yeeres which Boniface 8. did institute from a hundred to a hundred yeares And Clement 6. from 50 to 50. and this by perswasion of his kindred which gaped for gaine by him He inuented many offices of Scribes Solicitors Breuiaries and Apostolike Notaries which he sold for good mony if that may be called good which is euilly gotten He cursed Laurencio de Medices a Florentine because he hanged Raphael the same Popes Nephew he grieuously afflicted the Florentines and was a great defender of the Roman seat The forenamed Volateranus lib. 5. Geograph reporteth a fearful impiety of this Sistus 4. committed by his command at the eleuation of the sacrament which when we speak of the Masse we will afterwards declare Leander Tritenius reporteth that in the 1470. yeare one Alanus de Rupa a Dominick moued with certaine visions renewed the Rosary as they cal it of our Ladie which the Gospel of Iesus Christ cast aside he preached And that this Rosarie should the more be esteemed and of the common people adored Iacobus Esprengerus Prouinciall in Germanie did extoll it to the heauens with false miracles and illusions of the diuell And finally Sistus 4. approued and confirmed it of which a book was made in the beginning whereof it is said that the blessed Virgin Marie on a time entered into the shut cell of the said Alanus who taking of her haire made a little ring where with she was married to Friar Alanus that she kissed him and caused him to handle her teates and dugges and lastly was so familiar with Alanus as the wife wontedly is with her husband At such blasphemous dishonesties and such dishonest blasphemies who can haue patience Surely I am ashamed to write them but it is needefull to discouer their villanies and shame that Spaine and all the world may hasten to knowe them And for asmuch as this foolish and superstitious deuotion of praying ouer the Rosarie is one of the most principall of the papacie I will here briefely set downe what the Papists themselues report of it The Dominican Breuiarie at Lyons in Fraunce printed in the 1578. yere saith that in the 1200. yeere Saint Dominicke did inuent and preach it and that when so holy a deuotion was put in obliuion the glorious Virgin did determine to renew it and so in the 1460. yere she appeared Tritenio saith 1470. to Frieâ— Alanus and commanded him that he in her name should publish to all Christians this so needfull maner of praying promising him to confirme this deuotion with signes and miracles c. It saith also that in the 1466. yeare the blessed Virgin the more to inflame the hearts of all men with this deuotion appeared to the Priot of the Couent of S. Dominicke at Colonia commanding him to preach it to the people and tell them that verie many and great mercies wold the Lord shew to all those that should offer this Psalter deuoutly vnto her c. It saith also that Sistus the fourth did confirme it granting many indulgences to them that should pray it the which many other chiefe Bishops did also confirme It saith that in the 1572. yeare Gregorie 13. commanded that the feast of the Rosarie should be celebrated the first Sunday in October There is a Spanish booke printed at Bilboe by Mathew Mares in the 1583. yeare which at large recounteth this historie of the Rosarie or Psalter or Crowne of our Ladie fol. 185. it saith that Pope Clement 4. Iohn 22. and Sistus the fourth graunted 78 yeeres of pardon for euery time that they prayed ouer this Psalter Innocent the eight graunted also plenarie indulgence c. Also Leo the tenth confirming all the pardons graunted by the other Popes to those that should pray it c. granted newly ten yeares and ten times fortie dayes pardon for euery entire Rosarie c. Also Pope Alexander 6. graunted to whomsoeuer should pray this Crowne full remission and on the Fridayes doubled and how oft soeuer on good Friday he should pray it so many soules out of Purgatorie Also fol. 187. it saith Pope Paule 3. at the instance of the most reuerend Cardinall Don Friar Iohn of Toledo Archbishop of Saint Iames granted to all them that should pray the Rosarie fifty and six thousand yeares and for euery time plenarie Indulgence Thus far this booke And in two words to speak all our aduersaries neuer cease to count the great vertues of the Rosarie with many miracles confirmed Behold how much hath the superstition of praying by count the Paternoster and Aue Maries crept in whose first Inuenter was Petrus Hermitanus without the word of God and without any example of Saint of the old or new Testament Behold whether the ignorant papists haue great occasion to esteeme their Rosarie inuented with false miracles and illusions of the diuell and renewed by the meanes of Friar Alanus and what Alanus The husband of the virgin Mary preached by Iames the prouincicall and confirmed by Sistus 4. the holy father of Rome All these strange wonders blasphemies and impieties haue I reckoned that our aduersaries may be ashamed seeing there be some that vnderstand them and so may turne to the Lord who onely is he that pardoneth sinnes and graciously this for his sonne Christs sake In the 1477. yeare Sistus 4. did institute the Inquisition of Spaine the first Inquisitors generall was Friar Thomas of Torquemada Pryor Dominican of Segouia who so list to know more concerning the Inquisition let him read the life of Alexander 6. which we wil afterwards recount Albeit such as we haue heard was this Sistus 4. yet doe our aduersaries much esteeme him And so Felix Pireto when he was Pope called himselfe Sistus 5. Onuphrius Panuinus an Augustine Friar and the Popes great parasite reporteth that the mother of this Sistus 4. being with child of him she sawe in a dreame that Saint Frauncis and Saint Anthony gaue to this her son the habite and cord of their order The mother for this dreame called him Frauncis at his Baptisme Proceeding in his fable he saith that on a certaine day as the nurse washt him in a bath the Infant swounded and that she carried him almost dead to his mother And that the mother seeing her sonne in that plight and remembring her dreame promised and vowed that her sonne for sixe moneths space should weare the habite of Saint Frauncis after which time they tooke from him the habite which taking away the child beeing now but one yeare old became estsoones infirmed and much more greuously then before But the mother renewed her vowe and then was he cured who at the age of nine yeares was made Friar in a monstearie of Saint Frauncis Thus farre Panuinus see here vpon what is the popish religion founded vppon dreames illusions of the diuell false miracles and lyes God by his iust iudgement doth blinde them and leaue them to fall into a reprobate minde And because they beleeue not
beautifull who not contented to be Lutherans were teachers of that cursed doctrin c. And alittle after Al the prisoners were of Valladolid Seuill and Toledo persons sufficiently qualified c. And so many such they were that it was thought if they had two or three moneths more slacked to remedy this mischiefe all Spaine would haue burned and we should haue come to the most bitter mischaunce that euer was seene therein Hitherto D. Illescas Whereof we will conclude that God hath reuealed the light of his Gospel in Spaine to learned people and people of renowne famous noble He will shew like mercy when he pleaseth to the vulgar and common sort When they see in Spaine a man well lettered and learned then say they Que es tan docto que està en peligro de ser Luthrano he is so learned that he is in danger to become a Lutheran And there is not almost any noble house in Spaine that hath not had in it some one or more of the reformed religioÌ„ His maiestie for his Christs sake our redeemer increase the nomber for his glory the confusion of Antichrist But returning to Paul 4. In August and the 1559. yeare after he had poped 4 yeres and almost three moneths he died The seat was voyd 4 moneths 7 dayes Don Phillip 2. being king of Spaine Pius 4. a Millanist was not much liked nor loued of his predecessor Paul 4. which Paul in the consistorie did publish openly speake against him saying that by euill meanes he had procured the Archbishoprick of Milan Then Pius knowing the dislike of Paule 4. against him departed from Rome thence was absent all the time that Paule the fourth Poped But when Paule was dead and he chosen after great discord and foure moneths 7 dayes that the sea was vacant he reuenged himselfe of him For many things which Paul had commanded did Pius countermaund so pronouncing Don Charles the Emperour Don Phillip his son kings of Spaine innocent and faultlesse he absouled them of all whatsoeuer Paule 4. had obiected against them He confirmed the resignement of the Empire made by Don Charles to FerdinaÌ„do his brother which Paul whiles he liued neither would approue nor coÌ„firme To master Antonius Columna he restored his patrimony whereof Paul had depriued him many otherlike thinges he did in despite of his predecessor Paul 4. by Panuinus vpon his life recited The same Panuinus of Pius 4. saith that when he was Bishop he became another man entertaining other customes maners not better but worse For he which till then was holden curteous pacient a well doer gentle and not couetous suddaynely seemed to haue changed his nature Such is the seat papall that he which once sitteth therein albeit before he were not euill becometh euill And if he were euill becometh worse and in the end most euill as to this Pius 4. it happened The same Panuinus saith that Pius had no grauitie either in countenance gate or gestures that more scoffing he was then beseemed the maiestie which he represented of him saith he that whiles he liued without charge he was of good life reputation and whiles also he had charge vnder the high bishops his predecessors When he was Pope great shewes he gaue of a good Bishop insomuch that he held the Councell of Trent note the hypocrisie whiles the Councell continewed he fayned to be good but the Councell once ended Pius vsing great libertie did many thinges that pleased not all men And a little lower Pius was a glutton and swillar but chiefly in eating for at supper he exceeded Giuen he was to delights and pleasure he was openly collerique enuious he was but in secret impatient to heare In his answeres sometime hard and bitter ambitious to commaund crafty a fayner and distembler When he saâ—â—e it needefull fearefull but bould in dissembling his feare and ill be loued Panuinus his friend all this and yet much more saith of him Albeit true it is that as a Parasite of the Popes much good he saith of him also But what vertues could possesse a man subiect to such manifest and enormious sinnes He had saith he a singular memorie and so could aptly and suddenly recite the whole volume of the auncient lawyers Poets and Historians but not of the Bible which I suppose he neuer read for by his profession he was not a diuine but a lawyer of him saith he also that at the handes of Cardinall Borromeo his nephewe and sisters sonne with great deuotion he receiued all the Sacraments of the Church the which to my knowledge we doe not read saith the same Panuinus to haue happened to any of the chiefe Bishops Doctour Illeâ—cas speaking of Pascall 2. saith That hauing first receiued the holy sacraments he died Of the other Popes I doe not remember that he saith any such thing The reason is as saith Sanazaro speaking of Leo 10. that the Popes being great Simonists haue sould the Sacraments and so not kept them for themselues Or to speake better the cause is that the Popes hold and say in their harts there is no God and so in the time of sicknes and at poynt to die they make no esteeme of the sacraments or Christian religion but die like swine This Pope Pius 4. ordeyned a confession of faith which all they should make that were to be Bishops the which in his life Panuinus placeth This confession is a summary of all the ignorances supersticions and Idolatries of the Antichristianisme or papisme This Popes whole study was by right or wrong to get money and whereof he had store which vpon his kindred friends buyldings Whereunto he was much inclined he wasted In the 1565. yeare after he had Poped almost six yeares he dyed as in Rome went the common voyce and fame in the armes of his minion which is not much out of square sith Panuinus his friend of him saith that he was giuen to delightes and pleasures and as saith the same Panuinus he procured his owne death Morbo ex victus intemperancia hausto to wit by disorder in eating and glutting whose belly was his God our king Don Phillip 2. then reigning in Spaine In the time of this Pius 4. and the 1563. yeare a thing very strange happened in Seuill the which had it proceeded further the Inquisitors bene a little more carelesse so likely it had brought the whole papasie to the ground else should it at the least haue receiued some notable damage The matter is this In Seuill where some more curious then was mete for the papasie which of the priests and Friars complained bitterly to the Inquisitors because they abused confession as others also afore time had abused it in courting and making loue to honest matrons and damsels and for such end moreouer as such beginnings accustomably succeede The holy office thought meete that such confessors should be
Antichrist so proued by his abominable life and doctrine by the testimonie of Gods sacred word and vnrefutable arguments drawne from the same If thou wouldest know and be assured likewise that the Masse is a diuelish prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord a most blasphemous idolatrous and false sacrifice derogating from the most precious bloud death passion of Iesus Christ If thou wouldest know by the same Spirit be assured that the same Iesus Christ true God true man is the only Lord Sauiour and redeemer of the world the onlie aduocate Intercessor Mediator betweene God and man the only alone king Prophet and true high Priest which entred into the holy place once for all and found eternall redemption If thou wouldest know that his body and bloud once offred vpō the altar of the crosse is the only alone true sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor in the nosethrils of God his Father for the remission of sins whereby onlie Gods wrath is appeased we obtaine pardon peace reconciliation with God grace fauor and euerlasting life If thou wouldest know and be likewise assured that this most holy sacrifice of Christ one only time offered is all sufficient for the sins of all men that no place remaineth for any other reiteration of the same sacrifice If thou wouldest know the true meaning vse practise of the holy Supper of the Lord Iesus the benfit thereof to the Faithfull If thou wouldest certainlie know and be fully assured by the same Spirit of Grace which is the ancient doctrin of God leading to all blisse and true blessednesse confirmed with his sacred word contained in the bookes of the old new Testament and penned by the finger of the holy Ghost and which is the new doctrine of men pointing the pathway to hell death destruction confirmed with vaine apparitions dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell Come and see except the god of this world hath blinded thy mind that the light of Christes glorious Gospell should not shine vnto thee except thou list to grope at noone day and wilfully say I will not see except thou hast shaken hands with death and made a couenant with hell except God for thy wilfull obstinacie hath giuen thee ouer vnto a reprobate sence to oppose thy selfe against him his knowne truth In reading this booke without partiall preiudication thou canst not but see exactly perceiue and tast to thine vnspeakeable comfort how sweet are the mercies of the Lord in reuealing to thee dust and ashes the mysterie both of the one and the other which the wise of this world neither haue vnderstood nor can comprehend but is reuealed vnto babes his Saints to whom he would make knowne the riches of his glorie to confound and make foolishnes the vvisdom of the wise Which if thou shalt find as if in singlenesse of heart thou seeke thou canst not but find Then praise Iehouah the author of all goodnesse be thankefull to this Author the meanes of thy good and take in worth my simple trauell an inferiour furtherance thereunto who hartily wish thee no lesse comfort and ioy in reading then my miserable selfe receiued in translating of this booke And because it seemeth a thing difficult to translate the Prouerbs wherein not the letter but the sence is to be followed that course haue I obserued set downe withall the proper phrase of the Spanish and Portugal tongues both in them and some other hard doubtfull words that thou gentle Reader indued with better gifts maist iudge and curteously amend by thy knowledge what my vnskilfulnesse hath missed hoping that my desire herein to do well may excuse in thy Chistian conceit whatsoeuer is if any thing misdone And so I leaue thee to him that is able to keepe thee Thine in the Lord I. G. THE EPISTLE TO THE CHRIstian Reader HAd it not bene for the great necessity which our country of Spaine hath to know the liues of the Popes that knowing them it may beware them and nought esteeme their authority which against all right diuine and humane they haue vsurped ouer the consciences which Iesus Christ our redeemer with his death passion hath freed I should neuer Christian Reader haue entred a labyrinth so confused and rugged as is to write the liues of Popes For thou must know that the Romists themselues concord not nor agree in the number of the Popes Some set downe more and others lesse And hence it commeth that so little they agree touching the time that they poped Let it be lawfull for me as of a king he is sayd to raigne to say of a Pope to Pope Some of these selfe same also that all confesse to haue bene Popes of some of them say great Laudes and praises extolling them to the heauens Of these selfe same say others filthie things casting them downe to hell An example of the first S. Gregory As saith Friar Iohn de Pineda 3. part cap. 8. ¶ 1. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie was the 66. Pope c. And not the 63. As saith Mathew Palmer Nor the 64. As saith Panuinus Nor the 65. As saith Marianus nor lesse 62. As saith S. Antoninus This farre Pineda Gelasius 1. after Platina is the 51. Pope After Panuinus the 50. And after George Cassander and Carança the 49. Also Paule the second after Platina is the 220. Carança counteth him for the 219. Pero Mexia for 218. and Panuinus For 215. fiue lesse then Platina According to this account Sistus 5. which in the yeare 1588. tyrannizeth in the Church should be after Platina the 236. Pope after Carança 235. After Per◠Mexia 234. and after Panuinus 231. Most Popish authors be all these Some Spaniards and others Italians And had we alleaged more authors more disagreement and contrariety should we haue found Of this diuersitie springeth the disorder which is in the time that some Popes Poped For they which reckon least Popes put the yeares which they take from 4 or 5 Popes whom they reckon not to other Popes Carança in his Summa conciliorum speaking of Boniface 3. this was the first Pope as in his life shal be shewed saith these words There is diuersitie among writers how long time Boniface 3. was Pope For of Platina is it gathered that he was nine monthes Others say 8 monethes and a halfe others a yeare and 25 dayes Others a yeare 5 monthes 28 daies Others say that he died hauing bene Pope 8 moneths and 22 dayes This farre Carança The same might we say of many other Popes For example of the second will we put Liberius and Formosus besides many others that we might set downe Liberius and Formosus some of the papists themselues do cannonize and others doe curse them Platina saith that Liberius was an Arian Panuinus saith that he was holy Read his life which of diuerse authors we haue gathered As touching Formosus Stephen 6 or 7. condemned him So
in earth God vndoeth in heauen This first Treatise shall serue to open the deceipt vnto them very palpably plainely will it shew the pope not to be the successor of S. Peter But of Iudas Not to be the Vicar of Christ but of Sathan whom the holy scripture calleth prince and God of this world And that we therefore ought not to obey the pope nor make more reckoning of him nor of that hee shal commaund then we doe of that which our mortall enemy commaunds vs. Mine harts desire and prayer to God is for my nation that they may be saued that his Maiestie deliuer them from the power of darknesse and transfer them into the kingdome of his beloued sonne I would if I might by any meanes prouoke my nation I would they had an holy enuie at other nations Why doe they and not the Spaniards read and heare the word of God in their owne Language as in the holy Bible it is written Why do they not the Spaniards receiue the holy sacraments with the simplicity that Iesus Christ did institute and celebrate them Wherewith without any humane inuentions superstitions and Idolatries he commaunded his Church to administer them This testimony giue I of my nation that they haue the zeale of God and so shall you see few Spaniards to be Atheists which haue no religion But this their zeale is not according to knowledge for by the word of God is it not ruled but by that which Antichrist of Rome commaundeth Who hath taken from them and forbidden them the reading of holy scripture For well knoweth Antichrist that if the Spaniards shold read it then would they fall into account and know the abhominable life of the popes and their wicked Doctrine And so would forsake and detest them And should Spaine once forsake the pope the pope would reckon as they say with the Oleados or annointed of whom there is no hope of life O that if God please I may see this day And if the pope should fall then also in a moment would fall the Masse and all the other Idolatries which the pope hath inuented This is the cause why our aduersaries so greatly fight to intertaine and mainetaine the authority of the Pope For very well they know that the Pope once fallen the popish religion of necessity must fall to the earth Very well did Pedro de la Fuente or Fontidonio as others call him a diuine of Seuill vnderstand this who in a sermon which he made the last day of September in the Councel of Trent greatly inueied against the protestants calling them heretiques saying that they sought to cast downe the 2 pillars of the Church To wit the sacrifice of the Masse the Pope This Diuine sayd moreouer that the Councell ought to employ all it force to sustaine and vphold them The pillar said he of the seat papall once pulled downe that the whole Church would fal to the earth The reason which he gaue was because the funerals and obsequies of the Church went iointly and accompanied with those of the Pope There is nothing sayd he that the aduersaries with deliberate purpose more endeuour to doe then to put downe the Pope c. Our aduersaries haue fallen in the reckoning and this is the cause why they maintaine and adore and many of them doe it against their owne conscience The Pope howsoeuer abhominable wicked and great an Atheist he be I humbly beseech his maiesty to send the true Sampson which is Christ who with one pluck may wholy pull downe these two pillars and so the house of Dagon may fall vtterly to the earth Iudg. 16. 29. I know that were the Pope and his Masse pillars built vpon the rock vpon the cornerstone Christ that neither the gates of hell nor whatsoeuer men could imagine should euer preuaile against them But because they be not founded vppon this firme foundation but rather vpon humane inuentions any small thing whatsoeuer that carrieth any reason maketh them easily to stagger The thing which wholy ouerthroweth them is the word of God As by the Lordes assistaunce in these two Treatises shal be seene His Maiestie I hope whose cause we here maintaine will draw some fruit out of this my trauaile To him I commit the charge therof For as saith his Apostle 1. Cor. 3. 7. Neither he that plāteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God which giueth the encrease His cause it is to him I commend it That which in the meane time Christian Reader I beseech thee for that which thou owest to the health of thy soule the which if thou loosest what shal it profit thee to haue gained the whole world is that thou read consider and weigh the reasons which we giue in these two Treatises for confirmation of that which we say and see which more agreeth with the word of God with that which the ancient Doctors and Councels and which naturall reason teach that which we haue said or that which our aduersaries say The holy and true who hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth which shutteth and no man openeth Open vnto thee the gate that thou maiest consider and adore his holy law He euer bewith thee Amen The 25. of Iune 1588. Your most affectionate brother in the Lord. C. V. The first Treatise of the Pope and his authoritie IDolatrie which is to giue the honour worship and seruice only due to God to a creature whether good or bad holy or prophane is the most grieuous sin that is or cābe imagined For the Idolater like a traitor to him that made him directly manifestly committeth high treason against his God He endeuoureth what in him lieth to cast God frō his throne therin to place that which himselfe worshippeth albeit the worke of his owne hand To shew the grieuousnesse of this sinne very seuerely hath God punished it as he plagued the Israelites we see when they made the Calfe For the which the Lord had wholly destroyed them had not Moses stept in a very good Mediator Notwithstanding there died of them in one day by the sword about three thousand men And it is to be noted that neither Aaron nor the Israelits were so blockish nor foolish to thinke the calfe which they had made to be God That which they supposed was this that the honor done to the calfe they did it vnto God And so Aaron when he saw the calfe he built an Altar before it and proclaimed saying To morrow shall be a feast vnto Iehouah This he said for the representation of God which he and they supposed they had made in the calf This maner of Idolatrie had the people of Israell seene in Egypt For the Egyptians besides infinite other things adored the figure of Apis which they also called Sirapis being the name of an Oxe The Israelites applyed to their religion the manner of worship which they had seene in Egypt and coueting visible
that the Images do weepe laugh sweate and doe other great Miracles Moses declareth that when God spake with his people the people hard the voice of his wordes but they sawe no figure sauing only a voice what God would haue vs to vnderstand hereby the same Moses there declareth Take good heede then to your Soules for ye sawe no figure c. and then That ye corrupt not your selues nor make you any grauē Image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenes of Male or female The common edition which the Roman church alloweth saith Ne fortè decepti faciatis vobis sculptam similitudinem aut Imaginem masculi vel feminae That is to say least being deceaued ye make to your selues a grauen similitude or Image of man or woman Let our aduersaries behold if they make to themselues Images of hee and shee Saints which be of men and women And suppose that the making of Images were not against the expresse comanndement of God but that to make thē or not to make them were a thing indifferent yet ought the good magistrate seeing the superstition and Idolatrie which the ignorant common people commit to forbid Images and breake them notwithstanding imitating therein the holy king Ezechiah that brake the brasen serpent which Moses had made when he sawe the Israelites to burne incense vnto it as in the 2. Kings 18. 4. appeareth Read the chapter See if our aduersaries adorne their Images with flowers with garlandes with crownes decke them cloth them girde them hang vpon them purses light tapers candles and lampes before them perfume incense carry them vpon mens shoulders in procession kneele before them and in their necessities craue helpe and succor of them Reade for this purpose the epistle of Ieremy recited to Baruc in his 6. chap. and thou shalt fully see the same that nowe is done in Spaine Italy and manie other places of the world besides If this be not Idolatrie and superstition what shall be If that good king Ezechiah nowe liued what would he doe to these Images That which he did to the brasen Serpent breake and bray them in peeces Our Aduersaries excuse the matter The same might the Israelites also and it may be they did so yet for all their excuses the good king brake it And thinke not that this Serpent set vp on high which Ezechias brake was of small signification Knowe thou that it was a figure of the same Christ that was to be lift vp and placed as an Ensigne which all those might followe that should beleeue in him beleeuing in him might haue euerlasting life euen as those which beheld the Brasen serpent were cuted of their bodily infirmities So they which behold Christ beleeue in him and follow him are no lesse healed of their spirituall infirmities This is not mine but Saint Iohns interpretation whose words be these And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the vvildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted vp that all that beleeue in him c. Ioh. 3. 14. Although this Serpent was made by Moses and by the commandement of God and with so high a signification as Saint Iohn giues it making it the image and figure of Christ And albeit it had so many yeares remained among the people of God from the Israelites being in the wildernesse vntill the reigne of Ezekiah all this notwithstanding this good king seeing the superstition of the people that burned incense to it cast it to the earth and brake it This good zeale of his is commended in the Scripture And in the second booke of Kings chap. 18. 3. these words are vsed He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid had done Hee tooke away the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent which Moses had made For vntill that time the children of Israell burned incense vnto it and he called it Nehustan as much to say as a peece of brasse Would God the Christian and Catholike kings would imitate the holie zeale of this good king Would God they would seeke to be truly informed and see with their eyes what be the relikes and Images which they haue in their kingdomes and their miracles and the truth or falshood of them But ô griefe that the old prouerbe in our dayes is verified Sease Milagro y hagado el diablo A miracle it is and the diuell doth it Would God they would take count of the great riches that is offered vnto images Oh what should be found The Romistes excuse them by a distinction which they make An idoll say they is one thing and an image is another That the law of God forbideth Idols and permittteh images that the Idoll is an abomination but not an image That they detest Idols and honour Images Let vs now proue this their distinction of Idoles and Images to be vaine God Exod. 20. 4. Deut. 5 8. saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe Pesel All the difficulty is to knowe what this word Pesel is Pesel is an Hebrewe word deriued of the verbe Pasal that is to engraue carue hew And lest we should thinke as thought the Grecians that onely Pesel which is a carued picture statue or grauen Image is onely forbidden God presently addeth Temuna that is any figure forme shape or painted Image He then forbiddeth grauen carued hewed or painted Images And commandeth vs not to worship nor do reuerence to them Call them as you wil Idols or Images Idoll is a Greeke word and is the same which in Latine is Simulachrum or Imago Simulachrum or Imago is that which in Spanish we called Imagen These foure wordes Pesel Eidolon Simulachrum and Imagen be all one thing and of one selfe signification but that the first is Hebrewe the second Greeke the third Latine and the fourth Spanish And Saint Ambrose as noteth Erasmus in his Annotations vpon the 1. Cor. 8. chap. for Idolum euer readeth Simulachrum Lactantius deriueth Simulachrū of Simulando Eidolon of Eidos asmuch to say as apparance or shew It appeareth to be a person is none It hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not feete and walketh not Dauid in the 115. Psalme doth liuely depaint them let our aduersaries behold if their Images haue eyes and see not eares and heare not c. Saint Augustin lib. 4. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 9. and 31. Origen lib. 8. contra Celsum S. Ciprian Tract contra Demetrianum and S. Epiphanius and S. Ambrose make no difference betweene an Idoll and an Image Thomas Aquinus that great captaine of the Dominickes putteth this difference betweene Idolum and Simulachrum as noteth Erasmus in the place a little before alleaged Simulachrum saith he is a thing made to the likenes of some naturall thing but Idolum is Si corpori humano addatur caput equinum to
sacrifice which he offereth The Pope is he that made and created the Masse as afterwardes God willing we will proue Therefore is the Pope of greater dignitie then the Masse This proueth the Pope to be maister and the sacrament his seruant because when the Pope goeth from one people to another he sendeth before him yea and some time a day or two dayes Iourney his sacrament vpon a horse carying at his necke a little bell accompained with the scumme and baggage of the Romane court Thither goe the dishes and spits old shooes caldrons and kettels and all the sculery of the Courte of Rome whores and Iesters Thus the sacrament arriued with this honorable traine at the place whither the Pope is to come it there awayeth his comming And when the maister is knowne to approach neere the people it goeth forth to receiue him Open thine eyes O Spaine or which is better God open them and behold what account the Pope maketh of the sacrament which he himselfe saying it is thy God for thy money selleth vnto thee Fryar Iohn de Pineda in the third part of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie lib. 23. ¶ 2. saith That the first Pope which caused the Sacrament to be carried before him was Benedict 13. a Spaniard when for feare he fled from France into Aragon from that time remained it in custome that the Pope caried the most holy Sacrament for his gard before him The Popes in this carrying of the Sacrament before them doe imitate the kinges of Persia before whom went a horse carrying a little Altar vpon him whereupon among a few ashes shone a small flame of holy fire which they called Orismada This fire as a certaine diuinitie did the Persians reuerence and adore So that the King to seeme more then a man and to be ioyntly worshipped with the diuinitie which did accompany him with this pompe went he publikely Read for this purpose the Embleme of Alciatus Non tibi sed Religioni pag. 17. where he treateth of a little asse that went laden with mysteries He also that sacrificeth is of more dignitie and estimation then the sacrifice which he offereth For God regardeth not so much the gift or sacrifice to him offered and presented as the person that offereth it The Lord saith the scripture had respect to Abell and his present and to Caine and his present he had no regard The Apostle giueth a reason saying By saith Abell offered to God a better sacrifice then Caine. The Pope is the Priest the Masse is the sacrifice which he offereth Therefore is the Pope of more dignitie then the Masse By these reasons and others that may be drawne I conclude the Pope to be chiefe piller that susteyneth the Popish Church Of it we will first take hold not to support it but to cast it downe and then we will after intreat of the Masse And this by the helpe of the almightie God the Father sonne ond holy Ghost whose cause we here defend To this name Papa the like as to some other wordes hath happened which in old time were taken in good part and were honourable titles but after with the time haue bene ill taken For example Tyrannis was in old time a King and so King Latinus as saith Virgill Aeneid 7. called Aenaeas whose friendship he desired Tyrant Sophista was taken for a man of wisedome now for a deceiuer or a flatterer Hostis did signifie a stanger now taken for an enemy Euen so in old time was Papa taken in good parte and giuen for a title to Bishops or ministers of Gods word for in the Primitiue Church the Bishop Minister and Pastor were all one Riches haue sithens made the difference as now we see Read to this purpose the Epistle of Saint Ierome to Euagr. tom 2. That Papa was so taken as a foresaid by the Epistle of the auncient Doctors as namely Ciprian Dionysius Alexandrinus Ierome Ambrose Auguistine Sidonius Appolinarius and Gregory and by the Actes of the Councels is proued The Grecians vntill this day call their Priestes Papaous the Germanies call them Psaffen and Flemings call them Papen names which be derined of this name Papa which in the Sicilian tongue after Suidas signifieth Father Of all these authors I will alleage here but onely two Ierome writing to Augustine saith Most hartily commend me I pray thee to our holy and venerable brother Pope Alipius And writing to Pamachius he saith vnto him hold Pope Epiphanius And writing to Augustine calleth him Pope In another place he saith Except Pope Athanasius and Paulinus yet neither Alipius nor Pamachius nor Epiphanius nor Aunor nor Athanasius nor Paulinus were euer Bishops of the Church of Rome Among the Epistles of Saint Ciprian there is one thus entituled The Presbiters and Deacons abiding at Rome send greeting to Pope Ciprian And this is to be noted that the Church of Rome giueth this title to Saint Ciprian who was Bishop of Carthage and neuer of Rome But when the couetuousnesse and ambition of the Bishop of Rome had so increased that he made himselfe a Prince and vniuersall Bishop and therefore Antichrist as Saint Gregorie calleth him then toke he from other Bishops the title of Pope and reserued it onely to himselfe So that none but the Bishop of Rome is now Pope and being Bishop of Rome Antichrist Hence commeth it that to all the Godly the name of Pope is so horrible and wicked because it is onely giuen to Antichrist That which hereafter we will say shall not be against the anciēt first taking of the name of Pope but against the second Which name well agreeth with him for the Pope Popely all to himselfe that is to say he deuonreth and glutteth it vp as he himselfe saith All power is giuen me in heauen and in earth And so the late writers take this name Papa pro Ingluuie that is to say gluttony As Anthonie de Lebrixa in his dictionary doth note it Iesus Christ our Maister whose voyce the Father commaundeth vs to heare and thereby to gouerne our selues hath giuen vs a sure marke and infallible token to discerne the good tree from the bad the true Christian from the false the good shepheard from the hierling A good tree saith he bringeth foorth good fruite Matth. chap. 7. 17. This he saith that we may knowe the hypocrites by their fruites or workes Speaking also of himselfe he saith The workes which I doe they beare witnesse of me Ioh. chap. 5. vers 30. The same Lord saith that the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheep not the hierling but rather flyeth Ioh. chap. 10. 11. Mē cannot iudge but that which they see God onely knoweth the heart Following then the counsel which the Lord hath giuen vs let vs see what hath bin the life doctrine of the Popes vntill this day and so will hold them either for good or bad for the true ministers of Christ
of Spaine would not obey the lawe which commanded them to leaue their wiues At the hearing whereof Siricius was angry and sayd That such as were in the flesh could not please God Rom. 8. 8. The same Siricius alleageth this authoritie in the fourth epistle which he wrote to the Bishops of Africa Siricius vnderstanding this place of maried folks writhed and wrested the scripture So also was this place wrested by Innocent the first But S. Paule by this in the flesh meant not maried folks for therby should he condemne the estate of matrimony instituted by God in Paradise Gen. 3. 24. sanctified by his sonne Iesus Christ with his presence working there his first miracle Ioh. 2. 11. Very well knew the Apostle Mariage to be honorable among all men and the bed vndefiled Very well did he know that God would chastise fornicators and adulterers Heb. 13. 4. Wherfore he commandeth that they which had not the gift of chastity should marie 1. Cor. 7. 2 9. And he himselfe defendeth the liberty which he and Barnabas being Apostles had to haue their wiues and to carry them with them Or haue not we authority saith he 1. Cor. 9. 5. to leade about a sister that is to say faithful aswell as the other Apostles and the brethren of the Lord c. Paule then with fauour of Siricius and Innoncent 1. by being in the flesh vnderstandeth not the maried but carnal men and vnregenerate by the Spirit of God Such saith he be they single maried or widdowes cannot please God And that this is so appeareth by that which the same Apostle speaking to the Romanes of whom many were maried saith But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you c. Rom. 8. 9. By this interpretation which Siricius and Pope Innocent 1. made of the place of S. Paule shall our aduersaries see albeit they denie it that the Pope may erre that in the interpretation of the Scriptures Siricius after Platina hauing bene Pope almost 16. yeares died Anastasius the first Innocentius the first Zozimus the first and Bonifacius the first succeded him Betwene Boniface and Eulalius was the 4. Sisme in the yeare 420. Eulalius verie vnwillingly renounced but yet was made Bishop in Campania Celestine succeeded Boniface Sistus 3. succeeded Celestine who being falsely accused made answere for himselfe in an open Sinod and Bassus his aduersarie was condemned The councels were then aboue the Pope Leo 1. Hillarius Simplicius Felix 3. Gelasius succeeded Sistus To this Gelasius that notable saying of communicating in both kindes is attributed which we will alleage in the Treatise of the Masse After Gelasius 1. Anastasius 2 succeeded Anastasius 2. tooke parte with the Eutichians and other heretiques and communicated with them For confirmation hereof reade Gracian in the decree dist 19. Cap. Secundum ecclesiae Catholicae And Cap. Anastasius And the 2. Tome of the Councels and Platina Beleeue not the Popes Parasites as be D. Illescas and the two late writers Albertus Pighius Diego de Couarrunias whom he alleageth Anastasius in doing his needes voided say Volateramus and Platina his guttes into the draught At this time in Spaine the Gothes reigned who began there to reigne in the yeare of the Lord. 417. where expelling the Roamanes and other nations they reigned three hundred yeares After Anastasius succeeded Symachus Between Symachus and Laurencius was the 5. Sisme But Laurencius renounced and in the 498. yeare as saith Panuinus was made Bishop of Nucesino after Symachus succeeded Hormisda Hormisda Campanus was the first as saith S. Isidor that by means of Iustin the Emperor in the 520. year of an Archbishop was made Patriarch by litle litle they proceeded they wil shortly be Popes I wold say perfect Antichrists He excoÌ„municated the Emperor Anastasius because he said the Emperor was to coÌ„mand the Bishop to obey At this time began Antichrist to appear Hormisda died in the 523. year Genselaricus reigning in Spaine and Iohn 1. succeeded Hormisda Iohn 1. a Tuscan being made Patriark was iointly with others sent Embassador for Theodoricus king of Italy vnto Iustinus the Emperor The Bishops of Rome had not as yet that absolute or to speake better that dissolute power which now they hold He died a Martyr in the 527. yeare I cannot omit a ridiculous historie which Friar Iohn de Pineda speaking of this Iohn the first reporteth for a miracle About to go saith he to the Emperour he tooke a borrowed horse which when Pope Iohn was mounted vpon him would not permit his maisters wife to ride Felix the third called the fourth succeeded Iohn and Boniface the second succeeded Felix In the 530. yeare was the 6. Sisme betweene Boniface the second Dioscorus After Boniface Iohn the 2. Agapetus Siluerius Vigilius succeeded Vigilius a Romane and a crafty accuser of his predecessour Siluerius by deceit aspired to the Bishopdome whereunto he was aduanced by meanes of Theodora Augusta and of Antonina the wife of Belisarius But God who is iust gaue them both their reward Vigilius by subtilty and Siluerius the sonne of Pope Hormisda by force obtained the Bishopdome This was the seuenth Sisme And Theudiselo or Theodisco in Spaine at this time reigned Pelagius a Romane was the first that affirmed the primacie of the Church of Rome to depend neither of the Councels nor men but of Christ himself dist 21. But the Cannonists are against him saying that Omnis maioritas minoritas etiam Papatus est de iure positiuo that is all maioritie and minority yea the Popedome it selfe is of the positiue lawe He ordained that Ecclesiasticall persons should pray or mumble vp the seuen Canonicall houres which be the Mattens Prime Third Sixt Tenth the Euenings and Completes Pelagius ordained saith D. Illescas that the Priestes should each day pray ouer the seuen houres which we call Canonical And the same Illescas vpon the life of Sabinianus saith Sabinianus was the first that set an order in prayer diuiding the Office into seuen houres which we call Canonicall How can Sabiniaâ—â—us be the first that ordained the 7. Canonicall houres if Pelagius had first ordained them This institution was an occasion that Ecclesiasticall persons should not read the Bible And so we see that very few Church-men in Spaine haue the Bible in their houses but none of them is with his Breuiarie which all of them do hold for a verie Catholike booke but the Byble in generall doe they call a booke of heresies One day will God punish this blasphemie In the time of this Pelagius Agila reigned in Spaine and in the 561. yeare Iohn 3. sucâ—eded Pelagius Iohn 3. made a contrary decree to that which his predecessor Pelagius had made and Dist 99. comaunded that none should call him high priest nor vniuersall bishop So one Pope did that
of the first Table which saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe anie Image c. And in murthering her sonne she sinned against the second Table which saith Thou shalt not kill This is that holy Irena so much celebrated of the Papists Leo 3. acknowledging the benefites of Charles the great gaue him the title and crowned him Emperour but with this condition that the Emperour with an oath should promise him obedience This Leo commaunded that the Decrees of the Pope should be of more authority then the writings of all the Doctors In Mantua at this time a citie of Italie was a woodden Crucifixe which they affirmed did sweate bloud When Pope Leo the third heard this newes he went to Mantua and there seeing as hee said the miracle commaunded this bloud to be holden for the true bloud of Christ And to this day at Mantua is this Crucifixe seene and worshipped Of this bloud maketh mention Baptista Mantuanus saying Et quae purpureus sanguis faciebat in horas Mira opera intuitus credi debere putauit Effusum nostra pro libertate cruorem Which signifieth the Idolatrie before mentioned What diuell could more inuent to raise vp and authorize images which in Greece were vtterlie abolished In the 816. yeere died Leo the third hauing bene Pope more then 20 yeares At this time in Spaine reigned Don Bermudo Stephen the fourth or the fifth who succeeded Leo was chosen without consent of the Emperour wherefore to excuse himselfe to the Emperour Lodouicus pius after 3 moneths he went into France Lewis answered that what was past was past but they shold afterward beware of doing the like Behold here how the Popes obserue their owne Decrees Adrian and Leo imediate predecessors of Stephen made this decree but Stephen did nothing regarde it The Pope considering that this decree which gaue such authoritie to the Emperour might cause great euill to the Sea Apostolike returned from France to Rome and perceiuing the Emperour to be of gentle and milde nature he attempted to disanull it saying that the election of the chiefe Bishop pertained to the Clergie Senate people of Rome And not to prouoke the Emperour he smothed this abrogation saying that they aboue named without licence of the Emperour might choose the chiefe Bishop but consecrate or as they call it crowne him without the presence of the Emperour or his vicar they could not In the 817. yeere died Stephen and Don Alonso the 2. surnamed the chast then reigned in Spaine Pascall the first following the steppes of Stephen without consent of the Emperour was elected Pope and when the Emperour complained of this election he craftily cleared himselfe Pascal died in the 824. yeare Don Alonso theÌ„ reigning in Spain Eugenius 2. succeeded Pascal in whose time the 12. Sisme betweene Eugenius Zinzinus arose After Eugenius succeeded Valentinus And after Valentinus Gregorie the fourth Gregorie 4. would not be Pope vntill the Emperour had confirmed his election He died in the 844. yeare And D. Ramiro the first then reigned in Spain Sergius 2. was the first Pope that changed his name before he was Pope he was called Swines-mouth Lotharius the Emperour senâ— Lewis his sonne to Rome to confirme the election of this Pope This confirmation the Popes expected vntil AdriaÌ„ 3. ordained that it should not be respected Sergius 2. died in the 847. yeare and Don Ordono then reigned in Spaine Leo the fourth was the first that promised Paradise to such as in defence of the sea Apostolike would fight against the infidels He made a Decree that the Bishop shold not be condemned but by the testimonie of 72 witnesses He was the first that against the Cannon of the Councell of Aquisgrana adorned with precious stones his Crosse Papall and caused it to be borne before him He gaue his feete to be kissed of the people and in the 847. yeare he dispensed with Ethelulpheus of a Monke to be made king of England For this benefite commaunded the king that each house in England should pay euery yeare to the Pope a penie which they called Saint Peters penie sixe of which pence make a Spanish Ryall In the 855. yeare he died and Don Alonso the third then reigned in Spaine Iohn the eight an English woman or to speake better Ione alone of that name before called Gilbert succeeded Leo the 4. In her is plainly fulfilled without figure or allegorie that which Saint Iohn in the 17. chap. of his Reuelation saith of the whore of Babylon for she was a woman and a whore Such as list to know her life let them reade Platina vpon the life of Iohn the eight Sabel En. 8. lib. Volat. libr. 22. Berg. lib. 11. Boccace of famous women Fascic tempor Mant. vpon Alphonsus lib. 3. Enchiridion ef times Rodrigo Sanchez vpon Don Alonso 3. and Pero Mexia vpon the liues of the Emperours and in his Sylua variarum lection where of her hee maketh one whole chapter This Pero Mexia was a man very superstitious and wholly a Papist who procured what he might to quench the light of the Gospell which at his time in Sâ—uill was kindled He greatly persecuted the good Doctor Egidius or to say better Christ in Egidius and other his members Notwithstanding that he was so great a Papist yet could he not but speake note so so great an infamy blow to the Church of Rome For authors of that he saith coÌ„cerning this woman Pope he citeth in his histories Martin Platina Sabellicus S. Antonino In the 9. ch of his Sylua thus speaketh Pero Mexia There is none almost but knoweth or hath read or hard that there was a womaÌ„ Pope which went in mans apparell but because all men know not how this thing hapned and for that it was one of the wonderfull chances that euer hapned in the world I will here declare as in faithfull authors I find it written There was a woman borne in England who with a man greatly learned liued in her youth a dishonest life of whom being welbeloued and he of her taking mans habite and calling her selfe Iohn shee left her natiue countrie and went with him to the citie of Athens in Grecia wherein at that time was a great Vniuersitie and generall studie With her excellent wit and great studie shee there so much learned and attained such knowledge that some yeares after she came to the citie of Rome alwayes in the habite of a man tooke the Chaire and taught openly in which and in publike disputations shee caried such estimation that she was holden for the most learned man of that time and such fauour and authoritie among all men obtained that the seate Apostolike by the death of Leo the fourth of that name being voyd in the yeare of the Lord 852. supposed to be a man she was chosen for chiefe
to be murdered For Conradino the sonne and heire of Conrade king of Sicilia sought to defend his right but Charles ouercame and tooke him prisoner together with Fredericke Duke of Austria neere vnto Naples and by the counsell of the pope did behead them For Charles wrote to the Pope what he should doe with Conradino his prisoner The Pope answered The life of Charles the death of Conradino c. After him Adrian 5. against this Charles demanded aide of Rodolph the Emperour The kingdome of Naples by meanes of this cursed Pope came to the French and the Dukedome of Sueuia tooke end In the 1270. yeere this butcher died The seat of Sathan was long time to wit two yeeres and nine moneths and two dayes voide And Don Alonso 10. then reigned in Castile Clement the fourth being dead the Cardinals which were 17. number to chuse a new pope assembled together Amongst whom so great discord arose that in almost three yeeres space they could not agree for euery of them pretended to be pope Philip king of France and Charles king of Sicill hearing of this great discord came to Viterbo where the Cardinals were and prayed them to dispatch and chuse a chiefe bishop but so great was the ambition of the Cardinals that all this trauell and sute of the two kings were to no purpose so they returned without any thing done When they were in the election inuocating the holy spirit bishop Iohn Cardinall Portuensis seeing the great forwardnesse of the Cardinals said vnto them My Lords let vs vncouer this chamber for the holy spirit through so great roofes cannot enter vnto vs. When the same Cardinall vnderstood that Gregory was Pope he cōpiled these two verses Papatus munus tulit Archidiaconus vnus Quem patrem patrum fecit discordia fratrum To wit an Archdeacon attained to the Popedom whom the discord of brothers made father of fathers All this reporteth Panuinus an Augustin Frier Behold here what the Romists thēselues report of the elections of their Popes behold here Ambition the holy spirit which in their election gouerneth Gregory 10. thus elected in the yere 1273. at Lyons in France did celebrate a Councell where Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople who approued the doctrin of the Romaine church his predecessors hauing 12 times done the like as many times more reuoked the same was present In this councell it was ordeined that the Pope being dead the Cardinals shold shut thēselues in the Conclaue And that moreouer which Panuinus in the note vpon Platina vpon the life of this Gregory 10. saith He renued a fresh the warre of the holy land And in 5 yeres that he poped neuer saw Rome In the 1276. yere he died and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Innocent 5. a Burgonion was the first begging friar that was made pope for which cause he much fauored his dominicks And hauing poped 6. moneths 2. daies the same yere with his predecessor he died Adriā 5. a Genoway was the nephew or as is thought the son of Innocēt 4. whē he was Pope he went frō Rome to Viterbo frō whence he wrote to Rodulph the Emperour to aide him against Charles king of Sicilia which Charles had the former popes against all right made king of Sicil as in the life of Clement 4. we haue noted but the Emperor occupied in the wars of Bohemia could not succor him He poped but one moneth 7 daies then died Iohn 22. or 21 or 20 before he was pope called in latin Petrus Hispanus was born at Lisbon by professiō a Phisition Albeit this mā was holden for very learned yet was he very vnskilfull to gouerne And as saith Platina wrought more domage thē profit to the popedom Many things he did which shew his folly lightnes One good property he had that whē he saw a yong man inclined to study with benefits money he would aide him This mā foolish as he was promised by the stars long life to himselfe so would tell it to all men But it farre otherwise happened to him for a certaine chamber which Valerius calleth a sporting chamber Estella calleth it a precious bed chamber which he had builded for his pleasure in the pallace of Viterbo at the end of 4. dayes fell suddenly to the ground the Pope was found betweene the timber the stones who hauing poped 8. moneths and 8. daies at 7. dayes end in the 1277. yere died Six moneths after the death of his predecessor was Nicholas 3. chosen for the Cardinals could not agree at the end of which time Charles king of Sicilia ruling as a Senator in the Conclaue Nicholas 3. was chosen who after he was pope began thē to persecute Charles he tooke frō him the vicaredge of Hetruria he tooke frō him also the power of Senator giuē him by Clement 4. he forbad that no king or prince thenceforth should dare to demand or administer that office tooke it to himselfe But Martin the 4. his successor did restore it vnto him For so agree the Popes that that which one doeth another vndoeth This Nicholas with great wars vexed Italy And the better to effect his purposes he perswaded Don Pedro king of Arragon to demand the kingdom of Sicilia seeing it was his in the right of his wife Constance This counsell much pleased Don Pedro which was afterwards the cause of much bloodshed In the yere 1381. died Nic. Martin 4. a Frenchman Panninus cals him 2. with great humanity receiued Charles king of Sicilia and restored him to the dignity of Senator that moreouer which his predecessor had taken frō him He excōmunicated Don Pedro king of Arragon who leuied a great armie to inuade Charles in Sicilia gaue his kingdome for a prey to the first that could take it absolued all his vassals from their oth to him made as their king c. yet Don Pedro of al this made no reckoning but passed into Italy aided by Paleologus Emperor of Constantinople wan Sicilia The Sicilians for their pride luxuritie bare great hatred to the French so that they conspired against Charles his frenchmen toulling the bels they issued out killed all nor sex nor age regarded yong old men and women albeit great with child they destroyed These be the Euensongs which the Sicilians call so famous After this Charles with his armie comming to Naples was vanquished taken as saith Platina sent into Arragon This Pope Martin tooke the concubine of his predecessor Nicholas 3. when Martin had 4. yeares and one moneth poped in the 1285. yeare he died of whom saith Platina that after his death he wrought great miracles Don Alonso 10. then raigned in Castile Honorius the fourth following the steps of his predecessor Martin 4. confirmed the excommunication and interdiction against Don Pedro which held
¶ 3. sayeth he added that which to many others seemed meere noueltie namely that he as wrote also Papyrus Saonensis was Lord of all the world which thing Philip king of France did denie him c. And a little lower sayth the same Pineda Crantzio sayth that on a solemne day to declare himselfe Lord as well of the temporaltie as of the spiritualitie pontifically arrayed as a Pope he shewed him selfe to and blessed the people and another day clothed as an Emperour carying before him a sword naked shewed himselfe and cryed out saying Ecce duo gladij hic c. Beholde here two swords c. wherein he would say that he was Lord of both swords ciuill and spirituall This is that Pope of whom say the Historians that he entered like a Foxe liued like a Lyon and died like a dogge Thus died that Boniface sayth Platina that more endeuoured to terrifie Emperours Kinges Princes Nations and people then make them religious He attempted to giue and take away kingdomes dispatch men and eftsoones call them backe euen as hee listed himselfe much thirsting after golde seeking for it on all sides more then can be spoken Pandulphus Calenucius in the fifth booke of his Neapolitane historie recounteth manie great villanies of this Pope With Boniface the eight will I conclude saying that which Frier Iohn de Pineda in his twentie and two booke chapter 12. ¶ 1. saith Let ambitious men saith hee note the life and death of Boniface so openly practised in his popedome and who coueteth more saith Frier Iohn de Pineda let him read Iohannes Vilaneus in the eight booke of his historie And notwithstanding he was such a one as manie men worthy of credite doe paint him out yet did Clement the fifth for all this celebrate a Councell in Vienna where were present as saith Frier Iohn de Pineda three hundred Bishoppes with very many other Prelates and it was there determined that Pope Baniface had bene most Catholike a Christian and true Pope and Vicar of God Wo vnto you that call good euil and euill good Behold here if the Pope and Councel may erre Don Fernando 4. the sonne of Don Sancho reigned in Castile Benedict 11. or after others the 9. a Dominican was very liberall to entertaine Idolatrie When he was Pope he cited those that had taken Boniface his predecessour and for not appearing before him he excommunicated them for their contempt Hee absolued of the excommunication the king of France and receiued into fauour Iohn and Iames Cardinals of Colen whom Boniface so much abhorred This good is reported of him that he would not see his mother poore but poorly clothed In the 1305. yeere 9 moneths of his popedome not fully complete he died and of poyson as is thought giuen him in certaine figs sent him by an Abbesse Don Fernando 4. then reigning in Castile After great differences who should be Pope Clement 5. a Gascon was chosen being absent His election being knowne he departed from Burdeux where he was Archbishop and came to Lyons in Fraunce whither he commanded and they so did all the Cardinals to come and so the Court of Rome in the 1305. yeare passed into Fraunce and there continued almost 74. yeares At the coronation of this Clement Philip king of Fraunce Charles his brother and Iohn Duke of Brittaine were present vpon whom and other twelue also fell a wall whereof they all there died The king also himselfe receiued some part of the euill and the pope sawe himselfe in so great a straite that he fell from his horse and lost a Carbuncle which he bare in his Miter or as they call it Reyno worth 6000. Florences How could he say with Saint Peter whose successour saith he he is Gold and siluer haue I none The pompe of this coronation ended many Cardinals he made all were French men To Rome he sent three Cardinals with authority of Senatours which should gouerne the same and Italy also He made a decree that to the elected Caesars in Almaine albeit they were called kings of the Romanes the pope notwithstanding should giue both authoritie and name a Brotheller was this Clement and Patron of whores and so for his pleasure and delight setled his Court at Auignon At Vienna in the 1311. yeare he celebrated a Councel in which for their goods sake wherewith he inriched those of S. Iohns order of the Rhodes most cruelly he dissolued the Templars which were more rich then the French king himselfe The great maister of the Templars one of his companions in the presence of the Cardinals he burned at Paris Against the Fraticellians Begardians and Begninians that denied to adore the bread in the Sacrament he published a Bull. He excommunicated the Venetians Florentines and Lucquesians The feast of the Recluses dreame in the life of Vrban 4. before mentioned which feast is called Corpus Christi he confirmed Celestine 5. he cannonized But why condemned he not Boniface 8. who was a traitor to his Pope Lord Celestine In the 1314. yeare Clement died In which same yeare as the Emperor Henry from Lucemberg meant to come into Sicilia offered and giuen him by the Sicilians themselues a cursed man called Bernardus de Monte Policiano a Dominick Friar who fained of set purpose great seruice to the Emperor gaue him poyson in the Sacrament And whē the good Emperor perceiued that he had giuē him poison he said vnto him Sir depart hence for if the Almaines perceiue what thou hast done thou shalt die an euil death The cursed Dominick fled to Sena where like another Iudas he receiued the money promised for his treason But his fellow Dominickes could he not deliuer for in Tuscan Lombardie and diuers other partes many of them were murthered and they and their monasteries by fire and sword perished Fryar Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 24. ¶ 4. of this Clement speaketh these words Saint Antoninus Iohannes Villaneus and Papirius say that hee was very couetous of money and thence it happened that he suffered Simony in matter of benefices to goe so openly through his court meerly ignorant bee they which say the Pope cannot be a Simonist seeing we know by deuine law that to buy or sell things holy and spirituall is called sinne and is that of Simony c. It is no marueile being such though he approued that good peece Boniface 8. Two yeares 3 moneths and 17. dayes the Sea was voyd In the time of this Pope Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castile After many contentions among the 23 Cardinals Iohn 23 or 22. or 21 was chosen The Cardinals as saith Saint Antoninus whom Friar Iohn de Pineda alleageth disagreeing they yeelded the court to this Iohns disposing and whomsoeuer hee should name was to be holden for Pope c. he named himselfe And somewhat lower saith Pineda Titus Liuius saith that the Romans were
offended because Apius Claudius had chosen himselfe of the Decemuiri and Lucius Furius Camillus to be Consull and they were pagans and to be named Pope he being a Christian held it no let c. Such like vnto him was this Iohn 24. that elected himselfe This Pope depriued Hugh Bishop of Catura disgraded and deliuered him to secular power to be tormented embowelled and burned till he were dead The cause of his great crueltie was this that the said Bishop he said had conspired against the Pope This Iohn much affected nouelties of one Bishopricke he made 2 and contrarywise of 2 one Of an Abotship he made a bishoprick and of a bishoprick he made an Abbotship Caragoça he made an Archbishoprick and fiue bishopricks of 11 in the Prouince of Taracona hee gaue it for suffraganes The Knights of Christs order as they call it to fight against the Moores he instituted in Portugale and by consent of Don Alonso king of Portugal gaue them the goods of the Templars Those he condemned for heretiques which said Christ and his Apostles had nothing proper He forbad this question in the vniuersities to be disputed He condemned one Peter a Franciscan Friar because he exhorted men to follow Christs pouertie For which cause many were condemned and burned This Pope so cruell against such as he called heretiques erred in the faith and was an heretike For hee taught that the soules seperated from the bodies saw not God nor reioyced with him before the day of iudgement For so as saith Masseus deceiued by the visions of one Tundall an Irishman had his father taught him By that saying of the Lord to the theefe vpon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradice Luke 22. 43. and by the speech which he vttered concerning Lazarus whose soule saith he was in Abrahams bosome Luke 16. 22. by that which saith S. Stephen Act. 7. 59. Lord Iesus receiue my spirit imitating therein his maister who being vpon the crosse said Father Into thy handes I commend my spirit And by the saying of S. Paul Phil. 1. 21. To me Christ is gain whether in life or death and verse 23. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ and that he saith is better for him Also Eccle. 12. 7. And dust returne to the earth c. the spirit returne to God that gaue it Also Matth. 22 23. the Lord speaking of Abraham Isack Iacob who were dead as touching the body saith that God is not a God of the dead but of the liuing And Luke 16. 9. Make ye friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when ye shall haue neede to wit when ye shall die They may receiue you into euerlasting habitation And 2. Cor. 5. 8. we loue to be out of the body and to be with the Lord is this heresie confuted Whereupon it followeth that the soules of the faithful which die in the Lord see God and at the parting from their bodies enioy his presence in these two thinges to see God and enioy his presence our happinesse consisteth To teach and preach this heresie this Pope sent 2 Friars to Parris the one a Dominican the other a Franciscan vnto whom Thomas Vales an English Dominicke opposed himself for which the Pope cast him into prison many others likewise opposed themselues In conclusion the vniuersitie of Paris ayded by the fauour of their king Phillip the faire who had withdrawne himselfe and all his kingdome from the Popes obedience compelled the Pope as he did to recant not without sound of trumpet for feare of loosing his Popedome as Iohn Gerson in the sermon of Easter doth witnes The errors of this Pope which now we will reckon are according to the papists errors but according to Christian religion perfect truth He commaunded the Nunnes called Beguinas to marry He could not abide to see pictures nor Images He affirmed that Iesus Christ gaue no other rule to his Apostles then that which he had giuen to all faithfull Chistians The Apostles said he neuer vowed Chastitie And that vowes make not them perfect which vowe them nor put them in the state of perfection We will now returne to his wonders Iohn Mandeuell lib. 1. cap. 7. reporteth this Pope to haue written a large Epistle to the Greciās saying That there was but one church whose head he was the vicar of Christ Whereunto the Grecians in few words answered thy power ouer thy subiects we verily beleue to be great thy excaeding pride we cānot suffer thy couetousnesse we cannot satisfie the deuill be with thee for the Lord is with vs. In this Laconismo or breuitie well declared the Grecians the whole state of the Pope This Pope Iohn proclamed the Emperour Lodowicke of Bauiera for a Rebell Sismatique and heretique The cause was as saith Ieronymus Marius for that the Emperour being elected by the Princes without othe of subiection to the Pope as Clement 5. had commanded tooke vpon him the administration of the Empire The Emperour to auoyd contention sent his Embassadours to the Pope being then at Auignon requesting at his hands the authority and title of the Emperour But so farre of was the Pope from graunting this that he sent home with a mischiefe and verie euill intreated the Ambassadours peremptorily cyting the Emperour himselfe personally to appeare in Auignon and submit himselfe to the decrees of the Church But the Emperour knowing the tyrannie which the Pope vsurped in the Church and perceiuing that he had receiued onely of God his Emperiall Maiestie would not as a seruant subiect himselfe nor come to Auignon Affecting peace notwithstanding he eftsoones by Embassadours did gently request him to graunt what he demaunded The Pope was still obstinate and for the hate which he bare to the Emperor excommunicated the Vicounts whom the Emperour had placed to gouerne Millan When the Emperour sawe his obstinacie he came to Rome where he was very magnifically receiued and demaunded of the Romanes that which the Pope had denyed him The Nobles of Rome hearing this sent their messengers to the Pope beseeching him to come to Rome and graunt that which the Emperour desired which if he denyed to doe they would doe said they according to the law and auncient custome of the Romans yet for all this was the Pope nothing moued but rather much more incensed and cast them from his presence with many iniuries and threatnings When the people of Rome saw this they determined to graunt that which the Emperour demaunded and so the Senators Stephen and Nicholas by commaundement of the Clergie people crowned the Emperour with his wife the Emperesse This knowne to Pope Iohn he made great processe against the Emperour calling him heretique and saying he had committed high treason he depriued him of all that he had excommunicating him a new with a most cruell excommunication Thus farre Ieronymus Marius Diuines and lawyers in those times
were not wanting that affirmed Christ and his Apostles to haue had nothing in proper and that the Emperour in temperall thinges was not subiect to the Pope The Emperour and Nobles of Rome well perceiuing the villanies of the Pope and the Romans much stomacking their messengers bad intreatie with the Pope all with one consent determined that the ancient custome of choosing the Roman Bishop should bee eftsoones obserued namely that the Pope being chosen by the people of Rome should be confirmed by the Emperour And so declaring Iohn to be an heretique tyrant and no pastor but a perturber of the peace publique of the Church they chose Petrus Corbarensis a Minorite whom they called Nicholas 5. This Pope graunted tenthes to Charles the faire king of France for the conquest of the holy land and willing them against the Emperour Lodwicke Bauare The king was ill thought of and worse also the Pope when it was knowne which was a scandalous theft that to the halfes they were graunted as saith Fryar Iohn de Pineda lib 22. cap. 25. ¶ 6. In this Popes time saith Carion lib. 5. was the question handled if the Emperor ought to depose the Pope when he shal not doe his dutie in his office and put another in his place as did Otho 1. who deposed the Pope after that his cause had bene heard in the Councell In this time and the 1335. yeare dyed Pope Iohn beeing 90. yeares old He left so much treasure as none of his predecessors had done to wit 205000. dragmes of gold or as saith Friar Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap 26. ¶ 4. a millyon he left in money and 700000 duckets and in the margin he saith some say 25. millions how shall he say with Saint Peter whose successor he boasteth to be Siluer gold haue I none The Bull of this Popes recantation touching the heresie of the Soules in the Historie of Petrus Premostratensis appeareth In the time of this Iohn Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castille Don Alonso the sonne of Iames 2. in Aragon and another Don Alonso in Portugale Benedict 12. or 10. was no better to Lodowick the Emperour then was Iohn 23. his predecessor He confirmed the excommunication and that moreouer which Iohn had done For which cause the Emperor assembled in Almaine all the Electors Dukes Earles Bishops and learned men In whose presence he shewed that the Electors of the Empire and none others ought to chuse the king of the Romans who being so elected as Emperor without the Popes confirmation might exercise and administer the office of the Emperour This good Emperour shewed further that saying of the Pope to be false that the Imperiall seate being voyde the Pope was the gouernour of the Empire He shewed that this was against the libertie dignitie law and Maiestie of the sacred Empire and that the good and approued custome which hitherto had beene obserued was that the County Palatine of Rhin in the time of such vacation should gouerne the Empire graunt the fees and the Clementine notwithstanding further dispose of the affaires of the Empire In conclusion so great was the goodnesse of this Lodowicke that Benedict receiued him into friendship and absolued him of the excommunication Albeit in very deede the Pope did this not so much for the goodnesse of the Emperour as that he might ayde him against the King of France whom hee feared and so by publike edict adâ—ulled and made voyde all whatsoeuer his predecessors had done against the Emperour saying that Iohn had exceeded his dutie in excommunicating of the Emperour c. And that which in his defence the Emperour had done like a good Christian he had done it In the time of this Pope liued Franciscus Petrarca who had to sister a beautifull woman whom this old lecher the Pope with great summes of money bought for his pleasure of her other brother called Gerrard For the Popes abhorre to haue lawful wiues and loue to embrace strumpets In the 1342. yeare dyed Benedict 12. Don Alonso 11. reigning in Castile Clement 6. as saith Ieronymus Marius Eusebiocatiuo was was much giuen to women very ambitious desirous of honour and power and with a deuillish furie furious He caused writinges to be fixed vpon the dores of the Churches wherein with terrible threates and punishments menaced the Emperour Lodowicke if within three dayes he did did not that which he commaunded The Eemperour being a peaceable man and enemye to blod shed set his embassadors to the Pope beseeching him to pardon and receiue him into his fauour But the Pope answered that by no meanes he would pardon him vntill he should confesse all his errors and heresies depriue himselfe of the Empire put himselfe his children and all that he had into his handes to doe therewithall as he best pleased and had also promised not to take againe these things without his fauour and good will To all this that the Pope demanded for the auoiding of warres and slaughter which he saw imminent if he subiected not himselfe the Emperour yeelded and so sware to obserue that which the Pope commanded Whereat the Pope himselfe wondered and neuer thought the Emperour would so haue done yet for all this was not this vnmercifull Clement appeased but froÌ„ day to day became worse he confirmed all that which Iohn 23. had done against Lodowicke the Emperour commanded the Princes to choose another Emperour tooke the Archbishopricke from the Archbishop of Maguncia and because the Archbishop seeing the innocencie of the Emperor wold not be against him depriued him of the Electorship With great summes of mony were the rest of the Electors corrupted by Iohn K. of Boheme to the end they might vow for Charles his son so they chose him Emperor Which election this vnmerciful Clement theÌ„ approued Thus left Lodowike the gouernment of the Empire But the Pope not herewith contented sent one in wine to giue him poison wherof he died Hasten ô Spaine to know this cruel beast Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 28. ¶ 2. saith Leaue we Pope Clement in his Court at Auignon where Symony hath free passage in the exchange of benefices c. This pope to rake together mony reduced the Iubile from an hundred to fifty yeares which in his absence the 1350. yeare was celebrated at Rome Boniface 8 did institute the same from 100 to 100 yeares This Clement 6. authorized the Bishop of Bamberg to absolue all such as had takeÌ„ part with the Emperor but with 3 coÌ„ditions The 1. to swear fealty to him as to the Vicar of God the 2. to beleeue that the Emperor had no right in the electing or deposing the Pope the 3. not to acknowledge any for K. nor Caesar if he wer not by the Pope confirmed Euidently shewed this Clement 6. the authoritie hee tooke in heauen Purgatorie and Hell For in his Bull of Iubile speaking of
the Pilgrime that iornying to Rome to obteine the Iubile should die in the waie We graunt saith he that if being truly confessed he shall die in the waie he shall be free and absolutely absolued from all his sinnes And moreouer we commaund the Angels to place the soule wholly freed from purgatorie into Paradice And in another Bull he saith We will not that the paines of hell shall any way touch him He graunteth to such as take the Cruzado to goe a warfare that they may drawe 3 or 4 soules of whome they will out of Purgatorie The popish Bulles are very mockeries Bulla is a Latin word as much to say as a litle bubble which the raine maketh in the water being a vaine thing and of no continuance There is also in Latine a prouerbe which saith Homo bulla man is vanitie The popes purposely it seemeth haue put this name in their Indulgences and pardons whereby they signifie their bulles to be mockeries and vanitie For such then let vs hold them In the 1352. yere Clement 6. being alone in his chamber sodainly died Don Alonso 11. then reigned in Castile Innocent 6. a Frenchmen was very sparing to giue and very liberall to take and so gaue he benefices most liberally to such as gaue most for them He sent his Legate into Italie Don Gill Carillo of Albornoz a Spanish Cardinall and Archbishop of Toledo A great warrier was this Don Gill and so more exercised in armes then in the Bible In Rome gaue he the crowne Imperiall to Charles sonne of the king of Boheme But with this condition that the Emperor should no longer remain in Rome nor Italie This Cardinall at his owne charge buylded a notable Colledge for the poore Spanish Students in Bologna Thus far Tarapha vpon the life of Don Pedro. Fryar Alonso venero in his Enchiridion of times saith that in the 1351. yeare this Cardinall commanded he should after death be brought on mens shoulders to the Church of Toledo and so was he carried the Pope giuing great IndulgeÌ„ces to whom so euer would be partner in that traueile For which cause all the people by whom he came went out to receiue him and one people carried him to another and the other vnto another vntill they came to Toledo In saying this Don Gill to haue bene in the time of Martin 5. Venero is deceiued Platina and Tarapha place him in the time of Innocent 6. In the courts which at this time were held in Perpinan he commanded that not at the incarnation which is the 25. of March but at the Natiuitie the yeare should beginne This custome to begin the yeare at the incarnation is yet to this day obserued in England When Innocent heard the difference happened betweene the king Don Pedro the Queene his wife Cardinall William to make friendship betweene the king and Queene and the states of Castile which tooke parte with the Queene but seeing the king obstinate without ought effecting he returned and the Queen for griefe sorrow afew dayes after died Auignon in the 1362. yeare this Pope died in Vrban 5. being absent and no Cardinall was chosen Pope Cardinall Don Gill Carillo he sent into Italie for his vicar generall which office he had executed in the life of his predecessor Innocent 6. as before we haue said In the 4. yeare of his Popedome this Pope with his Cardinals came from Rome to Auignon In the Lent time he sent a Rose to Iane Queene of Sicilia made a decree euery yere to giue this Rose vpon that Sunday in Lent which they call Laetare so returned with his court into France In the time of this Vrban was the Archbishop of Colonia as saith Petrus Premostratensis maried D. Illescas vpon the life of this Vrban 5. saith That when he had forgotten where were the heads of the holy Apostles Peter Paule instantly did the Emperour sollicite the pope that they should be sought for And at last were they found in a chest in the Sancto Sanctorum of S. Iohn de Lateran put in the place where nowe they remaine c. See here the assurance which our aduersaries haue of their so great relikes In the 1371. yeare not without suspition of poison Vrban died Don Henry 2. bastard son of Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castile Gregory 11. Nephew or son to Clement 6. being 17 yeers old was made Cardinal When he was Pope seeing all Italy to bee mutinous almost all fallen froÌ„ his obedience by the counsell of Catalina of Sena who was afterwards canonized of Baldo his master as saith Volateranus In the 1376. yere he left France with 12 galleyes came to Rome Clement 5. remoued the Court of Rome into Fraunce where it was holden almost 74 yeares Others say that Saint Bridget returning from Ierusalem came to Rome wrote to Gregory saying that the Lord wold that the Romane Court should returne to Rome So also saith Masseus Others among whom is CraÌ„tzio say that the Pope reproued a certaine Bishop because he followed the Court Papall and was not resident vpon his Bishopricke to whom answered the Bishop And thou Pope of Rome why giuest thou not example to others by returning to thine owne Bishoprick And so the Court of Rome either by the counsell of one of the two women or both or by the counsell of a Bishop at the end of 74. yeares returned to Rome This Pope did excommunicate the Florenâ—ines which had bene the heades of the Rebellions against whome he made great warres because they nought regarded his excoÌ„munication In the 1378. yere died this Gregory In whose time Don Henry 2. raigned in Castile When Gregorie 11. was dead the clergie people of Rome that the court of Rome should not eftsoons returne into France ran to the cardinalls and praied them to make choice of some Italian but in no wise of a French man And as they began to make the election between the Cardinals which were 17. 4 Italians 13 Frenchmen arose great contention The French being many more in number might easily haue preuailed but they durst not for the Romans were in armes and threatened them except they chose an Italian For which cause on Fryday the 9. of April made they a Pope called him Vrban 6. And as saith Platina before he was published not once suspected to be pope the French Cardinals began a grudge saying that this electioÌ„ was vnlawful and nothing worth because the Romans requiring with weapons in their hands that the Pope should be an ItaliaÌ„ by fraud force it was made And so the Cardinals de parted the Conclaue some retired to the Castle S. Angello others to the mountains to escape the rage fury of the people When Cardinall Vrsinus saw the great discord among the Cardinals he well hoped he should be Pope and so did
ordinariely see in such like places c. And vppon the life of Benedict the eight saith the same Illescas That it should not be amisse for the prelates to commaund that none remayne by night in such like hermitages for many wicked thinges which are there committed should be excused c. This Iulius with his hoste vpon a time issuing out of Rome hurled the keyes of Saint Peter into the riuer Tyber saying Sith the keyes of Peter are now of no force et the sword of Paule preuayle and so drewe he the sword out of the scaberd For like a good captaine he carried the sword at his side Vppon this so notable a deede many Poetts made verses of which I will recite fower that declare the Historie Inde manustrictum vagina diripit ensem Exclamansque truci talia voce refert Hic gladius Pauli nos nunc defendet ab hoste Quando quidem clauis nil iuuat ista Petri. From scaberd then his naked sword he drew Exclaming with cruell voyce he said This sword of Paul shall make our foes to rew Sith Peters keyes nought serue vs for our ayd What religion had this Pope that so shamelesly mocked with Saint Peter and Saint Paule When hee was made Pope he promised that with an othe that within 2 yeares he would hold a Councell Of this oath maketh mention Friar Bartholmew Carrança speaking of the Lateran Councell that in the time of this Iulius was holden But when the 2 yeares yeares yeares more passed and no hope of a Councell was seene the Pope being far of from any such matter for that the Councels are too bitter purges for the Popes as before in the CouÌ„cels of Pisa Constance and Basile we haue seene 9 Cardinals whereof Barnardino Carauaiall a Spaniard was one together with the procurators of Maximilian the Emperour and of Lewes 12 king of France assembled at Millan and nominated Pisa for the Councel to be holden which should begin the first day of September in the 1511 yeare The causes that moued them so to doe were that the Pope had broken the othe which hee had made sith so many yeares passed yet made he no showe of a CouÌ„cel therfore to accuse the Pope of enormious offences had they called a Councell Their purpose was to depriue him of his Popedome where vnto he had aspired through ambition and bribes But Iulius vnderstanding hereof commaunded vnder a greiuous paine that no person of what condition or estate soeuer should goe to Pisa and that nothing of that should be obeyed which those of Pisa decreed ordeyned and nominated Rome for the celebration of a Councell the yeare following which was to begin the 9. of Aprill 1512. At this time liued in Padua Philipus Decius an excellent lawer who by writing defended against the Pope the cause of these Cardinals When the king of France perceiued that the Pope had ioyned with the Venecians to make war with him he called a Councell at Tours and there propounded these 5 questions whether it were lawfull for the Pope to moue warres and that causelesse against any Prince whether such a Prince defending his countrie might set vppon him that had inuaded him and depart from his obedience It was answered that it is not lawfull for the Pope to moue warres c. and that it is lawfull for such a Prince in defence of himselfe to doe that a foresaid and that for the kingdome of France the law pragmaticall ought to be obserued That no account was to bee made of the Popes censures and excommunications if then hee should passe them The King receiuing this answere sent it to the Pope praying him eyther to be content with a peace or else to call a generall Councell purposely to examine and determine this busines but the Pope admitted neither the one nor the other This wretched Iulius as some authors report was reputed for a great Sodomite Queen Anne of France say they sent 2 youthes to Cardinal Robertus Nanetensis to be instructed whom the Pope abused the like report another author maketh of an Almaine youth great Lord with whom he committed the like wickednesse These be things which neither honest pen ought to write nor chast eares to heare yet is it needfull to discouer the shames of the Roman Courte that Spaine thereby be no longer deceiued And for this pardon mee good Christian reader Albeit that such a one was Iulius yet wanted he not those that did extoll him for very Godly wise prudent and a man of Counsell Woe vnto you that call euill good and good euill When Iulius had Poped 10. yeares in the 1513. yeare he dyed In whose time died also Dona Isabella Queene and in her place Dona Iane her daughter which married with Don Phillip of Austra sonne of Maximilian the Emperor reigned And so the low countries were ioyned with Spaine Leo 10. a Florentine was of his owne nature quiet and gentle but leauing himselfe to be ruled by vnquiet and cruell men he suffered many Insolencies to be commited Much giuen he was to Idlenes pleasure taking and carnall delights many bastards he had whom he greatly enriched making them Dukes and mightie Lords and marrying them with great Ladies At the age of 13 yeares was this Leo made Cardinal what age was this to be a pillar of the Church At this CoronatioÌ„ were made most great feasts which should be long to recount Aboue 100000 duckets they affirme were cast among the people as saith D. Illescas vpon the life of Leo c. Leo 10. at one time created 13 Cardinals among whoÌ„ he would make Raphaell Vrbinas a most excelleÌ„t painter that this way he might recoÌ„peÌ„ce the great sum of money which he owed him for his picturs See here wherfore the hats doe serue yet is this to be passed ouer for they are wontedly giueÌ„ for other abhominatioÌ„s Liberal he was in granting of IndulgeÌ„ces much more in taking money for them to enrich his children In the 1515. yeare Leo graunted a Iubile to Fraâ—ucis king of France which Iubile passed also into many other prouinces The comissares Echacueruos deceiuers did preach that whosoeuer would giue the summe of money which was taxed should draw one what soule he would out of Purgatorie They said that God according to the promise made to S. Peter whatsoeuer thou looseston earth shal be loosed in heauen would doe all whatsoeuer they would But not a farthing said they must be wanting of that which was taxed They pardoned those that tooke this Iubile for thinges done and to bee done which gayne as they said displeased many Godly and learned and so they began to debate the question of the authoritie and power of the Pope Which question was the ruine of the Popedome Martin Luther among others opposed himselfe to these Insolent Pardons and preached against them in Almaigne as saith Bartholomew Carança a
the 170. yeare the Gentiles forced with tormentes the seruants of the Christians to say of their maisters many abhominations and among others that they eate their owne children Celsus the Gentile Philosopher accused the Christians for disloyall and traytors and said that their religion they had taken from the Barbarians and Iewes Origen defended the Christians with 8 bookes which he wrote against this Celsus In the time of S. Augustine were great calamities and wars the which Symachus an orator and many other imputed to the Christians saying that whiles the Roman Empire adored their Gods it prospered The like Historie reciteth Ieremy that when they worshiped the Queene of heauen then all thinges prospered Read the bookes intituled of the citie of God where Saint Augustine wrote against this slaunder in defence of the Christians In the time of the glorious martyr Saint Ciprian who many yeares liued before S. Augustine there was a Proconsull in Africa called Demetrianus a great enemy of the Christians he and others such like with him said that all the wars famine and pestilence wherewith the world was then afflicted ought to be imputed to the Christians because they did not worship the Gods Against this Demetrianus wrote S. Cipriā saying that not the Christians but the Gentiles were the cause of these calamities because vnwilling to worship the true God they adored false Gods and afflicted the Christians with so great and so vniust persecutions not that they should confesse God but that they should denie him The weakenesse of their Gods he shewed them seeing they could not defend themselues c. Al this in our time fully passeth For the selfe same causes are we at this day slaundered and vniustly to the most cruell and shamfull kind of death condemned The same state of the Church is now as it was in the time of Saint Ciprian and of the other Saintes by vs named And as they were defended against the Gentiles So we against the Antichristians doe now make our defence We tell them that God sendeth in our dayes so many calamities of wars famine and pestilence because they haue profaned the diuine worship and in the place of the creator they honour the creatures They worship not God as he hath commaunded in spirit and truth but after the doctrines and commaundements of men and God alone doe they not worship but also the Saints their Images and pictures They adore not will they tell me the Images but that which they represent albeit their second Nicen Councell not the first which is holy and good commaundeth Images with the same adoration to be worshiped as that which they represent as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue declared Also our aduersaries seing themselues in some affliction inuocate the saints of Paradise without any commandement or example in al the holy scripture so to do where they ought to inuocate none but God alone Also wheras ther is but one only mediator Intercessor aduocate betwixt God mā which is Christ Iesus as the Apostle calleth him they not contented with the only Intercessiō of Christ for were they cōtented Christ is sufficient for thē many mediators do they inuent each one maketh choice of one for himself Also they take away ad to the law of God he which so doth being cursed of God so take they away the 2. cōmandement against Images to fil vp the number of ten of the tenth doe they make two commandements Also we read in holy scripture that the Lord in his catholike church did institute but two sacraments baptisme the holy supper they haue made 7. They also say that neither the Pope nor Coūcel nor the Inquisition can erre hence commeth it that they giue so much credit to the decrees constitutions of the Popes Councels Inquisitors as if they were the word of God it selfe yet would God they gaue not more credit to them then to the word of God Very common are ignorance supersticion Idolatrie in the Romane Church This is the height of al their wickednesse that with fire bloud doe they persecute the true catholique Christiās because so instructed gouerned by the word of God they worship one only God in spirit truth because they hold Iesus Christ for the only and alone mediator and because they ad not nor ought diminish from the law of God nor his worde When our aduersaries shal then say that we trouble the world with our new doctrine we will make them the same answere that Elias inspired with the diuine spirit freely made vnto K. Achab. Art thou he saith Achab which troublest Israell Elias answered Not I but it is thou thy fathers house that trouble Israell because ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord and followed Baall yee then will we say to our aduersaries are they that haue forsaken the commandements of Christ haue followed the traditiōs of Antichrist your father the Pope ye are they which worship not nor honour God but ye worship and honor Images against the expresse cōmandemēt of God Exod. 20. Deut. 5. with many other places Let our aduersaries at last vnderstand these others such like to be the cause why God afflicteth the world with so great wars famine pestilence diuers other calamities within our dayes we haue yet doe suffer His maiestie for his infinit mercy for his Christs sake opē their eyes that they may consider the works of God so may soften not harden their harts as did Pharo who by the more God did afflict him for his rebellion contempt by so much the more was he hardened against God the people of God But leauing ancient histories come we to that which in our dayes happened let vs come to our countrie of Spaine God by his iust iudgement hath many times in the space of 40 yeares afflicted Spaine with wars famine pestilence and other calamaties which began a little after that great persecution against the faithfull and catholique Christians This persecution beginning in Seuill hath stretched almost throughout all Spaine against the noble learned people as after we wil declare The priests of Baall in their pulpits cōfessiōs discourses do affirme all this of right to be imputed vnto those whom they cal Lutheran heretiques The common people which neither know nor other thing beleeue but that which these Baalamites tell them cōmand thē to beleeue doe beleiue it so to be For confirmation of my sayings I wil here recite that which D. Illescas cap. 31. vpon the life of Pius 4. saith His wordes be these In the 1561. yeare on Saint Mathewes day the 21 of September being the Saboth two howers before day in the morning aftre was kindled in the streete called Costanilla of Valladolid so terrible and fearefull that without hope of remedy in the 30. howers space it ruined aboue 400. of the most
shalt see if I speake truth Great shame it is for our Spaniards who esteemed themselues of as free and good conceit as the Italians that they disable and deiect themselues slaues to the Pope not daring to whisper against him what villanies soeuer they see him commit Libertie of conscience Libertie away away with the Pope this proud Antichrist Some of these places which Pius 5. hath gelded among the sayings of learned men which haue spoken against the Pope will we afterwards alleage In the 1572 yeare and first day of May died Pius 5. Don Philip being king of Spaine Gregorie 13. a Bolonnist before called Hugo boncompagno the 15. day of may 1572. yeare was set in the seat of Antichrist 13 yeares little more or lesse he Poped when he was Pope he renewed the old hatred of his predecessor Pius 5. against the Queene of England so practized by al possible meanes one while by force as appeareth by the great Armada sent into Ireland had a miserable end another while by craft and deceit as was seene in the great traitor Parry and others by him sent who had also a miserable end and were quatered into 4 parts as they had deserued to doe her all the mischiefe he could But God deliuered the Queene from all those cursed inuentions and the same God a iust iudge in the end chastized this Gregorie by killing his body and sending his soule into hell It was the common voyce and fame in Rome that Gregorie before he was Pope and also being Pope like a father but not most holy nor yet holy but carnall had his concubyne of whom he had also little sonnes which said vnto him such graces as made him to laugh And beeing Pope such was the grace that his little sonne Philippicus sayd that the Pope his father gaue him fiue thousand crownes of rent Marke ô yee Spaniards how the Patrimony which you call Saint Peters is imployed And he is not alone he which hath it doth so also imploy it as we haue seene in the liues of the Popes The ceremony of the stoole needed not this Gregorie for very well was he knowne to be a man and not a woman In the time of this Pope was the most fierce bloudy battaile betweene the Portugales and Moores in Africk wherein 3 kinges died Don Sebastian the king being dead in this battell the Cardinall Don Henry brother of king Don Iohn the third grandfather of Don Sebastian was elected king who like another Anius was king and Priest of whom Virgill saith in the 3. of his Aeneads Rex Anius rex idem hominum Phaebique sacerdos Of this Cardinall say the Portugales that in the Epistle of the moone he was borne and in the Eclipse of the moone he died In the 1581 or 82 yeare in the time of Gregorie 13. his Popeing a very straunge chaunce happened in Valladolid There dwelled in Valladolid a knight quallified who in the Inquisition had 2 daughters which constantly perseuering in the good religion they had learned of the good D. Caâ—alla and other martyrs of Iesus Christ were condemned to be burned The father being a most rancke Papist besought the Inquisitors to permit theÌ„ for their better instruction to be carried to his house which thing the Inquisitors in regard of the great credit they reposed in him graunted And brought thus to his house the father endeauored to diuert them from their constant resolution And seing he could not conuince them he caused Priests and Friars to dispute with them but in vaine were all their disputs For the Lord as in Luke 21. 15. he had promised gaue them vtterance and wisedome which the new Pharesies Priests and Friars were not able to resist nor gainesay The father then seeing al his endeuour nought auailed went himselfe to his groue cut downe wood and caused it to be drawne to Valladolid he himselfe kindled the fire so were they burned And no maruell Seing the Lord in the same place of S. Luke forwarned vs that it so shuld happeÌ„ Ye shal be saith he deliuered vp euen of your owne fathers brothers kinsflolkes friends they shall kill you ye shal be hated of all men for my names sake thus farre of the afflictions miseries of the poore faithful yet that which the Lord then addeth is for our comfort But one haire saith he shall not perish or fall from your head in pacience possesse ye your soules So did these two blessed of the Lord possesse and now enioy that celestiall glorie which the Lord for whom they died had prepared for them before the foundation of the world This cruell father in doing that he did against his daughters vndoubtedly supposed he did great seruice to God Of this also hath the Lord foretould vs Iohn 16. 2. The hower commeth saith he that whosoeuer shall kill you shall thinke he doth God seruice And that we should not bee dismayed but coragious in such afflictions the Lord in the end of this chapter saith These things haue I told you that in me ye might haue peace in the world ye shall haue trouble but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world This Gregorie carelesse to correct himselfe or Clergie either in life or doctrin by aÌ„ticipating 10 daies in the yere gaue himselfe to correct the callender And to eternize his name this callender he called Gregorilanum At this time were reunited al the kingdomes of Spaine which from the enterance of the Moores into Spaine 880. so many yeares sithens haue bene deuided so Don Philip our king and Lord in all Spaine reigneth I beseech my God from the bottome of my hart to giue him vnderstanding to know who the Pope is In the 1521. yeare the yeare of famine the 13 of December and in a village of 25 or 30 houses called Montalto neere to the citie of Firmo which is in the marches of Ancona was borne Felix Pereto called Sistus 5. In this Sistus 5. the common saying in Spaine was fulfilled Rex por natura y papa por Ventura A king by nature a Pope by aduenture for so poore was his father that he was a swineheard Felix in his childhood was very poorely brought vp but shewing some sufficiencie of wit a geÌ„tlewoman for Gods sake clothed him with the habite of Saint Frauncis intreated the warden to receiue him into his couent where he studied GraÌ„mer logique Philosophie schoole diuinitie and in those sciences much proffited In the end being nowe of age hee was made Inquisitor In which office such was his cariage as few could abide his crueltie And so it happened that he called before him a magnifico of Venice who being come very discourteously inhumanly he intreated This gentleman vnaccustomed to heare such iniuries and disgraces as by that which after he did for reuenge to the Lord Inquisitor appeareth did stomacke the matter A few dayes after this gentleman
her the mother of whoredomes and abominations The same also is Rome fully and plainely What citie is there nowe in the worlde wherein are so great confusions of vices and so many thousands of common whoores which they call Curtisans of whom the Pope hath so great a rent that hee may make thereof a great inheritance Yet this is nothing compared with other infinite abominations which in Rome are committed What place in Christendome is the wicked sinne more suffered without punishment then in Rome This woman saith Saint Iohn was druken with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus How many and how many hath the Pope caused to be burned and to die by the sword for saying and beleeuing Iesus Christ to be our only and chiefe Bishop Intercessor and Mediator as the Apostle calleth him For beleeuing that the body which he once offered vpon the tree of the crosse is the onely and alone sacrifice wherewith the wrath of the Father is appeased For beleeuing that by faith onely without any respect of our owne workes we are iustified In our times of these threescore or fourescore yeares how much innocent bloud hath this rauening wolfe for this cause shed and spilled in Almaine France England and in Italy also and within fortie or fiftie yeares in our countrey of Spaine The fires and persecutions of Seuill Valladolid and other partes of Spaine do witnesse What satisfaction shall this so cruell beast make for one Doctour Constantine the onely pearle of our countrey of Spaine For one Doctour Vargas For Doctour Egidius For Don Iohn Ponce of Lyons sonne to the Countie of Baylen so neare kinsman to the Duke of Arcos For one Christopher de Arellano a man by the confession of the Inquisitors themselues most learned For one Ieronymo Caro For one Licenciate Iohn Gonçales For the Licenciate Losada All these were men of singular life which the Papistes themselues that knewe them cannot denie and godly they were in doctrine All these in Seuill and many others men and women were either condemned aliue or else vntombed being dead by the fire consumed At one time were all these and so all at one time almost burned in Seuill O Seuill Seuill that killest and burnest the prophetes which God sendeth vnto thee Name me some eight of thy seruants of the Pope at this day liuing in thee which aswell in life as doctrine may compare with or paragon those eight which I haue named as thou then burnedst As the bloud of Abell cried out to God so now the bloud of these Martyrs do likewise crie vnto God Vnder the ashes of these blessed men hath God hidden many small sparkles which when he shall please he will blowe away and so kindle them that a farre greater fire shall they make then that which is passed and so shall increase the number of the faithfull For the bloud of the martyrs is the seed of the Gospell Saint Iohn concludeth his chapter saying That this woman is the great Citie which reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth Is not this a mainifest description of the Court of Rome what other citie but Rome reigned ouer all the kings of the earth From all parts of the world they went to Rome The riches of the world they caried to Rome the Pope onely was king of kinges and Lord of Lordes And woe to him that should displease him Of the beast saith S. Iohn that he had 7 heads and 10 horns which S. Iohn himself declareth saying that the seuen heads which the beast hath are 7 mountaines The holy Spirit which spake this by the mouth of Saint Iohn nothing wanted but the naming of Rome The ancient Poets as Virgil Horace which liued in the time of Augustus Caesar the Emperour in whose time also S. Iohn liued called Rome Septicollis of 7 hils or mountaines The Grecians call it Eptalophos which is the same with Septicollis â—o seuer it from all the cities of the world this Epitheton they giue it Calepin Septicollis vrbis Romae Epitheton à septem collium numero imposituÌ„ Tertullian in the 35. chap. of his Apologie saith Ipsos Quirites ipsam vernaculaÌ„ septem collium plebem couenio c. Horace in the end of his Epodon Dijs quibus septem placuere colles Dicere carmen He speaketh of Rome And Virgil Aeneid 6. Septemque vna sibi muro circundedit arces And Propertius Septem vrbis alta ingis toto quae praesidet orbi As much to say as the loftie citie with seuen hils which is Lady of all the world The names of these seuen mountaines are Capitolino Palatino Quirinal Auentino Celio Viminal and Exquilino By these words of Saint Iohn we cleerely see that Antichrist hath his seat at Rome and no other there is that hath his seat at Rome but the Pope Therefore the Pope is Antichrist The ten hornes saith Saint Iohn be tenne kings subiect to Antichrist who stoutly fight in defeÌ„ce of their Monarch Antichrist they shall fight saith he against the Lambe What more sorcelesse thing is there without weapons and subtiltie then a Lambe Notwithstanding the weake simple and disarmed Lambe ouercommeth these ten kings which with Lyonlike Wolfe-like force rush vpon him and not preuaile And when by force they cannot as old Foxes by craft will they seeke to catch and kill him But come as they will the Lambe ouercomes them all Who is this Lambe The same is he of whom Saint Iohn saith that he is slaine from the beginning of the world How The slaine Lambe doth he ouercome Yea verily This is the power of God That Lambe he is of whom witnesseth the other Saint Iohn saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iesus Christ is this Lambe who killeth Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth as in handling the second passage which we alleaged of the Epistle to the Thessalonians we haue before declared Saint Iohn saith further That these ten hornes are ten kings who perceiuing the inuincible power of the impotent Lambe shall forsake Antichrist disgrace him make warre against him and destroy him Before 80 yeares past what king in Christendome durst whisper against the Pope All were his vassals all were his souldiers and all hee commanded But seeing the mortall wounds which the Lamb with his only word hath giuen the Pope How many haue forsaken him within these fourescore yeares In Almaine England Scotland Denmarke and Swethland we haue manifest examples France also and Polonia are falling away from the Pope Who so shall liue shall one day heare the same of Spaine God hath begunne his worke he will not leaue it imperfect nor yet end in the middest Behold how Daniel Paule and Iohn concurre and agree together All they three with one Spirite which caused them to speake declare that â—his soâ—e â—f perdition and man of Sinne shal be very abhominable in his life and much more
without any competency of Antichrist may reigne So be it Amen I haue long dwelled vpon this fourth answere for the matter so required considering that many simple people which not otherwise haue heard nor are able to vnderstand how God who loueth his Church would permit her so long time to be deceiued at the least with such a deceit of idolatrie are in this deceiued And so they and the rest shall see that not to be the truth which our aduersaries hold for for an oracle that the visible Church cannot erre God open their eyes that seeing they may see and hearing they may heare and so conuert and be saued Amen Only God is he which cannot erre but doth euer right But only his sonne Christ Iesus is he which sinned not which erred not neither was there any guile found in his mouth Onely the word of God abideth for euer And as often as the Church be she neuer so populous apparant shall depart from this word of God and shall not hold it for her squire rule and patterne she shall erre And the more she turneth away the more shall she erre But alwayes when she will be gouerned thereby she shall be established and shall neuer erre For the word of God saith Dauid is a lantern vnto our feet and a light vnto our paths The 5. reason wherewith they confirme their Masse is the great miracles which the Masse their consecrate hostes haue done Here will I recken some for to seeke to recken all should bee neuer to end Damascen among other great strange matters which he citeth in the sermon of the dead afterwards will wee speake of these wonders telleth for a great miracle a true fable and old womans tale One Macarius saith he desirous to know the state of the dead spake with the drie scull of one that was dead c. And that the same scull answered him that the soules of the dead are not so greatly tormented whilest the sacrifice of the Masse continueth Herehence our aduersaries conclude the Masse to be holy and good S. Cyprian an Author more ancient and autentike and a martyr of Iesus Christ reporteth a strange miracle which in his presence happened Thus then saith he I my self being present an eye witnes therof It chaÌ„ced that the pareÌ„ts of a yong girle flying making through great feare no reckening of their daughter they left her with the Nurse that brought her vp The Nurse hauing the abandoned childe caried her to the Magistrate gaue vnto this young girle before the idoll whereunto the people flocked a foppe wet in the wine that was left of the sacrifice of them which perished This sop gaue they vnto her for that by reason of her tendeâ— age she could not yet eate flesh the mother after this recouered her child but so much could the infant tell or declare the horrible fact it had committed as it could not before either vnderstand or auoyd it It happened that the mother brought her through ignorance when we were sacrificing as much to say as celebrating the supper of the Lord which in memorie of the sacrifice by the Lord once offered was celebrated but the infant mingled with the Saints vnable to abide our supplication and prayer nowe with shrikes tormented her selfe now with feruour of heart like a waue of the â—ea she cast her selfe to and fro as though a hangman had tormented her And with the tokens and shewes that the ignorant soule of her age and simplicitie might shee confessed the conscience of the deede But when the solemnities ended the Deacon began to present the cuppe to them that were present note the communion in both kindes and the others hauing taken it the turne came to her in the time of Saint Cyprian they also gaue the cup to young children the girle by very instinct of the diuine Maiestie turned away her face shut her mouth and forcing together her lippes refused the cuppe But all this notwithstanding albeit she refused the sacrament of the cuppe yet insisted the deacon and cast it into her mouth Then began she to sigh and vomite The Eucharist could not stay in a body and mouth which were filthy The drinke sanctified in the bloud of the Lord note that he calleth the wine in the supper drinke sanctified in the bloud of the Lord with furie departed from the polluted intralles so great is the power of the Lord so hreat is his maiestie c. Hitherto Saint Cyprian Of this miracle Saint Augustine also in the 23. Epistle maketh mention reciting it there so certaine authours and more Saint Cyprian saith that hee was an eye-witnesse I assuredly beleeue that so it happened But the same will I not say of that recounted by Damâ—scen noâ— of that which now I will declare Albeit reported by Pius the second In the description of Europe cap. 21. Pius the second speaking of Estiria a prouince of Almaine saith these words It is said and is a thing common among theÌ„ of Estiria that there was a certain Gentleman who manie times purposed to hang himselfe which much displeasing hm he went to a certaine learned person to demaund remedie against this temptation The counsell that hee gaue him was this that he should carie his owne priest euery day to say Masse in a solitary rocke where he dwelled The Gentleman obeyed and so continued for a yeere and neuer after came into his memorie this wicked thought Afterwards the Priest craueth of him licence to goe and ayde another Priest his neighbour which dwelled in another mountaintaine neare adioyning to celebrate the feast of the dedicatioÌ„ of the Church The Gentleman was contented that the Priest shuld go purposing in himself to follow speedily heare Masse The Caualleâ—o busied now with one thing then with another stayed long after In the end almost at the middle of the day he departed and in the way encountred a certaine villaine which said vnto him The Masse in the other mountaine is already ended and the people departed The Gentleman sorrowing at this newes and calling himselfe vnluckie for not seeing that day the body of Christ the villaine began to cheare him and said vnto him that he would sell him the merite which he had gotten by hearing of Masse if the other would buy it and demaunded for a price of the Gentleman his coat for know this that among the Papists one selleth his merits to another as if there were some that had done more thereof then hee ought wherewith he might do what he pleased The sale made and passed the knight notwithstanding went vp into the mountaine and made his prayers in the Church And as he returned he found the villaine hanged vpon a tree and neuer afterwards was troubled with wicked temptations Hitherto Pope Pius the second If this were truth who ought not to worship the Masse But either it was a lie or if it so happened it was one of
denote that this Incense and offering is not to be carnal but spirituall What agreement hath this with the Masse Which is a diuelish inuentioÌ„ prophaneth the holy supper Other places of the scripture alleage they for confirmation of their Masse But with as great faithfulnesse and as much to the purpose As these two of Mechilzedeck and Malachy which by that is said may easily be answered The 8 reason wherewith our aduersaries do magnifie their masse is for the great good profit that therof they receiue And of al these reasons others such like which they alleadge they coÌ„clude vs to be heretiques dogs worse theÌ„ Iewes Turkes Because we so shamelesly speake against the Masse which Iesus Christ instituted his Apostles said all the Church Catholike vnto this day hath celebrated c. They say then that besides the oblatioÌ„ and sacrifice which Iesus Christ hath made vppon the Crosse of his body and of his blood for remission of our sinnes to reconcile vs with God and to obtayne for vs life eternall hee hath ordayned the Priestes which be successors of the Apostles to consecrate in the Masse the bread and wine to transubstantiate it in the body and bloud of Christ to sacrifice and offer vnto God the father that body and that blood for the remission of our sinnes and to obtaine all that is necessarie for vs both in body soule And what greater good then this say they can be This sacrifice say they also doth much profit the dead to allay the paines which they haue to suffer and doe suffer in purgatory As we cited before of the dead maÌ„s scul of Macharius reported by Damascen Who so lusteth to knowe the profits of the Masse Let him read the Spanish houers he shall find very many Amongst others there mentioned be these which follow as much worth is the masse as is the passion of Iesus Christ Also that he which heareth it waxeth not old whilst he heareth it Also that hee shall not loose that day the light of his eyes Also that he shal not die an euil death also that he which shal haue seen the body of the Lord if that day he shal die sodenly that it is taken for comunicating he may not feare to be condemned And al this say they that S. Iohn Chrisostom S. Augustine S. Ierom say for they knew how to raise false testimonies These Articles of faith haue the inquisitors of our countrey of Spaine many yeares ago yeelded to goe among the houers which coÌ„monly are praied And if now they haue caused theÌ„ to be taken away and not suffered them to be printed in this yet doe they shew their ignorance that for so many yeares they haue suffered and commanded that with their license they should print them The cause that they now fall in account is that so grosse and abhominable lies more serue at this day to make wary the people then to deceaue them And therefore permit they such things more to be printed We say then that the Masse procureth vs no good at all but great mischiefe rather As after we shall see Now that we haue answered to the reasons wherewith our aduersaries thinke to mainetaine their Masse for more confutation thereof we will now likewise set downe some notable domages which it causeth and great aduersaries which necessarily follow the popish Doctrine of the masse And I will not be much curious in seting down here al the domages absurdities which follow of the masse for that should be neuer to end Only wil I set down such as most fitly come to mind for the preseÌ„t I say then that the Masse causeth many domages First it prophaneth the holy supper of the Lord suppressing and despising his death passion 2. In it they inuocate the dead saints 3. In it dead saints are placed for intercessors 4. The priests that saith it holde hee intention to consecrate or not and the people that heare it commit idolatrie Fiftly The Masse mainetaineth many other abuses besides the Idolatrie of transubstantiation As the worshipping of Images and the inuention of Purgatorie which is a common cutpurse Sixt. In the masse defraud they the people of the halfe of the Sacrament and this halfe doe they giue seldome and wickedly Seuenthly And put case the Masse were good yet is it said in a straunge Language which the people vnderstand not and with such gesture mouing childish toyes apish fopperies that rather prouoke laughter then deuotion These seuen domages wee proue by the same order as we propounded them And that the masse derogateth from the passion of Christ is clerely sene For the Masse which for this cause was ordayned that a hundred thousand sacrifices should euery one day be offered what doth it pretend but that the passioÌ„ of Iesus Christ wherin he offered himseâ—â—e and this once by one only sacrifice remaineth buried and cast in a corner Who will thinke to be redeemed by the death of Christ when he shall see a new redemption in the Masse Who will beleeue his sins to be pardoned by the death passion of Christ when he shal see a new remission of sins in the Masse Inuocation is a high worship seruice which is only due to God For in him only we beleeue how saith S. Paule shall we call vpon him in whom we haue not beleeued So that inuocation presupposeth faith such a faith as is founded vpon the word of God the Nicen creed they sing in their Masse which beginneth Credo in vnum Deum I beleeue in one only God If in one only God we ought to beleeue one only God ought we to inuocate The which inuocation being done in faith God promiseth that he will heare it Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord saith Ioel shall escape c As S. Paule Rom. 10. 13. and Saint Peter Acts 2. 21. doe interpret it shal bee saued Also that only God ought to be inuocated is by this reason proued Sacrifice is only due to the true God this our aduersaries will not deny inuocation is a sacrifice As saith the Psal 50. 14. Sacrifice vnto me praise or as saith the common edition The sacrifice of praise The sacrifice of praise commendeth the Apostle Hebr. 13. 15. and Hosea 14. 3 that we shal offer to God Therefore Inuocation sith it is a sacrifice to God onely ought it to bee offered But our aduersaries forsaking the fountaine of liuing waters haue digged them broken cesternes which can holde no water They leaue to call vppon God and inuocate the Saints And Saints sometime also that it is not knowne who they bee and some of them it may bee that are burning in hell An example haue we hereof in the prayer of S. Roccus which togither with the Crowne of our Lady in the 1581 yeare was printed in the house of Iohn Gutierres in Siuell The praier saith thus God which
Transubstantiation among our aduersaries that they hold him not a Christian but an heretike anathematized accursed and excommunicated that doth not beleeue it Wherein to the Councell of Florence held in the time of Eugenius the fourth in the yeare of our Lord 1439. do they great iniurie In this Councell were present the Emperour of Grecia the Patriarke of Constantinople and many Easterne Bishops The Greekes and Latines agreed in this Councell in the difference which they held touching the holy Spirit and in some other things they also agreed but as touching Transubstantiation albeit the Pope did labour them to allow of it yet could they neuer effect it with them And great heed tooke the Greekes that in the letter of vnitie no mention were made of Transubstantiation the which was done to the good liking of the Greeks as in the Bull of Eugenius which beginneth Exultent coeli laetetur terra appeareth wherin he giueth for good to all Christendome that the Greeke and Latine Church had once againe accorded And I surely know had their Transubstantiation bene an article of faith without which there is no saluation the Romane Church did wickedly to admit the Greeks for brothers seeing they openly denyed Transubstantiatiō That which our aduersaries say of the mutual cōsent of the Church touching the article of Transubstātiation here appeareth to be false For neither the Greek nor Eastern church euer beleeued it nor now at this day beleeueth it nor yet did the Latine Church for a thousand yeares space beleeue it Of all this which we haue spoken touching Transubstantiation we conclude that which we say to be truth that he which heareth the Masse is a great Idolater and he which sayth it is a greater The fift Domage which the Masse causeth is that besides the sayd foure domages it maintaineth many abuses as is Purgatorie Concerning Purgatorie say we there is no other purgatorie but the bloud of Christ which purgeth our sinnes By which purgation wee are reconciled with the euerlasting Father The other purgatorie say we which our aduersaries haue forged without the word of God is the head of a wolfe as Doctor Constantine did call it who for the cause of religion of infirmitie age and hard imprisonment among those cruell Canibals and eaters of mans flesh the defilers of the faith in the castle of Traiana died Purgatorie is a common cutpurse that without shame or correction stealeth robbeth and catcheth all what it can to fill the paunches of these idle bellies priests and friers all the ecclesiasticall order For whence haue they so enriched themselues whence is it that they haue builded so many sumptuous Monasteries which seeme rather Castles and pallaces of most rich kings and Princes then houses of begging Friers and poore Monkes who in times past gained their liuing with the labour of their hands Whence haue they founded so many Chappels so manie Trentals so many Masses prayed and sung which they called de requiem but of the foolish perswasion of Purgatorie As the Masse entertayneth Purgatorie so also doth Purgatorie entertaine the Masse The Masse and Purgatorie are euen as two Mules the one rubbing the other The false prophets made an old simple woman beleeue that the soule of her father mother husband daughter or other person whō she deerely loued was suffering most grieuous torments and paines in Purgatory and demanded some reliefe by the Masse or Masses which should be said for it Then the poore old woman taking it from their mouth ioyned peece to peece 68 Blancas which is a ryall went to a Priest and giuing him the tyall for Masses are sold for money besought him to say a Masse with great deuotion for the soule of her father or some other person whom she loued And were the old woman so much more superstitions then went she to a monasterie holding it for certaine that the Fryers liued a more religious and holy life then the Priestes and being come to the monasterie besought the Sextan or potter to cause a Masse with all speede to be sayd The Sextan or porter sayd it should presently bee done Then went out a Father to say the Masse and tooke money of her to whom better had it beene to haue giuen then taken it from her for God knoweth the pouertie that remayned in the house of this old woman and the riches and superfluity that was in the monasterie And a faire thing it was that they sayd it not for her for oftentimes it happeneth that more Masses are receiued for in one day then all the Priestes of the monastery can say in a moneth And this is the cause why they cannot say all the Masses they receiue for But thou wilt say vnto mee Why do these reuerend men take of them more money for Masses then they well can say Me seemeth they rob in doing this which thou sayest Hereunto I answer that they reckon not of this nor make they any conscience thus to rob and deceiue And that which is worse this their theft and robberie do they sanctifie saying that is very well done and that necessity so requireth that the deuotion of the people be not despised Ad the Pope for the cause aforesayd a proueth and maketh good this theft and commandeth them to say two Masses at euery moneths end one for the quicke another for the dead which two Masses saith he are as auayleable as all those how many soeuer they haue omitted to say Did the Magistrates their dutie they would seeke and in the chests of their Monasteries should find such Bulles such mockeries and such licenses to steale Purgatorie haue they made a new article of faith so that he which beleeueth it not is therefore an heretike If it be heresie not to beleeue that which neither in the doctrine of the old or new Testament is confirmed Nor is in any of the three Creedes of the Apostles the Nicen nor of Athanasius being a Summarie token out of the scripture which a Christian ought to beleeue conteyned The 6. domage is that suppose the sacrifice of the Masse or sacrament of the altar As they call it had bene such As they paint it out Yet should it not be wel administred sith the Christian people are defrauded and depriued of the one halfe of the sacrament because they giue them not the sacramentall wine which is the sacrament of the bloud of Christ shed for vs vpon the Crosse when the other halfe is receiued they giue it seldome once in the yeare wickedly with so many superstitions and Idolatries As we haue already proued In bread and wine did Iesus Christ institute this sacrament for the high signification and allusion which the bread and wine holde with his bodie and with his bloud and commaunded his Apostles in the selfe same maner As they had seene him celebrate the supper in memoriall of his death to celebrate it When he gaue thē the bread he said Take
anie shall speake in a straunge tongue there be also an Interpreter And if there shall be no Interpreter hee commandeth that hee speake not in the Church And that if he speake hee speake to himselfe and to God and not to the people for the people receiue no edification by a tongue that is not vnderstood And therefore in the 26. verse he commandeth that all be done to edification For this cause when God spake with the Patriarks with the Prophets and with his people of Israel or they with him they speake vnto him in their mother tongue that all did vnderstād The same did Iesus Christ speaking with the Scribes and Pharisies he spake vnto them in the vulgar tongue the same that was then vsed in Iudea The Apostles when the Lord sent them through the world to preach had first receiued the gifts of tongues to preach the Gospell and celebrate the sacraments to euerie nation in their proper language Why then do not our aduersaries in this imitate the Apostles they taught and celebrated their Sacraments in the vulgar tongue that al might vnderstand that the people might be edified God might be glorified The mysteries of Christian religion be not as the misteries of the Gentiles which were those that they called Mysterios Eleusimos those of the good goddesse wo vnto him that reuealed the same Herehence it commeth that the Priest pronounceth the words of consecration not onely in a strange tongue but also in a verie low voice that none can heare thē so say they Pope Vigilius cōmanded as reporteth D. Illescas vpon the life of Vigilius The Lord wil that his Christian people vnderstād the mysteries vnderstood do meditate vpon them as God in old time loued not the beast that chewed not the cud suffred not his people to eate thereof so now loueth he not that christiā that chaweth not the cud meditates on the saw of the Lord his misteries and his sacraments Dauid speaking of the exercise of a godly man saieth That he meditateth night and daye vpon the lawe of the Lord. The Lord speaking with Iosua who was no Priest but a moste warlike Captaine that wan so many battailes saith these wordes vnto him The booke of this law shall neuer depart from thy mouth but day and night shalt thou meditate therein that thou maiest keepe and doe c. To each nation in their vulgar tongue let them then say their Masse that they may vnderstand and knowe whether that which is therein saied be good or euill and not saie it to all nations in Latine whereof the people receiueth no edificacion but destruction nought learning but superstition and Idolatry As before we haue proued Some notable domages which the Masse causeth haue we shewed Now will we show some absurdities great inconueniences which thereof followe Against the worde of God are some of them against the doctrine of the fathers others be against experience it selfe against naturall reason and common sence And but three or foure will I set downe to auoyd tediousnesse We sayd being so taught by the word of God that in the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ the faithfull onely receiue spiritually and by faith the true body bloud of Christ Our aduersaries not herewith contented say that not only the good godly and faithfull but also the euill wicked and vnfaithfull the Turkes Iewes and Pagans do receiue the true bodie and bloud of Christ yet passe they further they say that beasts mice and other vermine do eat it that the moisture doth moisten it the mouldinesse doth make it mouldy c. Their blacke Transubstantiation hath made them fall into so great an absurditie strange wonder they beleeue that there is no bread nor wine but the body bloud of Christ it the Sacrament They vnderstād that not the faithful only but also the infidel Turke Pagan and Iew the Mouse c. eateth that which was in the Sacrament Hereupon conclude they that they eate and drinke the body bloud of Christ He that will deny them Transubstantiation will also deny this their conclusion to be good But this set apart the wicked c. will we shew by the month of Christ himselfe not to eat nor drinke the body and bloud of Christ S. Iohn sheweth that the Lord saith Except ye eate the flesh of the son of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Hereupon is concluded that except wee eate his flesh and drinke his bloud we shall not be saued We eat and drinke his flesh his bloud when we not only reciue this Sacrament but also at all times and as often as we beleeue in him Beleeue saith S. Augustine and thou hast eaten And therefore the same Lord recounteth the fruites which this eating of his body and drinking of his bloud do necessarily bring forth He that eateth saith he my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I wil raise him vp c. Also He that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him And he that eateth me shall liue also by me Presuppose this as most true and apparant it is that wicked men Iewes mice c. haue not eternall life nor shall bee raised vp in the companie of the faithfull It is seene they that dwel not in Christ nor Christ in them it is also apparant that they shall not liue by Christ Hereupon we conclude that they eat not the flesh of Christ nor drinke his bloud For had they eaten it and had they drunke it heauen and earth should rather faile then the word of Christ should faile the wicked Iewes Turks mice c. should haue life eternall and should dwell in Christ and Christ in them c. and to say this is a most great absurdity Therefore it followeth that such eate not the flesh nor drink his bloud Saint Augustine considering this he sayd The other Disciples did eat Panem Dominum the Lord which was bread but Iudas did eat Panem Domini the bread of the Lord as if he had sayd Iudas wanting faith and receiuing the Sacrament vnworthily did not eat the body nor drinke the bloud of Christ which the other Apostles did because they had faith and did eate it worthily but Iudas did only eat drinke the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ Also in the 21. booke de Cinitate Dei cap. 25. he sayth It is not to bee thought that he eateth the body of Christ which is not in the body of Christ nor in whom Christ is not nor hee in Christ Origen vppon those wordes That which entreth in at the mouth defileth not the man c. manifestly sayth that the wicked doe not eate the body of Christ and giueth the reason because the bodie of Christ sayth he is quickening and he which eateth it dwelleth in
Christ Saint Ierome vppon the 66. chap. of Esayas saith Not being holie in bodie nor spirit they eate not the flesh of Iesus nor drinke they his bloud Manie other places bee there in the Fathers that proue our doctrine the wicked c. not to eate nor drinke the bodie bloud of Christ But those which wee haue alleaged are now sufficient Another absurditie there is and this it is that the banquet being to be common and generall to all by which it is called Communion one onely at his pleasure eateth it and swalloweth all without giuing part to others Who taught them thus to doe Not Christ nor his Apostles nor the primitiue Church In old time all those that were present when the Supper of the Lord was celebrated did communicate and that in both kindes And except they did communicate they depriued them of the Supper which our Aduersaries cannot denie So confesseth George Cassander in the Preface of the booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae for confirmation hereof hee alleadgeth the tenth Cannon of the Apostles where it is commaunded that all the faithfull which were found present at the holy solemnities of the Church and continued not till the Masse were ended nor receiued the holie Communion should bee cast from the Communion He citeth the Councell of Antioch the second chapter wherein it is ordayned that all they which enter into the Church of God and receiue not the holy Communion should bee cast out of the Church Hee alleaged also the Cannon of Calixtus or as say others Anacletus which commandeth that the consecration ended all should communicate Hee alleageth also Iohn Coclaeus in the booke which hee intituled De Sacrificio Missae contra Musculum In old time saith Cochleus Aswell the Priestes as the Laitie so manie as were found present at the sacrifice of the Masse the offering being ended did ioyntly with the Priest communicate c. And the same Cannon which they say in their Masse maketh this to bee clearely vnderstood because it maketh mention of the people standing about offering and communicating For which cause some expounders of the Cannons say that the Cannon ought not to be sayd in the Masse but onely when the people communicate Many more Councels and Fathers might be alleaged to confirme that which Cassander sayth but the thing being so manifest many witnesses shal be needlesse The Grecians vntill this day obserue the ancient custome there is no priuate Masse among them Vpon the Lords dayes and festiuall dayes the Supper of the Lord is onely celebrated and the people in both kindes communicate Our aduersaries may see what hath beene the cause of leauing this ancient and laudable custome and that as many also as heare the Masse and communicate not incurre thereby Excommunication The Communion in our time is but once a yeare celebrated and this with damage and great idolatrie and all the dayes in the yeare is no other thing done but saying of Masses in euery corner of the Churches and in those also of particular houses without any Communion except it be that some for deuotion will communicate and oftentimes it happeneth that none is found present at these Masses but the Nouice onely that answereth Et cum Spiritu tuo and with thy spirit when the Priest hath said vnto him Dominus vobiscum The Lord bee with you And note that the Nouice is wont to be commonly a little villaine according to the prouerbe Hize à mi hijo Monazillo y torno seme diabillo Make my sonne a Nouice and turne him a little diuell What agreement then hath this their priuate Masse with the holy Supper of the Lord which is a common banquet proposed to the whole Church Reade the tenth and eleuenth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians which before we haue alleaged What wickednes do they then that conuert the Masse into the supper of the Lord which they neuer celebrate except the whole Church or the greatest part of it do communicate acording to the institution of Christ according to that which his Apostles did and the Church many yeares after The 3. absurdity is that which before we haue said that were there Trāsubstantiation Christ shuld haue 2 carnal bodies one which sate the other which this sitting body did eate giue to his Disciples The fourth Absurditie is that they put the body of Iesus Christ in diuerse places at one instant in all the Masses which are sayd through the world Against the order of nature doe they in this according whereunto nothing created that is finite can be at one selfe same time in diuerse places The body of Iesus Christ considered it selfe is finite and in time created therefore can it not bee in diuerse places at one instaut In this do they also against the article of our faith which in the Creed we confesse that Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father From whence shall he come saith the article of our faith to iudge the quicke and the dead Also they do against common experience for seeing bread and wine with the eyes tasting them with the mouth and smelling them with the nose yet for all this say they that no bread nor wine remaineth I demaund now when they burne this their Sacrament for the causes that they themselues in the booke de Cautelis do command it to be burned I demaund of them what is that which is burned and conuerted into ashes Not the bodie of Christ which now being glorified is impassible nor the accidents of the bread nor of the wine for the substance of the ashes engendred of that which was burned could not bee engendered but of another substance according to that which commonly is said The generation of one thing is the corruption of another It followeth then Albeit it grieue them that they deny it that the bread is burned I demaund of them also when the Priest deuideth the Host into three partes what is that which he deuideth Some say they bee accidents without subiect To others this answere not seeming to be good because not the accidents but the substance which hath quantitie is parted Therefore say they that nothing is parted This people thinke vs to be blocks and fooles They will make vs as they say del cielo cebolla to beleeue things impossible Free should they be from all these absurdities would they with Iesus Christ with his Apostle Saint Paul and with the Catholike Church confesse true bread and true wine to be in this sacrament of which bread and of which wine being corrupted are engendred those things before spoken So that the wormes and ashes are engendred and made not of the body of Christ which is glorious and set at the right hand of the Father not of the accidentes which haue not other being but doe remaine in some subiect and by a miracle say they the accidentes in the Sacrament bee
without subiect but are made of the bread and of the wine which is corrupted or burned Now for confirmation of that which we haue sayd we will set downe an Appendix or addition which with wonderfull examples will liuely declare the estimation wherein the Popes and their people which the call ecclesiasticall hold their Sacrament which they sell vnto vs for God And wee as sencelesse and ouer-suerstitious for money doe buy it Open thine eyes ô Spaine and be no more by the Pope deceiued Pope Gregory the seuenth which before was called Hildebrand was as in his life we haue sayd a terrible and mortall enemie of the good Emperour Henry the fourth so desperately procured by all wayes and meanes possible now by force now by dececit now by inchantments to pull him out of the world And for that purpose suborned with promise of reward a certaine man c. as in the life of the said Gregorie wee haue declared Cardinall Benon goeth further he saith that the Pope with high voyce from the pulpit vpon the feast of the resurrection at Easter had prophecied the death of the Emperour Henrie saying Hold me not for Pope but cast me from the Altar if that which I say vnto you bee not fulfilled betweene this and Pentecost and so to proue a true prophet in this which he had spoken he suborned certaine Traytors that secretly shold kill the Emperor As in dede they had killed him had not God preserued him The sayd Cardinall sayeth further that this Hildebrand or Gregory 7. euer wontedly carried with him a booke of Nigromancie that was to him very familiar He cast saith hee the consecrated Host into the fire and burned it Because demaunding of it a reuelation against the Emperour it answered him not albeit the Cardinals which then were present therein gainsayd him Iohn Bishop of Porta Secertarie of the said Gregorie the seuenth alleageth Cardinall Benon for confirmation of that which is sayd A strange case it is to cast the Sacrament into the fire for that coniuring it it gaue him not answer against the Emperour Our aduersaries cannot denie this Pope to haue erred in the faith and also to haue bene an Athiest without God or religion seeing that he burned his Creator If he beleeued it to be his Creator why did he burne it And if he beleeued it not as most of the Popes doe not beleeue it why did he with fire and bloud persecute those that did not beleeue it Miserable is the God which is subiect to burning The true God is immortall hee liueth for euer Moreouer many Popes and ecclesiasticall men doe wee reade in histories to haue poysoned those whom they would kill giuing them poyson in the Sacrament it self Two or three examples will I here set downe who so list to know more let him reade the liues of the Popes and of the Emperours Of poison died Victor the third in the 1088. yeare which his Subdeacon had cast into the chalice Don Alonso de Cartagena Bishop of Burges in his historie called Anacephaleosis maketh mention hereof William as reporteth Mathew Paris was restored to his Archbishoppricke of Yorke in England and in the same yeare died of poyson which in saying of Masse they cast into the chalice as vpon Anastasius the fourth in the 1146. yeare we haue sayd In the 1314. yeare a Dominican Frier gaue poyson in the sacrament to the Emperor Henry 7. countie of Lucemburg as we haue declared vppon Clement the 5. The history is worrthy to be read It noteth the great impietie and treason of the Frier and the great patience of the Emperour after he perceiued himselfe to be poysoned praying the Frier to flie least his Almaines should kill him saying Vade Domine depart Lord c. Pero Mexia maketh mention of this in the life which he wrote of Henrie the seuenth But as a man ouer passionate for his Antichrist and for his breaden God wold not beleeue it whose words are these Henrie the seuenth died the day of the Assumption of our Lady hauing that day receiued the body of our Lord Iesus Christ wherein were giuen him write some certaine hearbes by a Monke of Saint Dominickes order 〈◊〉 that of them the same day he died Which is a thing so wicked that of no Christian it ought to bee beleeued how much more of a religious man Thus farre Pero Mexia But the punishment executed vppon the Dominicke Friers and their Monasteries in Tuscan and Lombardie sheweth that which is sayd to bee true Raphael Volateranus lib. Geograph 5. speaking of Sixtus the fourth saith these wordes The chiefe Bishop vnderstanding it and ayding the Conspirators they came to Florence and all met together in the Church of S. Raparada at the time of the Masse and of the sacrifice Saluiatus with his followers which were secretly armed in the meane time departed the Temple and faining other businesse went to the pallace to conferre with Alferez but with intent that the slaughter begun in the Temple he might there be ready ioyntly with the Magistrate to assault the pallace So that hauing giuen a signe at the eleuation of the Host note the reuerence and respect that the Pope and his haue of their God At the lifting vp saith he of the Host Bandino passed from part to part to Iulian de Medices brother of Lorenço Antonio who required to be the first rushed by treason vpon Lorenço and a little below the throate did wound him As he at the crie turned backe his face he escaped the blow the other willing to second his blow he hastily retired to the Clearke of the Church which was neare vnto him Then the Legate of the Pope who had giuen the signe of murder at the eleuation of the Host was taken by the citizens and carried from the Church and being put in prison was handled as his dignity required In the meane time Saluiatus bishop of Pisa who by his industrie prolonged the conference with Alferez to see the end of the businesse was then taken and at a windowe of the pallace the same day hanged The Pope at this newes excommunicateth Lorenço de Medices who say we escaped by flight for laying his hands vpon the Priests of God and vpon the Legate and proclaimeth open warre against the Florentines By this historie and others such like shalt thou see ô Spaine the account estimation that the Pope his Legate and their priestly order do make of their consecrated Host which they sell vnto thee for God and thou beleeuest it See we also the account that the diuell himselfe maketh of it Speaking of Syluester 2. who much profited in Nigromancy whiles he liued with the Moore at Seuill we said that he much desired to know how long he should be Pope which thing he demāded of the diuel The diuel made him answer that he should not die vntil he should say Masse in Ierusalem But the diuel
forgiuen thee The Scripture in many other places maketh mention of this humiliation and deiection of Christ and then of his glorious triumph against his enemies But this which we haue sayd sufficeth This benefit of the death and passion of Christ proposed ingenerall to all men doeth Saint Paule by faith applye to him selfe saying I am crucified with Christ and liue not I now but Christ liueth in me and in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by faith in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Who so will enioy this benefite proposed in generall to all let him learne of Saint Paule to apply it by faith in particular to himself For whosoeuer shall not so doo Let him holde it for spoken he shall not enioy it They only be safe which beleue Christ to be giuen for their proper sinnes and risen againe for their iustification Hee which of himselfe shall not particularly beleeue this shall be condemned the death of Christ shall nothing auayle him But he which shall beleeue it shall be saued and being saued is assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor strength nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. His Maiestie increase this faith his gift it is A Christian then armed with such weapons of faith shall patiently and I say more ioyfully suffer for Christ tribulation sorrow persecution famine nakednesse danger sword fire and dishonour for to all these things the very day that wee truely beleeue in Christ are wee subiect For the disciple is not more to bee exempted from them then his maister was Hee increase faith in vs and make vs constant in aduersities for without him can we do nothing and with him can we do all things This verie well perceiued Saint Paule when he sayd I am able to do all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me God then with his exceeding loue so louing vs that he spared not his proper and only begotten Sonne but gaue him vp for vs and being bought not with gold nor siluer but with an inestimable treasure with the most precious bloud of Christ the Lambe without spot let vs not abase nor subiect our selues to sinne and wickednesse but seeing we are the friends sonnes and heires of God and brothers and coheires with Iesus Christ let vs highly esteeme our selues and apply our selues to vertue that God bee not angrie but ioyfull to haue such sonnes nor Christ ashamed but rather honored to call vs brethren friendes and companions In the sacred Scriptures are there very many places wherein the holy Spirit doth exhort vs to liue godly and holily but of all haue I chosē one which maketh much to the purpose because in it are mentioned both kindes of sacrifices to wit the propitiatory which only Christ one only time offered and the Eucharistcall which euery moment we offer or to speake better ought to offer the Spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul doth thus exhort vs Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to be an offring and sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauor to God But fornication and all vncleannesse let it not once be named among you as it be commeth Saints neither filthines neither foolish talking nor iestings which are things not comely but rather giuing of thanks c. For all the che chapter is an exhortation to well liuing Let not man thinke for being called a Christian for being baptised for saying that he beleeueth in God for being trayned vp in the Church where he frequenteth sermons and celebrateth with the rest the holy supper Let him not thinke for all this say I that hee shall be saued if hee keepe not together with this the commaundements of God If thou wilt saith Christ enter into life keepe the commandements thou shalt not kil thou shalt not cōmit adultery c. That hypocrits may doe and doe the same but not this For without a true and liuely faith which hypocrites and wicked Christians haue not this cannot be done The outward shew the dead faith imaginary and idle is not the faith which iustifieth but the liuely true and diligent faith which bringeth forth in time fruits of charitie For as true fire cannot be without heate and the greater that the fire is the greater heat it giueth So true faith cannot be without good works and the more the faith is so much the more it worketh And contrariwise as the painted fire warmeth not as little also the dead faith worketh for being dead how shall it worke Such a perfection doth the holy Spirit require in vs that we do not onely good and commit no euill but willeth also that we be not familiar nor conuersant with the wicked Whereas such calling themselues brothers bee hypocrites vniust and impious So commaundeth the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 5. 1. If any man saith hee calling himselfe a brother shall be a fornicator a couetous person an idolater an euill speaker a drunkard a theefe with such a one eate not The cause why we ought not to bee familiar with such in the second epistle to the Thessal chap. 3. 14. he sheweth And conuerse not with him saith he that hee may bee ashamed And Rom. 16. 17. he commandeth vs to depart from them which make dissentions And 2. Ioh. vers 10. it is commanded we should not salute them To receiue then and enioy the benefit of Christs sacrifice such ought as we haue mentioned to be the life of a Christian Hee that shall not be so perfect for who shall hee bee seeing there is no man but finneth and sith the iust man falleth seuen times I would say many times a day if he fall seuen times a day what will hee doe all his life long fall and rise againe He that shall not then be so perfect let him desire so to be let him sigh and bewayle his imperfection before the Lord let him beseech him of grace to become perfect Let him beleeue the Lord to be so good that he will accept this good desire proceeding from so contrite and humble heart and so will he supply the faults of our imperfections and not impute them vnto vs. And thus shall we enioy the benefite of the sacrifice which Christ our high and onely Priest once offered to his Father We haue proued Christ onely to be our Priest and onelie his body bloud which he once offered vpon the crosse to be the only and vnreiterable sacrifice expiatorie whereby our sinnes are pardoned and we for euer sanctified Let vs now as we promised treat of the institution of the holy supper and so wil we conclude this Treatise The Lord knowing our carelesnesse
to suffer also for this faith and confession whensoeuer he pleaseth with persecution to proue vs. Concerning that which men haue of their owne heades haue inuented That the Pope is our chiefe Bishop the successour of Saint Peter the vicar of Christ God vppon earth and that as such a one he pardoneth sinnes draweth out of hell and purgatorie what soules he will and what soules hee will hee placeth in heauen And that the Masse such as now they say is a sacrifice as satisfactorie as was the death and passion of Christ None of these things doth the holy scripture teach vs it is humane inuention and diuelish lies wherwith Sathan hath long time deceiued vs. The Apostle Saint Paul willing to correct the vices brought into the holy supper of the Lord in the Church of Corinth found no better remedy but to reduce it to the originall and first institution And so 1. Cor. 11 he saith I receiued of the Lord that which I haue giuen you c. so now do we also the same We restore the supper of the Lord and celebrate it according to it first institution as the Euangelists and Saint Paul doe declare vnto vs. And if so we do thē haue they no cause to hold vs for heretikes but for good faithfull and catholike Christians and for such do we hold our selues and such we are albeit is the many imperfections the Lord pardon them vnto vs. We confesse we hold beleeue that God through the merit of Christ is our father and the holy catholike or vniuersall Apostololike and true Church whē it is ruled by the word of God in the sacred scripture of the olde and new Testament reuealed For otherwise is she no mother but a Stepmother our mother And wo to that man which shall not be son of this father and this mother We confesse hold and beleeue all that which this our mother confesseth holdeth belieueth All which is conteyned in the bookes of the old new Testament For nothing there is which we ought either to do or belieue which is not writtē in these sacred bookes Therefore will we conclude this Treatise saying That whosoeuer albeit an Angell from heauen shall preach or beliue another Gospell another Doctrine besides that which Iesus Christ and his Apostles haue taught vs all which is written in the bookes which we call the holy scripture Let such a one be accursed and execrable Let him be as saith Saint Paule Anathema Thou hast hard Christian Reader the Enormious charges wherewith we charge the Pope as touching life Doctrine But chiefly touching the superstition and Idolatrie of the Masse which the sayd Pope of himselfe without the word of God hath inuented and brought into the Church Thou hast also heard the Enormious charges where with the Pope chargeth vs. Hee accuseth vs for proud contentious and arrogant that we will know more then all the whole Church He accuseth vs for disobedient to Magistrates disturbers of common-wealthes prouinces and kingdomes he accuseth vs for schismatiques and heretiques For the which as an accuser witnes and Iudge he concludeth that we are not worthy to liue in the world But it is not sufficient to accuse Of necessity must he proue that which hee saith and so conuince the accused Come we then to the proofe let a generall Councell be assembled which may heare both parts Let it graunt to euery part freedome of speech The Councell hauing heard both sides let it iudge according to the thing alleaged and proued without respect of any person poore or rich wise or ignorant ecclesiasticall or secular Let it only haue regard of iustice equity and truth Let the part conuinced by the Testimony of holy scripture and of the fathers also and ancient Councels As be the first foure generall be subiect to the censure which the Councell shall ordayne Let the Pope and his defendors appeare personally in the Councell not as iudges because they accuse vs and we accuse them but as accusers and accused Let vs also appeare seeing we accuse them and they accuse vs. Let this Councell be called As were the foure first generall Nicen 1. the Constantinople the Ephesian and the Chalcedonian This is the onely remedie to take away the dissentions and differences which are at this day in the Church as touching life and Doctrine This remedy in times past vsed the Church in like cases In the meane time beseech we our God to moue the hartes of the Emperour Christian kinges and Princes that they may take in hand such an Enterprise for the glorie of God quietnesse of his Church By the meanes of which Enterprise vice and false Doctrine superstitition here sie and Idolatrie may be condemned And vertue and wholesome Doctrine conteyned in holie scripture confirmed But our aduersaries will say vnto mee that all this in the last Councell of Trent was concluded and that therefore another Councell is not needefull Whereunto I answere that which so often in this booke I haue sayd And chiefly vppon the life of Pope Marcellus the second That this Councell was not free Sith to none whereof was had the least suspition in the world not to bee in all and by all slaue of the Pope and sworne to the Pope was it permited to speake therein The rest which haue there sayd to this purpose and that which is sayd in the foure hundred fifty and eight and foure hundred fifty and nine pages is to be noted besides this say we that this Councel was not generall For how shall the Councel of Trent be called an Ecumenicall vniuersall or generall Councell Sith in it was not found the hundreth part of Bishoppes of Christendome And that this is truth it is euidently seene For in it were found but fiue Cardinals Three of which were legats of the Pope foure Archbishops two of which were Archbishops in title or as we call them in Spaine de anillo of the ring namely Olaus magnus intitled Archbishoppe not of Hispall but of Vpsall people of Gocia that neuer acknowledged the Pope nor the Roman Church The other named Robert Venant called Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland vnder the Crowne of England A land that as litle acknowledgeth the Pope These two poore Archbishops Paul the third maintayned giuing to Olaus 15 crownes a month and another like thing gaue he to Robert 33 Bishops were found there all of them Spaniards or Italians except only 3. Then were also found betweene priests Friars 47. diuines Of whom all al most were Spaniards or Italians Thou seest here the great nomber of bishops with which the Trident Coūcell began which by times conteyned 18 yeares In which time were holden 25 Sessions In many of which nothing was done for want of appearence in the Councel And so in the 8 Session was nothing done but that the Italians transported the Councell to Bologna aland of the popes in Italy Where was held the
her to say the Cannonicall houres and at the End of euery Psalme would she say Gloria Patriet tibi Spiritui Sancto Or as saith friar Lewys de Granada Tibifilio To wit Glory be to the Father and to thee his Sonne and to the holy ghost c. In the 9. Page he saith To communicate and receiue her Creator was her ordinary custome during which time the other Nunnes saw her in a trance for a long space rapt vp in Spirit vntill her Gouernour commaunded her to go to the Communion with the other Religious And then returning to her selfe shee went most obediently forthwith to accomplish this holy mysterie c. In the 10. pag. speaking of her great charitie he recounteth a miracle this it is In the Monastery there was a Nun that was very weake withall had this fansie that she would in no wise eate any meat supposing that all sorts of meats were poisoned and in this franticke humour she kept her teeth shut by reason whereof her lips and iawes were couered with filth matter This religious Marie hauing compassion of the poore frantick Nunne and moued with a feruent charitie to her went to see her and praying her to eat a peece of bread which she offered her assured her it had no poison in it The diseased answered If you will eate of the same bread and bite in the side that I with my teeth and iawes which were cankered will bite then will I beleeue that the bread hath no poison that it is good bread Marie full of charitie enforced her selfe and with a strong hart least she should vomite promised to do so Then tooke she the bread and bit therof in the same place that the frantike Nunne had bitten And this she did with incredible cheerefulnesse hardly had she thus done when our Lord Iesus Christ by reason of his charitie appeared to the sayd Mary sayd vnto her For this thy so charitable an act I will giue health to this diseased And so was the sicke healed of her infirmitie The 11. pag. saith That as often as being in the Monastery she heard the litle bel which accompanied the most holy sacrameÌ„t of our Lord wheÌ„ they carried it to the diseased through the citie she kneeled downe on the ground with teares was rapt vp in a trance as witnesse the religious of the said Monasterie desirous is she of this most holy sacrament c. so hunger after it that Iesus Christ appeareth very often visibly vnto her he himselfe giueth himselfe to this religious The wednesday in the holy week she went into the low quire where the Nunnes through a window do wontedly receiue the holy communion at the haÌ„ds of the priest who is on the other side without where seeing that all the Nunnes had communnicated and that there was neuer a consecrat host left for her she betooke her selfe to praier intreating with teares the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that she might haue means to comunicate c. And a little after Then the holy place where so rich a treasure as is the body of our Lord Iesus Christ was kept opened of his owne accord one of the consecrate formes went forth without any visible helpe and offred it selfe to the mouth of this Religious woman which with most great deuotion and humility she receiued Another time on Innocents day another like miracle happened vnto her who euer increasing in perfecttion vertue is now come to so high an estate That about foure or fiue yeres since Iesus Christ crucified appeared vnto her all shining from whose right side issued a beame of fire which stroke vpon the left side of this Religious who stood right against the Crucifixe made and left in her flesh a red marke as bigge as the stroke of Launce and this wound on certaine daies namely at euery Friday openeth from whence issue certaine droppes of bloud and she feeleth she saith great griefe of the saide wound The diâ—ine Maiestie hath shewed these wonders since she was made Prioresse which was in the yeare 1583. in the beginning of Iulie c. Pag. 12. When she is in her Cell at prayer the religious see her enuironed with brightnesse and lifted vp into the aire with a great light which issues from her breast and face which signifie the great and feruent charitie and loue of God that is in her Lastly vpon the day of Saint Thomas of Aquine the 7. of March 1584. she being before aduised thereto by our Lord Iesus and by the sayd Saint Thomas communicated this vision to her Prouinciall And being by him exhorted therunto for nine dayes together euery day first confest her self she receiued the most holy communion In these dayes God shewed many fauours with much brightnesse by night As she was praying in the Quire on the said feast of Saint Thomas after Mattens betweene the houres of foure fiue in the morning Iesus Christ crucified gloriously shining appeared vnto her as before he had appeared with his fiue most holy wounds From his feete hands and side issued out beames of fire which wounded the hands feete and side of this Religious The wounds and marks of bloudy colour most faire remaine in her aswell within the palmes of the hands the feet as without the one in a round figure like to a naile answering the other the same side was marked in the same place wherein she had before bene wounded but with a signe or marke far more apparant She confesseth that she feels extreme griefe of the said wounds c. At the end of the letter the Prouinciall hath these words Some of my Religious bring I with me to giue good testimonie of that which I haue said he nameth these Friar Antonio de la Cerda Prouincial of Portugal who wrote this letter F. Gasper Leiton RegeÌ„t of the Colledge of Lisbon preacher to the king Friar Lewys de Granada Friar Pedro de Somer CoÌ„fessor of the most illustrious D. Henrie Cardinall that afterwards was K. of Portugal The second Letter is from Friar Lewys de Granada sent to the Patriarke of Valencia The date is from Lisbon the 18. of March 1584. the principall pointes are these In the 16. page of the book it saith that S. Thomas appeared vnto her 10 dayes before his feast told her she should prepare her selfe for vpon his feast day the Lord would come to visit her shew vnto her grace and particular fauour namely that of the impression of the fiue wounds as was said in the first letter c. Also he saith fiue or sixe dayes the paine endured during which time when she stepped to walke the soales of her feet shee thought trod vpon nayles c. And pag. 18. it saith On Tenable Wednesday she was in the Quire with great desire to communicate in a window by which the Religious did coÌ„municate right against whereunto was an altar where the little casket of
the most holy Sacrament stood for the great altar was occupied with the Sepulchre or monument that was made vpon it In the meane while he saw the litle casket open and a consecrate host to issue thereout which most deuoutly she receiued c. And Pag. 19. She told me that for 7. yeares euery Thursday at the Auc Marie houre she hath felt in her head all the paines of the crowne of thornes insomuch that the bloud issueth forth and she hath in her head some small prickes and holes of the sayd thornes the paines endure vntill Fryday at the same houre She had at a certaine time a great desire as very often she hath to communicate at which time shee saw in spirit S. Iohn Euangelist celebrate The Masse being ended a consecrate host came from the Altar She then returning to her selfe for she was rapt or rauished in spirit shee found that shee had the said host in her mouth c. All this which I haue written saith Friar Lewes de Granada she her selfe told me and I should write much more if I would recken all the maruellous thinges which our Lord worketh in this blessed soule c. The third Letter is from the same Prouinciall Friar Antonio de la Cerda sent to Friar Ferdiando de Castro Proctor in Rome for the prouince of Portugall The date is at Lisbon the 30. of March 1585. Thus it sayth Since your departure from this city it hath pleased our Lord from day to day more manifestly to declare how highly he esteemeth la Anunciada For infinit be the miracles as well corporall as spirituall which by her means he hath wrought in these parts which hath bene the cause that very many Gentlemen haue bene moued to become Fryars to whom with my hands I haue giuen the habite The fame of which miracles hath so far streched that it is come to the Mores dwelling in Alualady which is a castle three leagues from Lisbon Three wherof because the houre for them to turne Christians it should seeme drew neare maruellously desired to see the Prioresse for beleeue they could not so great miracles as were reported of her And from thenceforth the holy Spirit inwardly moued prouoked them more and more kindling in their hearts the desire to see the said seruant of God And so much dayly increased this desire in thē that one day very early not acquainting one another with th their purposes they departed all 3 frō Alualady for this city of Lisbon came to seek me in this couent saying that they knew not what it was which so inwardly had moued burned them with so feruēt a desire to see the Prioresse And whiles one of the told me these things behold there commeth the other afterwards the third And whē they met all three together they vnderstood that they all demanded one selfe same thing they seeing themselues inflamed with one selfe same desire were greatly astonished perceiuing that this proceeded of one selfe mouing of the holy Spirit and not of curiositie as some would presume I carried them to the monastery de la Anunciada and went into the parlor and thence sent word to the Prioresse that I would speake with her without letting her vnderstand why shee was called She presently came and the 3 Moores were fast by me when we spake together She lift vp her vayle to talke with me and scarcely had the three Moores seene her when they fell groueling to the earth And in such maner that needfull it was some which were present should helpe them vp When they arose beholding her eftsoons they kneeled on their knees with out a word speaking But that they lamented without ceassing hauing their eyes for a long time fixed vpon the Prioresse And when I asked them why they spake not to the Prioresse They answered that they saw in her so great and admirable things that they knew not what to speake Hauing thus sayd they besought the Prioresse that he which was by her might giue them baptisme She answered if they would be baptised that I was there present who would cause them to be baptised Adding moreouer that this to her Spouse should bee greatly pleasing This done I returned leading with me the Moores albeit to their great sorrow for they would not haue parted frō the Prioresse home to my Couent Of all this I aduertised the Archbishop who sent forthwith for the Moores and I accompanied with some Fathers brought them Brought as they were they confessed to the Archbishop in our presence that they had seen neere vnto the Prioresse Iesus Christ in humane shape put vppon the crosse Which miracle was so admirable that the same thereof stretched through all the kingdom great multitudes of people are come to this citie to see thē baptised The Archbishop sent for the Prioresse to giue them their names The which at my commaund she gaue vnto them Manuel she called the first Iohn the second and the third Thomas who were in this house baptised and with vs continue The second miracle which the Prouinciall telleth is this A Lady of qualitie there was which had a cancker in one of her Lippes This lady talking with Dona Vincencia told her that the day following they were to cut the canker The Lady Vincencia moued with compassion gaue vnto her a small peece of fine linnen cloth which the Prioresse was wont to drawe ouer her syde saying that she should put it vppon her canker for she trusted in God that when they should cut it she should feele no griefe at all c. The Ladie so did And with great deuotion promised that if she found so much good hereby that in cutting of her canker she should feele no paine she would publish to her power that God through the merits of the Prioresse his seruant had graunted her this so singular admirable mercie This simplicitie displeased not God But he graunted the rather what she had demanded for rising vp early the day following shee found her selfe whole and without any signe where the canker nor any euill had bene c. And a little lower Of all this were instruments made by arte of a notary publique at command of the Cardinals most illustrious worship The 3. Miracle which the prouincall telleth is Anna Rodrigues del Crucifixo of the third order of Frauncis brought with her two small peeces of a wodden Crosse which the prioresse had giuen her And going to visit one that was diseased demanded a little water to drinke Anna tooke a porcelan and pist water into it And after in the presence of them all tooke a peece of the Crosse which the Prioresse had giuen her and making a signe of the Crosse cast it into the Porcelan The peece went to the bottome And eftsoones like a candle on a candlesticke arose vp right on end Of this water gaue she the paciēt to drink Who then began to find himselfe better and demaunded what was that they
had giuen him which had done him much good After they had cold him what had passed he prayed them to giue him more water then before to drinke Then cast they more water into the Porcelane where in also was the peece of the Crosse Anna Rodrigues supposing that the diseased in drinking had swallowed the same peece cast in the other the which went also to the bottome And commning to the other which stood in end in the porcelane cleaued vnto and was ioyned togither with it So that of those two was made a farre little Crosse which moued all that sawe it to very great deuotion Scarcely the second time had the sickman tasted of the water but he became whole and sound the third day also arose from his bed and went to walke through the citie Of this also was information made by the cōmandement of the most illustrious Legat. I could saith the prouincial recount also many other like things Friar Stephen de Lusignan setteth this downe for conclusion The tenne particular and principall instructions which wee draw from these maruellous effects in these letters missiue declared 1. The true he and she religious are much pleasing to God 2. Holy obedience is meritorious and charity humanity and simplicity of life 3. Virginity is a very pleasing spouse of our Lord Iesus Christ 4. It is needfull to reuerence and honor the holy Images 5. The he and she Saints of Paradise are intercessors and aduocates for vs. 6. It is needefull to acknowledge the truth of the most holy sacrament of the Altar 7. He pleaseth God which oft times receiueth so great◠sacrament 8. The gifts and graces of Iesus Christ cannot be obtained without sorrow praiers and deuotions 9. The passion and death of Iesus Christ by meanes of our owne works are profittable for vs. 10. Miracles haue euer continued in the Catholique Apostolique and Romish Church At the end of this booke of the holy Nunne was this Our holy father Sistus 5. through the deuotion and request of the most Catholique king of Spaine hath ordayned to bee made the processe of the miracles of Friar Lewes de Beltrum in Aragon one of the order of the Friars of S. Dominick to put him in the number and Catalogue of the Saints and blessed which shal be another such as this of this holy Nunne All that I haue sayd is drawne out of the french booke which Friar Stephen wrote in praise of this holy Nunne So famous was the same of this Nunnes holinesse That Cardinall Albertus of Austria sent information to Pope Sistus 5. To whom the Pope wrote this letter following translated into Latine with great ioy haue we read that thou hast procured to be written the vertues of the Prioresse of the monasterie de la Anunciada of the most holie virgin And of the great benefits which God hath shewed her we pray the diuine goodnes to make her from day to day more worthy of his grace enrich her with his heauenly gift for the glory of his name and ioy of his faithful Giuen in S. Maries at Rome with the little Ring of the fisher The 10. of September 1584. and of our Bishopdome c. Subscribed Antonio Prucha Badulini Friar Iohn de Pineca in his booke intituled Monarchia ecclesiastica printed at Salamāca by Iohn Fernādez making mentiō of the Saints that had the wounds of Christ nameth this Mary And so saith he dyed the glorious Saint Katherine of Sena in the 1380. yeare whose maruelous life wrote S. Antonius and Raimond of Capua And albeit they both say that the wounds of our redeemer were printed vpon her S. Antonius affirmeth that at the request of the Saintes they were not shewed on her bodie yet suffered shee incredible paines And Iohn Brugmano writeth that the holie virgin Saint Lyduuina receiued the woundes of the redeemer But that the virgin besought God That to avoyd the applause of the world they should bee couered And then the skinne grew and couered the woundes Lorenço Surio saith that the holie virgin Gerturd of Esten vppon good Fryday in the 1340. yeare receiued the woundes and for many dayes ranne bloud from them seuen times a day At this time it is publiquely sayd and there are pictures of her that there is a religious in Portugal of the order of Saint Dominick Which hath the woundes of our redeemer Hitherto Friar Iohn de Pineda The same author part 3. lib. 22. cap. 23. ¶ 3. affirmeth for an approued thing that their Saint Frauncis had the woundes of Iesus Christ as a little lower yee shall perceiue Concerning those which had the fiue woundes I will recount to this purpose an admirable history whereof make mention many of our aduersaries who as wel in Dutch as in Latine both in verse and prose haue written that the Dominick Friars haue alwaies holden a certaine emulation enuie hatred toward the Franciscans for both being beggers they could not well agree togither It happened tin Berne one of the 3 Cantons of the Swizers in the a thousand 5 hundred ninth yeare that the Franciscans were much more esteemed and fauoured then the Dominicks which the Dominicks perceauing much stomacked and so they consulted to find remedy for such a mischiefe Foure of the chiefe of their order came to vnderstand the causes why the Franciscans were before them preferred These two besides others which I will declare they found to bee the principall causes first that Saint Frauncis had the woundes of Christ The other the brawling Question which was betweene them and the Franciscans whether the virgin Mary was conceiued in sinne or no. The Domincans did affirme it the Franciscans denyed it For this cause the common people moued with foolish deuotion and with a zeale without knowledge much loued the Franciscans made no reckoning of the Dominicks The Dominicks then vnderstanding the cause of their so great euill the remedy which they put was this A simple Friar they tooke which they had in their couent a young frantique or holy hypocrite so deceiued him with many perswasions gaue him certaine inchaunted drinks that the small vnderstanding which he had they tooke quite from him They marke as they could the fiue wounds vpon him They made him to beleeue and he foolish also beleeued it that hee had then truly as S. Frauncis had them And here stayed they not They made him beleeue that the most holy virgin Saint Barbara and Saint Catalina de Sena appeared and reuealed great things vnto him they made him beleeue that S. Mary gaue him the red consecrated host aud that she presented him with the bloud of Christ and that she commaunded him to go the Cabildo or Senate and say that which she had commaunded giuen him in And among other things this was one that the holy virgin was conceiued in sin that for this cause they ought in no wise to permit the Franciscans to dwell in their City for that besides
that they are certayne lost persons and without reformation they taught a grosse error which ought in no wise to be suffered That the holy virgin was conceiued without sin He told them also that they should highly houour an Image of the holy virgin which their Fryars had made by a certaine Arte that distilled teares by the eyes as though it had wept All this at first was beleeued that red bloud was adored As the verie bloud of Christ and was sent to great Lordes as an incomparable Treasure Great concourse there was to the weeping Image So well knew the Dominickes to draw water to their mill that they onely were holden for holie and so caried they all the Almes and deuotions of the people And the poore Franciscans were cast aside and no man made reckoning of them The Franciscans then seeing themselues so despised and perceiuing like people as well exercised in false miracles as were the Dominickes and the rest of the popish Clergie the craft and deceit of the Dominickes vsed great diligence to discouer the villany So much did they that at last it was discouered The foure principal Authors of this Tragedy in the one thousand fiue hundred ninth yeare were burned and the rest were pardoned Those deceauers that so shamelesly make a mockery of religion besides these aforesaid confessed in their torments great abhominations As the papists themselues that wrote this Historie doe witnesse wherein the Pope sending His Legate for this purpose put all to scilence For he feared to loose his ecclesiasticall persons which so great seruice with their false miracles haue done and doe vnto him For well vnderstandeth the Pope their superstitions and Idolatries whereof their religion is full to haue bene inuented or at the least confirmed with like deceipts of fayned apparitions reuelations and false miracles Into this reprobate sence God leaueth them to fall for not reading of the holie Scripture which is the onely rule of the well liuing and seruing of God As his maiestie will be serued But returne we now to our holy Nunne who with ful gale vntill now most happily sayled and set as say the Gentiles on the toppe of Fortunes wheele so much as was possible of small and great Aswell in Portugal as else where was esteemed and reuerenced O how often of her was it sayd Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes that gaue thee sucke Shee nothing wanted in this world to be wholy blessed but that then shee should die O how great a Saint shall hell possesse O how great a Saint hath the Roman Church lost Now that we haue hard the Pro Let vs heare the Contra. From this spouse of Iesus Christ so holie so charitable and so miraculous would the true Iesus Christ not her husband which was the diuell that the Maske of hypocrisie wherewith she was couered should be taken away her abhominations wickednes superstitions Idolatries discouered And so at the end of the admirable yeare 1588. was she condemned as a certaine booke which at the beginning of the yeare following being the 1589. was printed at Seuil doth witnes from whence word for word haue I drawne that I will say against other The title thereof is this A Relation of the holinesse and woundes of Mother Mary de la Visitation which was Prioresse de la Annuntiada of Lisbon and that which was declared in the Sentence which was giuen All the booke will I not set downe but the principall points thereof will I take for my purpose Thus then it beginneth Hauing committed the verification of the woundes and holinesse of Marie Prioresse de la Annunciada of the order of Saint Dominick to the most reuerend and illustrious Archbishoppes of Lisbon and Braga the Bishop de la Guardia the Prouincial of Saint Dominiks order the Inquisitors of this Citie of Lisbon and Doctor Paulo Alfonso of his maiesties Councell The sayd Lordes went to the Monastery vppon the said verification and examination by the testimony of many Nunnes of the sayd Monastery which consentingly declared that the holinesse of the Prioresse was fayned and the woundes painted The information ended the sayd Prioresse was brought before them whom they commaunded to sweare vppon the Masse booke and Christ crucified that shee should say the truth of that should be demaunded of her And if shee so sayd that God should helpe her And if not that the diuell should carry her away Frst how sayd she that she had oft times seene the mother of God And how had she the woundes By the oath she had made she answered That at nine or tenne yeares of age shee entred into the Monastery And after she had made profession being seuenteene yeares olde one day as she was praying to her was it reuealed that God would cherish her And that anonother like day when shee was at prayer came the Angels and put a Crowne of thornes vppon her head which wounded her And many dayes after being in prayer Christ crucrufied apeared vnto her and of the beams that issued from his woundes were those which she had imprinted And Christ whom she called husband oftentimes appeared to her and talked with her and holpe her to say ouer the praiers and that she confessed to this confessor that she said Gloria Patri tibi Spiritui sancto The Confessor told her she should no more say so but Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui sancto as saith the holy mother the Church And in a conference which shee had with her husband she told him that which her Confessor had sayd vnto her And the husband answered she should doe what her Confessor had commanded her The foresayd Fathers seeing she sought each way to make her selfe holy and yet all was fayned as the other Nunnes declared vnto them they perswaded her to say the truth of that which had passed seeing all was fictions and so to them it appeared by information which they had taken and that shee should craue mercie and so would they haue compassion vpon her But she persisting that no other truth there was but that which shee had sayd as her husband well knew they left her Another day in the Visitation which they had with her they tooke hard sope and hot water and well washed her hands and wounds And when they began to do it she fained to haue great paine And after a while that they had washed them the sayd wounds were taken from her And when she saw they were taken away she fell to the earth and began to weepe sigh and craue mercie and cast her selfe at the feete of the sayd Lords who willing her to confesse the truth shee was wearied and dead said she and that they should leaue her till another day and she would confesse the truth and so they left her in guard of the Nunnes charging them on paine of excommunication they should for no cause leaue her alone Another day the foresaid Lordes returned to
like fictions of wounds and other miracles to deceiue the simple poore common people But now that the Lord hath giuen so great light of his Gospell a verie hard thing shall it bee to be long time manitained with like opinion of holinesse by and by flyeth away hypocrisie by and by God raiseth vp some to speake and write against it Vnhappy therefore was this Nunne as touching the word that in our time and not in their dayes she liued Had those sayd to haue the wounds bene well examined and with hot water and hard sope washed their hypocrisie no no doubt had bene discouered as well as that of our Marie de la Visitacion Wherein as touching the soule were they more vnhappy then she seeing they died in their hypocrisie wherewith they deceiued many and vntill this day do deceiue with it But our Mary liuing of her hypocrisie conuinced in time it may be will she employ her great wit to better purpose and craue mercie at the hands of God whom so wickedly she hath offended And so his Maiestie giue her grace truly to conuert to the true Christian religion which not with dreams nor false miracles but with the word of God it selfe is confirmed His Maiestie shewe her this grace and mercie Had this miserable creature as did the others died before her hypocrisie had bin discouered cannonized had she bene as they were and for â—o holy had bene holden that hardly in all heauen should her Dominickes haue found place to haue set her Had she bene a Franciscan as she was a Dominicke her Franciscans would haue placed her next to Saint Francis in the most highest place of the Quire of the Seraphins ioyning to the seat of Lucifer where they themselues sayd that their Saint Frauncis is placed Much do I maruell at the Lords which examined the processe of this diuelish creature this truly possessed of the diuell another Magdâ—len de la Cruz. Another such as she whom they called in England The holy Mayd of Kent who in the time of Henry the eight king of England did wonderfull and most false miracles Against whom was made processe and all proued to be false and fained as was that of our Nunne For which she was senâ—enced to death and so was executed That which passeth in the Pontificall kingdom is a thing against all â—ustice that one for speaking as in his conscience hee thinketh and according to that which the word of God in the holy scriptures hath reuealed that he knoweth no other Purgatorie but the only bloud of Christ that he knoweth no other righteousnesse but that which is receiued by faith and that none is to be called vpon but God alone by the onely meane of Iesus Christ c. That he shall die without redemption and with greatest disgrace before the world and that Magdalen and Marie and other such like being cursed blasphemers periured in publike audience possessed of the diuell mockers of Christian religion of God and of Iesus Christ his sonne shall liue True it is that they were condemned yet not to bee burned but to certaine Fâ—iaâ— like peâ—anâ—es and restraints Arise Lord iudge thine owne cause Behold those die that confesse thee and they that blaspheme thee do liue Very much I say do I maruell aâ— these Lords which condemned this cursed Mâ—rie that they should vse these words in their sentence which they giue against her All that which this Nunne hath done is and hath bene fained of 〈◊〉 onely that they should hold her for holie and that she had not dealt with nor inâ—ocated the diuell Surely they speake in this let their Lordships pardoâ—â—e against their owne consciences which told them her miracles to haue bene done by the aâ—â—e of the diuell with whom doubtlesse was she verie familiar and he was her husband conductor and guide For how could she do the miracles she did without the helpe of the diuell and her inuocation vpon him That which she saith that Iesus Christ appeared vnto her now accompanied with hee and she saints and now alone that very familiar he was with her that he hoâ—p her to pray ouer the houres that he was her husband and imprinted the wounds vpon her Let all this be fained of her as all is fained that men should take her for holy and more foolish they that beleeued her and did not remember Magdalen de la Cruz. But what will they say vnto me of the diseased and franticke Nunne which was healed as the Prouinciall in his letter witnesseth That the Prouinciall lyed will they say and that the Nun was not healed I think not so Healed she was by the meane which the Prouinciall reporteth by miracle wrought by the diuell What will they say vnto me of the Lady of qualitie that had the â—anker and was healed as the same Prouinciall doth witnesse and saith that all this was taken by faith and testimonie before a Notarie publike by commandement of the Cardinall What will they say vnto mee of the diseased persoâ— who forâ—aken of the Physitions with drinking of the water wherein was the little 〈◊〉 of the wodden crosse which the Prioresse had giuen to Anna Rodriguez was healed What will they say vnto me of this little 〈◊〉 which set it selfe vpright and of the other also that being cast into the water claue vnto and was ioyned with the first so that of them twaine one faire little crosse was made which moued to great deuotion all those that saw it and this was that which the diuell with this false miracle of the crosse pretended to cause theÌ„ to commit Idolatrie of this also was information taken by commandement of the Legat. Of many other such like things that the Prouinciall faith he could declare what will they say vnto me How could these things and the rest bee done without the art of the diuell without his help and inuocation vpon him I demaund of theÌ„ what was that which the three Moores saw in the Prioresse which were things so great maruellous that the Moores were not able to speake To the Archbishop of Lisbon in the presence of the Prouinciall and many others they confessed that they saw neere to the Prioresse Iesus Christ in humane shape put vpon the crosse throughout all Portugall was this miracle published Will they say vnto mee that it was the true Iesus Christ or that it was the illusion of the diuell that it was Iesus Christ will they not say For in their Sentence they say All whatsoeuer this Nunne hath done to haue bene fained It followeth then that it was the diuell in humane shape that appeared vnto her Saint Paul doth aduise vs 2. Cor. chap. 14. that Satan is wont the better to deceiue to transforme himselfe into an Angell of light But here in the businesse of these three Moores much more bold was Sathaâ— transforming himselfe into Christ crucified and taking his forme vpon him O the great patience of God And the Prouinciall