in heauen things that are in earth things visible things inuisible whether they be Maiestie or Lordship either rule or power al things are created by him and in him be is before all things and in him all things haue their being and he is the head of the bodie that is to wit of the congregation he is the beginning and first begotten that in all thinges he might haue the preheminence for it pleased the father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to him selfe and to set at peace by him through the bloud of his Crosse both things in heauen and things in earth Here is no mencion at all of hir but all of him master Stapleton for whome all things were made But euen these properties of Christ this blasphemous doctour applieth to hir and sayth your Church doth so For a little before he sayth Sed hoc loco c. But in this place is to be asked whether the blessed virgin were brought forth before all creatures For of hir sayth the Church that saying Eccle. 24. Ab initio ante secula creata sum From the beginning and before the worlde was I made and againe in the Epistle of this solemnitie the Virgine is brought in saying that sentence Prou. 8. The Lord hath possessed me from the beginning of his wayes before he made any thing euen from the beginning from euerlasting I was ordeyned and from of olde before the earth was made as yet the depthes were not and I was alreadie begotten as yet the fountaynes flowed not with water nor as yet the mountaynes in their great compasse were setled before all the hilles was I begotten VVhich wordes doe seeme so to sounde that she was brought forth before the bringing forth of any other thing Who is he that knoweth not that these wordes are spoken of the eternall sonne of God begotten before all ages and is euen one wyth that S. Iohn sayth In the beginning was the worde and yet bicause it is spoken in the feminine gender vnder the name of the eternall wisedome of God he most ignoranâ—…ly and Idolatrously transferreth it to the virgin Marie Neyther he alone but he sayth your Church doth so so that all your whole Church is a blasphentous Church And thus ye ascribe the promise of the blessed seede to the blessed virgine saying not it but shee shall tread downe the serpents heade So where Dauid sayth Non est qui se abscondat à â—…alore 〈◊〉 None can hide him from his heate ye say none can hide him from hir heate Likewise where the wisedome of God sayth In the welbeloued Citie gaue he me rest in Hierusalem was my power Iacobus de Udragine applieth it to hir saying Primo pater c. First the father hath made hir mightie to helpe Eccle. 24. in Hierusalem was my power for she is made so mightie that she can help vs in life in death and after death c. Againe where Christe sayth I am exalted like a Palme tree aboute the bankes and as a rose Palme in Hierico as a fayre Oliue tree in a pleasant fielde that ascribeth he to hir saying Sunt enim quidam c. There are some Saints who when they are prayed vnto follow the information of their conscience and therefore often tymes they will not pray to God for vs bicause they haue a conscience that they are not worthie to be heard Other Saintes there are that when they are prayed vnto they follow the streightnesse of Gods righteousnesse And therefore if they be desired and knowe that this is not fitte for Gods iustice they dare not aske but the blessed Virgin neither looketh to conscience nor to iustice but to mercie As who should say let them keepe their consciences to themselues that lust and let them that will loke to Gods iustice I will alwayes hold me to mercie and for this so excellent Modestie shee sayth of hir selfe Eccle. 24. I am as a fayre Oliue in the fieldes Yea you say shée hath such excéeding and excelling mercie that not onely it passeth all the Saints but that illud quod dicitur Eccl. 18. de Domino potest dici etiaÌ„ de Domina c. That the which is spoken Eccle. 18. of the Lorde may be spoken of the Ladie The mercie of a man is towarde his neighbour but the mercie of the Lorde is ouer all flesh Thus ye robbe God of his glory to adourne hir attributing all to hir And say that the father hath written in hir his power where Christ sayth contrarie all povver is giuen me of my father in heauen and earth c. that the sonne hath vvritten in hir his vvisedome that the holy ghost hath vvritten in hir his goodnesse and mercie Againe the father hath made hir his Treasorer vvhereby shee hath conquered the Deuill and povvreth into cur mindes diuine knovvledge The sonne hath made hir his Chamberlayne The holy ghost hath made hir his Cellerer The vvhole Trinitie hath made hir Almosiner of heauen Shee is Chauncellour to the holy ghost shee is Porter of Paradise Ipsa nanque est ostium c. For shee is the doore by the vvhich vve enter into Paradise vvhich by Eue vvas shutte and by hir is opened Ipsa enim est quae nos suis meritis in atrium principis introducit For it is shee that by hir merits bringeth vs into the porch of the Prince VVhervpoÌ„ Ioh. 18 it is sayde A Damsell that was the doore keeper the blessed virgine calleth hirselfe an handemayde or Damsell let in Peter into the Princes porche Ipsa nanque virgo For euen the virgin is the vvindovv vvherby God beholdeth vs vvith the eie of mercie Uirgo autem Maria. The Virgin Marie is the throne of mercy grace and glorie she is the Sunne to the iust the Moone to the Saints the faithful vvitnesse to sinners the aduocate of mankinde the drop that softneth all hardnesse There vvere three things that once vvere hard God that receyued none to mercie Death that svvalovved vp all to hell the Deuill that enraged vvith enmitie But the Virgin Marie so mollified God that he receiued all men to mercie She so trodde death vnder foote that novve he can not take avvay the Saints Shee ouercame the Deuill that he can novve â–ª deceyue none but him that lust to be deceyued that novv shee may say I forsake you not but as a drop I abyde vvith you bicause my odour abydeth vvith you vvherevvith I haue mollifyed God I haue troden dovvne death I haue ouercome the Deuill This is one droppe of hir grace master Stap. but what can ye ascribe more to al the droppes of the bloud of christ To conclude ye make hir all in all Shee â—…lenseth vs from our sinnes â–ª shee lightneth vs from ignorance she strengthneth vs from our infirmities Et per ipsam virg c. and by the blessed
whom the scripture is playne and plat and hereto accordeth the best of the learned fathers as I haue declared before of S. Aug. whoÌ„ ye quote with Epiphanius If therfore Epiphanius ment more than thankes giuing to God for his mercies to the saincts in sauing them praysing God for his iustice to the wicked in condemning them and withall to confirme in the liuing the hope of the resurrection of the dead then is Epiphanius not onely contrary to the Scripture and S. Aug. but also to him selfe and to the best of all the fathers besides whose traditions is the onely argument that Epiphanius pretendeth Ciprian who also admitteth the memorials oblations of thanks giuing for the faythfull martyrs departed yet in this poynt of doctrine to pray for any departed as to helpe them by their prayers or that they be in case to néede find suche helpe he vtterly denieth Quando istinâ—… excessum fuerit c. when we are departed out of this life there is now no place for repentaunce no desire of satisfaction lyfe is either loste heere or gotten heere by the vvorship of God and the fruite of fayth eternall saluation is prouided for neither is any body hindred either by his sinnes or his yeres that therby he might the lesse come to the obteyning of saluation To him that is abiding in this worlde repentance is neuer to late c. Athanasius likewise Animae à nobis profectae vbi quomodo sint c. VVhere the soules departed from vs are and how they be is a straunge and horrible question and hid froÌ„ men for God hath not suffred any to returne from thence which should declare it Notwithstanding out of the scripture we learne that the soules of sinners be in hell and the soules of the iust be in Paradise Without any mention at all of Purgatorie The iudgement of S. Hierome is very playne and inserted among your Popishe decrées In praesenti siculo c. VVhyle we are in this present worlde either by prayers or by counsels vve may one be helped of another but when we shall come before the iudgement seate of Christ neither Iob nor Daniell nor Noe can doe ought for any body but euery one shall beare his owne burden And agayne he that while he liueth in this body shall not haue obtayned the forgiuenesse of sinnes and so shal depart out of hys life perisheth vnto God and endeth his beeing although to him selfe he be in paynes He that hathe nâ—…t washed away his sinnes sayth Chrisostome in this present lyfe shall not afterwarde finde any consolation For in hell saythe he who shall prayse thee and vvorthily sayde for this is the time of cares and conflictes and wrastlinges as for that is the tyme of crowninges of retributions and rewardinges And agayne If thou arte made any mans enimie bee reconciled before thou come to iudgement Dispatche all thinges heere that without griefe thou mayest beholde the iudgement seate VVhyle we are heere we haue notable hopes but so sone as euer we shall be departed from hence it lyeth not in vs afterwarde to repente nor to washe away the faultes vve haue committed Yea he sayth more After the ende of this life there are no occasions of good workes as wrastlers haue then no occasion of getting the garlande when the wrestlings are finished And as Theophilacte saythe after thys lyâ—…e there is no tyme eyther of repenting or of vvishing All which sayings if they be true it followeth there is no place of purging and helping them that are already dead in their sinnes since the sâ—…ules so departed can not repent but there is no forgiuenesse without repentance since at occasions of their deliuery are past yea they be past wishing any goodnesse to them selues that is to say they vtterly dispayre of al mercy knowing that wishing booteth not muche lesse the wishing of others for them as Theophilact a little before sayde of the foolishe Uirgins The vertues of my neighboure will hardly suffice for his owne defence so farre off is it from helping me Thus are all these Doctors contrarie to Epiphanius héerein if Epiphanius were to be expeunded as you woulde haue him And will ye make all these Aerians too But to all these your vsage is to clap downe as many or more Doctors of the contrary opinion yea to bring euen these that I haue râ—…cited to witnesse the quite contrary In which doing thinking to discredite vs ye not onely lese creditâ—… your selfe by wresting them but also ye diminishe their credite haue they any with you that make them speake contrary to them selues True it is that euery one of these fathers as they had theyr faultes and errours so they bare muche also in these matters of dead men with the common sway althoughe S. Augustine and Chrisostome more than the rest do often times chide the people for vsing about the dead suche fonde abuses as at that tyme they did Chrisostome telleth howe they woulde strippe their armes make them bloudie teare their heare scratche their faces and weare blacke apparell and hire mourners All whiche he greatly blameth and althoughe they pretended custome for them saying Consuetudinem quero c. consuetudinem requiro c. I seeke to keepe the old custome I require custome Yet doth not Chrisostome allow their sayings but calleth it pessimam consuetudinem a most wicked custome ineptias toyes suche as he was ashamed of hypocrisie and such as long ago ought to haue bene driuen cleane away Thus earnestly writeth Chrisostome against the abuses about the dead And also for that opinion that euen then in his dayes was a common and constant opinion among the people euen as it is yet among al papists that the soules of diuers do walke after their death and mone them selues to vs aliue to be holpen by our prayers Which how false an opinion it is appeareth by Chrisostome Shall I be persuaded sayth he bicause thou hast heard the diuels often times crie I am the soule of suche an one but this saying comes also of the diuels fraude and disceite for it is not the soule of the departed which sayth these things but the diuell that feygneth these things to deceiue the hearers c. These things are to be counted but olde wiues or rather dotardes tales and toyes for children for the soule beeing separate from the body can not wander in these regions As for the soules of the iuste they are in the handes of god The soules likewise of the Infantes for they haue not sinned But the soules of sinners are caried away euen staight after their departure the which is made playne by Lazarus and Diues c. And by many places of the scripture it may be proued that the soules of iust men after their death do not wander heere For bothe Steuen sayde Receiue my spirite and Paule desired to be loosed and to be with Christe And
hindreth the matter offendeth and abaseth God and maketh all those playne traytors to God that vse it But to be euen with him M. St. for calling you traytors call you him agayne heretike call him a Vigilant an for it But then must ye make Chrisostome a Uigilantian with him that is euen as earnest agaynst this shifte of intercession as he For writing vpon the womaÌ„ of Canaan calling vpon Christ for hir daughters health he â—…arth 〈◊〉 meâ—… c. Haue mercy vpon me Beholde the phisosophical minde of the woman saying haue mercy vpon me I haue not sayth she a conscience of good workes nor a trust to godly lyfe to mercy I flee to the calme hauen of those that sinne to mercy I flee where iudgement ceasseth where vnspeakable saluation is Tell me O thou woman how art thou so bolde sithe thou arte a sinner and wicked to come vnto God I know sayth she what I will do Behold the womans wisdome she requireth not Iames she besecheth not Iohn she goeth not to Peter nor regardeth the company of the Apostles She sought not a mediator but in place of all them she tooke repentance to be hir companion which repentance filled the roome of an Aduocate and so she went vnto the chiefe fountayne For this cause sayth she he came downe from heauen for this cause he was incarnate and made man and I dare speake vnto him Aboue in the heauens the Cherubins dread him the Seraphins feare him and heere beneath euen a common woman sayth vnto him haue mercy vpon me A very bare saying but conteyning euen the mightinesse of saluation haue mercy vpon me For thys sayth she thou camest for this cause thou took est fleshe for thys cause thou wast made euen that which I am O wonderfull matter aboue is trembling beneath is confidence haue mercy vpon me I haue no neede of a mediatour haue mercy vpon me VVhat hast thou neede of mercie I seeke sayth she c. haue mercie vpon me If my daughter were dead she shoulde not suffer such things for then vvould I haue deliuered hir bodie into the bosome of the earth and in processe of time I should haue forgotten these euilles and my griefe vvoulde haue paused â–ª c. Marke the philosophie of the woman behold hir noble courage she went not to soothsayers shee called not wise men she sought not charms to tie about hir she fetched not those â—…orceresse women that vse to prouoke Diuels and augment the â—…ore vvith theyr enchauntmentes Shee lette go all suche falsehoodes of the Diuell shee contemned all purgings and shee came vnto the healthefull porte of oure soules c. The iudge commeth to thee flee thou to God the Iudge doth call for thee doe thou inuocate God whiche is on thy syde Is he farre from thee that thou shouldest goe to any place for him God is not included in place but he is always euen present at hand euen he that is not shut vp in place is holden yet by faith For if thou wilt enquire a man and demaund what he doth thou shalt heare he sleepeth or he is not at leysure â–ª or in deede euen his seruant vvill disdayne to answere thee But vnto God there is no nede of any of these things But wheresoeuer thou shalt be or wheresoeuer thou shalt inuocate him he hereth thee ther nedes no porter ther needes no mediatour there needes no seruant but say thou Haue mercie vpon me and by and by God will be present yea whyle thou yet speakest he sayeth here I am c. Let vs followe then this woman of Cananâ—…e And like wise on the same storie in an other place Mauult 〈◊〉 nostram c. God had leauer haue our own prayer which are guiltie than the prayer of other for vs. And again Non est opuâ—… paâ—…ronis apud deiâ—… c. There is no neede of patrons before God nor nede of gadding vp and down to flatter other But although thou art alone and haste no patrone and prayest by thy selfe yet shalt thou certainly obtain thy request for God doth not so easily graunt when other pray for vs as when our selues do pray yea though we be replenished with many euils And to conclude he saith Haecigitur scientes c. Knowing therfore these thinges let vs euermore flee to God who is both willing and able to deliuer vs of oure grieues But as for men if at any tyme we shoulde entreate them it behoueth first to meete with the porters to moue their parasites and iesters and oftentymes to goe along way about but in God there is no suche matter he is intreated without mediator without money without cost he graunteth our prayers Now although we sée by the Scripture and by these fathers being yet therfore no Heretikes that we néede not nor oughte to seeke so muche as any intercessoures by whiche terme ye woulde shifte off all the matter saying ye make them no helpers but intercessors only yet herein your shifte is not so miserable as your lie is manifest You inuocated Saintes as healpers yea and Sauioures also Your Primers can witnesse againste you youre Antiphonaes your Grayles your Massebookes Hyuâ—…als Legendes Portasses c. Haue ye forgotten this hymne to the blessed virgine Marie Virgo singularis inter omnes mitis nos culpa solutos 〈◊〉 sac et castos vitaÌ„ prâ—…fta puraÌ„ iter para tutuÌ„ vt videntes Iesum semper collaetemur O thou virgin singular among also meke make vs loose from sinne make vs meeke and chast giue vs a pure lyfe and make our iourney safe that beholding Iesus we may alwayes ioy Do ye not pray in your primer to S. Iohn and the virgin Mary Te etiam inuoco c. I inuocate thee also with Marie the mother of the same our sauiour that thou wouldest vouchsafto giue me thy helpe with hir O you two precious stones O heauenly Marye O Iohn O you two lightes from God shining before God with your rayes driue away the cloudes of my sinnes Doe ye not there pray to S. Christofer O thou martyr Christofer with the godlie honor of our Sauiour make thou vs in mind to deserue the loue of God Christ hath promised that what thou askest thou haste obtained giue vnto the sory people those things that at thy death thou askedst giue thou comfort to vs and take away the grief of our mynde make thou the accompt of the iudge to be milde to all men Pray ye not to S. George on horsebacke O George the noble martyr prayse and glory becommeth thee c. we beseeche thee with the bottome of our hart that our sinnes being washed away we may be ioyned with al the faithfull citizens of heauen Pray ye not to the. 11000. virgins O you eleuen thousande maidens Lilies of glorious virginitie and Roses of martyrdome defende you me in my life giuing to me your helpe and in my death shew your selues vnto
the third howre The dolorouse passion of Gods swete mother bring vs to the blisse of almightie God the father What doctrine call ye this M. St. that omitting the passion of Christ we be saued by the passion of the virgin Marie In the 6. howre O virgin Mary most gracious O mother of mercie incomparable from our enimie defend thou vs and in the houre of death be fauorable And in the ninth houre euen in a prayer to Christ That he would giue all those that remember hir compassion prosperouse life and euerlasting glorie for hir sake which wordes for hir sake in the middle of the prayer are as the principall wordes thereof onely set out in redde letters and all the rest in blacke In the euensong Hayle starre of the sea most radiant O mother of God most glorious a pure virgine alway perseuerant O gate of heauen most gorgious thou wast saluted with great humilitie when Gabriell sayd Aue Maria establish vs in peace and traÌ„quillitie and change the name of sinfull Eua. Lose the prisoners from captiuitie vnto the blinde giue sight againe deliuer vs from our malignitie to the ende we may some grace attaine Shew thy selfe to be a mother so that he accept our petition which for our sake before all other was content to be thy Sonne O blessed Ladie O singuler virgin in perfect meekenesse all other exceeding deliuer vs from bondage of sinne and make vs meeke and chast in liuing make vs euer pure life to ensue guide vs euer vppon our iourney that we beholding the face of Iesu may ioy with him in heauen alway Item Holie mother succour the miserable comforte the weake sprited giue courage to the desperate In the complene O Mother of God we do glorifie thee for thou arâ—…e she that bore Christ preserue all that glorifie thee Item O thou meeke mother haue mercie therefore on wretches for whome thou haddest this paine seing thy Sonne that vine cluster pressed sore And from the pestilence of death eternall keepe vs by voyding the feende infernall and ioyne vs with them that renowned shal be with eternall life seing the deitie Item Haile queene of mercie our life our sweetnes our hope all hayle vnto thee do we crie which are banished children of Eua vnto thee do we sigh weeping and wayling in this vale of lamentation come of therefore our patronesse cast vppon vs those pitifull eâ—…es of thine and after this our banishment shewe vnto vs the blessed fruite of thy wombe Iesus Item In the heauenly habitation where the fruite of thy wombe euerlasting we may behold through thy deseruing in ioy without limitation And in the prayers following Reioyce spouse of God most deere for as the light of the day â—…o cleere commeth from the Sunne most radiant euen so doest thou cause questionlesse the worlde to florish in quietnesse through thy grace abundant These were the prayers that you said your selues and taught the people to pray in the dayes of your late tyranny M. St. and what point of inuocation is here omitted that ye can deuise to giue to God that ye haue not yelded to the Saintes correcting so little the old Primer that is a great deale worse if worse can be And dare that impudent face of yours to returne your 〈◊〉 termes on your selfe still beare vs in hand ye made them but only intercessours and all is but Ora pro nobis I haue onely hitherto master St. set ye tâ—… learnâ—… your Primer or rather to vnlearne it Ye haue a 〈◊〉 for the nonce of this matter called the prayers and salutations of the blessed virgin before which are 〈◊〉 these verseâ—… Vnaquaque die deuota mente Mariae hac decantâ—…tur vita 〈◊〉 sequâ—…tur Euery day let this prayer be song vnto S. Marie and you shall be saued The first prayer is this Exaâ—…ds c. O blessed queene of Heauen hear vs receiue our praises that singing we offer to thee in tend to our prayer succor vs celebrating thy praise reach thy hand of coÌ„solatioÌ„ to vs that inuocate thee and vouchsafe to be present here with them that desire thee â–ª c. we coÌ„sider the greatnesse of thy godlinesse and to thee with sure confidence do we flee to thee we crie lifting vp our haÌ„ds from the depth of iniquitie heare thou our prayer and deliuer thou vs from the snares of sinnes make thou vs beeing clensed from all oure sinnes in thy praises to bee founde woorthy purifie thou our hearts wherin we may worthily heape vp the remembraÌ„ce of thee water thou our hearts with the dew of thy sweetnesse that the drink of bitternes which 〈◊〉 soup in may vanish away Let our minds defiled with the gall of sinnes be moistned with the streame of thy goodnes c. Let thy loue root in vs and expel froÌ„ vs the custome of vices and offences Let it lighteÌ„ our soules and pull away the heauie multitude of euils let it mollifie our hardned harts let it vouchsafe in them to make for it a worthie habitation that thou O Ladie of heauen mayst possesse the cloysters of oure breast and with thy holie * goddeshed* maist encoÌ„passe them giue vnto our mindes continually to thinke on those things that are pleasing to thee to our lips to speak those things that please thee so that our senses and our tong in doing thee seruice may please thee that the fleshe and spirite remaine alvvays vnder thy protection to thee holie Mother of God be prayse and glory and thankesgeuing let the congregation of â—…aintes glory in thee Amen What a blasphemous prayer is this M. St. and yet the second and thirde passeth it Venice c. Come you that desire the heauenly glory and let vs praise the Empresse of heauen Let vs magnifie the most blessed Marie virgin and giue glory vnto hir Let vs embrace her steppes in humilitie and poure out our humble prayers vnto hir Let vs lift vp to hir the eies of our minde and put firme hope in hir for she is the saluation and medicine the swete renowne and healthfull refuge to them that put their trust in hir she is the mother of mercie and godlinesâ—…e the mercifull and most godly comforter of the miserable for she defendeth all those that serue hir from all aduersities and enricheth them with the crowne of glory c. In the third prayer Thou our most mercifull mother clense vs from our dayly sinnes c. thou aâ—…te our true hope and consolation thou arte the sweete refection of our minde thou art our saluation and medicine heare vs thy seruaÌ„ts that trust in thee What sacrifice shal we offer to thee O Ladie with what praises can we worship thee what thanks can we can our basenesse giue thee or what honour can we do to thee with what deuocion shal we serue thee which by thy only chastitie hast found the entraÌ„ce of helth c.
despiâ—…e not vs that put our trust in thee VVee trust in thee and thee our aide we inuocate c. In the 4. prayer Thou with Christ possessest the imperiall honor c. Cast thy godly eies on vs and search the inwarde partes of our harts c. In the fifth prayer VVithout thee euery soule is as an vnfruitfull tree worthy to be rooted vp and to be cast into the wasting fire Our soule lusteth after thee thou noble mother of God when wilt thou visit it come lady and sometimes visite thy seruants least our vertue â—…aint c. Our soule is wiâ—…hered and made baren bicause we haue not deserued to haue thy grace Come O mother come and moysten it that it may somtimes bring forth fruit that it may be fruitful being bedewed with thy grace and bring forth pleasant fruite to thee In the. 6. prayer VVhom God and thou the inuincible mother of God wilt vouchsafe to help they shall endure O Ladie heare the sighes of thy seruants and hasten to help them that trust in thee In the 7. prayer Looke downe from thy high trone of heauen where thou raignest with thy soÌ„ne c. Of al wretches he is most wretch that neglecteth to get thy grace c. he is iust indeede and worthy the felowship of the iust that deserueth in his seruice to please thee he shall not be confounded in the last iudgement when he shall see his Lady the iudges mother and shall see thee with him iudging him He shall cast his eyes on thee and he shall not treÌ„ble for thou wilt not forget him c. In all our grieues let vs runne to the loue of thee c. In the 8. prayer Haile prayse of the continent vertue and strength of the maried mother of the fatherlesse succour of widdowes haile firme and vnmoueable hope of all the faithful hayle myrth and ioy of Christians c. behold we coÌ„mend body and soule to thee yea all the gouernance of our whole life we coÌ„mende into thy holy haÌ„ds we offer our selues to serue thee dispise not our oblations c. In the. 10. prayer Be present with vs O lady as we trust in thee that art the remedie of all euill c. that thou being our guide we may come streight to heauen Now M. St. is all this neither nothing els but Ora pro nobis well I could yet bring more more horrible stuffe thaÌ„ this Yea it were infinite to tedious to rake out those most blasphâ—…mous prayers that all your other bookes haue Your self could neuer abide the reading for shame nor the godly susteyne y hearing for horrour to see God so blasphemed spoiled of al his honor of that which he is a ielouse God wil coÌ„municate no part therof to other Only to swéeten your lips withal ye shal heare a few stories out of your legende other your holy bookes what ye ascribe to saints And first to begin euen at the intercession that ye say the Saints make for vs chiefly the virgine Marie whom ye make farre more mercifull than christ To proue this ye tell vs That a certaine wicked sinner going about his sinne by the way as his manner was to salute hir Image with an Aue beholding the Image of the virgin and hir sonne in hir armes he saw that the bloud distilled from the childe as it did from his woundes on the Crosse. VVhich when he saw being astonied thereat he said O ladie who hath done this to whome the virgin answered Thou and such sinners do Crucifie my Sonne againe And she would haue wiped and stanched the bloud but she could not To whom ê™ the sinner O mother of mercie make intercession for me She answered to him You sinners call mee the mother of mercie ye make me the mother of miserie and sorow And he said not so most godly ladie â–ª but remember that thou art the aduocate of sinners and make intercession for me And the mother said O most godly sonne for the loue of me be merciful to this sinner And hir sonne said to hir No mother nor thou oughtest to be grieued in that I heare thee not For I prayed once my father if it were possible to saue maÌ„kind some other way and take from me the cup of my passion and he would not heare me And she sayd O my son remember that I cherished thee with motherly loue and fed thee with my papps forgiue then this sinner O mother ê™ the sonne I will shew that by good right I am not bound to heare thee VVe plead not right ê™ the mother but flie to mercie and therefore for thy mercies sake be mercifull to this sinner To whom hir sonne said I prayde my father twice that if it were possible the cup should parte from me and he heard me not To whom his mother answered O my sonne remember my trauailes and paines that I haue susteyned with thee and giue me this sinner O Mother quoth the Sonne be not vexed bicause I will not heare thee but remember that I prayed thrice and was not hearde VVith that the mother set downe hir Sonne and would haue fallen downe to his feete VVhich hir Sonne seing saide vnto hir what is that ye will doe Mother I will quoth she lie before thy feete with this sinner so long till thou graunt him pardon God forbid this mother quoth the sonne for it is ordayned in the diuine lawe that the sonne ought to honour his mother and iustice concludeth that the lawgiuer fulfill himself the law Then sith I am thy sonne and thou my mother I will honour thee in this sinner and for thy sake forgiue him al his sinnes and in tokeÌ„ of peace betwene him and me let him come and kysse my wounds and so the sinner healed all the wounds of Chryst with his kisse How say you M. Stapleton was not this propre stuffe to be printed euen for information to Preachers to instruct the people with almost so manie blasphemies as there bee lines besides the ridiculousnesse of the whole tale But I tell it for your conceytes of hir intercession making hir a great deale more mercifull than Chryst. The like tale within a Sermon or two after or rather a more fonde tale he telleth of an vnthrift that hauing wasted his goods gaue himselfe to the diuell for riches Of whome the diuell required that he should renie the highest and so he did To whom the diuell aunswered that his worke was yet vnperfecte excepte he renounced the mother of the highest for it is she that doth vs most harme For looke whome the sonne by iustice destroyeth the mother by mercie and pardon doth saue VVhiche the yong man hearing he was sore adrad and troubled aboue measure and answered he woulde neuer doe it To whome the Coniurer sayde you haue denied the Creator stick not man to denie the Creature
the Letanie for saying so often Lorde haue mercy vppon vs miserable sinners and for saying Amen to the curses recited against the wicked Besides that I haue shewed alreadie how they iustifie them selues with puritie of nature with fréewill with preparatiue workes meritorious more than mâ—…ritorious workes of perfectioÌ„ What say ye to the same Montanistes that vnder the pretence of offerings craftely gathered and extorted of the people great summes of monie But not the hundreth parte that the popish Priests offrings brought in What say ye againe to the Montanistes with whom the Prophicieâ—… of Priscilla and â—…aximilla were in greater honour than the holy Gospels of Iesus Christe as likewise the blinde Prophecies of the Papistes to the which they giue more credite than to the true Prophets that haue set forth Gods worde What say ye once againe to Montanus that taught the dissoluing contemning of Matrimâ—…nie for religioÌ„ sake in all which thingâ—… how nere your Papists follow Montanus steppes is very apparant to the easie conferrer What say ye to the Tessarescedecatitae which vsed and alleaged forged bookes in the Apostles names called Apocrypha as the Papistes make Canonicall the bookes so called besides that they alleage and set out their S. Thomas gospell Nichodemus gospell The actes of S. Peter The fables of Lazarnâ—… the birth life death and assumption of the blessed virgin and many such other counterfaite bookes to establishe their Masse Purgatorie Reliques Traditions and other such errours by them What say you to the Seueriani of Seuerus that saide a wench called Phâ—…lumene was enspired with the holy ghost to foretel things to come to whom declaring his dreames burnings of his minde she would warne him secretly as it were of things to come and that she should sée phantasies come vnto hir in the likenesse of a childe which childe appering would now and then say he were Christ now and then S. Paule that the spirite told hir such things as she told the people that she wrought such miracles of which this was the chiefe that she woulde put a great loafe into a glasse hauing a narrow mouth and with the tippe of hir fingars take it out againe vnbroakeÌ„ that she eate nothing els but that as sent hir from god Compare these things with the Popish practises in their visions trances and miracles of their she â—…incts S. Bridgits Reuelations the trances of the holy mayde in Kente the Pâ—…ell of Fraunce the she saint that Sir Thomas More telleth of in his booke of Pilgrimages and sée how much they differ What say you to the Taciani that would admitte none into their rules and orders were they men or women that renounced not Mariage as none may be admitted to the Popish orders or rules of their religions that haue not vowed not to marie What say you to the Alogiani that as is saide before stood vppon vnwritten verities and reiected the written worde of God What say ye to the Angelici that bowed them selues downe in the worship of Angels What say ye to the Apostolici which most arrogantly called them selues by this name as do your Popes call theÌ„ selues Apostolicall and they receiue not into their communion those that vse wiues as your Papistes will admitte no married Priests to consecrate at their Masse nor they receiued any that professe any proprietie of their goods as your Monkes and Friers do pâ—…tende of whome saith S. Augustine Quales habet Ecclesia Monachos Clericos plurimos Such as the Church hath many MoÌ„kes Clerkes No meruayle then if your Monkes and Priests do so now for the Heresie of your Apostolical as ye cal it but in déede apostaticall Church herein is of faire antiquitie What say you to the Manichaei with whom ere while ye falsely charged vs They forbid as S. Augustine saithe mariage so much as in them lieth They saide that by chastitie Prayers and Psalmes they purged their liues sent them to heauen They craked of false AbstineÌ„cie and Continencie to deceyue the simple They boasted that they forsooke all things for God and did arrogate to them selues all the blessings mencioned in the Gospell They added and tooke from the Scriptures so much as they pleased pretending they had bene or might be corrupted and preferred the bookes called Apocrypha They said the promise of Iesus Christ concerning the holy ghost the comforter was fulfilled in their Archmanichée as the Papists besides all the other aforesayde say the same promise of the holy ghost is fulfilled in their Arch prelate the Pope And as Manicheus called himselfe the Apostle of Iesu Christ so your Pope in his Bulles prefixeth the authoritie Apostolicall of Peter and Paule Moreouer they reiected flesh egges and milke which the Papists dâ—… on certaine dayes they reiected also the proprietie of goodes as due the begging Friers What say ye to the Hierachitae that likewise as these would receyue none into their societie but vnmaried men and women Such were also your Aerians whome falsly you obiect to vs being more like to them your selues admitting none but suche as were continent as renounced the worlde and would possesse nothing of their owne What say ye to the Psalliani and Euchitae that were all giuen to mumbling vp of prayers and sayde that Monkes ought not to labour to get their liuing and therefore they professed themselues to be Monkes bicause they woulde do no worke but pray Whom Erasmus in his defence against the Sorbonists being appeached onely for saying Christuâ—… in orando damnat multiloquâ—…um Christ doth condemne much babling in prayer likeneth the Papists vnto Denique Psalliani siue Euchitae c. To conclude the Psalliani or Euchitae haue augmented the beadroll of Heretikes who lyuing in idlenesse dispatched vp an heape of psalmes with a marueylous rolling of the tongue What say ye to the Pattalorinchitae which did so giue themselues to silence that at suche times as they thought they must holde their peace they would lay their fingers on their nose and lippes least they should speakâ—… a worde as I noted before of the Basilidians both whome herein your religious men resembled What say ye to the Aquarij which mingled water with wine in the Sacrament as all the Papist do What say you to the barefoote Heretikes that walked vp and downe barefoote and woulde weare no shooes like the barefoote Friers What say you to the Priscillianists that had this rule among them Iura periura secretum prodere nolâ—… Sweare and forsweare bewray not the secrete not onely like the dissembling Papistes practise among vs that will sweare and forsweare themselues to the Prince with false hollow heartes in truth â–ª and yet in falshood trustie to their confederates nor will bewray their secrete conspiracies but also like the rule of your Pope and all his perfect faythfull ones Nulla â—…ides tenenda