any man thinke S. Augustine to be of another minde these are his owne expresse wordes Non audiamus haec dico haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit dominus sunt certe libri dominici quorum ant horitati vtrique consentimus vtrique credimus vtrique servimus ibi quaeramus ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram Let vs not heare I say this thou saiest that but let vs heare this saith the Lord for our Lord hath bookes whose authoritie we both admit we both beleeve we both obey let vs there seeke the Church let vs there decide our cause But what neede many words For either popish vnwritten traditions are repugnant to the Scriptures or consonant to the same If they be repugnant then is there great reason to reiect them if they be consonant that must be tried by comparing them to the Scriptures which is the conclusion I defend But the Papists perceiving them selves to be convinced by the Scriptures tell vs plainly that they must have their cause tried by other meanes For so writeth my L. of Rochester in these expresse tearmes Contendentibus itaque nobiscum haereiic is nos alio subsidio nostram oportet tueri causam quam Scripturae sacrae When therefore heretikes he meaneth all not Papists dispute with vs we must vse other helpe in defense of our cause then the Scripture Loe they dare not be tryed by the Scripture Which if a papist had not spoken who would haue beleeved it The Corollarie FIrst therefore since the written Word conteineth in it selfe every thing necessarie for our salvation secondly since no traditions are to be admitted but such as are consonant to the holy Scripture thirdly since Papists load vs with huge numbers of traditions without warrant of the written word fourthly since popish traditions were in old time most doubtfull and vncerten I conclude that it is a sufficient motive for me to renounce the Romish religion as false erroneous and pernicious doctrine Thus much of the ninth Motive CHAP. ix Of Popish auricular confession ALthough popish doctours doe wonderfully magnifie their auricular confession perswading the vulgar sort that they can not attaine salvation without the same yet is it in deede a meere invention of man the bitter torment of conscience and the readie way to desperation For manifest probation whereof I proceede in this manner The first Conclusion ALL Christians must confesse their sinnes to God with internall contrition of heart with full purpose to amend their lives and with stedfast hope of remission by the mercie of God through the merites of Christ his Sonne our sweete redeemer Of this kinde of confession the Scripture speaketh abundantly Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci iniustitiam meam non abscondi dixi confitebor adversum me iniustitiam meam domino tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei I have made my sinne knowne vnto thee and mine iniustice I have not hid I said I will confesse to the Lord my iniustice against my selfe and thou hast forgiven the impietie of my sinne Qui abscondit scelera sua non dirigetur quiautem confessus fuerit reliquerit ea misericordiam consequetur He that hideth his offenses shall not be directed but who shall confesse and forsake his sinnes shall attaine mercie Sidixerimus quoniā peccatum non habemus ipsi nos seducimus veritas in nobis non est si confiteamur peccata nostra fidelis est iustus vt remittat nobis peccata nostra If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs but if we confesse our sinnes c. That this confession must be ioyned with hope of remission S. Chrysostome teacheth in these words Quid proderunt lachrymae confessio sinulla adsit abolitionis fiducia What shal teares confession availe if there be no hope of forgivenes And that we must adde herevnto amendment of life S. Hilarie teacheth vs when he saith Quid aliud est confessio erroris quam confessio desinendi ab errore What other thing is the confession of errour then to confesse that we will forsake errour So then when we be wayle our sinnes confesse them and purpose to amend our former lives with stedfast hope of Gods mercie through attonement made in Christes bloode wee shall doubtlesse have remission of our sinnes Then though our
Pope verie sharplie both of pride and ignorance read the third chapter and last conclusion The 6. Preamble ALl the Apostles had not onely the same povver and auctoritie but iurisdiction also as vvholly largely effectually and in all respectes as Peter had Read the sixt chapter and first conclusion The 7. Preamble POpish purgatorie vvas invented by Popes and Popish parasites neither vvas it ever admitted liked or beleeved of the greeke church vntil this day Read the 7. chapter and 2. conclusion and here I vvill alleage the verie vvordes of our Roffensis sometime bishop of Rochester a man so renovvmed not in England onely but through out the vvorld amongst papists as his vvords may carie credit sufficient vvith them thus he vvriteth I vvil not alter or change one vvord Sed graecis adhunc vsque diē non est creditū purgatoriū esse legat qui velit Graecorum veterum commentarios nullum quantum opinor aut quam rarissimum de purgatorio sermonem inveniet sedneque latini simul omnes ac sensim huius rei veritatem conceperunt paulo post nō absque maxima sancti spiritus dispensatione factum est quod post tot annorum curricula purgatorij fides indulgentiarum vsus ab Orthodoxis generatim sit receptus quumdiis nulla fuer at de purgatorio cura nemo quaesivit indulgentias nam ex illo pendet omnis indulgentiarum existimatio si tollas purgatorium quorsum indulgentijs opus erit his enim si nullum fuerit purgatorium nihil indigebimus contemplantes igitur aliquandiu purgatorium incognitum fuisse deinde quibusdam pedetentim partim ex revelationibus partim ex scripturis fuisse creditum atque ita tandem generatim eius fidem ab orthodoxa ecclesia fuisse receptissimam facillime rationem aliquam indulgentiarum intelligimus quum itaque purgatorium tam sero cognitum ac receptum ecclesiae fuerit vniversae quis iam de indulgentijs mirari potest quod in principio nascentis ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus caeperunt igitur indulgentiae postquam ad purgatorij cruciatus aliquandiu trepidatum er at The Greekes to this day do not beleeue that there is a purgatorie read vvho vvil the commentaries of the auncient Grecians and he shal find either verie seldome mention of purgatorie or none at all for neither did the Latine Church conceive the veritie of this matter at one time but by leisure neither vvas it done vvithout the great dispensation of the holy ghost that after so manie yeares Catholikes both beleeved purgatorie and received the vse of pardons generallie so long as there vvas no care of purgatorie no mā sought for pardons for of it dependeth all the estimation that vve have of pardons if thou take avvay purgatorie to vvhat end shall vve neede pardons for if their be no purgatorie vve shall neede no pardons considering therfore hovv long purgatorie vvas vnknown then that it vvas beleeved of some by litle and litle partly by revelations and partly by the Scriptures and so at the last beleeved generally of the vvhole church vve do easilie vnderstand the cause of perdons since therefore purgatorie vvas so lately knovven and received of the vniversal church vvho can novv admire pardons that there vvas no vse of them in the primitiue Church pardons therefore began after the people stood in some feare of purgatory these are the vvords of this popish bishop vvhich vvordes if they be vvel marked vvith all the circumstances are able vvithout more adoe to persvvade anie man to detest the Romish religion for vvhich cause I have alleaged them at large 1 First therefore vvee learne here that the greeke church never beleeved purgatorie to this day 2 Secondly that the Latine church and church of Rome did not beleeve the said purgatorie for manie hundreds of yeares after S. Peters death vvhose successor the pope boasteth himself to be 3 Thirdlie that this purgatorie vvas not beleeved of all the latine church at one and the same time but by litle and litle vvhere note by the vvay that poperie crept into the church by litle and litle not all at one time vvhich is a point that galleth the papistes more then a litle I vveene 4 Fourthly that purgatorie vvas beleeved in the latter daies by speciall revelation of the holie ghost 5 Fiftlie that pardons came not vp till purgatorie vvas found out for in purgatorie resteth the life of pardons as vvhich there being no purgatorie are not worth a straw 6 Sixtly that purgatorie vvas a long time vnknovven 7 Seventhly that purgatorie could not be found in the scriptures of a long time 8 Eightlie that it vvas not vvholie found out by the scriptures but partlie by revelations 9 Ninthly that pardons vvere not heard of or knovven to the primitive church 10 Tenthly that then pardons began when men began to feare the paines of purgatorie Behold novv gentle reader vvhat a vvorthie fisher vvas my popish Lord of Rochester hee hath caught vvith his net at one draughtten goodly fishes that is to say ten vvorthy observations for Christian aedification Further then this out of the seventh and eight observations I gather three special documents by a necessarie and irrefragable consecution First that the second booke of the Machabees is not Canonical or penned by the holie ghost For if that booke vvere of canonicall authoritie vvhich the papistes purgatorie could not but haue bene knovven so soon as that booke vvas knovvn vvhich yet Roffensis denieth The reason is evidēt because purgatorie is verie effectuallie plainlie conteined therin Secondlie that the Church of Rome for of that church speaketh the Bishop reputeth the vvorkes of God vnperfect albeit Moyses avoucheth the contrarie Dei inquit perfecta sunt opera The vvorkes of God saith he are perfect I prooue this because as the Bishop saith the scriptures made purgatorie knovven to the church but vnperfectlie yet the truth is that if God make purgatorie knovven by the scriptures then purgatorie is made knovven perfectlie by them or else Gods vvorks that is the holie scriptures must be vnperfect but I vvil rather beleeue Moyses the holie prophet of God then my lord our fisher though the popes canonized martir Thirdlie this Bishop for this his doctrine must either come againe to retract his opinion or else wil he nil he condemne the pope and church of Rome This I wil proove by a most plaine and evident demonstration For the better vnderstanding vvherof I shal desire the gentle reader to observe three thinges vvith me First that the church of Rome preacheth novv and did in this Bishops time that the bookes of Machabees are canonicall scripture and penned by the holie ghost Secondlie that the church of Rome neither beleeued nor knevv purgatorie for manie years together after the receite of holie scripture and these bookes of Machabees Thirdlie that purgatorie is effectuallie and plainely conteined in the second booke of Machabees by popish
times greater then is the regalitie of the king Pope Gregory saith further in this expresse maner Intelligendum non est quòd Rex vel Imperator super bonos malos gladii acceperit potestatem sed in eos solummodò qui utentes gladio eius sunt iurisdictioni commissi We must not understand that the King or Emperour hath receiued power of the sworde over the good and the evill but onely over them who using the sword are committed to his iurisdiction Behold how the Scripture is tossed and wrested to take from kings that power which God hath given them The popish parasites the glossators of the Canons ascribe more magnificall and plaine divine titles unto the Pope even such as no way can be denied to be proper and peculiar to God alone These are their expresse words Sic Papa dicitur habere coeleste arbitrium ideò etiam naturam rerum immutat substantialia unius rei applicando alij de nihilo potest aliquid facere So the pope is said to have celestial arbitremēt and therefore doeth he alter the nature of things by application of the substantiall partes of one thing to another he can make of nothing something Thus verily do they write and yet no greater blasphemy can be uttered Ioannes Gerson though otherwise a great papist maketh rehearsal of intollerable dignities and titles ascribed to the pope which notwithstanding the pope himselfe hath acknowledged as pertaining to him but the said Gerson them reprooveth derideth These be his expresse words Consurgit ex adver so blandiens subdola adulatio ad aures Ecclesiasticorum praecipuè summi Pontificis insusurrans ô quanta quanta est sublimitas ecclesiasticae potestatis tuae quonians sicut Christo collata est omnis potest as in coelo in terra sic eam Christus omnim Petro suisque successoribus dereliquit Vnde nec Constantinus quicquam Sylvestro papae contulit quod non esset priùs suum sedreddidit iniustè detentum Porrò sicut non est potest as nisià Deo sicnec aliqua temporalis velecclesiastica imperialis velregalis nisià Papa in cuius foemore scripsit Christus Rex regum Dominus dominantium de cuius potestate disputare instar sacrilegij est cui neque quisquam dicere potest cur ita facis mentior si non inveniantur haec scripta ab illis etiam qui sapientes sunt in oculis suis. There starteth up on the contrarie side faire-spoken and craftie adulation whispering in the eares of Clergie men especially of the pope Oh how great how great is the Maiestie of thine Ecclesiasticall power for as all povver vvas given to Christ in heaven and on earth So Christ left all the same power to Peter and his Successours VVherefore the Emperour Constantine gave nothing to Pope Sylvester which was not his owne before but onely restored that which was uniustly deteined from him Further as there is no power but of God so is there neither any temporall or Ecclesiasticall Imperiall or Regall but of the Pope in vvhose thigh Christ hath vvritten the King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes of whose power to dispute is as meere sacriledge to whome no man may say VVhy doest thou so I am a lyar if these thinges be not written even of them who are vvise in their owne conceites These are Doctor Gersons wordes vvho though he vvere a great Papist yet could he not digest these Antichristian blasphemies neither hide or conceale them vvithin his breast Neverthelesse Pope Bonifacius did not onely acknovvledge them but vvith great pleasure practised the same as vvitnesseth the said Gerson in these vvordes Hanc existimationem habuisse visus est Bonifacius octavus in quadam decretali putatur ab alijs depositio unius Regis Franciae per Papam Zachariam hic esse fundata tanquam Papa sit qui trasferre possit Reges regna Pope Bonifacius the eight of that name seemeth in a certaine decretall to have had this opinion of his ovvn authoritie Others thinke that the deposition of Childericus the French King by Pope Zacharias vvas grounded in this Antichristian and godlesse conceit as if for soothe the Pope vvere he that coulde depose Princes and translate their kingdomes And our Iesuite Bellarminus is so farre from blushing at this most detestable fact of Pope Zacharie that he yeeldeth the reason si dijs placet for the iustification thereof Childericum inquit deposuit Papa in eius locum Pipinum Caroli magni patrem Regem creari iussit cuius causa fuit quia propter socordiam Childerici Religioni Regno in Gallia extrema ruina imminere videbatur The Pope saith our Iesuite deposed Childericus and commaunded to place Pipinus father to Charles the great in his throne The cause vvhereof was this because forsooth through the negligent governement of Childericus the Kingdome and Religion of Fraunce seemed to be in great daunger Thus saith the Popes vassall out of vvhose vvordes I gather first that so much may be truely verified of Popes as Gerson hath avovvched I gather secondly that the Pope chalengeth both svvordes and himselfe to be not onely universall Bishoppe but universall King also over all the vvorld I gather thirdly that the Iesuites hovvsoever they dissemble by their fondly imagined aequivocation thinke of our most gratious Soveraigne Queene Elizabeth and meane to doe vvith her most excellent Maiestie as the Pope thought and did vvith Childericus and for that end saltem secundariò are so many Iesuites sent seditiously into this land Secondly my L. Abbot their ovvne deare Bernard savve in his time such tyrannie and Antichristian dealing in the Church of Rome as hee vvas thereby and therevvith enforced to exclame in these wordes Tempus faciendinunc quia dissipaverunt legem bestia illa de Apocalypsi cui datum est os loquens blasphemias bellum gerere cum Sanctis Petri Cathedram occupat tanquam Leo paratus ad praedam It is novve high time to doe good for they have troden under foote Gods Lavve That beast mentioned in the Revelation to vvhome vvas given a mouth speaking blasphemies and to make vvarres vvith the Saintes sitteth in the chaire of Peter as a Lyon ready to take his praye Thirdly the Pope doeth not onely take upon him to depose kings and Emperours him selfe but he avovvcheth further that Subiectes may and are bounden to depose their dread Soveraignes vvhensoever they decline to infidelity which certes is by popish interpretation vvhen any King or Queene embraceth syncerely the holy Gospell of Christ and denyeth Romish poperie For thus vvriteth Bellarminus vvhose doctrine the Pope hath lately approoved At si isti ijdem principes conantur avertere populum a fide omnium consensu possunt debent privari suo dominio But if these Princes goe about to avert the people from the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all
to be wished I haue charitably and faithfully penned it principally and chiefly for thy sake And I nothing doubt but through the power of God it will so sufficiently perswade thee to use the ordinary meanes of thy salvation that is humbly to read the holy scriptures which hath not heretofore bene thy custome diligently to frequent godly sermons which are nowe common in this Realme God be thanked and often to conferre with zealous preachers for thy better instruction and sound confirmation as thou wilt shortly be a greater enemy to popery then thou wast before a friend thereunto For in this small volume thou shalt perceive evidently that not only popish monkes fryers and Iesuites but also their schoolemen their Summists their Canonistes their Thomistes their Scotists their Abbots their Byshops their Archbishoppes their Cardinals yea and their greatest popes themselues haue all in their domesticall dissentions and ciuill warres so battered and made equall with the ground the bulwarkes of their popery as no forraine enemy shall henceforth need either to stand in feare of their fortresses or to make assaults against the same So surceasing to speak of their muttering upon beads their praiers in straunge tongues their consecrations of bells Churches altars chalices patines corporals copes vestments albes girdles tunicles chesibles miters their exorcismes or incantations ouer oyles chrismes ashes palmes candles salt water bread their sacrificing upon such altars in such Churches before such relikes to which their sacrifices such sanctimony and merits are ascribed as that seminary is deemed best disposed for English long intended invasion who hath occupied himselfe most busily in that their superstitious kind of doting their reservations of their bread-gods often putrified and now and then of myse devoured their idolatricall adoration of reliques especially of their so termed vultus sanctus surceasing I say from speaking of these and like popish deliraments and instantly wishing thy christian conversion in Christ Iesus I bid thee heartily fare-well The names of the auncient writers and holie fathers alledged in the treatise follovving DIonysius Areopagita Irenaeus Tertullianus Origenes Cyprianus Iustinus Lactantius Athanasius Hilarius Eusebius Caesariensis Basilius Ambrosius Hieronymus Augustinus Chrysostomus Beda Euthymius Ruffinus Platina The names of popish vvriters alledged in this volume who all are of great estimation amongest the papistes and highlie renowmed in the church of Rome Popes or Bishops of Rome Clemens Gregorius magnus Adrianus Innocentius Cardinalles to the popes or Bishops of Rome Caietanus Turrecremata These were popish archbishops of great learning Antonius Panormitanus Popish Bishops excellentlie wel learned Ioannes Roffensis Ambrosius Catharinus Melchior Canus Popish Abbots Rupertus Bernardus Popish Canonistes Gratianus Angelus Navarrus Covarruvias Popish summistes Sylvester Fumus These were popish monkes or Popish friers Alphonsus Victoria Dionys. Carth. Carranza Ioseph Ang. Bellarminus Popish scholemen Lombardus Albertus Alensis Richardus Bonaventura Aquinas Durandus Dom. Soto Paludanus Mayro Popish writers who though they were not equal in dignitie yet not inferiour in learning to the rest Lyranus Gersonus Almaynus Cusanus Abulensis Viguerius Snoygoudanus Burgensis Ben. Arias Matthias Thoring Ioan. de Combis Bryto These were popish Synodes Conc. Constantinopolitanum 6. Conc. Constantinop 8. Conc. Basiliense Conc. Lateranense 1. Conc. Later 2. Conc. Tridentinum Catholike Councels Concilium Nicaenum Conc. Chalcedonense Popish constitutions or bookes equall with popish synodes Decreta Decretalia Liber sextus Missale Romanum Popish commentaries of great accompt in the Romish Church Glossa decretalium Glossa decretorum Glossa ordinaria Glossa interlinialis THE FIRST BOOKE CONTEINING CERTAINE preambles for the better satisfaction of the simplie seduced Papistes as also that the motyues in the other booke following may be read with greater profite The first Preamble IN the church of Rome for many yeares together were learned and godly byshops vvho lived orderly preached the vvord of God sincerely and fed their flocke carefully but in successe of time by litle and litle the Romish bishops did degenerat from the godly life and holie doctrine of their auncestors and became vvolues vnto their flocks tirants vnto the vvorld This is prooved at large by the testimonies of approved popish doctors in the second booke and third chapter in the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. conclusions The great popish scholeman and Spanish Frier Victoria vvriteth in this manner by litle and litle not all at once vve vvere brought to this in ordinat course and to this so miserable state that novv vve are neither able to endure our griefs nor such remedies as the church of Rome assigneth for the same but if vve had this day such good bishops or Popes as Clemens Linus and Sylvester vvere then might vvee commit all things safely vnto them but alas to say the best of them because I vvould not vvillingly reproove them the Popes novv are farre inferiours to the auncient bishops of Rome Read Victoria his ovvne vvordes in the fourth conclusion of the fift chapter in vvhich chapter the reader shall find much other vvorthie matter to the like effect as that the dissolute practise of the church of Rome is novv so intollerable that the vvorld is not able to endure it that not onely the simple sort but even the best of all are greatlie scandalized therevvith that none seeke for dispensations vvhether it be for mariages or for irregularities or for spirituall benefices but they roundlie obteine their suites that not so manie keepe the lavve as are dispensed to breake the lavv adde hereunto the seventh preamble for more perspicuitie The 2. Preamble BLinde Byardes that neither had anie thing neither knevv anie thing desirous to speake placentia and to flatter the Popes for their ovvne preferment began to vvrite glosses vpon the popish lavve and therein to ascribe lordlie and more then royall titles to the Pope so doubtles saith their religious Frier Victoria Reade his vvordes in the sixt chapter and third conclusion So then through ignorance and povertie our holie father aspired to his tyrannie The 3. Preamble THe Pope hath no povver coactive over anie king but is the Emperours subiect and ovveth him obedience Pope Gregorie surnamed the great doth confesse no lesse read the sixt Chapter The 4. Preamble POpe Iohn vvas enforced to recant his false doctrine before the king and the learned at Paris Read the third chapter and the fift conclusion ergo Peters faith failed in the Pope The 5. Preamble THe Pope in S. Cyprians time vvas esteemed but as fellovv and companion to other bishops for vvhich cause S. Cyprian contemned his opinion and reiected his determination though set dovvne by the consent of a provinciall councell vvhich doubtles S. Cyprian vvould never have done if hee had acknovvledged or graunted anie such authoritie to the Pope as the Pope this day chalengeth to himselfe Nay S. Cyprian thought himselfe everie vvay the Popes equall and the African counsel to be of as good authoritie as the Italian or Romish sinode and therfore reprooved the