vppon the earth the wicked reprobats which are departed hence which last may bee called the Church infernall Phile. Why cal you it militant Stupe Because it fighteth warreth against God against Christ Iesus his worde against his glorye and sacred trueth in al things yea and agaynst all godlinesse and vertue in general Phile. Why cal you it the Church infernal Stupe Because it beeing dissolued liueth in eternal paines suffering in the iustice of God the punishment of euerlasting damnation And euē as the mylitant triumphant Church of God doe make but one body so these Churches of the diuel both which do liue here whiare departed hēce do make but one bodie also the Diuel being the head thereof Philemon What doe you call the Church of God Stupe I cal the Church of God the vniuersal number society of al Christian people dispearsed throughout the whole worlde agreeing together in one trueth one faith and one hope of eternal life by Iesus Christ. Phile. What be the marks and tokens wherby this church is knowen and discerned from the Church malignant and sinagogue of sathan Stu. They bee many but especially these The true preaching of the worde of God the due administration of the sacramentes the execution of Ecclesiasticall discipline according to the prescript rule of Gods woorde and the like So that where thou seest these things duely truely practised know thou that there is the vndoubted church of God Upon the other side where thou seest all these things neglected as it is in the papacie nay cleane impugned knowe thou that there is not so muche as the face of the true visible Church of God but the coūterfeit church of Sathan where the Diuel maketh his continual residence Phile. Seeing that the Lorde hath his Churche his beloued spouse and chosen congregation in this worlde whō hath he constituted the supreme head and gouernour of the same Stupe Christ Iesus whose the bodie is muste needes bee the heade of the Churche according to the saying of the Apostle I will that you knowe that Christ is the heade of euery manne Agayne God hath made al things subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer al things to be head ouer y e church In another place he saith But let vs folowe the truth in loue and in all things grow vp in him which is the head that is Christ. And to the Collossians he saith plainly thus And hee meaning Christ is the head of the bodie of the Churche Againe in the second chapter following he sayth And yee are complete in him which is the hear of all principalitie and power And further in the booke of Samuel he saith Thou hast deliuered mee from the contentions of my people thou hast preserued me to bee head ouer nations c. By all which places besides infinite the like which fearing least I might seeme tedious I omit it appeareth that Christ Iesus onely is the sole true only head of his body the church and not anye other power or principalitie vpō earth whatsoeuer And althogh that Christ bee the onelie vniuersall peremptorie head of his Church yet my meaning is not to denie Christian Princes that lawefull power and authoritie which y e word of god doth alow thē that is to be the chief heads ouer euery seuerall Church or congregation and ouer euery particular person and member of the same within theyr kingdomes and dominions as his Lieuetenaunts and Uicegerents vnder hym to rule and gouerne the people of God by the rule and scepter of his worde Phile. But I haue harde that no christian prince can be head ouer the Church of God but the pope onlie what is your opinion in that Stupe In deede the Pope I will not denie is Supreame head ouer the vniuersall Church vpon the earth but of what vniuersall Church Of the Catholike or vniuersal church of satā acording to my former diuisiō Of this malignant church I confes he is the only Supreme head But ouer the church of God the Spouse of Christe Iesus hee is so farre from beeing head that hee is not so much as a perfect member of the same For proofe whereof doe marke but thys one reason he that impugneth the worde of God and the doctrine of Christ Iesus wittyngly and willynglie is no true member of Christe Iesus But the Pope as the worlde beareth witnesse in all his Actes Dooinges and Proceedynges generally impugneche the woorde of GOD both wittinglye and willingly ergo neither hee nor any of hys Adherents are the true members of the mysticall bodie of Christe Iesus And notwythstandinge that hee is conuinced both by the worde of GOD the testimonie of his owne conscience the common verdict of all the woorlde that he is so farre frō being the supreme heade ouer the Uniuersall Churche of Christe vppon the earth that hee is not any true member thereof yet hee beareth or woulde beare the worlde in hande that hee is the onely Supreame head ouer the Churche of GOD that Christe Iesus hath made and constitute hym his Uicare and Lieuetenaunt generall to rule and reigne according too hys owne corrupt humour But howe falsly hee arrogateth this superioritye to hymselfe euery manne except wilfullie blynde maye perceyue For is not the Church of GOD the wyfe and Spouse of Christe Iesus Than howe dareth he challendge to be head ouer another mans wife Is he not a verlet that will require it and is not the wife a harlot that will permit it And is not that a monstrous bodye whiche hath moe heads then one Therefore co conclude Christ Iesus is the only Supreme head of the Churche and not the Pope The Pope hath his Churche to wit the malignant church Sinagogue of Satan whereouer he is head And as for the Church of God hee may let it alone for he hath no part nor fellowship therein except hee repent and conuert in time Phile. Who was the first of those lustie bruites that challendged this Supremacie before all others Stupe It is saide that Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople beganne to take vpon him to bee called the supreme head or vniuersall Bishop ouer all christendome Then Bonifacius the thirde Bishop of Rome seeing that to bee called head ouer all the worlde was a glorious title obteined of Phocas the Emperour to be called head ouer al the world in the yeere of our Lord .680 And thus was the egge laid that hatched this Cokatrice with all his filthie pewling brood Phile. There hath bin is great controuersie amongst many concerning the Pope of whom yet hitherto I could neuer heare a perfect description I pray you therefore what is the Pope Stupe Are you such a simple foole that you knowe not what the Pope is Hee is a manne as others are but in all kinde of mischiefe farre surpassing any who by blood
pit as it were spewed out of the Diuels mouth that the truth was altogether obscured Then Antichrist the pope sprong vp challenging superioritie ouer all the face of the earth and he begun the Romish religion so euery one succeeding him put to somwhat yea euery Frier Monk Abbot Prior Prouost parson Vicar Cardinal and euen al in general added to it euery one a patch So that the papists religi if it may bee called a Religion is nothing els than the shreddes the peeces and patches the drosse dregs of corruptible meÌ„ ours the doctrine of the holy ghost But although that it could not be proued that our doctrine is auÌ„cienter then theirs yet the truth of the same dependeth not vpon the antiquity For Christ saith in the Gospel Ego sum via veritas vita I am the way the truth and the life He saith not I am custome I am antiquity And therfore I say Antiquitas sine veritate est vetustas erroris Antiquity without truth is the auÌ„cient of error Custome nor antiquity caÌ„ not make that true whiche in the beginning was false neither can the nouelties or newnes of anye thing make that faise which of it selfe is true Hereby it is manifest that the papistes doctrin is a doctrine of noueltie I had almost said of diuilry and ours a doctrine of al auncientnes the auncientest and yet wold they carry awaye the truth with a counterfeit shew of antiquitie And whereas also they depend so much vpon vniuersality forsooth god be thanked their doctrin is not so vniuersal as they make fare of For if y e nuÌ„ber of theÌ„ that haue receiued it bee compared to the number of theÌ„ that haue not receiued it they shal seeme not to bee one for a thousande naye not one for ten thousand For all the Easte churche neuer receyued his doctrine the Greeke Church neuer admitted it The greatest parte of Italy of FrauÌ„ce of FlauÌ„ders Rushia Muscouia Denmarke England Scotland Ireland and many other countries besides haue vtterly cast off his Antichristian yoke vsurped gouernment And therefore is not his doctrine so vniuersal as he wold perswade the world But they will saye who shal be iudge of the truthe of our and your Doctrine betwixt vs I aunsweare the word of God according to this saying of our sauiour Christ. Verbum quod ego predicaui vobis iudicabit nouissimo die The woorde that I haue preached vnto you shall iudge in the last daye But to leaue their doctrine and to come to their liues it is obiected they liue well and are plentifuller in good works then we therefore their doctrine and their faithe is the truth I aunswere there is a non sequitur or rather a mere Fallax in this argument for good works before the world is one thing good workes before God is another Those which in the eies of the worlde seeme to bee good works may be before god most filthy abhominable except they spring out of a liuely faith it is vnpossible they shuld please God as Paule sayeth The Iewes the Turkes the Paganes and Infidels doe good workes outwardly as it shoulde seeme but because they are wythout Faith they please not God And euen suche are our Papystes good woorks if they may be called Good works and not rather Ciuilia opera Ciuel woorkes or woorks of office which the Diuelles them selues may doe Besides this if they doe any good workes they are most detestable and lothsome before God because they seeke to be iustified and saued by them yea to merite heauen to make God greatly indebted and beholden vnto them And therefore I conclude that the papists although they do neuer so many good works outwardly yet are they but hypocritical and no true good woorkes indeed They erre in the nature of good works also for those wherevpon the Lorde hath set his seale and brande of curse and malediction for euer they call good workes as namely the building and erecting of Abbeies nunneries priories monasteries other religious houses guilding of Images erecting of Idols and statuaries in churches creeping and offering to crosses giuing of money to buy cups chalices copes other rich ornameÌ„ts of the church To bestow largely vpon bels but specially vpoÌ„ priests and clarks to sing masse for their soules diriges treÌ„talles Ladyes Psalters suppressing of Gods worde slaying murthering killing of Gods Saintes for the maintenaÌ„ce of their kingdom a thousaÌ„d like which they cal good works but indeed are y e works of the Diuel But such as the worde of God doth commend vnto vs for good works as namely to visit those that are in prison to clothe the naked to feed the hungry to lodge the harbourlesse to relieue the poore needy to helpe poore orphanes widows and fatherlesse to their ryght and such other good woorks with them they haue nothing to do or if they haue they doe them in such sorte and with such a mind and intention as they are not to be called good works in respect of the end as I haue shewed before Thus we see right honourable most illustrious Lord how they delude the worlde with their pretenâ—ed shew of good works and doctrine neyther whereof are agreeable to the word of God For as for them they haue not nor will haue anye thing in the Churche but mens traditions humaine inuentions and vaine constitutions of corruptible men formed and framed in the forge of their own deceiptfull brayns whereas the Lorde speaking from heauen saith Hic est filius meus dilectus ipsum audite This is my welbeloued sonne heare him heare him And in the Gospel after S. Matthew our sauiour Christ saith In vain doe they worshippe me teaching the doctrines and traditions of men And yet for all this they will haue nothing in the church but the vaine traditioÌ„s of men cleane contrary to the word of God And as for their adulterate liues if any man waigh theÌ„ in the ballauÌ„ce of impartial iudgment he shal find them worse then the Sodomites how soeuer they blanch them and set a glosse vpon them to bleare the eies of the world withal And no maruaile that they liue most vilely For wheÌ„ they haue done they haue a tricke of Legerdymayn to obsolue them selues a culpa paena that is from the fault be it neuer so haynous froÌ„ the punishmeÌ„t due for the fault Al which abuses because I haue laid theÌ„ down more at large in the further processe of this booke I wil referre your honor to the same And now my very good Lord to bende to bend my style towards your honour What shal I say May it not be woondred with what face I haue presumed to dedicate this woorke to your Honourable Lordeshippe rather then to many others Truely it maye so But two thinges in especiall haue moued me thereto y e one the Godly affectioÌ„ zeale which your Lordship beareth in sacred brest to the truth of
God his worde and true religion the other the vnfayned goodwill and fidelitie which I euer haue and doe beare to that honorable house the verie diademe and mirroure of true nobilitie And to say truthe to whom should one dedicate the fruites of his labours but to such as be both learned themselues and otherwise famous and illustrious whiche thing yf it be so to whoÌ„ shold I present these few blossoÌ„es of my immature studies rather then to your honorable Lordship whose worthy fame not onely for your incomparable curtesie affabilitie and gentlenes towardes all men but also and in especiall for your singular zeale to God his sacred truth integritie of life liberalitie towardes them that haue need valoure prowesse magnanimitie or els whatsoeuer may decore or beautifie true nobilitie is blowen throughe out all Europe Which brute throughe the golden trumpe of fame sounding in my eares excited me the rather to present this my booke to your sacred honour rather then to anye others moste humblye beseechinge the same not onely to pardon my great presumption in this my bolde attempt but also to receiue the same into your honors patronage and protection defending as well the author from the open violence of malicious enimies as also the booke from the slaunderous tongues of flouting Momus and raylinge Zoilus to whom all good thinges are had in contempte and I shall daylie praye to God for your honorable Lordeshippe long to continue in health and prosperity both of body and soule with increase of much honor reward of laudable vertue and eternall felicitie in the heauens by Iesus Christ. Your honours most humble to command Philippe Stubbes The Theater of the Popes monarchy wherein is described as wel the vncleane liues of that wicked generation as also their Antichristian gouernment and vsurped kingdome together with their horrible superstition and blasphemous religion as it is nowe vsed at this present where Antichrist the Pope and his members doe beare rule The Speakers Philemon and Stuperius Philemon MY friende Stuperius seeing it hath pleased God that we be heare mette togeather at thys present so conuenieÌ„tly let vs spend the tyme in some suche godly talke and communication as both maye tend to the glory of God for to that end chiefly was man ordeined and also to the mutual edification one of another knowing that at the day of iudgement we must reÌ„der accounts not only for al our thoughts words and deeds whether they be good or bad but also for euery least moment of time that hath been lent vs in thys life how we haue spent and bestowed the same Stu. I am very glad brother Philemon to heare you so well affected And with all my hearte I will obeye your good aduertisement and godly request assuring you that I reioyce not a lyttle of such a good companion For indeede as you say all our speeches ought to tende to the glory of GOD. And therefore when we speake wee ought to followe the commaundement of the Apostle who sayeth Si quis loquitur vt sermo Dei loquatur That is If any maÌ„ speake let him speake as the word of God teacheth him Again we haue an other commandement geuen vs by God himselfe in the sixt of Deuteronomie namely that we talke and commune of the worde of God when wee rise vp in the morning when we are at our meat when wee lay vs downe to sleepe when wee walke abroade by the waye when we are at home in our houses or whatsoeuer wee doe els all our communication ought to be of God and of his woÌ„derous workes And the Apostle in another place willeth vs that our communication be such as may giue grace to the hearers and not offence to anye But now adayes the cleaue contrarye is euerye where practysed For if anye man talke of the woorde of GOD neuer so lyttle a whyle doeth it not mouere nauseam as it were that is seemeth it not lothesome when in the meane tyme too talke of bawdrye of filthinesse and vncleanenesse a whole houre a whole daye together yea all their liues thorow seemeth a recreation as they cal it and an exercyse most pleasant But if they would remember what our sauiour Christ saith in the gospel of S. Mathew 12. chap. I think they would take heede what they said De omni verbo otioso homines reddituri sunt raetionem nouissâ—me die That is Men shal giue account of euery ydle word at the day of iudgement Againe hee telleth them that Exsermonibus suis iustificabuÌ„tur ex sermonibus suis condemnabuntur Of their wordes they shall be iustified and of their words they shalbe coÌ„demned If they woulde bee mindeful of this I doubt not but they wold leaue off to interlace their speeches as they doe wyth bawdry scurrilitie wantonnesse blasphemy with swearing cursing and banning rather resembling heerein the infernall furies then sober wyse Christians Phile. You haue saide well And therefore the Apostle Iames biddeth vs if we be merry to sing Psalmes if we be sadde or sorrowfull to pray by whiche rule of the Apostle is forbid and condemned all filthye talke or communication contrary to the word of God all vncleane woordes wanton songues lasciuious sonettes bawdye ballades and all other prophane talke whatsoeuer For wherefore did the maiestie of GOD giue vnto manne the vse of the tongue aboue all other creatures but to this ende namely that he might gloryfie his Creator therewith and edifie his Christian brethren And therfore that wee may discharge our dueties as well in the one as in the other let vs descende intoo some particular poynts which we may handle to the glory of God and our mutuall edification Stupe I am wel contented proceed in Gods name and demaund what you will Phile. I pray you how many churches are there generally Stupe To speake generally there be two Churches to wit the Church of God the Church of the Diuel the beloued spouse of Christ the whoorish sinagogue of Sathan the Electe and the Reprobate the vessels of saluation the vessels of damnation Philem. Howe many folde is the Church of God Stupe Two fold militant and tryumphant Miliâ—â—nt is that which beyng dispersed euery where vppon the face of the earth fighteth and warreth dayly against the Diuell the world the fleshe And Triumphant is that which beeing deliuered out of this life resteth in eternall glory Both which Churches Militant Triumphant as they be meÌ„bers of one misticall bodye Christe Iesus so shal they aâ—ter the dissolution of this life bee vnited together as members of the same body christ Iesus being their head And albeit that they be distinct in tyme and place onely yet make they both but one true Church of God as many members make but one perfect body Phile. Howe manye folde is the Church malignant Stupe Two fold the wicked reprobate which liue here militant
is geuen them by myracle that they build them gorgeous houses stately edifices and sumptuous mansions to dwel in furnished with all kind of necessaries supelleâ—â—iles coÌ„parable to any prince or noble man And these riches they get with their hypocrâ—ticall prayers longe seruice selling of merites by their other apish â—estures of â—â—cking down the head the like by their dissembling hypocrisie filed eloquence seuere grauâ—tie austeritie of life by these crossing and blessing by their deep profound flattery and a thousand such deuises wherein they are so skilfull that they maye seem not practisioners but masters not masters but doctors Out of these puddles proceedeth al their game Thorow the exercise practise whereof they are grown so impudent that ther can be no marriage solemnized neither in towne nor countrie no feast or good cheere any where but these shamelesse friers are redy with boxes in their hands begging crauing money meate drinke and all things els of euery one present Neither can any maÌ„ sit quietly either at dinner or at supper in his house but in comme these beging friers crossing blessing so faring that they wearie euerie manne and away will they not till theyr bellies be ful and their hackes wel loaden also Then when certaine holye times of fasting and praying commeth in that the people must fast pray and do pennance then and neuer vntil then their gaines commeth tumbling in thicke and threefold Then doth euery man hyre theÌ„ too fast to pray and do penance for them and pay them well for theyr labour Besides these deuises they get abundance of their good dames of the couÌ„trie both of cheese puddinges porke bacon brawns sowse corne hemp flaxe bread pyes custards flawnes tarts and what not for al is fish that commeth to net and nothyng commeth amisse that carryeth a pennie or a halfpeny on his back And because they may seeme to giue somewhat agayne they carrye about wyth them tootinge glasses needles pinnes pointes laces ribbons and other pedlary trifles which they bestow vpon their good dames of the country for bussing theÌ„ in the dark Which thing when they be about leaste they should be cumbred with vntrussing of their pointes they weare no hosen at all but long side gownes to the foot so that with litle adoe they may go to their businesse And if the good man chaunce to come in in the meane time find him at it yet must he imagine that he is but in shriuing of her and then al is wel Phile. How many sorts of Friers are there Stupe There bee twoo sortes the rich friers and the pore begging friers The richer sorte the Pope dispenseth withall giuing them leaue that after they haue got their great riches togeather by theyr begginge throughe the world they may builde them gorgeous houses and stately buildyngs plant orchardes Gardens Uineyardes and what they wil purchase landes and liuings as much as they please Then are they called by the names of Lordes beyng ashamed of the names of beggers any longer The poore begging fryers are such as by theyr orders are constrained to remaine in pouertie to beg as long as they liue By theÌ„ the Pope vttereth his merchandize and getteth himselfe into fauour of euery one For the better perfourmaunce whereof they make no conscience to tel lies to preach fables to vtter Canturbury â—ales for the word of God They come raunge all abroad euery where both by sea and land they creepe intoo the bosomes of kings princes noblemen gentlemeÌ„ subiects others seeking by all meanes possible to withdraw them from the way of truth to establish their dads kingdom And thus by this meanes they vpholde the popes estate and their owne credite and wealth Phil. Whatfurther authoritie haue they Stup They haue coÌ„mission graunted theÌ„ froÌ„ y t pope for feare least their proud kingdom should catch any sâ—atâ—e to enquyre after heretikes lollardes other schismatiks which deuide theÌ„selues froÌ„ their blaspemous church By force of which commission like bloddy butchers dogs they trouble good meÌ„ women in the end suck their blood by burning their bodies to ashes if they wil not forsake the truth beleeue their lyes But if there be any out of their iurisdiction whoÌ„ they cannot handle so then fal they the yeere of our Lorde God 1523. And comming to the Pope afterwarde confirmed the same order of Iesuites by his Bulles These holy Iesuites forsooth are vowesses as well as the reste but whereas the others make but 3. vowes they make foure First they vowe pouertie secondarily chastitie thirdly obedience and fourthly that they wyll trudge ouer all the world if they be commaunded eyther by the Pope or any of their good masters els to set abroch popery to abandon Christianitie to plaunt superstitioÌ„ to root out goodly religion for this is their chiefest offce as far as euer I coulde perceiue And of suche perfectioÌ„ are they thought to bee that in holines they are coÌ„parable to y e maiestie of god in godlines excelling the angels in rightuousnes far surpassing y e common nature of mankind And therefore haue they taken to themselues a name deriued very blasphemously froÌ„ y e name of Iesus To this end no doubt that they may be thought to bee the seruaunts of Iesus and none els and too holde the trueth and none but they These seditious Iesuites a 〈◊〉 kind of vipers run rouing froÌ„ place to place from countrie to countrie now openly now secretly sometimes in their priestly habite and sometime in seruing mans attyre now like lawiers then like Courtiers now like one sort of menne and then like another and all to roote vp as I haue saide christianitie and too plant poperye And if they perceiue that the prince wyll not incline to theyr humours nor agree to theyr ydolatrie and papistrie but mayntayne the true religion of God then fall thâ—y to this pollicie They creepe secretely into the mindes of the Nobilitie Gentrie and Communaltie indeuoring by al means possible to draw theyr hearts from their alleageaunce and obedience too theyr lawefull Prince to diâ—like of all things and too sowe the seedes of Sedition to moue Rebellion Insurrection Commotion Warre Mutunie Murther Bloodshed and all kynde of trouble to this ende that they and their Complices may with more securitie make Inuastâ—â—s and Incursions into that Realme or mites Lateranes GeorgeaÌ„s Ioannians Trinitaries Iudians Ambrosians Magdalines or Lazarines redde Augustines HeleniaÌ„s Sophians Wincesbaterers Gregorians CoÌ„staÌ„tinopolitanes Columbins crossed bretheren Fratres clauorum blacke friers bretheren of the holy sepulchre brethreÌ„ of y e vale of Iosaphat brethreÌ„ of S. Ioseph brethren of S. Rufines a thousande others Also of womeÌ„ as Bagghines Cloke Nuns sisters Chanonesses Ancresses Next come in their orders of Heremites as Heremites of S. Antonie Heremites of S. Hillarie of S.