A discourse Wherein is plainly proued by the order of time and place, that Peter was neuer at Rome. Furthermore, that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church. Also an interpretation vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians, the second chapter. Seene and alowed according to the order appointed. — Discourse. Wherein is plainly proved by the order of time and place, that Peter was never at Rome.

A discourse Wherein is plainly proued by the order of time and place, that Peter was neuer at Rome. Furthermore, that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church. Also an interpretation vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians, the second chapter. Seene and alowed according to the order appointed. — Discourse. Wherein is plainly proved by the order of time and place, that Peter was never at Rome.

Table of contents

Title page

¶To the right honorable Sir Henry Sidney, Knight of the honorable order of the Garter, Lord President of the Marches of VVales, and Lord deputie of Ireland. R.T. Wisheth. &c.

A description of the Pope.

THE ARGVMENT.

THE FIRST DISCOVRS, wherein is proued that Peter was neuer at Rome.

¶ VVhere Peter was the first yeare after Christes Ascension.

THE SECOND DISCOVRS, wherein is proued that neyther Peter, nor the Pope, is the head of Christes Church.

The first Obiection.

The second Obiection.

The third Obiection.

The fourth Obiection.

The fyfte Obiection.

The sixth Obiection.

The seuenth Obiection.

The eight Obiection.

The ninth Obiection.

The tenth Obiection.

The .xj. Obiection.

The .xij. Obiection.

The .xiij. Obiection.

The .xiiii. Obiection.

The xv. Obiection.

The xvi. Obiection.

The 17. Obiection.

The 18. Obiection.

The 19. Obiection.

The 20. Obiection.

The 21. Obiection.

The 22. Obiection.

The 23. Obiection.

The 24. Obiection.

Now I come to their Obiections which they alleage out of their Canons and Doctours. The first Obiection.

The second Obiection.

The third Obiection.

The fourth Obiection.

The fifth Obiection.

The sixth Obiection.

The 7. Obiection.

The 8. Obiection.

The 9. Obiection.

The 10. Obiection.

The 11. Obiection.

The 12. Obiection.

The 13 Obiection.

The xiiii Obiection.

The .xv. Obiection.

The 16. Obiection.

The 17. Obiection.

The 18. Obiection.

The xix Obiection.

The xx Obiection.

The 21. Obiection.

The 22. Obiection.

The 23. Obiection.

The 24. Obiection.

The 25. Obiection.

The 26. Obiection.

The 27. Obiection.

The 28. Obiection.

The 29. Obiection.

The xxx. Obiection.

The xxxi. Obiection.

The first Obiection.

The second Obiection.

The first.

¶One Pope against another.

ALL THE POPES AGAYNST CHRIST. Here I haue added certeyne Antitheses, declaring the difference betwéene Christ and the Pope, whereby yée maye know him to bée that Antichrist, mentioned in Paule 2. to the Thessalonians. 2. Chapter. Uer. 4.

The Pope cannot Erre.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I answere.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

Obiection.

I aunswer.

¶An Interpretation of the place of Paule. 2. to the Thess. 2. which describeth Antechrist. I meane the Pope.

Except there come a departing first.

¶ The Pope holdeth some part of euery Heretique that hath bin since the world began.

Fredericus Imperator Innocentio Papae.

De Roma, meretrice Babilonica.

§

§

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A Discourse. Wherein is plainly proued by the order of time and place, that Peter was neuer at Rome.

Furthermore, that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church.

Also an interpretation vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians, the second Chapter.

¶ Seene and alowed according to the order appointed.

¶ Imprinted at London, by Tho. East and H Myddleton: for VVilliam Norton. Anno salutis. 1572.

¶To the right honorable Sir Henry Sidney, Knight of the honorable order of the Garter, Lord President of the Marches of VVales, and Lord deputie of Ireland. R.T. Wisheth. &c.

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HE dishonesteth himself, and so much as lyeth in hym diffameth his maister, vvho hath bin prentise seuen yeares, and at the ende of those seuen yeares, neyther vnderstandeth his arte, neyther can shewe any reason therof, neyther is able to profite himselfe or others.

Are not we al bound, yea do we not al promise in our baptisme, and are commaunded of God, to shew out the glories and vertues of him, that hath brought vs out of darkenes into light? But it is to be feared that a nomber of vs that professe Christ, (thoughe wee haue bin prentice to him seuen yeares, perhappes seuen, seuen, and seuen, neither haue so much knowledge as to instruct our selues, neither to defend our maister Christ against the Turke, Iewe, heretique, and antichrist. VVill the Turke admit any man to his religion, that neither can, nor will defend Mahomet? VVill the Iewe receiue any that is not furnished with the Scriptures falsely interpreted against Christ? VVill Heretiques accept any man that is ignorant in their erronius opinions? VVill Antichrist allowe any man which will not maintaine his Idolatry and superst [...]tion? VVe professe Christ in woords, and outward shewes, notwithstanding we are not able too defend him in the middest of his enemyes. Lacke of knowledge causeth many to hold their peace. Ignorance is the root of errour: the contempt of the study of Gods word, is the high way to perdition. VVho can please him whose will he knoweth not? VVho can proceede in his Princes affaires, that knoweth not his comission? How can he execute his commission, if he neyther reade it, nor vnderstand it? Is he a Gramarian that cannot speake congrue Latine? A Logician that cannot reason probably? A naturall Philosopher that knoweth not the generation and causes [Page] of Raine, VVinde, Snowe, and such Meteorologicall things? Is there any Surgen that hath not read Iohannes de Vigo or Alexander benedictus? Or Phisitian that is ignorant in Hippocrates, or Galen, or Celsus? and shall ignorance who is condemned of all artificers commend a Christian? I therfore the least of all the members of Christ, hearing dayly Antichrist and his artificers (I meane the Pope and the Papistes) so cunning in the Cannon lawe, and Popish doctours, that there is nothing in them that they do not both exactely vnderstand, and also vtter, to the maintenance of their head the Pope, thought it necessary somewhat to say and too refel theyr errours. Emong the which this is not the least that the Papistes go about, to proue the Pope to be head of the Church, which vnreasonable errour, being plainely in these twoo little treatises confuted, I haue thought good to dedicate the same vnto your Honour, whose desire (as I am throughly perswaded) is too see the vtter confusion of Antichrist, and the perfect establishement of Christes Religion. And therfore the bolder to set those things forth vnder your Lord shippes protection, which may please Christ, displease Antichrist, be acceptable to all Christians, greuous to all Antechristians, pleasant to all professoures of Christ, bitter to al his aduersaries. And as I truste a plaine ouerthrowe of the Romishe Church.

Your honours most humble▪ R. T.

A description of the Pope.

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THough Poets pen hath fables feignd

Of monsters maruelous:

Who diffring far from common kind

were thought prodigious.

As Briarchus who had hands

an hundreth as they tell,

And spitte forth fire from fiftie mouthes

like flashing flames of hell:

Though Ephialtes with Othus

of natures fierce and fell,

Did striue with stregth of stretcht out arme

in Ioue his Throne to dwell.

Who heaped hilles on mountains high

Of [...]a on Pindus back,

And placed Pelion on them

the Starry skie to sack.

Though these two impes of ougly shape

whose father Neptune was,

Growing nine inches euery month,

in bignesse mounts did passe.

Though Poliphemus were as huge

and ougly as the rest,

Who for his strength and sturdines

might match him with the best.

And though Chimera a monster were,

of thrée conioynd in one:

The first a Lion, next a Goate,

and third a fierce dragon.

Though Minotaurus were as hugh

and monstrous in effect,

Whose sundry shape with nature fell

his Parents did detect.

Though Cerberus that chorlish Cur

and thrée hell headded hound,

A monster rare, with other more

which are in writers found:

[Page]Though these I say, vnséemely shapes

foule fashioned, out of frame,

Dame nature made thus monsterous

as wée haue learned by fame.

Yit I can shewe more monsterousnes

comprised here in one,

Who for his huge prodigiousenesse

may match them all alone.

But this is neyther God nor man

as he himself doth tell,

He is a meane betwene them both

yet rules both Heauen and Hell.

In Purgatory puttes to paine

in earth he beares great swaie,

The Heauenly Angels at his call

are ready to obey.

Hée can forgiue mens sinnes on earth

and scite hell houndes by poste,

And he can lose from lothesome lakes

damnd soules and griesly ghostes.

He is a God the Papistes do

affirme with wonders mo,

Whose bestely body being blasd,

iudge you if he be so.

His head a harmefull helmet is

of poisen pestilent,

His eyes are like to flames of fire

that are from Vulcane sent.

His eares they trust al tryfling tales

and credit blasing brute.

And such againe as will not heare

the iust and humble sute.

His nose doth snuf foorth hellish fumes

his tung e is stinge of Death,

His face of mischéef mirrour is

and poisoned is his breath.

[Page]His téeth do gnawe the blessed bones

of such as are elect,

His mouth doth bable blasphemie

and Gods word doth reiect.

His throte an open sepulchre

doth swallow euery houre,

The silly shéepo and woolfes doth spare

the lambes for to deuour.

Hys brest a chest and cofer is

of al iniquitie,

His armes are strong Princes to strike

if they not Christ deny.

His filthy fingers nimble are,

to scratch for nedlesse gaine

Which wilbe sure to snatch a share

though other take the paine.

His legges are swift to shed the blood

of Innocentes giltlesse,

His féete are ready Emperours neckes

to tread down and oppresse.

His body is Pandoras boxe

which plageth younge and olde,

And he prodigeous Antichrist

whose déedes of Iohn are told.

Which beast although that he be strong

yet standes on slppery ground,

Foq him this booke doth flatly foile

and vtterly confound.

FINIS

THE ARGVMENT.

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FIrst I proue by Scripture that Peter could not be at Rome vntill the .6. or as Hierom and others collect vntil the .8. yere of Claudius. Secondly I proue by the order of time and place that he could not be at Rome vntill the second yeare of Domitian which was after the passion of Christ .52. or 53. yeares which should haue bin after the destruction of Hierusalem which was after Christ .73. yeares, the 8. day of September. In the second discourse I proue that neither Peter nor the Pope, is the head of the Church, confuting such obiections as they alledge to the contrary, wherein yee shall finde their arguments refelled, their Cannon law confuted, the Popes errours in Doctrine detected, their sillogismes answered, and finally certain antitheses betweene Christ and the Pope prouing him Antichrist, with an interpretation vppon the place of Paule. 2. Thessalo. 2.

THE FIRST DISCOVRS, wherein is proued that Peter was neuer at Rome.

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PETER before Christes passion and deathe did not depart out of Iewrie, but was eyther with Christe, or with other of the Apostles, or elles labored in his vocation, for he was a fisherman, as is proued by the Gospell of S. Mathew, Cap. 4. versu. 18. cap. 8. vers. 14. cap. 10. vers. 2. cap. 14. ver. 28. cap. 15. ver. 15. cap. 16. ver. 16.17.22. cap. 17. ver. 1.26. cap. 18. ver. 21. cap. 19. ver. 27. cap. 26. ver. 33.35.37.69.75. Marc cap. 1. ver. 16. cap. 3. ver. 16. cap. 5. ver. 37. cap. 8. ver. 29. cap. 11. ver. 21. cap. 13. ver. 3. cap. 14. ver. 29.33.37.54.66. cap. 16. ver. 7. Luc cap. 5. ver. 3.4.5.8.10. cap. 6. ver. 14. cap. 8. ver. 51. cap. 9. ver. 28.32. cap. 12. ver. 41. cap. 22. ver. 31.34.55.60. Ihon cap. 1. ver. 42. cap. 18. ver. 11.15.16.17.18.25. cap. 20. ver. 3.6. cap. 21. ver. 2.7.

¶ VVhere Peter was the first yeare after Christes Ascension.

THE first yeare after the death and resurrection of Christ he was with the rest of the Apostles on the mounte Olyuet, Where Peter was the first yeare after Christes Ascension. beholding the Ascension of Christe, and then Act. 1. ver. 9.10.11. returned to Hierusalem, lokinge for the descending of the Holy Act. 1. ver. 12. Act. 2. ver. 4. Ghost, and there with the rest did chose Mathias in the place of Act. 1. ver. 26. Act. 3. ver. 6, 7 Iudas, and made an eloquent oration, Acte. 2. from the .14. vers. vntoo the .41. And he taryed at Hierusalem, Act. 3, ver. 12. Act. 4. ver. 3.6.7.8. and cured a lame man, and in the Temple made an excellent Act. 5. ver. 1, 2, 3, 27, 29. Oration. Then was he with the rest of the Apostles layde in prison, and the next daye let out, and examyned by what power they had cured the lame man, Act. 6. ver. 2. vntoo whom Peter answered effectually, neyther went hee out of Iudea that first yeare after Christes Ascension, Peter sent to Samaria. as apereth manifestlie. From Hierusalem the Apostles sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria, where Philippe the Deacon had layde the foundacion of Christes Religion, and had conuerted the Samaritaines. Act. 8. ver. 5.14.15.16.20.21.22.23. Peter and Iohn obteyned by [Page] prayer,Act. 8. ver. 15. that they might receyue the Holy Ghost. Peter and Iohn after they had preached in Samaria, returned to Hierusalem, and there hée remayned vntill the seconde yeare after Christes Ascension:The seconde yeare a [...]ter Christes ascension. in the which yeare Paule was conuerted to the fayth, as hée went to Damascus, where he preached immediatly. And in Arabia where hée preached thrée yeares, and then returned to Hierusalem,The 3. yeare after Christes ascension. The 4. yeare after Christes ascension. where Peter was with the reste of the Apostles: Reade diligently the first chapter to the Galathians, Uers. 16.17.18. Act. 9. Uer. 23.24.25. in the which verses, conferred with the 17. and 18. vers. of the first chapter to the Galathians, yée shall vnderstande, that after Paule had spent thrée yeares in preachinge in Arabia and at Damascus, which is a Cittie of Syria neare vnto Arabia, hée went (being let downe by the wall in a basket) from Damascus to Hierusalem, where hée dyd fynde Peter and Iames with other Disciples.Peter at Hierusalem, the 5. yeare after Christs ascension. Peter at Lidda. Peter at por [...] Iaphe. Act. 9. ver. [...].34, 40.41, 4 [...] Peter with Cornelius at Cesarea. Act. 10. ver. [...].24, 25. The 6. yeare after Christes ascension. Act. 11. ver. 2. vnto the 18. The 7. yeare after Christes ascension. The 8. yeare from Christes ascension. From ye death of Christe, 11. yeares. Peter at Hierusalem. Neyther was Peter at any tyme hithertoo out of Iurie. In Iurie hée went about and came to Lydda, a Towne of Iurie, where hée cured Aeneas who had ben sicke of the pallesy eight yeares: and at porte Iaphe in Iurie hée re [...]o [...]red Tabitha to lyfe. From porte Iaphe Peter was sent for to Cornelius, who was a Centurian at Cesarea a Cittie of Iurie also. Peter, when hée had instructed and baptized Cornelius and his howseholde, returned to Hierusalem, where the circumcysed reproued him for vttering the Gospell to the Gentyles, who hée pacifyeth and persuadeth by his ‡ Oration. This was the sixte yeare after Christes passion, and the fifte yeare after Paules conuersion. All that time that Paule was out of Hierusalem in [...]harsis a Cittie of Lycia, from whence Barnabas fetched him to Antioche, a Cittie of Syria was Peter at Hierusalem, and from thence went to the same citie of Antioche, where Paule reproued him, because that hée withdrewe himselfe from the Gentyles, with whome hee did eate, before that Iames came in with certeyne that were circumcised, whom Peter feared to offend. And this was seuē yeares from the conuersion of Paule. And the eight, from Christes passion, which is not onely proued by order of tyme, but also it is noted Galat. 2. Uers. 11.12. [...]3.14. Act. 13. Uers. 2. All that tyme that Paule and Barnabas were with the Gentyles, Peter remayned at Hierusalem till their returne, sauinge that hée conueyed [Page] himself at that Easter whē Herode Agrippa was there, for Herod Agrippa came frō Cesarea to Hierusalē the feast of Easter, what time he beheaded Iames, & layd Peter in prison as is euidēt in ye 1.2 3.4. [...]. & 9. ver. of y• 12. Chapter of the Actes. And this was the twelueth yeare from Christ his passion,The 12. yeare from Christes ascension. and the eleuenth from the conuersion of Paule. Peter fearing the tyrannie of Herode Agrippa, after that the Aungell had delyuered him out of prison, conueyed himselfe out of the waye, and as the texte sayeth, into an other place, vntill Herode Agrippa should departe from Hierusalem, which was immediatly after Easter,Act. 12. ver. 17. purposing in his mind to make warre with the Tyrians, Sydonians, or as Luke vttereth more effectually tynomachem. And as God would,Act. 12. ver. 17 19, and 20. the sayde Herode Agrippa, a great defendour of the Iewes Lawes and Ordinances, and a persecutour of Christians,From ye death of Christ .13. dyed miserably the [...]ame 13. yeare after Christes passion, which was the thirde yeare of the Emperour Claudius: for Agrippa the same yeare of Claudius was striekē with ye Angel, eatē with woormes, & dyed miserably. Thus may you sée euidētly y• Peter went notout of Iurie vntill ye iiij. yeare of Claudius, nor the neyther vntil the death of Claudius, Act. 12. ver. 13 Peter in Iu [...]y the 4. yere of Claudius. as I shall proue a litle after. Now you maye sée, y• Peter was at Hierusalem & in Iurie, the first, ij. & iij. yeare of Claudius, as is euidently proued by Luke in the Actes of the Apostles.Act. 12. ver. 17. Nowe let vs consider what place this was, that Luke sayeth that Peter c [...]nueyed himselfe too, lesse that they should saye, that hée conueyed himselfe to Rome. Surely, hée hidde him selfe secretely in some place of Iudea ▪ Act. 12. ve. 20 vntill that Herode Agrippa should returne to Cesarea, where he purposed to haue prepared an armie ageinst the Tyrians and Sydonians. Act. 23. ver. 26. & cap. 24. ver. 7, 22▪ 24. and cap. 25. ver, 12, 16, 17, 18, 25, and ca. 26. ver. 28, 13, 22. Act. 13. and 14 The 13, 14, & 15, yeares after Christe. The 16. yeare after Christes ascension. Wherefore Herode Agrippa returned after Easter to Cesarea, where he died miserably. After the death of Herode, Peter was out of daunger, for Iudea was ruled by the Lieuetenantes of the Romaynes, as Festus, Lysias, and Felix, which did rather presse the Iewes, than the Christians, as the historie of Iosephus declareth, wherefore those seuen yeares that Paule and Bernabas departed from Antioche of Syria vnto the Gentyles, Peter was in Iudea, yea hée was at Hierusalem the 16. yeare after Christes passion, and the 15. of Paule his conuersion, as is manifest, ‡ for there maketh Peter an Oration to [Page] the brethren, and this was the sixte yeare of Claudius, as is proued by the historie of the Actes written by S. Luke. What authoritie haue the Papistes,Act. 15. ver. 4 6, 7. Galat. 2. ver. 1 Theophilus, lib. 9. in the conuersion of Paul. Be [...]a in Act. Uincent. Galat. 2. ver. 7 8, 9. which affirme and sweare, that Peter went to Rome the second yeare of Claudius? But let vs procéede in the historie: of their errours in this matter, I will discourse a little after. Peter was appointed at that same tyme a teacher of the Iewes, and Paule of the Gentyles. For, sayeth Paule, Barnabas and I, were charged to preache to the Gentyles, and Peter, Iames and Iohn, to the Iewes. Were not the Romaynes Gentyles? Was not Paule and Barnabas charged with them? Notwithstanding, after that Peter and Iohn had sufficiently instructed the Iewes,From ye death of Christ, 16. they also taught the Gentyles. Wherefore vnto the sixt yeare of Claudius, which was the 16. yeare from Christe his passion. And the 15. from Paules conuersion, Peter neuer departed out of Iury, sauing only to Antioche of Syria, as I haue noted before. Nowe I will declare the reste of Peters peregrination, partly by suche testimonies as cannot bée refelled, partely by probable argumentes, necessarie coniectures, and sufficient reasons:Where Peter preached. 1. Peter. 1. ver. 1. Eusebius lib. 3. cap. 1. Lib. 2. cap. 35. As Peter did write to the dispersed Brethren in Pontus, Galatia, Bithinia, Capadocia, and Asia, so did hée preache in them all. * Nicephorus writeth, that Peter preached in Palestina, Syria, Phenice, Pontus Galatia, Capadocia, Bithinia, and to bée bréefe, in all the quarters of Asia and Europe. Wherefore, after this councell which is in the 15. of the Actes, hée went out of Iury, Pontus. The 17. & 18. yeare after Christes ascension. Where Peter preached. into Pontus Galatia, Capadocia, Asia, and Bithinia: Them hée instructed, them hée visited, them hée furnished with the Gospell, them hée exhorted to faith, to good woorkes, to obedience, to temperancie, to doo their deuties, with them hée taried and was conuersant so longe, vntill that they had layde a foundacion, & buylded substantially vpon it. What a long tyme hée taryed in Pontus, and what Cities and Townes hée did instructe, and brought from superstition to Religion, from idolatrie to the Truthe, from errour too the right waye, from crueltie too lenitie, and from all iniquitie, to all patience, iustice, and humanitie: Hée maye easely coniecture who readeth and knoweth the descriptions of Countries. What a number of goodly Cities farre distant one from an other were in Pontus? Bythinia. howe many in Bithinia? In them [Page] stoode Chalcedon, Nicomedia, Apamia, Heraclea, The 19. & [...]0. yeare after Christes ascension. and the great cittie Nicea, where that famous councell was holden, called The Coun [...]ell of Nice. What shall I speake of Asia? in it standeth Troia, Assum, Autandros, Addramitium, Ephesus, where Dianas Temple was had in suche honour: Arogilium▪ Milet, Guidus, Act. 19. Troas, with many other mencioned in the Actes of the Apostles: Who dooth not knowe but that Galatia is as great as any of the others. Unto this S. Paule did write in his epistle to the Galathians,Galatia. The 21. & 22. yeare after Christes ascē sion. Act. 13 Nota, euery degre [...] is lx. myles. Asia. The 23. year [...] after Christes ascension. in this Countrie stoode Antioche, of Pisidia, where Paule made an eloquent Oration. Some parte of Galatia differeth in longitude from other some of it twoo or thrée degrees, in latitude fiue or sixe. And Ephesus which standeth in Ionia ▪ a Region of litle Asia differeth from Antioche of Pisidia, which is in Galatia, in longitude seuen degrées, in latitude twoo. For Ephesus in longitude is 57.20. minutes, in latitude 37. and 40. minutes. And Antioche in longitude 62.30. in latitude 39.15. And there is no lesse distance in the Cities of Capadocia: Wherefore to passe ouer and through them, leauing any monumentes and foundacions of Religion,Capadocia. The 24. yeare after Christes ascension. hée must néedes haue taried there a long tyme. Consider the long iorney, the vntowardnesse of the people: the hard harted paynime Priests, olde rooted superstitions, their Forefathers customes, and yée shall and maye bée easely persuaded, that hée must néedes continewe in these Countries, a very longe tyme. Thus writeth Mantuan:

The Cities of Assyria

Mantuan, Fast. 6.

Peter conuerted to the fayth.

There 14. yeares he dyd bestowe,

As Mantuan proueth and sayth.

And after this did passe the sea

Capadoces, Bithine, Pontus,

Galace, and lesser Asia,

Preaching the Gospell gracious.

Let it bée that hée was not aboue seuen or eight yeares in all these countries,From Christ 24. notwithstanding wée must bringe the historie to the 24. yeare after the passion of Christe, and to the 23. of the conuersion of S. Paule: and this was the 14. yeare of the Emperour Claudius. Wherefore, by this description, and order of tyme and [Page] place▪ neyther could hée bée at Rome the second yeare of Claudius, neyther in his time. And if Peter should haue ben put to death at Rome the 14. of Nero, as the papistes affirme, then could not hée haue ben Pope at Rome 2 [...]. yeares and 7▪ monethes, but onely 14. yeares. But now I will procéede and declare that hée could not bée at Rome none of these 14▪ yeares of Nero ▪ Peter was not at Rome in the tyme of Nero. whiche when I haue pro [...]ed, what can the Romishe Catholiques, or the Romish church haue wherewith to proue their Romishe Peter.

After Peter had watered the drye barren countries of [...]on [...]s Gal [...]tia, Capadocia, B [...]thin [...]a, and Asia, with the streames of the Gospell,Peter in Egypt N [...]phorus lib. 14. cap. 39 hée departed from thence into Egypt [...] ▪ there to doo the like▪ for hée was at Alexandria, as Nicephorus reporteth, & there ordeyned S. Marke bishop, or rather an Ouerséee [...] and Teacher to the res [...]e. And this agreeth with Dorotheus in the lyfe of S. Marke,S. Marke. who off riueth that hée was cast downe vpon the grounde by the [...]dolaters▪ and trailed by a rope put about his necke from a streat of Alexandria, called Bo [...]kolou, the hogge heard, vnto the places called aggelon of Aungelles or messengers. When Peter had visited this Alexandria in Egypt, whose longitude is 60.30. and latitude 31. and had planted the Gospell,Babylon in Egypt. hée went to Babylon, a citie in Egypt also, where the longitude is 62.15. and latitude [...]0▪ 1. Petr. 5. v [...]r. 12. from whence hée wrote his first Epistle by Syluanus▪ declaring that the same doctrine and grace, which they s [...]oode in, and hée h [...]d preached vnto them, was true, infallible, and immortall. True ageynst the enemie, infallible to their expectation, immortall in contineuance, comfortable for the Soule, necessary to saluation.Munsterus G [...]ographus 6. S [...]rabo 17, P [...]ol [...]m. 4. And this Babylon is meaned to [...]ée that famous Citie of Egypt, nowe called in the Hebrewe tounge C [...]rum, where the Sultane lieth: the circuite about is 13. or 14. Ge [...]mane myles. From this Peter wrote this firste Epistle, whiche is manifest by the 15. verse of the fifth chapter, [...] where hee sayeth, that the Churche of Babylon dyd salute them, and his sonne Marke, who as Dorothe [...] writeth, was burned at▪ Alexandria in Egypt ▪ Now muste yée graun [...]e, that Pe [...]ers iourney, from Pontus, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithinia, and Galatia to Alexandria and Babylon in Egypt, was very long, for they differ in latitude 11. or 12. degrées, and therefore the tyme must bée prescribed in suche sorte, as hée might not only [Page] taste of Nilus, (as the prouerbe is) but also te [...]che the ignoraunte, instructe the simple, persuade the stubbe [...]o, plant [...] good doctrine and manners, deteste and banishe superstition and Idolatrie▪ [...] (as you may reade euery where) they woorshipped Cattes,Cicero [...]. Ea [...] ues, Crocodilles, Dogges, and such other beastes, and were giuen ouer to Magicke, and all other iniquities▪ This required a longe tyme, an whole body, a carefull [...], singuler diligence, [...] will, and a continewall per [...]euerance. I knowe some call thys Babylon, Rome, by an Allegorie: and other some, Babylon of Chalde, but their proofe is easely reproued, their ass [...]rtion vncertaine, their opinion wauering, and their iudgement without reason or authoritie. For all others write of Markes béeing at Egypt, and at Alexandria, and there to haue preached that some Gospell, which hée hath committed to writing. And for the familiaritie that was betwéene Peter and Marke,Nicephorus 2. c. 15. & cap. 43. Nicephorus Lib. 2. cap. 43 Peter calleth him his sonne. And in déed, hée was his Sisters sonne adelphidous ▪ But what néedeth vs any more proofe of Peters being in Egypt, when as Peters woordes proue it. If Marke suffered his mar [...]yrdome the eight yeare of Nero his raigne,i. Petr. 5. ver. 13. Colo. 4. v. 10 Lebeus in the conuersion of Paule. as Hierome writeth in Catalogo. And Eusebius Lib. 2. Cap. 24. And notwithstanding was at Rome the second or third yeare of the sayd Nero, as is manifeste. For that yeare Paule wrote the Epistle too the Collossians from Rome. Than of necessitie Peter must haue ben in Egypt ▪ before the eight yeare of Nero his raigne, because that Peter béeing in Egypt ▪ sayeth, that Marke dooth salute the dispersed▪ Brethren of Asia. If before the eight yeare, Ergo hée must néedes haue ben in Egypt some parte of Nero: if some parte, then was not hée at Rome all the tyme of Nero, if hée was not at Rome vnto the 14. yeare of Nero, and 11. yeares before: than quaileth the opinion of the papistes, that saye, that hée was Pope at Rome twentie fiue yeares .7. monethes, 7. wéekes, 7. dayes. For Peter must néedes haue bene in Egypt before the death of Marke, for if Marke had ben dead, Peter would not haue said that Marke had saluted the dispersed brethren. But that this matter maye bée playnly perceyued, and the inconstancie of Romishe Registers detected, their fraude espyed, and their errours [...]efelled: Consider,A breefe repetition. that Peter was the third yeare of Call [...]gula cast in prison by Herode, the ninth [Page] yeare after Christes passion, and the eight yeare of Paules conuersion, wherfore Peter fearing the tyrannie of Herode, as I sayd before,Act. 12. ver. 13. conueyed himself out of the presence of Herode. And all the whyle that Paule and Barnabas preached to the Gentiles,Act. 13. and 14 Peter remayned in Iudea, which was about seuen yeres. And thus are wee comme to the sixthe yere of Claudius, the sixtenth afer Christes passion,Act. 15. ver. 7. and the fiftenth of Paules conuersion. After this Councell (how long I can not certenlye coniecture) hée tooke his iourney into Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, & Asia, where hée taried seuen or eyght yeares and more,Leut▪ 1. lib. 2. cap. 10 Bu [...]hinger. as I haue specified before. Others apointe but * fyue yeares, put to seuen yeares, in which they saye hée was at Antioche. By this order of tyme wée haue brought it too passe euen according too the prescription of the Papistes, and after suche an infallible supputation, that it can not bée denyed,Afore Christs passion, 30. vnto the sixth yere of Nero, which was the .xxx. yere after Christes passion, and .xxix. after the conuersion of sainct Paul. In so much that hée could neyther bee .xxv. yeres at Rome, neyther seuen moonthes, neyther seuen dayes, neyther one yeare of Nero. If any man can refelle any parte of this discourse, wée will geue him thankes, partelie for that hée shall delyuer vs out of errour, and also for that hée shall set foorthe the truthe. If Peter lyued after the death of Nero, as this Historye declareth, howe coulde hée bée put too deathe by Nero? I haue proued before, that hée was at Babylon in Egypte, which is distant from Rome ten or eleuen degrées in latitude, and in longitude .xxx. which must néedes bée a longe and tedious iourney.yee must ascribe some yeares to this long iourney. For Babylon of Egypt standeth in 62.25: 30.0. and Rome 36.40: 41.40. It apereth that Peter was at Corinthe also: for it is written, that some holde of Paule, some of Apollo, and other some of Cephas, which was Peter.1. Corinth 1. ver. 12. If the Corinthians had neuer séene Peter, neuer herd of him, neuer had ben conuersaunte with him, why woold they haue holden of him? It may bée that hée went to Corinth when hée was in lesser Asia, which differeth not from Corinth aboue six or seuen degrées in latitude, and as much in a manner in longitude.

Peter dyed not at Rome. Gala. 2. ver. 7 Ma [...]th. 13. ver. 34.Let vs comme too an end. If hée suffred not deathe at Roome, where died hée? It appereth that hée died at Hierusalem, bycause that hée was appointed a teacher of the Iewes. For Christe saieth, [Page] that [...]ée sent too the Hierosolymitanes Prophets, wyse men, and learned men, and hée prophicied, that somme of them they shoulde kill and crucefye:Euthim vpon Math. 23. by these hee meaneth the Apostles and other teachers. Which of all the Apostles was crucefied at Hierusalem? But somme must needes bée crucefyed there,Peter crucified at Hierusalem. or els Christes woordes should seeme not too bée true. Wherfore Hier [...]m & Lyra with the interlyned Glose vppon this place affirme, that Peter wes crucefyed at Hierusalem by the Iewes.

Thus mutch as concerning the historie, lyfe, peregrination, and death of Peter. Those presumptuous and legend lyes, with Festiuall fables, whiche they aduouch, are dissonant, contrary, and varyable among them selues. Somme saye as Eusebius,Euseb 2. ca. 25 The inconstā cy of them that aff [...]rme y• Peter was a [...] Rome. that Peter came too Roome the secound yere of Claudius, somme the thirde, somme the fourth, as Damasus: when as all this tyme hée was noot out of Iury. The discorde of writers causeth suspicion. Discorde is contrary too concorde. Where is truthe if concorde bee absent? Consider their discorde: Eusebius sayeth, that Peter raigned at Roome .xxv. yeares, Hierom. xxvii. Beda. xxix. Damasus affirmeth that hee came too Roome in the tyme of Nero, Michaell. Buechinge. rus. It was not Damasus worke but thrust in by [...] [...]yer Crab. Molin contra a [...]us. Pap. which was the fourtenth yeare of his Raigne, and notwithstanding was at Roome whole .xxv. yeres, twoo monethes, and seuen dayes. Howe is it possible that Peter came too Roome in the tyme of Nero, and suffred in the last yere of Nero, and yet taried there xxv. yeres, and all in the tyme of Nero, who reigned but .xiiii. yeres. Mendacem memorem esse oportet. Can you make .xxv. of xiiii. or xiiii. too bee .xxv? Buechingerus sayeth, that Peter was at Roome .xxv. yeres, seuen monethes, and eight dayes.Buechingerus. Somme saye, that Peter suffered at Roome the .xxxiii. yeare after the death of Christe, somme the .xxxviii. yeare. Nicephorus sayeth,Niceph. 3. ca. & lib. 14. ca. 39 that Peter was the first Bishop of Roome, Clement in the first booke Recognit. sayeth, that Barnabas was the first that was at Roome, and the firste that planted any Churche there: Hierom sayeth, that Peter was Bishope in the East fiue yeares, Beda seuen yeares. Nicephorus sayeth,Buechingerus. that Peter went from Antioche too Roome, and from Roome too Antioche, and agein from Antioche too Roome, where hee suffered. Fabularum plena sunt omnia.

Quo te [...]eam nodo mutantem Prothea vultus?

[Page]

Bibliāder life of Marke

Omnia transformat sese in miracula rerum.

Ireneus and Dorotheus saye, that Marke was alyue after the deathe of Peter and Paule: other saye, that hee suffered the eight yeare of Nero. As they doo disagree in Peter, so doo they in the rest of the first Popes. And thinke yee not that they disagrace Peter, in making him of an Apostle a Bishope, of a Disciple of Christ a Pope of Rome? But too our purpose, somme saye that Peter made Linus, Cletus, and Anacletus, Bishoppes of Rome. Somme saye,Euseb. 3. cap. 2. & 4 Lib. 5. ca. 9 that they were his fellowes & cohelpers: their foundacions are weake, they leane too a broken staffe. Somme saye, that Clement succeded Peter with Linus and Cletus, Marianus Scotus. The firste that planted Religion at Rome were neyther Byshops nor Popes. as cohelpers: which as the sayd Scotus writeth in Anacletus lyfe, denieth that they were eyther Bishops or Popes. There is no mention of Cletus in any good Author, neyther can it bée proued sufficiently, whether euer there were any suche, or no. Somme saye, that hée was Pope twelue yeares, other somme, seuen. The olde writers place Anacletus immediatlye after Clement, eyther despising Cletus, or els forgetting him,Ecclesiast histo: Cento. 1. or els being ignorant of any such, omit him. I cease too nomber all the discordes, for Roome it self woolde scarse holde them all.

Nowe, as wée haue proued by the truthe of the history, that Peter was neyther at Roome. xxv. yeres,Peter was not at Rome neyther dyed there: So let vs proue the same by probable argumentes, that they maye 1 perceiue their Churche too bée buylded vppon the sande.

2 If Peter had ben at Roome,Act. 18. ver. 2 Luke woolde haue specified it, who describeth the Apostles Actes diligently and exquisitely.After Christe 20

It is euident both by Suetonius Tranquillus and others, and also by S. Luke, that Claudius the Emperour did charge all the Iewes as they loued their lyues, too departe out of Roome: if Peter had bin there than, which was the tenth yeare of Claudius, and the .xx. 3 after Christes passion, and the .xix. of Paules conuersion, without doubte somme mention woolde haue ben made of his tarying there or of his departure.Rome 16. ver. 3. Paule saluteth Aquila & Priscilla by name, who were at Roome before the commaundment of the Emperour, 4 & why did hée not aswell salute Peter,Gala. 1. ver. 18 with whome hée taryed .xv. dayes at Hierusalem? If Peter had ben there, & had herd the proclamation of Claudius, which hée must néeds haue heard, if hée had [Page] ben there, hée woulde haue shaken the dust of his féete, following the precept of Christ. And neyther could hée haue taried at Roome, neyther hée woolde: hée could not bycause of Tyranny,Act. 13. ver. 5 [...] Mar. 6. ver. [...] Luk. 9. ver. [...]. & woolde not because the citie was not woorthie of such a message as hée brought with him. How can they now saye, that hée taried there .xxv. yeres vii. monethes, & vii. dayes? But why did they not make Paule the first Pope, séeinge that hée was not only appointed too bée a teacher too the Gentiles, but also Luke affirmeth, that hée was at Roome:Act. 28. ver. 16 Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 21. & cap. [...] and Eusebius maketh him the first Bishop of Rome? They woold rather haue made Paule an Heretique, if they had could, because that hée inueyeth so much ageinst the Antechrist of Roome. There was one brought before a Iustice of the West countrie for religiō, who aunswereth, béeing demaunded of a matter of religion, that Paule sayeth so: Paule? sayeth hée, if Paule were here hée should go the same waye that thou shalt go, & ye were both worthie to bée 5 burned, & I wolde cary a fagotte to burne you both.Coloss. 4. ver. 12 & 14. Paule béeing at Rome in the tyme of Nero, wrote to the Colossians, saying that Epaphras, Luke, & Demas saluted them. Was Peter inferiour to them? was hée not worthie to bée named? were his salutacions to bée despysed? wherfore if hée had ben at Roome,2. Timothe 4 ver. 10. and 11. hée woolde haue 6 made mention of Peter, béeing head of the Apostles. And to Timothe hée writeth, that Demas was reuolted, Crescens was gone into Fraunce, Titus into Dalmatia, Epih. & theodoret. desiring him to bring Marke with him, bycause only Luke was with him. If Luke was there only, surely Peter was not there.To Philem [...]n. ver. 23 and .24. And Paule writing to Philemō sayeth, that Epaphras his felowe prysoner, Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, & Luke, his cohelpers, saluted him. If Peter had ben there béeing an earnest professor of Christ, should not hée haue bē apprehended as sone as Epaphras? should not hée haue ben as good a helper as Demas? as Ari [...]tarchus? as Luke? was hée not woorthie of naming?

Hithertoo I haue obserued as appereth by the texte, too proue euery thing by order of tyme and place,The old Authors discours vppon Peter. and also by other circumstances: now I thinke it good also to recite the order that Hierom & other old writers obserue in this matter, who gather their historie out of Luke and Paule, as wée do: which order though it be not so probable to somme, notwithstanding it maketh better for our [Page] purpose. For after the order which I haue described hitherto, Peter was at Hierusalem the sixt yeare of Claudius the Emperoure, the .xvi. yeare of Christes passion, & the .xv. yeare of the conuersion of sainct Paule. But Hierom and others will haue the Councell, which was holden at Hierusalem in the .xv. of the Actes, to haue bē the .xvii. yeare of Paules conuersion, and in the eightenth yeare from Christes passion, & in the eight yeare of Claudius. And they are persuaded by the first chapter to the Galatians vers. xviii. & by the second chapter vers. j. where Paule expressely maketh mention of .iij. yeares spent at Damascus and in Arabia,The yeare of Christ. Act. 15. ver. 7. and after those .iii. yeares too haue comme too Hierusalem too the Councell, the .viii. yeare of Claudius. With what countenance than can the Roomish catholiques saye, that hée went to Rome the second yeare of the Emperour Claudius? If wée interprete the places of the first and second chapter too the Galatians as Charles Molyneus,Molineus an Aduocate of the highe Senate & Parliament of Paris, dothe, than must wée saye,After Christ ye 18 & 19. yeare Act. 15 that Paule continued at Damascus, in Arabia, and his retourne to Damascus, full fyue yeares: & than .xiiii. yeare after both Paule & Peter too haue ben at the Councell. Than must wée af [...]rme, that Peter was at Hierusalem the .x. or .xi. yeare of Claudius, which was the .xix. or .xx. yeare after Christes passion.After Christs passion the 20 yeare. And in the .xvii. or .xix. yeare of Paules conuersion, which was ye .xi. yeare of Claudius, Peter departed to Antioche, where hée was thē reprehended of Paule. Then both by Molyneus supputation, and by the other,After Christ ye 23.24. 252· 6▪ 27. which wée haue recited before, Peter coulde not comme too Roome the second yeare of Claudius. And therfore whatsoeuer the Papistes buylde of Peter *, it is soone shaken downe, as grounded vpon the sandes.Ecclesiast. his. Ceut. 1. libr. 2. cap. 10. If Peter continued full seuē yeares at Antioche in Syria, as the Papistes affirme, then coulde not hée haue ben at Roome vntill the .iiii. yeare of ye Emperour Nero, which was .xxvii. yeares after Christes passion.After Christe 27. yeare. Molyneus cō tra Abusus Pap [...]rum By this discourse hée could not haue ben Pope at Roome .xxv. yeares, as the Papistes dreame, vnlesse that hé had lyued after Nero, after Galba, after Otho, after Vitellius, Vespasianus, and Titus, vnto the tyme of Domitianus, as manifestly appereth by their Reignes. For Nero reigned .x. yeares, after the .iiii. yeares which I haue specified:Peter not at [...]ame, Galba .vii. monethes, Otho .iii. monethes, Vitellius .viii. monethes, which was a yeare & [Page] a half, Vespasianus .x. yeares, & Titus .ii. yeares. So that these .xxv. yeares, that Peter should haue ben resident at Rome, should haue [...]atended too the .ii. yeare of the Emperour Domitianus. So that Peter should not haue dyed in the tyme of Nero, as the Papistes reporte, who affirme with one voyce, that Peter was crucefied at Rome, with his héeles vpward & his head downward,Egesip. li [...]. 3. cap [...]. the .xxxvii. yeare after Christes passion, & the .xiiii. yeare of Nero: whē as wée haue proued by their own reportes, Chronicles, Histories,Buechingerus. Sab. Lo. [...]iopol. & Authors, that hée lyued .xv. yeares longer, euen too the seconde yeare of the Emperour Domitian, which was after the passian of Christ lii. or liii. yeares.

Hithertoo wée haue proued by the hi [...]tory, and by argument, and also by authoritie, that Peter was neuer at Roome. Now let vs confute their presumptions and obiections.

They obiect, that the olde Authors saee, that hée was there:The. 1. ob [...]ection I answer, that those olde Authors haue no staffe too stick too, no scripture, no sufficient authoritie, not one woorde, neyther out of the olde Testament, nor of the newe. Let vs confute Egesippus, out of whom they haue all their fables, whereby they woold proue Peter to haue bin at Roome. First this fabulous and lying Egesippus is not hée that Eusebius maketh mention of Lib. fourth. Cap. 8.22. For hée gathered his books out of the Ghospell [...]ecundum Hebraeos & Syros, & hée wrote commentaries, wherin hée wrote the doctrine & actes of the preaching of the Apostles in an homely & simple stile inmanner of an history, and did contend erfectually against Heretiques: this fabulous Egesippus wrote in Greke. Secondly, this Author wryteth an highe stile, & affecteth an other kynd of phrase: the other is an homely stile, as Hierō noteth. This suborned Egesippus wryteth fyue bookes of the destruction of Hierusalem, out of Iosephus: the other the actes of the church, frō the passion of Christ to his own tyme, which was after Christes natiuity about .145. yeares. Thirdly, the trew Egesippus wrote the actes of the preaching and doctrine of the Apostles, out of the Ghospell secundum Hebraeos & Syros: this suborned Egesippus gathered his bookes out of Iosephus, neyther doth Hierom nor Eusebius make mention of them.

[Page]Fourthly, this Eusebius that wée haue, maketh mention of Constantinople, vnto the which the citie of Rome was equall in dignitie. This was done in the tyme of the Emperoures Gratian and Theodosius in the yeare of Christ, as Pantaleon noteth, 383. The true Egesippus was about the yeare of Christe, 146. and this Councell spoken of in the latter Egesypus, was about the yere of Christ 383. so that now it is manifest, that this latter Egesippus was 200. yeare and aboue after the former, and therefore such a one as serued to set out fables for the mayntenance of the Pope & his superstition: reade more in Cornelius Gualterus, vpon Egesippus, and in Vilierius. If a man doo well consider those fables, that Egesippus writeth lib. 3. c. 2. how that Peter and Simon Magus dyd contende whyther of them should renine Nero his Cosen that was dead, and how that, if Peter could not doo it, hée should dye for it: and if Simon could not, & that Peter could doo it, then Simon should suffer death. And howe that Peter met Christ at the gates of Rome, and asked of Christ, Domine quo vadis? And how that Christ answered, I come ageyne to bée crucified: and that Peter returned and was crucified with his héeles vpward. It may bée easely cōsidered that hée was one of the Popes friends, &c.

Ireneus in the first chapter of his third booke writeth, that Matthewe wrote his Gospell what tyme as Peter and Paule preached the gospell at Rome, & founded the hurch there. If Peter was at Rome at that tyme when Mathewe wrote his Gospell, then dyd not hée come to Rome in the second, third, or fourth yeare of Claudius, as the Catholiques reporte. For as yit Caligula was aliue, and in the third yeare of his Empyre and reigne, Matthewe wrote his Gospell. Neyther was Paule at Rome in the tyme of Caligula, in whose third yeare Matthew wrote his Gospell, euen eight yeare after Christes ascension, and 41. years after his natiuitie. For it was 24. years after Christes deathe, before Paule came to Rome. Howe could Paule preache at Rome the eyght yeare after Christes ascen [...]ion, when as hée came not to Rome vntill the 24. yeare after Christes ascension? Could hée preache at Rome before that hée was there? It was the seconde yeare of Nero, that Paule came to Rome, as shall appeare most manifestly [Page] to them that will conferre the 28. of the Actes of the Apostles, with the order of tyme, with the yeares of the Emperours, and with Eusebius in Chronice, and Hierome in the lyues of Ecclesiasticall writers. Consider whether that Ireneus can make the 3. yeare of Caligula, which was the eight yeare after Christes Ascension, to bée the second yeare of Nero, whiche was the 24. yeare after Christes ascension. Nowe, if Peter came not to Rome tyll Paule was there, or if hée were there with Paule at any tyme, then could not Peter bée there tyll the seconde yeare of Nero, so that hée was neyther at Rome in the tyme of Caligula, who reygned thrée yeare: nor in the tyme of Claudius, who reygned 14. yeare. So that by this order, and playne demonstration, Ireneus woordes are neyther of force, neyther woorthy to bée read, & much lesse, to bée credited. Hierome writeth, that Peter came to Rome the second yeare of Claudius, which is no trewer then this that the same Hierome sayeth that Peter was the prince of the Apostles. Was hée the Prince of the Apostles, when Paule withstoode and reproued to his face? Galat. 2. ver. 11. whom Christ called Satan? who calleth himselfe but an Elder with the reste? 1. Petr. 5. who was sent by the other Apostles, Actes. 8? Could Peter come to Rome the second yeare of Claudius, when as Hierome himselfe in the same place sayeth, that first hée went to Antioche, where hée was Bishop, and from thence hée went and preached to the dispersed Brethren in Ponto Gallatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithinia, and then went to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius and continewed there 25. yeare. If he came to Rome after that hée had bene at Antioche, and in these other countries, as Hierome reporteth, then came not hée to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius, as the same Hierome contrudeth. For this yeare was the sixt yeare of Nero, which was after the second yeare of Claudius, 17. yeare, as I proue in this booke, and as it foloweth necessarely by the computation of yeares, and order of the historiographers. As concerning Eusebius, hée was an Arrian, and gathered his historie out of those bookes that were condemned in codice Sancta Romana, 15▪ dist. 11. And when hée was an Arrian, hée wrote this historie Tripart. lib. 2. cap. 7. Read lib. 2. cap. 11. of the sayd Tripartit. Hée is contrarie to himselfe, for hée sayeth lib. 3. cap. 2. that Peter came [Page] not to Rome tyll the last yeare of Claudius, read Molineus & Rhenanus, & you shal find many mo reasons wherby ye may cōfute Eusebius. If ther bée any other authours in this errour, they may be as easely reiected as these.De [...]tro. 4 ver 2. Prouerb. 30 ver. 6. Apocal. 22. ve. 12.19. And if we are forbiddē to ad any thing, or take any thing away: if ye old authors may cause Peter to be at Rome without authoritie, we may affirme yt he was not at Rome with authoritie: if they of their own heades hold that Peter was at Rome, we may by euident demōstrations, assured arguments, & infallible reasons, proue that hée was not at Rome. If they say and not proue, and wée booth saye and proue, whether is of more Authoritie? They saye that hée was at Rome 25. yeares, and came eyther in the tyme of Claudius, or Nero: wée proue that all that tyme hée was eyther in Iurie, Antioche, Asia, or Egypte. They saye that Eusebius, Molineus proueth himan Arri [...] in his book against the Pope. an Arian or counterfeyt Damasus sayeth so: wée saye that Christian Luke, and true Paule prooue the contrarie. They write contraries: wée concordances, they obsurdities: wée sensible argumentes, they alleadge fables, and wée truths:Obiection They say that Peter was at Rome both quicke & dead, wée denie both. They saye yt Peter, when hée died, willed Clemēt then (being at Rome) to write to Iames of his death.Epistola▪ decretales [...]illir. Iames his death. Eusebi. 2. cap. 23. But Iames was dead by their owne authorities, before Peter suffered, seuen yeares, for Iames was cast downe of the pynacle of the temple at Hierusalem the 30. yeare after Christes passion, and Peter (as they reported) suffered 37. yeare after christes passion: could Clement,Monst. G. [...] Lebeue. being alyue, write to Iames being dead? who should carry the letters? If hée went to purgatorie, who knewe where purgatorie was, for than it was not inuented? If hée were in Heauen, thither ascendeth none with letters.Poli [...]or. libr. 6. cap. [...] [...] Plato Uola [...]. Niceph. libro. [...] cap. 23. Perhaps Clement should sende the letters and laye them vpon Iames graue, that he might rise on the night and reade them, as in the councell of Nyce they say that Chasantus and Musonius, two Bishops of the councell of Nice, dyd subscribe to those matters that were concluded in the councel, desired bythe rest, who layd the actes vpon their graues, requiring them to subscribe for a better assertion, & the next morning they resorted to their graues, & found both their handes subscribed.Egesippus. 3 cap 2. They write that Eusebius reporteth that Peter was reques [...]ed of his brethren & fellowes,Obiection to departe out of Rome, least [Page] Nero should persecute him to death. Peter went out at their request, & when he came to the gate he met Christ and saide thus: God saue you Syr, whether goe you? you were best to returne, here is to hotte béeing for you and mée. Then sayd Chryste, doost thou not know mée Peter? O Peter, Peter, returne,Doc. Smith. there hee was Cura [...]e. hither I am come to suffer ageyne. Naye sayeth Peter, God forbidde, I will goe: and so Peter returned, and suffered at Rome. This doctrine taught Doctor Smith, I heard him in Whitengton colledge in London, in Quéene Maries dayes. Hée moued manye affections, and tolde the tale on this wyse: Maysters, sayeth hée,Doctor Smithes Sermon. you are in a great errour, as concerning the blessed Sacrament, and all your trust was in Cranmer, Rydley, & Latymer. As for Latymer, hée sayd in open disputation in Oxforde, that hée had no learninge in that matter, but out of Cranmers booke. Besydes this, I disputed with Latymer 20. yeares agone: and then hée hadde no learning. As for Cranmer, hée sayde that his learninge came from Rydley. And as for Rydley,Doctor Smithes Argument. I disputed with him my selfe now at Oxeford the other day, and I proued my Argument thus: Ille, cui Christus obuiauit Romae, fuit Romae: At Christus obuiauit Petro Romae: Ergo, Petrus fuit Romae. Hée whom Christ met at Rome, was at Rome: But Christ met Peter at Rome: Ergo, Peter was at Rome. By this Argument I proue twoo thinges, and singuler mysteries of our fayth. First, that Peter was at Rome, ageynst them that clatter that Peter was neuer at Rome. Secondly, that if Peter met Christ bodely, as Abdias reporteth, and whiche I am sure is true, or else suche an auncient, and holy Father would neuer haue written it. Then consequently hée maye bée aswell bodely in the blessed Sacrament, as hée was met bodely. To this Rydley stoode lyke a block, and féelinge hym selfe conuicted, aunswered nothing. Then sayde I, Cur non respondes haeretice, haereticorum haereticissime. Dyd not I handle hym well? Then denyed hée the minor, which I proued thus: Christ met Peter goeing out of Rome, and sayed, good morrowe Peter, whether goest thou? Peter aunswered, good morrowe good man, whether goest thou? Then sayde Chryste, I goe to Rome too suffer, what? sayeth Peter, I trowe, onlesse I take my markes amisse, you are Ihesus Christe, good Lorde, howe doo you? I am [Page] glad I haue met you here. Then sayd hée to Peter, goe backe and suffer, or else I must et pro te & me. When Rydley had heard this my profe, and Abdias authoritie, a Doctoure auncient and irrefragable, hée aunswered neuer a woorde. And thus I cenfuted Rydley in the audience of a thousand, that hée hadde not one woorde to saye: yet you say [...] that Christ was neuer in earth since the Ascension bodely: beléeue with mée, that hée is vnder fourme of bread and wyne. Let this argumente of myne confounde you as it did Ridley your chief champion. Thus mucth Doctoure Smith, and more in Whitengton colledge churche in London, standing in the streat called towre Ryall, a little aboue the thrée Cranes in the Uynetrée.4. Obiectiō. If, saye the papistes, wée holde not and defende ageynst these heretiques, that Peter was at Rome, than our churches estimation is doone, our prerogatiue perisheth: our preeminence no better then others: our glorie diminished: our holinesse empayred: our authorities annihilated: our honors negnected: our dissimulation detected: our customes wa [...]e colde: our perdones peruerted: our Iubilees iested at: our Religion rayled vppon,The solution. of the .4. Obi [...]c [...]ion. and all our pompe fall to nothing. I aunswere, Peter sought no such vanities. Christ willeth him that would presume aboue the rest, to bée inferiour to the rest. Paule gaue no place to Peter.Galat 2. ve. 11 Chrysost vpō ye 20. of Mat. Chrysostome sayeth, that hée that in earth séeketh supremacie, shall finde in heauen confusion, neyther shalbée nombred amonge the seruauntes of God. Hierome sayeth, that wheresoeuer a man be Bishop,Hiero. ad Euan. distinct. 93 can. legimus. distinct. 95. Can. Din. whether at Rome, Engubie, Constantinople, Rhegij, Alexandria, Thebes, or Guarmaria, the office is all one, the merite all one, and degrée all one. Who soeuer sayeth Gregorie, calleth himselfe the vniuersall priest, or desireth to bée called so, is a foreronner of Antichrist, reade Gregorie Epistola 76.78.79.83.92.194.

Here endeth the first Discours.

THE SECOND DISCOVRS, wherein is proued that neyther Peter, nor the Pope, is the head of Christes Church.

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AS wée ha [...]e hitherto proued in the former Oration, or discourse, that Peter was not at Rome. The second Discourse. So let vs in this seconde Treatise conclude, that neyther hée neyther the Pope, neyther any of his Successoures is the heade of the Churche, neyther the Church or Seate of Rome to bée preferred before others. As out of the head and brayne, which is the seate of the senses whereof ryseth all knowledge (as the Philosophers and Phisitians write) and also as of synowes wherewith the partes of the body are knit and coupled togither, procéedeth the lyfe vitall and all mouinge.Theodoret. vpon ye Colos. cap. 2. ver. 19. Euen so from our head Christ, the fountaynes of grace are deryued, and flowe to water our soules, the synowes and sensible doctrine to instruct the mynde,Christe is the head of the Church. and the spirit of regeneration to renewe the whole man. As the heade and brayne minister too the whole body féeling and moouing: so is Christ the head of distributing to euery man seuerall gyftes of the Spirit.Ephes. 4. ver. 16. Hée that is the head of the church (which is the body of Christ) must néedes gyue lyfe, spirite, moouing, b [...]eing, senses, féeling, vnderstanding, grace,The first Argument. and all gyftes of the holy ghost,Ephe. 1. ver. 23 but the Pope can gyue none of these. Therefore the Pope is not the heade of the church. Hée that can not forgyue synnes, is not the heade of the Churche.The Pope is not the heade of the Church The 2. Argument. The 3. Argument. Luk 5. ver. 21. Ephes. 5. ver. 23. The Church Confer the .2. to the Cor 11. ver. 2. to the Rom. cap. 7. ver. 3. The Pope cannot forgyue synnes, Ergo hée is not the heade of the church▪ Solus Deus condonat peccata, Onely GOD forgyueth sinne: The Pope is not God, Ergo hée forgyueth no sinne. As the man is the head of the Wooman, so is Christ the heade of the church. This Church are all the faythfull of all ages: the faithfull before the floode: the faythfull after the floode: The Faythefull before Christ, the faythfull after Christ. If a wooman should haue twoo Husbandes to her head, were shée an honest woman? were shée not an Adultres? were shée not to bée diuorced? Ergo, if the Romishe Church [...] haue twoo heades, Chryste and the Pope: Shée is a Strumpette, an Harlotre, a Curtesane, [Page] and the Churche of Satan. Moreouer, Christe is zeleous ouer his congregation, hée will haue no fellowes, hée is sufficient alone, hée néedeth not the Popes ayde. The Popes head may be dronke, Christes is alwayes sobre: his franitique, Christes perfect: his phantasticall, Christes substanciall: his feble, Christes stronge: his mortall, Christes immortall. Hée that maketh him self the head of the Church, hée must make him self her husband: but what an husband is the Pope? Surely an adulterer, if hée presume too take an other mans wyfe. Is not the Church Christes wyfe? Thā is shée not the Popes, because that shée can not haue two husbands at once. If hée bée an adulterous head, ergo hée is Antechrist.

Howe coulde Peter bée Pope at Roome, when as it was not lawfull, nor permitted to teache, but priuatlie in houses? Where was his authoritie? where were bothe his swoordes, Temporall & Spirituall? Neyther had hée the Temporall to represse Nero his tyrannie, neyther the Spirituall to rule the Clergie. Was not Paule as good as Peter?Gala. 2. ver. 11 Did hée not resist him to his face? Was Paule inferiour to any of the Apostles? Howe chaunceth it, that Peter could not rule them, that put him to deathe? where was the mightie power of M. Pope? Is hée the head of the Church, whom Christ calleth Sathan?Math. 16. ve. 23. Is not that Satanas church, which Satan ruleth? But Peter is called Satan, Ergo that church which Peter ruleth, is the church of Satan. But saye the Papistes: Our Churche is founded vpon Peter.After hee had sayd to Peter and vpon thee I will [...]wilde my church, he calleth him Sathan. And Paule reproued him after this. Gala. 2. ve. 14 Ergo ye Pope may and doth erre. Iohn. 6. ve. 71 Apoca. 21. ver 9.10. Then is the foundation vitious, the buylding odyous, the pillers, which are the colledge of Cardinalles, very rotten and corrupt, and the pallace of Prelates pestilent, and all that they do beastlie, sensuall, carnall & of Antechrist. For Christ sayeth to Peter: Awaye Satan, hence Dyuell: for so signifyeth the Hebrewe woorde: thou offendest mée, thou sauorest of earthly thinges, and not of heauenly. If the head be Dyuelish, what are the members? what is the body? The Romishe churche is the body, is this churche without spotte or wrincle? is this of God? is this the piller of truthe? is this the Kingdome of God? Naye, it is as Petrarche writeth, the sinke of sinne, and pudle of Godes yre: A denne of Wolfes, Lyons, Foxes, Dragons, and Tigres. Peter sauored of earthly thinges, and sought earthly thinges, and so doo the Popes. Did not Peter moue Christ, that [Page] they might make in the mount where Christ was gloriously transformed, thrée tentes? hée sauored of none other thing, then of earth.Ma. 17. ver. 4 And did Pope Leo any other thinge,Leo the 10. Pope. when hée answered Peter Bembus a learned Cardinall, alledging a sentence out of the Ghospell to him, that it was knowen well ynough in all ages,Busgradus. And B. how much that fable of Christ did profit the Popes and their successours and adherentes? And that ye shall vnderstand that the Church is neyther founded vppon Peter, nor of any other man, sainct Paule sayeth, that Christ is only the foundacion. And Christ,1. Cor. 3 ver. 1 [...] when the Apostles did stryue for superioritie & y• preeminencie, sayd to them, reprouing their ambition, that hée that presumed to be highest, should be lowest, and a minister too the rest.Mat 22. ve. 26 Luk. 22. ve. 16 Which woordes declare, that Christ woulde haue no superioritie amonge his Apostles. Did not Peter deny Christ thrée tymes?Math. 26. ver 34. Is hée woorthie too bée the head and steward of his family, that denyeth his Master? that sweareth that hée neuer knewe him?Luk. 9. ve. 18 Such are Peters Successors, for they sweare that they neuer knew such a Iohn 23 Pope denounced thē too bee heretiques ye affirmed y• Christ had no worldly substance. beggerly body as Christ was. For saye they, Christ was poore, Psal. 8. ve. 67 wee bee riche. Christ a begger and had nothing, wee haue the whole worlde. And it is prophecied by Dauid of vs: Mat. 26. ver. 51. Omnes subiecisti sub pedibus eius, oues & boues & pecora campi. To the Pope God hathe layd all thinges vnder his feete, sheepe, oxen, and all cattell. Peter did fyght and cut of Malcus eare, the Popes cut of the Emperours heades, fyght with them, subdue them, and treade vppon them. Theire foundation is the sword, fyre, fagotte, tyrannie, and all iniquitie. This sword Christ bad Peter put vp, they drawe it, and shaketh it ouer all Nations. Where proue they that Peter was the cheifest of the Apostles? where proue they, him too bée the best, or such a one as all the other shoulde obey? was hee the Uicegerat of Christ? can he doo all that Christ can doo? who was reproued of Paule, the least and lowest of all the Apostles?Gal. 2. ver. 11 1. Cor. 15. ver 6. where was his swoord than? where was his courageous stomacke? Did not little Paule dryue great Peter awaye? Wherfore yee see that the Pope founding his authoritie, ambition, vayne glory, Supremacie, dignitie, and superioritie, vppon Peter, must needes fall, it must needes bee grounded vppon errours and iniquitie.

[Page]That which hath twoo heades is monstruous, but if Christ bée head, (as hée is the only head) and the Pope also, than is it a monstruous body. But more monstruous is that body, that hath thrée or foure heades:M [...]n [...] Popes a [...] once, to many to be good. for at once there were thrée or foure Popes together, & euery one called him self head. Which of them was the head? let them answer, if they can: if they can not, let the head fall with the body. If Rome make the Pope holy, if the seate where the Pope is,The place maketh the Pope holy. can not erre, if his church bée catholique and vniuersall, how chaunced it that at one time in the yeare of Christ 1411. Clement was Pope at Auenion in Fraunce, Pope Vrbane at Roome, Benedict the .xiii. succeded Clement at Auenion in Fraunce, Gregorie the .xii. was the Pope at Rome, Iohn Pope at Bononia, and all deposed in the Councell of Constance. One of these reuiled an other, blasphemed an other, cursed, excommunicated, calling one an other Antechrist, Traytor, Murtherer, Sonnes of Beliall, Seruantes of Satan, Heretiques, Scismatiques, and Cruell Tyrauntes. If the presence of Peter make the place too bée the best, and of most authoritie, why was not Hierusalem the chief Cittie, the highe See, and the Metropolitane of the whole worlde? For there Peter preached first, and conuerted many thousandes. And ye can no [...] reade of one that hée conuerted at Roome, when hée was neuer there, as the former discours proueth. Where gaue Christ, and at what tyme, the authoritie and prerogatiue of [...]osinge and [...]ynding? Hée gaue it before his death, and in Iurye: than by good reason that tyme should bée better than this, & Iury holyer than Roome: for many hundreth yeares after was Roome established. Now, bycause neyther tyme nor place is estemed among Christians, but fayth in Iesu Christ: there is the Church, where Christians woorshippe him in veritie. Then Rome is not too bée preferred before the whole world, neyther a Cittie before Citties, a Towne before Shy [...]es, a small parte of Europe, before Asia, Africa, and America. Besides this, why is not Antioche, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, Asia, Egypte, and Babylon, too bee preferred, seeing that there hée preached, there hée planted, there hée grafted, there hee did sowe, there hée watered, there hée taught and instructed, and brought the people from errour to truthe, from [Page] Superstition to Religion, from Tyrannie to Clemencie,Epis [...]. Peter. cap. 1. ver. 1. from Fraude too Synceritie, from Dissimulacion and Hypocrisye too Ueritie, from Auarice too Frankenesse,Gen. 49. ver. 33. Luk. 16. ve. 22 Ge. 35. ver 29. Da. 12. ver. 13 Luc. 23. ve. 43 from Wickednesse too Uertue, from Earthly thinges too Heauenly thinges, from the admiration of worldly pompe too the contemplation of heauenly thinges, from Hell too Heauen, from misery too felicitie, and from earthly possession too the inheritaunce of Iacob, too the bosome of Abraham, too the possession of Isaac, too the let of Danyell, and too the Paradise of the blessed thief.

NOWE, I haste too the confutacion of their Argumentes, whereby they go about too proue that Peter and the Pope is the head of the Church. But first I will declare a true history, from tyme too tyme, and that breifly, what they were that were afore the Pope,The Historie. Luc. 4. ver. 17 and howe the Churche of Rome came too such a prerogatiue and dignitie.

Christ him self disputed and reasoned with the Doctoures, opposing, aunswering, and con [...]uting them: So did Iohn the Baptiste, so did the Apostles, so did Stephan, so Aquila, Apollo, and all other that had any of theise giftes, which are repeted in sainct Paule. And this order of euery man too vtter his gifte, continued vntoo the tyme of Theodoret,1. Cor. 14. Theodoret. vpon the 1. to the Cor. 14. Decree .5. titule .8. cap. 14 and vntoo the tyme of Gregorie the ninth Pope of that name, as appereth by his lawe: for hée made lawes, that no Laye man should preache of whatsoeuer degrée hée were, Noble man, Gentle man, and other. An Elder and a Bishoppe were both one at the beginning, Act. 20. vers. 17.28.A Byshop. which two verses conferred will shewe you that there is no difference betweene an Elder and a Bishoppe.An Elder. The which Paule proueth,Philip .1. ve. 1 and Hierom and Theodoret vpon the same chapter. Paule in that place calleth Bishoppes & Elders such, as taughte the people and instructed them:Deacons. and Deacons such as prouided for the poore, lyke too our Church Wardens. Afterward they began too alter this order: for Eusebius libro .4. & .5. affirmeth, that the Church was a virgin immaculate vntill the death of Iohn the Euangeliste, and than errours to haue creeped in, who dyed from the birth of Christ .xxv. yeares. [Page] And about [...]. yeares after his death, [...] Martir saieth [...] [...]ho was in the yeare of Christe .145 or before the Church began to haue one as cheef, whom they called, a President, or one as an Ouerso [...]er of the people: and here sayeth Beza, the Deuill began to practise his peruersitie, and laye the foundacion of his Tyrannye.Beza vpon ye [...] the Philip ver. 1. Euery Citie and Towne had a Bishoppe that taught them: but emong them there was no Supremacie. The Emperoures afterward which had certeyne principall Cities in euery Shyre one or more,Metropolis. whereto all the countrie about resorted to the Law, and to decide other matters, gaue greater authoritie to the Bisshoppes of the Moother cities (for so they were called) then too the Bishoppes of other Uillages in the countrie.Carthage [...]. Calcedo [...]. An [...]iochine counsell. And as they called the mother cities Metrapoleis, or matrikous kathedras▪ or meizonas, poleis: so dyd they call the Bishop or Minister thereof or Pastor, protonton, protenonta, proestota, or patriarchin, or Metropolitin▪ As they call the great Cities, Moother Cities, Moother Seates, The first seates, or greater Cities: so did they call the priest therof,Nycene coun [...]cel in the yere of Christ .324. or 326. or 328. or mynister, or Byshop, or pastour, the first, the chiefe, the president, a Patriarche, or Metropolitane. Wée reade in the councell of Nyce, that Alexandria was chiefe ouer Egypt, Lybia and Pentapolis, and Antioche was chiefe ouer the countries about, as Rome was in Italie. Constantinople councell 2. Anno Christi [...]83. Rome was not superior, nor ye [...] the Pope, Uielerius de stat. primat. ecc [...]si [...] Arche bishops &c. Where was there any superioritie more at Rome then at Alexandria, or at Antioche? In the second councell holden at Constantinople, it was decréed, that the Bishop of Alexandria should gouerne the Cast countries, & that Antioche might haue that dignitie that was appointed in Nycene councell, the Bishop of Thrace his countrie: the Bishop of Pontus his, the Bisshop of Rome Italie, and so of all the rest. Socrates in his historie repeteth seuerall Metropolitanes, which are called Patriarches: for they were booth of one Authoritie. As Nectarius ouer Megapolis, meaning Constantinople and Thrace, Helladius ouer Pontus, Basile ouer Cesarea of Cappadocia: Otrius ouer Miletene in Armenia: Amphilochius in Asia at Iconiam: Optimus at Antioche of Pisidia: Timothe to Alexandria of Egypt: Pelagius to Laodicia: Nicene. councell. cap. 7. & Iust. nouell constitu. 123 Diodorus to Tharsus: Meletius to Antioche: The Bishoppe of Hierusalem, to Hierusalem. These same Metropolitanes they called also Archebishoppes. They (say the false framed Epistles ascribed to Clemens and Anacletus) were chiefe citties Metropoles: [Page] where were Archiflamines and Protoflamines, and therfore Pontianus in Atheneus calleth vinum omnium malorum Metropolin, and so say these forged Archiflamines were turned into Archibishoppes.

Because that the first Emperours were at Rome,The 1. councel at Constantinople. ca. 3. Uielerius Calcedon councell. cap. 28. therefore it was called ta presbeia tis timis, that is, the chief honour was gyuen to Rome: It was the first: and Constantinople was the second Of this equalitie or Superioritie, or inferioritie read the Councell holden at Chalcedon in the yeare of Christe .453. And Vielerius, where it was concluded that Constantinople was of the same authoritie with Rome, though it be the second after, and Alexandria the third, and Hierusalem the fourthe. In the yeare of Christ 590. Ihon Bishope of Constantinople, ambitiously desired to be Supreme head oikoumenikon pasis tis oikoumenis, Iohn Byshop of constanti. the Uniuersall Bishoppe of the whole world that was habitable. And therefore Gregorie the firste Bishop at Rome of that name, called the same Iohn, the forerunner of Antichriste,alias maleface The first that called himself. Pope. Boniface .3 Phocas. Epist. lib. 2. cap. 194. Halfe a score yeare after, or little more, Boniface the Thirde of that name was made Bishop at Rome, and the firste that was ordeined or named Pope, or Summus Pontifex, the Highe Bishop, and this dyd the Emperoure Phocas to haue ayde of the Pope, which killed the Emperour Mauritius. his wyfe, his brother, and his sonne, with many other, and made himselfe Emperour. The Pope had this beginning. After him euery Pope encreased his authoritie with priuiledges, statutes, decrées, and preceptes, tyll that they grewe to such dignitie, that they created Emperoures, who were wont to create them, they deposed them, they fought with them, they trode on their neckes, they rebelled ageynst thē, they cursed them with booke, bell, and candell lighted, they pardoned them all that would fight ageinst the Emperour.

The first Obiection.

They alledge Scripture for their purpose,Mat. 4. ver. 6 Psal. 91. ver. 11.12.13. as the deuill dyd to Christ. They obiect this place of the Gospell written by Saint Matthew: Thou art Peter, and vpon this Peter I will buyld my Church. Peter, saye they, is the foundacion of the Church, of him it dependeth, in him it resteth, and hée is the head thereof. Let vs [Page] aunswere this Obiection with the true Interpretation, and Exposition of Chrystes mynde. Thou art Peter, &c.

Thy name, sayeth Christ, is Symon, but hencefoorth it shalbe Peter,Math. 16. ve. 18. a Rocke, or stone, or rather one depending of the rocke, as I promised in the first of Iohn, ver. 42. that thou shouldest bée called Cephas,Christs is the rock [...] and not Peter. a stone, but I alter it into Peter, bycause thy name shalbe deryued of mée. For I am Petra, and thou Peter: I Chryst, and thou a christian: I a Rocke, and thou rockye, or buylded vpon the rocke. The Allusion and affinetie of the Gréeke woord proueth this sense, sy ei petros, &c. Thou arte Peter, bicause thou beléeuest in Petra,Math. 16. ve. 18. that is in mée the Rocke: vpon the which I will buylde my congregation, whom I will to bée called Peters, as thou arte, deriuing their name of mée the rocke:euery faithfull man is a Peter. bycause who soeuer shal beléeue in mée as thou doest, I will gyue him ye same name that thou hast. Wherefore who so confesseth mée as thou doest, shalbe called Peter of mée Petra: that is, a christian of my name Christ. Hierom vpon the 8. of Mathew affirmeth, that Peter had his name of Petra, which is Christ. All are Peters which beléeue in this Rocke: I will buylde my famelie and congregation vpon it:1. Cor. 10. ve. 4 wherfore al my famelie and people are Peters. Peter in this place is put for all christians:Peter. and is a generall woorde signifying all beléeuers and confessoures of Christe. Therefore Hierome vppon the sixte of Amose, termeth all christes Apostles Peters. And ye Christ founded not his church vpō Peter (as our Romish catholiques cōtend) but vpon this rocke, which was Peters confession, yée shal vnderstand by the text it self. What was his cōfession? that Iesus christ was the sonne of God. Than this fayth of peters is the foundaciō of the church cleauing to Christ: which foundacion Paul defineth to be Christ, 1. Cor. 3. ver. 11. This church & congregation, bycause it confessed the same Christ, that Peter did, is very well termed & described by Paule,The Church. 1. Timothe. 3. ver. 15. to be the establishmēt and piller of truth: and by good reason, considering it is defined to bée Christes body, out of whose head is deriued whatsoeuer nourisheth the body. Who soeuer hath this fayth, and is a member of Christes body, is a Peter. As Christ is called a stone, so are his people and seruauntes named lyuely stones by participacion:1. Peter 2. ve. 5. as they are the light of the world, and salte of the earth: bycause the light and salte that they [Page] haue, is deriued and procéedeth from him, as of Petra, Peters, of Chryst,Matth. 5. ver. 13. christians.

That this is the true meaning of this place, it is euident hy the 18. chapter of Matthew, ver. 15. where the same doctrine is applied to all Christians,Math. 18. ver. 15. whan hée sayeth: If thy brother trespasse ageynst thée, tell him his faulte betwéene thée and him: If he heare thée, thou hast wonne thy brother. What is it too winne a mans brother, but to loose him from his sinne, wherwith hée was bound?To winne a mans Brother. By the which, if hée will not bée corrected, lette him bée as an Heathen and a Publicane. And thus hée is bound, bycause hée wil not repent. For, sayeth Christ, (speaking to all christians) what soeuer yée binde or loose vpon earth,Ma. 18. ver. 18 shalbée bound and loosed in heauen. Adam and Eue in Paradise were the true church, who when they heard the promise, how that the séede of the wooman, Iesus Christ, should burst the Serpentes head, beléeued it: vpon y• which beléefe Christ buylded his congregation:To bynde and l [...]se. and this is the Rocke. They did binde themselues in eating of the frute, in not obeinge the cōmaundement, in offending the lawe. They loused themselues in confessing their faulte, obeying chrystes voyce, lamentinge their facte, and beléeuing in him, who should bée borne of the séede of a wooman: their faith & confession of their offence with amendment of lyfe, were the keyes of heauen.The Keyes. By them they repossessed their felicitie, which was lost, and reentred into heauen. Christ graunted to twoo or thrée gathered togyther in his name,Math. 18. ver. 20 their requestes, and hée to bée among them. If this power and prerogatiue bée equall and particularly gyuen to euery christian, and generally to all: than is it not onely proper to the Pope. If all the congregation may binde and loose, then is the Popes authoritie nothing, and hée himselfe to be excluded as a reprobate, abhorred as a dissembler, defaced as an hipocrite, reiected as Psichicus in Tertullian was,Tertullian in his booke de Castitate. (who bragged as the Pope dooth, that he had authoritie to forgyue sinnes) deposed as an vsurper, and condemned as an Antichrist▪ The congregation is buylded vpon the rock. Who is the Rocke? Christ, not the Pope: faith in Iesu Christe, not execrable pardones: hope in the Lorde, not in man.1. Cor. 3. ve. [...] Esay 5. ver. 1. 1. Cor. 3. ve. 9 If the Churche and Congregation bée a buyldyng, as Paule declareth, and an hasbandrie, and vyneyarde as the prophetes testifie: [Page] and if Christ bée the buylder, as is manifest, and the Husbandmā: than hath the Pope no authoritie.Peter. That euery man is Peter that confesseth Christ with the same fayth that Peter dyd. Heare Origen his interpretation discoursing vpō this place, who was within 235. yeares after Christ. If wée affirme and confesse sayeth Origene, Origins. that Christ is the sonne of the immortall God, as Peter did, then are wée Peters, and shall obteyne the same felicitie that hée hath obteyned, because our confession and his is all one. If wée confesse Christ to bée the sonne of God, the father reuealing it too vs, it shalbée sayd to eche one of vs: Thou art Peter, and vpon thée I will buylde my congregation. Euery man is Petra, a Rocke, and lyuely stone, that is a follower of Christe, of whom they dranke, which dronke of the spirituall Rocke following them. Upon euery such rocke is the congregation of God buylded.1. Cor. 10. ve. 4 If a man ymagine the whole congregation and church to bée buylded vpon Peter only,Marc. 3. ve. 17 what will yée saye of Iames and Iohn, the thundering children, and other of the Apostles? In déed it was spoken to Peter,Math. 16. ver 18. thou art Peter, and vppon this rocke I will buylde my Congregation: Notwithstanding it is spoken in lyke manner to all the Apostles, and to all perfect and faythfull men: because they are all Peters and Rockes, and vppon all them and the prophetes is Christes church buylded:Ephes. 3. ver. 20. And the Gates of Hell shall not preuayle ageynst any of them. These gates of hell, are vyces, sinnes, and other corruption of mans nature, which shall neyther reigne in their mortall bodyes, neyther preuayle. Doest thou think that the keyes of the Kingdome were onely gyuen to Peter, and to [...]one other,Math. 19. ve. 19. neyther any other should receyue thē? If these wordes were not common to all men, as they are (I will gyue vntoo thée the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen) how can all those sayings and thinges which are applyed to Peter before bée commune to all men? For Christ thus spake in commune to them all: whom doo you saye that I am?Math. 16. ver. 13.14.1 [...]. And Peter answered in the name of them all: Doth hée not vtter the same in playner woordes, In the 20. of Iohn, ver. 22.23. saying to all the Apostles, brething vpon them: Receyue the holy ghost: whose sinnes yée forgiue, they shalbée forgyuen, and whose yée retayne, shalbée reteyned. They were all of lyke authoritie with Peter. All they that are imitators of Christ, [Page] are likewyse called Peters, and rockes, as Christ and his faythefull, of whom spirituall men drinke spirituall drinke. Of Christe all his are called Christes or christians, according to the Prophet, who sayeth, hée would saue his Christes. As Christe is called rightuousnes, and wysdome▪ so are wée called rightuous, because Christ is our rightuousnes and wisdome. So are christians named by other properties of God. Thus farre Origen, Psichicus like the Pope Tertul in libr de cast. with much more. Tertullian in his booke of Chastitie, who was but 210. yeare after Christ, writing ageynst Phisicus, the highe Bishop of Bisshoppes, who tooke vppon him to forgiue sinne, adulterie fornication, and other vices, sayeth thus: Shewe mée examples of the Prophetes, and of the Apostles, and I will acknowledge thy holynesse, diuinitie, and godhead. If thou canst doo so, I will graunt thou canst forgiue sinne: If thy office bée onely to teache and mynister, then is it not to forgiue sinne?Ma. 18. ve. 22 How hast thou this authoritie? thou presumest of this place. But Peter was commaunded to forgyue his brother so oft as hée offendeth: which sentence perteyneth to all men. The church is not the nomber and rable of Bishoppes. This authoritie is of the Lord, and not of his seruaunts: of God, not of any priest. Who is without sinne? no man. Than no man can forgyue sinne. Who dare attribute to man that which is proper to God? who can loose an other man from death, saue onely the sonne of God? Hée in his passion delyuered the théefe from death. Wherefore, if thou followest him in forgyuing sinnes, and canst saye, thou hast not offended: I praye thée suffer for mée. If thou bee a sinner, how can thy oyle serue both for thée and mée, for thy lyght and myne? It is in Mat. 9. ver. 2. that Christ had power to forgiue sinnes, and know mens hartes, but thou canst doo neyther. If thou presumest, proue by scriptures, or by miracles, as Christe did. Thus farre Tertullian, with much more.

Augustine writeth thus vpon this place: Uppon this Rocke, which thou confessed, Peter: vpon this rocke which thou acknowledgest: saying, thou art Christ the sonne of the immortall God. Upon this Rocke I will buylde my Congregation: that is vppon my selfe the sonne of the immortall GOD: vppon mée I will buylde it, and not vppon [...]hée. Men béeing disposed to buylde [Page] vpon men, sayd, I holde of Apollo, an other of Paule, an other of Cephas, which is Peter. The same Augustine vpon the .xxi. of Iohn, sayeth, this congregation can not fall, bycause it is founded vpon the Rocke, of the which Rocke, or Petra, Peter hath his name: for Petra, which is the Rocke, hath not his name of Peter, but Peter of Petra the Rocke. As Christ hath not his name of a Christian, but a Christian of Christ. Thus farre Augustine with many mo reasons. Christ is the end of my fayth, sayeth Ambrose vpon the ninth of Luke, the end of my fayth is the Sonne of God. Wherfore beléeue as Peter did, that thou maist bée blessed. The grace of Christ is great, which hath communicate almost all his names with his Disciples.Iohn 1. ver. 4 8.9. Iohn 8. ve 12 Iohn. 6. ve. 51 1. Cor. [...]0. ve. 4 Ma. 5. ver. 14 Math. 16. ve. 18. Christ is the light of the world, the lyuely bread, and the Rocke, and yet his Disciples are the light of world. Wée are all one bread, 1. Cor. 10. ver. 17. Neyther did Christ deny his Disciple the strenght and sowndnes of this word, bycause hée had the constancy of his fayth of Petra. The Rocke is the fayth in Iesu, and fayth is the foundation of the church. If thou beest a Rocke, thou shalt bée in the church, bycause the church is buylded vpon the Rocke. Thus farre Ambrose. And after this sense doo all the Gréekes and Latines interprete this place.

Hell gates shall not preuayl against this fayth, this rocke, and against such as confesse Christ,Hierom vpon ye .38. of Esai. Hell. Gates. Gen. .22. ve. 17 Iob. 31. ve. 21 with as good a fayth as Peter did. The Metaphor is taken of the Gates, wherein the Iewes & Gentiles exercised their Iudgementes, as appereth in Moses and Iob. And bycause wicked Iudges did there gyue false sentences, absolued the offenders, and condemned the innocentes, therfore false Iudgement, and Tyrannicall Iudges, and iniurious Magistrats, are called Hell gates, that is, the Gates of death, the Iudgement seates of death. Origen and Ambrose vnderstand by Hell gates all vices. Such a strong rocke, such a valiant membre of Christ, and such a lyuely stone of Christes congregation, was Ieremy, whom God sayd,Ierē. 1. ve. 18 hée woold make a strong defenced Towne, an yron Piller, a Walle of stéele, against the hole land, against the Preistes, Kinges, people, and the mighty Princes of Iuda, and such Tyrauntes Ieremy intreateth of in the end of his fystenth chapter.Math. 16. ver 18 1. Peter 2. ve. 5 If euery good man bée a lyuely stone, as Peter him self writeth, and all the congregation, a Spirituall howse, and the [Page] howse of God, the piller and ground of truthe, and lykewyse Christes own body, and the fulnesse of him that filleth all thinges:1. Timoth. 3. ver. 15. Ephes. 1. ver. 23. Than is not the Pope, Cardinalles, and Clergie, the church and pillers, in whom dwelleth no vertue. Neyther Peter had any other keys than Adam, Seth, Noe, Melchisedeck, Abraam, Iob, Moses, and all the faythfull had from the beginning. The keys of the Kingdome of heauen, are the opening and interpretacion of the Scripture. What keye (sayeth Tertullian in the .iiii. booke against Mar.) had the Doctours of the Lawe,The keys of heauen. saue interpretation? Tertullian inuehing ageinst the Eustix, affirmeth the keys to bée gyuen generally to all, the which euery man whan hée departeth hence, carieth with him. Wherfore, who so euer confesseth his sinnes, repenteth, and beléeueth in Christ, hath these keyes, wherwith hée openeth the locke, and entereth intoo heauenly felicitie. Euery man may bynde and loase him self. Augustinus de doctrina lib. 1. cap. 8. sayeth: Too binde, is too perseuer in errour,Math 18. ver. 18.19. To bynde. To louse. & too procede in vyce: too louse, too repente him of his sinne, & beléeue that here in earth his sinnes shall bée forgiuen him. And this is too bynd and louse.

The second Obiection.

Hée that giueth authoritie too the Church, is supreme head. But the Pope giueth authoritie to the church, ergo hée is supreme head. I deny your assumption, called otherwyse the Minor. Wée proue it (say they) by S. Augustine, who sayeth: I wold not beléeue the Scriptures, if the catholique church should not moue mée. I answer: This church that Augustine speaketh of, is not the church of Rome: and therfore the Pope giueth no authoritie to the church. If Augustine had meaned the church of Rome, then their argumēt myght haue semed to haue had a good ground. But Augustine meaned the church of Christ, as the Crede it self expoundeth it. What is the Catholique Church?The Catholique church. The Crede answereth and interpreteth in these words: A communion, societie, or companie of all Saincts and Godly men.

Nowe, if Rome bée all the world and a communion of Saincts [Page] only, then is it the only Church: but it is neyther all the world, neyther a communion of Saincts, therfore it is not the Church. Are shamefull synners Saincts? horrible offenders Holy?

Augustine meaned by the Catholique Church, Christ and his Disciples, and the consent of all them, which sawe Christ, which heard him and his Disciples: and therfore is it called in the common Crede of Nice, the Apostolique church. If Augustine did imagine that the Scriptures should take authoritie of the church, it had bin an absurditie: considering that there is no congregation so perfect, no company so holy, no men so pure, which do not dayly desire God too forgyue them their offences, as they forgyue them that offend against them. If wée saye, wée sinne not, wée are lyers, and there is no truth in vs.1 Epist. Iohn cap. 1. ver. 8. Let vs proue both by Reason, which is the Lawe of Nature, infixed in man Naturally, and by Scripture, that the Church doth take her authoritie of the Woord, and not the Woord of the Church. If Cleantes, and other Philosophers,The churches authoritie of ye woorde. [...]e natura [...] 2. ve. 3 [...]. 1. as Tullie testifieth, affirme partly by the Naturall motions of their myndes, no doubt moued by inspiration, that there is a GOD: partly by the presciencie and foreknowledge of the thinges to comme, partly by the commodities which proceede of the temperature of the ayer, the plenty & abundance of all thinges necessary for mans vse: partly by tempestes, thunder, inundacions, hayle, lightening, earthquakes, stormes, wonders, miracles, blasing starres, eclipses of Sonne and Moone, of the reuolution of the heauens, of the constant and certein course of the fixed Starres and Planettes. Than must wée confirme with Dauid and Paule, that Gods power, nature, and diuinitie, is knowen by visible thinges subiected to our senses.Psal 19. ve. 1.123. Paule. Rom. [...] ve. 30. If Dauid and Paule proue by the naturall courses of the heauens that there is a God, neyther any people to bée so ignorant, any Nati [...]n so rude, any country so Barbarous, which haue not heard their voyces: for Dauid sayeth:Cicero [...] Their sound are gone through all the world. Or as it is in the Hebrew: Their rule & course is knowē through all the world. By a figure the sound & voyce is attributed in the .19. Psal. to the heauens, bycause they declare vntoo vs with their constant course mouing, and other meruelous dispositions, constellations, and influences, that there is a God. And by this meanes Paule [Page] proueth the Gentyles to bée without excuse,Rom. 1. ve. 20 And as the woorked of God are not ye causes why there is a God but as witnesses, so is the Churche a witnes, but no cause. bycause they might haue knowen God by his creatures, and dyd knowe, but dyd not glorifye him as God. By these it is euident, that the heauens and Gods woounderous workes are not the causes why there is a God, but God is the cause of them, and they are as witnesses, and testimonies, that there must néedes bée a God. And bycause al the Scriptures teache nothing else but God to bée the maker, defender, and gouerner of all, wée are assured that they are the true scriptures, bycause they agrée with this lawe of Nature, wyth this Heauenly description, and celestiall disposition, wherby there is vnderstand to bée a God. If Dauid and Paule prooue the diuinitie, power, and prouidence of God by his creatures, so must wée allowe the scriptures by the same meanes, bycause they differ not from the discourse. Wherefore the church taketh no authoritie of it selfe, but of God: nor the scriptures any power of men, whiche are full of erroures.

Wée knowe, Moses, Danyels, Salomons, Iobs woorkes, and the rest of the scriptures to bée of force, bycause they agrée with the rule of nature. They are witnesses, but no authours. If a Lawyer aunswere by the Lawe, hée dooth his dutie: but if hée aunswere of his own brayne, it is nought, neyther will any man beléeue him. Hée is a wicked Iudge that attributeth more to hys owne witte and will, than to the lawe. This doth the Pope, contrarie to all the auncient Doctours, and vertuous writers, who affirme no man to bée beléeued, onlesse hée alleadge the scriptures. If an Ambassadour goe from one Prince to an other, and be commaunded neyther to adde to his commission, nor diminishe, hée is a traytour if hée doo. How much more the Pope, who by his false embassage, dooth not onely adde and diminishe where hee lusteth, but also chaungeth, peruerteth, correcteth, depraueth, and abolissheth the Scriptures, setting vppe hys owne constitutions and braynelesse Decréees. The Prince to whome this Embassadour is sent, cannot tell whether his commission is true or no, but by conferring of the other Princes letters, out of the which he must haue the truthe: So must wée runne to the scriptures, and trye by them whether the Pope and other impure spirits doo well in vsurping such authoritie. The Church may bée a witnesse,the Churche a witnes. [Page] that these are the Scriptures, as the heauenly bodyes, that there is a God: are the scriptures any better, although they bée as testimonialles? The church may bée witnesse, the faythefull people may testifie that these are the scriptures, and yet the scriptures perfect, constant, and certayne of them selues. Augustine lib. 2. cap. 14.32. willeth Cresconius to omitte the authoritie of Cyprian, Augustine interpreteth him [...]lfe. and alledge the scripture, the which, if hée could hée would gyue place. Ageynst Maximinus hée willeth him to let the councelles alone, and bring scripture, that thereby th [...] truth myght be tryed.

The third Obiection.

The Pope is called in the first chapter of the Gospell of Iohn, ver. 42. Cephas, and Cepha in the Gréeke toung is Caput, a head, Ergo the Pope is head of the church.Lira. vpon. ye 1. of Iohn. Cephas. saith Lire 15. Capitan. Ibidem. Anacletus. Your ignorance is intollerable: you despise the tunges, yée will rather cleaue to your olde errours, and gloses, then to séeke for the truthe. You forsake the fountaynes, and digge and drinke of pudles and kennelles: You wrest and turne the scriptures from the meaning of Christe, too satisfie your own opinions. Your reading in the Texte Cephas, which is a Syrian woorde, thought that it had ben Cephale, a gréeke woorde. For, saye you, Cephas is an head in gréeke, and commeth of Cephale, Iohn. i. ve. 42 and therefore you saye that Peter, who was called Cephas, is the head of the church, when as Cepha, the Syrian word, which signifyeth a stone, being turned into Gréeke, soundeth Cephas. Thus yée turned whyte into blacke: y ée choppe, ye chaunge, ye turne, ye peruerte and depraue all for lacke of knowledge. For Christ sayeth,Euthim. vpō this place, that wheras Peter was called before Symon, his name should be chaunged and called Cephas, which is a stone, as Iohn himselfe interpreteth it. Bycause that not onely Peter, but also all they that beléeue in Christ,Iohn 1. ve. 42 are lyuely stones. As out of a stone commeth fyre, so dooth burning charitie out of godly men. As a stone or Rocke is stronge, stedfast and firme, so is euery Peter, I meane euery Christian, ageynst whose fayth no Tyrannie, no Hell gates, no persecution, no affliction, can preuayle. What doo I saye, doo they not preueyle? yea, they preuayle ageynst the bodye, the Soule they cannot kyll.

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The fourth Obiection.

Is not hée the chief and head that is firste named? Is not a King named afore his subiectes? The husbande before the wyfe? Peter was first named.

I aunswere, Is Priscilla better then hir husbande,Matt. 10. ver. 2. Mar. 3. ver. 16. Luc. 6. ve. 14. Act. 18. ve. 26. Cor. 11. ver. 3. 1. Iohn. ve. 4 [...] bycause that shée is first named in the text, and Aquila after her. But that cannot bée, for S. Paule sayth that the man is the woomans head. This woord Protos, as Theophilacte interpreteth, hath hys respect onely to his brother Andrewe, who was called before, and Peter after, for they twoo were protokleti. And notwithstanding that Peter is named first in some places, yit is Andrewe named before him, as in the first of Iohn, ver. 44. Philip, sayeth Iohn, was of the same Citie that Andrewe & Peter were of. And in the 24. ver. of the 20. chaptes of Mathew, the other 10. were offended with Iames & Iohn. In ye which text Peter was not named the first but only with the rest. We are forbidden to giue Supremacie too any Bishop. Esoitai oi eschatoi protoi. Kai oi protoi eschatoi oi eschatoi.

The fyfte Obiection.

The Popes may lawfully depose Emperoures.The same. wrote Paule the 4 pope of that name in ye yere of Christ 1556. the .4. day of may in his bul which I sawe in prynte. psal. 91. ver. 13. For as the Moone taketh light of the Sunne, so dooth the Emperour of the Pope. And the Pope maye treade vppon the Emperoures necke, as Pope Alexander dyd vppon the necke of Fredericke, the seconde Emperour of that name. And that was prophecied longe before by Dauid, a friend of ours, in these woordes: Super Aspidem & Basyliscum ambulabis, & conculcabis Draconem & Leonem: Thou shalt walke vppon the Adder and Basyliske, and shalt tread vppon the Dragon and Lyon. O you Tyrauntes, O you rebelles. Where is your Truthe, where is your Obedience? Was it not spoken of Christe, and so generally to all good men, ageynst whome the force of the Deuill should not preuayle? Doo you so intreat your Kinge and Prince?

Howe dare you bée so bolde, as to call your Emperoure Aspis, Basylick, Lyon and Dragon? much lesse ought you to tread vppon them, too putte them too deathe, and too depose them. [Page] They haue authoritie by Gods woord too rule ouer you,Theodoret & Chrisostome vpon the .13. to the Rom. too haue you in subiection, and not you them. You alledge Scripture as though the Dyuell did too Christ: and the next verse, too that which the Dyuell alledged: as though the Dyuell and the Pope were saying Matynes toogether.

The sixth Obiection.

Well say what ye will, our holy Father may do what hée list. What, if hee should sell the whole world, perhaps ye will say that it were Symonie: but I will sweare vppon a booke, that it were no Symonie, though hée solde the whole world, bycause that hée selleth but his owne: for so our olde freind Dauid prophecied vppon him:Psal. 8. ve. 6.7 Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius, oues & boues & pecora campi. Thou hast put all thinges vnder his féete, all shéepe and oxen, yea all the beastes of the field.

O heauen, O earth, the Dyuell alledged Scripture more probably. Surely Dauid speaketh of man, too whom God hath giuen all thinges for his vse & commoditie: and Allegorically too Christ, whom hée hath made Lorde and King ouer all.

The seuenth Obiection.

Did not Pope Agatho write in an Epistle to the Emperours in the fourth Action of the Synode at Constantinople,Cent. 7. c. 7. p. [...]29. linea. 52. that the church of Roome did neuer erre, neyther was possible that it should erre? Is not this ynough? Is it not a goodly saying? Is it not woorthy too bée embraced? O what a goulden sentence is this? Where can you read the lyke? I assure you it is not possible too bée answered.

I answer, that I am able too proue that euery Pope hath erred, if synne bée errour. Moreouer, the most iust man sinneth seuen tymes,Proue. 24 ve. 16. 1. Iohn 1. ve. 8 and hée that sayeth, that hée hath no sinne, is a lyer, & there is no truth in him.

The eight Obiection.

Panormitane an Archebishoppe did affirme and reason in a Councell at Basile,Eneas Siluius libro. 1. & .2 in the .xxxix. Session, that the Pope ought too bée aboue all Bishoppes.

I answer, that the sayd Panormitane made an Oration too that [Page] effect, and made the Pope Lorde ouer the Church: notwithstanding the Bishoppe of Argens, Iohn Segouius, and Fraunces de Funx, Diuines, confuted that errour in the said Councell, & proued Pope Eugenius the fourth of that name to bée a relapse, and an heretique: bycause yt hée tooke vpon him too dissolue, transporte, & prorogue that Councell. Can hée bée Lorde ouer the Church, that should bée a minister, and as hée wryteth him self, Seruus seruorum?1 Peter. 5. ve. 3. matt. 18. ve. 17. Peter willeth no man, no Bishoppe, too rule ouer the Chuch, but too bée ruled by the Church.

The ninth Obiection.

Oraui pro te, Petre, ne deficiat fides tua. I haue prayed for thée,Luc 22, ver, 32. Peter, that thy fayth should not fayl thée. Hée can not erre, whom Christ prayeth for: but Christ prayed for Peter, ergo Peter could not erre.

I deny the proposition, which you call the Maior, for Christ prayeth for all men, as well as for Peter,Iohn 17. ve. 9 Luc. 23. ve. 34 and also for them that persecute him: ergo by your argument, all men should bée head of the Church, yea euen they that persecute Christ, as the Pope doth. Augustine wryteth, that Peter figureth all Christians,Augustine vppon ye psalmes & the vniuersall Church: ergo when Christ prayed for Peter, yt hée should not erre, hée prayed also for all Christians, and for the vniuersall church, that it should not erre. And that this is Christes meaning,Mat. 26. ver. 75. Galat. 2. verse 11.14. ye shall vnderstand by the often fall of Peter after this prayer of Christ: for hée denyed Christ thrise, & was also reproued of Paule after this prayer.

The tenth Obiection.

Peter, féede my shéepe: these woords giue too Peter a superioritie.Iohn. 21. ver. 16.17. Act. 20. ver. 22 23.

I answer, that Christ did commaund Iames and Iohn with the rest of the Apostles to doo the lyke Did they not féede the shéepe of Christ also? Did not Iames preache at Hierusalem, and Iohn at Ephesus?

Moreouer, Paule exhorteth the elders of Ephesus too féede the flock and church of God committed too their charge:Act. 20. ver. 28 wherfore too féede Christes shéepe, is as well proper too all men that haue the gift, as too Peter. Of this matter reade Ambrose in his pastorall.

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The .xj. Obiection.

Pope Calixtus. dist. 12. ca. non decet.As Christ came too doo the will of his Father, so must you doo the will of your mother the churche of Rome.

I answer, that you call the church of Rome the Pope & his Cardinalles,Matt. 18. ver. 19. but Christ calleth his church generall, and not speciall, a communion of Saincts, and not a rable of Bishoppes, as Tertullian writeth, Catholique and not Priuate. For Christ sayeth, wheres [...]euer there be two or thrée gathered together in his name, there is hée among them,Matt. 18. ver. 19. yea though they bée Laye men, as Tertullian noteth. Is the Pope the churches sonne? or is hée her father? If her sonne, what a sonne is hée, that vsurpeth and preferreth him self before his mother? Therfore sayeth Augustine: God will not acknowledge him self to be his father, that will not confesse the church to be his mother. If her father, ergo not her child.

You say, the Pope is the head. I answer, that when the Pope is cut of by death, where is your head? is it not dead? where is the body? is it not dead? But the body that is the Church, lyueth alwayes, eyther Militant, or Triumphant, or rather both: Ergo wée must looke for an other head, that can not dye, euen Christ aboue.

The .xij. Obiection.

Had not Pope Paschalis in the yeare of Christ .1100. a girdell hauing seuen keyes and seuen seales, in token of his seuenfolde power, according to the seuenfolde grace of the holy Ghost, of binbing, loosing, shutting, opening, sealing, resigning, and iudging.

I answer, that it is blasphemy to compare the Pope with the holy Ghost. Is not hée Antichrist, that attributeth to him self all the giftes of the holy Ghost?

The .xiij. Obiection.

No Councell may bée called without the Pope.

Act. 1. ver 4I answer to this obiection on this wyse: Wée reade that Christ called the first councell, willing the Apostles not too departe out of Hierusalem but to looke for the promise of the Father. In [Page] the election of the seuent deacons (which was the second councel) Peter did not call the councell, but .12.Act. 6. ve. 5. Apostles called the multitude. The thyrd councel was called in the .15. of the Actes.Act. 15. ve. 18 Where it apereth that Iames was the chéefe and not Peter. Was the Pope called to any of these councels? Nay surely, they neuer knew him.

And many yéeres after Christ all the councels, til the Pope began to rule, were gathered togither by the Emperours, Ki [...]es, princes, and other magistrates.

The .xiiii. Obiection.

Omnino definimus, declaramus, pronūciamus, Bonifacius extra de. maior. et obed. c. vna in. An Article of the faith. omnem creaturam subesse Romano pontifici de necessitate salutis.

We define, declare, and pronounce that euery creature must be vnder the Pope of necessitie, or els it cannot be saued.

I answer that saluation commeth nether from the East nor the west, neither from Rome, neither from priest, prelate, nor Pope, but from God only. Your welth and riches giue you aucthoritie, you are rich in reuenues, but poore in heauenly treasures.

Blessed bee the poore in sprite,Mat. 5. ve. 3 you are arrogant and presumptuous since that venym, I meane riches, entred into the church, as the Lord Cobham sayde, whom the Archebishop of Caunterburie,An. 1387. Thomas Arundell asked what hée meaned by that venyme. I meane (sayd hée) your Possessions, Lordeshippes, and Iurisdictions. For than cryed an Aungell in the ayre, as your owne Cronicles make mention, wo, wo, wo: Nowe, euen this daye is venyme powred into the church.

Chryst was méeke and mercifull: the Pope is proude, and a Tyraunt.

Christ is poore and forgaue: the Pope is riche and a malicious murtherer.

Rome is the nest of Antichrist, and out of that filthie nest, come out vncleane birdes, Prelates, Priestes, Monkes, Cardinalles, which are the body of Antichrist: and the pilde Fryers the Tayle, which couer his most filthie parte. For they preache lyes, and therfore are the tayle behinde.

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The xv. Obiection.

Hierim. 1. ver. 10. Pope Bonif. 8. extra, c. vnā Sanctam. Pope. Ioh 22 e [...]tra. c. supra. Gentes. Rome ouer al Nacions.Ieremie prophecieth of the church of Rome, saying, beholde I haue set thée ouer all Nations and Kingdomes, to pluck vp, and to breake downe, and buylde, and to plant. I aunswere, that God commaunded Ieremie to pull vp the wéedes of superstition, and to pull downe all the monumentes of Idolatrie. But the Pope draweth this godly sentence to the defence of his vsurped power, peruerting the mynde of the holy ghost, and deprauing the Text of Ieremie: and by this Text hée vsurpeth that hée may pull down the Gospell, and set vp his decréees: roote out the truthe, & plante heresie or superstition, as it is written of him in another place: Diruit, aedificat, mutat quadrata rotundis.

The xvi. Obiection.

Iohannes de turre cremata, a holy Cardinall, writeth thus: Papa est Rex Regum, The Pope Lord of Lords & Dominus dominantium, & verus Dominus totius orbis, iure, licet non facto. The Pope is King of Kings, Lord of Lordes, and the true Lord of the whole world, by right, though not in déede. And that Constantinus when hee gaue him Rome, restored to him but his owne,Iohn. 1. ve. 11 marke howe ye Papistes depraue the Scr [...]ptures. for the Pope, as S. Iohn writeth of Christ, in propria venit, & sui eum receperunt: Hée came into hys owne, and his owne receyued him.

I aunswere, Is not hée Antichrist that peruerteth the Scriptures, and that eyther addeth or taketh awaye: but hée taketh awaye Non, and attributeth the Texte to him selfe, whiche vtterly peruerteth the Text. Ergo hée is Antichrist. What a presumptuous Prelate is hée that calleth himselfe King of Kinges, and Lord of Lordes? If yée reade the letter sent to Cardinal Poole, by Stox [...]ye Bishop of London, and Tunstall Bishop of Durham, and the booke of Obedience, written by Stephan Gardner Bishoppe of Wynchester, which all were ranck Papistes: ye shall vnderstand that they proue that the Pope is not the heade of the Church. The sayd Poole dyd saye that Zuinglius opinion in the Sacrament was most probable, which hée could bée content to followe, if the Church of Rome had not decréeed the contrarie.

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The 17. Obiection.

None hath power ageynst the Pope, no more then the Axe ageynst the Hewer.Pope Nico [...], dist. C. inferior.

I aunswere, that hée maye well bée compared to a Hewer, which by his Axes and cruell tyrauntes hewe downe the good tymber, and if hée could, would cut off the Emperours and Princes neckes.

The 18. Obiection.

You heretiques obiect, that the Canon Lawe sayeth,Gloss. extra de sede vacant. ad Apostolatus▪ Pope leo. causa. 1.4.7 c. nos. numbers .22. ver. 27.28.29 The pope balaam. that Balaam when hée was reproued of his Asse figureth the Pope and Prelates, and the Asse their subiectes. Ergo, saye you heretiques, the Pope may bée reproued of his subiectes, but that is no example to bée followed. For it pleaseth not our holy father to bée Balaam or his Asse.

I aunswere, that if yée admitte other partes of the Canon Lawe, why will yée not admitte this? Dooth Balaam signifye Prelates? Surely your own Lawe subuerteth it selfe. For whether was Balaam or his Asse wyser? If his Asse, as shée was in déed, then are the Popes subiectes wyser. For the law sayeth, that the Asse signifye them.

The 19. Obiection.

The Pope may not bée accused of any cryme,Hugo in glo [...]t dist. 40. ca. non nos. dist. 4 ca. si papa. Exod. 26. ver. 13.14.15. Act. 8. ver. 9 1. Timot. 1. ve. 9.10. 1. Cor. 6. ver. 9 niether of murther, neither adultery, neyther symonie, or such lyke.

I aunswere, Is not murther contrarie to the sixte commaundement? Is not adulterie ageynst the seuenth? And theft ageinst the eight? And Symonie an offence ageynst the holy ghost? And other vyces ageynst holesome doctrine? Besydes this, neyther murther nor adulterie shall enter into the kingdome of God.

The 20. Obiection.

Hée that disobeyeth mée, is as much to bée cursed,August. de an co [...]a. glos. ord. as hée that denieth the Omnipotencie of God.

I aunswere, that this is the voyce of Antichrist, and therfore not woorthie to bée aunswered.

The 21. Obiection.

It maye séeme well verifyed of mée that was spoken of Christ,Antony▪ sūme, maior. 3 part. dist. 22. Psalm. 8. Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius, oues, & boues, & vniuersa[Page]pecora campi, volucres coeli, & pisces maris: Thou hast subdewed all things vnder his féete: Shéepe, Oxen, and all cattell of the field, the birdes of heauen, and the fishes of the sea.

I aunswere, Is not hée the child of perdition, that chalengeth that which was proper to Christe, and compareth him selfe wyth God?Hostiens. in ca. quar. de translat: proel. ex summa casuum. Fratris baptist. 2. Thess. 2. ver. 4. They saye hée is all in all, and can doo all that God can doo, Claue non errante. Doo you not vnderstande by Oxen the Iewes, and Heretiques: by cattell, Paganes: by shéepe Emperours, Princes, and Prelates: by birdes, the Aungelles and Potentates of heauen, ouer whom hée hath power, and whom hée doth excell in foure pointes, in Iurisdiction, in administration of the Sacramentes, in knowledge, and in reward. By the fishes of the sea,Antonius. 23. q. 5. ca. [...]mniū. are meaned the soules of purgatorie, as Gregorie ye Pope dyd deliuer the Emperour Traiane out of hell.

The 22. Obiection.

Glos. in causa. [...]1. q. 3. cap. absit.The Popes law sayeth, that if any of his Clergie should bée found embracing a woman, it must bée expounded and presupposed, that hée doth it to blesse hir.

1. Thess. 5. ve. 22.I aunswere, that wée may not onely absteyne from dooing of euill, but also from all suspicion of euill.

The 23. Obiection.

Glos in causa. [...]. q. 3. ca. absit.The Pope in his supremacie, is Abell, in gouernement the Arche of Noe, in Patriarchdome Abraham, in order Melchisedech, in dignitie Aaron, in authoritie Moses, in seate Iudiciall Samuell, in zeale Helias, in méeknesse Dauid, in power Peter, in vnction Christ.

[...]. Ge. 4. ve. 8.I aunswere, the Pope cannot bée Abel, for the Pope persecuteth, and Abell was persecuted. The Arche figureth the Mystical body of Christ: but the Pope presumeth to bée the head, Ergo, hée is not the Arche.Hebr. 7. ver. 2. Abraham gaue Tithes, the Pope receyueth: ergo hée is not Abraham: Melchisedech hée is not, for none is after the order of Melchisedech, but Christ onely: As Paule proueth euidently.Heb. 7. ver. 3.11.15.16.17. Heb. 5. ver. 6. Psa. 110. ve. 4. Heb. 7. ver. 3. But the Pope is not Christ, Ergo, not Melchisedech. Moreouer, Melchisedech is without father or mother, beginninge or ending, the Pope is not.

Aaron ruled not ouer Kings, the Pope ruleth ouer the whole world: Ergo hée is not Aaron.

[Page]Moses ruled ouer Iurie, the Pope ouer Asia, Africa, Europe, America, heauen, Angels, hell damned soules, and the poore wretches of purgatorie, Ergo, &c. Samuell graunted his authoritie to a securall Prince, euen to Saul, the pope denieth it, ergo he is not Samuell.

Helias killed the priests of Baall:1. Reg. 9. ver. 22. 1. Reg. 18. ver. 40. the Pope promoteth suche like: ergo hée is not Helias.

Dauid forgaue his enemies, the pope reuengeth: ergo he. &c.

The Emperour Nero persecuted Peter, as they write, but the Pope persecuteth Emperours: ergo, &c.Luc. 9. ver. 18.

Christ was anoynted of the holy ghost: the Pope of men, ergo he is not Christ.

The 24. Obiection.

We haue a place out of Dauid Psal. 19. ver. 4.Fundamenta. de elect. in sexto. say the Papistes which no heretique can deny. Their sound is gone thorowgh the whole world. In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum. The sound of our holy father and of his successours is gone through the world, his pardones, his legates, his belles, his bulles, his commissions, his grace, his power, his prerogatiue, his athoritie, is in euery corner of the earth. I answere that this place of Dauid proueth that the merueylous workes of God, as the Starres, the Moone, the Sun and the descryption of the heauenly bodies, declare that ther is a God, and bycause that Dauid expresseth the matter more effectually in his naturall toung, thus he sayeth.

Hashamaim, mesapperim Cheuod el, oumaguas hiadeue, magid harachiang, tom leiom iabbiang omer, velaiel lelaiela iecaue daguath. En omer, veen debarim beli nishmaug colam. Be cal haharets iatsa cauam ou bictse tebel nullehem, lashemesh sham ohel bahem. Ve hu Cerhathā iotse mecuppatho, iashis che gibbor larats orac. mictse hashamaim motsao ou to couphato gual chet sotham, ve en iustar me canematho. Hitherto I haue repeted & confuted (althogh they nede no confutation, they were so falsely alleged) some obiections although not al which they collect out of the Scriptures, or out of other probable authors. Now I will note certein such absurdities, as they bring out of their lawes, decrées, decretals, & out of such as haue for lucre, promotiō, & for flatterie bestowed their time in vttering absurdities, and such absurdities, as do more effectually ouerthrowe & deface their dooings, then any of our answers or confutations can. [Page] These I thought good to signifie, least that any man should thinke that the tyme is euyll bestowed in writing them, worse in reading: and worst of all, in printing. Ye shall therefore vnderstand, that there is nothing so abhominable, nothing so absurde, so vnreasonable and contrarie to all sense, whiche they dare not bothe speake, write, printe, aduouche, and also defend. As for example:

What say they, though Iulius the second Pope dyd throwe Peters keyes into Tyber,Iulius 2. and swore an horribe othe, that séeing they would profite nothing, hée would trye what Paules swoord could doo.Iulius 3. And what, though Iulius the thirde blasphemed for his hoggos fleshe, saying: putano de Dio, dispetto de Dio, bring mée my hogges fleshe. And likewyse for his Peacock, when one asked, why hys holynesse was so mooued, hée aunswered: If God caste Adam out of Paradise for eating of an Aple, what would you haue mée too doo for my Peacock? Is not my peacock better then an Aple? And thus they aunswer such blasphemies: that, in that the Pope was a man, hée offended, but in that hée was Christes Uicegerent, hée could not sinne: For, saye they, though hee were a desperate man, yet the seate and place, maketh him holye.

Now I come to their Obiections which they alleage out of their Canons and Doctours.
The first Obiection.

HE is, saye they, the head of the Church that ruleth the whole world. But the Pope ruleth the whole world▪ Ergo hée is the head of the Church.

I denye the Minor. They proue it by Thomas, the irrefragable Doctour, in these woordes: The Pope (sayeth hée) is chiefe Bishoppe. For as a King ruleth his realme, so doth hée the whole world: and Bishoppes, for his helpe and ease, are ioyned in euery citie, as Iudges, Thom. secund. secund. [Page] 4.98. art. 9. & 4.20. art. 4. What an argument is this of Thomas of Aquine? Is it a good comparison to compare a subiect with a King? or rather preferre him before the kinge of the Romanes?

1 Where was his authoritie, when Nero persecuted (as they saye) Peter?

2 Was not Linus (as they reporte) the second Pope at Rome,

Many of the first learned men whom they call Popes, put to death.

in the yeare of Christ 82? Where was his vniuersall power? where was his might, when hée was put to death of Saturninus, the Consul of Rome, who was inferiour to Vespasian, being Emperour at that tyme?

3 Did not Domitian kill Anacletus? an. 84.

4 Did not Trayane fasten an anker aboue Clementes necke and cause him to be cast into the sea? anno. 102.

5 Was not Euarestus murthered by the same Emperour.

6 Did not Aurelianus the Liuetenant the like to Alexander. an. 121.

7 And was not Pius killed in the tyme of Antonius verus? an. 121

8 And likewise Anicete? an. 159. And Sother? an. 169.

9 And Eleutherius beheaded? an. 177.191.

10 And Zepherinus in the tyme of the Empe. Aurelius. an. 220.

11 And Ca [...]ixtus in the time of Seuerus apprehended, beaten with clubbes, cast in prison, throwen out of a window headlonge, and his body cast into a pitte? an. [...]26.

12 And Vrbanus at the same tyme banished, and at length killed? an. 233.

13 And Pontianus at the same tyme was banished into Sardinia, tormented, afflicted, and suffered death? ano. 239.

14 And Autherius in the tyme of the Emperour Maximinus? an. 243.

15 And Fabianus vnder Decius, An. 250.

16 And Cornelius also. anno. 253.

17 and Lucius vnder Valerianus. ann. 255.

18 and Stephan vnder Galienus beheaded. an. 257.

[Page]19. Sixtus the second of that name was likewyse martyred, An. 267.

20. So was Dionysius, An. 277.

21. So Felix, an. 282.

22. So Eutichianus, an. 283.

23. So Caius, anno. 295.

24. So Marcellinus, an. 303.

25. So Marcellus, anno. 308.

26. So Eusebius, an. 309.

27. So Melchiades, an. 314.

The Papistes say, that all these were Popes. I praye you, how ruled they all the world, as Thomas sayeth, the Popes doo? where was their auctoritie aboue all Kinges, Princes, Emperours, and Monarches? If of God, or of Peter, or of them selues, why did they not resist? why were they put too death? If they had none, as none they had in deede, than of whom had the Popes following their power & tyrannie, to kill innocentes, to depose Emperours, to disgrade Bishoppes, to rule in hell, heauen, earth, and purgatorie, to absolue à poena & culpa, to do what they lust, to oppresse, banish, and murther?

The second Obiection.

Well say what you will, the Pope is meruelous, for hée hath his name of merueling. And hée is to be wondered at, bycause hée is Peters vycegerent in the earth,Papa stupor mu [...]di. Galfridus in Clement. for hee hath his name of Papae, an Interiection of merueling. And without doubt, hée occupieth not the place of a pure man, but of the true God. Textus est in Codice int. corpor. de transl. Episcopi. I answer: You say that hée hath his name of Papae, an Interiection of merueiling, & in deede the Reuelation and Paule sayeth, that Antechrist, when hée shall come,Apoc. cap. 17. ver. 3.4.5. 2. Thes. 2. ve. 4. which is the Pope, shall woorke meruailes, and do false myracles by Necromancie and iniquitie.

The third Obiection.

Hath he not a great preeminence, when as no man neyther may, nor dare, aske him in any matter why he doth so. De poen. dist. ex perso.

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The fourth Obiection.

Neyther is the Pope Peters vicegerent, but hee occupieth the roome that Peter occupied. Gloss. in Clement. vna. de iure iur. in verb. vicar.

The fifth Obiection.

Doo you not knowe that the Popes name is chaunged in hys Creation, Consecration, and enstalling, that by the chaunging of the name the man may likewise bee chaunged.Glos. in prohemio vi. decre [...]e in verbo boniface. Polidor. libro .4. cap. 30. Plat. volat. For where hée was a pure man before, now is hée become the Uicegerent of the true God: as in example: Who was a cruell tyraunt before, is nowe chaunged and called Clemens. Hée that was hurtfull, is now Innocent: Hée that was a maleface, Boniface: and so foorth of the rest.

Hath not the Pope both the swoordes? Is not hée an heretique that breaketh the constitution of the Pope, or that holdeth, that the Pope is not able to make a constitution? hée is a paynim that wil not obey the Pope. The Pope may depose the Emperoure without a Councell, yea with a cause or without a cause: Stat pro ratione voluntas.

These Obiections are thus to bée aunswered, that, as none of these are conteyned in the scriptures, no more are they to bée credited than fables of Homer, or Ouide. In chaunging their names, they detect their hypocrisie: who will beléeue that the chaunginge of a mans name will make an euill man, a good man: of a dishonest, an honest? Besydes this, is not the Pope a man still, though hée bée anoynted consecrated, enstalled, and entromyzed? Is not an Axe, an Axe, though hée haue a Childes coat vppon his backe? ought hée to rule the Empernur? Is not hée bounde too gyue too Caesar, that which is Caesars? Luc. 20. ve. 25. Iames de terra. Notwithstanding one cursed Iames de Terano, Chamberlayne to Vrbane the sixt Pope of that name in the yeare of Christ 1385. interpreteth this place of Luke, of the Emperours before Christes passion, but after that Chryste was ascendeth into heauen as victor and conquerour, hée writeth thus: When I shalbée lifted vp from the ground, I will drawe all too my selfe,Iohn. 1 [...]. ver. 32. that is (sayeth the sayd Iames) I will take away all Empire, Kingdomes, Iurisdictions, and Dominions of the worlde from the Emperours and Kinges, and gyue them too the Pope, [Page] who when hée hath subdued them, and brought them in subiection, hée may vse the Royaltie, riches, gorgeous apparell, and all other thinges,Augustinus de ancona. [...]. Antonius tit. 22. ca. 17. after Christ 1330. as subiect too him. This cursed Iames, as Molineus termeth him, is too bée condemned of treason for forging a false coyn. For where it is in Iohn, that Christ by his death should ouercom death, hell, and all the world, hée applieth it to the Pope, of whom Iohn did not once dreame, onlesse hée prophecied of him amongs other Antechristes in his Epistles, whom hée there describ [...]th. And as for the place of Luke,Luc. [...]0. ver. 25· it is to be vnderstanded of Ciuill and temporall Magistrates, and not of Spirituall and Mysticall inu [...]ntoures of Iniquities, and so vnderstandeth Chrysostom, Origen, and Theodoret vpō the .xiij. chapter of S. Paule to the Romanes, prouing that all Bishopes & such as wée call Spirituall men,Rom. 13. must needes bée vnder the Iurisdiction of Ciuill Magistrates, obey them, and paye them Tribute. Besides this, this Iames proueth, as Augustinus de Ancona did .lxxx. yeares before him, that the Pope had not only authoritie ouer all Kinges and Emperours that were Christend,The Popes power. but also ouer Turkes & Paymins, bycause that Christ gaue his full authoritie too the Pope when hée ascended, & that Iuditiary power (for these are his termes) ouer euery creature, because that hée left the Pope both the keyes, Temporall and Spirituall.

The sixth Obiection.

Hée is the head of the Church that hath twoo keyes, the one too open Heauen gates to his friendes,2. Keyes. 3. Crownes. the other to shutte out his ennemies. And hée hath thrée Crownes, bycause that hée is a Kinge, a Cesar, and a Bishoppe: or rather, bycause bée hath authoritie in Heauen, Hell, and Purgatorie: or els, as Gregorius Doctor Hispanus did preache in Cambredge, hée sayd, that the Pope was counted in Spayne, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, & that was signified by his thrée crownes.A golden hammer. Beza vpon. 2. Thess. 2 ve. 4. Moreouer, in euery yeare of Iubile hée hath a golden hamer, wherwith hée knocketh at the gates of Paradise. Is this no preeminence? is not hée the head yt hath this authoritie? I graunte that the flattering Glosers of the Canon lawe wryte such thinges, but they are too foolish too bée credited, too false and absurd too bée approued, too ridiculous too bée aduouched, and to detestable to bée admitted.

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The 7. Obiection.

Hée that hath both the temporall and spirituall swoorde, must néedes bée the head of the church: but the Pope hath bothe, Ergo,Two sword [...] hée is the head of the church.

I denie the Minor, wée proue it thus: Doo you not reade, that Boniface the eight Pope of that name, came out in a solemne feast daye in the apparel of a Bishop, as gloriously as euer was Aaron with the spirituall swoord, to frame the Spiritualtie withall. And on an other feast day hée came out in the apparel of the Emperour with great pompe and glorie, with a naked swoord, shaking it, and saying: This is my swoord to correct the Temporall withall: yea euen Kinges, Princes, and the Emperour. I aunswere, that this hée dooth by this rule: Sic volo, sic iubio, stat pro ratione voluntas. For that hée dyd without reason or authoritie.

The 8. Obiection.

Is not hée the head of the church that is aboue Kings, Cesars, and Councelles, and aboue the whole world?The Pope aboue all power. Innocent. 9. quest. 3. & gloss. ibi. & vlt. ext. de elect. significasti.

The 9. Obiection.

And though all the worlde should gyue sentence ageynst the Pope, notwithstanding his sentence must stand, bycause that hée maye dispense with all thinges: Iud. Glossat. de Capell. Papa si vult. &c.

The 10. Obiection.

The Pope is aboue all Councelles and Statutes, de elect. cap. signif.

I aunsw [...]re, If his authorities bée aboue councels, then councelles bée vayne, and néede not, when as wée may goe to the head and spring, who is aboue eyther councelles or Lawes. For you say, that all the lawes are in the chest of the Popes brest.

[Page]But wée credit not these sayinges, bycause they are made by Popes without authoritie, eyther of Gods woorde, or of olde Doctors. Wherefore this is that Antichrist, that is described in the Reuelation, cap. 13. cap. 17. cap. 18.

The 11. Obiection.

Peter ye head of the church.Hée that hath the same authoritie that Peter had, is the heade of the church. But the Pope hath the same authoritie that Peter had. Ergo the Pope is the head of the church.

I denie the Maior, for Peter was not the head of the church, nor any better then the other of the Apostles. Moreouer, Peter was a meere man, and a meere man was not the head of a spirituall church.

The 12. Obiection.

The Pope aboue all.Is not hée aboue all that can dispence with the law of nature, with Moses, with the olde Testament, with the new Testamēt, with Christ, Peter, Paule, and the rest of the Apostles.

I aunswere, that none doth so but▪ Antichrist. For of Antichrist, Paule writeth so in the second epistle to the Thessalonians, the second chapter. ver. 4. But you say, the Pope doth so: Ergo, the Pope is Antichrist.

The 13 Obiection.

There may no man Iudge of the the Popes dooinges, neyther the Clergie,Causa. 9. ques. 3. c. patet. vilierius. de. stat. priuat. eccles. c nemo [...]. ques. 4. dist. 40. c. si Papa. et ca. 2. eiusdem. dist. neyther Kinges, neyther Emperours▪ Shal the Iudge of all bée iudged of any? Is it not knowen through all the world, that the church of Rome doth iudge all the worlde, and it may bée iudged of none? who dare dispute of the Popes dooinges? who doubteth of the Popes holynesse, who is in such authoritie? If hée lacke goods déedes, or any other thing, it is ynough for him to trust in the predecessours of that place. These blasphemies answereth Paule in the second to the Thessalonians, second chapter, ver. 4. where hée writeth, that this Antichrist maketh hym selfe God.

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The xiiii Obiection.

Remundus rufus, a noble defendor of the holy Sea of Rome,Rufus reasoneth thus, the Pope is the cheife because he is the first in tyme, reuerence and power. In time, for Peter was at Rome the fyrste Pope: in reuerence for who is too be reuerenced more then he? in power, what Bishop, what Prelate, what Monarche is to be compared to him? I answere to the firste, that Peter was neuer at Rome, and therefore was neither firste Pope nor last at Rome: moreouer Paule was at Rome before him, by ye testimoni of their owne wryters.

And Peter was no bishop, ergo no bishop of Rome: Peter was an Apostle and no bishop. A bishop kept in a certain place:Peter no vis. an Apostle went aboue euery where. As for his reuerence, what reuerence should the Pope haue aboue others?Math. 20. ve. 26. if he wilbe first hée must be last, as Christ writeth. As concerning his power, what is it? Who gaue it to him? He is or ought to be a seruaunt, no lorde: a minister, no maister, a member of the body and not the head.

What if Rome were vtterly destroyed by the Turke (as it may be) and the Popes name, glory, dignitie, and memory, cleane extinguished, where should the Romish church be? where should bée all hir decrées? should not all bée vtterly abolished?2. Thess. 2. ve. 8. shall not Christ destroy him with the sprite of his mouth?

The .xv. Obiection.

Do you not remember what Nicolaus the first Pope of that name did wryte? He sayed and also determined,Nicolaus the Pope. The Pope is God. that no christian magistrats should haue any power aboue the Pope, bicause that hée is called god, as Antonius writeth. tit. 16. If no magistrate haue iurisdiction ouer him, if no man, may appeach him, if he be god, is he not worthy to be the head of the Church? I graunt that he taketh vpon him all these tytles, and so the deuel would haue done, who moued Christ to sitte downe and worship him, and hée [Page] would gyue to him the whole world.Matt. 24. ver. 15. 2. Thess. 2. ver. 3. Iob. 40. ve. 10. Ieremy. 5. ver. 10. 2. Cor. 6. ver. 15. Psal. 22. ve. 16. Apo. 12. ver. 3. 2. Timothe. 3. ver. 4. Ioh 6. ve. 7 [...]. Iohn. 10. ve. 1. Za. 11. ver. 17. Iohn 10. ver. 12. Esau. 27. ver. 1. E. 27. ver. 1. Bembus. libra. 13. Ioueus lib. 8. The Pope can make of nothing some thing &c. Gloss. in clem. He sweareth by his holines Geminianus. 1. Timo. 3. ve. 2. The Popes power in heauen. &c. Wherfore hée is the Abomination of desolation, the childe of perdition, Behemoth, Bel, Beliall, a Dogge, a Dragon, a Traytour, the Deuell, a Théefe, an Idoll, a Wolfe, a Serpent, Leuiathan.

The 16. Obiection.

The place, nor the Pope cannot erre but onely in that, that hée is man, but in that, that hée is Christes Uicegerent, hée cannot erre: how saye you by this? cracke mée this nutte.

And although that Peter Bembus calleth Alexander the sixte a murtherer: and likewise Iulius the third: yet wée protest, that, if Bembus had ben learned in our Canons, and Gloses, hée would not haue written so. I maruayle what men meane to speake so ageynst our holy Father, séeing hée can make of nothing, something, of iniurie, iustice, potest facere de nihilo aliquid, & de iniusticia iusticiam, & mutare quadrata rotundis. Pauor. post hoc, in, &c. The Pope calleth himselfe to witnesse, bycause there is none greater by whom hée may sweare. Though Paule writeth, and willeth that a Bishoppe should bée without faulte: notwithstanding the Pope may dispence with him: though he be an vnthrift, a Ruffyan, a lyer, a théef, a coniurer, a periured man, & suche like. Geminianus lib. 8. cap. 49. Iesu good Lord, what, and howe mightie a Prelate is our holy father the Pope: hath not hée authoritie ouer the Aungelles in heauen, and also ouer the damned soules in hell, as Petrus Costus reporteth?

I aunswere, that all these sayings are full of iniquitie, and rather to bée punished by the Magistrate with the swoorde, then answered with the pen.

The 17. Obiection.

How say you to this golden sentence. Sext. decret. that the Pope maketh the place holy, and therefore Rome is without spotte or wrincle.

I answer, if he be an euil man, he depraueth the place, and that the Pope is euill, his frutes do declare.

Distinct. 40. Cap. si. papa.The 18. Obiection.

What if the Pope, sayeth Busgradus carie all the worlde [Page] too hell with him, or beléeue that there is no life to come, (as some did) or be an homocide, or a Sodomite, or as blasphemous as Iulius the thirde, or as euell as the deuill, or if he blaspheme the virgin Mary as a ruffian, as the said Iulius did, we must beleue that wée must be saued by him, or elles wée must be dampned without redemtion: for whatsoeuer he dothe wée must beleue it as an article of our faith, for who may or dare aske him why he dothe so. What shall wée answere to these blasphemies, they are not worthy to bée repeted, to horrible to be mentioned, to absurde to be confuted, to vile to enter into any mans eares.

The xix Obiection.

How answer you this authentical sentence, of the glose of the Prologe of the Clementines, that the Pope is neither god, nor man sed Neuter inter vtrun (que)? If he be neither god nor man, but neuter betwene them both, than is he a monster, or if he bée neither god, nor man, he is surely the deuel, or else some Antechrist.

The xx Obiection.

Is not he the head of the Church that is better then the virgin Mary, but the Pope is better then the virgin Mary: Ergo hée is the head of the Church. What if I should denye the Maior, ye could not proue it: but I will deny the Maior: hée that can make him that is better then the virgin Marye, is better then the virgin Marye: But the Pope can make a priest, which is better then the virgin Mary: Ergo the Pope is better then the Uirgin Marye. A priest is better then the virgin Mary in this poynt,Bullengerus, in Apocalips. that she bare Christ but once, but the priest euery daye. I could answer this by the like absurditie of yours after this sorte. You say that a priest can make god: But hée that can make god, is better then god: Ergo the priest is better then god.A Priest maketh God. But the Pope can make a priest, if the priest who is an inferiour can make god, what can the Pope make who is superiour to a priest? Surely a thing aboue god: doth not the Pope in making of god, exalt him selfe aboue god. Therfore he is that man of sinne and child of perdition that is spoken of in the second to the Thessalonians. cap. 2. ver. 3. and .4.

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The 21. Obiection.

Hée is the head of the church that can gyue the names of dignitie, and tytles to all Princes, Kinges, and Monarches, and may crowne them: But the Pope can doo this. Ergo, the Pope is the head of the church. I denye the Minor. I proue it thus: What King hath not his tytle gyuen of the Pope? name one if you can. To bée brief, hée gaue this tytle to the Frenche King to bée Christianissimus, most Christian King, and to the King of England to bée Defensor fidei, Defendour of the fayth. I graunt hée did this, but hée chalendged this authoritie falsely, and then hée did as the scripture prophecied,2. Thess. 2. ve. 4. that hée should doo, Exalte himselfe aboue all power.

The 22. Obiection.

Hée that curseth, when, and whom hée will, is the head of the church. But the Pope can both curse and blesse when, and whom hée will. Ergo, the Pope is the head of the church.

I denie the Minor. I proue it thus: Was not England cursed by the Pope, and our holy father Iulie the thixde of that name dyd of his meere mercie, gyue one droppe of Christes bloode (reserued at Rome) to perdon England withall: or rather of his holynesse and absolute power perdoned Englande. In the yeare of Christ 1553. the 19. daye of October? non obstantibus constitutionibus, & ordinationibus Apostolicis▪ caeterisque contrarijs quibuscunque: Notwithstanding the constitutiones and ordinances of the Apostles, or any other whatsoeuer they bée to the contrarie. Are you not ashamed to take the honour from God, and gyue it to a man? From the Creator, and gyue it to the creature? you saye, that though the Apostles, or any other (in whiche woordes, both God and Christ are conteyned) dyd ordeyne and decrée the contrarie, that the Popes blessing muste preuayle, his iudgement stande, and hée to bée all in all.

The 23. Obiection.

Pelagius, many yeares agone, ordeyned that the church of Rome had not her authoritie of men or of Synodes,Dist. 21. que vi [...] but of christ. And Gregorie the seuenth, & Nicolas the third, were more playne: For they concluded that the Pope was the Supreme head without all controuersie.Supremacy when it began

[Page]I aunswere, that by these it is manifest, that it was 560. yeares after Christ, before that any mencion was made of any supremacie for these twoo first forged supremacie: that which was first, is most probable: but at the first there was no supremacie: Ergo there should bée none.

The 24. Obiection.

Hée is the head of the church, that giueth authoritie and licence to all the other Apostles to preache, to bée priestes,Peter de Palude de▪ potes [...]. apost. artic. [...]. and to minister the seuen Sacramentes: But Peter gyueth all these. Ergo Peter is the head of the church.

Peter Palude is the authour of this argument, a man of great woorship.

The 25. Obiection.

Hée is the head of the church, whom the Chayre doothe blesse, although hée were Iudas, or a murtherer. But the chayre blesseth the Pope: ergo the Pope, if hée were Iudas, or a murtherer, is the head of the church.

The 26. Obiection.

Hée that is God, is the head of the church: But the Pope is God, ergo the pope is the head of the church.

The second proposition is proued by the authoritie in the margine. hosi. in confes. petriconien. c. 29. dist. 94. satis euidenter. Marcel. in conc. late. sess. 4. Card. in cō. trident. Extra. Iohn. 22. cum in ter. in Glossa. Imprinted at lions. 1555. In con. lat sub leon [...]. 10. ses. 10 Extra de constat. canon. Gregor. hamburg▪ in appel. Sigismundi Ducis Aust. Prier. against Luther. De potest. col. Apost. Durand. [...]. de. min [...]tr. & ord. De tran. epist. quanto host Co [...]nel y• [...]ish▪ of bi [...]nt [...] in y• coun. of trent.

The 27. Obiection.

Hée that is head of Angelles, and Archaungelles, is the head of the church: But the Pope is the head of Aungelles and Archaungelles: Ergo the Pope is the head of the church.

The Minor is proued in the margine.

The 28. Obiection.

Hée that is aboue the scripture, is the head of the church: But the Pope is aboue the scriptures: ergo the Pope is the head of the church.

The assumption is proued by Siluester Prierias.

The 29. Obiection.

Hée is the head of the church, that is the light of the world, [Page] which illuminateth euery man, that commeth into the world: But the Pope is that light, which illuminateth euery man, that commeth into the world: Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church?

The xxx. Obiection.

Dist. 80. in illis. Mat. 5.He that hath aucthoritie to breake lawes is of more force then he that came not to breake lawes: but the Pope came to breake the lawes and Christ came to fulfyll the lawes and not to breake them: Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church.

The xxxi. Obiection.

If there were nothing to proue the Pope to be head of the churche sauing his apparell and ornamentes, yet surely they might perswade any man too beleue, to maintaine, and to glorifie, our holie father the Pope,The speciall power of the Pope. dothe not Buechingerus and Inocentius Libro. 3 de Altaris mysterio ca. 1. et. 10. affirme that there are .9. special ornamentes: his hose, his shoes, or sandalles, his succynctory or girdell, his Tunicle, his Dalmatica or longe sleued Gowne, his Metre, his Gloues, his Ring, and Staffe. In these consisteth the speciall power of the Pope, euen to geue orders, to blesse Maides, to consecrate Bishopes, to laye on handes, to make grese or Chrisma, to consecrate clothes and vessales, to call Sinodes, to dedicate Temples, and to depose them that are disgraded, and do many other merytorious workes.

What shall I speake of his two horned mitre? of the hemmes of his garment? of his crosse and staffe? of his chimer? and other vestements. His shoes pardoned venyall sinnes, his staffe hathe many vertues, the crooked horne, fetcheth in them that go astray, the ende knocketh the obstinate, refourmeth the disobedient. What shall I speak of his breches, and handkirchef. Of his kniues and twoedged Swerds? of his goulden hamer I haue spoken before.

I answer that theise more comend the Pope and set forth his prayse, then his vertues do: He glorieth in his apparell, Paule in Christ his crosse, he in outward things, Paule in inward, he in pompe, Paule in pouertie, he in vayne glory of the world, Paule in the ioyes of Heauen. Is not all this apparell corruptible? will it not consume? will not his crowne in tyme weare away and decay? [Page] But the immortall crowne which Peter speaketh of, will neuer. You are not ashamed to put your trust in worldly things,1. Petr. 5. [...]e▪ 4 but in scriptures you put no trust, them you cannot abyde: Dooth not Iames Hocstrate in his booke intytuled, Of praying to saints,A grip. against ye Louan. arti. 2. pronounce him to bée an heretique, that flieth to the scriptures, and that custome ought to bée followed before the scriptures, bycause a common errour maketh a lawe.A comon errour maketh a Lawe.

We haue hitherto proued our holy father to be the head of the Militant Church here in earth, (though the Lutherians say, that hée is head of the Malignant Church). Now will wée proue that hée is the head of the Triumphant Church, which is in Heauen.

The first Obiection.

HE is the head of the Triumphant Church, that Canonizeth Sainctes,Pope. Hildebr [...]nde called Gregory. 7. plat. in vita Gregorij. Alexander. 3. ti. ul. 46. Antoninus in 3. parte summe maioris. and hath authoritie ouer Aungels, that maketh of the triumphant church whom he listeth: But the Pope dothe this, Ergo he is the head. I denie the Minor, wée proue it, Let vs sée if you find any day in the yeare dedicated to any Saincte, which the Pope did not dedicate, and consecrate. Hée made the Apostles dayes: the foure Ladye dayes, made Corpus Christi a Sainct, S. Peters cheynes, S. Graue or S. Sepulchre, S. seuen Sléepers, s. Sonday, s. Grimbold, S. Chrisogon. s. Gorgon, s. Rooke, s. Dunstone, s. Thomas Becket, whom King Henry dyd vnsainte, and disgrade: holy Iohn Shorne, holy King Henry: many a Prelate, Bishop and Pope, and in fine, al his benefactours, for whom he commaundeth euery Priest to pray for in his Canon of the blessed masse, which we trust he will make a Sainct, one day, for surely she is our good Mistres, she prospereth Prelats, exalteth Hermits, aydeth Hunters, purgeth Pigs, helpeth Hogs, causeth raine, and faire weather, deliuereth out of Purgatorie, and directeth generall councelles. Finally she were as worthy to be a Sainct as any of them all.

[Page]I aunswere, that the Pope taketh vpon him to doo and saye so. But thinke you that hée can doo so? Surely hée hath made some saincts that are deuilles, and some that there were neuer none such. What manner of Sainct is sainct Sondaye? or Rymon, or s. Gyners, or s. Redygons, or s. Apellinare for tootheache: Ualentine for Louers: Loe for Smithes, Crispine, Martine and Chrispinian for Shoemakers, Nicolas, and Cletus for Clarkes, and yit many write ther was neuer none such as Cletus:Euseb. Ierom, Marr. Agrippa. con. Louan. ca. 26. George for warriers, Andrew for Scotlande, Denis for Fraunce, Iames or Iaques, for Spayn, about Louane Urbane, whom they Crowne and cary about with great pompe to Tauernes, if thei haue plentie of frutes: if no, they spitte vpon him: they reuyle him, & throw him into the kennelles. They painte with Iohn and Bernard the deuill, with George like to ye Egyptians a Crocodile, with Rooke a dogge, with Antony a sowe. The Hollanders vse Paulyne, as Louanians Urbane, although that there bée no parte in mannes body so honest, vnto the which ye Pope hath not appointed a sainct: and none so vncomely, which hath not his saincte. Neyther any absurditie that you can name, but they haue a sainct for it: yet say they, the Pope cannot erre, although it is euident that he Canonizeth (as they saye) these Sainctes, booth contrarie to Scriptures, Councelles, [...]o. 8. ver. 34▪ and Doctoures. It is in sainct Paule, that, if God onely iustifyeth, who can condempne? can the Pope?

Thus I reason, Hée that cannot iustifye a man, hée cannot Canonize. But the Pope cannot iustifye, Ergo hée cannot Canonize. That the Pope dooth not iustifye, all those places proue, which proue Christ too bée our onely Heade,1. Iohn. 2. ve. [...].2. 1. Tim. 2. ve. 5 Rom. 3. ve. 24▪ Redéemer, Iustifyer, and Glorifyer.

To CanonizeTo Canonize is to glorifie, to giue felicitie, to make a Sainct of a man, and to introduce him into eternall ioye, and this dooth only Christ. Ergo not the Pope which Paule proueth by this climax, this gradation, this induction, and sorites. Whom God hath predestinate,Ro. 8. ver. 30 them hée hath called, whom hée hathe called, them hée hath iustified, and whom he hath iustified, them hée hath glorified. But the Pope can predestinate no man, Ergo neyther iustifye [Page] them, then neyther Glorifie them, and per consequens, not Canonize them.Reuelation. [...] ver. 10. Dancel. 3. ve. 18. Wée maye woorshippe neyther the Uirgine Marie, neyther the Apostles, neyther any Saincte, neyther make holy dayes, or Temples for them, muche lesse Canonize them, which comprehendeth all these. This dooth Epiphanius proue at large, Tom. 2. in 27. Haeresie, and Theodorete vpon the second Chapter too the Collossians. August. contra Faustum, lib. 2. cap. 21. de Ciuit. lib. 10. cap. 1. lib. 21. cap. 26. lib. 22. cap. 10. vppon the Psalme 113. Ambros. vppon Rom. 1. and the Councell of Laodicia.

The second Obiection.

Hée that cannot erre, can Canonize Sainctes: But the Pope cannot erre, Ergo, the Pope can canonize sainctes.

I denie the Minor. For I will alleadge out of their [...] owne Authoures suche Testimonies, as they write, by the which ye shal perceyue that the Popes dyd aswell erre in doctrine as in maners.

The first.

Màrcellinus, in the yeare of Christ, 295 denyed Christ, offered to Images and Idolles. Notwithstanding hée repented him, and suffered death after that, for Christ.Hier. in Chro. & fortunat.

2 Liberius, in the yéere of Christ, 354. through ambition became an Arian.Amia. marcel. lib. 27. Ruffin. lib. 1 ca▪ 1 [...]0.

3 Damasus, in the yeare of Christe, 368. after muche slaughter done in a church at Rome, was made Pope.

4 Sericius, in the yeare of Christ. 382. prohibited the Priestes of the West churches to bée maried,Grati. dist. 8 [...] Poly. lib. 5. ca. 4. Platina. Grati. de con. dist. 2. Aposto. Sabellicus. Isodo. can. 9. q. nemo. &c. Treneus. and deuorced them that had maried wydowes, and excluded second mariage.

5 Anastasius the first, in the yeare of Christ, 392. reiected them from the ministerie that had any mayme.

6 Innocentius the first, in the yeare of Christ, 406. decréed, that the Séea of Rome should bée preferred before all others, and too bée iudged of none. Hée caused too annoyle the sick persons: [Page] he compelled them which he called Heritiques to come to the Catholique fayth of Rome by violence. Romana fides inquit Mantuanus, id est falsa. He graunted to such as had bin all the daies of their lyfe, cursed, and wicked, pardon and repentance of their sinnes in the panges of death.

He excluded from the clergie seculer Soldiars, and such as had bin twyse maried.

Isodorus volateranus.7 Sozimus decréed that the Sea of Rome could decrée nothing against the woord of God, and he was in the yeare of CHRIST▪ 420.

Sabel. Sigeb Polyd. 6. ca. 4. Sigebius.8 Bonifacius, in the yeare of Christe, 423. turned Vigiles intoo fastes.

9 Xistus or Sixtus in the yeare of Christe 440. made Peters chaynes a Saint.

Socrat. lib. 7 ca. 17. Grat, dist. 38. null. volat.10 Celestinus, the first in the yeare of Christ 430. made Introitum of the masse, with the Graduall, with the Responsories.

11 Leo in the yeare of Christ 445. made the holy sacrifise the immaculate Hoste,Sige [...]oly. lib. 5. cap. 10. vol. Sabel. Poli. lib. 6. ca. 11. Isod. Grat. dist. 34▪ & more. He commaunded Sonday to be kept holy day, he instituted procession, he was cursed and excomunicated by the Bishop of Alexandria.

12 Hilarius in the yeare of Christe 463. confirmed the generall councelles, published the common Law, remoued from the degrées of the Church them that had bin twise maryed, and them that had maryed Wydowes, and them that were lame, and firste forbad priestes to weare lay mens apparell.

Isodo. [...]n sum13 Simplicius in the yeare of Christ 475. did much contend with the Bishoppe of Rauenna, to encrease his authoritie.

Isodo, in felix14 Foelix the third of that name, in the yeare of Christe 481. excluded them that were Baptised or rebaptised of heretiques from the ecclesiastical Chiualrie. Theodoret vpon the 2. to [...]he Coloss. Isodorus in consilijs Gra. cap. 9. quest. 3. Polid. 5 [...]. 10. Isodo. Sige. He made Michelmas daye against the councell of Laodicia.

15. Gelacius the second, in the yeare of Christe 489. decréed that neyther he nor his successours should be iudged of any man in the earth.

16 Anastatius in the yeare of Christ 496. fauored the Euthichians and Nestorians.

[Page]17. Simachus in the yeare of Christ .498. after longe strife with Laurence and Peter, was Pope.Uolat. grat. dist 79. dist 17 concilia. He patched and framed the masse in order: he decréed that no Councell should bée of force any where without the Popes presence.

18. Hormisda in the yeare of Christ .513. ordeined after he was at quietnes with the East Churches, that the decrées of ye fathers,Isodorus. and Councelles, shoulde binde all Nations, wheras at the first [...] they were ordeyned for certaine Persones and Countries.

19. Iohn the first,Grat. distinct. 96. Si imperator in the yeare of Christe .525. ordeyned that y• Emperour shoulde bée vnder the Subiection of the Pope.

20. Foelix the fourth in the yeare of Christe .526. commaunded masses to be had only in a halowed place, and y• the Clergie should bée deuided from the people. The Clergie in the quire,Sab [...]ll. Isod. volat. and the people benethe in the bodie of the Churche, and that men lying at the pointe of deathe shoulde bée a [...]oyled▪

21. Vigilius in the yeare of Christ .537. decréed that Rome should bée the mistres and mother of all other Churches.Isod. in vigili [...]. Grat. Plat. Polid. [...]. ca. 2. et 8. Grat. in distinct. 21. cap. quam vis.

22. Pelagius the first, in the yeare of Christ .556. put in too the masse to pray for the dead, and committed an Heretique to the seculer Magistrate to bée punished▪ This Pope did affirme first of all other that the Supremacie of the Bishope of Rome was geuen of Christ and not of any Sinode or of men.

23. Iohn the thirde in the yeare of Christ .563. decréed agaynste his predecessour,Dist. 99. nullus. that none ought to bée called an highe Prieste or an vniuersall Bishope.

24. Pelagius the second,Sigeb. Poly. 5. cap. 4. [...]olat. Plat. Gregor. lib 4: Epist ca. 88 & li. 9. ca. 4.5. et. Lib. 11. cap. 2. [...] 40. cap [...]bi. Grat. [...] 5. ca. 1 [...] [...] lib. 6. c [...]. 6. [...] 8. ca. [...]. [...] 8. lib. 5. in the yeare of Christe .577. added many thinges to the masse, he put Subdeacons from theire wiues, and from other Ecclesiasticall of [...]ces, and made seauen fourmed Letanies to appease the wrathe of God for the great Pestilence y• was at Rome.

25. Gregory the first in ye yeare of Christ .590. did many thinges well and many thinges euill, hée called himselfe seruaunt of seruaunts, and forbad that any shoulde be called a generall Bishop. He put many things to the masse, Letanies Processions, Antiphonas, Psalmodies, Alleluya. Nine Kirieleysons, Offertorie, thrée peticions in the Canon. He forbad them that fasted to eate flesh, milke, chéese, or egges, and graunted at certain tymes of the yeare [Page] forgiuenes of their sinnes, hée forbad monkes to Baptise, or Images to bée broken.

26. Sabinianus in the yeare of Christe .607. Appointed the day & houres to bée deuided and knowne by Ringing of Belles,Plat. and Lampes to burne in the Temples, and caused Gregorius his Predecessoures bookes to bée burned.

Plat. Sab.27. Bonifacius the thirde in the yeere of Christ .610. obteyned of Phocas the Emperour that he might be called Pope, and Supreme heade, and cheife Prince of all Bishops. Althoughe Iohn the 3. After Christ .565. yeare, and Gregorie the Pope after Christ .590. had apointed and decréed moste Prudently the Contrarie:Polyd. lib. 5. cap. 6. This saide Boniface apointed the Aultares to bée couered with white Linen clothes,

Sab. grat.28. Theodotus in the yeare of Christe .618. decréede that no man should mary his goddaughter.

Sigeb. Sabel Uolat.29. Boniface the 5. in the yeare of Christ 621. apointed Sanctuaries, for Malefactoures, that Coluthes shoulde not touche the Reliques of Martires, Sacrilege, to bée punished with the dart of excomunication, and that Monkes being preistes might binde and louse.

Plat. Uolat.30. Honorius the firste in the yeare of Christe .626. made the Crosse of Christe a Saincte, and tooke the Brasen Tiles of the Temple of Romulus, and couered Saincte Peters Churche with them and builded many Temples.

Sigeb in Chron. Leut.31. Theodocus in the yeare of Christ .640. the sonne of a Bishope was Pope at what tyme Carcombert King of England firste commaunded Lent to bée kept in Englande.

1. Tom. Com. grat. dist. 27. Diaconus. Can. 12.4.2 nulli.32. Martine the firste in the yeare of Christe .650. compelled the Clergie to vowe chastitie.

33 Eugenius the first in the yeare of Christe .660. apointed that Bishoppes should haue a prison to emprison the Clergie, and that Bishoppes might not, nor oughte not to conuert the goodes of the churche to their owne vses.

Plat volat.34. Vitelianus in the yeare of Christ .661. brought firste into the Temples Musike and Orgaines.

Platina.35. Donus in the yeare of Christe .681. deuided the Clergie into certein orders.

[Page]36 Agatho the fyrste in the yeare of Christ .680. commaunded that all the Lawes of the Pope should bée taken as confirmed by the mouth of God.Grat. dist, 19▪ sic.

37. Constantine the first in the yere of Christ .708. went towards Constantinople, Plat. Blond. and in the iourney Iustinian the Emperour met him and kissed his féete. He commaunded Images to be had in Temples and to be painted.Polyd. Lib. 6. Cap. 13.

38. Gregory the second in the yeare of Christ .715. forbad a man to mary. Presbyteram, Dyaconam, Monacham, Tom. 1. Cone and a spiritual godmother: and made Leo the Emperour his subiects too rebell, bycause the Emperour had pulled downe Images of Saincts out of Temples.Blondus. 10▪

39 Gregory the third in the yeare of Chryst .731. brought in Images againe, cursed Leo the Emperour, who resisted him,Plat. Sab. and despising the Emperour caused Martellus King of Fraunce too make warre against the Lumbards.

40 Stephanus the second in the yeare of Christ .751. caused Pipinus to inuade Lumberdie,Eutrop. li. 22. Urspangensis Pope borne. Po [...]id. 4▪ ca. 10 hée pardoned Pipinus againste his othe made vnto his king Childerique, and this was the first Pope that was borne vppon mens shoulders, and caused Images to be worshipped and much Idolatrie to be committed.

41. Paule the first in the yeare of Christ .760. excomunicated the Emperour:Plat. Premonstratensis. in hys tyme Starres did fall from heauen into the earth.

42. Leo the thyrd in the yeare of Christ .800. after his banishment,Hieron. Marius. Polyd. 5. c. 10 béeing restored too his Popeshippe by Carolus Magnus the Emperour made the Gange daies, and Frankencense, and preferred the degrées of the Popes before all the wrytings of the holy Doctours, and affirmed that a crosse of wood made for Christes [...]rosse did bléede the very true blood of Christ.

43. Gregory the fourth made all sowle daye.Plat. Sab.

44. Sergius the seconde in the yeare of Christe .841. was the first that chaunged his name, and cauled himselfe Sergius,Sigebus. whose Christian name was Hogges mouth. He crowned the Emperour Lodouike, and caused the Sacrament too bée deuided intoo [Page] thrée partes.

Plat. volat▪ sigeb.45. Leo the fourth in the yeare of Christ .846. made men kisse his féete, no lay man to bée in the quie [...] at the masse tyme but the clarks. And made Ethenwolfus of a monke king of England, and therfore he rendred to the Pope of euery house in England a pennye.Peter pense.

Houedenus.46. Iohan a woman Pope, in the yeare of Christ .853. borne at Moguntia in Germany and called an English woman through the familiarite that she had with an English monke, with whom she went to Athenes being appareled like a young man, proceded and excelled in learning in so much that she was cōsecrated Pope, gaue orders, made Bishoppes, Priests, Deacons, and Abbottes, songe masse, halowed Alters, Fonts, and Temples, ministred the Sacrament, crowned Lodouike the seconde Emperour of that name with hir hand,Plat. Sab. Ethelwolfus Reuelatiō. 17 and with sainct Peters blessing, Ethelwolfus King of England reuerencing this holy mother, I should say, holy father the Pope, euen the harlot of Babylon, gaue the tenth part of his Realme to clarkes and monks, to praye for his sowle. This Pope was gotten with childe of one of hir Cardinalles, delyuered a child as she went on procession, and so died, after she had bin Pope two yeare and a halfe. Then [...]he holy fathers made prouision leste they should be deceaued any more, and did set him whome they would make Pope vppon a stoole that had a hole in it,Plat. sab. and caused a Deacon to put his hand vnder, and to know whither he were a man or a woman: Behold the Romish Church euen after mistres I.Bu [...]chinge [...] a Papist put [...]eth hir in the number of [...] Popes, who wrote in the yere of Christ 1556. [...]at dist. 96 [...]binam. Anto [...]inus li [...]. [...]6. Pope had sayd a masse of the holy ghost did offend, if it bée an offence too bée an harlot. Funcius sayeth that it was done by the singuler prouidence of God, to [...]eclare the abhomination of the whoore of Babilon and the Sea of Rome.

47. Nicolas the first decréed in the yeare of our Lord .861. that no Prynce, not the Emperour should be present at any councel of the Clargie, onlesse it be some chéefe pointe of the fayth: He decréed that no lay man should iudge of the Clergies lyues, nor dispute of the Popes power, neither any Christian magistrate too haue power ouer any Bishoppe, bicause the Bishppe was called God, and compelled priests too lyue chaste, and that none shall heare the masse of him that hath a concubine.

[Page]48 Martine the second in the yere of Christ 882. was made Pope by Nigromancy.Uolat.

49 Stephanus the 6. in the yere of Christ 890. abrogated al y• Actes of Formosus the Pope for on olde grudge,Plat. Sab. he tooke his body out of his graue, cut of two fingers of his right hand, and threwe them into Tyber, and buryed him emong the Laytie.

50 Romanus in the yeare of Christ 896. disanulled the Actes of his Predecessour Stephanus, Plat Tyranny▪ and approued the Actes of Formossus.

51 Christophorus ▪ in the yeare of Christe 903. did cast Leo intoo prison and handled him miserably.Plat. Uolat.

52 Sergius in the yeare of Christ 907. deposed the sayd Christopher and made himselfe Pope:Plat. Sab. Tyranny. and for hatred tooke vp Formosus once again, and set him in the Seate of the Pope as though hée had bin alyue, and cut of his head eight yeares after hée was dead: hée cut of thrée of his fingers, and threwe his body into Tyber, and commaunded all the Romanes to confirme this acte,Candlemas day. Luth. prandus lib. 3. ca. 12, and too subscribe. Hée first ordeyned candelles to bée borne vppon Candelmasse daye. Hée begotte Iohn the 12. Pope of that name, of an harlot called Marozia, and did many such miracles.

53 Laudo, in the yeare of Christe, 913. was Pope,Premonstrat. Uolat. and begotte Iohn the .11. Pope of that name, in adulterie.

54 Iohn the eleuenth,Premonstrat. Luth. Pran. lib. 2. ca. 13. Buechinger. in the yeare of Christe 916. kept Theodoca, an impudent Harlot. This Iohn was rather a warrier then an Apostle, as Platina writeth. At this tyme holynes fledde from the Popes to the Emperours.

55 Iohn the twelfth, in the yeare of Christ, 934. sonne to Sergius, was deposed by Leo the sixt.Plat.

56 Stephanus the eight, in the yéere of Christ, 937. was so wounded in a ciuile sedition, that hée was ashamed to come abroade all his lyfe tyme.Plat.

57 Iohn the 13. in the yeare of Christe, 964. gyuen too all mischiefe, to dyce, cardes, games, robberies, sacrilege, fornication,Luth prandus li. 6. Uolat. li. 12. Plat. Tiranny with all mischief. and to all other euyll actes, from his youth: whome Volaterane called a cursed man. And Platina Monstrum hominis. Hée cutte out the eyes of some of his Cardinalles: their tounges, their fingers, [Page] handes, noses, and members. Hée was accused that hée dyd not saye his Matynes and Houres, that hée dyd not communicat [...] in his Masse, that hée dyd make Deacons in his stables, that hée dyd lye with twoo Sisters, that in playing at dyce, hée requyred the Deuill too helpe him: hée made children Bishoppes: hée deflowred Maydes and straungers: made Lateranense (that holy Pallace) a Stewes, and brothall house, that hée dyd deflowre Stephana, his fathers concubyne, the Widowe Rayner, and the Widowe Anne, with her Niece: put out his Spirituall fathers eyes: hée hunted, hée warred, hée burned, hée brake doores and wyndowes, hée dranke, and pledged the Deuill with wyne. Wherefore hée was deposed, and Leo placed. But afterwarde his noble concubines caused him too bée restored and Leo deposed. Hée ordeyned that the Emperoure should alwayes, after that bée crowned of the Pope of Rome. A man tooke him with hys wyfe,Capgraue in Catal. angla [...]. and thrust him through with his dagger. Hée made sainct Dunston (beyng a Necromancer) Archebishoppe of Canterburie.

58 Boniface the seuenth, in the yeare of christ, 973. stale all the Treasure of Saint Peters church, and fled too Constantinople, and there solde it.Platina▪ Hée returned to Rome, and with that money payed his creditoures: hyred Ruffians, and deposed Iohn the .15. whome they had made Pope: put out his eyes, thrust him in prison, where hée dyed miserably.

Plat, Stella.59 Iohn the 16. in the yeare of Christ .983. a priests sonne, was hated booth of the clergie and of the Laytie, hée gaue all too hys kyndred.

Premonstrat. Uolat.60 Syluester the second, in the yeare of Christ, 997. studied necromancie, asked of the Deuill, howe long he should be Pope. The Diuell aunswered, tyll hée should singe Masse at Hierusalem. Hée fell sicke in a certeyne place in the church of the holy crosse, called Hierusalem, and there hearing an horrible noyse of Diuelles,Poly. 6. ca. 8 Volat. Read of thys matter at larg in Polyd. lib. 6. ca. 8 as Petrus Premonstratensis, reporteth, dyed.

61 Iohn the 18. in the yeare of christ, 1001. appoynted all soule daye, perswaded by Odylo, an Abbot, who heard a pitifull noyse in mount Ethna, supposing that there were the Soules departed, [Page] and that Purgatorie was in that hill of Sicilia.

62 Petrus Damianus, a Cardinall,Platina. writeth that Benedict the 8. Pope of that name, in the yeare of Christe, 1008. dyd appeare after his death, sitting on a blacke horse, to a Bishoppe, one of hys acquayntance: which Bishop being astonied with such a spectacle and vision, sayde: Arte not thou Pope Benedict, Pope benedi. whom wée know is dead? Hée aunswered, Sum ille infoelix Benedictus. I am that vnhappie Benedict. The Bishop aunswered, How is it with you O blessed Father? Then aunswered the Pope, I am gréeuous [...]ie tormented, but there is remedie ynough: Goe thy waye and tell my brother Iohn, who is nowe Pope, that hée cause too be digged vp certein treasure hidden in the ground, and gyue it too the poore. Hée appeared also to Pope Iohn, saying: I trust to bée deliuered, and woold to god, that Odylo, that holy Abbot, would praye for mée, that inuented purgatorie.

63 Iohn the 20. of a Laye man was made Pope without any orders,Uolat. in the yeare of Christ, 1020.

64 Benedictus the ninth, in the yeare of chryst, 1032. obteyned his popeshippe by Arte Magique, and dyd Sacrifice to Diuelles,Beno Cardinalis. in woodes and mountaynes, and made woomen to followe hym thyther, and to loue him by a Sparrowe. Hée knewe what was doone in all the world. Hée solde hys Popeshippe, libris mille quingentis: At this tyme came in the name of the Cardinalles.Sigeb. Uolat.

This Benedict, as hée was coniuring in the wooddes, was strangled by the Deuill:Buechingerus. Carranza. and after his death was séene of an Hermite in body lyke a Beare, in head and tayle lyke an Asse, and béeing demaunded how chaunsed it that hée was so transformed, hée answered: I lyue in this state bycause when I was Pope, I liued without reason, without Lawe, without God.

65 Syluester the thirde, in the yeare of Christe, 1043. solde hys popeshippe to Gregorie. Blond [...]s. [...] Plat. Oth [...]r. Godft [...]d [...]s. Benno. The Cardinalles called this Gregorie a Murtherer. Then there were at that selfe same tyme thrée Popes: Benedictus was in the pallace Lateranense: Syluester and [Page] Gregorie,Buechinge. Mirandensis Platina. and Clement the second was elected the fourth.

66 Damasus the second, in the yeare of Christ 1048. inuaded by violence, and made himselfe Pope by force, at what tyme it was lawfull for euery man to aspire by what meanes hée could, Quo iure, qua (que) iniuria.

Corin. Pol. Urspar.67 Victor the seconde, in the yeare of Christ 1055. was poysoned drinking in the Lordes Challyce.

68 Alexander the second, in the yeare of Christe 1062. after hée had [...]ought a great battayle commaunded that no laye man should gyue any Benefice.Harmannus contract. Bon [...]in. deca. 2. li. 3. Buechinge. Platina Causa. 16. qu. 5 decimas Ben. Nanclerus. Ursparg. Cō radusa Liech. Cranezius. 5. ca. 8. Mut. 15 dist. 83. si quis Buechinge. Lampertus. Haruelden. Sab. Sigeb.

69 Gregorie the seuenth, in the yeare of Christ, 1069. forbadde any Lay man to possesse Tithes: he poysoned sixe or eight Popes: hée caried about with him alwayes a booke of Necromancie, of the which matter reade Benno at large: hée excommunicated the Emperoure, and made him to stande thrée dayes without the gate of the citie, in a colde winter with his wyfe, and his yong Sonne barefooted, from morning to night without meat or drinke. And when the sayde Emperour desired most humbly: at the ende of the thrée dayes, aunswer was made to him on this wyse: O abhominable Antichrist, the Popes holynes hath no leasure too speake with you. But notwithstanding, on the fourth day his familiare friend and Concubine Mathilda obteyned, that hée might come too the Popes presence. But neyther would gyue him his crowne ageyne, neyther perdon him, neyther absolue him from excommunication, tyll hée should confirme by writing all his decrées, which hée did, and notwithstanding would not restore him.

Carsul. Stella. Uincentius. Antoninus Platina.70 Calixtus the second, in the yeare of Christe, 1119. fought a battell with Gregorie the eight, Pope of that name: ouercame him, and did set him vppon a Camell, his head too the tayle, and so brought him to Rome with such despite.

71 Alexander the thirde, in the yeare of Christe, 1158. instituted,Sigebus. that no man should marye his brothers wyfe. Hée vsed the Kinge of Englande and the Kinge of Fraunce for hys footemen: As Hadrian the fourth Pope before him vsed the Emperoure Frederike, who came too the Pope, and helde hys lefte [Page] stirroppe, as hée should lighte of his Horse.Plat. Crantzius. lib. 6. ca. 16. Otho. [...]ris. lib. 2. et. 7. digest. [...]rid. You should (sayde the Pope) haue holden my right stirroppe: The Emperoure smiled being not a littell offended, and said that he was not wont to hold stirroppes, for you are the firste that euer wée did any suche duetie vnto: And I woold know of you whither it is of duetie or of good will, if of good will, why do you accuse my negligence, if of duetie, I owe you no such seruice, thē what matter maketh it to what side he commeth that commeth to do reuerence. The next day (thus being admonished of the Pope) came to his right stirroppe and brought him into his Tentes.Blond. 5. This Alexander the thyrd decréed that none should be King of England but whome the Pope shuld assigne and create,Polyd. historia. tornalensis de rebus Angliae. and compelled Henry the second king of England to go barefoote to Thomas Becketts Tombe at Canterburie with bléeding féete.

72 Innocent the thyrd in the yeare of Christ.Urspar: decree tit. 6. cap. 34. Polyd. 5. ca. 5. et. 11. Paulphrid: Cran [...]zius. 7. cap. 15.25. 1195. made Emperours, cursed them, and excommunicated them. He inuented and commaunded Auriculer confession, and commaunded the Hoste to be reserued. Thou hast O Rome saieth the Abbotte of Ursprage, that thou diddest desire: Sing this song that thou hast ouercome the world by symony, ambition, malyce, crueltie, presumption, deceyt, arrogancie, and violence, but neither by vertue, nor Religion.

73 Gregorye the ninth,Plat. Crantz. 8. ca. 2. et. 6. decretis .5. tit. 8. ca. 18. in the yeare of Christe .1221. promised eternall lyfe to all them that would sight against the Emperour. He forbad lay men to preach.

74. Innocens the fourth,Buechingerus. Polyd. lib. 4. ca. 9. Plat. Sab. Uolat. Distriensis. lib. 7. Polyd. 6. ca. 8. Uernierus. Buechingerus. in the yeare of Christ .1242. gaue to the Cardinalles rede hattes for the defence of Religion, and that they should ryde on horseback through the citie. Ther was a voice herd in the Popes court, saying, Come thou damned wretch into the iudgment of God, the next day he was striken as though it had bin with a club, and was found dead.

75. Vrbane the fourth in the yeare of Christ .1262. made Christes crosse a saint, and Corpus Christi likewise.

76. Boniface the eight, in the yeare of Christ .1290. gaue in the [Page] yere of Iubil ful remission of their sins to al thē yt came to Rome. Hée came out to the people vpon a solemne daye in the habite of a Pope in his Pontificalibus, and gaue the people his blessinge. The next day hée came forthe in the apparell of an Emperoure, with a naked swerd borne before him, satte him downe and cried with a loude voice, loe here are two swerdes, signifieng that bothe the temporal and spiritual iurisdiction was his. He entred as a Foxe, reigned as a Wolfe,Buechingerus. Robert. gag. l [...]b. 7. C [...]antz. lib. 8. ca. 36. decretis lib. 3, tit, 2. and died as a Dogge: Hée decréed that he was the key bearer of heauen, and that no man might iudge him althoughe hée caried innumerable soules to hell with him.

87. Clement the 5. in the yeare of Christ .1313. did translate the Romishe Seate to Auenion in Fraunce.vernicrus. gagneus. li. 7. Acmilius. Where his successoures remayned 74. yeares.

78. Iohn the 22. in the yere of Christ .1318. taught that the sowles departed should not sée god before the last day. And that hée him selfe is the head of the Churche and in the steade of Christe,Mass [...]us. Iohn mandeuilla li. [...]. ca. 7. H [...]llyricus in [...]st. de veritat vnto whome the Gréekes answeared thus: wée knowe your power ouer your subiectes, your intolerable pryde we cannot abide, your couetousnes wée are not able to satisfie, the Deuill be wyth you, for the Lorde is with vs.

79. Vrbane the 6. in the yeare of Christ .1388. put 5. cardinalles in a sacke and drowned them.Plat.

80. Clement the 6. in the yeare of Christ .1343. commaunded the Aungells of paradise to bring out of Purgatorie those soules that were perdoned, [...]ius bull [...]. and to cary them into the glorie of paradise. Hée graunted also to them that made a crosse in their forehed, that they might deliuer 3. or 4. soules out of purgatorie whome they lusted.

81. Iulius the second in the yere [...]o Christ .1502. a man ful of al mischife threw Peters keyes into Tiber,Tilio. gilbertus duch. mela [...]chto. Brunscius. Huttenus. hée licensed Henrie the 8. King of England to Marie his brothers wiffe what soeuer ordinaunce is to the contrarie set out by the Apostles: Quibuscun (que) decretis[Page]Apostolicis non obstantibus. Cai [...]tanus. Agrippa

82 Leo the 10. in the yeare of Christ 1512. cauled the Gospell a fable. Hée caused his comissioners to perswade the people,Hieronimus▪ Marius. Bebus. Carion .liii. Masseus. Ten shillings bringeth a soule out of purgatorie. that for ten shillinges, they might haue whose Soule they would out of purgatory, they preached that if it were one iote lesse then ten shillinges it would profite nothing, for they sayde it was an infallible rule that God would doo what they would haue him to doo according to this texte. Quicquid soluries super terram. &c. These pardons Luther began to confute, and therfore was cursed by the said Leo. At this tyme ther was such lightening and thunder at Rome that it shaked the Temple, where the Cardinalles were chosen on such sorte that Christ our Ladyes younge sonne was smitten out of hir armes, and the keys out of saint Peters handes, which many interpreted to signifie and foreshowe the Ruin of the Romish seate, and to that end, there were many verses written.

83 Clement the eight in the yeare of Christ 1524. was a bastard,Comentarius super Artiparis. a Coniurer, a Murtherer, a Sodomite, periured, a Robber, full of Sacrilege, and the Mayster of all mischiéefe.

84 Paule the third, in the yeare of Christ .1534.Bucerus. Iohn Tili. Uergerius. Ochimus. Sleidon. Anselmus. Dria [...]der. Paul▪ 3 Excomunicated England, he compelled his sister to lye with Pope Alexander the 6. that he might be made a Cardinall, he poysoned his natural Mother and his Nephewe, that al the inheritance might come to him self, he poysoned an other Sister whom hée had defloured bycause that she loued other better then him. He promysed a noble woman mariage, lay with her and deceyued her, with changing his apparell, he was taken in bed with his Niece, an other mans wyfe, and wounded sore of her husbande, hée laye with his owne daughter Constantia, and killed her husband, he regystred 45. thowsande whoores, of which he had monthly a Ducate.

85 Iulius the 3. in the yeare of Christe 1549. beside the Blasphemies which hée vsed for his Hogges flesh and Peacock,Marius Uergerius. Ochimus. Iulius▪ the Cardinalles demaūded him why he did make such an vngracious Boye called Innocentius too bée Cardinall and what hée sawe in him. [Page] Hée answeared I pray you what did you sée in mée that caused you to make mée Pope? is it not ye course of fortune to aduance whom shée will without desartes?

As I haue in repeting certaine actes of the Popes vttered some that are not wicked and some that are moste detestable, so in declaring these Antitheses and contrarieti [...]s, I must néedes declare some good thinges, but moste parte detestable: Neither doth the Deuill speake alwaies euill though his intente is to that ende, in theise Antitheses yée shall sée their discention in words, discord in matter, diuersitie in iudgment and varietie in opinions. Repugnancie in writing is the subuersion of that thinge which you go about to defend.

They say that the Pope cannot erre in doctrine thoughe hée offend in manners.

¶One Pope against another.

1. Did not Stephan the first, Pope in the yeare of Christe .260. decrée that suche should not bée rebaptised which did reuolt and were heretiques? Sistus or Sixtus in the yeare of Christ .260. decréed the contrarie, the one must nedes erre.

Plat.2. Marcellinus in the yeare of Christ .295. denied Christ, offred to Images and Idolles, but repēted and suffered death afterward for Christe.

3. Liberius in the yeare of Christ .351. through ambition became an Arrean.Hierom. in. Chron. et fortunatiam. Caitanus. Agrippa. Isod. Uolat. Isodorus. His successors condempned that opinion.

4. Iulius the second in the yeare of Christe .1502. graunted Kinge Henrie the eight to marry his brothers wife, whatsoeuer ordinaunces either of the Apostles, or any other are to the contrarie. Sozimus in the yeare of Christ .420. decréed the contrary.

5. Simachus in the yeare of Christ .498. did striue with Laurence and Peter, and they with him.

Isodor. sigeb.6. Anastasius the 2. in ths yeare of Christ .496. fauoured the Eutichians and Nestorians, his predecessors and Successors condemned his opinion.

Grat. in dist. quamuis.7. Pelagius in the yeare of Christ .556. did affirme that the Supremacie of the Bishope of Rome was giuen of Christe.

[Page]8 Iohn the third, in the yeare of Chryst, 563. decréed the contrarie. And so dyd Gregorie the first, in the yeare of Chryst,Distinct. 99. nullus. Uolat. Plat. Plat. 590.

9 Sabinianus, in the yeare of Christe, 607. caused Gregorius hys predecessours bookes to bée burned.

10 Boniface the third, in the yeare of Christ, 610. obteyned of the Emperour to bée called Pope, and Supreme head,Plat. Sab. and chiefe Bishop of all Bishoppes.Dist. 99. nullus. Uolat. Plat:

Iohn the third, in the yeare of Christ, 563. and Gregorie the first after Christ, 590. decréeed the contrarie.

11 Leo the thirde Pope of that name, in the yeare of Chryste,Grat. dist. 63. in Sinodo & Hadria. Sab. Aenead. lib. 8 Plat. 810. graunted to the Emperoure, too electe and confirme the Pope.

Hadrianus the thirde, in the yeare of Chryst, 883. decréeed the contrarie.

12 Stephan the sixt, Anno 897. abrogated the actes of Formosus, Plat. Sab. his predecessour.

Romanus, in the yeare of Chryste,Plat. 903. disannulled the Actes of his predecessoure Stephanus, and approued the Actes of Formosus.

13 Syluester the firste,Plat. Antoninus .ii.16. Anno. 310. permitted Priestes to haue wyues. Nicolas the first, in the yeare of Christ, 861. decréeed the contrarie, with many mo.

14 Gregorie the tenth, Anno. 590. and Martine the first.Uolat. Plat. Ann. 647. denye Priests to haue concubines.

Donus dyd graunt the contrarie. Anno. 670.

15 Sergius, in the yeare of Christ,Plat 907. deposed his predecessoure Chrystopher, and made himselfe Pope.

16 Iohn the twelfth, in the yeare of Christ,Plat. Uolat. 934 was deposed by Leo the 6.Plat. Platina:

17 Boniface the 7. deposed Iohn the 15.

18 There were thrée Popes togyther, all ready too cutte one an others throte.Plat. blond,

19 Alexander the third, in the yeare of Christ, 1158. forbad any man to marye his Brothers wyfe.

Iulius the second dyd the contrarie.Sigeb.

[Page]

ALL THE POPES AGAYNST CHRIST.
Here I haue added certeyne Antitheses, declaring the difference betwéene Christ and the Pope, whereby yée maye know him to bée that Antichrist, mentioned in Paule 2. to the Thessalonians. 2. Chapter. Uer. 4.

CHRIST obeyed the Scriptures, and would doo nothinge agaynst them.

Mat. 5. ve. 19 & 27. Illir. in catal.The Pope dispenseth ageinst them, ageinst the Apostles, ageinst the Euangelist, ageinst Moyses, ageinst the old Testament and new. For (sayeth Hocstrate) hée is an heretique, that cleueth to the scriptures, Agrip. art. 2.

Mat. 15. ve. 18Christ maketh no difference of meates and dayes.

Illir. in catal.The Pope dooth.

Christ had not where hée might reste his head.

Luc. 9. ve. 58The Pope hath houses and pallaces.

Christ admitteth mariage.

Iohn. 2. ver. 1 &c. Grati. dist. 22. Pol. 5. ca. 4.The Pope forbiddeth it.

The Pope sayeth that Christ dwelleth in Temples made with mens handes.

The sprite of Christ, in Paule, denieth it.

Act. 17. ve. 24 Ma. 26. ve. 46Christ prayed onely to his father.

The Pope to sainctes, and new inuented hallowes.

Matth 5. ver. 24. & 25.Christ willeth vs in this lyfe to be recōciled to our aduersarie.

The Pope in the next.

Christ in the earth.

The Pope in his Purgatorie.

Mat. 20. v. 26 Theodoret. 13 Roma.Christ will haue none to be superiour in his church: none too bée supreme head but himselfe.

The pope maketh himself the head and vniuersall Bishop.

Mat. 19. ve. 5Christ admitteth and commaundeth matrymonie.

The Pope prooueth by this place of Paule Romanes the fifth and eight cap. that maried men cannot please God, Qui habitant in carne, Deo placere non possunt. Paule meaneth, that carnall [Page] men and such as are gyuen ouer too all sensualitie, cannot please God. The Pope sayeth, they that are maryed dwell in the fleshe, and therefore cannot please God. If they please not God, ergo the Diuell. If the Diuell, then are all men seruauntes to the Diuell.Eccles [...]. Hist. cent. 5. cap. 10 Thus reasoned Innocentius the 8. Pope of that name.

Christ alleadgeth Scripture for him and his fathers will.Mat. verse 19 & 27.

The Pope alleadgeth his owne will and pleasure, and denieth that hee should shewe any reason of his actes. If any requyre it, hée is offended: hée rageth, hée persecuteth, and addeth alwayes this verse of Iuuenal. as Hildebrand, otherwise called Gregory the seuenth did: ‘Sic volo, sic iubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas.’ Gerochus, one of the greatest friends that Hildebrand had,Illir. in. cata. writeth so vpon him and his lyfe.Mat. 26. ver. 52.

Christ commaunded Peter and his successoures, too put vp hys swoorde.

Hildebrande willed his to drawe it. For hée tooke vpon him too binde, loose, curse, absolue. Hée excommunicateth the Emperour:Anentinus. writeth thus. hée satte in the church of God as God, aboue all that is woorshiped for God. Hée pronounced that hée could not erre: hée inuented fables:Illir. hée corrupted scriptures by false interpretation too serue his luste, and affirmed, that, whatsoeuer hée did, was the law of God.

Christ sayeth, that hée that calleth another Racha,Mat. 5. ve. 22. should be in daunger of iudgement.

Pope Hidebrande calleth others, beastes, dastardes, fooles,Illir in catal. stockes, blockes and Asses.

Christ refused to bée made a King.Iohn. 6. ve. 15 Sigisvertus. Hillir. Auentinus. Mat. 5. ve. 33 Pope very AntiChrist.

The Popes doo not only not refuse, but also fight for it.

Christ forbad periurie, manslaughter, ciuile warres, murther, treason.

The Pope caused his Priestes too preach, that these mischiefes pleased God, and such like, as to rebell ageynst the Emperour, to robbe, to burne, steale, kyll, spoyle, shead bloud, to oppresse their neighboures. Hée hath in his foreheade writen, Nomen contumeliae: the name of despyte: I am GOD, I cannot erre, &c.

[Page] ca. 7. verse 8.Reade Auentinus and Hillircus, and yée shall sée, that the Pope is very Antichrist, and the little horne in Daniell.

Christ exhorteth to charitie: The Pope to debate.

Christ to the studie of Gods woorde.

Mat. 5. ve. 24.The Pope from that knowledge. If (sayeth Arnulphus, in the yeare of Christ, 991. in a Sinode before a great nomber of Bisshoppes) the Pope,Pope is Antichrist. though hée bée gorgeous, though hée sitte in a seate of state with purple Robes, glistering with golde: if hée bée without charitie, and haue learning onely, hée is Antichrist, sitting in the seate of God: boasting himselfe as hée were God. If hée haue neyther charitie nor learning, hée is an Image or Idoll, no more able to aunswere, then a stone. Though ignorance were tollerable in other Bishoppes, yet it is vntollerable in the Pope. Why should not hée that is Superiour in place, and inferiour in knowledge, bée contented to bée iudged by him that is inferiour in place and superiour in knowledge? Thus much writeth Arnulphus, with much more: reprouing superioritie, condemning ostentation, and repressing the intollerable arrogancie of the Pope.

Christ willeth, that a man shall not forsake his wyfe for any cause but for adultery.

Mat. 19. ve. 5The Pope appointeth twelue causes:

Boner bishop quondam, in his homely of matrimonie. Card. Pole. Mat. 5. ve. 19 Thomas. Agrippa.

Error, conditio, votum, cognatio, crimen,

Cultus, disparitas, vis, ordo, ligamen, honestas:

Si sit affinis, si fortè coire nequibit.

Christ forbiddeth to breake any of the ten commaundements.

The Pope sayeth, that hée maye breake the first and seconde, bycause that onely God is not too bée prayed vnto, but also saincts: and that the Images maye bée woorshipped, and the crucifix wyth the adoration of Latreia, aswell as the blessed Sacramentes.

Christ loueth his enemies.

Mat. 5. ve. 44. Dandalus. Duke of Uenyce.The Pope persecuteth his, as hée dyd Dandalus, who was afterward the Duke of Venice: for hée caused an yron chayne to bée locked about his necke, and him to come coupled euery daye with a dogge vppon his knées, and so knéeling vppon his handes and knées, gathering crommes vnder his table, being spurned at with [Page] his féete and others, as they did the dogge. Thus dyd the Pope a long tyme, tyll that hée gaue some parte of his holynes to him, and absolued him.

Christ blessed all, and cursed none.

The Pope curseth not onely men, but also Aungelles, according to this place of Paule to the Galathians, 1. vers. 8. If an Angell come and preach any other Gospell then that which wée preach, let him bée accursed. Gundisalnus cont. Num. 5. Gloss. dist. 19. n [...]lli. & in cap. gener. de Ele. lib. 6.Dist. 81.3.46. mult.

Christ restored mens liues, handes, and toungues.

The Pope cutte [...]h them of. For Manciuellus, a famous man, sitting vppon a whyte horse, made an Oration against the Pope,Iohn. 11. ver. 37.43. Manciuellus. before all the people, at the tyme of procession, proouing him too bée Antichriste. Wherefore, the Pope caused him to bée apprehended and booth his handes to bée cut off. After hée recouered, hée made an other more vehement agaynst him: then hee caused his tounge to bée cut out of his head, and dyed thereof.Hillir. in test. verita.

Christ is constant, and writeth things certayne, infallible, and agréeing one with another.

The Pope is vnconstant, writeth vntruthes, false thinges, absurde, vnreasonable, and one contrarie to an other. For,Bernardus. libinensis in the yeare of Christe▪ 1555. marsil. patav. picus. mirandula. Phillip comi. molyn. rosellus. Plat. Marcelli. Iulianus. Card. s. ang. li. that which one affirmeth, an other denyeth, and that one approueth, an other condempneth.

Christ burned no man.

The Pope burned Hierom of Prage, and Iohn Hus, a true prophet, in the yeare of Christ, 1405.

Christ payed Trybute. Matthew 22. ver. 21.

The Pope refuseth. Chryst obteyned mercie for his.

The Popes can finde none (sayeth Platina,) their sinnes bée so abhominable, and the Popes holynesse to bée gone from them too the Emperour.

Christ cannot erre: The Pope dooth.

Christ iustifieth vs of his meere goodnesse and mercie:

The Pope, not without his pardons▪

Christ destroyed Idolles, pulling them downe.Act. 19. ve. 27.

The Popes erecte them, and through deceit, fayneth them too speake, and woorshippeth them.

[Page]Christ is a faithfull steward:

The Pope an vnfaithfull.

Christ exhorteth to peace: The Pope to warre.

Christ to vertue: The Pope to vice.

Christ doth require no mans riches:

The Pope doth requyre and robbe like Agamemnon in Homere, Thimoboros, a deuourer of the people, a Vertes, a Cataline, a thiefe, a poller, and a seller of the holy Ghost. And if he be demaunded why he doth so, he aunswereth that it is lawfull for him to encrease his patrimonie of the church by any meanes.

These with such like wrote Valla, a worshipful Senator of Rome, in the yeare of Christ .1405. or therabout.

Luc. 10. ve. 21Christ thanketh his Father that he hath reueled the Gospel to his litel ones.

The Pope is thanked of the deuill that by his meanes so many sowles come downe to hell.

H [...]ler. in catalThis is conteyned in the Epistle of Lucifer too the Pope, & to the other of the Spiritualtie about the yeare of Christ .1228.

The Church of Christ is holy Hierusalem:

The Popes is adulterous Babylon, and Sodomitical Rome. Gregorius Hemispurgensis, a doctor of Lawe, and a Senator of Nor [...]berge in the yeare of Christ .1454.

Christ regardeth the sowle of man more thē all worldly riches:

The Pope careth more for ten shillings then a .10000. sowles.

Mat. 15. ve. 1Christ abolisheth the commaundements of men:

The Pope receyueth them.

The holy Ghost came down vpō Christ in y• likenes of Doue:

The Popish huly ghost came downe vppon Iohn the .23. of that name after their masse of the holy ghost in a councell holden at Rome, in the likenes of an ill fauored and a prodigious Owle, and flied al about howling,The Popes holy Ghost. sate vpon a beame staring vpon the Pope. What a thing is this sayd those holy fathers, the holy ghost is present with vs in the likenes of an Owle. And in the next Session the Owle did the same till the the councell was giuen ouer. Clemangis Archedeacon of Baro in the yeare of Christ .1416.

Christ is the Sauiour of Sowles: The Pope a murtherer. Brigitta in the yeare of Christ .1370. she calleth the Pope a disperser [Page] of Christes flock, more abhominable then the Iewes, crueller thē Iuda, vniuster then Pilate, worser then Lucifer, that he turned the x. Commaundements in this one Da pecuniam, giue me monye. It is wrytten that she saw the Uirgin Mary saye to hir sonne that Rome was a riche fielde,Brigitta. and that Christ aunswered that it was riche, but rich with wéedes, Zizanijs.

Christ sayth that whosoeuer commeth to him shal neuer perish

The Pope sayeth that whosoeuer commeth to him in the yere of Iubile, though he die by the way as he goeth,Ioh. 6. ve. 37▪ Hillir. in cato. shall not perish, for he will commaund the Aungels to cary his sowle vp into Heauen without delay, & with all expedition. He graunteth also to euery one that commeth to Rome to the Iubile, Soules out of purgatorie. power to chuse thrée or foure sowles at theyr owne wil, and fetch them out of purgatory.

Christe saith that there is but one God,Ma. 4. ve. 10. and him onlie to be worshipped.

The Pope saith ye the Sacrament of the Alter is God, & therfore to be worshipped. Iohn Mutzeger in the yeare of Christ .1384.

Christ is the Author of concorde.

The Pope of discorde. Nilus in the yeare of Christ .136 [...].

Christ wisheth to all men felicitie.

The Pope wished to them a poole or a bottomlesse pitte.

This was the wishe of Pope Martine the .4. of that name in the yeare of Christe .1290.

Christe ouercame and subdued the worlde by his doctrine:Nicolaus dr. [...]atrach. hillir.

The Pope by mony, discorde, battell, crafte: and malice. Abbas Vrsp. in the yeare of Christe .1199.

Christ teacheth true doctrine:

The Pope heresie. Crantzius, lib. 8. ca. 8.

Christe breaketh not his promisse,Gene. 3. ve. 9. nor condempneth any man before that hée pleadeth his owne case.

The Pope and his Legates burned Iohn Hus, and Hierome of Prage againste their pronisse, and the Emperoures saufconductes in the yeare of Christe 141 [...].

Christ openeth the way to the kingdome of Heauen: The Pope stoppeth it, and neither wil entre himself, neither will suffer other to entre: VVicleffe in the yeare of Christ .13 [...]4. Bernerd Lutzeberge 2. Tom. council. in. Sessi. 8. Constancienti. Polydor. Aug. lib. 19.

[Page]Christ and his woorde excommunicateth none without a great cause: The Pope and his, for euery trifle, for the priests Tithes, for a Pigge, for a Goose, for Aples, and Peares. And therefore sayeth Scotus, in the yeare of Chryst, 1300. desti. 18. stut. 4. men care not for his curse, it is despysed and counted for vyle.

Christ left behinde him, when he departed, no money.

The Pope, 25. thousand million of Ducates. Matthaeus Palmerius.

Christ is the true Image of his Father.

The Pope is an Idoll, which hath eyes and sée not, eares and heare not, as Robertus Gallus writeth in the yeare of Christ, 1290.

Christ had no earthly possession. The Pope possesseth all, which possession to bée gyuen by Constantine: Marsilius Patauinus, denieth: Valla confuteth it, and Cusanus, and Cattalanus reproue it, in the yeare of chryst, 1496.

matt. 20. ve. 26.Christ will haue no superioritie in Bishoppes.

The Pope calleth himselfe the chiefe of all. Here I subscribe the woordes of Marsilius Patauinus, who was in the yeare of Christ, 1324.

All Bishoppes should bée of equall authoritie, neyther should the Pope haue any superioritie aboue other Bishoppes,Marcili [...]s. Patauinus. and much lesse aboue the Emperour, or other ciuile Magistrates, and Gouernours: Summum iudicium debere penes esse verbum Dei: not onely the Spiritualtie to bée called to the councelles, but also the Layetie, which are learned and godly. The clergie and the Pope to bée subiectes to the Emperoure. The church to bée the congregation of the faythfull. Chryst to bée the head of the church. Neyther dyd appointe any other Uicare or pope: Bishoppes too bée elect of the church or clergie: priestes to haue wyues: that Peter was neuer at Rome. The popes Synagoge to bée a Denne of Robbers: the popes doctrine to carry men to eternal damnation. Thus much Patauinus

Christ sayeth, that the Kinges rule the Gentyles: But it shall not bée so emong you.Luc. 22. ve. 25. The pope sayeth, that neyther Kinge nor Emperour hath any power, authoritie, or iurisdiction, but of the pope, neyther can bée of any force, tyll they be annoynted, consecrated, and crowned by the Pope, who hath full power, aswell in [Page] thinges temporall as spirituall. Thus writeth Ludouicus the 4. Emperoure of that name confuting the sayd presumptuous arrogancy of the Pope. Iohn the 22. of that name.Ludouicus.

Christ sayeth that the sentence and iudgement of Chaiphas and Pilate was vniust.

The Pope sayth that his sentence, whither it be iust or vniust must be obserued, reuerenced, accepted, defenced, and feared. This errour the sayd Emperour refelleth with many reasons and authorities.

Christ sayeth that his father hath gyuen vnto him all power.Mat. [...]8. ver. 18. Hyllir.

The Pope sayeth that there is none Superiour to him. Non habet superiorem. The same Ludouicus proueth that the Pope may haue a superiour in earth if he offend by a councell,A noble Emperour hée may be deposed and corrected.

Christ deposed no Emperour.

The Popes did many, as Iohn the 23. of that name deposed Ludoui [...]e in the yeare of Christ 1314. he was excōmunicated for an heretique, and Scismatike, he warred with 3. Popes the space of 33 yeares, all the learned men in Europe were with the Emperour against the Pope. Notwithstanding he cursed him, and commaunded al Priestes, Byshoppes, Kinges, and Princes, to rebell against him in the yeare of Christ 1323.

Christe commaundeth to bewar [...] of suche as come in longe gownes, and Lambes apparell.Mat. 7. ve. 15

The Pope admitteth none els to his orders, Helias Rubeus, in the yeare of Christ 300. lib. 3.

Christ sayth that his church is euery where,Ma. 18. ve. 20 wheresoeuer two or thrée be gathered in his name.

The Pope sayth that his is at Rome and of such as béeléeue in the Romish church,Hillir. all suche as wrote against VValdensis are of this opinion. Iacob Riberia.

Christe his spirit in the Apostle willeth all men, euen euerye Prelate, & Pope to obey the Emperours, and other Magistrates.Rom. 13. ver. 1

The Pope aunswereth that that Text counselleth men too doo so, but commaundeth not. C. Soli. te titu. de obedientia et Maioritate. Thus aunswered the Pope Innocentius ▪ the 3. Emperour Baldione Paldiomus in the yeare of Christ 1205.

[Page]Christ sought his owne? The Pope other mens. Christ homely apparel and diett: The Pope gorgeous, and sumtuous. Christ peace: The Pope debate. Christ equetie: The Pope iniquetie. Petrus Blesensis wryteth thus and more in the yeare of Christ .1153. Christ shedeth no mans bloode: The Pope rather followeth Romulus in murthering his brothers, then Peter in feding his shéepe. Adrianus the Pope of that name, and Iohn Saresburiensis in the yeare of Christ .1150. Ant. tit. 17. cap. 1.9. Molinaeus. 11.

There resorteth to Christe the poore in sprite, the simple of harte, the méek e and all the faithfull.

There resorte to the Pope in the yeare of Iubile, proude prelates, auaritious Archedeacons, couetous Curates, dotish Doctors, dronken Dunsies, monstrous Monks, flattering Friers, nyce Nunnes, curious Curtesans, theues, bawdes, brothels, adulterers, Idolaters, with all the rest of the wicked rable.

I do not bring these Arguments collected out of the popish lawes and wryters, for that they néede any confutacion, but that men may learne with what stuffe and Trumperie they confirme their errours.

The Pope cannot Erre.

Obiection.

No man sinneth that is borne of God:

The Pope is borne of God:

Ergo the Pope sinneth not

The fiist proposition is proued out of the firste of Iohn verse .9.

The second I will proue by a Sillogisme in Barbara.

Euery one that is holy is borne of God:

Phe Pope is not only holy, but also most holy.

Ergo euery Pope is borne of God.

The first proposition is euident.

The second is proued by the Popes bulles which are more to bée credited then the Gospell, for the Pope may interpret the Gospell [Page] how he will, but no man may Interprete the Popes Bulles.

I aunswer.

Euery man sinneth.

The Pope is a man.

Ergo the Pope sinneth.

The first proposition is proued by the .14. Psalme of Dauid. ver. 3.Ro. 3. ver. 10.11.12.

There is none that doth good, no not one.

I wyll proue by a Sillogisme in Barbara, the second proposition.

Euery creature reasonable and mortall is a man:

Euery Pope is a reasonable and mortall creature.

Ergo euery Pope is a man.

The first proposition is proued by the deffinition of a man.

The second proposition is proued by Athanasius Creede, where he sayeth that Christ consisteth of a reasonable soule, and a humane flesh. And by the first to the Cor. 15. chap. ver. 22.54. Rom. 6. ver. the last. And Hebrues the .9. ver. 27. whereby euery man is proued too be mortall.

Obiection.

He that can make God, is better then God:

The Pope can make God:

Ergo the Pope is better then God.

The Maior is proued by this principle of Lodgike:

The cause efficient is better then the effect.

The second proposition is proued by this Silogisme:

That which a priest can do, the Pope can do:

The priest can make God:

Ergo the Pope can make God.

The Maior of this Argument is proued by the same principle of Lodgike that the other former Argument was.

The second proposition is proued by this Argument:

He that can make the Sacrament of the Alter can make God:

[Page]The Priest can make the Sacrament of the Aulter.

Ergo a Priest can make God.

The Maior proposition is proued by this place. Hoc est corpus meum, 1 Cor. 11. ver. 24. quoties cunque feceritis. &c.

The second proposition is proued by daily massing & by the words and déedes of many a priest, who will not stick to saye that they haue made him an hundreth tymes and no lesse.

I aunswer.

That consequentlie it followeth by these Arguments of the Papists, that the Pope is better then God, and also elder then either God or the world.

Obiection.

He that can remitte sinnes is God:

The Pope can remitte sinnes:

Ergo the Pope is God.

The Maior is in Luke the .5. verse .21.

The Minor is proued by this Argument.

He that can giue the holy Ghost can remitte sinnes:

The Pope can giue the holy Ghost:

Ergo the Pope can remitte sinnes.

The Maior is in the .1. Thessalo. 4. ver. 8. in the which place it is said, that God giueth the holy Ghost, and as God can giue the holy Ghost so can he remitte sinnes by these words. Luc. 5. verse .21. Solus deus condonat peccata.

The Minor is proued by his orders giuen too priests, where hée sayeth. Accipite Spiritum Sanctum.

I aunswer.

He that cannot giue the holy Ghost is not God:

The Pope cannot giue the holy Ghost:

Ergo the Pope is not God.

The Maior is proued by an Argument Ex repugnantibus.

The Minor I proue thus. Rom. 3. ver. 23.

No sinner can giue the holy Ghost:

The Pope is a sinner.

Ergo the Pope cannot giue the holy Ghost.

The Maior is proued thus.

He that is not of God cannot giue the holy Ghost:

[Page]No sinner is of God:

Ergo no sinner can giue the holy ghost.

The minor is proued thus.

Hée that is not of God is of the Deuill. hée that is of the Deuill, cannot giue the holy ghost.

Ergo hée that is not of God cannot giue the holy ghost.

The minor is proued in the 1. of Iohn the 3. ca. ve. 8. and the firste of Iohn. ver. 18.

Obiection.

Hée that can forgiue sinnes is God:

The Pope can forgiue sinnes.

Ergo the Pope is God.

The first Proposition is proued by this text of Luke: chapter .5. ver. 21. Onlie God forgiueth sinnes.

The .2. Proposition I wil proue by an Argument, à minore ad maius.

Hée can forgiue sinnes whose shoes can forgiue sinnes:

The Popes shoes can forgiue sinnes:

Ergo hée can forgiue sinnes.

I proue the minor by the Cannon Law, wher it is written,De cō. A. c. ecclesia. de priuil e. cum. olim de maior. ac obed. c. illub. that his shoes are of suche authoritie, that if an excomunicated persone kisse them, his sinnes are forgeuen him.

I answere.

Hée that cannot forgiue sinnes is not God:

The Pope cannot forgiue sinnes:

Ergo the Pope is not God.

The first Proposition is proued by the former text of Luke chap. 5. verse 21. Only God forgiueth sinnes.

The second Proposition I will proue by this Argument

Who is conceiued in sinne, and borne in sinne:

Cannot forgiue sinne:

The Pope is conceiued in sinne, and borne in sinne:

Ergo the Pope cannot forgiue sinne.

The Maior is proued by the 21. verse of the 5. chapter of Luke.

The seconde Proposition is proued by the 51. psalme verse .5. Beholde I was. &c.

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Obiection.

Hée which can abolish Christes doctrine, and establish his owne is better then Christe:

The Pope can abolish Christ Doctrine & establish his owne:

Ergo the Pope is better then Christe.

The fyrst proposition is of force of it selfe.

The Minor is proued by theise places of the Cannon law. Dist. 17. in gloss. de transl▪ episcop. quando persona.

And also by this Sillogisme.

Hée whose doctrine doth so far passe Christes doctrine, as the kernell the shell, the Sonne, the Moone, and lighte darknes, may abolishe Christs and establishe his owne:

But the Popes doctrine doth so far passe Christs as the kernell the shell, the Sonne the Moone, and light darknes:

Ergo the Pope may abolishe Christes doctrine.

The first proposition is euident.

The second is proued by Guilielme de. S Amore in lib. de periculis nouissimorum temporum ca. 8. and by Antilogia, and by Chancer in the Romant of the Rose.

I aunswer.

Hée that doth abolishe Christes doctrine and establishe his owne, is Antechriste:

But the pope abolisheth Christs doctrin & establisheth his own

Ergo the Pope is Antechrist: & therfore not better thē Christ.

The first proposition is proued by the 1. of Iohn. 2. verse 24. and the [...]. of Iohn. 4. verse .3.

The second proposition is proued by their owne writinges and preachinges, for Friers which are the Popes taile in the yeare of our Lord 1355. preached openly, and made also a booke called Euangelium aeternum or Euangelium spiritus sancti, wherin they endeuored to proue that Christ was not God, neither his Gospell Euerlasting: but should only continew 50. yeares and then theires should take place, wherin was comprehended all superstition, Idolatrie, as praing to saints, Purgatorie, masses, pilgramages &c. Guilielmi de. S. amore in. lib. de. picul. nouis▪ temp. ca. 8. and by Antilogia ▪ and Chancer in the Romant of the Rose.

Obiection.

Hée that is docter of both the lawes I meane ciuill and common is better then hée that is docter of neither:

But the Pope is doctor of both, and Christ of neither.

[Page]Ergo the Pope is better then Christ.

The first proposition is proued by the degrées of bothe his doctorshippes.

The second is proued by the aucthoritie of Baldus in Codice. Who sayeth that he is doctor of both Lawes in authoritie though not in knowledge.

I aunswer.

Some man that is doctor of neither Law is better then the Pope that is doctor of both Lawes:

But Christ was some man and doctor of neither Law.

Ergo Christ doctor of neither Lawe, is better than the Pope that is doctor of both Lawes.

I proue the Maior by this Argument.

He that is lesser then Christe in knowledge, is not so good as Christ.

But the Pope though doctor of both Lawes is lesser then Christ in knowledge.

Ergo the Pope is not so good as Christ.

The Maior is proued, amaiore ad minus.

The Minor by this Sillogisme.

He that knoweth not all things is lesser then Christe in knowledge.

But the Pope knoweth not all things.

Ergo he is lesser then Christ in knowledge.

That Christ knoweth all I proue by this argument.

He that is God knoweth all things.

Christ is God:

Ergo he knoweth all things.

Obiection.

He that is Iudge both of quick and dead, is either God or as good as God:

The Pope is Iudge both of quicke and dead:

Ergo the Pope is either God or as good as God.

The assumption is proued in Bernerd Lutzenburge, a Fryer of great learning in the Scriptures, and in Extra. qui filij sunt legittimi. C. per venera. Ext de sententia Excom. C. a nobis. et. 24. q. 2. Papa constitutus est iudex viuorum et mortuorum.

[Page]

I aunswer.

He that is to bée iudged in the laste day, is not the Iudge of the quick and dead:

But the Pope is to be iudged in the last day:

Ergo he is not the iudge of the quick and dead.

Obiection.

He that can prohibite matrimonie is aboue Christ:

The Pope can prohibite matrimonie.

Ergo the Pope is aboue Christ.

Protasis, is proued by Mathew the . [...]9. ver. 6.

Prochiphis or Chimma in extra vagant de conuersi.

Symperaga, is euident of thother, the Sillogisme is in Darij.

I aunswer.

He that prohibiteth Matrimonie is an Infidele and hath the spirite of errour.

The Pope prohibiteth Matrimonie:

Ergo the Pope is an Infidele and hath the Spirit of errour, & therfore Antechrist.

The first proposition is proued by Paule the .1. Tim. cap. 4. verse 1.2.3.

The Sumption or assumption the Pope affirmeth in his Cannon Law as I haue alledged before, and the conclusion is manifest, and the Silogisme is in Darij.

Obiection.

That which other men are the Pope is not:

Other men are synners:

Ergo the Pope is none.

I aunswer.

That which other men are the Pope is not:

Other men are Christians:

Ergo the Pope is none.

¶An Interpretation of the place of Paule. 2. to the Thess. 2. which describeth Antechrist. I meane the Pope.

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Except there come a departing first.

THEODORET calleth this departing Antechrist, who shall seduce the world and drawe men from the trueth: Who is the man of sinne which vsurpeth all the aucthoritie of the diuel, and the operation of whom is the childe of perdition bicause hée destroyeth himselfe and others. He shall sitte in the Temple of God, which is mens myndes, and shall sitte the highest in all assembles, councells, and places, and shew himselfe as a God, and shall call him the God. Moasim, a strong, stoute, and mightie God, some vnderstand this departing too bée when the Romaine Empyre béegan too decaye, in the tyme of the Emperour Heraclius, when the Turkes and Saracenes departed from the Romaine Empyre vnto Mahuemite, and folowed the superstition, vaneties, and subtyle sect of the great Turke. Augustinus confesseth his ignoraunce in the vnderstanding of this place, Notwithstanding saieth hée, some meane by Antechrist, the whole bodye of sinne, the whole malygnant Churche, with theyr Captayne Antechrist and so sitte in the Church, as though he were the onely Church, and now ye know, what withholdeth and what is the cause of his delaye, and why that this pestilent membre of Satan doth not apeare, euen the Romain Gmpire letteth, for tyll it béegin to deminishe,Lact. 7. c. 25. he shall not vtter himselfe by the misterie of iniquitie, some vnderstande Nero, some Heresies, by him that witholdeth, some vnderstand the Romaine Empire, as Ambrose [Page] and others as I sayd before: some the grace of God, and the might of his spirit, some gods appointment and decrée, who assigned Antechrists tyme, but Theodoret vnderstandeth it of the Gospell, which must be preached ouer all the world, Christs Religion published euery where, adolatrie vanquished, false doctrine detected, superstition abolished, and then shall Antechrist appeare. Christ shall subdue this Tyraunt with the rodde and teath of his mouth: Esai. 11. verse .4. euen by his woorde and by godly men expert in his Lawe. The body of sinne is Antechrist, false prophets, and false Christs. Math. 7. verse .15. cap. 24. verse .24. Théeues and robbers. Iohn the 10. verse .1. Antechrists kingdome cōsisteth in ambition, domination, arrogancie, false doctrine, fables, visions, reuelations, pardones, and such other abhominations. The abhomination of desolotion is knowen,Mat. 24. v. 24 Mar. 13. ve. 6 by notes of Antechrist, false doctrine, in this host, and that host, and in euery Alter with his naturall bodye: He is knowen by Tyrannye, by all manner of myscheife, he is the man of sinne, for he doth not only sinne himselfe, but also causeth other to sinne. For the Pope sayeth that if he sel the whole world, he selleth but his owne, or if he cary innumerable sorte of soules to hell with him, there may no man aske him why he doth so. He is the childe of perdition, and man of sinne, bicause that he is a man in déede, and in mans nature, and taketh vppon him the operation of the deuill: for God elected Christ who in his humain nature should redeme vs, and bring vs to saluation, euen so doth the deuel choose a very man, who should supplant, seduce, peruert, and destroy, calling himselfe Christ and God, and aduouching thē to be false gods, whome before he reuerenced as true gods. The Temple of GOD he calleth Christs Church, and congregation, where he will vsurpe the highest seate and place, boasting himselfe for God.

Antechrist shall neither be deuell, nor féende, but a very man, in whome shall dwell whoie Satan bodely.Hierō in Daniel. He sitteth in the Church of God, as God, he shall persecute the godly, chaunge the Lawes of God, and eealt himselfe aboue GOD, and compell all men, all Lawes, all Regions to be subiect to his authoritie. He shal feigne chastetie,Hierō in Daniel. and contynencie, to deceiue men withall.

Gregorye the fyrst of that name, calleth him the forerunner of Antechrist, [Page] who taketh vppon him to be an vniuersall priest,Lib. 7. dist. [...] ▪ Epist. 30. bicause in pride and presumption hée preferreth him selfe before others, but this doth the Pope. Therfore he is Antechrist.

Gregorie calleth him Antechrist who sendeth out his preachers to teache that the Sabboth day or Sunday ought not to bée laboured vppon, and to folowe the Iewes in obseruing the rites of the law,Lib. 11. in dist. 6. epist. 3. and so cause the Sabboth to bée reuerenced: But the Pope doth this: Ergo the Pope is Antechriste.

After that Iohn in his Reuelation had described the firste beaste,Reue. 13. v 11. whiche was the Romaine Empire, to bée a defacer of Christe, and a persecuter of the Christians: hée inferreth the second beast too come out of the earth, souoring of earthly things: and hauing two hornes as the Lambe of Christ had: the one horne is the worldly kingdome of the Pope, which consisteth in vsurping. For he called himselfe a king, and not only a king, but also created kings & Emperours and deposed them. The other horne is the priesthode of the Pope. For he hath authoritie in heauen and earth, and therfore hath two keys, the one for Heauen gates, the other for hell gates. Two swordes, the one to subdue the Emperours withall, the other to rule the Clergie. He and his giue the holy Ghost, and grace, and therefore in auriculer confession, in his pardones, in making of priests. He speaketh like a Dragon,Reu. 13. ve. 11. euen like the deuell, who seduced Adam and made him offend against all the commaundements. He doth graunt miracles, hée maketh fire too discend from Heauen.

By fyer is vnderstanded the holy Ghost,Reue. 13. v. 1 [...]. and the Pope promiseth to giue the holy ghost in giuing of orders, saying, Receiue ye the holy ghost.

Moreouer there is no sinne so horrible, no offence so greuous, which he will not forgiue for money. By Fyer, may be vnderstand his thundering boult of Cursing and Excommunication, whereby he did strike the Monarches, Princes, and Kings of the earth. He that will not worshippe the Image of the beast which is the dominion, prerogatiue, and authoritie of the Pope, shalbée murthered by him and his proctors.

The Image of the beast is his aucthoritie, ceremonies, candells, [Page] Sacramentes, Hosts, Wafecakes, Housling, Priests, Friers, Nonnes, Monkes, Hermetes, Religious men, Purgatorie, Pardones, Penitentiaries, Curtesanes, Masses, Dirges, Abbotts, Beades, Beaderos, Crosses, Coniurings, holy Bread, holy Water, holy Salte, Palmes, holy Blood of Hayles, prayers for the dead, Limbus patrum, Limbus puerorum, praying to Saincts, Superstition, Idolatrie, Images, Idolles, Pilgremages, Rosaries, Ladies Psalters, and Regine coelorum, Aue Maria stella, Bulles, Extreame vnction.

I will so plainly declare the nature of Antichrist and in such sorte that you shall vnderstande that the Pope muste néedes bée Antichrist. There were onely six Monarchies from the deluge to the ende of the Worlde. The first the Assirians: the second, the Babylonians or the Chaldes: Dan. [...]. vi Empires. the thyrd, the Medes or Persians: the fourth the Grecians or Macedonians: the fift, the Romains and Germans: the sixt, is the Pope and the Emperour, which were diuided out of the whole Romayne Empyre, before it was diminished.

Daniel doth not touch the Empire of the Assirians, for it was past before his tyme, and this Image was séene at Babilone. What néeded any Prophecie of a thinge that is past. Neither is there any Prophesie of a thing that is past, but of a thinge too come. And therefore sayeth Daniel: God shall shevv to the King things to come. The head of this Image signifyeth the Monarchy of the Chaldes and Babylonians: The head of the Image. The siluer breast and armes the Medes or Persians: The Belly and Thighes of brasse the Gresians, or Macedonians: The Legges of Yron were the Romans, who subdued al the world: The foote of Yron signifieth the Pope, who breketh the power of the Emperour as yron doth ye clay, for the Pope had all Europe, at his commaundement, hée crouned Emperoures, and hee deposed them, he warred against them and subdued them: hée possessed Italy, and thrust the Emperour into Germany. Let vs declare how the Pope, who is signified by the féete of yron, did subdue the Emperour, who was named by the foote of claye.

Epist. 30. ad Eng [...]ogum & lib. 6 Epist. 77.80. lib. 7 Epist. 196. Gegory the fyrst Pope of that name in the yeare of Christ .600. wryteth that it had bin offered diuers tymes that the Pope of Rome myght haue called the vniuersall Byshop, but none of them would take it vpon them, or vse that word and title. Notwithstanding [Page] the same Gregory inuehing against Iohn the Patriarcht of Constantinople, who would haue bene called the vniuersall Bishopp, signifieth to the Emperour, Mauritius, and to his wife Augusta, that Rome should chalenge that honor and Superioritie, and that it was iniquitie to depriue the successour of Peter of that honor, considering that it was sayd to Peter, thou art Peter, Et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam. Wherin Gregorie offended duble, first in misunderstanding, or rather peruerting ye place and wordes of Christ, meaning by ye rocke Peter:Math. 16. when as Christ is the rocke, and Peter but a member deriued from the rocke, as of Christ Christians: secondly that hée gaue occasion to his successoures to chalenge and aspire to that superioritie and dignitie.Diago. 805 Phoc [...]e. Bonifatius. 3 Cursed Phocas in the yere of Christ .605. killed the good Emperour Mauritius with his wife, and children, and at the request of Boniface, made the seate of Rome the cheife seate of all churches, and that the Pope of Rome should bée preferred before all others. And although that Phocas a most damnable Emperour, who killed his Master and Emperoure Mauritius, gaue this preminence to the pope of Rome, notwithstāding he could not be elected without the assent of the Emperour of Constantinople, & the Exarch of Italy, & of the people of Rome. Constantinus, the 4. Emperor of that name,Cōstantinus the fourth Emperour. Benedictus. 2 Pope. Sabellicus. En 8. lib. The Pope ruleth all. graunted to Benedictus, the second Pope of that name, in the yeare of Christ .685. that the Pope might be elected without the assent of the Emperour of Constantinople, or the Exarch of Itly, only by the Clergie, and people: And in the yeare of Christ .1063. in a counsell at Mantua, where Berengarius was compelled to recant his opinion of the Sacrament, it was decréed that the Pope should bée only elected of the Cardinalles without assent of any others, now began the Popes to do all, to rule all, & compell all Emperoures, Kinges, and Princes, to their orders, and to bée subiect to them. Gregory the 3. Pope of that name about the yeare of Christ .695. resisted the Emperour of the east Leo the .3. who had caused al maner of Images to be pulled downe, and burned,Gregory the thyrd resisted the Emperor Leo. Sab. En. 8. lib. 8 Entro. lib. 21. Ursp. in Leone plat. Zachari▪ the Pope. and them that would not do it, to suffer death. This Gregory resisted: this excommunicated Leo: this caused the Images to be more worshipped then euer they were.

Pope Zacharias in the yeare of Christe .743. caused the King of [Page] Fraunce, called Chilpericus to be made a Monke, and placed one Pipin by the meanes of the nobles of Fraunce, and made him king, who enriched the Pope.Pipinus Blond. 10. Stephan the 2. pope. Thus Zacherias the Pope, with his successor Stephen the second Pope of that name, dyd pardon and absolue Pipinus with the rest of the nobilitie of Fraunce, of their othe & obediēce which they ought to ye king Chilpericus lately deposed. This Stephen did first ordain that he & his successors shold be born of mens shoulders.polidor. 4. c. 16 Carolus Magius Carolus magnus succeded his sonne Pipinus, & in the yeare of Christ .800. was created & crouned Emperour by Leo the third Pope of that name. Ludouicus succeded his Father Carolus in the empire of the west,Ludouicus. & enriched the pope Paschalis & his successors exceadingly. For he with his grandfather Pipinus, & his father Carolus gaue to the Popes aboue .60. Ylands,Uolater. lib. 3 Geogra. Countries, Cities, shires, Towns, dominions & prouinces, which are repeted in Campanus & others.Otho mag. Otho magnus the Emperour of the Germains, in the yere of Christ 938. gaue all these that his predecessors had giuen to the pope for his soules health, for his sonnes soule, & for his forefathers souls. After this time the pope toke vpon him al worldly dominion & power,The Popes power. also of heauē, hell, & purgatory. No man may iudge the Pope, nor his doings. Causa. 9. quest. 3. C. patet. The pope may iudge all, & none the Pope: Neither may any man dispute of his doings .17. quest. 4. c. si quis suade. Dist. 79. c. extremo. What if the Pope shold corrupt many by his example?The pope may not be controuled. Pope Boniface answereth this dist. 40.4. si Papa. If the Pope shall cary innumerable people by companies with him into hell, & there to be plagued for euer, no man may reproue him: bycause that hée that iudgeth all, may be iudged of no man. In eadem dist. c. 2. If the Pope be accused his predecessor is sufficient. After Pipinus & Carolus the first Emperour of thatname, the Pope ruled al, crowned Emperours, deposed them at his pleasure. In so much that Iohn the .12. Pope of that name, in the yeare of Christ .962. (which Iohn was killed taken in adultrie) gaue this othe to Otho the first Emperour of the Germains, Dest. 63. To the my Lord Iohn Pope, I King Otho do promise thée and swere by the Father,The Emperours othe to the Pope. and the So [...]ne, and the holy Ghost, and the trée of the liuely crosse, and by the reliquesof saints, that if I shal come to Rome I wil exalt the Romish church & hir gouerner & 12. quest. 4. Clericus, Otho the 3 In the time of Otho the third [Page] Emperour of the Germains, it was decréed by perlement that none of the stock & line of the Romans, should euer bée Emperour, but only some of the Germains. Gregory the .5 Pope of that name. And therfore Gregory a Saxon the first Pope of that name, graunted that the Emperour should be elected by .v [...]j. electors, which were the Duke of Saxony, County Palatine, Marchio Brandeburgensis: the bishop of Mense, Colonie, & Treuers, Electors. & the King of Boemia, as Arbiter, in the yere of Christe .995. Here may you sée how that out of the Romain Empire, ye Garmains Empire & the Popes are deriued The Pope had the whole in effect & the Emperours were but at the Popes plesure. For the Pope had the marow & the Emperour the bones, the Pope the corn, the Emperour the chaff: the Pope was the Sun, the Emperor the Moone, who taketh his light & might of the Pope. The Pope had Italy, Sardinia, Sicilia, Naples, & in a maner al. The Emperour Germany, but alwais subiect to the Pope. Wher it is in Daniel that they shalbe ioyned togither by mans séede, it is meaned that they shalbée as it were both one, but they shal not be otherwise ioyned thē yron can be with clay.Mans seede By mans séede is meant that vnfaithful knot of amity which was, & is betwéen the Emperour & the Pope, which was oftentimes, but mere dissimulatiō. For wée sée that the Emperors were compelled for feare to obay the Pope, as in treading of the Henries, and Fredericks with Ludouique & others. How oft did Honorius, Gregory the .9. & Innocentius, take truce with Frederike the ij. & euer brake their promis. This was Humanum semen, The pope r [...] utles in Paul is to shew him befor king & Emperoure & Christ. and the Popes Empire, as I said before, which rose out of the Romain empire, & began then to be reuiled & made manifest when he toke vppon him to make Emperours & depose them at his pleasure. Notwithstanding he wrought secretly before in al the Popes in a maner. And that the Pope is Antechrist Paul proueth,To swordes bycause he sitteth in the Temple of God, & taketh vpon him to serch mens consiencis & for ye purpose he made auriculer cōfession,Crant. 3.8. c. 36. Temple. to know euery mans thought. And therfore Boniface brought out two swods, on a solemne feast day in the yere of Christ .1030. wherby it is manifest that ye pope is head both of ye spiritual & tēporal sword, & dominion. The temple wherin this knaue ye pope sitteth & reigneth,To sitt. is ye hole mēber of thē yt beare ye name of christiās though they be ye church of Anti. whō he gouerneth, & ruleth for to sit in this place, is to rule. [Page] Wherefore here you sée that the Pope doth inuade the kingdome of Christe, as Christe prophecied. They sayeth hée, meaning the Popes, shall come in my name, and saye, I am Christ. That is, I am king and head of the Church. How can Paul call the Church of Christ, the church of Antichrist? How can the Temple of God be called the Temple of Antichrist: If the Pope had called this Temple, the Temple of Antichrist: all men would haue abhorred him. But Paule calleth it, as the Pope doth, the Temple of God, declaring that the Pope would call his Sinogoge and malignant church by a glorius name, to delude ye people, as he calleth his doctrine Euāgeliū Sempiternum et Euangelius speritus sancti. And the Sadduces cal thē selues rightuous men,Sadduces. notwithstāding they were most vnrightuous. And the Popes so altre theyr names to deceue the people,Polyd. for if he were Impius, they called him Pius: If nocent, Innocentius: If a malefactor, Boniface: If vnmercifull, Clement: and thus they called vice vertue, and twined blacke into whyte. In like maner now the Ievves call themselues the people of God, who are not his people. The Pope vsurpeth that name, as he doth in calling himselfe Christes vice gerate, and that his priestes in confession sit in gods sceate. It may be obiected that Mahumet is Antechrist,Obiect. Mahumet. whose story and lyfe I haue noted vpon Daniel. I answer that he sitteth in that Temple that calleth it the Temple of God, but denieth Christe, neither doth hée secretly or openly call Christ his God, but onely a prophet: Neither commeth he out of the Romain Empire,Pope. but rose onely of himselfe: neither sitteth he at Rome. Neither taketh he vppon him to forgiue sinne. But the Pope seacretly calleth himselfe, in that he presumeth to forgiue sinne, ergo the Pope. No man can forgiue sinne but God only: the Pope presumeth to forguiue sinne,Math. 34. a false Christ. ergo the Pope is he that sitteth in the Temple of God, boasting himselfe, and triumphe aboue all that is God, The Turke began in Arabia: the Pope at Rome. The Pope is a false Christ, that is such one as that bosteth himselfe to haue the same authoritie that Christ had when he was in earth, that faineth himselfe to do all that Christe can do, and more, as to make of iniury, iustice, of nothing, something, to restore a defamed man to his name agayne, and such other thinges like vntoo these. Neither is euery euill Christian Antechrist, but hée onely [Page] is Antichrist that fayneth himself to do all that christ can doo, to bée his vicegerent in earth, to sit in his place. As of late ther was one that fayned himself king Edward & said that he was so, who was a false knaue. Neither is the Turk that Antichrist that vsurpeth all that is God: but worshipped of the Turkes as a Sainte: as of late men did worship the Uirgin Mary and other Saintes. Neycan the Iewes or Turkes be false christes or Antichristes when they doo not feigne them selues to worship Christ as the sonne of God, he that refuseth Christ, cannot, nor wil not receiue a feinned Christ. Neither is he Antichrist, or a false christ that is an enimy of christ. But he that vsurpeth the power of christ, that maketh himselfe equal with christ, or aboue him in some points, and notwithstanding would seme to be a christian in words, though he deny him in déedes. Is not hée a false christ, a faigned christ, a pseudo christ, that would séeme to defend christ outwardly, and yit peruerteth all his lawes, detracteth them to serue his fantasy, abrogateth [...]hem which hée likech not, and maketh new of his own, and dispenseth with the law of nature, with Peter, Paul, Christ and his gospell?

[Page]

¶ The Pope holdeth some part of euery Heretique that hath bin since the world began.

WIth satan the subtile serpent he perswadeth Eue to eat of the fruit forbidden. I mean he compelleth his church to eat the raw flesh and carnall body, bones and soule of Christ in the sacrament, which is forbidden: to receiue his pardons, bulles, decrées and constitucions.

Matrimony condē ned.2 With the Adamians they denied and condemed mariages in priests, this did Leo the .9. pope of that name in the yere of christ 1050. Crantius lib. 4. ca. 43. And pope Pascalis in the yere of Christ 1100. Iohn Til.

Lutz. in picar [...]o. stuehouses. A grip art 21 B [...]cca. in nouellis.3 With the Adamites they vse women and curtesans in common, which is declared by their stuehouses, which are lawfull for all men. For the diuines of Louane defend them as good, lawfull, and necessary. Quoniam polluitur sacerdotium matrimonio non meritricibus. For priesthode is polluted with matrimony, but not with harlots. Minus est malum scortari quam nubere. It is lesser euill to go on whorehunting, then to marry. Agrip. art. 22. et art. 16 vt habetur in c. si concubina de sent. excom. et grat. 34. d. dicentes, homini Christiano qui non habet vxorem, loco vxoris liceat habere cō cubinam. A christian man that hath not a wife,Agrip. Art. 22 Mant. in Alphonso Paule. it is lawful for him to haue a concubine. Neither, say they do priests and Monkes abiure or forsweare incontinencie, but mariage. Non abiuram incontinentiam sed matrimonium. Sixtus the fourth pope of that name builded stuehouses of both the kindes in the yere of Christ .1474. O horrible Sodomie.Euseb. cap. Paul the third pope of that name had registred fiue and forty thousand whores that payed euery moneth a pension or tribute to the pope, which did rise yerely to fortie thousand ducates. Mant. 2. fast.

Si pudor in villas, si non patiantur easdem

Et villae vomicas, vrbs est iam tota lupanar.

4 With the Ophites, who sayd that the serpent, which supplanted Eue, inuented the knowledge of good and euill. With Caim [Page] that killed his brother Abel. With Iudas that betrayed Christ, whom their adherents worship bicause that Iudas did wel in betraying Christ, or els we could not haue bin saued:The cros no more say the papists we could be saued without the crosse, and therfore we worship it and make it a saint, and dedicate a day to it, and worship it with the adoration of latria, lutz. cortes. in lib. 3. sent. dist. 3. Th. aqui.

5 With the Pharisies, who seperated themselues in apparell,Pha rises and religion from others. And they obserued the Sabboth day supersticiously, as the papists do S. Sonday.Read an homily of matrimony. They gaue leaue to a man to put away his wife for any cause, and the Pope likewise for money will dispense, and allegeth at the least twelue causes, and Iohannes de turre creuata many mo. They gaue to the temple rather then too their parents, and so do the Papists.

6 The Saduces denied the immortalitie of the soule,Saduces no ly [...] to come. and so did Pope Leo the tenth of that name, and the life to come. Bembus b. The Saduces sayd that it was in our owne wil to do wel or euil: the papists that it cannot bée proued by scripture that a man néedeth the grace of God to do good. Occam writeth this, Agrip. art. 2.Free will

7 The Esses, Manaches, Abelonians, and Agapetes,Essees workes refuse mariage, and to bée saued by their owne woorks, so do the Popes.

8 Thewdas was a rebel Act. 5. vers. 36.Rebelles, so were the most part of the Popes to their Emperours.

9 Simon Magus was a coniurer, and a nicromancer: so was Siluester the second. Anno Do. 1002. Iohn. 19. 1004. Iohn 20. 1008. Sergius. 4. 1010. Benedict. 8. 1013. Iohn. 21. 1024. Benedict. 9. 1040. [...]e [...]roman [...] Siluester. 3. 1046. Gregory. 6. 1048. Gregory. 7. &c. Simon sold the holy ghost: these the holy ghost, Christ, Heauen, Hell, Purgatory. Mantuan lib. cal. Venalia Romae.

Templa, sacerdotis, altara, sacra, coronae,

Ignis, thura, preces, Coelum est venale deus (que).

10 The Ebionites deny that Christ was before the virgin Marie, the Papists do the like,All we [...]t to Hell. for they say that there were none saued, no not Adam, as did the Tatians, but that all went to hell till Christ came and haried hell. Panth. Thomas, Iohn de tur. [...]re, &c.

11 The Nicolaites would haue mens wiues,Nicolaites. and adultery and [Page] fornication to be a thing indifferent:Fornicat [...]n a t [...]i [...]g indi [...]ferent so do the popes, who say that single fornication is no sinne, and licet habere feminam semel in mense ad expurgandas renes, si non caste tamen caute, and Sodomi [...] too bée diuinum opus, Ioh. a casa cardinal. Petrus Aratinus.

Images.12 The Gnostiques had images of Homer, of Plato, of Aristotle, of Pythagoras and such others, of Paul, and Marcellina, and placed these images besides Christs image, and worshipped them: and do not the papists worship the images of Christ, Mary & Iohn, cense them, kisse them, reuerence them, offer to them, knéele to them, say the Lordes prayer, enioyned by their ghostly fathers, which I haue séene and done.

Matrimony.13 With the Tatians they say that matrimonie is as euill as whoredom.

Tert [...]ll. The pope forgiueth sinn [...]s.14 Marcus and Psichicus a folower of Ualentinus, tooke vpon him to forgiue sinnes, to giue grace and the holy ghost: and dooth not the Pope the same?

Diuorce.15 The Montanistes and Pristilians gaue libertie for men to forsake their wiues: and so do the Popes.

Mariage filleth hel.16 They say with Hi [...]rax that chastitie filleth heauen, and mariage hell.

17 They hold with the Audeans and Anthropomorphites, that God is of like shape with men: and doo not the Papists paint the father an old man with a long white beard, and the holy ghost like a Doue.

Rome the Church.18 The Donatistes said that the Church was no where but in Afrike, the Papists at Rome, and onely there where the Pope ruleth.

Fre wil.19 They defend frée will with the Donatists, Pelagians, and Anabaptists.

20 With the Collyridians they woorship the virgin Mary, they offer to hir, they call hir the quéene of heauen.

Idolatrie21 They say with Montanus, Apelles, and Cataphriges, that Christ ascended without a body: for they say that he is inclosed in a litle round cake inuisibly, and with Montanus they appoint fasting dayes.

Seuerus22 Seuerus sayd that a woman was the woork of the diuell, and the vpper part of man of God, but from the nauell down of satan: [Page] and therefore they that mary to fulfill the workes of the deuil. Pope Innocent 8. aduouched the lyke saying, that they that were maried could not please God. Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt.

23 Marcellus the Bishop of Ancira affirmed that the kingdome of Christ should haue an ende.They de [...]ny Christ Friers in Paris Preached in the yeare of Christ 1255. that Christes Gospell should then haue an end, and the Popes should take place called sempiternum Euangelium, and Christes they compared to the shell, theirs to the kernel, theirs to the sun, Christs to the moone, theirs to light, Christs to darknes.

24 With the Donatistes and circumcellions they burn bookes, yea they burne sacred Bibles and persecute the readers thereof with fier and sweard.Persecution.

25 The Pope like Gensericus, Honorius and Transmundus being Arians and Kings of the Vandales persecuted the Christians. The Church of Christe neuer persecuteth but is persecuted, the Popes church persecuteth, and was neuer persecuted, Ergo it is not the church of Christ. Hillary

26 With Seuerus bishop of Antioch he curseth al his aduersares.

27 With Anastasius the Emperour hée worshippeth a Quaternitie the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost,Cursinge and Christes bodie in the Sacrament.

28 Iohn of Constantinople desiring to bée called the vniuersall Bishop is condemned for an heretique,Supremus. what then shall we cal the Pope who will not only to be called the vniuersall Bishop, but also will be the head of the milittant and triumphant church, to haue rule in heauen ouer the Aungels and archaungels, in hel ouer the damned soules, and ouer the sely soules in purgatory.

29 The Pope Marcellinus was an Idolater.

30 Pope Anastatius was a Nestorian.

31 Pope Liberius an Arian.

32 Many of of ye Popes were murtherers, ruffians, desperates, coniurers, necromancers, warriers, perricides, blasphemers, Atheistes, Antichristes, &c.

[Page]

Fredericus Imperator Innocentio Papae.

FAta monent, stellae (que) docent, auium (que) volatus,

totius subito malleus orbis ero.

Roma diu titubans longis erroribus acta,

corruet, et mundi desinet esse caput.

¶Innocentius Frederico.

Fata silent, stellae (que) tacent, nil praedicat ales:

solius proprium nosce futura Dei.

Niteris in cassum nauem submergere Petri

fluctuat, at nunquam mergitur illa Ratis.

Fama refert, scriptura docet, peccata loquuntur,

quod tibi vita breuis, paena perennis erit.

Quod diuina manus potuit sensit Iulianus,

tu succedis ei, te te net ira dei.

Fre, fremit in mundo, de deprimit alta profundo,

ri, mala rimatur, cus, cuspide cuncta minatur.

Fredericus Innocentio.

Fata monent, stellae (que) docent, auium (que) volatus,

lapsurum te mox, ad stygis antra nigrae.

Non ratis est Petri, sed Christi, quae natat vndis,

fluctuat, at nus (que) mergitur illa ratis.

Fama refert, tua scripta docent, peccata nefanda

interitum ostendunt, exitium (que) tuum.

trangulat Adrian um musc [...], annon ira tonantis

cogitat et de te sumere supplicium?

Carcere suspendit sese Benedictus, et alter,

in stupro captus, saucius ense perit.

Siluestrum extinguit sathan, sceleratior ipse,

ergo tuis factis praemia digna feras.

Innocuum te voce notas, cùm sis nociturus

orbi terrarum, christiano (que) gregi.

¶ Fredericus de integro.

Esses si membrum, non te caput orbis et vrbis

iactares, cum sis orbis, et vrbis on [...]is.

Nune membrū non es, sed putre cadauer, et vlcus,

ense recidendum, ridiculum (que) caput.

[Page]A Deniele bdelygma nefa [...] (que) caput (que) malorum,

diceris a Paulo filius exitij.

Nos solum Christum nostrū, caput esse fatemur,

totius mundi te caput esse facis.

Si caput est vnum, quod Paulus dicit vbi (que),

tu veors balatro, dic mihi quale caput?

Corporis vnius caput vnum, si duo,, monstrum,

monstra paris, monachos, scorta, nefanda foues.

Est tua religio, stuprum, ira, superbia, caedes,

error, deliciae, fulmina, turpe lucrum.

Ex his ergo liquet, Christū te spernere, Christo

hostem esse inuisum, dedecori (que) deo.

Rex tandem veniet, coelo delapsus ab alto,

tum non defendent te, sacra, missa, cruces.

Non in sublimi surgentes vertice cri [...]tae,

Non diploma ponens, non tua sacra cohors.

Nec diadema triplex, nec sedes sanguine parta

nullus honos, solii purpura nulla tui.

Triginta nummis Christum vendebat Iudas,

tu Christi vendis corpora plura tui.

Corpora tu vendis Christi paruo aere, polum (que),

caelestis genios, sydera, iura, deos.

¶Innocentius Frederico.

Semper honos, nomen (que) meum laudes (que) manebūt,

quae Christus condit, condere iura queo.

Illi succedo, sed plus me posse fatebor,

pellere te possum sede, quod ille nequit.

Ille nequit, quoniam Pilatum sede nequiuit,

pellere solus ego, solus in orbe deus.

Est nostrum genus, eximijs spectabile factis,

Gregorius magnus, carmina mira canit.

Christo pulsanti, patuit vix ianua ditis,

sed mihi pulsanti mox patuere fores.

Nam (que) ego Traianum tetri de faucibus orci,

extraxi, et matrem, dite fremente, meam.

¶ Fredericus Innocentio.

Papa quid insanis toties? quid sanguine gaudes?

[Page]quid geris imbelli spicula tanta manu?

Quo vesane ruis? non te decet ira, nec arma:

sed pietatis opus, relligionis amor.

Tu similis colubro, quoties grauis ira, venenum

suscitat, et mota lumina bile rubent.

Sic furis, vt spumis ex ore cadentibus atrox

fulmineo quoties dente minatur aper.

Sic fremis, vt frendens, cum ferrea vincula mandit

Cerberus, et stygias murmure turbat aquas.

Tu fratres in bella vocas, in pignora patres,

arma mihi extorques, oppida, tecta, domos.

Fas et iura negas, homines, et numina fallis,

nec Iouis imperium, nec phlegetonta times.

¶Innocentius Frederico.

Quid metuā phlegitonta, deūuè aut numina coeli?

nec ditis noceat, nec Iouis ira mihi.

Est mihi tum barathri, tum coeli facta potestas,

caelestes genios, tartareos (que) voco.

Christus non potuit mentes deducere caelo

nec excire animas ex acheronte nigro.

Orci equidem possum cunctas lustrare cauernas,

Eruere ex herebi monstra nefanda specu.

Quod Deus est, ego sum, nec non mihi vendico plura

nam hinil ex nihilofas fabricare mihi

Iusticia ex iniusticia faceo (que) [...]eo (que),

te possum solio pellere caesareo.

Omnia transformo, muto quadrata rotundis,

reges pello, creo, transfero regna, duces.

Nunc quis sum? ô medius fidius, te sede mouebo,

ad barathrum trudam, praecipitem (que) dabo.

Absit si ratio, stat pro ratione [...]ido,

quale meum numen lingua docere nequit.

Sum dominus caeli, terrae rex, rectorauerni,

prodidit et Paulus me [...]uperare [...]eum.

Nec diuus, nec homo sum: neuter at inter vtrum (que)

Ens sum, consistens ex homine at (que) [...]

At quid plura? meum numen formida [...] olympus

[Page]me saenus Pluto, tartarie (que) canes.

Quos placet, efficio diuos, quos displicet, odi

at (que) ad tartareos precipitabo lacus.

Nemo mihi in terris agnatus, nemo propinquus.

prae me omnes sperno, duco (que) pro nihilo.

Prostratis veniam digitis ego porrigo tensis,

quod si contectes, id mea sella potest.

Calceus expurgat culpas mortalibus aegris,

et caligae viduas vs (que) beare solens.

Sic quidam de Papa.

Papa stupor mundi, Deus est, numen (que) benignum

Europae fasces, orbis, et vrbis habet.

At (que) Asiae decus, at (que) Africae splendor, barathri (que),

Inmen, agit furias, imperio (que) premit.

Solus ab occasu dominari, solus ab ortu

debet, qua (que) notus, quà boreas (que) ruit.

Huius sanguineum fulmen formidat Olympus,

caelestes animi, caelicole (que) timent.

Saturnus metuit ne se detrudere caelo

tentet Romani fertilis ira Iouis.

Ex erebo manes citat ad subsellia Romae,

quas (que) cupit furias, ex acheronte ciet:

Troianum è stigiis, inuito dite, lacunis

elicit, hoc Christum posse, negare licet.

Haec Christus potuit, dum vixit, fotre fatetur:

at nunc posse negat Papa, Petri (que) cohors.

Christus non potuit damnatos manibus vllam

largiri veniam, sed bene Papa potest.

Dat veniam tostis flammatis ignibus orci,

ille dat eterni gaudia falsa poli.

Ille au [...]o vendit coelum, coelestia cessant,

numina tam magnum dinumerare bonum.

[Page]

De Roma, meretrice Babilonica.

ROMA quid insanis? quid in impietate triumphas?

quid nectis fraudes? stupraue faeda colis?

Concubitus vetitus cordi est, puerilis amor (que),

impurus cultus, vana superstitio.

Dicitur illa quidem meretrix et adultera turpis,

agnos [...]it plures, quae vitiata, viros.

Illa vrbs non al [...]ter, coluit quae numina plura,

scortum est. Hoc Babylon, impia Roma facit.

Vrbs Romana potest meretrix Babylonia dici,

quae coluit, spreto numina plura, deo,

Illa deos coluit plures, simulachra, lares (que),

quaest um diuitias, gaudia falsa dapes.

Pompas, uxuriam ventrem, pueros (que), dolos (que),

at (que) malos genios, stupra, venena lupas.

Papa fuit quondam meretrix, peperit (que) plataea.

quid queris testes? testis imago tibi.

Cuius imago tibi Romae stat conspicienda,

si dubitas, propter Roma petenda tibi.

Sin statuae minime fidas: confide, quod Abbas

Verspergensus ait fama (que) vera docet.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A discourse Wherein is plainly proued by the order of time and place, that Peter was neuer at Rome. Furthermore, that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church. Also an interpretation vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians, the second chapter. Seene and alowed according to the order appointed.Discourse. Wherein is plainly proved by the order of time and place, that Peter was never at Rome.

Carlile, Christopher, d. 1588?

Edition statement

1572

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A18004

ID [STC]

STC 4655

ID [STC]

ESTC S107558

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99843257

ID [PROQUEST]

99843257

ID [VID]

7973

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A18004)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 7973)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 202:02)

Source

— A discourse Wherein is plainly proued by the order of time and place, that Peter was neuer at Rome. Furthermore, that neither Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church. Also an interpretation vpon the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians, the second chapter. Seene and alowed according to the order appointed., Discourse. Wherein is plainly proved by the order of time and place, that Peter was never at Rome., Carlile, Christopher, d. 1588?.

Extent

[4], 48, [6] leaves

By Tho. East, and H Myddleton: for VVilliam Norton,. Imprinted at London :: Anno salutis. 1572.. (By Christopher Carlile.) (The last leaf is blank.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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