Peter was ordained by Christ an vniuersall Pope ouer mee yet what hath the Bishop of Rome to doe with St. Peter The holy Scriptures giue-in no euidence at all that euer Peter was at Rome Onely humane histories report it And as for diuine Records they plainely shew that he departed not from the coasts of Iudea till the fiftieth yeere of our Lord. Thereafter wee finde in the Ecclesiastique histories that before his going into the West Hieron in Pet. hee preached the Gospell in the Easterne parts in Pontus Cappadocia Asia Bythinia c. for the space of diuers yeeres and that hee suffered martyrdome in Rome about the sixty eight yeere of our Lord. It is not possible therefore that he could haue bene Bishop of Rome so long as fifteene yeeres much lesse twenty fiue Which space of time is very vnaduisedly assigned him by some passable ancient writers But to omit these arguments from computation suerely neither Saint Peter nor any other Apostle was euer made Bishop of any particular City whereto his seat might be entayled by a perpetuity This is repugnant to the very office of Apostleship which was by Christ their Chiefe Lord instituted an order of professed errants throughout the whole world when he gaue them their commission Matth 28.19 Mar. 16.15 to Goe and teach all Nations and to preach the Gospell to euery creature that is to say to all men wheresoeuer throughout the world They had no power therefore to fix themselues on any particular place nor to binde themselues to it but their duty was to attend the enlargement of my tents Act. 1.8 beginning from Ierusalem to the vtmost parts of the earth and when they had founded any particular Church and vnited it to me the vniuersall Mother they were then to passe on for new plantations Who therefore is so hardy as to coope vp Saint Peter at Rome and to binde him to a particular Bishopricke there till the day of his death And if hee finished his course at Rome certainely hee died not with the title of Bishop of Rome but of an vniuersall Apostle For neither that nor any other See could be chosen by him as proper to him beeing by his function and calling to passe to and fro through the world But if hee ended his life in any heathenish place where as then there was no Church planted who then was to be his successor in the Papacie It is therefore a groundlesse and idle assertion to name personall successors to any of the Apostles whenas none of them all was a locall Bishop for as for Iames Bishop of Ierusalem Constit Apost lib. 6. c 14. Doroth. in synopsi c. hee was none of the twelue Apostles but a Disciple beside that number and therfore all Bishops succeed all the Apostles in Solidum that is to say euery particular Bishop whatsoeuer hee bee holdeth the place and office of the Apostles who by Christ's institution committed their charge and office to the Bishops and those to other Bishops and so to others by continuall succession till the end of the world and that by vertue euen of those words of Christ to the Apostles Io. 20. As the Father hath sent me so I send you That is to say As the Father hath giuen mee power to send you soe I giue power to you to send others and to giue them likewise the same missiue power which I giue you and the Father hath giuen me And hereupon it followeth that euery Bishop in respect of the diuine institution hath the very Apostolicall power that is vniuersall in habite or generall qualification which he is enabled to exercise actually in any part of the world But in regard of my restreining precept for the auoyding of disorder and confusion there are long since limitations set downe and particular distinctions of euery ones Diocesse Now therefore when as there is no personall succession vnto any of the Apostles who can fetch his claime from Peter who from Iohn who from any other of the Apostles Nay if such plea were good there could not bee aboue 12. or at the most 13. Bishops in the world And to afford personall succession to Peter onely with deniall of it to all the rest is to beate the aire with idle words and to goe against the Scriptures Certeinely for a thousand yeeres and more I neuer heard in all my family from the mouth or penne of any pious and holy Author that the Bishop of Rome was acknowledged for an Vniuersall Pope Indeed the Bishops of Rome themselues haue endeuoured to make me an vnderling and to put me vnder their feete and to make themselues my Head and Lord and Master with great wrong to my true and onely Head Lord and Spouse CHRIST IESVS but they haue long attempted it in vaine For they haue met with stout oppositions St. Polycrates a most holy Bishop of Asia did strongly oppose S. Victor B. of Rome S. Irenaeus B. of Lions did the like and this befell neere the times of the Apostles Cypr. l. 1. ep 3. l. 3. op 13. Apud Cypr. ep 74. Pamel S. Cyprian beareth himselfe as a companion and Colleague with S. Steuen and S. Cornelius both Bishops of Rome euen in the Vniuersall gouernment of the Church and spareth not to hold his owne against them S. Firmilian B. of Cesarea in Cappadocia handleth the same Steuen of Rome very homely and setteth nought by his excommunications Euseb l. 7. c. 4. Iulij Epist. ad Orientales Socrat. l. 7. c. 5. Sozom. l. 3. c. 5 c. The Church histories are plentiful in shewing how lightly S. Iulius though B. of Rome was ouerpassed by the Bishops of the East and by the Councell of Antioch which for the more part of it was Catholique and Orthodoxe for no lesse matter then that he would make himselfe an Vniuersall Iudge euen in the causes of the Easterne Church and yet in the end hee was faine to sit downe and be quiet The Councell of Nice acknowledgeth not the B. Con. Nic. can 6 of Rome for any other then one of the three then Patriarchs who had their limited iurisdictions so also doeth the first Councell of Constantinople and the Councell of Chalcedon None of the ancient fathers my dearest children for the space of 600. yeeres together hath any the least impression of the Romane Papacie by whom the B. of Rome was neuer taken for other then at the most for Patriarch of the West The Africane Church in those dayes one of my most noble daughters affronted the Romane Church and would not in any wise that she should exercise any power ouer her in the ordering of the Ecclesiasticall policie and went so farre as in open Councels to resist her in which euen the renowned S. Augustine bare his part The like hath bene many times practised by the Churches of Rauenna of Aquilege of Milan And S. Gregory in opposing the title of Vniuersal
they fouly breake me this vnion But that which most of all offends mee is that the Pope my Capitall enemie doth destroy and breake and dissipate this my so important vnion drawing it mischieuously to himselfe and vrging that vnion consisteth in beeing subiect vnto him as a visible head Yet haue I shewed that there is no relation of an head in him and that hee is meerely my minister and seruant Indeede he is as euery other Bishop the visible head of his owne Church onely my daughter of Rome and he it is that giueth vnion to that Church for euery particular Church is visibly one whilest it depends of her owne only principall minister A Church that is a particular Church saith Saint Cyprian Cypr. lib. 4. Ep. 9. is a people vnited to their Pastour But in mee that am the vniuersall and totall Church there is no vnion made by any other then by my true and onely head Christ and all particular Churches bring forth that goodly and necessary vnion by beeing vnited with me vpon the same foundation and vnder the same head Christ and that by way of charity and concord Idem lib. 4. Ep. 2. To this purpose well said the same Cyprian that the Church of Christ is one beeing diuided throughout the world into many members and that there is only one Bishopricke which is diffused by the agreeing multitude of many Bishops Ibidem Ep. 3. Moreouer he saith though we be many Pastors yet wee feede one flocke onely And againe being that the Church which is one and vniuersall is not broken nor diuided shee is also vnited and combined by the bond of Priests conioyned among themselues Therefore Cyprian neuer could finde that this vnion consisted in one of the Bishops by the reducing all others to him as to an head but that all Bishops vnited together in faith and charity did cause this vnion of mine It is a grieuous iniury which my vngratefull daughter of Rome doth offer me whilest she forgetting that she is my daughter maketh her selfe my Mistres and vsurpes my Robes and my Titles as if she were the vniuersall Church when shee her selfe is a particular Church one of the many It is I that am the truely vniuersall who stretch forth my armes from East to West and from North to South and how can shee be vniuersall or totall beeing onely a part and member All the many are gathered together and vnited in me and not in her for euen she if shee will be Catholike must of necessity bee vnited to me as a part to the whole as a member to the body vnder mine and her head Christ Iesus Behold therefore the Rocke whereupon yee run whilest yee are willing to reduce your selues vnto an vnion inuented by the Pope that hee might thereby become my head and tyrannize ouer me and whilest ye yeeld obedience to him instead of remayning in vnion with me ye separate your selues from me and instead of making and procuring vnity you breake it and diuide it For he is not in the Catholique Church that is not in the vniuersall Church which am I and whilest the Bishop of Rome packeth a faction which receiueth vnion from him onely surely that sect of his can bee neither Catholique nor vniuersall nor Church therefore his party is not the vniuersall Church but a diuelish schisme wherein there cannot be any sound and holy vnion but a conspiracie and combination of a Sect not of a Church Now let vs passe on to the Rocks of Auarice THE SECOND PART ¶ The Rocks founded on Auarice The first Rocke The Masse THAT exercise wherewith I haue bene furnished sincerely for aboue foure hundred yeeres which now adayes you call the Masse was by the first institution thereof nothing else but a consecrating of the Bread of the holy Eucharist for the communion of the faithfull and that to represent the Passion and death of Christ and to make commemoration of that most blessed sacrifice wherein Christ himselfe being both Priest and Sacrifice did offer vp his most sacred Body and pretious blood vpon the Altar of the Crosse onely once for my redemption and for remission of sinnes and this was then instituted by Christ when in his last Supper he made his Apostles Communicants of that mysterious Bread and Wine which represented his Body and Blood saying vnto them Doe this in remembrance of mee That therefore which Christ gaue vnto his Apostles namely Bread and Wine for them to eate and drinke was the Sacrament a true and reall Sacrament but not a true and reall Sacrifice other then commemoratiue For this Sacrament was giuen them as in very deed an actuall Sacrament and bearing with it Sacramentall fruit and benefit but as a commemoration onely and representation of the future sacrifice When therefore he said vnto them Doe you this What else could he vnderstand but this ye also shall deliuer vnto others actually this true and reall Sacrament but so that it be commemoratiue and representatiue of my Sacrifice then ouerpast And in this sense did all my ancient Fathers alwayes vnderstand this sacred exercise now called the Masse for the introductions vsed in the making a reall and actuall Sacrament and for a Sacrifice not actuall but onely commemoratiue and representatiue Chrysost in epist ad Heb. hom 17. Listen to S. Chrysostome We make an offring euery day but we doe it in remembrance of the death of Christ there is onely one Sacrifice which was onely once offered in the Holy of holies but this Sacrifice is a type or modell of that And this which we now performe we doe onely in commemoration As he said Doe this in remembrance of me We performe not another Sacrifice as the Priest then did but we offer alwayes the same or rather we doe celebrate the memory of that Sacrifice So plainely speaketh S. Chrysostome that this action now called the Masse is not it selfe a Sacrifice but a memory and representation after-draught of a by-past Sacrifice What hath the Auarice of Rome done in this This sacred exercise which in regard of the reall action produceth the Sacrament is by them intituled to a true and reall vn-bloody Sacrifice vnder the name of the Masse and so they will needs haue their Priests truely and really to sacrifice Christ And to this their Sacrifice as reall and properly so called they attribute the true properties of an actuall Sacrifice making it propitiatorie impetratory and satisfactorie their end herein is that you my poore and simple children beleeuing these their fictions may ply them to say Masses for you but tendring beforehand your money to the priests and oftentimes driuing the bargaine for more or lesse to eeke it out for the quicke and the dead And so you finding your selues deepely drenched in sinne that you may saue the labour of a true and due sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart Psal 51.17 thus trusting more to this vnbloody Sacrifice which will stand you
Bishop in the Patriarch of Constantinople must needs oppugne the same in the Romane also by force of very strong arguments It is to no purpose therefore to seeke here vpon earth one Vicar-generall for my Spouse Christ who hath no need of a successour or Vicar inasmuch as he is head of my body and his Spirit is sufficient for me onely Ministers and labourers are needfull for him and for me and those were first the blessed Apostles and after them their successors So that in respect of labouring and working and setting right also the externall gouernment of my family Cypr. l. 4. ep 3. l. 3. ep 13. de Simpl. Prae. lat Ambr. in 1. Câ— 11. Chrysost hom 17. in Mat. c. those Apostles all ioyntly and in solidum as S. Cyprian expresly affirmeth hold the place of Christ and are equally his Vicars but in labouring and working for my behoofe and all Bishops likewise are with very good reason by my holy doctors styled by this title of Christs Vicars and not S. Peter onely And so in respect of my true Head and Spouse I am vnder a perfect Monarchie but as for the worke of my Ministers they performe their office in a kind of Aristocratie without any Monarchie at all amongst them They are like a company of workemen which haue vndertaken a large Vineyard euery man his parcell or like a troope of many shepheards all seruants of one great Shepheard who percel out among themselues the feeding of a very great flocke whereof there is one intire Lord and Master that onely grand Sheepheard And surely when the owner of a vineyard hireth many laborers to dig it hee doth not giue any dominion or iurisdiction to any of them ouer either the vineyard or their fellow-workemen and if it be his pleasure to appoint any to assist the workemen and to direct them in their labors either hee commeth among them himselfe in person or sendeth one of his sonnes or his factor or deputy whose office then must bee not to delue and toyle with the rest of the labourers but only to ouersee and to prouide that they doe their taske I pray you aske Saint Peter whether he were hyred by Christ to bee a labourer in his vineyard or to bee a surueyor Verely hee will answere you that he was one of the labourers and diggers in my vineyard and not a factor or surueyor or deputy His office therefore was not to command others but to worke himselfe 1. Cor. 9.9 1. Tim. 5.18 For all the Apostles were Oxen for the plough and for treading out the corne nor would Saint Peter haue suffered his necke to bee withdrawne from this yoake Let not therefore the Bishoppe of Rome thus without all ground vaunt himselfe for the onely Vicar of Christ nor vnder this title equally common to all other Bishops with him keepe me downe and oppresse me and together with me all my children Nor may you suffer your selues to bee deluded by a false but very common imagination that it behoueth me to haue one visible Head and one vniuersall Gouernor For in such cases as this yee are not to set downe for good that which mens fancies doe conceaue but ye are to haue an eye to that which Christ himselfe hath ordayned And forasmuch as he as I haue shewed will bee my onely Head and sole Commander and for externall managements hath appointed that his laborers should among themselues in common and in solidum without Monarchy in a kinde of Aristocraticall forme ioyne together for the directing of my affaires by way of Synods and Councels as necessity shall require therefore one supreme visible Head ouer me neither is necessary nor was euer ordayned nor is desired And if so many temporall Estates in this world are sufficiently gouerned without a Monarch in a Democraticall or Aristocratical forme why doe ye suffer your braines to be pestered with a false imaginary necessity of hauing a meere man to bee the Monarchicall gouernour ouer my house and consider not what a woe case I were in if I should hang on the sleeue of one man who hath no priuiledge against any error or misery Perhaps yee will aske mee how then crept the Papacy into Rome where now it carieth so high a sayle whereto I am sure that whilst I was a yong and small tenderling both the Apostles and likewise those Bishoppes which immediatly succeeded them did indifferently without any ielousie of concurring iurisdictions or affectation of soueraignety agree together in the ordeining of other Bishoppes and Ministers and committing to them the preaching of the Gospel and planting throughout the world new particular Churches Which yong daughters of mine beeing thus multiplied and inlarging mee farre and neere the necessity of preuenting confusion did bring into my house an holesome holy and necessary ordinance that there should be diuision of Prouinces and in Prouinces distinct Bishopricks and Diocesses and so the Bishops of one Prouince should attend the directing and guidance of their owne precincts onely and not intermeddle with the Prouinces of others vnlesse they were thereto requested or publique necessity so vrged My selfe seeing this custome brought in by necessity approoued the same and did moreouer ordaine that in euery Prouince the Bishop of the Mother City that is of the place which was the seat of the chiefe Magistrate or otherwise conspicuous for some ciuile respect should bee the chiefe and consecrate the Bishops of that Prouince and in the steade of the Synode of his whole Prouince should dispatch certaine affaires pertaining to mee that so the Bishoppes of that Prouince might not be encombred with meeting together vpon euery small occasion And because in the Romane Empire which at the time of my espousall to Christ and for three or foure ages after was in its greatest flourish there were then three most renowned Cities Hegesip de excid Hieros l. 3. c. 5. most eminent aboue the rest in honour and secular power namely first Rome in Italy the chiefe and principall seat of the Empire secondly Alexandria in Aegypt where the Emperors Deputy remayned thirdly Antioch the mother-City of all the East in regard hereof the Bishops of these three grand Cities were the three first Metropolitanes Afterward also the number of Churches so encreasing that these three sufficed not and the Prouinces which grew too large beeing thereupon for my conueniency deuided into more and lesser Prouinces with appointment that alwayes the Bishoppe of the principall City of such a Prouince should bee the Metropolitane thereof the three aforesaid in regard that they had beene my first Metropolitanes were honoured with the titles of Patriarchs and indued with certaine priuiledges which I was not vnwilling that they should enioy To whom also I did afterward by way of priuiledge adde two other Patriarchs one of Constantinople as soone as that City became a seat of the Empire beeing called another Rome and the other of Hierusalem Thus my vnthankfull
open neither vntill they come vnto my notice and yet these men would most fondly inflict actuall punishments for faults vnreuealed to them and vpon Delinquents vtterly vnknowen Let no man therefore bee afraid of these Excommunications iniure although they bee ipso facto vpon the very deede or latae sententiae vpon the generall sentence which is an errour nor is it possible that such Excommunications should worke ipso facto neither doth God hold any man for excommunicate vntill hee be namely bound and actually excommunicate Let euery one bee affraid of sinne though neuer so secret and let him looke for punishment from God but let him not feare any excommunication of mine vnlesse it be actually brandished out against him by his lawfull Prelate and that vpon good cause nor can this third Excommunication otherwise worke any whit vpon the soule Moreouer I aduise you that if a Prelate excommunicate any of you and that vpon iust cause for some offence deseruing excommunication if he doe not either by word or deede declare with which of these three Excommunications he doth strike you this his excommunicating though it be speciall and actuall is either none at all or at the most it is to bee vnderstood of the second and not of the third Neither can that stand which the new Canonists auouch that by the indefinite name of Excommunication the greater is to be vnderstood For they confound the second with the third which notwithstanding are most different one from anothers and they would haue the second to bee the greater because it taketh away Ecclesiasticall conuersation from the excommunicate party It must be vnderstood therefore of the second but as not amounting vnto the third which third is the true Excommunicatio maior the grand excommunication For it is true that in the later the former are included but not the later in the former Besides this you are to vnderstand that by my rules taught me by my Spouse none of these Excommunications especially the third can be of force but when the crime is grieuous publique notorious and very scandalous and such as giueth first very great offence to God and moreouer much scandall to the Church And hee that is cleere in his owne conscience and knoweth that hee doth not offend in the sight of God and that the act for which he is excommunicated especially by the Excommunication in iure onely is not of it selfe abhominable nor repugnant to Gods Law let him neuer feare any excommunication at all as making him guilty before God Whilst therefore a Prelate commandeth or forbiddeth any act of its own nature indifferent which is neither commanded nor forbidden by the word of God and imposeth this his command vnder paine of Excommunication you may laugh in your sleeues at it For the not obeying a Prelate in such things as in their owne nature are indifferent seldome amounteth to a mortall sinne and though it were mortall yet it is not such as can deserue the third Excommunication And so when you heare Excommunications thundred out for reading of bookes for not paying of pensions for punishing Priests and wicked Friars according to law with ciuill punishments and such like causes you may take such Excommunications to be made in iest and neede not bee afraid of them for I hold them to bee nothing worth neither was it euer my mind that this sword of mine should euer serue the turne either for temporall affaires or for the priuate ends of my Prelats Take also this with you which is one of my principall ordinances concerning Excommunications that none can excommunicate any other then those that bee in proper subiected to him and of his Diocesse And so the Bishoppe of Rome cannot excommunicate those that are out of the Diocesse of Rome And whosoeuer excommunicateth any that are not subiect vnto him his Excommunication holds not and in this case the Popes thunderbolt is of no more force then that of the Bishop of * A pety Bishopricke in Italy in the dominions of Venice Caurole Indeede any Bishop vpon great cause may deny to another Bishop his communion that is his communication and brotherly complying and spirituall correspondence So also may any particular Church deny its communion to another and this may bee called a fourth kinde of Excommunication but it hath no operation vpon the soule nor is exercised with any power or iurisdiction of one Church ouer another and the action it selfe is meerely negatiue not positiue nor operatiue namely when vpon euidence or deepe suspicion of anothers spirituall corruption mutuall correspondence is shunned And yet in this sort of Excommunication there is very great danger inasmuch as vpon it foule turbulent schismes doe ensue This Rocke as you see becommeth very dangerous vnto you whilest it makes you stumble vpon feares and terrors which withhold you from many actions that would bee profitable and commodious to you and also it maketh you run headlong into the actions of blindefold obedience whence indeede commeth your ruine seeing they will not suffer you to walke in the high-way of your saluation but amuse you in the by-wayes of eternall perdition and hold you in subiection to an Idoll and to him that would haue you deeme him a god vpon earth ¶ The fift Rocke The Commandements of the Church THis is a very great Rocke or rather a maine Sea of Rocks and shelfes heaped vp together and appointed for the spirituall ruine of you my deere Children The ambition of Popes hath hitherto vsurped a Law-making power through my whole family and would haue me bound vnder paine of mortall sinne to obserue their lawes Verely it belongeth to mee in my Synods and Councels to set down certaine practicall rules concerning rites and outward worship which rules are nothing else then certaine good directions and publique instructions requisite and necessary for the establishing of good order for the preuenting of confusion and for the increase of piety But I neuer pretended that they should haue the very nature of lawes but onely of good ordinances and therefore my will was to call them Canons that is to say Rules but not Lawes nor Commandements vnlesse I procure the secular power to giue them the force of lawes From which secular powers Christ hath not freed either mee or any of you as hee hath freed vs from the legall Ceremonies and from the yoake and burden of that law which beeing no part of the Decalogue perteyneth to the gouernment of the soule there yet remayning most full power in Princes and Magistrates as farre as concerneth temporall gouernment whereto all the sort of you are subiect not onely by constraint and for feare but also for conscience-sake as Saint Paul instructeth you True it is Rom. 13.5 that there is also an obedience due vnto the spiritual Ouerseers but this is to be vnderstood of following their good instructions in matter of faith and concerning Christian life Neither was it the minde of Christ to
the diuine or morall Law then from mine but let the obligation of that obseruance bee what it may I meane not now to trouble you with it I must remember you that the Sunday and other ancient Feasts established by me vpon mature deliberation are to be fully obserued by you according to my ancient vse and declaration with absteyning from seruile works as much as morall necessitie and other vrgent occasions will suffer that you may then apply your selues to the worship of God and to the spirituall profit of your soules namely by gathering together especially to heare the word of God to ioyne in publicke prayer and oftentimes to bee refreshed with the most holy Sacraments What hath Rome done by adding this particular command of hearing Masse since the Masse is degenerated into an abuse as I will shortly shew you and hath much superstition in it but that all you should hold your selues to haue sufficiently discharged your duety of keeping holy all Feasts by absteyning from seruile workes and hearing the Masse and nothing else For your Confessors require nothing else of you vpon the commandement of sanctifying the Feasts The word of God either is not preached at all or if it be preached it is not heard or if heard that is onely vpon curtesie and curiositie and not vpon duetie The diuine Seruice is said or sung but in a language not vnderstood by the vulgar whereupon it falleth out for the most part that those that are there present spend the time in pratling whispering and which is worse in courting and obsenities and other such intertainments very abhominable to be vsed in the house of praier As for the Sacraments I will speake of them afterwards And this is your first Church-commandement which doeth much more hurt then good You my children shall duely sanctifie the Feasts if vpon such dayes auoyding these vaine and superstitious and I would to God I might not say Idolatrous Masses and now that your spirituall fathers or rather step-fathers afford you no good spirituall exercises forbearing also to heare the Sermons of your Friars which are full of leasings and deceipts you would spend some time in your owne houses in reading in godly meditations and prayers and thus should you very well keepe holy-day till it should please God to giue you true pure and vncorrupt exercises in your owne Churches In the second precept which concerneth fasting and abstinence I like very well that those who can doe fast on the fasting-dayes especially in the Lent which is a very ancient institution And let this be a true fast tending to the mortification of the flesh with absteining not onely from eating flesh egges and whitmeats as the manner is but also from all delicate and high feeding viands especially if they be incentiue as are salt meats Let the fast be kept with hearbes with pulse with cheape ordinary fish and only one meale a day Your fasting is very ridiculous and loathsome both to me and my Spouse to absteine from such course meat as beefe and to seeke out the most delicate fish of the highest price and other choise dainties to please the palate with variety also of spices and sauces O how much more perfect a fast would it bee and more acceptable to God to take one light meale of flesh then a delicious banquet of fish But as I said if any of you bee not disposed to fast or to forbeare flesh euen in Lent let him not bee scrupulous thereupon for my precepts do not binde on paine of mortall sinne yet notwithstanding he shall bee very blameworthy if being able yet he do not accommodate himselfe to the rest of the faithfull Of Confession and receiuing the Communion I will speake afterwards As for tithes they are ill ranged vnder my precepts for I hold them to appertaine to God's law either naturall or positiue at least where my Ministers receiue from thence their necessary sustenance and in such quantity and manner as custome hath long confirmed And this charge of ouerruling matter of tithes where they neede rectifying is proper to the secular Princes euery of them in their owne dominions inasmuchas tithes are externall goods and they are to see to it that where necessary Ministers haue not decent maintenance supply bee made by the Parishioners and where too much aboundance and superfluity is and the same luxuriously employed that it bee moderated by transferring from those Priests which haue too much vnto others which haue too little They are also to prouide that the Bishops entertaine so many Clearkes as are necessary for their Churches and to restraine them from making a number of idle and superfluous Priests and so shall all of them bee well prouided for but much the better if by the authority of Princes and temporal Lords the world were disburthened of such rabbles of Friars and Monkes and Regulars of the Religions now out of square and dissolute reducing also the other Orders which keepe as yet some forme of regular life vnto the entire obedience of those Bishops in whose Cities and Diocesses those Cōuents are and withall vtterly dissoluing and annulling all forme of Common-wealth amongst them wherein all the Regulars are combined together so that they may remaine either meere Clearkes and simple Priests or else become Monkes of the old fashion without holy Orders and without reuenues And so their exorbitant possessions will make a supply to helpe Bishops of small meanes and poore parish-Priests and will serue the turne to ease the people in maintayning their parish-Priests in founding of Colledges and Seminaries for students in the Vniuersities and some-where also for the support of the Military profession ¶ The sixt Rocke False Vnion VErely I am but one beeing the onely Spouse of Christ and though my daughters the particular Churches bee many yet I am nothing else but they all ioyned together And forasmuch as I am only one and they altogether are one with me euen as all the members vnited make onely one body and the head of this my body is no other but Christ alone therefore this my vnion consisteth in our being built all vpō one the same foundation which is onely one and the same Christ onely one and the same Gospell onely one and the same faith onely one and the same Baptisme and in that wee loue and imbrace one another in perfect charity And those Churches which do not in this manner vnite themselues vnto me haue no part in this vnion nor pertaine to this body And in these particulars my holy Fathers haue alwaies declared this necessary vnion to consist the foundation whereof is faith and charity the bond which combineth it It must needs be therefore very lamentable to behold some Churches my daughters or my parts or members that is limbes of my body to agree with mee in the foundation but will not be vnited by charity vnder vaine pretences of friuolous dissenssions in points that are not fundamentall and thus
daughter the Church of Rome hauing bene courteously enterteined ennobled enriched and exalted by diuers deuout Emperours vsing the aduantages which by little and little she gained partly by temporall greatnesse which then shined faire vpon her partly for that I had often good vse of her helpe in the midst of my troubles and garboiles which heresies brought vpon me wherein she stood me in good stead by procuring mee fauour and countenance of Catholique Emperours as also by the credit and reputation she had abroad froÌ„ those great Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul which were her fosterers and breeders vp yet she I say impudently abusing all this did about a thousand yeeres agoe enter into a bold rebellion against me not vouchsafing to remaine still my daughter nor acknowledging me for her mother in any wise but seeking to make herselfe my mistresse and to domineere ouer me But most of all about 550. yeeres after since the times of that firebrand Hildebrand and since the totall ruine of the Romane Empire this daughter of mine being high-growne in greatnesse and pride as shee began to withdraw her necke from the yoke of a temporall Lord who with his rod might hold her in obedience to me so would she needs also abandon her due place which she held with me of being a member of my body from which she rent herselfe by an horrible schisme and disdeyning to bee a member of it would haue no nay but perke aboue me and make herselfe my Head by tyrannicall vsurpation And whereas first according to the appointment of my Spouse she should receiue life and vigor from me as euery member of the Body doeth from its coniunction with the whole as being a part thereof she by tearing herselfe off from being a member to put forward for the Headship hath instantly lost all that spirit and vigor which euery particular Church partaketh with and from mee Cypr. de vnit eccles euen as branches deriue their vigor from the roote streames from the fountaine and beames from the Sunne which is S. Cyprians comparison And moreouer she hath bene so bold with me as to dispoile me of my robes and ornaments and to rob me of my proper name and now shee she onely must be stiled the vniuersall Church the Catholique Church the mother of the faithfull the pillar of trueth the Spouse of Christ c. Behold therefore here an infamous and dreadfull rocke For whosoeuer abandoneth me to cleaue to her hee is out of the Arke of Noah he not hauing me to his mother Cypr. ibidem hath not God to his father Whosoeuer is a follower of that tyrant which vsurpeth my dignity and trampleth downe my authoritie he certainely followeth not Christ my true Spouse but Antichrist No Church can be vnder Christ vnlesse it be first vnited to me and all Churches that enioy the graces flowing from Christ doe partake them by my meanes and so farre forth as they are my daughters and limmes growing vnto me who am the Body of Christ Therefore the Romane Church inasmuch as a daughter or member she will not be and mother or Head which faine she would she cannot be betweene both sure she hath no part in me And whosoeuer danceth after such a schismatical and rebellious ring-leader must needs himselfe be a schismatique and rebel and who so followeth the vsurping Pope must engage himselfe to beleeue euery falshood and fiction that is thrust vpon him and so shall be sure to tumble downe headlong after such a guide Thus the Papacie sheweth it selfe to bee the grand and most dangerous rocke of all the rest against which so many poore Christian soules daily dash themselues And so much for this mother-Rocke The rest I shall passe ouer more briefly ¶ The second Rocke Temporall Power SO farre haue my Churchmen bene puffed vp with Ambition that they haue not onely claimed but also professed and exercised temporall power in many meerely ciuill and temporall affaires challenging to themselues as in my right a power ouer Clerkes to imprison and banish them and to inflict reall forfeits and corporall paines vpon them yet can none of my Prelats pretend for any power otherwise then as the same belongeth to mee And I for my part from my conscience confesse that I haue not receiued from my Spouse any the least temporall power concerning any temporall affaire whatsoeuer but all the power I haue is wholly and meerely Spirituall For the end whereto I am ordeined being wholly and onely spirituall namely to guide the soules of my children vnto eternall blessednes which is supernaturall and spirituall it followeth that all the meanes which I am to worke by must be of their owne nature Spirituall and supernaturall and therefore mine owne and proper power can extend it selfe no further then to things Spirituall onely My Lord Christ himselfe what other power did he exercise then meerely Spirituall Did hee euer thrust himselfe into any temporall affaire S. Paul saith that Those that are set ouer my children Heb. 13.17 are to watch ouer their soules and to render accompt of them My care therefore properly and wholly concerneth mens soules As for their bodies and bodily or ciuill affaires they haue other gouernours namely temporall Princes The same S. Paul saith also that No man 2. Tim. 2.4 that warreth vnto God entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life Moreouer by the ioynt acknowledgement of my holy doctors it is manifest that my employment is wholly and onely in cure of soule which also is not denied by diuers the most renowmed Bishops of Rome as Hormisda Epist 21. Gelasius de Anath vinc Epist 10. Symmachus in Apologet. Nicolas the 1. Epist 8. And why I pray you is my power described ordinarily in holy writ by the name of a Chaire â—â—â—th 23.2 but that it consisteth in teaching and directing this power of mine being principally instructiue and doctrinall Christ said to his Apostles Luke 22.25 that The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship ouer them But ye shall not be so thereby inferring that it belongeth not to the officers of my family to exercise dominion or ciuill coactiue iurisdiction S. Hierome saith that Kings rule ouer men Hieron ep 3. will they nill they but the priest ruleth onely those that are willing to be subiect to him The reason is for that it is not in my reach to enforce any man S. Chrysostome very well saith of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 3. in Act. Apo. that I cannot impose any thing by authoritie that is in such maner as pretending power to compell others to obey me True it is that religious and deuout Princes to doe mee honour and for my sake to vouchsafe some priuiledge to my officers haue afforded mee the fauour to haue the exercise of a certaine ciuil and criminall Iurisdiction ouer my owne Ministers but such grants as these are at the courtesie and in the liberty of the
others more priuily vnto the eare but in a publique place in the Church confessed their sinnes those sinnes I meane that were very grieuous and enormous and caused themselues in this man̄er as I haue said to be bound or excommunicated and to haue penance inioyned them that they might afterwards in fit time get reconciliation by the power of the keyes and consequently forgiuenesse in heauen without faile And here you are to obserue that the Keyes were employed onely vpon great and enormous crimes for as for more light and ordinary sinnes though mortall there were other externall remedies as I shall hereafter shew and that by way of accusatiō either by others or by the delinquent himselfe but the binding and reconciling and whole processe was in the same man̄er Whereby you may perceiue that this was not a Sacrament as the Romanists would now haue it for vpon the accusation of others and iudiciall conuiction they proceeded vnto this binding and iniunction of penance after which the partie accused aswell not confessing as confessing publiquely or priuately was absolued with the same for me of reconcilement neither is there to be found in those dayes any other Confession or Absolution Moreouer that this was not then any Sacrament it appeareth in that there was not any verball Absolution nor any ordinary forme of absoluing but this alone was sufficient that the Bishop or his Substitute did giue leaue to the penitent to come into the Church euen into the place where the other people remained which were not in penance and to partake the Communion with them And this was alwayes called Reconciliation not Absolution And howsoeuer afterwards there were brought-in certaine prayers which were pronounced ouer the penitent in the act of his reconcilement yet all was by way of supplication and not by authoritatiue Absolution as may be yet seene in the Romane Pontificall And as for other sinnes which were not so grieuous and enormous howsoeuer mortall of themselues God in his mercy doeth require lesse disposition and lesse adoe concerning them and so supposing alwayes inward repentance namely detestation of those sinnes and firme remouall of the will from them and liuely faith and due confidence God hath promised to acquite them much more easily vpon some performances taught and imposed in the holy Scripture as principally the Lord's praier taught by my Sauiour Christ For assuredly vpon the presenting that petition Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs there followeth the remission of lighter and smaller sinnes which S. Augustine and other holy Fathers doe vnderstand of sinnes which are in trueth mortall howsoeuer they style them by the name of venial not that a veniall sinne is not mortall for euery sinne that is truely a sinne is mortall and if not mortall it is no sinne but because it is in that sort mortall that God vouchsafeth to deeme it veniall that is fit to be pardoned with more facilitie then other heinous offences which by the holy Fathers are called crimes and distinguished from ordinary faults yet both the one and the other are mortall In like sort these lesser or veniall sinnes are cancelled vpon giuing of Almes for as water putteth out fire Ecclus. 5.30 so Almes extinguisheth sinne as also vpon vndergoing tribulations with faith and patience Ecclus. 2.11 God is full of compassion and very pitifull and forgiueth sinnes and saueth in time of affliction Luke 6.37 Also vpon pardoning of iniuries Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you Also at my requests and intercessions such sinnes are remitted Amb. depae nit l. 1. c. 1. l. 2. c. 7. Aug. l. 3. de bapt c. 17. Chrys in ep ad Rom. home 24. and gemitu columbae by my groaning as you may finde in S. Ambrose and S. Augustine with other conuenient wayes also taught and allowed by holy Scripture and expounded by S. Chrysostome But beware lest you beleeue that any sinnes howsoeuer veniall are cancelled by the holy-water-sprinkle this is a meere superstition Where doeth the holy Scripture euer teach that sinnes are washed away by water of the Priests hallowing This were to bring in a second Baptisme They will haue this effect to arise either ex opere operato or else ex opere operantis That is to say They will haue this effect to bee wrought either by the water it selfe through the vertue of the benediction of it if there be no impediment in him that is sprinkled with it or else they will haue it to come of the deuotion of him that vseth this water If they say by the deed done as for the most part they auouch this is an intolerable impudency namely to auouch that the hallowing of this water doeth giue vnto it a certaine supernaturall force to cleanse sinnes without any further diuine institution or promise and so this becommeth the dotage of the Turkes who by often washings hold themselues to be purified from their sinnes without faile and how then can there be a more formall superstition then to giue to things meerely naturall and humaine a certaine supernaturall force If they will say that it commeth ex opere operantis to what purpose then serues that water otherwise then to bring-in the superstition The other operation which they attribute hereunto is the scaring away of Diuels which certainely this water cannot doe vnlesse God doe impart such vertue vnto it And where I pray you hath God bound himselfe to giue such vertue to a creature by the blessing of a Priest I would haue you therefore to fly from holy Water as from an idle superstition so also take heed you beleeue not that blessings giuen by Pope Bishop or Priest whilest they make the signe of the Crosse ouer you in the aire can cancel your sinnes though but veniall which is likewise a superstition of the same kinde whereto I may adde the Agnus Dei and other such idle trinkets Well may yee collect out of that which I haue said and obserue how manifold great are the abuses of the Romane faction about Confession First they make a Sacrament where none is taking the word Sacrament in the proper and strict sense Secondly they allow an efficacie to authoritatiue absolution which is neither necessary nor hath any force at all Reconciliation being sufficient which in ancient times might bee performed euen by my Deacons but so as in my name Thirdly they make Auricular Confession necessary at least in mens desire of it when it cannot bee had for the remission of euery mortall sinne Yet haue I shewed you that it is left to your liberty thus to worke or no your owne security by first causing your selues to be bound by the keyes that afterwards you may bee let loose by the same And this retention or binding or discommuning ought not to bee vndertaken by me for petty sinnes but onely for those that are heynous and scandalous there beeing in my family so many other meanes for
sinnes in any sauing Christ alone and in his merits Rom. 3.24 for hee freely iustifieth you without any merit of yours True it is and therefore take heede of the other extreame that no man can present himselfe to God nor rely vpon Christ's merits that goeth on in a wicked resolution to continue still in sin against his conscience And therefore I told you that you must addresse your selues vnto Christ to obtaine this remission but with faith that is with a true and liuely faith Iam. 2.17 not with that faith which without workes is dead but with such a faith in the mind which is accompanied with holy affections and that is to beleeue in Christ to bee subiect vnto him to obey him with detestation of faults committed and intending of a new life and yeelding vp a man's selfe to the keeping of God's holy Commandements And whosoeuer doth not this in vaine shall hee rely vpon Christ and his merits neither shall he euer obtaine remission of his sinnes This rysing vp from sinne and submitting to the obseruance of God's Commandements as farre as humane frailty will afford is not in you any merit whereto remission should bee repayed as due but it is a necessary disposition and taketh away the impediments that otherwise would hinder remission of sinnes And herein consisteth Penitence being both the inwards of true repentance which is the most principall disposition requisite for remission and the outside also of penitentiall workes as fasting almes mortifying the flesh and other workes of piety which are indeede no merits nor causes of forgiuenesse but fruits of inward true repentance and a fit appurtenance vnto the inward good disposition and vnto due humiliation These dispositions being forelaid as necessary required by God let a man hold himselfe to his faith and confidence in Christ and by his mercy hee shall without faile obtaine remission and the whole conueyance betweene God and a sinner is carried in this man̄er by the meanes of Christ mine and your onely Mediatour without any necessity at all of any other Confession made vnto man due Confession made vnto God beeing of it selfe sufficient whereby a sinner beeing humbled doth not any more defend his sinnes but confesseth to God Chrys in ep ad Heb. hom 31. that he hath sinned I doe not aduise thee saith Saint Chrysostome to lay thy selfe open nor to accuse thy selfe to others Psalm 57. but to obey the Prophet who sayeth Reueale thy way vnto the Lord. Confesse thy sinnes before God declare thy offences before the Iudge though not with thy tongue yet with thy memory and then hope that thou shalt obtaine mercy So saith that worthy holy Father I doe not know that I euer intertayned in my house any such Sacrament appointed mee by my Spouse as a true and proper Sacrament whereby hee hath obliged himselfe to giue remission of sinnes after Baptisme I beleeue indeed that whosoeuer groaning vnder the load of sinne shall with true inward pentience and reall repentance approach vnto the holy table and receiue the Communion with due preparation shall receiue remission of his sins For although this Sacrament was principally instituted by Christ and committed to mee for the spirituall feeding of the soule and for the preseruing of charity among my children yet in that it is also a remembrance of the Passion of Christ it auayleth much for the remission of sinnes for the obtayning whereof Christ's body was sacrificed vpon the Crosse his most pretious blood shed and therefore in his first giuing the Communion to his Apostles hee said vnto them Luc. 22.19 Math. 26.28 that that was his body which was giuen for them and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes You must vnderstand also that Auricular Confession and Priestly Absolution which are the ground of this Rocke now set before your view is neither practised aright nor well vnderstood by those that follow the Romane doctrine who hereupon haue built a shop of money-mart and gaine Recall I pray you to your remembrance that which I obserued before in the fourth Rocke of the first part concerning the two first medicinall Excommunications and you shall finde that my ancient custome prescribed vnto mee by my Spouse and practised by my holy and learned Ministers of at least foure of the first Ages was publickly to correct grieuous and scandalous offendors and according to the authority committed to me by Christ to binde them in their sins and afterwards to loose them againe and in this man̄er to imploy the keyes about the remitting of sinnes namely to debarre such offenders for some while from the holy Table sometime also from all other Congregations and meetings of the faithfull for spirituall exercises as heynous delinquents drowned in their sinnes and vnworthy of such participation vnlesse they should first recall themselues vnto due inward penitence and giue also outward satisfaction vnto mee by penitentiall workes enioyned them by me and my Ministers when they thus had by scandalous sins disgraced mee and not yet made mee any due satisfaction And yet in due time according to the pious discretion of my Ministers such as these were loosed and reconciled and were anew admitted to the holy meetings with others and to the Communion of the Lord's Supper This was a course taken to very good purpose and at length did work great setlednesse and comfort in the consciences of such offenders though perhaps it did goe downe with some bitternesse and shame For such a sinner being in this man̄er bound by me vpon earth was infallibly also bound in heauen nor could obtaine remission at God's hands though hee were neuer so well disposed by penitence and inward contrition betweene God and him for that promise made by Christ is most certaine and cannot faile Matth. 18.18 that he would bind in heauen all those whom I had without error bound vpon earth Iohn 20.23 and that he would withhold and suspend all remission from those sinners whose sinnes I had withheld namely by the aforesaid retention or excommunication or solemne penance and as soone as such a sinner thus first bound by me was afterward reconciled and remaunded to the Church and restored to religious commerce and to the participation of the holy Sacrament he did without faile obteine remission of Christ himselfe by vertue of his aforesaid promise that he would release and forgiue the sinne assoone as I had loosed the person and released the sinne by this externall remission and so the internal remission afforded by Christ in such a case dependeth vpon the externall remission giuen by me which truely was a way of dealing on a very sure hand And moreouer many grieuous and also secret offenders nay perhaps all the sort of them in regard of the suretie of this course came to their Bishop or to some other deputed by him who was afterward called the Penitentiary or Confessor and some openly with a lowd and audible voyce