fire and Daniel from the Lyons In this haue they had neither Prophet nor miracle The third respect In the second they had great dignitie and riches as Ioachin the king Ieremie the last Daniel and his three companions Mardocheus Zerubbabel but in this they are much deiected True it is that this generall promise they haue made them by God That whensoeuer they shall repent them of their wickednesse committed and turne vnto God that he will pardon them and gather them from all partes of the world where they shall be scattered and afflicted And seeing that God doth not gather nor deliuer them from so long and painfull captiuitie as is that which they suffer it followeth that they are wholly obstinate in their sinnes and turne not truly vnto God For if they would turne God being true in his promises would gather them But we see the contrarie that they still be scattered and abide in captiuitie therefore they repent not And so it pleaseth God to chastise them as he sayd vnto Moses Deut. chap. 28. 63. 64. And it shall come to passe saith he speaking of the Iewes that as the Lord did reioyce ouer you to doe you good and to multiply you so shall the Lord reioyce ouer you to confound and destroy you and ye shall be plucked out of the land into the which ye now enter to possesse it And God will seatter thee through all nations from the one end of the earth to the other And there shalt thou serue strange Gods wood and stone c. whom thou nor thy fathers haue not knowne Their obstinacy and vnbeleefe not knowing the day of their visitation and contemning and killing their Messias is the cause of this so miserable captiuitie wherein they shall continue vntill they cease to be incredulous and acknowledge God and Christ or Messias whom he hath sent and so they shall be saued Moreouer concerning that which we haue sayd the booke of Iudges is full of Gods punishments vpon the Israelities for their idolatrie whom he deliuered ouer into the hands of their enemies But as a good God and mercifull father when they repented he restored or deliuered them And eftsones they returned to idolatrie and God eftsoones did punish them We read also that the Israelites turned away and corrupted themselues more then their fathers following strange gods seruing them and bowing downe before them and nothing diminished their workes and wicked wayes And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel And Deborah in her song conceiuing them said In choosing new Gods warre was at the gates So greatly did God abhore Idolatrie that oftenne commaundementes which he gaue the two first be against Idolatrie First Thou shalt not haue saith he any straunge Cod before me Second Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the water c. And then Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them for I am the Lord thy God a iealous God c. In the first commaundement internall and mentall and in the second externall and visible Idolatrie are forbidden So horrible and enormious is the sinne of Idolatrie that God who is a iust Iudge doth punish it with most seuere punishment that can be in this world God giueth vp Idolaters into a reprobate sence so that forsaken of God and by his iust Iudgement deliuered ouer and made slaues to Sathan they may doe that which is not conuenient as saith Saint Paule Romans 1. 25. concerning Idolaters which turned the truth of God into a lie honoring and seruing the creature before or more then God And in the twentie eight verse mentioning the punishment he saith that God gaue them vp vnto a peruerse minde which we call a reprobate sence to doe that which is not conuenient namely the abohmination there mentioned The answere which the Romists make in defence of their Images is friuolous They adore not nor honour say they the Images but that which they represent Whereunto I answere that as little did the Pagans worship their Images but that which they represented For they beleeued not the Image of Iupiter to be Iupiter but to present Iupiter Much more doe the Romists not onely commaunde Images to be made but to be reuerenced and which is more worship them themselues And in the second Action also of the Neccen Councell not of that holy and good first Councell of Neece but of the second assembled by that ceuell Empresse Hirena it is said We doe worship the pictures of Images And in the third Action The inuisible diuine nature is not permitted to be pictured nor figured For no man euer sawe God at any time but we worship the Image of his humanitie pictured with colours So also doe we reuerence and adore the Image of our Lady the mother of God c. See here how the Romists doe contradict themselues on the one side they say they worship not Images And on the other parte in their generall Councels they commaund them to be worshipped Answerable to this Doctrine of the Councell doe they sing in their hymne O Crux aue spes vnica hoc passionis tempore auge pijs Iustitiam reisque dona veniam That is to say O Crosse onely hope in this time of passion increase righteousnesse in the Godly and graunt pardon to offenders Also in shewing the Crosse they say Ecce lignum Crucis venite adoremus That is Behold here the wood of the Crosse Come and let vs worship it Also Crucem tuam adoramus domine Thy Crosse doe we worship O Lord. Thomas Aquinus in his Brieffes or partes speaking of Adoration saith That the Crosse ought to be worshipped with the same Gods honour as God himselfe And so they doe and vppon good fryday chiefly prostrate on the ground doe they adore the Crosse and offer giftes vnto it which adoration say they Saint Gregorie ordeyned But how can this be truth which they say of Saint Gregorie when the sayd Gregorie writing to Seremus Bishop of Marsella who had caused Images to be pulled downe broken and burned vseth these wordes hadst thou forbidden to worship the Images we should haue praysed thee And a little lower Which were placed in the Temple not to be worshipped but for instruction onely of the simple See here how vntrue it is that they say Saint Gregorie instituted the adoration of the Crosse True it is he saith that Images were the bookes of the simple and ignorant people But let him pardon vs if in this we dissent from him to yeeld vnto that which the word of God doth teach vs. Habakuk saith what profiteth the Image for the maker thereof hath made it an Image and a teacher of lies though he that made it trust therein when he maketh dumbe Idolls woe vnto him that saith to the wood awake and to the dumbe stone arise it shall teach
nor his Apostles who in all simplicitie did celebrate the holy supper The wisdome of the flesh being enemy to God hath brought them into the Church to make vs forget the memorie of the benefite of Christs death and passion Moreouer we wil cite certaine histories by which the Christian Reader shall clearely see what account the Pope and his Cleargie make of their Sacrament of the Altar which they affirme to be God Gregory 7. for that he demanded a reuelation of the Host against the Emperour and had no answer cast it into the fire burned it Victor 3. died of poyson which his subdeacon in saying of Masse put into the chalice A Dominicke Friar gaue poyson in the Sacrament to the Emperour Henry 7. Sixtus 4. commanded that at the time of the eleuation the-murder should begin and so it was performed at Florence A certaine Inquisitor at Barcelona called Molon clipped the Host with a paire of sheers Foure Augustine Friars which were hanged at Seuill said Masse without any intention of consecration The same haue many other Priests done also and so by their owne Cannons haue caused all that heard their Masse to commit idolatrie That being as it is true which we haue said and proued of the Masse with very iust title and good and sound conscience do we detest it as a prophanatiō of the holy supper of the Lord There is then no cause why any shuld condemne vs for sedicious heretikes or schismatikes if abhorring the Masse flying the same we follow and imbrace the holy supper which Iesus Christ iustituted his Apostles and our forefathers for the space of a thousand yeares celebrated Would God for that onely sacrifice sake which his sonne our high and onely Priest offered vnto him that all our Spaniards would know as other nations do already know what the Pope is what things are his Buls which be nought els but mockeries which he maketh of vs what is his authoritie which is nought els but vanitie wherewith he hath many yeares deceiued vs that they would know that when the Pope curseth vs then God doth blesse vs would God they would know the holinesse of the masse to be diuelishnesse seeing it is a prophanation of the holy Supper of the Lord. Very hard will it be for them I know well to do this because they haue bene borne brought vp growne old in the contrary But if the holy spirit giue them grace to reade compare conferre cōfront that which we haue sayd in these two Treatises with the holy Scripture which is the word of God very easie it shall be vnto them wherby euery faithfull and catholike Christian in particular and the whole Church in generall ought to be ruled gouerned Our Spaniards in this should imitate those of Berea who as saith S. Luke in his history of the Acts of the Apostles searched the Scriptures to know if that which Paul preached were the word of God or no. If that wee haue said be the word of God no time no custome how ancient soeuer ought to preuaile against it And if for our sins lies falshood and error haue for a little or long time oppressed and darkened the truth the errour ought to giue place as maugre the same it shall giue and so truth iure Postliminij as say the lawes shall reenter his possession And albeit an olde custome is very hardly left yet none ought to preferre such custome to reason and truth do euer exclude and expell custome Therefore when with reason and truth for reason and truth we constraine and conuince our aduersaries In vaine do they oppose ancient custome vnto vs saying in this were our forefathers brought vp in this did they die In this were wee borne and brought vp in this then will we die As if custome were greater then the truth This is euen like the saying of another A Moore was my father a Moore also will I be hauing no other reason to giue but custome Custome without truth is an olde errour and errour the elder the more dangerous it is Therefore leauing as saith Saint Cyprian in his epistle ad Pompeium errour let vs follow the truth knowing as saith Esdras Truth ouercommeth as it is written Truth doth shall euer preuaile and liue and raigne eternally And then saith the same S. Cyprian Blessed be the God of truth The which truth Christ shewing in his Gospell vnto vs saith I am the Truth wherefore if we be in Christ and haue Christ in vs if we abide in the truth and the truth abide in vs. Let vs hold that which is the truth And a little lower If the truth in any thing shall stagger or seeme doubtfull meete it is that we runne backe to the originall which the Lord ordained and to the Euangelicall and Apostolicall instruction and thence ariseth the reason of that which wee doe from whence the order and originall was raised And as he himselfe in another place saith What men haue formerly done ought wee not to looke but to that which Christ who is the first of all hath done The holy Scripture is the most certaine and infallible rule and squire whereby all our actions ought to be ruled and squired as witnesse these places which we will alleage and manie others Dauid Psal 119. vers 105. sayth Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes Esay chap. 8. and 20. we are commanded to repaire to the Law and to the testimonies and sayth that they which do not so it is because there is no light in them It is because they be in darkenesse it is because they are blind and as blind men goe groping Saint Peter speaking of the word or doctrine of the Prophets saith Whereunto yee shall doe well to giue eare as to a candle burning in an obscure place c. The holy Scripitures doe teach vs that Iesus Christ is our high and onelie Priest It teacheth vs that hee once offered vp himselfe with which sacrifice being of infinite vertue he sanctifieth vs for euer And teacheth vs that there is no other sacrifice nor was nor shal be but this alone by which remission of sinnes is obtained it teacheth vs that whosoeuer shall offer another sacrifice be sides this or reiterate this doth most great iniurie to Christ As though his sacrifice which was Christ himselfe were insufficient It teacheth vs that Iesus Christ ordained his holy supper which he commandeth vs to celebrat in remembrance of that sacrifice which he one only time offered to the father all this in generall and euery thing in particuler by the grace of God to him be the glory haue we sufficiently proued This is the trueth for it is the word of God This then we beleeue his Maiestie graunt vs grace not onely with the heart to beleeue this which he in his holy Gospell he hath reuealed vnto vs but also strength and constancie with the mouth to confesse it and
of our Saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. No other willeth God for all his benefites but that we be thankfull and call vpon his name Thus shall the number of those whom God hath elected to life eternall encrease and so the kingdome of sinne death the diuell which is the kingdome of lies of false new doctrine confirmed with dreames false miracles and illusions of the diuell shal be destroied and that of grace life and of Christ which is the kingdome of truth the true and old doctrin confirmed with the word of God shal abide for euer To whom which is one God Father Sonne and holy Spirit who liueth and raigneth be perpetuall honâ—â— and glory Amen An Addition I In the moneth of Aprill 1588. Philip the second of that name king of Spaine pretending to send his inuincible fleet for the Conquest of England made choise by the aduise of the Prioresse of the monastery of the Anunciada whose name was Mary of the Visitacion as most worthie for her holinesse to blesse his Standard royall the which she did with vsing diuers other câ—remonies in the deliuery thereof to the Duke of Medina Sedonia who was appointed chiefe Generall she did pronounce openlie good successe and victory to the Duke in saying he should return a victorious Prince This standard was carried in procession by Don Francisco de Cordoua who was a Spaniard the tallest Gentl. that could be found he being on horse backe to the end it might be the better seen at the solemnzing wherof there was such a number of people assembled that diuers of them perished with the throng There was present the Archduke Albertus which then was Cardinall and Gouernor of the kingdom of Portugal the Popes Nuncio the Archbishop who was head inquisitor with diuers other Nobles Prelates Gentlemen This solemnization dured so long that Albertus fainted with fasting and this holy Nunne to comfort him caused a messe of the broth which was for her owne diet to be brought presenting it to him which he accepted most willingly coÌ„ming from the handes of so holy a Nun as then she was holden to be but about the beginning of DeceÌ„ber next after all her holines false miracles and great dissimulations was then found out and she condemned punished for the same according as is râ—bersed in this booke About the end of this yeare 1588 that this holy Nun was discouered in Lisbon there was also discouered in Seuil one father â—yon who was counted to be a most deuour and religious man but by his owne fellowes of his profession he was discouered to be a great hypocrite and a most vicious 〈◊〉 giuen to carnall lustes and for this and diuers other causes he was committed to the prison which is in the Cardinals house of 〈◊〉 A Table wherein by certaine Antitheses is declared the difference and contrarietie which is betweene the ancient doctrine of God contained in the holy scripture and taught in the reformed Churches and the new doctrine of men â—aught and maintained in the Roman or Popish Church Ierem. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein ye shall find rest for your soules THe ancient doctrine of God doth teach that the holy Scripture being the word of God diuinely inspired hath most sufficient authority of it selfe containeth all necessary doctrin to pietie and our saluation as S. Paul clearly teacheth 2. Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. The new doctrin of meâ— teacheth that the holy Scripture although it be the word of God should haue no authority were it not for the approbation of the Church and that it is an vnperfect and maimed doctrine which containeth not doctrine sufficient to pietie nor our saluation but that this defect must be supplied by vnwritteÌ„ traditions Belar de verb. Deâ— noÌ„ scrip l. 4. The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that ignorance of the holy scriptures is the cause and mother of errors as Iesus Christ our Lord doth witnesse Mat 22. 19. saying to the Sadduces Ye erre because yee know not the Scriptures nor the power of God and therefore the duty of euerie faithfull Christian is to reade meditate and search the holy scripture as God commandeth his people Deut. 6. 7. chap. 12. 32. chap. 17. 19. Iosua 18. Esa 8. 20. And Christ our Lord in the new Testament Ioh. 5. 39. And as did the faithfull in the time of the Apostles Act 17. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 15. The new doctrin of men doth teach that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that to keepe religion safe it is needful to forbid the lay or secular men the reading of the holy scriptures seeing it is the cause of many heresies Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15 16. cens col f. 19. The ancient doctrin of God doth teach that many deceiuers and false Prophets are gone out into the world and that the faithfull therfore are to proue the spirits whether they be of God 1. Io. 4. 1. And that the holy scripture is the touch whereby this proofe and examination ought to be made Ioh. 5. 39. Act 17. 11. So that all doctrine contrary and repugnant to holy Scripture be it of Councels Fathers Doctors old or new and that as saith the Apostle of himselfe or of an Angel from heauen ought not to be receiued nor taught in the Christian Church Gal. 1. 8. 1. Tim. 1. 3. chap. 6. 3. 1. Pet. 4. 11. 2. Ioh. 10. The new doctrin of men doth teach that whosoeuer coÌ„tradict the Pope his decrees human traditions be false teachers that the Pope hath authority to iudge of all controuersies and of the true sense of holy Scriptures and that from his iudgment it is not lawfull to appeale Bellar. de verbo Dâ—â— interp lib. 3. cap. 3. c. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that we ought to serue God alone which is the Creator and gouernour of all the world following the doctrin of Christ which saith Matt. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue The new doctrine of men doth teach that we ought not to serue God alone but also the Saints that they hold them for patrons of kingdoms people cities societies and infirmities Bellarm. de Sanct. beat lib. 1. cap 12. Cens Col. fol. 230. The ancient doctrine of God doth teach that the lawful worship of God is to be founded vpon the holy Scripture that God will be serued according to his will and word in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. and not after the opinion nor by the traditions nor customes of men as God by his prophet Eze. 20. 18. doth very expresly teach vs saying Walk not in the ordinances of your fathers nor obserue their lawes nor defile your selues with their idols I am the Lord your God Walke in mine ordinances and
wit If the head of an horse be put to a humane body A distinction truly very rediculous Conclude we this matter with that which was ordeyned in the Councell of Eliberis in Spaine holden about the yeare of the Lord. 335. whose 36. Cannō was as Carranza noteth in his Summa Conciliariorum Placuit picturas in Ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut odoratur in parietibus depingatur It pleaseth vs that pictures ought not to be in the Church lest that be worshipped or adored which is painted on the walles Eliberis where was celebrated this ancient Councell was a Cittie neare vnto that place where is now Granada Eliberis was destroyed and of the ruines thereof was Granada builded or augmented And there is one gate in Granada euen to this day called the gate Deluira corrupting the worde in steed of Elibera The gate is so called because men goe that way to Elibera Had this Cannon made in our countrie of Spaine 1263. yeares past bene obserued in Spaine there had not bene such Idolatrie in Spaine as now there is Vp Lord regard thine owne honour Conuert or confound not being of thine elect all such as worship Pesel grauen or carued Images or Temuna picttures or patternes All that whatsoeuer we haue sayd against Images is meant of those that are made for religion seruice worship and to honour serue and adore them Such Images are forbidden by the law of God And so the Arte of caruing grauing painting and patterne making not done to this end is not forbidden but lawfull The superstition and Idolatrie taken away the Arte is good If there be any people or nation that haue and doe commit inward and outwarde Idolatrie it is the Popish Church For what else see we in their Temples houses streetes and crosse-streetes but Idolles and Images made and worshipped against the expresse commaundement of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image No nation hath bene so barbarous to thinke that which they outwardly beheld with their eyes to be God They supposed as before we haue said their Iupiter Iuno Mars Venus to be in Heauen whom they worshipped in the Images that did represent them Many of the Moores Turkes and Iewes would conuert vnto Christ were it not for the offence and scandall of Images in the Churches Therefore said Paulus Pricius a most learned Hebrew which became in a Christian Paue that it was very meet Images should be taken out of the Temple for they were the cause that many Iewes became not Christians The Popish Church doth not onely commit the Idolatrie of the Gentiles but farre exceed them also One Idolatrie it committeth which neuer Pagan nor Gentile euer committed It beleeueth the bread and wine in the Masse called a sacrifice celebrated by her Pope or a Priest made by the authoritie of the Pope to be no representation nor commemoration of the Lordes death but his very body and bloud the same Iesus Christ as bigge and great as he was vpon the crosse And so as very God doth worship it We will then in this first Treatise proue by the Lords assistance whose cause we now maintaine the Pope to be a false Priest and very Antichrist that such Idolatrie and other much more he hath inuented in the Church In the second Treatise we will also proue by the same assistance the Masse to be a false Sacrifice and great Idolatrie And because our chiefe purpose is not so much to beat downe falshood as to aduance the truth after we haue shewed the Pope to be a false Priest And the Masse a false Sacrifice we will shew also which is the argument of the Apostle in the Epistle written to the Hebrewes Iesus Christ to be the true and onely Priest and his most holy body and bloud which he offered vnto his father vpon the Crosse to be the true and only sacrifice where with the eternall father is well pleased and receiueth vs into his fauour and friendship iustifying vs by faith and giuing vs his holy spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba father and liue in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life And so be glorified of him to reigne ' with him for euer Many will wonder that we with so great constancie or as they call it sawsinesse reiect condemne and abhore the Pope and his Masse And therefore doe slaunder and defame vs not among the common people onely but amongest the Nobles also and great Lordes Kinges and Monarches that we are fantasticke heady arrogant sedicious rebellious partiall and many other false reportes they raise against vs wherewith they fill and breake the eares of the ignorant and of all those that take pleasure to heare them To shew them then that it is no foolish opinion nor fantasie which doth lead vs neither any ambition vaine glory nor other passion that doth alter moue or transport our minds but a good zeale rather of the glory of God and feruent desire of the health of our owne soules A reason will we giue in this first Treatise vnto all that desire to heare vnderstand it of that which we beleeue hold concerning the Pope and his authoritie And chiefely if we be asked because as saith Saint Peter we ought to be ready with meekenesse and reuerence to make answere to euery one that demaundeth a reason of the hope which we hold The reason then which we giue for reiecting condemning and abhorring the Pope and flying from him as from the pestilence is his euill life and wicked doctrine Note also what the Doctors and ancient Councels the holy Scriptures in three wonderfull places chiefly for that purpose say concerning him In the second Treatise we will declare what wee thinke of the Masse and the holinesse thereof The Pope and Masse two pillers of the Popish church be very ancient For it is now a thousād yeares past since they first began to be buylded Their beginnings were very small but they dayly increased adorning and decking themselues vntill they attayned to the estate wherein we now see them For aswell the Pope as the Masse is holden and called God Without are they made very beautifull couered ouer with silke gold siluer cloth of gold rich stones but within is superstition hypocrisie and Idolatrie I haue often pondred with my selfe whether of these two pillers the Pope or the Masse were strongest and more esteemed The vertues excellencie holinesse and diuinitie which they say is in the Masse who can declare How profitable it is for al things liuing and not liuing quick dead By cōsideratiō hereof the Masse I supposed was chiefest and therefore ought to begin with it But the Pope vpon better aduisement mee seemed notwithstanding to be the chiefest piller The reasons mouing me so to beleeue are these that the cause in dignitie is before the effect the creator before the creature the maister before the seruant the Priest before the
which another vndid one commanded that another forbad In his time the Armenians became Christians and Athanagilda now raigned in Spaine After Iohn 3 succeeded Benedict and Pelagius 2. Pelagius 2. a Romane the citie being inuironed contray to the wonted custome and without the Emperours commaund was made cheife Bishop For which cause he sent Gregorie who after him was Bishop to Constantinople to satisfie and appease the wrath of the Emperour In the 590. yeere died Pelagius and then Leonogildo reigned in Spaine Gregorie 1. a Romane was of best life and more learned then any of the Patriarkes his predecessors yet very ceremonious as by so many suprestitions by him brought into the Church appeareth He was the first that granted Indulgences to such as at certaine times wold come to the church Pardons he granted but sold them not as his successors for money He brought backe from Hell saith Damascen the Soule of the vnfaithfull Emprour Traian O horrible lie Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian saith that which is said of the soule of Traian to be a fabulons Iest Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie 1. holdes it for a very trueth and condemneth Pero Mexia In the following treatise of the Masse wil we speake of this matter This good did Gregorie that both by wordes and deedes he was mortall enemy to the Primacie and so wrote against the name of vniuersall bishop as we will afterwardes declare against which he called himselfe the seruant of Gods seruants which title haue his successours but hypocritically holden seeing that calling themselues seruanth they haue made themselues lordes of the worlde and kinges Emperours and Monarkes kisse their feete and if the Pope will doe them that grace and fauour they holde themselues happie Gregorie much complained that in the worlde were so many Priestes and so few prachers of the Gospel Of this S. Gregory Huldricke Bishop of Augusta in an Epistle sent to Pope Nicholas 1. reciteth a notable historie the summe whereof is this That Saint Gregorie commaunded priestes should not marry but afterwardes vnderstanding they secretle committed great filthinesse and for that cause much murder ensued by commaunde he disanulled his decree affirming it better to marry then to giue occasion of murther Wherfore sending vpon a time to fish they found in a fishe poole or pond 6000. heads of young children that had there bene drowned Which Gregorie seeing to proceede of constrained single life sorowing and sighing from his hart he then reuoked his decree For that not only as saith the same Huldricke they had not abstayned from maydes and married women but defiled themselues also with their kinred with males and brute beastes Such are the fruites of Popish chastitie and their Angelicall life These thinges considered by Pope Pius 2. with great reason said he he forbad Priestes marriage but with much more reason he ought to restore it them againe And in another place It shall not happilie be worst that the greater parte of priestes doe marry for many are saued in their marry priesthood which in their barren priesthood are cōdemned The same Pius 2. as witnesseth Celius 2. supressed certain Monasteries of Nuns of Saint Bridgit and S. Clares order commaunding them thence to depart and no longer to burne in lust lest they shrowded a whore vnder a religions habite In the 604. yeares dyed Saint Gregorie at this time Leonigildo the Arrian that martyred Herminigildo his sonne raigned in Spaine Sabinianus successour of Gregorie 1. was the last Patriarke of Rome a man very simple and so much hated Gregorie his predecessour that he caused his bookes to be burned Onely will I here set downe a fable of the death of this Sabinian reported by Bergomenso for a very truth Saint Gregorie saith he being dead three times appeared to Sabinianus and sharply reproued him for seeking to defame him but his speach could nothing a mend Sabinianus which seeing S. Gregorie he gaue such a blowe vpon the head of Sabinianus that he made him die miserably Mon. eccl part 3. lib. 17. cap. 10. ¶ 1. hereof is made mention If this be true then one Pope killed another In the 605. yeare dyed Sabinianus This Sabinianus saith Illescas was the first that set an order in prayer deuiding the Office into the 7. Canonicall houres the same said he of of Pelagius 1. At this time reigned in Spaine Recaredo king the Gothes who destroyed the Aryan heresie which most parte of the Gothes maintained The third and last order conteyneth those Bishops which we properly call Popes and be very Antichristes As Boniface 3. began this order vntill Clement 8. who now tyranizeth hath continewed and in the last Pope shall take end Whom Christ will destroy with the spirit of his mouth as he destroyed his prodecessours And so shall the end come The Bishops of the first order were the Angels of God holy in life and Doctrine These of the second were men subiect to falling but these truly of the 3. are diuels incarnate Not by any figure Hiperbole or exaggeratiō but plainely doe I speake this I know it to be so as by their liues we will afterwardes proue Boniface 3. and first in this Catalogue was a most ambitious deuill And being Patriarke of Rome was made Pope by meanes of Phocas the Emperour who was an adulterer murtherer and tyrant A murtherer I call him for that to make himselfe Emperor as he did he murthered Mauricius his Lord and Christian Emperour This Boniface 3. by many requestes and giftes which breake the very rockes much more Phocas obteyned of Phocas that the Roman seate should be called the head of all Churches Three miserable thinges at this time happened the most noble Empire began to fall the Popedome to arise and Mahometisme to spring vp Of the ruines of the empire these two beastes arose which so much haue harmed the Church of Christ And by how much the more the Empier decayed by so much the more these two beasts increased It is now almost 1000. yeares since that by superstition and false Doctrine the light of the Gospell began to be darkened This miserable first Pope before a yeare of his Popedome was fully ended went to visite the Diuell the Father of ambition and with him there remayneth And albeit this first Pope was so ambitious and in his Ambition obstinately dyed Yet Panuinus calles him Saint Boniface notwithstanding At this time in Spaine the most Catholique Recaredo 1. reigned Boniface 4. succeeded Boniface 3. who as saith Platina obteyned of Phocas the Emperour the Temple which they called Pantheon to wit of all the Gods because it was dedicated to Sibylla and all the others Gods This Temple did Boniface dedicate vnto the blessed virgin and all the Martyrs which now is called S. Maries the round And thus far Platina Don Alonso of Carthagena Bishop of Burgos vpon
the truth written and manifested vpon men in the olde and new Testament meete it is as saith Saint Paule that they should beleeue lies The report that the Duke of Ferrara against the will and consent of Sistus had made peace with the Venetians caused the death of Sistus For so highly was he offended thereat that within fiue dayes in the 1484. yeare he died In whose time reigned in Castile Aragon Don Fernando and Dona Isabella Innocent 8. a Genowey before called Iohannes Baptista Cibo when he was Pope conspired against Don Fernando king of Sicill taking part with the Nobles that rebelled against the king But his enterprise not succeeding as he supposed vnable to doe more he made peace with the king with this condition that he should haue his tribute the rebels their pardons but the king performed neither the one nor the other The Pope after this gaue himselfe to pleasure which accustomably bringeth draweth with it vanities delights pastimes pompes rioâ— glutony whoredoms other such vices sins He was of like beautiful fair body wherof he much esteemed as was Paul 2. he was also like vnto Paul 2. in hardnes of vnderstanding not giuen to learning Eight sons so many other daughters he had without mariage as by these verses of Marcellus appeareth Octorecens pueros genuit totidemque puellas Hunc meritò poterit dicere Roma patrem Spurcities gula auaritia atque ignauia deses Hoc octaue iacent quo tegeris tumulo To wit eight sonnes he begot and so many other daughters For this cause with reason might Rome call him father Filthinesse gluttony couetuousnesse and negligent slothfulnes lye ô Octaue in this sepulchre With riches and dignities he shamelesly aduaunced his children He was the first Pope that without any circumstance colour or titles of Nephewes or Neeces as others had accustomed to doe dared publikely to doe this Wicelius notwithstanding doth commend him for his holy life learning and eloquence He was much inclined to lucre and when neither his plenary Indulgences nor his Iubile nor was against the Turke could suffice to fill his hands a new inuention he found to draw out money And this it was hee had found in a wall said he the title of the crosse of Christ Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes written in three tongues Hebrewe Greeke and Latine and withall the iron of the speare which pearced the side of Christ Friar Iohn de Pineda lib. 26. cap 3 3. ¶ 1. saith that Baiazet sent him the Iron of the launce c. that he should not permit Zizimus his brother to moue wars in Turky This is he which now I will shewe to haue bene called Geme c. This Geme flying from his brother Baiazet retyred to Rhodes afterwardes was he brought to France then to Pope Innocent 8. and then to Naples in the time of Pope Alexander 6. c. Of this Geme will we make mention in the life of Alexander 6. Behold what great thinges can couetousnesse effect A great drinker he was and in his time all the offices in Rome men might haue and had for money In a certaine place called Polo he condemned for heretiques 8 men 6 women the Lord of that people because they said that none of Peters successors had bene Christs vicar but those only which had imitated the pouertie of Christ In the 1492. yeare died Innocent Don Fernando and Done Isabella then reigning in Spaine Alexander 6. a naturall Spaniard borne at Valencia was so abhominable and shamelesse that his papistes themselues doe openly speake it Panuinus an Augustine Friar vpon his life and not without cause saith filthie thinges of him and albeit he said much euill of him yet left he much vnsaid He saith then that Alexander aided by certaine Cardinals corrupted with blind ambition and auarice a good beginning attained to such great dignitie who afterwardes perceiuing the great vnfaithfulnesse of this vngratfull Pope receiued the Chastisement for selling of their suffrages that their seruice deserued the chiefe of these Cardinals was Ascanius Esforcia who sold it for great giftes and promises which Alexander made and principally that Alexander promised he should be his Chauncellor which office very few yeares he enioyed The rest suffered moreouer great misery and calamities some liued in banishment others were imprisoned others violently murthered And that moreouer which of him writeth the forenamed Panuinus among other things he saith Some fathers there were in that election which prophesied and were not false Prophets that a Spaniard was foolishly chosen who was a man that would smother wickednes a great dissembler and one that in the end would be a totall reine to all c. The olde Spanish prouerb in these miserable Cardinals is verified Plaze la traycion mas no eltraydor The treason pleaseth but not the Traytor Ieronymus Marius in his Eusebius speaking of this Pope saith who can reckon the foule neuer heard of deeds of Alexander 6. He made a couenant with the deuils He gaue deliuered himself wholly vnto them So that by their meanes and artes he might attaine to the Popedome which when the diuels had promised and performed so holily Alexander ordered his life that he neuer attempted to doe any thing but first he consulted thereof with the diuell In the 1500. yeare he graunted the Iubile not to such onely as should come to Rome but also to those that would not or could not come thither prouided that they gaue a certaine summe of money Pope Boniface 8. in the 1300. yeare graunted the Iubile from 100 yeares to 100 yeares Pope Clement 6. in the 1350 yeare graunted it from 50 yeares to 50. yeares Pope Sistus 4. in the 1475. yeare graunted the fame from 25 yeares to 25 yeares But it benefited him nothing if he came not personally to Rome Our Alexander moued with that spirit that made him Pope did grant it not to those onely which should come to Rome but to those also that abode at home conditionally to giue money as before we haue said And seeing we now intreat of the Iubile it shal be good to recite here the ceremony which is vsed in Rome Among many other Churches which are in Rome seuen principall there are where pardons are obteyned euery one of these seuen Churches hath one gate or wall at the least fast closed so that none can goe in nor out thereby but in the yeare of Iubâ—le The Pope set in a chaire borne on mens shoulders and clothed with red goeth to S. Peters the principall Church there And being brought to this shut gate saith the 9. verse of Psal 24. Atollite portas principes vestras ' c. Lift vp your heads ye gates c. this saying with a golden hammer which he holdeth in his hand he giueth a blow at the blow giuing in a moment the earth bricke morter which
the 170. yeare the Gentiles forced with tormentes the seruants of the Christians to say of their maisters many abhominations and among others that they eate their owne children Celsus the Gentile Philosopher accused the Christians for disloyall and traytors and said that their religion they had taken from the Barbarians and Iewes Origen defended the Christians with 8 bookes which he wrote against this Celsus In the time of S. Augustine were great calamities and wars the which Symachus an orator and many other imputed to the Christians saying that whiles the Roman Empire adored their Gods it prospered The like Historie reciteth Ieremy that when they worshiped the Queene of heauen then all thinges prospered Read the bookes intituled of the citie of God where Saint Augustine wrote against this slaunder in defence of the Christians In the time of the glorious martyr Saint Ciprian who many yeares liued before S. Augustine there was a Proconsull in Africa called Demetrianus a great enemy of the Christians he and others such like with him said that all the wars famine and pestilence wherewith the world was then afflicted ought to be imputed to the Christians because they did not worship the Gods Against this Demetrianus wrote S. Cipriā saying that not the Christians but the Gentiles were the cause of these calamities because vnwilling to worship the true God they adored false Gods and afflicted the Christians with so great and so vniust persecutions not that they should confesse God but that they should denie him The weakenesse of their Gods he shewed them seeing they could not defend themselues c. Al this in our time fully passeth For the selfe same causes are we at this day slaundered and vniustly to the most cruell and shamfull kind of death condemned The same state of the Church is now as it was in the time of Saint Ciprian and of the other Saintes by vs named And as they were defended against the Gentiles So we against the Antichristians doe now make our defence We tell them that God sendeth in our dayes so many calamities of wars famine and pestilence because they haue profaned the diuine worship and in the place of the creator they honour the creatures They worship not God as he hath commaunded in spirit and truth but after the doctrines and commaundements of men and God alone doe they not worship but also the Saints their Images and pictures They adore not will they tell me the Images but that which they represent albeit their second Nicen Councell not the first which is holy and good commaundeth Images with the same adoration to be worshiped as that which they represent as in the beginning of this Treatise we haue declared Also our aduersaries seing themselues in some affliction inuocate the saints of Paradise without any commandement or example in al the holy scripture so to do where they ought to inuocate none but God alone Also wheras ther is but one only mediator Intercessor aduocate betwixt God mā which is Christ Iesus as the Apostle calleth him they not contented with the only Intercessiō of Christ for were they cōtented Christ is sufficient for thē many mediators do they inuent each one maketh choice of one for himself Also they take away ad to the law of God he which so doth being cursed of God so take they away the 2. cōmandement against Images to fil vp the number of ten of the tenth doe they make two commandements Also we read in holy scripture that the Lord in his catholike church did institute but two sacraments baptisme the holy supper they haue made 7. They also say that neither the Pope nor Coūcel nor the Inquisition can erre hence commeth it that they giue so much credit to the decrees constitutions of the Popes Councels Inquisitors as if they were the word of God it selfe yet would God they gaue not more credit to them then to the word of God Very common are ignorance supersticion Idolatrie in the Romane Church This is the height of al their wickednesse that with fire bloud doe they persecute the true catholique Christiās because so instructed gouerned by the word of God they worship one only God in spirit truth because they hold Iesus Christ for the only and alone mediator and because they ad not nor ought diminish from the law of God nor his worde When our aduersaries shal then say that we trouble the world with our new doctrine we will make them the same answere that Elias inspired with the diuine spirit freely made vnto K. Achab. Art thou he saith Achab which troublest Israell Elias answered Not I but it is thou thy fathers house that trouble Israell because ye haue forsaken the commandements of the Lord and followed Baall yee then will we say to our aduersaries are they that haue forsaken the commandements of Christ haue followed the traditiōs of Antichrist your father the Pope ye are they which worship not nor honour God but ye worship and honor Images against the expresse cōmandemēt of God Exod. 20. Deut. 5. with many other places Let our aduersaries at last vnderstand these others such like to be the cause why God afflicteth the world with so great wars famine pestilence diuers other calamities within our dayes we haue yet doe suffer His maiestie for his infinit mercy for his Christs sake opē their eyes that they may consider the works of God so may soften not harden their harts as did Pharo who by the more God did afflict him for his rebellion contempt by so much the more was he hardened against God the people of God But leauing ancient histories come we to that which in our dayes happened let vs come to our countrie of Spaine God by his iust iudgement hath many times in the space of 40 yeares afflicted Spaine with wars famine pestilence and other calamaties which began a little after that great persecution against the faithfull and catholique Christians This persecution beginning in Seuill hath stretched almost throughout all Spaine against the noble learned people as after we wil declare The priests of Baall in their pulpits cōfessiōs discourses do affirme all this of right to be imputed vnto those whom they cal Lutheran heretiques The common people which neither know nor other thing beleeue but that which these Baalamites tell them cōmand thē to beleeue doe beleiue it so to be For confirmation of my sayings I wil here recite that which D. Illescas cap. 31. vpon the life of Pius 4. saith His wordes be these In the 1561. yeare on Saint Mathewes day the 21 of September being the Saboth two howers before day in the morning aftre was kindled in the streete called Costanilla of Valladolid so terrible and fearefull that without hope of remedy in the 30. howers space it ruined aboue 400. of the most
the death of Christ A new inuention it is humane diuelish founded vpon the wicked foundation of transubstatiation Some things there be in the Masse which manifestly declare that there is no transubstantiation as when they say in the Cannon Offerimus praeclarae maiestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis c. that is to say We offer to thy excellent Maiestie of thy gifts and of that which thou hast giuen c. a pure Ho ✚ st an holy Ho ✚ st an Ho ✚ st without spot holy ✚ bread of life eternall and a cup ✚ of euerlasting saluation One of the two either by these gifts which they offer to God doe they vnderstand the bread and the wine without any transubstantiation or els so transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ that now there remaynneth neither bread nor wine It apeareth by the prayer that there which there they make that by the gifts they ought to vnderstand the bread and wine without any transubstantiation which gifts the Priest prayeth God to accept as he accepted the gifts which Abel Abraham and Melchisedech offered so say they super quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris c. that is to say Vpon which gifts vouchsafe to behold with thy merciful bright countenance and to accept theÌ„ as thou pleasedst to accept the gifts of thy iust seruant Abel the sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham that holy sacrifice spotlesse â—ost which that thy high Priest Melchisedech offered to thee Beseeching humbly we pray thee to command these gifts to be caried by the hands of thine holy Angel to the high Alter before the presence of thy diuine Maiesty c. And if by gifts the bread wine vntransubstatiated be vnderstood what necessitie haue we of such a sacrifice to obtaine pardon of our sins holding that most perfect sufficieÌ„t sacrifice which one only time ought not to bee reiterated our redeemer Christ Iesus offered vpon the crosse wherewith he sanctifieth vs for euer But they will say vnto me that they vnderstand by giftes not the bread and wine vntransubstantiated but transubstantiated into the body and bloud of Christ If so they vnderstand it worse is it then it was for then the prayer which the Priest maketh is a most blasphemous blasphemie against Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God true God and man What pride what haughtinesse and presumption is it that a miserable sinner conceiued and borue in sinne and corruption and that doth nothing in all his life time but adde sinnes vnto sinnes dare to present himself before the maiestie of God the Father and pray him to receiue and accept his Sonne Iesus Christ And how saith he that he should accept him Euen as he accepted the giftes of Abel Abraham and Melchisedech Is Christ no other thing then Abel Abraham and Melchisedech Is the sacrifice of Christ his precious bodie and bloud which he offered no other thing then the sacrifice of Abel Abraham and Melcbisedech and then the sacrifice of all how many soeuer iust persons that haue bene and shall be Let them then be ashamed so to speake of Iesus Christ and of his sacrifice On the one side they confesse Iesus Christ to be equall with the Father as he is in essence and power and on the other side and stinking Priest put they for intercessor and mediator that the Father should accept and receiue him with a mercifull and chearefull countenance O miserable sinner pray thou vnto God that he pardon thy sinnes thy superstitions and idolatries and pray not nor intreat thou for Christ who is the Lambe without spot which taketh away the sinnes of the world he is he that committed no sinne neither was anie guile found in his mouth He needeth not thee that thou shouldest pray to the Father for him but thou hast need that he pray for thee The father himselfe speaking of his sonne faith This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Ye see here a terrible blasphemy vttred by the priest in saying of the Masse Of that which is sayd doe wee conclude that all those which heare Masse seeing they beleeue this transubstantiation bee Idolaters and that the priest which faith it hold he intention of consecration or not is a double Idolater For he not only committeth idolatrie but causeth also all that heare his Masse to commit Idolatry Infinite thankes I giue to my God that although he permitted that I with the rest committed Idolatrie for a time in hearing the Masse yet hee neuer suffered me to commit idolatrie by saying it to others The third reason wherewith they confirme their new article of Transubstantiation is the authoritie of Doctors which they alleage and determinations of Councels They cite Ireneus who in his fifth booke saith When the cup mingled and the bread broken receiue the word of God the Eucharist of the body and bloud of Christ is made Tertullian lib. 4. faith Christ made the bread which he tooke his bodie and distributo his disciples Origen vpon Matth. chap. 25. saith This bread which God the Word doth witnesse to be his bodie c. Saint Cyprian Sermone de coena Domini saith This common bread changed into flesh and bloud procureth life Also in the same sermon he saith This bread which the Lord gaue to his disciples not in forme or appearance but chaunged in nature is made flesh of the omnipotent Word Saint Ambrose lib. 4. de Sacramentis saith Before the words of the sacrament it is bread when consecration is applied to it of bread it is made the flesh of Christ Saint Chrysostome hom de Eucharistia tom 6. sayth This Sacrament is like waxe applyed to the fire in which no substance remayneth but becommeth like to the fire So saith Chrysostome the bread and wine is consumed of the substance of the bodie of Christ Also in the 61. Homily hee saith That Christ not onely gaue himselfe that we should see him but that wee should also touch and handle him and in whose flesh also we should fasten our teeth Also Hom. 38. vppon Matthew he saith Manie say that they will and desire to see the forme and figure of Christ and also his rayment and shooes but he giueth himselfe to thee that thou maist not only see him but also touch him Saint Augustine Prolog in Psal 23. saith Christ did beare himselfe with his handes when in the Supper hee instituted the Sacrament And vpon the 98. Psalme declaring those words Fall downe before his footestoole he affirmeth that the flesh of Christ ought to be in the Sacrament adored which should not fitly be if the bread remayned Hillarie in his eight booke of the Trinitie saith Christ is in vs by the truth of nature and not by conformity of will onely and saith that in the meat of the Lord we truly receiue
the first in an Epistle to the Clergy and people of Constantinople affirmeth this distribution to be mysticall to be spirituall meate and that therein wee receiue a celestiall power to passe or bee conuerted into the flesh of Christ who for vs tooke vpon him our flesh Ciril lib. 4. cap. 14. vpon Saint Iohn saith So to the faithfull disciples gaue he peeces of bread saying Take c. Also in an Epistle to Calosyrius he sayth It was meete that by meanes of his holy flesh and precious bloud he shoud in a certaine maner vnite or couple himselfe with our bodies which by the liuely blessing in the bread and wine we receiue Hesychius lib. 20. vpon Leuit cap. 8. saith By this he commandeth to eat the flesh with the bread that we might vnderstand hee called it a mysterie which is bread and flesh ioyntly togither Gelasius doth witnesse against Eutiches that in the Eucharist the substance and nature of the bread and wine in no wise ceaseth to hold their being And that moreouer which before we haue said Gregorie the first in his Register saith When we receiue as wel the bread without leauen as the leauened wee are made the body of the Lord our Sauiour Bertram in the booke which hee made of the bodie and bloud of the Lord speaking of the nature of the Symbols sayth that according to the substance of creatures the symbols which be the bread and wine bee the same after consecration that before they were But why alleage I one place of Bertrams booke sith the whole booke doth purposely handle this argument and concludeth the same that we now affirme with the holy Scripture and many sayings of the Fathers Ambrose Ierome Augustine Fulgentius c. confirmeth Bertram his doctrine and confirming his doctrine which is the same with ours it weakeneth and ouerthroweth that of our aduersaries which sayth the bread and wine in the sacrament to bee the very same body and bloud of Christ in flesh bones and sinewes which was borne dyed and rose againe c. But the bodie of Christ saith Bertram is in two maners one in flesh and in bones c. which was borne and dyed c. and the other spirituall which is that which is giuen in the sacrament and also he saith that the spirituall body of Christ and his spirituall bloud vnder the couerture of the corporall bread and of the corporal wine remaine At the request of Charles the Great wrote Bertram this booke as he himself in the end of his book speaking of Charles the great to whom he dedicated the same saith The occasion he had so to didicate it was for that As Bertram saith in the beginning of the booke Charles the Great had demanded of him whether the body and blood of Christ which in the Church is receiued with the mouth of the faithful be in mistery or really in truth receiued So that it is now aboue 760. yeeres past sithens this booke was written Iohannes Trithemius giueth this Testimony of Bertram Bertram was saith Trithemius much conuersant in the holy scripture very learned in humane science eloquent he was and no lesse excellent in life then in Doctrine S. Bernard is the sermon of the supper of the Lord by the similitude which he putteth of a ring sheweth that he is wholy for vs. Now to close vp this band of the fathers which against transubstantiation of diuerse times diuerse regions we haue alleaged we will set downe one most learned godly This is Theodoret bishop of Cyr that wrote the ecclesiastical historie He flourished about the yeare of our Lord 451. For he was present in that famous Councell of Chalecdon in the company of 630. bishops which condemned Diâ—scorus These bishops with great curtesie honorable titles did honor Theodoret being present in the Councel calling him catholique true pastor Doctor of the Church The same witnesseth Leo 1. Bishop of Rome in an epistle which he wrote to the foresaid Theodoret. And it is to be beleeued that had not Theodoret rightly thought of so high a mystery As is the sacrament of the body bloud of Christ that a Councel and one of the most famous that hath bin wherin were 630. bishops wold not haue called Theodoret catholike true pastor of the church c. In the 2. Councel of Ephesus was this Theodoret vniustly depriued from his bishopirck because he would not take parte with the heretike Eutiches But in the Councell of Chalcedon with great honor praise was his bishopricke restored If that which Theodoret then thought taught touching the Doctrine of the sacrament were catholike the same also shall it now be for the same which then was truth is now truth Very truely spake this Theodoret against transubstantiation in a booke God would should be printed in Rome for the greater confusion of the Romists which cannot deny that Theodoret is wholly for vs. But they excuse him with saying that this question of transubstantiation the Church had not yet determined Thus may the Pope for he is all in all cause that the Doctrine which in old time was catholike true be now hereticall wicked and that which then was hereticall and wicked be now catholike and good But if an Angel from heauen saith S. Paul shall preach another Gospel other Doctrine then that which he had taught such a one should be cursed Theodoret in his Dialogues bringeth in 2 persons which dispute of good things of thinges touching Christian religion The one called Orthodoxo and the other Eranistes Then saith Orthodoxo dost thou know that God hath called the bread his proper bodie Eran. I knowe it Ortho. knowest thou also that in an other place his flesh he calleth wheate Eran. This doe I also knowe c. And a little lower Ortho. In the same distribution of the misteries The bread he calleth bodie the cuppe mingled blood Erannist So doth he suerly call them Ortho. But also hath power to be called a bodie according to it nature his bodie surely and his blood Erannist It is clere Ortho. But the same our sauiour chaungeth the names and giueth vnto his bodie the name of symboll and contrariwise to the Simboll giueth hee the name of bodie After the same manner also when he had said of himselfe that he was a vine the same blood called he a Symboll Eranist This hast thou well spoken But I would learne also the cause why the names are chaunged Ortho. This is the marke whereat those ayme which professe religion For I would not that they which be partakers of the diuine misteries should settle their minds vpon the nature of those things which are seene but that by the change of the names they may beleeue that transmutation which is wrought by grace For hee which called his natureall body wheate and bread and called also himselfe a vine he himself honoreth the
Priest to giue vs the Sacrament but we must vnderstand the stretched out hand of Christ to doe this By all this varietie of speach what think we sought Chrisostome to doe but to drawe the mindes of the Communicants from the consideration of the outward signes and figures visible and subiect to perish and to make them consider the heauenly and diuine things which by them be figured This glorious Father then would that in communicating we should so celebrate the memorie of the death and passion of Christ as if then at the same instant that we communicate his body were crucified his bloud were shed for vs. Would God that all Christians when they communicate would haue this consideration meditation other fruit should they then receiue of the cōmunion The faithfull beleeuing the Euangelicall doctrine and celebrating the holy Supper are present as it were at the condemnation and death of the Lord this is the memorie commanded them to doe and so saith Saint Paul to the Galathians That before their eyes was Christ condemned among them crucified As touching that of Saint Augustin which they obiect vnto vs that Christ bare himselfe in his hands We denie it not For what inconuenience is it that Iesus Christ with his hands hath borne his owne body if by the body we vnderstand the Sacrament of his body And that this was his meaing hee himselfe a little lower declareth when hee saith Quodam modo in a certaine maner not simply To the other which they say of Saint Augustin that the flesh of Christ ought to be adored in the Sacrament We denie not the flesh of Christ in so much as it is conioyned with the Diuinitie from the which it neuer departeth ought to be worshipped For whosoeuer otherwise shall simply worship the flesh of Christ not respecting the hypostaticall vnion which is betweene the flesh and the Diuinitie in Christ shall commit idolatrie for only God onely his Diuinitie ought to be worshipped Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Deut. chap. 6. vers 13. Who so listeth to see how much Saint Augustine is for vs and how much against the Transubstantiation of our aduersaries and this not in one place by chance but in manie let him reade that which we haue alreadie alleaged S. Hillarie in the place cited against vs groundeth his argument vpon the truth of the Sacraments the which doe really and truly seale giue and present that which they represent vnto vs. We receiue then in the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ the true body and bloud of Christ and make our selues one selfe same thing with him and this spiritually by faith as so often we haue sayd which vnion is not onely made in the Eucharist but also in Baptisme And so the same Hillarie a little before he had sayd those wordes of the Eucharist had sayd the same of Baptisme saying that by it we are conioyned with Christ and amongst our selues And this not by vnion of consent and will only but also of nature let them also put Transubstantiation in the water of Baptisme As touching that which they say of Leo the first wee confesse the same which he saith that Christ is made our flesh and that we doe passe into his flesh As touching Damascen there is no doubt but that he is wholly for them As appeareth in the place against vs alleaged This Damascen by nation and profession was a Iew vntill hee came to Constantinople and was conuerted and being conuerted became a Monke He liued in the time of the Emperour Leo Isauricus About the 720. yeare when the Moores a fewe yeares before hauing passed the Straights of Gibraltar had by the chastisement of God subdued almost all our country of Spaine Some things he wrote wherein are found many wonders superstitions and erours I will here set downe some that the credite may be seene that to such an authour is due A great defender hee was of Images They are not only to be made saith he but also to be honored and reuerenced The which is contrary to the second comaundement Thou shalt not make to they self any grauen Image Thou shalt not worship nor honour them The reliques of Saints he much esteemed and doubted not to call them fountaines of the giftes of God He dared to say that wee ought with faith to honor dead saints the which is blasphemy For in one only God ought we to beleeue As we confesse in the beginning of the Nicene Creed Speaking of Purgatory to confirme it he reporteth great wonders hee telleth how Traian the Emperour who was a pagan an Idolaten a great persecuter of the Christians by the praiers of S. Gregory went out of the paines of hell c. Also that the soule of a woman called Falconilla a Pagan went out of hell whither for her idolatrie she was condemned and this by the prayers of one which he calleth Primera a martyr Frier Iohn de Pineda libr. 18. cap. 24. ◠1. telleth another such like tale and this it is Zenoras whom he calleth a noble Historian saith that the Empresse besought the Patriarch bishops and religious persons to pray for the soule of the Emperour Theophilus her hushand and that they obtayned pardon for his offences but I saith Pineda hold it very doubtfull seeing that he dyed an obstinate heretike And then I will leaue mine opinion founded vpon the rootes of faith One of which saith that where the tree falleth there shall it euer remaine and another that in hell there is no redemption and another that grace deuideth betweene the sonnes of the kingdome and of hell c. For the selfe same causes say we that which Damascen sayth of the soules of Traian and Falconilla to be lies Pero Mexia vpon the life of Traian sayth that that which is sayd of the soule of Traian is a meere fable and iest Doctour Illescas vpon the life of Gregorie the first holdeth it for certaine truth and condemneth Pero Mexia Also saith Damascen that one Macarius consulting with a drie scull knew many thinges of the state of the dead and what is to be a Nigromancer if this be not This Macarius sayth hee wontedly prayed for the dead and desired to know if such prayers did ought auaile them and if they receiued any comfort by them He sayth that God a louer of soules willing by manie and firme arguments to declare this to his seruaunt inspired into the drie skull the word of truth For these words the skull pronounced When thou prayest for the dead some small consolation wee feele c. Also hee reporteth that one sawe a a Disciple of his which had liued a life somewhat dissolute burning in the fire whose body was in the flame euen to the throate Afterwardes by the prayers of the Maister The same Maister himselfe sawe him in the fire vp to the middle and afterwardes praying eftsoones for
hanged in Siuill These men had secretly by night murdred their prouinciall and the day following to auoyd all note of suspition all foure of them said Masse But as they themselues afterwardes confessed they had no intention to consecrate and so did they not consecrate Yet in the rest they vsed all the Ceremonies and acts accustomably done by them that say the Masse For confirmation of that which I haue said that the popish priests haue oft times no intention to consecrate and that not hauing intention to consecrate they cause all those that heare their masse to commit idolatrie I will here rehearse one notable history which a graue author reporteth in our dayes happened There was in this land saith this author a certaine priest c. Whē this man for his filthy life incredible rudenes and ignorance of holy things was deposed and another more sufficient which could well and profitably feede the sheepe of the Lord put in his place He that was deposed about certaine busines which he had came to my house After some discourse I demanded of him that seeing he had bene aboue 30 yeares a leacher that he had by his concubine some sonnes now of big stature I demanded of him I say if purposely truly withall his hart had at any time repēted him of his whoredome He answered me that he had sometimes repented As at the time whē he celebrated the birth of our Lord at the feast of the resurrection at Easter At that time said he he alwaies separated his bed for some nights slept not with his concubine I cōmanded of him if finally at any time he had truly repēted him of this his abhominable life I demād of him if with praiers teares sighes and grones that with delebrat purpose to liue thence forth chastly to chaūge his life into a better he had craued pardon at Gods hand for his offence And if hauing reputed he put from him his concubine with intent neuer more to receiue her He neuer had sayd he any such purpose I sayd vnto him How then saydest thou euerie day Masse How maidest thou no scruple to eate the bread of the Lord and to drinke of his holie cuppe thy conscience accusing thee of so enormious a sinne Didest thou not feare that the earth would open and swallowe thee vp quick I still insisting and constrayning him at last he confessed that not pronouncing the sacramentall wordes wherewith is consecrated the sacrament that hee should not vnworthilie receiue the bodie and bloud of the Lord he had not consecrated What sayest thou Sayd I I tell you that which passed answered hee and the same is truth Alas Alas sayd I darest thou committe so horrible and neuer once heard of wickednesse Is it possible that thou gauest so great an occasion of so horrible Idolatry The people at your eleuation kneeled on their knees cast thēselues to the earth lifted vp the handes towards the altar stroke their breasts and worshipped the vnconsecrate bread and cuppe What thing is this I tremble to speake it But God sayd I if thou repent not will doubtlesse sometimes giue thee the punishment that for such abhomination and boldnesse thou deseruest But what neede many words When I with wordes had earnestly reprooued him my gallant who not with wordes but with prison and irons deserued to bee punished began to excuse his fault saying that it was not so great and that he was not alone but many more did the same which thought it not so abhominable an offence as I made it c. This far the said author All they that heard the masse of those men adored the sacrament which they lifted vp by their owne Cannons and decrees cōmitted idolatry For this is their Maxim that he consecrateth not which hath no intention to consecrate and as little doth he consecrate that pronounceth not the words of consecration miserable is the religion of those that depend vpon the intention of another And who knoweth the intent of man but God alone which searcheth the harts In the meane time shall man doubt whether that be God which he worshippeth or no. Therefore a certaine Inquisitor most great enemy to the cōuerts fearing when he heard masse whither the priest had intētion to consecrate or no said O Lord if thou be there I adore thee By this subteltie thought this Inquisitor to escape committing of Idolatrie In the time of the Councel of Constance there were 3 Popes all three did the Councel for their wickednes abhominations depose and elected Martin 5. These 3 Popes not being true Popes could not ordaine priests nor giue them authority to consecrate So that after their owne cannons All they that heard their Masses committed Idolatry As little did all they that were ordayned in the time of Constantine 1. and of Pope Ione consecrate For Constantine being a laye man and without receiuing any orders was by force which Desiderius his brother king of Lombardie vsed to the Romaines made Pope who not being a priest could not ordaine nor giue authoritie to ordaine priests which not being priests consecrated not Concerning Pope Ione there is none doubted but that neither shee nor they by her ordayned nor they which by her authoritie were ordayned did consecrate And so as many as in the time of this man Pope and in the time of this woman Pope adored the sacrament by their owne Cannons committed Idolatrie For although they had intention to consecrate yet had they not the Caracter which they call Indelibele Of the priestly order and he which is not ordained priest doth not consecrate and not consecrating all that heare his Masses commit Idolatry And to make their sacrament the more to be loathed I will recite here an historie which in the 1526. yeare in a Monastery of Dominican Fryars of the towne of Auserra in Fraunce and vppon the solemne feast day of Corpus Christi happened There was a Friar in the sayd couēt who by reason of his age and chiefly for being eaten with the Bubos had not sayd Masse now of many dayes before This increasing in him deuotion he tooke courage to say Masse vppon so solemne a day So that hee sayd Masse and finished it His Masse ended and hee going through the cloister of the Monasterie his stomack turned and beeing not able to digest retaine God which hee had in bodie and bloud receiued did vomit him vp before the chapter gate Which thing once knowne a great rumour was presently raysed througout all the Couent Some sayd this thing others that thing should bee done But in fine hauing some time disputed vppon this matter they concluded that the Tabernacle or tombe which they vse to put on the graues when they celebrate the Office of the dead should be placed ouer that holy vomit And so was it done And this that none should tread vppon nor any dogges should eate that holie
our high priest offered with which wee being sinners and sonnes of wrath he reconciled vs to God Oh good newes Heare them then O Spaine and beleeue them In this Treatise I wil be short for many things which were here to be sayd haue we formerly sayd in the confutation of the false priestes which is the Pope and of the false sacrifice which is the Masse And there haue we sayd it for confutation of falshood For how can falshood be confuted but with the truth walke we then hence forth as Children of truth and light He that listeth to knowe who is this high priest and what is this his onely and eternall sacrifice Let him read the Epistle which the Apostle wrote to the Hebrewes there clerely shal hee find both the one the other And no booke there is in all the holie scripture which more to the purpose and more axcellently handleth this argument then this Epistle An Epistle truely worthie for each faithfull Christian to reade and reade againe and to retaine in memorie Seeing there in is handled a matter so necessary without the vnderstanding knowledge whereof it is impossible for mā to be saued For what thing is more necessary thē to know who my redeemer is how he hath redeemed me so to beleeue in him beleeuing in him to be thankful vnto him by liuing in holines and righteousnesse all the daies of my life His maiesty pardon our imperfections supply that much which is wanting But before we enter into this matter Let vs declare that which we beleue of Christ we confesse that Iesus Christ is truely God and truely man that in as much as he is God he is equall with the father with the holy Ghost in nothing inferior We confesse that in as much as he is man he is lesse then the father and lesse then the holy Ghost and in nothing equal We confesse these two so far different natures diuine humaine not to haue bin vnited nor conioyned for euer but in time as saith S. Paule when saith he the fulnes of time was come God sent his son made of a woman made vnder the lawe c. The same saith S. Iohn And the word was made flesh and dwelled among vs. So that from thenceforth is hee called and is true God and true man and so according to this coniunction Christ is lesse then the father For the father hath made him and giuen him vnto vs. For our king Prophets and priest Which three offices the name of Christ signifieth which is a Greeke word and is the same that is Messias in Hebrewe and Vngido in our Spanish tongue So also is it called because these three kindes of men were in olde time annointed And so doe wee read that Samuel annointed Saul for king Dauid also hee annointed Sadoc annointed Solomon c. Concerning the Prophets wee read that Elias annointed Eliseus Concerning the Priests annoynting it is seene in Exod. 30. 50. These 3. Offices doth the holie scripture attribute to Christ It calleth him king Psal 2. 6. I haue appointed to my selfe a king ouer Sion Also Luke 1. 33. And he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer his kingdōe shall haue no end Also Iohn 1. 49. 12. 15. Mat. 22. Al the places also which say Christ to be the head of the Church cōfirme Christ to be king a Prophet he is called Esaie 61. 1. Luk. 4. 19. Also Deut. 18. 15. It is promised that God wil raise vp a Prophet which place S. Peter in that excellēt sermō which S. Luke mentioneth vnderstandeth of Christ who is the Prophet of Prophets In the same maner vnderstādeth it S. Stephen A priest is hee called Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech Which place in the Epistle to the Hebrewes is oftentimes alleaged where it calleth him the only euerlasting priest But the difference between the kings Prophets priests of the olde Testament Christ is this they were the figure of Christ and annointed they were with materiall visible oyle But Christ is the thing figured is annointed not with visible oyle but with the grace of the holy spirit As he himselfe Luk. 4. 18. doth witnes in declaring the prophesie of Esaie The spirit of the Lord c Of this kind of ointmēt thus speaketh the Psal 45. 7. Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated Iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of goodnes aboue thy fellowes which place the Apostle vnderstandeth of Christ And Christ being annointed with the spirituall oyntment we vnderstand his kingdome not to be of this world his doctrine to be heauenly his priesthood to be euerlasting diuine Christ as king appointed of the father gouerneth his Church giueth her lawes which no prince nor the mightiest monarch of the world may disdaine or abolish For it is noted that all how mighty soeuer do acknowledge him for king of kings Lord of Lords For God as saith S Paul exalted Christ gaue him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus euery knee do bowe in heauen in earth and vnder the earth Christ as a prophet doth teach vs the will of his father doth shewe vs what we ought to fly what we ouht to follow Whō the father gaue vnto vs for our Doctour maisterand teacher whē he said This is my beloued sonne in whom I take delight heare him He wil we should heare another Doctrine albeit an Angel from heauen doe preach it If an Angel from heauen saith Saint Paul shal preach vnto you another gospel thē that which I haue preached vnto you the which he had learned of the Lord Iesus Let him be accursed The office of the priest is to appeare before the diuine Maiestie to appease his wrath and to obtaine grace for vs. The which he performeth Offering a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable vnto him This did Iesus Christ offering vp himselfe vpon the Crosse Which sacrifice one only time offered and neuer more reiteratetd For reiteration should shewe imperfection to haue beene in it was so sweete and so good a sauour vnto God that he was pleased and being pleased was reconciled with men So that he pardoned all our sinnes and sanctified vs for euer Of these three offices treateth also the epistle to the Hebrewes In the 1 chapter it sheweth the excellencie and maiestie of Christ aboue the Angels and consequently ouer all Creatures In which it deuoteth his kingdōe In the third chapter the Apostle calleth him the teacher of the will of God Which thing did the Prophets chapter 13. 20. he calleth him Great Pastor By Pastor he vnderstandeth a teacher And so in the 7. verse he said Remember your Pastors which speake vnto you the word of God c. That Christ is a
the word flesh Leo Bishop of Rome in the tenth epistle which he wrote to the Clergie and people of Constanstinople saith Walke we on receiuing the vertue of the heauely meat in his flesh which is made our flesh Damascen whom they cite libr. 4. cap. 14. Orthodoxae fidei is clearely for them They alleage Theophilact who manifestly maketh mention of Transubstantiation Other new Authours as Anselme Hugo and Richardus de sancto Victore they alleage which vndoubtedly affirme Transubstantiatiation Councels also do they cite as that of Ephesus which was holden against Nestorius in which was president Cirillus where these wordes are vsed Wee being made partakers of the holy bodie and of the precious bloud of Christ receiue not common flesh and not as of a man sanctified but truly sanctifying and made proper of the word it selfe They cite the Councell of Verceill in the time of Leo the ninth in which Berengarius was condemned They cite the Councell of Laterane in the time of Nicholas the second which caused Berengarius to recant of whose recantation mention is made in the decrees de consecrat dist 2. in the fourth sentence They alleage also another Councell of Lateran in the time of Innocent 3. whereof mention is made in the Decretals de summa Trinitate cap. Firmiter de celebratione Missarum cap. Cum Martha They alleage also the Councell of Constance wherein was Iohn Wickliffe that denied Transubstantiation condemned and Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage were burned for the same They cite the last Trident Councell They alleage the common consent as they say of all the whole Catholique Church with which consent Scotus so greatly was moued in foure that seeing hee could firmely shew Transubstantiation neither by the holy Scriptures nor by reason yet he approued it he sayd for not being contrary to the common consent of the Church Our aduersaries then seeing as they suppose so many Fathers so manie Councels on their side they thinke all cocke sure and crie out Victorie Victorie against these heretikes dogges Now is there no bread now is there no wine in the Sacrament They be conuerted and transubstantiated into the bodie and bloud of Christ And whosoeuer beleeueth not this they call him an heretike excommunicate accursed and condemned But turne they ouer the leafe and behold and well consider that which followeth Were our strife and contention about Transubstantiation to be decided concluded and proued by men we want not other as manie or rather more Fathers as ancient learned and godly as those whom our aduersaries as they thinke haue armed against vs to arme in our defence against them And many of those also wil we alleage which they haue alleaged against vs. This done to all that will we answere which they haue alleaged against vs. The first Father which they alleage is Ireneus The same also do we alleage and for his antiquitie and authoritie in the vauntgard will we place him Thus sayth Ireneus speaking against the Valentinian heretikes The earthly bread the calling of the word of God receiued is now no more common bread but is made the Eucharist The which consisteth in two thinges to wit in earthly and heauenly As touching the first Ireneus denyeth not the Eucharist to be bread but that which hee saith is that it is now not common bread And then saith hee This Eucharist consisteth in two things the one whereof is earthly and is the bread and the other heauenly and is the bodie of Christ For how necessarie it is that the bodie of Christ bee truly in the Sacrament so necessarie is it also that the bread bee truely in the Sacrament For otherwise the bread which is the figure should haue no annalogie nor likenesse with the thing figured which is the body of Christ Tertullian in his first booke against Marcion saith God hath not cast away the bread his creature sith that with it he hath represented his body Also in his fourth booke against the same Marcion he saith The bread which hee had taken and distributed to his disciples hee made it his body saying This is my body that is to say as himselfe declareth the figure of my body Origen vppon the 26. chap. of Matthew sayth This bread which God the Word doth witnesse to bee his body is the nourishing word of soules Also Homil. 7. vppon Leuiticus He saith For not onely in the old Testament but also in the Gospell is the letter which killeth For if thou follow the letter that which is sayd Except ye eate the flesh c. Also hom 9. vpon the same Leuiticus he saith Cleaue not to the bloud of the flesh but apprehend rather the bloud of the Word and heare what he saith vnto thee For this is my bloud which is shed for you Also vpon the fifteenth chapter of Matthew hee saith The sanctified bread as touching the matter goeth into the belly and is cast out below In the same place also hee saith Not the matter of the bread but the word spoken ouer it is that which profiteth him which worthily eateth it In the eight booke also against Celsus hee sayth After thankes giuen for the benefites which wee haue receiued eate wee of the consecrate bread Cyprian lib. 1. Epist 6. ad Magnum sayth The Lord calleth the bread made of the gathering togither of manie graines his body and the wine pressed out of many clusters and graines of grapes calleth hee his bloud Also interpreting the Lords prayer he calleth the bread the body of the Lord. Also in the sermon of the Supper of the Lord he sayth wee whet not the tooth to bite but with sincere and true faith onely doe wee breake the bread and eate it Also in the sermon de Chrismate hee openly saith The sacramentes haue their names of those things which they signifie Saint Augustine vseth these selfe same two maner of speeches that Saint Cyprian vseth Whereby it appeareth that hee tooke them from him The second hee vseth in the Epistle to Boniface and first when he saith Why preparest thou the tooth and the belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten Tract 25. vpon Saint Iohn And turning to Saint Cyprian in his second booke and third epistle ad Cecilium he saith In the wine is shewed the bloud of the Lord. Also against the Aquarians he sayth That the bloud of the Lord could not appeare to bee in the cuppe if the wine ceased to be therein And after our Transubstantiators no wine is there in the cup therefore it followeth there is no bloud For this is the argument of S. Cyprian In the sermon also of the supper of the Lord he saith The symbols o be changed into the bodie of Christ but so that they take a certiane likenesse of Christ himselfe in whom the humane nature was seene and the diuine remained hidden by
ninth Session Where in as little then did they For the Spaniards and the rest except the Italians stayed at Trent willing to end the Councell where it was begun The 10. Session was held in Bologna wherein was nothing done For those of Trent there abode expecting them of Bologna and those of Bologna expected them of Trent And so in this 10 Session was there no other thing done but a prolongation to the 15. of September Which day being come they did nothing also so the one and the other for a long time brake vp the Councell In this time died Paule 3. and Iulius 3. succeeded him who at the importunity of the Emperour being much displeased at the translation and discontinuance of the Councel commanded that the Session following should the first day of May 1557. be holded at Trent wherein nothing else was concluded but that the twelfth Session should be holden the first day of September which day being come As little was ought done For the prelates were not yet come In the thirteenth Session were found fourtie Bishops and fourty two diuines In the 15. Session was there nothing done In the 16. Session no other thing was concluded but the suspension of the Councell for two yeares And so Iulius 3. Marcellus 2. Paul 4. Pius 4. was elected in whose time the rest of the Sessions were holden The number of Bishoppes then increased the Councell was ended and confirmed by the Pope For knowe this that all is nought woorth whatsoeuer the Councell decreeth if it bee not confirmed by the Pope Knowe also that so subiect was this Councell to the Pope that it made a decree Wherein it was ordayned that all whatsoeuer was in the Councell ordayned was intended So that it nothing derogated from the Authoritie and commodity of the Pope and the Councell was not only subiect to the Pope but to whatsoeuer other Bishops also And so in the 18 decree it was ordayned that the Bishops and the rest to whom it should appertayne might dispense with whatsoeuer decree or decrees of this Councell so that he knew the cause commoditie so required This decree was it which gaue most content to the Ecclesiasticall persons For by vertue of this decree each thing remayneth polluted as before and so nothing reformed So that the ecclesiasticall Lordes take courage reioyce because if there be any thing in this Councell that seemeth ouer harsh hard or bitter irksome they reioyce I say For that by vertue of this decree shall they easily for money haue dispensation of the Bishop or of the Pope Which dispensation will make them so tender and so as a peece of soft bread and so sweete as the honie Moreouer this Councell was not admitted of the kings of England and Denmarke nor of the Protestant princes nor of the common wealthes of Germany All these be one good part of Christendome inhabiting in Europe But they will say vnto me that these which I haue named be heretiques Whereunto I answere that if they hold them for heretiques for the same cause are they to be suffered to speake freely that which they thinke in the Councell Their sayings being heard they ought to dispute with them and conuince them by the bookes of holy scripture And by that which the Doctors and auncient Councels gouerned by Gods word belieued and maintayned And now that they say the foresayd protestants to be heretiques What will they tell me of kings of Fraunce whom the Pope himselfe calleth most Christian for the great seruice they haue done to the seat Apostolique which tooke not this of Trent for a generall Councel nor lawfully called And so Frauncis 1. sent not of all his kingdome one prelate or diuine to the Councel No more did his sonne Henry that succeeded him in his kingdome he tooke it not for a generall Councell As by the protestation which this king in the 1551. yeare by his Embassadours made in the Councell was proued The report is this Iames de Annot Abbot de Bellosana Embassadours of the king came sodainely vnto Trent presented to the Councell a letter from his king The superscription whereof sayd To the assembly of Trent Asmuch to say As to the meeting at Trent This superscription being read the Spanish Bishops spake saying that such a letter was in contempt of the Councell and that it ought not to be read nor yet opened But notwithstanding the rest of the Councel after they had well debated the buisines concluded that the letter ought be opened and read presupposing that most Christian king had not vsed such a superscription either for contempt of the Councel nor to derogate from it authority and so was it read The some of this letter was that he protested as before he had protested in Rome that he could not send to Trent by reason of the warres the Bishops of his kingdome He said also that he held not this Councel for general or lawful but for a particular meeting calnot for the publique good of Christendome the which ought led togither for the profit cōmoditie of some particular persō to be the principal cause of the calling togither of a Councel That he thought neither himselfe nor his subiects bound to obserue the decrees that there in should be made But that concerning the same he will vse if need should be the remedies which his progenitors had in the like cases vsed c. And the king of Fraunce not contented to haue made this protestation in Rome and in the Councell but passed yet further and sent an Embassadour called Marlot and of his Councell to the assembly which the Cantons of the Swizers held at Bade to persuade them not to take this of Trent for a Councel nor to make any reckoning thereof Whereunto he persuaded also the same Cantons which were papists The Grisons also which had sent Thomas Planta their Bishop to the Councell nor approuing the Councell caused him to returne home They will not say Frauncis and Henry his sonne kings of Fraunce to be Lutherans but most Christen as our aduersaries the papists themselues cal them which hold not for a Councell the Councell of Trent but an assembly of particular persons for their particular profit The same account then that so many Nations kings mightie princes and great States of Europe not of the protestants onely but also of the papists without passing to the Christians of Affrique and Asia none of whom doe I know or haue read to be found in this Councell made of this Councell make wee also so demand we a Councel general lawfull free where each one may freely speake his opinion Let the Councell and not the Bishops onely who only with a deliberate voice haue tyrannically lift vp themselues examine iudge what euerie one shall say according to the word of God Were there such a Councell God we trust would giue vs speech and wisdome to maintaine defend
our cause which is his because it is the vndeceiueable truth which his maiesty in his holy Scripture hath reuealed Concerning the lies false doctrine of the authority of the Pope the holines of the Masse which our aduersaries maintaine persecuting with fire bloud all those that beleeue it not nor worship it therefore trouble they the world as at this day we see it troubled We assuredly know that it shall perish According to that which the Lord saith Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by the roote And we haue the axe which is the word of God put to the root of the two trees the Pope the masse to cut them downe I beseech the Lord our God Christian reader which hath giuen thee a desire and will to be informed to know the causes why we subiect not our selues to the Pope nor wil heare his Masse but rather detest and abhor the one the other that he would please to lighten thine vnderstanding that thou maist comprehend what in these two Treatises haue bin said confirmed not with the sayings of men but of God himselfe of his holy Scripture giue thee such a mind and strength that thou maist wholly depart out from this wicked Babylon which is Rome deliuer thee from all the enormities abominations horrible superstitions and detestable idolatries which Rome hath inuented among which the principal is the Masse These idolatries without doubt be the chiefe cause original and fountaine of all miseries calamities and warres where with they that are called Christians be at this day afflicted For if God in the primitiue Church plagued with infirmities death the Corinthians for the abuses which they had brought into the holy supper the Apostle S. Paul yet liuing which he reporteth in his first epistle that he sent them what shal we say this selfe same Lord wil now do when the malice impiety superstition idolatry haue so greatly increased that the holy supper of the Lord which he instituted and commanded vs in remembrance of him to clebrate haue they wholy conuerted into the prophane Masse of the Pope Truly the abuses of the Corinthes as touching the Supper had no agreement by far with the erronious intollerable abuses which those that are called Christians commit at this day in their Masse And notwithstāding all this Saint Paul speaking to the Corinthians saith vnto thē For which cause many ef you are infirmed and weake many sleepe he wold haue sayd are dead We are not then to maruel if God strong iealous of his honour do chasten at this day such an idolatry as is that which in the Masse is committed with such great warres famine pestilence and which is worse and lesse perceiued a reprobate sense And no other mean there is Christian reader to obtaine pardon for these superstitions passed idolatries to get and keepe the grace of God of whom thou oughtest not only to expect all prosperity goodnesse but to endeuour by all possible meanes to serue him honour him applying thy selfe with all thine heart to all that which pleaseth him which is that which his Maiestie hath ordained and instituted in his holy word flying contrariwise all whatsoeuer may displease offend him and especially all kinds of idolatrie which he more detesteth abhorreth then all other sinnes abhominations and as such doth punish it as in the beginning of the first Treatise we haue declared Such is the Masse fly then from it follow the holy institution which Iesus Christ our king prophet and onely high Priest ordained This is the holy Supper as the Euangelists and S. Paul do shew Do this thē which Iesus Christ ordained commanded vs to doe in remembrance of him as by the mercy of God with all simplicity without all superstition or idolatrie is celebrated in our reformed Church and thou shalt walke aright All they that do otherwise erre God giue thee grace to walk aright that thou be not with this world coondemned And this do he for the vertue merit of the sacrifice with our high and only Priest Christ one onely time offered vnto him To whom who liueth and reigneth with the Father and the holy Spirit be euerlasting glorie and perpetuall power Amen A SWARME OF FALSE MIRAcles and Illusions of the diuell wherewith Maria de la visitacion Prioresse de la Anuntiada of Lisbon deceiued very manie and how she was discouered and condemned Anno. 1588. FOr confirmation of that which in these two Treatises so often I haue said that the Papists confirme their religion with false miracles inuēted by their ecclesiasticall persons or wrought by the Art of the diuell I will here set downe a most true historie deliuered in two popish bookes which by the prouidēce of God came to my hands Out of which with all faithfulnesse as he that must appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ giue an account not only of that hee hath done and said but of that also which he hath thought I haue taken that which I will deliuer Hee that will not beleeue me let him reade the two bookes from whence I haue taken that which I say I name the Authours of these bookes the Printers the yeare and place where they were imprinted as a litle after you shall see Our Aduersaries I wot well would haue buried all these thinges for they open a dore to men to seeke to vnderstand and the truth And that they may vnderstand it I haue put it in writing The Lord which knoweth my desire blesse my trauaile Our Aduersaries hauing no sound proofe to confirme their new articles of faith which they haue made as in very truth there is none haue confirmed them with dreames with fained apparitions and visions of Phantasmes of spirits and of soules come as they say from another world Now I hauing met with a new great and thicke swarme of such things which I found in a Portugal hiue me seemed I should do well by a new familiar and domesticall example which be they that most moue and that none can denie seeing it happened in our countrey of Spaine in the yeare 1588 truly to manifest the same that all the world and chiefly my countrimen the Spaniards for whom I haue taken this paine may hasten to know them and knowing them may abhorre them so may turne to the holy catholike faith true religion of Iesus Christ which is written in holy Scripture This hiue is Maria de la Visitacion Prioresse of the Monastery de la Anunciada in Lisbon who was held so certainly for holy whose hypocrisie false miracles were discouered publikely condemned as we shall after see I hearing much talke of the great holinesse admirable life and maruellous miracles of this womā whom for excellency they called The holy Nunne aduised my countrimen the Spaniards in a booke which I published in the