Sonne of God They woulde haue Bishops renouncing the name office of tyrannical Inquisitors to preache the gospell to leaue of their trapt Horses and Mules and goe on foote They did esteeme all manner of meates good and lawfull first saying grace in their mother tongues neither did they much regarde the eating of fleshe in Lent no not euen on Good Friday In Summe they went wholy about to bring in a new reformation of religion and discipline ecclesiasticall the like whereof was neuer seene of the holie Churche of Rome nor of our forefathers They tooke in hande to restore all againe to the olde and former state of the Apostles and Euangelistes what pitie what care what sorowe had this bene to our dearly beloued mother the holie Catholike Churche of Rome and to all her good subiectes But praised be our blessed Ladie of Antwerpe your honour did well foresee and in time diligently withstand that inconuenience in that you haue placed the inquisition in the lande driuen away the Gewses or Heretikes laide the Magistrates in prison banished and brought to the Butchers stall the Gentlemen and good subiectes made a way and open passage for the Spaniardes into the lande set vp fire and swoorde in token of victorie and in euerie corner reared vp gallowes and plentifully shed the blood of those newe Euangelistes In Summe your diligence your quicke expedition your great zeale your newe Bishoppes and your holie Inquisition haue so well aduised counselled perswaded or rather forced our Souereign Lord the king his Maiestie much rather to see the destruction of his Patrimoniall lande the ruine of his Subiectes yea the imprisonment and death of his owne onelie sonne then to permit the holie Catholike Church of Rome to suffer suche shame and that in place of the Popes decrees and decretals of the Masse booke Hortulus animae and suche other seruice bookes the Gospel holy Scripture onelie should succeed take possession Therefore your Honour is highly to be praised for such noble actes And euerie man is duely bound herein to assist further you in your enterprise to the vttermost of his knowledge abilitie This Right Honorable and blessed Bishop is the cause which hath moued me poore vnworthie brother of Saint Frauncis order to dedicate and sende this my simple present to your honour to the ende that I with this my small gifte of good will may somewhat though but a little helpe to strengthen repaire the decaied walles of the Romishe Church and establish againe the right perfect foundation of our most holie father the Pope Therefore hauing a while agoe seene marked that in the Citie of Antwerpe was a small booke sette foorth in French Flemish intituled named A Letter Missiue Or An Epistle directed vnto the Apostates Backsliders from the true Christian beleefe compiled and made by Maister Gentian Heruet c And for that the same booke was greatly desired and verie much esteemed of all good and Catholike hearts I haue with all diligence and circumspection perused and read ouer the same wherein I haue founde in effect that in the same is briefly declared and set foorth the whole grounde and foundation of the holie Romish religion which your Honour euen with fire and swoorde to the subuersion and vtter ruine of the whole land doth seke most zealously to mainteine And I am thereby persuaded that the same booke was most worthie to be read ouer of all men to the ende that all startbackes from the faith might returne into the right way and the good faithfull Catholikes thereby strengthened confirmed But nowe considering the saide booke to bee verie shorte and something darke for a matter of suche importaunce and likewise had either none or verie few proofes out of the Scriptures Councels holie Fathers and Decrees of the Popes therefore I haue thought good to set penne to Paper and to set foorth and declare the same at large that nothing needefull should be lacking Moreouer cōsidering that it is most necessarie to declare something more at large especially touching the woorthines and authoritie of the holie Churche of Rome and the true exposition of the holie Scripture wherevppon the summe of all our matters doe depende for that we haue alwayes beene forced to call vpon the Church especially now when there is none other shield or defence left vnto vs therefore haue I traueiled brieflie to shew of this matter where the sure grounde and foundation lies by what Scriptures by what holie fathers by what Councels by how many Decrees euerie point is defended and likewise howe and in what manner the Scripture and the holie Church of Rome are ioyned together and Catholikelie vnderstoode in suche order as the same shall in no wise serue the Heretikes anie thing at al to their purpose or aduantage And forsomuch as this woorke is sucked out of sundrie sortes of flowres gathered together therefore haue I named it The Bee hiue of the Romishe Churche thereby to geue to vnderstande ▪ that as the honie Bee doeth not gather her honie out of one flowre alone but out of manie and diuerse So doeth not the Churche of Rome stande vpon one Scripture Byble Councels or bokes of Decrees but doth catche and snatch out of eche of them that which best serueth her purpose as hereafter euerie man may plainelie perceiue and in the ende of this booke shall vnderstande more at large whereas the speciall causes are set foorth why and wherefore we haue christened this booke with such a name And now hauing vnderstoode that your Honour did a good while agoe set foorth a certaine booke against the confessiō of the faith of these newe Gospellers I did verie earnestly trauell to gette the same trusting that it might perhaps haue eased me of this my labour for that I thought your Honour shoulde haue set foorth these matters there at large But after that I had superficially and lightly reade ouer the saide booke not hauing the lucke to kepe the same lōg by me I was the more willing to set foorth this my Bee hiue for that I sawe it shoulde serue verie well to the opening and more plaine declaration of the foresaide booke which your Honour hath made and published considering that your honour is busie in euerie place with the aucthoritie and dignitie of the holie Churche of her ordinances or constitutions additions or traditions and of the spirituall exposition which shee hath made vppon the Scriptures perceiuing nothing to be clearly set foorth whereby one may finde out these constitutions and ordinances whether in the Scripture in the Fathers in the Decrees or in the Coūcels so that a simple man might alway stande in doubt what you will haue esteemed and holden for the commaundementes ordinances or traditions of the Churche and what men shall call the Churche and likewise what rule or inuiolable order this holie Churche doth commonly keepe and vse in the exposition of
scape scotfree with foure poundes one Ducate and six Carlines and so of all other Vnderstoode alwayes that this valuation is ment and taketh hold so long as the Romish Court is resident on this side the mountaines namely in France For if she haue her habitation on the other side the hilles as in Italie then for poundes and pence Turnois shal be reckoned pounds and pence stearling like as the Iurist or Lawier Ludouicus Gornesius hath written and mencioned In summe they can not commit anie so great a faulte but they may at Rome for a peece of monie haue dispensation for it so scape free without blame or punishmeÌ„t insomuch as they shall neuer come in Purgatorie if they can keepe themselues from hell mouth Whereas maister Gentian shal be more welcome a great deale than at Geneua or elsewhere amongst the Huguenote Preachers And this worthie Booke or Epistle which hee hath made may serue him verie well at Rome for a speciall recommendation to the holie Father the Pope for to obteine him a Bisshops Myter or a Cardinals hat The vii Chapter VVherein is giuen to Maister Gentian and all other holie Catholikes good and wholesome counsell And thus the booke concluded BVt aboue all things in the worlde I would wish master Gentian to be perswaded to remaine stedfastlie and sticke close to the olde customes and traditions of his predecessors like durte to a carte wheele and he can not speede amisse For although he bee then a good fellow with the rest or an Aleknight or one which loues the companie of pretie wenches yet so long as he is not an heretique it makes no matter hee needes but once in a yeare to go to shrifte and obserue a highe feast daye and then shall he be taken for a good faithfull subiect of the holie Catholike Church And admitte that after his deathe he should passe to Purgatorie yet shall so many Masses which nowe are fallen in price and become good cheape be said for his soule that he with hose and shooes shal flie to heauen as straight as a sickle Therefore must I greatlie maruell and reioyce at his wise deliberate and wellpremised conclusion which hereto hee hath annexed to witte That hee will remaine permanent in the lappe of his dearlie beloued mother the holie Churche of Rome without medling or hauing ought to doe with the Heretikes For seeing they cannot as he saith he faithfull forsomuch as they will not beleeue all whatsoeuer the holie Church doth beleeue and in especiall will not beleeue the holie Sacrament of the Altar Seeing also it is a lie that we ought not to beleeue anie thing but whatsoeuer God comprehendeth in the Scriptures and that we may not adde or diminishe anie parte thereof and that in like case the Scripture doeth holde on our side beeing rightlie taken and vnderstoode after the exposition of the holie Church Seeing they doe also call vs worshippers of idols like as also the Iewes do seeing their liues be no better then good christians liues and that they detest and deride al prayers fastings and mortification Seeing their Preachers and Ministers may worthilie be reputed for ignorant and vnlearned yea also reproched for lewde wicked liuers and that they canne bring vs no better demonstracions nor alledge other reasons than is in the Scripture and that master Gentian euen vntill this verie time hath heard say that there is no saluation without the Church so will hee then liue and die with his deare holie mother the Church and wil not at anie time forsake her but vnmoueable remaine with her for euer For although he with great hast did offer an answeare and makes a shewe as though he woulde runne in poâ—t haste to the Huguenotes sermons yet he is not in earnest I esteeme him to be so stedfast and obstinat that he will not easily alter his hide nor his spottes like as Ieremie doeth say of the blacke Moore and the Libarde In the meane while notwithstanding when I consider the merueilous burning zeale wherwith he is driuen then am I of meere necessitie forced in the name of the holie Church to beseech God that the Huguenotes do not answeare him but may find so much to doe with other hardie and waightie matters that they doe not thinke on Maister Gentian for feare least it might so fal out which I hope not that he might be chaunged forsomuch as it seemes that he is driuen with such seale to his saluation that hee regardes neither Hedge nor ditch but runnes so directly thitherwards as a yong headelesse Ducke Therefore had I rather request the Pope to cast a morsell in his mouth and giue him a good fatte benefice to the ende he departe not from vs in such haste for it were to great a losse if the holie Church shoulde misse such a strong pillar They might go nigh to fall both in the ashes which Gods good mother and all the Saintes which are at Bruxelles on the high altar of S. Goele deliuer vs from Per omnia secula seculorum that is to say For euer Amen Further I am friendlie to request the good man which did translate the Epistle of Gentian into the Dutch tongue that he will take thus much paines more for the commoditie of our deare mother the holie church and to the reioycing of the foresaid good man maister Gentian to translate this our exposition of his Epistle into the French tongue to the end that the Wallons may in like manner vse this our Bee hiue and gather the honie honiecombe thereout to the renoume glorie and honour of our mother the holie Church against all her foes The conclusion of this booke to the Christian Reader HEre hast thou welbeloued Reader a short exposition and declaration vpon the Epistle or letter of the most learned Doctour maister Gentian Haruet which serueth not onelie thereto but to all other bookes and writings of the Catholike writers and defenders of the Romishe Seate For we haue herein as brieflie and expresselie as may be rehearsed the two chiefest foundations wheron all their Scriptures reasons conclusions and Syllogismes are founded and built namelie The first The holie Catholike Church what shee is whereon shee dependeth and howe farre her authoritie and power doth streatche And the second namelie The expositions of the Scripture wherein eache may see with eyes that howbeit the Huguenotes and Lutheranes do alwayes referre them to the text of the holy Scripture yet our deare louing mother the holy church can so aptlie handle the said text that shee maketh it so fitte and pliable as it doeth wholie bende and stretche to her aduantage Then reade the same and accept our paines in good worth and considering the grounded reasons of all commotions and insurrections which from fourtie yeeres hitherwarde haue bene in Christendome for causes of Religion and Gods seruice pray vnto God that he for his Sonne Iesus Christ his sake will shortlie appeare
Colledge of Cardinals Monasteries of Monkes Fraternities of Friers Nestes of Nonnes and the rest of the Pharisaical Frie as whole handfuls of Helleborus or pounds of Colloquintida can neuer auoide wote you what that will pull downe their mother the holie Churche vppon her knees with thought and sorowe Well I leaue the benefite of this booke to thy diligence in reading And thus farewell Thine in Christ Iohn Stell This is a cleare and perfect interpretation of the Epistle of Maister Gentian Haruet nowe latelie set foorth in French and in Dutch and directed to those that are fallen from the true Christian beliefe WHerein the full foundation and profounde establishing of the holie Romishe beliefe is declared all newe heresies confounded the might authoritie and worthines of the Church of Rome expounded and by Scriptures confirmed all dissentious articles put to silence and a plaine demonstration where the right Church is to bee founde In summe all the articles of the holie Catholike Romishe beliefe are here drawne out of all sortes of flowres in the holie Scripture olde Fathers Councelles Decrees and Canons gathered together and as in a sweete Bee hiue brought all in one and in the last is set forth the manners conditions nature and essence of Bees the honie and honie-combe of this Bee hiue collected out of the best olde writers as well Grecians as Latinistes Made and brought togither by Isaac Rabbotenu of Louen Licentiate in the Popishe lawes To the right worshipful holie profounde and learned Doctor and Magister noster Maister Franciscus Sonnius nowe most woorthie Bishop of Shertoghenbosch health and blessing from God and the Pope our most holie father RIght worshipfull louing and holie father and bishop when I do well consider thinke vppon the noble commendable woorthie deedes which your honor with the good helpe of the moste famous and deuoute Cardinall Grandvelle and other good subiectes of the most holie Apostolicall Catholike Popish church of Rome haue within these niene or ten yeares taken in hande and almost brought to passe touching our ancient and wellnigh ouerthrowen Romish Religion to proppe and vnderset the same with newe pillars strong styles â–ª binding it with well twisted ropes and cordes of the Spanish Inquisition I must needes and of right in the name behalfe of all my countriemen and inhabitants of the base countries of Germanie geue you worthie thankes for the great alterations and changes whiche within these fewe yeares haue happened and chaunced to the proofe within the said lowe countries For had not your Honor about the yeare 1558. in the time of the most holie Pope Iulie the fourth stoutlie and diligentlie trauelled and obteined that these our base couÌ„tries might be prouided for with newe Bishops to serue for Inquisitours and accusers of heretikes and Huguenotes Surelie the case was such that the Popes holines with all his boothes and shoppes must out of hande haue bene trudging out of these countries and all by reason of this newe Gospell which men woulde needes set forth whereof your Bishops Myter crosier staffe and your laudable Inquisition haue not read much considering that your Honor can content your self with your Portesse a canne of good rennish wine whereof if it had so come to passe a most pitifull case must needes haue followed As especiallie that a man shoulde scarse afterwardes haue founde anie one that would haue saide Masse for monie yea the Priestes themselues began to be so ashamed of their shauen crownes that in some places they woulde haue beene glad to couer them with cowe doung as in an olde prophesie is declared The Bishops the Prelates the holie Monkes and Chanons the Inquisitoures and all idle officers of the spirituall courtes shoulde not haue had anie more worke I omit howe that the famous doctoures of Louen the Licentiates and Bachelers of Diuinitie shoulde drinke no more Vinum Theologicum or Vinum Cos that is to say of the persons fatte but must haue taken patience with small ale and single beare whereof they might sooâ—e haue gotten the Collica passio And where I pray you shoulde the foure holie begging orders haue become And especially the deuout Franciscanes should they not all in generall haue gone and hanged their cowles vpon the hedge And then what should haue become of all the godlie ornamentes of the Churche as braue altars gylte christes holie reliques braue images Copes of gold siluer and silke and other moe suche like iewels wherewith all the Churches and holie Saints as well Feminine as Masculine are decked vp and trimmed which all the Byshops haue promised by solemne othe to mainteine and defend to the vttermost of their powers But what is all this to the purpose The Masse the Masse I saie yea the holie blessed masse laie so extreemely sicke that men began alreadie to sing a Requiem ouer her the holie Saintes did not get anie more liberall offrings more sensinges nor more pilgrimages Yea the people began alreadie to pul downe images from the alters No man would geue any thing for pardons nor for the Popes bulles Yea the hole staple of pardons especially purgatorie beganne to waxe coulde The Pope himselfe was esteemed for an howlieglasse The Decrees and Decretals the Sophisticall gloses the sentences the Quotlibets and suche like toyes of the schollers and doctours of Louen were cast behinde the benche Satisfaction and ful recompence were no more made anie accounte of Auriculer confession was almost murdered Shroue tuesday and Iacke a lent had almost broken their neckes all the holie and goodlie Processions with the stately stations Perambulations going about the streetes were esteemed for boyes plaie the holie Sacrament was no more deuoutlie caried vp and downe with fiffes and drummes In conclusion all the holinesse of the Catholike Church of Rome beganne to fall in the ashes and in place thereof you should heare nothing else neither in the townes nor without yea nothing was read but the Byble or Saint Paule The people would pray to none other but to GOD alone neither woulde haue anie other mediatour but Christe Iesus noâ— put their trust and confidence in anie other thinges but in his merites No reioycinges but in his Crosse death and passion They did onely esteeme for Sacramentes Baptisme the Lords Supper yea and did vse the same very simply without anie stately station or ceremoniall brauerie without coniuringes of the diuell without spittle without salt without greasinges also without albes surpleses or coapes without singing of Per omnia saecula saeculorum or Dominus vobiscum They would go no more to shrifte vndeâ— their ghostlie Father but to God aboue or else before the whole congregation They did not passe anie more for absolution they woulde not praie anie more for the sillie soules whiche lie in Purgatorie but euerie one would grouÌ„d his praier vpon the holie scripture They woulde acknowledge but one supreme heade of the Churche namely Iesus Christe the
the scriptures but I thinke your Honour did leaue this vndone as our saide Maister Gentian Haruet did especially because it was to small and slight a matter for you to trouble your mytered head with all And therefore haue I gladlie taken vppon me this paine and trauell and haue clearely sette forth in this my booke vpoÌ„ what ground and foundation all these thinges are builded So that the necessarie vse of this booke is vnspeakeable as euerie good Catholike shall well perceiue of him self And forsomuch as herein is not written anie thing but it doeth agree aswell yea better with the said booke made by you theÌ„ with Gentians booke I would gladly haue it set forth as an Exposition Glose or CoÌ„mentarie vpon your foresaid prettie booke but considering that I had not anie copie of your said booke in my custodie and fearing also least your Honor might haue bene offended that any man should take vppon him to expounde or comment vpon your writings which are as cleare as hellishe sunne euen as your owne name Sonnius doth signifie so that I haue proceeded with my first determination thinking it sufficient for me if I might hide this my trauell vnder the winges of your Honor like as vnder the same all our newe Bishops haue beene hatched Most humblie beseeching your Honor to accept this my simple gifte in good parte and as becommeth such a worthie Bishop to do trusting yet within short time to set foorth more such woorkes and thereby so preciselie to expounde all the bookes that are set out by your Honour and other doctoures of Louen your companions that a blinde man may feele them with his handes yea and without spectacles or candle conceiue what greate holines lies hid in such coafers You may if it please you in the meane space accept this my woorke as an explanation and commentarie vpon your booke which to doe resteth at your pleasure and good will. And herein I commende your Byshopps Myter and crosyers staffe vnto the tuition of our holie Father the Pope who preserue and keepe your Honour with all your brethren our new Byshoppes in prosperous estate and proceedinges against all Heretikes Datum in our Musaeo the v. of Ianuarie being the euen of the three Kings of Collen at which time all good Catholikes make merie and crie The King drinkes in anno 1569. Your Honours welwilling seruant in all that lies in my simple power Isaac Rabbotenu of Louen The argumeÌ„t of this booke Wherein the Epistle or Letter missiue of Maister Gentian Heruet is deuided into sixe partes and the meaning of the same brieslie declared THis deepe grounded and most learned Epistle of the right worshipfull Doctour Maister Gentian Heruet directed to those that are declined fallen from the holie Romishe Catholike Church is deuided into sixe speciall and principall partes whereof the first is 1 That the Heretikes and Huguenotes cannot repute them selues for faithfull people so farre forth as they do not beleeue all things which our louing mother the holie Church beleeueth without whom no saluation can be obteined especiallie for that they will not beleeue the Transubstantiation of the breade into the verie bodie of Christ. 2 The second is knitte to the first namelie They mainteine iniuriouslie that wee ought to allowe nothing but what is mainteined by Scripture 3 Thirdlie They doe not beleeue nor allowe of seuen Sacramentes especiallie â–ª Auricular confession the sacrament of Matrimonie and the holie ointment of Vnction 4 Fourthlie They doe the Catholikes great iniurie insomuch as they repute them for idolaters and worshippers of idols 5 Fifthlie They seeke nothing else but fleshlie libertie and their owne appetites 6 Sixthlie lastlie Their Preachers are vnlearned Doultes and leade a lewde loathsome and wicked life In these sixe pointes is brieflie rehearsed the whole grounde and foundation of the holie Catholike doctrine taught by the Romishe Church â–ª and is so gallantlie established yea and all the Heretikes so finelie fetche ouer the coales that there remaineth not a iotte to be spoken of anie further Yet seeing the ground and meaning of this Epistles Authour did stretch chieflie to challenge the Heretikes foorth into the fielde and then Championlike to combate with them like as hee sheweth that not long since the noble Knight Maister Nicholas Villegaignon who by his writing thought to egge foorth Maister Iohn Caluine and by that meane to haue wonne a perpetuall fame and euerlasting memorie It is euen in like sorte fallen out with this good fellowe as it did with the saide Villegaignon For his happe was the better to fitte his purpose to set downe as hee before mencioned manie doubtfull partes verie darke and obscure reasons yea and some somewhat grose supposing herewithall as with a baight to drawe the fishe into his net Whereby alas it came to passe that his good and godlie meaning was spelde and construed a wrong waie and the Heretikes did seeme to make a mocke of it as though he were vnworthie to haue an answere to the same considering that hee did shewe verie litle scripture or authoritie to affirme his matter Euen in like manner as they had in times past iested with the foresaid Villegaignon Therefore it hath seemed both good and necessarie vnto vs and for the preferrement of the holie Romishe Church most auaylable that this present Epistle shoulde be at large declared and verie strong and apte authorities to be brought in for euerie part and parcell of the same collected aswell out of the Scripture as out of the besâ— and fittest bookes of the auncient Fathers Councels and Decrees wherewithall our louing mother the holie Churche is most supported to the ende wee should the better conceiue the costlie hidden treasures which are comprehended in this short Epistle and that eache might vse the same to his most aduantage and for a publike instruction hoping thorough this holie and meritorious worke to purchase heauen and withall to redeeme and set free two or three soules out of Purgatorie ¶ Here followeth the declaration of the first parte of the Epistle of Gentian Haruet wherein is treated what the holy Church of Rome is wherein her power and authoritie doeth consist and how farrâ— the same extendeth then is coÌ„cluded That the Lutherans Huguenotes can not be esteemed or taken for true beleeuers but must be banished and burnt for Heretikes The first Chapter VVherein is plainly declared that the Lutheraâ—â— and Huguenotes are Heretikes and ought to be burnt notvvithstanding that as vvell by Scripture as by many examples they shevve themselues to be the very Church of God. AND to the intent that wee maye orderly deale beginning first with one piece and after proceeding with an other our Maister Gentianus doeth here in his 〈◊〉 charge set forth such a noble grounded and sharpe wittie reason to founde and builde his argumentes vpon that the Heretikes and Huguenotes stand alreadie so amazed and ashamed as a horse that hath ouerthrowen his carre
Romish schole and take vpon them to face vs out with their Paul with their Esaie their Ieremie What a mischiefe Do they not know that those fellowes whome they alledge and bring vs forth were likewise esteemed for Heretikes as well as they are themselues Yea â–ª in so much that one of them was hanged another was burnt the third clouen thorough the middest with a saw the fourth set vpon a wheele c. And therefore are we no more moued for them than for a bladder full of beanes For the holy Church of Rome would neuer accept their doctrine but vpon this bargaine and condition to wit that shee might alway applie the same as she should thinke good and as might best come to passe for her selfe and that no reuoking nor reuolting nor appellatioÌ„ should be made against her doings no nor that the name of Iesus Christ should in that case serue like as shall by vs shortly in the part next folowing be declared at large For this verely is most true that if our blessed Lorde him selfe would haue followed the exposition and coÌ„mentarie which the Priestes Phariseis Doctours had at that time made vpon the holy Scriptures in the name of the holye Church he had neuer bene crucified or hanged vpon the crosse But because that hee would full wisely go and bring in newe matters and so set vp a newe reformation according to the text and doctrine of the Gospell like as these Heretikes go about nowe to do therfore did they deale so hardly with him Notwithstanding that nowe since the holy Church of Rome hath so finely handled and set forth this newe religion of Christ and brought it vnto such a trim frame that nowe it is very gladly receyued of euery one in a maner yea and if it were so that these Huguenotes would accept the same setting it forth likewise surely men would no more be so readie to bring them to a stake as heretofore they haue done yea and pretend hereafter to do But nowe to come to our matter againe it is necessarie that we well consider and substantially declare wherein the worthines and authoritie of the holy Church doth specially consist what commandements traditions and ordinances of the same men must receyue and accept without all contradiction or gainsaying And this for so much as our Doctors of Louen are troubled with so manye other profounde and deepe questions that they haue not the leasure to set out this point effectually is notwithstanding the right ground and fouÌ„dation of all their building yea and is most needefull to our saluation and to the extirpation and rooting out of all heresies For it may be demanded Whether men shall holde for commandementes and traditions of the Church only alone that which is plainely set forth in the scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes Or els that which the olde holy Fathers Doctours as Augustine Chrysostome Hierome and such like haue left behinde them in their bookes and writings or a great deale rather that which hath ben concluded in the holy Councels either els that which the holy Popes of Rome haue ordeined and enioyned or last of all that which is scraped together out of the one and the other all layd in one Pastie and baked in one Cake and which is nowe in our dayes obserued in the holy Catholike Church of Rome The 2. Chapter VVhereby is declared that the Church vvith her povver and authoritie can not be inclosed vvith in the pales of the holy Scripture but that the Church may adde to the Scripture or take from it vvhat she thinkes good and therevpon are many examples and profouÌ„d reasons alledged VPon this demande profound proposition very much might be saide but we will make short of the matter And to begin withal we conclude with our Master Gentianus and with the holy CouÌ„cell of Trent That all they which woulde inclose the power and the authoritie of the Church within the limites bounds of the holy Scripture as though the holy Catholike church of Rome could reade no further than is spelled before to her in the Bible are euill and naughty heretikes yea they are euen of those Apostataes or backsliders to whom our Master Gentianus hath written this his Epistle For as touching that for the defence of their opinions they bring forth howe it is written That none shall either put to it or take from it one iote that is simply spoken to the Iewes Rabbines onely so that they should not take any such thing vpon them as to change any words of the texte and to correct Magnificat like as they haue presumed to do as meÌ„ may see clearly without a candle by the honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke intituled De optimo genere interpretandi wâ—â—ch is to say Of the best and surest maner of expounding or interpreting For therein he doeth shew very plainly that al Hebrew textes of the Bible are falsified and embaced by the Iewes yea and the like is done to all the textes in Greeke of the new Testament by some Heretikes enemies of the trueth So that neither Christ nor his Apostles nor anie of the olde Doctours should haue had the right Bible but onelie our most holy Catholike Church of Rome which only was borne vnder the right Planet and shee alone hath shot downe the Popingaie Therefore must the texte before specified be vnderstoode and meant of the Iewes alone and of such like Heretikes which haue so falsified the textes of the Bible But you may not gather by this that the holy Church of Rome is not licenced to ad vnto the Scripture whatsoeuer shee doeth marke to be yet lacking and to innouate change and remoue al that tendeth not perfectly to her purpose For you see daily that she doeth freely take vpon her so to do and furthermore she doth punish for ranke Heretikes all such as will not allowe and accept her adding and changing for the perfite worde of God. Men do knowe very well that shee hath finely conueyed out of the Register of the ten commandements the seconde commandement which was That no Images should be made nor fashioned because shee did perceiue the Heretiks would alledge the same to the hinderance both of he she Saintes which stand vpon the altars in the Church Furthermore because men shuld not lacke the number of ten shee hath taken the last commandement speaking of desire and diuided the same in two so made the tailes agree iust And likewise notwithstanding that our Lord Iesus Christ had openly coÌ„manded That the Communion should bee ministred as wel with wine as with bread yet the holy Catholike Church of Rome considering the great daunger which was therein for that the wine might be spilt or being in the winter freeze or be turned into sowre vineger if it should be long kept in a Pixe or litle Sacrament Boxe And especiallye considering that when
a worthie matrone of Spaine called Senora Maria Osorio who did obteyne of Pope Paule 3. licence and power for her selfe and twelue of her bloud to coniure and holowe such beades and these beades were of this might that whensoeuer any person did saye a Pater noster thervpon although it were done without deuotion or once thinking of the matter yet did they thereby obteyne forgiuenesse of the thirde part of their sinnes And for this cause were the balles of these beades made of Copper and set in the Church where was set out by them in print their full might with all their properties and nature as is before declared so as at this day men may openly see by the common people which come and say their Pater nosters vpon their beades there holding their handes vpon those balles that thereby they may obteyne the forgiuenesse of their sinnes Nowe ouer and aboue all this the Belles are not onely coniured and hallowed but are also baptized and haue appoynted for them Godfathers which holde the rope wherewith they are tyed in their handes and do answere and say Amen to that which the Suffragane or Bishop doth speake or demaund of the Bell. And then they put a newe cote or garment vpon the Bell and so coniure it to the driuing away of all the power craft and subtiltie of the diuell and to the benefite and profite of the soules of them that bee deade specially if they bee riche and can pay the Sexton well and for many other like things In so much that the Belles are so holy that so long as the Church or the people are vpon anie occasion excommunicate they may not be rong Like as by Pope Bonifacius 8. and Gregorie 9. is manifestly ordeined although yet it is of speciall grace permitted to toll the Aue Maria as Iohannes Caldarinus hathe trimlie written And this I assure you is no small matter For Doctour Albericus de Rosato doth declare that the religious had amōgst themselues at Rome a long and weightie dissention wherevpon great processes were mainteyned and all about this namely which of all the Orders shoulde first knolle the Aue Maria in the morning ▪ which processes did long endure till at the last it was concluded and adiudged that they which were first vp should first knoll Euen after the maner of kine who alway let the formost go before and the last followe after Why I praye you hath it not bene seene that the Spaniardes which are the first sweete and most deare children of the holy Church of Rome comming nowe of late to Groninghen in Friseland did there christen coniure hallow theyr Ensignes naming one Barbara another Katharine c. I saye nothing howe they coniure the diuell out of yong children which are brought to be christened euen as though the yong children to whome Christ doeth witnesse the kingdome of heauen to belong and be those which with their fathers are conteyned vnder Gods promises and made cleane by the bloud of Iesus Christ were possessed with the Diuell The Masse I pray you what is it but a plaine coniuring sorcerie or witchcraft ▪ Wherein the breade and the wine which are but dumbe creatures are by the breathing of the Priest and the power of fiue woordes conuerted into fleshe and bloud So that it is most apparaunt that all her Religion all her diuine Seruice and ceremonies are full of witchcraft sorcerie and coniuring full of ydolatrie setting vppe of Images and giuing them worshippe full of mennes traditions institutions and deuises and in conclusion full of all that which by the holy scripture is openly reproued and plainely forbidden So that verelie these Heretikes must needes bee verie blinde if they doe not well perceyue that the power the ordinaunce and authoritie of the holy Church of Rome neyther can nor will bee shutte in nor hedged about with the pales and walles of the holy Scripture For see here this is that which the steadfast pillar of the Theologie of Louen Iodocus Tiletanus himselfe hath openly written We are not satisfied sayeth he with that which the Apostles or the Gospell doe declare but wee saye that as well before as after there are diuers matters of importance and weight accepted and receiued out of a doctrine which is no where set forth in writing For we do blesse the water wherewith we baptize and the oyle wherewith we anoynt yea and besides that him that is christened And I praye you out of what scripture haue we learned the same Haue we it out of a secret and vnwritten ordinance And further What Scripture hath taught vs to grease with oyle Yea I pray you from whence commeth it that wee doe dippe the childe three times in the water Doeth it not come out of this hidden and vndisclosed doctrine which our forefathers haue receyued closely without any curiositie and do obserue it still c But what neede haue I to trauell much for the establishing hereof seeing there is a generall rule in the holy Church of Rome That the Pope maye franklye ordeyne and commaunde contrarie to the writing doctrine and ordinaunce of the Apostle Paule Considering likewise in especiall that as Eckius hath set downe Christ did neuer commaunde his Apostles to write but to preach True it is that Paule doeth defende saying That the blessed woorde of God is set foorth and is sufficient to instruct to teache to punishe to amende yea and wholie apte and sufficient to make men wise ynoughe for their saluation and to instruct them sufficientlye to all good workes And that who soeuer shall teach any other Gospell than that which hee hath taught though hee were an Angel from heauen is accursed But all that must bee vnderstoode of the tyme wherein hee was whilest the Church was yet in her infancie or childehoode and laye in the cradle For it was yet necessarie for her then to drinke such milke being yet vnable to digest the strong and grosse meates of holy Prelates and Doctours of the holie Church of Rome For that her stomache was yet too weake and quasie And in effect men doe clearely see that notwithstanding the saying of Paule That in Christ Iesus and in the knoweledge of him all the treasure of wisedome and knowledge lyeth hidde so as the faythfull ought not to receyue any institutions or doctrine of men Yet a long time after the Apostles yea aboue seuen or eight hundred yeeres after theyr decease our mother the holye Catholike Churche hath founde out a wonderful and vnspeakeable newe hoorde of wisedome and knowlege through which a mā may come to perfite iustification and to an angelical life and aboue that get in store a heape of deseruings and good woorkes to helpe a good friende withall at a pinche and yet to release a dozen or twaine of sillie soules out of Purgatorie And these be they especially The holie order and full
right honourable Bishoppe Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke called Panoplia wherein he concludeth with strong inuincible reasons That mē were not bound to beleeue the word of God nor to be subiect vnto it if it were not that the holy Church hath so commanded For what do we thinke that the word of God is so strōg of it selfe as to publishe such thinges thorough the power of the holy Ghost if the Church of Rome did not first giue her verdicte in the matter No marie I warant you for so the Heretikes do vnderstand it For these Heretikes will bring the church of God in subiection vnder the scripture therefore do they alledge out of Ieremie That the word of God is like a fire like a hāmer which breaketh stones in pieces that it is liuely mightie sharper than a two edged sword goeth through euen to the soule to the sinewes and ioyntes is a searcher of the thoughtes intentes of the heart and therefore saye they it hath no neede of any mans witnes as Christ him self hath said but that those which do the will of the father shal lightly know by inspiration of the holy Ghost whether the doctrine be of god They say likewise It doth giue light to al things for it is a lampe to lighten the feete of the beleeuers whereby they must walke through the darknesse of this world they say that mans wisdom vnderstanding how great howe wise howe holy soeuer the same can be is plain darkenesse in comparison thereof Well then if it be so that the darkenesse can not lighten the light but that the light it selfe must lighten all things then in very deede can not the worde of God receiue anie light of the opinion or authoritie of man but it selfe must be the light whereby men may knowe which is the Church of God and which is the Synagogue of dissemblers And therefore they conclude according to the worde of the Prophet Esaie That men must followe after the Lawe and the witnesse which is the writtē word of God and that whosoeuer doth not walke after that shall neuer see the daye spring But as I haue alredy said all that is plain heresie for our dearely beloued mother the holy Church of Rome will be chiefe Iudge her selfe ouer the holye Scripture So that the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles is now no more the foūdation of the Church as it was in the time of Paul but contrariwise the Church with the authoritie the traditions of the same is the onely foundation of the Scripture For euen so might the Iewes before time aduance themselues likewise by the estimation authoritie of the Church alledging that the law and the witnes whereof the Prophet speakes could haue bene of no estimation but by reason the same was consented to thē by the Church and that men should neuer haue knowen neither the Lawe or the witnesse or Gods worde if it had not bene by them and their forefathers set forth declared what they should accept for Gods worde and that the Church with her light hadde lightened the Lawe and the witnesse And so the Church of Rome doeth nowe also saye That the worde of God hath no estimation but that which it hath borrowed of the Church for otherwise as shee sayeth and as all good Catholike writers do declare howe should we knowe that the scripture were the word of God if it were not that the holy Church had so allowed and iudged it Wherefore should we more beleeue the Gospel of Mathewe or Marke than the Gospell of Nichodemus or Thomas For there standes plainly written in the Decrees That neither the old nor the newe Testament were receiued of mē for this cause or that cause nor for that it must be esteemed for an vndoubted rule and perfect knot but only because that the holye Father Innocentius Pope of Rome had so iudged it and so would haue it Therefore yee maye well thinke that God could not plant and establishe his holy worde in mens heartes by the inspiration of his spirit as S. Iohn the Apostle would proue if it were not that the holy Church had therein holpen him So that in this case God is greatly beholden vnto our deare mother the holy Church for her good wil faithfull seruice For if shee had accepted the Fables of Aesope and of Howleglasse the gospel of the Distaffe and of Fortunatus purse the gospel of Nichodemus or the Alcaron of Mahomet or els the gospel which certein Monkes at Paris in the yere of our Lord 1220. had made set forth being ful of al filthinesse and blasphemie naming it Euangelium aeternum that is to say An euerlasting gospel requiring the Pope that it might be by him canonized and so set it forth for the eternall word of God but it ws denied thē as hap was but if it had bene so I say that the pope and the holy Church would as wel haue allowed it as they did the holy scripture with the Masse booke with the seuē Psalmes with the Rosarium beatae Mariae who could haue said No to them And that should then haue bene the worde of God yea and therewith must God haue beene content Wel go too then seeing that men did herein credit the writing and seale of the church wherfore should they not thē giue as great credit to them in al other matters For euen so doth the text of the foresaid decrees argue saying with plaine wordes In so much as men do receiue and accept the old and newe Testamentes because that Pope Innocentius hath ordeined iudged so it doth necessarily folow that the Decretalles of the Popes of Rome must likewise be receiued accepted the rather for that Pope Leo hath likewise ordeined That whosoeuer doth set him self against them his sinnes shal neuer be forgiuen him c. It is very true that by this argumēt it must likewise folow that all the Iewes Caballes Talmood and all their dreames must as wel be receiued as the fiue bookes of Moses the bookes of the Prophets For it is most true that as we haue receiued the new Testamēt of the christē church so hath the christen church receiued the bookes of the old Testamēt of the Iewes Synagogue And now euen as our Romish church hath receiued the writing of the Apostles iudged the same for true so likewise hath the Iewish church iudged the bokes of Moses of the prophets for true receiued thē for authētike Nowe then as men do herein beleeue and allowe the Iewes writings and seale so must wee also following the rule of our Doctours of Louen beleeue the said Iewes in all that they say and teache and thereby nowe shoulde our Romishe Church come short home But we do not esteeme such cōsequencies It is but Philosophie and the Popes of Rome are no
Church of Rome should bee throwne downe and troden vnder feet yea it must needes follow that the holie Pope is accursed a verie Bawde which hath made of the holy Catholike Church of Rome a fowle shamelesse whore Fie fie nay we will none of that Let Augustine much rather be an Heretike and all those that are of his opinion as master Athanasius Origine Hilarius Irinaeus Tertullianus Cyprianus Chrysostomus and Hieronymus let them rather be burnt euen al vpon a heape Although it be easie to iudge that if they were liuing nowe in these dayes they would be lothe to permitte any such grosse stuffe either to be vttred with their toÌ„gues or published by their pennes or if they did they must trudge with other into the fire Yea and Ambrose must recant and call backe againe or eate vp with salt that which he hath openly written That al doctrine whatsoeuer which hath not bene set forth and taught by the Apostles themselues is â–ª full of abhomination and knauerie Therefore all helpes not that they come forth with their writings thinking thereby to outface our deare mother the holy Churche of Rome It is a verie yong woolfe that neuer heard any noyse shee doeth no more esteeme these bragges than if it had thundred at Colen for she will be still on cockehorse let them tosse and turne it the best they can The .iii. Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome hath likevvise povver and authoritie ouer the auncient fathers and may receiue condemne interpret vse them as shall please her holines ANd now hereby doeth specially appeare that the holy Church of Rome hath not power and authoritie onely ouer the scripture of the olde and new Testaments but also ouer all the writing and doctrine of the olde fathers as there are Irinaeus Tertullianus Basilius Gregorius Nazian Origin Cyprian Albin Euseb. Arnobi Ambro. Lactant. Cyril Epiphanius Theodoretus VigilaÌ„tius Appollinarius Hieronymus Chrysostomus Augustinus Cedullius Possidonius Prosper Sidonius Gelasius Gregorius Alâ—uinus Haymo Bartramus and other mo suche like For one she acceptes as good Catholike an other shee reiectes as naught an Heretike some she allowes with additions of certaine gloses and Postils other she referres to euery mans iudgement Vpon some she hath fathered as their owne certain straunge bookes made at the least foure or fiue hundreth yeeres after they were dead And others shee hath cleane plucked and robbed of their feathers In summe she doth tosse them and turne them euen as shee will and windes them vp as short as a clewe of yarne And wherefore should she not I pray you For she might haue condemned them all for Heretikes if she would and in place of them haue taken in and receyued the writing and doctrine of Nicholaus of Bion of Apelles Seuerus Montanus Sabellius Paulus Samosatenus Manes Meletius Aâ—ius Marcellus Macedonius Euonius Eutiches Nestorius Donatus Pelagius and suche other mates But now she hath giuen them that honour that they are taken and counted for Catholik teachers these last she hath coÌ„demned banished for diuelish heretikes false teachers Not because that the one had truly set forth the sincere word of god And the other directly the contrarie for so she should againe submit herself vnder the scripture but because it hath so pleased her And therefore it is no reason that those to whom she hath geuen such honour should now go about to ouercrow her holines and force her with their writings as though she ought to be subiect therevnto No no they must stoope themselues howe learned or godly soeuer they haue beene and the holy Church must alway haue the authoritie and superioritie For it is written in the decrees All whatsoeuer any other teachers haue taught and written that is to bee receiued or reiected according as it shall please and be thought good to the Apostolical seate of Rome For the Pope is master ouer al whatsoeuer any man can teach or write Therefore ye see that the holy Church may choose picke out of the olde fathers what soeuer she findeth for her purpose and what soeuer she perceiueth against her shee may put out finely with a dash of a penne and so esteeme it for false meant as for example Whensoeuer the olde fathers doe with florishing reasons and by a figuratiue maner of speaking extoll and set forth the Sacrament out of that will she gather her transubstantiation And whereas they doe nominate the Sacrament an holy offring or sacrifice of that wil she fetch out her Masse with all the appartenances And whensoeuer any thing is set out by them to the laâ—d and praise of the true seruantes and Preachers of Gods word thereof doth she make a kingdome of priests and a popish Monarchie And when as they do highly praise the holy Saints martyrs deceased therevpoÌ„ commes abrode the praying to saints And in such places as they do earnestly set forth and highly prayse good workes and godly liuing therevpon can she by and by builde vp the pleasant Palace of free will and then she sayles with a faire wind And then are the olde Fathers followed in all points yea there is nothing else talked of here nor there but The olde fathers The olde fathers But now on the contrarie part whereas S. Augustine doth write whole bookes of the Predestination of saints of the special vndeserued mercie of God through Iesus Christ that fayth onely iustifieth of the weakenesse and dulnesse yea of the damnablenesse of mans free will and of the adnihilation of our deseruings all that is nothing else but heresie and going astray Whereas Ambrose and Chrysostome do teache that we shal not take men or dead creatures for our aduocats before God but only christ And where August saith that we shall not pray vnto Saintes nor erect for our â–ª selues particularly anie Chappels or Altars nor pray before Tumbes as the sayde Augustine and Leo doe beare perfect witnesse that neither the dead nor deseruing of Saints can any thing helpe vs to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but onely the death and merites of Iesus christ And as Epiphanius doeth esteeme it for a shamefull heresie and an abhominable blasphemie of God that men shoulde praye eyther to Marie Gods mother or to anie other Saint but that must be couered with some blewe glose for a cloake As also the sayde Epiphanius doeth vtterlie chace the images as well of Christ as of anie other Saint out of the Church and breakes them in peeces forbidding men plainely to suffer anie such abhominations And as Ambrosius Augustinus Lactantius Origenes Athanasius Clemens Alexandrinus with many other do teache plainly that God will not bee worshipped with any likenesses or images either painted or carued The holy Church is deafe at this wil in no wise vnderstand it Where as Cyprianus Hieronymus Chrysostom and Augustinus doe say and defende that
and to celebrate the same with deuoute prayers And to that ende they are by the Pope earnestlie put in remembrance that they goe to shrift and fast vppon the Wednesday Frydaye and Saturdaye And then on the Sunday be howseled and go prunking in the Procession and deale their almes or at the least say fiue Pater nosters fiue Aue Maries by the vertue whereof they shall receiue a sufficient pardon of all their sinnes c. What can they desire more For as touching the sitting in the Chapter house and there Sententiam subverbo placet proferre that is To saye Amen and to nodde at that which is pronounced vnto them that is permitted only to such as of right ought to doe it or to whom it is graunted by special priuiledge as chiefly to the right honourable the brethren of the Pope to witte the Bishops Archbishops and his deare sonnes the Abbats and other such like as hee him selfe doeth set it foorth in the Bull Indictionis Therefore truely were the Dukes of Germanie the Protestantes in a wrong boxe when they said That it was no Free and Generall or Common Councell For a sheepe with one eye would haue marked that that it was neither forbidden them nor no man else in the worlde to come to Trent there to spende their money to holde the Councell and celebrate it with hearing of Masses with Fasting and with the saying of fiue Pater nosters and fiue Aue Maries yea the whole pardon was as well graunted vnto them as to anie Bishoppe or Prelate or other that was there But that was not the place where the muscles laye They would gladlie haue had manie voyces in the Chapter house and not to haue declared their meaning with that woorde Placet onelie but that they might likewise haue disputed freelie and brought in and alledged the Scriptures of God yea they would haue had it flatlie graunted that the Pope of Rome should not haue bene head and President of the Councell but that euerie thing should bee concluded out of the woorde of God. But beleeue me the holy fathers and the Pope were not so foolishe they did see more deepely into the matter For if they hadde once taken and put that horsse heame or collar about their neckes then were all the fatte in the fire and so the whole Church of Rome would not afterwardes haue bene worth the paring of a rotten apple No no I warraunt you They will take heede of that For there is one point whiche you shall neuer wrest nor wring out of their handes which is That all Councelles are lame maymed creeple and blinde yea vtterly voyde of anie power vnles the holy Pope of Rome be their President directing and gouerning the same as he thinketh good For he is the verie eye and the fiue wittes of the Councelles Therefore was it in the sayde Councel of Laterane verie circumspectly concluded That though all Cardinalles Bishoppes and Prelates were assembled although they were barrelled vp together like herring yet can they not holde anie Councell without the authoritie will consent and commaundement of the Pope if they should otherwise doe they should bee playne heretikes and vngodly men yea they should be esteemed thought and taken as Chore Dathan and Abiram The same was also before that forespoken and cōcluded by the holy Father Pelagius 2. who did openly set forth That all Councels which were holden without the Popes consent and commandement are not to be reputed or accompted for Councels but for Conciliables that is to say for Riots and vnlawfull assemblies And that is the same which the Popes Marcellus Iulius Damasus Gregorius other mo did likewise iointly ordeyne and determine as is plainly to be seene in the book of Decrees in the 17. distinctiō where it is in like maner by the Scriptures ▪ confirmed As for exāple out of the 81. psalme where it is written I haue saide you are Goddes Againe What soeuer you binde in earth that is bound in heauen c. And it is also established made sure with strōg reasons For that worshipful brother Thomas Vio did openly declare in the said coūcel of Laterane That those which goe about to make the Pope subiect to the coūcels do euen like vnto them that woulde make the father obedient to the childe the head inferior to the foote the captein seruant to his soldiers the shepeheard vnderling to his sheepe So that now Christ is no more made any accōpt of in the coūcels nor his word any whit estemed but the pope hath al the charge authoritie alone he only is enseigne bearer he doth set al in order And vpon that occasion it was determined That the coūsel of Pisa being assembled without the Popes cōsent was no assemblie of Hierusalem but of the towre of Babylō that is to say A curse confusion In sūme it is apparant that al coūcels ordinances in the worlde and do nothing against the Popes might nor against the authoritie of the Church for she hath ouergrowen the rod She cares neither for scriptures nor Coūcelles shee hath the holy Ghost pinned on her sleeue and may doe euen what so euer shee will. And therefore it is that when soeuer the Pope doeth set forth anie Bulles then doth he commonly adde this clause or conclusion to the same Non obstantibus constitutionibus ordinationibus Apostolicis coeterisue contrarijs quibuscunque that is to saye Notwithstanding all constitutions ordinances or commandements Apostolicall nor any other thing what soeuer contrarie herevnto Like as doeth specially appeare by the Bull of Pope Paule 3. set forth at the Coūcell of Trent in the yeere 1544. the 23. of Februarie So that he will not giue to all the Apostles to all the holy fathers nor all the Councelles scarse one good worde yea rather he mockes playes bo peepe with them all and so goes on forwards with his busines For otherwise if the matter were not thus handled I would not giue a pudding for all the power and authoritie of the holy Church of Rome For to beginne withall these Heretikes would giue her a rappe vpon the pate with the Councel of Mantua which was holden vnder Pope Alexander the seconde in the tyme of the Emperour Henrie the fourth where was concluded That all those which by Simonie that is to say by briberie or giftes had obteyned anie spirituall promotion or office should be depriued Aha the mother of God where can you finde nowe a dayes any Chaplein or beneficed man Bishop or Cardinall that climbeth to that preferment without moneie or rewardes Secondarily they would come plague vs with the Councel of Rome which was holdē in the time of the Emperour Phocas where was ordeined irreuocably neuer to be called backe againe That all such as with anie giftes or rewardes or other like promises were mounted vp to weare miters should be banished and
would likewise follow all a flant to help vs for they will neuer suffer their cunning whereby they caused their Hecate their Iupiter Elicius with certeine woordes in their sacrifice to come out of heauen in spite of their teeth to be plucked froÌ„ them And beside that they would likewise ioyne with vs to defend their Metamorphosis that is their Transubstantiation And they would bring at their tailes a band and noble supplie of 113. Bishops who altogether in a Councelâ— at Rome haue concluded That it must be so And that it is the verie flesh of Christ not onely sacramentally but the verie bodie in deede and as they terme it Sensualiter that it to say That men may feele and taste it It is broken with handes and with teeth torne eaten and digested Herevpon they haue accursed all those that doe not so beleeue And with them should be coupled all the great wise and profound Doctours and sententious writers to wit Paschasius LaÌ„cfrancus Thomas de Aquino Scotus Innocentius Comestor Amarcanus Gerson Gabriel Biel Durandus Alexander de Ales Occan Petrus Hispanus Albertus Magnus Raimundus Lullius Petrus LoÌ„bardus Petrus de Aliaco Petrus de Bella pertica Rabanus Panormitanus Bricot and Halcot And these would drawe forth with them al the good Catholike men that haue bene in our time And these noble Cardinals specially would make a great stirre in the field as Thomas Caritanus Reginaldus Polus Stanislaus Hosius and these deepe Doctours Master Syluester Prierias Thomas Radinus Ambrosius Catharinus Iacobus Hoochstratanus Iohannes Cochleus Iohannes Eckius Iacobus Latomus Magister noster de Quercu IohaÌ„nes a Louanio â–ª Iodocus Tiletanus Ruardus Tappard ab Enchusia In summe all the Doctours of Paris of Louen of Collen yea all the Licentiates and Bacchelers all these would set so stoutly on euerie side vpon these Heretikes that they may thanke God if they get froÌ„ them without leauing a limme behinde them For they would vndoubtedly teare them in pieces with their teeth and swallowe them vp whole haire and hide euen as they do with their god Or if it were so that they could not well bring that to passe by reason that the Heretikes are more heauie to digest than their god in the Masse is then there would come to helpe them Maister Deane Romist the Procurour Generall with a great companie of Catchpolles hangmen with staues and stakes with fire and sworde with strawe and fagottes and would set them on fire and so burne them vp by clusters and then their disputing were at an end Then also were S. Paule packt vp in a male with all his Prophets Apostles Would not the matter go well then with these Heretikes Lutheranes No no it is much better for them to tarie at home with their Paule than to deliuer him againe a freshe into the handes of the Iewes In summe our Maister Gentianus hath great reson that he like a strong and inuincible Goliah doeth so stoutly ouerbragge and outface all the whole heape of these Caluinistes Zwinglians and Huguenotes yea so couragiously that they dare neuer be so bolde as to come againe in their sights to dispute against the fagots So that nowe his conclusion knitting vp of the matter ramaines fâ—â—st and vnremoueable as specially That they are misbeleeuing Heretikes seeing they do not beleeue all what soeuer the holie Church beleeues and so consequently do denie the xii Articles of the faith The second parte Now doeth followe the exposition vpon the second parte of the Epistle of Gentian Haâ—uet wherein is discoâ—â—sed the â—ight and sufficiencie of the Scriptures and specially of the exposition of the same And fuâ—â—her al the points of the Romish beleefe are approued by the Scripture The Preface wherein this treatie is diuided in two partes NOw followeth in order the second part of this epistle which Master Gentianus doth 〈◊〉 be a fastidious sâ—rupâ—se that is to say A morseâ— which he can not wel swallowe without chewing as specially that the Heretikes will mainteine That we ought not to receiue any doctrine besides the worde of God set foorth in the holie Scriptures But nowe there resteth no more difficultie in this matter for wee haue prepared for him in the former article such a pill that he will lightly slappe it vp considering what a wide throte he hath For wee haue substantially and stedfastly herevpon concluded and also pronounced sentence irreuocable That the Scripture cannot ouerrule our deare mother the holie Church nor bring her vnder subiection And therefore we wil not breake our heads about this matter but will referre leaue it to the iudgement of our Maisters of Louen intending now to intreate of the vnderstanding and meaning of the scripture wherein we haue two principall pointes to set forth and determine vpon The first that we declare what is the power authoritie of the holie church in setting forth the Scripture and to applie it to her aduantage The seconde That we by plaine examples declare and proue that she hath finely set foorth this power and authoritie in the establishing of all the commaundements of her doctrine ceremonies and all manner of deuotions so that she doeth not enioy in her seruice anie one thing great or small but she knoweth finely to fetch the foundation of them out of the plaine texte of the holy scripture out of that to make the matter so cleare manifest that you may see it euen as well in the darke as with a candle These two pointes wee will set forth plainly before the eyes of all men with the helpe and assistance of the sweet deare Ladie of Halle al the sweete hee Saints shee Saintes at Antwerpe being there placed vpon the hie altar and thereto we will call for the helpe of the holie Ghost deuoutly saying an Aue Maria. Oremus Aue Maria c. The first Chapter That the holy Church of Rome onely hath power to expound and set forth the Scripture after her will and as shee doth vnderstand it And of the keyes and keybands which shee hath receiued to that end and that euerie man ought to be content with her exposition NOwe as concerning the first part our famous Doctours and Licentiates of Louen Paris do ioyntly teach That the holy scripture is a duÌ„mbe teacher a boke of dissentioÌ„ a dark vncertein doutful dead letter a nose of wax a leaden rule Which is as much to say that a man may pull it bow it winde it and turne it which way it shall please him And therefore they conclude thus Ergo the ground and letter of the Scripture is no direction or guide but that office belongeth only to the right vnderstaÌ„ding meaning therof Now the interpretations of them appertein to our deare mother the holy church of Rome onely And because she hath it in deede euery man shall be contented with her interpretation wiâ—hout anie further canuâ—sing â—iâ—ting or examining of that
mother How can it be that she should be so ouerseene should then all good catholikes haue hitherto reckoned and still do reckon without their host should our forefathers haue deserued none otherwise by building Cloisters Abbies Trentals Masses and such like deuotions should all that be lost O no I defie that We will rather forsake the whole Scripture Peter and Paule with the whole rable of them than that such a slaunder should rise and take place in the holy Catholike Apostolike Popish church of Rome For if that were so then should all our Decrees decretals all our Sentences and Seâ—tentiaries al orders ordinances old customes vsages priuiledges and old proceedings of the holie church all masses with the appurtenances al priests and priestly doings and so one diuell with another be cleane ouerthrowen And then it must needes followe that the Lutherans Zwinglians Caluinistes shal yet againe beare the swing all the shorne swarme of holie shauelings with all the Sophisters Theologians of Louen with all the newe Bishops Abbats Monks Prelats giue place To what purpose then I pray you should the Duke of Alba with his Spaniards serue hauing taken so troublesome a iournie vpon him to stand the Bishops instead of Sargeants hangmen and to set vp the ruined Romish church in her authoritie againe O no no we will neuer be giuen to vnderstand beleeue that the scripture doth teach this for otherwise the scriptures must be heretical directly against the holie church then shuld the scriptures haue deserued to be burnt aswel as the Huguenotes Wel surely our Doctors of Louen haue likewise perused the scriptures our newe Bishops do daily reade their seruice Masse booke at lest when they haue leasure but they find not this written there therfore it is to be thought that either the heretikes haue other Epistles Gospels than is written in our Masse booke read in the church or there is more malt in the mill than the miller will be acknowen of For although our mother the holy church is content to graunt the heretiks that Christ is our right redeemer hath sufficiently satisfied for our sins because it shal not seeme they haue vtterlie forsaken Christ thrust him out of his seat yet is not that so to bee vnderstood that he onely must be taken for our ful raunsome and satisfaction or that he should haue fullie made our peace with God the Father through the offering vp of his bodie bloud so as we should now through his merites be esteemed for righteous and the children of God and haue an assured belefe that God hath for his sake forgiuen vs all our sinnes is to vs a good louing Father as these heretikes will needes proue by their Bible No no it wil not go so easilie to worke we must go otherwise to worke we our selues must paie our debtes with our owne monie satisfie God sufficiently for our sinnes or otherwise all would be naught For it doth not beecome the mercie of God saith the councel of Trent that he should forgiue vs our debtes for nothing without anie former satisfactioÌ„ And although it be so that Paul doeth take on him to defend that Abraham hath no iust occasion to presume of him selfe before God of any desert or former works yea saith That he that works not but doth stedfastly beleeue in him that doth iustifie the vngodly to him is his beleefe for righteousnesse as Dauid also saieth touching the iustification of those to whom God doth impute righteousnes without any works by these words Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is that man to whoÌ„ God imputeth not sin yet that holie ghost of the couÌ„cell of Trent hath concluded the contrarie saying thus Whosoeuer will defend mainteine that the vngodly are iustified by faith only that for the obteyning of Gods mercie his works are not needful let him be accursed And our Doctors of Louen haue once for all acknowledged iudged That God may not impute righteousnes to any maÌ„ through faith vnlesse he be righteous of him selfe For consider this is the conclusion of the worshipfull profound learned Magistri nostri Ioice RaueÌ„stein of Thielt in his booke which he now a while agoe did write against the Lutherans of Antwerpe This pretended righteousnes saith he doeth tend first against naturall reason for it cannot stand with any natural reason â–ª that one which had no wisedome in his head should yet notwithstanding be called wise either else righteous who hath no inwarde righteousnesse in him selfe Secondarilie it is slaunderous against the holie Ghost who hath testified and witnessed of manie men in the scripture that they were righteous before God so should the holy Ghost be attached for a false witnesse Thirdlie it doeth differ from the doctrine of the Catholike Fathers Consider now here we haue a clere iudgement irreuocable sentence wherevpon it must rest That Paule hath spoken amisse in saying that God doeth ascribe righteousnes to the vngodlie without any works For what is the meaning of this ascâ—ibing our alowing Our sharpwitted Magistri nostri of Louen can not by their naturall reasons nor with al then Syllogismes Quotlibets nor other speculacions conceiue the same no nor will permit that God should impute righteousnes or yet couer sinnes through the merites of Christ to one that were not righteous of him selfe by deeds that had sufficiently satisfied for his sinnes by his deeds so that God is not licenced to name things that are not as though they were as Paule ascribes vnto him or to deck vs with a righteousnes and obedience which we haue not deserued our selues our deare mother the holie Church of Rome doeth esteeme it for a foolishnes vntowardnesse and blasphemie against God that Christ onelie should be our wisedome our righteousnes our holines and our only redemption Shee will haue it that we shall euen of our selues and by our selues haue our owne wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption before God at least if we will be esteemed for righteous She doth esteeme it for a foolish and faithlesse trust that one should trust to the righteousnesse of anie other than him selfe She will haue it that euerie one shall be iustified by his owne righteousnesse and by his owne merites and therewithall satisâ—â—e and pay all the sinnes and offences wherewith hee may bee by anie meanes iustly burthened It is true That originall sinne hath some preeminence and that it may not be tried to the vttermost point For notwithstanding that originall sinne is that which makes vs the children of wrath and brings vs to death yet will our mother the holie Church stay a little and pale in Gods determination and persuade the best betwixt both saying That it doth not well become the righteousnesse of God that he should deale with those which before baptisme haue
deare mother the holie Church of Rome And by this you may perceiue that Pythagoras was not farre different or disagreing in beliefe from the holy Church of Romes beliefe when as he saide That mens souls departing from their bodies did enter into beastes Considering nowe that Iohn here and Dauid in other places do witnes that the creatures vnder the water yea the fishes themselues do laude and praise God and that the same is vnderstood by our holie mother the Church of Rome of the soules that be in Purgatorie she hath not without great appearaunce of trueth concluded That there is likewise a Purgatorie in the bottome of the Sea by which reasons it appeareth that the soules of drowned men place themselues in the bowels of fishes And it is possible that this was the occasion which moued Pythagoras to forbid his scholers the eating of fish considering specially withall That S. Patriks purgatorie in Ireland lies fast by the sea side neare vnto a mountaine called Hecla where our mother the holie Church of Rome doeth beleeue that the sillie soules are as ill punished in yse as in fire So that by good reason there might haue bene added vnto the same sentence of Paule That the trying and shewing openly of the workes of such as build vpon the foundation of Iesus Christ is not onely by fire but likewise by water and by yse For so the holie Church vnderstands that place where it is written We haue passed thorough fire and water And Virgil the wise Poet which had so good vnderstanding of the sacrifice of the Masse as is declared before hath likewise placed Purgatorie by a Sea or by a great water called Lacus Auernus which lies not verie farre from Rome in the Kingdome of Naples where hee describes to bee the entrie and forefront of Hell and then setteth forth Purgatorie with all the paines and torments which the soules doe suffer so perfectly and well that a man would thinke that our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath kindeled her Purgatorie with his fire tongs and bellowes Insomuch that our Catholike Doctors did not amisse when they proued their Purgatorie by the authoritie and testimonie of Virgil. Now if it were so that there were no Scripture to proue Purgatorie by yet would the inheritance and possession of it teache vs sufficiently that there is a Purgatorie And therefore we neede not to trouble our selues much with bringing out the booke of the Machabies for a witnesse and thereby cause the Heretikes to mocke and ieast at vs For they say that that booke is so farre off from being allowed for an authentike booke of holie Scripture that the writer and Authour of the same did desire to bee pardoned and borne withall if hee had not written so sufficiently as he ought And men may further consider what account is to bee made of his writings seeing hee did so greatly praise one Razis who ripped out his owne vowelles and liue him selfe because he woulde not fall into the handes of his enimies which vnvndoubtedly was a detestable deede and directly against Gods commaundement They declare likewise that neither by Christ his Apostles nor by the whole cōgregation in three or foure hundred yeares space that was neuer esteemed nor taken but for Apocrypha to witte for the writing and setting sorth of a man and not for the vndoubted worde of god And yet they say beeside this that if they shoulde accept that Booke yet is there nothing written therein touching Purgatorie but onely a praying for the deade in respect of the resurrection and not in anie respect of satisfaction by Purgatorie And therefore wee will not breake our heades greatly about this matter but will establishe our Purgatorie strongly by inheritaunce and possession Besides that I leaue the Priestes purses vnspoken of which is a souereigne soking and a drawing Purgatorie as euerie man may both say and feele And yet besides this we finde by certeine vndoubted testimonies of our auncesters that many soules haue appeared haue plainly said that they were extremely punished in Purgatorie and therefore haue heartily desired that men would helpe them out of it with Masses almes pardon letters and bulles as it is written of Pope Benedict 8. himselfe and as the Legend and other Catholike bookes testifie which are full of such worthie matters and notable examples so that there is no occasion to put any maner of doubt concerning Purgatorie And further we do finde diuerse euident and very true histories of Odilions Purgatorie in the kingdome of Sicilia in the mount Aetna which flames continually where the sillie soules are burnt and broyled like dried herring or like Westphaling hammes or gammons of Bakon whiche haue houng seuen yeares long in the smoke And this was the occasion that moued Pope Iohn 8. through the great pittie that hee had vpon the sillie soules and by the good and ripe aduise and counsell of the foresaide Odilion which was a holie Father and Monke of an Abbie called Clunie to commande and ordeine that alwayes the next day after Al-hallowes day a solemne day of deuotion should be kept for all christen soules which order is very precisely followed obserued by our dere mother the holy Church of Rome and many yeares of pardon giuen graunted to all those which vpon that day doe deuoutly visite the Chantrie priests Masses of Scala Coeli vsing their purses liberally for that purpose and to haue a trentall of Masses a sackfull of seuen Psalmes and three or foure pokes packt with Pater nosters and Ane Maries all well measured filled whereof to make a present to the sillie soules in Purgatorie for that is euen fitte meat for their mouthes and they are as wel refreshed with those dainties as though they were wrapped about the head with a wet clout in a cold morning And yet beside all this the holie Churche of Rome hath sought all maner of meanes wayes to refresh coole ease the pain of the silly poore soules which lie in the great heat of Purgatorie gaping for aire as a Carpe doeth for water all which meanes she hath digged out of the holy Scriptures For to beginne she hath appointed burning Candles which must bee set vppe to light the poore soules in the darke places of Purgatorie because it is written Christ is the true light and whosoeuer doeth followe him walketh not in darkenesse And therefore hath our holie mother practised that at euerie corner of the hearse a candle shal be set burning for that the dead should be forgiuen and pardoned of foure sundrie manner of sinnes which hee hath committed to witte in thinking in speaking in doing and in suffering Secondarilie she doeth succour the poore sillie soules with censing for thereby they are released of the horrible stinke which is in Purgatorie Thirdlie shee doeth relieue them with holy water which must be
though shee be something troubled with a laske although in deede shee is nowe waxen so olde and vnweldie as glisters can not helpe her greatlie especiallie so long as these Hâ—retikes are still gaping after Scriptures and will beleeue nothing vnlesse iâ— be set downe or confirmed by the Bible Nowe therefore I wil send them the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians where they shall find that Paul saith thus Now ioy I in my sufferings which I suffer for you and fulfill that which is behinde of the passions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the congregation Alway prouided that they shal not vnderstand nor interpret this text after their mindes nor after the letter to wit as though Paul did meane nothing els but that he as a member of Christes body doeth followe Christ his head in suffring for the loue of the congregation and strengthening of the same for this interpretation is hereticall doth not wel agree with the interpretation and beleefe of our deare mother the church of Rome But they must know confesse that Paules meaning in that place is that the passion of Christ is not sufficient to satisfie for all our sins which we haue coÌ„mitted since for those must euery man make satisfaction for by good workes pardons with bulles indulgencies for to that end serue the merites of such Saints as haue bin canonized by Popes and the bloud of their martyrs which suffered in defence of the holy church of Rome furthermore all the meritorious works which S. Francis S. Benedict S. Dominick other holie fathers haue laid vp for a help which were superfluous more than they were bounde to do For all these merites good workes laid together vpon a heape with our merits superfluous good works which we haue in store ouer besides those which must first answere for our sinnes All these I say are shut vp in a chest together wherof our holy father the Pope hath the keies to keepe doth distribute them to euery person according to his discretion which is commonly according as euerie man doth annoynt his hand with golden oyle For this same golden oyle is of such strength vertue that there is no offence knauerie sinne nor abhomination so great but it will be heled made cleane with the same as is plainly to be sene in the Taxa poenitentiaria apostolica that is In the booke of reckoning or taxe register where the pardon and price of al sinnes is set vpon certein summes of monie which are set taxed in the popish or apostolike penance chaÌ„ber but now among the rest the Pope dealeth most liberallie with such as come to Rome in the yeere of Iubilie and doe there deuoutlie visite the graues or tumbes of Peter and Paul for those haue full remission of all their sinnes à poena culpa therewith are the two Apostles maruellouslie recreated for out of that may S. Peter note that the prayer of Christ for him when he said I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not fayle doeth there receiue ful effect when he seeth the people so deuoutlie disposed to go visit his tumbe and graue And by this nowe is that likewise which we alledged out of S. Paul fulfilled in so much doubtles that they haue great pleasure when they see such deuotion vsed and surelie do laugh wiâ—hall as though they had the tooth ache The holie Church of Rome doth yet bring forth other textes of importance for the establishing of indulgencies as speciallie where Christ said vnto Peter I shall giue vnto thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen which are to bee vnderstood the keies of the chest before mentioned wherin that rich tresure is shut vp which can neuer be emptied nor diminished for if it were possible that all the people of the worlde did go to Rome in one yeare of Iubilie that euerie man might receiue full indulgence and pardon yet should the same chest be no more emptied thereby than the Ocean sea should be with taking out of it one spoonefull of water or Saint Goddards mountaine be diminished by taking from it one handfull of sand as is plainly sette forth by a verie trimme and fine verse as followeth Mille licèt sumant deperit inde nihil That is to say Thogh thousands take none said nay Yet nothing wastes or weares away And now how necessarie and profitable this is to our holie mother the Church of Rome it doth appeare plainly out of this That onely the indulgencies with the letters of pardon and the Reseruationes pectorales mentales regressus generales speciales accessus with such other like trifles mo are worth to the Pope of Rome in France onelie aboue two hundred thousand Crownes a yeare so that through all Christendome it doth amount to aboue ten millions of Crownes which is a prettie summe But what shoulde I talke much of the Pope It is not long agoe that a simple gray frier called Samson of Millan being by Pope Leo 10. appointed amongst other for one of the gatherers or receiuers of the monie for Bulles and Indulgencies had within a little space gotten so much monie for himselfe that he did offer to giue a hundred and twentie thousand Ducats in redie monie to be chosen Pope In summe all indulgencies pardons iubilies buls with the rest of the Popes authoritie are lightly to be proued and declared by scripture if men will vnderstand them rightly and according to the exposition of our deare mother the holy Church The x. Chapter VVhich doth treat of the Supremasie of the Pope and proueth establisheth the same by scriptures examples NOw as touching that which is to be said for the supremasie and authoritie of the Pope that is to bee proued by so many clere strong testimonies witnesses of scripture that I can scarse tell where it is best to begin But I may take first the best knowne and plainest text where Christ said I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Petra which is to say a stone or a rocke will I build my congregation and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against them c. For by these fewe wordes to begin withall it is witnessed after the spiritual expositioÌ„ of the holy church that Peter is the firme and seedfast foundation of the Church for she hath nothing to do with Christ in this matter as Clemens hath verie worthily set forth in his Epistle written to Iames the brother of our Lorde And againe here is not to be vnderstood by Peter the person of Peter the Apostle but in the name of Peter are our holy Fathers the Popes pointed vnto as with a wette finger For whereas the heretikes will say that Peter was neuer at Rome it is a stark lie See I pray you their follie well his head bones lie there
yet at this present in a golden chest And yet besides that not only his Legend but likewise that holy man Lippomanus the booke called SpeculuÌ„ historiale that is The Mirror of histories made by Vincentius Lirinensis do perfectly set forth That Iesu Christ met him with out the town gates of Rome And being demanded by Peter whether he was going He answered I am going to Rome to be there crucified againe and a while after was Peter crucified and that vpon the same day place vnder the same tyrant that Paule iust a yeare before was put to death yea after that he himselfe had bene Pope and gouerned that sea 25. yeares by the same token that his seate which was hewed out of a Purphyre stone and the Albe wherein hee song his first Masse do both remaine yet for a memoriall And although Saint Luke doe testifie that hee continued verie long at Hierusalem yea and that in the verie same time that hee shoulde haue bene in Rome by the reckoning and calculation of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome and that Paul doth seeme to agree with the same where he writeth that the time that he lay in prison in Rome there was not one of the faithfull that did visite or assist him I leaue to say that Peter shoulde then haue beene Pope but all this cannot persuade vs For that is to bee answered that Saint Luke might be ouerseene in his writing and I thinke he was no good Arithmetician or else we may say as diuers Lutherans them selues confesse that one bodie may bee in two or three or mo sundrie places at one time And touching that he had perhappes forgotten that Peter was Pope of Rome as is apparant by that he writeth to the Galathians where he saieth That Peter was appointed for an apostle to the Iewes and he himselfe to the Gentiles Or else it may well be answered that it was not decent for Peter beeing a Prince and Duke ouer all the Apostles to go seeke or visite such a simple fellow as Paule was lying in prison Considering how that Pope Gregorie the 7. successour about the yeare one thousand and seuentie did suffer the noble Emperour Henrie 4. who came in the colde winter simply clad bare headed and barefoote most humblie desiring to haue accesse to his holinesse beeing then in the towne of Camisen his holinesse did as is before said suffer him to tarie before the gates of the towne three daies without once looking vpon him or sending to him I let alone that he would once step a foote to go meete him being in the meane space passing his time dallying with his Curtesans and with the Dutchesse Matildis who yet at last did make intercession for the Emperour Wherefore is it not to bee thought then that Peter did likewise stand vpon his grauitie and reputation without much going to the prison to seeke Paule or visite him Especially considering howe busie he was to appoint and set new Prelates in euerie place For it might perhaps be that Peter was not verie well at ease or diuerse other occasions might cause it But this is alway to be beleeued and holden for a verie truth That Peter was fiue twentie yeres complete resident at Rome and distributed the landes to euerie one according as he thought good likewise ordeined and instituted Prelats Bishops and Archbishops ouer all the world and deposed the heatheÌ„ gouernors which at that time bare rule out of their places placed other in their roomes which hee did name Primates for that euerie man came to receâ—ue iudgment at their hands as is very finely and at large set out in the epistle of Anacletus and in the booke of decrees And that this is wel founded vpon scripture it is apparant by the wordes of the saide Anacletus who doth bring in for verefying of his saying plaine textes out of the Psalmes to witte Moses and Aaron with their Priestes For out of that is forceablie concluded as hee saieth that the Pope of Rome is the head of the Church Is not that well shot God saue the marke Also the holie Apostles saieth hee did debate and determine amongest themselues as I thinke at that time when they did striue who should be chiefe amongst them that the Bishop of euerie Countrie shoulde knowe who should bee next vnder him for notwithstanding that they were all Apostles alike yet did Christ giue that vauntage to Peter that he shoulde bee chiefe of the Apostles and so named him Cephas that is to say The chiefe head or Prince of the Apostles See now this is the exposition of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome vpon these woordes of Christ Thou art Cephas And yet it is true that Cephas is a worde of the Chaldee tongue and doth not signifie A heade but A stone as Petra doth in the Greeke or Latin for so S. Iohn the Euangelist him selfe doeth expounde it But notwithstanding that seeing it hath pleased our deare mother the holie Church of Rome to vnderstand it so considering that this worde Cephas or Cepha doeth signifie in the Chaldee tongue A stone the like worde in maner in the Greeke and in the French tongue doth signifie A head as to wit Cephali or Cheff therfore it is good reson that we take the exposition of Iohn as literall repose our selues vpon the exposition of our deare mother the holie Church who onely in deede hath the power and authoritie to interprete the Scripture spiritually and allegorically So that this worde Cephas must needes signifie A head and not A stone as is plaine to be seene in the glosse of the Decretals And out of this we haue to note two principall pointes The first is that the holie Church hath such power and authoritie that she can not onely chaunge the bread into flesh but is able to make of a stone a head as well transubstantiate the wordes as the bread The second is that a man may make a good similitude or parable vpon the neerenesse of names in speache which in pronuntiation doe sound one like another as the holie Church hath concluded herevpon That Saint Clare can make dimme eyes looke clere S. Quintine can heale the quensie in the head and S. Valentine the falling sicknesse and S. Etropius the dropsie because these names in pronuntiation do sound one like another And yet this can not alway fall out so for then might the Heretikes conclude out of the same that Curats are curres the Spiritualtie spite faultie Bishops verie bitesheepes Cardinals carnals and that maister Gentianus after the French is vn genti asne that is a proper asse and Blindasinus a blinde asse Which thing nowe can not bee so considering that asses are not accustomed to write bookes as these men haue done Therefore wee must remitte the iudgement of these matters in like cases and nerenesse of
names to the holie Church when they shall be so vnderstoode and when they shall â—ot be so taken Now doeth our deare mother the holie Church inioy dâ—uerse other goodly and plaine Scriptures wherewith â—o prop vp and make fast the seate of our holâ—e father the Pope as specially where it is written That Christ came to fulfill the will of his father For of that must needes follow That all good Christen men are bound to fulfil the will of their holie mother the Church of Rome of which church the Pope without all doubt is the supreme heade And againe God speaketh by the mouth of his Prophete Esaias But doth the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Or doeth the sawe make anie bragging against him that ruleth it Signifying thereby that the king of the Assyrians had no power against the almightie God who woulde vse him as an axe or a sawe to punish and correct his people by him Out of this hath our mother the holy Church of Rome concluded and as she saith made it appeare clearer than the Sunne that there is no power nor authoritie in this worlde but in the power of the holy sea pope of Rome to correct or punish the same And this shee doeth establish yet more strongly by the wordes of Paule who saith That the naturall man cannot conceiue nor vnderstand Gods doings but the spirituall man doth vnderstand rule all things but may not be ruled of any man. For this doth the holie Church vnderstand by the pope of Rome that he is of himselfe so spiritual and ghostly that no man may nor can iudge nor punish him Now further his power is established in the first booke of Moses called Genesis where it is written That God in the beginning did shape both heauen and earth For now that is as much to say after the exposition of the holie Church of Rome that the Pope is the beginning of all things Considering there is no mention made but of one beginning It is not said In the beginning as of mo or manie beginnings and therefore whosoeuer should compare the Emperour to be as good as the Pope he is a rank heretike of the sect of the Manichees who saide There was mo beginnings of all things than one What thinke you now of this Is not this a good bagpipe to play a galiard vpon But now tarie yet a little it is likewise writen That God did shape two great lightes a greater and a lesser which do signifie after the interpretation of the holy Church that the pope of Rome is aboue all other Potentates aboue the Emperour for he is the Sunne the Emperour is the Moone Whereby nowe is clearely to be seene that Moses had a foreknowlege of the pope his authoritie And Iob must needes haue had some feeling of his coÌ„ming For thus God said vnto Iob Knowest thou I pray thee how the heauens are gouerned Or canst thou rule him vpon earth That is after the interpretation of the holy Church That euen as in the heauen one eternall God doth gouerne all things and as the holy Trinitie is brought to one onelie vnitie The like consequence must fall out here vpon earth So that here the Pope onely must haue dominion ouer all estates dukedomes kingdomes other whatsoeuer in consideration that hee is the onely line leuell and compasse whereby all other people are and ought to be directed And in consideration hereof is the prophesie of Paul thus vnderstood saying Vntil the fulnes of the Gentils be come and then shall all Israel be saued ioining this with that which Christ said So that there shal be but one flock one sheepheard as to vnderstand When all the nations vpon earth shall be subiect to the Pope Like as now in our daies we haue seene a good beginning do daily see with our eyes very great apperaÌ„ce of more And that the Pope ought not only to haue a spirituall gouernment as a Bishop but must likewise maintein a worldly gouernment as a king is by clere testimonie of Scripture of our deare mother the holy Church approued For there is without doubt a plaine text that the Apostles did say Behold here are two swordes Wherevnto Christ answered not saying That it was too manie but that that was inough Now out of this doth our deare mother coÌ„clude That the Pope of Rome must vse two swordes to wit a spirituall a temporall sword Ho ball ho how will this sound in the eares of the Heretikes But now must they vnderstand for a speciall matter that a good while ago there was in Spaine an honest man who coulde not vnderstand it so saying that this scripture did serue nothing at al to that purpose And by and by the holy inquisition which is the dearest and chiefest nourse fosterfather of the Church of Rome did take him and burne him at a stake as one which had highly blasphemed because that vpon his opinion should follow that the holy church hath not full power to interprete the scripture as she will which I assure you is a terrible slaunder Therefore haue these heretikes need to looke well to the matter kepe their tongues giue eare to other testimonies and witnesses For yet besides this Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword into the sheth Out of those words doth plainly appeare as our holy father Bonifacius the 8. saith That both the swordes as well the temporall as the spirituall are vnder the power and iurisdiction of the Church Yea and it is verie necessarie that the one sword be subiect to the other which is to be vnderstood That the temporal iurisdiction and authoritie must be subiect to the spirituall ecclesiasticall power and authoritie For according to the saying of S. Paule There is no power or authoritie but that which is appointed by god Truely saith he there would be no good regiment if the one sword were not subiect to the other and that the lower and inferiour were by some good meanes brought in subiection and obedience to the higher and superior Consider this is the onely naturall and grounded interpretation of the before alledged text of the holie Scripture as our deare mother the holy Church hath interpreted the same word by word Is not this Popingaie then trimly shot downe Lee these Huguenots and Lutherans come out now who crie alway that we cannot establish the power authoritie of the Pope by anie scriptures now they may see that we haue scriptures â—now to hit the marke withall But now will we teach out of the scriptures That the Pope only hath power to consecrate and halow Churches to blesse altars Marke well the wordes plainly set out in the Psalms where it is written Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it For this is the verie text that the holy
of our most holie father the Pope of Rome whereof there is not one iotte forgotten nor left vnconsidered yea surelie I beleeue that his holinesse sitting vpon his stoole of easement sir reuerence of his holinesse should not make one sowre or skornefull countenance but this wise profounde learned Doctour and Bishop can straightwayes bring in for it some mysterie and weightie matter And to bring a text of Scripture for it which shall serue as fit for that purpose as a sadle for a sowe What needeth manie wordes hee is a passing Apoticarie hee can make a good medicine of a Cabadge stalke And therefore it is that our deare mother the holy Church doeth so greatly esteeme this his booke so that shee would not forgo it for anie good and she hath reason for it because in deede it is her chiefe iewell or treasure wherein all her holinesse is locked vp Where will all these Heretikes now hide them selues these Lutheranes Huguenotes Zwinglians Caluinistes the one heape with the other which do bragge so much of the word of God Let thē but once take this booke of Durādus into their hands and they shall finde there that all the ceremonies of the holie church of Rome all their prankings and strange deuises are finely founded vpon the Scripture so that there is not one lacking yea and that the Scripture is wholie on our side if it be right vnderstood according to the meaning and interpretation of our deare mother the holie Church to witte that you passe ouer and let slippe the dead letter and the plaine text depend wholie vpon the spirit of speculation of our Doctours of Louen those of Paris which is only the spirit That quickeneth maketh aliue as is heretofore rehearsed Therefore let all such as wil be good and Catholike subiectes of the holie Church and Sea of Rome holde fast and sticke to this interpretation and in anie wise shrinke not from it but beleeue all whatsoeuer the holy church beleeues not once going about to knowe or to aske any questiō what it is because it is inough for them to know that the church of Rome cānot erre so long as she remaineth fast groūded vpon the foūdation of the Pope Let them keepe in mind the saying of Salomon You shall not remooue the pales markes which your fathers haue planted that is to say You shall not once moue touche or alter any thing of al that which our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath established and ordeined And dooing thus they shal be her white sonnes haue the worlde at will they shall enioye the goods of this worlde some shall become Bishops and some Cardinalles riding brauelie to the Courtes of Popes and Kings vpon braue horses and Mules and shal haue the fairest Courtisanes of Rome at their commaundementes In summe they shall say to them selues What canst thou desire Where contrariwise these felowes will bee so nose-wise that they will knowe all things and will beleeue nothing but iust that which they finde in Scripture and in their Bible plainlie set out yea they doe mocke our deare mother the interpretations which shee bringeth forth vpon the Scriptures But those surelie are Heretikes to the fourth generation as Doctours and Physicions say Euen to the hiest steppe of the staires For like as Master Gentian hath here finely concluded They do not beleeue the holie Church They beleeue not the twelue articles of our faith yea they doe not beleeue the holie scripture seeing they will not accept the interpretation of the scripture which the holie Church hath allowed for good And therefore they must be banished accursed and excommunicated yea they must be burnt to ashes and powder if they will not recante For that is the sure sentence and resolute determination of our holie mother the Church of Rome wherein doeth not fall anie stay or appellation for that nowe from henceforth they will not nor shall not beare with them anie longer And herewith we will make an ende of the second part hauing emptied this distaffe and nowe by master Gentianus leaue we will in hande and proceede with another part Here followeth the exposition vpon the third part of Gentianus Haruets Epistle wherin is treated of Auricular confession of the Sacraments of Matrimonie of Confirmation and of the holy Anointment The first Chapter Of Auricular confession and howe necessarie it is and of establishing the same by the Scriptures HEre now doth followe the third part of the Epistle of Gentianus wherein he doth declare himself greatlie to wonder that these new Preachers of the gospell will go about to abolish auricular confession Cockes populorum But howe would they go to worke Where our holie mother hath so straightlie cōmanded vpon paine of damnation That al such as are of both kindes to wit male female shall assoone as he or she is come to yeeres of discretion confesse them selues to their owne Curate of all their sins at lest once a yere vnderstanding the same alway of deadlie sinnes only as is set forth by the glosse vpon the text because daily and perdonable sinnes are with a Pater noster or with a sprinckle full of holy water cleane washed away I maruell howe these Heretikes can speake against this For were it not euen as much as though they would put out both the eies of our mother the holie church For vndoubtedly this auricular confession is worthe two paire of eies to her For by the one she can see perceiue learne al the secret determinations counsels and pretences of all Kings Princes and Potentates of Christendome by reason whereof she is come to a peaceable possession enioying of her authoritie and gouernement ouer all Countries and Kingdomes And by the other she can see and creepe euen into the verie bottome of the bosomes of yong maides simple and sorrowful wiues and widdowes and so grope out and vnderstand all their secrets and then enioyne them such friendlie penaunce that their troubled consciences are thereby comforted and their sorrowfull heartes made ioyfull O good Lord How often haue these holy Priests and Friers giuen vnder confession good wholesome counsell to the sorrowfull barren wiues whereby they haue afterwardes become blyth mothers and haue euer after borne an inward loue towardes their holie ghostlie fathers euen as though it were to their owne husbands Yea there is at this present a good holie graie Frier at Brudgesse called Brother Cornelius the Whipper who by meanes of this holie auriculer confession did teach a great many of simple womē to tame and mortifie their fleshe in this manner That they for the fulfilling of penance to them inioyned and to receiue of him ful absolution of their sinnes haue verie willinglie gon creeping vppon handes and feete starke naked before that holie ghostlie father and when he did marke anie that the fleshe was not sufficientlie mortified them did he followe with a rodde
strength and worthinesse of this new religion of Champions Trueth it is that she was at the last when the matter was knowen banished out of Venice but that was not done for her holinesse but specially because there were a great manie of amorous letters founde about her which were of great importance For else alas what could haue bene said to her heauie and pitiful penance whereof the like is daily done You maye see them sometimes in Italie go alongst the streetes with a great rope about their neckes as if they were dropped downe froÌ„ the gallowes and sometimes they weare a sawsige or a swines pudding in place of a siluer or golden chayne Is not that sufficient to deserue heauen by But if I should go about to expresse euerie particular religion alone which our mother the holye Church hath founde out beside the Scriptures I should haue work for this seuen yeres Wherefore it is not needefull For all good Catholike men do knowe well ynough that our holye fathers the Popes haue sufficient authoritie to bring in and establish newe religions and rules of perfection as manie as it shall please them although it be plaine that the whole Scriptures neuer make mention of anie such as it is most euident by so many diuers orders and religions which haue bene by their holinesse set vp brought in established As there are the orders of the Basilians Augustinians Benedictines Dominicanes or Iacobines Carthusians Carmelites or Ladie brothers Seruitours or Seruants Graie Friers Obseruantes Conuentuales Penitentiaries Minimers Capucines Mendicantes Cluinares Camaldulenses Valembrosences Cisterienses Barnardines Coelestines Gibertenenses Milicenses Castellenses Burfaldenses Mountoliuetes Castinenses Armeâ—tes Regulars PremoÌ„stratenses Whilliamites Lateranes Georgians Iohannians Trinitaries Indians AmbrosiaÌ„s Magdalines or Lazarines red Augustins Helenians Sophians Visitensers Wincesbaterers Gregorians Constantinopolitanes Columbins Crossed brethreÌ„ Starred brethreÌ„ Fratres ClauoruÌ„ Blackfriers Smocked friers BtethreÌ„ of the holy Sepulchre Brethren of the vale of Iosaphat BrethreÌ„ of S. Ioseph of S. Rusius seuen thousande like Of which number the most part haue their mates and companions in the women Cloisters of which some be Bagghines other close Nonnes other called Sisters the fourth are called Chanonesses who haue likewise their Patronesses as S. Clare S. Bridgit S. Lucia S. Agnes S. Marie Magdalene S. Valdrud c. All which haue bene receiued established by our holy fathers the Popes for good and holy Ouer and aboue these they haue ordeined many sundrie Heremitages orders of Heremits as of S. Anthonie of S. Hilarie of S. Makarius S. Theon S. Frontinian S. Horus S. Helenus S. Appellomius S. Paul the Hermit S. Martarius S. PiamoÌ„tius S. Castomianus many more of the like rabie Now are there more added to these the holy Giides or Confraternities as The fraternities of S. Roche of S. Hubright of S. Sebastian of S. Coronne which go cladde in blew of S. Anthonie in blacke of S. Martin in white of S. Dominick in black c. And to the ende that the heritage should not be without Rutters or Pensionars they haue appointed certeine newe religious orders of holy Knights likewise such as are the knights of the Rodes or of Malta Dutch Knights the Templers the Knights of S. Iames our Ladie Knights Saint Georges knights knights of Hierusalem Calitrauenses Montenienses Gartarienses c. But truly I had need of vi huÌ„dred tongues two huÌ„dred pennes a mouth of steele with an iron voice if I should declare all the diuersities of orders religions which our holy fathers the Popes haue set vp not only without but directly against the holy Scripture and yet without naming of the Popes themselues or their Cardinals Prelats Archbishops Bishops Metropolitanes Suffraganes Archdeacons Deacons and such like strange beastes whereof neither Prophet nor Apostle euer heard Nay I dare saye that if the Apostles had but once seene or hearde the hundred part of these new religious orders and professions named they would haue bene afraide of them For seeing that S. Paule could not suffer that amongst the Congregation of the Corinthians some should call them selues the Disciples of Peter other of Paule the thirde of Apollo howe would he then haue bene afraide and out of quiet when he should haue seene or hearde of such an innumerable companie of newe and diuers names professions religions Gods seruices and rules of perfection whereof some were clad and apparelled in blacke some in white some in gray some in green some in blewe some in red some in furres and in all maner of diuers colours and euerie one of them did esteeme his owne order and rules for the best and most worthie to be regarded He would surely haue thought him selfe to haue bene come into a newe world Therefore it is a great follie that men will founde them selues onely vpon that which the Apostles haue taught or written considering that the world is now chaunged and that the holy Church hath found out and established newe religions newe commandements and newe articles of our faith whereof the Apostles neuer knewe For otherwise beleeue me if nothing els were estemed but the bare Scriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apostles then should all the Decrees Decretalles all good holy Ordinances of the Church of Rome all the goodly Councelles which haue bene kept and holden by the order and commandement of the Popes yea all the before specified orders and religion of Friers NoÌ„nes the Heremites Gildes and Knighthoods be vtterly ouerthrowen yea all their merites and supererogations would not be worth an Oaten cake if men should begin to esteeme and accept the holy Scripture alone for a true and sufficient rule and direction and then should Luther haue done well when he caused the decrees and deâ—retals to be burnt O no truely We must aboue all mainteine those in reputation yea euen in greater estimation than the woorde of God it selfe for who soeuer doth sinne against the word of God his sinnes maye be forgiuen him but he that doth sinne against the Decrees of the Pope doeth sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore his offence shall neuer be forgiuen him Therefore it is vndoubtedly a great ouersight of them that would compasse and pale in the holy Church with the bounds of the holy Scripture seeing she may steppe or leape ouer it with a staffe or without anie feare and as often as euer she wil. Yet it is true that sometimes shee doeth helpe her self with the scripture for if there were no scripture howe should one knowe whether there must be a Church or no or wherby should a maÌ„ discerne the true church of God from the church of Antichrist Yet doth she alway rule the Scripture makes therevpon such a glosse as best serueth her turne yea that is more she is the very occasion that any beleefe or credit is giuen to the scripture as is pleasantly set foorth by the holy and
the East But the holy Church as touching this matter was much wiser thaâ— God for shee wâ—ll hereby giue to vnderstande that Christ is risen or sprong from the highest and that afâ—er the doctrine of Aristotle other Philosophers the East is on the right side of heauen where as Christ at the day of iudgement will place his elect Is not this a deepe speculation Who would euer haue thought that such doltish Asses could haue founde out such a great and profound secret which God him selfe did neuer thinke on The x. Chapter VVhich concludeth that the Church of Rome hath gathered all these before named pieces together and taken out of them what shee haâ—h thought good which are called Traditiones Romanae Ecclesiae that is to saye The traditions of the church of Rome and the foundation of our beleefâ— BVt if I should now bring in all things particularly to proâ—e hâ—we that our deare mother hath verie finely and subtily brought in mingled the Philosophie and Poetrie of the Ethnikes with her Religion and Gods seruice I should haue worke inough for seuen yeeres Therefore this is sufficient for vs that by this it may well bee perceiued that she hath gathered her holines and ceremonies as well out of the Heathen authours as of the Iewes olde Heretikes and brewed the same all together so cunningly that it is a maruellous pleasant cup of drinke to swallow downe without anie chewing So that nowe wee may stoutly conclude vpon the former question what that is for a beast which men call Traditiones Ecclesiae The traditions of the Church of Rome Seeing we now well perceiue that her foundation ground stands not vpon the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles like as Paul would in his time haue mainteined much lesse then vpon the Councels Fathers and decrees but it is partly founded vpon the Scripture being first well glosed and sophistically handled partly out of the chiefest writings of the olde fathers partly out of the scomme of the Councels and decrees partly out of the fine flower of olde Heretikes partly out of the Caballa of the Iewes Rabbines and lastly out of the Theologie of Numa Pompilius the Philosophie of Aristotle and out of the examples of the Heathen Now all gathered together on a heape and baked in a cake are called Traditiones sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae The traditions or commandements of the holy Church of Rome Which vpon paine of damnation of the soule and the body to be burnt in fire must of necessitie be beleued of al men and holden in as great reputation as the worde of God it selfe which is written in the holie Scriptures Therefore it is that the bookes of the holy Catholike subiectes of the Church as Eckius Piggius Hosius Bunderius Asotus Ruardus Tapparde Iohannes Latomus Iohannes a Louanio Franciscus Sonnius Gulielmus Blindasinus Iodocus Rauestein a Tileto and other more are finely set forth and brauely decked with feathers of all colours after the Indian fashion and trimmed vp with all costly stuffe euen like Saint Iames wiâ—h his shelles and sometime they fetch a witnesse or authoritie out of the Scripture by the necke sometime out of the fathers then a Councel out of a corner a decree of some Pope or Bishop sometimes they bring out an example from the Iewes and an allegorie or some triâ—le out of the Thalmoode and nowe and then a syâ—logisme out of Aristotle or Porphyrius or else a verse out of Virgil or Ouid and such other like skipping and leaping like Monkies from one place to another so helpe themselues with handes and feete and with all the â—â—â—mes of their bodie Prouided alwayes that they hang still as fast on their principall foundation as a theefe on the gallowes to wit That the holy Church cannot erre nor by anie meanes go out of the right way For as long as they holde that end fast they can neuer loose the threede And it is but follie to talke the Heretikes must needes be taken in the trappe for if by chaunce they scape out at one hole they are by and by caught in another After this they brewe you a noble and pleasant drinke iumbling the olde fathers and the newe together the true with the false And if they can once catche an Augustine or an Ambrose by the necke then will they after that bring in a trimme toy of the fine letters of Clemens and Anacletus which a dronken Monke and vnlearned buffell did babble out somewhere on a Saint Martins euen and mingle therewithall the goodly fables of one Dionysius whom they call Areopagita which one of the seuen sleepers haue found I wote not where behinde a banke then also come they lustily foorth with a Thomas de Aquino or a Scotus ioyne with him a Bricot or a Holcot or a Peter de Broda to keepe him companie And lastly for a sawce they bring in vpon that their Legendum Aureum and then Dormi secure and so make thereof a Compost or as it is called at Louen a Brodium such as the Heretikes must needes burâ—â— if they taste but one spoonefull of it And this is the inuincible Panoplia or StratageÌ„ma that is The defensible furniture fighting weapons of warre which the right honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus vseth This is the Verbum noÌ„ scriptum the vnwritten worde or veritie which all Catholike writers doe alwayes stande vpon this is Consuetudo sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The vsage and old custome of the holy church of Rome whereon they boast themselues a great deale more than anie towne doeth of their priuiledges This is Traditiones patrum The traditions of the fathers of which the children do boldly boast and bragge In summe this is the ground and foundation of the hellish Catholike Romish beliefe wherevpon our dearely beloued mother the holy Church doth stande so fast as it will be verie harde for all the diuels of hell to blowe her off with all their bellowes The xi Chapter VVhich teacheth how that vpon this foundation Heretikes must be examined And what questions are to be proponed vnto them in the inquisition THerefore the order and maner to dispute with Heretikes nowe adayes is no more to bring in many Scriptures or Councels against them for therein woulde they be too readie and ripe reasoners but we must onely lay before them the good intents ordinances and statutes of the holie Church And it is sufficient to prooue that by any one of the argumentes before specified for whensoeuer men can alledge only one whether it be out of the Fathers Councels Decrees or out of Aristotle or Virgil then it is cocke on our side and the battell is wonne But now contrariwise whensoeuer the Heretikes goe about to ouerthrow any article of the beliefe by the holy Church brought in and established it is not therefore sufficient that they proue it to be contrarie to the
of a sheep skin surely sealed And if they be not therewithall content they may go seeke further at their owne coâ—t and perill And yet will our holie father haue homage and rewarde for it although it haue cost him neuer a penie Of the like to this we see daily examples as the kings of Sicilia and Naples must euerie yeare vpon S. Peters day do homage vnto him and acknowledge him for their chiefe Lord and for testimonie of the same they present him with a white hackney well trapped with riche furniture with thousands of ducates besides yea the kingdome of Englande was a great while in subiection and at the disposition of the Pope For the before written Pope Alexander 3. did bring one king to that point about the yeare of our Lord 1181. And that vnder pretence that Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canturburie was by the kinges consent slaine And further long before that in the yeare 740. a certein king of England called Inas did make the whole Island tributarie to the Pope of Rome insomuch that the Popes had alwayes their Collectors and Receiuers in Englanâ— to gather vp and receiue the Peter peace till such time as it was forbidden by king Henrie 8. But to what purpose should I so particularly name the kings of England Naples and Sicilia seeing that all Kings and Emperours throughout the whole worlde are bounde to kisse with great reuerence the Popes holie feete Is not that a sufficient proofe that he hath full power and iurisdiction ouer them all And good reason it should so be For by him Kings do reigne and by him Iudges execute the lawe as it is written by Solomon in his Prouerbes Chap. 8. For that which he writes there of the eternall wisedome of God that is by our mother the holie Catholike Churche vnderstoode and sette foorth concerning the Pope of Rome As plainely doeth appeare by the glosse vpon the Clementines and by Panormitanus likewise And therefore whensoeuer the Popes holinesse is disposed to ride on horsebacke then must the Emperour or King which is present holde his stirrop and after for a while lead the horse by the bridle in his hand And alwayes when the Pope will be caried in a chaire then is the Emperor or King whosoeuer it be bound of duetie to bow downe his necke and to take the chaire vp vpon his shoulders And likewise when the Pope goeth to dinner the duetie of the Emperour or King is to serue him with water wherwith to wash his holy hands he must be sure to attend at the table till the first course be serued For a finall end hee must serue the Pope euen as a seruant doeth serue his maister yea and I pray you wherefore should he not seeâ—ng he hath taken made his othe solemnly of obedience and fidelitie to the Pope as is plainly sette forth in the Popes lawes And yet is not the Pope bound in anie point or iot to him nor to anie other earthly creature vnlesse he will sometime of speciall grace rise out of his seat to let the Emperour kisse him kindly Otherwise all men liuing are bounde of duetie as soone as they come within his presence to fall three times downe vpon their knees and then to kisse his feete And wheresoeuer he passeth by there they must all fall downe vpon their knees and worship him otherwise they are like to eate stockâ—ish which his Garde will giue them largely yea and that without Butter And therfore do they crie Abasso Abasso which is as much to say as Downe vpon your knees Which thing I assure you is most duetifull and established by plaine Scripture for that it is written Psalme 8. Thou hast put all things vnder his feete sheepe and oxen yea and the beastes of the field which is to be vnderstood Christen men Iewes Turks Moores And the foules of the aire that is The Saints departed And the fishes in the sea that is The soules which lie in Purgatorie Insomuch that there is nothing but it is made subiect vnto him For he onely is Lorde ouer all the world and the worlde is properly his so proued by the plaine text Psal. 23. The earth with all her plentiousnesse is the Lordes as our mother the holie Church hath interpreted it and so concluded For which cause he may as Antonius de Rosellis doth testifie take from one whatsoeuer he will and giue to another what he list And this is that which Cardinali Poole being the Popes lieftenant at the councell of Trent did likewise defend and establish by Scriptures euen by the verie wordes of Christ saying That he would make of Peter a fisher of men Which is in this sense to be vnderstood according to the interpretation of the holie Church of Rome That he would driue al Emperours and Kings yea all people of the world into the Popes net so that he might seeth them broyle them or frie them in a panne euen as his holinesse should thinke best to vse and order them And although Paule did speake of an other which shoulde bee the God of this worlde and that Christ doeth likeâ—ise name the same The Duke or Lorde of this worlde meaning the Tempter which shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of the same saying vnto him All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee for they are mine and I may bestowe them vpon whom soeuer I will. Yet doeth not all that make anie thing against our purpose for they twaine to witte the Pope and he are both as one and agree like two heades in one hoode so that there can no gealousie growe thereby For as the Scripture sayth and beareth witnesse The dragon hath rendered vp and giuen to the beast with seuen heades all his power his seate and authoritie Now what conditions are made bet 〈…〉 ene them I wote not but let them alone with that matter they will agree well ynough Thus much then in effect touching all that which Daniel and Paule did say and prophesie in the Scriptures before specified is throughly fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and therewithall likewise that thing whereoâ— Iohn speaketh in the Apocalypse that The citie which is builded vpon seuen mountains or hilles which out of doubt is the Citie of Rome as Tertullianus Lactantius Hieronymus and all the old fathers haue testified and as the situation and state of the citie it selfe doth make apparant shall receiue a maruellous power and authoritie specially of the same whome Paule calleth The God of this world and whom Christ calleth The duke or Prince of this world whom Iohn calleth The dragoÌ„ insomuch that all kings and princes of the earth shall pray vnto him he shal be trimmed and decked with golde siluer pearles and all rich precious iewels as you may plainly see in our holy father the Pope
of Rome with all his Cardinals who are deftly decked vppe with all costly iewels like Puppets And hee shall receiue a mouth speaking great and wonderfull things so that all the worlde shall say Who is like vnto him Euen after the same sort as you see the Pope giue forth strange things touching his owne person and doeth attribute to himselfe a certeine power authoritie aboue all kings princes and angels in heauen yea euen aboue the sonne of God and which more is aboue God himselfe Insomuch that vpon this consideration our deare mother the holie Churche hath concluded that hee shoulde bee called Papa as though men should say Pape which is as much to say in our language as a wonderfull shreeke or hem in derision For it is a worde which doth signifie a monstrous wondring for because that he is a wonderfull monstrous and straunge beast Insomuch that one of his owne Poets doth call him Papa stupor mundi that is to say The wonder or mocking stocke of the worlde Euen as if a man shoulde say Tushe who is to be compared to him So that it is most apparauntly to bee seene that Saint Iohn in his Apocalypse doeth as it were euen point to him with his finger and that Daniel and Paule doe in many places of the Scripture paint him plainlie out in all his feathers In so much then that these Heretikes are farre ouerseenâ— when as they will say That the Scripture doeth not make anie mention of the Pope of Rome considering that wee haue proued all his authoritie to be grounded vpon the Scripture in such order as there is nothing to be said against it The xi Chapter VVherein is set foorth howe that no Priesteâ— nor spirituall persons are subiect or vnder the iurisdiction or power of the temporall Magistrates or Officers NOwe let vs come to speake of the other Priestes and spirituall persons who are throughlie furnished in all points with their Officials Deanes Archdeacons Vicars Inquisitours Sumners Prisons Places and Instrumentes for punishment so as they are not in anie point subiect to anie temporall Officer or Magistrate Neither may anie of them haue anie their causes or questions debated or determined before anie temporall Iudge or Officer so farre as they haue shauen crownes which is the right marke character of the citie with seuen mountaines whereof Saint Iohn makes mention in the Apocalypse And the same is likewise to bee proued by plaine textes of the holy scripture And for the first it is written That when as Lot went about to dissuade the wilfull Sodomites from their abhominable actes they saide vnto him Thou art come hither among vs and art but a straunger here What hast thou to doe for to take vpon thee to correct and iudge vs Out of this Text hath our mother the holie Church of Rome finally concluded that the Priests may not bee iudged nor punished by temporall Magistrates and Rulers vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are vndoubtedly right Sodomites Burgesses borne and maisters of this worlde by inheritance considering that they are made by the Pope to whom the worlde doeth absolâ—tely apperteine and that the temporall Magistrates and Officers are but as straungers who haue but as it were the gouernement of the world by lease at the handes of the Pope and his Priestes And therefore it doth not become them for to rule or punish the natiue Burgesses of Sodom and Gomorra that is to say the Priestes and Spiritualtie For so hath the Pope Anacletus determined and set forth in his Deccetals which interpretation of his is by our deare mother the holy Church allowed for good and registred in the booke of their decrees for an article of our faith Secondarily the same is proued by a speciall text out of the Gospell where it is written That Christ did driue or chace the buiers and sellers out of the Temple with a whippe or scourge For thereby it is apparant that the Priestes or Spiritualtie may not by anie meanes be punished by anie temporall Officer as is concluded by the forenameâ— Anacletus and the holie Church of Rome vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are to be esteemed as the very changers sellers in the Church who do vtter their merchandize so deare that the sight of them manie times will stand a man dearer than the best ware that the Habardashers of Paris and Lions haue in their shoppes And although other chaungers of monie and vsurers did inioy the benefites of the like priuiledge as well as the Priests to witte that they were with the same whipping driuen out of the temple yea and although dogs be sometime vsed after the same manner yet considering that the Priestes are my white sonnes and must haue somewhat the more preeminence and aduauntage specially for that their merchaundize are of more estimation than the rest and their incense of better smell than the incense that the dogges smother abroade in the Church Insomuch that the holie Church of Rome doeth vnderstande this by the priests onelie to wit that temporall Magistrates or Officers shall haue no iurisdiction ouer them considering well that Christ had them in such estimation as he himselfe onelie woulde whippe them out of the Church And yet hath shee more strongly established the same by the plaine Texte of the Prophete Dauid where it is written God stoode in the middest of the Gods that is to say of Priests and Prelats Againe I haue said All you are Gods. Now truth it is that the whole Psalme doeth after the letter speake of Kings and Gouernours of this world yet notwithstanding our deare mother the holie Church hath vnderstood the same wholy of the Priestes and Spiritualtie according to the spirit and that specially by reason of sixe weightie causes to witte First because the whole text doth conclude as well or rather much better vpon the Priestes than vpon anie other for it is written That will not vnderstaÌ„d but will walk in darknesse and set the whole world in a rore Which wordes seeme to conclude so well vpon Priestes and Bishops as though they had bene spoken only to them Now secondly the Priests are of much more estimation better than any Kings or Princes yea they do excell them as far as Leade doth Gold and therefore must Emperours bow downe their heads vnder the knees of the Popes as is plainely set forth by the holie father Pope Gelasius writing vnto the Emperour Anastasius and registred in the decrees Yea they are the light of the world Fathers Maisters to all men so that they deserue much better to be called Gods than either Kings or other Rulers do or can deserue Thirdly the Priestes are of more worthinesse and estimation than Angels For as our deare mother the holie Churche of Rome hath verie well concluded an Angel may not sing nor say Masse for that hee hath not the priestly character
stoutely and warily fight vnder Gods banner and counterfeit or follow the example of the Apostles their disciples For the same by nature ought so to bee and all things in the world ought to bee common but the wickednesse of man hath bene the occasion that the one hath begonne to say This is mine the other said And this belongeth to me And by that meanes dealing or participating of all things crept in To bee briefe a verie wise man amongst the Grekes hath spoken maruellous well saying All things are common amongst good friendes Nowe it is then without doubt that vnder the name of all things the wiues are likewise conteined For like as the light and the shining of the Sunne can not be separated nor parted euen so there cannot likewise anie separation or dealing be made of that which is to bee vsed in common but it ought to be generallie at the commauÌ„dement of euerie one of the companie And for that cause it is that God saith gentle Reader note wel here speciall textes of the Scriptvre by his Prophet saying O what a goodlie and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together And this custome being obserued by the Apostles so must they haue all together liued with one an other in coÌ„mon like as it is written The multitude of the beleeuing was one heart and one soule c. Note here the determination conclusion of our deare mother the holy church worde by word whereby shee doeth absolutelie conclude out of the holie Scriptures that these Heretikes which are alway in hand with the scriptures haue now no more cause to complaine though the Priests Friers will sometime euen for loue borrow some of their wiues for the mainteining knitting together of this holy Clements commontie And although the glosse thervpon say That this hauing of women in coÌ„mon is not to be vnderstood after the vse of the flesh but simplie for the good willingnesse charitable loue towards the congregation yet notwithstanding the text is plain inough which saieth That men must be conuersant with them as the light is with the sunne shine which do continually enioy one another And the same is established by the doctrine of Plato and Pythagoras who speciallie were of opinion that all women should bee common And that is apparant inough by the daylie exercise thereof for you see that the Priestes may haue no wiues of their owne but doe vse all women in generall when or wheresoeuer they can get them But yet they wil not looke so narrowlie to haue things common as touching their goods because euerie one of them will looke to enioy his own goodes but not his owne wife so that it is rather done for the wiues than for anie thing else And this may likewise verie well bee the occasion wherefore the Romishe Church which in deede can be but one particular Church because that Rome is but one particular towne is yet called The Catholike church that is The common generall Church ouer all which specially proceedeth by reason of that goodly common sort of women and boyes which she mainteines and doeth increase and multiplie her generation ouer all the world yea and filles the whole face of the earth with her young Priests and Monkes whereof shee hath made such a number as there are flies in the Summer in so much that shee may iustly bee called Ecclesia oeccomenica that is to say The Church that doeth flowe ouer the whole earth like a spring tide The xviii Chapter VVherein the seuen orders of Priesthoode are set foorth as well by Scriptures as by the examples of Christ. SEeing that we are nowe in hande with the holinesse of Priests wee will proceede directlie to the establishing of all the seuen orders of Priesthoode by the Scripture And first you shall vnderstande that our deare mother the holie Church doeth teach verie plainlie That our Lord Iesus Christ him selfe was forced to passe thorough all those seuen orders before hee could be admitted to bee a Masseprieste Marke nowe what a matter must this be and yet for all this these Heretikes make no accompt of the blessed Masse whereas Christ had inough to do for to come to the vse of it For first he must exercise the office of a Porter like as hee did when he droue the changers of monie and the sellers and buâ—ers out of the Temple and snake out of the mouth of Dauid You Princes lift vp your gates and be you lift vp you euerlasting doores Item when hee said I am the doore of the sheepfolde After that he was Reader when he did reade the Prophet Esaias in the Temple Then after he became an exorcist or Coniurer when he droue seuen diuels out of Marie Magdalene when he did rub the mouth eares of the dumbe and deafe man with clay and spitle saying Epphatah Be open And after that he came to be Acoluthus that is a Page and Ceroferarius that is a Candlebearer when he said I am the light of the world hee that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse And then was he a Subdeacon when he did washe his disciples feete After that a Deacon when hee did minister the Sacrament of his body to his Apostles and being in the mount Oliuet willed persuaded them to watch and pray And lastlie he became a Priest when he did consecrate the bread and the wine and so said Masse at the table This done straightway he became a Bishop when hee laid his handes vppon his disciples heads saying Go abroade and preache the ghospell in all places All this you may see set out at large in the foresaid booke of Durandus and in the booke of Sentences in the fourth councels of Tolledo and Carthago likewise in the Decrees So that it is apparant that all these holie orders are fished out of the bottome and ground of the scriptures and are founded vppon the examples of Christ notwithstanding nowe that the Priestes haue somewhat the more prerogatiue then Christ had so that they can pushe through all these seuen orders at one time or else skippe ouer foure or fiue of theÌ„ at once For they that can once get the shauen crowne on their heades which is the character marke token of the worthie order of Priesthoode may not then onelie proceede to be Priestes but also to be Bishops and Cardinals and to gette sackes full of benefices for our most holie father the Pope may freelie dispence with all such matters as it pleaseth him But that carieth his authoritie in the Popes foundation which wee haue here before set forth and declared to be so strong as the diuels of hell are not able to withstand it For this time wee doe onelie teache that when soeuer it shall please the holy church to vse the seuen orders orderlie shee is able to establish the whole heape of them trimlie
and finelie out of the scripture The xix Chapter VVherein is concluded that all the ceremonies of the holie Church of Rome are founded vppon the Scripture if they be well vnderstoode and according to their interpretation which onelie is to bee esteemed so good and what aduantage they haue that stande fast to this interpretation And herein is likewise mention made of the masse and of maister Durandus booke YEa shee doeth nothing in the world either of great or small importance but it is all so finelie founded vppon the Scripture as can bee deuised And that may appeare by this That shee hath fetched the golden slippers and the precious breeches of our most holie Father the Pope out of the Scriptures For it is written O howe faire and pleasaunt are the feete of those which bring tidinges of peace which bring good tidings which after their interpretation is as much to say as That the feete and legges of the Pope of Rome must be decked with goodlie golden slippers and with maruellous rich and costlie breeches as it is well set forth by the holie Doctour Bishop Durandus And therevpon it proceedeth likewise that the Pope doeth suffer Kings Emperours to kisse his feete yea to treade vppon the Emperour Frederiks necke as is before declared And the rather his feete are to be kissed because they are so faire pleasant and smell so sweete especiallie two or three dayes after he is dead for then come all the deuoute catholike people and kisse them bare whereby they obteine a verie great indulgence and pardon But nowe if anie man be desierâ—us to vnderstand howe finelie all this is grounded vpon Scripture and further to know particularlie the reasons and causes of all the other ceremonies of the holie Church of Rome and to see howe they are fished euen out of the verie deepest ground bottome of the holie Scriptures let him read the booke of Durandus which vpon this occasion he hath named Rationale diuinorum officiorum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The reckoning and reason or cause of the ceremonies and diuine seruices of the Church of Rome He shall therein finde maruellous secrets and verie trimme iewels yea if the whole Bible were cleane lost there might quicklie a newe Bible be deuised and made out of this booke which would agree a great deale better with the ordinances of the holie Church then the Epistles of Paul doe which these Heretikes and Huguenotes haue in such great reputation He hath the textes of the Bible as fast as a handfull of flies and there is not one iotte conteined or vsed in the blessed Masse but hee hath a good reason and a trimme text to bring in for it There is not one hole but he hath a pegge to stoppe it hee doeth there set you forth maruelous trimlie all the reasons why the Priest doeth so trimme him selfe in such mumming garments when he goeth about to play his parte why hee doeth first put a biggin vpon his head and then a long garment like a womans smocke aloft vppon his gowne and then aboue that a Cassocke without sleeues looking out at a litle holâ— aboue euen like as a Snaile lookes out of her shell or like as a magget a pie out of her cayge Why he is bound with a corde about the middle like a theefe that were going to hanging why hee doeth turne sometime his tayle to the people and sometime his face why hee trippes sometime to the one ende of the Altar and sometime to the other side of the Altar as though hee were daunsing the Maides Morice Why hee heaues or liftes vppe his voyce sometime like a chimnie sweeper and by and by hee is as still and quiet againe as it were a mouse in a trappe why sometime hee foldeth his handes together like sorrowfull Marie Magdalene and sometime hee stretches them out on euerie side as though hee would shoote in Robin Hoodes bowe and then sodenlie hee pluckes them in againe and tosseth them from the one side to the other as though hee were catching of flies or would fraye and scarre awaye crowes After this hee doeth set foorth verie perfectlie and in particular all the occasions and reasons wherefore Sir Iohns Table is so earlie couered and the Cup the little Cannes and the sauser so mannerlie set therevppon and wherefore Sir Iohn doeth sometime sleepe at his table and sometime starteth vppe sodenlie out of his dreame Item what it meaneth that hee doeth runne and whisper his secretes to the breade and wine in their eares with a lowe soft voyce and that his companions sometime crie out so yealling with open throates like wolues in a caue or like swine when the butcher killeth them and wherfore some goe to work with Organes other with ringing of bels as though there were an vplandish bellie-feast towards or some such triumphe And wherefore men do in the meane space light torches as though they were bringing the Bride to bedde and wherefore they lift vp the Priests taile behind him as though they would looke into his arse to minister a glister to him And if you peruse that booke well you shall likewise finde there wherefore Sir Domine with his long smocke doth so lustelie lift vp on hie a wafer and a cup of wine and that then euerie bodie falleth downe vpon their knees and knocketh vpon their breastes with their fistes and wherefore the Priest beginneth then to looke so â—â—â—â—fully â–ª like a caâ—â—e laide on the butchers stall and then beginneth â—o lament the wafer or sâ—nging bread pitifullie â–ª to weepe with sâ—â—nes teares â–ª and then at the last when hee hath tossed it too and fro long inough away it goeth with a 〈◊〉 into his throate and so swalloweth it downe without chewing and then hee hath his cuppe filled againe and so he sendeth that after the rest And yet you shall vnderstand further wherfore he doth licke the chalice so sweetely as an Ape licketh her yong ones And you shall besides all this beare wonders of all the rest of the holie ceremonies of the Romish Church which they do vse at their MatteÌ„s at noone at euensong at complen and manie other times with great deuotion with all the gestures and fashions which they doe therein vse and who haue deuised them all and what euerie one of them doeth signifie Hee can tell you more all the feast dayes and double feastes all Vigils Ember dayes and fasting dayes all dayes of fish and egges all processions goings about with the crosse gange dayes and all the whole brabling vsed through the yeere all this hath hee euen at his fingers endes and can bring in for euerie one of them textes verie finelie founded out of the Scripture So that I assure you it is a pleasure for those that can heare it Besides all this you haue there set forth all the estate pompe and pranckings of our holy Bishops and Prelates especiallie