and places of the holy Scripture is said to bee the water the Stone also to bee Christ Even so the bread is said to bee his body which three places must be understood interpreted to bee sacred signes figures then when this very author said Christ Iesus uttered these words Hoc est Corpus meum this is my Body in presenting and breaking bread to his Disciples hee gave them the signe of his body for otherwise it should seeme to bee a thing both inhumane and unlawfull to devoure the pretious flesh blood of Iesus Christ if there were not the figure of the bread and wine for to keepe in memory his flesh and blood the body of Christ having beene sacrificed to God his Father for our life and eternall nourishment Againe the same Author used this interpretation Lib. 10. de Caut. des cap. 5. ea sacrificium de coÌ„sc dist 2 Tertul. lib. 1 3.4 Etiquid paras dentem ventrem crede maÌ„ducaâ—â— ea ut quid de consec dict 2 Aug. in lib. demmed paeniteud in Ioan. tra 25. cap. 6. The Sacrament visible is the new Testament that is to say The sacred signe of the invisible sacrifice the like interpretations are described by Tertullian against that hereticke Marcion Christus acceptum PanuÌ„ Corpus suum fecit dicendo Hoc est Corpus meum id est figura Corporis mei Wherefore then O Missalians have you not followed the authority of these holy Doctors of the Church which would not blaspheme against God by the Magick of transubstantiatioÌ„ bat have freelly and vertuously acknowledged the Sacrament to be a visible signe or sacred figure signifying by faith spirit that which is invisible Wherefore do you prepare the mouth the belly for to devoure the body and blood of Christ corporally really and carnally Why offer you not your selfes by true and lively faith for to eate worthily Christ Iesus Why have you not understood the manducation of the body of Christ by the notable distinction of that loarned Doctor St. Ierome saying S. Hieron in Epist ad Ephes Ca. dupliciter eadem distinct The flesh of Christ Iesus is to be understood carnally when it is spoken of the shedding his blood and crucifying of his body for our salvation but spiritually when it is said that his flesh is the meat for us to eate For another proofe S. Gelase against Entychius and Nestorius I will alledge that learned Prelate Gelase Bishop of Rome the which disputing against the heretickes Eutichines and Nestorians doth afirme the bread and wine consecrated and made Sacraments are neverthelesse in substance bread and wine but to be signes of the body and blood of Christ Iesus by the mystery of the Sacrament And if ye desire larger testimonies S. Ambrose in the book of Sacraments cap. 1. 11. S. Ambrosius upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Corhintians hath explicated and made manifest that the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine doth signifie the flesh and the blood of Christ Iesus offered for us Origen likewise in his Homilies Origen in Lev hem 7. teacheth the Sacraments to bee figures which wee ought to examine really and not carnally Because saith hee that those words Hoc est Corpus meum not understood spiritually kils the soule when he writes to eate the flesh of Christ Wherefore St. Chrysostome admonished the people to honour that holy Sacrament in offring himselfe his soule to God S. Chrysost hom 31. cap. 15. tont 1. for the which Christ Iesus was crucified and that by that holy Sacrament of bread and wine is signified to us the similitude of the body and blood of Iesus Christ For the resolution wee must follow and be ruled according to the instruction and interpretation of our holy Saviour Christ Iesus and his Apostles to honour and reverence his holy Sacraments instituted of him by extorior signes to lift up our hearts and raise our spirits and minds to Heaven Psa 12. for to comprehend that which by those signes is represented to us and not to esteeme hold and account them a vaine picture or apparitions but endevour to receive them worthily by lively faith and vertue of the Holy Ghost to the end to be fed and nourished with celestiall bread to the salvation of our soules thereby to attaine life eternall Let us then be assured in Christ Iesus as members of his body 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 12. that wee may be reduced and brought all into one unity for to communicate and eate the same bread drink the same wine compounded of many graines united together to the end that wee may say with the holy Apostle All wee faithfull are the body of Christ Iesus saved redeemed by his holy body crucified and pretious blood shed for us and so remaining permanent in faith in Christ Iesus in eating his body and drinking his blood to beleeve firmely to have beene crucified and risen from the dead D. August in Ioan. tract 30. Art 1. 3. ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God his Father untill that hee returnes as hee is ascended with his humanity and neverthelesse his Almighty power and Divinity to be distributed to us and diffused in earth and in all places especially in his holy Sacraments which hee hath left us for a pledge and exteriour approbation of our faith for memory and recordation of the death and passion of our Saviour IESVS CHRIST FINIS Invincible proofes that Transubstantiation is but of late yeares gathered out of authentick Authours and confessed by the most learned of the Papists NOw to manifest that the Church of Christ taught none other doctrine coÌ„cerning the Lord Supper then the reformed Churches doe teach for one thousend years since Christ here I doe produce undenyable testimonies First the Book of Alfricus Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 996. in the raigne of Etheldred King of England which book doth remain in the Library at Exeter and a coppy of part of it dedicated to King Henry the 8. by Doctor Cranmer And by the same booke Alfricus having translated So. Sermons out of Latin into the Saxon tongue of which hee made two bookes and hee was of such learning and eloquence and of such worthy esteem in the Churches of England that wheras they made a book of Canons after his death to govern the clergy they did collect out of some generall counsells other ancient Fathers in which they did insert two of the Sermons in that book of Alfrieus his translation into the Saxon language the one was read in the church on Easterday before they received the Lords Supper and there anie may read it in the Saxon language or in English recorded by Mr. Fox and there are two of these books extant and one of them is to be seen in the Library at Exeter and the Italians and French did not understand the Saxon language I
brought us into the brightnesse cleare sun-shine of his grace You may now therefore understand carnall and grosse Capernaites this sufficient and evident comparison to intimate that the infinite power of God is much more compleat and perfect then your abominable invention of transubstantiation Will you not acknowledge except your eie be blinded obfuscated with the palpable darknes of obstinacie that the Sunne gives us his light his force his heate and vigour and yet neverthelesse the body it self of the planetall Sunne remaines continues in his sphericall Orbe Doe you not use to say in ordinary cōmō language when the window of an house is opē on that part where the Sunne shines that the Sun is come into the house although the Sunne remaines still in the Firmament Must wee therefore violently hale and pull the body of the Sunne to make it descend and bee transubstantiated into this earthly substance before it can affoord its heat beames light and nourishment to Plants Trees Herbes and Beasts of the earth Are you so brutish O Capernaits as not to recognize that the true Sunne of Righteousnes Iesus Christ hath more power then this Astrall Sunne being but mortall and created If then a mortall crature hath this power to infuse into us the vertue and efficacie of his body by his beames light and heate extended really and effectually over the whole earth the body remaining still in its heaven and shall wee not beleeve that God an immortall Creator hath much more power to grant us the true Sunne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ to give us the vertue and power of his body and bloodshed for us by the beames light and heat of his holy Spirit except hee be by your Magicke pluckt from the right hand of God and his body drawne out of Heaven to be transubstantiated upon earth Why should not Iesus Christ have this power to affoord us his light and to offer his body and blood to enter intous if by faith and a pure conscience wee be ready to receive him by the efficacy of his holy Spirit as well and better then the sphericall Sunne can enter into our houses with his force and power and never be drawne out of its heaven to bee transubstantiated The Snnue is an entire body created residing in heaven the cause of the generation of Plants Trees Herbes which by its force and calidity gives sustentation to whatsoever lives upon the earth and in one the same moment hath power to quicken heat and nourish an infinit number of Plants Trees and Beasts of the earth and yet his body is never separated divided drawne out of his spherre nor transubstantiated The body also of Iesus Christ which hee assumed up into heaven set at the right hand of God hath not that more force more vertue more power to regenerate nourish and sustaine us to give us his vertue light and beames to inspire quicken illuminate and nourish us in a moment to make us all by faith partakers of his body and blood to make us members of his members united in by him through his true promise comprehended under the symboles and sacred signes commended unto us till the second comming of his humanity be revealed upon earth Wherefore thē O Missalians have you divised this Magicke of transubstantiation to blaspheme against God to impaire his omnipotency and disable his vertue more then you do that of the sphericall Sun but his creature Why should you hale the body of Iesus Christ out of heaven before the preordained time to transubstantiate it into your little round azimall hosts printed with imagery which you cause to bee adored Iesus Christ as God assies all seeing Christ as God there assists his Church perpetually and hath the power to regenerate feed and sustaine us yea with an eternall life and nourishment by his most assure promise testified by the holy Sacraments of Baptisme and the sacred Supper For other more familiar and domesticall comparisons consider O Missalians how earthly and mortall Princes are reputed reverenced and honoured by such sacred signe◠as they ordaine I will onely propound unto you two which is to say waxe and metalls of one the Princes seale is composed with which grants pardons and remissions are sealed charters and priviledges by the Prince conferred He that falsifies this seale is he not punisht as in case of high treason even as if hee had outraged the person of the Prince Does not this seale represent his owne person even as if himselfe were present Neverthelesse the seale though it bee called the seale of the Prince is not transubstantiated but still remaines waxe Familiar comparisons of Princes seales and coynings which if they be conterfeited or falfified the counterfeiters thereof are executed as offenders to the Princes person but otherwise having received the sacred character of the Prince being then no more called waxe but the Princes seale Also the mettals of gold or silver coyned with the Princes stampe doe serve for mony although they are no more called gold nor silver but having once exchanged their names at the Princes will they are either crownes Angels or Pistols or else shillings groats or penies or other such like names they are yet notwithstanding mettals of the very substance as they were before there is but that difference that they have the Princes impression upon them by in which hee is represented really so that whosoever clips or falsifies that money is sorely punisht by death as a fellon a traitor to his Prince for it is in a manner as bad as if hee had offended conspired against the Princes owne person by farre greater reason the bread and the wine consec rated and ordained to bee Sacraments of the pretious body and blood of Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 11.13 represents them really and not by picture Wherefore whosoever receives it unworthily commits a hainous crime against the supreme and Divine Majesty of him to his eternall damnation but t is not to conclude a transubstantiation by a most abhominable conjuration or witchcraft But if you Missalians or Masse-Priests Nicolaits and transubstantiators Here is proved by the Doctors the words of Christ concerning the Sacrament of his body and blood to be spiritually taken not carnally so utterly Transubstantiation is confuted be not sufficiently satisfied with Iesus Christ his Apostles interpretations as likewise with those similitudes and familiar comparisons to reduce and bring you to the sincere way certaine forme ordained of God for to celebrate his holy Sacraments in abolishing your Pompilian and Missasique Idolatries ejecting from you your abhominable witchcraft of transubstantiation At the least wil you not beleeve at all the interpretations of the ancient Authors of the Church hearken but to the saying of St. Augustin against Adamantine that notable hereticke S. August interpretation Lib. 3. de doctrin Christ. in Praes Psal 3. Even as the blood saith hee in many parts
take it that was the cause they did not suppresse it as they did others For Mr. Fox doth shew there how they have rased out of some of the Latin sermons which are to be seen in those of the Saxon tongue and thence he doth shew that they were such words as made against their superstition So it is manifest that this doctrine of Transubstantion was not received in the Churches of England for fifty years after for this book of constitutions was in use till Langfrank was Archbishop it doth appeare that sermon was read in those Churches untill William the Conquerour came into England had raigned there some years in likely hood till the year 1070. Capgrave and William Mamsbery who were History writers doe both of them affirm that this Alfricus was Archbishop of Canterbury about the year 996. And by the rehearsed booke of Canons constitutions it doth appear that this Alfricus was holden for a man of found judgment and a Catholike writer and this booke of constitutions was given unto the Church of Worcester by William Bishop of Worcester for an especiall treasure as doth appeare in the same booke Besides this book there is another booke given to the Church of Exeter by Leofrious the first and famous Bishop of that Sea which hath those two Epistles before rehearsed Manie other proofes ye may see in Mr. Fox for the truth of this Authour And it doth appear that Langfrank did alter this doctrine for before hee came into England I doe finde that hee was one of the four Henry Bulling de ongine erroris cap. 10. Counsell Vercellense doe say manie French stood with him WilliaÌ„ Mauâ—â—usbury affirme the same which did dispute against one Beringarius Archdeacon of Angreas in France who was turmoiled persecuted by four Popes for defending in the Lords Supper Bread and Wine did remain and that the faithfull received Christ spiritually and not with their carnall mouths his last recantation hee made under Pope Hildebrand named Gregory the 7. Anno 1079. Vpon which hee with griefe and sorrow did give away his living and all his goods to the poore and wrought for his living in his old age after hee had been persecated thirty years one Authour doth say hee did repent his forsaking of the truth before his death These with manie other testimonies are to be seen in the answere to the 6. Articles recorded by Mr. Fox And Osbon who did write an History at the appointment of Langfrank Archbishop of Canterbury doth say that at that time certain of the Priests and Clergy were deluded and seduced by wicked errour did hold and maintain that bread and wine which are sett upon the Altar after the consecration doe remain in their former substances and are but a figure of the body and blood of Christ Thus was the manner of the Popish Priests thus to deprave wher it is certain by that before rehearsed this herafter testified that this was the judgment of the Church the reasons he used to shew what made them alter their mindes are certain false miracles which are common in their Legendaries may be read in the forenamed History which if I should rehearse would be thought lying for the Whetstone Whilst this abhominable doctrine was in hatching See how many thousand witnesses the Lord did stirre up to maintain his truth even by their own Authors confessed See rerum Francicarum scriptores about the yeare 1283. Hee saith the heresye of the Waldenses spread throughout Europe Look a Rayling Booke written against Mr. Fox his Booke printed 1603. in the 528. Section he saith the doctrine of the Waldenses was spread in more then a thousand Cityes speaking of the yeare 1200. There is a Cronicle of Lambertus a Monk of Hersfield Anno 1078. hee writt from the beginning of the World to this yeare in which hee doth much complain of the Clergy but most of the Monks hee affirmeth them to be proud and ambitious destroyers of the Lords Vineyard by their ungodly life and great iniquityes by which they have polluted the whole Church The Bishop of Florence did teach and preach that Antichrist was then manifested as Gabellicus testifyeth Anno 1101. Vpon this Pope Pascalos called a counsell and putt him to silence condemned his books And Blondus Platina testifieth he also disalowed of many Ceremonies for which the Pope deprived him of all his goods See the two former testmonies A counsell holden at Rome Anno 1124. where was assembled one thousane Bishops Abbotts there they did ordaine that this transubstantion should be put for an Article of faith yet it doth appeare that it was opposed for Innocent the 3 did 86 years after enact it in a counsell but here by this connsel the Pope sent his Cardinall to the Monks of Caslam that they should acknowledge the Church of Rome had received power from St. Peter and hee had delivered it from the mouth of Christ that all Churches and Cloysters are to be planted and established by the Sea of Rome and all ought in conscience to be obedient to that Sea and to acknowledge that he hath received power to open the gates of Heaven to whom he would and also to shurt them against any and that the Romain Church was builded on the Sone of God which all ought to beleeve and this is builded on the faith of Peter that Peter and Paul did plant the Church at Rome with their blood and that it was the Mother church of all other Churches and those which did oppose that Church did oppose the Word of God See the counsell of Cissinences At this time was Arnulphus Bishop of Ludom Anno 1127 a zealous man he rebuked the wicked life of the clergy their much pride and he exhorted all to follow Christe in poverty as his Apostles did in holynes of life This man for his holy life and godly preaching was well accepted of the Nobility and of the Cittizens but the Cardinall and clergy hated him and sought to make him away privately But he having a revelation before what death he should dye he declared unto them in his teaching that he knew the clergy would murther him privately because he told them the truth in blaming their pride and wicked living and therefore they were offended with him he protested he was commanded of God to cry out against their great sins It doth follow that the clergy murthered him there is a book of his doth inveigh against many superstitions printed at Collen The Archbishop of Ments Anno 1131. Hildebertus a man of great learning did earnestly preach and write against the Sea of Rome against the abhominable wickednes He affirmed them to be Tyrants the sink of all iniquity that they banished away all goodnes out of the Church for this doctrine hee is sent up to Rome and there cruelly handled and imprisonned See Rainul in poli Chrocit Peter Blesensis
the evill of them he could yet God who opened the mouth of Balaams Asse caused him to write these words of them They are saith he more pernitious against the Romane Church then all other hereticks for three causes The first is because they have bene of longer continuance for some say they have bene since Silvester others say they have bene since the Apostles time The second cause is because they are more generall for there is almost no land in which this sect doth not creepe The third cause is because all other sects do bring a horrour with the haynousnesse of their blasphemies against God but this secte of the Lioneses hath a great shewe of godlynes because they live justly before men and they beleeve all things well concerning God they beleeve all the Articles which are contayned in the Creede They blaspheme and hate only the Church of Rome This is to be found in a little Treatise of Renerius imprinted neere a hundred yeares since Who was a bloody Inquisitour and gave sentence of death against sundry of them The Iesuite saith that one Cesarius writes that the Doctrine of these Waldenses was spread in more then a thousand cities In a booke against Foxe 535. fol. and that they had an army of 70000. that were destroyed by Simon of Momford with a small armie but there is no mention of an armie which they had in the Cronicles Now we will shewe what the heresie was for which they were persecuted as Langfrank saith That the sacrifice of the Church consisteth of two things the one visible the other invisible that is of the Sacrament the the thing or matter of the Sacrament which is the body of Christ if it were here present before our eyes it were a thing visible and to be seene but being lift up to Heaven and sitting on the right hand of his Father to the time of restoring of all things as Peter saith It can not be called downe froÌ„ thence for the person of Christ consisteth of God and man The Sacrament of the Lords Table consisteth of bread and wine which being consecrated are not changed but remaine in their substances having a resemblance or similitude of those things whereof they be Sacraments See Langfrank The adversaries did teach this Faith following I beleeve the earthly substances The Popâ—â—â— Faith which upon the Lords Table are divinely sanctified through the ministratioÌ„ of the Priest to be converted unspeakably incomprehensibly and miraculously by the operation of Gods mighty power into the essence of the Lords body the outward formes only of the things themselves and certaine qualities reserved that for two respects The one lest the sight of the raw bloody flesh might otherwise make man to abhorre from eating thereof that they which beleeve things which they see not might have the greater merit for their beleefe The conversion of which earthly substances into the essence of the Lords body notwithstanding yet is the selfe same body of the Lord in Heaven there hath his essentiall being at the right hand of his Father immortall inviolate perfect undiminished and uncorrupted so that truely it may be affirmed the selfe same body both to be received of us and yet not the selfe same I meane as touching the essence propertie and vertue of his true nature So much of Langfrank Archbishop of Canterb. and yet not the selfe same as touching the formes of bread and wine other outward qualities occurring to our outward senses The Doctrine of Guimundus Archbishop of Aversam Those who will see further let the read the answer to the 6. Articl is as grosse as appeares by a Booke printed at Lovan which saith That the body of Christ is pressed and torne with teeth even like as it was feit and touched with the hands of Thomas And further he answereth an objection putt forth that it is not lawful for Christ to be torn in peeces with teeth he doubteth not to pronounce that whether we take tearing for bare biting it is not repugnant nor disagreeing but that by the will of God agreeing thereunto the body of Christ may be bâ—tten with mouth crushed yea divided in peeces with hard or soft pressing of the teeth that as he was brursed upon the crosse according to the Prophets laying hee was bruised for our iniquityes so the same body for the health of the faithfull may devoutly be torn tent with their teeth any thing to the contrary notwithstanding Cuimundus lib. Sacrament fol. 30. Let all which fear God observ now these doe oppose the word of God Exod. 12.46 which saith They shall not break a bone of him Thus I have shewed how this abhominable doctrine of TransubstantiatioÌ„ crept into the church that it was hatched by the Monks by the Histories wee may see how they confirmed it with miracles and their holy bishop Duaston did triumph over the Divell when hee would have enticed him to lust after a young Woman Hee got the Divell by the nose with a pair of red not tongs Such like miracles are to be read in their Legend Another miracle of a lewish Boy For which testimonie he was putt into the fire to be burned of his Father but the fire had no power to touch him for a beautifull woman whose the Child was kept the sire from him with her gown And this was the virgine Marie that said hee saw in the Church of the Christians a Child broken and divided And seeing the Papists do affirme that the Church of Christ did in all ages teach Transubstantiation to be a Catholike doctrine We will examine one of their Historie-writers who wrote in the time this idole was a hatching called Osbon who did write the lives of three Archbishops of Canterbury about the yeare 1076. in which Historie hee saith In the dayes of Odo certaine of the Clergy being seduced by wicked error did hould and maintaine that the bread and wine which are set upon the Altar after the consecration do remaine in their former substance are but only a figure of the body blood of Christ But saith hee that holy Father Odo did convert them which was about the yeare 951. Hee reciteth the means which Odo did use to convert them by a certaine miracle Hee saith These Clergie Men being before him hee perswaded them seeing they could not be convicted by argument yet he requested them to stay and see him say Masse to communicate which they did seeing after consecration breaking of the Hoste over the chalice the blood dropped out of the Hoste into the chalice Odo saith hee wept for joy to see his petition accomplished which hee so carnestly prayed for On the sight thereof he saith these clergie men behoulding and seeing were converted and blessed the Archbishop thanking God that he was borne to manifest his truth to them and thus they were converted to beleeve Transubstantiation and blessed
the Archbishop for their conversion and they desired him to pray againe that it might returne to the former substance and presently he returned it into the same substance Now I would gladly know what was the reason that after this great miracle and the conversion of this clergie that this contrarie Doctrine should be taught and that an Archbishop Alfrecus should translate and write against this miracle doctrine and that all the Churches in England should with him teach against this Transubstantation and that for 90. yeares if not for a hundred and yet should not be excommunicated by the holy Father the Pope not once proceeded against seeing that 60. yeares after the clergie of England made a booke of constitutions to be governed by in which they did all approve that in the Lords Supper there remained bread wine and yet the faithfull receaved Christ spiritually and yet for all this the Pope did not proceede against them Againe what was the reason there were so many Latine sermons tolerated in the Church which taught against their superstitions and they not condemned by some generall councell for heresie if the Church had formerly concluded this Doctrine Againe what is the reason that these Latine Sermons are all made away except one and that that should have some words utterly razed out the same Sermon remaining in the Saxon language hath these words Notwithstanding this sacrifice is not the same body of his wherein he suffered for us nor the same blood of his which hee shed for us Anno 1141. but spiritually it is made his body and blood as that Manna which rained from heaven the water which did flow out of the Rock as Paul saith These words so razed out are restored againe by the same sermon in the Saxon language and is to be seene in a booke at Exeter Againe I marvell those clergie men were suffred to be so neare the Bishop at his celebrating of Masse and were not rather committed to ward like hereticks Againe I marvell that this Odo Popish Writer found falsh hee being a man of so great authoritie who had such extraordinary gifts in working miracles as never any Prophet or Apostle had yet that he would suffer those Latine sermons in the Church which Alfrecus did translate 46. yeares after him into the Saxon language and not he to have so much as writ against them and that heresie and to leave some testimonie of his detestation against it Againe I do marvell that Osbon doth not make mention of their singing to Deum seeing it was in the Cathedrall Church where so many singing men were That Jesuite who can cleare these Doubts shall do as great a miracle as Odo did when by his prayers caused a sword to come flying from heaven into King Ethelstanes scabard when he had lost his owne and he being in fight with Analnus Or as great a miracle as Odo did in making that all the time the roofe of the Chuch of Canterbury was a building hee caused that not one drop of raine fell in the Church nay that Iesuite deserveth a Cardinals hat All these reasons well considered do shewe that this Osbon did seeke to delude the people and his testimonie is found to be against them and to manifest the truth for us And this Doctrine was not established by generall consent till Innocent the 3. by the counsell holden at Rome Anno 1215. It was by 1300 Bishops and there they did decree that all must goe to confession once a yeare and come to the communion and this was made an Article of Faith About the year of our Lord 1280. lived Iohannes Scotus he is called Downes he was Master of Sciences in his 4. book he writes thus of the sacrament of the Lords Supper the scriptures might be expounded more easily more planely without Transubstantiation but the Church did choose this sence which is more hard being moved thereunto as it seemeth chiefly because of the Sacrament men ought to hold as the holy Church of Rome holdeth And in the same place he doth allude unto Jnnocent the 3. and the counsell holden in the Church at Rome called the Laterane counsell Erasmus on the 1. Corinth 7. saith The Church of Christ hath lately determined Transubstantiation in the Sacrament it was enough a lōg season to beleeve Christs body to be either under the bread consecrated or els to be present after any other manner this he wrote about an 120. yeares since He was as great a learned man as any lived in that age This Pope having as it is manifested altered the institution of the Lords Supper he having ordained a new faith and having chosen 4. orders of Fryers which brought forth a new Gospel called Cirillus by which they taught that God governed in the time of the Law the Sone in the time of grace but now by the comming of the 4. orders of begging Fryers the Holy Ghost began to raigne and should raigne till the end of the world and those which beleeved this new Gospell should be saved And if the Lord in mercy had not stirred up many witnesses Rev. 16.13 to withstand there croaking frogs they would have razed out all Christianity amongst which was that famous divine Gulielmus Master of Paris who proved by 39. Arguments that fryers are false teachers and all the Scriptures which are against Antichrist hee applyed against them See more in Mr. Fox This Innocentius the 3. came to be Pope Anno 1198. Hee was Pope 19. yeares and he having brought in many superstitions into the Chuch Hee commanded Almericum of Paris to be burned for an hereticke because he disallowed Transubstantiation and that whosoever did not goe to confession at least once a yeare should be excommunicate He ordained the Lords Supper should be celebrated without wine he ordained that the consecrated Hoste should be carryed to the sick by the Priest in a gorgeous habit with torches or candles light and a bell before him and so to goe to the sick and give him of it It is recorded this Pope was exceeding subtile and crafty he brought the Emperour under him and all the Kings in Europe as Abas Vespergincs saith Hee gott all the wealth in the world by his wicked devises He compelled king Iohn to receive his Crown of him See Fox 253. Hee decreed that whosever spake evill of the Pope should loose his life yea that hee should be tormented in hell sire This Pope did first institute the fowr orders of Fryers wheras the order of Monks were made first clergy men by Boniface the third in a counsell at Rome Anno 610. There it was decreed that the Moncks might preach and baptise excommunicate and absolve whereas before they did not attend any such office See Vencenee Belovanses Hist lib. 30. and it doth appeare that the Priests did much oppose them For I doe find that Pope Honorius after did conform them to those degrees To returne to
down uppon the earth out of the clouds and that by meanes of your false doctrine your wickednes lies slanders and detestable facts Then the people shall say unto them Out uppon you get ye packing hence you Captaines of mischiefe overturners of truth ye shunamitish brethren fathers of heresies false Apostles that counterfaited the life of the Apostles whereof ye have been imitators by no meanes You sonnes of iniquity we will not follow the manner of your wayes For pride and arrogancy have seduced you and insatiable covetousnes hath entangled your erring minds And seeing that you would needs ascend up higher then was meete and equall ye are fallen backe headlong into everlasting shame and reproch by Gods just judgment These things wrote Hildegard about the yeare 1146. It is recorded that the people were so opprest with them that they make suite that their number might be lesse for they were not able no maintain them all for they kept the people in feare of them so that they durst not displease theÌ„ for if they did they would excommunicate them or els accuse them to be hereticks those that did obey them they would flatter tell them they would pray and prevaile with the Saincts that they should not be tormented in Purgatory And if they were rich lay sick on their death-bed then they would perswade them to give to their order and house at least a childs portion that they might not be tormented in purgatory yea if they gave liberally they would promise them their soules should goe presently into Paradice and thus they did beguile the simple people and defrand their posterity of their inheritance so that in lesse then 400. years they had gott the third part of the wealth in the world To the like effect also prophecyed Catharine whom they have canonized for a Sainct She affirmed that all their Clergy were deceivers of the people and perverters of the truth And holy Bridget did affirme that most of the Popes were in Hell torments for their deceaving the people and perverting the truth of the Gospell This Pope sent his Legate into France with 12. Abbotts to suppresse the Waldenses which taught the Church of Rome was the Whore of Babylon and his ordinances wicked and their Masse full of abhomination contrary to Christ and his Gospell and never known to the Apostles And this Pope did first institute an inquisition which did condemn the poore lambs for hereticks the like they did in Spaine appointed Diedicus a Bishop there who did persecute them with all cruelty See the Cronicle of Paulus Merium Anno 1206. The Cronicle of Munster Anno 1210. written by Harmannia Mutye doth say that at Strausborow there was an hundreth putt to death in one day and 80. at another time and 39. at Ments These were burned for that they maintained the same doctrine against the Pope which the Waldenses did and in other countryes there suffred many as in Alvia and Langwedoc and Narbon Casan Record at the Tolehouse many suffered Mascias saith there suffred in the Provinces 140. and at Narborn they suffred great torments in the fire and at Paris suffred 24. And the year following as Masays testifieth there was 400. putt to death 80. beheaded Prince Americus hanged the Lady-of the Castle stoned to death I doe finde by those who doe record this some difference of the time that this was See Fox 420. fol. The Bishop of Narbon put in a Castle near the Tolhouse 224. of these Martyrs and burned them to death Anno 124 See the Creniele illius Temporis I have formerly shewed that these Locusts sting like Scorpions and those which live in countryes where Scorpions are doe say they are so bould that they will set upon a man and sting him and for the present he shall feele but litle paine but if hee have not cure within one houre it will so infect his flesh that with great anguish hee dieth whithin 2. dayes of it therefore the holy Ghost hath made a fit comparison Rev. 9. for these Locusts doe make shew their abominable Doctrine is not hurteful but those which doe receive it it doth so infect their soules that except they be cured in a short time they become worse then madde for it doth torment them unto eternall wo for evermore Or if wee doe understand it of the sting they gave of the faithful witnesses of the Gospell when they could not pervert them from the truth they would give out their stings that they held sundry grosse heresyes to make them odious to all indifferent men as doth appeare in their writings Rerum Francarum in scriptorum writeth Anno 128 there was of the Waldenses hereticks in all Christendom and that they were in all Cittyes and although they were slaundered to hold sundry heresyes yet I have formerly shewed that a bloody Inquisitour did confesse they beleeved all things well and their evill hee charged them with is they blaspheme the Church of Rome THE DOCTRINE Of the Church of Christ for one thousand years after his Ascention IRENEVS saith Anno 180. Ieven lib. 5. lib. 4. cap. 34. that the bread is broken and the cup next after the vocation or calling upon God ceasse to be common bread any more but are the Eucharist of the body and blood of Christ and he manifesteth how for faith hee the Eucharist consisteth of two things one being earthly which is bread and wine the other heavenly which is the body and blood of our Lord. And herunto Tertullian doth teach the Sacrament Anno 200. Tertul. lib. 4 to be a figure signe and memoriall of the Lords body And elswere he saith against Marcion He gave his body that is to say a figure of his body Dionisius calleth the Sacrament of Christs body Dionisius no otherwise then bread as Eusebius doth relate Ciprian saith Epist 6. lib. 1 3. lib. 2 in his last Supper hee gave bread wine and his body upon the Crosse He saith Christ drunk wine at his last Supper because hee would root out the heresy of certain who used water in administration Chrisostom saith Anno 350. Hom. 13. on Matth. that onely bread remaineth And Theodoretus in his first Dialogue bread remaineth still its former nature At a Counsell holden at Leadium Anno 364. in the 25. Article they decreed what they should doe with that remained in the celebration of the Lords Supper there they call them by the same names they were called before the consecration bread and how they should dispose it Hesichius Anno 500. Hesechius lib. 20. in Lev cap. 8. who was 500. years after our Lords passion saith of the mystery It is both flesh and bread that is the true beleever receiveth Christ and bread Emissenus compareth a man converted to Christ Emissen â—e Consee dist 2. quia corpus by regeneration unto the holy mysteries consecrated to the body and blood of Christ