Romish schole and take vpon them to face vs out with their Paul with their Esaie their Ieremie What a mischiefe Do they not know that those fellowes whome they alledge and bring vs forth were likewise esteemed for Heretikes as well as they are themselues Yea â–ª in so much that one of them was hanged another was burnt the third clouen thorough the middest with a saw the fourth set vpon a wheele c. And therefore are we no more moued for them than for a bladder full of beanes For the holy Church of Rome would neuer accept their doctrine but vpon this bargaine and condition to wit that shee might alway applie the same as she should thinke good and as might best come to passe for her selfe and that no reuoking nor reuolting nor appellatioÌ„ should be made against her doings no nor that the name of Iesus Christ should in that case serue like as shall by vs shortly in the part next folowing be declared at large For this verely is most true that if our blessed Lorde him selfe would haue followed the exposition and coÌ„mentarie which the Priestes Phariseis Doctours had at that time made vpon the holy Scriptures in the name of the holye Church he had neuer bene crucified or hanged vpon the crosse But because that hee would full wisely go and bring in newe matters and so set vp a newe reformation according to the text and doctrine of the Gospell like as these Heretikes go about nowe to do therfore did they deale so hardly with him Notwithstanding that nowe since the holy Church of Rome hath so finely handled and set forth this newe religion of Christ and brought it vnto such a trim frame that nowe it is very gladly receyued of euery one in a maner yea and if it were so that these Huguenotes would accept the same setting it forth likewise surely men would no more be so readie to bring them to a stake as heretofore they haue done yea and pretend hereafter to do But nowe to come to our matter againe it is necessarie that we well consider and substantially declare wherein the worthines and authoritie of the holy Church doth specially consist what commandements traditions and ordinances of the same men must receyue and accept without all contradiction or gainsaying And this for so much as our Doctors of Louen are troubled with so manye other profounde and deepe questions that they haue not the leasure to set out this point effectually is notwithstanding the right ground and fouÌ„dation of all their building yea and is most needefull to our saluation and to the extirpation and rooting out of all heresies For it may be demanded Whether men shall holde for commandementes and traditions of the Church only alone that which is plainely set forth in the scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes Or els that which the olde holy Fathers Doctours as Augustine Chrysostome Hierome and such like haue left behinde them in their bookes and writings or a great deale rather that which hath ben concluded in the holy Councels either els that which the holy Popes of Rome haue ordeined and enioyned or last of all that which is scraped together out of the one and the other all layd in one Pastie and baked in one Cake and which is nowe in our dayes obserued in the holy Catholike Church of Rome The 2. Chapter VVhereby is declared that the Church vvith her povver and authoritie can not be inclosed vvith in the pales of the holy Scripture but that the Church may adde to the Scripture or take from it vvhat she thinkes good and therevpon are many examples and profouÌ„d reasons alledged VPon this demande profound proposition very much might be saide but we will make short of the matter And to begin withal we conclude with our Master Gentianus and with the holy CouÌ„cell of Trent That all they which woulde inclose the power and the authoritie of the Church within the limites bounds of the holy Scripture as though the holy Catholike church of Rome could reade no further than is spelled before to her in the Bible are euill and naughty heretikes yea they are euen of those Apostataes or backsliders to whom our Master Gentianus hath written this his Epistle For as touching that for the defence of their opinions they bring forth howe it is written That none shall either put to it or take from it one iote that is simply spoken to the Iewes Rabbines onely so that they should not take any such thing vpon them as to change any words of the texte and to correct Magnificat like as they haue presumed to do as meÌ„ may see clearly without a candle by the honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke intituled De optimo genere interpretandi wâ—â—ch is to say Of the best and surest maner of expounding or interpreting For therein he doeth shew very plainly that al Hebrew textes of the Bible are falsified and embaced by the Iewes yea and the like is done to all the textes in Greeke of the new Testament by some Heretikes enemies of the trueth So that neither Christ nor his Apostles nor anie of the olde Doctours should haue had the right Bible but onelie our most holy Catholike Church of Rome which only was borne vnder the right Planet and shee alone hath shot downe the Popingaie Therefore must the texte before specified be vnderstoode and meant of the Iewes alone and of such like Heretikes which haue so falsified the textes of the Bible But you may not gather by this that the holy Church of Rome is not licenced to ad vnto the Scripture whatsoeuer shee doeth marke to be yet lacking and to innouate change and remoue al that tendeth not perfectly to her purpose For you see daily that she doeth freely take vpon her so to do and furthermore she doth punish for ranke Heretikes all such as will not allowe and accept her adding and changing for the perfite worde of God. Men do knowe very well that shee hath finely conueyed out of the Register of the ten commandements the seconde commandement which was That no Images should be made nor fashioned because shee did perceiue the Heretiks would alledge the same to the hinderance both of he she Saintes which stand vpon the altars in the Church Furthermore because men shuld not lacke the number of ten shee hath taken the last commandement speaking of desire and diuided the same in two so made the tailes agree iust And likewise notwithstanding that our Lord Iesus Christ had openly coÌ„manded That the Communion should bee ministred as wel with wine as with bread yet the holy Catholike Church of Rome considering the great daunger which was therein for that the wine might be spilt or being in the winter freeze or be turned into sowre vineger if it should be long kept in a Pixe or litle Sacrament Boxe And especiallye considering that when
they shoulde haue dealte the Wine abroade the common people might haue thought whether that the long racked bodye were without bloud or at the least that there could be no right and perfite Transubstantiation and changing of the bread into the very body of our Lorde Iesus Christe In this behalfe hath she cōsidered further and hath bene better aduised than our Lord him selfe was and so hath forbiddē the laie people the Chalice For thus the Councel of Constance doeth decree That notwithstanding Christ after supper did ordeyne and minister vnto his Disciples the most blessed Sacrament vnder both kindes of bread and of wine And although that in the first ancient Church of the faithfull the same was alwayes vsed vnder both kindes neuerthelesse seeing that the contrarie vse custome is not without great occasion and willingly now put in vre for the auoyding and eschewing of some inconueniences and perilles therefore shal all Patriarches Prelates Archbishops Bishoppes curse and excommunicate all such as shall take vpon them to minister vnto the common people the Sacrament in that maner And so far forth as such do not turne recant then they to be deliuered into the handes of the temporall Iudges to be by them arbitrally executed And herevpon did the President of the Councell named Ostiensis in the name of all the whole College of Cardinals and all other Bishops after him answere Placet which is to say So it pleaseth vs. So that it is euident that the ancient maner good meaning of the Church maye cleane alter vtterly abolish the commandement of Christ the olde custome of the Apostles their Disciples We do likewise see that notwithstanding S. Paul by inspiration of the holy Ghost cōmanded That whosoeuer did feele that weakenes in him selfe that hee could not liue chaste should take a wife for that it was better to marrie than to burne And he did in a maner by speciall words command the same to the Bishops and other Ministers of Gods worde saying That they should haue their wiues their children brought vp in the feare of God. And further That mariage is holy and commendable in all men yea he did esteeme The forbidding of mariage for a doctrine of deuils And yet all this notwithstanding our holy Mother the Church of Rome seeing deeper into the matter and for the eschewing of manie inconueniences hath expresly and slatly commaunded Priestes Bishoppes and al spiritual persons that they in no wise shall take vpon them the state of Matrimonie teaching precisely the contrarie to the doctrine before specified That the state of Matrimonie is nothing else but plaine vncleanesse filthie and shamefull yea a great and foule spot vnto carnall copulation In so much that such as giue themselues therevnto cannot be acceptable before God for that it is writtē Who so liues after the flesh cannot be acceptable before God and haue therefore concluded that it is not decent that a holy Priest who is the temple of the holy Ghost should become a slaue to the lying with a woman and to fleshly lust Like as in the Popes decrees and Decretales is specially set forth Moreouer touching the same point it is concluded in the saide Decrees That the doctrine of the holy Church is nowe more perfite than either the doctrine of Iesus the sonne of God or of his Apostles hath bene in times past For thus the text saith Before that the Gospell was corrected amended and expounded there were manie things permitted which nowe since the time is come that all the doctrine is made perfit are clearely abolished and taken away as especially notwithstanding that the mariage of Priests was neither by the Lawe by the Gospell nor the doctrine of the Apostles forbidden yet hath the holy Church flatly forbiddē the same We do likewise plainely see that Iesus Christ hath streightly forbidden any dispēsation for Matrimonie hath specially declared That who soeuer doeth leaue his wife except it be for adulterie and doth marie another is a whooremonger Truly if it were not that our holy mother the Catholike Church of Rome had full power authoritie aboue Gods word and aboue the special cōmandement of Christ she would neuer haue takē vpō her to haue chāged nor put down this mariage of priests Now let vs further see that the most holy honorable Popes Iulius Innocentius Colestinus being with a great number of Bishops Prelates stately iudicially assembled in the holy Ghost in S. Peters church at Rome haue cōcluded iudged pronoūced whatsoeuer Christ notwithstāding had thereof spoken saide That if so be there were anie which were married together and had christened the children at the fount the one of the other before should be diuorced and the woman to haue her marriage good restored backe againe and within a yeere after it should be lawfull for her to marie another man and for him to marrie another woman Euē as our holy father the pope of Rome Deus dedit doth openly testifie in a letter which for a perpetuall memorie is written in the booke of Councels word for worde and likewise entred in the Register of the Popes decrees and ordinances yet ouer besides this the holy Church hath concluded that if any Nonne Baggine sister or other should marie a husbande the Bishop of that Diocesse where they dwelt should diuorce them cause the Nonne to returne and take vpon her againe her vowe of chastitie Like as in Concilio Triburino and by the Popes lawes is concluded commanded Out of the same authoritie hath the foresaid holy Church likewise cōcluded That what woman soeuer after the decease of her first husband should marrie agayne shee was an open and common harlotte not regarding at all that which S. Paule in his time had written directly to the cōtrarie yea had moreouer straitly charged and commanded the yong widowes That vnlesse they coulde well liue a continent and chast life they should marie againe After this did not S. Paul or rather the spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul directly forbid any straunge language to be vsed in the Churches and congregations ordeyned for the seruice of God neither in prayer nor in thankesgiuing nor in singing nor in prophesying Yea he did greatly rebuke the Corinthians for so doing in their congregations And yet men plainly see that the holy Church of Rome doth minister her Masses her Mattens Euensong prayers and song al in Latine and some times therewith doeth mingle Greeke and Hebrew wordes In such sort as that not onely the common people but the Priestes and Bishops likewise do not vnderstand it Yet will the holye Church haue it so done yea and puniseth such as woulde otherwise vse it like damned heretikes Like as out of Eckius Piggius Hosius and other Catholike writers is manifest and plaine to be seene Then hereby of
a worthie matrone of Spaine called Senora Maria Osorio who did obteyne of Pope Paule 3. licence and power for her selfe and twelue of her bloud to coniure and holowe such beades and these beades were of this might that whensoeuer any person did saye a Pater noster thervpon although it were done without deuotion or once thinking of the matter yet did they thereby obteyne forgiuenesse of the thirde part of their sinnes And for this cause were the balles of these beades made of Copper and set in the Church where was set out by them in print their full might with all their properties and nature as is before declared so as at this day men may openly see by the common people which come and say their Pater nosters vpon their beades there holding their handes vpon those balles that thereby they may obteyne the forgiuenesse of their sinnes Nowe ouer and aboue all this the Belles are not onely coniured and hallowed but are also baptized and haue appoynted for them Godfathers which holde the rope wherewith they are tyed in their handes and do answere and say Amen to that which the Suffragane or Bishop doth speake or demaund of the Bell. And then they put a newe cote or garment vpon the Bell and so coniure it to the driuing away of all the power craft and subtiltie of the diuell and to the benefite and profite of the soules of them that bee deade specially if they bee riche and can pay the Sexton well and for many other like things In so much that the Belles are so holy that so long as the Church or the people are vpon anie occasion excommunicate they may not be rong Like as by Pope Bonifacius 8. and Gregorie 9. is manifestly ordeined although yet it is of speciall grace permitted to toll the Aue Maria as Iohannes Caldarinus hathe trimlie written And this I assure you is no small matter For Doctour Albericus de Rosato doth declare that the religious had amōgst themselues at Rome a long and weightie dissention wherevpon great processes were mainteyned and all about this namely which of all the Orders shoulde first knolle the Aue Maria in the morning ▪ which processes did long endure till at the last it was concluded and adiudged that they which were first vp should first knoll Euen after the maner of kine who alway let the formost go before and the last followe after Why I praye you hath it not bene seene that the Spaniardes which are the first sweete and most deare children of the holy Church of Rome comming nowe of late to Groninghen in Friseland did there christen coniure hallow theyr Ensignes naming one Barbara another Katharine c. I saye nothing howe they coniure the diuell out of yong children which are brought to be christened euen as though the yong children to whome Christ doeth witnesse the kingdome of heauen to belong and be those which with their fathers are conteyned vnder Gods promises and made cleane by the bloud of Iesus Christ were possessed with the Diuell The Masse I pray you what is it but a plaine coniuring sorcerie or witchcraft ▪ Wherein the breade and the wine which are but dumbe creatures are by the breathing of the Priest and the power of fiue woordes conuerted into fleshe and bloud So that it is most apparaunt that all her Religion all her diuine Seruice and ceremonies are full of witchcraft sorcerie and coniuring full of ydolatrie setting vppe of Images and giuing them worshippe full of mennes traditions institutions and deuises and in conclusion full of all that which by the holy scripture is openly reproued and plainely forbidden So that verelie these Heretikes must needes bee verie blinde if they doe not well perceyue that the power the ordinaunce and authoritie of the holy Church of Rome neyther can nor will bee shutte in nor hedged about with the pales and walles of the holy Scripture For see here this is that which the steadfast pillar of the Theologie of Louen Iodocus Tiletanus himselfe hath openly written We are not satisfied sayeth he with that which the Apostles or the Gospell doe declare but wee saye that as well before as after there are diuers matters of importance and weight accepted and receiued out of a doctrine which is no where set forth in writing For we do blesse the water wherewith we baptize and the oyle wherewith we anoynt yea and besides that him that is christened And I praye you out of what scripture haue we learned the same Haue we it out of a secret and vnwritten ordinance And further What Scripture hath taught vs to grease with oyle Yea I pray you from whence commeth it that wee doe dippe the childe three times in the water Doeth it not come out of this hidden and vndisclosed doctrine which our forefathers haue receyued closely without any curiositie and do obserue it still c But what neede haue I to trauell much for the establishing hereof seeing there is a generall rule in the holy Church of Rome That the Pope maye franklye ordeyne and commaunde contrarie to the writing doctrine and ordinaunce of the Apostle Paule Considering likewise in especiall that as Eckius hath set downe Christ did neuer commaunde his Apostles to write but to preach True it is that Paule doeth defende saying That the blessed woorde of God is set foorth and is sufficient to instruct to teache to punishe to amende yea and wholie apte and sufficient to make men wise ynoughe for their saluation and to instruct them sufficientlye to all good workes And that who soeuer shall teach any other Gospell than that which hee hath taught though hee were an Angel from heauen is accursed But all that must bee vnderstoode of the tyme wherein hee was whilest the Church was yet in her infancie or childehoode and laye in the cradle For it was yet necessarie for her then to drinke such milke being yet vnable to digest the strong and grosse meates of holy Prelates and Doctours of the holie Church of Rome For that her stomache was yet too weake and quasie And in effect men doe clearely see that notwithstanding the saying of Paule That in Christ Iesus and in the knoweledge of him all the treasure of wisedome and knowledge lyeth hidde so as the faythfull ought not to receyue any institutions or doctrine of men Yet a long time after the Apostles yea aboue seuen or eight hundred yeeres after theyr decease our mother the holye Catholike Churche hath founde out a wonderful and vnspeakeable newe hoorde of wisedome and knowlege through which a mā may come to perfite iustification and to an angelical life and aboue that get in store a heape of deseruings and good woorkes to helpe a good friende withall at a pinche and yet to release a dozen or twaine of sillie soules out of Purgatorie And these be they especially The holie order and full
right honourable Bishoppe Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke called Panoplia wherein he concludeth with strong inuincible reasons That mē were not bound to beleeue the word of God nor to be subiect vnto it if it were not that the holy Church hath so commanded For what do we thinke that the word of God is so strōg of it selfe as to publishe such thinges thorough the power of the holy Ghost if the Church of Rome did not first giue her verdicte in the matter No marie I warant you for so the Heretikes do vnderstand it For these Heretikes will bring the church of God in subiection vnder the scripture therefore do they alledge out of Ieremie That the word of God is like a fire like a hāmer which breaketh stones in pieces that it is liuely mightie sharper than a two edged sword goeth through euen to the soule to the sinewes and ioyntes is a searcher of the thoughtes intentes of the heart and therefore saye they it hath no neede of any mans witnes as Christ him self hath said but that those which do the will of the father shal lightly know by inspiration of the holy Ghost whether the doctrine be of god They say likewise It doth giue light to al things for it is a lampe to lighten the feete of the beleeuers whereby they must walke through the darknesse of this world they say that mans wisdom vnderstanding how great howe wise howe holy soeuer the same can be is plain darkenesse in comparison thereof Well then if it be so that the darkenesse can not lighten the light but that the light it selfe must lighten all things then in very deede can not the worde of God receiue anie light of the opinion or authoritie of man but it selfe must be the light whereby men may knowe which is the Church of God and which is the Synagogue of dissemblers And therefore they conclude according to the worde of the Prophet Esaie That men must followe after the Lawe and the witnesse which is the writtē word of God and that whosoeuer doth not walke after that shall neuer see the daye spring But as I haue alredy said all that is plain heresie for our dearely beloued mother the holy Church of Rome will be chiefe Iudge her selfe ouer the holye Scripture So that the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles is now no more the foūdation of the Church as it was in the time of Paul but contrariwise the Church with the authoritie the traditions of the same is the onely foundation of the Scripture For euen so might the Iewes before time aduance themselues likewise by the estimation authoritie of the Church alledging that the law and the witnes whereof the Prophet speakes could haue bene of no estimation but by reason the same was consented to thē by the Church and that men should neuer haue knowen neither the Lawe or the witnesse or Gods worde if it had not bene by them and their forefathers set forth declared what they should accept for Gods worde and that the Church with her light hadde lightened the Lawe and the witnesse And so the Church of Rome doeth nowe also saye That the worde of God hath no estimation but that which it hath borrowed of the Church for otherwise as shee sayeth and as all good Catholike writers do declare howe should we knowe that the scripture were the word of God if it were not that the holy Church had so allowed and iudged it Wherefore should we more beleeue the Gospel of Mathewe or Marke than the Gospell of Nichodemus or Thomas For there standes plainly written in the Decrees That neither the old nor the newe Testament were receiued of mē for this cause or that cause nor for that it must be esteemed for an vndoubted rule and perfect knot but only because that the holye Father Innocentius Pope of Rome had so iudged it and so would haue it Therefore yee maye well thinke that God could not plant and establishe his holy worde in mens heartes by the inspiration of his spirit as S. Iohn the Apostle would proue if it were not that the holy Church had therein holpen him So that in this case God is greatly beholden vnto our deare mother the holy Church for her good wil faithfull seruice For if shee had accepted the Fables of Aesope and of Howleglasse the gospel of the Distaffe and of Fortunatus purse the gospel of Nichodemus or the Alcaron of Mahomet or els the gospel which certein Monkes at Paris in the yere of our Lord 1220. had made set forth being ful of al filthinesse and blasphemie naming it Euangelium aeternum that is to say An euerlasting gospel requiring the Pope that it might be by him canonized and so set it forth for the eternall word of God but it ws denied thē as hap was but if it had bene so I say that the pope and the holy Church would as wel haue allowed it as they did the holy scripture with the Masse booke with the seuē Psalmes with the Rosarium beatae Mariae who could haue said No to them And that should then haue bene the worde of God yea and therewith must God haue beene content Wel go too then seeing that men did herein credit the writing and seale of the church wherfore should they not thē giue as great credit to them in al other matters For euen so doth the text of the foresaid decrees argue saying with plaine wordes In so much as men do receiue and accept the old and newe Testamentes because that Pope Innocentius hath ordeined iudged so it doth necessarily folow that the Decretalles of the Popes of Rome must likewise be receiued accepted the rather for that Pope Leo hath likewise ordeined That whosoeuer doth set him self against them his sinnes shal neuer be forgiuen him c. It is very true that by this argumēt it must likewise folow that all the Iewes Caballes Talmood and all their dreames must as wel be receiued as the fiue bookes of Moses the bookes of the Prophets For it is most true that as we haue receiued the new Testamēt of the christē church so hath the christen church receiued the bookes of the old Testamēt of the Iewes Synagogue And now euen as our Romish church hath receiued the writing of the Apostles iudged the same for true so likewise hath the Iewish church iudged the bokes of Moses of the prophets for true receiued thē for authētike Nowe then as men do herein beleeue and allowe the Iewes writings and seale so must wee also following the rule of our Doctours of Louen beleeue the said Iewes in all that they say and teache and thereby nowe shoulde our Romishe Church come short home But we do not esteeme such cōsequencies It is but Philosophie and the Popes of Rome are no
Iewes Therfore that which they do and ordeine hath an other maner of couÌ„tenance than that which the Iewes haue ordeined Therefore must our former argument remaine fast vnmoueable especially considering that the Church of Rome is fullye credited in the one therefore must shee of necessitie be as wel beleeued in the other For truely this argument is the trimmest and finest stuffe whereof Iohn Blindasinus hath made his Panoplie which is as muh to say as his Ful furniture of weapons harnesse For by this is proued that S. FraÌ„cis Vineyarde The goldeÌ„ Legend The booke called Conform S. Franc. And the Masse booke must be as much esteemed in all respects as the very scripture of the Bible yea in the boke called Confo S. Fran. which was made by Barthol of Pisa is alowed for good in the chap. of Assis. In the yere 1389. is written That the same booke is better thaÌ„ the Gospell for that Saint Francis is placed in Lucifers seat aboue all the companies of Angels at the vpper ende of all Also there followeth out of the same that the common sort of people may be as well instructed in the knoweledge of God by dumbe Images and mumming representations as by the preaching of the Gospel and that men must as well christen the Belles at the Font as the children whiche are shapen after the likenesse of God and bought by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ that in baptising shall be vsed spittle and oyntment as well as water that the holy Sacrament shall bee caried about the streetes in the Procession with Baners and Pipes as well as it shall be taken and eaten in the Congregation of the faythfull in remembrance of the death of the Lorde In summe men are as deepely bound to do that which the holy Church and the Popes of Rome haue dreamed set vp and commaunded as that which by the expresse worde of God and by the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles is specially commaunded Yea and I praye you why should it not be so Seeing out of the same argument it must of necessitie be concluded that the word of God cannot be Gods word but it must first by the church be therto shapen fashioned For note well this word is with special wordes of our learned master Iodocus Tiletanus in writing thus That the worde of God alone conteyned in the holy Scriptures of the old and the newe Testamentes together with the three Symbols or Creedes as of the Apostles the Councel of Nice of the father Athanasius yea and thereto ioyne the three first Councels are not the rule perfite knot of the truth whereby it is apparant that in no wise men can perfitely know whether these be the word of God or no without the traditions or setting forth of the Church which doth assure vs of al this without any Scripture c. In summe the truth can be no truth nor the light light yea God can be no God except that the holy Church of Rome that is to say the holy Pope of Rome with his bishops prelates do consent thervnto So that it is no maruel that they can of a peece of bread make a God creator of heauen and earth For if it were so that they should say that at noone day it were darke night wee must streight wayes beleue the same as an article of the faith by and by without delay get vs to bed For we say by a certaine coÌ„mon prouerbe That when all the world doeth affirme that a man as by example SoÌ„nius or Blindasinus is a swine he must out of doubt trudge vnto the swinestie and there eat only draffe How much rather theÌ„ when the holy Church with that worthie coÌ„panie of Bishops Abbats Prelates and Cardinals gathered together at Trent or elswhere do coÌ„mand any thing are not we bounde to receiue beleue obey the same without any denial by and by to say Amen therevnto And herein may men perceiue a great miracle which I do assure you is greater by the head thaÌ„ any miracle that euer was don by the Apostles to wit that the child was borne before the mother yea that the mother commes of the child For it is most certein and wel knowen that the worde of God is the seede whereof the Church of God doth spring is ingendred as the Apostle Peter witnesseth coÌ„sidering that the Church is nothing else but a Congregation of such as doe faithfully beleeue Gods woorde and firmely sticke vnto the same where thorough they are also called The Congregation of the liuing God The pillar and staye of the truth So that the woorde is the right mother of the Church Well nowe see here goeth the holy Catholike Church of Rome before the worde of God and his truth which is as much to say the childe goeth before the mother yea the worde can haue no might no credite no estimation nor no being in the worlde vnlesse it bee by speciall grace borrowed of her daughter the holy Church As the foresayd Blindasinus Hosius Sonnius Piggius Eckius with all other Catholike Doctours haue forceably coÌ„cluded and irreuocably determined taking this for a most true vndoubted article of the faith yea for the most speciall ground whervpon they and all their writing is founded which is That men may not beleeue the worde and truth of God otherwise than by the appoyntment of the holy Church of Rome which of duetie must alwayes goe before and lead the daunse which is as muche to say that you can not ride to Louen but you must set the Wagon before the horses And therefore whensoeuer the Churche doth ordeine any thing that is contrarie to the Scripture as is before saide we will giue the Scripture an honest passeport or safe conduct and a great many of farewels and clâ—ue to the holy Church like a Burre For the srcipture cannot defend this cause but the holy Church of Rome can bring a man to the stake And it helpes not to alledge and bring in Augustine here who hath written in diuerse places That wee ought to beleeue the holy Scripture only without any contradiction and to trie proue all other writinges and doctrines howe substantiall soeuer they be yea all Councels decrees and ordinances by the holy Scripture as by the onely true vncounterfeyted touchstone and abolish and put away vtterly all whatsoeuer doth not therewithall agree for that all smelleth altogether of heresie And where as he sayeth further That when soeuer the Church doeth giue eare to any other voyce beside the onely voyce of her bridegrome she is then become whorish and a wedlocke breaker yea and that they are all accursed which go about to seduce the Bride of Christ from her Bridegrome to the doctrine and institutions of men that is the plaine doctrine of Heretikes For if that were so all the before specified rules ordinaunces and decrees of the holy
Church of Rome should bee throwne downe and troden vnder feet yea it must needes follow that the holie Pope is accursed a verie Bawde which hath made of the holy Catholike Church of Rome a fowle shamelesse whore Fie fie nay we will none of that Let Augustine much rather be an Heretike and all those that are of his opinion as master Athanasius Origine Hilarius Irinaeus Tertullianus Cyprianus Chrysostomus and Hieronymus let them rather be burnt euen al vpon a heape Although it be easie to iudge that if they were liuing nowe in these dayes they would be lothe to permitte any such grosse stuffe either to be vttred with their toÌ„gues or published by their pennes or if they did they must trudge with other into the fire Yea and Ambrose must recant and call backe againe or eate vp with salt that which he hath openly written That al doctrine whatsoeuer which hath not bene set forth and taught by the Apostles themselues is â–ª full of abhomination and knauerie Therefore all helpes not that they come forth with their writings thinking thereby to outface our deare mother the holy Churche of Rome It is a verie yong woolfe that neuer heard any noyse shee doeth no more esteeme these bragges than if it had thundred at Colen for she will be still on cockehorse let them tosse and turne it the best they can The .iii. Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome hath likevvise povver and authoritie ouer the auncient fathers and may receiue condemne interpret vse them as shall please her holines ANd now hereby doeth specially appeare that the holy Church of Rome hath not power and authoritie onely ouer the scripture of the olde and new Testaments but also ouer all the writing and doctrine of the olde fathers as there are Irinaeus Tertullianus Basilius Gregorius Nazian Origin Cyprian Albin Euseb. Arnobi Ambro. Lactant. Cyril Epiphanius Theodoretus VigilaÌ„tius Appollinarius Hieronymus Chrysostomus Augustinus Cedullius Possidonius Prosper Sidonius Gelasius Gregorius Alâ—uinus Haymo Bartramus and other mo suche like For one she acceptes as good Catholike an other shee reiectes as naught an Heretike some she allowes with additions of certaine gloses and Postils other she referres to euery mans iudgement Vpon some she hath fathered as their owne certain straunge bookes made at the least foure or fiue hundreth yeeres after they were dead And others shee hath cleane plucked and robbed of their feathers In summe she doth tosse them and turne them euen as shee will and windes them vp as short as a clewe of yarne And wherefore should she not I pray you For she might haue condemned them all for Heretikes if she would and in place of them haue taken in and receyued the writing and doctrine of Nicholaus of Bion of Apelles Seuerus Montanus Sabellius Paulus Samosatenus Manes Meletius Aâ—ius Marcellus Macedonius Euonius Eutiches Nestorius Donatus Pelagius and suche other mates But now she hath giuen them that honour that they are taken and counted for Catholik teachers these last she hath coÌ„demned banished for diuelish heretikes false teachers Not because that the one had truly set forth the sincere word of god And the other directly the contrarie for so she should againe submit herself vnder the scripture but because it hath so pleased her And therefore it is no reason that those to whom she hath geuen such honour should now go about to ouercrow her holines and force her with their writings as though she ought to be subiect therevnto No no they must stoope themselues howe learned or godly soeuer they haue beene and the holy Church must alway haue the authoritie and superioritie For it is written in the decrees All whatsoeuer any other teachers haue taught and written that is to bee receiued or reiected according as it shall please and be thought good to the Apostolical seate of Rome For the Pope is master ouer al whatsoeuer any man can teach or write Therefore ye see that the holy Church may choose picke out of the olde fathers what soeuer she findeth for her purpose and what soeuer she perceiueth against her shee may put out finely with a dash of a penne and so esteeme it for false meant as for example Whensoeuer the olde fathers doe with florishing reasons and by a figuratiue maner of speaking extoll and set forth the Sacrament out of that will she gather her transubstantiation And whereas they doe nominate the Sacrament an holy offring or sacrifice of that wil she fetch out her Masse with all the appartenances And whensoeuer any thing is set out by them to the laâ—d and praise of the true seruantes and Preachers of Gods word thereof doth she make a kingdome of priests and a popish Monarchie And when as they do highly praise the holy Saints martyrs deceased therevpoÌ„ commes abrode the praying to saints And in such places as they do earnestly set forth and highly prayse good workes and godly liuing therevpon can she by and by builde vp the pleasant Palace of free will and then she sayles with a faire wind And then are the olde Fathers followed in all points yea there is nothing else talked of here nor there but The olde fathers The olde fathers But now on the contrarie part whereas S. Augustine doth write whole bookes of the Predestination of saints of the special vndeserued mercie of God through Iesus Christ that fayth onely iustifieth of the weakenesse and dulnesse yea of the damnablenesse of mans free will and of the adnihilation of our deseruings all that is nothing else but heresie and going astray Whereas Ambrose and Chrysostome do teache that we shal not take men or dead creatures for our aduocats before God but only christ And where August saith that we shall not pray vnto Saintes nor erect for our â–ª selues particularly anie Chappels or Altars nor pray before Tumbes as the sayde Augustine and Leo doe beare perfect witnesse that neither the dead nor deseruing of Saints can any thing helpe vs to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but onely the death and merites of Iesus christ And as Epiphanius doeth esteeme it for a shamefull heresie and an abhominable blasphemie of God that men shoulde praye eyther to Marie Gods mother or to anie other Saint but that must be couered with some blewe glose for a cloake As also the sayde Epiphanius doeth vtterlie chace the images as well of Christ as of anie other Saint out of the Church and breakes them in peeces forbidding men plainely to suffer anie such abhominations And as Ambrosius Augustinus Lactantius Origenes Athanasius Clemens Alexandrinus with many other do teache plainly that God will not bee worshipped with any likenesses or images either painted or carued The holy Church is deafe at this wil in no wise vnderstand it Where as Cyprianus Hieronymus Chrysostom and Augustinus doe say and defende that
decree in the chapter Placuit de consecra dist 4. bring free-will to the gallowes They woulde rid Auricular confession out of the way and vtterly confounde the defending of Priestes to marrie and quite abolish the forbearing of flesh yea they would throw downe fastens euen and Iacke a Lent and breake both their neckes Besides all this they woulde plucke downe all Bishops and Prelates all Abbaâ—s Monkes and Chanons from their riches welthinesse and merie dayes And would make of them poore beggers with Pokes because it is ordeyned by speciall woordes in the Decrees That spirituall persons shall not enjoy any landes or possessions And euen so woulde they dispossesse the holy father the Pope of all his patrimoniall goodes and heretage whereof Saint Peter by his testament hath put him in plentifull and peaceable possession and would leaue him nothing but this bare deuise or prouerbe Aurum argentum non est mecum That is to say I haue neither golde nor siluer by mee And so where he is nowe a riche God they woulde in steade thereof make of him a poore deuill and then they would driue all Priests and Parsonnes Monkes Friers and Nonnes into their Churches and Cloysters euen as men woulde driue a heard of swine into their Styes â–ª and that by force of the decree Cap. Clerici causa 14. quaest 4. and cap. peruenit dist 86. and more such like which are written in the 86. distinction And nowe note another thing which is worst of all they would mainteyne that all Priestes Monkes and Chanons with all the hellish shorne and greasie swarme are exâ—â—â—able and shameles heretikes yea accursed and false theeues â–ª and that al Cardinals Bishops and Popes haue effectually and Ipso facto forfeyted all their offices authorities benefices prebendes according to the decree Si quis dist 69. cap. Nullâ—â— cap. Baptisando 1. cap. Quicquid cap. Placuit and an innumerable companie and too long to rehearse So that herewithall shoulde our deare mother the holie Church of Rome be cleane rooted out and spoyled of all her goodly treasures riches possessions and gouernments and in the ende should vtterly loose her credite countenance and being forced to play the bankrupt should be driueÌ„ into an hospital there to ende her sorowfull and miserable dayes Therefore let euery man which will pretende to be a good and faythfull member of the holy Church looke well about him that he in no maner of wise for any thing that may be do extoll the decrees so high that the holy Church of Rome should be subiect vnto them but let our holy mother alwayes remaine vnhindered at libertie and free that shee may freely as touching all Decrees Canons writings and ordinances dispense ordeine iudge dispose order and reserue and in summe bind the diuel vpon a cushen for she neither may nor will be constreyned in any matter considering that shee is like vnto these olde Foxes which can not bee taken in anie trappe She can leape ouer all gates and hedges ouer all ditches quagmires ouer al parkes pales and she hath no other order nor rule but what she thinkes good euen her owne deuotion her good intent c. And to conclude that which shee perceyueth to tende most vnto her pleasure and profite The vi Chapter VVherin is concluded out of that vvhich is aforesayd that the benefite and profite of the Church of Rome is the onely rule and direction of all scriptures decrees and Councels HErevpon may wee boldly conclude and out of that which is sayde before make a most true and infallible generall rule That neither the holy Scripture of the olde and newe Testaments nor the writings and doctrine of the olde fathers nor Councels nor Decrees nor any other institution or ordinance in the world can be specially holden for the certein rule of fayth wherevnto the Church is bounde nor yet for the traditions and institutions of the holy Church which all Catholike men are bound to beleeue vpon paine of damnation But the estimation and benefite of the holy Church of Rome is the only principal most sure rule directioÌ„ whereby all Scriptures councels ordinances and decrees must bee guided and gouerned Yea it is the verie pricke the white and the but whâ—reat all good Catholike christeÌ„ people must shoot al their arrowes and lay their iust leuel Therfore whensoeuer the holy Scripture will serue the turne of our deare mother the Churche of Rome shee may accordingly vse it and wherein so euer the Councels can doe her any seruice she may commaunde them and when the olde Fathers say any thing that can further her cause shee may allowe it and let the rest goe Also wherein soeuer the decrees may further her purpose she may haue them in reputation and make them equall with Gods worde But whensoeuer the Scripture doth make against her she may finde a glose or an Allegorie vpon it and so couer the matter with a blewe mantle And when the olde Fathers write any thing which soundes against her holines she may thrust them out of the doores and send them packing And wherein soeuer she doeth mislike of the Councels she may admit approue other councels against them and so driue one thunder away with another And when soeuer the decrees tend any thing against the maintenaÌ„ce of her honorable state she may boldly deface theÌ„ set an earmarke on theÌ„ which shee calles Palea that is to say Chaffe or Strawe or else she may sauâ—e them with something adde vnto them a glose of Accursius â–ª or Panormitanus or of Iohn Andraeas which will bring the matter in frame As for example Whereas almightie God doth by his holy worde commaunde That no man shall make anie image or likenesse that is spoken onely for the Iewes And as the Councel of Africa only because of the ambition of the Popes of Rome who would haue questions suites to come before them and there be determined did ordeine That no man shoulde transport anie matter ouer Sea by appellation and such like Therevpon shall her Gratianus gratiouslie glosse excepting onely such as shall appeale to Rome And whereas Pope Gelasius doth command that euerie one which will not shamefullie separate the Sacrament of Christe shall minister the supper of the Lord vnder both kindes to witte of breade and wine That must be vnderstoode onely vpon al priests and so like vpon all other And when as they can finde no good glose to couer the matter withall then it is sufficient to say Non credo I do not beleue it or Hoc antiquum est This is ancient happened In illo teÌ„pore In that time c. In summe she will vse the matter so handsomely as shal make most for her own aduantage Then you may perceiue well ynough that she is like the honie Bee which wil sit vpon euery flowre and fetch out of euerie one of them that
which serues her turne to fill her hiue with pleasant and sweete honie and what soeuer is not appliable or agreeing to her purpose that she leaues vntouched Therefore the foundation of the holy Church of Rome may very wel be called A Bee hiue hauing the propertie of a tubbe wherein al maner of pleasant things are put The vii Chapter VVherin is declared that the Church of Rome can likevvise helpe her selfe vvith the opinions and doctrine of the olde Heretikes in follovving the same vvhen it serues for her purpose NOwe so farre it is from our deare mother the holy Church to be afraid to spring ouer the pales of the holie Scripture auncient Fathers Councelles and Decrees that often times she will go and solace her self in the pleasant medowes and greene fieldes of the olde heretikes which haue alwayes bin extreeme enemies and directly contrarie to the holy scripture and the Fathers and of them doeth she borrowe very many goodly iewelles too furnishe beautiefie her Gabanet or bee Hiue withall For it is wel knowen and euident that she hath learned of the Heretike Pelagius That we notwithstanding the fall of Adam do still possesse a free will and haue power to Iustifie our selues and to fulfil al the commaundementes of God if we our selues will and That it is not the onelye grace of God whereby we are iustified as Paule doth teache but an helper only after that we of our selues haue prepared our selues therevnto Also That Christ did by his death merit for original sinne onely and that for all other our daily sinnes we our selues must answere and make sufficient amendes Of the Messalians or Euchites likewise of the Pelagians she hath gathered that baptisme alone doth not make vs perfect Christians but is onely necessarie to washe away our originall sin to helpe vs out of our first shipwracke But if we fal againe so run in danger of a second shipwracke theÌ„ we must seke for another plaÌ„ke to helpe vs out of hazard Shee hath likewise sucked out of the breasts of the MessaliaÌ„s to mumble out her Mattines The seuen Psalmes and the Pater noster by â–ª number vpon a paire of beades and with a burning candle pretending thereby to obteine great pardones and to doe vnto God great seruice Also whereas she doeth vse spittle in baptizing after that the diuell is coniured that shee tooke of the Messalians who did teache That men might driue away the diuel with spitting Of the Saturnialles Ebeonites Tatians and Encratites shee hath learned That the state of Mariage is vncleane and spotted and that such as wil please God and be cleane purified must wholy refraine them selues from it Also That there is great holinesse in absteining from eating of fleshe and vsing of certeine other meates although she hath set the things out vnder another colour to the ende men might not knowe froÌ„ whence they come Besides this she hath borrowed of the Montanistes manie newe fasting dayes which she hath commaunded and coÌ„firmed to be obserued vpon paâ—ne of great punishment and beside that on or cemeÌ„ts In the schoole of the Coloredlanes shee hath learned to praye to the holye Virgine Marie and to immolate or offer vp her oblations Of Marcus the sorcerer and Heretike she hath learned to vse in her seruice sacrifices certeine strange wordes in Hebrewe and other languages Of the Anthropomorphites to painte God the Father in the forme of a man with a gray beard Of the Gnostikes and Carpocratians to set vp images of Christ and other Saints and to worship the same with censing and other maner of deuotions vnlesse men will say as Eusebius in the 7. booke of histories in the 18. chap. doth declare that this erecting of images did first spring from the Heathen And last of all she hath learned of Simon the sorcerer father of al Heretikes to giue Bishoprikes Benefices Masse Mattius and Sacraments for money and yet not to sell them For it is but a simple bargaine or contract which the Lawyers call Do vt des I giue that thou mayest giue againe Euen like to Simon who would giue money to receiue the holy ghost So that it is very plaine apparaunt that shee can helpe her selfe well ynough with the doctrines and opinions of Heretikes and sucke out of them what shee thinkes good to carie into her Bee hiue Yea shee doeth in manie things agree with the Alcaron of Mahomet and with the Turkes religion as specially in many pilgrimages in praying vnto dead Saints in the obseruing of fasting dayes in diuers sortes orders of Monkes and particularly in the doctrine of Freewill and iustification by workes Now whether they haue borrowed that of Mahomet or he receiued it from them by reason he had a holy Monke one Sergius for an assistent companion I referre that to the iudgement of the Doctors of Louen Thus much once by the waye that it is easie to be noted that it is all one per dominum and all diet in one fatte and that she is like to a cunning spinner which can make good thred of all sortes of flaxe The viii Chapter Declaring that the Church of Rome hath likevvise borrovved manye things of the levves vvhich shee doeth set forth and holde as articles of the faith NOwe as touching the Iewes shee hath not forgotten to followe them sundrie wayes and that is apparant ynough in that which our master Gentianus hath declared in this worke For hee will mainteine that the Transubstantiation of the bread into the very body of Christ and the changing or turning of the substaÌ„ce of the wine into his verie blood maye bee proued by the testimonies of the Iewishe Rabbines And that is without doubt for one of their Rabbines named Rabbi Moses Hazardan writing vppon the 136. Psalme where the Prophet saith O Lord thou giuest all fleshe their foode saieth thus This texte doth fully and wholy agree with that which is saide in the 34. Psalme Taste and see howe pleasant the Lord is For the bread or meate which he giues to euery man is his fleshe and with the tasting or with the eating it is turned into flesh Out of this hath a good Monke a Catholike writer concluded That this Iewish Rabbin did well vnderstand Transubstantiation which he doth yet againe coÌ„firme by another named Rabbie Cahana who vttereth maruelous woÌ„derful speculations vpoÌ„ that texte of Moses where Iacob did promise to his sonne Iuda an vnspeakable vnmesurable quantitie of wine milke by these wordes He shal binde his foales to the vinetree and his asses to the noble vine branches he shal wash his clothing in wine his mantle in the bloud of grapes his teeth are whiter than milk For out of these woordes of Iacob doeth the foresaid Rabbi conclude That the asse doeth here signifie Messias into whose bodie and bloud the wine shal
be changed See nowe is not this a strong an inuincible foundation against which the gates of hell can not preuayle For that agrees euen as well together as a fiste in Gentianus nose Besides this are established out of these Rabbines the suburbes of hel and by them declared That the holy Fathers are lodged there against the comming of Messias For that could the Rabbines finely fish out of that which is written in the book of Ecclesiastes There are some iust which are killed in their righteousnesse Doeth not this serue wel for the purpose Furthermore out of the Thalmoode is proued that Marie our Lorde IESUS Christes mother was conceyued without original sinne For one of their Rabbines called Rabbi Iudas Simons sonne doth so speculate saying That the matter wherof the mother of the Messias should bee generate was formed before that Adam fell and so preserued from generation to generation without polluting And this doth he teache out of the Psalme wherein is written O Lorde seeke out the plante which thy right hand hath planted Is not that merueâ—â—ously well alledged the naile hit right on the head Verily it may verie well be compared with an other doctrine of theirs where they saye That God in the beginning did make two Whale fishes a male and a female and fearing least they should bring forth a monstruous generation he killed the one and so laid him in pickle against the comming of Messias at which time he will kill the other likewise and then shall the Iewes make a banket thereof and haue noble cheare for the one Whale fishe they shall eate freshe and the other well powdred And I maruell whether they will not bid our deare mother the holy Church of Rome to their banket But in that they may well inough beare one with another it is inough for vs to kâ—ow that they haue likewise established the fouÌ„dation of their beleefe and doctrine vppon the Thalmoode of the Iewes which is a meruelous great booke wherein all their Caballes that is to say all the doctrines monumentes of their Rabbines all their dreames and visions al their profound and bothomles speculations strange iestes are heaped vp together like a dunghill But nowe for that we shall not neede to rehearse euery thing particularly it is most true that the nation and Caballa of the Iewes is the best grounde and the truest well spring of all the ceremonies of the holie church of Rome For that is specially set forth noted in the booke of Decâ—ees where it is written That she hath borowed her Ember dayes of the Iewes whose order and maÌ„ner saith the text is the original spring whervnto the holy church must sticke fast Yea I pray you who is so grosse and dull of witte that can not conceiue of him selfe that shee hath had of the Iewes the verie example or paterne wherby she hath made and counterfeited so manie faire goodly ordinances statutes and ceremonies Whereby shee hath workmanlie wrought all her silken gilce and embrodered copes vestementes and myters euen as with a fine needle al the riche relikes prounking iewels altars candlestickes candles and torches and to be short al the goodly ornaments which you may see in the church were made by the exaÌ„ple paterne of them And their Sancta SanctoruÌ„ that is to saye The Holie of Holiest or The most Holie place vpon earth which she hath pacte vp at Rome in a corner of a chappell at S Iohn de Laterane whereof hath she gotten that but onely of the Iewes in whose Temple at Hierusalem the innermost most secret place where God did sometimes appeare called in their language Roodes radaschim that is to saye The holie of holiest For in place of that they had there the Arke of the promise with the couering called The Mercie seat or Propitiatorium wherein was kept a viole with Manna and the florishing rod of Moses which thinges our deare mother the holy church of Rome can not come by and therefore hath she set vp another chest with relikes in it wherein she doeth keepe very gingerly and deuoutly the foreskinne or Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ with his slippers and his nauell skinne as plainly appeareth by the verses which stand written before the same place which are these vnder written Circumcisa caro Christi sandalia clara Ac vmbilici viget hîc praecisio chara That is to say The foreskinne of Christ And his slippers likewise With the skinne of his nauell In this cofine lies Now after all this haue we not borrowed of the Iewes euen our holie father the Pope and all our Priestes and Deacons yea all our Temples Churches offerings and sacrifices yeâ— marie haue we or else all the holy fathers and Popes haue falsly lied in their heartes which haue scraped together the bookes of the decrees yea and then must Durandus What doe I speake of Durandus yea I say all our stoute Catholike doctours haue dallied with vs whereas they giue vs to vnderstande that they haue borrowed all that of the Iewes But what is this to the purpose Trulie we haue learned in their Phariseis seate and Synagogue That such must bee hanged which breake the Emperours placarde and will rather depende vpon Iesus Christ than vpon the ordinance of the Church Haue not the Doctors of Louen likewise borrowed of them the name of Rabbottenu or Rabbini that is to say Magistri nostri which soundeth in our mother tongue as much as Our masters prouided alwayes that men may not say Nostri magistri for that were herisie but we pronounce it after the Iewish phrase setting Nostri after Magistri as if we should say Masters ours and not Our masters Item that men must set them at the vpper ende of the table and the killing of Prophetes and Martyrs and thâ—n make them goodlie tumbes for therefore it is that they do mainteine the shrines of the Martyrs in such praier and worship in witnes as Christ himselfe said that they are the children of them which haue murthered the Prophets of God and the martyrs or witnesses of Christ Iesus and wil follow the steppes of their forefathers but it is not needfull to rehearse all things particularly considering that the holie Church hath set forth a generall rule hereof in the booke of decrees For in the same text where it is sayde That they haue learned of the Iewes to annoynt their altars and to trimme them with many proper things is argumented and reasoned thus Seeing that the Iewes which did but serue in a shadowe and darke figure did notwithstanding all those things howe much more ought we being by dutie bound to doe the like to whom the verie truth is manifestly reuealed Whereby men may plainly perceiue that is verie lawful for the holy Church yea and that of duetie she ought to doe all things whatsoeuer the Iewes haue done heretofore So that it is
no maruell that she hath of her selfe set vp so many newe ceremonies and sacrifices and brought in so many Patrones Baalims builded altars and erected chappels in all high places and wayes and that she doth daily kill the Prophetes and doeth crucifie Christ again in his members For seeing the Iewes haue done so she is much more bounde to do it And vpon this point is the before alledged text verie plaine and cleare saying thus Hereby it doeth appeare that men may alledge and bring in good arguments and instructions vpon the examples of the Infidels Which doth serue our purpose verie well to the setting forth of this our purpose considering that hereby is apparaunt that matter which we haue in hand to wit that our mother the holy Church is not subiect to anie Bible or woorde of God and muche lesse to anie Councels or Popes decrees but may dongue her grounde with all kinde of dyrte and may make her Bee hiue fatte The ix Chapter VVherein is declared that the holie Church of Rome hath gathered manie things of the doctrine examples of the Heathen which she hath conuerted and turned to her owne commoditie and profite YEa here it is plainlie to be seene that she doth not helpe her selfe with the Iewes onely but likewise with all sorts of false doctrine religion and examples So that it is euident that she hath followed the steppes and Religion of the godlesse Infidels as well Romanes as other wheresoeuer the same might serue her turne For out of the rounde Temple at Rome which is called La Rotunda which was in those dayes by the Heathen dedicated to all the Gods and to that ende was named by a Greeke worde Pantheon thereof hath she made following the saide Heathen a Temple for our Ladie and all the Saints But is were mere foolish to stand vpon one example thereby to proue a matter whereof all the bookes and the whole Theologie of the Catholike men is full euen to the toppe For the verie foundation it self of their doctrine diuinitie is much more deepely grounded and built vpon the doctrine of Aristotle than vpon any either Prophete or Apostle by this same token that at this present a Doctours hoode or the Caputium of a Theologian or Diuine at Louen is called Aristotles breeche or Codpeece Yea and moreouer the most part of all our Scotistes Thomistes Albertistes Occamistes Realistes Nominalistes and other Doctours are sprong vp of Aristotle of Plato of Porphyrius Auerroes Abeupace and such other like Saintes euen as out of their head spring and principall well In so much also that the Doctours and Theologians of Colen haue very wittily concludâ—d That Aristotle hath bene Praecursor Dei in naturalibus sicut IohaÌ„nes Baptista in diuinis that is to saye Aristotle was the forerunner of God in al things naturall as Iohn Baptist was in thinges diuine and supernaturall And for this cause amongst other hath the holy Church condemned Martin Luther for that the doctrine of Aristotle which is the verie mother of the diuinitie of the Louanistes Sorbonistes and Colenars was by him reiected and nothing set by After this doth the worthie Bishop DuraÌ„dus testifie That the holy church did learne of Nabuchodonozor to halowe their churches and altars euen like as he caused his golden image to be halowed and consecrated which he would haue all people and nations to pray vnto So that it ought not to seeme straunge to anie man that the Church according to his example doeth likewise cause Heretikes to be burnt which will not praye to her images considering that he caused the three yong men of the Hebrewes Sidrach Misach and Abednago to be throwen into the hoate burning ouen because they denied to praye vnto his consecrated golden image But what neede I to trouble my self much with these matters The children in the streetes doe knowe well inough that a great many of the ceremonies of the holy Church of Rome are gathered out of the ordinances and religion of Numa Pompilius king of Rome For the decrees and the booke of Sentences do very cunningly set forth that from thence they proceede and that in these dayes men call the Pope in Latin Pontifex because Numa Pompilius caused his high Priestes so to be named From thence likewise the generation of Priestes hath issue For like as Numa Pompilius had his Flamines Archesâ—amines and Protosâ—amines appointed euen so nowe hath the holy church her Sacerdotes that is her Priests her Archipresbyteros that is her high Priests and her Protonotaries as by plaine wordes is to be seene in the booke of decrees So that Eberardus Bishop of Saltzburgh about 200. yeres ago at a general assemblie called a Riiâ—x day did verie wel rightly in naming the Priestes of Rome Flamines Babyloniae that is to say Babylonish Priestes And hath not our beare mother the holy Church ordeined the bonefire of Peter ad Vincula in place of a holy day whereon at the same time the Heathen did make bonefires to the honour of the Emperour Augustus And likewise the other saint Peters day which is commonly calles Saint Peters Seate is not that come in place of another bonefire daye which the Heathen did obserue at the same time And CaÌ„dlemasse â–ª I pray you what is that els but a kind of Candlemasse which the Heathen did vse whereon they euen at the same time of the yeare vsed fire with burning of torches and candels in the worship of Ceres Proserpina and Flora And of whome haue they learned I pray you that euerie man must serue God according to the vsage of his owne countrie as his fathers haue done before him but only of Pythagoras and of Plato A thing directly contrarie to the coÌ„mandement of God who saith by the mouth of his Prophete Ezechiel You shall not liue after the commandements of your fathers neither obserue their statutes neither pollute your selues with their idols for I am the Lorde your god You shall liue after my commandements and you shall obserue my statutes and followe them Where haue they fished out the Legende of Saint Margarete but only out of the fable of Andromeda or Hesiona the daughter of Laomedon And what is their S. George but a dumbe or mumming Perseus or an Hercules on horseback And her Chrystopher is a newe Polyphemus or Nessus And her seuen Sleepers are not they of the kinred of Endymion After al this what doth this meane that they haue so specially coÌ„manded That all their altars shoulde bee set toward the East but that they will directly herein followe the example of the Heathen who in honour of the Sunne whom they named Apollo did in all their prayers and offrings turne them selues towardeâ— the East Considering especially that God had for the same cause forbidden the Iewes to be like vnto the Heathen in that point as to turne their faces towards
You poore Heretikes saieth he howe can you be of a true beleefe if you do not first accept the twelfe articles of the faith And how should you accept them seeing you will not beleeue the holy Catholike Church For consider this he doeth take to serue his turne a most certeine and vndoubted point That no man can beleeue the holie Church but hee must ioyntly withall receiue and accept all whatsoeuer the saide Church doth set forth and beleeue And this is greatly to be coÌ„sidered seeing herevpon doth rest the most speâ—ial ground and strongest bulwarke of the holy Church of Rome For these Heretikes can very stedfastly say that they theÌ„selues are the church of god And to 〈◊〉 that they introduce and bring in many goodly textes out of the Scripture but they alledge them only according to the letter euen as though the Church were nothing els but an assemblie or congregation of holy men that is to say of such as through faith or beleefe are by the bloud of Iesus Christ blessed and chosen to be the sheepefolde of Iesus Christe the true and only sheepheard of our soules into which fold none are receiued but such alone as will hearken to the onely voyce of that onely shepheard and followe and goe after him onely forsaking and not knowing the voyce of any straunger Whereby they will nowe conclude that our great Maister the Pope with all the right honourable Bishops and Prelates which haue of them selues set forth manie goodly ordinances whereof Christ neuer knewe word should be those very straungers and hirelings which seeke onely the wooll of the sheepe and haue serued God feignedly setting forth and teaching the commandements and doctrine of men yea that they shuld be the theeues and murtherers that haue not entred in at the right doore which is Iesus Christ but are crept in a wrong way to steale kill and destroye And therfore do they cut vs cleane off notwithstanding what soeuer wee alleadge of the Church of God and of her authoritie power and woorthines But they alledge out of the Prophet Ieremie That al is but lyes and deceyt whervpon we establish our selues crying with the Iewes The Church of God The Church of God The Church of God. And herevpon doe they bring vs forth and alledge their Paul saying That the only true ground and foundation of the Church of God is established onely vppon the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles so that who soeuer he be that falleth from the same can not be accompted for a true member of Christs Church And then they bring forth an Esaie out of a corner and an Ezechiel an Oseas with diuers other out of the olde Testament which they set al together on a heape and will defend themselues therewith that the stedfast successioÌ„ and that long continued race of the Popes Cardinals Bishoppes and Archbishops are in no wise that right token and that vncounterfeyt marke of the Church but the onely the sincere worde of God when as that is in our mouthes and in our heartes and in the mouthes and heartes of our children accompanied with the right vse of the Sacraments according to the perfit ordeining of Christ Iesus who is the only head of the Church and congregation in whom all people are ioyntly vnited euery one according to the measure of the gift which he hath receiued of the head to the ful growth of the whole body in loue Well well when they haue done all their prating yet must this needes be true That they are but Heretikes and smel after the fagot the good yere and all the cause why For that they doe not beleeue all that the holy Church doth beleeue and without the Church is no saluation but all such as fall from her must be burnt like fagottes for to that end haue we a plaine text of Scripture which saith thus Who soeuer doeth not abyde in me shall be cast out of the vineyarde as a branche and there wither and men gather those branches and cast them in the fire and burne them And this same is apparent out of the second point of this Epistle nowe folowing Whereas Gentianus doeth openly coÌ„fesse that at al times and for euer there haue bin some men which haue helde the same opinions set forth the like learning that these Lutheranes and Huguenotes do nowe followe But he answereth the matter thus That such haue alway bene banished and cursed for heretikes and all this is verie true For euer since that Iohn the Archfather Patriarch of Constantinople began to take vpon him to be the vniuersall Bishop of all Bishops within Christendome which attempt the Pope of Rome dyd in the beginning stoutly withstande and that then afterwardes Boniface the thirde did obteyne that tytle for him selfe and was by the Emperour Phocas declared Cheefe or superiour Bishop ouer all Christendome and ordeined the head of the Church which thing was brought to passe in the yeere of our Lord 680. From that time forward I saye there haue alwayes bene many factious and busie fellowes stirring abroade which as well by writing as preaching haue withstoode the Pope and condemned his doctrine decrees and ordinances euen by the Scripture yea and blazed and set him selfe forth for an Antichrist alledging euen as our Heretikes nowe do that men ought to repose themselues and buyld vpon the sincere word of God onely and further to holde and esteeme all ordinances of the Popes not agreeing with the Scripture for deuilishe doctrine But as before is declared such haue alwayes bin reputed and condemned for Heretikes Therefore to the ende that no man shall thinke this to be nowe a new dealing of the holy Church to condemne these Lutheranes and Huguenotes for Heretikes and likewise that no man shall suppose that this their doctrine and Articles which they set forth are first growen in their gardens I will therefâ—â—e make here a brief discourse of such as haue here before set forth these matters as well by mouth as by writing to make it plainely appeare to the worlde that there is not one Article which they bring forth but iâ— hath bene long before â—et a bâ—â—che openly â–ª that the holy Church of Rome hath both punished and condemned it for heresie Then to begin withall it is plaine that the Grekes haue alwayes daâ—peâ—ly withstoode the holy Pope of Rome and would neuer acknowledge him neither for Pope nor for the head of the Church like as yet euen in these dayes they do not in so much as in the yere of our Lorde 1328. at which tyme Pope Iohn the 23. had written very wisely and sharpely to the Grekes and by many wordes defended the cause That first there was but one only Church whereof he ought to be the head vnder whom all Christendome ought to submit them selues they dyd againe sende him this answere which followeth We beleeue verely
that thine authoritie is great ouer thine owne subiectes yet we can not well beare with thy loftines and vnmeasurable pride neither allowe thy vnsatiable couetousnesse Therefore the deuill be with thee for God is with vs. NotwithstaÌ„ding that some of their Embassadours did in the Councell of Ferrara in the tyme of Pope Eugenius 4. agree therevnto but without consent or commission of their Church which did afterwards call backe and adnihilate the same But long before that time not onely the coÌ„mon people of the Greekes but the Emperours them selues likewise were aduersaries to the Pope of Rome about the setting vp and praying to Images For about the yere of our Lord 730. the Emperors Constantine 5. and 6. and Leo Isaurus did with full aduise and consent of the Councell as well out of the Scripture as of the ancient Fathers conclude That men should in no wise for the seruice of God neither set vp nor pray to anie Images but did likewise vtterly break down destroy al Images before made and set vp For which cause the Popes of Rome did conceiue such malice and hatred against them that from thence forth they sought al maner of meanes and wayes to diuide and ouerthrowe the Emperial state like as in continuance of time they brought it so to passe And likewise not only the Greekes but the Germanes also did long time withstand the forbidding of Priestes to marrie till at length the Popes and that specially Bonifacius 8. did by maine force bring it to passe and establishe the same In the yere 840. one Berthrame a stout and a learned man rose vp who did manfully withstande the Romishe doctrine as touching their Transubstantiation dedicating to Charles the French King brother of Lothorius a notorious booke made for that purpose and did likewise in an other booke confirmed by the Scriptures and strongly defended by the holy Fathers set forth the doctrine of Predestination which these Heretikes do nowe so earnestly stand vpon And about the yere 869. did Iohannes Scotus followe him writing against Transubstantiation euen as Beringarius about the yere 839. had done the like And in the yere of our Lord 964. Huldrike Bishop of Auxburge by his writing reuoked again the saide commaundement of forbidding Priestes to marrie After whom about the yere 1240. Bernard started vp who wrote very much of Predestination and against Freewill nothing vnlike the doctrine of the Lutheranes and Huguenotes yea and did very stoutly striue against the Priestes and Prelates calling them The seruantes of Antichrist and making of the Prelates Pilates Whom in the yere 1157. Iohannes of Sarisburie did folowe and wrote a booke called Obiurgium Clericorum and another named Polycraticus wherein hee doeth pull the whole Clergie vengeably ouer the coles and setteth them out for Phariseis and false teachers calling the Pope Antichrist and Rome The hoore of Babylon And likewise a litle before that had Arnolde the Bishop of Brixen set vp earnestly against the Priestes denying flatly that the sworde of gouernement should anie whit apperteyne vnto them yea euen at the same time was there one Peter Bloix which wrote openly thus That Rome was the right BabyloÌ„ wherof S. Iohn did prophesie and that the Officialles of the Romish Court were deuilish Griphines and the Priestes verie Calues of Bethel Baals Priests Aegyptiacal idols and that euery thing was to be solde at Rome for money About the same time in the yere 1160. started vp in France a quicke fellowe and a worshipfull Burgesse of the Towne of Lyons named Petrus Valdo who hauing studied the Scriptures very diligently began to set vp a newe doctrine which did hit as iust vpon the doctrine of these Huguenotes as might be He left manye Disciples after him in so much that a remnant is remayning yet to this day After that came Petrus de Vinea Chauncelour to the Emperour Frederike 2. and was in the yere 1240. who went about likewise to robbe our holy father the Pope of his intituled authoritie and iurisdiction rayâ—ing vpon him out of measure And after came Guilielmus de sancto Amore in the yeere 1260. who layde loade exceedingly vpon the Prelates Monkes and Friers and did reckon them for subiectes of Antichrist Whose opinions were after in the yeere 1275. by one Laurence an Englishe Doctor at Paris stoutly defended and coÌ„firmed Againe in the yere 1306. came abroad one Petrus Cassiodorus a Gentleman and very well learned who did altogether spil the potage For his writing and doctrine was euen as though he had studied all the dayes of his life in the bookes of Luther and Caluin and he made of the Pope a Nabuchodonosor After that in the yere 1314. did followe one Dulsimus of Nauarra And in the yeere 1315. Arnoldus de villa Noua who caried water all ouer one bridge And at last in the yere 1383. came forth the great Archeheretike Iohn Wiclef who threw all the spindles of the holy Church of Rome in the ashes for he was a naturall Zwinglian or Caluinist and of him sproong vp Iohn Hus in the yeere 1405. which was the father of all Lutheranes Hee it was which came with Hieronymus of Prage to the CouÌ„cell of Constance there to defende his doctrine by scripture but there he was taught a newe lesson for in place of disputation they were both burnt at a stake And yet that notwithstanding their doctrine euer since that time hath bene accepted in many places and by many stout fellowes confirmed Like as there was one Nicholaus Clemangis a Doctor of Paris and Bishop of Bayone in France Oldecastell Lorde Cobham and Knight of the order of the Garter and within a litle while after one William Wight in Englande and Paule Crawe with many other in the countrie of Rome Hieronymus Sauanerola in Italie and a number of other more all which yet were by the Church of Rome banished and condemned for heretikes yea where they could be gotten put to death In summe all such as at any time haue taken vpon them to set forth any like matter against the Church of Rome haue alway bene of the most holy Popes banished and accursed together with all them which would by any meanes mainteyne or defend them In so much that Emperours and Kings yea whole countries haue for withstanding the Pope bene excommunicated and condemned for heretikes yea which is of greater importance one Okam and Dante good Catholike men were by Pope Benedict 3. condemned for Heretikes only because they did mainteine That Emperours holde their Empires of God and not of the Pope and yet notwithstanding that in all other matters they did throughly professe the Popes doctrine I say nothing what is meete to be done to these new Heretikes who go about to roote out and destroy the whole foundation of the
after this life is neither any more time nor place to make amendes for our sinnes or obteine any mercy or forgiuenes at Gods hands there she shrinks backe into her shel and lettes her hoode hearken to that And where as the said Cyprianus and Hieronymus do stoutly teach That al Ministers true Preachers of Gods worde haue like power in what place soeuer they be whether it be at Rome or at Naples or amoÌ„g the Indies or in Tartaria all that is pedlers French to our holy mother the church of Rome whereas Gregorius doth plainly write and in diuerse places sayeth That whatsoeuer he be that names himselfe a general Bishop or The chiefe head and principall of all Bishops he is the very messenger of Antichrist and the sonne of the diuell for that neither hee nor no man liuing can beare the name of a generall Bishop without the vtter defacing of the seruice of the Church But that must be vnderstood with a prouiso to wit The Pope of Rome alwayes excepted Nowe whereas k Tertulianus Augustinus Theodoretus and many other moe doe expounde these wordes of the Sacrament This is my bodie sacramentally and say that it is a figure a signe and a seale of the bodie of Christ that was offred vp and broken for vs then is there nothing to say but God helpe you There is no bodie at home Whereas they doe generallie with one consent teache and stoutely mainteine that the Supper of the Lorde ought to bee ministred vnto all men vnder both kindes that smelles of a Ratte the Cow is broken loose Whereas Irinaeus who wrote that about a hundred yeres after saint Iohn the Apostle the number of the beast whereof Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation or vision doeth meane by this word Latinos the Romish or the Latine Church and regiment and the Tertul. Hieronymus do expound the beast with seuen hornes for the citie of Rome that is al bibble babble In summe whensoeuer they set forth or teach any thing that souÌ„ds not wel in the eares of our deare mother the holy Church she lettes them be packing without any mention making of them or else she correctes them throughly considering that they are but men and may erre And wherfore For that she is not subiect to the writings of the fathers neither can her authoritie be subiect to their iudgement but she as wee haue saide before is aboue the fathers and gouerneth them turnes and winds them as she will forceth them eueÌ„ as she thinkes good And whatsoeuer they haue written must bee sifted through her siâ—e to picke out thereof the finest flowre For otherwise seeing that the olde fathers do oftentimes differ amongst themselues and other whiles write contrarie to that which they haue set downe before and alwayes for the most part haue done directly agaynst the opinion and dealing of the holie Church of Rome howe should yea howe shoulde men make good cloth of such yarne if it were not that the holy Church of Rome did giue her iudgement and sentence on their dooings and did chewe the pappe before in her owne mouth to put the same with more facilitie and easinesse into ours her sucking babes as it were with a Spoone giuing vs that which she alloweth for good and casting the rest away which tastes not well in her mouth into a corner The summe of all is that we maye not make anie foundation of our faith vpon the writings of the olde fathers vnles they haue first bene vnder the hands of the holie Catholike Church of Rome and be by her ouerseene and set forth as shall seeme good to her holinesse The iiii Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome is not subiect to anie Councell but maye approue or disanull them according as shee shall thinke best for her ovvne benefite And this is confirmed by many examples and profounde reasons BVt nowe are there some such grosse fellowes which notwithstanding they do see that the Church is aboue the Scriptures and aboue all the doctrine and Writinges of the olde Fathers yet they thinke that her power and authoritie maye be as it were compassed in and paled about by the Councels So that there should be nothing receiued for a commaundement of the church but it must first be concluded by a Councell And what soeuer were once there coÌ„cluded and agreed vpon with that neither the church of Rome should medle nor the Pope haue anie thing to doe Yea mary these good felowes O they come in due season they might a great deale better haue tarried at home For consider seeing that all the Prophetes and Apostles and likewise the old Fathers altogether yea Iesus Christ the very Sonne and trueth of God himself could neuer so binde nor make subiect the holy church that she should yeeld and submit her selfe to their writing and doctrine onely howe doe these felowes thinke then that the Councels should haue greater power to bring her within their parke and pases considering that they are men which haue so often times erred yea and swarued cleane from the trueth Wee knowâ— well ynough that the Councel Ariminense Sirmiense and Seleucense did in the time of Constantine the great fortifie the heresie of the Arrians with their Decrees The seconde Councel of Ephesus did cleue vnto the Heretike Eutyches and did blasphemously and confusedly mingle the two natures of Christe together The councel of Carthago in the time of Cyprian which was holden before the first councel of Nicene did conclude That heretikes ought to be christened againe But what needeth al this Was not Christ him selfe iudged coÌ„demned in a generall councel at Hierusalem which was the chosen citie of God And that the councels haue often times erred may lightly erre it appereth plainly inough by the witnessing of Gregorie Nazianzene who was accustomed to say That he neuer saw couÌ„cell that teÌ„ded to a good end Yea do we not see how there haue bin many couÌ„cels whose proceedings haue bin flat against the doctrine institutions set forth by our holy mother the church and yet would defend their doings by the holy scripture But what a good yere Can the couÌ„cels preuaile against the church of Rome they hauing no power nor authoritie at all other thaÌ„ is giueÌ„ them by our holy father the pope How I pray you should that then hang together that they should be placed at the vpper end not only aboue the pope but aboue the whole church Is it not written in the booke of the decretals That no couÌ„cel can in any thing forbid the holy church nor set any commandment ouer her considering that all couÌ„cels haue bin at her appointment and receiued their power authoritie froÌ„ her holinesse And that in al statutes ordinances decrees of the couÌ„cels the authoritie of the Pope is excepted exempted See we not likewise that in the councel of Lateran it was coÌ„cluded likewise
excommunicated Yea marie syr it were better that the Councels were al at the gallowes thaÌ„ the holy church should be subiect to that order Then after this might they come in and dashe vs in the teeth with the Councell of Triburine which did forbid any money to be takeÌ„ for buryings what a gods name who could digest that morsel And to this they would adde the Councel of Basil where was plainely and sharpely ordeined That â—he Court of Rome shall not take any money for any Dispensations Elections Postulations PresentatioÌ„s nor any other Ecclesiastical offices authorities benefices hallowings blessings no not for the very Pallium or Bishops mantle neither to be paid vnder the colour of bulles seales nor aÌ„nuales by what colour or pretence soeuer they might be done Aha friend What an Eclipse would that breede in the Popes purse They would also come forth with the Councel of Mentz which was holden in the time of Carolus Magnus where was ordeyned That there should bee giuen againe and restitution made of al the goods lands which by bequest last will or testament had bene left to anie of the Spiritualtie tending to anie losse or hinderance of the right heires Goddes populorum That were too bitter a Pill to swallowe and digest Then would they assaulte vs with the Councell of Laterane whereat by Pope Nicholas 2. and fourteene Bishops was verie solemnly and irreuocably concluded That the Pope of Rome should be chosen by nomination the whole common people assembled together the spiritualtie with the Colledge of Cardinalles present And if it shoulde bee prooued that any man should by rewardes giftes bribes or any other indirect meanes attaine to the same roome the same should not onely be banished but should likewise be taken for a shamelesse heretike a backslider from Christ and an Apostata So that it should be lawfull to pull him out of his seat c. Aha my masters what a piece of worke were that By that meanes they might ouerthrowe and cleane roote out the holy Church of Rome Moreouer besides they would proue the pope Eugenius was by the councel of Basil iudicially condemned for an horrible Heretike and a shamelesse knaue and was deposed from his seate as a wicked vile villeyne who yet notwithstanding was after by fine handling and prettie practises of simonie and also with force holpen againe into his seate and of him euer since vntill this our time are al Bishops Cardinals Popes yea and all priests in general bred and sprung vp like a litter of pigges farrowed of a fruitful sow Al which one with an other head taile should be banished and esteemed for heretikes vngodly knaues if it were so that the Councels might beare any swinge against the authoritie and estimation of the sea of Rome and our mother the holy Church but that I assure you woulde be to feareful a matter And therefore must we of necessitie conclude That the CouÌ„cels can in no wise ouerrule the Church nor by their coÌ„mandments or ordinances coÌ„pel her to any thing no more than a Spiders web can hold or kepe fast a Pie or a Crow But al Councels must be subiect to the holy Church euen as an obedient child is subiect to his mother yea and they must alwayes daunse after her Pype Therefore when as these Heretikes and Huguenotes do bring in a great heape of these Councels to streÌ„gthen their doctrine withal agaynst the Romish Church they do but breake their braines in vaine They may well 〈◊〉 auace that the Councell Eliberinum in Spaine which was holden about the yeere 300. in the time of Constantine the great did plainely ordeine That there should bee no Images in the Churches nor in no wise to paint or carue any thing to be prayed vnto And they may alledge that in the twelfe Councell of Toledo in two Councels of Constantinople the one vnder Constantius the fift the other vnder Constantinus the sixt and likewise in a Councell in Fraunce vnder Carolus Magnus did all with one voyce consent in the same But we can not heare on that side They may likewise bring in apace and alledge That the Concilium Auristanum did clearly ouerthrow mans free will and iustification by workes teaching that all our righteousnes all the good works that we can do and al that is in vs must be imputed to the only goodnes vndeserued mercye of God that it is not in our natural power to prepare our selues to mercie but that we must receiue al eueÌ„ as beggers by mere gift through meeknes of the spirit But in all this they do but loose their labour and it is euen as much as if they would cut the aire in twaine for we do not esteeme al they can say worth a rushe That being done they may bring in apace for witnesses the Councels Affricanum and Mileteranum wherin saint Augustine did set forth such stuffe as were ynough to shame them all praying to saints vtterly ouerthrowen for that there was by perfect proofe and expresse Scriptures proued and concluded That neither is nor euer hathe beene on the earth so holie a man Christ onely excepted which hath not bene spotted with sinne himselfe and had neede continually to pray for remission and forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes So farre doth it differ from that then that the Saintes should haue any sparkle of deseruings remaining ouerplus But al these authorities are not worth a nut shell neither will we receiue their witnesses Moreouer whereas they make much a doe with vs that the first councel of Nicen did consent That it was lawfull for priests to marie and that the Councel of Gangren did curse and banish all such as vnder the colour of any cloyster religion or spirituall state should forsake their wiues or deface the state of matrimonie Whervnto the Councell called sexta Synodus coÌ„senting did further and aboue that ordeine That no man should require of any priest to make the vowe of chastitie vnles they of themselues were willing so to do But all this is euen as much as to knocke at a deafe mans doore And if that they also out of the sayde Councell of Gangrensis and out of the Councell of Ancerano kept about the same time of the Councell of Nicene will go about to perswade vs that they that eat flesh vpoÌ„ the Fryday or in the Lent should not be punished nor condemned yea and that in matters of mariage and eating of meates we may not charge mens consciences by the vertue of any newe lawe or bond al that is of Dauie Duttons dreame and wee 〈…〉 wise giue anye eare vnto it Furthermore they will bragge muche vpon the first Councels of Nicene and of Constantinople for that they did ordeine That the Bishop of Rome shall not haue any authoritie or iâ—risdiction out of his owne borders to witte the landes nigh adioyning to Rome
the East But the holy Church as touching this matter was much wiser thaâ— God for shee wâ—ll hereby giue to vnderstande that Christ is risen or sprong from the highest and that afâ—er the doctrine of Aristotle other Philosophers the East is on the right side of heauen where as Christ at the day of iudgement will place his elect Is not this a deepe speculation Who would euer haue thought that such doltish Asses could haue founde out such a great and profound secret which God him selfe did neuer thinke on The x. Chapter VVhich concludeth that the Church of Rome hath gathered all these before named pieces together and taken out of them what shee haâ—h thought good which are called Traditiones Romanae Ecclesiae that is to saye The traditions of the church of Rome and the foundation of our beleefâ— BVt if I should now bring in all things particularly to proâ—e hâ—we that our deare mother hath verie finely and subtily brought in mingled the Philosophie and Poetrie of the Ethnikes with her Religion and Gods seruice I should haue worke inough for seuen yeeres Therefore this is sufficient for vs that by this it may well bee perceiued that she hath gathered her holines and ceremonies as well out of the Heathen authours as of the Iewes olde Heretikes and brewed the same all together so cunningly that it is a maruellous pleasant cup of drinke to swallow downe without anie chewing So that nowe wee may stoutly conclude vpon the former question what that is for a beast which men call Traditiones Ecclesiae The traditions of the Church of Rome Seeing we now well perceiue that her foundation ground stands not vpon the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles like as Paul would in his time haue mainteined much lesse then vpon the Councels Fathers and decrees but it is partly founded vpon the Scripture being first well glosed and sophistically handled partly out of the chiefest writings of the olde fathers partly out of the scomme of the Councels and decrees partly out of the fine flower of olde Heretikes partly out of the Caballa of the Iewes Rabbines and lastly out of the Theologie of Numa Pompilius the Philosophie of Aristotle and out of the examples of the Heathen Now all gathered together on a heape and baked in a cake are called Traditiones sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae The traditions or commandements of the holy Church of Rome Which vpon paine of damnation of the soule and the body to be burnt in fire must of necessitie be beleued of al men and holden in as great reputation as the worde of God it selfe which is written in the holie Scriptures Therefore it is that the bookes of the holy Catholike subiectes of the Church as Eckius Piggius Hosius Bunderius Asotus Ruardus Tapparde Iohannes Latomus Iohannes a Louanio Franciscus Sonnius Gulielmus Blindasinus Iodocus Rauestein a Tileto and other more are finely set forth and brauely decked with feathers of all colours after the Indian fashion and trimmed vp with all costly stuffe euen like Saint Iames wiâ—h his shelles and sometime they fetch a witnesse or authoritie out of the Scripture by the necke sometime out of the fathers then a Councel out of a corner a decree of some Pope or Bishop sometimes they bring out an example from the Iewes and an allegorie or some triâ—le out of the Thalmoode and nowe and then a syâ—logisme out of Aristotle or Porphyrius or else a verse out of Virgil or Ouid and such other like skipping and leaping like Monkies from one place to another so helpe themselues with handes and feete and with all the â—â—â—mes of their bodie Prouided alwayes that they hang still as fast on their principall foundation as a theefe on the gallowes to wit That the holy Church cannot erre nor by anie meanes go out of the right way For as long as they holde that end fast they can neuer loose the threede And it is but follie to talke the Heretikes must needes be taken in the trappe for if by chaunce they scape out at one hole they are by and by caught in another After this they brewe you a noble and pleasant drinke iumbling the olde fathers and the newe together the true with the false And if they can once catche an Augustine or an Ambrose by the necke then will they after that bring in a trimme toy of the fine letters of Clemens and Anacletus which a dronken Monke and vnlearned buffell did babble out somewhere on a Saint Martins euen and mingle therewithall the goodly fables of one Dionysius whom they call Areopagita which one of the seuen sleepers haue found I wote not where behinde a banke then also come they lustily foorth with a Thomas de Aquino or a Scotus ioyne with him a Bricot or a Holcot or a Peter de Broda to keepe him companie And lastly for a sawce they bring in vpon that their Legendum Aureum and then Dormi secure and so make thereof a Compost or as it is called at Louen a Brodium such as the Heretikes must needes burâ—â— if they taste but one spoonefull of it And this is the inuincible Panoplia or StratageÌ„ma that is The defensible furniture fighting weapons of warre which the right honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus vseth This is the Verbum noÌ„ scriptum the vnwritten worde or veritie which all Catholike writers doe alwayes stande vpon this is Consuetudo sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The vsage and old custome of the holy church of Rome whereon they boast themselues a great deale more than anie towne doeth of their priuiledges This is Traditiones patrum The traditions of the fathers of which the children do boldly boast and bragge In summe this is the ground and foundation of the hellish Catholike Romish beliefe wherevpon our dearely beloued mother the holy Church doth stande so fast as it will be verie harde for all the diuels of hell to blowe her off with all their bellowes The xi Chapter VVhich teacheth how that vpon this foundation Heretikes must be examined And what questions are to be proponed vnto them in the inquisition THerefore the order and maner to dispute with Heretikes nowe adayes is no more to bring in many Scriptures or Councels against them for therein woulde they be too readie and ripe reasoners but we must onely lay before them the good intents ordinances and statutes of the holie Church And it is sufficient to prooue that by any one of the argumentes before specified for whensoeuer men can alledge only one whether it be out of the Fathers Councels Decrees or out of Aristotle or Virgil then it is cocke on our side and the battell is wonne But now contrariwise whensoeuer the Heretikes goe about to ouerthrow any article of the beliefe by the holy Church brought in and established it is not therefore sufficient that they proue it to be contrarie to the
praâ—ing Prelates there will yet come as Gentianus here doeth bragge a great companie of men Saintes and women Saintes glorious Martyrs comlie Confessours and excellent Doctours of the Church which the Pope him selfe hath canonized and bestowed places vppon them in heauen These surely in consideration of the benefites they haue receiued at his hands will for the mainteining of his doctrine hazard both cappe and cowle Then siwâ—her there will come such a companie of goodly miracles which surely are so perfectly and also vnreproueably registred in the golden Legend that the Heretikes must nodes be packing away if they will do wisely and followe good counsell For if it were seâ— that this could not yet helpe then should come in the Doctours of Louen with their great coppintankes and Doctours hattes with their Aristotles breech on their heads and his Liripipium about their necks and they will bring in al their Syllogismes their Sortes currit their Quidditatâ—s Realitates Formalitates Ecceitates Identitates Secundas intentiones Instantias and manie more of like learning which they will quickly shoote vp in the aire in such sort that the multitude of their arrowes wil darken the Sunne And at the last they wil plucke out of their quiuer a strong and a swift bolte or argument which the scholemen cal Argumentum a fasciculis that neither Bible nor Testament neither Peter nor Paul shal be able to helpe the poore heretikes so they must altogether daunse into the fire and be burnâ— to ashes This is most true and apparant and needes no proofe or witnesse Notwithstanding seeing that Gentianus him selfe â–ª to shewe his stoutnesse and noble courage doeth alledge and bring forth a certeine example â–ª as it were for an attempt or skirmishe therefore will I take the same vpon me and explane it further â—o the ende that euerie man may see with what strong weapons our deare mother with all her souldiers horsemen and footemen is furnished And thus saith Maister Gentianus here That the Lutheranes and Huguenotes can in no wise be reputed and taken for right beleeuers so long as they doe not beleeue that the breade and the wine in the blessed Sacrament of the altar as soone as euer the fiue wordes are spoken ouer them are no more bread wine but by and by become the verie perfecte bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ as long and as broade as it was hanging vppon the crosse Nowe then who dares once kicke or winche against this Or howe can these Heretikes wrestle against this whereas to begin withal generally the holy Catholike Apostolicall Papisticall Romishe Church with her Pontificall seate and crowne with all her Cardinals haâ—tes Bishops myters Abbats slaues Priestes crownes Monkes cowles and Doctours hoodes doe not onely beleeue so but likewise do specially commande will so haue it in dede that al other persons shal so likewise beleeue and that vpon paine of deadly sinne Wel then it is a sealed â—loth â–ª there is no more to saye to the matter â–ª For Iohannes Scotus hath him selfe said absolutely That if those fiue woordes should be spoken in a market place or in a Bakers house where much breade were or in a seller where much wine were the said bread would by and by bee turned into flesh and the wine into bloud Yea this hath bene proued by manie wonderful tokens as you may see and heare at Bruxels in Saint Goels Church where the Iewes stand painted which did sticke the holy Sacrament there through with daggers and the red bloud came running out For you may yet see red spottes painted vpon it And at Padua in Italie in Saint Anthonies Church standes grauen vpon an altar Saint Anthonie of Padua going alongest the streete with the Sacrament and some Iewes that were there did mock it and would not kneele downe and by and by there came an Asse alongest the streete which seeing that it was verie flesh and bloud did fall verie deuoutely vpon his knees and did open his mouth so wide that Saint Anthonie of Padua did estâ—eme the same for such a great miracle as doth wholy confound these Heretikes with hide and haire thrust in their throtes as is in his Legend set forth more at large â–ª Was not that a goodly and wonderfull miracle What will these Heretikes say to this when that Asses do beleeue it and yet they esteeme it not We read likewise of Saint Gregorie howe he being busie at Masse and hauing spoken the fiue wordes the holy Sacrament was soudeinly through his prayer conuerted and turned into a fleshly and visible finger and that for a good Gentlewomans sake which could not well beleeue that it was fleshe Likewise it is written that there was a good and a deuout woman which had heard in secret of her Curate the fiue wordes and being with her Gossep kneeding of doaw to make bread she rehearsed by chaunce to her Gossep the secretes of the Masse which she had learned of the Priest and soudenly all the doaw was turned into flesh and the water wherwith she had wrought the doaw into verie bloud in so much that the poore women were maruellously affraide and were so bloudie as though they had lien ten yeares in the butchers slaughter house It is verie true that it will not frame so well with beggers who hauing vnderstood this matter would gladly haue plaâ—ed the like paâ—el to the intent to haue made of the craâ—tes of bread which they had begged with the saying of these fiue wordes a good flesh hotch-potch or gallemawfrie but it woulde not fadge because they had not the good intent which the Priestes haue when they say Masse which intent the Curate had surely put into that good Gossep secretely in shriuing her Now is it not plainly written in the booke of that holy Monke Leander Alberte of Bullein that beside the lake called Lago de Bolsena as a Priest was saying his Masse that holy Offertorie or oblation did droppe a great many droppes of bloud vpon the altar and vppon the white piece of cloth called the Corporall after this it skipt and leapt out of the handes of the sacrifising Priest away it went swiftly fleeing all about the Church like a birde still dropping droppes of bloud vpon the Marble stones which are seene there yet to this day Men may finde a hundred thousand such like miracles set foorth in manie goodly laudable and praise worthie Histories and golden Legendes and specially in the Historie of the notable learned wise and discrete man Lipomani who I dare say would not willingly lie if he could hit vpon the truth Then all these miracles and all the foresaid Saints iolly roysters would euen ioyntly together be vpon the bones of these heretikes After all this the Iewes Rabbines would march forwarde into the field with their Caballa with their Thalmood stoutly defend our transubstantiation The Ethnik poets specially Ouid
would likewise follow all a flant to help vs for they will neuer suffer their cunning whereby they caused their Hecate their Iupiter Elicius with certeine woordes in their sacrifice to come out of heauen in spite of their teeth to be plucked froÌ„ them And beside that they would likewise ioyne with vs to defend their Metamorphosis that is their Transubstantiation And they would bring at their tailes a band and noble supplie of 113. Bishops who altogether in a Councelâ— at Rome haue concluded That it must be so And that it is the verie flesh of Christ not onely sacramentally but the verie bodie in deede and as they terme it Sensualiter that it to say That men may feele and taste it It is broken with handes and with teeth torne eaten and digested Herevpon they haue accursed all those that doe not so beleeue And with them should be coupled all the great wise and profound Doctours and sententious writers to wit Paschasius LaÌ„cfrancus Thomas de Aquino Scotus Innocentius Comestor Amarcanus Gerson Gabriel Biel Durandus Alexander de Ales Occan Petrus Hispanus Albertus Magnus Raimundus Lullius Petrus LoÌ„bardus Petrus de Aliaco Petrus de Bella pertica Rabanus Panormitanus Bricot and Halcot And these would drawe forth with them al the good Catholike men that haue bene in our time And these noble Cardinals specially would make a great stirre in the field as Thomas Caritanus Reginaldus Polus Stanislaus Hosius and these deepe Doctours Master Syluester Prierias Thomas Radinus Ambrosius Catharinus Iacobus Hoochstratanus Iohannes Cochleus Iohannes Eckius Iacobus Latomus Magister noster de Quercu IohaÌ„nes a Louanio â–ª Iodocus Tiletanus Ruardus Tappard ab Enchusia In summe all the Doctours of Paris of Louen of Collen yea all the Licentiates and Bacchelers all these would set so stoutly on euerie side vpon these Heretikes that they may thanke God if they get froÌ„ them without leauing a limme behinde them For they would vndoubtedly teare them in pieces with their teeth and swallowe them vp whole haire and hide euen as they do with their god Or if it were so that they could not well bring that to passe by reason that the Heretikes are more heauie to digest than their god in the Masse is then there would come to helpe them Maister Deane Romist the Procurour Generall with a great companie of Catchpolles hangmen with staues and stakes with fire and sworde with strawe and fagottes and would set them on fire and so burne them vp by clusters and then their disputing were at an end Then also were S. Paule packt vp in a male with all his Prophets Apostles Would not the matter go well then with these Heretikes Lutheranes No no it is much better for them to tarie at home with their Paule than to deliuer him againe a freshe into the handes of the Iewes In summe our Maister Gentianus hath great reson that he like a strong and inuincible Goliah doeth so stoutly ouerbragge and outface all the whole heape of these Caluinistes Zwinglians and Huguenotes yea so couragiously that they dare neuer be so bolde as to come againe in their sights to dispute against the fagots So that nowe his conclusion knitting vp of the matter ramaines fâ—â—st and vnremoueable as specially That they are misbeleeuing Heretikes seeing they do not beleeue all what soeuer the holie Church beleeues and so consequently do denie the xii Articles of the faith The second parte Now doeth followe the exposition vpon the second parte of the Epistle of Gentian Haâ—uet wherein is discoâ—â—sed the â—ight and sufficiencie of the Scriptures and specially of the exposition of the same And fuâ—â—her al the points of the Romish beleefe are approued by the Scripture The Preface wherein this treatie is diuided in two partes NOw followeth in order the second part of this epistle which Master Gentianus doth 〈◊〉 be a fastidious sâ—rupâ—se that is to say A morseâ— which he can not wel swallowe without chewing as specially that the Heretikes will mainteine That we ought not to receiue any doctrine besides the worde of God set foorth in the holie Scriptures But nowe there resteth no more difficultie in this matter for wee haue prepared for him in the former article such a pill that he will lightly slappe it vp considering what a wide throte he hath For wee haue substantially and stedfastly herevpon concluded and also pronounced sentence irreuocable That the Scripture cannot ouerrule our deare mother the holie Church nor bring her vnder subiection And therefore we wil not breake our heads about this matter but will referre leaue it to the iudgement of our Maisters of Louen intending now to intreate of the vnderstanding and meaning of the scripture wherein we haue two principall pointes to set forth and determine vpon The first that we declare what is the power authoritie of the holie church in setting forth the Scripture and to applie it to her aduantage The seconde That we by plaine examples declare and proue that she hath finely set foorth this power and authoritie in the establishing of all the commaundements of her doctrine ceremonies and all manner of deuotions so that she doeth not enioy in her seruice anie one thing great or small but she knoweth finely to fetch the foundation of them out of the plaine texte of the holy scripture out of that to make the matter so cleare manifest that you may see it euen as well in the darke as with a candle These two pointes wee will set forth plainly before the eyes of all men with the helpe and assistance of the sweet deare Ladie of Halle al the sweete hee Saints shee Saintes at Antwerpe being there placed vpon the hie altar and thereto we will call for the helpe of the holie Ghost deuoutly saying an Aue Maria. Oremus Aue Maria c. The first Chapter That the holy Church of Rome onely hath power to expound and set forth the Scripture after her will and as shee doth vnderstand it And of the keyes and keybands which shee hath receiued to that end and that euerie man ought to be content with her exposition NOwe as concerning the first part our famous Doctours and Licentiates of Louen Paris do ioyntly teach That the holy scripture is a duÌ„mbe teacher a boke of dissentioÌ„ a dark vncertein doutful dead letter a nose of wax a leaden rule Which is as much to say that a man may pull it bow it winde it and turne it which way it shall please him And therefore they conclude thus Ergo the ground and letter of the Scripture is no direction or guide but that office belongeth only to the right vnderstaÌ„ding meaning therof Now the interpretations of them appertein to our deare mother the holy church of Rome onely And because she hath it in deede euery man shall be contented with her interpretation wiâ—hout anie further canuâ—sing â—iâ—ting or examining of that
yet in verie deed they will proue out of Paule that this new law of the Gospell whereof Ieremie doth speake is nothing else but the ministration of the Gospell which Paul did minister in his preaching and set forth aboundantly in his writing which remaines continues for euer And that did Paul openly witnes That he had neither forgotten nor kept secret anie thing of that which might serue to saluation but that he hath vttered truly set forth all the same before the Congregations ioyntly together Insomuch that he before the holy Pope which came afterwards should not haue left one iot behinde Wherevpon should follow that the law of the Gospel which the Pope doth carie in his bosome is altogether of an other Gospell much differing froÌ„ the law of that Gospel which Paul did preach or whereof Ieremie did speake then should the Pope be accurssed by the saying of Paule to the Galathians Whosoeuer doth preach any other Gospell than that which I haue preached vnto you â–ª let him be accurssed yea although hee were an Angel out of heauen But yet the Pope of Rome doeth not thinke that this doth touch him for that he is something greater than an Angel of heauen as we shall giue you to vnderstand in due time fit place Now that which he brings forth out of Iohn to wit that Christ said â–ª That the Apostles could not yet vnderstand all that the holy ghost should descend and instruct them further is somewhat more apparant But yet for all this he is neuer the neare For he cannot with this stop the mouthes of Heretikes by reason that they wil stil obiect say that this was spoken before the Apostles had receiued the holy ghost but after they had receiued him then did they put al the instructions which they had learned of the holie ghost in writing to the end that through that which is written all men might bee saued by faith in Iesus Christ as by the said Iohn is precisely written without this addition that they shoulde haue neede to watch anie longer after the Popes Buls or Masses of Requiem But it is euen as I haue told you our master Gentian hath bene so wildely prickt forwarde with that zealous spirite that hee did not see well what he said For he is a man that hath whole drifattes full of wit marie the bottoms are out And therfore will we helpe him againe out of his dreame omitting all such vnprofitable tittle tattle and purposing for the second part of this matter which we haue in hand to teach That whatsoeuer our mother the holy Church hath brought to light studied inuented or found out since the Apostles time is altogether so surely substantially grounded timbred bricked walled vpon the plaine text of the holy scripture so farre as they be spiritually vnderstood according to the interpretation of our mother the holy Church that it were not possible to erect any castle or tower more surely vpon the highest sandhill in all Hollande And this I assure you will bee a goodly peece of woorke whereby I shall deserue muche and bee partaker of a great manie goodly pardons and indulgencies and shal besides that become verie necessarie and seruiceable to the comforting of our sorrowfull mother the holie Church and to the extirpation and rooting out of all erronious opinions of newely vpstart Sectaries and Heretikes whiche doe yet thinke that they haue the Scripture on their side But they will haue but foolishe countenances when they shall see that the whole Scripture with the interpretations of the holie Fathers doeth at the least close vp as well with our doctrine as a ring in a Swines snowt The ii Chapter Declaring that the sonne offring of the Masse and the order and office of Priestes and Masse Priestes is gathered out of the Scripture if it be rightlie vnderstoode according to the interpretation of the Church of Rome THen to begin withall we will digge the holie sonne offering of the Masse out of the holie Scripture and proue that shee hath thereon a deepe and sure foundation Consider nowe it is plainly written That when Christ had broken the bread giuen it to his disciples he spake thus and saide Take Eate This is my bodie which shall be broken for you Do this in remembrance of me Do you wel perceiue nowe yee poore Heretikes that Christ doeth here commande to singe Masse for that same worde Doe this is iust as much as if he had saide Offer my bodie in the Masse to God my Father for the liuing and for the dead And that is first stronglie set forth by the Poet Virgil who saieth thus Cum faciam vitula that is to say When I shall doe it with a calfe Looke nowe by this worde Doe he vnderstandeth nothing else but onelie To do or offer a sacrifice and sonneoffring Ergo it must needes folowe That Christ did vnderstand it no otherwise than the worshipful Catholike Doctours of Louen Paris haue very well declared and irreuocablie concluded For our deare mother the holy church hath receiued approued strongly established their doctrine institution and prescript for an article of our faith So that it appeares that the Masse is verie ancient seeing it was vsed in Virgils time sauing onely that they did offer either Calues fleshe or Oxe flesh whereas nowe our Priestes doe celebrate their Masse with mans fleshe and bloud And herevpon you may note further that these short and sweete wordes Doe this is remembrance of me hath a wonderful emphasis or force For out of the grounde of the same hath the holie Catholike Church of Rome fished That the Apostles were Priests or Prelates with shorne crownes and did sing Masse and thereof it is that all our Priestes are created For Doe this is as much to say in their language as Become Priestes and see that your fingers bee annoynted with holie oyle that you may deuoutly say Masse And for this hath the holie Church of Rome commaunded That none of the Laâ—e people shall receiue the Chalice because our Lorde did not here speake to anie of the Laie or common people as the Apostle Saint Paule did in his time when hee willed the whole Congregation and Church of the Corinthians to doe as Christ Iesus had done But the Apostle Paule did meane simplie and onelie those which were able to sing the holie Masse as our Priestes and Prelates are who onelie ought and may drinke out of the Chalice as you may more perfectly and plainlie perceiue by the writers vpon the booke of Sentences and by all the before named Doctours of Louen of Paris and of Colen Moreouer and besides this wee can stronglie confirme the Masse offering out of the Prophete Malachie who in the 1. Chapter and 11. verse saith thus From the rising of the Sunne vnto the setting of the same is my name honoured amongest the Heathen and in all places
commande that these stones bee made bread Consider now is not that a plain declaration wherto no answer is to be made And by this it is wel to be thought that the diuell woulde gladly haue had a Masse in the wildernesse but onely that it could not be for lacke of bread And this may possibly be the cause wherefore our mother the holie Church doth vpon all the altars and in all thee bookes where this storie is in hand and dealt withall clothe the diuell in a friers cowle to the end men may knowe that he was an holie Heremit or an Anker which did verie deuoutly say Masse in the wildernesse and therefore doth looke out so Masselike But when he saw he did lacke bread then he sought and made meanes to our Lorde to see if he would erect a newe transubstantiation And now because this temptation of the diuell is in the Hebrewe tongue called Massah as is before rehearsed therefore it is not to be thought vnlike that our Masse hath thereof borrowed her name For as Satan said Commaunde that these stones be made bread so say the priests in their Masse Command that this bread be made a bodie or flesh Wherein the Priestes are something more likerish than their maister was for that they will not bee contented with drie bread â–ª but that hath his vnderstanding and meaning Howbeit thus much it is in effect That our dere mother the holy church hath out of this Massah or temptatioÌ„ of the diuell verie strongly established her Transubstantiation The vi Chapter Establishing the sufficiencie of the Sacrament vnder the substance of bread alone WE haue heretofore set forth that the holie Church of Rome hath directly against the coÌ„mandment of Christ against the vse of the Apostles and against the long continued custome maner of the primatiue Church commanded That the Lay people should not receiue the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper but vnder one kind only to wit of the bread as it is plainly set foorth in the decree at the Councel of Constance here before declared But now because it shal not seeme that she hath much a do to wrest a text or twaine of the Scripture to bring them in to serue her turne she doth therfore allege here manifest texts wherewith she doth set all things net fine and in perfect frame To begin withall it is written in the 6. of Iohn This is that bread which commeth from heauen that he which eateth thereof should not die I am that liuing bread which came downe from heauen if anie man eate of this bread he shal liue for euer And the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world c. Note here now doth he meddle but with the bread saith Eckius Ergo the Lay people neede not the wine That soundes as well as if a man shoulde make this argument Christ saith in the 15. of Iohn I am the true vine you are the braunches c. Here he speakes onely of the vine and not of the bread Ergo the Lay people need not receiue the Sacrament vnder the substance of bread but only vnder the substance of a vine Is not that verie well reasoned to catch the Heretikes in a trap After that we read that Christ was known in Emaus vnto two of his disciples by breaking of bread there is not one word of drinking Ergo the Lay people may not drink out of the Chalice And if anie man thinke that Christ should not there haue ministred a sacrament as the Heretikes will say that is a lie for our deare mother the holie church hath determined otherwise declaring that he did minister the Sacrament two times once at Hierusalem for the Priests at his last supper another time at Emaus for the Lay people after his resurrection And although it is certeine that these two disciples were Cardinals not Lay men as Eckius in deede doth finely mainteine in a certein place yet what is that to the purpose Did you neuer see Cardinals that were no Priests That is no newes There are now a dayes that are but young children newly crept out of the shelles And when all this is saide there is no where written that these two disciples had shauen crownes or the priestly character or cognisance Ergo then must they needes be Lay people Now thirdly we pray thus in the Pater noster Giue vs this day our daily bread and we do not speake of anie wine wherfore then should the Lay people desire to drinke wine in the Communion And although the priests theÌ„selues sing the same wordes in their Masse yet notwithstanding are not content with drie bread that cannot serue the turne For the prrests must needes haue some prerogatiue because they are the beloued children of our mother the holy Church Fourthly â—uke in the Acts of the Apostles writeth That those which beleeued continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer which streight-way after he setteth out more amplie saying And sold their possessions goods and parted them to al men as euery man had neede And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple brake bread in euerie house and did eate their meate together with gladnes and singlenes of heart praysing God. Out of this doth our deare mother the holie Church coÌ„clude That the cup ought not to be ministred vnto the Lay people in the Supper of the Lorde because that here is no mention made of wine but onely of bread For although in manie other places of holy scripture all kindes of meates and drinkes are vnderstoode vnder the name of bread and eating yet that can not take place here considering that our deare mother the holy Church hath otherwise interpreted the same And Paul hath directly written That all men should esteeme the Apostles and Preachers as Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secretes of God. For out of this doth our dere mother the holie Church teach That the Priests are to be resembled to God and are mediators betweene God and the people and so by this meanes may freely chaunge or alter the Sacraments as they shall thinke good Is not this a subtile and double dealing with the Scripture Wherefore then doe these Heretikes say That we haue no scriptures wherewith to defend this our doing whereas we bring in sacks ful of Scripture as all men may see And then touching that they will beate vs with our owne rodde saying That the Church her selfe hath alwayes done otherwise as may appeare out of the ancient fathers Councels and Canons we care not a point for that we hang that on the hatch For all that is past and gone the worlde is now in another state than it was then For in those dayes they were for the most part all readie to shedde their bloud for the
christian beliefe And for that cause did they drinke the bloud of Christ as the Catholike Doctours haue written according to the doctrine of Cyprianus saying how can they shed their owne bloud for Christes sake if they doe not drinke of Christs bloud But now there is no more tidings of those matters for the holy church of Rome wil not lose one drop of her bloud considering that she hath ynough to do for the defence of the holy Catholike faith to shed the bloud of the Lutherans and Caluinists like water in the streetes And therefore it is not any more needful that the Lay people should drinke the bloud of Christ out of the Chalice vnder the substance of wine They can digest it well inough rawe as it was shed out of the bodie of Christ Iesus yet for all that the priests haue this aduantage that they may drinke the bloud of Christ both waies And yet is not the bloud of Christ in the Sacrament taken quite away from the Lay people For when they do eate the whole body with flesh bones it is certeine that they gette in the bloud wall For the before named Bonauentura doth make mention of a certein miracle of one which would not beleue that there was any bloud in the holy Ost or singing bread vsed in the holie Masse and sodeinly there came bloud ruÌ„ning out And likewise Alexander de Ales doth declare that vpoÌ„ a time when the people would haue receiued the Sacrament vnder both kindes there was sodenlie before them a platter full of bloud whereof the good deuoute people being meruellously abashed were glad to content them selues with the one And that the bloud vndoubtedlie is with the bodie we haue here before by manie other miracles declared sufficientlie proued Therefore haue the Laie people no occasion to complaine as though the bloud of Christ were denied them for euen the Priestes them selues are contented with one kinde on the good Fridaie next after the shire Thursday when they haue had their sops in good Bastard or Romnay For then the next day being good Friday they sing a drie Masse and keepe a Mouses banket as well as the Laie people doe at Easter Before time likewise in the Iewish church the Laie people had no parte of the drinke offerings but the Priestes onelie For although that Chrysostome saith touching this matter that this is now changed and that in this Sacrament the Laie people must enioye the like meate and drinke as the Priestes doe so as nowe the one hath no more aduantage than the other as they had in the olde Lawe yet can not the saying of Chrysostome anie thing serue in this place For against Chrysostome wil we set Brother Barnard of Luxenburgh professour in Theologie and Iohn Eckius with all other good Catholike writers of our time who haue otherwise written and determined of this matter And as touching that which the Huguenotes do alledge out of Paule yea out of Iesus Christ him selfe saying That Paule did command all christen people to do according as Christ had ordeined and as Christ had saide Drinke all of this We do answere to that That this was onelie a simple permission and not a speciall commandement as he saith in another place Destroie this temple and I will builde it vp againe within three dayes for that is no commaundement but onely a permission as if he said If it be so in deede that you will destroie this temple of my bodie I will not forbidde you but I will builde him vp againe c. In like manner doeth our mother the hâ—lie Church saie that these woordes Drinke you all of this And As often as you drinke this you shall declare the death of the Lord Those wordes are thus to be vnderstoode as though he had said I doe not will you Laie people to doe so but the Priestes onelie notwithstanding if you will doe it and that the Priestes are contented withall I will not then bee against it Thus you see the game is won Nowe let vs to an other matter tending to the like ende The vii Chapter VVhich doeth treate of full satisfaction for sinnes of the desertes of good workes also of the merites of Christes passion and of Iustification of the difference betweene mortall sinnes and veniall sinnes and of the assured hope of saluation NOwe seeing that wee haue sufficientlie spoken of the holie Masse and the Sacrament of the altar and that our mother the holie Church of Rome doeth moreouer teache and set foorth for an article of the faith That wee by desert hearing a Masse and receiuing the Sacrament may make full amendes for our offences and sufficientlie satisfie for our sinnes therefore it is now verie necessarie that we something treate of satisfaction for sinnes and of deseruing by good works the rather because the Heretikes do with their scriptures so trouble vs touching this point as they turne both the spit and the rost meat into the ashes in so much that wee shall loose both the sheepe and the fleece if wee suffer this to be so plucked from vs And therefore it is necessarie to put all good Catholike children in remembrance that in no wise they doe giue anie eare to the Heretikes touching this point for feare lest therby they should be brought out of the right way and so by receiuing their goodlie reasons multitude of scriptures be persuaded from their due obedience to the holie Church of Rome And to the ende that euerie man should be warned and not by negligence sodenlie taken in a trappe therefore shall I set out something more at large their meaning touching this point to the ende that euery one may see whether our deare mother the holie Church haue not iust occasion so bitterlie to curse and banish their doctrine Then to beginne withall they do take vpon them to defende and mainteine by Scripture That all sinnes are deadlie mortall because that sinne is the breaking of Gods commaundements as S. Iohn saith And That who soeuer doeth not obserue all whatsoeuer God hath commaunded in his Lawe is accursed For S. Iames doeth witnesse That who soeuer transgresseth in one point of the Lawe is guiltie in the whole considering that the same God which câ—mmaunded the one did also commaunde the other In so much that all those which commit sinne are through sinne alienated and estranged from the life which is onelie to bee had at the hand of God and so must fall into the hand of heath seeing that The recoÌ„pense of sinne is death according to the saying of S. Paule whereby all men without anie exception which are vnder sinne are likewise vnder the bondage of eternall malediction death and damnation considering that all haue sinned are fallen away from that life which is of God into his wrath and do thereby become if the speciall mercie of God were not
will accept allowe of that booke as no doubt hee must considering that his liefetenants the holie Popes are the makers of it then all is cocke sure on our side the Catholiks must into heauen though they shuld go barefoote bare leg It helpeth to prate pratle the heauen is theirs if they can gette into it by meanes of obseruing their Lent well Nowe further for fasting wee find written also That Christ did fast fourtie dayes in the wildernesse Ergo then wee must do the like following the common rule Omnis Christi actio nostra est instructio that is after the meaning of our mother the holie Church all whatsoeuer Christ hath done we must counterfeite and do the like after him For notwithstanding that this was a miracle done for the establishing of his doctrine as Moses and Elias had done before which in deede we can not do after him yet we must doe what we can and so resemble Apes Munkies which though they can not doe as men do in speaking and vnderstanding with reason yet they will counterfeite men in anie thing that possiblie they can compasse For so hath our deare mother the holie Church concluded not onelie in this matter but in all whatsoeuer Christ hath done For as he did take spicle and rubbe the blinde mans eyes withall and said in the Syrian tongue Epphatah that is to say Be open euen so doe the Priestes rubbe the yong childrens nosâ—â—â—ares with spicle and say Epphatah likewise although the eares and nostrels be open alreadie before And as hee came riding into Hierusalem vpon an Asse so must the Cardinals likewise ride vpon Mules with their foot-clothes of red scarlet euen downe to the groundeâ— and so must men likewise vppon Palme Sunday drawe a woodden Asse round about with the Pharisees Priests following And as Christ did washe the feete of his Apostles so doeth the Pope vppon maunday Thursday washe the feete of certeine poore men and Abbattes wash their Monkes feete with great ceremonies and pronkings And as Christ did weare a crowne of thorne so likewise doeth the Pope weare vpon his head a three double crowne of golde brauelie set with pearles and pretious stones ouer and besides other two fâ—ll of Rubies and Diamonds which are alwayes carried before him when as hee is borne about in his Pontificalibus vppon mens shoulders like a woodden image or Saint Item as Christ was loden with cariage of his crosse so must the Pope likewise weare vpon his coape or mantle a crosse of pure golde set full of pearles and pretious stones And as Christ did shedde his bloud so nowe in figure thereof must the Cardinals weare bloud redde scarlet mantles or cloakes and hattes For whereas these Heretikes will say that their garmentes looke so bloude red by reason of the bloud of the Martyrs which they haue shed or else that their clothes are red for shame of the shamefull deedes which their maisters doe all this can not bee true seeing that Durandus Innocentius and all other Catholike men doe otherwise interprete it Item like as Christ was betraied and solde for certeine round pieces of siluer so must the Osâ—e or cake wherewith they say Masse be round like a pennie as Durandus doeth set it foorth and the rather for that they doe there likewise sell him for readie monie as is written in the booke called Stella Clericorum That those Priestes which say Masse for monie doe euen as much as though they should say with Iudas What will you giue me to deliuer you the man Item because that Herod did clothe Christ in a white garment therefore must the Priests weare a long white garment like a shirt vpon their coates or gownes at such time as they must play their partes in the Masse And then because the Iewes did afterwardes cloth him with purple therefore they put on the cope aloft vppon that white cloth And because he was bound therefore doe they weare the stoale about their neckes maniples about their armes girde their surplesse to them with a girdle And further because he was nailed vpon the crosse with his armes stretcht abroad therefore do they likewise stretch out their armes abroade in the Masse as though they would be crucified And because hee was wounde in a fine white cloth when he was buried therefore doe they lay their litle god vppon a white cloth fast by the chalice And because the souldiers did cut Christ his garments in pieces and so dealt them amongst them for a prey therfore it is that the Priestes do vpon good Friday couer their altar with one single cloth then laie two other small clothes or napkins at the endes of the altar and as soone as they begin to sing these wordes Partiti sunt vestimenta mea They diuided my garments amongst them so must likewise those two clothes or napkins by and by be stollen pluckt away from the altar And because Christ after his resurrection did breath vpon his Disciples and gaue vnto them the holie Ghost Therefore it is that the Bishops and Suffraganes at such time as they doe create anie Priest doe blowe vpon them for with that same winde are the Priestes filled as full of the holie Ghost as a Cowe turde is stuffed full of muske and ambers grease In summe Christ hath not done anie thing in his death and passion but they do plaie and counterfeite the same after him so trimlie and liuelie that no plaier nor iuggler is able to do it better Yea do we not see likewise that vppon good Friday they haue a Crucifixe either of wood or of stone which they laie downe softlie vpon the ground that euerie bodie may coÌ„me creeping to it vpon handes and knees so kisse the feete of it as men are accustomed to doe to the Pope of Rome And then they put him in a graue tâ—ll Easter at which time they take him vppe againe and sing Resurrexit non est hic Alleluia He is risen he is not here God be thanked Yea and in some places they make the graue in a hie place in the church where men must goe vp manie steppes which are decked with blacke cloth from aboue to beneath and vpon euerie steppe standeth a siluer candlesticke with a waxe candle burning in it and there doe walke souldiours in harnesse as bright as Saint George which keepe the graue till the Priests come take him vp and then commeth sodenlie a flash of fire wherwith they are all afraid and fall downe and then vpstartes the man and they begin to sing Alleluia on all handes and then the clocke striketh eleuen Then againe vpon Whitsunday they begin to play a new Enterlude for then they send downe a Doue out of an Owles nest deuised in the roofe of the church but first they cast out rosin and gunpouder with wilde fire to make the children afraide
in his hand and whipped thē vpon the bare buttockes till they had thereby done sufficient penance By the same token that hee is yet at this houre called Brother Cornelis the whipper and is verie well beloued in the towne of Brudgesse where the women are verie deuoute to do such penance Consider now if that auricular confessiō had bene pulled downe howe could he haue brought those good women to such a deuout mortification and penaunce Howe shoulde our deare mother the holie Church bring into the right path that goodlie and friendly congregation of women whiche Pope Clement did commaunde if it were not by that holie auriculer confession So that truely Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople was muche to blame for disanulling auriculer confession onelie because there was a Deacon or a Priest whiche had shreeuen a woman vnder her smocke Was not that a straunge matter of the Bishoppe Surely he must needes haue bene either a Lutherian or a Huguenote seing he had no more regarde too the ordinaunces of his deare mother the holie Church But I assure you it goeth now to worke after an other manner what woulde that Bishoppe haue done if he had seene brother Cornelis the whipper and such other good felowes Surely he would haue driuen auriculer confession with all that baggadge to the gallowes Seing he was so earnestly moued for such a smell matter But we will let him alone with a morren And although Chrisostome was of the same opinion and did directly withstande auriculer confession yet notwithstanding we haue nothing to do therwithal we will sticke to and keepe fast our auricular confession yea and though all the Doctours of the Churche shoulde runne madde For when all is saide it were almost as good that the Masse should be put downe and buried for euer as that there shoulde be no auricular confession Our deare mother the holie Church will take heede to that she wil not put downe nor suffer to be ouerthrowen such a trimme and necessarie thing as that is to please these Heretikes especially seeing she can defende it by holy Scripture aswell as any article before specified as you may clearly see out of the doctrine of Maister Gentianus Haruet Is it not written saith he Whose sinnes soeuer you doe forgeue the same shall be forgeuen Now they cannot forgeue without hauing knowledge first of the matter and the matter cannot come to anie knowledge but by confession made either openly or in secrete And therefore without doubt sayth he auricular or secrete confession is muche more comly and honest than open cōfession Consider well of this matter gentle Reader here the matter is so cleare that a blinde man may see it aswell in the darke as without a candle For notwithstanding that Christ speakes there of ministring preaching the gospel whereby the forgiuenesse of sins is pronounced vnto all those that beleeue as he himselfe doth expounde it saying That Paule shall open the eyes of the blinde to the end they may turne from the darkenesse to the light and from the power of the diuel vnto God so that they may obteine forgiuenesse of their sinnes and so bee partakers with them whiche are by beliefe in Iesus Christ made holie Whervpon Paule plainely sayeth That he hath folowed this commaundement not by confessing of women secretly in their eares but by preaching and setting foorth of the Gospell and the forgiuenesse of sinnes And whereas Chrysostome and all the olde Fathers haue so vnderstoode and set it foorth yet notwithstanding since that the holie Churche hath vnburthened all Bishops Priestes Ministers and Officers of the Church of their charge of preaching and haue geuen the same to images and Sainctes made of stockes and stones to be bookes and preachers to the Laie people The time and matter is much altered And the priestes beginne to finde a good taste in this auriculer confession They haue blowen this forgeuing of sinnes in at the eares They geue thee absolution with a Crosse alledging and setting foorth the woordes of Christ for proofe thereof So that it is not to be merueiled at that our Maister Gentian doeth so glorie of this Text and will with that plainly prooue auriculer confession Notwithstanding that the holie Churche hath many other cleare Textes of the Scripture whereby to proue and establish the same As for example whereas Christ sayde to the Lepre after that he had made him whole Goe and shewe thy selfe to the Priest and offer thine offering according as Moises hath commaunded For that is onely thus to be vnderstood Goe hence and shriue thy selfe vnto thine owne Ghostly Father and doe such penance as he shall enioyne you And the like where Saint Iames saith Confesse your sinnes one to an other By that did Iames meane nothing else but onely seeke you out a Priest or a Frier to whom you may open your minde and declare vnto him perticulerly al your euil deedes and he will quickly geue you absolution especially if you let him see a peece of golde For by interpretation of our deare mother the holy Churche One to an other is as muche to say as the Priestes and Friers onely And therefore where Sainte Iames following right in the same place saith And pray one for an other we may very well vnderstand that thus as though he would say Pray onelie for Friers and Priestes that the world may be cleane cleansed of them and Purgatorie filled with them The .2 Chapter Treating of the Sacrament of seuen orders of matrimonie of the holie oyle or oyntment and of the number of the .vii ▪ Sacramentes AFter this commes Maister Gentianus to the rest of the Sacramentes and sayeth thus As touching the seuen orders is there not a playne Texte in Saint Paule where hee sayeth Doe not neglect that which is in thee whiche is geuen thee by prophesie and laying on of handes of the Priesthood for that is asmuch to say as Take good heede and see that you doe not take vppon you to be masse Priestes before you haue bene Porter Candle bearer Chorister or Acoluthus Subdeacon and Deacon for all these must goe before if you wil haue the other to followe as we haue heretofore declared by scriptures Then he doth further declare that matrimonie is a sacrament bicause there is written This is a greate mysterie I say in Christ Iesus and the congregation But I could be very well content that gentle Gentianus had helde his tongue there and neuer haue written so It is verye true that our deare mother the holie church hath bene accustomed heretofore to bring in the same for a testimonie or witnesse before that the common sorte had read or were acquainted with the scriptures but now the time doth not serue any longer to geue men brickbattes for turfes or to make them beleeue that the Moone is made of greene Cheese for euerie one will pretend now
burne them before they shoulde bee borne or brought foorth into the worlde which he doeth affirme with a plaine texte which he hath read in the kitchen bible or else hath learned of his Cooke namely that of Egges fride in a frying panne come no ill chickens I omitte the goodly Sermons of dronken Nicholas the Bishoppe of Harlem and many famous sermons more of sundrie worthie champions which doe ring their larum belles with suche vehemencie against Heretikes that when they are in their pulpites their hearse and rustie throtes will scarse bee refreshed and cleared againe with foure or fiue pottles of wine Yet can I not forget nor let slippe out of memorie that pretious Sermon of the reuerend Bishop of Vtrecht which he made when the Prouinciall councell was holden there whiche is about three yeeres past For in the same he declared and pronounced it out at large of the Dutche Beare Luther and that his mother was a whore and had slepte by the Diuell with many suche like Caunterburie tales and forged fables whiche he had rakte together out of Cochles or brother Laurence Surius who were godly Catholike pedlers And verelie suche trustie speares as Laurence Surius and Cochleus haue well deserued a good peece of rosted beefe hotte from the spitte considering that with their notable and excellent briefe histories they haue furnished and well armed the Bishoppes Monkes and priestes with suche stuffe as will serue their turnes to occupie their Pulpittes with all So as their stories may well and aptly bee called Dormi secure that is to say Sleepe without care So that the Monkes and Parishe Priestes neede not studie in their Bibles for to make a sermon so long as they are prouided of suche bookes For therein they finde made readie to their handes matter enoughe to prate vppon yea if it were naught else but the pretie pageant whiche the foresaid Laurence Surius doth rehearse of Caluin To wit That Caluin shoulde seeke to confirme his doctrine with miracles and therefore shoulde persuade a man to suffer himselfe to bee borne in a coffin to Church And when Caluin called to him before the multitude that if his doctrine were true he should arise the man being smothered in the cheste was founde starke deade his wife beginning pitifully to lament Caluin did with faire speache and promises of recompence perswade her to bee still and presently gotte him into the Pulpitte declaring to the people that it was long of their vnbeliefe that this miracle woulde not fadge It is a common saying that To him which telles a lie or a fable it behoues him to haue a good memorie But this was out of this good Historiographers heade for so muche as he did not call to minde that they are not accustomed at Geneua to bring deade ▪ corses into the Churches ▪ and muche lesse in time of any Sermons besides he had forgotten that Caluine did alwaies teach it to be an vngodly and a diuelishe acte to goe about to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell a new with miracles which hath alreadie in times past beene sufficiently confirmed with most notable and wonderfull miracles of god But the good Catholike is to bee pardoned for that with eating too muche fishe his braines are weakened and his memorie thereby decayed Yet he declares more which sounde a great deale better As touching the miracles of Luther of the bloud which issued out of the Sacrament from the altar in the countrie of Brandenburge whiche it may bee he hath learned of Aloysius Lippomano who hath likewise written a great booke full of such iestes And many more suche lies and toyes with a witnesse which serue greatly for the vse of Priests and Monkes in time of their sermons preachmentes And chiefely these newe base Countrie Bishoppes whiche for the most part haue spent their time in studie betwixte the butterie and the kitchen and can saie but litle except they be prickt forwardes with some helpes like as may appeare by the worthie sermon of the reuerend Bishop Franciscus Sonnius the father of all the newe Bishops which he made at his first entrie to a citie called Hertoghenbosch saying That the citizens might reioyce for so much as they had gotten him to be their Bishop for that henceforwards quoth hee you shall haue great resort of manie strangers which afore times were wont to haue their trade to Luyke and Vtrecht and the one should eate a herring the other should drinke a potte of beare which would be a great helpe to their impost c. Was not this a good helpe to sing Gaudeamus In like manner also Curtius at Bridges which notwithstanding had bene Pastour or Curate of the great and chiefe church at Louen expounding that parte of the Gospell Ego sum nolite timere I am hee be not afraid said That he was the man of whom so much had bene spoken and that they should not stande in feare of ought considering he was a towns man borne and christened in the same font In fine it was which way to London A pooke full of plummes The good Curate had but litle to say for hee knewe no tales of Robin Hoode nor yet of Caluin nor the Dutch Beare his miracles Hee had not red ouer the pleasaunt histories of Laurence Surius Cochles nor Lippomanus Therefore are they highlie to bee commended which can furnish out their matter with such pleasaunt rehearsals to keepe the audientes waking as for the Byble or Gospell they haue not forgotten much because they feare to read it least thereby they should become Heretikes To conclude so farre foorth as lies and fables doe serue to the aduancement of the holie Church of Rome they are not onelie to bee borne withall but also greatlie extolled And therefore it is no maruell that Maister Gentianus durst thus boldlie affirme by writing That the Huguenotes and Lutherans did hate and detest all prayers fasting and abstinence This is than the first point which is to be cōsidered hereof for his discharge to wit That he hath in this behalfe behaued him selfe as a good and faithful Catholike The ii Chapter VVherein is declared Howe it is to be vnderstood that the Huguenotes the Lutherans do hate all prayers fasting abstinence and penaunce or mortification and herein is comprehended of the abstinence and mortification of Monkes Bishops Prelates and other and of the mortification which is vsed amongst the Huguenotes Lutherans THe other part is that hee hath great reason to say the Heretikes are mortall foes to prayer fasting mortification For there is a rule in lawe That to plead a case ill and otherwise then it ought to be or to neglect the same wholie doeth fall out to one effect Well then albeit the Heretikes doe often pray fast for so much as they doe it not as they ought it serues them to no purpose It is true they pray morning euening would be loth to go to