horrible blasphemer that will call it The most auncient true and holy Catholique religion Againe forasmuch as the Apostle Saint Paul 2. Thessalon 2. declareth that the comming of Antichrist shall be with great signes and wonders yea so great and wonderfull that as our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 24. If it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. Hee therefore that will say the Church of Rome must needes be the true Church because shee worketh miracles is a most horrible blasphemer Miracles are wrought in the Church of Rome by the spirits of Diuels as appeareth in the 16. chapter and 14. verse of the Reuelation Therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church And this appeareth also in the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy where we may see that a most vile kinde of people euen such as God abhorred wrought miracles to draw others to their religion And Saint Paul also declareth 2. Thessalon 2. verse 10. that Antichrist shall worke his miracles among them that perish therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church Againe our Sauiour Christ Matthew 7.22 declareth that at the day of Iudgement certaine Christian Ministers that were wont to confirme their doctrine by miracles when they shall see themselues cast out to be damned with reprobates they will admire and say thus to Christ Lord Lord haue we not by thy Name prophecied and by thy Name cast out Diuels and done many great workes And then saith Christ I will professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquitie Popish Ministers worke miracles our Ministers worke none they themselues therefore shall be iudges in this case to which of these sort of Ministers this Scripture may iustly be applyed Certainely the greatest iudgement that God doth lay vpon men in this life is to blinde their vnderstanding with Poperie for then they are willing to receiue any errour and to reiect the truth to be marked with the marke of the Beast and to receiue the print of his name and to perish with the Beast and the false Prophet as it is most certaine they shall For thus it is written in the nineteenth chapter of the Reuelation verse 20. But the Beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him whereby he deceiued them that receiued the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his image These both were aliue cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Therefore to conclude this I say to all those that haue receiued the marke of the Beast in their forehead or on their hand that is they that haue outwardly professed with their mouthes and gestures and those also that haue defended by Armes written Bookes wrought Miracles or any way laid to their helping hand to do any thing whereby the Popes kingdome and state is maintained Damnation shall be their end For as the Angell of God in the foureteenth chapter of the same booke 9.10 and 11. verses saith If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on their hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the Cup of his wrath and he shal be termented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angells and before the Lambe and the smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoeuer receiueth the print of his name That is whosoeuer is content to be called by any such name as whereby he may be knowne to be the Popes faithfull subiect Therefore I aduertise them all in the name of God that they receiue his fatherly admonitions and call to minde how louingly the Lord in the fourth verse of the eighteenth chapter of the same Booke calleth his Elect out of Babylon that they be not partakers of her sinnes lest they should also receiue of her plagues As for those that regard not this louing fauour of God but will notwithstanding abide in her still and goe on with her in her abhominations let them goe and doe what they will He that is vniust saith the Lord in the 22. chapter let him be vniust still and he that is filthy let him be filthie still and hee that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still And behold I come shortly and my reward is with mee to giue to euery man as his worke shall be ¶ The Titles demonstrating the seuerall points contained in each of the Chapters 1 CErtaine Chapters contayning the summe and substance of the Christian Churches confutations of the Popish or Antichristian Churches errours heresies and blasphemies The first whereof tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Papists and Protestants professe but one God one faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they both should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 2 An answere to tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist whereof Bellarmine is supposed to be the originall authour 3 That Christian Rome now in her latter dayes is that Babylon the seate of Antichrist which the Angell in the 17 chapter of the Reuelation calleth the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angel in the 18. chapter saith is fallen and become the habitation of Diuels and holde of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird and out of which the Lord from Heauen calleth all his Elect lest they should be partakers of her sinnes and consequently of her plagues 4 That the Popish Church is the same idolatrous Church yet professing Christ which Saint Iohn in his 13. and 17. chapters of the Reuelation sheweth to be the Church of Antichrist 5 That for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ there was no Popish Church neither could be because there was not as yet an vniuersall Pope established in Rome to make it a Popish Church Therefore as no Husband no Wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes 6 That in the yeare of Christ 607. the Church of Poperie and the succession of vniuersall Popes first began From whence our Church had her first beginning before Luther and how our Protestant Bishops and Ministers which they haue ordayned haue lawfull callings 7 Their generall Consent ouerthrowne by generall consent of Councels and Fathers 8 That the Apostle Saint Peters authoritie was but the same that the other Apostles were and therefore the Pope cannot iustly claime from him to be called Vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops That the title of Vniuersall Father is forbidden by Christ to be giuen to any but to his owne Father 9 That the true
not fully sufficient to proue the Pope that great Antichrist foretolde by Saint Hierome c Hierome ad Algasia Quest 11. that should sit in the Church as if hee were Christ the Sauiour But for asmuch as they deny it and that the whole Church of Rome at this day dependeth vpon Bellarmines iudgement out of whose workes as it is verily supposed Parsons hath published to the view of the world and deluding of many tenne seueral Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist it resteth that in the next Chapter we answere those obiections that so all doubts may be remoued And heerein as the originall Authour I will vse onely the name of Bellarmine In the meane time I demaund what hope of comfort we can looke to haue at these Popish Gods and Sauiours seeing their owne Saint Bridget whom Boniface the ninth Pope of that name canonized saith d Bridget in her first booke c. 41 All their followers and fauourers shal be cut off dis-ioynted and pulled in pieces like vnto a wall that is a casting downe where is not left one stone standing vpon an other neyther shall my loue and mercie euer warme them nor build them vp againe into eternall mansion And as we see the question resolued what will be the end of those that depend vpon these Gods and Sauiors so shall wee see heereafter what will bee the end of those Gods and Sauiours CHAP. II. Contayning tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing if it had beene possible the Pope from being Antichrist set forth vnder the letters N. D. with answeres thereunto THou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that whom Saint Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 1 Iohn 2.22 2. called Antichrists in the 22. verse hee declared to haue meant certaine Disciples which were fallen from the fellowship of the Apostles and others that by their meanes went abroad teaching doctrine whereby Christ was denyed to be the true Messias So that because such Antichristian teachers were then crept into the church by whom the great mystery of iniquity was begunne which when the great Antichrist should come should be fully perfected hee did not sticke to say but that Antichrist was then come whereas notwithstanding the great Antichrist was not then come 2 Thess 2.7 For as Saint Paul declared to the Thessalonians Epist 2. cha 2. there was then an impediment that did stay his comming which said He shall let till hee be taken out of the way Which as Tertullian Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome expoundeth was the Roman Emperor and likewise Saint Hierome in these words a Hierome to Algasia The Romaine Emperour which now keepeth all Nations in subiection must first be ouerthrowne and then shall Antichrist come the fountaine of iniquity By which it is cleare that by Saint Iohns Antichrists we cannot vnderstand the great Antichrist therefore the question is who the great Antichrist should be we say he is the Pope of Rome they say he shall be a Iew of Ierusalem but this is but our yea and their nay and how then shall it be tried who is in the right Bellarmine supposed in his Wardword the answere to Sir Francis Hastings Watchword page 91.92 hath set downe tenne seuerall Obiections to prooue him a Iew which God willing by these our Answeres shall be proued a Gentile THE FIRST OBIECTION 2 First then saith Bellarmine That the Popes of Rome be Antichrist or the man of sinne whereof the Prophet Daniel our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles do speake and that Rome is Babylon in that sense that these good fellowes doe meane that is Rome christened is a meere iest For that as the true Christ was one singular man so shall the true Antichrist be one singular man also and not a succession of men one after another as the Popes of Rome are And this is euidently gathered by the auncient Fathers out of the words of holy Scriptures namely Daniel 7. and 11. Iohn 5.2 2 Thessalonians 2. 1 Iohn 2. Apocal 13. and 17. THE ANSWERE 3 Heere Christian Reader seemeth a very great likelihood that by the great Antichrist should be meant onely one person seeing he produceth no lesse then seauen places of Scripture to testifie the same But it is a wonder to see that a man learned and seeming deuout should so apparently wrest the Scriptures For it is without all contradiction that not any one of his places doe proue his assertion The likeliest place is the 2. 2. Thess 2.3 Thessal 2. in which Saint Paul calleth Antichrist The man of sinne but doth it therefore follow that he meant onely one man no no more then by calling him in the same chapter The sonne of perdition he meant one person For in the Scriptures it is very apparant that by such like titles are not alwayes meant one singular person Esay 43.27 seeing we finde in the 43. chapter of Esay 27. verse is meant a great number of men included in the name Father Exod. 4.23 Rom. 9.27 Dan. 11. And in Exodus the 4. chap. 23. verse all the Israelites whose number Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.27 are as the sandâ— of the Sea are included in the title of a Sonne And in Daniell 11. the whole succession of Kings in their seuerall kingdomes are included in the person of one King And therefore seeing that vnder the title of a Man or a Sonne is included more thousands then the Popes are hundreds Bellarmines ignorance in the manner phrase of the Scriptures is laid open and his mouth stopped for accusing vs of ignorance in including all the Popes in the person of the man of sinne or Sonne of perdition And the rather because they themselues ordinarily vse also the like phrase of speech as when they call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Christs Church Therefore if the Scriptures had not taught vs so to speake we might yet haue learned of them how to call the whole succession of Popes that one head of Antichrists church 4 And whereas to dazle the eies of the ignorant he produceth the Fathers vpon his places of Scriptures as though they by Antichrist had meant one proper person Let him heare therefore how they haue vsed to speake of him Saint Hierome said b Hierome in his booke vpon Matth. 24. The abomination of desolation shall stand in the Church vntill the consummation of time and shew himselfe as God Now it is cleare he could not meane this of one particular person for that he knew as well as we no one man could liue to the consummation and end of time Also that auncient Writer Eusebius speaketh of Antichrist in the plurall number thus c Eusebius in his 7. book of Preparation This is a token not that he but that they hate God for that they will haue themselues called by the name of God Againe their Saint Bridget saith that she was commanded in a vision to signifie to d Bridget in her
in the Romish iurisdiction is that verie same seducing Antichrist Yea doubtlesse the same which not Iewes hereafter but as the middle part of our former Chapter proueth Christians long since haue receiued for their Messias and Sauiour seeking remission of sinnes and euerlasting saluation at his hands And therefore seeing the great Antichrist is a Christian and receyued of Christians for their Messias Bellarmine may verie well say it is not likely that the Iewes vnto whom the verie name of Christians is odious should receiue the Popes for their Messias who carrie the name of Christians nor that they should receiue the great Antichrist for their Sauiour THE THIRD OBIECTION 9. The Doctrine and Gospel of Christ must be first preached to all Nations before the true Antichrist come Matth. 24. and 2. Thes 2. and so the consent of old Doctors vpon the same place doe agree which thing is not yet fulfilled as S. Augustine in his time did largely declare Epist 80. and we also shew in ours much more by the vast infidell Countries daily discouered THE ANSWERE 10. Behold Christian Reader how to shaddow the Pope from being reuealed to be Antichrist he proceedeth in peruerting the Scriptures For whereas in the 24. chap. of S. Matth. â—4 14 Matthew Christ said This Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached through the whole World for a witnesse vnto all Nations and then shall the end come Hee thus peruerteth both words and sence and saith And then shall Antichrist come And this commeth to passe onely by his misse-vnderstanding these wordes that follow in the Text When yee therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place c. For this he vnderstandeth to haue beene spoken of Antichrist whereas it is cleare that it is meant of the Idols which the Romans should set vp in the Temple and that Heathenish worship which those Gentiles should spread ouer all Iewrie whereby the Doctrine of the Gospel should be most horribly corrupted immediately after the death of Christ when as the daily Sacrifice should cease according to that Prophesie of Daniel 12.11 And hereof it is which S. Chrisostome saith thus o Chrisost in his 40. Hom. vpon the vnperfect worke of Math. When you shall see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place that is saith he when you shall see the vngodly heresies which is the armie of Antichrist stand in the holy place of the Church in that time let him that is in Iewrie flee vnto the Hils that is saith he let them that be in Christendome resort vnto the Scriptures And for Antichrist not comming before the Gospel be preached to all Nations that proueth nothing that he is not alreadie come seeing the Gospel hath alreadie beene preached to all Nations For not onely the Apostle S. Paul saith of the Apostles vniuersall preaching Romans 10.18 No doubt their sound went out through all the Earth and their wordes to the ends of the World but they themselues in their Rozarie most euidently declareth that they did preach all the World ouer For there say they Peter first preached in Iewrie then in Syria Antioch and other places and last of all in Italie Andrewe in Achaia Iames the Great in Spaine Iohn in Asia Thomas in India Iames the Lesse in Ierusalem Philip in Phrigia Bartholmewe in Scythia Matthew in Aethiopia Symon in Persia Thadeus in Mesopotamia Matthias in Palestina Paul in most parts of the World Againe he citeth the â— Thessal 2. in which there cannot be found any one word that doth proue his Assertion But this I finde in the 7. verse by the iudgement of Tertullian Saint Ambrose S. Augustine and those wordes of S. Hierome before cited p Hierome vnto Algasia The Roman Emperour which now keepeth all Nations in subiection must first be ouerthrowne and then shall Antichrist come the Fountaine of Iniquitie that the time of Antichrists comming was then when the Emperour of Rome was remoued out of his place to Constantinople and the Empire brought to confusion which time they know as well as wee was betweene the raigne of Augustus and Carolus Magnus For in that 300 and odde yeares space to wit from about the yeare of Christ 500. to 800. by sedition the Empire stood void Palmer as both Euagrius and Palmar witnesseth q Euagrius lib. 2. cap. 16. Chronic. in which compasse of time as Erasmus testifieth * Erasmus vpon the 13. cap. rose vp in Rome that spirituall Beast resembling Christ the Lambe mentioned in the 13. chap. of the Reuelation vnto whom as the Text declareth power was giuen ouer Nations Kingdomes and as the Popes Kallender declareth that by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour which murthered his Predecessour Boniface the third Bishop of Rome of that name obtayned that vniuersall power euen to be called Vniuerfall Bishop and in stead of Christ to be Head of Christs vniuersall Church Therefore we see it euident that in this Boniface was Antichrists first rising But they say no and who then shall bee iudge betweene vs that shall their S. Vincent and the great Bishop of Rome Gregorie Saint r Vincent in 〈◊〉 Treatise of the end of thâ—â—orld Vincent prophecied of the falling from the true Catholick Faith and of the comming of two kindes of Antichrists The one hee called a Pure Antichrist to wit an open professed aduersarie of Christ which all men know is the Turke For he proclaymeth open warre against both sorts of Christians therefore hee calleth him pure because he is without hypocrisie or colour of fayned friendship The other he calleth a Mixed kinde of Antichrist and this shall bee saith he an euill Pope made by a certaine euill Prince of great power who shall place his euill Pope in the field or plaine of the Prouince of Babylon because there shall bee nothing then but confusion vnto this mixed Antichrist saith hee many Princes shall adhere Gregorie when he perceiued by Iohn Bishop of Constantinople that an Vniuersall Bishop should be made in that Moricius the Emperour maintayned him in that vngodly Title of Vniuersall Bishop which he tooke vpon him said he Å¿ Gregorie in his 34. Epist What else is signified hereby but that the time of Antichrist is at hand t Lib. 4. Epist 38. The King of Pride is at hand and an armie of Priests is prepared which is a wicked and an horrible thing to be spoken And indeed that all men might clearely discerne him when hee was come he thus described him vnto them saying u Ibidem Hee is Antichrist that shall claime to be called Vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him And about two yeares after Gregories death this Boniface was so exalted Now then forasmuch as all the successours of Boniface from time to time haue claymed and retained both the Title and Dignitie as their right and due though many Nations
2. said Antichrist shall sit as God But I demaund how this can be said to be the Temple of God where God neuer sate ne put his name ne was serued but should be built onely for that great Idol Antichrists vse S. Augustine saith a Augustine de Ciuitate Dei 〈◊〉 20. cap. 19. The Temple of an Idoll or of a Deuill the Apostle would neuer call the Temple of God And therefore seeing as we heard before S. Hierome said that by the Temple is meant the Church this can neither bee that Temple in which S. Paul said Antichrist should sit as God nor Bellarmines Iew be that Antichrist which Saint Paul meant should sit in the Temple of God Now therefore the question is whether the Pope of Rome be hee which S. Paul said should sit as God in the Temple of God exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped They say no wee say yea and who then shall determine the matter that shall foure of their owne side Bernard Ioacham Abbas Paracelsus and Auentine Bernard bewailing the state of the Church vnder the Popes of his time saith b Bernard Serm. 6. in Psalm 91. There remayneth nothing now but that the man of sinne bee reuealed euen the sonne of perdition which is not onely changed into an Angel of Light but is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped Ioacham sheweth plainely in diuers places of his Writings c Ioacham in his Commentarie vpon Jeremie besides other places in diuers of his Predictions That hee it is which exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped which is called holy Lord and most holy Pope Their Paracelsus wrote thus to the Pope d Paracelsus in his 12. sigured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue And a little after Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God Their writer Auentine saith thus of the Pope and euery particular of them e Auentine in his Chron. printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. They sit in the Temple of God and they bee exalted aboue all that is worshipped Hee which is the seruant of seruants doth couet to be Lord of Lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth Lawes he establisheth his owne he robbeth he spoyleth he couseneth he slayeth that wicked man whom commonly they call Antichrist in whose forehead is a name written a name of Blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the Temple of God and beareth rule farre and wide And thus we see the matter determined by these foure vnpartiall Iudges and the question fully resolued that the Pope is that great Antichrist the Man of Sinne which S. Paul fore-told should Sit as God in the Temple of God exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped And this may also suffice for the answering the third place which hee citeth out of that 2 Thes 2. to haue proued the seat of Antichrist to be Ierusalem Now to the second place The second place which hee citeth is the seuenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation then which he could not haue brought a more plainer place to proue the contrarie For in that the Angel calleth that Citie which he there speaketh of The great Citie which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth He did not onely cleare Ierusalem for that it neuer raigned ouer the Kings of the earth but also certifieth vs that he meant Rome because Rome onely raigned ouer the Kings of the earth and the Emperour of Rome was then Emperour of the World Againe for as much as the Angel noteth out that Citie which S. Iohn there speaketh of by seauen Hills whereon it is built He not only cleared Ierusalem but also assureth vs that he meant Rome And all that are of any reading doe know that Ierusalem was neuer described by seauen Hils and that Rome and none other City in all the world is so described as Rome is by the names of these Hils Capitolinus Palatinus Auentinus Cicilius Scuen Hills Exquilinus Veminalis and Quinalis So that forasmuch as that Citie mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter is distinguished from Ierusalem by those two speciall notes namely by raigning ouer the Kings of the earth and by being built vpon seauen Hils it is cleare without all contradiction that Rome onely is that place where the great Antichrist should pitch his Kingdome and consequently that the spirituall gouemour thereof and none other is he But they say no and who then shall be ludge betweene vs that shall their Abbot Ioacham Erasmus and their Bishop Cataldus Finius Ioacham writing vpon that seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation saith f Joacham The verie Text it selfe doth teach that the Woman begilded with gold and which committeth spirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the verie Church of Rome Erasmus writing also vpon the same Chapter saith g â—rasmus Sect. 3. These Hills agree with the hills of Rome Againe The woman in the great Citie is he which hath exalted himselfe for a Bishop ouer all Bishops and that raigneth ouer Emperours and Kings sitting also in the place of Christ And in the Chapter going before thus h Erasmus That beast of Rome of whom we spake before is the verie right Antichrist which worketh against the Gospel of Christ Cataldus saith i Cataldus Bishop of Trent in a Prophesic of his Rome is Babylon the damned pit of Priests And how then can Bellarmine with any credite or shew of truth say that Antichrist shall pitch his Kingdome in Ierusalem or that the Pope is not he THE SIXT OBIECTION 17 Three principall heads of Antichrists deuillish Doctrine when he commeth are plainely gathered out of holy Scripture The first that he shall denie Iesus to be Christ 1. Iohn 2. cap. 22. and consequently deny Baptisme and all other Sacraments and Doctrines brought in by Christ The second that he shall teach himselfe to be Christ and the Iewes shall beleeue him Iohn 5. The third that he shall affirme himselfe to be God and so require to be adored for God 2 Thessal 2.4 But the Popes of Rome doe not teach these poynts of Doctrine hetherto and therefore cannot be Antichrist THE ANSWERE 18 The former Chapter plainely proueth the Popes of Rome to teach all these three poynts of Doctrine and therefore Bellarmine himselfe must graunt the Pope and euery Pope in his time and place to be that Antichrist THE SEVENTH OBIECTION 19. Againe the Scripture teacheth vs that Antichrist when he commeth shall doe many wonderfull miracles in the sight of men Matth. 24. and 2. Thessal 2. and some of those miracles are specified Apoc. 13. to wit that he shall make fire descend from heauen and the Image of a beast to speake and saine himselfe to die and rise againe But these miracles no Pope hitherto hath
who perceiuing that the Church was like to haue a new Husband to wit an Vniuersall Bishop to be made and to become her head in stead of Christ He confessed with teares that the state of the Church was like to fall to ground For said he k Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 52. 55. Seeing the order of Priesthood is falne within it cannot now stand long without And thus much concerning the fall of the Church especially of that part vnder the Patriarkedome of Rome before there was an Vniuersall Pope established in Rome Now it remaineth that wee see how it grew to perfection vnder Vniuersall Popes in these foure principall poynts Doctrine Faith Religion and generall Apostacie Which God willing shall bee made euident by their owne Writers also 13 Touching the first point their Saint Vincent sayth l Vincent in his Treatise of the latter end The religious orders are become vnto mens soules the way of perdition And a little after hee sheweth the reason to bee this For saith he the most part of Preachers preach now adayes not the simplicitie of the Gospell but the subtiltie of Aristotle Their S. Bridgit speaking in the person of Christ saith m Bridgit lib. 4. cap. 133. They annull and make of no effect my Word they affirme and teach their owne lies and denie my truth c. n In lib. 6. of her Reuelation chap. 26. My Word is vnto them intollerable and my wisdome and doctrine in their account but vaine Therefore o Lib. 4. cap. 132 They doe not preach and publish to the people my Word neither doe they teach my doctrine c. p Lib. 6. of her Reuelat. cap. 26. They follow their owne fancie so that their owne inuentions are vnto them a Law c. q Lib. 6. Reuelat cap. 15. They say â—nd doe boast that they vnderstand my Law and yet it is but for the deceiuing of others c. r Lib. 4.132 For of the vpright man they make a wicked man of the simple they make a Deuill And this commeth to passe as then Cardinall Beno sheweth because Å¿ Beno de vita gesâ—s Hudeb They are led by the spirit of errour and doctrines of Dâ—uâ—ls Whereby as their Bishop Cornâ—luâ—s saith t Cornelijorat Trident. The sauour of life is turned to the sauour of death So as their Matthew Paris the Monke saith u Paris in Henrico 2. sub 1160. Whence Christians were wont to fetch the water of Righteousnesse there they finde a poysoned puddle And euen thereby doth their Abbot â—oacham proue the Pope and his Clergie to be that Whore of Babylon mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation which offereth to the World the Abomination and Filthinesse of her Fornication in a golden Cup. * Ioacham vpon the 37. chap. Jere. The moderne Vicars of Christ saith he doe neglect Incense and Myrrhe but they seeke after Gold that they may with Babylon the great Ladie of the World fill vnto men Wine in a Golden Cup to infect their followers with their abomination Now therefore I demaund of our Romane Catholickes how it is possible for Doctrine to grow vnto any greater perfection of corruption then to be squared by the spirit of errour and Doctrines of Deuils whereby good men are made wicked men and simple men made Deuils 14 Touching the second poynt namely Faith their Saint Bridgit in her fourth Bâ—oke finding Rome to haue seduced the Romish Church from her primitiue puritie calleth her a wretched and an vâ— happie Citie And a little after shee saith x Bridgit lib. 4. cap. 30. Maruaile not that I called Rome an vnhappie and a wretched Citie because of the aforesaid abuses and others the like much contrarie to the Statutes of the Primitiue Church Wherefore it is to bee feared lest the Catholike Faith doe shortly sayle Their Saint Hildegard a Nunne hauing in a vision seene the Pope in the shew of a great and vgly Monster and other fearefull sigues ouer the Church of Rome wrote thus of the head thereof y Hildegard in her second booke of her Sciuias The sonne of perdition shall endeuour through a most wicked deceipt to seduce men for a time sweetely and smoothly by making crooked the path-way of the Christian Faith That Astrologian Ruth speaking of the state of the Romish Church when the Pope should be installed in his Seate wrote thus z Ruth in his 3. chap. of his Booke When as he shall enter into his House then shall the Romans stumble in the Faith Their Abbot Ioacham saith a Ioacham vpon the first and second of Ierem. The Pope considereth not in how peruerse a manner the Lyon of Faith is throwne downe And a little after he saith The religious orders doe defile the Faith by their errours teaching peruersly If in the head saith he is not the soundnesse of Faith much lesse is there in the heart the sinceritie of hope and yet further off from the foote is the diligence of doing charitable deedes And albeit the Faith of Rome was of olde published through the whole World yet afterward her Faith hath beene turned into perfidie and heresie Againe speaking of the whole Church of Rome hee saith b Jbidem This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his Seate This is that Figge-tree which is dried vp in the Faith by the meanes of the curse of transgression c. euen the latter Church the Ship of Saint Peter Their Bishop Cornelius saith c Oratio Cornelij Trident. Would to God they were not falne with one consent from Faith to Infidelitie and from Christ to Antichrist To conclude Ioacham yet sheweth of a more admirable perfection of falling from the true Faith in Christ in that he saith d Ioacham vpon the first and second chap. of Ieremie They haue chosen Antichrist for Christ the Deuill for God and Hell for the Kingdome of Heauen Wherefore whether it be possible for men to fall from the Faith in any greater measure let the learned Reader judge 15 Touching the third poynt to wit Religion Their Saint Bernard bewayling the desperate estate of Religion in his time saith e Bernard supra Cant. Ser. 33. gest Hildebrand Behold these times very much defiled with the worke that walketh in darkenesse Woe be to this generation because of the leauen of the Pharises which is hipocrisie If it may be called hypocrisie which is now so rife that it cannot and so shamelesse that it seeketh not to be kept secret A rotten contagion creepeth at this day through the whole body of the Church And a little after The wound of the Church is inward and incarable Their Cardinall Beno saith f Beno Cardinalis de vita gestis Hildeb Their Religion sauoureth nothing but of traiterousnesse and couetousnesse beeing led by the spirit of Errour and Doctrines of Deuils Their S. Elizabeth thus cryeth out against the Romish Clergie
Athanasius Zambadas Leontius Marcus  Hermon Eudoxius Iulius  Matarius Anianus Liberius  Maximus Meletus Damasus  Cyriâ—â—ius Euzoius Siricus  Herenius Dorotheus Anastatius  Herenius Paulinus Innocentius  Heraclius Euagrius Zozimus  Hilarius Dorothus Bonifacius  Cyrillius Meletus Calestinus  Iohn Flauianas Xistus  Nepos Prophirus Leo.  Prayllius Alexander Hilarius  Iuuenalis Theodotius Simplicius  Polychronius Iohn Felix  Theodosius Domnus Boniface  Anastasius Maximus Iohn  Martrius Martyrus Agapetus  Salustius Iulianus Siluerius  Helias Basilius Vigilius  Petrus Peter Pelagius  Marcari Steuen Iohn  Eustochius Martirus Benedict  Iohn Calandio Pelagius   Petrus Gregorie the   Cnapheus Great   Palladius    Flauianus    Seuerus    Paulus    Euphremius    Domnus    Maximus   Yet he proueth Rome to be but one of the foure Patriarkdomes and but the third in antiquitie and consequently the Bishop of Rome but one of foure equals and therefore no singular supreame vniuersall head ouer all Wherefore how vainely doe they stand vpon Ireneus his numbering the Bishops of Rome to his time and Saint Augustine to his time to proue the succession of Popes from Peters time seeing neither of them gaue them the name of Popes but Bishops and Priestes Number the Priests from Peters seat saith S. Augustine * August in Psal contra partem Donati and see who succeeded one another in that rowe of Fathers And elswhere he gaue them the name of Bishops but neuer the name Popes therefore to his time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christ those that Ireneus and he two hundred yeares after numbered were not Popes as the Popes of Rome are now but such Bishops as we haue now Also with small credit can they stand vpon the succession of vniuersall Popes seeing their Prophetesse Saint Bridgit saith of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope x Bridgit in her 27. chap. of her third Booke Hee did mount vp to fit in the Chaire of pride Which sheweth the Popes Chaire not to bee the Chaire of Peter Also their Paâ—acelsus in a Prophesie of his said thus to the Pope y Paracelsus in his 12. figured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue for thou art a yoake and a burthen too heauie to be borne hence it is holy Father S. P. that thou fallest Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God and hee shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Againe in vaine doe the Popes themselues boast to be of that sort of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter seeing their Saint Elizabeth saith thus vnto them in the person of Christ z Elizabeth against the Church of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They swallow vp the carnall and temporall things of my people and doe not minister vnto them spirituall things and euen they that doe walke vnder my name doe not feare to persecute mee in my members Behold and consider saith to her the Angel of her vision how the soueraigne high Priest the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his obedience walked in the middest of his Disciples not in the height and haughtinesse of a Lord but in the humilitie of a seruant c. Behold his blessed seede the ministers of your spirituall vocation the holy Apostles and their successors of whose societie yee doe glorie c. Consider if their waies were like yours doe not beleeue that they were for their waies were faire and streight but yours are disordered filthie and foule They did not walke in the haughtinesse of their hearts nor in the tumultuousnesse of a proud traine nor in couetousnesse of worldly wealth nor in the costlinesse of clothing c. Neyther was there running after Hawkes and Hounds but in all sinceritie they traced the footsteps of the great Pastor c. Behold the head of the Church crieth but his members are dead for the Apostolicall Sea is beset with pride and auarice and is filled with iniquities and wickednesse They scandalize my sheepe and make my people to erre Againe their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ expostulating the matter with Pope Gregorie the eleuenth saith thus vnto him a Bridgit lib. c. â—ap 142. Why doest thou hate me so much and wherefore is thy boldnesse and presumption so great against me for thy worldly Court marreth and spoyleth mine that is heauenly and thou presumptiously robbest me of my Sheepe Moreouer thou pluckest from me violently innumerable soules and sendeth to Hell fire almost all that come to thy Court because thou doest not giue diligent heed to those things that belong to my Court. Therefore how can we beleeue that these Popes are of the same ranke of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter or what credit doth the Church of Rome gaine by the succession of her Popes 9 Againe They are neuer able to proue that Peter was euer called by the Popes titles or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse how can we beleeue that the Popes are the successours of Saint Peter seeing they are neuer able to proue that Peter or any of those Bishops which next succeeded him was euer called by any of the Popes titles For in what booke or Chapter of the Scriptures doe they find that Peter was euer called Our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth Not a pure man but a true God as we proued in our first Chapter and second Section the Pope is called Or where find they that any one of all the Apostles euer called Peter Lord of Lords and King of Kings Or Supreame head of the vniuersall Church or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse as the Pope doth If they cannot shew so much as any one place to proue it what reason haue we to beleeue it Therefore forasmuch as we finde vniuersall Popes not to be the successours of S. Peter but of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope made and established in the yeare of Christ 607. And that they all hold that without an vniuersall Pope to be head there can be no Church it is without all contradiction that for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ the Papists had no Church For as no head no body no husband no wife so no vniuersall Popes no vniuersall spouse of the Popes By which wee see that plainely condemned for a meere illusion of Antichrist which is so common among them namely that the Popish Church was the most ancient mother of all Christian Churches And as we see it not to bee true so shall we further see also that neither was that first Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome the most ancient and mother Church For as both Ierome b Jerom. catalog eccles Scrip. and Eusebius testifieth c
the fifth Section in that when as Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria offered to Gregory in the superscription of his Letters the title of vniuersall Pope Gregory not onely flowted him for his folly but also besought his holinesse to offer it him no more for that as he said it was a title beyond all reason to be giuen to any 15 The first that I find that went about to arrogate vnto himselfe the Title of Pope The first that souâ—ht to bring in the name Pope was Leo Bishop of Rome as may appeare in that his Legates in the Councell of Chalceden contended both for the title and authority howbeit they were withstood by the whole Councell and decreed against as I shall proue in the 19. Section of the 8. Chapter 16 Well then all things being made cleare that before there was a Church planted at Rome there was a Christian Church which had then none other vniuersall head but Christ and that seeing the Church which wee haue now doth acknowledge none other head who can iustly denie our Church to be a true member of the most ancient Apostolique Church Againe forasmuch as the matter is made as apparant that the Church planted afterwards by Peter and Paul for by both of them was the Romish Church planted to Gregories dayes to wit to the yeere of Christ 605. did not approue nor tollerate any other vniuersall head who can denie the Church of Rome during that time to be a fellow member with our Church of the most ancient Catholique Church 17 But now albeit we haue proued that for want of an vniuersall Pope to be head so many hundred yeeres there could be no body or Popish Church yet forasmuch as we see that there is now such a Church and know also that it hath beene of long continuance it resteth that in the next Chapter we shew both when it first began how far and wide it did extend it selfe and how ignorantly many haue dealt in their writings to giue that title of Popish Gouernours to the successours of Saint Peter calling them Popes and more wickedly the Papists in calling them vniuersall Popes to the horrible deluding of the multitude in making them to beleeue that the Popish Church and the Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome were both one and the same which if it be true then was the founder thereof Antichrist for so saith their Saint Bernard the Pope is And so saith their Ioacham the Abbot And so saith their Auentine and so saith Gregory the Great And so saith their Saint Vincent and proueth Boniface the third to be the head as the other and diuers moe proueth his successours to be his incorporate body as appeareth in our second Chapter and as now in the next Chapter we shall more largely proue CHAP. VI. Tending to resolue all men that the Popish Church and the succession of singular vniuersall Popes had their first beginning but in the yeere of Christ 607. and that also from that time that they had a Church wee had a Church continually among them till about 20. yeeres before Luthers time And as before they had a Church which did extend it selfe farre and wide so euen then and at all times in other parts of Christendome as in Asia Affrica Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muschouia c. we had as great a Church as they if not greater Which being proued both their antiquity vniuersality and succession of vniuersall Popes will proue but a fond fable and a meere illusion of Antichrist 1 THE Papists haue of long time borne the World in hand that we had no Church before Luthers time howbeit as we proued in the former Chap. by sufficient testimonies that for the first 606. yeeres next after Christ they had no Church so will we now God willing in this Chapter proue that their Church had her first beginning but in the yeere of Christ 607. Note therefore Christian Reader what their Writer Vrspergensis saith his words be these a Vrspergensis in Phoca At the request and suite of Pope Boniface the Emperour Phocas appointed the Sea of the Apostolike Church of Rome to be head of all Churches Also their Writer Sabellicus saith b Sabellicus Ennead 8. l. 6. Pope Boniface the third at the first enterance into his office was an earnest suâ—ter vnto the Emperour Phocas that the Church of Rome might be head of all Churches which thing hardly and with great labour was granted to the Apostolique Sea of Rome Now Christian Reader iudge thou how true it is like to be that the Church of Rome had preeminence from Saint Peters time seeing it is granted vnto her but now in the yeere of Christ 607. as also the Popes owne Decretall and Platina doth witnesse as we shewed in the former Chapter Wherefore the Bishop of Rome being now in this yeere first made and established vniuersall Father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the mother of all Christian Churches it is cleare that in this yeere of Christ their Church first began For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church But now an vniuersall Pope being made and established supreame head of the Church they may be bold to say they haue a Church and we may be as bold to say that from this yeere of Christ and no further they may demand of vs where our Church was to Luthers time and also to answere them The head of Antichrist and the body of Antichrist that so much of it as was comprehended within the Romish iurisdiction was from thence first vnder this head of Antichrist Boniface after him vnder this his incorporate body of Popes Boniface 2. Popes Callender Vitalius 1. Iohn 3. Steuen 2. Dusdedit 1. Deodatus 1. Iohn 4. Hadrian 1. Boniface 3. Domnus 1. Sisinus 1. Leo 2. Honorius 1. Agatho 1. Constantinus 1. Steuen 3. Seuerinus 1. Leo 1. Gregory 1. Paschalis 1. Iohn 1. Benedict 1. Gregory 2. Eugenius 2. Theodore 1. Iohn 2. Zacharie 1. Valentine 1. Martin 1. Cuno 1. Steuen 1. Gregory 3. Eugenius 1. Sergius 1. Paul 1. Sergius 2. Leo 3. Iohn 10. Honorius 2. Bonifacius 6. Benedict 2. Domnus 2. Inocentius 1. Benedict 8. Nicolas 1. Benedict 4. Calestinus 1. Clement 4. Hadrian 2. Boniface 5. Lucius 1. Iohn 18. Iohn 5. Benedict 5. Eugenius 3. Benedict 9. Martinus 2. Iohn 11. Anastatius 2. Clement 5. Hadrian 3. Iohn 12. Hadrian 4. Inocentius 5. Steuen 4. Iohn 13. Alexander 2. Vrbanus 4. Formosus 1. Gregory 4. Lucius 2. Gregory 10. Bonifacius 4. Siluester 1. Vrbanus 2. Vrbanus 5. Steuen 5. Iohn 14. Gregory 7. Boniface 7. Romane 1. Iohn 15. Clement 2. Inocentius 6. Theodore 2. Sergius 4. Calestinus 2. Gregory 11. Iohn 6. Benedict 6. Innocentius 2. Alexander 4. Benedict 3. Iohn 16. Honorius 3. Iohn 19. Leo 4. Benedict 7. Gregory 8. Martin 5. Christopher 1. Gregory 5. Calestinus 3. Eugenius 4. Sergius 3. Clement
Antichrist and to set vp the Gospell againe in his kingdome was that man of God Luther therefore in him did the two witnesses first begin to rise againe for it is cleare it is not meant that the same should rise againe in their owne persons but that euen as Elias was reuiued in Saint Iohn Baptist not in the same person Luke 1.17 but as Saint Luke saith chap. 1.17 in the same spirit and power so should they after a little moment rise in power and spirit in the persons of others And this first rising was about the yeare of Christ 1520. So that counting from those three last which were put to death in the yeere of Christ Wee had a Church among the Papists till about twentie yeares before Luther 1500. we had no appearing Church left in the Romish iurisdiction for the space of twenty yeares before the rising of Luther which time is called but three dayes and an halfe in respect of the three Angels yeares and an halfe the time of Antichrists reigne wherefore seeing they had their Church alone without our Church but twenty yeares before Luther how wickedly doe they delude the multitude in making them to beleeue they had the Romish Church and all other Christian Churches vniuersally from Saint Peters time and that wee had no Church till Luthers time whereas we see it proued most apparently that for the first 606. yeares next after Christ our Church was and theirs had no being at all and that the very first beginning of their Church was the entrance vpon our Church in the Romish iurisdiction of which wee see a part continued in view till about twenty yeares before Luther which if wee had not had yet will wee now proue that continually from the Apostles time to Luthers time we had else-where as great a Church as they if not greater 6 Vnderstand therefore Christian reader that albeit the whole Christian Church was one yet afterwards it was diuided into two parts to wit East and West so till the Councell of Florence which was about fourteene hundred yeeres after Christ they possessed but the West part The Councell of Florence And notwithstanding Michael Paleolgus Emperour of the East in hope of some aide of the Pope and the Princes of the West against the Turke did his good will to haue brought the East part in subiection to the Popes of Rome yet as their Paulus saith d Paul Aemil. in Philippo 4. his people so detested him for it that after his death they would not admit him common Christian buriall Againe it is certaine that the Greekes counted the Romanes a most polluted and an infectious people for in their late Councell of Lateran it is said e Jn Concil Lateranen Cap. 4. The Greekes began so much to abhorre the Romanes that if it had happened the Lattine Priests to haue ministred vpon their Alters they would not offer any oblation vpon them before they had washed the same Againe albeit the Legates of the East in the Councell of Florence was perswaded to yeeld to be subiect to the Pope yet doubting it would not be well taken at their returne home they halfe recanted and said f The Councell of Florence We haue no leaue nor commission to speake these words And notwithstanding at their returne home they laboured so with the Greekes that they consented to yeeld yet this continued not for as their Platina saith g Platina in Eugenio Not long after they fell to their olde bent againe But had it continued to this day without reuolting yet had it come too too late to haue maintained the antiquitie of the Popes vniuersalitie yea too late by at the least 1300. yeeres And therefore it was that Illyricus which dwelt vpon the borders of Grecia wrote thus h Illyricus Testibus Veritatis page 5. The Churches of Grecia and the Churches of Asia Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muschouia and Affrica ioyned thereunto that is to say saith he in a manner all the whole world or at the least the greatest part thereof neuer graunted the Pope his supremacie 7 So that Christian reader thou seest that howsoeuer the Emperour Phocas did giue that prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome to be vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops and Rome to be chiefe of all Christian Churches it doth not therefore follow that all Christian Churches were content therewith or did yeeld thereunto or that Rome euer attained thereunto onely she obtained to be vniuersall superiour ouer the West Churches as is plainely confessed by their Doctor M. Harding in his Booke of Confutation of the Apologie i Harding Apolog chap. 23. diuision 2. where he saith Rome is the Mother of all the West Churches If but of the West then not vniuersally of all both East and West therefore by M. Hardings owne confession here falleth to the ground the Popes vniuersalitie And therefore as we saw proued in the former Chapter that for the first sixe hundred and six yeares their Church had not any being at all so here we see proued as plainely that after they had a Church they had it but by measure and not vniuersally as they fondly fable Wherefore christian Reader whensoeuer they shall hereafter demaund of thee where our Church was before Luthers time answer them thus It was by Gregory the Greats confession sixe hundred and fiue yeeres before there was an vniuersall Pope to make a Popish Church hauing then none other but onely the same vniuersall head that now the true Christian Catholique and vniuersall Church hath of which we are now apart and that afterwards when an vniuersall Pope was ordained and made supreame head of the Church and had gotten dominion ouer the West part thereof yet euen there was our Church in reasonable quietnesse till about foure hundred yeares when as Pope Hildebrand began to be a fire-brand For indeed about that time Antichrist began to lay himselfe open to the world by his tyrannie which he began then to exercise against those that did withstand him and afterwards when as hee was growing vp to the full measure of iniquitie and that our Church among them could no longer beare his detestable enormities then during the next fiue hundred yeares following through their grieuous persecutions it was driuen into holes and corners and as many as they found they destroyed and the rest would haue destroyed had they not fled into those other parts of our Church before mentioned where they were preserued by Gods prouidence from the sonne of perditions tyrannie according to the prophesie in the fourteenth verse of the twelfth Chapter of the Reuelation which saith But to the woman to wit the true Church were giuen two wings of the great Eagle that shee might flie into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the presence of the Serpent The Church of Rome is proued to be a persecuter of the true
Pope notwithstanding I haue forbidden it I beseech your holinesse doe so no more Againe if the Title had been a lawfull Title why did he call Iohn Bishop of Constantinople m Gregory lib. 6. Epist 30. The fore-runner of Antichrist for seeking to bring it into the Church And say n Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. By this pride of his what else is signified but that the time of Antichrist is at hand o Gregory lib. 4. Epist 34. The King of pride is at hand and an Army of Priests is prepared which is a lamentable thing to be spoken Yea and why to make all men to know him by that Title did hee thus describe him saying p Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. He is Antichrist that shall claime to be called vniuersall Bishop and shall haue a guard of Priests to attend vpon him And also to seeke to cleare all his Predecessours to Peters time from euer claiming that Antichristian Title saying q Gregory lib. 4. Epist 32.36 None of my Predecessours Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name no Bishop of Rome euer tooke vpon him that name of singularitie And further to shew what an vnlawfull Title it was to be called the vniuersall head of Christs Church and the danger that might ensue said r Gregory lib. 4. Epist 32. If we haue but one head the fall of that head is the fall of the whole Church If any man presume to take vpon him the name of vniuersall Bishop the whole Church falleth downe from her estate when hee falleth which is called vniuersall but farre may that name of blasphemy be from all Christian mindes By which it appeareth plainely that the Romish that is now which hath an vniuersall Pope for her Husband and head is not the Church of Saint Peter but the Church of Saint Antichrist And therefore to say that the Romish Church which Saint Peter first planted in Rome was one and the same that the Church of Rome is now is most horrible blasphemie and a meanes to bring a great scandall vpon that part of the Primitiue Church For if she was the same then was shee that Whore of Babylon mentioned by the Angell in the 17. Chapter of the Reuelation For so saith Ioacham Abbas of the Popish Church Å¿ Joacham on the 17. chapter of the Reuelation The very Text it selfe doth teach saith he how that the woman beguiled with gold and which committeth pirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the very Church of Rome which Babylon-like playeth spiritually the Whore with stockes and stones Againe if that first Church of Rome was the same that this Church vnder vniuersall Popes is then was shee the same which the Angell in the 18. Chapter of the Reuelation saith Is falne and become the habitation of Diuels for so their Saint Katharine of Siene saith the Church vnder the Popes is t Katharine in a prayer for the reformation Selling saith she through Symony the grace of the holy Ghost abusing ecclesiasticall matters corrupting and killing the soules which Christ hath redeemed with his blood c. O Tabernacle but of the Diuell And of which Ioacham also saith v Ioacham vpon the 1. and 2. chapters of Jeâ—emy This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his seate Therefore to say that this second Church of Rome is the same that Saint Peter first planted in Rome is most damnable blasphemie And thus much for the conclusion of all that which wee haue hitherto intreated of Now let vs proceede CHAP. IX Tending to resolue all men that the Popish Church cannot be the true and most auncient Catholique Church because the most auncient Apostolike Church was knowne by hauing onely two Sacraments and theirs hath seauen which iust number as they can not bee found in Scriptures so can they not be found once named by any of the foure first generall Councels or any Prouinciall Councell or any of the auncient Fathers till after the rising of the great Antichrist in Rome Also that their Masse was inuented by man and not the ordinance of Christ and his Apostles That it tendeth to the ouerthrow of the power of Christs Sacrifice on the Crosse casteth mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation and finally dissolueth the whole harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall 1 THE Papists haue wonderfully deluded the multitude in making them to beleeue that the most auncient Catholique Church receiued from the institution of Christ and the ordinance of the Apostles these seauen Sacraments The first the Sacrament of Baptisme The second the Sacrament of Confirmation The third the Sacrament of the Altar The fourth the Sacrament of Matrimony The fift the Sacrament of Orders The sixt the Sacrament of Penance The seauenth the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction But because they cannot proue by any one place of Scripture these seauen to be Sacraments nor the number of seauen to come from the institution of Christ or the ordinance of the Apostles some of them would proue it by this reason The books in the Apocalypse haue seauen Seales The seauen Angels haue their seauen Trumpets Christ hath in his right hand seauen Starres Christ walketh in the middes of seauen golden Candlestickes Zacharie saw seauen Eyes vpon a stone There were seauen Candlestickes in the Tabernacle Now if this manner of reasoning will serue to proue that in the true Church of Christ there must needs be seauen Sacraments then will this manner of reasoning proue there must needes be but two First for that the first Church consisted onely but of two persons Adam and Heuah Secondly for that the first publike places wherein God appoynted himselfe to be serued was in number but two the Tabernacle and the Temple Thirdly for that God gaue his Law to the Church in two Tables Fourthly for that the whole tenure of the Doctrine wherein God would haue his Church instructed is contained in two testaments Old and New Fiftly for that the witnesses of those testaments are said to be two Sixtly for that the supreame gouernours which God set ouer his Church were but two Moses and Aaron Lastly because the whole duety of all Church-gouernours are included in these two words Vrim and Thummim there must be but two Sacraments in the Church of Christ But their Doctour M. Harding well perceiuing that this manner of proofe will not serue the turne he taketh a better course as he thinketh for he will proue his fiue added Ceremonies to be Sacraments because they were called Sacraments by some of the auncient Fathers as indeede wee graunt they were but what of this seeing we can proue that they called not onely fiue other Ceremonies Sacraments but many moe as for example Tertullian called the generall state of the Christian Faith The Sacrament of Christian Religion a Tertull. contra Marcionem li. 4. Saint Hierome called Martyrdome a Sacrament b Hierome ad Oceanum Saint Augustine
who shall reforme the World in better and shall bring backe all Clergie-men to the ancient and primitiue manner of liuing according to the forme of the Disciples of Christ He shall conuert the Infidels and the Iewes c. And so there shall be one Law one faith and one Baptisme and one manner of liuing and all Christian people shall be of one minde and of one heart louing one another and their peace shall last many yeares but after the world hath beene reformed into better the malice of men shall againe awake and they shall returne to the committing the former euils yea they shall doe more wickedly then ere they did before for the which cause God shall hasten the end of the World And as the authors of those Prophesies who fore-told of the vtter desolation of Rome seemed to allude vnto the 21.22.23 and 24. Verses of the eighteenth chapter of the Reuelation by which words in those Verses the Angell fore-shewed the same so the latter end of this old Prophesie seemeth to haue relation to these words of Christ in the 12. Verse of the 24. Chapter of Saint Matthew And because iniquitie shall be increased the loue of many shall be cold As also to these words in the 22. Verse according to the vnderstanding of some And except those daies should be shortened there should no flesh be saued But for the Elect sake those daies shall be shortned And the former part seemeth also to allude vnto those words in the sixe and twentieth and 27. Verses of the 7. Chapter of the Prophet Daniel which sheweth that after Antichrist and his Kingdome is ouerthrowne the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in and the Iewes shall be called and so all shall be conuerted to the truth and serue the onely true God Neuerthelesse wee may not vnderstand it to be meant of euery particular of all For howsoeuer Antichrist the Head and his successiue incorporate body shall vtterly be desolued so as that there shall neuer be any more a publique Church of Antichrist yet euen as it is now here in England and the other conuerted Nations some of the members of the misticall body of Antichrist will remaine scattered here and there in diuers parts of the World to the comming of Christ to iudgement For to the same effect are these words of S. Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. Chapter where he speaking of Antichrist and his members saith Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his comming And as that old Prophesie did foreshew the calling of the Iewes by the meanes of a godly and learned Bishop so in another Prediction had out of the Bishop of Limoges Library in France vttered more then 600. Yeeres agoe it is said that an holy Bishop shall cause a generall Councell to be called and shall perswade Christian Princes to ioyne together all their powers against the Sarazens and to rid Ierusalem of them which being done the same Bishop because of the iniquity of the Romans shall translate Saint Peters Chaire to Ierusalem and shall suffer none other Law but that onely of Iesus Christ And to this agreeth that Prophesie of Sauanarola the Dominican Friar which to shew that as Ierusalem was the first Church and the chiefe of all other so it should be at the last saith thus I saw in a vision in the yeere of our Lord 1482. two Crosses the one was blacke planted in the middest of the City of Rome spreading as it were the armes ouer the whole Earth and with the top touching the whole Heauen whereon was written these words Crux Irae Dei The Crosse of Gods anger or wrath which hauing seene behold incontinent I beheld and saw the aire darkened and troubled with tempestuous cloudes windes lightnings darts swords fire and haile and mee thought I saw an innumerable number of men destroyed through the force and violence thereof so that few were left behinde vnslaine Afterwards I saw a sweete faire and cleare time ensuing and loe I beheld and saw as it were a golden Crosse in the middest of Ierusalem of the brightnesse and height of the former so bright that it did inlighten the whole World and filled the same with new ioy and gladnesse and it had written vpon it Crux misericordiae Dei The Crosse of the mercy and fauour of God and loe incontinent and on a suddaine all the Nations of the World of both Sexe came in troupes from all parts to behold it Esay cap. 2. Verse 2. and imbraced it And this Vision seemeth to agree with that Prophesie of Esay Chap. the 2. where it is said It shall be in the last dayes that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted aboue the hilles and all Nations shall flow vnto it And also with these words of Saint Paul Romans 11. If the fall of them to wit the Iewes be the riches of the World and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more shall their abundance be By which and other such like Visions saith the Translator the aforesaid holy man Sauanarola was forewarned of the future castigation and renouation of the Church of Rome and how that the Apostolike Sea should be remoued from thence to Ierusalem which is likewise according to the Prediction of the Franciscan Friar Ioannes de Rupe scissa and also to another Prediction had out of Limoges Library in France and finally to the Prediction of Marlinus Caldidonius And now Christian Reader as it seemeth apparant by these Romish Predictions agreeable to the Scriptures that God respecteth England as the holy Land of Canaan so is it made yet more apparant by William of Malmsbury in his second Booke of his Kings and second Booke of his Bishops where hee sheweth that in a Vision to holy Brithwall Bishop of Winchester this voyce was vttered Regnum Anglorum est Dei The Kingdome of England is Gods Which signifieth that howsoeuer all the Nations in the world are Gods as well as England yet hath God made speciall choyce of England aboue all other Nations in the World to effect some notable and extraordinary worke which worke we may easily gather by all the former Predictions is to be a chiefe instrument of the propagation of the Gospell to forraigne Lands both for the calling in of the remainder of the Gentiles and also of the whole Nation of the Iewes To the which I beseech our Lord God to giue good successe and to send peace and agreement amongst the Electors For their Astrologian Ruth in the second part of his Booke 7. Chapter sheweth that there shall be great tribulation and diuision amongst them and therefore admonisheth them to agree lest the Turke get so great aduantage by their discord as to driue the Bohemian Polonians Danes and English to be glad to contract a league of amity with him which thing God
who as appeareth euidently was called of the most godly Prince Constantine God seeing it is manifest God cannot bee iudged of men Another saith r Baldus in c. Eccles vt tit pend The Pope may doe all things aboue Law contrary to Law and without Law Moreouer Å¿ Bonis Distinct. 40. Si Papa If the Pope be found to neglect the saluation of his brethren vnprofitable and slacke in his office silent in that which is good hurtfull to himselfe and all others yea though hee leade with him innumerable soules by heapes to the diuell of hell yet may no mortall man finde fault with him or presume to reprooue him for so doing For as another saith t C. inter in corpor de translat Praela car Paris in conc 63. num 162. vol. 4. Those things hee doth hee doth them as God So that they say little lesse of him then what Saint Paul Rom. 9. saith of God Who art thou that pleadest against God Or that which Iob saith of God chap. 9. Who shall say vnto him What dost thou 5 Thirdly in authorising his Decrees equall with Gods saying thus v Alexander to Philip King of France That which the Pope doth is to be receiued as Canonicall Againe * Adrian caus 25. qâ—â—st i.q. generaâ—â— It is not lawfull to adde or diminish any thing the Pope hath done Also x Ibidem Whosoeuer shall violate or break the Popes Decrees shall be accursed Againe y Ibidem Who so offendeth in breaking the Popes Lawes shall neuer be forgiuen And lastly z Herâ—â—ans de poâ—â—â—â— papa cap. 23. The Pope is by power and vertue the whole Church wee may not swarue from his iudgement neyther to the right hand nor to the left * Iara in Deut. cap. 17. Though hee tell thee that thy right hand is thy left or that thy left hand is thy right hand such a sentence must bee held for good Thus are his Lawes in their account like those of which Christ speaketh in the Gospell Matthew 5. Whosoeuer shall breake one of these least commaundements and teach men so hee shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of Heauen 6 Fourthly in subiecting Gods word and holy Scriptures vnto his censure as thus a Summa Angelan Dist. Pap. The Pope may dispence for any Commaundement of the Old or New Testament b 6. q. 1. Quicunque in glossa The Popes priuiledges may be graunted against the Lawe of God c Nicola Cusan ad Bohaemos epist. 2. There be no commaundements of Christ in the Gospell but such onely as are taken and holden by the Church d Syluester Prierias contra Lutherium The doctrine of the Scriptures take their force and authority of the Pope and his doctrine e Ibidem The authority of the Church of Rome and of the Popes is aboue the authority of the Scriptures Lastly f Pighnus in contro De Ecclesia The Scriptures are a nose of waxe a dead letter and dumbe Iudges Whereupon another sayth g John Maria verracties Editius est Anno 1561. Wee most humbly confesse that the authority of the Church is aboue the authority of the Gospell 7 So that by all these testimonies out of the mouthes of their grauest Writers wee see plainely that the Romish church holdeth and esteemeth the Pope to be not a terrestiall Good but rather a celestiall God For in that they will haue him called God in a diuine sense and taken not for a pure man but for a true God and will haue him to be worshipped with diuine honours as God and to haue power in heauen earth and hell ouer Angells Diuells and men and to be able to deliuer from hell and to giue the kingdome of heauen and free him from all censure and controlement of any and make his Decrees not onely equall with Gods but aboue them they will haue him to bee a celestiall god euen in the highest degree For it is cleare that his Lawes and decrees that are the most highest aboue all lawes and decrees is the most highest aboue all gods And heerein they prooue him to be indeede that great Antichrist The man of sinne mentioned by Saint Paul 2 Thes 2. 2. Thessal 2. That should sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped That is not onely aboue all Princes and Maiestrates which in some sense are called Gods but aboue the three persons vnto whom all diuine worship and honour is only due and so we may conclude but they say no and who then shall be Iudge betweene vs that shall these sixe vnpartiall Iudges Ioacham Abbas Iraeneus Anselmus Saint Hierome Gregory the Great and Erasmus Ioacham saith h Joacham Abbas Hee it is that exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped which is called Holy Lord and most Holy Pope Iraeneus sayth i Iraeneus lib. 5. lest chapter saue one Antichrist notwithstanding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were God and proclaimed as a King Anselmus sayth k Anselmus 2. Thessal 2 Antichrist shall faine himselfe to be holy that hee may deceiue men vnder the colour of holinesse Yea and hee shall call himselfe God and shall cause himselfe to be worshipped and shall promise the Kingdome of heauen Saint Hierome sayth l Hierom. in Zachar. 11. This shepheard is so wicked that hee is not called a worshipper of Idols but an Idol it selfe because he calleth himselfe God and will be worshipped of all men Gregory the Great sayth m Gregory in his 25. booke vpon the 34. 14. chapter of Iob. Whereas hee is a damned man and not a spirit liuing he faineth himselfe to be God To conclude Erasmus sayth thus of the Pope n Erasmus vpon the 16. hap of the Râ—u lat 2. Sect. That beast at Rome of whom we spake before is the very right Antichrist which worketh against the Gospell of Christ. And yet for a more full resolution that the Pope is the same great Antichrist which Saint Paul calleth The man of sinne and sonne of perdition that should exalt himselfe aboue God their Saint Hildigard a Nunne o Hildig in her third â—ook the 11. Vision giueth the Pope these very same titles The man of sinne and sonne of perdition And their prophâ—â— Paracelsus in his twelft figured Prediction directed to the Pope prooueth him also to be the same For saith â—â—e p Paras 12. Prediction Thou hast lifted thyselfe on high And a little after Thou hast exalted thy selfe aboue God and he shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Now then whereas some haue doubted whether the Pope be that great Antichrist for that the great Antichrist should come vnto such an exceeding great height of pride and vaine-glory as that none before him could neyther after
him should euer possibly attaine vnto heere by this plaine demonstration they may bee resolued for that they find not any-where in all the Scriptures nor by any auntient Writers that any man nay that Lucifer himselfe euer aspired to mount vp to that great height of dignitie as they see here the Pope hath done And therefore it is which their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ sayth thus to the Pope q Bridget in her first booke 41. chap. Thou art worse then Lucifer Wherefore to professe one God after this Antichristian manner namely to haue the Pope and euery Pope in his time and place to be Not a pure man but a true God To be the cause of causes and consequently an eternall God To haue power to fetch out of hell as many soules as he will and place them in heauen and consequently to be an almightie God To haue power ouer the Angels in heauen and his Lawes and Decrees aboue the Lawes and Decrees of God and to be said of him The Pope is all and aboue all and consequently the highest God of all is as Saint Hilary sayth r Hilar. in Psa 1. To deuise fancies of God and as horrible as to say there is no God and doubtlesse as in plaine and expresse termes to deny God For it is cleare that if there be any more celestiall Gods then one there is iust none at all And thus much to shew how little the Papists agree with the Protestants in the profession of one God now let vs see how they doe agree in the profession of one Sauiour and Mediator Iesus Christ 8 VVe Protestants professe as is sayd one onely Sauiour and Mediatour both of redemption and intercession euen Christ Iesus Diuers of the Popish writers seeme to holde the letter of the Scriptures that there is none other name whereby we are saued but onely by this name Iesus But as Saint Hilary foretold of Antichrist s that Hee should be contrary to Christ vnder a colour of preaching the Gospell so that our Lord Iesus Christ shall then be denyed when a man would thinke he were preached Euen so falleth it out with the Romish profession whereby hee is as plainely denyed as he was of the false Apostles in the time of Saint Paul who taught Christ to be the Sauiour but not truely partly by denying some vertue of his passion and partly coupling others with him as fellow-Sauiours in like manner as the Popish writers doe For they distinguishing sinnes into originall and actuall hold and write t Thó of Aquin. de Venerabil sacra Alter cap. 1. Catharinus De Jnâ—ruento sacrificio Noui. that Christ saued onely from the guilt of originall sinne that is of that one transgression of Adam which we our selues neuer committed in act and left vs guilty of all our transgressions which through our whole life we commit which is as much as if one had payed a penny for his friend which lay in prison for more then he was euer able to pay 9 The holy Apostles Saint Paul and Saint Iohn vnpartiall Iudges in this question teach otherwise Rom. 5.16 Paul in the 5. to the Romaines sayth plainely that Adams transgression was one and spread ouer all to condemnation but the gift of God through Christ is in iustification of many offences vnto life eternall And vnto Titus thus he writeth Tit. 2. vers 14. Christ gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs not from originall sinne only but from all iniquitie And so Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 1.7 The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne By which it is most euident that the Romish Doctors are worthy to bee accounted among the false Apostles which for their worldly gaine and filling their bellies avowe in writing v Card. Allen. in Fulk pag. 154. That by the great wisedome of God the power of Christs death was limited and full power left to the Church and principall Pastours thereof to release sinne and that * Ibidem the death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our owne sins and of procuring our owne saluation by good workes Hereupon they haue found out and doe openly professe many Sauiours for actuall sinnes whose number may bee reduced into fiue heads 10 The first is of the Saints whereof some are truely Saints but abused by them and set vp to be Sauiours others are counterfeit and of their owne canonizing of whom we may well doubt whether they themselues be saued or no seeing Pope Gelasius sayth x Gela. in the 2. Canon de coâ—secra dist 1. cap. Placu Churches are built in their names who for ought I can learne were not altogether good and faithfull men Of the true Saints they haue specially abused the blessed Virgine whom they thus extoll y Lipomanus pag. 289. Behold how mighty is the Mother of God and how no man can be saued but by her Againe z O happy Mother which doest purge vs from our sinnes Yea more abusedly a Wee must flee from the court of Gods iustice to the court of his Mothers mercie For no mercie commeth from heauen to the earth but what passeth through the hands of Mary shee is the mediatour of our saluation iustification reconciliation and participation Againe b In a prayer Thou art the mediatour of God and man Also c In a prayer Our hope and trust is in thee O blessed Virgine Mary defend vs euerlastingly And againe d Thou art the Lady of Angells thou art the Queene of heauen commaund thy sonne shew thy selfe to be a Mother To conclude the Scriptures and Prophecies spoken of Christ are by them applyed vnto her e Come vnto me all yee that are weary and laden I will ease you Math. 11. I am the doore Iohn 10. c. The rest of the Saints are lesse mentioned or not so often in their Liturgies but no lesse extolled f In Liturgie They call Mary Magdalen The purchaser of their saluation They say g In a prayer By Saint Swithen our sinnes are done away And of the whole multitude in generall how they beleeue it appeareth in their Masse booke first where they pray * In the Masse booke That by the merits of all Saints they may receiue remission of sinnes Secondly in their Iesus psalter where they desire the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyrs Confessours Virgines Widdowes Matrons and Innocents to offer them their merits And that by the merits and intercession of Peter Paul Iohn Augustine Anne Katherine Barbara and all other Saints that hath bin or yet are to come they may obtaine Gods mercie 11 Concerning their new coyned Saints Founders of certaine Sects among them Augustine Dominicke Francis Becket Swithen and others they write so honourably of them pray so confidently vnto them extoll them with such prayses and seeme to beleeue so certainely in them that not onely all the other Saints but
Euseb eccles his lib. 2. cap. 14.16 Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ 44. and foureteene yeares after hee was called to be an Apostle During which time hee and the other Apostles had planted many Churches in the world and yet was none of them the mother Church For that onely must needes be the mother which was first in which Christ himselfe first planted and taught that Faith and Religion which afterwards by the meanes of his Apostles should be made Catholique which as S. Matth. Matth. 26. Luke 21. Matth. 10.5.6 chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 sheweth was Ierusalem which Faith and Religion as appeareth in Matthew 10. Christ commaunded not to reueale to the Gentiles till they had spread it throughout the Regions of Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the first and most ancient Church 10. Againe when as afterwards the Gospell was preached to the Gentiles it was not first taught to the Romans no not by S. Peter himselfe For as themselues confesse Peter after he had preached well neere seuen yeares about the coasts of Ierusalem went to Antioch and taught there other 7. yeares before hee came to Rome therefore that verie first Church of Rome could not be the most ancient Mother of the true Catholique Faith and Religion If not the first which was planted by Peter then not the second that was planted by Boniface aboue fiue hundred yeares after 11 And that it may yet more manifestly appeare that shee was not the Mother but one of the chiefe Daughters not the head but a chiefe member of the Mother Church these words of Tertullian which liued in the next age after the Apostles will make it plaine d Tertul. de praescription contra Haereticos Runne ouer said he and behold the Apostolike Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyces and representing the faces of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome And further to proue Rome but one of the chiefe members of the whole Church he saith thus e Tertul. De praescription contra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolique in that they follow all one vnitie By which who seeth not but that euen that same Church of Rome which was first was but one of the Daughters of Ierusalem from which the Church Triumphant had her name deriued and not from Rome and yet indeed was shee but the figure of the vniuersall Mother Church For as Saint Paul said Galathians 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue Galat. 4.26 is the Mother of vs all therefore it is flat blasphemy to say that Rome is the vniuersall Mother of all Christian Churches and the rather for that as her state standeth now the Angell saith Reuelat. 17. Shee is the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth 12 Againe The Church triumphant and the church millitant being but one can haue therefore but one head in that the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is aboue is the mother of vs all it sheweth the Church Triumphant and the Church millitant to make both but one Church And therefore whereas the Papists would make these two parts of the Church two seuerall Churches that so they might set vpon the millitant part another head besides Christ what else doe they thereby but make that part an adultresse and consequently the Whore of Babylon For by Saint Pauls doctrine Romans 7.3 Romans 7. shee that hath two Husbands at one time is an Whore And doubtlesse howsoeuer shee is rightly called Babylon for resembling olde Babylon in Tyrany Idolatry and other abominations yet is shee called an Whore chiefly for coupling her selfe to another Husband besides Christ 13 In the time of the Apostles Christ onely is the Head it is cleare by Saint Paul in diuers of his Epistles that both the parts of the Church as well that beneath as that aboue and both together Christ onely is the head had none other head but Christ For first Ephesians 1. cap. verses 20.21.22 he speaking of Christ saith Ephes 1.20.21.22 God set him at his right hand in the heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this World onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body And Colossians 1.18.19 He is the head of the body of the Church Colos 1.18.19 he is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Also to shew that the Church hath onely but this one head hee writing to the Church of Corinth 2 Epistle 11.2 said thus vnto her 2 Cor. 11.2 I haue prepared you for one Husband to present you as a pure Virgin to Christ Which plainly declareth that as the Church vnder the Law had none other Husband but God himselfe Vnder the Law the Church had no husband but God For as the Prophet Esay said to the Church of the Iewes cap. 45.5 He that made thee is thine Husband whose name is the Lord of Hostes so likewise vnder the Gospell that the Church hath none other Husband but onely the Sonne of God 14 And now also that it may as plainely appeare that for 605. yeeres next after Christ this doctrine of one headship was onely approued of euen by the Bishop of Rome himselfe to wit Gregory the Great these his owne words written against the Bishop of Constantinople which sought to be vniuersall head with Christ will make it cleare f Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. If said he Saint Paul would not haue the members of the Lords body to be subiect to any heads but to Christ no not to the Apostles themselues what wilt thou answer to Christ the head of the vniuersall Church in the last day of iudgement which goeth about to haue all his members subiect to thee by the title of vniuersall Whom doest thou imitate in so peruerse a name but Lucifer So that here we see the case made cleare that the Romish Church with two heads Christ and the Pope as yet had not any being at all neither the name of Pope approued of as wee shewed in
Fiftly Leo whose Legates in his behalfe stood for the Title and Authority of Vniuersall Bishop in the Councell of Chalcedon which Councell would not yeeld him that prerogatiue onely because his Sea was the most auncient seate of the Emperor hee should haue the highest place in Councells and Assemblies and that was all as we proued in our thirteenth Section I say when as the Bishops of Rome saw that the Bishop of Constantinople was like to be made and established Vniuersall Bishop of Bishops which they could neuer attaine vnto then as we heard in the first Section of our fift Chapter Pelagius the second Bshop of Rome of that name decreed That no Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe should be called Vniuersall Bishop Gregory the Great when he came he made an out-crie against the Title calling it an vngodly title a title of shame and fit for no Christian but for Antichrist alone and sought to cleare all his predecessours from either receiuing or desiring the Title or Dignitie as appeareth in the fift Section of the fift Chapter where he said * Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 32.36 None of my predecessors Bishops of Rome euer consented to vse that vngodly name We the Bishops of Rome would neuer take vpon vs the name of singularitie we would neuer receiue that honour being offered vnto vs. To be briefe to induce the people to beleeue that notwithstanding these words of Gregory yet he had the vniuersall dominion ouer all Bishops Cardinall Allen biddeth them not looke to his words but to his practise I answere If the practise of Gregory was such as his owne words condemned for vngodly blasphemous and Antichristian we were best to be led by his Words and not by his Practise Againe whereas their Doctour M. Harding saith f Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 3. Giue vs the Thing and we will not striue for the Name as though Gregory had had all Bishops vniuersally vnder his gouernment nothing can be made more plaine to the contrary then these words of Gregory himselfe hath made it where he found himselfe grieued that Maximus Bishop of Salona was made Bishop without his consent and maintained in his place by the Emperour notwithstanding hee was a criminall person g Gregor lib. 4. cap. 78. If said hee the faults of those Bishops which be committed to my charge be borne out by my gracious Lords c. What make I heere in this Church while that mine owne Bishops contemne me Which maketh the case cleare that he had Bishops of his owne and a peculiar charge to gouerne and not an vniuersall dominion ouer all All which proueth Bellarmines assertion most vntrue that by all Councells and Fathers the Popes vniuersall supremacie was approued of from Saint Peters time To conclude forasmuch as both by Councells and Fathers wee haue ouerthrowne the antiquitie of their Church their vniuersality the Popes supremacie Succession of vniuersall Popes and generall consent and proued that they were not approued of by generall consent nor publiquely established before Gregories decease which was in the yeere of Christ 605. nor of two yeeres after when as the great Antichrist rose in Rome let them bring neuer so many testimonies out of those Councells and Fathers which were afterwards I would wish no man to vouchsafe the answering any one of them but vtterly to disclaime them all as Antichristian For what should wee looke for vnder Antichrist but that all things should be ordered and done to vphold him and to maintaine his kingdome And thus much for this point But now for that the maine foundation whereupon all their Assertions are grounded is an imagined conceit of Saint Peters supreame and vniuersal authoritie let vs see what we can say to that point more specially CHAP. VIII Tending to resolue all men that the Apostle Saint Peters authority was but the same that the other Apostles was and therefore that supreame authority which the Pope Claymeth from Saint Peter is fabilous That Christ alone is the supreame head of the Church euen of that part that is Millitant as that which is Triumphant That Ierusalem is the most ancient Mother of the Catholique Church that the Popish is the Church of Antichrist and therefore it is blasphemy to affirme it to be the same which Saint Peter first planted in Rome That there was no Church planted in Rome till the yeere of Christ 44 before which time there were many Christian Churches planted in the World therefore Rome could not be the Mother but a Daughter of the Mother Church 1 IT hath of long time gone for currant Doctrine Christian Reader that our Sauiour Christ made Saint Peter supreame head and Prince of all the Apostles That vnto him onely he committed the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen That vnto him hee committed the care and charge of his whole Church That vnto him onely he committed the office of feeding both Sheepe and Lambes olde and young That hee was that Rocke on which Christ said hee would build his Church and against which the gates of hell should not preuaile That for him the prayer was made Finally that he alone had an ordinary power from whence all the other Apostles receiued their powers and authority and that the Pope receiued the same ordinary power from him whereby he taketh vpon him to giue power and authority to all Bishops Pastors and Ministers All this I say during the time of Popish blindnesse went through the Romish iurisdiction for Catholique doctrine which God-willing shall be proued but fond fables 2 First then whereas they say that Christ made Saint Peter Prince and head of all the Apostles this may easily be proued a fable because there is nothing in all the Scriptures made more manifest then Saint Mathew Saint Marke and Saint Luke hath made it to the contrary Luke 22.23.24.25.26 For as Saint Luke declareth that there was a strife risen among the Apostles about principalitie and supreame dignity and that they began to enquire among themselues which of them should seeme to be the greatest So Saint Matthew and Saint Marke declareth that when their Master Christ perceiued whereabout they went he did not make so light a matter of it as to giue them leaue to determine it among themselues but with great care he called them vnto him and sate downe and as they all stood before him Matthew 20 25.26 he decided their question according to Saint Matthew thus Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them and they that are great exercise authority ouer them but it shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant According to Saint Marke thus Marke 9.33.34.35 If any desire to be first the same shall be last of all and seruant vnto all So that by this wee see it very apparant that Christ allowed no supremacy or principality at all among the Apostles therefore the
which the gates of hell should not preuaile 8 Furthermore if Peter had beene that Rocke against which the power of the Deuill should not haue preuailed how was it that Saint Paul found him a desembler in Religion for which himselfe saith Gala. 2. Gala. 2.11.12.13 hee reproued him before all men in the Citie of Antioch Also if he had been that Rock against which the power of hell should not preuaile whence was it then that hee became an Apostata by cursing himselfe if euer he knew Christ and by denying him with an oathe Matth. 26.72.73.74 Therefore it is euident hee was not that maine Rocke against which the Gates of hell should not preuaile nor on which Christ said he would build his Church yea the very expresse words of the Text declareth that he did not meane vpon Peter for the words are not vpon thee Matth. 16.18 but vpon this Rocke That is saith Saint Augustine q August in his 3. Sâ—r. vpon Matthew vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church I will build thee vpon mee and not mee vpon thee for men willing to build vpon men said I hold of Paul I am of Apollo and I holde of Peter But others that would not build vpon Peter but vpon the Rocke said I holde of Christ And this interpretation of Saint Augustine their Doctor Beda so approueth of r Beda vpon the 1. Cor. the first chap. that in his interpretating the same words hee obserueth Augustines words verbatim Likewise their Docter Haymo thus expoundeth the same words Å¿ Haymo of Peter and Paul Because saith he thou hast professed mee truely to be the sonne of the liuing God vpon this Rocke that is vpon me whom thou hast confessed to be the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church Thus then wee see that Christ himselfe is that Rocke on which hee said hee would build his Church and not Peter And the rather because it is not any where found in all the Scriptures that the power of hell did euer any way preuaile against him but may euidently be proued it did more preuaile against Peter then against any other of all the Apostles therefore it is without all contradiction that Christ himselfe is that maine Rocke yea the same on which Saint Hierome witnesseth Peter himselfe did helpe to build the Church For he complaining how the Christian Doctrine was then in his time corrupted in Rome said t Hierome idem aduersus Iouianum Was there none other place in all the World to receiue this voluptuous Doctrine but that which Peters preaching had built on the Rocke Christ Declaring thereby that Christ was that maine Rocke and not Peter 1. Cor. 3.11 And therefore it was that Saint Paul 1 Cor. 3.11 speaking of the maine Rocke or Foundation concludeth hereof thus Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ 9 But heere now perhappes they will obiect and say Did not Christ say to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a Rocke or a Stone We answere Hee did For if wee speake of the Ministeriall foundation no man can deny but that Peter was therein a Rocke or a Stone as the Prophets and the other Apostles were for that Saint Paul speaking of the ministeriall foundation Ephesians 2.20 saith plainely Ephes 2.20 It is built to wit the Church vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone But in that hee bringeth in Christ among them and ascribeth vnto him onely the prerogatiue of singularitie it is cleare that euen in the ministeriall foundation hee allowed none singular but Christ alone And therefore that prerogatiue of singularitie which the Pope would claime by right from Peter is euen flat forgery and a foolish fantasie 10 I am not ignorant what a shuffling they keepe with Saint Hierome to proue Peter one singular in the ministeriall foundation but if it be possible for any man to speake plainer words to the contrary then these let the Reader iudge v Hieron lib. 1. aduersus Iouian Yee will say said hee the Church is founded vpon Peter notwithstanding in another place the same thing is done vpon all the Apostles and all receiued the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church is founded equally vpon them all And hereof it is which Saint Origen saith * Origen in 16. Matth. tract 1. If onely vpon Peter thou thinke the whole Church to be built what wilt thou say to Iohn and euery of the Apostles And a little after For if this speech To thee will I giue the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen be common to all why then should not all that which goeth before and that which followeth after as spoken to Peter be common to them all By which we see plainly that seeing Peter is not a Singular in the Ministeriall foundation the Pope very vniustly challengeth that prerogatiue from him 11 Sixtly they say For Peter the prayer was made as though Christ had not praied aswel for the other Apostles as for him But for the blowing away of this miste I referre the Reader to the seauenteenth chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell where he shall see that Christ prayed as well for all the other Apostles as for Peter whereupon it was that Saint Augustine wrote thus against those Heretikes of his time x Augustine in his first booke of his quâ—stion vpon the Old and New Testament the 75 question Did Christ pray but for Peter and not for Iames and Iohn It is manifest that all the Apostles were meant in Peter because in another place hee saith I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me and I will that where I am they may be also 12 Lastly they say thus Peter had an ordinary power from whence all the other Apostles receiued their power and authority For answere whereof and for breuitie sake I am compelled also to referre the Reader to these places of Scripture Iohn 20.21.22.23 Matth. 18.18.19 and 10.5.6.7.8 and 28.18.19.20 Iohn 14.26 Acts 2.1.2.3 which doth plainely proue that all the Apostles in generall and euery particular of them receiued their power and authority immediately from Christ as Peter himselfe did And hence it was that Saint Cyprian knitteth vp the conclusion thus y Cyprian of the simplicitie of Prelates Christ gaue to all his Apostles like and equall power and authority And where then was that ordinary power of Saint Peter that the Pope should challenge from him that prerogatiue to haue a singular power and principalitie to giue power and authoritie to all Bishops Pastours and Ministers iust no where to be found For albeit our Sauiour Christ seeing Peter so forwards aboue the rest and fore-seeing also how prone ready he was to
the Church hath none other head but Christ yea as well that part that is Millitant as that that is Triumphant and both together because they both make but one Church And therefore writing to the Church of Corinth in his 2 Epistle 11. chapter 2. verse he said thus vnto her I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ And to the intent that all might know that the Church Triumphant and the Church Millitant hath both but one and the same head hee writing to the Church of Ephesus chapter 1.20.21.22.23 said thus vnto them of Christ God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery Name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things And to the Colossians chapter 1. verses 16.17.18 thus For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And hee is before all things and in him all things consist And hee is the head of the body of the Church hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell By which it is manifest Christ Iesus alone is the head of the whole Church The Pope cannot claime antiquity of Bishopricke from Peter because Peter was not the first bishop but Iames. and not Peter and therefore the Pope cannot rightly claime the vniuersall headship from him If Peter had beene the supreame head of the Church why was hee not then the first Bishop of the Church but agreed with Iames and Iohn to make Iames the Iust the first Bishop as Clement the first witnesseth in these words * Clement lib. 6. Hypotip Ierusalem the most ancient mother church and not Rome Peter Iames and Iohn after the Assumption of our Sauiour challenged not this prerogatiue vnto themselues but appoynted Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem And as these words of Clement proue Peter not to be the first Bishop so doe they proue Rome not to be the first Church where the first Apostolicall Bishop was placed but Ierusalem therefore not Rome but Ierusalem must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church 14 That must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church whose ministers Christ himselfe appointed the Apostles first to be which was the Church of Iewrie as appeareth by S. Mathew chap. 10.5.6 where after he had repeated the names of the twelue Apostles which Christ had chosen said These twelue did Iesus send forth and commanded them saying Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather to the lost sheepe of the bouse of Israell Therefore the Church of Ierusalem was the most auncient Apostolike Church and not the Church of Rome which was the chiefe of the Gentiles 15 Againe that Church must needes be the Mother of the most auncient Catholique hâ—urch in which Christ himselfe first planted the Faith and Religion which should be Catholique and by the meanes of whose Ministers the Catholique Church should receiue it which Faith and Religion Saint Mathew chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 witnesseth Christ taught vnto the people daily in the Temple of Ierusalem and commaunded her Ministers the Apostles to publish the same afterwards to the vniuersall world Mathew 28.19.20 therefore Ierusalem and not Rome is the Mother of the most auncient Catholique Church 16 MoreoueÌ„r There was no Romish Church at all 14. yeeres after Peter was called to be an Apostle Ierusalem must needs be the mother Church of all Christian Nations for that in her all the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost and the gifts of tougues that euery Nation might be taught by them in their owne language what to beleeue and doe to be saued the which they had largely put in practise during well-neere foureteene yeeres immediately after their calling before Peter came to Rome For they cannot denie but that Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ his incarnation 44. Before which time Peter planted many Churches in diuers Coasts For themselues affirme in their Rozarie that before he came to Rome hee spent his time preaching in Iewry Syria Antiochia and other places Many Churches were planted in the world before Peter came to Rome Therefore seeing that besides those other Churches which were planted by the rest of the Apostles Peter planted many before he planted a Church at Rome it is cleare that when as he had planted a Church in Rome shee could be but one of the Daughters and not the Mother of the most ancient Catholique and Apostolike Church 17 Lastly it must needs be the most ancient Church and the Mother of all the Churches Millitant from which the Church Triumphant hath her name deriued but Saint Paul Galathians 4 and Saint Iohn Reuelations 21. sheweth her name to be deriued from Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the Mother of all Christian Churches Millitant That is to say the onely figure of the vniuersall Mother for as Saint Matthew Chapter 23.9 sheweth the vniuersall Father to be not in earth but in Heauen so Saint Paul Galathians 4.26 sheweth the vniuersall Mother not to be in earth That must needs be the most anâ—iâ—nt Church Millitant troÌ„ which the Church Triumphant hath her name derâ—ued but in Heauen 18 And now Christian Reader as wee shewed thee at large in our fifth Chapter that before the yeere of Christ 607. there was no Popish Church in Rome and here that before the yeere of Christs incarnation 44. there was no Romish Church at all so will we now shew thee more plainly that after there was a Romish Church and that shee was become most famous for her Faith and Religion that yet euen then shee was not the Mother but a Daughter not the head but a chiefe member of the Apostolike and Catholike Church Tertullian who liued in the next age after the Apostles wrote thus b Tertul. de praescription centra Haereticos Runne ouer and behold the Apostolique Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyce and representing the face of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe
ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome * Tertullian De praescription Cotra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolike in that they all follow one vnitie And thus we see that albeit at this present time when Tertullian wrote this Ierusalem was destroyed by enemies Rome was yet then but a chiefe part of the Church and not as they write The mother and mistresse of all neither as they write that c 24. q. 1. c. Rogamas c. Sacro sancta therefore all Churches are subiect to the Sea of Rome because Peters Sea was tranflated from Antioch to Rome seeing Saint Cyprian in the open Councell of Affrica reprehending Stephanus Bishop of Rome for seeking that subiection said d Cyprian ad Qairâ—um Peter was neuer so insolent or arrogant as to aduance himselfe as Primate and one vnto whom nouices and punies should be subiect But here they haue marred their whole matter and ouerthrowne the antiquity of the Sea of Rome which they of long time haue borne the World in hand was established by Christ himselfe and that Peter was installed therein immediately vpon the death of Christ in that they affirme Peters first Sea to be at Antioch where Eusebius witnesseth c Anton. chro part 1. tâ—â— 6. cap. 4. paraâ— 1. Eliseb 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 1.4 He was Bishop and resident vpon that charge seauen yeeres euen as Gregory the Great also witnesseth before he came to Rome And thus we see how wickedly they haue deluded the World touching Peters supreamacy and the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 19 But now whereas they alledge succession of vniuersall Popes and will proue it both by Saint Ireneus and Saint Augustine in that they numbred the Bishops of Rome from Peter Irenaeus they say * In their Callendar numbred the Successours by name from Peters time thirteene but let them proue that any one of them was by him or any other before him called vniuersall Pope and the victory shall be theirs if they can proue none then it is certaine that to his time there was none Also whereas their Doctor Master Harding saith f Harding Apol. cap. 5. Diuisio 1. Augustine Epist. 165. Saint Augustine hauing reckoned vp in order the Bishops of Rome to Anastasius Successour to Siricus who was the eight and thirty after Peter saith that in all that number role of Bishops there is not found one that was a Donatist and therefore he concludeth Ergo the Donatists be not Catholique So we say by the same rule that forasmuch as Saint Augustine found in all that rolle not one that was or had the title of vniuersall Pope but Bishop onely it is cleare that vniuersall Popes cannot be Catholique Againe that it may appeare that Saint Augustine did not approue of any such haughty titles nor allowed any lawfull but the name of Bishop He with the assent of 215. Bishops in the third Councell of Carthage made this decree g Councel Carthage Cannon 26. It hath liked vs that a Bishop of a First See be not called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or any such like but onely a Bishop of a First See Which words albeit their Doctor Master Harding h Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 2. would not haue to extend to the Bishop of Rome yet in the words following by a consequence he granteth it doth For saith he By these two words Prima Sedes those Fathers vnderstood any City in which a Patriarke or Primate hath his See I call it a First See or rather if it might be permitted a Primate See In great Cities where the Highest Courts were kept for Iustice and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weighty matter of Bishops should be decided And we proued in our 5. Chapter and 8. Section that the foure first Patriarkall Cities were these Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria Therefore the words of the Councels Decree must of force as well concerne the Patriarke of Rome as any of the other three Patriarkes And that it may appeare they doe their Gration alledging the words of that Councell applyeth them to the Bishop of Rome Also in the glose are these words i Dist 99. Prime This is the third part of this distinction wherein it is said that the Pope ought not to be called vniuersall Bishop And as to this Councell I finde not in any Prouinciall Councell the name of Pope so neither in the first second nor third generall Councell doe I finde the name of Pope once mentioned but the name Bishop onely True it is that in the fourth generall Councell holden at Chalcedon Councell of Chalcedon Action 16. about the yeere of Christ 451. the name Pope was giuen to the Bishop of Rome but not by the Councell but onely by the Bishop of Romes Legate Lucentius as appeareth in the 16 action Who when hee saw that the Councell had set downe a Decree for the restraining the Bishop of Rome from the vniuersall authority which he challenged and would not reuerse it he said in the behalfe of himselfe and Paschasinus his fellow Legate If ye will not put the matter againe to voyces yet let our protestation against it be set downe in record that we may know what to informe the Pope of the vniuersall Church The Iudges answered That which we pronounced the whole Councell hath approued The title which this Councell gaue to the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the beginning of this 16. Action was the same which they there gaue to the Bishop of Constantinople which was Archbishop and not Pope 20 And now whereas their Master Harding saith k Harding Apolo cap. 4. Diuision 3. that Gregory the Great affirmeth that this Councell did offer to Leo then Bishop of Rome the title of vniuersall Pope and he refused it this we see not to be so but had it beene as they say that this Councell did offer it vnto him and he refused it it maketh as well to proue the title not lawfull nor to descend from Saint Peter as that the Councell refused to giue it vnto him For if the Title had descended successiuely from Peter and beene a lawfull Title what cause had he to refuse it Againe if the Title bad beene a lawfull Title why did Gregory himselfe refuse it when Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria did offer it vnto him and not simply refused it but thus flowted him for his folly l Gregory lib. 7. Epist 30. Ecce saith he Behold euen the Title of your Letter ye haue written the proud poefie meaning me the vniuersall
called the forme of the Crosse a Sacrament c Aug. in Serm. De Sanctis 19. Leo called the Vowe of Virginitie a Sacrament d Leo inter Decreta Leonis cap. 14. Saint Bernard hee called the washing of feete The Sacrament of daily sinnes e Bern. in Serm. de Coena Dom. And yet besides these other fiue were many moe called Sacraments Saint Hillarie f Hilar. in Mat. Cannon 11.12 23. in diuers places of his writings calleth Prayer a Sacrament Fasting a Sacrament Weeping a Sacrament and the whole tenure of the Scriptures a Sacrament For as the Iewes before the comming of Christ had brought into a custome to call their Oblations and whatsoeuer tended to the worship and seruice of God Sacrifices So after the comming of Christ had the Christians brought into a custome to call almost all whatsoeuer tended to the worship and seruice of Christ Sacraments Saint Augustine speaking of these and other such new deuices which were then crept into the Church saith g August in his 219. Epistle Albeit they be not against the faith yet with seruile burdens they so oppresse our very religion which God of his mercy would haue to be free vnder few and most manifest Sacraments of diuine seruice that the state of the Iewes is much more tolerable for the Iewes notwithstanding they knew the time of libertie yet were they subiect onely to the pacts and burdens of the Law of God and not to the deuices of men Againe hee saith h In his third Booke of Christian Doctrine 6. cap. Our Lord and his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacraments instead of many and the same in doing most easie in signification most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Againe in another place hee saith i De Symbolo ad Catechumenos These be the two Sacraments of the Church If these two then not Scauen 2 Furthermore that it may plainely appeare that the true Christian Church is to be knowne onely by hauing two Sacraments and not Seauen Let vs heare what Saint Chrysostome saith his words be these k Chrysost of the Workâ— vpon Matth. hom 49. All those things which appertained to Christ indeede haue the Heretikes in their Schismes Churches the Scriptures of God Bishops and other order of Clerkes likewise Baptisme and the Sacrament of thankesgiuing and to conclude Christ himselfe So that hereby we see it plainly proued that to Saint Chrysostomes time which was about two hundred yeeres before the Papists had a Church the true Church of Christ was knowne by hauing two Sacraments and not Seauen and therefore the Popish Church by retaining seauen Sacraments is apparently knowne to be not the true Church of Christ That man of God Martin Luther which before had beene a Papist speaking of this matter saith thus l Luth. Babilonicall Captin In proper speach those we call Sacraments which are promises with signes annexed the rest that haue no signes are bare promises wherefore speaking hereof precisely and strictly there are onely two Sacraments in the Church of God Baptisme and the Bread forasmuch as in these onely we find the signes ordayned of God and also the promise of remission of sinnes But here because it may be they will obiect and say that Luther was but of a latter hatch and but of lesse then one hundred yeers standing let them heare what he saith that liued but in one age next after the Apostles Tertullian by name thus he wrote against Martion the Heretike m Tertull. lib. 4. against Marti How doest thou breake marriage neither coupling the man and the woman together nor being coupled otherwise admitting them to the Sacrament of Baptisme and thankesgiuing Note saith the Translatour how he striketh away fiue of the Popish Sacraments which of their owne heads they haue deuised Yea and let them heare what hee saith that liued in the next age after that S. Cyprian by name thus hee saith n Cypr. lib. 2. Epist 1. ad Stephan Then may they be throughly sanctified and become the children of God if they be new borne by both the Sacraments Now in that hee saith both it is cleare that hee acknowledged but onely two Sacraments But why should wee trouble the Reader any longer about this matter seeing the question is resolued by these two Writers of their owne Bessarion and Paschasius Bessarion saith o Bessa of the Euchar. We reade that these onely two Sacraments were deliuered vs plainely in the Gospell Paschasius saith p Pascha of the Supper of our Lord. These be the Sacraments of Christ in the Catholique Church Baptisme and the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Therefore forasmuch as by Scripture they cannot proue their fiue ceremonies to be Sacraments nor by the auncient Fathers before the rising of Antichrist the number of Seauen onely and that we haue proued that for foure hundred yeeres next after Christ there was but onely our two Sacraments in the Christian Church that must needes be a counterfeit Christian Church and of a latter hatch that will be knowne to be the true Catholique Church by retaining more then two nay then three times two Sacraments And that indeed it may more plainely appeare that by retaining more then two it is not the true Church one of the Popes owne Pen men describing the true Church by her owne notes and markes saith thus * Nicol. Cusanus De potestate Ecclesiae Romanae Epist. 1. In this sensible world that is heere beneath wee must learne by sensible Tokens to know the very Church of Christ for otherwise we are not able to reach the truth And a little after This Church standeth of them that declare by sensible and outward tokens that they be partakers of Christ as they be that confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God And therefore this Church hath certaine holy Tokens or Sacraments ordained to that end that thereby wee may know them that be of Christ so farre forth as by such Tokens coniecturall knowledge may be gathered Therefore I say That this Church of Christ by this coniecturall iudgement is counted holy notwithstanding wicked men and Hypocrites couer themselues vnder the same outward tokens And what those tokens are he expresseth in these words following And receiue Baptisme and the Lords Supper as well as the Godly And thus much for this point Now let vs see what wee can say to the Sacrament of the Altar or Masse 3 Their Masse they would beare the world in hand was the ordinance of Christ and formed and framed by the Apostles and that Saint Peter said their Masse at Rome and Saint Iames at Ierusalem But how true this is these words of their Iohannes Boemos will plainly demonstrate q Iohan. Bohem. In his Booke of the beginning of things cap. 1â— The Masse saith hee so call they the Sacrifice was
wisedome and discretion And that indeed it may more plainely appeare that by retaining more then two it is not the true Church one of the Popes owne Pen-men describing the true Church by her owne notes and markes saith thus * In Ioh. Hom. 39. In this sensible world that is here beneath we must learne by sensible tokens to know the very Church of Christ * Nicol. Cusaenus De potestate Ecclesiae Romana Epist 1. For otherwise we are not able to reach the truth And a little after This Church standeth of them that declare by sensible and outward tokens that they be partakers of Christ as they be that confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God And therefore this Church hath certaine holy tokens or Sacraments ordained to that end that thereby we may know them that be of Christ so farre forth as by such tokens coniectured knowledge may be gathered Therefore I say That this Church of Christ by this coniecturall iudgement is counted holy notwithstanding wicked men and hypocrites couer themselues vnder the same outward tokens And what those tokens are he expresseth in these words following And receiue Baptisme and the Lords Supper as well as the godly And thus much for this point Now let vs see what we can say to the Sacrament of the Altar or Masse And thus we see that those words of Christ are spiritually to be vnderstood and not carnally as the Papists vnderstand them neither doe I see how they can properly apply those words to the Sacrament for that we see the scope and drift of Christ was onely there to draw them to the knowledge of him as he then was to wit both God and man and that he being God was become man to satisfie the wrath and iustice of God for man in the same flesh that man had offended in that so they might haue beleeued that he was the same Messias and Sauiour foretold by Moses on whom they did relie but no one word of the Sacrament therefore it seemeth to me those words doe not directly concerne the Sacrament or Sacramentall eating And the rather also may they be of my minde for that these of their owne side haue thus written Michael vehe o Michael vehe contra Lutherum of eating the Sacrament Christ in the sixt Chapter of Saint Iohn spake nothing And this he there proueth Their Doctor Doring saith p Doring in Psal 110. That saying hath no foundation or warrant in the words written by Saint Iohn Therefore to speake of the receiuing of the Sacrament in true vnderstanding it hath no force And a little after For this was spoken long before the Sacrament was ordained Therefore out of those words they can make no good proofe touching the communion of the Sacrament seeing the Sacrament at that time had no being Wherefore let vs now come to the words which properly and directly appertaineth to the Sacrament or Sacramentall eating Which when Christ deliuered the Sacrament to his Apostles were these 1 Cor. 11.24 Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you or as Saint Paul saith Which is broken for you 8 Now touching these words Christian Reader which they would haue also litterally to be taken and not figuratiuely to be vnderstood it will plainely appeare that they are but figuratiue speeches First for that when as Christ deliuered the bread and said Take eate this is my body which is broken for you his body was not then broken but was broken the next day after Secondly for that it was his very bodie that deliuered the bread which he called his body and it is certaine he had not two bodies therefore in calling the bread his body and the wine his bloud they were onely such figuratiue speeches as he vsed at other times as when he called himselfe a doore Iohn 10.7 Iohn 15.1 Iohn 10.11 Apoc. 5.5 Apoc. 14.1 Gen. 33.20 Iudg. 6.24 Rom. 4.17 a vine a shepheard c. and where he is called a Lyon a Lambe c. And as are vsed in many other places of the Scriptures as Genesis 33. Where Iacob called the Altar which he had set vp The mighty God And likewise in Iudges the 6. where Gideon called his Altar Iehouah which were none of them so but figuratiuely And therefore it is which Saint Paul saith Romans 4. God calleth those things which be not as though they were euen as himselfe also did when he called the stonie Rocke Christ which as Saint Augustine saith q August in his 57. question vpon Leuit. Gen. 17.10 Was not Christ by substance but by signification And as God himselfe did Genesis 17. where he called circumcision which was but the Sacrament or signe of his couenant The Couenant Therefore it is certaine that those words of Christ in calling bread his body and wine his bloud were but the like figuratiue speeches And that the Reader may be the more fully resolued that they were indeede but figuratiue speeches let him diligently obserue these testimonies of the auncient Fathers 9 Tertullian saith r In his Booke against Martion Iesus tooke bread and giuing it among his Disciples made it his body saying This is my body that is to say saith he a figure of my body Saint Ambrose saith Å¿ Ambrose 4. Booke 5. Cha. of Sacraments The Priest saith Make vnto vs this oblation to be acceptable which is the figure of the body and bloud of Christ Theodoret saith t Theodoret in his 1. Dialogue It is cleare that they are the figures of those things whereof they beare the name So that howsoeuer as Saint Cyprian saith u Cyprian de vnction Chrismatis Christ in his last Supper gaue to his Apostles with his owne hands Bread and Wine which he called his Body and Bloud yet on the Crosse he gaue his very body to be wounded with the hands of Souldiers that the Apostles might declare to the World how and in what manner bread and wine may be the flesh and bloud of Christ and the manner hee straight wayes declareth thus that those things which doe signifie and those things which are signified by them may be both called by one name And therefore it is also which Saint Augustine saith * August 57. question vpon Leuit. A thing which signifieth is wont to be called by the name of the thing which it signifieth And in another place x In his 23. Epistle to Benifacius For if Sacraments had not some similitudes or likenesse of those things whereof they be Sacraments then they should be no Sacraments at all but for their similitude and likenesse commonly they haue the names of those things whereof they be Sacraments Therefore saith he after a certaine manner of speech the Sacrament of Christs body is Christs body the Sacrament of Christs bloud is Christs bloud And in another place thus y In his 18. Book 48. Cha. of the City of God All signes and tokens seeme in
And when I had opened the fift Seale I saw vnder the Alter the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the testimonie which they maintained And they cried with a loud voyce saying How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and long white robes were giuen to euery one and it was said vnto them that they should rest for a little season vntill their fellow-seruants and their brethren that should be killed euen as they were were fulfilled Loe say they here is a third place euen a place where the soules of the faithful doe rest vntill the latter day To which we answer The Alter vnder which the soules are said to rest The Altar is Christ is Christ as who so will reade the 56. Chapter of Esay and seuenth verse And 60. Chapter 7. verse of the same Prophet and 8. Chapter 3. verse of the Reuelation shall see or that will listen to these testimonies of these three ancient Fathers shall heare to wit Saint Ireneus Saint Augustine and Epyphanius Ireneus saith g Jreneus in his 4. Booke and 34. Chap. Our Alter is not in earth but in heauen Saint Augustine saith h Augustine in his 20. Booke 10. Chap. of the City of God Our Alter is in heauen thither our prayers and oblations are directed Epyphanius saith i Epiphanius in his 2. Booke of Melchisadech Christ is our Sacrifice our Priest and our Alter So that we see euidently that by the Alter is meant Christ and therefore the place in which the soules of the faithfull doe rest till the day of iudgement is vnder the foote-stoole of Christ in Heauen Wherefore those words of Saint Iohn doth not proue a third place Also this is made more manifest by the 15. verse of the 7. Chapter where he speaking of the same soules Reuel 7.15 saith They are in the presence of the Throne of God And therefore whereas the Papists would haue this place of rest Elisius Campus Abrahams bosome or Paradise to be their Elisius Campus a place of pleasure in hell which they say is Paradise or Abrahams Bosome here they are compelled either to say that the Throne of God is in hell or else to grant that the resting place of those soules is in Heauen and then where is their third place yet proued 6 But forasmuch as those words in the 6. Chapter together with the other words in the 7. Chapter doe shew the resting place of the soules of the faithful to be in heauen and a place where they do crie for the time of the perfecting their full ioy and glory it is cleare that vnder the foote-stoole of Christ is the Celestiall Paradise which in the 16. Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell is called Abrahams Bosome where Lazarus the goâ—d thiefe Paradise is in heauen not in hâ—ll and all the faithfull doe rest with Abraham the Father of the faithfull till they receiue together the full fruition of their faith So that hereby wee see Paradise to be in Heauen and not in hell as they fable And this is yet made more plaine by Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. where he saith I know a man in Christ about foureteene yeeres agone 2 Cor. 12.2.4 which was taken vp into the third Heauen How that he was taken vp into Paradise By which it is most manifest that Paradise is in the highest Heauen and that therefore their hellish Paradise in which they faine their purified soules of Purgatory doe rest till the last day is fabulous and doth not proue a third place 7 But now I doe expect they will answer thus Be it as you say that Paradise is in Heauen and that therein is the resting place of the soules of the faithfull yet is there at least a third place in which they did rest for a time to wit till they were purified and made fit for Heauen For to the very same effect are these words of Cardinall Allen k Allen in Fulks page 139. By long amending by fire at last they come to that reward Againe speaking of Purgatory fire he saith l Page 130. Through which the good must passe before they come to eternall ioy By which they would haue vs to vnderstand that no soule can come into the presence of God in Heauen Soules are in heauen because they haue washed themselues white in the bloud of the Lambe noâ— in the fire of Purgatory but onely such as are purified by the fire of Purgatory and that those that are in Heauen are there because first they were so purified Which how vntrue it is these words in the 14. and 15. verses of the 7. Chapter of the Reuelation will make it most euident which saith They haue washed their long Robes white in the bloud of the Lambe therefore are they in the presence of the Throne of God and serue him in his Temple day and night Now in that the holy Ghost saith Therefore it is as cleare as the Sunne at noone day that all those that are admitted into the presence of God in Heauen are so dignified because by the hands of their faith they haue washed themselues white in the bloud of Christ not in the fire of Purgatory Wherefore as those words before cited did vtterly ouerthrow their hellish Paradise so doth these words vtterly ouerthrow their hellish Purgatorie 8 Thirdly to proue yet that the soules are made perfect by the fire of Purgatorie they cite the words of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 3.13 3. where he speaking of ignorant Teachers and their doctrine saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire Which words they would make the World to beleeue are meant of the fire of Purgatory that shall as they say purge curious and vaine doctrine and those that haue built it on the foundation Christ whereas the very words themselues doe make it plaine to the contrary for in that it saith the day shall declare it 2 Pet. 1 Chap. 19 verse 2 Thes 2. ch 8. he meant the truth the light whereof Saint Peter calleth The day-starre 2. Epistle 1. Chapter And the power thereof Saint Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. Chapter 8 calleth the Spirit of Gods mouth wherewith he sheweth that Antichrist and all Antichristian Teachers and their doctrine shall be consumed euen as fire consumeth the drosse and fineth the gold and siluer And therefore in that Chapter where hee speaketh of purging by fire that no man should vnderstand him to meane a corporall or materiall fire hee concludeth of that matter thus 1 Cor. 3.8 As it were by the fire That is as it were by fire the vaine doctrine shall be burned and consumed by the fire of Gods truth and the Teacher thereof being tryed thereby to hold the foundation sound the Church shall not condemne him as an heretique
those that will be perfect by the workes of the Law God will condemne for vnperfect for not fulfilling the whole Law And for this cause it was that Saint Paul concludeth hereof thus By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in the sight of God Romans 3. And thus much by proofe of Scripture concerning this point now let vs heare the ancient Fathers 6 Saint Augustine writing against the Pelagian heretikes saith a August in his first Booke against the Pelagians Who will grant you that any man can doe that thing that no man was euer able to doe Againe he saith b Against that 2. Epistle It is impossible that the Law should be fulfilled by flesh Saint Hierome also against the same heretiques wrote thus c Hier. to Cresiphontus against the Pelag. Ye will say Gods Commandements be easie yet you are not able to shew vs any man that euer fulfilled them altogether And these Pelagians Saint Augustine called the new heretiques whereby it seemeth that they were the first Authors of this heresie And notwithstanding their great Doctor Saint Thomas of Aquine proueth it an heresie by saying d Thomas of Aquin 3. Galat. It is impossible for flesh and bloud to fulfill the Law yet commeth their Master Harding and saith e M. Hard. Apolog chap. 19. Diuis 1. We beleeue that God commandeth vs nothing vnpossible to vs otherwise how could he iustly punish for not doing that Commandement which by no meanes we are able to fulfill Wee are sure that God punisheth no man vniustly for there is none iniquity in God To which we answere 7 God is iust and perfect in nature and therefore he gaue a iust and perfect Law and such a one as man might haue kept had he kept himselfe in that perfect estate wherin God created him but if through his owne default hee hath lost the freedome both of power and will so as that he cannot now but breake his Law God is not vniust in punishing him for it And it is most certaine that to the intent man might see what a miserable estate he had brought himselfe into Gal. 3.19 Rom. 3.20 this iust Law was giuen For as Saint Paul saith Galat. 3. It was added because of transgression and Rom. 3. By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne And this is it which Saint Augustine saith f August in his Preface to the Galathians The Lord gaue a iust Law to vniust men to make manifest their sinnes and not to take them away Againe he saith g Vpon the 118 Psal To this purpose was the Law giuen that of great it might make little that it might shew vnto thee that thou hast no strength of thy selfe to fulfill the Law And so being needy vnworthy and poore might flee vnto grace and cry Haue mercie on me O God for I am weake The Pelagians saith he h In his booke of Grace and Free-will cap. 4. thinke themselues cunning men when they say as we heard right now Master Harding said God would not commaund the thing that he knoweth a man is not able to doe To which Saint Augustine answereth thus h In his booke of Grace and Free-will cap. 4. God commaundeth vs to doe some things that we are not able to doe that we might vnderstand what we ought to craue of him Also their Saint Bernard speaking of that which God in his Law requireth of vs to be performed saith i Bernard vpon the Canticles the 53. Sermon In commaunding impossible things God made not men transgressours but humble that euery mouth might be stopped and all the world in danger vnto God because no flesh shall be iustified in his sight And thus much for the answering that sort of Papists which hold that men are iustified and saued by their good workes Now let vs see what wee can say to the other sort 8 Another sort there are which hold that wee are iustified by faith and workes together And they ground their opinion vpon the words of Saint Iames. chap 2. Iames chap. 2.24 where hee saith Ye see how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely And hereupon they conclude that in the sight of God we are iustified by faith and workes together whereas it is euident by the words doing before Saint Iames had no such meaning and therefore their mis-vnderstanding him hath caused them to erre For they not considering that there be two manners of iustifications the one before God the other before men Mat. 23. Mat. 23. suppose that Saint Iames speaketh there of iustification before God but how can this possibly be seeing as we heard before hee said in the same chap. He that faileth in one point of the Law Iames 2. chap. 10. and 3.2 is guiltie of all And in the chap. following in many things we sinne all Now seeing he saith that in many things wee sinne all and hee that breaketh one point is guilty of all it is cleare he did not meane iustification before God but before men And this appeareth also most euidently from the beginning of the 2 chap. to the 17. verse of the same Where he hauing to deale with the Atheists of his time such as of whom there are too many euery where in whom albeit there appeare no fruit of a true and iustifying faith but the contrarie yet let any well disposed man reproue them for the same streight way they breake forth into these speeches and say I hope I haue as good a faith as you and I hope to be saued as well as the best of you all To such said Saint Iames Iames chap. 2.18 Thou hast the faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes Now in that he saith shew me and I will shew thee it is without all contradiction he speaketh of the outward iustification before men and not that by workes neither by faith and workes together we are iustified before God 9 Againe whereas against those Athiests hee opposed that outward signe of Abrahams faith by offering to sacrifice his sonne Isaac at the commandement of God yet although his faith thereby was manifested to the World to be a true faith hee was neither iustified before God by that worke neither by it and faith together but euen by the faith alone Rom. 4.2.3.4.5.6.7 For as the Apostle Saint Paul saith Rom. 4. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God For what saith the Scriptures Abraham beleeued God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Now to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteous Euen as Dauid declareth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne So that hereby we see it most manifest that iustification before God consisteth in faith alone without workes euen as he also proueth as apparantly where he absolutely and vtterly excludeth all kinde of workes for being wholly or any part of the cause of iustification in that he saith Rom. 11. If it be of grace it is no more of workes If it be of workes it is no more of grace That is to say it is of the one but not of both And therefore in the third Chapter of the same Booke he closeth vp the doctrine of iustification thus Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law And thus much by proofe of Scripture touching this point also Now let vs heare the iudgement of the Fathers 10 Saint Augustine saith k August in â—â—s 83. qâ—â—stioâ—s Quest 76. Glossa ordinaria Abrahrns was iustified by faith without works Saint Hilary saith l Hila. 9. Can. Ma. 8. It moued the Scribes that sinnes was forgiuen by man for they onely beheld man in Christ Iesu and that to be forgiuen of him which the Law could not release fides enim sola iustificat for faith onely iustifieth Saint Hierome saith m Hier. 10. cap. Rom. They not knowing that God iustifieth sola fide by faith onely supposed themselues to be iust by the workes of the Law which they neuer obserued Theophilact saith n Theop. 3 cap. Gal. Because no man is iustified by the Law c. Now he doth plainly shew that fidem ipsam vel solâ—m faith it selfe yea euen alone hath power to iustifie Saint Chrisostome saith o Christost 4. Hom vpon the 1. to Tim. chap. 1. Who could hardly beleeue that enemies that sinners that such as were not iustified in the Law nor by workes that they by and by haue ex sola fide by faith onely obtayned the chiefe merite It seemed to the Iewes said heâ— an incredible thing that a man that had spent all his former life vainely and disorderly hauing passed the same in wicked workes that afterwards hee should be said to be saued sola fide by faith onely Againe he saith thus of them p In his Hom. vpon th 3. chap. to the Gala. They said who so stayeth himselfe sola fide by faith onely is accursed Contrariwise Saint Paul proueth who so stayeth sota fide by faith onely is blessed Moreouer he saith q Vpon the 4. chap. to the Rom. the 8. Ser. That a man destitute of workes should be iustified by faith that peraduenture may seeme to be well but that a man beautified with vertue and good workes should neuerthelesse by them not be iustified sed sola fide but by faith onely truely this is wonderfull And hereof it is that their Doctor Maister Harding is compelled thus to confesse r D. Har. in his booke A detection of sundry foule errours liâ—s c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth To conclude Saint Origen saith Å¿ Origen 3. Bâ—â—â—ke 3. chap. Rom. Rom. 4 5. If we require an example who was iustified sola fide by faith onely without workes I suppose that the same theefe doth suffice And indeed this iâ— that remedyâ— whereby God doth saue his elect which hee calleth at the last houre whether on their death bedde or on the gallows-tree And this it is which Saint Paul saith Rom. Rom. 4.5 4. By faith God doth iustifie the vngodly And as hee sheweth that faith is the onely meanes whereby God doth saue the vngodly Gal. 3.11 Hab. 2.4 whom he vouchsafeth to call so Galla. 3. aluding to these words of the Prophet Habakkuk chapter 2. The iust shall liue by his faith hee proueth that the most righteous shall be saued by their faith onely or else they shall neuer be saued And thus much for the answering the other sort of Papists also which will haue men to be saued by faith and workes together 11 But now Christian Reader what shall wee say shal we conclude that we are iustified by such a faith as the Papists charge vs with which is generall with all the wicked which not onely is without the fruits of a true and liuely faith but hath the contrary God forbid But wee say that we are iustified by faith that is by such a faith as Saint Paul saith 2. Thess 3.2 1 Cor. 13. chap. All men haue not 2 Thess 3. Yea by that faith which hee saith worketh by loue and which Saint Iames saith James 3.17 Is full of mercie and good fruits chapter 3. Euen by the same faith which is manifested vnto men and approued of God to be a true faith which at the day of iudgement shall be tried by the fruits thereof and all iudged thereby at which time euery one that is found to haue had it shall as the Apostle Saint Peter saith 1. Ep. 1. chap. Receiue the end of his faith euen the saluation of his soule The rest that had not this fruitfull faith shall be damned as appeareth in the 25. Chapter of Saint Matthew 12 True it is that the generall sort because they beleeue Christ to be the Sauiour of the world and haue their names deriued from him to be called Christians thinke verily they shall all be saued Yea though many of them liue worse then the very Infidells But what reason haue they so to delude themselues seeing that not a few but many which preach Christ and the Christian faith shall be damned because howsoeuer they preach well and teach the truth their liues are not correspondent Our Sauiour Christ speaking of Christians and the time of triall who be true Christians indeed Matth. 7. saith Matth. 7.22.23 Not euery one that saith vnto mee Lord. Lord shall outer into the Kingdome of heauen but he that doth my fathers will which is in heauen Many will say vnto mee in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out Deuills and by thy name done many great workes and then saith Christ I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you Depart from mee yee that worke iniquitie And here wee see those miracle-mongers the Papists specially included who as we proued in our second Chapter worke their miracles in the name of Christ to draw men to Antichrist And as touching their conuersation of life their Saint Bridgit bringeth Christ thus reproaching them for the vilenesse thereof saying t Bridgit in her sixt Booke of Reuelation 15. chap. Their conuersation and life stinketh like a Where in my sight So that as she saith in another place v In her first Booke chap. 50. The simple sort by their bad example they hurle downe headlongs 13 But now haply they will obiect and say are wee singular
of the matter and the meanes saith * Ambrose vpon 1 Cor. first Chap. In Christ Iesus is grace giuen for as much as this with GOD is decreed that who so beleeueth in Christ is saued sola fide by faith onely without workes receiuing freely forgiuenesse of sinnes And thus wee see the case to stand cleare that faith without workes is the onely meanes of iustification and saluation 18 Now then Christian Reader this doctrine of iustification by faith in Christ without workes being so easie and clearely to bee proued the truth is it not a Worlds wonder to see that so many wise and learned men should impugne it And that a Cardinall one of the Popes Pen-men Master Allen should ascribe so much vnto good workes as to say x In D. Fulkes answere Page 239. They cleanse before hand stayeth the soule from death and lifteth it vp vnto eternall life Regard not the iangler that will say mens workes doe not purge sinne and winne heauen Which doctrine being true what is it but that wee are iustified and saued by the workes of the Law whereby not onely all those testimonies of the ancient Fathers are proued false but also all those Scriptures which before we cited are confounded and these that follow which shew that we are iustified and saued onely by faith in Christ without workes are to no purpose 19 Saint Paul Ephesians 2. saith Ephes 2.8 For by grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should glorie in himselfe Also Galatians 2. he saith We which are Iewes by nature Galat. 2.15.16 and not sinners of the Gentiles know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen wee I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ and not by the workes of the Law Galat. 3.23.24.25.26 because that by the workes of the Law no flesh shall be iustified And chap. 3. he saith Before faith came wee were kept vnder the Lawe and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterwards be reuealed wherefore the Law was our Schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ that wee might be made righteous by faith But after that faith is come wee are no longer vnder a Schoolemaister for ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus And therefore as he saith Romans 4. Roman 4. If they which are of the Law bee heires faith is made voyde and the promise of God is made of none effect And yet as he saith Galatians 2. I doe not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnesse be by the Law then Christ died without a cause So that by the doctrine of the Romish Church we see plainely that faith is made voyde the promise of God made of none effect the death of Christ needlesse and the whole matter of our iustification and saluation to consist onely in our owne deseruings And indeede to the very same effect are these words of their Cardinall Allen y Allen in Fulke pag. 154 The death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our sinnes nor of any other good worke whereby a man may procure his owne saluation Also the Pope saith thus in Bernardine Rosetus * Bernard We can demerite eternall life with works Therefore we ought to presume and hold for a certaintie that after this life wee shall assuredly haue eternall life for the reward of good workes And in the Summary de Grat. Sanct. Good workes demerite three things namely eternall life increase of grace and remission of sinnes 20 Truely I cannot but admire to see that men which would faine be saued will either be saued by that onely meanes whereby they shall be damned or else they will not be saued For by the workes of the Law wee see they will procure their owne saluation purge their soules from sinne deliuer them from death and lift them vp into euerlasting life And therefore as they depend vpon the Law so they must looke to haue the reward of the Law which is the curse and condemnation of it For as Saint Paul sayth Galat. 3.10 Galatians 3. As many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law Galat. 5.4 to doe them And chapter the fift he sayth Yee are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the Law yee are fallen from grace Rom. 9.30.31 And Romans 9. he sheweth this to be the cause of the condemnation of the Iewes For sayth he What shall wee say then that the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse 32. haue attained vnto righteousnesse euen the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed the Lawe of righteousnesse could not attaine to the Law of righteousnesse Wherefore sayth hee because they sought it not by faith 33. but as it were by the workes of the Law for they haue stumbled at the stumbling stone as it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and a Rocke to make men fall and euery one that beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed But therefore the same iudgement is fallen vpon them Iohn 9.39 which Christ sheweth Iohn 9. himselfe came to inflict vpon those obstinate Iewes and Scribes and Pharises who sought saluation by the workes of the Law and not by faith in him I am come sayd he vnto iudgement into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde And this blindnesse we see to be now in the Papists For notwithstanding the Apostle Saint Paul saith plainely thus of Christ 2 Corinth 5. God made him to be sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him they cannot see how this righteousnesse should serue the turne For as their Cardinall Allen sayth y In the said booke pag. 154 The death of Christ doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our sinnes nor of any other good worke whereby a man may procure his owne saluation And further for those that cannot attaine vnto satisfaction the second part of our first Chapter doth shew that the want that is in them is made out by the ouer-plus of the righteousnesse of others For as the sayd Cardinall saith z In the said book pag. 239. The Church of God hath instructed thee that all workes whereby man may procure helpe to himselfe or others be the workes of the faithfull And thus we see that the same iudgement which Christ laid vpon the Iewes Scribes and Pharises he hath laid vpon them that they so little accounting of him should trust to be made righteous by themselues and others that so they might be depriued of his righteousnesse 21 Againe the Apostle Saint Paul 1.
fall before any of the rest tooke the more care of him and paines with him and vsed greater motiues to incourage him to constancie it doth not therefore follow Peter Peter none but Peter Nay we see it most euident to be altogether no such matter onely it was a subtill illusion whereby they did cunningly conueigh all power in the Romish iurisdiction to the Pope and by which they labour still to retaine it and not onely that power which they faine Peter to haue had aboue the other Apostles but euen that also which God himselfe hath aboue all for thus doe they write * See Chap. 1. Sect. 3. In the Pope there is all manner of power aboue all power as well of heauen as of earth Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath power ouer the Angels both good and bad Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath power to commaund the Angels and hath power ouer the dead Againe * Ibidem The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in Hell that hee may deliuer by his Indulgences and place in the heauen and habitation of the blessed as many soules as he will Againe * Ibidem The Pope is all and aboue all By which what else will they proue but that the Pope is the God of all power and consequently an almighty God Moreouer thus doe they write * Ibidem It is sacriledge to doubt of the Popes power for he is the cause of causes therefore we must make no question about his power seeing there is no cause of the first cause And hereby they will proue him to be an eternall God But forasmuch as they fain the Pope to haue receiued al his power from Peter let them shew vs first in what place of Scripture they find Peter to haue receiued this power froÌ„ Christ secondly where any of all the Apostles haue thus written of Peters power if they can shew none then it is certaine Peter neuer had that power and therefore the Pope could not receiue it from him and yet notwithstanding doe they further write thus * Cha. 1. Sect. â— The Pope hath the place vpon earth not of a pure man but of a true God Againe * Ibidem Our holy Father the Pope is an vndoubted and true God on earth Therefore * Sect. 4. Those things hee doth hee doth them as God * Sect. 2. And is to be taken for God and worshipped with diuine honour as God And to ratifie the truth heereof they close vp the whole with this title * Sect. 2. Our Lord God the Pope Therefore forasmuch as none is to be found in any part of all the Christian Churches in the vniuersall world that doth claime to himselfe the essentiall properties and prerogatiues of God but the Pope it is without all contradiction none but the Pope is that Antichrist The man of sinne and sonne of perdition fore-told by Saint Paul 2 Thessalonians 2. That should sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to be God To be briefe as they cannot shew any one Scripture by the authoritie whereof the Pope may iustly claime from Peter these essentiall prerogatiues of God or the title of God so can they not shew by any one place of Scripture that Christ cuer gaue to Peter any such titles or dignities as the Pope yet further claimeth from him as to be called the Vicar of Christ Supreame head of the Church or Prince of Priests Nay albeit the contrary may be directly proued in that when as the strife was risen amongst the Apostles about supreame principalitie Luke 22. Christ himselfe tooke in hand the matter and thus resolued them saying Luke 22.24 Matth. 20.25 Marke 10.24 Matth. 20. Marke 10. It shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you shall be your seruant and whosoeuer will be chiefe of you shall be seruant to all the rest yet will they haue Peter to be the Prince of all the Apostles that so they might deriue that dignitie to the Pope to make him Prince of all Priests Therefore for the knitting vp of all that hitherto we haue intreated of and the manifest opening and clearing of the whole matter and of all that we haue said concerning this point this I say that forasmuch as wee haue proued this maine fundamentall principle not to stand vpon a sound ground whatsoeuer is built thereon can not stand For seeing Christ gaue no greater principalitie to Peter then hee did to any of the other Apostles it was not possible that Peter could be the supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church And that it may also appeare how vnlawfull it was for Peter or any but Christ alone so to be Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome himselfe plainely proueth from Saint Paul as may appeare where hee reprehending Iohn Bishop of Constantinople for attempting to be supreame head of the Church gaue him to vnderstand that therein he declared himselfe to be the fore-runner of Antichrist And to shew him that he was neuer able to answere that iniurie done to Christ he demaunded of him this question saying z Gregor lib. 4. Epist. 38. If Saint Paul would not haue the members of the Lords body to bee subiect to any head but to Christ no not to the Apostles themselues what wilt thou answere to Christ the head of the vuiuersall Church at the last iudgement that thus goeth about by the name of Vniuersall Bishop to make all his members subiect to thee Whom doest thou immitate in this so peruerse a name but Lucifer that would haue beene head ouer all the Angels in heauen By which hee proueth this saying of Cardinall Cusanus a Cusanus ad Bohemos epist 2. The members vmted to the Chaire ioyned to the Pope make the Church to be but an Antichristian delusion and the Pope for taking vpon him to be supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church to be that great Antichrist which the Church of Rome should take for her other husband besides Christ whereby she should proue her selfe to be indeed the whoore of Babylon mentioned by the Angell in the seauenteenth chapter of the Reuelation For it is manifest by Saint Paul Romans 7.2 That she that hath two husbands at once is an whoore And therefore this maketh the case to stand cleare that Rome cannot be the Mother of all Christian Churches vnlesse wee may conclude that all Christian Churches are the children of an whoore which God forbid 13 The Church of God vnder the Law The Church vnder the Law had God onely to her husbaÌ„d as the Church vnder the Gospel hath Christ onely had none other Head or husband but God himselfe as appeareth by the Pâ—ophet Esay 45.5 where hee said to the Church of the Iewes Hee that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of Hostes So by the words of Saint Paul it appeareth as plainely that vnder the Gospell