7. 8 in Silucst 2 Renedict 9. in Ioh. 8. they themselues account Apostaticall and not Apostolicall who only are related in histories to make vppe the externall number of succession and I pray you what was the case of so many hundreds of Prelates and your owne Cardinals who at Pisa departed from the Romane true Bishoppe true I say for externall succession what of the Prelates of the Councell of Basile which consisted of most Bishoppes of the West who departed from the communion of Eugenius with the Pontificians the vndoubted Bishoppe of Rome What of the Clergy and part of the Church of Rome it selfe who departed from Liberius when Eusebius one of the Romane Church with some others were grieuously persecuted It is a vaine narration of our Ignatians and others to say that this Apostasie prophesied by the Apostle and Christ must be interpreted from the Bishoppe of Rome for it is most euident that it must bee from Iesus Christ himselfe and the true iustifying beleefe in him onely and most vain it is for them to say that the infallibility of doctrine was so tyed to the visible succession of Bishoppes in the Roman particular See for if so how comes it to passe that against Iohn the 23. the true Pope for succession it was proued in a generall i Can constant Sess Councell that hee had pertinatiously thought and often taught that there was no immortality of the soule no resurrection of the body what might not a man haue departed from the communion of this Pope if not then the whole Romane Church which in the councell of Constance apostated from him made that Apostacy of which the Apostle foretold Which if it be true what will become of Paul the fift with his congregation The Remists fearing that the defection from the Romane Empire and destruction of the same should bee a steppe to proue that he who hath ouerthrown the same and set another forme of gouernment in Rome absolute and soueraigne and yet not as of the Romane Emperour doe therefore most shamelesly in their m Annotat. 17. Apocalyps vpon the word Babylon annotations vpon the Apocalipse so separate the gouernment of Rome and of the Church in Rome as though they were not vnited together but remained still in that sort in which they both were in the time when the Apostle made this prediction for thus they write in expresse termes whereby it is plaine say they that whether Babylon or the great Whore doe signifie Rome here or no yet it cannot signifie the Church of Rome which is now and euer was distinct from the terrene empire of the same Thus they without all shame or learning where they would faine put off from the Pope and his Cardinals the reproch of hauing the terrene Empire or gouernment of Rome in their hands which I verily suppose they doe hold so fast that they will not leaue the same n Apocâ—l 7. vntill the tenne hornes which earst as Kinges haue receiued power after the beast that is vpon the decaying and desolation of the beast and haue also ioined for the appointed time power with the beast against the lamb because iointly concurring to vphold the impious superstitions and abhominations of the Whore of whose cuppe they haue all drunke euen almost till they haue vomited it vp againe God putting into the hearts shall eate the Harlots flesh and make her naked desolate consume her with fire This harlot which shall be so eaten and burned by those Kings who had earst drunke of the cup of her whoredomes Whom can shee designe but as * Ibidem Saint Iohn saith that City which had command ouer the Kings of the earth to wit earst in her Emperours after in her Popes and Cardinals should haue power and command ouer the Kings of the Earth the which who seeth not is verified in the City of Rome it selfe as not onely certaine Ancient Fathers but certain p Ribera in 14. Apocal. viega in 17. Reâ—ist in Apocal Bellarmin lib. de Rom Pont. Ignatians themselues also expound it and if it signifie not Rome let the Aduersary produce some other City heere described so that the Beast that was and is not to wit the rule and command of the City of Rome which was before in the Consuls Senators and Commonwealth buf now it is not because it is in the Emperours shall be againe in the * Pontifâ—x c. The Pope and the Purpured Fathers iudge the world Coquae contra Praemon Pope and his purpured Cardinals To proceed where should this defection rather be then in Babylon which S. Iohn hath foretold Now that by Babylon Rome according to the exposition q Hieron in prologo Didimi epist 17. ad Marcel Tertul. lib. aduer Judaeos of the Ancient Fathers is to to vnderstood r Annotâ—m 17. Apocal. the Remists themselues dare not stiffely deny it now as cleare as the Sumit is that therefore Rome is called Babylon because shee hath made drunke with the cup of her whordomes all Kings of the Earth and all Nations who haue pledged her which by no meanes can be expounded of Rome heathenish both in respect that shee did not infect with her whoredomes the Countries and prouinces which she conquered but rather she obteined no Countrey nor Prouince of whose whordomes she drunke not her self by bringing their gods Images into her Capitoll to bee worshipped and adored with the Images of their Romane gods And manifest it is that the Prophet speaketh of a cup of fornication which Kings and Nations were to drinke of somwhat after his time but Rome heathenish and heâ— Emperours were in their ruffe and most triumphing when S. Iohn made this Prophesie againe Å¿ Tertull de resurrect carais cap. 25 Bellar. vnderstandeth that the tâ—n Kings which shal hate the Whore shall diuide the Romane Empire taking kingdomâ— to themseâ—â—es afterwâ—rd destroy Rome it selfe Bellar. lib. 3. de Pout cap. 13. the Kings of the Earth who were to drinke of the cuppe were afterwards to hate this Whore and to make her desolate therefore and in respect of her abominations now this can by no meanes be vnderstood of Heathenish Rome which was long agoe conuerted to Christ and her blemishes of Idolatry washed out by the blood of the Lambe in the the time of Constantine And to say that Rome Christian should be punished for the cup of Whordomes which Rome Heathenish gaue to the Kings of the Earth to drinke of is a meere chimera vnlesse they can shew that the most iust God will punish Jacke as is said for Gill or else they can prooue vnto vs a Pithagarian transmigration of soules from Rome Heathenish into Rome Christian Further it is most apparent as I haue mentioned aboue that the cupps of whordomes heere spoken of should be in the hands of one who had been first r Hierom. epist 17. ad Marcel Rome was then in part the purpured
Iesus be they Patriarks Primates Bishops Priests or who elsesouer so that they only and alonely must bee the immediate Vicars of Christ for Christ and in Christs steede and if it please you to vse the Greeke wordes in their owne sense they are sole Vicars * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vicars for Christ so that agreeingly to c Bellar. lib. de Rom. Pont. saepissimè Bellarmines doctrine and almost all of his Societie directly against the prerogatiue of Christ the Church is to be called d Ioh. 20. one fold and one visible flocke because it hath one Pastour and one Sheepe-heard the Pope and so accordingly he must forsooth only be the dore and dorekeeper of the Church only to let in and to shut out And would God they would also proue to be at least of the good shepheards to giue their liues for their sheepe would God they would at leasly vouchsafe e 1. Tim. 1. to preach to their flocke and not place all the gouerning of their flocke in idle decreeing faith and ambitious enacting of lawes such lawes as tend so greatly to Christs dishonour to the scandall of the whole world and setting vp of their owne Papacies and the augmenting of their temporall Dominions But alas these courses of them being the very shipwracke of good consciences are also euident signes of shipwracke in faith and where the f Psal 35. foote of pride hath moued them there the foot of infidelitie also hath followed by the working of wickednesse and the malignant enemie The motiues which haue moued me to leaue their communion so farre as they haue abandoned and left the puritie of the Roman Primitiue Church which was no sooner planted but it was sliding if you will beleeue g Onuphrius annotat in Platinam in vitam Petri. Of the Roman Church also is meant that which Genebr ad ann 898. out of Platin. Negligentia Episcoporum c. by then negligence of Bishops manyabuses crept into the church Which in respect of the warres could not bee repressed Thus they Onuphrius I wil diuide into three principall heads The first shall containe Motiues out of their pernicious and hereticall doctrines The second Motiues out of their most dangerous and wicked lawes The third Motiues out of the obseruations which I haue made of the Spirits of the English Chieftaines of the Roman profession I thought to haue had adioyned fourthly some generall obseruations touching the corrupt liues especially of some principall ones of their Clergie wherein I could produce many particulars and such as could not be gainsaid but h Eccles 3. omnia tempus habent if occasion require and they desire it they shall well vnderstand that they haue little cause to bragge of the innocencie and integrity of many of their English Apostles and Martyrs Motiues touching doctrine The first Motiue FIrst I suppose for truth as cleare as any demonstration that what Church soeuer doth perniciously erre in the rule of Faith must or may perniciously erre in all conclusions and propositions of faith deducted out of that erroneous Rule Now that the Roman Church doth perniciously erre in the very rule of faith I make it thus manifest The rule of faith with the perfect Romanes is the Popes sole iudgement when he defineth ex Cathedra that is to expound their phrase in their What the Romanes meane by their Popes defining Ex Cathedra owne sense vvhen he so defineth that he intendeth thereby to teach the vvhole Christian Church for some of them not vvholly Romanes vvill not obstinately and in expresse termes say that he cannot erre vvhen he defineth and pronounceth for a particular Church to beleeue and practise as he decreeth and defineth and that this is the only inerrable rule of faith vvith the Romanes and that in the Pope alone resideth infallibilitie of defining and that all other meanes as consent of Fathers without him either in Counsell or out of Counsell may bee subiect to errours deceiue and be deceiued it is the most expresse sentence and doctrine of a 2. 2. q. 11. art 2. ad 3. refer caus 24. q. 1. cap. Quotiescunque Aquinas b Bellar. lib. 2. de Christo c. 28. lib. de Conciâ—â—s saepe Bellarmine c Valentia in his Analysis of faith where he hath this conclusion lib. 8. c. 1. 2. 3. Quo tiescunque c. As often as the Pope in desining questions of faith vseth that authoritie wherewith hee is indued that doctrine must by diuine precepts be receiued of al christians as a sentence of faith and wee must beleeue that so often he vseth that authority as often as in controuersies of faith either by himselfe or with his Councell of Bishops hee shall so determine one part of the question that he will binde the whole Church to receiue the same Valenti d Coq in his Treatise against our Kinges Premon very often Coquaeus e Endaemon in his Parralell Endaemon f Par. in his Philopater Parsons g Baldwin lun lib. de Rom. Pont. cap. 9. prop. 1. 2. ex Bellarm. operibus in sua solida si dei demonstr Baldwinus Iunius h Siluester in summ verbo Fides Coquae pag. 27. The purpured Fathers are Senatours and Counselers of the Pope and with them he iudgeth the whole world Thus he Siluester all Canonists very few excepted two only to wit Panormit Zabarel vvhich I now remember of all of the Societie of Ignatius of Baronius most often in his Annals and in his Parenisis to the Venetians and in his Voto to Paul the fifth of Suares Vasques Azor Coccius in his voluminous aggregat most often Sanders Allen Genebrard Gretser Becan Carerius the two Bozius Mancinus Boter vvith infinite others all whom it is both impossible and needlesse to relate Let the decrees of Leo 10. in the Councell of Laterane Boniface the 8. Vnam Sanctam and the two decretall Epistles of Sixtus the 5. and d Clement the 8. set before the late vulgar editions of those two Popes pretended by some to be the whole by others only the amended translation of S. Hierome for yet they are not agreed stand for all now vvhat Pontifician can vvithout note of impietie or infidelitie call in question this their doctrinall and dogmaticall position vvhich is so clearly and resolutely maintained by them practised and defined by their Popes yea and by Leo the tenth in his Laterane Councel and Eugenius in his And although some moderate Romanists to smoothe this vneuen rule vvill seeme to say that the Pope ought to take aduise of his Brethren the Cardinals or of Bishops his deputies when hee vvill define notwithstanding such politike excusers of their shame and all other defenders of this their position doe and must maintaine that the infallibilitie of any definition is from the Pope alone Here-hence it is that all English Ignatians and most English Priests at this present in England and else
the holy Scriptures it is most cleere that married Priestes and Bishops were permitted to vse their wines and also to performe all Church-offices so cleare this truth is in Saint Paul a 1. Ad Timoth. 3. to Timothie that he taketh order how the wife and children of such persons are to be ordered And who is so ignorant a Dâ—uine as not to know b Valentia de celibatu cap. 2. Thâ—◠〈◊〉 2. 2. q. 88. Durand lib. 4. dist 34. 37. alij Scholastic communiter ibidem Solus de iure iustitia lib. â— Petrus â Soto in institut sacerdot lâ—ct 5. Alphonsus â Castâ—o aduersus heres verbo sacerdot Azor. institut lib. 13. cap. 12. that with Valentia the Ignatian Diuine all the chiefest Pontifician Diuines do acknowledge that the Law and Vow of chastitie is onely annexed to Priesthood and holy Orders by mans law to wit by the lawes of some Roman Popes by their Sinodicall constitutions at most and that Christ and his Apostles appointed nothing therin I haue often maruelled how Popâ—s who haue bene so liberall to dispense in all Church lawes in all maner of Vowes and Oathes yea and with Laicks most often in the vowes of Chastity either c Thomas is Aquin. 2. 2. q. 88. art 10. ad 3. Azor. lib. 6. cap. 1. Tom 1. Theolog. omnes communiter for some great good to the parties who had vowed or sworne or to remoue some euill from them or else for some spiritual good or temperall profit to others or to remoue some occasion of spirituall or temporall euill and hurt or else in respect of impotency or vnablenes to keep the Vows yea who haue dispensed daily dispense with promises and oathes of fidelity made to princes other thirde Persons will not for the soules healths of some of their polluted Bishops and Priests to remoue so generall Vniuersal a scandall from their Church dispense with all such of their Cleargy who by their owne confessions and experience of the whole world are so farre from beeing continent that they doe like impure horses hinnire neigh after the Wiues and Daughters of their Diocesians and Parishioneâ—s I doe heere constantly and Christianly affirme that it were more tollerable and more agreeing to the vse of the most pure Sacraments that all Priests and Bishops in the World being dispensed withall or otherwise freed should marry and vse marriage then that one onely incestuous sinne or Sodomiticall impurity by occasion of the Law of Chastity d This my discourse falleth if there bee sin in mariage as the ancient Encratites and Tatians held otherwise it is inuincible for doubtles dispensation must bee graunted when otherwise sin throgh impotency caÌ„not be auoided See Abbas in c. câ— olim de clericis coniugat Sotus lib. 7. de iustit q. 6. art 2 Good old Azor lib. 12 cap. 13. granteth that for temporall peace the vow of chastitie may be dispensed withall as though the remouing of sinne were not a greater cause for dispensation in any cause whatsoeuer should bee committed For as in the first secluding the Law of Chastity ordeined only by Authority of some Roman Bishops not expresly instituted by God there should be no sinne so in the other there is sinne inexcusablie which in malice because insinite surpasseth all the good of Chastity because finite that may be in all other Priests Had it not beene better that the impure Venetian Abbot whose excesses in soliciting of matrones that worthy state would haue corrected if the Pope would haue giuen them leaue should haue beene dispensed withall to haue married rather then to haue beene by his most impure conuersation part of that scandall by which the whole Christian world had like to haue fallen into a most dreadefull commotion Had it not beene farre better for the Legat Cardinall of Cremona his soule and more for Romes honor that he shold haue bin dispensed withal and haue brought a wife with him rather then hee should the same night after that day in which he most bitterly had inueâ—ghed against the Marriage of Priests be found in bed with a common strompet as e Math. Paris in Henri 1. ad ann 1125. Huntingd. Westmonast Flores ad cundem annum Mathew of Paris with others condently deliuer had it not beene farre better for the Honour of the Apostolike See that Iohn the 12. should haue dispensed with himselfe and haue had one lawfull wife rather then to haue kept three infamous strompets Stephana Anna Raynera as Luitprandus f Luitprand Tic. lib. 6. cap. 6. et c. 7. Onuphrius in Annotat. in platinam in Iohan. affirmeth and accusing him also to haue committed many other most impure villanies What should I mention any thing of Pope Sergius Iohn the 8. Iohn the 20. the 22. Alexander the 6 and diuers other most impure Popes c. But what care these Pharisees how impure and filthy that of the dish is within so that they may be thought at lest to vow chastity and to haue wils to be chast and pure I thought not to name any particulars concerning this point in any liuing but seeing the Ignatians are so holy that they wil casâ— off al such faults vpon others as though they desired not so much as any conuersation with women and yet who bee they that now giue first entertainment to the gallant women at Saint Omers who those that dayly conuerse with them bee they not Ignatians I will deliuer heere one certaine thing which happened pardon me curteous Reader if I abuse thy patience with relating of it in their famous Dowist Vniuersitie and one of their Ignatian Schooles and by an Ignatian also who was * Witnesses M. I. S. M. T. S. and M. W. C. obserued by Persons of worthy credit often to pollute himselfe most shamefully in the open schooles yea so apparantly that it was thought the Reader could not but obserue it the like is testified and prooued of another in the same Schooles but he was no Ignatian and the like I saw of another in the Diuinity Schoole of Rome but he was no Ignatian but vnder their Gouernment onely But what doe I insist to inueigh against their wicked Lawe promiscuously binding all that take Orders whether they haue the gift of continency or otherwise not to marry they will doubtlesse obiect to me that I long after Marriage they may Calumniate me at their pleasure how I haue conuersed it is well knowne euen amongst many Modest Chast very worthy and worshipfull Gentlewomen and I heere protest before God that I neuer found a more reall sincere detestation against all carnal thoughts and molestations or any desires of that kind then at this present I doe yet I esteeme it farre more meet and agreeing to Christs institution and the Holy Apostles doctrine for any whatsoeuer he bee rather to Marry then to burn yea so much as to haue any least vnlawfull oâ—
us free by your behests From all the sinnes that vs restraine To whose commaunding subiect are Infirmittes and healthes of all Our ill disposed customes cure And vnto vertue vs recall Whose eyes are not shut if here he doe not plainlie obserue how they haue taken the glory of onelie Redeemershippe and Aduocacy from Christ and haue transferred it vpon his Creature how plaine is it that they beg those things from the Apostles which Christ onely doth giue and from whose onely hands we are to expect them to wit peace and saluation Vouchsafe O Christ to open their eyes that seeing they may see and be conuerted and thou O God heale them thou O God restore them to all vertues I should here declare somewhat how the Romane Church trauaileth to make her Religion to seeme and appeare magnificent pompous glorious by deuised shewes a fitte deuise indeed to draw the simple but wiser trauailers and indicious persons obseruing such artificiall and stagelike representations * Diuerse both noble and very worthy Gentlemen haue taken great offence at the Spanish Fopperies in their processions and haue been greatly confirmed to continue still in the single and sincere integrity of the reformed Churches gather another conclusion thereout to wit that their Religion is humane not diuine not agreeing to the true ancient Christian simplicity of Christs Church Do they think that their sumptuous carrying their God vp and downe streetes their publike incensing and adoring of it their deuising of many rich representations to set forth their solemnities will draw the wiser people of such couÌ„tries as are auerted from the Romance Church no God wot there is nothing more auerteth them then such open and heathenish-like kind of worshippes which were neuer dreamed of in ancient Churches nor commended by any ancient institution of any Gouernours of the same The Conclusion But I will make haste towardes the Conclusion of these my motiues yet before I end I am constrained for the satisfaction of others to shew with what conscience and reason I dare aduenture to leaue communion with that Church which is so famous and so conspicuous and which hath beene euer visible for so much as concerneth externall succession an outward kind of profession of many pointes of Christian Doctrme since Christs time as like continuing of succession can be shewed in the Churches of Hierusalem Alexandria c. It cannot be denied but that the Romane Church in the Apostles time was a pure and sound part of the Christian Catholike Church although in her very infancy shee was sliding if you beleeue Onuphrius which moued S. Peter to hasten and returne vnto her and although Onuphrius in annotatan Platmam in vitam Petri. a Euseb lib. 3. hist cap. 31. Eusebius relateth Egesippus to affirme that whilest the Apostles liued the Church was an immaculate Virgine and pure from errour but they being dead there did presently arise those who did impugne the Apostolicall truth notwithstanding these things I doubt not to say that the Romane Church continued long time found in all substantiall matters of Christian doctrine vntill humane Traditions beganne to entermixe themselues with religion instituted by diuine authority which then most apparantlie began when the Church came to enioy temporall peace and prosperity presently after the dayes of Constantine the Emperour in whose time and by whose donation poyson was powred into the Church as the b Vita Silaestri approbata life of Siluester Pope deliuereth of a certain Angelical voice pronouncing as much the operation of which poison shewed it self partly in effect in the time of Damasus when by reason of the competency and contention which was betwixt him and c Ammian Marcellia lib 27. cap. 2 Ra on in Annal. Vrsisine for the Romane See so much bloud was shed that I hope if d I Cortil 2. Marcellin ibid. Sâ—crates l. 2. ca. 11 affirmeth how the Bishop of Rome exalting themselus aboue the limits of Priesthood into temporall dominion contended for the Primcay ouer all other Churches Saint Pauls argument bee true the Romane Church was then very carnall oppressed with such grieuous contentions and not being in vnity of spirite thinking the same thing but hauing such horrible schismes amongst them and I doubt not to affirme but that Damasus more or lesse as hee was delighted according to the fashion of Romane Bishops with sumptuous attendance in his person so also more or lesse brought in sumptuous seruice and pompous ceremonies into the Church and this the Pontificians cannot deny if diuers thinges that bee in Damasus his Pontificall bee truly attributed to that Popes institution and collection which in sundry thinges I beleeue not but this Bishoppe is made a Saint in the Romane calender the Lord knowes for what vertue or when he was first fainted perhappes for his tumultuous entrance or pompuous conuersation in the chaire of Rome in which respect hee may be reputed in some degree the Protoparent of many his Successors These beginnings and entrances of corruption vanity into the Church of Rome obserued which in succeeding times and in ages after ages grew into most horrible grieuous prophanations by the subtlety of Satan whilest the Gouernours of the Churches g Math. 13. were a sleepe that is were lulled with temporall peace and prosperity I seriously first consider those Propheticall wordes of our h Luc. 13. Sauiour in which hee hath foretold that when hee should come he should hardly find faith vpon earth which defection from faith as it was to bee and generally to ouerwhelme the whole world before Christs second comming so who coulde long agoe precisely say when it was to beginne onely after-experience hath demonstrated it and doth tell vs that according to another Propheticall prediction of the most blessed 2 ad Thes 2. Apostle who hath expresly deliuered that this defection and Apostacy should bee when that man should sitte in the temple that is the Church at whose comming the Romane Empire should be taken out of the way and who should extoll himselfe sitting in the Temple aboue all that is called or worshipped as God vpon earth who should also in himselfe and by his followers worke wonders and miraculous prodigies bosting and bragging therein who should also Apostatat from the charity of truth that is from the iustifying faith in Christ Iesus onely that iustifying faith in Christ Iesus onely which is so much and so often commended in sacred Scripture who also should Apostatate from most Articles of Christian doctrine For vaine is that exposition of the Remists who would faine interprete this Apostasie of which the Apostle speaketh to bee from the Pope and from his Primacie and particular Romane Church vaine I say for who will say that a man might not iustly haue departed from the communion of such Popes as k Genehrard lib. 4 Chronol sâ—â—ulo 10. Baron ad aun 900. anno 908. Plaim in vita sapissime in Bonifa