most of their erronious Doctrine vpon vnwritten Traditions and yet frequently alledge the written Word for them p. 144 Sect. 8. The most generall pretended Traditions of the Romane Church were vtterly vnknown to the Greeke Church and want Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of true Traditions in the Roman Church p. 167 Sect. 9. The Scriptures are a certaine safe and euident direction to the right way of Saluation and consequently to ground Faith vpon vnwritten Traditions is an obscure vncertaine and dangerous By way p. 245 Sect. 10. Our Aduersaries make great boast of the Testimonies of the ancient Fathers in generall yet when they come to fifting particular poynts either by secret evasion they decline them or openly reiect them p. 280 Sect. 11. The most substantiall poynts of Romaine Faith and Doctrine as they are now taught and receiued in the Church of Rome were neuer taught by the Primitiue Church nor receiued by the ancient Fathers p. 307 Sect. 12. Saint Augustine in particular is much disparaged by the Romanists and for instance in many seuerall poynts of moment wherein hee professedly concurreth with vs is expressely reiected by them p. 335 Sect. 13. Saint Gregorie pretended to be the Founder of the Romane Religion in England by sending Austen the Monke for conversion of this nation in his vndoubted writings directly opposeth the Romish Faith in the maine poynts thereof p. 347 Sect. 14. Councels which are so highly extold and opposed against vs were neither called by lawfull authoritie or to the right ends as is confessed by the ingenuous Romanists p. 370 Sect. 15. Councells which our Aduersaries pretend as a chiefe Bulwark of their faith giue no support at all to the Romish Religion as it is proued by particular obiections made against seuerall Councels in all ages by the Romanists themselues p. 386 Sect. 16. The Councell of Trent which is the maine Pillar and last resolution of the Roman faith is of small or no credit at all because it was neither lawfully called nor free nor generall nor generally receiued by the Romanists themselues p. 420 Sect. 17. In the Roman Church which our aduersaries so highly extoll aboue the Scriptures there is neither safetie nor certaintie whether they vnderstand the Essentiall or Representatiue or the Virtuall or the Consistoriall Church p. 452 Sect. 18. The most common Plea of the Romanists drawne from the Infallibilitie Authoritie and Title of the Catholike Church is proued to bee false vaine and friuolous p. 468 Sect. 19. The Church which our Aduersaries so much magnifie among themselues is finally resolued into the Pope whom they make both the Husband and the Spouse the Head and the Body of the Church p. 496 Sect. 20. The Church is finally resolued into the Pope who wants both Personall and Doctrinall succession as appeares by seuerall instances and exceptions both in matters of Fact and matters of Faith p. 513 Sect. 21. The infallibilitie of the Popes Iudgement which is made the Rule of Faith to determine all Controuersies is not yet determined by the learned Romanistes amongst themselues p. 545 Sect. 22. The Church vpon which the learned Romanists ground their Faith is no other then the Pope and the Church vpon which the vnlearned Romanists doe relie is no other then their Parish Priest p. 572 Sect. 23. Eminent and perpetuall Visibilitie is no certaine Note of the true Church but the contrary rather as it is prooued by instances from Adam to Christ p. 592 Sect 24. The Latencie and obscuritie of the true Church is pâ—ooued by pregnant testimonies of such who complained of corruptions and abuses and withall decreed a Reformation in all ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles to the dayes of Luther p. 610 Sect. 25. The aforenamed corruptions and most remarkable declination of the Church of Rome in the later ages was foretold by Christ and his Apostles in the first Age. p. 666 Sect. 26. The Conclusion of this Treatise shewing in sundrie particulars the certaintie and safetie of the Protestant and the vncertaintie and danger of the Romish Way p. 675 VIA DEVIA THE BY-VVAY SECT I. The safest and onely infallible way to finde out the true Church is by the Scripture WHen the Donatists in the most flourishing times of Christian Religion arrogantly and presumptuously appropriated the Catholique and Vniuersall Church to their haereticall and particular faction St. Austen encountring them Quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesia quid ergo facturi sumus an inverbis nostris eaÌ„ qua situri an in verbis capitis sui Dom. nostri Iesu Christi Puto quod in illius potius verbis eam quaerere debemus quia veritas est nouit corpus suuÌ„ Aug. de vnit Eccles cap. 2. states the poynt of Controuersie in this maner The question is where the Church should bee what then shall we doe shall wee seeke it in our owne wordes or in the words of our Lord Iesus In my iudgement we ought rather to seeke the Church in his owne words for that he is the truth and knoweth his owne body You haue heard the question propounded and answered by the Oracle of that age Such is the difference at this day betwixt the Church of Rome and vs and I heartily wish wee might ioine issue with them vpon the like tearmes and both agree with one vnanimous consent to seeke the Church of God in the word of God then should wee be gathered as sheep to one sheep-fold and the weake in faith should be receiued not to doubtfull disputations but to the reading of the Scriptures and they that now question the Visibilitie of our Church before Luther would first examine the infallibilitie of their owne by the Touchstone of the Gospell and the rather because it is agreed on both sides that whatsoeuer Church professeth that faith and doctrine which Christ and his Apostles taught in the first age the same Church and doctrine hath continued more or lesse visible in all ages But to returne to the Donatists Cant. 1.7 When Christ in the Canticles demanded of his Spouse where she rested Meridie at Noone-day the Donatists concluded Christs question with their owne answere that the Church did rest Meridie and that was in the South from this ground excluded all other Churches but their owne in the South of Africk The Donatists claime was seemingly deriued from the authoritie of the Scriptures for Donatus and Austen heretique and Catholique both vrge the Scriptures but obserue the difference Saint Austen puts the whole issue of his cause vpon the Scripture the Donatists claimed their doctrine by the publique voyces of the Africans they assumed to themselues the title of the Catholike Church they magnified the Councels of their Bishops they gloried in their frequent though fained miracles these were the principall grounds of their Church Remotis ergo omnibus talibus Ecclesiam suaÌ„ demonstrant si possunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Afrorum
of people almost all the Apostolique Seas most of the Patriarchs seuen Vniuersall Councells the Syrian language wherein Christ spake the Greeke wherein the Scripture of the New Testament was written and withall a personall Succession euen from the Apostles themselues without interruption and that which is knowne to the meanest Grecian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of Church of Bishop of Priest of Deacon of Baptisme of Eucharist of Christian are al deriued from the Greekes and proue that Religion came from them from whom those termes were borrowed This doctrine is so true that it inforced the Bishop of Bitonto to professe openly in the Councell of Trent Eia igitur Graecia Mater nostra cui id totuÌ„ debet quod habet Latina Ecclesia Conc. Trid. orat Episc Bitont It is our Mother Grecia vnto whom the Latine Church or the Church of Rome is beholding for all that euer she hath And thus much touching the foundation of the Greeke Church Now that we may the better discerne the Antiquitie of our Religion and the Noueltie of the Romane let vs examine the Tenets of the Greeke Church and by them wee shall discerne whether the Roman church hath continued visible in that doctrine which shee now teacheth and consequently whether their pretended Apostolike Traditions haue Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession in all ages Matthias Illiricus being borne in Dalmatia not farre from the confines of Graecia and therefore may bee thought to be well acquainted with their orders tells vs The Churches of Grecia the Churches of Asia Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muscouia and Africa ioyned thereunto that is to say in a manner the whole world or at least the greater part thereof neuer granted the Popes Supremacie neuer allowed either Purgatorie or Priuate Masses or the Communion vnder one kind wee may adde to these Transubstantiation Prayer in an vnknowne tongue Forbidding of marriage to Priests and Popish Inuocation of Saints as it is now beleeued were vtterly vnknown to the Greeke Church and consequently want Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of true Traditions in the Roman Church To examine them in order The Popes Supremacie is a Tradition Apostolicall and declared for an Article of Faith in the Romane Church yet this Tradition wants Antiquitie Vniuersality and Succession Nemo decessoruÌ„ meoruÌ„ hoc tam prophano vocabulo vti coÌ„sueuit-Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc singula ritatis nomeÌ„ assumpsit Greg. lib. 4. ep 76. 80 Touching Antiquitie Pope Gregorie 600 yeeres after Christ professeth publiquely That none of his predecessors did euer assume that profane Vniuersall title Touching Vniuersalitie Aluarez tells vs that Prester Iohn sent vnto him to know why the Pope diuided the Churches of Antioch and Rome seeing the Church of Antioch was in a manner the chiefe and head of all Churches Cathol Trad. pag. wherein St. Peter gouerned dwelt 5 yeres Whereunto when hee answered they were obliged by an Article of their faith hee replied If the Pope would vsurpe so great a prerogatiue as to command things vnlawfull they would make no reckoning of it and if by such meanes their Abuna their Primate would presume so far they would burne the copie of such a command In like maner Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica tells vs Nilus lib. 1. de Primat Papae The Greeke Church though it neuer denyed the primacy of Order to the Pope of Rome yet their assumed predominance of authoritie it alwayes resisted Touching Succession Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Bell. in Praefat de Rom. Pontif. The first who most earnestly withstood the Supremacy of the Bishops of Rome seeme to bee the Grecian Fathers for since the yeere 381 they laboured to preferre the Bishop of Constantinople the three Patriarkes of the East in the second place next to the Bishop of Rome and this saith he may bee vnderstood by the second Generall Councell And as in this Councell of Constantinople there was a resistance made against the power and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome so likewise hee telleth vs further that in the yeere 451 Bell. ibideÌ„ the Greeke Fathers not being content with their determination laboured to make the Bishop of Constantinople equall with the Bishop of Rome for in the Councell of Chalcedon the Greeke Fathers decreed it but deceitfully in the absence of the Popes Legat that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue the second place after the Bishop of Rome notwithstanding hee should haue equall priuiledges with the other Thus two generall Councells the one consisting of 150 Bishops the other of 630 by the testimonies of the Popes Cardinall opposed the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome the which Supremacie if in those dayes it had been receiued for an Article of faith or a Tradition Apostolique without doubt those two famous Councels would haue subscribed to it without any resistance or opposition to the vniuersall Head of the Church And that you may yet further know the Churches of Asia and Grecia continued their Resolution in this poynt Conc. Florentinum An. 1436. looke vpon the late Councell of Florence and there you shall obserue Paulus Aemilius Pantalcon that Michael Palaeologus by reason hee submitted himselfe to the Pope in that Councell was hated of all the people while hee liued and being dead was forbidden Christian buriall And Isidorus the Archbishop of Kiouia in Russia Math à Michonia in Nouo Orbe Iewel p. 411 for that he began for Vnities sake to mooue the people to the like submission was therefore deposed of his Bishoprick and put to death Thus the Popes Supremacie wants Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of Romane Traditions and consequently can bee no Article of Faith no Apostolique Tradition as is pretended in this first poynt Purgatorie is reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and receiued in the Romane Church for an Article of Faith yet this doctrine wants Antiquitie Vniuersality and Succession Touching Antiquitie Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica professeth in the name of the Greeke Church that it could bee no Tradition Apostolicall for saith hee Wee haue not receiued by Tradition from our Fathers Nil de Purgat igne Câ—th Trad. q. 16. that there is any fire of Purgatory or any temporall punishment and we know that the Easterne Church doth not beleeue it And amongst other reasons why Purgatory was not receiued by them Marcus Ephes in Graecorum Apolog. de igne Purgatorio ad Concil Florentinum they render this for one that whereas their Fathers had deliuered vnto them many visions and dreames and other wonders concerning the euerlasting punishment in hell yet none of them had declared any thing concerning the temporary fire of Purgatory Legat qui velit GraecoruÌ„ veteruÌ„ CoÌ„mentarios et nullum quantum opinor aut quaÌ„ rarissimè de Purgatorio sermoneÌ„ inueniet Sed neque Latini simul omnes at sensim huius rei veritatem conceperunt neque taÌ„ necessaria fuit
where hee was fed with bread and water And hence we may obserue that if the Pope of Rome bee the Virtuall and totall Church if he be that Rule of Faith vpon whose infallibilitie the whole Christian world must relie in matters of beliefe as the Church of Rome teacheth then certainly the Church at this time was driuen into great straights when as the Head of the Church or rather the totall Church fell into dangerous heresie and consequently eminent and perpetuall Visibilitie can be no sure Note of the true Church But as it was rightly obserued by Isidorus Pleasitota the declination of the true Church from the Apostles time was caused through the distemperature of the Head and thereupon hee makes this ingenuous confession Isid lib. 3. Ep. 408. In the dayes of the Apostles and afterwards when the Church flourished and laboured of no disease the diuine Graces of God went as it were in a ring round about it but afterward it grew diseased and was troubled with faction then all those things fled away not through his carelesnesse and negligence that first inriched her but through their naughtinesse that gouerned not things as they should haue done Ann. 600. to 700. In the seuenth Age Iohannes de Molinis tells vs In Speculo Carmelit cap 6. from the time of Heraclius the Emperor after the yeere 600 the day inclined towards the euening and the Church hauing been in an ecclipse set in the West and became almost deficient And Gregorie himselfe complaines Greg. Ep. 4. l. 1. Iud. 9. that the Ship of the Church was in danger of shipwracke Nay more Diabolê° ita valdè in qui busdam necessaris Ecclesiae membris dentes figit vt omne quod absit citius ouile dilaniet Greg. lib. 4. Ep 36 The Devill saith he so strongly fastneth his teeth in the necessarie members of the Church that vnlesse by Gods grace the prouident company of Bishops ioyne together hee will soone destroy the whole flock of Christ Flens dico gemens denuntio I speake it with teares Quia cum Sacerdotis ordo intus cecidit foris diu stare non potuit I tell it with sighs of heart seeing the Order of Priesthood is fallen within it cannot now stand long without The chiefe reason of this complaint was caused by Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who at this time assumed the Title of Vniuersall Bishop and as new Lords are commonly said to make new Lawes so from and after this time many alterations succeeded in Faith and Manners both in Head and members of the same house Thus wee haue heard in the first age The mysterie of iniquitie began to worke In the second there was a conspiracie against the Trueth In the third Heretikes arose and assaulted her In the fourth the Church was darkened by the multitude of Heresies In the fift she was most flourishing in her members but knowne only by the Scriptures In the sixt the Head of the Church was diuided by heresie from the body In the seuenth there was a declination towards the West and consequently there followed a darkenesse and obscuritie more or lesse in succeeding ages Now as you haue heard complaints against heretikes and persecutors that inuaded the ancient Church in her first best ages so likewise you shall obserue there followed corruptions and errours in Doctrine and Discipline whereby Obscuritie became the proper mark of the true Church almost in all ages till the dayes of Luther In the eight Age Paulus Diaconus calls to the Christians of that time to awake and listen vnto him for saith he You haue buried in contempt and obliuion the word of God Wolph Tom. 1.203 you haue made the Temple a denne of theeues and instead of sweet melody you resound blasphemies against God himselfe and therefore verie shortly the vniuersall Catholike Cittie will fall to ground And Venerable Bede calles to them of his time Nec sine lachrymis rem lachrymis dignam coÌ„templeÌ„tur quantuÌ„ Ecclesiae flatus ad petora quotidiè vel vt mitius dicaÌ„ ad infirmiora gereÌ„da deuol uatur Bed ii 4 in Sâ—m cap. 2. p. 30â— to behold the lamentable estate of the Church Neither saith he let them behold it without teares which is worthy to bee lamented in that it is growne worse and worse or to speake more fauourably it is at least fallen into great infirmities And Charles the Great makes this generall complaint touching the doctrine and Doctors of the Church Carolus Magnus de Imag. in Praefat. The Priests laying aside all sound and wholesome doctrine and little regarding that of the Apostle If an Angell preach other doctrine let him be accursed they transgresse the commandements of the Fathers and bring into the Church such doctrine as was neuer knowne to Christ and his Apostles In the ninth Age Arnulphus Bishop of Orleance an eye witnesse of those times professed openly There is made a departure not onely of Nations but of Churches the Man of Sinne now begins to bee discouered Religion is ouerthrowen and the seruice of God is contemned by the chiefe Priests themselues and that which is more Rome it selfe now almost left alone is departed from her selfe Ann. 900. to 1000. In the tenth Age Christ saith Baronius lay asleepe in the Ship of the Church Bar. Tom 10. ann 912 num 8. ann 900. Sect 1. and which is worse there was not any found amongst his disciples who awaked our Lord all of them being in a snorting sleepe It was the age next to that wherein the Deuill was let loose Infaelix dicitur hoc saeculuÌ„ exhaustuÌ„ hominibus ingenio et doctrinâ claris siue etiam claris Princitibus et Pontificibus Geneb Chron. Vbr. 4. That vnhappy age saith Genebrard which was exhausted both of men for wit and learning and of worthy Princes and Bishops In this time saith Wernerus Christian faith began much to decline from her first virilitie when as in many Christian prouinces neither the Sacraments nor Ecclesiasticall Rites were obserued And Ioachim Abbot complaineth Est et alia sicus quae malidictione praeuarâ—cationis exarnit Latina Ecclesia siue nâ—â—icula Petri. Morn c. that the Latin Church was another Fig tree dryed vp which did beare nought else but temporall leaues and bid her selfe vnder the Title of the Church to the shame of the Pope and his Sea In the eleuenth Age Ann. 1000. to 1100. Who will let me see the Church before I dye saith Bernard as in the dayes of olde Bernar in Cant. Serm 33. when the Apostles did cast foorth their Netts not to take siluer and gold but to take soules There creepeth saith hee an ougly Rott at this present through the whole body of the Church yea the wound of the Church is inward and past recouery And a Canonized Saint of the Romish Church Morn de Eccl p â—â—2 Virgo â— Mathilda tells them of that Age The
backeward for 1600 yeeres and rightly examine the doctrine of both Churches If hee seeke the Protestant Church behold shee being poore despised for want of continued eminencie is become a stumbling blocke to the ignorant If he looke on the Roman Church behold Reu. 17.2 c. Shee is arayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and the inhabitants of the earth haue beene made drunke with the wine of her fornications and they that follow her wonder with great admiration And without doubt the Popes triple Crownes the golden crosses the Legend of Saints the multitude of professed Orders their pompe in Processions their rich cloathing of Images their pretended power of their Priesthood the great rumour of their Catholique cause their Iubilies and Pardons their Merits and Miracles doe so dazle the eyes of the ignorant and common people that they thinke there is no Church true and visible but the Romane Church and certenly the case thus standing wee haue no better plea for our Church Vtrum nos schismatici sumê° an vos nec ego nec tu sed Christus interrogetur vt indicet ecclesiam suam Aug. cont lit Pet lib. 2. c. 85. then the holy Father Saint Austen sometimes made to Petilian the Donatian heretique Whether of vs be Schismatiques we or you aske you not me I will not aske you let Christ bee asked that hee may shew vs his owne Church SECT II. Our aduersaries pretences from the obscuritie of Scriptures and inconueniences of the Lay peoples reading them answered I Speake not this as if the Romanists of these times did wholly waue the Scriptures for if wee may credit Doctor Sanders There are most plaine Scriptures in all poynts for the Catholique Faith Rocke of the Church cap 8. p. 193 and none at all against the same And their owne Bristow would make the world beleeue Brist Mot. 48. from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalyps there is no text that makes for vs against them but all for them If these men haue spoken the trueth let them beare witnesse of the truth onely let me tell you the Rhemists in their Annotations vpon the Gospel professe in the name of their Church that if wee should Rhem. Annot in 1. Cor. 1.5 when wee came to yeeres of discretion be set to picke our Faith out of the Scriptures there would bee a mad worke and many Faiths among vs. And their fellow Ecchius proclaimes to all the world Ecch. Euchirid c. 4. that the Lutherans are dolts which will haue nothing beleeued but that which is expresse Scripture for all things are not deliuered manifestly in the Scriptures but very many are left to the determination of the Church Haeresin esse si quis dicit necessarium esse vt Scripturae in vulgares linguas coÌ„uertantur Sand. visib Monar haeres 191. And their Proselyte Sanders who pretends such euident testimonies of the Scriptures in behalfe of his Church accounts it no better then heresie to translate them And Peresius his fellow Iesuite complaines It is the Deuils inuention to permit the people to reade them Diaboli inuentum esse vt populus Biblia legere permitteretur Peres de Tra. part 1. assert 3. And it is the generall vote of the best learned Romanists The reading of the Bible makes more hereticall Lutherans then Roman Catholiques If therefore the Scriptures are such pregnant plaine testimonies in behalfe of the Romane Faith as some Romanists pretend why do they condemne the translating of them why do they not permit the people to reade them and if all places of Scripture make for them and none for vs how comes it to passe that by reading them many Papists by their own confession become Protestants It is the blasphemous assertion of Albertus Pigghius NoÌ„ vt scriptu illa praeessent fidei et Religioni nostrae sed potiùs vt subessent Pig Hierar lib. 1. c. 2. that the Apostles haue written certaine things but not to that end their writings should rule our faith but rather that they should be vnder and ruled by our faith and Religion And heereupon hee quarrels with all those that submit their knowledge to the authoritie of the Gospell Si dixeris haec referri oportere ad iudicium Scripturarum coÌ„munis te sensus ignaruÌ„ esse comprobat sunt enim scriptura muti Iudices Pigh cont 3. de Eccles If thou shalt teach saith hee that those things must be put to the Iudgement of the Scriptures thou shewest thy selfe to bee voyd of common reason for the Scriptures are dumbe Iudges cannot speake Neither is this the opinion of some priuate spirits which of late haue declined the authority of the Scriptures but if wee looke beyond Luther wee shall finde that almost 300 yeares before his dayes the Romanists did endeauor by all meanes to extinguish the light of the Gospell About the yeare 1255 there was a great contention betwixt the Vniuersitie of Paris and the Order of Franciscan Fryers in which dissention the Fryer Mendicants published a book called Euangelium aeternum Mat. Paris in Hist An. 1256. the eternall Gospell in this Booke it was declared that the Gospell of Christ was not the euerlasting Gospell that it was to cease and determine as the olde Law did at the comming of Christ that the Gospell of Christ should from that time continue but 50 yeares and that their new Gospell did containe as much or more then the whole Bible that theirs was the Gospell of Christ and the eternall Gospell Neither was this wicked blasphemy published by one man but by a whole Order of Monkes and Fryars Neither were they vpstart opinions like mushromes growne vp in a night but they were set afoot fifty fiue yeares before that time This and much more of the like doctrine is to bee read in Mathew Paris B. Vsher de Eccles success statu cap 9. p. 278 and more particularly in that excellent Treatise of the Succession and state of Christian Churches Thus the Romish Priests of the former and latter ages agree like Pilate and Herod both to the condemnation of Christ his Word and as Herod saith Ambrose burnt the Scriptures Ambr. in Luc. lib 3. lest by meanes of such ancient Records some doubt might afterwards be made of his posterity In like manner our late Romanistes haue silenced the Scriptures lest by such ancient Euidences their new Articles of Faith should be discouered and had it not beene for feare or shame I am verily perswaded they had fulfilled in a sense to litterall the words of the Apostle The fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is Now can any man imagine why these men should bee so angry with Christ and his Apostles Can they say the Scriptures are subiect to errours and neede an Index Expurgatorius No they dare not they will not say so but they say
Church of Rome which of long time did reuolt from Christ secretly was neere revolting from him openly And in the Raigne of Henry the first Ann. 1100. inseratur The Church of Leodium sends forth this complaint In time past I was wont to Interpret Fulke in Rhem. Testam p 892. that Peter by Babylon did signifie Rome because at that time it was confused with Idolatrie and filthynesse but now my sorrow doth interpret vnto mee Plerique omnes boni iuâ—i aperti ingenuâ— simplices tum imperiuÌ„ Antichristi coepisse quod ea quae Christê° seruator no fleâ— tot antè annos praecixerat euenisse teÌ„pore cernebant c. Auent de Tyrannide Pontificis that Peter calling the Church together in Babylon foresaw by the Spirit of Prophecie that confusion of dissention wherwith the Church at this day is rent in peeces And saith Sigebert All good men and iust and honest and ingenious men held that the Kingdome of Antichrist was then begunne because they saw the accomplishment of those things which our Sauiour had so long time foretold In the twelfe Age Ann. 1100. to 1200. Honorius of Authun in France openly cries out Verte te ad ciues Babiloniae et vide veni hâ—c ad supercilii montes vt cuncta possis cernere aed ficia damnatae ciuitatis verte te ad CleruÌ„ et in uenies ibi Bestia tentortum Dei seruitiuÌ„ negliguÌ„t sacerdotium per inunditiam postuunt populum per simulationeÌ„ seducunt omnes Scripturas ad salâ—teÌ„ pertinentes ab dicant c. Honor. August in Dialog de Praedest lib. Arbitr Mat. Paris in Hent 3. Turne thee to the Citizens of Babylon and see what they are ascend to the toppe of the Mountaine from whence thou mayest behold all the buildings of that damned Citie consider the principall persons there and thou shalt find the Sea of the Beast In the Cleargie thou shalt find the Beasts Tent for they neglect the seruice of God pollute his Priesthood seduce his people reiect all the Scriptures which belong vnto Saluation And Mathew Paris describeth the state of the Church of England vnder Gregory and Innocent In those dayes Faith waxed cold and scarsely seemed to sparkle being almost brought to ashes Religion is become base and vile and the Daughter of Sion is a bold faced Harlot without shame He further complaines that the Monkes and Fryars of that Age did wholly neglect the Preaching of Gods Word and for that cause he pretends there was a deuised Epistle sent from Hell to the holy Fraternities Math. Paris in Will Conquer Wherein Sathan and all the company of Hell did s nd thankes to the whole Ecclesiastical Order that wheras in nothing they were wanting to their owne pleasures they suffered by their neglect of Preaching such a number of soules vnder them to go to hell Lat. abbots Bishops p. 383. as no Ages past had seene the like And Robertus Gallus reputed a famous Preacher in those times amongst certaine visions of his owne shewes vs That in those dayes there was scarse any bloud or life remaining in the members of the Church when as the Doctrin which is the soule and life of the Church OrabaÌ„ flexis genibus erecta facie ad coeluÌ„ iuxta Altare Sancti Iacobi Parisiis c Robertus Gallus was altered and decayed I did pray saith hee on my knees with my face towards heauen neere to the Altar at St. Iames at Paris on the right hand and I saw in the ayre before me the body of the onely high Priest clad in white Silken robes and his backe was towards the East with his hands lifted up towards the West Morney Myst of Iniqu pa. 401 or 434. as Priests vsually stand while they say Masse I did not see his head and beholding wishly whether he were altogether without a head or no I saw his head leane and withered as if it had bene all of wood and the Spirit of the Lord said this signifieth the state of the Roman Church Ann. 1200. to 1300. In the thirteenth Age Grosted Bishop of Lincolne complained of many errors in the Church Innocent 4. in Math. Paris in Henr. 3.844 847. 848. and sought for a reformation and for that cause we may read in Mathew Paris the Pope resolued to Excommunicate and accurse him but this Bishop withstood the Popes Bulles and for his courage in that good cause was termed Romanorum malleus the Hammer of the Roman Church neither did hee oppose those abuses alone but the Cardinalls at that time withstood the Pope in his behalfe affirmed that the things wherewith hee charged the Pope were most true and thereupon they answered the Pope it was not safe for him so to proceede lest a tumult should follow especially say they seeing it is knowne there must bee a departure from vs and a forsaking of the Roman See Petrarch who well vnderstood the Doctrine of those times in his Latine Epistles which are full of wisdome and grauitie tells them Noui expertus c. I speake of my knowledge Noui expertus vt nulla ibi pietas nulla charitas nulla fides nulla Dei reuerentia in the Pope and his followers there is neither Faith godlinesse nor Truth the Popes Chaire is the Chaire of lying that is a defection a reuolt an apostacie of people which vnder the Standard of Christ rebell against Christ and fight for Satan they esteeme the Gospell for a Fable and the promises of the life to come for lyes About the same time Michael Cecenas Generall of the Order of Franciscans affirming the different opinions of different Members in the same Church Mich Cecenas contr Tyrannid Papae proclaimeth There were two Churches the one of the wicked sort flourishing in which the Pope raigned the other of godly and good men and this Church he presecuted In the fourteenth Age Ann. 1300. to 1400. Occham a learned Schooleman makes this complaint Alas the time of which the blessed Apostle prophecied when men will not suffer wholesome doctrine c. This Prophecie is altogether fulfilled in our dayes for behold there are many that peruert the holy Scriptures deny the sayings of the holy Fathers reiect the Canon of the Church molest persecute and bring into bondage and without mercy torment and afflict euen vnto death them that defend the trueth so that wee may rightly say of our times Occham procl com err Iohan. 22. that which Daniel long since pronounced Iniquitie is gone from Babylon from the Elders and Iudges which seemed to gouerne and rule the people for many that should bee Pillars in the Church of God and defend the trueth euen vnto blood cast themselues headlong into the pit of Heresies Ann. 1400. to 1500. In the fifteenth Age Gerson the Chancellour of Paris bids you open your eyes Gers declarat defect virorum and see if the Houses of