Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	death_n	life_n	3,302	5	4.8128	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02895	The pageant of popes contayninge the lyues of all the bishops of Rome, from the beginninge of them to the yeare of Grace 1555. Deuided into iii. sortes bishops, archbishops, and popes, vvhereof the two first are contayned in two bookes, and the third sort in fiue. In the vvhich is manifestlye shevved the beginning of Antichriste and increasing to his fulnesse, and also the vvayning of his povver againe, accordinge to the prophecye of Iohn in the Apocalips. ... Written in Latin by Maister Bale, and now Englished with sondrye additions by I.S.; Acta Romanorum pontificum. English	Bale, John, 1495-1563.; Studley, John, 1545?-1590?	1574 (1574)	STC 1304; ESTC S100602	276,183	440

patrone of their vndoubted Religion and they shal be compelled by their reason to say and speake with their tongue as the foole sayd in his hart Surelye there is no God no Iesus Christe no holye Ghost no Gospell no heauen nor hell I will not beleeue anye such thinge because that euē the Pope himselfe the great professour hereof is become a sincke of sinne and a puddle of all filthines to commit in his owne parsō adulterye and incest and to foster those euils in his sonne and suffer him to be as it were Prince of Sodom c. Thus I say if a man wil iudge Religiō by men he shall be so farre from attayning to the knowledge of God from faythfull seruinge of him that he shall rather defye vtterlye his glorious maiestye thincke that there is no God at all But thus we see that as no people haue attayned so much to the true vnderstanding of God as they to whom it hath pleased the mercye of the father to reueale him selfe by his sonne Iesus Christe so againe no people haue at anye time swarued farther from his holye wil and pleasure and bin more fowlye polluted stayned with all kinde of abhominable wickednes But to returne to the historye of Peter Aloysius This outragious villanye against the sayd bishop together with other matters of iniurye extorciō crueltye but this chiefelye emboldned diuers parsons of all estates to grudge his doings And amonge other he being on a time at his owne Citye Placentia sone after this former facte Anno 1547. he did cease into his owne hands al the goods of sondrye parsons and amonge them one Ierome Palauicinus and when as he to auoyde the daūger of displeasure fled to Crema a towne subiect to Venice Peter Aloysius apprehended the wyfe and children of the sayd Ierom and imprysoned them all This being a matter wherof greater trouble might ensue the Cardinall of Trent bearinge good will to the Fernesians wrote his letters to Aloysius in the behalfe of Ierom but Aloysius gaue him a lighte aunswere Afterward Octauius sonne to the sayd Peter came from the Emperours campe to Trent purposing to returne home The Cardinall of Trent came vnto him and coulde him the whole matter touchinge Ierom and desired him to be a meanes to his father for him Hee made him promise to do it and afterwarde sente woorde to the Cardinall that Ierom shoulde be receiued into fauour if he himselfe woulde come and craue his owne pardon in humble manner But because it was feared that promise beinge broken he shoulde be put to some greuous punishmente therfore the Cardinall with a trayne of men went to Crema and called for Ierom. He mistrusting treason would not appeare tyll he had good proofe that the Cardinal was come in deede After they had longe talked in counsell together and the Cardinal had at large promised his helpe they toke their iourney together The Cardinall sent one of his men before to geue knowledge to Aloysius that hee and Ierom were comminge by whom Aloysius returned this message contrary to that whiche his sonne Octauius had shewed before that if they came he coulde not restore Ierom. And although that bothe diuers Legates besides other wise and graue men did bothe intreate and vse perswasions to appease his wrath yet he persisted obstinately in his purpose And now certaine of the nobilitie that had hated him for his former pranckes conspired to murther him They hauing entertayned for their purpose certaine ruffians for their sauegarde watched a conueniente tyme for theyr purpose and being garded with this their traine they diuidinge them selues into diuers companies came now and then out into the streates euery man pretending that it was done for priuate quarrels towching him selfe and therfore euery man demaunded of those whom he had hyred to attende on him whether they woulde faythfully take parte with him to reuenge his iniurie whiche he had susteined at the hands of Duke Aloysius the seruing men made aunswere againe that they would do their endeuour not onely to reuenge an iniurie on hym but further if it were to kill him About this time Pope Paule the third wrote to his sonne Peter Aloysius willinge him to take heede to him selfe and to beware of the tenth day of September for he saide that the starres did thretten great mischiefe towarde him for this Pope by constant reporte was skilful not onely in Astrologie but also in Necromancie vpon the sighte of these letters Aloysius was very sad and pensiue for feare And when the same tenth day came he passed out of his castell being borne in a horselitter and accompanied with a great trayne to viewe the fortifiyng of the citie which he had appoynted to be doone The conspiratours were also there in a redinesse but because they coulde not then obteine their purpose therfore they made no slurre at al but when he shoulde returne home they gaue attendaunce on him and as it were for duetie towarde him they went before him .xxxvi. in al and when he with his horselitter was entred into the castell forthwith they drewe vp the bridge after them for it was a drawe bridge so that none other coulde follow them in where euen presently they set vpon hym with their swordes and after they had rated him and vpbrayded him bitterly with his tyranny they slew him in his litter and a certaine prieste beside the groome of his stable and fiue Germaines This beinge doone they ran vp and downe in the castell and made spoyle of al thinges where among other things they founde an hewge masse of money which he had laide in store to mainteine the charge of fortifiyng the citie In the meane time the people of the citie ran thither demaunding what the matter should be because they harde such criynge weeping and howlinge within the castell The murderers spake out to them againe saying we haue slaine the tyrant and recouered the libertie of our citie But because that matter could hardly be credited vpon the warrant of the people promisinge to saue them harmelesse the murderers tyed the deade body of Peter Aloysius to an iron chaine and so hong him out ouer the castel wall in sight of all the people and after they had there let him hang a while they threwe him downe into a dike As sone as he was downe the people ranne thither drew him out stamped on him and spurned him with their feete and thrust their daggars into his bodie so desirous they were to woorke their mallice on his hatefull carkasse This being done the people forthwith submitted them selues to the obedience of the Emperour to whom they vttered the shameful demeanour of Aloysius and causes of his death as hath ben saide Thus he whom the Pope his father fostred in his villanie was plagued both with losse of life in his own person and alienation of his dominion from his children So alwaies the iustice of god awaketh when the iustice of man

lighte burden and most pleasant crosse of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe And I require this at your handes most godlye fathers that you will thincke this present calamity to be no small cause which stirred me vp to this matter and I desire for the great mercye of our Sauiour Christe that you go forwarde in that worke that you haue in hand and that you will make your prayers for England that cānot pray for it selfe that this Pope may be exempted out of the minds of all Christians Italians Spaniardes Frenchmen and Englishmen thruste out of all kingdomes and Churches broken in two and vtterlye destroyed Praye that the blind maye see the deafe heare and that those which be in darcknes and in the shadowe of death maye come to the light and knowledge of the truth For your prayers shal be of more effect with God than all the blessinges and cursinges of the detestable Pope By these thinges I trust that you vnderstande what I haue taken in hande and for what cause First the desire of my freindes compelled mee thereunto Secondly my conscience pricked mee forward hasting hereunto that I mighte communicate these thinges which I haue both heard and seene in the whole course of my life Last of all the lamentable state of Englande called mee hereunto that for the loue which I beare to my brethren I would ayde it and that the begīning of the Romaine tyrānye being read knowne and the ofspring of all the Popes they might seeke a newe way and amende their liues Also to restore the dignitye of the common wealth which was lost and to the reforminge of the Church and to the glorye of Iesus Christe the onely gouernour of the earth But not wtout great cause do I dedicate this my booke vnto you which are in this our age the greatest defendours of the Christian fayth which also do beare this greuous odious burden and for that cause do burne with the same fire of enuye which I do For truly I speake as I thincke as I beleiue because I beleiue it I cānot hold my peace If at VVitēberg Luther the vpholder of the Christian fayth at Tigur Zuinglius the inuincible defendour of the pure veritye and a professour therof vnto the death at Basil Occolampadius a lighte and lampe in the house of God had not opened the liuelye springes of the Scripture and being opened had not defēded them against the boldnes of the Philistines if others in those dayes in your places had not sustayned this oure Religion if you would not haue put to your ayde and helping hands if God had not left the seede of the truth in those Churches wherin you are Presidēts there had bin no place for Christe on the earth where hee might put his head ther should haue bin no refuge for exiles to flye vnto Christian pietye shoulde finde no place in which it might be confirmed safelye established And all those things that I haue shewed here were taught me of your pastours and writers Therefore it is meete that I should render some part thereof with gaine from whence I had it neyther do I honour worship onely your Churches as the springes of pure Religion the which with priuye passages doth flow vnto all the corners of the earth euen to vs beyonde the Ocean but all Englishe peregrins are bounde of dutye vnto you for your great benefites bestowed vppon them The which thing I would haue shewed at large in the name of all my freindes if I had not written vnto you to whom we are of dutye bound yet trulye to passe all thinges in silence and declare none of them I cannot Therefore I praye you pardō mee and let your modestye and gentlenes giue place and pardon mine affections while that of so many I declare a fewe to the intent that other men may vnderstand if I had not a iust cause to dedicate this my booke to you before al other The which thinge while I shewe briefelye as time and order doth require so I will name euery one of you not respecting your dignitye but doing after the imbecillitye of memorye and the perspicuitye of the matter Therefore that I maye declare from the beginninge ascende from the farthest vnto the nighest whereto much duty owe we to VVitenberg that most fayre marchandize of all artes they euidently declare which go thither either to behold the coūtrey or to giue themselues to studye with whose notable prayses many being styrred vppe would go thither in great companies if riches would aboūd as their good will doth to go so longe a iourneye For when they prayse other learned not withoute gratefull testifyinge of many benefites towardes them Than O Philip they do declare thy singuler curtesye maruelous facilitye and thy good wil alwayes ready to deserue wel of al men Neither without a cause For thou prosecutest al mē at home with all kinde of humanitye and at home with thy preaching louing letters doest ease the sorrowful wauering minds For it is not vnknowen what thou hast done at the councel of VVesalia in the Englishe mens behalfe who when thou sawest to take paynes for Religion sake and to be greatly moued wyth the vniust outcryes of men that helde opinion agaīst thē thou thoughtest good that the cause should be heard wythout debate or strife and not to be put oute with crye clapping of hands thou saydst that the men were to be retayned and relieued and not to be vexed and afflicted with any sharpe iudgement To this ende thou didst write to the maiestrates of Franckford so that by thy letters which I chaunced to see I am certified where thou didst thincke it meete that our men purelye thinkinge of the articles of our Christian fayth and in diuers cōtrouersyes defending their opinion with feruour of zeale accordinge to their nature to be taughte and not to be oppressed to be warned w t talke not troubled with force sith that doubtfull matters ought to be handled of the aduersaryes parte wyth obscure wordes Neither do I doubte but that the countryes bordring there about Strasburge Basil Arouia Tigurū Geneua Emdona being moued with such a notable testimonye will receiue vs more into their fauour But leuing VVittenberge I come to Basile where I will be more parciall not bicause I can not prayse him sufficiently inough but bicause I am one of them which haue felt and do daily feele the great beneuolence of the Senate ministers and the whole people least I should not seeme to be so gratefull a prayser as a deceitfull flatterer Therfore I will saye nothing of thee at this tyme moste wyse learned Sulcer nothinge of M. VVoulfangus VVisenburge that moste excellent diuine and worthy gouernour of the vniuersitie nothing of Martin Borrham the notable professor of diuinitie nothing of learned M. Iohn Iunius my faithfull companion nothing of Marcus Bersius Iames Turkenbrot Conradus Lycosthenes his deare friende Huldricus Coccius Thomas

Spoke v. Simon Tod one Nicolas VValker ij VVilliam Vause one Robart Dauison vj. Peter Boughe had many and so other had others In the Cathedrall Church at Chichester Iohn Champion Prebendary of VValtam had ij harlots VVilliā Crosse had one vvyfe Thomas Parker ij harlots Richard Busteld one of vvhō he begat a child Barthelmevv Cokisley i. Robart hunt had diuers Tho. Goffe had ij being other mens vvyues Iohn Hill xiij harlots Robart Moore had many Roger Barham many Iohn Bedfild many vvith others amōg that vvhich the forsaid Roger Barham and Iohn Champion vvere gilty of sinne against nature These vvere taken out of the foresaid booke Behold vvhat monsters Popery hath nourished throughout England in abbeyes and colleges Are not these foule birdes most iustlye banished vvith their most filthye Pope the Romishe Idoll In all other places as vvell in congregations as colleges the like thinges are committed and done the vvhich vvere to longe or rather to shameful throughly to declare for they gate vnto them in most places through this Popishe Religion either the French pockes or the Spanishe decease And there vvere in Englande more then xl Abbeyes of diuers kindes of mōkes beside the most vvicked nests of the begging fryers of the vvhich there vvere almost tvvo hundreth Vnto vvhom these verses do aptlye agree It is not sure a misse that monkes should fathers termed bee Sith such swarmes of their bastard brats in euery place they see There is yet a thirde matter vvhich forced mee herevnto and hauing seene and heard these thinges vehemently moued me to vvrite This is the precepte of Christe in the xviij Chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn For a voyce came from heauen from the right hand of the father and the euerlasting throne of Christe vvith a great voyce sounded in our eares saying Go from her my people lest ye be made partakers of her vvickednes and ye receiue part of her punishment For her sinnes are gone vp to heauen and God hath remembred her vvickednes And then commaundemēt follovveth vvhich vvas giuen against the beast vvith seuen heades Revvard her euen as she hath revvarded you and giue her double according to her vvorks and poure in double to her in the same cup vvhich she filled vnto you And forasmuch as she glorified her selfe and liued vvantonly so much poure you into her of punishment and sorrovve This is the vvorde of the Lorde declared vnto vs as vvell here as in the fiftye Chap. of Ieremy That this serpent might perish all his doinges brought to nought Yet for al this I do vvel remēber the sayings of S. Paule that al Princes ought to be honoured although they be vvicked and vnprofitable for a common vvealth because they be placed there of God neither to speake euill of them beinge but vvotmes dust and ashes Neither dare I murmur against the prouidence of God vvhich is contrary to his holy vvorde Therefore from the bottome of my hart I beseech our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christe that he vvould haue mercye vppon all Kinges Princes and Nations and so prouide that all nations maye be so gouerned as is most tending to his glory For vvhose reueng he hath most stoutly fortifyed mee vp in this my old age Not studying to derogate or take avvaye the honour from anye Christian Kinge but onely to inuey against the Romishe beast the Synagog of Sathan and most vvicked Antichrist vvith the vvritings and testimonye of most learned men If I shal haue said any thing sharper then thou didst loke for most gentle Reader cōsider I pray you the hudge tirāny of this most vvicked Viper of the vvorld vvhose destruction accordinge to Gods promises is at hande Great Babilon shall fall vvhich hath seduced many Nations and shall be destroyed the vvhole vvorlde marueylinge thereat If the vehemencye of my stile shall offende thee beholde the maruelous force of the holye ghoste in the Prophete Dauid and most holy king vvho in the Lordes cause most stoutlye saide I haue hated the congregation of the vvicked Psal. 25. He promiseth also aftervvarde by his Prophetes that he vvoulde destroye the brothell houses and vvicked places Ezechi 16. I vvill shevve fayth the Lord vnto all Nations thy nakednes and to al kingdomes thy shame Nahum 3. Thy dishonour and filthines shall be opened and thy reproche shall be seene I vvill be reuenged and none shall resiste mee Esay ▪ 47. VVoe be vnto those Kinges as manye as haue vvorshipped the beast or haue ayded her or haue receiued helpe of her or haue committed fornication vvith her as many as haue serued her and haue ioyned handes against the Lambe and vvaged battell for her cause because their names are not vvritten in the booke of lyfe from the beginninge of the vvorlde And the Lambe shal ouercome them at the last like a Lorde of Lordes and kinge of kinges and they shall go together vvith the beast to destruction and vtter dampnation Apocalips 17. GOD therefore giue in the hartes of Christians vvhom the x. hornes do shadovve that they maye faithfully execute this his vvill and iudgement that they maye make her desolate and leaue her naked that they maye eate her fleshe and burne her in fire that is let her abide her last punishment for the sheding of the innocent bloud of so manye faithfull Christians Be it done Be it done Amen To the Reader T. R. GENTLEMAN THe worthy wittes of elder yeares haue traueld sea and land To seeke and search the wondrous works of naturs skilful hand And mens delight hath euer bin most vgly things to vewe To looke on creatures out of kinde as monsters olde and newe If therefore thou as other men my friend affected bee And dost desire vgly things and monsters strange to see Then take the payne to seeke and searche within this little booke And here thou shalt vpon so strang a mongrell monster looke As neuer nature bread on earth whose shape is in this wyse As I shall partly portrature the same before thine eyes It is a little beast that hath ten hornes seuen heads crownets seuē Who w t his taile frō clouds to clouds swepes down the stars of heauē Upon whose backe in princely pompe and glistring gold araye And proudly pranckt in precious pearles and clad in purple gaye The stately strompet sittes that is the whore of Babilon And in her hand a golden cuppe of fornication Wherwith the world she poysond hath which dronken with her wine Hath falne downe flat vnto the beast as to a god deuine Which forced kings to leaue their crownes Keiser stoupe for awe Whyle on his royall necke the beast hath sayd his filthy pawe Who hath the mighty monarkes made to holde his stirrope lowe And caused them on humble knees to come to kisse his toe Who forced great estates to stand barefooted in the streate And proudly put the crowne on head of princes with his feete And made the sonne and subiect both against their king

thincarnation 60. Paule as is sayde was prisoner at Rome who for the tyme of his abode there so planted the Gospell that at his departing from thence he left great fruite therof and suche in deede as if Peter had succeded Paule within two thre or foure yeres and there supplied the roume of a byshop Cornelius Tacitus speaking of the estate of the Christians in Rome about the yeare 67. being but seuen yeares after Paules departure should not haue had cause so soone to saye as he doth y by that tyme the Christian Religion was repressed For Vspergensis saith that in the 67. yere Nero did set Rome on fier of the whiche Cornelius Tacitus writing lib. 15. Augustae historiae sayth Ergo abolēdo rumori Nero subdidit reos c. Therfore Nero to stop the rumour of his setting the citie on fier suborned giltie persons and executed with strange punishment those whome the vulgar people detesting for their wickednes doth call Christiās That mischeuous superstition being repressed till nowe brake out againe c. Therfore first they were taken that confessed it afterward by their accusatiō an houge multitude not so much for that they were gilty of fyreing the citie as for hatred are condemned and were put to death with great despite some encased in the skinnes of wylde beastes that they might bee torne in peces with dogges some crucified some were burned to giue light in the night time c. These are the woordes of Tacitus notwithstanding as it appeareth he was a blasphemer of the name of Christe By these woordes of his it appeareth that nowe Christianitie began to reuiue and that nowe it was quenched which argueth plaine that from the former time of Paules departure til this time Peter had not supplied in Rome the place of a preaching pastour and diligēt bishop And seing this broyle against the Christians began now to be so hotte not in al places but especially in Rome howe could Peter sit quietly in this citie as bishop thereof and not be fyred out with his flocke but they saye all that he lyued after this tyme about three yeares for this was done in the eleuenth yeare of Nero who raigned almoste xiiii yeares and Peter was martyred in the last yeare of Nero as they saye all If this reuiuing of the Gospel was by Peters meanes why would Nero spare him being the head if Peter escaped by flying then he shewed him selfe to be an hierling and no true shepeherde that forsaketh his flocke when he seeth the wolfe come ¶ From the yeare 67. to the 70. of thincarnation Nowe are we come to the latter tyme of Nero in which yeres if Peter were not bishop of Rome then is it certaine that he was not bishop there at all But to come to the purpose Naucler Volu 2. generat 2. and the moste writers as Eusebius lib. 2 cap. 25 Nicephorus li. 2. cap. 34. Sabellicus Ennead 7. li. 2. agree that Paule died in the yeare of our Lorde 70. the 37. yeare after the death of Christe But it may sone appeare that Peter was not then byshop at Paules last comming to Rome for after Paule was come thether he sent for Timothie to come vnto hym shewing that he had nede of him to come to hym because he was nowe desolate and had none with hym Demas had forsaken hym nowe and embraced the worlde c. so that if this Epistle were not written at the firste imprisonment of Paule but at this latter time then was not Peter yet estalled in his Diocese for if he had bene in Rome in his pontificall dignitie I thinke Paule should not haue bene dryuen to sende to Ephesus 1000. miles frō Rome for Timothie to bryng Marke to come to minister to him In the ende of this secōd Epistle to Timothie Paule sendeth commendations from diuers but none from Peter There are xiiii Epistles whereof Paule and Seneca beare the name the one wryting to the other at this later imprysonnement and yet among them all nothing is saide of Peter and yet by occasion he might easely haue bene mencioned in them if he had bene then in Rome But if by this time Peter were not yet Pope of Rome there is no tyme left for him to come to enioye it during the raigne of Nero till whose death this present persecutiō of the church endured with all crueltie ¶ The death of Peter TOuching the death of Peter all wryters do not agree as it is sufficiently declared in the Actes and monumentes fol. 56. in these wordes They that folow the common opinion and the Popes decrees saye that bothe Peter and Paule suffred both in one daye and one yeare whiche opinion semeth to be taken out of Dionisius byshop of Corinthe Hierome in his booke De viris illustr affirmeth that they suffered both in one daye but hee expresseth not the yeare so doth Isiodorus and Eusebius Prudentius in his Peristephano noteth that they both were put to death vpon the same daye but not in the same yeare saythe that Paule folowed Peter a yeare after Abdias recordeth that Paule suffered twoo yeares after Peter Moreouer if it be true whiche Abdias sayth that after the crucifying of Peter Paule remayned in his free custody at Rome mencioned in the 28. of the Actes of the Apostles whiche was as S. Hierome witnesseth in the thirde or fourth yeare of Nero then must it be tenne yeares betwixt the martyrdome of Peter and of Paule for as muche as it is by all wryters confessed that Paule suffered in the xiiii yeare which was the last yeare of Nero. Vspergensis saithe that they were both executed in one yeare but he noteth not that they died in one daye Sabellicus sayth both in one yeare one daye Some say as Ambrose that they died together both in one place But Dionysius saythe otherwyse that the one bad thother farewel when they were parted asonder goyng to death Againe the moste writers saye that Nero was the cause therof But Linus saith Agrippa cōmaunded that Peter should be slayne because that by his persuasiō foure of the concubines of Agrippa refused to liue any longer in suche vnchast life with the king therefore for anger he cōmaunded that Peter should be crucified Finally S. Hierome and Lyra wryting vpon the 34. verse of the 22. chap. of Mathewe say that Peter was put to death at Hierusalē by the Iewes and that Christe prophecied thereof saying Lo I sende you prophetes c. and some of them ye shall kyll Many thinges might be added to disproue this dotage of Peters being bishop at Rome but because I thinke this to be sufficient I let passe diuers necessary thinges least I should be ouer tedious But if any be desirous to se this matter more suffitiently handled let him reade Vlrichus Velenus wryting purposely of this in a litle booke called Demonstrationes contra Romani Papae primatus figmētum Beside there hath bene of late set forth in Englishe a discours

peace draw on the time is nie at hand That tyrants rage shal shortned be er many years be rōne This cruel kind that ioyes in bloud shal wasted be done Rome hath beheld her prelats al ēbrewd in their own gore Three cruel ones yet shal she se and then shal be no more The death of next Melchiades shal ende the bloudy age His karkas being buried then peace shal all assuage 31. Melchiades MElchiades an Aphrican being a man very religious and a leader of the Christiā flocke proceaded in preaching the Gospell and in the affaires of the truthe so farre vntill he spent his bloud for it vnder Maximinianus Galerius And in the profession thereof died Anno 314. Reade the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius bishop of Caesaria concerning manifolde and vnaccustomed cruell deathes of the sainctes of that time Cursulanus Platina Stella and other the Popes flatterers doe falsely father vpon these martyrs whole loades of decrees and lyes that the lewde inuentions of their ceremonies might be established by the authoritie of these men For they are not afraide for the aduauncement of the Popes trone with these vnclenly dregs to staine the bloud of sainctes and defile this beautiful face of the primatiue churche being through continuall persecution euer agreable to Christe the head therof But what wyse man can thinke that suche simple ministers and pastours of Gods worde as the bishops then were dwelling in holes dennes and corners and looking for nothing but dayly death vnder tyrantes should haue minde of pontificall pompe stately buildinges or Papisticall solemnities when as they had neither churches nor dwelling houses The churche as yet obtained no peace they liued not yet in vnprofitable idlenes neither had they the chiefe pleasures of the worlde But those were the imaginations which false prophetes according to their custome deuised for their bellies sake But Sabellicus speaking of the saluage persecution of the churche vnder Dioclesian saythe alleaging it out of Eusebius that the Christian flocke was plaged at this time by the iudgement of God because sinne began to growe vp in the churche aboue measure and the priestes seemed nowe rather to sauour of tyranny and not humilitie and therefore when this persecutiō came it was rather a reformation of the churche corrupted by ease and peace then a scattering thereof Whereby it semeth that euen then God geuing but a pauze of persecution and whyle tyranny did but staye to breathe it selfe they began to decline and growe crooked yet is it not to be thought that they were caried so farre away as yet to newe fashiō and transport with māglinges addicions the Christian religion as the Papistes dreame they did And thus is the popishe synagoge groūded on vntruthe But it were a fond matter to beleue these scoffes toyes contriued for priestes aduauntage as our forefathers haue done we should rather trie of what spirites they be as S. Iohn commaūdeth whether they be of God or no. Iohn 4. For many false prophetes haue crept into the worlde Hetherto the pastors were starres shining in the firmament of the churche as well in life and manners as in doctrine and preserued in his right hande who walked in the middest of the seuen candelstickes Apocal. 1. Hetherto they were counted Angels reuealing the euerlasting wyll of almighty God purely without mans diuices 32. Syluester the first AFter that Melchiades was put to death Syluester a Romaine succeded in the ministery of the woorde but because that the tyrant Maximinus continued his bloudy persecution against the Churche Syluester was fayne to hide him selfe and to lyue solitarily in the hille Soracte But at the length it pleased God to laye his terrible hand vpon the persecutour Maximinus forcing the tyrant to reclaime his cruel decrees against the Christians Touching the death of Maximinus who among other tyrantes was a Scorpion to the Christians it is to be noted that Eusebius writeth first in the eight booke and 28. chapter of his ecclesiastical history thus First in the secrete partes of his body arose an impostume then in his bowels grewe a fistulowe within the whiche a great swarme of woormes and magettes gnawed and deuoured his guttes wherof arose a noysome stinke so ranke that no man could by any meanes abide it beside the ougly loathsom sight of the soare it selfe so that some of his phisicions not able for the horror of it to endure to dresse him were put to death by his cōmaundement Afterward the disease increasing all his body was swollen and rankled with it so that with extremitie of his panges and fainting through honger he fel down and lay sprawling on the grounde Then all his body by the hande of God was terribly enflamed and burned exceadingly odious to beholde so that the scorched fleshe being by little and little eaten awaye pyned and consumed he was so disfigured and deformed his feauter so vaded that a man could discerne no resemblance of his former shape His gastly and naked carkasse was euen as an image of drye bones And yet the glowing heate boyled more feruently so that the marrowe fried out of his bones and his eyes all moisture being wasted dropped out of his head Thus his limmes and members through scalding heate ranke disease rotting one from an other his body laye miserably as it were a graue to the soule vntil the tormentes thereof wrested out from his cancred harte to acknowledge Christe Iesus and to repent his bloudy persecuting the cause of this his woful ende the last persecutour Eusebius lib. 10. cap. 8. Furthermore it pleased the almighty to woorke so graciously in the hart of the noble Emperour Constantine that by his procurement the churche at the length obtained peace vniuersally so that euery mā might safely returne to his owne countrey and citie whereupon Syluester returned to Rome and was the firste Romaine byshop that escaped martyrdome There are many some indifferent but moste detestable grosse and fonde decrees falsely fathered vpō this Syluester as halowing of Chrismes geuing of orders confirming of children decking of churches couering of altars making masse priestes annoynting and attiring of them and of making the howsell to be God called deifying the host of worshipping and preseruing it Also touching coyfes hoodes corporals albes mitars palles cloathes churching kerchiefes for women rochettes sacrifices ceremonies chappels anoyling of the sicke with a rablement of diuers other Iewishe and Heathen ceremonies Platina Polidor Virgill and other the Popes parasites slaunder this Syluester that he tooke vpon him in steade of a golden crowne to weare a mitar after the Phrygian fashion Touching certaine miracles whiche are also with like credit sayde to be done by this Syluester Mantuan wryteth thus Fast. lib. 12. Men talke of many miracles that Syluester hath wrought But authour yet sufficient hath neuer forth ben brought Nor witnesse good to proue the same therfore I let alone Such things as fables fondly faind for our religion Condemneth toyes