cannot Canonize That the Pope dooth not iustifye all those places proue which proue Christ too bée our onely Heade Redéemer Iustifyer and Glorifyer To Canonize is to glorifie to giue felicitie to make a Sainct of a man and to introduce him into eternall ioye and this dooth only christ Ergo not the Pope which Paule proueth by this climax this gradation this induction and sorites Whom God hath predestinate them hée hath called whom hée hathe called them hée hath iustified and whom he hath iustified them hée hath glorified But the Pope can predestinate no man Ergo neyther iustifye them then neyther Glorifie them and per consequens not Canonize them Wée maye woorshippe neyther the Uirgine Marie neyther the Apostles neyther any Saincte neyther make holy dayes or Temples for them muche lesse Canonize them which comprehendeth all these This dooth Epiphanius proue at large Tom. 2. in 27. Haeresie and Theodorete vpon the second Chapter too the Collossians August contra Faustum lib. 2. cap. 21. de Ciuit. lib. 10. cap. 1. lib. 21. cap. 26. lib. 22. cap. 10. vppon the Psalme 113. Ambros. vppon Rom. 1. and the Councell of Laodicia The second Obiection Hée that cannot erre can Canonize Sainctes But the Pope cannot erre Ergo the Pope can canonize sainctes I denie the Minor. For I will alleadge out of theirâ— owne Authoures suche Testimonies as they write by the which ye shal perceyue that the Popes dyd aswell erre in doctrine as in maners The first Mà rcellinus in the yeare of Christ 295 denyed Christ offered to Images and Idolles Notwithstanding hée repented him and suffered death after that for Christ. 2 Liberius in the yéere of Christ 354. through ambition became an Arian 3 Damasus in the yeare of Christe 368. after muche slaughter done in a church at Rome was made Pope 4 Sericius in the yeare of Christ. 382. prohibited the Priestes of the West churches to bée maried and deuorced them that had maried wydowes and excluded second mariage 5 Anastasius the first in the yeare of Christ 392. reiected them from the ministerie that had any mayme 6 Innocentius the first in the yeare of Christ 406. decréed that the Séea of Rome should bée preferred before all others and too bée iudged of none Hée caused too annoyle the sick persons he compelled them which he called Heritiques to come to the Catholique fayth of Rome by violence Romana fides inquit Mantuanus id est falsa He graunted to such as had bin all the daies of their lyfe cursed and wicked pardon and repentance of their sinnes in the panges of death He excluded from the clergie seculer Soldiars and such as had bin twyse maried 7 Sozimus decréed that the Sea of Rome could decrée nothing against the woord of God and he was in the yeare of CHRIST â–ª 420. 8 Bonifacius in the yeare of Christe 423. turned Vigiles intoo fastes 9 Xistus or Sixtus in the yeare of Christe 440. made Peters chaynes a Saint 10 Celestinus the first in the yeare of Christ 430. made Introitum of the masse with the Graduall with the Responsories 11 Leo in the yeare of Christ 445. made the holy sacrifise the immaculate Hoste more He commaunded Sonday to be kept holy day he instituted procession he was cursed and excomunicated by the Bishop of Alexandria 12 Hilarius in the yeare of Christe 463. confirmed the generall councelles published the common Law remoued from the degrées of the Church them that had bin twise maryed and them that had maryed Wydowes and them that were lame and firste forbad priestes to weare lay mens apparell 13 Simplicius in the yeare of Christ 475. did much contend with the Bishoppe of Rauenna to encrease his authoritie 14 Foelix the third of that name in the yeare of Christe 481. excluded them that were Baptised or rebaptised of heretiques from the ecclesiastical Chiualrie He made Michelmas daye against the councell of Laodicia 15. Gelacius the second in the yeare of Christe 489. decréed that neyther he nor his successours should be iudged of any man in the earth 16 Anastatius in the yeare of Christ 496. fauored the Euthichians and Nestorians 17. Simachus in the yeare of Christ .498 after longe strife with Laurence and Peter was Pope He patched and framed the masse in order he decréed that no Councell should bée of force any where without the Popes presence 18. Hormisda in the yeare of Christ .513 ordeined after he was at quietnes with the East Churches that the decrées of the fathers and Councelles shoulde binde all Nations wheras at the firstâ— they were ordeyned for certaine Persones and Countries 19. Iohn the first in the yeare of Christe .525 ordeyned that y Emperour shoulde bée vnder the Subiection of the Pope 20. Foelix the fourth in the yeare of Christe .526 commaunded masses to be had only in a halowed place and y the Clergie should bée deuided from the people The Clergie in the quire and the people benethe in the bodie of the Churche and that men lying at the pointe of deathe shoulde bée aâ—oyled â–ª 21. Vigilius in the yeare of Christ .537 decréed that Rome should bée the mistres and mother of all other Churches 22. Pelagius the first in the yeare of Christ .556 put in too the masse to pray for the dead and committed an Heretique to the seculer Magistrate to bée punished â–ª This Pope did affirme first of all other that the Supremacie of the Bishope of Rome was geuen of Christ and not of any Sinode or of men 23. Iohn the thirde in the yeare of Christ .563 decréed agaynste his predecessour that none ought to bée called an highe Prieste or an vniuersall Bishope 24. Pelagius the second in the yeare of Christe .577 added many thinges to the masse he put Subdeacons from theire wiues and from other Ecclesiasticall ofâ—â—ces and made seauen fourmed Letanies to appease the wrathe of God for the great Pestilence y was at Rome 25. Gregory the first in the yeare of Christ .590 did many thinges well and many thinges euill hée called himselfe seruaunt of seruaunts and forbad that any shoulde be called a generall Bishop He put many things to the masse Letanies Processions Antiphonas Psalmodies Alleluya Nine Kirieleysons Offertorie thrée peticions in the Canon He forbad them that fasted to eate flesh milke chéese or egges and graunted at certain tymes of the yeare forgiuenes of their sinnes hée forbad monkes to Baptise or Images to bée broken 26. Sabinianus in the yeare of Christe .607 Appointed the day houres to bée deuided and knowne by Ringing of Belles and Lampes to burne in the Temples and caused Gregorius his Predecessoures bookes to bée burned 27. Bonifacius the thirde in the yeere of Christ .610 obteyned of Phocas the Emperour that he might be called Pope and Supreme heade and cheife Prince of all Bishops
A Discourse Wherein is plainly proued by the order of time and place that Peter was neuer at Rome Furthermore that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church Also an interpretation vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians the second Chapter ¶ Seene and alowed according to the order appointed ¶ Imprinted at London by Tho. East and H Myddleton for VVilliam Norton Anno salutis 1572. ¶ To the right honorable Sir Henry Sidney Knight of the honorable order of the Garter Lord President of the Marches of VVales and Lord deputie of Ireland R.T. Wisheth c. HE dishonesteth himself and so much as lyeth in hym diffameth his maister vvho hath bin prentise seuen yeares and at the ende of those seuen yeares neyther vnderstandeth his arte neyther can shewe any reason therof neyther is able to profite himselfe or others Are not we al bound yea do we not al promise in our baptisme and are commaunded of God to shew out the glories and vertues of him that hath brought vs out of darkenes into light But it is to be feared that a nomber of vs that professe Christ thoughe wee haue bin prentice to him seuen yeares perhappes seuen seuen and seuen neither haue so much knowledge as to instruct our selues neither to defend our maister Christ against the Turke Iewe heretique and antichrist VVill the Turke admit any man to his religion that neither can nor will defend Mahomet VVill the Iewe receiue any that is not furnished with the Scriptures falsely interpreted against Christ VVill Heretiques accept any man that is ignorant in their erronius opinions VVill Antichrist allowe any man which will not maintaine his Idolatry and superstâ—tion VVe professe Christ in woords and outward shewes notwithstanding we are not able too defend him in the middest of his enemyes Lacke of knowledge causeth many to hold their peace Ignorance is the root of errour the contempt of the study of Gods word is the high way to perdition VVho can please him whose will he knoweth not VVho can proceede in his Princes affaires that knoweth not his comission How can he execute his commission if he neyther reade it nor vnderstand it Is he a Gramarian that cannot speake congrue Latine A Logician that cannot reason probably A naturall Philosopher that knoweth not the generation and causes of Raine VVinde Snowe and such Meteorologicall things Is there any Surgen that hath not read Iohannes de Vigo or Alexander benedictus Or Phisitian that is ignorant in Hippocrates or Galen or Celsus and shall ignorance who is condemned of all artificers commend a Christian I therfore the least of all the members of Christ hearing dayly Antichrist and his artificers I meane the Pope and the Papistes so cunning in the Cannon lawe and Popish doctours that there is nothing in them that they do not both exactely vnderstand and also vtter to the maintenance of their head the Pope thought it necessary somewhat to say and too refel theyr errours Emong the which this is not the least that the Papistes go about to proue the Pope to be head of the Church which vnreasonable errour being plainely in these twoo little treatises confuted I haue thought good to dedicate the same vnto your Honour whose desire as I am throughly perswaded is too see the vtter confusion of Antichrist and the perfect establishement of Christes Religion And therfore the bolder to set those things forth vnder your Lord shippes protection which may please Christ displease Antichrist be acceptable to all Christians greuous to all Antechristians pleasant to all professoures of Christ bitter to al his aduersaries And as I truste a plaine ouerthrowe of the Romishe Church Your honours most humble â–ª R. T. A description of the Pope THough Poets pen hath fables feignd Of monsters maruelous Who diffring far from common kind were thought prodigious As Briarchus who had hands an hundreth as they tell And spitte forth fire from fiftie mouthes like flashing flames of hell Though Ephialtes with Othus of natures fierce and fell Did striue with stregth of stretcht out arme in Ioue his Throne to dwell Who heaped hilles on mountains high Ofâ—a on Pindus back And placed Pelion on them the Starry skie to sack Though these two impes of ougly shape whose father Neptune was Growing nine inches euery month in bignesse mounts did passe Though Poliphemus were as huge and ougly as the rest Who for his strength and sturdines might match him with the best And though Chimera a monster were of thrée conioynd in one The first a Lion next a Goate and third a fierce dragon Though Minotaurus were as hugh and monstrous in effect Whose sundry shape with nature fell his Parents did detect Though Cerberus that chorlish Cur and thrée hell headded hound A monster rare with other more which are in writers found Though these I say vnséemely shapes foule fashioned out of frame Dame nature made thus monsterous as wée haue learned by fame Yit I can shewe more monsterousnes comprised here in one Who for his huge prodigiousenesse may match them all alone But this is neyther God nor man as he himself doth tell He is a meane betwene them both yet rules both Heauen and Hell. In Purgatory puttes to paine in earth he beares great swaie The Heauenly Angels at his call are ready to obey Hée can forgiue mens sinnes on earth and scite hell houndes by poste And he can lose from lothesome lakes damnd soules and griesly ghostes He is a God the Papistes do affirme with wonders mo Whose bestely body being blasd iudge you if he be so His head a harmefull helmet is of poisen pestilent His eyes are like to flames of fire that are from Vulcane sent His eares they trust al tryfling tales and credit blasing brute And such againe as will not heare the iust and humble sute His nose doth snuf foorth hellish fumes his tung e is stinge of Death His face of mischéef mirrour is and poisoned is his breath His téeth do gnawe the blessed bones of such as are elect His mouth doth bable blasphemie and Gods word doth reiect His throte an open sepulchre doth swallow euery houre The silly shéepo and woolfes doth spare the lambes for to deuour Hys brest a chest and cofer is of al iniquitie His armes are strong Princes to strike if they not Christ deny His filthy fingers nimble are to scratch for nedlesse gaine Which wil be sure to snatch a share though other take the paine His legges are swift to shed the blood of Innocentes giltlesse His féete are ready Emperours neckes to tread down and oppresse His body is Pandoras boxe which plageth younge and olde And he prodigeous Antichrist whose déedes of Iohn are told Which beast although that he be strong yet standes on slppery ground Foq him this booke doth flatly foile and vtterly confound FINIS THE ARGVMENT FIrst I proue by Scripture that Peter could not be at Rome vntill the .6 or as
.xxxviii. yeare Nicephorus sayeth that Peter was the first Bishop of Roome Clement in the first booke Recognit sayeth that Barnabas was the first that was at Roome and the firste that planted any Churche there Hierom sayeth that Peter was Bishope in the East fiue yeares Beda seuen yeares Nicephorus sayeth that Peter went from Antioche too Roome and from Roome too Antioche and agein from Antioche too Roome where hee suffered Fabularum plena sunt omnia Quo teâ—eam nodo mutantem Prothea vultus Omnia transformat sese in miracula rerum Ireneus and Dorotheus saye that Marke was alyue after the deathe of Peter and Paule other saye that hee suffered the eight yeare of Nero. As they doo disagree in Peter so doo they in the rest of the first Popes And thinke yee not that they disagrace Peter in making him of an Apostle a Bishope of a Disciple of Christ a Pope of Rome But too our purpose somme saye that Peter made Linus Cletus and Anacletus Bishoppes of Rome Somme saye that they were his fellowes cohelpers their foundacions are weake they leane too a broken staffe Somme saye that Clement succeded Peter with Linus and Cletus as cohelpers which as the sayd Scotus writeth in Anacletus lyfe denieth that they were eyther Bishops or Popes There is no mention of Cletus in any good Author neyther can it bée proued sufficiently whether euer there were any suche or no. Somme saye that hée was Pope twelue yeares other somme seuen The olde writers place Anacletus immediatlye after Clement eyther despising Cletus or els forgetting him or els being ignorant of any such omit him I cease too nomber all the discordes for Roome it self woolde scarse holde them all Nowe as wée haue proued by the truthe of the history that Peter was neyther at Roome xxv yeres neyther dyed there So let vs proue the same by probable argumentes that they maye perceiue their Churche too bée buylded vppon the sande If Peter had ben at Roome Luke woolde haue specified it who describeth the Apostles Actes diligently and exquisitely It is euident both by Suetonius Tranquillus and others and also by S. Luke that Claudius the Emperour did charge all the Iewes as they loued their lyues too departe out of Roome if Peter had bin there than which was the tenth yeare of Claudius and the .xx. after Christes passion and the .xix. of Paules conuersion without doubte somme mention woolde haue ben made of his tarying there or of his departure Paule saluteth Aquila Priscilla by name who were at Roome before the commaundment of the Emperour why did hée not aswell salute Peter with whome hée taryed .xv. dayes at Hierusalem If Peter had ben there had herd the proclamation of Claudius which hée must néeds haue heard if hée had ben there hée woulde haue shaken the dust of his féete following the precept of christ And neyther could hée haue taried at Roome neyther hée woolde hée could not bycause of Tyranny woolde not because the citie was not woorthie of such a message as hée brought with him How can they now saye that hée taried there .xxv. yeres vii monethes vii dayes But why did they not make Paule the first Pope séeinge that hée was not only appointed too bée a teacher too the Gentiles but also Luke affirmeth that hée was at Roome and Eusebius maketh him the first Bishop of Rome They woold rather haue made Paule an Heretique if they had could because that hée inueyeth so much ageinst the Antechrist of Roome There was one brought before a Iustice of the West countrie for religioÌ„ who aunswereth béeing demaunded of a matter of religion that Paule sayeth so Paule sayeth hée if Paule were here hée should go the same waye that thou shalt go ye were both worthie to bée burned I wolde cary a fagotte to burne you both Paule béeing at Rome in the tyme of Nero wrote to the Colossians saying that Epaphras Luke Demas saluted them Was Peter inferiour to them was hée not worthie to bée named were his salutacions to bée despysed wherfore if hée had ben at Roome hée woolde haue made mention of Peter béeing head of the Apostles And to Timothe hée writeth that Demas was reuolted Crescens was gone into Fraunce Titus into Dalmatia desiring him to bring Marke with him bycause only Luke was with him If Luke was there only surely Peter was not there And Paule writing to PhilemoÌ„ sayeth that Epaphras his felowe prysoner Marcus Aristarchus Demas Luke his cohelpers saluted him If Peter had ben there béeing an earnest professor of Christ should not hée haue beÌ„ apprehended as sone as Epaphras should not hée haue ben as good a helper as Demas as Ariâ—tarchus as Luke was hée not woorthie of naming Hithertoo I haue obserued as appereth by the texte too proue euery thing by order of tyme and place and also by other circumstances now I thinke it good also to recite the order that Hierom other old writers obserue in this matter who gather their historie out of Luke and Paule as wée do which order though it be not so probable to somme notwithstanding it maketh better for our purpose For after the order which I haue described hitherto Peter was at Hierusalem the sixt yeare of Claudius the Emperoure the .xvi. yeare of Christes passion the .xv. yeare of the conuersion of sainct Paule But Hierom and others will haue the Councell which was holden at Hierusalem in the .xv. of the Actes to haue beÌ„ the .xvii. yeare of Paules conuersion and in the eightenth yeare from Christes passion in the eight yeare of Claudius And they are persuaded by the first chapter to the Galatians vers xviii by the second chapter vers j. where Paule expressely maketh mention of .iij. yeares spent at Damascus and in Arabia and after those .iii. yeares too haue comme too Hierusalem too the Councell the .viii. yeare of Claudius With what countenance than can the Roomish catholiques saye that hée went to Rome the second yeare of the Emperour Claudius If wée interprete the places of the first and second chapter too the Galatians as Charles Molyneus an Aduocate of the highe Senate Parliament of Paris dothe than must wée saye that Paule continued at Damascus in Arabia and his retourne to Damascus full fyue yeares than .xiiii. yeare after both Paule Peter too haue ben at the Councell Than must wée afâ—rme that Peter was at Hierusalem the .x. or .xi. yeare of Claudius which was the .xix. or .xx. yeare after Christes passion And in the .xvii. or .xix. yeare of Paules conuersion which was the .xi. yeare of Claudius Peter departed to Antioche where hée was theÌ„ reprehended of Paule Then both by Molyneus supputation and by the other which wée haue recited before Peter coulde not comme too Roome the second yeare of Claudius And
yeare If he came to Rome after that hée had bene at Antioche and in these other countries as Hierome reporteth then came not hée to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius as the same Hierome contrudeth For this yeare was the sixt yeare of Nero which was after the second yeare of Claudius 17. yeare as I proue in this booke and as it foloweth necessarely by the computation of yeares and order of the historiographers As concerning Eusebius hée was an Arrian and gathered his historie out of those bookes that were condemned in codice Sancta Romana 15 â–ª dist 11. And when hée was an Arrian hée wrote this historie Tripart lib. 2. cap. 7. Read lib. 2. cap. 11. of the sayd Tripartit Hée is contrarie to himselfe for hée sayeth lib. 3. cap. 2. that Peter came not to Rome tyll the last yeare of Claudius read Molineus Rhenanus you shal find many mo reasons wherby ye may coÌ„fute Eusebius If ther bée any other authours in this errour they may be as easely reiected as these And if we are forbiddeÌ„ to ad any thing or take any thing away if the old authors may cause Peter to be at Rome without authoritie we may affirme that he was not at Rome with authoritie if they of their own heades hold that Peter was at Rome we may by euident demoÌ„strations assured arguments infallible reasons proue that hée was not at Rome If they say and not proue and wée booth saye and proue whether is of more Authoritie They saye that hée was at Rome 25. yeares and came eyther in the tyme of Claudius or Nero wée proue that all that tyme hée was eyther in Iurie Antioche Asia or Egypte They saye that Eusebius an Arian or counterfeyt Damasus sayeth so wée saye that Christian Luke and true Paule prooue the contrarie They write contraries wée concordances they obsurdities wée sensible argumentes they alleadge fables and wée truths They say that Peter was at Rome both quicke dead wée denie both They saye that Peter when hée died willed ClemeÌ„t then being at Rome to write to Iames of his death But Iames was dead by their owne authorities before Peter suffered seuen yeares for Iames was cast downe of the pynacle of the temple at Hierusalem the 30. yeare after Christes passion and Peter as they reported suffered 37. yeare after christes passion could Clement being alyue write to Iames being dead who should carry the letters If hée went to purgatorie who knewe where purgatorie was for than it was not inuented If hée were in Heauen thither ascendeth none with letters Perhaps Clement should sende the letters and laye them vpon Iames graue that he might rise on the night and reade them as in the councell of Nyce they say that Chasantus and Musonius two Bishops of the councell of Nice dyd subscribe to those matters that were concluded in the councel desired bythe rest who layd the actes vpon their graues requiring them to subscribe for a better assertion the next morning they resorted to their graues found both their handes subscribed They write that Eusebius reporteth that Peter was requesâ—ed of his brethren fellowes to departe out of Rome least Nero should persecute him to death Peter went out at their request when he came to the gate he met Christ and saide thus God saue you Syr whether goe you you were best to returne here is to hotte béeing for you and mée Then sayd Chryste doost thou not know mée Peter O Peter Peter returne hither I am come to suffer ageyne Naye sayeth Peter God forbidde I will goe and so Peter returned and suffered at Rome This doctrine taught Doctor Smith I heard him in Whitengton colledge in London in Quéene Maries dayes Hée moued manye affections and tolde the tale on this wyse Maysters sayeth hée you are in a great errour as concerning the blessed Sacrament and all your trust was in Cranmer Rydley Latymer As for Latymer hée sayd in open disputation in Oxforde that hée had no learninge in that matter but out of Cranmers booke Besydes this I disputed with Latymer 20. yeares agone and then hée hadde no learning As for Cranmer hée sayde that his learninge came from Rydley And as for Rydley I disputed with him my selfe now at Oxeford the other day and I proued my Argument thus Ille cui Christus obuiauit Romae fuit Romae At Christus obuiauit Petro Romae Ergo Petrus fuit Romae Hée whom Christ met at Rome was at Rome But Christ met Peter at Rome Ergo Peter was at Rome By this Argument I proue twoo thinges and singuler mysteries of our fayth First that Peter was at Rome ageynst them that clatter that Peter was neuer at Rome Secondly that if Peter met Christ bodely as Abdias reporteth and whiche I am sure is true or else suche an auncient and holy Father would neuer haue written it Then consequently hée maye bée aswell bodely in the blessed Sacrament as hée was met bodely To this Rydley stoode lyke a block and féelinge hym selfe conuicted aunswered nothing Then sayde I Cur non respondes haeretice haereticorum haereticissime Dyd not I handle hym well Then denyed hée the minor which I proued thus Christ met Peter goeing out of Rome and sayed good morrowe Peter whether goest thou Peter aunswered good morrowe good man whether goest thou Then sayde Chryste I goe to Rome too suffer what sayeth Peter I trowe onlesse I take my markes amisse you are Ihesus Christe good Lorde howe doo you I am glad I haue met you here Then sayd hée to Peter goe backe and suffer or else I must et pro te me When Rydley had heard this my profe and Abdias authoritie a Doctoure auncient and irrefragable hée aunswered neuer a woorde And thus I cenfuted Rydley in the audience of a thousand that hée hadde not one woorde to saye yet you sayâ— that Christ was neuer in earth since the Ascension bodely beléeue with mée that hée is vnder fourme of bread and wyne Let this argumente of myne confounde you as it did Ridley your chief champion Thus mucth Doctoure Smith and more in Whitengton colledge churche in London standing in the streat called towre Ryall a little aboue the thrée Cranes in the Uynetrée If saye the papistes wée holde not and defende ageynst these heretiques that Peter was at Rome than our churches estimation is doone our prerogatiue perisheth our preeminence no better then others our glorie diminished our holinesse empayred our authorities annihilated our honors negnected our dissimulation detected our customes waâ—e colde our perdones peruerted our Iubilees iested at our Religion rayled vppon and all our pompe fall to nothing I aunswere Peter sought no such vanities Christ willeth him that would presume aboue the rest to bée inferiour to the rest Paule gaue no place to Peter Chrysostome sayeth that hée that in earth séeketh supremacie shall finde in
heauen confusion neyther shalbée nombred amonge the seruauntes of god Hierome sayeth that wheresoeuer a man be Bishop whether at Rome Engubie Constantinople Rhegij Alexandria Thebes or Guarmaria the office is all one the merite all one and degrée all one Who soeuer sayeth Gregorie calleth himselfe the vniuersall priest or desireth to bée called so is a foreronner of Antichrist reade Gregorie Epistola 76.78.79.83.92.194 Here endeth the first Discours THE SECOND DISCOVRS wherein is proued that neyther Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church AS wée haâ—e hitherto proued in the former Oration or discourse that Peter was not at Rome So let vs in this seconde Treatise conclude that neyther hée neyther the Pope neyther any of his Successoures is the heade of the Churche neyther the Church or Seate of Rome to bée preferred before others As out of the head and brayne which is the seate of the senses whereof ryseth all knowledge as the Philosophers and Phisitians write and also as of synowes wherewith the partes of the body are knit and coupled togither procéedeth the lyfe vitall and all mouinge Euen so from our head Christ the fountaynes of grace are deryued and flowe to water our soules the synowes and sensible doctrine to instruct the mynde and the spirit of regeneration to renewe the whole man As the heade and brayne minister too the whole body féeling and moouing so is Christ the head of distributing to euery man seuerall gyftes of the Spirit Hée that is the head of the church which is the body of Christ must néedes gyue lyfe spirite moouing bâ—eing senses féeling vnderstanding grace and all gyftes of the holy ghost but the Pope can gyue none of these Therefore the Pope is not the heade of the church Hée that can not forgyue synnes is not the heade of the Churche The Pope cannot forgyue synnes Ergo hée is not the heade of the church â–ª Solus Deus condonat peccata Onely GOD forgyueth sinne The Pope is not God Ergo hée forgyueth no sinne As the man is the head of the Wooman so is Christ the heade of the church This Church are all the faythfull of all ages the faithfull before the floode the faythfull after the floode The Faythefull before Christ the faythfull after christ If a wooman should haue twoo Husbandes to her head were shée an honest woman were shée not an Adultres were shée not to bée diuorced Ergo if the Romishe Churchâ— haue twoo heades Chryste and the Pope Shée is a Strumpette an Harlotre a Curtesane and the Churche of Satan Moreouer Christe is zeleous ouer his congregation hée will haue no fellowes hée is sufficient alone hée néedeth not the Popes ayde The Popes head may be dronke Christes is alwayes sobre his franitique Christes perfect his phantasticall Christes substanciall his feble Christes stronge his mortall Christes immortall Hée that maketh him self the head of the Church hée must make him self her husband but what an husband is the Pope Surely an adulterer if hée presume too take an other mans wyfe Is not the Church Christes wyfe ThaÌ„ is shée not the Popes because that shée can not haue two husbands at once If hée bée an adulterous head ergo hée is Antechrist Howe coulde Peter bée Pope at Roome when as it was not lawfull nor permitted to teache but priuatlie in houses Where was his authoritie where were bothe his swoordes Temporall Spirituall Neyther had hée the Temporall to represse Nero his tyrannie neyther the Spirituall to rule the Clergie Was not Paule as good as Peter Did hée not resist him to his face Was Paule inferiour to any of the Apostles Howe chaunceth it that Peter could not rule them that put him to deathe where was the mightie power of M. Pope Is hée the head of the Church whom Christ calleth Sathan Is not that Satanas church which Satan ruleth But Peter is called Satan Ergo that church which Peter ruleth is the church of Satan But saye the Papistes Our Churche is founded vpon Peter Then is the foundation vitious the buylding odyous the pillers which are the colledge of Cardinalles very rotten and corrupt and the pallace of Prelates pestilent and all that they do beastlie sensuall carnall of Antechrist For Christ sayeth to Peter Awaye Satan hence Dyuell for so signifyeth the Hebrewe woorde thou offendest mée thou sauorest of earthly thinges and not of heauenly If the head be Dyuelish what are the members what is the body The Romishe churche is the body is this churche without spotte or wrincle is this of God is this the piller of truthe is this the Kingdome of God Naye it is as Petrarche writeth the sinke of sinne and pudle of Godes yre A denne of Wolfes Lyons Foxes Dragons and Tigres Peter sauored of earthly thinges and sought earthly thinges and so doo the Popes Did not Peter moue Christ that they might make in the mount where Christ was gloriously transformed thrée tentes hée sauored of none other thing then of earth And did Pope Leo any other thinge when hée answered Peter Bembus a learned Cardinall alledging a sentence out of the Ghospell to him that it was knowen well ynough in all ages how much that fable of Christ did profit the Popes and their successours and adherentes And that ye shall vnderstand that the Church is neyther founded vppon Peter nor of any other man sainct Paule sayeth that Christ is only the foundacion And Christ when the Apostles did stryue for superioritie y preeminencie sayd to them reprouing their ambition that hée that presumed to be highest should be lowest and a minister too the rest Which woordes declare that Christ woulde haue no superioritie amonge his Apostles Did not Peter deny Christ thrée tymes Is hée woorthie too bée the head and steward of his family that denyeth his Master that sweareth that hée neuer knewe him Such are Peters Successors for they sweare that they neuer knew such a beggerly body as Christ was For saye they Christ was poore wee bee riche Christ a begger and had nothing wee haue the whole worlde And it is prophecied by Dauid of vs Omnes subiecisti sub pedibus eius oues boues pecora campi To the Pope God hathe layd all thinges vnder his feete sheepe oxen and all cattell Peter did fyght and cut of Malcus eare the Popes cut of the Emperours heades fyght with them subdue them and treade vppon them Theire foundation is the sword fyre fagotte tyrannie and all iniquitie This sword Christ bad Peter put vp they drawe it and shaketh it ouer all Nations Where proue they that Peter was the cheifest of the Apostles where proue they him too bée the best or such a one as all the other shoulde obey was hee the Uicegerat of Christ can he doo all that Christ can doo who was reproued of Paule the least and lowest of all the
but Christ prayed for Peter ergo Peter could not erre I deny the proposition which you call the Maior for Christ prayeth for all men as well as for Peter and also for them that persecute him ergo by your argument all men should bée head of the Church yea euen they that persecute Christ as the Pope doth Augustine wryteth that Peter figureth all Christians the vniuersall Church ergo when Christ prayed for Peter that hée should not erre hée prayed also for all Christians and for the vniuersall church that it should not erre And that this is Christes meaning ye shall vnderstand by the often fall of Peter after this prayer of Christ for hée denyed Christ thrise was also reproued of Paule after this prayer The tenth Obiection Peter féede my shéepe these woords giue too Peter a superioritie I answer that Christ did commaund Iames and Iohn with the rest of the Apostles to doo the lyke Did they not féede the shéepe of Christ also Did not Iames preache at Hierusalem and Iohn at Ephesus Moreouer Paule exhorteth the elders of Ephesus too féede the flock and church of God committed too their charge wherfore too féede Christes shéepe is as well proper too all men that haue the gift as too Peter Of this matter reade Ambrose in his pastorall The .xj. Obiection As Christ came too doo the will of his Father so must you doo the will of your mother the churche of Rome I answer that you call the church of Rome the Pope his Cardinalles but Christ calleth his church generall and not speciall a communion of Saincts and not a rable of Bishoppes as Tertullian writeth Catholique and not Priuate For Christ sayeth wheresâ—euer there be two or thrée gathered together in his name there is hée among them yea though they bée Laye men as Tertullian noteth Is the Pope the churches sonne or is hée her father If her sonne what a sonne is hée that vsurpeth and preferreth him self before his mother Therfore sayeth Augustine God will not acknowledge him self to be his father that will not confesse the church to be his mother If her father ergo not her child You say the Pope is the head I answer that when the Pope is cut of by death where is your head is it not dead where is the body is it not dead But the body that is the Church lyueth alwayes eyther Militant or Triumphant or rather both Ergo wée must looke for an other head that can not dye euen Christ aboue The .xij. Obiection Had not Pope Paschalis in the yeare of Christ .1100 a girdell hauing seuen keyes and seuen seales in token of his seuenfolde power according to the seuenfolde grace of the holy Ghost of binbing loosing shutting opening sealing resigning and iudging I answer that it is blasphemy to compare the Pope with the holy Ghost Is not hée Antichrist that attributeth to him self all the giftes of the holy Ghost The .xiij. Obiection No Councell may bée called without the Pope I answer to this obiection on this wyse Wée reade that Christ called the first councell willing the Apostles not too departe out of Hierusalem but to looke for the promise of the Father In the election of the seuent deacons which was the second councel Peter did not call the councell but .12 Apostles called the multitude The thyrd councel was called in the .15 of the Actes Where it apereth that Iames was the chéefe and not Peter Was the Pope called to any of these councels Nay surely they neuer knew him And many yéeres after Christ all the councels til the Pope began to rule were gathered togither by the Emperours Kiâ—â—es princes and other magistrates The .xiiii. Obiection Omnino definimus declaramus pronuÌ„ciamus omnem creaturam subesse Romano pontifici de necessitate salutis We define declare and pronounce that euery creature must be vnder the Pope of necessitie or els it cannot be saued I answer that saluation commeth nether from the East nor the west neither from Rome neither from priest prelate nor Pope but from God only Your welth and riches giue you aucthoritie you are rich in reuenues but poore in heauenly treasures Blessed bee the poore in sprite you are arrogant and presumptuous since that venym I meane riches entred into the church as the Lord Cobham sayde whom the Archebishop of Caunterburie Thomas Arundell asked what hée meaned by that venyme I meane sayd hée your Possessions Lordeshippes and Iurisdictions For than cryed an Aungell in the ayre as your owne Cronicles make mention wo wo wo Nowe euen this daye is venyme powred into the church Chryst was méeke and mercifull the Pope is proude and a Tyraunt Christ is poore and forgaue the Pope is riche and a malicious murtherer Rome is the nest of Antichrist and out of that filthie nest come out vncleane birdes Prelates Priestes Monkes Cardinalles which are the body of Antichrist and the pilde Fryers the Tayle which couer his most filthie parte For they preache lyes and therfore are the tayle behinde The xv Obiection Ieremie prophecieth of the church of Rome saying beholde I haue set thée ouer all Nations and Kingdomes to pluck vp and to breake downe and buylde and to plant I aunswere that God commaunded Ieremie to pull vp the wéedes of superstition and to pull downe all the monumentes of Idolatrie But the Pope draweth this godly sentence to the defence of his vsurped power peruerting the mynde of the holy ghost and deprauing the Text of Ieremie and by this Text hée vsurpeth that hée may pull down the Gospell and set vp his decréees roote out the truthe plante heresie or superstition as it is written of him in another place Diruit aedificat mutat quadrata rotundis The xvi Obiection Iohannes de turre cremata a holy Cardinall writeth thus Papa est Rex Regum Dominus dominantium verus Dominus totius orbis iure licet non facto The Pope is King of Kings Lord of Lordes and the true Lord of the whole world by right though not in déede And that Constantinus when hee gaue him Rome restored to him but his owne for the Pope as S. Iohn writeth of Christ in propria venit sui eum receperunt Hée came into hys owne and his owne receyued him I aunswere Is not hée Antichrist that peruerteth the Scriptures and that eyther addeth or taketh awaye but hée taketh awaye Non and attributeth the Texte to him selfe whiche vtterly peruerteth the Text. Ergo hée is Antichrist What a presumptuous Prelate is hée that calleth himselfe King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes If yée reade the letter sent to Cardinal Poole by Stoxâ—ye Bishop of London and Tunstall Bishop of Durham and the booke of Obedience written by Stephan Gardner Bishoppe of Wynchester which all were ranck Papistes ye shall vnderstand that they proue that the Pope is not the heade of the Church
the yeare of Christe 913. was Pope and begotte Iohn the .11 Pope of that name in adulterie 54 Iohn the eleuenth in the yeare of Christe 916. kept Theodoca an impudent Harlot This Iohn was rather a warrier then an Apostle as Platina writeth At this tyme holynes fledde from the Popes to the Emperours 55 Iohn the twelfth in the yeare of Christ 934. sonne to Sergius was deposed by Leo the sixt 56 Stephanus the eight in the yéere of Christ 937. was so wounded in a ciuile sedition that hée was ashamed to come abroade all his lyfe tyme. 57 Iohn the 13. in the yeare of Christe 964. gyuen too all mischiefe to dyce cardes games robberies sacrilege fornication and to all other euyll actes from his youth whome Volaterane called a cursed man And Platina Monstrum hominis Hée cutte out the eyes of some of his Cardinalles their tounges their fingers handes noses and members Hée was accused that hée dyd not saye his Matynes and Houres that hée dyd not communicatâ— in his Masse that hée dyd make Deacons in his stables that hée dyd lye with twoo Sisters that in playing at dyce hée requyred the Deuill too helpe him hée made children Bishoppes hée deflowred Maydes and straungers made Lateranense that holy Pallace a Stewes and brothall house that hée dyd deflowre Stephana his fathers concubyne the Widowe Rayner and the Widowe Anne with her Niece put out his Spirituall fathers eyes hée hunted hée warred hée burned hée brake doores and wyndowes hée dranke and pledged the Deuill with wyne Wherefore hée was deposed and Leo placed But afterwarde his noble concubines caused him too bée restored and Leo deposed Hée ordeyned that the Emperoure should alwayes after that bée crowned of the Pope of Rome A man tooke him with hys wyfe and thrust him through with his dagger Hée made sainct Dunston beyng a Necromancer Archebishoppe of Canterburie 58 Boniface the seuenth in the yeare of christ 973. stale all the Treasure of Saint Peters church and fled too Constantinople and there solde it Hée returned to Rome and with that money payed his creditoures hyred Ruffians and deposed Iohn the .15 whome they had made Pope put out his eyes thrust him in prison where hée dyed miserably 59 Iohn the 16. in the yeare of Christ .983 a priests sonne was hated booth of the clergie and of the Laytie hée gaue all too hys kyndred 60 Syluester the second in the yeare of Christ 997. studied necromancie asked of the Deuill howe long he should be Pope The Diuell aunswered tyll hée should singe Masse at Hierusalem Hée fell sicke in a certeyne place in the church of the holy crosse called Hierusalem and there hearing an horrible noyse of Diuelles as Petrus Premonstratensis reporteth dyed 61 Iohn the 18. in the yeare of christ 1001. appoynted all soule daye perswaded by Odylo an Abbot who heard a pitifull noyse in mount Ethna supposing that there were the Soules departed and that Purgatorie was in that hill of Sicilia 62 Petrus Damianus a Cardinall writeth that Benedict the 8. Pope of that name in the yeare of Christe 1008. dyd appeare after his death sitting on a blacke horse to a Bishoppe one of hys acquayntance which Bishop being astonied with such a spectacle and vision sayde Arte not thou Pope Benedict whom wée know is dead Hée aunswered Sum ille infoelix Benedictus I am that vnhappie Benedict The Bishop aunswered How is it with you O blessed Father Then aunswered the Pope I am gréeuousâ—ie tormented but there is remedie ynough Goe thy waye and tell my brother Iohn who is nowe Pope that hée cause too be digged vp certein treasure hidden in the ground and gyue it too the poore Hée appeared also to Pope Iohn saying I trust to bée deliuered and woold to god that Odylo that holy Abbot would praye for mée that inuented purgatorie 63 Iohn the 20. of a Laye man was made Pope without any orders in the yeare of Christ 1020. 64 Benedictus the ninth in the yeare of chryst 1032. obteyned his popeshippe by Arte Magique and dyd Sacrifice to Diuelles in woodes and mountaynes and made woomen to followe hym thyther and to loue him by a Sparrowe Hée knewe what was doone in all the world Hée solde hys Popeshippe libris mille quingentis At this tyme came in the name of the Cardinalles This Benedict as hée was coniuring in the wooddes was strangled by the Deuill and after his death was séene of an Hermite in body lyke a Beare in head and tayle lyke an Asse and béeing demaunded how chaunsed it that hée was so transformed hée answered I lyue in this state bycause when I was Pope I liued without reason without Lawe without God. 65 Syluester the thirde in the yeare of Christe 1043. solde hys popeshippe to Gregorie The Cardinalles called this Gregorie a Murtherer Then there were at that selfe same tyme thrée Popes Benedictus was in the pallace Lateranense Syluester and Gregorie and Clement the second was elected the fourth 66 Damasus the second in the yeare of Christ 1048. inuaded by violence and made himselfe Pope by force at what tyme it was lawfull for euery man to aspire by what meanes hée could Quo iure quaque iniuria 67 Victor the seconde in the yeare of Christ 1055. was poysoned drinking in the Lordes Challyce 68 Alexander the second in the yeare of Christe 1062. after hée had â—ought a great battayle commaunded that no laye man should gyue any Benefice 69 Gregorie the seuenth in the yeare of Christ 1069. forbadde any Lay man to possesse Tithes he poysoned sixe or eight Popes hée caried about with him alwayes a booke of Necromancie of the which matter reade Benno at large hée excommunicated the Emperoure and made him to stande thrée dayes without the gate of the citie in a colde winter with his wyfe and his yong Sonne barefooted from morning to night without meat or drinke And when the sayde Emperour desired most humbly at the ende of the thrée dayes aunswer was made to him on this wyse O abhominable Antichrist the Popes holynes hath no leasure too speake with you But notwithstanding on the fourth day his familiare friend and Concubine Mathilda obteyned that hée might come too the Popes presence But neyther would gyue him his crowne ageyne neyther perdon him neyther absolue him from excommunication tyll hée should confirme by writing all his decrées which hée did and notwithstanding would not restore him 70 Calixtus the second in the yeare of Christe 1119. fought a battell with Gregorie the eight Pope of that name ouercame him and did set him vppon a Camell his head too the tayle and so brought him to Rome with such despite 71 Alexander the thirde in the yeare of Christe 1158. instituted that no man should marye his brothers wyfe Hée vsed the Kinge of Englande and the Kinge of Fraunce for
He doth graunt miracles hée maketh fire too discend from Heauen By fyer is vnderstanded the holy Ghost and the Pope promiseth to giue the holy ghost in giuing of orders saying Receiue ye the holy ghost Moreouer there is no sinne so horrible no offence so greuous which he will not forgiue for money By Fyer may be vnderstand his thundering boult of Cursing and Excommunication whereby he did strike the Monarches Princes and Kings of the earth He that will not worshippe the Image of the beast which is the dominion prerogatiue and authoritie of the Pope shalbée murthered by him and his proctors The Image of the beast is his aucthoritie ceremonies candells Sacramentes Hosts Wafecakes Housling Priests Friers Nonnes Monkes Hermetes Religious men Purgatorie Pardones Penitentiaries Curtesanes Masses Dirges Abbotts Beades Beaderos Crosses Coniurings holy Bread holy Water holy Salte Palmes holy Blood of Hayles prayers for the dead Limbus patrum Limbus puerorum praying to Saincts Superstition Idolatrie Images Idolles Pilgremages Rosaries Ladies Psalters and Regine coelorum Aue Maria stella Bulles Extreame vnction I will so plainly declare the nature of Antichrist and in such sorte that you shall vnderstande that the Pope muste néedes bée Antichrist There were onely six Monarchies from the deluge to the ende of the Worlde The first the Assirians the second the Babylonians or the Chaldes the thyrd the Medes or Persians the fourth the Grecians or Macedonians the fift the Romains and Germans the sixt is the Pope and the Emperour which were diuided out of the whole Romayne Empyre before it was diminished Daniel doth not touch the Empire of the Assirians for it was past before his tyme and this Image was séene at Babilone What néeded any Prophecie of a thinge that is past Neither is there any Prophesie of a thing that is past but of a thinge too come And therefore sayeth Daniel God shall shevv to the King things to come The head of this Image signifyeth the Monarchy of the Chaldes and Babylonians The siluer breast and armes the Medes or Persians The Belly and Thighes of brasse the Gresians or Macedonians The Legges of Yron were the Romans who subdued al the world The foote of Yron signifieth the Pope who breketh the power of the Emperour as yron doth the clay for the Pope had all Europe at his commaundement hée crouned Emperoures and hee deposed them he warred against them and subdued them hée possessed Italy and thrust the Emperour into Germany Let vs declare how the Pope who is signified by the féete of yron did subdue the Emperour who was named by the foote of claye Gegory the fyrst Pope of that name in the yeare of Christ .600 wryteth that it had bin offered diuers tymes that the Pope of Rome myght haue called the vniuersall Byshop but none of them would take it vpon them or vse that word and title Notwithstanding the same Gregory inuehing against Iohn the Patriarcht of Constantinople who would haue bene called the vniuersall Bishopp signifieth to the Emperour Mauritius and to his wife Augusta that Rome should chalenge that honor and Superioritie and that it was iniquitie to depriue the successour of Peter of that honor considering that it was sayd to Peter thou art Peter Et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Wherin Gregorie offended duble first in misunderstanding or rather peruerting the place and wordes of Christ meaning by the rocke Peter when as Christ is the rocke and Peter but a member deriued from the rocke as of Christ Christians secondly that hée gaue occasion to his successoures to chalenge and aspire to that superioritie and dignitie Cursed Phocas in the yere of Christ .605 killed the good Emperour Mauritius with his wife and children and at the request of Boniface made the seate of Rome the cheife seate of all churches and that the Pope of Rome should bée preferred before all others And although that Phocas a most damnable Emperour who killed his Master and Emperoure Mauritius gaue this preminence to the pope of Rome notwithstāding he could not be elected without the assent of the Emperour of Constantinople the Exarch of Italy of the people of Rome Constantinus the 4. Emperor of that name graunted to Benedictus the second Pope of that name in the yeare of Christ .685 that the Pope might be elected without the assent of the Emperour of Constantinople or the Exarch of Itly only by the Clergie and people And in the yeare of Christ .1063 in a counsell at Mantua where Berengarius was compelled to recant his opinion of the Sacrament it was decréed that the Pope should bée only elected of the Cardinalles without assent of any others now began the Popes to do all to rule all compell all Emperoures Kinges and Princes to their orders and to bée subiect to them Gregory the 3. Pope of that name about the yeare of Christ .695 resisted the Emperour of the east Leo the .3 who had caused al maner of Images to be pulled downe and burned and them that would not do it to suffer death This Gregory resisted this excommunicated Leo this caused the Images to be more worshipped then euer they were Pope Zacharias in the yeare of Christe .743 caused the King of Fraunce called Chilpericus to be made a Monke and placed one Pipin by the meanes of the nobles of Fraunce and made him king who enriched the Pope Thus Zacherias the Pope with his successor Stephen the second Pope of that name dyd pardon and absolue Pipinus with the rest of the nobilitie of Fraunce of their othe obediēce which they ought to the king Chilpericus lately deposed This Stephen did first ordain that he his successors shold be born of mens shoulders Carolus magnus succeded his sonne Pipinus in the yeare of Christ .800 was created crouned Emperour by Leo the third Pope of that name Ludouicus succeded his Father Carolus in the empire of the west enriched the pope Paschalis his successors exceadingly For he with his grandfather Pipinus his father Carolus gaue to the Popes aboue .60 Ylands Countries Cities shires Towns dominions prouinces which are repeted in Campanus others Otho magnus the Emperour of the Germains in the yere of Christ 938. gaue all these that his predecessors had giuen to the pope for his soules health for his sonnes soule for his forefathers souls After this time the pope toke vpon him al worldly dominion power also of heauē hell purgatory No man may iudge the Pope nor his doings Causa 9. quest 3. C. patet The pope may iudge all none the Pope Neither may any man dispute of his doings .17 quest 4. c. si quis suade Dist. 79. c. extremo What if the Pope shold corrupt many by his example Pope Boniface answereth this dist 40.4 si Papa If the Pope shall cary innumerable people by
Hierom and others collect vntil the .8 yere of Claudius Secondly I proue by the order of time and place that he could not be at Rome vntill the second yeare of Domitian which was after the passion of Christ .52 or 53. yeares which should haue bin after the destruction of Hierusalem which was after Christ .73 yeares the 8. day of September In the second discourse I proue that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of the Church confuting such obiections as they alledge to the contrary wherein yee shall finde their arguments refelled their Cannon law confuted the Popes errours in Doctrine detected their sillogismes answered and finally certain antitheses betweene Christ and the Pope prouing him Antichrist with an interpretation vppon the place of Paule 2. Thessalo 2. THE FIRST DISCOVRS wherein is proued that Peter was neuer at Rome PETER before Christes passion and deathe did not depart out of Iewrie but was eyther with Christe or with other of the Apostles or elles labored in his vocation for he was a fisherman as is proued by the Gospell of S. Mathew Cap. 4. versu 18. cap. 8. vers 14. cap. 10. vers 2. cap. 14. ver 28. cap. 15. ver 15. cap. 16. ver 16.17.22 cap. 17. ver 1.26 cap. 18. ver 21. cap. 19. ver 27. cap. 26. ver 33.35.37.69.75 Marc cap. 1. ver 16. cap. 3. ver 16. cap. 5. ver 37. cap. 8. ver 29. cap. 11. ver 21. cap. 13. ver 3. cap. 14. ver 29.33.37.54.66 cap. 16. ver 7. Luc cap. 5. ver 3.4.5.8.10 cap. 6. ver 14. cap. 8. ver 51. cap. 9. ver 28.32 cap. 12. ver 41. cap. 22. ver 31.34.55.60 Ihon cap. 1. ver 42. cap. 18. ver 11.15.16.17.18.25 cap. 20. ver 3.6 cap. 21. ver 2.7 ¶ VVhere Peter was the first yeare after Christes Ascension THE first yeare after the death and resurrection of Christ he was with the rest of the Apostles on the mounte Olyuet beholding the Ascension of Christe and then returned to Hierusalem lokinge for the descending of the Holy Ghost and there with the rest did chose Mathias in the place of Iudas and made an eloquent oration Acte 2. from the .14 vers vntoo the .41 And he taryed at Hierusalem and cured a lame man and in the Temple made an excellent Oration Then was he with the rest of the Apostles layde in prison and the next daye let out and examyned by what power they had cured the lame man vntoo whom Peter answered effectually neyther went hee out of Iudea that first yeare after Christes Ascension as apereth manifestlie From Hierusalem the Apostles sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria where Philippe the Deacon had layde the foundacion of Christes Religion and had conuerted the Samaritaines Peter and Iohn obteyned by prayer that they might receyue the Holy Ghost Peter and Iohn after they had preached in Samaria returned to Hierusalem and there hée remayned vntill the seconde yeare after Christes Ascension in the which yeare Paule was conuerted to the fayth as hée went to Damascus where he preached immediatly And in Arabia where hée preached thrée yeares and then returned to Hierusalem where Peter was with the reste of the Apostles Reade diligently the first chapter to the Galathians Uers. 16.17.18 Act. 9. Uer. 23.24.25 in the which verses conferred with the 17. and 18. vers of the first chapter to the Galathians yée shall vnderstande that after Paule had spent thrée yeares in preachinge in Arabia and at Damascus which is a Cittie of Syria neare vnto Arabia hée went being let downe by the wall in a basket from Damascus to Hierusalem where hée dyd fynde Peter and Iames with other Disciples Neyther was Peter at any tyme hithertoo out of Iurie In Iurie hée went about and came to Lydda a Towne of Iurie where hée cured Aeneas who had ben sicke of the pallesy eight yeares and at porte Iaphe in Iurie hée reâ—â—oâ—red Tabitha to lyfe From porte Iaphe Peter was sent for to Cornelius who was a Centurian at Cesarea a Cittie of Iurie also Peter when hée had instructed and baptized Cornelius and his howseholde returned to Hierusalem where the circumcysed reproued him for vttering the Gospell to the Gentyles who hée pacifyeth and persuadeth by his ‡ Oration This was the sixte yeare after Christes passion and the fifte yeare after Paules conuersion All that time that Paule was out of Hierusalem in â—harsis a Cittie of Lycia from whence Barnabas fetched him to Antioche a Cittie of Syria was Peter at Hierusalem and from thence went to the same citie of Antioche where Paule reproued him because that hée withdrewe himselfe from the Gentyles with whome hee did eate before that Iames came in with certeyne that were circumcised whom Peter feared to offend And this was seueÌ„ yeares from the conuersion of Paule And the eight from Christes passion which is not onely proued by order of tyme but also it is noted Galat. 2. Uers. 11.12 â—3 14 Act. 13. Uers. 2. All that tyme that Paule and Barnabas were with the Gentyles Peter remayned at Hierusalem till their returne sauinge that hée conueyed himself at that Easter wheÌ„ Herode Agrippa was there for Herod Agrippa came froÌ„ Cesarea to HierusaleÌ„ the feast of Easter what time he beheaded Iames layd Peter in prison as is euideÌ„t in the 1.2 3.4 â— 9. ver of y 12. Chapter of the Actes And this was the twelueth yeare from Christ his passion and the eleuenth from the conuersion of Paule Peter fearing the tyrannie of Herode Agrippa after that the Aungell had delyuered him out of prison conueyed himselfe out of the waye and as the texte sayeth into an other place vntill Herode Agrippa should departe from Hierusalem which was immediatly after Easter purposing in his mind to make warre with the Tyrians Sydonians or as Luke vttereth more effectually tynomachem And as God would the sayde Herode Agrippa a great defendour of the Iewes Lawes and Ordinances and a persecutour of Christians dyed miserably the â—ame 13. yeare after Christes passion which was the thirde yeare of the Emperour Claudius for Agrippa the same yeare of Claudius was striekeÌ„ with the Angel eateÌ„ with woormes dyed miserably Thus may you sée euideÌ„tly y Peter went notout of Iurie vntill the iiij yeare of Claudius nor the neyther vntil the death of Claudius as I shall proue a litle after Now you maye sée y Peter was at Hierusalem in Iurie the first ij iij. yeare of Claudius as is euidently proued by Luke in the Actes of the Apostles Nowe let vs consider what place this was that Luke sayeth that Peter câ—nueyed himselfe too lesse that they should saye that hée conueyed himselfe to Rome Surely hée hidde him selfe secretely in some place of Iudea â–ª vntill that Herode Agrippa should returne to Cesarea where he purposed to haue prepared an armie ageinst
that the Churche of Babylon dyd salute them and his sonne Marke who as Dorotheâ—â— writeth was burned at â–ª Alexandria in Egypt â–ª Now muste yée graunâ—e that Peâ—ers iourney from Pontus Cappadocia Asia Bithinia and Galatia to Alexandria and Babylon in Egypt was very long for they differ in latitude 11. or 12. degrées and therefore the tyme must bée prescribed in suche sorte as hée might not only taste of Nilus as the prouerbe is but also teâ—che the ignoraunte instructe the simple persuade the stubbeâ—â—o plantâ— good doctrine and manners deteste and banishe superstition and Idolatrie â–ª 〈◊〉 as you may reade euery where they woorshipped Cattes Eaâ—ues Crocodilles Dogges and such other beastes and were giuen ouer to Magicke and all other iniquities â–ª This required a longe tyme an whole body a carefull 〈◊〉 singuler diligence 〈…〉 will and a continewall perâ—euerance I knowe some call thys Babylon Rome by an Allegorie and other some Babylon of Chalde but their proofe is easely reproued their assâ—rtion vncertaine their opinion wauering and their iudgement without reason or authoritie For all others write of Markes béeing at Egypt and at Alexandria and there to haue preached that some Gospell which hée hath committed to writing And for the familiaritie that was betwéene Peter and Marke Peter calleth him his sonne And in déed hée was his Sisters sonne adelphidous â–ª But what néedeth vs any more proofe of Peters being in Egypt when as Peters woordes proue it If Marke suffered his marâ—yrdome the eight yeare of Nero his raigne as Hierome writeth in Catalogo And Eusebius Lib. 2. Cap. 24. And notwithstanding was at Rome the second or third yeare of the sayd Nero as is manifeste For that yeare Paule wrote the Epistle too the Collossians from Rome Than of necessitie Peter must haue ben in Egypt â–ª before the eight yeare of Nero his raigne because that Peter béeing in Egypt â–ª sayeth that Marke dooth salute the dispersed â–ª Brethren of Asia If before the eight yeare Ergo hée must néedes haue ben in Egypt some parte of Nero if some parte then was not hée at Rome all the tyme of Nero if hée was not at Rome vnto the 14. yeare of Nero and 11. yeares before than quaileth the opinion of the papistes that saye that hée was Pope at Rome twentie fiue yeares .7 monethes 7. wéekes 7. dayes For Peter must néedes haue bene in Egypt before the death of Marke for if Marke had ben dead Peter would not haue said that Marke had saluted the dispersed brethren But that this matter maye bée playnly perceyued and the inconstancie of Romishe Registers detected their fraude espyed and their errours â—efelled Consider that Peter was the third yeare of Callâ—gula cast in prison by Herode the ninth yeare after Christes passion and the eight yeare of Paules conuersion wherfore Peter fearing the tyrannie of Herode as I sayd before conueyed himself out of the presence of Herode And all the whyle that Paule and Barnabas preached to the Gentiles Peter remayned in Iudea which was about seuen yeres And thus are wee comme to the sixthe yere of Claudius the sixtenth afer Christes passion and the fiftenth of Paules conuersion After this Councell how long I can not certenlye coniecture hée tooke his iourney into Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithynia Asia where hée taried seuen or eyght yeares and more as I haue specified before Others apointe but * fyue yeares put to seuen yeares in which they saye hée was at Antioche By this order of tyme wée haue brought it too passe euen according too the prescription of the Papistes and after suche an infallible supputation that it can not bée denyed vnto the sixth yere of Nero which was the .xxx. yere after Christes passion and .xxix. after the conuersion of sainct Paul. In so much that hée could neyther bee .xxv. yeres at Rome neyther seuen moonthes neyther seuen dayes neyther one yeare of Nero. If any man can refelle any parte of this discourse wée will geue him thankes partelie for that hée shall delyuer vs out of errour and also for that hée shall set foorthe the truthe If Peter lyued after the death of Nero as this Historye declareth howe coulde hée bée put too deathe by Nero I haue proued before that hée was at Babylon in Egypte which is distant from Rome ten or eleuen degrées in latitude and in longitude .xxx. which must néedes bée a longe and tedious iourney For Babylon of Egypt standeth in 62.25 30.0 and Rome 36.40 41.40 It apereth that Peter was at Corinthe also for it is written that some holde of Paule some of Apollo and other some of Cephas which was Peter If the Corinthians had neuer séene Peter neuer herd of him neuer had ben conuersaunte with him why woold they haue holden of him It may bée that hée went to Corinth when hée was in lesser Asia which differeth not from Corinth aboue six or seuen degrées in latitude and as much in a manner in longitude Let vs comme too an end If hée suffred not deathe at Roome where died hée It appereth that hée died at Hierusalem bycause that hée was appointed a teacher of the Iewes For Christe saieth that â—ée sent too the Hierosolymitanes Prophets wyse men and learned men and hée prophicied that somme of them they shoulde kill and crucefye by these hee meaneth the Apostles and other teachers Which of all the Apostles was crucefied at Hierusalem But somme must needes bée crucefyed there or els Christes woordes should seeme not too bée true Wherfore Hierâ—m Lyra with the interlyned Glose vppon this place affirme that Peter wes crucefyed at Hierusalem by the Iewes Thus mutch as concerning the historie lyfe peregrination and death of Peter Those presumptuous and legend lyes with Festiuall fables whiche they aduouch are dissonant contrary and varyable among them selues Somme saye as Eusebius that Peter came too Roome the secound yere of Claudius somme the thirde somme the fourth as Damasus when as all this tyme hée was noot out of Iury. The discorde of writers causeth suspicion Discorde is contrary too concorde Where is truthe if concorde bee absent Consider their discorde Eusebius sayeth that Peter raigned at Roome .xxv. yeares Hierom. xxvii Beda xxix Damasus affirmeth that hee came too Roome in the tyme of Nero which was the fourtenth yeare of his Raigne and notwithstanding was at Roome whole .xxv. yeres twoo monethes and seuen dayes Howe is it possible that Peter came too Roome in the tyme of Nero and suffred in the last yere of Nero and yet taried there xxv yeres and all in the tyme of Nero who reigned but .xiiii. yeres Mendacem memorem esse oportet Can you make .xxv. of xiiii or xiiii too bee .xxv Buechingerus sayeth that Peter was at Roome .xxv. yeres seuen monethes and eight dayes Somme saye that Peter suffered at Roome the .xxxiii. yeare after the death of Christe somme the
Apostles where was his swoord than where was his courageous stomacke Did not little Paule dryue great Peter awaye Wherfore yee see that the Pope founding his authoritie ambition vayne glory Supremacie dignitie and superioritie vppon Peter must needes fall it must needes bee grounded vppon errours and iniquitie That which hath twoo heades is monstruous but if Christ bée head as hée is the only head and the Pope also than is it a monstruous body But more monstruous is that body that hath thrée or foure heades for at once there were thrée or foure Popes together euery one called him self head Which of them was the head let them answer if they can if they can not let the head fall with the body If Rome make the Pope holy if the seate where the Pope is can not erre if his church bée catholique and vniuersall how chaunced it that at one time in the yeare of Christ 1411. Clement was Pope at Auenion in Fraunce Pope Vrbane at Roome Benedict the .xiii. succeded Clement at Auenion in Fraunce Gregorie the .xii. was the Pope at Rome Iohn Pope at Bononia and all deposed in the Councell of Constance One of these reuiled an other blasphemed an other cursed excommunicated calling one an other Antechrist Traytor Murtherer Sonnes of Beliall Seruantes of Satan Heretiques Scismatiques and Cruell Tyrauntes If the presence of Peter make the place too bée the best and of most authoritie why was not Hierusalem the chief Cittie the highe See and the Metropolitane of the whole worlde For there Peter preached first and conuerted many thousandes And ye can noâ— reade of one that hée conuerted at Roome when hée was neuer there as the former discours proueth Where gaue Christ and at what tyme the authoritie and prerogatiue of â—osinge and â—ynding Hée gaue it before his death and in Iurye than by good reason that tyme should bée better than this Iury holyer than Roome for many hundreth yeares after was Roome established Now bycause neyther tyme nor place is estemed among Christians but fayth in Iesu Christ there is the Church where Christians woorshippe him in veritie Then Rome is not too bée preferred before the whole world neyther a Cittie before Citties a Towne before Shyâ—es a small parte of Europe before Asia Africa and America Besides this why is not Antioche Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithynia Asia Egypte and Babylon too bee preferred seeing that there hée preached there hée planted there hée grafted there hee did sowe there hée watered there hée taught and instructed and brought the people from errour to truthe from Superstition to Religion from Tyrannie to Clemencie from Fraude too Synceritie from Dissimulacion and Hypocrisye too Ueritie from Auarice too Frankenesse from Wickednesse too Uertue from Earthly thinges too Heauenly thinges from the admiration of worldly pompe too the contemplation of heauenly thinges from Hell too Heauen from misery too felicitie and from earthly possession too the inheritaunce of Iacob too the bosome of Abraham too the possession of Isaac too the let of Danyell and too the Paradise of the blessed thief NOWE I haste too the confutacion of their Argumentes whereby they go about too proue that Peter and the Pope is the head of the Church But first I will declare a true history from tyme too tyme and that breifly what they were that were afore the Pope and howe the Churche of Rome came too such a prerogatiue and dignitie Christ him self disputed and reasoned with the Doctoures opposing aunswering and conâ—uting them So did Iohn the Baptiste so did the Apostles so did Stephan so Aquila Apollo and all other that had any of theise giftes which are repeted in sainct Paule And this order of euery man too vtter his gifte continued vntoo the tyme of Theodoret and vntoo the tyme of Gregorie the ninth Pope of that name as appereth by his lawe for hée made lawes that no Laye man should preache of whatsoeuer degrée hée were Noble man Gentle man and other An Elder and a Bishoppe were both one at the beginning Act. 20. vers 17.28 which two verses conferred will shewe you that there is no difference betweene an Elder and a Bishoppe The which Paule proueth and Hierom and Theodoret vpon the same chapter Paule in that place calleth Bishoppes Elders such as taughte the people and instructed them and Deacons such as prouided for the poore lyke too our Church Wardens Afterward they began too alter this order for Eusebius libro .4 .5 affirmeth that the Church was a virgin immaculate vntill the death of Iohn the Euangeliste and than errours to haue creeped in who dyed from the birth of Christ .xxv. yeares And about â— yeares after his death or before the Church began to haue one as cheef whom they called a President or one as an Ouersoâ—er of the people and here sayeth Beza the Deuill began to practise his peruersitie and laye the foundacion of his Tyrannye Euery Citie and Towne had a Bishoppe that taught them but emong them there was no Supremacie The Emperoures afterward which had certeyne principall Cities in euery Shyre one or more whereto all the countrie about resorted to the Law and to decide other matters gaue greater authoritie to the Bisshoppes of the Moother cities for so they were called then too the Bishoppes of other Uillages in the countrie And as they called the mother cities Metrapoleis or matrikous kathedras â–ª or meizonas poleis so dyd they call the Bishop or Minister thereof or Pastor protonton protenonta proestota or patriarchin or Metropolitin â–ª As they call the great Cities Moother Cities Moother Seates The first seates or greater Cities so did they call the priest therof or mynister or Byshop or pastour the first the chiefe the president a Patriarche or Metropolitane Wée reade in the councell of Nyce that Alexandria was chiefe ouer Egypt Lybia and Pentapolis and Antioche was chiefe ouer the countries about as Rome was in Italie Where was there any superioritie more at Rome then at Alexandria or at Antioche In the second councell holden at Constantinople it was decréed that the Bishop of Alexandria should gouerne the Cast countries that Antioche might haue that dignitie that was appointed in Nycene councell the Bishop of Thrace his countrie the Bishop of Pontus his the Bisshop of Rome Italie and so of all the rest Socrates in his historie repeteth seuerall Metropolitanes which are called Patriarches for they were booth of one Authoritie As Nectarius ouer Megapolis meaning Constantinople and Thrace Helladius ouer Pontus Basile ouer Cesarea of Cappadocia Otrius ouer Miletene in Armenia Amphilochius in Asia at Iconiam Optimus at Antioche of Pisidia Timothe to Alexandria of Egypt Pelagius to Laodicia Diodorus to Tharsus Meletius to Antioche The Bishoppe of Hierusalem to Hierusalem These same Metropolitanes they called also Archebishoppes They say the false framed Epistles ascribed to Clemens and
Anacletus were chiefe citties Metropoles where were Archiflamines and Protoflamines and therfore Pontianus in Atheneus calleth vinum omnium malorum Metropolin and so say these forged Archiflamines were turned into Archibishoppes Because that the first Emperours were at Rome therefore it was called ta presbeia t is timis that is the chief honour was gyuen to Rome It was the first and Constantinople was the second Of this equalitie or Superioritie or inferioritie read the Councell holden at Chalcedon in the yeare of Christe .453 And Vielerius where it was concluded that Constantinople was of the same authoritie with Rome though it be the second after and Alexandria the third and Hierusalem the fourthe In the yeare of Christ 590. Ihon Bishope of Constantinople ambitiously desired to be Supreme head oikoumenikon pasis t is oikoumenis the Uniuersall Bishoppe of the whole world that was habitable And therefore Gregorie the firste Bishop at Rome of that name called the same Iohn the forerunner of Antichriste Epist. lib. 2. cap. 194. Halfe a score yeare after or little more Boniface the Thirde of that name was made Bishop at Rome and the firste that was ordeined or named Pope or Summus Pontifex the Highe Bishop and this dyd the Emperoure Phocas to haue ayde of the Pope which killed the Emperour Mauritius his wyfe his brother and his sonne with many other and made himselfe Emperour The Pope had this beginning After him euery Pope encreased his authoritie with priuiledges statutes decrées and preceptes tyll that they grewe to such dignitie that they created Emperoures who were wont to create them they deposed them they fought with them they trode on their neckes they rebelled ageynst thē they cursed them with booke bell and candell lighted they pardoned them all that would fight ageinst the Emperour The first Obiection They alledge Scripture for their purpose as the deuill dyd to christ They obiect this place of the Gospell written by Saint Matthew Thou art Peter and vpon this Peter I will buyld my Church Peter saye they is the foundacion of the Church of him it dependeth in him it resteth and hée is the head thereof Let vs aunswere this Obiection with the true Interpretation and Exposition of Chrystes mynde Thou art Peter c. Thy name sayeth Christ is Symon but hencefoorth it shal be Peter a Rocke or stone or rather one depending of the rocke as I promised in the first of Iohn ver 42. that thou shouldest bée called Cephas a stone but I alter it into Peter bycause thy name shal be deryued of mée For I am Petra and thou Peter I Chryst and thou a christian I a Rocke and thou rockye or buylded vpon the rocke The Allusion and affinetie of the Gréeke woord proueth this sense sy ei petros c. Thou arte Peter bicause thou beléeuest in Petra that is in mée the Rocke vpon the which I will buylde my congregation whom I will to bée called Peters as thou arte deriuing their name of mée the rocke bycause who soeuer shal beléeue in mée as thou doest I will gyue him the same name that thou hast Wherefore who so confesseth mée as thou doest shal be called Peter of mée Petra that is a christian of my name Christ. Hierom vpon the 8. of Mathew affirmeth that Peter had his name of Petra which is christ All are Peters which beléeue in this Rocke I will buylde my famelie and congregation vpon it wherfore al my famelie and people are Peters Peter in this place is put for all christians and is a generall woorde signifying all beléeuers and confessoures of Christe Therefore Hierome vppon the sixte of Amose termeth all christes Apostles Peters And the Christ founded not his church vpō Peter as our Romish catholiques cōtend but vpon this rocke which was Peters confession yée shal vnderstand by the text it self What was his cōfession that Iesus christ was the sonne of god Than this fayth of peters is the foundaciō of the church cleauing to Christ which foundacion Paul defineth to be Christ 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. This church congregation bycause it confessed the same Christ that Peter did is very well termed described by Paule to be the establishmēt and piller of truth and by good reason considering it is defined to bée Christes body out of whose head is deriued whatsoeuer nourisheth the body Who soeuer hath this fayth and is a member of Christes body is a Peter As Christ is called a stone so are his people and seruauntes named lyuely stones by participacion as they are the light of the world and salte of the earth bycause the light and salte that they haue is deriued and procéedeth from him as of Petra Peters of Chryst christians That this is the true meaning of this place it is euident hy the 18. chapter of Matthew ver 15. where the same doctrine is applied to all Christians whan hée sayeth If thy brother trespasse ageynst thée tell him his faulte betwéene thée and him If he heare thée thou hast wonne thy brother What is it too winne a mans brother but to loose him from his sinne wherwith hée was bound By the which if hée will not bée corrected lette him bée as an Heathen and a Publicane And thus hée is bound bycause hée wil not repent For sayeth Christ speaking to all christians what soeuer yée binde or loose vpon earth shalbée bound and loosed in heauen Adam and Eue in Paradise were the true church who when they heard the promise how that the séede of the wooman Iesus Christ should burst the Serpentes head beléeued it vpon y which beléefe Christ buylded his congregation and this is the Rocke They did binde themselues in eating of the frute in not obeinge the cōmaundement in offending the lawe They loused themselues in confessing their faulte obeying chrystes voyce lamentinge their facte and beléeuing in him who should bée borne of the séede of a wooman their faith confession of their offence with amendment of lyfe were the keyes of heauen By them they repossessed their felicitie which was lost and reentred into heauen Christ graunted to twoo or thrée gathered togyther in his name their requestes and hée to bée among them If this power and prerogatiue bée equall and particularly gyuen to euery christian and generally to all than is it not onely proper to the Pope If all the congregation may binde and loose then is the Popes authoritie nothing and hée himselfe to be excluded as a reprobate abhorred as a dissembler defaced as an hipocrite reiected as Psichicus in Tertullian was who bragged as the Pope dooth that he had authoritie to forgyue sinnes deposed as an vsurper and condemned as an Antichrist ▪ The congregation is buylded vpon the rock Who is the Rocke Christ not the Pope faith in Iesu Christe not execrable pardones hope in the Lorde not in man. If the Churche
and Congregation bée a buyldyng as Paule declareth and an hasbandrie and vyneyarde as the prophetes testifie and if Christ bée the buylder as is manifest and the HusbandmaÌ„ than hath the Pope no authoritie That euery man is Peter that confesseth Christ with the same fayth that Peter dyd Heare Origen his interpretation discoursing vpoÌ„ this place who was within 235. yeares after christ If wée affirme and confesse sayeth Origene that Christ is the sonne of the immortall God as Peter did then are wée Peters and shall obteyne the same felicitie that hée hath obteyned because our confession and his is all one If wée confesse Christ to bée the sonne of God the father reuealing it too vs it shalbée sayd to eche one of vs Thou art Peter and vpon thée I will buylde my congregation Euery man is Petra a Rocke and lyuely stone that is a follower of Christe of whom they dranke which dronke of the spirituall Rocke following them Upon euery such rocke is the congregation of God buylded If a man ymagine the whole congregation and church to bée buylded vpon Peter only what will yée saye of Iames and Iohn the thundering children and other of the Apostles In déed it was spoken to Peter thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will buylde my Congregation Notwithstanding it is spoken in lyke manner to all the Apostles and to all perfect and faythfull men because they are all Peters and Rockes and vppon all them and the prophetes is Christes church buylded And the Gates of Hell shall not preuayle ageynst any of them These gates of hell are vyces sinnes and other corruption of mans nature which shall neyther reigne in their mortall bodyes neyther preuayle Doest thou think that the keyes of the Kingdome were onely gyuen to Peter and to â—one other neyther any other should receyue theÌ„ If these wordes were not common to all men as they are I will gyue vntoo thée the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen how can all those sayings and thinges which are applyed to Peter before bée commune to all men For Christ thus spake in commune to them all whom doo you saye that I am And Peter answered in the name of them all Doth hée not vtter the same in playner woordes In the 20. of Iohn ver 22.23 saying to all the Apostles brething vpon them Receyue the holy ghost whose sinnes yée forgiue they shalbée forgyuen and whose yée retayne shalbée reteyned They were all of lyke authoritie with Peter All they that are imitators of Christ are likewyse called Peters and rockes as Christ and his faythefull of whom spirituall men drinke spirituall drinke Of Christe all his are called Christes or christians according to the Prophet who sayeth hée would saue his Christes As Christe is called rightuousnes and wysdome â–ª so are wée called rightuous because Christ is our rightuousnes and wisdome So are christians named by other properties of god Thus farre Origen with much more Tertullian in his booke of Chastitie who was but 210. yeare after Christ writing ageynst Phisicus the highe Bishop of Bisshoppes who tooke vppon him to forgiue sinne adulterie fornication and other vices sayeth thus Shewe mée examples of the Prophetes and of the Apostles and I will acknowledge thy holynesse diuinitie and godhead If thou canst doo so I will graunt thou canst forgiue sinne If thy office bée onely to teache and mynister then is it not to forgiue sinne How hast thou this authoritie thou presumest of this place But Peter was commaunded to forgyue his brother so oft as hée offendeth which sentence perteyneth to all men The church is not the nomber and rable of Bishoppes This authoritie is of the Lord and not of his seruaunts of God not of any priest Who is without sinne no man Than no man can forgyue sinne Who dare attribute to man that which is proper to God who can loose an other man from death saue onely the sonne of God Hée in his passion delyuered the théefe from death Wherefore if thou followest him in forgyuing sinnes and canst saye thou hast not offended I praye thée suffer for mée If thou bee a sinner how can thy oyle serue both for thée and mée for thy lyght and myne It is in Mat. 9. ver 2. that Christ had power to forgiue sinnes and know mens hartes but thou canst doo neyther If thou presumest proue by scriptures or by miracles as Christe did Thus farre Tertullian with much more Augustine writeth thus vpon this place Uppon this Rocke which thou confessed Peter vpon this rocke which thou acknowledgest saying thou art Christ the sonne of the immortall god Upon this Rocke I will buylde my Congregation that is vppon my selfe the sonne of the immortall GOD vppon mée I will buylde it and not vppon â—hée Men béeing disposed to buylde vpon men sayd I holde of Apollo an other of Paule an other of Cephas which is Peter The same Augustine vpon the .xxi. of Iohn sayeth this congregation can not fall bycause it is founded vpon the Rocke of the which Rocke or Petra Peter hath his name for Petra which is the Rocke hath not his name of Peter but Peter of Petra the Rocke As Christ hath not his name of a Christian but a Christian of Christ. Thus farre Augustine with many mo reasons Christ is the end of my fayth sayeth Ambrose vpon the ninth of Luke the end of my fayth is the Sonne of god Wherfore beléeue as Peter did that thou maist bée blessed The grace of Christ is great which hath communicate almost all his names with his Disciples Christ is the light of the world the lyuely bread and the Rocke and yet his Disciples are the light of world Wée are all one bread 1. Cor. 10. ver 17. Neyther did Christ deny his Disciple the strenght and sowndnes of this word bycause hée had the constancy of his fayth of Petra The Rocke is the fayth in Iesu and fayth is the foundation of the church If thou beest a Rocke thou shalt bée in the church bycause the church is buylded vpon the Rocke Thus farre Ambrose And after this sense doo all the Gréekes and Latines interprete this place Hell gates shall not preuayl against this fayth this rocke and against such as confesse Christ with as good a fayth as Peter did The Metaphor is taken of the Gates wherein the Iewes Gentiles exercised their Iudgementes as appereth in Moses and Iob. And bycause wicked Iudges did there gyue false sentences absolued the offenders and condemned the innocentes therfore false Iudgement and Tyrannicall Iudges and iniurious Magistrats are called Hell gates that is the Gates of death the Iudgement seates of death Origen and Ambrose vnderstand by Hell gates all vices Such a strong rocke such a valiant membre of Christ and such a lyuely stone of Christes congregation was Ieremy whom God sayd hée woold make a strong defenced Towne an yron Piller a Walle of stéele
against the hole land against the Preistes Kinges people and the mighty Princes of Iuda and such Tyrauntes Ieremy intreateth of in the end of his fystenth chapter If euery good man bée a lyuely stone as Peter him self writeth and all the congregation a Spirituall howse and the howse of God the piller and ground of truthe and lykewyse Christes own body and the fulnesse of him that filleth all thinges Than is not the Pope Cardinalles and Clergie the church and pillers in whom dwelleth no vertue Neyther Peter had any other keys than Adam Seth Noe Melchisedeck Abraam Iob Moses and all the faythfull had from the beginning The keys of the Kingdome of heauen are the opening and interpretacion of the Scripture What keye sayeth Tertullian in the .iiii. booke against Mar. had the Doctours of the Lawe saue interpretation Tertullian inuehing ageinst the Eustix affirmeth the keys to bée gyuen generally to all the which euery man whan hée departeth hence carieth with him Wherfore who so euer confesseth his sinnes repenteth and beléeueth in Christ hath these keyes wherwith hée openeth the locke and entereth intoo heauenly felicitie Euery man may bynde and loase him self Augustinus de doctrina lib. 1. cap. 8. sayeth Too binde is too perseuer in errour too procede in vyce too louse too repente him of his sinne beléeue that here in earth his sinnes shall bée forgiuen him And this is too bynd and louse The second Obiection Hée that giueth authoritie too the Church is supreme head But the Pope giueth authoritie to the church ergo hée is supreme head I deny your assumption called otherwyse the Minor. Wée proue it say they by S. Augustine who sayeth I wold not beléeue the Scriptures if the catholique church should not moue mée I answer This church that Augustine speaketh of is not the church of Rome and therfore the Pope giueth no authoritie to the church If Augustine had meaned the church of Rome then their argumeÌ„t myght haue semed to haue had a good ground But Augustine meaned the church of Christ as the Crede it self expoundeth it What is the Catholique Church The Crede answereth and interpreteth in these words A communion societie or companie of all Saincts and Godly men Nowe if Rome bée all the world and a communion of Saincts only then is it the only Church but it is neyther all the world neyther a communion of Saincts therfore it is not the Church Are shamefull synners Saincts horrible offenders Holy Augustine meaned by the Catholique Church Christ and his Disciples and the consent of all them which sawe Christ which heard him and his Disciples and therfore is it called in the common Crede of Nice the Apostolique church If Augustine did imagine that the Scriptures should take authoritie of the church it had bin an absurditie considering that there is no congregation so perfect no company so holy no men so pure which do not dayly desire God too forgyue them their offences as they forgyue them that offend against them If wée saye wée sinne not wée are lyers and there is no truth in vs. Let vs proue both by Reason which is the Lawe of Nature infixed in man Naturally and by Scripture that the Church doth take her authoritie of the Woord and not the Woord of the Church If Cleantes and other Philosophers as Tullie testifieth affirme partly by the Naturall motions of their myndes no doubt moued by inspiration that there is a GOD partly by the presciencie and foreknowledge of the thinges to comme partly by the commodities which proceede of the temperature of the ayer the plenty abundance of all thinges necessary for mans vse partly by tempestes thunder inundacions hayle lightening earthquakes stormes wonders miracles blasing starres eclipses of Sonne and Moone of the reuolution of the heauens of the constant and certein course of the fixed Starres and Planettes Than must wée confirme with Dauid and Paule that Gods power nature and diuinitie is knowen by visible thinges subiected to our senses If Dauid and Paule proue by the naturall courses of the heauens that there is a God neyther any people to bée so ignorant any Natiâ—n so rude any country so Barbarous which haue not heard their voyces for Dauid sayeth Their sound are gone through all the world Or as it is in the Hebrew Their rule course is knoweÌ„ through all the world By a figure the sound voyce is attributed in the .19 Psal. to the heauens bycause they declare vntoo vs with their constant course mouing and other meruelous dispositions constellations and influences that there is a god And by this meanes Paule proueth the Gentyles to bée without excuse bycause they might haue knowen God by his creatures and dyd knowe but dyd not glorifye him as god By these it is euident that the heauens and Gods woounderous workes are not the causes why there is a God but God is the cause of them and they are as witnesses and testimonies that there must néedes bée a god And bycause al the Scriptures teache nothing else but God to bée the maker defender and gouerner of all wée are assured that they are the true scriptures bycause they agrée with this lawe of Nature wyth this Heauenly description and celestiall disposition wherby there is vnderstand to bée a god If Dauid and Paule prooue the diuinitie power and prouidence of God by his creatures so must wée allowe the scriptures by the same meanes bycause they differ not from the discourse Wherefore the church taketh no authoritie of it selfe but of God nor the scriptures any power of men whiche are full of erroures Wée knowe Moses Danyels Salomons Iobs woorkes and the rest of the scriptures to bée of force bycause they agrée with the rule of nature They are witnesses but no authours If a Lawyer aunswere by the Lawe hée dooth his dutie but if hée aunswere of his own brayne it is nought neyther will any man beléeue him Hée is a wicked Iudge that attributeth more to hys owne witte and will than to the lawe This doth the Pope contrarie to all the auncient Doctours and vertuous writers who affirme no man to bée beléeued onlesse hée alleadge the scriptures If an Ambassadour goe from one Prince to an other and be commaunded neyther to adde to his commission nor diminishe hée is a traytour if hée doo How much more the Pope who by his false embassage dooth not onely adde and diminishe where hee lusteth but also chaungeth peruerteth correcteth depraueth and abolissheth the Scriptures setting vppe hys owne constitutions and braynelesse Decréees The Prince to whome this Embassadour is sent cannot tell whether his commission is true or no but by conferring of the other Princes letters out of the which he must haue the truthe So must wée runne to the scriptures and trye by them whether the Pope and other impure spirits doo well in vsurping such authoritie The Church may bée a
witnesse that these are the Scriptures as the heauenly bodyes that there is a God are the scriptures any better although they bée as testimonialles The church may bée witnesse the faythefull people may testifie that these are the scriptures and yet the scriptures perfect constant and certayne of them selues Augustine lib. 2. cap. 14.32 willeth Cresconius to omitte the authoritie of Cyprian and alledge the scripture the which if hée could hée would gyue place Ageynst Maximinus hée willeth him to let the councelles alone and bring scripture that thereby th◠truth myght be tryed The third Obiection The Pope is called in the first chapter of the Gospell of Iohn ver 42. Cephas and Cepha in the Gréeke toung is Caput a head Ergo the Pope is head of the church Your ignorance is intollerable you despise the tunges yée will rather cleaue to your olde errours and gloses then to séeke for the truthe You forsake the fountaynes and digge and drinke of pudles and kennelles You wrest and turne the scriptures from the meaning of Christe too satisfie your own opinions Your reading in the Texte Cephas which is a Syrian woorde thought that it had ben Cephale a gréeke woorde For saye you Cephas is an head in gréeke and commeth of Cephale and therefore you saye that Peter who was called Cephas is the head of the church when as Cepha the Syrian word which signifyeth a stone being turned into Gréeke soundeth Cephas Thus yée turned whyte into blacke y ée choppe ye chaunge ye turne ye peruerte and depraue all for lacke of knowledge For Christ sayeth that wheras Peter was called before Symon his name should be chaunged and called Cephas which is a stone as Iohn himselfe interpreteth it Bycause that not onely Peter but also all they that beléeue in Christ are lyuely stones As out of a stone commeth fyre so dooth burning charitie out of godly men As a stone or Rocke is stronge stedfast and firme so is euery Peter I meane euery Christian ageynst whose fayth no Tyrannie no Hell gates no persecution no affliction can preuayle What doo I saye doo they not preueyle yea they preuayle ageynst the bodye the Soule they cannot kyll The fourth Obiection Is not hée the chief and head that is firste named Is not a King named afore his subiectes The husbande before the wyfe Peter was first named I aunswere Is Priscilla better then hir husbande bycause that shée is first named in the text and Aquila after her But that cannot bée for S. Paule sayth that the man is the woomans head This woord Protos as Theophilacte interpreteth hath hys respect onely to his brother Andrewe who was called before and Peter after for they twoo were protokleti And notwithstanding that Peter is named first in some places yit is Andrewe named before him as in the first of Iohn ver 44. Philip sayeth Iohn was of the same Citie that Andrewe Peter were of And in the 24. ver of the 20. chaptes of Mathew the other 10. were offended with Iames Iohn In the which text Peter was not named the first but only with the rest We are forbidden to giue Supremacie too any Bishop Esoitai oi eschatoi protoi Kai oi protoi eschatoi oi eschatoi The fyfte Obiection The Popes may lawfully depose Emperoures For as the Moone taketh light of the Sunne so dooth the Emperour of the Pope And the Pope maye treade vppon the Emperoures necke as Pope Alexander dyd vppon the necke of Fredericke the seconde Emperour of that name And that was prophecied longe before by Dauid a friend of ours in these woordes Super Aspidem Basyliscum ambulabis conculcabis Draconem Leonem Thou shalt walke vppon the Adder and Basyliske and shalt tread vppon the Dragon and Lyon. O you Tyrauntes O you rebelles Where is your Truthe where is your Obedience Was it not spoken of Christe and so generally to all good men ageynst whome the force of the Deuill should not preuayle Doo you so intreat your Kinge and Prince Howe dare you bée so bolde as to call your Emperoure Aspis Basylick Lyon and Dragon much lesse ought you to tread vppon them too putte them too deathe and too depose them They haue authoritie by Gods woord too rule ouer you too haue you in subiection and not you them You alledge Scripture as though the Dyuell did too Christ and the next verse too that which the Dyuell alledged as though the Dyuell and the Pope were saying Matynes toogether The sixth Obiection Well say what ye will our holy Father may do what hée list What if hee should sell the whole world perhaps ye will say that it were Symonie but I will sweare vppon a booke that it were no Symonie though hée solde the whole world bycause that hée selleth but his owne for so our olde freind Dauid prophecied vppon him Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius oues boues pecora campi Thou hast put all thinges vnder his féete all shéepe and oxen yea all the beastes of the field O heauen O earth the Dyuell alledged Scripture more probably Surely Dauid speaketh of man too whom God hath giuen all thinges for his vse commoditie and Allegorically too Christ whom hée hath made Lorde and King ouer all The seuenth Obiection Did not Pope Agatho write in an Epistle to the Emperours in the fourth Action of the Synode at Constantinople that the church of Roome did neuer erre neyther was possible that it should erre Is not this ynough Is it not a goodly saying Is it not woorthy too bée embraced O what a goulden sentence is this Where can you read the lyke I assure you it is not possible too bée answered I answer that I am able too proue that euery Pope hath erred if synne bée errour Moreouer the most iust man sinneth seuen tymes and hée that sayeth that hée hath no sinne is a lyer there is no truth in him The eight Obiection Panormitane an Archebishoppe did affirme and reason in a Councell at Basile in the .xxxix. Session that the Pope ought too bée aboue all Bishoppes I answer that the sayd Panormitane made an Oration too that effect and made the Pope Lorde ouer the Church notwithstanding the Bishoppe of Argens Iohn Segouius and Fraunces de Funx Diuines confuted that errour in the said Councell proued Pope Eugenius the fourth of that name to bée a relapse and an heretique bycause that hée tooke vpon him too dissolue transporte prorogue that Councell Can hée bée Lorde ouer the Church that should bée a minister and as hée wryteth him self Seruus seruorum Peter willeth no man no Bishoppe too rule ouer the Chuch but too bée ruled by the Church The ninth Obiection Oraui pro te Petre ne deficiat fides tua I haue prayed for thée Peter that thy fayth should not fayl thée Hée can not erre whom Christ prayeth for
For where it is in Iohn that Christ by his death should ouercom death hell and all the world hée applieth it to the Pope of whom Iohn did not once dreame onlesse hée prophecied of him amongs other Antechristes in his Epistles whom hée there describâ—th And as for the place of Luke it is to be vnderstanded of Ciuill and temporall Magistrates and not of Spirituall and Mysticall inuâ—ntoures of Iniquities and so vnderstandeth Chrysostom Origen and Theodoret vpoÌ„ the .xiij. chapter of S. Paule to the Romanes prouing that all Bishopes such as wée call Spirituall men must needes bée vnder the Iurisdiction of Ciuill Magistrates obey them and paye them Tribute Besides this this Iames proueth as Augustinus de Ancona did .lxxx. yeares before him that the Pope had not only authoritie ouer all Kinges and Emperours that were Christend but also ouer Turkes Paymins bycause that Christ gaue his full authoritie too the Pope when hée ascended that Iuditiary power for these are his termes ouer euery creature because that hée left the Pope both the keyes Temporall and Spirituall The sixth Obiection Hée is the head of the Church that hath twoo keyes the one too open Heauen gates to his friendes the other to shutte out his ennemies And hée hath thrée Crownes bycause that hée is a Kinge a Cesar and a Bishoppe or rather bycause bée hath authoritie in Heauen Hell and Purgatorie or els as Gregorius Doctor Hispanus did preache in Cambredge hée sayd that the Pope was counted in Spayne the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that was signified by his thrée crownes Moreouer in euery yeare of Iubile hée hath a golden hamer wherwith hée knocketh at the gates of Paradise Is this no preeminence is not hée the head that hath this authoritie I graunte that the flattering Glosers of the Canon lawe wryte such thinges but they are too foolish too bée credited too false and absurd too bée approued too ridiculous too bée aduouched and to detestable to bée admitted The 7. Obiection Hée that hath both the temporall and spirituall swoorde must néedes bée the head of the church but the Pope hath bothe Ergo hée is the head of the church I denie the Minor wée proue it thus Doo you not reade that Boniface the eight Pope of that name came out in a solemne feast daye in the apparel of a Bishop as gloriously as euer was Aaron with the spirituall swoord to frame the Spiritualtie withall And on an other feast day hée came out in the apparel of the Emperour with great pompe and glorie with a naked swoord shaking it and saying This is my swoord to correct the Temporall withall yea euen Kinges Princes and the Emperour I aunswere that this hée dooth by this rule Sic volo sic iubio stat pro ratione voluntas For that hée dyd without reason or authoritie The 8. Obiection Is not hée the head of the church that is aboue Kings Cesars and Councelles and aboue the whole world Innocent 9. quest 3. gloss ibi vlt. ext de elect significasti The 9. Obiection And though all the worlde should gyue sentence ageynst the Pope notwithstanding his sentence must stand bycause that hée maye dispense with all thinges Iud. Glossat de Capell Papa si vult c. The 10. Obiection The Pope is aboue all Councelles and Statutes de elect cap. signif I aunswâ—re If his authorities bée aboue councels then councelles bée vayne and néede not when as wée may goe to the head and spring who is aboue eyther councelles or Lawes For you say that all the lawes are in the chest of the Popes brest But wée credit not these sayinges bycause they are made by Popes without authoritie eyther of Gods woorde or of olde Doctors Wherefore this is that Antichrist that is described in the Reuelation cap. 13. cap. 17. cap. 18. The 11. Obiection Hée that hath the same authoritie that Peter had is the heade of the church But the Pope hath the same authoritie that Peter had Ergo the Pope is the head of the church I denie the Maior for Peter was not the head of the church nor any better then the other of the Apostles Moreouer Peter was a meere man and a meere man was not the head of a spirituall church The 12. Obiection Is not hée aboue all that can dispence with the law of nature with Moses with the olde Testament with the new TestameÌ„t with Christ Peter Paule and the rest of the Apostles I aunswere that none doth so but â–ª Antichrist For of Antichrist Paule writeth so in the second epistle to the Thessalonians the second chapter ver 4. But you say the Pope doth so Ergo the Pope is Antichrist The 13 Obiection There may no man Iudge of the the Popes dooinges neyther the Clergie neyther Kinges neyther Emperours â–ª Shal the Iudge of all bée iudged of any Is it not knowen through all the world that the church of Rome doth iudge all the worlde and it may bée iudged of none who dare dispute of the Popes dooinges who doubteth of the Popes holynesse who is in such authoritie If hée lacke goods déedes or any other thing it is ynough for him to trust in the predecessours of that place These blasphemies answereth Paule in the second to the Thessalonians second chapter ver 4. where hée writeth that this Antichrist maketh hym selfe God. The xiiii Obiection Remundus rufus a noble defendor of the holy Sea of Rome reasoneth thus the Pope is the cheife because he is the first in tyme reuerence and power In time for Peter was at Rome the fyrste Pope in reuerence for who is too be reuerenced more then he in power what Bishop what Prelate what Monarche is to be compared to him I answere to the firste that Peter was neuer at Rome and therefore was neither firste Pope nor last at Rome moreouer Paule was at Rome before him by the testimoni of their owne wryters And Peter was no bishop ergo no bishop of Rome Peter was an Apostle and no bishop A bishop kept in a certain place an Apostle went aboue euery where As for his reuerence what reuerence should the Pope haue aboue others if he wil be first hée must be last as Christ writeth As concerning his power what is it Who gaue it to him He is or ought to be a seruaunt no lorde a minister no maister a member of the body and not the head What if Rome were vtterly destroyed by the Turke as it may be and the Popes name glory dignitie and memory cleane extinguished where should the Romish church be where should bée all hir decrées should not all bée vtterly abolished shall not Christ destroy him with the sprite of his mouth The .xv. Obiection Do you not remember what Nicolaus the first Pope of that name did wryte He sayed and also determined that no christian magistrats should haue any
probable but at the first there was no supremacie Ergo there should bée none The 24. Obiection Hée is the head of the church that giueth authoritie and licence to all the other Apostles to preache to bée priestes and to minister the seuen Sacramentes But Peter gyueth all these Ergo Peter is the head of the church Peter Palude is the authour of this argument a man of great woorship The 25. Obiection Hée is the head of the church whom the Chayre doothe blesse although hée were Iudas or a murtherer But the chayre blesseth the Pope ergo the Pope if hée were Iudas or a murtherer is the head of the church The 26. Obiection Hée that is God is the head of the church But the Pope is God ergo the pope is the head of the church The second proposition is proued by the authoritie in the margine The 27. Obiection Hée that is head of Angelles and Archaungelles is the head of the church But the Pope is the head of Aungelles and Archaungelles Ergo the Pope is the head of the church The Minor is proued in the margine The 28. Obiection Hée that is aboue the scripture is the head of the church But the Pope is aboue the scriptures ergo the Pope is the head of the church The assumption is proued by Siluester Prierias The 29. Obiection Hée is the head of the church that is the light of the world which illuminateth euery man that commeth into the world But the Pope is that light which illuminateth euery man that commeth into the world Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church The xxx Obiection He that hath aucthoritie to breake lawes is of more force then he that came not to breake lawes but the Pope came to breake the lawes and Christ came to fulfyll the lawes and not to breake them Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church The xxxi Obiection If there were nothing to proue the Pope to be head of the churche sauing his apparell and ornamentes yet surely they might perswade any man too beleue to maintaine and to glorifie our holie father the Pope dothe not Buechingerus and Inocentius Libro 3 de Altaris mysterio ca. 1. et 10. affirme that there are .9 special ornamentes his hose his shoes or sandalles his succynctory or girdell his Tunicle his Dalmatica or longe sleued Gowne his Metre his Gloues his Ring and Staffe In these consisteth the speciall power of the Pope euen to geue orders to blesse Maides to consecrate Bishopes to laye on handes to make grese or Chrisma to consecrate clothes and vessales to call Sinodes to dedicate Temples and to depose them that are disgraded and do many other merytorious workes What shall I speake of his two horned mitre of the hemmes of his garment of his crosse and staffe of his chimer and other vestements His shoes pardoned venyall sinnes his staffe hathe many vertues the crooked horne fetcheth in them that go astray the ende knocketh the obstinate refourmeth the disobedient What shall I speak of his breches and handkirchef Of his kniues and twoedged Swerds of his goulden hamer I haue spoken before I answer that theise more comend the Pope and set forth his prayse then his vertues do He glorieth in his apparell Paule in Christ his crosse he in outward things Paule in inward he in pompe Paule in pouertie he in vayne glory of the world Paule in the ioyes of Heauen Is not all this apparell corruptible will it not consume will not his crowne in tyme weare away and decay But the immortall crowne which Peter speaketh of will neuer You are not ashamed to put your trust in worldly things but in scriptures you put no trust them you cannot abyde Dooth not Iames Hocstrate in his booke intytuled Of praying to saints pronounce him to bée an heretique that flieth to the scriptures and that custome ought to bée followed before the scriptures bycause a common errour maketh a lawe We haue hitherto proued our holy father to be the head of the Militant Church here in earth though the Lutherians say that hée is head of the Malignant Church Now will wée proue that hée is the head of the Triumphant Church which is in Heauen The first Obiection HE is the head of the Triumphant Church that Canonizeth Sainctes and hath authoritie ouer Aungels that maketh of the triumphant church whom he listeth But the Pope dothe this Ergo he is the head I denie the Minor wée proue it Let vs sée if you find any day in the yeare dedicated to any Saincte which the Pope did not dedicate and consecrate Hée made the Apostles dayes the foure Ladye dayes made Corpus Christi a Sainct S. Peters cheynes S. Graue or S. Sepulchre S. seuen Sléepers s. Sonday s. Grimbold S. Chrisogon s. Gorgon s. Rooke s. Dunstone s. Thomas Becket whom King Henry dyd vnsainte and disgrade holy Iohn Shorne holy King Henry many a Prelate Bishop and Pope and in fine al his benefactours for whom he commaundeth euery Priest to pray for in his Canon of the blessed masse which we trust he will make a Sainct one day for surely she is our good Mistres she prospereth Prelats exalteth Hermits aydeth Hunters purgeth Pigs helpeth Hogs causeth raine and faire weather deliuereth out of Purgatorie and directeth generall councelles Finally she were as worthy to be a Sainct as any of them all I aunswere that the Pope taketh vpon him to doo and saye so But thinke you that hée can doo so Surely hée hath made some saincts that are deuilles and some that there were neuer none such What manner of Sainct is sainct Sondaye or Rymon or s. Gyners or s. Redygons or s. Apellinare for tootheache Ualentine for Louers Loe for Smithes Crispine Martine and Chrispinian for Shoemakers Nicolas and Cletus for Clarkes and yit many write ther was neuer none such as Cletus George for warriers Andrew for Scotlande Denis for Fraunce Iames or Iaques for Spayn about Louane Urbane whom they Crowne and cary about with great pompe to Tauernes if thei haue plentie of frutes if no they spitte vpon him they reuyle him throw him into the kennelles They painte with Iohn and Bernard the deuill with George like to the Egyptians a Crocodile with Rooke a dogge with Antony a sowe The Hollanders vse Paulyne as Louanians Urbane although that there bée no parte in mannes body so honest vnto the which the Pope hath not appointed a sainct and none so vncomely which hath not his saincte Neyther any absurditie that you can name but they haue a sainct for it yet say they the Pope cannot erre although it is euident that he Canonizeth as they saye these Sainctes booth contrarie to Scriptures Councelles and Doctoures It is in sainct Paule that if God onely iustifyeth who can condempne can the Pope Thus I reason Hée that cannot iustifye a man hée cannot Canonize But the Pope cannot iustifye Ergo hée
Althoughe Iohn the 3. After Christ .565 yeare and Gregorie the Pope after Christ .590 had apointed and decréed moste Prudently the Contrarie This saide Boniface apointed the Aultares to bée couered with white Linen clothes 28. Theodotus in the yeare of Christe .618 decréede that no man should mary his goddaughter 29. Boniface the 5. in the yeare of Christ 621. apointed Sanctuaries for Malefactoures that Coluthes shoulde not touche the Reliques of Martires Sacrilege to bée punished with the dart of excomunication and that Monkes being preistes might binde and louse 30. Honorius the firste in the yeare of Christe .626 made the Crosse of Christe a Saincte and tooke the Brasen Tiles of the Temple of Romulus and couered Saincte Peters Churche with them and builded many Temples 31. Theodocus in the yeare of Christ .640 the sonne of a Bishope was Pope at what tyme Carcombert King of England firste commaunded Lent to bée kept in Englande 32. Martine the firste in the yeare of Christe .650 compelled the Clergie to vowe chastitie 33 Eugenius the first in the yeare of Christe .660 apointed that Bishoppes should haue a prison to emprison the Clergie and that Bishoppes might not nor oughte not to conuert the goodes of the churche to their owne vses 34. Vitelianus in the yeare of Christ .661 brought firste into the Temples Musike and Orgaines 35. Donus in the yeare of Christe .681 deuided the Clergie into certein orders 36 Agatho the fyrste in the yeare of Christ .680 commaunded that all the Lawes of the Pope should bée taken as confirmed by the mouth of God. 37. Constantine the first in the yere of Christ .708 went towards Constantinople and in the iourney Iustinian the Emperour met him and kissed his féete He commaunded Images to be had in Temples and to be painted 38. Gregory the second in the yeare of Christ .715 forbad a man to mary Presbyteram Dyaconam Monacham and a spiritual godmother and made Leo the Emperour his subiects too rebell bycause the Emperour had pulled downe Images of Saincts out of Temples 39 Gregory the third in the yeare of Chryst .731 brought in Images againe cursed Leo the Emperour who resisted him and despising the Emperour caused Martellus King of Fraunce too make warre against the Lumbards 40 Stephanus the second in the yeare of Christ .751 caused Pipinus to inuade Lumberdie hée pardoned Pipinus againste his othe made vnto his king Childerique and this was the first Pope that was borne vppon mens shoulders and caused Images to be worshipped and much Idolatrie to be committed 41. Paule the first in the yeare of Christ .760 excomunicated the Emperour in hys tyme Starres did fall from heauen into the earth 42. Leo the thyrd in the yeare of Christ .800 after his banishment béeing restored too his Popeshippe by Carolus Magnus the Emperour made the Gange daies and Frankencense and preferred the degrées of the Popes before all the wrytings of the holy Doctours and affirmed that a crosse of wood made for Christes â—rosse did bléede the very true blood of Christ. 43. Gregory the fourth made all sowle daye 44. Sergius the seconde in the yeare of Christe .841 was the first that chaunged his name and cauled himselfe Sergius whose Christian name was Hogges mouth He crowned the Emperour Lodouike and caused the Sacrament too bée deuided intoo thrée partes 45. Leo the fourth in the yeare of Christ .846 made men kisse his féete no lay man to bée in the quieâ— at the masse tyme but the clarks And made Ethenwolfus of a monke king of England and therfore he rendred to the Pope of euery house in England a pennye 46. Iohan a woman Pope in the yeare of Christ .853 borne at Moguntia in Germany and called an English woman through the familiarite that she had with an English monke with whom she went to Athenes being appareled like a young man proceded and excelled in learning in so much that she was coÌ„secrated Pope gaue orders made Bishoppes Priests Deacons and Abbottes songe masse halowed Alters Fonts and Temples ministred the Sacrament crowned Lodouike the seconde Emperour of that name with hir hand and with sainct Peters blessing Ethelwolfus King of England reuerencing this holy mother I should say holy father the Pope euen the harlot of Babylon gaue the tenth part of his Realme to clarkes and monks to praye for his sowle This Pope was gotten with childe of one of hir Cardinalles delyuered a child as she went on procession and so died after she had bin Pope two yeare and a halfe Then â—he holy fathers made prouision leste they should be deceaued any more and did set him whome they would make Pope vppon a stoole that had a hole in it and caused a Deacon to put his hand vnder and to know whither he were a man or a woman Behold the Romish Church euen after mistres I. Pope had sayd a masse of the holy ghost did offend if it bée an offence too bée an harlot Funcius sayeth that it was done by the singuler prouidence of God to â—eclare the abhomination of the whoore of Babilon and the Sea of Rome 47. Nicolas the first decréed in the yeare of our Lord .861 that no Prynce not the Emperour should be present at any councel of the Clargie onlesse it be some chéefe pointe of the fayth He decréed that no lay man should iudge of the Clergies lyues nor dispute of the Popes power neither any Christian magistrate too haue power ouer any Bishoppe bicause the Bishppe was called God and compelled priests too lyue chaste and that none shall heare the masse of him that hath a concubine 48 Martine the second in the yere of Christ 882. was made Pope by Nigromancy 49 Stephanus the 6. in the yere of Christ 890. abrogated al y Actes of Formosus the Pope for on olde grudge he tooke his body out of his graue cut of two fingers of his right hand and threwe them into Tyber and buryed him emong the Laytie 50 Romanus in the yeare of Christ 896. disanulled the Actes of his Predecessour Stephanus and approued the Actes of Formossus 51 Christophorus â–ª in the yeare of Christe 903. did cast Leo intoo prison and handled him miserably 52 Sergius in the yeare of Christ 907. deposed the sayd Christopher and made himselfe Pope and for hatred tooke vp Formosus once again and set him in the Seate of the Pope as though hée had bin alyue and cut of his head eight yeares after hée was dead hée cut of thrée of his fingers and threwe his body into Tyber and commaunded all the Romanes to confirme this acte and too subscribe Hée first ordeyned candelles to bée borne vppon Candelmasse daye Hée begotte Iohn the 12. Pope of that name of an harlot called Marozia and did many such miracles 53 Laudo in
They say that the Pope cannot erre in doctrine thoughe hée offend in manners ¶ One Pope against another 1. Did not Stephan the first Pope in the yeare of Christe .260 decrée that suche should not bée rebaptised which did reuolt and were heretiques Sistus or Sixtus in the yeare of Christ .260 decréed the contrarie the one must nedes erre 2. Marcellinus in the yeare of Christ .295 denied Christ offred to Images and Idolles but repēted and suffered death afterward for Christe 3. Liberius in the yeare of Christ .351 through ambition became an Arrean His successors condempned that opinion 4. Iulius the second in the yeare of Christe .1502 graunted Kinge Henrie the eight to marry his brothers wife whatsoeuer ordinaunces either of the Apostles or any other are to the contrarie Sozimus in the yeare of Christ .420 decréed the contrary 5. Simachus in the yeare of Christ .498 did striue with Laurence and Peter and they with him 6. Anastasius the 2. in ths yeare of Christ .496 fauoured the Eutichians and Nestorians his predecessors and Successors condemned his opinion 7. Pelagius in the yeare of Christ .556 did affirme that the Supremacie of the Bishope of Rome was giuen of Christe 8 Iohn the third in the yeare of Chryst 563. decréed the contrarie And so dyd Gregorie the first in the yeare of Chryst 590. 9 Sabinianus in the yeare of Christe 607. caused Gregorius hys predecessours bookes to bée burned 10 Boniface the third in the yeare of Christ 610. obteyned of the Emperour to bée called Pope and Supreme head and chiefe Bishop of all Bishoppes Iohn the third in the yeare of Christ 563. and Gregorie the first after Christ 590. decréeed the contrarie 11 Leo the thirde Pope of that name in the yeare of Chryste 810. graunted to the Emperoure too electe and confirme the Pope Hadrianus the thirde in the yeare of Chryst 883. decréeed the contrarie 12 Stephan the sixt Anno 897. abrogated the actes of Formosus his predecessour Romanus in the yeare of Chryste 903. disannulled the Actes of his predecessoure Stephanus and approued the Actes of Formosus 13 Syluester the firste Anno. 310. permitted Priestes to haue wyues Nicolas the first in the yeare of Christ 861. decréeed the contrarie with many mo 14 Gregorie the tenth Anno. 590. and Martine the first Ann. 647. denye Priests to haue concubines Donus dyd graunt the contrarie Anno. 670. 15 Sergius in the yeare of Christ 907. deposed his predecessoure Chrystopher and made himselfe Pope 16 Iohn the twelfth in the yeare of Christ 934 was deposed by Leo the 6. 17 Boniface the 7. deposed Iohn the 15. 18 There were thrée Popes togyther all ready too cutte one an others throte 19 Alexander the third in the yeare of Christ 1158. forbad any man to marye his Brothers wyfe Iulius the second dyd the contrarie ALL THE POPES AGAYNST CHRIST Here I haue added certeyne Antitheses declaring the difference betwéene Christ and the Pope whereby yée maye know him to bée that Antichrist mentioned in Paule 2. to the Thessalonians 2. Chapter Uer. 4. CHRIST obeyed the Scriptures and would doo nothinge agaynst them The Pope dispenseth ageinst them ageinst the Apostles ageinst the Euangelist ageinst Moyses ageinst the old Testament and new For sayeth Hocstrate hée is an heretique that cleueth to the scriptures Agrip. art 2. Christ maketh no difference of meates and dayes The Pope dooth Christ had not where hée might reste his head The Pope hath houses and pallaces Christ admitteth mariage The Pope forbiddeth it The Pope sayeth that Christ dwelleth in Temples made with mens handes The sprite of Christ in Paule denieth it Christ prayed onely to his father The Pope to sainctes and new inuented hallowes Christ willeth vs in this lyfe to be recōciled to our aduersarie The Pope in the next Christ in the earth The Pope in his Purgatorie Christ will haue none to be superiour in his church none too bée supreme head but himselfe The pope maketh himself the head and vniuersall Bishop Christ admitteth and commaundeth matrymonie The Pope prooueth by this place of Paule Romanes the fifth and eight cap. that maried men cannot please God Qui habitant in carne Deo placere non possunt Paule meaneth that carnall men and such as are gyuen ouer too all sensualitie cannot please god The Pope sayeth they that are maryed dwell in the fleshe and therefore cannot please god If they please not God ergo the Diuell If the Diuell then are all men seruauntes to the Diuell Thus reasoned Innocentius the 8. Pope of that name Christ alleadgeth Scripture for him and his fathers will. The Pope alleadgeth his owne will and pleasure and denieth that hee should shewe any reason of his actes If any requyre it hée is offended hée rageth hée persecuteth and addeth alwayes this verse of Iuuenal as Hildebrand otherwise called Gregory the seuenth did Sic volo sic iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas Gerochus one of the greatest friends that Hildebrand had writeth so vpon him and his lyfe Christ commaunded Peter and his successoures too put vp hys swoorde Hildebrande willed his to drawe it For hée tooke vpon him too binde loose curse absolue Hée excommunicateth the Emperour hée satte in the church of God as God aboue all that is woorshiped for god Hée pronounced that hée could not erre hée inuented fables hée corrupted scriptures by false interpretation too serue his luste and affirmed that whatsoeuer hée did was the law of God. Christ sayeth that hée that calleth another Racha should be in daunger of iudgement Pope Hidebrande calleth others beastes dastardes fooles stockes blockes and Asses Christ refused to bée made a King. The Popes doo not only not refuse but also fight for it Christ forbad periurie manslaughter ciuile warres murther treason The Pope caused his Priestes too preach that these mischiefes pleased God and such like as to rebell ageynst the Emperour to robbe to burne steale kyll spoyle shead bloud to oppresse their neighboures Hée hath in his foreheade writen Nomen contumeliae the name of despyte I am GOD I cannot erre c. Reade Auentinus and Hillircus and yée shall sée that the Pope is very Antichrist and the little horne in Daniell Christ exhorteth to charitie The Pope to debate Christ to the studie of Gods woorde The Pope from that knowledge If sayeth Arnulphus in the yeare of Christ 991. in a Sinode before a great nomber of Bisshoppes the Pope though hée bée gorgeous though hée sitte in a seate of state with purple Robes glistering with golde if hée bée without charitie and haue learning onely hée is Antichrist sitting in the seate of God boasting himselfe as hée were god If hée haue neyther charitie nor learning hée is an Image or Idoll no more able to aunswere then
to defend christ outwardly and yit peruerteth all his lawes detracteth them to serue his fantasy abrogateth â—hem which hée likech not and maketh new of his own and dispenseth with the law of nature with Peter Paul Christ and his gospell ¶ The Pope holdeth some part of euery Heretique that hath bin since the world began WIth satan the subtile serpent he perswadeth Eue to eat of the fruit forbidden I mean he compelleth his church to eat the raw flesh and carnall body bones and soule of Christ in the sacrament which is forbidden to receiue his pardons bulles decrées and constitucions 2 With the Adamians they denied and condemed mariages in priests this did Leo the .9 pope of that name in the yere of christ 1050. Crantius lib. 4. ca. 43. And pope Pascalis in the yere of Christ 1100. Iohn Til. 3 With the Adamites they vse women and curtesans in common which is declared by their stuehouses which are lawfull for all men For the diuines of Louane defend them as good lawfull and necessary Quoniam polluitur sacerdotium matrimonio non meritricibus For priesthode is polluted with matrimony but not with harlots Minus est malum scortari quam nubere It is lesser euill to go on whorehunting then to marry Agrip. art 22. et art 16 vt habetur in c. si concubina de sent excom et grat 34. d. dicentes homini Christiano qui non habet vxorem loco vxoris liceat habere coÌ„cubinam A christian man that hath not a wife it is lawful for him to haue a concubine Neither say they do priests and Monkes abiure or forsweare incontinencie but mariage Non abiuram incontinentiam sed matrimonium Sixtus the fourth pope of that name builded stuehouses of both the kindes in the yere of Christ .1474 O horrible Sodomie Paul the third pope of that name had registred fiue and forty thousand whores that payed euery moneth a pension or tribute to the pope which did rise yerely to fortie thousand ducates Mant. 2. fast Si pudor in villas si non patiantur easdem Et villae vomicas vrbs est iam tota lupanar 4 With the Ophites who sayd that the serpent which supplanted Eue inuented the knowledge of good and euill With Caim that killed his brother Abel With Iudas that betrayed Christ whom their adherents worship bicause that Iudas did wel in betraying Christ or els we could not haue bin saued no more say the papists we could be saued without the crosse and therfore we worship it and make it a saint and dedicate a day to it and worship it with the adoration of latria lutz cortes in lib. 3. sent dist 3. Th. aqui 5 With the Pharisies who seperated themselues in apparell and religion from others And they obserued the Sabboth day supersticiously as the papists do S. Sonday They gaue leaue to a man to put away his wife for any cause and the Pope likewise for money will dispense and allegeth at the least twelue causes and Iohannes de turre creuata many mo They gaue to the temple rather then too their parents and so do the Papists 6 The Saduces denied the immortalitie of the soule and so did Pope Leo the tenth of that name and the life to come Bembus b. The Saduces sayd that it was in our owne wil to do wel or euil the papists that it cannot bée proued by scripture that a man néedeth the grace of God to do good Occam writeth this Agrip. art 2. 7 The Esses Manaches Abelonians and Agapetes refuse mariage and to bée saued by their owne woorks so do the Popes 8 Thewdas was a rebel Act. 5. vers 36. so were the most part of the Popes to their Emperours 9 Simon Magus was a coniurer and a nicromancer so was Siluester the second Anno Do. 1002. Iohn 19. 1004. Iohn 20. 1008. Sergius 4. 1010. Benedict 8. 1013. Iohn 21. 1024. Benedict 9. 1040. Siluester 3. 1046. Gregory 6. 1048. Gregory 7. c. Simon sold the holy ghost these the holy ghost Christ Heauen Hell Purgatory Mantuan lib. cal Venalia Romae Templa sacerdotis altara sacra coronae Ignis thura preces Coelum est venale deusque 10 The Ebionites deny that Christ was before the virgin Marie the Papists do the like for they say that there were none saued no not Adam as did the Tatians but that all went to hell till Christ came and haried hell Panth. Thomas Iohn de tur â—re c. 11 The Nicolaites would haue mens wiues and adultery and fornication to be a thing indifferent so do the popes who say that single fornication is no sinne and licet habere feminam semel in mense ad expurgandas renes si non caste tamen caute and Sodomiâ— too bée diuinum opus Ioh. a casa cardinal Petrus Aratinus 12 The Gnostiques had images of Homer of Plato of Aristotle of Pythagoras and such others of Paul and Marcellina and placed these images besides Christs image and worshipped them and do not the papists worship the images of Christ Mary Iohn cense them kisse them reuerence them offer to them knéele to them say the Lordes prayer enioyned by their ghostly fathers which I haue séene and done 13 With the Tatians they say that matrimonie is as euill as whoredom 14 Marcus and Psichicus a folower of Ualentinus tooke vpon him to forgiue sinnes to giue grace and the holy ghost and dooth not the Pope the same 15 The Montanistes and Pristilians gaue libertie for men to forsake their wiues and so do the Popes 16 They say with Hiâ—rax that chastitie filleth heauen and mariage hell 17 They hold with the Audeans and Anthropomorphites that God is of like shape with men and doo not the Papists paint the father an old man with a long white beard and the holy ghost like a Doue 18 The Donatistes said that the Church was no where but in Afrike the Papists at Rome and onely there where the Pope ruleth 19 They defend frée will with the Donatists Pelagians and Anabaptists 20 With the Collyridians they woorship the virgin Mary they offer to hir they call hir the quéene of heauen 21 They say with Montanus Apelles and Cataphriges that Christ ascended without a body for they say that he is inclosed in a litle round cake inuisibly and with Montanus they appoint fasting dayes 22 Seuerus sayd that a woman was the woork of the diuell and the vpper part of man of God but from the nauell down of satan and therefore they that mary to fulfill the workes of the deuil Pope Innocent 8. aduouched the lyke saying that they that were maried could not please god Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt 23 Marcellus the Bishop of Ancira affirmed that the kingdome of Christ should haue an ende Friers in Paris Preached
Ephes. 5. ver 23. The Church Confer the .2 to the Cor 11. ver 2. to the Rom. cap. 7. ver 3. Gala. 2. ver 11 Math. 16. ve 23. After hee had sayd to Peter and vpon thee I will â—wilde my church he calleth him Sathan And Paule reproued him after this Gala. 2. ve 14 Ergo the Pope may and doth erre Iohn 6. ve 71 Apoca. 21. ver 9.10 Ma. 17. ver 4 Leo the 10. Pope Busgradus And B. 1. Cor. 3 ver 1â— Mat 22. ve 26 Luk. 22. ve 16 Math. 26. ver 34. Luk. 9. ve 18 Iohn 23 Pope denounced theÌ„ too bee heretiques the affirmed y Christ had no worldly substance Psal. 8. ve 67 Mat. 26. ver 51. Gal. 2. ver 11 1. Cor. 15. ver 6. Mâ—nâ— Popes aâ— once to many to be good The place maketh the Pope holy Episâ— Peter cap. 1. ver 1. Gen. 49. ver 33. Luk. 16. ve 22 Ge. 35. ver 29. Da. 12. ver 13 Luc. 23. ve 43 The Historie Luc. 4. ver 17 1. Cor. 14. Theodoret. vpon the 1. to the Cor. 14. Decree .5 titule .8 cap. 14 A Byshop An Elder Philip .1 ve 1 Deacons 〈◊〉 Martir saieth 〈◊〉 â—ho was in the yeare of Christe .145 Beza vpon the 〈◊〉 the Philip ver 1. Metropolis Carthage 〈◊〉 Calcedo 〈◊〉 Anâ—iochine counsell Nycene counâ—cel in the yere of Christ .324 or 326. or 328. Constantinople councell 2. Anno Christi â—83 Rome was not superior nor yeâ— the Pope Uielerius de stat primat eccâ—â—siâ— Arche bishops c. Nicene councell cap. 7. Iust. nouell constitu 123 The 1. councel at Constantinople ca. 3. Uielerius Calcedon councell cap. 28. Iohn Byshop of constanti alias maleface The first that called himself Pope Boniface .3 Phocas Mat. 4. ver 6 Psal. 91. ver 11.12.13 Math. 16. ve 18. Christs is the rockâ— and not Peter Math. 16. ve 18. euery faithfull man is a Peter 1. Cor. 10. ve 4 Peter The Church 1. Timothe 3. ver 15. 1. Peter 2. ve 5. Matth. 5. ver 13. Math. 18. ver 15. To winne a mans Brother Ma. 18. ver 18 To bynde and lâ—â—se The Keyes Math. 18. ver 20 Tertullian in his booke de Castitate 1. Cor. 3. ve â— Esay 5. ver 1. 1. Cor. 3. ve 9 Peter Origins 1. Cor. 10. ve 4 Marc. 3. ve 17 Math. 16. ver 18. Ephes. 3. ver 20. Math. 19. ve 19. Math. 16. ver 13 14.1â— Psichicus like the Pope Tertul in libr de cast Ma. 18. ve 22 Iohn 1. ver 4 8.9 Iohn 8. ve 12 Iohn 6. ve 51 1. Cor. â—0 ve 4 Ma. 5. ver 14 Math. 16. ve 18. Hierom vpon the .38 of Esai Hell. Gates Gen. .22 ve 17 Iob. 31. ve 21 IereÌ„ 1. ve 18 Math. 16. ver 18 1. Peter 2. ve 5 1. Timoth. 3. ver 15. Ephes. 1. ver 23. The keys of heauen Math 18. ver 18.19 To bynde To louse The Catholique church 1 Epist. Iohn cap. 1. ver 8. The churches authoritie of the woorde â—e natura 〈◊〉 2. ve 3 〈◊〉 1. Psal 19. ve 1.123 Paule Rom. â— ve 30. Cicero 〈…〉 Rom. 1. ve 20 And as the woorked of God are not the causes why there is a God but as witnesses so is the Churche a witnes but no cause the Churche a witnes Augustine interpreteth him â—â—lfe Lira vpon the 1. of Iohn Cephas saith Lire 15. Capitan Ibidem Anacletus Iohn i. ve 42 Euthim. vpoÌ„ this place Iohn 1. ve 42 Matt. 10. ver 2. Mar. 3. ver 16. Luc. 6. ve 14. Act. 18. ve 26. Cor. 11. ver 3. 1. Iohn ve 4â— The same wrote Paule the 4 pope of that name in the yere of Christ 1556. the .4 day of may in his bul which I sawe in prynte psal 91. ver 13. Theodoret Chrisostome vpon the .13 to the Rom. Psal. 8. ve 6.7 Cent. 7. c. 7. p. â—29 linea 52. Proue 24 ve 16. 1. Iohn 1. ve 8 Eneas Siluius libro 1. .2 1 Peter 5. ve 3. matt 18. ve 17. Luc 22 ver 32. Iohn 17. ve 9 Luc. 23. ve 34 Augustine vppon the psalmes Mat. 26. ver 75. Galat. 2. verse 11.14 Iohn 21. ver 16.17 Act. 20. ver 22 23. Act. 20. ver 28 Pope Calixtus dist 12. ca. non decet Matt. 18. ver 19. Matt. 18. ver 19. Act. 1. ver 4 Act. 6. ve 5. Act. 15. ve 18 Bonifacius extra de maior et obed c. vna in An Article of the faith Mat. 5. ve 3 An. 1387. Hierim 1. ver 10. Pope Bonif. 8. extra c. vnaÌ„ Sanctam Pope Ioh 22 eâ—tra c. supra Gentes Rome ouer al Nacions The Pope Lord of Lords Iohn 1. ve 11 marke howe the Papistes depraue the Scrâ—ptures Pope Nicoâ— dist C. inferior Gloss. extra de sede vacant ad Apostolatus â–ª Pope leo causa 1.4.7 c. nos numbers .22 ver 27.28.29 The pope balaam Hugo in gloâ—t dist 40. ca. non nos dist 4 ca. si papa Exod. 26. ver 13.14.15 Act. 8. ver 9 1. Timot. 1. ve 9.10 1. Cor. 6. ver 9 August de an coâ—a glos ord Antony â–ª suÌ„me maior 3 part dist 22. Hostiens in ca. quar de translat proel ex summa casuum Fratris baptist Antonius 23. q. 5. ca. â—mniuÌ„ Glos. in causa â—1 q. 3. cap. absit 1. Thess. 5. ve 22. Glos in causa â—â— q. 3. ca. absit â—â— Ge. 4. ve 8. Hebr. 7. ver 2. Heb. 7. ver 3.11.15.16.17 Heb. 5. ver 6. Psa. 110. ve 4. Heb. 7. ver 3. 1. Reg. 9. ver 22. 1. Reg. 18. ver 40. Luc. 9. ver 18. Fundamenta de elect in sexto Iulius 2. Iulius 3. Many of the first learned men whom they call Popes put to death Papa stupor muâ—di Galfridus in Clement Apoc. cap. 17. ver 3.4.5 2. Thes. 2. ve 4. Glos. in prohemio vi decreâ—e in verbo boniface Polidor libro .4 cap. 30. Plat. volat Luc. 20. ve 25. Iames de terra Iohn 1â— ver 32. Augustinus de ancona 〈◊〉 Antonius tit 22. ca. 17. after Christ 1330. Luc. â—0 ver 25· Rom. 13. The Popes power 2. Keyes 3. Crownes A golden hammer Beza vpon 2. Thess. 2 ve 4. Two swordâ— The Pope aboue all power Peter the head of the church The Pope aboue all Causa 9. ques 3. c. patet vilierius de stat priuat eccles c nemo â—â— ques 4. dist 40. c. si Papa et ca. 2. eiusdem dist Rufus Peter no vis Math. 20. ve 26. 2. Thess. 2. ve 8. Nicolaus the Pope The Pope is God. Matt. 24. ver 15. 2. Thess. 2. ver 3. Iob. 40. ve 10. Ieremy 5. ver 10. 2. Cor. 6. ver 15. Psal. 22. ve 16. Apo. 12. ver 3. 2. Timothe 3. ver 4. Ioh 6. ve 7â— Iohn 10. ve 1. Za. 11. ver 17. Iohn 10. ver 12. Esau. 27. ver 1. E. 27. ver 1. Bembus libra 13. Ioueus lib. 8. The Pope can make of nothing some thing
the Tyrians and Sydonians Wherefore Herode Agrippa returned after Easter to Cesarea where he died miserably After the death of Herode Peter was out of daunger for Iudea was ruled by the Lieuetenantes of the Romaynes as Festus Lysias and Felix which did rather presse the Iewes than the Christians as the historie of Iosephus declareth wherefore those seuen yeares that Paule and Bernabas departed from Antioche of Syria vnto the Gentyles Peter was in Iudea yea hée was at Hierusalem the 16. yeare after Christes passion and the 15. of Paule his conuersion as is manifest ‡ for there maketh Peter an Oration to the brethren and this was the sixte yeare of Claudius as is proued by the historie of the Actes written by S. Luke What authoritie haue the Papistes which affirme and sweare that Peter went to Rome the second yeare of Claudius But let vs procéede in the historie of their errours in this matter I will discourse a little after Peter was appointed at that same tyme a teacher of the Iewes and Paule of the Gentyles For sayeth Paule Barnabas and I were charged to preache to the Gentyles and Peter Iames and Iohn to the Iewes Were not the Romaynes Gentyles Was not Paule and Barnabas charged with them Notwithstanding after that Peter and Iohn had sufficiently instructed the Iewes they also taught the Gentyles Wherefore vnto the sixt yeare of Claudius which was the 16. yeare from Christe his passion And the 15. from Paules conuersion Peter neuer departed out of Iury sauing only to Antioche of Syria as I haue noted before Nowe I will declare the reste of Peters peregrination partly by suche testimonies as cannot bée refelled partely by probable argumentes necessarie coniectures and sufficient reasons As Peter did write to the dispersed Brethren in Pontus Galatia Bithinia Capadocia and Asia so did hée preache in them all * Nicephorus writeth that Peter preached in Palestina Syria Phenice Pontus Galatia Capadocia Bithinia and to bée bréefe in all the quarters of Asia and Europe Wherefore after this councell which is in the 15. of the Actes hée went out of Iury into Pontus Galatia Capadocia Asia and Bithinia Them hée instructed them hée visited them hée furnished with the Gospell them hée exhorted to faith to good woorkes to obedience to temperancie to doo their deuties with them hée taried and was conuersant so longe vntill that they had layde a foundacion buylded substantially vpon it What a long tyme hée taryed in Pontus and what Cities and Townes hée did instructe and brought from superstition to Religion from idolatrie to the Truthe from errour too the right waye from crueltie too lenitie and from all iniquitie to all patience iustice and humanitie Hée maye easely coniecture who readeth and knoweth the descriptions of Countries What a number of goodly Cities farre distant one from an other were in Pontus howe many in Bithinia In them stoode Chalcedon Nicomedia Apamia Heraclea and the great cittie Nicea where that famous councell was holden called The Counâ—ell of Nice What shall I speake of Asia in it standeth Troia Assum Autandros Addramitium Ephesus where Dianas Temple was had in suche honour Arogilium â–ª Milet Guidus Troas with many other mencioned in the Actes of the Apostles Who dooth not knowe but that Galatia is as great as any of the others Unto this S. Paule did write in his epistle to the Galathians in this Countrie stoode Antioche of Pisidia where Paule made an eloquent Oration Some parte of Galatia differeth in longitude from other some of it twoo or thrée degrees in latitude fiue or sixe And Ephesus which standeth in Ionia â–ª a Region of litle Asia differeth from Antioche of Pisidia which is in Galatia in longitude seuen degrées in latitude twoo For Ephesus in longitude is 57.20 minutes in latitude 37. and 40. minutes And Antioche in longitude 62.30 in latitude 39.15 And there is no lesse distance in the Cities of Capadocia Wherefore to passe ouer and through them leauing any monumentes and foundacions of Religion hée must néedes haue taried there a long tyme Consider the long iorney the vntowardnesse of the people the hard harted paynime Priests olde rooted superstitions their Forefathers customes and yée shall and maye bée easely persuaded that hée must néedes continewe in these Countries a very longe tyme Thus writeth Mantuan The Cities of Assyria Peter conuerted to the fayth There 14. yeares he dyd bestowe As Mantuan proueth and sayth And after this did passe the sea Capadoces Bithine Pontus Galace and lesser Asia Preaching the Gospell gracious Let it bée that hée was not aboue seuen or eight yeares in all these countries notwithstanding wée must bringe the historie to the 24. yeare after the passion of Christe and to the 23. of the conuersion of S. Paule and this was the 14. yeare of the Emperour Claudius Wherefore by this description and order of tyme and place â–ª neyther could hée bée at Rome the second yeare of Claudius neyther in his time And if Peter should haue ben put to death at Rome the 14. of Nero as the papistes affirme then could not hée haue ben Pope at Rome 2â— yeares and 7 â–ª monethes but onely 14. yeares But now I will procéede and declare that hée could not bée at Rome none of these 14 â–ª yeares of Nero â–ª whiche when I haue proâ—ed what can the Romishe Catholiques or the Romish church haue wherewith to proue their Romishe Peter After Peter had watered the drye barren countries of â—onâ—â—s Galâ—tia Capadocia Bâ—thinâ—a and Asia with the streames of the Gospell hée departed from thence into Egyptâ— â–ª there to doo the like â–ª for hée was at Alexandria as Nicephorus reporteth there ordeyned S. Marke bishop or rather an Ouerséeeâ— and Teacher to the resâ—e And this agreeth with Dorotheus in the lyfe of S. Marke who off riueth that hée was cast downe vpon the grounde by the â—dolaters â–ª and trailed by a rope put about his necke from a streat of Alexandria called Boâ—kolou the hogge heard vnto the places called aggelon of Aungelles or messengers When Peter had visited this Alexandria in Egypt whose longitude is 60.30 and latitude 31. and had planted the Gospell hée went to Babylon a citie in Egypt also where the longitude is 62.15 and latitude â—0 â–ª from whence hée wrote his first Epistle by Syluanus â–ª declaring that the same doctrine and grace which they sâ—oode in and hée hâ—d preached vnto them was true infallible and immortall True ageynst the enemie infallible to their expectation immortall in contineuance comfortable for the Soule necessary to saluation And this Babylon is meaned to â—ée that famous Citie of Egypt nowe called in the Hebrewe tounge Câ—â—rum where the Sultane lieth the circuite about is 13. or 14. Geâ—mane myles From this Peter wrote this firste Epistle whiche is manifest by the 15. verse of the fifth chapter where hee sayeth