right honourable Bishoppe Guilielmus Blindasinus in his booke called Panoplia wherein he concludeth with strong inuincible reasons That mē were not bound to beleeue the word of God nor to be subiect vnto it if it were not that the holy Church hath so commanded For what do we thinke that the word of God is so strōg of it selfe as to publishe such thinges thorough the power of the holy Ghost if the Church of Rome did not first giue her verdicte in the matter No marie I warant you for so the Heretikes do vnderstand it For these Heretikes will bring the church of God in subiection vnder the scripture therefore do they alledge out of Ieremie That the word of God is like a fire like a hāmer which breaketh stones in pieces that it is liuely mightie sharper than a two edged sword goeth through euen to the soule to the sinewes and ioyntes is a searcher of the thoughtes intentes of the heart and therefore saye they it hath no neede of any mans witnes as Christ him self hath said but that those which do the will of the father shal lightly know by inspiration of the holy Ghost whether the doctrine be of god They say likewise It doth giue light to al things for it is a lampe to lighten the feete of the beleeuers whereby they must walke through the darknesse of this world they say that mans wisdom vnderstanding how great howe wise howe holy soeuer the same can be is plain darkenesse in comparison thereof Well then if it be so that the darkenesse can not lighten the light but that the light it selfe must lighten all things then in very deede can not the worde of God receiue anie light of the opinion or authoritie of man but it selfe must be the light whereby men may knowe which is the Church of God and which is the Synagogue of dissemblers And therefore they conclude according to the worde of the Prophet Esaie That men must followe after the Lawe and the witnesse which is the writtē word of God and that whosoeuer doth not walke after that shall neuer see the daye spring But as I haue alredy said all that is plain heresie for our dearely beloued mother the holy Church of Rome will be chiefe Iudge her selfe ouer the holye Scripture So that the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles is now no more the foūdation of the Church as it was in the time of Paul but contrariwise the Church with the authoritie the traditions of the same is the onely foundation of the Scripture For euen so might the Iewes before time aduance themselues likewise by the estimation authoritie of the Church alledging that the law and the witnes whereof the Prophet speakes could haue bene of no estimation but by reason the same was consented to thē by the Church and that men should neuer haue knowen neither the Lawe or the witnesse or Gods worde if it had not bene by them and their forefathers set forth declared what they should accept for Gods worde and that the Church with her light hadde lightened the Lawe and the witnesse And so the Church of Rome doeth nowe also saye That the worde of God hath no estimation but that which it hath borrowed of the Church for otherwise as shee sayeth and as all good Catholike writers do declare howe should we knowe that the scripture were the word of God if it were not that the holy Church had so allowed and iudged it Wherefore should we more beleeue the Gospel of Mathewe or Marke than the Gospell of Nichodemus or Thomas For there standes plainly written in the Decrees That neither the old nor the newe Testament were receiued of mē for this cause or that cause nor for that it must be esteemed for an vndoubted rule and perfect knot but only because that the holye Father Innocentius Pope of Rome had so iudged it and so would haue it Therefore yee maye well thinke that God could not plant and establishe his holy worde in mens heartes by the inspiration of his spirit as S. Iohn the Apostle would proue if it were not that the holy Church had therein holpen him So that in this case God is greatly beholden vnto our deare mother the holy Church for her good wil faithfull seruice For if shee had accepted the Fables of Aesope and of Howleglasse the gospel of the Distaffe and of Fortunatus purse the gospel of Nichodemus or the Alcaron of Mahomet or els the gospel which certein Monkes at Paris in the yere of our Lord 1220. had made set forth being ful of al filthinesse and blasphemie naming it Euangelium aeternum that is to say An euerlasting gospel requiring the Pope that it might be by him canonized and so set it forth for the eternall word of God but it ws denied thē as hap was but if it had bene so I say that the pope and the holy Church would as wel haue allowed it as they did the holy scripture with the Masse booke with the seuē Psalmes with the Rosarium beatae Mariae who could haue said No to them And that should then haue bene the worde of God yea and therewith must God haue beene content Wel go too then seeing that men did herein credit the writing and seale of the church wherfore should they not thē giue as great credit to them in al other matters For euen so doth the text of the foresaid decrees argue saying with plaine wordes In so much as men do receiue and accept the old and newe Testamentes because that Pope Innocentius hath ordeined iudged so it doth necessarily folow that the Decretalles of the Popes of Rome must likewise be receiued accepted the rather for that Pope Leo hath likewise ordeined That whosoeuer doth set him self against them his sinnes shal neuer be forgiuen him c. It is very true that by this argumēt it must likewise folow that all the Iewes Caballes Talmood and all their dreames must as wel be receiued as the fiue bookes of Moses the bookes of the Prophets For it is most true that as we haue receiued the new Testamēt of the christē church so hath the christen church receiued the bookes of the old Testamēt of the Iewes Synagogue And now euen as our Romish church hath receiued the writing of the Apostles iudged the same for true so likewise hath the Iewish church iudged the bokes of Moses of the prophets for true receiued thē for authētike Nowe then as men do herein beleeue and allowe the Iewes writings and seale so must wee also following the rule of our Doctours of Louen beleeue the said Iewes in all that they say and teache and thereby nowe shoulde our Romishe Church come short home But we do not esteeme such cōsequencies It is but Philosophie and the Popes of Rome are no
You poore Heretikes saieth he howe can you be of a true beleefe if you do not first accept the twelfe articles of the faith And how should you accept them seeing you will not beleeue the holy Catholike Church For consider this he doeth take to serue his turne a most certeine and vndoubted point That no man can beleeue the holie Church but hee must ioyntly withall receiue and accept all whatsoeuer the saide Church doth set forth and beleeue And this is greatly to be coÌ„sidered seeing herevpon doth rest the most speâ—ial ground and strongest bulwarke of the holy Church of Rome For these Heretikes can very stedfastly say that they theÌ„selues are the church of god And to 〈◊〉 that they introduce and bring in many goodly textes out of the Scripture but they alledge them only according to the letter euen as though the Church were nothing els but an assemblie or congregation of holy men that is to say of such as through faith or beleefe are by the bloud of Iesus Christ blessed and chosen to be the sheepefolde of Iesus Christe the true and only sheepheard of our soules into which fold none are receiued but such alone as will hearken to the onely voyce of that onely shepheard and followe and goe after him onely forsaking and not knowing the voyce of any straunger Whereby they will nowe conclude that our great Maister the Pope with all the right honourable Bishops and Prelates which haue of them selues set forth manie goodly ordinances whereof Christ neuer knewe word should be those very straungers and hirelings which seeke onely the wooll of the sheepe and haue serued God feignedly setting forth and teaching the commandements and doctrine of men yea that they shuld be the theeues and murtherers that haue not entred in at the right doore which is Iesus Christ but are crept in a wrong way to steale kill and destroye And therfore do they cut vs cleane off notwithstanding what soeuer wee alleadge of the Church of God and of her authoritie power and woorthines But they alledge out of the Prophet Ieremie That al is but lyes and deceyt whervpon we establish our selues crying with the Iewes The Church of God The Church of God The Church of God. And herevpon doe they bring vs forth and alledge their Paul saying That the only true ground and foundation of the Church of God is established onely vppon the doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles so that who soeuer he be that falleth from the same can not be accompted for a true member of Christs Church And then they bring forth an Esaie out of a corner and an Ezechiel an Oseas with diuers other out of the olde Testament which they set al together on a heape and will defend themselues therewith that the stedfast successioÌ„ and that long continued race of the Popes Cardinals Bishoppes and Archbishops are in no wise that right token and that vncounterfeyt marke of the Church but the onely the sincere worde of God when as that is in our mouthes and in our heartes and in the mouthes and heartes of our children accompanied with the right vse of the Sacraments according to the perfit ordeining of Christ Iesus who is the only head of the Church and congregation in whom all people are ioyntly vnited euery one according to the measure of the gift which he hath receiued of the head to the ful growth of the whole body in loue Well well when they haue done all their prating yet must this needes be true That they are but Heretikes and smel after the fagot the good yere and all the cause why For that they doe not beleeue all that the holy Church doth beleeue and without the Church is no saluation but all such as fall from her must be burnt like fagottes for to that end haue we a plaine text of Scripture which saith thus Who soeuer doeth not abyde in me shall be cast out of the vineyarde as a branche and there wither and men gather those branches and cast them in the fire and burne them And this same is apparent out of the second point of this Epistle nowe folowing Whereas Gentianus doeth openly coÌ„fesse that at al times and for euer there haue bin some men which haue helde the same opinions set forth the like learning that these Lutheranes and Huguenotes do nowe followe But he answereth the matter thus That such haue alway bene banished and cursed for heretikes and all this is verie true For euer since that Iohn the Archfather Patriarch of Constantinople began to take vpon him to be the vniuersall Bishop of all Bishops within Christendome which attempt the Pope of Rome dyd in the beginning stoutly withstande and that then afterwardes Boniface the thirde did obteyne that tytle for him selfe and was by the Emperour Phocas declared Cheefe or superiour Bishop ouer all Christendome and ordeined the head of the Church which thing was brought to passe in the yeere of our Lord 680. From that time forward I saye there haue alwayes bene many factious and busie fellowes stirring abroade which as well by writing as preaching haue withstoode the Pope and condemned his doctrine decrees and ordinances euen by the Scripture yea and blazed and set him selfe forth for an Antichrist alledging euen as our Heretikes nowe do that men ought to repose themselues and buyld vpon the sincere word of God onely and further to holde and esteeme all ordinances of the Popes not agreeing with the Scripture for deuilishe doctrine But as before is declared such haue alwayes bin reputed and condemned for Heretikes Therefore to the ende that no man shall thinke this to be nowe a new dealing of the holy Church to condemne these Lutheranes and Huguenotes for Heretikes and likewise that no man shall suppose that this their doctrine and Articles which they set forth are first growen in their gardens I will therefâ—â—e make here a brief discourse of such as haue here before set forth these matters as well by mouth as by writing to make it plainely appeare to the worlde that there is not one Article which they bring forth but iâ— hath bene long before â—et a bâ—â—che openly â–ª that the holy Church of Rome hath both punished and condemned it for heresie Then to begin withall it is plaine that the Grekes haue alwayes daâ—peâ—ly withstoode the holy Pope of Rome and would neuer acknowledge him neither for Pope nor for the head of the Church like as yet euen in these dayes they do not in so much as in the yere of our Lorde 1328. at which tyme Pope Iohn the 23. had written very wisely and sharpely to the Grekes and by many wordes defended the cause That first there was but one only Church whereof he ought to be the head vnder whom all Christendome ought to submit them selues they dyd againe sende him this answere which followeth We beleeue verely
necessitie must followe that the Church hath a full and resolute power ouer the expresse worde of God aboue the cōmandement ordenāce of Iesus Christ and aboue all the scriptures of the Prophets Apostles But what neede is it I pray you to bring so many and diuerse ensamples one by one for the deference of this matter Sithence we see euidently that shee in all her deuotions Gods seruices and ceremonies doth alter the expresse wordes of the Scripture yea doeth openly and wilfully ouertread it euen as though it were done in spite and anger of the holy Scripture in the Bible For by the holy Scripture it is openly and vpon great paynes earnestly forbidden That in the seruing of God first no commandements traditions nor deuises of men shall bee vsed nor take anie place but to rest wholy and onely vpon the special commandements of God and to do thereafter Finally to turne neither to the right hand or to the left Secondarily not to make or haue anie Image or similitude ▪ carued or molten nor shall vse the shape or likenesse of anie such thereby to shewe or set forth the spirituall forme and incorporable maiestie of God by earthly things and dumbe and dead creatures Thirdely that no man shall vse anie witchcraft sorcerie or inchantment of anie creature to the intent to giue to the creatures that be senselesse and voyde of life anie might or worthinesse other then by nature is prescribed vnto them Which thing is likewise by all Councels and Synodes as well Iudiciall as Canonicall openly and straytelie forbidden Here agaynst notwithstanding hath it pleased our dearely beloued mother the holy Church of Rome to vse her full and inestimable authoritie and power and so without hauing anie respect at all to that which is aboue written hath to beginne withall sette vp a certaine kinde of seruing of God which is altogether contrarie to the good opinions traditions and ordinances of all men For besides that the blessed Masse is by diuerse Popes Cardinals and Bishops at sundrie times and in sundrie places raked vp in a huge heape with many peeces patches of mens deuises like to a beggers cloke sowed together besides so many traditions of idle heades which the holy Church of Rome hath receyued for a perfite seruing of God as fasting dayes yeares of grace differences and diuersities of dayes of meates of clothing consecrating of Churches of altars of candles pilgrimages Letanies Kyrieelesons Images Processions holy ashes holy Paceegges and flanes palmes and palme boughes Albes Copes Maniples Vestmēts Miters Staues fooles hoods Shelles and Belles Paxes licking of rotten bones carying of the Pixe about and praying to a lumpe of doaw fasting vpon certaine speciall dayes creeping vpon knees before a Crosse of wood buying of Bulles and pardons mumbling of Pater nosters and Aue Maries by tale vpon a paire of Beades before a dumbe image shauing of crowne and beard to giue blessing with two fingers and ten thousande more such prankes Yet aboue al this is by the holy Church as it were in spite of God and his word ordeyned That euery man being a good Catholike maye appoint and choose for himselfe a Saint and patrone erect a new image and specially build a new chappel and an altar set vp a newe and particular religion weare a peculiar or special kinde of garment assume and take a seuerall vse of meates and ceremonies finally and to conclude doe what soeuer his good meaning and intent persuadeth him vnto Secondarily it is so that our deare mother will not set vp any seruing of God but shee must of necessitie haue therevnto all sortes of ymages as well carued as painted and worship the same by kneeling and praying with burning of candles with kissing and licking with pilgrimages and other such like deuotions And in setting vp the sayde images in all high wayes in all streetes and in all corners euen as for an euident token and protestation that they neither do once thinke vpon Gods commandement set forth in the holy Scripture neither wil be subiect or bounde to the same Thirdly all her diuine seruice all her ceremonies and deuotions and all her holinesse is grounded in cōiuring of creatures and worshipping the same and in flat sorcerie and witchcraft in working whereof they speake vnto the dumbe creatures as though they had as much vnderstanding as the Priests themselues and so do abuse the blessed name of God and the textes of the holy Scripture openlye and without respect The water is by them exorcised or coniured by these wordes I coniure thee thou creature of water In the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost to the ende thou become a chosen water to take away all the power of the diuell and that thou mayest driue awaye and confounde the diuell him selfe with all his wicked Angels c. The oyle and the balme are coniured and bewitched with much mumbling blowen vpon with many breathings with three times crying All haile holy oyle three times All haile holy annoyntment and three times All haile holy baulme And then it is kept for a most holy thing in a fine vessell therefore made and so caried along the streets by the Priests with great deuotion and prayer The salt is coniured in this maner I do coniure thee thou creature of salt by the liuing God by the true God by the holy God and by the same God which commanded Helias to cast thee into the water to take away the vnwholesomnesse of the water that thou mayest become an exorcised or coniured salt to the saluation of the faythfull and to worke the preseruation both of bodie and soule to all them which shall enioy thee and that all the subtiltie wilinesse and filthie intents of the Diuell and that all wicked spirites maye flee from that place where thou art scattered and cast abrode And then is this salt mingled with the foresayde water to be the right purger and sanctifier of the people wherethrough all the power and might of the diuell is withstood our daily sinnes therewith finely cleansed Nowe besides all this shee doeth exorcise and coniure certeine hearbes vpon certeine dayes to the health both of bodie and soule and to driue away all daungerous hurt all diuelish bewitching all pestilence vnwholsomnesse and corruption of the ayre Shee doeth coniure and exorcise the candles the waxe and the tallow to the qualifying and extinguishment of thunder and lightening Also she doth exorcise and coniure beads of wood of stone of corrall and of all other stuffe whereby they receyue great power against sinne the diuell and hel And which is more shee doeth not let these thinges be thus coniured by the Pope and Priests onely but the Pope may whensoeuer it shall please him giue the like power and authoritie to whom soeuer he will be it man or woman This may well appeare and be perceyued of all men by the example of
which is written yea shee doeth plainly foâ—bid the common sorte and Laie people to reade the scriptures in their mother tongue For consider this they haue found in effect and by experience that the Heretikes and Huguenotes haue alwayes the Scripture in their mouth and take vppon them to defende and iustifie by plaine and euident textes all that they say or beleeue And they passe not a pinne for all the hidde and profound interpretations which the holy Church of Rome hath finely founde out and profoundly set downe concerning the same Nowe that spites them out of measure and to saye trueth howe can they tolerate or suffer such a thing yea when al is said what mischiefe do these Heretikes meane that they thinke them selues wiser than all the holy Fathers the Popes of Rome with so manie Cardinals of excellent renowme and honourable Bishops with such innumerable bandes of learned men of Louen and Paris Or if so be likewise that they doe not passe for all their Myters Staues Hattes Crownes Cowles Capes and Liripippes yet must they needes remember them selues that holie Pope Pius the fourth nowe lately dead did in the confession of the faith which he with the consent of the whole Councell of Trent published and set foorth euen as a watche woorde or speciall marke whereby men might discerne true Catholikes from false Heretikes as in plaine and expresse wordes is written And first I acknowledge the holie Catholicall Apostolicall Church of Rome to bee the true mother of all Churches and Congregations And after that I beleeue the holie Scripture according to such vnderstanding interpretation meaning signification as our mother the holie Church hath alway allowed for good at this present doth allow to whom only of right doth apperteine to giue vnto the Scripture a right vnderstanding sense interpretation And herevpon I do promise that I wil neuer vnderstand nor interprete the same otherwise than according to the interpretatioÌ„ of the Fathers This same haue the holie fathers at Trent irreuocably concluded coÌ„manding That no man shall otherwise vnderstande nor interpret the Scriptures than our mother the holy church hath in times past and doth at this present vnderstand them Now here you haue a full decision a setled determination an irreuocable sentence vppon our question by vertue whereof neither delay nor appeale can follow For you doe heare to beginne withal that the worde of God is not of such value or dignitie that it is of it self worthie to be beleeued vnlesse it be deckte and set forth with the glosses and interpretation of the holie Fathers of Rome So that hereof is to be gathered as all Catholike Doctours also haue written That the Scripture and word of God is obscure darke variable vncertein vneeuen rawe vnfurnished and vnhandsome but the glosses and interpretations of the holy father of Rome and of the great Clerkes of Louen are cleare lightsome stedfast sure true euen plain fullie furnished and in all pointes verie handsome and sufficient It is true that the pretence of Christ of his Disciples was to vtter declare to euerie man their doctrine or at least so much of it as doeth apperteine to the saluation of man in all plainesse simplicitie trueth without any dissimulation or darknesse For to that end purpose did Christ chuse simple fishers and other plaine dealing laie people for Apostles and Euangelistes and did therfore thanke his heauenly father that he had reuealed his heauenly wisdome knowledge to simple plain mening men not to the sharpwitted deeply learned philosophers of this world In like maner also did Paule set forth his doctrine before the simple people in al simplicitie plainesse yea he gloried of his simplenesse Wherevpon the chiefe of the old Fathers were prouoked diligently to put the laie people in mind that they should be diligent readie to pervse search the holy scriptures not to thinke that they did perteine onely to the learned And yet notwithstanding we must now either say that their intent and meaning was not well grounded or else that the chaunce is now changed For we see that nowe in these dayes the Scripture is hid froÌ„ the Laie people as a thing dark doutfull of no sufficient foundation in place wherof is intruded thrust in the peoples hands glosses interpretations decisions and determinations of the holie Church so that thereby it is good to consider that the scripture is not only darke but also rough vneeuen hard stonie in so much that the Catholike children of the church of Rome might lightly stumble vpon it and breake their shinnes or else perhaps be seduced drawne awry from their right Catholike beleefe But the foresaid decisions glosses are as eeuen smooth plaine as the rockes of S. Goddardes mountaine yea they are the very Planers wherwith the roughnes of the Bible scriptures is shauen off in such sorte that they may serue for all purposes of work to the building vp pulling downe of the Catholike faith Therefore aboue all things we must sticke fast to their glosings cleaue close to their interpretations haue litle regard what the plaine cleare textes of the scripture bring with them Now this is the first point that you haue to consider out of the rule before specified The second you may likewise gather out of this That no man in the world hath power to interprete the Scripture anie otherwise than as hitherto it hath bene interpreted by the holie Popes and Bishops and by the Theologians Bachelers of Louen for else to what purpose were it that men should bestow such cost on those same Magistri nostri in making them pleasant bankets to proceed Bachelers or Licentiats if it were not that thereby they had free graunt and licence to winde and writh the textes of the Scripture with so phisticall arguments euen as they themselues thinke good Then we may thereby well perceiue that suche as are neither Bacchelers Licentiates nor Doctours presuming of their owne wit and will to set out the Scripture according to the letter that is to say after the single and profound ground of the plaine text so applie them to the detrimeÌ„t of the holy Romish church are all ranke Heretikes seeing they goe about to rob the holie Church of Rome of her power authoritie which is a thing in no wise tollerable For it is most true and without doubt yea as true as the holie Gospell of the Distaffe as is plainely to be proued out of the bookes of all Catholike writers That when our Lorde Iesus Christ did deliuer into the handes of the holie Church of Rome the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen he did yet giue her beside those an other string of sixe keyes wherewith shee might open and shutte all the Cupbordes of the Scripture euen as it pleased her and as shee thought good for her owne aduauntage
yet at this present in a golden chest And yet besides that not only his Legend but likewise that holy man Lippomanus the booke called SpeculuÌ„ historiale that is The Mirror of histories made by Vincentius Lirinensis do perfectly set forth That Iesu Christ met him with out the town gates of Rome And being demanded by Peter whether he was going He answered I am going to Rome to be there crucified againe and a while after was Peter crucified and that vpon the same day place vnder the same tyrant that Paule iust a yeare before was put to death yea after that he himselfe had bene Pope and gouerned that sea 25. yeares by the same token that his seate which was hewed out of a Purphyre stone and the Albe wherein hee song his first Masse do both remaine yet for a memoriall And although Saint Luke doe testifie that hee continued verie long at Hierusalem yea and that in the verie same time that hee shoulde haue bene in Rome by the reckoning and calculation of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome and that Paul doth seeme to agree with the same where he writeth that the time that he lay in prison in Rome there was not one of the faithfull that did visite or assist him I leaue to say that Peter shoulde then haue beene Pope but all this cannot persuade vs For that is to bee answered that Saint Luke might be ouerseene in his writing and I thinke he was no good Arithmetician or else we may say as diuers Lutherans them selues confesse that one bodie may bee in two or three or mo sundrie places at one time And touching that he had perhappes forgotten that Peter was Pope of Rome as is apparant by that he writeth to the Galathians where he saieth That Peter was appointed for an apostle to the Iewes and he himselfe to the Gentiles Or else it may well be answered that it was not decent for Peter beeing a Prince and Duke ouer all the Apostles to go seeke or visite such a simple fellow as Paule was lying in prison Considering how that Pope Gregorie the 7. successour about the yeare one thousand and seuentie did suffer the noble Emperour Henrie 4. who came in the colde winter simply clad bare headed and barefoote most humblie desiring to haue accesse to his holinesse beeing then in the towne of Camisen his holinesse did as is before said suffer him to tarie before the gates of the towne three daies without once looking vpon him or sending to him I let alone that he would once step a foote to go meete him being in the meane space passing his time dallying with his Curtesans and with the Dutchesse Matildis who yet at last did make intercession for the Emperour Wherefore is it not to bee thought then that Peter did likewise stand vpon his grauitie and reputation without much going to the prison to seeke Paule or visite him Especially considering howe busie he was to appoint and set new Prelates in euerie place For it might perhaps be that Peter was not verie well at ease or diuerse other occasions might cause it But this is alway to be beleeued and holden for a verie truth That Peter was fiue twentie yeres complete resident at Rome and distributed the landes to euerie one according as he thought good likewise ordeined and instituted Prelats Bishops and Archbishops ouer all the world and deposed the heatheÌ„ gouernors which at that time bare rule out of their places placed other in their roomes which hee did name Primates for that euerie man came to receâ—ue iudgment at their hands as is very finely and at large set out in the epistle of Anacletus and in the booke of decrees And that this is wel founded vpon scripture it is apparant by the wordes of the saide Anacletus who doth bring in for verefying of his saying plaine textes out of the Psalmes to witte Moses and Aaron with their Priestes For out of that is forceablie concluded as hee saieth that the Pope of Rome is the head of the Church Is not that well shot God saue the marke Also the holie Apostles saieth hee did debate and determine amongest themselues as I thinke at that time when they did striue who should be chiefe amongst them that the Bishop of euerie Countrie shoulde knowe who should bee next vnder him for notwithstanding that they were all Apostles alike yet did Christ giue that vauntage to Peter that he shoulde bee chiefe of the Apostles and so named him Cephas that is to say The chiefe head or Prince of the Apostles See now this is the exposition of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome vpon these woordes of Christ Thou art Cephas And yet it is true that Cephas is a worde of the Chaldee tongue and doth not signifie A heade but A stone as Petra doth in the Greeke or Latin for so S. Iohn the Euangelist him selfe doeth expounde it But notwithstanding that seeing it hath pleased our deare mother the holie Church of Rome to vnderstand it so considering that this worde Cephas or Cepha doeth signifie in the Chaldee tongue A stone the like worde in maner in the Greeke and in the French tongue doth signifie A head as to wit Cephali or Cheff therfore it is good reson that we take the exposition of Iohn as literall repose our selues vpon the exposition of our deare mother the holie Church who onely in deede hath the power and authoritie to interprete the Scripture spiritually and allegorically So that this worde Cephas must needes signifie A head and not A stone as is plaine to be seene in the glosse of the Decretals And out of this we haue to note two principall pointes The first is that the holie Church hath such power and authoritie that she can not onely chaunge the bread into flesh but is able to make of a stone a head as well transubstantiate the wordes as the bread The second is that a man may make a good similitude or parable vpon the neerenesse of names in speache which in pronuntiation doe sound one like another as the holie Church hath concluded herevpon That Saint Clare can make dimme eyes looke clere S. Quintine can heale the quensie in the head and S. Valentine the falling sicknesse and S. Etropius the dropsie because these names in pronuntiation do sound one like another And yet this can not alway fall out so for then might the Heretikes conclude out of the same that Curats are curres the Spiritualtie spite faultie Bishops verie bitesheepes Cardinals carnals and that maister Gentianus after the French is vn genti asne that is a proper asse and Blindasinus a blinde asse Which thing nowe can not bee so considering that asses are not accustomed to write bookes as these men haue done Therefore wee must remitte the iudgement of these matters in like cases and nerenesse of
names to the holie Church when they shall be so vnderstoode and when they shall â—ot be so taken Now doeth our deare mother the holie Church inioy dâ—uerse other goodly and plaine Scriptures wherewith â—o prop vp and make fast the seate of our holâ—e father the Pope as specially where it is written That Christ came to fulfill the will of his father For of that must needes follow That all good Christen men are bound to fulfil the will of their holie mother the Church of Rome of which church the Pope without all doubt is the supreme heade And againe God speaketh by the mouth of his Prophete Esaias But doth the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Or doeth the sawe make anie bragging against him that ruleth it Signifying thereby that the king of the Assyrians had no power against the almightie God who woulde vse him as an axe or a sawe to punish and correct his people by him Out of this hath our mother the holy Church of Rome concluded and as she saith made it appeare clearer than the Sunne that there is no power nor authoritie in this worlde but in the power of the holy sea pope of Rome to correct or punish the same And this shee doeth establish yet more strongly by the wordes of Paule who saith That the naturall man cannot conceiue nor vnderstand Gods doings but the spirituall man doth vnderstand rule all things but may not be ruled of any man. For this doth the holie Church vnderstand by the pope of Rome that he is of himselfe so spiritual and ghostly that no man may nor can iudge nor punish him Now further his power is established in the first booke of Moses called Genesis where it is written That God in the beginning did shape both heauen and earth For now that is as much to say after the exposition of the holie Church of Rome that the Pope is the beginning of all things Considering there is no mention made but of one beginning It is not said In the beginning as of mo or manie beginnings and therefore whosoeuer should compare the Emperour to be as good as the Pope he is a rank heretike of the sect of the Manichees who saide There was mo beginnings of all things than one What thinke you now of this Is not this a good bagpipe to play a galiard vpon But now tarie yet a little it is likewise writen That God did shape two great lightes a greater and a lesser which do signifie after the interpretation of the holy Church that the pope of Rome is aboue all other Potentates aboue the Emperour for he is the Sunne the Emperour is the Moone Whereby nowe is clearely to be seene that Moses had a foreknowlege of the pope his authoritie And Iob must needes haue had some feeling of his coÌ„ming For thus God said vnto Iob Knowest thou I pray thee how the heauens are gouerned Or canst thou rule him vpon earth That is after the interpretation of the holy Church That euen as in the heauen one eternall God doth gouerne all things and as the holy Trinitie is brought to one onelie vnitie The like consequence must fall out here vpon earth So that here the Pope onely must haue dominion ouer all estates dukedomes kingdomes other whatsoeuer in consideration that hee is the onely line leuell and compasse whereby all other people are and ought to be directed And in consideration hereof is the prophesie of Paul thus vnderstood saying Vntil the fulnes of the Gentils be come and then shall all Israel be saued ioining this with that which Christ said So that there shal be but one flock one sheepheard as to vnderstand When all the nations vpon earth shall be subiect to the Pope Like as now in our daies we haue seene a good beginning do daily see with our eyes very great apperaÌ„ce of more And that the Pope ought not only to haue a spirituall gouernment as a Bishop but must likewise maintein a worldly gouernment as a king is by clere testimonie of Scripture of our deare mother the holy Church approued For there is without doubt a plaine text that the Apostles did say Behold here are two swordes Wherevnto Christ answered not saying That it was too manie but that that was inough Now out of this doth our deare mother coÌ„clude That the Pope of Rome must vse two swordes to wit a spirituall a temporall sword Ho ball ho how will this sound in the eares of the Heretikes But now must they vnderstand for a speciall matter that a good while ago there was in Spaine an honest man who coulde not vnderstand it so saying that this scripture did serue nothing at al to that purpose And by and by the holy inquisition which is the dearest and chiefest nourse fosterfather of the Church of Rome did take him and burne him at a stake as one which had highly blasphemed because that vpon his opinion should follow that the holy church hath not full power to interprete the scripture as she will which I assure you is a terrible slaunder Therefore haue these heretikes need to looke well to the matter kepe their tongues giue eare to other testimonies and witnesses For yet besides this Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword into the sheth Out of those words doth plainly appeare as our holy father Bonifacius the 8. saith That both the swordes as well the temporall as the spirituall are vnder the power and iurisdiction of the Church Yea and it is verie necessarie that the one sword be subiect to the other which is to be vnderstood That the temporal iurisdiction and authoritie must be subiect to the spirituall ecclesiasticall power and authoritie For according to the saying of S. Paule There is no power or authoritie but that which is appointed by god Truely saith he there would be no good regiment if the one sword were not subiect to the other and that the lower and inferiour were by some good meanes brought in subiection and obedience to the higher and superior Consider this is the onely naturall and grounded interpretation of the before alledged text of the holie Scripture as our deare mother the holy Church hath interpreted the same word by word Is not this Popingaie then trimly shot downe Lee these Huguenots and Lutherans come out now who crie alway that we cannot establish the power authoritie of the Pope by anie scriptures now they may see that we haue scriptures â—now to hit the marke withall But now will we teach out of the scriptures That the Pope only hath power to consecrate and halow Churches to blesse altars Marke well the wordes plainly set out in the Psalms where it is written Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it For this is the verie text that the holy
feast of Tabernacles wee haue our Church holydayes or solemnities and so forth as is plainlie to be seene in the booke of the said Eckius â–ª So that there is no other difference but as though the diuell to disguise him selfe should put on a Friers cowle And wheresoeuer in the olde Testament anie mention is made of feast dayes our deare mother the holie Church of Rome applieth it to the establishing of her festiuall or holie daies and solemnities so that the Heretikes can not iustly complaine of vs in this case say that we can not bring in any Scriptures for proofe of the matter seeing that the olde Testament is full of such Scripture as they them selues knowe well inough The xvii Chapter VVhich treateth of the forbidding of Priestes to marrie and howe womâ—n ought to be common by speciall commaundement of the church of Rome which is diligentlie by them obserued NOwe as touching the forbidding of Priestes Monkes Friers and all other Spirituall persons to marrie that matter we can not defende by the olde Testament seeing that in the old Testament all Priestes were married Therefore in this matter we will haue nothing to doe with the olde Testament because it doeth make against vs but wee say that it is chaunged by the newe as heretofore wee haue proued by speciall textes as to write where it is written None of those that liue after the fleshe can please God. Againe Be you holie like as I am holie more such like which hertofore we haue alledged and by the booke of decrees established for euer Yea and it was specially prophesied by Paule That in the latter dayes there shoulde come such as should forbid marriage and the eating of meates which God hath created and ordeined to bee eaten with thankesgiuing So that it is no maruell that it was not forbidden in the olde Testament nor yet in the beginning of the new testament for these last dayes whereof Paule speaketh were not yet come and as a good wise Doctour holie Priest of Groining saide The Pope did not then gouerne But nowe that those last dayes are past and the Pope hath taken the whole regiment of the Church into his handes the Church hath now declared openly set forth and established without retractation That no man being married can bee holie nor please God for that is plaine vncleanenesse and fleshly defiling as we haue heretofore declared by plaine and special texts of the decrees And therefore hath our deare mother the holie Church of Rome concluded and set forth That it is much better and lesse offence for a Priest to vse another mans wife than to marrie one of his owne after that he hath once accepted and married our deare mother the holy Church for his wife during his life as Phigius Eckius Ioachimus Perionius and other like pillars of the holy church of Rome haue verie finelie set out in their writing Yea we do finde by daily experience that the holie Catholike church of Rome will a great deale rather suffer that these holie sheete Nonnes of Cloisters and such like should being with child destroy it in their bodies with drinkes and other medicines yea or kil it after it is borne than that they should according to the counsell of Saint Paule marrie a husband Which thing was apparant at the visitation of the Cloisters in England which King Henrie .8 caused to be done throughout all England where manie priuies in Cloisters were found full of the bones of yong children with manie other abhominable matters which are not meete to bee rehearsed And Iouianus Pontanus a good Catholike and a well learned man doth likewise witnesse that it is a common practise of these holie Religious women to doe such thinges It is likewise found in ancient credible histories That Saint Gregorie Bishop of Rome after he had first set foorth a verie straite commaundement against the marriage of Priestes did afterwarde repeale and call backe againe the same verie earnestlie lamenting and repenting verie sore his former doing because that sending vpon a time to his pondes to haue some fishe taken there was drawen out of the same with the nettes and brought to him aboue sixe thousande heades of yong children which he straight wayes did with sighes and lamentations acknowledge to haue bene so murthered by reason of his said commaundement But our deare mother the holie Church who hath not lightly anie respect to such small matters as that although she heares of inough such yea and doth daily see them before her eies and is often times put in remembrance of them yet shee had much rather ouersee and suffer such thinges to bee done then to consent that those holie Nonnes which haue professed chastitie should marrie I doe not speake of it that shee will rather looke thorowe the fingers or winke at the abominable filthie Sodomitrie of Monkes and Friers than she will reuoke and call backe againe her holy commaundement for chastitie notwithstanding that Pope Pius the seconde himselfe hath oftentimes acknowledged that although the forbidding of Priests to marrie was done vpon great consideration yet it must now vpon other consideration of greater importance be set at libertie againe But this is their first rule and ABC that they learne as soone as euer they are admitted Priestes or professed Monkes or Friers and that they continually harpe vpon this string Si non castè tamen cautè which is thus ment That if they cannot liue chastly yet they shall vse it so secretly as that it be not much talked of nor knowne And now after this to prouide so for the matter that these holie Fathers should not go to grossely to worke therefore hath our deare mother the holie Church laid an ordinance before her spouses the Priests and Spiritualtie that they might freely vse other mens wiues that all women ought to be common for them Whereby men may well consider that she is none of these gealous wiues which cannot be content that their husbandes shoulde once make a good countenance to another woman for she is well contented that her sweete husbandes to witte Priestes and Monkes shoulde vse all women at their pleasure Yea moreouer she will mainteine that it ought to be so and so goeth about to establishe it with plaine textes of the holie Scripture besides the worthie witnesse which shee doth borrow out of the heathen Philosophers For consider these bee the proper wordes of the holy father Pope Clement whom the Church doth esteeme to haue bene a successour of Peter and therefore hath she caused these his wordes which are worthie of perpetual memorie to be written vpon the doores of all Cloysters and Spirituall houses to bee set in her booke of decrees as a woodden diamond might be set in a laten ring where he saith Deare brethren to liue in common is verie necessarie for all men but most specially for those which will
they shoulde haue dealte the Wine abroade the common people might haue thought whether that the long racked bodye were without bloud or at the least that there could be no right and perfite Transubstantiation and changing of the bread into the very body of our Lorde Iesus Christe In this behalfe hath she cōsidered further and hath bene better aduised than our Lord him selfe was and so hath forbiddē the laie people the Chalice For thus the Councel of Constance doeth decree That notwithstanding Christ after supper did ordeyne and minister vnto his Disciples the most blessed Sacrament vnder both kindes of bread and of wine And although that in the first ancient Church of the faithfull the same was alwayes vsed vnder both kindes neuerthelesse seeing that the contrarie vse custome is not without great occasion and willingly now put in vre for the auoyding and eschewing of some inconueniences and perilles therefore shal all Patriarches Prelates Archbishops Bishoppes curse and excommunicate all such as shall take vpon them to minister vnto the common people the Sacrament in that maner And so far forth as such do not turne recant then they to be deliuered into the handes of the temporall Iudges to be by them arbitrally executed And herevpon did the President of the Councell named Ostiensis in the name of all the whole College of Cardinals and all other Bishops after him answere Placet which is to say So it pleaseth vs. So that it is euident that the ancient maner good meaning of the Church maye cleane alter vtterly abolish the commandement of Christ the olde custome of the Apostles their Disciples We do likewise see that notwithstanding S. Paul by inspiration of the holy Ghost cōmanded That whosoeuer did feele that weakenes in him selfe that hee could not liue chaste should take a wife for that it was better to marrie than to burne And he did in a maner by speciall words command the same to the Bishops and other Ministers of Gods worde saying That they should haue their wiues their children brought vp in the feare of God. And further That mariage is holy and commendable in all men yea he did esteeme The forbidding of mariage for a doctrine of deuils And yet all this notwithstanding our holy Mother the Church of Rome seeing deeper into the matter and for the eschewing of manie inconueniences hath expresly and slatly commaunded Priestes Bishoppes and al spiritual persons that they in no wise shall take vpon them the state of Matrimonie teaching precisely the contrarie to the doctrine before specified That the state of Matrimonie is nothing else but plaine vncleanesse filthie and shamefull yea a great and foule spot vnto carnall copulation In so much that such as giue themselues therevnto cannot be acceptable before God for that it is writtē Who so liues after the flesh cannot be acceptable before God and haue therefore concluded that it is not decent that a holy Priest who is the temple of the holy Ghost should become a slaue to the lying with a woman and to fleshly lust Like as in the Popes decrees and Decretales is specially set forth Moreouer touching the same point it is concluded in the saide Decrees That the doctrine of the holy Church is nowe more perfite than either the doctrine of Iesus the sonne of God or of his Apostles hath bene in times past For thus the text saith Before that the Gospell was corrected amended and expounded there were manie things permitted which nowe since the time is come that all the doctrine is made perfit are clearely abolished and taken away as especially notwithstanding that the mariage of Priests was neither by the Lawe by the Gospell nor the doctrine of the Apostles forbidden yet hath the holy Church flatly forbiddē the same We do likewise plainely see that Iesus Christ hath streightly forbidden any dispēsation for Matrimonie hath specially declared That who soeuer doeth leaue his wife except it be for adulterie and doth marie another is a whooremonger Truly if it were not that our holy mother the Catholike Church of Rome had full power authoritie aboue Gods word and aboue the special cōmandement of Christ she would neuer haue takē vpō her to haue chāged nor put down this mariage of priests Now let vs further see that the most holy honorable Popes Iulius Innocentius Colestinus being with a great number of Bishops Prelates stately iudicially assembled in the holy Ghost in S. Peters church at Rome haue cōcluded iudged pronoūced whatsoeuer Christ notwithstāding had thereof spoken saide That if so be there were anie which were married together and had christened the children at the fount the one of the other before should be diuorced and the woman to haue her marriage good restored backe againe and within a yeere after it should be lawfull for her to marie another man and for him to marrie another woman Euē as our holy father the pope of Rome Deus dedit doth openly testifie in a letter which for a perpetuall memorie is written in the booke of Councels word for worde and likewise entred in the Register of the Popes decrees and ordinances yet ouer besides this the holy Church hath concluded that if any Nonne Baggine sister or other should marie a husbande the Bishop of that Diocesse where they dwelt should diuorce them cause the Nonne to returne and take vpon her againe her vowe of chastitie Like as in Concilio Triburino and by the Popes lawes is concluded commanded Out of the same authoritie hath the foresaid holy Church likewise cōcluded That what woman soeuer after the decease of her first husband should marrie agayne shee was an open and common harlotte not regarding at all that which S. Paule in his time had written directly to the cōtrarie yea had moreouer straitly charged and commanded the yong widowes That vnlesse they coulde well liue a continent and chast life they should marie againe After this did not S. Paul or rather the spirit of God by the mouth of S. Paul directly forbid any straunge language to be vsed in the Churches and congregations ordeyned for the seruice of God neither in prayer nor in thankesgiuing nor in singing nor in prophesying Yea he did greatly rebuke the Corinthians for so doing in their congregations And yet men plainly see that the holy Church of Rome doth minister her Masses her Mattens Euensong prayers and song al in Latine and some times therewith doeth mingle Greeke and Hebrew wordes In such sort as that not onely the common people but the Priestes and Bishops likewise do not vnderstand it Yet will the holye Church haue it so done yea and puniseth such as woulde otherwise vse it like damned heretikes Like as out of Eckius Piggius Hosius and other Catholike writers is manifest and plaine to be seene Then hereby of
Iewes Therfore that which they do and ordeine hath an other maner of couÌ„tenance than that which the Iewes haue ordeined Therefore must our former argument remaine fast vnmoueable especially considering that the Church of Rome is fullye credited in the one therefore must shee of necessitie be as wel beleeued in the other For truely this argument is the trimmest and finest stuffe whereof Iohn Blindasinus hath made his Panoplie which is as muh to say as his Ful furniture of weapons harnesse For by this is proued that S. FraÌ„cis Vineyarde The goldeÌ„ Legend The booke called Conform S. Franc. And the Masse booke must be as much esteemed in all respects as the very scripture of the Bible yea in the boke called Confo S. Fran. which was made by Barthol of Pisa is alowed for good in the chap. of Assis. In the yere 1389. is written That the same booke is better thaÌ„ the Gospell for that Saint Francis is placed in Lucifers seat aboue all the companies of Angels at the vpper ende of all Also there followeth out of the same that the common sort of people may be as well instructed in the knoweledge of God by dumbe Images and mumming representations as by the preaching of the Gospel and that men must as well christen the Belles at the Font as the children whiche are shapen after the likenesse of God and bought by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ that in baptising shall be vsed spittle and oyntment as well as water that the holy Sacrament shall bee caried about the streetes in the Procession with Baners and Pipes as well as it shall be taken and eaten in the Congregation of the faythfull in remembrance of the death of the Lorde In summe men are as deepely bound to do that which the holy Church and the Popes of Rome haue dreamed set vp and commaunded as that which by the expresse worde of God and by the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles is specially commaunded Yea and I praye you why should it not be so Seeing out of the same argument it must of necessitie be concluded that the word of God cannot be Gods word but it must first by the church be therto shapen fashioned For note well this word is with special wordes of our learned master Iodocus Tiletanus in writing thus That the worde of God alone conteyned in the holy Scriptures of the old and the newe Testamentes together with the three Symbols or Creedes as of the Apostles the Councel of Nice of the father Athanasius yea and thereto ioyne the three first Councels are not the rule perfite knot of the truth whereby it is apparant that in no wise men can perfitely know whether these be the word of God or no without the traditions or setting forth of the Church which doth assure vs of al this without any Scripture c. In summe the truth can be no truth nor the light light yea God can be no God except that the holy Church of Rome that is to say the holy Pope of Rome with his bishops prelates do consent thervnto So that it is no maruel that they can of a peece of bread make a God creator of heauen and earth For if it were so that they should say that at noone day it were darke night wee must streight wayes beleue the same as an article of the faith by and by without delay get vs to bed For we say by a certaine coÌ„mon prouerbe That when all the world doeth affirme that a man as by example SoÌ„nius or Blindasinus is a swine he must out of doubt trudge vnto the swinestie and there eat only draffe How much rather theÌ„ when the holy Church with that worthie coÌ„panie of Bishops Abbats Prelates and Cardinals gathered together at Trent or elswhere do coÌ„mand any thing are not we bounde to receiue beleue obey the same without any denial by and by to say Amen therevnto And herein may men perceiue a great miracle which I do assure you is greater by the head thaÌ„ any miracle that euer was don by the Apostles to wit that the child was borne before the mother yea that the mother commes of the child For it is most certein and wel knowen that the worde of God is the seede whereof the Church of God doth spring is ingendred as the Apostle Peter witnesseth coÌ„sidering that the Church is nothing else but a Congregation of such as doe faithfully beleeue Gods woorde and firmely sticke vnto the same where thorough they are also called The Congregation of the liuing God The pillar and staye of the truth So that the woorde is the right mother of the Church Well nowe see here goeth the holy Catholike Church of Rome before the worde of God and his truth which is as much to say the childe goeth before the mother yea the worde can haue no might no credite no estimation nor no being in the worlde vnlesse it bee by speciall grace borrowed of her daughter the holy Church As the foresayd Blindasinus Hosius Sonnius Piggius Eckius with all other Catholike Doctours haue forceably coÌ„cluded and irreuocably determined taking this for a most true vndoubted article of the faith yea for the most speciall ground whervpon they and all their writing is founded which is That men may not beleeue the worde and truth of God otherwise than by the appoyntment of the holy Church of Rome which of duetie must alwayes goe before and lead the daunse which is as muche to say that you can not ride to Louen but you must set the Wagon before the horses And therefore whensoeuer the Churche doth ordeine any thing that is contrarie to the Scripture as is before saide we will giue the Scripture an honest passeport or safe conduct and a great many of farewels and clâ—ue to the holy Church like a Burre For the srcipture cannot defend this cause but the holy Church of Rome can bring a man to the stake And it helpes not to alledge and bring in Augustine here who hath written in diuerse places That wee ought to beleeue the holy Scripture only without any contradiction and to trie proue all other writinges and doctrines howe substantiall soeuer they be yea all Councels decrees and ordinances by the holy Scripture as by the onely true vncounterfeyted touchstone and abolish and put away vtterly all whatsoeuer doth not therewithall agree for that all smelleth altogether of heresie And where as he sayeth further That when soeuer the Church doeth giue eare to any other voyce beside the onely voyce of her bridegrome she is then become whorish and a wedlocke breaker yea and that they are all accursed which go about to seduce the Bride of Christ from her Bridegrome to the doctrine and institutions of men that is the plaine doctrine of Heretikes For if that were so all the before specified rules ordinaunces and decrees of the holy
after this life is neither any more time nor place to make amendes for our sinnes or obteine any mercy or forgiuenes at Gods hands there she shrinks backe into her shel and lettes her hoode hearken to that And where as the said Cyprianus and Hieronymus do stoutly teach That al Ministers true Preachers of Gods worde haue like power in what place soeuer they be whether it be at Rome or at Naples or amoÌ„g the Indies or in Tartaria all that is pedlers French to our holy mother the church of Rome whereas Gregorius doth plainly write and in diuerse places sayeth That whatsoeuer he be that names himselfe a general Bishop or The chiefe head and principall of all Bishops he is the very messenger of Antichrist and the sonne of the diuell for that neither hee nor no man liuing can beare the name of a generall Bishop without the vtter defacing of the seruice of the Church But that must be vnderstood with a prouiso to wit The Pope of Rome alwayes excepted Nowe whereas k Tertulianus Augustinus Theodoretus and many other moe doe expounde these wordes of the Sacrament This is my bodie sacramentally and say that it is a figure a signe and a seale of the bodie of Christ that was offred vp and broken for vs then is there nothing to say but God helpe you There is no bodie at home Whereas they doe generallie with one consent teache and stoutely mainteine that the Supper of the Lorde ought to bee ministred vnto all men vnder both kindes that smelles of a Ratte the Cow is broken loose Whereas Irinaeus who wrote that about a hundred yeres after saint Iohn the Apostle the number of the beast whereof Saint Iohn speaketh in his Reuelation or vision doeth meane by this word Latinos the Romish or the Latine Church and regiment and the Tertul. Hieronymus do expound the beast with seuen hornes for the citie of Rome that is al bibble babble In summe whensoeuer they set forth or teach any thing that souÌ„ds not wel in the eares of our deare mother the holy Church she lettes them be packing without any mention making of them or else she correctes them throughly considering that they are but men and may erre And wherfore For that she is not subiect to the writings of the fathers neither can her authoritie be subiect to their iudgement but she as wee haue saide before is aboue the fathers and gouerneth them turnes and winds them as she will forceth them eueÌ„ as she thinkes good And whatsoeuer they haue written must bee sifted through her siâ—e to picke out thereof the finest flowre For otherwise seeing that the olde fathers do oftentimes differ amongst themselues and other whiles write contrarie to that which they haue set downe before and alwayes for the most part haue done directly agaynst the opinion and dealing of the holie Church of Rome howe should yea howe shoulde men make good cloth of such yarne if it were not that the holy Church of Rome did giue her iudgement and sentence on their dooings and did chewe the pappe before in her owne mouth to put the same with more facilitie and easinesse into ours her sucking babes as it were with a Spoone giuing vs that which she alloweth for good and casting the rest away which tastes not well in her mouth into a corner The summe of all is that we maye not make anie foundation of our faith vpon the writings of the olde fathers vnles they haue first bene vnder the hands of the holie Catholike Church of Rome and be by her ouerseene and set forth as shall seeme good to her holinesse The iiii Chapter VVherein is set foorth that the Church of Rome is not subiect to anie Councell but maye approue or disanull them according as shee shall thinke best for her ovvne benefite And this is confirmed by many examples and profounde reasons BVt nowe are there some such grosse fellowes which notwithstanding they do see that the Church is aboue the Scriptures and aboue all the doctrine and Writinges of the olde Fathers yet they thinke that her power and authoritie maye be as it were compassed in and paled about by the Councels So that there should be nothing receiued for a commaundement of the church but it must first be concluded by a Councell And what soeuer were once there coÌ„cluded and agreed vpon with that neither the church of Rome should medle nor the Pope haue anie thing to doe Yea mary these good felowes O they come in due season they might a great deale better haue tarried at home For consider seeing that all the Prophetes and Apostles and likewise the old Fathers altogether yea Iesus Christ the very Sonne and trueth of God himself could neuer so binde nor make subiect the holy church that she should yeeld and submit her selfe to their writing and doctrine onely howe doe these felowes thinke then that the Councels should haue greater power to bring her within their parke and pases considering that they are men which haue so often times erred yea and swarued cleane from the trueth Wee knowâ— well ynough that the Councel Ariminense Sirmiense and Seleucense did in the time of Constantine the great fortifie the heresie of the Arrians with their Decrees The seconde Councel of Ephesus did cleue vnto the Heretike Eutyches and did blasphemously and confusedly mingle the two natures of Christe together The councel of Carthago in the time of Cyprian which was holden before the first councel of Nicene did conclude That heretikes ought to be christened againe But what needeth al this Was not Christ him selfe iudged coÌ„demned in a generall councel at Hierusalem which was the chosen citie of God And that the councels haue often times erred may lightly erre it appereth plainly inough by the witnessing of Gregorie Nazianzene who was accustomed to say That he neuer saw couÌ„cell that teÌ„ded to a good end Yea do we not see how there haue bin many couÌ„cels whose proceedings haue bin flat against the doctrine institutions set forth by our holy mother the church and yet would defend their doings by the holy scripture But what a good yere Can the couÌ„cels preuaile against the church of Rome they hauing no power nor authoritie at all other thaÌ„ is giueÌ„ them by our holy father the pope How I pray you should that then hang together that they should be placed at the vpper end not only aboue the pope but aboue the whole church Is it not written in the booke of the decretals That no couÌ„cel can in any thing forbid the holy church nor set any commandment ouer her considering that all couÌ„cels haue bin at her appointment and receiued their power authoritie froÌ„ her holinesse And that in al statutes ordinances decrees of the couÌ„cels the authoritie of the Pope is excepted exempted See we not likewise that in the councel of Lateran it was coÌ„cluded likewise
no maruell that she hath of her selfe set vp so many newe ceremonies and sacrifices and brought in so many Patrones Baalims builded altars and erected chappels in all high places and wayes and that she doth daily kill the Prophetes and doeth crucifie Christ again in his members For seeing the Iewes haue done so she is much more bounde to do it And vpon this point is the before alledged text verie plaine and cleare saying thus Hereby it doeth appeare that men may alledge and bring in good arguments and instructions vpon the examples of the Infidels Which doth serue our purpose verie well to the setting forth of this our purpose considering that hereby is apparaunt that matter which we haue in hand to wit that our mother the holy Church is not subiect to anie Bible or woorde of God and muche lesse to anie Councels or Popes decrees but may dongue her grounde with all kinde of dyrte and may make her Bee hiue fatte The ix Chapter VVherein is declared that the holie Church of Rome hath gathered manie things of the doctrine examples of the Heathen which she hath conuerted and turned to her owne commoditie and profite YEa here it is plainlie to be seene that she doth not helpe her selfe with the Iewes onely but likewise with all sorts of false doctrine religion and examples So that it is euident that she hath followed the steppes and Religion of the godlesse Infidels as well Romanes as other wheresoeuer the same might serue her turne For out of the rounde Temple at Rome which is called La Rotunda which was in those dayes by the Heathen dedicated to all the Gods and to that ende was named by a Greeke worde Pantheon thereof hath she made following the saide Heathen a Temple for our Ladie and all the Saints But is were mere foolish to stand vpon one example thereby to proue a matter whereof all the bookes and the whole Theologie of the Catholike men is full euen to the toppe For the verie foundation it self of their doctrine diuinitie is much more deepely grounded and built vpon the doctrine of Aristotle than vpon any either Prophete or Apostle by this same token that at this present a Doctours hoode or the Caputium of a Theologian or Diuine at Louen is called Aristotles breeche or Codpeece Yea and moreouer the most part of all our Scotistes Thomistes Albertistes Occamistes Realistes Nominalistes and other Doctours are sprong vp of Aristotle of Plato of Porphyrius Auerroes Abeupace and such other like Saintes euen as out of their head spring and principall well In so much also that the Doctours and Theologians of Colen haue very wittily concludâ—d That Aristotle hath bene Praecursor Dei in naturalibus sicut IohaÌ„nes Baptista in diuinis that is to saye Aristotle was the forerunner of God in al things naturall as Iohn Baptist was in thinges diuine and supernaturall And for this cause amongst other hath the holy Church condemned Martin Luther for that the doctrine of Aristotle which is the verie mother of the diuinitie of the Louanistes Sorbonistes and Colenars was by him reiected and nothing set by After this doth the worthie Bishop DuraÌ„dus testifie That the holy church did learne of Nabuchodonozor to halowe their churches and altars euen like as he caused his golden image to be halowed and consecrated which he would haue all people and nations to pray vnto So that it ought not to seeme straunge to anie man that the Church according to his example doeth likewise cause Heretikes to be burnt which will not praye to her images considering that he caused the three yong men of the Hebrewes Sidrach Misach and Abednago to be throwen into the hoate burning ouen because they denied to praye vnto his consecrated golden image But what neede I to trouble my self much with these matters The children in the streetes doe knowe well inough that a great many of the ceremonies of the holy Church of Rome are gathered out of the ordinances and religion of Numa Pompilius king of Rome For the decrees and the booke of Sentences do very cunningly set forth that from thence they proceede and that in these dayes men call the Pope in Latin Pontifex because Numa Pompilius caused his high Priestes so to be named From thence likewise the generation of Priestes hath issue For like as Numa Pompilius had his Flamines Archesâ—amines and Protosâ—amines appointed euen so nowe hath the holy church her Sacerdotes that is her Priests her Archipresbyteros that is her high Priests and her Protonotaries as by plaine wordes is to be seene in the booke of decrees So that Eberardus Bishop of Saltzburgh about 200. yeres ago at a general assemblie called a Riiâ—x day did verie wel rightly in naming the Priestes of Rome Flamines Babyloniae that is to say Babylonish Priestes And hath not our beare mother the holy Church ordeined the bonefire of Peter ad Vincula in place of a holy day whereon at the same time the Heathen did make bonefires to the honour of the Emperour Augustus And likewise the other saint Peters day which is commonly calles Saint Peters Seate is not that come in place of another bonefire daye which the Heathen did obserue at the same time And CaÌ„dlemasse â–ª I pray you what is that els but a kind of Candlemasse which the Heathen did vse whereon they euen at the same time of the yeare vsed fire with burning of torches and candels in the worship of Ceres Proserpina and Flora And of whome haue they learned I pray you that euerie man must serue God according to the vsage of his owne countrie as his fathers haue done before him but only of Pythagoras and of Plato A thing directly contrarie to the coÌ„mandement of God who saith by the mouth of his Prophete Ezechiel You shall not liue after the commandements of your fathers neither obserue their statutes neither pollute your selues with their idols for I am the Lorde your god You shall liue after my commandements and you shall obserue my statutes and followe them Where haue they fished out the Legende of Saint Margarete but only out of the fable of Andromeda or Hesiona the daughter of Laomedon And what is their S. George but a dumbe or mumming Perseus or an Hercules on horseback And her Chrystopher is a newe Polyphemus or Nessus And her seuen Sleepers are not they of the kinred of Endymion After al this what doth this meane that they haue so specially coÌ„manded That all their altars shoulde bee set toward the East but that they will directly herein followe the example of the Heathen who in honour of the Sunne whom they named Apollo did in all their prayers and offrings turne them selues towardeâ— the East Considering especially that God had for the same cause forbidden the Iewes to be like vnto the Heathen in that point as to turne their faces towards
the East But the holy Church as touching this matter was much wiser thaâ— God for shee wâ—ll hereby giue to vnderstande that Christ is risen or sprong from the highest and that afâ—er the doctrine of Aristotle other Philosophers the East is on the right side of heauen where as Christ at the day of iudgement will place his elect Is not this a deepe speculation Who would euer haue thought that such doltish Asses could haue founde out such a great and profound secret which God him selfe did neuer thinke on The x. Chapter VVhich concludeth that the Church of Rome hath gathered all these before named pieces together and taken out of them what shee haâ—h thought good which are called Traditiones Romanae Ecclesiae that is to saye The traditions of the church of Rome and the foundation of our beleefâ— BVt if I should now bring in all things particularly to proâ—e hâ—we that our deare mother hath verie finely and subtily brought in mingled the Philosophie and Poetrie of the Ethnikes with her Religion and Gods seruice I should haue worke inough for seuen yeeres Therefore this is sufficient for vs that by this it may well bee perceiued that she hath gathered her holines and ceremonies as well out of the Heathen authours as of the Iewes olde Heretikes and brewed the same all together so cunningly that it is a maruellous pleasant cup of drinke to swallow downe without anie chewing So that nowe wee may stoutly conclude vpon the former question what that is for a beast which men call Traditiones Ecclesiae The traditions of the Church of Rome Seeing we now well perceiue that her foundation ground stands not vpon the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles like as Paul would in his time haue mainteined much lesse then vpon the Councels Fathers and decrees but it is partly founded vpon the Scripture being first well glosed and sophistically handled partly out of the chiefest writings of the olde fathers partly out of the scomme of the Councels and decrees partly out of the fine flower of olde Heretikes partly out of the Caballa of the Iewes Rabbines and lastly out of the Theologie of Numa Pompilius the Philosophie of Aristotle and out of the examples of the Heathen Now all gathered together on a heape and baked in a cake are called Traditiones sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae The traditions or commandements of the holy Church of Rome Which vpon paine of damnation of the soule and the body to be burnt in fire must of necessitie be beleued of al men and holden in as great reputation as the worde of God it selfe which is written in the holie Scriptures Therefore it is that the bookes of the holy Catholike subiectes of the Church as Eckius Piggius Hosius Bunderius Asotus Ruardus Tapparde Iohannes Latomus Iohannes a Louanio Franciscus Sonnius Gulielmus Blindasinus Iodocus Rauestein a Tileto and other more are finely set forth and brauely decked with feathers of all colours after the Indian fashion and trimmed vp with all costly stuffe euen like Saint Iames wiâ—h his shelles and sometime they fetch a witnesse or authoritie out of the Scripture by the necke sometime out of the fathers then a Councel out of a corner a decree of some Pope or Bishop sometimes they bring out an example from the Iewes and an allegorie or some triâ—le out of the Thalmoode and nowe and then a syâ—logisme out of Aristotle or Porphyrius or else a verse out of Virgil or Ouid and such other like skipping and leaping like Monkies from one place to another so helpe themselues with handes and feete and with all the â—â—â—mes of their bodie Prouided alwayes that they hang still as fast on their principall foundation as a theefe on the gallowes to wit That the holy Church cannot erre nor by anie meanes go out of the right way For as long as they holde that end fast they can neuer loose the threede And it is but follie to talke the Heretikes must needes be taken in the trappe for if by chaunce they scape out at one hole they are by and by caught in another After this they brewe you a noble and pleasant drinke iumbling the olde fathers and the newe together the true with the false And if they can once catche an Augustine or an Ambrose by the necke then will they after that bring in a trimme toy of the fine letters of Clemens and Anacletus which a dronken Monke and vnlearned buffell did babble out somewhere on a Saint Martins euen and mingle therewithall the goodly fables of one Dionysius whom they call Areopagita which one of the seuen sleepers haue found I wote not where behinde a banke then also come they lustily foorth with a Thomas de Aquino or a Scotus ioyne with him a Bricot or a Holcot or a Peter de Broda to keepe him companie And lastly for a sawce they bring in vpon that their Legendum Aureum and then Dormi secure and so make thereof a Compost or as it is called at Louen a Brodium such as the Heretikes must needes burâ—â— if they taste but one spoonefull of it And this is the inuincible Panoplia or StratageÌ„ma that is The defensible furniture fighting weapons of warre which the right honourable Bishop Guilielmus Blindasinus vseth This is the Verbum noÌ„ scriptum the vnwritten worde or veritie which all Catholike writers doe alwayes stande vpon this is Consuetudo sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae that is to say The vsage and old custome of the holy church of Rome whereon they boast themselues a great deale more than anie towne doeth of their priuiledges This is Traditiones patrum The traditions of the fathers of which the children do boldly boast and bragge In summe this is the ground and foundation of the hellish Catholike Romish beliefe wherevpon our dearely beloued mother the holy Church doth stande so fast as it will be verie harde for all the diuels of hell to blowe her off with all their bellowes The xi Chapter VVhich teacheth how that vpon this foundation Heretikes must be examined And what questions are to be proponed vnto them in the inquisition THerefore the order and maner to dispute with Heretikes nowe adayes is no more to bring in many Scriptures or Councels against them for therein woulde they be too readie and ripe reasoners but we must onely lay before them the good intents ordinances and statutes of the holie Church And it is sufficient to prooue that by any one of the argumentes before specified for whensoeuer men can alledge only one whether it be out of the Fathers Councels Decrees or out of Aristotle or Virgil then it is cocke on our side and the battell is wonne But now contrariwise whensoeuer the Heretikes goe about to ouerthrow any article of the beliefe by the holy Church brought in and established it is not therefore sufficient that they proue it to be contrarie to the
Scripture for that is but one witnes And it is a common prouerbe Vnus testis nullus testis One witnes no witnes but they must proue it to be directly against all these before rehearsed or else they remaine in the sacke and by this meanes shall we without doubt get the victorie and vpper hande ouer all our enimies For by this foundation are al the Lutheranes and Huguenotes condemned banished and accursed Vpon this grounde they are deliuered ouer into the hands of temporal officers as ranke Heretikes Vpon this foundation are they at the last pitifully murthered burnt And wherfore For this is the verie foote wherevpon men do condemne for Heretikes all such as do not beleue al whatsoeuer the holy church beleeueth It skils not out of what grounde they haue fetcht this whether out of S. Francis vineyard or out of the goldeÌ„ Legend liues of the ancient Fathers or out of the Decrees Decretals that is all one so that it tend to the benefiâ—e establishment of the holy Church of Rome For as it is before declared that is onelie the foundation of the holy Catholike and Romish Christen faith Therefore whatsoeuer dependeth therevpon must of necessitie be esteemed receiued and taken for a special article of our beliefe and whosoeuer will not so accept it they are damned without mercie yea although they had both Paul and Peter ten times for their aduocates and ten dozen of Bibles on their side will not serue for they shall neuer be demaunded whether they do beleeue the Scripture and the Bible or whether they holde the writing of Paule for the woord of God or whether they doe not acknowledge themselues to be poore miserable lost and condemned creatures by the fall of Adam and the children of wrath and damnation And that God of his meere mercie and pitie without any desertes hath loosed and redeemed them For all this is but brabbling it shall not be demanded of them whether they do not stedfastly beleeue that they onely through the onely oblation of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ once offered vpon the crosse are iustified before the face and iudgement seate of God For that is of no importance And much lesse shall it bee demaunded of them whether in time of their neede they do call onely vpon the onely liuing God through the mediation and intercession of our onely mediatour and intercessour Iesus Christ For that is altogether Lutherall What shall be demaunded of them then First and before all whether they doe not beleeue that the holy Church of Rome is the Ladie and Queene ouer all Churches and that the Pope of Rome is the heade of the same And whether they doe not beleeue all whatsoeuer this Church beleeueth After that if they do not beleue in the holy Masse in Purgatorie in the miracles of men Saints and women Saints Also what they doe thinke of the holy Reliques As for example If they do not beleeue in the foreskinne of our Lord Iesus which is at Antwerpe in a second which is at Rome in a thirde which is at Bezancon in a fourth which an Angel brought once from Hierusalem into the towne of Aken and lastly in one whiche is seene and worshipped in an Abbay at Poytears in Fraunce Item whether they do not beleeue in the Cribbe which is at Rome in our Ladies Church and in our Lordes shooes which are likewise at Rome in the holy place called Sancta Sanctorum Item in the Dice wherewith they did play vpon his coate whereof some are at Triers and some at S. Sauiours in Spaine In the Sponge wherewith they gaue him vinegre to drinke which is at Rome at S. Iohns de Laterane And in the tayle of the Asse whereon hee rode which is set foorth with great deuotion at the town of Genuen in Italie c What accompt they make of the three Kings which lie at Colen yet are likewise at Milane in Italie of S. Iohnâ— head which is to be seene at Ghent notwithstanding that they of Ameens conâ—ende that they haue it Item what they esteme of Iosephs breeches which are at Aken with our Ladies smocke And further what they thinke of our deare Ladies needles her sowing thred and her workebasket which lie in her siluer chist at Halle where many goodly miracles haue bene shewed and of her girdle which is there likewise by vertue whereof so many women haue conceiued with child of her milke which is so plentifull in manie places that seuen of the best kine in Holland are not able to giue so much milke in ten yeres Of the holye bloud at Bridges of the holy Sacrament of miracles at Bruxols at Saint Goels church which is a preâ—te litle round thing made of very bone of iuorie and yet our deare mother beleeues that it is very flesh and bloud After this shal be demaunded of them what they do beleeue of all the glorious Saintes As Saint Lieuen S. Gomâ—er S â–ª Rombolâ— S. Goele S. Iobâ— of Wâ—semale S. Ioyce in Flanders where men get children and mo such other like Saintes and Patrones of the holy church â–ª which haue wrought so manie miracles as in very deede no man can tell And if theâ— doe not beleeue al this then the matter is cleare that they beare the whole burden on their backes And wherefore Because they do not beleeue al that the holy church doeth beleeue and therefore they can be no good christen men Therefore is Maister Gentianus worthie to be shrined in golde and set vpon an altar seeing that hee hath with fewe wordes so substantially taught the very right way to bridle and bring vnder these heretikes and to put them all in a cloake bagge specially those which doe not beleeue whatsoeuer the Church beleeues all such are vnbeleeuing and damned Heretikes The xii Chap. VVherein is declared that the Lutheranes are with this foundation so valiantly assalted on all sides that it is not possible for them to escape any way and what is the last argument to be obiected against them is declared and proued by the example of Transubstantiation WHat maruel is it then that a simple yong man whom hee calleth Brother Ligier durst not dispute against Master Gentianus For who dare bee so bold as to looke such a stout Goliah in the face I let alone speaking to him no and I would not counsell the Huguenotes to take vpon them so to do For whereas they thinke perhaps with a sling to hit this Giant in the forehead with the corner stone of Gods worde and to fell him downe to the grounde yet must they knowe that all the matter is not ended there For in place of one there will starte vp by and by and innumerable companie of stout and valian Champions which will assault them on all sides For besides all the holy fathers the Popes of Rome besides all the noble and right honourable Cardinals all forkeheaded Bishops all fatte Abbats and proude
is my name sacrificed a pleasant offering offered vp that is to say The offering and sacrifice of the holy Masse For that can not faile so long as it pleaseth our mother the holy Church to haue and will haue it thus vnderstoode And although it be so that Peter hath otherwise interpreted it saying That all faithfull are that holy Priesthood to offer vp spiritual offrings wherwith God is pleased through Iesus Christ yea they are the chosen generation the kingly Priesthoode the holie and elect people to set foorth the worthines of him which hath called thē out of darkenesse vnto his wonderfull light Wherewith Iohn the Apostle doeth also accorde saying That Iesus Christ hath made all faithfull Christians kings and Priestes to God his father and applies this sacrifice to their prayers and Psalmes And although it be so tha◠the Apostle had so saide to the Iewes That we should offer vp vnto God the offring of thankesgiuing which is the fruites of our lippes and tongues yet notwithstanding the holie Church is not therewith satisfied because greate disorder might followe for that then there shoulde be no mo priests which could serue in the Masse therfore she hath strongly concluded that this place of the prophesie of Malachie may not any otherwise be vnderstood than by the second councell of Nice the councell of Constance the councell of Trent further as by al Catholike men as Thomas de Aquino Scotus Durandus and by all the Doctours of Louen it hath bene vnderstoode interpreted Iudging without doubt that all these profounde learned Doctours together on a cluster as hauing greater measure of wisedome and learning than the rest did vnderstande Malachie farre better than Peter and Iohn who were but simple fishers and had neuer bene Studentes in the famous and renowmed Vniuersitie of Louen And yet if it were so that Peter were not content yet hath the holie Church giuen him to vnderstand that his foresaide reason must bee vnderstoode meant of the Priests only and not of the generall congregation of Christ. Moreouer and beside all this these wordes of Paule where he saith That we should deliuer or offer vp our bodies a liuing holie and an acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is our dutiefull seruing of God c. hath she violently forceably wresled to the Masse and the offering of the Priestes cōmanding that those words should do dailie read in the Canon of the Masse ▪ that at euerie word a crosse should be made to the ende that they by the power and vertue of the crosse might altogether transforme and change their naturall vsages and so serue the turne of the holie Masse For if men will vnderstande them according to their nature after the letter to wit That all perfite Christians must offer vp to God their bodies in all holinesse by that it should seeme that Paul hath otherwise vnderstoode Malachie than the holie Church doth vnderstande him And then should S. Peter haue done euill when he soung his first Masse at Rome vpon the altar which is yet there to bee seene in the holie place at Saint Iohns de Laterane And nowe our Lord hath saide Oraui pro te Petre ne deficeret sides tua ▪ O Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shuld not faile So that Peter then can not haue done amisse when he did sing Masse And herevpon is to be concluded that the Masse is founded grounded vpon the scripture And yet we see further That in the scripture there are two sortes of Priesthoodes spoken of The one is the order of Melchisedech and the other is The order of Aaron who came of the tribe of Leui. Nowe both these two orders seeme to haue bene a figure of our Priestes Which doth appeare by this That our Priestes haue in their Masse by vertue of the fiue wordes changed the bread into the bodie of Iesus Christ then they go and offer him vp to God the Father praying and beseeching him that he with a mercifull and pleasant countenance will beholde the offring vp of his onely begotten and liuing Sonne Christ Iesus and that he will accept the same euen as hee accepted Abels offring and the sacrifice of Abraham of the hie Priest Melchisedech Who will nowe cast in any more doubts whether they be the right Priests placed in the roomes seates of Melchisedech Aaron Nay they do far passe both Melchisedech Aaron seeing that they do pray for the Sonne of God him selfe are a meane not only betweene God and man but also betweene God the Father and Christ Iesus his Sonne which in an Euangelical degree they do resemble to the sheepe and the lambes So that by this it is apparant that the meaning of our mother the holie church is That Christ is to be accounted for nothing els but the sheepe which Melchisedech did offer vp Contrariwise the Priestes are the true Melchisedechs which do offer vp Christ pray for him For when all is said what other thing did Melchisedech I pray you foreshewe but onelie the figure of the holie Pope of Rome who is the chiefe Priest the Summus Pontifex The high Bishop which doeth create all Priestes and Deacons set vp all spirituall orders giuing and appointing to euery one of them their charge what they shall doe Then must he needes be the right Melchisedech whose Priesthoode is not to bee resembled to other priestes For this is set forth in the Decretalles euen thus in plaine wordes Durandus hath set out the same at large in his booke called Rationale diuinorū officiorū Therefore that which the Apostle would say to the Hebrewes That as Melchisedech was a figure of Christ And accordingly as Melchisedech hath neither had anie successour nor lieftenant that euen so Christ had neither successour nor lieftenant but should him selfe in his owne person exercise his euerlasting Priesthood being once entred into that heauenlie holinesse through the power of that one offering to witte his owne bodie and bloud which offering being once fully accomplished for the remission of our sinnes can neuer be renewed nor done againe But all this doeth not serue the purpose touching out matter for if that were true then the Masse would be nothing worth and our Priestes might go with emptie stomachs and in the end be glad to get them into some hospitall for a refuge or at least to gette their liuing with painfull labour which would be a pitifull case considering that they haue neuer bene vsed to anie labour but simplie to say Masse sing Euensong and to mumble ouer their Mattens and therewith to deserue first a liuing here on earth and afterwardes heauen for themselues their pretie wenches and their yong bastardes Therefore doeth our mother the holie Church conclude that the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrewes did not well consider the pith and ground of the
brother did establish the masse theÌ„ it appereth that it is come from the Apostles therefore neede we not anie more testimonies of scripture or other authorities For whereas the Heretikes wiâ—l seeme to ouerthrowe this saying That it is an euident and detestable lie considering that Basilius was Bishop of Caesarea wel nigh three hundred yeares or there about after the death of S. Iames so that by reason thereof he cannot haue established the Masse with S. Iames Vnto that we answere That they are too much nosewise for vs our deare mother the holy church goeth not so preciselie to work An inch breakes no square It skilles not for three or foure hundred yeeres more or lesse when otherwise it serueth her turne Notwithstanding that she hath two diuers wayes to answere their demaund For shee may â—ay that there fortuned a great miracle to wit that S. Iames the Lords brother did rise againe froÌ„ death about 300. yeres after he was buried to come helpe Basilius to sing Masse or she may likewise say That Iames did in his time establishe the Masse but because there were no altars to be found by reson there was not yet as then any reliques of Saints which had wroght miracles and that men might not without being furnished with certein reliques erect anie altars to serue Masse vpon it may be that the Masse knittâ— vp in an Atturnies bagge hanged vp vpon a pinne in some corner till the coÌ„ming of Basilius which was about 300. yeres after like as otherwhiles they hang vp some processes at Machelin vpon a naile a hundred yeares or two In summe let it be as it wil it is all one Once we coÌ„clude hereby that the Masse was ordeined by Iames the apostle And it is to be thought that Iames had learned it of Clement pope of Rome who had written two pleasant letters vnto him wherein he doth specially treat of the seat of the B. of Rome and that Peter through his desertes or merites was become the foundation of the Church and so forth declares at large how the Masse shall be deuoutly done what apparell what hallowing and what other necessaries shall be vsed in the doing of it in what clothes the Sacrament shall be laid that it may bee kept cleane from Mouse dongue and that no wormes nor mothes come at it as in the first part of the councels in the second letter of Clement is by expresse wordes specified Whereby may be noted what great and heauie troubles this good Clement had and what maner of Prophet he was considering that hee set out in writing all the ceremonies of the holie Church which were not founde yet in 700. or 800. yeares after Clements time And therefore it is that our deare mother the holy Church doth make so high an holiday of these decretall letters of Clement and of other his companions that she hâ—th out of the same established a great manie of her ordinances and holy ceremonies In summe it is plaine and euident that the holie Masse hath her ground and foundation without the Scripture The .iii. Chapter That the name and Ceremonies of the Masse are fished out of the holie Scripture NOwe as touching the name of the Masse that hath likewise her beginning vndoubtedly out of the holy scripture notwithstanding that there are manie and diuerse opinions of the same For it is not verie long ago that certeine great doctours of the Sorâ—onish schole at Paris did out of that that is alway written at the end of all the Epistles which Saint Paule hath written from whence they were sent sounding in the Latine tongue Missa est c. conclude saying That Paule did thereby giue to vnderstande whither men should goe to heare high Masse on the Sunday And nowe besides this there was a Magister noster which said that the Apostle Andrew had a Masse booke and had spoken of the Masse for Iohn reherseth that Andrew said to Peter his brother That he had found the Messias or the annointed Christ of whom Moses doth beare witnesse And this soundes in the coÌ„mon translation in Latin thus Inuenimus Messiam quod dicitur Christus which wordes this wise doctour did expounde thus We haue founde out the Masse which Christ hath done Is not that well hit God helpe vs Who dare now from henceforth be so stout as to say That the Masse standeth not in the scripture But now bycause that these Heretikes will needes be so nosewise wil vnderstand all languages insomuch that they do mocke hereat saying that Messias doth not signifie a Masse â–ª but The Messias that is to say The annointed Now Peter Lombard the writer of the sentences doth set downe another opinion and iudgement saying That this name Missa is as much to say as Sending is so named for that at all times there is an Angel sent out of heauen to consecrate the Corpus domini that is The Lordes bodie by whom the Priest doth send his consecrated God forwardes towardes heauen at such time as he hath vsed these wordes following in the Masse Omnipotens Deus iube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum c. that is to say O almightie God commande that this may by the handes of thy holie Angel be caried vp to thy high holy altar c. And out of this he doth further conclude that whersoeuer that Angel doth not come it cannot be said that there is a Masse But truely this must be but meere dalliance for if that were true that they must tarie for the Angel there woulde not be one Masse to be founde in the whole world where notwithstanding there are Masses soung daily by heapes And therfore hath our deare mother the holy church driuen in another naile here and concluded in the Councell of Senona that Missa is an Hebrewe worde now what it doth signifie is vncertein For notwithstanding that the same Councell saith that it betokeneth a cleane offering yet doth not that well agree with the Hebrewe tongue vnlesse it were so that it were named Nisset But it appeares much rather to haue come of Massah which in the Hebrewe doeth signifie Heauinesse or Curssing or else of an other Massah which is interpreted Seeking bycause the Priestes doe with fiue wordes seeke God to see if hee will come into the bread Euen as the children of Israel did seeke God in the wildernesse Raphidim to know also whether he were with them or no by reason whereof the place was called Massah that is say Seeking notwithstanding that it may be much more strongly founded out of Daniel who speaking of the Romish Empire saith That they shall haue a newe God Maosim to whom they shall pray and do worship with golde siluer and precious stones that is to say A God of strength and of force Wherein without doubt he doth speake of the Masse-God
holy Church cannot erre Christ must haue patience transubstantiation must take place But we haue yet a much clearer text to witte where Christ himselfe saieth This is my bodie for by those wordes doeth the holie Church of Rome plainely vnderstand that the same which before was breade is nowe no more breade although Paule woulde call it breade a thousande times but is chaunged into the verie bodie of Iesus Christ as long and as broade as it was hanging vpon the Crosse. And for that cause it is that shee doeth disallowe all the expositions and interpretations which Basilius Tertullianus Theodoretus Augustinus and other holie Fathers haue sette foorth vpon the same saying That those woordes must bee figuratiuely and sacramentally vnderstoode as Christ himselfe hath plainely saide I am the vine or as Paule saieth The stone was Christ and as GOD spake to Abraham saying This is my promise Cut off the fore skinne c. Which is as muche to say that the breade shoulde not chaunge his nature nor the verie bodie of Christ bee there present but onelie that it shoulde bee a true and holie token a Sacrament a warrant and pledge a Seale and assuraunce whereby wee are assured and fullie certified that hee hath giuen vppe his bodie and bloud for our saluation And for this cause doe they call it a figure or token and in the Greeke Typus and Antitypa that is to say Speciall tokens But I doe tell you that the holie Church of Rome will not allowe anie such interpretations vnlesse it were so that men woulde vnderstand them as Damascenus doeth interprete them and as was in the seconde Councell of Nice concluded by the Fathers to witte That the breade shoulde bee such a seale pledge figure and holie token onely before it be consecrated which is to say It should be a Sacrament before it is become a Sacrament For that this is their conceite and meaning it is apparaunt out of this That long before the breade and the wine bee consecrated or made a holie Sacrament they doe offer vppe the same vnto God for remission of sinnes as well of the liuing as of the dead For in the Canon of the Masse yea before the bread bee turned into fleshe or the fiue holy wordes of consecration be heard the Priest doeth pray That God will accept that offering of breade and through that deliuer him from eternall death And then That hee will blesse the saide offering of breade in all pointes and make the same holie profitable meate and acceptable That is may become the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ. Yea and before hee hath yet put the wine into the Chalice immediately after the Offertorie he saith thus O holie Father almightie and euerlasting God take and receiue this vnspotted sacrifice which thine vnworthie seruaunt doeth offer vppe vnto thee for my sinnes and innumerable misdeedes for my forgetfulnesse and vnthankefulnesse yea and for all these which are here present and for all faithfull Christians as well those that be liuing as those that be dead that it may bee acceptable auailable and effectuall vnto the saluation both of me and of them vnto eternall life Amen And in one of the secretes which is commonly read vpon the 24. Sunday after Trinitie Sunday he saith thus O Lord take and receiue mercifully this offering through which thou art pleased contented and pacified and hast receiued vs againe vnto saluation through the almightinesse and vnspeakablenesse of thy mercie c. Consider now here doeth our deare mother the holie Church ascribe vnto this bread all things which may be attributed vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of God as to say That God is become mercifull to vs for the bread sake and hath pardoned vs our sinnes and that before the bread bee consecrated or in anie point transubstantiated or changed What maruell is it then that they doe make a God of it after the fiue wordes be spoken ouer it and yet make a Sacrament of it before it can be a Sacrament For as they can of a peece of breade make God himselfe and of nothing create something wherfore should not they likewise be able to make of no Sacrament a Sacrament and of a Sacrament no Sacrament That is to say that a simple peece of bread shoulde bee a holie token and seale of the bloud of Iesus Christ euen before it bee made holie and consecrated And then Econtra that the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ shall bee no more either a Sacrament or token but euen the verie bodie of Christ it selfe So that the holie Fathers must needes haue vnderstoode it so especially when they say that this Sacrament is but a token a seale and a pledge specialy before it is become a Sacrament For after that it is once a Sacrament then no remedie our deare mothers will is that it shall bee fleshe and bloud and not anie longer neither bread nor wine to signifie the fleshe and the bloud And therefore doeth she not make anie account of the exposition of Christ Iesus himselfe who after he had saide of the bread This is my bodie and afterward of the Chalice of Cuppe This is the new Testament in my bloud thereby declaring that those words This is my bodie must be so vnderstoode as if hee had saide This breade is the new promise in my bodie which shall bee broken for you For of that shoulde followe that the breade after the consecration and likewise after the speaking of the fiue wordes should still remaine breade and so bee but simplie a Sacrament and true token of the bodie of Iesus Christ as shewing vnto vs the promise of God made in the breaking of the bodie and shedding of the bloud of Christ Iesus our Sauiour as was saide of the Circumcision This is my couenant which I doe make with you to witte for that the Circumcision is a sure and holie promise a pledge and seale through which the promise of God is verie stronglie and substantiallie made vnto the faithfull No no I assure you that liketh the holie Church of Rome nothing at all She will lay fast holde vpon the first wordes of Christ and not seek after anie exposition or glosse how necessarie soeuer they bee And for that cause shall Paule go without anie Audiuit when he commeth in with his interpretation and saith That the bread which we do breake is the communion of the bodie of Christ. For thereby it should also seeme that it remaineth bread still after the consecration and that it is not the bodie it self but a remembrance of the bodie â–ª which thing the holie Church in no wise admitteth nor alloweth for life nor death But especiallie she will not accept nor like of the interpretation following wherein Paule proceeding doeth declare how and wherefore the bread is the communion of the bodie of Christ saying For al we which eate of one bread become one bodie Nowe truelie that
soundeth not well for we do not al becom one bodie in substance as the holie Church will haue the bread become the verie body of Christ in substance But then the similitude which after that he introduceth or bringeth in is to farre out of the way For hee saieth That those which feede of the altar are partakers of the altar and that those that offer vp to idols are partakers with the diuell And so making a comparison of the table of the Lord and the table of the diuell as though the Priestes could not eate vp that bodie of Christ otherwise than as idolaters eate vp the diuels and as though these wordes Eate that bodie of Christ did signifie nothing else but this through the power of the holie Ghost to be made one bodie ioyntlie with the bodie of Christ as the vngodly idolaters by power of the wicked spirite are vnited with the diuell That is to heynous an heresie and therefore wee may not stande vpon this similitude for it soundeth diâ—ectlie against our Transubstantiation But when you will haue a substantiall similitude you must search and seeke it out of Scotus and Thomas de Aquino or Panormitanus and such like For they bring in for this purpose a goodlie similitude of a Tauerne or common Inne where they sell wine For as there is commonlie a potte a garlande or Iuie bush hanged out betokening that to be a Tauerne and the Tauerne doeth signifie that there is wine plentie So likewise you see here the outward accidentes of bread to witte the roundnesse and the whitenesse which doe signifie that vnder the same is conteined the verie bodie of Christ which is to bee resembled to the Tauerne And this bodie of Christ doeth further signifie the holie Church of Rome which is made one with the bodie of Christ which they call Mysticum corpus Christi that is to say The spiritual or mystical bodie of Christ and this is that sweete wine which the Priestes drinke in that Inne or Tauerne And after this they doe likewise bring for a similitude the water which in Cana of Galilie was plainlie turned into wine which similitude doeth so wonderfull well serue for this purpose as to set a fift wheele in a wagon But it is pitie that the Priestes haue not other fiue wordes whereby they might do that too For then should the similitude serue their turne much better if that they might when they woulde conuerte and turne the water into good wine for that they might therewith the better scoure and refresh their drie throtes when they are become verie hoarse with singing of their seruice And it is verie true that they doe what they can for that purpose for on Saturday being Easter eeuen they praye vnto God that hee will also do so much as to turne their Beere saying O Lord holie Father almightie and eternal God which hast made both heauen and earth wherein the water is conteined I pray thee and instantly beseech thee in the name of Iesus Christ thy onlie begotten Sonne that thou of thy goodnesse wilt blesse and make holie this Beere as thou diddest blesse the dinner of Abraham and Isaak and as thou diddest blesse the sixe pottes in Cana of Galilie which were chaunged from water into good wine euen so change for thy seruantes sake which do beleeue in the Catholike faith this substance of Beere into pleasantnesse and mirth thorough the same c. But alas what can all this helpe when it will not so come to passe For they haue not this cunning and therefore they must needes haue bene deceiued and so drinke vp the bloud vppon rawe fleshe For men may say all what they will and Paule yea Christ him selfe may bring forth what interpretation they list but the holy church will stande to the first wordes This is my bodie and vpon that will she liue and die The texte is plaine ynough for her shee hath no neede either of glosse or interpretation And therefore vnto all the interpretations which these Heretikes bring in whether it be out of the Scriptures or out of the auncient Fathers wee will answere This is my bodie and sticke as sure to that as the Cuckoe to her song The v. Chapter Treating of the great stâ—ife and difference which is aâ—mongst the Romishe Doctours concerning the words of the Sacrament and yet all they agree and stande fast touching the Transubstantiation Herein are likewise set forth some textes of Scripture whereby Transubstantiation is established IT is verie true that our Catholike Doctours and subtile maisters of Diuinitie can not euen they them selues finde anie good resolution of these words neither can make them serue the turne well touching their Transubstantiation but that there doeth alway fall great difficultie and disorder therin The bookes sticke out in euery side like a spindle in a bagge in so much that they snarre and iarre amongst themselues in this matter like dogges cattes yea Quot capita tot sensus How many heads so manie opinions And yet notwithstaÌ„ding they all ioyntly crie together This is my bodie The text is cleare and needes no glosse yea they cleaue as close to Transubstantiation as claye to the cart wheele Although they can not tell which way to frame this plaine text For to begin withal they all flatly flie from that which was concluded in the foresaid Councell of Rome that is That the verie bodie of Christ shuld be Sensualiter that is to say Sensiblie and visiblie eaten and with the teeth chewed in morsels For to that they all affirme flatlie No and that it is a false lie notwithstanding it is set out in the Decrees verie substantially For say they the bodie of Christ can no more bee bitten eaten nor digested he can not now die nor suffer anie more nor bee broken in pieces he doth liue eternally Which is apparant by this token that yeerelie vpon Corpus Christi day our deare mother the holie church doeth in her vsuall Hymne or Sacramental Carroll sing these words folowing Sub diuersis speciebus Signis tantùm non rebus â–ª Latent res eximiae Caro cibus sanguis potus Manet homo Christus totus â–ª Sub vtraqué specie A sumente non concisus Non confractus nec diuisus â–ª Integer accipitur Sumit vnus sumunt mille Quantum isti tantum ille Nec sumptus absumitur c. That is to say Vnder signes most plaine to see Substance none which seeme to be Things lie hid most excellent The flesh is meate the bloud is wine â–ª A perfect Christ in either signe Remaineth of the Sacrament He is not dealt in morsels small Diuided cutte nor hurt at all But whole he is receiued A thousand taste a thousand eate And all alike feede of one meate He wastes not though digested Nowe see here thus do they deface their owne Councels and Decrees and make al the holie Fathers of the Councel of Rome liers After this
fiue wordes spoken and all parts of the transubstantiation well plaid could doe his office as well as the wine and leape soudeinly out of one substance into another Item if there were thirtene or fourtene Offertories Ostes or singing cakes laid vpon the altar and that the priest could tell no better than my maide and so tolde but twelue and vppon that intent doe pronounce the fiue wordes thinking that there were but twelue then whether all the thirtene should be consecrated and transubstantiated considering that the intent and meaning of the Priest is wholie necessarie to the transubstantiation or that neuer one of them should be transubstantiated coÌ„sidering that the one hath as much vantage as the other and not any one of them more base or bastard than an other seeing that they all did heare and vnderstand the wordes of the Transubstantiation indifferently one as well as another There are yet besides these manie other like difficulties sufficient to make deuout catholike men to doubt touching this foresaid article of transubstantiation for I assure you they trouble the heades euen of our masters of Louen and are oftimes occasion that they must drinke two or three quartes of wine the more and sometimes be so dronke that they fall from the benche and catch a redde nose yea and sometime that they dispute the haire from their heads through the great zeale wherewith they are warmed whereby they often fall into dronken diseases and sometime into Plurisies whereof diuerse times they die and so the Church of Rome doth faile of her best pillars And yet for all this as concerning the highest and most principall article of transubstantiation they al danse after one pipe and agree as well in one as Herode and Pilate And as touching the rest they remit that to God to take care for for after that they haue brought forth many cunning trickes and deepe wittie speculations and bralled about those a long time and in vtramque partem that is to say pro coÌ„tra to and fro haue reasoned on both sides verie Magistraliter that is Maisterly in deed In the end they make this coÌ„clusion Sed quomodo hoc fit nescio Deus scit that is I cannot tell what to say to the matter I cannot conceiue how that may come to passe God knoweth all And yet notwithstanding they doe alway conclude this to be an article of the faith whereof no man must doubt For our deare mother the holy Church will haue it so And yet in the meane space for the better stay of deuout coÌ„sciences somthing to establish these great doubts they haue ioyntly found out a newe practise to prop vp their generall building of Transubstantiation to wit first a great beame which they call Concomitantiae then a long rib called The stedfast intention of the holy Church wherewith they do so strongly prop vp this building that not only Christs bodie but the whole Godhead may sâ—and vpon it without falling And if it were so that the priest did dreame had no regard to his Masse yet haue they a remedie for that For the good intent of the holie Church is so sure and vnremoueable that the intent of the Priest is not greatly to be accounted of but may well inough go walk abrode and see if there be anie good cheare toward and that his maid keepe good rule at home which is a iolly matter For otherwise if the priest were yet half dronke with good cheare the eeuen before or that his maid had chafed him or that but only a flie did come sit vpon his nose he might perhaps therby forget his good intent euen as he was speaking the holy wordes and then should not that bread becâ—me a God which were a perilous matter For the simple people should then pray to a peece of bread in place of their God creator Therefore coÌ„meth the holy Church now in for a helpe doth set forth for a perfit article of our faith that it is likewise sufficient for euerie one to beleue whatsoeuer the Church beleues although they know not what it is And again it is sufficient that the holy church haue generally a perfite determination that wheresoeuer Masse is don there is the bred changed into God although it were so that the priest did thinke onely vpon his maid or on his kitchen In summe there is not a hole but the hellish Church hath a peg to stop it withall she can turne euerie thing to the best so that there is no more difficultie And if the Doctours and Licentiates doe chide and brall among themselues that makes no great matter we ought to commit all these weightie causes to the iudgement of the holie Catholike Church and must simplie and ioyntly beleeue That as soone as the fiue wordes are spoken that which the Priest hath in his handes is turned into God let it then be what it will either verie bread or the accidents of bread or an Indiuiduum vagum that is a wilde veseken That is no matter at all to vs it is sufficient that wee knowe it is our God which we must pray vnto in the Masse For the text is plaine This is my bodie there needes no glosse vpon it And although it be so that all the Doctours of Louen of Paris and of Colen cannot vnderstand it yet it is sufficient for vs that we haue fetcht our transubstantiation out of it and sette it forth irreuocably Although we haue yet manie mo other plaine textes whereby to defend it which are verie plentifully sette forth by the worshipfull Eckius and other worthie pillars of the holie Catholike Church as specially that which is written in Ieremie That when the vngodly Iewish Priests and false Prophets went about to bring Ieremie to death because hee did earnestly condemne their vngodlinesse they said thus one to another Let vs marre his bread with wood or let vs destroy the fruite together with the tree roote him out of the kingdome of the liuing For this now hath our deare mother the holie Church turned for the best vnto our Masse priests as though they had holden this Counceâ—l together and saide Mittamus lignum in panem eius that is to say Let vs cast wood into his bread vnderstanding thereby that they will counterfeit in their Masse the passion death of Iesu Christ who suffred vpon the crosse with a peece of bread And to this end doe they cause these woordes to be soung yerely in the Passion wherevpon shee hath resolutely concluded That the bread is chaunged into the verie bodie of Christ Iesus as is to bee seene in the foresaid booke of Eckius and of other stoute Champions of the Romish Church Yea and likewise to proue that this Transubstantiation is neither so wonderfull nor vnnatural as the Heretikes exclaime that doeth Eckius teach out of the Scripture where the diuel said to Christ If thou be the son of God
christian beliefe And for that cause did they drinke the bloud of Christ as the Catholike Doctours haue written according to the doctrine of Cyprianus saying how can they shed their owne bloud for Christes sake if they doe not drinke of Christs bloud But now there is no more tidings of those matters for the holy church of Rome wil not lose one drop of her bloud considering that she hath ynough to do for the defence of the holy Catholike faith to shed the bloud of the Lutherans and Caluinists like water in the streetes And therefore it is not any more needful that the Lay people should drinke the bloud of Christ out of the Chalice vnder the substance of wine They can digest it well inough rawe as it was shed out of the bodie of Christ Iesus yet for all that the priests haue this aduantage that they may drinke the bloud of Christ both waies And yet is not the bloud of Christ in the Sacrament taken quite away from the Lay people For when they do eate the whole body with flesh bones it is certeine that they gette in the bloud wall For the before named Bonauentura doth make mention of a certein miracle of one which would not beleue that there was any bloud in the holy Ost or singing bread vsed in the holie Masse and sodeinly there came bloud ruÌ„ning out And likewise Alexander de Ales doth declare that vpoÌ„ a time when the people would haue receiued the Sacrament vnder both kindes there was sodenlie before them a platter full of bloud whereof the good deuoute people being meruellously abashed were glad to content them selues with the one And that the bloud vndoubtedlie is with the bodie we haue here before by manie other miracles declared sufficientlie proued Therefore haue the Laie people no occasion to complaine as though the bloud of Christ were denied them for euen the Priestes them selues are contented with one kinde on the good Fridaie next after the shire Thursday when they haue had their sops in good Bastard or Romnay For then the next day being good Friday they sing a drie Masse and keepe a Mouses banket as well as the Laie people doe at Easter Before time likewise in the Iewish church the Laie people had no parte of the drinke offerings but the Priestes onelie For although that Chrysostome saith touching this matter that this is now changed and that in this Sacrament the Laie people must enioye the like meate and drinke as the Priestes doe so as nowe the one hath no more aduantage than the other as they had in the olde Lawe yet can not the saying of Chrysostome anie thing serue in this place For against Chrysostome wil we set Brother Barnard of Luxenburgh professour in Theologie and Iohn Eckius with all other good Catholike writers of our time who haue otherwise written and determined of this matter And as touching that which the Huguenotes do alledge out of Paule yea out of Iesus Christ him selfe saying That Paule did command all christen people to do according as Christ had ordeined and as Christ had saide Drinke all of this We do answere to that That this was onelie a simple permission and not a speciall commandement as he saith in another place Destroie this temple and I will builde it vp againe within three dayes for that is no commaundement but onely a permission as if he said If it be so in deede that you will destroie this temple of my bodie I will not forbidde you but I will builde him vp againe c. In like manner doeth our mother the hâ—lie Church saie that these woordes Drinke you all of this And As often as you drinke this you shall declare the death of the Lord Those wordes are thus to be vnderstoode as though he had said I doe not will you Laie people to doe so but the Priestes onelie notwithstanding if you will doe it and that the Priestes are contented withall I will not then bee against it Thus you see the game is won Nowe let vs to an other matter tending to the like ende The vii Chapter VVhich doeth treate of full satisfaction for sinnes of the desertes of good workes also of the merites of Christes passion and of Iustification of the difference betweene mortall sinnes and veniall sinnes and of the assured hope of saluation NOwe seeing that wee haue sufficientlie spoken of the holie Masse and the Sacrament of the altar and that our mother the holie Church of Rome doeth moreouer teache and set foorth for an article of the faith That wee by desert hearing a Masse and receiuing the Sacrament may make full amendes for our offences and sufficientlie satisfie for our sinnes therefore it is now verie necessarie that we something treate of satisfaction for sinnes and of deseruing by good works the rather because the Heretikes do with their scriptures so trouble vs touching this point as they turne both the spit and the rost meat into the ashes in so much that wee shall loose both the sheepe and the fleece if wee suffer this to be so plucked from vs And therefore it is necessarie to put all good Catholike children in remembrance that in no wise they doe giue anie eare to the Heretikes touching this point for feare lest therby they should be brought out of the right way and so by receiuing their goodlie reasons multitude of scriptures be persuaded from their due obedience to the holie Church of Rome And to the ende that euerie man should be warned and not by negligence sodenlie taken in a trappe therefore shall I set out something more at large their meaning touching this point to the ende that euery one may see whether our deare mother the holie Church haue not iust occasion so bitterlie to curse and banish their doctrine Then to beginne withall they do take vpon them to defende and mainteine by Scripture That all sinnes are deadlie mortall because that sinne is the breaking of Gods commaundements as S. Iohn saith And That who soeuer doeth not obserue all whatsoeuer God hath commaunded in his Lawe is accursed For S. Iames doeth witnesse That who soeuer transgresseth in one point of the Lawe is guiltie in the whole considering that the same God which câ—mmaunded the one did also commaunde the other In so much that all those which commit sinne are through sinne alienated and estranged from the life which is onelie to bee had at the hand of God and so must fall into the hand of heath seeing that The recoÌ„pense of sinne is death according to the saying of S. Paule whereby all men without anie exception which are vnder sinne are likewise vnder the bondage of eternall malediction death and damnation considering that all haue sinned are fallen away from that life which is of God into his wrath and do thereby become if the speciall mercie of God were not
the verie meaning of the holy Church of Rome it is plaine to be noted out of the decrees of the Councel of Trent â–ª Wherin are accursed and excommunicated all those which wil mainteine that the obedience and merits of Christ should be Formalitâ—r that is to say Euidently onely of themselues our iustification so that wee should be fully iustified before God and esteemed for the children of God onely through the obedience and merites of Christ. For this do they ascribe only to our own righteousnes whervnto we are moued of God wheÌ„ we haue prepared made redy our selues to reâ—eiue the same which righteousnes is our owne workes former deseruings satisfactions and say that we haue woâ—ne this only out of the merits of Christ that this our iustification by desertes as penance satisfaction other good workes which we do are by God accepted and so â—ntered in his reckoning booke for good wares and sufficient paiment with which iudgment Iodocus Tiletanus hitteth iump in this sort We denie vtterly that the righteousnes and obedience of Christ should bee the onely cause â–ª through which we are formaliter that is euidently throughly iustified But like as the first man Adam through his vnrighteousnes and disobedience was the onely cause that all wee which are come of him â–ª haue euerie one his owne sinne within himself throughâ— which he is of himselfe and apparantly a sinner and an vnrighteous person euen so likewise it is to be vnderstood that the righteousnes and obedience of Christ is onely a meritorious cause wherthrough all those which through faith and the sacramentes of faith are borne anew in Christ doe now receiue to themselues a righteousnes of the father to wit euerie one his owne proper and inward righteousnes through which he is iustified of himselfe and hath obediently satisfied the righteousnesse of the Lawe c. Whereby is notably to be vnderstood first that Christ is not our iustification and likewise that we must forsake and giue ouer our owne iustification as Paul persuadeth to be partakers in the iustification by faith which is in Christ Iesus but contrariwise we must iustifie our owne righteousnesse as the Iewes did afore time and so seeke our saluation at our selues and in our selues as before we haue had sinne and damnation vpon and in vs Secondarily out of the same we vnderstande that wee are not borne anew onely through Christ but through belief and the Sacraments in Christ â–ª that is to say That Christ is the only cause that our workes are our full accoplishment satisfaction which are vnder this word SacrameÌ„ts coÌ„teined vnderstod and yet of their owne might as is before said Ex opere operato can beare vs anew and iustifie vs For this by our deare mother the holy Church is the perfect and naturall description of the Sacraments That a Sacrament is properly called not onely that which is a signe or token of Gods mercie but also Forma that is the verie effect and substance of the hidde mercie so that it doeth both signifie the same and is cause of the same So that the Sacraments do not onely signifie sanctifying but also of themselues sanctifie and doe as the glosse specially setteth forth make vs righteous Ex opere operato that is Out of the merites of our workes and of our selues So that the Sacramentes conteining vnder them our deuocions and our owne workes are the only naturall and proper cause of our saluation and do make vs Formaliter righteous but Christ onely Causaliter that is for that he commeth in as a generall and farre fetched cause They are the principall they haue the rudder in hand and stirre the ship but Christ may yet help to row as a grâ—met or simple mariner though this friendship bee vsed to him for his credite that he is called to be one of the Councell to haue his aduice howe is best to stirre the ship yea mâ—n report by him that he amongst the rest is one of the most principal occasions that the shippe keepes a good course where otherwise it might either be lost vpon some sande or broken in pieces against a rocke And therefore when any good and deuout Catholike man lies a dying wee doe not vse to breake his head much with Christ nor to trouble him greatly with faith hope which he ought to haue in the death and passion or Iesus Christ but he must specially be put in remembrance of shrift to receiue his God to be annoynted and then after to haue a waxe candle by him with a Crucifixe in his hand and so persuade him to the building of some Chappell or Monasterie and to appoint a Trentall of soule Masses and to remember Vigils annuall or yerelie prayers and such like And if Christ bee by chance spoken of that doeth commonlie happen to the intent the better to set forth and preferre the said Masses Vigils and annuals and the rest of the baggage for Christ of him self is not set by nor esteemed at all In summe Christ is onelie necessarie and fitte to serue the holie Church of Rome her purpose in this point that is to coine good monie of bad naughtie metal For if Christ had not died God would without doubte that all men shoulde haue fulfilled his Lawe fullie in all pointes hee would haue iudged all things according to his woorde and Lawe without hauing anie respect at all to our deuotions and meritorious woorkes or to Saint Frauncis or to Saint Dominikes order And besides that hee would in the ende haue punished all breakers of his lawe with eternall malediâ—â—ion death and damnation without hauing anie regarde at all to our merites or satisfaction But nowe seeing that Christ died the holie Church of Rome may nowe fill him a hood with hay they may boldlie cast his commaundementes in a corner and thrust in in steade of them their owne ordinances good intentes and deuotions and with spittle water ashes and dust salte and tallowe oyle and waxe fire and smoke shelles and belles leaping and running springing and daunsing satisfie and pay him hee must take all in good part Prouided that men continually make this the foote of their prayers namelie Per Christum Dominum nostrum for that is the butter that doth better all things And herewithall he is by and by satisfied and pleased Haue not the Catholikes then a good and a gentle God which is content that they pay hiâ— with mussell shelles But that is not to bee maruelled at seeing that when they haue plaid with him a good while he suffereth them euen to eate him vp and deale with him as the cat with the mouse Yet notwithstanding for that he should not be herewith offended as though men did mocke with him because they do make so small account of the breaking of his lawes they haue to eschew that inconuenience â—â—elt his lesson to him before hand verie
substantially cunningly haue determined and iudged That all sinnes are not deadlie but that there are but seneÌ„ deadâ— lie sinnes onelie which together with their branches and fruites haue deserued death The rest are altogether small simple and venial sinnes which he may not punish by death but with a smal rod such as doth serue to beate children withall And herevpon she hath valued all hir deseruings satisfactions euery one according to his price to the vttermost penie and so hath committed the balance to S. Michael with open commission charge that he do iustlie weye all the sinnes and offences of the Catholikes against the troubles which God hath sent them and likewise against their good deedes merites vpon this conditioÌ„ that if the said troubles good deedes â–ª and merites be but an ounce or twaine or some small weight lighter than the other then Christ shall make that good by his death and passion But if the difference in weight should be great so as it were to be considered vpon then must he to conterueil and make the weight euen put into that scale some good deedes c. as building of Abbies Masses Pilgrimages Pateâ— nosters and Aue Maries waxe candels holie ashes holie water Popes 〈◊〉 pardons grey friers cowles girdles S. Iames shels other like stuffe till both the balances wey alike But nowe Econtra â–ª if the good deeds meriâ—es c. be the heauier then shal the surplusage be kept against another time to helpe a good friend withall or to 〈◊〉 some 〈◊〉 soule one of Purgatorie And our mother the holie church hath had much a doe â— this matter to bring the balance to a iust â—â—ight and value to make all things euen betwixt the offences of men and the punishmentes of God and to approue that to be the right way which notwithstaÌ„ding she hath stronglie fortified with plaine scriptures And in especially where S. Iohn Baptist saieth Facite fructus dignos poenitentia that is to say Bring forth fruites worthie of repentance For out of this hath she concluded That the effect and nature of the punishment scourge of God must be equall with the effect and nature of the crime Well considered that the operation of good workes is not needfull to be so great or so manie in one that hath done â—esse sins as in him that hath coÌ„mitted a great deale more sinne c. And therefore when as God doeth visit anie man in this world with pouertie sicknesse hunger trouble or anie other crosse he must likewise haue those valued against his sinnes and offences And if it be found that the crosse and punishment which God hath laid vpon him be of greater importance than his sinnes haue deserued as our mother the holie Church of Rome will suppose that often times it is then must the surplusage of that be by some honest meane recompensed or if it be such as cannot well be recompensed by God then it shal be shut vp and kept in the chest of indulgencies and pardonâ— to serue the turne of such as shall haue neede of it for that shal at some conuenient time be sealed together with a Bull and then some profite will come of it as our deare mother the holie Church hath concluded alledging for that purpose a plain euident text of Iob saying O that my troubles and sorowes might be weyed my paines deliuered vp in a paire of balance They should be found heauier than the sande of the seas therein is it that my wordes haue ouerslipped me Consider now out of this hath our deare mother the holie Church gathered that Iob was contented to come to a reckoning with God and haue his crosse punishment weyed against his offences if his crosse punishment be greater than his sinnes as shee supposeth then will she that the surplus of the weight shall be shut vp in the Popes chest to â—elpe sâ—me other good fellowe withall for a little monie and so bring him out of daunger And to the end that hereafter no brabbling or processe should happâ—n in diâ—â—inguishing which are light and venâ—all sinnes and which are heauie and deadlie sinnes and how euerie sinne is to bee esteemed for that purpose hath shee fetched out of her cofer with her keye called Allegorica expositio a trimme scripture thereby to declare those things sufficiently beginning thus That like as in the beginning the serpent did first intise the woman ofte to sinne and then the woman brought the man to the same so haue wee now likewise the wittinesse within vs which is the serpent and then more the wisedome or the principall vnderstanding which is the man last of all the knowledge or the simplest part of vnderstanding which is the woman and this man is the same which by witnessing of the Apostle is called The image honour of God the woman is the same which by the Apostle is called The honour or beautie of the man. Is not this well and profoundly philosophied of our mother the holie Church of Rome I can not thinke but that the Maister of the Sentences was somewhere in the bottome of a deep seller when hee founde out this profounde speculation For otherwise it were not possible that he should haue conceiued these profounde secretes of his owne head But nowe let vs heare further of the matter Nowe there is saith he a spirituall mariage a naturall coniunction betwene the man and the woman and out of that is to be considered which is a deadlie sinne and which is a veniall sinne For euen as the serpent did by persuasion abuse the woman and the woman the man euen so it falleth out with vs For as the inward consent is the serpent which accepteth the accomplishment of sinne and so persuadeth the woman that is the knowledge or least branch of accomplishing and then when as by such reasons they are brought to consent to the accomplishing then it commeth to passe that the woman doth eate the forbidden fruite and then presenteth or offereth of the same to the man and so when she hath entised the vnderstanding or principall desire that it doth giue consent to the same then hath the man eaten of the forbidden fruit likewise But nowe if the full accomplishing remaine sticking in the minde and cogitation and taketh not full effect then it is but a verie small veniall sinne but when onlie the simple pretence is willing thereto to witte the lust and desire of the mind or thought without any further full pretence trauell to bring the same effectuallie to passe then hath the woman onelie eaten of the apple and not the man who hath by his owne strength subdued his will that it proceedes not to the performing and finishing of the woorke and yet in that case it is sometime a deadlie sinne and sometime a veniall sinne according to the continuance of the time â–ª But if in
recourse to him with perfect and steadfast hope through their beliefe in him and That God who abounds in mercie hath through his inestimable loue wherewith he hath loued vs when we were dead in sin made vs aliue againe in Christ through whose mercie wee are beecome holie yea and hath raised vs vp againe and placed vs in the heauens by Christ Iesus iustifying vs of his meere mercie through faith not through our selues but through the gift of God not by workes least anie man should boast himselfe so that from henceforth none can charge or blame the elect of God for it is he only which doth iustifie them who therefore can condemne them seeing that Christ hath suffered for them So that they are assured that neither death nor life nor Angel nor rule neither might nor power neither anie thing present nor to come neither hight nor depth nor any other creature can separate them from the loue of God shewed in Christ Iesus our Lord With manie such other like thinges which Paule speaketh of But all that cannot helpe For our mother the holie Church will haue that vnderstood onely of such as haue and are assured of the same by some speciall reuelation and of such as trust simplie vpon Gods worde and promise For she hath resolutely concluded that such a manner of beliefe should be nothing else but a flat and vaine-glorious presumption But when a man doth trust to his owne merits good works and satisfactions then he is assured to come out with his iust reckoning or at the least if there haue not bene ynough done here in this worlde that shall bee after in another worlde accomplished and paied to the vttermost farthing insomuch that he shall not remaine one mite in Gods debt For to that ende and purpose hath our deare mother the holie Churche of Rome ordeined the blessed Purgatorie whereof wee will nowe make further declaration and proue it to bee as well grounded on the Scripture as the merits and satisfactions whereof we haue now alreadie spoken The viii Chapter VVherein Purgatorie is established as well bp Scripture as by inheritance And herein are likewise intreated the remedies and helpes whereby the sillie soules are released out of Purgatorie HEre is to be considered that Purgatorie is founded and hath his ground out of the holie Scripture For if Masses are founded vpon the Scripture as wee haue alreadie certiâ—ied then surely we may not make a bastard of the Masse of Requiem And now if it be so that the Masse of Requiem is founded vpon the Scripture then no doubt there must needes be a Purgatorie But nowe let vs bring forth for the proofe hereof speciall textes of scripture First note howe there is written by Paule to the Corinthians That no man may lay anie other foundation but onely vpon Iesus Christ. And so whosoeuer doth build on this foundation gold siluer precious stones timber hay or stubble euerie mannes woorke shall appeare for the day shall declare it and it shall be shewed in fire the fire shall declare euerie mans woorke what it is c. This hath our dere mother the holy Church vnderstood meant and set forth of Purgatorie And although out of this it should follow That all manner of persons without exception as wel he Saints as she Saints which our holy father the Pope hath canonized yea and the verie Popes themselues shoulde daunse in Purgatorie as well as Iacke and Tom with the rest But considering how that doth not agree in one with the beliefe of the holie Church of Rome in respect of the superfluous good woorkes which those Saintes haue done for themselues and for their good friendes more than they were of duetie bound to do therefore she properly wisely concludeth therevpon That those soules onely which depart out of this world without any deadly sinne and before they haue sufficiently satisfied by penance for their veniall and quotidian sinnes shall remaine a certeine space in Purgatorie be there broiled and sodden til such time as they shall with soule Masses pardons or indulgencies be hailed out of the pan or chaldron as with a flesh hooke The which is worthie to bee noted considering that which is thereout concluded as first that as heretofore is declared al sinnes are not deadly neither deserue euerlasting damnation and then againe by this you may perceiue that which of late we did speake of namely That the death and passion of Iesus Christ hath purged but onely our originall sinne and not our daily sinnes for which wee must make full satisfaction our selues And whereas the Heretikes say that Paule doeth not in the foresaide text meane any thing at all of Purgatorie but meanes onely to speake according as the text importeth as many ancient fathers haue expounded vnderstoode the same of the fire of the holy ghost which doth in time trie cause to appere plaine all doctrines namely those which take their foundation of Iesus christ And they say that good doctrine and godly learning shal in this proofe remaine stedfast but babblers and false teachers shall consume like hay or stubble before the fire With all this we haue nothing to do for that is but an exposition after the letter and not after the spirit or allegorie It is sufficient for vs that our holie mother the Church of Rome hath vnderstood Paul otherwise and applied his text vnto Purgatorie like as she hath applied the wordes of the Euangelist where hee saith That it was a custome amongst the Iewes to weepe ouer the dead For therby she hath concluded That the Iewes did beleue that there is a Purgatorie because as she thinkes it had bene a great follie of them to weepe for the dead vnlesse they did beleeue there was a Purgatorie so that it is a thing verie credible that those which wept so sore ouer Steeuen as in the Acts of the Apostles is declared did thinke none other but that he was gone into Purgatorie notwithstanding that he had seene Iesus Christ sitting on the right hand of God the father and sealed the testimonie and witnesse of him with his bloud Thirdely Purgatorie is clearely proued â—ut of the plaine textes of Paule who saith That in the name of Iesus al knees do bow those that are in heauen those vpon the earth and those vnder the earth Surely we wil not haue this vnderstoode of diuels Ergo then it must needs folow that it is spokeÌ„ of the souls which lay burning in Purgatorie For thus saith S. Iohn in the Apocalypse touching the same matter And all creatures which are in heaueÌ„ in the earth vnder the earth in the sea all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honor power be to him that sitteth vpon the seat vnto the lambe for euermore Where vndoubtedly he doth vnderstand meane Purgatorie according to the exposition of our
yeres in Purgatorie at last there came an Angel who did bid the soule choose whether it would tarie yet one short Winters day in Purgatorie or that it would returne into the worlde againe and there doe a maruellous hard penance to witte for one long hundred yeares space shoulde goe barefoote and treade still vppon sharpe yron nailes eate nothing else but browne bread and drinke bitter gall mingled with vinegre and weare a cloth made of Camels haire next the skinne a stone vnder the head in place of a pillowe This soule did choose much rather to doe all that same harde penance in earth than to tarie one daie longer in Purgatorie Consider nowe what a sharpe biting sauce mustard is for as it is written in the Decrees There is no earthlie paine or martyrdome to be compared to the paines of Purgatorie yea that holie man Thomas de Aquino saith That the paine of the fire of hell and the fire of Purgatorie is all one and that they differ nothing at all but that the one is but temporall and the other is eternall So that it was not without iust occasion that Virgil set a partition of yron and other metall betweene those two fires although some men be of opinion that the partition was but a pale made of wainscote which because it was of wood was long agoe burnt away so that nowe Hell and Purgatorie enter in both at one hole and are both but one fire Which is the occasion that some take vpon them to say that The fire of Purgatorie is pist out although there be other learned men which bring in another occasion whereby it is happened that there is now no partition betweene Hell and Purgatorie but that they are ioyned together For it is written in a certen historie That there was a good holie Pope which was verie desirous to know of his Secretarie being a good wittie learned man whether as he thought he might giue a general pardon at once for all such soules as were then in Purgatorie and ioyntlie withall pardon alike all such as should hereafter be condemned thither so that after there shoulde be no more neede of Purgatorie Whervpon his Secretarie did demaund of him this question againe Whether hee did not verilie thinke that if it were so that he had such power if he did not thē verely beleeue that all his Pope predecessours haue had the like authoritie in their time Wherevnto the Pope answered Yes surelie considering that all his power and authoritie came from them Then the Secretarie did demaunde of him againe Whether that of so manie Popes and holie Fathers which had possessed that place before him there were not one of them so mercifull and louing towardes the poore soules that had taken vppon him to doe that charitable deed if his power did so farre extend Vnto this the Pope answered As touching that he knewe not Wherevpon the Secretarie gaue him a full resolution saying I can tell then certeinlie Once our Lord Iesus Christ chief Bishop of all Bishops Pope aboue all Popes had full power and authoritie to doe the same for that he was almightie and hee had also the will to doe it for that he was most mercifull and did likewise beare an infinite affection and loue vnto all mankind in so much that he did effectuallie and fullie accomplish that matter So that it is not needful for anie man to trouble him self anie more about that matter seeing hee hath by offering vp of his bodie obteined a pardon of God the Father and sealed the same for euermore with his owne pretious bloud for the redemption of all faithfull soules past present or to come So that nowe there falles no more condemnation or iudgement vpon them neither shall they neede to feare Death Hell nor Purgatorie but depart out of this life directlie into euerlasting life as he him selfe doeth plainlie testifie by Iohn the Euangelist in his Gospell Nowe see out of this will some men mainteine That Purgatorie is cleane taken away euer since this great and generall pardon came in so much that diuelles are come to dwel there haue now brought Hell and Purgatorie all into one kitchen where they broile their soules and turmoile them at their pleasure And for that likewise that good Catholike Doctour Barnardus de Bustis doeth defende this case with the testimonie and witnesse of Gregorie That the fire of Hell and Purgatorie are kindled together saying Nam vt inquit Gregorius sub eodem igne electus purgatur damnatus crematur that is to say For as Gregorie saith with one fire are the elect purged and the damned burned And therefore it is that our deare mother the holie Church in the prayer called Offertorium which she singeth commonlie vpon All Soules day in the Anniuersarie doth put no difference betwixt Hell and Purgatorie for these are the wordes which shee doeth vse Domine Iesu Christe Rex gloriae libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de manu inferni de profundo lacu libera eas de ore leonis ne absorbeat eas tartarus sed signifer S. Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam c. That is to say O Lord Iesu Christ King of glorie deliuer thou all faithfull soules out of the power of hel and out of that deepe lake deliuer them out of the mouth of the lion that they sinke not downe into hell but that thy standard bearer Saint Michael may bring them into that holie light c. Wherein they nowe plainlie call Purgatorie Hell. And in an other Collect which they doe sing vpon the same daye they call it Regiones tenebrarum that is to say The region or place of darknesse praying vnto God that S. Michael will or may doe so much as to deliuer them from thence In summe they make but one hole and one lake of those twaine Howsoeuer it happeneth whether the pale that was betweene them be burnt or that Purgatorie is pist out I wote not it is to profounde a question for vs and therefore we will commit the disputation of that matter to the Doctours of Louen They may perhaps tipple out a flaggon of wine or twaine in the matter before they agree vppon it It is inough for vs that we haue proued Purgatorie sufficientlie not onelie by plaine textes of holie Scripture but also by inheritance and possession and so established it as there is nothing to bee saide against it The ix Chapter Intreating of indulgencies and pardons prouing and establishing the same by the Scripture NOwe it doeth followe that we intreat of pardons and indulgencies which of necessitie must proceede out of the foundation of Purgatorie especiallie if you do minister vnto it a glister of parchement waxe and lead for that hath a wonderfull operation in it sithence it doth refresh againe our deere mother the holie church of Rome and maketh her lustie
of Rome with all his Cardinals who are deftly decked vppe with all costly iewels like Puppets And hee shall receiue a mouth speaking great and wonderfull things so that all the worlde shall say Who is like vnto him Euen after the same sort as you see the Pope giue forth strange things touching his owne person and doeth attribute to himselfe a certeine power authoritie aboue all kings princes and angels in heauen yea euen aboue the sonne of God and which more is aboue God himselfe Insomuch that vpon this consideration our deare mother the holie Churche hath concluded that hee shoulde bee called Papa as though men should say Pape which is as much to say in our language as a wonderfull shreeke or hem in derision For it is a worde which doth signifie a monstrous wondring for because that he is a wonderfull monstrous and straunge beast Insomuch that one of his owne Poets doth call him Papa stupor mundi that is to say The wonder or mocking stocke of the worlde Euen as if a man shoulde say Tushe who is to be compared to him So that it is most apparauntly to bee seene that Saint Iohn in his Apocalypse doeth as it were euen point to him with his finger and that Daniel and Paule doe in many places of the Scripture paint him plainlie out in all his feathers In so much then that these Heretikes are farre ouerseenâ— when as they will say That the Scripture doeth not make anie mention of the Pope of Rome considering that wee haue proued all his authoritie to be grounded vpon the Scripture in such order as there is nothing to be said against it The xi Chapter VVherein is set foorth howe that no Priesteâ— nor spirituall persons are subiect or vnder the iurisdiction or power of the temporall Magistrates or Officers NOwe let vs come to speake of the other Priestes and spirituall persons who are throughlie furnished in all points with their Officials Deanes Archdeacons Vicars Inquisitours Sumners Prisons Places and Instrumentes for punishment so as they are not in anie point subiect to anie temporall Officer or Magistrate Neither may anie of them haue anie their causes or questions debated or determined before anie temporall Iudge or Officer so farre as they haue shauen crownes which is the right marke character of the citie with seuen mountaines whereof Saint Iohn makes mention in the Apocalypse And the same is likewise to bee proued by plaine textes of the holy scripture And for the first it is written That when as Lot went about to dissuade the wilfull Sodomites from their abhominable actes they saide vnto him Thou art come hither among vs and art but a straunger here What hast thou to doe for to take vpon thee to correct and iudge vs Out of this Text hath our mother the holie Church of Rome finally concluded that the Priests may not bee iudged nor punished by temporall Magistrates and Rulers vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are vndoubtedly right Sodomites Burgesses borne and maisters of this worlde by inheritance considering that they are made by the Pope to whom the worlde doeth absolâ—tely apperteine and that the temporall Magistrates and Officers are but as straungers who haue but as it were the gouernement of the world by lease at the handes of the Pope and his Priestes And therefore it doth not become them for to rule or punish the natiue Burgesses of Sodom and Gomorra that is to say the Priestes and Spiritualtie For so hath the Pope Anacletus determined and set forth in his Deccetals which interpretation of his is by our deare mother the holy Church allowed for good and registred in the booke of their decrees for an article of our faith Secondarily the same is proued by a speciall text out of the Gospell where it is written That Christ did driue or chace the buiers and sellers out of the Temple with a whippe or scourge For thereby it is apparant that the Priestes or Spiritualtie may not by anie meanes be punished by anie temporall Officer as is concluded by the forenameâ— Anacletus and the holie Church of Rome vnderstanding the matter thus That the Priests are to be esteemed as the very changers sellers in the Church who do vtter their merchandize so deare that the sight of them manie times will stand a man dearer than the best ware that the Habardashers of Paris and Lions haue in their shoppes And although other chaungers of monie and vsurers did inioy the benefites of the like priuiledge as well as the Priests to witte that they were with the same whipping driuen out of the temple yea and although dogs be sometime vsed after the same manner yet considering that the Priestes are my white sonnes and must haue somewhat the more preeminence and aduauntage specially for that their merchaundize are of more estimation than the rest and their incense of better smell than the incense that the dogges smother abroade in the Church Insomuch that the holie Church of Rome doeth vnderstande this by the priests onelie to wit that temporall Magistrates or Officers shall haue no iurisdiction ouer them considering well that Christ had them in such estimation as he himselfe onelie woulde whippe them out of the Church And yet hath shee more strongly established the same by the plaine Texte of the Prophete Dauid where it is written God stoode in the middest of the Gods that is to say of Priests and Prelats Againe I haue said All you are Gods. Now truth it is that the whole Psalme doeth after the letter speake of Kings and Gouernours of this world yet notwithstanding our deare mother the holie Church hath vnderstood the same wholy of the Priestes and Spiritualtie according to the spirit and that specially by reason of sixe weightie causes to witte First because the whole text doth conclude as well or rather much better vpon the Priestes than vpon anie other for it is written That will not vnderstaÌ„d but will walk in darknesse and set the whole world in a rore Which wordes seeme to conclude so well vpon Priestes and Bishops as though they had bene spoken only to them Now secondly the Priests are of much more estimation better than any Kings or Princes yea they do excell them as far as Leade doth Gold and therefore must Emperours bow downe their heads vnder the knees of the Popes as is plainely set forth by the holie father Pope Gelasius writing vnto the Emperour Anastasius and registred in the decrees Yea they are the light of the world Fathers Maisters to all men so that they deserue much better to be called Gods than either Kings or other Rulers do or can deserue Thirdly the Priestes are of more worthinesse and estimation than Angels For as our deare mother the holie Churche of Rome hath verie well concluded an Angel may not sing nor say Masse for that hee hath not the priestly character
house For by these followeth that the Churches must be trimmed vp with goodly images Item O Lord I seeke thy countenance Item O Lord the rich shall pray before thy face Item Let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs. For out of these textes do they conclude that men ought to haue our Lords visage goodly painted and to pray to it And for that cause it is that euerie yeare at Rome vpon good Friday the holie Veronica which is an old ouer worne cloute whereon they say our Lords face is painted which they pray vnto with great deuotion And the common people crie alowde Misericordia misericordia that is Mercie mercie The like is done also at Besanson in Burgonia and in manie other places For this same holie fisnomie of the Veronica was sette vpon good grounde and is therefore so well spâ—â—ung vp and in such plentie that there are to bee found a number of them all which do worke great miracles And besides this they bring forth these testimonies to witte that the beliefe commeth not onely by hearing but likewise by sight for that Iohn saith Like as we haue heard so haue we likewise sene Item That the Iewes did weare broade borders vpon their clothes Ergo so must wee likewise haue images in the church with many such other like proofes which close vp together as fitte as a spindle vpon a flesh pot So now when anie man hath a desire to see these goodly testimonies let him read ouer the whole proceeding of the saide Councell of Nice as it is sette foorth in the seconde booke of Councels or else he may reade another little booke which was set foorth about the same time in the name of the Emperour Carolus magnus touching the same Councell hee shall therein reioyce his spirites with reading of all those goodly copious and fine allegations brought out and alledged by those holie fathers to that end and purpose and with the dreames of Constantine who to heale his leprosie had shedde the bloud of young innocent children and was for the same comforted by Peter and Paule in his dreames And there you shall finde also a great manie of goodlie and notable miracles done by images taken out of the booke of Cosmus and Damianus and out of the booke of Sophronius of the miracles of Saints and other such like bookes which those holie fathers caused there to bee read and heard and by their iudgementes established them and allowed them for good So as there is no more doubtes to be put in them than vpon the golden Legende which standes authentike in the Masse booke And to the end that men shall haue the more desire to read them I will bring forth here one example out of them seruing greatly for our purpose to the ende you may perceiue by the nest what birdes are within it There was a liuely holie Monke whiche was continually tempted and troubled with a diuell euen till his olde dayes and when in the end he beganne to waxe wearie of it hee then did pray the diuell verie friendly that hee woulde let him alone in quiet wherevpon the diuell did answere him that so farre as he would promise to do and sweare to keepe secrete a thing that hee woulde commaunde him then hee woulde leaue off to trouble him anie more The Monke did promise him and tooke therevpon a deepe othe Then said the diuell If thou wilt that I shall trouble thee no more then thou must not pray anie more to that image and it was an image of our Ladie holding her childe in her armes But the Monke was more craftie than the diuel for he went and confessed him of it the next day to the Abbot and the Abbot did dispense with him for his othe vpon condition that hee should continue his praying to the image Is not that a fine and worthie testimonie borowed of the diuell whereby the holie Fathers in the foresaide Councell haue wonderfull strongly established the praying vnto images Truely it is worthie to be written vpon balkes and beames because calues shall not licke it off And our Champion maister Gentianus is worthie to carie the standard to be crowned with a three footed stoole seeing hee dare so boldly aduenture to lay the worthinesse of that Councell in the ballance against the second commaundement of God which doth sharpely forbid all worshipping and praying to images and likewise bringeth in the said Councell against the Councell of Eliberum which was kept in Spaine in the yeare of our Lorde 1200 and was consonant and agreeable vnto the worde of God. The xiiii Chapter VVhich treateth of some particular images and painted tables which the Church of Rome doth vse and for the establishing of the same by the Scripture NOwe because these Heretikes are most busie with some speciall images which the holie Church of Rome doe vse with great deuotion and with them doe these Heretikes mocke and ieast most of all it is verie necessarie that wee proue and establish the same out of the holy scripture Then to begin withall it is not to be mocked nor wondered at that they in their Churches and Masse bookes doe paint the Trinitie with three faces for our mother the holie Church did learne that at Rome where they were wont to paint or carue Ianus with two faces And then further there is written in Iohn That there are three in heauen which beare witnesse the Father the Worde and the Holie ghost and these three are one c. Then of necessitie they must be painted or made with three heades or three faces vpon one necke For whereas these heretikes say that it is plaine forbidden to make the likenesse of God any maner of way seeing God himselfe saith Thou didst heare a voyce out of the bush but thou sawest no likenesse Therfore be well warie that thou make not anie image after my likenesse That was spoken to the Iewes onelie and is now altered through the worthie custome and vsage of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome And whereas the holy Church hath also chosen to make the similitude of the father an olde man with a long gray beard and for the sonne a man hanging on the crosse and for knowledge of the holie Ghost a doue that is done of her owne inuention and free will. For she might as well haue made a bushe or a flame of fire or a cloude to counterfeite the father for that he did shewe himselfe in all these likenesses as well as in the likenesse of a man or they might as well haue made for Christ a childe in a cradle or a man teaching and instructing the people And likewise for the holie Ghost a tongue or a flame of fire as well as they doe a man crucified or a doue But therein shee doeth vse her libertie for that hath alwayes his course by the common rule which is Sic volo sic iubeo
and that must needes be the holie ghost which commeth with thunder and lightening Likewise vpon Ascension day they pull Christ vp on hie with ropes aboue the clouds by a vice deuised in the roofe of the church they hale him vp as if they would pull him vp to the gallowes and there stande the poore Priests and looke so pitifully after their God as a dogge for his dinner In summe a man doeth often spende a pennie or two to see a play of Robin hood or a Morisse daunse which were a great deale better bestowed vppon these apishe toies of these good Priests which counterfeite all these matters so handsomlie that it will do a man asmuch good to see them as in frostie weather to goe naked I speake not of their perambulations processions going about the towne cariing their crucifixes alongst the streetes there play and counterfeite the whole passion so trimlie with all the seuen sorrowes of our Lady as though it had ben nothing else but a simple and plaine Enterlude to make boyes laugh at and a litle to recreat heauie or sorrowfull hearts for these matters fal out onlie vpon church holy dayes or solemnities when the Catholikes are determined to be merrie drink thēselues so droncke that they tumble frō their seat as you shal see our Maisters of Louen doo euery yere in their solemnitie especially at the seuenth yeres procession which is of the seuen sorrowes of our Ladie All what soeuer Christ hath done must bee set abroch to be counterfeite And after the same manner wee play by the Lent. For because Christ did fast fourtie daies lōg therfore shal our dere mother the holie church bee content to fill her belly all sortes of fish onlie not once touching one morsell of flesh according to the special wordes of Paule who saith Eate it not Taste it not Handle it not And so likewise Moses did fast fourtie dayes for the establishing of the lawes of God which he presented vnto the people And now seeing the Bishops Prelates do weare hornes as Moses did wherefore should they not as well faste fourtie dayes as he did And if the Bishops doo faste then are the Leye people much more bounde to faste which haue no such power nor meane to obteine dispensations bulles or tollerations of our holie father the Pope as these holie Prelates haue Therefore we do now conclude without exception or contradiction That the holie time of Lent is as firmelie founded vpon the scripture as all the rest of the articles of the faith inuented and founded by our deare mother the holie church of Rome and therfore it is good reason that our mother the holie church of Rome do maintein her Lent fish dayes in great reputation not onelie to hold it for a good and holie work in it self but for a meritorious work whereby we may merit deserue heauen the mercie of God appease his wrath and do make sufficient satisfaction recompense for all our sins In so much that our deare mother doth esteeme her fasting yea in a manner better than the merites of the blessed bloud passion of Iesus Christ whervpon these Heretikes doe altogether boast themselues For consider this the holie church saith in one of her secretes vpon the Wednesday in the Ember weeke in the Aduent and on Friday in the Ember dayes after Whitsunday and vppon the Tuesday in Easter weeke O Lord we beseech thee that thou wilt accept this our fasting and that by it we may be made cleane purified worthie of thy mercie that it may bring vs vnto euerlasting saluation c. What can a man wish or desire more S. Iohn the Apostle will seeme to set foorth a speciall matter when hee saith That the bloud of Christ Iesus doth cleanse vs of our sinnes maketh vs acceptable before God the father but this other nowe doth growe all vpon our owne ground for with our fasting we can obteine that well inough which he doth attribute onelie to the bloud of Iesus Christ. What shall I neede to make much a doe for the festiual daies obseruing of them Of which our dere mother the holy church maketh so great account that shee doeth yerelie pray vnto God that her festiuall dayes may obteine for her meanes sufficient to liue wealthily in this world and after assurance of eternall saluation that she may by the perfect obseruing of the said dayes merit to enioye perpetuall saluation and blisse And of the hallowing of Easter eeuen shee doeth say plainlie as followeth Huius igitur sanctificatio noctis fugat scelera culpas lauat reddit innocentiam lapsis moestis laetitiam fugat odia concordiam parit curuat imperia That is to say The halowing of this night doth driue away sinnes doth purge faults doth restore such as are fallen to their innocencie againe and to the sorowfull giueth gladnesse and expelleth all hatred procureth concord and doth bow Empires or Kingdomes c. Consider nowe what a power the obseruing of these festiual dayes hath What a mischiefe ayles these Heretikes that they so raile vpon vs because wee make a difference and diuersitie of dayes They make a doe with vs saying That Iesus Christ with his precious bloud hath clearlie adnichilated and taken away the instrument which was against vs which consisted wholie in such ceremonies and commaundements of the lawe and hath made fast the same vnto his crosse so that no man else can hereafter iudge vs for our meates or drinkes nor for the obseruing of anie holie dayes of new Moones or Sabbaoths and still they are troubling of vs with that which Paule writeth to the Galathians saying Seeing that you haue nowe knowen God or rather that you are knowen of GOD howe doeth it happen that you returne your selues againe to obseruing and worshipping of weake elementes which you beginne and goe about to serue againe You obserue dayes monthes times and yeeres I am afraied on your behalfes that all my trauell amongst you will be spent in vaine ▪ c. But what haue we to do with this ▪ seeing our mother the holie Church doeth attribute as much power to the obseruing of our festiuall dayes as to the bloud of Christ it selfe and therefore haue our Catholike Doctours reason in teaching That the obseruation of certeine dayes feastes heretofore vsed by the Iewes are not in anie point taken away by the death and bloud of Iesus Christ as Paule goeth about to perswade so alway as the dayes bee something altered as Eckius hath verie finelie set foorth For in place of their Passeouer of the lawe wee haue our Easter and in place of their Pentecost we haue a Whitsuntide of our owne deuising and in steade of the feast of the newe Moone wee haue our Ladies dayes and in place of their Trumpet feasts we haue the Apostles dayes and in place of their
stoutely and warily fight vnder Gods banner and counterfeit or follow the example of the Apostles their disciples For the same by nature ought so to bee and all things in the world ought to bee common but the wickednesse of man hath bene the occasion that the one hath begonne to say This is mine the other said And this belongeth to me And by that meanes dealing or participating of all things crept in To bee briefe a verie wise man amongst the Grekes hath spoken maruellous well saying All things are common amongst good friendes Nowe it is then without doubt that vnder the name of all things the wiues are likewise conteined For like as the light and the shining of the Sunne can not be separated nor parted euen so there cannot likewise anie separation or dealing be made of that which is to bee vsed in common but it ought to be generallie at the commauÌ„dement of euerie one of the companie And for that cause it is that God saith gentle Reader note wel here speciall textes of the Scriptvre by his Prophet saying O what a goodlie and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together And this custome being obserued by the Apostles so must they haue all together liued with one an other in coÌ„mon like as it is written The multitude of the beleeuing was one heart and one soule c. Note here the determination conclusion of our deare mother the holy church worde by word whereby shee doeth absolutelie conclude out of the holie Scriptures that these Heretikes which are alway in hand with the scriptures haue now no more cause to complaine though the Priests Friers will sometime euen for loue borrow some of their wiues for the mainteining knitting together of this holy Clements commontie And although the glosse thervpon say That this hauing of women in coÌ„mon is not to be vnderstood after the vse of the flesh but simplie for the good willingnesse charitable loue towards the congregation yet notwithstanding the text is plain inough which saieth That men must be conuersant with them as the light is with the sunne shine which do continually enioy one another And the same is established by the doctrine of Plato and Pythagoras who speciallie were of opinion that all women should bee common And that is apparant inough by the daylie exercise thereof for you see that the Priestes may haue no wiues of their owne but doe vse all women in generall when or wheresoeuer they can get them But yet they wil not looke so narrowlie to haue things common as touching their goods because euerie one of them will looke to enioy his own goodes but not his owne wife so that it is rather done for the wiues than for anie thing else And this may likewise verie well bee the occasion wherefore the Romishe Church which in deede can be but one particular Church because that Rome is but one particular towne is yet called The Catholike church that is The common generall Church ouer all which specially proceedeth by reason of that goodly common sort of women and boyes which she mainteines and doeth increase and multiplie her generation ouer all the world yea and filles the whole face of the earth with her young Priests and Monkes whereof shee hath made such a number as there are flies in the Summer in so much that shee may iustly bee called Ecclesia oeccomenica that is to say The Church that doeth flowe ouer the whole earth like a spring tide The xviii Chapter VVherein the seuen orders of Priesthoode are set foorth as well by Scriptures as by the examples of Christ. SEeing that we are nowe in hande with the holinesse of Priests wee will proceede directlie to the establishing of all the seuen orders of Priesthoode by the Scripture And first you shall vnderstande that our deare mother the holie Church doeth teach verie plainlie That our Lord Iesus Christ him selfe was forced to passe thorough all those seuen orders before hee could be admitted to bee a Masseprieste Marke nowe what a matter must this be and yet for all this these Heretikes make no accompt of the blessed Masse whereas Christ had inough to do for to come to the vse of it For first he must exercise the office of a Porter like as hee did when he droue the changers of monie and the sellers and buâ—ers out of the Temple and snake out of the mouth of Dauid You Princes lift vp your gates and be you lift vp you euerlasting doores Item when hee said I am the doore of the sheepfolde After that he was Reader when he did reade the Prophet Esaias in the Temple Then after he became an exorcist or Coniurer when he droue seuen diuels out of Marie Magdalene when he did rub the mouth eares of the dumbe and deafe man with clay and spitle saying Epphatah Be open And after that he came to be Acoluthus that is a Page and Ceroferarius that is a Candlebearer when he said I am the light of the world hee that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse And then was he a Subdeacon when he did washe his disciples feete After that a Deacon when hee did minister the Sacrament of his body to his Apostles and being in the mount Oliuet willed persuaded them to watch and pray And lastlie he became a Priest when he did consecrate the bread and the wine and so said Masse at the table This done straightway he became a Bishop when hee laid his handes vppon his disciples heads saying Go abroade and preache the ghospell in all places All this you may see set out at large in the foresaid booke of Durandus and in the booke of Sentences in the fourth councels of Tolledo and Carthago likewise in the Decrees So that it is apparant that all these holie orders are fished out of the bottome and ground of the scriptures and are founded vppon the examples of Christ notwithstanding nowe that the Priestes haue somewhat the more prerogatiue then Christ had so that they can pushe through all these seuen orders at one time or else skippe ouer foure or fiue of theÌ„ at once For they that can once get the shauen crowne on their heades which is the character marke token of the worthie order of Priesthoode may not then onelie proceede to be Priestes but also to be Bishops and Cardinals and to gette sackes full of benefices for our most holie father the Pope may freelie dispence with all such matters as it pleaseth him But that carieth his authoritie in the Popes foundation which wee haue here before set forth and declared to be so strong as the diuels of hell are not able to withstand it For this time wee doe onelie teache that when soeuer it shall please the holy church to vse the seuen orders orderlie shee is able to establish the whole heape of them trimlie
to know how the world walkes Therefore he had better haue held his tongue touching this matter For to begin withal an Asse might haue seene and perceiued that Paule dooth not there meane anie thing at all of matrimonie but of the vnitie betweene Christ and his congregation which he doth name to be A greate or deepe mysterie farre aboue the vnderstanding of all men And besides this these scornefull Heretikes will sowe a paire of Asse eares on maister Gentianus head seeing he did not consider That herein he doth speake both against himselfe and against our deare mother the holie Churche who hath plainly concluded that matrimonie is fleshly vncleane and vnholy and hath for that cause forbidden that Priestes shall marrie insomuch that it cannot be a holie Sacramente or else it muste followe that Priestes are not woorthie to enioye so holie a Sacrament And besides that these Heretikes will set a paire of spectacles on maister Gentianus nose to the ende hee may see and perceiue that if it be so that Matrimonie bee a Sacramente then must virginitie or maidenhoode much rather be a holie sacrament bycause that by our deare mother the holy Church it is much more esteemed thā matrimony so there must be eight sacraments Yea widowes will come in for their partes and challendge viduitie or widowehoode to be a sacrament So that men shall at the last be forced to regester for sacramentes all states and calling of men Wherevpon must needes follow that our deare mother the holy church hath erred in setting foorth teaching that there were onely seauen sacramentes vnlesse that shee peraduenture will haue it vnderstoode that by the number of seauen shee dooth meane an innumerable number as by Gentianus reasons appeareth shee dooth so that by his argument it must followe That in all places of the scripture where this woord Misterium that is to say a misterie is vsed that must streight way bee esteemed for a sacrament and by that order also must the kingdome of Antichrist and the beast with seauen heades be accompted for sacramentes So that in the end we should haue so many sacramentes that we shoulde not know what to doe with them but we must go set them out in the Sunne to dry or lade a great Hulke with them and send them into Norway which out of doubt were a greate disorder and such as might make open to al the worlde the impudencie and shamefulnesse of our deare mother the holy church of Rome seeing shee hath resolutely set foorth that there may be no moe but seauen sacramentes Which thing she hath likewise fetched out of the coffer of the scriptures with hir Allegoricall or Anagogicall key saith shee Seuen deadly sinnes Ergo must there be of necessitie seuen Sacramentes which must driue away and ouercome the same seuen deadly sinnes Item there is mention made of seuen Seales wherewith the booke of the olde Testament was sealed vp Also there were seuen pillars wherewith the church was vnderset how like are they to be the seuen principall of the new Bishops of the base countrey to wit The Cardinall Grandwell the President Viglius Franciscus Sonnius Petrus Cursius Ioannes Lindanus de castro and Fryer Kniefe Who I assure you sticke to their tackling and holde vppe the Romish Church like faste and sure pyllers and proppes for feare shee should fall into the myre After this likewise is mention made of Seuen washings whereby Naaman was healed of his leprosie and likewise of seuen Basens which the Sonne of Man held in his right hand and of Seuen loaues wherewith Christ fed the multitude of people of seuē times going about wherby the towne of Iericho was ouerthrown ▪ of seuē eyes in one stone and lastely of seuen candles set vpon the tabernacle For now saith our mother the holy church by all these are signified and set foorth the seuen doctours of the Romish church to wit the foure principall of the scholasticall theologie or diuinitie as Thomas de Aquino Ioānes Scotus Albertus Magnus and Occam together with the two profound interpreters of the masse namely Rabanus and Durandus and the Maister of the Sentences called Petrus Lombardus all which make iust seuen who should likewise set forth and establish in the church of Rome seuen sacramentes There may yet be alledged many other examples for the establishing of the number of seuen Sacraments to wit the seuē Psalmes which serue the soules in Purgatorie for seuē sacramentes Item the seuen diuels which cam to inhabit the house when they found it cleane emptie then the seuen sciences and also the seuen or fiue wittes of our Doctours of Louen wherewith they farre excell all the profounde wit and vnderstanding of the Apostles and Prophets with many other thinges more which might be broght in but our mother the holie church of Rome is satisfied with these examples and figures before specified Although yet me thinkes vnder correction of my maisters of Louen be it spoken to whose iudgements I submitte my selfe that the number of the seuen Sacramentes may best be applied for that which is written in the Apocalypse of the beast with seuen heades or as heretofore is set foorth Irenaeus himselfe hath applied this beast to the Romishe churche And the number of sixe hundreth sixtie sixe which is the number of the beast doe agree very well in one with this Greke worde EKKΛHΣIA ITAΛIKA Ecclesia Italica which is to say The Italian or Romish Church And there is likewise specially spoken of the Character or marke of the beast And now our mother the holy church sayth that there is likewise a Charecter or marke in the sacraments And last of al it is credibly affirmed that it is a mysterie to wit Babylon And nowe will our deare mother cōclude as is apparāt that matrimonie is a Sacrament because that this woorde misterium is playnely set foorth and then it must of necessitie followe that here also somewhat is spoken of Sacramentes seeyng that this woorde is likewise spoken of here And so must the beast with seuē heads vndoubtedly betoken and signifie the Romish church with her seuen Sacramentes and with her character or marke So that maister Gentianus is herein to be blamed That he hath to mainteine his argument vsed this worde misterium for the purpose of matrimonie to be a sacramēt cōsidering that our deare mother the holie Church hath alwaies vsed the same for her strōgest bulwarke alledging the same continually But herevpon yet might fall out a great question to wit how doeth it happen that men accompt vpon no more but seuen sacramentes seeing that yet our deare mother the holie Church hath ordeined at the least seuen and seuentie Sacramentes whereof none is conteined vnder anie of these seuen For on Easter eeuen when they do blesse the Easter candels then doth the holie Church offer vnto God the Father Fier for a great rewarde and a holie Sacrament saying
thus Te in tuis operibus inuocantes in hac sacratissima noctis vigilia de donis tuae suppliciter offerimus Maiestati non adipe carnis pollutum non prophana vnctione viciatum non sacrilego igne contactum sed cera atque stuppa constructum in tui nominis honore succenssum ignem obsequio religiosae deuotionis offerimus Magnum igitur Mysterium noctis huius mirabile Sacramentum dignis necesse est laudibus cumulari That is to say Calling vpon thee in thy workes this holie Eeue of Easter we offer most humbly vnto thy Maiestie this sacrifice namely a fire not defiled with the fat of fleshe nor polluted with vnholie oyle or oyntment nor attainted with anie prophane fire but we offer vnto thee with obedience proceeding from perfect deuotion a fire of wrought waxe weeke kindled and made to burne in the honour of thy name This so great a mysterie therefore and the maruellous sacrament of this holie Eeue must needes be extolled with due and deserued praises Marke well nowe here is the holy fire or else surelie the Eeue it selfe called not onlie Mysterium but also A maruellous Sacrament and offered vp vnto God for a great present whereby he is as in the end is concluded made verie ioyfull merie Likewise the signe of the Crosse is also called a Sacrament For vppon the day called Inuentio sanctae crucis that is The finding out of the holie crosse are song by our deare mother the holie church in a certeine metricall sequence these words Non sunt noua Sacramenta Nec recenter est inuenta Crucis haec Religio Ista dulces aquas fecit Per hanc Silex aquas iecit Mosis officio Nulla salus est in domo Nisi Cruce munit homo superliminaria That is to say This is no newe made Sacrament Nor holie crosse doeth represent a late vpstart inuention This crosse made bitter water sweete And floudes from rocke of flint to fleete by Moses priestly function All health and wealth is turnd to losse in euerie house and houshold Except the signe of holie crosse be set vpon the threshold So that the signe of the Crosse must also be a holie sacrament without doubt And the like when they make holie water they pray thus Deus qui ad salutem humani generis maxima quaeque Sacramenta in aquarū substantia condidisti adesto propitius inuocationibus nostris elemento huic multimodis purificationibus praeparato virtutem tuae benedictionis ✚ infunde vt creatura Mysterii tui tibi seruiens ad abiiciendos daemones morbosque pellendos diuinae gratiae sumat effectum c. That is to say O God who hast for the health of mankind ordeined and made manie sacramentes of the substance of water accept mercifullie our prayers and sende into this water which is by manie meanes made cleare the vertue of thy blessing ✚ So that this creature of thy sacrament seruing thee may receiue perfect strength and power to chace away diuels and to driue away all diseases sicknesses c. Here is the water likewise called Creatura mysterii so that it must needes bee a sacrament seeing that A Sacrament is nothing els but a holie signe of anie holie thing or ▪ A visible similitude or likenesse of anie inuisible grace or pardon So that it may iustlie bee said Accedat verbum ad elementum fiet Sacramentū that is to say When the worde is ioyned with the element it is made a Sacramēt And now out of doubt here is an element to wit the water And herevppon commes the wordes of the Priests by which it doth receiue a gratious power to participate vnto men an vnuisible gift euen as well as the holie oyntment or anie other sacrament of the holie church ergo is it likewise a sacrament And herevppon it doeth followe that the holie ashes also is no lesse Item ▪ the Priestes spittle Item the Palmes Item the waxe candels and all other elementes which our deare mother the holie church doeth likewise consecrate hallowe and blesse to the ende they may assist men by some inward power all such must likewise be sacramentes Make the reckoning then and note whether wee shal not haue a notable companie of sacraments And whereas some men will say herevpon that there is or must be a difference betweene these and the seuen sacraments because that the seuen sacramentes doe not onelie betoken things but do also of themselues minister mercie and grace and that the other can not of them selues giue anie grace neither be the occasion of anie that is plaine blasphemie against the holie church as is euidentlie to be seene out of the lectures readinges and exorcismies or coniurations which she doeth vse ouer the saide elementes whereby they doe receiue as great power at the least as anie of all the seuen Sacramentes haue as you may plainly see in the Masse booke Otherwise men might say that all her lectures or readinges and exorcismies or coniurations were vnnecessarie without power and of no value whiche is plaine blasphemie And if men woulde say then that all these small Sacramentes are conteined vnder the Sacramēt of penaūce seing that satisfaction is included vnder penaunce and that al these do tend to the doing of satisfactiō for our sins therfore are cōteined vnder satisfactiō that woulde not sound well for this alegation woulde alway be brought in against it that baptisme and the holie oyle or oyntment and Confirmation with all the rest of the sacraments must all likewise be conteined vnder penaunce seeing all they as is heretofore declared doe iustifie men Ex opere operato or by the merites of good workes and so are reckoned for good payment and satisfaction And therfore as touching this matter wee must conclude thus That this remaineth onlie at the will and discretion of our deare mother the holie Church of Rome so that shee may ordeine and establishe as manie sacramentes as she list and in the meane space make vs beleeue that there are no more but seuen And so might it well bee said that the number of seuen is here to be vnderstood for an endles number as hath bene written before And nowe as touching the holie oyntment wherewith they do vse to anoint the sicke when they lie a passing Gentianus doeth establish that verie finelie by scripture as specially where Saint Iames saith If there be anie sicke among you let him sende for the Elders of the congregation and let them pray ouer him and anoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of the faithfull shal comfort the sicke and the Lord shall restore him and if he haue sinned it shal be forgiuen him Whereby our holie mother doeth vnderstand that whensoeuer anie bodie lies a passing so that there is no more hope of life in him the Prieste shal then anoint him with holie oyle blesse him with crosses and coniure him with
certein words and then he can neuer come in hell for all the diuels will runne away from before the crosses like a dogge before a fliâ—che of bacon And therefore must hee take vp his lodging either in the suburbes of hell or in Purgatorie where hee shall haue his house hire and firewood free till such time as he with soule Masses and Popes pardons haue gotten a platte of ground in heauen to build a house thervppon of merites and good workes And this same oyle is of such power that through it all our sinnes are forgiuen vs according to that which the Priestes mumble out in their Masse Per istam sanctam vnctionem piissimam suam misericordiam indulgeat tibi Deus quicquid peccasti per visum per aud itum odoratum tactum gustum c. that is to say Thorough this holie oyntment and by his meeke mercie will God forgiue thee all thy sinnes what soeuer thou hast committed by seeing by hearing by smelling by feeling and by tasting c. Consider nowe what can you looke for more to enioye by the pretious bloud shedding of Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD than that which the Priestes doe beare vs in hand to giue vs by the power and vertue of their holie oyle These Heretikes may if they will hold fâ—st on the offering vp of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ but the good Catholike subiectes of the holie church of Rome will in no wise forsake this holie oyntment We will rather bidde Christ him selfe Adieu then wee will suffer such a pretious thing to be wroung out of our handes It is verie true that these Heretikes doe herein againe mocke with our deare mother the holy Church saying that our Priestes are like vnto Apes and Monkies which will counterfeyte euerie thing that they see done before them though they haue neither knowledge nor vnderstanding of the matter and this doe they alledge hereof because that Marke doeth witnesse That the Apostles had receiued the gifte of the holie Ghost whereby they did make the sicke whole with their prayers and with anointing or laying on of handes or by some other apparant token As it doeth likewise appeare in Paule who amongest other apparant giftes of the holy Ghost did likewise deale with this gift of making the sicke whole and he him selfe did shewe a notable token ouer the dead falling vpon the dead carcase and embrasing it in his armes As we reade also of the Prophet Eliseus who did the like ouer the dead childe stretching forth his feete and his handes and set his mouth directlie on the mouth of the dead and his eies on the eies of the dead and so he with these notable tokens iointlie with his deuoute prayers did reuiue that dead carcase But nowe seeing there are no more such giftes amongst the Congregation for that nowe the preaching of the Gospell hath no neede of anie newe establishing by signes and miracles therefore will these Heretikes say that it is but verie Apes plaie to vse outwarde tokens where they haue no inwarde power nor might which may be shewed with the signe or token For otherwise the Priestes must rubbe all blind mens eies with spitle and clay and stretche them selues out vpon all dead carcases which were a verie beastlinesse seeing they haue not the power to make the blinde see nor to reuiue the dead neither can they with their oyle make anie sicke man whole And therefore they were better to burne the oyle in their lampes or grease their bootes withall rather than so to dissemble and mocke with God and his word This talke these Heretikes haue when they are gathered together but we doe not passe for them one haire For when wee shall finde anie of those that would grease his shoes with that holie oyle or oyntment yea if he will not pray vnto it and worship it vppon his knees as though it were God him selfe him we will burne in steade of oyle and make a good fire of him â–ª For we will stand vnto the wordes of Iames the example of the Apostles whether we haue the power to make whole or no we go foorth with our matter euen as we also grease the childrens eyes with clay and spitle although we haue not the power to make the blinde see yea and although the children are not blinde it is inough for vs that our mother the holie Church hath so ordeined Notwithstanding it is here greatlie to bee noted that maister Gentianus hath gone about to declare his innocencie herein saying that hee did bring this in onelie by manner of example and as children playe in iest For otherwise if it were in earnest hee would bring in other manner of stuffe for hee could say so much to the matter as hee would quicklie stoppe the mouthes of the Heretikes as men may easilie iudge by his goodlie vtterance and by his great learning which doth appeare of him on all partes Here doeth followe the declaration vpon the fourth parte of Maister Gentianus Epistle treating of the praying to images Howe they are holden and ordeined in the Churche of Rome And also of this worde or name Idololatria of the idolatrie of the Heathen of praying to Saintes and of the Sacrament with suche other like matters The first Chapter Of the name Idololatria and that men ought to pray to Images wâ—th suche prayers as do appertaine vnto those after whom the images are made And of the good felowâ—hippe and agreeing in one which is betwixt the Iewes and the Churche of Rome and of the hallowed Agnus Dei. THe fourth part is a weightie matter and of greate importaunce which doth make master Gentianus haue an vnquiet minde as he himselfe doeth say to wit That these Heretikes haue no more respect vnto these olde and deuoute Catholike men but for to esteeme them for seruers of false Gods worshippers of images and do call them Idololatras that is Idolaters Alas is not that greate pitie And are they not maruellous muche to blame whereas our deare mother the holie churche can in no wise beare with this name nor heare of it but hath finally concluded commaunded and ordeined vpon paine to be banished accursed excoÌ„municated anathematized That no man shall name her Saintes by that same Greeke worde Idola which is asmuch to say as an image or likenesse yea and hath flatlie determined that from hencefoorth this same worde shall no more be taken properly for images or likenesses made after any man or other thing to their worship like as it hath euermore from time to time bene taken and vsed aswel by the Greekes as Latinistes but shall now be taken for nothing else but onely for the false Gods of the Heathen or Iewes and such images as they heretofore haue vsed in their Temples Insomuch that the verie naturall and proper name and similitude of this worde is wholy transubstantiated and turned into an other
not onlie all crosses but all figures likenesses of the crosse are worshipped reuerenced kist and lickt in reuerence of that onelie crosse whereon his bodie did hang. But it hath thus pleased our louing mother the holie church and not without most great and waightie occasions for without doubt the likenes of the holie crosse is of of such great power singular vertue that the deuill doeth take it for a bulbegger and flies from it as a dogge doeth from a piece of bacon Like as euidentlie appeareth in the golden Legend of Saint Christopher and in a number of other legendes where almost for feare hee beraied his breech so soone as a crosse was made And it is also the cudgell wherewith he was once beaten like as wee may plainlie see on all altars in processions where our Sauiour is counterfeited knocking with a crosse vpon the gates of hell at which all the deuils runne awaye as though they were possessed Moreouer it is the token with the which God hath created heauen earth and that is it which Esai would say according to the expositiō of our holy mother the church saying thus Who hath holden the waters in his fist Who hath measured heauen with his spanne hath comprehended all the worlde in their measures Who hath wayed the mountaines hilles in a balance Which is to say that God did with three fingers make a crosse when hee created heauen and earth Item our holie mother the church saith besides That Moses did with the figure of the crosse change the bitternes of the waters in the wildernesse and caused the water to flowe out of the stonie rocke And although the scripture doth not make mention of anie crosse but onelie of a rod wherwithall Moses did strike yet our mother the holy church hath thus expounded the same supposing that Moses did the like to the Bishops now who with their staffe do make a crosse so blesse the people Shee hath also fained that those which do sprinkle their thresholdes with the bloud of the Paschal lambe theron set the figure of a crosse that the striking Angel by meanes of the crosse doeth passe by it like as wee haue out of their sequences which they vpon the crosse dayes named Inuentio S. crucis signe here aboue rehearsed Besides that the same which Ezechiel doeth mention of Tau that is to say of the token or seale which is set vpon the foreheads of the elect therof hath she also made a crosse albeit that the letter Tau doth resemble the figure of the crosse no more then an aple doth an oyster for the one is written thus ת the other thus ✚ notwithstanding she doth not take the matter so neere wee must for clownes sift meale through a lattice and set them packing after the homeliest sort then may they bake their bread as they list This once is the issue that all cursing and coniuring all hallowing and blessing al mysteries and cōsecrations must be made with crosses The holy Masse is likewise ful of crosses from one end to another sometimes with two at once to saue both bodie and soule or to change both breade and wine sometime with three together in worshippe of the Father Sonne and holie Ghost sometime with fiue at once in reuerence of the fiue woundes of Christ Iesus The blessed holie water is made with crosses the waxe candles the salt the holy oyle the palmes the Agnus Dei the holie ashes and all the implementes pertaining to the Priestes are created with crosses yea the Priestes themselues without crosses cānot be made Priestes In al processions the crosse must go before Vpon all bables toyes sacrament boxes must stand a crosse least the diuell should put in his nose yea vppon all wafers trinkets vpon churches vppon steeples also vpon coine vpon Māmona iniquitatis a crosse must simper To conclude the crosse hath an oare in euerie boate and hath a place in all the ceremonies perteining to the holie Church of Rome There can not a Pageant bee plaied but shee must haue a part yea a Nunne durst scarse let a fyste but shee must blesse her selfe with a crosse And the Priestes are neuer worse at ease than when they haue neuer a crosse in their purse Therfore it is not without great vrgent occasion that our holie mother doth holde the crosse in such honour in so much as she hath for her sake ordeined and instituted three or foure holy or festiual dayes as namelie Inuentio crucis Rogationum Exaltatio crucis and other such like She hath also a speciall Masse in honour of the holie crosse which shee names Missa de sancta cruce and a seruice called Officium de sancta cruce And besides she hath more ordeined and charged that we should vpon the good Friday after Maunday thursday deuoutlie and sadlie creeping along the ground vpon our bare knees worship the crosse and there bestow a good fat offering and liberall almes to the benefit and maintenance of the poore Priestes so that they with crosses in their purses might be preserued against the diuell Wherevnto she hath franklie giuen a great heape of pardons to those which with great deuotion do the same For shee doeth esteeme and beleeue that the crosse hath no lesse force than the bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of god For behold these are the wordes with the which shee causeth the crosse to be consecrated or hallowed Oramus te Domine sancte pater c. vt digneris benedicere hoc lignū crucis tuae vt sit remedium salutare generi humano sit soliditas fidei bonorū operum profectus redemptio animarum sit solamen protectio ac tutela contra saeua iacula inimicorum c. That is We beseech thee O Lord heauenlie father that thou wilt so blesse this wood of the crosse that it may be a healthfull help to mankind a cōfirming or strengthening to faith a furtherance to good works and a redemption of soules that it may be our comfort our safegard defender against the noysome dartes of the enimies c. What can we ascribe more to Christ Iesus the sonne of God for the helpe consolation of man than our mother the holie church doeth ascribe here vnto the crosse yea all that Christ hath euer done all the good which can be thought that hath shee in like manner attributed to the figure of the crosse For these be her wordes Ista suos fortiores Semper facit victores Morbos sanat languores Reprimit daemonia Dat captiuis libertatem Vitae confert nouitatem Ad antiquam dignitatem Crux reduxit omnia O Crux lignum triumphale Mundi vera salus vale Inter ligna nullum tale Fronde ▪ flore germine Medicina Christiana Salua sanos aegros sana Quod non valet vis humana Fit in tuo nomine c. That is to say It makes her souldiers
excellent and crowneth them with victorie Restores the lame and impotent and healeth euerie maladie The diuels of hell it conquereth releaseth from imprisonment Newnesse of life it offereth it hath all at commaundement O Crosse of wodde incomparable to all the world most holesome No wodde is halfe so honourable in branche in bud or blossome O medicine which Christ did ordaine the sound saue euerie houre The sicke and sore make whole againe by vertue of thy poure And that which mans vnablenesse hath neuer comprehended Graunt by thy name of holinesse it may be fully ended c. Beholde here may you see that Christ Iesus is depriued of his right the same is giuen to a wodden Crosse so that it is not without iust cause that the Catholike children of our holie mother the Churche doe name themselues seruantes and slaues of the Crosse singing thus Serui crucis crucem laudent qui per crucem sibi gaudent Vitae dari munera dicant omnes dicant singli Aue salus totius soecli arbor salutifera That is to say The seruantes of the holie Crosse her praise to heauen let them tosse And they which in the Crosse reioyce and of the giftes of life haue choyce Let this of all both old and young in solemne sort be said and soung O holie Crosse which canst preuaile O tree of life All haile All haile Therefore neither is it any maruell that she doeth call vpon it so deuoutly and prayeth that it may defend vs from all aduersitie crying with a shrill voyce Ecce lignum crucis venite adoremus That is to say Beholde here is the wood of the crosse come let vs worshippe it And also O crux spes vnica auge pijs iustitiam dona reis veniam That is to say O holie Crosse our onely hope increase righteousnesse to the godly and pardon the offences of the wicked It is no wonder neither that she doeth so friendly flatter and coll it euen like as the shee Ape doeth her young ones with all manner of pleasure shee can deuise For shee doeth speake vnto it and doeth commend it as though it had great vnderstanding For this is it which they say Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulcia ferens pondera quod solum fuisti dignum sustinere Regem coelorum Dominum That is to say O sweete wood which diddest beare a sweete burthen fastened vnto thee with sweete nailes which wast reputed worthie thou alone aboue all other to beare the King of Heauen the Lorde Iesus With other sonnets sounding all vpon the same tune which shee singeth deuoutly in Gang weeke And to the end that none should maruell hereat Maister Gentianus doeth here shew that all this is founded vpon the Scripture the which he doth confirme by these wordes of Paule God forbid that I should reioyce but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ for by this Crosse doth not he vnderstand the satisfaction and saluation which it brought vnto vs by the Passion and death of our Sauiour Iesus Christ for that vnderstanding is hereticall but onely the figure and bare likenesse of the Crosse like as our deere mother the holie Churche hath expounded it ordeining and commaunding that these foresaide wordes of Paule bee song vpon the day called Inuentio sanctae Crucis with open voyce ouer the figure likenesse of the Crosse. And in deede it is to bee thought that this is the iust meaning of Paule for otherwise if he had taken it so like as these Heretikes will interprete it what else might ensue thereof then all manner of anguish and sorrowe persecution and trouble Which is all together vnderstoode by the Crosse of Iesu Christ which was a kind of shamefull and detestable death as the gallowes is with vs Verely Maister Gentianus nor the Prelates of the holie Church conceiue no great pride in such a manner of Crosse but they gladly post it ouer to the Heretikes and Huguenotes against whom commonly they crie Crucifige crucifige Hang them vp hang them vp But the figure and holy token of the crosse formed of gold or siluer is the onely hope trust and staie of the holie Churche of Rome of all her subiectes For it bringeth her in good rentes and maketh continually a warme kitchen and a plentifull table Therefore must we doubtlesse vnderstand Paule so to the end his text may agree with the foresaid sonnet of the holie Church But touching Maister Gentianus in that he is here angrie and rores against the Heretikes saying It is a diuelishe mockerie that the Heretikes regard not to aske whether we will fraie away fliâ—s when wee make a signe of the Crosse with three fingers Therein hath he not in my iudgement any great reason so to disturbe himselfe For seeing that with a token of the crosse we fraie away diuels what maruell is it then with the same to driue away flies which in comparison are nothing so wicked as diuels Howbeit they doe oftentimes shamefully beshite the Sacrament boxe yea the God himselfe which dwelles therein and oftentimes do disturbe the deuotion of Priestes in their Memento and when they stande dreaming in their secretes Verily that is not to be compared by the diuelles But Zele and feruent affection hath caused our Gentianus thus to speake And from the flies doth he retire againe to the images for those in no sauce can he forget but will defende them by vertue of the second councell of Nicen. But because wee haue hereof spoken sufficiently before wee will not trouble the reader therewith any further The .iiii. Chapter Of the worshipping of Saintes and how their charges and offices are bestowed to eache a part and specially of our holie Ladie of Loretto and further of the agreement and disagreement which is betweene the â—atholikes and the Heathen FOrwardes he doth proceede from the images and falles to the worshipping of Sainctes which are those holie ones which are departed this worlde into heauen and saith That they are not worshipped of our louing mother the holie Church as goddes but they are prayed vnto onely that they will make intercession for vs For albeit that Saint Paule saith There is but one God and one intercessour betwixte God and man namely Iesus Christ yet that must bee vnderstoode of those days when the holy father the Pope of Rome had not yet canonized any Saintes neither commaunded that wee should erect any altars or Churches for them reade Masses or offer giftes and by their merites to craue pardon for our sinnes For since that time hath the holy Church concluded in sundrie her CouÌ„cels that they should also be our Atturnies Intercessours or Mediatours and that wee should crie to them at all times of our neede Yea she hath prescribed to eache his charge like as vppon Twelfe Eeue euerie one is appointed his office by drawing of lottes Our Ladie hath gotten the beane out of the Cake and the Queene of Heauen is their
doth agree with Latria and saith that to God alone we shall attribute the same But in the first wordes he doth not once mention that we must worship God alone with Proskynesi that is With falling feete or kneeling Therefore will the holy church that this shall also be attributed to the Saints like as it is apparantly manifest by the 2. Councell of Nice and by al Catholike writers And although it is true that Christ doeth declare these wordes by the witnes of Moses which doeth ascribe the first as well as the last to GOD alone yet the holie Church is not to reason with Moses in this point for so much as Moses wrote that to the Iewes which were inclined to the seruing of idols and not to the Church of Rome which doe not woorshippe idols but onelie Saintes Item there is an other plaine text in Paule which saieth to the Galathians That when they did not knowe GOD then did they serue them which were no Goddes euen where he doeth vse this word Dulium which is deriued of Dulia Whereby it doth manifestlie plainlie appeare that these Heathen haue also knowen this Catholike distinction and therefore woulde not worshippe their Saintes as Apollo Bacchus Hercules Castor and Pollux with more other such like with Latria but baselie with Dulia Euen like as nowe the holie Church of Rome doeth serue her Saintes Touching all other Prophetes which so often crye that in time of neede wee should onlie turne to GOD and that hee will bee honoured by our calling to him yea and say that all Patrones Defendours Baals which may be thought on to declare our grieues vnto them are plaine idols all that is to small purpose for they did not in those dayes knowe anie thing at al to say touching this our distinction and therefore haue they gone roundly to worke vsing plaine speech without fauouring the matter or lapping it about with softe ragges but haue serued all such as inuocate idols pray to Patrones seeke vnto Saintes or anie deceased dead men with one sawce and without excepting anie hath giuen them to drinke of one cuppe But if the Iewes and other idolaters had bene so wise to haue obiected to the Prophetes this worthie distinction in steade of a bucklar I trowe they would as easily haue stopped their mouthes as nowe ye newe gospellers and preachers are put to silence The vi Chapter VVherein the worshipping of Saintes is affirmed by Scripture NOtwithstanding our louing deare mother the holie Church of Rome can also fishe somewhat out of the Prophetes writinges wherewith shee doeth approue the seruice of her holie Saintes Prouided alwayes that shee hath the keie to vnfolde the same for her most aduantage For in the first booke of Moses called Genesis is plainlie and expreslie set downe That Iacob doth pray ouer Ephraim Manasses after this sort saying God before whoÌ„ my fathers Abraham Isaac did walk God which had fed mee all my life long vnto this day and the Angel whiche hath deliuered mee from all euill blesse the laddes and let my name bee named in them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac This hath the holie Church of Rome construed after this sorte That Ephraim and Manasses must inuocate or call vppon the name of Abraham Isaac and Iacob for so much as the olde Romishe exposition which shee doeth accept as most firme and irreuocable hath in place of named or called set inuocated And although the Heretikes doe vnderstande this after the most vsuall manner of speeche accustomed amongst the Hebrewes that Iacobs name called vppon or named by Ephraim and Manasses is as much to saye As that they should bee accounted of Iacobs generation and accepted for children of Israel like as Iacob him selfe doeth expounde it saying Ephraim and Manasses shal be my children and shal be called after the names of their brethren in their inheritance And like as is saide in Esaie the fourth chapter That seuen women shall wishe by one mans name to be named or called vpon by them which is That they may be called the wiues of one man Notwithstanding for so much as this exposition is according to the plaine literall sence therefore hath the holie Church of Rome abiected the same and accepted the other former meaning thereby concluding that Abraham Isaac and Iacob are to bee inuocated or called vpon Howbeit the Prophetes Fathers in the old Testament haue neuer done the same but haue protested the contrarie saying O Lorde thou art our father for Abraham knoweth vs not neither is Israel acquainted with vs but thou Lorde art our Father Redeemer and thy name is euerlasting But that happened because the foresaid Abraham Isaac and Iacob were yet in the lodge of hell and must pray for them selues could not then see in the looking glasse of the Trinitie what was done here on earth Wherefore likewise the Romish Church hath not set downe their names in the Kalender according to the custome of Rome Besides thei are to old and were neuer canonized of anie Pope Neuertheles they serue our turne to shewe after what order wee must deale with our Saintes Moreouer we haue yet an euident text in Ieremie which is TheÌ„ said the Lord vnto me Though Moses Samuel stood before me yet haue I no heart to this people Wherevnto doth agree the text of Ezechiel saying thus When the land sinneth against me and goeth forth in wickednes I will stretch out my hand vpon it and destroy all the prouision of their bread and send dearth vppon them to destroy man and beast in the lande And though Noe Daniel Iob these three men were among them yet shall they in their righteousnesse deliuer but their owne soules saith the lord c. Nowe like as by these wordes of Ezechiel it is concluded that Noe Daniel and Iob were in the towne of Hierusalem when GOD destroyed the same so may wee also in the like manner conclude and affirme that Moses and the Prophete Samuel did pray for the children of Israel And notwithstanding that the Lorde saieth That he would not giue eare to their prayers yet the holie Church doeth not regarde it for so much as like as it hath beene saide they lye yet in the dungeon of hell and could not praye so earnestlie nor with such zeale as the Saintes doe which nowe are in heauen Yet neuertheles If they being yet in the dungeon of hell prayed so hartilie for the people What may wee suppose that the Saintes doe nowe which stande in the Kalendar and are Canonized by the Pope Verelie they praye so zealouslie that often times their images here on earth through anguishe doe sweate and weepe The holie church doâ—h bring forth manie moe places of scripture for confirmation of these articles namely that which Dauid saith O God I haue honored thy friends which is That we shuld call vpon Saints
with the breath of his mouth and force of his holie Spirit consume and destroy the wicked wasters and falsifiers of his holie worde and doctrine to the glorie of his most holy name and the edifying of his Church and Congregation But seeing that here aboue in this our Bee hiue of the Romishe Churche wee haue often and in sundrie places repeated that with manie ragges and patches it is botcht and sowed togeather and selected from diuers and sundrie sortes of flowres and herbes to make the honnie sweete wee will for thy delight and for the further declaration confirmation of that whiche is said dilate and more amplie declare the condition and propertie or rather commoditie of our Bee hiue the original disposition nature cunning and capeable capacitie of our Bees in their honie and honie combes their rule and regimentes with all things appertaining to the end it may be knowen wherein they doe agree with our common sorte of Honie Bees and in what respect they disagree decline from them In which treatie we will presentlie followe with the description of Bees which Aristotle in Greeke Varro Columella Virgil and Plinie in Latine haue wittilie written and for our learning left behinde them But because none shall thinke that we will in anie respect be iniurious to the holie Romish Church forsomuch as we compare her holinesse and vnmoueable foundation to Bees and a Bee hiue I will first and before all other matters rehearse the high prayse and commendation which shee her selfe doeth attribute vnto them For beholde these are the wordes which shee doeth vse vpon Easter eeuen in the hallowing or sanctifying of her Easter Tapers Cum igitur huius substantiae miramur exordium Apum necesse est laudemus originem Apes vero sunt frugales in sumptibus in procreatione castissimae aedificaÌ„t cellulas cereo liquore fundatas quib humanae peritiae ars magistra non coaequatur Legunt pedibus flores nullum damnum floribus inuenitur partus non edunt sed ore legentes concepti foetus reddunt examina sicut exemplo mirabili Christus ore paterno processit Foecunda est in his sine partu virginitas quam vtique Dominus sequi dignatus carnalem se matreÌ„ habere virginitatis amore constituit Talia igitur Domine digna sacris Altaribus tuis munera offeruntur quibus te laetari Religio Christiana non ambigit Per Christum Dominum nostrum Amen Which in our English tongue is to say Forsomuch as we doe maruellouslie wonder in considering the first beginning of this substance to wit waxe tapers then must we of necessitie greatlie commend the originall of Bees for they are sober in diet exceeding chast in engendring They make closettes found them on the souple waxe whervnto mans â–ª inuention and knowledge is not to bee compared they gather of the flowres with their feet and yet the flowres are not endamaged by it they bring foorth no yong ones but deliuer their yong swarmes through their mouthes like as Christ for a wonderfull example is proceeded from his Fathers mouth they haue a fertile chastitie without bearing which example Christ hath thought good to followe and ordeined to haue a carnall mother for loue of chastitie Therefore O Lord are such worthie giftes offered and presented vpon thine Altar wherein Christian Religion is assured that thou delightest exceedinglie through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Beholde here wee perceiue what a precious iewell these Bees are Wherefore our deare and louing mother the holie Church of Rome ought not to scorne or disdaine that wee doe compare her customes and orders to a Bee hiue considering that she her selfe doth compare the incomprehensible generation of the sonne of GOD from his Father together with his birth out of the pure and vndefiled Virgine Marie vnto the Bees whiche were in verie deede a great blasphemie if the Bees were not of so great valour and vertue that by them wee might liken and compare the holie Church of Rome And seeing shee saieth That GOD is delighted with the giftes and presentes of the Bees why should not shee her selfe exceedinglie reioyce with our Bee hiue Therefore can none blame vs herein vnlesse also they blame and accuse the holie Church of Rome for blasphemie Which considered we will without feare or dread proceed with this our Bee hiue Now followeth further the exposition declaration of the Bee hiue and the description of the Bees the Honie and Honicombe with all things belonging therevnto The first Chapter VVhereof the Bee hiue is made THE Bee hiue then wherein our Bees dwel swarme make their honie is made with tough and strong wicker or oziers of Louen Paris plaighted and wrought together They commonlie call them at Louen Sophismata or Quotlibeta and are founde for the most part by the Basketmakers of the Romish Church namelie by Iohannes Scotus Thomas de Aquino Albertus Magnus and other such like which haue bene verie expert and câ—â—ning in this arte These roddes thus wouen or plighted together must for the more securitie be bounde also with grosse Iewish or Thalmodician cables and then ouer that drawe a clammiâ— or cleauing morter plaster made of olde rubbish or chaskie dust wherewithall the auncient old decaied Councels were wont to bee morteied and dawbed beeing good and small beaten to poulder and wrought verie thinne with a litle chopt straw which the Apothecaries call Palea Decretorum weâ—â—ing and often moystening the same with scomme of the auncient Doctors and also mingled among the same some newe chalke of Trent and so wrought together with sande whiche is digged out of the decayed welles of mens superstitions or of that olde sande which the Heretikes were wont to binde their argumentes withall Here vnder you may also mingle some Iewes lime or Bitumen which is a verie tough and cleauing substance wherewithall the citie and Towre of Babylon was wont to be bound and it is drawen out of the poole and dead sinke of Sodom and Gomorre For herewithall thou shalt make such an excellent morter that neither the heate of the Sunne nor showres of raine will bee of force to moisten it or make it to splitte The maisters of this Bee hiue who loue to haue it somewhat garishe to the eye vse besides all the rest to make snowe white Gypsus or a kinde of playster of white biblish Marble stone very finely grounde in a Louauist or Parisian mill beeing wrought with excellent stronge durtie decrees and so stroke ouer with a whiting brushe or pincell and then painted with all manner of gallant pictures and braue images for that makes a gaie shewe and causeth the Bees the rather to enter into it The ii Chapter Declaring the first originall of these Bees COncerning the first original of Bees are sundrie opinions amongest the learned Some amongst the Poetes as Higinius and others saye that there was a woman named Melissa whome Iupiter did transforme into a Bee.
the meane space there follow a perfect resolute desire to accomplish the same then hath the man likewise eaten principallie in coÌ„senting resolutâ—lie with pretence of accomplishment and in that case it is a damnable and an heauie sinne c. Surelie this will trie Saint Mâ—chaels wittes and put him to his trumpe howe to obserue this rule in weying and iudging these sinnes vnlesse he come first for a while into the Vniuersitie of Louen or to the Sorbonistes of Paris there to loiter read ouer and learne to vnderstand the glosses and expositions of the Maister of the Sentences I knowe no other meane for him howe to deale vnlesse he can find out in one place or other some subtil Doctour of diuinitie and make him so much his friend that hee will helpe him through with the matter yet notwithstanding the principall knowledge and speculation may well be brought to passe and considered as That we are not of dutie bound to loue God with all our hearts with all our minde and with all our might in such sort as he by his lawe hath commaunded seeing that the soule can separate her selfe from him and so giue ouer her selfe to sinne and yet not plunge so deepe therein as to fall throughly into Gods wrath â–ª yea there is great recoÌ„pense deserued at Gods hand when as a man is prouoked to sinne and to fall from God that by his wisedome hee doeth withstand the same so as the serpent onelie doth eate of the forbidden fruite as the Maister of the Sentences hath in another place written Therefore it is that our mother the holie Church of Rome hath expounded that which our Sauiour Christ set foorth in the fift Chapter of S. Matthewe As to loue our enimies not to doe euill for euill not to desire another mans wife and such other like sayings more after the Pharisaicall manner As that it is no speciall commaundement but onelie a counsell and aduise and that therefore no man is bounde to obserue and keepe the same but such as haue professed and vowed chastitie as Monkes Ankers and other such like Whereby doeth euidentlie appeare either that GOD hath wholie created and shapen the soule and hearte of man or at the least that his Lawe is not altogethâ—r spirituall considering that he hath not the full gouernâ—ment of the spirite onelie through this occasion that reason did not consent and agree wholie to sinne For in conclusion you may not esteeme sinne thus as though all that is done against Gods lawe and commaundement were a deadlie sinne and could not bee recompensed by deseâ—uing or satisfaction but all sins offences must be weighed in the balance of our mother the holie church of Rome who saieth thus That for all ordinarie and light sinnes and offences a man may sufficientlie satisfie with saying a Pater noster and an Aue Maria with knocking vpon the breast and saying Peccaui with holie water and especially with hearing of a Masse as for deadly sinnes the like must be done but yet with much more force efficacie and deuotion And to say all in all satisfaction is necessarie and requisite for all sinnes according to the qualitie and quantitie of the same And although a man shoulde wholie returne to God yet can not that helpe vnles hee make full satisfaction For whereas these Heretikes doe say That when soeuer a sinner doeth conuert and repent him of his sinnes God doth pardon and forgiue him yea in such sorte as he doth wholie forgette the sinnes committed and casteth them as farre from him as the East is from the West yea and sinketh them down euen into the bottome of the sea yea maketh them consume to naught euen as smoke or as a cloude in so much as they are not once more thought vpon euen like as he doeth also vtterlie forget all the good deedes that a man hath done which in the end doth giue him selfe to mischiefe Take heede of that saying for it smelleth of a faggot For our mother the holie Church of Rome hath speciallie concluded That GOD doeth not forgiue anie sinnes vnlesse a man doe first make full satisfaction and payment for the same to the vttermost and last farthing shee can allowe that hee forgiueth the sinne but not the punishment and for that cause must hee likewise bee well recompensed doing after this manner As if a man should pardon his debter all whatsoeuer hee did owe him and giue him to vnderstande that hee cancelled his obligation and in the meane space caused him to be arrested and cast into prison there to remaine and lie till the whole debte were paide euen to the vttermost mite Were not that great mercie vsed and a liberall pardoning of debters After that manner will our deare mother the holie Church of Rome haue that remission of sinnes vnderstoode which wee haue obteined through the bloud and passion of Iesus christ For the bloud of Iesus Christ saieth shee hath washed away the sinnes but holie water the Masse and such other like satisfactions doe deliuer vs from the paine and punishement Or rather the bloud of IESVS Christ hath troden the path by the which Masses Pilgrimages Holie water and other satisfactions may runne post after our Lorde God to put him in remembrance to pardon vs of the punishment which we by our sinnes haue deserued And if they perhaps should come to late then are the merites of Saintes in a readinesse to shut vp and make euen the rest of the reckoning and accompt For our deare mother the holy church of Rome saieth plainlie by speciall textes of the Scripture That God doeth neuer clearelie forgiue and pardon the punishment for sinnes through the merites of the bloud and passion of Christ without a former satisfaction For all the Scriptures and examples which the Lutherans â–ª and Huguenotes alledge and bring in to proue That God doeth chasten his children with plagues and punishmentes to the end to bring them to perfect knowledge and vnderstanding of their miserie and calamitie and to proue their faith or that hee will thereby bring them from the diuelishe dissimulations of this worlde all this doeth our deare mother the holie Church of Rome alledge to proue that God hath onelie forgiuen them the offence but not the punishment as appeareth by the example of Adam who although after his fall hee receiued comfort againe at Gods hande yet was hee well punished euen by bodilie death and with manie calamities sorrowes and troubles by the which hee made satisfaction And likewise take example of the Prophet Dauid who hauing grieuouslie offended God and afterwardes returned by repentance obteined forgiuenesse of his sinnes and was yet afterwardes notwithstanding this sharplie punished so forth of manie other examples For our mother the holie church wil in no wise allow That God did so punish them onelie to the ende they should so feele his mightie hande as they should euer after walke in feare and
obedience and acknowledging their owne weaknesse should learne with more expedition to call on him for helpe as the verie words of the scripture do set forth for that is altogether Caluinistrie but shee will haue it plaine That those punishementes were as a raunsome and payement made wherewith they did paye or satisfie God and make full recompense for their faultes and offences yea and that they thereby deserued that such as now call vpon them shoulde bee released from their punishment So that it helpeth not now what soeuer these Heretikes alledge out of the Scripture to proue that if God should enter into iudgement with men by their deedes no fleshe should be saued nor that one man amongst a thousande were able to answere him for that man doth dailie yea continuallie and euerie minute fall into so manie sinnes ouer and besides those whereof his owne conscience doeth incessantly accuse him if God shuld once begin to punishe according to the greatnesse or multitude of sinnes there should be neither end nor measure in punishment yea that all the righteousnesse of the holiest men is nothing else but as a stayned cloth in so much that their good workes can not in them selues stande in anie steade before the iudgement seate of GOD howe much lesse are they sufficient to make full satisfaction for sinnes and transgressions Also where they saie that God doth not punishe vs according to the desert of our sinnes thereby to make full satisfaction for the same but as a good father doth chastise his child to the intent he may be warned amend many such like places they bring in to long to bee rehearsed for they are all but litterall sentences and therefore can not serue the purpose of our deere mother the holie Church of Rome And likewise whereas these Heretikes doe alledge the theefe hanging vpon the Crosse to whome Christ did not once make an◠mention of satisfaction and recompense and also of Paule and of a multitude of such other which haue obteined only by Gods mere mercie forgiuenesse of their sinnes through Christ and for his sake being pardoned as well of the punishment as from satisfactiō for the same for that Christ had not only taken vpō him our sinnes but likewise the punishment for the same We passe not a point for all that for they are all nothing else but particular special examples and priuiledges wherof we will make no account nor esteeme them for anie perfect rule For this rule established at the Councell of Trent must needes remaine stedfast for euer to witte that God doeth not pardon any sinne entirely vnlesse a man haue first made full satisfaction and suffered condigne and deserued punishment for the same And this will we proue wonderfully by an inuincible argument Heare now a little and mark well for here the ewe lambs These Hexetikes must needs whether they will or no graunt this That no mans sinnes are forgiuen him without penance And now you must consider That penance is nothing els but a punishment for sinne For looke thus the Master of the Sentences doth write Poenitentia dicitur a puniendo qua quis punit illicita quae commisit that is Penance commeth of punishment or pyning whereby a man doth punish the euill which he hath cōmitted Ergo this matter is clere and the Heretikes catched in a snare For whereas they will perhaps say to wind themselues out of the nette That this is a starke lie an asseheadly dulnesse considering that this worde Poenitentia is nothing else in good Latin but Penitentnesse or repentance and is deriued not of the worde Punire To punish but of the worde Poenitere that is to say Penitent or sorie all this can not helpe them For to that we answere That our deare mother the holy Church hath nothing to do with their new heretike Latin she hath Latin of herself which is called Monkish Latin or Scullarie Latin. In such latin a Spanish chaplein of the Emperour Charles 5. did speak to a Germain at Ausburge said Latinū nostrū non est sicut vostrū Our Latin yours is not all one And therfore it is sufficiēt for vs that Poenitentia is so to be taken in our Latin and so it must be though the Crowe should be no bird And therfore is this certein without all doubt as was cōcluded at the councel of Trent that whosoeuer wil say that aswell the punishment as the offences are forgiuen that ful satisfaction is nothing els but a perfit faith wherby we faithfully beleue that Christ hath fully satisfied for vs he is acursed excōmunicated so that in cōclusion no sin is forgiuē without ful satisfaction And now cōsidering that so long as we liue we are neuer assured whether our satisfaction is of our God fully accepted allowed because it may happen that the Receiuers haue kept the same in their hands or else that our paiments be not currant in heauen or some other such thing by reason wherof our tallie should not be allowed by Gods auditors therefore hath our holy mother vpō this point cōcluded That no man can assuredly know or say that his sinnes are forgiuen him or that he shall be iustified before God without any doubt or to be assured of his mercie For this was the determination and conclusion of the holy fathers at Trent as followeth Whosoeuer saith ▪ that to the remission of sinnes it is needfull for all men steadfastly to beleeue that all his sinnes are clearely forgiuen him not hauing anie doubt of his owne weaknesse and insufficiencie let him be accursed For notwithstanding that our Lorde hath promised this vnto vs without anie doubt and confirmed the same by his promise that he will for Christes sake be our mercifull God and father and that he will no more thinke vpon our sinnes but will clearely forgiue and wash away the same for his owne names sake and not for any of our desertes yet may not wee credite him fullie so farre For although he say plainely That he wil not think vpon our sinnes to iudge vs according to the same yet will the holie Church of Rome haue vs take good heede to the matter least it should happen and chaunce otherwise and therefore will haue vs to consider well before hand and make good prouision of our merits and supererogatorie or superfluous good workes to fill his hand with those and so to content and please him as men please children with puppets and counters Notwithstanding all that Paule saith That all they that are the children of God haue the spirite of God and are ledde by him and he beareth witnes of them that they are the children of God and therby they crie Abba Father and saith That those which haue not this spirite are not of Christ considering that all those which are in Christ and do faithfully beleeue in him and haue their