to abridge them of their wil and to resist their tyrannicall oppressions then they laboured practised by all meanes to hamper them also in so much that certaine it is that Gregorie the 7. excommunicated Henry the 4. or as some write 3. about the year 1078. gaue his empire to Rodolph who missing of it being slain the Emperour yet to be recoÌ„ciled with the Pope waited 3. daies 3. nights in the winter with his wife and child at the gates of Canossus and within the suburbes thereof barefoote barelegged before he could come to the speech of the Pope when he had obteined that then he was faine to kisse his foote and to yeelde vp his crowne into his hands to take it againe vpon such conditions as it pleased him to prescribe and yet his successour Pascalis raged against the same Emperour againe set vp his owne naturall sonne Henry to depriue his father of his Empire Who when he had got it yet he was in the ende accursed and excommunicated by that Romish see as his father had beene and not preuailing sufficiently that way the Saxons at last were set vp to warre against him and depose him And thus they hauing hampered these two HeÌ„ries vnto Frederick Barbarossa came which was about the yeare 1155. they did what they listed who beganne somewhat againe to abridge them of their vsurped supremacy and so did his sons sonne Frederick the 2. but in the ende Alexander the third brought the necke of the first vnder his feete in S. Marks church in Venice and Pope Adrian controlde him from holding his wrong stirrop excommunicated him for being so saucy as to set his name in writing before his and the other was miserably vexed by Honorius the 3. Gregory the 9. and Innocent the 4. For the first of these interdicted him the second excommunicated him twise raised the Venetians against him and the third did in the end spoile him of his Empire caused him to be poisoned and at length strangled by one MaÌ„fredus Innocent the 3. in the minority of Frederick the second and before he was chosen Emperour dealt in like sort with Philip and Otho the 4. placing them and displacing them at his pleasure Frederick the seconds sonne called Conrade and the next of his line also called Conradine were amongst theÌ„ miserably abused for the first of them was soone dispatched they stirring vp against him the LaÌ„tgraue of Turing who droue him into his kingdome of Naples where he died of poisoÌ„ giueÌ„ him as some write the other claiming but the kingdome of Naples after his death the matter was so handled they stirring vp Charles the French Kinges brother against him that both he Frederick Duke of Austria were takeÌ„ imprisoned in the end beheaded HeÌ„ry the 6. Frederick the firsts son Pope Celestine the 3. crowned at Rome but in such sort that with his foote he put the croune vpon his head therewith he spurned it of againe And the like that happened to Frederick had almost befalleÌ„ Philip the FreÌ„ch king by Pope Boniface the 8. who because he could not haue whatsoeuer commodities he demaunded out of France by his bull denouÌ„ced sentence of deposition against the saied King Philip and gaue the title thereof to one Albertus king of the Romans â—â—t for all the roaring of that bull Philip kept his place still AlexaÌ„der the 3. that trode vpon Frederick the firsts necke at Venice euen here in England so farre abused King Henry the 2. about Thomas Beckets death that he caused him to go for penaunce barefoote in winter with bleeding feete to his tombe And Innocent the third caused King Iohn his sonne after that 7. yeares he had resisted their supremacy tyranny by the meanes of his excommunicatioÌ„s indicements of his land and encouraging of his subiects against him to surrender his croune to the hands of his Legat Pandelphus and so he continued fiue daies before hee receiued it againe and then was glad to take it in farme of him for a rent by indenture Infinit be the villanies that haue bene offered done by that see to Emperours and Kings For did not Gregory the 7. to the great iniury of the Empire set vp Robert Wisard and made him King of Sicilia and Duke of Capua Did not Pope Vrbane the second put downe Hugo an Earle in Italy discharging his subiects from their oath and obedience vnto him Did not Pope Clement the fift most despitefully cause Franciscus Dandalus the VenetiaÌ„ embassadour suing but for absolution of Venice from the Popes curse to lie a long time first tied by the neck in a chaine vnder his table like a dogge before he would harken to his request Furthermore Gelasius the second brought the noble captaine Cintius so vnder that he was glad lying prostrate before him to kisse his feete and by the yeare 1237 the Pope Gregorie the 9. had so cursed king Henry the 3 king here of EnglaÌ„d that he was glad to currie fauour with him to receiue a Legat of his called Cardinal Otho meeting him at the sea side that in most lowly maner bowing downe his head in low curtesie towards his knees And though he yeelded wonderfull submission to the next Pope Innocent the 4. yet he tooke of one Dauid Prince of Northwales 500. marks by the yeare to set him against the King of England exempted him his welshmen from their fealty which they had sworne vnto him before Most intolerable were the exactioÌ„s coÌ„modities that one way other the Popes for theÌ„selues their frends had out of EnglaÌ„d in Henry the 2. king Iohns HeÌ„ry the thirds time they exceeded ofteÌ„ as it appeareth in the stories the ancieÌ„t reuenues of the crowne wonderfully empouerished the land yet wheÌ„ these kings though in neuer so huÌ„ble maner at any time neuer so litle sought to stay these pillages oppressioÌ„s of the laÌ„d the Popes raged most extreamly against theÌ„ did theÌ„ what despite they could vntill they had their will Yea so intolerable hath beene their pride insoleÌ„cy against kings Emperors that they haue brought theÌ„ to lead their horses by the bridle to waite on theÌ„ on foot like lackies they riding like high mighty princes ouer theÌ„ they haue made theÌ„ faine to please theÌ„ withal to hold theÌ„ water to serue at their table And though their power bee not as it hath beene yet 〈◊〉 â—lice and will to trample Princes vnder their feete is as 〈◊〉 as euer it was and therefore not onely haue Pius 5. and Gregory the 13. by their cursed buls roared against our gratious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth that now is thereby labouring her deposition but also both secretely and openly a number of waies they and their fauourits haue gone about both by opeÌ„ hostility and priuy conspiracies to bring that their wicked purpose to passe yea though it were by the shedding of her innocent
insomuch that I dare bee bolde to say it is as much to the good of this Church and common wealth as if an other such Vniuersity as one of these had beene now founded built and endued as richly as either of these now is And though our Cleargy men now be not able to builde so many Colledges as yours were yet those things that they doe that way though they match not yours in quantity they yet may ouermatch yours quickely in quality For you know in the Gospell the widowes two mites which she threw into the treasury for the poore of the little that shee had wel gotten was in Christs account a greater almes then theirs which threw in farre greater summes of their superfluities Marke 12. And well knowen it is that the richest and greatest of ours are for their places but beggers to them that haue beene of like or the same place amongst you whereof the reason is not onely that they lacke a number of deuises that yours had to encrease their gaine but also that they haue not your Romish consciences which with your Popes dispensation could make them wide enough to swallow vp the commodities not onely of as many benefices but also Bishopricks and other offices ciuill or ecclesiasticall as they could possibly get Whereof it came that of their very superfluities vnlesse they had beene prouder then Lucifer and more wastfull in belly cheare then euer was the rich glutton some thing might well be spared and of a number of them so much as might haue procured the building of many moe then they left behinde them Hospitals and Colledges though you would so insinuate we haue pulled downe none but haue increased the number of them And as for your Abbies other â—loisters of religious houses you had for the inriching and building of them vnder pretence of your requiting of them with your Masses Dirges and trentals deuoured so many widowes houses robbed so many heires and fatherlesse children spoiled so many Parishes of the ordinary maintenance for their ministers and since the liuers in them were growen to such height of sinnes not to be named as that in the iust iudgement of God there could no lesse punishment come vpon them then the vtter defacing and ouerthrowing of them lest if they had beene left easie to haue beene set in their former state againe they should too easily and too quicklie haue beene shoppes and sties for the like filthinesses and abhominations againe And yet here with vs in EnglaÌ„d Cardinall Woolsey by the Popes authority pulled downe the first and to the suppression of the rest many of your bishops and Cleargy vnder king Henry consented and in diuers other places they haue beene also by lawfull and sufficient authority orderly for these causes defaced and doubtles though not turned to so good vses as they might perhaps haue beene if the wrath of God against them for the foresaied causes woulde haue suffered it yet I am fully perswaded to a better vse by farre yea infinite degrees then they were before And therefore these things considered this rather may be counted a good worke in vs thus to haue defaced them and conuerted their vse then a fault whereof wee need repent vs And consequently vaine is your charging of vs with seeking to make amends with giuing a trifle to the poore This is a fault that rather toucheth your kingdome then vs for wee account all almes and other outward good workes whatsoeuer to be vnprofitable to the doer vnlesse they be done with goods gotten with a good conscience which wil ouerthrow most of the glory of the gay works that you most brag of you are they that care not so your Church be inriched if it be with the farming of concubines dispensation for any sin with the rentes yearly for the open stewes that with the which they get by whoring during their liues so you haue it when they die For ther was nothing more coÌ„moÌ„ theÌ„ for your priests to farme coÌ„cubines though they might not be suffred to haue lawful wiues experieÌ„ce hath taught that there was no sin but ther might be marchaÌ„dise made of it in your romish court faire the your Popes a long time haue takeÌ„ rent for the stewes in Rome that yearely a good round summe that they haue bene glad to take the goods of those harlots when they died for their Churches vse it is most notoriouslie knowen And what hath beene more vsuall both in practise and doctrine with you then to teach much satisfaction for sinne and redemption of former faultes to bee performed by almes giuing especially so it were to your Priestes and Clergy men neuer caring so you might come by it of their goods aliue or dead whether euer it was well gotten or no For in trueth this hath beene the policy that hath brought your Clergy to so infinite wealth as they were of and made all other but beggers in comparison of themselues Therefore now let them that haue any iudgement as you wish looke vpon the fruite of your trees whether they bee so good or no as you here make bragges of The XXXV Chapter NOw seeing that you haue visited our garden if a man maie bee so bold I pray lend vs the keies that we may in like maner visite yours that we may see the fruits of your religion Read al the histories writeÌ„ froÌ„ the passion of Christ to our daies you shal find that al those sects that haue left our Roman Church haue done more mischiefe in one yeare a Your Romish Church that now iâ— is as farre gone from the ancient pure Roman Church as euer any heretiques went froÌ„ it and of you especially your saying is tâ—ue being seperated from the saied Church then they did in an huÌ„dred years before But because our meaning is not to recite all the acts of your predecessors enemies to the Catholique Church it shall suffise to make a short discourse of those that haue bene of late daies I meane the Bohemians or Hussites whose followers you doe affirme your selues to be for in your godly booke of Martyrs b This is vntrue as euery one that wil view the â—ct and monumeÌ„ts of the Church writen by master Fox may see you haue placed Iohn Hus as the first Martyr of your ancieÌ„t Church who was burnt for an heretique about an 120. years agone eueÌ„ as we accoÌ„pt c Your religion and Stephens agree â—o wel that if hee were aliue again you would be as ready as euer were the Iewes to stone him whatsoeuer you say of him now he being deade S. StepheÌ„ to be the first Martyr of our Church Now to know whither yeâ—e of the opinioÌ„ of the Hussites or no that I leaue for some other time and for this present I am content to condescende to that that you haue writen I meane that Iohn Hus did preach your Gospell and made a number of such faithfull persons
speaking of Gregory the seuenth commonly called Hildebrand and his proceedings against the Emperour Henry not only to excommunicate him but also to depose him â—ith Lego relego Romanorum regum Imperatorum gesta c. â—read and read againe the acts of the Romane kings and Emperours and yet before this I finde none of them of the Romane â—ishop excommunicated or depriued of his kingdome But 〈◊〉 we read Sigebert Abbas Vrspergensis H. Mutius and others vve shall finde that the same Bishop for this his Antichristiâ—n pride and other faultes that hee had vvas not onely wonderfully vvithstoode and oppugned by that Emperour but â—y councels also then held at Brixia Mentz and Wormes â—harpely rebuked condemned and desposed And though hee hauing thus begunne to encroch vpon the Emperour many of his successours follovved him in his very steps yet we read also in Cronicles that Henrie the fifte Fredericke the first and Fredericke the second Emperours Philip the faire and Carolus Caluus of Fraunce Henry the first and second Richard the second and king Iohn of England with sundry other Emperours and kings did notably and openly resist them therein and that they had alvvaies many learned fathers and Bishops to take their partes But to leaue this matter and to go on to others because the author of this preface and brag that I novv am in aunswering in his brag maketh speciall mention as you haue heard of their order of ceremonies and manner of praying and fasting bosting that for these they haue the holy fathers the consent of all christian nations and prescription of long continuance yea for the tvvo last the very scriptures let vs first see if wee can finde out the originall and vvithall the iust reproofe and condemnation of these First for their ceremonies none that hath but redde Platina or any other story of the liues of their popes but he hath red when how and by whom they were deuised for there is few of them for many hundred yeares together that thought as it should seeme by the vvriters of their liues that they had worthily sate in that place vnles they had deuised some newe rite and ceremony more then was before But if one goe no further then to Polidor de inventoribus rerum there shall hee finde when and by whom they had their originall whereby also it shal appeare that for many of theÌ„ they are of so late devising they cannot pretend either the testimony of ancient fathers or prescriptioÌ„ of any long time for very few of them whatsoeuer he bragges can they truly alleadge consent of all Christian regions for as they haue most of them beene deuised here in these parts of the worlde by bishops of Rome so few of them in comparison haue beene 〈◊〉 yet be receaued in the other parts of Christianity that were vnder the other Patriarches of ConstaÌ„tinople Alexandria Antioch yea euen here in these parts all their rites ceremonies were neuer yet vniuersally receaued of euery cuntry alike no nor yet of euery part of any one cuntry But they being in number so many in nature a number of them so childish and foolish yet hauing beene vrged as they haue to be vsed with such opinion and holines S. Pauls reprehension of those that were in his time so busy with the Colossians in vrging theÌ„ to keepe their ordinances the keeping whereof lay in touch not tast not handle not Coloss 2. is both a bewraying when such like ceremonies as these that he brags of first began and also a iust and a full condemnation of them Read also S. Augustines 119 epistle ad Ianuarium and you shall finde there how earnestly he hath enueied against the multiplying and bringing in so vrging of such vnnecessary rites and ceremonies shewing how few the simplicity of the gospel is contented withal And yet as it is wel known he liued 1000 years ago and that since his time there are 1000. newrites ceremonies deuised in the Romish church that he neuer had heard of yet theÌ„ he complained that there were so many and they so seruilely were vrged that the Iewes state was in that respect far more tolerable what would he haue said then if he had liued in these daies and had seene the curious infinite and foolish rites and ceremonies but of one popish priest formally doing his masse Indeed fasting is a thing and so is prayer that hath countenance of scriptures fathers Christian regions and of all ages and times but so hath not either the popish fasting or praying For their fasting is tyed superstitiously to set daies and also lyeth especially in abstinence from one meat rather then from an other their end therein being not onely to chastise the body that it may be brought the more readily feruently to obey the holy direction of the spirit as the word of God teacheth onely it should but euen thereby to satisfie either for some sin past or to earne or deserue somewhat at the hands of God Such fasting as this was that of the hypocritical pharisies wherof Christ warm â—s disciples Mat. 6.16 the first fathers teachers hereof are â—hose spirits of errour that S. Paul speakes of 1. Tim. 4. and so you â—ay there see both who first in the church of Christ found out â—ractised your kind of fasting who by by spied it condeÌ„â—ed it for hypocritical the doctrine of deuils But if you would â—aue vs to search further we tel you that after Christ his Apoâ—tles times Eusebius reports in his 5 booke 16 chapter out of Aâ—olonius that Montanus the heretique prescribed lawes of fasting he is the first that we read of that tyed fasting by law to preâ—cript daies times which is there reckoned vp by that Apolonius â—s one of his heretical deuises This Montanus was about they eare of the Lord 145. And it appears in Augustines 2. booke 13. cha of the manners of the church of the Manichees that it was the fashioÌ„ theÌ„ of those heretiques to thinke vpon their fasting daies that they fasted excelleÌ„tly though otherwise they had neuer so daintyâ—e so they abstained from flesh wine for the which Augustine doth deride theÌ„ And coÌ„sequently herein Apolonius Augustine haue shewed their dislike of that popish fasting If yet â—t should be replied as it is by some of their side that their fasting is not altogither like the condemned abstinence of these ancient heretiques others for that they abstained froÌ„ flesh vpon an opinion that flesh was an impurer creature then fish how will they theÌ„ excuse Durand li. 6. ca. de ieiunijs who giueth this as a reason of their abstinence vpon fasting daies rather from flesh then from fish because al flesh was accursed in the daies of Noe not all fish Now touching their maÌ„ner of praying for al his brag neither fathers consent of all Christian regions prescription of any long continuaÌ„ce of time
nor scriptures giue it any credit or couÌ„tenaÌ„ce at al. For first whereas now they pray al in Latine a touÌ„g not vnderstood of most that heare vse their prayers it is a kinde of praying flatly condemned because it is without edification to such by Chrysostome Ambrose vpoÌ„ the 14. of the first to the Corinthians Augustine also de Genesi ad literaÌ„ li. 12. Cap. 8. ioines with them herein aduouching that no maÌ„ is edified by hearing that which he vnderstands not And the descriptions of al the auncient lyturgies in the Church shew that alwaies they were vsed in such a tongue as the people vnderstood aswell as the minister there is such mentioÌ„ of intercourse of speech one to the other as any man may see that perused the descriptions thereof yea writers both old new do plainely testify that the ancient long coÌ„tinued vse of the church hath bene to haue her publicke liturgy in the knowen vulgar tongue of the people For OrigeÌ„ coÌ„tra CelsuÌ„ lib. 8. writeth that the Grecians name God in greeke the Romans in the latin tongue and euery one in their natiue and mother tongue pray sing Psalmes vnto God And Hierom to Eustochuim describing the solemne funeral of Pacta elsewhere to Marcella testifieth that though to BethleeÌ„ there was coÌ„course of very many seueral nations yet euery one there praised god praied vnto him in their owne laÌ„guage Insomuch that eueÌ„ Lyra vpoÌ„ the 14 of the first to the Corinthians coÌ„fesses that in the primitiue church al was done in the vulgar tongue And no loÌ„ger ago then InnoceÌ„t the thirds time in the LateraÌ„ couÌ„cel held in his time 1215. c. 9. order is takeÌ„ that where in one cuntrey there be people of diuers laÌ„guages there the Bishops should prouide them ministers to celebrate theÌ„ diuine seruice to minister theÌ„ the sacraments according to the diuersities of their rites laÌ„guages Yet further that thou maist see Christian reader in this point that the maÌ„ blusheth at nothing vnderstaÌ„d that by the coÌ„fession of their own frend Eckius in his coÌ„moÌ„ places the South IndiaÌ„s haue their liturgy in their mother tongue by the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of another one SigismuÌ„d writing of the Moscovites that they likewise haue theirs And Petrus Bellonius writing of the Armonians testifies the like of theÌ„ yea Aeneas Siluius who after was a Pope in his history of the BohemiaÌ„s c. 13. plainly shewes that a Pope was admonished by a voice from heauen to graÌ„t Cyril that conuerted Russia Moralia to say diuine seruice amoÌ„gst theÌ„ in the Shlauon tongue which was their vulgar tongue How haue they theÌ„ as he bragges these things considered either the ancient holy fathers consent of al regions or such prescription of time as he preteÌ„ds for this maner of praying of theirs in a tongue not vnderstoode of most And who can read the 14 of the first to the Corinthians vnlesse he bee disposed wilfully to be blinde but he must needes there see that this maner of praying is directly there condemned Chrysostome Ambrose Haymo Lyra and so expositours both ancient and nevv take it howsoeuer our late Rhemists in their notes would faine vvrest the place from any such meaning And in this respect suppose othervvise their prayers vvere faultles who seeth not that they giue God occasion againe to renue his olde complaint Esay 29. This people drawe neare vnto mee with their lippes but their hart is farre from mee of most people vvhich through their tyranny onely pray thus But in this poynt onely there is not vanity and falshoode in his bragge for othervvise if vve consider vvell their maner of praying vve shall finde both grosse vntrueth in his speech and horrible faultes in their prayers For how can it bee true that consent of fathers and the rest that he bragges of doe countenaunce that set forme of church-seruice that now they are in possession of seing neither the ancient fathers nor yet one quarter of Christendome vvas euer acquainted with it There owne authours and namely Polydor de inuentoribus rerum lib. 5. cap. 10 doe shevv hovv it came in and vvas deuysed piece after piece In the one thousand tvvo hundred yeares after Christ it vvas not grovven eyther to that full forme or credit that it is at novv For the forme of masse novv vsed commonly called Saint Gregories masse with much adoe got to be first in these westerne partes receiued in Pope Adrians time 790 yeares after Christ witnes Durand Nauclere and Iacobus de voragine and yet euen then and long after Millayn continued the vse of a forme of liturgy receiued from Ambrose Benedict the 3 that succeeded next Ioan the harlot about the yeare 857 first inuented brought in the dirge as most authors write though Gregory the 3 had done soÌ„what about it before The first allowance of the sequences in the masse is attributed to Nicolas the first that succeeded this Benedict In Alexander the 2 time Alliluiah was first suspeÌ„ded out of the church in â—eÌ„t time which was aboue 1000 yeare after Christ Our ordinary here in England secundum vsum Sarum began 1076 yeares after Christ and that as our stories shew by occasion of a bloody quarel betwixt the Abbot of Glassenbury his monkes The 7 canonical houres came in first by Vrban the second in the yeare one thousand ninety But Gregory the ninth that monstrous enemy of Fredericke the second first brought in that blasphemous canticle Salue regina one thousaÌ„d two huÌ„dred yeare more after Christ And howsoeuer these patches in the ende grevve in these partes to bâ—â— sovved togither yet the other partes of the vvorld vnder the Cyprians time about the yeare 255. when Corneliu Bishop of Rome vnaduisedly coÌ„trary to the good policy of the church and after him Stephanus tooke vpon them so to admitte of fugitiues out of Africke at Rome that not only they receaued them into their communion but tooke vpon them to labour their restitution they being before for their iust demerits excommunicated and deposed in Africke Cyprian wrote vnto them both to Cornelius in his first booke of Epistles Epistle 3. and to Stephanus in his second booke and first Epistle wherein earnestly he reproueth them for so intermedling in his iurisdiction the iurisdictioÌ„ of other his collegues in Africke shewing theÌ„ that they ought not so to do for they in Africk had as ful Bishoply autority as they at Rome and therefore were both able and the fittest to heare and determine such cases as fell out amongst themselues But seeing for all this the Bishops of Rome still were too busy in meddling further then they should after this in the counsell of Nice cannon 6. their authority and the Patriarches of Alexandria are made equall about the yeare 320. And yet the better to stay and keepe the Bishops of Rome within their due limits after this in most counsels for 300. yeares after
Fredericke the second Emperours Philip the faire and Carolus Caluus of Fraunce Henry the first and second Richard the second and king Iohn of England with sundry other Emperours and kings did notably and openly resist them therein and that they had alvvaies many learned fathers and Bishops to take their partes But to leaue this matter and to go on to others because the author of this preface and brag that I novv am in aunswering in his brag maketh speciall mention as you haue heard of their order of ceremonies and manner of praying and fasting bosting that for these they haue the holy fathers the consent of all christian nations and prescription of long continuance yea for the tvvo last the very scriptures let vs first see if wee can finde out the originall and vvithall the iust reproofe and condemnation of these First for their ceremonies none that hath but redde Platina or any other story of the liues of their popes but he hath red when how and by whom they were deuised for there is few of them for many hundred yeares together that thought as it should seeme by the vvriters of their liues that they had worthily sate in that place vnles they had deuised some newe rite and ceremony more then was before But if one goe no further then to Polidor de inventoribus rerum there shall hee finde when and by whom they had their originall whereby also it shal appeare that for many of thē they are of so late devising they cannot pretend either the testimony of ancient fathers or prescriptiō of any long time for very few of them whatsoeuer he bragges can they truly alleadge consent of all Christian regions for as they haue most of them beene deuised here in these parts of the worlde by bishops of Rome so few of them in comparison haue beene or yet be receaued in the other parts of Christianity that were vnder the other Patriarches of Constātinople Alexandria Antioch yea euen here in these parts all their rites ceremonies were neuer yet vniuersally receaued of euery cuntry alike no nor yet of euery part of any one cuntry But they being in number so many in nature a number of them so childish and foolish yet hauing beene vrged as they haue to be vsed with such opinion and holines S. Pauls reprehension of those that were in his time so busy with the Colossians in vrging thē to keepe their ordinances the keeping whereof lay in touch not tast not handle not Coloss 2. is both a bewraying when such like ceremonies as these that he brags of first began and also a iust and a full condemnation of them Read also S. Augustines 119 epistle ad Ianuarium and you shall finde there how earnestly he hath enueied against the multiplying and bringing in so vrging of such vnnecessary rites and ceremonies shewing how few the simplicity of the gospel is contented withal And yet as it is wel known he liued 1000 years ago and that since his time there are 1000. new rites ceremonies deuised in the Romish church that he neuer had heard of yet thē he complained that there were so many and they so seruilely were vrged that the Iewes state was in that respect far more tolerable what would he haue said then if he had liued in these daies and had seene the curious infinite and foolish rites and ceremonies but of one popish priest formally doing his masse Indeed fasting is a thing and so is prayer that hath countenance of scriptures fathers Christian regions and of all ages and times but so hath not either the popish fasting or praying For their fasting is tyed superstitiously to set daies and also lyeth especially in abstinence from one meat rather then from an other their end therein being not onely to chastise the body that it may be brought the more readily feruently to obey the holy direction of the spirit as the word of God teacheth onely it should but euen thereby to satisfie either for some sin past or to earne or deserue somewhat at the hands of God Such fasting as this was that of the hypocritical pharisies wherof Christ warn◠his disciples Mat. 6.16 the first fathers teachers hereof are those spirits of errour that S. Paul speakes of 1. Tim. 4. and so you may there see both who first in the church of Christ found out practised your kind of fasting who by by spied it condēned it for hypocritical the doctrine of deuils But if you would haue vs to search further we tel you that after Christ his Apostles times Eusebius reports in his 5 booke 16 chapter out of Apolonius that Montanus the heretique prescribed lawes of fasting he is the first that we read of that tyed fasting by law to prescript daies times which is there reckoned vp by that Apolonius as one of his heretical deuises This Montanus was about the yeare of the Lord 145. And it appears in Augustines 2. booke 13. cha of the manners of the church of the Manichees that it was the fashiō thē of those heretiques to thinke vpon their fasting daies that they fasted excellētly though otherwise they had neuer so daintyre so they abstained from flesh wine for the which Augustine doth deride thē And cōsequently herein Apolonius Augustine haue shewed their dislike of that popish fasting If yet it should be replied as it is by some of their side that their fasting is not altogither like the condemned abstinence of these ancient heretiques others for that they abstained frō flesh vpon an opinion that flesh was an impurer creature then fish how will they thē excuse Durand li. 6. ca. de ieiunijs who giueth this as a reason of their abstinence vpon fasting daies rather from flesh then from fish because al flesh was accursed in the daies of Noe not all fish Now touching their māner of praying for al his brag neither fathers consent of all Christian regions prescription of any long continuāce of time nor scriptures giue it any credit or coūtenāce at al. For first whereas now they pray al in Latine a toūg not vnderstood of most that heare vse their prayers it is a kinde of praying flatly condemned because it is without edification to such by Chrysostome Ambrose vpō the 14. of the first to the Corinthians Augustine also de Genesi ad literā li. 12. Cap. 8. ioines with them herein aduouching that no mā is edified by hearing that which he vnderstands not And the descriptions of al the auncient lyturgies in the Church shew that alwaies they were vsed in such a tongue as the people vnderstood aswell as the minister there is such mentiō of intercourse of speech one to the other as any man may see that perused the descriptions thereof yea writers both old new do plainely testify that the ancient long cōtinued vse of the church hath bene to haue
her publicke liturgy in the knowen vulgar tongue of the people For OrigeÌ„ coÌ„tra CelsuÌ„ lib. 8. writeth that the Grecians name God in greeke the Romans in the latin tongue and euery one in their natiue and mother tongue pray sing Psalmes vnto God And Hierom to Eustochium describing the solemne funeral of Pacta elsewhere to Marcella testifieth that though to BethleeÌ„ there was coÌ„course of very many seueral nations yet euery one there praised god praied vnto him in their owne laÌ„guage Insomuch that eueÌ„ Lyra vpoÌ„ the 14 of the first to the Corinthians coÌ„fesses that in the primitiue church al was done in the vulgar tongue And no loÌ„ger ago then InnoceÌ„t the thirds time in the LateraÌ„ couÌ„cel held in his time 1215. c. 9. order is takeÌ„ that where in one cuntrey there be people of diuers laÌ„guages there the Bishops should prouide them ministers to celebrate theÌ„ diuine seruice to minister theÌ„ the sacraments according to the diuersities of their rites laÌ„guages Yet further that thou maist see Christian reader in this point that the maÌ„ blusheth at nothing vnderstaÌ„d that by the coÌ„fession of their own frend Eckius in his coÌ„moÌ„ places the South IndiaÌ„s haue their liturgy in their mother tongue by the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of another one SigismuÌ„d writing of the Moscovites that they likewise haue theirs And Petrus Bellonius writing of the Armonians testifies the like of theÌ„ yea Aeneas Siluius who after was a Pope in his history of the BohemiaÌ„s c. 13. plainly shewes that a Pope was admonished by a voice from heauen to graÌ„t Cyril that conuerted Russia Moralia to say diuine seruice amoÌ„gst theÌ„ in the Shlauon tongue which was their vulgar tongue How haue they theÌ„ as he bragges these things considered either the ancient holy fathers consent of al regions or such prescription of time as he preteÌ„ds for this maner of praying of theirs in a tongue not vnderstoode of most And who can read the 14 of the first to the Corinthians vnlesse he bee disposed wilfully to be blinde but he must needes there see that this maner of praying is directly there condemned Chrysostome Ambrose Haymo Lyra and so expositours both ancient and nevv take it howsoeuer our late Rhemists in their notes would faine vvrest the place from any such meaning And in this respect suppose othervvise their prayers vvere faultles who seeth not that they giue God occasion againe to renue his â—olde complaint Esay 29. This people drawe neare vnto mee with their lippes but their hart is farre from mee of most people vvhich through their tyranny onely pray thus But in this poynt onely there is not vanity and falshoode in his bragge for othervvise if vve consider vvell their maner of praying vve shall finde both grosse vntrueth in his speech and horrible faultes in their prayers For how can it bee true that consent of fathers and the rest that he bragges of doe countenaunce that set forme of church-seruice that now they are in possession of seing neither the ancient fathers nor yet one quarter of Christendome vvas euer acquainted with it There owne authours and namely Polydor de inuentoribus rerum lib. 5. cap. 10 doe shevv hovv it came in and vvas deuysed piece after piece In the one thousand tvvo hundred yeares after Christ it vvas not grovven eyther to that full forme or credit that it is at novv For the forme of masse novv vsed commonly called Saint Gregories masse with much adoe got to be first in these westerne partes receiued in Pope Adrians time 790 yeares after Christ witnes Durand Nauclere and Iacobus de voragine and yet euen then and long after Millayn continued the vse of a forme of liturgy receiued from Ambrose Benedict the 3 that succeeded next Ioan the harlot about the yeare 857 first inuented brought in the dirge as most authors write though Gregory the 3 had done soÌ„what about it before The first allowance of the sequences in the masse is attributed to Nicolas the first that succeeded this Benedict In Alexander the 2 time Alliluiah was first suspeÌ„ded out of the church in â—eÌ„t time which was aboue 1000 yeare after Christ Our ordinary here in England secundum vsum Sarum began 1076 yeares after Christ and that as our stories shew by occasion of a bloody quarel betwixt the Abbot of Glassenbury his monkes The 7 canonical houres came in first by Vrban the second in the yeare one thousand ninety But Gregory the ninth that monstrous enemy of Fredericke the second first brought in that blasphemous canticle Salue regina one thousaÌ„d two huÌ„dred yeare more after Christ And howsoeuer these patches in the ende grevve in these partes to bee sovved togither yet the other partes of the vvorld vnder the other patriarches were litle or not at all troubled with theÌ„ And howsoeuer he shame not to aduouch that now their manner of praying is according to the scriptures Gregory l. 7. Epist 63. writes that Mos ApostoloruÌ„ fuit it was the maner of the Apostles to consecrate onely with the Lords praier which simplicity who so coÌ„pares with their stagelike dealing thereabout now he can neuer be persuaded that two fashioÌ„s so differing should both haue couÌ„tenaÌ„ce of scriptures But to make it yet more euident that of al other things he might worst haue made this brag of their manner of praying there are two great notorious faults more therein their praying for the dead to helpe theÌ„ out or to ease theÌ„ in the paines of purgatory their praying as they do to Saintes Angels For in these two points they are not onely destitute of the testimony of the holy auÌ„cient fathers consent of al Christian regions prescription of so long time as he makes shew of and the scriptures but rather al these are indeed herein against them For purgatory it selfe consequently praiers made to releeue soules there is but a very late deuise neuer yet receiued of halfe of Christendome For in William Rufus time king here of England there being a councell held at Baron there the Greek church in this point plainly discented from the Latin and neuer from that day to this could be brought herein to be of their minde whereby any maÌ„ may gather that it is a point which the Latine church hath deuised since the greek church broke of coÌ„munioÌ„ froÌ„ her that neuer yet had either consent of al christian nations or such prescriptioÌ„ of time to couÌ„tenaÌ„ce it as he talkes of And as for the scriptures let theÌ„ be perused thorow there shal not be fouÌ„d in them that bee of the canon either example of prayer or sacrifice for the dead yea rather plainely hee shal finde them alwaies vrging the time of this present life to bee the onely time to doe good in and to seeke the Lorde for our comfort euer after And as for the other point concerning their prayers to Saints departed and Angels it
then to lay to the charge of the Christians that they conspired amongst themselues against the state of the common weale and the ciuill and supreme magistrates thereof And therefore we can the more patiently abide this your dealing with vs in that herein we see we are no otherwise dealt withall by you then Gods people Christ his Apostles and other his faithfull seruants haue beene dealt withall in ancient time by your predecessours But the Lordes name be praised for it howsoeuer it hath pleased you in thus charging vs to intende the deposition and displacing of ciuill magistrates to conforme your selues to the ancient enemies of Gods people our doings in those places where our Religion hath beene longest settled doeth euidently in the eies of the world acquite vs hereof For in such places who seeeth not that the ciuill magistrates togither with it haue alwaies and yet doe honourably and quietly enioy their places and dignities Yea this wee dare bee bolde to say that the Christian Kings Princes and magistrates that haue giuen best entertainment vnto it finde by most manifest experience that both it and the professours therof haue better established them in their thrones and more aduanced them in their dignities then euer they were or could be by yours For now they are absolute Kings and Princes according to their right where as yours made thē to hold their kingdomes as the Popes vassals and so but at the curtesie and deuotion of a forrainer and of an intollerable proud and vnsatiable vsurping Prelate and now their treasure is kept at home to the strengthening greatly of their kingdomes and dominions which by your Romish Religiō gouernment was woont a 1000. waies most insatiably in infinit quantity yearly to the wonderfull weakning thereof to be conueied to Rome And whereas then by meanes of your auricular confession the secrets of euery Prince where that was vsed was often to the great peril of their states made knowen to many vndiscreet blabs by them their means to their forreine head the Pope and so he was thereby alwaies the better inabled for the furtherance of his owne deuises to preuent crosse theirs by the banishing of that Romish stratageme Princes coūsels secrets are kept at home in secret as they should to the great good of thē their cuntries And lastly by our Religion according to the examples of Dauid Salomō Asa Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosiah Constātine Theodosius they are in possession of their full authority to cōmāde for Religiō in matters ecclesiastical aswel their subiects of the clergy as the rest whereas by your Religion they were supreme gouerners vnder God for matters ciuil only had their cleargy so exēpted from them and their iurisdiction that howsoeuer they had their bodies in their kingdomes to enioy the promotions thereof they had neither their bodies nor soules in further subiection then would stand with the pleasure and profit of the forraine potentate the Pope By meanes whereof Anselme Stephē Lanckton Thomas Becket and sundry other proude prelates of this land haue so stucke to the Pope against their soueraigne kings at home here in England that in comparison of the Pope they haue set their King at naught to the wonderfull trouble and disquiet of the whole land as notoriously appeares in our Cronicles Which things considered I thinke you may long tell Princes that you and your religion is frendly to them and that we and ours is hurtful vnto them before any of them that be wise beleeue you Truely I cannot but wonder at your grosse hypocrisie in this Chapter in that you are so earnest and busie not onely to proue it vnlawful and mōstrous how bad soeuer they that be in authority be to refuse to yeelde duety submission vnto them but also to lay to our charge that we haue an intention to place and displace ciuill magistrates at our pleasure For I cannot perswade my selfe that your skill in diuinity was so small but you were resolued for all this that the obedience and subiection taught in these places here quoted by you or any where else in the scriptures is not so infinite and absolute as that thereby subiects are bound to doe whatsoeuer by higher powers be it good or bad they are commanded to doe For how could it be possible that a man of your place should forget the vsual limitation in the Lord or that you should not remember that God must be obeied before man Neither yet can I thinke that you were ignorant but that the very same thing which here you charge vs with as with a grieuous fault hath bene and yet is openly practised and taught publickly to be very lawfull in your Church of Rome Hereof I am sure D. Allen a great man of your side in his 5 Chapter of his defence of English catholicks reckōs vp in a great brauery and bragge sundry Kings and Emperours by force deposed by the Pope And indeed it appears most euidently in sundry Chronicles that at their pleasure a long time they haue most shamefully misused Christian Princes potentates of the world For though they were and are beholden to the Christian Roman Emperours for their first aduancement from the state of poore persecuted bishops to the state of patriarches in these westerne parts yet in processe of tyme when the seat of the empire was remooued to Constantinople these westerne parts were gouerned by an exarch at Rauenna they through the help of certaine Kings of the Lombards and others in tokē of thankefulnesse to the ancient Emperours of Rome quite extinguished their Empire and authority in these west parts And in the ende not contented with that which they had incroched by the ruine of the Empire through the helpe of the Goths Vandals Lombards others seeking thereby their further aduācement Pope Zachary about the yeare 743. found the meanes to cause Childericke then King of France to bee deposed and he set vp Pipine in his roome whom he his successour Stephen the 2. aduanced to the Empire and therefore this Pipine Charles the great and Lodouicke his sonne which three immediatly succeeded one another in the new Empire thus translated vnto them by the Pope to gratify the Pope for the same they brought the Lombards and others that before beganne to be somewhat to sausie with the Popes vnder and bestowed vpon his see as Blondus Volateran note very many rich and great Ilands cities countries shires townes and prouinces whereby he was mightely aduanced Yet for all these great benefits receaued by the line of Pipine when his successours began not to be pliable enough as they thought to their becke in making warre against the Princes of Italy which began to pinch them for their wrong-gotten goods Gregorie the fifth about the yeare 1002. practiseth with the Germans to bring the Empire to them from the line of France and so Otho was set vp Emperour But when these German Emperours began
hauing the grace that was inspired in him by the holie ghost at his baptisme so long he doeth not sinne vnto eternall death d Yea the Apostle to the great comfort of them that are once truely regenerat teacheth in these places that such by the power of that grace shall be so preserued that they shall neuer sin as the vnregeneraâ— do with their whole man vnto death for the generatioÌ„ of God that is to saie the grace receiued by this holy sacrament doeth so defend him that the Deuill cannot persecute him to death being not able to preuaile against him and as long as this good seede which is the word of God doeth dwell in him he cannot sinne and if he did sinne the seed would no loÌ„ger remain in him The holie ghost saith * Sap. 1. the wisemaÌ„ shall refuse the hypocrite and dissembler and shall depart from the vaine and crafty cogitations and therefore the grace of God and sinne can not dwell togither nor we ought not thinke S. Iohns wordes strange in that he saieth that he that is borne of God doeth not sinne for it is as much to say as that one can not serue two masters and that he that serueth God can not serue the Deuill For. S. Paul saieth * 1. Cor. 10. You cannot assist at the table of God and of the Deuill altogether for what communication is there betweene iustice and iniquity or betweene Iesus Christ and Belial And hee that doeth loue this world declareth himselfe an enemie vnto God And a little before he had saied he that doeth commit sinne is the sonne of the Deuill the which doeth not affirme that a sinner cannot be the sonne of God if he repent and doe penance but in the meane while a If this assertion be true â—â—en as often as the regenerate either actually sinneth or hath but a minde to sinne he is not the childe of God I would gladly know theÌ„ h w often the authour hath coÌ„tinued a moreâ—h the child of God togither or any man else he that is in actuall sinne or hath a minde to doe euill is as then not the sonne of God but the sonne of the Deuill The good tree doeth not beare ill fruite for although the fruit doe rot or perish vpon the tree that corruption doeth not proceede of the tree but of the wormes birdes or of some other kinde of vermine and therefore when they say that by the fruit we shall knowe the tree and by the workes the faith this ought to be vnderstood when the fruite doeth ripe in season and that it hath the naturall humour and property of the tree And in a man that he haue the influeÌ„ce of the true faith not otherwise for euen as the rotten fruit hanging vpon the tree doeth digresse nothing from the good stocke euen so the ill workes of vs that are Christians ought not to staine our holy and Catholique religion b Thus we also answere the obiection that you make against our religion froÌ„ the lewd liues that you see in some which seeme to be of our profession It is a good defence for you you thinke why should you not graunt â— then so to be to vs For the corruption of our ill fruites coÌ„meth of our selues and not of our religion the which doeth defende vs from doing that we doe I meane to sweare to blaspheme to commit adulterie to doe anie man wrong or to offend God anie waie He that doeth desire then by the fruit to know whither the tree of our Religion bee good hee ought not to bende his eies to looke vpon the rotten fruit as if that were sufficient to disproue the goodnesse of the tree but let him looke vpon the good fruites c You shall finde that you farre oueâ—shot your se fe in your reckoning when you compare indeed their religion exp essed in their writiâ—gs with yours such are all the Doctours aswell of the Greeke as Latin church so manie good Emperours and vertuous Kinges Princes Dukes and Earles which haue raigned in France Spaine Germany and England and ouer all the worlde and haue died in the faith leauing their workes to beare witnes of their good fruites d Many Kings Quâ—enes Nobles and others of our religion haue done these things also The which haue builded so manie faire hospitals to helpe releeue the poore so many goodly Colledges to entertaine fatherles children at their bookes so manie foundations and workes for the common wealth and that haue builded so manie sumptuous e The first pulling of them dowâ—e here in England came euen from your Cardinals and great bishops vnder the pretence therwith to found colledges and so hauing giuen the king an example wheâ— he was disposed to follow it they easily consented indeed the abhominaâ—ions therin committed was their ouerthrow Abbeies and houses of Religion the which you with your godlie zeale haue not onely robbed and spoiled but that that is more odious you haue pulled them cleane downe to deface the memorie of our ancesters to acquite all these which are notable monuments you brag of the good deedes that your good Christians doe which are much like vnto the gaines of those that vse to cog at dise for although they win much it is neuer seene or like the Iewes which to colour their horrible crueltie in putting our sauiour vniustly to death they weÌ„t bought with the monie that they gaue to Iudas a field to bury the dead k As deepe and grounded papists were lickorish of Abbey lands as any other and as greedily and securely they enioy them still amongst vs. Cardinall Woolsey and the Bishop of Rochester your great Martyr first began that course here And so you hauing robbed spoiled froÌ„ the religious houses and Abbeies more then you are able to restore you thinke to acquite it al with giuing a little to the poore No no these deuises are but vaine if by the fruit the tree be knowen as Christ saieth let them that haue anie iudgement looke vpon the fruit of our trees then iudge whither they be good or no. The XXXIIII Chapter PArtly in the former Chapter but more plainly in this you shew that you vnderstand by the trees that Christ spake of good Religion and bad But if you view the place you will at least I am sure you should rather thereby vnderstaÌ„d the persons of men effectually called as I haue saied or not called at all or at least yet vneffectually called that sound religion is one of the principall fruits that he meant should grow vpoÌ„ the former to discerne him from the later For his scope was not there to teach vs how to discerne religions but how to discerne the children of God from the children of sathan And thus it will proue that the sence of this prouerbe will not proue hard at all to vs to digest but to you who what shew soeuer you caÌ„ make with
of such vayne wordes as these aboue twenty times I am sure without any proofe at al therein repeated Indeed if in al your life you could proue but halfe so much as confidently here you set downe then you were a notable fellow indeede and then truely we would striue no longer with you But in the meane time seeing we know your speeches are such as you can neuer proue and that we are able against you both to proue the falshoode of yours and the trueth of our owne blame vs not if wee esteeme not your words Yet lest you should saie that these likewise are but words in vs as the former haue beene in you though I see no reason to the contrary but that our words containing a iust and true denial of yours were sufficient confutation thereof I say and will proue it that you shew your selfe a man past al shame in writing here as you doe that all the ancient Catholicke Church which hath continued visible since the comming of Christ vnto this day al the doctours of all the vniuersities all the Empires kingdomes priuate states throughout al the world are against vs for they haue al receiued honoured that doctrine that we count papisticall For first such is the newnes thereof as I haue plentifully shewed in diuers places already of this booke that none of all these for sundry 100. yeares were once euer acquainted therwith yea that diuers of your assertions which are the very principallest of your opinions as namely your dotcrine of Transubstantiation of your Popes being in authority aboue generall Councels and of denying the cuppe to the lay people are not yet of 400. yeares age and continuance And it is notoriously knowen that in the daies of Gregory the 9 about the yeare of Christ 1230 by occasion of iniury and oppression offered by the Pope to that Church that the Greeke Easterne Churches departed quite from the Church of Rome and neuer since though it hath beene oft attempted could be brought to hold communion therewith againe insomuch that in your conuenticle at Trent you haue condemned them for schismatical and heretical Churches And these Churches as it is noted in an ancient record in the Church of Herford differ from yours at the least in 29 articles And they holde yours excommunicate and an Apostata Church vnto this day And vnlesse your reading be very small you cannot be ignorant that Math Paris writeth that the Patriarch of Constantinople at the Councell of Lyons shortly after this breach shewed that of 30. bishoprickes in Greece the Pope had not three that then held communion with him and that all Antioch and the Empire of Romania to the gates of Constantinople was gone quite from him There is also extant in print in ancient record an Epistle writen about seuen yeares after this breach began in the yeare 1237 by one Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople vnto the Pope wherein not only he laboureth to make him see that the occasion therof was that he tooke more vpon him ouer those Churches then he should but amongst other argumēts to persuade him to see his folly he sheweth him that not onely the Greeke Churches themselues but that al so the Aethiopians Syrians Hiberians Alani Gothi Charari with innumerable people of Russia and the mighty kingdome of the Vulgarians held communion with his Church of Constantinople and so by occasion of this schisme had forsakē felowship with the Roman Church And the Cosmographers write that the iurisdiction of the Patriarch of Canstantinople reacheth so farre that all Greece Misia Belgaria Thrasia Walachia Moldauia Russia Muscouia the iles of the Aegaean sea and Asia the lesse bee vnder the same It is also reported by authours of good credit that at this day vnder the other Patriarchs of Antioch Alexandria Hierusalem and vnder the other in the dominions of Presbyter Iohn in Africa there be infinit numbers of Churches and Christians differing from yours and ioining with ours in manie thinges So that Churches also both in the East North and South and that of very great amplitude within the time that you speake of haue professed Christ and yet haue neuer beene acquainted with most or many at the least of the pointes for the which your religion is counted of vs Papisticall in all which there haue beene some doctours vniuersities Empires Princes and priuate men no doubt since Christ before you wrote that neither honoured nor receiued your papistical religiō Yea but that merueilously you ouershot your selfe you might haue remembred that within the time limited by you in these Westerne partes there haue beene euen vnder your Popes nose and in his greatest ruffe many doctours vniuersities and some Emperours kings and priuate estates that haue neither receiued nor so honoured your religiō which we cal papistical as here you would beare your reader in hand For euen in these parts and within the compasse of these times haue bene you know Wickliffe Hus and Luther vniuersities kingdomes good store haue had both your religion Church in defiance long before you wrote He that readeth but the stories of Philip Lodovicke the last French kings of Henry the 4 5. of the 2. Fredericks the 1 2 Emperours and the Cronicles of king Iohn here in England and of 2 or 3 of his successours he shal easily perceiue that much within the compasse of time that you speake of both Empires and Kingdomes with their Emperours and Kings haue beene far from making that reckoning of your popish Church and religion that you here bragge of or else doubtlesse you must needs confesse that your Popes haue beene vnreasonable creatures that haue so cursed and banned these men as they haue and which besides haue caused such infinite Christian bloud to be by warre shed to hamper them These things considered euen children may see not onely the vanity but grosse falshood of these your wordes For howsoeuer either here or else where in this your booke you would cause your reader to beleeue that your Romish Church is the catholicke Church of Christ euery one indeed may see that in trueth it is but a particuler and a petty Diocesse in comparison of the catholicke Church of Christ For the reader must vnderstand that the Church of Christ is called catholicke first because the religion that shee imbraceth is that which hath beene at al times will be to the end the true religiō of God secondly because the same Church in respect of the mēbers therof especially since the calling of the Gentiles is not to be limited or shut vp within the compasse of any particuler countries but may vniuersally be dispersed amongst all nations and in al countreyes where it pleaseth the Lord. In neither of which sences can the Romish Church be truly accounted catholick For neither is her doctrine that which the true Church of Christ embraced was in possessiō of for 4000 years more neither are the