The Brutish Thunderbolt, Declaration 1 · Part 7
Of the crime of corrupt Religion.
HItherto hauehave we ſpoken briefely of the ſecond crime of the papacie, according to our method and order ſet downe. It followeth that we intreat of the crime of corrupt religion. For when as the pope tooke vponupon him that chiefe lordſhip ouer Chriſtian religion; he then determined as it were by his own right to innouate, new trim and tranſforme it at his pleaſure. Whereof this is the firſt teſtimonie. The holie Scripture teacheth vsus, that there is one onelyonly forme of religion and worſhipping of God, the ſame which is ſet downe in writing, in the writings of the Prophets & Apoſtles: ſo that it is not lawfull to adde any thing thereto, or to take any thing there fro: no, not for an Angell in heauen. Therefore Chriſt ſaith: In vaine do they worſhip me, teaching doctrines which Iohn. 14. 2. Tim. 3. Matth. 15.are the commandements of men. And Ier. 7. Which I neuer commanded, neither aſcended they into mine hart. Therefore Irenaeus biſhop of Lyons, an authour moſt ancient: for he wrot about the yéere of Chriſt 198. After that, ſaith he, our Lord roſe from the dead, and the Apostles had the holie Ghost giuen them, after that power came vponupon them from aboue, they were filled with all things, and they had perfect knowledge of ſaluation. Alſo: Cha. 4.We must not ſeeke the truth at others: ſeeing the Apostles hauehave most fully bestowed all things in the church, which belong to the truth: that eueryevery one that will may take of the ſame drinke of life. Alſo Athanaſius in the beginning of his ſecond booke againſt the Gentils. The holie ſcripture, ſaith he, and inſpired by God, is alone abundantly ſufficient to all inſtruction of the truth. Thus ſaith he. But the pope ſetteth downe on the contrarie, that, The diſcipline of the Church beſides holie ſcripture (ſo ſaith he in the Councell of Trent) is contained in the traditions of the elders: Triden. concil. ſeſſion. 4. cap. 1.which being deliuered as it were by hands came vntounto vsus alſo, as being deliuered either by word of mouth by Christ, or elſe by the holie Ghost. Now let vsus ſée what maner traditions, being deliuered to vsus by our ancetors as it were from hand to hand, are to be obſerued. And firſt of all let vsus cite that: The pope vſeth vponupon a certaine and ſet day to make certaine little images like to a lamb, of white wax tempered with oile. He affirmeth that theſe, if they be hoong about the neck, do in like ſort purge mens ſinnes, euen as the blood of Chriſt doth purge them: he affirmeth that they driue away lightening, that they helpe women in childbirth, and that they ſaue men from burning, and ſhipwrack. What more wicked thing can be ſpoken or thought vponupon. But theſe are called the traditions of the elders, deliuered to this pope by his predeceſſors as from hand to hand. For in the booke of the popes Ceremonies it is written thus:
Balme and pure waxe with holie oile
Togither mixt a lambe do make:1. Sect, 7.
Which gift of price and vertue great
To the beloued I betake,
As borne of fountaine and adiured
By ſacred words. Whoſe power is great,
For flaſhing lightnings it depels,
And eueryevery euill away doth beat.
It breaketh ſinne like Christs owne blood,
It vexeth it, It doth preſerue,
Women with childe, and infant ſaues.
It giues thoſe gifts that do deſerue.
The fires force it will destroy,
And faire doth ſaue from flouds annoy.
Let this then be the firſt tradition of the popes, which is deliuered to vsus with like & the ſame authoritie as the holie ſcripture. There followeth another: The holie ſcripture teacheth vsus that the ſacrament of baptiſm is the ſprinkling of the blood of Chriſt Ieſus for the remiſſion of our ſins, and the Acts. 22. Rom. 6. 1. Cor. 6. & 15.imputation of his righteouſnes. But the popes traditions doe grant baptiſme to bels: and the prieſts of the papacie do abuſe ſo great a ſacrament eueryevery where ſo wickedly, and vngodlily, that the emperor Maximilian the firſt wrote a complaint concerning that matter, which is extant among his grauamina or burdenings in theſe words: Alſo the ſuffragans hauehave inuented, that they alone, and none other priest, ſhould baptiſe bels. That done, the ſimpler ſort do beleeue, the ſuffragans affirming the ſame, that ſuch bels thus baptiſed, do driue away diuels and tempests. Wherefore they hauehave ſometimes an infinite companie of God-fathers, and eſpecially thoſe that are of wealth are intreated. In the time of which baptiſing, they touch the rope wherwith the bell is tied, and then the ſuffragan he ſingeth first (as they vſe to do at the baptiſing of infants) and then they altogither make anſwer, and do double the name of the bell, and they put a new garment vponupon it, as they vſe to do to Christians. And ſhortly after: Therefore a thing ſo wicked and vnlawfull ought to be aboliſhed. Maximilian ſaith excellently and cléerly. But as the ſow in wallowing, ſo are the popes delighted in this filth and corruption. And concerning this moſt filthy cuſtomary pollution of the In tract. de ſuper. num. 3. nu. 9. num. 14.ſacrament, let vsus read Martin, de Arles. Go to now, let vsus proſecute other corruptions of religion. The ſcripture teacheth vsus that there is but one mediator of God and 1. Tim. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. Amb. in epist. ad Heb.men, Ieſus Chriſt *. And therefore Ambroſe ſaith: They are woont to vſe a miſerable excuſe, ſaieng that by iust men we may go vntounto God, as by earles vntounto the king. Go to now: is any man ſo mad, and ſo vnmindfull of his ſafetie, that he will attribute the maiestie of the king to an earle, ſeeing that if any be found but euen to talke of this matter, they may by good right be condemned as guiltie of treaſon. And theſe men will not thinke thoſe to be guiltie that giuegive the honor of the name of God to a creature, and forſaking the Lord do worſhip their fellow ſeruants: as if they could do God any greater ſeruice. For therefore do men go to a king by tribunes and earles, bicauſe ſurely the king is a man: and he knoweth not to whom he ought to commit the cōmon-welth. But to pleaſe and intreat God, who is ignorant of nothing (for he knoweth all mens merits) we need no ſpokes-man: but a deuout mind. For whereſoeuer ſuch a one ſhall ſpeake, he will anſwer nothing at all. This ſaith Ambroſe. What? How religiouſly doth the papacie kéepe this ordinance of the holie ſcripture and the old Church? It denieth that there did euer any ſaint depart this life, which was receiued into the place of the bleſſed, which doth not execute the office of a mediator and interceſſor. Only ſo? Nay whatſoeuer bawds, Franciſſes, Dominiks, and other deceiuers and coſeners they would canonize among the ſaints, they brought vsus in the ſame for mediators and ſpokesmen. The ſcripture teacheth vsus that there be onelyonly two places for ſoules of the dead Iohn. 5. Matth. 25.after this life, heauen for the bleſſed, hell for the curſed. Therfore Auguſtine ſaith *: Lib. hypognoſt.The faith of the catholiks by the authoritie of God beleeueth the first place to be the kingdome of heauen: the ſecond, hell, where euerie reuolt and ſtranger from the faith of Christ is puniſhed. Of any third we are altogither ignorant: neither do we find in the holy ſcripture that there is any ſuch. Thus writeth he. But the papacie feigneth that there is a third place, where the ſoules of certaine that are guiltie of light, and (as they terme them) of veniall ſinnes are purged before they go vp into heauen: which place for this cauſe they call the fire of purgatorie: as if ouer and beſides the blood of Chriſt that was ſhed for our ſinnes to purge vsus, we néed either thoſe pictures of lambs, or this ſuppoſed fire: whereas notwithſtanding the ſcripture doth euidently teach vsus, that our ſoules are purged by the onelyonly blood of Chriſt, and that their blots are waſhed away by this medicine alone. 1. Ioh. 1. His blood purgeth vsus from al ſin. And Mat. 26. My blood ſhall be ſhed for many for the remiſſion of ſinnes. Finally, theſe are the words of the Tridentine Councell, that There is a purgatorie, Seſſ. 25.and that the ſoules that are there kept, are holpen by the praiers of the faithfull, and eſpecially by that acceptable ſacrifice of the altar. We ſée how great corruptions the papacie hath brought into Chriſtian religion. Item ſeſſ. 6. ca. 30. Seſſ. 22. ch. 2. &c. 3.But beſides theſe, innumerable other may be reckoned vp. The ſcripture teacheth vsus that there be onelyonly two ſacraments: namely, baptiſme and the ſupper: the former whereof was inſtituted, Matt. 28. Mark. 16. and the latter, Matth. 26. Mark. 14. Luc. 22. and 1. Corin. 11. 23. Therefore Auguſtine ſaith: Christ knit togither Ep. 218. ad Ianuar.the ſocietie of the new people with ſacraments in number fewest, in obſeruation eaſiest, in ſignification most excellent, as baptiſme conſecrate to the Trinitie, and the communicating of the bodie and blood of Christ. Alſo: The Lord and the apostolike doctrine gaue but a Lib. de doctr. Christ. ca. 9.few ſignes: as is the ſacrament of baptiſme and the celebration of the bodie and blood of Chriſt. And in like number Ambroſe in the booke of the ſacraments acknowledgeth onelyonly two, baptiſme, and the Lords ſupper. But the papacie addeth ouer and beſides theſe, fiue more: Order, Confirmation, Vnction, Trident. con. ſeſſ. 6. c. 14. ſeſſ. 14. c. 1. & ſeq.Penance, and Matrimonie. The holie ſcripture teacheth vsus that matrimonie is not onelyonly comly and honorable for al men, but alſo that it is in a maner neceſſarie to Heb. 13. & 1. Cor. 7.auoid fornication *. Therfore we read that Peter the apoſtle had a wife, * where mention Mark. 1. & Matt. 8.is made of Peters wiues mother. Moreouer Chryſoſtom * ſaith: The Apoſtle Ad Tit. hom. 1.ſtoppeth the mouth of heretiks, which ſlander mariage: ſhewing that it is not a detestable thing, but ſo honorable, that with it they may go vp into the holie throne euen of biſhops. To what end ſhould I vſe many words? The pope himſelfe ſaith: * If any man ſhall teach In decret. dist. 28.a priest to deſpiſe his owne wife vnderunder colour of religion, let him be accurſed. Alſo: * Bicauſe it Dist. 31.is prouided that ſingle life might not be fostered, and that he ſhould be ſequestred from the communion of the faithful, which doth ſeparate himſelfe from his wife bicauſe of eccleſiastical orders. Alſo diſt. 3. c. ſi quis nuptias. But the ſame pope doth in the Tridentine Councel ſo forbid his clerks and nunnes to marrie, that he doth euen inforce them when they enter his holie orders to take an oth that they will liue in perpetual ſingle life: which Paul ſheweth to be a ſure 1. Tim. 4. Titus. 3.marke of Antichriſt. The ſcripture teacheth that we muſt acknowledge that wée hauehave ſaluation and iuſtification by Ieſus Chriſt from the alone merciemercy of God. Ieſ. 43. I, I am he, ſaith the Lord, which blot out your iniquities. Alſo, Matt. 9. That you may know that the ſonne of man hath power to forgiue ſinnes vponupon earth, I ſay to the ſicke of the palſie, Ariſe, take vp thy bed and go home. But the pope ſaith thus in Bernardin. Roſetus. We can demerit eternall life with works. Serm. 20.Therefore we ought to preſume, and hold for a certaintie, that after this life we ſhall aſſuredly hauehave eternal life, for the reward of good works. Alſo in the Summarie de grat. ſanct. Good works demerit three things: namely, eternall life, increaſe of grace, remiſſion of puniſhment. As if either the chaſtitie or holines of our fleſh could be ſo great, that we ſhould not alwaies be accounted vnprofitable ſeruants, or that we can do thoſe works for our Lord and patron, beſides thoſe that we of duty owe, that we can merit any thing. But let vsus ſée the reſt. The ſcripture teacheth, that in the Lords ſupper as wel the bread as the wine muſt be giuen to thoſe Mat. 26. Mark. 14. 1. Cor. 11.that come thereto *. But the pope will ſuffer the people to hauehave no more ſaue onelyonly the bread: and forbiddeth them the receiuing Concil. Const. ſeſſ. 13.of the cup and wine *. Which inhibition we may ſo much the more wonder at, De conſecrat. dist. comperimus.bicauſe the pope in his Decrées * hath left this in writing. We find that certaine hauing taken onelyonly a portion of the holie bodie, do abſtaine from the cup of the holie blood: who vndoubtedly let them either receiue the whole ſacraments, or elſe let them be kept from the whole: bicauſe there cannot be a diuiſion made of one and the ſame myſterie without great ſacrilege. The ſame ſcripture commandeth all, to take, eate, and drinke. But in poperie onelyonly the prieſts take, eate, and drinke, which notwithſtanding is manifeſtly forbidden in the ſame decrée * in theſe words: When De conſ. diſt. 2. c. peracta.the conſecration is ended let all communicate, which will not want (be put from) the bounds of the Church: for both the Apostles did thus decree, and alſo the holie church of Rome holdeth this. The ſame holie ſcripture doth appoint, that in the Church and aſſemblie of the godly all things be vttered in the common language, that the multitude may eaſily vnderſtande what eueryevery one ſaith: and addeth a reaſon, bicauſe if anie thing ſhould be vttered in a ſtrange and vnknowen toong, the multitude could not giuegive their conſent, and anſwer Amen. But in poperie not onelyonly the prieſts, but alſo the multitude, and ſilly women which mumble vp certaine forms of praiers, do ſay all in latin. The ſcripture teacheth vsus, that Chriſt is the onelyonly biſhop and prieſt, who did once ſacrifice his bodie for mankind, according to that: * Christ was once 1. Tim. 2.offered that he might take away the ſinnes of manie. And: We are ſanctified by the offering vp of the bodie of Christ once made. And againe: Epheſ. 5. & Heb. 9. & 10.By one oblation hath he conſecrated for euer thoſe that are ſanctified. But the pope hath made infinite prieſts, whom he hath commanded that ſo often as they ſay maſſe they ſhould ſo often ſacrifice the bodie of Chriſt both for the liuing, and alſo for the dead. Whervpon commeth that forme of Canon in the maſſe: We pray that thou wilt accept▪ and bleſſe theſe gifts, theſe rewards, theſe ſacrifices, which we offer vp to thee for thy Church. Alſo vponupon Eaſter day in the ſecrets of the maſſe: Receiue the praiers of thy people, with the oblations of the hosts. Alſo out of the maſſe for the dead: The ſacrifices we offer vntounto thee for the ſoules of thy ſeruants and handmaids. Alſo: O Lord, we offer to thee ſacrifices for the ſoule of thy ſeruant. Alſo in the booke of the Conformities *. As frier Fol. 65.Iohn was at maſſe, and in the eleuation of the Lords bodie, as he offered it for the ſoules of the dead to God the father: he ſaw an infinite number of ſoules go out of purgatorie, as a multitude of ſparkles out of a firie fornace, and fly to heauen for Chriſts merits, who is daily offered in the moſt holy hoſt for the quicke and the dead. But let theſe things hitherto be ſpoken touching the corrupt, polluted, defiled, and filthy religion of the popes, only for examples ſake. For ſéeing this crime of the papacie hath in many and great books for the ſpace of more than fiftie yéeres togither béen moſt plentifully declared and handled by the Diuines of Germanie, Heluetia, France, and England, and by others alſo, it ſéemeth more commodious to come vntounto the fourth crime of the papacie.