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
who as appeareth euidently was called of the most godly Prince Constantine God seeing it is manifest God cannot bee iudged of men Another saith r Baldus in c. Eccles vt tit pend The Pope may doe all things aboue Law contrary to Law and without Law Moreouer Å¿ Bonis Distinct. 40. Si Papa If the Pope be found to neglect the saluation of his brethren vnprofitable and slacke in his office silent in that which is good hurtfull to himselfe and all others yea though hee leade with him innumerable soules by heapes to the diuell of hell yet may no mortall man finde fault with him or presume to reprooue him for so doing For as another saith t C. inter in corpor de translat Praela car Paris in conc 63. num 162. vol. 4. Those things hee doth hee doth them as God So that they say little lesse of him then what Saint Paul Rom. 9. saith of God Who art thou that pleadest against God Or that which Iob saith of God chap. 9. Who shall say vnto him What dost thou 5 Thirdly in authorising his Decrees equall with Gods saying thus v Alexander to Philip King of France That which the Pope doth is to be receiued as Canonicall Againe * Adrian caus 25. qâ—â—st i.q. generaâ—â— It is not lawfull to adde or diminish any thing the Pope hath done Also x Ibidem Whosoeuer shall violate or break the Popes Decrees shall be accursed Againe y Ibidem Who so offendeth in breaking the Popes Lawes shall neuer be forgiuen And lastly z Herâ—â—ans de poâ—â—â—â— papa cap. 23. The Pope is by power and vertue the whole Church wee may not swarue from his iudgement neyther to the right hand nor to the left * Iara in Deut. cap. 17. Though hee tell thee that thy right hand is thy left or that thy left hand is thy right hand such a sentence must bee held for good Thus are his Lawes in their account like those of which Christ speaketh in the Gospell Matthew 5. Whosoeuer shall breake one of these least commaundements and teach men so hee shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of Heauen 6 Fourthly in subiecting Gods word and holy Scriptures vnto his censure as thus a Summa Angelan Dist. Pap. The Pope may dispence for any Commaundement of the Old or New Testament b 6. q. 1. Quicunque in glossa The Popes priuiledges may be graunted against the Lawe of God c Nicola Cusan ad Bohaemos epist. 2. There be no commaundements of Christ in the Gospell but such onely as are taken and holden by the Church d Syluester Prierias contra Lutherium The doctrine of the Scriptures take their force and authority of the Pope and his doctrine e Ibidem The authority of the Church of Rome and of the Popes is aboue the authority of the Scriptures Lastly f Pighnus in contro De Ecclesia The Scriptures are a nose of waxe a dead letter and dumbe Iudges Whereupon another sayth g John Maria verracties Editius est Anno 1561. Wee most humbly confesse that the authority of the Church is aboue the authority of the Gospell 7 So that by all these testimonies out of the mouthes of their grauest Writers wee see plainely that the Romish church holdeth and esteemeth the Pope to be not a terrestiall Good but rather a celestiall God For in that they will haue him called God in a diuine sense and taken not for a pure man but for a true God and will haue him to be worshipped with diuine honours as God and to haue power in heauen earth and hell ouer Angells Diuells and men and to be able to deliuer from hell and to giue the kingdome of heauen and free him from all censure and controlement of any and make his Decrees not onely equall with Gods but aboue them they will haue him to bee a celestiall god euen in the highest degree For it is cleare that his Lawes and decrees that are the most highest aboue all lawes and decrees is the most highest aboue all gods And heerein they prooue him to be indeede that great Antichrist The man of sinne mentioned by Saint Paul 2 Thes 2. 2. Thessal 2. That should sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped That is not onely aboue all Princes and Maiestrates which in some sense are called Gods but aboue the three persons vnto whom all diuine worship and honour is only due and so we may conclude but they say no and who then shall be Iudge betweene vs that shall these sixe vnpartiall Iudges Ioacham Abbas Iraeneus Anselmus Saint Hierome Gregory the Great and Erasmus Ioacham saith h Joacham Abbas Hee it is that exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped which is called Holy Lord and most Holy Pope Iraeneus sayth i Iraeneus lib. 5. lest chapter saue one Antichrist notwithstanding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were God and proclaimed as a King Anselmus sayth k Anselmus 2. Thessal 2 Antichrist shall faine himselfe to be holy that hee may deceiue men vnder the colour of holinesse Yea and hee shall call himselfe God and shall cause himselfe to be worshipped and shall promise the Kingdome of heauen Saint Hierome sayth l Hierom. in Zachar. 11. This shepheard is so wicked that hee is not called a worshipper of Idols but an Idol it selfe because he calleth himselfe God and will be worshipped of all men Gregory the Great sayth m Gregory in his 25. booke vpon the 34. 14. chapter of Iob. Whereas hee is a damned man and not a spirit liuing he faineth himselfe to be God To conclude Erasmus sayth thus of the Pope n Erasmus vpon the 16. hap of the Râ—u lat 2. Sect. That beast at Rome of whom we spake before is the very right Antichrist which worketh against the Gospell of Christ. And yet for a more full resolution that the Pope is the same great Antichrist which Saint Paul calleth The man of sinne and sonne of perdition that should exalt himselfe aboue God their Saint Hildigard a Nunne o Hildig in her third â—ook the 11. Vision giueth the Pope these very same titles The man of sinne and sonne of perdition And their prophâ—â— Paracelsus in his twelft figured Prediction directed to the Pope prooueth him also to be the same For saith â—â—e p Paras 12. Prediction Thou hast lifted thyselfe on high And a little after Thou hast exalted thy selfe aboue God and he shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Now then whereas some haue doubted whether the Pope be that great Antichrist for that the great Antichrist should come vnto such an exceeding great height of pride and vaine-glory as that none before him could neyther after
1. Inocentius 3. Nicholas 5. Anastatius 1. Damassus 1. Alexander 3. Calistus 2. Lando 1. Leo 8. Vrbanus 3. Pius 1. Iohn 7. Victor 1. Clement 3. Paul 2. Leo 5. Steuen 8. Gregory 9. Xistus 1. Steuen 6. Nicolas 2. Inocentius 4. Inocentius 7. Iohn 8. Alexander 1. Haedrian 5. Alexander 5. Leo 6. Gregory 6. Iohn 17. Pius 2. Steuen 7. Victor 2. Nicolas 3. Iulius 1. Martinus 3. Vrbanus 1. Martin 4. Leo 9. Agapitus 1. Paschalis 2. Honorius 4. Â Iohn 9. Gelasius 1. Nicholas 4. Â Leo 7. Gallistus 1. Calestinus 4. Â 2 These euen from the very time of the decease of their predecessour and head began to put in practise their Antichristian authority receiued from him for the subduing of all Churches that did resist them amongst which the Church of Rauenna was one which as the Popes Decretall testifieth thought scorne to be brought in subiection to Rome neuerthelesse the same Decretall declareth that in the end Pope Domnus made her to yeeld And this was about 64 yeeres after the first vniuersall Pope Also the same Decretall declareth that the Church of Aquila resisted but yet about some 20. yeeres after the other Pope Sergius got the victory and forced her to yeeld And thus did they continue vanquishing all Churches in the West part till neere Luthers time But yet not so but that maugre the heads of all the Popes we had a Church continued in the Romish iurisdiction till within some 20. yeeres before Luthers rising though not alwaies a standing state but a dispersed company scattered here and there by meanes of persecution Reuelat. 12.14.15.16 wherein that prophecie was fulfilled Reuel 12. which testifieth that in the time of Antichrists reigne the Church of Christ within his dominions should be driuen into the wildernesse of this world and great floods of persecution sent after her to ouerwhelme her but as the Text saith The earth opened her mouth and swallowed vp the floud That is she was preserued by meere temporall and earthly people for amongst the spiritualtie both she and her seed were holden as heretiques and that chiefly for these causes First for that when as they saw that vniuersall dominion which the Pope had gotten ouer the Clergie they affirmed him to be that Angell of the Bottomlesse Pit prophecied of in the 11. verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation that should attaine to be king of the Clergie whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke named Appolyon which in English signifieth a destroyer Secondly for that when as they saw the Pope to bring into the Church and establish for Principles of Religion his Heathenish vnwritten verities The Pope reuealed himselfe to be Antichrist and those olde heresies wherewith the false Apostles and other Heretiques had corrupted the puritie of the Gospell and that he did offer them to the Church in the name of Christs Gospell they affirmed him to be that whore of Babylon foretold in the 4. verse of the 17. chap. of the Reuelation that should offer to the world The abhomination and filthinesse of her fornication in a golden Cup to wit in the name of Christ Thirdly for that when as they saw the Pope gotten aboue the Secular powers and that Emperours and Kings did yeeld him such subiection as to fall downe before his footstoole to kisse his feete to carrie him vpon their shoulders to leade his horse to hold his stirhop whiles hee gets on horse-backe yea euen to become his Vassalles they affirmed him to be the same great Antichrist mentioned in the 13. verse of the same chap. vnto whom the Text declareth The Kings of the earth should giue their power and authoritie Fourthly for that when as they saw the Pope to be come to that great height of pride as we plainely did demonstrate in our first Chapter namely to take vpon him the title of God and to suffer himselfe to be called our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth And to suffer men to prostrate themselues before him and to crie vnto him O thou our Sauiour which takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. And to exalt his power ouer the Angels in heauen diuels in hell and ouer the dead and his decrees aboue the decrees of God and to haue power to fetch out of hell as many soules as he will and place them in heauen they affirmed him to be same Man of sinne and sonne of perdition foretold by S. Paul 2 Thes 2. That should sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to be God and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped Lastly for that when as they saw that with tooth and naile he laboured to frame and fashion all things to the similitude of the first beast The Heathen Empire they affirmed him to be that second beast mentioned in the 11. and 12. verses of the 13. cap. of the Reuel which should arise in the Romane kingdome after the Romane Emperours of whom S. Iohn saith thus And I beheld another beast Reuel 13.11.12 comming vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon and he did all that the first beast could doe before him and hee caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast That is by bringing them to honour reuerence and obserue all the former Heathenish and Idolatrous ordinances set vp againe by him Whereunto because that part of our Church among them would not yeeld it grew into contempt with them and was most grieuously persecuted and the faithfull Christians driuen from place to place and from countrie to countrie being of the most part among them taken and holden for notorious heretiques such as they hold vs to be at this day And because they grounded all their assertions vpon those and such like places of Scriptures whereby the Popes calling began to be called into question the Scriptures were forbidden to be written any longer in a knowne tongue and for that cause also it was that they so blasphemously depraued the Scriptures calling them c Pigghius Hierar lib. 3. cap. 3. fol. 203. A nose of waxe an inkie letter a dead letter and a blacke Gospell and that they are none otherwise to be vnderstood then the Pope and his Church will interpret them and that they must follow the Church and not the Church them and that the authority of the Pope and Church of Rome is aboue them Asoius Hosius Hence it was also that Lay men were forbidden to reade the Scriptures perswading them that they did but leade men into errour and that ignorance is the mother of deuotion howbeit all this did nothing preuaile for the faithfull in euery Coast and Countrey among them did the more diligently follow Christs commandement Iohn 5. Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 and that euen in the greatest heate of persecution which was
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
who shall reforme the World in better and shall bring backe all Clergie-men to the ancient and primitiue manner of liuing according to the forme of the Disciples of Christ He shall conuert the Infidels and the Iewes c. And so there shall be one Law one faith and one Baptisme and one manner of liuing and all Christian people shall be of one minde and of one heart louing one another and their peace shall last many yeares but after the world hath beene reformed into better the malice of men shall againe awake and they shall returne to the committing the former euils yea they shall doe more wickedly then ere they did before for the which cause God shall hasten the end of the World And as the authors of those Prophesies who fore-told of the vtter desolation of Rome seemed to allude vnto the 21.22.23 and 24. Verses of the eighteenth chapter of the Reuelation by which words in those Verses the Angell fore-shewed the same so the latter end of this old Prophesie seemeth to haue relation to these words of Christ in the 12. Verse of the 24. Chapter of Saint Matthew And because iniquitie shall be increased the loue of many shall be cold As also to these words in the 22. Verse according to the vnderstanding of some And except those daies should be shortened there should no flesh be saued But for the Elect sake those daies shall be shortned And the former part seemeth also to allude vnto those words in the sixe and twentieth and 27. Verses of the 7. Chapter of the Prophet Daniel which sheweth that after Antichrist and his Kingdome is ouerthrowne the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in and the Iewes shall be called and so all shall be conuerted to the truth and serue the onely true God Neuerthelesse wee may not vnderstand it to be meant of euery particular of all For howsoeuer Antichrist the Head and his successiue incorporate body shall vtterly be desolued so as that there shall neuer be any more a publique Church of Antichrist yet euen as it is now here in England and the other conuerted Nations some of the members of the misticall body of Antichrist will remaine scattered here and there in diuers parts of the World to the comming of Christ to iudgement For to the same effect are these words of S. Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. Chapter where he speaking of Antichrist and his members saith Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his comming And as that old Prophesie did foreshew the calling of the Iewes by the meanes of a godly and learned Bishop so in another Prediction had out of the Bishop of Limoges Library in France vttered more then 600. Yeeres agoe it is said that an holy Bishop shall cause a generall Councell to be called and shall perswade Christian Princes to ioyne together all their powers against the Sarazens and to rid Ierusalem of them which being done the same Bishop because of the iniquity of the Romans shall translate Saint Peters Chaire to Ierusalem and shall suffer none other Law but that onely of Iesus Christ And to this agreeth that Prophesie of Sauanarola the Dominican Friar which to shew that as Ierusalem was the first Church and the chiefe of all other so it should be at the last saith thus I saw in a vision in the yeere of our Lord 1482. two Crosses the one was blacke planted in the middest of the City of Rome spreading as it were the armes ouer the whole Earth and with the top touching the whole Heauen whereon was written these words Crux Irae Dei The Crosse of Gods anger or wrath which hauing seene behold incontinent I beheld and saw the aire darkened and troubled with tempestuous cloudes windes lightnings darts swords fire and haile and mee thought I saw an innumerable number of men destroyed through the force and violence thereof so that few were left behinde vnslaine Afterwards I saw a sweete faire and cleare time ensuing and loe I beheld and saw as it were a golden Crosse in the middest of Ierusalem of the brightnesse and height of the former so bright that it did inlighten the whole World and filled the same with new ioy and gladnesse and it had written vpon it Crux misericordiae Dei The Crosse of the mercy and fauour of God and loe incontinent and on a suddaine all the Nations of the World of both Sexe came in troupes from all parts to behold it Esay cap. 2. Verse 2. and imbraced it And this Vision seemeth to agree with that Prophesie of Esay Chap. the 2. where it is said It shall be in the last dayes that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted aboue the hilles and all Nations shall flow vnto it And also with these words of Saint Paul Romans 11. If the fall of them to wit the Iewes be the riches of the World and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more shall their abundance be By which and other such like Visions saith the Translator the aforesaid holy man Sauanarola was forewarned of the future castigation and renouation of the Church of Rome and how that the Apostolike Sea should be remoued from thence to Ierusalem which is likewise according to the Prediction of the Franciscan Friar Ioannes de Rupe scissa and also to another Prediction had out of Limoges Library in France and finally to the Prediction of Marlinus Caldidonius And now Christian Reader as it seemeth apparant by these Romish Predictions agreeable to the Scriptures that God respecteth England as the holy Land of Canaan so is it made yet more apparant by William of Malmsbury in his second Booke of his Kings and second Booke of his Bishops where hee sheweth that in a Vision to holy Brithwall Bishop of Winchester this voyce was vttered Regnum Anglorum est Dei The Kingdome of England is Gods Which signifieth that howsoeuer all the Nations in the world are Gods as well as England yet hath God made speciall choyce of England aboue all other Nations in the World to effect some notable and extraordinary worke which worke we may easily gather by all the former Predictions is to be a chiefe instrument of the propagation of the Gospell to forraigne Lands both for the calling in of the remainder of the Gentiles and also of the whole Nation of the Iewes To the which I beseech our Lord God to giue good successe and to send peace and agreement amongst the Electors For their Astrologian Ruth in the second part of his Booke 7. Chapter sheweth that there shall be great tribulation and diuision amongst them and therefore admonisheth them to agree lest the Turke get so great aduantage by their discord as to driue the Bohemian Polonians Danes and English to be glad to contract a league of amity with him which thing God
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
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
continued but one yere then next after him entered Antichrist euen Boniface the third who with an impudent face fell to contend openly with the Bishop of Constantinople for his Antichristian title and dignity and by the meanes of Phocas the murtherer and Emperour obtained it and got to be established to him and his successours to be called supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church and father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the mother of all christian Churches And for plaine proofe hereof the Popes owne Decretall saith thus of this Boniface Å¿ Decretall This man by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour obtained against the Patriarke of Constantinople that the Sea of Peter should be the head of the Church As also Platina in these words t Platina of Bonifacius Pope Boniface the third obtained of the Emperour Phocas that Rome should be called the head of all Churches but with great contention and much adoe And heere was now the first singular vniuersall Pope established and marriage making betweene Antichrist and the Church which was no doubt in Gods iustice brought to passe for that she was now become most corrupt in doctrine and lewd in life as not onely Gregory witnesseth but also other histories at large doe declare But of the first beginning of their Church wee shall haue occasion to speake more plainely in the next Chapter in the meane time we will satisfie the reader what manner of supreame gouernment themselues affirme the Christian Church had from the time of the Apostles to the rising of Boniface which will also proue that to his time there was no singular vniuersall Pope allowed and established to be supreame head of the vniuersall Church 8 Their great Doctor Master Harding saith u Harding Apologie chap. 4. diuision 2. In great Cities where the highest Courts for iustice were kept and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weightie matters of Bishops should be decided Which if he will haue vs to beleeue then must we also beleeue that the first supreame gouernment that was ordained by the Apostles ouer Bishops and their vniuersall causes was by certaine chiefe or head Bishops and not by one and then where was this singular supreame gouernement of the Pope ouer all Bishops to be found But now to salue this fore commeth in their Iohannes Boemos with these words and saith * Boemos in his booke of the beginning of Arts Chap. 12. of the first rising of Christians The holy Apostles did all consent that Peter and all that followed him in the seate at Rome should for euer be called Papa vniuersall Father of Fathers A most horrible and blasphemous title forbidden by our Sauiour Christ to be giuen to any mortall man Matth. 23.9 Call no man your father vpon earth for there is but one euen your Father which is in heauen Therefore seeing this title is proper to God alone The title of vniuersall Father forbidden by Christ and forbidden by our Sauiour to be giuen to any other how can we beleeue that the Apostles of Christ durst consent to giue it to Peter or that Peter durst euer take it vpon him and yet notwithstanding hee addeth further and saith And that he should at Rome be President ouer the vniuersall Church as the Emperour there was ruler ouer the World And to match the Consuls which were twaine they appoynted foure head fathers in Greeke named Patriarkes one at Constantinople another at Antioch a third at Alexandria and the fourth at Ierusalem And hereby he would proue the Bishop of Rome to be supreame head ouer all but if Gregorie the Great had not condemned this for a fond fable by confessing that Peter himselfe was not called vniuersall Apostle and that no Bishop of Rome before his time euer had that title or dignitie yet hee himselfe hath For whereas he affirmeth the Patriarkes at the first ordination thereof to be foure in number which indeed they were before there was a sift at Constantinople and would haue Constantinople to be one of the foure by the Apostles owne ordination it is graunted by our English Catholiques * In their answere to mee about Page 4. that till after the Councell of Nice there was not so much as the name of Constantinople once heard of which was aboue three hundred yeares after Christ and about two hundred yeares after the decease of all the Apostles therefore how Constantinople could be one of the first foure by the Apostles owne ordination and deed let the Reader iudge As for the time before when she was poore and ruinous Byzantium shee could be none for as wee heard by their Doctor Harding right now that the Patriarchall Cities were the great and chiefe Cities But in this his foy sting in Constantinople for one of the first foure Patriarkes we see it euident he did it onely to exalt the Bishop of Rome a degree aboue the Patriarkes which as we heard in the 3. Section Gregorie in my 3. Section Gregorie condemned in that he said If one Patriarke be called Vniuersall hee derogateth from the other Pâ—â—triarkes Also If this name may goe currant honour is taken away from all the Patriarkes of whom he confesseth himselfe to be an equall and a fellow brother Againe seeing hee also confesseth that to his time no Bishop of Rome was aboue a Patriarke he proueth Boemous his testimonie false Also M. Hanmar in his Ecclesiast Historie of the first 600. yeares after Christ Fol. 564. to 600. M. Meredith Hanmar Doctor of Diuinitie albeit he be of their minde that the Patriarkes had their beginning from the time of the Apostles and would proue it by Eusebius Epiphanius Socrates Euagrius and others in this successiue manner setting downe the most ancients first and not last as Boemous doth Ierusalem The foure Patriarkdomes Antioch Rome Alexandria Iames the iust Peter Peter Marke Simion Cleophas Euodius Linus Anianus Iustus a Iew. Ignatius Clement Abilius Tobias Heros Cletus Cerdo Beniamin Corneli Anacletus Primus Iohn Marcus Auerastes Iustus Matthias Cassianus Alexander Eumenius Philip. Theophilus Sixtus Maricus Senecus Maximinus Thelesphoras Celadian Iustus Seraphion Higenius Agrippas Leui. Asclepiades Pius Iulianus Ephrem Philetus Anicetus Demetrus Ioseph Zebinus Soter Heraclas Iudas Babilas Elutherius Alexander Marcus Fabius Victor Dionisius Cassianus Demetrianus Zeuerinus Maximinus Publius Paulus Calistus Theonas Iulianus Domnus Vrbanus Peter Caius Timeus Pontianus Achillas Iulianus Cyrillius Anterus Alexander Capito Dorotheus Fabianus Athanasius Maximus Tyrranus Lucius Gregory Antonius Vitalis Steuen Peter Valens Phiologonus Xistus Lucius Dolichiâ— Eustatisius Dionisius Timothie Narcissus Felix Theophilus Dioâ— Eight yeares it was void Eutichianus Cyrilius Germamon  Caius Dioscorus Gor. Marcillinus Protorius Narcissus and Eulalius Marcilius Timothie Alexander Euphronius Eusebius Basilinus Masabanes Placitus Miltiades Peter Himineas Steuen Siluester
approued of the Popes supreame titles and authorities See the next Chapter 19. Section whether these words doe not concerne the Bishop of Rome as well as others 11 About the yeere of Christ 410. liued Saint Chrisostome who finding the Bishop of Rome to exalt the City of Rome in excellency of dignity aboue all the Cities in the World to plucke downe her proud Peacockes-tayle wrote thus in disdaine of her pride q Chrisostome Hom. 35. the 40. distinct Multi Our Citie of Antioch is most deerest to Christ aboue all others And like as Peter did first preach among the Apostles so among Cities this had first of all the name of Christians as a certaine wonderfull Crowne and no Citie in the World hath this besides no saith hee in scorne of Rome not the Citie of Romulus Againe in that booke called Opus imperfectum which goeth vnder the name of Chrysostome the vnlawfulnesse of the Popes supremacie is in these words made manifest r Hom. 3. ad Pop. Antiche He that seeketh primacie in earth in heauen he shall finde confusion and he that doth but once intreat of primacie is not worthie to be numbered amongst the seruants of Christ Now then if the Pope for seeking supremacie in earth shall find confusion in heauen and is not worthie to be numbred amongst the seruants of Christ because of his horrible ambitious pride how is that true that all Councels and Fathers euer approued of the Popes vniuersall supremacie 12 About the yeare of Christ 431. there was a third generall Councell holden of two hundred Bishops in the Citie of Ephesus where for the preseruing the priuiledges of the other Patriarkes and prouinciall Bishops it was thus decreed ſ Councel of Ephesus last chap. It seemed good to the holy vniuersall Synod keeping to euerie Prouince pure and sound their priuiledges which by auncient custome and from the beginning belong to the same Wherefore the Patriarkes of Ierusalem Antioch and Alexandria hauing had by auncient custome the same prerogatiues which they had with Rome in the vniuersall gouernement by vertue of this Decree wee see they shall haue the same priuiledges to continue still and all Prouinciall Bishops vnder them as they had at the first by their ordination And where then as yet is to be found the Bishop of Romes singular dominion ouer all 13 About the yeare of Christ 451. the fourth generall Councell was holden by sixe hundred and thirtie Bishops in the Citie of Chalcedon in which it was thus decreed t Councel of Chalcedon chap. 28. Our fathers worthily gaue the first place of honour to the Sea of olde Rome because that Citie then raigned and vpon like consideration the one hundred and fiftie Bishops in the royall Citie of Constantinople hath giuen the like degree of honour to the same Citie being new Rome Wherefore then seeing the highest degree of honour that was giuen to the Bishop of Rome was 〈…〉 sit highest in Councels and Assemblies and that not of any right from Peter but onely because his Sea was the most auncient seate of the Emperour and that after the same Emperour was remoued from Rome to Constantinople for the same cause the like degree of honour was giuen to the Bishop of Constantinople and also for that little degree of honour seeing it was not established to the Bishop of Rome till the Councell of Nice which was aboue three hundred yeares after Christ how can that bee true that from Christ and Peter the Pope had not only the chiefest place but was Prince and ruler ouer all 14 About the yeare of Christ 540. there was a fift generall Councell holden at Constantinople in which also it was thus decreed u Councel of Constantinople chap. 35. Renewing those things which were ordayned by the one hundred and fiftie Fathers which were assembled in this Citie and by the sixe hundred and thirtie which were gathered together in Chalceden wee decree that the Sea of Constantinople haue like and equall dignitie with the Sea of old Rome So that hereby we see still continued and confirmed the Bishop of Constantinoples equallitie with the Bishop of Rome onely whensoeuer it should happen that they were both in place the Bishop of Rome should haue the highest place But I demaund what was here now for him to challenge an vniuersall dominion by It is one thing for some one Noble man to haue that honour in Councels and Assemblies to sit in the highest roome and another thing to take vpon him therefore to be supreame head of all the Kings Dominions if any should bee found so presumptious should he not soone be conuicted of high Treason yea verily and well worthie Also what is here to be found by these Councels and Fathers to proue the Popes vniuersall supremacie approued of by generall consent or not the contrarie Againe if the truth thereof would haue serued their turne what needed they then to haue sought such shifts by flat forgeries as they haue done For whereas these words are further added in that Cannon Forgerig And in ecclesiasticall matters the Sea of Constantinople bee aduaunced as farre forth as the Sea of elder Rome The Popes Lawe hath put in bee not as appeareth in Distinction 22. Renouantes turning the affirmatiue into a negatiue thereby vtterly peruerting the true sense to their great shame Againe because some when they were excommunicated in Affrica to shift off their punishment appealed to Rome the Councell of Affrica made this decree * Caus 2. quaest 6. placuit If any within Affrica offer to appeale ouer the Seas let none within Affrica receiue him to the communion they haue foysted in these words Except they appeale to Rome And so that which the Councell did to keepe men chiefly from Rome their Law peruerteth to draw them to Rome Caus 2. quest 6. placuit Againe whereas to draw vniuersall authoritie to Rome for the hearing all appeales Zozimus then Bishop of Rome when the Councel was holden at Affrica Councell of Affrica chap. 101.102.103.104.105 whereat Saint Augustine was present alledged for himselfe a Cannon of the Councell of Nice But the Councell withstanding his claime of vniuersall authoritie answered We haue the Councell of Nice in which wee finde no such Cannon And therefore Alypius who was also present at the same Councell being then Bishop of Tagasta finding himselfe greatly grieued at such iugling by the Bishop of Rome said thus x Councel of Carthag 6 chap. 4. This thing moueth me much that when we laid together and examined the originalls of the Nicene Councell written in Greeke these things concerning the superioritie of the Pope we found not there And thus Christian Reader thou seest that saying of Bellarmine to bee but a fond fable to wit that all the Christian World ouer the Popes vniuersall supreame authoritie was approued of by all Councels and Fathers Now it remaineth that wee answere an Obiection which the Iesuites
according to the true sentence and censure of the Minister euen as the same Writer saith h Jbidem By thy sentence in earth I shall confirme it in Heauen So that by this we see that the ministeriall binding and loosing remitting and retaining sinnes is nothing else but by denouncing the binding sentence and pronouncing the loosing sentence to declare vnto men that they are both bound and loosed by God in heauen And hereof it is which that master of the sentences Peter Lumbard saith i Lumb 4. Seâ—m 18. dist Nec ideo God hath giuen Priests power to binde and loose that is to say saith hee to declare vnto men that they be eyther bound or loosed It were against vs saith Saint Augustine k August 2. booke 11. chap. Permentanus that we should be compelled to graunt that this thing were done of men but not through or by men Againe he saith l August in his Booke of the ladders of Paradise The Lord graunted the office of Baptizing vnto many but the power and authoritie in Baptisme to forgiue sinnes he hath reserued onely to himselfe And to this agreeth that which Saint Ambrose saith m Ambrose in his 9. Bookâ— 76. Epistle The Lord remaineth alone for no man can be partner with God in for giuing of sinnes And thus then who seeth not that albeit sinne bee ministerally remitted and retained yet is it actually done of God himselfe So that whereas the Pope would craftily ascribe this absolute power to Saint Peter all men may apparantly see he doth it but to draw the same power to himselfe that so men might esteeme of his pardons and take them of his owne price And thus much touching the vse of the keies and how farre their powers doe extend 5 Thirdly whereas they say To Peter Christ committed the care and charge of the whole Church we answere that it is not any where to be found in all the Scriptures that Christ said to Peter To thee I commit the care and charge of the whole Church but this wee finde in the 2 Corinth 2. Cor. 11.28 Gal. 2.7 11. cap. that Saint Paul said of himselfe I am cumbered daily and haue the care of all Churches Againe we read in the second chapter to the Galathians that Saint Paul speaking of Peters charge and his owne said The Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to mee as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to Peter Now then seeing that circumcision was but that one Nation of the Iewes and the vncircumcision all the other Nations of the World who had the more vniuersall charge not Peter but Paul and yet indeed and truth to say that euery of the other Apostles charge was not as vniuersal Acts 9.15 as either Peters or Paules iâ— as plaine foolerie as to say that because the Lord said to Annanias of Paul Hee is a chosen vessell vnto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles and Kings and children of Israel therefore none but Paul Or because Peter said of himselfe Acts 15.7 God chose out mee that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the words of the Gospel and beleeue Ergo not by the mouth of Paul nor any other of the Apostles but by Peters alone John 13.13 Or to say because Iohn is said Iohn 13.23 to be the Disciple whom Iesus loued therefore none but Iohn Or because Saint Chrisostome said of Iohn n Chrisost ad Papâ—â— Antioch Hom. 73. He was the Pillar of all the Churches in the World therefore none but hee To bee briefe it is cleare by Saint Matthew chapter 28. verses 19.20 and chapter 18. verse 19. and by S. Marke chapter 16.15 and to the end of the chapter that Christ committed the care and charge of his whole Church to all his Apostles indifferently and that by his owne commission euery of their authorities was as great and as large as either Peters or Paules And therefore fabulous is it that the Pope doth challenge from the right of Saint Peter to haue the vniuersall care and charge of the whole Church committed vnto him or any one man in all the world S. Ambrose speaking of this poynt at large concludeth thus o Ambrose of the dignitie of Priesthood The sheepe and flocke which Peter receiued we all receiued the same together with him Now they will not say that S. Ambrose was a Pope of Rome therefore they must needes grant that he spake this generally of all Bishops Pastors and Ministers and not of the Popes of Rome alone 6 Fourthly they say To Peter Christ committed the office of feeding both Sheepe and Lambes olde and young to which we answere It is cleare that by feeding Christ meant the feeding of the soule by preaching the Word of eternall life Now whether this office of preaching was committed to Peter alone and not generally to all the other Apostles the verie plaine and expresse words of their generall commission set downe by Saint Matthew and Saint Marke doth declare Saint Matthew noteth them thus from Christs owne mouth chap. 28.18.19 All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth Matthew 28.18.19 Marke 16.15.20 Goe therefore and teach all Nations Saint Marke chap. 16.15.20 thus Goe ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to euerie creature And in the same chapter it followeth And they went forth and preached euerie where Now then what sheepe or Lambes old or young had Peter to feede that the other Apostles had not his commission could extend no further then all the World ouer and to euery creature and so farre did theirs extend as well as his Therefore how can the Pope iustly claime from Peter to be the onely feeding Father of Gods vniuersall Church Saint Augustine saith p August in his Booke of the troubles of Christians chap. 3. Those words spoken to Peter Feede my Sheepe when they were spoken to Peter they were spoken to all Priests and Ministers If to all then not to any one alone and consequently not to the Pope 7 Fiftly they say Peter was that Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church against which the Gates of hell should not preuaile which being true how was it then that the gates of hell to wit the power of Sathan did so preuaile against him that hee failing in the fundamentall point of Religion attempted to debarre the recouerie of the most happie estate of the vniuersall Church for which Christ called him Sathan For no sooner had Christ imparted vnto him what things he was to suffer at Ierusalem for the recouerie thereof but presently hee gaue Christ councell he should not doe it Matth. 16.22 Maister said hee pittie thy selfe this thing shall not be vnto thee So that if Christ had followed his counsell euery particular member of his Church had beene damned Therefore it is cleare Peter was not that Rocke on which Christ said he would build his Church against the
the person of Christ he saith Esay 63.3 Chapter 63.3 I haue trodden the Wine-presse alone and of all people there is none with me Or that which the Authour to the Hebrewes saith of Christ Heb. 1.3 Chapter 1.3 He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe or that which he saith Heb. 9.26 Chapter 9.26 He hath put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Wherefore as I said if we must imbrace their doctrine for truth then must we reiect the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as erroneous But what saith Saint Ambrose to this partnership in taking away sinne euen thus he saith Å¿ Ambrose in his 9. Booke 76. Epistle The Lord remaineth alone for no man can be partner with God in forgiuing of sinnes this is Christs onely office that hath taken away the sinnes of the World Therefore to restraine the power of Christs sacrifice to that onely one sinne of Adam that so the multitude of our transgressions might be done away by the sacrifice of their Masse is vtterly to ouerthrow the proper prerogatiue of Christ and the whole vertue of his death and passion in which the matter of remission of sinnes iustification and saluation doth onely consist For as the Apostle Saint Paul saith Colossians 1.22 Colossians 1.22 In the bodie of his flesh through death he made vs holy and vnblameable and without fault in the sight of God and set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen Wherefore to bring in any other sacrifice for sinne but onely the oblation of Christs body broken and his bloud shed and that offered by himselfe once for all is vtterly to ouerthrow all whatsoeuer Christ hath done for mans redemption to cast mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation to proue the Prophets and Apostles false witnesses and finally to dissolue the whole harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall Hebrewes 9.14 For in that the holy Ghost saith Hebrewes 9.14 Christ offered vp himselfe it is cleare that no sacrifice can serue for sinne but where Christ himselfe is the Priest Also seeing hee saith verse 22. Without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sins Cap. 9.22 if Christ himselfe should come amongst vs and offer himselfe neuer so often and not shed his bloud it could doe vs no good Againe seeing hee saith likewise thus of Christ Verse 25. Not that he should offer himselfe often Cap. 9.25 for then must he often haue suffered since the foundation of 〈…〉 he offering himselfe neuer so often without as 〈…〉 death could doe vs as little good Therefore wâ—â—â—â—eeth not but that the sacrifice of the Masse whereat Christ is not the Priest nor in which the bloud of Christ is shed nor he suffering death how often soeuer it be celebrated for our sinnes profiteth iust nothing at all nor doth any good Nay rather who seeth not what hurt it doth in that men are induced to looke for that there which indeede is not there to be had For whereas they make the multitude to beleeue that they sacrifice in their Masse the very body of Christ for their sinnes the Scripture denieth him to be there or any where else but in heauen Heb. 10.12 For as the Authour to the Hebrews saith Chap. 10.12 This man after hee had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from thence tarrieth till his enemies bee made his foote-stoole which as Saint Luke sheweth Acts 3.21 is till the end of the World and therefore how can they come by his body to offer in their Masse As for that they say it is easily to be come by because by the words of consecration the bread is transubstantiated into the body of Christ and the wine into his bloud is easily confuted by Saint Chrysostome Theodoret Pope Galasius and their Bishop Fisher Chrisostome saith t Chrisostome Ad Caesatima Monachum The bread when it is sanctified by meanes of the Priest it is exalted to the name of Lords body yet the nature of bread doth still remaine Againe he saith v Hom. 11. on Matthew The very body of Christ it selfe is not in the holy vessels but the mistery thereof is there contained Theodoret saith * Theo. in Diologue 1. The sacramental signes goe not from their owne nature after sanctification Pope Galasius saith x Gala. against Eutiches There leaueth not to be the substance of bread and wine nor the nature of wine Their Bishop Fisher saith y Fisher against Luther No man shall proue by the very words of the Gospell that any Priest in these our dayes doth consecrate the very body and bloud of Christ And a little after hee saith Neither is there any word found here meaning in the new Testament to proue that there is the true presence of Christs flesh and bloud in our Masse So that by this who seeth not how impiously they delude the ignorant in making them to beleeue that they haue the body of Christ in the Pixe or Priests boxe to sacrifice for their sinnes and cause them also to commit idolatry in adoring the bread for Christ 6 Now therefore Christian Reader forasmuch as thou heardest before that the holy Ghost maketh it a necessitie that so often as Christ is offered for sinne hee must as often be crucified to death it is cleare that the Papists necessitie of daily offering bringeth in with it a necessitie of daily crucifying and killing of Christ Wherefore in ordayning an order of daily sacrificers of Christ what else doe they but establish an order of daily crucifiers and killers of him in which therefore it is euident they shew themselues much more horrible and vile then Iudas did in betraying of Christ For notwithstanding Iudas for filthie lucre deliuered his Maister to be crucified yet did he not seeke to procure an order for the continuall crucifying of him neyther to iustifie his action did hee contend with the gaine sayers but with great horrour of conscience condemned it as euill and after a sort repented and brought againe the money the hier of his fact and deliuered it backe to the owners but these murtherers not onely contend for the necessity of that they doe but also haue receiued great summes of money oftentimes to sacrifice and consequently to crucifie Christ and yet haue they not by restoring any part thereof shewed so much as that signe of Iudas his outward repentance Moreouer it is very cleare that this their doings hath a farre worse effect then Iudas his action had for Iudas his action in respect of Gods determinate counsell furthered mans saluation but the necessitie of daily sacrificing for sinne vnder the Gospell vtterly ouerthroweth mans saluation Malac. 1.11 And yet notwithstanding they sticke not to say that this is that Sacrifice of the New Testament which the Prophet Malachie fore-tolde God had appoynted the Christian
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
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