praedicare quae saluti animarum cōuenire videantur non pauca praedicant quae ad perennem animarum perniciem ducūt Whiles that the Romish priests endeuor as much as they may to preache many thinges which seeme to agree to the saluation of soules then teach they not few things which tende to the perpetuall destructiō therof The first point of their deuilish doctrine in seducing the blinde and ignorant people is this To tell vs that we leaue this article of our Creede vnbeleeued Credo sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church if we acknowledge not the Romane church to be the holy catholique Church As though that were true In the iudgemēt of all the learned and godly the Catholique Church is dispersed ouer the face of the earth not tied or vnited to any proper place as Rome or person as the Pope The Councill of Nice in tyme past committed the charge of the Catholique Church to three principall Patriarkes Rome Alexandria and Antioch which afterwards came to Constantinople Nilius in his booke de primatu Romani Pontificis of the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome sayth Quandoquidem quaedā prouinciae spectant ad ecclesiam Romanam aliquae ad Episcopum Alexandriae aliquae ad Episcopum Constantinapolaeos iam non magis subditae sunt Romano Episcopo quam Romanus Episcopus subditus sit illis Primacie by lymitatiō Forasmuch as certayne countries are limited to the church of Rome certeine to the Bishop of Alexandria and certeine to the Bishop of Constantinople they are now no more vnder him then he vnder them I gather by this Councill of Nice which all Papists of Rome do allowe that the Church of Rome was not onely accompted Catholique but also the Church of Alexandria was taken to be Catholique in like maner the Church of Antioch I am certeine you wil not deny the Bishop of Rome euer heretofore to haue bene as yet to be Pope therefore I inferre the Bishop of Alexandria and the Bishoppe of Antioch to be Popes Christes Vicars and so consequently to be three Popes and three Christes Vicars Haue you taught our English men so that there be three Popes three Catholique churches and are you put in prison therefore No no I know it is otherwise I take you to be hirelings Pope Gregory the xiii Greg. 13. of that name or rather by his right name Hugo Bon compaignion Hugh goodfellowe hath brybed you with his money that you should preach him to be Pope alone and none other Is this pretie stuffe vt amor nummi esset casus multorum that the loue of money should be the fall of many I will speake a litle more touching your Catholique church Athanasius saith Roma est metropolis Romanae ditio nis Rome is the mother church not of the whole worlde but of the prouince of Rome I wil not speake of Englād Ireland Scotland Frāce Dēmarke Polonia Suetia Bohoemia of Germanie Heluetia Prussia Russia Lituania Pomerania Austria Rhetia Vallis Tellina c. where the Gospel florisheth But is your church the mother church and hath your Pope gouernmēt and iurisdiction ouer the churches in Asia and Affricke It is well knowen that there is Christianitie in Asia Affricke Armenia Aethiopia Cyprus Constantinople and other places where the Pope dareth not once peepe for all his pontificalitie at Rome And in respect of all Christian assemblies faithfull members wheresoeuer the church is called Catholique that is meant vniuersall So that your church and all churches are to bee tried and knowen not by your erring councils canons constitutions decrees and glosses but by the word of God which is the touchstone of trueth Ireneus saith Lib. 3. cap. 11. Columna firmamentum ecclesiae est Euangelium spiritus vitae The pillar and buttresse of the church is the Gospell and spirit of life August de vnitate Eccle lib. 3. cap. 3. Augustine vnto the Donatistes saith Sunt certe libri dominici quorum authoritati vtrique consentimus vtrique credimus vtrique seruimus ibi quaeramus ecclesiā ibi discutiamus causam nostram There are verely bookes of our Lorde vnto the authoritie whereof eche part agreeth eche part beleeueth and eche part regardeth Church to be sought in the scripture there let vs seeke for the church and thereby let vs examine and trie our matters This I thought good to note here least that any of this faithfull congregation should at any time be caried away with the bare name of your catholique churche Nowe moreouer you seeke to proue your church by antiquitie multitude succession of person or place none otherwise then false coyners who will not haue their money knowē by the finenesse of golde or by the touchstone but by the waight by the sounde by the coyne and by the colour which they may easely counterfeite Therefore they alledge antiquitie vnto vs following that which was spoken vnto Iob by one of his friendes Iob. cap. 8.8 Consule quaeso priscam aetatem et compara te ad peruestigationem maiorum illorum Aske for the auncient generation and prepare thy selfe to seeke for the fathers Iob. 32.7 Prouecti aetate loquentur et annosi notam facient sapientiam Dayes shall speake the multitude of yeeres shall teach wisedome To whom I could answere by Iob himself euē in the verse next following 9. vers Magistri semper sapientes non sunt neque senes omni tempore intelligunt Iudicium The masters are not alwaies wise neither do the olde men alwayes vnderstād Iudgement Profectò spiritus ille in mortali 8. vers et afflatus omni potentis efficit eos intelligentes It is the spirit of God not yeres that ought to speak in man August ad Pet. Diac. cap. 34. If antiquitie should preuaile why then I pray you is the Church compared to a litle Barke or Ship which the more she is vpon the sea the more shee leaketh vnto a house which with age decayeth falleth to ruine to a Citie and the policie of it which is corrupted from tyme to time if it be not brought backe to the first institution to a mans body whereunto yeeres do bryng all kindes of euill to be short age is euen as sickenesse it selfe to the most healthfull and temperate body in the world I say thē that antiquitie alone ought to make vs thinke that in the Church there is a great sicknes and much filthynes that euen for this cause alone without any longer confutation it is requisite to bring a broome to purge it and to call for a Physition So farre is it off that for these things a man should mainteyne your Churche to bee pure holy as you do Furthermore I demand how you wil answere vnto Saint Augustine entreating vpon the threescore and fourth Psalme who sayth That Ierusalem began by Abel and Babylon by Cain The promise was made by
ninth chapter Eduxisti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non erat aqua Thou hast deliuered thy prisoners out of the dungeon wherein there was no water Also in Ecclesiastes the 4. De carcere atque catenis interdum quis progreditur ad regnum Who at any time commeth from prisō and frō fetters vnto the Crowne You alledge the Psalme Transiuimus per ignem aquam nosque in refrigerium eduxisti We haue passed both fire and water and thou hast brought vs to a refreshing place Out of the newe Testament you bring this place where it is said that the sinne of the holy Ghost is not forgiuen neither in this worlde neither in the world to come Ergo say you in this life sinnes are forgiuen also in the life to come And out of Saint Matthewe you obiect Take him and binde him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darkenes and there let him stay vntill hee hath payde the vttermost peny Ergo say you he meaneth Purgatorie Also you obiect the historie of Lazarus and the rich glutton You alledge moreouer this place of the Apocalypse where it is sayd that nothing impure and defiled with sinne shall bee admitted to that holy citie of the Lorde And you thinke that these wordes of S. Paul doe serue to your purpose that al knees must bowe to God that be in heauen in earth and vnder the earth Finally you bring foorth this place of the Apocalypse that euery creature in heauen in earth and vnder the earth giueth prayses vnto the Lord. You thinke that these and such like places of Scripture doe make greatly for your purpose But it is knowen that amongst you Papists there be diuers opiniōs touching purgatorie Some say that it is a true opinion and an article of our fayth to teach and beleeue that there is a purgatory Others there be who not so firmely and constantly affirme the same but they either suspect or thinke that there is such a place First I will shewe that Purgatorie belongeth not to any article of our faith neither is it a necessarie thing to bee credited Secondly I will declare whether the suspition and opinion of purgatory standeth with reason and is iust I answere vnto them which say it is a necessary opinion and an article of our fayth to acknowledge that there is a purgatorie If it were a certaine and firme article of our faith it should then most euidently so appeare out of the testimonies of the scriptures For we do not descend into their sentēce which be fathers or will make men the authors of the matters of religion It should be a reproch vnto the holy Ghost if we should perswade our selues that whatsoeuer they write doth tend to our saluation and that the saluation of our soules doeth stand vpon their wordes What thing soeuer apperteyneth to our saluation the same by the vertue of the holy Ghost is expressed in the Scriptures Saint Paul to Timothie saith 2. Tim. 3.16 17. that the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good woorkes If you doe contende to set foorth any good woorke or any thing necessary to be credited which may not be confirmed by the scriptures I would take that to be neither good nor profitable if the Scriptures doe not plainly allow the same We must not beleeue your wordes to bee true whereas you say The Apostles haue not taught all things which touch the saluatiō of man This wil I graunt in politicall but not in spiritual matters that it should be true which you saye that all things are not conteyned in Scriptures which belong to the gouernement of a common weale But to proue that the scriptures wrote sufficiently touching our soules health Tertul. de praescrip Tertullian in libro de praescript sayth Foelix ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostoli cum sanguine profuderunt Happy is that church which hath receiued the whole doctrine confirmed with the bloud of the Apostles Our sauiour Christ saith Quae audiui a patre meo omnia feci nota vobis Those things which I haue heard of my father I haue reuealed vnto you Moreouer that I may returne to my matter often it is doubted of Purgatory The Greeke church in the councill of Florentine long stoode in doubt And the common places of the scripture which are brought foorth to proue this opinion let them expound them no otherwise then the proper and lawfull interpretation doeth require and there shall then bee left no place to proue Purgatorie Saint Cyprian in his first treatise against Demetrian saith thus After we be once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentance there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is here either lost or wonne Euerlasting saluation is here prouided for by the due worshipping of God and the fruites of fayth Saint Augustine saieth de ciuitate Dei lib. 21. cap. 13. Quidam nullas poenas nisi purgatorias volunt esse post mortem Some men wil haue no punishment to be after death but onely the paynes of Purgatory Euen in Pauls time there were some 1. Cor. 15.29 that being aliue were baptized for the dead And by the Council of Carthage 3. canon 6. it appeareth there were some that vsed to thrust the sacrament into the mouth of the dead body meaning thereby as it maye bee thought to procure some reliefe of the soule The words be these Placuit vt corporibus defunctorum Eucharistia non detur Concil 3. Can. 6. Dictum est enim a domino Accipite edite Cadauera autem nec accipere possunt nec edere We thinke it good that the Sacrament be not giuen to the bodies of the dead For our Lorde sayeth Take and eate but dead bodies can neyther take nor eate These were auncient errours in olde time as it is easie to be seene As for the fantasie of purgatorie it sprang first from the heathen and was receiued amongst them in that time of darkenesse long before the comming of Christ as it may plainly appeare by Plato and Virgil. Plato in Timaeo Virgil. Aeneid 6. in whom you shal finde described at large the whole common weale and all the orders and degrees of Purgatorie Saint Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 7. cap. 7. sayeth The olde heathen Romanes had a sacrifice which they called Sacrum purgatorum A purgatorie Sacrifice You will say The Apostles of Christ haue taught vs purgatorie not by any worde that euer they wrote but by traditiō This is as true as that S. Peter sayd Masse in Rome with a golden Cope a triple crowne vnlesse perhaps some man will thinke whereas S. Paul sayth Homines priuati veritate existimātes quaestum esse pietatem They be men voide of trueth thinking that their gayne is godlinesse
succession of persons without the succession of doctrine is nothing worth With this sentence of Pope Adrian the fourth I end to discourse any further of antiquitie of persons Succedimus non Petro in pascendo sed Romulo in parricidio We succeede not Peter in feeding but Romulus in killing And so is it truely for you shall haue no Pope that teacheth the people howe to liue in the true feare loue of God but such an one as persecuteth and killeth the Christians that cherefully embrace and comfortably receiue the glad tydinges of the Gospell Thus being commanded to instruct the ignorant and to feede them with the heauenly word of God he practiseth tyrannie against them Wherfore this is an euident signe that if wee should seeme to grant which in no case is to be graunted the succession of Peter vnto your Bishop of Rome that he doeth farre degenerate from the diligence of Saint Peter who had more care to saue soules then to become riche famous in the face of the earth yea to haue all men subiect vnto him euen Emperours and kings to kisse his foote Your Pope doeth alter from the doings of S. Peter for Saint Peter neuer warranted to any man the possession of heauen for monies sake but your Pope like a good pedler setteth all things to sale and he that bringeth most shal in heauen beare the greatest swaye Wherefore these wordes of Baptista Mantuanus are true speaking of the vnhappie state of Rome venalia nobis Templa sacerdotes altaria Sacra coronae Ignis thura preces coelū est venale Deusque Amongst vs in Rome churches priestes altars masses crownes fire incense prayer and heauen are set to sale yea God himselfe amongst vs may be had for mony Budaeus sayth Sanctiones Pōtificiae nō moribus regendis vsui sunt sed propemodum dixerim argentariae faciendae autoritatem videntur accommodare The Popes canons serue not nowe to guyde mens liues but if I may so say they serue rather to make a banke to get money Bernard of Clunice sayeth thus Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus Omnia Romae cum pretio Rome giueth all things to them that giue all thinges All things at Rome wil passe for money Yea euen in the Popes own Decretals you shall find it noted thus in sexto de elect electi potestat fundamēta in margine Roma est caput auaritiae ideo omnia ibi venduntur Rome is the head of al couetousnes therfore al things there are set to sale Yea Thomas Becket himself whom you call a saint whose festiual day about Christmas time you keepe with great solemnitie Gul. Neub lib. 2. cap. 15 25. a fewe of his bones you keep in such reuerēce that God himselfe is not honored so much whē for his wilfull disobedience treason cōmitted against his prince he had fled for ayde and succour to Rome and sawe that nothing woulde be wrought there without mony wrote thus thereof to the Bishop of Menze Mater Roma facta est meretrix prostituta est pro mercede Rome our mother is become an harlot and for money and meede layeth her selfe to sale To be short you know that our fathers long sithens were wont to say Curia Romana non captat ouem sine lana The court of Rome wil not take the sheepe wtout the fliece Iohn 2. Matth. 21. Christ sometime thrust such byers sellers brokers and coarsers out of the Temple but contrariwise you haue receiued in byers and sellers and thrust out Christ and so haue turned the house of God into a denne of theeues Saint Paul sayth thus vnto the people of Ephesus Argentum aurum nullius concupiui I haue desired no mans golde or siluer Vpon which wordes in the glose it is noted thus Per hoc lupi cognoscuntur qui talia concupiscunt Hereby they that desire such things are knowne for wolues Saint Hierome saith Hierom. 1. quaest 1. lib. Nunquam diuinatio Quia Prophetae pecuniam accipiebant prophetia eorum facta est diuinatio For that the Prophets fel to taking of money therfore their prophecy was become a soothsaying that is to say it was of the Deuill and not of God This I saye that according to your dealing hee that is poore is not like to go to heauen but the rich is sure to be saued Nowe you alledge succession of places not farre vnlike to the Iewes who will inclose orbem in vrbe the whole worlde in one citie but we see that God hath chosen many out of Ierusalem the Church is not tyed therunto God hath suffred by his righteous will many Christiā churches to be turned into the tēples of the Turks as that of Ephesus founded by S. Paul S. Iohn that of Bonne in Barbarie where Saint Austin preached c. And further it is sayde there expresly Glossa communis in eum versiculum Apocal 12.8 c. that the Church of God for a long time by reason of the persecution of Antichrist shal retire herself into the wildernes as the common glose it selfe doeth expounde If euer there were church that might alledge succession of place it was Ierusalem for of it was said Deut. 12.11 2. Sam. 7.10 1. King 8.29 Dominus in hoc Templo in aeternum habitabit The Lord wil euermore dwell in this house Also ◠King 21.7 Psal 132.14 Elegi 〈…〉 hanc domum vt nomen meum 〈◊〉 in perpetuum maneat I haue chosen this house to the end that my name may dwell there for euer And therefore the Priests had no other answere to al the Prophets that reprooued them but this Templum Domini Iere. 7.4 Templum Domini The Temple of the Lorde the Temple of the Lorde But see what the Lorde himselfe answereth vnto them Ite sayth he ad locum meum in Shiloh vbi habitauit nomen meum a principio c. Go and see Shiloh I haue chosen it from the beginning for my house nowe see what I haue done vnto it for the wickednes of my people I wil do euen so to the place which I haue giuen vnto you and to your fathers But if you will that I dwell there amend your wayes turne from your euil deedes Now therefore I say if God hath forsaken his owne Temple for the iniquitie of the Priestes euen then when he had none besides erected in the whole worlde must we tye our selues to the church of Rome or to any other place where all the clymates of the world are equally his temple I can not but maruaile why any of our countrey men shoulde take the church of Rome to be the mother church of all churches and the same to be an article of our faith We are not expresly commanded by the word of God to acknowledge the church of Rome Caput mundi the head of the worlde neyther is it expressed in holy scripture that we are condemned
if we beleeue not at all the traditions of men but the Scripture manifestly doeth Esay 29.13 Matth. 15.3 Colos 2.8 forbid vs to beleue them If you can find one only text of the scripture that willeth and commandeth vs to beleeue in the Romane church as hauing prerogatiue ouer all churches the world throughout I will be on your side to the death But no such place I am certain you can shewe in the whole Bible that the Romane church is the holy Catholique Church which all men of what countrey soeuer they be must acknowledge to be chiefest It is not sufficient to claime succession of place it behoueth vs rather to haue regard to the succession of doctrine Bernard in Concil Rem Bernard sayth Quid prodest si canonice eligantur non canonice viuant What auaileth it if they be chosē in order liue out of order So sayeth Saint Augustine contra Donatistas August lib. 6. 1. q. 3. Vocatur canes Ipsum characterem multi lupi lupis imprimunt The outward marke or right of a Bishoppe many giue to wolues and be wolues them selues Therefore the auncient father Ireneus giueth vs this good counsell Eis qui sunt in ecclesia praesbyteris obedire oportet qui successionem habent ab Apostolis qui cum episcopatus successione charisma veritatis certum secundum beneplacitum patris acceperunt It becommeth vs to obey those Priestes in the church which haue their succession from the Apostles and together with the succession of the Byshoprickes according to the good wil of God the Father haue receiued the vndoubted gyft of the trueth Saint Cyprian being likewise charged for dissenting from his predecessours answereth thus Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 3. Si quis de antecessoribus meis non hoc obseruauit tenuit quod nos dominus exemplo magisterio suo docuit potest simplicitati eius venia concedi nobis vero ignosci non potest qui nunc a Domino admoniti instructi sumus If any of my predecessours haue not obserued and kept the same that our Lord hath taught vs both by his example and commandement his simplicitie may be pardoned but we if we doe the like can hope for no pardon being now admonished instructed of our Lorde Compare the vse order of our churches my brethrē with the Primitiue church of God and you shall easely see the right of our succession S. Cyprian sayeth ad Pompeium contra Epistolam Stephani Si canalis aquae quae copiosè priùs largiter profluebat subitò deficiat nonne ad fontem pergitur c. Hoc nunc facere oportet Dei sacerdotes praecepta diuina seruantes vt in aliquo si mutauerit vacillauerit veritas ad originem Dominicam Euangelicam atque Apostolicam traditionem reuertamur inde surgat actus nostri ratio vnde ordo origo surrexit If the pipes of the conduyte which before ranne with aboundance happen to faile doe wee not vse to search to the head c. The Priestes of God keeping Gods commandements must doe the same that if the trueth haue faynted or fayled in any point wee returne to the very originall of our Lorde and to the tradition of the Gospel of the Apostles that from thence wee maye take the discretion of our doings from whence the order it selfe and originall first began Thus much touching succession of place Now I exhorte you brotherly to be reconciled to the true church of God I meane the Church of England wherein you finde not so many idolaters Necromancers heretikes adulterers Sodomites churchrobbers periured persons mankillers Runnagates mōsters Sicophants Clawbacks slaundering tongues scribes and pharises as you may easely finde in the church of Rome Boast not of the succession of your Pope S. Paul sayth Rom. 10.17 Faith cōmeth not by succession but by hearing and hearing commeth not of legacie or inheritance frō Bishop to Bishop but of the worde of God They are not alwayes godly that succeede the godly Manasses succeeded Ezechias and Ieroboam succeeded Dauid the Prophet By succession the Turke this day possesseth and holdeth the foure great patriarchal Sees of the church Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem Dan. 9.25 Matt. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 Luk. 21.20 By succession Desolation shal sit in the holy place and Antichrist shall preasse into the roome of Christ Thus much welbeloued brethren touching succession of place Now I will speake a litle in confutation of your forged myracles wherewith you seeke to oppugne the true church of Christ and defende your wicked church of Antichrist polluted with all maner of detestable idolatrie and cursed superstition There are two maner of myracles Miracles the one true the other false Myracles are counted false when either they be not that which they seeme to bee or if they be they are not supernatural but are done by vertue of nature and that the Angels either good or bad three maner of waies may bring to passe For sometime the force of nature which they best knowe they accommodate to the matter of which coniunction with efficient causes folowe the effects and that suddenly which effectes are of the beholders thought to bee myracles The deuils knowe that frogs wormes or serpents bee ingendred of putrefacted and rotten things so that there be put heate in certain degrees in consideration whereof seeing that it is not a hard thing for them to do these things which by nature maye bee wrought it is the easier to deceiue the weake of beliefe And by this meanes S. August de Trin. lib. 3. Augustine thought as he writeth in his third booke of Trinity Pharaos Magicians sometime to haue done the same Moreouer the coniunctions of the spirits of bloud and of humors do much disquiet mens bodies from whence proceede the sights or visiōs of things which are in those things conserued in the same motion before they come into the phantasie or imaginatiō and by the same reason and order wherewith the spirit is troubled it ioyneth them together which thing appeareth in such as be Phrentique Wee are not bound of necessitie to beleeue all such myracles whatsoeuer without exception Alexander of Hales sayeth Par. 4. quaest 53. Mem. 4. ar 3. solut 2. In sacramento apparet caro interdum humana procuratione interdum operatione diabolica In the Sacrament it selfe there appeareth flesh sometyme by the conueyance of men sometime by the woorking of the deuill Likewise saith Nicholaus Lyra Lyr. in 14. Dan. Aliquando in ecclesia fit maxima deceptio populi in miraculis factis a Sacerdotibus vel eis adhaerentibus propter lucrum Sometime euen in the church the people are shamefully deceiued with feigned miracles wrought either by the Priestes or els by their companions for lucres sake Miracles be not euermore vndouted proofes of true doctrine therfore Saint Augustine saith vnto the Manichees Miracula non facitis Aug. lib. 13. quae si
or whereas Saint Peter sayth 2. Pet. 2.3 Per auaritiam fictis sermonibus negociantur de vobis Through couetousnesse by feyned talke they make sale of you that by these words they gaue vs warning of the very fourme and doctrine of your purgatorie for better authorities then these be that I recken you can lightly finde none And whereas you tell vs out of some heathenish fantasie that sinnes can not be washed away but by long space of time and payne in purgatory Saint Cyprian saith In eodem articulo temporis cum iam anima festinet ad exitum egrediens ad labia expirantis emerserit poenitentiā clementissimi Dei benignitas non aspernatur nec serū est quod verum est In that very moment of time euen when the soule is ready to passe and is euen at the lippes of the partie ready to yeelde vp the spirite the goodnesse of our most mercifull God refuseth not repentance whatsoeuer is truely done is neuer too late Saint Chrysostome sayeth Latro in cruce neque vno die opus habebat quid dico vno die Neque breui hora tanta est Dei erga nos misericordia The thiefe on the crosse needed not so much as one daye to repent himselfe What speake I of one day No he needed not one houre so great is the mercy of God toward vs. Saint August Epist 80. sayeth If any man depart hence without repētance Imparatum inueniet illum dies Domini quem imparatum inuenerit suae vitae huius vltimus dies Him shall the daye of the Lorde finde vnprouided whom the last daye of this life findeth vnprouided Saint Ambrose sayth in his booke de bono mortis Qui hic non accipit remissionem peccatorum ibi non erit He that here in this life receiueth not remission of his sinnes shal not be there And S. Hierome in Lamentationes Ierem. lib. 1. cap. 1. Thou shalt not goe foorth thence vntill thou haue payed the last farthing sayth thus Significat semper non exiturū esse quia semper soluat nouissimum quadrantem dum sempiternas poenas terrenorum peccatorum luit Christes meaning is that he shal neuer come out for that he must euermore paye the last farthing whyles he suffereth euerlasting punishment for his sinnes committed in this worlde So sayeth Saint August de sermone Domini in monte lib. 1. Donec soluas nouissimum quadrantem miror si non eam significat poenam quae vocatur aeterna Vntill thou pay the last farthing I maruaile but it meaneth that payne which is called euerlasting Hereby my brethren I thinke it may partly appeare that you maintaine your paynted fyre and paper walles with painted authorities and paper reasons Verely the Christian people of the East church of God which sometime was as great as famous as the Church of the West notwithstanding they beleeued in God and his Christ knewe there was both hell heauen yet in your Purgatory they had no skil One of your Doctors saith Alphonsus de haeresibus lib. 8. de indulgentiis Vsque in hodiernū diem Purgatorium non est a Graecis creditū Vntil this day of the Grecians or of the East church Purgatory was neuer beleued Therfore you can not iustly say that your fantasie herein was euermore accompted vniuersal or catholique Augustine in Psal 85. in deede sometime sayeth There is such a certaine place sometime he denyeth not but there may bee such a one sometime he doubteth sometime againe hee vtterly denyeth there is any at all and thinketh that men are therein deceiued by a certaine naturall good will they beare their friendes departed But yet of this one errour hath there growen vp such a haruest of those massemongers that the masses being sold abroad commonly in euery corner the Temples of God became shoppes to get money and silly soules were borne in hand that nothing was more necessary to be bought In deed there was nothing more gainefull for these men then to sell masses for the dead Your owne Roffensis sayeth Nemo nunc dubitat Orthodous an purgatorium sit de quo tamen apud priscos vel nulla vel quam rarissima fiebat mentio sed Graecis ad hunc vsque diem non est creditum quamdiu enim nulla esset cura de purgatorio nemo quaesiuit indulgentias No Catholique man nowe doubteth of Purgatory wherof notwithstanding among the auncient Fathers there is eyther no mention at all Marke well or very seldome yea euen vntill this day the Grecians beleeue it not for so long as there was no care of purgatory no man sought after pardons So much for Purgatory Nowe I thinke it not amisse my brethren somewhat to speake against your praying for the dead First I wil disproue your praying for the dead by scriptures Then after I will confute the same by the authoritie of the Doctours To beginne with Scriptures I cite the 2. of Samuel 12.22 While the childe was yet aliue I fasted and wept for I sayde who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me that the child may liue But nowe beeing dead wherefore shoulde I nowe fast Can I bring him againe any more I shall goe to him but hee shall not returne to mee Psalme 49.7 A man can by no meanes redeeme his brother hee cannot giue his ransome to God so precious is the redemption of their soules and the continuance for euer Ecclesiastes 9.5 The dead knowe nothing at all neyther haue they any more reward for their remembrance is forgotten and they haue no more portion for euer in all that is done vnder the Sunne All that thine hande shall fynde to doe doe it with all thy power For there is neyther worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest Also 1. Thessalon 4. I woulde not haue you ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleepe that you sorrowe not euen as others which haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 for if we beleeue that Iesus is dead is risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him Wherefore comforte your selues one another with these woordes Thus much for scripture Nowe will I alledge the ancient testimonies of the Fathers Cypr. serm de mort Cyprian in his sermon of mortalitie sayth thus Seeyng that we knowe that our brethren which bee deliuered out of this worlde by the hande and calling of the Lorde are not lost but sent before wee must not here take on vs blacke gownes syth that they haue already there put on whyte garments we must not giue occasion vnto the Paynims that they may deseruingly and by good ryght blame vs or lay to our charge that we doe lament and bewayle them as perished and lost whome wee doe affirme to liue with God and so to proue with the testymonies of our hearts and breake the same faith that we doe professe and set forth by our communication talke Againe
her gouernment But an vnderserued curse hurteth not About Midsōmer last was twelue-month they renued these bulles of excommunication graūted by this Pope Gregory vnder the color name of Pius Quintus published There were fiue hundreth copies printed at Rome as two of you my brethrē can verifie the same and how they were published as I heard at Rome in the Englishe Seminarie at Rheames and were put fast to pillars in the citie These Bulles of excommunication were scattered throughout all Italie Spaine parte of Germanie In these buls of excōmunicatiō forsooth they haue discharged if their discharge shoulde bee credited her highnesse Subiects from their loyaltie obedience to her Maiestie their natural Prince Haue not their Bulles pronounced her Maiestie to be no lawful Queen whom God hath placed ouer vs Haue not their attemptes bene the seede of rebellion and haue they not caused and doe cause to this day many to practise secretly her graces destruction The loyaltie of Papists One of your Readers in Diuinitie positiue I am certayne before two hundreth scholers and not so fewe as one of you may testifie the same most impudently and deuilishly spake that it was lawfull for any man of worship in Englande to giue authoritie to the vilest wretch that is to seeke the death of our soueraigne Queene But God who hath defended her still preserue her And then let K. P. who threatneth and Antichrist Pope Gregory an Italian borne in the citie of Bolonia who prouoketh ioyne their powers together yet shee shall preuayle to their shame to her honour Father Pais a Spaniard borne reader in scholastical diuinity in the Romane colledge at Rome said in the presence of three hundreth scholers at least these were his woordes Bona Papae voluntas trita manifesta est eius crumena parata sed R. P. aut metus subtrahit aut potestatis defectus vetat vt suū in Angliam exercitum ducere non audeat That is the Popes good will is tried and knowne and his purse ready but K. P. either feare withdraweth or power forbiddeth him that hee dare not venter to bring his Army of Souldiers into Englande But least that I be too tedious to my hearers of this first part I wil make an end beseeching you my brethren to become loyall and faythfull to your naturall Prince forsaking your superstitious Idolatrie and cursed religion your pompous glorie and prowde hierarchie and thus much for the first part The second part Qui veniunt ad vos vestitu ouium c. Which come vnto you in sheepes clothing c. In this place being the secōd part of my diuision whē the holy Ghost biddeth vs Beware of false prophets he addeth also a note or marke to know them by in these words Which come vnto you in sheepes clothing In the first words which come vnto you there is also giuen vs one mark of a false prophet that is to go before he be sent in the last words In sheepes clothing is shewed that when false prophetes come it is but with flatterie dissimulation For to come in sheepes clothing is nothing else but to feine himselfe a sheepe that is to make thy selfe holy whereas thou art nothing lesse to name thy selfe a follower of Christes holy worde wheras thou art obedient to the traditiōs of mē to name thy selfe a Prophet whereas thou art not to name thy selfe a teacher of the trueth wheras thou art a maintainer of lies to resemble a sheepe in outward shew but in wardly to be a Foxe What a false prophet is you may know if ye reade these places of scripture that follow to witte Esa 56. Ierem. 6.23 Ezech. 22.34 Philip. 3.4 and the 2. to Timoth. 3. Titus 1.2 Pet. 2. Luk. 16. Rom. 16. For whiles they giue themselues vnto couetousnesse and that vnder a colour of godlinesse what can otherwise fall out then that which S. Peter sayth With fained wordes they shoulde make marchandize of Gods people 2. Pet. 2.3 So did the false Prophetes amongst the Iewes so did their sacrificers Matt. 15.5 with them as our massemōgers haue done with vs. What maner worshipping of God haue they feyned what snares haue they laide namely Indulgences purgatorie watchings masses for the dead workes of supererogation in fine to that passe they brought it that obscured the grace of our redemption wherewith al such as beleue by Iesus Christ are freely redeemed and get eternall life No man thinketh amongst the Papistes but they either deserue eternall life by reason of their owne workes or els if their outward workes fayle to be damned for euer This is that same diabolicall perdition with the sway whereof a great part of Christendome is caried headlōg And the cause hereof is that men haue ytching eares and therfore procure vnto themselues heapes of teachers 2. Tim. 4.5 to feede their fonde humors men are highminded self willed louers of themselues beyng wedded to their owne wayes and marryed vnto their owne deuices they leaue the law of God and follow after the traditions of men What I praye you is the cause that there be so many papistes in England is it not because the true preachers are not beleeued The trueth offendeth them the Scriptures mislike them they are delighted with falsehoode and content to staye themselues vpon mens inuentions Preceptes are giuen yet the precepts of God are not regarded ensamples abounde and yet the ensamples of the constant faithfull martyrs of God are derided and scoffed at the wholsome counsels of the godly eyther are lightly contemned or else heard with so small profite that they enter in at the one eare and goe out at the other Is it then to be maruayled if Christ suffer these pretensed prophetes the Papists I meane to seduce them from his trueth reade 1. of the kings 22.22 In Achab the like hath bene done before and in Ezech. 13.10 22.28 we reade of them that buylded with vntempered morter Seeing then that they will not giue credite vnto Gods worde and therewith be contented God is not to be blamed if that these false prophetes deceyuing them with an outward shewe of holinesse he giue them vp to strong delusions 2. Thess 2.11 that they fall from the trueth to error from light vnto darkenes from heauen to hell Such as teach them the trueth are despised and others that instruct them in the dregges of idolatrie are esteemed and had in great reputation These false prophets that they may bring these carnal men vnto perfection they tell them how their forefathers liued whē they embraced papistrie howe that in comming to Churches they were very diligent in worshipping of images they were deuoute howe paynefull in visiting holy places howe liberall vnto the poore howe mercifull to the afflicted and lastly howe carefull they were to keepe Gods commandements Where be all these good workes saye they what is become of them Nowe one man seeketh to beguile another
hee in his first treatise against Demetrian When we bee once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentance there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is here eyther lost or wonne euerlasting saluation is here prouided for by the due worshipping of God and the fruites of faith then we shall bee without the fruite of repentance griefe of payne In vaine shall weeping bee prayer shal be of no force or effect Augustine in his first booke and 12. chapter of the time August De temp Therefore all these thinges that is to wit the looking vnto the corpes or caring for it the conditiō of the burying and the pompe of the funerals are rather for the comforte of the liuing then for the ayde and helpe of the dead If costly and precious burying doe profite the vngodly vyle burying and none at all shall hurt and hinder the godly The multitude of seruants did in the sight of men make excellent and glorious funerals vnto that rich man that was all clothed in purple but the ministery of Angels made much more excellent and noble funerall in the sight of God vnto the poore silly creature that was ful of skabbes blaynes and sores for they did not lay him in a tombe of marble but did cary him into the bosome of Abraham Likewise in his fyrst treatise vpon the Epistle of Iohn Whereof doe Schismes come Hereof they come when men say We are righteous we doe pray we doe obteine Hierom in his 13. quest and 2. chap. We knowe that in this worlde wee can be helped one of another eyther with prayers or with counsell but after wee bee once before the iudgement seate of Christ neyther Iob Daniel nor Noah be able to pray for any body but euery man shall beare his owne burthen The councill of Toledo 3. cap. 22.23 qu. 2. cap. qui diui We doe bidde commaunde that they which depart out of this life by the diuine calling of the Lorde bee caryed foorth to their graues onely with Psalmes for we doe altogether forbid the same prayer of funerals that they be wont to sing commonly for the dead Item senten 4. distinct 45. Neque Hee that prayeth for a Martyr doth wrōg vnto the Martyr Against praying for the dead I thought it sufficient to speake thus much Nowe I will speake a worde or two of praying to Saintes First the Scripture forbiddeth it for it is written Psalme 80.11 Giue vs help against trouble O Lord for vaine is the helpe of man Psalme 115.17 The dead praise not the Lorde neyther they that goe downe into the place of silence Esay 63.16 Doutlesse thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel knew vs not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer Nowe for the fyrst If the helpe of man bee in vayne why then do you pray vnto Saintes And If the dead praise not the Lorde to what ende then should they be prayed vnto If Abrahā and Israel who were counted holy in the sight of God knewe not of them that were in earth shall wee thinke that other Saintes haue preeminence aboue the rest No no we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. Iere. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stoode before mee yet mine affection coulde not bee towardes this people Thus sayeth the Lorde Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh fleshe his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lorde Ezechiel 14.14 Though these three men Noah Daniel and Iob were among them they shoulde deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnesse sayeth the Lorde yet I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee from the land of Egypt and thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Sauiour besides me Esther 14.3 O my Lorde thou onely art our King helpe me desolate woman which haue no helpe but thee Matth. 11.28 Come vnto mee all yee that are weary laden I will ease you Iohn 14.6 Iesus sayde I am the way and the trueth No man commeth vnto the Father but by mee To the first If Gods wrath kindled against his people coulde not be pacifyed at the intercession of Moses and Samuel who were Saintes howe can you perswade your selues that Saint George or Saint Gregory or any other Saint may be heard of God praying for you To the second Here is commination of God pronounced against them that put their trust and confidence in man But you put trust confidence in saintes who interpretiuely bee men Ergo this curse toucheth you These holy men Noah Daniel and Iob can doe no more but saue their owne soules they can not with their prayers procure the saluation of other mens soules These three were Saintes and in fauour with God as others be they had the viewe of the glorious maiestie of God as others haue Ergo I inferre If there coulde no helpe be found in them then you may be assured no helpe is to be founde in others To the thirde God telleth vs there is no other Saluation besides him but you my brethren hope to bee saued through the clemencie of your Patrones that be Saynts wherefore I conclude that you breake the commaundements of GOD when hee sayeth that none can saue you but hee alone To the fourth The desolate woman tooke GOD onely to bee her king not some Saint or other her shield her buckler her defence her comforter helper In this her distresse neede she ranne not vnto some Saint to craue helpe at his handes but vnto God himself who was most ready to graunt her requestes Therefore you are much to bee blamed that you will not follow the allowable exāples of others To the fift Christ biddeth vs when wee are driuen to anye straights or are grieued with any kinde of troubles to make our praiers vnto him and not vnto Saints for he maketh no mention thereof and hee promiseth that our petitions shall be acceptable in his sight Seing that of his bountifulnes hee willeth vs to come vnto him why come you not to him why goe you vnto others O stubburne and froward generation O vnthankfull and disloyall subiects You will not come when as you are bidden you wil not receiue Gods gentlenes of himself offred but seeke to craue of his seruants against his will and pleasure To the sixt Christ telleth vs that no man can come to the Father but by him If no man can come to the Father but by Christ Ergo in vayne do you then make your prayers vnto Saints Act. 4.12 Neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued Rom. 10.14 How shall they cal on him in whom they haue not beleeued Iames 1.5 If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to al men liberally Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and cōmeth downe from the
father of lights You see in these places of scripture God telleth vs playnly we cānot be saued by any other neither by this Saint nor that Saint saue onely by Iesus Christ Thus much out of the scriptures Now let vs see what the Doctors speake against your praying vnto Saints First I wil begin with Augustine in his second booke and 8. chap. against the Epist of Parmenian Saint Paul maketh not himselfe a mediatour betweene God and the people but requireth that they pray all one for another being all the members of Christ If Saint Iohn would saye This haue I written vnto you that you sinne not and if you sinne you haue me your mediatour before God and I will intreate for your sinnes as Parmenian the heretique in a certaine place made the Bishop a mediatour betweene God and the people what good and faithfull christian man could abide him Who would looke vpon him as the Apostle of Christ or rather who would not thinke him to bee Antichrist Also vpon the 108. Psal All praier that is not made vnto god by Christ not only doth not put away sin but also is turned into sinne Item in his 3. booke of freewil Wee are not cōmanded to goe to any creature that we may be made blessed but to the creator maker of al things of whom if we be perswaded otherwise then the trueth is we are deceiued with a damnable error Itē in his booke of the spirit the soule 29. cha The soules of thē that are dead are there where they do not see neither heare what thinges are done or chaunce in this life Such is their care for the liuing that they know not what we do euen as our care is for the dead that wee knowe not what they doe Item in his tenth treatise vpon Iohn My mother whome you haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kept the worde of GOD and not because in her the word was made fleshe Item in his booke of the remission of sinnes the 14. chap. The Apostle said truely Bee you folowers of me as I am of Christ He neuer durst saye Bee you iustified of mee as I am iustified of Christ None is iust but Christ iustifying Therefore he sayd He that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnes Who is so bolde therefore to saye I iustifie thee which may not bee said of the Saints but of the holy of holiest that said Beleeue in God Ioh. 14.7 beleeue also in me Againe in his first treatise vpon the Epistle of Iohn From hence commeth schismes when men say We are righteous we make holy the vnholy we doe iustifie the wicked we doe pray we do obtaine Item in 84. treatise vpō Iohn Though we dye brethren for brethren yet the blood of no Martyrs is shed for the forgiuenesse of sinnes which thing Christ hath done for vs. Ambrose vpon the 1. chapter of the Romanes But we obteine Gods fauour from whome nothing is secret as knowing what euery man is meete to haue wee neede no spokesman but a deuout minde for whatsoeuer such a one speaketh vnto God God wil answere him Chrysost in his 2. hom of the woman of Canaan Tell mee woman sith thou art a wicked and sinfull woman how durst thou go vnto him I know sayth shee what I do Beholde the wisedome of the woman she prayeth not vnto Iames she entreateth not Iohn she goeth not vnto Peter shee did not get her selfe to the company of the Apostles shee sought for no mediator but for all these things she tooke repentance for her companion which did fulfill the roome and place of an aduocate and so shee did goe to the high fountaine Item in his sermon of going forward of the Gospel There is no neede of a Porter of a Mediator or minister no neede of Aduocates with God nor of any running and gadding about for to speake fayre vnto other for although thou be alone and without an aduocate and praye vnto God by thy selfe thou shalt obteyne thy petitions Cyrill in his booke of right faith He was taken vp into heauen but as God he is shewed to graunt the petitions of them that worship him if they make their prayers in his name For why is it more meete to giue Saints their asking and to graunt them their petitions then for him which is onely by his owne nature truely God Leo Bishop of Rome in his 81. Epistle Although the death of many Saintes hath bene precious in the sight of the Lorde yet the killing of no Innocent hath bene the propitiation for the worlde The righteous receiued but gaue no crownes and out of the valiantnes of the faithful are grauen examples of patience not giftes of righteousnesse For their deathes were euery one singuler to himselfe and none of them did by his ende paye the debt of another forasmuch as there is our Lord Christ in whom all are crucified all dead and buryed and raised vp againe Erasmus in his booke called the Preacher If any man lacke wisedome let him aske it of God and not of the Saints So much against praying vnto Saintes Here in the first parte of my declaration I haue as you knowe declared a true report of the wickednesse of Rome I beganne with the Cardinals liues proceeded to the Priestes Monkes and citizens and ended with the Pope Seeing you know these reportes to be true for your owne saluation returne to the trueth Bee not obstinate and frowarde in your false opinion You are courteously and gently intreated yet are you neuer the better but rather the worse like Frogs that keepe a great crooking sturre against the light of the Sunne so do you against the glorious and comfortable beames of Christ his Gospell Be satisfied with trueth and abuse not the mercifull lenitie of our gracious Soueraigne lest that the Lordes discipline be restored which shall restraine your spreading poyson and auoyde the hazard whiche otherwise should happen not onely to the church of God amōg vs which might not thriue amidst such pestilent cōbersome weeds but euen to the endāgering which the Lorde of glorie turne from vs of this florishing common weale her Maiesties most royal person crowne dignitie Your malicious cursed practises as cocatrices haue brought forth hatched great dangers to the cōmon weale already If you should be set at libertie without recantatiō escape vnpunished winked at fauoured and spared greater mischiefe shal insue your treasonable practises to the ruine and desolation of this blessed lande which God of his mercie turne awaye from vs. What pestiferous bookes haue our English fugitiues thrust foorth vnto vs defacing Gods holy trueth the Queene her royall Maiestie many of her honorable counsell and sundry of her louing and faithfull Subiects Haue thei not also procured Antichrist Pope Pius Quintus to excōmunicate our Redoubted Soueraigne al thē that cōtent themselues christianly quietly to liue vnder