to suffer also for this faith and confession whensoeuer he pleaseth with persecution to proue vs. Concerning that which men haue of their owne heades haue inuented That the Pope is our chiefe Bishop the successour of Saint Peter the vicar of Christ God vppon earth and that as such a one he pardoneth sinnes draweth out of hell and purgatorie what soules he will and what soules hee will hee placeth in heauen And that the Masse such as now they say is a sacrifice as satisfactorie as was the death and passion of Christ None of these things doth the holy scripture teach vs it is humane inuention and diuelish lies wherwith Sathan hath long time deceiued vs. The Apostle Saint Paul willing to correct the vices brought into the holy supper of the Lord in the Church of Corinth found no better remedy but to reduce it to the originall and first institution And so 1. Cor. 11 he saith I receiued of the Lord that which I haue giuen you c. so now do we also the same We restore the supper of the Lord and celebrate it according to it first institution as the Euangelists and Saint Paul doe declare vnto vs. And if so we do thē haue they no cause to hold vs for heretikes but for good faithfull and catholike Christians and for such do we hold our selues and such we are albeit is the many imperfections the Lord pardon them vnto vs. We confesse we hold beleeue that God through the merit of Christ is our father and the holy catholike or vniuersall Apostololike and true Church whē it is ruled by the word of God in the sacred scripture of the olde and new Testament reuealed For otherwise is she no mother but a Stepmother our mother And wo to that man which shall not be son of this father and this mother We confesse hold and beleeue all that which this our mother confesseth holdeth belieueth All which is conteyned in the bookes of the old new Testament For nothing there is which we ought either to do or belieue which is not writtē in these sacred bookes Therefore will we conclude this Treatise saying That whosoeuer albeit an Angell from heauen shall preach or beliue another Gospell another Doctrine besides that which Iesus Christ and his Apostles haue taught vs all which is written in the bookes which we call the holy scripture Let such a one be accursed and execrable Let him be as saith Saint Paule Anathema Thou hast hard Christian Reader the Enormious charges wherewith we charge the Pope as touching life Doctrine But chiefly touching the superstition and Idolatrie of the Masse which the sayd Pope of himselfe without the word of God hath inuented and brought into the Church Thou hast also heard the Enormious charges where with the Pope chargeth vs. Hee accuseth vs for proud contentious and arrogant that we will know more then all the whole Church He accuseth vs for disobedient to Magistrates disturbers of common-wealthes prouinces and kingdomes he accuseth vs for schismatiques and heretiques For the which as an accuser witnes and Iudge he concludeth that we are not worthy to liue in the world But it is not sufficient to accuse Of necessity must he proue that which hee saith and so conuince the accused Come we then to the proofe let a generall Councell be assembled which may heare both parts Let it graunt to euery part freedome of speech The Councell hauing heard both sides let it iudge according to the thing alleaged and proued without respect of any person poore or rich wise or ignorant ecclesiasticall or secular Let it only haue regard of iustice equity and truth Let the part conuinced by the Testimony of holy scripture and of the fathers also and ancient Councels As be the first foure generall be subiect to the censure which the Councell shall ordayne Let the Pope and his defendors appeare personally in the Councell not as iudges because they accuse vs and we accuse them but as accusers and accused Let vs also appeare seeing we accuse them and they accuse vs. Let this Councell be called As were the foure first generall Nicen 1. the Constantinople the Ephesian and the Chalcedonian This is the onely remedie to take away the dissentions and differences which are at this day in the Church as touching life and Doctrine This remedy in times past vsed the Church in like cases In the meane time beseech we our God to moue the hartes of the Emperour Christian kinges and Princes that they may take in hand such an Enterprise for the glorie of God quietnesse of his Church By the meanes of which Enterprise vice and false Doctrine superstitition here sie and Idolatrie may be condemned And vertue and wholesome Doctrine conteyned in holie scripture confirmed But our aduersaries will say vnto mee that all this in the last Councell of Trent was concluded and that therefore another Councell is not needefull Whereunto I answere that which so often in this booke I haue sayd And chiefly vppon the life of Pope Marcellus the second That this Councell was not free Sith to none whereof was had the least suspition in the world not to bee in all and by all slaue of the Pope and sworne to the Pope was it permited to speake therein The rest which haue there sayd to this purpose and that which is sayd in the foure hundred fifty and eight and foure hundred fifty and nine pages is to be noted besides this say we that this Councel was not generall For how shall the Councel of Trent be called an Ecumenicall vniuersall or generall Councell Sith in it was not found the hundreth part of Bishoppes of Christendome And that this is truth it is euidently seene For in it were found but fiue Cardinals Three of which were legats of the Pope foure Archbishops two of which were Archbishops in title or as we call them in Spaine de anillo of the ring namely Olaus magnus intitled Archbishoppe not of Hispall but of Vpsall people of Gocia that neuer acknowledged the Pope nor the Roman Church The other named Robert Venant called Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland vnder the Crowne of England A land that as litle acknowledgeth the Pope These two poore Archbishops Paul the third maintayned giuing to Olaus 15 crownes a month and another like thing gaue he to Robert 33 Bishops were found there all of them Spaniards or Italians except only 3. Then were also found betweene priests Friars 47. diuines Of whom all al most were Spaniards or Italians Thou seest here the great nomber of bishops with which the Trident Coūcell began which by times conteyned 18 yeares In which time were holden 25 Sessions In many of which nothing was done for want of appearence in the Councel And so in the 8 Session was nothing done but that the Italians transported the Councell to Bologna aland of the popes in Italy Where was held the
sacrifice which he offereth The Pope is he that made and created the Masse as afterwardes God willing we will proue Therefore is the Pope of greater dignitie then the Masse This proueth the Pope to be maister and the sacrament his seruant because when the Pope goeth from one people to another he sendeth before him yea and some time a day or two dayes Iourney his sacrament vpon a horse carying at his necke a little bell accompained with the scumme and baggage of the Romane court Thither goe the dishes and spits old shooes caldrons and kettels and all the sculery of the Courte of Rome whores and Iesters Thus the sacrament arriued with this honorable traine at the place whither the Pope is to come it there awayeth his comming And when the maister is knowne to approach neere the people it goeth forth to receiue him Open thine eyes O Spaine or which is better God open them and behold what account the Pope maketh of the sacrament which he himselfe saying it is thy God for thy money selleth vnto thee Fryar Iohn de Pineda in the third part of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie lib. 23. ¶ 2. saith That the first Pope which caused the Sacrament to be carried before him was Benedict 13. a Spaniard when for feare he fled from France into Aragon from that time remained it in custome that the Pope caried the most holy Sacrament for his gard before him The Popes in this carrying of the Sacrament before them doe imitate the kinges of Persia before whom went a horse carrying a little Altar vpon him whereupon among a few ashes shone a small flame of holy fire which they called Orismada This fire as a certaine diuinitie did the Persians reuerence and adore So that the King to seeme more then a man and to be ioyntly worshipped with the diuinitie which did accompany him with this pompe went he publikely Read for this purpose the Embleme of Alciatus Non tibi sed Religioni pag. 17. where he treateth of a little asse that went laden with mysteries He also that sacrificeth is of more dignitie and estimation then the sacrifice which he offereth For God regardeth not so much the gift or sacrifice to him offered and presented as the person that offereth it The Lord saith the scripture had respect to Abell and his present and to Caine and his present he had no regard The Apostle giueth a reason saying By saith Abell offered to God a better sacrifice then Caine. The Pope is the Priest the Masse is the sacrifice which he offereth Therefore is the Pope of more dignitie then the Masse By these reasons and others that may be drawne I conclude the Pope to be chiefe piller that susteyneth the Popish Church Of it we will first take hold not to support it but to cast it downe and then we will after intreat of the Masse And this by the helpe of the almightie God the Father sonne ond holy Ghost whose cause we here defend To this name Papa the like as to some other wordes hath happened which in old time were taken in good part and were honourable titles but after with the time haue bene ill taken For example Tyrannis was in old time a King and so King Latinus as saith Virgill Aeneid 7. called Aenaeas whose friendship he desired Tyrant Sophista was taken for a man of wisedome now for a deceiuer or a flatterer Hostis did signifie a stanger now taken for an enemy Euen so in old time was Papa taken in good parte and giuen for a title to Bishops or ministers of Gods word for in the Primitiue Church the Bishop Minister and Pastor were all one Riches haue sithens made the difference as now we see Read to this purpose the Epistle of Saint Ierome to Euagr. tom 2. That Papa was so taken as a foresaid by the Epistle of the auncient Doctors as namely Ciprian Dionysius Alexandrinus Ierome Ambrose Auguistine Sidonius Appolinarius and Gregory and by the Actes of the Councels is proued The Grecians vntill this day call their Priestes Papaous the Germanies call them Psaffen and Flemings call them Papen names which be derined of this name Papa which in the Sicilian tongue after Suidas signifieth Father Of all these authors I will alleage here but onely two Ierome writing to Augustine saith Most hartily commend me I pray thee to our holy and venerable brother Pope Alipius And writing to Pamachius he saith vnto him hold Pope Epiphanius And writing to Augustine calleth him Pope In another place he saith Except Pope Athanasius and Paulinus yet neither Alipius nor Pamachius nor Epiphanius nor Aunor nor Athanasius nor Paulinus were euer Bishops of the Church of Rome Among the Epistles of Saint Ciprian there is one thus entituled The Presbiters and Deacons abiding at Rome send greeting to Pope Ciprian And this is to be noted that the Church of Rome giueth this title to Saint Ciprian who was Bishop of Carthage and neuer of Rome But when the couetuousnesse and ambition of the Bishop of Rome had so increased that he made himselfe a Prince and vniuersall Bishop and therefore Antichrist as Saint Gregorie calleth him then toke he from other Bishops the title of Pope and reserued it onely to himselfe So that none but the Bishop of Rome is now Pope and being Bishop of Rome Antichrist Hence commeth it that to all the Godly the name of Pope is so horrible and wicked because it is onely giuen to Antichrist That which hereafter we will say shall not be against the anciēt first taking of the name of Pope but against the second Which name well agreeth with him for the Pope Popely all to himselfe that is to say he deuonreth and glutteth it vp as he himselfe saith All power is giuen me in heauen and in earth And so the late writers take this name Papa pro Ingluuie that is to say gluttony As Anthonie de Lebrixa in his dictionary doth note it Iesus Christ our Maister whose voyce the Father commaundeth vs to heare and thereby to gouerne our selues hath giuen vs a sure marke and infallible token to discerne the good tree from the bad the true Christian from the false the good shepheard from the hierling A good tree saith he bringeth foorth good fruite Matth. chap. 7. 17. This he saith that we may knowe the hypocrites by their fruites or workes Speaking also of himselfe he saith The workes which I doe they beare witnesse of me Ioh. chap. 5. vers 30. The same Lord saith that the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheep not the hierling but rather flyeth Ioh. chap. 10. 11. Mē cannot iudge but that which they see God onely knoweth the heart Following then the counsel which the Lord hath giuen vs let vs see what hath bin the life doctrine of the Popes vntill this day and so will hold them either for good or bad for the true ministers of Christ
nor absolue anie and those which were so ordained ought to be againe ordained yet the grace of the Sacrament did she obtaine for those that with a good faith by an inuincible ignorance did receiue it I answer he deceiues himselfe for those are not Sacraments which are not administred by those whom God hath ordained albeit they haue many imperfections yea although they be hypocrites as by the Priestes that liued in the time of Iesus Christ appeareth which albeit they were wicked yet because they were of the tribe of Leui and so outwardly called their Sacrifices were Sacrifices and their Sacraments were Sacraments And so the Lord and his Apostles when they found them sacrificing and celebrating in the Temple held them for such Contrariwise the Sacrifices which the Priestes of Ierohoam did offer and the Sacraments by them administred were no Sacrifices nor Sacraments because they were not administred by those of the Tribe of Leuie whome God himselfe had ordained Ione then being a woman I say was no Priest and being no Priest had authoritie neither to ordeine nor yet to consecrate and therefore the Priestes by her authoritie ordained were not the Priestes of God but of Ieroboam or of Baal And these I say that receaued their sacrament had no sounde faith for Faith is founded vpon the word of God Faith saith the Apostle commeth by hearing and heariing by the word of Christ Other maner of consolation and quietnes of conscience haue they which beleeue that Iesus Christ euer was is and shal be the head and foundation of his Church and that there is no other head nor foundation but he alone as saith Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. 11. Other foundation saith he then that which is Iesus Christ can no man lay he onely is the foundation he onely is the head of his Church whose Vicar generall is his Spirit as he himselfe witnesseth That Comforter the holie Spirit whom the Father shall sende in my name he shall teache you all thingâ—s and bring to your remembrance all that whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you Pero Mexia by a good faith meaneth that faith as they call it of the Collier This Collier being at point to die a learned man the diuell say some others came to tempt him demanding of him what he beleeued I beleeue answered he that which the holy mother the church beleueth The deuill replying and what beleeueth the Church That answered the Collier which I beleeue And so often as the diuill demanded the veriâ— same did the collier answer For the poore man knew not what he beleeued much lesse what the Church beleeued Of that sort was he which not knowing what they beleeue sayd they beleeue in God à pies Iuntillos fully Hosius Bishop of Varmiens intreating in his third booke of or against the authoritie of holy scripture doth hold it a very safe thing to followe the example of this Colliar Oh fearefull ignorance which shall not excuse sinne God commaundeth to reade and search the scriptures and they will neither reade nor search theÌ„ what excuse wil they haue with their ignorance Saint Peter exhorteth euâ—rie faithfull Christian to be readie to yeeld accompte of his hope And who shall giue accompt of his hope or faith that neither readeth nor heareth the word of God For knowe this that as the wyke in a candle or Lampe no longer burneth then oile continueth no more also can faith liue but whiles it is nourished with the word of God He that neither readeth nor heareth nor meditateth vpon the worde of God what faith can he haue that which they call fully to beleâ—ued in God and that of the Colliar which neither knewe what the Church nor he himselfe beleeued But returne we now to our Pope Ione The Emperour Lewes 2. sonne of Lotharius in the time of this Ione came to Rome at her handes receiued his septer and crowne Imperiall together as they call it with Saint Peters blessing In her time also Don Alonso the third reigned in Spaine as Don Rodrigo Sanchez Bishop of Palencia describing the life of Don Alonso the third saith In his time saith he at Rome sate Leo the fourth Iohn the eight Benedict the third and Nicholas the first And Don Alonso of Carthagena speaking in his Concurrence of this Don Alonso the third saith there was Leo the fourth and Iohn the English Pope Ione dying in sort as before said Benedict the third was chosen He was the first that sate in holed seate c. The cause why vpon the life of Ione we haue before declared Lewes the Emperor sent his Embassadours to confirme this election At this time Don Alonso the third raigned in Spainâ— The thirteenth Sisme was betweene this Benedict and Anastasius but Anastaâ—sius renounced In the the presence of Lewes the Emperour Nicholas the first was chosen but when the Emperour was departed out of Italie the Pope made many â—â—nstitutions and among others these That the life of the Clergie should not be iudged by the Laytie that none should any way dispute of the Popes authoritie That the Christian magistrate had no authoritie ouer the chiefe Bishop because the chiefe Bishop say they is called God Anton. tit 16. The constitution that the diuine office should be celebrate in Latine he renewed Yet dispensed with them of Slauonia and Polonia which did celebrate it in their vulgar tongue He ordeined that the constitutions of the Popes should be equall in authoritie with those of the Apostles The Beastes hornes growe very seuere was this beast against married Priestes To which impietie Huldricke Bishop of Augusta oposed himselfe and wrote an Epistle which excellently shewed the cursed fruites of constrained single life The summe whereof speaking of Gregorie the first we haue before declared This Nicholas with other Bishops forbad all faithfull Christians to heare Masse said by a wenching Priest If this were obserued few Masses would be heard because the greatest parte of priestes be wenchers In the 867. yeare dyed Nicholas In whose time in Spaine reigned Don Alonso 3. and Don Garcia his sonne After Nicholas succeeded Adrian 2. and after Adrian Iohn 9. whom others omitting Ione call Iohn 8. Martin 2. by deceit and wicked arts was made Pope with the ceremony of the seat c. and confirmed without any authoâ—itie or consent of the Emperor For now the hornes of the Popes were growne and of the Emperour they nothing esteemed he dyed in the yeare 884. Adcian 3. being Pope made a decree that in the election of the chiefe Bishop the Emperour should not be regarded but that the Clergie people of Rome might freely make choise without any confirmation at all of the Emperour Thus lost the Emperour his right in Rome and in the choise of the chiefe Bishop And by reason of the Emperours then warres with the Normans the Pope swayed the matter Adrian dyed
spripture The same God which of old made Saint Paule to speake the same made Valer also to speake And as Paule was holden for a Preacher of Nouelties and foolish for such another was Valer held also The newe Pharesies seeing themselues thus handled demaunded whence he had such wisedome and knowledge of holy thinges whence being a secular man not hauing studied nor giuing himselfe to vertue but so euill spent his youth in vanities proceeded his bouldnesse so vnreuerently to handle the ecclesiasticall persons which be pillars of the Church By what authoritie demaunded they did hee this Who had sent him What signe had he of his callings The selfe same demaundes made the old Pharesies to Iesus Christ and his Apostles when they could not deny their villanies nor well be silent when he shewed them their wickednesse Behold how the old Pharesies and the new be all one and the sonnes of the deuill To these demaundes excellently and with great constancy answered Valer This knowledge of holy thinges he had obteyned said he not of his owne stincking pudles but of the spirit of God which maketh flowing riuers of wisedome runne from the harts of those which truly beleeue in Christ He told them that God and the cause he had in hand gaue him courage and bouldnesse that the spirit of God was not tyed to any estate how ecclesiastical soeuer the ecclesiasticall state especially of any other being the most corrupted and neerest to destruction That the spirit of God in old time made of secular vnlearned and fishermen Apostles that they might clerely shew the blindnesse ignorance of all the Synagogue so well instructed in the law and call by their preaching the That Christ had sent him That in the name and authoritie of Christ he did that he did But the adulterous generation said he which hath long time degenerate from the true race of the sons of God seeing that darknesse to be much manifested by the light and reshining of the sunne demaundeth a signe In conclusion for so liberall and constantly speaking was he called before the Inquicisitors valiantly did Valer dispute of the true Church of Christ her markes and signes of the Iustification of man and other like chiefe points of Christian religion the knowledge whereof Valer had obteyned without any ministery or humane helpe but by the pure and wonderfull reuelation of God His foolishnesse as the Inquisitors called it did then excuse him and so first confiscating all that hee had they sent him away To take away his goods pleasant meanes to reduce a mad man to his sence Valer notwithstanding this losse of goods ceased not to prosecute what he had begun A few yeares after for the selfe same cause they called him againe and yet supposing that he was a foole indeede they burned him not but made him to recant or deny not in open audience but to himselfe alone in the great Church betweene the two quiers For all his foolishnesse they condemned him to continuall wearing of a great Saint Benito or diuels coate and to perpetuall prison From this perpetuall prison euery Lords day they carried him with many other penitents to heare masse and sermons in the Church of Saint Sauiour where set to heare the Sermon albeit a prisoner he oft times rose vp before all the people and when he preached false Doctrine gaine said the preacher But the Inquisitors as then not so wicked with conceit of his folly excused him Much did it also auaile Valer to haue bene an old Christian and not descended of the Iewish or Morish race The Inquisitors in the end drew him from this perpetuall prison in Seuill and sent him to a monasterie in Saint Lucas called of our Lady of Barrameda where being 50 yeares old and vpwardes he died By the meanes of this Valer many that heard and conferred with him had knowledge of the true religion chiefly that famous and good Doctor Egidius Cannon preacher in the great Church of Seuill that so much good did in Seuill both with his good good life and Doctrine I haue long dwelled vpon discourse of this Historie of Valer but pardon me for this Valer was the first that openly and with great constance discouered the darkenesse in our time in Seuill After this persecution of Rodrigo de Valer many others were persecuted some of whom escaped as Doctor Iohn Perez who came to Geneua where he imprinted the new Teament other bookes in the Spanish tongue others aboade there stil of whom many perseuered And others of the Inquicitions conceiued such feare that they denyed the truth and which is worse were persecutors therof as was doctor Herman Rodriguez maister Garci Arias whom commonly they called maister White But God shewed mercy vpon White and of a woulfe made him a lamb so was he with great constancie burned This White when God had made him truly White said freely vnto the Inquisitors whē they examined him in the audience that they were fitter to follow a droue of asses then to sit and Iudge matters of faith which they nothing vnderstood In the 1555. yeare seuen persons men and women went out of Seuill and came to Geneua where they made their aboad In the 1557. yeare happened maruelous things in Seuill worthy of perpetuall memorie namely that in a monasterie called S. Isidor the most famous and rich in all Seuil the busines of true religion went so so plainely forward that vnable with good conscience there to stay longer 12 of the Friars in short time departed some one way and some another al which within a yeare came to Geneua whither at their departure they determined to goe None of thē there was that passed not great dangers perils but from all these perils God did free them with a mighty hand brought them to Geneua Thees that abode in the monasterie for it is to be noted that almost al those of the monasterie albeit they went in woulues habits had knowledge of Christiā religion suffered great persecution taken they were tormented disgraced very hardly cruelly intreated and in the end many of them burned and in many yeares almost was there no act of Inquisition in Seuill in which there went not more or lesse out of this monasterie Among those that went out and came to Geneua was the Prior vicar procurator of S. Isidor with thē the Prior of the Vale of Ecija of the same order And God with his mightie arme did not only deliuer these 12 from the cruel grype es the Inquisitors before the great persecution began in Seuill but afterwards also in the time of the great persecution deliuered other 6 or 7 from the same monasterie making foolish and of no worth nor effect all the stratagems Councels subtelties craftes deceits of the Inquisitors that sought but could not find them for who shall destroy whom God wil preserue In the same yeare
Rector and that by my will Councell consent nor exhortation he shall loose neither life member nor honour which he holdeth And I shall not make in Rome any decree or ordynation of all that to his holinesse or to the Romans perteyneth without your consent And all that of Saint Peters landes which shal be in our power we shall then restore and to whom soeuer I shall deliuer ouer the gouernement of Italiâ— I shall cause him sweare to be an ayder of his holinesse to defend to his power the landes of Saint Peter as God me helpe and by these holy Gospells of God c. After this 2. oath Don Charles was made a Chanon of Saint Peter and after a knight of Saint Peter These two oathes shall ye find in the Historie and 10. booke of the marquesse of Pescara Here may yee see how the world goeth contrary The Pope of a subiect to the Emperour hath made himselfe his Lord. This which I haue sayd touching the originall and growing vp of the Pope in an information presented to the princes and states of the Empire in the time of Don Charles the Emperour our king and Lord is handled more at large Hence will we conclude that the authoritie which the Pope boasteth to hold is neither by diuine nor humane right but diabolicall with subtilty he thrust himselfe into it with straunge force as saith Daniell he doth and shall maineteine the same vntill God destroy him with the force and power of his word By which saying it appeareth that the Popedome built as it is vppon hypocrysie craft auarice ambition and tyranny is not builded vppon the firme rocke which is Iesus Christ whom Saint Peter confessed saying Thou art the Christ the sonne of the liuing God And if the Popedome be not founded vpon Christ much lesse is the Pope the head or vniuersall Bishop of the Church of God but of the deuill And that he is not vniuersall Bishop I will confirme it prouing with short and apparant reasons that Saint Peter whose successor they say the Pope to be was not vniuersall Bishop of the Church The first reason Saint Clement Bishop of Rome writing as say our aduersaries to Saint Iames called him the brother of the Lord Bishop of Bishops Gouernour of the Church of Ierusalem and of all others through the whole world If this be true it followeth that so was not Saint Clement albeit he were Bishop of Rome 2. Also in the first Christian Councell whereof Saint Luke in his Historie maketh mention not S. Peter as vniuersall Bishop but S. Iames gouerned Who heard each one and among them S. Peter and when all had spoken Saint Iames as President concluded in the 19. verse saying wherefore my sentence is c. Read the chapter and you shall see that which I say to be truth Notwithstanding all this D. Illescas the Popes parasite in his part 1. fol. 20. saith That Saint Peter as chiefe Bishop was president in this Councell 3. Also the Apostles as reporteth Saint Luke hearing that Samaria had receiued the doctrin of the Gospell to teach and more fully instruct them sent Peter Iohn thither But who shall now send the Pope to preach Suerely the Counsell wil not be so bould and though the CouÌ„sel so should yet would not the Pope do it saying he is Immediate from God The Apostles sent Peter and Peter as a faithfull member of the. Church obeyed went and preached 4. Saint Paule reproued Saint Peter because faith Saint Paule he so deserued Saint Peter listened thereto and allowed the reprehension That he was imediate from God that he was vniuersall Bishop and therefore greater then he answered he not neither did he answere that none ought nor could reproue him nor yet demaund account of him why he did so or so as the Popes nowe and many yeares also to kings Emperours yea and generall Councels haue answered So shamelesse are some of our aduersaries that notwithstanding Saint Paule saith that beeing come to Antioche I withstood Peter to his face c. And verse 14. hee saith whom when I saw that they walked not rightly according to the truth of the Gospell I said to Peter before all c. yet say they that Saint Paul reproued not S. Peter but another which was called Cephas Read D. Illescas part 1. fol. 21. Whose words be these Before that S. Peter say they came to Rome he held equality with S. Paul in Antioch c. Illescas beleeueth not that which S. Paul witnesseth of this equalltie and therefore as one doubting saith They say what credit shall we giue to such a one that doubteth of that which Saint Paul affirmeth That Antichrist whosoeuer he shal be which Saint Paul calleth the sonne of perdition man of sinne shall sit in the temple of God and as addeth S. Iohn in the citie situate vpon 7 mountaines This citie as S. Ierome and many others declare is Rome Only the Pope sitteth in the Temple of God in the citie of seauen mountaines which is Rome Therefore onely the Pope is that Antichrist 6. Also in the first Councell of Nice assembled by Constantine that good Emperour to confound and destroy the heresie of Arrius who with this blaspheamous mouth tooke away the diuinitie of Iesus Christ the Legats of the Bishop of Rome not in the 1. 2. nor 3. but in the 4. place did sitte Ergo the Bishop of Rome was not then head nor vniuersall Bishop of the Church In this Nicen Councell the Limits of the Patriarkes were bounded to whom the same authoritie ouer their Churches was giuen as held the Bishop of Rome ouer his neighbour Churches The Papists as they knowe which haue read Histories haue endeauoured what they could to falsifie this decree Reade for this purpose the sixt Councell of Carthage whereof we will afterwardes make mention Cardinall Cusanus alleaging the Nicen Councell shewed the rialtie of the truth saying as followeth The Bishop of Rome of the ancients is often called Patriarke or Archbishop and like authoritie was giuen him in the Councell of Nice as to the other Patriarkes Here wee see what great authoritie hath the Pope newly in our times vsurped more then that which the holy and ancient constitutions gaue him and all this by continuance and custome of slauish obedience Neither Iuâ—us who then was Bishop of Rome nor his Legates which were in this Councell gaine sayd this decree And that which more is the same decree was afterwareds in the Councell of Antioche and in the Councell of Constantinople confirmed In the first Councell of Ephesus Cyrillus In the 2. Dioscorus Patriaches of Alexandria did gouerne albeit the Legats of the the Bishop of Rome were there present In the 5. CouÌ„cel of CoÌ„stantinople Menas as patriarke of the city where the Councel was holden gouerned In the General Councell holden in Aquilea S. Ambrose bishop of Milan was president not the
eate this is my bodie And when he gaue the wine he said Drinke ye all of this This is my blood In giuing the wine he addeth that not without great mistery this word all for with this word All doth the Lord preuent arme vs against the heretikes which were afterwardes to arise saying Drinke not all of the wine Our aduersaries cannot deny the Lord to haue said Drinke yee all of this They cannot deny that all those which haue receaued the bread haue not drunke of the wine And so saith S. Marke And they all dranke thereof As litle also can they deny that they themselues coÌ„mand contrary to the coÌ„mandement of God that all do not drinke thereof What shall we hereupon conclude That they be heretikes Albeit they deny it because they falsify and clip the most holy sacrament which Christ did institute If the lawes commaund that he which falsifieth or clippeth the coyne bearing the figure of the king or the Lord of the land shal die What punishment shal he deserue that falsifieth clippeth the sacrament which hath not only the figure of Christ but his proper body bloud As in bread wine Iesus Christ did celebrate his supper Euen so did his Apostles celebrate it afterwards Read the 11. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthes where S. Paule intreateth of the celebration of the holie supper But the space of one thousand yeares was the selfe same order touching the substaÌ„ce of the supper obserued in the Church vntil false prophets arose that brake this good order which Christ did institute and his Apostles the Church did long time after obserue These would shew theÌ„se lues to be more wise theÌ„ Christ so coÌ„maÌ„ded they that no Christian were he not a priest shuld receiue wheÌ„ they coÌ„municated the coÌ„secrated wine And their reasons they yeeld but very friuolous ridiculous why they so commaund The first is because there is no difference betwene the priest and the people Great pride arrogancy is this euer haue they pretended to keepe Christian people in subiection So are they called the Clergie for being as they say The Lot of the Lord. As though the people for whom Christ died were the lot of the diuell The second cause is the danger of shedding the bloud by the beardes if the people should drink it If this bee the cause why giue they it not to womeÌ„ seeing they haue no beards why giue they it not to many which either by nature or shauing or cutting haue no beards Why command they not that all Christians should be beard shauen Why permit they the Pope and many Cardinals Bishops in Italie to nourish their beards and so no danger should be The third say they that receiuing the forme of the bread they receiue the body of Christ and by consequence as they call it receaue they the bloud And thus say they that vnder one forme they receaue both thinges the bodie and bloud of Christ Oh learned men Oh great wits The Lord commandeth that all shuld drink They countermaÌ„d saying That all shal not drinke that to receaue one kind is sufficient And a faire thing is this that they coÌ„demne those for heretikes which receiue the supper in both kinds As Christ did celebrate as the Apostles all the Church for more then a thousand so many yeares celebrated the same They see not that in condemning vs they condemne Christ his Apostles all the Church for so many yeares Let theÌ„ shew me one Church that comunicated in one kind for the space of 1000. yeres after the death of Christ Tehâ—s reasons all whatsoeuer they can imagine and in their fantasie forge wil not suffice to diminish nor defeat the order which Christ ordayned in his Church In bread aud wine did Christ institute this sacrament so distributed it to his Apostles and commanded them so to doe the same S. Paul as a good disciple obedient to his maister did so celebrate the holy supper distributing the bread which is the sacrament of the body and the wine which is the sacrament of the bloud Ye saith he cannot drinke the cup of the Lord the cup of diuels c. And a little before by the cup he had made mention of the coÌ„munion of the bloud of the participation of his bodie by the bread Also as often as ye shal eate this bread drinke this cup c. So that whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drink this cup of the Lord vnworthyly c. Let euery one therefore proue himselfe so eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. Also for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthyly c. Of all those that did communicate spake S. Paul and not of the priests alone This selfe same order of communicating in both kindes was for many yeares obserued in the Church As in the ecclesiastical histories writings of the fathers some of whom I wil here alleage appeareth Our flesh saith Tertullian is fed with the flesh bloud of Iesus Christ that the soule may be nourished of God Oftentimes doth S. Cyprian make mention of this coÌ„munion in both kinds in bread wine Read his sermon intituled Delapsis In which not once but 5 or 6 times he maketh mention thereof Also he saith that those which did coÌ„municate receiued the sacrament with the hand giueth a reason why we ought to coÌ„municate in both kinds the which is of other touch then those which our aduersaries giue why we should not in both kindes coÌ„municate How shal we exhort saith S. Cyprian the people to shed their bloud for the confesion of Christ if when they enter the combate we deny them the bloud of Christ Or how shall we make theÌ„ capable to drink the cup of martirdome If we admit theÌ„ not first to drink the cup of the Lord Also that which we said of the same S. Cyprian coÌ„cerning the young Infant wheÌ„ we spake of the miracles that in both kinds receiued the sacrament Chrisostome saith We are not as in the olde lawe where the priest toke his portion and the people had the rest but one selfe same body is here giuen to all and one selfe same cup and all whatsoeuer is in the Eucharist is common both to priest and people Chrisostome in this sacrament putteth not the difference that our aduersaries doe betweene the priest the people That the priest in both kindes communicate and the people only in one But we will shew for greater confusion of our aduersaries all those foure Doctors As they call them of the Church to bee for vs. As great credit giue they to the Doctrine which these foure Doctours with one common consent doe teach As they giue to the Gospell it selfe Saint Ambrose As Theodoret lib. 5. cap. 17. reporteth speaking with the Emperour Theodosius 1. a naturall Spaniarde of Italica which we now call olde Siuill one
things by which they might represent and worship God they made of set purpose a Calfe of mettall as is read in Exod. 32. 4. And Aaron formed it with the grauing toole and made thereof a Calfe of mettall and they said These be thy Gods ô Israel which brought thee out of the land of Egypt c. The same saith God in the eight verse complaining of the people to Moses And Dauid Psal 106. 19. They made saith he a Calfe in Horeb and worshipped a molten Image and turned their glorie to the similitude of a bullocke that eateth grasse And Ieroboam renewing this Idolatrie made two calues of gold one whereof he placed in Bethel the other in Dan and said as his predecessors in the wildernesse had said These be thy Gods which brought thee c. Exod. 32. 4. And it is not to be thought as before we haue said that either Aaron or the Israelites or after them Ieroboam or his people were so sencelesse to thinke that the Calfe or calues which they themselues with their hands a little before had made was God whose being is from euerlasting That which they thought was this that God which had brought them out of Egypt representing himselfe in the Calfe had poured thereinto a certaine diuinitie and therefore would be worshipped in the same as they did worship him This doing they tooke quite away the worship which they only owed to God and gaue it to the creature For this cause saith Dauid that the Israelites turned the glorie of God into the similitude of a Bullocke c. c. Psal 106. 20. The same say we to our aduersaries They beleeue not will they say that the image of our Ladie of Guadalupe nor that of Mountserrat is the same virgin Marie which is in heauen They beleeue not say they that the woodden Crucifixe of Burgos is the same Christ which sitteth at the right hand of his Father That which they beleeue is this that God hath infused into these and such other Images a certaine diuinitie to represent the Virgin Marie or Christ crucified c. And therupon say they worke they miracles and therefore doe they reuerence and adore them And so fixe they their eyes and settle their whole mindes to honour and worship these visible Images that they take away the honour which is onely due to God and giue it to a woodden image that is made with mens hands And being in any affliction in steede of seeking helpe at God by the meanes of his sonne Christ Iesus One crieth out O my Ladie of Guadalupe another O my Ladie of Mountferrat another O my Lady of Walsinhham another Lord Saint Elmus Lord Saint Blase Lady saint Lucie c. Of God or his sonne Christ none hath remembrance except here and there one in a corner and if the others heare him they call him a Lutherane heretike that inuocateth not the Saints but God only and his sonne Christ Iesus But God commands vs to call vpon him in the time of trouble and hath promised to heare vs Psal 50. 15. Christ saith All whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name shall be done vnto you Mat. 7. 7. Mar. 11. 24. Ioh. 14. 13. 16. 23. But of this will we speake more at large intreating of inuocation of the Saints in the Treatise of the Masse Let vs now returne to the Calfe The Iewes endeuour what they can to excuse their forefathers and so lay the fault of this sin vpon the poore base people of the Egyptians which together with the Israelits went out of Egypt But that which the Lord saith to Moses casteth wholly the fault vpon the Israelites not once naming the poore people and saith also that it is a stiâ—ffe-necked people and as such wold consume them Exod. 32. 8. 9. 10. The Iewes cannot then excuse their forefathers their owne Rabbins doe witnesse that the sin of the Calfe is not wholly yet cleansed This said Moses Gerunden speaking to the Iewes No punishment hath happened to thee ô Israel wherein there hath not bene some ounce of the iniquitie of the calfe But in crucifying their Messiah the Lord of glorie as in Esa 53. through the whole chap. Dan. 9. 20. and other places was prophesied the Iewes afterward committed another no lesse wickednesse For which so enormious a sinne God cut them off being the naturall branches from the euer-greene oliue tree which is his Church in their place graffed in vs Gentils branches of the wild oliue tree Rom. 11. And note that the maner wherein we are ingraffed is farre different from the common naturall graffing For we are not ingraffed the the wild Oliue into the Oliue tree nor the wilde peare into the peare tree but contrariwise the oliue into the wild oliue tree the peare into the wild peare tree so our ingraffing into the Church and into Christ her head supernatural For which benefit receiued he saith to the GeÌ„tils Praise the Lord al ye GeÌ„tils c Three great Captiuities besides others not so great haue the Iewes suffered The first in Egypt the second in Babylon the third that which now they suffer scattered like chaffe or straw through the world Concerning the first secoÌ„d God foretold them how long they should be captiues So he said to Abraham Know thou for certaine that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serue them and shall be afflicted foure hundred yeares But the nation which they shall serue will I also iudge and then shall they come forth with great riches as in Exod. 12. 36. 37. appeareth As touching the second captiuitie God sayth by Ieremie And it shall come to passe that when seuentie yeares shall be fulfilled I will visite the king of Babylon c. Againe Thus saith the Lord vvhen seuentie yeares in Babylon shall be fulfilled I vvill visite you and performe my good promise towards you and cause you to returne to this place Of the accomplishment of these setie yeares speaketh Daniel chap. 9. 2. 2. Chron. 36. 22. and Ezra ch 1. 1. Concerning the third captiuitie wherin aboue these fifteen hundred yeares they haue bene and yet are and shall bee scattered throughout the world without king without high-priest without sacrifice without Pesah that is the Paschall lambe without Prophetes and many other things by God commanded subiect to strange nations and not in some sort but as slaues no word in the Scriptures mentioning how many yeares this captiuitie shall endure But contrariwise saith the Angell to Daniel chap. 9. 27. that Ierusalem shall be destroyed and that the Moysaicall worship and Temple should neuer more returne This third captiuitie for three respects is worse then the second First for the time That endured seuentie yeares This hath endured aboue fifteene hundred yeares 2. In the second the Iewes had Prophtes and miracles Ieremie Ezechiel Daniel c. the three children were deliuered from the
that the Images do weepe laugh sweate and doe other great Miracles Moses declareth that when God spake with his people the people hard the voice of his wordes but they sawe no figure sauing only a voice what God would haue vs to vnderstand hereby the same Moses there declareth Take good heede then to your Soules for ye sawe no figure c. and then That ye corrupt not your selues nor make you any grauē Image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenes of Male or female The common edition which the Roman church alloweth saith Ne fortè decepti faciatis vobis sculptam similitudinem aut Imaginem masculi vel feminae That is to say least being deceaued ye make to your selues a grauen similitude or Image of man or woman Let our aduersaries behold if they make to themselues Images of hee and shee Saints which be of men and women And suppose that the making of Images were not against the expresse comanndement of God but that to make thē or not to make them were a thing indifferent yet ought the good magistrate seeing the superstition and Idolatrie which the ignorant common people commit to forbid Images and breake them notwithstanding imitating therein the holy king Ezechiah that brake the brasen serpent which Moses had made when he sawe the Israelites to burne incense vnto it as in the 2. Kings 18. 4. appeareth Read the chapter See if our aduersaries adorne their Images with flowers with garlandes with crownes decke them cloth them girde them hang vpon them purses light tapers candles and lampes before them perfume incense carry them vpon mens shoulders in procession kneele before them and in their necessities craue helpe and succor of them Reade for this purpose the epistle of Ieremy recited to Baruc in his 6. chap. and thou shalt fully see the same that nowe is done in Spaine Italy and manie other places of the world besides If this be not Idolatrie and superstition what shall be If that good king Ezechiah nowe liued what would he doe to these Images That which he did to the brasen Serpent breake and bray them in peeces Our Aduersaries excuse the matter The same might the Israelites also and it may be they did so yet for all their excuses the good king brake it And thinke not that this Serpent set vp on high which Ezechias brake was of small signification Knowe thou that it was a figure of the same Christ that was to be lift vp and placed as an Ensigne which all those might followe that should beleeue in him beleeuing in him might haue euerlasting life euen as those which beheld the Brasen serpent were cuted of their bodily infirmities So they which behold Christ beleeue in him and follow him are no lesse healed of their spirituall infirmities This is not mine but Saint Iohns interpretation whose words be these And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the vvildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted vp that all that beleeue in him c. Ioh. 3. 14. Although this Serpent was made by Moses and by the commandement of God and with so high a signification as Saint Iohn giues it making it the image and figure of Christ And albeit it had so many yeares remained among the people of God from the Israelites being in the wildernesse vntill the reigne of Ezekiah all this notwithstanding this good king seeing the superstition of the people that burned incense to it cast it to the earth and brake it This good zeale of his is commended in the Scripture And in the second booke of Kings chap. 18. 3. these words are vsed He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid had done Hee tooke away the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groues and brake in peeces the brasen serpent which Moses had made For vntill that time the children of Israell burned incense vnto it and he called it Nehustan as much to say as a peece of brasse Would God the Christian and Catholike kings would imitate the holie zeale of this good king Would God they would seeke to be truly informed and see with their eyes what be the relikes and Images which they haue in their kingdomes and their miracles and the truth or falshood of them But ô griefe that the old prouerbe in our dayes is verified Sease Milagro y hagado el diablo A miracle it is and the diuell doth it Would God they would take count of the great riches that is offered vnto images Oh what should be found The Romistes excuse them by a distinction which they make An idoll say they is one thing and an image is another That the law of God forbideth Idols and permittteh images that the Idoll is an abomination but not an image That they detest Idols and honour Images Let vs now proue this their distinction of Idoles and Images to be vaine God Exod. 20. 4. Deut. 5 8. saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe Pesel All the difficulty is to knowe what this word Pesel is Pesel is an Hebrewe word deriued of the verbe Pasal that is to engraue carue hew And lest we should thinke as thought the Grecians that onely Pesel which is a carued picture statue or grauen Image is onely forbidden God presently addeth Temuna that is any figure forme shape or painted Image He then forbiddeth grauen carued hewed or painted Images And commandeth vs not to worship nor do reuerence to them Call them as you wil Idols or Images Idoll is a Greeke word and is the same which in Latine is Simulachrum or Imago Simulachrum or Imago is that which in Spanish we called Imagen These foure wordes Pesel Eidolon Simulachrum and Imagen be all one thing and of one selfe signification but that the first is Hebrewe the second Greeke the third Latine and the fourth Spanish And Saint Ambrose as noteth Erasmus in his Annotations vpon the 1. Cor. 8. chap. for Idolum euer readeth Simulachrum Lactantius deriueth Simulachrū of Simulando Eidolon of Eidos asmuch to say as apparance or shew It appeareth to be a person is none It hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not feete and walketh not Dauid in the 115. Psalme doth liuely depaint them let our aduersaries behold if their Images haue eyes and see not eares and heare not c. Saint Augustin lib. 4. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 9. and 31. Origen lib. 8. contra Celsum S. Ciprian Tract contra Demetrianum and S. Epiphanius and S. Ambrose make no difference betweene an Idoll and an Image Thomas Aquinus that great captaine of the Dominickes putteth this difference betweene Idolum and Simulachrum as noteth Erasmus in the place a little before alleaged Simulachrum saith he is a thing made to the likenes of some naturall thing but Idolum is Si corpori humano addatur caput equinum to
or of the diuell And to make that more manifest whereof we intreat let vs deuide into three partes or orders all the Bishops that haue bene in Rome The first shall conteyne all those that from the beginning were Bishops vntill the time of Saint Siluester The second all those which were from Siluester vnto Boniface 3. The third all those that haue bene from Boniface 3. vnto Clement 8. who this yeare of the Lord 1600. doth tyrannize in the Church Come we now to the first order The common opinion hath bene that S. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome the which by holy scripture can no way but the contrary rather be proued Many haue handled this argument to whom I referre those that would knowe it For my part that which our aduersaries say concerning this matter to me seemeth impossible First they soy that S. Peter â—â—ued after after Christ passion 38. yeares which they count in this maner That he was for a time in Iudaea after at Antioch where he was Bishop 7. yeares So saith Bartholmew Caranza in his summa Conciliorum But if that be true which they say that S. Peter liued but 38. yeares after Christ the Epistle of S. Paul to the Gal. sheweth this to be impossible Saint Paul also in 1. chap. of his said Epistle declareth that after his conuersion he went not to Ierusalem but into Arabia and thence turned to Damascus and that 3. yeares after he came to Ierusalem where he found Peter with whom he abode 15. dayes not to learne ought of him but to confer with him 14. yeares after this as he saith in the chapter following he came againe to Ierusalem where those that were pillers of the Church Iames Cephas which is Peter and Iohn gaue him the right hand of fellowship These yeares were 18. at the least 3. saith he and afterwards 14. and the time which passed from the Passion of Christ vntill S. Paules going to Arabia After this they both were at Antioch where S. Paul reproued S. Peter for his dissimulation If there he was seuen yeares and twenty fiue yeares afterwardes at Rome ioyned with the eighteene yeares before mentioned shall make fiftie yeares at the least Then shall it be vntrue which they say that Saint Peper liued thirty eight yeares after the death of Christ as saith Caranza in his summa Conciliorum And much more vntrue shal be that which Humfridus Panuinus in the Chronicle of the Roman Bishops and in his annotation vpon Platina in the life of Saint Peter saith that Saint Peter was martyred 34. yeares 3. moueths and 4. dayes after the passion of Christ Count thus the yeares the S. Peter liued after Christ From the death of Christ vntill the 2. yeare of the death of Claudius were 10. yeares all which time Saint Peter abode in and departed not once from Iudea This time passed he came to Rome where he abode 4. yeares from whence by Claudius Edict against the Iewes he departed and returned to Ierusalem from Ierusalem he went to Antioch and there abode 7. yeares in which time died Claudius and Nero succeeded him in the Empire In the beginning of Neros reigne S. Peter returned to Rome whence after some time he departed and trauelled almost throughout all Europe which peregrination being ended he returned the third time to Rome From Saint Peters first enterance into Rome vntill his death were 24. yeares 5. monethes and 12. dayes which ioyned with the 10. yeares before passed in Iudea make 34. yeares three moneths and 4. dayes All this saith Panuinus Herein he contraieth his owne authors which affirme Peter to haue bene 7. yeares in Antioch and 25. after at Rome And Gracian in a certaine decree saith that Saint Peter by reuelation passed or translated his seate from Antioch to Rome And so Fryar Iohn de Pineda in the 3. part booke 20. chap. 5. Sect. 1 following this opinion saith In Antioch before Rome had S. Peter his seate Papall Caranza in his summa Conciliorum speaking of S. Peter counteth thus He sate saith he in the bishops chaire at Antioch 7. yeares and departing thence came to Rome in the time of the Emperor Claudius where he sate in the Bishops chaire 25. yeares 2. moneths and 3. dayes We see now the count of Caranza and Panuinus to be false In this they agree that he was crucified at Rome Betweene the death of the Lord and the death of Nero were 37. yeares The said Panuinus saith that S. Peter was crucified in the the last yeare of Nero then shal it be 37. yeares and not as he saith 34. yeares after the death of Christ The Legend and Cannon say that Saint Peter and Saint Paul were in one selfe same yeare day and hower beheaded at Rome Saint Ierome saith that Paul was killed with a sword and Peter crucified Eusebius saith that the one was beheaded and the other crucified We demaund and chiefly of our Spaniardes which so much beeleeue these thinges when came Saint Peter to Rome how longe there stayed he when and of what kinde of death and where dyed he who was his successor for some say Linus others Clement we shall finde great confusion and disorder amongst them as already we haue seene and how deale they so with Christians whose faith is to be founded vpon the word of God The Popes Supremacie to be Peters successour they sell for an Article of our faith insomuch as saith Boniface 8. it was de necessitate salutis necessarie to saluation and who so beleeued it not could not be saued behold vpon what holy scriptures it is founded vpon a legend of mens sayinges disagreeing among themselues The cause taken away the effect ceaseth If Saint Peter were not Bishop of Rome it followeth that all whatsoeuer is sayd touching the succession Primacie of the Pope is meere lyes and fashood Also Saint Peters Commission was to be Apostle of the circumcision among the Iewes and that of Saint Paul of the vncircumcision among the Gentiles Gal. 2. 7. Saint Paul to the Romans themselues also saith that he preached the Gospell where none had once made mention thereof and giueth a reason Beast he should seeme to build vpon a straunge foundation Whereupon it followeth that Saint Peter was not at Rome Also in the Epistles which he wrote being prisoner in Rome he sent salutations from the faithfull which were then in Rome without any mention made of Saint Peter And had he bene in Rome it is to be thought he would haue named him Read the 4. chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians from the 10. verse vnto the 14. where he saith Salute Aristareus and Marke and Iesus called Iustus which be of the circumcision These onely be they that assisted me in the kingdome of God and were a comfort vnto me Whereupon it followeth that Saint Peter was not at Rome seeing he neither did assist nor comfort him This Epistle was written from Rome And in
the 2. to Timoth. cap. 4. 1. 2 which some what before his martyrdome he wrote the second time being prisoner in Rome and in the Epistle to Philemon verse 23. and 24. Also in the Epistle which he wrote to the Romanes he not once maketh mention of Saint Peter to whom no doubt he would haue sent salutations had hee bene in Rome and which is more Saint Peter being Bishop at Rome as they say 25. yeares Read the last chap. of this epistle and thou shalt see the catalogue which S. Paule maketh from the fift verse to the fifteenth he saith onely Salute such a one salute such a one c. without naming of Saint Peter Because he neither was Bishop of Rome nor yet was in Rome Also the Iewes which dwelled in Rome as reciteth S. Luke Act. 28. 21. 22. said to S. Paule when he came prisoner to Rome that they had not heard nor vnderstood any thing concerning him and prayed him to declare his opinion touching that sect which was gainsayd and euill spoken of in all places vnderstanding by this sect the Gospel which Saint Paule preached Who will beleeue that S. Peter which as they say was before come to Rome and a Minister of the Circumcision had not taught nor spoken ought vnto them of the Gospell These reasons taken out of holy Scripture are me seemeth as they be very sufficient to proue the common opinion holden of S. Peters being Bishop of Rome and that 25. yeares to be false Whereupon that of the Papists appeares plainely to be meere ignorance or which is worse extreame malice when they call the Pope Saint Peters successor Vicar of Iesus Christ as though hee were Saint Peter and therefore vniuersall Bishop Against the Primacie of the Pope we will speake in the end of this Treatise Seeing then Saint Peter was not Bishop of Rome we place Linus for the first All the Bishops of Rome that were from Linus to Syluester who was in the time of the Emperour Constantine the great whom we will put in the first order were in generall trulie Bishops and holy men who with their good doctrine and holy life and conuersation wrought great fruit in the Church of God They were the salt of the earth the light of the world a Citie built vpon a mountaine a candle light and set vpon a candlesticke These be the titles wherewith Christ adorneth his apostles and ministers Math. 5. These were the Angelles of God according to the saying of Malachie speaking of Leuie and consequently of the good Ministers The lawe of trueth saith he was in his mouth and no iniquitie was found in his lippes In peace and equitie he walked with me and turned away from iniquitie For the priestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the Angell of the Lord of hosts Many more titles are comprised in the holy scriptures wherewith the true ministers are adorned which I will passe ouer to auoide tediousnes In the ende these good bishops of Rome sealed the Gospell which they had preached with their bloud and so were Martyrs of Iesus Christ Men they were poore in spirit and simple of heart strangers to couetosnes and ambition they were true bishops for the space of almost three hundred yeares And so the Church of the Lord hauing such ministers was then happie and rich in the sight of God albeit in the eies of men contemptible miserable such as the Apostle in the eleuenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes from the 36. to the 38. verse describeth Others saith he haue benetryed by mocking and scourgings yea moreouer by bonds and imprisonment 37. Others were stoned others were hewen asunder Others were tempted others slayne with the sworde Others wandered vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goats skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented 38. whome the worlde was vnworthie of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaynes and dens and caues of the earth c. These Bishops caried on their heads not Miters but coifes not honor but dishonor not riches but pouerty following herein their Maister as Esaias the Prophet in his chapter 53. 3. doth liuelie describe him Despised and forsaken of men a man full of sorrowes hauing experience of infirmities and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not This was the outward apparance of the Primitiue Church and so hath it bene in our time sithens the reformation of the Church began these 70. or 80. yeers vnto this time how many haue bin burned drowned beheaded hāged banished shamefully disgraced and died of hunger Truly innumerable and that which is more admirable the more they burned and killed the more they increased and multiplied For the bloud of the Martyrs as saith Tertullian is the seed of the Gospell From the passion of the Lord vnto Saint Siluester which is the time of the first order were almost three hundred yeares wherein the Emperours of Rome became Lords of Spaine The Romanes in two hundred and so manie yeares that they conquered Spaine vntill the time of Augustus Caesar were neuer absolute Lords thereof Augustus was the first that vanquished the Montanists and Biscayes and made himselfe absolute Lord of all Spaine The Romists as those say they that haue held the command and staffe for many yeares to giue antiquitie and authoritie to their ceremonies and humane traditions haue falsly reported that manie of these good Bishops of Rome whom we place in the first order ordained them Clement the fourth Bishop of Rome say they ordained the confirmation of young children the Masse and holy garments wherewith the Priests are clothed They do not consider that he was a a man poore and for preaching of the Gospell banished into mines where he hewed Marble stones and tyed in the end to an anchor they cast him into the sea D. Illescas speaking of Pope Caius in his Pontificall historie saith He ordained that no laye man might bring a Clearke to iudgement That no pagan nor heretike might make accusation against a Christian c. How can this be true sith Caius liued and died in the time of the tenth persecution which as Illescas himselfe saith was of all the most cruell and lasted many yeares Let the Romists be ashamed and cease with lies to confirme their religion Now is it not the time that was wont to be when the blind led the blind c. So say they also that Euaristus Alexander and Sistus fifth sixth and seuenth Bishops of Rome made the popish decrees namely the ordering of the Clergie holy water and holy garmentes Telesphorus say they that was the eighth Bishop of Rome ordained three Masses to be sayd on the day of the Natituitie These good Bishops had other cares and embraced not such childish and superstitious toyes Saciety and idlenesse brought them forth O what euils haue riches wrought to the Church of God Wisely therfore said
Frederick the Emperour Detrahamus illis nocentes diuitias hoc enim facere opus est charitatis Let vs take away speaking of the Pope and clergie the riches which so much hurt them for this to do is a worke of charitie Here it is to be noted as reciteth Panuinus in his chronicle 30 Sismes to haue bin and that which happened in the yeere 252. betweene Cornelius and Nouatus is counted for the first and the same only hapned in the first order wherin were good all the Roman Bishops except Marcellinus who offred incense to Idols but touched by God he greatly repented so came into the Councell holden at Sessa in the kingdom of Naples where were present as saith D. Illescas three hundred Bishops and thirtie Presbiters or as saith Platina 180. Bishops and there asked he with teares God and them pardon of the most grieuous sin which he had coÌ„mitted FroÌ„ Sessa he went to Rome and there did chide Dioclesian for compelling him to sacrifice to Idolles wherefore Dioclesian commanded to kill him When Marcellinus was dead the seate was voide 7. yeeres and a halfe as saith Illescas and 25. daies or as saith Platina 25. daies The second order conteineth the bishops of Rome from Siluester 1. vnto Boniface the 3. These neither in life nor doctrin agreed by far with the bishops of the first order For persecution nowe ceassing they gaue themselues to idlenesse and pleasure and made Cannons and Decrees wherby they prepared the seate of great Antichrist Those of the second order were called for the space of 200. yeeres Archbishops It is to be vnderstood that from the yeere 320. vnto that of 520. afterwardes from the yere 520. vnto that of 605. they were called Patriarks S. Siluester was then the first Archbishop whome Marcus Iulius 1. and Liberius succeeded Liberius in the beginning of his Bishopdome thought well of the diuinitie of the sonne of God and for ought the Arian Emperour Constantius did would not be drawne to condemne Athanasius for which cause he was banished Rome Theodoretus lib. 2. ca. 16. of his historie reciteth the conference that passed between him and Constantins when he was banished wherein Liberius shewed himselfe verie constant Three yeeres saith Platina and others say lesse was Liberius banished The Romans at this time held a Councell wherein they chose for bishop Felix second This Felix as saith Platina was a very good man and so by his liking and consent of 48. bishops Vrsacius and Valens which held part with Constantius the Arrian Emperour were deposed These two went to Constantius and complained vpon Felix praying the Emperour to restore againe Liberius who wearied with the trouble of his banishment and nowe changed his opinion through ambition and the counsell of Fortunatus Bishop of Aquilea His banishment pardoned and Liberius restored to his Bishoprike in and by all things as saith Platina he agreed with the heretikes This restoring of Liberius and deposing of Felix caused great tumult in Rome so that the matter came to blowes and many Priestes and Ecclesiasticall men euen in the Churches were murthered This was the second Sisme In that which I haue said of Liberius and Felix I haue followwed Platina who vpon the life of Felix saith that faulting in nothing which became a true and good Christian he was caught with manie more good Christians and so by the aduersaries murthered Athanasius in an Epistle written to such as led a solitarie life saith plainly that Liberius after two yeares of his banishment passed being threatened wrth death changed his opinion and subscribed against Athanasius Ierome in his Chronicle saith that Liberius ouercome with disdaine of banishment subscribed to that wicked heresie Tome 1. Concil It is said that when Liberius was entered Rome he agreed with the heretike Constantius The same saith Damasus in his booke de Pontif. And Platina and Alonso venero in his Enchiridion of times and Iohn Stella and others Bale saith With ambition Gigas saith that Liberius moued with the martyrdome of Felix and fearing the like agreed with the Arrians approued their doctrine No mention is made of Liberius repentance therefore he is counted among the Arrian Popes Damasus his successour for this cause condemned Liberius al that he did But Gregorie 7. that abominable Pope as afterward in his life shall appeare canonized notwithstanding this Arrian Liberius and coÌ„manded saith Card. Benon his feast to be celebrated Panuinus the Popes great parasite in his chronicle of Bish cals him S. Liberius Behold if that which is said be true that many bee holden for Saintes whose soules are burning in hell Behold if the Pope may erre in â—aith To write the life of this Liberius hath cost me some trauell and diuersity of opinions the cause Some hold him for a Catholike others for an Arrian and both the one and the other say truth For in the beginning of his Bishopdome he was as we haue said a Catholike but after without repentance an obstinate Arrian Note we here what an euill beast is ambition He that standeth let him take heed lest he fall It sufficeth not to begin well but to end well is needfull He that continueth to the end saith the Lord shall be saued God giue vs grace to tame our ambition which we all haue need of For there is none which reputeth not himselfe for a demi-God and giue vs strength in afflictions which for his name we suffer Remember we Liberius But what speake I of Liberius Remember we Salomon that so well began but how proceeded he afterward The Lord gouerne vs vnto the end In the time of this Liberius and in the citie of Tagasta in Affrike was borne the great Doctor and light in the Church Saint Augustine and on the same day they say that Pelagius the heretike was borne in great Brittaine Oh the great mercie of God that prouided an Antidote against the poison of Pelagius Damasus a Portugall as we haue sayd condemned Liberius Damasus was verie deuout and ceremonious Panuinus in his Chronicle noteth that all the Bishops of Rome vntill Damasus were chosen and consecrated vpon one selfe same day But afterwards saith he this was not so obserued Vpon the day of Consecration now called coronation is a solemne triumph holden in Rome So much haue increased the riches power ambition and pride of those which call themselues the Fishers successours In this time flourished Saint Ierome and was a deare friend of Damasus as by their writings appeareth Betweene Damasus and Vrsinus was the third Sisme But in the 367. yeare Vrsinus renounced and was made Bishop of Naples Damasus died in the 384. yeare and Siricius succeeded him Siricius as saith Gracianus dist 82. was he that first forbad mariage to the Westerne priests which ordination many nations and chiefly our countrey of Spaine nothing esteemed Wherefore Hymerius then Bishop of Tarragona wrote to Siricius that the priestes
which another vndid one commanded that another forbad In his time the Armenians became Christians and Athanagilda now raigned in Spaine After Iohn 3 succeeded Benedict and Pelagius 2. Pelagius 2. a Romane the citie being inuironed contray to the wonted custome and without the Emperours commaund was made cheife Bishop For which cause he sent Gregorie who after him was Bishop to Constantinople to satisfie and appease the wrath of the Emperour In the 590. yeere died Pelagius and then Leonogildo reigned in Spaine Gregorie 1. a Romane was of best life and more learned then any of the Patriarkes his predecessors yet very ceremonious as by so many suprestitions by him brought into the Church appeareth He was the first that granted Indulgences to such as at certaine times wold come to the church Pardons he granted but sold them not as his successors for money He brought backe from Hell saith Damascen the Soule of the vnfaithfull Emprour Traian O horrible lie Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian saith that which is said of the soule of Traian to be a fabulons Iest Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie 1. holdes it for a very trueth and condemneth Pero Mexia In the following treatise of the Masse wil we speake of this matter This good did Gregorie that both by wordes and deedes he was mortall enemy to the Primacie and so wrote against the name of vniuersall bishop as we will afterwardes declare against which he called himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants which title haue his successours but hypocritically holden seeing that calling themselues seruanth they haue made themselues lordes of the worlde and kinges Emperours and Monarkes kisse their feete and if the Pope will doe them that grace and fauour they holde themselues happie Gregorie much complained that in the worlde were so many Priestes and so few prachers of the Gospel Of this S. Gregory Huldricke Bishop of Augusta in an Epistle sent to Pope Nicholas 1. reciteth a notable historie the summe whereof is this That Saint Gregorie commaunded priestes should not marry but afterwardes vnderstanding they secretle committed great filthinesse and for that cause much murder ensued by commaunde he disanulled his decree affirming it better to marry then to giue occasion of murther Wherfore sending vpon a time to fish they found in a fishe poole or pond 6000. heads of young children that had there bene drowned Which Gregorie seeing to proceede of constrained single life sorowing and sighing from his hart he then reuoked his decree For that not only as saith the same Huldricke they had not abstayned from maydes and married women but defiled themselues also with their kinred with males and brute beastes Such are the fruites of Popish chastitie and their Angelicall life These thinges considered by Pope Pius 2. with great reason said he he forbad Priestes marriage but with much more reason he ought to restore it them againe And in another place It shall not happilie be worst that the greater parte of priestes doe marry for many are saued in their marry priesthood which in their barren priesthood are cōdemned The same Pius 2. as witnesseth Celius 2. supressed certain Monasteries of Nuns of Saint Bridgit and S. Clares order commaunding them thence to depart and no longer to burne in lust lest they shrowded a whore vnder a religions habite In the 604. yeares dyed Saint Gregorie at this time Leonigildo the Arrian that martyred Herminigildo his sonne raigned in Spaine Sabinianus successour of Gregorie 1. was the last Patriarke of Rome a man very simple and so much hated Gregorie his predecessour that he caused his bookes to be burned Onely will I here set downe a fable of the death of this Sabinian reported by Bergomenso for a very truth Saint Gregorie saith he being dead three times appeared to Sabinianus and sharply reproued him for seeking to defame him but his speach could nothing a mend Sabinianus which seeing S. Gregorie he gaue such a blowe vpon the head of Sabinianus that he made him die miserably Mon. eccl part 3. lib. 17. cap. 10. ¶ 1. hereof is made mention If this be true then one Pope killed another In the 605. yeare dyed Sabinianus This Sabinianus saith Illescas was the first that set an order in prayer deuiding the Office into the 7. Canonicall houres the same said he of of Pelagius 1. At this time reigned in Spaine Recaredo king the Gothes who destroyed the Aryan heresie which most parte of the Gothes maintained The third and last order conteyneth those Bishops which we properly call Popes and be very Antichristes As Boniface 3. began this order vntill Clement 8. who now tyranizeth hath continewed and in the last Pope shall take end Whom Christ will destroy with the spirit of his mouth as he destroyed his prodecessours And so shall the end come The Bishops of the first order were the Angels of God holy in life and Doctrine These of the second were men subiect to falling but these truly of the 3. are diuels incarnate Not by any figure Hiperbole or exaggeratiō but plainely doe I speake this I know it to be so as by their liues we will afterwardes proue Boniface 3. and first in this Catalogue was a most ambitious deuill And being Patriarke of Rome was made Pope by meanes of Phocas the Emperour who was an adulterer murtherer and tyrant A murtherer I call him for that to make himselfe Emperor as he did he murthered Mauricius his Lord and Christian Emperour This Boniface 3. by many requestes and giftes which breake the very rockes much more Phocas obteyned of Phocas that the Roman seate should be called the head of all Churches Three miserable thinges at this time happened the most noble Empire began to fall the Popedome to arise and Mahometisme to spring vp Of the ruines of the empire these two beastes arose which so much haue harmed the Church of Christ And by how much the more the Empier decayed by so much the more these two beasts increased It is now almost 1000. yeares since that by superstition and false Doctrine the light of the Gospell began to be darkened This miserable first Pope before a yeare of his Popedome was fully ended went to visite the Diuell the Father of ambition and with him there remayneth And albeit this first Pope was so ambitious and in his Ambition obstinately dyed Yet Panuinus calles him Saint Boniface notwithstanding At this time in Spaine the most Catholique Recaredo 1. reigned Boniface 4. succeeded Boniface 3. who as saith Platina obteyned of Phocas the Emperour the Temple which they called Pantheon to wit of all the Gods because it was dedicated to Sibylla and all the others Gods This Temple did Boniface dedicate vnto the blessed virgin and all the Martyrs which now is called S. Maries the round And thus far Platina Don Alonso of Carthagena Bishop of Burgos vpon
the life of King Recaredo saith these wordes Phocas graunted to the blessed Boniface 4. Bishop of Rome the Temple called Pantheon to be consecrated in the honour of the blessed virgin Mary and of all the saintes as in the legend of that feast celebrated the first day of Nouember more largely is conteyned thus farre the Bishop Here is to be noted the saying of the Bishop Platina and many others That the Pope demaunded of the Emperour this Temple and that the Emperour did graunt it Doctor Illescas as a flatterer of the Pope in his Hist Pontif. saith that Boniface did consecrate the Temple c. the which saith he well pleased the Emperour Phocas and saith not that he demaunded it of the Emperour least he he should seeme to impeach the authoritie of the Pope Of that which we haue said it followeth that the Pope was not then Lord of Rome For had he so bene he would not haue requested the Temple of the Emperour This onely reason were there no other sufficeth to proue the donatiō of Constātine as they call it to be false which was almost 300. yeers before wherin he made the Pope saith they absolute Lord of Rome and of many other lands which they call S. Peters patrimony The Pope as a thiefe hath either stolne it from the Emperor or as tyrant by force hath life himselfe vp with him In the 613 yere dyed Boniface At which time in Spaine the great Catholique Recaredo 1 reigned Theodatus or Deus dedit ordeyned Godfathers and Godmothers to be had in baptisme and that the godfather should not marry with the Godmother nor the goddaughter with the son of the Godfather This Pope died in the 616 yeare at that time in Spaine Huiterico reigned Boniface 5. ordeyned theeues and murtherers which fled to the Churches or Churchyardes might not be drawn from thence which hath emboldened many to commit great villanies and flying to a Church haue freely escaped without any punishment And these they call sanctuary men He dyed in 622. yeare In which time raigned Sesibuto in Spaine After Boniface 5. succeeded Honorius 1. A Monothelite heretique he was and for such a one as saith Fryar Iohn de Pineda part 3. lib. 17. cap 34. ¶ 1. in the 13. 16. and 17. Acts of the 6. Councell of Constantinople coneemned The which by a letter of the Emperour and by a nother from Leo. 1. to the Emperour is confirmed D. Illescas as he which could not beleeue that any Pope could erre calleth Honorius a holy and commendable Bishop Panuinus to excuse Honorius saith that the copies of the 6. Councell of Constantinople be corrupted he giueth his excuse Seuerinus succeeded Honorius Iohn 4. Theodorus and Martinus Martine 1. ordeyned that Priestes should carry Crownes to wit the head shaued leauing a circle vpon it which they call a Crowne The Pope this commaunding did not imitate Christ nor his Apostles who neuer had shauen Crownes but the Priestes of the Idolls which as saith Baruc had their heads and beardes shauen and sate bare headed in the houses of their Gods Let our aduersaries see if their Priestes doe not the like Wherein they imitate doutlesse the Priestes of the Idolls He commaunded that bishops euery yeare should consecrate holy oyntment and send it through their Dioses He imposed vpon Priests the vowe of Chastitie a very hard yoke and borne but of a fewe as in Gregorie 1. we haue noted In the. 653. yeare dyed Martinus 1. Sisenando then reigning in Spaine and Eugeniup and Vitelianus succeeded Martinus Vitelianus ordeyned the song and organs in the Church He commaunded the howers singinges ceremonies and Masses should be celebrated in the Latine tongue contrary to that which saith the Apostle the vse of strange tongues is vnprofitable and therefore without interpretation of that which is said not to be vsed 1. Cor. 14. Vitelianus dyed in the 672. yeare in whose time Tulga reigned in Spaine after Vitelianus succeeded Adeodatus Donus and Agathus Agathus commaunded that the constitutions of the chiefe Bishop should be holden for Apostolicall as pronounced by the mouth of God O grieuous blasphemie In this time was celebrated the sixt generall Councell in Canstantinople where marriage to the Grecian priestes was permitted but to the Latine priestes forbidden This Agathus sent to the 6. Councell an Epistle wherein he condemned Honorius 1. for a Monothelite In the 682. yeare dyed Agathus and Leo 2 Benedict 2. and Iohn 5. succeeded him Iohn 5. being dead then arose the 8. Sisme and 2. Popes were elected Petrus and Theodoretus which being deposed in the 606. yeare was Cunon chosen Cunon dying in the 687. yeare was the 9. Sisme and 2. Popes Theodor and Pascall were elected Both which deposed Sergius who was Pope thirteene yeares eight moneths and thirteene dayes was chosen After Sergius succeeded Iohn the 6. Iohn the 7. Sisimus and Constantine the first Constantine 1. was called of the Emperour Iustinianus to goe to Constantinople He was the first that gaue his feete to the Emperour his Lord to be kissed And against the first commaundement of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any Image c. he commaunded Images to be placed in the Temples and worshipped He dyed in the 716. yeare At this time was the miserable dissipation of Spaine made by the Moores of Affrik with the ayd of the Count Don Iulian. Don Rodrigo then king the last of Gothes end the first vnfortunate Gregorie 2. and Gregorie 3. continewed the commaundement of Image-worship contrary to the commaundement of God And Leo the Emperour for not allowing them was excommunicate In the 731. yeare dyed Gregorie 2. in the 741. yeare Gregorie 3. In the time of Gregorie 2. Don Pelayo reigned in Spaine and in the time of Gregorie the third Don Fasila Zacharias was the first that inuented to adorne the Church vestiments with gold and precious stones He was also the first that attributed to himselfe a certaine diuine power concontemptuously tooke vpon him to make and depose kinges He was the first that absolued vassals of their othe made to their Lordes which Childerick King of France whom the foresaid Zacharie deposed at the instance of Pipin the little bastard sonne of Charles Martell vassall of Childericke tried In this Zacharie and Pipin the old prouerbe was verified Vn mulo rasca à otro y Hazme la barua y hazer tehe el copete One mule rubbeth another and doe thou forme and I le doe thee The Pope had neede of Pipins ayd to exempt himselfe from the subiection of the Emperour of Greece his Lord. Saint Gregorie writing to the Emperour called him Lord. Pipin and and his successors the kinges of France mindfull of this benefit did great seruice to the sea Apostolique And for being such loyall seruantes he gaue
vnto them the name of Most Christen All that which the Pope holdeth and all that almost which was the Kinges of France for that which they say of Constantines donation is mockery and lies as Laurencius Valla and other learned men haue proued it may be and is so to be thought that God will raise vp some of France which will take it from him seeing by himselfe it is so il vsed Zacharie dyed in the 752. yeare In his time Don Alonso the first called Catholique reigned in Spaine Stephen 2. or as some call him 3. because Stephen 2. was before him which was not Pope but 3. or 4. dayes being inuaded by Astolpho king of Lombardie sent with great instance to demaund ayd of Pipin who was very diligent to serue him and taking Exarcado from the Emperour gaue it to the Pope This is the blacke donation which they falsely call Constantines Pipin prostrate on the ground before the Pope kissed his feete held his stirrop with one hand and his bridle with the other Thus the king of France made the Pope rich and the Pope seeing himselfe rich made himselfe mightie high presumptuous a tyrant God in the earth ouer all Christian Princes and them his vassalls and feodaries In the 757. yeare dyed this Stephen In his time in Spaine reigned Froila Paul 1. excommunicated the Emperour Constantine 5. who nothing regarding the foolish excommunication perseuered to forbid that which God in his holy law forbiddeth Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. This Paul as saith Vicelius the Popes notable parasite exceeding much reuerenced the body of Saint Petronilla daughter of Saint Peter vpon whose marble tombe as saith Carsulano he found this Epitaph written with the proper hand of Saint Peter a lye qualified with supersticion To Petronilla made of gold most sweete daughter Paul dyed in the 767. yeare and Aurilio in his time reined in Spaine Great Sisme which was the 10. arose in the Roman Church wherin Theophilatus which renounced and Constantine that was deposed were chosen Constantine 2. by meanes of his brothee Desiderius King of Lumbardy albeit he had many competitors was made Pope In this Pope a very rare thing hapned that he being a lay or or secular man was imediately made Pope And therefore of many not reckened among the Popes One yeare very pontifically he executed the Popes office In whose time a Councell was holden wherein he was deposed And it was commaunded that all whatsoeuer Constantine 2. had done and ordeyned Baptisme and holy oyntment excepted should be voyd and of no vallewe I demaund now of our aduersaries what thinke they of the Bishops and priestes in this Popes time and that which they did by his authoritie What say they of the Masses which the celebrated did they consecrate or no If they did not consecrate then the Pope that ordeyned them was not Pope nor they priestes And so both Pope and they were disgraded and by the same reason all those that heard their Masses did commit Idolatrie according to their owne Cannons which say that he cosnecrateth not which is no Priest And moreouer it is meete the priest haue an intent to consecrate which wanting there is no consecration at all Constantine thus depriued was put into a monasterie and his eyes puld out but king Desiderius his brother reuenged this iniurie by pulling out their eyes that pulled out the eyes of his brother Cestantine Silo at this time reigned in Spaine Now also was the eleuenth Sisme wherein Phillip was chosen but at the endeoffiue he dayes was deposed and Stephen elected Stephen 3. or after others 4. demaunded ayde of Charles the great against Desiderius king of Lumbardie This Stephen condemned the actes of his predecessour Constantine He condemned the 7. Councell of Constantinople against Images commaunded they should be worshipped and censed after the maner of the Gods of the Gentiles In the 772. yeare he died and Silo then reigned in Spaine In this busines touching Images insisted Adrian 1. he wrote a booke of the adoration of them and condemned Felix and all the enemies of Images Charles the great the sonne of Pipine for the great benefite receaued of Pope Adrian who tooke part with him against the sonnes of Charles Manno his brothers right heires of the kingdome and made him king deliuered the Pope from all vexation This Adrian called Charles the great Most Christian and gaue him power to choose the Pope When Adrian had bin Pope almost 24. years in the 795. yeare he died Maugaretto at this time reigned in Spaine In the time of this Adrian Constantine and his mother Hirena ruling the Empire was holden the second Councell of Neece called the seuenth generall Councell wherein it was decreed that Images ought to be adored c. and the reliques of saints worshipped This Constantine as saith Rodrigo Sanchez bishop of Palencia in the third part of his Spanish historie was in name 10. years Emperour with Irena his mother who ruled all but 10 yeares expired he reigned alone without his mother Herein saith he did he Imitate Ninus who depriued Simiramis his mother of the kingdome of Babylon But Irena tooke the Empire from Constantine her sonne and incited with infernall rancor put out his eies and so depriued him both of life and Empire Wherefore and for that she sought to marry with Charles the Great the Grecians shut her vp in a Monasterie and made Nicephorus Emperour Thus far Rodrigo Sanchez Terrible was this cruelty when was it heard that a mother to rule pulled out the eies and tooke away the life of her sonne and chiefly being of age to inherite and rule the Empire of his deceased father Frier Iohn de Pineda lib. 18 Cap. 13. of his Ecclesiasticall Monarchie sufficiently speaketh against the wickednes cruelty and ambition of this Irena Leo 3. in an oration which he made to make Charles the Great Emperor in the West among other reasons for that purpose giueth this Seeing saith he that by the renunciation of Augustus the Empire at least in the west was voide and strictly examining the businesse as well may it also be said that the Empire of Greece was voyd sith a woman held it almost by tyrannie These selfe same wordes reciteth Illescas vpon the life of Leo the third And notwithstanding holdeth Irena for most holy and so vppon the life of Adrian the first these words saith he of her Most faire was Irena and one of the most excellent and famous women in all kind of vertues and of all Christendome the most renowmed And a little lower Irena as a holy and Catholike woman which she was and euer had bene c. Thou seest here what a one was Irena the great Patronesse Defendresse of Images In causing images to be adored she sinned against the second commandement
of the first Table which saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe anie Image c. And in murthering her sonne she sinned against the second Table which saith Thou shalt not kill This is that holy Irena so much celebrated of the Papists Leo 3. acknowledging the benefites of Charles the great gaue him the title and crowned him Emperour but with this condition that the Emperour with an oath should promise him obedience This Leo commaunded that the Decrees of the Pope should be of more authority then the writings of all the Doctors In Mantua at this time a citie of Italie was a woodden Crucifixe which they affirmed did sweate bloud When Pope Leo the third heard this newes he went to Mantua and there seeing as hee said the miracle commaunded this bloud to be holden for the true bloud of Christ And to this day at Mantua is this Crucifixe seene and worshipped Of this bloud maketh mention Baptista Mantuanus saying Et quae purpureus sanguis faciebat in horas Mira opera intuitus credi debere putauit Effusum nostra pro libertate cruorem Which signifieth the Idolatrie before mentioned What diuell could more inuent to raise vp and authorize images which in Greece were vtterlie abolished In the 816. yeere died Leo the third hauing bene Pope more then 20 yeares At this time in Spaine reigned Don Bermudo Stephen the fourth or the fifth who succeeded Leo was chosen without consent of the Emperour wherefore to excuse himselfe to the Emperour Lodouicus pius after 3 moneths he went into France Lewis answered that what was past was past but they shold afterward beware of doing the like Behold here how the Popes obserue their owne Decrees Adrian and Leo imediate predecessors of Stephen made this decree but Stephen did nothing regarde it The Pope considering that this decree which gaue such authoritie to the Emperour might cause great euill to the Sea Apostolike returned from France to Rome and perceiuing the Emperour to be of gentle and milde nature he attempted to disanull it saying that the election of the chiefe Bishop pertained to the Clergie Senate people of Rome And not to prouoke the Emperour he smothed this abrogation saying that they aboue named without licence of the Emperour might choose the chiefe Bishop but consecrate or as they call it crowne him without the presence of the Emperour or his vicar they could not In the 817. yeere died Stephen and Don Alonso the 2. surnamed the chast then reigned in Spaine Pascall the first following the steppes of Stephen without consent of the Emperour was elected Pope and when the Emperour complained of this election he craftily cleared himselfe Pascal died in the 824. yeare Don Alonso theÌ„ reigning in Spain Eugenius 2. succeeded Pascal in whose time the 12. Sisme betweene Eugenius Zinzinus arose After Eugenius succeeded Valentinus And after Valentinus Gregorie the fourth Gregorie 4. would not be Pope vntill the Emperour had confirmed his election He died in the 844. yeare And D. Ramiro the first then reigned in Spain Sergius 2. was the first Pope that changed his name before he was Pope he was called Swines-mouth Lotharius the Emperour senâ— Lewis his sonne to Rome to confirme the election of this Pope This confirmation the Popes expected vntil AdriaÌ„ 3. ordained that it should not be respected Sergius 2. died in the 847. yeare and Don Ordono then reigned in Spaine Leo the fourth was the first that promised Paradise to such as in defence of the sea Apostolike would fight against the infidels He made a Decree that the Bishop shold not be condemned but by the testimonie of 72 witnesses He was the first that against the Cannon of the Councell of Aquisgrana adorned with precious stones his Crosse Papall and caused it to be borne before him He gaue his feete to be kissed of the people and in the 847. yeare he dispensed with Ethelulpheus of a Monke to be made king of England For this benefite commaunded the king that each house in England should pay euery yeare to the Pope a penie which they called Saint Peters penie sixe of which pence make a Spanish Ryall In the 855. yeare he died and Don Alonso the third then reigned in Spaine Iohn the eight an English woman or to speake better Ione alone of that name before called Gilbert succeeded Leo the 4. In her is plainly fulfilled without figure or allegorie that which Saint Iohn in the 17. chap. of his Reuelation saith of the whore of Babylon for she was a woman and a whore Such as list to know her life let them reade Platina vpon the life of Iohn the eight Sabel En. 8. lib. Volat. libr. 22. Berg. lib. 11. Boccace of famous women Fascic tempor Mant. vpon Alphonsus lib. 3. Enchiridion ef times Rodrigo Sanchez vpon Don Alonso 3. and Pero Mexia vpon the liues of the Emperours and in his Sylua variarum lection where of her hee maketh one whole chapter This Pero Mexia was a man very superstitious and wholly a Papist who procured what he might to quench the light of the Gospell which at his time in Sâ—uill was kindled He greatly persecuted the good Doctor Egidius or to say better Christ in Egidius and other his members Notwithstanding that he was so great a Papist yet could he not but speake note so so great an infamy blow to the Church of Rome For authors of that he saith coÌ„cerning this woman Pope he citeth in his histories Martin Platina Sabellicus S. Antonino In the 9. ch of his Sylua thus speaketh Pero Mexia There is none almost but knoweth or hath read or hard that there was a womaÌ„ Pope which went in mans apparell but because all men know not how this thing hapned and for that it was one of the wonderfull chances that euer hapned in the world I will here declare as in faithfull authors I find it written There was a woman borne in England who with a man greatly learned liued in her youth a dishonest life of whom being welbeloued and he of her taking mans habite and calling her selfe Iohn shee left her natiue countrie and went with him to the citie of Athens in Grecia wherein at that time was a great Vniuersitie and generall studie With her excellent wit and great studie shee there so much learned and attained such knowledge that some yeares after she came to the citie of Rome alwayes in the habite of a man tooke the Chaire and taught openly in which and in publike disputations shee caried such estimation that she was holden for the most learned man of that time and such fauour and authoritie among all men obtained that the seate Apostolike by the death of Leo the fourth of that name being voyd in the yeare of the Lord 852. supposed to be a man she was chosen for chiefe
without consent of the Emperour was made Pope The Emperour leuied a great hoste against Rome Gelasius fearing him went with his partakers to Gaeta When the Emperour was come to Rome hee made another Pope whom they called Gregorie the eight Archbishop of Braga which done the Emperour departed from Rome Gelasius hearing the same came secretely to Rome and boldly went to say Masse in the Church of S. Praxâ—idis where those of the contrary faction did so assault him that he hardly escaped their hands and so fled to Pisa and from thence into France where after he had a yeare and some dayes bene Pope he died In Colonia he held a Councell albeit not present there himselfe where the Emperour was excommunicated He ordained in this Councell that his successors the chiefe Bishops of Rome neither might nor ought to be iudged of anie In the 1119. yeare he died and Don Alonso reigned in Castile In the place where Gelasius died was Calistus the second a Burgoignian by some of the Cardinals that went with him chosen which election some Cardinals abiding in Rome and Italie did also approue He thus made Pope went to Rome where most honorably he was receiued thence sent to command his Legate as then at the Councell to continue the excommunication against the Emperour Who fearing the like should happen to himselfe as did to his father admitted albeit wicked the conditions of peace Gregorie as yet liuing whom he had made Pope This peace concluded Calistus bent himselfe to persecute Gregorie Gregorie seeing his part ouerthrown fled from Rome to Sutrio whither followed Calistus tooke him and with great ignominie brought him to Rome put him into a Monastery This Calistus the more to confirm idolatrie and the better to intertaine superstition made the Church of S. Iames of Galicia an Archbishoppricke and a booke also of S. Iames his miracles In the 1124. yeare he died and Don Alonso 7. reigned in Castile Honorius the second a Bullonist entered not saith Platina rightly into the Popedome For more by ambition then the consent of good men he obtained it The Cardinals chose for Pope Theobald Cardinall of S. Anastasia whom they called Celestine the secoÌ„d This was the 25. Sisme The people sought to haue the Cardinall of Saint Stephen to be Pope There was theÌ„ in Rome a very rich maÌ„ called Leo who so much wrought both with the Cardinals and people that neither the Cardinall of S. Anastasia nor he of Saint Stephen but whom he himself listed called Honorius 2. was Pope Honorius sent into England Iohn of Crema Cardinal of S. Grison his Legate which Cardinall in a Councell by him held in London condemned married Priests and was taken the night following with the theft in his handes with a wicked woman they caught him which as saith Mathew Paris gaue no small scandall to the Church Such be these as were the Pharisies of whom the Lord saith that they binde heauie burthens and hard to beare and put them vpon the shoulders of men but they themselues wil not moue them with one of their fingers Honorius died in the 1130. yeare and Don Alonso 7. reigned in Castile Innocent being Pope shewed great hatred to Rogero king of Sicilia against whom he went forth in battell And as he carried him away vanquished behold the sonne of the king came and tooke the Pope and his Cardinals Now did the Romans make another Pope whom they called Anacletus the second this was the 26. Sisme which Innocent hearing compounded with the king and minding to go to Rome but durst not attempt it He went into France and in Claremount held a Councell where he condemned Anacletus and went to see Philip king of France then Henrie the first king of England and afterwards Lotharius king of Almaine to the end they should restore him to his Popedome Lotharius with a great campe came vpon Rome put to flight Anacletus and in his seat placed Innocent which Pope to shewe himselfe gratefull crowned Lotharius Emperour This Innocent ordained that whosoeuer wounded any Priest or ecclesiastical person should ipso facto be excommunicate and none might absolue him but the Pope himselfe Concil 17. q. 4. Siquis In the 1143. yeare hee died and Don Alonso the seuenth reigned in Castile Lucius 2. was made Pope In whose time the Romans vnable to beare longer the violence and tyrannie of the Popes elected one Patricio a noble man of Rome called Iordan This Patricio demaunding the rights of the citie of Rome aswell within as without the walles said that this right by reason of his office perteined to him which the Pope by meanes of Charles the Great suppressing al the Patricios had so long time vsurped to himselfe He commaunded that the Pope as his predecessors had done should content himself with the first fruits tenths and oblations The Pope seeing himselfe so disquieted by the Romans sent his Ambassadors to the Emperor Conrado requesting him to come into Italie and aide him which Conrado could not do The Pope seeing there was no remedie to be expected by the Emperour vsed this subtiltie He awayted his time when all the Snators of Rome and the Patricio with them were together in the Capitol This oportunitie found the Pope like a good Captaine vtterly to destroy that Senate went with many souldiors in person to the Capitol The bruit of the Popes pretense flue presently through Rome the Romans took armes and fought brauely against the Pope who receiued in the battell so many blowes with stones that thereof shortly after in the 1145. yeare not hauing yet fulfilled a yeare in his Popedome he died Don Alonso 7. reigned in Castile In the time of this Don Alonso 7. and whiles Eugenius 3. successor of Lucius was Pope Don Alonso 1. after he had 27. yeeres bene Earle of Portugal hauing conquered fiue Moorish kings was made king of Portugal and so continued king 46 yeares Anastasius 4. was not so wicked as his predecessours In the second yeare of his Bishopdome he died In his time saith Mathew Paris was William restored to his Archbishopricke of Yorke in England who the same yeere of poyson which in saying Masse they put into the Chalice died Don Alonso 7. then reigned in Castile When Adrian an Englishman and son of Robert a Monke of Saint Albons was chosen he wold not be consecrated vntill Arnold Bishop of Brixta was cast out of Rome This Arnold had perswaded the Romans to recouer their liberty of chusing their magistrates gouerning their common-wealth but the people would not graunt what the Pope demaunded for which cause the Pope did excommunicate them Arnold in the end was expulsed Rome and the Consuls renounced their office At this time came Fredericke the Emperour to Rome the Pope and clergie met him in Sutrio The Emperour
he let them go Don Fenando 3. reigned in Spaine When Innocent the fourth a Genoway was Pope of a most deere friend to the Emperour Fredericke he beame a mortall enemie I will here recite what saith Ieronymus Marius concerning this Pope of him saith he that being Pope he held a Councell against the Emperor at Lyous in Fraunce in which Councell the Pope himselfe cited the Emperour The Embassadors of the Emperour besought the Pope to giue him time to come to the Councell this time the Pope refused to graunt but there like a mad man excommunicated and deposed the Emperour commaunding that none should obey him and the Princes to choose another Emperour whom he so sollicited and with promises deceiued that they chose for Emperour Henrie Lantgraue of Turingia Fredericke the second vnderstanding hereof against the Pope and the rest defended himselfe valiantly vntill being in Pulla he could not escape the snares of the Pope where a certaine man by the Pope corrupted did poyson him Yet began he notwithstanding to recouer vntill a young man called Manfredo with money also as some say by the pope corrupted strangled him with a towell Concerning this good Emperour no credite is to be giuen either to Blundus Platina Estella nor Sabellicus because they wrote the sayings of the Pope and his flatterers to stirre vp the world if they might against this good Emperour Who listeth to knowe the truth let him reade Petrus de Vinea in his sixe bookes of Epistles Hitherto Marius In Sueuia at this time were preachers that with great libertie preached the truth against the Pope and his Cardinals they iustified the cause of the Emperour Fredericke the second and Conrad his sonne and boldly affirmed that neithe the Pope Cardinals nor Bishops had any authority because they were stained with Simony and that they held no power which Christ had giuen them The Priests sayd they being in mortall sinne did neither bind nor loose nor yet consecrate at al c. At the end of their sermons they said that the indulgēces which they preached were not feigned of the Pope nor inuented of his Prelates but graunted by the omnipotent God In the foresayd Councell of Lugdanum Innocent ordeined that the Cardinals should vse red shadowes which they call hattes and cloakes and ride vpon trapped horses and this saith Platina to adorne his order of Cardinals Note for this purpose concerning the Cardinals that which Pero Mexia vpon the life of the Emperour Henry the fourth saith where to paint Saint Ierome with a hat is made a mockerie for Saint Ierome died aboue 850 yeares before Innocent inuented the hattes This Pope Innocent the fourth had many bastards whom after the popish custome he called Nephewes Vntill the time of this Pope as noteth Bibliander there was no article of faith nor law of the Church that men should worship the bread and wine in the Eucharist This Pope was the first that created a new God by his transubstantiation albeit true it is that Honorius 3. began this building This Pope offered to Henry 3. king of England the kingdome of both Sicils if he would buy it In the 1254. yeare he died and Don Alonso 10. called the wise which was Emperour reigned in Castile Alexander 4. an Italian was the first that persecuted and excommunicated Manfred king of Sicilia By reason whereof many reuolts happened in Italie William de S. Amor a learned man who wrote against the feigned pouertie of the begging Friars was in the time of this Pope which bookes with a terrible edict the Pope prohibited This good man affirmed these idle poore and lazie fellowes which liued by almes were not in the state of saluation This Alexander 4. secretly fauoured Richard the sonne of king Iohn of England for money which he had promised if he would make him Emperour but publikely hee made shewe to fauour Don Alonso 10. king of Spaine of whome hee had receiued verie much money A double hearted man is neuer good In the 1262. yeare or after others 1261. he died and Don Alonso the tenth reigned in Castile Vrban 4. a Frenchman was Pope he tooke against Manfred as his predecessour Alexander the fourth had done And the better to be enabled for his owne reuenge he prayed Lewis king of France to send Charles his brother Earle of Prouince and Aniou whom he called king of both Sicils with a great campe into Italie Charles in the end after many warlike conflicts ouercame and slew Manfred neere vnto Benauente and so took he vnder fealty the kingdoms of Sicilia with Dukedome of Calabria and Pulla the pope against all right as he that faulteth in whatsoeuer he doth giuing the same vnto him This manifest roberie was the cause of manie ensuing murders This Vrban the fourth at the instance of a certain woman called Eua a Recluse in the land of Leege familiarly by him knowne before he was Pope did institute the great feast of the breaden God called Corpus Christi This woman Arnoldus Bostius and Petrus Premostratensis report had a reuelation a diuellish one no doubt vpon the celebration of the feast of the Sacrament which shee by her letters signified to the Pope requesting him by his papall authoritie to cause it to be celebrated Which thing the pope graunted as by a letter in answere thereof appeareth This letter thus beginneth Vrbanus Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei dilectae in Christo filiae Euae salutem c. Vrban Bishop the seruant of Gods seruants to Euah his beloued daughter in Christ health and Apostolique blessing We know ô daughter that with great desire hath thy soule desired the solemne feast of the body of our Lord Iesus Christ to be instituted in the Church of God and for euer celebrated of all faithfull Christians c. The Letter is long and therefore contenting my selfe to haue put downe the summe I haue spared here to recite it Behold heere my brethren the cause of this solemne feast with so manie daunces Castles Maygames playes maydes borne vpon mens shoulders streetes strowed with boughes and decked with Tapistrie A day it is of most great superstition and Idolatrie a day wherein more villanies then vertues are committed For who he or shee vpon this day will not see and be seene that beside which passeth more to be lamented then laughed at True it is that Pope Honorius the third laid the foundation and made the ground-worke of this building In the 1265. or after some others 1264. yeere died Vrban and Don Alonso 10. reigned in Castile Clement 4. a Frenchman was like his predecessors cruell and a great bloodshedder He called into Italy against Manfred king of Cicill Charles Earle of Aniou Charles vanquished and killed Manfred whom this vngentle Clement made king of Sicilia and Ierusalem with this condition to pay him yeerely 40000. duckats This caused infinite numbers of men
¶ 3. sayeth he added that which to many others seemed meere noueltie namely that he as wrote also Papyrus Saonensis was Lord of all the world which thing Philip king of France did denie him c. And a little lower sayth the same Pineda Crantzio sayth that on a solemne day to declare himselfe Lord as well of the temporaltie as of the spiritualitie pontifically arrayed as a Pope he shewed him selfe to and blessed the people and another day clothed as an Emperour carying before him a sword naked shewed himselfe and cryed out saying Ecce duo gladij hic c. Beholde here two swords c. wherein he would say that he was Lord of both swords ciuill and spirituall This is that Pope of whom say the Historians that he entered like a Foxe liued like a Lyon and died like a dogge Thus died that Boniface sayth Platina that more endeuoured to terrifie Emperours Kinges Princes Nations and people then make them religious He attempted to giue and take away kingdomes dispatch men and eftsoones call them backe euen as hee listed himselfe much thirsting after golde seeking for it on all sides more then can be spoken Pandulphus Calenucius in the fifth booke of his Neapolitane historie recounteth manie great villanies of this Pope With Boniface the eight will I conclude saying that which Frier Iohn de Pineda in his twentie and two booke chapter 12. ¶ 1. saith Let ambitious men saith hee note the life and death of Boniface so openly practised in his popedome and who coueteth more saith Frier Iohn de Pineda let him read Iohannes Vilaneus in the eight booke of his historie And notwithstanding he was such a one as manie men worthy of credite doe paint him out yet did Clement the fifth for all this celebrate a Councell in Vienna where were present as saith Frier Iohn de Pineda three hundred Bishoppes with very many other Prelates and it was there determined that Pope Baniface had bene most Catholike a Christian and true Pope and Vicar of God Wo vnto you that call good euil and euill good Behold here if the Pope and Councel may erre Don Fernando 4. the sonne of Don Sancho reigned in Castile Benedict 11. or after others the 9. a Dominican was very liberall to entertaine Idolatrie When he was Pope he cited those that had taken Boniface his predecessour and for not appearing before him he excommunicated them for their contempt Hee absolued of the excommunication the king of France and receiued into fauour Iohn and Iames Cardinals of Colen whom Boniface so much abhorred This good is reported of him that he would not see his mother poore but poorly clothed In the 1305. yeere 9 moneths of his popedome not fully complete he died and of poyson as is thought giuen him in certaine figs sent him by an Abbesse Don Fernando 4. then reigning in Castile After great differences who should be Pope Clement 5. a Gascon was chosen being absent His election being knowne he departed from Burdeux where he was Archbishop and came to Lyons in Fraunce whither he commanded and they so did all the Cardinals to come and so the Court of Rome in the 1305. yeare passed into Fraunce and there continued almost 74. yeares At the coronation of this Clement Philip king of Fraunce Charles his brother and Iohn Duke of Brittaine were present vpon whom and other twelue also fell a wall whereof they all there died The king also himselfe receiued some part of the euill and the pope sawe himselfe in so great a straite that he fell from his horse and lost a Carbuncle which he bare in his Miter or as they call it Reyno worth 6000. Florences How could he say with Saint Peter whose successour saith he he is Gold and siluer haue I none The pompe of this coronation ended many Cardinals he made all were French men To Rome he sent three Cardinals with authority of Senatours which should gouerne the same and Italy also He made a decree that to the elected Caesars in Almaine albeit they were called kings of the Romanes the pope notwithstanding should giue both authoritie and name a Brotheller was this Clement and Patron of whores and so for his pleasure and delight setled his Court at Auignon At Vienna in the 1311. yeare he celebrated a Councel in which for their goods sake wherewith he inriched those of S. Iohns order of the Rhodes most cruelly he dissolued the Templars which were more rich then the French king himselfe The great maister of the Templars one of his companions in the presence of the Cardinals he burned at Paris Against the Fraticellians Begardians and Begninians that denied to adore the bread in the Sacrament he published a Bull. He excommunicated the Venetians Florentines and Lucquesians The feast of the Recluses dreame in the life of Vrban 4. before mentioned which feast is called Corpus Christi he confirmed Celestine 5. he cannonized But why condemned he not Boniface 8. who was a traitor to his Pope Lord Celestine In the 1314. yeare Clement died In which same yeare as the Emperor Henry from Lucemberg meant to come into Sicilia offered and giuen him by the Sicilians themselues a cursed man called Bernardus de Monte Policiano a Dominick Friar who fained of set purpose great seruice to the Emperor gaue him poyson in the Sacrament And whē the good Emperor perceiued that he had giuē him poison he said vnto him Sir depart hence for if the Almaines perceiue what thou hast done thou shalt die an euil death The cursed Dominick fled to Sena where like another Iudas he receiued the money promised for his treason But his fellow Dominickes could he not deliuer for in Tuscan Lombardie and diuers other partes many of them were murthered and they and their monasteries by fire and sword perished Fryar Iohn de Pineda lib. 22. cap. 24. ¶ 4. of this Clement speaketh these words Saint Antoninus Iohannes Villaneus and Papirius say that hee was very couetous of money and thence it happened that he suffered Simony in matter of benefices to goe so openly through his court meerly ignorant bee they which say the Pope cannot be a Simonist seeing we know by deuine law that to buy or sell things holy and spirituall is called sinne and is that of Simony c. It is no marueile being such though he approued that good peece Boniface 8. Two yeares 3 moneths and 17. dayes the Sea was voyd In the time of this Pope Don Alonso 11. reigned in Castile After many contentions among the 23 Cardinals Iohn 23 or 22. or 21 was chosen The Cardinals as saith Saint Antoninus whom Friar Iohn de Pineda alleageth disagreeing they yeelded the court to this Iohns disposing and whomsoeuer hee should name was to be holden for Pope c. he named himselfe And somewhat lower saith Pineda Titus Liuius saith that the Romans were
yeeres which Boniface 8. did institute from a hundred to a hundred yeares And Clement 6. from 50 to 50. and this by perswasion of his kindred which gaped for gaine by him He inuented many offices of Scribes Solicitors Breuiaries and Apostolike Notaries which he sold for good mony if that may be called good which is euilly gotten He cursed Laurencio de Medices a Florentine because he hanged Raphael the same Popes Nephew he grieuously afflicted the Florentines and was a great defender of the Roman seat The forenamed Volateranus lib. 5. Geograph reporteth a fearful impiety of this Sistus 4. committed by his command at the eleuation of the sacrament which when we speak of the Masse we will afterwards declare Leander Tritenius reporteth that in the 1470. yeare one Alanus de Rupa a Dominick moued with certaine visions renewed the Rosary as they cal it of our Ladie which the Gospel of Iesus Christ cast aside he preached And that this Rosarie should the more be esteemed and of the common people adored Iacobus Esprengerus Prouinciall in Germanie did extoll it to the heauens with false miracles and illusions of the diuell And finally Sistus 4. approued and confirmed it of which a book was made in the beginning whereof it is said that the blessed Virgin Marie on a time entered into the shut cell of the said Alanus who taking of her haire made a little ring where with she was married to Friar Alanus that she kissed him and caused him to handle her teates and dugges and lastly was so familiar with Alanus as the wife wontedly is with her husband At such blasphemous dishonesties and such dishonest blasphemies who can haue patience Surely I am ashamed to write them but it is needefull to discouer their villanies and shame that Spaine and all the world may hasten to knowe them And for asmuch as this foolish and superstitious deuotion of praying ouer the Rosarie is one of the most principall of the papacie I will here briefely set downe what the Papists themselues report of it The Dominican Breuiarie at Lyons in Fraunce printed in the 1578. yere saith that in the 1200. yeere Saint Dominicke did inuent and preach it and that when so holy a deuotion was put in obliuion the glorious Virgin did determine to renew it and so in the 1460. yere she appeared Tritenio saith 1470. to Frieâ— Alanus and commanded him that he in her name should publish to all Christians this so needfull maner of praying promising him to confirme this deuotion with signes and miracles c. It saith also that in the 1466. yeare the blessed Virgin the more to inflame the hearts of all men with this deuotion appeared to the Priot of the Couent of S. Dominicke at Colonia commanding him to preach it to the people and tell them that verie many and great mercies wold the Lord shew to all those that should offer this Psalter deuoutly vnto her c. It saith also that Sistus the fourth did confirme it granting many indulgences to them that should pray it the which many other chiefe Bishops did also confirme It saith that in the 1572. yeare Gregorie 13. commanded that the feast of the Rosarie should be celebrated the first Sunday in October There is a Spanish booke printed at Bilboe by Mathew Mares in the 1583. yeare which at large recounteth this historie of the Rosarie or Psalter or Crowne of our Ladie fol. 185. it saith that Pope Clement 4. Iohn 22. and Sistus the fourth graunted 78 yeeres of pardon for euery time that they prayed ouer this Psalter Innocent the eight graunted also plenarie indulgence c. Also Leo the tenth confirming all the pardons graunted by the other Popes to those that should pray it c. granted newly ten yeares and ten times fortie dayes pardon for euery entire Rosarie c. Also Pope Alexander 6. graunted to whomsoeuer should pray this Crowne full remission and on the Fridayes doubled and how oft soeuer on good Friday he should pray it so many soules out of Purgatorie Also fol. 187. it saith Pope Paule 3. at the instance of the most reuerend Cardinall Don Friar Iohn of Toledo Archbishop of Saint Iames granted to all them that should pray the Rosarie fifty and six thousand yeares and for euery time plenarie Indulgence Thus far this booke And in two words to speak all our aduersaries neuer cease to count the great vertues of the Rosarie with many miracles confirmed Behold how much hath the superstition of praying by count the Paternoster and Aue Maries crept in whose first Inuenter was Petrus Hermitanus without the word of God and without any example of Saint of the old or new Testament Behold whether the ignorant papists haue great occasion to esteeme their Rosarie inuented with false miracles and illusions of the diuell and renewed by the meanes of Friar Alanus and what Alanus The husband of the virgin Mary preached by Iames the prouincicall and confirmed by Sistus 4. the holy father of Rome All these strange wonders blasphemies and impieties haue I reckoned that our aduersaries may be ashamed seeing there be some that vnderstand them and so may turne to the Lord who onely is he that pardoneth sinnes and graciously this for his sonne Christs sake In the 1477. yeare Sistus 4. did institute the Inquisition of Spaine the first Inquisitors generall was Friar Thomas of Torquemada Pryor Dominican of Segouia who so list to know more concerning the Inquisition let him read the life of Alexander 6. which we wil afterwards recount Albeit such as we haue heard was this Sistus 4. yet doe our aduersaries much esteeme him And so Felix Pireto when he was Pope called himselfe Sistus 5. Onuphrius Panuinus an Augustine Friar and the Popes great parasite reporteth that the mother of this Sistus 4. being with child of him she sawe in a dreame that Saint Frauncis and Saint Anthony gaue to this her son the habite and cord of their order The mother for this dreame called him Frauncis at his Baptisme Proceeding in his fable he saith that on a certaine day as the nurse washt him in a bath the Infant swounded and that she carried him almost dead to his mother And that the mother seeing her sonne in that plight and remembring her dreame promised and vowed that her sonne for sixe moneths space should weare the habite of Saint Frauncis after which time they tooke from him the habite which taking away the child beeing now but one yeare old became estsoones infirmed and much more greuously then before But the mother renewed her vowe and then was he cured who at the age of nine yeares was made Friar in a monstearie of Saint Frauncis Thus farre Panuinus see here vpon what is the popish religion founded vppon dreames illusions of the diuell false miracles and lyes God by his iust iudgement doth blinde them and leaue them to fall into a reprobate minde And because they beleeue not
deliuer vs from it The Bubos a disease vntill then vnknowne in Spaine they brought with them which returned from the Indies wherewith God did punish them for taking the wiues that were not theirs This filthie and contagious disease hath spread it selfe so greatly throughout all Europe that they make now almost no reckening thereof And he is not holden for a gentleman which hath not had two or three times the bubos as they call them Other nations call them the French euill The Frenchmen call them the disease of Naples A disease it is wherewith God punisheth such as liue in that filthie single life dispising mariage which God in Paradice the state of innocencie ordeined and Iesus Christ with his first miracle as saith Saint Iohn at a mariage in Cana of Galile confirmed albeit the popish votaries call it filthie c. Returne we to Alexander 6. Of him saith the Enchiridion of times that many thinges in his time did he license which neither for his person his estate nor for Rome being that it ought to be were lawfull and honest Machauell lib. de Principe cap. 18. of him saith Nought else but deceiue men did euer Alexander the sixt nor euer did hee thinke vppon other thinges and found meanes suficient to effect it and neuer had man more efficacie in striuing to affirme and with greater oathes would promise a thing and lesse performe it notwithstanding his deceit did alwayes prosper with him c. Guicciardine a graue author and of much credit as faith Doctor Illescas in the life of Alexander 6. ¶ 2. lib. 2. of his Historie giueth this notable testimonie of him The most vile nature saith he of the bishop made what wickednesse soeuer in him credible Who listeth to know further of this abhominable Alexander 6. great shame of our countrie of Spaine let him read Paulus Iouius In the 1503. yeare Alexander with poyson as before we haue said died Don Fernando and Dona Isabella then reigning in Spaine Pius 3. of Sena nephewe of Pius 2. was thus chosen when Alexander was dead Caesar his sonne which murdered his brother c. aduanced with al the treasure and iewels of the Pope and with twelue thousand men garded the Vaticano a place where the Cardinals vse to assemble for a new election And this he did that the Cardinals should make Pope whom he best pleased But to another place they went called Minerua which when Caesar vnderstood he sent thither his people and beset thē about Then ran the report through Rome that the Cardinals were prisoners and that there was nothing but death to be expected throughout all Rome So great was the feare that it only seemed Haniball was eftsonnes to enter Rome Caesar in the end at the request of the Romans and the Embassadours of Spaine and Fraunce And for that his purpose he saw would not preuaile with all his people departed from Rome And so the Cardinals went to their Conclaue where after long contention they elected Pius 3. who being Pope he presently conspired against the French which occupied a great part of Italy But he proceeded not further for hauing Poped but 27. dayes in the 1503. he died Iulius 2. a Genowey nephew of Sistus 4. by his great and subtill wit obteined great dignties and in the end to be Pope A man he was naturally inclined to warres which inclination albeit he were Pope yet mortified he not but holding rather absolute power as the Popes faine to haue put the same in execution He had great warres with the Venetians the king of France the Duke of Ferrara the Bentiuolians and other Princes This Iulius in the space of 7. yeares that he warred with his excommunications and armes he tooke many things from Christian Princes In which seuen yeares through the intollerable tirany of the Pope ther died by the sword aboue 200000 men And yet nothing at all he grieued imitating therein the cruell Nero who hauing caused Rome to be fired reioyced to see it burne as saith the Spanish song Mira Nero de Tarpeya A Roma como se ardia Gritos dan ninos y vieios Y el de nada se dolia Tarpeyan Nero did behold Rome Citie how it burned Yeeld shrikes and cries did young and old His heart yet nothing turned This Iulius was the cause of that so cruell and bloudy battell of Rauenna betweene the Spaniards and Frenchmen wherein both the conquerors and the conquered remained loosers He seeing himselfe vnable to vanquish the French king by armes attempted another way and so excommunicated him and also with him the king of Nauarre which tooke part with France he gaue their kingdomes for a pray to such as could get them By vertue of this excommunication Don Fernando the king that wanne Granada entered into Nauarre and in the 1512. yeare by force of armes tooke it Guicciardine in his 11. booke of his historie speaking of this taking of Nauarre saith these words The king of Nauarre being vnprepared and hopeles of power to make resistance fled to Bierna on the other side of the Piren mountaines The kingdome of Nauarre being abandoned except certaine forts kept for the fled king without any cost or difficulty and this more through the reputation and neerenes of the English then his owne force came into the power of the king of Aragon who vnable with other title to auouch his lawfull possession alleaged the occupation thereof to be rightfully for the seate Apostolique The noble Acts of king D. Fernando be summed vp in this Sonnet Iunté Aragon con Castilla Gané à Nauarray Granada Puse in Napoles mi silla Conquiste desde Sevilla Otro mundo con miarmada Castile with Aragon I ioyned I wanne Nauarre and tooke Granada In Naples my seat I placed Another world from off Seuilla I conquered with my Armada In this selfe same yeare 1512. as Frier Alonso Venero in his Enchiridion of the times reporteth died Pascall Bishop of Burgos In this Bishopricke he ordeyned that no vigils should be kept in Churches for the dissolute behauiour dauncings and other thinges much offensiue to God which there passed and oft times whordomes and other grieuous sinnes Thus farre Venero fol. 117. For the same causes in all Spaine were they also taken away for Pilgrimages were commonly turned into whoredoms Doctor Illesoas vpon the life of Eugenius 1. saith that in the time of this Eugenius was celebrated the Councel of Cabilona c. In which it was cōmanded that in Churches hermitages other houses of deuotion where it is accustomed to goe on pilgrimage to make watches no dauncing nor vauting should be vsed c. alittle lower This is a thing that requireth remedy I hold it for good if the prelates should cōmand to shut by night the houses of deuotion that there should not be in thē the crie small deuotion the other inconueniences which we
shalt see if I speake truth Great shame it is for our Spaniards who esteemed themselues of as free and good conceit as the Italians that they disable and deiect themselues slaues to the Pope not daring to whisper against him what villanies soeuer they see him commit Libertie of conscience Libertie away away with the Pope this proud Antichrist Some of these places which Pius 5. hath gelded among the sayings of learned men which haue spoken against the Pope will we afterwards alleage In the 1572 yeare and first day of May died Pius 5. Don Philip being king of Spaine Gregorie 13. a Bolonnist before called Hugo boncompagno the 15. day of may 1572. yeare was set in the seat of Antichrist 13 yeares little more or lesse he Poped when he was Pope he renewed the old hatred of his predecessor Pius 5. against the Queene of England so practized by al possible meanes one while by force as appeareth by the great Armada sent into Ireland had a miserable end another while by craft and deceit as was seene in the great traitor Parry and others by him sent who had also a miserable end and were quatered into 4 parts as they had deserued to doe her all the mischiefe he could But God deliuered the Queene from all those cursed inuentions and the same God a iust iudge in the end chastized this Gregorie by killing his body and sending his soule into hell It was the common voyce and fame in Rome that Gregorie before he was Pope and also being Pope like a father but not most holy nor yet holy but carnall had his concubyne of whom he had also little sonnes which said vnto him such graces as made him to laugh And beeing Pope such was the grace that his little sonne Philippicus sayd that the Pope his father gaue him fiue thousand crownes of rent Marke ô yee Spaniards how the Patrimony which you call Saint Peters is imployed And he is not alone he which hath it doth so also imploy it as we haue seene in the liues of the Popes The ceremony of the stoole needed not this Gregorie for very well was he knowne to be a man and not a woman In the time of this Pope was the most fierce bloudy battaile betweene the Portugales and Moores in Africk wherein 3 kinges died Don Sebastian the king being dead in this battell the Cardinall Don Henry brother of king Don Iohn the third grandfather of Don Sebastian was elected king who like another Anius was king and Priest of whom Virgill saith in the 3. of his Aeneads Rex Anius rex idem hominum Phaebique sacerdos Of this Cardinall say the Portugales that in the Epistle of the moone he was borne and in the Eclipse of the moone he died In the 1581 or 82 yeare in the time of Gregorie 13. his Popeing a very straunge chaunce happened in Valladolid There dwelled in Valladolid a knight quallified who in the Inquisition had 2 daughters which constantly perseuering in the good religion they had learned of the good D. Caâ—alla and other martyrs of Iesus Christ were condemned to be burned The father being a most rancke Papist besought the Inquisitors to permit theÌ„ for their better instruction to be carried to his house which thing the Inquisitors in regard of the great credit they reposed in him graunted And brought thus to his house the father endeauored to diuert them from their constant resolution And seing he could not conuince them he caused Priests and Friars to dispute with them but in vaine were all their disputs For the Lord as in Luke 21. 15. he had promised gaue them vtterance and wisedome which the new Pharesies Priests and Friars were not able to resist nor gainesay The father then seeing al his endeuour nought auailed went himselfe to his groue cut downe wood and caused it to be drawne to Valladolid he himselfe kindled the fire so were they burned And no maruell Seing the Lord in the same place of S. Luke forwarned vs that it so shuld happeÌ„ Ye shal be saith he deliuered vp euen of your owne fathers brothers kinsflolkes friends they shall kill you ye shal be hated of all men for my names sake thus farre of the afflictions miseries of the poore faithful yet that which the Lord then addeth is for our comfort But one haire saith he shall not perish or fall from your head in pacience possesse ye your soules So did these two blessed of the Lord possesse and now enioy that celestiall glorie which the Lord for whom they died had prepared for them before the foundation of the world This cruell father in doing that he did against his daughters vndoubtedly supposed he did great seruice to God Of this also hath the Lord foretould vs Iohn 16. 2. The hower commeth saith he that whosoeuer shall kill you shall thinke he doth God seruice And that we should not bee dismayed but coragious in such afflictions the Lord in the end of this chapter saith These things haue I told you that in me ye might haue peace in the world ye shall haue trouble but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world This Gregorie carelesse to correct himselfe or Clergie either in life or doctrin by aÌ„ticipating 10 daies in the yere gaue himselfe to correct the callender And to eternize his name this callender he called Gregorilanum At this time were reunited al the kingdomes of Spaine which from the enterance of the Moores into Spaine 880. so many yeares sithens haue bene deuided so Don Philip our king and Lord in all Spaine reigneth I beseech my God from the bottome of my hart to giue him vnderstanding to know who the Pope is In the 1521. yeare the yeare of famine the 13 of December and in a village of 25 or 30 houses called Montalto neere to the citie of Firmo which is in the marches of Ancona was borne Felix Pereto called Sistus 5. In this Sistus 5. the common saying in Spaine was fulfilled Rex por natura y papa por Ventura A king by nature a Pope by aduenture for so poore was his father that he was a swineheard Felix in his childhood was very poorely brought vp but shewing some sufficiencie of wit a geÌ„tlewoman for Gods sake clothed him with the habite of Saint Frauncis intreated the warden to receiue him into his couent where he studied GraÌ„mer logique Philosophie schoole diuinitie and in those sciences much proffited In the end being nowe of age hee was made Inquisitor In which office such was his cariage as few could abide his crueltie And so it happened that he called before him a magnifico of Venice who being come very discourteously inhumanly he intreated This gentleman vnaccustomed to heare such iniuries and disgraces as by that which after he did for reuenge to the Lord Inquisitor appeareth did stomacke the matter A few dayes after this gentleman
support and maintaine him A curse then was pronounced in this Councell not against Iohn of Constantinople but generally against whomsoeuer should take vpon him the title of vniuersall Bishop The Doctors which at this time liued and chiefly Saint Gregory do witnesse the same Let them read his epistles of the first booke the 76. 78. 80. 85. and of the second booke the 188. and 194. In none of these epistles saith S. Gregorie that the said Iohn wronged S. Peter nor withheld nor yet vsurped the right and title of the Bishops of Rome but protesteth that it is title profane sacrilegious and the forerunner of Antichrist And in the 4. booke and 48. chap. of the Register the same Saint Gregorie doubteth not to pronounce him that suffereth himselfe to be called vniuersal and chiefe Bishop to be the forerunner of Antichrist Reade for this purpose the same Saint Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 76. 78. 30. lib. 7. and 69. epist And in the 35. epist which he wrote to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who vsurped this title he saith All that was prophesied is fulfilled the king of pride namely Antichrist is neere at hand and that which is abhomination to speake an host of Priests make preparatiō for him And in an epistle which he wrote to Mauricius the Emperour hee saith And I say boldly that whosoeuer is called vniuersall Priest either in his pride desireth so to be called or is the forerunner of Antichrist for that in waxing proud he preferreth himselfe to the rest and with incomparable pride walketh in the way of error For as that peruerse man wil aboue al men be holden for God so neither more nor lesse is he be he what he will that seeketh to be called Priest ouer the other priests c. About the 1240. yeare Edward Archibishop of Salisburg speaking in the Councell holden at Ratisbon to represse the insolencie and tyranny of the Popes said these words we might haue perceiued had we not bene blind vnder the title of chiefe Bishop a most cruell wolfe in shepheards clothing The Roman bishops daring deceiuing and sowing the warres of warres drawe weapons against all Christians And becomming great they kill the sheepe cast peace and concord out of the world draw from hel ciuil wars and domesticall seditions more more weaken the strengths of all men to triumph ouer all men to deliuer vp all men and to put all men in bondage and captiuitie It is now saith he 170 yeares since Hildebrand he was called Gregorie 7. vnder colour of religion laid the foundations of the Empire of Antichrist he was the first that began this abominable warres which his successors vntil this day haue cōtinued And then the chiefe Bishops of Babylon desire to reigne they cānnot endure an equal Beleeue me that haue made experiēce cease they will not vntil hauing suppressed the Emperor defaced the maiesty of the Roman Empire oppressed the true Pastors they destroy by the same way all whatsoeuer remaineth they put al vnder their feet they sit in the temple of God lift vp thēselues aboue all that is worshipped He which is seruant of seruāts desireth as if he were God to be Lord of Lords In his breast tosseth he new Coūcels to establish a proper empire lawes he chāgeth and establisheth his owne This man of perdition whom they wontedly call Antichrist in whose forehead is written the name of blasphemy I am God I cānot erre polluteth robbeth spoyleth and killeth He is set in the temple of God making himselfe Lord of all And that moreouer which ye may reade in the 7. booke of the Annales of Auentino fol. 685. If such were the Popes 357. yeares since when malice was not yet come to the height what maner of men shall the Popes of our times be Surelie much worse for in nothing do euill men profite but in doing more euill Arnulphus Bishop of Orleans openlie in the Councell at Remes holden more then 560. yeares since called the Pope Antichrist Saint Bernard who liued in the 1150. yeare in his second third and fourth books of Considerations called the Pope Antichrist The Abbot Ioachin Calabres who liued 350 yeeres since called the Pope Antichrist About the 1101. yeare liued Bishop Fluencius that called the Pope Antichrist About the 1245. yeare liued Nicholas Gallus who seeing the deformitie of the Church wrote a booke against the Popes intituled Ignea sagitta a fiery arrow Marsilius a learned man wrote more then 200. yeares since against the Pope and his lawes At the same time almost liued Michael Cesenas Generall of the Minoritts who openly called the Pope Antichrist Aboue 200. yeres past Iohn Wicliffe wrote and preached against the Pope and reformed many popish abuses in England The same did after wardes Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage in Bohemia Francisco Petrarca an Italyan borne in the 1304 yere and in the 1374. yere dyed very truly wrote against the Pope and his court Read this 20. Epistle wherein he calleth the court Papall Babylon Babilonish strūper which is set vpon many waters Mother of all Idolatries and whoredomes Read his 92. which beginneth Del ' Empia Babilonia c. which word for word thus soundeth in English From wicked Babylon whence all shame is fled where no goodnesse remaineth Harbour of sorrowe mother of errours to prolong life am I fled Item the 106. Sonet which beginneth Fiamma d'oal ciel c. The flame of heauen vpon thy hayres or curled lockes O caytife which from the fountaine and wallet to wit from drinking of water and poorely feeding by impouerishing others art become rich and great Sith so much thou reioycest in doing euill Neast of treasons wherein what mischiefes are now spread through the world be hatched Seruant of wine bed and belly cheere in whome whoredome hath made her last proofe For thy Chamberlaines young and olde goe playing the wantons and Baelzabub in the middest with bellowes fire and looking glasses In the fether at the shadowe wast thou not brought but naked to the winde vnshod among the bushes c. Such now is thy life that the stinke is gone vp vnto God Also in the 107. Sonet which beginneth L'auara Babylonia c. Couetous Babylon so full hath heaped the sacke of the wrath of God and of wicked and peruerse vices that it bursteht and not Iupiter nor Pallas but Bacchus and Venus hath made her gods Expecting reason doth torment and consume me c. And foure verses further Her Idolles shall be holden for earth c. Also the 108. Sonnet which beginneth Fontana di dolore c. Fountain of griefe harbor of wrath schoole of errors and Temple of heresie Rome in elder time now false and peruerse Babylon for whom I so much weepe sigh O shop of deceit ô prison of wrath where goodnesse dyeth and euill is maintained and nourished hell of the liuing great wonder
tyranny subiected his companions to obey him Also he complaineth that the prophane Sismatikes withdrew themselues to the Bishop of Rome There was none saith he that would doe this but certaine lost and desperate men making men beleeue that the Bishops of Affrike had lesse authoritie thē he of Rome S. Ierome to this selfe same purpose saith Wheresoeuer a Bishop shal be be it in Rome or in Egubium be it in Constantinople or in Regium one selfe same dignity he hath and one selfsame priesthood riches nor pouertie either make him superiour or inferior And so the ancient Doctors as Ireneus Tertullian Hillarius Cyprian c. when they wrote to the Bishop of Rome they gaue him not the glorious titles which the flatterers of our times now giue him Most holy father most blessed Pope chiefe Bishop our Lord God vpon earth they called him brother fellow Bishop companion in office other such like titles which sauored of loue Christian simplicitie not of flattery pride wherewith the miserable Popes are puffed vp rest much contēted And if it seemed to those Fathers that the Bishop of Rome countermāded or in any thing faulted seeing he was a man either in life or doctrine they aduised him if need so required reproued him Thus not once by chance but many times that very sharply did Cyprian handle Stephen Bishop of Rome Ireneus reproued Victor for that through an impudent ambition he excōmunicated the Churches of Asia for the differēce in celebration of Easter Who should now dare to do this albeit the Pope were another Iohn 8. 12. 13. 14. 23. or 24. or were he another Boniface 8. another Syluester 2. another Gregory 7. another Alexander 6 Paule 3. 4. or Pius the fift By diuine law all Bishops are equall and so as brothers are to aduise and correct one another If any difference there bee of Maioritie or Minoritie by positiue lawe it commeth as the Cannonists themselues when the truth doth inforce thē confesse saying Quod omnis maioritas minoritas etiam Papatus est de iure positiuo That all maioritie and minoritie yea the verie Popedome it selfe is by the positiue law as much to say that men haue made it And yet go I further The maiority say I which the Pope hath vsurped ouer all the Churches being against the Lambe of the Apocalyps and against his Saints is not by diuine nor yet humane law I say it is de iure diabolico of the diuell that it is an infernall tyranny against which all the world is to rise vp as against a fire and generall burning which toucheth euery particular person Note here that which in the life of Iohn 24. we haue noted where the Pope by a decree of the Councell of Constance and Basile is proued to be subiect to the Councell and that more ouer which there we haue said Not bluntly and foolishly as they say but with good reason me seemeth do I say this as by the sayings of the Fathers and decrees of ancient Councels we haue sufficiently proued the same And had there bene none to haue said it yet their proper life and doctrine which we haue in the beginning mentioned are most euident testimonies to confirme our sayings By their liues may each one see if of wilfull ignorance he become not blockish foolish and blind the Popes which haue bin bishops of Rome from Boniface the third who was a creature of Phocas the Emperour an adulterer murderer and tyrant vntil Clement 8. or 10. which now tyrannizeth to haue almost bene al noted read their histories of terrible enormious and wicked vices and sinnes Witches they haue bene murtherers ill beloued tumultuous troublers of common wealths and kingdomes seditious reuengefull brothellers simonists sodomites periured incestuous Nigromancers sacrilegious wicked without God without religion They then being such we conclude them not to be successors of Peter but of Iudas not to be vicars of Christ but of the Diuell and verie Antichrist But now for more confirmation of that which is said we will alleage certaine passages of holy Scripture which the Papists themselue vnderstand and interpret of Antichrist we will consider if that which the Scripture saith Antichrist shall do and say the Pope doth and saith And seeing that the doctrine and life of the Pope is the very same which the scripture doth say shal be that of Antichrist by the Papists owne confession will we conclude the Pope to be Antichrist The first passage is taken out of Daniel the 11. chapter which saith And the king shall doe what he list By king aswell in this place as chapter 8. 23. and 24. is ment Antiochus a great persecutor of the people of God This Antiochus was a figure of Antichrist which is the Pope Antiochus burned the Bible aduanced his God Mauzim forbad marriage made Idols of gold and siluer adorned them with rich ornaments c. and the same doth the Pope Daniell proceedeth He shall exalt and magnifie himselfe against all that is God and shall speake marueylous thinges against the God of Gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers nor the desires of women nor care for any God for he shal magnifie himselfe against all c. Note here in Daniel 3. notable markes which saith he Antichrist shall haue In whomsoeuer then we shall see them hold we him for Antichrist The 1. is that he shall not acknowledge the God of his fathers 2. is that he shall not regard the loue of women 3. nor care for any God The cause of all this saith he is the excessiue pride The Pope being of the race of Christians which haue worshipped the true God father of our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought into the Church of God where he holdeth his seat Idolatrie and superstition commaunding men in afflictiō calamitie to inuocate another others then God contrary to the expresse cōmandemēt of God Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me and contrary to that which he commaundeth by his Prophet Call vpon me in the day of trouble There is no commaundement of God either in the old or new Testament that commaundeth vs to inuocate any other but God alone Neither is there any example of Patriarke Prophet or Apostle which hath called vpon any saue God alone For how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued as saith Saint Paule In one onely God we beleeue vpon him onely let vs call This new Doctrine hath the Pope brought into the Church to call vpon others then God alone Therefore is he Antichrist Who hath forbidden Christians to reade the law of the Lord the bookes of the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists The Pope Who burneth these holy bookes and those that for instruction of their conscience read them The Pope Who hath taken vppon him authoritie
that of the ruyne of the Romane Empire the Pope who is Antichrist by little and little hath erected his kingdome All this to one man cannot be applyed but to an estate and condition of men Antichrist is a Greeke word as much to say as contrary to Christ See wee then some thinges wherein the Pope doth oppose himselfe to Christ The people sought to make Christ a king but Christ would not For his kingdome he saiâ—h is not of this world The Pope without demaunding or seeking it of the people hath made himselfe vniuersall king ouer all the kings of this world and so at his fantasie doth place and displace them The second opposition Christ being God humbled himselfe and to saue vs became man reconcyling vs with the father The Pope being a man maketh himselfe God saying that in hell he hath authoritie and power casting into it whom soeuer he will and also drawing out from thence If he please as did Pope S. Gregorie say they drawe the soule of the Emperour Traian who was an Infidel persecutor of the Church Authoritie hee hath in purgatorie drawing soules from thence as say they hee doth dayly Hee hath authoritie in earth binding and loosing whomsoeuer hee will He hath authoritie also in heauen placing therein whom hee will commaunding the Angels to carrie the Soule of whomsoeuer he shall please without passing the paynes of purgatorie as by the bull which Pope Clement the sâ—xt graunted to such as comming to Rome to obteyne the Iubile should die by the way doth appeare All this saith the Pope that hee can doe And so also saith his Parasites Yet all is but lies to condemne and carry vs with him to the house of his Father the diuell The third opposition Christ doth commaund vs to search the scripture and giueth a reason for by them shall we know him The Pope vnder most greiuous payne commaundeth vs not to reade them nor looke vppon them least that wee knowing Christ by reading of the Scriptures may also know him to bee Antichrist And to busie vs with some thing hee commaundâ— vs to reade lying Legends he commaunds vs to pray the Rosarie which Alanus with so great falsehood and impietie as we haue said in the life of Sistus 4. renewed So many Paternosters and so many Aue Maries before a câ—â—â—â—fixe before the Image of the virgin Mary or of this or that other he or she Saints he commaunds vs to pray To a certaine great Lady called Isabell graunted Pope Leo pardon of all her sinnes if kneeling in her owne lodging before the Image of any he or she Saint she should say fiue Paternosters and fiue Aue Maries Behold what agreement is there betweene the Aue Marta and the Crucifixe or the Paternoster and the virgin Mary What maner of prayer is this when he that prayeth neither knoweth nor vnderstandeth what he prayeth Oh blindnesse Oh ignorance The fourth opposiâ—ion Christ calleth vnto him all those that trauell and be afflicted in conscience that he may refresh them The Pope commands vs to goe to the virgin Marie and to hee and she Saints What other thing is this but to leaue the fountaine of liuing water as saith Ieremias and to dig pooles that can hold no water Between Christ and the Pope are there many other opposicions yet will we set downe but the last of all that Christ with great triumph is ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of his father And shamefully the Pope descendeth into hell and to the depth of hell falleth in the company of Iudas whose successor hee is and there by his owne Father the diuell shal be euerlastingly tormented Yee see here that the Pope is an aduersarie and opposeth and lifteth vp himselfe against all that is God or that is worshipped and sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to bee God By that which the Apostle saith that Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God hee giueth to vnderstand that Antichrist shall neither bee Turke Moore Iewe nor Pagan but a Christian and that professeth Christian religion The Pope sitteth in Rome a City very ancient in Christian Religion where were so many good Bishops for almost the space of 300 yeares which sealed with their bloud the Doctrine which preached and nowe also in Rome notwithstanding the tyranny of Antichrist hath God his Church as hee had in Sodome where was Lot and his familie That which Saint Paule saith that the comming of Antichrist shal be with great power signes and lying woonders is to be noted and all this shall hee doe by the working of Sathan Here also it appeareth that the diuell worketh his miracles Which confirmeth the Spanish prouerbe Sease milagro y hagalo eldiablo Be it a Miracle and the diuell doth it but all to decâ—iue The mightie power of the Pope who is ignorant of That which Christ of himselfe saith dareth the Pope to say of himselfe Data est mihi omnis potestas all power is giuen vnto mee O blasphemy intollerable As touching his signes and lying wonders the world is full The very papists themselues that haue any vnderstanding are ashamed of them But the simple the Idiots the vulgar sort beleeue and holde them for true miracles and for them rather will die then for the Doctrine of the Prophetes or Apostles or Christ Iesus himselfe whereof they are wholly ignorant Oh ignorant blindnesse and blinde ignorance How many Images haue spoken How many haue sweate and that droppes of bloud The ignorant people beleeueth that the beard haires and nayles of the crucifixe of Burgos doe grow How many miracles say they doe the Images of our Lady of Guadalupe and that of Monsarrate How many Captiâ—es deliuer they How many dead doe they rayse againe How many blind giue they sight vnto c. Either this which they say is vntruth and not therefore to bee beleeued or else verily doe they these miracles if they doe them by the operation of Sathan that the vnbeleeuers â—hich wil not beleeue the truth may beleeue lies as in this selfe same chapter Saint Paule doth aduise vs not to beleeue such miracles as are â—or founded vpon the word of God In the Treatise of the Masse more shal be said concerning miracles Not to make an Image nor any likenesse c. Not to worship or do them reuerence doth God commaund vs. To make Images to worship and doe reuerence vnto them doth the Pope commaund vs that purgatory should be better beleeued O how many mâ—râ—cles howe many dreames visions apparitions haue there bene only one I will recite which is read in the Enchiridion of times composed by Friar Alonso Venero Thus then saith hee fol. 118. In the yeare of our Lord 1164. a certaine holy Hermit before deceased appeared in visioÌ„ to the bishop of LigoniuÌ„ said vnto him there dyed in all parts
her the mother of whoredomes and abominations The same also is Rome fully and plainely What citie is there nowe in the worlde wherein are so great confusions of vices and so many thousands of common whoores which they call Curtisans of whom the Pope hath so great a rent that hee may make thereof a great inheritance Yet this is nothing compared with other infinite abominations which in Rome are committed What place in Christendome is the wicked sinne more suffered without punishment then in Rome This woman saith Saint Iohn was druken with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus How many and how many hath the Pope caused to be burned and to die by the sword for saying and beleeuing Iesus Christ to be our only and chiefe Bishop Intercessor and Mediator as the Apostle calleth him For beleeuing that the body which he once offered vpon the tree of the crosse is the onely and alone sacrifice wherewith the wrath of the Father is appeased For beleeuing that by faith onely without any respect of our owne workes we are iustified In our times of these threescore or fourescore yeares how much innocent bloud hath this rauening wolfe for this cause shed and spilled in Almaine France England and in Italy also and within fortie or fiftie yeares in our countrey of Spaine The fires and persecutions of Seuill Valladolid and other partes of Spaine do witnesse What satisfaction shall this so cruell beast make for one Doctour Constantine the onely pearle of our countrey of Spaine For one Doctour Vargas For Doctour Egidius For Don Iohn Ponce of Lyons sonne to the Countie of Baylen so neare kinsman to the Duke of Arcos For one Christopher de Arellano a man by the confession of the Inquisitors themselues most learned For one Ieronymo Caro For one Licenciate Iohn Gonçales For the Licenciate Losada All these were men of singular life which the Papistes themselues that knewe them cannot denie and godly they were in doctrine All these in Seuill and many others men and women were either condemned aliue or else vntombed being dead by the fire consumed At one time were all these and so all at one time almost burned in Seuill O Seuill Seuill that killest and burnest the prophetes which God sendeth vnto thee Name me some eight of thy seruants of the Pope at this day liuing in thee which aswell in life as doctrine may compare with or paragon those eight which I haue named as thou then burnedst As the bloud of Abell cried out to God so now the bloud of these Martyrs do likewise crie vnto God Vnder the ashes of these blessed men hath God hidden many small sparkles which when he shall please he will blowe away and so kindle them that a farre greater fire shall they make then that which is passed and so shall increase the number of the faithfull For the bloud of the martyrs is the seed of the Gospell Saint Iohn concludeth his chapter saying That this woman is the great Citie which reigneth ouer all the kings of the earth Is not this a mainifest description of the Court of Rome what other citie but Rome reigned ouer all the kings of the earth From all parts of the world they went to Rome The riches of the world they caried to Rome the Pope onely was king of kinges and Lord of Lordes And woe to him that should displease him Of the beast saith S. Iohn that he had 7 heads and 10 horns which S. Iohn himself declareth saying that the seuen heads which the beast hath are 7 mountaines The holy Spirit which spake this by the mouth of Saint Iohn nothing wanted but the naming of Rome The ancient Poets as Virgil Horace which liued in the time of Augustus Caesar the Emperour in whose time also S. Iohn liued called Rome Septicollis of 7 hils or mountaines The Grecians call it Eptalophos which is the same with Septicollis â—o seuer it from all the cities of the world this Epitheton they giue it Calepin Septicollis vrbis Romae Epitheton à septem collium numero imposituÌ„ Tertullian in the 35. chap. of his Apologie saith Ipsos Quirites ipsam vernaculaÌ„ septem collium plebem couenio c. Horace in the end of his Epodon Dijs quibus septem placuere colles Dicere carmen He speaketh of Rome And Virgil Aeneid 6. Septemque vna sibi muro circundedit arces And Propertius Septem vrbis alta ingis toto quae praesidet orbi As much to say as the loftie citie with seuen hils which is Lady of all the world The names of these seuen mountaines are Capitolino Palatino Quirinal Auentino Celio Viminal and Exquilino By these words of Saint Iohn we cleerely see that Antichrist hath his seat at Rome and no other there is that hath his seat at Rome but the Pope Therefore the Pope is Antichrist The ten hornes saith Saint Iohn be tenne kings subiect to Antichrist who stoutly fight in defeÌ„ce of their Monarch Antichrist they shall fight saith he against the Lambe What more sorcelesse thing is there without weapons and subtiltie then a Lambe Notwithstanding the weake simple and disarmed Lambe ouercommeth these ten kings which with Lyonlike Wolfe-like force rush vpon him and not preuaile And when by force they cannot as old Foxes by craft will they seeke to catch and kill him But come as they will the Lambe ouercomes them all Who is this Lambe The same is he of whom Saint Iohn saith that he is slaine from the beginning of the world How The slaine Lambe doth he ouercome Yea verily This is the power of God That Lambe he is of whom witnesseth the other Saint Iohn saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iesus Christ is this Lambe who killeth Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth as in handling the second passage which we alleaged of the Epistle to the Thessalonians we haue before declared Saint Iohn saith further That these ten hornes are ten kings who perceiuing the inuincible power of the impotent Lambe shall forsake Antichrist disgrace him make warre against him and destroy him Before 80 yeares past what king in Christendome durst whisper against the Pope All were his vassals all were his souldiers and all hee commanded But seeing the mortall wounds which the Lamb with his only word hath giuen the Pope How many haue forsaken him within these fourescore yeares In Almaine England Scotland Denmarke and Swethland we haue manifest examples France also and Polonia are falling away from the Pope Who so shall liue shall one day heare the same of Spaine God hath begunne his worke he will not leaue it imperfect nor yet end in the middest Behold how Daniel Paule and Iohn concurre and agree together All they three with one Spirite which caused them to speake declare that â—his soâ—e â—f perdition and man of Sinne shal be very abhominable in his life and much more
the supper of the Lord and not the Masse Call wee it then the supper of the Lord and not the Masse And chiefly the difference betweene the supper and the Masse beeing so great as wee shal see Concerning the name of Masse yet is it not concluded among the Romists themselues whence it is deriued Some say that it is deryued of this hebrew word Mas which signifieth trybute or taxe others sayd that it is Latine and that Missa is the same that Missio is as Remissa which word some of the ancients and chiefly Saint Ciprian vsed is the same that Remission is and others sayd other thinges The Masse as our aduersaries define it is a sacrifice whereby pardon is obtained for the sinnes of the quick and dead The Romists doe magnifie their Masse and that as they say for diuers reasons Eight of the chieffest whereof I will here set downe The first for that it is a sacryfice expiatorie The second in regard of him who instituted the same which as they say was Iesus Christ The third in regard of them that say it which were as they say Saint Peter Saint Iohn who was chaplaine say they of the virgine Mary Saint Iames and the other Apostles The fourth for the antiquitie of the Masse seeing all the Church from the death of Christ vntill now hath celebrated it with great reuerence God would neuer permit say they that his Church should so long time be deceiued The fift with many myracles which the Masse and their consecrate host haue done they confirme it which shew the holinesse and diuinitie that remayneth in the Masse The sixt they maintaine it saying that in the Masse are many good thinges taken out of holie scripture as the Epistle the Gospell the Hoc est corpus meum the Pater noster c. The seauenth that this sacrifice of the Masse say they was figured in Melchisedech who being a priest of the most high God offered bread and wine vnto him Malachie they say spake of the Masse when he said For from the rising of ths sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Incense shal be offered vnto my name and a pure offring 8. For the great profit which thereby we receaue doe they esteeme it Of all this they conclude that the masse is holy good blessed and diuine And that we for so shamelesly speaking against a thing so excellent which Iesus Christ ordayned his Apostles celebrated and all the Church Catholique worshippeth and honoreth are heretiques dogges c. In conclusion their Masse is their Helen for whom they trouble the whole world These be the principall reasons wherewith our aduersaries doe maintaine their Masse Whereunto inuocating the name of the Lord whose cause we deale in and here mainetaine in like order as we haue proposed them will we answere I beseech thee Christian reader for the zeale thou holdest of the glory of God the desire thou hast of the saluatiō of thine own soule attentiuely to read with ripe Iudgment to waigh the foresaid reasons and the answers which we will giue and that moreouer which wee shall say to this purpose See which of these two Doctrines doe agree and are more conformable with the squier and rule of holy scripture and that beleeue Bee not a beast vnderstanding and his law hath God giuen thee Consider well if thou be an idolater or no that nought therein befall thee but the saluation of thy soule Concerning the first where the Masse they say is a sacrifice to obtaine remision of sinnes c. I say by their leaue that the Masse is no sacrifice For were it a sacrifice it should not speaking properly be a sacrament And they affirme the Masse to be both a sacrifice and a Sacrament which cannot be For so great is the difference betweene a sacrifice and a sacrament as there is difference betweene giuing and taking The sacrifice is offered and presented vnto God The sacrament is taken and receiued of the hand of the Lord by the ministerie of the minister of his word The holie supper speaking properly is no expiatorie sacrifice for of this doe wee now speake but a sacrament of the precious bodie and blood of Iesus Christ our redeemer But improperly speaking it may bee called a sacrifice because a memoriall it is of that euerlasting and onely sacrifice which Iesus christ offered to his father vppon the alter of the Crosse And so vnderstand it the fathers when they call it a sacrifice Not that the supper is a sacrifice but a memorial of the sacrifice doe they vnderstand according to that which Christ speaketh of his supper saying Doe this in remembrance of me And Saint Paul to the same purpose saith Ye shall shew the Lords death till his comming againe And if the supper be no sacrifice much lesse shall the Masse be which they celebrate in the place of the supper Besides this were the Masse a sacrifice It should be either propitiatory which we also call expiatory or Eucharisticall to wit either offered for remission of sinnes or in thanksgiuing They will say vnto me as in the definition thereof they said that it is a sacrifice expiatory I say vnto them it cannot so be for no other expiatory sacrifice is there but only the death and passion of Iesus Christ An expiatorie sacrifice is that which is made to appease the wrath of God and to satisfie his iustice and in so doing doth purge and clense sinnes that the sinner beeing clensed from his filthinesse and sinnes and restored to the purity of righteounesse may be reduced into the fauour of God All this wholy and perfectly did the Lord by his death vppon the Crosse and hee onely and no other did sacrifice such kind of sacrifice For the vertue and efficacy hereof which Christ alone one only time offered is eternall And so said he in offering this sacrifice all is finished all is fullfilled asmuch to say That whatsoeuer was necessarie to reconcile vs with the father to obtaine remission of sinnes righteousnesse and saluation all this was ended and fulfilled with that onely sacrifice which Iesus Christ offered And so faulted hee nothing that no place might afterwardes remaine for any other sacrifice Hereuppon will we then conclude that it is an intollerable disgrace and monstrous blasphemy against Iesus Christ and against his sacrifice if any offer any other sacrifice besides that already offered or shall reitterate that which Christ before offered supposing by such sacrifice to obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes reconciliation with God and righteousnesse And what other thing is done in the Masse but that wee by the merit of a new sacrifice may bee made partakers of the death and passion of Christ Who so will well vnderstand this which wee saie concerning the onely expiatory sacrifice one onely time offered and neuer more iterated Let him read the
without any competency of Antichrist may reigne So be it Amen I haue long dwelled vpon this fourth answere for the matter so required considering that many simple people which not otherwise haue heard nor are able to vnderstand how God who loueth his Church would permit her so long time to be deceiued at the least with such a deceit of idolatrie are in this deceiued And so they and the rest shall see that not to be the truth which our aduersaries hold for for an oracle that the visible Church cannot erre God open their eyes that seeing they may see and hearing they may heare and so conuert and be saued Amen Only God is he which cannot erre but doth euer right But only his sonne Christ Iesus is he which sinned not which erred not neither was there any guile found in his mouth Onely the word of God abideth for euer And as often as the Church be she neuer so populous apparant shall depart from this word of God and shall not hold it for her squire rule and patterne she shall erre And the more she turneth away the more shall she erre But alwayes when she will be gouerned thereby she shall be established and shall neuer erre For the word of God saith Dauid is a lantern vnto our feet and a light vnto our paths The 5. reason wherewith they confirme their Masse is the great miracles which the Masse their consecrate hostes haue done Here will I recken some for to seeke to recken all should bee neuer to end Damascen among other great strange matters which he citeth in the sermon of the dead afterwards will wee speake of these wonders telleth for a great miracle a true fable and old womans tale One Macarius saith he desirous to know the state of the dead spake with the drie scull of one that was dead c. And that the same scull answered him that the soules of the dead are not so greatly tormented whilest the sacrifice of the Masse continueth Herehence our aduersaries conclude the Masse to be holy and good S. Cyprian an Author more ancient and autentike and a martyr of Iesus Christ reporteth a strange miracle which in his presence happened Thus then saith he I my self being present an eye witnes therof It chaÌ„ced that the pareÌ„ts of a yong girle flying making through great feare no reckening of their daughter they left her with the Nurse that brought her vp The Nurse hauing the abandoned childe caried her to the Magistrate gaue vnto this young girle before the idoll whereunto the people flocked a foppe wet in the wine that was left of the sacrifice of them which perished This sop gaue they vnto her for that by reason of her tendeâ— age she could not yet eate flesh the mother after this recouered her child but so much could the infant tell or declare the horrible fact it had committed as it could not before either vnderstand or auoyd it It happened that the mother brought her through ignorance when we were sacrificing as much to say as celebrating the supper of the Lord which in memorie of the sacrifice by the Lord once offered was celebrated but the infant mingled with the Saints vnable to abide our supplication and prayer nowe with shrikes tormented her selfe now with feruour of heart like a waue of the â—ea she cast her selfe to and fro as though a hangman had tormented her And with the tokens and shewes that the ignorant soule of her age and simplicitie might shee confessed the conscience of the deede But when the solemnities ended the Deacon began to present the cuppe to them that were present note the communion in both kindes and the others hauing taken it the turne came to her in the time of Saint Cyprian they also gaue the cup to young children the girle by very instinct of the diuine Maiestie turned away her face shut her mouth and forcing together her lippes refused the cuppe But all this notwithstanding albeit she refused the sacrament of the cuppe yet insisted the deacon and cast it into her mouth Then began she to sigh and vomite The Eucharist could not stay in a body and mouth which were filthy The drinke sanctified in the bloud of the Lord note that he calleth the wine in the supper drinke sanctified in the bloud of the Lord with furie departed from the polluted intralles so great is the power of the Lord so hreat is his maiestie c. Hitherto Saint Cyprian Of this miracle Saint Augustine also in the 23. Epistle maketh mention reciting it there so certaine authours and more Saint Cyprian saith that hee was an eye-witnesse I assuredly beleeue that so it happened But the same will I not say of that recounted by Damâ—scen noâ— of that which now I will declare Albeit reported by Pius the second In the description of Europe cap. 21. Pius the second speaking of Estiria a prouince of Almaine saith these words It is said and is a thing common among theÌ„ of Estiria that there was a certain Gentleman who manie times purposed to hang himselfe which much displeasing hm he went to a certaine learned person to demaund remedie against this temptation The counsell that hee gaue him was this that he should carie his owne priest euery day to say Masse in a solitary rocke where he dwelled The Gentleman obeyed and so continued for a yeere and neuer after came into his memorie this wicked thought Afterwards the Priest craueth of him licence to goe and ayde another Priest his neighbour which dwelled in another mountaintaine neare adioyning to celebrate the feast of the dedicatioÌ„ of the Church The Gentleman was contented that the Priest shuld go purposing in himself to follow speedily heare Masse The Caualleâ—o busied now with one thing then with another stayed long after In the end almost at the middle of the day he departed and in the way encountred a certaine villaine which said vnto him The Masse in the other mountaine is already ended and the people departed The Gentleman sorrowing at this newes and calling himselfe vnluckie for not seeing that day the body of Christ the villaine began to cheare him and said vnto him that he would sell him the merite which he had gotten by hearing of Masse if the other would buy it and demaunded for a price of the Gentleman his coat for know this that among the Papists one selleth his merits to another as if there were some that had done more thereof then hee ought wherewith he might do what he pleased The sale made and passed the knight notwithstanding went vp into the mountaine and made his prayers in the Church And as he returned he found the villaine hanged vpon a tree and neuer afterwards was troubled with wicked temptations Hitherto Pope Pius the second If this were truth who ought not to worship the Masse But either it was a lie or if it so happened it was one of
denote that this Incense and offering is not to be carnal but spirituall What agreement hath this with the Masse Which is a diuelish inuentioÌ„ prophaneth the holy supper Other places of the scripture alleage they for confirmation of their Masse But with as great faithfulnesse and as much to the purpose As these two of Mechilzedeck and Malachy which by that is said may easily be answered The 8 reason wherewith our aduersaries do magnifie their masse is for the great good profit that therof they receiue And of al these reasons others such like which they alleadge they coÌ„clude vs to be heretiques dogs worse theÌ„ Iewes Turkes Because we so shamelesly speake against the Masse which Iesus Christ instituted his Apostles said all the Church Catholike vnto this day hath celebrated c. They say then that besides the oblatioÌ„ and sacrifice which Iesus Christ hath made vppon the Crosse of his body and of his blood for remission of our sinnes to reconcile vs with God and to obtayne for vs life eternall hee hath ordayned the Priestes which be successors of the Apostles to consecrate in the Masse the bread and wine to transubstantiate it in the body and bloud of Christ to sacrifice and offer vnto God the father that body and that blood for the remission of our sinnes and to obtaine all that is necessarie for vs both in body soule And what greater good then this say they can be This sacrifice say they also doth much profit the dead to allay the paines which they haue to suffer and doe suffer in purgatory As we cited before of the dead maÌ„s scul of Macharius reported by Damascen Who so lusteth to knowe the profits of the Masse Let him read the Spanish houers he shall find very many Amongst others there mentioned be these which follow as much worth is the masse as is the passion of Iesus Christ Also that he which heareth it waxeth not old whilst he heareth it Also that hee shall not loose that day the light of his eyes Also that he shal not die an euil death also that he which shal haue seen the body of the Lord if that day he shal die sodenly that it is taken for comunicating he may not feare to be condemned And al this say they that S. Iohn Chrisostom S. Augustine S. Ierom say for they knew how to raise false testimonies These Articles of faith haue the inquisitors of our countrey of Spaine many yeares ago yeelded to goe among the houers which coÌ„monly are praied And if now they haue caused theÌ„ to be taken away and not suffered them to be printed in this yet doe they shew their ignorance that for so many yeares they haue suffered and commanded that with their license they should print them The cause that they now fall in account is that so grosse and abhominable lies more serue at this day to make wary the people then to deceaue them And therefore permit they such things more to be printed We say then that the Masse procureth vs no good at all but great mischiefe rather As after we shall see Now that we haue answered to the reasons wherewith our aduersaries thinke to mainetaine their Masse for more confutation thereof we will now likewise set downe some notable domages which it causeth and great aduersaries which necessarily follow the popish Doctrine of the masse And I will not be much curious in seting down here al the domages absurdities which follow of the masse for that should be neuer to end Only wil I set down such as most fitly come to mind for the preseÌ„t I say then that the Masse causeth many domages First it prophaneth the holy supper of the Lord suppressing and despising his death passion 2. In it they inuocate the dead saints 3. In it dead saints are placed for intercessors 4. The priests that saith it holde hee intention to consecrate or not and the people that heare it commit idolatrie Fiftly The Masse mainetaineth many other abuses besides the Idolatrie of transubstantiation As the worshipping of Images and the inuention of Purgatorie which is a common cutpurse Sixt. In the masse defraud they the people of the halfe of the Sacrament and this halfe doe they giue seldome and wickedly Seuenthly And put case the Masse were good yet is it said in a straunge Language which the people vnderstand not and with such gesture mouing childish toyes apish fopperies that rather prouoke laughter then deuotion These seuen domages wee proue by the same order as we propounded them And that the masse derogateth from the passion of Christ is clerely sene For the Masse which for this cause was ordayned that a hundred thousand sacrifices should euery one day be offered what doth it pretend but that the passioÌ„ of Iesus Christ wherin he offered himseâ—â—e and this once by one only sacrifice remaineth buried and cast in a corner Who will thinke to be redeemed by the death of Christ when he shall see a new redemption in the Masse Who will beleeue his sins to be pardoned by the death passion of Christ when he shal see a new remission of sins in the Masse Inuocation is a high worship seruice which is only due to God For in him only we beleeue how saith S. Paule shall we call vpon him in whom we haue not beleeued So that inuocation presupposeth faith such a faith as is founded vpon the word of God the Nicen creed they sing in their Masse which beginneth Credo in vnum Deum I beleeue in one only God If in one only God we ought to beleeue one only God ought we to inuocate The which inuocation being done in faith God promiseth that he will heare it Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord saith Ioel shall escape c As S. Paule Rom. 10. 13. and Saint Peter Acts 2. 21. doe interpret it shal bee saued Also that only God ought to be inuocated is by this reason proued Sacrifice is only due to the true God this our aduersaries will not deny inuocation is a sacrifice As saith the Psal 50. 14. Sacrifice vnto me praise or as saith the common edition The sacrifice of praise The sacrifice of praise commendeth the Apostle Hebr. 13. 15. and Hosea 14. 3 that we shal offer to God Therefore Inuocation sith it is a sacrifice to God onely ought it to bee offered But our aduersaries forsaking the fountaine of liuing waters haue digged them broken cesternes which can holde no water They leaue to call vppon God and inuocate the Saints And Saints sometime also that it is not knowne who they bee and some of them it may bee that are burning in hell An example haue we hereof in the prayer of S. Roccus which togither with the Crowne of our Lady in the 1581 yeare was printed in the house of Iohn Gutierres in Siuell The praier saith thus God which
to the blessed Roccus diddest promise a table which an Angel caried that hee which shall pittiously inuocate him may not bee offended with the affliction of the pestilence c. This prayer of Roccus I put for example because it came first to hand Many other examples may bee drawne from their Masses For what doe they in all their prayers which they make to the Saintes but call vppon them requesting them to doe this or that There is no commandement either in the olde or newe Testament wherein God commandeth vs to call vpon any other then himselfe Call vpon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt honor me He neuer saith Call vpon such or such an Angel vpon this or that other Saint vpon Abraham Samuel Dauid Esay c. Iesus Christ when his Apostles besought him to teach them to pray did not command them to call vpon his mother vpon such or such a Saint but he commaunded them to call vpon God and of him should they demaund whatsoeuer they had need of as well for the body as the soule All which is contained in the prayer that he taught them Our Father c. And as there is no commandement to call vpon any other then vpon God So is there no example of any the faithfull either in the old or newe testament that hath called vpon any other then God alone Secure wee are of the infinite goodnesse loue and power of God Assured we are that wheresoeuer wee shall be albeit in the belly of the whale or in the fierie furnace and shall call vpon him he heareth vs. But of the Saints will we not say so much whose goodnesse charitie and power is limitted and communicated of that infinite Only God is infinite and so is in euerie place The Saints be finite and therefore cannot be in euerie place so can neither heare nor see our miseries and necessities And seeing we intreat of inuocation reason would wee should say something of prayer because inuocation is so commonly called Prayer is a certaine familiar conference discourse which the faithfull soule hath with her God wherein she sheweth all her necessities that he is as a Lord may not only beare theÌ„ but also as a father may prouide for them and beleeueth that his Maiestie will so do and so he doth the same Prayer is a lifting vp of the soule vnto God Prayer is a ladder by the which the soule mounteth from this vale of teares from this gulfe of miseries and pierceth all the heauens and stayeth not vntill it present it selfe before God and propose vnto him all her necessities beleeuing as a good father that he will prouide for them This Ladder of Prayer hath foure stages The Ladder of Prayer 1 Necessitie constraineth vs to pray 2 The Commandement of God commandeth it 3 The Promise maketh vs assured to be heard 4 Faith obtaineth that which is prayed for Man of his owne nature and condition is so euill of himselfe so haughty and proud that did not necessitie constraine him hee would neuer subiect himselfe to God nor yet call vppon him For this cause sayd Dauid Psal 119. verse 71. It is good for me that thou hast humbled or cast me downe and a little before hee had sayd Before I was humbled or abased I went astray The good which Dauid drewe of this deâ—ection and euery Christian ought to drawe the same is that hee humbled himsefe before God and called vpon him The Saints seeing themselues oppressed with afflictions and sorrowes doe acknowledge their offences and call vpon God So did Dauid when he said When I was in trouble I called vpon the Lord and he heard me But when the wicked be afflicted they blaspheme against God and dispaire This is a marke by which the children of God doe differ from those which bee not his The second stage is that God commaundeth vs to call vpon him Call vpon me in the time of tribulâ—tion Pfal 50. 15. The third stage is That the Promise doth make vs assured to bee heard And so when God commaundeth Dauid to call vpon him hee promiseth that he will deliuer him and addeth that when the afflicted calleth vpon God hee doth him great seruice And thou shalt honour me saith he Also Psal 91. vers 15. hee saith He shall call vpon me and then promiseth and I vvill heare him I vvill be vvith him in trouble I vvill deliuer him and glorifie him In diuerse places doth the holy Scripture promise that hee which shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall bee saued but in no place doth it promise ayde succour or saluation to him that shall call vpon any other be hee neuer so holy then God The fourth stage is Faith obtaineth that which is prayed for Whatsoeuer ye desire when yee pray Christ sayth Mark 11. 24. beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall bee done vnto you This faith had Dauid Psal 4. 4. when hee sayd The Lord will heare me when I call vpon him The eleuenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues confirmeth this with many examples Reade this whole chapter for therein is liuely set forth the power and efficacie of fayth without the which saith he it is impossible to please God If the heart bee not sincere simple and pure albeit one crie vnto God he will not heare him as he heard not Esau albeit he prayed with teares neither heard he Saul nor many others of a double heart and to make the heart perfect only faith sufficeth Faith then is that which obtaineth that which we pray for The commandement which commandeth vs to pray is of God and not of the creatures The promise which maketh vs assured to be heard God not the creatures maketh The faith that obtaines that which is prayed for is faith in God and not in the creatures Hereupon with great reason will we conclude that this ladder of prayer which hath such stages bringeth vs not to the creatures but to the creator to only God omnipotent Him only let vs worship him only let vs call vpon to him onely let vs pray for so doing sure we are we shall not be confounded He grant vs the grace that we may truly feele our necessitie and miserie and feeling it may call vpon him being assured that for his goodnesse promise sake and for the sacrifice wherewith his only begotten sonne reconciled vs to him he will heare vs. There is no Masse which is not full of intercessions of Saints and the Priest also which saith it presumeth to be a mediatour and intercessour with God that he may pardon the sinnes of those for whom he saith his Masse be they quicke or dead And not for men onely intreateth hee but also for Christ himselfe praying the Father to receiue and accept him as hee accepted the scacrifice of Abel Abraham and Melchisedech Whereof we will entreat in the
which likenes it appeareth that he wold say that as in Christ remain two natures diuine and humane So in the same maner are the two natures preserued in the Sacrament That of the bread which is seene and that of the body of Christ which is not seene In the second booke and third epistle he also sayeth So that the body of Christ cannot be floure onely Nor water only But both doe meete and couple together and with the meeting togither and vnion of one bread become firme with which and the same sacrament our People is shewed to be coupled Athanasius expounding these words If any man shall speake a word against the Sonne of man it shall be forgiuen him but he which speaketh against the holy spirit c. saith And how great is the body that all the world is to eate of And concludeth that this is spiritually to be vnderstood and hereby that in this place the Lord speaketh of his ascention against the Capernaits Basil in his Liturgie calleth the bread of the sacrament Antitypon of the body of Christ to wit an example or patterne of the like forme And after the consecration he calleth it so also Dionysius de Ecclesiastica Hierarchia cap. 3. saith The Bishop vncouereth the couered and vndiuided bread and parting it in peeces c. Saint Ambrose vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians saith When it is said that this is done in memorie of Christ and of his death we by eating and drinking do signifie the flesh and bloud of Christ which haue bene offered In the same place also he saith We receiue the mysticall cup in type or figure of the bloud of Christ Also in the fourth booke De Sacramentis and fourth chap. where he setteth downe the change of the symbols he handleth also our change into Christ but for all this those that receiue the Sacrament are not transubstantiated into Christ Also in the same chapter he saith So that we affirme How can that which is bread be the body of Christ by consecration And then If the word of the Lord haue so much power that the things which were not begin to be how much more powerfull shall it be to cause that these things remaine which haue their being and be changed into another thing Saint Ierome vpon Saint Matthew saith clearely that in the bread and the wine is represented the body and bloud of Christ Chrysostome vppon the second to the Corinthians sayth Not onely that which is set before vs vppon the table but the poore also is the body of Christ to whom wee are bound to doe good for he that sayd this is my body with his mouth sayd also that he it was which receiued the benefite and that hee in the poore was in necessitie Also in the eleuenth Homily vppon Matth. In opere imperfecto he saith In the holy vessels is neither the bodie of Christ nor his bloud but the mystery of the bodie and bloud of Christ Also vpon the twelfth chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians Hom. 27. he saih So that Christ in the bread and wine sayd Doe this in remembrance of me In declaring also these wordes vppon the twentie third Psalme Thou hast prepared a table before me saith So that the bread and the wine in the Sacrament is shewed vnto vs in the similitude of the bodie and bloud of Christ c. Also writing to Cesarius against Apollinarius and others which confounded the diuinitie and humanitie of Christ this Epistle is found in the Librarie of Florence he saith For euen so the bread before it bee sanctified wee call bread but the diuine grace signifying this the bread by meanes of the Priest is freed from the name of bread and is found worthy to be called the bodie of the Lord albeit the nature of bread remaine stil in it In verie manie places is Saint Augustine wholly for vs and roundly confirmeth our doctrine Vppon the fourescore and second Psalme hee saith Thou art not to eate that which thou seest nor art thou to drinke this bloud which they haue to poure out That which I say is a mysterie which will quicken being spiritually vnderstood Also in the Treatise De Fide ad Petrum chap. 19. hee calleth it the Sacrament of bread and wine Also against Faustus the twentith booke and twentie first chapter he sayth In the old Testament vnder the similitude of the sacrifices to wit of the beastes sacrificed the flesh and bloud of Christ was promised vnto vs vpon the crosse was it really giuen but in the Sacrament for a memoriall it is celebrated Let vs well consider these three times noted by Saint Augustine and the great difference there is After one sort gaue Christ himselfe in the olde Testament after another vpon the crosse and after another in the Sacrament of the Supper Also De Ciuitate Dei the 21. booke and the twentie fift chapter he clearelie affirmeth that the wicked eate not the matter of the Sacrament to wit the bodie of Christ And so saith he It is not to be thought that hee which is not in the bodie of Christ and in whom Christ is not nor he in Christ eateth the body of Christ Also in the twentith Treatise vppon Saint Iohn hee saith the same Against Adimantus also a Manachie chap. 12. he saith The Lord doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue notwithstanding the signe of his body In this sheweth Saint Augustine the words of Christ This is my body ought not to bee fully vnderstood according as they sound but by trope or figure and so saith hee that this manner of speech is like to that alleaged out of the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomie verse 23. The bloud is the life Also De doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 16. Hee sheweth that which Christ in the sixt chapter of Iohn vseth Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man c. to bee a figuratiue maner of speech the reason which hee giueth is because it seemeth to commaund a great wickednesse For to eate the flesh of a man is a greater crueltie then to kill him and to drinke his bloud then to shed it And therefore saith Saint Augustine that it is a figure which commaundeth vs sweetely and profitably to remember that the flesh of Christ was crucified and wounded for vs. Also in the Epistle to Boniface sayth The Sacramentes take their names of those thinges whereof they are Sacraments These wordes as wee haue noted tooke Saint Augustine from Saint Cyprian and excellently nameth the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ in a certaine manner to bee the bodie of Christ and then sayth The Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is the bloud of Christ Vpon the eight Psalme he also saith Christ receiued Iudas vnto his banquet when hee commended the figure of his bodie Let that which wee haue already sayd of this glorious Doctor suffice Leo
Priest to giue vs the Sacrament but we must vnderstand the stretched out hand of Christ to doe this By all this varietie of speach what think we sought Chrisostome to doe but to drawe the mindes of the Communicants from the consideration of the outward signes and figures visible and subiect to perish and to make them consider the heauenly and diuine things which by them be figured This glorious Father then would that in communicating we should so celebrate the memorie of the death and passion of Christ as if then at the same instant that we communicate his body were crucified his bloud were shed for vs. Would God that all Christians when they communicate would haue this consideration meditation other fruit should they then receiue of the cōmunion The faithfull beleeuing the Euangelicall doctrine and celebrating the holy Supper are present as it were at the condemnation and death of the Lord this is the memorie commanded them to doe and so saith Saint Paul to the Galathians That before their eyes was Christ condemned among them crucified As touching that of Saint Augustin which they obiect vnto vs that Christ bare himselfe in his hands We denie it not For what inconuenience is it that Iesus Christ with his hands hath borne his owne body if by the body we vnderstand the Sacrament of his body And that this was his meaing hee himselfe a little lower declareth when hee saith Quodam modo in a certaine maner not simply To the other which they say of Saint Augustin that the flesh of Christ ought to be adored in the Sacrament We denie not the flesh of Christ in so much as it is conioyned with the Diuinitie from the which it neuer departeth ought to be worshipped For whosoeuer otherwise shall simply worship the flesh of Christ not respecting the hypostaticall vnion which is betweene the flesh and the Diuinitie in Christ shall commit idolatrie for only God onely his Diuinitie ought to be worshipped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Deut. chap. 6. vers 13. Who so listeth to see how much Saint Augustine is for vs and how much against the Transubstantiation of our aduersaries and this not in one place by chance but in manie let him reade that which we haue alreadie alleaged S. Hillarie in the place cited against vs groundeth his argument vpon the truth of the Sacraments the which doe really and truly seale giue and present that which they represent vnto vs. We receiue then in the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ the true body and bloud of Christ and make our selues one selfe same thing with him and this spiritually by faith as so often we haue sayd which vnion is not onely made in the Eucharist but also in Baptisme And so the same Hillarie a little before he had sayd those wordes of the Eucharist had sayd the same of Baptisme saying that by it we are conioyned with Christ and amongst our selues And this not by vnion of consent and will only but also of nature let them also put Transubstantiation in the water of Baptisme As touching that which they say of Leo the first wee confesse the same which he saith that Christ is made our flesh and that we doe passe into his flesh As touching Damascen there is no doubt but that he is wholly for them As appeareth in the place against vs alleaged This Damascen by nation and profession was a Iew vntill hee came to Constantinople and was conuerted and being conuerted became a Monke He liued in the time of the Emperour Leo Isauricus About the 720. yeare when the Moores a fewe yeares before hauing passed the Straights of Gibraltar had by the chastisement of God subdued almost all our country of Spaine Some things he wrote wherein are found many wonders superstitions and erours I will here set downe some that the credite may be seene that to such an authour is due A great defender hee was of Images They are not only to be made saith he but also to be honored and reuerenced The which is contrary to the second comaundement Thou shalt not make to they self any grauen Image Thou shalt not worship nor honour them The reliques of Saints he much esteemed and doubted not to call them fountaines of the giftes of God He dared to say that wee ought with faith to honor dead saints the which is blasphemy For in one only God ought we to beleeue As we confesse in the beginning of the Nicene Creed Speaking of Purgatory to confirme it he reporteth great wonders hee telleth how Traian the Emperour who was a pagan an Idolaten a great persecuter of the Christians by the praiers of S. Gregory went out of the paines of hell c. Also that the soule of a woman called Falconilla a Pagan went out of hell whither for her idolatrie she was condemned and this by the prayers of one which he calleth Primera a martyr Frier Iohn de Pineda libr. 18. cap. 24. ◠1. telleth another such like tale and this it is Zenoras whom he calleth a noble Historian saith that the Empresse besought the Patriarch bishops and religious persons to pray for the soule of the Emperour Theophilus her hushand and that they obtayned pardon for his offences but I saith Pineda hold it very doubtfull seeing that he dyed an obstinate heretike And then I will leaue mine opinion founded vpon the rootes of faith One of which saith that where the tree falleth there shall it euer remaine and another that in hell there is no redemption and another that grace deuideth betweene the sonnes of the kingdome and of hell c. For the selfe same causes say we that which Damascen sayth of the soules of Traian and Falconilla to be lies Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian sayth that that which is sayd of the soule of Traian is a meere fable and iest Doctour Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie the first holdeth it for certaine truth and condemneth Pero Mexia Also saith Damascen that one Macarius consulting with a drie scull knew many thinges of the state of the dead and what is to be a Nigromancer if this be not This Macarius sayth hee wontedly prayed for the dead and desired to know if such prayers did ought auaile them and if they receiued any comfort by them He sayth that God a louer of soules willing by manie and firme arguments to declare this to his seruaunt inspired into the drie skull the word of truth For these words the skull pronounced When thou prayest for the dead some small consolation wee feele c. Also hee reporteth that one sawe a a Disciple of his which had liued a life somewhat dissolute burning in the fire whose body was in the flame euen to the throate Afterwardes by the prayers of the Maister The same Maister himselfe sawe him in the fire vp to the middle and afterwardes praying eftsoones for
league distant from Siuill They said vnto him How darest thou I pray thee stretch out thy handes stayned with vniust slaughter and bloud to receaue with the same the holy bodie of the Lord Or thou that moued with the fury of wrath so much bloud so wickedly hast spilled how wilt thou apply to thy mouth his venerable bloud depart then c. Sozomenus lib. 7. cap. 24. maketh also mention of this Historie The same S. Ambrose in the funerall oration which he made at the death of Theodosius maketh mention of Theodosius his repentaunce Were there many Ambroses There would bee many Theodosies The cause will I here briefly tell why Saint Ambrose depriued him of the holy supper They of Thessalonica murdred a Tribune in a popular tumult the Emperour Theodosius hearing it was so highly offended that hee caused seuen thousand men to bee slayne Pero Mexia writing the life of this Theodosius applyeth this to his Masse which is so much against it Hee saith that Theodosius the day following would go to the Temple to pray and heare Masse as he was saith he accustomed c. And note the affected malice of Pero Mexia That he alleaged not the author of this his saying That Theodosius went to heare Masse which he would haue done had any said it Maliciously he concealeth the name of Theodoret because it made against his Masse which he so much adored Two things may we note in this saying of S. Ambrose First that he which did communicate toke the sacrament with his handes and not with his mouth a childe when they giue it pappe This sacrament is not for Infants which cannot eate strong meates but it is for people that haue discretion can eat a peece of bread and drinke a boule of wine And so saith Christ vnto them Take eate Take drinke He saith not Open thy mouth receaue therewith the bread The second thinge which we are to note in this saying of Saint Ambrose is that the sacrament to the faithful was giuen in both kinds in bread wine For to eate without drinking what doth it profit the body Both the one the other haue we noted in the place of S. Cyprian before aleaged Also lib. 4. De sacramentis cap. 5 these words saith the same S. Ambrose In the distribution of the bodie bloud of Christ the priest said Take the body of the Lord Take the bloud of Christ Whereunto the commucant answered Amen The second Doctour is Saint Ierome Where speaking vppon the second chapter of Malachy saith The priest which consecrateth the bread of the supper and distributeth the blood of the Lord to the people Saint Augustine is full of notable sayings confirming our Doctrine of the communion in both kindes Of which I will alleage one or two to auoyd tediousnesse How saith Saint Augustine lib. 5. Hypognost Tom. 7. dost thou promise the life of the kingdome of heauen to Babes not regenerate of water and the holie Ghost nor nourished with the flesh nor watered with the blood of Christ c. Also in the first Epistle to Ianuarius Some saith he doe euery day communicate the body and the bloud of Christ others c. This is most certaine that in the time of S. Cyprian and of S. Augustine and long time also after the Eucharist was giuen in both kindes and that to Infants As Erasmus noteth it The fourth Doctor which is S. Gregory now remayneth whom we may iustly intitle the last bishop of Rome and his successor Boniface 3. may we call the first Pope because he would be wholy Pope calling himselfe by the ayd of that murderer Phocas vniuersall Bishop Saint Gregorie then saith you haue learned what the bloud of the Lambe is and this not by hearing but by drinking his bloud to wit as often we haue said the sacramēt of his bloud is shed into the mouths of the faithful Here you see al the foure Doctors of the Church confirme our Doctrine Why then doe our aduersaries deny it And what say I of foure doctors reade they all the ancient Doctors as wel Greeks as Latins all are found to be for vs. And many years also after Saint Gregorie when all things as it were went to ruine this custom continued not as a custome but as a law inuiolable was it holdē for the reuerence of the diuine institution was yet on foot in it being to separate those things which God hath ioyned they doubted not to be sacrilege So said Gelasius Bish of Rome as de Consecratione dist 2. cap. Comperimus it is alleaged we haue vnderstood saith he that some hauing only taken the body of the Lord doe absent themselues from the cuppe who for as much as they sinne of superstition must bee compelled to receiue entirely the whole Sacrament or to abstaine from the whole For the diuision of this misterie cannot be without great sacrilege Our aduersaries then in diuiding this mysterie by the saying of Gelasius be superstitious Church-robbers In the 3. Councell of Toledo 2. Cannon And in the conclusion of the sayd Councell the symbol of our faith is commaunded to be said before the communion of the body and bloud of Christ according to the custome of the East the reason which the Councell giueth is that the people should confesse that which they beleeue and so hauing hearts purified by faith are said to receiue the body and bloud of Christ In this Councell was present the Catholike king Ricaredo as by the prayers which hee made in the Councell appeareth The 7. Domage that the Masse causeth is that suppose the Masse were good celebrated as it ought to be celebrated yet in a strange tongue is it sayd that the people vnderstand it not sometimes also be himself that faith it vnderstandeth not that which he saith which is against the commandement of S. Paul who commandeth that all be done with comelinesse order And what comelines or order is there where the people heare a language which they vnderstand not and so know not whether the Priest doth blesse or curse them The same Apostle saith that the vse of tongues not vnderstood albeit to the praise of God is vnprofitable in the Church And therefore without interpretation of that which is said ought not to be vsed Read 1. Cor. 14. 8. where he saith If the trumpet shall giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to the battell So likewise you by the tongue except ye vtter words that haue signification how shall it be vnder flood that which is spoken For ye shall speake in the aire c. And therefore in the 19. verse he sayth I would rather speake fine words in the Church with vnderstanding that is to say that may be vnderstood thereby also to instruct others then tenne thousand wordes in a tongue to wit that the people vnderstand not The same Apostle in the 27. verse commandeth that if
the Alarabes which occupied the best part of Spaine vsed the same from the time of Saint Llefonso Archbishop of Toledo and Saint Isidor Archbishop of Seuill In the end and time of Gregorie the seuenth forcibly constrained by Don Alonso the sixt which wan Toledo at the instigation of Queene Constance a French woman after many great contentions and not without teares leauing their countrie rite they receiued the French or Roman rite Which rite notwithstanding could not so be rooted out but that it still remained and yet doth remaine in some Churches and Chappels of Toledo Verie largely is this discourse in the generall historie of Spaine made in the name of Don Alonso the tenth It is also found in the historie of Don Rodrigo a most graue Historiographer of Toledo Hitherto Cassander Iohannes Vasseus heereof maketh mention speaking in his Chronicle of the destruction of Spaine which happened in the time of King Don Rodrigo The Christians saith this Authour which remained in Spaine had libertie of their Christian religion vntill the time of Don Alonso the seuenth in whose time came out of Affrike the Almohades which suffered no Christian to liue in the Christian religion These Christians which liued among the Moores were called Mosarabes to wit mingled with the Alarabes and their diuine Office composed by Saint Leander and Saint Isidor was called the Mosarabish Office He saith also This Office at this day is called Mosarabe and is vsed in sixe parishes in Toledo and in the Cathedrall Church in the Chappell of Cardinall Francisco Ximenez On certaine dayes of the yeare in Salamanca is it also vsed in the Chappell of Doctor Talauera Others say they are called Muçarabes with ç not with s of Muça the Moorish Captaine which wan Spaine and gaue libertie to the Christians to liue in the Christian religion After this describeth Vasseus what maaner of Office is this Mosorabe and how it is celebrated But I much feare me that the Office Mosorabe now in the foresayd places celebrated either by adding or diminishing is much different from that which Saint Leander and Saint Isidor made a thousand yeares past Of this I feare me because the Popes haue bene verie diligent in taking away that which hath bene contrarie to their doctrine and in adding that which made for them And so suspect I many of the ceremonies and garments that now as saith Vasseus are vsed in the Office Mosorabe In this opinion doe I strengthen my selfe seeing that among other names of Saints in the Office Mosorabe named are named Ambrose Augustine Fulgentius Leander Isidor And it is not to bee thought that Saint Leander and Saint Isidore which composed this Gothish Office would put their owne names among the names of the Saints and so thinke I that they haue much added and taken away to and from the Office Mosorabe to make it hold affinity with the Masse which now they say and so to declare it almost all to be one But be it as it will be either that they haue added vnto it or taken from it or not I hold for a more sure thing the simplicitie and maner which Iesus Christ his Apostles and Martyrs vsed in celebration of the holy supper in the primitiue Church Imbrace we then the first institution which the Euangelists and Saint Paul 1. Cor. 11. recite and so shall we not erre By that we haue said in this Appēdix thou shalt see most deerly beloued Spaine God for his mercy open thineeies the account which the Pope his cleargy make of the Sacrament albeit they affirme it to be God not bread nor wine It they vse to reuenge their wrongs hatreds and malice and so in Florence was the eleuation the signe to begin the murder With it they poison as a little before we haue said They vse it for an Harbenger sending it one or modaies iornies before atended with the basest sort of people as in the beginning of this booke we haue declared For coniuration they vse it as did Gregory the seuenth and because the sacrament did not answer him he cast it into the fire and burned it The Dominicans of Auserra did also burne it and the Franciscans de Alta villa burned the Chough and in burning the Chough they burned the Sacrament which she had eaten c. And the booke which they call de Cautelis commanded in such cases that they should so do And when the Sacrament for want of renewing in time is become mouldy it commandeth it to be burned and the ashes to be kept Molon the Inquisitor clipped it also The book of the Roman Office also was burned the Gothish remaining miraculously safe and sound as reporteth Don Rodrigo Archbishop of Toledo before alleaged Also seeing the diuell vseth it to deceiue as he deceiued the Pope when he told him hee should not die vntill he had said Masse in Ierusalem before by vs mentioned vpon the life of Syluester the second and to cause idolatrie as we haue seene in Magdalen de la Cruz and in the foure Fryars which were hanged in Siuill which had no intention to consecrate and so did not consecrate and in the clearke which sayd not the words of consecration and in them that Constantine 2 Pope Ione ordayned who had intention to consecrate but not being priests as before we haue said did not consecrate What shall we hereupon conclude Two things the first that the Popes and their ecclesiasticall rable which doe such things be Atheistes without any God or religion The 2. That their Massall sacrament albeit they say though many of themselues beleeue it not the same to be Gods is no God but an Idoll set in the place of God and as God worshipped And if this be so why then do they persecute them with fire bloud which so taught by the holy scripture do well know the Masse it misfall sacrament to be a prophanation of the holie supper of the Lord to be a terrible abhomination and Idolatrie The Masse hath no agreemēt with the holy supper which the Lord instituted which his disciples did celebrate Compare the one with the other the which we wil do at the end of this Treatise aswel touching the substaunce of that which is giuen as also the ceremonies with which it is giuen And it is euidently to be seene that there is no more agreement betweene the holy supper the diuelish Masse then there is betweene light and darknesse betweene good euill betweene truth falshood betweene Christ and Beliall I haue passed by the Lordes assistaunce whom with my whole hart I beseech to direct my steppes two terrible labyrinthes of filthinesse and Idolatrie which are the Pope aud his Masse Now by the same assistaunce wee will enter into the most pleasant garden into the most sweete and most holie orchard and garden full of all consolation and comfort Which is the Treatise of the true priest and of the true Sacrifice which this
our cause which is his because it is the vndeceiueable truth which his maiesty in his holy Scripture hath reuealed Concerning the lies false doctrine of the authority of the Pope the holines of the Masse which our aduersaries maintaine persecuting with fire bloud all those that beleeue it not nor worship it therefore trouble they the world as at this day we see it troubled We assuredly know that it shall perish According to that which the Lord saith Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the roote And we haue the axe which is the word of God put to the root of the two trees the Pope the masse to cut them downe I beseech the Lord our God Christian reader which hath giuen thee a desire and will to be informed to know the causes why we subiect not our selues to the Pope nor wil heare his Masse but rather detest and abhor the one the other that he would please to lighten thine vnderstanding that thou maist comprehend what in these two Treatises haue bin said confirmed not with the sayings of men but of God himselfe of his holy Scripture giue thee such a mind and strength that thou maist wholly depart out from this wicked Babylon which is Rome deliuer thee from all the enormities abominations horrible superstitions and detestable idolatries which Rome hath inuented among which the principal is the Masse These idolatries without doubt be the chiefe cause original and fountaine of all miseries calamities and warres where with they that are called Christians be at this day afflicted For if God in the primitiue Church plagued with infirmities death the Corinthians for the abuses which they had brought into the holy supper the Apostle S. Paul yet liuing which he reporteth in his first epistle that he sent them what shal we say this selfe same Lord wil now do when the malice impiety superstition idolatry haue so greatly increased that the holy supper of the Lord which he instituted and commanded vs in remembrance of him to clebrate haue they wholy conuerted into the prophane Masse of the Pope Truly the abuses of the Corinthes as touching the Supper had no agreement by far with the erronious intollerable abuses which those that are called Christians commit at this day in their Masse And notwithstāding all this Saint Paul speaking to the Corinthians saith vnto thē For which cause many ef you are infirmed and weake many sleepe he wold haue sayd are dead We are not then to maruel if God strong iealous of his honour do chasten at this day such an idolatry as is that which in the Masse is committed with such great warres famine pestilence and which is worse and lesse perceiued a reprobate sense And no other mean there is Christian reader to obtaine pardon for these superstitions passed idolatries to get and keepe the grace of God of whom thou oughtest not only to expect all prosperity goodnesse but to endeuour by all possible meanes to serue him honour him applying thy selfe with all thine heart to all that which pleaseth him which is that which his Maiestie hath ordained and instituted in his holy word flying contrariwise all whatsoeuer may displease offend him and especially all kinds of idolatrie which he more detesteth abhorreth then all other sinnes abhominations and as such doth punish it as in the beginning of the first Treatise we haue declared Such is the Masse fly then from it follow the holy institution which Iesus Christ our king prophet and onely high Priest ordained This is the holy Supper as the Euangelists and S. Paul do shew Do this thē which Iesus Christ ordained commanded vs to doe in remembrance of him as by the mercy of God with all simplicity without all superstition or idolatrie is celebrated in our reformed Church and thou shalt walke aright All they that do otherwise erre God giue thee grace to walk aright that thou be not with this world coondemned And this do he for the vertue merit of the sacrifice with our high and only Priest Christ one onely time offered vnto him To whom who liueth and reigneth with the Father and the holy Spirit be euerlasting glorie and perpetuall power Amen A SWARME OF FALSE MIRAcles and Illusions of the diuell wherewith Maria de la visitacion Prioresse de la Anuntiada of Lisbon deceiued very manie and how she was discouered and condemned Anno. 1588. FOr confirmation of that which in these two Treatises so often I haue said that the Papists confirme their religion with false miracles inuēted by their ecclesiasticall persons or wrought by the Art of the diuell I will here set downe a most true historie deliuered in two popish bookes which by the prouidēce of God came to my hands Out of which with all faithfulnesse as he that must appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ giue an account not only of that hee hath done and said but of that also which he hath thought I haue taken that which I will deliuer Hee that will not beleeue me let him reade the two bookes from whence I haue taken that which I say I name the Authours of these bookes the Printers the yeare and place where they were imprinted as a litle after you shall see Our Aduersaries I wot well would haue buried all these thinges for they open a dore to men to seeke to vnderstand and the truth And that they may vnderstand it I haue put it in writing The Lord which knoweth my desire blesse my trauaile Our Aduersaries hauing no sound proofe to confirme their new articles of faith which they haue made as in very truth there is none haue confirmed them with dreames with fained apparitions and visions of Phantasmes of spirits and of soules come as they say from another world Now I hauing met with a new great and thicke swarme of such things which I found in a Portugal hiue me seemed I should do well by a new familiar and domesticall example which be they that most moue and that none can denie seeing it happened in our countrey of Spaine in the yeare 1588 truly to manifest the same that all the world and chiefly my countrimen the Spaniards for whom I haue taken this paine may hasten to know them and knowing them may abhorre them so may turne to the holy catholike faith true religion of Iesus Christ which is written in holy Scripture This hiue is Maria de la Visitacion Prioresse of the Monastery de la Anunciada in Lisbon who was held so certainly for holy whose hypocrisie false miracles were discouered publikely condemned as we shall after see I hearing much talke of the great holinesse admirable life and maruellous miracles of this womā whom for excellency they called The holy Nunne aduised my countrimen the Spaniards in a booke which I published in the
beginning of the yeare 1588. not lightly to beleeue that which was reported of this Nunne My words are these Pag. 419. Another Franciscan I should haue sayd Dominican a few yeares since rose vp in Lisbon who they sayd had the fiue wounds of Christ as had S. Francis many other things they say of her But I appeale to him for witnes she shall discouer her hipocrisie as the rest haue done In the meane time beleeue not lightly euery spirit but as S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 4. 1. warneth vs Try the spirits whether they be of God For many false Prophets as himselfe aduiseth vs are gone out into the world c. God will that I should write this and that it should be imprinted at the charge of two Christian Flemmish merchants who for the great zeale they haue that the Spanish natiō shuld be partaker of the benefit of the reformed professiō of the gospell whereby God hath shewed mercie to other nations will spare neither cost nor trauaile The Lord enrich them with his spirituall gifts increase their faith For two causes then was this imprinted the one to admonish those which were of God that they shuld not suffer themselues to be deceiued with false miracles the other to make all those inexcusable that notwithstāding the light of the Gospell which God of his great goodnes hath in these our last times reuealed beleeue lies cōfirmed by dreames and false miracles and not the Gospell written in the holy scripture He that is of God faith the Lord Ioh. 8. 47. heareth Gods word These of the second sort therfore which will not heare them are not of God His Maiestie if he haue chosen thē to life eternall if he haue made them vessels of honor vpon whom he will shew his mercy conuert them And if they bee vessels of wrath prepared to destruction confound them Many haue spoken written of this holy Nun. But he which hath entreated of her most to the purpose Of all those which I haue heard of or read is one Stephen de Lusignan a Dominican Friar who collecting all he could get to extoll her compiled a book in French dedicated the same to the Queen of France imprinted at Paris by Iohn Bessaut 1586. In the beginning of the booke she is pictured like a Dominican Nun with a blacke mantle and a white coule a coat white loose habit vpon the mantle on her head she hath a crowne of thornes the crucifixe on high set ouer her and falling towards her with rayes from the wounds which reach to the feet and hands of the Nun that out of the side commeth to a hart which she holdeth betweene the fingers of her right hand a Dragon she hath vnder her feet a Dominican friar before her kneeling a secular man woman at her left side a paire of beads hanging The Title of the booke is this which followeth The great miracles and the most holy wounds which this present yeare 1586. haue happened to the right renerend mother now Prioresse of the Monastery de la Annuntiada in the city of Lisbon in the kingdom of Portugal of the order of preaching Friars approued by the reuerend father Fryar Lewes de Granada and by other persons worthy of credit as shall be seene at the end of the Discourse In Paris by Iohn Bessaut 1586. The Epistle dedicatory sayth thus To the most Christian Queene Luisa de Lorena Queene of France mirrour of all vertue godlinesse and sweetnesse Health Madam hauing seene your Maiestie most deuoted to the most holy sacrament of the altar to the Angelicall Doctor S. Thomas of Aquine in whose Chappel you haue instituted euery moneth a solemne procession with carrying the most holy sacrament and a Masse sung by all the religious of our Colledge hauing considered that because of your great deuotion of the greatnes of your rare vertues perfections euery man of any worth borne enforceth himselfe to offer you most pleasing things I albeit the least of thē am also willing to rāge my selfe into the number of these Therefore hauing found certaine writings printed in diuerse cities I haue collected put them all together In which I haue found the greatest miracles and effects that euer Almighty God in our times wrought in the person of a most noble most vertuous most religious virgin mother Mary de la Visitacion Prioresse de la Anunciada of Lisbon in the kingdom of Portugall most deuoted to the holy Sacrament and the sayd Saint Thomas of Aquine by whose merits and intercessions she hath deserued to haue visibly for her husband Iesus Christ crucified and his fiue most holie wounds by means whereof the diuine Maiesty doth continually diuers miracles the which in this booke I humbly offer to your Maiestie to the end that you so much the more feruently may follow continue these your deuotions which you haue begun and that it would please your maiestie to accept of this most holy virgin a speciall seruant of our Lord that by her merits intercession your Maiesty may obtaine that you desire as well concerning this whole kingdom as all Christendōe besides And if I for my part Madam beseech God to grant that which your M. desireth with a most happy long life From the couent of S. Dominick at Paris the 20. of August 1586. Your most humble obediēt seruant F. Stephen de Lusignan of the order of S. Dom. This Lusignan for confirmation of that which he saith setteth downe 3 letters the 1. is frō the Prouincial F. Antonio de la Cerda sent to F. Ferdinando de Castro Proctor in Rome for the sayd prouince of Portugal that he should shew it vnto the pope The date is frō Lisbon 14. of March 1584. This letter trāslated into Italian was with license of the holy inquisitiō printed in Rome Plazencia afterwards translated into French All this saith Lusignan Come we now to the letter which was to be shewed to the Pope Pag. 8. it saith Mother Mary de la Visitacion at 11 yeares of age entred into the Monasterie de la Anunciada at 16. years made profession In which time our Lord Iesus Christ appeared to this Religious to recompence her merits tooke her to his wise saying to her the words of the Prophet Ieremie I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therfore with mercy haue I drawne thee And from that time forward he still appeared to her granting her very many particular graces fauours speaking conuersing familiarly with her as one friend doth with another in such sort as God talked discoursed with Moses oftentimes appeared he to her accompanied with he and shee Saints as with Mary Magdalen for much deuoted was this Religious to Magdalen and wontedly called her her faire and accōpanied with our father S Dominicke with S. Tho. of Aquin Saint Katherin of Sene and other times appeared he alone and very familiar helping
keepe my statutes and do them The same teacheth Iesus Christ Mat. 15. 9 saying In vane do yee honor me teaching for doctrine the commandements of men The new doctrine of men doth teach that in the worship of God the traditions ceremonies and constitutions of the Roman Church ought to be obserued and that the Cannon law doth equall the constitutions of the Popes in value with the Gospell and that it is necessarie to keepe them for as saith Pope Leo 4. The Gospel cannot well be obserued if a man obey not iointly therewith all the decrees and constitutions of the Fathers Dist 15. cap. Sicut Dist 19. cap In canonicis Dist 20. cap. De libellis The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that the worship of images is a thing abominable Deut. 27. 15. Leuit. 26. 1. and expresly forbidden in the second commandement of the law of God Exod. 20. 4. and Deut. 5. 8. 9. also that the holy Spirit calleth images Teachers of lies and vanitie Ierem. 10. 8. Habac. 2. 18. And therefore in no wise to be allowed in the Temples of Christians in which Iesus Christ hath bene painted out before the eyes of the faithfull by the preaching of the Gospell Gal. 4. 1. The new doctrine of men teacheth that the worship of images is well pleasing to God and verie necessarie and profitable for the Church And that images are the Bookes of the Laytie Hee therefore that teacheth the contrary is cursed and anathema Concil Trid. Sess 9. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that Christians ought to imitate the faith godlinesse and good doctrine of the Saints as they imitated Christ 1. Cor. 11. 1. Heb. 6. 12 cap. 13. 7. But that in no wise they ought to inuocate them nor put their confidence in them 1 Because inuocation is an honor due to God alone which he declareth by his Prophet Esay 48. 11. Mine honour will I not giue to another 2 Because the Saints being in this world will not receiue this honor neither the Angels As Act. ch 10. 26. chap 14. 14. Reuâ—â—â—s 19. 10. chap. 22 9. appeareth 3 Because they be ignorant and do not know vs as Esay 63. 16. doth very clearely teach saying Abraham hath forgotten vs and Israel doth not know vs Thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer So that as the Israelites in the old Testament were idâ—laters and transgressours of the Law of God when they sacrificed to another then God alone So be all they at this day that inuocate Saints or Angels wherein they do contrarie to the doctrine of Christ Maâ— 6. 9. chap. 11. 28. Ioh. chap. 16. 24. And contrary to the example of all the Saints Psal 22. 6. Neâ—â—e 9. 27. Gen. 32. 9. Exod. 2. 25. cap. 17. 12. Iosua 10. 13. Psal 107. and 11. 8. 5. c. Act. 4. and 24. and cap. 16. 25. c. The new doctrine of men teacheth that Christians ought to inuocate the Saints and to be ayded by their intercession to God because they be his familiars Also that it is a false and wicked opinion to beleeue that the Saints pray not for men and that the inuocation of Saints is idolatrie contrary to the word of God and that he which so teacheth and beleeueth is accursed and anathema Concil Trid. Sess 9. The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that Iesus Christ our Lord being true God and true man â—s the onely and perfect sauiour of the world who saith by his Prophet Esay chap. 63. 3. I haue troden the wine-presse alone and of all the people there was none with me And of whom saith the Angell Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his name Iesus for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes And the Apostle Saint Iohn doth witnesse 1. Ioh. 1. 7. that the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne The new doctrine of men teacheth that Iesus Christ is not a perfect Sauiour for Christ saith it died onely for originall sinne And that by his death he satisfied for the fault but that God being iust will that man satisfie hâ—s iustice for the punishment Also that the purgation of sinnes is made by good works satisfactions Masses indulgences and Purgatorie Lib. 4. Sent. distinct 17. and 18. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that Iesus Christ is the onely Mediator between God and man and our Aduocate and Intercessor to the Father and that no other can be found nor ought to bee sought for 1. Because there is no saluation in any other but in him alone Act. 4. 12. 2. Because 〈…〉 other but Christ only can be sufficient for this office which hath all power in heauen and in earth and remaineth euer with his to the end of the world Math. 28. 18. 20. â— Because Christ hath loued vs and more loueth vs then anie other seeing he gaue himselfe for vs and hath made the purgation of our sinnes with his bloud in his owne person Heb. chap. 13. And so gratiously inuited vnto him all that trauell and are heauie laden Matth. 11. and 28. So that men haue no cause to doubt of his sufficiencie power and good will but that in all their afflictions they ought to flie vnto him alone who witnesseth of himselfe Iohn chap. 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by me The new doctrine of men doth teach that Iesus Christ is not the onely Mediator but also the Saints which reigne with him in heauen and that Saint Mary also the mother of God is the Mediatrix and Aduocatrix of mankind lib. 4. Sâ—nt Distinct 45. in Mâ—ssale Paris in prosâ— Mâ—ssae de Anuntiat The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that our Redeemer Iesus Christ by the perfect sacrifice of himselfe once offered vpon the crosse for the putting away of sinne hath reconciled all the faithfull with God his Father and hath found eternall redemption so that there remayneth now no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 9. 12. 26. and cap. 10. 12. 18. The new doctrine of men doth teach that the Masse is a sacrifice for the remission of sins of the quicke and the dead Concil Trid. Sess 6. Can. â— The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that we are iustified by faith in Iesus Christ without the works of the law Rom. 3. 24. 28. Gal â— 16. as witnesseth the holy Ghost of Abraham the Father of all beleeuers Abraham saith he beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 3. And the Apostle S. Paul expresly addeth that this was not written only for him but also for vs to whom faith shall also be imputed for righteousnes Rom. 4. 23. 24. The new doctrine of men doth teach that not faith only but works also do iustifie Concil Trid. Ses 6. can 11. The ancient doctrine of God teacheth that faith is not doubtfull but assured of saluation which it hath by the bloud of Christ and
147 Liberius 27 Linus 23 Lucius 2. 72 Lucius 3. 79 Marcellus 26 Marcellus 2. 165 Martin 1. 36 Martin 2. 50 Martin 4. 91 Martin 5. 118 Miltiades 222 Nicholas 1 49 Nicholas 2. 64 Nicholas 3. 91 Nicholas 4. 92 Nicholas 5. 101 Pascall 1. 42 Pascall 2. 68 Paul 1. 38 Paul 2. 124 Paul 3. 15â— Paul 4. 16â— Saint Peter 20 Pelagius 1. 37 Pelagius 2. 32 Pius 2. 1â—3 Pius 3. 143 Pius 4. 187 Pius 5. 19â— Sabinianus 33 Sergius 2. 4â— Sergius 3. 50 Sergius 4. 59 Siluerius 3â— Siuester 1. 25 Siluester 2. 57 Siluester 3. 61 Symachus 30 Siricius 29 Sistus 4. 126 Sistus 5. 195 Stephen 2. or 3. 21 Stephen 4. or 3. 39 Stephen 5. or 4. 4â— Stephen 6. or 5. 50 Stephen 7. or 6. 50 Stephen 9. or 10. 63 Vrban 2. Vrban 3. 7â— Vrban 4. 88 Vrban 5. 105 Vrban 6. 106 Frban 6. 200 Victor 2. 63 Victor 3. 68 Victor 4. 75 Vigilius 31 Vitellanus 36 Zacharias 37 FINIS Idolatry Exod. 32. Deut. 9. 14. The cause why the Israelites worshipped the molten calfe 1. king 12. 28. The first captiuity of 400. yeares Gen. 15. 13. Act. 7. 6. 2. Captiuitie of 70. yeares Ierem. 25. 12. Ca. 29. 10. 3. Captiuitie of infinite yeares God for vnbeleefe punisheth the Iewes vntill this day Iudges 2. 19. 20 Iudges 5. 8. Two kind of Idolatrie S. Gregorie forbad the Image worship Habakuk 2. 18. 19. Epiphanius Epist ad Hieron Petrus Crinilib 9. de hone sta disciplina Esa 1. 12. Exod. 20. 4. Deut. 5. 8. A true deuision of te ten Commandements The Church of Rome is accursed of God and the cause Deut. 23. 18. Deut. 4. 12. The dutie of a good magistrat to forbid idolatrie Numb 21. 8. The brasen serpent was the image and figure of Christ A Popish distinction betweene Idol Image Pesel what it signifieth Ambrose Erasmus Lactancius Instit lib. 2. cap. 19. Aquinus The argumâ— of both Treâ—tises The argument of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The reason prouing the Pope to be of greater authotie then the Masse Read the booke Ceremon Pontifie 1. Sect. cap. 3. also Sect. 12. cap. 10. 4. Gen. 4. 4. Hebrew 11. 4. Pope Many wordes in old time taken in good part which are now taken in euill Euery Bishop or Minister in old time was called Pope Tome 2. Epist 7. lib. â— The Bishop of Rome seeketh nothing more then to be called Pope Diuision of the Bishops of Rome into 3. orders The first order Saint Peter was not Bishop of Rome Gal. 2. 〈◊〉 This proueth S. Peter was nduep at Rome Rom. 15. 20. Linus Mal. 2. 6. 7. 300 years good bishops in Rome 1. Sisme The 2. order Archbishops Patriarks Liberius an Arrian Felix 2. 2. Sisme That which one Pope doth another vndoeth The Pope erreth in faith Damasus The 3. Sisme 384. Siricius Concerning the forbidding of mariage read afterwards in Gregorie The Pope erreth in the interpretation of the Scripture Boniface 1. Sisme 4. 420. Gelasius 1. Anastasius 2. an heretike Anno 417. the Gothes began to reigne in Spaine Symachus The 5. Sisme 498 Hormisda the the first Patriarke 520 He excommunicated the Emperour Anno. 523. Iohn 1. Ambassadour 6. Sisme Boniface 2. 530. Vigilius The 7. Sisme Pelagius The Primacie of Rome The Cannonists agree not with the Pope The 7. Canonicall houres Iohn 3. contrary to his predecessor Pelagius 2. saâ—â—sfieth the â—mperour 590. The first pardons and indulgences The soule of TraiaÌ„ brought out of Hell Gregorie 1. a great enemy to the Primacy Seruant of Gods seruant Marriage forbidden and againe permitted to priestes 6000. heades of young children in a pond The fruites of Popish single life The saying of Pope Pius 2. agsing constrayned single life Note before vpon Siritius and after in Paul 2. 604. Sabinianus One Pope being dead killed another 605. The 3. order 2. Thes 2. 8. Boniface 3. the 1. Pope Phocas granted Rome to be head of the Churches The fall of the Empire The Pope and Mahomet arise Boniface 4. The false donation of CoÌ„stantine Anno. 613. Deus dedit Godfathers The Gâ—dfather should not marry with the Godmother Boniface 5. The Church a refuge for euill doers Anno. 622. Martinus 1. Crownes Baruc 6. 30. Holy oyntment Vowe of Chasttitie Anno. 653. Vitelanus Diuine seruice in Latine Anno. 672. Agathus 1. Popish constitutions be Apostolicall Mariage to the Greeke priests permitted Anno. 682. Sisme 8. The 9. Sisme Constantine 1. The first Pope that gaue his feete to be kissed Images Anno. 716. dissipation of Spaine Gregorie 2. Gregorie 3. Leo the Emperor excommunicated 731. 741. Zacharias The Church vestments decked with gold c. Making and vnmaking of Kings The king of France most Chrsten and why The donation of Constantine Anno. 752. The king of Spaine Catholique Stephen 2. The donation of Constantine Pipin kissed the Popes feete c. Anno. 757. Paul 1. Exod. 20. A notable lie Anno. 767. The 10. Sisme Constantine 2. a lay man without any order was made Pope The Councell deposeth the Pope The 11. Sisme Stephen 3. Adoration and censing of images Anno 772. Adrian 1. Images Most Christian Anno. 795. The second Councell of Neece Images worshipped The cruelty of a mother Irena an Idolater and a murtherer Leo 3. Two Emperors one in the East another in the West The Popes decrees of more authority then the writings of all the Doctors The Crucifixe of Mantua A most subtill craft to aduaÌ„ce Images Anno. 816. Stephen 4. The Popes excuse for not seeking the consent of the Emperor Anno 817 Pascal 1. was Pope without consent of the Emperour Anno 824. Eugenius 2. The 12. Sisme Gregorie 4. Confirmation of the Emperour Anno 844. Sergius 2. first changed his name Anno 847. Leo 4. promiseth paradise 72 witnesses to condemne a Bishop The Papal crosse A Monke made king S. Peters pence in England Anno 855. Iohn 8. a whore Adout the yeer 1550. An. 852. Pope Ione was chosen The Pope turneth aside and the cause A seat and for what cause A statue in Rome of Pope Ione The ceremonie of the seat now not vsed and the couse A rare example the father son Grand-child Popes none of them either good or honest The Pope is of the common of two genders or els that is worse the boubtfull Rom. 20. 17. Ioh. 14. 26. The faith of the Colliar 1. Pet. 3. 15. Faith is compared to a lampe and why Benedict 3. The 13. Sisme Nicholas 1. The whole driâ—t of this Pope to free himselfe the Clergie from obedience to the Magistrate The Pope called God The diuine office in Latine Blasphemie Read aboue Siricius Gregorie 1. afterwardes Paul 2. and Pius 2. The Masse of a weÌ„ching priest not be heard Anno 867. Martin 2. without consent of the Emperour Anno. 884. Adrian 3. The Emperour lost his right in Rome 885. Stephen 5. The statutes of the Church of Rome necessary to saluation Anno 891.
the laÌ„d of Sauoy A qualified lie of the Iesuites Iohn 8. 44. Ier. 13. 23. Psal 5. 6. 7. Anno 1549. Iulius 3. a blasphemer The Pope giueth the bar to whom he list The Pope saith that fortune is it that maketh the Pope Pope Iulius 3. his blasphemy for swines flesh Terrible blasmy for a peacocke Anno 1555. Marcellus 2. A youth of 12 yeares old Cardinall The Popp permitteth not any to speake his mind freely in the Councell The blasphemy of the Trident Councell The Legends of S. Christopher end Saint George false after Paul 3. It is no Councell except it 〈◊〉 free Poyson Paul 4. an enymâ—e to the Spaards Anno 1555. The vices 〈◊〉 the Roman Church Anno 1557. The taking of S. Quintanes The death of Don Charles the Emperour and of Mary Queene of England Anno 1558. Elizabeth Queene of England England a refuge for strangers Persecution in Seuill Ephes 1. 3. Seuill the first Citie in Spaine where the Gospell in our time was almost clerely preached Rodrigo de Valer. 1. Cor. 1. 18. Actes 2. 13. Matth 21. 23. Iohn 7. 38. The Principall pomtes of Christian religion About the yeare 1545. D. Edigius Anno 1555. Anno 1557. Iulian brought many bookes to Seuill 800. prisoners for the teligion in Seuill The like was done of the house of Doctour Cacalla in Vallodalid D. Vargas D. Egidius D. CoÌ„stantine The persecutioÌ„ of Voll odalid c. D. Cacalla Cap. 7. â—8 Cap. 44. 17. c. The cause of the present calamities The Pope the Councell and Inquisition can not erre 1 Kings 18. 17. Fire in Valladolid A historie of Iohn Fox Imaginary fire in the Church A boy put himselfe in the cowle of a Monke Apoc. 6. 10. Anno 1559. Pius 4. Pope against Pope So did Benedict 3. Pius 2. Martine 5. and Paul 4. The hypocrisie of Pope Pius 4. The Popes esteeme not the Sacraments be case they be Antichrists Anno 1563. Confession was almost the cause of the ruine of the Popedome Confession serueth for a band Pius 5. Psal 97. 7. Pius 5. tooke out of the bookes that which the authors with great truth said against the Pope Anno 1572. Gregorie 13 The crueltie of a father Luke 21. 18. Ioh. 16. 2 Sistus 5 A notable acte of the seigniory of Veniâ— Ephes 1 21. The French K. causeth the Duke of Guise to be slaine A Dominican Friar killeth the French K. Iudith 13. 10. 1. Samuel â—6 4 2. Sam. 1 A Capuchan fryar practised to kill the French king God commandeth the king to read the holy scripture Prouerbes against the Ecclesiastical persons Euill life Whoredome Couetousnesse Hypocrisie â—â—monie Idlenesse the mother of many vices Ier. 51. 6. Psal 147. 9 Iob. 39. 3. Psal 37 25. 1. King 17. 6. Dan. 14. 32. Two Roman Empire The beginning of the Popedome which is the new Empire Boniface 3. The Popedom founded vpon murder Marke 13. 41. Luke 22. 25. The Pope taking occasioÌ„ of the question about Images denyeth obedience to the Emperour Charles the great made Emperour and why The oath which the Emperour maketh to the Pope The 1. oath of the Emperour The 2. oath The Emperour made a chanon and kinght of S. Peter Matth. 16. 16. The 1. Reason Clemens ad Iacobum The 2. Reason Actes 15. The 3. Reason The 4. Reason Gal. 2. 11. The 5. Reason 1. Thes 2. 3. Apoc. 17. 9. The 6. Reason Lib. 2 de concordia Cathol cap. 12. The Councell of Mileuant against the Primacie The deceit of the Pope discouered In those times euery Bishop was called Pope Cursed is the glose that corrupteth the text Anno 600. The Doctors against the primacie Saint Gregory against the primacie A notable discourse made by Edward bishop of Salisburg How the Popes employ themselues All this is fully accomplished The title of the Pope Arnulphus Bernard Ioachin Fluencius Nicholas Gallus Marsilius Cesenas Wickliffe Iohn Hus. Ierom of Prage Petrarcus Dante The Popes foure cardinall vertues auarice heresie sodomy and simonie Bocace Sanazaro The Church of Rome erreth in faith Thomas Rendonio Laurencius Valla. Sauanarola 3. Io. 9. Epistle 162 The Emperors called the general Councels Epistola ad Liberium Epise opum RomanuÌ„ De simplice Prelat In senâ—entiis Episcoprum libro 1. epist 1. Hieronymus in Epist ad Euagrium repetitur in Decreto Graciani Hieron ad Nepotianum Anno. 605. Dan. 11. 36. Three markes wherewith Antichrist shal be marked The Pope is an Apostata in religion Exod. 20. Psal 50. 51. Rom. 10. 14. The Pope abhorreth matrimony by God ordained Rom. 1. 1. Timothy 4. 2. The Councell of 〈◊〉 S. Gregorie permit mariage 1. Cor 7. 2. The Pope an Atheist Boniface 8. The 2. passage 2. Thes 2. 3. Verse 9. What thing is Antichrist Verse 7. Iohn 6. 15. Contrarieties between christ the Pope The first Contrarietic Phil. 2. 6. The 2. Contraritie To this purpose read Damascen in the sermon of the dead The 3 Contrarictie Iohn 5. 39. The 4. Contrarietie Matth. 11. 28. Ieremy 2 1â— The 5. Contrariette The diuell also worketh miracles Matth. 28. 18. Lying wonpers 2. Thes 2. 11. Purgatorie Of 30000. men one only went to heauen 3 to Purgatory and all the rest to hell Luke 16. 27. Matth. 24. 24. Verie subtill was the Pope in forbidding the reading of the holy Scripture The 3. pasâ—age of the holy Scripture The viâ—tory of the Lambe The waters be kindreds c. The 10 kings hauing altered their minds shall persecute the whore The whore is the Pope The Beast is the Romane Empire Gen. 4. 10. Tertullian The woman is he great citie 7. Mountanes Ten Hornes Apoc. 13. 18. Iohn 1. 29. 2. Thes 2. Ierome in prçfat lib. de spiritu sancto in vita Marci Apoc. â— 3. In prooemio Sexti in Glo. Matth. 16. 18. Iohn 10. 4. An answere to the 2 places wherewith the Pope confirmeth his primacie 1. Cor. â— 11. Ioh. 20. 21. Feede my sheepe Iohn 21. 16. Marke 16. 15. Iohn 20. 22. â—0 Sismes In Cronico pontifiâ—um 4 popes at once 3 Popes â—t once in Rome Sergius 2. and Benedict 9. were each of them thrise Pope Great vacatioÌ„s Matâ—h 28. 18. Extrauag de maiori obedient ca 2 â—an 2. 21. lib 7. Decretal dâ—senten re indicata Extrauag 〈◊〉 Cathol 〈◊〉 Clement in Clement pastoralie Item in rescripto This writing is kept in viena del Dolfinado Et in Extrauag eadem Decisiones Rote Baldu Franciâ—cus de Ripa Phillippus Decius Hostienâ—is Carolus de Ruino Iohannes de Anauias c. Dist 40. cap. â— Papa Ths Pope after the Romists is more mercrfull then Christ why Ca. Non nos Dist 41. 2. Thes 2. 4. Iohn 5. 39. Esay 31. 7. A briefe of the CoÌ„tents of this 2. Treatise Masse There is no thing necessary for our saluatioÌ„ which the scripture declareth not Actes 20. 20. It is not yet knowne where of the Masse is deriued what the Masse is 8 reasons wherwith they confirme
and so commaunded that the French Office which was now the same with the Roman should bee celebrated through all his kingdome And then all weeping and swearing the old Spanish Prouerbe began to be said Alla van leyes do quieren Reyes As the king will so go the lawes And from that time was the French Office kept in Spaine as well in the Psalter as in the rest which neuer before that time had bin receiued nor vsed in Spaine yet in some monasteries it was afterwards vsed for a time And the translation of the Psalter in manie Cathedrall Churches and Monasteries at this day is also vsed Thus farre the Archbishop In this historie reported by the Archbishop is there much to be noted First that now 500 yeares past for so long time is it since Gregorie the seuenth died in whose time reigned Don Alonso the sixt the diuine Office celebrated in all our countrie of Spaine was not the Roman but the Gothish which they called the Toledane office This office was changed through the desire of a French woman who so greatly pricked forward the king her husband that he chaunged the ancient Office maugre the state Ecclesiasticall Nobilitie and all the Communaltie of Spaine The Pope also that commanded the Office should be chaunged was one of the most abominable that did eate bread in his time Many wrote his life A great inchanter he was by force of Armes without any election he made himselfe Pope A tyrant he was an heretike he burned the Sacrament of the Altar his God And the moreouer which in his abominable life we haue declared For which enormious sinnes in his absence for he would not appeare hee was condemned and depriued in the Councell of Brixa And Clement the third was made Pope in his place The Legate of the Pope which dealt in this businesse of the chaunge of the Office was aso another such like as his maister that sent him and so abode in the same with his maister and Lord. For his wickednesse as the Archbishop reporteth was he depriued In these two Pope and Legate is the old Spanish Prouerbe verified Qual Abad tal Monazillo Such Abbot such Nouice Hereby shall our Spaniards perceiue that the diuine Office and Translation of the Psalter which our forefathers vsed in Spaine vntill the yeare 1080 or little lesse was not the Roman office much lesse was it the Masse which now in Spaine is so greatly esteemed For the Roman Office which before fiue hundred yeares was celebrated was defiled with the superstition and idolatry which we now see in the Masse as be Transubstantiation the taking from the faithful the one half of the Sacrament Intercession and Inuocation of Saintes Purgatorie c. Long time after about the 1215. yeare Innocent 3. being Pope was Transubstantiation admitted and made an article of the faith Albeit true it is that this Gregory 7. was the first that drawing it out of hell began to exalt it And notwithstanding that the Romane Office then vsed was nothing so euill nor ought agreed in Idolatry with that which is now yet is it to be thought there was great difference between the Toledane and the Romane office seeing that all Spaine so purposely and truly opposed it self to the king the Queene the Pope and his legate and receiued not the Romane Office but with great dislike and forced by threats of life goods That also is to be noted which the Archbishop speaketh concerning the combat of the 2 Knights and of the friar which the Gothish Office remaining safe then burned the Roman Office If they will haue miracles this of the fire is strange D. Illescas lib. 5. vpon the life of King Don Alonso the 6. saith almost the same that Don Rodrigo the Archbishop doth for from him hee tooke it but that of affected malice he changed some things whose words I will here set downe When hee that defended the part of the Gothish Office sayth he was Victor the king stroue by all meanes to take it away and hauing cast into the fire two Masse bookes the Archbishop saith it was determined that the booke of the Toledan Office and the booke of the French Office should bee cast into a great fire He saith not Masse bookes the Roman leaped out of the fire and the Gothish was not burned in it The Archbishop saith the booke of the French Office was consumed of the fire and the booke of the Toledan Office arose vp without receiuing any domage Here seest thou the maner of our aduersaries dealings To aduaunce his Catholique faith hath God no need of such lies And note that Doctour Illescas alleageth not the Archbishop from whence hee tooke this report lest his shamelesse falsifying should haue beene seene The Authour and the place which is the sixt booke the 25. and 26. chapters haue I alleaged I beseech the Reader to reade it that it may bee seene whether I or Doctor Illescas doth ly I speaking with the Guardian of S. Francis of Mexico touching this falsification of Doctor Illescaâ— It was so answered he me as Doctor Illescas said and that our booke were falsified But I brought him an old booke with the armes royall printed at Granada and shewed him the place the poore Warden was ashamed And it is to be noted as noteth D Illescas that by the command of Don Sancho 1. king of Arragon the Gothish or Mosorabish Office was least to be sayd in Arragon and the Roman Office which now is vsed brought in In S. Iohn de Pena the 21. day of March in the 1071. yeare was sayd the first Latine Masse after the manner of the Romaines The same Doctor Illescas also saith The 25. day of may in the. 1083. yeare King Don Alonso 6. wan Toledo the great Church whereof called Mesquita was consecrated the 25. of October in the 1086. yeare Thus was the Gothish office chaunged in Arragon fifteene yeares at least before it was in Castile Note ye Spaniards which thinke and beleeue the Latine Masse now sayd in Spaine to be most ancient from the time of the Apostles the first Latine Masse after the Roman maner was said in S. Iohn de Pena in the time of king Don Sancho 1. And in this yeare 1599. is no more but 528 yeares since If ye beleeue not me beleeue D. Illescas and others that say the same which I do A new thing is the Masse which plucketh from the Church the institution of Iesus Christ I meane his holy Supper God giue you grace to returne and restore it to it former place Of this change others also make mention George Cassander in the preface of his booke intituled Ordo Romanus de officio Missae saith these words But the Spaniards As they be most resolute in the institution which they haue once receiued held constantly for manie yeares the rites of their countrey Their rite was called the Rite of the Mosarabes and so was it called because the Christians mingled with