Rome hath although in dede clarkly cloked left in the Decretals And in Innocentius to this effect Although that euerie man may pray to any man departed this life of vvhom he had opinioÌ„ of holynesse in the tyme of his life yet appertaineth to the Pope to faincten for by this he had gret reueunes and canonize those that shal be vvorshipped be it eyther by publique or priuate office or seruice or by publique and hallovved Image If thou markest geÌ„tle reader this marchaundize of the Pope thou shalt apperceyue how gaine hath plucked into the church the abuse of the olde Gentiles And here I will anexe according to my promise the maner of consecration of the crosse although it semeth to serue rather for y e place of Chazinzaries for this ende that by it which séemeth most out of doubt and feare of superstition thou mayest sée how in the residue of Images and this they in their consecrating serue superstition and not memorie of their pretended misterie If the priest be not at Masse then he muste put on his surplice and stole and begin thus first sprinkling it with holye water AdiutoriuÌ„ c. domine exaudi c. dominê° vobiscuÌ„ Orato Let vs pray We pray thee O Lorde holy father almighty and eternall God that thou vvouldest vouchsafe to ble ✚ sse this vvood of the crosse That it maye be an healthfull medicine to mankinde a massiuenesse of faith Also a comforte protection and defence against the cruel dartes of the enimies Through Christ our Lord. c. Let vs pray BLe ✚ sse O Lord this thy crosse by the vvhich thou hast berefte and taken the vvorld out of the possession of the Diuill and by thy death haste ouercome the informer of sinne vvho reioyced in the first mans trangressions concerning the forbidden tree Bl ✚ esse à lso O Lorde and make ho ✚ ly this seale of thy holye passion that to thy enimies it may be a let and to thy beleuers make it a perpetual succour amen Then holye water must be cast once yet againe with this prayer Let this vvoode be sanctified in the name of the Fa ✚ ther and the Son ✚ ne and the holy ✚ ghost that suche as pray and bovve for the Lordes sake before this crosse may find health to their bodyes and soules thorovve Christ c. Amen Catholiques BE those that so discant out of harmonie vpon this worde Catholicos that they will haue those people their Church who are y e multude and most vniuersall number Which is as much in consequent to say Whores Baudes Sodomites Infidels and al that vvalke the broad vvay This is in euery of their mouthes Visiblers ARe those that holde opinion that the church of Christ is alwayes visible and to be discerned of the worlde and is neuer hid from the view of man This doctrine the author of the appologie of priuate masse hath Mysterie Mongers ARe of Durandus that interpretateth vveathercocks belles cappes and tippets to a misterie and secret sense Looke in Rationale diuinorum Durandi Aaronistes ARise of Pighius Hierarchie that wil haue the ministerie in the Church of the Gospell be after the fashion of Aaron his Leuiticall order Popistes BE those that saye the Pope can not erre from the faith as Pighius hath taught in his Hierarchie condemning Cardinall Caietane Therefore obey they his commaundements with vttering his spirite and weare his liuerie coates be he neuer so farre distant from their territorie Gospell facers BE those that by crying out on the aucthoritie and name of the Church disgrace the gospell and diminish the authoritie thereof Politique Popistes ARe those that wil all men onelye for temporall and worldly causes vniformitie and comely sight to compose themselues to their manner and fashion of religion As in time paste Iulian the Apostatate in his dayes did And in Germanie the Interim Coniurers MAny of the olde Heretiques hold opinion that all creatures as well the onely Vegitatiue as reasonable are naught Some say they were created naught Some say they are vnholy bicause they are the dwelling temple of the Diuel c. The Popistes haue this doctrine as the fruits of their practize do declare For they coniure the Diuill out of the creatures that they vse for their seruice Yea out of the children that come to baptisme thus after the maner of the Church of Rome I coniure thee vncleane spirite In the name of the Fa ✚ ther and of the Son ✚ ne and of the ho ✚ ly ghost that thou goe out and departe from this seruaunt of God c. And this déede agreeth with the doctrine of S. Thomas But perhappes thou mayst be seduced in this coniuring case for that ignorauntlye thou mayst suppose that children borne vnperfect bicause of the propagation of sinne originall in them haue the Diuell in them Wherefore to make the case plaine of their drifte I let thre here another coniuring practize that they vse of creatures in whom sinne neyther is by propagation nor imitation and of such whose nature can not sinne I coniure thee thou creature oile by God the Father ✚ almighty vvho made heauen and earth the sea and all that is therein Get thee hence and flye avvay all thou povver of the enimie All armye of the Diuill All incursion and all fantasie of Sathan from this creature of oyle that it maye be to all those that vse the same health both of minde and bodye In the name of God ✚ the father c. This their practize bewrayeth their doctrine Hallowers OVt of the aboue sayde heresie of Coniurers doth this procéede that the creature after the comming out of the Diuell is to be halowed For the which cause the Popish prieste in baptisme doeth bealch or blovve on the childe smere him and poulder him that the Diuell coniured out should not retourne againe As S. Thomas in the place last before alledged teacheth And Epistola de consecratione c. per totum Dist de consecratione Creature Swearers WHere as Ieremie by the spirite of God reprehendeth the Israelites for swearing by creatures the Popistes notwithstanding doe teach that it is lawefull to sweare by creatures to wéete vpoÌ„ reliques a consecrated host and suche like as S. Thomas and the Decretalles vnder a speciall title do declare Tyme Seruers ARe those that serue not all the yere but some parts therof with their Matrimonie Sacrament and that is for the hatred they bare vnto it appointing more holinesse in their time than in matrimony Gods holy institution this is common néedeth no reciting of authoritie Formalistes BE those that teache formes and ydle apparayling of things with maners and circumstances that edifye not but are impertinent As in building of a Church that the first stone muste be layed by the B. and that they must cast holy water ouer the ground Also that the first stone must haue a crosse
so in the beginning Gods creature as euer sithens thoroweout all ages his Chappell hath ietted chéeke by chéeke and yet doth with the same rayseth y e building of that Church at Cain who was in the first beginning of the worlde and so procéedeth on vntyll this time Wherefore I thinke it labour worth that I meaning to display y e heretical church in our dayes beginne onely at those that in Christes time and afterwarde in the Apostles did first séeke the ouerthrowe of the Church As at such whome the Diuel in that time first planted for roote euen as Irenaeus and Tertullian haue done vpon the like Theame or matter So that thou hauing the roote and ofspring of the olde Heretiques mayst thereby better knowe their posteritie in our dayes In which déede I shall both auoyd the vice Kakozelon 1. euyll affection that hath ledde those men besides all iudgement to ayme their force at speciall persons and deserue of thée gentle Reader thy further pacient passage herein with credite as also iustly call them Heretiques that by proufe shal be found to haue deserued the name and agrée after a sort with Hosius who saith that Couetousnesse is the rote or cause of departing from the Church Wherein if I as satisfied should staye thou mightest iustely thinke that I lefte out in the raysing of this scite one of the principalles whereon the malignant Church stayeth who is built vpon selfe loue which is directe contrary to charitie whereon Christes Church is set and therefore is roote or cause of another effecte or braunch namely Ambition which is an inordinate desire of honour vndeserued sought onely for a mans owne sake and not for Gods glory But bicause that Couetousnesse and Ambition are rather by ymagination to be vnderstode of the learned than by viewe of the simple who are to bée satisfied apperceyued as especially for the truth modestie afore spoken of I must in the roote for Ambition set Simon Magus for Couetousnesse Iudas Iudas Iscariot that traytoure was sonne of one Simon as S. Iohns Gospell witnesseth But whether he was called Iscariot eyther of the tribe of Isachar or of the towne where he was borne or else of the treason it doth not well appeare And no lesse vncertayne is the truth of his maner of liuing and condition before his calling to the office of Apostleship and number of the twelue The which was the chiefest and néerest office among those that were with Christ and were to be accepted as his deare friends dayly taught and trayned vp vnder Christes owne hand in the knowledge of the true doctrine of the kingdome of God and heartened by the dayly sight and vse of our Sauiors miracles to worke the like by the power of his worde as well in the dayes of the same our Sauiors presence and abode among them as also after his departure from them ascention to his father The which companie of the Apostles is of more estimation bycause that the nūber is not onely smal but also for that they therof are chosen and speciall persones And as touching Iudas him selfe being of that company as is sayd one his estimation was by y e meanes of his office equall with theirs And in regarde of his stewardship for he was Treasurer of the Lordes temporall thinges I gesse he was among the vulgare people yea and of other not of the lesse estimation as he that aboue the rest was credited with that which the world estéemeth chiefest of al and for it termeth euery man Maister But notwithstanding the estimatiō that Iudas by the same his spirituall and temporall charge had he hauing by experience tried the trauayles and paynefulnesse of his spirituall office to fall out much otherwise than his expectation of the earthly sensuall kingdome that he the Iewes dreamed to obtaine by the Messias comming was did ita vt ingenium est omnium hominum a labore procliue ad libidinem after payne seeke pleasure after labour loytering and after righteousnesse riches For casting his eyes to Christs purse was caught sought for temporalties by what meanes so euer he might spared not as he conueniently might accomplishe his desire for price to plight his Masters bloud by a trayterous kisse deliuered his Lord. So that in him is the ymage and paterne of al those that neglect or giue ouer the truth and sinceritie of Iesus Christes Gospel for temporall gayne doe they it in part or in all For euen as Iudas by betraying Christ for thirty Pens ouerthrewe the Church striking the shephearde brake the folde and chased the flocke euen so euer sithens our Sauiors time haue Heretiques for the like cause dealte with the Church after the same sorte like as Iudas in his déede towards Christ did in him our head foreshew what we ought to looke for towards his mēbers The Church was then and so sithens ouerthrowen by Quid vultis mihi dare tradā illum vobis What wil you giue me and I wil deliuer him to you And he agréeth with Simon in that they were both gréedily giuen to gayne onely differing from him in that Simon was striken with ambition of knowledge and of doing miracles whereby he thought to clime to the reuerence and honor of a God the other contented with a temporall dignitie And therfore Simon puffed vp by science is the example or forme of such as chalenge to themselues muche learning ambiciously coueting to be aduaunced vnto godly honour arrogate the authoritie of yoking religion and superstition togither framing one sect more monstrous than all For being borne in the towne as Iustinus saith called Triton or as Eusebius sayth Gitton in the countreye of Samaria was seasoned with that madde medley of hys Nation being a mixture of the Persians Ethnisme brought from Chus and of the religion of the Ievves proper people of Samaria as Iosephus declareth he growing in yeares increased both in vnderstanding and practising al maner of Philosophie and Artes subtile in Logique and in Rethorique mighty Whereby he deserued the name of Magus But at laste by meanes of Philip the Deacon who by Saules persecution was driuen into Samaria he became a Christian and was baptized y e rather for that the miracles wrought by the same Philip and the Apostles Peter and Iohn enticed him thereto supposing the same to be done by Magique as yet by him not learned offred money for the spirit of grace to the intent that he might mayntayne thereby his name and estimation which he before their comming had For small and great had him in much reuerence naming him the povver of God vvhich is mighty But when as he perceyued that hys decayed and Iesus name began to be renowmed and the Apostles the workers and instruments of our Sauiours glory began to be receyued Also that neyther by grace he coulde obtayne nor for price bye the same power of working miracles paste all hope
of further thriuing there practiseth pollicie to apply the Euangelicall doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ wherin he was a Nouice and of mans saluation to his purpose but not without discretion For he that before among the Samaritans called himself God now among the Ievves calleth himself the Sonne and among the Gentiles the holy Spirite With whiche deuice this Pilgrime passeth daunted by Peter thence as out of daunger of shot to Rome where in shorte time he attayned if not to more yet to as muche godly reuerence as he before had to whom the Religious Romanes consecrated an Image with this inscription Simoni Deo sancto to Simon the holy God In all this ruffe it happened as Nicephorus sayth that Peter came to Rome wher this Runagate settling himselfe to stande to his tackle determined to play the prety man gaged the fielde and gaue his gloue to the Apostle contending by miracles and other his skill with him for godly honor and reuerence And this is he that before all other soughte by Heresie to stayne the true religion of Iesus Christ iustely is to be placed in the roote with Iudas as both destroyers of the common wealth of the Churche peruerters of gods order and breeders of the vvicked tree as Ireneus sayth Ex eo omnes substiterunt Hereses that all Heresies are grounded on him Thence commeth Menander thence commeth Valentine Elimas Manes Tatian Donatus Montanus Pelagius Marcion Carpocrates with the rest in this Treatise to be spoken of and an infinite number ouerpassed some holding Heresies of one man some composed by manie This is the Bore these are the Foxes that to their power destroy the Lordes vineyarde make hauocke both of soyle and soules He is the roote these are stock and trunck to the same Before the dayes of their father the Sorcerer the Church was a people not of one lippe but heart as S. Luke testifieth abyding in the sincere truth and obedience of Christes Gospell onely â–ª Then factions were not knowen scismes not practized lies and Heresies not embraced defended or out faced Then the will of man not esteemed and Gods neglected This vnhappy man hath begonne all This body of Heretiques hath continued the same hitherto But for as much as the Church in those dayes was stored with valiant souldiours in the vaward in the front of euery battayle that couragiously did handle y e svvorde of truth they little preuayled For as Peter agaynst Simon so Irenaeus Clemens Epiphanius Augustinus euery one in his time agaynst the reste haue lefte learned Volumes monumentes of their triumphes The which thing the subtile Serpent apperceyuing durst not afterward openly assayle the Church with proclaymed warre but transforming himself into an Aungell of light vnder colour of deuotion thorowe hipocrisie entred the same As Dame Artemisia Quéene of Caria did Latmù who minding to get the same Citie layd in embush hir army vnder the couert nigh therto She hir self accompanied with Maydens Women Eunuches with all kinde of minstrelsie as Pipes Tabers Timbrels such like opeÌ„ly in the face of the Citie entred y e Wood dedicated to Berecinthia y e mother of the Goddesse after the maner of religioÌ„ and deuotion than y e which there is no meane more sure to deceyue the ignorant blinde zeale to sacrifice Wher with the Latinians desirous to sée hir new kinde of seruing the Goddesse deceyued yssued out The fencelesse citie and carelesse people were by the lurking armie taken So that vnder countenance and cloke of religion Artemisia atchieued the victorie which by all likelyhode in open war she might haue myssed After the like maner the enimie hath behaued himselfe For he did sette aside the vse of the olde Heretiques his vowed souldiours odible to the Church through all ages the bare names of whome were a sufficient All Arme for Christs Knights to take speare and shield in hand and hath vnder a Vayle a Coule a Cardinals hat a triple Crowne as an Artemisia her rout deceyued y e world possessed their heartes and consciences which should be the seate and citie of God vnder the name of Gods seruice and deuotion in déede with Heresie It sprang in Samaria and flowed into Palestine but is at Rome gathered togither into one lake more perillous and noisom than Asphaltis With the streames wherof al Christendome is infected But to speake of the stocke or body of this our trée occasion requireth for thou parhaps mayst muse why I place Gratian with his brother Peter Lombard ther they being so long after Simon Magus his dayes Forsoth that thou mayst know that although the Church had gotten for a while an honorable peace and valiant conqueste as I before declared yet notwithstanding the Diuell that neuer ceassed to prophane the Church of Christ with Heresies deuising to build his Babilon in the Church by hipocrisie stirred these two persons brethren to followe the maner of the olde Heretiques Who alwayes séeking to haue a cloke for their follie manifest errors vsed for that they durst not stand to y e fier of the Canonicall Scriptures to haue certaine Apocrypha or faythlesse writtes of mens deuise to bolster and face out the same the which they paynted out with certayne glorious titles as the Gospell of the Hebrevves the Gospell of Eue the Gospell of Philip the Gospel of Nicodemê° the Gospel of perfection the Questions of our Lady the more the lesse the Reuelation of Adam the stocke of our Lady c. Of which sort Marcion his schollers had an innumerable many These thei vsed to set out with such faire titles not only to the ende aforesayde but also that they mighte sequester the simple soules from the certayne sure and liuely worde of God For so also Tatian not pleased with the foure Canonicall Euangelists composed out thereof his Diatesseron as a Quintessence of the same whereby they are surely conuinced to be Heretiques that choose to defende their cause or edifie themselues with any tradition or doctrine of men For the true marke of the Churche is the open and onely vse of the worde only wherevnto they haue recourse in the time of néede for their owne succour and tryal of other But the Church of Rome hauing gotten greate possessions and wealth as well by the Donation of Constantine so claime they it for theÌ„selues about Anno. 320. as of one Lucinia a very rich damosel as Polidorus noteth hauing long before that begonne to pranke hir self vp in hir ceremonies which yet were but as ragged cloutes then as richlier marted did aboue all modesty and simplenesse of the Gospell attire hirself with the vayne pomp and outragious preciousnesse of Iew Gentile to whome she is not inferior And being thus set a loft forgetting the breade and water of affliction wherein her heart remained chast and true in loue to Christ hir spouse followed
therfore are more manifeste Then he replyeth thus But euery secrete naughty minister can minister the sacrament effect though he be naught for secretnesse purgeth no mans conscience ergo a naughty Priest may minister the sacrament the effect by your own saying Thus the Canonists receiue the foyle are at Aug. hands boxed together with the elder heretique Donatistes for he proueth y t the sacrament the effect therof worketh caused by God not by the minister That the which doctrine of Augustine may stand assisted by another heare the testimony of Optatus Mileuit Episcop who flourished as Hierom saith in the raignes of Valentinian Valent which was about the yeare of grace .368 who was also in that time an earneste enimie to Parmenian an Archdonatist as his .6 bokes declare In which works talking of the effects of baptisme he sayth Has res vnicuique non eiusdem rei operarius sed credentis fides Trinitas praestat that is the which things to wéete the effectes of Baptisme are done therein by the holie Trinitie and the fayth of the receyuer and not by the minister of the Sacrament S. Chrisostome is not here to be omitted whose authoritie iudgement also shall ouerthrowe these Donatistes driue backe the iudgement of the forsayde reuerende Fathers who answereth as it were to a secret obiection of the people of Constantinople made as touching such as were baptized in y e time of the disordred estate of their church during his exile in Asia in this maner Sed multi inquiunt te absente baptizati sunt quid tum Nihil minus habet gratia non claudicat donum Dei praesente me baptizati non sunt sed praesente Christo baptizati sunt Nūquid homo est qui baptizat Homo dexteram porrigit sed Deus dexteram gubernat Noli de gratia dubitare charissime quia donum Dei est Attēde diligenter quae dicuntur Si forte aliqua causa sacra explicāda est Cum obtuleris preces subscriptā acceperis sacrā non requiris quali calamo subscripserit rex neque in quali charta neque quali quòue attramento sed vnum solummodo quaeris si rex subscripserit Sic in Baptismo charta conscientia est calamus lingua sacerdotis manus gratia est spiritus sancti c. that is But say they many haue bene baptized since thy departure And what then the grace is not diminished the gifte of God is not maymed they are baptized not in my presence but in the presence of Christ is it man that baptizeth The man in dede reacheth oute his hand but God gouerneth the same Doubt not dearly beloued of the grace for it is the gifte of God Marke what is spoken If perhaps any holy Scripture is expounded When thou shalt offer thy supplication to the Prince and receiuest it agayne subscribed thou askest not with what penne the Prince subscribed the same neyther in what parchimente nor doest thou also enquire of the yncke but this thou onely demaundest whether y e Prince hath subscribed or not So is it likewise in Baptisme the conscience is the paper the ministers tong is the penne the grace of the holy Ghost is the Princes hande These fathers also haue on their sides the sacred Scriptures to proue God onely to be y e worker of the effecte in all meanes vsed both for planting and increasing of the Church be it eyther in dyspensation of worde or sacramentes As Paule sayth to the Corinthians Ego plantaui Apollo rigauit c. I Paule haue planted Apollo hath watered but God doth giue the increase neyther is he then any thing that planteth neyther he that watereth but God that giueth the increase he that planteth he that watereth is all one c. Where now is their truth where is their brag of the perfect fayth boast of their holy Church y t erreth neuer If Augustine be of the true Church the Popistes are Apostataes If Optatus and Chrisostom be true teachers then they are Heretiques if y e scriptures are true then are these Popists false Yea where is also their harmonie their fayned agréement and cōcord Is it that the Canons of Alexand. Leo Gregorie and Martine their Popes thus brawle and disagre not onely eche with other but also with the truth For if they agrée it is as Donatists If they teach any thing in this behalf it is as the Donatists Yea if they know their roote it must be of the Donatists Neyther can it preuayle for the purgation of their Churche to bring Biell Beatus Thomas Duraud Richardus Scotus P. de Palu of opinion contrary to the Canonists and other of their Diuines whome Biell alleageth in .4 li. No not though they brought the whole Vniuersitie of Paris condemning Peter Lombard for an Heretique being of opinion with Bellem and Cardinall Alexandrinus writing thus Illi vero qui excommunicati sunt vel de Haeresi manifeste notati non videntur hoc Sacramentum posse conficere licet Sacerdotes sint c. That is but it séemeth that such as are excommunicated or manifestly noted of Heresie can not consecrate this sacramēt that is the Euchariste yea although they are Priests c. For that wil make rather to their open shame sith those Diuines and Canonistes thus standing in the heresie of the Donatists bene Papists not Protestantes birdes of their owne nestes Wherfore they must first proue if they will purge them selues of Heresie and discord that they agrée with the Scriptures and fathers and also among themselues in the truth or else must they denie their Doctors that is that Peter Lombarde is none of their Church that Bellem is none of their Churche that Cardinalis Alexandrinus is none of their Church that the Popes Leo Gregorie and Martine were not possessoures of Peters perfect chaire or at the least accuse Gratian for falselye fathering the Decrées on them which if they them selues do who shall afterward credite the same not I. Matrimonie Tatians IN the time of the raygnes of the Emperours Marcus Antonius verus and L. Au. Commodus as Hierome saith ruffled one Tatian a Sirian borne Eusebius saith in the .xij. yeare of the raygne of the same Antonius Verus which was about the yeare of our Lorde .175 Some other write that it was in the .14.02.15 yeare of the same Emperours raigne which is of the yeare of our Lord .177 or there aboutes This man being first a professour of Rhetorique gayned thereby no small glory The acquaintaunce of Iustine the martyr whose scholler in Christian Philosophie it séemeth he was stode him in good steade For so long as he liued he flourished in Christes Church as a sound Christian But after his death of a membre of Christ he became a rottē branch and an Apostatate So that we may say of him though in this world he suruiued Iustine yet that he
they woulde compell other to agrée to their discorde which I ouer passe sith it is more playnely proued before than eyther order or neede in this place require againe The proufe whereof perhappes may cause the astonished at their horriblenesse to demaunde howe it then could come to passe that the same should continue till this day neyther God nor man hewing it downe To the which I answere as touching Gods will working therin for that the cause therof is not wholly reuealed we must say with Paule O altitudo Sapientiae c. O déepenesse of Gods wisedome Notwithstanding the secretnesse whereof yet that suche a thing should be Paule and Iohn the Euangelist with many other witnesse The which Iohn calleth it by the name of Babylon the great Citie vnder which name Peter as the Popistes expounde the last chapter of his first Epistle meaneth Rome Partly for the present diuersitie and cōfusion For Babylon by interpretation signifieth so of the Gentiles superstitiō there vsed partlye for that in the spirite he did with Iohn foresée the confusion of Christian religion that shoulde spring thence to infect all christendome As the auncient and effeminate Babylonians did in their dayes the whole worlde And though the worlde neuer gaue stroke thereat what then it standeth with his nature to foster and set forwarde superstitions and to spare no cost No not their wiues earings nor ornamentes and birth right of their heres Yea pardie at the building of Gods tabernacle they will not deale so frankly as to spare the same An easier religion it is to be saued by Symon Magus méere grace plenitudine potestatis and fulnesse of power leade his scholer neuer so loose a lyfe then by fayth in Christ which demaūdeth in obedience a holy life which to the carnal grosse world is vnsauerie aswell for that he can not abide the spiritualnesse of faith as also for that that holynesse is against his decayed nature it also is against his courage to be brideled or obey Possiblye the author of the Apologie for the priuate Masse Hosius and the other of that broode will thinke that I graunte their plea of quiet possession whereby they will prescribe against the truth I confesse nothing lesse but rather muse that they so fondely reason For the Church of Christ in this ease is much like vnto a familie or flocke whose right of long tyme wrongfully with holden though all the flocke doth not with open mouth clayme yet if anye one heire of of nighest kinne stande for the same and obtaine the quiet possession of the defendāt is empaired Euen as the Popistes is wherby they cannot Bona fide possidere without mistruste of forged title prescribe and possesse another mans right and place And God in all ages hath stirred vp some good members heires of grace to pursue the right of the Church As Anno 313. the Counsels of Nice and Mileuitane stode against the appeales to Rome Innouation of Prayers Supreame authoritie And for the Mariage of Priestes Secondly Anno Domini 430. the sixt general councell of Carthage which endured fiue yeares agaynste the supremacie Also Pope Innocentius the first for the mariage of Priestes Thirdly Pelagius the Pope Iohn Maxentius Anno. 513. agaynste the supremacie Fourthly Pope Gregorie the first Anno. 600. against the supremacie And the sixt Councel of Constantinople for Priestes mariage Fyfthly Anno. 700. S. Hulderich resisteth Pope Nicolas in the case of Priestes mariage Sixtly Anno. 800. Clemens Scotus of the Vniuersitie of Paris agaynst Boniface for y e mariage of Priestes and agaynst Images Seauenthly Anno. 940. the first Ottho the Emperour agaynst the supremacie pride of the Popes Eyghtly Anno. 1050 Lupoldus Byshop of Mentz agaynste Leo the ninth for the supremacie And Nicetas for the mariage of the Cleargie Ninthly Anno. 1120. the cleargie of Englād and Germanie for their wiues Tenthly Anno. 1213. Fredericke the seconde Emperour agaynst the Popes tirannie Eleuenthly Anno. 1329. the whole kingdome of Fraunce agaynst the Pope and his Court. Twelfthly Anno. 1400. Thomas Rhedonenssis Nicolaus Cusanus and Aeneas Siluius before he was Pope against the pride of the Pope and for Priestes mariages Finally in this last hundreth yeare God hath raysed vp Laurentius Valla Hierome Sauanorola the Earle of Mirandula wyth innumerable many moe of worthy Champions of whome some haue foughte vnto their knées in bloud for the right of the Church whose doughty dintes done cause this trée to wyther as thou maist view and to be without al hope of further frute Euerye man according as God hath lightened their heartes hath dealt in the right of the Church by reason wherof the Popists can not as I before said plead prescription Nor we be so blinde as to thinke the religion of the Protestants to be a new doctrine which through all ages hath bene thus defended though I touch but a fewe by many more as I am readye to proue Wherfore it is a very loude lie to say that Luther begonne the same All which notwithstanding God hath reserued the vtter ouerthrowe of the same trée to the breath of his owne mouth which approeheth nowe at hande least flesh and bloud should glorie in so valiant a conquest Thus much therefore to them that demaund why neyther God nor the worlde did hewe downe this trée nor stocke the roote The summe wherof is that he was pleasant and did agrée with the supersticious and filthy nature of the world that God though he hath caused his church to strike from time to time thereat yet hath reserued the same to a greater punishment and seuerer iudgemente As he also hath done Mahomet the eronious trée without y e Church which both are nourished with the water of ignoraunce Euen as so to be is the maner of Heretiques For if either Simon had wel receyued the doctrine of the holy ghost or Iudas of the Messias it is not to be thought that they would haue departed from the Church Falling when they séemed to stand deceyued by arrogancie which I may properly call ignorance The which sith it was so néedeful for the beginning of this trée is by the aforesayd Babylonians the Popists vsed as a no lesse necessary pollicie and licoure for the maintayning and watering of the same Neyther doe the Popistes misseresemble their brother Mahomete whose religion writtē vnder the olde Arabical tong cōmaundement of not interpreting expounding the same beyonde the literall sense hath vnder mighty and thundering termes being otherwise senselesse and spiritlesse ruled the poore sely soules as Iupiters blocke amongst a number of frogges He is counted a learned Priest that can reade his seruice playnely and turne it into the Sclauonian c. tong The which estimation of such learning doth rather of right appertayne to the Mahomet Priests than to the Popistes of whom the greater part can not write nor spell in their mother tong their own names much lesse expoūd their Latin Portus
togither Extortioners and gréedy guttes Such are their Bullistes Dataries Copistes Somners Notaries and the like who in this parte by Auarice vpholde the body as their cleargie doth in the other part vpholde the same by ignoraunce and folishnesse But some perchaunce will obiecte that the estate of the Churche of Rome is not suche nowe as in all poyntes it hath bene In déede I graunte that sithens the complaynte of Germanie Englande and Fraunce and their deliueraunce from the tirannie of the same it is will it nil it somewhat amended Neyther doe I so applie and interpretate the partes that I haue hetherto from heade to foote gone on as that it should be the full declaration of all the whole thereof or for all the whole time of the continuaunce thereof For there resteth the olde mannes heade vpon the hippe and the tayle with the Dragons head at the ende thereof which stand vpon the hinder part of the body and doe signifie according to holy Scripture the time of the declination and latter age of it wherfore thou hast hitherto but heard what it was in the beginning and chiefe royaltie therof Now hearken what it is toward the drawing on the end thereof And first the heade is of an olde vplandish man as it did foreshewe the which signifieth that the teachers therein must somewhat conforme themselues to reason and become more natural than their predecessors And that also the doctrine of this body politique in this latter time muste be altered from the doctrine that the first head did teach being then both gentyle and worldly according to the nature of the Asse and become somewhat more naturall and truth like than it at the first was according to the nature of a man which his head sheweth And yet forasmuch as thys heade hath his place vpon the hippe loking downewarde it must signifie the same doctrine to be earthly and not heauenlye euen so muche differing from the heauenlye as there is difference betwene the right place of the heade and the hippe betwene the Church of God and of Hipocrites So that a conformitie in naturall doctrine and humaine wisedome must be one meane to stay and sustayne that Church in the latter age thereof The Tayle in this hinder part of the Church doth by authoritie of Scripture signifie their flattering and false preaching Prophets teachers and writers whose penne and tong stirreth and writeth for gaine and picke thereby a quarrell at their good benefactors pursses almose box being the second proppe to stay pthe same Church with And forasmuche as there shall wante no power of Sathan to the sustayning therof there is at the end of the tayle a Dragons head which in Scripture is also taken for the Diuell himselfe for the Tirans of this world wicked and bloudthristie persones that then suppose themselues to haue done their duetie when as they may embrue themselues with the bloude of the Saintes of Christ These men if they can not preuayle with their carnal and natural reason then they vse flatterie if not so then tirannie which are thrée meanes so puissant as that they might if it were possible ouercome the elect therby But be not dismayed gentle Reader lay thy hope vpon Christ our Sauiour And although his truth preached in this monster doth agast astonne thée yet for that this the same was cast vp in that riuer deade and therefore must signifie an ende conquest and full deliuerie of this worlde and Gods sainctes therefro reioyce and with a liuely voyce preasse to the Heauens warde wherein thy ioyes shall be full and with the sainctes already deliuered in fayth say Nowe is saluation and strength and the kingdome become oure Gods and the power his Christes for he is caste downe which accused them before God day night and they ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe and by the worde of their testimonie and they loued not their liues vnto death reioyce you heauens and reioyce you therein Saluation glorie and honour be ascribed vnto the Lorde our God for true and righteous are his iudgements bycause he hath iudged the greate Whore which dyd corrupte the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruauntes of hir hande Alleluiah Prayse the Lorde good Reader with thy whole soule and helpe me for Iesus sake with thy feruent prayers August in Epistola 7. I confesse my selfe to be of that number one which write in profiting and profite by writing IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Henry Denham for Lucas Harrison dwelling in Paules Churchyarde at the Signe of the Crane Anno. 1566. Faultes escaped Leafe Side Line Faultes Correction 5 1 2 this time his time 7 2 15 Latmù Latmum ibidem  24 Latinians Latmians 9 1 28 as that that they as that they 10 2 10 2. Quest Sepe 2. Que. 4. Sepe 11 1 18 Chanons Cannons 17 1 32 and driue backe and backe 33 1 6 if in any if in many 48 2 3 Epistola Extra 50 1 11 that shall that she shall 52 2 14 discention dissention 54 1 17 Quantitiners Quantitiuers 55 1 19 praeceptibiliter perceptibiliter ibidem  20 praecipiendo percipiendo 61 1 8 rather iust rather haue iust 69 2 6 Montelmenss Montoliuenss 75 2 15 did shewe did shewte 82 2 14 flocke stocke ibidem  15 flocke stocke 84 2 18 to our enimies to our eyes 88 2 32 pthe vp the The margine of the second page of the eyght leafe hath Conciliorij for the which reade Conciliorum Also whereas two leaues haue the number .33 the first of them is to be numbred thus .32 the margine in the seconde page of the sayde leafe hath Arminenss for the which reade Ariminenss In the margine of the .49 leafe in the fyrste page for Drrand lib. reade Durand lib. Hil. in Ps 68. Idem in Psal 118. Zadik The affectis on of writers Iustinus Libro 5. Folio 68. Folio 69. c. Qui alterius 5. q. 1. L. Diffamari C. De Ing Manumiss Folio 5. Impudency of Shackl Contradiction of writers Shacklock his follie Folio 1. False grouÌ„d of Papistes A wicked purpose The true Church not of one lippe Blindenesse bredeth coÌ„sent Popes Church no Church of Christ. Popish consente In Ciuitate Dei Lib. 15. Cap. 1. True Roote of Heresie Iudas what An Apostle Iudas Christes steward Iewes Alse opinion Iudas what pattren SimoÌ„ Magê° Irenaeus li. 1. cap. 20. Epiphanius li. 1. to 2. c. 21 What pattren Simon is His cuntrie Simon a false Christian Wicked pollicie Fruite of Ambition Tertulli de prescripti HereticoruÌ„ Epiph. to 2.1 lib. c. 21. Irenaeus vt supra Romish superstition Nicephor lib. 2. c. 36. Nicephorus ibidem Ofspring of Heretiques Act. 2. Victorie of the old Fathers The subtiltie of the Diuell Hipocrisie bringeth in heresies The Popes Geldings Asphaltis is the noysoÌ„ lake of Sodome The propertie of Heretiques to eschewe the writteÌ„ word To vse false Scriptures Epiph. lib. 3. tom
one of them labouring to set out their peculiar deuise of their brayne sicke mindes bewrayeth his cause to be onely priuate and personall and not religion common to vs al. Against the which if any fact by Luther had bene done it could not be but they shuld haue agréed vpon the cause and circumstances of the same and not to haue lied so lowdely on Luther contrarye to the testimonie of the moste credible Chronicles that pourge him In which seuerall deuise of euery of them thou hast a liuely pattren of the deceiueablenesse of affection For M. Shacklocke stirred at the earnest preaching of the Ministers in Cambridge bycause it toucheth the quicke calleth it Railing making it the roote of his tree that vnder a publique title and cause he might the stylier shoote out the poyson of his tong And in the same blindenesse of affection he falleth into an absurditie of his deuise For be it that I graunt which thing Hosius Euans doe not that rayling is the roote and that that roote bringeth foorth Rebellion the trunke or stocke and Rebellion bloudshed the braunches which haply it may do yet howe can such braunches bring forth for leaues lyes in Religion whiche syth it is not consequent his Klimax is there broken and fayleth and entreth into an absurditie or non sequitur But this thing is proper to that sorte of writers bycause they stande vpon a wrong ground or principle as both Hosius and Staphilus do persuading the people that vntil these .40 yeares there was no question but silence of Religion Hosius speaketh thus Before these .40 yeares last past suche vvas the state of the vvhole vvorld so far as Christian fayth toke anye force that the sentence vvhich vve reade in Genesis myght vvell be reported of it It vvas a land of one lippe The which thing they ymagine as truth shall in the ende of this boke declare the contrarye to haue bene thoroweout euery seculum or age onely bycause they would bring Luther into hatred with al mē as a peace breaker who in déede did take that quarrell in hand which other had iustly begonne but is more renowmed than they his predecessours for that he continued longer in the field than other and God garded him in his time with the ayde of temporall Magistrates whose heartes by his spirite he lightened and inclined towarde the truth Which continuance ayde syth the former writers wanted their laboures in thys cause abridged are partly as smothered raked vp in the heape and multitude of yeares partely forgotten hydden till néede caused the olde wife to trot and rake the heape a downe that she might finde the quietnesse of conscience vvhich is true peace in the knowledge of God through our Lord Iesus Christ But such a continuall or vniuersall consent as they surmize was neuer I excepte dreaming Endymion with his like and the dayes of the generall Apostasie wherof Paule speaketh wherein the end being proper and agreing to our infirmitie being a departing from God concorde therin may soone be had As in the dayes of Noah it was when as the olde worlde agréed in wickednesse sauing poore Noah and his small familie and therefore was derided Surely if thou wouldest consider the time of our sauiour Christ and after him the estate of the primitiue Church thou wouldest conclude that euen the very Church was not of one lippe And not to remembre the time of the Apostles Nouiceship vnder Christ Consider Paule his encoūtring with Peter in a matter of no small wayght which doth testifie that as the elect children of God did increase by the vse of the worde in knowledge so they disagréed in opinion the one from the other as eche abounded in vnderstanding aboue other yea and if thou wilte enter further into this matter thou shalt sée the like frō time to time to wéete betwéene the East and Weast Churches Also aboute Anno. 200. betwene Irenaeus and Pope Victor and so forth on the déeper thou drawest thou findest the more And all though in loue for Religion So that partely bycause of such discord betwene the religious and godly Byshops and partly for the varietie of Heretiques calling themselues Christians the Ievves Ethniques as Clemens sayth defamed Christian religion saying it was not of God Which thing to be otherwise in any congregation it remayning the Church of God were great maruell for that the holy spirit of God y e very light and kindler of their heartes the increaser of knowledge and mayntayner of prophecying interpretation questioning vpon the Scripture is not quenched but kindled and on the growing hande Wherefore Hosius in saying that their Church agréed was of one lippe doth openly confesse that to be in it was not to be in Christes Church as before is manifest And so the consequent that must followe is that Christes Church and theirs are twayne The cause of which vniuersall quietnesse in their Church must be want of interpretation that bréedeth argument which cōmeth of the want of knowledge which procéedeth of y e lacke of the spirit of God who is the very light of our heartes This onely the Israelites haue in Gozan a corner of Egypt and vvalke and stirre vp and dovvne in the same The whole countrey of the Egyptians besydes for wante of lyght walke not but sytte quietly in their chaires not without feare Returning then it is euident what consent or concorde Luther brake namely their dreaming sléepe wherin the wealth of the world and ignorance of God lullied them and not the concorde of truth and knowledge of God Wherefore they are much to be blamed that so arrogantely dare defame so worthy an instrument of Gods glory as to make him authour of Heretiques And thou gentle reader let me be bolde to tell thée the playne truth if that thou wilt credite them art not faultlesse for that it is not matter but affection that so subdueth thy reason From which thou seuerest thy selfe the further the néerer that thou approchest to consente with them who haue not determined among themselues to ioyne in concord And certaynly if folie cause thee of those dysagreing opinions to fantasie any one let the other contrary to it call thee backe If the deuise of the betrayer Euans who sayth that lust is the roote of Heresie like thée let Hosius Shacklock cause it mislike thée who saye the contrary If that rayling M. Shacklocks roote please thée let Euans and Hosius alter thée Finallye be not pleased in them for that they are not pleased among themselues as their sundry deuises contrary to eche others declare If not other yet S. Augustine Byshop of Hippon ought to be the Methode teacher to him that will perfectly entreate of the Church malignante Who considering that euer sithens that God by Adams creatiō had manifested his Churche among earthly creatures the Diuel also hauing no Church of his own creation did peruert