not write soundly For albeit the Law of Nature by the wonders of heauen and earth did teach them that he that was the Authour of them was mightie and to be loued and feared aboue all yet were they ignorant how to loue and feare him aright Also notwithstanding they had learned by the Law of Nature that for those that did loue and feare him he had prepared a place of eternall ioy and for those that did nor a place of perpetual paine and that the pures could neuer ascend into his glorious presence vntill they were made purer by some kinde of purifying yet for want of true knowledge they conceiued of these things but imperfectly and did but meerely coniecture For howsoeuer it be true that God hath prepared a place of ioy for those that loue and feare him and also a place of punishment for those that doe not and that the best and purest can neuer come into his presence vntill they be made purer by a more perfect purging yet they beeing ignorant of the bloud of Christ by which we should be purified dreamed of a third place in which we should be purged 2 Now the chiefe of these Authours as Tertullian writeth a Tertullian in his Booke De praescriptionibus aduersus haereses and in his booke De anima were Pythagoras Empedocles and Plato Hence it was as Irenaeus testifieth b Jrenaeus lib. 1. cap. 24. that Carpocrates hauing learned out of Plato his Philosophie that mens soules after death must be purified inuented a kinde of Purgatory and out of the opinion of Pythagoras sought to proue it by these words of Christ Matth. 5. Thou shalt not come forth till thou haue paid the vtmost farthing By which we see who were the first founders of Purgatory and also the first place of Scripture that was brought to confirme the Doctrine and to proue a third place for the purifying of soules from sinne Now let vs try out the true sense of that Scripture to see if by it such a place can be proued 3 Our Sauiour said Thou shalt not come forth till c. Matth. 5.26 Vpon which word till because the Papists also inferre that Christ meant that in time he should pay the vtmost farthing and then come forth wee will by another like place shew the word till doth not alwaies import a time following wherein the contrary may be affirmed As when the Lord said to Iaakoh Gen. 28.15 Gen. 28. I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that I haue promised thee Now if this word till doth alwaies intimate a time after wherein a contrary may be concluded then after the Lord had performed his promise to Iaacob he forsooke him But as the Scriptures declare God did neuer forsake him so Christs word till doth not import a time when the debter should pay the vtmost farthing and then come forth but that because he could neuer be able to pay it hee should neuer come forth For if Christ had meant that men could pay the vtmost farthing due for sinne and so release their soules this had beene against himselfe for then what need had any of his paying any one farthing for them Therefore it is cleare that by paying the vtmost farthing Christ meant the euerlasting punishment that should neuer be paid And this is it which Saint Hierome vpon the same Scripture saith c Hierome in his first booke chap. 1. vpon the Lamentation of Ieremy Christs meaning is that hee shall neuer come out for that hee must euermore pay the vtmost farthing whilest he suffereth euerlasting punishment And thus Christian Reader thou seest that by the true sense of those words of Christ they cannot proue a third place Howbeit euen after this manner doe they also wrest diuers other places of Scripture to proue if it were possible a third place euen to the confounding of the whole harmony of the Scriptures which by the expresse names of heauen and hell do assigne but two places and by not any where naming Purgatory deny any such purging place to be 4 In the sixteenth Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospel Luke 16.22.23 our Sauiour Christ speaking of the rich Glutton and of the poore Beggar saith And it was so that the Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome The rich man also died and beeing in Hell in torments hee lift vp his eyes and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome By which words wee see there is but onely two places into which the soules doe passe presently after death namely either into hell or into Abrahams Bosome which is a resting place in heauen for the soules of the faithfull and not a place of pleasure in hell as the Papists dreame Matth. 8.11 For as Christ himselfe saith Matth. 8. Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of heauen Now if Abraham be in heauen Abrahams Bosome must needes bee in heauen Abrahams bosome Therefore there is but onely two places heauen and hell And this is manifestly proued also by these words of Salomon the Wise which saith Eccle. 11. Eccle. 11.3 If the tree fall towards the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth there shall it be To wit abide for euer Now as by trees the learned doe agree is meant people so doe they conclude that by South and North is meant heauen and hell therefore there is but two places Wherefore howsoeuer the iudgement of some of the ancient Fathers was confounded in this Heathenish Doctrine of Purgatory and that Saint Augustine himselfe had doubted of a third place yet by these his owne words he sheweth to all men it was but his errour for saith hee d Augustine in his Sermon of time the 232. Sermon Let no man deceiue himselfe there are but two places as for any third there is none at all he that raigneth not with Christ shall perish with the Deuill without any doubt Againe hee saith e In his 18. Sermon of the words of the Apostle There be two habitations or dwelling-places the one in the fire euerlasting the other in the Kingdome of heauen that neuer shall haue end Againe he saith f In his 5. book Hipognostichon The first place the Catholique faith by Gods authoritie beleeueth to be the Kingdome of heauen The second place the same Catholique faith beleeueth to bee hell where all runnagates and whosoeuer is without the faith of Christ shall taste euerlasting punishment as for any third place wee vtterly know none neither shall we finde in the holy Scriptures that there is any such So then by this we see the case is very cleare there is no third place and consequently no Purgatory 5 Secondly to proue yet a third place Reuelation 6.9 they obiect those words of Saint Iohn in his sixt Chapter of the Reuelation where he saith
forbid and which we ought all to pray God to auert For now we see is the time come for the fulfilling of this Prophesie Lord giue a blessing to my labour and open the eyes of the blinde But now what good effect can wee looke to haue that the fruit of this our labour should any thing at all preuaile to conuert any Papists seeing we finde in the 16. Chapter 10. Verse and 9. Chapter 20.21 Verses of the Reuelation that neither the Word of God nor the iudgements of God shall conuert them surely none were it not that the Lord in the 4. Verse of the 18 Chapter had reuealed that euen to the finall destruction of Babylon he hath yet reserued some to himselfe of which sort therefore we hope it will take effect in some but for the rest we haue had sufficient experience that the more plainer and clearer the truth is made vnto them the more they will labour with their cunning shifts and sophisticall arguments to obscure it yea and if it be possible they will make it seem vntruth Howbeit euen hereby they most euidently declare themselues to be of the fellowship of those Antichristians whom S. Paul 2 Thessalonians 2 chap. sheweth the great Antichrist shall so strongly delude that they shall delight rather to beleeue his lies then Gods truth And that it may appeare to the Reader they are indeed the same what can make it more apparent then their apposing themselues against the Doctrine of Christ himselfe For whereas the Prophet Malachi chap. 4. fore-told of Elias that was to come and that our Sauiour Christ Matth. 11. expoundeth that to be meant of Saint Iohn Baptist in saying of him This is that Elias that was to come Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare They sticke not to appose themselues against his plaine exposition and constantly affirme that the same Elias is yet to come Also notwithstanding the Euangelist Saint Luke in his first chapter 17. Verse sheweth Iohn Baptist to be the same of whom Malachi fore-told who as hee saith Came in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare the way for Christ They say that the end of his comming is to appose himselfe against Antichrist And this is done to make vs beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come But in the meane time their affirming Elias to be yet to come which should come but once and that onely to manifest the Messias to bee verily come What is this but by a consequent to affirme that the Messias is yet to come and so our faith in him that is come is made voyd and of none effect Againe whereas our Sauiour Christ as appeareth Matthew 24. saith And this Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached through out the whole World for a witnesse to all Nations and then shall the end come They peruert both words sense say And then shall Antichrist come And this also is done only to make men beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come that no man should once suspect the Pope to be he albeit the truth forceth all men to beleeue the contrary But it may well appeare they meane nothing lesse then that the truth should come to light for then N. D. the Authour of the Ward-word in alledging the 8. Verse of the 11. chapter of the Reuelation to proue the seat of Antichrist to be in Ierusalem would not haue taken out of the Text the word Spiritually which all men may see the holy Ghost put in purposely to preserue the sense that he might adde a contrary to wit such a sense of his owne as should shadow Rome for appearing to be the seate and the Pope from being Antichrist I say if hee had beene willing the Reader should haue beene resolued by truth he would neuer haue done it But what hath he gotten by this his adding and deminishing too and from the words and sense of that Prophesie let him looke into the 18. and 19. Verses of the 22. chap. of the same Booke and he shall finde it to be no lesse then eternall damnation both of body and soule because it is wittingly done Againe if he had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth he might more easily haue found out the seate of Antichrist to be in Rome then in Ierusalem because the 17. chapter of the Reuelation sheweth it to be in the Citie with seauen hills and which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth but Ierusalem was neuer described by seauen hills nor euer raigned ouer the Kings of the earth nor any other Citie in all the world but Rome therefore not Ierusalem but Rome is the seate of Antichrist Againe if he had been willing that the truth should haue resolued the Reader who hee is that is in deed and truth the great Antichrist hee would neuer haue wrested and falsified so many places of Scripture as appeareth in his Ward-word Page 91.92 he hath done wittingly to proue him a Iewe and to dominiere onely ouer that one Nation of the Iewes I say if hee had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth he would neuer haue done it If he shall charge vs with doing him wrong for saying hee hath wrested and falsified the places he hath cited I say againe not any one of his places doth proue the point if it did then hee hath done himselfe the wrong for that after so many places cited hee bringeth in the 5. Verse of the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which being vnderstood as he would haue it of Antichrist the three next Verses following proueth him a Gentile and a Roman vnto whom as the Text saith Power was giuen ouer euery kindred tongue and Nation and whom the World worshipped So that here he hath vtterly shamed himselfe for that this Text as he vnderstandeth it proueth all his former obiections but Antichristian illusions and fond fables Againe if he had beene willing that the Reader should haue beene resolued by the truth hee would not haue laboured to haue enduced him to beleeue that Antichrist should seduce the Iewes that they should receiue him for their Messias and Sauiour seeing he cannot proue by any one place of Scripture from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of the Reuelation that there shall be any other translation or alteration of the Iewes state to come but onely that in the 11. to the Romans which Saint Paul sheweth shall be their conuertion to Christ and the same to continue to the comming of Christ to iudgement Againe if he had beene willing men should haue beene resolued by the truth hee would neuer haue expounded the Image of the Heathenish Roman gouernement to be a painted picture or a carued Image the likenesse of some kind of cattell or beast onely to blind the World that men should not see the Popish gouernement to be the Image Howbeit let them looke into the 8. verse of the 14. chap. and they shall see and
by the direction of God himselfe as appeareth in the foureteenth chapter of Numbers to Moses and the fourth chapter of Ezekiel where the Lord said vnto him Thou shalt beare the iniquity of the house of Iudah fortie yeares I haue appoynted thee a day for a yeare euen a day for a yeare So that euen by this rule must we count the time of Antichrists reigne euen by these Angels daies Angels daies I say for as the sayd O siander saith * Osiander in his booke of coniccture of the end of the world time of Antichrists raigne page 10. Notwithstanding with vs which be concluded vnder the heauens the course of the Sunne from East to West finisheth our day in foure and twenty houres yet with the Angels that dwell aboue the Circles and orbes of the planets their day finisheth her course whiles the Sunne moueth in her Zodiacke from the South to the North and agayne from the North to the South which is not finished but in one of our yeares Therefore it is certaine there be Angels dayes and those dayes are yeares Daniel 12.12 Reuelat. 13.5 Angâ—ls yeeres An Angels yeere doth containe 360. yeeres after 30. daies to a moneth which the Greeke Astronomers call a Time Now an Angels moneth we finde in the twelfth chapter of Daniel to containe iust thirtie of those Angels dayes and by the fortie two moneths in the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which Bellarmine citeth we find that an Angels yeare doth containe twelue of those Angels moneths for that three times twelue is 36. and sixe moneths for the halfe yeare makes iust 42. which make iust three Angels yeares and an halfe which albeit they be not by the Angel in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation nor by Daniel in his seauenth chapter called yeares in expresse words but A Time times and halfe a time yet may wee truely gather by Daniels words in his fourth chapter that by times he meant yeares for that hee there calleth Nebuchadnezzars seauen Yeares seauen Times By which then wee see that as in that chapter by Times he meant Yeares so in the seauenth chapter he and likewise the Angel in his twelfth chapter of the Reuelation by Angels times meant Angels yeares one of which containes iust 360. of our yeares after thirâ—ie dayes to a moneth which the Greeke Astrologians also call a Time 29 Now then the time of Antichrists reigne being set downe to be three yeares and an halfe it is cleare they be Angels yeares and not three of our yeares and an halfe And the rather because the Angel in the 3. verse of the 11. chap. and 6. verse of the 12. chapter hath set downe that those yeares by which we must count must contayne iust 1260. daies which ours doe not but hath 17. daies and an halfe ouer which if it were but the halfe day would marre their whole matter Therefore seeing those three Angels yeares and an halfe do containe iust those 1260. dayes and that so many of those dayes are so many of our yeares after 30. dayes to a moneth Antichrists reigne shall continue rising and falling 1260. yeares of which counting from Boniface the 3. in whom Antichrist first rose which as we proued before in the third answere was in the yeare of Christ 607. Antichrist hath now reigned a thousand and twelue yeares and two hundred forty and eight are yet to be accomplished if God with the shortning of the world as some vnderstand for her iniquity doe not also shorten his time for his iniquity 30 But now notwithstanding wee haue thus plainely proued the Pope to be hee that shall reigne fourty two moneths and consequently to be Antichrist yet as their manner is I know they will deny it and who then shall decide the matter Truely Bellarmine himselfe shall be one Saint Bernard another their Robertus the Dominican Frier another Bellarmine howsoeuer in all his former obiections hee laboured to proue a Iew to be Antichrist that should domintere ouer that one nation of the Iewes onely yet heere hee wresteth the Scripture to haue vs to vnderstand that Romish Gentile mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of the Reuelation vnto whom the Text sayth Power was giuen ouer euery kinred tongue and nation to be he So that heereby he hath proued all his former Obiections but very fond coniectures and meere fables Also whereas the Text sayth that vnto the same beast Was giuen a mouth to speake blasphemy and to keepe warre with the Saints their Saint Bernard also vnderstanding this of the great Antichrist sayth thus of the Pope x Bernard in his 25. Epistle That beast that is spoken of in the booke of the Râ—uelation vnto which beast is giuen a mouth to spâ—ake blasphemy and to keepe warre with the Saints is now gotten into Peters Chaire and there sitteth as a Lyon prepared to his prey Againe speaking of the Popish Priests and Ministers he saith plainly thus y Supra canâ—â— serm 33. They serue Antichrist Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Their Dominican Frier saith z Rovertus in his 3. vision I sawe in a vision in the Pallace of Lateraine and in the Porch before the Chaire of Prophero where triall is made whether the Pope be a man or not how that an huge Serpent tumbled it selfe vpon a thicke and great reed making a great noise and the Spirit sayd vnto me This Serpent is Antichrist and his condemnation is at hand To conclude this matter their Bishop Cornelius bewayling the miserable estate of both Spiritualtie and Layetie in the Romish â—urisdiction sayth a Cornelius oratio Cornelij Epistle Bnon 〈◊〉 3. Domâ—â—â—ca aduent in Conâ—â—l Trident. habita Would God they were not fallen wholy with one consent from Religion to Superstition from faith to infidelitie and from Christ to Antichrist Ergo the Pope is Antichrist by their owne confession 31 But now whereas wee affirmed Antichrist first to arise in Boniface the third Bâ—shop of Rome of that name because in him was the order of vniuersal Bishops established by the Emperour Phocas let vs heare what their Saint Vincent saith hereof b Vincent in his Treatise of the end of the World amongst other things fore-shewing of two kinde of Antichrists one to be an open professed enemie to Christ and all sorts of Christians the other he said shall be a mixed kinde of Antichrist And this said he shall be an euill Pope made by an euill Prince of great power who shall place his euill Pope in the Prouince of Babylon And to this mixed Antichrist saith he many Prelates shall adhere Also their Saint Bridgit hauing declared the great ruine of the Church vnder the Popes and the desolation of many soules by their meanes saith c Bridgit 3. Booke 27. Chapter Yet know for all that that betweene the time of humble Peter and the time that Boniface did mount vp to sit in the seate of Pride many did ascend into Heauen Which is
Athanasius Zambadas Leontius Marcus  Hermon Eudoxius Iulius  Matarius Anianus Liberius  Maximus Meletus Damasus  Cyriâ—â—ius Euzoius Siricus  Herenius Dorotheus Anastatius  Herenius Paulinus Innocentius  Heraclius Euagrius Zozimus  Hilarius Dorothus Bonifacius  Cyrillius Meletus Calestinus  Iohn Flauianas Xistus  Nepos Prophirus Leo.  Prayllius Alexander Hilarius  Iuuenalis Theodotius Simplicius  Polychronius Iohn Felix  Theodosius Domnus Boniface  Anastasius Maximus Iohn  Martrius Martyrus Agapetus  Salustius Iulianus Siluerius  Helias Basilius Vigilius  Petrus Peter Pelagius  Marcari Steuen Iohn  Eustochius Martirus Benedict  Iohn Calandio Pelagius   Petrus Gregorie the   Cnapheus Great   Palladius    Flauianus    Seuerus    Paulus    Euphremius    Domnus    Maximus   Yet he proueth Rome to be but one of the foure Patriarkdomes and but the third in antiquitie and consequently the Bishop of Rome but one of foure equals and therefore no singular supreame vniuersall head ouer all Wherefore how vainely doe they stand vpon Ireneus his numbering the Bishops of Rome to his time and Saint Augustine to his time to proue the succession of Popes from Peters time seeing neither of them gaue them the name of Popes but Bishops and Priestes Number the Priests from Peters seat saith S. Augustine * August in Psal contra partem Donati and see who succeeded one another in that rowe of Fathers And elswhere he gaue them the name of Bishops but neuer the name Popes therefore to his time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christ those that Ireneus and he two hundred yeares after numbered were not Popes as the Popes of Rome are now but such Bishops as we haue now Also with small credit can they stand vpon the succession of vniuersall Popes seeing their Prophetesse Saint Bridgit saith of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope x Bridgit in her 27. chap. of her third Booke Hee did mount vp to fit in the Chaire of pride Which sheweth the Popes Chaire not to bee the Chaire of Peter Also their Paâ—acelsus in a Prophesie of his said thus to the Pope y Paracelsus in his 12. figured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue for thou art a yoake and a burthen too heauie to be borne hence it is holy Father S. P. that thou fallest Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God and hee shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought Againe in vaine doe the Popes themselues boast to be of that sort of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter seeing their Saint Elizabeth saith thus vnto them in the person of Christ z Elizabeth against the Church of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They swallow vp the carnall and temporall things of my people and doe not minister vnto them spirituall things and euen they that doe walke vnder my name doe not feare to persecute mee in my members Behold and consider saith to her the Angel of her vision how the soueraigne high Priest the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his obedience walked in the middest of his Disciples not in the height and haughtinesse of a Lord but in the humilitie of a seruant c. Behold his blessed seede the ministers of your spirituall vocation the holy Apostles and their successors of whose societie yee doe glorie c. Consider if their waies were like yours doe not beleeue that they were for their waies were faire and streight but yours are disordered filthie and foule They did not walke in the haughtinesse of their hearts nor in the tumultuousnesse of a proud traine nor in couetousnesse of worldly wealth nor in the costlinesse of clothing c. Neyther was there running after Hawkes and Hounds but in all sinceritie they traced the footsteps of the great Pastor c. Behold the head of the Church crieth but his members are dead for the Apostolicall Sea is beset with pride and auarice and is filled with iniquities and wickednesse They scandalize my sheepe and make my people to erre Againe their Saint Bridgit in the person of Christ expostulating the matter with Pope Gregorie the eleuenth saith thus vnto him a Bridgit lib. c. â—ap 142. Why doest thou hate me so much and wherefore is thy boldnesse and presumption so great against me for thy worldly Court marreth and spoyleth mine that is heauenly and thou presumptiously robbest me of my Sheepe Moreouer thou pluckest from me violently innumerable soules and sendeth to Hell fire almost all that come to thy Court because thou doest not giue diligent heed to those things that belong to my Court. Therefore how can we beleeue that these Popes are of the same ranke of Bishops which succeeded the Apostle Saint Peter or what credit doth the Church of Rome gaine by the succession of her Popes 9 Againe They are neuer able to proue that Peter was euer called by the Popes titles or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse how can we beleeue that the Popes are the successours of Saint Peter seeing they are neuer able to proue that Peter or any of those Bishops which next succeeded him was euer called by any of the Popes titles For in what booke or Chapter of the Scriptures doe they find that Peter was euer called Our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth Not a pure man but a true God as we proued in our first Chapter and second Section the Pope is called Or where find they that any one of all the Apostles euer called Peter Lord of Lords and King of Kings Or Supreame head of the vniuersall Church or that Peter euer called the Church his Spouse as the Pope doth If they cannot shew so much as any one place to proue it what reason haue we to beleeue it Therefore forasmuch as we finde vniuersall Popes not to be the successours of S. Peter but of Boniface the first vniuersall Pope made and established in the yeare of Christ 607. And that they all hold that without an vniuersall Pope to be head there can be no Church it is without all contradiction that for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ the Papists had no Church For as no head no body no husband no wife so no vniuersall Popes no vniuersall spouse of the Popes By which wee see that plainely condemned for a meere illusion of Antichrist which is so common among them namely that the Popish Church was the most ancient mother of all Christian Churches And as we see it not to bee true so shall we further see also that neither was that first Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome the most ancient and mother Church For as both Ierome b Jerom. catalog eccles Scrip. and Eusebius testifieth c
the person of Christ he saith Esay 63.3 Chapter 63.3 I haue trodden the Wine-presse alone and of all people there is none with me Or that which the Authour to the Hebrewes saith of Christ Heb. 1.3 Chapter 1.3 He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe or that which he saith Heb. 9.26 Chapter 9.26 He hath put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Wherefore as I said if we must imbrace their doctrine for truth then must we reiect the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as erroneous But what saith Saint Ambrose to this partnership in taking away sinne euen thus he saith Å¿ Ambrose in his 9. Booke 76. Epistle The Lord remaineth alone for no man can be partner with God in forgiuing of sinnes this is Christs onely office that hath taken away the sinnes of the World Therefore to restraine the power of Christs sacrifice to that onely one sinne of Adam that so the multitude of our transgressions might be done away by the sacrifice of their Masse is vtterly to ouerthrow the proper prerogatiue of Christ and the whole vertue of his death and passion in which the matter of remission of sinnes iustification and saluation doth onely consist For as the Apostle Saint Paul saith Colossians 1.22 Colossians 1.22 In the bodie of his flesh through death he made vs holy and vnblameable and without fault in the sight of God and set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen Wherefore to bring in any other sacrifice for sinne but onely the oblation of Christs body broken and his bloud shed and that offered by himselfe once for all is vtterly to ouerthrow all whatsoeuer Christ hath done for mans redemption to cast mens mindes into a doubtfull wauering of their saluation to proue the Prophets and Apostles false witnesses and finally to dissolue the whole harmony of the Scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall Hebrewes 9.14 For in that the holy Ghost saith Hebrewes 9.14 Christ offered vp himselfe it is cleare that no sacrifice can serue for sinne but where Christ himselfe is the Priest Also seeing hee saith verse 22. Without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sins Cap. 9.22 if Christ himselfe should come amongst vs and offer himselfe neuer so often and not shed his bloud it could doe vs no good Againe seeing hee saith likewise thus of Christ Verse 25. Not that he should offer himselfe often Cap. 9.25 for then must he often haue suffered since the foundation of 〈…〉 he offering himselfe neuer so often without as 〈…〉 death could doe vs as little good Therefore wâ—â—â—â—eeth not but that the sacrifice of the Masse whereat Christ is not the Priest nor in which the bloud of Christ is shed nor he suffering death how often soeuer it be celebrated for our sinnes profiteth iust nothing at all nor doth any good Nay rather who seeth not what hurt it doth in that men are induced to looke for that there which indeede is not there to be had For whereas they make the multitude to beleeue that they sacrifice in their Masse the very body of Christ for their sinnes the Scripture denieth him to be there or any where else but in heauen Heb. 10.12 For as the Authour to the Hebrews saith Chap. 10.12 This man after hee had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from thence tarrieth till his enemies bee made his foote-stoole which as Saint Luke sheweth Acts 3.21 is till the end of the World and therefore how can they come by his body to offer in their Masse As for that they say it is easily to be come by because by the words of consecration the bread is transubstantiated into the body of Christ and the wine into his bloud is easily confuted by Saint Chrysostome Theodoret Pope Galasius and their Bishop Fisher Chrisostome saith t Chrisostome Ad Caesatima Monachum The bread when it is sanctified by meanes of the Priest it is exalted to the name of Lords body yet the nature of bread doth still remaine Againe he saith v Hom. 11. on Matthew The very body of Christ it selfe is not in the holy vessels but the mistery thereof is there contained Theodoret saith * Theo. in Diologue 1. The sacramental signes goe not from their owne nature after sanctification Pope Galasius saith x Gala. against Eutiches There leaueth not to be the substance of bread and wine nor the nature of wine Their Bishop Fisher saith y Fisher against Luther No man shall proue by the very words of the Gospell that any Priest in these our dayes doth consecrate the very body and bloud of Christ And a little after hee saith Neither is there any word found here meaning in the new Testament to proue that there is the true presence of Christs flesh and bloud in our Masse So that by this who seeth not how impiously they delude the ignorant in making them to beleeue that they haue the body of Christ in the Pixe or Priests boxe to sacrifice for their sinnes and cause them also to commit idolatry in adoring the bread for Christ 6 Now therefore Christian Reader forasmuch as thou heardest before that the holy Ghost maketh it a necessitie that so often as Christ is offered for sinne hee must as often be crucified to death it is cleare that the Papists necessitie of daily offering bringeth in with it a necessitie of daily crucifying and killing of Christ Wherefore in ordayning an order of daily sacrificers of Christ what else doe they but establish an order of daily crucifiers and killers of him in which therefore it is euident they shew themselues much more horrible and vile then Iudas did in betraying of Christ For notwithstanding Iudas for filthie lucre deliuered his Maister to be crucified yet did he not seeke to procure an order for the continuall crucifying of him neyther to iustifie his action did hee contend with the gaine sayers but with great horrour of conscience condemned it as euill and after a sort repented and brought againe the money the hier of his fact and deliuered it backe to the owners but these murtherers not onely contend for the necessity of that they doe but also haue receiued great summes of money oftentimes to sacrifice and consequently to crucifie Christ and yet haue they not by restoring any part thereof shewed so much as that signe of Iudas his outward repentance Moreouer it is very cleare that this their doings hath a farre worse effect then Iudas his action had for Iudas his action in respect of Gods determinate counsell furthered mans saluation but the necessitie of daily sacrificing for sinne vnder the Gospell vtterly ouerthroweth mans saluation Malac. 1.11 And yet notwithstanding they sticke not to say that this is that Sacrifice of the New Testament which the Prophet Malachie fore-tolde God had appoynted the Christian
1. Inocentius 3. Nicholas 5. Anastatius 1. Damassus 1. Alexander 3. Calistus 2. Lando 1. Leo 8. Vrbanus 3. Pius 1. Iohn 7. Victor 1. Clement 3. Paul 2. Leo 5. Steuen 8. Gregory 9. Xistus 1. Steuen 6. Nicolas 2. Inocentius 4. Inocentius 7. Iohn 8. Alexander 1. Haedrian 5. Alexander 5. Leo 6. Gregory 6. Iohn 17. Pius 2. Steuen 7. Victor 2. Nicolas 3. Iulius 1. Martinus 3. Vrbanus 1. Martin 4. Leo 9. Agapitus 1. Paschalis 2. Honorius 4. Â Iohn 9. Gelasius 1. Nicholas 4. Â Leo 7. Gallistus 1. Calestinus 4. Â 2 These euen from the very time of the decease of their predecessour and head began to put in practise their Antichristian authority receiued from him for the subduing of all Churches that did resist them amongst which the Church of Rauenna was one which as the Popes Decretall testifieth thought scorne to be brought in subiection to Rome neuerthelesse the same Decretall declareth that in the end Pope Domnus made her to yeeld And this was about 64 yeeres after the first vniuersall Pope Also the same Decretall declareth that the Church of Aquila resisted but yet about some 20. yeeres after the other Pope Sergius got the victory and forced her to yeeld And thus did they continue vanquishing all Churches in the West part till neere Luthers time But yet not so but that maugre the heads of all the Popes we had a Church continued in the Romish iurisdiction till within some 20. yeeres before Luthers rising though not alwaies a standing state but a dispersed company scattered here and there by meanes of persecution Reuelat. 12.14.15.16 wherein that prophecie was fulfilled Reuel 12. which testifieth that in the time of Antichrists reigne the Church of Christ within his dominions should be driuen into the wildernesse of this world and great floods of persecution sent after her to ouerwhelme her but as the Text saith The earth opened her mouth and swallowed vp the floud That is she was preserued by meere temporall and earthly people for amongst the spiritualtie both she and her seed were holden as heretiques and that chiefly for these causes First for that when as they saw that vniuersall dominion which the Pope had gotten ouer the Clergie they affirmed him to be that Angell of the Bottomlesse Pit prophecied of in the 11. verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation that should attaine to be king of the Clergie whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke named Appolyon which in English signifieth a destroyer Secondly for that when as they saw the Pope to bring into the Church and establish for Principles of Religion his Heathenish vnwritten verities The Pope reuealed himselfe to be Antichrist and those olde heresies wherewith the false Apostles and other Heretiques had corrupted the puritie of the Gospell and that he did offer them to the Church in the name of Christs Gospell they affirmed him to be that whore of Babylon foretold in the 4. verse of the 17. chap. of the Reuelation that should offer to the world The abhomination and filthinesse of her fornication in a golden Cup to wit in the name of Christ Thirdly for that when as they saw the Pope gotten aboue the Secular powers and that Emperours and Kings did yeeld him such subiection as to fall downe before his footstoole to kisse his feete to carrie him vpon their shoulders to leade his horse to hold his stirhop whiles hee gets on horse-backe yea euen to become his Vassalles they affirmed him to be the same great Antichrist mentioned in the 13. verse of the same chap. vnto whom the Text declareth The Kings of the earth should giue their power and authoritie Fourthly for that when as they saw the Pope to be come to that great height of pride as we plainely did demonstrate in our first Chapter namely to take vpon him the title of God and to suffer himselfe to be called our Lord God the Pope An vndoubted and true God on earth And to suffer men to prostrate themselues before him and to crie vnto him O thou our Sauiour which takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. And to exalt his power ouer the Angels in heauen diuels in hell and ouer the dead and his decrees aboue the decrees of God and to haue power to fetch out of hell as many soules as he will and place them in heauen they affirmed him to be same Man of sinne and sonne of perdition foretold by S. Paul 2 Thes 2. That should sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe to be God and exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped Lastly for that when as they saw that with tooth and naile he laboured to frame and fashion all things to the similitude of the first beast The Heathen Empire they affirmed him to be that second beast mentioned in the 11. and 12. verses of the 13. cap. of the Reuel which should arise in the Romane kingdome after the Romane Emperours of whom S. Iohn saith thus And I beheld another beast Reuel 13.11.12 comming vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon and he did all that the first beast could doe before him and hee caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast That is by bringing them to honour reuerence and obserue all the former Heathenish and Idolatrous ordinances set vp againe by him Whereunto because that part of our Church among them would not yeeld it grew into contempt with them and was most grieuously persecuted and the faithfull Christians driuen from place to place and from countrie to countrie being of the most part among them taken and holden for notorious heretiques such as they hold vs to be at this day And because they grounded all their assertions vpon those and such like places of Scriptures whereby the Popes calling began to be called into question the Scriptures were forbidden to be written any longer in a knowne tongue and for that cause also it was that they so blasphemously depraued the Scriptures calling them c Pigghius Hierar lib. 3. cap. 3. fol. 203. A nose of waxe an inkie letter a dead letter and a blacke Gospell and that they are none otherwise to be vnderstood then the Pope and his Church will interpret them and that they must follow the Church and not the Church them and that the authority of the Pope and Church of Rome is aboue them Asoius Hosius Hence it was also that Lay men were forbidden to reade the Scriptures perswading them that they did but leade men into errour and that ignorance is the mother of deuotion howbeit all this did nothing preuaile for the faithfull in euery Coast and Countrey among them did the more diligently follow Christs commandement Iohn 5. Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 and that euen in the greatest heate of persecution which was
during those fiery fiue moneths mentioned in the 5. Reuelat. 9.5 verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation which some of the learned doe interpret to be those last 500. yeeres before Luthers time in which Antichrist was growne vp to his full height and power and euen then did God stirre vp a great company of corragious Champions to withstand the Pope and openly and boldly to write speake and preach against him and his proceedings till well towards the rising of Luther a great part of which we will now produce as they thus follow in particular 3 About the yeare of our Lord 1158. which was almost foure hundred yeares before Luthers daies Garhardus and Dulcinus Nauarenses did earnestly preach against the Church of Rome and taught that the Pope is Antichrist that the Clergie and Prelates of Rome were reiected and were become the very whore of Babylon prefigured in the booke of the Reuelation These as the histories doe testifie came into England The two witnesses as they follow are sayd to be two because thâ—y bear witnesse to the two TestameÌ„ts and brought certaine others with them who were by the King and the Prelaetes burned in the foreheads and sent out of the Realme and afterwards were put to death by the Pope In the yeare 1160. * Waldus Waldus one of the chiefe Magistrates of the Citie of Lyons in Fraunce was terrified at the sight of one that fell downe dead suddenly he shewed great fruits of repentance both by exercising the workes of mercie in relieuing the poore and also by instructing himselfe and his family in the word of God and in exhorting all that resorted vnto him to the same and by translating certaine places of Scriptures into the French tongue which he declared vnto many He and a great number that receiued instructions by him maintained the same doctrine drawne out of the holy Scriptures which we doe now condemning the Masse to be wicked the Pope to bee Antichrist and Rome to be Babylon c. They were threatned and by violence of persecution scattered into many places and some of them remained long in Bohemia In the yeare 1212. An hundred burned in one day the Pope caused an hundred persons in the Country of Alsatia whereof diuers of them were Noble men to be burned in one day for maintaining doctrine against the Romish Church About the yeare of Christ 1230. The Graecians renounced the Church of Rome almost all the Church of the Graeciaens renounced the Church of Rome because of their execrable Simony and such like abominable wickednesse In the time of the Emperour Frederike the second about the yeare 1240. there was in the Countrey of Sweuia many Preachers which preached freely against the Pope and his Prelates affirming that they were Heretiques Simonackes and such like About the yeare 1250. rose vp Arnoldus de nona villa a Spaniard Arnoldus a man famously learned and a great Writer hee impugned the errours of the Popish Church and taught Guilielmus that the Pope led the people to hell About the same time Guilielmus de sancto Amore a maister of Paris and chiefe ruler of that Vniuersitie applied all the testimonies of Scripture which are touching Antichrist against the Popish Clergie About the yeare 1290. Laurence an Englishman Laurence and a maister of Paris mightily proued the Pope to be Antichrist and the Synagogue of Rome to be Babylon the Pope after his death caused his bones to bee taken vp and burned Robert Gallus At the same time Robert Gallus a man of noble parentage impugned the Pope of Rome and his Clergie calling the Pope an idol Robert Grostid Also about the same time Robert Grostid Bishop of Lincolne a man famously learned in three tongues wrote diuers Inuectiues against the Pope prouing him to be an heretike after his death the Pope would haue had his bones digged vp but was terrified by a Vision About the yeare 1350 the Lord raised vp diuers learned men Gregory Arminensis which openly and boldly impugned the Pope and the Church of Rome Gregory Arminensis who layed open the abuses of the Romish Synagogue and confuted the Popish doctrine of free-will In Germany a Preacher taught likewise Petracha Franciscus Petracha at the same time called Rome The whoore of Babylon the Sanctuary of heresie and Schoole of errour Johannes derupe Scissa And a little before that Iohannes derupe Scissa was cast into prison for rebuking the Popish Prelates for their detestable enormities and for that hee called the Church of Rome The Whoore of Babylon the Pope the Minister of Antichrist and the Cardinalls false Prophets And being in prison hee wrote a booke prophecying of the afflictions which hanged ouer the heads of the Romish Clergie Couradus Hager Also there was maister Conradus Hager who taught more then twenty yeares against the Masse hee was afterwards shut vp in prison Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Petrus de Carbona Iohannes de Poliaco Also one Gerardus Ridder wrote a booke against the Monkes and Friers which he entituled Lachrime ecclesiae About the same time Michaell Cesenas and Petrus de Corbona and Iohannes de Poliace were condemned by the Pope and his adherents The said Michaell wrote a booke against the pride tyrannie and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome Babylon That whoore drunke with the blood of the Saints He left behind him many followers of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope and some of them were burned Two Friers About the same time two Friers were put to death in Auinion for matters which they had against the Pope one of them was called Iohannes Rochetailiada who did preach that the Church of Rome is Babylon the Pope and Cardinalls Antichrist About the yeare 1360. was set forth a writing against the Pope and his Clergie The Plowmans complaint Armachanus called the Complaint of the plow man About the same time Armachanus an Archbishop in Ireland was raised vp against Antichrist he was a man of great learning and godlinesse his troubles were many and his deliuerances great by Gods prouidence In the yeare of Christ 1364. Nicolas Orme Nicolas Orme preached a Sermon before the Pope and his Cardinalls in which he rebuked the Popish Prelates and affirmed their destruction not to be farre off About the yeare 1370. liued Mathew Parisiensis a Bohemian Math. Parisiensis who wrote a large booke of Antichrist and noteth the Pope to be the same About the yeare 1384. Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Nilus wrote also a large booke against the Romaine Church About the yeare 1390. many were put to death for the Gospell refusing the doctrine and worship of the Church of Rome as at Bringa there were burned sixe and thirty Citizens of Maguntia Many put to death for refusing the Romish religion In the prouince of Narbone there