sayth Whatsoeuer the Church teacheth mening y e Pope and the Church of Rome That same is the expresse word of God and whatsoeuer is taught against the meaning consent of the Churche is the expresse worde of the Diuel So that if this be true that he sayeth then the Romish religion which the Papists teach is Gods word and the Gospell which we teache is the worde of the Diuel What a blasphemous wretch is this to cal gods word the worde of the Diuel Hosius and other that saye so and take it so at the dreadfull terrible day of iudgement when neither proude Pope presumptuous Prelates blasphemous Byshops nor péeuish Priests nor Papists shal beare any such sway as they do now and haue done shal then know whether that which we now Preach and teach is the word of the Diuel or not I beséech God that al suche may repente before for then to repent it wil be too late Siluester Prierias sayth Whosoeuer leneth not to the doctrin of the Church of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible rule of God of which doctrine the holye Scripture taketh force and authoritie he is an Heretike Let Prierias and a thousand of the Popes Doctors besids saye so for as long as Christ sayeth not so we care not if Prierias saye true then Christe and his Apostles were Heretikes and manye other for in Christs time there was no Pope of Rome for as loÌ„g as Christ himself was aliue he néeded no vicar And was y e scripturs then w tout authoritie and of no force bycause the church of Rome was vnplanted and bycause there was no Pope it was happy there came a Pope after or else the Scriptures had bin of no force nor had any aucthoritie it was maruell that Christ bad them then Search the Scriptures Did Christ send his Apostles abroad to preache a Gospell that had no aucthoritie and that was of no force it appeares that it had some force for Christe saide that They that beleeued the Gospell which they Preach and were baptized shoulde be saued and they that beleeued not shoulde bee damned Oh what a diuelish preposterous doctrine is this Papistrie y t teacheth that the holy Scripture and word of God taketh his force and aucthoritie of the Churche of Rome whereas their doctrine and all other muste take their force and aucthoritie froÌ„ it For Christ saith Euery plant that my heauenly father hath not planted shal be rooted vp And bycause Papistrie is contrary to Gods word and so not plaÌ„ted by God therefore it shall be pluckte vp by the rootes Therefore though the Churche of Rome and the Pope shoulde bothe perish as many Churches haue done and as the Romish Churche muste néedes perishe yet God hathe and wyll still gyue aucthoritie and strength to his worde This your Papisticall doctrine is suche a false and rydiculous religion that in euerye point it ouerthrowes it selfe Marke againe an other of the Popes pen-men howe blasphemously he writes for the exalting of the aucthoritie of the Romishe Churche Iohannes Maria Verractus saieth We do humbly confesse that the aucthoritiie of the Church meaning the Churche of Rome is aboue the authoritie of the Gospell if it be true that he writes thoughe he be not ashamed to write a moste abhominable lye yet I am sory to write true of him whiche is that I am moste certayne that the spirite of the Diuell hadde greater power in hym when he wrote it than the spirite of God Saint Paule is of a contrary opinion to this Ioannes Maria Verractus for he saith That the gospel of Christe is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue and both for hys credite and for his authoritie and auncientie is to be beléeued as well as thys Papisticall writer Nowe if the Churche of Rome haue greater power than to be the power of God to saluation then I knowe not what power it shoulde be vnlesse it be the power of the Diuell to Damnation And if that be his authoritie aboue the gospel that he doth meane let him kéepe that authoritie to himselfe and much good doe it him but there is no wise man wil yéelde or submitte hym selfe to that power I thinke This fellowe belike takes his own word for a warrant for he brings neither Scripture nor auncient Doctor to confirme his sayings Well séeing hée bringeth no other aucthoritie to affyrme his saying but himselfe I will be an other that wil maintaine his assertion that the aucthoritie of the Romaine Church and of the Byshoppe of Rome is aboue the aucthoritie of the Gospell And nowe you shal knowe wherein it is greater which hée woulde not vtter for belike he was somthing ashamed of the matter forsooth it is greater for to set the Pope aboue Emperoures and Kings to make him Lord of Lordes and King of Kings to make him tread on the Emperors necke to make him claime to haue al power in heauen in earth to make al the whole earth to be his Uicarage or Dioces to set Kings and Princes togither by the eares to make true subiects rise and rebell against their Prince and King to make him take vppon him to be called the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the worlde to make hym a tyraunâ—e and to burne the Scriptures to murder burn and kil the seruaunts of God that professe the Gospell to make hym commaunde the Angelles to come oute of Heauen at hys pleasure if they wyll doe so much for him and to carrye mens soules to Paradise howe wickedly soeuer they dye to make him an earthly God to make him be called our Lord God the Pope to make him do in a maner whatsoeuer God can do and to make him and Chryste to haue one Consistorie or seate of Iudgement In these béefore declared the Churche of Rome hath greater aucthoritie than Gods worde for Gods worde hathe no suche force nor authoritie This is your godly Churche of Rome In all these thinges and manye moe suche she hath aucthority aboue Gods word but in godlinesse in trueth and in all thinges that appertayne to our saluation the Scriptures and the word of God hathe force and aucthoritie aboue your Church of Rome But perhappes you wil not beléeue me though I haue sufficiently proued it by the Scriptures vnlesse I shewe you some authorities out of ancient Doctors If you looke that the Doctors ought to confirme the Scriptures then you are wide for the Scriptures must confirme and allow the Doctors But to satisfy you withall I wyl alleadge the Doctors who you shall sée wyl agrée with me that the Scriptures must allowe the Churche and that the right Church is knowne by the Scriptures and whosoeuer refuseth to bée tryed by the Scriptures is not of the right Church nor of the church of God The Churche of God is knowne only by Gods word as the auncient learned Father
for an Heretike shal be excommunicated lose al his spiritual liuing But if he shal kéep cōcubines Harlots he shal be a Catholike mā of a good religiō and kéepe al his liuings stil. Thus may y e pretious Pope the holy Church of Rome turne tosse the words meaning of Christ how they list but though they allowe and do these things yet therfore we must not think they ar good or to be liked but to be abhorred detested And I beléeue y t manye wil not allow their wicked laws and writings therein But now if y e Scriptures may haue sūdry senses at sūdry times may haue one mening at one time another mening at another time if this be so y t the Pope may chāge the senses of Christs Gospel for his pleasure thē why may not Christ change the meaning of his own Gospel for hys own pleasure therfore looke by what places of y e scripturs Peter his successors wer made Popes of Rome Christ may change the senses meaning of thē clean contrary therby vnpope them again For wheras Christ said Super han◠Petrā id est super ecclesiā Romanā edificabo ecclesiā meā which is Vpon this rocke that is to say vpō the Church of Rome I wil build my Church now Christ I thinke hath altered y e meaning sense of y e saying bicause y e order of the Church of Rome is changed therfore now to be vnderstāded thus vpon this rock being y e Church of Rome y e church of y e diuel shal be builded And wheras Christ said to Peter the first Pope as they say Whatsoeuer thou binds in Earth shall be bound in heauē now y e sense of y e scripture is changed the meaning therof is now thus whatsoeur y u binds in earth it shal be bound in Hel loke whose sins yée forgiue they shal not be forgiuen whō soeuer y u blesse in earth shal be curst in Hel whō soeuer y u curse on erth shal be blessed in heauē And wheras y e Pope sayes y t the meaning of Christ was y t the Popes being Peters successors should haue the keys which he gaue to Peter to open the gates of heauen to let vs in to it now I beleue y e same words of Christ haue another mening according to y e time chāging of y e Popes maners which are now quite contrarie to S. Peters conditions y t the keys now which the Pope hath shal shut men out of heauen open the gates of Hel let the Pope his Papistical Prelats into it thus the Pope by his chāging the sense of y e scriptures to serue for times hath made a very fair market for therby he is nether Pope nor Christs Uickar so he may binde in hel if he wil but he can binde nothing in heauen also therby he hath lost the keys of y e kingdome of Heauen hath in stead therof gotten y e keys of y e dungeō of Hel. For if y e Pope hath any spiritual keys at al as he sayth he hath by y e place of Scripture then the meaning therof is surely changed according to the time as Cusanus saieth so the Popes keys are not the keys of the kingdome of heauen but of the doleful dungeon of Hel. But though Hosius this Cusanus with other such like doth extol the Church of Rome sayth the authoritie theris aboue the scriptures that the meaning of y e scriptures are vncertain changes as the iudgement of the church of Rome changes y t nothing is takē for Christs cōmandemēt vnlesse the Church of Rome doth allow it Ther is no wise man wil beléeue them vnlesse they bring better authorities therfore thē their own bare words in y e mean space let vs giue credite to S. Aug. which was as godly a man as vertuous a mā as wel lerned a mā one y t knew what authority y e church of Rome ought to haue as wel as they who saith thus Cedamus cōsētiamus c Let vs yeld saith he consent to the holy Scriptures which can neither deceiue nor be deceiued He names not here the Churche of Rome nor sayeth that it hathe aucthority aboue the Scriptures nor yet sayth that the Scripturs haue sometimes one meaning and sometimes another and that the sense doth alter or chaunge but he bids both the Church of Rome and al other Churches whatsoeuer to yéeld and cōsent to the scripture which as he saith can neither deceiue nor be deceiued Truely if your Church of Rome had had any such aucthoritie aboue the scriptures as y e Popes proctors wold make vs beléeue then Irenaeus S. Ierome S. Augustine Tertullian Chrisost. other learned writers would haue writtē something of it nay if they had done so y e Popes doctors would haue brought thē forth for the better credite of their cause But bicause they write directly against thē as is before mētioned therefore they let thē alone Now if the scriptures according to Saint Au. can neither deceiue nor be deceiued then the Church of Rome which is inferior to the scripturs ought to giue place to y e Gospel being cleane contrary to the scripturs may deceiue vs therfore may erre ly as she cā do none other as before is very manifest but though these y e Popes prelates wold make vs beléeue y t ther were no certainty in the scriptures and y t the Gospell is vncertain the meaning therof chaunges according to y e times which is a moste diuellish doctrine yet I will approue that there is neyther certainetye trueth nor godlinesse in the Popes lawes nor in the Church of Rome Platina sayth that the Popes y t follow do euermore eyther breake or wholye abrogate the decrées of the Popes that were before now séeing there is such vncertaintie in the Popes lawes decrées are not we worthye to beléeue and credite the same Looke what lawes God did sende vnto vs by Iesus Christ his sonne which is the Gospel he neuer disanulled them nor did deliuer vs anye other since nor neuer wil his doings and iudgements are so certaine true infallible and therfore Gods law his holy gospel is so right true perfect infallible that al other doctrines ought to be iudged and tryed by it Therfore if you be the children of God you wil credite no doctrine be it neuer so auncient and séeme it neuer so glorious nor so holye no further than it doeth agrée with the Scriptures and the worde of God Therefore beléeue not the Church of Rome whose Doctours doctrine are so diuellish as before is well proued and as hereafter shal be more manifested Therefore marke well a little more of this doctrine of your church of Rome which if you be
himselfe which is the head therof therfore let vs searche the scriptures for the same and there we shal be best certified And séeing Christ biddeth vs search the scriptures which beares witnesse of him therefore let vs searche them thereby to knowe Christ and his Church for it is the chiefe lanterne that will guide and leade vs to the truth thoughe the Pope and his Prelates would faine make vs beléeue the contrarie And as it is here proued by the holy auncient learned Fathers and Doctors that the true Churche is chiefely to bée founde out and to bée tryed by the Scriptures and word of God nowe you shall heare what a good reporte diuerse haue giuen the Churche of Rome and to them that gouerned the same whereof some were of the Church of Rome who I thinke woulde not lye on their owne Churche and especiallye a Pope whiche some of you thinke can not erre Pope Adrian the fourth was woont to say we succeed not Peter in teaching but Romulus in killing our bretherne Erasmus saieth the Popes now are the vickares of Iulius Caesar of Alexander the great of Croesus and of Xerxes not of Christ nor of Peter It is written in a Sermon bearing the name of S Ambrose They that should haue bene the Apostles vickars are now become Iudas fellowes Robertus Gallus that liued wel néere thrée hundreth yéeres past imagineth Christe thus to say of the Pope who set this Idol in my roome and made him ruler of my flocke whether he that commendes the Pope thus were a Papist or not I know not but surely he was no Lutherane Zwinglian Caluinist nor Hugenot It was maruell that the Pope made him not a Saint for his sayings Ennodius saith That the Successors of Peter togither with the priuiledges of their See haue also gotten free libertie to doe euill for the Pope may not be iudged by any creature vnder Heauen If he will not yet I can tell him one thing he is like to be iudged by one that is in Heauen which is Christ whether he will or no. S. Barnard describeth the Popes Priests and Byshops that are of the Churche of Rome saying in their apparell they are Souldiors in there gaines they are Priestes and Byshops but in effect and deede they are neyther of both For neyther do they fight in the fielde as do the Souldiors nor do they preach as Priestes and Byshops Of whether order therefore be they whereas they would be of both orders they forsake both and confounde both S. Paule saith euery man shall rise againe in his owne order but in what order shall they rise whether for asmuch as they haue sinned without order shall they perish without order I feare me they shalbe ordered none other where but whereas is no order but disorder and horrour euerlasting Yf we should say thus as S. Barnard sayd they would saie we rayled The saide Barnard also saith that the Byshops in his time which were of the Church of Rome were not Doctors but deceyuers not Feeders but Defrauders not Prelates but Pilates and he sayth further that the heades of the Churche of Rome are Ministers of Antichrist Deceyuers Defrauders Raueners Traytors the darknesse of the Worlde Woolues Pylates and Diuels wherein it séemes hée doth not much prayse the gouernours of the Romish Churche this is but a sorie Church that hath such godly gouernours and guydes Marke also howe the same Sainct Barnard to whome Pope Eugenius was much beholden and beyng an Abbot condemnes all the Popes doctrine and Religion for that it agréeth not with the Scriptures Dothe not the rule saith hée agree with the Gospell or with the Apostle otherwyse that rule is no rule at all for it is crooked it is not streyght Here Sainct Barnarde that was one of that Romishe Churche yet an excellent and a Learned man dothe plainely condemne all those Lawes Religions Churches and Rules that doo not agrée with the Gospell and sayth it is no true nor good Churche and that suche Religions and Rules are crooked and no Religion nor Rule at all Nowe bycause the Popes Rules and Religion be contrarie to the Gospell therefore they are crooked and so naughtie rules And the same Sainct Barnarde in an other place discribes and setteth foorth what a godly and holy Churche the Churche of Rome is who sayth thus From the Sole of thy foote to the crowne of thy head there is not one whole place A man were better to be out of such a Churche than in it Marke also howe the Bishop of Bitonto extolled that same Churche of Rome at the Counsell of Trident saying With what monsters of filthinesse sayth hée with what villanie with what Pestilence be not they corrupted and defiled in the Churche of Rome aswell the Priest as the people beginne euen with the Sanctuarie of God if there be any shame if there be any regarde of honestie if there be any hope or way to liue well Petrarcha calleth Rome a Schoole of errour and a Temple of Heresie Brigitta whose Prophesies and sayings are of the Popes Schollers and Disciples muche reuerenced saieth in hir Reuelations Christe shall take his blessing from the Cleargie of Rome and shall gyue the same to a people that shall doe his will Then by hir sayinges and the other before recited the Pope and hys Prelates doe not Gods will and so if they doe not Gods will then they muste néedes do the Diuels will so that by these and by many other the trueth is a straunger in the Church of Rome and dwelles not there And whereas some saie that the trueth can not departe from the Churche of Rome it had néede to be there first before it departe from thence therefore the trueth can not departe from the Churche of Rome bycause it is not there But that holy Churche for all their bragges loue the trueth so well that yf they had it there they would driue it awaie from thence And now bycause the Church of Rome hath not the trueth but is a Churche of all wickednesse and errour as I haue sufficiently prooued bothe with Argumentes Scriptures Doctors yea and by the Popes themselues and other of the same Churche therefore I beséeche you come awaye from that whoorishe Church the seate of Antichrist and flie to the true Church whiche embraceth and obeyeth the Gospell and that heareth the voyce of Christe least you bée partakers of hir wickednesse whose destruction is not farre off And trust not to them neyther beléeue them that saie the truth is only in the Churche of Rome and that the truth shall neuer departe from thence Yf truth falshood may dwell togither or be both at once in one place then I will not saie but that your Churche of Rome may haue the truth but thy are such enimies that it is very seldome or neuer séene and though the Churche of Rome had the trueth as it is manifestly prooued
beyng breade and wyne are signes of the bodye and bloud of Christ which is an inuisible grace for Christ is the greatest fauour and grace that euer God bestowed vpon vs or sent vs. Further this is the true diffinition of a Sacrament Sacramentum est signum rei sacrioris se. A Sacrament is a Signe of a holyer thing than it is it selfe And for that nothing is more holye than the bodye of Christ and it beyng a Sacrament is a sygne of a holyer thing than it is it selfe therefore it can not bée the body of Christ. And marke these arguments that followe Nothing is done in the remembrance of it selfe But the sacrament is vsed in the remembrance of Christ Therefore the Sacrament is not Christ. Againe Christ neuer deuoured himselfe But Christ did eate the sacrament with his Apostles Ergo the Sacrament is not Christ himselfe And againe one thing can not be both visible inuisible But the Sacrament is visible and the body of Christ is inuisible therefore they are not one Which Saint Augustine openeth well by these wordes Aliud est Sacramentum aliud res Sacramenti c. The Sacrament is one thing the thing of the Sacrament is an other thing the Sacrament is that goeth into the bodye the thing of the Sacrament is the bodye of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Saint Augustine sayeth also Euill men haue the Sacrament but they haue not the thing of the Sacrament which is the bodye of Christ that the Sacramente doeth signifie By these sayings it appeares plainly that the Sacrament is one thing and the bodye of Christ is an other thing S. Ambrose saith of the bread and wyne Sunt quae erant c They remaine the same that they were and are chaunged into an other thing That is they are made the Sacrament of y e body bloud of Christ which before they were not S. Ambrose saith let the word be added to the elemeÌ„t or outward creature it is made a Sacrament that is to say another thing Sacraments are signes or tokens of things being by substaÌ„ce one thing signifying an other thing So saith Chrisostom of the water of Baptim when this creature of water hath receiued the holy ghost it is made a Sacrament And now it is not water to drinke but water to sanctifie not coÌ„mon water but water to refreshe Thus the Element or outward creature both remayneth and is changed S. Augustine saith it is so called after a sort that is not in truth of matter but by a mysterie signifying that the sense maye be this it is called the bodye of Christ that is to saye it signifyeth the body of Christ. Hereby it appeares by the iudgementes of these learned wâ—yters that the bread and wyne are changed by the worde into a Sacrament being breade and wine still in substaunce and so are changed into an other thing then they were before for before they were but onelye breade and wine and nowe they are a Sacramentall bread and wine signifying the body and bloud of Christ. So that the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord is a figure and signe of the body and bloud of Christ and not the verye body and bloud of Christ. These holy and learned men that wrote of this worthy excellent changing of the Sacramentes neuer knewe of the Popes changing or transubstantiation or turning of the breade and wyne into the bodye and bloud of Christe but if any were so wicked to write it so deuilish to declare it or so pestilent to persuade it of all them and all suche Saint Augustine doeth write thus This is a myserable bondage sayeth hée of the Soule to take the Sygnes in steade of the things that bee sygnified But whether there were then any suche or no hée hath fully touched you that takes the Sacrament that signifyes the bodye of Christ for the body of Christ. And therefore by his sayings you are in a myserable bondage of your soules that takes the sacrament for the body of Christ whereas it doth but signifie the body of Christ. Therefore for the loue of God release your soules and your bodyes also out of that myserable bondage and take it for a memorie and remembrance of the bodye of Christ as the Scriptures doe will you and the Doctors doe persuade you and beléeue not the Popes turning or changing or transubstantiation of the breade into the body of Christ for it is not true nay it can not bée true For it is not foure hundreth yéeres since it was first allowed or authorized by Pope Innocent the thirde and his Prelates whiche muste néedes come from the Diuell as the rest of the Popes holye Religion dyd aswell for that neyther Christ did teache it nor the Apostles did once mention it nor the auncient Doctors did affirme it or beléeue it as also for that is repugnaÌ„t to scriptures to the doctrine of the Apostles and to the writings of the holy and learned Doctors And though you haue bin persuaded that it is most sure and infallible doctrine the chiefest postes and pillers of the same are not onely in great doubt thereof but are at their wittes ende and knowe not well what to saye therein for Peter Lombard y e chiefe general of this campe of this transubstantiatioÌ„ saith thus as followeth Some meÌ„ iudge thus some saye thus some haue written thus some graunt this some other haue thought thus that the very substaunce of the breade and wine remayneth still Here is but a madde agrement of the learned to proue the same If so many learned men say by the confession of the chiefe champion of this matter that there remaynes still breade and wyne in the Sacrament then it were a verye madnesse for all you to beléeue that it is the very body and bloud of Christ neyther bread nor wyne But marke what Peter Lombard saith him selfe hereof that takes vppon hym to iudge these doubtes howe he is resolued or howe hée agréeth in iudgement wyth himselfe his aunswere is thys Si autem queritur c. If a question were moued saith he what maner of conuersion or change this is whether it be in forme or in substance or of some other sort I am not able to discusse it Here may you see saith M. Iewell the blinde leadeth the blinde he that setteth his foote before the rest and would be taken for a guide knoweth not where to set his owne foote Gabriel Biell sayeth howe the bodye of Christ is there whether it bee by chaunging of something into it or Christs bodye beginne to bee there with the breade both the substaunce and the accidentes of the breade remayning styll without chaunging it is not founde in the Cannon of the Bible c. Thus doe the learned Doctours of the Pope teache you they can not tell what But this I wyll saye if it bée not to bee founde in the Bible it shall neuer be founde
doo sinne against the holy Ghost whereby to feare you that you should not accuse him nor to thinke hée doth euill whatsoeuer hée dooth it is he it is he rather that sinnes against the holie Ghost that committes such wilfull blasphemie and so wittingly contrarie to his owne Conscience takes vpō him to be Christ and robs Christ of his due honour and glorie who knowes most certenlye that he is neyther Christ nor that the sayde Scriptures were meant of him nor can be by any meanes rightly applied to him And so vnlesse the former Popes whiche besides this great blasphemie were euill and wicked enough as before is manyfest haue repented and the Pope and hys Prelates that are nowe doo repent this their most horrible blasphemie whiche they cannot choose but knowe and commit thus willinglye and wittinglye surelye they shall neuer be forgiuen neyther in this worlde nor in the worlde to come For I beléeue it is the very sinne against the holy Ghost And if all this cannot persuade you that these monstrous and execrable Popes are the Seruauntes of Sathan the Deuils deputies and the very Antichrist and the Antichrist that the Scriptures meaneth off you shall haue here other Authors more credible than my selfe that shall so plainely describe the Pope to be the very Antichriste that you cannot choose but so to take hym vnlesse you be vtterly bent not to yéelde vnto the truth or to saye with the foolish Poet Non persuadebis etiam si persuaseris Though you persuade me I will not be persuaded But yet before we come to that marke what prerogatiue the Pope claymeth whereby you shall the better perceiue that he is the very Antichriste The Pope is aboue all generall Counsels That his bare worde muste be holden as a Lawe That whatsoeuer he do none may say vnto him why do you thus That his iudgementes are more certaine than the iudgementes of all the worlde That if all the whole worlde giue sentence in anye matter contrary to the Popes pleasure yet it seemeth wee are bounde to stande to the iudgement of the Pope And whatsoeuer he sayth or doth being Pope he cannot erre Yet Pope Pius the seconde before he was Pope sayde That the Counsel is aboue the Pope but after when he was Pope being better instructed I see sayde he beefore I was muche deceiued now the Pope is aboue the Counsel Thus eyther the Popes are lyars or else lyars are made Popes The Popes Canonists say That the Pope may dispence against the lawe of God The Pope maye dispence againste the Lawe of Nature The Pope may dispence against Saint Paule the Apostle The Pope maye dispence againste the newe Testament The Pope maye dispence wyth all the Commaundementes bothe of the olde and also of the new Testament If the Pope can doe all this then he may putte Christe out of al his aucthoritie then hée maye cursse the mercifull and blesse the cruel tyraunte then hée maye damne them that be saued and saue the damned And then GOD helpe the poore Protestantes for they are lyke to goe to Hel and all the Papistes are like to goe to Heauen And if Christe and the Aungels be no Papistes he wyll goe neare to thruste them al out of Heauen and sende them to Hel. Who would thinke or beléeue that these proude Popes woulde suffer them selues to be called God or that any would be so beastly or wicked to call them so The Popes Canonistes haue moued questions whether the Pope bée God or not and one saide thus presentlye before his face in the Counsell of Laterane without rebuke Thou arte another God in the Earth And the Popes Godhead is published abroade to the whole worlde in printed Bookes Our Lorde God the Pope If our Bibles or other Bookes contained such blasphemy and heresie as these your Popes Bookes doo they were then well worthy to be burned but the Pope neither punisheth these blasphemers nor yet burnes their Bookes as he burneth the Bible and worde of God And wheras Saint Augustine writeth Who dare to say thus to God the Popes Canonistes haue bettered it in this sorte Who dareth to say thus to God or to the Pope Marie I say Scaira that tooke the Pope prisoner made him to ride with his face towardes the Horse tayle and had like to haue famished him in prison durst saye so to the Pope although he durst not say so to God The Pope also hearde these wordes spoken before his face In the Pope is all maner of power aboue all powers as well of Heauen as of Earth What power is this but euen the very power of God thus you may plainely perceyue that the Pope is contented to be called a God of the earth The Pope is Lord God The Pope hath al power aboue all powers either in Heauen or in earth And as Zabarella sayth the Pope doeth whatsoeuer hée lysteth yea although it be vnlawfull and is more than GOD. What would you haue more this is enough I think it is more than euer his Father had before him vnlesse he were a Popes son if they had al this power which none hath or can haue but God as they would make fooles dawcocks beleue they haue why did popes then suffer them selues to be poysoned famished killed haue their eyes put out who is so blinde but may plainely sée that the Popes are horrible and wicked the children of Sathan and make men beléeue that they are farre more and greater than they are Abbat Panormitan saith out of Hostiensis Christus Papa faciunt vnum consistorium excepto peccato potest Papa quasi omnia facere quae potest Deus Christ and the Pope make one Consistorie and Sinne excepted the Pope in a manner can doe al things that God can doe Woulde you haue thought that eyther any woulde haue written thus of the Pope or that the Pope woulde take thys vppon him or suffer anye eyther to write or saye thus I thinke that none of you doe beléeue that the Pope can doe as God can doe for I am sure that God can and will burne all the worlde at once yea and that quickly whiche I am sure the Pope can not do for if he could then al they that professe Gods word should be burned ere to morrowe nay within this houre besides he would do then many other things that he can neuer doe but thoughe the Pope cannot doe whatsoeuer God can doe yet I will helpe hym a lyttle he can doe more than God can doe for hée can blaspheme God he can lye he can hate them that loue him he can hurte them that neuer offended him hée can be vnmercifull he can breake his promise hée can saye that hée can doe more than hée can doe hée can bée a false Harlot hée can bée the chylde of the Dyuel he can bée Antichriste and he can aduaunce himselfe higher than he ought to be al whych God
realme of Englande I haue also proued by the Scriptures by examples and by other infallible argumentes that wée haue the true religion and how that God therefore hath and doth prosper and blesse vs I haue proued also that the Popes whom you so much loue and leane to haue béene moste wicked Murtherers Coniurers Aduouterers Heretikes Blasphemers Idolators Sacrificers to Diuels and Derogators of Christs benefites hys death and passion and that they are the enimies of God the children of the Diuel yea and the verye Antichrist Therefore I beséeche you procure not to youre selues the cursses of God for the blessings of that wicked Antichriste enforce not youre moste mercifull Princes displeasure that doth defend you for that wicked Popes good will that will destroye you and séeke not youre Countries confusion that doeth nourishe you to haue youre Popishe religion that wil bring Gods plagues and cursses vppon you Perhappes some of you maye saye thoughe the Pope be wicked euil and thoughe he be proued to be Antichrist yet this religion that you and your fore-elders haue hadde vsed is not therefore euil nor to be despised to whome I answere if the trée be euil the fruite cannot be good can the Diuel sette forth a godly religion no it is agaynste his nature then can the Pope which is of the Diuell and the very Antichriste sette forth the pure worde of God no it is impossible for as the euil fruit doth shew the trée to be euil so the detestable doings wicked religiō of the Pope shewe him to be wicked and of the Diuell therefore make the trée good and the fruite good or the trée euill and the fruite euill But bycause I wil leaue nothing vndone that may allure you not onely from the Pope but also from his pestiferous religion I will God willing prooue the chiefest pointes of Papistrie that you stand vppon both by Scripture auncient Doctors and by naturall reason to be false most wicked and abhominable And bycause one parte of the Popes religion whiche is worshipping of Images is mentioned before among the cursses of God and therefore abhominable vnto the Lorde and directly against the second commaundement therefore I will firste beginne with it not doubting but that many of you doe not so much regarde and estéeme the worshipping or hauing of Images though some of you are déepely and superstitiously giuen thereto And first let vs heare what God said to Moses therein and in his lawe Thou shalt not saith God make to thy selfe any grauen Image of any likenesse that is in Heauen aboue nor in the Earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worshippe them This is the very commaundement of God that he gaue to Moses and enioyned the children of Israel in anye wise not to breake for if they did he promised to send vpon them his plagues and greate cursses before at large declared which diuers times he performed when they after did breake the same worshipped Images straunge Gods as I haue manifestly proued before by diuers examples Nowe bicause your Papistrie permitteth Images and your papistical Churches are al ful of Images and Idols and bicause you bowe downe vnto them knéele vnto them go on pilgrimage vnto them and pray vnto them therfore your religion is cleane contrarie to this lawe of God written in the first Table of Moses and therefore moste wicked and abhominable which deserues procures Gods great plagues cursses and vengeance And the yongest chylde that is if hée haue eyther read aught or learned aught knowes that to estéeme reuerence or worship Images is euill and wicked and against the commandement of God so that your religion of Papistrie in this poynt muste néedes be euill wicked and abhominable as is aforesayd and the Pope and his Prelates doo not onely suffer and permit them in Churches but also maintaine them defende them and make lawes that they shall be adored and worshipped as vtter enimies to God striuing with all their power to set vp Images whiche God directly dooth forbid And that this may more plainely appeare Pope Gregory the second did not onely withstand the Emperours Deputie by force of Armes which he neuer learned of Christ nor yet of his Apostles in taking downe and suppressing Images out of Churches but also wrote into all partes that neither for feare nor entreatie they shoulde obey the Emperours commaundement in taking away of Images and pictures of Saintes out of Churches for auoyding of Idolatrie but would haue Images erected set vp worshipped contrary to the holy worde of God Also the Pope and his Bishops in Nicene Counsell agréed with one consent contrarie to the counsell of God that Images in Churches are not onely to be allowed but also deuoutly and reuerently to be honored and that with the same honour that is due to God him selfe O Cerberus whelpes Sathans broode and destroyers of mens soules are they Christes Uicars can not they erre that make such lawes and decrées in their Deuilishe counsels that a péece of crooked rotten wood or a stone wrought and framed by earthly wretches is to be deuoutly honored euen with that honour that is due to God himselfe how can you that take God for your Father and Christ for your Sauiour abide either the Pope or his detestable religion any longer Also one of them saith I receyue and worship the reuerend Images and this will I teach whyle I liue An other sayth I doe perfectly adore the holy Images and I accursse all them that holde the contrarie yea but I beléeue your cursses come to late What if God haue curssed you before that worshippe Images how will you doe then I thinke his cursse will stand for a cursse before yours if you can either out cursse God or vndo his cursses make your owne curses to stande or to be of force then I will saye you haue good lucke Marke what a godly decrée was allowed in the Gréekes Counsel touching the worshipping of Images which is as expresly against the lawe of God as is possible to be And thus it is He that feareth God adoreth or worshippeth an Image as he would adore the sonne of God he that adoreth or worshippeth an Image and saieth this is Christ offendeth not he offendeth that adoreth or worshippeth not an Image he that adoreth not an Image is an Heretike wée muste adore or worshippe an Image wyth the same reuerence wherewith we adore or worshippe the holy Trinitie What varlets are these what vile wretches are these that make such contrarie decrées to Gods lawe would you haue thought it vnlesse you had read it nay will you beléeue it for that you doe heare it God sayeth Thou shalt not bowe downe to Images nor worship them The Pope sayeth he that feareth God worshippeth an Image as hée woulde worshippe the sonne of God The children of Israel worshypped a golden Calfe and
Irenaeus affyrmeth who saith thus Columna firmamentū Ecclesiae est Euangelium spiritus vitae The piller and buttresse of the Churche is the Gospell and the spirite of life Saint Augustine saith Nolo humanis documentis c. I will not saieth he that the holy Churche bee shewed by mens documentes but by the worde of God Chrisostome saith Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera ecclesia Christe nisi tantummodo per scripturas By no way it is to be known whyche is the true Church of Christ but onely by the Scriptures Thus you may sée plainly by these ancient holy lerned writers whatsoeuer the Pope his late Parasites write and bragge of the Church of Rome that the true Church Christ only is to be known tryed by the holy Scriptures Perhappes you wil say that many places of the Scriptures are so darke and so doubtfull that they wil neuer be vnderstanded vnlesse they be opened and expounded by some learned Doctor or Writer I wil not deny but that it is good and necessary to haue the Scriptures opened and declared by godly vertuous and learned men yet not of necessitie to be bounde thereto and so to beléeue their writings so farre as they shall agrée with the Scriptures but that must not be by the Pope and his Doctors for they as you haue heard before so interprete the Scriptures that they lose their meaning and sense both of God Christ the Prophets and the Apostles and so are made the Popes doctrine onely to serue his wicked and ambitious authoritie and desire And also you shall here perceiue that the holy and auncient Fathers and Doctors are of this opinion that the Scriptures are able to expounde themselues and néede none other interpretor and that there is no case in religion so doubtful or darke but y t it may wel be either proued or reproued by collection and conferēce of the Scripturs Saint Hierome saith Moris est scripturarum obscuris manifesta nectere It is the order of the Scriptures after hard things to ioyne other things that be plaine Saint Augustine also saith Solet circumstantia scripturarum illuminare sententiam The circumstance of the scriptures is wont to giue light and to open the meaning Tertullian giueth the like rule Oportet secundum plura intelligi pauciora The fewer places must be expounded by the moe Thus these learned Fathers and Doctors iudgement is that the Scriptures expounde their owne meaning and one place openeth an other But nowe marke what one of the Popes Chaplaines wryteth concerning the exposition of the Scriptures and whether he agrée with the Diuel or with these saide holy Doctors or not Hosius one of the pillers of the Popes Church saith If a man haue the exposition of the Church of Rome touching anye place of the Scriptures althoughe he neither know nor vnderstand whether and howe it agreeth with the wordes of the Scriptures yet he hath the very word of God You may perceiue by this fellowes writing of what Church he is and that he is of an other Church than Saint Hierom Saint Augustine Tertullian or Chrisostom were for he saith If the Church of Rome expound the Scriptures though it be contrary to the Scriptures or do not agree with the wordes of the Scriptures yet it is the very word of God Thus haue the Popes Doctors deluded the people that the Scriptures were no Scriptures vnlesse it agréede with the expositions and so they made the very word◠of God whyche is our light to Saluation to be very darkenesse and our leader to damnation Marke also what that Caterpiller Cardinall Cusanus writes for the authoritie of their Romishe Churche aboue the Scriptures I tell thee saith he that there is nothing taken for Christes commaundement vnlesse it be so allowed of the Churche meaning the Churche of Rome when the Churche hath chaunged hir iudgement Gods iudgemente is likewise changed Oh abhominable and detestable imps of Sathan though the whorish Church of Rome may change in hir iudgementes yet God in his holy worde is infallible and vnchangeable in hys iudgements What hel-houndes are these that woulde make vs beléeue that as the Popes iudgements doe change so Gods iudgementes doe change and that nothing is taken for Gods commaundement vnlesse the Pope and the Romish Church allowe it but contrary say I that the commaundements of the Pope and of their Churche are nothing vnlesse Christ doth allow them And marke wel for as thys Cusanus hath written euen so the Pope hathe chaunged the law of God cleane contrarye to his own or rather the Diuels commaundement For whereas God himselfe sayde Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Now that is not Gods cōmandemēt vnles it be allowed by the Church of Rome and bicause the iudgemēt of the church of Rome is changed therfore Gods iudgement therein is changed So that this law must now be takē thus thou shalt honor Pope for a God on earth and thou shalt call him Lorde God the Pope And whereas God saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauē Image of any likenesse that is in heauē c. Now the Church of Rome hath changed hir iudgement therein therfore Gods iudgement is changed wherfore that commandment must be turnd thus Thou shalt worship Images as thou wouldst the sonne of God he that worshippeth an Image and saith it is Christe offendeth not nay he offendeth that worshippeth not an Image he that worshippeth not an Image is an heretike thou shalte worship an Image with y e same reuerēce wherwith thou dost worship y e holy Trinitie And wheras God said Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Now the church of Rome hath changed hir Iudgement so that God hath chāged his iudgemēt therin also Therfore now you must say thus if thou haue married a wife thou shalt sweare take thine othe to forsake hir to put hir away from thée but thou shalt not sweare to forsake whoores or harlots or to refuse whoredome And whereas God saith thou shalt keepe holy the Sabboth day c. now that is none of Gods cōmaundement for the Church of Rome hath changed hir iudgement therfore Gods iudgemēt is likewise changed wherfore that lawe must now be turned thus Thou shalt not kéepe holy the Sabboth day but whereas Gods worde should then be redde and preached thou shalt in stéede therof commit idolatrie worship Images and pray vnto them and knéele to Masses and honor a péece of bread and take it for the bodie of Christ. God also saith Honor thy father mother yea but now for that the Church of Rome hath chaunged hir iudgement God hath also in this commandement changed his iudgement therfore that law must now be thus Thou shalt disobey thy father and mother King Prince Country and obey the Pope and the Church of Rome
which Christ did teache in the Scriptures euen so she hath with their vaine fonde and superstitious fastings quite banished the true fasting required by the Gospell For Christ in the Gospell sayth When ye fast be not sad as the hypocrites are c but when thou fastest appeare not vnto men to fast but vnto thy Father which is in secret thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Here Christ doth appoint vs that we must not let it bée knowne when we fast but the Popes faste is so published and the dayes so commonly and openly commaunded and appointed that euerie one may knowe when they fast So that Christ hath not appoynted his fasting so priuily but y e Church of Rome proclaimes hir fastes as openly Christ hath appointed no dayes nor times for his fasting the Churche of Rome hath appointed dayes and times for hir fasting The meaning of Christs fasting is to abstaine froÌ„ whatsoeuer either meats or drinkes y t makes vs prone to sinne The Popes fast is to forbeare fleshe onely but permits men to eate all kynde of fishe thoughe it be neuer so daintie and deliciously drest and all kinde of Iunkets and banketing dyshes with delycate wynes as muche as wée will cramme and poure in Christes fast is to kéepe our bodyes lowe to be in subiection to the spirite but that is not performed in the Popes fast but by their daintie dyshes and drinkes the Spirite is brought in subiection to the bodie Christes faste is a willing an vncompelled abstinence the Popes fast is a constrained abstinence and is done of many against their wils Christes fasting is to make vs vertuous and holy before God the Popes fast is hypocriticall and to make vs séeme holye before men This is difference enough to shewe you that the Christian fasting of Christ and the common fasting of the Pope are farre vnlike and doe not agrée so that the one shall haue his rewarde hereafter of God and the other hath his rewarde alreadie of men Therefore beléeue not that your accustomed fast of the Church of Rome came either from Christ or his Apostles for neither Christ in his Gospell nor the Apostles in their Epistles doe once commaunde it or affirme it and therefore we can not allowe it S. Augustine one of the excellentest Doctors whose iudgement I trust you will not refuse writes vpon what dayes we ought not to faste and vppon what dayes wee ought to faste I fynde it not appoynted or lymitted by anye commaundement eyther of our Lorde or of the Apostles But what if Saint Augustine had wylled vs to faste on suche dayes as the Pope doeth appoynt and a thousande other learned men moe yet wée are not bounde eyther to beléeue or follow him or them vnlesse we finde their sayings agrée with Gods word for Gods word must leade them but they may not leade Gods worde Therfore bicause your Popish fast is not commaunded nor allowed by the holye Scriptures but cleane contrarie to the same as before is proued therefore it is superstitious wicked and highly displeaseâ—h God and so of vs Christians ought not to be vsed nor commended but vtterly to be eschued and contemned vnlesse it be vsed for worldly pollicie God commaundes vs to refraine swearing euerydaye but for fasting he appointes vs no day but the Pope commaundes vs to faste certaine dayes but byds vs not forbeare swearing any daye yet manye of you regarde the Popes lawe so much and Gods commaundement so little that you thinke it a heynous matter to breake the fasting dayes that the Pope hath commaunded but make it no matter of conscience to sweare euery day which God hath forbydden therefore kéepe the fasting dayes commaunded by our Quéene for good order and pollicye and not for the Popes pleasure for his holinesse or hypocrisie Thus you may sée howe farre wyde you wander and all bicause you will not giue your selues to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures Consider further of your holy Romish Religion which attributes to oyle health of body and soule and remission of sinnes which no oyle but the bloud of Christ can doe And therefore a most blasphemous doctrine Thus the oyle is blest Fiat domino hoc oleum c. O Lorde let this oyle by thy blessing be made a spirituall oyntment to purifie both soule and body And also this is to be said ouer the sicke Per hanc Sanctam vnctionem c. By this holy annoynting thou maist haue remission of thy sinnes Is not this a precious oyle trowe you whereby we may haue remission of our sinnes you may sée what vertue is in the Popish Priests wordes that can make such a precious oyle truely if God had remeÌ„bred this oyle he might haue spared Christ his deare sonne from dying O what a horrible and blasphemous doctrine is this that is taught by your Romish Churche S. Thomas de Aquino which may be S. Thomas of Watring in Englishe saith Some saye and that not without good reason that a man may obteine remission of his venial sinnes which are not deadly sinnes onely by entring into a Churche that is consecrate If one had suche a Churche it would neuer lightly be emptie and it is purposely noted in the glose vpon the Decretalles that veniall sinnes may be remoued eyther by a Pater noster or by holy water that it may be so by a Pater noster which is the Lordes prayer so that it be faithfully sayd I wil not denie but that the popish Pater noster spoken in Latine of them that vnderstande not what they say or els that holy water will do it I will in no wise graunt Thus the church of Rome hath founde out an other manner and way of forgiuenes of sinnes then either Christ or his Apostles euer taught what a damnable doctrine is this to teach remission of sinnes by such toyes and trifles which can be had by no meanes but by the passion death of Christe May not you thinke that the church of Rome is of a pure doctrine and of a perfect religion that allowes and ordaines that Belles must be baptized and christened and allowes Godfathers therefore and giues them a name and puts a coate on their backes to kéepe them from colde as children haue when they are Christened truely I haue redde and perused the whole Bible and the new Testament thorowly and yet I could neuer read in any parte thereof of the christening of belles Marry I remember that Christ a little before his Ascention sayd to his Disciples all power is giuen to me in Heauen and in earth go ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost c. but then he made no mention of the baptising of Belles for if he had the Apostles would haue baptised Belles aswell as the Popes Suffraganes and then we should eyther haue heard of it in the Actes
of the Apostles or else the Euangelists would haue written of it Be indifferent Iudges your selues was there euer such a ridiculous religion as this your Romish religiō is that permitte and appointe Belles to be baptised belike their baptising makes them giue a lowde a perfect and a true sound if it be so then the Bels are better baptised than many of the Popes preachers Doctors be for many of them in the pulpet giue no sounde at all or else giue a false sounde both in their preaching and writing Many of you mislike the putting downe of Abbayes and wishe they were vp againe for you thinke the Monkes Friers were the holiest men in the world yea and that perfect holinesse can not be well without them that God by thē was chiefly serued If the Monkes were so in your time it is maruell for they were not such in S. Augustines time therfore you shall heare how they serued God then Wherof S. Augustine writes thus These Monkes serue not God saith he they serue their bellies And againe he saith Hipocrisie or vaunting of holinesse is the more dangerous for that it deceiueth vs vnder the name of Gods seruice Againe he saith it deceiueth vs by the deceitfull countenance or Image of holines And againe touching the Mōkes he saith we can not tell whether they became Monkes for purpose to serue God or else being weary of their poore painfull life were rather desirous to be fedde and clothed doing nothing Therfore he saith they carrie their hypocrisie about to sale S. Bernard saith which knew something of their holinesse for he was an Abbot the seruants of Christ serue Antichrist S. Hierom saith of thē they are loth to be abiects in seruile state for idlenesse they wil not labour and to beg they are ashamed for being valiant lusty people no man would giue thē any thing Thus y e Monkes seruing of God of the ancient writers Doctors is called plaine Idlenes If the Monkes were idle in S. Augustines time I feare they were not very well occupied in our time One of the Popes proctors of late to make vs beléeue that Monkerie was instituted by Christ if we may credite his owne tale saith that the Apostles were Mōkes Christ was the Abbot If they were so but in all the Scriptures they are not named so they were not like our Abbots Mōkes that are now that we had of late for they were an Abbot Monks without an Abbey and had neuer an Abbey to dwell in in those days belike there were good Abbots and good Monkes without Abbeys but now there be Abbeys without good Abbots and good Monkes In the booke called Opus Tripertitum it is thus written Wel neere the whole world crieth out against is offēded for so great a multitude of begging Mōkes Friers that are entred into the world Pope Damasus speaking of the order of thē that were called Chorepiscopi saith thus From whēce this third order is come we cannot tell and the thing that wāteth reason must needs be taken vp by the rootes Thus by the Popes owne saying both Monks Friers Chānons Nonnes yea al y e Popes cardinals their popish priests their Masses Dirges Pardons and al the holy religion of the Pope bicause we know not how it first came in for by Gods word it was not plāted bicause their doctrine of al other is the most foolish false both against reason truth therfore it must néedes be pluckt vp by y e rootes This is the Popes owne decrée therfore it must néedes stand for a law And they are Heretikes y t once speak against it if they be Heretikes y t speakes against y e Popes doings or sayings If al the lawes decrées y t the Popes haue made had bene as true reasonable as this saying of Pope Damasus then the Popes law religion had not bene so repugnant contrarie to Gods law as it is Marke further what a Diuelish doctrine your Church of Rome doth allow hir doctors do teach for M. Harding saith Euerlasting life is a rewarde for our deseruings if euerlasting life were not a due reward it were vncerten for due debte is certen mercie or fauor is vncertaine Thus saith M. Iewell they haue drowned the grace of God the saluation we haue only in Iesus Christ and haue turned the most comfortable doctrine of the Gospel into a dungeon of desperatiō Thus the Popes doctrine saith we may deserue Heauen but Christ which best of all knewe what wee are hable to deserue saith when ye haue done all that you can saie that yee bee vnprofitable seruaunts and therefore haue deserued nothing and thus we can not deserue the kingdome of Heauen If we deserue any thing it is the kingdome of Hell If we looke to deserue any thing then we make our selues labourers and hirelings and so we make our selues not the children of God for the naturall and louing childe obeyes his Father for loue and not for rewarde and therefore being laborers we must haue no more than we deserue which is nothing if vnprofitable seruaunts deserue nothing And Maister Harding saith that good workes haue their rewarde They haue so sayth M. Iewell S. Iohn saith their workes follow them And Christ sayth whosoeuer shall giue a cup of water to drinke for my names sake bycause you belong to Christ verely I say vnto you he shal not lose his rewarde S. Paule sayth Your workes shall not be in vaine in the Lorde But bicause they are rewardes it is rather of mercie than of dutie For a dutie is wages but a rewarde is a gift For if I send my seruaunt to a noble man with a present and he giues my seruant a reward it is rather of his goodnesse than of my seruaunts duetie for hée could aske nothyng of him therefore the rewarde is of his curtesie and gentlenesse Iob sayth If a man will dispute with God he is not hable to aunswere him one for a thousande And though Iob is called the moste pacient and a verie godly man yet hée sayth I stoode in doubte and was afrayde of all my workes And againe he saith although I were perfect yet my Soule shall not knowe it if I woulde iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee Esay sayth all our righteousnesse is lyke a fowle stayned clowte S. Hierome sayth If we behold our owne merites we must be driuen to desperatiō The Apostle saith I iudge that the afflictions of this tyme are not worthie of that glorie that shalbe reuealed vnto vs. Therefore it is the most surest way to take hold on Christes merits let our owne go for God will iustifie vs for Christes sake merites not for our owne sakes or good workes Blessed are they that haue washed there Robes in the bloud of the Lambe not in there owne workes I will giue sayth God
workes of the holy Popes of Rome before mentioned that teaches you to haue such confidence in your workes they are more like to bring you to Hell than to Heauen Now marke further what a pretie toye the Pope hath deuised which is his paineful purgatorie to pick our purses withal marueling that you can beléeue that there is any such place The Scriptures in diuers and sundrie places make mention both of heauen hell but not one worde at all of Purgatorie therefore I am out of doubte there is no such place for if there were eyther Moses the Prophets Christ or his Apostles would haue spoken something of it therefore beléeue not that the Pope and his Doctours doe saie true in this thing that haue lied to you in so many other thinges For it is onely inuented to feare vs withall whereby to emptie fooles purses to fill the Popes coffers But if there were such a place then it shewes that the Pope is a couetous and mercilesse Tirant that will do nothing for pittie but all for pence for the rich for money shal soone be ridde out but the poore that wante money or friends must tarrie there stil One sayth The Soules being in Purgatorie are vnder the Popes iurisdiction the Pope might if he would auoide all Purgatorie Truely in this it séemes that the Pope is not halfe so mercifull as Christ was that will suffer the poore soules to lie broyling and roasting in the fire of Purgatorie might with one worde of his mouth or a bull of leade rydde them out of their paines and prison But belike the Popes thinke it néedes not bicause they knowe there is no such place the Pope would scarce doe so much for vs if he could as Christ did that came out of Heauen to Earth and suffered death to ridde vs out of hell that will not release the soules out of Purgatorie with speaking one worde and néedes not once go out of his chaire Well though the Popes doe tell vs that there is such a painefull Purgatorie yet they are not agréed among them selues of the manner of the place nor of the paynes For Sir Thomas Moore said that there is no water in Purgatorie no not one drop which he woulde proue by the wordes of the Prophet Zacharie which are these thou hast deliuered thy prisoners out of the dongeon wherin there is no water but Doctor Fysher the Bishoppe of Rochester sayth there is good store of water and that he proueth by the Prophet Dauid We haue passed through fire and water thou hast brought vs forth into a place of refreshing Albertus and the Bishop of Rochester say that the executioners and ministers of Purgatorie are holy Angels But sir Thomas Moore saith out of doubt they be no Angels but very Diuels But may not one come after these two learned men and proue that there is neither fire nor water in the Popes Purgatorie forasmuch as the Scriptures doe not certifie vs of any such Purgatorie therfore I am sure there is no such Purgatorie and if there be no Purgatorie then I am sure there is neyther fire nor water in Purgatorie and as there is neither fire nor water there so neither Angels nor Diuels are executioners or ministers there It is a verie strange matter that these wise learned and graue men should be so blinde as to apply hell from which Christ hath deliuered vs whereof the Prophet Zacharie ment to the Popes Purgatorie wherof neither he nor any other of the Prophets dyd euer heare But God when and where it pleaseth him doth blinde the eyes of the mightie wise of this world that they may not vnderstande the veritie and againe doth open the eyes of the simple that they may sée the truth I beséech God to open your eyes to sée the truth whereby you may shun all falshhood and lyes Marke further what a maruellous mischiefe the Diuell hath brought into the Churche of Rome which is the disanulling of the marriage of Priests although many of you thinke it is a necessarie and a godly lawe but howe godly so euer it is Saint Paule calles the forbydding of marriage the doctrine of Diuelles for thus he sayeth The Spirite speaketh euidently that in the latter tymes some shall departe from the fayth and shall giue heede to Spirites of errour and diuelish doctrine of them which speake falsely through hypocrisie and haue their consciences marked with an hotte yrone forbydding to marrie and commaunding to absteine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes of them which beleeue and knowe the trueth Doth not Saint Paule poynt oute the Popes doyngs here as plainely as thoughe he had vttered him by name for in what Religion in the worlde but his is marriage and eating of meates forbydden And as this texte doeth touche the Popes wicked and superstitious fasting which before is disproued euen so it doth touche his forbydding of marriage which is an abhominable and detestable doctrine as hereafter shall bée proued For whereas the Popes lawe is that Bishoppes and Priestes maye not marrye Gods lawe doeth permitte and allowe them to marrye for Saint Paule sayeth that a Bishoppe must be faultlesse and the husbande of one wyfe likewyse sayeth he muste the Deacons bee honest not double tounged c. Euen so must their wyues be honest not euil speakers but sober and faithfull in all things let the Deacons bee the husbandes of one wyfe and suche as rule their Children well and their owne housholdes c. Thus Saint Paule doeth allowe that the Bishops and the other Ministers of the Churche shoulde bée marryed and haue wyues but the Popes doctrine is that neyther Bishop nor Priest whiche are Ministers of hys Churche shall bée marryed and therefore the Popes doctrine herein is the doctrine of the Diuels as S. Paule termeth it It is euident that Aaron and the Priestes of the olde lawe before Christ were marryed then why should not our Bishoppes Priestes and Ministers of the newe lawe that are after Christ bée marryed especially not forbydden but allowed by the Scriptures And that you maye perceiue that Christ allowed and lyked well of the Preachers and ministers of his Churche thoughe they were marryed hée choosed marryed men to bée his Apostles For Ignatius that was Scholler to Saint Iohn the Euangelist sayth That Peter other the Apostles of Christ were marryed men And Saint Ambrose sayth that all the Apostles had wyues onely Iohn and Paule excepted yet Origen sayth by report of other his auncestours that Saint Paul and his wyfe were called to the fayth both at one time of which wyfe as he sayeth he writeth thus in his Epistle to the Phillipians I beseeche thee faithfull yokefellowe helpe these women that haue laboured with mee in the Gospell And moreouer Clemens Alexandrinus Eusebius Ignatius that sawe Christ after his Resurrection and was in companie with the Apostles say in
only contemning and despising them but also all other that knewe it would neuer after buy any of those his priuiledges And also the Pope is right certaine if he should sell one a plackard that whatsoeuer he did steale he should neuer be hurt hanged nor put to death for the same yet when he should be troubled hanged or executed for stealing which he should be sure of at one time or other then the same théefe would not only crie out of the Pope for deceyuing of him and for selling to him suche a false plackard and perhaps would saie that he had neuer played the théefe but for the Popes warrant to saue him harmelesse as manye I feare would not sin so muche but for the Popes pardons but also euery one that shoulde heare howe the Pope hadde serued hym woulde despise the Pope and buy no more of his plackardes But as these that shoulde buy suche Priuiledges of the Pope to robbe and steale at their pleasure without anye feare of punishement were worthye to bée compted for théeues so you that buy the Popes pardons to release you of your sinnes whereby you may be bolde to offende God at youre pleasure can not be compted verye true to God But nowe for that perhaps you wil giue but small regarde to my reasons arguments or persuasions for the reprouing of the Popes pardons though some of you may happly yéelde as bad reasons arguments or persuasions for the proouing of the Popes pardons I will first shewe you by Christes owne wordes who is worthy to be beléeued that we ought to craue pardon for oure sinnes onelye of God For in our prayer whiche Christe taught vs wée do say Our father which art in heauen c. Forgiue vs our trespasses c. Here you maye sée that wée are taughte by Christe to aske pardon for oure sinnes of God and not of the Pope And forasmuch as we committe our sins againste God and not againste the Pope therefore wée ought to craue Gods pardon and not the Popes pardon if we offende the Pope the Popes pardons maye doe vs pleasure but if we sinne against God the Popes pardons can doe vs no good though they may doe vs muche harme by trusting to them that can do vs no good Al the holy Patriarkes Prophets holy and vertuous kings that God both loued and blessed Christs Apostles al holy Martirs other godly men did neuer aske pardon for their sins and offences but onely of God And shal wée think that bycause they had not the Popes pardon y t therfore they wer not pardned or shal we beléeue that you are better pardned of the Pope than they were of God think you what you wil for I can neuer thinke it neither wil beléeue it If you can shewe me but one of the holy Patriarks Prophets or the Apostles or godly martyres or other auntient and holy fathers that either bought any of these Popes pardons or desired anye of the Popes pardons as wée can shewe you that euery one of them didde onely require and craue Gods pardon I will yéelde vnto you and graunte that the Popes pardons are good necessarie and requisite But bycause I am sure you cannot therefore to allowe the Popes pardons we oughte not And bycause none of all these holy menne of God whome God dearely loued nor yet Christe the sonne of God whome God aboue all other estéemed did neuer teach write nor once make mention of the Popes pardons therefore I am sure that they are neither good nor necessarie For if the Popes pardons hadde béene so full of vertue as some of you fondely beléeue wée should haue hearde something of them in one place or other of the Scriptures Nowe for that they are not warranted by Gods word nor to be foūd in any part of the Bible therefore if you are true Christians if you loue Christe if you woulde haue Christ to take you to be of his shéepe and flocke then beléeue not the Popes pardons trust not to the Popes pardons neither allow the Popes pardons bycause they are not allowed nor expressed in the Gospel and lawe of Christe For if an Aungell shoulde come from Heauen or if one should come vnto vs in the likenes of Christ teaching any other doctrine than Christe hathe alreadye taught vs we ought not to beléeue them Then wée may wel ynough discredite the Pope that is a wicked earthlye man cleane contrary to God and also contemne and refuse his paltrie pardons that are contrary to Gods worde And though some of you through ignorance and Papisticall persuasions thinke that the Scriptures doe allowe the Popes pardons you shall here what Siluester Prierias that was Maister of the Popes Pallace writeth therein who saith Pardons are not knowne vnto vs by the aucthoritie of Gods worde but by the aucthoritie of the Church of Rome and of the Pope whiche is greater than the aucthoritie of the Scriptures Here you sée that the Popes owne seruant confesses that pardons are not aucthorized or warranted by Gods worde but they are aucthorized by the Churche of Rome and by the Pope whose aucthoritie hée saith is greater than the word of God Marke this wel to proue the Popes abhominable pardons the vile wretch and the Diuels Doctor doth not sticke to committe moste horrible blasphemie making the Pope aboue God and the Churche of Rome aboue the lawe of God Saint Iohn saith In the beginning was the worde and the worde was with God and the worde was God c. So that hereby it appeareth that God and his worde is all one Then thys Siluester Prierias affyrmeth That the aucthoritie of the Pope is greater than the aucthoritie of God For if the aucthoritie of the Pope be greater than the aucthoritie of Gods worde and God his worde be all one then it must néedes be so and so by this meanes this vile blasphemer maketh the Pope and the Churche of Rome to bée greater than God and hys worde I hope that you that are the déepest drowned in Papistrie wyll detest and abhorre the Popes pardons that muste bée allowed or aucthorized by one that is greater than God and his word O flie from this purple whoore of Babilon the Antichrist that thus extolleth hir selfe aboue God and hys worde leaste you bée partakers of Gods terrible vengeance that God hath prepared for hir Fisher once Byshoppe of Rochester sayeth That hee knoweth not from whence pardons firste beganne whiche hangeth only vppon Purgatorie then what shall we néede pardons Marke also how the Popes pardons do bewray themselues what they are for some of the Popes pardons are for a twentie thousande yeres and if you set all the yeares of the Popes pardons togither they come to such a number as they that bought them paid for them yea and all other y t should haue profite by them shal haue little néed of them For the whole worlde will not laste by coniecture nor by conference