hope their staie the gate of heauen the Queene and mother of mercies Mother of compassion their life their pleasure and their onely Mediatour Aduocate In summe there is no other refuge or present staie than she alone like as they with expresse wordes doe dayly sing in their prayers and thankesgeuing in their Christi virgo dilectissima their Aue Maria stella O intemerata Stabat mater and many other pretie pageantes whiche our holy fathers the Popes of Rome them selues haue made and with manie pardons haue trimly adorned and set out but in especiall in their Salue Regina Yea they beseeche her in one of her prayers which they call Prosas that she will by her motherly authoritie commaunde Christ Iesus the true and euerlasting God and shewe by the date that shee is the mother Moreouer they beseeche her also that shee will accept and receiue them in the last houre of death and to defende them from their foes in the prayer called Maria mater gratiae c. After that all whatsoeuer is spoken in the worthie song of Solomon named Cantica canticorum of Christ the sonne of God of his louing spouse namely the commonaltie of the faithfull Also all whatsoeuer Esaias hath prophesied of the sprigge which should spring out of the roote of Iesse of the same which should crush the old crooked snake that doe they all expound and declare of her Yea also the selfe same first promise which God made to our forefather Adam saying That the seede of the woman should grinde in peeces the head of the Serpent That hath our holy mother the Church of Rome aduisedly expounded of Marie And therefore in place where there stoode He shall grinde hath shee set Shee shall grinde as being spoken not of Christ Iesu the sonne of God but of Marie herselfe which should be the promised seede In summe all the worshippe which in the scripture is attributed to Christ Iesu the euerlasting sonne of God the same hath she bequeathed vnto our Ladie And therefore will shee besides so many holy dayes as are instituted and ordeined for worshipping of her that we shall notwithstanding celebrate and keepe holie the Saturdayes for her to the ende she may at least haue as much preferment as her sonne Iesus Christ to whoÌ„ the Sundayes are attributed Howbeit for all that vppon the Sundayes Officium beatae Mariae that is The seruice which is done for her worshippe must not be forgotten And hereof is it that once at Venice was great heuinesse towards For when the Graie friers had preached vppon S. Francis day the vnspeakable great pardons and merites which might be gotten euerie yeere if so be that the people woulde celebrate that day in their Church by hearing Masses and offering large giftes whereby they gathered great summes of monie The Blacke friers enuying the same did take vppon them to preache that it was not needefull to tarrie a whole yeere for S. Francis day to merite pardons seeing they might haue them euerie Saturday better cheape if they would resort to their Patronesse namely our Ladie euerie weeke and in honour of her bestowâ— their deuotion in their Cloyster whereby they preuailed so much that the people did wholy forsake Saint Francis and bequeathed themselues to our Ladie and the Blacke friers beganne by this meanes to bee verie riche and to make good fatte brues But when the Croutched friers enuying this would also preache that the generall pardon might not onely from weeke to weeke but also from day to day be merited in most abundant maner if so be it that the people would come to celebrate and reuerence the crosse of Christ daily in their Cloyster for as much as Christ by his crosse and passion had purchased such a large remission and pardon of all mens sinnes that they needed not to tarrie for the Saturday and much lesse for S. Francis day neither yet to runne after any other Saintes when as they might draw water out of the fountaine it selfe whereat all the friers together waxed so wrothe â–ª that they procured by the Signoâ—ie of Venice that these Croutched-friers should be musseled forbidden to preache so any more as beeing a matter most hurtfull to all Saintes and especially to our welbeloued mother of God which by the Catholikes is worshipped who was verie wofull to be so forsaken by meanes of following her sonne So as it is not without occasion that our welbeloued mother the holie Church hath foresene this matter so discretely ordeining that she should at least deserue as much deuotion and reuerence as Christ Iesus himselfe For this their Ladie is desirous of glorie and verie fonde of such deuotion which euidently appeareth by her closet wherein she was borne and bred For when the Iewes did first cleaue to the faith of Mahomet gesse when this was then did shee ordeine that the Angels should remoue her closet from the fouÌ„dation standing in Nazareth and beare it through the aire into the countrie of Slauonie But when shee perceiued that she was not sufficiently honoured there as she did looke for then did shee most speedily cause the Angels to remoue the same closet to a hill in the countrie of Recanati in a wood which apperteined to a good womaÌ„ named Loretta wherby she is yet called at this day Our Ladie of Loretta howbeit she could not abide to staie there long for that by reason of the great accesse of people many murders and robberies chanced for which cause she remoued againe caused her closet to be borne vnto an other mounteine or hill which apperteined vnto two brethren which for the lucre or gaine which they receiued by her fell at variance agreed like dogs and cattes together so that she would afreshe remoue againe and seemed in a manner to haue a flie in her taile being vnable to remaine in one place In sum the Angels did remoue this closet again from thence and did bring it vppon a common highway where it doth yet remain to this houre without any ground hold or foundations by reason that the foundations were left at Nazareth And now it is compast in and preserued with bulworkes strong walles which notwithstanding dare not touche the holie closet through feare reuerence which they beare to the same And for proofe that this is true doth first appeare hereby That our Ladie did appeare to a deuoute man in a dreame and hath manifested all these thinges vnto him and he hath declared all the same to the commons of Recanati the which therevpon did forthwith send .xvi. chosen men to Hierusalem to inquire for the certeintie hereof To be briefe they haue found the foundations yet standing there of the same closet so that there remaines no more doubt to be had in this matter Secondly a certeine holie Heremite about two houres before day did see a great light descending from heauen in likenesse to fire which
house For by these followeth that the Churches must be trimmed vp with goodly images Item O Lord I seeke thy countenance Item O Lord the rich shall pray before thy face Item Let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs. For out of these textes do they conclude that men ought to haue our Lords visage goodly painted and to pray to it And for that cause it is that euerie yeare at Rome vpon good Friday the holie Veronica which is an old ouer worne cloute whereon they say our Lords face is painted which they pray vnto with great deuotion And the common people crie alowde Misericordia misericordia that is Mercie mercie The like is done also at Besanson in Burgonia and in manie other places For this same holie fisnomie of the Veronica was sette vpon good grounde and is therefore so well spâ—â—ung vp and in such plentie that there are to bee found a number of them all which do worke great miracles And besides this they bring forth these testimonies to witte that the beliefe commeth not onely by hearing but likewise by sight for that Iohn saith Like as we haue heard so haue we likewise sene Item That the Iewes did weare broade borders vpon their clothes Ergo so must wee likewise haue images in the church with many such other like proofes which close vp together as fitte as a spindle vpon a flesh pot So now when anie man hath a desire to see these goodly testimonies let him read ouer the whole proceeding of the saide Councell of Nice as it is sette foorth in the seconde booke of Councels or else he may reade another little booke which was set foorth about the same time in the name of the Emperour Carolus magnus touching the same Councell hee shall therein reioyce his spirites with reading of all those goodly copious and fine allegations brought out and alledged by those holie fathers to that end and purpose and with the dreames of Constantine who to heale his leprosie had shedde the bloud of young innocent children and was for the same comforted by Peter and Paule in his dreames And there you shall finde also a great manie of goodlie and notable miracles done by images taken out of the booke of Cosmus and Damianus and out of the booke of Sophronius of the miracles of Saints and other such like bookes which those holie fathers caused there to bee read and heard and by their iudgementes established them and allowed them for good So as there is no more doubtes to be put in them than vpon the golden Legende which standes authentike in the Masse booke And to the end that men shall haue the more desire to read them I will bring forth here one example out of them seruing greatly for our purpose to the ende you may perceiue by the nest what birdes are within it There was a liuely holie Monke whiche was continually tempted and troubled with a diuell euen till his olde dayes and when in the end he beganne to waxe wearie of it hee then did pray the diuell verie friendly that hee woulde let him alone in quiet wherevpon the diuell did answere him that so farre as he would promise to do and sweare to keepe secrete a thing that hee woulde commaunde him then hee woulde leaue off to trouble him anie more The Monke did promise him and tooke therevpon a deepe othe Then said the diuell If thou wilt that I shall trouble thee no more then thou must not pray anie more to that image and it was an image of our Ladie holding her childe in her armes But the Monke was more craftie than the diuel for he went and confessed him of it the next day to the Abbot and the Abbot did dispense with him for his othe vpon condition that hee should continue his praying to the image Is not that a fine and worthie testimonie borowed of the diuell whereby the holie Fathers in the foresaide Councell haue wonderfull strongly established the praying vnto images Truely it is worthie to be written vpon balkes and beames because calues shall not licke it off And our Champion maister Gentianus is worthie to carie the standard to be crowned with a three footed stoole seeing hee dare so boldly aduenture to lay the worthinesse of that Councell in the ballance against the second commaundement of God which doth sharpely forbid all worshipping and praying to images and likewise bringeth in the said Councell against the Councell of Eliberum which was kept in Spaine in the yeare of our Lorde 1200 and was consonant and agreeable vnto the worde of God. The xiiii Chapter VVhich treateth of some particular images and painted tables which the Church of Rome doth vse and for the establishing of the same by the Scripture NOwe because these Heretikes are most busie with some speciall images which the holie Church of Rome doe vse with great deuotion and with them doe these Heretikes mocke and ieast most of all it is verie necessarie that wee proue and establish the same out of the holy scripture Then to begin withall it is not to be mocked nor wondered at that they in their Churches and Masse bookes doe paint the Trinitie with three faces for our mother the holie Church did learne that at Rome where they were wont to paint or carue Ianus with two faces And then further there is written in Iohn That there are three in heauen which beare witnesse the Father the Worde and the Holie ghost and these three are one c. Then of necessitie they must be painted or made with three heades or three faces vpon one necke For whereas these heretikes say that it is plaine forbidden to make the likenesse of God any maner of way seeing God himselfe saith Thou didst heare a voyce out of the bush but thou sawest no likenesse Therfore be well warie that thou make not anie image after my likenesse That was spoken to the Iewes onelie and is now altered through the worthie custome and vsage of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome And whereas the holy Church hath also chosen to make the similitude of the father an olde man with a long gray beard and for the sonne a man hanging on the crosse and for knowledge of the holie Ghost a doue that is done of her owne inuention and free will. For she might as well haue made a bushe or a flame of fire or a cloude to counterfeite the father for that he did shewe himselfe in all these likenesses as well as in the likenesse of a man or they might as well haue made for Christ a childe in a cradle or a man teaching and instructing the people And likewise for the holie Ghost a tongue or a flame of fire as well as they doe a man crucified or a doue But therein shee doeth vse her libertie for that hath alwayes his course by the common rule which is Sic volo sic iubeo
whereof bread is made and the grapes whereof the wine is made are no fruites of the earth but of the Sea as the fishe is for otherwise they were likewise accursed and so must â—e forbidden on the fasting dayes Or else it may be alledged that the holie Church hath dispensed with them because the fishe woulde not haue had any good last without bread and wine And for this cause hath our mother the holie Châ—râ—h forbidden the eating of fleshe as a thing vncleane and accursed in somuche that those whiche doe eate fleshe or â—gges vpon a fish day are to be banished and rooted out as shamelesse Heretikes and to be burntâ— at a stake because notwithstanding whatsoeuer may be alledged out of Paule or out of the holie scriptures that flesh and egges are vncleane vnholie yea and accursed and that is apparant by the great miracle that happened in Italie vpon the mountaine called Il monte de la virgine that is Our Ladies mountaine For whosoeuer doeth bring vnto that mountaine flesh or egges yea or milke by and by it will be full of wormes because our Ladie will not suffer that anie man shall eate vpon her mountaine flesh nor anie vncleane meates but only fish or hearbes and fruites But what needes all this And though the flesh were not cursed nor vncleane yet notwithstanding our deere mother the holy Church hath great reason to forbid the eating of it for that shee at the least may haue a difference in the eating of meates and in that point shewe her selfe something like vnto the figures and shadowes of the olde Testament wherein the children of Israel â–ª were forbidden certaine kindes of flesh as a thing vncleane Although that our deare mother is of such discretion and vnderstanding that she doth not esteeme flesh to be altogether vncleane in it selfe For otherwise our holie Father the Pope with his Bishops and Cardinals woulde not so well digest it that they woulde as well in the Lent as on good Friday it selfe licke their fingers after it But shee doth not meane to vse her Prelates straitely in that matter but to proue lightly the obedience of her subiectes like as GOD in the olde Testament did forbid his people certaine meates rather for the keeping of them in subiection than that the meates of them selues were vncleane for whatsoeuer GOD hath created is from the beginning of it selfe good and cleane but the holie Church of Rome hath had another respect in this matter as that shee did esteeme the fleshe for vncleane but not in it selfe but vnto suche as haue not bought Bulles of licence of the Pope to the ende they might digest the same with a cleare conscience For like as in the time of Paule all meates were made holie by prayer and by thankesgiuing so is the meate nowe made holie with the Popes Bulles for whosoeuer hath those may boldely eate of all meates without anie scruple and say with a good conscience Omnia munda mundis that is to say To a man that is cleane all things are cleane But he that hath no Bull although he had ten times prayed and giuen God thankes for his good giftes yet that can not helpe him at all hee must bee cursed excommunicated and cleane rooted out of the number of the good Catholikes and faithfull subiectes of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome yea and bee burnt at a stake like an arrant and gracelesse Heretike And therefore it is that the holie Prelates Cardinals Bishops and all other loyall subiects of the sea of Rome doe so often forget to say grace and prayers at their meate and when as sometime by ill hap they do say grace which happens verie seldome they say it commonly in a tongue or language which neither they themselues nor but a verie fewe of those which sit at the table with them do vnderstand not esâ—eming that that can much profit to the clensing of the meat nor much hinder nor further the matter so that they haue good daintie fare But they in place of this will eat flesh on a fasting day and for that purpose in stead of grace they must haue their Bulles well sealed hanging downe with silken tassels yea and such as they themselues can well both read and vnderstand otherwise it were all not worth a strawe So now then flesh on fish dayes is vncleane to them that haue no Bulles which you may conceiue by this That in Spaine where the holie inquisition doeth beare the swinge yet he whosoeuer that can get a Bull for a royall of plate may eate all the Lent through puddings tripes and all the entrails with head neck and purtenaunce without anie daunger or scruple of conscience And therefore it is that the worthie Doctour Eckius taking vpoÌ„ him to defend this forbidding of meats by scripture doth bring in this text out of the Acts of the Apostles Take heede that you refraine your selues from meates offred vnto idols For as Paule saith That which was offred vnto idols was offred to the diuel and therefore he did curse all such as should eate of it with such a conscience â–ª So likewise saith he it falleth out alwayes with flesh on fasting dayes when as the vncleannesse and malediction thereof is not taken away and made cleane by the Popes Buls but otherwise it is all well inough as here before is sufficientlie proued The xvi Chapter VVherein Lent is proued by the Scripture And further that the Romish church must counterfeite Christ in all pointes and lastlie touching festiuall dayes and the ordeining of the same ANd nowe as touching the time of Lent that is verie stronglie proued by our deare mother the holie Church out of the scripture For it is written That we are bound to offer vp vnto GOD the tenth part of our goods And now saith the holie Church Lent is the tenth part of the yeere and therefore must wee necessarilie obserue the whole Lent not presuming to eate anie fleshe at all Considering that as is before said flesh proceedeth of the earth which is accursed for nowe for the tenthes of three hundreth three score and fiue dayes wee must fast sixe and thirtie dayes and yet there remaines fiue dayes sixe houres and of these fiue dayes we do fast foure not for payment of tenthes but for an other occasion to wit That the talies of good workes and merites might be full So there remaineth yet one day and sixe houres which maketh iust thirtie houres whereof the tenth is not paid but for recompense of that we must go late to supper So nowe is not this past verie iust Now let God come and take a reckoning when soeuer hee will and hee shall finde that the holie Church of Rome is not one pennie in his debt nay shee hath rather paide him more than his duetie For this reckoning you shall finde passed and set downe in the reckoning booke of the Decrees if God
and finelie out of the scripture The xix Chapter VVherein is concluded that all the ceremonies of the holie Church of Rome are founded vppon the Scripture if they be well vnderstoode and according to their interpretation which onelie is to bee esteemed so good and what aduantage they haue that stande fast to this interpretation And herein is likewise mention made of the masse and of maister Durandus booke YEa shee doeth nothing in the world either of great or small importance but it is all so finelie founded vppon the Scripture as can bee deuised And that may appeare by this That shee hath fetched the golden slippers and the precious breeches of our most holie Father the Pope out of the Scriptures For it is written O howe faire and pleasaunt are the feete of those which bring tidinges of peace which bring good tidings which after their interpretation is as much to say as That the feete and legges of the Pope of Rome must be decked with goodlie golden slippers and with maruellous rich and costlie breeches as it is well set forth by the holie Doctour Bishop Durandus And therevpon it proceedeth likewise that the Pope doeth suffer Kings Emperours to kisse his feete yea to treade vppon the Emperour Frederiks necke as is before declared And the rather his feete are to be kissed because they are so faire pleasant and smell so sweete especiallie two or three dayes after he is dead for then come all the deuoute catholike people and kisse them bare whereby they obteine a verie great indulgence and pardon But nowe if anie man be desierâ—us to vnderstand howe finelie all this is grounded vpon Scripture and further to know particularlie the reasons and causes of all the other ceremonies of the holie Church of Rome and to see howe they are fished euen out of the verie deepest ground bottome of the holie Scriptures let him read the booke of Durandus which vpon this occasion he hath named Rationale diuinorum officiorum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The reckoning and reason or cause of the ceremonies and diuine seruices of the Church of Rome He shall therein finde maruellous secrets and verie trimme iewels yea if the whole Bible were cleane lost there might quicklie a newe Bible be deuised and made out of this booke which would agree a great deale better with the ordinances of the holie Church then the Epistles of Paul doe which these Heretikes and Huguenotes haue in such great reputation He hath the textes of the Bible as fast as a handfull of flies and there is not one iotte conteined or vsed in the blessed Masse but hee hath a good reason and a trimme text to bring in for it There is not one hole but he hath a pegge to stoppe it hee doeth there set you forth maruelous trimlie all the reasons why the Priest doeth so trimme him selfe in such mumming garments when he goeth about to play his parte why hee doeth first put a biggin vpon his head and then a long garment like a womans smocke aloft vppon his gowne and then aboue that a Cassocke without sleeues looking out at a litle holâ— aboue euen like as a Snaile lookes out of her shell or like as a magget a pie out of her cayge Why he is bound with a corde about the middle like a theefe that were going to hanging why hee doeth turne sometime his tayle to the people and sometime his face why hee trippes sometime to the one ende of the Altar and sometime to the other side of the Altar as though hee were daunsing the Maides Morice Why hee heaues or liftes vppe his voyce sometime like a chimnie sweeper and by and by hee is as still and quiet againe as it were a mouse in a trappe why sometime hee foldeth his handes together like sorrowfull Marie Magdalene and sometime hee stretches them out on euerie side as though hee would shoote in Robin Hoodes bowe and then sodenlie hee pluckes them in againe and tosseth them from the one side to the other as though hee were catching of flies or would fraye and scarre awaye crowes After this hee doeth set foorth verie perfectlie and in particular all the occasions and reasons wherefore Sir Iohns Table is so earlie couered and the Cup the little Cannes and the sauser so mannerlie set therevppon and wherefore Sir Iohn doeth sometime sleepe at his table and sometime starteth vppe sodenlie out of his dreame Item what it meaneth that hee doeth runne and whisper his secretes to the breade and wine in their eares with a lowe soft voyce and that his companions sometime crie out so yealling with open throates like wolues in a caue or like swine when the butcher killeth them and wherfore some goe to work with Organes other with ringing of bels as though there were an vplandish bellie-feast towards or some such triumphe And wherefore men do in the meane space light torches as though they were bringing the Bride to bedde and wherefore they lift vp the Priests taile behind him as though they would looke into his arse to minister a glister to him And if you peruse that booke well you shall likewise finde there wherefore Sir Domine with his long smocke doth so lustelie lift vp on hie a wafer and a cup of wine and that then euerie bodie falleth downe vpon their knees and knocketh vpon their breastes with their fistes and wherefore the Priest beginneth then to looke so â—â—â—â—fully â–ª like a caâ—â—e laide on the butchers stall and then beginneth â—o lament the wafer or sâ—nging bread pitifullie â–ª to weepe with sâ—â—nes teares â–ª and then at the last when hee hath tossed it too and fro long inough away it goeth with a 〈◊〉 into his throate and so swalloweth it downe without chewing and then hee hath his cuppe filled againe and so he sendeth that after the rest And yet you shall vnderstand further wherfore he doth licke the chalice so sweetely as an Ape licketh her yong ones And you shall besides all this beare wonders of all the rest of the holie ceremonies of the Romish Church which they do vse at their MatteÌ„s at noone at euensong at complen and manie other times with great deuotion with all the gestures and fashions which they doe therein vse and who haue deuised them all and what euerie one of them doeth signifie Hee can tell you more all the feast dayes and double feastes all Vigils Ember dayes and fasting dayes all dayes of fish and egges all processions goings about with the crosse gange dayes and all the whole brabling vsed through the yeere all this hath hee euen at his fingers endes and can bring in for euerie one of them textes verie finelie founded out of the Scripture So that I assure you it is a pleasure for those that can heare it Besides all this you haue there set forth all the estate pompe and pranckings of our holy Bishops and Prelates especiallie
You poore Heretikes saieth he howe can you be of a true beleefe if you do not first accept the twelfe articles of the faith And how should you accept them seeing you will not beleeue the holy Catholike Church For consider this he doeth take to serue his turne a most certeine and vndoubted point That no man can beleeue the holie Church but hee must ioyntly withall receiue and accept all whatsoeuer the saide Church doth set forth and beleeue And this is greatly to be coÌ„sidered seeing herevpon doth rest the most speâ—ial ground and strongest bulwarke of the holy Church of Rome For these Heretikes can very stedfastly say that they theÌ„selues are the church of god And to 〈◊〉 that they introduce and bring in many goodly textes out of the Scripture but they alledge them only according to the letter euen as though the Church were nothing els but an assemblie or congregation of holy men that is to say of such as through faith or beleefe are by the bloud of Iesus Christ blessed and chosen to be the sheepefolde of Iesus Christe the true and only sheepheard of our soules into which fold none are receiued but such alone as will hearken to the onely voyce of that onely shepheard and followe and goe after him onely forsaking and not knowing the voyce of any straunger Whereby they will nowe conclude that our great Maister the Pope with all the right honourable Bishops and Prelates which haue of them selues set forth manie goodly ordinances whereof Christ neuer knewe word should be those very straungers and hirelings which seeke onely the wooll of the sheepe and haue serued God feignedly setting forth and teaching the commandements and doctrine of men yea that they shuld be the theeues and murtherers that haue not entred in at the right doore which is Iesus Christ but are crept in a wrong way to steale kill and destroye And therfore do they cut vs cleane off notwithstanding what soeuer wee alleadge of the Church of God and of her authoritie power and woorthines But they alledge out of the Prophet Ieremie That al is but lyes and deceyt whervpon we establish our selues crying with the Iewes The Church of God The Church of God The Church of God. And herevpon doe they bring vs forth and alledge their Paul saying That the only true ground and foundation of the Church of God is established onely vppon the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles so that who soeuer he be that falleth from the same can not be accompted for a true member of Christs Church And then they bring forth an Esaie out of a corner and an Ezechiel an Oseas with diuers other out of the olde Testament which they set al together on a heape and will defend themselues therewith that the stedfast successioÌ„ and that long continued race of the Popes Cardinals Bishoppes and Archbishops are in no wise that right token and that vncounterfeyt marke of the Church but the onely the sincere worde of God when as that is in our mouthes and in our heartes and in the mouthes and heartes of our children accompanied with the right vse of the Sacraments according to the perfit ordeining of Christ Iesus who is the only head of the Church and congregation in whom all people are ioyntly vnited euery one according to the measure of the gift which he hath receiued of the head to the ful growth of the whole body in loue Well well when they haue done all their prating yet must this needes be true That they are but Heretikes and smel after the fagot the good yere and all the cause why For that they doe not beleeue all that the holy Church doth beleeue and without the Church is no saluation but all such as fall from her must be burnt like fagottes for to that end haue we a plaine text of Scripture which saith thus Who soeuer doeth not abyde in me shall be cast out of the vineyarde as a branche and there wither and men gather those branches and cast them in the fire and burne them And this same is apparent out of the second point of this Epistle nowe folowing Whereas Gentianus doeth openly coÌ„fesse that at al times and for euer there haue bin some men which haue helde the same opinions set forth the like learning that these Lutheranes and Huguenotes do nowe followe But he answereth the matter thus That such haue alway bene banished and cursed for heretikes and all this is verie true For euer since that Iohn the Archfather Patriarch of Constantinople began to take vpon him to be the vniuersall Bishop of all Bishops within Christendome which attempt the Pope of Rome dyd in the beginning stoutly withstande and that then afterwardes Boniface the thirde did obteyne that tytle for him selfe and was by the Emperour Phocas declared Cheefe or superiour Bishop ouer all Christendome and ordeined the head of the Church which thing was brought to passe in the yeere of our Lord 680. From that time forward I saye there haue alwayes bene many factious and busie fellowes stirring abroade which as well by writing as preaching haue withstoode the Pope and condemned his doctrine decrees and ordinances euen by the Scripture yea and blazed and set him selfe forth for an Antichrist alledging euen as our Heretikes nowe do that men ought to repose themselues and buyld vpon the sincere word of God onely and further to holde and esteeme all ordinances of the Popes not agreeing with the Scripture for deuilishe doctrine But as before is declared such haue alwayes bin reputed and condemned for Heretikes Therefore to the ende that no man shall thinke this to be nowe a new dealing of the holy Church to condemne these Lutheranes and Huguenotes for Heretikes and likewise that no man shall suppose that this their doctrine and Articles which they set forth are first growen in their gardens I will therefâ—â—e make here a brief discourse of such as haue here before set forth these matters as well by mouth as by writing to make it plainely appeare to the worlde that there is not one Article which they bring forth but iâ— hath bene long before â—et a bâ—â—che openly â–ª that the holy Church of Rome hath both punished and condemned it for heresie Then to begin withall it is plaine that the Grekes haue alwayes daâ—peâ—ly withstoode the holy Pope of Rome and would neuer acknowledge him neither for Pope nor for the head of the Church like as yet euen in these dayes they do not in so much as in the yere of our Lorde 1328. at which tyme Pope Iohn the 23. had written very wisely and sharpely to the Grekes and by many wordes defended the cause That first there was but one only Church whereof he ought to be the head vnder whom all Christendome ought to submit them selues they dyd againe sende him this answere which followeth We beleeue verely
a paire of gloues that their left hande knoweth not what the right hand doth And their gold ring what doth it els signifie but that they be vpright without dissimulation Their staffe that they are strōg against heretiks And their handkercher which is alwaies at hand that they bee euer readie to abandon all earthlie filthines and wholie doe rubbe of their fleshlie affections After this all Priestes in generall haue they not a shauen crowne on their heades to shewe that like as a round crowne hath no corners so haue they not anie filthines which they can spare or be without But if I should rehearse all these matters peece by peece it would verilie seeme to be a Babylon which is A fowle confusion or meruellous medlie Therefore it is suffient to gather hereby what great mortification doeth lurke and lie hidden in the skinnes of these holie subiectes of the Romish Church which by their outward apparell and seeming doe shewe such exceeding great holinesse I referre now al men to consider what is to be thought of their inward parts which are so holie as though they were possest with seuen spirites To the contrarie whereof these newe Preachers haue neither sticke nor staffe myter nor ring neither yet anie shauen crownes or other whereby they may declare their mortification yea they goe arraied like other plaine people and say that Penance and mortification doeth not consist in such and such like outward ceremonies but in the conuersion of the mind and soule to Godwardes and in an inwarde feeling of miseries a true feling of Gods wrath against sinne and in a firme faith and trustie staie vppon Gods goodnes and mercie through the merites of Iesus Christ. Moreouer That bodilie excercise is litle vailable but Godlinesse in all thinges is profitable and helpefull Wherein they sufficientlie shewe that they knowe litle concerning the mortification which the holie Church doeth teache and they contemne holie Confession Contrition Absolution and Satisfaction and other such like thinges and loue the first day of Lent aswell as the last Behold for this cause is it that Maister Gentianus hath so cunninglie concluded in this Article That they hate wholie condemne fasting praying abstinence and mortification of the flesh The iii. Chapter VVhich doeth shewe howe it is to be vnderstood that we can not make satisfaction for the least offence and hree is concluded that the penaunce of Heretikes is not acceptable with God. BVt forsomuch as they do here acknowledge that we can neuer make satisfaction for the least offence of the worlde that might seeme to be a great heresie for if it were so the Heretikes shoulde haue great reason to saye that our satisfaction were vaine and friuolous And therefore they would say as hath bin shewed before That we ought to laie aside and treade vnder foote all hope of satisfaction and wholy to cleaue trust to the meere goodnes vndeserued mercie of God which in respect of our partes is without desert bestowed vpō vs but in respect of Gods righteousnes is giuen vs for an exceding deere price to witte the bloud of Christ Iesus the vnspotted lambe which as Esaie saith hath borne our infirmities was laden with our punishments which was wounded for our sins and for our sakes did suffer death and vpon him is laid the punishment whereby we are at peace And hereout they conclude with Paul That we haue through Christ all satisfaction and that hee is wholie our saluation iustification and deliuerance ▪ And with Peter That by none other in the world saluation is to be gotten for somuch as there is not anie other name giuen to mankinde whereby they may be saued insomuch that all our boasts whether it be of good workes merites or satisfaction is wholie excluded and brought to nothing in so much as before God it doth not preuaile and that no fleshe can be iustified in his presence by the workes of the lawe and that all our righteousnes is naught els but a stained cloth But al this is heresie as it hath ben sufficientlie shewed before and they which learne such are hanged and burned like Heretikes For els as hath bin said what should become of satisfaction and meritorious deedes which according to the doctrine of the holy Church do amend faultes escaped and by good foresight defend and set vs free from those to come What should become of al our good works whereby wee can deserue three sundrie things namelie Eternall life Increase augmentation of mercie and Forgiuenes of sinnes What should become of the merites of Saintes through the which the holie church doeth pray vnto God that he wil pardon all their offences through the Saintes whose reliques bones do lie on the altar where the Masse is said In so much as often shee doeth pray through the merites of ashes horses and dogges whose bones for the most parte remaines also as reliques on their altars What moreouer should become of our exceeding good workes which are called Opera supererogationis wherewith wee doe not onelie make satisfaction for our selues but also for others and especiallie for the soules in Purgatorie Yea what shoulde become of Purgatorie it selfe if there were not satisfaction What would become of Pardons and Bulles which are allowed and sent from the Pope Verelie they would serue for no purpose better than to be brought to the house of office to be sealed with portingale waxe if so bee it were true which Maister Gentianus doth here set downe as that wee are vnable to make recompence for the least offence It were in deede a lamentable case therefore we must vnderstande him here aright For his meaning was to speake thus obscurelie because he would tole and entise the heretikes into the field For otherwise this is not his meaning but doeth simplie vnderstand that we can not satisfie Nisi concurrente gratia that is to say Except mercie doeth assist and helpe our merites as is said before sometimes thorough the pikes For we haue apparantlie concluded that wee must make a bargain betwixt God and vs He doeth giue vs his mercie in our baptisme but after that wee must shift for our selues and by our good deedes bind God vnto vs so that of duetie he must receiue vs into heauen especiallie if we be assisted with the meanes and by helpes of holie church namelie by the vertue of the Masse holie water tapers c. and with the Popes Bulles for thereby will our infirmities amende like corne shaken with a shower of haile or like fish left on the sandes and as sower Ale in Sommer And if so be that besides this we will submit our selues and take vnto vs the habit of a Monke or Frier and so frame our selues after the ful shapen order of S. Francis S. Dominicks rule and so compasse more then God hath commaunded vs then wee excell all the rest of our
commonlie to much tongue and therefore are often punished and if then they do not mend they are throwen into a dungeon or are closed somewhere betwixt two walles in a seller and there permit them to liue so long as they can Like as might haue bene seene a yeere ago at Antwerpe Ghaunt and other places more which haue remained there some eight or ten yeeres some twentie and thirtie yeeres Therefore it is no maruell though Monkes be vnlearned insomuch as in the Latin tongue is vsed a common prouerbe Monacho indoctior that is to say A great Asse or dolt and more vnlearned than a Monke Yea they haue a speciall Latin tongue for their own vse which the learned sorte them selues can not vnderstand and is called Friers latin or Kitchen latin But touching Priestes they neede no great learning for if they can but onelie repeate the fiue secrete wordes of the Masse without giuing Priscian or Despauter a bobbe on the face that is to say without intermingling of Friers latin than is the matter cocke sure They are more learned then the Angels in heauen for they can make God which thing the Angels can not doe And if besides that they knowe but howe to brewe of the smallest sort of latin withall then hath their sowe pigd they may bee bold to inuite their neighbors to the feast and serue out messes with the great Laten ladell for then they may not onelie bee parish Priestes but also Bishops Prelates Cardinals yea Popes them selues And what more can they craue For touching their life we must alwayes coniecture the best like as is commaunded in the Decrees and not to thinke that those which dailie do handle God would commit anie thing that is not to be allowed Therfore if a Priest do kisse a maid or grope her about the pappes we must suppose that he is about to shrieue her or doeth giue her absolution for her sinnes And if sobe any man doth take them opeÌ„lie with the manner he must couer or lap them about with his own cloake lest he make them ashamed For they are euen by nature verie shamefast change collour like a pewter platter otherwise may not anie correct or punish theÌ„ as is shewed before with the expressed wordes of the Sodomites which would not be corrected of Loth yea although they were the veriest smelsmocks which might liue For they are of that nuÌ„ber which plead Noli me taÌ„gere Touch me not The iii. Chapter VVhich treateth whether the spiritualtie doe likewise practise knauerie and here is repeated the high noble stocke of the Clergie their forefathers â–ª progenie brought into 32. degrees and ech set out and beautifiâ—d with his armes crestes banners and knightlie actes IN recording or calling to mind the suÌ„me hereof a deuout wel disposed catholike mind might suppose whether it were possible for the most reuerend spiritual professors whose daily exercise is to make god who are created and descended from the stocke of the most holie father the Pope of Rome might vse or were able to exercise any kind of knauerie or wicked dedes God forbid that anie such matters should passe in our thoughts For howe were that possible Seeing they are all sprong forth of so noble a stocke descended of so worthie so righteous holy forefathers whose footsteps they followe so feruently that a mans heart must melt away to heare the same rehearsed But to the end it may seme no iest I will as brieflie as I may define their noble worthie progenie and set it foorth to eche mans sight to the ende these birds may be knowen by their kind these coltes by their dammes And for that eche thing may appeare substantiall I will after the sagest and ancientest maner of these noble Dom Cannons of Colen Ludick bring their stocke into 32. degrees to wit eight from the fathers father eight from the fathers mother also eight froÌ„ the mothers father and eight from the mothers mother For whoso can describe these degrees in their proper and deserued armes banners without doubt there is nothing to be gainsaied but that he may not only be a dom CaÌ„non but also freely possesse al the priuiledges of a Gentleman and account himselfe to descend of the worthiest race Like as eche who herein hath anie knowledge will easilie condiscend Therefore if cace I can declare anie such thing of the old discent of the holie forefathers of the spiritualtie then is the case sixe and spite their teeth they must bee famous For the bloud wil not lie and a Goose can laie no Owles egges It must be most true and certein or Mussels are no fishe Concerning then the first eight quarters they proceede onlie of noble most famous and renoumed Heretikes notorious blasphemers of God and shameles deriders which haue plaied mocke holie daye with all religious and godlie setuice For in place of the first they haue the holie father Pope Liberius vpon whom they builde their stocke who after he had first stedfastlie professed the trueth for the same had bene banished by the Emperour Constantius did afterwardes reuoke and to please the Emperour did turne his coate and reputed him self amongst the Arrians which denied the eternall Deitie or godhead of christ And being for that cause banished was through the intreatie of the Noble Romane women which were also of the Arrians disposition called home againe from his banishment and restored anewe vnto his seate from whence hee had bene driuen before Insomuch as there was great dissention and brabling betwixt him and Pope Foelix who had in his absence occupied his place which Foelix Hierome and Eusebius also do witnes to haue bene an Heretike and for that cause obteined the Seate of Rome howbeit other Historiographers write the coÌ„trarie After that they count their discent from Anastasius the second who in the dayes of Anastasius the Emperour about the yeere of our Lord 500. did likewise decline from the trueth and consented to the Nestorians who denied the humanitie or manhood of Christ yea he sought by al meanes possible to call the Heretike Acatius from his banishment home againe and vsed likewise free accesse and companie with Photinus the heretike in so much that he was forsaken of al true beleeuing Bishops and at last being stroken by the hand of God did in easing him selfe voide all his intrailes and departed this life as Arrius did before him Thirdlie they boast them selues vppon Boniface the eight who reigned in the times of the Emperours Adolphus and Albertus this prouerbe in those dayes passing of him Intrauit vt vulpes regnauit vt leo mortuus est vt Canis that is to say He entred like a fox raigned like a lion and died like a dogge For when Coelestin the fift a good simple companion did possesse the Sea of Rome and for his honestie and specially for that he
sortes are here to be sold Buy what you will for monie downe told Churches Priestes Altars Offrings and Crownes We passe for quicke sale all cities and townes Fire Franckincense Dirges and pardons from paine Hell Heauen God the Diuell we giue all for gaine Wherewith a good Abbat doth finelie agree who being asked Papa cuius partis orationis That is to say What part of speeche is this word Pope Answered that it was Participii partis Quia partem capit a Clero partema Seculari partem ab vtroque cum totius orbis doloris significatione sine modis temporibus That is to say This word Pope is a participle or of the qualitie of those which put foorth their hands on both sides of the dishe for he receiues of the Spiritualtie hee receiues of the Temporaltie doth parte stakes on both sides without measure or end to the great anguish and sorowe of all the world And for proofe of this may be sufficientlie perceiued by the taxes or valuing of Benefices wherout the Pope must alwais haue his share For to let sky a manie of scrappes which he so carefullie doeth gather from vnder the table of the Beneficed like a dogge onlie the first yerely fruites which the Bishops Abbats Prelats and other beneâ—ice buiers must alow the Pope do amount onelie in France yere by yere but to tenne times an hundreth thousand Crownes Yea in the time of Pope Pius the 2. were void in France aboue twentie so of Archbishoprikes as Bishoprikes which brought to his coffers a hundreth twentie thousand Crownes After that he receiued not much lesse of xl Abbies which were likewise voide in his time And further of Priories Deanties and Parsonages he got in no lesse than an hundreth thousand Crownes And aboue all these were there about an hundreth thousand parish Churches Pastorships which the one with the other did eche alow to the Pope xxv Crownes Behold and consider if this doth not in the whole amount vnto xxviii times an hundreth thousande and more xl thousand Crownes Reckon then and ouercast all the other profites besides the first fruites And then ponder what a monstrous summe of money al other countries throughout all Christendome doe bring together which in a manner are serued with the like sawce I omit the reuenewes which he receiueth and is paid euerie yere by the strumpets of Rome amounting for eche paid a Ducate aboue fortie thousand Ducates besides that which he dueth likewise get of the Iewes and further that which is brought him in the chamber of penance where the remission of all sinnes are rated and taxed at a certen price like as we haue touched before and graunted dispensations for to marrie with their neerest kinred whiche is not allowed to anie but such as be riche For thus soundeth the text Et nota diligenter quod huiusmodi gratiae dispensationes non coÌ„ceduntur pauperibus quia non sunt ideo non possunt consolari That is to say And note diligentlie that such fauour and dispensations are not alowed to the poore for they are not and therefore can not be comforted Behold this is a text of the Bible which speaking of the people of Israel vnder the name of Rachel saith that she is mournfull and doth bewaile her children and can not be comforted because they are not present This doeth the holie Romish Church vnderstand of the poore fellowes which haue no Ducates or Crownes of golde and therefore can not be relieued in the chamber of penance where none finde ease but such as will come off and deale liberallie But who were able to declare al the sundrie merchandizes fines trumperies and simonie of the most holie fathers and Pope of Rome It is euen a verie bottomles poole whiche doeth surpasse mans capacitie Insomuch as wee neede not maruell that Pope Iohn the 22. after his discease did leaue vnto his successours xxv Millians or xxv times thousand thousand Crownes in redie monie which after our reckoning is fiue hundreth tonnes of golde Besides all that which he whilest he was Pope did wastfullie spende and consume with whores and knaues with sumptuous and daintie fare with riot and banqueting and other such like Popelie holinesse the which vndoubtedlie was an infinite masse of monie Therefore it is that the Archbishop of Maydenburg noting this summe and hauing cast and reckoned that in the time of Pope Martin the fift were brought into Rome as good as nine millians of golde which is nine times thousande thousande Crownes onelie out of France with great admiration vsed these wordes Iudicet timoratus quae vorago haec That is to say Each one which feareth God record and iudge hereby what an vnsatiable bottomlesse poole this is But what nedeth further repetition hereof Euerie one doth know wel inough that al things with the Popes of Rome are set at sale And this appeareth sufficiently by the worthie actes of the holy fathers Alexander the 6. and Leo the tenth For of the first did Iohn Picus Prince of Mirandula write thus Vendit Alexander Cruces Altaria Christum Emerat ipse prius Vendere iure potest That is to say Vpstart Pope Alexander and out with his male And made vp his market What set he to sale Christ by Saint Maerie Altars and Crosses He bought them to sell them Men liue not by losses And of the other did the learned Poet Accius Sannaharius indite as followeth Sacra sub extrema Si forte requiritis hora Cur Leo non potuit Sumere vendiderat That is to say If this to knowe be your intent Why Leo at his dying day Could not receiue the Sacrament What other cause did lette I pray But that for greedie gaine of gold Out of his hands the same he sold. But if promotions and benefices were onelie to be solde for monie and bribes then were our deare mother the holy church to be borne with and not greatly to bee blamed But what helpeth it It is apparantlie perceiued that they are to be gotten by Ruffianlike liuing whorehunting periurie and abhominable Sodomiticall filthinesse For to the end I let slip that Pope Paulus the third after that he was put by the third time did at last obteine a Cardinals hatte by the importunate instigation of his sister Iulia Fernesia Pope Alexanders strumpet who threatened to forsake him vnlesse he would admit her brother into the honest and worthie fellowshippe of Cardinals To the end I also let slip the forenamed litle Cardinal of Monte who by his filthie Sodomitical mildemeanour possessed the Cardinals hat of Pope Iulius de Monte. Those which haue but a while frequented Rome can testifie that it is a common order vsuall course yea it is not of to day nor yesterday but it is one of the olde traditions or customes of the holie Romish Church which she without setting downe in writing hath receiued from the father to the childe or from heire to
And it seemeth partely that our bees be of a feminate disposition The other as Euhemerus saith that they are proceeded of hornettes and horseflies which did norishe and feede Iupiter being in a caue in the lande of Creta and that he for that cause did endue them with honnie Which fable therein doeth agree with the trueth forsomuch as the idol Iupiter and all other idols are nourished and mainteined with the hony of our bees and by them brought acquainted in the worlde Some suppose they were firste founde in Thessalia whiche is a verie fertile soile of all manner poisones and sorcerers necessaries the other say in an Isâ—and named Quea other some vppon a mounteine Himettus In suÌ„me what so euer it be thus much is of it that our Bees are exceeding olde for Moses mentioneth that in Aegypt were suche a sorte of Bees Dauid declareth also of a swarme of such Bees which hadde enuironed him aboute And Esaie speaketh of the Bees in in Assyria and Chaldea Yet notwithstanding our Bees do somwhat differ from those For these were firste bredde at Rome in the dayes of Numa Pompilius and continued many hundred yeares after and are maruellousâ—ie increased yet after that the firste kinde beeing all most worne out they are growen to an other kinde in the dayes of Phocas the Emperour of Rome But wee will permitte this to the iudgements of Historiographers and prosecute our matter The iii. Chapter Of the qualitie and sundrie sorts of Bees Those Bees Ergo are of sundrie qualities but are in a manner all brought into two sortes or species according to the description of Plinie For the one are domesticall or house Bees and bee conuersant among people The other are strange and odde terrible to see to more teaslie or angrie and with a sharper sting but withall more diligent in their Beehiue And albeit they are conuersant also amongest people and frankly bestowe their honie yet bee they more solitarie and straunger than the other and therefore are called with the Greeke worde Monachi that is to say dwelling solitarie or by them selues and are knowen from other by a hoode which they weare on their heads Wee will tearme the first tame Bees and these wilde Bees Furthermore they are both diuided into foure manner of sortes or kindes after the description of Aristotle and Columella Of which the verie best are thicke and round they make the most honie keepe companie next to their king amongest which the most excellent are of a sanguine colour as though they had redde scarlet winges These tend the king are commonlie by his side being of both kindes wilde and tame the other are of manifolde and sundrie sortes with more varietie but howe much the neerer they approche to the king so much the thicker rounder they commonlie growe The second kinde or sort resemble and are like to Waspes Horseflies and Hornets they make not so much honie as the first because they come not of so good a kinde Notwithstanding they labour earnestlie and bring also much honie into the Hiue They are in a manner of the condition and nature of Horseflies Hornets sauing that they loue not so well to flie and seize on horses and kine as they doe on sheepe Wherin they digresse cleane from the nature of the ordinarie Honiebees which do carefullie shunne the sheepe for feare lest they should intangle them selues and sticke in their fleeces But these haue a good remedie for that for they first bite away their wooll after that their skinne lastely do sucke their bloude to which they are wonderfullie addicted and therefore of many are called bitesheepe or for breuities sake Bishoppes There are also amongst these which are as profitable in the Beehiue as any other by reason of their fearcenesse for they haue verie fearce and murthering stinges insomuch as those being stoung by them canne hardely escape death For the wound can not bee remedied with any thing but with golden salue they are of the generation of Wasps which Aristotle and Plinie do name in Greeke Ichneumones which may bee interpreted Inquisitors or after the Latine phrase Inquisitores and after the saying of Plinie are so called because with greate industrie and diligence they know to seeke and catch the flies and bite off their heades permitting them to liue of that which remaines howebeit these our Ichneumones do moste couet the woll and bloud of sheepe and are maruellous bloudethirstie They are like wise of both kindes some tame some wilde But the wilde are alwaies more fearce and deadly They are bredde or ingendred after the same order which Aristotle doeth declare of his Ichneumones namely they take verie venimous spiders named Phalangiae which are found pleÌ„tifullie in Spaine at the olde Inquisitors walles and postes and carrie those to their holes and after they haue greased them a good with filthe and durte wherevnto ours vse commonly Popes grease then do they set or broode ouer them and after that sorte increase their kinde The thirde sorte is by Arlem named Pheres which signifies as much as theues and rouers because they are of an exceeding theeuish disposition and haue a great large and broade belly commonly blacke to see to These deuoure greate store of honnie and loue exceedingly well the smacke of Prebends and fatte beneficed honie whiche the Bee Apothecaries do tearme in Latine Veneficia And therefore are called Veneficiati or veneficed They are for the most parte tame yet there are founde not a fewe which are of the wilde and straunge disposition And they are separated amongest themselues each ouer a seuerall office charge according as the king hath appointed them For some haue nothing else to doe but with an irksome buzing by day and night do swarme in their hiue But they knowe their rule how and when they shall swarme and are for that cause called Regulares or by a Greeke worde Canonici Some are appointed eache ouer his honicombe apart which they call Parishes by reason whereof they are called Parishe Priests The other are as Presidents in the conuocation house haue eache about ten Bees vnder their iurisdiction whereof they are called in Greeke Decani which in our tongue doth signifie the tenth men or Capteines ouer ten Touching the wilde sorte of Bees some are called fathers or with a Chaldean word Abbas because they beare rule ouer the other Bees like a father ouer his children Some keepers or after the Italian and French phrase Gardians Some are called the first or in Latine Priores Some Controllers or in Latine Prouinciales eache after his state and calling according to the rule and dominion which he beareth ouer the other common Bees which common Bees make the fourth and last heape or kinde of Bees according to Aristotles declaration and are named in Greeke Cephenes and in Latine Fungi that is after our language Buzzardes or Drones These are the most vnprofitable Bees
and yet the most in number they haue no sting and will not worke but liue on the labour of the other and chieflie the wilde Bees amongst the which some flie swarming from doore to doore to finde out baightes to fill their bagges and therefore are called Mendicantes that is to say Beggers or begging bees because they are of the begging order of Bees But the tame Drones do not flie so from house to house but tarrie in their Bee hiue there get their commons with swarming without labouring or doing anie good For when they would doe anie good then doe they commonlie misse and are also for that cause called Missebees or Massebees And these are the foure chiefest sortes kindes of our Bees agreeing verie fitlie with the descriptions of Aristotle Plinie For touching certein wormes wherof they mention the which do growe in the Bee hiue are termed by them with a Greek woord named Cleros â–ª and hath no other name in Latine then Clerus that is no seuerall or speciall sorte of Bees but is a general name of all the Bees when they first come forth like as Plinie in the 16. chap. of the 11. booke hath written For he saith that whensoeuer the Bees come not to perfection but remaine still wormes then are they called Clerus which falles out in like order with our Bees for amongest them are none called Clerici but those whiche beginne to fledge and haue a white spot on their heads which seemes to bee a white worme as Plinie saieth And if so be it they remaine still in that state without coÌ„ming to further order or degree of Bees â–ª then are they esteemed and accounted as of an vnperfect creation and haue no other name but Clerici and the white spot which they beare on their heads Tonsura Clericalis The iiii Chapter Of the nature of Bees of their ingendring and procreation FVrther concerning the nature of these Bees there is a difference betwixt male and female especiallie amongest the wilde And they loue to go together yet do they not ingender the one of the other but be most altogether ingendred made of their king like as Aristotle and Plinie doe plainlie shewe for without this king they can not bring foorth their like notwithstanding they can brood vp these foresaid wormes named Clerus after they haue bene first ingendred by the king if Plinie be credible in the sixteenth Chapter of the forenamed booke of his Historie The V. Chapter VVhat the rule and beeing of these Bees are touching their King. IN their rule they resemble the common sorte of Honie bees for they haue all one king yea can not abide without a king whom they call Papa as if one should say Pater Apum that is to say The father of Bees whereof it commeth that we call al these Bees in the Dutch tongue Papen with vs Papisticall Priestes For the Bees are called in Latine Apes This king hath a sting in like maner but he doeth not occupie him selfe abroad because al other Bees are prest to do him seruice in whatsoeuer it pleaseth him to commaund And like as this king of Honiebees hath a spot on his head so likewise doeth he carrie a token or marke on his head like a triple crowne howbeit all the other Bees as hath bene said do beare in like maner a round white spot in the middle of their heades in manner of a crownet They flie all at once about this king and shewe themselues verie meeke and obedient towards him Hee goeth seldome abroad but when he doeth determine to go forth any whither it may be perceiued loÌ„g before by the swarming and humming of the forerunners For whensoeuer he goeth out the whole swarme followeth round about him and oftentimes they carrie him on their shoulders like as the honie Bees doe carrie their king He hath likewise certeine loiterers by him and Seruitours which garde him and some other of the verie best which bee of a ruddie or sanguine colour remaine alwayes next to his side and are for that cause named Laterales or a Latere In summe each one would faine be next for that is reputed for great honour where he settles there is the host of the whole swarme and staple of the honnie and honnie combe and such as dwell many hundreth miles thence bend notwithstanding their flght thitherwards who so euer hath him to friend shall in like manner finde friendshippe of all the whole swarme when they lose him then is all their porridge spilte and sporte at an end For they creepe pensiuelie to their selles and closets and there buzze or swarme so longe and so much till they haue gotten an other And if by mishappe it chaunceth that there bee twoe or three kings like as hath often hath bin seene then falles out great schismes and troubles among them and they bee at mortall warres together yea cease not till the one or the other bee dispatcht made away like as Virgil hath finely set forth The Vi. Chapter Of their Burialles THey obserue their burialles verie carefullie like as also the common honnie bees do and make a great huÌ„ming whensoeuer they carrie anie of the Bees forth With the sound of hallowed beiles pannes they are greatlie to be comforted for with such tinging they are well holpe vp amended and then they gather toge-in their bee hiue with a great buzzing But especiallie they are to be coÌ„forted wheÌ„ they are peÌ„siue ill at ease with a burnt incense of good herbes to wit Argentina Nummularia for that sente they loue a life according to Virgils writing who saith The coÌ„mon honiebees are well pleased with burnt incense of Casia Thymus other sweete smelling hearbes They obserue their Vigiles like to other Bees for there are some which rise in the night with a great humming swarme the one to the other like as if they were singing Mattines or De profundis The vii Châ—pter How these Bees worke and how they be mainteined THese Bees in their labour resemble much the common sort of honiebees for they cease also from worke in the winter time when it is foule weather They intend not to labor onles first the Beanes do bud and hauing once begun they cease not so long as faire weather continueth iust as Plinie doth write of the other bees But herein they differ from the other in that they cannot make anie freshe or newe honiecombes but it must be made to their handes by certeine other Apothecaries which are skilfull in the same make the honiecombe after this sorte They take two or three vnces of honiedeawe whiche falleth from heauen vpon the Prophetical and Apostolicall beanes is commonlie called Manna coeleste or Drosomeli It was wont to be found plentifullie in Calabria but nowe it is also in Germanie England and Fraunce yea also verie rife in the Base countries But this may they not by name put
that thine authoritie is great ouer thine owne subiectes yet we can not well beare with thy loftines and vnmeasurable pride neither allowe thy vnsatiable couetousnesse Therefore the deuill be with thee for God is with vs. NotwithstaÌ„ding that some of their Embassadours did in the Councell of Ferrara in the tyme of Pope Eugenius 4. agree therevnto but without consent or commission of their Church which did afterwards call backe and adnihilate the same But long before that time not onely the coÌ„mon people of the Greekes but the Emperours them selues likewise were aduersaries to the Pope of Rome about the setting vp and praying to Images For about the yere of our Lord 730. the Emperors Constantine 5. and 6. and Leo Isaurus did with full aduise and consent of the Councell as well out of the Scripture as of the ancient Fathers conclude That men should in no wise for the seruice of God neither set vp nor pray to anie Images but did likewise vtterly break down destroy al Images before made and set vp For which cause the Popes of Rome did conceiue such malice and hatred against them that from thence forth they sought al maner of meanes and wayes to diuide and ouerthrowe the Emperial state like as in continuance of time they brought it so to passe And likewise not only the Greekes but the Germanes also did long time withstand the forbidding of Priestes to marrie till at length the Popes and that specially Bonifacius 8. did by maine force bring it to passe and establishe the same In the yere 840. one Berthrame a stout and a learned man rose vp who did manfully withstande the Romishe doctrine as touching their Transubstantiation dedicating to Charles the French King brother of Lothorius a notorious booke made for that purpose and did likewise in an other booke confirmed by the Scriptures and strongly defended by the holy Fathers set forth the doctrine of Predestination which these Heretikes do nowe so earnestly stand vpon And about the yere 869. did Iohannes Scotus followe him writing against Transubstantiation euen as Beringarius about the yere 839. had done the like And in the yere of our Lord 964. Huldrike Bishop of Auxburge by his writing reuoked again the saide commaundement of forbidding Priestes to marrie After whom about the yere 1240. Bernard started vp who wrote very much of Predestination and against Freewill nothing vnlike the doctrine of the Lutheranes and Huguenotes yea and did very stoutly striue against the Priestes and Prelates calling them The seruantes of Antichrist and making of the Prelates Pilates Whom in the yere 1157. Iohannes of Sarisburie did folowe and wrote a booke called Obiurgium Clericorum and another named Polycraticus wherein hee doeth pull the whole Clergie vengeably ouer the coles and setteth them out for Phariseis and false teachers calling the Pope Antichrist and Rome The hoore of Babylon And likewise a litle before that had Arnolde the Bishop of Brixen set vp earnestly against the Priestes denying flatly that the sworde of gouernement should anie whit apperteyne vnto them yea euen at the same time was there one Peter Bloix which wrote openly thus That Rome was the right BabyloÌ„ wherof S. Iohn did prophesie and that the Officialles of the Romish Court were deuilish Griphines and the Priestes verie Calues of Bethel Baals Priests Aegyptiacal idols and that euery thing was to be solde at Rome for money About the same time in the yere 1160. started vp in France a quicke fellowe and a worshipfull Burgesse of the Towne of Lyons named Petrus Valdo who hauing studied the Scriptures very diligently began to set vp a newe doctrine which did hit as iust vpon the doctrine of these Huguenotes as might be He left manye Disciples after him in so much that a remnant is remayning yet to this day After that came Petrus de Vinea Chauncelour to the Emperour Frederike 2. and was in the yere 1240. who went about likewise to robbe our holy father the Pope of his intituled authoritie and iurisdiction rayâ—ing vpon him out of measure And after came Guilielmus de sancto Amore in the yeere 1260. who layde loade exceedingly vpon the Prelates Monkes and Friers and did reckon them for subiectes of Antichrist Whose opinions were after in the yeere 1275. by one Laurence an Englishe Doctor at Paris stoutly defended and coÌ„firmed Againe in the yere 1306. came abroad one Petrus Cassiodorus a Gentleman and very well learned who did altogether spil the potage For his writing and doctrine was euen as though he had studied all the dayes of his life in the bookes of Luther and Caluin and he made of the Pope a Nabuchodonosor After that in the yere 1314. did followe one Dulsimus of Nauarra And in the yeere 1315. Arnoldus de villa Noua who caried water all ouer one bridge And at last in the yere 1383. came forth the great Archeheretike Iohn Wiclef who threw all the spindles of the holy Church of Rome in the ashes for he was a naturall Zwinglian or Caluinist and of him sproong vp Iohn Hus in the yeere 1405. which was the father of all Lutheranes Hee it was which came with Hieronymus of Prage to the CouÌ„cell of Constance there to defende his doctrine by scripture but there he was taught a newe lesson for in place of disputation they were both burnt at a stake And yet that notwithstanding their doctrine euer since that time hath bene accepted in many places and by many stout fellowes confirmed Like as there was one Nicholaus Clemangis a Doctor of Paris and Bishop of Bayone in France Oldecastell Lorde Cobham and Knight of the order of the Garter and within a litle while after one William Wight in Englande and Paule Crawe with many other in the countrie of Rome Hieronymus Sauanerola in Italie and a number of other more all which yet were by the Church of Rome banished and condemned for heretikes yea where they could be gotten put to death In summe all such as at any time haue taken vpon them to set forth any like matter against the Church of Rome haue alway bene of the most holy Popes banished and accursed together with all them which would by any meanes mainteyne or defend them In so much that Emperours and Kings yea whole countries haue for withstanding the Pope bene excommunicated and condemned for heretikes yea which is of greater importance one Okam and Dante good Catholike men were by Pope Benedict 3. condemned for Heretikes only because they did mainteine That Emperours holde their Empires of God and not of the Pope and yet notwithstanding that in all other matters they did throughly professe the Popes doctrine I say nothing what is meete to be done to these new Heretikes who go about to roote out and destroy the whole foundation of the
commande that these stones bee made bread Consider now is not that a plain declaration wherto no answer is to be made And by this it is wel to be thought that the diuell woulde gladly haue had a Masse in the wildernesse but onely that it could not be for lacke of bread And this may possibly be the cause wherefore our mother the holie Church doth vpon all the altars and in all thee bookes where this storie is in hand and dealt withall clothe the diuell in a friers cowle to the end men may knowe that he was an holie Heremit or an Anker which did verie deuoutly say Masse in the wildernesse and therefore doth looke out so Masselike But when he saw he did lacke bread then he sought and made meanes to our Lorde to see if he would erect a newe transubstantiation And now because this temptation of the diuell is in the Hebrewe tongue called Massah as is before rehearsed therefore it is not to be thought vnlike that our Masse hath thereof borrowed her name For as Satan said Commaunde that these stones be made bread so say the priests in their Masse Command that this bread be made a bodie or flesh Wherein the Priestes are something more likerish than their maister was for that they will not bee contented with drie bread â–ª but that hath his vnderstanding and meaning Howbeit thus much it is in effect That our dere mother the holy church hath out of this Massah or temptatioÌ„ of the diuell verie strongly established her Transubstantiation The vi Chapter Establishing the sufficiencie of the Sacrament vnder the substance of bread alone WE haue heretofore set forth that the holie Church of Rome hath directly against the coÌ„mandment of Christ against the vse of the Apostles and against the long continued custome maner of the primatiue Church commanded That the Lay people should not receiue the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper but vnder one kind only to wit of the bread as it is plainly set foorth in the decree at the Councel of Constance here before declared But now because it shal not seeme that she hath much a do to wrest a text or twaine of the Scripture to bring them in to serue her turne she doth therfore allege here manifest texts wherewith she doth set all things net fine and in perfect frame To begin withall it is written in the 6. of Iohn This is that bread which commeth from heauen that he which eateth thereof should not die I am that liuing bread which came downe from heauen if anie man eate of this bread he shal liue for euer And the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world c. Note here now doth he meddle but with the bread saith Eckius Ergo the Lay people neede not the wine That soundes as well as if a man shoulde make this argument Christ saith in the 15. of Iohn I am the true vine you are the braunches c. Here he speakes onely of the vine and not of the bread Ergo the Lay people need not receiue the Sacrament vnder the substance of bread but only vnder the substance of a vine Is not that verie well reasoned to catch the Heretikes in a trap After that we read that Christ was known in Emaus vnto two of his disciples by breaking of bread there is not one word of drinking Ergo the Lay people may not drink out of the Chalice And if anie man thinke that Christ should not there haue ministred a sacrament as the Heretikes will say that is a lie for our deare mother the holie church hath determined otherwise declaring that he did minister the Sacrament two times once at Hierusalem for the Priests at his last supper another time at Emaus for the Lay people after his resurrection And although it is certeine that these two disciples were Cardinals not Lay men as Eckius in deede doth finely mainteine in a certein place yet what is that to the purpose Did you neuer see Cardinals that were no Priests That is no newes There are now a dayes that are but young children newly crept out of the shelles And when all this is saide there is no where written that these two disciples had shauen crownes or the priestly character or cognisance Ergo then must they needes be Lay people Now thirdly we pray thus in the Pater noster Giue vs this day our daily bread and we do not speake of anie wine wherfore then should the Lay people desire to drinke wine in the Communion And although the priests theÌ„selues sing the same wordes in their Masse yet notwithstanding are not content with drie bread that cannot serue the turne For the prrests must needes haue some prerogatiue because they are the beloued children of our mother the holy Church Fourthly â—uke in the Acts of the Apostles writeth That those which beleeued continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer which streight-way after he setteth out more amplie saying And sold their possessions goods and parted them to al men as euery man had neede And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple brake bread in euerie house and did eate their meate together with gladnes and singlenes of heart praysing God. Out of this doth our deare mother the holie Church coÌ„clude That the cup ought not to be ministred vnto the Lay people in the Supper of the Lorde because that here is no mention made of wine but onely of bread For although in manie other places of holy scripture all kindes of meates and drinkes are vnderstoode vnder the name of bread and eating yet that can not take place here considering that our deare mother the holy Church hath otherwise interpreted the same And Paul hath directly written That all men should esteeme the Apostles and Preachers as Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secretes of God. For out of this doth our dere mother the holie Church teach That the Priests are to be resembled to God and are mediators betweene God and the people and so by this meanes may freely chaunge or alter the Sacraments as they shall thinke good Is not this a subtile and double dealing with the Scripture Wherefore then doe these Heretikes say That we haue no scriptures wherewith to defend this our doing whereas we bring in sacks ful of Scripture as all men may see And then touching that they will beate vs with our owne rodde saying That the Church her selfe hath alwayes done otherwise as may appeare out of the ancient fathers Councels and Canons we care not a point for that we hang that on the hatch For all that is past and gone the worlde is now in another state than it was then For in those dayes they were for the most part all readie to shedde their bloud for the
christian beliefe And for that cause did they drinke the bloud of Christ as the Catholike Doctours haue written according to the doctrine of Cyprianus saying how can they shed their owne bloud for Christes sake if they doe not drinke of Christs bloud But now there is no more tidings of those matters for the holy church of Rome wil not lose one drop of her bloud considering that she hath ynough to do for the defence of the holy Catholike faith to shed the bloud of the Lutherans and Caluinists like water in the streetes And therefore it is not any more needful that the Lay people should drinke the bloud of Christ out of the Chalice vnder the substance of wine They can digest it well inough rawe as it was shed out of the bodie of Christ Iesus yet for all that the priests haue this aduantage that they may drinke the bloud of Christ both waies And yet is not the bloud of Christ in the Sacrament taken quite away from the Lay people For when they do eate the whole body with flesh bones it is certeine that they gette in the bloud wall For the before named Bonauentura doth make mention of a certein miracle of one which would not beleue that there was any bloud in the holy Ost or singing bread vsed in the holie Masse and sodeinly there came bloud ruÌ„ning out And likewise Alexander de Ales doth declare that vpoÌ„ a time when the people would haue receiued the Sacrament vnder both kindes there was sodenlie before them a platter full of bloud whereof the good deuoute people being meruellously abashed were glad to content them selues with the one And that the bloud vndoubtedlie is with the bodie we haue here before by manie other miracles declared sufficientlie proued Therefore haue the Laie people no occasion to complaine as though the bloud of Christ were denied them for euen the Priestes them selues are contented with one kinde on the good Fridaie next after the shire Thursday when they haue had their sops in good Bastard or Romnay For then the next day being good Friday they sing a drie Masse and keepe a Mouses banket as well as the Laie people doe at Easter Before time likewise in the Iewish church the Laie people had no parte of the drinke offerings but the Priestes onelie For although that Chrysostome saith touching this matter that this is now changed and that in this Sacrament the Laie people must enioye the like meate and drinke as the Priestes doe so as nowe the one hath no more aduantage than the other as they had in the olde Lawe yet can not the saying of Chrysostome anie thing serue in this place For against Chrysostome wil we set Brother Barnard of Luxenburgh professour in Theologie and Iohn Eckius with all other good Catholike writers of our time who haue otherwise written and determined of this matter And as touching that which the Huguenotes do alledge out of Paule yea out of Iesus Christ him selfe saying That Paule did command all christen people to do according as Christ had ordeined and as Christ had saide Drinke all of this We do answere to that That this was onelie a simple permission and not a speciall commandement as he saith in another place Destroie this temple and I will builde it vp againe within three dayes for that is no commaundement but onely a permission as if he said If it be so in deede that you will destroie this temple of my bodie I will not forbidde you but I will builde him vp againe c. In like manner doeth our mother the hâ—lie Church saie that these woordes Drinke you all of this And As often as you drinke this you shall declare the death of the Lord Those wordes are thus to be vnderstoode as though he had said I doe not will you Laie people to doe so but the Priestes onelie notwithstanding if you will doe it and that the Priestes are contented withall I will not then bee against it Thus you see the game is won Nowe let vs to an other matter tending to the like ende The vii Chapter VVhich doeth treate of full satisfaction for sinnes of the desertes of good workes also of the merites of Christes passion and of Iustification of the difference betweene mortall sinnes and veniall sinnes and of the assured hope of saluation NOwe seeing that wee haue sufficientlie spoken of the holie Masse and the Sacrament of the altar and that our mother the holie Church of Rome doeth moreouer teache and set foorth for an article of the faith That wee by desert hearing a Masse and receiuing the Sacrament may make full amendes for our offences and sufficientlie satisfie for our sinnes therefore it is now verie necessarie that we something treate of satisfaction for sinnes and of deseruing by good works the rather because the Heretikes do with their scriptures so trouble vs touching this point as they turne both the spit and the rost meat into the ashes in so much that wee shall loose both the sheepe and the fleece if wee suffer this to be so plucked from vs And therefore it is necessarie to put all good Catholike children in remembrance that in no wise they doe giue anie eare to the Heretikes touching this point for feare lest therby they should be brought out of the right way and so by receiuing their goodlie reasons multitude of scriptures be persuaded from their due obedience to the holie Church of Rome And to the ende that euerie man should be warned and not by negligence sodenlie taken in a trappe therefore shall I set out something more at large their meaning touching this point to the ende that euery one may see whether our deare mother the holie Church haue not iust occasion so bitterlie to curse and banish their doctrine Then to beginne withall they do take vpon them to defende and mainteine by Scripture That all sinnes are deadlie mortall because that sinne is the breaking of Gods commaundements as S. Iohn saith And That who soeuer doeth not obserue all whatsoeuer God hath commaunded in his Lawe is accursed For S. Iames doeth witnesse That who soeuer transgresseth in one point of the Lawe is guiltie in the whole considering that the same God which câ—mmaunded the one did also commaunde the other In so much that all those which commit sinne are through sinne alienated and estranged from the life which is onelie to bee had at the hand of God and so must fall into the hand of heath seeing that The recoÌ„pense of sinne is death according to the saying of S. Paule whereby all men without anie exception which are vnder sinne are likewise vnder the bondage of eternall malediction death and damnation considering that all haue sinned are fallen away from that life which is of God into his wrath and do thereby become if the speciall mercie of God were not