The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 1 · Chapter 11
The xi. Chapter. VVhichWhich teacheth, how that vponupon this foundation, Heretikes must be examined. And what questions are to be proponed vntounto them in the inquisition.
THerefore the order and maner to dispute with Heretikes nowe adayes,The examination of Heretikes. is no more to bring in many Scriptures or Councels against them, for therein woulde they be too readie and ripe reasoners: but we must onelyonly lay before them the good intents, ordinances, and statutes of the holie Church. And it is sufficient to prooue that, by any one of the argumentes before specified: for whensoeuer men can alledge only one, whether it be out of the Fathers, Councels, Decrees, or out of Aristotle, or Virgil, then it is cocke on our side, and the battell is wonne. But now contrariwise, whensoeuer the Heretikes goe about to ouerthrow any article of the beliefe by the holy Church brought in and established, it is not therefore sufficient, that they proue it to be contrarie to the Scripture: for that is but one witnes. And it is a common prouerbe: Vnus testis, nullus testis, One witnes, no witnes: but they must proue it to be directly against all these before rehearsed, or else they remaine in the sacke: and by this meanes shall we (without doubt) get the victorie and vpper hande ouer all our enimies. For by this foundation are al the Lutheranes, and Huguenotes, condemned, banished, and accursed. VponUpon this grounde they are deliuered ouer into the hands of temporal officers, as ranke Heretikes. VponUpon this foundation are they at the last pitifully murthered & burnt. And wherfore? For this is the verie foote wherevpon men do condemne for Heretikes, all such as do not beleue al, whatsoeuer the holy church beleeueth. It skils not out of what grounde they hauehave fetcht this: whether out of S. Francis vineyard, or out of the goldē Legend, & liues of the ancient Fathers, or out of the Decrees & Decretals: that is all one, so that it tend to the benefi…e & establishment of the holy Church of Rome. For as it is before declared, that is onelie the foundation of the holy Catholike and Romish Christen faith. Therefore whatsoeuer dependeth therevpon, must (of necessitie) be esteemed, receiued, and taken for a special article of our beliefe: and whosoeuer will not so accept it, they are damned without merciemercy: yea, although they had both Paul and Peter ten times for their aduocates: and ten dozen of Bibles on their side will not serue: for they shall neuer be demaunded, whether they do beleeue the Scripture and the Bible? or whether they holde the writing of Paule for the woord of God? or whether they doe not acknowledge themselues to be poore, miserable, lost, and condemned creatures, by the fall of Adam, and the children of wrath and damnation? And that God of his meere merciemercy and pitie (without any desertes) hath loosed and redeemed them? For all this is but brabbling, it shall not be demanded of them, whether they do not stedfastly beleeue, that they onelyonly (through the onelyonly oblation of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ, once offered vponupon the crosse) are iustified before the face and iudgement seate of God? For that is of no importance. And much lesse shall it bee demaunded of them, whether in time of their neede, they do call onelyonly vponupon the onelyonly liuing God, through the mediation and intercession of our onelyonly mediatour and intercessour Iesus Christ? For that is altogether Lutherall. What shall be demaunded of them then?
Howe men shall examine Heretikes.First, and before all, whether they doe not beleeue that the holy Church of Rome, is the Ladie and Queene ouer all Churches, and that the Pope of Rome is the heade of the same? And whether they doe not beleeue all, whatsoeuer this Church beleeueth? After that, if they do not beleue in the holy Masse, in Purgatorie, in the miracles of men Saints, and women Saints? Also, what they doe thinke of the holy Reliques? As for example, If they do not beleeue in the foreskinne of our Lord Iesus, which is at Antwerpe? in a second, which is at Rome: in a thirde, which is at Bezancon: in a fourth, which an Angel brought once from Hierusalem, into the towne of Aken: and lastly; in one whiche is seene and worshipped in an Abbay at Poytears in Fraunce?
Item, whether they do not beleeue in the Cribbe which is at Rome in our Ladies Church, and in our Lordes shooes, which are likewise at Rome, in the holy place called Sancta Sanctorum?
Item, in the Dice wherewith they did play vponupon his coate, whereof some are at Triers, and some at S. Sauiours in Spaine? In the Sponge wherewith they gaue him vinegre to drinke, which is at Rome at S. Iohns de Laterane? And in the tayle of the Asse, whereon hee rode, which is set foorth with great deuotion at the town of Genuen in Italie, &c? What accompt they make of the three Kings which lie at Colen: & yet are likewise at Milane in Italie: of S. Iohn… head, which is to be seene at Ghent: notwithstanding that they of Ameens con…ende, that they hauehave it?
Item, what they esteme of Iosephs breeches which are at Aken, with our Ladies smocke? And further, what they thinke of our deare Ladies needles, her sowing thred, and her workebasket, which lie in her siluer chist at Halle, where many goodly miracles hauehave bene shewed: and of her girdle, which is there likewise: by vertue whereof so many women hauehave conceiued with child: & of her milke which is so plentifull in manie places, that seuen of the best kine in Holland are not able to giuegive so much milke in ten yeres. Of the holye bloud at Bridges, of the holy Sacrament, of miracles at Bruxols, at Saint Goels church, which is a pre…te litle round thing made of very bone of iuorie: and yet our deare mother beleeues, that it is very flesh and bloud. After this shalbe demaunded of them, what they do beleeue, of all the glorious Saintes. As Saint Lieuen, S. Gom…er, S▪ Rombol…, S. Goele, S. Iob… of W…semale, S. Ioyce in Flanders, where men get children, and mo such other like Saintes and Patrones of the holy church▪ which hauehave wrought so manie miracles, as in very deede no man can tell. And if the… doe not beleeue al this, then the matter is cleare, that they beare the whole burden on their backes. And wherefore? Because they do not beleeue al that the holy church doeth beleeue, and therefore they can be no good christen men. Therefore is Maister Gentianus, worthie to be shrined in golde, and set vponupon an altar, seeing that hee hath with fewe wordes so substantially taught the very right way to bridle and bring vnderunder these heretikes, and to put them all in a cloake bagge: specially those which doe not beleeue whatsoeuer the Church beleeues: all such are vnbeleeuing and damned Heretikes.