but humble and prostrate Sinners onely truely and vnfaynedly repentaunt Sinners For otherwise such as raunge outragiously and willfully in their Sinnes nor are touched with any remorse of sorrowfull minde for their wickednes coÌ„mitted nor moued with any earnest desire to obtayne forgeuenesse vnto such I say Paule doth not bouchsafe to ascribe either Fayth or any righteousnesse at all no more doth Iames defraud the others which with repentauÌ„ce haue an earnest desire of Saluation of any part of IustificatioÌ„ No more do euen those which though be moued with neuer so great a remorse of Conscience obtayne any mercy at Goddes handes by any other meanes possibly then through onely fayth whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lord. Whereby you may perceaue sufficiently that in the Doctrine of Iustification all workes are excluded and Fayth onely weareth the gareland But that the meanyng of the Apostle may appeare more playnly to be so bold to vse schoole tearmes the predicatum must neédes agreé with his subiectum on this wise as where it is fayd that fayth onely doth iustifie this is true in deéde but whom Not the proud not the obstinate stubborne and outragious sinners but those sinners onely which stricken downe with an earnest acknowledgement of their sumes and entring into a serious meditation of amendement of lyfe doe most humbly flee vnto Christ through fayth euen with all their hartes Such that doe on this wise simply and vnfainedly repeÌ„t for Luther speaketh not a word of others if a man doe teach to be freely iustified through fayth onely agreéing herein with Paule with Iames and with Christ himselfe doth this man seéme in your eyes to teach a new Gospell or rather a most true and most most auncyent Gospell It were a tedious peéce of worke to runne ouer all the places of doctrine Let this be the summe to speake breefly Martine Luther did publishe many articles Iohn Caluine hath set forth his Institutions Melancthon hath made a collection of Common places the same also hath done Wolfg. Musculus Henry Bullenger hath written his Decades Peter Martyr hath made sundry commentaryes vpon the old Testament and the newe and discoursed notably vpon the Sacrament The same did before him Hulderick Zuinglius Iohn Oecolampadius Marine Bucer hath geuen vs many aunsweres and Apologies Emongest those may be placed the Apologie of Iohn Iuell no lesse famous and worthy Of Antichrist now openly and in good time discouered besides many other things hath Gaulter Rodulph compiled a treatise Of many other matters lykewise many writers haue treated largely Finally the professions and confessions of many natioÌ„s peoples prouinces Kingdomes Cities townes incorporate proclaymed published in writing through all their seuerall Churches by generall agreément conspiring and concluding all with one assent in one vndoughted trueth In all whose writinges monuments and confessions If you canne shew any thing new neuer heard of before or that is not auÌ„swerable and correspondent to the auncienty and doctrine of the Apostles I geue you here freé libertye to exclayme agaynst those doctours of the new Gospell as lowde and wyde as ye canne But if hitherto your selfe haue found no such matter nor euer shall be able to shew any such to what end raungeth this shamelesse vnbryveled impudency in matter so manifestly false You call it a new Gospell shamelesly enough yelding no reason that moueth you to call it newe Wherein you haue set before our eyes a very playn and euident demonsiration of your foolishe vanitye For if we should confesse the trueth in deéde to what purpose is all this brabble contentioÌ„ and discention emongest vs but for this onely matter because we do endeuonr to reclayme you that haue forsaken the true natiue simplicitye of the true and auncient Gospell roauing at randone after I can not tell what new-fangled straunge and imaginatiue deuises of mens traditions and are desirous to haue you come home to the auncient antiquitye of the true simple and pure Euangelick veritye agayne If any man shall doubt hereof and thinke this vntrue that I speake the apparant proofe is at hand Uouchsafe vs once this one petition that ye would be but willing to haue the Christian doctrine to recouer and returne to her auncient state and first institution euen the same state wherein it florished in those most auncient dayes of Christ and his Apostles weéding out by the rootes all that pilfe and baggage that hath ouergrowen the Churche since their departrue hence and wherewith they nor any of them were euer acquainted we will desire none other condicions or couenauntes of vnitie and attonement to be concluded vpon betwixt vs. Whereby the godly and indifferent reader may by this onely argument coniecture where those maisters doe lurke whome Osorius doth accuse of Noueltye Howbeit this nick-name of newe Gospellers wherewith the Catholickes doe obbrayd vs is no newe reproch For in lyke manner the Prophets in times past thapostles yea Christ himselfe were called New fellowes because they taught new doctrine Tertullian and Eusebius also do record that this nickname was vsually frequeÌ„ted eueÌ„ in the very swathling clowtes of the Church But they did easely deliuer themselues from that reproch of Nouelty Wherein albeit we haue not attayned so prosperous a successe as they did yet haue we yelded our endeuour in the same cause as farre forth as we trust the godly and indifferent reader will be satisfied and pleased withall I haue spoken now of our Antiquitie It remaineth that you aunswere lykewise Osorius as much as you may for your Antiquitye For it is agaynst all reason and iniuriously handled to exact a speciall accouÌ„pt of an others Antiquitye that can render no reason for your owne And therefore whereas this religion of yours which vnder visor of a true Church you do falsly call by the name of a Catholicke Church is ouâ—rwhelmed with infinite preceptes lawes and doctrines of men oppressed with innumerable decreés decretals extrauagantes Quintines Sixtines Ceremonies Traditions Rules Prescriptes Edictes Cannons and Synodalles Rites vowes and curses Let vs be certified therfore how much antiquitie is resiauÌ„t in the whole rabble of these your inuentions and deuises And to begyn at the very toppegallaunt of all your Religion that highe Prelate the Pope him selfe let vs first take a view of all his Titles by the which he is called to witte Uniuersall Byshop Prince of Priestes high and supreame head of the Church on earth Christes Uicare generall the onely Successour of Peter the most holy Father most Reuerend Byshop keépyng ioynte Consistory together with God the onely Monarche of the visible Church Byshop of Byshops These Titles and Additions of names I doe not enquire whether were euer named or heard of in the tyme of Christ or of his Apostles neither do I aske whether they were receaued into the Church in the tyme of Gregory sixe hundreth yeares after the AsceÌ„sion
measure without end raging vpon the bodyes vpon the goodes vpon all ages indifferently young and olde men women and children and all sexe and degrees of people yea of them also which doe confesse and professe the same Christ the eternall Sonne of God whō they do why do they broyle moyle and turmoyle all thinges with such cankred Ranckor with such furious outrage with so many dead corpses pilladge polladge as that all peacible tranquillitie beyng now vtterly taken away from out of al Christian natiōs there is no part thereof be it neuer so small which is not eyther crusht downe with more cruell and sauadge persecution then any Turke would haue vsed or at least that had not rather lyue vnder the Tyranny of the Turk then vnder the Iurisdiction of such a church What can it possibly enter into anye mans thought that these are the fruites of the holyghost or are guyded to the leading and conduct of our most meeke Sauiour Iesu Christ If you haue grounded such an indefesible confidēce vpon the truth of your cause if you stand so defensible by the protection of the holyghost agaynst all assaultes and attemptes of heretiques why then with a safe conscience and vndaunted courage do ye not committe your cause to the Lord the protector of the same and rest your selues assured vnder his sauegard following herein the good and godly councell of Gamaliell If the doctrine sayth he be not of God it will easely shiner in peeces though all the world seeke to vphold it Now this so great slaughter bootchery so great horror of Sauadge brutishe crueltie so execrable Phalarisme and Tyrāny from whatsoeuer authour it raungeth so rudely it sauoreth nothyng at all of the sweéte and amyable countenaunce of the holy Ghost surely nor of the naturall lenitie and humilitie of the Euangelicall doctrine But which he addeth last of all is of all the rest most magnificēt and Triumphaunt promising assuredly of the euerlastyng victory of his Churche that it shall remayne inuincible for euer For euen thus he speaketh wherein he seémeth in my conceite to differre very litle from that foolishe reioysing of a people mentioned in the Apocalipse who worshyppyng that same very Romishe Beast vndoughtedly did ascribe vnto her that vnuanquishable power of continuaunce euen by a like phrase of speach Who is like to the Beast say they and who is able to fight agaynst her And this much hitherto of the fayth the Church of Rome It ensueth next in order that we heare henceforth of the great Uicare of Christ somewhat and of the high and chief gouernour of the Church Bycause sayth he by the Gospell and testimony of Martyrs and the fayth and agreement of all holy Fathers Is there any more yet Finally we haue knowe the same by experience and proofe of thynges c. Goe to And what is it that you did know good Syrs That it could not possibly be that the Churche should be one vnlesse it haue one chief head the same highe Vicare of Christ. It is well and what doe ye conclude vpon this strong Reason at the last Forsooth that for this cause we yelde most humble obedience to the Byshop of Rome who is Christes Vicare vpō the earth c. Good GOD what doe I heare Osorius haue you pyked such a kynde of doctrine out of the Gospell and the Recordes of the Martyrs that there must neédes be one Churche on the earth wherein also of necessitie much be such a head as must beare chief principallitie rule and superioritie ouer all the rest In deéde if you meane this of Christ I am wholy on your side For he in very truth is the onely husbād of his onely spouse and Prince of Princes and the very head of all thynges without exception he onely is the highest and greatest of all But whereas you prouide two Princes for the Churche at one tyme together as it were an office committed vnto two persons wherof the one may supply the place of the other as though the other might in the meane tyme lye vpon one side doing nothyng I pray you good honest men did you euer learne this rule in the Scriptures Nay rather doth not the Gospell of Christ whereas it cōmaundeth all men to obedience and subiection prescribe that the Ministers of the Church aboue all others chiefly should cast away all Souereigntie and Lordlynes and should be contented with pouertie in so much that amongest the Apostles them selues it would admitte to superioritie Moreouer doth not Christ him selfe also throughout the whole Euangelistes very earnestly stirre vppe his Ministers to follow his example who was him selfe so farre of from desiryng any superioritie as that he refused the same vehemētly when it was offered would he thinke you Osori like well of such brabbling as we make now a dayes amongest our selues for Lordshyps and dignities And can you so boldly now take vpon you to be Proctour for this high Monarchy to be established in your Church cōtrary to the example of Christ defendyng the title therof by the Gospell and the Recordes of Martyrs contrary to the example of Christ him selfe and the prescript rules of his Gospell and yet in the meane tyme not vouch so much as one text out of the Gospell or the Histories of the Martyrs to make your party good Although I am not ignoraunt altogether that you haue certeine Sentences and wordes in the Gospell which by wringyng wrestyng you doe accustome to force to your purpose whether the Gospell will or no yet for as much as Haddon hath sufficiently enough aūswered those places in the first booke sith also nothyng can be superadded hereto that hath not already bene spoken it shal be but neédelesse to rubbe that gall my more But what he meaneth by Martyrs or what kinde of Martyrs he vnderstandeth I can not well perceaue If his meanyng respect those first auncient Martyrs of the Primitiue Church surely we haue ouer fewe monumentes of them left vnto vs yet none at all makyng ought for that Romishe Sinagogue But if you conceaue of the Martyrs of this later age in our dayes I am well assured that not onely the monumentes but the very bloud of thē also doth long sithence cry vnto the heauēs for vengeance against that vnconquerable Ierarchy of yours I speake here of true Martyrs And as to the Fayth and agreément of holy men vnlesse ye ioyne also hereunto a perpetuall consent of places and tymes generally and the truth also withall ye shall no more preiudice our cause then if you tell me of the consent and agreément of the Iewes cryeng out agaynst Christ Crucifige Crucifige And therfore in my conceipt your shall doe farre better if in steéde of this consent of men whereupō you bragge so lustely ye follow the counsell of Augustine Let not this be heard amongest vs sayth he This say I this say you but thus sayth
as it hath continued in lōg processe of tyme. The Fruits whereof what are they but very tumults Sectes Their dayly practizes abroad what be they but mighty Factions Their endeuours at home what be they but Scismes and ciuell disturbances where the popes and Cardinalls themselues enioy no peace but are at warres with Christ And in the same warres also are at ciuill mutynes and vproares amongest themselues It were a very long and tedious peéce of worke to gather a breuiate of all the brables Schismes and horrible tumultes frequented in that Seé these many hundred yeares and to sett them in order as either the auncient Histories of elder yeares or the monumentes of latter tyme do minister wonderfull aboundaunce of many It shall suffice to speake sūmarily as it were of a fewe by meanes whereof a more perfect coniecture may be made what is to be iudged of all that whole Seé ¶ A description of the Antiquities of Rome out of the Chronographers Martine Mounck of Chester Rodulpe Platina Volaterranus Blondus Sabellicus Phrigio Mercator Antonyne Cardinall Benno Barnes Hermane IN the yeare of our Lord God .369 Damasus was Pope of Rome Who was chosen Pope not without wonderfull sedition by meanes of the bitter contention of the Clergye At this season the Church of Rome beyng but newly deliuered from cruell persecutions beganne to picke vppe her Cromes and in some reasonable calme to grow and take hart Yet was it not aduaunced to so great possessions as yet nor to so great maiestie of Souereigntie The name of Vicar either generall or vniuersall sounded not as yet in any mans eare no man had as yet attained so deépe an insight to be able to perceaue that this Seé was erected by anye warrant of Christe his owne mouth no man did as yet so much as dreame of the Election of the order nor of the name of Cardinalls These names of a Prince of Bishoppes of Vicariat or Vicar See of Head of the Churches were not heard so much as to tingle in the eares of any Christians as yet All whiche Titles were graunted to pope Boniface the 3. enthronized through Ambition three hundered yeares after by the gifte of Phocas the Emperour Although in deede some sparckles of thys venemous Ambitiō began to be kindled as then in the Heades of diuers Popes So that whereas Vrsinus A Deacon practized to beé promoted to the very same Popedome It came to passe that a tumult being raysed they fell together by the eares tryeng whether of them should be Pope not by yealding of voyces onely but euen by playne handistrokes euen in the very Minister of Sicimus whiche skirmishe continued so long vntill Vrsinus was vanquished and the voyces preuayled for the stablishng of Damasus In the yeare of our Lord .420 was enthronized in that Seé Pope Boniface the 4. of that name against whome the Clergy conspiring An other Pope named Eulalius was chosen in the Minister of Constantine in a like vproare of the clergye was set agaynst Boniface Honorius The Emperor being troubled with this sedicion did banish them both out of the Cittie vntill by the commaundement of the same Emperour Boniface the first Pope created was restored to the Seé In the yeare of our Lord God .499 a great tumult was raysed that troubled the whole Citie and deuided it into parts about the choosing of too Popes Simachus and Laurentius whereof the one was proclaymed Pope in the Minister of Constantine thother in the Minister of our Lady Whereupon a Sinode being called at Rauenna Simmachus was created Pope But the aduerse part of the latter faccion storming thereat called Laurence back agayn in an vproare Theodorick the Emperour for thappeasing of that sedition addresseth forth one named Peter Altinates to Rome who expelling both Simmachus and Laurentius should occupy the Popedome But Simmachus could not so be quayled who gathering agayne a conuocation of Bishoppes together spake so lustely for himselfe that he obtained the Popedome agayn Laurentius and Altinates being vtterly bannished Whereupon the warres began to grow muche more whotter then before Much Christian bloud was spilte on both partes Finally the cruelty waxed so horrible that the very Noonnes began to be a pray to the confederates In the yeare of our Lord God .768 Pope Constantine beyng conuinced of Scisme and bereft of both hys eyes and besides him also an other Pope named Phillippe being deposed by force of Armes one Stephen was made Pope who gathering a Synode at Rome doth first vnpriest and afterwardes newpriest agayne all such as Const. before him had priested In the yeare of our Lord God .873 Pope Anastasius doth inuade the Popedome agaynst pope Benedict In the yeare of our Lord God .907 Leo was Pope about 40. dayes more or lesse against whom one Christopher raysing vppe a power and apprehending him casteth him into prison and at last getteth the Popedome wherein he sate skarse seuen whole monethes but being circumuented with like fraud by Sergius his successor and throwne into prison was requited with the selfe trechery that he offered before In the yeare 968. a conuocation of Bishoppes being Sommoned throughout all Italy Pope Iohn the 13. being detected of horrible crymes and refusing to make his purgation before Otho the Emperour Leo the viii of that name being as yet a lay man was in his place by the generall election of all the Bishops the Emperours consent appointed Pope gaue orders executed all other functions appertayning to the dignitie Not long after yea euen the very day of Themperours departure from Rome the Romanes taking hart of grasse agayne breaking the othe which they sware to the Emperour wherein they bound themselues that they would neuer choose any to be Pope without the consent of the Emperour or his sonne Ottho did agaynst all right and equitie through a Schisme appoynt one named Benedict Pope agaynst Leo. But there passed not many dayes before the Emperour besieging Rome did so torment and afflict the Romanes that they made a couenaunt with the Emperour to restore Leo agayne and depose Benedict frō the Popedome After whose death in the yeare 966. Iohn the 13. was aduaūced to the Seé Who beyng the same yeare taken prisoner of Ieofredus Earle of Cāpania through the coūsell of Peter then Lieuetenaunt of the Citie and thrown into prison was within a whiles after deliuered by Ottho and restored to libertie he sate as Pope seuen or eight yeares Of this Iohn the 13. thus writeth Platina This Iohn from his very youth was a merueilous wicked man and geuen altogether to lechery and did exceede all the Popes his predecessors in filthinesse of life and being taken in aduoutry was thrust through with a sword slayne In the yeare 973. After this Iohn was enstalled Benedicte the 5 in an vproare also but not continuing Pope longe For the very same yeare being taken prisoner by Cinthius
of Christ For no mā will euer say so This is it that I doe aske whether if the Apostles of Christ or if Christ him selfe lyued at this day he could endure these blasphemies whether he would not thunder out the same wordes or greater thē the same wherewith he reproched the Iewes and Phariseés long sithence Woe be vnto you Pharisees whiche loue the chief and highest Seates in the Synagogues loue to be saluted in the markettes and to be called of men Rabby c. What shall I speake of the dignity of the Pope whereby your Parasites do make this Romish Byshop not onely greater then all Byshops and higher then all humaine power but better also then the generall Councels and all the whole Churches besides wherein you geue him libertie to dispence with whatsoeuer and howsoeuer he will altogether as him listeth yea though it be cōtrary to Gods Commaundementes to make Lawes and Articles to throw downe vnto hell to open and shut fast heauen and Purgatory to whom and from whom he will to release at his pleasure promises and oathes of allegeaunce wherewith Subiectes are bounde either to God or to their Princes and whereby you haue coyned him a ioynte Consistory together with God by the which you authorize him to treade vpon most mightie Emperors to transpose Kyngdomes and States to make markettes of Pardons and to make new kyndes of worshyppynges It is manifest and playne that all these were deuised by your Parasites not deriued from the Apostles all which howsoeuer you couer and cloake with neuer so fayre a vysour of fayned antiquitie yet the sacred Hystory of the Euangelistes and the writynges of the Apostles do determine the contrary Christ him selfe submitting him selfe vnto Caesar did not deny to pay tribute he rebuked his Apostles striuing together about preeminence by the example of a child he taught them to embase them selues in all humilitie permitted vnto them no libertie of beatyng Rule Paule appealed to Caesar as to an higher power Peter makyng him selfe equall with the Elders called him selfe Fellow Elder not Prince of Priests He was neuer called head of the Church nor euer so taken For proofe wherof heare the testimony of Chrisostome an auncient witnesse Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher power yea though he be an Apostle though he be an Euāgelist or Prophet or whatsoeuer he be For this humility doth not subuert power c. I make no mention here with what thunderyng wordes Gregory doth inueighe agaynst thē which did practize to depraue this Ecclesiasticall equabilitie with arrogaūt Titles and to blaze her with more beautyfull feathers thē she was hatcht withal whom he vouchsafeth no better name then very forerunners of Antichrist Hystories are full hereof that those Titles of Pontificall pride were first graūted to pope Boniface the 3. by Phocas a murtherer But the fulnesse of all power began to be plumed by litle and litle in the tymes of his Successours at the last in the tyme of Hildebrand it became throughly ripe And yet the Greéke Churches stoode alwayes agaynst it nor would in any case allow thereof vntill the yeare of our Lord 1400. at what time Pope Eugenius 4. by fraud and great summes of mony did purchase this singuler prerogatiue of superioritye from the States of the Church and the pieres of the Greéke Empyre To be briefe The profession which our Churches doe generally acknowledge touching Christ to be the onely head of his Church is most euidently confirmed by the most auntient and approued testimonies of the Apostles On the contrary parte this your head of your Romishe Church though magnifyed with neuer so glorious titles how truely it may maintayne such singularitye I know not Sure I am you can not iustify it by any Antiquitye at all The same that I haue spoken of the Papane may be veryfyed of the first creation and election of Cardinalls of whome was neuer so much as name heard of in the age of thapostles or in Gregories time no nor a thousand yeares after Christ. For in those former ages from Gregory I. vnto Pope Iohn 29. the election of the Pope was alwayes Resiaunt with the Emperor and the people of Rome After which time the people being excluded frō geuing their voyces the election was through the practize of Parasites posted ouer to certayne Cardinalls The Pope must be taught say they and not heard Euen with lyke fraude were the people perswaded that the Masse was a very auntient thing not begunne of late nor proceéding from any others then from the Apostles themselues more then xv hundreth yeares agoe But Paule many yeares after thascention of Christ wryting to the Corinthiās doth say that he did deliuer vnto them the same which he had receaued of the Lord Wherein he spake not a word of those stagelyke gambols apish gestures of transubstantiation of one onely kinde to be deliuered to the people of any sacrifice for the quicke and the dead of inuocatiō of Saintes or praying for the dead All which together with that high feast of Corpus Christi frō whence they tooke their first footing and who were the Authors thereof Histories make mention playnely enough The wearing of Coapes at the tyme of Communion was first brought in by the bountifull liberality of Charles the great The practize and custome of priuate Masses beganne vnder his sonne Lodovick Pius At what tyme was a decreé made in a councell holden at Agathe that the lay people should be admitted to receaue the Sacramēt threé times of the yeare onely This custome was afterwardes abridged from thrise to once in a yeare by a constitution made in the tyme of Clement 3. who also described certaine Rites to be obserued in celebrating the Masse whereas a litle before Pope Alexander the 3. had instituted the vse of vnleauened bread about the tyme of Frederick Barbarosa and taken away the other part of the Communion from the laye people The pride and arrogancy of the Popes waxed then so outragious that at the last they shamed not to commit horrible sacriledge in the whole vse of the Lordes supper and turned it to the worshypping of an Idoll the true vse thereof being vtterly abolished But for the carrying abroad of this cōsecrated bread was a speciall feast and holyday graunted by Pope Vrbane the 4. by the mediation of Thomas Aquinas a litle before Gregory the 7. As concerning the Cannon of the Masse appeareth playnely by the whotte contention raysed about Gregories Cannon and Ambrose his Cannon that it was clowted vp and patcht together with many other trinckets more of the lyke sort by diuers and sundry Popes and not instituted in the primitiue Church nor yet ordeyned by thapostles During the time of which contentiō the common Churches were in a great perplexitye not resolued whether of those two Cannons they might receaue Besides which Cannons were diuers other
the order of Templars or Almaines which tooke their name of the Hospitall of S. Iohn in the yeare .1128 The Order of Premonstratenses were founded by Caliste 2. in the yeare .1124 The order of Gilbertines in the yeare .1152 by Eugenius the 3. The Order of Brother Preachers who tooke their name and begynnyng from Dominicke a murtherer and most cruell persecutour of the Valdenses vnder Innocent 3. in the yeare .1216 Immediatly after ensued the factions of Franciscanes in the yeare .1228 vnder Gregory the 9. To whom within a whiles after were added the orders of Eremytes Austen Friers Reformed Carmelites whom the moūt Carmell did vomite out vnto vs. There followed also an other order of Austen Friers vnder Honorius the 4. in the yeare .1286 Neither did these monstruous vanities of new fangle Religiōs cease at men but the Serpigo crawled further into womens cōsciences also who beyng allured by the exāple of men began after a litle sittyng abrood to hatcht vp such cheékynes to flocke together in coueyes herdes Wherof some were called Sisters Clarites broched by Dominicke first Some Brigittines surnamed of one Brigitte a Scithiā borne their couey peéped abroad at the first in the begynnyng of Vrbane the 5. his Popedome In the Councell of Laterane was a Decreé published by Innocent the 3. with a speciall prouiso for the abandonyng of diuersities of Religions that from thenceforth no Couent of Cloystered company or cowled crew should be erected in the yeare .1215 And yet in despight of the authoritie of this Decreé how many clusters of factious Friers haue bene forged emongest your holy Fathers sith that tyme. Besides the orders of Minorites Austens Brigidines Crossebearers and Scourgers there is peépte abroad within these few yeares good lucke a Gods name to the Pope and his Puppettes the order of Iesuites in the yeare .1540 promising I know not what by the title of their names Sure I am they haue hetherto accomplished nothyng correspondent to so sacred a name But it seémed good to the Lord Iesus peraduenture to fulfill so the Propheticall truth of his Gospell Many shall come in my name c. What followeth let them selues looke to it I haue spoken of Mounckery I haue spoken also of some other orders and ordinaūces of the Romish Church for to rippe vp all were an infinite peéce of worke It remaineth now That Osorius say somewhat for him selfe likewise and make some shew of wares if he haue any in all that his Romish Church wherein he liueth now except a few Articles of the Creede onely wherein we can iustifie as auncient a prescription of possession as they can that be not either new straunge and lately vpstarte or els altogether Poeticall stagelicke and mockeries Wherfore if we measure Antiquitie by the age of Christ his Apostles the nearest yeares next ensuyng the same age wherein also if Osorius will abide by it that nothyng ought to be allowed in the Church that doth not sauour of that primitiue and Apostolicke antiquitie then shall Osorius daughtlesse at this one blow choppe of the Popes head triple Crowne Church and all for as much as he shall neuer be able to vouch any thyng either in the receaued Doctrine Religion Rites or Ceremonies of his Church that euer saw the age of the Apostles or is in any respect correspondent to that first patterne and president of the primitiue Simplicitie There is such a generall Metamorphosis and alteration yea all thynges are turned into so frameshapen a newfanglenesse that it may seéme they haue not onely forgoen the aunciēt ordinaūces of the primitiue Church but also to haue vtterly excluded them selues from all acquaintaūce with that same Church with the Gospell yea with Christ him selfe of whom the Apostles gaue testimony and preached The Apostles did not acknowledge that same one Christ any where but in heauen and him ascendes into heauen they did so apprehend by Faythe that they would neuer seéke him els where then in heauen and so in heauē sittyng in the flesh as that they would no more know him after the flesh as men not dreamyng so much vpon his carnall presence nor ouer greédely affectioned to enioy him after that fleshly maner but were otherwise wholy settled and vnmoueably fixed in mynde in that spirituall presence of his Maiestie But to you sufficeth not to apprehend Christ by Fayth sittyng in heauen and to worshyp in spirite as the Apostles blessed Martyrs did vnlesse after a fleshly and bodyly maner with your fingers you handle the reall corporall substanciall identicall presence of Christ behold the the same with your eyes and choppe him vppe at a morsell Which deuise of yours doth argue that you seéme to be carried with a wondrous senselesse opinion of errour as neither to acknowledge one the selfe same Christ whom the Apostles did nor to worshyp him in heauen onely but to imagine to your selues two Christes of that one Christ namely one Sauiour in heauē and an other in earth and him also to Sacrifice dayly in your Masse In the Apostles tyme the Communion was ministred not once in a yeare onely nor at the Feast of Easter onely nor with Bread consecrated into the body of Christ but in a thankefull remembraunce of the Lordes death the bread and wyne beyng equally deliuered to the people at all tymes whensoeuer any assembly of well disposed did meéte together for that purpose They neuer sayd nor song any priuate Masses nor instituted any Sacrifices for the quicke and the dead being throughly satisfyed with one sacrifice onely which beyng once finished they were assured that the whole action of our Redemption was accomplished For so are we taught by the testimony of the Apostle By his owne bloud he entred in once the euerlasting redemption being accomplished And agayne For this did he once when he offered vppe himselfe And imediately after We are sanctified by the onely offering of the body of Christ Iesu once offered for all Moreouer in an other place writing of one Christ onely One God sayth he one Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesu c. But how shall there be but one onely Christ or one onely Sacrifice of his body once offered of whose body you doe exact dayly a new fresh sacrifice to be made for the sinnes of the people Or how cā he be sayd to be but one accordyng to the proportion of a body of whom you doe imagine a presence accordyng to the whole nature of his flesh both absent in body in the heauens and in the same body neuertheles at one selfe instaunt on the earth Do ye not seé how absurdly these your patcheries concurre and agreé with the naturall meaning of the Scriptures and how farre they be from all reason And what is this els then to preach vtterly an other Christ then whom the Apostles
full mouth so much The olde Cannons that are called the Canons of the Apostles doe with wonderfull seueritye manace and threaten them who frequenting the Church hearing the preachings doe sequester themselues from receauing the Communion On this wise did Pope Calixt who would doe nothing without the Censures ecclesiasticall exhort and perswade all men to communicate publiquely together wheresoeuer the supper of the Lorde was ministred The wordes of Ierome be in each respect no lesse euident The Supper of the Lord sayth he ought to be generall to all because Christ himselfe did equally distribute the Sacrament to all his disciples that were present And how doth this geare agreé with the celebrating of your priuate Masses The same Canons prouided that the Byshop should be deposed which would ioyne a ciuill office with a spirituall fūction The same also did Pope Clement detest as horrible haynousnes And what doth the Pope then meane by that newe power of both swordes is it because he will be armed to fight a new combate with the Dragon that fought agaynst the Aungel Michaell Many yeares sithence did the Councell of Carthage forbid that nothing should be read in the Churche but the Canonicall Scriptures Which Scriptures Iustiniā the Emperour commaunded to be vttered with a lowd audible voyce that the people might gather some fruite thereby If Antiquitie of time or authoritye of Councels could haue obtayned any creditt amongest the Romanistes the olde councell Elibertine did decreé that nothing should be paynted in the Church that might be an occasion to moue the people to worshippyng So did also Epiphanius that aūcient Father accoūt it for an intollerable sacriledge yf any man would be so hardy as to set vp in Churches of Christians any kinde of Image yea though it were the Image of Christ himselfe The Auncient Fathers were no lesse godly zelous then zelously studious to perswade enduce the people to the Readyng of holy Scriptures and to the buying of Bookes of the same that emongest themselues euery one in his seuerall familye wyues with their husbands children with their parentes the plowgh man at the plowe the weauers in their Loomes women and maydens spinning and carding might debate of the holy Scriptures and sing some sonets and songes of the same as Origen Chrisostome and Ierome do testifie It was not tollerable in the time of Augustine that A Moūck should idely cōsume his time in slouth and sluggishnes or should vnder visor and pretence of holynes lyue vpon an other mans trencher but by the sweate of his owne browes such a one also Appollonius also doth lyken to a theéfe There was an auncient custome of this Land instituted from the auncient fathers that no person should appeale to the Pope for any cause without the kings leaue at what time our kings yelded to the popes no submission at all Whereupon when Anselme did deliuer the Popes letters to the king What haue we to do sayd the king with the Popes letters we will not breake the lawes of our kingdome Whosoeuer shall presume to infring the Custome of our Realme the some is a traytor to our Crowne and dignitye he that doth take away our Crowne from vs is an enemy and Traytor to our owne person There was an ordinaunce sometime within the Realme no lesse profitable then auncient That if any man did possesse two Benefices at one time bearing charge of sowle especially the same should be depriued from both And this ordinaunce continued so long in force vntill the Pope with his medley of dispensation innouating all thinges and turning all thinges vpsydowne after his owne lust and pleasure did leaue nothing in Churches that had any smatch of Antiquitye And no maruell though he were so malapertly sawcy with the Lawes of our Realme when as in the last Councell holden at Trydent skarcely 24. yeares sithence by publique authoritye and consent of the whole Councell an Edict was established that no person should enioy two benefices at once this Cannon notwithstanding there is so litle regard of authoritye of that Councell emongest these Prelates that a mā may easily seé now a dayes many Monasteries two Byshopprickes yea sometimes threé or fowre swallowed vp into one paunch all at one tyme. The same may be verified of the Coūcels of Cōstance and Basile Where though many matters were determined vpon wickedly enough this decreé notwithstanding was published being good and profitable for the Church That generall Councells assembled together by lawfull Sommons were and ought to be esteémed better and higher in authoritye then the Pope And yet this decreé sone razed out by the power of the Pope how quickly was it dispatcht so farforth doth nothyng delight these fine heads of Rome that whether it be old or new nothyng can please them but that which is for their owne toothe Wherein I would wishe that Osorius would marke diligently this one thing sithence this Seé doth conuey her lawfull discent not frō any decreés of mē but frō christ himselfe as he affirmeth what doe these Fathers of the Coūcell of Constance and Basile meane by this decreé Wherein they commaunded that the Romishe Seé should be gouerned by the generall Councells Now what may be spoken or imagined of the Prouisiones Reseruations yearely penciōs Pardons Priuiledges Exemptions Dispensations Graces Preuentions Expectatiues Palles Uisitations and other lyke snares and trappes of that Romishe Seé what shall we number these trinketts also emongest thother sacred Reliques receaued in that Apostolique age aboue xv hundreth yeare sithence I come now more neare vnto those partes of Religiō wherin all the glory and vaunte of your Antiquitye triumpheth chiefly And first that doctrine of Trāsubstantiatiō your onely Goddesse and chiefe vpholder of that your popish kingdome From whence did it issue and who was the author of it before Pope Innocent 3. in the Councell of Lateran not many yeares ago At what tyme the consecrated hoste was commaunded to cast away all her nature of Bread or at least before Nicholas 2. and his Successor Hildebrand in a Councell holden at Rome at what Councell Berengarius was forced to Recant And why were not Pope Gelasius Theodoret Augustine Tertullian Origen Eusebius and with them also the whole Greéke Churche cited to Recant For the same error of Berengarius Why was not the Church of Moskouites compelled to abiure which from thence euen to this day doe minister the Communion with bread broken and distributed in deéde but not consecrated into the body of the Lord To passe ouer other Churches why was not all this Church of Saxons in our kingdome condemned for hereticall which maintayned the same cause that Berengarius did as of late hath bene declared by certeine auncient Recordes lately found out emongest vs in the Saxons tongue Although this opinion of consecrated bread beganne to sparckes◠abroad not many yeares agoe after the Councell of Nice the second
thynges are construed The callyng of the Apostles was equall one maner of function amongest them all the authoritie indifferent one selfe same holy Ghost poured vpon eche of them at one tyme the promises generall the reward proportionall The which though I doe knit vp briefly makyng hast foreward yet if any man will behold euery seuerall parcell and withall enter into a deépe consideration of the most pure and vndefiled Church of Christ and his Apostles as he shall perceaue an enterchaūgeable communion in that strickte societie of Apostleshyp so shall he soundly iudge of that Monarchie and superioritie in possessiōs in giftes and other functions and all other priuiledges of dignitie especially That they were vtterly renounced of Peter and of all that sacred Brotherhood These former positions therefore beyng now thus well fenced your cutted Apishe Sophisme is cut of by the rumpe wherewith you conclude so ridiculously If it be euidēt say you yea more apparaūt then the sunne in mid-day that Peter was aboue all the other Apostles in superioritie of degree then is it most manifest that the same honour and preheminence in dignitie is due to all them that suceede him in place O leaddagger Argumēt in which what shall I blame first If Peter you say were a Prince It is all one forsooth as if this our holy father had wynges perhaps he would flye like a Wildgoose But admit that Peter were placed in Pontisicalibus as you would haue it though it be quyte contrary as I haue already proued But we will graunt it vnto you for a tyme. What will you gayne hereby That the same dignitie is due to the Successours wherfore I pray you The priuiledge of the person is not extended beyond the person And therefore if the Maiestie of Peter were peculiar to Peter euen so it ended in him selfe But if you had no leysure to learne the Ciuill Law can not common reason teache you that whatsoeuer priuiledge is geuen to one person alone may not bee translated to his successours vnlesse it bee limited by name But if these two crooches deceaue you come of and learne of our Sauiour Iesu Christ him selfe what kinde of superiority that was wherof Christ made mentiō to Peter Blessed art thou Symon Bariona for fleshe and bloud haue not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Thou art Peter c. Which wordes doe playnly conuince that flesh and bloud were not partakers of this promise nor that any especiall choise was made of the person of Peter but of his fayth and confession onely For God doth not accept the person of any man In like maner neither flesh nor bloud may challenge any succession in this promise whether it be Iuly Boniface or any other But the fayth and confession of Peter is the true succession of Peter For if his succession were due vnto personages then should this dignitie be oftentymes committed to Sorcerors and heretiques but this is altogether repugnaunt to the sacred institution of our Sauiour Christ to builde his Churche vpon so stinkyng a puddle Therfore cast away this your patched conclusion lame and haltyng of euery legge For without all question Peter obteined no such interest in Principalitie or if he did it was but in his confession of fayth onely And therfore can no man clayme any other succession as lineally from him vnlesse perhaps you may cōmaunde God to loue an Italian Prelate because he is borne in Italic better then an English or Spanish Byshop or that ye will locke fast the holy Ghost to the Citie of Rome But the Spirite will blow where him listeth and the tyme commeth and is euen now already come that neither in this Mount nor in Ierusalem nor in any appointed place God shall be worshipped God is a spirite and his true worshippers shall worship him in spirite and truth But will ye come nearer home harken to your own Doctour Ierome whose iudgement I haue here noted worthy surely to he engrauen in letters of gold If authoritie bee enquired for the world is greater then a Citie whersoeuer a Byshop be either at Rome or at Eugubium or at Rhegium or at Constantinople or at Alexandria all be together equall of like merite and of like Priesthoode The power of riches or basenes of pouertie maketh not a Byshop higher or lower They all are the successours of the Apostles wheresoeuer they sit and of what estate so euer they be c. To the same effect writeth Cyprian in these wordes The same thyng verely were the Apostles that Peter was endued with like partakyng of honour and power But the begynnyng first entered by vnitie to the entent that the vnitie of the Church might be shewed to be one Is it euen so Cypriā is this thy verdite that all the Apostles were endued with like partakyng of honour and power But you my Lord affirme cleane contrary That Peter was appointed chief of all the Apostles and that this is more manifest then the Sunne in midday and that hereunto agree the Scriptures auncient fathers and that generall cōsent of antiquitie Truly you speake many wordes but no mā besides your fraternitie will beleue you not of any pleasure of gaynesaying but bycause you alledge nothyng that may enduce to yeld And bycause you seéme somewhat tymorous of the successe of your Diuinitie in this deépe principall cause of Monarchie you catch hold fast of a Sophistical target That in the church wiche is but one ought to be one chief Ruler vpon whom all men may depende by whose authoritie troubles may be appeased and outragious opinions may be suppressed c. There is in deéde but one Church generally as there is but one confession of Christian fayth yet this generalitie of the Church is distributed into many particular congregatiōs as all Nations haue their seuerall administrations of Iustice. Now therefore as euery dominion is deuided into seuerall distinctions of gouernement so to euery particular Church are ordeined seuerall Pastours and yet in the meane whiles finde no lacke at all of your new vpstart Monarchie whereof was neuer question moued in the golden age of the primitiue church But you Reply with pretie poppet reasons That contentious can not bee calmed nor outrages suppressed except some one be ordeined chief and head of the Church This fonde distinction the common course of humaine actions doth vtterly extinguish For euery seuerall Prince doth gouerne his common weale with wholesome distinct ordinaunces and yet make not so great aduauncement of this stately Monarchy as you do phantastically dreame But perhappes this is neédefull in matters of Religion why I pray you more then in temporall regiments The gouernement of Rome it selfe for the singularitie wherof you play the champion wil minister examples vnto vs of either part Augustus was an honorable Emperour Vespasian indifferent but Caius Caligula and Nero were horrible monsters who did not onely
euill and peruerse disposed persons Yet such is the maner of of Osorius disputation as though no man could be founde that would amende his life or embrace godlynes at the preachyngs of the Gospell And as though nothyng ensued therof els but vnbrideled licentiousnesse and outragious boldnesse to rushe and range headlong into all vnpunishable libertie and lust the decay and ouerthrowe of all vertue the subuersion and drownyng of all godly discipline finally the very sinke and receptacle of all abhomination whiche as is most falsely belyed vpon him so I can not yet gesse to what end it is alledged vnlesse he meane thereby to persuade vs to abandone and banish the preachyng of the freé mercy of the Gospell and so to slide backe agayne to old Iewishnesse with the Scribes and Phariseés and that in steéde of Christ Paule Moyses may rule ouer our consciences agayne Cicero may be preached in our Churches Truely this is the marke that Osorius or rather in Osorius the auncient enemy of mankyng seémeth to shoot at who hauyng now spent all his shot and pouder vnable at the last to enfeéble or resiste the glory of Christ any longer practizeth by subtill engynes of crafty lyeng and slaunderous cauillations to vndermyne and batter his doctrine and to bryng this deuise to passe findeth none so fitte an instrument as Osorius chief champion of his garde I haue now set out vnto theé gentle Reader the substaūce of Osorius Diuinitie the grauitie of his doctrine and the forme of his accusation Whereby thou mayest perceaue the poysoned fistula whereof he would empeache Luther For this is his practize to enduce men to beleue that Luther doth teach extreme Desperation boldnesse to sinne and contempt of good workes Now remaineth to discusse by the sequele of his discourse what force of Argumentes and sleight of deuise he is furnished withall to mainteine his challenge And therefore Paule doth not in any wise promise inheritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen to those persons who rest them selues vpon the onely fayth of Luther but vnto them which do exercize them selues in good workes and do direct all their labour and trauaile to set forth the glory of Christ through the whole course of their lyfe c. In one sentence two euident lyes the one imagined agaynst Luther the other deuilishly deuised agaynst S. Paule First of all wheras hee burtheneth Luther to be the founder of this doctrine of Onely Fayth it is as false as there is no truth in Osori mouth In deéde Luther wrate much touchyng Fayth onely but neither he alone nor he the first nor taught he other doctrine then many famous Doctours of aūcient antiquitie did teache besides him Who did not onely excell him farre in learnyng but lyued many hundred yeares before he was borne And namely amongest all other S. Paule who through all his whole Epistles doth with a wonderfull vehemencie harpe as it were alwayes vpō this one string That true righteousnes cōmeth to no man by the law nor by the workes of the law but through the fayth of Christ freely without workes and so without workes as it hath often bene spoken before that if any mā will take hold of workes he is excludeth forthwith from Fayth But Osorius will say That no mention is made any where in S. Paule of this exclusiue word Onely Whereupon these Lutherans doe stand so much In Letters perhaps as you say Osorius or in sillables But why prye we after sillables when we hold the substaunce of the worde or to what purpose striue we about wordes when we are assured of the matter First of all I suppose no man will deny but that Paule doth denounce men to be Iustified by fayth Now hee that doth tye righteousnesse so fast to fayth that he vtterly abandoneth the law and all the workes of the law from Iustification what doth he meane els thereby though he professe it not in bare wordes then that fayth is the chief yea and onely foundation and builder of Iustification vsing herein the very same rule that Logicians doe vse in their Schooles framyng a sounde probable Argument from the proposition Exponent to the Exclusiue Euen as if a man disputyng with you would proue by Argument That Christ is the knowen and assured head of the Churche would argue thus that besides Christ is none other head of the whole Church vpon earth I beseéch you Syr what meaneth he elles that argueth so then that Christ onely ought to be acknowledged the head of the whole Church If it be so that this word Onely seéme so haynous to you and others of your fraternitie that it may not be admitted as in any respect tolerable yet can ye not accuse Luther for the same but you must withall endite guiltie of the same crime the best and most approued Doctours and interpretours of elder age who to expresse the meanyng of the Apostles doctrine more liuely haue not onely accustomed them selues sundry tymes to this word Onely in their Commentaries but also deliuered the same to the posteritie to be vsually frequented so that Luther now shal be founde to coyne no new thyng herein but rather make report of the studious carefulnesse and carefull trauaile of the auncient Father in this behalfe And first of all we will begyn with Ambrose vnto whom I pray you geue eare what he writeth herein who as it were one of the same number whō Osorius doth reproch to be wholy bent to this doctrine of Luther many hundred yeares before the name of Luther was knowen hath written in this maner God hath decreéd from eternitie sayth hee that the beleuyng man shal be Iustified by Fayth Onely Whereby appeareth that this word Onely came not first from Luther but from Ambrose rather But bycause the truth shall not want substaunciall witnesse and authoritie worthy the same witnesses we will adioyne to Ambrose the like testimony of Ierome whose wordes if may obteyne any credite with Osorius will be of such force efficacie for our present purpose as that they will seéme to haue bene written for none other entent then to cōuince this Iewish opinion of Osorius And these are his wordes The Iewes sayth he did affirme that he which trusted to Fayth Onely was to bee abhorred But Paule on the contrary part doth auerre that whosoeuer trusteth in Fayth Onely is blessed c. I beseéche you tell me for your Myters sake what can be spoken agaynst you more substaūcially Let vs now conferre your saying with Chrisostome You do adhorre them as Lutherans which doe rest them selues vpon Fayth Onely bycause Paule doth promise the kyngdome of heauen as you say to them that worke good deédes on the contrary part Chrisostome doth note them for Iewes especially and accompteth them execrable which deny that men ought to trust to fayth vsing this reason bycause Paule sayth hee doth professe those men blessed that trust to Fayth
to this your poore sheépe a litle whiles to accept of his seély bleatyng There was lately in these parties a very discrete person named Charles Miltitius your holynes Secretary and Chāberlaine with a greéuous complaint to the most renowmed Prince Fridericke touchyng my vnreuerent behauiour and vnaduised rashnesse agaynst the Church of Rome and your holynes requiryng punishmēt for the same the hearyng wherof greéued me not a litle sorowyng that my great and inward carefulnes of duetie and good will employed for the aduauncement of the honour and dignitie of the Churche of Rome was accused for vnreuerent and condemned for so maruelous wicked namely in the audience of the very head of the same Church But what shall I doe most holy Father I am altogether voyde of counsell herein I am not able to endure the power of your wrath and how I shall escape it I know not He doth require me to make a recantation of my disputations whiche if might be done to any such purpose as is imagined would come to passe I would do it wtout any let But whereas now through the unportunate resistaūce exclamations of my aduersaries my disputations are scattered farther abroad then euer I thought they would haue bene and withall are more deépely rooted in the hartes of many men then can easily be pluckt vp agayne besides this also sithence our countrey of Germany doth wōderfully floorish at this day with pregnaunt wittes sounde Iudgementes and aboundaunce of learnyng I perceaue that if I doe honor the Church of Rome I must be throughly aduised to make no recantation at all For in this maner to recant were nothyng els but to contaminate and defile the Churche of Rome much more thē before and to betray her to the open reproche and manifest infamy of all Nations and toungues Those euen those O most holy Father whom I withstoode to witte those which with their most vnsauory preachynges vnder colour of your holynes haue made a Relligion of those detestable marketts and haue defiled the holy place with the shamefull and abhominable Idolatry of Egypt haue wrought all this mischief and outrage with vs in Germany as though this were not villany enough do accuse me who withstoode them in their monstruous beggyng to be the authour of all their misdemeanour before your holynes Now most holy Father I doe here protest before God and the world that I neither was willyng nor at this present am willyng to impeach the Maiestie of the Churche of Rome nor the authoritie of your holynesse by any meanes nor by any colourable practize to deface the same but doe freély and frankely confesse that the Iurisdiction of this Church is aboue all thyngs and that nothing in heauen aboue or in earth beneath is to be preferred aboue the power of this Church sauyng onely Iesus Christ my Lord and my Sauiour To the contrary wherof let not your holynes beleéue any vntrue surmises deuised agaynst your poore Luther And that one thing which I am able to do herein I do vowe here to your holines That is to say to surcease her after from dealing any more with this matter of pardōs will become altogether mute so that mine aduersaries likewise will lay down their glorious and reprochefull slaunders raysed agaynst me will publish an instrument of my scilence herein that the cōmon people may know and acknowledge the dignitie of the Church of Rome and yeald due reuerence to the same and not to impute the rashnes of this beggarly pardoners to that honorable Seé nor to imitate the sharpenes which I haue vsed or rather haue abused agaynst the Seé Apostolicke wherein I was somewhat ouerlauish agaynst these lewde Lurdeynes This will I doe in hope that this disorder rashly raysed may by Gods grace and this meanes be alayed agayne if it be possible For in all that doyng myne onely endeuour was that our mother Churche of Rome might not be infamed for other mens couetousnes and that the vnlettered people might not be carried into errour and perswaded to set lesse stoare by charitie then by those Pardons All other thynges as beyng but matters indifferent I do make not great accompt of If besides this I can do any thyng or can learne how otherwise to please your holynesse I will yeld my selfe vnfaynedly at your commaundement Christ preserue your holynes for euer Frō Aldenburghe the iij. of Marche 1519. Now I beseéch you Osorius what can be more myldly written then these Letters of Luther more beseémyng a godly and well disposed mynde or on all partes more duetyfull in respect of humanitie The which I thought it not amysse to set downe in this place that the shamelesse slaunder of Hosius might be made more apparaunt hereby who produceth Luther into the open Stage standyng agaynst the whole world entryng into that combate for none other cause but of a greédy desire to purchase credite to hauke after the glory of the worlde and to plye the paūche who as one pricked in the buttocke with a boddkynne whē he perceaued this market of Pardons to come in question amongest the Dominicke Friers by the motion of the brothers of his own fraternitie begā therfore to sturre these coales And this he iustifieth to be true by wordes vttered out of his owne mouth For whenas in the beginnyng of his disputation agaynst Eckius he seémed somewhat to passe the boūdes of modesty and was aduertized therof by some that in Gods cause he should moderate him selfe in the spirit of lenitie he affirmeth that he brake out into these speaches namely that those disputatiōs were neither begon for Gods sake nor could be ended for Gods sake Which wordes to be either falsely imagine vpon Luther by his aduersaries neuer spokē of him or els not vttered in that sense as they be alledged by Hosius the matter it selfe doth expresse the same with open euident proofes And yet it may be that Luther both spake truly Iudged no lesse of Eckius whom he knew to be a notable Parasite of the Pope For what is he that wayeng duely both the glorious insolency of Eckius the manifest perill of Luther will dought hereof that all these broyles were neuer vnder taken of Eckius for Gods sake but begun ended also onely for the Popes sake Surely they can in no respect be construed vpō Luther not by any probable coniecture so much considering he was by Eckius forced to disputatiō very much agaynst his will But we will speake of Hosius an other tyme by gods permissiō To returne now to Osorius For as much as Luther demeaned him selfe so humbly as you seé and prostrated him selfe wholy euen vnder the feéte of the Pope what would you haue had him doe els Osorius I suppose veryly he should haue done this namely haue recāted and fallen vpon his kneés as boyes are wont when they feare the rodd should haue yelded a fault
the Lord and there let the Church be sought out Now what the experience of Osorius doth seé let him selfe looke thereto Sure I am that Cyprian seémeth to haue experimented an other kynde of experimeÌ„t where he writeth Hereupon grow all maner of Scismes sayth he bycause the head is not sought for meÌ„ come not to the wellspring it selfe neither are the ordinaunces and rules of the heauenly Maister kept nor obserued Wherein I thinke you seé matter sufficieÌ„t enough by how much the testimony of this Martyr doth differre from you whereas you do racke all thynges to humaine authoritie onely he calleth all men backe to the very founteines of the Scriptures rather And yet doe I not deny but that humaine authoritie doth many tymes auayle very much to bridle the vnruly raungyng of sectes if Osorius would limitte this authoritie humaine within certeine measurable boundes But he raketh all thynges now to the authoritie of the Romishe Seé onely as though there were none other authoritie elles that might stay sectes and Schismes besides this Romishe Pope onely Which Assumption is altogether vntrue And therefore to make the same appeare more euidently Let vs note the wonderfull Logicke of Osorius somewhat more aduisedly The Authoritie of the Romishe See beyng taken away sayth he will be an occasion that heresies will grow in vse How shall this be knowen bycause Osorius doth seé it for such are the strongest pyllers of Osorius buildyng for the more part Thus sayth Osorius Thus is well knowen to the world who doth not see this Experience teacheth all men this But what if some meéry conceipted Carneades of the Academickes schoole will deny your bare Affirmatiues to your teéth what if he will geue no credite to your opinions no nor yet to your wapper eyes that are bleared dimme with raÌ„cour malice as it is a kynde of Philosophers you know well enough very hard laced scarse applyable to credite any maner of bare Affirmatiues Nay rather what if some other hauyng bene enured to contrary experieÌ„ce will contend with you on this wise say That he doth seé with his eyes that this Romish Seé wherof you speake is the chief Metropolitane of all sectes and heresies what shall become of this your notable defeÌ„ce The thyngs which are seene with the eyes say you whiche are knowen which are notorious in all mens mouthes which experieÌ„ce witnessing also doth ratifie to be true which are sensibly felt with eares and eyes to call these thynges in question whether they be true or no is meare ignoraunce but to deny them is a point of most shamelesse impudency Not so Osorius we do not deny the thynges that men do seé with their eyes But the thyngs that you do Assume falsely for thinges certeine concludyng false and slaunderous cauilles for meére truth those thynges we do constantly deny to be true not bycause we trust not mens senses which be of souÌ„de IudgemeÌ„t but bycause we geue to credite no Osorius lyeng But goe to Let vs moue forewardes a litle that we may seé the thyng at the length that this sharpe sighted Lynx doth so easily seé Forsooth he doth see sayth he that noysome sectes and troublesome controuersies would forthwith raunge in the Churche if the authoritie of the Romishe see should be cleane put downe I beleéue it in deéde But with what eyes doth he seé this with that left eye I thinke which is couered with a pynne and webbe of desire to slaunder But if he would vouchsafe to open agayne that right eye I would not dought but that experience wherof he speaketh would teach him a new lesson For if this Romish authoritie were vtterly abolished he shall by experience proue that this will forthwith ensue which many of vs through the inestimable benefite of God haue proued to be most true in all places namely that common weales shall recouer their auÌ„cient priuiledges consciences shall possesse their wonted freédome men shall be restored to the sauetie of their lyues all Christendome shall enioy peace and tranquilitie he shall seé horrible fiers quenched whole pyles of Fagottes and fier coÌ„sumyng â— bodyes of Christians to Ashes to be extinguished stockes to be set wyde open imprisonmentes rackynges recantations and Fagottes to be shaken from mens shoulders he shall seé the lyues and goodes of many thousands to be saued out of the â—awes of death and froÌ„ the bloudy bootchers knife he shall seé pilladge polladge confiscations of goodes Popish exaction deceiptfull buyng and sellyng of Pardons fayres and gaynefull marketts of dispensations taxes of Citizens spoylinges of the CoÌ„mons tenthes first fruites of benefices yearely contributions of Byshops great impositions of Monasteries payementes of pentions for Palles for mysters for ringes for liberties for exemptions Finally for whores and concubines to be diminished and vtterly abolished he shall seé their drousie superstitions and ceremonies and their triflyng traditioÌ„s geue place to the Orient bright Sunne shynne of the truth Temples cleansed agayne from filthy Idolatry Kynges to become Kynges and Lordes of their own and once agayne at the last to beare their sword theÌ„ selues which before bare nothyng but bare titles and scarse titles onely he shall seé Citizens and Subiectes deliuered from straunge Tyranny and subiect to their lawfull authoritie â—o them onely to yeld obedience vnto whom they ought to doe Finally he shall seé coÌ„moÌ„ weales begyn to take breath agayne after a certeine sort now at the length and the hartes of the faythfull to rayse them selues vp at the ioyfull countenaunce of their auncient sauetie and to geue most humble thankes to almightie God for their most happy peace and deliueraunce Certes Osorius if the chaunges and chaunces of thynges which men seé with their eyes feéle by practize and dayly experience may without checke be open to the viewe of the worlde you should playnly discerne and seé all those thynges if you were here in England and not in England onely but in Germany in Denmarke Sweuland Scotland Polande and the more part of FrauÌ„ce in SwitzerlaÌ„d finally throughout all incorporatioÌ„s and freé Citties this authoritie vtterly abolished Goe to And where now are those sectes Schismaticall dissentions which you do obiect agaynst vs If you know not this to be true Osorius or if happely you be ashamed to confesse the thynges that you know I will confesse the same for you and will speake the same as frankely as truely If I shall say that euen with you in the very Court of Rome in your Churches in your Monasteries Colledges Rules and Orders of Friers briefly wheresoeuer that shauelyng marke of the Romish Prelate is emprinted or wheresoeuer that authoritie is of most force that there are whole swarmes and sectes most outragiously raungyng I feare nothyng lesse least that my wordes may seéme to emporte more then the truth Nay rather I am sure I haue yet spoken very litle I should haue spoken in this maner
Agaynst such the Church thundereth out endles excommunicatiōs denoficing the horrible curse of Gods euerlasting wrath and vnappeasable displeasure except they repent And these punishmentes of the primitiue Church in old tyme called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as were neuer ministred but vpon greuous and vrgent causes so was there no hope of release from the same vnlesse playne demonstration were made by open and publique confession of true and vnfayned repentaunce Which kinde of censure the aūcient Fathers deuided into threé degreés 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excommunication Whereby all maner of offenders aswell spirituall as temporall were as it were cut of from all societye and partaking of the Church and Sacramēts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depriuation Whereby such as were but newly professed were remoued from their function 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sequestration Whereby all offendours whatsoeuer were excluded from the Sacraments some from partaking of all the Sacramentes and some from the Communion onely whom the Grecians doe note by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remouyng from the Communion table onely And thys was the very order and gouernement of the prymityue and Apostolique Church wherein florished not onelye that sincerity of doctrine whereof I spake before but also Ecclesiasticall discipline touching distrybution of dignityes placing of elders ordering of times reading of lessons frequenting of exercises Inquisition of lyfe Reformation of manners and other profitable ordinaunces established after the best manner was dayly exercised All which the prymytyue and vndefiled antiquity of the auntient Fathers obserued purely and sincerely after the age of the Apostles and in all respects very reuerently and orderly as the decrees and Canons of godly assemblies and Synods together with the Hystoryes and Monumentes of auntient Fathers do playnely and manifestly record Hauing now described and faythfully expressed the verye face and countenaunce of the auncient primitiue Church I referre me to any equall and indiferrent iudgement to discerne whether the Lutheran Church or the Lateran Churche of Rome to resemble that primitiue Church neérest And as for that primitiue Church of Rome hath bene aboundauntly and sufficiently spoken of already Now could I wish that the Romish prelates would vouchsafe to deliuer likewise some painted vysour of theyr Ieratohye if it myght please them or if they refuse so to do we will not disdayne to do so much in their behalfe whereby godly mindes may euydently perceyue the true causes that moued those Lutherans iustly to sequester themselues from that Romysh Reuell In which theyr sequestration notwithstanding from Rome they haue not remoued themselues one ynche so much the more from the Church of Christ. I speak of the Romish Church once agayne I say in that state that it is now The first Institution whereof touching doctrine and Traditions if be sifted and searched by comparing of her first foundation to the true Church of Christ it will euydently appeare that thys Romysh Church being but a late newfāgled vpstart doth expresse no sparke of resemblaunce of that auncient antiquity but patcht and botcht vppe altogether with new opinions erroneous abuses Idolatries traditions deuised by authority of men ioyned with an opinion of necessary worshipping and obseruaunces It is most certayne that the foundations of Christes church were grounded first vpon sure playne infallible and vnmoueable demonstrations proclaymed from aboue in the writinges propheticall and Apostolicall which be builded vpon the true knowledge of the essentiall will of God vpon true inuocation and prayer vpon vnfayned obedience to godward vpon assured acknowledgemēt affiaūce in the Mediator wh is very God and very mā and which doth display abroad the kingdome of Christ to be a spirituall and an euerlasting kingdome not temporall nor instituted or gouerned by mans pollicye or power but begonne by the preaching of the Gospell and enlarged by fayth in them which doe beleue and obay the word of doctryne and life with a pure and sincere affection On the contrary part the foundations of the Romish Ierarchy are builded vpon the decrees of Popes entangled with most intricate and I know not what most crabbed and crooked questions of Scholeianglers Polluted with most manifest errors vtterly dissentyng and cleane contrary to the prescript rule of Gods word which being apparaunt enough in very many matters besides yet is notably discernable in iiij principall pointes chiefly Fyrst Because this doctrine doth abolish quite the doctrine of the law of repentaunce of righteousnes by fayth and commaundeth a mammering doubtfulnesse out of which puddle yssueth an outragious ouerflowing Sea of papisticall errors Secondaryly because it doth transpose merites and worshippings which are proper and peculiar vnto the sonne of God into adoration oblation and application of the consecrated breade for the quicke and the dead by merite meritorious in theyr masking Masse and without theyr masse whereas in very deéd the Gospell doth playnely teach that the benefittes of the sonne of God are not applied to any person but in respect of euery theyr proper and peculiar fayth Thirdly after the manner of Infidels Because it translateth to dead men Inuocation which ought to be yelded to God onely Fourthly because it commaūdeth traditions of men Mounckish vowes Canonicall satisfactions pilgrimages and innumerable such dredge with an opinion of merite worshyppyng and necessary obseruaunce and doth preferre the same before the commaundementes of the law which God hath commaunded to be especially obserued To this Beadroll appertayne more then dottered Bussardly fables of Purgatory Pardons secret and compulsary confesūon pompous Processions and superstitious supplications wherein is carryed abroad to be gazed vpon the consecrated bread profaning of the Lordes Supper making sale thereof as it were in open Fayre or Markette Magicall consecrations of naturall thinges to wytte of water wyne oyle salt and such like What shall I say of that more then whorysh shamelenesse when as the Popes without all proofe or probabilyty of aunciēt antiquity of a certayne insolent arrogancy not by any Dyuyne authoryty but through theyr owne trayterous treachery haue raysed to them selues not a true Catholicke and Apostolycke Church to Christ Iesu but a Seraphycall Ierarchy exceédyng all earthly prymacy superiority and potentaty Wherein reygneth in place of Christ a proud Popysh Peacock For the Apostles cormoraunt Cardinalles For Martyres monstruous Mounckes for professors pestiferous persecutors For fathers Bellygod Byshoppes and Gorbelly Abbottes For Euangelistes cruell Canonistes Copistes Decretaries Summularyes seditious Sententioners For Minysters sheépysh shauelinges And for Pastours Maskyng Massemongers Who hauyng rauenously Raked the ryght of the Church haue turned and chaūged it into a newfangled fashion of an earthly kingdome where it may not suffice to serue Chryst Iesu our pastor and head onely to settle our selues vpon hym whollye to depend vpon hys mercy onely Unlesse we become vassals and bondslaues to thys popysh Byshoppe and honour him as a certayne other Chryst vpon earth who vnder a delycate vysor of
For this is almost the whole strength substaunce of their defence And I am not ignoraunt how plausibly this probable shew glittereth in the eyes of vnskilfull and vnlettered people For so do Philosophers define Probabilitie to be such as seémeth probable either to all men or many or at the least to wise personages But in heauenly thyngs ought a farre other maner of cōsideration be had For if we grounde our selues vpon many we are taught by Christ himselfe That many are called but few are chosen And agayne in an other place That his flocke is a very litle flocke And afterwardes he demaundeth If when the Sonne of mā shall come whether he shall finde any Faith vpō the earth Neither are those thyngs alwayes best wt delight many Agayne if we shall depend vpon the Iudgemēt of the wise we heare likewise the same Lord him selfe geuing thākes vnto his Father that he had hiddē those thinges frō the prudent and wise of this world and reuealed them to litle ones And agayne we read in Paul The wisedome of this world is very foolishnes with God And therfore where as they would haue the Church to be placed on high apparaūt to the view of all the world truly they Iudge not amysse herein namely if they meane of the preaching of the word And yet this is no good Argumēt notwithstādyng that euery Citie vaūced on highest hill shall be forthwith esteémed the true church of God or els what shall be sayd to that famous great City mētioned in the Apocalips Which was foreprophecied should be built not vpon the Toppe of on hill onely but vpon seuen hills Or what shall we Iudge of that exceédyng wondering and worshyppyng of so many Nations so reuerētly hūbled to that Beast whose marcke it is sayd that small and great young and old riche and poore freemen and bondmen yea and those in noumber not a fewe but vniuersally all shall be marked withall in their right handes and in their foreheades Uerely if common sence and consent of people do make a Church where was euer a greater consent or more well likyng and greater admiration of fautours and frendes But they say that the cōsent cōmunitie of their Church is vniuersall Catholick which may not erre by any meanes Now let vs seé how they proue it The Apostle say they in his Epistles did greatly cōmēde the fayth of the Romaine Church This is true Peter also did both consecrate the same to be a See and instruct it in the Fayth I am in dought of this But what hereof After the Apostles tyme many of the Apostles Disciples say they learned Doctours and holy Martyrs Ignatius Irenaeus Cyprian Tertulliā Augustine and all that auncient age of graue Fathers did alwayes most gloriously esteeme of this Church Is there any more yet In the tyme of Basile Nazienzene Chrisostome the Church of Rome was not onely had in highest estimation but also was diuers tymes sought vnto for counsell and ayde neither will I deny this to be true couple herewith if you will that whē other Churches were tossed and turmoyled euery where with Schismes and rent in sunder with seditious factions no one Church besides stoode so long in so quiet a calme not assaulted with any such contētious sectes or variable opiniōs which did not a litle aduaunce the estimation of the Church and gate it no small authoritie Go to and what shal be concluded at the last out of all this For sooth The Church of Rome whiles it reteigned the sounde doctrine and simplicitie of the Fayth was commended of the holy Fathers by the name of a Catholicke and an Apostolicke Church Ergo The Church of Rome is the head and Metropolitane Church of all other Churches which hath neuer hetherto swarued from the true tracke of the truth nor shall euer erre vnder the which all other Churches must be subiect of very necessitie the cōmaundement wherof is an haynous obstinacie to disobey From the which to depart is manifest Schisme agaynst the which to resist and stand is playne heresie all the cōmaundements whereof to sweare obedience vnto is the surest way of sauety moreouer also a very necessary Article of eternall Saluation You do seé I suppose the whole force and subtiltie of your Catholicke cutted Enthymeme Whereof if you will seé a right proportion it is this The Church of Rome was allowed of the holy Apostles or the most auncient Fathers and all the most approued Doctours of the Church for Catholicke and Apostolicke But our Church is the Church of Rome Ergo Our Church is approued for Catholicke and Apostolicke by the consent of all the godly First we aunswere to the Maior proposition The auncient primitiue Church of Rome was approued by the famous cōsent of the learned for Catholicke and Apostolicke Peraduenture it was so yet was not this Church of Rome accompted so alone nor yet to this end so accompted bycause it should be the vniuersall Church of all other Churches For this will forthwith be gayne sayd by the Councels of Nice Mileuitane and by Pope Gregory and all the learned Deuines of that age vntill the cōmyng of Boniface 3. Moreouer neither was it for that cause so famously commended with so great consent bycause it was the Church of Rome but bycause it was a Christian Church Neither for any prerogatiue of the place though Peter sate there a thousand tymes For euen this also will an aūcient Pope Gregory deny as appeareth euidently by the Decreés Neither the places nor the dignities do make vs more acceptable to our Creatour but either our good deedes doe couple vs vnto him or our euill deedes do exclude vs frō him Moreouer not bycause it can prescribe an ordinary Succession of Byshops For Ierome also will not admit this They be not children of holy ones forthwith sayth he that occupie the possessiō of the holy ones but they that practize the workes of the holy ones But bycause with the Succession of Byshops they did ioyne agreable profession in true Religion bycause they did apply them selues to imitate the Fayth Religion and order of worshyppyng instituted by the Apostles bycause they did not varry frō well ordered Churches in any part of sounde doctrine For this cause I say namely for their sincere vnstayned Fayth and constaunt vprightenes of Religion not defiled with filthy stenche of erroneous doctrine the Church of Rome obteined of the auncient godly Fathers to haue a place amongest the Catholicke Apostolicke Churches But what is this O ye Apostolicke Princes to this your Romish Church in the state that it is now in the disorderous order whereof as it is at this day reuelyng with Cardinalles riotyng in Court glorified with this title of Uniuersall head garnished with tripple Crowne garded with the double sword magnified with Patriarches and innumerable other titles of dignitie armed with Abbottes mounted with Mounkes saluted
Nazianzene or any other writer of the auncient primitiue Church No they are altogether new deuises of this later age or playne forgeries rather as hath bene declared sufficiently enough before But take an argument now stronger then Hercules clubbe wherewith at one chopp he will cutt of the heads of all those Image breakers ingenerall so strōgly compact and clowted together with so singuler a dexterity that if all the Deuines in the world els hold theyr peace Images are made so desensible with this one argument as shal be able to endure all the force and counterbuffes of heretiques For vpon this kinde of Similitude he frameth his argument If the dumme Pictures of the Crosse and of Sainctes which did put men in mind of the things wherof they were representations were so highly reuerenced of the auntient Christians it was much more conuenient that the liuely Images of Christ should be worshipped But holy men are by the workemanshippe of the holye Ghost fashioned to the lyuely and expresse Images of Christ. Ergo It remayneth that we geue reuerence and worship vnto Pictures as to the liuely Images of Christ. I doe heare your Argument Osorius and I doe aunswere thereunto And first euen to this whether any dumme Images and portraictes at all were euer erected in the auncient Christian Temples may be with more reason doughted of vs then Iustified by you And yet to admitt you this much that such Signes were not altogether vnknowen to the auncient Fathers yet for as much as the portraicts beyng not in Tēples did serue onely to feéde the eyes and minister occasion of some remembraunce and callyng to mynde the doynges of the Martyrs will your Logicke therfore argue an adoryng vpon this memoriall and establish a worshyppyng of dead stockes which ought onely to be geuen to God alone As for example Admitte that some Apelles would in Tables describe vnto you the Passion of Christ after a most exquisite and liuely maner What would you prostrate your selfe on the grounde and with cappe and kneé worship the Table would you bequeath your prayer vnto it and honour it as reuerently as you would Christ To what purpose then serueth that which you sing in your Church All honour and glory be geuen to God alone if you can be contēted to turne that forthwith into a God whatsoeuer is obiect to the view for a memoriall onely and to transferre the honour and worshyppe that is due onely vnto God to paynted puppetts and balde blockes But now as concernyng the liuely Images of Christ as we doe not deny that a certeine liuely resemblaunce of Christ doth after a sort shyne in them whom the spirite of Christ hath truly sanctified so do we neither defraude them of their due commendation and prayse for that were a pointe of singuler impietie either to conceaue slenderly and lightly or to speake reprochefully of the notable actes of them whom God the Father doth honour and sanctifie namely sith the very Scriptures are aboundauntly stored with plentyfull examples whereby we be admonished of our duety that we owe to Gods holy ones But it is one thyng to reuerēce and esteéme well of Gods Sainctes and an other thyng to make Inuocation to the dead to part stakes of honour betwixt God and his Sainctes Sainctes are called Sainctes and the Temples of the holy Ghost in S. Paule not onely such as did shedd their bloud for Christes sake but all others also that in this life lyue here vnto Christ sanctified thorough Fayth Such a Temple of the holy Ghost was Paule him selfe and the rest of the Apostles with him who beyng after a sort fashioned to the likenesse of Christ by the workemanshyp of the holy Ghost did beare about them a certein proportionable resemblaunce of his Image And yet the same Paule and Barnabas were sayd both to rende their garmentes least they should seeme to admitte them selues to be honored as Goddes Actes 14. We heare the same both spokē and performed by the Aungell of Christ in the Reuelation Worship God sayth he I am thy felow Seruaunt Goe to now and are you of this opiniō that honour and worshyp is to be geuen to the dead bodyes of them who beyng aliue would not suffer them selues to be worshypped But of Sainctes and their Images enough at this present namely sith before is spoken plentyfully enough and so much as will suffice though not Osorius yet any other indifferent Reader I trust ¶ Popish Purgatory GOod lucke a Gods name to our holy Father the Pope and Osorius their kitchynes we are come at the length vnto Purgatory that is to say to the kyngdome of the Pope and the Region of darkenesse of this world A goodly Territory forsooth meéte surely for such an Emperour accordyng to the old Prouerbe a Scabbed Iade good enough for a scalde Squier About which dānable deuise beyng the most foolishe Bable that euer was heard of the most fybblefable that euer could be imagined this raungyng Rhetorician besturreth his slumpes so earnestly and stretcheth out his throate so feruently as if the matter were of wonderfull emportaunce A man would take him to be some notorious Hercules fightyng as it were for lyfe and death in defence of his Countrey he so chaufeth and moyleth in sturryng the coales in princkyng vpp the glory of this whotthouse And no maruell For the mā as he is not altogether blynd nor vnprouided of forecast doth very deépely and wisely consider of the matter as it is That all the kytchynes of the Catholickes are kept in a good lyking with the coales of this Purgatory fier and that vpon this foundation is builded the whole Maiestie of the Romishe Monarchy and withall that this is the head corner stone and chief coyne of their doctrine For vpon this groundeworke stand all the pillers and buildynges of their Churche to witte Merites Satisfactions Councels Perfections and absolute Righteousnes in the sight of God Finally all the Ceremonies in their Churches Watchynges Soule Masses Trentalles Offringes for the dead Pilgrimages Pardons Workes of Supererogation Brotherhoodes Memorialles Diriges Processions Holy water Consecratyng of Churcheyardes and such like gaynfull markettes all which do come altogether to vtter ruine if Purgatory decay once but if Purgatory hold fast then are they all of good footing And hereof proceédeth that stiffe stought stādyng with such an vnappeasable contention and brawlyng about the mainteynaunce of Purgatory that they will seéme rather to let slipp heauen out of their hartes then let Purgatory depart frō their kytchines But there was neuer man behaued him selfe more Apishly about this peéuish and peltyng Purgatory then this our doltishe and most senselesse coūterfaite of all the rest who in this his discourse of Purgatory is so whott in wordes sweateth so lustely that a man would sweare he were but newly runne out of the very scaldyng house of Purgatory it selfe Agayne in Argumēts and Reasons so cold
haue fabled of the Reliques of that man They of Amyens doe vaunt that they haue his visage with the wound that Herodiades made in it with her knyfe The very same part do the people of Saynt Angell shew forth The hinder part of the head from the forehead to the neck was sometyme to be seéne in the Isle of Rhodes but now it lyeth hidden I know not where The nape poll of the head is at S. Iohn of Nemoures the braynes at Noyon In the Church of S. Iohn of Morein a piece of his skull is preserued oue of hys Iawes is at Besanson in the Church of S. Iohn the great the other at Paris in the Church of S. Iohn of Laterane the hynder part of his eare remayneth at S. Flowers in Auuerne his forehead and his heare resteth at S. Sauiours in Spayne moreouer at Noyon a skalpe of his skull is shewed with great Pompe But how dare we beleéue all these to be true now forasmuch as at our mother Church of Rome in the Church of Siluester is shewed for an infallible trueth to be beleued the whole head of S. Iohn nothing thereof wanting Besides this the people of Sene doe affirme that they haue his arme which doth vtterly ouerthrow the creditt of the AuncieÌ„t historyes The finger of that holy man wherewith he poynted to Christ saying Behold the Lambe of God is at Besanson in the Church of S. Iohn the great the same is also a Tholouse an other at Lyons an other at Burges one more at Florence and one also at S. Iohn Aduentures neére vnto Mascoue And yet for this fhameshapen Relyques to witte for sixe fingers of one hand Osorius blusheth not to deale like a lusty proctor as if it were for great holy matters and most assured And although historyes do report that his Ashes were throwen abroad into the wind yet how he shameth nothing at all to professe that some of those Ashes be at Genes and some at Rome in the Church of S. Iohn of Laterane what will our religious Reliquary defend these for true being so manifestly false his Shoe is at Parys with the charterhouse Mounckes But what if Iohn Baptist did neuer were any shoe At Rome in S. Iohn of Laterane is vaunted to the gaze his shirt of heare whereof mention is made in the Euangelist which is also as false for the Gospell doth make mention of Camels skinnes and no word at all of any shirt of heare In the same Church is extaunt the Altar whereupon he prayd in the wildernesse as though that age of the world did vse manye altars At Ayr in Dutchland is the lynnen cloth that he kneéled vpon when he was beheadded At Auignon is the sword wherewith he was beheaded Now in their right rancke lett the Reliques of the Apostles be rehearsed The bodyes of Peter and Paule are religiosly visited by Pylgrimes in the Minster of Peter and Paule at Rome The church of Laterane hath both theyr heads S. Peters chawbone with his beard is to be seéne at Poytew At Tryers many bones of them both be extant At Argenton in Berry resteth the shoulder of Paule At the great Alter of Geneua was there a portion of Peters Brayne sometime which as long as lay somewhat close in the boxe was reuereÌ„ced for a singuler Relique but afterwardes being more narrowlye examined and vewed was espyed to be a very pumeyse To be short what Churches were euer dedicated to these Apostles wherein were not some Reliques of them to be found At Saynct Sauiours in Spayne is S. Peters slypper very glorious and beautyfull like a prelates pantable At Rome is to be seéne Peters chayre of State with all hys pontyficall vestimentes vsed at Masse and the very Altar wherupon he sayd Masse Yet the citizens of Pyse do shew the same Altar in theyr Suburbes that lead by the Sea side The sword wherewith he cutt of Malchus eare is in the possession of the Romaynes his Crosiar remayneth at Parys in S. Stephens of Greés The staffe that he was wont to walke withall not onely the citizens of Coleyne do challenge but the Citizens of Tryers also prouing themselues both to be open lyers The chayne wherewith Peter was bound is in his owne Church at Rome The blocke whereupon he was beheaded is to be seéne in S. Anastasius Church at Rome The Citizens of Tholosse doe beleue that they do enioy the bodyes of sixe of the Apostles namely the bodyes of Iames the more and Iames the lesse of Andrew of Phillipp of Symon of Iudas How true this Fable is like to be may hereby easilye appeare for at Memphys Andrew left one body behinde and hath an other in stoare in Rome at S. Peters there a shoulder at Grisogonus a ribbe at S. Eustath a shoulder at the holye ghost an other piece at S. Blase and at Ayre one foot Both the bodyes of Phillipp and Iames the lesse remayne with the holy Apostles at Rome likewise the bodyes of Symon and Iude be restaunt in saynt Peters Church there Mathias hath threé bodyes one at Padue an other at Rome at saynt Mary the greater the third at Tryers at Salerne is the body of Mathew And at Ortonne the body of Thomas About Naples is the body of Bartholomew And yet is the same shewed whole in S. Bartholomewes Church at Rome The citizens of Pyse did either fable or els haue his skinne and one of his handes one finger of hys remayneth at Frenes Like as Philippe is plentifull also in his Reliques one foot of whom is sayd to be at Rome in the church of Peter and Paule he hath other Reliques likewise in other places to witt at Rome in saynt Barbaras church and at Tryers Two citties do clayme the possession of S. Iohn the Euangelistes cupp from out the which he dranke poyson to witt Bonony one and Rome an other in the church of Laterane to speake nothing in the meane space of his coate of his chayne and his chappell But the pleasauntest Iest of all the rest is of the coller whereupon hang the twelue Apostles coambes It is sett forth in the church of Maria Insulana neére to Lyons S. Anne the mother of our Lord hath one bodye at Apte a citty of prouince an other at Maria Insulana neére vnto Lyons Moreouer one head of hers is kept in stoare at Tryers an other remayneth at Turene amongest the Friers Iuliackes the third at Turing in saynt Annes besides many other skrapps which are to be seéne more then in an hundred places I can not tell how many soules Lazarus hath sure I am he is beleued to haue 3. bodyes one at Merâ—els an other at AnthuÌ„ the third at Aualon Mary Magdalen as she is not equall in degreé with her brother so hath she lesse substaunce for she hath but two bodyes onely one at
vesellis neére vnto Auserre the other that is of greater renown at S. maxime in Prouince where also her head is shewed with superscription thereunto Noli me tangere to touch no more of all the rest of all her boanes heare and other Reliques skattered ouer all the world Amongest the which may not S. Longius the blinde knight be forgotten who thrust his speare into the Lordes side although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be nothing els then a greéke word signifiyng a laūceknight yet they deale very liberally with this sainct and haue geuen him a speciall prerogatiue to haue two bodyes one whereof is at Mantone the other at Mary Iusulana Not much vnlyke the fable that the citizens of Coleyne haue forged of the threé kinges of Coleyne whom also they haue christened with honorable names to witt Balthazar Melchior Gaspar Albeit there be many Reliques of S. Denyse yet his whole body is beleéued to be but in two places onely at S. Denise in the suburbes of Parys one and at Rentzburgh in Dutchland the other And as there happened to arise a greater brawle betwixt those two places to witt which of them should be Lordes of the very body in deéd at length the brawle was decyded at Rome with this Bull that whosoeuer should say that the body of S. Denis was not at S. Denis in Parys should be stoaned to death And whosoeuer should deny the same body to be at Rentzburgh should be adiudged for an heretique as a rebell to the Apostolicke seé They haue deuyded the body of S. Stephen on this wise that at Rome the whole body must be affirmed to be in S. Stephens Church his head at Orleaunce his boanes more then in two hundred places Of the stoanes wherewith this godly Martyr was stoaned to death for these also haue they consecrated emongest the Reliques the Carmelites of Poytiers not manye yeares agoe found one stoane which they are wont to apply to weomen trauayling with Childe to ease them of theyr paynes and burden But in the meane space that same stoane procured great anguish and griefe of minde to the Dominicke Fryers who accustoming to apply a ribbe of S. Margerett to the same vse beganne to keépe a fowle broyle agaynst the Carmelites about the same But the Carmelites standing hard to theyr tackle recouered the victory at the last It is taken for a certeintye that the whole body of S. Laurence is in S. Laurence Church his arme and his bones are shrined in a Church of Palisperne The gredyern also wherupō he was fryed must neédes be a Relque a parcell whereof is shewed forth at Palisperne At S. Eustathius emōgest other Reliques are very deintely kept not onely the coales wherewith he was broyled but the Towell also wherewith the Angell did wipe his body Hereunto is added the coate with long sleéues of this holy Deacō whereof the Church of S. Barbara in Rome doth vaunte a possession as though that Deacons at that tyme were trimmed vp with vestments as the papistes be now Ambrose doth report that in his tyme was found out the sepulcher of Geruase and Protasius in Millaine The same doe Ierome Augustine and many others affirme And therfore the Millanoyes doe of right clayme the interest of those bodyes If this be true Then must this other be a very mockery that at Brisack in Dutchland and at Besanson in the parish of S. Peters the same bodyes are blazed abroad and worshipped for notable Reliques besides many other gobbets skattered abroad here and there in may Churches In lyke maner Sebastian cannonized for a Saint to cure the Pestilence is multiplied into 4. bodies whereof one is at Rome in S. Laurence Church an other at Soyson the third at Piligne neére Nantes the fourth at Narbone where it is sayd that he was borne He hath also 2. headds one at S. Peters Church at Rome the other at Tholouse with the Iacobines but without braynes notwithstāding For the Brayne the Grayfryers of Angyers doe bragg vpon stoughtly who doe enioy oue of his armes also An other of his armes is at Tholouse in S. Seruine an other at Cassod in Aruergne an other at Mombrison in the Forrest They haue made Reliques also of the Arrowes wherwith he was shott into the body Whereof one is shewed at Lambest in Prouince an other in Poytiers with the Augustine Fryers many others are flowen abroad to other places The Citizens of Orleaunce were long at law with the Anthomās at Uienna about the true body of S. Anthony To these bodyes is there a supply made of a Kneé which the Austines of Alby doe possesse Many other of his Members are seéne in diuers sundrye places to witt at Burges at Masicoue at Dyon at Chalons at Ourour at Besanson c. S. Petronilla alias S. Parnell the daughter of Peter hath one whole body at Rome as they say in her owne Fathers Church Other Reliques of her are layd vpp a part by themselues in S. Barbaraes Church Yet notwithstanding they do hold fast an other body of her at Mans in the Iacobines couent which is of such vertue that it cureth all kinde of Agues At Rome is a Church called S. Susannes wherein is to be seéne one body of her An other body of her is supposed to be in Chalosse Whereas the Uenetiās doe beare themselues stought vpon the whole body of S. Helen yet her head leapt away from thence to Coleyne to the Church of Gerion What need I to speake much of Ursula and her mates which they doe affirme were eleuen thousand Uirgines when as the Citizens of Coleyne do make a shew of whole Cartloades of their bones At Paytiers be two Churches which doe striue together about the body of Hillary to witt the black Mounkes of S. Hillary and the Mounckes of the Selle one bodye of Honoratus is honourably kept at Orleaunce There is also an other in the Isle of Lyryne neare vnto Antipolis at Tholouse is there one body of S. Gyles an other in a Towne called S. Giles beyng in Aquitaine there is a body of S. William in an Abbay of Aquitaine which is named S. William the Wild. he hath an other body in the Citye of Holstatt and is called Errechen What shall I say of Simphorian who hath bodyes bones in so many places and of S. Lupus whose bodyes be at Altisiodore at Sens at Lyons and at Genes S. Fereol also hath two bodyes one whole at Utica in Aquitaine and an other nothing empeired at Bryod in Auuerne Rome vaunteth vpon the bones of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Church of Marye ouer Minerue In the Church of S. Iohn of Lateran they boast that they possesse the Arke of the couenaunt the Rodd of Aaron and yet the same Rodd is at Paris in the holy Chappell there and is to be seéne
required in philosipher so may the want therof be borne withall in a Deuine Ieromes Epistle to PaÌ„machius Luke 16. Esay 2. 1. Cor. 1. â— Osor. 163. Prouer. 16. Fine poolished speach is alwayes impudent An Exquisite affectation of Eloquence not so much to be regarded of Deuines Pag. 166. Osori inueighed against EnglaÌ„d but not agaynst all Osori pag. 167. What Osorius doth promise in this booke Osori Argument not able to be resolued Haddones auÌ„swere to Osori Argument Osor. pag. 167. The testimony of the world agaynst the Lutheranes The rebouÌ„ding of the Argument agaynst Osor. Osor. pag. 168. A trimme reason of Osor. Osor. pag. 169. Osor. Argument coÌ„futed The spirite of the Prophettes is not to be measured by the nomber of beleuers Moah Moses Esay Ieremy Stephen S. Paule The first beginning of Luther Luthers humble letters to pope Leo the tenth Pope Leo his proude insolency agaynst Luthers humble submission Luthers second letters to Leo the Pope Anno 1519. Luthers Protestation Luthers huÌ„ble Supplication to the Church of Rome Stanislaus Hosius in his first booke of heresies The Pope the seruauÌ„t of seruauÌ„tes of God by a figure called Antiphrasis The cause of Luther honest Osori conclusioÌ„s false Sophistry A comparison betwixt the professoures of the true Gospell the Papisticall Osor Pag. 169. The prayle of the Romish church after Osor. A fifth and euerlasting Gospell made on a tyme of the Dominick Fryers at Parise Anno Dom. 1256. Osor. pag. 169. Of the Fayth of the Romishe Church Whether the vniformitye of fayth be more discernable in the Romish Chur. or in the Lutheranes How many wayes the popes fayth is contrary to the right institution of the Gospell Arrogancy and vayne confidence The name of vniuersal Church is restrayned to the Romaynes onely contrary to the nature of the Gospell Osor. pag. 169. The false and lyeng braggeâ— of the Romish Church Osor. pag. 169. Esay 5. How the Church of Rome is laden with mens tradicions Emptynes and voyde Apoca. 13. Osor. pag. 170. By what Reasons the vniuersality of Christes Vicar is coÌ„firmed One head of the Church The doctrine of the Gospell doth call all the Ministers of the Church to humilitie permitteth superioritie to none in any wise August agaynst Petilian Epist. Cap. 3. Cyprian Whether the authoritie of the Romishe See be Necessary for the takyng away of Schismes The Romishe See the Metropolitane of Sectes Where the Romish authoritie is quite banished there is most rest The Papacie nothyng els then a certeine mighty faction and armed power of kyngs The slaunder of the Sectes and dissentioÌ„ of the Lutheranes FactioÌ„s and Schismes in the Church of Rome Diuerse coÌ„tentiones of papistes amongst theÌ„ selues touching the supper of the Lord. Whether Popes See were erected by god or men See hereof before Haddons discourse in the first booke pag. 15. Peter sate at Rome What a diuersitie is betwixt Rome now and as it was in the tyme of Peter The principallitie of the See of Rome by what begynnyng it crept to so great power and tyranny When the name of Vniuersalitie and the order of Cardinalles beganne Vrsinus Damasus Anno 369. How many and how great conflictes haue raunged in the Chur. of Rome about the choosing of the Pope Boniface Eulalius Anno. 420. Simachus Laurentius Anno. 499. Stephanus Constantinus Phillip Anno. 768. Anastasius Benedictus 873. Leo. Christoph. Sergius Iohn 13. Leo. 8. Anno. 968. Out of platina this Iohn the 13. was takeÌ„ committyng adultery and was slayne Benedict the 5. being taken prisoner was cast into Adrianes Doungeon Anno. 973. Donus 2. Boniface 7. ranne away with the Treasury of Rome 975. Gregor 5. Iohn 17. Siluester Anno. 995. Out of Cardinall Benno Clemens 2. 1048. Benedict 10 1058. Alexander 2. Cadolus 1062. Hildebrand Clement 3. Victor 3. Vrbanus 2. Anno. 1083. Pascalis Albertus Theodoric Maginulph Vibertus False Popes Platina Blondus Gelâ—sius 2. The Archbishop of Bacchara a false pope Anno. 1118. Calistus 2. Gregory 8. false popes Anno. 1124. Distinct. 76 Cap. Ieiunium The first institution of Cardinalles about the yeare 1124. Innocent 2. Anacletus 1130. Out of AEmilius his 5. bookes Blond Platina Guil. Tyrius 14. booke and the 12. Chapter The Consuls of Rome brought in subiectioÌ„ to the Pope Blond in his 6. booke Lucius 3.2 Schismatick 1182. Vrbanus 3. called Turbulent for his troublesome head 1185. InnoceÌ„t the 3. the chief champioÌ„ of all the calamities and troubles of the church 1215. Honorius 3 Innocent 4. Gregoâ—y 9. most rebellious traytours agaynst the Emperour Friderick 2 The factioÌ„s of the Guelsians and Gibellynes raysed by the meanes of this Gregory 9. Celestin. 5. Boniface 8. a firchrand of factions 1295. Platina AEmil The most impudent shamelenes of Boniface 8. agaynst the Archb. of Genua Innocentius 6. Gregorye 11. the greatest author of Schisme 1352. Vrbanus 6. thrust into the Popedome by violeÌ„ce 1378. The See of Rome deuided in Schisme by the space of 74. yeares A cruell coÌ„tention betwixt the Cowled generation about the Conception of our Lady 1400. Boniface 9. Innocent 7. a seditious murderer 1405. Gregory 12 AlexaÌ„der 5 a troublesome pope Iohn 24. by force and money occupyeth the Sec. 1411. Three Popes deposed at one time Martine 5. The Councell of CoÌ„stance The Conuenticle of Constance did coÌ„deÌ„ne Ierome of Prague and Iohn Husse to be burned Martin not the Vicare of Christ but of Bellona Engenius an other chicken of Bellona A CouÌ„cell at Basile 1435. Eugenius a Schismatick is deposed from the Popedome 1442. This schisme endured 9. yeares The battell agaynst the Heluetians and Basileans by the procuremeÌ„t of Eugenuius Rob. Gaguinus and Phrigio Thomas of Redon thorough the popes Tyranny burned 1436. Antonius others A non causa vt causaÌ„ The fallaxe of the accident Luther a speciall aduersary to Sedition Osor. pag. 187. Of the Româ—nistes obedience rowardes Princes pag. 170. The Emperoâ—â— translated from the Grecyanes to the Frenchmen by the popes contrary their oathes Charles the Great The Creeks inuaded by the Turkes An Auncient ordinaunce of the right of the Emperour and the Pope The Maiestye of the Empyre was translated from Fraunce into Germany by the pope A degree of Gregory the 5. Concluded vpon with Otho the thyrd Emperour The wayward Rebellion of the popes alwayes agaynst the Imperiall Maiestie An olde grudge of the popes agaynst the Emperours for the bestowyng of Ecclesiasticall promotions Benedicte doth rebell against HeÌ„ry 3. The horrible conspiracie of pope Gregory 7. and the Bishops agaynst Henry the fourth Rodolphe suborned agaynst his Lord and Emperour by the practize and treason of the pope Rebellion punished The pope beyng the firebrand of seditioÌ„ doth prouoke the sonnes to rebell agaynst their Father Gods iust iudgement executed vpon the sonne that rebelled agaynst his Father The popes absolute power The Maiestie Imperiall subdued and subiect to the popes De Maior obedi Cap. Insolitae De Maior Cap.
what purpose then was this spoken Conuertyng vs O Lord thou shalt quicken vs. And agayne O God of hostes conuerte thou vs. c. And therfore the same Augustine speaketh not vnfitly in an other place GOD doth helpe them that are conuerted and forsaketh them that are forsaken but to be conuerted God him selfe helpeth c. If none be conuerted vnto God but those onely whom him selfe helpeth Hereby it appeareth playnly that they which turne theÌ„ selues away from GOD do not therfore turne away bycause they will not turne vnto him but that they will not therfore turn rather bycause God forsaketh them That is to say bycause the Lord of hostes conuertyng doth not quickeÌ„ them that they may haue will to be conuerted Albeit I will not deny in the meane whiles that vnwillyngnesse doth proceéde from men them selues from their owne Freewill yet this vnwillyngnesse notwithstandyng is not so freé of it selfe that they which are forsaken can do otherwise then they be vnwillyng of very Necessitie neither can there be any defect of this will any where but where Gods effectuall Grace was not present before For as no man is good as Augustine witnesseth that will not be good so is there no man euill but through his owne voluntary will which will being forsaken of God can neuerthelesse not do any otherwise but euill And why doth God forsake theÌ„ will you say why doth not God helpe them whom he hath created Let me moue you a counterquestion I pray you euen in as few wordes And why do they not aske it of their God if they be without why do they not knocke if they be vnbeleuyng why do they not seéke if they dwell in Sinne why do they not repent How can they say you seyng that they haue no Freewill as you say Admit the same but in whse default in Gods default but God did create maÌ„ perfect at the first and endued him with freédome was it mans fault Let them then accuse them selues not God But ye vrge agayne And why then doth he coÌ„municate his grace to some which he denyeth to others why is he not indifferently mercyfull towardes all and as inclinable to all vniuersally At the begynnyng when God created man he did then create also all the nature of man fully furnished with all integritie and freédome Afterwardes when this state of innocency freédome was lost when as also the whole â—umpe was defiled withall God might withall haue so forsaken all the same ingenerall Neuerthelesse his mercy doth not so but would rather by Election chuse some out of this abhominable corruptioÌ„ not forsakyng the other altogether in the meane tyme onely he denieth helpe vnto them vnto whom he was not bouÌ„de to geue assistauÌ„ce And what though he were not so indifferently mercyfull towardes all Yet was he iniurious to none what do you not heare what him selfe speaketh Is thine eye therefore wicked is it not lawfull to do with myne own as it pleaseth me Or at least do you not heare the Apostle O man what art thou that contendest agaynst God Whereas God doth owe theé nothyng at all doest thou therefore snarle at him bycause doyng wrong to no man he doth enlarge the richesse of his mercy towardes them whom it pleaseth him But foreward crawleth Osorius Inuectiue For as much as this is the mynde and meanyng of Paule what outragious furie is this madd man intoxicate withall that would endeuour to persuade such a coÌ„struction by Paules testimony which would both ouerthrow the state of humaine societie and withall make God guiltie of vnrighteousnesse SitheÌ„ce this is the infallible meanyng of Paule which we haue heretofore confirmed after the IudgemeÌ„t of Luther Bucer Caluine and by the testimony of the holy Scriptures chiefly which also Osorius him selfe were he neuer so sober sounde witted can neuer be able to confute to what end rendeth this so foolish and childish exclamation proceédyng from an old and grayheaded man whereunto serue these Tragicall outcryes that this Ruler of roste so ruffleth vppe of a trifle thundring out such moÌ„struous outragies and franticke exclamations Which doth ouerthrow sayth he the state of men And what kynde of estate of men is this at the leÌ„gth which Luther doth so ouerthrow If he meane the state of the coÌ„mon weale Ciuill societie herein truly are many seuerall degreés estates aswell of offices as of persouages For there be Princes there be Dukes there be Knightes of the noble order there be CitizeÌ„s there be diuers seuerall Magistrates some hygh some low vnder whoÌ„ are the meane inferiour subiectes eueÌ„ the rascall rable multitude So â—â— there also seuerall distinctions of Ages Artes handycraftes in manitary occupations some youÌ„g some old some riche some poore All these now albeit in noÌ„ber innumerable in kynde qualitie distinct are neuertheles coÌ„federate knitte together in a certeine generall vnitie mutuall coÌ„formitie of allyed leaque through a certeine Ciuill pollicie institutioÌ„ of maners are beautified with mutuall amitie are vnited linked together to God in one participation of Religion are orderly gouerned by force of lawes do exercize mutuall traffique togethers are restreined froÌ„ licenciousnes of lyfe with one maner of generall correctioÌ„ So that if they liue not in full perfectioÌ„ of vertue accordyng to the prescript rule of the lawes yet do they much lesse offende for feare of Iustice and Iudgement Now Syr in this generall Regiment state of thyngs and of persones what one Citie what one Villadge or what Family was euer made one myte the worse by Luthers doctrine either in respect of their due obedieÌ„ce to Ciuill Magistrates or in breache of domesticall tranquillitie or in their dutyfull allegiaunce to their Princes or in any other Ciuill societie One onely disorderous order of people hath entruded it selfe vpon this state of humaine societie vsurpyng a certeyne Princely superioritie I know no thy what meanes crept in at the first sure I am was neuer established by God nor by nature ne yet by any necessary institution But pressing to the pearche partly through fraude partly through oppression and chiefly through the ambitious arrogaunoy of their owne proude Prelacy not to vndertake any necessary or profitable function in the weale publique nor to ioyne in administration of office with others for the behoofe of any common weale but to hale all other gouernementes vnder their Iurisdiction and to make subiect all other estates potentates and Empires vnder their stately Superioritie by erectyng a certeine new founde and Luciferlike Monarch vpon the earth It is that Romishe Tyrannicall and Papisticall dominion which I meane and complayne vpon which through incredible subtiltie craft secrete slye vnderminynges vnder a commendable title of the Church hath by litle and litle enhaunced it selfe to so wonderfull loftynesse that all other estates and degreés beyng enforced to yeld their neckes to the yoake as it were must
maugre their beardes not onely submit their heades and shoulders to their oppression and tyranny but also lyke miserable bondslaues must with all reuerence and humilitie prostrate them selues to kysse their feéte In this Imperiall throne is enthronized chief aboue all others triumphyng ouer all other estates the most mighty potentate and Monarch the Byshop of Rome Next vnto him as the principall stayes and proude pillers of this Ierarchy aduaunce them selues the Cormoraunt Cardinalles Then follow in order the Roystyng route of Mytred Prelates of the Scarlet crew of Rochettes shauelynges I speake not here of good vertuous Byshops nor of true Ministers of Christ but of such as hang onely vpon the becke of the Bysh. of Rome Last of all after those â—olly ChaÌ„pioÌ„s whole droues of Monckes Friers come tumblyng in heapes together a rable of rascals as of all other people the most lazy and lewde so surroundyng the whole world in such vnmeasurable warmes issue as it were and broode of the earth that the earth it selfe is scarse able to foster vppe her owne generation And therefore if your meanyng concerne the ouerthrow of this sorte of people in this pointe I do agreé with you Osorius That Luther trauayled in deéde earnestly herein but atchieued not so much as was neédefull for the Christian common wealth For albeit he could not vtterly raze out the rakyng Regiment of those Romishe roysters most inordinately raysing them selues not onely aboue all Empires and Regimentes of the earth but also beyond all whatsoeuer is called God yet did he pretely shake them he pluckt of the vysours of those Apish stagers discouered their fraude made the world acquaynted with their subtill sleyghtes and lyeng doctrine and confuted them with the manifest force of the truth finally albeit by openyng the light of the Gospell he could not vtterly â—ende in peéces the shryne of the beast which so many huÌ„dred yeares had suppressed drowned in darkenes the knowledge of Gods word yet was his industry and labour not vnprofitably employed to the defacyng therof And I would to God he had bene able not onely to haue defaced the power and outrage of the Seé but also to haue plucked the same vppe by the rootes and brought the memory therof to vtter confusion and vanished it cleane out of the myndes memoryes of men Nations for euer in so doyng truly he could not haue done any exployte more acceptable to God and more profitable to the state of Christianitie Certes many thousandes of men and womeÌ„ had bene wonderfully preserued thereby who through the more then barbarous vnspeakeable cruelty of this consumyng gulfe haue bene miserably swallowed vppe and deuoured within a very few yeares in EnglaÌ„d Fraunce Spayne Scotland Flaunders Germany and other Christian Nations for as yet can not this vnsatiable CormorauÌ„t be sufficieÌ„tly englutted and fully gorged with ChristiaÌ„ goare And yet for all this poore seély Luther is accused which durst so boldly presume to vnlade and cure ChristiaÌ„ consciences of so cancred a Fistula of so poysoned in impostume and so raunging a carbuncle And bycause he did dare to vndertake the patronadge and defence of the truth agaynst manifest heresies and more then palpable errours there is no lesse layed to his charge then hygh treason as though he practized the vtter ouerthrowe not onely of all Christian societie but of the state of the whole world also And why may not the Wolfe with as good reason condenme the seély Lambe for troublyng his water Let Isaack also be accused bycause he restored to the Philistines the Welles pure and cleansed from filthe baggage whiche them selues had maliciously dammed vppe before Let the Phisition likewise be endiâ—ed of murder who ministring wholesome potion to his patient agaynst the pestilence or phrensie hath preserued lyfe Furthermore let it be lawfull for Osorius him selfe to barke agaynst the shynyng of the Sunne bycause it reneweth the gladsome countenaunce of the pleasaunt dawnyng by driuyng away the dazelyng darkenes of the vgly night Finally let him quarrell with Christ himselfe his most sacred spirit who did not onely himselfe rayse vp Luther for this purpose but also by playne foretellings did so many yeares before prophesie of the darcknes decay ouerthrow of the self same Seé And he poured out hys vyall sayth he vpon the seate of the beast and hys kingdome was couered with darckenes and they did gnawe their tongues for sorrow c. Which prophesie for asmuch as can not by any probable allusion be applyed eyther to the Iewes or to the Turckes Let the Romish Seé bethinke it selfe well what kynde of kingdome at the length is foreshewed here by the words of the holy Ghost And to the same end do the wordes of Saint Paule tend likewise where he declareth in what maner the Reuealyng of the Sonne of perdition should come to passe But after the proper phrase of speéche nothyng is sayd to be Reuealed but that which before did lye close hidden in couert And therfore if of very necessitie the Deuine spirite of Christ must be had to the discoueryng of this couert Enemy which could not otherwise be espyed by the pollicy and witte of man Certes it could not be but that this Antichrist whatsoeuer he be must lurke shadow him selfe wonderfull couertly and craftely and that much people should be deceaued in him before he could be Reuealed and detected to the world What Person this Sonne of perdition is I doe not at this present trouble my braynes about surely for my part I know no one person els neither by application of the signes notes or circumstaunces and playne demoÌ„strations wherewith S. Paule doth painte him out vnto vs can I gesse vpon any other whom this counterfaite may resemble in any proportion besides this one Prelate onely who so lustely vauÌ„teth him selfe in the Temple of God And therefore these thunderboltes great flashes of Osori lightning touching the ouerthrowe of the state of Christianitie do no more touch Luther then the lying cauillation of Amasias the Priest of Bethell did concerne the Prophet Amos to be a seditious person when he accused hym in the presence of Ieroboam the king behold sayth he Amos hath conspired agaynst thee euen in the middes of the house of Israell Euen such like lieger de mayne doth our Osorius vtter here very finely expressing vnto vs the wonderfull and singuler sleightes of the Papisticall subtelties which those catholick counterfaytes seéme long sithence to haue sucked out of the crafty wyles and practizes of that olde Comicall Phormio who being chiefly to be detected for some crafty conueyaunce steppe forth lyke call fellowes first and become accusers of others supposing they shall hereby acquite theÌ„selues cleare of all suspicion of crime if they caÌ„ first accuse others of the fault whereof they ought themselues be impeached And here in myne opinion the very selfe