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B12171 The voluntarie conuersion and seuerall recantations, of foure great learned men, professed fryers in sundry monasteries of Fraunce, from the errours of idolatrie and poperie, to the true religion established in the Reformed Church. 1. Master Iohn Le Vager, a priest in the Romane Church, conuerted at Mauns, Ianuary 6. 2. Master Iohn Forent, a fryer Carmelite, in the Court of Morthemard, conuerted in the Reformed Church of Poictiers, Iune, 9. 3. Master Denis Boucher, a Franciscane fryer, in the couent of Noisy, neere Paris, conuerted in the Reformed Church of Paris, Iuly. 6. 4. Master Daniell Dusert, Franciscan fryer at Mello, conuerted in the Church of Mello, December, 22. All conuerted this last yeare, 1603. as their seuerall discourses following at large doe testifie, vnder their owne hands. Truely translated, out of the French printed copies. 1604 (1604) STC 5650; ESTC S114587 31,204 52

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a Sacrament The Church of Rome of this foode for the soule would make foode for the bodie teaching that this was not spoken of the bread which Christ held in his hands when he pronounced those words This is my body for the bread was then no more bread but fantastically forge certaine accidents without substance of indiuidua vaga and say that that is the true bodie of Christ which descended into the bowels of the C. tribus gradibus de consec Dist 2. earth et per aqualiculos in secessū And that Rats Mice dogs may eate the bodie of Christ as they teach in their Cautelae Missae and S. Thomas and other Scholasticks beside a thousand other blasphemies They say also that this proposition that the bread is the bodie of Christ is hereticall and S. Augustine Part. 3. de Eucharist Quaest 79. Art 3. Gerson contra floretis 4. Iohn 651. by consequent an hereticke who saith That the bread is the bodie of Iesus Christ in the sacrament And by consequent also Christ himselfe should be an heretique too who saith in Saint Iohn The bread that I will giue you is my flesh Thus make they God imperfect in power because it is impossible that two bodies shoulde bee in one selfe same place as they say I will rehearse vnto yee how the saide Church of Rome hath gotten together all the auncient heresies as that of Montanus Euseb Hist Eccl. 8. Ca. 18. who forbad mariage and made lawe for fasting That of Pelagius who taught that we may doe diuerse meritorious works The heresie of the Euchites or Messalians who vnder the colour of praying to God and liuing in contemplation liued in idle slothfulnesse without doing any thing deuouring widowes Luk. 20. 47. houses vnder pretext of long praying according as Christ reproued the hypocriticall Scribes Of whome S. Augustine writeth August de opere Monach. that they pray so long as it is incredible to them that heare them recount them And they say that it is not lawfull for Monks to labour for their owne sustenance but commend their idlenesse and repute them thereby to be preseruers and keepers of the Gospell And Theodoret speaking of them saith that Failing Theod. heretic Fabul at prayers they sleepe the greater part of the day and so are allowed to doe the Authour whereof was one Simeon Abbeus The said Church of Rome doth teach vs a purgatorie with the Paganes And giue vs Aqua lustralis which they tearme Purgatory Holy water which was the inuention of Numa Pompilius the Holy water Idolater They bring in the Pagan and Iewishe pompes in magnificent habits as Stones Luminaries and Processions I conceale the rest for breuitie sake onely I say that as the Church of Rome hath willingly changed the ordinances of God and of his Sacraments euen so as willingly hath she gotten an other head and husband then Iesus Christ to wit the Pope who calleth the said Church of Rome his Spouse and Cap. quoniam de immuni in 60. C sunt quidem dicentes caus 2. 5. quaest 1. et ibi glossa guides her according to his owne fantasie giuing her new Lawes and saith hee hath power so to doe in C. Sunt quidam dicentes And the glosse approued and allowed by the saide Church saith That he may dispense against God and against his holy Gospell In the doing of which hee declares himselfe to bee hee of whome saint Paule speakes to the Thessalonians That hee exalteth himselfe against all that is called God 2. Thes 2. 4 For is not this to exalt himselfe against all that is called God boldly to dare to change his Lawes and his Gospell to adde thereto or diminish thence as hee saith hee hath power to doe In C. Ideo ss erat Also hee saith that hee is C. ideo ss erat God C. satis euidenter Dist 96. And so hee makes himselfe to bee by the adoration done vnto him and kissing of his Pantofle Wee may likewise beholde his Monkes Capuchines and Iesuites to bee daily sent abroade from him as his Apostles and Prophets to preach his newe Gospelles and that newe Article of Faith the extrauagant deuise of BONIFACE the eight Vnam sanctam Ecclesiam Vnam sanctam Ecclesiam And that it followes on necessitie of saluation to submit and Vnam sanctam Ecclesiam obey the Pope in all things holding and obseruing his ordinances as heauenly C. sic omnes Dist 19. And say that his discipline C. Sic omnes Dist 19. C. Sors non est caus 26. Quaest 3. C. Honoratus Dist 74. is more perfect then the Gospell practised and preached by the Apostles C. sors non est caus 26. Q. 3. Also to compell his vnderlings to the obseruation of his lawes which hee prizeth more then the word of God as it is to bee seene in C. honoratus Dist 74. And for the transgression of his lawes and commandements to be burned aliue as we haue seene many for eating flesh on a day by him forbidden but for blaspheming the name of God or whordome there needs no more but a little holy water one Pater noster and one Aue Maria to wash away the guilt of that offence Now by the cariage of himselfe in this manner hee cannot be Apostolique as he vaunts of himselfe nor yet the successour of Saint Peter for doubtlesse he sits not in Saint Peters chaire that neither holdeth nor confesseth the doctrine preached by Saint Peter and the other Apostles who neuer were Law-makers in the Church of God For there is but one Law-giuer which is God But there haue beene Ambassadors and interpreters Iames. 4. 12. as Saint Paule instructeth vs saying That we may be esteemed as the ministers of Christ dispensers of the secrets of God 1. Cor. 4. 1. 2. And Iesus Christ himselfe sending his Apostles forthe to preach said vnto them Goe and teach all nations baptizing Mat. 28. 19. 30 them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holie Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I commaunded you He gaue them then no power to make newe lawes as the Pope licenseth his men to doe I am not willing to extend this discourse any further because I knowe it hath alreadie beene amply entreated on by verie learned men of these times but will conclude that since he is not obedient to the Gospell but puts in place thereof other doctrines and Gospels that he can bee no other but euen hee of whome saint Paule foretolde in his Epistle to the Thessalonians and as hee is described by saint Iohn in his Apocalipse And so consequently his Church wherof he tearms himselfe to be the spouse and head is not that Church out of which there is no saluation and whereto are made such gratious promises but rather it is the true Babylon out of which we are commanded to depart if wee will not partake in her
deliuer me out of the denne of Lyons lodge mee in the fold among his owne flocks Moreouer to craue pardon of him for my hainous transgressions committed in that since the time when hee gaue me a taste of his truth I stoode out like a Rebell to the light thereof resisting the blessed Spirit and deferring ouer-long the time of my conuersion But to the end that such as haue hitherto heere held mee for a member of the Church of Rome may not preiudicately conceiue that I haue thence dismembred or cut off my selfe lightly and without a great reason or subiect it is expedient that I deliuer the principall cause which heerunto hath moued me and that is nothing else but this sole reason That out of the Church of God there is no saluation For euen as during the time of the Deluge all those men that found themselues to bee out of Noahs Arke were drowned euen so all they that are out of the Church shall perish and no one person shall obtaine the eternall inheritance if first of all he haue not God for his Father and there is no man can haue him for his Father except he haue the Church for his Mother And forasmuch as the spirit of God hath giuen mee to knowe that the Church of Rome is not his Church but only this the true reformed Church desiring to bee saued I haue quitted the one to enter into the bosome of the other And although I can by many reasons approue and clearely shewe that the Church of Rome is not the Church of God yet for auoyding of prolixitie I will produce but three onely the verie least whereof is sufficient to perswade mee vndoubtedly and all such as are endued with the vnction which teacheth all thinges that that Church can not any way bee it The first is that euery congregation which abolisheth the commaundementes of God to establish other that are contrarie to them doth by this meanes breake the affinitie which it had with God and forsaking the same can no way bee the Church of God The Church of Rome hath abrogated or abolished the commaundements of God and hath established others quite contrarie to them by which meanes she hath broken the band of alliance with God and so forsaken God It ensueth then that it cannot be the Church of God Now for better iustifying the minor of this argument wee neede to regarde nothing else but what God hath required of a Church for approbation to bee his by the two first commandements of the Lawe For the first he will bee knowne of her to bee God onely and as such a one to bee serued honoured and adored forbidding to haue any other Gods before him or to giue them any part of his glorie Exod. 20. 3. The Church of Rome hath so farre failed in the keeping of this commaundement as shee hath altogether practised the contrarie receiuing an innumerable multitude of Gods vnder the name of Saints by the Pope Canonized which is as much to say as Deified and to them hath attributed and rendered the selfe same honour seruice and adoration which onely ought for GOD to bee reserued For shee inuokes and calles vpon them makes vowes to them buildes Temples to them erectes Altars ordaines feastes celebrates diuine honour and seruice to them all which thinges doe appertaine to none but God onely And shee is not contented to forge straunge Gods in this maner of the Saints soules whome they beleeue to bee in heauen although a great number of them helde by her for Saintes may bee buried in hell but shee delves into the bowels of the earth and opens Sepulchers where their supposed bodies are interred to make her newe Gods of their bones of their hayre of their habites and other such like trashe which shee hath caused to bee enchased into golde and siluer and so set vpon Altares or caried about on their shoulders in processions and make the people to kisse them vpon their knees Wherein assuredly shee hath exceeded the Iewes who albeit they were maruellously enclined to the forging of straunge Gods yet were they neuer so brutish as to canonize the holy Prophets neither to giue any honour to the bones of deade men for what sanctitie soeuer they might haue beene commended in their liues Perhaps they builded goodly Sepulchers to honour their memorie but they neuer did any religious seruice to them The bones of Eliseus might haue prophecied after his death if by their touch a deade bodie had beene raised yet all the honour done to them was to couer them with earth there to awaite the sound of the Trumpet when the soule which before had giuen life to them shoulde returne againe to reinuest them If she haue showen her selfe impious and ridiculous in these matters already recyted then well may she be iudged altogether senselesse in trāslating the diuinity into a morsel of bread adoring it for Iesus Christ creating to her selfe daily a million of new Gods If she haue thus transgressed against the first commandement it will appeare she hath carried no more respect to the second whereby God expressely forbiddeth the making of any grauen Image or the resemblance of any thing whatsoeuer either aboue in heauen heere belowe on the earth or in the waters vnderneath the earth nay more not to fall downe before them or vse any manner of seruice to them Exod. 20. 4. 5. But this charge hath she taken from the peoples remembrāce and most maliciously hath cut it quite away from the number of the commandements in the Houres which is a booke of praiers by her ministers prouided for the vulgar sort and yet to the end that there might still remaine the full number of ten they haue seuered the last and made two of it All her Temples hath she filled charged her Altars with the Images of men of Diuelles of horses of hogges of dogges and other resemblances and to them hath made incensings offerings set cādels burning before them and her adherents haue prostrated thēselues before them Nay so strāgely hath she herein proceeded that in the second Counsell of Nice she caused it there to be absolutely decreed that these Images should be adored excommunicated al such as did or beleeued the contrarie and that decree doth shee obserue to this present day Wherein apeareth a contrarietie most manifest betweene God who forbiddeth flatly the adoration of Images and the Church of Rome that commaunds men to adore them Now as she doth excommunicate euery one that doth not worshippe them so on the other side God curseth all such as doe so or fall downe before them Deut. 27. 15. Let euery man then in this point be well aduised which malediction ought most to be feared eyther that of God or the other of the Romane Church And though I should consider no other reason to perswade me that she is not the true Church of God yet this alone were more then sufficient But now another presents
it selfe before me which is of no lesse weight and substance and that is it which Saint Iohn saith Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God He that cōtinueth in the doctrine of Christ hee hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any to you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not into your house neither bid him God speede 2. Iohn 9. 10. And Saint Paule saith Though wee or an Angell from Heauen doe preach vnto you otherwise then that which wee haue preached vnto you let him bee accursed c. Galat. 1. 8. 9. The Church of Rome hath not continued in the doctrine of Christ but hath announced receiued another Gospell contrarie to that which the Apostles preached Therefore shee hath not God shee ought not to be receiued nor acknowledged nor yet to be saluted but held as execrable and accursed Wherefore then if she haue not God she is not the Church of God euen no more then the bodie of a man when the soule is separated from it can then be called or said to be a man If also she be accursed she is not the Church of God because the Church of God is euermore blessed and therefore whosoeuer will bee saued ought necessarily to forsake her and ranke himselfe there where God abideth It shall be easie for mee to approue the assumption of this argument by the conference of the doctrine of Iesus Christ which the Apostles preached with that which the Pope and all his doctors and preachers Romanists doe holde and preach in the Church of Rome and I wil begin at the very foūdation of the Church The doctrine Apostolical teacheth Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laide which is Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3. 11. Whereupon himselfe was desirous to build his Church saying Vpon this Rock which is Christ the stone which the Romane builders haue aswell refused as the Iewes did will I build my Church Math. 16. 18. The Church of Rome hath taken her selfe from vnder this foundation and will needes bee grounded on that of Saint Peter But I referre to their opinion who cannot bee so vnprouided of iudgement how well the Church should bee defended against the powers of hell if shee had not a more solide foundation then that of Saint Peter who at the voice of a silly young mayden was in such sort shaken as all that was builded on him was neere hand ouerturned If so weak a winde did totter that foundation what then could the terrible stormes do which Sathan and his Angels which are the powers of the ayre vented out of hell against the Church of God The Apostles taught That wee are saued and iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus by Faith in his bloud Rom. 3. 24. 25. And not by workes least any man should boast himselfe Ephes 2. 8. 9. which are the three causes of our iustification and saluation the efficient whereof is the grace or mercie of God the materiall is Iesus Christ in his bloude and the instrumentall faith in him The Church of Rome doth dogmatise the quite contrarie that wee may acquire iustice and Paradise by our good works and be iustified before God by them The doctrine Apostolicall testifieth That by the bloude of Christ wee are redeemed 1. Pet. 1. 19. Apoc. 5. 9. purged Hebre. 1. 3. washed and cleansed from all our sinnes Iohn 1. 29. Apoc. 1. 6. The Church of Rome holdes that wee may redeeme our sinnes by almes fastings pilgrimages celebration of Masses and such like thinges That there is another purgatory beside the bloud of Christ whereby hee satisfied to GOD for the paines which were due vnto vs and wherein wee are purged cleansed and washed from all soyle of sinne to appeare pure and vnpolluted before the face of God The same doctrine of the Apostles proposeth vnto vs one sole Mediatour Aduocate and Intercessour betweene God men to gaine grace and remission of their sinnes to wit Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 2. 5. 1. Iohn 2. 1. the Church of Rome doth attribute this office to Saints The Apostles taught that before the comming of Iesus Christ there were many Priests or sacrificers made because by death they were impeached from enduring so succeeded one another But Iesus Christ because he endureth euer hath an euerlasting Priesthode Hebre. 7. 23. 24. and because he had no neede of any successour therefore there was no neede also to offer daily sacrifices for sinne For he did it once for all offering vp himselfe and by this oblation onely the efficacie wherof is daily recent before God he hath consecrated to perpetuitie those that shal be saued He. 9. 10. The Romane Church holds the Pope for soueraigne sacrificer as if Christ to whom this office onely appertaineth were dead and he of necessitie ought to be his successour She acknowledgeth also all the Priests of Popery not only to be sacrificers whose office shee faith is daily to offer sacrifice in the Masse for the sins of the liuing and of the dead but likewise O blasphemie aboue all blasphemies the most execrable she cals them creatours of the Creator Stella clericorum The Apostles deliuered testimonie That Christ was the Prince of Pastors and Prince of the Kings vpon earth 1. Pet. 5. 2. 4. Apoc. 1. 5. Attributing to him the soueraigne authoritie as well spiritually ouer the Church as temporally ouer the kingdomes vpon earth expressely allowed and giuen him the Father The heathen for thine inheritance and all the ends of the earth for possession Psal 2. 8. himselfe also declaring when he was to ascend vp into heauen that all power is giuen vnto me both in heauen and earth The Church so much as in her lyeth despoyleth him of this authoritie and giues it to the beast mounted vpon the earth which representeth the Pope acknowledging him to haue two hornes like vnto those of the Lambe Apoc. 13. 11. to wit soueraigne authoritie spiritual ouer the Church when she proclaimeth him vniuersall head of the Church soueraigne high Priest prince of Bishops receiuing the lawes ordinances proceeding from the Dragon preferring them before those of Iesus Christ who proceeded from the eternall Father Shee hath also graunted him soueraine authoritie temporall ouer the Kingdoms of the earth in regard she beleeueth that it is in his power to dispossesse kings of their thrones and to giue them to others that all kings doe hold their Realmes by faith and homage to the Sea of Rome and that the Emperour himselfe ought not to be held as a lawfull Emperour if hee be not first approued confirmed by the said Sea that he haue first acknowledged made ordinarie submissions to the beast adored him and falling downe before his feete kissed his Pantofle The Apostles taught That such as prayed in a strange tongue not vnderstanding the same although they prayed in spirit yet their intelligence was
other great kings Princes and Infidel Potentates against God his Church and sacred trueth wherein neuerthelesse hee hath in the end showne himselfe most magnificently victorious euen ouer all his enemies protecting and defending all those that put their trust in him Which also was the blessed aduertisment and assured consolation that sometimes our Lord Iesus Christ gaue to his Apostles when hee sent them forth to preach his word saying I send yee forth as sheepe and lambes among Wolues Yee Luk. 10. shall haue manie enemies that shall put yee to much paine and trauaile in the world But bee yee of good courage for I haue ouercome the world And further assurance of victorie hee gaue Luk. 21. them by meanes of a mouth filled with wisdome which none should be able to resist or speake against Vndoubtedly then it is a most extreame folly for men to thrust themselues forward or to enterprise any thing whatsoeuer against his wisdom because he is euermore too strong for them and he will maintaine his right against all power whatsoeuer In this respect my worthy iudicious Masters because now daies it seemes that the Church of Rome is mightily aduanced by the multitude of her supposts and false Pastors who in stead of the true heauenly foode present nothing else but venemous hearbes and false doctrines therewith to feede the soules of men Although I say it appears that this Synagogue of Sathan do daily beare vp saile God sparing and delaying his iudgements against her Yet notwithstanding at length hee will let loose the arrowes of his indignation and fierce anger against her blasphemies so that shee shall no way be able to endure the weight of his displeasure but shall altogither remaine confounded and ruined Whereas on the contrary part hee will defend preserue and encrease day by day his little flock as we may perceiue that many being guided and conducted by his holy spirit haue forsaken the accursed foulde of Popery to ranck themselues amongst the members of his true Church And heere my masters I present my selfe before you as one of them who although I was one of the least members of that great Popish bodie yet did I not desist from persecuting to my vttermost the true Church of our Sauiour and the verity of his Gospell which I impugned by diuerse heresies which I learned in the infectious Cloysters of sundry Monasteries publickly preaching and pronouncing them vnderstanding and corrupting most vilely the holy Scriptures arming and seruing mine owne turne with infinite other subornations only to contradict the trueth withall I did intirely oppose my selfe against that goodly and bright splendour shining most gloriously in the word of God And to speake truely I made a spare of nothing which I imagined might serue for mine owne conseruation in the estate of lying But yet at length when God made me to know that it was ouer-hard for me to kick against the prick and that I had wilfully shut vp mine eyes before only because I would not looke on the bright Sunne of iustice which vouchsafeth to illuminate all the world God then I say in mercie looking vpon mee did let mee plainely perceiue that I deserued no lesse chastisement then the veriest wretch in the whole worlde And to the end I may make a more particular declaration of his grace bestowed vpon mee receiuing Heb. 8. and likewise deliuering to you a sound subiect of him to render all praise and thankes with mee to him therefore as also on the other side that mine example of entring now amongst you may the more resoluedly confirmeyee in the trueth I wil speak and deliuer vnto yee in very fewe words the grounds of those causes which moued and incited mee to forsake Antichristes Gal. 3. part of Rome to followe the trueth of God and ioyne my selfe to the bodie of his Church First of all the word of God teacheth vs that Iesus Christ is our soueraigne Prophet King and Priest and that at one time onely he offered vp himselfe a sacrifice to God for vs who were vtterly lost the children of wrath sinne and death That by one oblation onely hee hath sanctified vs bought vs from the curse of the Lawe euen when hee made himselfe a curse for vs. Now the Church of Rome confesseth that albeit Iesus Christ did die for vs yet his death is not profitable to vs except wee doe some good workes to apply vnto our selues matter of merit thereby As if hee had not offered vp himselfe to his Father but rather is to be offered vp by the Sacrifices and Doctours of the Lawe And that his oblation is not meritorious only except the same be daily reiterated in the Masse which they say is propitiatorie to God both for the liuing and the dead That Christ hath not throughly deliuered vs from the curse of the Lawe but that to bee saued we ought in our selues to accomplish the Lawe Wherein they contradict manifestly the sacred Scriptures and namely that place taught by saint Paule in the second Chapter of his Epistle to Ephes 2. and other places the Ephesians The holy Scriptures also doe enstruct vs that Iesus Christ is the alone Mediatour betweene God and man as also the only 1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 10. Phil. 2. Colos 1. Aduocate and intercessour That hee is the good Sheepheard that God hath subiected all things vnto him and made him the head of his Church The Pope opposing himselfe against all these commaunds that prayers must be made to he Saints and shee Saints as mediatours betweene God and men and in regard that they haue beene men they haue the more communication with our nature and are more enclined to compassion of our miseries then Iesus Christ And yet notwithstanding it is hee that saith Come vnto mee all yee that are heauie laden and I will ease you Beside Whatsoeuer you demaunde Math. 11. Iohn 14. of the Father in my name you shall obtaine it The Pope auoucheth that although Iesus Christ bee the heade of the Church yet saith hee that he himselfe is the ministeriall head thereof in earth and that all things are as wel subiected to him as vnto Christ That all whatsoeuer hee doth or saith ought to be helde and reputed as comming euen from God himselfe That in things which concerne Religion he cannot erre yet notwithstanding many Popes haue bin found to be heretikes witnesse Liberius Marcellinus and others Hee saith also that his commaundements ought to bee executed equally with them belonging to God In breefe hee would make the world beleeue that the Church of GOD is a monster with two heades before which equally all knees ought to bowe and bend God did likewise expresly forbid his people and so consequently to all men to make any grauen Image of any thing Exod. 20. whatsoeuer to vse any seruice thereto or fal downe before it The Pope on the contrarie part hee will haue Churches to