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
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
of our most holie father the Pope of Rome whereof there is not one iotte forgotten nor left vnconsidered yea surelie I beleeue that his holinesse sitting vpon his stoole of easement sir reuerence of his holinesse should not make one sowre or skornefull countenance but this wise profounde learned Doctour and Bishop can straightwayes bring in for it some mysterie and weightie matter And to bring a text of Scripture for it which shall serue as fit for that purpose as a sadle for a sowe What needeth manie wordes hee is a passing Apoticarie hee can make a good medicine of a Cabadge stalke And therefore it is that our deare mother the holy Church doeth so greatly esteeme this his booke so that shee would not forgo it for anie good and she hath reason for it because in deede it is her chiefe iewell or treasure wherein all her holinesse is locked vp Where will all these Heretikes now hide them selues these Lutheranes Huguenotes Zwinglians Caluinistes the one heape with the other which do bragge so much of the word of God Let thē but once take this booke of Durādus into their hands and they shall finde there that all the ceremonies of the holie church of Rome all their prankings and strange deuises are finely founded vpon the Scripture so that there is not one lacking yea and that the Scripture is wholie on our side if it be right vnderstood according to the meaning and interpretation of our deare mother the holie Church to witte that you passe ouer and let slippe the dead letter and the plaine text depend wholie vpon the spirit of speculation of our Doctours of Louen those of Paris which is only the spirit That quickeneth maketh aliue as is heretofore rehearsed Therefore let all such as wil be good and Catholike subiectes of the holie Church and Sea of Rome holde fast and sticke to this interpretation and in anie wise shrinke not from it but beleeue all whatsoeuer the holy church beleeues not once going about to knowe or to aske any questiō what it is because it is inough for them to know that the church of Rome cānot erre so long as she remaineth fast groūded vpon the foūdation of the Pope Let them keepe in mind the saying of Salomon You shall not remooue the pales markes which your fathers haue planted that is to say You shall not once moue touche or alter any thing of al that which our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath established and ordeined And dooing thus they shal be her white sonnes haue the worlde at will they shall enioye the goods of this worlde some shall become Bishops and some Cardinalles riding brauelie to the Courtes of Popes and Kings vpon braue horses and Mules and shal haue the fairest Courtisanes of Rome at their commaundementes In summe they shall say to them selues What canst thou desire Where contrariwise these felowes will bee so nose-wise that they will knowe all things and will beleeue nothing but iust that which they finde in Scripture and in their Bible plainlie set out yea they doe mocke our deare mother the interpretations which shee bringeth forth vpon the Scriptures But those surelie are Heretikes to the fourth generation as Doctours and Physicions say Euen to the hiest steppe of the staires For like as Master Gentian hath here finely concluded They do not beleeue the holie Church They beleeue not the twelue articles of our faith yea they doe not beleeue the holie scripture seeing they will not accept the interpretation of the scripture which the holie Church hath allowed for good And therefore they must be banished accursed and excommunicated yea they must be burnt to ashes and powder if they will not recante For that is the sure sentence and resolute determination of our holie mother the Church of Rome wherein doeth not fall anie stay or appellation for that nowe from henceforth they will not nor shall not beare with them anie longer And herewith we will make an ende of the second part hauing emptied this distaffe and nowe by master Gentianus leaue we will in hande and proceede with another part Here followeth the exposition vpon the third part of Gentianus Haruets Epistle wherin is treated of Auricular confession of the Sacraments of Matrimonie of Confirmation and of the holy Anointment The first Chapter Of Auricular confession and howe necessarie it is and of establishing the same by the Scriptures HEre now doth followe the third part of the Epistle of Gentianus wherein he doth declare himself greatlie to wonder that these new Preachers of the gospell will go about to abolish auricular confession Cockes populorum But howe would they go to worke Where our holie mother hath so straightlie cōmanded vpon paine of damnation That al such as are of both kindes to wit male female shall assoone as he or she is come to yeeres of discretion confesse them selues to their owne Curate of all their sins at lest once a yere vnderstanding the same alway of deadlie sinnes only as is set forth by the glosse vpon the text because daily and perdonable sinnes are with a Pater noster or with a sprinckle full of holy water cleane washed away I maruell howe these Heretikes can speake against this For were it not euen as much as though they would put out both the eies of our mother the holie church For vndoubtedly this auricular confession is worthe two paire of eies to her For by the one she can see perceiue learne al the secret determinations counsels and pretences of all Kings Princes and Potentates of Christendome by reason whereof she is come to a peaceable possession enioying of her authoritie and gouernement ouer all Countries and Kingdomes And by the other she can see and creepe euen into the verie bottome of the bosomes of yong maides simple and sorrowful wiues and widdowes and so grope out and vnderstand all their secrets and then enioyne them such friendlie penaunce that their troubled consciences are thereby comforted and their sorrowfull heartes made ioyfull O good Lord How often haue these holy Priests and Friers giuen vnder confession good wholesome counsell to the sorrowfull barren wiues whereby they haue afterwardes become blyth mothers and haue euer after borne an inward loue towardes their holie ghostlie fathers euen as though it were to their owne husbands Yea there is at this present a good holie graie Frier at Brudgesse called Brother Cornelius the Whipper who by meanes of this holie auriculer confession did teach a great many of simple womē to tame and mortifie their fleshe in this manner That they for the fulfilling of penance to them inioyned and to receiue of him ful absolution of their sinnes haue verie willinglie gon creeping vppon handes and feete starke naked before that holie ghostlie father and when he did marke anie that the fleshe was not sufficientlie mortified them did he followe with a rodde
strength and worthinesse of this new religion of Champions Trueth it is that she was at the last when the matter was knowen banished out of Venice but that was not done for her holinesse but specially because there were a great manie of amorous letters founde about her which were of great importance For else alas what could haue bene said to her heauie and pitiful penance whereof the like is daily done You maye see them sometimes in Italie go alongst the streetes with a great rope about their neckes as if they were dropped downe froÌ„ the gallowes and sometimes they weare a sawsige or a swines pudding in place of a siluer or golden chayne Is not that sufficient to deserue heauen by But if I should go about to expresse euerie particular religion alone which our mother the holye Church hath founde out beside the Scriptures I should haue work for this seuen yeres Wherefore it is not needefull For all good Catholike men do knowe well ynough that our holye fathers the Popes haue sufficient authoritie to bring in and establish newe religions and rules of perfection as manie as it shall please them although it be plaine that the whole Scriptures neuer make mention of anie such as it is most euident by so many diuers orders and religions which haue bene by their holinesse set vp brought in established As there are the orders of the Basilians Augustinians Benedictines Dominicanes or Iacobines Carthusians Carmelites or Ladie brothers Seruitours or Seruants Graie Friers Obseruantes Conuentuales Penitentiaries Minimers Capucines Mendicantes Cluinares Camaldulenses Valembrosences Cisterienses Barnardines Coelestines Gibertenenses Milicenses Castellenses Burfaldenses Mountoliuetes Castinenses Armeâ—tes Regulars PremoÌ„stratenses Whilliamites Lateranes Georgians Iohannians Trinitaries Indians AmbrosiaÌ„s Magdalines or Lazarines red Augustins Helenians Sophians Visitensers Wincesbaterers Gregorians Constantinopolitanes Columbins Crossed brethreÌ„ Starred brethreÌ„ Fratres ClauoruÌ„ Blackfriers Smocked friers BtethreÌ„ of the holy Sepulchre Brethren of the vale of Iosaphat BrethreÌ„ of S. Ioseph of S. Rusius seuen thousande like Of which number the most part haue their mates and companions in the women Cloisters of which some be Bagghines other close Nonnes other called Sisters the fourth are called Chanonesses who haue likewise their Patronesses as S. Clare S. Bridgit S. Lucia S. Agnes S. Marie Magdalene S. Valdrud c. All which haue bene receiued established by our holy fathers the Popes for good and holy Ouer and aboue these they haue ordeined many sundrie Heremitages orders of Heremits as of S. Anthonie of S. Hilarie of S. Makarius S. Theon S. Frontinian S. Horus S. Helenus S. Appellomius S. Paul the Hermit S. Martarius S. PiamoÌ„tius S. Castomianus many more of the like rabie Now are there more added to these the holy Giides or Confraternities as The fraternities of S. Roche of S. Hubright of S. Sebastian of S. Coronne which go cladde in blew of S. Anthonie in blacke of S. Martin in white of S. Dominick in black c. And to the ende that the heritage should not be without Rutters or Pensionars they haue appointed certeine newe religious orders of holy Knights likewise such as are the knights of the Rodes or of Malta Dutch Knights the Templers the Knights of S. Iames our Ladie Knights Saint Georges knights knights of Hierusalem Calitrauenses Montenienses Gartarienses c. But truly I had need of vi huÌ„dred tongues two huÌ„dred pennes a mouth of steele with an iron voice if I should declare all the diuersities of orders religions which our holy fathers the Popes haue set vp not only without but directly against the holy Scripture and yet without naming of the Popes themselues or their Cardinals Prelats Archbishops Bishops Metropolitanes Suffraganes Archdeacons Deacons and such like strange beastes whereof neither Prophet nor Apostle euer heard Nay I dare saye that if the Apostles had but once seene or hearde the hundred part of these new religious orders and professions named they would haue bene afraide of them For seeing that S. Paule could not suffer that amongst the Congregation of the Corinthians some should call them selues the Disciples of Peter other of Paule the thirde of Apollo howe would he then haue bene afraide and out of quiet when he should haue seene or hearde of such an innumerable companie of newe and diuers names professions religions Gods seruices and rules of perfection whereof some were clad and apparelled in blacke some in white some in gray some in green some in blewe some in red some in furres and in all maner of diuers colours and euerie one of them did esteeme his owne order and rules for the best and most worthie to be regarded He would surely haue thought him selfe to haue bene come into a newe world Therefore it is a great follie that men will founde them selues onely vpon that which the Apostles haue taught or written considering that the world is now chaunged and that the holy Church hath found out and established newe religions newe commandements and newe articles of our faith whereof the Apostles neuer knewe For otherwise beleeue me if nothing els were estemed but the bare Scriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apostles then should all the Decrees Decretalles all good holy Ordinances of the Church of Rome all the goodly Councelles which haue bene kept and holden by the order and commandement of the Popes yea all the before specified orders and religion of Friers NoÌ„nes the Heremites Gildes and Knighthoods be vtterly ouerthrowen yea all their merites and supererogations would not be worth an Oaten cake if men should begin to esteeme and accept the holy Scripture alone for a true and sufficient rule and direction and then should Luther haue done well when he caused the decrees and deâ—retals to be burnt O no truely We must aboue all mainteine those in reputation yea euen in greater estimation than the woorde of God it selfe for who soeuer doth sinne against the word of God his sinnes maye be forgiuen him but he that doth sinne against the Decrees of the Pope doeth sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore his offence shall neuer be forgiuen him Therefore it is vndoubtedly a great ouersight of them that would compasse and pale in the holy Church with the bounds of the holy Scripture seeing she may steppe or leape ouer it with a staffe or without anie feare and as often as euer she wil. Yet it is true that sometimes shee doeth helpe her self with the scripture for if there were no scripture howe should one knowe whether there must be a Church or no or wherby should a maÌ„ discerne the true church of God from the church of Antichrist Yet doth she alway rule the Scripture makes therevpon such a glosse as best serueth her turne yea that is more she is the very occasion that any beleefe or credit is giuen to the scripture as is pleasantly set foorth by the holy and
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
And againe vpon the Councel of Affrica whereas the craft and falshoode of the Popes of Rome Sosimus Bonefacius Coelestinus were knowen and declared who had sought by falsifying of the Councell of Nicene to mainteine their authorities Wherevpon it was ordeyned That no man shoulde for any matter of difference appeale to Rome or ouer the Sea. Which was also established in the Councell Mileâ—etano Wee haue runne to long before the dogges to be afrayde of these matters Therefore they may go shooe the goose and make children afrayde with that which they bring forth out of the third Councel of Carthago and of the Councell of Affrica As that no man might take vpon him to be called The chiefest of the Bishops or The chiefe Bishop or High Priest yea by the Roode well sayde wee haue our aunswere readie ynough for that matter which is That men maye in no wise take vpon them to keepe or holde anie Councell at all yea though they were neuer so well defended both by the â–ª Scriptures in the Bible and by the holie fathers vnlesse they doe well and fully agree with the holy Church of Rome for she hath full power and authoritie to alter all Councels and to make them voyde of no value nor effect euen as shee shall thinke good and to explane them as shall serue best for her purpose yea to tumble and tosse them topsie turuie euen as shall best serue her turne And therefore where as menne presume so muche to alledge and bring in the ordinaunces of the Popes Gelasius and Hilarius whiche saye that the Sea of Rome is more subiect and obedient to the Councels than anie other man eyther the Councell of Basile wherein was determined and concluded That the Councell is aboue the Pope yea and that the Councell maye depose the Pope All that is not woorth a strawe For all the Balles that are serued on that syde the Tenise Court are easilye smitten backe and turned at the rebounde with halfe a woorde speaking to witte Saluo in omnibus iure Romanae Ecclesiae Which is too saye The right and authoritie of the Churche of Rome in all pointes reserued For this is the verie taiâ—e of euerie Councell wherewith they are turned about as with a rudder eeuen whither the Pope will haue them The v. Chapter VVherein is taught that the canons and decrees of Popes can not binde the Romish Churche but that she is sâ—ill aboue all decrees and maye breake and adnihilate the same so as shee shall thinke good THis same must be vnderstoode of all the former decrees and canons of all the Popes deceased For although it be cleare that they are inspirattons of the holy ghost against which it is not lawful for any man to speake so as whosoeuer doeth despise them is voide of the Catholike and Apostolike beliefe yet that notwithstanding they cannot therefore by any meanes close or shut vp the authoritie of the Church And wherfore For that there is one common rule of the holy Church set foorth for an vndoubted article of our fayth which is That the Romish church is she which doth giue to all Popes decrees their full power and might prouided alwayes that she her selfe is not in any wise subiect to the same by reason that she hath a ful power always to make such decrees and ordinances when soeuer it shall please her as hauing power and being heade ouer all Churches from which poynt no man maye dissent So after this manner doeth shee giue and graunt to the decrees full power and authoritie with this exception That she her selfe will in no wise incline or yeelde to the same but that she may do any thing agaynst the same whensoeuer it shall please her Euen like as Christ did teach the people as hauing might authoritie and power of himselfe and not like vnto the Theologians or Phariseis whiche durst neither put to nor diminishe or take from the same And euen after this maner it followeth with the Popes They giue the decrees their authoritie and yet notwithstanding this may they do as masters and Doctours of the lawe euen when they list agaynst their owne lawes and decrees â–ª and therefore the decrees and Canons doe not conclude anie thing at all without this exception That the Churche of Rome may alway vnderstande interprete and expound the same as she shal think good And herevpon it commes to passe that in all decrees one of these tales is ioyned to wit Reseruing alway the right and title of the Church of Rome or So farre forth as the Church of Rome doeth thereof allowe â–ª And so hath the high and renowmed Iurist or Lawyer Philippus Decius written namely That all decrees and Canons are by Gods appointment subiect vnto the Pope of Rome It is verie true that the holy Fathers and Popes Gelasius Felix Sosimus Vrbanus and Leo 4. haue concluded That all the decrees and ordinaunces of the Pope beeing contrarie to the olde and former decrees and Canons shoulde bee voyde and of none effecte And whereas Gregorie hath likewise ordeyned That whensoeuer any Pope wil haue his Decrees obserued then must he è contrà obserue the decrees of the Popes his predecessours But vpon that the glose saith Hoc non credo which is I doe not beleeue that And is not that answere grounded vpon good reason So that wee may boldely conclude That the holie Church will not be bounde nor pend in by any Decrees Shee is like vnto a Catte shee can not bee forced or compelled For else might these Heretikes and Huguenotes choke the holie Church with her owne decrees For they woulde bring foorth this Canon Vt quid Canon prima quidem Canon Non hoc corpus and such other like Thereby to teache that there is but one ghostly or spiritual food set forth in the Sacrament which is receyued onelie by fayth and not eaten nor swallowed vp with the teeth Further they would come out with the decree in the chapter Leginâ—us ff Quid enim dist 93. thereby to prooue That all Bishops haue like authoritie in what place soeuer they bee whether at Rome or at Canterburie and by that meanes shoulde all the authoritie of the Pope become creeple and lame whiche were a pitifull case They woulde goe about to teache out of the Chapter Vbinam distinct 96. that they ought likewise to come into the Councelles and to haue their voyces in the Consistorie euen as well as the annoynted Priestes whiche might bring in a great coÌ„fusion disorder They would mainteine by the decree of pope Gelasius That the cup in the Sacrament ought likewise to be ministred to the Lay people according to the institution ordinance of Christ for the Gela. doth esteme theÌ„ for terrible blasphemers of God robbers of the church which in that case do not folow the speciall commaundement of christ They woulde with the
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
Scripture for that is but one witnes And it is a common prouerbe Vnus testis nullus testis One witnes no witnes but they must proue it to be directly against all these before rehearsed or else they remaine in the sacke and by this meanes shall we without doubt get the victorie and vpper hande ouer all our enimies For by this foundation are al the Lutheranes and Huguenotes condemned banished and accursed Vpon this grounde they are deliuered ouer into the hands of temporal officers as ranke Heretikes Vpon this foundation are they at the last pitifully murthered burnt And wherfore For this is the verie foote wherevpon men do condemne for Heretikes all such as do not beleue al whatsoeuer the holy church beleeueth It skils not out of what grounde they haue fetcht this whether out of S. Francis vineyard or out of the goldeÌ„ Legend liues of the ancient Fathers or out of the Decrees Decretals that is all one so that it tend to the benefiâ—e establishment of the holy Church of Rome For as it is before declared that is onelie the foundation of the holy Catholike and Romish Christen faith Therefore whatsoeuer dependeth therevpon must of necessitie be esteemed receiued and taken for a special article of our beliefe and whosoeuer will not so accept it they are damned without mercie yea although they had both Paul and Peter ten times for their aduocates and ten dozen of Bibles on their side will not serue for they shall neuer be demaunded whether they do beleeue the Scripture and the Bible or whether they holde the writing of Paule for the woord of God or whether they doe not acknowledge themselues to be poore miserable lost and condemned creatures by the fall of Adam and the children of wrath and damnation And that God of his meere mercie and pitie without any desertes hath loosed and redeemed them For all this is but brabbling it shall not be demanded of them whether they do not stedfastly beleeue that they onely through the onely oblation of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ once offered vpon the crosse are iustified before the face and iudgement seate of God For that is of no importance And much lesse shall it bee demaunded of them whether in time of their neede they do call onely vpon the onely liuing God through the mediation and intercession of our onely mediatour and intercessour Iesus Christ For that is altogether Lutherall What shall be demaunded of them then First and before all whether they doe not beleeue that the holy Church of Rome is the Ladie and Queene ouer all Churches and that the Pope of Rome is the heade of the same And whether they doe not beleeue all whatsoeuer this Church beleeueth After that if they do not beleue in the holy Masse in Purgatorie in the miracles of men Saints and women Saints Also what they doe thinke of the holy Reliques As for example If they do not beleeue in the foreskinne of our Lord Iesus which is at Antwerpe in a second which is at Rome in a thirde which is at Bezancon in a fourth which an Angel brought once from Hierusalem into the towne of Aken and lastly in one whiche is seene and worshipped in an Abbay at Poytears in Fraunce Item whether they do not beleeue in the Cribbe which is at Rome in our Ladies Church and in our Lordes shooes which are likewise at Rome in the holy place called Sancta Sanctorum Item in the Dice wherewith they did play vpon his coate whereof some are at Triers and some at S. Sauiours in Spaine In the Sponge wherewith they gaue him vinegre to drinke which is at Rome at S. Iohns de Laterane And in the tayle of the Asse whereon hee rode which is set foorth with great deuotion at the town of Genuen in Italie c What accompt they make of the three Kings which lie at Colen yet are likewise at Milane in Italie of S. Iohnâ— head which is to be seene at Ghent notwithstanding that they of Ameens conâ—ende that they haue it Item what they esteme of Iosephs breeches which are at Aken with our Ladies smocke And further what they thinke of our deare Ladies needles her sowing thred and her workebasket which lie in her siluer chist at Halle where many goodly miracles haue bene shewed and of her girdle which is there likewise by vertue whereof so many women haue conceiued with child of her milke which is so plentifull in manie places that seuen of the best kine in Holland are not able to giue so much milke in ten yeres Of the holye bloud at Bridges of the holy Sacrament of miracles at Bruxols at Saint Goels church which is a preâ—te litle round thing made of very bone of iuorie and yet our deare mother beleeues that it is very flesh and bloud After this shal be demaunded of them what they do beleeue of all the glorious Saintes As Saint Lieuen S. Gomâ—er S â–ª Rombolâ— S. Goele S. Iobâ— of Wâ—semale S. Ioyce in Flanders where men get children and mo such other like Saintes and Patrones of the holy church â–ª which haue wrought so manie miracles as in very deede no man can tell And if theâ— doe not beleeue al this then the matter is cleare that they beare the whole burden on their backes And wherefore Because they do not beleeue al that the holy church doeth beleeue and therefore they can be no good christen men Therefore is Maister Gentianus worthie to be shrined in golde and set vpon an altar seeing that hee hath with fewe wordes so substantially taught the very right way to bridle and bring vnder these heretikes and to put them all in a cloake bagge specially those which doe not beleeue whatsoeuer the Church beleeues all such are vnbeleeuing and damned Heretikes The xii Chap. VVherein is declared that the Lutheranes are with this foundation so valiantly assalted on all sides that it is not possible for them to escape any way and what is the last argument to be obiected against them is declared and proued by the example of Transubstantiation WHat maruel is it then that a simple yong man whom hee calleth Brother Ligier durst not dispute against Master Gentianus For who dare bee so bold as to looke such a stout Goliah in the face I let alone speaking to him no and I would not counsell the Huguenotes to take vpon them so to do For whereas they thinke perhaps with a sling to hit this Giant in the forehead with the corner stone of Gods worde and to fell him downe to the grounde yet must they knowe that all the matter is not ended there For in place of one there will starte vp by and by and innumerable companie of stout and valian Champions which will assault them on all sides For besides all the holy fathers the Popes of Rome besides all the noble and right honourable Cardinals all forkeheaded Bishops all fatte Abbats and proude
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
fiue wordes spoken and all parts of the transubstantiation well plaid could doe his office as well as the wine and leape soudeinly out of one substance into another Item if there were thirtene or fourtene Offertories Ostes or singing cakes laid vpon the altar and that the priest could tell no better than my maide and so tolde but twelue and vppon that intent doe pronounce the fiue wordes thinking that there were but twelue then whether all the thirtene should be consecrated and transubstantiated considering that the intent and meaning of the Priest is wholie necessarie to the transubstantiation or that neuer one of them should be transubstantiated coÌ„sidering that the one hath as much vantage as the other and not any one of them more base or bastard than an other seeing that they all did heare and vnderstand the wordes of the Transubstantiation indifferently one as well as another There are yet besides these manie other like difficulties sufficient to make deuout catholike men to doubt touching this foresaid article of transubstantiation for I assure you they trouble the heades euen of our masters of Louen and are oftimes occasion that they must drinke two or three quartes of wine the more and sometimes be so dronke that they fall from the benche and catch a redde nose yea and sometime that they dispute the haire from their heads through the great zeale wherewith they are warmed whereby they often fall into dronken diseases and sometime into Plurisies whereof diuerse times they die and so the Church of Rome doth faile of her best pillars And yet for all this as concerning the highest and most principall article of transubstantiation they al danse after one pipe and agree as well in one as Herode and Pilate And as touching the rest they remit that to God to take care for for after that they haue brought forth many cunning trickes and deepe wittie speculations and bralled about those a long time and in vtramque partem that is to say pro coÌ„tra to and fro haue reasoned on both sides verie Magistraliter that is Maisterly in deed In the end they make this coÌ„clusion Sed quomodo hoc fit nescio Deus scit that is I cannot tell what to say to the matter I cannot conceiue how that may come to passe God knoweth all And yet notwithstanding they doe alway conclude this to be an article of the faith whereof no man must doubt For our deare mother the holy Church will haue it so And yet in the meane space for the better stay of deuout coÌ„sciences somthing to establish these great doubts they haue ioyntly found out a newe practise to prop vp their generall building of Transubstantiation to wit first a great beame which they call Concomitantiae then a long rib called The stedfast intention of the holy Church wherewith they do so strongly prop vp this building that not only Christs bodie but the whole Godhead may sâ—and vpon it without falling And if it were so that the priest did dreame had no regard to his Masse yet haue they a remedie for that For the good intent of the holie Church is so sure and vnremoueable that the intent of the Priest is not greatly to be accounted of but may well inough go walk abrode and see if there be anie good cheare toward and that his maid keepe good rule at home which is a iolly matter For otherwise if the priest were yet half dronke with good cheare the eeuen before or that his maid had chafed him or that but only a flie did come sit vpon his nose he might perhaps therby forget his good intent euen as he was speaking the holy wordes and then should not that bread becâ—me a God which were a perilous matter For the simple people should then pray to a peece of bread in place of their God creator Therefore coÌ„meth the holy Church now in for a helpe doth set forth for a perfit article of our faith that it is likewise sufficient for euerie one to beleue whatsoeuer the Church beleues although they know not what it is And again it is sufficient that the holy church haue generally a perfite determination that wheresoeuer Masse is don there is the bred changed into God although it were so that the priest did thinke onely vpon his maid or on his kitchen In summe there is not a hole but the hellish Church hath a peg to stop it withall she can turne euerie thing to the best so that there is no more difficultie And if the Doctours and Licentiates doe chide and brall among themselues that makes no great matter we ought to commit all these weightie causes to the iudgement of the holie Catholike Church and must simplie and ioyntly beleeue That as soone as the fiue wordes are spoken that which the Priest hath in his handes is turned into God let it then be what it will either verie bread or the accidents of bread or an Indiuiduum vagum that is a wilde veseken That is no matter at all to vs it is sufficient that wee knowe it is our God which we must pray vnto in the Masse For the text is plaine This is my bodie there needes no glosse vpon it And although it be so that all the Doctours of Louen of Paris and of Colen cannot vnderstand it yet it is sufficient for vs that we haue fetcht our transubstantiation out of it and sette it forth irreuocably Although we haue yet manie mo other plaine textes whereby to defend it which are verie plentifully sette forth by the worshipfull Eckius and other worthie pillars of the holie Catholike Church as specially that which is written in Ieremie That when the vngodly Iewish Priests and false Prophets went about to bring Ieremie to death because hee did earnestly condemne their vngodlinesse they said thus one to another Let vs marre his bread with wood or let vs destroy the fruite together with the tree roote him out of the kingdome of the liuing For this now hath our deare mother the holie Church turned for the best vnto our Masse priests as though they had holden this Counceâ—l together and saide Mittamus lignum in panem eius that is to say Let vs cast wood into his bread vnderstanding thereby that they will counterfeit in their Masse the passion death of Iesu Christ who suffred vpon the crosse with a peece of bread And to this end doe they cause these woordes to be soung yerely in the Passion wherevpon shee hath resolutely concluded That the bread is chaunged into the verie bodie of Christ Iesus as is to bee seene in the foresaid booke of Eckius and of other stoute Champions of the Romish Church Yea and likewise to proue that this Transubstantiation is neither so wonderfull nor vnnatural as the Heretikes exclaime that doeth Eckius teach out of the Scripture where the diuel said to Christ If thou be the son of God
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
neither anie lawe nor iudgement hath power or iurisdiction ouer him for that he is the liuelie fâ—unteine of lawe and iudgement who as touching matters of our faith can not in anie point faile or misse and therefore hee may order and determine vpon all matters touching our beleefe and faith and so interprete the Scripture as he thinketh good he onelie may take and leaue doe and vndoe In so much that though all the worlde were against him yet must we take his part To be briefe there is no man to bee compared vnto him but God alone and therefore can he do all things that God doth For looke what soeuer God doeth in heauen the like doth the Pope here in earth What should a man say more His authoritie and power is so great that no tongue can expresse it neither is it possible for the capacitie of man to conceiue it as Zodoricus Zamorensis and Bartholus Chassaneus yea the whole Catholike church of Rome hath determined and concluded For as Antonius Florentinus doth testifie he is aboue al creatures and his might and power doeth extend euen to matters in heauen earth and hell for that he is the cause of causes and the Lord of Lords the Head Bridegrome of the whole church yea the high and principall Gouernour of the worlde vniuersall he is the light the brightnesse the verie foundation of faith and the verie summe and touchstone of the trueth hee is the hiest step of the staires and all in all whatsoeuer can be thought or said For as touching the giuing and distributing of Kingdomes Dukedomes lands and countries to whom when he shall think good that office he hath fast sure in possession and doth dailie practise put the same in exercise as is right to bee vnderstood by this pretie verse folowing Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho That is to say The Rocke gaue Peter and his race a princelie and emperiall crowne And Ralfe receiu'd from Peters Grace a royall diademe of renowne Which trimme verse was by the before named Pope Gregorie 7. after that hee had excommunicated the saide Emperour Henrie 4. and cursed all his adherents sent vnto Ralphe the Duke of Swaben with am Imperiall crowne aduertising him plainlie therewithall that it lay wholie in his handes to giue to whem soeuer it pleased him as well the Empire as the crowne wherein hee did finelie prophesie in such order as Caiphas the Iewish Pope had prophesied saying That hee would neuer be esteemed as Pope if there did not die the same yeere before Whitsuntide a false or vniust King For it came euen so to passe Not that the Emperour Henrie by whom hee spake did die that yere but that the lotte fell vpon Ralphe to whom the Pope had giuen the Imperiall crowne who was the same yere pitifullie slaine his hands first cut of he lamenting sore before the Bishops That through informing of the Pope their prouokings he had made him and his accursed and rebelled against his owne lord and supreme head Nowe a litle after this did succeede Pope Paschalis 2. who againe excommunicated afreshe the Emperour and commaunded the Earle of Flaunders called Robert to destroy with fire and sword the territories of Luek and Camericke because that they would remaine true vnto their naturall lord and Souereigne the Emperour Henrie Yea hee did giue the Imperiall crowne with all the iewels of the Empire to Henrie the 5. sonne vnto the said Henrie the 4. Emperour herein preuailed so much that he did prouoke the sonne to rebell and persecute his owne Lord and naturall father yea with such horrible and vnnaturall malice that he let him most pitifullie starue in the prison at Luek which happened in the yeere of our Lorde 1108. Neither would hee receiue the Lukeners to grace til such time as they had taken vppe the dead carcase of his father which was by theÌ„ there buried cast the same out into the fields like the carion of a dogge And by that meanes the Lukeners were likewise discharged of the excommunication which Pope Paschalis had laid vpon them Men may likewise verie well conceiue the same by the example of the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa who after a great manie of excommunications and curses was in the ende within the towne of Venice vpon the great market called Saint Markes place at the toppe of the staires of the great church or palace troden vpon the necke by Pope Alexander 3. euen with his feete who for the establishing of his authoritie and power did vsurpe and openlie pronounce before al the people this saying in the Psalme Super Aspidem Basiliscum equitabis coÌ„culcabis Leonem Draconem that is to say Thou shalt ride vpon the Lion and the Adder the yong Lion and the Dragon shalt thou treade vnder thy feete c. And thus likewise was Franciscus Dandalius Duke of Venice excommunicated and banished by Pope Clement 5. and enioyned vnto certeiâ—e penance which was That he should goe creeping alongest the Popes palace vpon his handes knees with a collar about his necke like a dogge So that it is apparant that the Pope of Rome hath ful and absolute power ouer al Kings Dukes and Princes and therefore may commaunde them as his subiectes and tenantes and may extoll or aduance and disgrade or depose them euen as he shall thinke good Which authoritie of his doeth extende and reache so farre that hee hath likewise full power commaundement and iurisdiction ouer the Kings and Emperours of Turkie and other Heathen countries In so much that a man may lawfullie appeale vnto him in anie matter from before anie earthlie Prince or Potentate In summe hee hath vnder him the rule and gouernement of all Emperiall Princelie and Spirituall iurisâ—iction for hee is consecrated as a Priest and crowned as a King and is therefore the King of Kings and Lorde of Lordes For as touching that which these Heretikes do alledge against this That Christ should haue said Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which to God belongeth that saieth our mother the holie church was not a perpetuall rule but stood in effect onlie for a short time to wit till such time as Christ had suffered and was ascended vp into heauen For now to answere that where hee saith After that I shal be lifted vp from the earth I will drawe all things vp after me that is thus to bee vnderstood saieth the holie church of Rome That Christ after his ascension into heauen should take al Kingdomes Dukedomes and such like out of the possession of Kings Dukes c. and that by meanes of his souldiers especiallie by his Romishe Apostles And whereas in other places hee doeth forbid his Disciples to seeke after or to receiue golde or siluer that must likewise be vnderstood but till such time onelie as they haue
of Rome with all his Cardinals who are deftly decked vppe with all costly iewels like Puppets And hee shall receiue a mouth speaking great and wonderfull things so that all the worlde shall say Who is like vnto him Euen after the same sort as you see the Pope giue forth strange things touching his owne person and doeth attribute to himselfe a certeine power authoritie aboue all kings princes and angels in heauen yea euen aboue the sonne of God and which more is aboue God himselfe Insomuch that vpon this consideration our deare mother the holie Churche hath concluded that hee shoulde bee called Papa as though men should say Pape which is as much to say in our language as a wonderfull shreeke or hem in derision For it is a worde which doth signifie a monstrous wondring for because that he is a wonderfull monstrous and straunge beast Insomuch that one of his owne Poets doth call him Papa stupor mundi that is to say The wonder or mocking stocke of the worlde Euen as if a man shoulde say Tushe who is to be compared to him So that it is most apparauntly to bee seene that Saint Iohn in his Apocalypse doeth as it were euen point to him with his finger and that Daniel and Paule doe in many places of the Scripture paint him plainlie out in all his feathers In so much then that these Heretikes are farre ouerseenâ— when as they will say That the Scripture doeth not make anie mention of the Pope of Rome considering that wee haue proued all his authoritie to be grounded vpon the Scripture in such order as there is nothing to be said against it The xi Chapter VVherein is set foorth howe that no Priesteâ— nor spirituall persons are subiect or vnder the iurisdiction or power of the temporall Magistrates or Officers NOwe let vs come to speake of the other Priestes and spirituall persons who are throughlie furnished in all points with their Officials Deanes Archdeacons Vicars Inquisitours Sumners Prisons Places and Instrumentes for punishment so as they are not in anie point subiect to anie temporall Officer or Magistrate Neither may anie of them haue anie their causes or questions debated or determined before anie temporall Iudge or Officer so farre as they haue shauen crownes which is the right marke character of the citie with seuen mountaines whereof Saint Iohn makes mention in the Apocalypse And the same is likewise to bee proued by plaine textes of the holy scripture And for the first it is written That when as Lot went about to dissuade the wilfull Sodomites from their abhominable actes they saide vnto him Thou art come hither among vs and art but a straunger here What hast thou to doe for to take vpon thee to correct and iudge vs Out of this Text hath our mother the holie Church of Rome finally concluded that the Priests may not bee iudged nor punished by temporall Magistrates and Rulers vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are vndoubtedly right Sodomites Burgesses borne and maisters of this worlde by inheritance considering that they are made by the Pope to whom the worlde doeth absolâ—tely apperteine and that the temporall Magistrates and Officers are but as straungers who haue but as it were the gouernement of the world by lease at the handes of the Pope and his Priestes And therefore it doth not become them for to rule or punish the natiue Burgesses of Sodom and Gomorra that is to say the Priestes and Spiritualtie For so hath the Pope Anacletus determined and set forth in his Deccetals which interpretation of his is by our deare mother the holy Church allowed for good and registred in the booke of their decrees for an article of our faith Secondarily the same is proued by a speciall text out of the Gospell where it is written That Christ did driue or chace the buiers and sellers out of the Temple with a whippe or scourge For thereby it is apparant that the Priestes or Spiritualtie may not by anie meanes be punished by anie temporall Officer as is concluded by the forenameâ— Anacletus and the holie Church of Rome vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are to be esteemed as the very changers sellers in the Church who do vtter their merchandize so deare that the sight of them manie times will stand a man dearer than the best ware that the Habardashers of Paris and Lions haue in their shoppes And although other chaungers of monie and vsurers did inioy the benefites of the like priuiledge as well as the Priests to witte that they were with the same whipping driuen out of the temple yea and although dogs be sometime vsed after the same manner yet considering that the Priestes are my white sonnes and must haue somewhat the more preeminence and aduauntage specially for that their merchaundize are of more estimation than the rest and their incense of better smell than the incense that the dogges smother abroade in the Church Insomuch that the holie Church of Rome doeth vnderstande this by the priests onelie to wit that temporall Magistrates or Officers shall haue no iurisdiction ouer them considering well that Christ had them in such estimation as he himselfe onelie woulde whippe them out of the Church And yet hath shee more strongly established the same by the plaine Texte of the Prophete Dauid where it is written God stoode in the middest of the Gods that is to say of Priests and Prelats Againe I haue said All you are Gods. Now truth it is that the whole Psalme doeth after the letter speake of Kings and Gouernours of this world yet notwithstanding our deare mother the holie Church hath vnderstood the same wholy of the Priestes and Spiritualtie according to the spirit and that specially by reason of sixe weightie causes to witte First because the whole text doth conclude as well or rather much better vpon the Priestes than vpon anie other for it is written That will not vnderstaÌ„d but will walk in darknesse and set the whole world in a rore Which wordes seeme to conclude so well vpon Priestes and Bishops as though they had bene spoken only to them Now secondly the Priests are of much more estimation better than any Kings or Princes yea they do excell them as far as Leade doth Gold and therefore must Emperours bow downe their heads vnder the knees of the Popes as is plainely set forth by the holie father Pope Gelasius writing vnto the Emperour Anastasius and registred in the decrees Yea they are the light of the world Fathers Maisters to all men so that they deserue much better to be called Gods than either Kings or other Rulers do or can deserue Thirdly the Priestes are of more worthinesse and estimation than Angels For as our deare mother the holie Churche of Rome hath verie well concluded an Angel may not sing nor say Masse for that hee hath not the priestly character