wrought Ergo c. THE ANSWERE 20 Heere hee noteth out Antichrist by three speciall miracles which he saith he shall worke which because no Pope hitherto hath wrought they cannot be Antichrist Touching the first namely that he shall make fire descend from heauen wee say That forasmuch as there is no time set downe when that miracle shall be wrought and that there remayneth a Pope and how many shall succeede him who can tell all which make the great Antichrist therefore till the full end and terme of their reigne and that it can be proued that not any one Pope euer wrought that miracle none of the predecessours are cleared from being Antichrist for we find throughout the whole Scriptures that whatsoeuer is done by any one of them is imputed vnto all 21 But as touching the true sense of those words diuers of the Learned doe conclude that by making fire descend from heauen is meant that he should doe such miracles and so great wonders as should as greatly preuaile to draw the people from God to himselfe as the fire that came downe from heauen at the prayer of Elias did preuaile to draw the people from Baall to God 1. Kings 18â—â— 38.39 and that it is no more meant that Antichrist should cause fire really to descend from heauen then in the eleuenth chapter that materiall fire should proceede out of the two witnesses mouthes and destroy their enemies or in the ninth chapter that out of horses mouthes should issue fire smoake and brimstone to deuoure men 22 Secondly he saith that Antichrist shall make the Image of a beast to speake We answere The text saith not of a beast but of The beast That is as the verse going before saith The Image of the beast which had the wound of a sword and did liue Which as Erasmus expoundeth was the Heathenish domination vnder the Heathenish Emperours of Rome Whose heathenishnesse was almost stricken cleane dead by the sword of the Spirit which Saint Paul Ephes 6. Ephes 6.17 calleth the Word of God which wound was afterwards salued but fully healed by that spirituall beast which the 11. and 12. verses of the 13. chapter of the Reuclation declareth rose vp in the Roman kingdome resembling Christ the Lambe for as the Text saith He did all that the first beast could doe before him Whereby hee brought the latter Domination so liuely to resemble the former as any picture or image could possibly be made to resemble any beast therefore by the second Domination vnder the Popes is meant that image which Antichrist should make to speake that is should cause to publish and proclaime that as many as would not be conformable to all the heathenish ordinances thereof as in the former Domination should be killed By which means it came to passe as who so will reade the latter end of the thirteenth chapter shall see that all were brought to be subiect to his Lore Now therefore whether we may vnderstand this great worke to be accomplished by a painted picture or carued image and that by that same image which Antichrist should make to speake should be meant the image of some carnall beast or whether this be not a meer carnall interpretation of theirs let the discreete Reader iudge 23 Thirdly he saith Antichrist shall faine himselfe to die and rise agayne which thing if any one of his places doe proue I doe heere promise to recant Wherefore as the Popes not working those three miracles actually are not thereby cleared from being Antichrist so do not these miracles proue Bellarmines Iew to worke them to proue him to be Antichrist Therefore let vs come to some further triall with them for the better finding out of Antichrist by the miracles which he shal work in which no better course can be taken then by searching out the place where he shal worke them for if he shall worke them in that one City or Nation of the Iewes then it is likely he shall be a Iew but if all the world ouer in the Cities and Nations of the Gentiles then it is more likely he shall not be a Iew but a Gentile Now as the 13. verse of the 13. chapter of the Reuel Reu. 13.13 saith of Antichrist Hee made fire come downe from heauen so the next verse saith By the signes which were permitted for him to doe hee deceiued them that dwell on the earth By which it is most apparent that Antichrist shall not worke his wonders in that one City of Ierusalem nor yet in that one nation of the Iewes but ouer a great part of the whole earth among the Gentiles therefore this proueth he shall not be a lew but a Gentile Againe Saint Iohn in his 16. chapter of the same Booke speaking of Antichrist and his miracle-monger and the place where they should worke their miracles saith And I saw three vncleane spirits like frogges Reu. 16.13 come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of diuels working miracles to goe vnto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world Also in the eighteenth chapter that Angell speaking there of Babylon the seate of Antichrist saith With thine inchantments were deceiued all Nations By which then wee see that the case standeth cleare that Antichrists miracles shall not be wrought in that corner of the world among the Iewes but all the world ouer among the Gentiles therefore Antichrist shall not bee a Iew but a Gentile Also seeing wee our selues in this our age doe see how the Papists euery where incline themselues to miracles and that the Pope doth daily send his Seminaries abroad to worke his wonders all the world ouer by plaine experience wee may be bolde to say the Pope is that Gentile But they say no and who then shall decide the matter that shall hee whom they confesse to bâ—e indifferent betweene both Erasmus who hath thus written vpon the same place of the Reuelation k Erasmus What wonderfull tokens sayth hee haue beene wrought in the Papacie and to what end Christ himselfe did prophecie long agoe vnto his Disciples and gaue them warning of them Againe touching those three vncleane spirits which should deceiue the Kings of the earth and the greatest part of the world by their miracles he sayth l Erasmus vpon the 16. chap. The first is the diuellish Dragon the second is the beast at Rome the very right Antichrist the third is the false Prophet not one person but a whole order and multitude of Bishops and religious persons Monks Friers c. And a little after These are three such foule and vncleane spirits as none can be found more vncleane and yet do they worke miracles Wherefore then seeing that Antichrists great miracles are wrought in the Papacie the Sea of Rome and else where by the authority of the father of Perdition the Dragon of
but saue his life For if Saint Paul should haue spoken those words to haue maintained a place of purging sinne then should hee haue vtterly confounded all his owne doctrine throughout all his Epistles where he so laboureth to proue that our sins are wholly purged by the bloud of Christ onely For first in the third Chapter to the Romans he saith thus of Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5.9 And in his 5. Chapter thus Being now iustified by his bloud we shall be saued from wrath through him And in the first to the Colossians thus Colos 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and hath translated vs into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne in whom wee haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes And in the same Chapter Verse 19.20 For it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in Heauen And for a full conclusion of this point namely that wee are absolutely made perfect by Christs death and bloud he saith verse 22. In the body of his flesh Verse 22. through death he made vs vnblameable and without fault in the sight of God Now then this being true to wit that we are fully and wholly reconciled to God by faith in the bloud of Christ and our sinnes cleane washed away thereby so as that we are made vnblameable and without fault in Gods sight how absurd had it beene for Saint Paul to haue taught any other kinde of purgation Therefore it is cleare that those his words in the third Chapter to the Corinthians cannot be vnderstood of Purgatory 9 Furthermore as touching the truth of this doctrine namely that our sinnes are washed and cleansed onely by the bloud of Christ Saint Paul is not singular in this point for as we heard before out of the seauenth Chapter of the Reuelation that it was confirmed to Saint Iohn by the Angell of God from Heauen so likewise whosoeuer will reade the first Chapter of that Booke shall finde these words set downe concerning Christ Vnto him that loued vs Reuel 1.5.6 and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God euen his Father be glory and dominion for euermore Amen And in the 1 Chapter to the Hebrewes thus Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his person and bearing vp all things by his mighty Word hath by himselfe purged our sinnes And in the first Epistle and the first Chapter of Saint Iohn thus Iohn 1. Epist 1. chap. 7. The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Wherefore then seeing that of the bond slaues of Sathan we are made Kings and Priests to God by the bloud of Christ and that Christ of himselfe and by himselfe hath so purged our sinnes as whereby wee are made vnblameable and without fault in Gods sight why should we nay rather how dare we beleeue it is done by Purgatory Againe seeing the holy Ghost saith By the bloud of Christ Verse 9. wee are cleansed from all sinne and in the verses following From all vnrighteousnesse And that Saint Paul saith Titus 2. Titus 2.14 He redeemed vs from all iniquitie why should we suffer our selues to be so deluded to thinke that there is any sinne vnrighteousnesse or iniquity at all left to be purged by their imagined Purgatorie or that there can be any vse at all thereof or be any such place 10 Saint Cyprian speaking of the matter of our purging saith thus m Cyprian of Christs passion Thy bloud O Lord seeketh no reuenge thy bloud washeth our sinnes and pardoneth our trespasses Also to shew that there can be none other purgation nor any place for the purging of sinne after this life he saith else-where n In his first Treatise against Demetrian After we be once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentance there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is here either lost or wonne Also to the very same effect are those words of Saint Augustine o August vpon the 25. Psalme Let onely the price of the bloud of my Lord auaile me to the perfection of my deliuery And in another place thus p In his 10. Booke 22 Ch. of the City of God The victory is gotten in his name that hath taken man vpon him and that hath liued without sinne that in him and through him being both the Priest and the sacrifice remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes should be obtained and giuen that is to say saith he by the Mediatour of God and man that man Iesus Christ by whom the purging of our sinnes being made we are reconciled vnto God Well then if onely the bloud of Christ be auaileable to the perfection of our deliuerance from sinne and that the purgation thereof be so effectually made thereby as that our sinnes are washed away and all our trespasses pardoned and wee reconciled vnto God in this life and that here in this life euerlasting life is either lost or wonne and that after this life repentance comes too late and no satisfaction can be made to what end should God prouide a place after this life for the better perfecting of our saluation But therefore it is which Saint Augustine in another place saith q In his 54. Epistle to Macidonius There is no other place to correct our manners and conditions but onely in this life euery man shall haue that which he hath purchased vnto himselfe in this World And what vse then can there be of Purgatory Saint Ignatius saith r Ignatius in his 6. Epistle Alwayes reason requireth that whiles we haue space and time we should amend and correct our faults whiles in this life wee haue occasion giuen of repentance for it is truly said after death there is neither time nor place to confesse our sinnes And why then should wee beleeue that there is both place and time Saint Ambrose saith s Ambrose vpon good death He that here in this life receiueth not remission of his sinnes shall not be there in the life to come meaning Heauen Also Saint Hierome speaking of the same point saith thus t Hierome in his Booke vpon the 95. of Esay He that doth not obtaine remission of his sinnes whiles he yet liueth in the body doth perish to God and abideth to himselfe vnto euerlasting damnation And what auaileth Purgatory after this life then Saint Chrisostome likewise speaking of the same point saith u Chrisost in his 2. Sermon of Lazarus Whiles we be yet here we haue a godly hope but as soone as we are departed hence it lieth no more in vs for to repent nor
And when I had opened the fift Seale I saw vnder the Alter the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the testimonie which they maintained And they cried with a loud voyce saying How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and long white robes were giuen to euery one and it was said vnto them that they should rest for a little season vntill their fellow-seruants and their brethren that should be killed euen as they were were fulfilled Loe say they here is a third place euen a place where the soules of the faithful doe rest vntill the latter day To which we answer The Alter vnder which the soules are said to rest The Altar is Christ is Christ as who so will reade the 56. Chapter of Esay and seuenth verse And 60. Chapter 7. verse of the same Prophet and 8. Chapter 3. verse of the Reuelation shall see or that will listen to these testimonies of these three ancient Fathers shall heare to wit Saint Ireneus Saint Augustine and Epyphanius Ireneus saith g Jreneus in his 4. Booke and 34. Chap. Our Alter is not in earth but in heauen Saint Augustine saith h Augustine in his 20. Booke 10. Chap. of the City of God Our Alter is in heauen thither our prayers and oblations are directed Epyphanius saith i Epiphanius in his 2. Booke of Melchisadech Christ is our Sacrifice our Priest and our Alter So that we see euidently that by the Alter is meant Christ and therefore the place in which the soules of the faithfull doe rest till the day of iudgement is vnder the foote-stoole of Christ in Heauen Wherefore those words of Saint Iohn doth not proue a third place Also this is made more manifest by the 15. verse of the 7. Chapter where he speaking of the same soules Reuel 7.15 saith They are in the presence of the Throne of God And therefore whereas the Papists would haue this place of rest Elisius Campus Abrahams bosome or Paradise to be their Elisius Campus a place of pleasure in hell which they say is Paradise or Abrahams Bosome here they are compelled either to say that the Throne of God is in hell or else to grant that the resting place of those soules is in Heauen and then where is their third place yet proued 6 But forasmuch as those words in the 6. Chapter together with the other words in the 7. Chapter doe shew the resting place of the soules of the faithful to be in heauen and a place where they do crie for the time of the perfecting their full ioy and glory it is cleare that vnder the foote-stoole of Christ is the Celestiall Paradise which in the 16. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell is called Abrahams Bosome where Lazarus the goâ—d thiefe Paradise is in heauen not in hâ—ll and all the faithfull doe rest with Abraham the Father of the faithfull till they receiue together the full fruition of their faith So that hereby wee see Paradise to be in Heauen and not in hell as they fable And this is yet made more plaine by Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. where he saith I know a man in Christ about foureteene yeeres agone 2 Cor. 12.2.4 which was taken vp into the third Heauen How that he was taken vp into Paradise By which it is most manifest that Paradise is in the highest Heauen and that therefore their hellish Paradise in which they faine their purified soules of Purgatory doe rest till the last day is fabulous and doth not proue a third place 7 But now I doe expect they will answer thus Be it as you say that Paradise is in Heauen and that therein is the resting place of the soules of the faithfull yet is there at least a third place in which they did rest for a time to wit till they were purified and made fit for Heauen For to the very same effect are these words of Cardinall Allen k Allen in Fulks page 139. By long amending by fire at last they come to that reward Againe speaking of Purgatory fire he saith l Page 130. Through which the good must passe before they come to eternall ioy By which they would haue vs to vnderstand that no soule can come into the presence of God in Heauen Soules are in heauen because they haue washed themselues white in the bloud of the Lambe noâ— in the fire of Purgatory but onely such as are purified by the fire of Purgatory and that those that are in Heauen are there because first they were so purified Which how vntrue it is these words in the 14. and 15. verses of the 7. Chapter of the Reuelation will make it most euident which saith They haue washed their long Robes white in the bloud of the Lambe therefore are they in the presence of the Throne of God and serue him in his Temple day and night Now in that the holy Ghost saith Therefore it is as cleare as the Sunne at noone day that all those that are admitted into the presence of God in Heauen are so dignified because by the hands of their faith they haue washed themselues white in the bloud of Christ not in the fire of Purgatory Wherefore as those words before cited did vtterly ouerthrow their hellish Paradise so doth these words vtterly ouerthrow their hellish Purgatorie 8 Thirdly to proue yet that the soules are made perfect by the fire of Purgatorie they cite the words of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 3.13 3. where he speaking of ignorant Teachers and their doctrine saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire Which words they would make the World to beleeue are meant of the fire of Purgatory that shall as they say purge curious and vaine doctrine and those that haue built it on the foundation Christ whereas the very words themselues doe make it plaine to the contrary for in that it saith the day shall declare it 2 Pet. 1 Chap. 19 verse 2 Thes 2. ch 8. he meant the truth the light whereof Saint Peter calleth The day-starre 2. Epistle 1. Chapter And the power thereof Saint Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. Chapter 8 calleth the Spirit of Gods mouth wherewith he sheweth that Antichrist and all Antichristian Teachers and their doctrine shall be consumed euen as fire consumeth the drosse and fineth the gold and siluer And therefore in that Chapter where hee speaketh of purging by fire that no man should vnderstand him to meane a corporall or materiall fire hee concludeth of that matter thus 1 Cor. 3.8 As it were by the fire That is as it were by fire the vaine doctrine shall be burned and consumed by the fire of Gods truth and the Teacher thereof being tryed thereby to hold the foundation sound the Church shall not condemne him as an heretique
horrible blasphemer that will call it The most auncient true and holy Catholique religion Againe forasmuch as the Apostle Saint Paul 2. Thessalon 2. declareth that the comming of Antichrist shall be with great signes and wonders yea so great and wonderfull that as our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 24. If it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. Hee therefore that will say the Church of Rome must needes be the true Church because shee worketh miracles is a most horrible blasphemer Miracles are wrought in the Church of Rome by the spirits of Diuels as appeareth in the 16. chapter and 14. verse of the Reuelation Therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church And this appeareth also in the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy where we may see that a most vile kinde of people euen such as God abhorred wrought miracles to draw others to their religion And Saint Paul also declareth 2. Thessalon 2. verse 10. that Antichrist shall worke his miracles among them that perish therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church Againe our Sauiour Christ Matthew 7.22 declareth that at the day of Iudgement certaine Christian Ministers that were wont to confirme their doctrine by miracles when they shall see themselues cast out to be damned with reprobates they will admire and say thus to Christ Lord Lord haue we not by thy Name prophecied and by thy Name cast out Diuels and done many great workes And then saith Christ I will professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquitie Popish Ministers worke miracles our Ministers worke none they themselues therefore shall be iudges in this case to which of these sort of Ministers this Scripture may iustly be applyed Certainely the greatest iudgement that God doth lay vpon men in this life is to blinde their vnderstanding with Poperie for then they are willing to receiue any errour and to reiect the truth to be marked with the marke of the Beast and to receiue the print of his name and to perish with the Beast and the false Prophet as it is most certaine they shall For thus it is written in the nineteenth chapter of the Reuelation verse 20. But the Beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him whereby he deceiued them that receiued the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his image These both were aliue cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Therefore to conclude this I say to all those that haue receiued the marke of the Beast in their forehead or on their hand that is they that haue outwardly professed with their mouthes and gestures and those also that haue defended by Armes written Bookes wrought Miracles or any way laid to their helping hand to do any thing whereby the Popes kingdome and state is maintained Damnation shall be their end For as the Angell of God in the foureteenth chapter of the same booke 9.10 and 11. verses saith If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on their hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the Cup of his wrath and he shal be termented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angells and before the Lambe and the smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoeuer receiueth the print of his name That is whosoeuer is content to be called by any such name as whereby he may be knowne to be the Popes faithfull subiect Therefore I aduertise them all in the name of God that they receiue his fatherly admonitions and call to minde how louingly the Lord in the fourth verse of the eighteenth chapter of the same Booke calleth his Elect out of Babylon that they be not partakers of her sinnes lest they should also receiue of her plagues As for those that regard not this louing fauour of God but will notwithstanding abide in her still and goe on with her in her abhominations let them goe and doe what they will He that is vniust saith the Lord in the 22. chapter let him be vniust still and he that is filthy let him be filthie still and hee that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still And behold I come shortly and my reward is with mee to giue to euery man as his worke shall be ¶ The Titles demonstrating the seuerall points contained in each of the Chapters 1 CErtaine Chapters contayning the summe and substance of the Christian Churches confutations of the Popish or Antichristian Churches errours heresies and blasphemies The first whereof tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Papists and Protestants professe but one God one faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they both should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 2 An answere to tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist whereof Bellarmine is supposed to be the originall authour 3 That Christian Rome now in her latter dayes is that Babylon the seate of Antichrist which the Angell in the 17 chapter of the Reuelation calleth the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angel in the 18. chapter saith is fallen and become the habitation of Diuels and holde of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird and out of which the Lord from Heauen calleth all his Elect lest they should be partakers of her sinnes and consequently of her plagues 4 That the Popish Church is the same idolatrous Church yet professing Christ which Saint Iohn in his 13. and 17. chapters of the Reuelation sheweth to be the Church of Antichrist 5 That for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ there was no Popish Church neither could be because there was not as yet an vniuersall Pope established in Rome to make it a Popish Church Therefore as no Husband no Wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes 6 That in the yeare of Christ 607. the Church of Poperie and the succession of vniuersall Popes first began From whence our Church had her first beginning before Luther and how our Protestant Bishops and Ministers which they haue ordayned haue lawfull callings 7 Their generall Consent ouerthrowne by generall consent of Councels and Fathers 8 That the Apostle Saint Peters authoritie was but the same that the other Apostles were and therefore the Pope cannot iustly claime from him to be called Vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops That the title of Vniuersall Father is forbidden by Christ to be giuen to any but to his owne Father 9 That the true
and most auncient Church had but two Sacraments How the other fiue crept into the Church That the Masse by their owne confession was made by diuers Bishops of Rome long after the Apostles That it tendeth to the vtter dissoluing of the whole Harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion and the casting mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation 10 That the words of Christ touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud as also his other words concerning the sacrament are but figuratiue speeches 11 That wee ought to pray to God alone and not to Saints And to worship God alone and not Saints That none can be mediatour betweene God and man but onely he that is partaker of the natures both of God and man 12 That the originall authours of the doctrine of Purgatory were the Heathen Philosophers How it doth confound the iudgement of the Popish writers and how it doth deny the bloud of Christ to be sufficient for the purging of sinne The Chapter of Conclusion sheweth that we are iustified in the sight of God by faith onely without workes That we possesse Heauen only by the meanes of faith and being there the fruits thereof are rewarded with the degrees of glorie That the high way to damnation is to seeke saluation by merites The Popes deadly wound Tending to resolue all Men in the chiefe and principall Points now in controuersie betweene the Papists and Vs. CHAPTER I. This Chapter tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Protestants and Papists professe but one God one Faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 1 IT hath beene imagined Christian Reader that forasmuch as the Papists and wee professe one and the same God c. there might well be an vnion betweene vs and them to make one and the same Vniuersall Church but I trust through the helpe of Gods spirit it shall be made manifest to the whole Church of God that it is no more possible then by mixing with the puritie of the Gospell the Abomination of desolation by which Saint Hierome saith a Hierome in his booke vpon thâ— 24. of Saint Matth. w. We may vnderstand all manner of peruerse and false doctrine there can bee made one and the same true Christian Religion True it is that many notable Heretikes of former times haue professed one and the same God with the Church and as Saint Chrysostome saith * Chrysostome of the Worke vpon Matth. Had gotten the notes and markes of the true Church to wit sayth he Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other orders of Clarkes and likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe but yet as he sheweth that the true Church of Christ would not admit them into the fellowship thereof nor take them for true members of the same The reason was for that with their profession they mingled such erronious opinions of God as made him no God according to that which Saint Hilary saith b Hilary in Ps 1. To deuise fancies of God is as horrible as to say there is no God 2 For wee beleeue and professe but one diuine God according to Deuter. 4.35 and one mediatour betweene God and man Euen the man Christ Iesus according to Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.5 The Papists professe that the Lord he is God but not God onely and that Christ is mediatour but neither wholly nor only as this first Chapter shall plainly demonstrate from their owne Doctors for one writeth thus c Fel. in cap. ego N. de iureiur The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God The Bishop of Aeix saith d Contr Bassinet vt Hist. Gallica Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth In their Extrauagants he is termed e Extra coment in glossa Our Lord God the Pope besides their Councell of Trident f Trident. in sexto de lect decreed him to be God In the Councell of Lateraine one saluted the Pope with this title g Latr. sess 4. Thou art another God on earth which the Pope accepted as his due euen as Pope Nicholas seeking authority whereby he might claime that dignitie found these words treasured vp in the Popes Library * Nicholas Dist. 96. satis euidenter It is well knowne that the Pope of the godly Prince Constantine was called God To which words Augustine Steuche the keeper of the Popes Librarie added h Steuche libr. Donat. Constant. pag. 141. Dost thou not heare that the highest Bishop was called of Constantine God and that he was taken for God and worshipped as God with diuine honour Whereby it plainely appeareth that this title is not giuen him of flatterers against his will neyther fell it out of their fingers rashly or by chance but with good consideration and therefore they ascribe also vnto him the great power and authority not of a terrestiall God but euen of a celestiall and that in foure respects 3 First in graunting to him as large commaund as to God himselfe for thus they write i Extrauag De translat-Episcopi Quinto Hostin Sinne excepted the Pope in a manner may doe all that God may doe Againe k Counsel Lat. Leo. 10. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Also l Extrauag De Constitu lib. Statuta The Pope hath power ouer the Angells both good and bad And m Agrippa de vanitat Scient The Pope hath power to command the Angells and hath power ouer the dead Againe n Baldus in li. Barbarius De officio praetoris The Pope is all and aboue all Furthermore o L. Sacrilegij c. de crim sacril ind c. Ecclesia vt tit pend It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power * for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause Lastly p In Bull. Clem. 6. in Ant. Flo. The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in hell that he may deliuer by his Indulgences place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many Soules as he will So that in his power of commaunding hee is made equall with God as if hee might be bold to say with our Sauiour Matth. 28. All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth 4 Secondly they match him with God in giuing him priuiledge and exemption from all censure saying q Dist. Satis lib. Don. Constant. pag. 141. The Pope cannot at all be eyther bound or loosed by the Secular power
by the direction of God himselfe as appeareth in the foureteenth chapter of Numbers to Moses and the fourth chapter of Ezekiel where the Lord said vnto him Thou shalt beare the iniquity of the house of Iudah fortie yeares I haue appoynted thee a day for a yeare euen a day for a yeare So that euen by this rule must we count the time of Antichrists reigne euen by these Angels daies Angels daies I say for as the sayd O siander saith * Osiander in his booke of coniccture of the end of the world time of Antichrists raigne page 10. Notwithstanding with vs which be concluded vnder the heauens the course of the Sunne from East to West finisheth our day in foure and twenty houres yet with the Angels that dwell aboue the Circles and orbes of the planets their day finisheth her course whiles the Sunne moueth in her Zodiacke from the South to the North and agayne from the North to the South which is not finished but in one of our yeares Therefore it is certaine there be Angels dayes and those dayes are yeares Daniel 12.12 Reuelat. 13.5 Angâ—ls yeeres An Angels yeere doth containe 360. yeeres after 30. daies to a moneth which the Greeke Astronomers call a Time Now an Angels moneth we finde in the twelfth chapter of Daniel to containe iust thirtie of those Angels dayes and by the fortie two moneths in the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which Bellarmine citeth we find that an Angels yeare doth containe twelue of those Angels moneths for that three times twelue is 36. and sixe moneths for the halfe yeare makes iust 42. which make iust three Angels yeares and an halfe which albeit they be not by the Angel in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation nor by Daniel in his seauenth chapter called yeares in expresse words but A Time times and halfe a time yet may wee truely gather by Daniels words in his fourth chapter that by times he meant yeares for that hee there calleth Nebuchadnezzars seauen Yeares seauen Times By which then wee see that as in that chapter by Times he meant Yeares so in the seauenth chapter he and likewise the Angel in his twelfth chapter of the Reuelation by Angels times meant Angels yeares one of which containes iust 360. of our yeares after thirâ—ie dayes to a moneth which the Greeke Astrologians also call a Time 29 Now then the time of Antichrists reigne being set downe to be three yeares and an halfe it is cleare they be Angels yeares and not three of our yeares and an halfe And the rather because the Angel in the 3. verse of the 11. chap. and 6. verse of the 12. chapter hath set downe that those yeares by which we must count must contayne iust 1260. daies which ours doe not but hath 17. daies and an halfe ouer which if it were but the halfe day would marre their whole matter Therefore seeing those three Angels yeares and an halfe do containe iust those 1260. dayes and that so many of those dayes are so many of our yeares after 30. dayes to a moneth Antichrists reigne shall continue rising and falling 1260. yeares of which counting from Boniface the 3. in whom Antichrist first rose which as we proued before in the third answere was in the yeare of Christ 607. Antichrist hath now reigned a thousand and twelue yeares and two hundred forty and eight are yet to be accomplished if God with the shortning of the world as some vnderstand for her iniquity doe not also shorten his time for his iniquity 30 But now notwithstanding wee haue thus plainely proued the Pope to be hee that shall reigne fourty two moneths and consequently to be Antichrist yet as their manner is I know they will deny it and who then shall decide the matter Truely Bellarmine himselfe shall be one Saint Bernard another their Robertus the Dominican Frier another Bellarmine howsoeuer in all his former obiections hee laboured to proue a Iew to be Antichrist that should domintere ouer that one nation of the Iewes onely yet heere hee wresteth the Scripture to haue vs to vnderstand that Romish Gentile mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of the Reuelation vnto whom the Text sayth Power was giuen ouer euery kinred tongue and nation to be he So that heereby he hath proued all his former Obiections but very fond coniectures and meere fables Also whereas the Text sayth that vnto the same beast Was giuen a mouth to speake blasphemy and to keepe warre with the Saints their Saint Bernard also vnderstanding this of the great Antichrist sayth thus of the Pope x Bernard in his 25. Epistle That beast that is spoken of in the booke of the Râ—uelation vnto which beast is giuen a mouth to spâ—ake blasphemy and to keepe warre with the Saints is now gotten into Peters Chaire and there sitteth as a Lyon prepared to his prey Againe speaking of the Popish Priests and Ministers he saith plainly thus y Supra canâ—â— serm 33. They serue Antichrist Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Their Dominican Frier saith z Rovertus in his 3. vision I sawe in a vision in the Pallace of Lateraine and in the Porch before the Chaire of Prophero where triall is made whether the Pope be a man or not how that an huge Serpent tumbled it selfe vpon a thicke and great reed making a great noise and the Spirit sayd vnto me This Serpent is Antichrist and his condemnation is at hand To conclude this matter their Bishop Cornelius bewayling the miserable estate of both Spiritualtie and Layetie in the Romish â—urisdiction sayth a Cornelius oratio Cornelij Epistle Bnon 〈◊〉 3. Domâ—â—â—ca aduent in Conâ—â—l Trident. habita Would God they were not fallen wholy with one consent from Religion to Superstition from faith to infidelitie and from Christ to Antichrist Ergo the Pope is Antichrist by their owne confession 31 But now whereas wee affirmed Antichrist first to arise in Boniface the third Bâ—shop of Rome of that name because in him was the order of vniuersal Bishops established by the Emperour Phocas let vs heare what their Saint Vincent saith hereof b Vincent in his Treatise of the end of the World amongst other things fore-shewing of two kinde of Antichrists one to be an open professed enemie to Christ and all sorts of Christians the other he said shall be a mixed kinde of Antichrist And this said he shall be an euill Pope made by an euill Prince of great power who shall place his euill Pope in the Prouince of Babylon And to this mixed Antichrist saith he many Prelates shall adhere Also their Saint Bridgit hauing declared the great ruine of the Church vnder the Popes and the desolation of many soules by their meanes saith c Bridgit 3. Booke 27. Chapter Yet know for all that that betweene the time of humble Peter and the time that Boniface did mount vp to sit in the seate of Pride many did ascend into Heauen Which is
bee the Christian state of Rome in her latter daies for that the Angell there said Shee offered to the World the abomination and filthinesse of her fornication in a Golden Cup that is as the learned expound it her idolatries and whorish Doctrine and Religion in the name of Christ which cup Erasmus declareth Heathenish Rome disdayned once to handle and abhorred what good soeuer was offered to her therein therefore he could not otherwise vnderstand but that the Angel meant the Christian Church of Rome in her latter dayes which vnder the glittering and golden shew of the name of Christ poysoned a great part of Christendome with that whorish filthinesse of her Heathenish Fornication Reuelat. 17.2 Reuelat. 18.3 and the third verse of the eighteenth Chapter And thus wee see the foure principall poynts which fully resolued that most learned Erasmus and may also as fully resolue all men that by Babylon the Mother of whordomes and abominations of the Earth the Angel meant Christian Rome in her latter dayes Now let vs heare how Erasmus concludeth of Christian Rome thus he saith 6 This whorish Woman d Erasmus vpon the 17. chap. Sect. 1. hath decked and garnished her selfe not like Peter and Paul with diuers and many vertues but with Siluer and Gold and pretious Stones and Pearles And the Cup of Gold which she offereth to the World is not the loue of Christ the Christian Faith nor the Law of God but her owne Decrees and Ordinances that she may play the Whore at her pleasure with pompe authoritie and lust without all shame or feare beyond all measure and all vnder the pretence and name of Christ Againe he saith e Erasmus vpon the 16. chap. Sect. 3. The whole order of Bishops and multitude of Spirituaell Pastours which by their office and calling ought to maintaine and support the true Doctrine of God haue bent themselues their whole life and state vtterly against the Doctrine of the Gospell that nothing can bee more vnlike the state of the Apostles in doctrine religion or life then is their order and state Againe he saith f Erasmus vpon the 16. chap. Sect. 2. This second beast with his two hornes is twice as had as the first for as much as through her two hornes it had power both of bodie and soule ouer the Doctrine and ouer the politique Lawes with mouth and hand against God the temporall gouernement Christ and his Ministers And againe he saith g Erasmus vpon the 27. chap. Sect. 1. The bloud of the holy Prophets and Preachers hath this Whore the Papacie shed without measure till she was so drunke therewith that shee tooke and esteemed her tyrannie for godly zeale Therefore he concludeth with the very head of the Romish Church thus h Erasmas in the words going before For the name of the Christian Church he hath deserued anonother name euen to be called the Whore of Babylon the Mother of all abominations idolatrie and of falling into Heathenish superstition And thus Christian Reader thou seest most apparantly proued that by Babylon is meant the Christian Church of Rome now in her latter dayes Now let vs intreat a little of the fall of Babylon for that will make this matter yet more apparant 7 This Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter hauing finished his testimonie touching spirituall Babylon Saint Iohn in the beginning of the eighteenth Chapter saith thus And after these things â—euelat 18.3 I saw another Angel come downe from heauen hauing great power so that the Earth was lightened with his glorie and he cryed out mightely with a loud voyce saying It is falne it is falne Babylon the great Citie and is become the habitation of Diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull Bird for all Nations haue drunke of of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication and the Kings of the Earth haue committed Fornication with her Now wee heard before by the other Angel that Christian Rome is Babylon therefore if this also be spoken of Christian Rome then is Christian Rome so wonderfully falne as that she may rightly be called Babylon And that it may appeare indeed that this Angel did also speake of Christian Rome let vs heare how Erasmus doth interpret his words thus hee saith i Erasmus vpon the 18. chap. Sect. 1. This is spoken principally against the second Regiment of Rome which vnder the pretence of the name of Christ hath delt so rebelliously against all faithfull Christians And a little after k Jbidem Now is it knowne that shee hath beene an Habitation for the wicked vnfaithfull and filthie Sodomites And againe l Erasmus vpon the 18. chap. Sect. 3. With this Babylon haue Princes and Prelates yea whole Kingdomes committed Whordomes So that by this wee see most apparantly that the same which is here spoken touching the wonderfull great fall of Babylon is spoken of Christian Rome 8 True it is that some do vnderstand this to be meant of the fall of the first beasts power the Heathenish Empire which was ouerthrowne by Constantine the Emperour when hee was conuerted to Christianitie about three hundred yeares after Christ but this cannot bee for by Constantines meanes the Romaines became Christians therefore if wee should vnderstand it of that time and state wee should vnderstand that the Angell called Rome Babylon and the habitation of diuells in respect that it was wholly become the habitation of Christians and that the Christians were those diuels foule spirits vncleane and hatefull birds which were most ridiculous so to say Againe those words of the Text which say And is become importeth a time when shee was not so which could not be meant of that time when she was Impious and Pagan for then she was no better but of a time after when she was risen and fallen And that it may appeare Rome risen and fallen that Christian Rome vnder the Popes did so fall as that shee became this hellish habitation none can make it more of credite nor more apparent then the Romanists themselues haue done as wee shall now see by these their owne testimonies following 9 Their Bernard which liued almost a thousand yeres after Heathenish Romes dayes writing of the state and manner of the Romans in his dayes sayth thus m Bernardinus de considerat ad Eugenium lib. 4. The Romaines are wise to doe euill good they know not how to doe they are irreligious towards God presumptuous against holy things they be Wolues not Sheepe And a little after speaking of the Pope and of his spirituall Pastours hee saith n Jbid. Of such art thou Shepheard if I durst speake all they be rather the pastours of deuils then of sheepe And againe complaining of the diueâ—lishnesse of his time and the ripenesse of the Church of Antichrist among the Romaines he sayth further thus o Bern. Serm. 6. in Psal 91. It onely remayneth that the
they may after feare or feare those things which they haue framed And then deriding them with the words of their common answere he sayth No forsooth say they we feare not that but them after whose Image they be made and to whose names they beconsecrated Againe whereas they doubted their religion to be void without Images he thus resolueth their doubt p Lactant. lib. 2. cap. 19. Out of all doubt where there is an Image there is no religion If then where an Image is there true religion is not and that in the Popes iurisdiction euery Church is full of Images it is cleare that in all Churches within the Popes iurisdiction true Religion is not and consequently no religion And this is it whereof their Saint Hildegard thus foreshewed would come to passe saying q S. Hilde gard a Nunne lib. 3. Vision 11. Sciuias In the Apostolicall Order to wit saith she of the Romaine Sea no religion shall be found To be briefe Saint Augustine by rendering this reason why that sort of counterfeit Christians were so addicted to Images saying r Augustine in his booke against Admantus the 13. cha They would seeme to fauour Images to make the Heathen to thinke the better of their most miserable and lewd Sect plainely proueth the Papists to be not true Catholiques but most miserable and lewd Sectaries who wee see had rather ioyne themselues with the barbarous Heathen in their damnable idolatrie and superstition then with true Christians in the sinceritie and puritie of the Gospell of saluation And thus much touching the third and last illusion 9 But now forasmuch as they haue induced the ignorant to beleeue that in this their manner of worship they please God well it is our parts and duties to make knowne vnto them how it pleased God in them of olde time that so thereby they may the better iudge how themselues therein please God Exo. 32.27.28 The thirty two chapter of Exodus plainly declareth that the Israelites who acknowledged the true God for worshipping an Image were slaine in one day three thousand The tenth chapter of Hosea Hosea 10.1 to the 8. declareth as plainely that because the peoples hearts were diuided in affection betweene God and Images the Lord caused the Prophet to denounce such and so great desolation to come vpon them as that they should wish the hilles and mountaines to fall vpon them Also the first chapter of Zephaniah declareth Zephan 1. cha 1. to the 5. that because Iuda and Ierusalem had imparted the worship of God to the Hoste of heauen and his glorie to the idol gods in swearing by the Lord and by Malcham as the Papists doe By God and By the Roode By God and By the Masse the Lord threatned to destroy all things vpon the earth all things in the Sea the foules of Heauen and the inhabitants of the Land So then by this the most ignorant may euidently perceiue how in this their manner of idoll worship they please God 10 And now for that the Romanists are found Idolaters in the highest degree in that so directly contrary to the reuealed will of God and knowledge of his expresse Lawe which the Heathen had not make a Stocke and a Stone God in giuing vnto it the same diuine worship and honour that is due to God himselfe who hath sayd by the mouth of the Prophet Esay chap. Esay 42.8 42. I am the Lord and my glory will I not giue to any other neyther my praise to grauen Images and also in praying vnto it for all things needfull both for soule and bodie and that also this idoll-worship was established by Pope Gregorie the third then head of their Church and maintained euer since by his successours Bishops of Rome it is cleare that the Church of Rome is that idolatrous Church professing Christ which in the 17. Reuel 17.4.5 chapter of the Reuelation is said to be the Whore of Babylon offering to the world in a golden Cuppe to wit in the name of Christ the abomination and filthinesse of her fornication Reuel 19.2 And in the nineteenth chapter to be condemned for corrupting the earth with her fornication But lest for all this they should with impudent and brasen faces still face it out and deny it Let them heare how it is confirmed by their owne Writers Ioacham Abbas speaking of the corrupting of doctrine by the Priests of Rome sayth Å¿ Joacham vpon the 37. chapter of Ieremy They neglect Incense and Myrrhe but they seeke after Golde that they may with Babylon the great Lady of the world fill vnto men wine in a golden Cuppe to infect their followers with their abomination And vpon the seuenteenth chapter of the Reuelation hee speaketh yet more plainly and saith t Vpon the 17. chapter of the Reuelation The very Text it selfe doth teach how that the woman beguiled with golde and which committeth spirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the very Church of Rome which Babylon-like playeth spiritually the whoore with stockes and stones Againe hee saith of the whole Clergie of Rome v Vpon the 21. chapter of Ieremy They are Idolatrous Pastors and Prelates Againe he saith * Vpon the 1. and 2. chap. of Ieremy As Solomon in his olde age fell into Idolatry so hath the Church of Rome done And therefore it is which Robertus the Dominican Frier saith thus of the Romish Church in the person of Christ x Robertus in his 12. sermon Like an adultresse thou hast forsaken mee and hast ioyned thy selfe vnto strangers And of which their Paracelsus concludeth thus y Paracelsus in his 4. figured Prediction The whoore hath diuided her loue 11 So that the Romanists and Papists being thus so plainly proued Idolaters in worshipping God after the manner of the Heathen which he commanded his people the Iewes they should not doe if they would looke to continue in his fauour and to auoide his iudgements Deuter. 12. this maketh that good which wee affirmed in the beginning of our first Chapter namely that it is not possible that they and wee should be combined and conioyned together in Religion to make one and the same true Church of Christ For as the Apostle Saint Paul saith 2. Corint 6. 2. Cor. 6.16 There can be no agreement betweene the Temple of God and the Temple of Idoles Therefore it behooueth vs to looke warily vnto our selues that we be not deluded by their craftie and subtile arguments to be seduced to their idolatrous religion And thus much for the satisfying the Reader in this point also CHAP. V. Tending to resolue all men that for the first 606. yeeres next after Christ the Papists had no Church neither could haue because till then it had no vniuersall Pope to make it a Popish Church Neither was that first Church of Rome which Saint Peter planted the Mother but one of the Daughters of the Mother Church in which
Popes principality and supremacy which he challengeth from Peters authority is fabulous For it is cleare that if Christ would haue had vnder him any such singular vniuersall head ouer his Church now by reason of this present occasion had been the onely time to haue made it knowne but in that he said in so plaine and expresse words It shall not be so among you he made it plaine to the contrary Hence it was that Saint Bernard applyed these words of Christ and also the words of Peter himselfe against that false challenge of the Pope saying a Bernard 2. Booke of consideration Peter could not giue that he had not did he giue Lordship heare what he saith Not as ouer Gods heritage but being a patterne to the flocke And least said he to the Pope thou thinke it to be spoken onely in humility and not in truth it is the voyce of the Lord in the Gospell The Kings of the nations raigne ouer them but you shall not be so It is plaine saith he the Apostles are forbidden Lordship therefore goe thou and vsurpe greedily vnto thy selfe either Lording it Apostleship or being Apostolike Lordship thou are flatly forbidden either All which most euidently declareth that the Popes vniuersall supremacy which he claimeth from Saint Peter is flat forgery 3 Secondly they say To Peter onely Christ committed the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen For the clearing of which point we are first to make knowne what those Keyes are for by that the most ignorant may the more easily iudge whether to the rest of the Apostles Christ did not also giue the Keyes Luke 11.52 Christ himselfe in the 11. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell Matthew 16.19 declareth the first key to be Knowledge and in the 16. Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospell the second to be Power For the first key to wit knowledge it is cleare by Saint Iohn in his 17. Iohn 17.8 Chapter of his Gospell that Christ gaue it as well to the other Apostles as to Peter For in praying for them all in generall he vttered these words to his Father I haue giuen thy words vnto them which thou gauest me Iohn 15.15 and they haue receiued them Againe Chapter 15. speaking to all his Apostles in generall he said All things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you Likewise in the 14. Iohn 14.26 Chapter speaking to them all in generall he said These things haue I spoken vnto you being present with you but the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you So that hereby it plainly appeareth that Christ gaue this first key to all the Apostles in generall and therefore not to Peter alone 4 Now touching the second key namely the power of binding and loosing remitting and retaining sinnes it is as cleare that Christ gaue it indifferently to all the Apostles Matthew 16.19 For as Saint Matthew in his 16. Chapter sheweth that he said to Peter Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shall be loosed in heauen Matth. 18.18 so in the 18. Chapter he declareth that Christ spake these very same words to all the Apostles saying Whatsoeuer ye bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen And likewise Saint Iohn in his 20. Chapter witnesseth that he said also to them all in generall Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted vnto them Iohn 20.23 whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Therefore it is manifest that Christ gaue this key also to all the other Apostles as well as to Peter And therefore it is which Saint Origine saith b Orig. in first Treatise on Matthew This saying to thee will I giue the Keyes is common to all the rest of the Apostles and the words that follow as spoken to Peter are common to all Likewise Saint Augustine saith c August 124. Treatise vpon Iohn When they were all asked Peter alone doth make answer and it was said vnto him And I will giue thee the keyes as though he alone had receiued authority to bind and loose whereas he had spoken that for them all and receiued this as bearing in himselfe the person of vnity Wherefore in another place reprouing those Romane heretikes of his time who would needs haue those words to be spoken to Peter alone and him to be the Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church said d Augustine in his Booke of the troubles of the Christians Wretched men whiles in Peter they vnderstand not Christ that is the Rocke and whiles they will not beleeue that the keyes are giuen to the Church they haue quite lost the Keyes out of their hands e In his Treatise vpon Iohn For said he if this was said onely to Peter to thee will I giue the Keyes thou the Church hath them not And thus much touching the second point But now before I come to the third point I must craue pardon to digresse a little for that because the Pope challengeth from the authority of the keyes to haue an absolute power to forgiue sinne and to giue the kingdome of Heauen I thinke it very needfull to open that mistery of the vse of the Keyes and how farre their powers doe extend 5 Thou knowest Christian Reader that the vse of Keyes are to open and to shut to let in and to keepe out such as are not meete to come in Now from these metaphors and their properties haue the spirituall keyes their titles and resemblances of properties and doe in this manner both open and shut to wit by the sentence of the Law to shut the locke of excommunication against open offenders and by the sentence of the Gospell to open it againe to those that openly repent confesse their sins And this is it which their Haymo saith f Haymo in Homely vpon the feast of Peter and Paul By Keyes we must vnderstand knowledge and power to discerne between good and bad that those whom thou seest to abide in the true faith thou shalt iudge them worthy of Heauen and those whom thou seest to depart from the true faith thou shalt iudge them worthy of hell fire The Bishops saith he g Ibidem binde men when they separate them from the society of the Church and keepe them from receiuing the body and bloud of Christ he looseth them when as after repentance made he receiueth him in againe into the fellowship of the Congregation and admitteth him to the Lords Table And this is now all the power the Church hath by the two Keyes as for sinne Christ himselfe hath said Matthew 16.19 18.18 it is both bound and loosed in heauen by God himselfe Howbeit we denie not that it is done
the Church hath none other head but Christ yea as well that part that is Millitant as that that is Triumphant and both together because they both make but one Church And therefore writing to the Church of Corinth in his 2 Epistle 11. chapter 2. verse he said thus vnto her I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ And to the intent that all might know that the Church Triumphant and the Church Millitant hath both but one and the same head hee writing to the Church of Ephesus chapter 1.20.21.22.23 said thus vnto them of Christ God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery Name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things And to the Colossians chapter 1. verses 16.17.18 thus For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And hee is before all things and in him all things consist And hee is the head of the body of the Church hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell By which it is manifest Christ Iesus alone is the head of the whole Church The Pope cannot claime antiquity of Bishopricke from Peter because Peter was not the first bishop but Iames. and not Peter and therefore the Pope cannot rightly claime the vniuersall headship from him If Peter had beene the supreame head of the Church why was hee not then the first Bishop of the Church but agreed with Iames and Iohn to make Iames the Iust the first Bishop as Clement the first witnesseth in these words * Clement lib. 6. Hypotip Ierusalem the most ancient mother church and not Rome Peter Iames and Iohn after the Assumption of our Sauiour challenged not this prerogatiue vnto themselues but appoynted Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem And as these words of Clement proue Peter not to be the first Bishop so doe they proue Rome not to be the first Church where the first Apostolicall Bishop was placed but Ierusalem therefore not Rome but Ierusalem must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church 14 That must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church whose ministers Christ himselfe appointed the Apostles first to be which was the Church of Iewrie as appeareth by S. Mathew chap. 10.5.6 where after he had repeated the names of the twelue Apostles which Christ had chosen said These twelue did Iesus send forth and commanded them saying Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather to the lost sheepe of the bouse of Israell Therefore the Church of Ierusalem was the most auncient Apostolike Church and not the Church of Rome which was the chiefe of the Gentiles 15 Againe that Church must needes be the Mother of the most auncient Catholique hâ—urch in which Christ himselfe first planted the Faith and Religion which should be Catholique and by the meanes of whose Ministers the Catholique Church should receiue it which Faith and Religion Saint Mathew chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 witnesseth Christ taught vnto the people daily in the Temple of Ierusalem and commaunded her Ministers the Apostles to publish the same afterwards to the vniuersall world Mathew 28.19.20 therefore Ierusalem and not Rome is the Mother of the most auncient Catholique Church 16 MoreoueÌ„r There was no Romish Church at all 14. yeeres after Peter was called to be an Apostle Ierusalem must needs be the mother Church of all Christian Nations for that in her all the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost and the gifts of tougues that euery Nation might be taught by them in their owne language what to beleeue and doe to be saued the which they had largely put in practise during well-neere foureteene yeeres immediately after their calling before Peter came to Rome For they cannot denie but that Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ his incarnation 44. Before which time Peter planted many Churches in diuers Coasts For themselues affirme in their Rozarie that before he came to Rome hee spent his time preaching in Iewry Syria Antiochia and other places Many Churches were planted in the world before Peter came to Rome Therefore seeing that besides those other Churches which were planted by the rest of the Apostles Peter planted many before he planted a Church at Rome it is cleare that when as he had planted a Church in Rome shee could be but one of the Daughters and not the Mother of the most ancient Catholique and Apostolike Church 17 Lastly it must needs be the most ancient Church and the Mother of all the Churches Millitant from which the Church Triumphant hath her name deriued but Saint Paul Galathians 4 and Saint Iohn Reuelations 21. sheweth her name to be deriued from Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the Mother of all Christian Churches Millitant That is to say the onely figure of the vniuersall Mother for as Saint Matthew Chapter 23.9 sheweth the vniuersall Father to be not in earth but in Heauen so Saint Paul Galathians 4.26 sheweth the vniuersall Mother not to be in earth That must needs be the most anâ—iâ—nt Church Millitant troÌ„ which the Church Triumphant hath her name derâ—ued but in Heauen 18 And now Christian Reader as wee shewed thee at large in our fifth Chapter that before the yeere of Christ 607. there was no Popish Church in Rome and here that before the yeere of Christs incarnation 44. there was no Romish Church at all so will we now shew thee more plainly that after there was a Romish Church and that shee was become most famous for her Faith and Religion that yet euen then shee was not the Mother but a Daughter not the head but a chiefe member of the Apostolike and Catholike Church Tertullian who liued in the next age after the Apostles wrote thus b Tertul. de praescription centra Haereticos Runne ouer and behold the Apostolique Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyce and representing the face of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe
Gentiles to offer vnto him in euery place whereas it is cleare it is meant of the whole spirituall worship and seruice of GOD vnder the Gospell which consisteth of preaching praying and thankesgiuing as may plainely appeare by these auncient Fathers interpretations vpon the same place of the Prophet Tertullian saith z Tertullian in his Exhortation vnto Chastitie The pure Sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of that should be offered in euery place is the preaching of the Gospell to the ende of the World Saint Hierome saith a Hierome vpon the first of Malachie The Prophet Malachie meaneth heereby that the prayers of holy people should be offered to God not onely in Iewrie but also in all places Also Iustinus Martyr saith b Iustinus Martyr in Dialoguo cum Triphone Esaias promised not the restoring of a bloudy Sacrifice but the true and spirituall Sacrifice of Praise and Thankesgiuing Therefore we see that the spirituall Sacrifice vnder the Gospel is preaching praying and thank esgiuing To conclude whereas they would haue made the world to belecue that their Masse and the vse thereof is but the application or applying of the Sacrifice of Christs Death and Bloud vnto vs wee see it tendeth to the vtter destroying of Christs Sacrifice for that they make their Sacrifice of the Masse the very substance of the thing it selfe CHAP. X. Tending to resolue all men that the words of Christ in the sixt Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud are onely but figuratiue speeches as also those his other words when he instituted the Sacrament and deliuering the Bread to his Apostles said Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you 1 OVR Sauiour Christ Iohn 6.59 teaching in the Synagogue at Capernaum deliuered these words vnto the Iewes saying I am the liuing Bread that came downe from heauen If any man eate of this Bread hee shall liue for euer and the Bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Verse 51. Againe Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of Man Verse 53. Verse 54.55.56.57 and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you And againe Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day For my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drinke indeede he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me 2 Now in these words Christian Reader we are chiefly to obserue these three things First that the scope and drift of our Sauiour Christ was to enduce the Iewes to haue vnderstood that he was the second person in the Godhead equall with the Father and that it was of necessity vnto saluation that they should eate and feede on him as he was God And this is it which he said I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen If any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Secondly he would they should haue knowne that he being the second person in the God-head had taken into his diuine nature flesh and bloud and that it was also of as great a necessity vnto saluation that they should eate and drinke the same and feede on his flesh and bloud And this is it which he also said Christ must be eaten as he is God as hee is man and as he is both God man Except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Thirdly he would they should haue perceiued that as he was both God and man so it was also of as great a necessity vnto saluation that they should feede on both his natures vnitedly together And this is it which hee further said vnto them He that eateth me euen he shall liue by me By which we see it euident and plaine that none can be saued but those that doe eate Christ not onely as hee is God but also as hee is man and also as he is both God and man Eaten then he must be of necessity as both the Papists and we confesse but the manner how hee must be eaten is all the matter in question whether spiritually by faith or corporally with the mouth and teeth 3 The Iewes supposing Christ had beene man onely when they heard him say hee was the bread of God that came downe from heauen to giue life vnto the World To eate feed on Christs flesh is to beleeue that by the suffering in his flesh hee tooke away the sinne of our flesh and that he that did eate thereof should not die they were offended but when he added further and said And the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the World of which whosoeuer shall eate shall haue euerlasting life they raged and murmured among themselues saying How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate This is an hard saying who can heare it But when our Sauiour perceiued their carnall vnderstanding in which they so grossely erred in the manner of eating by imagining they should haue eaten him with their mouthes and teethes as their Fathers did eate Manna then in the 58. verse fully to resolue them that he meant no such kinde of eating he said The Iewes erring in the māner of eating could profit nothing by the matter they should eate Not as your Fathers did eate Manna And yet more fully to resolue them that indeede he meant a spirituall kinde of eating in the 57. verse he said plainely thus As the liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me By which words he declared vnto them that as he did not liue carnally by the Father but spiritually so should they liue spiritually by him Howbeit The cause was they would none of his interpretations such was their peruersenesse that they would none of his interpretations but because he had said they must eate his God-head they would no otherwise vnderstand but that hee meant they should eate it carnally and also because hee had said they must eate his man-hood they would no otherwise but that they should eate his flesh corporally then said Christ further vnto them It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Meaning as they vnderstood it should bee eaten for otherwise his flesh was as profitable as his Godhead vnto those that did eate it after that manner as hee meant else would he not haue said Whosoeuer eateth my flesh hath eternall life and except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you But therefore they failing in the manner could profit nothing by the matter they should eate The manner wherein
neither giue nor grant our requests If we pray to God in the name of Christ hee hath promised Iohn 14. Chapter that both his Father and he will heare our petitions and grant our requests And this is it which Saint Cyrill saith of Christ x Cyrill in his 11. Booke vpon John He put to in my name to shew that he was a Mediatour and a granter and a giuer with God which prerogatiue no Saint hath 9 Againe forasmuch as Christ himselfe saith Iohn 10. By me if any man enter in he shall be saued and in the 1. verse He that entereth not in by the doore into the sheepe fold but climeth vp another way he is a thiefe and a robber it is cleare that all those that enter into the Church by any other way then by Christ or into the Kingdome of Heauen by the meanes and mediation of Saints they are but theeues and robbers therefore if they repent not and forsake their errour they shall be sure to haue their part and portion with theeues and robbers And thus much touching praying to Saints Now a word or two touching the worshipping of Saints which we will but briefly touch because the matter is so plaine in the Scriptures that nothing can be made more plaine to be erronious therefore it neede not any long discourse 10 In the 14. Acts 14.8 to the 16. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles mention is made that Saint Paul hauing healed a criple that was borne lame the people did so admire thereat that they supposed Paul and Barnabas to haue beene Gods come downe from Heauen in the likenesse of men whereupon as the Text saith They brought Bulles with garlands beasts bedecked with flowers to haue sacrificed vnto them of which as the Text also saith When Paul and Barnabas heard they rent their cloathes and ranne in among the people crying and saying O men why doe ye these things we are euen men subiect to the like passions as ye be By which it is cleare it was not lawfull to worship the Apostles if not the Apostles then not any other Saint Reuel 19.10 Also in the 19. Chapter of the Reuelation the Text declareth that Saint Iohn fell downe before the feete of the Angell to haue worshipped him but he said vnto him see thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus worship God Now therefore if neither the holy Apostles of Christ nor the glorious and vnspotted Angels of Heauen may be worshipped how may any other inferiour Saint be worshipped Wherefore this vtterly condemneth the Papists of most pestilent peruersenesse that will so directly contrary to so euident a truth teach men to worship Saints yea and not onely so but that which is most horrible to heare the very dumbe pictures and Images of Saints 11 Saint Augustine writing against Fostus the heretique bringeth in these two places of Scripture to proue that it is not lawfull to worship Saints for said he y August an his 20. book against Faustus Chap 201. The very Saints themselues whether they be dead men or Angels will not haue honour giuen to them which onely is due to God This saith he appeareth in Paul and Barnabas when the men of Licaonia astonied at their miracles would haue done sacrifice vnto them as if they had beene Gods For they renting their garments confessing and perswading them that they were not Gods forbad such things to be done vnto them This said he appeared also in the Angels as we reade in the Apocalips The Angell forbidding himselfe to be worshipped And therefore in another place he saith z In his Books of true Religion 55. Chap. Let not the worshipping of dead men be counted holinesse among vs. And a little after The thing that the highest Angell worshippeth must also the lowest man worship Let vs beleeue this that the best Angels and the most excellent Ministers would that we should worship one God with them That ancient Father Epiphanius speaking against old doting and ignorant women which then worshipped the Virgin Mary saith a Epipha in his 3. Booke of Heresies 59. heresie Let no man eate of this errour touching Saint Mary For though the tree be faire yet is not this fruite to be eaten Although Mary be beautifull and holy and honourable yet is shee not to be adored and worshipped but these women worshipping Saint Mary renew againe the sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddesse Fortuna and prepare a Table for the Diuell and not for God Also Saint August writing against Maximinus the Arian Bishop saith b August in his 1. Book against Maximinus If we should make a Temple for an holy Angell should we not be accursed from God and the truth of Christ and from the Church of God because we exhibite that seruice to a creature that is due to God alone By which then who seeth not but that to worship Saints yea though not with Lateria but with hyperdulia is to make our selues the accursed of God for in Gods diuine worship and seruice he will haue all or none euen as our Sauiour himselfe saith Matthew 4. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And yet besides the worship done to all other Saints in their Rosarie they haue twelue parts of spirituall worship of which tenne is giuen to the Virgin Marie and but two to God And notwithstanding the worshipping of Saints was forbidden both by the Apostles and the Angell and condemned by these ancient Fathers for deuilish and damnable long before the Popish Church was yet after they had a Church and that Antichrist the Pope was installed in his throne that he might share with God herein as in other parts of his glorious prerogatiues this was established for one principle of Popish Religion And thus much touching praying to Saints and worshipping of them CHAP. XII Tending to resolue all men who were the first founders of the Doctrine of Purgatory the first place of Scripture that was brought to confirme the Doctrine and to proue a third place of rest for the soules departed and how soone it had corrupted the Church and confounded the iudgements of the ancient Fathers and what confusion it hath bred amongst the Papists themselues and how it tendeth to the ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion AS touching the originall foundation of the Doctrine of Purgatory Purgatory had her originall from the Heathen Philosophers thou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that it came first from the Heathen Philosophers in whom although there were the sparkes of diuine knowledge as there is naturally in all men and that by exercising themselues in the contemplation of the glorious workes of Gods creation they were able to write some thing of God and diuine things yet for want of the knowledge of his Word and the rules of his testimonies they could
to wash away our sinnes And how then after this life can we helpe our selues in Purgatory So that by this wee see how friuilous and vaine the doctrine of Purgatory is and also how fantasticall their Purgatory Proctors are especially their Cardinall Allen Cardinall Allen in D. Fulkes answere to a false Catholique who in so many places of his Booke affirmeth that wee are purified in that fire as gold is in the Furnace That by suffering the paines of Purgatory we are made perfect That by suffering the torments of Purgatory wee doe satisfie Gods iustice for sinne which how true it is let vs consider a little further and how it will stand with the truth of the Scriptures 11 First to beate them with their owne rod Wisedome 3.1 their owne Canonicall Scripture the third of Wisdome saith The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them Now if no torment shall touch their soules how can Purgatory fire purifie them as fire purifieth gold or they be made perfect or satisfie Gods iustice by suffering those torments which shall not so much as once touch them The 16. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell declareth plainely Luke 16.23.24 25 26. that those sinners that are not forgiuen in this life cannot after this life be discharged by paines and punishments And hereof it is which Iustinus Martyr writing vpon the same Chapter saith * Iustinus 2.60 to Orthodosâ—â—s This is a plaine and manifest doctrine of Diues and Lazarus by which is taught that after the departing of the soule from the body men cannot by any meanes bring profit or commodity vnto them And as touching those that are forgiuen in this life Saint Chrisostome saith as plainely x Chrysost in â—is â—4 Hoâ—â— vpon Genesis Where there is forgiuenesse there is no punishment Also forasmuch as Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5. speaking of the generall resurrection saith Euery man shall then receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill I would haue them to shew me but some one place either in the Old or New Testament that doth testifie that God hath appointed such a punishment for the soules in the meane time as shall set the bodies free for the punishment due for that they had done and forced their soules to doe If they can shew me none then it is certaine that there is no such punishment ordained of God and consequently no such place of punishment And therefore all these circumstances duely considered what reason haue wee to beleeue their old Philosophicall doting doctrine of Purgatory Yea or why should we beleeue that the soules of the righteous goe thither immediately after death seeing the Preacher declareth plainely Eccle. 12.7 Eccle. 12. that they goe presently to heauen For saith he And dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit returne to God that gaue it Luke 16.22 And seeing also Saint Luke in the 16. Chapter of his Gospell saith of Lazarus And the beggar died Luke 23.43 and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome which we shewed to be the celestiall Paradise in Heauen And seeing Christ also said to the good thiefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Nay seeing the Bishop of Rome himselfe saith euen Gregory the Great y Greg. in his 4. Bookes of Dialogues 25. Chap. It is most certaine that the soules of the righteous being loosed from the flesh are receiued into the heauenly seates Now then if that be true that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre then the Papists although they will not beleeue Salomon nor Saint Luke nor our Sauiour Christ yet dare they not surely but beleeue the Pope of Rome that the soules of the righteous presently after death goe straight to heauen from whence they will not say they returne downe into Purgatory therefore it is cleare there is iust no such place at all 12 And thus Christian Reader thou hast seene most manifestly confuted Cardinall Allen in Fulke to a false Catholique that fond fable of Cardinall Allen Pag. 178. where he basheth not to say that all the ancient Fathers agreed in one for the approbation of the doctrine of Purgatory whereas we see that it was not possible for any of them to speake more directly and expresly with it then these their testimonies are against it and that howsoeuer that heresie mingled with the truth did wonderfully confound some of their iudgements so as that the best learned of them could scarcely tell how to conclude of the matter yet these their testimonies may absolutely resolue vs how wee are to conclude thereof Neuerthelesse let men vary neuer so much the truth is consonant and agreeable to it selfe neither neede any to differ therein if they will square their doctrine by Saint Pauls rule Romans 12. namely Rom. 12.6 that it agree with the true proportion and analogy of faith But how this doctrine of Purgatory doth agree therewith these three principles collected out of the said Booke of Doctor Fulkes answer to Master Allen will make it plaine First in Page 92. Allen saith Cardinall Allen in Fulke Purgatory paines doth not onely serue Gods iustice for the punishment of sinne but also cleanseth and qualifieth the soule of man defiled Secondly in Page 154. he saith The death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfying for our sinnes nor of any other good worke whereby a man may procure his owne saluation Thirdly in Page 133. he saith In Purgatory we must be holden from life and liberty till we haue paid the vtmost farthing the toleration of which bonds shall recompence the debt Now how this doctrine can stand with the true proportion and analogy of faith in Christ or not altogether withstand it The doctrine of Purgatory against the faith let the discreet Reader iudge For if Purgatory paines doe serue both for the satisfying of Gods iustice and also for the purging of our soules from sin that Christ by his death did not so satisfie for them but that we our selues must make a better more perfect satisfaction euen to the vtmost farthing or be holden in Purgatory for euer from life and liberty what hath Christ done for vs and to what purpose at all serued his death and bloud-shedding or what doth faith in him auaile at all 13 But seeing the doctrine of Purgatory is such as cannot stand with the true proportion and analogy of faith it is cleare it is not grounded vpon the truth of Gods Word but vpon the opinions of those faithlesse Philosophers who as we said for want of Gods Law and Testaments and the rule of his truth to haue enlightened their iudgements did but by the rules of the Law of nature meerely guesse at this point as they did of God and other diuine things whose fantasies Saint Paul Colos 2 8. Colos 2.8 forbiddeth vs to
the sinnes of others Thirdly to stay their soules from death Fourthly to purchase Heauen And lastly to lift vp and place their soules in Heauen They will haue all by their owne deseruings or they will haue none all by merits or else no bargaine therefore let vs see what wee can say further vnto them touching this point 25 Our Sauiour Christ Matthew 5. saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Now this word Poore is a metaphor taken from a man that is so very poore as that hee hath not wherewith to sustaine his owne life but is faine to seeke to others for succour And such are they which finde themselues so greatly destitute of soules sustenance as that they are glad to seeke to others for reliefe euen to God for his mercy and to Christ for his merites 26 Such a blessed poore man was Saint Basil as may appeare by these his words h Basil vpon the 32. Psalm He that trusteth not in his owne good deeds nor hopeth to be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercies of God Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Augustine as appeareth by these his words i Aug. vpon the 142. Psal Lord for thy name sake shalt thou quicken mee in thy righteousnesse Not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercy on me Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Hierome as appeareth by these his words k Hier. 64. of Esay If we behold our owne merits wee shall be driuen to desperation Yea and notwithstanding Saint Bernard acknowledgeth himselfe also to be one of these poore Publicans in that he saith of himselfe l Ber. vpon the Psal qui habitat My merites is the mercy of God yet they will rather be condemned with the proud Pharises then be iuslified with the poore Publicans To be briefe whereas their Master Harding saith m D. Harding in his booke A direction of sundry soule errours lies c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth Here he hath condemned their doctrine of iustification by workes to be most false and erroneous but in that that hee includeth that workes may deserue the grace that God giueth he hath proued himselfe a notable heretique For as Saint Augustine saith n Aug. in his 46. Epistle Vnderstand that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an Elder of the Church of Rome is written against the Pelagians the new heretiques which affirme the grace of God to be giuen according to merits that he that glorieth should not glorie in the Lord but in himselfe that is in man and not in the Lord. And therefore in another place hee saith o In the same Epistle Let no man say that for the merits of his workes or for the merits of his prayers or for the merit of his faith the grace of God is giuen vnto him And so that which those heretiques say be counted true namely that according to our merits the grace of God is giuen then the which nothing can be more false But as he saith in another place p In his booke of predestination of Saints chap. 9. They that glorie should not glorie in their owne merits which they perceiue to be like vnto the merits of them that shall be damned but should glorie in the Lord. Whereupon saith Saint Ambrose q Ambrose in his 1. booke and 5. chapter of the calling of the Gentiles Like as there is none so detestable outragious as can restraine the free gift of grace so can there be no worke so excellent that this which is freely giuen should be due vnto them by action of debt for then the redemption of Christ should in deed be no thing worth neither should the worthinesse of mans workes be inferiour to the mercie of God Whereupon their Writer Waldensis saith r Walden in his booke against Wilelesse I take him therefore to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholique and more agreeable to the holy Scriptures that vtterly denieth all such kinde of merits And thus much for the conclusion of the twelue Chapters referring the whole matter to be iudged by all that shall reade them Whether they can possibly be true Catholique Christians which in stead of one God will haue hundreds as appeareth in our first Chapter and in stead of one Sauiour to haue many thousands as appeareth in the same Chapter That will haue the Pope to be the very Vicar of Christ whom in our second Chapter wee proued to be that great Antichrist shewed by Saint Paul 2 Thessa 2. to be the Arch-enemie of Christ and all true Christians That will haue Rome to be the Mother of all Christian Churches which in our third Chapter we proued to be that Babylon which the Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of Whordomes and abhominations of the earth That will haue his Church as it is now Christian to be the true Church of Christ Which in our fourth Chapter we proued to be the same idolatrous Church professing Christ mentioned by the Angell in the 13. Chapter and 17. Chapter of the Reuelation That will haue their Church to be the most auncient Apostolique and Catholique Church which in our fifth Chapter we proued had no being at all for the space of sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ That will haue the succession of Vniuersall Popes to descend from Saint Peter which we proued in our sixth Chapter to descend but from Boniface the third Bishop of Rome of that name made Vniuersal Pope by that Murtherer Phocas â—he Emperour in the yeare of Christ 607. In which yeare the first Vniuersall Pope being made the Popish Church must needes first begin For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an Vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Therefore their Church hauing her first beginning but sixe hundred and seauen yeares after Christ the antiquity thereof is ouerthrowne our Church proued to be more ancient by sixe hundred and sixe yeares That will haue the Popes supreame title and dignitie approued of by generall consent of Councells and Fathers which in our seauenth Chapter we proued to be gain said and withstood by Councells and Fathers till the yeare of Christ 607. That will haue Peter to be made supreame Head of all the Apostles by Christ himselfe the contrary whereof wee proued in our eighth Chapter by Christs expresse Commaundement and therefore the Pope cannot claime his Supremacie from Peter That will haue the true Church knowne by retaining seauen Sacraments which in our ninth Chapter we proued that to Saint Chrisostomes time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christs Incarnation it was knowne by retaining onely two Sacraments and afterwards no Christian Church knowne by the iust number of seauen till Antichrist was borne in Rome That will haue the idolatrous Masse to be the ordinance of Christ which in the same Chapter we proued cannot be because it tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion as also because it was not begun to be framed till about one hundred and nineteene yeares after Christ and not finished of more then sixe hundred yeares after And confessed by their Iohannes Boemos to be inuented by certaine Bishoppes of Rome whose names wee haue produced in the same Chapter as himselfe nominated them That will haue those words in the sixt chapter of Saint Iohns Cospel touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud to bee meant of a corporall kinde of eating which heresie wee proued in our tenth Chapter Christ reproued the carnall Capernaites for As also will haue those words in the sixe and twentieth Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel Take eate this is my Body to be literally vnderstood that they might worship the bread for Christ and make an Idoll of it That will haue Saints prayed vnto and worshipped which as we proued in our eleuenth Chapter is to robbe God of two speciall parts of his glory Lastly that will haue men to make a better satisfaction for sinne then Christ hath made for them be better purged from their sinne in the fire of Purgatory then Christ hath by his bloud or be holden from life and libertie for euer which as we proued in our twelfth Chapter tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all that Christ hath done for the saluation of man kinde To conclude we see in this Chapter of Conclusion they will haue men to seeke iustification by the workes of the Law that so they might be brought vnder the curse and condemnation of it for not fulfilling all that the Law requireth They will haue men to purchase heauen by their owne deseruing thereby to proue his death to be needlesse and faith in him of none effect And notwithstanding that case to stand cleare that these be paâ—â— of those Antichristian lies wherewith Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. shewed the great Antichrist should deceiue those that loued not the truth But had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They bash not to say The Pope cannot be holden with any Religion of a lie FINIS