now within these three yeares pleased God to giue me his grace to read his holy scriptures and other good authours and Doctours of his Church to my great comfort and consolation Whereby I was stirred vppe to gather in this little treatise these thinges which moued me to see and know the trueth that if it were Gods will they might doe some good to the instruction of others also to the only glorie of his sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who haue your honour alwayes in his gratious protection May. 1580. Your good Lordships most humble at Commaundement William Chauncy To the Christian Reader THe moste excellent thing that Almightie God hath giuen to mankinde is the knowledge of the trueth the treasure of his wisdom expressed in his holy scriptures For without it we can neither know God nor Iesus Christ his sonne our Sauiour and Redeemer who saith of him selfe Ego sum via Iohn 14. veritas Vita I am the way the trueth and the life and no man commeth to my father but by me and he that knoweth me knoweth also my father But the knowledge of this truth which lightneth our mindes with the faith of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ by his holy word deliuered in the Scriptures hath bene many hundred yeres couered and hidden from the most part of all temporall men as they are called yea from mightie Emperours Kings Princes and Magistrates of this world through the craftie practises of the Bishoppes of Rome Who to extoll themselues and their Cleargie aboue all Emperours and princes haue by wicked pollicie hidden and withdrawen from them and from all Christians the sacred Scriptures conteined in the old and in the newe Testamentes that thereby the detestable pride of the Bishops of Rome and their Cleargie might not be knowen to men least they should perceiue how farre they did varie frō the example of Christ and the humble godly liues of his Apostles and disciples of Bishops and ministers for the space of vj. hundred yeares after the church was planted by our sauiour Christ So that it came to passe that the Bishops of Rome raged and raigned like Gods vpon the earth and no temporal prince durst as much as looke vpon the worde of God nor haue any bookes of the holie scriptures least they should haue bene excommunicated for heretikes An vngodly pollicie deuised of them to the intent that their deuelish pride intollerable ambition might not be reformed by the doctrine of Christ which is most cōtrarie to their vsurped authoritie supremacie which they haue chalenged and vsed sith the time that the Emperour Phocas more then sixe hundred yeres after Christ did grant vnto Boniface the third of that name the title and authoritie of vniuersal Bishop ouer all other Bishoppes a thing most contrarie to our Sauiour Christes institution and commandements Wherefore gentle Reader to the intent that good Christian people should be no longer abused deceiued through the crafty practises of the Bishop of Romes decrees and counterfet gloses whereby he hath vsurped his most vniust authoritie and title of supremacy with which he hath almost blinded all Christian people kingdoms I haue in this treatise briefely declared the truth of our Sauiour Christs two cōmissiōs giuen ioyntly to all his Apostles in suche manner that they should be in like authoritie and power not one aboue the other in any degree I haue also shewed how earnestly and straightly Christe did forbid all superioritie and dominion to be amongest thē which I haue approued both by the holie Scriptures and by Godly auncient writers I haue noted farther what account was made of the Bishop of Rome in the foure first generall Councels euen the same which was made of other Bishops of the chiefe Sees in Aegypt in Asia in Greece and other prouinces I haue declared when this vsurped supremacie did first begin and by whome moreouer how greatly the Bishops of Rome did fall from true Godlinesse from the faith of Christe after they had obtained of the Emperours that proude vngodly title of vniuersall Bishoppe Wherein I haue touched the wicked behauiour of a fewe of them to giue as it were a taste of the fruites of their supremacie Lastly I haue opened the dealinges of good princes againste their wickednesse and tyrannie in our owne countrie making thereby manifest that King Henrie the eight was not the first king of this realme who did expell that vsurped authoritie but that almost ful two hundreth yeares before King Henrie the eight it was spurned at and diuers lawes and statutes were made by diuers Kinges of this Realme against it So that by reading ouer of this little worke they that desire to see the truth of this matter shal wander I trust no longer in the doubtes of darkenesse for lacke of knowledge of the trueth whiche is reuealed to vs by the worde of God that CHRISTE our Sauiour teacheth vs euen hee who doeth say Ioh. 8.12 Ego sum lux mundi I am the light of the werlde Doubtlesse he that walketh in this light shall knowe the trueth and shall not wander in darkenesse of any Popish traditions and superstitions which is the most daungerous and deadly kinde of darkenesse Now it is saide of Christe Ioh. 12.35 Qui ambulat in tenebris nescit quò vadit He that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whether hee goeth Let vs therefore heare our Sauiour Iesus Christe Ambulate dum lucem habetis ne vos tenebrae comprehendant Whilest ye haue the light of Gods worde walke in it least the darkenesse come vpon you and you returne againe vnto it 2. Pet. 2.22 Pro. 26.11 ut canis ad vomitum sus ad volutabrum As a dogge to his vomit as a sow to her wallowing in the filthie mire of Popishe superstitions To the which entent my trust is in God that this little booke shall somewhat helpe you forward by satisfying the consciences of good people who will reade it with desire to learne the trueth GOD graunt that we may all both learne it and followe it that we neuer flie from it vnto errours of vaine deuises of men but onely put our whole hope our confidence and trust in the death and passion of our sauiour Iesus Christ and leade a holie life according to his worde to the glorie of God to whome be all honour Dominion and Maiestie for euer and euer Amen ¶ The rooting out of the Romishe supremacie wherein is declared that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doeth challenge to himselfe ouer all Christian Bishops and Churches is vnlawfully vsurped Chap. 1. That in controuersies of religion the truth must be tried by the holy Scriptures That by the Scriptures no apostle nor Bishop hath a supremacie ouer others IN al maner of doubts controuersies which may arise in our Christian religion the trueth therof must be tried with the touche of Gods word as well in matters that concerne godly instruction as
Masse and the Popish transubstantiation BVT whether that saint Peter were at Rome or no it makes no gret matter It is sufficient that it can not be proued by the scriptures But if it were graunted vnto the papistes it maketh nothing for the Popes supremacie For saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 3. Fundamentum aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod positū est quod est Christus Iesus No man can lay any other foundation then that which is laide which is Christ Iesus And saint Peter himselfe saith in the seconde Chapter of his firste epistle Deponentes igitur omnem malitiam omnem dolum simulationes 1. Pet. 2. inuidias omnes detractiones sicut modò geniti infantes lac sermonis sine dolo concupiscite vt in eo crescatis in salutem si tamen gustastis quoniam dulcis est dominus Ad quem accedentes lapidē viuum ab hominibus quidē reprobatum a deo autem electum ac honorificatū ipsi tanquā lapides viui superaedificamini domus spiritualis sacerdotiū sanctū offerre hostias spirituales acceptabiles deo per Iesum Christum Laying away therefore all malice al guile dissemblings enuies and all bacbitinges as newe borne babes desire the sincere milke of Gods worde that thereby you may growe vnto saluation if so be that you haue tasted that the Lorde is swete Vnto whome comming as to a liuing stone disallowed of men but chosen of God and pretious vppon him be ye builded as liuing stones a spirituall house a holy Priesthoode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable vnto God through Iesus Christ Out of the which wordes of S. Paul and saint Peter we haue to learne two notable thinges one that Christe our sauiour is the foundation and the liuing stone which the builders refused but God accepted it honoured it the other that the faithfull must be laide on this foundation as liuing stones be builded vppon that head and principall corner stone euen Iesus Christ which the more effectually to declare vnto vs saint Peter telleth all the faithfull that they who are so builded are made a spirituall house and a holy priesthoode to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christe spirituall sacrifices and not carnall or transubstantiated sacrifices as the Bishoppe of Rome and his prelates doe falsely faine themselues to doe For to goe a little from my chiefe purpose to sift this horrible heresie of popery I coulde neuer finde in all the holy sciptures or any hystorie of the primitiue Church the euer this kind of transubstantiated sacrifice was ment or spoken of by Christ but that his Church did alwayes receaue and allow the sacrament of Christes body and bloode in such spirituall manner as Saint Paul declareth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 the eleuenth Chapter No in all the heresies that trobled the primitiue Church which were ouerthrown by the fower first general coūcels there is not one word or question moued of it but it was continually vsed as the mysterie and sacrament of Christes body and bloode In which sort it continued in the best parts of Christendome in the best times still vntill at the length the Bishop of Rome called a councell at Laterane within his owne prouince of Italie in the which this decree was made Con. Later anno domini 1215. Christi corpus sanguis in sacramento altaris sub speciebus panis viniveraciter continentur transubstantiatis pane in Corpus vino in sanguinem potestate diuina These are the wordes of the firste Canon of the councel holden at Rome in Laterane vnder Pope Innocent the third and called the great Lateran councell kept the yeare of our Lord .1215 Of the which Canon the wordes doe sounde in English That the bodie and bloud of Christe are verily contained in the Sacrament of the altar vnder the formes of bread and wine the bread beeing transubstantiated that is to say the substance of it turned into his bodie and the wine into his bloud by the power of God This notable deuise of transubstantiation coulde not be found out for the space of twelue hundred and fourtéene yeres after Christ his Apostles Euangelistes Disciples Doctours generall councels knew it not They thought the wordes of the sacrament to be spiritually meant and to be spoken by way of a figure as S. Augustine to cite one for many doth say expressely that in these wordes Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis Augusti de doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 16. sanguinem eius biberitis non habebitis vitam in vobis Figura est praecipiens passioni Domini esse communicandum suauiter atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quòd pro nobis caro eius crucifixa vulnerata sit Whereas Christ doth say Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall haue no life in you this is a figure saith S. Augustine or a manner of speech commanding vs to be partakers of the passion of Christ comfortably to lay vp in our mindes that his flesh was crucified and wounded for our sakes Moreouer speaking farther vpon the same wordes on the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell he sheweth what it is to eate Christes flesh and drinke his bloud Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam August in Iohan. tract 26. illum bibere potum in Christo manere illum manentem in se habere This is therefore to eate that meate and drinke that drinke to dwell in Christe and to haue Christ dwelling in him Ac per hoc qui non manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus procul dubio nec manducat spiritualiter carnem eius nec bibit eius sanguinem licèt carnaliter visibiliter premat dentibus sacramentum corporis sanguinis Christi sed magis tantae rei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi manducat bibit quia immundus praesumpsit accedere ad Christi sacramenta quae aliquis non dignè sumpsit nisi qui mundus est And therfore saith Augustine he that doeth not dwel in Christ in whom Christ doeth not dwell doubtles he neither eateth spiritually the flesh of Christ nor drinketh his bloud although he do carnally and visibly presse with his teeth the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud but rather he doth eate and drinke the sacrament of so worthy a thing to his iudgement and condemnation because he doth presume being vncleane to come to Christes sacramentes which no man can worthely receiue but he only that is pure and cleane By Christes words therefore béeing wel weighed as it may appeare by S. Augustines words vpon them it may well be gathered that Christ did not meane any transubstantiation or changing the substance of the sacramentall bread into his natural bodie of the sacramentall wine into his naturall bloud but a mystical
the first fourth Chapter of that statute is declared Againe in his sixt yeare at the parleament holdē at Couentrie Capit. 1. there was a lawe made to ease Archbishops and Bishops of their great exactions taken by the Pope and his officers of his chamber for their first fruites Againe in his seuenth yeare an other lawe was made touching the Licences and Pardons graunted from Rome to the incumbents of any benefices that whether they were graunted or to be graunted they should be vtterly voyde and of none effect Againe in his ninth yeare bycause the Archbishoppes and Bishoppes of this realme Capit. 8. were after their elections greatly troubled by the Bishoppe of Rome it was enacted that the elections of Archbishops Bishops Abbats Priors and other spirituall persons should be frée from all manner of interruptions and incumbrances of the Bishop of Rome An. Do. 1407 It were tedious to goe forward in the like sort with the Princes that followed but by this taste the wise may easily perceiue howe no lawe could bridle the vnruly vsurpation of the Pope of Rome but almost vnder the reigne of euery Prince for the space of two or thrée hundred yeares they were compelled to renue olde and make newe prouisions and actes of Parliament against him Notwithstanding all the which his dealings were so outragious and gathered eftsoones new strength that they could neuer be throughly repressed vntill that God did raise vp our noble Prince of famous memorie King Henrie the eight who perceyuing and vnderstanding as well by his owne iudgement and knowledge as also by the learned Cleargie of his realme howe the Bishops of Rome haue of long time fallen away from the sound and pure religion of Christ by their corrupt doctrine and abhominable pride extolling them selues not onely aboue all Bishops but also aboue all Emperours Kings and Princes of the earth disobeying the authoritie of rulers and magistrates whom the Lord set ouer them whom Christ did obey whome the Apostles were subiect to speaking lyes through hypocrysie as they of whom S. Paul doeth prophecie 1. Tim. 4. forbidding to marrie and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing of thanks of them who beléeue and knowe the truth to come to the chiefest point deuising blind erronious prophane vngodly meanes of obtaining saluation by gadding in pilgrimage by oblations to images by kissing of reliques by numbring of Pater nosters and Aue Maries vpon beades by going barefoote and barelegged by créeping to crosses by their pardons a poena culpa with a number of péeuish toyes and superstitious ceremonies to the blemishing of true faith the anchorhold of all Christians grounded on assured hope of saluation by the death passion of our sauiour Christ which is empaired by Poperie the the Noble Prince therfore King Henrie the eight séeing and considering these detestable enormities and wicked vsurpation of the Pope of Rome did vtterly banish his counterfet authority out of this realme of England with the appurtenances of it Which hauing him selfe begun in part to doe he had it confirmed with the consent of the whole realme by statute and lawe made in the eight and twentie yeare of his reigne at a Parleament holden at Westminster An. Do. 1536. Capit. 10. to the great comfort of all his faithfull subiectes to the reuiuing of the dignitie of his imperiall crowne and most of all to the true honour and glory of the Almightie After this noble King there succéeded the godly worthie Prince his sonne King Edward the sixt who not onely confirmed that lawe against the Bishop of Rome but further procéeded in the establishment of true religion And of late againe albeit some interruption grewe in the time of Quéene Marie Our most vertuous and gratious Souereigne Quéene ELIZABETH following the godly steps of her noble father and brother had it inacted in her first parleament that the authoritie of the Bishoppe of Rome and of al other forraine power and potentates spirituall and temporall should vtterly be driuen away and remoued out of all her maiesties territories dominions that vpon such penalties vnto all her subiectes that to vpholde maintaine or set forth any such forraine authoritie wtin this realme it is in some pointes and degrées high treason so that they lose and forfaite their liues landes goodes who are guiltie of it A statute that may séeme seuere and is perhappes accounted of some ouerrigorous but they who marke it wisely cannot choose but sée howe sharpe tooles were necessary to roote out this wéede which many godly Princes before King Henrie the eight did endeuour to nip of by sundrie good lawes but it budded still againe brought forth such blossomes or rather fruits of rebellion ambition coueteousnes hipocrisie wicked superstition as it was to be feared woulde haue poysoned the whole lande had not our gratious prince vsed such sharpe instrumentes to roote it out vtterly Chap. 15. A short repetition of the pointes proued witha cōclusion of the whole And an exhortation to the people of Englande to embrace this truth with all the heauenly doctrine of Christes religion WHerefore I doe wishe euen from the very botome of my hearte that euerie faithfull subiect and right Christian mā woulde weigh both this point al the rest which I haue saide to satisfie his conscience in this matter of the supremacie least they builde vppon sande not on the rocke Iesus Christ Let vs consider that our sauiour did not graunt it to any of his Apostles nay he did expressely forbidde such ouerruling and dominion amongest them Let vs remember that as it was not giuen by him to Saint Peter so neyther did Saint Peter practise it nor the Apostles attribute it vnto him Though it had beene giuen to Peter amongest the rest yet what reason is it that the Bishoppe of Rome should be his heire in it syth we reade not in the scriptures that Peter euer was at Rome which we should haue redd doubtles if it had ben of so great weight Herevnto we must adde that in the primitiue Church this preeminēce was not acknowleged either to or by the Bishoppes of Rome The godly Bishoppes of that Citie who many of them were martyres did not take it vppon them The fower first principall and generall councels assembled out of all Christendome did not yeelde it vnto them What haue we then to do with Boniface the thirde to whome the title of supremacie was graunted firste by wicked Phocas What haue wee to doe with Boniface his successors who haue sat in the chaire of pestilenc and haue made their scepter a scepter of iniquitie shall wee rather followe them then Christ then Peter then the Apostles then generall councels then godly Bishoppes of Rome Shall we not be wise and learne to make a difference betwéene the first Byshoppes that were in the Citie frée frō such ambition and betwéene the later who
The rooting out of the Romishe Supremacie Wherein is declared that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doth chalenge to him selfe ouer all Christian Bishops and Churches is vnlawfully vsurped contrarie to the expresse word and institution of our Sauiour Iesu Christ who did giue equall power and authoritie to all the Apostles Bishops and Ministers of his Church whereof he is the true corner stone and only heade Set foorth by William Chauncie Esq AT LONDON Printed by H. Middleton for Iohn Perin AN. 1580. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and his singular good Lord the Lorde Robert Dudley Earle of Leycester Baron of Denbigh Knight of the most Honourable orders of the Garter and of Saint Michell Master of the Queenes Maiesties horses and one of the Lordes of her highnes moste honourable Priuie Councell William Chauncy Esquier wisheth prosperous continuance of health long life and honour with increase of the grace and all blessings of Almightie God IT is very well knowen and very woorthy to bee considered how the transgression and breaking the commandement of Almightie God by our first parent Adam in Paradise did so vehemently displease the Lord through disobedience and so greatly infect al mankinde with sinne that Adam lost thereby not only his Angelical estate of innocencie but also the most blessed ioyes of paradise from the which he was driuen out into this worldly vale of miserie therein to get eate his foode with the sweate of his face Gen. 3.19 as God did him commaund Whereof it came to passe that his two first naturally begottē sonnes of Eua his wife the Elder named Caine the younger Abel being the two first brethren in this world who therfore should most singularly and intirely haue loued ech the other aboue al other creatures yet the infection of their Father Adams sinne wrought so that because Abels oblation to God dutifully made was of him well accepted and Cains oblation was not regarded Caine therfore did so much hate enuie his brother Abel that when they were in the fielde Gen. 4.8 he maliciously fell vpon and did wilfully murther him of whom he neuer was offended This malice and sinful enuie of Cain hath euer sith that time so cleaued to mans nature and infected all mankind that no excellent worke or deede can be lightly done by any man but some other straightways are readie through enuie to despise it and speake reprochfully of it Yea not so much as the singular and famous learned in diuinitie or in any other knowledge of commendable artes can set his penne to the booke for the deuising or setting forth of any worke to the aduancement of the glorie of God and benefite of his Churche but some there are who moued with malice enuie by writing or speaking will hinder depraue it to the vttermost of their powers as by plaine experience in all Christian kingdomes hath beene and is shewed dayly too manifestly to the whole worlde How greatly then right honorable ought I beeing not brought vp in any Vniuersitie nor instructed in the artes of Logike and Philosophie be abasshed to take vpon me to set downe in writing this my simple collection out of the Scriptures and other lawes and histories to be thereby made by some others a mocke and a gasing stocke to euil disposed persons Wherefore had not your honour so earnestly required to haue a copie of it whereof my promise beeing past I might not denie it otherwise truely it should neuer haue gone further but haue still remained in my owne handes for the onely putting of my selfe in memorie of the thinges therein gathered as it may appeare by the simple doing of it But to present it to you this also made me the bolder that I know your Lordship is of so Noble a nature courteous conditions that you wil be a patrone and defender of it against all malicious and enuious persons which hereafter shall endeuour them selues by worde or writing to defame and slaunder it I present it therefore vnto your Honour according to my promise committing it wholy to your honourable protection as vnto one moste worthy of it for your true fauoring of Gods holy word for setting forth of his glorie for mainteyning the doctrine of his onely sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ the suppressing of the Romish vaine and superstitious traditions and abuses The which your godly vertues are ioyned together with singular affabilitie iustice clemencie specially in forgiuing of iniuries Which appeareth by that you haue not sought or wrought reuengement or hinderance of any body for any wrongs don either to your own person or to your noble progenitors at any time sith you haue ben in great authority vnder our prince and right able to haue reuenged them but gently quietly haue borne al such things with great mildenes and without opprobrious rebukes and rehearsals of them made to any person as farre as euer I could heare of or learne Wherein your great modestie and magnanimitie hath so much redounded to your immortall fame and honour that I may right wel therefore compare you with the right noble Germanicus Caesar Lieutenant vnto the Emperour Tiberius ouer all Italie Who during the time of his Lieuetenantship did behaue himselfe so gently and vprightly to all men that he seldome entered into the Citie of Rome with out great peril danger of his life by reasō of the throng presse of the multitude of people which gathered about him for verie loue and desire they had to see and welcome him to the Citie These excellent giftes and qualities of that noble man Germanicus Caesar I say can no more staine or blemish your most noble vertues before touched then the burning candle is able to dimme or darken the cleare bright shining sonne at the noone day whereof I my selfe in the time of my great aduersities thorough most iniurious vexations and troubles of some enuious persons haue felt and tasted to my great comfort and reliefe as I can not but remember as long as I liue For the which I can but pray as I doe heartily to almightie God and wishe vnto your honour the same blessing that he promiseth to the iust and righteous man by his holie prophet Dauid Psal 91.16 Longitudine dierum replebo eum ostendam illi salutare meum Which blessing of long life assurance of saluation from almightie God how heartily I wish vnto your honour I haue giuen testimonie by presenting vnto you this my little worke set forth for the vtter rooting out of the vsurped Romish Supremacie out of all the Church of Christe chiefely out of this Church of England and also for the declaring of the most true perfect equal authority giuen by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to al his Apostles his Bishops and godly ministers of his word sacraments within his true Church wherof he is the only head chiefe corner stone Which thinges I my selfe haue bene ignorant of vntil it hath
haue a respecte vnto a godly life let that at al times take place which our Sauiour Christe hath willed vs to search out the trueth of them by the Scriptures Iohn 5. For in the fifth Chapter of the Gospell after saint Iohn when hee had rebuked the Iewes because they woulde not beleeue his doctrine which he brought them from God his Father he saide vnto them Verbum ejus non habetis manens in vobis quia quem misit ille huic vos non creditis Scrutamini scripturas quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam aeternam habere illae sunt quae testimonium perhibent de me You haue not gods word saith Christ remaining in you for you doe not beleeue him whome the father hath sent Search you the scriptures for in them you think to haue eternal life and they beare witnes of me Which wordes of our Sauiour Christ haue enforced me the more boldly to search out by his holy scriptures the bishop of Rome his suspect authority I meane his supremacie and vniuersall iurisdiction most vniustly clamed and vsurped by him for these eight or nine hundred years cleane contrarie to Christ his word and commaundement For it is forbidden by him as the stories of the Euangelistes do shewe in the holy scriptures And as it doth appeare by storyes ecclesiasticall the Byshoppes of Rome haue chalenged and vsed it onely sith Boniface the thirde obtayned it of the Emperour Phocas of whom he was proclamed vniuersall Byshoppe to the ouerthrowe of true religion in the Church of Christ of vertue godlinesse humilitie and obedience amonge all the cleargie of the imperiall estate and maiestie of the noble Emperours and kinges from whome they had their first authoritie and not from our Sauiour Iesus Christ The which I will endeuour to shewe in this litle worke specially by the two cōmissions that he gaue the one before his death and passion the other after his resurrection to all his Apostles in like and equall manner that not one of them might thereby challenge any iote of authoritie or power ouer or aboue the other as by the commissions themselues the whole world easily may see Nowe as no subiecte can haue any higher or larger authoritie then is limited and expressed by plaine wordes in his commission by his emperours or prince whosoeuer it be that graunteth it and as euery one of the commissioners to whom it is directed haue that authoritie which in their commission is mentioned and no other euen so in the commission that our Sauiour Christ gaue to his Apostles euerie one of them ought obediently to obserue their maisters commaundemente with his authority giuen to them and not to breake it and goe beyonde the bondes and lemitation of it Yea much lesse shold they dare to breake it then any subiecte dare the commaundement and commission giuen him by his Prince a Prince of this worlde whose commission no subiect will be so bolde to breake in any one point because he knoweth the daunger of it As for the Bishoppes of Rome howe they haue brokē their master Christes commission you shal find by their doings most cōtrary to his two special cōmissions before mētioned specially in taking vpon thē higher power greter authoritie then any other Bishoppe hath or euer had from our sauiour Christ to wit that they are and ought to be soueraigne heades and rulers not onely ouer all other bishopes in this worlde but also aboue all Emperours Kinges and Princes Which being cleane contrarie to their Maister Christes commaundement commission thereby they haue manifested themselues to be of those very Antichristes of whom the scriptures do make mention 1 Iohn 2. Chap. 2. That the first commission of Christ to his Apostles when he sent them to preach the Gospell did giue no authoritie to Peter aboue the rest but like and equall vnto them all THE first message and commission giuen by our sauiour Christe to his Apostles is declared by the holy Euangelist Saint Matthew in the 10. Chapter of his Gospell Matt. 10. Where he sheweth that the twelue Apostles being called together they had power giuen them ouer all vncleane spirites that they might cast them out and also cure heale all manner sicknesse and diseases Whervpon hauing recited the names of Christes Apostles he saith these wordes Hos duodecim misit Iesus praecipiens eis dicens in viam gentium ne abieritis in ciuitates Samaritanorum ne intraueritis sed potius ite ad oues quae perierunt domus Israel Euntes autem praedicate dicentes appropinquauit regnum coelorum Infirmos curate mortuos suscitate leprosos mundate daemones eijcite gratis accepistis gratis date These twelue his Apostles Iesus sēt forth cōmāding saying to thē You shal not go into the way of the gētiles you shall not enter into the cities of the Samaritās but rather go you to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and as you go preach saying the kingdome of heauen is at hand heale the sicke raise the dead cleanse the leopers and cast out diuels freely you haue receiued these things of me freely giue thē In this first message and commission of Christ giuen to his twelue Apostles you may plainely vnderstande that he gaue equall and like authority vnto them al without any preferring of any one of them before all his fellowes he gaue the very lowest if any were lowest as greate and large power as he gaue vnto the highest no exception being made of any one as higher in authority then they all So that neither Peter nor any supposed successour of Peter can claime any superiority by this ordinaunce and commission of our sauiour Christ And therefore if they enter into any higher authority it must be otherwise then by Christ belike by that way which Christ himself doth mention in the gospel of Saint Iohn where he sayth Ego sum ostium Iohn 10. qui non intrat per ostium in ouile ouium sed ascendit aliunde ille fur est latro I am the dore he that entreth not by the dore into the Shepehouse but climeth vp some other way he is a theefe and a robber Whereof it followeth that if the Byshops of Rome haue challenged suche authority which our sauiour Christ hath not giuē them but they haue obteined it otherwise by worldly pollicies then they deserue to be called by the names that Christe hath appointed for them euen théeues and robbers Now this wil easily and clearely be proued that the Bishop of Rome hath had no such vniuersal authority from our sauiour Christ Then what names what titles of dignity ought we to attribute to the Byshops of Rome which so haue abused Christes Church sith the time of the good byshop Gregory the first who did vtterly withstād the decrée of the Emperour Mauricius by the which he would haue made Iohn the patriarch of Cōstātinople vniuersall bishop ouer all the byshops of Christs catholike Church
spiritual food to the soule wher of the wicked are not partakers who are yet partakers of the sacramental bread wine which do signifie the body bloud of Christ for our sauiour doth say Iohn 6. that Whosoeuer doth eate his flesh drink his bloud hath euerlasting life Wherfore it cannot be that the sacramental bread wine should be the verie natural bodie bloud of Christ for as much as the wicked who shal not liue for euer are partakers of them I mean of the bread wine in the sacrament as wel as the godly For as Paul doeth write to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. Brethren I wold not haue you ignorant how al our forefathers were vnder the cloud al passed through the sea were baptised vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea Et omnes eandem escam spiritualē manducarunt omnes eundē potū spiritualem biberunt bibebant autem de spirituali consequente eos Petrâ Petra autem erat Christus And they did al eat the same spirituall meate and they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they did drink of the spirituall rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ Wherein we sée first that the wicked among the Iewes with whome God was not pleased did enioye the same sacramentes of Christe the cloude the sea the meate the drinke which the godly did yet did they not enioy the same life by Christ which the godly did for it followeth in Saint Paul that God was not pleased with many of them Which wordes are meant of the wicked Secondly we sée that the godly amongest the Iewes did eate the same meate and drinke the same drinke that the godly amongest the Corinthians did to whome S. Paul doeth write yea that Paul him selfe the Apostles did Now the Iewes did it In spefuturi Christi In the hope of Christ to come for their redemption deliuerance from their sinnes and from death whereof it ensueth that our eating drinking in certa fiducia praeteriti Christi in true beliefe that Christ is come and hath redéemed vs and shed his blood for vs must bée the partaking of a meate spirituall and a spirituall drinke no lesse then that which Paul saith that their fathers did eate and drinke For he saith plainely They did eate the same meat and drunke the same drink that flowed out of the rocke and the rocke is Christ For as the Iewes did it in a figure of Christe by faith in whom to come they were saued as Christ doth say of Abraham Abraham desired to see my day Iohn 8. he saw it and reioiced so are we taught to doe it in remembrance of Christ by faith in whom being come we are saued wherevpon our sauiour said to his disciples Luke 22. Doe this in remēbrance of me Which Paul declareth farther in the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 the eleuenth chapter where after that he had declared the maner of the Lords supper he addeth to both the parts of it Hoc facite ad mei re cordationem Quotie scunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis mortē domini annuntiabitis donec veniat Do this in remembrance of me saith Christe For as often saith Paul expounding the wordes of Christ as ye shall eat this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shewe the death of the Lord vntil he come So then if these thinges be well considered which I haue briefly touched out of the wordes of Christ declared by his holy euangelists and Apostles the godly I trust shal easily perceiue that Pope Innocent the thirde could by no autority of scriptures proue any transubstantiation in the sacramēt although it were confirmed by neuer so greate a councel of men assembled at Rome hauing in it as they say Archbyshops 70. Byshops 400. Abbats 12. Priors conuentual 800. besides the Orators and Ambassadours of Gréece of the Romaine Empire of the kinges of Ierusalem France Spaine England Cyprus and other kingdomes Many but all to little to take vppon them to alter and change the ordinance and institution which our Sauiour Christ had with his owne wordes established and set in his church for the space of aboue twelue hundred yeares together before the contrary was decréed though some did dreame of it But Pope Innocent was sure to enact there what he wold for that he had aboue the number of twelue hundred shauen crounes in his councel with him so that neither Princes nor Orators of Princes might hinder his pretēses The lesse it is to be meruelled at that the byshop of Rome would take vppon him so proudly to be aboue al other byshops yea the Emperours themselues and kings of this world séeing that he tooke vpon him to do more then euer Christ did that is to make Christ our creator and redéemer of a péece of bread whensoeuer he list and to make that euery one of his priests and chaplens might do the same also as them selues haue a saying Sacerdos est creator creatoris sui The priest doth make his maker And all by the authority of this Lateran Councel not by Christs scriptures And all for the aduancing of his worldly glory extolling of his clergie throughout all Christian kingdomes which after came to passe to the taking away of the goods and liues of a great number of good true Christians who would not beleeue such a new deuised faith of the sacrament of Christ set forth so lately so fondly so vngodly neuer before allowed as any point of our christiā faith for the space of so many hundred yeres after Christ as I haue shewed For in the former ages the godly had bene taughte that Christe according to the presence of his naturall bodye was ascended into heauen but by the benefites of his spirite and by the fruite of his passion he is alwayes present with thē who doe beléeue in him Wherof he gaue them a most liuely moniment and pledge in the blessed sacrament of his body and bloud a moniment for vs to remember his death a pledge to vs of euerlasting life with out transubstantion of the breade and wine or any alteration thereof at all otherwise then of common bread and wine to make it by the words of Christ the sacramental bread wine the signes of Christes body and bloud he being by those creatures of bread wine represented to vs that we may therby with the mouth of our faith that I may so speak receiue spiritually the very selfe same Christ god and man that was borne of the virgin Mary suffered death for our sinnes ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty thence shall he come at the last day to iudge the quick the dead And this most heauenly maner of the spiritual receiuing of Christe is more agréeable to our christian religion then is the Romish dream of transubstantiation which doth as much abhorre from