that the common people flie to their bookes shewing there is no mention of such a prohibition nor doe they any other then the mother Church commandes O vnheard-of madnes O irreligious Apostacy In the first to the Hebrewes the Originall hath it thus Heb. 13. and bearing vp all things by his mightie word hath by himselfe or onely Purged our sinnes Now behold what dares not By himselfe put out Sathan doe deride God in the 2 of Genes and tempt God in the 4. of Math. alleadging Scripture in both to serue his turne yea drawing the bow home of sacred truth to hit the marke of his aime but what dares not the Pope doc euen more then the diuell himselfe dash away or quite extinguish such places of Scripture as may seeme to contradict his fictions and lay his filthines to ouerture and the hissing of the passengers For in this text hee hath quite put out by himselfe and presumed to put in merits by-workes both satisfactory and supererogatiue trentalls Masses Dirges and other trumperies full of Leprous steines and corruption which I passe ouer because they rather appertaine to the second inditement In the 1 of Timothy 2. 5. The words are plaine neither 1 Timoth. 2. 5. one Mediator patible of other construction and I am sure vnsufferable of contradiction For there is one God and one mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus But what dares not the Pope doe quite reiect this and with conceited elegancy by way of comparison argue thus that as the necke is betweene the head and the body so the Virgin Mary is betweene Christ and his Church no graces or spirituall â—nfluences are granted from Christ but they passe by the hands of his mothers intercession and thus there is an Aue mary still to obtaine present and future blessings miracles are done indeed in the Church but by her meanes through Christs power they haue afforded her attributes of redemption sauing protection defence ruling commanding for which purpose Leoes vision is a fearefull and prodigious Atheisme wherein such as ascended the red ladder vnder Christ fell downe from diuers steppes but such as went vp the white ladder vnder the Virgin entred heauen without difficulty If I should proceede with Rom. 8. Rom 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. Math. 11. 28. 34. Hebrewes 7. 25. Math. 11. 28. in which places Christ is our onely Mediator and maketh intercession for vs I must needes impute arrogancy nay blasphemy vnheard-of to the Papacy either to make â—er a Mediatrix or pray to Saints for their assistance but harken to more impietie they haue deuised her to bee such a boundles Ocean of goodnes that shee many times entertaineth such whom Christ refuseth yea they goe further in the glorifying of Saints and crying to the Popes themselues to make intercession for them O vnlimitable audaciousnes and ridiculous foppery yet so manifest and absurdly entertained that whole volumes are written in the defence and as many about the discouery of the falshood In the 5 of Iohn 39. It is plainely sayd Search the Scriptures Iohn 5. 39. Reading the Scriptures Act. 17. 11. for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me whereupon it is recorded Act. 17. 11. that the noble men of Thessalonia and Berea receiued the word with all readines and searched the scriptures daily to which purpose the holy Ghost yeeldeth a reason 2 Tim. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 16. For the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration and is profitable to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes Now what Barbarous tyrany is this of the Church of Rome worse then Turkish crueltie not onely to locke vp these pretious treasures from the very eyes of ouer-looking with a supposition of pollution by ignorance but to affright the people with death as by their bloody Inquisition is apparant if any daring hand or hungry soule outreach at this heauenly Manna and looke with cheerfulnes toward mount Sion for their saluation so that no lay man may presume at all nor others to read the word of God in the vulgar tongue In the 1 Corinth 14. the inhibition is not barely set 1 Cor. 14. Against an vnknowne language downe for vsing an vnknowne language in the Church or if you will in publike congregations but illustrated with Similes and excellent enforcements to diuert vs from such absurditie and irregular abuses in edifying But alas how are our soules entangled how is an insupportable burthen of traditions thrust vpon vs how are we inforcered with a tedious Catalogue of principles and Canons of the mother Church And although the Apostles iustified the obeying of God before men yet now Non cuiuis licitum est dicere Papae cur hoc faecis Nay we must not aske a question for conscience sake nor say a prayer in our mother tongue for seare of Lutherano diauoto Heretico and in the inquisition to be clothed with the Sambenito a punishment as vituperious as the carting of Bawdes in England Nay if a modest sinner should but reueale those diurnall liftings vp of the soule which Saint Austin and other fathers call ciaculationes and that to be done in their natiue speech it were sufficient to bring them within the griping reaches of accusation and vnsatisfied ielousie of alteration in religion or repugnancy of the mother Church O intollerable mischiefe and neuer heard of frency to runne away with such madnes against God and his truth In the 20. of Mathew ver 20. the storie of the mother Math. 20. 20. Against ambition in the Câ—ergy of Zebedcus children with that sweete reprehension of ambitious tumors is recorded at large But how not as barely exhortatory by way of defence of righteousnes humillitie loue patience and other spirituall graces but with forcible interdiction of With you it shall not bee so although the Lords of the Gentiles and other corrupt worldlings defiled with contaminating pride and â—nsatiable affectings of authority hunted after popular estimation and eminency before others yet would not Christ haue so much as elation of hart among his disciples nor desire of superioritie ouer their brethren for any assumpted gift or grace whatsoeuer Nay though it were true that God had made their faith the rocke of foundation for his Church and themselues the Pillers and Lampes of his temple But now behold the error of the Church of Rome the error said I the intollerable pride and Antichristian impietie vsurpation and insatiable supremacy hee must not onely exalt himselfe aboue his brethren and make that Conclauc of Cardinalls an vndeniable Court of his greatnes and authoritie but stand like a Colossus ouer the neckes of Princes and as their own stories haue enlarged presumed to ouerturne the Crownes of Emperors with his feete nay more then so the Pope is carried on mens shoulders and hath reached at heauen it selfe and as the commentaries report of Prometheus that
stole Iupiters fiers they haue with a Luciferian pride arrogated the name of God and equalled their fictions and absurd miracles with the best of the Prophets and the mightiest word of truth In the 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. c. there are three fearefull attributes 1 Tim 4. 1. 2. Forbidding meates and marriages set downe appropriate to such as forbid marriages and the eating of meat which God hath sanctified namely 1. Doctrine of Devills 2. speaking lyes through hypocrisie 3. and haue their Conscience burned with an hot iron So that reasonable soules are almost terrified with the Iudgement and cannot thinke it possible to avoyde eternall flames if they should once attempt to crosse the true meaning of the holy Ghost Yet see what man dare doe the Pope hath inuented a law of Celebacy a vow of chastitie a deuise of sequestration for Priests and a manifest opposition to this veritie denying marriage which God honoured with his presence and branding it with the tearme of filthy pollution and defiling copulation nay though that Christ esteemed and named it honourable Yet haue these Aduersaries cast a defiance in the face of the Scriptures But withall what haue they done by way of conniuency permitted Whoredome and whereas they can say in some sort Si non castè tamen cautè they haue published a greater audaciousnesse in defending their contaminated hearts and adulterate eyes For they haue not spared to put to their hands and seales to the pattents of Abbots and other religious persons wherein is this Proviso Licitum erit Domino nostro Abbatt semel in mense habere mulierem ad purgandas renes Nay if I should search them further I am affrayde of pretended villany to march arme in arme with their adulteries and fornication For by experience I alledge it that in the Orchards of their Frieries and Nunneries amongst other exornations and furnitures of comelines they haue whole trees of Sauine and to what vse that serues Physicians Sauine and Mid-wiues know too well and how it may be abused an honest mother cannot relate without teares and wringing of handes As for meates they haue not onely limited vs in their vse but made a distinction of times and set a seale vpon dayes as if it were high treason to breake open the inclosures of such institutions yea an vnanswerable offence to steppe aside from their authoritie and limitation Nay though God saâ—â— all that he made to be good and blessed vs in the fruition of his blessings though the Prophets haue cursed the obseruers of dayes and times new Moones and feasts though Christ told his Apostles that whatsoeuer went into the man did not defile him though Peters vision cleared that scruple of vncleanenesse in all meates which God had sanctified yet is it a Pontificean verdict of damnation to infringe the letter of their Lithurgie and the people are made to beleeue that the eating of white meats in Lent will open the iawes of Hell so much the wider O irrelâ—â—ious Religion and Satanicall inuention In the twentith of Lâ—uiticus God hedged in the Iewes Levit. 20. Marriage touching marriage and enacted certaine precepts of holinesse as binding voyces to all gouernments kingdomes and posteritie yet haue we not experience of the Popes repugnancie in this kinde And that many vnlawfull marriages as farre as Incest haue beene borne withall and had Apostolicall benediction yea from their very Monasteries both Fryers and Nunnes haue beene taken out to circle their heads with Câ—ronets and fill their armes with bedfellowes even contrary to their first footing in Religion and pâ—mordiall contract with professed holinesse How plaine are those words 2. Thes 2. Matth. 24. Apoc 13. That that man of sinne should be reuealed whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders Yet you see in despight of this or derision of the Predictâ—on the Pope of Rome dare be called Vice-deus as in the Dictates of Gregory the seauenth And Miracles the Church of Italie produce so many Miracles that diuers of their owne Diuines haue made a stop in their reading but I referre you to its proper place that is the third Inditement which I frame in this accusation onely by the way consider how aduerse this man is to the Scriptures that dare iustifie himselfe to be Antichrist in this one poynt as it were in despight of the holy Ghost In the tenth of Iohn Christ saith My sheepe heare my Iohn 10. Hearing the Word voyce and in the twentie-one of Iohn the 15. verse he biddeth Peter three times to feed his sheepe the reason is because it is apparant that without Preaching neither can faith be obtained nor God himselfe so magnified as he ought but how poorely the Church of Rome distributes this gift and in what broken Pipes the water runs from a sparing Spring I might say corrupted Fountaine if not infectious streame let the impartiall Trauellers report who haue visited the Congregations on both sides For I dare be bold to say that except some speciall Citties wherein Priests and Fryers discourse of the Legend of Saints magnifie the Popes supremacy dilate of the orders of the Câ—urch manifest the necessitie of Indulgences and pardons and talke of Purgatory and Charitie to Monasteries the Countrey villages know not what a Sermon meaneth onely Mâ—sse and Maâ—tens with some voraginous deliuery of wonders and when they iesture it in the best manner not a place of Scripture alledged nor a poynt of Diuinitie discussed but some morall Precepts against notorious impreties wherein yet the Phylosophers and melancholly Stoickes went beyonde them In the 13. of Iohn and the 35. verse Christ saith plainly Iohn 13. 35. Louing one another All men shall know that you are my Disciples if you loue one another But how well this Precept is obserued amongst the Romanists I appeale to themselues and their owne writings what bitter inuectiues betweene Scotists and Thomistes What fearefull raylings betweene Popes and Cardinals What Calumniations betweene Fryers and Monkes What desperate quarrels betweene Dominicans and Franciscans What scandalls betweene Iesuites and Seculars before euer Watsons Booke of Quodlibets and Quidlibets excited laughter in some despight in many and disâ—tastings in all I could name patience and meekenesse as a marke of the Church of God but to looke vpon the angry face of Rome and the affrightings of Clergie Commissioners when their Religion is opposed and fooleries derided is more tyrannous then the ten Persecutions in the Primitiue Church and the murthering the brethren in Turkey is but a flea-biting to the burning and torturing of Martyres In Portingall they brought one Gardner to death an Englishman with such vnheard-of crueltie that the Clergie put a Deuills-coat vpon him full of horrible shapes gagd his mouth hung him vp in chaynes and made him liue in torments when death tooke pittie vpon him How ridiculous was the burning of Paulus Fagius and Bucers bones in the beginning
at Rochester the Saxons S. Austin and Panimes derided him and cast ray tailes vpon him with the garbish of noysome fish whereupon he prayed to God that the children of Kent might be borne with tailes and so to the terrour of the Inhabitants and yet conuersion of many it came to passe as they foolishly beleeue When Oswald King of Northumberland was slaine by the Oswald Saxons they cut off his head which they buried in the Abbey of Berdnay whereupon he was consecrated a martyr and our Lord for the confirmation of his sanctitie caused many miracles to be done both by him and for him which wrought so effectually in the hearts of the people that they were soone conuerted to Christ and beleeued in the holy Church Because Pasculus the Deacon Cardinall held against Simmachus Pasculus with the faction of Laurentius to his death therefore he was put to the paines of Purgatory and to keepe the bathes This story is from Gregory in Dialogis who addeth tht it was visibly manifested to the people who were thereby detayned in awe and obedience and euer after feared to offend the censure of the Church You shall reade that Iohn the second Pope of Rome had Pope Iohn 2. a great contention with Iustinian the Emperour about the two natures of Christ insomuch that the Emperour would needes enforce him to be of his opinion but the valiant Bishop moued with zeale and pietâ—e answered thus I thought I had come to Iustinian a Christian Emperour but sure I haue found Dioclesian a persecuting tyrant at which wordes the Emperour fell downe on his knees as Saul from his horse in his iourney to Damascus acknowledging the power of the Church and confessing it was a miracle for he had seene a strange vision Because Mauritius the Emperour in the latter end of his Mauritius raigne contested with Saint Gregory and would not acknowledge his holinesse for superiour there appeared a man of Rome vnto him clothed in a religious habit yet holding a naked sword in his hand and thus menaced him Thou shalt be destroyed whereupon Phocas taking aduantage of this Vision or if you had â—ather of a great conspiracie and coniuration against him opportunely made himselfe head of the Faction and so bereâ—t him both of life and Empire After Gregory the great succeeded Samianus who presumptuously Samianus traduced the said Gregory for pride and vain-glory especially that his almes and liberalitie tended to ostentation Wherevpon followed some distemperature and oppression of his best faculties with a continuall supposition that Gregory did still haunt him and rebuke him which ended not without a Vision in which he smote him on the head This proued ominous for vpon the conceit he presently sickned and dyed and so the Church made a story of it that it was long of the blow which Gregory gaue him You shall reade that the Emperour and other Princes Heraclius of Europe prospered in the recouery of Ierusalem and so returned the holy Crosse thither againe which when Heraclius of Constantinople vnderstood he would needes make a iourney to Ierusalem which must bee performed with great pride pompe and ostentation But see the miracle When he came to Ierusalem and thought to make his entrance into the Cittie with glorious magnificence the gates shut themselues against him of their owne accord and the more violent he was to enter the more stronger and closer they kept themselues till he bethought himselfe of a contrary course which was humiliation and acknowledging of mercy then did they open againe of themselues and he was louingly receiued of the Bishops Deodans and Agatho were Popes who healed Lepers with Healing of Lepers kissing them and performed many Cures without Salue or Medicine For so you reade that the Apostles did the like by imposition of handes c. In the daies of Martine the first Pope of Rome you shall Martine 1. read that his enemies conspired his death for which purpose they sent one Spartarius of Olympus to kill him which in the time of his saying of Masse and sacring the Host was reuealed but see the miracle As he approached neere him he was strucke blind whereby the Pope auoided the danger and the Church increased in reputation The reuerend Beda became blind for age and was therfore Beda mocked and scoffed of the people as the children called Elias bald pate in which time of his contempt and despight they brought him to preach to a company of stones he supposing they had beene men went forward in his exhortation and when he had finished the stones spake vnto him thanked him and said Amen venerabilis Beda Carolus Martelius to supply his wants in the warres Carolus Martellus bereaued many Churches of their Treasure Chalices and so impouerished the Clergy by reason of which intrusion and exaction when hee died he was visibly carried into Hell as they faine to proue the truth whereof Eucharius Bishop of Aurelian as he was at his praiers saw him body and soule tormented in a locall place which because many doubted of and that an Angell could not reueale such a vision the Abbot of S. Denis would needs run to his Sepulcher and opening the chest found a huge Dragon in it which leaped in his face and made him a little afraid They also write of Leo the fourth a Pope of Rome Leo 4. a Pope who going in Procession to Saint Peters Church was surprised by his enemies and in reuenge they cut out both tongue and eies yet was our Lady so gracious vnto him that though he wanted the instruments he had the fâ—culties of seeing and speaking The enmity was so great betweene Sergius and Formosus Sergius â—oâ—mosus Popes of Rome that Sergius cut off his head and threw the body into Tiber which was yet taken vp by certaine Fisher-men and brought solemnly to Christian buriall But see the wonder â— no sooner came it into the Church but all the Images of the Saints bowed downe and made it reuerence It is a position in Papistry neither to discouer any thing Benedict 9. which may tend to the diminution of the Pontifiâ—ian glory nor to reueale any thing confessed nor practise what may proue schismaticall against the Popes holinesse nor in a word neglect the superstitious care of their Church ceremonies yet here they themselues tell a story of Benedictus the ninth that hee was damned for his vitious life and visibly seene tormented in Hell yea such was the efficacy of the curse against him that after death he appeared to the terrour of many in a most horrible shape and figure his head and taile like an Asse and his body like a Lions All men agree to the history of Edward surnamed the Ed. Confessor that he was a religious Prince and replenished with those excellent gifts of wisedome and piety but few men can iustifie that this was obserued in his life As hee kneeled
at Masse in the very instant of the eleuation of Christs body he saw Swaine King of Denmarke drowned in the sea with all his army at which hee so smiled that at last it tended to a laughter whereat the company wondred and were bold to demand what the matter meant wherupon he discouered the secret called certaine Earles to participate of the vision amongst whom the Earle of Glocester saw the Bread turne apparantly into the likenesse of a young child But to adde more truth to this miracle the hangings in the Quier aâ— West minster consist of this story and there you may see the conceit of the businesse O the superstition of those daies and palpable grosnesse of the Clergies collusion This King gaue also his Signet for the loue of St. Iohn to a poore man but see the wonderfull care and respect of the Apostle hee sent it him baâ—â—e againe in the belly of a fish for when a goodly fish was presented to the King as the Cooke dressed the same the Kings Seale was found in the entrailes others tell the story in this manner that Saint Iohn tooke it so kindly being now at Ierusalem that he returned it backe againe by two pilgrimes whom he posted into England in one night for the same purpose so the ring was deliuered and Saint Iohns commendation presented to the king Gregory the seuenth was Cardinall and Legat in France Gregory 7. before he was Pope where he so religiously proceeded against Simoniacks that he called diuers to account as we say in foro publico amongst whom a certaine Bishop by bribing and corrupting his accusers thought to escape but Gregory knowing by reuelation the deceit preuented it in this manner he commanded him to say Gloria patri if he had not abused the holy Ghost which by no meanes he could doe whereupon he was adiudged guiltie and depriued of his Bishopricke But see the mischiefe afterwards he could say it well enough and made them all wonder at the alteration I beleeue though you haue read many Chronicles you William Râ—fus King yet haue not read of this storie concerning the death of William Rufus that a little before he was shot by Sir Walter Tirrell he dreamed he was let bloud in so great a quantitie that a streame of it leapt vp on high toward heauen more than a hundred fathom and the day was presently darkened as the night Againe a Monke of his house dreamed that king William went into a Church with a great company of people and amongst them all he tooke the Image of the Crucifix and most shamefully rent it with his teeth but the Crucifix meekly suffred all till like a mad man he pulled the armes off threw it vnder feet and trampled vpon it in despight had not a great fire come out of the Crucâ—fix mouth which preuented the king from committing further outrage and awaked the Monke This dreame was with much adoe declared to the king and his owne dreame with more adoe disputed vpon and both the dreames made a matter of fearefull prediction so that the conclusion extended to caution and premonition to his Maiestie that there was sure some misfortune imminent ouer him Thomas Becket was one of the Popes champions and Englands Thomas Becket traitors of whose lies and miracles I am ashamed to wrice for they will haue him turne a Capon into a Carpe as he was at dinner in Rome on Saint Marks day and when he was martyred to heale the sicke wounded and lunaticke with the touch of his tombe and relickes my author recounts two and twentie miracles done for his sake When Saint Bernard was canonized a Saint and Saint ernâ—rd consecrated in his shrine or chappell his Abbot forbad him to doe any more miracles because there came such a concourse of people that he was notable to entertaine them nor willing to be so continually imploied the like or much more is fathered vpon Simon de Momford Earle of Leicester Momford a notorious rebell against Henrie the third but because he went vnder the vmbrela of a good Common-wealths man and maintainer of the liberties of Church they inuented many a lie for him that he might preserue his reputation after death c. When Robert Bruise rebelled against Edward the first he was proclaimed a traitor and after taken and beheaded yet did they hang vp his body in chaines but there came so many deuils by night to torment it with hookes that they were faine to watch it guard it and make fires about the place I cannot but enlage the storie of Thomas the good Earle Sir Simond Frizell of Lancaster one of the greatest subiects of the world whom Edward the second most vnkindly put to death and wherein they went along with his worthines allow them the praises of their good report but when they come to deuices and superstitious conceits I leaue them to their owne fallacies and cannot choose but laugh at their fictions for they not onely repute him a Martyr but diuulge that many a miracle was shewne by him or done for him Aâ— a The Earle of Lancaster Priest restored to his sight who had beene long blinde by wiping his eies with the Altar cloth A child drowned and found dead the third day in a well was brought to his tombe and not onely recouered by touching the defunct but receiued life which continued many yeeres Diuers mad men and distracted women by leaning their heads only vpon his tombe were restored to a temperature in their senses A rich man of Gascoign halfe dead and rotten on the one side so that you might see his liuer was blessed by his Tombe with vnusuall recouery and many such like miracles were performed by him whereupon the Spencers both prohibited the concourse of people and accesse to his Chappell I could name the rest but these as the rest are the durty waters from a corrupt and puddled channell and must both discouer the impiety of such a profession and wickednesse of such Priests that will hang gew gawes and grosse deuices about the necke of religion to make her seeme more gawdy and a very puppet in the world yet such was the pleasure of diuine Iustice to permit the Deuill to put on a cloake of sanctity to deceiue whole multitudes who were subiect to vanity such the coherence of Scripture that Papistry should haue her Progresse as you haue heard and such was the deceit of men that they were detained in ignorance because they delighted in ceremonies rather than substance in painted deuices and outward ornaments rather than inward or spirituall worshipping of God in fooleries to please the naturall man rather than senselesse kneeling in vaine to the aire as they would excuse it when men see no pourtraiture nor resemblance and yet the Scripture saith that Moses saw no image Thus was sinne not onely multiplied in the world but men for the hardnesse of their hearts detained in blindnesse