forme of the said Oath shall accept of the same Oath vvith this interpretation sense or meaning her Maiestie is vvell pleased to accept every such in that behalfe as her good and obedient subiects and shall acquite them of all maner penalties contayned in the said All against such as shall peremptorily or obstinately refuse to take the same Oath The words of that Admonition being thus set downe I shall need to say no more For hereby you see I trust verie fully the true certaine and undoubted sense scope meaning and interpretation of the Oath Why therefore should anie be so contentious or malicious as to wrest or wring it to a contrarie meaning or such as it never intended For hereby appeareth that although the king be supreme Governor within his owne Dominions yet it is explained That he is supreme Governor under God so that by reason thereof the King neither doth nor can take upon him anie authoritie over Gods word or ordinances to devise alter or frame religion as he list as some verie odiously and no lesse strangely have inferred Such thoughts be farre from his godly minde Neither when it is said at anie time That the King hath Authoritie or Iurisdiction ecclesiasticall is anie other thing meant thereby but his Iurisdiction or Authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes and over ecclesiasticall persons and thereby is not meant or intended as some againe verie absurdly and malignantly have imagined That the King hath anie such authoritie as is meerely Ecclesiasticall and proper to Bishops Pastors and such like Ministers of the Church as namely to preach to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate to absolve to consecrate Bishops or such like for the exposition of the Oath which is before delivered in the Admonition and ratified by an expresse Act of Parliament directly declareth the contrarie to that conceit And therefore his Majesties authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes must not be conceived to be anie such as is properly Sacerdotall or Episcopall but such as is rightly and properly Regall and Imperiall Which Regall and Imperiall Authoritie ought no more to be denied unto him then that which is meerely and properly Sacerdotal or Episcopal may be denied to Priests or Bishops What should hinder then but that yee all may as ye ought utterly renounce and forsake for ever the Papall and all forraine Iurisdictions whatsoever and further also promise according to the tenor of the Oath to your power to assist and defend all jurisdictions priviledges preeminences and authorities granted or belonging to the King his heires and successors or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme considering that there is no Authoritie in these matters ecclesiasticall granted or belonging to the King or united or annexed to his Crown but such as appeareth to be lawfull and is rightly Regall and Imperiall and which withall in no sort wrongeth the authoritie of anie other Church governors of Gods institution whosoever Yea the King is so farre from encroching or intruding upon or impugning or hindering anie of the offices or authorities granted or belonging unto them from God that contrariwise he leaveth all those rights and authorities wholly and entirely unto them to be executed and which is more such is his most godly and Christian disposition that to that their divine Calling Ambasâ—age and Ministerie enioyned them from God and by them sincerely and faithfully administred himselfe in his owâ—â— person most readily and willingly yeeldeth both reverence and obedience as wel knowing that in respect of God whose Ambassadors and Ministers they be and whose word and will onely they are to teach and deliver the greatest King is but a subiect Howbeit neverthelesse otherwise and in respect of their owne persons it must be confessed that they be subiect unto him and owe him obedience and are in all dutie and humilitie to performe the same unto him So that I hope you now sufficiently perceive that his Maiesties Supremacie under God his government and authoritie as touching causes persons ecclesiasticall being such as is only Regal and Imperial and no way derogatorie preiudiciall or iniurious to anie Bishops Pastors or Ministers that be of divine Institution or to their offices and functions but rather verie much helpfull to them in their places is so farre from being to be disliked that contrariwise being rightly understood it is ever to be allowed and that with much praise thanks unto God for the same whose gracious ordinance it is for the further good greater comfort and benefit of his Church and Religion CAP. II. Wherein is shewed That our Church was in the Apostles dayes and in all times and ages since howsoever that which we call Popery did as an Infection or Corruption grow unto it whereof it was againe to be purged and so to become as we call it a reformed Church and that all these things came thus to passe in the Church according to the Prophecies thereof formerly delivered in Gods owne Booke AND What is to be thought of those forefathers of ours that lived and dyed in the time of Poperie AS ALSO That long before the Dayes of King HENRY the eight and long before LUTHER or CALVIN were borne the Pope of Rome was complayned of and exclaymed against and affirmed and published to be Antichrist as also Popish Rome affirmed to be the whore of Babylon mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn BEfore I enter to speake of the other particular points hereafter mentioned it will not be amisse here to speake something in a generall sort concerning Gods Church and his Religion For how confident and resolute soever some take upon them to be in that Popish Religion they hold and professe yet is that no proofe that therefore they be right for not only those of a right Religion but those also of a wrong be verie resolute and confident as appeareth by all Sectaries Heretickes and Schismatickes who be verie pertinacious and resolute for the maintenance of their severall errors and opinions Neither is it a reason sufficient for them to say they follow the waies of their forefathers and ancestors except they be sure that they went the right way for we are not to follow our forefathers and ancestors in anie vices or errours they held be they otherwise never so deare unto us VValke not yee saith God in the ordinances of your fathers nor observe yee their maners nor defile your selves vvith their Idols I am the Lord your God vvalke yee in my statutes and keepe my Iudgements and doe them Yea ye may remember that it is written thus of some people who are therefore much reproved So did their children and their childrens children As did their fathers so doe they unto this day Where further it is said that notwithstanding this following of their forefathers and doing after their old custome yet they obeyed not God Nor is it sufficient for them to say they follow the doctrine or direction of their
Regem non est Crimen loesae Maiestatis quia non est subditus Regis The Rebellion of a Clergie man against the king is no Treason because he is not the kings subiect And so likewise saith Bellarmine Non sunt amplius Reges Clericorum Superiores Kings be no longer Soveraignes or superiors to Clergie men Doe not these appeare to bee most grosse disloyall and detestable opinions But thus a New King is raised over the Popes Clergie that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith They have a King over them vvhich is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit who in Hebrew is called Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is in English a Destroyer namely the degenerate Bishop of Rome that grand 〈◊〉 as 〈…〉 proved who hath thus bereaved and robbed Kingâ— of 〈◊〉 naturall borne subiects and of their ancient Supremacie and most rightful authoritie over them 2 That the King is a Governour within his owne kingdomes and dominions is a matter so evident as that it needeth no proofe for he is called Rex à Regendo â— King in respect of his rule and governement And S. Peter agreeing hereunto teacheth that not onely the King but even other Magistrates also that be under the King be Governours and instituted for the punishment of evill doers for the praise of them that doe well S. Paul also speaketh the like of Princes or Governours that beare the sword that They are not to be feared for good vvorkes but for evill vvilt thou then be vvithout feare of the power Doe vvell saith hee so shalt thou have praise of the same for he is the minister of God for thy good But if thou doe evill then feare for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth evill You here then cleerely perceive that Kings and Princes bee Governors and 〈…〉 before that they be supreme which being put together necessarily concludeth them to be under God the supreme Governors within their owne Dominions Now that their governement and authoritie extendeth to causes Ecclesiasticall as well as 〈…〉 is a thing likewise verie manifest for as there is here no exception of anie person so is there also no exception or difference put of anie cause but whosoever transgresseth or offendeth or doth evill be it in what kinde of cause soever hee is here made subiect to this sword power and authoritie of Kings and Princes and punishable by it And doth not verie reason it selfe also perswade this For even in Christian States it is possible for Bishopâ— and other Ecclesiasticall ministers to transgresse and offend as touching the execution and administration of their Ecclesiasticall offices and functions as well as other men may in their offices and places As for example If they or anie of them would not suffer a childe or anie other to bee baptized which were not to be denied baptisme or if they should excommunicate anie upon meere spleen and malice without anie iust cause or if after a iust excommunication the person excommunicate should afterward publiquely testifie his repentance and thereupon desire to be reconciled and received againe into the Church and yet for all that should most uniustly be held out and be denied absolution or reconciliation Do not these and such like offences though committed by Ecclesiasticall persons and in causes Ecclesiasticall deserve punishment by the Civill Sword and authoritie of a Christian King If you say That such an offendor may be censured by such as be Clergie men and have Ecclesiasticall authoritie over him That hindreth not but that a King may neverthelesse punish him also civilly especially where the Lawes of the kingdome do so permit or appoint For in such cases without anie wrong or iniurie may one and the selfe same offence be punished both wayes viz. both Civilly and Ecclesiastically Your selves doe know that Bishops and Clergie men cannot by vertue of that their Ecclesiasticall office and authoritie punish anie offendors civilly but onely Ecclesiastically as namely by deprivation or excommunication or such like censures of the Church But Kings and Princes punish offendors in ecclesiasticall causes after another sort namely not ecclesiastically as Bishops doe but Civilly as by corporall imprisonment pecuniarie punishment and such like temporall paines belonging to their authoritie So that both Civill and Ecclesiasticall authoritie doe and may well stand together without doing anie wrong yea as friends and helpers the one to the other But to illustrate this matter yet further Admit Clergie men have excommunicated a man or sentenced him to be deprived or pronounced him to be an Hereticke or done all they can against him by the power of the keyes and of the Church censures and that neverthelesse he still and evermore persisteth a scorner and contemner of all that they can doe against him Is it not meete and requisite thinke you that such a one should be punished civilly and by the Kings authoritie For what other remedie is there left in such a case You see then how expedient and necessarie the governement and authoritie of a Christian King is even in respect of the Church and Church affaires as well as of the Common-weale and Common-weale causes and that in respect of offendâ—rs in Ecclesiasticall causes that be unruly wilfull obstinate and contemptuous the Church hath as much neede of him as the Common-weale Whilest therefore the king punisheth offendors in Ecclesiasticall causes not ecclesiastically and by Church censures as Clergie men doe but civilly and by a regall power and authoritie it is such a cleere evident a right as none can with anie colour of reason gainsay or disallow Yea even Heathen and Pagan Kings have this power and authoritie to make lawes and proclamations for the worship and service of the true GOD and to inflict punishment upon the breakers violaters of those their lawes and proclamations although they doe not alwayes put that their power and authoritie in execution for God as they ought but most commonly abuse it against him And yet sometime we see they doe extend it and put it in execution for God as it is evident in the examples of Artashast King of Persia Nebuchadnezar King of Babell and Darius King of the Mâ—des as also by some other Heathen Emperors mentioned in Eusebius If then as is manifest Heathen and Pagan kings have this power and authoritie albeit they doe noâ— alwaies extend it and put it in execution for God by what right or reason can it be denied to Christian Kings and Princes so to doe Yea by Gods owne most gracious providence Christian Kings and Queenes are to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to his Church and Religion for so the Prophet Esay directly witnesseth And therefore is it that they not onely may make Lawes for Christ for so S. Augustine likewise saith that Serviunt reges Christo leges ferendo pro Christo Kings serve Christ
Patriarchship This then sheweth That the Bishop of Rome his government in those times extended but to the precincts of his owne Province likewise and no further For had it stretched over all the world then could not from thence anie good patterne have beene drawne to confirme and fortifie the like at Alexandria which was not to extend it selfe over all the world but to keepe it selfe within certaine limits and bounds onely Yea what resemblance or parilitie was there or could there be betweene him that is an universall Bishop and a Provinciall So that if you will make the Bishop of Rome at that time to have an universall governement over all the Christian world you must conclude the same also for the Bishop of Alexandria that hee had so likewise for there was parilis mos the like usage in both as the very words of the Canon it selfe affirme But if you will say as you must needs that by this Councell of Nice the Bishop of Alexandria had his limits and bounds confirmed to him by the patterne and example of the Bishop of Rome for that is the patterne there proposed for Alexandria then must you also grant according to right and truth that the Bishop of Rome aswell as the Bishop of Alexandria and the rest of the Patriarchall Bishops in those times had likewise everie one of them their severall limits bounds and precincts set them beyond which they might not passe nor extend their authoritie And this you may yet further see by Ruffinus lib. 1. cap. 6. and by the Councell of Africa cap. 92. 105. c. verie cleerely for your better satisfaction Againe the first generall Councell of Constantinople held about anno 381. and consisting of 150. Bishops Can. 2. 3. And the Councel of Ephesus also held about ann 431. Ca. 8. doe both shew that the Provinces of the world were in those times distinguished and distributed and the Bishops and Patriarches so restrained to their owne severall precincts and limits ut nullus Episcoporum alienam invadat provinciam that no Bishop or Patriarch might invade or intrude upon anothers Province or precinct It is true that the Bishop of Rome had the honour of the first place the Bishop of Constantinople had the second place the Bishop of Alexandria the third the Bishop of Antioch the fourth and the Bishop of Hierusalem the fift But this precedencie or prioritie of place all men know is such as may be among those that be otherwise Equals amongst themselves and proveth only a prioritie of order but no prioritie of Dominion or of a Princely power or Monarchicall authority in anie one of them over the rest Yea the generall Councell of Calcedon also held about ann 451 wherein were 630 Bishops Act. 16. hath these words Following the Decrees of the holy Fathers and of those 150 Bishops assembled under Theodosius the elder of blessed memory in the royall Citie of Constantinople and acknowledging the same VVee also Decree and ordaine the same things concerning the priviledges or preeminences of the said Church of Constantinople vvhich is new Rome For our fathers gave those preeminences to the seate of Elder Rome because that City had the Empire And the 150 Bishops moved vvith the same consideration gave the same preeminences to the most sacred seate of New Rome thinking it reason that the citie vvhich is honoured vvith the Empire and Senate should have equall preeminences vvith Elder Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters should be advanced Equally vvith her being in place the next unto her It is true that the then Pope of Rome by his Legats or Vicegerents did what hee could to withstand and hinder this Decree but for all that it prevayled and was of force as even Cardinal Cusanus himselfe affirmeth thereby proving a Generall Councell to be above the Pope and the Decrees thereof to be good and avayleable though the Pope never give his consent unto them Yea the sixt generall Councell of Constantinople Can. 36. did also long after confirme and ratifie this Decree and accordingly made another Decree to the same effect saying thus Renuing the Decrees of the 150 Fathers that met in this royall City of Constantinople and of the 630 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon vvee likewise decree that the Sea of Constantinople have equall Priviledges vvith the seate of Elder Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters be advanced equally vvith Rome being the next unto it By all which it is apparant that the Bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople was within his Patriarchship to have as great priviledges preeminences and authorities as touching Church affaires as the Bishop of Rome was to have within his Patriarchship And as you may observe by these Councels that the Primacie which the Bishop of Rome at the first had and obteyned was onely a Primacie of honour or of Order or of place and not anie Primacie of Princely or Regall power over the rest of his fellow Patriarches so you may also perceive that even that Primacy was not given him as belonging to him in anie right from S. Peter as hee now strangely claimeth but by reason onely of the Citie or place whereof he was Bishop namely for that Rome was then the Imperiall Citie or seate of the Emperors But the Bishop of Rome contented not himselfe with this Primacie of honour or of order or precedencie of place but afterward clymbed higher even to a Primacie of Princely power and Monarchicall authoritie and that not onely over his fellow-Patriarches and Bishops but over all Emperors also and Kings and Princes which be his Superiors and over all Generall Councels likewise his Pride and ambition having no meane nor measure in it And yet is this his claymed Supremacie over Councels also but a new devise and of a verie late standing in the world For Councels untill of verie late times were held both for opinion and practise to be above the Pope and the Popes authoritie as is apparant by the Councell assembled at Pisa about the yeare of our Lord 1408. two striving at that time for the Popedome viz. Gregory the 12 and Benedict the 13. This Councell proceeded against both these Popes deposed them condemned them both for hereticks and schismaticks and required all Christians not to take them for Popes or to yeeld obedience to them which Councell is also by Io Gerson much commended Likewise in the Councell of Constance which was called about Ann. 1414. was Pope Iohn the 23th deposed and for confirmation thereof it declareth the right and authoritie of a Councell to be above the Pope The Councell of Basil likewise deposed another Pope namely Eugenius the fourth where againe the authoritie and power of a Councell above the Pope is expresly ratified and confirmed and he affirmed to be an hereticke that shall say to the contrarie How then can Iesuites and others avoid the note and name of hereticks which in these latter times contrarie to the practise and
Paschall the second would have warre made upon the Emperor promising to give remission of sinnes and assurance of everlasting life to all that would doe it and on the other side to excommunicate all those that would shew obedience to him They say thus Because VVee keepe the Law of God they obiect against us that vvee transgresse their new Traditions But God saith unto them vvhy do you transgresse the commandements of God by your Traditions God commandeth to give unto Cesar the things vvhich are Cesars and to God that which is Gods which S. Peter and S. Paul doe lâ—kewise teach honour the King let every soule be subiect to the hâ—gher powers Hee that commands every soule to doe this whom doth hee exempt from this earthly power Because therefore wee honour the King and serve our Lords and Maisters in the simplicitie of our hearts are wee therefore excommunicated c vvho can reprehend a Bishop for keeping his faith and loyaltie to his Prince and yet they that teare in sunder the kingdome and Priesthood with new Schismes and new Traditions promise to absolve them from the sinne of periurie that breake their faith to their king Suppose say they our Emperor vvere an hereticke yet is he not to be repelled as such a one by us by taking armes against him yea they alledge that the Prophet Ieremy praied for Nebuchadnezzar and S. Paul for Nero and adde further VVhich of the Popes of Rome hath by his Decrees given authoritie that a Bishop should use the sword of vvarre against any offendors All from Gregory the first used the spirituall sword alone unto the last Gregory vvho was the first that armed himselfe and by his example others vvith the sword of warre against the Emperor c You say that if a man be excommunicate for vvhat cause soever if he dye in that estaete hee is damned But the Authoritie of the Church of Rome say they helpeth us in this point vvho teach that the Bishop of Rome hath power to absolve any that is uniustly excommunicated by others If then the Bishop of Rome may doe this vvho will say that God cannot absolve whomsoever the Pope hath uniustly excommunicated yea the Popes curse of Excommunication they make no reckoning of but contemne and despise it but above all say they vvee feare that which the spirit of God by the mouth of the Psalmist hath said viz. Cursed are all they that decline from his commandements That Curse of excommunication vvhich Pope Hildebrand Odoardus and this Third have by a new Tradition indiscreetely brought in vvee vvholly reiect and vvee hold and reverence those first holy Fathers unto this day vvho by the motion of Gods spirit not carried vvith their owne affections have otherwise ordeyned c. forasmuch therefore as vvee sticke to the Ancient rule and are not carried away vvith every winde of Doctrine we are called Excommunicates false Clerkes c. Howbeit let Pope Paschall lay aside his spirit of presumption and let him advisedly consider vvith his Counsaylors how from Silvester to Hildebrand the Popes have obtayned the chaire at Rome vvhat and how manie outrages have beene committed by the Ambition of that Sea c. As for those Legats à latere vvho run through the world to fill their purses vve say they wholly reiect them according to those Councels of Affricke held in the times of Zozimus Caelestinus and Boniface for that vve may know theraby their fruits there proceeeds from their legations no correction of manners or amendment of life but the slaughters of men and the spoyle of Gods Church c. That there should be such desolation of the Church such oppression of the poore and vvidowes such crueltie such rapine and vvhich is worse such effusion of bloud without respect of good and evill and all this and worse then all this Done by the Commandement of the Pope vvho would beleeve it if his owne mouth had not spoken it VVee remayne astonished at the novelty of these things and vvee enquire from vvhence this new Example should come That the Preacher of peace with his owne mouth and the hand of another man should make vvarre against the Church of God c. Where further they directly affirme Rome to be Babylon and say that the Apostle so calleth it as foreseeing by a Propheticall spirit The confusion of that dissention vvherewith the Church at this day is torne in pieces c. And a great deale more is spoken in that Epistle of theirs which though it be long and large is worthie the reading over And this no doubt moved the Bishop of Florence also in the yeare 1106 publiquely to preach that Antichrist was borne and then in Esse which Pope Paschall understanding of and being much grieved therewith tooke the paines to goe himselfe in person to Florence to stop the mouth of this Bishop And fearing as it seemes to stirre in the matter too much contented himselfe onely to admonish him to desist from this bold enterprise lest otherwise indeed the truth of that matter should more strongly breake out But yet further about the yeare 1150. The letters of the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossa to the Princes of Germany be sufficiently knowne wherein he sheweth unto them that the Pope had no other drift but to set his foot upon the Emperors head that so hee might the more easily overcome the members And upon this it was saith Radevicus That the Pope vvas not ashamed to maintaine that the Emperor vvas his man and held the Empire of him Yea the Popes are gone so farre saith Aventinus that they affect both domination and deitie so that they vvill be feared of all as God yea more then God pretending that they are not bound to give account of their Actions to any That amongst them be many Antichrists and that indeede there be none more pernicious to the Christian Religion then the Popes The same Emperor in his letters to King VVencislaus saith that the high Bishops of Babylon that is of Rome doe sit long over the Temple of God and seise upon the divinity that to please the desire of these false Christs thâ— Princes doe ruinate one another and all states be in a combustion That they be blinde vvhich see not that they be cruel vvolves which under sheepes cloathing spoyle the flocke of Christ. And that this was the Iudgement also even of sundry of the Germane Church as wel as of the Emperor appeareth by the oration of an Archbishop to the States of the Empire for saith he He that is the servant of servants as if he vvere God coveteth to be the Lord of Lords hee disclaymeth the counsell of his brethren or rather of his Lords He feareth lest hee should be forced to give account of that vvhich he doth and usurpeth every day over the lawes Hee uttereth great things as if he vvere God Hee coyneth new devises in his minde to appropriate the Empire to himselfe
yee First it is well knowne that S. Peter was a contemner of the pompe and pride of the world and a disregarder of the wealth riches thereof insomuch that hee said to one that asked almes of him that he had neither silver nor gold but the Pope of Rome is not so but contrariwise hath the pompe pride glorie and riches of the world in verie high and chiefe esteeme and aboundeth with them Againe Peter was subiect to Emperors Kings and Princes and taught all Christians to be likewise subiect to them but the Pope is so far from being subiect to them that contrariwise hee claimeth soveraignetie and supremacie over them all and taketh upon him to depose Kings Princes and Emperors at his pleasure and to disannull and dissolve the allegeance of subiects when and as often as he listeth Peter would not allow Cornelius though but a Captaine of the Italian band to fall downe at his feete but bad him arise but the Pope of Rome doth well allow not only Captaines but Kings Princes and Emperors to fall downe and kisse his feet Yea hee hath not beene ashamed with his feete to tread upon the necke of some of the Emperors Peter was a godly earnest and diligent Preacher of the Gospel in his owne person according to that commandement of Christ so often repeated saying unto him Pasce Pasce Pasce feed my lambes feed my sheepe feed my sheepe But the Pope of Rome like an idle pompous and slothfull man in his owne person seldome or never Preacheth Peter was content and well endured to be reproved at the hands of S. Paul when there was cause He also patiently suffered himselfe to be accused and contended against by certaine Christians and mildely and modestly answered to those their exceptions against him for their satisfaction But the Pope of Rome though he be never so worthie of reproofe will neverthelesse not suffer himselfe to be reproved nor accused or contended against nor will have his doings examined questioned censured or iudged by anie men such is his unmeasurable pride and unmatchable loftinesse Againe S. Peter did acknowledge S. Paul S. Matthew S. Andrew S. Iames and the rest of the twelve to be Apostles aswell as himselfe albeit they had no ordination or calling to that their Office of Apostleship from him for that they all had an immediate calling to that their Apostleship from Christ Iesus himselfe and not from Peter is a thing undeniably manifest But the Pope contrariwise acknowledgeth none to be a Bishop except he be ordeyned and made a Bishop by him or by his authoritie Moreover they were accounted and held to be Presbyters and Ministers of the Church which were made and ordeyned by other Apostles though they were not made or ordeined by Peter nor by anie authoritie derived from him But the Pope of Rome acknowledgeth none to be Presbyters or Ministers of the Church which be made by other Bishops except they be made and ordeined by him or by authoritie originally derived from him Yea S. Peter did acknowledge the rest of the Apostles to be his fellowes or Equals as well knowing that Christ Iesus himselfe did directly forbid them to beare Princely authoritie one over another insomuch that Peter aswell as Iohn was content to bee sent by the rest of the Apostles into Samaria and did goe thither at their sending But the Bishop of Rome acknowledgeth not other Bishops to be his fellowes or Equalls nor will be content to be sent as their Messenger to anie place but most proudly challengeth a Princely Primacie and king-like superioritie over them all If the Pope will needes be Peters successor it were reason and a thing equall and iust that he should claime no more authoritie over other Bishops then Peter had over the rest of the Apostles yea if hee will make Peter his patterne and president to follow as it were a happie thing for him if he were in verie deed so wel affected he must then utterly give over his triple Crowne and all his Papal worldly pompe and pride and be cleane reformed and become altogether another man in all respects wherein he is so exceedingly degenerated and unlike unto him And then together with the relinquishing of his most proud Popedome he must also forsake renounce and detest his Poperie and Popish Religion for S. Peter cleerely was such a one as we call a Protestant that is to say one that both held and taught that Religion that wee hold namely that which is conteined in the Booke of GOD the sacred and canonicall Scriptures Yea S. Peter died a Martyr for the testimonie of this faith and religion and the Pope of Rome is contrariwise a persecutor of those that professe this faith and religion For that the Papists be the cleere and undoubted persecutors of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesus is afterward manifested by a direct and most evident testimonie thereof in the Revelation of S. Iohn to the end ye should not hereafter bee mistaken in that point as usually yee be nor deceive your selves anie longer therein Furthermore S. Peter was content and held it honour enough to be a member of the bodie of Christ which is his Church acknowledging with S. Paul and the rest of the Apostles that Christ onely was and is the head therof But the Pope of Rome is not content unlesse he intrude himselfe into this his verie royal prerogative taking upon him to be the verie head of the whole militant church We know that the Church of Christ is but one body as the Scripture speaketh and witnesseth though there be manie members of it and one bodie is to have but one head why then or by what right or reason doe they make this bodie of Christ which is his Church to have two heads namely one in heaven which is Christ Iesus another on earth which they say is the Pope They confesse that of the Church in heaven which is to us invisible Christ is indeed the head but of the visible Church on earth the Pope say they is the head and that such a visible head for the visible church is requisite and necessarie And here they have a distinction that Christ is indeed Caput vitale the vital head from whence all his members have and derive their life but that the Pope is Caput ministeriale visibile the ministeriall and visible head And thus they boldly speake frame and devise matters and distinctions according to the fancie of their owne braines But first what Patent conveyance warrant or commission from God can the Pope of Rome shew whereby he is thus authorized to be either Christ his special or onely Vicar Deputie or Lievetenant over his whole universall church here upon earth or to be this speciall and onely visible and ministeriall head Iust none at all doe they or can they shew for it And is it
remaineth an husband and consequently whatsoever others doe his wife that oweth him special duetie and respect is not to withdraw her duetie and obedience but is still to performe it unto him as to her husband If the Master be excommunicate and that others therefore doe withdraw their companie from him yet is not his servant to withdraw his duetie and service from him for notwithstanding excommunication hee still is and remaineth a Master to his servant and consequently notwithstanding excommunication he is still of all his servants to be obeyed as a Master In like sort if a King be excommunicate and that therefore other Kings and Princes and such as owe him no subiection doe withdraw themselves from him yet may not his owne subiects withdraw their subiection duetie and obedience inasmuch as notwithstanding excommunication hee still is and remaineth a King to his subiects and consequently is of them still to be honoured and obeyed as their King But so as the Pope may serve his owne turne and erect and stablish to himselfe a Throne and Kingdome upon earth above all Kings Princes and Emperors of the world which is the chiefe or onely marke he shot at what careth hee what or whom or how he doth abuse be they Kings or subiects or whosoever Yea it is too well knowne to the world that some of his Cardinals Priests and Iesuites have been so monstrous as to perswade subiects to lay violent hands upon and to murther their owne Soveraignes accounting it forsooth to be a matter meritorious to commit such abominable and lothsome villanie in their pretended Catholicke but indeed most divellish and Antichristian cause If anie make doubt hereof let Parry Ballard Babington and sundrie others executed in the late Queene ELIZABETHS dayes be witnesses hereof And let also that late most execrable plot and intention of theirs to blow up the Parliament house in England and all that should be in it with Gunpowder likewise beare witnesse hereof to all posterities How then can such a Religion which under colour of being Catholike and under pretence of a Catholike cause when neverthelesse it is nothing so but the cleane contrarie alloweth warranteth commandeth and commendeth rebellion treason and murther of Christian Protestant Kings and Princes and their people as a matter good and meritorious be but most detestable and damnable And what can the Pope being the approver allower and chiefe in this businesse and for whose sake all this is done be but the Grand Antichrist Where also you may further understand that the Popish Priests Iesuites and the rest of that order being as they are no Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist can therefore give to none of you anie absolution or remission of your sinnes but doe rather augment enlarge and increase your sinnes so much the more as they must needs by such your unlawfull resorting to them So that hereafter ye shal doe well to forbeare and leave off your Eare-Christ or Auricular Confession to them which hath also no commandement or institution from Christ but is onely an humane devise whereunto none is necessarily tied Which thing is so cleere that their owne Canon Law affirmeth that It vvas taken up onely by a certaine Tradition and not by any auâ—horitie of the Old or New Testament Panormitan likewise saith That opinion of the Canon Law greatly pleaseth him because he findeth no manifest authoritie that ever God or Christ commanded us to confesse our sinnes to a Priest And Rhenanus and Erasmus also affirme that Christ ordeined it not Mâ—ctarius Bishop of Constantinople upon an accident that fell out at Confession put it cleane downe in his Church and the Bishops of the East did the like in theirs Which those godly ancient Bishops would never have done nor lawfully could have done if it had beene Gods owne ordinance and institution As for the confession of sinnes which they made that came to be baptised of S. Iohn Baptist it was voluntarie and publike and no private or auricular confession and so was also their confession voluntarie and publike and not secret or auricular which is mentioned in Acts 19. It is true that S. Iames saith Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that yee may be healed But this no more tyeth you to confesse your faults or sinnes to a Priest then to another man yea it no more tieth you if yee well observe the words to confesse your sinnes to a Priest then â—t tâ—eth a Priest to confesse his sinnes to you for by these words Christianâ— bee charged to confesse their sinnes one to another as they be likewise there charged to pray one for another I grant that in the ancient Church such as were publike offenders did for those their open and publike offences publike pennance by publike and open confession of them in the Congregation with sorrow for the same and asking forgivenesse first of God then of the Church or congregation which they had so offended After which publike confession and pennance and satisfaction so made to the Church or Congregation where the offence was committed they were againe reconciled and received absolution by a publike pronouncing of it upon that their repentance declared Which kinde of publike confession and open pennance and absolution thereupon is also observed in the reformed Protestant churches But this no way serveth to prove your private secret and auricular confession yea it rather maketh against it because this was publike Yet if anie thinke that a private confession to a Minister of Christ is sometime and in some cases convenient and meet to be used the Protestants in their learned and godly workes against the Papists have told you that they doe not dislike it but well allow and commend it so often as burthen of conscience oppresseth anie man for anie sinne by him committed to utter those his griefes and confesse his sinnes which wound him so sore either to anie faithfull Minister of Christ or to anie other skilfull godly and discreet Christian whosoever thereby to receive helpe remedie and consolation Caietan himselfe though hee like well with us of a voluntarie confession which is not forced or commanded yet expressely denieth this Popish manner of Auricular Confession to be of Christs institution And indeed the Ministers of Christ may verie well pronounce absolution or forgivenesse of sinnes upon a free and voluntarie confession though they binde not men by a law of necessitie at certaine times of the yeare to make such a confession unto them as is used and urged in the Papacie after a tyrannical manner This Christian moderate and allowable course doe the Protestant Ministers hold in their receiving of anie Confessions as also they forgive not sinnes absolutely and at pleasure but onely as is before said ministerially and declaratively and with a limitation viz. so as they have a right and lively faith and a true repentance to whom they pronounce their absolution But to proceede and
hee did leade them about But lastly the verie scope of the Text is also directly against this their conceit and exposition which expound it of such rich weomen as did minister of their substance to the Apostles necessitie For by such rich weomen the Church could not bee charged but was rather helped and relieved by them whereas with the Apostles wives that were poore as their husbands the Churches might lawfully have beene charged For this is the verie scope purpose of the Apostle in that place to shew to the Corinthians that in this point Hee and Barnabas used not that power and libertie which freely and lawfully they might have done in leading about a Sister a Wife with them aswell as Cephas that is Peter and some other of the Apostles did And even S. Hierome against Helvidius to the same effect citeth this text also thus Numquid non habemus potestatem uxores circumducendi sicut caeteri Apostolici Have vve not power to lead about vvives aswell as the rest of the Apostles And Tertullian likewise according to this Text saith Licebat Apostolis nubere uxores circumducere It was lavvfull for the Apostles to marrie and to lead about their vvives Clemens Alexandrinus also by this Text doth proove that the Apostles had Wives and did lead them about Doe they also saith hee reiect the Apostles For Peter and Philip did beget Children Philip also did give his Daughter in marriage And therefore Paul saith in a certaine Epistle Have vvee not povver to lead about a Sister a VVifâ— asvvell as the rest of the Apostles c. 2 Yea that Bishops and Deacons may be maried men and have wives S. Paul himselfe further cleerely witnesseth shewing both what maner of men Bishops and Deacons should be and likewise what manner of weomen their wives should be A Bishop saith he must be blamelesse the husband of one vvife vvatching sober comely a lover of hospitality apt to teach not given to vvine no striker not greedy of filthy luâ—re but gentle abhorring fighting abhorring covetousnesse one that ruleth vvell his owne house having children in subiection vvith all honesty For if a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall hee care for the Church of God Where first you may observe that a Bishop is expressely allowed to be the husband of one wife Some Papists hereunto answere that by being the husband of one wife is meant that a Bishop must have but one wife before his admission to that his Episcopal office but after his admission to that office he must have none at all It is a verie strange answer and untrue For first they hereby expound these words a Bishop must be c. by these A Bishop must be such a one as hath beene c. And so by this exposition of theirs which will have it expounded of the time past onely but not of the time present they make the Apostle to speake as if he had said thus Let such a one be ordeined a Bishop as hath heretofore beene blamelesse but now at the time of his ordination and after is not so such a one must be made a Bishop as before he was a Bishop was watchfull sober apt to teach c. But now after that hee is a Bishop hee may have none of these vertues or good qualities in him Is not such an exposition senselesse impious and absurd And yet if they will expound the one clause of the sentence touching a Bishop to be the husband of one wife as they doe of the time past onely and in no sort of the time present they must likewise expound all the rest of the members and clauses of the same entire sentence in the same manner and so runne into those senselesse and impious absurdities before mentioned But the Apostle himselfe to put the matter further out of all controversie speaking of Deacons saith in the present tense Diaconi sint unius uxoris viri Let the Deacons be the husbands of one vvife Now as touching the meaning of these words that a Bishop or Deacon must be the husband of one wife it is not to tye him necessarily to have a wife but to this that if he have anie care must be taken that hee have no more then one at a time So that this Text maketh against Digaâ—y or Bygamie as wee call it or Polygamie that is against the having of two or more wives at once and not as some take it against the having of several wives one succeeding after the death of the other And so doth S. Chrysostome expound this Text speaking thus He saith not this as making a law that none without a vvife may be made a Bishop but appointing a measure of that matter for it vvas lawfull for the Iewes to be ioyned in the second marriage and to have two vvives at once Theodoret likewise upon these words The husband of one vvife saith thus The preaching then began and neither the Gentiles did exercise virginitie nor the Iewes admit it for they esteemed the procreation of children to be a blessing therefore forasmuch as at that time they vvere not easily to be found vvhich exercised continencie he commandeth of such as had married vvives to ordeyne them vvhich honoured temperance And concerning that saying The husband of one vvife I thinke saith he certaine men have vvell said for of old time both Greekes and Iewes vvere vvont to be maried and that vvith two three or moe vvives at once And even now also vvhen the Imperial lawes forbid men to marry two vvives at once they have to doe with Concubines and Harlots They have said therefore that the holy Apostle saith That he vvhich dwelleth honestly vvith one vvife onely is vvorthy to be ordeyned a Bishop for say they hee doth not reiect the second marriage vvho hath often commanded that it should be used Theophilact doth also so expound these words the husband of one vvife He spake this saith he because of the Iewes for to them vvas permitted Polygamy that is to ioyne marriage vvith many at one time Yea even S. Hierome though no great favourer of marriage and being himselfe inclined to that opinion that he which hath beene twice married should not be ordeined yet in his Commentary upon the Epistle to Titus confesseth and declareth that sundrie did interprete the Text otherwise namely as wee doe Some Interpreters of this place saith he doe give this sense It vvas of the Iewish custome say they that men had two vvives or moe at once as vvee reade in the old Law of Abraham and Iacob and this they will have to be the Apostles commandement in this place that he vvhich is to be chosen a Bishop have not two vvives together at one time The sense and meaning then of those words is evident and plaine enough viz. that hee which is blamelesse or unreproveable that is the husband of one wife and of
chiefly in respect of the world to come For it hath as you see Gods owne expresse commandement bidding all his people to depart from that mysticall Babylon Popish Rome When therefore God himselfe thus speaketh and would have none that bee his people to adhere to such a Mother as the Whore of Babylon is but cleane contrariwise would have them to depart from her and utterly to renounce abhorre and detest her as being indeed the Mother of VVhoredomes and abhominations of the Earth as she is intitled is it not good reason and your bounden dutie to give eare unto him and to obey his voyce herein as you tender your owne salvations and desire to be His People It appeareth that ye have been of a long time mistaken as touching the right Mother-Church For not Popish Rome but Hierusalem which is from above is the Mother of us all as S. Paul expressely witnesseth Yea what maner of Mother Popish Rome is I trust yee now sufficiently perceive Bee no longer therefore so much abused or so extreamely deluded as to take the wrong Mother for the right and him that is the grand Antichrist to bee Christs Vicar the head of his Church S. Peters successor and the Bishop that cannot erre in matter of Faith For what christian charitable and good minde doth not grieve to see so manie honourable and honest-hearted men to bee so farre carried away and misled to their owne perdition Howbeit if anie amongst you rest not satisfied herewith but thinketh that hee can answer this Booke and will take upon him so to doe I desire him first that hee will doe it not by parts or peece-meales but wholly and entirely from the beginning of it to the end Secondly I desire him to doe it not superficially or sophistically but substantially soundly and satisfactorilie if hee can Thirdly as I would haue him to doe it in love and charity and with an affection onely to follow Gods truth so doe I also desire him to set his name unto it as I have done here to this But if none amongst you can make anie solid sound sufficient and satisfactorie Answere unto it as I rest assured before hand none can or will bee able For who was or ever will be able to Answer or confute that Word of God whereupon the Protestants Doctrine Religion is apparantly grounded then is there so much the more reason for you all to yeeld to that which you see to bee evident unanswerable and irrefutable God Almightie if it bee his will open all your eies to see his splendent and invincible truth in his sacred Canonical Scriptures conteined and grant both to you and to us that wee may all acknowledge professe and observe it to his glorie the discharge of our duties and our owne everlasting comforts and salvation through Iesus Christ. Amen VVisdome is iustified of all her Children Luk. 7.35 Vnto the King everlasting Immortal Invisible unto GOD onely wise be honor and glorie for ever and ever AMEN 1. Tim. 1.17 FINIS AN EPISTLE VVRITTEN BY THE REVEREND FAther in God James Vssher Bishop of Meath concerning the religion anciently professed by the IRISH and SCOTTISH Shewing it to be for substance the same with that which at this day is by publick authoritie established in the Church of ENGLAND WORTHY SIR I Confesse I somewhat incline to be of your minde that if unto the authorities drawen out of Scriptures and Fathers which are common to us with others a true discoverie were added of that religion which anciently was professed in this kingdome it might prove a speciall motive to induce my poore countrey-men to consider a little better of the old and true way from whence they have hitherto beene misledd Yet on the one side that saying in the Gospell runneth much in my minde If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and on the other that heavie judgement mentioned by the Apostle because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve lyes The wofull experience whereof wee may see daily before our eyes in this poore nation where such as are slow of heart to beleeve the saving truth of God delivered by the Prophets and Apostles doe with all greedinesse imbrace with a most strange kinde of credulitie intertaine those lying Legends wherwith their Monks Friars in these latter dayes have polluted the religion and lives of our ancient Saints I doe not denie but that in this countrey as well as in others corruptions did creepe in by little and little before the Divell was let loose to procure that seduction which prevayled so generally in these last times but as farre as I can collect by such records of the former ages as have come unto my hands eyther manuscript or printed the religion professed by the ancient Bishops Priests Monkes and other Christians in this land was for substance the verie same with that which now by publick authoritie is maintayned therein against the forraine doctrine brought in thither in later times by the Bishop of Romes followers I speake of the more substantiall points of doctrine that are in controversie betwixt the Church of Rome and us at this day by which only wee must judge whether of both sides hath departed from the religion of our ancestours not of matters of inferior note much lesse of ceremonies and such other things as appertaine to the discipline rather than to the doctrine of the Church And whereas it is knowne unto the learned that the name of Scoti in those elder times whereof we treate was common to the inhabitants of the greater and the lesser Scotland for so heretofore they have beene distinguished that is to say of Ireland and the famous colonie deduced from thence into Albania I will not follow the evill example of those that have of late laboured to make dissension betwixt the daughter and the mother but accompt of them both as of the same people Tros Rutulúsve fuat nullo discrimine habebo That wee may therefore fall upon the matter in hand without further preambles two excellent rules doth S. Paul prescribe unto Christians for their direction in the wayes of God the one that they be not unwise but understanding what the will of God is the other that they be not more wise then behoveth to be wise but be wise unto sobriety and that wee might know the limits within which this wisedome and sobrietie should be bounded hee elsewhere declareth that not to be more wise then is fitting is not to bee wise above that which is written Hereupon Sedulius one of the most ancient writers that remaineth of this countrey birth delivereth this for the meaning of the former rule Search the Law in which the will of God is contayned and this for the later He would be more wise then
here useth is taken among authors oftentimes in contrarie senses eyther to signifie a great while since or else but lately or erewhile In the former sense it must be here taken if it have relation to the time wherein Bede did write his book and in the latter also it may be taken if it be referred to the time whereof he treateth which is the more likely opinion namely to the comming of Bishop Aidan into England which fell out within a yeare or little more after that Honorius had sent his admonitorie letters to the Irish. who as hee was the first Bishop of Rome we can reade of that admonished them to reforme their rite of keeping the time of Easter so that the Irish also much about the same time conformed themselves herein to the Romane usage may thus be manifested When Bishop Aidan came into England from the iland Hy now called Y-Columkille the colledge of monkes there was governed by Segenius who in the inscription of the epistle of the clergie of Rome sent unto the Irish is called Segianus Now there is yet extant in Sir Robert Cottons worthy librarie an epistle of Cummianus directed to this Segienus for so is his name there written abbot of Y-Columkille wherein he plainly declareth that the great cycle of DXXXII years and the Romane use of celebrating the time of Easter according to the same was then newly brought in into this countrey For the first yeare saith he wherein the cycle of DXXXII yeares began to be observed by our men I received it not but held my peace daring neyther to commend it nor to disprayse it That yeare being past he saith he consulted with his ancients who were the successors of Bishop Ailbeus Queranus Coloniensis Brendinus Nessanus and Lâ—â—gidus who being gathered together in Campo-lene concluded to celebrate Easter the yeare following together with the universall Church But not long after saith he there arose up a certaine whited wall pretending to keepe the tradition of the Elders which did not make both one but divided them and made voyde in part that which vvas promised whom the Lord as I hope will smite in whatsoever maner he pleaseth To this argument drawne from the tradition of the elders he maketh answer that they did simply and faithfully observe that which they knew to be best in their dayes without the fault of anie contradiction or animositie and did so recommend it to their posteritie and opposeth thereunto the unanimous rule of the Vniversall Catholick Church deeming this to be a very harsh conclusion Rome erreth Ierusalem erreth Alexandria erreth Antioch erreth the whole world erreth the Scottish only and the Britons doe alone hold the right but especially he urgeth the authoritie of the first of these Patriarchicall Sees which now since the advancement therof by the Emperour Phocas began to be admired by the inhabitants of the earth as the place which God had chosen whereunto if greater causes did arise recourse was to be had according to the Synodicall decree as unto the head of cities and therefore he saith that they sent some unto Rome who returning backe in the third yeare informed them that they met there with a Grecian and an Hebrew and a Scythian and an AEgyptian in one lodging and that they all and the whole world too did keepe their Easter at the same time when the Irish were disjoyned from them by the space of a whole moneth And vve have proved saith Cummianus that the vertue of God was in the relicks of the holy martyrs and the scriptures which they brought with them For we saw with our eyes a mayde altogether blinde opening her eyes at these relickes and a man sicke of the palsie walking and manie divells cast out Thus farre hee The Northren Irish and Albanian Scottish on the other side made little reckoning of the authoritie either of the Bishop or of the Church of Rome And therefore Bede speaking of Oswy king of Northumberland saith that notwithstanding hee was brought up by the Scottish yet hee understood that the Romane was the Catholick and Apostolick Church or that the Romane Church was Catholick and Apostolick intimating thereby that the Scottish among whom he received his education were of another minde And long before that Laurentius Mellitus and Iustus who were sent into England by Pope Gregory to assist Augustin in a letter which they sent unto the Scotts that did inhabite Ireland so Bede writeth complayned of the distaste given unto them by their countreymen in this maner When vve knew the Britons vve thought that the Scotts were better then they But we learned by Bishop Daganus comming into this Iland and abbot Columbanus comming into France that the Scotts did differ nothing from the Britons in their conversation For Daganus the Bishop comming unto us would not take meate with us no not so much as in the same lodging wherein we did eate And as for miracles wee finde them as rife among them that were opposite to the Romane tradition as upon the other side If you doubt it reade what Bede hath written of Bishop Aidan who of what merit hee was the inward Iudge hath taught even by the tokens of miracles saith he and Adamnanus of the life of S. Colme or Columkille Whereupon Bishop Colman in the Synod at Strenshalch frameth this conclusion Is it to be beleeved that Colme our most reverend father and his successors men beloved of God which observed Easter in the same maner that we do did hold or doe that which was contrary to the holy Scriptures seeing there were very many among them to whose heavenly holinesse the signes and miracles vvhich they did bare testimony whom nothing doubting to be Saints I desist not to follow evermore their life maners and discipline What Wilfride replyed to this may be seene in Bede that which I much wonder at among the many wonderfull things related of S. Colme by Adamnanus is this that where he saith that this Sainct during the time of his abode in the abbay of Clone now called Clonmacnosh did by the revelation of the holy Ghost prophecie of that discord which after many dayes arose among the Churches of Scotland or Ireland for the diversity of the feast of Easter yet he telleth us not that the holy Ghost revealed unto him that he himselfe whose example animated his followers to stand more stiffely herein against the Romane rite was in the wrong and ought to conforme his judgement to the tradition of the Churches abroad as if the holy Ghost did not much care whether of both sides should carrie the matter away in this controversie for which if you please you shall heare a verie prettie tale out of an old Legend concerning this same discord whereof S. Colme is said to have prophecyed Vpon a certaine time saith my Author there was a great Councell of the people of Ireland in the
in vaine it is for men or Councils to say they be undoubtedly guided by the holy Ghost the spirit of truth unlesse they have the Word of truth for their rule and direction and can so prove the spirit whereby they speake and decree to be Gods Spirit and not their owne But againe yee know that in Councills aswell Generall as Provinciall things be caryed and over-ruled by the most Voyces and where things be so caried and ruled by the greater number of voyces there it is experimentally found to be a thing verie easily possible for the most voyces or greater number sometimes to over-rule the better part being the lesser and consequently Councils whether generall or particular because they may sometime possibly erre can not be held for anie absolute and infallible Iudge or infallible rule of truth in these controversies Or would anie think the Bish. Pope of Rome to be an infallible Iudge Why in the glosse upon the Popes owne Law that opinion also is reiected saying thus Quaero de qua Ecclesia intelligas quod hic dicitur quod non possit errare Si de ipso Papa certum est quod Papa errare potest Respondeo Ipsa congregatio Fidelium hic dicitur Ecclesia I demand of what Church it is meant when it is said as here That the Church cannot erre If of the Pope himselfe it is certaine he may erre I therefore answer that the whole company of the Faithful is here meant by the Church Where beside that you see what Church it is that cannot erre you see it directly affirmed that certum est quod Papa errare potest it is a thing certaine that the Pope may erre Gerson also the Chancellor of Paris telleth us that tam Papa quam Episcopus deviabiles à fide aswell the Pope as anie other Bishop may go out of the way of Faith Alfonsus that wrote so earnestly against Luther yet touching this point said thus Non credo aliquem esse adeo impudentem Papae assentatorem ut ei tribuere hoc velit ut nec errare possit I doe not beleeve that any man is such an impudent flatterer of the Pope as to attribute this unto him that he cannot erre Which words were in his first edition but are not now in the last but yet even in his new copies although he qualifie his termes he holdeth the same opinion verie directly saying Omnis homo errare potest in fide etiamsi Papa sit Every man may erre in faith yea even the Pope himselfe And againe he saith that Papa in fide errare potest ut melius sentientes tenent etiam ex hijs qui Papatui plurimùm favent inter quos est Innocentius ejus nominis quartus in cap. 1. de Summa Trinitate The Pope may erre in matter of faith as the better opinion is even of them that favour the Papacie most of all amongst whom is Pope InnocentÃus the fourth of that name writing upon the first chapter De Summa Trinitate Well therefore doth Erasmus also confute this new conceit strange opinion For If it be true saith he which some say that the Bishop of Rome can never erre Iudicially vvhat neede is there then of Generall Councils Why are men skilfull in the Lawes and learned in Divinitie sent for to Councils if he in his speakings cannot erre To what purpose be so manie Vniversities troubled with handling Questions of faith when thc truth may be had from his mouth Yea how commeth it to passe that the Decrees of one Pope be repugnant to the Decrees of another What Wresters of Scripture then do some Papists in these later times here appeare to be that abuse it to give an infallibilitie of judgement and an immunitie or priviledge from error to the Pope of Rome Arboreus a Doctor of Paris and one not of the meanest Sorbonists confesseth likewise and teacheth this truth saying Papa in fide errare potest Et tota mihi aberrare via videtur qui aliter sentit Assentantur sanè Romano Pontifici qui faciunt eum immunem à lapsu haereseos schismatis The Pope may erre in faith And he seemeth to mee to be in an extreame error that thinketh otherwise Surely they doe but flatter the Bishop of Rome that make him free from falling into heresie and schisme And how can it in reason be otherwise For if Provinciall Councils wherein be manie Bishops may erre in matter of Faith which is a thing that the Popish Writers themselves do grant yea if Generall Councils may possibly erre in matter of Faith which is also a thing confessed by some of the Popish Divines and cannot iustly be denied by anie is there anie likelyhood that any one Bishop singly considered by himselfe should be so priviledged as that he could not possibly erre Yea even a general Councill namely the Councill of Basil saith Saepe experti sumus legimus Papam errasse Wee have often found it by experience and know it also by reading that the Pope hath erred And againe they say Cum certum sit Papam errare posse Forasmuch as it is a thing certaine that the Pope may erre Whereupon it must be concluded that therefore the Pope also cannot be held for an unerrable or infallible Iudge Shall then the ancient Fathers be this Iudge They are I grant in all respects to have that due reverence that belongeth to them but themselves will by no meanes assume that high honour to themselves to be infallible Iudges or such as cannot possibly erre Yea they acknowledge that they may erre and therefore would have no man further to beleeve them then there is warrant for what they write and speake in the Canonicall Scriptures I cannot denie saith S. Augustine but that there be many things in my Workes as there be also in the Writings of my predecessors vvhich justly and without anie rashnesse may be reproved And when S. Cyprian was obiected against him hee answered thus I am not bound by his Authoritie For I doe not account Cyprians Writings as Canonicall but weigh them by the Canonicall Scriptures and that in them which agreeth with the Canonicall Scriptures I allow to his praise but that which agreeth not by his favour I refuse Againe he saith If anie thing be proved by the manifest Authoritie of the divine Scriptures which in the Church be called canonicall it must be beleeved without any doubting but as for other testimonies thou mayst beleeve them or not beleeve them according as thou shalt see cause to trust them And therefore he giveth this prerogative to the sacred and canonicall Scriptures that amongst all the Writings in the world they onely cannot erre and that all other may erre For which cause he saith againe thus Solis eis Scripturarum libris qui jam canonici appellantur didici hunc timorem honoremque deferre ut nullum eorum Authorem scribendo
good ends and purposes and not to satisfie the severity of his Iustice by that meanes for their sinnes and the punishment thereto belonging p. 125. c There is no iust cause to be shewed vvhy the pretended Catholicks should refuse to take the oath of Supremacy or refuse to come to our Churches Their obiections and reasons answered p. 1 2 c p. 407 c. See also throughout the vvhole booke for this purpose Concerning auricular Confession and to vvhom confession of sinnes is to be made and that it ought to be free and voluntarie and not forced or compelled pag. 302 303 c. pag. 253 254 D FOr vvhom Christ Dyed and to vvhom hee is a Redeemer pag. 187 188 189 c Every sinne Deadly in his owne nature although all sinnes be also veniall and remissible in respect of Gods mercie grace and bounty except the sinne against the holy Ghost pag. 114 115 E THe Emperor in ancient time had the Supremacy and not the Pope pag. 30 The Emperor in times past had power to place and displace Popes pag. 27 The Emperor in ancient time banished imprisoned and otherwise punished aswell Bishops of Rome as other Bishops pag. 22 Hee did make Lawes concerning Ecclesiasticall causes and religion pag. 24 As also Commissioners in an Ecclesiasticall cause and the B. of Rome himselfe vvas one of those Commissioners pag. ibid. An appeale to the Emperor in an Ecclesiasticall cause pag 24 Generall Councils in ancient times called by the Emperor and his Authoritie pag. 24 The Christian Emperor did and vvas to meddle in matters of the Church and concerning Religion pag. 25 The Christian Emperor in ancient time did nominate and appoint Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces and even the Bishop of Rome himselfe pag. 25 Emperors in ancient time did ratifie the decrees of Councils before they vvere put in execution pag 28 Miltiades Leo and Gregory all Bishops of Rome in their severall times subiect to the Emperor and at his command pag 24.26 Ancient Fathers Popes of Rome and Councils aswell generall as provinciall may erre even in matter of faith aswell as in matter of fact pag. 49 50 51 52. c See also the Preface for this point The Romane Empire dissolved ever since the Emperors have ceased to have the soveraigne command and rule of Rome and that the Popes have gotten to be the heads and supreme Rulers of that City and to be above the Emperors pa. 331.332 and pag. 391.392.393 The Pope of Rome hath no power or authoritie from Christ to Excommunicate any pag. 299 c Excommunications be they never so iust and lawfull be by Gods law and appointment of no force to depose from Earthly kingdomes or to dissolve the dutie and allegeance of subiects pag. 299 300 301 c F OVr Forefathers and ancestors not to be followed in any vices or errors they held pag 34 35 Foretold in the Booke of God that an apostacie from the right faith and a mysterie of iniquitie otherwise called an Antichristianisme should come upon the Church and that so the Church by degrees should grow corrupted and deformed pag. 35 36 280 Foretold also how long the Church should lye in those her corruptions and errors and vvhen she should begin to be clensed and reformed pag. 35 36 VVhat is to be thought of our Forefathers that lived and dyed in the time of Popery pag 39.40 41 42 Foretold that a strong delusion to beleeve lyes shouâ—d possesse them of the Antichristian Church because they received not the love of the truth extant in the divine Scriptures pag. 307 308 Men are iustified in Gods sight and before his tribunall by Faith only and good vvorkes be the fruits and declarations of that faith pag. 99 100 101 c. to the end of that chapter and pag. 116 117 118 c. to the end also of that chapter G God is not the author of sinne pag. 168 169 c. H NOt Protestants but Papists be the Heretickes pag. 72. and Schismaticks pag. 37 38. pag. 413.414 c Not the Pope but Christ onely is the Head of the universall militant Church as well as of the triumphant pag 94 95 96 97 98 I VVHo is to be the infallible Iudge of controversies in religion or vvhich commeth all to one effect in the conclusion vvhat is the infallible Rule vvhereby men must iudge and be directed for the finding out of truth in those controversies pag. 49 50 51 c. See also the Preface for this matter The Implicita fides of Papists reproved pag 78 79 80 K KIngs have the Supremacie over all maner of persons aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill vvithin their own Dominions pa. 1. to p. 5 Their Supremacie in all kinde of causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill pag. 5 c Kings and Princes although they have the Supremacie yet thereby claime not nor can claime to preach to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate absolve or to consecrate Bishops or to doe any other act proper to the function of the Ecclesiasticall ministers pag. 32 c Kings and Princes be notwithstanding their Supremacies under God and subiect to him and his vvord pag. 33 Even heathen Kings may command and make Edicts and Proclamations for God and his service pag. 7. c Christian Kings and Queenes are by Gods appointment to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to his Church and Religion p. 7. The authoritie of a Christian King in respect of contemptuous disorderly and unruly persons requisite and necessary in the Church as vvell as in the Common-weale pag. 6 c Kings and Princes may command and compell their subiects to externall obedience for God pag. 6 7 8 9 10 Christian Kings may make lawes about matters Ecclesiast p. 7 8.24 Hee may make Commissioners in Ecclesiasticall causes pag. 24 He may have Appeales made unto him in a cause Ecclesiastical ib. He may nominate and appoint Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces pag. 27. Councels and Convocations to be assembled by his authoritie and the decrees thereof by him to be ratified and confirmed before they be put in execution pag. 26 27 28 Christian Kings doe punish offendors in Ecclesiasticall causes not Ecclesiastically but Civilly pag. 6 7.32 Subiects ought not to rebell against their Kings and Princes though they be adversaries to the Christian Religion and though subiects have power force enough to do it pa. 20 21 22.299 300 Kings of Rome did sometimes send the Bishops of Rome as their Ambassadors pag. 22 How thankefull subiects ought to be unto God for Christian Kings and Princes pag. 33 The power of the Keyes most grossely abused by the B of Rome to vvorke his owne exaltation above Kings and Princes pag 299 300 301 c The Keyes of the kingdome of heaven no more given to S. Peter then to the rest of the Apostles pag. 292 293 294 295 L NO Licentiousnesse or impiety in the doctrine of Iustification by faith or in the doctrine of predestination or
some have done that the King is therein called Supreme head of the Church they are deceived The words of the Oath at this day to take away all offence that any might conceive in that point being not supreme HEAD but supreme GOVERNOR And as touching this Title of Governor within his owne Dominions none can with anie reason gainesay it inasmuch as beside that which is before spoken King Alfred reigning long sithence was likewise called Omnium Britanniae Insulae Christianorum Rector The Governor of all the Christians vvithin the Isle of Britanny The Councell also held at Mentz in Germanie the yeare 814 in the time of the Emperor Charles the great and Pope Leo the third calleth likewise the Christian Emperor Carolus Augustus Governor of the True Religion and Defendor of the holy Church of God c. And a little after they say thus VVee give thankes to God the Father almighty because he hath granted unto his holy Church a Governor so godly c. In the yeare 847. there was also held another Councel at Mentz in the time of Leo the fourth and Lotharius the Emperor where they againe call the Emperor Verae Religionis strenuissimum rectorem a most puissant Governor of the true Religion The like was ascribed to King Reccesumthius in a Councell held at Emerita in Portugale about the yeare 705 in these words VVhose vigilancie doth governe both secular things vvith very great piety and ecclesiasticall by his vvisedome plentifully given him of God Where you see it expressely acknowledged that the King is a Governor both in causes secular and ecclesiasticall And this Councell of Emerita had also good allowance of Pope Innocent the third in his Epistle to Peter Archbishop of Compostella as Garsias witnesseth So that the Title of Governor even as touching matters ecclesiasticall as well as civill or secular attributed to the King he governing in them after a Regall manner and not in that Ecclesiasticall manner which Bishops and Clergie men use can no way justly be misliked but must in all reason be well approved and allowed Howbeit I grant that King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt had that Title of Head in their times given unto them but not of the universal Church upon earth as the Pope hath but of the Church onely within their owne Dominions and not within their owne Dominions neither in such sort and sense as the Pope taketh upon him to be Head over all the Churches in the world that is to rule and governe them at his own pleasure and as he lift himselfe Indeed Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester when he was in Germanie upon the Kings affaires was there a very ill Interpretor of that Title Supreme head of the Church vvithin his owne Dominions given to King Henry the eight reporting that the King might thereby prescribe and appoint new ordinances in the Church concerning faith and doctrine as namely forbid the marriage of Priests and take away the use of the Cup in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and in things concerning Religion might do what he listed This manner of declaring the Kings power and authoritie under that Title did so much offend the reformed Churches that Calvin and the writers of the Centuries did complaine of it and that iustly and worthily bearing that sense but in no other sort or sense did they dislike it Yea even that Title of Supreme head being rightly understood needed not to have offended anie for they had iâ— in no other sort or sense then the King of Israel likewise had the title of Head of the Tribes of Israel of which Tribes the Leviticall Tribe was one Or then Theodosius that Christian Emperor had the like within his Empire of whom Saint Chrysostome saith that non habet parem super terram He hath no peere or equall upon earth and affirmeth moreover of him that hee was summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum the Head and one that had the Supremacy over all men upon earth Yea by the Title of supreme Head attributed to King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt was no more meant but the verie same that was afterward meant to the late Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie or to King Iames our now Soveraigne Lord under the title of Supreme Governor for that they are both to be taken intended in one the selfe same sense is verie manifest even by a direct clause in an Act of Parliament viz. the Statute of 5. Eliz. cap. 1. in which also is declared how the Oath of Supremacie is to be expounded And the words of that Statute be these Provided also that the Oath viz of Supremacie expressed in the said Act made in the said first yeare of her raigne shall be taken and expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Maiesties raigne that is to say to confesse and acknowledge in her Maiestie her heyres and successors none other authoritie then that vvhich vvas challenged and lately used by the noble king Henry the eight and king Edward the sixt as in the said Admonition more plainly may appeare Where first you may observe the Authoritie attributed to King Henry the eight and to King Edward the sixt and to Queene Elizabeth as touching this point intended and declared to be all one And secondly you see it enacted how the Oath of Supremacy is to bee expounded namely that it is to be taken expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queens Majesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Raigne The words of which Admonition therefore as more amply conteyning the explanation of the same Oath I have here thought good to adde for your better and most full satisfaction in this matter The Title whereof is this An Admonition to simple men deceived by the malicious HEr Maiesty forbiddeth all her subiects to give eare or credite to such perverse and malicious persons vvhich most sinisterly and maliciously labour to notifie to her loving subiects how by the vvordes of the Oath of Supremacy it may be collected that the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessioners of the Crowne may challenge authoritie and power of Ministery of Divine offices in the Church vvherein her said subiects be much abused by such evill disposed persons for certainly her Maiestie neyther doth nor ever vvill challenge any other authority then that vvhich vvas of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is to say under God to have the Soveraignety and rule over all maner of Persons borne vvithin these her Maiesties Dominions and Countries of vvhat estate eyther Ecclesiasticall or Temporall soever they be So as no forraine Power shall or ought to have any superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the
Relatum where it is said Non enim sensum extrinsecus alienum extraneum debetis quaerere Sed ex ipsis Scripturis sensum capere veritatis oportet For yee ought not to seeke for a strange and forraine sence from vvithout but out of the verie Scriptures themselves yee must take the sence of the truth So that although the Church of Christ and the Bishops Pastors and Ministers therein be to expound the Scriptures yet wee see by what rule they are to be directed namely by the Scriptures themselves and not to expound it at randome or as they list If they wil have their expositions to be right and sound and such as shall be deemed to come from the holy Ghost 3 Yea the verie Church it selfe is also thus to be tried and decided namely by the Scriptures For so S. Augustine holdeth directly saying thus Let us not heare I say and thou sayest but let us heare Thus saith the Lord. There are verily the Lords bookes to the authoritie vvhereof vvee both consent vvee both beleeve vvee both serve There let us search the Church there let us discusse our cause And againe he saith That all that should be remooved vvhatsoever is alleaged on eyther side against other saving that vvhich commeth out of the Canonicall Scriptures And againe he saith Let them shevv their Church if they can not in the sayings and fame of the Affricanes nor in the determinations of their Bishops nor in any mans reasonings nor in false signes and vvonders for against all these vvee be vvarned and armed by Gods VVord but in the things appointed in the Lavv spoken before by the Prophets in the Songs of the Psalmes in the voyce of the Shepheard himselfe and in the preachings and painefulnesse of the Evangelists that is in the authoritie of the bookes Canonicall And a little after he saith againe thus To that eternall salvation commeth no man but he that hath the head Christ and no man can have the head Christ vvhich is not in his bodie the Church vvhich Church as also the head it selfe vvee must knovv by the Canonicall Scriptures and not seeke it in divers rumors and opinions of men nor in facts reports and visions c. Let all this sort of them be chaffe and not give sentence before hand against the vvheat that they bee the Church But this point viz. vvhether they be the Church or no Let them shevv no other vvay but by the Cononicall boâ—kes of the holy Scriptures For neither doe vvee say that men ought to beleeve vs because vvee are in the Catholike Church of Christ or because Optatus Bishop of Millevet or Ambrose Bishop of Millain or innumerable other Bishops of our Communion doe allâ—w this doctrine that vvee hold or becaâ—se in Churches of our Companions it is preached or because that through the vvhole world in those holy places vvhere our Congregations resorted so manie wonders either of hearings or of healing be done vvhatsoever such things be done in the Catholicke Church the Church is not thâ—refore proved Catholicke because these things bee done in it The Lord Iesus himselfe vvhen he vvas risen from death and offered his ovvne bodie to be seene vvith the eies and handled vvith the hands of his Apostles least they should for all that thinke themselves to bee deceaved hee rather iudged that they ought to bee established by the testimonie of the lavv Prophets and Psalmes shevving those things to be fulfilled in him that were there spoken so long before of him And hereupon a little after he saith againe These are the doctrines these are the stayes of our cause vvee read in the Acts of the Apostles of some faithfull men that they searched the Scriptures vvhether the things vvere so or no vvhich they had heard preached vvhat scriptures I pray did they search but the Canonicall of the Lavv and of the Prophets To these are ioyned the Gospels the Epistles of the Apostles the Acts of the Apostles The Revelation of S. Iohn Search all these bring forth some plaine thing out of them vvhereby you may declare that the Church hath remained onely in Affricke So farre Augustine Chrysostome also speaketh to the same effect saying VVhen you shall see the abhominable desolation stand in the holy place that is as he expoundeth it VVhen you shall see vngodly Heresie vvhich is the army of Antichrist stand in the holy places of the Church in that time let them which are in Iurie flie vnto the hills that is saith hee Let them that are in Christendome resort vnto the Scriptures for like as the true Ievv is a Christian as the Apostle saith he is not a Ievv vvhich is one outvvard in like manner the verie Ievvrie is Christianitie the hills are the Scriptures of the Apostles and Prophets But why doth hee command all Christians at that time to resort to the Scriptures Because in this time sithence Heresie hath prevailed in the Church there can bee saith hee no proofe nor other refuge for Christian men desirous to knovv the truth of the right Faith but onely by the Scriptures And the reason hereof he further sheweth For saith he such things as pertaine to Christ the Heretickes also have in their schisme They have likevvise Churches likevvise the Scriptures of God Bishops also and other orders of Clerkes and likevvise Baptisme and the Sacrament of the Eucharist and to conclude Christ himselfe vvherefore he that vvill knovv vvhich is the true Church of Christ in this so great confusion of things being so like hovv shall he knovv it but onely by the Scriptures And afterward againe he saith thus For if they shall looke upon anie other thing but onely the Scriptures they shall stumble and perish not perceiving vvhich is the true Church and so fall into the abhominable desolation vvhich standeth in the holy places of the Church So farre he Now then these being times of Schisme and heresie and of much contention and variance betweene the Protestants and the Papists and the great question betweene them being VVhether of them is the true Church Yea these being the times wherein the verie grand Antichrist himselfe with his armie of Bishops Priests and Clerkes hath place in the world as before in some sort but afterwards is more fully declared It followeth necessarily by this rule of his as also by the former Rule and direction of S. Augustine likewise that all people that bee desirous to know the truth in these times and which is the true Church must resort and betake themselves for the true tryall discerning and deciding hereof vnto the holy Scriptures only for all other waies and courses be uncertaine and unsure and such as whereby a man may possibly and easily be deceived as those ancient Fathers do there expresly teach and affirme And to give you some little tast here also that these be the times of Antichrist and that Antichrist is long sithence come and that the Pope of Rome
That there were few sons like their fathers 4 And here whilest I am speaking of the Canonicall Scriptures I must crave leave to tell you that the Popish Church holdeth divers Bookes to be Canonical Scripture which the old and ancient Church held not to be Canonicall as namely Tobias Iudith VVisedome Ecclesiasticus otherwise called Iesus the sonne of Sirach the Maccabees and the rest which the Protestants with that old ancient Church hold not to be Canonicall for so doth Athanasius affirme of them that non sunt Canonici they be not Canonicall Cyrill calleth them Apocryphall biddeth men reade those XXII bookes of the old Testament Cum Apocryphis vero nihil habeas negotij But with the Apocryphall bookes saith hee have nothing to doe Cyprian or if you will have it so Ruffinus after he had rehearsed the Canonicall Bookes of the old Testament saith Haec sunt quae Patres inim Canonem concluserunt ex quibus fidei nostrae assertiones constare voluerunt Sâ—â—onâ—dunt tamen est quod alij libri sunt qui non sunt Canonici sed ecclesiastici à maioribus appellati sunt ut est sapientia Solomonis alia sapientia quae dicitur filij Sirach Eiusdem ordinis est liber Tobiae Iudith Macchabeorum libri Quae omnia legi quidem in Ecclesus voluerum non tamen proferri ad authoritate 〈◊〉 fidei confirmandam These be they saith he which our Fathers have included within the Canon out of which they would have the assertions of our faith to appeare But yet we must know that there be also other Bookes which be not Canonical but be called of our Ancestors Ecclesiasticall as is the wisedome of Solomon and the other wisedome which is called the sonne of Sirach otherwise termed Ecclesiasticus of the same sort is the Booke of Tobias and Iudith and the Bookes of the Maccabees All which they will indeed have to be read in the Church but not to be alledged to confirme out of them the authoritie of Faith Epiphanius likewise of the Booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus saith that Howsoever they have use and profit in them yet in numerum receptorum non referuntur they are not reckoned in the number of the received books S. Hierome likewise saith that the bookes of VVisedome Iudith Ihesus the sonne of Sirach and Tobias non sunt in Canone be not Canonicall And againe in another place he saith thus Sicut ergo Iudith Tâ—biae Maccabaeorum librâ—s legit Ecclesia sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit sic haec duo volumina sapientiae Solomonis Syrach legit ad aedificationem plebis non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum Dogmatum confirmandam As therefore the Church readeth Iudith and Tobias and the bookes of the Maccabees but receiveth them not for canonicall Scriptures so these two Bookes likewise namely the Wisedome of Solomon and Ihesus the sonne of Syrach doth the Church also reade for the edification of the people but not to confirme thereby the authoritie of anie Doctrines or positions in the Church And so also doth Lyranus Hugo the Cardinal affirme Yea and Gregory the great also of the Bookes of Macchabees saith That they be not canonicall And these bookes doth likewise the Councell of Laodicea repell and reiect from being canonicall Whereby observe that when you or anie of your Church alledge anie saying or sentence out of Tobias Ecclesiasticus or the Maccabees or out of anie other Apocryphall writing which is not Canonicall to confirme thereby anie point of Faith or Doctrine that is in question yee doe that which the old and ancient Church alloweth not but utterly disalloweth you to doe as is apparant But moreover the primitive and ancient Church would have the common Praiers and publique Service and Liturgie not in such a tongue as the people understood noâ— but in such a tongue as they might and did understand For Origen saith Graeci Graecis Romani Romanis singulique precantur in propria lingua Deumque celebrant pro viribus The Grecians use Greeke words and the Romanes Romane wordes and men of everie Nation pray and praise God with all their might in their owne mother tongue Yea it was the doctrine of that hereticke Elxay to teach praier in such words or in such a tongue as was not understood Nemo quaerat interpretationem sed solum in oratione haec dicat c. Let no man saith he seeke for the interpretation or understanding of the words but only in his praier let him say these words c. Chrysostome also saith that unlesse the unlearned understand vvhat thou prayest he is not edified nor can give consent to thy prayer But herein I shall not need to spend more time for Lyran himselfe acknowledgeth this point saying In primitiva Ecclesia benedictiones â—aetera communia fiebant in vulgari lingua In the primitive Church blessings and the rest of the common or publique Services were done in the vulgar tongue And accordingly wee all know that it is the rule of the Apostle Saint Paul that all things in the Church should be done to the instruction and edification of the people But in praiers or Service said or celebrated in Latin to such as understand not Latin or in Greeke to such as understand not Greeke or in anie tongue to such as understand not the tongue is no profite instruction or edification at all to the people unlesse it be afterwards interpreted unto them in such a tongue as they understand And yet whensoever it is so interpreted being so done it is but double labour and needlesse expence of time which might better be done and easily remedied by having at first as were fittest the Praiers and Service aswell as the Sermons in such a tongue as the people might understand 5 But why doth your Church of late times further proceed and accuse the holy divine and canonicall Scriptures themselves whereby all questions and controversies in Religion are to be decided and determined of falshood or corruption in the Originals and therefore preferreth the Latin translations which yee call S. Hieromes before those Originals of the Hebrew and the Greeke Be not these strange accusations And doe they not lay a foundation and ground-worke for Atheisme Nullifidianisme and all irreligion For if the Originals be corrupted false and untrue what certaintie is there then left for men on earth to build their faith upon Or can either your Translation which you call S. Ieromes or anie other Translation of the Scriptures be then assured to be right and sound For if the Fountaine de defiled and poisoned how shall cleere pure and sound water run and be found in the rivers that issue and streame from thence If you will say as Gregory Martin and other of your Teachers say that the Greeke Hereticks have corrupted the Greeke text and the Hebrew Heretickes the
Hebrew text wee may as well say unto you that the Latin Hereticks have corrupted the Latin text and so by such kind of reasoning no Scripture should be found pure sound and sincere But thankes be to God who so preserved them the Scriptures in their originals remained pure amongst the Iewes unto the verie time of Christ and were not corrupted by anie of those Hebrew Heretickes as some Papists affirme of them for otherwise it had beene in vaine for Esay or anie other of the Prophets of God to bid the people goe for their assured direction To the Law and to the Testimony or for Christ himselfe to bid the people as hee did To search the Scriptures for their assured guidance in the truth Yea S. Peter would then never have said as he did VVee have a most sure vvord of the Prophets to the vvhich yee doe vvell that yee take heed as to a Light that shineth in a darke place For if it had beene corrupted and falsified it had not beene a sure vvord to trust unto Arias Montanus himselfe affirmeth and maintaineth the puritie and incorruption of the Hebrew originals saying further that there was no word nor letter nor point but it was reserved in that Treasory which they call Mazzoreth and therefore hee calleth that Treasorie fidam custodiam a faithfull or sure keeper of them Iohn Isaac likewise and Franciscus Lucas Burgensis as well as Arias Montanus doe also uphold maintaine and defend even unto their times the puritie and incorruption of those Hebrew Originals alwaies preferring them before all Latin Translations whatsoever And must it not needs bee so when as Christ Iesus himselfe saith that Till heaven and earth perish one Iot or one Tittle of the Law shall not perish till all things be fulfilled Yea what doth Christ Iesus else but further shew the puritie and incorruption of the Hebrew originals unto his time when it is written of him thus that He began at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things that vvere vvritten of him And when againe after his resurrection likewise hee saith in the same Chapter thus These are the words that I spake unto you whilst I was yet with you that all must be fulfilled which are vvritten of me in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes Yea the originals in the old Testament be and remaine pure and incorrupt to this day and so doe also the originals of the new Testament insomuch that S. Hierome as in one place he derideth them which said the Hebrew books were falsified so doth he in another place pronounce them to be impudent and foolish people that affirme the same of the Greeke originals For thus he writeth unto one Tibi stultissime persuasisti Graecos codices esse falsaâ—os Thou hast most foolishly perswaded thy selfe that the Greeke bookes bee falsified And againe he saith Tu mira impudentia haec in Graecis cod cibus falsata esse dicis Thou with vvonderfull impudency affirmest that thâ—se thinâ—s be falsâ—fied in the Greeke Bookes And as this was the error of Helvidius against whom S. Hierome writeth so was it also the error of the Manichees against whom S. Augustine writeth And is it not now gâ—owne to bee the error or heresie of Papists But what reason have you to preferre that Latine Translation which yee call Saint Hieromes before the Originals of the Hebrew and Greeke For first yâ—e cannot proove that Translation to bee S. Hieroms which yee so boldly affirme to be his And secondly what likelihood is there it should be his considering that in divers and sundrie places S. Hierome readeth otherwise then that Translation is yea sometimes he findeth fault with that Translation and reproveth it as for example the word â—say that is found in that translation in Marke the 1. verse 2. he thinketh to bee added by the negligence of the Librarie keepers and vpon Math. 6 he correcteth the word exterminant which neverthelesse is also in that vulgar translation And divers other such faults S. Hierome espieth and findeth in that which you call his Translation wherefore there is no likelihood it should be his And that it is not S. Hieroms translation may further appeare by the discourse which Munster hath set upon it Yea Erasmus also doth flatly affirme that this translation is neither Cyprians nor Hillaries nor Augustines nor yet Hieroms seeing his reading is divers from it and that it is much lesse that which he corrected seeing there be found in this things that hee condemneth not onely as touching the words but as touching the sence also But admit it were S. Hieroms translation whereof neverthelesse there is no likelihood yet thereupon it followeth not that therefore it is to be preferred before the originals of the Greeke and Hebrew For as there were manie translations in S. Hieroms time which were not so well liked so even of that translation which S. Hierome himselfe made and was the Author of himselfe speaketh thus I doe not thinke saith he that the Lords words are to be corrected but I goe about to correct the falsenesse of the Latin bookes which is plainly proved by the diversitie of them and to bring them to the originall of the Greeke from which they doe not denie but they were translated who if they mislike the water of the most pure fountaine they may drinke of the myrie puddles And againe he saith That as the bookes of the old Testament are to be examined by the Hebrew so the bookes of the new Testament require the triall of the Greeke And in divers other places he likewise preferreth the originals of the Hebrew and Greeke before all Latine translations whatsoever And to this effect doth Gratian also cite a sentence as â—f it were S. Augustines And indeede S. Augustine speaketh to that very purpose saying directly that VVee ought rather to beleeve that tongue from which it is by Interpretors translated into another And Lodovicus Vives also upon this place declareth the same And agreeably hereunto speaketh also S. Ambrose saying expresly That the authority of the Greeke bookes is to be preferred Bee not those men then much deluded which contrarie to the direction and iudgement of the old Church and ancient fathers and also of all right reason doe preferre that Latin translation before the originals of the Greeke and Hebrew Yea even Lyndanus a popish Bishop writeth of that latin translation that it hath manie and sundrie corruptions in it and therefore it cannot be the best and safest way to trust unto it 6 But when they must needs yeeld if they will be reasonable to the preferring of the originals of the Hebrew and Greeke before all latine translations yea and before all translations whatsoever Then they fall to another course accusing our English translations to be false and untrue and not
not then a shame for him if he had any shame in him thus to intrude himselfe into such an high and soveraigne Authoritie without anie commission or warrant from Christ the King of his church Besides themselves acknowledge and that rightly that the companie of the glorious and invisible Saints in heaven and the companie also of the visible Saints on earth do all make but one church and one Bodie to Christ Iesus though their states be differing that is to say though the one sort be triumphant and the other militant Inasmuch then as they all make but one church one bodie unto Christ Iesus how can it be shifted or avoided but that Christ Iesus must be the head aswell of the saints on earth as of the saints in heaven aswell of the visible militant company as of the invisible triumphant Yea Bellarmine himselfe will not allow anie Christian to bee tearmed or called a member of the Pope How then can the Pope rightly be the head of the church for if all true Christians vpon earth bee and be to be termed the members of Christ and not of the Pope it must be granted that not the Pope but Christ onely is their head for the head and the members be relatives And whereas in this matter they talke of a ministeriall head which is not vitall it is also but a phantasticall and vaine distinction For there can be no head in true and proper appellation to this one bodie of Christ which is his Church but that which is vitall The Pope as appeareth even by this their owne distinction is but a dead head and hath no life in him to give to anie of the members of Christ or wherby vertue grouth nourishment or increase may distil or be derived from him as from the head to anie of the members What then should the bodie of Christ doe with such a livelesse and dead head or what good profit or benefite can anie reape or receive from thence A dead bodie is fittest for such a dead head but the living and mysticall bodie of Christ hath and requireth another manner of head namely that which is vitall which is Christ Iesus onely of whose fulnesse they have all received as S. Iohn speaketh Neither is there anie such necessitie as they also vainely fancie for the visible and militant Church to have such a visible head for albeit Christ Iesus be absent from his church militant here upon earth in respect of his bodily presence which he hath carried with him into heaven yet in his Deitie and by the power of his spirit is he alwaies present with the same his church For so himselfe witnesseth saying I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And therefore alwaies doth S. Iohn testifie that notwithstanding the manhood and bodily presence of Christ be in heaven and there remaining yet neverthelesse by his almightie power and spirit he walketh and is in the midst of the seven golden Candlestickes that is In the midst of the seven Churches for so the text it selfe expoundeth the Candlestickes saying thus The seven Candlestickes be the seven Churches Vnder the name of which seven churches be also all other churches upon earth shadowed out unto us as Augustine Primasius Haymo Beda Thomas Aquinas and others affirme Seeing then that Christ Iesus notwithstanding his bodily presence remaining in heaven is neverthelesse by his almightie power and spirit present with all the true Christian churches in the world and walketh in the midst of them to guide governe comfort teach order rule susteine uphold and direct them and give all gifts and graces requisite It is manifest that he is sufficiently present with them in the church militant to doe all the offices of an head unto them so that they need not in anie sort the Pope to become an head unto them for anie of those uses or ends Yea is it not a verie great absurditie for anie to suppose or imagine that the Pope or anie one man mortall whosoever being on earth can better rule order guide and governe the whole militant church then Christ Iesus himselfe can doe being in heaven by his wisdome almightinesse and power of his Spirit But yet further when Christ in his manhood was to ascend up into heaven he promised neither the Pope nor anie one Bishop over all the rest to be his Vicar on earth or to supplie his roome and absence but the holy Ghost onely For thus he saith I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come unto you And this comforter is the Holy Ghost the spirit of truth as is there expresly affirmed And againe he saith that After his departure they shall have another Comforter that shall abide with them for ever even the spirit of Truth vvhom the vvorld cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Doe not these texts verie plainely shew that the holy Ghost is and is to be accounted Christs Vicar upon earth ever since his departure into heaven that is to say is in his stead and place unto the militant Church and to abide with it for ever And therefore doth Tertullian say accordingly that Christus misit Vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat Christ sent the power of the holy Ghost to be his Vicar or in his steed to leade and direct the beleevers Howbeit if some Bishop will needes be so intituled namely Christs Vicar as being an Ambassador for Christ and in Christs steade yet let him then know that he is not so alone but that all godly and faithfull Bishops and Ministers be so likewise For which cause it is that the ancient Fathers doe call them all alike Vicarios Christi the Vicars of Christ But S. Paul yet further sheweth that not Christ himselfe tooke upon him this honour to be head of the church without his fathers appointment and constitution If therefore the Pope will take it upon him it is good reason he should likewise shew where God hath so constituted and appointed him which he is not able to doe Yea S. Paul sheweth againe That onely he is head of the Church vvhich is farre above all principalitie and povver and dominion and might and every name that is named not onely in this vvorld but in the vvorld to come And therefore this is such a high peerelesse and supereminent an honour and prerogative as that it is proper to Christ Iesus onely and not communicable to anie creature Lastly you may perceive by S. Paul that Christ is so the head of the Church as the husband is the head of his wife And is there anie honest wife that will bee content to have two heads that is two husbands though for distinction sake you should terme the one a ministeriall head or howsoever else you would please to call him 6 Now touching Miracles
of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh for Christs bodies sake vvhich is the Church that is whatsoever yet wanted or remained for him to suffer in whose sufferings or afflictions Christ himselfe is said to suffer and to be afflicted and persecuted for what affliction or persecution is done to anie of his members hee accounteth it as done to himselfe all those sufferings and afflictions whatsoever they were that yet remained for him to beare he was readie willingly to undergoe for Christs bodie sake which is the Church that is for the profit and edification of the Church that it might thereby receive encouragement comfort confirmation strength and boldnesse in the profession of the Gospel I say all this being thus to be intended and understood how iniurious and impious be the Rhemists and other Papists which wrest this Text of S. Paul to prove that one man may merit and satisfie for the sinnes of another supplie his defects in that point As though the sufferings of Christ in his owne person for our sinnes had anie want defect or imperfection in them or as though the sufferings of S. Paul or of S. Peter or of anie other Saints or Martyrs and their bloudshed could or did doe that which the bloud and sufferings of Christ could not or did not doe Is it not a shame and a most monstrous shame for anie so to speake thinke or teach 7 But they here alledge that praier for the dead is mentioned in the booke of Macchabees and consequently that they be tormented in Purgatorie for why else should they be praied for I answer first that praying for the dead is there mentioned as the fact of one particular man onely namely of Iudas which can make no generall law or rule in this case And secondly there is likewise mentioned as by way of approbation in the same booke of the Macchabees the fact of one Razis that killed himselfe and yet for all that it is not of anie godly man to be followed or imitated And therefore as the one is disallowable so likewise may the other be disallowable notwithstanding the Approbation of it in that booke Thirdly Iudas himselfe did not there pray for the dead as thinking their soules to be punished and tormented in Purgatorie there is no such thing mentioned or appearing in the text but to shew that he had hope that they which were slaine and dead should rise again for to that end it was as the Text it selfe declareth But fourthly I answere that the book of the Macchabees is not canonicall Scripture and therefore is not of authoritie sufficient to prove a point of faith necessarily to be beleeved because that booke speaketh it That it is not canonicall appeareth before by the testimonie of the old Church and it doth also appeare by the testimonie even of the Author himselfe that wrote the Booke in that in the end of it he excuseth himselfe and as it were craveth pardon if he have written slenderly meanely Which apparantly sheweth that hee wrote by an humane and not by an undoubtedly divine spirit For the spirit of God is not wont nor needeth to crave pardon nor to excuse himselfe as though he wrote slenderly or meanely Lastly against that your conceit of tormeÌ„ting Purgatorie grounded out of that Booke I may and doe oppose the Booke of VVisedome where it is said directly The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them If no torment shall touch them then doe they not come into anie of your supposed Purgatorie torments Yea although S. Augustine praied for his mother and some other also for their friends departed it is no proofe of your Purgatory inasmuch as such praiers do manie times proceed out of natural humane affection only be used as a token of love wel-wishing to friends departed without anie such beleefe of Purgatorie Which may doth appeare even by S. Augustine himselfe who though he praied for his mother beleeved neverthelesse that she was in peace and rest free from all paine and torment S. Ambrose likewise praied for Theodosius Valentinian and Gratian whom neverthelesse he beleeved to be in peace and rest and in heavenly happinesse You see then that praying for the dead is no prooâ—e for your Purgatorie Howbeit this praying for the dead hath also no commandement example or warrant for it in anie of the canonicall Scriptures and besides it appeareth by the premisses that it can doe the dead no good and therefore it is in vaine in respect of anie good thereby to be done to the dead As for the apparitions of soules which they likewise somtimes alledge to prove their Purgatorie it is a verie Toy and a fable For S. Chrysostome saith it is not the soule of anie dead person but a Divel which faineth himselfe to be the soule of such a one to deceive those to whom he appeareth and he calleth them Vetularum verba Pâ—erorum ludibria Old womens Tales and Childrens toyes And so S. Augustine likewise telleth you that it was not Samuel in verie deed but a Divell in his likenesse which appeared to the witch in King Sauls time And therfore he pronounceth of these things that they be either the Cousenages of Deluding men or vvonders of Deceitfull Devils with which therefore none ought anie longer to be bewitched or deluded CAP. VI. Of workes done upon a good Intention as they be called without a commandement or warrant from God or his word Of workes de Congruo and de Condigno And of workes of Supererogation and how unpleasing they all bee in Gods sight and censure howsoever in respect of men that have use and profit by them they be and may be called good and beneficiall workes SVndrie there be who thinke anie worke of their owne Invention or of others devising to bee a good worke acceptable to God and a point of good service performed to him so long as they have a good meaning or a good intention in it though the worke bee not commanded from God nor warranted by his word But God will not have everie man to doe what seemeth to himselfe good or right in his owne Eyes But vvhatsoever I command you that saith he observe to doe Yea that and That onely must yee doe as your owne latine Translation is Againe he saith I am the Lord your God vvalke yee in my statutes and kâ—epe my iudgments and doe them And nothing doth he more dislike or condemne in his service or worship then when men will be so presumptuous as out of their owne imaginations to suppose and devise what shall bee well pleasing to him For what is this else but for people to goe a vvhoring vvith their ovvne inventions as the Scripture speaketh My thoughts are not your thoughts nor your vvayes my vvaies saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher then
your selfe neither eate nor drinke Bee not such grosse impieties and palpable absurdities iustlie worthie for ever to be abhorred and detested FINIS SECVNDAE PARTIS THE THIRD PART of the BOOKE CHAP. I. That the Authoritie of the Church is not above the Authoritie of the Scriptures That Popish Rome is the Whore of Babylon and therein of some special spiritual Whoredomes or Idolatries of the Romish Church BVt yet when they further say that the Authoritie of the Church is above the authoritie of the holy Scriptures what is this but to exalt men their authoritie above the authoritie of God himselfe and to magnifie the creature above the creator and to advance the wife in authoritie above her husband and his will and commandement The Church is the spouse of Christ and therefore is to be in subiection to him as to her head and husband as the wife is to be in subiection to her head and husband for so S. Paul declareth If then the Church be as is evident in subiection to Christ it is cleere shee can claime no superioritie or authoritie over him or his will or word in the Scriptures conteined yea it is the note and marke of an harlot and dishonest woman to challenge and usurpe authoritie over her husband And therefore what doth this position else prove but that the Romish Church is and must needs be the proud insolent false and dishonest Church even the vvhore of Babylon as shee is called in the Revelation of S. Iohn For what may not that Church doe or dare to doe be it never so wicked or ungodly which holdeth her authoritie to be above the authoritie of the Scriptures Is not this a dore that openeth a way to all licentiousnesse and wickednesse and to devise decree and doe in matters concerning Religion whatsoever pleaseth her selfe The right and true Church is of another and a better disposition and is ever content and desirous to live in subiection and in obedience to Christ and to his word will and pleasure and accounteth that as indeed it is her greatest honour And so also Christ Iesus himselfe sheweth that this is her chaste and godly disposition for thus he saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow mee and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands Marke that hee saith that his sheepe heare His voyce and follow Him and therefore they follow not others nor their owne unbridled humors lusts or pleasures but desire and endevour evermore to obey him and to doe as he hath willed and commanded them Againe the Church of Christ is expressely charged to observe all those things which Christ Iesus her Lord head and husband hâ—th commanded and therefore is to keepe her selfe within those her limits and bounds and not licentiously to wander or to goe beyond them Wherefore S. Paul also saith thus that the Lord Iesus shall shew himsâ—lfe from heaven vvith his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that know not God and vvhich obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhich shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power vvhen hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marvailous in all them that beleeve Doe you not here likewise see how great subiection and obedience unto the Gospel of Iesus Christ and to his word and will is required of all men Yea what great peril and punishment they are to undergoe which will not subiect themselves unto it namely that such shall be punished with everlasting perdition Take heed therefore and with as much good hast as ye can declare your subiection and obedience to the Gospel and word of God in the sacred Scriptures conteyned without anie further neglect of it or opposition to it As for the reason that some make that because the Church telleth us that This is the Scripture therefore the Authoritie of the Church is above the Scripture it is but a verie weake and an idle reason and no better then if it should be said that you had not knowne that this were the King but that such a man told you and shewed him to you Ergo this man is above the King Were not this a verie ridiculous and a most absurd inference The Church is by her Ministerie bound and according to her duetie ought to tell testifie and declare the word of God and what Scriptures be canonical and what not to teach the truth in those Scriptures conteyned but this office sheweth rather service and subiection in the Church then anie Soveraigntie or Superioritie in her above the Scriptures Schollers in a Schoole can tell a stranger who is the Master of the Schoole yet is not their authoritie therefore above the authoritie of their Maister Whilest then the Popish Church holdeth that her authoritie is above the authoritie of the Scriptures it is manifest she is not guided as shee vanteth by the holy Ghost but contrariwise with a spirit of pride and licentiousnesse and of opposition against God and his authoritie word and will in those his Scriptures declared And what then can such a spirit be but the spirit in verie deed of Antichrist and consequently what can such a Church be but the erring and Antichristian Church 2 For further proofe whereof give mee leave now to shew unto you that The Popish Citie of Rome from whence as from their mother Church all Papists receive their bane is that very vvoman even that VVhore of Babylon as I said before which is mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn with vvhom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication and vvith the wine of vvhose fornication the Inhabitants of the earth have beene made drunken Which Woman is there further said to be arayed in purple and scarlet and gilded vvith gold and pretious stones and to have also outwardly a Cup of gold in her hand full neverthelesse within of abominations and filthinesse of her fornications and all this to entise and allure Lovers and friends unto her Now if wee would know certainely and assuredly who this woman was which S. Iohn thus saw in vision the Angel telleth us precisely saying The vvoman vvhich thou sawest is the great Citie that raigneth over the Kings of the earth But the great Citie that then raigned over the Kings of the earth in the daies of S. Iohn and had the Empire was not Constantinople nor anie other citie but only the citie of Rome as all men know and therefore only the citie of Rome and not anie other citie is and must needs be there meant under the name of the woman there otherwise called the VVhore of Babylon But for more explication who this woman was it is there further said that there were seven hills or Mountaines vvhereon the vvoman sate Now it is
wrought in anie sort by mans hand should be worshipped Adoratione latriae with that worship that is properlie belonging to God himselfe May not those men that be thus enamored with Images and that hold these opinions be therein supposed to be as senselesse as the verie Images themselves For what is this else but to worship stockes and stones and the worke of mens hands with divine honour And can there be a greater or a more grosse Idolatrie committed Yea S. Augustine noteth it as the heresie of the Carpocratians that they vvorshipped the Images of Iesus and of Paul Whereas some therefore say that the honor which is given to the signe or Image doth ever redound and is given to the Prototypon to that whose signe or Image it is and consequentlie that the honour given to the image of God and of Christ is honour done to God himselfe and to Christ himselfe this appeareth not to be true Yea even amongst men if the respect that is yeelded to the picture or Image of a friend or of anie great man shall be accepted as honour due to the man himselfe whose picture and Image it is intended to be it must be with these conditions viz. first that it be a right and true picture and image of the man for if it be nothing like him but more like some other man or some other creature hee hath no reason to take it for his picture or image much lesse to thinke himselfe thereby honored Secondlie it must have an allowance or at least no disallowance in respect of him to whose honour he intendeth to make it if he meane that the other shall accept and take it as an honour done unto him for if he to whose honor it is intended disallow it or signifie his minde that he will not have his picture drawne or his image made to be so honoured it can be no honour acceptable to him in that case but it will rather move offence and be ill taken if it be done How much more then will God be offended with these things For beside that no man can make a true and perfect picture or Image of him that is both God and Man God hath further directlie disallowed and forbidden these Images and all Images and Similitudes whatsoever to be vvorshipped In Gregories time Images were not allowed to be worshipped yea Pope Gregory himselfe well liked of Serenus Bishop of Massilia in this point viz. for that he forbad Images to be vvorshipped As for that second Councell of Nice therefore which was after Pope Gregories time gathered under Irene the Empresse inasmuch as it was assembled to overthrow the former godlie Councels of Constantinople and Ephesus which decreed against Images and the worshipping of them it ought to carrie no credite or esteeme and the rather because that second Councell of Nice was also afterward againe further condemned in the West by another Councell held at Frankford Which thing Carolus Magnus himselfe in his booke made against Images doth also testifie The same is likewise testified by sundrie other Authors Yea Epiphanius in his daies would not allow so much as an Image of Christ or of anie Saint to be at all in Churches for comming to a Church at Anablatha and there seeing in a Vaile an Image painted as it vvere of Christ or of some Saint he affirmed it to be contrary to the Authority of the Scriptures to have anie such Image in a Christian Church and therefore caused it to be taken down And the Councell of Eliberis also decreed the like against the having of Images in Churches How much more then would these men have condemned the Worship of the verie Images themselves 6 A sixt point of Idolatrie in the Popish Church is that they worship the Crosse also and pray unto it saying O Crux ave Spes unica hoc passionis tempore auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam Hayle O Crosse our onely hope in this time of the passion Increase righâ—eousnesse to the godâ—y and give pardon to the guilty Yea Thomas Aquinas their Angelical Doctor as they call him saith the Crosse is to be worshipped with latria and giveth two reasons of this Adoration saying thus Crux Christi in qua Christus crucifixus est tum propter repraesentationem tum propter Membrorum Christi contactum latria adoranda est The Crosse of Christ vvhereon Christ vvas crucified both because of the representation and also for that it touched the members of Christ is to be vvorshiped with latria that is with that vvorship that is proper and due unto God But be these reasons sufficient in this case The Gospel was so cleerely preached to the Galathians as if there had beene a lively Image of Christ crucified set before their eies was therefore the verie Ministerie or Preaching of the Gospel whereby Christ crucified was thus depainted out to be adored or worshipped with that worship that is due and proper to God The breaking of the Bread in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth represent unto us the breaking crucifying of Christ his Body upon the Crosseâ— and the pouring out of the wine in the same Sacrament representeth also the shedding or effusion of his Bloud upon the same Crosse for us shall therefore the breaking of the Bread or the pouring out of the vvine be adored and worshipped with that worship that is due unto God And yet is the Preaching and Ministerie of the Gospel as likewise the administration of the Sacraments of Gods owne institution but no institution commandement or warrant from him can be shewed for making a wooden Crosse or anie kind of Crosse to be a representatioÌ„ of Christ crucified And yet if such an institution could be shewed for the Crosse it followeth not that therfore it is to be worshipped with that worship that is proper and due unto God no more then VVater in Baptisme or Bread and VVine in the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper are so to be worshipt although they be Gods institutions or no more then the Brazen Serpent which was also Gods institution in times past amongst the Iewes was therefore so to be worshipped What Is the vvooden Crosse or anie Crosse whatsoever become a God that it should thus be worshipped As for the other reason if because the Crosse touched Christ it be therefore to be worshipped why should not also the Nailes and the Crowne of Thornes and the Speare or Lance wherewith he was pierced be likewise so adored or worshipped or why should not Iudas Iscariot who likewise touched Christ betraying him with a Kisse and those wicked Iewes that apprehended and tooke him and that Woman also that vvashed Christs feet with her teares and wiped them with the haires of her head yea and the Pinnacle of the Temple whereon Christ was set and all those manie places of ground whereon Christ stood and all those sundrie persons which he touched and which
the people in the world may aptlie be divided The Vnchristian people be those that make no profession at all of Christ or Christianitie of which sort be Iewes Turkes and other Infidels of the world The Christian people revera and indeed of which in this distribution I speake be those that professe Christ and beleeve in him and addict themselves onelie to his religion and the rules and waies of it as it is described and set downe in the sacred and canonical Scriptures The Antichristian people be those that professe Christ in words in outward shewes and semblance but yet neverthelesse denie or oppugne him in deeds or in doctrine or in both Whence is concluded that neither the Turke nor Mahomet as I said before nor anie of the rest of the Infidells of the world can properly and according to the Scripture phrase and sense bee tearmed Antichrists or Antichristians fith they make no profession of Christ at all but such are properly to be termed Vnchristian and not Antichristian people and consequently it remaineth that Antichrist and Antichristian people bee onely to bee found within Christendome and amongst those that professe Christ. And who these be within Christendome is easily to be discerned for that the Pope of Rome and his followers be this kinde of covert masked and disguised adversaries and opposites to Christ and that under the name and profession of Christ his church and religion I thinke there is none but doth or may verie readilie perceive But would you know it further and in some particulars For you must indeed come to particulars with them inasmuch as otherwise in general termes and words they will make great profession of Christ and of the rights honors prerogatives to him his Church belonging and yet in the meane time in particulars and indirectlie and by consequent they will oppugne him Inasmuch therefore as he hath the name of Antichrist chiefelie by reason of his opposition unto Christ in this covert and disguised manner let us see how that is verified in the Pope and Papacie For which purpose let us consider our Lord Iesus Christ as he is to be considered namelie in respect of his person and in respect of his offices committed to him from his Father In respect of his person he is both God and Man in respect of his offices he is a Prophet a Priest a King unto us Now in everie of these respects doth the Pope and Papacie oppugne Christ. For first what a God doe they make Christ to be when they preferre the Virgin Mary above him and acknowledge authoritie in her to command him For thus they speake unto her Iube natum Iure Matris Impera redemptori monstra te esse Matrem That is Command thy Sonne and by thy motherly authority command the Redeemer and shew thy selfe to be a mother Is he God and the creator and supreame commander of all things that is thus made subiect to the authoritie and commandement of a creature But doe they not further oppugne his Godhead verie manifestlie when they hold that everie Priest of theirs after breathing of a few words out of his mouth can create and make Iesus Christ his maker for so they say as is before shewed that Sacerdos est Creator creatoris sui The Priest is the Creator or maker of his maker Now then is he a God that can be thus made by men And what doe they else but oppugne his Manhood also verie manifestlie whilest they make his bodie to be multi-present that is present in manie places at one time For they say it is both in heaven and in earth at once yea in so manie places as their Masse is celebrated or their Host reserved at one and the selfe same time which is contrarie to the nature and propertie of a true bodie which we are sure Christ Iesus hath Yea as they hold his Body to be carnallie eaten in the Sacrament with the bodily mouth so doe they hold it also to be void of dimensions and quantitie and to be uncircumscribed and invisible and no way sensible which is likewise as much as to make him to have no true bodie at all When againe they hold that his bodie is made out of the substance of a peece of bread for so much that their verie word of Transubstantiation importeth which was indeed not so made but of the substance of the Virgin Mary doe they not verie cleerelie oppugne his humanitie and the veritie of his bodie You see then how they doe oppugne the person of Christ both in respect of his Deitie and also of his humanitie verie apparantlie Let us now likewise briefelie consider how they oppugne Christ in his three offices namelie as he is a Prophet a Priest and a King unto us The Prophecie of Christ whose voice and instruction as of a Prophet and Teacher all-sufficient we are commanded to heare and obey they oppugne first by teaching that the sacred and Canonical Scriptures be imperfect and insufficient for a Christian mans instruction and salvation without their Traditions secondlie by adding not onlie their owne Traditions but the Apocryphal Bookes and Decretal Epistles also to the Canon of the Bible and stablishing them to be of equall authoritie reverence with the Canonical Scriptures themselves thirdlie by equaling also the determinations of their Popes and the Decrees of their Councels and Church which they say cannot erre unto the divine and canonical Scriptures they holding them to be as undoubtedlie the voice oracle of the Holie Ghost as anie thing is which is contained in those Scriptures fourthlie not onlie in equaling but which is more and much worse in preferring magnifying and advancing of their Pope and Church and their authoritie above the authoritie of the Scriptures and therefore doth Silvester Prierias Master of the Popes Palace affirme that Indulgences bee warranted unto us not by the authoritie of Scripture but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which saith hee is a greater Authority Againe hee saith Whosoever resteth not on the doctrine of the Roman Church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God à qua sacra Scriptura robur trabit authoritatem from which the sacred Scripture draweth her strength and authoritie hee is an Heretick And so saith Eckius likewise that Scriptura nisi Ecclesiae authoritate non est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authoritie of the Church and sundry such waies doe they oppugne the all-sufficient written word doctrine and instruction of Christ our Prophet His Priesthood they also oppugne which consisteth chiefly in these two things viz. in sacrificing himselfe once for all his people upon the Crosse to take away their sinnes and in making intercession for them Now this his onely-propitiatory and only-bodily and all-sufficient Sacrifice they oppugne by erecting of another Sacrifice in their abominable Masse wherein they say their Priests
offer up Christ everie day or often and that in a bodily manner and this sacrifice so offered by them they also say is propitiatorie and taketh away the sinnes of men which is most intolerably blasphemous against that sacrifice of Christ. His all-sufficient mediation and intercession they also oppugne by making manie Mediators and Intercessors beside him as namely the Virgin Mary and other Saints and Angells for whose intercession sake they desire God to heare them and to grant their requests The Kingdome of Christ the Papacie likewise oppugneth for they will not suffer his Church to be ruled and governed by his owne Word and by such orders rules and lawes as hee in his Scriptures hath ordained but according to the canons rules and pleasure of the Pope and according to his constitutions and ordinances Yea as for the lawes and ordinances of God the Pope partly dispenseth with them and partly abrogateth them making them at his pleasure of no effect by his constitutions traditions and devises yea hee taketh to himselfe to be king and head of the whole militant Church and all the authoritie to the head and king of the Church belonging and that without anie warrant at all from Christ like a notable traytor and usurper For which cause it is that he also destroyeth so much as he can all the good subiects of this kingdome of Christ even his best Saints and servants be they Kings Princes or whosoever And thus you see how he oppugneth Christ everie maner of way both in respect of his Person and in respect of his Offices and that not openly and professedly but in a cunning close and covert manner that is in such a sort as belongeth to Antichrist and Antichristian people to doe 4 It is further said in this Text where Antichrist is described that Hee shall be exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped Observe that he doth not say that he shal be exalted above God but above every one that is called God For it is one thing to be God essentially and another thing to be called God or to have the name of God or Gods attributed to him Who then be the men that be in Scripture called God or Gods It is evident that they be Kings Princes other such like Rulers and Magistrates Now it is manifest that above all these the Pope is exalted yea even above the Emperors themselves for he claimeth a Supremacie above them all taking upon him to depose Kings Princes and Emperours and to give away their Kingdomes Empires and Dominions at his pleasure O damnable and intolerable pride in a Bishop Did ever S. Peter whose successor he pretendeth to be thus detestably magnifie and exalt himselfe All the Christian world knoweth that S Peter was of another and more humble spirit not exalting himselfe above but subiecting himselfe evermore unto and under the authoritie of Kings Princes and Emperors and taught all people likewise this duety of subiection and obedience And so did S. Paul also Yea all Bishops and even the Bishops of Rome themselves aswell as the rest were in ancient time subiect to the Emperors and the Emperors commanded over them The Emperors Writ saith Hierome caused the Bishops aswell of the East as of the West to draw to Rome This is saith Eusebius a copie of the Emperors Writ whereby hee commandeth a Councell to be kept in Rome Note that he saith he commanded it Yea hee so commanded a Councell that Pope Leo himselfe excused his absence before the Emperour The Emperor Constantine saith Sozomen sent out his Letters unto all the Rulers of the Churches that they should all meete at Nice upon a day Vnto the Bishops of the Apostolicke Sees unto Macarius the Bishop of Hierusalem and unto Iulius the Bishop of Rome c. VVee command saith Iustinian the Emperour the most holy Archbishops and Patriarchs of Rome of Constantinople of Alexandria of Antioch and of Hierusalem c. Seeing then that all Bishops and even the Bishop of Rome aswell as the rest were in ancient time subiect to Kings Princes and Emperors as to the higher powers so ordeined of GOD over them What monstrous pride is it now in the Bishop of Rome so highly to magnifie and advance himselfe as to claime and arrogate to himselfe a Supremacie and authoritie over them all Insomuch that it is registred of him in his owne Records that hee is so manie times greater then the Emperor as the Sunne is greater then the Moone Is it not then high time and more then time for all to renounce and to be ashamed of such an unholy Father whose pride by no pretences can be excused and is so superlatively ill as that it is unmatchable 5 For indeed long before this his usurping and taking to himselfe a Supremacie over all Kings Princes and Emperors to whom of right and duetie he ought to be subiect did his pride appeare and shew it selfe in taking upon him a Supremacie over all Bishops and Patriarches who were his equals so that he would be called Vniversal Priest or Vniversal Bishop chiefest Bishop head of the whole universal Church of Christ upon earth and by other such like loftie and supereminent titles And yet when Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople affected that title of Vniversal Bishop over all you may remember what Gregory himselfe the then Bishop of Rome spake namely thus I speake it confidently that vvhosoever calleth himselfe the universal Bishop or desireth to be so called he is in that his Elation the forerunner of Antichrist because in that his pride he setteth himselfe before others Againe he saith None of my Predecessors Bishops of Rome â—ver consented to use this ungodly name No Bishop of Rome over tooke upon him this name of singularitie vvee the Bishops of Rome vvill not receive this honour being offered unto us Againe writing unto Eulogius hee saith thus Behold even in the preface of your letter you have written the word of a proude appellâ—tion naming mee the universal Pope notwithstanding I have forbidden it I beseech your holinesse to doe so no more For whatsoever is given to any other above reason the same is taken from your selves Yea it is further recorded even in Gratian himselfe that The Bishop of Rome may not bee called universal Bishop Here then you may perceive how shamelesly the Popish Church abuseth some places of Scripture wresting them for the maintenance of this their Popes claimed Supremacie and universalitie over all Bishops and the whole Church of Christ. As first they alledge that saying of Christ to Peter where after that Christ had demanded of his Apostles VVhom doe yee say that I am and that Peter had answered in the name of them all saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God Christ said unto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not revealed this
unto thee but my Father vvhich is in heaven And I say unto thee Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke vvill I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not overcome it And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and vvhatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and vvhatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Howbeit first you must be put in mind that the confession which Peter here made of Christ to be the Sonne of the living God was likewise the confession and acknowledgement of the rest of the Apostles aswel as of Peter so that Hee for his part was therin but as the Mouth of the rest or like the Foreman of a Iurie pronouncing that verdict and confession for them all For which cause also the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and the power of binding and loosing of sinnes bee there promised to be given to Peter not as to him alone but to him as bearing and representing at that time the person of them all For that Peter at that time represented the person of them all is manifest by these reasons First the question was demanded not of Peter alone but of the rest of the Apostles aswell as of him for the words be not in the singular but in the plural number Vos autem quem me esse dicitis But VVhom doe yee say that I am and consequently the answer that was given must consonantly thereunto be supposed to be the answer of them all For it were a verie uncivill and unseemely part beside undutifull if the rest being demanded and asked the question aswell as Peter should give no maner of answer to their Lord and Master demanding it of them Which they must needs be held guiltie of unlesse their answer be taken to bee included and comprehended in that answere of Peter Secondly when this promise made to S. Peter came to bee performed it was performed to them all alike as you may see in that place of Ioh. 20.22 23. where that promise was performed and accomplished Which also sheweth that the promise made to S. Peter was not made as to him alone but to him as representing at that time the person of them all For the promise and the performance of that promise must of necessitie have coherence and bee made to agree together as most aptlie and rightly expounding one an other And according hereunto doe the Ancient Fathers likewise expound it Origen saith This saying of Christ to Peter I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven is common also to the rest of the Apostles and the words that follow as spoken to Peter bee also common to them all Again he saith Shall we dare to say that the gates of hell shall not overcome onely Peter and that the same gates shall prevaile against all the other Apostles And againe hee saith If wee speakâ— the same thing that Peter spake wee are become Peter and unto us it shall bee said Thou art Peter for hee is a Rocke whosoever is the disciple of Christ. And againe hee saith If thou thinke that the whole Church was builded only upon Peter what wilt thou then say of Iohn the son of Thunder and of everie of the Apostles Cyprian speaketh in like sort upon these words of Christ to Peter In the person of one man saith hee the Lord did give the Keies to all the Apostles to signifie the unitie of them all for verilie the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endued with equal fâ—llowship both of honour and power But hee did begin with unitie that is to say with one that thereby it might be signified that there is but one Church of Christ. In like sort doth S. Augustine expound it saying VVhen they vvere all asked Peter alone maketh the Ansvver and it is said unto him I vvill give unto thee the Keies of the kingdome of heaven as though hee alone had received authoritie to binde and to loose whereas HE had spoken THAT for them All and received THIS as representing or bearing in himselfe the person of unitie And againe hee saith If there were not a mystery of the Church in Peter The Lord would not have said I will give to thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of heaven for if this were said onely to Peter then the Church hath them not And if the Church hath them then when hee received the Keyes hee signified the whole Church So likewise testifieth S. Hierome Yee will say saith hee that the Church is builded upon Peter hovvbeit in another place the same thing is done upon all the Apostles and all receive the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and the strength of the Church is founded equally upon them all Beda doth likewise so expound it saying thus The power of binding and loosing notwithstanding it seeme to bee given onely to Peter yet without all doubt wee must understand that it was given also to the rest of the Apostles Haymo doth also so affirm This authoritie saith hee the Lord gave not onely to Peter but also to all the Apostles because Peter expressed the faith of all the Apostles when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God So that vvhat the Lord said to Peter he said unto all his Apostles as appeareth Ioh. 20.23 where hee saith thus unto them all alike VVhose sinnes yee remit they are remitted unto them and whose sinnes yee reteine they are reteyned Wherefore the Keyes whereby the Kingdome of heaven is opened and shut to sinners and the power of binding and loosing sinnes appeare to be no more specially or principallie given to Peter then to the rest of the Apostles but they all received that power athority equally alike And here withal you may perceive that the verie person of Peter is not the Rocke or foundation whereupon the Church of Christ is builded for then upon the death of Peter the church for want of a rocke or foundation to uphold it would have come to ruine but it is Christ Iesus himselfe whom Peter there for himself in the name of the rest confessed that is the Rocke and foundation to support and uphold the Church and whereupon it is builded For so also doth S. Paul expound and declare it saying in precise termes thus Other foundation can no man lay then that vvhich is layd alreadie vvhich is Iesus Christ where you see that hee expresly affirmeth the Church to have no other foundation but Christ onely And in another place hee also calleth Christ Iesus the Rocke in expresse termes for he saith That Rocke was Christ yea and Christ himselfe saith Hee that heareth my vvordes and doth them is the vvise man that buildeth his house upon the Rocke What better expositors then these would you have to expound and declare these words By the Rocke then not Peter but Christ is to
be understood Yea howsoever Christ spake in the Syriacke tongue using the word Cepha in both places yet in the Greek text which taketh away all ambiguitie declareth the verie true sense of those words as also in the latin translations there is a cleer expresse difference and distinction made inter Petrum Petram betweene Peter and the Rocke for the words bee not as you suppose Thou art Peter and upon thee vvill I build my Church but thus Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke I will build my Church that is upon my selfe whom thou hast thus confessed to bee the Messias or Christ the Sonne of the living God will I build my Church So that howsoever the Church is builded upon Christ and such faith in him and confession of him as S. Pâ—â—er had and delivered yet it is not builded upon the person of S. Peter as is apparant And so also doth S. Augustine teach and expound those words Thou art Peter saith hee and upon this Rocke vvhich thou hast confessed upon this Rocke vvhich thou hast acknowledged in saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God I vvill build my Church that is upon my selfe being the Sonne of the living God I vvill build my Church I vvill build thee upon mee and not mee upon thee For men vvilling to build upon men said I hold of Paul I of Apollo and I of Cephas that is of Peter but others that would not build upon Peter but upon the Rocke said I holde of Christ. Be not these things then verie plaine and evident It is true that in the numbring of the names of the Apostles Peter is reckoned first but as they could not all be reckoned at once but that of necessitie some must bee reckoned before the other so Theophilact telleth you the reason of it to bee namely because hee and Andrevv his brother were the first that were called by Christ to the Apostleship as is indeed manifest in Mat. 4.18 19. c. And therefore doth S. Ambrose also acknowledge that Paul was not interiour to Peter or to anie of the rest of the Apostles that went before him in Dignitie but in Time And in his Booke De Incarnat Domini cap. 4. hee affirmeth the Primacie of Peter to bee Primatum confessionis c. A. Primacie of confession verely but not of honour a primacie of faith but not of Degree And likewise doth S. Augustine say of him that hee was ordine primus the first in order or reckoning Although then Peter bee granted to have a Primacie yet you see what manner of Primacie it was that it was not anie King-like or Emperour-like primacie but a Primacie onelie of order or of Excellencie in other respects For Christ Iesus himselfe when the Apostles contended for a Maioritie one over another sheweth directly that they might not expect to raigne or beare Domination one over another although they saw Kings and Princes to doe so over the people of those nations that were subiect to them Vos autem non sic Yee may not doe so Agreeablie whereunto S. Cyprian also hath told us that Christ gave to all his Apostles the same or equal authoritie And againe hee saith that Peter tooke nothing proudlie upon him as to say That hee had a Primacie whereby others that were his after-commers should bee obedient to him And so likewise testifieth the Greeke Scoliast of him saying thus Behold hovv hee doth all things vvith common consent And further hee saith of him that hee did nothing Archicos that is Imperiously or with Commanding authoritie Much lesse did hee anie thing Monarchicos that is like a Monarch or King over all So that Peter had no more primacie in respect of anie Legal Princely or Monarchical authoritie over the rest of the Apostles then the rest had over him nor was anie more the Rocke or foundation of the Church then the rest were Yea when S. Paul sheweth that the Church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe Corner-stone and when it is likewise said in S. Iohn to haue tvvelve foundations and in them the names of the Lambes tvvelve Apostles It is by both those places verie apparant that Peter by being a foundation hath therein no more preeminence or prerogative then the rest inasmuch as the rest bee there expresly said to bee foundations as well as hee The Church being founded aswell upon the rest of the Apostles as upon Peter and the strength of the Church being equally builded upon them all as S. Hierome hath also before affirmed But then secondly they alledge Luk. 22.31 32. where Christ saith thus unto Peter Symon Symon behold Satan hath desired you to vvinnow you as vvheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fayle not therefore when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren In which words Christ foreseeing how Satan would sift and shake them all but especiallie Peter who by thrice denying him and forswearing of him was to fall more grievouslie and dangerously then the rest therefore telleth him that hee had praied for him especiallie that his faith faile not that is as Beda expoundeth it That after hee vvas fallen by denying Christ hee might rise again by repentance and being so raised up to repentance by Gods special grace and Christs prayer hee might bee afterward able even by his owne example and experience to comfort strengthen others in the like case S. Chrysostome likewise so expoundeth it Oravi pro te ne deficeret fides tua hoc est ne in fine pereas I have prayed for thee that thy faith fall not that is saith hee that thou finallie perish not Againe hee sheweth you the true cause why Christ did there so speciallie mention Peter by name If saith hee Satan desired to sift the miall vvhy did not Christ pray for them all It is evident as I said before that to touch him the more deepely and to shevv his fall to bee farre more grievous then anie of the rest Christ turned his speech to him in particular Againe he saith thus I have praied for thee particularly that thy faith faile thee not This Christ spake to touch Peter the more vehemently signifying that his fall should be much fouler then of his fellovves and therefore that hee needed the more helpe This text then sheweth a greater weaknesse in Peter and a greater danger towards him then toward the rest and from whence it was that hee had his strength and stabilitie whereby hee was kept that hee did not utterlie perish in that his so grievous and dangerous a fall but it is far from proving or intending anie Monarchical or Princelie rule or authoritie in him over the rest It hath no such scope purpose or meaning in it And here also is answered the third Text they cyte of Ioh. 21.15 16 17. where Peter having formerly denied Christ thrice
respect of his Episcopal or Spiritual And for this cause also the one is said to arise out of the Sea and the other out of the Earth Rev. 13.1.11 for in respect of his Episcopal supremacie and Pseudoprophetical demeanour hee arose from the Earth it receiving his original from below and from the Earth and not from Heaven and in respect of his Imperial dominion hee arose out of the Sea because the Ruines of the Empire by meanes whereof hee arose to that his Imperial Greatnesse were not otherwise wrought but by the wavering and disquiet turbulencies that were in the World in those daies So that howsoever it is called the first Beast and the second Beast in distinct considerations yet upon the matter they both make but one Antichrist And therefore in Rev. 17. is there mention made but of One Beast only which supported the Whore of Babylon Yea Fatentur omnes pertinere omnino ad Antichristum verba illa Iohannis c. All men confesse saith Bellarmine himselfe that those vvords of Iohn in Rev. 13.11 c. doe undoubtedly belong to Antichrist Now then let us examine and see if they be not all verified in the Pope and Papacy First it is said that this second Beast had two hornes like a Lamb but he spake like the Dragon Duo Cornua similia Agni scilicet Christi cuius duo Cornua sunt duo Testamenta He shal have two Hornes like to those of the Lambe that is like to those of Christ vvhose two Hornes be the two Testaments as Lyranus Primasius and Augustine also expound them Whereby appeareth that Antichrist shall outwardly pretend great sanctitie sinceritie humilitie and simplicitie and as if hee did all things by good authoritie and strength of the holy Scriptures the two Testaments the Old and the New and yet in verie deed his voice and speech that is his doctrines decrees lawes canons and constitutions should bewray and discover him to be but a Wolfe in Sheepes clothing and no lesse cruell and malignant against the true Church of God then the verie Dragon Doth not everie man perceive that these things doe rightly fit the Pope For who maketh a greater outward shew of sanctitie pietie and Christianitie then he and what doth he else but pretend the strength and authoritie of the two Testaments namely of the holy Scriptures for warrant and maintenance of the false doctrines errors heresies hee teacheth and holdeth Can anie man outwardly pretend greater humi litie then he when he entitleth himselfe Servus servorum Dei a servant of Gods servants and yet for all that he taketh upon him by his claimes and actions to be Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium the King of Kings and Lord of Lords So that howsoever hee pretendeth humilitie yet wee see hee is farre from it And howsoever hee pretendeth the authoritie of the holy Scriptures viz the two Testaments for the strengthning and confirmation of his religion doctrine and doings alledging them to be shadowed out and figured in the two Hornes of his Myter yet partly by reason of the unsound and false translations of those Scriptures which he defendeth and authorizeth against the truth of the Originals and partly whilest he perverteth and misinterpreteth the true Scriptures themselves and equalleth also his Traditions unto them and moreover dispenseth with them at his pleasure and preferreth his owne authoritie and the authoritie of his Church above them and so maketh them to speake in another sense and otherwise then ever they meant it is apparant that being thus used and abused they be at the most but like the two Hornes of the Lambe as this Text speaketh and be not the verie two hornes themselves that is they be not the pure incorrupt and undoubtedly true Scriptures themselves but corrupted differing from them Pope and Popery then appeareth to consist all in shewes semblances and likenesses of veritie sanctitie and pietie and have it not in verie deed and substance And therefore not without good cause did diverse Bishops make their complaint long sithence in their Epistle to Pope Nicholas recorded in Aventine saying in this sort unto him Thou bearest the person of a Bishop but thou playest the Tyrant under the habite and attyre of a Pastor vvee feele a VVolfe It is a lying Title that calleth thee Father thou in thy deeds shewest thy selfe to be another Iupiter being the servant of servants thou strivest to be the Lord of Lords c. But moreover doth not the Pope speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell for by the Dragon in the Revelation is the Divell understood when he saith that the Kingdomes of the world be his and that he hath power to dispose and give them to whomsoever hee will For did not the Divell speake the verie same to Christ in the Gospel Yea the Pope is as they write Totius orbis Dominus The Lord of the vvhole vvorld and hath Coelestis terrestris potestatis Monarchiam The Monarchy or soveraignetie both of the heavenly and earthly power and to him forsooth they apply that Prophecie Dominabitur à mari ad mare à flumine usque ad terminos orbis He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the vvorld Yea they attribute that unto him which Iesus Christ spake of himselfe saying that All power is given unto him both in heaven and earth Matth. 28.18 Be not these most abominable blasphemous and divelish speeches being attributed to the Pope But yet further what doth hee else but speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell whilest he teacheth that doctrine of Divells mentioned in the Epistle to Timothy as shal afterward appeare and whilest he maintaineth a wrong worship of God a false faith and an Apostatical and Antichristian religion against the right most pure and onely true religion of Christ extant in the booke of God the holy and canonical Scriptures 3 Againe it is said that this second Beast did exercise all the power of the first Beast and that before him And who is so ignorant but hee knoweth that the Pope exerciseth all the power of the first Beast that is of the Latine or Romane State and that before him or before his face that is to say even at Rome and in the presence of the Romane State For hath not the Pope gotten that which was the seate of the Emperor namely Rome and made it his seate And is not the Emperor put downe from having anie Headship or Soveraigne Authoritie there Yea doth not the Pope there take upon him to exercise all the Imperial power authoritie tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris yet vvithout the name of the Emperor of Rome as Bellar. himself also saith that Antichrist must doe For this Imperial Authoritie aswell as his Ecclesiastical that is to say both his supremacies as before is shewed hee claimeth and holdeth under the name and title
not Aventinus write directly thus of him Hildebrandus qui Gregorius septimus primus Imperium pontificium condidit quod successores per qurdringentos quinquaginta continenter annos invito mundo invitis Imperatoribus adeo duxere ut inferos superos in servitutem redigerint atque sub iugum miserint Pope Hildebrand who vvas also called Gregorie the seventh is the first that founded the Papall Empire which his successors for fovver hundreth and fiftie yeares together have so managed in despite of th VVorld and in despite of the Emperors that they have brought inferiours and superiors into subiection and under the yoake The like speaketh Eberard Hildebrandus ante annos centum atque septuaginta primus specie regligionis ANTICHRISTI Imperii fundamenta iecit Hec Bellum nefandum primus auspicatus est quod per successores hucusque continuatur Pope Hildebrand saith hee an hundred and seaventie yeares past was the first vvho under pretence of religion laid the foundation of the Empires of Antichrist Hee first began this wicked vvarre vvhich by his successors is hitherto continued And even Onuphrius also a great favorer and maintainer of the Papal authoritie saith Huic vni c. To this man onely viz. to Pope Hildebrand all the Latine Churches but especially the Church of Rome ought to attribute it that shee is free and pulled out of the hand of the Emperors that shee is enriched with so much riches and vvealth and temporal Dominion that shee is ruler over Kings Emperors and all Christian Princes from vvhom lastlie it is that I may comprehend all in one vvord that this most great excellent state floweth that Rome is the Ladie or Mistres of all the Christian vvorld vvhereas before as a base handmaide shee vvas kept under not onely by the Emperors but by anie Prince ayded by the Romane Emperor From him it is that the right of that greatest and in a manner infinite and in all ages terrible and venerable povver of the pope of Rome hath issued For although formerlie the Popes of Rome vvere respected as heads of the Christian religion and Vicars of Christ and the Successors of Peter yet did not their Authoritie stretch anie further but to defend or maintaine opinions of faith Yea they vvere subiect to Emperors al things vvere done at their becke by them vvere the Popes made neither durst the Pope of Rome iudge or determine anie thing of them Of all the Popes of Rome it is Gregorie the seaventh that is the FIRST vvho having the assistance of the Normans strengthened by the helpe of the Countesse Matildes a VVoman verie potent in Italy and inflamed through the discord and civill warre of the Germane Princes was bould beyond the manner of his predecessors and contemning the Authoritie and power of the Emperor after that hee had obtained the Popedome I doe not say onely to excommunicate but also to deprive the Emperor himselfe of his Kingdome and Empyre A thing before those times unheard of For those Fables which are reported and carried about concerning Arcadius Anastasius and Leo Iconomachus I regard not VVhereupon Oth◠Frisingensis a VVriter of those times saith also thus I read and I read againe the gests of the Romane Kings and Popes and no where doe I finde anie of them before this Emperor Henrie to bee excommunicate by a Pope of Rome or by him deprived of his Kingdome So farre Onuphrius Gotfridus Viterbiensis likewise testifieth that this Emperor Henrie the fourth was the first that was deprived of his Empire by the Pope Trithemius also witnesseth the same saying Ipse primus est inter omnes Imperatores per Papam depositus Hee is the first amongst all the Emperors that was deposed by a Pope By these Writers and Historiographers it then appeareth that although before the times of Hildebrand the Popes of Rome had an Episcopal or Ecclesiastical supremacie or Headship over all other Bishops which also began not till about the yeare 606. in the time of Boniface the third yet a temporal supremacy or Imperial Monarchy over Emperors Kings Princes they never fully compassed effected until the daies of this Pope Hildebrād which was above a 1000. yeares after Christ. And thus you see the original of both the Supremacies of the Pope But what were there anie Miracles signes or wonders done at this time when the Imperial Monarchy wherein the Image of the Beast chiefly consisteth was thus sought to be brought in and setled in the Pope especially was there anie Miracle or Wonder by fire then to be seene It is manifest there were For thus Aventinus writeth Falsi tum Prophetae falsi Apostoli falsi Sacerdotes emersere qui simulata religione populum deceperunt magna signa atque prodigia ediderunt c. False Prophets false Apostles false Priests did Then arise vvho under pretence of Religion deceived the people and did great signes and VVonders c. And amongst other Miracles they alledge this for one that a certaine Bishop whilest hee was preaching against Pope Hildebrand fulmine tactum esse vvas smitten vvith lightning What is this but fire from heaven Yea Pope Hildebrand himselfe being a Magitian and Necromancer would no doubt not faile to doe such miracles and wonders as by divelish device and helpe he could for the bringing of his designes and purposes to passe And amongst the rest of his Wonders Cardinal Benno saith that VVhen hee listed hee vvould shake his sleeves and fire like sparkles did flye out ijs Miraculis oculos simplicium volunt signo sanctitatis ludificabat and vvith those Miracles saith he as it vvere vvith a signe of sanctity did he delude the eyes of the simple Paulus Bernriedensis also rehearseth divers Miracles or Wonders of Pope Hildebrand done by fire and therefore often resembleth him to Elias in whose time fire came down from heaven So that if these words in the Revelation of fire comming downe from heaven on the earth were to be taken literally you see how they may be verified in the Papacie inasmuch as in the Papacie they have made fire come down from heaven on the Earth in the sight of men that is as they made men to beleeve and thinke for so also doth Arethas expound those words But indeed those words in the Revelation be rather mystically and allegorically to be taken for S. Hierome saith Apocalypsim tot habere sacramenta quot verba that the Revelation hath as many mysteries in it as vvords and againe he saith totum esse spiritualiter intelligendum that the whole booke is spiritually to be understood They seeme therefore to be words alluding to the times of Elias and signifying that as in his daies God miraculously sent fire from heaven thereby to certifie the people of the true God and of the truth of his religion so would Antichrist by the miracles done in his Church worke so powerfully and effectually
an Ensigne of honour and as the Sword is before a King to waite and attend upon him So that he is also exalted above this Sebasma Yea what say yee to this that he is exalted even above their consecrated Host which they so devoutely worship accounting it their God and their Maker and affirme to be the verie Body of Christ is not this the greatest highest Sebasma or the most venerable thing in their Service and Religion and yet is even this their god and body of Christ as they call it as well as the Crosse made to waite and attend upon the Pope Ante Pontificem semper praefertur Crux post Crucem portatur corpus Christi super equum album cum campanella The Crosse is alwayes carried before the Pope saith the Booke of Ceremonies and after the Crosse is the Body of Christ carried upon an vvhite horse vvith a little Bell c. Yea the fact of Pope Gregory the seventh declareth how much the Pope when he listeth esteemeth this breaden God and consecrated Host and how farre when he pleaseth he exalteth and magnifieth himselfe above it for He consulting with that breaden god and demanding answers of it for that it gave him no answer he tooke it and threw it into the fire And therefore you perceive how the Pope is exalted advanced even above the greatest highest Sebasmata in the Romish church aswell as above those amongst the Gentiles if the text were of them to bee understood Yea if you would further force the words of the Text and make the meaning of them to bee that Antichrist should bee exalted even above the true God himselfe you may see how even that also is found verified in the Pope For doth not hee exalt himselfe even above the true God which holdeth his Authoritie and the Authoritie of his Church to be greater then the authority of the holie Scripture That without the Authoritie of the Church the Scripture is not authentical Yea that the Scripturs be of as much worth as Aesops fables if they be destitute of the authoritie of the church Doth not Pighius also teach Authoritatem Ecclesiae in ea pontificis maiorem esse quam Scripturae That the authoritie of the Church and therein of the Pope is greater then the authority of the Scripture Doth not Stapleton likewise teach and defend the same and sundry other Popish writers Againe when the Pope dispenceth with the Law Commandements and Precepts of God what doth he else but advance and exalt himselfe above God For In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior VVith the precept of a superior an inferior ought not to dispense Now the Pope boasteth that by that fulness of power which he hath he may lawfully dispence above the Law And they say that the Pope may dispense against the Apostle and against the Canons of the Apostles and in matters of Oathes Vowes Marriages obedience of Subiects and such like and against the Old Testament and the New Yea they say Papam posse mutare Evangelium eique pro loco tempore alium sensum tribuere That the Pope may change the Gospell and give unto it another sence as time and place requireth And that the Scripture and sense of it is to bee fitted to the time and as the practise of the Church is so that it is sometimes to bee taken in one sense and sometimes in an orher and that the Scripture is not otherwise to be accounted the word of God then in that sense or interpretation which the Pope or Church of Rome approoveth and setteth upon it and that if it bee in anie other sense it is not the Word of God but the word rather of the Divell Observe then that they say first that the authority of the Church is above the authoritie of the Scriptures and secondly that the Popes authoritie is above the authoritie of the Church so by this rekoning they make the Pope to be two degrees above God speaking in his Word seeing hee is above the Church the Church above the Scriptures But yet further who knoweth not that an offence against the Pope and his constitutions and the commandements of his Church is amongst them more heedefully regarded and more severely censured and punished then an offence against God and his Commandements Wherby doth likewise appeare that the Pope beareth sway amongst his followers more then God and consequently that he is amongst them exalted even above God himselfe But now lastly consider how much you be here againe mistaken whilst you thinke that Antichrist shall bee exalted above God which the words of the Text doe not affirme Obiect 8. The whore of Babylon in the Revelation of S. Iohn may bee interpreted for the universal Corps or Company of all the wicked in the world Answ. It cannot bee so taken or interpreted For then upon the burning and destruction of that Whore of Babylon should all the ungodly wicked of the world come also to confusion and bee destroyed but it is evident that after her burning and destruction sundrie wicked and ungodly people of the world doe live lamenting that her ruine Rev. 18.9 10 11.15 16. c. Yea the very description of that Whore of Babylon in Rev. 17 and al the circumstances to her belonging doe shew that it is meant of a particular Cittie and even of that particular City which then raigned over the Kings of the earth and was situate upon seven hills namely Rome And therefore doth Bellarmine himselfe confesse that the better exposition even in his iudgement is Per Meretricem intelligi Romam That by the VVhore Rome is understood And againe Cap. 5 he saith Explicat Mulierem esse urbem magnum quae sedet super septem colleâ— id est Romam The Angell Explaineth that woman to be the great Citie which fitteth upon seven hills that is Rome Other Iesuits that have written Commentaries upon the Revelation as namely Ribera and Viegas doe also expresly affirme that it is to bee understood of a particular Citie and namely of Rome Yea whereas Bellarmine for an evasion would have it vnderstood onely of Heathen Rome Ribera against that conceit saith VVee are to understand it not onely of Rome as it was long sithence under the heathen Emperors but also as it shall bee in the end of the world And Viegas likewise speaketh after the same manner saying All that which is spoken in those Chapters doth most manifestly agree to Rome And againe he saith The name of Babylon is to bee applyed to Rome which served Idols before ever it received the faith of Christ and to Rome also as it shall bee in the time of Antichrist And thus you see that not onely the Adversaries themselves do confesse this VVhore of Babylon to be Rome but further also some of them against Bellarmine acknowledge and teach that it is to be understood not onely of
heathen Rome but of Rome also after it had forsaken heathenisme and had received the faith of Christ and turned againe from that unto Antichristianisme Obiect 9. But although those Iesuits do meane that Rome shall become Antichristian and bee ruled by Antichrist yet they doe not meane that it shall bee so untill some few yeres before the end of the world Ans. They meane as they must needs that Rome should become Antichristian in the dayes and times of the Grand Antichrist who is come long sithence For wheras they have a conceit that this Antichrist is not yet come and that when hee commeth hee shall raigne but three yeares and a halfe therein is their great error and mistaking For what was it that hindred or letted his appearing was it not the Romane Empire Onely bee which now letteth shall let untill hee bee taken out of the way and then shall that wicked man bee revealed saith S. Paul Hereupon Tertullian in his Booke of the Resurrection of the flesh Chapt. 24 saith thus Onely hee which now letteth must let till hee bee abolished VVhat is this but the Romane Empire Chrysostome in his fourth Sermon upon the second to the Thessalonians is of the same opinion and so is the Greeke Scholiast And so doth S. Augustine also expound it in his twentieth Booke and ninteenth Chapter of the Citie of God and Primasius also S. Hierome likewise saith the same in th 11 Question to Algasia and addeth That the Apostles durst not say in expresse termes that the Romane Empyre should be abolished for feare of drawing persecution upon the Church Howbeit this needeth no proofe at all because the Adversaries themselves doe also teach that the impediment to Antichrist mentioned by S. Paul was the Romane Empire But the Romane Empire which was the Onely let or impediment of Antichrist his appearing is now long sithence taken out of the way Ergo long since was the time of Antichrist his comming and appearing That the Romane Empire which was so flourishing in S. Pauls time is now long sithence abolished or taken out of the way is before prooved by the expresse testimony of the Historiographers themselves affirming the same as namely by Machiavell who dedicateth his Florentine Historie to Pope Clement the seventh by Guicciardine in the fourth Booke of his history and by Augustinus Steuchus and by Lipsius c. And so also is it testified in Synodo Reginoburgensi that Romani Maiestas Populi qua olim orbis regebatur Sublata est de terris Imperator vana apellatio sola umbra est The Maiestie of the Romane people whereby the world in times past was governed is taken from the earth The Emperor is now a vaine title and a shadow onely And so likewise affirmeth Lyranus that Ab Imperio Romano recesserunt quasi omnia Regna negantia ei subijci redditionem Tributi All Kingdomes in a manner have departed from the Romane Empyre denying to bee subiect to it and to pay it tribute And hee further addeth saying I am a multis annis Imperium illud caruit Imperatore Now manie yeares sithence hath that Empyre wanted an Emperor This also appeareth by Sigonius in his historie of the Kingdome of Italy lib. 3. where shewing by what meanes it was that the Emperors lost all their right in Rome hee concludeth thus saying By this meanes Rome and the Dukedome of Rome came to be in the Popes power But what neede anie proofes by histories or Authors of a matter so cleere and evident For doth not everie mans knowledge eies and eares tell and testifie unto him without anie more adoe that he that is called the Emperor at this day is the Emperor of Germanie and that the Emperor of Germanie howsoever hee bee entitled is not for all that Emperor of Rome For hee hath not the headship or Soveraigne rule there Yea the Pope is hee that now is long hath beene to the eies and view of the whole world the head and Soveraigne ruler of that Citie If then the Pope be at this day as none is so simple or ignorant but he knoweth it the head and Soveraigne Ruler of Rome then is not the Emperor of Germanie nor anie other the head supreame Governour of it Yea the Emperor of Germanie is so farre from having anie chiefe or supreame rule there that cleane contrarywise hee acknowledgeth subiection to him that hath the Headship and Soveraignetie there namely to the Pope to whom for that purpose he giveth an oath of homage fealtie or allegeance The ample and Soveraigne rule of the Emperors then which they had appeareth to bee long sithence abolished and taken away and the Popes have succeeded in their place at Rome and have gotten the headship and Soveraigne rule there And therefore also the grand Antichrist who by this direct Prophesie of S. Paule was then to appeare hath accordingly appeared long sithence even ever since the time that the headship and supreame rule and government of that City was taken from the Emperors and exercised by the Popes For there bee two or three degrees of the appearing of that grand Antichrist the one when hee became an universal Bishop over all Bishops and was made head over all the Christian Churches in the world The second when after that his Episcopal and Ecclesiastical supremacie obtained he attained to a Temporal supremacie or terrestrial Monarchie which hee also got by the decay and ruins of the Empire But an other cleere and demonstrative argument of this matter hath also S. Iohn given us in Rev. 17.3.7.9 10 c. Shewing that the state of Rome from the beginning of it to the end of it is to have but seven sorts of Soveraigne Rulers or Heads of it which bee Kings Consulls Decemvirs Tribunes Dictators Emperors and Popes For though an eight head bee there mentioned yet is that eight expresly affirmed to bee one of the seven Rev. 17.11 Rev. 13.3 Now then if Rome be to have in all but these seven heads as is apparant and that Rome at some one time or other before the end of the world is to become Antichristian and to bee ruled and governed by Antichrist as the Adversaries also themselves confesse How can they choose but grant that Antichrist is alreadie come and hath long since ruled and raigned in Rome and at this day there ruleth and raigneth inasmuch as the Popes visibly and undeniably appeare to bee the seventh and consequently the last head of that Citie Yea this the Rhemists themselves confesse and doe say the seventh head is Antichrists state which shall not come so long as the Empire of Rome standeâ—h And Bellarmine likewise writeth Antichristum fore ultimum qui tenebit Romanum Imperium tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris That Antichrist shall bee the last head who shall hold the Empyre of Rome and yet vvithout the name of the Romane Emperor Seeing then the Empire of Rome is dissolved
thereunto expressely said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such as perish and are to goe with him to destruction Can anie thing then be more evident Now that the Pope of Rome is The man of sinne that is according to the Hebrew phrase a verie notorious sinner or a most sinfull man and consequently well deserveth to be called the sonne of perdition who can doubt of it inasmuch as he is in Christendome like Ieroboam in Israel who not onely was a great sinner in his owne person but caused also Israel to sinne or like Ahab with his Iezabel who did exceed Ieroboam in wickednesse or worse then these For must not hee needs be a verie notorious wicked man who being at first a Bishop equal with the rest of his fellow Bishops was not so content but with his wings of pride and ambition would mount above them all Yea who with that his unmeasurable pride hath exalted himselfe not onely above all those his fellowes but even above his superiors also namely above all Kings Princes and Emperors of the world nor yet so content proceeded further claiming authoritie also even over the Angels of heaven for so it appeareth by the Bull of Pope Clement the sixt before mentioned where hee saith Mandamus prorsus Angelis Paradisi c VVee straightly command the Angels of Paradise c. And in another place he forbiddeth Hell also from taking anie hold of those that should crosse themselves for the holy warres But hath hee here ceased No for he hath gone yet further clayming the power and authoritie of God himselfe and even the name of God also to be given him and which is yet a further degree beyond all degrees he hath exalted himselfe even above God himselfe amongst his followers as before appeareth But to shew this matter yet further by some other particulars And to begin with the word of God the sacred and canonical Scriptures doth not Hee and his Clergie extremely dishonour and vilipend them 1. In that they preferre their corrupt Latine translation before the originals of the Greeke and Hebrew 2. In that they make Apocryphal bookes to be of equall authoritie with the Canonicall 3. In that they equall their Traditions with the Canonicall Scriptures 4. In that they number their Decretall Epistles also amongst the canonical Scriptures 5. In that they accuse the holy Scriptures as not conteining sufficient matter of instruction for a mans salvation without their Traditions 6. In that they take upon them to expound those Scriptures according to their owne fancie sense and pleasure and as they list themselves 7. In that they preferre the authority of their Church before the authoritie of the scriptures and the Popes authoritie above both Concerning the Sacraments also how have they perverted those Two which be of Christ his institution and have added to the number of them making seven in all And this is one note of Antichrist as S. Hierome upon 2. Thess. 2. observeth that he should change attempt to increase the Sacraments of the Church The Sacraments they also strangely hold to give grace ex opere operato by vertue of the verie worke done and performed And touching Baptisme have they not horribly polluted and abused it And concerning the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper have they not also taken away the one halfe of it from the people and moreover turned it into such a fearefull and abominable Idolatrie viz. of adoring and worshipping a peece of bread for God as that amongst the verie Pagans and Heathens the like hath not beene seene The vertue also efficacie end fruit and benefit of Christ his comming into the world they have likewise cleane overturned debased or diminished 1. in that themselves take upon them either in the whole or in part to be their owne Saviours and Redeemers by their owne merites and workes of satisfaction as they call them to Gods Iustice as also by suffering satisfactorie punishments in their owne persons for their sinnes after this life ended in their supposed Purgatorie 2. for that in their detestable Masse their Priests take upon them to offer up Christ everie day or often in a bodily maner and that as a sacrifice propitiatory for the taking away of the sinnes of men when in verie deed that Bodily propitiatorie sacrifice was offered but Once and that by Christ himselfe onely and namely upon the Crosse. 3. In that they hold not Iustification in Gods sight to be by faith in Christ but by a righteousnesse inherent in their owne persons nor will allow a man to make a particular application of Christ to himself to be his Saviour Redeemer or anie way to be rest so assured which what is it else but to bereave a man of all sound comfort and benefit by Christ For what profite comfort or benefit is it to anie to know and beleeve that Christ is a Saviour and Redeemer indefinitely or to others if he know not or beleeve not that he is a Saviour and redeemer to himselfe in particular For so farre even the Divels themselves doe goe beleeving all to be true that God speaketh in his word and that Christ is a Saviour and Redeemer to others and hereat they tremble as S. Iames speaketh It is not enough therefore for men that desire to be saved to beleeve historically all the Articles of the Creed to be true or whatsoever God speaketh in his word to be true or that Christ is a Saviour and Redeemer to others for thus farre as is evident even Divels and Reprobates may goe but they must goe further by applying the truth of all the Articles of the Creede and of the promises of salvation made in Gods word and of Christ Iesus to bes a Saviour and Redeemer in particular to themselves by a speciall faith 4. In that they allow not Christ to bee the sole and onely Mediator and Intercessor betweene God and his People but will needs have other Mediators and Intercessors for them besides him namely the blessed Virgin Marie and other Saints and Angels The Ecclesiastical discipline likewise especiallie in the point of Excommunication they have extreamely perverted abusing it most grosly impiously and traiterously to the deposing of Kings and Princes from their Thrones and Kingdomes and to the disanulling of the subjection and loyaltie of Subiects and to the raysing of treasons and rebellions within their Kingdomes And as touching Prayer Almesdeeds Fasting and all the chiefe duties workes of Christianitie they have also utterly marred corrupted them For their usuall fasting is not an abstinence from all kinde of meates and drinkes ioyned with fervent and repentant Prayers unto God and other holy exercises divine meditations during that time or day of the fast as true Christians and rightly religious fasts ought to bee but consisteth in a difference of meates as namely in an abstinence from flesh and eating fish and whit-meates Yea all their Fastings Almes-deeds and